Still strolling through the shadows, part III

[littlebean]

The few moment's Shin slept was the biggest relief for Kremnaes, because while he slept he wasn't such a huge threat to his well being. Usually this would mean he would be resting too, but he slept only very little. The greatest thing about Shin's being asleep was that he could finally get things done without the threat of Shin discovering his true cause, in the end he slept but only very little, he saw it more as an opportunity to run a few errands while everyone else was asleep.

It was morning now, not a typical morning as there would be so sun rising, no dew drops on the grass and no chirping birdies, but by the City of Shadow's standards, it was as morning as it would get. The house was still and quiet, the day had barely begun and nothing of importance was happening inside the house. Outside, a certain slug would just be returning home from his little excursion. There were no traces of him in the home, the corner which he slept in was unoccupied and his belongings were gone. The only evidence that he was there at all was the slime left behind, drying up on the floor.

Elsewhere, Kremnaes was not too far from his destination, slowly making his way back to Isac's house. The building was in sight, he'd be back soon.

[Shin]

Shin was relaxed, much more relaxed then Kremnaes had every seen him. But that didn't mean that the Tenken was sleeping, he was merely at ease in a state of meditation. Keen ears and his ability to sense Chi made it easy for Shin to keep track of Kremnaes, granted he couldn't tell exactly what the slug was doing, simply that he was moving around and not sleeping.

After Kremnaes left Shin drifted away into sleep, a few hours of sleep were all that the he really needed. His dreams were more peaceful then normal, not something he was going to complain about. When Shin woke up he was feeling refreshed, a bit hungry, but feeling fairly good. It was still incredibly early, Kremnaes had yet to return from where ever he went and Shin was sure Isac wouldn't show up for a few more hours, if he decided to show up at all.

Shin went through some fairly normal stretches and exercises, bringing the Shiden Blade through several perfectly performed katas. Working just enough to barely work up a sweat, something to get his blood pumping and blood moving to start the day. Eventually when Kremnaes made his way back to the house he would be greeted by the sound of a sword being sheathed and Shin turning to face him, one eye brow raised giving him an accusing look.

"Busy night?"

[littlebean]

There wasn't much rest for Kremnaes. The sleep was a ruse, the sooner people got to bed the sooner he could leave. For someone as slow as himself, every second counted and needed to be used wisely. Travel needed to be done as quickly as possible, the plan was to hopefully return before Shin woke up. Even if he couldn't quite figure out what he was up to, if he saw that he had been awake while he slept it would only worsen his suspicions. So far his intentions had been just and true and he displayed only kindness (and cowardice) towards the man. Aside from the violence there must have been a sharpness about him to suspect that there were other activities going on without being given any clues, or he was just as paranoid as Kremnaes.

When he arrived his plans to sneak about undetected were an obvious failure, because Shin had already been awake. As per the usual, Kremnaes had been greeted by his sword and an accusing look. By now this would be such a common occurance, but no matter how often it happened it never made it easier, it continued to frighten him. Now he stood before Shin exhausted and sleep deprived, the eyes on his chest only half open and struggling to stay that way. His condition was poor, and he was in no condition to be startled.

"AH! Geeze Shin that sword! I...BREP!" It was almost routine, Shin brought out his sword and Kremnaes would yelp and jump like a little girl. He'd never burped at the sword before, and this time the routine would be broken by a deep rumbling...disgustingly wet belch, gurgling from the pit of his stomach, an acidic stench wafting from his mouth.

"Shin where's the bathroom?"

[Shin]

Shin kept silent after Kremnaes's question, something he always seemed to be doing around the slug, and simply stared at the thing. Shin wasn't sure what to do, in his mind the slug was trying to be secretive and Shin was sure that whatever Kremnaes was doing it wouldn't turn out good for himself.

"Where did you go Kremnaes?" Shin asked calmly, crossing both arms across his chest. The thing could puke, Shin didn't really care, it would more then vomit to make Shin queasy. "You are acting strange... taking pictures, trying to give me medicine and walking off in the middle of the night in an area that's incredibly dangerous." Shin paused.

"To put yourself at great risk means there must be a great reward." Shin accentuated the word 'risk' by dropping one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other he let hang loose by his side. "I think it's about time you explained yourself...." With that Shin would grab one of the non-broken chairs and take a seat, Kremnaes could puke, complain and piss himself where he stood, if he wanted to get by Shin he would need to do it physically and that Shin was sure the slug couldn't do.

[littlebean]

"Where did I go? Shin I was ju-" Kremnaes's voice was terrified. The tired drooping eyes opened widely immediately, adrenaline beginning to rush through his body, preparing it for an appropriate reaction. Try as he might, he could not explain to Shin where he was going, his words being cut off by grotesque sloshing and gurgling from his stomach.

"Hurk please Shin I- HRUK!" His stomach muscles clenched and Kremnaes regurgitated the meal that he should have known better than to eat from last night. Before he could make too much of a mess he quickly covered his mouth as fast as he could, trying to hold it in. Coughing and choking on his own bile, some of the fluid escaped and began leaking between his fingers.

He wanted to be polite. Despite the obvious reprecussions of eating a meal he couldn't possibly hope to digest Kremnaes ate it anyway in fear of offending Isac. If there was anything offensive, it would be throwing up on his kitchen floor. Aside from fearing for his life, he also felt deeply humiliated. Unable to contain it, he did his best to vomit as discreetly as possible, kneeling politely on the ground, huddling over the mess he was about to make in an attempt to hide it, but not with his back turned, not now.

"KAFF KAFF URG! Oh god...oh geeze." It landed with a splash on the ground. Briefly Kremnaes wondered how he would clean up after the mess. This entire thing, it was all his fault. The mess in Isac's house, this whole scenario could have been avoided if he had done a better job.

Guilt was now the icing on the cake. At a loss for what to do, he simply wiped his fowled hand on his shorts, and the scene repeated itself, Kremnaes on his hands and knees, staring pleadingly at Shin, at his mercy. The seriousness of the situation far surpassing a sliced in half pill bottle. Very soon Kremnaes felt that he would suffer the same fate.

Now he could explain himself. "Please Shin! I-I was only going to get refills on your prescription! There is no reward Shin this is my job honestly! P-put he sword away there's no need!" his explanation poured out of his mouth in a half sob, eyes on his chest beggining to water over in tears as he begged. Shin was not a merciful person, it didn't take much to tell. If he didn't believe him then soon Kremnaes might have too....

[Shin]

The scene that unfolded before Shin was disgusting, the sight, sound and smell of the slug puking was disturbing. Shin didn't look away though, no, he continued to keep his icy glare on the slug. When it was over and Kremnaes had composed himself Shin forced himself to smirk, as if he were enjoying the pitiful spectacle before him.

His job... Kremnaes did work for Sturm, Shin was sure that the slug was little more then a lackey of the Purple Enigmas. "I destroyed the first set of pills. Why would I accept the second set?"

Shin was torn in two, half of him hated the slug before him, hated that it was so weak and pitiful and that part thought that perhaps by ending Kremnaes he would kill that half of him. The other side felt pity for the thing, it needed protection it needed to be taken somewhere away to safety. The conflicting emotions turned his small smirk into a mask of rage and in a blur of motion Shin grabbed the chair he had been sitting on and hurled it into the opposite wall.

"GOD DAMN YOU!!" Shin took a step back, his right hand coming up to grab his head. "You're too weak.. you don't deserve to live!" Shins grip on his blade tightened and he pulled it out about a quarter of the way before stopping. "Go away... just get the fuck away from me....right now..." Shins eyes blazed with an inner fire as he looked back up at Kremnaes, his body shook in tension.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!" The blade came out at that moment, in the blur of a moment and it was hurled through the air to stick in the ground right before Kremnaes. "Take it and go!"

[littlebean]

The sharp icey gaze Shin was shooting at Kremnaes was so cold that it almost literally froze him on the spot. If looks could kill Kremnaes would be a dead man, with the look Shin was giving him, he had been frozen solid with fear, almost unable to stand up. His legs didn't want to move, or maybe they were too afraid of what Shin might do if he rose up to meet him.

Along with the stare, the smirk was unnerving. The very fact that Shin found something ammusing enough to smirk was a cause for concern, because Kremnaes didn't trust his sense of humor. Maybe he wasn't smiling because something was funny, maybe something made him happy? Why? Questions poured out of his mind but would never escape his lips as he didn't even have the balls to open his mouth.

"I destroyed the first set of pills. Why would I acceptt the second set?"

His mouth followed his leg's example. He couldn't find a proper explanation, he hadn't had one prepared when he made up his last second lie. Why would he accept the second set indeed. Shin wouldn't accept a damn thing. "I-i-i...mmm-muh ....uh" In an attempt at speach Kremnaes opened his mouth only to stutter nervously in his direction. Even if he could manage to speak properly he knew it wouldn't be enough to appease the mad man. Nothing he could say would make a difference. Shin wasn't looking for answers, he rejected all the answers he'd given him. What could he do?

Finally the flood gates opened and tears began to pour down his chest, weeping at the answer. Nothing.By now Kremnaes was just holding his breath and waiting to see what would become of him. In the end, the fear built a mass of pressure inside his lungs that would be released in a scream when Shin yelled.

"AAH!" He screamed, hurdling and clutching together. Anything Shin thought about the slug's character sadly would be nothing but true, he was a coward through and through. It was fear that brought him to bring a knife and a pistol on him to his mission, and in the end fear caused him to forget he even had the useless items. Instead he watched the scene unfold before him, startled as Shin's mood did a complete 180 and turned all the way around from ammused to raging anger.

Huddled in his corner Kremnaes sat teary eyed watching Shin rant and rave to himself , cursing and insulting his own character and his own right to exist. Not a word was said, he wished silently to himself that he had been created with the ability to run away. If only he was more capable, he would have fled long ago. Instead, he had to wait for Shin's permission to leave and once that was granted he walked out as speedily as he could, obediantly taking the sword as he was told, sobbing all the way back to the clinic.

Shin was probably right.