Uguu, the top part was meant to be part 12/28. Anon is sorry!
Alfred and Yao were the first into the room but neither of them would make it in time. The sound of the bullet exploding from the nozzle rippled through the room, tearing into space, into time, the very fabric of reality.
“Arthur!” Alfred flung out a hand. Why couldn’t he make it in time? If he really was a hero he could stop this. If he really was a hero...
“Mister Kirkland!” Marianne imposed herself between them, arms flung wide.
“Marianne!”
Blood coloured the walls. White and red like Arthur’s flag. Marianne’s face was a picture of pure shock, as if she had not comprehended that a bullet would hurt when she flung herself in its path. Her breast was crimson, the colour quickly spreading like a disease that would consume her, blood violently spurted from her mouth as she collapsed, spreading her red corruption across the once white floor.
The woman swore under her breath. Another bullet shattered the windows and she flung herself through without ceremony. Yao and Ludwig immediately gave chase while Kiku took Francis around the back in order to seal all exits, leaving only Feliciano and Alfred alone with Arthur and the body of Marianne.
A moment of absolute stillness reigned. It was that moment between the realms of conscious and unconsciousness when the mind is still trying to confirm whether it is still dreaming or not, when one feels disorientated and paralysed. It was as if someone had covered their eyes with their hands; teasingly whispering ‘Guess who?’ though no one was there; a cold surprise that festered in the gut and conquered the brain.
Arthur was the first to move, though only to slide down the wall into a shocked heap. Some of the blood had splattered onto his face so that he could feel its warmth trickling down his cheeks like tears and smell that disgusting, metallic scent smothering him.
“M – Marianne?” Feliciano smiled as he crouched beside her. He shook her gently, as one would to rouse someone from their sleep. “Ve ve, Marianne don’t lie there all day! You’re bleeding; shall I kiss it better for you? Marianne? M – Marianne, want me to kiss...kiss it...better...?”
He was crying. He tried not to show it, tried to smile despite himself but Feliciano’s trembling hands betrayed his feelings. He made no sound, he did not sob out loud as he would when pleading for mercy, but the tears came down in steady silent streams.
“M – Marianne?” Alfred knew that she was already dead. Had she been a nation she might have survived. Had she been a nation... He looked at Arthur and crept towards him, reaching out a comforting hand. “Arthur, are you - ”
“Don’t touch me!” Arthur batted him away. The harshness of his voice made Alfred flinch. “Ha...haha...” shaky, almost deranged laughter bubbled from his throat. “Hahaha! Stupid human! She should have just let her take me! If she knew who I was she would have - ”
The sound of Alfred’s palm hitting the side of Arthur’s cheek made even Feliciano look up in surprise. Alfred’s enraged face was marred by tears. Why could he not do anything? He was the hero here! Why could he never do anything but watch?
“Don’t talk as if you know everything!” he yelled, gripping Arthur’s shoulders hard enough to make him wince. “Even if I told her what you were, it wouldn’t have made a difference to her!”
Arthur quelled a little under the harshness of his gaze. “...W - Who cares?”
Alfred’s grip slackened. Arthur was slipping back into apathy.
“...War, poverty, crime, who cares what humans want to do to each other? They shouldn’t get us involved.”
“Arthur?”
“I’ve had enough.”
Cue Arthur going Russia batshit-insane. No, just joking...
Re: If you find me...[13/28]
Alfred and Yao were the first into the room but neither of them would make it in time. The sound of the bullet exploding from the nozzle rippled through the room, tearing into space, into time, the very fabric of reality.
“Arthur!” Alfred flung out a hand. Why couldn’t he make it in time? If he really was a hero he could stop this. If he really was a hero...
“Mister Kirkland!” Marianne imposed herself between them, arms flung wide.
“Marianne!”
Blood coloured the walls. White and red like Arthur’s flag. Marianne’s face was a picture of pure shock, as if she had not comprehended that a bullet would hurt when she flung herself in its path. Her breast was crimson, the colour quickly spreading like a disease that would consume her, blood violently spurted from her mouth as she collapsed, spreading her red corruption across the once white floor.
The woman swore under her breath. Another bullet shattered the windows and she flung herself through without ceremony. Yao and Ludwig immediately gave chase while Kiku took Francis around the back in order to seal all exits, leaving only Feliciano and Alfred alone with Arthur and the body of Marianne.
A moment of absolute stillness reigned. It was that moment between the realms of conscious and unconsciousness when the mind is still trying to confirm whether it is still dreaming or not, when one feels disorientated and paralysed. It was as if someone had covered their eyes with their hands; teasingly whispering ‘Guess who?’ though no one was there; a cold surprise that festered in the gut and conquered the brain.
Arthur was the first to move, though only to slide down the wall into a shocked heap. Some of the blood had splattered onto his face so that he could feel its warmth trickling down his cheeks like tears and smell that disgusting, metallic scent smothering him.
“M – Marianne?” Feliciano smiled as he crouched beside her. He shook her gently, as one would to rouse someone from their sleep. “Ve ve, Marianne don’t lie there all day! You’re bleeding; shall I kiss it better for you? Marianne? M – Marianne, want me to kiss...kiss it...better...?”
He was crying. He tried not to show it, tried to smile despite himself but Feliciano’s trembling hands betrayed his feelings. He made no sound, he did not sob out loud as he would when pleading for mercy, but the tears came down in steady silent streams.
“M – Marianne?” Alfred knew that she was already dead. Had she been a nation she might have survived. Had she been a nation... He looked at Arthur and crept towards him, reaching out a comforting hand. “Arthur, are you - ”
“Don’t touch me!” Arthur batted him away. The harshness of his voice made Alfred flinch. “Ha...haha...” shaky, almost deranged laughter bubbled from his throat. “Hahaha! Stupid human! She should have just let her take me! If she knew who I was she would have - ”
The sound of Alfred’s palm hitting the side of Arthur’s cheek made even Feliciano look up in surprise. Alfred’s enraged face was marred by tears. Why could he not do anything? He was the hero here! Why could he never do anything but watch?
“Don’t talk as if you know everything!” he yelled, gripping Arthur’s shoulders hard enough to make him wince. “Even if I told her what you were, it wouldn’t have made a difference to her!”
Arthur quelled a little under the harshness of his gaze. “...W - Who cares?”
Alfred’s grip slackened. Arthur was slipping back into apathy.
“...War, poverty, crime, who cares what humans want to do to each other? They shouldn’t get us involved.”
“Arthur?”
“I’ve had enough.”
Cue Arthur going
Russiabatshit-insane. No, just joking...