Closed Why?

[Ana Sol Starris]

Spring 30th, 513AV Celestial Square to the Flaxen District Well, ain't this just swell? The thought was bitter, and hollow. Look at what you have done Ana, look at it, you've destroyed everything you've worked to create- you worthless piece of shyke, you petching cur... Ana stalked through the streets of Nyka, making her way to no particular area as she brooded and hounded at herself for her own self induced stupidity. Recent events had led Ana to believe there was no going back to the way things were before, she avoided the Hostel as much as she could, refused to look Zandelia or Ximal in the eyes, turned mute, locked herself in her room at night without ever coming out- Ana was certain because of her insomnia, she would never have to confront the two ever again, she would be up and awake, chose the crap food given charitably and left the Hostel before they even rose from their slumbers. To them, she must have become a stranger.... Within a few, small, but greatly terrible moments. What Ana had done that day was unforgiveable, to Zandelia, the destruction she had wrought with words alone upon those she loved and cared for had prooven to the thief she should never get close to people again. I should have seen it... Ana shot at herself, letting her hand skim over the stone walls she followed, taking streets which were less travelled just to continue isolating herself once more. Never again. Never... The tears sprung from her eyelids, burning white hot with the pain in her chest "petch..." she muttered, and then sharply thunderous "PETCHING!" Tiny as the fist was that she had created, she curled it up tight and flexed it, turning her body and pushing most of her body weight and momentum into the swing at the wall. Crushing flesh and bone, the knuckles collided with the rough wall. There was pain, and there was blood. Why do I have to be near people.. to need them.. talk.. touch.. Why.. Just.. Why..? Torrents of water flowed down, her body now curling inwards as she slid down to just rest, her body tired from the lack of sleep that now seemed non-existant. Mind, just a chaotic mess of guilt, worry, and longing, oh how she missed talking to her two friends, the ones that had stood by her for so long despite her past misgivings. There was a choked sob that escaped her throat, pressure building up on her head as she trembled there, throbbing, stinging, she needed comforting arms around her- desperately. Heavy and dark clouds crawled slowly to tie themselves to the hysterical thief. "Why do I have to screw up so much..?" There was no one around to hear her, and so the question was left unanswered. Ana's emotions came and passed much like how a storm would, ever so slowly, and currently she found herself within the eye of her raging depression. The small clouds which dotted over her head began to rain, just as hot salty tears ran down her cheeks, thoughts a constant over-cast. There was no getting past this feeling. Sweetly crawling whispers invaded her ears, sat on her shoulders like an ever present vulture getting ready to swoop in on its dieing prey, crooning, and petting the scared girl to just let go, to just let it all out and become the monster she was. Shut up.... SHUT UP The thief shuddered and jerked where she sat, clutching at the wall with her bruised and now bleeding hand, in her self induced illusions she whispered so painfully out "gods, why?"

[Ana Sol Starris]

All feeling escaped her, leaving her mind dull and empty, like a walking corpse she pulled herself up and hauled away, feet clunky, and dragging on stone with long 'shwisshhps' repeatedly. Her mind teetered along the line of sanity, going a little too far left into a delusional world, but then veering sharply right back into reality. There would be no way she could fix this mess she had created, no way to take all the words filled with spite and hate back, to change the past, there was none- whatsoever. If I can't amend my actions... I can at least try to... to... do something... The half mad thief thought to herself in desperation, she needed to do something that would make up for all the wrong she had done but at the same time distance herself from Zandelia and Ximal forever. Especially Zandelia. Betrayel.. Petch, I already have.. Ana halted her sluggish steps, leaning against the wall with a rather limp hand to her side. There was an idea that she could do, but she could only hope that the monks would react accordingly and how she wanted them to. It had only took the thief the day before to figure out what happened to other thieves, all it did was take a bit of nosing about, keeping her head hidden as she asked; appalled at what she had learned, scared, that perhaps she would end up going too far just to please Zandelia. It had to be done though, the branding would have to be apart of her plan, otherwise the schemes fruits of labor would never produce- and what then? Ana would have wasted herself on nothing. Earlier in the day she had placed a few select items in Ximal's room without him knowing, in fear of losing them, and in hopes that the monks would look away.. Getting caught, it entailed the possibility of losing everything. Wealth, material, and life, but there was always the chance to live.. Eyes once filled with fire were doused with water, steaming, as they died on the inside- it was a thought she never ever wanted to think but if it would help.. Ana knew Zandelia was sneaky, and clever, she had a way with people that just made them come to her and in turn, was a great connections creator, Ana would have to do something that would force Zandelia to break off all previous ties and bonds just to advance... In turn, Ana would most likely lose more than she bargained for, but to her.. It seemed logically fair to her, or rather, the only and final thing she could do for Zandelia. Jerking forwards, she began to straighten with a march in her step, a stomp to her feet as she travelled with a type of conviction that only screamed pain and all consuming anguish. There was no taking back past words or actions, all Ana could do now was self sacrafice. I'll do it... I will... I'll hate it later... But who cares? I'm certain Ximal doesn't.. I know for sure Zandelia wouldn't, can't even talk to the two anymore without feeling strange.. without feeling analyzed.. watched.. expected to blow up at any given moment.. gods.. I'm despicable. Inner demons warred against her reason and cautious paranoia, gods, how she fought them internally, she warred and raged to not go through with the scheme. Externally she was winning, her face a cool, calm mask of defiance as she came up to the Flaxen District finally. Ana's legs were not her own anymore, not by any length, they moved on their own, and her hands shouted in kleptomaniac ectasy. There would be no stopping Ana now, no going back, she would see this through to the end whether it costed her life in the process or not. Ana would become the catalyst so muchly needed. Childish.. I should just die, but where would the gain in that be for Zandelia besides possibly having to deal with a corpse? The next few moments were mentally antagonizingly painful, an awful chokehold to her neck as it became hard to breathe, ghosts of memories wedged their way through from the confrontation only a few days ago. Demanding Ana to tell Zand why she had done what she did, or that Ana herself had become just like, or similar to Shroud back in Sunberth. The thoughts were sickening, they bashed her right and left calling her small, treacherous, and a cowardly piece of shyke. She was psychotic, and she was stupid, stupid as stupid could get if that were possible. It only served to force her on, to make her think that there was no other way to pay for what she had done- and she petching well wouldn't let it be Revy that forced her into submission. That cur had been the main reason all of this was happening in the first place anyways! Ana couldn't forgive the purple haired mercenary. 'Oh...Why so serious now?' Zands voice rang in her ears. It gave Ana reason to halt for but a moment, eyes glazing over with unshed tears still hiding within- could she cry anymore after all this? "I'm serious....Because I miss you Zand....I don't want to play this game anymore, I didn't want to hurt you, and I most definitely want to help you... In any which way that I can in my power... Even if it means...." Whispering feverishly to herself as she didn't continue that one voiced thought, Ana continued to march on the path of redemption.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Like a ghost she wandered into the district, face gaunt with self pity, hatred, and loathing. Mouth pulled back as if she were about to snarl at any person that dare so talked to her, eyes dark.. and weary. Ana was about to cause trouble, or at least for the poor few unlucky sods she victemized with reflexs of a tiger. The thief passed through crowds and shimmied along groups, letting her hands do all the work as they would reach into pockets gently and pull out goodies. Pocketing them herself and blanking her mind to the world, to the market around her, she picked up small trinkets here and there that were laying on stalls tables while also displacing items from one stall, into another, her feet working ever so wonderfully to keep a light pace up that made it difficult for people to catch on that it was her. Not an ounce of emotion was given, a single petch. It went on like this for bells, maybe even longer until the point whispers began being hurridly passed along a thief was in the District. Ana could hear them through the roar of mass voiced complaints, and gossip, victems slowly herded together- few even gave her some suspicious looks. Yeah... Thats right... Come at me. Harshly, she chided at them inwardly, goading them on to confront her, but nothing happened. Petch... Petch... Petchhh... When are they going to catch on it's me that is causing this havoc? Irritation crossed her face, eyes hardening, she was hardly in control of her body. The more she continued to victemize, the lower a success rate she would be given as time moved on, she would eventually be caught. She was not invincible. Come on... COME ON YOU FOOLS. Ana screamed internally, eyes catching a particularly filled to the brim purse as her composure broke in strikes, chimes, and ticks. Brazenly she walked past the man, reaching for the purse- but oh, woe is the thief that did not notice the plot to catch her. The man, though Ana had completely forgone looking at his face, had an awful gleam in his eye, a glint of shrewd intelligence as he stared the thief down. He saw her take the purse, and in turn lunged to grip her wrist and pulled violently back to get Ana's attention. There was a pop as her shoulder was dislocated, a schriek, as reason came back to her and pain invaded her body, arm numbing instantly from having of been displaced from its socket. Pebbles flowed onto the stone ground, a ploy, to catch her attention with a fancy looking piece of flaxen material. In but a moment, Ana was complacent to just drop the idea of putting herself through pain just to raise Zandelia to a higher seat of power. Everything moved fast, and it had been more out of reaction due to the pain which coursed through her shoulder but turned numb down her arm. Pulling a dagger out that she had sheathed at her side with her good hand; she thrusted it as fast as she could, with as much force as she could. "LET GO'!" Ana growled threatening at him, furious as she stabbed him in any which way that she could for a release of her person, running frantically away as she felt her limp arm flop against her side like a limp noodle, a dead fish. His gurgled crys of pain mixed in with sudden screams for the monks of the District fell on Ana's deafened ears. PETCH.. NO... Oh gods.. no no no no no-nononono!! Ana panicked internally at what she had just done, her eyes glancing down to the ruby red which coated the cold iron daggers edge. Dripping bloody droplets. She ran as fast as she could knowing monks would not be too far behind her now, but stabbing someone wasn't apart of her scheme, she didn't want to hurt anyone- just herself. Instead of thinking of Zandelia, Ana was scared for her life, she wanted to escape this nightmare. What if she had just killed that man?! There was once a time in Sunberth, when a younger Ana had vowed to herself violence and murder would not be her first options, and now she just broke it. The feeling it left tore at her, like a wolfs fangs to a deers meaty haunch.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Without looking back, Ana fled the crime scene whilst holding the bloodied dagger in her hand, sprinting as fast as she could with an arm waving in the wind due to not being in the socket. When pain overrode adrenaline, Ana whilst she began to stumble through the streets, going for alleyways- she sheathed the dagger as best as she could while moving, eyes glancing down as she did so. When the dagger had been resheathed, she grabbed hold of her arm and pulled it so its dead weight wouldn't go flopping about everywhere and cause more trouble. Ragged breathes escaped her lips as she 'escaped' as she thought she was. How terribly wrong that assumption was, metal disks flew at her, some catching her body as she swerved to avoid what she heard. Mostly avoided them. The disks cut through the cloth of her cloak, and the shirt underneath, catching skin and slicing random spots of her dislocated arm. One disk caught the back of her leg and did the same to her arm, cut through cloth, and scissored the skin open. It was any wonder she still had those limbs on her, she tripped and fell to the ground as a second batch came at her, the antagonizing pain that flooded the afflicted limbs (perhaps it had been a good thing she was caught by the first wave, then?) "Don't try to run" a voice called up from above, on the roof nearby with pitter patters of feet nearing close by "you'll only make this harder on yourself foreigner... Or should I say- thieving nuasance" The monk from above jumped down to land in front of her, sinking to a knee and then rising overly dramatically- with all intents and purposes of being serious "we've noticed you around these parts alot lately.... it seems the thief we've been hearing gossip about has finally shown himself in cold blood." Ana cringed, she had hit the ground hard and she could feel blood seeping out from where she had been sliced. Petch. Get up, you useless sack of shyke... You have to keep running, you have to get up, c'mon you weak little girl.. GET UP. Her insides yelled at her, a voice so deep within that she felt compelled to follow its orders. Grunting with all the effort she could, she used her good arm to push herself up despite the heavy shaking in her shoulders and elbows, kneeling, and then crouching, sweat pored from her forehead as she did so. Chills would come to sit within her bones as she stood so slowly upwards, face burning with a stubborn willpower. Gritting her teeth, there was an anger which flowed into her veins- she couldn't even remember what she was angry about. This had all started out as a way to aid Zandelia, but now was quickly becoming something far more deep seeded. The look on the monks faced pissed her off so much... As if he had cornered his prey, and was playing with it, no, she wouldn't allow this monk the pleasure of catching her. There were few ways out of this situation, if it was anything, she heard the chuckles behind her to signal other monks were also behind her, though she couldn't count how many at the moment. Most she could say there was two, or three, but that might have been an exhaggeration of the situation; there was only one street to the side of her, if she threw herself in that direction she could begin running some more. But then what? Ana stiffened as the monk in front of her took one step closer, making a motion to the other monks that had followed; "No need to worry brothers, I have this pathetic welp handled... Lets see if he can fight, just as he steals." Arrogant son of a petching vagik.... Ana glared at the monk, as the excess monks retreated casually to a distance, snickers falling off their tounges. "What?" Ana barked harshly at the one in front of her, she only just realized he was calling her a male, instead of a female, and for some reason that just ticked her off. She was no brown nosed, grubby handed boy; no matter how much she looked like one, she couldn't help but take offence to what was said. So he wanted a fight? Oh she would give him once she had her shoulder put back into its socket, something she was a little afraid to do, and actually... she didn't know how to put it back where it should have been. The look on her face most have said it, the monk took on a stance that Ana hardly recognized nor knew could have existed. ...Petch... I'm not sure I want to play this game now, Ana bit her lip as she let the dislocated arm hang in front of her, bending her knees only slightly and spreading her feet apart as she straightened her back a bit, holding her hand out and making a grabbing gesture with her good hand. She stared at him, watched him for movement. I'll have to use my dagger.. Not sure I can pull my shortsword out with just one hand.. Just need to time this somehow.. Ana wasn't given time to react- it was either move the petch out of the way, or be filled with pointy disks whizzing at her, thrown by the monks hand.

[Ana Sol Starris]

The disks came at her as she reacted by shifting her body weight to the side, turning her chest with the direction and lifting her back foot to aid with the momentum. Her eyes followed the razor sharp disks that looked to be more like zipping by blurs than disks at all. Ana could hear them connect with the ground, and walls, making 'chink chink' echoes in the air. The swerve she had performed proved to be successful- mostly. One of the disks had come dangerously close to her face, skimming a cheek and letting blood splay itself upon her pale skin. Ana was now falling backwards, in an uncontrolled flail of her arms as she tried to maintain apropriate balance. Her limp arm was definitely not helping in the slightest bit. More continued to come at her, forcing her further down the street, and the monk getting closer all the while as if he were using the disks for distraction rather than to kill. Petch, Ana thought as she leapt out of the way of another disk- how many cuts and tears would be in her clothes now because of this? How many terrible scratches... I bet he could have cut me to pieces by now... But is purposely missing. He's playing with me, the petching bastard! The monks face now burned into her memory, how he jumped, stepped, and held himself with the dangerous little disks in his hands. Cruelty- it was then that Ana realized she was definitely getting what she deserved. Indeed his tactics had been a distraction for the monk to get close, cornering her quickly until finally he managed to grab the shoulder which was dislocated, yanked it, and then violently pushed it back into the socket with a sickening pop and click as he then pushed, and pulled, throwing her at the wall via what clothing he had grabbed harshly. Her back made a loud thud, and pain shot inbetween her shoulderblades, dazing her, letting stars dangle themselves in front of her vision. There was a terrifying impact that bombarded into her stomach with but a single punch, fist connecting with her gut and forcing a gasp out of her mouth, spraying spit as she did so. Ana's body curled inwards onto the fist, her body shuddering as a type of pain she never thought she could have felt wafted from her stomach, crawling outwards to latch onto the rest of her body. Her belly felt as if it were splitting in half with the force of just one punch, his chuckles invaded her ears as he pulled away, letting her fall to the ground without any remorse. Ana held the area as she dry heaved into the ground, spluttering, and coughing, feeling a kick connect with her shoulder and sending her rolling the other way. Black wavered across her eyes, head swaying, and swirling, her vision blinking on and off repeatedly as she tried to hold herself together. The monks feet was all she saw, walking closer and closer.. She tasted blood in her mouth, the sickening iron came from her gums. Everything felt numb by adrenaline. Zand.. Ximal.. Help.. They were brief thoughts, as quick as the wind could come, all filled with despair and pain as she fought for conscienceness. It seemed the monk would not let her sleep, not then, she felt him pulling her back up to her feet by her hair. His rusty brown eyes staring deep into her gold ones, she had seen his mouth moving, but her body was heavy, and all she heard was a ring. He carressed the side of her neck with a finger as she refused to respond, "right here... I believe is an appropriate place for a thieves branding... Consider your fate sealed, foreign scum, you little disease... We'll see how Vysia reacts to this. First however... a beating is in order, you won't be allowed the respite of slumber, or death." The monk pushed her away forcefully, letting her fall to the ground once more and curl up into a fetal position. Her previously dislocated arm screamed in agony, but she could now move it around ably enough to hold her bowels, the other hand palm flat on the ground as she struggled to breathe. It seemed the monk was not just done with her yet, he walked around her pitiful form to stand in front of her, using a sandaled foot to cup her chin and force her into looking at him. His silhouette was all that, a dark form against the sunlight, Syna's rays seemed to make him so much more monstrous than he actually was- a simple human, a monk of Nyka. One in Ana's eyes that had become corrupt, and unjust, but this was the way of Nyka, was it not? "Get up" he said with a grin "I'm not done with you just yet, I want to see how you use that stance before I take you to Vysia... Where did you learn it?" Ana didn't answer him. He let her head fall by taking his foot away, ever waiting for her to get up and fight him; was he just being courteous, or was he planning something worse? Ana couldn't tell the difference at the moment as she felt her stomach perform an action that made her green in the face, she coughed and sputtered onto the ground, her breakfest promptly manifested itself half digested onto the street. There was a cold sweat that persipitated along her skin, and dripped off her forehead, her body was heating up ten times the normal temperature her body should have been at- or that was how it seemed. Clothing was restrictive, tight, everything was closing in on her as her mind begged her to just pass out and be done with this whole ordeal.

[Ana Sol Starris]

Either she was way too confident in herself, or she was stupid, the palm which was on the ground tensed up as her muscles in her body worked to force herself up once more. Giving up was most definitely not an option, no matter how much she was beaten down, punched, kicked, scratched, torn apart- she would get back up with difficulty. It was slow going, a heavyness in her limbs, at least the monk was allowing her to stand up fully; this was different from earlier when she had fallen to the ground due to sudden searing, blazing pain coming from the disks they had thrown at her. This was so much more different... Her entire body fought her minds wishes, her heart supporting her rage, and allowing her to retake the stance she had chosen earlier- the only one she knew. It had been a fighting technique Ximal had taught her back in Spires, the one which allowed her to use her opponents momentum, force, and weight against them to throw them behind her. Though, if she were to be honest, she didn't know much else what it was for besides that, she had been taught to dance around her opponent and avoid their grabs as much as she could with her tiny stature. This monk threw disks at her, he kept a ranged distance between them, and for all she knew- he was aiming purposefully to not kill her but lul her into a false sense of security. Ana narrowed her eyes, vision blurring and then tilting as her body pled to her to give up. Fighting this monk was a worthless endeavor, and she would come to regret it later. The smile widened, turning maniacal "for a piece of foreign trash, you have some stubborn willpower.. I like that" he commented to her, musing, possibly on what ways to torture her as Ana lifted her arms up, a seething hatred crawling in her eyes. His voice lingered, as an after thought before continuing on "but will it save you?" "Let us find out." Ana was ready for what he would throw at her, she would watch his movements as closely as she could and keep an eye on his shoulders. There was a certain way how they shifted about when he moved to throw those disks, or when he feinted the throw for something else. This time however, he raised his hands up and spread his feet apart just as she had- he raised a hand slowly and gestured to her to come at him, taunting her to lose her cool. Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself and ran at him, for every step she took felt like a thunder shock reverberating through her soles up her legs and to pinch their way to her knees like a steadily growing fire. Pain. It wasn't pleasent, but it was pushing her to a limit she never thought possible. Arching her arm back she pumped herself up to punch him in the chest area since that was currently the only part of his body she could reach, if she got closer then she could redirect it at his face into his jaw and chin. It wasn't to be, the monk was much faster than Ana actually was at the moment, coupled with the exhaustion she felt seep its way into her bones and muscles. He side stepped her punch, grabbed her wrist and pulled, rotated himself to throw Ana around once more and making her stumble with the force as she tried to rebalance herself. She flailed her arms, forced her legs to take the right steps and then righted herself up, turning to look at him with a growl she threw herself at him like a woman posessed. "Pathetic" he breathed out "here I thought you would put up a better fight than just a brawl of fists and anger.." With her throwing punch he wound his arm around hers, locked their arms together and used a foot to crush her own and stop her within her tracks. He took his other hand, made the hand flat and pounded two fingers into her arm area just below the elbow- a resounding crack reverberated through her body. Ana heard the snap that came with the technique as her fore-arms bone promptly fractured upon impact, burning her, and making her gasp as her mind reeled away from the situation. That had been the last and final straw, she burst out into tears as he pulled away, gripping her shirt with the hand he had used to break her arms bone with two fingers. The other hand snaked its way down to her wrist and held it, she began to waver in resolution. "Please stop" Ana whispered in pain, hoping that begging would work- apparently it did not. He smiled at her, cruelly "is this your main hand?" Ana didn't reply, only looked up at him with wide eyes to confirm his question. He kept his foot on top of hers, digging it in and grinding, illiciting painful groans and gasps from her as she cringed. The monk chuckled dreadfully sweetly to her, looking her in the eye as he played with her hand a bit- he had won. Ana was his clay to be sculpted as he chose fit, and she had no say on or how it would go; he gripped her wrist and then squeezed with a crazy amount of strength as the link to her hand and arm fractured itself as well. Inducing her to scream out and become deathly still, struggling had prooven to be futile as he played about with her body. This was not all he did, for his grin had turned lecherous "you scream like a little girl, I wonder if this pathetic snot nosed boy has the parts to back him up," the threat was imminent, and despite her efforts in begging him not to- he searched her body. It went downhill from there for the little thief as he played about with her some more, punching, and slapping her if she so much as dared to oppose him, only until when he was done did he begin dragging her back to the Celestial Sqaure. To the Safe Haven Hostel. ~*~ Continued in Marking a Thief