Chapter twenty one:
#Millia:
I guess the previous occupant of this apartment really loved showers.
Instead of metallic pipes he had installed an expensive set of stainless steel,
a detachable cord and a curtain.
It was easier to avoid water on my arm, the hard part was keeping my leg
dry. I ended up sitting on the edge to keep the water from running down my
knees. I bet if Sol were to see me now he’d get a nose bleed for sure.
Then again, Sol wouldn’t nose-bleed, he probably would scoff and light a
cigarette.
I turned the water off and dried my hair as best I can. I had to go without
shampoo this time, I couldn’t afford to get wet, my hair decided it disliked
not having lather on…
I smiled and wrapped the towel around myself, it turned out sloppy and
embarrassing but thankfully my hair kept it up as I brushed my teeth.
The door was opened and I instantly plastered on an angry face. What
does he want now?
I turned to look at him, it surprised me how empty his gaze was. I know
he’d usually get that empty, uninterested look in his eyes, but this, it just
crawled under my skin.
“Sol?” it came out softer than I intended, oh great, now he’d think I’m
soft on him.
“Out.” His eyes
I leaned down and rinsed my mouth. “
“Out, now.” It was an order, obviously.
I was about to stand straight and look him in the eye but he surprised me
when he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the bathroom, kicking and
screaming.
It hurt!
“That hurt!” I growled in his face and ripped my arm away from his.
“Whatever.” He turned around and slammed the door shut.
“Bastard!” I shouted and was surprised when he opened the door again.
“My towel.” Before I knew it, he had slammed the door shut again, only, the
towel wasn’t around me anymore.
~~~~~~~~
I limped to the living room and kicked the bathroom door as I passed next
to it, a vulgar curse echoed in the small room before I moved away to grab some
coffee. He wasn’t even showering in there! I can’t believe I’ve been degraded
by having to wear his clothes. In what box did he cram mine? Seeing that
they were only two shirts and a skirt they won’t be easy to find. So here I
was, drinking in my mug, wearing his shirt and his pants.
Oh I would kill to get some underwear right now, not to mention his pants
slung shamefully low on my hips. I’m just glad the shirt was long enough to
cover the tattoo, else he’d be laughing his ass off.
But his eyes… they were… scary.
Just like Zato’s.
I burrowed into the couch and put my leg up on the coffee table. Oh, it
throbbed. There was a talk show on TV, but I didn’t really care about How to
treat your cat from flu so I grabbed the remote and clicked.
There was the bounty hunter’s program again, the Mexican guy and the bimbo
were taking a call from one of their fans. There was a small picture in the
corner of the screen, it was the person for today and the money on their head.
It was me.
“You have seen her, yes?” the Mexican guy grinned. “How did she look like?”
“She was hot man!” the guy on the phone laughed. I wanted to kick him in
the balls.
“We meant.” The bimbo giggled, “How did she look like up close?”
“You know,” you could practically see the guy shrugging, “Blonde,
blue eyes- Oh! I forgot! She’s been hanging out with a huge dude, looks like
her boyfriend’s a tough guy.”
HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!
“Hm, well, a million is definitely worth being killed by this guy to get
her!” the man on the screen grinned, “But let’s hope it wouldn’t get to that!”
there was commercial break. I felt like I wanted to strangle every single
worker on that channel. How dare they speak about me like I couldn’t defend
myself!
…
Then again, I didn’t defend myself in the past two weeks, Sol did.
Arrgh I just want to be left in peace!
I scratched my head roughly and turned the darn thing off, I’m better off
not knowing what they said about me.
I still need some underwear.
“My Coffee.” I almost jumped out of my skin at his voice, before I could
“Mine!” I put a hand on my hip.
“Too bad.” He sat down and turned the TV on, his face looked almost the
same, but there was an odd thing about it, like he shaved or something… not
that he had facial hair to start with. His brows twitched when he saw my
picture on the screen.
“Her bounty had increased suddenly, when she was reported missing from her
company.” Came the Mexican accent. “Rumor has it she is
“Yeah! I mean, duh! You’d notice if she had an accent!” the bimbo scratched
her cheek.
“Sure you would! Now, enough about Millia Rage with the one million, lets
go on to this other guy…”
“You have a million on your head?” it was a statement, with a raised
eyebrow.
“Yes.” His eyes were still empty, it made me scream on the inside.
He wordlessly turned his head back to watch the screen.
A picture of a man with a beard, brown hair and dark blue eyes was on the
screen.
I found myself wincing and looking away, my hand reaching out to grab
anything close.
“Please don’t hurt me!”
“Don’t beg, you know what happens to girls who beg?”
“Yes, I know, Please just don’t hit me again!”
“I TOLD YOU NOT TO BEG!”
“Let go of me, dammit.” My hand was pushed aside and I was forced to open
my eyes, Sol was angry.
I clenched my jaws and frowned at the screen.
“Now this man’s definitely
“Who cares as long as we go Bshoo! Bshoo and nab ourselves a couple o’
bucks!” the blonde bimbo giggled.
Bshoo Bshoo alright. Of only I could have carried a gun back then, I
wouldn’t have gotten into this mess.
I glanced at Sol and then at the still picture of the man. Same eyes. Same
greed…
My Mug, My Girl…
My Headband, My Daughter.
He frowned at me… He hit me.
No… not the same…
At all…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#Sol:
Damn.
Those are my clothes she’s wearing.
I turned the TV off, for some reason the man’s picture seemed to upset her.
Not that I’d care.
“Let’s go.” I stood up and grabbed Fuuenken. I pulled a shirt out of a
random box and pulled it over my wet hair before looking back at her. “I said Let’s
go.”
“Me?” she looked up at me.
“Yeah, you.” I grabbed her crutches and waited for her to get up.
“Where?” she sat up slowly. Damn, she’ll turn into a popsicle going out
like this.
“Just shut up and follow
It was a short walk to the rental car building, and even a shorter
conversation with the man in charge. I drove silently to the shopping district,
and noted that it was going to rain soon. It was almost noon but it was as dark
as night.
“Where are you taking me?” she had her arms crossed over her chest.
I clenched my jaws, I hate it when humans become curious, it’s annoying.
The rest of the drive was silent, every time I started to wonder why that
is, I get this dizzying headache. I guess this is what I get for turning the
lights off in Fredrick’s corner. Che… damn.
I pulled over and stepped out, frowning at the plastic modules.
“We’re shopping?” she came behind me, her crutches clicking on the
pavement.
“Yeah.” I glared down at her and started towards a lingerie shop.
“No, Sol, I am not going in there with you!” she stopped at the door.
“Too bad.” I made my way in and rested my elbow on the cashier’s table.
“Something that would fit the lady there.” I pointed towards the brooding,
blushing woman at the door with my chin.
“Uhh, yes sir?” the woman rushed away from me and in a matter of five
minutes, I was out of there with a bag slung over my shoulder.
“Would you stop showing it off! It’s embarrassing!” I looked down at her.
“You wear them every day.”
“On the inside!” her hair prickled and I almost tripped on my own feet.
“Sol, what’s wrong with you?” she said quietly, but I was already considering
stopping at this shop. “I didn’t mean to upset-” she
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She hasn’t spoken a single word to me after I suggested she buys a leotard
suite. Wonder why… ugh, then again, don’t. my head hurts enough. I threw the
last piece of pastry in my mouth and downed the rest of my coffee before
sighing and ignoring the no-smoking sign. This café was quiet, I should come
here more often.
Our eyes met, “No smoking here.” She was still nibbling on her croissant,
her cappuccino barely touched.
I stubbed the barely-smoked cigarette and sighed, this is unbearable. I
can’t sleep, I can’t smoke and I can’t kill anybody. On top of that, my wallet
is considerably lighter.
Damn, Lingerie had gotten pretty expensive in the past couple years…
I crossed my arms and tried to keep from falling asleep. I can’t believe
she bought black underwear, wonder what that means…
Augh! Damn headache!
“Are you going to drink that?” I glared at her cup.
“No.” wordlessly, I downed it all in greedy, silent gulps before putting
the cup down empty. There was cream on my lips, my tongue darted out to lick it
clean instantly.
“Why, Sol. I didn’t know you grew facial hair!” she smirked.
Damn, same eyes from my dream…. Ungh! Dammit! My head will explode if I
don’t restart now, here. Damn.
“Rage.” She blinked, “Wake me up in twenty seconds.” I only need fifteen,
but I know she wouldn’t last that long.
Launch sleep.exe
Sleep.exe will be activated in three seconds.
3
“What do you mean?”
2
“Sol?”
1
“Sol!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Restarting system, please wait.
Time remaining: 14 seconds
Progress: 2%
…
Argh! About time! What were you thinking!
Just be quiet.
Quiet? YOU SHUT ME OFF!
Damn, I’ll
No! Do you know what could have happened? You could have killed
people!
So?
You know you hate the feeling… having people die in your arms.
I don’t hate it, you do.
Progress: 15 %
Oh, suure, sorry mister
Listen, Freddy, your wife and kid died, and you blame it on yourself, why
the hell are you bringing me into it?
Because you are me!
Can’t you just leave it? Let it rest, two hundred years have passed, get over
it!
If you had feelings on your own, you’d know.
Well I don’t, so shut up goddamit!
Don’t Tempt me, Sol.
Oh, I’m sooo scared.
Progress 26%
Sol, I’m warning you. I’ll install the entire feeling program.
Screw you, you can’t.
I can, and leave you suffer the bugs.
Che.
You’ll
Don’t you dare.
Ah, so now you believe me!
I don’t, I just don’t want to go all berserk in front of all these people.
Progress: 31%
Tonight, then. You’ll wake up to be a very human person.
Yeah right.
I’d do it! I will!
Just let me sleep in peace.
…
Progress 38%
You shaved…
Couldn’t help it…
… So, uh, you like her huh.
She made my towel smell like girls.
I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.
Take it as an ‘I’ll hand you your ass.’
Still sounds like a yes to me.
Well it’s a ‘no.’
I say it’s a yes.
Progress 45%
Almost there, just a few minutes and I’ll be rid of your nagging.
I saw your dream you know, you ‘do’ like her!
Give it up!
Can you kiss her for me?
No.
Hug?
No.
Hold hands?
N. O.
Progress 51%
Just one kiss!
Shut up
59%
A ring!
Huh?
63%
You didn’t get her a ring!
Whatever.
77%
Come on Sol! Promise me you will treat her right!
No.
Argh, fine!
85%
Hnn… what are you doing to me?
You need Adjustment.
Damnit that’s a sensitive file!
97%
I know… just hold…
Don’t!
99%
Ah! There!
100%
Restarting complete.
End of chapter twenty one.