ᴀᴄᴛ. 002, ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪɴᴇ ᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴍᴀɪʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜʟʟꜱʜɪᴛ
Requiem in D Minor, K. 626: III. Sequentia - F. Lacrimosa
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"Ren, fetch me some wine and the script for tomorrow."
Finishing at last another stack of paperwork, you stretch your arms in the air asking your subordinate for a favor. With a nod, Blade exits your office as he closes the doors behind him.
You read through the articles all across the media, it was impassable to ignore at this point. Staring intently at the glass chandelier held on your ceiling, not even god knows what the hell is going on in that sadistic head of yours.
A knock to be heard in the entrance of your chambers, the familiar ravenette man returned with a bottle of wine within his grasp, and an unsuspecting folder in his arms. The seemingly silent man set a glass on your desk, pouring the blood red wine on the crystal chalice.
The said folder was placed in front of you, laying aimlessly on your filled work surface. Sparing Blade a glance, you snapped your fingers and gestured your hand to dismiss him from your quarters.
You slowly inched your hand nearer towards the clear chalice. You fidgeted with the wine glass, taking a sip not long after. Your gentle touch opened the folder given to you. It was but a blank page.
It was empty, not a single word to be seen. Yet your actions say otherwise. You gazed upon the contents as if there were any to begin with. Closing your eyes for a brief moment, to open them once more revealing the gentle yet sinister intent showed within the glints of your irises.
You placed your head above your hand, chuckling in amusement. You shifted your glare to another part of your office, to a shelf mounted upon your wall. A rack was present, a stand resembling one that holds a sword. Yet the blade itself was of irritable absence, what would be of use of a stand without its sword?
The sight was a nuisance.
You sigh, running your fingers through your hair as you tuck some of it behind your ear. The foresight was always of uncanny accuracy, though all the events were foreseen and planned, it was still deemed frustrating regardless. Not even champagne or wine were able to ease you, so you might as well pay a visit to the wretched estate grounds. With the intention to head to the garden in the 'restricted area', nevertheless a certain hunch prevented you from doing so.
When your gift tells you something, it's always either for the best, or for the worst. There is never an in between. You knew that better than anyone.
With an anxious feeling residing in your chest, you focused your attention to the entirety of the hotel, your consciousness reaching every place within. The grand hotel's entrance preceded before the presence of an esteemed gent, one's first step among the sea of stairs alone was enough to send you shivers. And there you witnessed a certain man unwelcome. Though unwelcome may not be the right word entirely, he wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow.
"Oh~?" Your fists clenched upon themselves instinctively, your nails digging through the flesh of your palm from the pressure of your own hands causing blood to flow. The enemies of eternity.. exceptions are, after all.
Through an endless exchange of thoughts within your mind, there were only two reasons you could think of. With the first being that Elio's script encountered an error, or an anomoly, an exception has appeared amidst the judgement.
'The script is useless now. Someone tampered with fate.'
It isn't a great deal in the eyes of others, but this mere happening is a sign itself of a grave meddlement with the threads of fate.
'Elio's gift will be of no use due to our current circumstances. Someone who wasn't in the script is paying us a sudden visit.'
Hurrying to the doors of your quarters, you opened them with a stoic look on your face. Though the doors had not led you to the hallways outside your chambers, you thus ended up in one of the casino's private rooms instead. Wasting no time you might as well use your control over the hotel to lead yourself in the places you desire.
With the casino residing in the rather higher floors, your consciousness led your existence to the casino manager's office, Kafka. The barging manner of your entrance caught her eyes. There stood your right hand, daringly meeting her eyes with yours. Playing with a queen chess piece within her gloved fingers, she turned her gaze to your apathetic expression.
"Is there a matter that concerns you for my assistance, my lady?"
Seeing as how you're seething in uncertainty, Kafka felt the weight of the situation just from your actions. Her expression turns to a more serious route, your expression giving her an idea that a potential predicament is at hand.
"The script is currently in the face of alterations. A prominent guest has arrived unprecedentedly at the wrong time, he was only supposed to be here tomorrow. The future foreseen by Elio has changed."
The solemnity of your tone engulfed the room. You were rarely like this, if you were one to take things seriously, your intentions resembling now wouldn't be as limited.
"Prominent guest.. my lady, then you must be referring to..?"
A realization struck your charming subordinate, being one of the first to read the script, she had her hands on the most crucial pieces of information.
"I am referring to the Xianzhou Luofu's current General. That bastard.. Report this to Elio in Buenos Aires, tell him to put his current mission at a pause. I will head to the reception myself."
"Right at once, my lady~"
You turned away from Kafka, facing the doors once more. Giving her a final glance and a nod, you opened the exit revealing the heavily embellished bar. It's rather fascinating how through one doorway you were able to go from your office to Kafka's, to the eloquent chambers where your favored bartender resided. Blade.
In the midst of polishing a chalice, the second he heard the doors open his full attention had already shifted to you.
"I need you to dirty your hands once more for me."
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"Welcome to Raffinée Hotels! We are excited to have you stay with us and hope you have a comfortable and enjoyable visit. Please, allow me to assist you in your accommodations."
'What the hell are you doing here you imbecile of a general~?'
"I appreciate your services."
'Gracious sakes, you and your wary temperamental mind.'
"We're alone now, these double meaning conversations are exhausting this fragile mind of mine."
Your poker face was quite decieving for the major masses, it never failed to mask your purest intentions. It's quite unfortunate how those pretty little smiles of yours can't get past this damned being. The elevator sure was taking its time, the disadvantage of not having the script's predictions at your hands deemed of great inconvenience. Oh how you loathed to do things how you once did back then.
"One is a former special forces agent, the other is a runaway mercenary, and finally a video game addict. You have an interesting taste for hiring your head hoteliers."
'For fuck's sake..' You sigh in irritation, rubbing your temples with your gloved hand. It was not oblivious between the two of you that unresolved tensions are still present. Hell, the last time you actually looked straight at that wretched face of his were when you greeted him at the entrance.
Your gaze when you were with him was always somewhere else, and now is no exception. The elevator's doors finally opened, revealing the enriched bedizen hallways of your hotel. The craftsmanship was bewildering, each of its walls and pillars were cascaded in the intricate detail resembling a palace of royalty.
As the strenuous walk comes to an end when the room of the man you're escorting is at reach, you wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. With not a single farewell you turn your back to him, no longer facing his figure. Your steps were heard from the mild echoes of your shoes slightly clacking, you hated the situation you were in.
"The painter was murdered wasn't he?"
You stopped dead on your tracks.
"Pardon? I have a business to run, mind you."
Sarcasm is a fool's masked card to play. Your eyebrows furrowed, an irk mark appeared on your features as you turned your head to him at once, revealing the sinister glare behind your actions.
"Your vainglorious ego never gets old."
'The nerve of this man..' He mockingly chuckled at your reactions, you were so done with his shit.
"Considering how you came to that conclusion, I'm certain you've got solid evidence."
"Checkmate."
He pulled out a flash drive from his pockets. Playing with it for a few seconds before tossing it your way. Of course, you caught it effortlessly, your expression unchanging.
The second you gained hold of it..
..all the contents played in your mind.
You smirk.
"Shucks, I had a double agent working under me this whole time."
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"Perhaps you could be of use to me. It's also a bonus if you're gifted."
Leaning against the glass doors of the balcony within Jing Yuan's chambers, it would be a waste not to make a deal with him, as much as your pride despised the mere idea of it.
"Quite unfortunate, my gift had already abandoned me in the battlefield years ago."
You scoff at his statement. His current state of meditation while you were here to strike an allegiance with him took every ounce of your ego, it was frustrating inside.
"It's rather the opposite in my eyes. It's you who chose to abandon it."
Your demeanor was calm, not of entire resemblance to a few moments ago. You cross your arms, finally gazing at the silver maned man sitting on his seat aimlessly.
"Haha. Bullshit."
He ran his fingers through his hair, the cuffs of his white sleeves extended only to his forearms, revealing the muscles and a few scars which bore familiar to you. It hasn't even been a second yet his serene, closed eyes suddenly turned to a sharp glare that could strike anyone, well, anyone but you of course. You found it quite.. daring.
"Not the best kind of language a general would use. Perhaps a trigger for your gift would help."
You rubbed your scruff in amusement, going further back to the open balcony, leaning only to the rail on its edge. Being on one of the highest floors of your hotel, the city's view was one to be relished. The full moon shone over your everlasting gleam, the luna is but a mere reflection of the blazing sonne that ignited the heavens at dawn, the endeared satellite's luminescence fluoresced on your existence's bane at the dead of the night. The flickering novas rekindled brightly on the skies, the city lights resembling the beloved stars that gleamed of legends amongst the nebulas.
"Trigger hm?"
The midnight winds stroke against your figure, the clouds darkened, formed and covered the evanescent glow of the astral bodies. It was a sight to behold. A scene of beauty and elegance incomprehensible of words, you were one with the stars.
"I'm sure you're aware how my gifts are solely focused on psychological warfare, making me fragile as hell.."
You mockingly snicker.
".. I'll be that trigger even if it risks my life."
You playfully sat on the balcony's railing.
With one last control of your form, you free yourself from all the world's balance.
'Catch me if you can~'
You extend your arms in the air, the world's gravity dragging you down to your ever played 'demise'. The fall engulfed you in enlightenment, yet even you would never be able to comprehend an action that will save you from the hands of death.
It was a gamble of your life.
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The fall stopped.
Yet you never felt an impact.
"You know how to test my patience."
You could see from his face that he wasn't having it, at all. You were caught in his arms, carried mid-air that violated every law the universe carried.
"The laws of physics can kiss my ass."
You felt him scoff while having you in his arms, you rolled your eyes and smirked in levity.
"Huh, it actually worked."
"So you fell from a high rise building even when you were uncertain whether or not you will live?"
"Gambling lives is what I do best, and mine is not excluded."
╰-°-✞-˚✧❨✧˚-✞-°-╯
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Behind the theater's curtains:
Blade isn't the executioner for no reason.
The double agent was Silver Wolf, she used her gift to get footage of the murder, even without cameras as long as it was within her capacity.
I swear the cruise part of the arc is near.