Nanba Prison (Nanbaka RP Group) discussion
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Mod
She made her way down the hall to their cell. She'd been given the number as well as the date she was allowed to go for her introduction. However, it was too far away and she learned that he had already arrived and it's already been two days since they'd arrived without her knowledge. She didn't understand why she was supposed to visit him in five more days. Thus, as per usual, Ripley Thalassa was off doing things her own way.
She'd never been a caretaker before. She wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to greet the inmate she was going to be caring for. Nor what her job specifically entailed. She'd have to learn what she could do for him when she learned more about him.... but for now... she brought hot chocolate. In one of those travel mugs. It wasn't scalding so it could be drunk immediately and she made it how she usually does for her sweet-addict father so she could only hope he'd like it. If not... she wouldn't let it go to waste.
Speaking of, she barely escaped him this morning. Her father was clinging to her since she woke up trying to convince her to reject this job change. It was only because of his assistant that she escaped him today. Ripley doubted he would have let her out of his sight unless he'd convinced her out of this.
Nonetheless, she floated down the hallway, not in too much of a rush and having only her hand holding the mug solidified. She was entering the more secluded area of the prison. Ripley had only wandered here a few times and she'd been scolded every time. It was dangerous as her father had continuously reminded her. A fact she couldn't quite understand. She had a friend down here. The very friend who had told her about Kazane already arriving.
It was only due to her lineage that she was able to face the darkness of the cell once she reached it. Ripley, the young, blue hair and eyed woman didn't hesitate to step into the cell once it opened. It firmly shut behind her, a noise that would have had most jumping out of their pants. The sheer desperation to keep the inmate trapped in the room was lost on her. Instead, she had her eyes closed, then opened them so they would adjust to the room quicker.
What hit her first was the smell, the cold which even she noticed and the emptiness. It was too dark to truly see everything let alone in detail but she could tell from the lack of alternating shadows... this room was empty. Empty in the terms of furniture though.
"Hi," her soothingly quiet voice spoke penetrating the darkness of the room, greeting her new companion. "I bring cocoa."
The horrible echo of footsteps clanged around the walls of Kazane's cell and mind, each nearer clack curling his body tighter and tighter around itself as if he could disappear into the concrete corner he'd remained in since first being put in this cell two days ago. He prayed they would pass, that, for at least one day, they would leave him be. But then the cell door opened and shattered his hope.
Every day, they checked on him. Every day, they attempted to whisk him away for experimentation, as if they still had more of him to damage. And every day, he slaughtered more of their people. When would they finally understand that he wouldn't put up with their torture anymore? Why couldn't they just leave him alone?
He hated himself a little bit more for it, but as soon as the door was shut behind his unexpected guest, he whipped out one of his wings to knock them over, standing slightly from his crouch in the corner. Unfortunately, this move did not go as it usually did. Instead of slamming into the woman and throwing her into the wall, his wing sliced right through her body. The momentum jerked her to her knees as it caught on the base of her disembodied hand, but he couldn't mentally make it past her lack of tangibility, much less the fact that her arm was sticking through his wing.
For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the ghost arm in his wing. And then he leaped back, his wing gliding through her body as he tucked it close. What the hell had just happened?! Forcing himself out of his daze due to her still being an obvious threat, Kazane bared his teeth in a growl and snagged her hand before it, too, could become mist. He twisted her wrist, keeping her on her knees. Fear shining in his sharp silver eyes, he tightened his grip and then threw her at the door with all of his might. Again, her body ghosted through, only her hand stuck with him on the inside of the cell. He was both impressed and wanted to vomit. He also felt a little bad for his instant panic leading him to launch her at the wall.
A sudden wet warmth on his foot made him jump hard. Glare in place, he looked down to investigate the strange sensation. The container. She must have dropped it when my wing went through her... Only a little bit of the liquid inside, which appeared to be murky black in the darkness of his cell, spilled out. Crouching with his knees against his chest, Kazane poked curiously at the cylindrical object, flinching hard when it rolled. When his fright subsided, he leaned closer and sniffed at it. A sweet scent filled his head, nearly putting him in a trance. His mouth watered. Would it taste as good as it smelled...? He picked up the container and gave it another experimental sniff before tucking himself into the nearest corner of the room. The aroma was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. If it didn't remind him of anything, then it couldn't be dangerous, right? A little pout turned his lips downward. Worst case scenario, it killed him. And at this point, that would be a mercy. Still doubtful but now overwhelmed with curiosity, he licked up the trail of liquid on the side of the cup.
Had anything more glorious ever existed?! He gnawed on the cup desperately until the lid finally came off. After a slow, sweet inhale, he took his first proper drink of hot chocolate, his visitor completely forgotten.
Mod
Ripley didn't expect to immediately be attacked when she entered the cell. She wasn't overly concerned about her body when a sudden flurry from the darkness whipped towards her. She didn't get any time to react aside from the instinctive concern towards the hot chocolate in her hand. She didn't want it to fall but it was a pointless thought. Ripley hadn't thought about the hand that could get harmed thus she, along with the inmate was left staring at her arm. She was grateful for the pause, giving her time to analyze her tingling hand from the unusual sensation of pain but also the feeling of the feathers and the loss of the mug. It didn't cross her mind until a moment later after staring at the wing her arm was passing through that she had been moved onto her knees. The force having pulled her forward without her recollection but since they hadn't collided with anything it had almost gone unnoticed.
Her blue eyes turned towards the inmate, seeing him faintly in the darkness but her gaze was on the thoughts swirling around him. It was those thoughts that had her keeping her hand solidified. She could still seem them as he moved back and his wing retreated. His fear and confusion kept her in place even after the intimidating growl the rumbled through the air and the grasp that twisted her wrist.
Ripley winced at the pain, not used to the sensation and was minutely fascinated with her body's reaction to remain on her knees despite knowing she wasn't even touching the ground properly. However, her gaze moved back to the inmate and the blaring fear she saw in his eyes and above his head had her still. It was like a siren. A siren that suddenly vanished after finding herself facing the now blinding cell door. She found herself crying out softly when her hand collided with the door and kept her from exiting completely. She leaned against the door, pulling her hand back through the door to hold it to her chest. Forehead pressed against the door as she endured the wave of pain that crashed against her. She wasn't used to any sort of pain, nothing like this anyway. It had felt like her hand was going to pop off when it didn't follow her through. It was an uncomfortable feeling that she did hope she wouldn't need to repeat.
Once it had passed and she could breathe again, Ripley reentered the room without hesitation. She didn't wait for the door to reopen for her, passing through it and was immediately greeted with the smell of the chocolatey goodness wafting through the air. It had spilt... how unfortunate. She wished to have given it to him. However, as she adjusted to the room once more she found he had already tasted the concoction and was drinking from the mug. A small smile formed on her face as she sat down beside the door and quietly waited until he had finished the drink. Her knocked up hand settled subconsciously in her intangible lap. Seeing his surprised and pleased thoughts- childlike glee was beautiful despite knowing it was quite intrusive of her.
She spoke once more only after he'd gulped the last of the hot chocolate. "I'm sorry for scaring you," she voiced, her voice soft and quiet, "I'm glad you liked the drink. I can bring more next time."
((hope that's good?))
Distracted with his delicious treat, Kazane didn't notice his intruder ghost back into the room until after he finished his drink and she spoke. He jumped so hard at the sound of her voice, the empty mug practically launched out of his hands. The loud clatter of it hitting the wall, the floor, and then rolling around keeping him huddled in his wings after the initial scare, hidden from the girl and the demon cup. It would have been hilarious if he were an animal and not a human being in an empty, decrepit cell. Only after a solid minute of silence did he peek out between his wings. Why is she back?! was his first thought, and the second was, she needs to leave.
Kazane bared his teeth, his throaty growl echoing through the lonely room. He slowly pulled his wings back, then suddenly pushing them down and flashing over to where she sat, his imposing, shirtless figure pinning her to the wall mentally rather than physically. It would have been sexy if one of his hands didn't slam down right next to her left ear and the other didn't attempt to clench around, and then through her neck. His stained wings arched behind him, caging her in as he processed that he couldn't touch her. Being unable to physically remove her from the cell didn't mean he couldn't intimidate her out, though. His silver eyes bore into Ripley's, his gaze human despite the bird-like twitching of his head. Why couldn't she get the hint? He. Didn't. Like. Visitors.
Kazane clenched the fist in her neck tighter, and then pushed it through her throat until his knuckles touched the wall behind her. He supposed that if he had this power, he wouldn't let anyone touch him ever again... But that didn't mean it wasn't annoying that he was unable to remove a stranger from his cell. Suddenly angry, he stood and returned to his corner, where he curled up tightly on himself. At least he could recognize that she wasn't exactly a threat. Though that didn't make him want her near him any more. She would just have to take the hint.
Mod
Ripley lowered her gaze to see the glint of his teeth barring at her through the dark. She stiffened despite the fact she wasn't in any danger. Before she knew it, he was right in front of her keeping her from moving forward- without passing through him that is. She instinctively leaned back to look at him, feeling a chill from the hostility he directed at her. However, she didn't flinch, she stared him in the eye even when his hand slammed against the wall right by her ear and even when the other aimed for her neck. The only reason she didn't react to the attempt at her life was that it wasn't the first time. She'd met a lot of prisoners and some weren't as friendly as others. She met his gaze, feeling surprisingly closed in considering her constitution. However, her blue gaze rose to above his head, reading his thoughts. "I'm sorry," she voiced again, "I'll leave as you wish," she told him, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable... but I'll be back later to give you some food... if that's alright?" she murmured, keeping her gaze on his the thoughts forming above his head. She knew he didn't like visitors at this point but it was her job and... she selfishly didn't want to leave him alone.
(Agh, I'm having trouble with this onnnneeeee)
"I'm sorry."
The words clanged through Kazane's mind unpleasantly as he stood and stubbornly sat back down in the corner. He'd heard those words before... They brought back the sharp, metallic scent of blood and burning, and the fire-lit glow of those frightened eyes, and the sharp sting of disappointment when he turned and said, "I can't take you, I'm so—"
Kazane slammed his forehead against the wall, blood dribbling down his temples from the nails he'd dug into his scalp. He curled tighter in on himself, his knees so close to his chest that it was difficult to breathe. Go away, he thought. Just go away. Why couldn't she get the hint? He'd surely made his desire clear enough! All he knew was his cage, the inside of a black bag, the cold walls of his new cell, pain, and that humans were scary. All they did was yell at him and hurt him. He was never good enough for them. None of the experiments were! Even the one they'd practically perfected, who they'd cherished above all others, ran away from them as soon as he got the chance to.
"I can't take you, I'm so—"
Kazane cried out in frustration, again throwing his head into the wall. Why couldn't everything just shut up?! The girl behind him with her false promise of food, and the boy in his head and his empty apology, and the pounding of his head, and the booming thump of his heartbeat in his ears. All he needed was silence.
More black blood spilled down his back as his wings tightened their hold on him, and for a split second, he had the silence he'd asked for. A single stuttered heartbeat in-between the roar in his head, and then, all of the built-up anxiety and frustration exploded out of him in a gust of shadow so strong, he was hopeful it'd thrown the strange woman out of his cell.
(sorry for taking so long, this one was difficult to say the least)
Mod
It was because of the speckles of story that bloomed from his thoughts. It was rapid flashes of, to her, unintelligible recollected dialogue and images. She'd gotten distracted trying to ponder what the story about it could be. What had he gone through to feel such a reaction to words meant to resolve issues. What she did see was chilling but she jumped when Kazane cried out. She lowered her gaze from his thoughts, blinking in confusion as she returned back to the current world. However, just as she reentered, she was blasted with a force that had her shivering. It had knocked her further back so she was half in the wall. Her arms wrapped around herself, feeling what she assumed was something akin to nausea. Thus, without the travel mug, she used her feet to kickstart her body into floating out of the room. Once out, she stood up and silently headed back the way she had come. She pursed her lips, trying to figure out what she could do for him. Rip hadn't the slightest idea...
She returned after some time. She was lugging things with her this time. These things included a fluffy and warm blanket, some bandages but most importantly, she had some more hot chocolate but as for the meal- she made sweet curry. He seemed to like sweet things so she hoped mildly sweetening the curry would please him.
Ripley stood in front of the cell door, she paused before attempting to knock. She wasn't sure if that noise would startle him so she let out a soft hum before lightly tapping on the door. "I have food," she murmured, hoping it got through to the other side. The door opened once more and urged her inside quickly by already beginning to close. Immediately after entering, she put down the items she brought and pushed it away from her. As far as she could without moving away from the sealed door. All in order to avoid feeling that pain again. She found she didn't really like it that much.
((hope that's good?))
(It might take me a hot minute to reply to this one...again;;;. Not 'cause of you, it's just hard to get in tune with Kazane for some reason)
Mod
Panting after the explosive release of his emotions, the wave of shadow slowly dissipated, revealing that his strange visitor had left. Good, he thought, resting his chin on his knees. He didn't want company, he didn't need it. All he desired was to be left alone. Just him...and silence. And for a few hours, he got his wish. He huddled in his corner, momentarily at peace, enjoying the quietness around him, only for it to be shattered by a faint hum and a knock on the door. Tense once more, he peeked past his wing as the same woman from before was let into his cell. He flinched at the flash of light from the hall, hiding behind his wing again.
Why was she back?! The smell of something warm and—whatever the other scent was drifted through the tiny room, touching every nook and cranny save for the protective bubble around where he was nestled. He'd never had anything...warm before. Curiosity flashed in his stunning silver eyes as he dared a peek over at the woman, but only after she slid over what she'd brought did he move. Slowly pulling back one wing, his long, muscular black arm reached out toward the closest item—a cloth of some sort. He clenched his clawed fingers, eyes flashing between the blanket and the woman who'd gifted it.
Without warning, he swiped through her legs with his other arm, leaning forward on his knees to do so. He couldn't touch her. He glanced down at the hand that he'd grabbed earlier and used to throw her into the hall. It, too, was untouchable, he noticed, as he brushed her fingers. Now kneeling several feet away, his gaze met hers, wings arched beautifully behind him. He tilted his head. She wouldn't be intangible if she was going to hurt him...right? He sniffed at her. He supposed he'd just have to watch her, for now. Make sure to take note of any part of her becoming solid so he could throw her out of the cell before she could harm him.
Strange woman.
He returned his attention to the blanket he still had clenched in his fist. His claws had torn a couple of holes in the fabric, but he didn't seem to mind as he lifted it to his face, sniffed it, and then rubbed it on his cheek.
Soft. Very soft.
"Hahaha, your hair's so soft, Kazane!"
He recoiled at the memory that flashed through his mind, throwing the blanket across the room with a growl, a sudden flash of pain and disgust glowing in his eyes. Why wouldn't Kuromi just leave him alone?! Kazane tossed a harsh glare toward the woman. He only started coming to mind again after this stranger visited him earlier. His memories of Kuromi had reduced from daily appearances to only his nightmares, but she'd brought them back. Tears burned the backs of his eyes. Shaking his head furiously, he tsked his tongue and made to distract himself by exploring the other items she'd left for him.
Immediately, the dented cup from before caught his attention. A childlike excitement in his gaze, he practically jumped on it, sniffing eagerly. He gnawed on the mug until he got the lid off, crossed his legs, and instantly began drinking the warm, brown liquid. The temperature alone had his wings slowly relaxing behind him. There was something about this drink that sent waves of calm through his muscles, allowing him to breathe more deeply between gulps than he could even when sleeping. In fact, it relaxed him so much, he nearly forgot the strange woman's presence, just as he had earlier.
(I hope this is good)
Mod
Her eyes adjusted to the dark properly to see his dark arm slash through her legs. The action reminded her that she was still present in the room and hadn't moved since she finished sliding what she'd brought. Should she sit or wait outside? The leisure debate was halted when her gaze picked up movement. She watched in silence as he brushed her intangible fingers. Rip took a moment after he created a distance between them once more, curling her hand for a moment before letting it fall slack by her side.
She lifted her gaze and immediately met those small silver moons framed by those wings. Rip ended up mimicking his head tilt, unbeknownst to her. Though, seeing that his thoughts didn't throw her out immediately, her decision was made. Like a falling leaf, she eased slowly to the ground, her form hovering millimetres from the floor. With her hands rested in her lap, she shifted her big blue eyes up above Kazane's head.
Seeing his comment on how he viewed her, a minute lip ascension occurred briefly. It was pleasantly positive.
Ripley did notice... somewhere that he'd poked holes in the blanket. She'd subconsciously already made a note to fix it at a later date but the only attention that was present in reality remained on his thoughts. She should rationally look away but she wanted to know how he found the food and drink. Knowing his tastes would allow her to prepare nutritional meals that he'd enjoy.
She quietly watched his reaction- his thought process- to the blanket. She didn't understand why he was hurt, why the memory brought him so much pain. As he set his glare on her and the rushing thoughts she glimpsed leading him to shoot his glare had Ripley opening her mouth to speak once more. "I apologize ..." she drifted off. She was going to continue but as his thoughts drifted, so did her speech.
She quietly watched, the small minuscule uplift of her lips occurring again. Rip was glad he enjoyed her hot chocolate, it was her own recipe. With her father relying practically solely on it for his liquid consumption, she'd needed to make some alterations. Kalmin hadn't the taste for it, but they weren't entirely fond of sweet things, to begin with.
"The food is good too," she softly murmured, her voice as soft and airy as her body. "And warm. " She fell silent again. She did wish to add more but she felt like those two things were more important to him.
"I'll leave once you're done eating," she added after a moment of dazed pause. She needed to bring a mug that was better for him to use... but she hoped that telling him that would reveal he had more control over her stay here while also ensuring he ate something.
((>~< ?? hopefully okay?))
(It wasn't his wing, but his arm that slashed through her legs. His arms are black, remember?)
Despite how soft it was, Kazane still flinched at the sound of the stranger's voice. Only just managing not to choke on his finishing gulp of hot chocolate, he lowered the mug and peered at her over it. She hadn't left like he'd assumed, and was instead continuing to converse with him one-sidedly. It almost made him feel bad. Swallowing dryly, he glanced at the food she mentioned and then back to her. He slowly put the mug on the floor and carefully slid the bowl over, tucking himself into the corner once more.
As he struggled with the lid of the bowl, he amused the thought of telling her that he couldn't speak. He pursed his lips. He wasn't too sure if she deserved to know. Giving her another quick look, he decided against sharing that information and instead focused on eating the meal he was provided. It took him longer than he'd care to admit to learn how to work the spoon, but once he did, he ate as if he hadn't in years. It had been a couple of weeks at least. And maybe it was the rare combination of liquid and food in his stomach, or perhaps just the warmth of both filling his body, but before he knew it, he was dozing off against the wall, only a few bites left in the bowl when he passed out.
(I know it's super short and shitty, but he's difficult to write for, especially with my hardcore writer's block)
Mod
Rip didn't move at all during the time Kazane worked on the food she'd brought. She was used to sitting... well floating for long periods of time due to her habitual daydreaming. She did have to qualm her instinct to help when she noticed that he was struggling to open what she'd brought but she knew it would only make things worse. He didn't want her close and she respected that. She also couldn't watch him struggle with a clear conscience so instead, she focused on his thoughts. For the most part, she mindlessly watched as his thoughts filtered through. At one point she noticed he wondering if he should share that he couldn't talk. It was that thought, despite his rejection of it that brought a small smile to her face. The notion that he thought that he should be enough for her to know that he didn't outright hate her at this point in time.
She continued to watch, often drifting back in her own thoughts and then back until she realized he'd fallen asleep. Rip blinked, looking at Kazane in the small, dark room. He looked... shockingly small but more at peace than she'd seen him. However, seeing that he looked like he'd be out for a while, she decided it was her cue to leave. Without making a sound, she collected the blanket, hoping he didn't mind since his initial reaction hadn't been negative... she laid it over him once she'd collected the rest so she could immediately move away and pray he didn't wake up. She returned to the door, checking him one last time before murmuring a soft, "sweet dreams," before the cell opened enough for her to get the supplies out and passed through the rest. As little light and sound as possible. Though she had a feeling if he did stir, he'd find more comfort in her absence than with her present.
She headed off to return the dishes and then headed off to go help her dad since she still had a lot of time.
The next time Rip came to check on him was early that next morning. She accidentally ended up wandering around the prison again instead of sleeping and she'd been nearby. Thus, she decided to check in and see if she had any requests to bring for breakfast later.
Rip softly rapped at the cell door, "I'm coming in," she said softly before peeking her head in through the door.
((hopefully, that's fine??))
The scene that met Ripley when she peeked her head into Kazane's cell was not a pleasant one. Three bodies, all mutilated beyond sex-recognition, laid strewn about the dingy room, their blood splattered all over the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. Directly in front of the door lay a rifle that appeared to be a tranquilizer gun, considering the two feather-tipped darts sticking out of the trembling, black-goo-covered wing on the heaving being in the corner. Who, upon hearing Ripley's knock and voice, whipped his head around and snarled. The three strangers' blood stained his teeth and dripped from his hands, stark against his black and white flesh.
Despite the clear illustration of what had happened, the growling beast in front of her wasn't as frightening as he could've been. Not when his arms trembled violently under his weight, a half-shattered needle sticking out of his right bicep. Sweat covered his face, more visible once he'd turned to confront her, though whether it was due to the tranqs sticking out of his violently trembling wing, the needle, or the fight that had clearly gone down not too long ago was impossible to decide. Even still, he managed to bare his teeth and growl again.
His thoughts were fluid and refused to stick, but mainly focused around him wanting her to leave or at least stay back. The other thing that came to mind, however, was a blanket. Specifically, the one Ripley had left him. He broke eye-contact with her to glance around for it, sitting back down semi-properly, his defensiveness momentarily forgotten. Having woken up warm, at peace, and with a full stomach had been strange to him, which was probably why the blanket was still on his mind. Unfortunately, a puddle in the far corner from where he was sat suggested his stomach was no longer pleasantly filled.
Slowly, Kazane looked over each of the scientists who'd attacked him, over the gore he'd caused, and then back to Ripley. Anger rose up in his chest, but before another growl could form, it died. He leaned back against the wall, a low whimper slipping through his clenched teeth as his left wing brushed the concrete. Hopefully, the see-through woman would follow her conscience and leave.
Mod
Ripley worked on instinct. She had only two directives. The first was to ensure his health- which was going to be a challenge because she didn't want to make him even more defensive than he already was... The other was to clean the room up. It reminded her of a gory version of her father's office when he gets into one of his fixations. She never thought body removal would be part of the job but it would be a new experience. They assigned her to this task for a reason, they knew the risk of whatever they were trying to do so the course of action was predetermined.
"Can you get the needles out? Or do you need me to?" she asked softly, entering a little bit more into the room but not much. She already had a list of things she was going to bring but first, she needed to get those out before he got further injured. The darts aside, the needle for sure with it being partially broken. "No... you wouldn't like that..." she whispered to herself. He'd made that clear enough, even if he was currently exhausted. He was clearly in pain but she likely wouldn't be able to treat his wounds until he was unconscious. It was the safest way for them both. Him being conscious would only further aggravate his injuries if she even tried. "Firi?" she softly called, waiting for her ball of fire spirit friend to flicker onto her shoulder. "Can you get them out?" she asked them, giving their head a little stroke.
Firi cooed and did just that. In mere seconds, they plucked the darts and the needle out of Kazane before they were darting around the room eating little demons that had arrived. She hoped that it was the best alternative, primarily because Firi was also a spirit being. Only those that can see spirits and demons ever see them.
Ripley ducked out of the room then, leaving Firi to eat their snack to regain their energy. She headed off to grab what she needed, forgetting to explain herself to Kazane.
She returned after a short time, bringing cleaning supplies and a first aid kit. She placed it outside before she gently rapped on the door before poking in her head once more. "I'm going to get rid of the bodies," she said.
The stench of blood and panic weighed heavily in the air, the only sound was labored panting. Judging from Kazane's posture—his legs close to his chest, face down on his knees, fingers dug into his hair—this was not the first time he'd had to kill whoever these people were and it would not be the last. Scenes flashed through his mind, attacks melting together until he couldn't tell past from present. No matter what these people did to him, he was never able to keep himself from feeling guilty for killing them. His stomach churned with remorse, tears streaming in the black lines on either of his cheeks. Only a woman's voice delicately slicing through his train of thought kept him from vomiting up whatever was left in his belly.
Silver eyes distant and shimmering with tears, Kazane dazedly met the woman's gaze. How had he forgotten she was here? Even transparent, the strange lady had a presence; unnerving and calming at the same time. He found himself distracted by the movement of her mouth, still hearing screams of agony and begs for mercy in the back of his mind, making him unable to focus on what she was saying. All he could register is that her voice was soothing, a welcome contrast to the violence replaying in his head.
Kazane blinked slowly, tears still rolling down his cheeks. He didn't even notice the needles being plucked out of his flesh, only distantly recognizing that his entire right arm had gone numb and his wing had sagged to the floor. Even Ripley's departure took a moment to notice. Luckily, when she returned, the only difference in his posture was his head resting on one of his knees and his right arm slack on the floor. The tears hadn't stopped flowing, but his breathing did seem a bit calmer than it had been when she'd left. He didn't seem to see her coming in.
