originally posted in:The New Dojo
[b][i]Hell Hath No Fury Like and Angry Woman[/i][/b]
[b]Inside the Dojo Residences, Dojo, Tatakai[/b]
[i]She’d cloaked the pain in her anger, something she’d always done. Tara Jennings stormed through the wet cobblestone streets and towards the home that she had rented for herself and Miles so that they would have a place to stay at the Dojo. The rain had picked up as the woman walked back to the home, drenching her completely by the time she’d gotten the door open. She walked inside and slammed the door behind her, throwing Miles’ helmet to the floor. Stomping up the stairs, she went into her room and slammed the door. Taking off all of her weapons and gear, she simply tossed it all onto her bed, before she changed out of her soaked clothes.
She opted for a sweatshirt Rose had given to her and a pair of sweatpants, something dry and warm. She walked back downstairs, and stood in the center of the living room before going to lock the door, and flopping down on the couch. Tara curled herself up beneath the throw blanket and no longer did she hold back tears. She made not a sound, but she buried her face in the pillows. What Miles hadn’t realized was that his prior statement about Tara not being his sister had hurt far more than he had intended it to. While the two were not blood relatives, Tara, despite her consistent bullying of the teenager, considered him a brother. He’d been there for her during some really rough times, and she’d been there for him. For him to say something that in her eyes tossed it all away was painful to her, to say the least. And so she sat alone in the house, silently crying, and letting it out.
Meanwhile, Miles had set off to find her in the wake of his comment, walking alone and in the rain. He sighed, silently cursing himself for saying something like that. He didn’t mean it, it just came out in the heat of the moment with her and the other woman tagging on him. Quite frankly, he was surprised that Tara had gotten so mad about it, normally she didn’t really care what he said. Maybe there really was someone down inside behind her whole hardass masquerade. He made it back to where the two of them had been staying, only to find the door locked and that he didn’t have a key. Jiggling the lock, he sighed, and slumped down against the doorway as the rain continued to pick up.
His hair was plastered to his face, and he had started to shiver as the wind picked up. He was really beginning to wish he hadn’t let Tara get hold of his helmet. Miles could have broken the door in his exo, but that just meant they’d have to pay for another one, and so, he remained where he was, silently sitting and waiting, hoping that Tara wasn’t going to leave him out in the rain all night. Inside, the woman had heard Miles jiggle the doorknob and knock, but she ignored it. She was not about to forgive him so quickly.[/i]
[spoiler]Open. Probably should get Miles inside or something.[/spoiler]
English
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[spoiler]the phrase at the beginning is originally Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Eh[/spoiler]
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[i]A large 8'9" tall woman with long strawberry blonde hair and bright sea blue eyes. Her face had tiny freckles peppered across like the rest of her skin as held a very large yellow umbrella over herself as she clearly was walking herself when she sees him sitting the rain.[/i] "You look like your having rough night. What's wrong with you ? "says lizzie
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[i]He looked her over for a moment, having never seen anyone so large in his life. He quickly snapped himself out of staring, and used a hand to push his sopping wet hair out of his face.[/i] “Got locked out. My... my sister’s... pissed off at me.” [i]The teenager replied.[/i]
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[i]lizzie was a giant and she used to staring so she wasn't bothered by it as she looked down at him. [/i]"well that's not good did you at try to apologize? I mean that what my older brother does when he upsets in some way.''says lizzie
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“Little hard to do that when she won’t let me in.” [i]He said with a half-nervous chuckle.[/i]
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"I would offer to knock the door down but I doubt it would a smart idea. So what did you say to her. If you don't mind me asking."says lizzie
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"[b]Not the best time to be out on the street, young man.[/b]" [i]The voice came from a tall, broad-shouldered fellow, who approached with a plastic bag in either hand, both of which were full of various groceries. The rain came down hard on his leather jacket, the noise of the watery impacts proceeding his comment and pervading the silence following. With the sound of settling glass, the man put one of the bags to the rain-soaked bricks of the streets. Reaching into his leather coat, he pulled out a one-handed umbrella, extending it to Miles.[/i] "[b]I had planned to use it, but I ended up grabbing more groceries than I'd anticipated. Here, you look like you'll need it.[/b]" [i]The air around him was kind of cloudy, as though he emitted a very slight amount of steam.[/i] "[b]So, what has happened today to result in such a situation as this, young man?[/b]"
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[i]Miles offered a smirk.[/i] “Yeah... trust me, I know... I’ll probably get sick.” [i]He said, only half-jokingly. He took the umbrella with a nod of thanks, and opened it over himself, leaning it against the door so he could sit beneath it. He really just wanted to keep his head dry, considering the exo insulated the rest of him from the weather.[/i] “It’s a long story... I said something in the heat of the moment, and it made someone mad and now she locked me out.” [i]It sounded really foolish to Miles, but it was the truth.[/i]
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[i]The older man chuckled sympathetically, picking the bag back up with his now free hand.[/i] "[b]Forgive me for assuming, but you seem a bit on the young side to own an apartment with a romantic partner, so I'm guessing...family squabbles?[/b]" [i]The man's blonde hair and beard were soaked, the former plastered to the crown of his head, and the latter dripping streams of water. The older man was eyeing Miles with some amount of appreciation, his blue eyes alive with swimming fire, quite bright even in the nighttime darkness.[/i]
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“She’s... my sister.” [i]Miles replied, sighing.[/i]
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"[b]Hahaha![/b]" [i]A hearty guffaw came from the soaking wet man, his face bright with amusement. Clearly, he was either familiar with such situations, or had no idea of the severity and scope of the damage done.[/i] "[b]Hehehe...I apologize. I shouldn't laugh, I know, but I can't help it. This reminds me of my own youth, when my own sister would lock me in with the hounds. Depending on how mad she was with me, she'd give me my dinner in there.[/b]" [i]He left it up to the lad on whether that she was angrier giving him the food, or holding it.[/i] "[b]And just how have you angered your sister?[/b]"
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“Well... she’s not my biological sister... we’re both kinda adopted... it’s complicated... but uh... she and I were fighting, and I... I said she wasn’t my sister... and she got upset and stormed off... and now I’m locked out in the rain.” [i]He said rather awkwardly.[/i]
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"[b]Right...well, I suppose the decent thing to do would be to give her some time to herself, sit out hear, and listen to the natural music of the rain...[/b]" [i]The older man allowed a peaceful silence to envelop the two of them for a moment. The only noises were the verging sounds of rain falling onto different surfaces, the pitches differentiating in a way only provided by the wide range of surfaces provided by a city street. The man smiled kindly to the young man, then looked up into the sky, opening his mouth wide to catch the falling rain even as he squinted against it. Closing, he swallowed, the shuddered a bit.[/i] "[b]Cold.[/b]" [i]He said, breaking the little quiet.[/i] "[b]Cold and somewhat acidic. My stomach will punish me for that later, I am guessing...[/b]" [i]A grunt came from him as he returned his gaze to Miles.[/i] "[b]Decency is great and all...but you're a young lad, a ruffian, a real mischief maker, I can tell.[/b]" [i]Again the friendly and sympathetic smile.[/i] "[b]Do you think she knows we've been talking like this? That she knows I'm here? Because if not, I shall show you the way I always got out of my own exile to the outside.[/b]"
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[i]Miles couldn’t help but grin. Mischief maker was a compliment he took in stride. He’d worked hard for that title.[/i] “No... I don’t think she knows we’re here. Probably can’t hear us over the rain.”
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"[b]Alright. Back when I was your age, I learned to keep a coin handy on my persons, in the event that my own sister lost her patience with me that particular day. I'd either use one of the adults I was in good terms with, or I would pay an adult.[/b]" [i]The man turned and walked a bit away, setting the groceries below a canopy, out of the rain. Approaching Miles, he continued his explanation.[/i] "[b]The key was to find someone new each time, and to maintain a reputation of trouble-making outside of it. Lastly, it depends on not a small amount of trust.[/b]" [i]He moved to the door quickly, pounding on it with his left fist, the right hand grabbing Miles by his collar. The man gave the lad a wink before opening his mouth in a bellow.[/i] "[b]THIS [i]IS[/i] THE PLACE, YES?! EXCUSE ME, IS ANYONE HOME?! I SWEAR, KID, IF YOU'RE PULLING SOME TRICK, YOU'LL SEE THE INSIDE OF A JAIL CELL FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY 'UMBRELLA'![/b]"
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[i]There was no answer. No sound of anyone getting up, no movement from inside, no voice. Tara had heard the yell, she’d very clearly gotten the message, but she was one for grudges. If Miles got himself in trouble, it was his own problem, not hers. She remained on the couch, leaning against the throw pillows beneath her blanket. Miles’ expression went from a grin to a frown almost instantly once he realized she wasn’t coming to the door.[/i]
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"[b]GRAAAWR! FINE, IF YOUR PEOPLE DON'T LOVE YOU ENOUGH TO PUNISH YOU, I GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO DISCIPLINE YOU MYSELF![/b]" [i]Growled the large man. He let go of Miles' collar, then slammed his forearm into the wall, mouthing clearly and silently to the youth.[/i] [b]Play along.[/b] [i]With a rush of wind, the fist made from his right hand thudded heartily into his shoulder, producing a loud noise of impact that dominated the patter of the raindrops. With equally vicious blows, he began to strike himself all over, hitting flesh, leather, and sometimes missing and striking the wall brutally, causing the skin on his fist to begin to tear, a little blood welling up.[/i] "[b]D*MN IT, YOU LITTLE SH*T, STOP SQUIRMING![/b]"
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[i]Miles nodded and did as told, playing along, grunting, coughing, sputtering, and gasping, though it made little difference. Inside, Tara heard it. Normally she’d have gone outside and chased whoever was after him away, but she wasn’t his sister. What did she care? If he ever got in, well then he could patch himself up. If he laid outside for the rest of the night, then he’d get in in the morning with a cold. Quite honestly, she didn’t care. After several minutes, Miles stopped, and gestures for the man to stop hurting himself. [/i] “She’s not gonna come.” [i]He said with a sigh.[/i]
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"[b]Right, desperate times, desperate measures.[/b]" [i]Muttered the slightly frustrated man. Extending his arm to the side, hand opened wide, his brow furrowed. He hadn't had to call on it for some time, and so it was a second before a ball of white flame formed about an inch off of the skin of his palm. The flame elongated, forming a hilt, pommel, and blade of white flame before coalescing into a physical greatsword, ancient runes lining the flaming edge. As the flames dissipated, he motioned his free hand in a 'continue' motion, before raising the blade and stabbing it into the ground repeatedly.[/i] "[b]SPIT IN MY EYE, WILL YOU?! FINE! THEN WE'LL SEE HOW WELL YOU SPIT WHEN YOUR MOUTH IS PARCHED FROM THE FLAMES OF HELL![/b]" [i]He began to stab the ground repeatedly. The sociopathic and egomaniacal tendencies of the average citizen of Tatakai was well known, and so such a violent escalation of tempers and consequences was not outside the scope of possibility.[/i]
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[i]That drew Tara’s attention. Fear and anger both manifested themselves in her as she ran upstairs to grab her rifle. She’d not moved that fast in a long time, but it was reflex, years of experience in surviving alone. Retrieving the gun and bolting back down stairs and chambering a round in the rifle, she opened the door and raised it to shoot. Tara stood in nothing but her sweatpants and hoodie, the look only a family member would have when another was in danger on her face. Upon realizing that Miles was not in danger, however, it faded, more into one of confusion, then into one of anger. Letting the rifle fall to her side, she grabbed him by the throat immediately and slammed him up against the wall, completely ignoring the man.[/i] “Don’t f*cking scare me like that!” [i]She shouted, glaring at him angrily.[/i]
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"[b]HAHAHAHAHAHA![/b]" [i]The older man couldn't help the hearty burst of laughter that erupted from his chest. The physical force of his laugh pushed him back against the wall, his hands clutching his stomach as the laughter continued. Sliding to the floor, tears of amusement began to well up at the corners of his eyes. The greatsword burned away into millions of flames, dispersing into the wind.[/i] "[b]What'd I tell you, son?! It works every time, without fail![/b]" [i]Slowly, the laughter receded from him as he calmed down, eyes losing focus as his memory overwhelmed him, bringing him back to a far distant past, with long gone family.[/i]
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[i]Tara dropped Miles at the sound of the man’s laugh, and turned to him. As he was slumped on the ground, she slammed him in the jaw hard with the buttstock of her rifle. She then went to kick him in the chest, and only after she did it did she realize that doing it without her boots on was a lot more painful. Ignoring the pain for the moment, she went off on him as Miles slunk back into the house.[/i] “Piece of shit... I could’ve shot you... I should still shoot you...” [i]She growled, clearly more than pissed off. The woman was protective of the boy, that was certain.[/i]
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[i]The man grunted twice, to each impact, drawn painfully back to the present. He chuckled still as he stood, looming over the two with his massive figure. With a groan, the humor and levity physically drained from his face, leaving behind only experience and the face of one who had no patience for such things as this familial squabble.[/i] "[b]But, would that have saved him?[/b]" [i]The old man inquired, his face a patronizing squint to the woman. His eyes went up to Miles, and he spoke again, the previous friendliness and amicability gone.[/i] "[b]I didn't tell you the whole of my story, or why I [i]stopped[/i] this practice. One evening, when my own foster-sister was particularly livid, she used her usual tactic and locked me out, with my dinner. After fighting off the dogs, escaping with only a few scrapes and bites to my persons, and a lack of dinner, I went about the usual business. "I found a stranger, someone new to the town, and I decided he would be my scapegoat for the night. I made my usual bargain, he agreed, and I paid the man with the gold coin I'd kept in my shoe. As I turned to lead him back to the door, I was struck behind the head, hard. "The man was a thief and a ruffian, having assaulted and even killed numerous people in the sorry excuse of his life, and I had no idea. He stole me away, and demanded ransom, claiming he'd cut a piece of me off for every day the money was not payed.[/b]" [i]Glowering, he patted his legs.[/i] "[b]Now, I am left with seven toes, and a lack a small number of my back teeth. It was a few weeks before they found him, and in the meantime, he'd done to me things I couldn't begin to describe to you. And the entire time, my sister had been going insane. "Blaming herself, she had broken her own spirit, and it was never the same, even after I returned. Our relationship before had been good, the normal relationship between sibling not from the same parentage. After that, though...well, you can guess the bitterness on either side for the other.[/b]" [i]He eyed the two of them in sequence, keeping their gaze to him all the while he told his story.[/i] "[b]That place...it was nowhere near as dangerous as this one. My sister? I loved her, and I lost her, even there. "Do. Not. Make my choices. Here, at Tatakai, division is poison. If you are not insane, you cannot live here alone. You're going to face Hell, and you must face it together, or lose each other and all you hold dear. Family is what is most important, because, in the end?[/b]" [i]The eyes melted, going from cold experience to tender sympathy once more.[/i] "[b]Your family is going to be the only thing that is there when all else fails you, and without it, there is only an abyss of despair so great as to be worse than death.[/b]"
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“I was fine once on my own and so was he. Now piss off.” [i]She fired a warning shot past the man’s head, the sound deafening in the rainy, empty street. Miles had seen it all from the doorway where he was currently standing, and an expression of concern had enveloped his face.[/i] “Tara stop! He’s not going to hurt you or me.” [i]He said after she fired.[/i] “Shut up! I’m done with your shit for today and I’m not taking his, parables or otherwise. I’m f*ckin’ done!” [i]Tara shot back sharply. She had a temper. A very familiar temper.[/i]