Blackest Stain
Ashley is at her desk when Emily arrives, red hair pushed back and secured with a black band. There's a blackened piece of jerky in her mouth, bobbing up and down as she chews. Ashley doesn't look up, gesturing to a spot on her bed.
Emily glances at it and ignores the offer.
Emily stands, camera bag dangling off her shoulder. She takes in Ashley's bedroom, smaller than Matt's with posters of bands and worn book covers taped to the wall. There's a pink carpet situated in the center of the room, fuzzy and tacky. It makes Emily's nose twitch.
"I brought it." Emily folds her arms across her chest, lips curling when Ashley slurps the remainder of jerky into her mouth.
"Nice." Ashley spins in her chair, hands outstretched and wiggling. Emily lifts the bag off her shoulder, dropping it into Ashley's grip. Ashley turns back to her computer, unzipping the camera bag. She uses more force than necessary, manhandling and angling until she can shove the HDMI cable into the camera.
Emily almost comments, almost but it's not her camera. Instead she moves closer, pressing one hand on Ashley's cluttered desk as she leans down to peer at the computer screen. It's on the main page for Predator's Anonymous, tiny dings filling the room each time someone responds to the newest blog post. It's titled Phill-Eh-Mignon. Emily cringes.
"Shitty title right?" Ashley chuckles. "I couldn't help it."
"You could've." Emily retorts, taking the mouse in her hand. She hovers over the blinking import icon at the bottom and double clicks it. A new window pops up, flurries of bloodied pictures covering the screen. Ashley gasps softly, leaning forward. Her shoulder brushes Emily's. Emily shifts away.
"Oh my god." Ashley says in awe. "A ghoul did this? To another ghoul?"
"Yep." Emily states simply.
"Wow. Wow." Ashley slumps back in her chair. "That's amazing. I mean, not really but gosh. Look at it."
Emily has seen it, has looked it over a hundred times in the past week in a half, has since she took them the day it happened. It was nothing she had ever seen before, even in her years of living out her car with Chris curled up in the passenger seat.
Emily thought it was beautiful, spread out like a scar staining the earth, indistinguishable features of skin and bone, clothes ripped apart, kagune harvested and eaten. All shades of red and black and white. There was hardly anything left. She could make out Chris' fingerprints, the way his hands slid across the cement, digging and ripping.
"The others are getting worried." Ashley's voice brings Emily out of her thoughts. "With the Goats so close by and the CCG trailing after, this isn't really what the community needs. A ghoul who eats ghouls."
Emily considers telling Ashley who the ghoul is, considers arguing that it was a mistake and Chris would never do it again but she doesn't and maybe it's because she doesn't trust Ashley to keep her mouth shut or maybe she's interested to see how this plays out. It was something she had never seen before.
Chris had an interesting set of morals. He didn't hunt with her and Mike, didn't hunt with Ashley or go to Amelie's with Jess. He preferred Etcetera, preferred the meat of humans who decided to die on their own terms, by their own hands and still it was hard to get him to eat that.
Emily and Chris had grown up together, she had been there when he figured out what exactly it was that his mother used to feed him, what he needed to survived. He was 14 and Emily held him in her arms as he sobbed because he didn't want to kill anyone.
Emily never thought, years later, he would be the one to devour one of their own, over someone he barely knew. It was interesting. This progression.
"Thanks for these. You take such amazing pictures." Ashley smiles up at her.
Emily shrugs, "It gives me something to do."
"I understand that." Ashley says, "I feel like I'm helping when I write these. It gives us a place to call our own."
Emily wants to say Philly was their own, their private, tiny circle where they could live out their lives forever but the dream was ending.
"The Hound is here." Emily informs her.
Ashley's smile vanishes, pink lips falling open. Her eyes are wide, fingers hovering over the keyboard. She turns to Emily.
"W-What?"
"He's here. Chris saw him." Emily repeats, examining her fingernails. They're a deep cherry wine color that doesn't quite fit her skin tone but Jess picked it out so Emily wears it. She peers back at Ashley, who is still staring at her, horror etched across her mousy features.
"He... He saw him?" Ashley swallows hard. "When? Where?"
Emily shrugs. She's known for a while, known since last weekend and it was surprising at first until she thought of how close the Goats were to here. It wasn't as surprising as they had surmised. It was a matter of time. Jess is the one who told her, stopped her from kicking in Chris' bedroom wall and snatching his throat out. Jess said she was too overprotective. Emily said Chris is fucking stupid.
"You've know." Ashley says, eyes searching Emily's face. "Why... Why didn't you say anything?"
"It seemed fun." Emily answers simply, reaching out a hand for the camera. Ashley frowns at her, snatching the cord from the camera. She reorganizes it in the bag, zipping it closed before roughly handing it to Emily.
"This isn't a joke, Em."
"Don't call me that." Emily says curtly, pulling the strap onto her shoulder. "Put the word out. He's here. But if any of you had fucking sense you would know that it was a matter of time. Jack doesn't go anywhere that isn't interesting. Patrick is coming here. The Goats are coming and you idiots are concerned with a ghoul eating other ghouls."
"Do you know who that is too?!" Ashley snaps, rising from her seat. "This is important, Emily. People are scared."
"What's important is getting the fucking Doves out of here." Emily bites out, impatience dripping from every word. "Worrying about a ghoul eating one ghoul is stupid especially when it's possible all of us are in danger. The Goats are a danger. The Doves are a danger. Not some starving animal."
Ashley fumes quietly, eyes darkening, pulsing red veins creeping along her eyes. Emily smirks, skin ripping as her kagune pushes out from her waist, silver, sharp pinchers snapping at the end like the mouth of a snake.
"This shirt is 450$, if you're going to start something, Ashley. You better make it worth it."
Ashley's eyes dart from Emily's face to the tentacle creeping towards her. She deflates, visibly cowering back into her seat. Emily retracts, fighting at the itch crawling under her skin. She takes a step back, then another, knowing the last time she turned her back on Ashley, Emily ended up with three tails digging through her abdomen. That was one thing Emily admired about her. Ashley fought dirty, filthier than anyone Emily's come into contact with.
"Emily, I know..." Ashley sighs. "This is important too."
Emily knows it is. She closes the door behind her, knob denting under her grip. Emily sighs, staring intently at the door. She knows that was also important but she needed to be sure that Jess would be safe, that Chris would be safe before they targeted the fact that Chris ate another fucking ghoul.
"These kids." Emily mutters, walking down the dorm hallway to the elevator.
Jess calls her as she's passing the second floor, tone pleasant and beautiful and it melts the tension Emily feels lining her spine.
"Chris said he'd cover for me the next three days considering he was busy turning ghouls into cottage cheese."
"Am I supposed to take you out now?" Emily responds, glaring at a student who tries to use the elevator. He steps back, mumbling something about taking the stairs. The doors slide closed.
"Pretty pleeease." Jess says and Emily can hear her pouting. "I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go."
"Sounds like you should've planned better."
"God, you're such a bitch. Pick me up in thirty." Jess giggles. She doesn't say bye, line clicking dead. Emily presses her phone to her lips, smiling softly into hard plastic. The elevator doors ding open. Her smile drops.
Emily texts Matt on the way to Jess', frowning at his lack of information in regards to the boy Chris was dating. Or not dating, she didn't know. Chris said his name was Josh. Emily didn't give a fuck what his name was.
From: Mattatat
Mike told me not to get involved
From: Queen
So.
You listen to your not boyfriend now?
From: Mattatat
:(
It's not like that.
We're friends, Em.
Emily rolls her eyes, locking her phone. She sets in her back pocket, heels clicking across the pavement as she walks. Emily could ask Chris, could give the same threatening message to whatever-his-name-was that Jess did but it didn't seem right, or appropriate considering it seemed like Chris really, really liked him.
Emily's never seen Chris date, only watched him pine after Ashley for three years before his infatuation dropped like a brick. He didn't seem interested in anyone, yet here he was, fawning over some tanned fuck boy who could've been last night's dinner.
Emily sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose as a headache forms. It sits right behind her jaw, tongue pressed to the roof of her mouth. The things she had to go through for family.
"You're always frowning." Jess notes, a smile playing on her lips as she opens the door. "I could see it through the peep hole."
Emily wants to tell her that between Chris and her, she isn't sure who will send her to an early grave first but she doesn't, eyes trailing along the curve of Jess' legs, knees round and small, tipped pink like the rest of her body when she blushes. Jess is in shorts, dark denim with folded ends, blouse loose and pretty, shades of brown and burgundy.
"I'll take your silence as a yes." Jess grins, stepping to the side. Emily doesn't answer, definitely doesn't let her eyes linger as she passes, shrugging her camera bag from her shoulder.
Jess' apartment is a lot like Jess, all warm colors that smell like home, nothing tattered or broken, clean and neat, prissy. Emily liked being here, better than her own apartment that smelt like failure and bad hallmark cards.
"Where did you want to go?" Emily inquires, setting her bag on Jess' couch. Thin arms wrap around her waist, soft skin pressing close. Honeysuckles, strawberries during summer. Jess' nose is buried into Emily's spine, the curve of a smile tracing along her back.
"Anywhere." Jess answers.
"That's not a place." Emily huffs, lacking fire in her words. She touches Jess' wrists, fingers feeling along the soft pulse. Jess laughs, arms shaking, and she props her chin on Emily's shoulder, nosing the shell of her ear.
"Amelie's."
"You could eat there everyday."
"They make the best eyeballs." Jess giggles. She kisses the skin behind Emily's ear, moving away. Emily turns to her, watching Jess slide into a loose gray cardigan that falls past her waist. She doesn't say anything, eyes categorizing each of Jess' curves, the whisper of a smile, hair fine and wavy like summer breeze.
Jess catches her looking, blushing cutely when Emily quickly turns away. She waltzes up to her, grasping at the sleeves of Emily's leather jacket, teeth pearly as she smiles, shy and lovely. Emily's breath catches in her throat. She kisses Jess.
Jess kisses back, lips smooth and soft, inviting, supple like the rest of her. Emily holds her close, hands rested on Jess' hips as the other slides her arms around Emily's neck. Emily thinks this is how she'd want to go, in Jess' arms, their lips connected.
"We could stay in." Jess suggests, brushing her lips against Emily's.
"If you want." Emily responds, clearing her throat.
"Do you want too?" Jess asks quietly, sliding on hand down the front of Emily's shirt, fingering the silver feathered necklace laced under her collar. Emily considers it, considers laying Jess down on her couch, skin pressed to skin, feel the softness between her thighs. It's something Jess wanted even though Emily had no interest in anything like that. She just liked the physical closeness, feeling Jess' heartbeat in her hands, listening to every vein sing.
Jess notices Emily's hesitation, an understanding smile sliding into place that makes Emily feel queasy. She places a soft kiss to Emily's mouth, pulling away.
"They have tongue too."
Emily definitely doesn't want that. "Gross."
"Oh come on, it's not that bad."
If Emily were to eat anyone's tongue, it'd be Ashley's, drizzled in her blood and raw and she'd want her to watch as she devoured it.
"I can literally see your thoughts and you need to get over it." Jess grabs Emily's hand. "People make mistakes."
Emily snorts at that. People don't make mistakes that involve other people almost dying. Emily doesn't want to think about that though. She wants to hold Jess' hand and listen to how her day went, wants to hear about Jess reconfiguring a Mac out of scraps and how she rubs it into Chris' face every time she sees him.
Jess squeezes her hand as they walk, rambling on about how stupid the people who come to the tech lab are. Emily knows they are, has sat behind the counter as Jess or Chris worked on a 'broken' computer that wasn't broken to begin with, just needed an update or a firewall or other simple bullshit. But Emily could listen to Jess talk about it forever.
"Please try the tongue."
"You can't mention eyeballs and ask me to get tongue." Emily tells her. "It's rude, 1. And 2, I want eyeballs."
"You're such a priss, Em."
"You're just bitchy that I won't do what you want." Jess rolls her eyes at that, nudging Emily lightly.
There's a small line waiting outside of Amelie's, humans, ripe and impatient in their wait. Emily didn't understand why Marie, the owner, allowed humans in at all when the second floor housed hungry ghouls who left stains in the tile.
Jess skips the line, waltzes right up to the hostess and shines her sparkly grey eyes until the woman blushes and let's them in. A few angered mumbles trail after them. It's a satisfying noise, almost as satisfying as knowing, if she wanted, Emily could kill them all and hang their skeletons up on clothing racks.
Marie notices them as she's leaving, smiling brightly. Her hair is bright, bright orange, a stark contrast to the deep brown of her skin, eyes darker than night. She's Jess' friend, like most of the ghouls in the city.
"Marie!" Jess greets excitedly. "I didn't know you worked today."
"I don't." Marie giggles. "I'm dropping off ingredients per Jefferson's request. We have guest coming later this week."
"Ooh, how exciting." Jess babbles.
It wasn't exciting. Emily tries to think of who could possibly be coming to Philadelphia but her mind only supplies the Goats. Marie winks at her, confirming Emily's rousing suspicion. Emily should probably tell Ashley, but she's being tugged after Jess to the second floor, the sounds of humans tinkering away at plates drowning out, muted and replaced by the sound of sloppy slurping and flesh ripping.
Ghouls sit at different tables, bibs bloodied, covered in puss and gore, various limbs and heads and organs situated precariously on top. They eat like animals, biting and gnawing. It was disgusting.
"Emily, when will you come for the dinner party?" Marie asks, directing them to an empty table near the back. She signals at a waitress. "I have only seen your beautiful rinkaku once."
Emily wrinkles her nose. She didn't like caging humans in an arena with disfigured ghouls, watching them scramble along bloodied floors as they struggled to defend themselves. Emily liked hunting in the open, watching and waiting and taking her time to tear at flesh and savor. Mike called her a sadist. Emily just had preferences.
"One day." Emily answers quietly.
Marie's eyes twinkle. "Excellent. Jessica, we must hang out soon."
"Of course." Jess says sweetly.
Listening to them is exhausting, Jess and Marie are essentially the same person, just Jess is a bit more secretive in how ruthless she is unlike Marie.
"Enjoy, lovelies." Marie winks before sauntering off. A waitress replaces her, smile pleasant and professional. Jess orders tongue, requesting a woman's, while Emily fiddles with her menu, eyes roaming along fancy black letters. She snaps her menu closed and hands it to the waitress, nose turned up.
Jess eyes Emily, amusement spreading across her features. She leans against the table, chin tucked into her palm, gaze rolling up to the nervous murmur of the waitress. Emily studies her face, taking in blue eyes, glimmering and sparkly.
"Your eyes are pretty." Emily remarks. "I want a head. Something that looks like yours."
Jess giggles behind her hand. The waitress stutters out an affirmative, nervously creeping away from their table.
"Playing on the newfound fear?" Jess grins.
"Her eyes are pretty."
"Prettier than mine?"
Nothing's prettier than you, Emily thinks. "No."
Jess smiles, as if reading Emily's thoughts, lacing her fingers underneath her chin. She traces Emily's face with a longing gaze, reaching for Emily's hand. Emily allows it, clasping the soft skin in her hand.
"I know someone in Japan who ate a ghoul." Jess starts. "Well, his friend did. We should keep an eye on Chris."
"I'm already doing that." Emily replies.
Jess rolls her eyes. "Josh is fine. He won't do anything. He actually likes our nerd boy, even found that anime shrine in his closet."
Emily cracks a smile. "He's a keeper."
"I agree." Jess says, smiling. "You don't have to worry, Em."
She did though. "Okay."
The waitress returns, shakily placing a beautifully decorated plate in front of Jess. The tongue is pink, fresh and warmed lightly over coal, the smokey smell filling Emily's nose. Jess takes her hand away, clapping excitedly. Emily tucks her hands into her lap, staring at the table as the waitress sets a platter in front of her.
It's a woman's head, color still in her face, eyes cold and empty, devoid of tongue and teeth. Blood trickles from her nose. Emily wonders if the tongue is on Jess' plate. She turns to look at the waitress, comparing the eyes. Blue.
Emily smirks. "Perfect."
"I-I'm glad. Enjoy." The waitress says quickly, darting from the table in a blink. Jess nudges Emily's foot. Emily shrugs.
"You're such a bitch."
"Please. That wasn't even mean." Emily retorts. "She should be honored."
"Why? Because your uppity taste hasn't changed since birth?" Jess purrs, silky and deep.
"It hasn't." Emily agrees, tucking her hair behind her ears. She touches the face, feels the lifeless skin still warm. Her thumbs press into the sockets, delicately stretching bone until it snaps. Blood squirts onto Emily's shirt, her tongue already clicking in annoyance as she continues to pull. Emily's glad she wore dark clothes, the growing stain hardly noticeable. Jess watches the entire time.
Emily scoops out an eyeball, holding Jess' gaze as she slides it onto her tongue. It's not the best she's had, definitely not the freshest but Jess' heavy gaze lingers, completely entranced.
"Mike was right."
"About what?" Emily smirks, knowing exactly what she's referring to.
"You love a good ego stroke don't you, Emily?"
"Only if it comes from you."
Jess' elbows press into the table. She pushes herself up from her seat, reaching out to grasp the front of Emily's shirt. Her grip is shaky, insistent and Emily meets her halfway, lips brushing.
Emily kisses her, blood and all. Jess moans softly, tongue darting out to lick a drop that slides down Emily's chin.
"You're gross." Emily comments.
Jess hums in content, biting her bottom lip as she sinks back in her seat, eyes locked on Emily's mouth.
"Stop talking to my ex-boyfriend." Emily tells her, working on the second eye.
"He's funny." Jess picks up a fork, poking at the tongue on her plate. "Can you put this in your mouth so I can eat it?"
"That sounds like a kink."
Jess winks.
"I'm kinkshaming." Emily deadpans.
Jess pouts. "God, you're a bitch."
Emily snorts, popping the second eyeball in her mouth. Jess watches her chew, expression reminding Emily of a petulant child. Emily points at Jess' tongue, eyebrows raised. Jess huffs quietly, bringing it to her lips. She eats it but doesn't seem happy about it.
"You don't look like you're enjoying it."
"Mike gets all the fun. He gets to see you all," Jess makes a gesture. "Wild and unhinged and I get nothing but sass."
"You've seen me unhinged." Emily counters.
"Have I?"
Emily wasn't sure. She's mostly composed around Jess, except for times when she isn't, which is rare.
"Maybe. You should come out with us."
"I don't like doing that." Jess answers, ripping the tongue apart with her fork. She just didn't like getting her hands dirty, didn't find thrill in the chase or that satisfying closure when the light fades and only empty blackness remains.
"It's not for everyone." Emily agrees.
"Did you have plans? Tonight?" Jess looks up at her.
"I might." Emily tells her. She hasn't checked her phone in the past hour. Mike liked to eat once every two weeks, which in Emily's opinion was gluttonous but she never denied tagging along when he would ask.
Jess appears disappointed but smiles anyway, feeding Emily what's left of the tongue. She wipes blood from Emily's lips, bringing it to her mouth. Emily watches her lick it off.
The waitress returns, that pleasant smile back on her face. Emily ignores her questions, zoning out as Jess responds to each one with a practiced ease. Emily fishes a fifty from her pocket, placing it in the waitress' hand. She interrupts their discussion, rising from her seat with poise.
"Keep the change." Emily tells her, holding out a hand to Jess. The gestures earns her an eye roll and a soft 'thank you'.
"Were you jealous, sweetheart?" Jess coos, trailing behind Emily to the stairs.
Emily's just annoyed. "No."
"That sounded like a lie." Jess sings.
"Shut up, Jessica."
"It's so hot when you say my first name." Jess sighs dreamily, clutching Emily's hand tighter. She waves to the hostess who let them in as they leave, saddling up close to Emily so they're shoulder to shoulder.
Emily checks her phone, wordlessly kissing the top of Jess' head as the other leans against her. Two messages from Mike, one from Matt, seven from Chris. She reads Chris' first.
From: Child (6)
Stop being mean to Ashley
She's sensitive
With everything going on we should stick together
All Emily can think is: gross.
From: Mattatat
Em? Love meeeee
From: Munroe
Matt's mad at me
Come make me feel better
Jess is reading the messages, snorting at Mike's. She takes her hand away from Emily's, walking a bit farther ahead. Emily wonders if she's upset.
From: Emilby
What does that mean
Mike's response is immediate.
From: Munroe
It means:
Come out with me tonight.
Let's fuck shit up.
Emily sighs through her nose, pocketing the phone. She hurries up to Jess, grasping her arm. Jess turns, hugging Emily tightly. Emily blinks, confused, but hugs back, running a hand along soft waves.
"I'm sorry that I'm not into it."
"It's not that big of a deal." Emily responds. "It's not."
"I know." Jess mutters. "You keep saying that but.. I-I.. I feel so bad because it's something you like and you can't even do it with me."
"It's something Mike likes." Emily preferred doing it alone.
Jess grasps Emily's shoulders, blinking back tears when her face comes in Emily's line of vision. Emily sighs, kissing the tip of Jess' nose.
"It's a compromise. We're compromising." Emily stresses. "There are things you don't like. There are things... I can live without but I still do them for you. They don't bother me."
"Am I being stupid?"
"The stupidest." Emily smiles.
Jess laughs. "I hate you, you bitch."
"You love me." Emily jokes but Jess' expression softens considerably. It makes Emily's heart rate spike, ribs trembling with each rapid, hard beat.
"I'm still your girl."
"Will you get home okay?"
Jess nods, kissing the corner of Emily's mouth. Emily cups her chin, tilting Jess' head to the side, pecking her softly. Jess smiles.
"Come by when you're done." Jess bites her lip as she says it, eyes glittering. Emily snorts and nods, kissing Jess one last time. She watches Jess leave, hips swaying with each step. Emily considers flicking a rock at her head but instead smiles, taking her phone out.
She calls Mike.
"Does this mean my invitation has been accepted?" Mike answers smoothly.
"Ugh." Emily groans. "Where are we meeting?"
"You sound mad. I ruin another date?"
"Yes, you dick." Emily snaps. "Where?"
"I'll find you. Two minutes."
Jesus. "Yeah okay." Emily spins around, heading in the opposite direction. She hangs up, arms folded across her chest and waits, feet tapping impatiently on the sidewalk.
Mike arrives a few moments later, grinning widely, a week old scruff collecting along his jaw. He's in his usual leather jacket, a white Henley worn underneath. Emily considers calling him an idiot but she just wants to get this over with and go back to Jess.
"At least she loves you." Mike comments. Emily punches him, hard. He whimpers, rubbing the affected spot with a pout.
"Smokin' pineapple, Em. Are you trying to rearrange the bones in my arm?"
"Just get it together with Matt so you don't keep bothering me with bullshit."
"I can't help that he's dense." Mike responds, walking alongside Emily on the sidewalk.
"He knows you like him." Emily tells him. "You just need to come out and say it."
"He could say it too." Mike grumbles. "Isn't this hypocritical? You haven't told Jess how you actually feel."
"You sound jealous, Munroe." Emily smiles.
"I am." Mike tells her. "I think I only got 13% of the feelings you have in general and she comes in and suddenly," Mike waves dramatically. "Jess gets 100%."
"It's different with her." Emily replies. Everything with Jess is different than anything with Mike.
"Yeah, I understand that." Mike sighs.
They trail the streets together, keeping close to shadows and one another, strolling easily through silence and street lights. Even with Jack here, hunting was still easy.
Mike finds a couple in a car, windows foggy and steamed as it rocks back and forth. Emily's insides curl in disgust, nose wrinkling at the smell of sex. Mike gestures wildly with his eyebrows, the decision is made and Emily sighs when he pries the passenger door off the vehicle.
There's screaming, half naked bodies flailing as a woman is separated from the car. Her skin cuts along the sidewalk, choking back wet sobs. Mike yanks her up by the ankle, watching in amusement as she wiggles and struggles, palms slapping the concrete.
The man is struggling with his pants, stumbling out the driver's door, head cocked back at her. He doesn't try to help, slamming into Emily in his attempt to run. Emily grasps his jaw in her hands, gripping it tightly as he struggles and panics. There's a scream lodged in his throat, she can hear in, buried underneath the beating of his heart.
Mike has the woman on the ground, hands buried in her ribs as she gurgles and coughs, body quivering. This isn't satisfying, to Emily. It's too easy. She didn't even have to use her kagune. Mike calls her a quitter. Emily rips the jaw from the man's face, smirking at Mike's jaw dropping 'oh shit, Em'.
"Freeze." A voice commands. It trembles slightly.
Emily tenses, the man in her hands crumpling to ground like dead weight when she drops him. Mike's head snaps up, mouth bloody, entrails slowly being chewed.
It's a Dove, dress suit crisp under the white coat, little experience judging by the way she holds herself but she has a briefcase, silver and shiny. Emily and Mike exchange a glance, Mike slowly rising to his feet. Emily holds up a hand. Mike stills.
"Aren't you a little late?" Emily inquires.
"I-I.." The woman glances down at the two dead bodies. Her free hand clenches tightly into a fist. Regret. She faces them, anger burning in pools of blue. Her briefcase snaps open at the flick of her wrist.
Quinque: Manufactured kagune from deceased ghouls; classification: koukaku, arm.
It reminds Emily of Chris, the crafted pointed weaving into a drill, clasping around the metal pole. It's shines bright red. The woman grasps it firmly, resolution shining in her eyes. Emily almost smiles, kagune ripping from her waist.
Mike stands to the side, a smirk on his lips as he leans against the car, ready to watch the showdown.
"You have a quinque. How many of us have you killed?" Emily inquires, settling back on two silver tentacles, two more coming move in front of her. The woman grits her teeth, standing her ground. She doesn't answer, glancing at Mike then back to Emily.
"He won't interrupt. You're mine."
"They had families. Lives. Hopes and dreams." The woman bites out, tears swelling in her eyes. "You.. Monsters don't care about anyone."
Mike yawns loudly. Emily understands his boredom, her own annoyance settling in her stomach. She could say the same about them, two sides of the same coin, just Emily's come to terms with her own monstrosity, watched it fester and simmer as she held Chris back when he was 16, watching his parents die. He doesn't know she hunted those same Doves down, tracked them for weeks until she was strong enough.
Emily was a monster and she has killed many. She will kill this woman too. Emily shoots a tentacle at the woman, her patience wearing thin. The woman blocks it, teeth grinding together. She charges forward, narrowly dodging Emily's attacks. Emily clicks her tongue, pressing her feet to the ground.
The woman lifts herself into the air, quinque poised at the ready, drill beginning to spiral as she jolts down. Emily deflects it easily, a fly being swatted out of the air. The woman sails, head cocked to the side, blood trickling out between teeth. One of Emily's tentacles snatches her ankle, yanking roughly and slamming her into the ground.
The sound of bones breaking fills the air, a high strung whimper following. Mike wanders over to where the quinque has fallen, crouching down beside it. The woman weakly reaches for it, tears streaming down her face.
"Think you broke her legs, Em." Mike comments, straightening up.
Emily waltzes up to them, kagune whipping through the air as it slowly recedes back into her body. Her skin feels like it's on fire, anger seeping through every pore. She digs her heel into the woman's spine.
"Oh shit, you're pissed." Mike gasps, taking an uneasy step back.
Emily doesn't give her the kindness of a quick death.