Post by toestix on Oct 27, 2005 18:09:01 GMT -5
So bored while waiting for the next Gantz chapter so here is a side story involving my character and her attempt to tell someone about Gantz. I hope that is an amusing play on gender roles and assumptions.
The Clue
He sighed with relief when he saw that she had kept their appointment. She was sitting at a window table with a view of the bay. She was half-turned, eyes staring at the sea, a melancholy look on her face. Golden afternoon light spilled through the panes of glass and lit her dark hair with an auburn glow. Simply beautiful, she took his breath away.
He quickly walked up to the table and said, “Sorry, I’m late. A three-car accident delayed the end of my shift.” and slid into the opposite seat.
She turned to him to look at him with eyes the color melted chocolate and smiled. “I ordered a salad for you.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She’d lost weight. Her collarbones were jutting clefts exposed in the plains of her pale flesh. An ugly bruise on her left cheek, yellow-green, marred her stunning features. Her haggard features carried an air of vulnerability so unlike the woman he knew and loved.
A well of emotion rose up inside of him, “Who’s the bastard? I’ll kill him!” he said, his voice choking with anger.
“Who?” replied his lunch date.
He angrily gestured with his hand, “The person who gave you that shiner. The person who caused you to quit your job, take up marital arts and guns training and god knows what else. The one who you’re afraid of and who’s got you running. Tell me. I’ll protect you.”
“Oh, and who says I need your protection?” came the cutting reply. A familiar edge crept into her voice. She always reacted adversely when it was implied that because of her femininity, she was weak. Or that she needed anyone’s help, his help especially.
He softened his tone. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.” He used his eyes to plead with her, to convey to her that he was only worried about her.
For a moment, there was silence and an immeasurable gulf stretched between them Finally, she sighed and switched to Chinese, their native tongue. “Yes, you are right. It is a man.”
“Who?”
She paused, as if carefully considering her words before speaking. “A very powerful one. In Tokyo.”
"In Japan? How can he do anything to you when you’re in San Francisco?”
She shook her head. “He has a hold over me. He calls and I am helpless to resist. I go to him whether I want to or not.”
He was deeply shocked. He did not expect such a casual admittance of complete surrender. This fierce woman who even as a child, had a uncanny strong sense of self. The idea was hard to fathom but the evidence proved otherwise. His loved one had somehow fallen under the spell of a monster with the power to cow a woman with such confidence and pride.
She continued. “Remember when I went to Tokyo on that business trip and almost died? The fact is: I did die. He saved me and gave me a second chance at life.”
It was worse than he thought.“It’s a damn cult, isn’t it? Aum Shinrikyo or whatever.”
“I can help you leave,” he said with conviction.
She smiled at him sadly with a resigned look on her face but said nothing. Instead, she slipped him a piece of paper. “Read this after I leave,” she said cryptically. She stood up and walked out of his life.
Puzzled, he opened the piece of paper and saw a large circle within which was written in English:
My life closed once before its close;
It yet remains to see
A magic ball so do unveil
Another game afoot to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that so befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
UNXS VPXOM OY UNXS IF
The Clue
He sighed with relief when he saw that she had kept their appointment. She was sitting at a window table with a view of the bay. She was half-turned, eyes staring at the sea, a melancholy look on her face. Golden afternoon light spilled through the panes of glass and lit her dark hair with an auburn glow. Simply beautiful, she took his breath away.
He quickly walked up to the table and said, “Sorry, I’m late. A three-car accident delayed the end of my shift.” and slid into the opposite seat.
She turned to him to look at him with eyes the color melted chocolate and smiled. “I ordered a salad for you.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She’d lost weight. Her collarbones were jutting clefts exposed in the plains of her pale flesh. An ugly bruise on her left cheek, yellow-green, marred her stunning features. Her haggard features carried an air of vulnerability so unlike the woman he knew and loved.
A well of emotion rose up inside of him, “Who’s the bastard? I’ll kill him!” he said, his voice choking with anger.
“Who?” replied his lunch date.
He angrily gestured with his hand, “The person who gave you that shiner. The person who caused you to quit your job, take up marital arts and guns training and god knows what else. The one who you’re afraid of and who’s got you running. Tell me. I’ll protect you.”
“Oh, and who says I need your protection?” came the cutting reply. A familiar edge crept into her voice. She always reacted adversely when it was implied that because of her femininity, she was weak. Or that she needed anyone’s help, his help especially.
He softened his tone. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.” He used his eyes to plead with her, to convey to her that he was only worried about her.
For a moment, there was silence and an immeasurable gulf stretched between them Finally, she sighed and switched to Chinese, their native tongue. “Yes, you are right. It is a man.”
“Who?”
She paused, as if carefully considering her words before speaking. “A very powerful one. In Tokyo.”
"In Japan? How can he do anything to you when you’re in San Francisco?”
She shook her head. “He has a hold over me. He calls and I am helpless to resist. I go to him whether I want to or not.”
He was deeply shocked. He did not expect such a casual admittance of complete surrender. This fierce woman who even as a child, had a uncanny strong sense of self. The idea was hard to fathom but the evidence proved otherwise. His loved one had somehow fallen under the spell of a monster with the power to cow a woman with such confidence and pride.
She continued. “Remember when I went to Tokyo on that business trip and almost died? The fact is: I did die. He saved me and gave me a second chance at life.”
It was worse than he thought.“It’s a damn cult, isn’t it? Aum Shinrikyo or whatever.”
“I can help you leave,” he said with conviction.
She smiled at him sadly with a resigned look on her face but said nothing. Instead, she slipped him a piece of paper. “Read this after I leave,” she said cryptically. She stood up and walked out of his life.
Puzzled, he opened the piece of paper and saw a large circle within which was written in English:
My life closed once before its close;
It yet remains to see
A magic ball so do unveil
Another game afoot to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that so befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
UNXS VPXOM OY UNXS IF