Sins of the Daughter [Mizu & Squish]

[Deleted]

SPOILER: Click to show

*Jades' text colors were usually a dual combination of red and blue but for the sake of convenience and the grader's sanity, I've decided to keep Jades at only one color.

It was pitch black and the shadows crept around her. Not the slightest whisper was heard. Not the slightest shiver ran down her smooth pale skin. There was naught to be seen, heard, felt or beyond. Only the bitter loneliness comforted her. That sweet, dark, blistering void. It consumed her.  It needed her. It was desperate to keep her there. But she had had enough. It had been too long. She wanted the light. She needed it...Jades opened her eyes to the scene of a casino's commotion. What now?....

Her head remained frozen on the cold wooden counter, nearly lifeless as she kept it there. The only thing different from the position before was that she had simply turned her neck so the clamoring was now within her view. Now she could see with her two brilliantly bright blue eyes the rotated image of a mild disturbance at the entrance of the bar. ...The drunks have arrived.. Fantastic. Soon enough, the ruckus grew into an uproar as patrons near the troublesome party began drowning out the noise with their own obnoxiously loud complaints. And as if on cue, a handful of men clad in black suits and ties stoically ran out of a nearby door. Oh look, the cavalry has arrived. If one were to have looked at the girl's face they would be bound to see her rolling eyes at the foolish spectacle of violence. She would not have to watch a single second of how the matter would be handled by the casino's staff. As she had learned several years before, the casinos of Amino, nay the entire island itself was a cesspool of corruption and chaos. Men fought men, killers killed other killers. This conflict would be no different. 

Additionally for her, the memory of the event years prior reminded the lass of further problems in the story that succeeded it. Currently, words such as 'Blue Moon', 'Maelstroms', 'Don Ex', and 'Armo' only rang sharply in the blonde buxom's head. They were names but for who and what, she had not the slightest idea. Actually, one of them did. That name, Maelstrom...Maelstrom.  Before, the lady had kept her cheek firmly plastered onto the surface of the bar's countertop but at the moment the name persisted in her mind, she couldn't help but snap back upright. "God, I need a drink!" A few customers in the immediate vicinity jumped back at the sudden awakening of this red and black stranger. Another few beside her awkwardly continued to sip on while keeping their neighbor in the sides of their vision. They had no idea the threat that sat next to them. But the girl knew well enough how incredibly dangerous her presence could be for a civilian population had it not been for her revamped appearance. Why earlier on in the evening, she had passed a wall of bounty posters on the way to the bar and came across a most peculiar one. It was worth a mere 31,000,000 but for a Blues pirate mildly impressive. Only mildly. However, even with the modified pirate standing next to the poster, hardly any heads turned to make the comparison. It seems as though the disguise continued to work and she was glad to have kept it that way. A bartender nervously arrived with an order of alcohol for the lady. With a solid grip on the glass, the girl rose it in solitude, "Cheers to loneliness."

At that moment, as she sat upon her wooden stool drunk with delusional pride on the topic of deception, a somewhat enormous man took the seat next to hers. Half-heartedly looking up at the man, she reacted with nothing more than a whistle. From the way he was dressed, the times couldn't have gotten any harder for him. A torn faded green scarf hung over his heaping pile of a neck as folds of fabric wrapped tightly around his chest. Several deep scars could be made out on the side of his face but only the side as he kept it facing away from the curious pirate. The stranger sure didn't want his appearance investigated as hard as this. He looked slightly rugged, but one thing was for certain: that black patch over his eye wasn't for show. "Sucks to suck huh?" Not a whisper. A scrunched up grimace ran across her face. Well, fine then...asshole. Another swig of the bottle and a twist of the stool and she was facing directly away from the stranger. After a gulp of ice cold fire running down her throat, she exhaled with a deep sigh.

As strange as it sounded, the Entertainment Island was not so entertaining. Amino was famous primarily for its casinos but gambling was not exactly the sort of thrill this maiden of mayhem was searching for. As a matter of fact, it was not even a thrill that the miss required. Just simply a task to complete to take her mind off of the recent memories plaguing her for the past couple of days. Each second thinking of all the horrors were a living nightmare in broad daylight. Though, with the sun now approaching the horizon, that couldn't be said. 

Those bright blue eyes once again scanned the vicinity for anything to do. Roulette tables? Get out of here. A drinking contest? As great as getting drunk was for her, now was not the time. A napkin?.....
Yes. What, no. Yes. Definitely yes. None of the asinine antics that these buffoons performed were what could sooth the inner pain she endured. Alcohol would not heal her mind's wounds and neither would frivolously wasting away her money. But perhaps a hard dose of reflection on not the recent past but her entire history could provide a solution on how to propel herself out of this mental obstacle. With a raised finger she asked the nearest bartender for a pen and retrieved a pile of napkins. 

Now...What do i title this thing?...Hm, I guess just straightforward. Not really sure if I wanna be joking about this... She placed the pen at the center of the top on the napkin's surface. With slightly shaky handwriting, the girl wrote in her first words, "The Diary of Jades."

[Mizuzuzu]

SPOILER: Click to show

Habit = #800000
Creed = #702963

The dim, orangish sun shone almost lazily in the sky, it would usually offer many the false sense of security that nothing could harm them. Unfortunately, that seemed unlikely with in the corrupted island known as Amino and it's more so corrupted city, Serine.. While the sun was a nice feel on the skin, the humidity was not. No birds flew in the sky, not a cloud in sight, and the weather felt exceedingly warm. Barely any winds could be heard, let alone felt. This did not bode well with a certain, avenging pirate crew.

Just beyond the north harbor, barely seeable, a rather large ship could be seen nearing the island. It was normal looking, but it seemed quite aged. Aboard that ship, was none other than the Starcross Pirates and their tough-as-nails captain, Creed Fears. The crew mates could be seen lazing about the front deck, some playing a round of cards, others laying around. The atmosphere was quiet, yet tense. Their search for the ever running minx known as Jades was proving difficult. Three days, and no sign of her. With a bounty all over the North Blues, it'd be a miracle to find her. The crew was beginning to feel restless while their captain stayed cool as a cucumber.

The tense silence was soon broken as a large, burly man lumbered onto the front deck, emerging from the side kitchen. His face was set into a scowl, beady eyes glaring at the lazing crew members. At the sight of the First Mate, however, many scrambled up to at least attempt to look busy. Unfortunately, it seemed one man didn't notice Habit's nearing form. He sat back against the railing, black hat pulled over his eyes, seeming to be dozing. To Habit's small eyes and simpleton mind, he thought the man was purposefully ignoring him and felt offended. Striding his way towards the smaller and thinner man, anyone could see his boiling rage, tiny eyes bulging. The giant reached out a large, meaty hand and griped the other by the front of his shirt. Startled, the small man struggled shortly, until he caught sight of who held him captive and froze.

"What do you think you're doing!? You all should be on the look out for the island!"

As he spoke, Habit shook the man back and forth. Said man trembled in fear, knowing that he should pick his words carefully, for the smallest mistake could be fatal. Ever since the captain was killed, things were just never the same. It just got worse. However, now was not the time to dwindle on such thoughts. If he didn't act fast to save his bottom, the pirate was sure his brain would come out of his ears. Quickly, he stuttered out a reply, eyes darting around for the help that won't be offered. "I....I...island!", just as he was sure he would pass out from a lack of oxygen, he spotted his 'savior'. Amino island, almost seeming to shine in a 'holy' light, could be seen as clear as day. Someone went to call the captain, nearly falling over their feet going up the steps, while others began to getting ready to set the anchor. Habit, undisturbed by the commotion, turned his body toward the land, dropping the thin man like a sack of flower.

"Creed!"

A set of foot steps could be heard coming in the giant's direction, steady and strong. The stoic woman walked past Habit, stopping at just a few feet before him. Beady eyes shifted from the island to instead gaze at the back of his new captain.

"Creed, do we have the money for the supplies?"

"Of course we do. It's just a pitstop."

"Right, everyone! Stock up on food and.....stuff! "

Habit clapped his large hands, moving around to order the others. For now they were going to stock up on supplies. Unfortunately, with a giant on the ship, it wasn't easily maintaining a steady flow. But once everything was done, they would be back to tracking Venus Jades. Once they found this woman, there was no holding back. Their 'old friend' will pay for what she did to their captain. Turning her slim body sideways, she looked at the other crew mates directly to her right, eyes stone cold. "Set the anchor, get ready to board the island. Now.". Turning to the left, she ordered them to do a light search of the town. The crew mates nodded vigorously, running off to do what they were told. As they ran away, one crew mate turned towards the one captive man. "Stevenson, are you alright?", Stevenson nodded, not looking towards the other, fatter man. Hildar reached out a hand towards Stevenson, but the thin man flinched away. Habit stalked past them, hefting the anchor onto the sandy ground with a thud. This should be over easily.

[Deleted]

SPOILER: Click to show

Percival = Royal Blue

Stroke after stroke, she wrote in each ink letter with clumsiness and fervent haste. For every black drop embedded into the fabric stationary, an ounce of Jades' own soul and history was poured across the pages. From writing about her first kill at Pirate's Market to the group of henchmen at the Blue Moon Casino, she divided no attention to her surroundings but rather focused entirely on the passionate task at hand. This was her life and no other thing in the world mattered at the slightest to her. For while drinks were being spilled and served all around the harlequin, a stream of thoughts and memories flowed from Jades' mind to the paper. Yet, these words were not merely projections of a haunted mind but the manifestation of raw emotion serving behind the scenes of a pirate whose inquisitive mind sought out for an answer to the pain inside. By bringing up the past and confronting herself with the hurt she felt years ago, Jades' face could not lie to save itself. Every letter, every syllable, every word, every phrase she put down invoked a minor twitch of the eye, a frantic curl of the lips and a desperate shutting of eyes still moist from leaking agony.

The neighbors around her nervously shifted at this depressing sorry sight of a woman. They arrived seeking for entertainment and not to be met by a groveling young dame drowning in her sorrow and beers. Muffled steps across the red smooth carpet echoed further and further away. The mad minx frantically turned her head on the lookout for strangers passing by. No one could read these. No one. These pages were troublesome enough to write, she didn't need any intruder reading her deepest darkest secrets.

Sifting through memory after memory, she tried to maintain her level of focus on what to write. What else was left to unload? What other burden could she hope to release from her mind? The literary lunatic sighed with mild distress. I'll just mumble on then... After finishing up her current napkin, Jades reached out for another from the pile when she felt the sudden warmth of someone behind her. A look at her outreached shadow clad hand and it was apparent who was responsible for this brooding, looming atmosphere. Slowly, she turned. What the hell?...

---

Days. Weeks. Months. Years. It all felt like a blur to be honest. The past seven hundred and so days all led up to this moment. This grand moment for which he had survived all this time. However long it had taken him, his goal was just in hand sitting next to him in a frazzled mess of emotion, frantically active in some writing tantrum.. He couldn't mess it up now. Not now. Not after all these years of struggle and searching. Miles of ocean Percival Mason covered thrice over and here she was. I've found you...I've finally found you, Jades...

It felt strange for the green scarfed man to be seated merely a few feet aside from the ghastly blonde pirate and feel so far away. Why just a few minutes ago as he chose to sit at this very spot, he never would have imagined that Venus 'Celestial' Jades was the obnoxious wench ordering a drink. Before the revelation dawned upon him, Percival's very first thoughts were doubt. But a peek back at the bounty poster he kept hidden in his pocket said otherwise. Her hair had changed along with the rest of her wardrobe. And that smile, no, her whole aura of chaos present in the bounty were absent in all means. Yet even after all these conditions, one thing was for certain. ...She looks just like Rhea did over twenty years ago...The stranger motioned for a tall order to the waiter a few meters down the counter. As his beverage was being prepared, he stole a glance over at Jades. Her silky blonde hair, her dark red lips, even the very same style and taste in fashion Mason was familiar with in the woman he regarded as his sister over two decades ago. Jades was in fact the spitting image of her mother with the character of her rowdy father. Hehehe. She's a loud little brat isn't she?...What else would I expect from Turner's daughter...Yet it stuns me... 

For a good ten minutes at least, the pair interacted not a single time because while Jades continued to write, Percival could only watch. Silently and subtly, he observed her from afar and up close. Even with his right eye gone, he could make out the lettering in her tiny near unreadable chickenscratch. However, legibility issue aside, as Percival continued reading each and every page his heart sank. The trauma his beloved friend's daughter had gone through to rob her of such a sinister smile must have been unbearable for such an inexperienced youngling. And only upon seeing the pain inside her, deeply inside her, did he truly regret the time he wasted. Oh Jades...I'm so sorry. Why couldn't I have been there for you?...Damn it. Damn it all! Mason's fist clenched tightly around a bright red palm soon moistened by droplets from a single eye. The losses he suffered his whole life and the agony he endured in that most horrible of seas were immediately discounted at the thought of how broken his goddaughter was. Well no more. Enough of this.

Percival rose up from his seat still unable to pull the invested inscriber away from her dutiful crafting. But enough was enough. He had to do this. I wanted to wait before talking...I wanted to understand you from afar. But you need me more than I could have ever imagined...

He took the first step behind her, hoping to grab her attention. Luckily, it seemed that she had run out of substance to write about. And as she reached out for the next page of the Diary, Jades' form was shrouded by Percival's shadow at it reigned across the wooden countertop...

"...Wh-Who?...Wh-What? What do you want, asshole?" 

"...You've gone through a lot haven't you?....Jades."

---

Her eyes opened up in shock and anxiety. A cold sweat ran across the white faced harlot. Chills teemed across the surface of her skin and seized her fear. H-How!? HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW WHO I AM!? 

[Deleted]

The silence between the two was unbearable. The gap between their emotional states were galaxies apart. They were at this moment, complete opposites. One felt bitter, xenophobic sentiment and the other felt nothing but sorrowful, fatherly love. The young woman sat down in fear as the old man loomed over her. Who could have imagined their destinies would lead to this moment of unfamiliarity and despair? Who would have thought such a fateful meeting to happen in the sleazy bars of a corrupted Casino chain? He could never have perceived this moment yet here as he stood was the darling child his honor had claimed long ago. Now was the time for her to come aware of these facts. "Venus Jades, lone daughter of Venus Turner and Rhea Lovegood, I've been searching for you longer than you can believe..." He paused just to let this revelation soak in. It wasn't a daily occurrence for one to learn a stranger has been on the chase for oneself. 

"...No...No, you're right...I don't believe you. How could you know who I am? I killed my mother...and I left my father to die as well...How could you know about me?..." Every hesitant halt in her words was simply Jades shaking her head in denial and forcing the words out of her mind. This man knew not one but both of her parents? How could it be? She knew nothing of her parents' lives before their residence on Harquin Island but was doubtful that they would have been associated with a man like this in the past. She simply refused to believe this man, it made no sense. She didn't want it to make sense. Deep down inside, Jades believed there was no one left in her life and was comforted in this fabricated reality. She was comfortable in being able to decide what was and what wasn't in her life. It felt good to manipulate one's own reality and it gave her a sense of security and control when in fact she was highly weak and hopeless. Altering the truth was the only way she felt sure of herself and this stranger was not helping. Jades kept her face in a fixed state of anger and hatred. 

"Of course, I didn't expect you to accept me right away. After all, you're stubborn and selfish aren't you?" A chord of surprise rang in the harlequin's head. What had he just called her? Stubborn? Selfish? Her? Impossible. He says he's been looking for me...has it all been to just insult me? Forget this guy. Her eyes merely shined of abhorrence, its dark nature reflecting off the bright hues of this man's one eye. As interesting a story this could lead to, she saw no need in inquiring a man who tarnished her integrity of any fun stories to tell. This fool had only diminished whatever shred of curiosity she had of his origins. Perhaps now was the time to depar- "I knew your mother well, Jades."

"..." She simply sat there. Her eyes met his and stared into the harsh abyss of history that flooded this otherwise milky globe. Mother...Her mother? Jades didn't wish to show it and so brought her head down on an outstretched hand as if to show boredom or a lack of interest by that statement. Her fingers covered over her eye and subtly slid across to wipe away the droplet of moisture that betrayed this nonchalant posture. "Heh..my mother? What do you know about my mother?" The pale faced interrogator's voice slightly cracked towards the end of her question. Percival merely stared back at his godchild and knew well enough what she was playing at. Though it pained him to force it, he would have to break her. If there was any method to clarify his role in her life it would be to expose to her the harsh truth of her late parents. However, the difficulty in this task will be the mutual sadness that he'd share in this experience with Jades. Whatever the case may be, Percival could not hold back from unveiling this veneer of lies that the masked maiden had built. There would be no mercy.

"I know the truth is she died giving birth to you..." The visible shock on her face only pained him even more to remember the very same suffering he felt the day of this discovery. "I wonder...do you blame yourself for her death?" Mason knew well enough with the turmoil she was in that pushing this sensitive topic may be a move in bad taste had it not been for these circumstances. He had to break open the tough shell in which Jades kept herself locked away. This childish game of petrifying one's heart to prevent further damage had to cease; he had to kill the girl and let the woman be born. A moment of brief silence followed his question until a stuttering response rose up from her throat. "Sh-shut up..." This was it.

"What about your father?...Do you blame yourself for that as well?" To be frank, not even Percival knew his old friend had died due to his whole time searching for Jades being based in the North Blue. This was an honest inquiry that he desperately wanted answered but also intended for it to rouse up Jades' emotions. "I t-told you...to sh-shut up..." At the edge of Jades' palm, the most minuscule pearl of despair dropped onto the ink riddled napkins below. By this point, her hand no longer veiled just the side of her face but began to shield virtually all of her grief stricken visage. "Your bounty suggested there was some strength to be had of you...I can see the Navy was wrong about you." Unlike before, he was not met with a demand to silence himself but a muffled sniffling coming from the fleshy palm of Jades' hand. Mason was close, he needed one more push to get things started. The question was what subject could he interrogate her about. A glance at her attire and Mason only just noticed something that struck out from the original look her poster had portrayed. "Speaking of your bounty, why the sudden wardrobe change? Did you decide to cover up that shameless body or were you just in the mood for a natural blon-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

He was taken aback by this sudden outburst. Before her cries were on the edge of a soft whimpering whisper but just now Jades' voice exclaimed in an explosion of rage. This was not the crying reaction he had expected from these forceful queries. Did I touch a nerve that I shouldn't have...? The man could only imagine what exactly his statement had triggered within the fragile psyche of this heated harlot.

---

Habit and his men had scoured however many city blocks they were forced to search through. These preposterous demands by his Captain were beginning to tick him off to the point of revolution. Twas ironic that he felt these feelings for the woman who had done exactly that to take his position as the crew's previous commander. "First that clown bitch kills our Captain..then I have to lose that title to Creed. What a generous life have I been given?" He shouted in anger around his crew mates, all sympathetic toward his cause. The majority of the pirates had never enjoyed their current Captain as much as they respected Habit. As much of a dolt as he was, he had true loyalty and mutual respect for his crew unlike the authoritarian Creed Fears. Some could testify that they looked up to him even more once the burden of leadership passed onto him. Speaking of which, the murder of their previous Captain, a crime executed by the dastardly Venus Jades, was something none of them could ever forgive or forget. That was after all why Habit continued to lead his crew. Venus Jades had to die. His steps directed the rest of the men toward a culmination of bright lights and clashing slots. "Let's try our luck here, eh men? The giant brute was met with somewhat jovial responses by his crew mates.

As they walked in, the group was greeted by the presence of several bouncers, all the same height of the already towering Habit. Fortunately for these men, Amino was not exactly unfamiliar territory and these men in black recognized their valuable customers. "Welcome back, Sir Habit!" The bedlam of gambling rang through the air as thousands tested their fortune in front of deceitful screens.  Everywhere he looked, Habit saw nothing but fools who believed they were capable of drawing favor from steel behemoths designed to rob guests of every cent. "Pathetic. Slots are an amateur's wet dream. Real men test the stakes at the table; that shit takes real skill." He scoffed at the latest loser who cried out with empty pockets and moistened suits. Another one bit the dust. Habit walked around the casino, curious of how he could waste time before heading back to Creed. Though he wished to search for Jades, their trips all around the North Blue were unfruitful for longer than he could remember. It could have been over half a decade since he set out to look for the brat. It was only her bounty that offered the crew a clue as to where she lay hidden. "Whattaya say we all round up on some hold 'em? I'm pretty crafty even with these giant fin-"

"SHUT UP!!!!!"

"-gers....." Habit paused with extreme caution. His mile-wide eyes along with his head rotated in the direction of this sudden uproar. At first, there was an inkling of doubt clouding his mind. This couldn't possibly be happening, he thought. Slowly he reached into the folds of his jacket, trembling with anxiety, and brought out the crumpled parchment that detailed in solid black letters and a colorful photograph.: VENUS JADES: 31,000,000. As his eyes fixed on the weeping woman several meters ahead, his hand brought over the poster for comparison. Only a few seconds passed but the minuscule organ inside his skull processed it all. Of all the days and all the places on this great planet, this casino of Amino Island delivered what he had been searching for years. "It's her...VENUS JADES!!" Habit unsheathed the mighty saber kept at his belt and cocked the flintlock pistol kept at his chest. "BITCH! REMEMBER US!?" The giant and his men sprinted toward the oblivious mistress.

---

Who is this guy? Why does he keep asking me these stupid questions?! I'm a crazy murderer! I killed my mother! And my dad would've died anyway! It's not my fault! Stop asking me these questions! Just stop! A storm of turmoil brewed in the haunted heart of this hopeless harlequin. Jades tried to conceal the raw emotion spilling out of her icy blue eyes. But it seemed no matter what she forced herself to believe, all the pain that she never knew dwelled inside of her had been violently dragged out. Her chest burned, her throat tightened, even the muscles supporting her leaking visage convulsed spontaneously. This once proud dame was reduced to nothing in a matter of minutes with nothing but words alone. She looked up at the monster who had forced her into this mess. "Kill yourself..." A typical phrase from the belligerent blonde, consistent even when flooded in tears.

Mason looked below, concerned that his pushing may have gone over the line. For all he knew, she could have experienced nightmarish things in recent times that were triggered when he mentioned her attire change. Why didn't I stop? Now she holds nothing but hatred for me...Is there any way I can turn this around?...Maybe. Just Mayb- 

"BITCH! REMEMBER US?!"

Jades and Mason both faced to see the source of this commotion only to find a party of pirates surrounding their tiny bar space. The man in green could only stare menacingly at this unexpected threat. He observed the bared steel arms each man possessed and was duly aware of their overwhelming numbers. In the limited capacity they were boxed into, Mason was sure a decisive attack could lead to at least one of them dead, and he wasn't betting it'd be him. "Who the hell are you and what business do you have with us?" Just a single glare of Percival's piercing pupil sent a couple men back up a step but left Habit unaffected. "Business with you? Hah! You must be mistaken, old man." David slowly rose the tip of his blade toward the girl in red. "We've been looking for you, bitch. It's been a long time coming, eh?" Percival reached for a wooden shaft beside him.

"Wh-who? I don't?...What is going on?!" Her speech started off slow and nervous and only ended in an abrupt exclamation, followed by the slamming of her hands on the hard wooden countertop. Casino guests nearby were beginning to crowd around cautiously around this congregation of strangers. Jades was really starting to lose it now. First, some one eyed freak shows up out of nowhere, claiming he had been searching for her for years and then bombards her with questions to the point of insanity. And then another man appears out of nowhere claiming the exact same ridiculous claim this freak explained prior. What was happening that all these men of her unknown past were emerging from the shadows and beginning to flood her fragile psyche? They came and filled her head with overwhelming knowledge of a world beyond the one she created for herself. Jades would be losing it if she ever had it in the first place...."Whatever issue you have with her can wait after we dealt with some personal business."

A titanic rod of lumber, stiff and strong, tipped with a razor sharp leaf reflected the casino lights over her eyes. These people are crazy...I gotta get outta here...I need to leave! I NEED TO GET AWAY! Jades eyed the gathering crowd around this tense spectacle. Very few spaces popped out and none of them were wide enough for her to vanish into with this crew of maniacs chasing her. Now was the time to begin panicking. THINK JADES. THINK YOU DUMB BRAIN DEAD BLONDE. THIIIIIIIINK!!! Droplets of fear streaked down the leather stool she sat on, even landing on the smooth surface of her jacket and rolling onto the carpet below. Her eyes dashed from one side to another, searching and searching fervently for any chance to leave this nightmare. She simply had to leave, she thought. Any longer and her brain would melt from the amount of madness these men were spouting. Suddenly, "Personal business?...You have no idea, ya geezer...Five years ago, that bitch killed our Captain in cold blood."

Her pale frame froze in place. A pair of ghastly blue hues dragged their vision to the ink scratched napkins on the counter below.

Killed our Captain...

No... 

Killed our Captain...

No...

Killed our Captain...

"....NOOOOOOO!"

Percival and Habit jumped up at Jades' screaming surprise because for nearly the entire time she sat, naught a shriek left her sealed lips. Now pumped with adrenaline from that startling shout, Habit moved forward with his revenge. He bolted with ardor, his feet leaving the ground several meters from where she stood until they locked in place a mere arm's length away. "...This is none of your business, stranger." Percival looked eye to with the assailant attempting to murder his beloved goddaughter. "The day you touch her is the day you lose that hand..." Their blades rang sharply and echoed through the casino bar. Screams from the civilian crowd outside signaled the departure of guests and the beginning of a battle. The rest of Habit's men rushed in with haste and prodded the warrior persistently, their swords only being met with the blunt side of a spear twice their size. A great struggle it was for the one eyed fighter to combat against multiple opponents without support. He turned to Jades when his heart dropped in fear. Without warning, a slash made its way through Mason's guard and pierced the man's rib. A pained grunt followed suit but only one thought persisted in his mind, Jades! Where did you go!? Another wipe of metal came swinging at him.

---

The mentally unstable mess that was Venus Jades lifelessly walked out the casino doors. Children cried and their mothers took their dainty bodies away from the havoc. Al that could be heard was the chaotic clamoring from within the gambling establishment. She wished to partake in none of it. She had had enough. Her mother, her father, her past. It was all too much. "Why does the past keep haunting me? Why?..Why, oh why?..." Her dead steps made their way to the docks. Her dead fingers unwrapped a tightened noose around a wood stump. "Just let me forget...just let me live alone without a care in the world...Take me back to a simple place..." Her body fell limp in the small wooden vessel as her lethargic hands barely shuffled against the sea. Inevitably, the current did its work and a boat for the dead sailed toward the horizon. The gold crowned ghost lie sunken in her sorrow as a scene of mayhem immersed in flames and death played behind her.