Who: Innana What: Going down (Monologue) Where: Outside dorms to Inanna's apartment When: Sunday December 31st - 4am (backdated) Rating: PG (Language) Status: Complete
A thin stream of blood slipped down one forearm, the bead of red rolling down where others had blazed the trail in the moments before. The combination of sweat and blood had caused her hair to tangle and mat against her head. 'You made progress.' There the messengers were again. Oh sweet friends. Eyes fluttered, an oddly dreamy smile on the hunters face as a hand reached up, pushing dirty strands of hair out of her eyes and behind an ear. The hunters chest stung, her clothing was stained crimson and were shredded in several areas. As she moved each left step was less of a walk and more of a rigid limp. After all she needed to make it back tonight, she'd promised. Beginning to hum her head slowly bobbed from one side in time with the tune, which was matching up with the bodiless voices. The soft sweet whispers of the messengers, those holy beings, that had granted her the gift of salvation. Though, she hadn't earned it... yet. 'There are more.' Obtainment of salvation would only come with one end. 'Save them.' "I will." Her voice was calm a slight hint of pleasure actually ringing through the undertones, the response was said to nothing in the dead of night, but it almost felt as though it was being proclaimed to everyone. Answering questions of unseen servants.
"The beatings will continue until morale improves." The mumbled words fell from dry and cracked lips before a short giggle was given, her smile widening. Licking over her lips Inanna could taste the blood that had dried all ready from where her lip was busted earlier 'Each one brings you closer.'. One shoulder rolled and a sharp pain shot through the other, causing her face to contort. The dorm wasn't too far ahead but it was hard to walk and pulling the heavy solid metal back door open would be a challenge right now. Inanna didn't want to leave a trail of blood through the dorm halls after all. With a reluctant sigh her head shifted off to on side, the good hand reaching, index finger extended and then was dragged over her heart in a 'X' formation. A warm sensation tingled through her body for a moment, causing a low throaty noise. The swelled joints in her hand began to return to normal and pulling her belt out, she bit down on it before reaching over to the dislocated shoulder and popping it back into place with a low out cry of pain, muffled by the leather belt in her mouth. Pulling the belt out of her mouth, she slipped it over the opposing shoulder, letting the belt cross over her body like a messenger bag. With the limb back in place it quickly began to fix it self and another low, unstable fit of giggling fell from her lips this one lasting longer than the first. It was unfortunate that the pain was leaving. Each wound, bruise and strained muscle was a reward for work well done and dismissing the injuries were like hiding medals of honor. Luckily she could still claim the scars.
The hunter had forgotten how good the stinging cold of the early morning air felt against hot and batter flesh, the thrill of the hunt, the rush of redeeming. Eyes closed for a moment savoring each sensation of pain and knowing exactly what it meant. It meant she was doing her job. Earning her forgiveness. 'South Walpole' A voice whispered, hissed slightly even. She wasn't done yet. Though... She'd need to restock her equipment first. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she'd go. It wasn't for lack of desire that she'd put it off though. She'd go, after her promise. Even if it wasn't spoken, a promise was still a promise. This was an understanding between two souls.
The tourniquet around her left upper thigh was wet. The freezing night air had caused it to stiffen, the blood soaked cloth crystalizing on her leg. A hand reached down, brushing over the material, the same detached smile clinging to her lips as she began to hum again, an eerily cheery tune now. The clock wasn't as loud in times like this.
Each staggered step brought her closer to the back entrance of the dorms. Fingers slipped into one of the belt pouches that hung across her body retrieving a mostly full pack of cigarettes and the lighter stuffed inside of the pack. Pulling a cancer stick and the lighter out she pushed it between her lips before lighting and sucking in a lungful of smoke. Stuffing the lighter back inside the pack it was replaced in the belt compartment and fingers removed the butt from her mouth. The walk felt like an eternity but finally making it to the back of the building Inanna turned, leaning against the building with a exhalation of smoke and a noise of relief. Putting back against the wall she was able to redistribute the weight on her injured leg against the wall of the building.
Eyes drifted closed. She was so very tired. The smile remained however as the butt was brought up to her lips again, a long drag being taken into her lungs. Holding it for a second, her hand fell away, bouncing lightly against the wall behind her as the smoke was blown into the below freezing night air. The cold struck her to the bone, but it didn't matter. She'd saved a soul tonight. Brought another back to the side of light. Understood their pain and misery and took it upon her self to save them. Every one of them allowed her to be one step closer to her own salvation. Maybe.... maybe in her next life she could have all the things she couldn't now. Day by day she proved her self. With all these days the hunter was sure that there must be much for her to atone for. It was a miraculous chance. And to think she'd earned the nick name 'saviour' for her powers... The messengers, they were the saviors, they were hers. The crooked smile crawled up one side of her mouth with eyes opening and suddenly her entire body felt like it weighed five times more than it had just a moment ago. With lashes drifting shut again she raised the cigarette pulling from it before flicking it away into a near by snow bank.
Sighing eyes drifted up to the stars. "I'll get there." The words were said to no one, but somehow, Inanna knew that there was something listening. If anyone had asked, she would have never been able to explain but she just... knew. Turning she retrieved the key from a pouch, her hands shaking due to the cold made it hard to unlock the back door and pulling it open felt near impossible but somehow... somehow she managed it. The five stairs separating the entrance into the building from her apartment door caused pain to spike and shoot through her entire body. They felt a near impossible task yet each one, in its own time, was slowly conquered. Finally in front of her own door the keys were rummaged for again, unlocking the door and pushing it open mindlessly she stepped into the apartment. Elbowing the door closed behind her an almost zombie like shuffle was begun towards the bedroom but five steps in it was quite clear she was incapable of making it. A quick redirection allowed her body to collapse onto the living room couch, gear pressing into her all ready wounded body caused a low out cry of pain, muffled merely by her own utter exhaustion.
Lids drifted shut as negligent hands struggled to function in pulling gear away from her body. If she could just sleep... Maybe... for an hour or two. Shifting she managed to strip away the belt and armpit holsters before falling back against the couch again. "Sod it." Inanna's words were slurred by the heavy fatigue. The leg holster, boots, knives and whatever else she was forgetting she had taken with her could come off in the morning.
Muscles relaxed slowly against the couch and how desperately cold it was in here sank into Inanna's bones. There was no strength left to change the conditions as the hunters body began to shut down and her mind drifted into the darkness of sleep.