1x1 discussion

Xath opened his eyes and punched him in the face, knocking him out. Then he turned to the other to punch him, too.

They both fell onto the ground, passed out. Suddenly, there were footsteps running towards him. Out came Marionette who quickly wrapped her arms around him, "Xath! You're okay thank god!"

Xath looked at her, shaking his hands, which were going to bruise. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. He pulled away and looked her over, "are you okay?" He asked hurriedly. "Come on, we're leaving," he said and and only leaned down to the attackers to grab his gun from them. He put it in the back of his pants before grabbing her hand.

She grabbed his hand quickly, but paused. "Wait... I need to do something. They'll be able to find us again if I don't destroy something." She said worriedly and tugged his arm back. "Come on."

He nodded and quickly followed but he didn't know what she meant.

She ran with him in tow and paused at a couple of cells. Her brow creased for a second before she started to turn left and right. "I think it's that way." She said pointing to the right.

"What're we looking for? I can help you find it," he said, rushing after her.

"It's alright I know exactly—" There was a sound of a gunshot and a bullet soared through her head. She quickly dropped to the ground. The person with the gun was wearing a cloak. It was Mari. "They are gathering more people. Even I didn't know they decided to include magic in the battle." She said and took off the hood. She was bruised and cut, her hair in knots. Unlike the Mari before, which looked uninjured. "Sorry, if that scared you. I'm alright."

Xathenial ducked and started to pull her down and gasped, falling back when he saw the gun shot. He looked up at the cloaked person, "what the fuck?" He asked, quickly rushing over to the Mari with the gun shot in her head. "Who are you?!" He snapped, grabbing his gun.

She shoved the dead Mari aside with her foot. "Xath, it's not me. A girl was able to use magic to look like me." She grabbed Xath's hand and helped him up. She grabbed a cloak and tossed it to him. "Put it on. We need to get out of here."

"How am I supposed to know it's really you?" He asked, his hand on his gun but he didn't pull it out. He caught the cloak with one hand.

"Because I wouldn't have ran back in. No matter what. It would mean getting you hurt and I never want that. Also, the idiot should have caught me while they were hitting me. You think I wouldn't be punished?" She said and looked at him. Her tone soften softly, "It's really me. Trust me, Xath."

He paused, trying to look over the odds. He lowered his hand from his gun and then pulled the cloak on. "I trust you." He said. "Don't make me regret it."

"You won't." She reached forward and pulled his hood up to cover his face. "Do you remember where you came in from?"

He nodded, "yeah," he said and started to lead her back to the same way he was brought. "Whats going on, Mari?" He asked as they walked.

"It's.. A long story." She said under her breath as she followed after him. "Let's get out of here first."

After each corner, he peaked to make sure no one was there. When they finally reached the door where he had knocked out those guards, he froze. "They're gone."

"Whose gone?" She said with a slight edge to her tone. He seemed shocked that something was misplaced.

"I knocked out the guards that brought me in, now they're gone. We have to go," he said and quickly walked away towards the door.

She nodded and stared at the spot before running out with him. "They probably disposed of them. You may have killed them."

"I didn't," he said. "I'm trained, I know where and how to hit someone without killing them." He told her.

"You should've killed them. Then they just got up and told them we probably both escaped. The simple solution to everything is death."

"I'm sorry I was distracted with your appearance," he snapped, annoyed.

"You act like you care for me when you don't even know me at all! Even I would have killed those goons, so what's stopping you? Morals? Or your a coward?"

He turned to her, "listen to me and listen very carefully." He said, his voice lowering to a feral whisper. "I do not know you and you do not know me so stop pretending you do. I am not a coward. And what if it were morals?" He asked her, lifting his hand to her neck. He kept it gentle, "what if I told you I've killed before? And what if I told you I took pleasure in all the spilled blood? And what if I told you I can snap your neck right now and here without lifting a finger? Would that make you feel better?" He lowered his hand, "Take your accusations elsewhere, Ms. Marionette Silver. Goodbye." He turned around and stomped away.

She opened her mouth to call for him back, but closed it anyways. She stayed still as she watched him walk away. "It's fine... I... I can do this by myself." She told herself as she started to walk through the forest. "I'll have to find another job somewhere else and... Well, today I'll have to sleep hungry I suppose." She pulled the hood off of her head when branches kept ensnaring it.

He stopped and growled, "come with me." Even if he were pissed at her and her stupid accusations, he wasn't going to let her sleep on the streets.

She was about to protest, but that seemed to make him angrier. "Alright..." She said and started to follow him.

"You can come with me to my room or I can book you whatever hotel you want," he said.

She paused. "Really? You don't have to spend it on me, but thank you."

"Like you said, we have lots of money because we keep our money to ourselves. I have lots of money, and I can book you a hotel for the week," he said before he started stomping away again.

She followed behind him. "For someone who is mad and wanted to kill me, you're awfully nice." She said with a small grin. "Hopefully, they don't question the blood and bruises. Or mistake it for something else."

"They don't have to see you, until I book," he said, not responding to her former statement.

"Oh alright." She said and bit her lip. "Listen, I'm sorry about before, but the safest way was the kill them. I don't want you to get hurt."

(...)

"No, don't apologize," he shrugged. "At least now I know what you and everyone else think about me but I'm not going to lie or pretend. I'm exactly who you think I am, if not ten times worse." He said and said nothing else as he walked.

She opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. She followed behind him and looked around. At least the calming sounds of nature might help ease the tension.

He walked for about 15 minutes before he finally came across a hotel. "Stay here," he said and walked inside. He booked for a week and then came back with the room's card key. "Come on," he turned around and walked inside again, assuming she'd follow.

She followed behind him and kept her head down once they were inside. 'Get to the room. Get to the room.' She kept thinking to herself.

He ushered her to the lift and then to the 4th floor where her room was. He lead her to the room and unlocked it with the key card. He walked into it and looked around. He nodded approvingly. "Is this okay?" He asked.

She glances over at him, then the room. She didn't say anything as she just walked to the bed and fell on top of it. She was utterly exhausted.

He grabbed his wallet and pulled more than a few hundred dollars out and set them on the night stand before turning to leave.

She opened her eyes and looked at the stand. "Woah." She said shocked at all that money. She grabbed it before looking over at Xath. Her smile she had faded. "So your really leaving?" She said looking away and down at the money.

"Yes, you've made it abundantly clear how you feel about me... multiple times," he said, walking to the door. "And I refuse to fight for someone who refuses to accept me for who I am." He said.

She looked away. "You never said anything bad about me yet." She mumbled. She laid down. "I'm not better than anyone, sure I have a big mouth because I finally got used to using it. Can you tell me what you hate about me?"

"I don't hate you," he said and sighed. "In fact, it's the opposite and I hate it because I know I wont be able to get you out of my system, even if we had sex."

She blushed a bit and then looked away. "You're confused too then." She said softly. She closed her eyes. "I haven't really felt this way about someone for a long time. This feeling of love. When I did, he... The other... I... He... He killed it. He betrayed me and had used me. He didn't really love me, but I had loved him. It's why I'm scared of all the things you do." She sits up. "It's why I ran away from you at the ball, it's why I always get angry at you. I'm really scared that you... You're going to leave me." She lets out a big breath and sinks back into the bed. She grabs a pillow and pushes it against her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. But, you still have a option to leave." Her voice muffled by the pillow.

He turned to her and watched her as she spoke. "My betrothed killed herself," he said. "We were young," he shrugged, he kicked his foot against the floor. "And she hated me more than I loved her."

"I don't hate you. You make me question my heart, but I don't hate you." She said reaching out for him. "But, I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry for everything."

"Don't be sorry, you and I both know who I really am," he said, "come on, go get cleaned up, I'll get you some fresh clothes and some food."