"But even if the two of us should be separated, I will change the world." ~ Okui Masami

For days, Johnathan continued on with going back and forth between Renne stayed--which was near a dead end, close to the sounds of the Waters--and the Pub. She was getting restless, and she knew Renne was at that point as well.

Hearing footsteps close to the area where Renne resides, Johnathan picked up her pace; while keeping ahold of the plate of cheese and bottle of water. Only seeing him wrapped in his yeti furs; she was already confused as it was.

Renne explained that Cinder came to visit; finding his glass-like containers. Also explained that Cinder could get Renne back to the Holding Cells. 'Nathan will find it in any and every way to make sure that he never goes back to the Holding Cells.

An hour of mere silence between the two; but then Renne started acted more antsy than usual--but then acted different. She only heard about him, but never actually seen The Hunter. Johnathan followed him when Hunter-Over-Renne started to run off; finding something--or someone--to nearly scratch to death. It was odd though, that he sniffed her and yet not harmed her. That was when 'Nathan decided to do some interrogation on him.

Nearly another hour worth of conversating with Hunter-Over-Renne; finding reasons about the murders--and explaining to why the possibilities of--and this was the first time she used his name in the presence of Renne/Hunter-Over-Renne--Harold not seeing him nor explaining why of the candle; of the reasons about the Maritime.

Ten minutes into the next hour, Hunter-Over-Renne was on the move again. And Johnathan couldn't help but only follow and observe. It was until, however, when Hunter-Over-Renne started to do deep gashes between his arms and the wall. Hurting oneself will not solve anything, so she stopped him. Strangely, Hunter-Over-Renne didn't react with hostility. And in about five minutes, Hunter-Over-Renne faded away--for now--leaving only a confused Renne.

Renne did not understand what happened, or what was said. So, Johnathan summed up what happened during the two hours of him not there. Twenty minutes worth of conversation and silent comfort between the two--and a minute-and-a-half of 'Nathan speed-running from the original area of the tunnels back to where they were inorder to grab his furs--Renne finally fell back asleep. May not have been peaceful, but she was there to comfort, watch, and just be there with him.

She knows now that it was not completely Renne--just Renne's body--that did the murders. If the long-awaited trial were ever to happen; she needed to prove it. But trial or not, Renne was not going back to the Holding Cells. And Johnathan will make sure of it; by any means possible.

"You're lonely rolling star. I can't wait for you, ok?" ~ Kabata Saki

"Well. Folks realized that the trial would be long-termed wait--wait a tic. What do ye mean they left?"

Johnathan looked rather irritated towards John, the bartender at the Powder Keg Pub. Finding out that the trial for Renne will be delayed even longer--for nearly everyone was dismissed. But this is even worse.

"Sorreh, doll. They left afternoon before last. The Cap'n said that 'e was bored and needed to go on an adventuah. So, the 'Mpress and 'im left on The Pride."

John stretched out a bit, glancing at the two past-midnight drinkers, then back to Johnathan.

"Great. Bloody great."

Johnathan breathed in deeply, knowing that it wasn't John's fault. Captain Kidd let Renne sign up to be in his crew--and he also allowed her to join them to not only keep an eye on Renne, but to help out wherever the ship's needs it. Picking up her bag from the floor close to the side of the bar, she nodded to John and headed back into the kitchen.

How in the bullocks is she going to tell Renne this? No. Better question. Where are they going to go? The trial is more than likely not going to happen, which is a good thing on Johnathan's part. Climbing down into the kitchen's basement, which led to the tunnels. Taking ten minutes to get to the little area where she knows Renne is. This whole time, she was pondering on how to explain everything; let alone on how to get out of the City completely.

Getting to Renne, Johnathan blinked but then smiled as she watched him writing a note. She then glanced down to the open sack, the happy-looking cookie. It did smell good; but she knew she was not going to eat it. She just doesn't eat at all. Placing down her bag, she sighed; still trying to figure out how to explain everything. Sliding down against the wall, she sat down cross-legged and only watched Renne for a few moments.

"Angel-Heart? They are a few things I need to talk to ye 'bout..."

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Continuing from Previous Posting
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Johnathan toppled down to the ground; having the gravitational weight of the toolbox do the job. Her left arm was crushed under the toolbox?not broken; but severely bruised and scratched. At that moment, Johnathan did not care.

?Ye allright, Little Lass??

The little girl also fell down to the ground from being pushed so hard out of danger. So hard that she landed directly in front of the now-empty lot. Wincing a bit; with her eyes still closed, she could not help but maneuver her head so where she can look at the empty lot. Finally, slowly opening her eyes?but there were was nothing there. Shades of light blue and grey were shown to cover the caverns upon her face. She blinked slowly, before looking back to Johnathan.

?When the Rocks speak, you only hear stories of friends and laughter.?

A distant male voice was heard?a voice that sounded only vaguely familiar; but the distance kept it only vague.

?Pendra! Dinner is ready.?

The little girl looked past Johnathan and blinked. The eyeless sight looked back to Johnathan as she gave a soft smile. Standing up, dusting herself off as she grabbed her jump rope a couple of feet away from her. She gave the polite of curtsies.

?Thank you. For sa?ing my life.?

Without waiting for a response...or even a reaction from Johnathan...she started skipping again with her jump-rope, but vanished with the afternoon winds into nothingness.

Her face became blank from shock--and soon, pain--as she heard the little girl speak. But as the little girl faded away, that is when her reaction to the pain finally hit her. Crawling herself up to a crouching position, Johnathan grunted with both strength and pain as she shoved the toolbox off of her arm. The shoving of the toolbox did help; but the bottom scraped against Johnathan's inner wrist; taking a good piece of her skin with it.

A grey metallic liquid slowly started to flow out from the skinned wrist. Wait a tic. That's...her blood?? So odd. Pressuring her right hand against the scrape, she slowly stood and looked upwards; vaguely hearing the two men up on the roofings.

"Oi! Watch it where ye stand!"

"Ye watch it, incompetent fools! Ye allmost hurt a child!"

"Lady! Ye're the only one on this whole bloody street! Now git!"

It was true. The little girl was long gone with the winds and none of the buildings were stable enough to have businesses run or for anyone to live in. Walking back to the now-empty lot, Johnathan blinked, keeping a good grip on her wrist to keep from bleeding anymore. Walking within the rubble and soot within the lot, there was something that sparkled within the misty air. Slowly walking over to it, Johnathan came to find out it was a smoothened jagged rock. Nothing fancy or mystical about it, just a rock.

Keeping her right hand gripped on her left wrist, Johnathan slowly crouched down to pick it up with the strained left hand. She examined it for a moment, canting her head a bit. Her right hand cautiously let go of the wrist so that she was able to slip the rock into her traveler's bag--which she did.

Glancing at her blood-stained hand for a moment, Johnathan looked at the scraped inner left wrist to see how badly the scrape is and how damaging it is to her hand itself. No pain. No scabbing or anything like that. Wiping the blood away every now and again, something came into view on the wrist. Staring at it for a moment, Johnathan went wide-eyed.

A compass rose. But the base of it was in the format of a ship's helm. It was then that she knew what the symbol meant, what it was. Looking around at the empty-lot one last time, she slowly stepped back out onto the empty street and headed back towards the Docks to not only clean the blood off her hands; but to thank The Waters as well.

What Johnathan realized that Renne will forever be in her heart. Renne will forever be with her. Renne will forever be half of her.

?Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?? ~ Rod Stewart

A week has come and gone once again. And still no sign of this suited man, whom at first continuously popped in and out of the Holding Houses in Port South. Given the history, it might have been a new Psycho-Babble child?or not. She would have never known.

Johnathan has started to make her rounds again all about town. Now since noone cared for her warrant or arrest for there are murders and more-unusual-than-her kind of sightings seemed to be increasing. Though she does find it completely entertaining that they are determined to beef up their security, and yet they cannot get a good grasp on what is out there these days. Hallow?s Night to her was just a seriously belated Harvest Festival. Today, though, was different.

In the Humanoid Spaniard traditions, the day following Hallow?s Night was a day to pay respects to the Dead; both the Dead-Dead and the Undead. It would have been amusing if the zombies were still about; seeing her offering the verbal respects. Heh. Anywho. It was past midday when Johnathan got back to the docks in Port South. Given the benefit of the doubt that Renne is going just as insane?if not more?than her for all the not-so-living ones he has known, she would not only do this for herself?but for him as well.

Passing by the Holding Houses and now coming up to the piers, something that she knows too well within The City, she watched all the sailors and sea merchants getting ready to leave port. She and Renne should have already been at sea for nearly three weeks. Laughter onboard, hard labor, and?if they could find a place?an area where it would be just the two of them watching the Waters and the Stars. No. None of that. Never anything of that. Stopping at the very end of the longest pier, Johnathan took off the traveler?s bag that has been for nearly a month back with her, placed it to the side of her and sat down against the edge; the booted feet just barely missing the Waters. For once, she did not say a word to the Waters. They knew why she was here. Her left thumb absently-mindedly rubbed the bottom of the ring, sometimes thinking that if she rubbed and wished hard enough; Renne would be back in her arms once again?and this time, not worrying about the trial or anything to that sort. But alas, he is not.

Johnathan watched the horizons and the Waters well into dusk-time. During that time, her brain daydreamed. Of what, only she could know. However, one thing is for sure. Whether or not she would be arrested; she is going to visit Renne the next day.

"I can love but I need his heart." ~ Lamb

For days, she has spent hours in the late evening with Gaston and the fandangled technology; going through all the video recordings from Renne's cell. Including the ultimately useless breakout and his nightly rants after he came back.
You've only had to run so far, so good.

With the trial crawling closer and still none of the original psycho-babble folks stepping up to the plate, Johnathan came to realize that she might have to set some things straight and take to the stand. Which is never a good thing for her.
Psych One, Psych Two. What do you know?

These past two evenings, Johnathan analyzed everything. Her brain thinks logically and literally; but all the reasons did not have enough proof...or they got rebuttled quite well. Laying down on her back upon the farthest pier within the docks in Port South, she stared up to the cold snowy sky. No moon. She has not seen one in weeks. Keeping the rarely seen cloak ontop of her, her left hand slowly rose up and in front of her face. She stared at the opal-blue ring as her mind drifted from analyzing to daydreaming and memories. Memories of their fingertips touching. Memories of tickle-monsters. Memories of the Summer Solstice. Memories of holding him so closely.
What does it mean?

Johnathan knew. This next week and a couple of days will be longer than ever before.
One, Two, Three, Four. Pressure.

______________________
*Pressure by Billy Joel

?Cheap champagne, we?re going down in flames.? ~ Cobra Starship Featuring The Academy Is?

A cloudy and cool afternoon. The Autumns were buddying up with the Winds and eventually, the Rains bring round up the second half of the Season. But there is still a month and a week left of it before the Winters come to finish the year and start anew.
Can you tell me where I am?

The Sea-Waters were only going with the flow of the Winds and the directions from the Moon. Crashing with little hostility against rocks, the shores, or anything upon the Waters.
Bah-dah-bah-bah.

It wasn?t until the late afternoon were there ripples coming from the Waters directly below and at the very end of the farthest pier in Port South. Like a small area was still since the day started within the night. But finally, coming out from an air bubble?where the bubble started to disappears when colliding with the air itself?was the inane Outsider. But, she looked different. She was not dressed in her normal outfit. A dress, actually. Brown flowy dress with Autumn-colored floral prints, but she still had the raw-leathered boots on. The three necklaces?the frog charm, the bottle of Sea-Water, and the yeti?s claw?and her ?wedding? ring were the only things that were on her. No bag. No sword. The dark-brown hair was now completely straightened out. With a look of stoic and determination, she sighed as the bubble completely disappeared; letting her walk onto the pier with ease.
Don?t cry.

Her brain was silent for once. Walking past the rest of the piers, Johnathan stared at the Holding Houses while on the main road. Canting her head a bit for only a moment, it straightened itself back up as she started walking down to the courthouses. A day where no words she will say until the trial is over.
?And I?m haunted.

_____________________
*Haunted by Poe