Re: Calamity
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:02 am
W-what...
He opened bleary eyes and stared over at Countryman's face.
"Ar...ar...thur..." he managed, struggling to keep his eyes open. And then...
Look at him. Tired. In pain. Wake up.
"Arthur," he said, forcing a strength into his voice he was surprised he still had. "N...not your fault." God he hurt, all over, in his stomach and his chest and in every possible way. "Guy...Theo...turned on me. I...t-thought he wanted to...make amends. He...I t-trusted him and h-h-he..."
And now he felt tears coming, tears he couldn't suppress. Not because of the pain but because he had failed, so totally and completely. Trusted him. Like a fool. Like a god damn stupid fool.
But as they dribbled out, he smiled. Forced himself to smile. Forced himself to grin.
"S-sorry," he managed. "H-hurts a bit." He laughed, and that hurt even more, but he had to pretend. Had to pretend he wasn't filled with regrets. Like he hadn't lost everything. Fucked up. Hadn't been a stupid, stupid fool unable to save anyone.
"H-had t-to, though," Xavier said. "T-to t-trust him. H-had to b-believe he w-wanted to...atone. L-like the g-g..." He trailed off, closed his eyes, still grinning. "L-like the girl. W-with the gun."
Shotgun girl. He'd won her over. Or at least stopped her from being violent. Why couldn't he have done the same with Theo?
But Monkey D. Luffy wouldn't be afraid. Dying with a grin on his face. That was how a man died. Wounds on his stomach. On his chest. On his front, so that he could keep fighting. With a grin on his face, to show he had no regrets.
"G-gotta...trust people, Arthur," he said. "G-g-gotta try. C-can't be afraid."
He was afraid. He didn't want to die. He'd failed in so many ways, and he was in so much pain.
But he forced that grin onto his face. Because that was how a man lived. Larger than life. As though he were fiction.
BO46 XAVIER CONTEL: ELIMINATED
He opened bleary eyes and stared over at Countryman's face.
"Ar...ar...thur..." he managed, struggling to keep his eyes open. And then...
Look at him. Tired. In pain. Wake up.
"Arthur," he said, forcing a strength into his voice he was surprised he still had. "N...not your fault." God he hurt, all over, in his stomach and his chest and in every possible way. "Guy...Theo...turned on me. I...t-thought he wanted to...make amends. He...I t-trusted him and h-h-he..."
And now he felt tears coming, tears he couldn't suppress. Not because of the pain but because he had failed, so totally and completely. Trusted him. Like a fool. Like a god damn stupid fool.
But as they dribbled out, he smiled. Forced himself to smile. Forced himself to grin.
"S-sorry," he managed. "H-hurts a bit." He laughed, and that hurt even more, but he had to pretend. Had to pretend he wasn't filled with regrets. Like he hadn't lost everything. Fucked up. Hadn't been a stupid, stupid fool unable to save anyone.
"H-had t-to, though," Xavier said. "T-to t-trust him. H-had to b-believe he w-wanted to...atone. L-like the g-g..." He trailed off, closed his eyes, still grinning. "L-like the girl. W-with the gun."
Shotgun girl. He'd won her over. Or at least stopped her from being violent. Why couldn't he have done the same with Theo?
But Monkey D. Luffy wouldn't be afraid. Dying with a grin on his face. That was how a man died. Wounds on his stomach. On his chest. On his front, so that he could keep fighting. With a grin on his face, to show he had no regrets.
"G-gotta...trust people, Arthur," he said. "G-g-gotta try. C-can't be afraid."
He was afraid. He didn't want to die. He'd failed in so many ways, and he was in so much pain.
But he forced that grin onto his face. Because that was how a man lived. Larger than life. As though he were fiction.
BO46 XAVIER CONTEL: ELIMINATED