Cadenza: Veritas
Chapter 13: Walking Wounded
After just a few minutes of Bella and Grace filling Carlos in on what happened to them in ChouChou, you can't help but notice that Carlos' driving is becoming more… erratic, for the lack of a better term.
"Stop the car, Carlos. I'll take over," says Grace.
"You can't even drive!"
"Sure I can."
"You don't have a license."
"But you're drunk!"
Carlos parks the car at the shoulder of the road. He alights the vehicle, allowing Grace to take the driver's seat.
"I trust you not to speed or do anything stupid," says Carlos.
"You know, driving etiquette where I came from isn't too different from how you Ziarans do it."
"Where are you from anyway, Grace?"
"Saherimos."
"No, where are you really from? Your name doesn't sound… local to that place."
"A bit invasive AND abrasive there, buddy."
"I used to kinda dislike aliens. I didn't care for them all the time, but I witnessed these people talk about how ugly they looked, how you don't respect other species and only want to dominate worlds. Those were the days when we thought we knew aliens would have green skin and weird, bug eyes." You hear Carlos pause to retch for a moment. "But you guys are pretty cool. I don't get why those Anti-Alien Alliance guys hate you all so much."
"That's what I don't understand. Brandon himself is an alien."
Carlos makes a spitting noise. "WHAT?!"
"I always knew he was familiar, but I didn't realise he was Albert's son--"
Bella interrupts, "Albert Dorian… that murderer from back home?"
"Yeah. I can't believe I didn't realise it sooner. I always felt like Brandon was just… misguided or brainwashed."
"Who could have done it?"
"I don't quite know. I can only see immediate possibilities; I can't look far into the past."
"Would have been nice if Chronny was with us. What is that guy up to, anyway?"
"The old fart is probably chronicling the history of Subeta. He always told me that history is his life."
"Speaking of Brandon… where's Anjy?"
"I haven't heard from her for a while now." Grace steps on the breaks, the car coming to a halt in the middle of the road. He then turns around to look at Bella. "I have a bit of a hard time focusing on the road if people are talking to me. Can I ask for some silence, please?"
You all oblige, and Grace continues to drive. As the car ascends through a bridge, you suddenly have a strange feeling in your gut. Over the bridge is a river whose water sparkles even at night. You see a discarded black shoe, but pay it no mind. As the bridge is close to its plateau, you notice someone with light blue hair, curled up in a fetal position, on the shoulder of the road. Before you can tell anyone about it, Bella tells Grace to stop the car. She immediately gets out of the vehicle, and Grace follows after her. Carlos opts to stay inside while you go out as well.
"Anjy?", asks Grace, as he approaches the blue-haired figure. She stands up and turns around to face you.
"Stop the car, Carlos. I'll take over," says Grace.
"You can't even drive!"
"Sure I can."
"You don't have a license."
"But you're drunk!"
Carlos parks the car at the shoulder of the road. He alights the vehicle, allowing Grace to take the driver's seat.
"I trust you not to speed or do anything stupid," says Carlos.
"You know, driving etiquette where I came from isn't too different from how you Ziarans do it."
"Where are you from anyway, Grace?"
"Saherimos."
"No, where are you really from? Your name doesn't sound… local to that place."
"A bit invasive AND abrasive there, buddy."
"I used to kinda dislike aliens. I didn't care for them all the time, but I witnessed these people talk about how ugly they looked, how you don't respect other species and only want to dominate worlds. Those were the days when we thought we knew aliens would have green skin and weird, bug eyes." You hear Carlos pause to retch for a moment. "But you guys are pretty cool. I don't get why those Anti-Alien Alliance guys hate you all so much."
"That's what I don't understand. Brandon himself is an alien."
Carlos makes a spitting noise. "WHAT?!"
"I always knew he was familiar, but I didn't realise he was Albert's son--"
Bella interrupts, "Albert Dorian… that murderer from back home?"
"Yeah. I can't believe I didn't realise it sooner. I always felt like Brandon was just… misguided or brainwashed."
"Who could have done it?"
"I don't quite know. I can only see immediate possibilities; I can't look far into the past."
"Would have been nice if Chronny was with us. What is that guy up to, anyway?"
"The old fart is probably chronicling the history of Subeta. He always told me that history is his life."
"Speaking of Brandon… where's Anjy?"
"I haven't heard from her for a while now." Grace steps on the breaks, the car coming to a halt in the middle of the road. He then turns around to look at Bella. "I have a bit of a hard time focusing on the road if people are talking to me. Can I ask for some silence, please?"
You all oblige, and Grace continues to drive. As the car ascends through a bridge, you suddenly have a strange feeling in your gut. Over the bridge is a river whose water sparkles even at night. You see a discarded black shoe, but pay it no mind. As the bridge is close to its plateau, you notice someone with light blue hair, curled up in a fetal position, on the shoulder of the road. Before you can tell anyone about it, Bella tells Grace to stop the car. She immediately gets out of the vehicle, and Grace follows after her. Carlos opts to stay inside while you go out as well.
"Anjy?", asks Grace, as he approaches the blue-haired figure. She stands up and turns around to face you.
Bella runs to Anjy, and embraces her. "Who did this to you?"
Anjy falls to her knees and begins to sob hysterically.
"Where is he?"
Anjy only responds through anguished crying. She holds on to Bella and buries her head in her chest, kicking her other shoe off her feet.
"Shh…" Bella gently strokes Anjy's hair, accidentally pulling the blue wig out.
Anjy falls to her knees and begins to sob hysterically.
"Where is he?"
Anjy only responds through anguished crying. She holds on to Bella and buries her head in her chest, kicking her other shoe off her feet.
"Shh…" Bella gently strokes Anjy's hair, accidentally pulling the blue wig out.
"Brandon…"
"That rascal did this to you, Anjy? Where is he?" Far from the usual soothing tone of Bella's voice, she now sounds stern.
"No… he took my place..."
"That rascal did this to you, Anjy? Where is he?" Far from the usual soothing tone of Bella's voice, she now sounds stern.
"No… he took my place..."
< 12: Break In | 14: Switch >