Is being pretty worth it? [ _AnaTolia_ and Xavirne ]

[_AnaTolia_]

Lyra Elspeth woke up to the sound of fireworks. She groaned, placing the pillow on top of her head. 'Not another damned pretty party,' she thought, shutting her eyes as she tried to block the whole world out. It didn't work. With an exasperated sigh, Lyra got up from bed, mussing up her chocolate brown hair. It was already dark, but honestly, pretties were usually awake during nighttime anyway.

Her golden eyes warily looked at the walls of her room. She knew that the government was always listening and watching her. Not only her but everyone. 'Gosh, why couldn't they stop the parties instead? There's enough booze and drugs around for it to step in.' But she knew why. She knew that the drugs were practically harmless and that it would give them a sudden and fleeting feeling of euphoria, and then nothing. Lyra knew why they wouldn't stop the parties and the concerts.

Lyra had overridden the chip that they had put in her brain. The chip that they had placed in everyone who turned pretty. As she grabbed whatever clothes came from the 'hole in the wall', she then thought about everything that had went on ever since her eyes were opened to the monstrosity of it all. 'It's not like they could shield us from the bitter truth for so long.' The government basically brainwashed all of them, just so they could not know of pressing matters outside their little city. All except for her.

She knew that other pretties would be too air-headed to listen to her, but she just needed one. Just one ally who could help her stop this. And she knew just the person. She just hoped that he would still remember him. For although, they weren't actually friends, they went to the same Ugly school together. "Where and when is the next concert?" Lyra asked out loud.

The room chimed in, "Approximately three miles from here, Lyra Elspeth. In the Monroe Gardens. Would you like to board a hover-car?" With a deep breath, Lyra then answered tentatively, "In a moment! I wouldn't want to look like a total wreck when I see him!" She then grumbled to herself, muttering about how she must act as pretty-minded as possible. Throwing on a black cashmere dress, she then strapped on some heels and raced off to the hover-car.

To be honest, she was kind of a fan.

[ So, how was the first post? I don't think I've explained much, but this is the best I can do. For the moment, anyway. ]

[Xavirne]

Kaiba J. Crest
the twenty-four year old rockstar

A bit of a narcissistic, the male was pretty high on himself that he didn't even realize the time. When he was finally made aware of the time, he walked into the stage and found himself being greeted by a sea of screaming fans. This was heaven. Pure bliss. Everyone loved him. He was handsome beyond belief. Beautiful, loved by all, and famous. He was a "pretty" and did a damn good job at keeps the others happy.

Everyone wanted to be him. No, be with him. They wanted to tongue his body, kiss his lips, and ruffle his bed sheets. Kaiba was a loving man. He was always loving someone. However, he was never in love. He was far too much of a player to give a damn about the sentimental feelings behind love and, to be honest, he didn't care. He liked his fame and fortune too much.

As his lips collided with this mic, his voice filled the adrenaline-filled air. They were there for him. He was the star of this show. Their idol. Their love. Their world.

His voice rang out above their ears and settled pleasantly in their minds. With each song being more beautiful than the last, it was a saddening moment, when Kaiba walked off stage. The gig was done for the night. The drugs had been depleted. Craving more, no... needing more, he groped at the manager's throat, screaming for his fix.

"Give me them! NOW!"

Before he could even snort a shot, he was shoved into the lobby were he was forced to mingle with the common people. The lesser beings that were, without a doubt, pathetic excuses for being human. Now, of course, among the crowd were pretties like he, which often brought excitement to his heart. He would stroll about the crowd in search of his partner for the evening. Someone that would not only excite him, but please him.

Scanning the crowd, Kaiba let out a deep sigh when he noted that no one was above average. The pretties were just, pretty. No one stood out. When surrounded by a group of pretties, what would make one pretty prettier than the next? Nothing. There was nothing that set them part.

As he moved back toward his room, his sapphire eyes became fixed on a woman. A smirk took hold of his face as he flashed her a smile. I wonder... will she follow? His blue-eyes danced with delight beneath his brown fringe.

[_AnaTolia_]

The hover-taxi drew to a stop. Lyra burst out of its doors as it began to, automatically, fly back to the Mainspace, where all the vehicles were located. She walked past the scanned gates with a forced smile. The guards only would have seen her as another one of his screaming fans. She was certainly a fan, but nothing like a screaming, head-over-heels fan. Once she was in the venue, Lyra was greeted with ecstacy. Kaiba Crest had just begun to sing her favorite song.

She couldn't help but just look at him with intensity. Lyra found herself humming, although the crowd was loud enough to drown her voice. All around her, there were people screaming and focusing on him, taking drugs, or doing something pretty close to sex. But the government did not care. 'As long as they're happy and ignorant,' she thought, pushing people out of the way, mostly to get closer to him.

Once the concert was over, fans piled onto the lobby, where Kaiba would be greeting his fans. 'According to the Web, he does drugs and is a player. How ironic.' It seemed that by becoming pretty, their ugly memories would be somewhat foggy and distant, but some points of their previous lives were strong enough that they never want to be ugly again.

Lyra followed the crowd, hoping to try to get his attention. 'Even if it means trying to be alone with him.' She shuddered a bit, but then was overcome with a feeling of wanting to be alone with him. "Dammit, Lyra. Compose yourself."

Her eyes then locked with Kaiba's as she felt a small flutter in her being. Instead of turning away and running back home, Lyra then raised an eyebrow and left a smirk on her face, as if she knew something he didn't. 'More than you'll ever imagine.'

[Xavirne]

When their eyes met, he felt the urge to hunt her down. He had seen her face in the crowd before. Several times, actually. Taking a few steps back, he signaled one of his guards to grab her. With a nod, he marched forward, leaving the crowd behind.

On the other side of the door, he was welcomed by silence. And, to his delight, drugs. Eager to have them all, he told himself to relax. He was in no hurry, especially if he was going to meet his beloved fan. Just as the needle entered his vein, he heard the side door unlock. She's here. That was fast. Practically dropping the needle, he pushed the drugs away. There was no point in showing her his weakness, although from the number of holes in his arm, she would probably peg him for an addict.

"Watch my life pass me by... in the rear view mirror. Pictures frozen in time... are becoming clearer. I don't want to waste another day, stuck in the shadow of my mistakes...." Singing, to himself as he held up his wine glass, his eyes turned to meet the body that was now present. She was finally there. "...'cuz I want you." Pulling the glass to his lips, he let the red wine slip down his throat before he advanced toward the woman.

"You're a hard face to find." His voice was almost like a song. It was the perfect pitch of high and low, soft and deep, and light and calm. Reaching his hand out to take hers, he placed a gentle kiss on her fragile pale hand. With his lips still intact with her skin, he gently pulled her in closer. "Will you take... take what's left of me?"

With the song complete, he whirled her around so that her back was rested against his chest. Moving her toward the egg-shaped blue chair, he took a seat, pulling her on his lap while he did as such.

"So, my pretty, who might you be?" Tonguing her neck, his nose trailed from her neck to her ear. Nibbling lightly at her lobe, he flitted his eyes a few times before he placed a sweet kiss on the woman's cheek. "Come now, don't be shy," he coaxed her on. Those wild blue eyes of his looking into her shimmering pair of caramel-eyes. Their dark wispy hair seemed to tangle around the others as they sat their staring at each other.

[_AnaTolia_]

Right after Lyra had responded to him with a smirk, Kaiba suddenly gestured to one of his guards. Her face held surprise for a fleeting moment, but she was able to compose herself in time. 'Shoot. Why is he after me?' Before she could call for a hover-taxi, a hand grasped one of her arms. Before she could retort loudly, the look in his eyes seemed to tell her to keep quiet or else. At the moment, Lyra would rather not know what what else could mean. There were too many fan girls and besides, it meant having some time alone with him. She couldn't decide whether to be nauseous or blissfully ecstatic.

And so, she followed him without a word. Avoiding the eyes of the others, Lyra focused on making herself look presentable. 'Although, in his drugged state, he probably wouldn't notice anyway.' Despite what she thought, she straightened her stance and emanated a sense of superiority. Without looking, she could feel the jealousy of those who had noticed. She must admit, it felt somewhat disturbing but ever since she was young, she wanted to be the center of attention, even though she may not look like it or may not ask for it. For her, attention is best when she could control it.

Once she was in the same room with Kaiba, Lyra could feel her pulse quicken. 'Oh goodness... he's singing my favorite song.' Her senses sharpened. She could see the numerous holes in his arm (and couldn't help but frown a bit at the sight) and the wine glass. 'cuz I want you.' At those words, she swore that she felt her heart stop for a split second. As he advanced toward her, she thought, 'How am I going to tell him if he's going to be like this?'

At his comment, Lyra let out a small laugh. "Out of all your fan girls, you look for me?" She said, slightly teasing. She did feel flattered, but there was nothing notable about her. All pretties basically looked the same. As he kissed her hand, she bit her lip, battling with herself on what to do. A part of her wanted to give him her all but another part of her wanted to play the part of the heroine and refuse his advances, even though, she had to admit, she was turned on.

Lyra let out a little yelp as he pulled her onto his lap. On instinct, she straightened herself, refusing to lean against him. She closed her eyes as he placed his warm tongue on her neck. As he played with her earlobe, Lyra couldn't help but let out a high-pitched whimper. 'Lyra, get ahold of yourself. You were here on a mission.' Before he could do anymore to crumble her willpower, she turned so that she could face him and said, "Lyra Elspeth, back at Ugly school. The one with the freckles." She wasn't sure if he would still remember, but she hoped he would.

[Xavirne]

//OOC: Hope this post is okay. Wasn't to sure about the world, so I just went with what seemed probable.


Freckles? His brow cocked. What the hell was she talking about? His past was a blur to him. It had been for a while now. He wasn't certain why or, better yet, when it happened. It was just... gone. In fact, he couldn't remember much of what had happened in his past. Despite being twenty-four, he could really only remember the last few years of his life -- the years of fame.

Just when he was about to be troubled by the thought of having his mind cleared, a blast of euphoria and pure nothingness overwhelmed him. Within the next second, he was staring blankly at the woman before him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" His mind searched for the answer, but it kept coming up with a blank page. Frantic, he kicked himself away from the woman and shot a panicked gaze over to his guards. The guards, who were just as confused as Kaiba, took full sweeping steps toward the woman.

Without even lifting a finger or batting an eye, the guards seized the woman. Kaiba, who stood nearly six-foot five-inches tall, towered over the slender frame of the woman. A cold blue gaze was staring right through her, almost making Lyra feel like he was staring into her soul.

Turning his cheek, he looked toward the white walls that swallowed him whole. What the hell was going on? He, for the first time in a while, felt uneasy. Alarmed and wary-eyed, he shot the woman another look before he ordered the guards to release her and leave the room.

Reluctant, they eventually left. Kaiba and Lyra were now... alone.

"Who are you," he tone was bitter with a hint of cockiness.

[_AnaTolia_]

(( It's alright. You have a good idea of what the world is, so that's good. ))

'Damn. Lyra, you knew this was going to happen.' As she guards approached, she had the urge to get out of the place, but she thought better and stood her ground. Lyra didn't want to be branded as a crazy person, plus she was sure that they would contact the authorities to hunt her down. As they held her arms, she didn't flinch or try to get out of their grip. She haughtily stared back at Kaiba, despite the fact that she felt uneasy. She sensed that his eyes could see to her very soul. 'It's that chip that blocked his memories.' Lyra hated how the government had taken control of all.

She suddenly felt very lonely.

Once Kaiba sent them away, Lyra noticed that he had begun to feel wary. She wished that he felt different, but it wasn't really him. It was just a body with a chip that formed him into someone else entirely.

Looking at the walls, like he did earlier, she realized that ALL the walls had ears and that she had to be careful in conveying her treacherous thoughts. With a sigh, Lyra crossed her arms and said, "What a shame." Noting that he had been taking drugs, she then wondered if they had anything to do with preventing him to remember his memories. She then advanced towards him and whispered in his ear, "When did you start taking those drugs?"

[Xavirne]

Stumbling forward, he laid his chin on her shoulder, which left his back bowed out away from her body. A sigh followed. "Since forever." His glassy eyes wavered as he looked for the answers on her face. Everything felt weird. Fuzzy. Off. Head spinning and ears burning, he whirled around the took a few drunken steps toward the pale couch. Flopping on it, he looked up at the woman through his sea of chocolate brown fringe.

"You're quite pretty. Plain, but pretty in your own unique way."

He meant her no disrespect, he was just speaking matter-of-factly. In all honesty, his words were actually kind. To him, it was rare to see a fish out of water. Most everyone was either drop-dead gorgeous or painfully boring. This woman, whoever she might be, was a real treat for his lustful eyes. Oh how he yearned for someone more and now, before his very eyes, he had someone more.

Propping himself up with the use of his arm, he coaxed the woman to his side with a simple wiggle of his finger. "Please, you must tell me what you meant by your previous comment. The one about the freckles and Ugly School." Those brilliant baby blues of his looked up into her calming gold eyes. "I want to... remember."

It was at that moment that he felt a sharp pain in his neck. Doubling over in agony, he shot the woman a panicked look. Perhaps it was something he ate? Or maybe it was something else? But what? His mind raced with that simple question. Finally, after filtering out the moronic answered, his mind wrapped around an idea that seemed far-fetched but was, more than likely, the culprit behind everything.

"Save me," he cooed just before the guards poured back into the room. As they wrapped their hands around his fragile frame, his eyes widened and seemed to reflect a look of hope. Before his mouth was bound with cloth, he spat out, "I know it's them."

Before she could even question what he meant, he was gone. Left alone in the hollow room, Lyra was meet with nothing but silence.

[_AnaTolia_]

'Since forever, he said.' Lyra looked at him in dismay. The drugs have been very potent all these years and it would be hard for him to just go cold turkey. It would be a miracle if he did so, though. She had tried a few of them when the chip was still working its wonders before. Sure, it did feel quite exhilarating for the first few seconds. But then it would leave nothing, just a memory of what had happened. She hated it when the feeling wasn't quite in her grasp, so she kept taking them. And taking them.

It was very unhealthy.

But when Kaiba complimented her, Lyra felt embarrassed. Judging by his voice, it was obvious that she was being sincere. "But what about all those pretties who went through more upgrades than I did? They may all look the same, but they do look pretty," she muttered under her breath. She was touched by his words and he was being truthful about it, but she felt all tingly. She felt as if he should compliment her more, but there was no time. His words were starting to sound treacherous and he didn't know that the walls had ears.

At the coax of his finger, Lyra, hesitantly, went over to Kaiba. She was glad that he wanted to know more about his past. The past that he had forgotten. But when he said that he wanted to remember, he started to double over in pain. 'No... the chip! She thought. Reaching over to him, she then felt the base of his neck. That was the same place where she had started to hurt when the truth started to dawn on her. "Kaiba, don't let these thoughts go away. You have to remember," she whispered before the guards started to come in.

Lyra wanted to protest and to leave him alone, but she had no choice. There would be a report about how a fan had caused mental trouble to the rock star. She let them drug him and take her away, away from that place and back to her home. Before she had gone into her apartment, though, the guards injected something onto her arm. "What are you..." Before she knew it, she felt disoriented and the last thing she saw was the ceiling before she passed out. Lyra had heard of something that would erase memories that have been created just a few minutes before.

She only hoped that sheer willpower could overcome that.

[Xavirne]

Standing over the woman, the dark brunette drummed her fingers on the wall before she made another full circle around Lyra. "You really need to wake up, miss. I have some questions I need to ask you." Her voice was simply pleasing to the ears. It flowed flawlessly and made her seem almost angelic. Like her adopted brother, Keira was also a singer. However, unlike him, she was a runaway from society. Sneaking into shows and gigs wasn't easy, but she was able to mask her looks and even alter the DNA that she presented to pass the entrance tests.

With the hood of her vest pulled down over her eyes, it would make it nearly impossible to get a reading on who she was. Her hands were even wearing black gloves so that her finger prints couldn't land anywhere.

Her golden eyes flicked down to the stirring Lyra, which brought a small grin of delight to her face. "Finally," she whispered.

Bending over, Keira Crest placed a friendly hand on the woman's shoulders as she helped her sit upright. "I apologize for breaking and entering, but I saw you enter the room with Kaiba after his show last night. I then saw you getting removed and... drugged."

Lifting her head just enough so Lyra could see the face of the woman, Keira offered the hazy woman a friendly grin. "Miss, I mean you no harm. I just need to find out what you did with Kaiba. Did he say anything. Did anything happen. Please, I need answers." Her voice shook a bit this time around. It was pretty obvious that this woman had feelings for Kaiba.

[_AnaTolia_]

Lyra's eyes fluttered open at the sound of a woman's voice. At first, the voice seemed far away and unreachable. But, as she slowly regained control of herself, the voice grew louder and more comprehensible. By the time she understood what she was saying, memories of what had just happened flooded her mind. "Oh my... thank goodness that didn't work," she muttered to herself, briefly oblivious to the fact that there was someone else in her apartment, intruding. And the room didn't seem to do anything about it.

"What... what are you doing here? I didn't invite you in," Lyra said, getting defensive. She was sure that she hadn't seen her before and that the apartment took great measures to ensure security. What had she done to bypass all of that? When the lady had mentioned Kaiba and that she had been drugged, she felt wary of her. How did she know all of this?

But there was one thing she didn't know, and that was what Kaiba had said to her.

And even though the lady sounded convincing, (she did sound as if she cared for him) Lyra still had her suspicions. Although, from what she could gather, she was either a runaway who had overridden the chip or an aberration, a mental threat to the society. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you anything until you explain to me what is going on. What are you doing here? And how did you bypass the security?"

[Xavirne]

"I apologize for not stating who I am and why I am here. Allow me to explain myself. I am Keira Crest. Yes, Kaiba and I are siblings. How did I by-pass the security? Easy. I learned how to from my brother years ago... before they took him. He has always been a smart kid, so I knew that, sooner or later, he would figure out what was happening. I've been trying to get close to him for years now... but he never picks me. When I saw it was you that he picked out, I had a sigh of relief. Though I don't know you, I could tell that you, too, had become a threat to society, like me. We are both the same. We are both free. I've been trying to free Kaiba for a few years now... but I can't get close enough. I need your help. I need to save my brother. It's what he would want. Hell, he saved me from the miserable life."

Pausing to let Lyra register everything, she continued in her whispered tones. "You've heard of me before, haven't you? I was the child star from about ten years ago. The teenager that everyone lined up to see. But I went missing. It was rumored that I... died. Kaiba. Kaiba did all that. He staged my death. Everything. Every little thing was his doing. How do I know? These tapes. He recorded them for me. The only thing is... now... they have him. I think they are trying to get him to talk... talk about me. Talk about us. The threat to the world. They know Kaiba knows the location of the refugee camp. If they can pry the information from him... we'll be a dying bread. I'm here to offer you my assistance. I can't save him, save us, save the world alone. I need someone I can trust and my gut tells me it's you. So, please. PLEASE help me save my brother."

When her lips finally stopped moving, she placed an old-fashioned tape player into Lyra's lap. Tossing three tapes labeled Kaiba One, Kaiba Two, and Kaiba Three, she rose and moved toward the door. "Listen to them. If you believe me, you can find me at the lone tree at the bottom of the lake by the golden arrows." Pulling herself outside, Keira bobbed her head to the woman and vanished. She prayed that Lyra knew the exact location she spoke of. Though, if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. Keira would be back later that even to get back those tapes. They meant the world to her.

[_AnaTolia_]

'Keira Crest is Kaiba's sister and she has managed to bypass the city's security. Ten years ago, she was quite the star but then disappeared. Everyone thought that she had died. And now, the government thinks that Kaiba had something to do with it and is trying to learn anything about Keira from him. She wants my help.

'She trusts me and would want me to save her brother.'

'She wants me to join her in the fight against the government.

The words were running through Lyra's head. She had heard of a really famous person going missing. People everywhere had posted that she had died, even though there was no evidence. It seemed, back then, that the government joined in on the rumor and added that an aberration, someone who was dangerously and mentally ill. It stirred up the people back then.

She then looked at the increasingly old tape player and the tapes that Keira had given her. Without a word, she had left her all alone. Lyra wasn't sure if the room's governmental sensors were still watching her so she placed all of the things that she had received under her blankets. It would take a while for her to learn how to use the device and to listen to all of those tapes.

Lyra was curious, she must admit. And she had a sense for adventure. And it meant going against all these restrictions and barriers. She wanted to be free; even if it meant achieving it at a price.

"Golden arrows. She must mean at the Nefertiti Lake," Lyra mused to herself, the map of the city grid in her head. She was sure that she would be closely watched.

She then got back into bed, pretending to look like she was sleeping. After tinkering with it for quite some time, Lyra placed the first tape in the tape player and listened, anxious to what she was going to hear.

[Xavirne]

The sound of laughter poured from the headphones. His laughter. Kaiba's laughter.

"Happy birthday, Keira! You're officially a teenager today. For your birthday, I decided I would write you a poem. However, I misplaced that poem so instead I'm going to make stuff up and try to sound awesome. Yes. Awesome. We will start with... FUCKKKKK. I had a great poem started and I lost it. Where the hell did I put it. I swear, it was great. Well, yeah. This sucks. I guess it doesn't matter, though. You're at school right now. When you get back, I'll be going to work. And yeah. Anyway, happy birthday! Love you!"

There was silence for a bit, but his voice soon came back.

"Keira. I miss you. It's been three weeks since they took you away from me. I swear. I swear I will get you back and, one day, you will hear this message and know that I was able to save you from that terrible life. You're their pawn. I won't let them keep you. I'll figure something out. I will. I'll even leave behind cryptic notes so you can see the detail and commitment I poured into rescuing you. Ah, shit. They're coming. Talk later. Love you."

The room was quiet a lot longer this time around. It was pretty obvious that Kaiba hadn't realized he had recorded white noise from time to time. For a while, it was just the sound of someone typing on a keyboard, but it soon faded away and became the sound of footsteps.

"Shiiiit. I forgot to hit stop. Meant to say something, but I decided against it. Anyway, it's been about a month since I last recorded something. Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten. I've just been under lock and key. Real tight down here. Not much free time. Besides, I have feds looking over my shoulder left and right. When I get a chance, I'll get to breaking into the system and finding where they are keeping you. I'll get in. Get you out. And get rid of that mind chip. Miss you like hell, sis."

There were a lot of recordings on the one tape that pretty much said the same things over and over. He would get started and he would save her. It was about seventeen entries in when something concrete actually appeared. He mentioned finding a way in. Hacking the system. Planting a virus. And working on an escape plan. However, the rest of the message was cut-off as the tape had run out.

It was safe to assume that the next tape would talk about the escape plan, the tools he used, and even discuss what the government was actually doing. How he got his information and why it was relevant would also appear. The final tape actually contained information from the actual rescue mission and about how it was a huge success. However, the very last entry was quite interesting.

"Finally. I've got her. Here. Safe and sound. At least. It's great. I can finally live with a smile on my face.... hey, who the fuck are you... oh, no. No. Get away. Run, Keira! Run! Get out of here! I'll hold them o...." The sound of someone falling followed as did, "Cuff him. Go after her. They cannot escape."

Kaiba had, obviously, been caught while his sister escaped. Keira must have went back to the house to secure the recordings, which she had been holding onto for a while now. After years of hunting for the perfect partner, she chose Lyra. It was almost as if one of the tapes might have mentioned "Find Lyra." Too bad no one would ever know, as some of the tapes were missing.

Nonetheless, there was more going on than meets the eye. Kaiba discovered a flaw to the system. Keira had the answer. Now they just had to work together to solve the problem and break Kaiba out of his mind-controlled life. That should be easy. Psh, who are we kidding. It'll be hard as hell.

[_AnaTolia_]

Lyra listened to each and every one of the tapes, giggling at the beginning but stayed silent throughout the rest. Even though she had thought herself as one of those people working at the 'backstage' of his life, she was lucky that she knew him. 'This was the Kaiba I knew,' she thought, curling herself up under the blankets, suddenly feeling more alone. This was proof of how they would go to such lengths to keep us protected.

They should know that, as humans, we have a tendency to be against authority.

She felt anger bubbling up inside her as she listened to the last seconds that he had recorded. Going against them would be very dangerous and it would involve a lot of risks. Lyra had a second to doubt herself. Does she really want a life full of danger and intrigue? There would be times when she would have the choice to trust, or not.

'Freedom comes at a price.'

Lyra's eyes widened. There was a memory. A memory too fuzzy to remember. But someone had told her those words and she had shrugged them off, telling him that it was silly. Damn, who was him?

After a few hours of fitful sleeping, Lyra got up. She buried her head in her hands, realizing what she had gotten herself into. When she was younger, she dreamed of being a pretty, going to all those parties and hooking up with cute boys, living the life. She didn't cry, but suddenly she felt as if she had carried chains. But there was no time to lament at what she was throwing away right now. It was time to meet up with her, Kaiba's sister.

Changing into a different set of clothes, she decided to walk all the way there, conscious about the fact that her hover board and the hover taxi would monitor her. Placing the tape player and the tapes in her jacket pocket, she then walked towards Nefertiti Lake, the thoughts in her head swirling around like an endless hurricane.

Lyra then waited by the lake with the golden arrows, looking at her reflection and then at the other people who decided to come to the park to jog or to spend time with their families. The scene was somewhat bittersweet.

[Xavirne]

A sigh of relief pursued her lips. The woman had come. Thank god, she praised.

Stepping over to the reflective pool of water, Keira rested a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. Watching as Lyra's eyes shifted to her reflection, Keira smiled. "I'm so glad you understood my message." Waiting for the woman to stand, Keira stepped to the side some. Arms crossed over her chest, she started to wander away from the brunette as Keira had no intention of being made.

From time to time, Keira would stop to make sure Lyra was still following her. After all, it was crucial that Keira not be identified, especially in such a public, heavily-monitored area. Coaxing her golden-eyed friend along a back path, her purple eyes shifted over to a neatly meshed down area of leaves and grass.

"I know this doesn't look like much, but this is home. I'm about a 45 minute walk from where we meet. Close enough to keep my ears open to any buzz, but far enough away to not be a blip on the radar. It's a hard life, but it's better than being a caged rat." Her nose wrinkled with disgust just thinking about being a victim of an overprotective society. "I can't even imagine what Kaiba is going through. It must be a hard life...." Keira's eyes drifted down to the matted grass, "not knowing you're loved, missed, and needed."

A look of sadness lingered in her eyes a moment longer. But before the tears could even think about forming, a look of determination flooded her eyes. "Lyra. We can do this. I've got your back. You've got mine. Kaiba. He's just within our reach. I can almost taste his cologne on my tongue. Together. We shall save him." Tousling her hair, the cheeky woman smirked. "Hell, maybe we'll save them all."

It was a far-fetched idea. But it's ideas like that that make people great. Ideas like that that help people change the world. Nodding her hand, Keira placed her hands around Lyra's own pair. "I swear, you'll get him back."

[_AnaTolia_]

Vega faintly smiled at Keira, not mustering up enough courage and energy to give her a bright, full smile. She seemed relieved that she had come. 'Did she ever trust anyone else other than me?' She thought, feeling empathy for her and the situation that she was in. Losing your family at a young age was hard. Vay knew; she knew how it felt. There were too many of her friends losing their fathers when she was younger. Tears started to sting in her eyes. Making a feeble attempt to brush them away before they became noticeable, she then started to follow Keira once she was at a respectable distance.

Even at the park, there are eyes. So, Vega took notice of each and every person that was in the park at the moment, especially on Keira. After everything that had happened the night before, she was sure that she was on the government's list. She had busied herself with small activities to throw them off: feeding the ducks and even briefly socializing with the other pretties. Even though she did all of that, Kaiba's sister didn't leave her sight.

Once they arrived at a back path, Vega looked back, squinting to see if there was anyone trying to follow them. Her eyes them found a neat area made up of leaves and grass. She then crossed her arms and embraced herself, listening to Keira. It was exactly how she felt the night before. Once more, she wondered if there were others like the both of them, probably on the outskirts of the city, planning a revolution that would shake their lives. It seemed as if it all came from a story, and even those were monitored carefully to make sure nothing too treacherous or revealing is on it.

'We shall save him, she says.' "We? I don't mean to be negative but we are only two people against a whole horde of people hell-bent on protecting us. Are there others?" Vega asked, doubt creeping on her mind. But when Keira told her that they were going to get him back for her, her cheeks turned into a shade of pink. "I-I-I..."

[Xavirne]

//OOC: Sorry about the delay. College was coming to an end so those last few weeks have been hell for me. Should be able to post on a more regular basis now.

"We are just two. Two simple girls. Two hearts that both long for the same dream. A dream of freedom. A freedom that will allow us to dream." Keira shifted her weight some. Flicking her eyes back up to meet Lyra, she smiled. "I know what I'm asking seems impossible, but he was able to do. We can do it, too. And he did it alone. We're doing this together. I think... I think it's what he wanted. I feel like... I feel like your freedom... my freedom... I think... I think he sacrificed his own free-will to save us. I've found a lot... notes... about you. I don't mean to pry, but were you two... dating? If not, he was definitely into you, regardless of what you might think."

Hands folded together in her lap, Keira tried to force a smile on her face. But it just wouldn't come. Not with the tears that were crashing all around her. It was painful. It was painful knowing her brother (adopted brother to be exact) was trapped in a world of lies, false memories, and drugs.

The government probably wanted to keep him close as he was a hell of a good money maker. His shows always sold out. Anytime his body was auctioned off, he would rake in a pretty penny. At large balls and ceremonies, celebrities from all around would pool into the room just to shake his hand. Any paraphernalia once worn by Kaiba was usually sold at extremely steep prices.

Yes, the government was making quite the hefty income with Kaiba as their slave.

Shaking her head in disgust, Keira turned to Lyra. "To think, he had such a wondrous future.... It's all gone now. He's nothing but a slave. A money-making slave."

[_AnaTolia_]

OOC: That's alright. Things over here are simmering down, too. I can't wait until summer vacation!

Lyra's eyes widened at Keira's little speech about freedom. There would be some times where a speech like that would be considered 'cheesy' but at that moment, it was needed. It seemed as if the odds were against them and they couldn't trust anybody else except themselves, which was depressing. Giving Kaiba's sister a smile to reassure her, she then wrapped her arms around herself, trying to control the shivering. It wasn't cold, but it was just the remnants of the 'pretty' brain in her persuading her to turn away and live the 'pretty' life, bubbly and ignorant.

But when Keira asked her if Lyra and Kaiba had ever dated, her face turned into a shade of pink. "N-no... We weren't anything like that. We were just friends," she tried to explain, the words tumbling out of her mouth. She didn't think that they were an item, but more like acquaintances than friends. '...he was definitely into you, regardless of what you think,' those words rang in her head countless times. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it, unless she had some proof, and that was talking to him up front.

Lyra then held Keira in her arms. She tried to comfort her, even though she was scared to death herself. "We will get through this. We will bust him out and we will escape. You hear me? Out of this wretched city!" She then held her by her shoulders and gave her a smile. "Besides, there are other cities that aren't like this."