Sun's first rays make Estella Baudelaire squint her closed eyes as the curtains on her large bedroom window are pulled aside. With a groan she turns her head away from the punishing beams of light, her right arm stretching to the side to stroke her sleeping companion, only to find cold, empty bedding.
"My lady Estella, it is time to wake up," A gentle female voice sounds next to her bed.
Her still sleepy brain finally catching up with her situation, she reflexively rises to a sitting position, her long, light brown hair swinging around as she covers the left side of her face with her right hand. "My eyepatch, Sayoko! Where is my eyepatch?!" She lets out, harsher than she intended.
"At once, my lady," Unperturbed, the maid picks said object up from the nightstand and walks to her lady's side. Helping her put it on, the patch now covering most of the left side of her face, with only few small ends of scars peeking from under it.
Taking few deep breaths, Estella turns to her headmaid. "Thank you, Sayoko. I apologise for my conduct, it was unbecoming of me. Tiredness of the early morning is no excuse."
"Think nothing of it, my lady," Sayoko says, giving her a soft smile. "Breakfast is about to be ready. Now let me help you to the chair and we can have your morning preparations done," With a nod from her mistress, Sayoko grabs Estella from under her right arm with one arm, while positioning her other arm under Estella's leg stumps, lifting her up while being careful with her missing left arm and lowering her into a wheelchair.
Afterwards Sayoko helps her with washing, attaching her split hook prosthetic arm and helping her dress into an elegant, black and red dress. As she starts pushing her towards the dining room, Estella turns toward her. "Sayoko, where is Irina?"
"Lady Irina rose from her slumber over an hour before you. She headed straight to the training room for her morning exercises, saying she'd meet you at breakfast, after she made sure that the rest of the security detail were still in shape," Sayoko answers.
Estella smiles at that. "Of course she would. Well then, let us hurry. It would be graceless of me to be late from our meeting."
"Of course, my lady," Sayoko says, chuckling, as she pushes her along to the dining room.
Arriving at the dining room Estella is seated before a full breakfast table. She has barely begun her breakfast when a door to the dining hall opens, letting in a young, lean, androgynous woman with a blonde hair in a pony tail and green eyes, dressed in a butler's uniform, just attaching her last cufflink before taking seat at the table.
"Good morning, lady Estella. Hope you didn't miss your trusty bodyguard too much. I only left your side after being sure that no one would sink you in my absence," She says with a cocky grin, starting to pile food on her plate.
Estella dabs her lips with a napkin before answering with a smile. "My bed was colder than I expected, but I endured. I just hoped you hand't forgotten that after breakfast we still have work to do at the company headquarters. Many things still require finalizing before I can let them into the hands of others and trust them to do their duty in appropriate manner."
Starting to dig into her food, Irina answers between swallows as she rolls her eyes. "I wish I could forget, having to spend hours watching you do paperwork and listen old men and women prattle on and on while trying to see what they can squeeze out of you. Just give a word and I'll throw them all out a window."
Between her own eating Estella lets out a soft sigh, as if this is a conversation they've had multiple times in the past. "Opportunists many of them may be, especially after the death of my family and me inheriting all of 'Baudelaire Safety and Medicine' at such a young age, but they're still legal members of my company and I shall treat them as such. As much as I wish I could sometimes indulge in your proposal. But let us finish our meal without further such talk. After all, today I shall be finished with all the work required that the company will function the way I desire even with my abscence."
The rest of their breakfast finishes in comfortable silence. As the servants begin to clean everything up, Irina grabs the handles of Estella's wheelchair and starts pushing her towards the garage, while humming a happy tune.
This makes Estella look at her and raise and eyebrow. "Please do tell me, what has you on such a bright mood suddenly?"
Irina grins back at her. "Isn't it obvious? With you finishing all that nasty paperwork and stuff today and having gotten clean bill of health from your doctor previously, it means you can finally return to Raijin Academy next week and start enjoying that highschool life you deserve." Instead of answering, Estella grows quiet and just stares forward, which makes Irina grow worried. "Hey, Este, Prinzessin, talk to me."
"I... I just... Iri, I have been gone from school for a long time. I'm over two years older than my current classmates. Would anyone there even recognize me? With the company, the fire of my family's previous mansion, my... condition and health issues," She lifts her prosthetic arm, "I haven't but occasionally gone to Raijin for short periods. This is what my life has been, since the... the..."
She's sitting in the car with her older brother, returning from violin and saxophone practice respectively, talking and laughing. But then there's sudden shouting, the screech of tires, gunshots, glassshatteringanddiggingintoherfacepaininherlegspaininherarmpaininhertorsomoreschreechingoftiresfeelingofweightlessnessandthendarkness...
Estella jolts out of the memory as she feels reassuring hand on her shoulder and finds Irina kneeling next to her. "Hey, I know they're going to be so envious of you. You went through all that and more and it made you stronger. Trust me, it will be all smooth sailing. They'll see and remember what an amazing, strong, kind and caring woman you are," She gives a quick peck on Estella's lips. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"You always know what to say, Iri, my dear Chevalier," She says smiling, which then turns mischievous. "But are you sure you're not wishing my return to school just so that you can charm most of the student populace again, now that I require you as an aide on the school grounds? I happen to remember all those boys and girls longingly staring at you whenever you dropped me at school and picked me up from there."
Irina shrugs her shoulders, feigning innocence as she starts pushing the wheelchair forward again. "What can I say, I look good in a suit."
With mirthful chuckling and giggling, they arrive at the garage, step into a car and head towards the Baudelaire Safety and Medicine HQ.
----
It was late into evening before all the work and meetings were done, and Estella and Irina found themselves in an elevator, heading down to the parking garage.
"Thank god, it is all finally done," Irina lets out along with a deep groan.
"Yes, indeed. But now that I no longer need to worry about my company's actions, I can start enjoying that highschool life that I deserve like you said, Iri. Now, pardon my momentary unladylikeness," Estella comments as she stretches her arm and leg stumps, as they step out of the elevator.
"I can hardly wait to get back home and soak..."
"ESTE, HOLD ON!!!" Irina suddenly shouts as she grabs Estella from the wheelchair and jumps behind one of the thick concrete pillars supporting the parking garage, as the unmistakeble staccato of silenced gunfire hits the wheelchair and then the pillar.
"Dammit. You should have just died from that, Estella! It would have made everything easier for both of us!" A voice sounds amongst the cars. A voice Estella recognizes.
"Cousin Sigoléne. This leads me to a conclusion that these most recent attempts on my life have been your doing," Estella calls back as Irina sets her against the pillar and carefully peeks past it, only to be met with more gunfire, but managing to catch a glimpse of the woman in question, raising up from where she was hiding amongst the cars. Along with almost twenty armed men and women.
"I have no idea how you managed to survive the previous attempts, so I decided that if you want something done right, you need to do it yourself! Well, me and all these concerned previous employees of yours. Estella, what on Earth has gotten into you? Your actions with the company, you're destroying everything our family spent decades building, your parents kept building! Your action are spitting on their legacy and that of our lineage!" As Sigoléne keeps talking, Estella pulls out her phone and hits an emergency button, calling the company security down at the garage. But then Sigoléne's last comment gets her blood boiling.
"Do not talk to me about their legacy, or our family's legacy! Everything I've done is to turn their so called legacy around, to try and make something better out of it! Your actions here and before are prove that you're not worthy to carry this burden. Therefore, I will offer you this one last chance of surrender and turn a new leaf in your life," She shouts back, giving a nod to Irina whom gets up, pulling out her pistol.
They both can hear Sigoléne angrily scoff. "Very well then, you weak willed, pathetic little cripple, you and your friend won't be leaving this place alive. And don't bother trying to call for help, we're in the building's systems. Cameras and any signals from here are on loop, and all the doors and elevators are in lockdown. You're trapped here." She gives her soldiers a signal, and they start slowly advancing on the pillar Estella and Irina are using for cover, weapons ready.
Irina chuckles at that. "See, Sigoléne, that was your first mistake. Not realizing that we're not trapped here with you..." Irina rolls out of the pillar's cover and sprints towards the advancing troops as music start blasting from her direction, as if coming from a radio. "You're trapped here with us! And even more bad for you, they're playing my song!"
Professional mercenaries that they are, they immediately open fire on the advancing woman. Only to notice in horror that their bullets only manage to punch holes into her clothing, flattening uselessly against her skin. And then she is amongst them, with one kick caving in a man's chest while downing two more with accurate headshots.
The battle is a massacre, Irina shooting, kicking and punching amongst the mercenaries, one time even kicking the car few of the enemies were using for cover into another car, flattening them. As the fighting ends Irina quickly locates the tablet they had used to control the building security, turning it off and letting Estella's call for help finally go through.
"Don't move! Drop your weapon and open the doors, or this bitch gets it!"
Irina's head whips around, looking at Sigoléne. In the chaos of fighting she had managed to sneak away and grab Estella, whom she was now holding with one hand while pointing her pistol at Estella's head with another.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said open the doors or I will kill her!" Sigoléne demanded again, clearly horrified by the slaughter of her men, only to be met by Irene's smug grin.
"Hah. Oh, Sigoléne, I said that your first mistake was thinking that we were trapped here with you..." Irina starts as Estella's right hand moves faster than eye can see, grabbing the gun and the hand holding it, wrenching it away from her head as Sigoléne futilely tries to pull the trigger.
"Your second was thinking that I am completely helpless," Estella finishes as she squeezes, destroying both the gun and the hand holding it. Before Sigoléne has time to scream Irene is right next to her, what looks like an AA turret forming on her as it fires, splattering Sigoléne's upper body with one shot as she grabs the now falling Estella.
"Prinzessin, are you alright?" Irene asks worriedly.
"I am fine, my Chevalier," She answers back, smiling, as the doors to the garage burst open as the security arrives. "Now, I shall handle the talking. We will be here a while and have to wait for the police to arrive."
----
Few hours later, after explaining to the security and the police that it was a failed assassination attempt that her extremely capable bodyguard handled thanks to the bodyarmor she always wears under her clothing, Estella finds herself relaxing in her personal bathtub after getting out of her bloody dress and removing her prosthetic and eyepatch, letting out a content sigh, enjoying the quietness. Which is soon broken as Irene enters the bathroom, clad in nothing but a towel.
"Hey, Este, got room for one more?"
"IRI! Um, o-of course," Estella blushes and stutters as Irina lowers herself to the large bathtub right next to her, while Estella unconciously lowers herself deeper into the water. They stay like that for a moment, until Irina runs her finger over one of the circular scars over Estella's breast, making Estella shiver.
"Hey, Este, you know that you never need to hide these from me," She says, Estella turning to look at her fully, letting Irina move Estella's hair away from her face, revealing the ravaged left side of it and her blind, milky white eye.
"I know, Iri. It's just... I... I just can't help but think what you still see in me. Now that I'm this. Damaged goods..." Estella quietly lets out, uncertainty in her voice.
"Hey, there will be no such talk from my girl. No matter how hurt you are, you're still the same amazing woman I fell in love with, and I wouldn't change you for any horizon. You're smart, lot smarter than me, kind, caring, strong, responsible, and you never treated me differently even when learning what I am. And you have a nice pair of tits, even greater ass and lips I just want to UMPH!" Irina's crushing compilation of compliments is brought to a halt when Estella grabs her by the back of her head and smashes their lips together, their tongues intertwining in a battle of dominance. Battle that ends in Estella's victory before they have to separate for air.
Out of breath, Irina stares lovingly at her girlfriend. "I so love it when you grab the helm."
"Just shut up and kiss me again. I want to be hoarse when I wake up tomorrow." Estella growls as she stares challengingly into her girlfriend's eyes. And as their towels are thrown away, Irina has only one thing to say:
"YES MA'AM!!!"
This, but the eyepatch covers her left eye and there are some tiny scars peeking underneath.
Anyway, looks like there's a company heiress and her bodyguard/lover/Partner coming to our school soon. Near as I can tell, the heiress's injuries (quite nasty ones, at that- three missing limbs and a blinded eye, from what I counted) happened because the assassins caught her by surprise while she was being driven somewhere. That about right?
Kinda guessing she's the heiress of one of the Organization's front companies who doesn't agree with their philosophy (for obvious reasons), but it's too early to tell for sure, and you're probably not gonna say anything until it's officially revealed.
Anyway, looks like there's a company heiress and her bodyguard/lover/Partner coming to our school soon. Near as I can tell, the heiress's injuries (quite nasty ones, at that- three missing limbs and a blinded eye, from what I counted) happened because the assassins caught her by surprise while she was being driven somewhere. That about right?
Kinda guessing she's the heiress of one of the Organization's front companies who doesn't agree with their philosophy (for obvious reasons), but it's too early to tell for sure, and you're probably not gonna say anything until it's officially revealed.
To clarify, she and her older brother were being driven back home from music practice (violin and saxophone respectively) when they were attacked. And they also had to dig six bullets out of her at the hospital.
As for the latter, no telling one way or the other. That would be spoilers.
To clarify, she and her older brother were being driven back home from music practice (violin and saxophone respectively) when they were attacked. And they also had to dig six bullets out of her at the hospital.
As for the latter, no telling one way or the other. That would be spoilers.
Wasn't expecting a straight answer (not from you, at least, or at this time), for exactly that reason.
Anyway, kinda assuming the brother either died in the crossfire, or was targeted in addition to her but didn't have any supernatural-ness to help him survive.
Irina chuckles at that. "See, Sigoléne, that was your first mistake. Not realizing that we're not trapped here with you..." Irina rolls out of the pillar's cover and sprints towards the advancing troops as music start blasting from her direction, as if coming from a radio. "You're trapped here with us! And even more bad for you, they're playing my song!"
Well, they'll be at our school at least, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be attending our tournament; after an extended hospital stay, Estella's probably swamped with homework. Not gonna say for sure that they won't be there (since I can't prove it), but I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't.
Besides, "witnesses who know what they're seeing" was already a concern, since the Organization's infiltrated our school.
Well, they'll be at our school at least, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be attending our tournament; after an extended hospital stay, Estella's probably swamped with homework. Not gonna say for sure that they won't be there (since I can't prove it), but I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't.
Besides, "witnesses who know what they're seeing" was already a concern, since the Organization's infiltrated our school.
I dunno, I'm pretty sure OP's mentioned that they'll be able to tell our martial arts are supernatural even if we aren't actively using them as such at the time. Guess we'll have to wait to find out for sure, though.
I dunno, I'm pretty sure OP's mentioned that they'll be able to tell our martial arts are supernatural even if we aren't actively using them as such at the time. Guess we'll have to wait to find out for sure, though.
@LinkOnScepter
Can you give final ruling on this, since if they can be seen as supernatural arts even when not used as such would mean that using them as mundane arts is pretty pointless.
Even when playing by the rules hayato will still mulch trough the competition. Its just not really normal that anyone ca do it and will catch attention. It maybe worthy to bait the organization just not the best foot fowards regarding a pair that constantly had to fend off assassination atempts.
@LinkOnScepter
Can you give final ruling on this, since if they can be seen as supernatural arts even when not used as such would mean that using them as mundane arts is pretty pointless.
100 at the moment, 150 can be unlocked through specific events, and with Martial Arts is is also possible to unlock 200. Except for our bro who starts with cap of 150 and can raise it from there.
ok, the final enemies of the first season will have a maximum of 100, the enemies of the beginning / middle of the second season will have a maximum of 150 and at the end of the second season (possible end of the anime, if it were) they will have 200 .. .