I'm currently bawling my eyes out after watching "Message of Regret" by Kagamine Rin on Youtube...yeah.
Track: 03
...Shifting Tides Sigh...
Three days.
It had been three days since Kamui and Subaru had actually spoken to one another. It wasn't exactly because they had fought but rather – as Keroberos put it – they had conflicting personalities. And now, staring one another down, it seemed that yet another clash was not long in coming.
However, with neither cats there to help their humans, the two could not do much more than glare. It wasn't that Subaru couldn't use his occult powers to harm Kamui. Nor was Kamui above fighting dirty if the need arose. It was simply that the two…
They weren't in the best position to argue just yet.
Kamui glowered at Subaru, trying his hardest not to pant as his legs trembled beneath him, refusing to listen to their owner's silent command to carry his fucking weight without complaint. And, right now, they were screaming at him, his muscles quivering as they struggled to hold him upright. That doctor had warned him that he might be prone to collapsing – this, however, was ridiculous!
He was not some delicate fawn, no matter how effeminate his face might appear, no matter how scrawny his body was. And his legs had better figure that out quick or they were in for a world of hurt! Never mind the fact that they were a part of his body and he would experience the same pain they did. Kamui wasn't in the best state of mind, having just taken pills to help him sleep.
The only problem lay in the fact that his room was down the hallway and he just had to lose control of these limp noodles formerly known as his legs right in front of Subaru, who had been exiting one of the many spare rooms, some sort of reading material in hand. Gods damn the man to Hell. Gritting his teeth, the young man pressed both hands against the milky wall beside him, trying to regain his balance and wobble off before he made a fool of himself completely.
Subaru, for his part, was returning Kamui's glare simply because it was best if he hated the boy. While the day after Kamui's arrival had started out rather well, Subaru had been somewhat upset when he just started smiling – in earnest, of all things – at Kamui's antics and his own foolish ways. That couldn't happen; it wouldn't happen. Not that Subaru simply wished to wallow in self-pity. Rather, he did not wish harm upon anyone else. It was his burden to bear; it was his fault. Penance could be served by living in solitude, though Spinel Sun was one being that would ever truly get close to Subaru. Thus, Subaru might be able to forgive himself when his time to die came, and if he could push that date closer, then so be it. Subaru was not suicidal, did not want to be. Instead, he wished to shorten his time on Earth so as to return to his sister that much quicker without committing a sin that would set him on the path to Hell.
"What the hell do you want?" Kamui growled coldly, startling Subaru out of the dark recesses of his mind and into the present. The young man was slowly but surely sliding down toward the ground, legs folding and the boy gasping for breath, eyes glassy but filled with determination. Subaru glanced down at the book he still clutched, a complete collection of Shakespeare – rewritten in Japanese for those that wished to enjoy the writings of a madman with an Angel that had later driven him to suicide. Or was that Edgar Allen Poe? Subaru glanced coolly up at Kamui, eyeing the hands that clutched at the wall, the white knuckles.
"Do you need help?" Subaru had two options; it was Kamui's choice to make, however. If the boy said yes, he could help Kamui up and bring him to his room. In the process, he might get some part of his face clawed off and called some word or another at least three times. Or, option number two: the youth would say no and he would continue to his own sleeping quarters, probably regretting his inability to take charge of the situation for the rest of the day. But at least he wouldn't have to face possible mutilation. 'And I'm proud of that? You're turning into a lizard, Sumeragi.'
"Please…" Kamui hated himself for asking, hated to show any sort of reliance upon this bitter man. This schizophrenic jerk; this bipolar bastard. Maybe he had been just a tad hurt when Subaru suddenly withdrew that day, but that was understandable. They had been having fun – Scrabble, Monopoly, even a "Divining Board" – which had proclaimed Subaru to be a waitress working in a gay bar and Kamui a wealthy novelist-- had fallen before the two. By the end, Kamui's cheeks hurt from laughing, simply from his companion's wit, and Subaru actually seemed to be having fun. And then – it started as a shudder, working its way across the Sumeragi, pale face becoming ashen and eyes colored emerald darkening as some wicked voice that Kamui couldn't hear spoke to Subaru. He knew something must be speaking to the man, for Subaru had tipped his head slightly to the side, cocking his head the way a dog does when hearing some sound.
Then, the older man had bitten his bottom lip, had stared down at his palms with something akin to revulsion. He hadn't ordered Kamui to leave, return to his room. Instead, Subaru had withdrawn of his own will, stumbling to his feet, backing away from the chair that he had been seated in, away from Kamui and the table that had been set between them. And then he was gone, leaving Kamui wondering if he had done something wrong; pushed the boundaries too soon.
Because Kamui wasn't an ass, would never truly be some punk. Certainly, he might act like one, but he just didn't want to get hurt. The teenager was wary of trusting people, knew that cruelty often hid behind kind faces, and he would be damned if he fell in with the wrong crowd. But he still wanted friends, lovers, family.
He was still human.
And – he wanted to be friends with the Sumeragi. Some part of him warned against the two becoming close, but they could still be friends, right? So to have someone that he believed could be kind -- was being nice, suddenly back away – it was disheartening and Kamui hated himself for getting upset over such an action.
Subaru stared down at the boy, wary for a moment, before hoisting him up gently. One arm wrapped carefully around a thin back while the other steadied shaky legs – Kamui leaned against Subaru with a short sigh of relief, muscles only protesting gently now as half the weight was lifted off them.
The Sumeragi was not a particularly tall man – being just under five-feet-nine-inches, average height – nor did he weigh very much. What muscles he did have were not prone to lifting bulky items, anything over so many pounds being difficult to carry. He staggered slightly when Kamui slumped against him. Not that the boy was that heavy either. He was just – unmanageable; long legs, pale arms trying to become accustomed to the sudden shortage of space. It didn't help that Kamui's eyes were starting to drift close – support found – body shutting down.
And yet – they managed. Subaru found the doorway that led to Kamui's bedroom, green eyes straining to look past dark, unruly locks of hair – the head they were attached to nestled under Subaru's chin. Somehow, a less-than-muscular Subaru was able to help a half-asleep Kamui find his bed. Though the younger one nearly dragged the man down with him as he collapsed on the bed. And then Kamui was gone, facial features relaxing, body unclenching – tenseness smoothing into contentment.
'Is he that upset at me?' Subaru was more than a little disturbed to find that he cared what Kamui thought. To some degree, anyway.
Shaking his head, Subaru turned away. He needed to get to his own room. The only room Kamui was not allowed in and the only one in which Subaru smoked now. A more subconscious attempt at courtesy than any general kindness directed at the boy. Old habits died hard, especially around company. Which is exactly why Subaru was a hermit.
"Where'd that book go?"
The man pulled the door close, running one hand through his close-cropped black hair as he retraced his steps, trying to find the damned copy and mulling over the lunch menu for that day. Maybe, if the boy woke up in time, he would test Kamui's abilities at cooking. In all honesty, Subaru was getting rather tired of all the pizza boxes lying around. But, since he only knew a few recipes himself, they were the only things that kept Kamui from continually eating soup, sushi, and other meals that barely required anything to make.
And, of course, lunch would be served some time around two p.m., Kamui seeming to have rather strange eating habits. Honestly, the boy would decide he was hungry in the middle of the night – which involved his hammering on Subaru's door demanding a proper meal via slips of paper he would slide under the door. The only good thing that came out of it was that the Sumeragi now knew the manager of Pizza Hut personally and that he also had the number programmed into his cell phone – a device that had never seen any form of action unless Subaru was running late on a job – which now received plenty of frantic speed dials to Pizza Hut when the hungry teenager came knocking.
It had been a shock to the man when he received the phone bill just yesterday only to discover that his monthly bill had increased and that his free minutes had run out.
"There it is."
Subaru needed to stop talking to himself. At least the voices were gone – for now. A short reprieve.
"Target located. Attack commencing."
Satsuki Yatouji stared at the monitor before her, simply another part of her expansive BEAST's system. In the contrasting reds and yellows that signaled heat sensors stood a red blob shaped like a human. Indeed, it would have been a human were it not for the wings that spread out behind it, purest white on another monitor that focused more so on color and clearness rather than focus and precision.
The young woman carefully adjusted her glasses, gently shoving them farther up the bridge of her nose. These last few days she had eliminated nine total ArchAngels, along with their human counterparts.
"Satsuki-chan, maybe you should take a break?" Him…
She tore her gaze away from the screen, her precious TrueAngel's cords already beginning to lash out at their target, located so many miles outside of Tokyo. But then, BEAST could locate any target and destroy them with startling efficiency, no matter where they were.
Yuuto Kigai stood so many feet below, eyes directed upward with a small grin on his face. When he caught her eyes, his smile grew larger and he spoke once more.
"That is, if BEAST can handle this one by itself."
Satsuki analyzed his face for one brief pause, letting his words hang in the air before finally replying. "BEAST is more than capable."
With that, the wires that coursed through her body withdrew, disconnecting from her veins and the electrical buzz that always occurred with their joining slowly slipping away. Then she was out of her seat, one large cable provided by BEAST allowing her a ride down to Yuuto's level, where she promptly stepped onto the tiled floor and began for the exit, pausing only to throw on her lab coat that hung from a metal hook attached to the wall beside the door that led outside.
The blond followed after her, pausing only to let loose an appreciative whistle at the complexity of BEAST before leaving.
A small metal camera traveled behind them, BEAST scrutinizing this man who could so easily bend the girl to his whims. For now, it would be content with simple reminders to Satsuki of who her "friends" were – certainly not these humans who she scorned.
There was a small chance that the child would become more comfortable and less bored around humans, thus causing an increase in the levels of ignorance that BEAST received in favor of spending more time with this strange being. Flesh and blood – such fickle creatures they were, needed to be taught a lesson – they did.
The machine TrueAngel never noticed when the ArchAngel broke through the cables that had previously constricted it. By then, ten minutes had passed and the artificial Angel was currently hunting down other, less-challenging prey. The man had found fit to draw its human charge into a game. Whoever killed the most ArchAngels in two hours would win.
BEAST certainly wasn't going to lose to a watery sea dragon by the name of Fuji, or so Satsuki-chan had so monotonously explained, followed by much gesturing and puffing from Yuuto about how his Angel was very good and should not be taken lightly.
A young woman sat inside a glass orb, ceremonial robes sweeping across her delicate frame, silver hair hiding the mark etched into the skin upon her forehead. Upon first look, one would not have noticed that she held powers that differentiated her and alienated her from others. One might have noticed her disabilities, if they possessed the knowledge and observation skills.
What the man saw was entirely different from what others saw though. There was a mirror image, wicked and cruel. She dictated what would happen, where her pawns would go. Selfish reasons drove her, and molten lava seemed to fill her heart – hot and fiery where her opposite was cool and deep.
"You," hissed the darker side of the one known as Hinoto. Kakyou inclined his head in acknowledgement, taking care to place more wards around his physical body should she attempt to locate it. Here, in the dreamscape, harm certainly could come to one's spiritual body. But, they were of equal power – yumemi that were to be on opposite sides when the time came.
"The future cannot be changed. What has been foreseen cannot be undone or prevented." Kakyou stared downward, eyes focused on the dark pond that lay before him, unmoving and unchanging. Hinoto, the princess, still sat within her fragile cocoon, blank eyes also gazing at the calm surface.
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and Kakyou saw the other for a split second, pressing frantically against the edge of her watery prison before sinking back down into its depths, strength gone for yet another day. Kakyou's face creased slightly as a frown appeared on his otherwise passive features. It was disturbing to see such things, those events that would come to pass and those wishes that would be fulfilled in a cruel and deceitful manner.
His dreamgazing companion had disappeared when he closed his eyes then reopened them, examining a spot that had once held a traitorous woman. Now ripples shattered the calm as Kakyou remembered a dream from long ago, eyes closing once more – this time in peace – as he listened to her words.
"Hokuto," he sighed softly, once more wondering why it held true that the good died young.
Though he didn't blame her brother, some distrust was held when it concerned the Sakurazukamori. That man had created such a bet simply out of boredom, a wish to play with human beings as toys. And, to break that toy even more so, he had taken down the young man's sister – dear Hokuto, she who only wished for her brother to find happiness.
Now dead.
Kakyou's eyes once more opened as that memory faded from his world. Another image had come forth, though this one was of the present, not the past. And this girl was different from Hokuto – so very different. But they did have very similar fates. Kakyou smiled sadly before escaping, one last motionless picture of this girl fading with him.
That child would die no matter what Kamui chose.
The Monou family, the Togakushi Shrine: together, these two held much significance for Kamui. From his youth up until that fateful day when his mother and father perished, Angels scattered across the ground and soaking in blood, the shrine had been a place where he played. And the children of the Monou family had been his constant companions – the only ones his mother allowed.
Monou Kotori stared at the list before her, once more scanning it for mistakes. A cheerful smile had spread across her face. The last few nights had been filled with dreams of Kamui-chan – the sweet, young man was always smiling, asking her to play.
But now…
"Kotori, are you ready to go?" The young woman's eyes snapped upward, she flustering slightly.
"O-onii-chan! I'm ready, so we can go." Fuuma offered her a gentle smile and shifted slightly. "Do you have everything written down?"
For a moment, Kotori blinked in dismay, hands fidgeting at her sides before she smiled in relief and replied, "Aa, everything is on two separate sheets of paper; one for you and one for me."
Her older brother frowned for a moment and Kotori caught the worried look in his canny eyes – she flustered slightly and whined softly, "I'm just fine, onii-chan. I promise that nothing bad will happen. Besides, Cruor will watch over me." She paused for a second then continued on, voice laced with hesitation –
"Even though that's not his job…"
Fuuma wouldn't meet her eyes but instead focused on their two Angels, his FarAngel and her own SeraphimAngel. Cruor was often guised in the form of a large, white wolf with feathered wings the color of falling snow dusted with darker ashen flecks, and now he stood proud beside his charge. Settled upon the handlebars of the bike Fuuma straddled sat a red bird with chain marks burned into its scarlet wings, wise gray eyes regarding the young man in turn. Named Luna, the phoenix trilled a soft note of reassurance and Fuuma sighed in defeat.
"Fine; I just don't want anything happening to you."
Kotori smiled and hopped onto the back of his bike, Luna taking flight and Cruor following after her. Fuuma and Kotori came right behind them, all four headed toward the nearest crowded shopping district.
When they got there, Kotori took off in the direction of the fish, having decided that their father would be better off with something slightly more fulfilling than the usual wheat, fruit, and vegetables he ate in compliance with the rules set upon his person as a monk. Fuuma watched her go, before discreetly sending Cruor off after her. Satisfied, he turned away and didn't notice when she whistled softly and sent Luna back after him, passing by Cruor on her way.
The phoenix trilled softly at the wolf as they passed by one another, and Cruor drew his ears back for a moment before growling softly and leaping after Kotori, changing to a tiny cat when the street he followed the girl on became too crowded, well aware of where Luna was, where his master was, where his charge's precious person was.
Fuuma walked easily through the packed streets of the market, passing stalls that sold odd trinkets as he searched for rare delicacies that hailed from foreign lands, chocolate from the mountainous range of Switzerland and actual green eggs made by some smaller, less significant (though no less important in the grand scheme of things) nation that also nestled in Europe. Strange as it was, both items were extremely delicious and his sister loved the chocolate while he enjoyed the eggs – of course, he had been called strange by his peers, on one of their braver days when he didn't seem quite so threatening.
He was so focused on finding those two foods that he nearly missed the muttered "Kamui" that came from a dark-haired man that stalked through the people in front of him, never touching any and shrinking back when they got a little too close for comfort. Fuuma frowned then, felt a slightly spark of annoyance because when Kotori brought up their childhood friend he felt lonely.
But, it could always just be another Kamui. It couldn't be the little boy who had decided he would marry Kotori and wear a wedding dress (well, he had been just a child so…), the one who had smiled like the world was his oyster and nothing bad would ever happen.
And, then he heard something else. Something that made Luna above him flutter her wings in excitement because it had to be them! The dark, butterfly-winged angel that paced at his side said "Keroberos" and Fuuma had never heard those names used together before. And he wanted to call out, tell them to stop, but then the older man was disappearing around a corner
Fuuma hurried after him, trying not to seem obvious – something that was hard when he was one of the tallest there, towering over the tiny, hunched grandparents and the middle-aged parents. The children of his generation never seemed to participate in such trivial tasks, leaving it to their parents. Of course, Fuuma was tall by default, but surrounded by those that were beginning to be weighed down by gravity, his height became even more apparent.
When he skittered around the edge, he found no one. He stood there for a moment, a rock for a river of people to part around before sighing and muttering quietly, "Kamui." Then, with one last despondent glance back over his shoulder, he went to collect his merchandise and younger sister.
He failed to notice the little plush dark cat that sat on the stall nearest to the corner, not daring to breathe until he was out of sight. Only then did Spinel Sun gulp in air and mumble about how Subaru needed to stop using him as a spy. Regardless of the fact Spinel Sun had been the more curious of the two, had hidden and heard what the young man had said.
Desen: Guh; that is it. I give up. Just expect updates. I don't when and I don't know how large the chapters will be. Just expect 'em. I introduced quite a few more of the characters in this one. If you notice, the quality of the chapter became very bad in the middle and began to get much better near the end. The middle was right before I just quite writing entirely for a bit and after that was when I started back up again.
Umm, yeah.
::Omake::
--Chibi versions of Kamui, Subaru, Spinel Sun, and Keroberos charge out onto a stage, each carrying a sign. Jigsaw flies in and places a sign with 'a' written on it in the center of the stage. Kamui and Keroberos line up on the left side of it while Subaru and Spinel Sun go to the other side. They each turn their cards to face the audience, the signs reading 'Omake' together. The curtain closes before lifting up to reveal all four without any signs. --
--All is quiet, and the camera slowly zooms in on what appear to be corpses. After awhile, a chibi version of Desen comes out, looking slightly unnerved--
Desen: Well, this is…bad. I – don't quite know what to make of this situation.
--She tries poking the body of Kamui with a stick.--
Desen: Oh FU—
--PLEASE STAND BY--
--WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES--
--Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback is currently playing--