The World Knows no Bounds

[Jirou]

Character: Trey/Toku [bio found in blog]


Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy, (potential) Yaoi, (+)


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Bursting out the door of some random building, a rather droll looking male seeming around the age of sixteen dashed down the streets with a bucket of steaming hot water over his head as crazed laughter emitted from him, an expression to match. His strikingly white locks swayed each time his converse pounded against the pavement, a key bound by a string around his neck shimmering in the warm afternoon sunlight.


Where could he be going, and... What exactly was he doing?


He wore a mere black T-shirt and faded skinny jeans, but one could clearly tell he had been through hell (figuratively) by the condition of his wears. Not only were there several blotches of dirt here and there, but rips and tears were sprinkled throughout his attire.


If anything, he definitely had a story to tell.


Bounding around a few sharp corners, he barely missed pedestrians as he zoomed by. People stopped to stare, some shaking their heads, calling after him with the use of profanity, covering their children's ears, and others simply ignoring his existence.


But none of that was of any concern to him.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo watched as a figure zoomed by him! His gasp caused his freshly lit cigarette to fall out of his mouth. However he didn't seem to be interested.


"HEY! YOU!"


Ryo knew some people in the direction that kid was headed. He thought it was dangerous for a kid like him to be out by himself. Ryo cursed himself and chased after the kid. His white t-shirt had a rip in the front and his navy blue skinny jeans had several rips on them and what appeared to be a fresh blood stain.


"HEY!"


Ryo was confused as to why he would care about some reckless wandering around. It's not the first time he had seen it. He thought he was making some big mistake just by following him. The kid was going into territory that Ryo was not to be seen in. On most days, Ryo would stray from this side of town, but today was different story.

 

[Jirou]

Whether or not the youth(?) heard the stranger shout out to him, he failed to give him the time of day. Usually, people were extremely high on his list of priorities, but for now, he was on a mission.


Unlike several others, this mission of his wasn't of great importance just yet. He had plenty of time to get everything done and accounted for, but had decided it was about time he picked the little game back up until it grew tedious again.


CLANG!


Out of nowhere, a lamppost crossed his path — or rather, he just didn't see it in his way until it was too late — and he slammed against it face first before stumbling back a few steps and taking to the ground below his feet.


"Errgh... Damn thing, all in my way," he muttered irritably as he sat up and rubbed his now reddened forehead, those bright sapphire hues of his glaring up at the piece of public property.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo watched as the boy ran into the lamppost. He bit his tongue to contain his laughter. He jogged over to the boy. Ryo's hair was still wet from the water a girl had thrown at him. This boy didn't appear to be much older than sixteen. He certainly didn't have any business here. Ryo knew that his boss would feed him the dogs if he knew he was here, but for now his boss would have to live with it. Especially if his boss wanted his target put away for good.


"Cursing at the lamp post won't make it move. Are you alright?"


Ryo's vibrant red eyes flickered to a shadow and then he grew anxious. Ryo's eyes scanned the area around him.


"You really shouldn't be here its..." Ryo started.


Ryo could see more shadows around the corner. It was them. They had found him already. His red eyes grew even more vibrant like a ruby's sheen. He pulled out a cigarette even though he knew now was definitly not the time for a cigarette. His wet hair dripped and droplets hit the ground around him. He lit his cigarette. He could almost feel the shadows' anxiety. It made Ryo himself excited. He loved it when his boss's enemies sent out their goons. It always meant he'd get to chop some lower class demon's head off. However he couldn't do that in front of the kid so he'd have to ignore it for now.

 

[Jirou]

Abruptly, the male heard a voice from behind him, and shifted his attention to the source. He blinked at the other's words, then quickly nodded, a smile of appreciation forming on his face. "Yeah, completely fine, really. Thanks."


But instead of paying much mind to what the other said next, something else caught his attention.


"Ahh!"


The bucket he had been holding had fallen upon impact, now laying a few feet away, it's contents stune about the walkway and slowly evaporating. Realizing this, the boy complained, "D'aww, not again.." and quickly got up to retrieve it.


Clearly, he didn't seem to realize the situation he was in.

 

[Shiyoumi]

This boy is going to get himself killed. Ryo thought. And what the hell was in that bucket? Deciding not to prod, Ryo took a puff from his cigarette and checked his watch. He watched as a shadow darted past him. Ryo discretely threw a small silver object at the shadow. It poofed into thin air. Ryo checked to see if the boy had noticed. Looking around he could see two more approaching. He cursed under his breath... There was no way he could take them all out with this kid here. He had to get away.


"Do you need help getting somewhere?" Ryo said carefully eying the shadows that threatened to attack him.


He heard a soft ripping sound coming from his pants. He saw that he had been cut, but he just smiled.


"Chicks dig scars. It's attractive," He whispered.


He appeared to be smiling into space, but he was smiling at a shadow. It watched him and Ryo watched it. Convinced that the shadow wouldn't bother them at the moment he allowed himself to relax a little. He bent down as if ready to help the boy pick up the contents of his bucket, but something told him that he shouldn't dare try it. Ryo was not one to listen to the voice inside his head.

 

[Jirou]

Killed? Hah. That was highly unlikely, even in the middle of this mishap. But the reason for such had not to do with being capable.


It was entirely different.


What had been in the bucket earlier besides H20 were about a dozen little sponges, all of which were alive and giving off a temperature of roughly 750 degrees, hence why the water had been steaming. Now, they were burning holes in the sidewalk.


Very carefully and with haste, the boy was lifting the creatures up off the pavement and back in the bucket, hoping they wouldn't die off quicker than he could find more water as he replied, "Um... The nearest place with water would be fantastic."


If he had noticed the shadows, he surely didn't seem too alarmed. Then again, what with his lifestyle, he might just have thought the shadows to be harmless things that were minding their own business for the most part.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo sighed and thought... The nearest place with water was his hotel unless the boy didn't mind lake water...


"Um do you mind lake water or do you need really cold water?"


Ryo could feel the heat emanating from the sponges, but it didn't really bother him. He had dealt with hotter temperatures in Hell (literally) but he wouldn't say anything about that. He decided not to touch them anyway so he would not reveal himself. Ryo took another puff from his cigarette. The shadows had fled, but Ryo wasn't worried. He would be long gone by the time they came back.


Ryo was relieved to know that the boy hadn't seen him throw that silver shard. Remembering that, he walked over to retrieve it. His phone started vibrating and he cursed under his breath in a foreign language. Tamaki was going to kill him. He could that man's anger from here. Ryo growled softly and then walked back over to the boy.

 

[Jirou]

"The colder the better, but at this point I don't really care with way. Just whichever would be the quickest to get to," he responded as he placed the last sponge in the bucket. Said bucket was made out of various otherworldly substances, but looked to be mere plastic.


But of course, the container wouldn't have lasted this long if it was.


Noticing that the other had picked something up off the ground, he tilted his head ever so slightly, wondering what it could be. He was always an overly curious fellow, and for deeper reasons than one would expect from an awfully droll and convivial individual who seemed to be extremely oblivious to the world around him.


But then again, not everyone was as they seemed.


"So, you'll take me to where ever to fill this back up with water, yes..?" he asked, blinking up at the other with a hopeful expression.

 

[Shiyoumi]

"Yes, I will" he replied.


God this kid has enticing eyes. Ryo thought. He motioned for the kid to follow him. He was going to have to take him to the hotel. It was the fastest but probably the most risky. His red eyes glanced at the kids piercing blue ones for a second and Ryo was forced to look away. He looks too much like him... He shrugged off the thoughts that started to creep up and concentrated on the task at hand. If he wanted to get back to kill that target before nightfall he was going to have to move fast. They would have to take the backway.


"Please follow me"


Ryo felt his phone vibrate again. He stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled it out of his pocket. He then turned it on silent. It didn't appear to be some ordinary cell phone. What cell phone was completely black? Ryo stuffed it back into his pocket.

 

[Jirou]

At the other's response, the boy grinned cheerfully and replied, "great! Thanks a bunch!"


He would have to redo this part, no doubt, but that wasn't the reason he couldn't afford to let the sponges take eternal slumber. They were a rare species, found only in one place within the plethora of galaxies that made up the universe. Why he was playing with them in the first place was questionable when given such information, but he knew exactly what he was doing.


But did that automatically translate to good intentions, or...?


"Right." Nodding at his gesture, he was prepared to do as instructed, the man becoming his temporary guide.


Now, if he had been any other individual, he might have pondered about the appearance of the man's cell phone. However, this was not the case. Never really had a use for such a device, the boy, and therefore paid little mind as to the aspects of the average cell. For all he knew, they could possess a feature that lets the device walk around on it's own. He wouldn't know any better, and wasn't interested in learning of them.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo tried his best to hold back his questions. He was curious. He knew something that hot could not be carried around in plastic and what on earth is that child doing with it. In fact, those things would have burned the average human. Just what the hell was this kid. And what did he need something that hot for? It was just too much to take in. However, Ryo had more important matters to attend to. His cigarette went out and he tossed it on the ground and stepped on it. Something sharp pricked Ryo in his pocket. He bit his tongue and tried to hold in gasp of pain that threatened to escape his voice.


"This is why I hate silver." He muttered.


Ryo reached in his pocket and rearranged the silver shard.


"What is that bucket really made of?" Ryo asked, "Nothing that hot could stay in plastic bucket..."


Ryo sighed. He almost didn't feel right questioning a stranger, almost. Plus, he needed to get his mind off the blood he could feel dripping down his right leg.

 

[Jirou]

Unlike the other, the boy didn't broad over questions at this time. Usually, he was most curious about those who interacted with him, at times even to the point of obsession. However, this was not the case this time around. The moment he sensed the other's presence earlier, he already knew as much as he needed -- or rather, as much as he cared for.


Although open minded and usually one to embrace new concepts, there was definitely a hint of prejudice about him when it concerned certain species. But of course, that didn't automatically translate to being rude to them and assuming the negative.


Friendly and polite he would be, but he would ultimately keep a distance from a demon.


"Hm? Oh... Nothing much, honestly," he answered with a light shrug, "Would you be familiar with titanium?" The substance he mentioned was only one of several that made up the bucket, but he knew naming such foreign substances would only bring up more questions if not make himself look like some sort of loon -- not that he wasn't.


Ah, the line between genius and insanity. The longer one lived, the closer one became to the center of the two. Never had been much of a bright fellow to begin with, the boy, but after everything he had experienced, he was practically the closet to such a thin, abstract line.


Anyone in his place would be.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo didn't say much. He just nodded at the boy's response. He felt that the boy was hiding something from him, but perhaps it wasn't safe to prod. He knew very well the dangers of prodding. Ryo finally saw the back of the hotel entrance. He walked inside and looked around. No one seemed to be inside or at least in this part of the hotel. He was thinking that this boy was odd. Not crazy but odd. Ryo himself had not lived long only being that he was only two hundred nineteen. Where he came from, Ryo was still a child. He motioned for the boy to come in. He pointed to the fountains off stuck to the wall.


"That's where you'll get the coldest water."


Ryo heard a small sound. He blew a small smoke ring from his mouth. He then realized that the boy could have seen him, but what did it matter.


"Do you need help getting someplace with that bucket?" Ryo asked softly.


Ryo reached into his pockets and pulled out his cigarette box...empty. He tossed into a nearby trash and sighed. The sound that he heard earlier was growing louder. He realized that it was his stomach. Ryo cursed under his breath. He didn't have time to feel himself. He had a target to go after.

 

[Jirou]

Hiding something? Perhaps. But then again, everyone had a secret or two.


Following the other inside the building, he looked about the interior like that of a tourist, which was usual for him. Spotting the fountains the other had gestured toward, he quickly jogged over to the wall and filled the bucket a little over halfway full. The water immediately began to emit steam as it washed over the creatures within the bucket, much like it had been earlier.


Odd? Anyone in their right mind would think so. But it was reasonable, considering his mind had been tampered with on several occasions and the universe itself had taken it's tole on him.


"Thanks again for helping me out," he stated in gratitude, glancing back at the male from the side of the fountain. "Hm..? Naw, that's okay. These guys have been put through enough for today, so I think I'm just gonna call it quits for now."


In the boy's opinion, everyone was a child, and this had naught to do with his position. He had met all sorts of different people throughout his life, and out of all the so called 'adults', not one of them fit the definition. Behind maturity was nothing but another individual seeking answers to the unknown. They were all still lost and wandering in the world, some in more obvious ways than others. The only real thing separating children from adults was time — nothing more. People might protest to that statement, arguing that with more time came more experience, and therefore adults were more mature than those of a younger age. And in most cases, this is true. However, the knowledge one gained varied on the kind of experiences they faced, not the amount. Maturity was irrelevant to age despite commonly obtained hand in hand.


If anything, the statement that adults were more mature than children was more that of a cliche — profiling, if you will.


"Hungry..?" he asked, chuckling lightly as he heard the protest of the other's stomach become louder.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo was quite uncertain as to what he would say. He didn't eat human food. Ryo rather liked the taste of blood. However, most demons got that confused with vampire, but he was no vampire... Along with taking blood, Ryo would take souls. It was curse that he lived with daily. In his dreams he would hear the screams of the souls he had eaten, but he had gotten used to them. He didn't sleep much anyway. Ryo had experienced too much suffering to be bothered by the screaming. He knew that he was ignorant of what the future held for him. Since Ryo will live for eons to come, he would discover as much of the universe as possible. He would do anything to fill the hole that someone had left inside him. A hole that had not gotten smaller in two hundred years... How could someone cause him so much grief and leave him searching for answers? What was even more questionable, was why this boy looked similar to him? However, Ryo knew that this boy and the one who left this hole in him were not the same person.


"I am hungry...but..."


Ryo was hesitant about saying more. His stomach was going to blow his cover. To him his stomach sounded like thunder. Ryo then remembered, he hadn't eaten in fourteen days. He was an imbecile to go this long without tasting the crimson sweetness the world called blood. This person already suspected he was hiding something... What more can he do... Soon he was going to collapse. Already he could feel his need threatening to overtake him. He breathed in deeply and then he smelled it... Ryo could smell him... Ryo's heart sank. This boy wasn't a boy at but a supernatural being perhaps? He smelled a little like Ryo, but he certainly wasn't a demon. This thing could be out to kill him. So this person already knew. Ryo's first reaction was to get angry at himself for not realizing such a potent smell, but at the same time... hunger could have weakened his senses. What Ryo really needed to do, was eat something.

 

[Jirou]

The boy was well aware of what the other ate, but could reason with his situation enough to the point he wanted to assist him — but not with his own bodily fluids or anything. His soul was reserved, let alone not even in the area, and even if it was accessible, it would be off limits. No, he didn't plan on feeding the other with anything of his own, but he wished to help nonetheless. He himself usually went without food for a long period of time for one reason or the other, and in doing so, he could most definitely empathize with hunger.


In a way, everyone was cursed. Nobody was an exception. It was as though every living being had traded most of their good fortune and judgment for life and a dash of irony when they came into the world. Perhaps that is why nobody is ever perfect.


The boy himself held within him a great curse, one that could cause others to wonder if the gods themselves had it rough. In his case, the saying 'with great power comes great responsibility, and with great responsibility comes great sacrifice' couldn't be more truthful.


His life was so greatly burdened that he wasn't even allowed the privilege to collapse out of exhaustion and choose the easy way out. But it was worth it. Of that, there was no question.


"But..?" he questioned, looking at the other expectantly as he hugged the bucket.


A supernatural being? Yes. As much as he'd rather be human, he was indeed something of another origin. Many often mistook him for an angel, but anyone who had actually come across the real thing could tell the difference. The air about him was not so 'holy,' but neither was it that of a demon. Practically between the two, he was.


Where else would sinful virtue lie?

 

[Shiyoumi]

"You know already, don't you? What I am?" Ryo said quietly.


He looked away. A fool he had been. Ryo's stupidity would be the end of him.


"I need blood and..." Ryo couldn't bring himself to say more.


Ryo was ashamed, but for some reason he couldn't accept what he was. He himself would rather be human, but those days of him being a human were over. He will forever live with this hole inside him that would always be empty, a thirst that will never be quenched, a need to kill that would never be satisfied. Why had he become like this he would never know. Ryo could hear the tearing sound... He didn't even bother trying to keep them in. His wings acted on their own. They too, were hungry in an odd way. Luckily they stopped before they completely broke through his shirt. Ryo just sank down by the wall. He was getting weaker. He willed himself to get up. As it was likely this, supernatural being would kill him. The only other thing he could do was escape, even if he couldn't get far. Ryo left the hotel his eyes redder than they had been in years. A ferocious hunger was growing inside him. He would become blind with hunger soon. He didn't want that to happen because the last time it did, he put a hole in himself. The one that could never be filled.

 

[Jirou]

//I do apologize for the late replies. My muse hasn't been working lately.


At the other's words, the boy narrowed his sapphire hues, then lowered his gaze at the contents of the bucket he held against his chest. There was a hint of sadness and shame in the Demon's tone, and although not one to compare himself to others of such a species, he couldn't help but think of his own sadness and shame in his own light of his own species.


"Well.... No matter what you are, the point is that you're hungry, no? I'm sure they've gotta' serve raw steak or something around here..."


Much like the other, the youth(?) would much prefer to be human over what he was. They were everything in a species he could have ever dreamed for. But no matter how much he strolled about them, he would never truly be one of them. He often tried to escape reality and find someone or something to keep his mind off of the truth. This was the reason curiosity manifested into an obsession.


He never asked for the life he received, and unlike others, he was unable to return it.


The boy watched the other be almost completely consumed by instinct, then take his leave without attempting to give a word of farewell. He merely blinked at this, deciding it would be best not to tread into a Demon's problems. It wasn't as though he was after the other's life - and never would be at that. And now that he had obtained water for the creatures in the bucket, there was nothing connecting him to the demon.


Sighing lightly, he too, took his leave of the hotel.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo could hear the boy leaving the hotel behind him, but he couldn't go any further. As he soon passed out in a heap. He could hear the screams. They were louder than ever and tormenting him. Failure... Monster... Freak... Why won't you just die? They hissed. He couldn't say anything. Ryo knew where he was, but there was nothing he could do to escape. Their shrieks were welcoming in a strange way. In his mind, he walked towards them. The souls touched him and he shrieked in pain. Oh how he was in pain. His punishment for not eating. He had tried to live a normal life without feeding, but that was not possible he was what he was. Who was he to try and deny it? His suffering was who he was. It was what he lived for. For what other purpose was he here on this forsaken world he had created for himself.


He wanted to get up, but he was weak. There was no way he could move... If he died now, he would be born again in the fiery depths of hell. There was no way out of this continuous loop. This hole inside Ryo, had in grown bigger and he was almost wallowing in shame. He had shown weakness to someone who may perhaps be out to kill him. Perhaps this being even knew what he was thinking, but he didn't know. All he could do was remain ignorant in his own darkness. The one that would always follow him and keep opening that hole that could never be filled. Then he thought of that weird being. That bucket... Hadn't the boy said he was done for the night? Perhaps he needed a place to put it. He laughed inside himself. This suits me... he thought. Trying to help something... that could kill me. What a fool I have been... My stupidity is the reason I am here on this pavement and unable to move. I didn't even make it ten feet away... Nor did I say good-bye... But how could I say good-bye to someone who reminded me of the one that left this hole?


What haunted Ryo even more than that, was his desire to actually be near this peculiar being, but it was mostly because of how much he was reminded of him. That face the boy had... it brought back memories and good ones, but he would probably never see that boy again. Ryo wouldn't awake until he had consumed at least one drop of blood and if he didn't get it soon, he would go through another painful rebirth.

 

[Jirou]

Just as he had stepped out the door, he caught a glimpse of the other meeting the ground below his feet. In all honestly, he wanted to leave the demon there to await what ever became of him, but part of him knew that wasn't something he could do. Not only had the other assisted him, but by doing so, had been stolen from his original path. This was not out of owing the demon, but rather, a responsibility for obstructing the events that would have otherwise come into play if he hadn't dealt with the boy.


Heaving a heavy sigh, he ran his slender digits through his white locks and shook his head. Helping a demon wasn't exactly something he was especially fond of, but he would nonetheless. Reluctantly, he proceeded over, finding the other out cold.


Born again? Despite his hatred for them, the boy possessed so many similarities to demons. Both their lifes were endless, but in different ways. The demon's cycle of life remained within a world-line, while his ended and began others. It was one thing to die one day, then to be born again and continue on, but to relive the days over and over in a countless loop could drive one mad. It pained the boy to look upon the same sunset again and again, knowing he would meet it yet another time, after all was gained and lost once more. To look upon the world and know what will, could, and should never be was something he never asked for. With the knowledge he possessed, he could do nothing but watch on the sidelines, awaiting the inevitable to take it's course.


If anything, this was why he chose to forget — to let the sweet poison slip down his throat, every drop burning his mind — his memories — away. Every time they fully returned, he often succumbed to lock the truth up yet again. Tinkering with the mind so much, it wasn't hard to see why he had become as warped as he was. This was why people often misunderstood him. He did his best to seem normal, fitting cozily into that happy-go-lucky persona filled to the brim with deception. But it could only go so far.


In the end, he'd always be alone.


The boy glanced around, hoping there was someone else who could do the job for him. But alas, this was not so. "Alright, alright....," he mumbled under his breath to himself as he knelt down beside the other and placed a hand on the ground, "just a quick recovery and then you're off on your own again.." The pavement beneath his palm began to lift, forming into the shape of a door handle. The imprint of the door itself began to assemble, a simple yet intricate design.


From the ground he had fabricated a doorway.


Once this was done, he managed to take the unconscious other through the newly formed entrance, and to where, it was still unknown.


//-Sigh- ... Replies will rather pick up or continue to drag. Not really in the best mood right now, but that's usually why I role-play. :/

 

[Shiyoumi]

(Aww I'm sorry Jirou... Please PM me if your willing to talk... I've got two eyes willing to read and comprehend)


Ryo could feel it... He was moving, but to where. Perhaps it was getting close to time, for his rebirth... Ryo didn't want to feel the heat that would once again burn him. He could hear nothing, see nothing... Darkness. It was always darkness. Nothing more to look forward to. Such loneliness. Perhaps that was all. His own solitude. Ryo wasn't really alone. He had the souls that surrounded him daily. The ones that screamed. The ones that groaned. No matter how many times he was reborn, the soul number just increased.


Soon he could feel the warmth inside his stomach. No... Please... just let me hold on... a little while longer. I need more time... to find... His thoughts drifted off elsewhere. All he could do was hope. But isn't hope what caused him to be like this? It didn't hurt to dream did it? And then he remembered the souls. Yes it does hurt to dream. Unfortunately, when Ryo was born, he ended lives. However, he had recalled one memory and one only. It was the one that the boy reminded him of. Yes, he could remember it. Ryo had done what most demons were deemed never able to do. He had... he couldn't remember the word, but he remembered what it felt like. There was no hole. For a few days the hole had completely closed up, but he couldn't remember what had done it. Again, the memory had escaped him. It always happened that way. Something would spark a memory, and then he would forget.


Ryo hoped that one day in his endless life, that he would discover someone who had answers or in fact discover the answers himself. It was why he had been looking for that target. However, he had failed that mission. The target had most likely moved on... There was nothing left for him to do. He would just have to wander endlessly as the darkness followed. Wherever he went, he knew the darkness and shadows would follow him. He would bet anything that Tamaki was watching him and calling him a failure. Ryo wasn't sorry. He had tried. He never asked for this cursed life, but perhaps somewhere in his human life he had comitted a grave sin. One that was so terrible, that he was doomed to live his life over and over again.

 

[Jirou]

The boy had taken the other to a room within his own home — the inner core of what could be considered his bedroom. The surrounding walls were of raven-colored marble, seeming to transfix one into the deep depth of it's darkness until one lost his or herself completely. The floor was the same, but the ceiling was lost in endless darkness. In the center of the room was a small, circular stage consisting of three steps, each exactly one foot in length. On one of the walls was a large screen, however blank.


And no exit was anywhere to be seen.


Although his room, he very rarely slept there, the aspects of the core almost as untouched as his bed, which resided off in a cubby on one side of the room. It was lush; 1200 thread count of Egyptian cotton, heated by the starlight that shone through the ebony walls, imitating the midnight sky. Atop it were a plethora of pillows of different shapes and sizes, all of which were soft and relaxing to the touch.


But there was something else residing in this bed. Those who knew the boy well never would have guessed it to be a demon — one he was helping, no less.


However, as much as it seemed highly unlikely, it was just so.


Holding a small glass cup filled with fresh scarlet liquid, the boy went ahead as planned, gingerly pouring it down the throat of the unconscious demon.

 

[Shiyoumi]

Ryo could taste it... blood... It tingled his senses and he opened his eyes to see the boy pouring blood down his throat. Ryo was quite embarassed and frustrated with himself. So whatever the boy was, he didn't want him gone. Ryo was relieved. He didn't know where he was. A bedroom perhaps and possibly the boy's. Ryo couldn't even look at him. Shame washed over him like a wave to the shore. He tried to hide the sadness in his voice, but failed.


"Thanks. Really." Ryo said softly.


Ryo couldn't really say much more. He looked around and saw that there wasn't an exit, but it didn't bother him. The boy probably knew how to get out. Ryo's room wasn't even in this dimesion. It was in the gap between Hell and Hell's gates, if you will. The place where only the most tainted of demons lurk. It had a population of one. Just Ryo. He didn't go there often because it made him remember. It made him remember that time when he lost himself and killed someone important to him. Ryo had never forgiven himself for that. He was reborn four times before he finally gave in to the hunger. Ryo could remember rebirth...


Fire that was as dark as ink and formed a face that was unforgiving, the heat that burned like that of a thousand suns, the pain that felt like your skin was being peeled off by claws. It was unbearable. However, that wasn't even the worst of it. It was the screams of the ones he cared about the most. Ryo had killed them all or so he believed. Or how the temptation to touch the black fire was almost irresistable. You can be a human again... they whispered, you can join your parentss in the heavenss. All it takes is one touch... Ryo couldn't remember how many times he had almost touched those black flames.


Ryo now had no where to go. He was lost now. His target was gone. What was there left to do? Maybe this is why he should just look for answers on his own. If Ryo had any hope of getting answers, he would have to find her... but the problem was, she could be anywhere. In any dimension, at any time, at any place as anyone, but she would have the answers, but he was going to need help... but where to find it? I'm kidding myself... Who would help one as tainted as I? I have nothing... the only thing I could offer would be servitude... Ryo laughed to himself. I am a fool indeed.

 

[Jirou]

When the demon's eyes fluttered open, the boy removed the glass and placed it down on a nightstand, deciding that if the other wanted more, he could very well help himself.


The only reason the room would be considered a bedroom was due to the bed, obviously, but it was moreso that of a camera control room. It had other uses too, but mostly just that. The room itself resided in a different realm than the one the two had met in, and the rest of his home was made up of all sorts of places located in the plethora of fragments within the universe, all tied together and secluded off from the rest of the world.


It was just a lonely place filled with wonderful memories and a dark past. The walls whispered the secrets that seeped through from other world-lines, however unheard they went, calling out but never delivering a final message.


"Don't mention it," he replied, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "You helped me out, so I thought I might as well do the same."