w a s t e land between here and now

Romance/Angst & Family, Suspense, Supernatural

WARNINGS (so far): Slash, incest (?), language, sexual implications, violence

Ooookay... this is my first time publishing something on this site. For that matter, it's the first time I'm publishing something in English at all. I've been writing a lot lately and this... well, what to call it? A stroke of genius it was not; I'll just stick to a 'half-assed epiphany.' It was as good a chance as any to finally contribute something to the site.

Now, let me explain the mechanics behind this story: it's based on the 100 Themes Challenge, adapted for fanfic instead of fanart. I'll be using only one theme from set 1, however. The others will all be set 2. It just fits better with what I have in mind, though I might take a few more freedoms. This is all just written in good fun, really. (For those who don't know: the 100 Themes Challenge has two sets of 50 themes each.)

Well, you see the warnings up there. I feel cliché saying it, but don't like, don't read. The story will not get explicit, partly because I don't think it'd fit it very well and partly because I don't know how to write that stuff. It'll be just implications and thoughts. You know Amaimon... he's a little odd. His preferences will be a little odd (no, nothing too out there, don't worry. Just a few things that make up his brother, I suppose.)

There might or might not be side pairings. I'll contemplate that... maybe. This includes my own spontaneous interpretations of canon. Also, this was written after a 10 hour Nyancat marathon and also during a 10 hour Nyancat marathon. You have been warned.

With all that cleared up, let us begin! Hope you like it. Whoever stuck around to read all this gets homemade brownies.

Man – a being in search of meaning.

That's what Plato said, at least according to his (brother's) books. It had been a feeble attempt to try and wrap his head around that thought process. Not because he didn't understand what it meant, though that wouldn't really be that much of a surprise considering he was new to the country. To Assiah. He'd checked his dictionary, even. It was definitely feeble, because the thought itself was feeble.

More than anything, Amaimon didn't get the purpose behind meaning. He didn't get why humans were obsessed with it. Maybe it was narcissistic impulse, he thought after a good few seconds of contemplation; man only ever thought of the meaning behind itself, its life, but never its value. It was kind of funny, actually. Amaimon could crush most of them like they would a gnat, an ant, and he'd feel just the same as they when doing so. If something could be so easily obliterated, did it really have meaning behind it? Sure, it could be convenient, perhaps, like glass, but glass was expendable and man was an ungrateful parasite on Assiah, the world created for them. He would feel sorry for the Earth beneath his feet if he could. As it was, he was pretty content being a heartless – literal – demon.

His brother was sort of searching for meaning, too. Amaimon still didn't get it. Mephisto wasn't pathetic. He couldn't reconcile his recent actions and the picture of Mephisto he had in his head right now. For that matter? He could say that for father as well.

''Well? What do you think of Okumura Rin?''

It was their little brother, or at least he came close enough to it. His name was Okumura Rin, he was told, and as far as he could gather from the sparse info he'd been given, he was way more human than the demon he as supposed to be. Amaimon wasn't exaggerating (at least he thought he wasn't) when he said that both his brother and father were obsessed with the guy. They were kicking up a huge fuss all over one world and the other, almost cooperating in a really strange way had it not been for their differing goals. Oh, one stage of their plans was the same, sure: ensure Okumura's 'safety from external influences' and keep him away from other grabby hands too happy to get their fingers on the son of Satan. But in the end, they were enemies on the same side, Mephisto and father. They both wanted Okumura Rin to themselves.

''Don't you feel like going ahead and firing him up?''

Once more, Amaimon didn't understand why – he was just a half-human, he hadn't even developed his powers yet, he'd be weak anyway, could he just get a break and relax in the lounge sofa instead of being bothered about Rin, Rin, Rin – but when he tried to ask, Mephisto insulted him in that sly, subtle manner of his and basically told him to go to his room. Like he was a grounded kid. It only aggravated Amaimon more. He just wanted some fucking answers, was that so hard? Well, he'd play his brother's game anyway. Assiah wasn't terribly uninteresting, if you knew what he meant. Those shops lined up all over Akihabara were quite fascinating, and he still didn't know what that random girl on the street meant when she told him he had a 'really weird ahoge.' He'd indulge his brother, then, as long as it didn't get boring – even though he knew Rin would be. Amaimon'd just have to distract himself, sidetrack. He didn't think about his newest brother at all in the following few days, not considering him worthy of focusing his thoughts on him.

He had no idea just what he was getting himself into in the first place at that point, but soon enough, he'd look back on that moment and wonder about his previous uneducated assumptions. Soon enough, his unlife would be turned upside down, downside up, inside out, outside in and sideways straight.

''Yes, but before that...''

But he didn't know that yet, so Amaimon sat in front of the window with his elder brother, deigning to concentrate on his newest brother for once, only a little bit interested as he watched the twins' toast to the dead. The stars slowly, one by one, emerged behind clouds.

Amaimon hated stasis. Really, he did. It was boring, frustrating, bland – everything he disliked curled up into one word, one concept. So when things refused to happen, to move by themselves or God forbid, have something actually intriguing happen in the amusement park (and what a moronic name it had; his brother was far too self-centered), when his eyes would have closed by themselves had he, well, been human and in actual need of sleep; when, most importantly, he had been sitting on the scaffold of the rollercoaster for so long his good behind started to ache, he decided to make things happen at last.

Even though he was told to be a bit more sensible this time, the other kids were there after all, it was a public place in the middle of the city, Amaimon had never, ever done discretion. It just wasn't him. When he jumped from one side of the ride to the other (to get both a better look and a better angle of attack), crouched down like some sorta animal – let himself hang down like a bat, he didn't see anything wrong with that in any way. His face was set in stone and his eyes refused to blink or squint or have his pupils move at all, just a little bit; with arms crossed, he patiently (as patiently as someone like him could, anyway) waited for Rin to move close enough so that he could fall down on him like a spider from a tree, steal his sword (the case was pink. Rin must have inherited genes from Mephisto somehow.) and if everything went well, beat the snot outta him. Some would have called him a bully for doing something like that to his little brother. Amaimon would have responded that if anyone had the right to, then it was one of his siblings. By saying that, he would have meant ''yeah, and fuck if I care.''

It didn't take long, which was good. Amaimon haited waiting for long. In fact, the kid just came up there, no guard to speak of, grumbling about some brat and actually taking out his damn phone to call the other one, what's-his-face, his twin? Ah, whatever, Amaimon didn't care. It was pretty hilarious, though. He was so carefree and casual when a horrible monster was lingering right above him. Ironic or comedic? What was it? He hadn't yet stocked his brain up on enough human literary devices to know.

That relaxed stature made him want to kill something.

''HOLY CRAP.''

Haha, that was just a bit funny, he had to give Okumura Rin that. What a golden reaction. His eyes all wide, jaw slack with that yell. The blade glided out of the kid's grip easily. It was disappointing. Here he had a demon sword like the Koumaken and he just gave it away like an easter egg? Whatever – all the better for Amaimon.

Hands shooting up in the air, fists clenching, Rin continued: ''Who the Hell are you?'' How delightfully ironic. Yes, that was irony, he was sure. Hell. That's where you come from and belong, kid. ''Give that back!''

Amaimon felt tempted to just say 'no,' just like that and jump away, out of the amusement park, but he had a job to do. Unfortunately.

''Who...?'', he drawled thoughtfully, tilting his head, ''Oh. Yes.'' Like he only now realized what Okumura wanted, like he was lost in the world. The sentiment was intentional. It was a provocation, subtle and slight from the times he'd spent with his brother and minions. Well, let's not torture him too much. He was his baby brother after all.

''I'm Amaimon, Prince of Demons,'' he gave finally, tone entirely too nonchalant and smooth to be appropriate for the situation. He'd be blunt for now. His title was spoken with the ease of someone who was used to the position, knew he deserved it.

''I'm something similar to your older brother. Nice to meet you.''

The dumbfounded expression he got for that was hilarious.

Introductions, and what they shouldn't look like. End.

Next chapter is ''Deep in Thought.'' What am I gonna do with that one? *rubs chin*