Tetsuo found himself lingering behind after the train left the station. For some reason, he couldn't shake the images that rushed through his mind-or were they memories? He stumbled back from the edge of the platform, ignoring the stares of the passersby. He let them flow to either side for the longest time, then found a wall to lean against.
Tetsuo slowly slid to the ground as more memories assaulted him. Blood. So much blood. His hand on the knife that killed Zenya. Being shot. Falling into the pool.
Through it all there was a presence beside Tetsuo, but he was unable to look upon it. It was like trying to discern something inside a void. He heard a voice groan his name, though.
It was so familiar that he ached. Yet Tetsuo couldn't put a face or a name to it.
He sat, panting and shaking, clutching his arms to himself, as the curious and indifferent alike passed him by.
Tetsuo sat there for some minutes as the confusion spread within him. He found it more and more difficult to tell the difference between the two worlds. What was memory? What was reality? Was any of it true?
He inhaled shakily and passed a hand through his hair, savoring the grounding sensation.
Inside, his mind continued to roil. It seemed hours passed, despite his watch telling him otherwise. When it was finally over, he had a face but not a name.
Dark hair, distrustful eyes. Pale. Spread beneath him like a banquet. Tetsuo taking full advantage. Inhaling that sweet scent Tetsuo always associated with him. It was like a drug, making him do wild and even hurtful things. Tetsuo had to have it. Had to possess him.
Just the thought made him hard despite the very public location. Tetsuo shifted, trying to hide it, and tried to calm himself. He focused on the stench of a nearby trashcan and this helped. But he didn't want to stop either. He still needed a name.
Tetsuo exhaled, clearing his mind of the present, and concentrated on the scent. He continued spiraling down into memories he never knew he had. The noise from the trains and passersby diminished to almost nothing. He felt light and airy. Detatched.
It seemed he was descending into something.
An ominous feeling overtook Tetsuo, but he didn't stop. He couldn't at this point. He had to know.
Into that abyss suddenly echoed a noise. It was almost as if someone had thrown a pair of dice. Tetsuo heard the clatter and could almost imagine the outcome. Dual six's.
"Mesu."
It was a soft whisper. Tetsuo almost missed it over the repeated clatter of the dice.
He opened his eyes to find a child tossing said dice nearby and staring at him. He looked away almost immediately.
Had that been real? Had any of it? But no, there was something about the word that filled him with significance. It wasn't a name. It was more important than that.
Tetsuo got to his feet, wondering just what caused the sudden, heavy feeling in his chest.