So sad the ghost,
Behind her precious smile.
So sad her haunted head.
Blood covers time
On and on it goes
The Devils play…
Drift Away.
Stare into my eyes forever
Let me take you in my arms
Dance with me out in the garden
Where tomorrow never comes…
Follow me into the darkness
Where the Nightmares never fade
Whisper dreams my Fallen Angel
From which you will never wake…
---
The spirit sat morosely in his cold, empty soul room, contemplating. Why exactly was he sad? He couldn't exactly say… The dream he'd pulled his host into, on sheer impulse, had opened up an unexpected doorway. They had also both been unaccountably ill-tempered since that night.
-
"Are you all right, Ryou?" Yuugi had been asking him that same question all day today. Ryou smiled and looked at his chipper friend.
"Yes, Yuugi, I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason. You just seem a little down." And with that, the small duelist had skipped away to catch up with Jounouchi, not betraying his own thoughts. 'Ryou does seem really down lately. Even his smile looks false to me. I wonder if the spirit in his ring has been bothering him again.'
'Not in the way you think, Aibou.' Yuugi frowned slightly, mulling over his own spirit's cryptic remark.
-
Ryou looked down at the handbill that he had been forced into accepting from one of the exuberant college theatre students. A garish pink, it offered the viewer free admission into one of three plays. Blood covers time; On and on it goes; and The Devil's play—Drift away. Who came up with these names? Well, it will get me out of the house Friday night…
The spirit had 'listened in' on his host's internal dialogue, his choice of play not only different from Ryou's, but triggering another impulsive idea again…
-
Friday came, and with it, rain. Two of the plays, being performed in the outdoor theatres, had rescheduled and left only 'The Devil's play—Drift away' proceeding inside the old theatre building. Ryou settled in a seat near the back. If the play was too badly done, he'd be able to slip out the side door with no one the wiser. Expecting a crush of others with the same idea, he held his backpack on his lap, his arms hugging it to his torso.
A few minutes later, the house lights dimmed, the pulsating music began, and Ryou closed his eyes…. And stepped into a dream….
He was beside the willow tree again, deep within the concealing branches and leaning against the trunk. Music throbbed softly in the background as he looked around. He was alone.
Blowing out the candle inside the cauldron, he parted the willow's boughs, stepped out into the garden and froze. The disbelieving gasp he took turned into a sigh of the spirit's name. "Ryo…"
The spirit approached him slowly, singing softly with the music, holding him in place with the power in those red-brown eyes. "So sad the ghost, behind your precious smile… So sad… your haunted head…."
He came so close, but did not touch Ryou's face. His breath warm upon the other's face, a tanned hand reaching up to move a lock of hair away. He smiled when Ryou's breaths became shallow, his eyes becoming languorous, the lids drooping softly. He circled his prey as the music continued, mimicking the Devil's Play upon the stage. He, the devil, and Ryou his willing victim…
He leaned over Ryou's shoulder, placing his arms about Ryou's shoulders, but not actually touching him. His breath caressed Ryou's ear as he picked up the seductive melody again, Ryou swaying slightly in his arms. This time, when the spirit stepped before him, Ryou stepped forward as if ensorcelled, straight into the spirit's arms.
"Stare into my eyes forever. Let me take you in my arms. Dance with me out in the garden, where tomorrow never comes… Follow me into the darkness, where the Nightmares never fade. Whisper dreams my Fallen Angel, from which you will never wake…"
Ryou stared up into those entrancing red-brown eyes, dizzily following the spirit's lead as they turned slowly about the garden, the spirit never directly touching Ryou the entire time. The spirit's voice now so quiet, Ryou could barely hear.
Again, the spirit held him by his captivating gaze, until Ryou felt the heat of Ryo's hand upon his cheek. Ryou's eyes widened in disbelief as he backed away from the contact. Tears came to his eyes as he shook his head, retreating, holding his own hand where Ryo's had so recently been.
"No….!" The thunderous applause from the now-full theatre drowned Ryou's despairing cry. His hand touched his warm cheek…