6/18/2019 - Hey! Its been awhile. Like always let me know what you think. It has been awhile sense I've touched this story so I'm working on some of my ideas. Thank you like always!
The little girl
Just could not sleep
Because her thoughts
Were way to deep
Her mind had gone
Out for a stroll
And had fallen down
The rabbit hole
I woke up almost twenty-four hours after the man named Izaya left my front door. It had to of been the most restful sleep I've had sense I moved to this new city. I knew I had a large goose egg on the left side of my head from where it hit the ground and my still sleep covered eyes spotted a small folded piece of paper that had been slid just under the door jam. The phone that he so requested I bring with me was clutched tight in my right hand and flashed purple from a missed chat message.
Little Bird,
I hope your rest was fulfilling. It must have been the first one in days. Now my test turned out to be correct. The things I read all state that until a full connection is made touch plays the biggest roll between Epitaph and Signer. On the flip side touch is also what starts the process of a full connection. So, I deduced, that if we touched through a door maybe you'd get the relief you needed without the added connection. Now little Mako I'd like to propose that we started moving forward today. We can meet, for the first time, on open ground. I promise to keep my hands to myself if we can just have an open conversation. What do you say I take you out to lunch?
Much Love,
Izaya
His name was known throughout the whole of Japan as a man no one wanted to get mixed up with. Izaya naturally, through stories, seemed to be a person who took a back seat and would rather manipulate his pawns into doing it for him rather then him getting his hands dirty. This didn't mean he wouldn't. I've heard firsthand stories of his work with a knife and it sounded as if he was very adept with that as well. All of that aside this all sounded like an ownership of sorts that I didn't want to be apart of.
The note turned out to be his phone number, which I didn't want or need, but I knew my time for running was coming to an end. I could at least hear him out face to face. If I could get him to keep his word, then maybe this would go somewhere. As long as I could keep him from touching me, I could still get out of this city unscathed, if or when things went bad. That was the logical part of my brain, however something else seemed to have switched on from our run in the day prior. Something a little darker, that liked the way he smelled, of fresh forest rain that just fell through the pine trees, the sound of his voice, although it held sinister undertones, could probably purr on command when trying to seduce a lover. I pulled up a new message on my phone.
*Mako: I want the same information you have, and you have a deal.
He knew where I lived and who I was, most of my background in underground things and what I was. There was no running anymore he had pretty much backed me into a corner, and I had to play my hand.
*Izaya: I take it this is the Little Bird herself.
*Izaya: But of course, you can have access to everything I own. We will be working very close together after all.
*Mako: Don't press your luck, yet. When and where for this lunch, Izaya.
The more I sat there the more I came to realize things about my body, like how hungry I was. Everything was sore and the cotton mouth was real, my vision was still a little blurry and I could faintly smell the day-old pizza I had thrown in the trash, which was on the other side of the flat. There was defiantly dried drool still stuck to my face, my cheek felt, crusty. However, the clicking noises of my air conditioning unit were new and a little too loud for me to be happy with it being something normal.
*Izaya: Let's say in one hour I meet you at the front door to your place and we start over from there?
*Mako: Little too late to start over now isn't it?
I felt drunk as I stood up. My body moved from side to side with a wave of motion and every step felt like moving through molasses. This probably had something to do with our meeting last night. The drunkenness felt more like I was swimming in the clouds, like my nose had found an amazing sent and just wouldn't let it go. Like fresh rain just after it falls through the pine trees. Like him…
*Mako: What did you do?
*Izaya: What ever do you mean? I've done nothing but keep my hands to myself.
*Mako: Do not come here. We will have to do lunch another day.
*Izaya: Oh no no no Little Bird, that will not do. I'll be seeing you in an hour.
*Mako: No Izaya, please.
*Mako: Izaya
*Mako: IZAYA!
My front door was not the greatest protection, but it was currently my only protection from what I still assumed to be a killer/conman. The cool tiles of the bathroom floor alerted me to the fact that I was hot and momentarily moved my thoughts away from Izaya. Though the smell of forest rain still clogged every pore of my system. Looking to the mirror, just above the sink, I almost lost it. My eyes were no longer the lavender color I loved so much but a bright yellow with catlike slits. My skin also looked a lot paler then I remember it being and were those fangs?
This wasn't right. Never in the time that I've known I was different did any of this happen. I wasn't versed in supernatural. The small following, I had back home, my team, followed me for my leadership and my ability to back my talk up. They never knew, well one person did, and never once did anyone ask. I was followed blindly, and I always loved it. Now he was the one with the upper hand. He knew what I was and clearly what that meant to him and I had fallen into his lap like an open book just ready to give away all the knowledge I didn't have. Odds are he wouldn't even flinch when we met and yet I'd be shaking like a leaf. He pretty much owned me, and I was grasping at the coat tails of an outcome I knew nothing about yet.
*Izaya: I'm about 15mins out little Mako. Don't make me wait when I get there.
Oh, how my body did not want to disappoint this person and yet my mind screamed for everything to stop. To gain back a control I've so completely lost. Slamming the door to the bathroom shut, I curled up in the tub and closed off. No voices bothered me, no matter how loud they were, I kicked them out. It was time for a full revamp, a chance to understand what was going on, or at least put all my ducks in a row.
My mind brought me to a dark space, couldn't see much other than five feet in front of my face. But there she sat, hair blacker than a starless night, eyes catlike and fixated on me. The spitting image of myself, very agitated and upset. This was me, the side I knew nothing about, and have never tried to know anything about. The Epitaph that was so spoken about.
"Can you tell me?" We were standing face to face now, no more than two feet apart.
"Tell you what little one?" The voice was strung out and slurred, almost like a drunk person.
"What am I?"
"Wrong question little one. Correct question. How can you become one with me?" She laughed out, dark and hollow. The catlike eyes got closer.
"For I am you and you are me. He will bring out the best in us you know. Little one you are so scared of something that will be good for you. We are the bringer of voices, the one who brings people to their knees. There is so much you don't know, let him help us become what we truly are meant to be! Let him make us whole."
"What is whole though? I don't even know what I am anymore." The hands had claws, they dug into my skin and it almost felt like they were molding to my body itself. She was right up at my lips now. The freezing skin gently passing over my own with every word she spoke.
"Trust our Signer little one. The Signer always knows best. We are made to work with the Signer, don't you see? You and him are not much different other then personality. Just trust me Little One. Let the Signer make the voices stop." She kissed me, her icy cold tongue forcing its way into my mouth. I felt like I was being consumed, like she was pushing something into me. The will to fight back was no longer there. Was it really that bad though? Maybe this Izaya man was truly what I needed. Running has been my way of life, all the way up until Kyoto. Even there the voices never stopped. If this was the chance for quit, who am I to deny the sweet, sweet silence.
Don't let me down now ok?
Never Little One. We are going home.
Thank you.
The door had been locked, but it hadn't been that hard to open. He wasn't at all upset that she hadn't answered, after all if Shinra was right he had already set things in motion. The flat was well lived in, a place that someone didn't often leave. All doors were open except what he assumed was the bathroom. By passing that door altogether the bedroom came into view. The laptop he knew had been the main source of contact for the last few weeks looked like it had been tossed on the bed out of what he hoped was frustration at himself.
She liked plants from what he could tell, many types of house plants were hanging from the ceiling or placed on any available counter space. He guessed some changes would need to be made to his high-rise condo if he was going to be having her move in with him. Moving back to the task at hand a duffle bag was quickly located and packed with a few days' worth of clothes, her laptop with charger, and what he determined were some important notebooks. The last thing he grabbed was an old, dirty stuffed elephant that he figured he could hold over her head later.
*Izaya: So far you have been right. Shall we regroup tomorrow once she's settled in?
*Shinra: Oh yes have you seen her yet?! Celty will be so excited to meet her!
*Izaya: Not yet, she's closed in the bathroom and quiet.
*Shinra: She might be going through the transition process. Remember she's a lot older than most Epitaphs when they find their Signers. The half of her that's been dormant this whole time may come off a little stronger than normal. It really depends on how willing her conscience side is to the change. Just be careful! Celty and I can't wait to meet her!
The bright lights of the bathroom reflected off the tile floor as he opened the bathroom door. The mirror was shatter all over the place and bloody footprints led to the tub. Curled up in the far corner, somewhat hidden by the shower curtain, was the women he was looking for. Although her clothes were somewhat covered in blood you could make out what was once clean black yoga pants and a baggy purple top of sorts. Her feet were cut to shreds from what was once part of the mirror, but it oddly looked like they had already started to heal to him. Farther up he made out a decent size bust that was moving up and down with a fait rumble that he considered to be a growl.
Izaya was very rarely ever shaken but when his eyes traveled up to her face, he froze. Staring back at him from a vail of red hair were two golden catlike eyes. Teeth were also bared, showing two very sharp upper canines that he knew could do some damage in provoked. But if everything he read was right, she had no need to attack him, he was her anchor.
"My, my Little Bird. Who knew our first true meeting would be like this hmm? Come here Little Bird. Its time to go to your new home." He picked a low tone to his voice. Something he thought would hopefully show her he meant no threat.
It seemed to have worked. The red head let go of the death grip she had on her legs to place her hands flat on the tub floor and straight into the blood trails left from her feet. The growling had thankfully stopped as she crawled forward, adjusting herself at the edge of the tub, eyes watching him expectantly. This was not the girl he had been speaking with over the last few weeks, she looked drugged, yet still very much aware of what was going on.
"Will you not start the bond my Signer?" Two things were speaking to him this time. This must have been the transition Shinra spoke of. He was doing this at what he now determined was a very delicate time. If he touched her and became her Signer now, he would be in completely control of her true transition, if not and he decided to wait there was not guaranty she will accept him when this was all over. And Izaya was not one to let a grand opportunity go.
Stepping forward he extended his right hand, softly placing it to her cheek. The warm feeling that shot up his arm was almost burning, but the smile it brought to his face out weighted the pain on his wrist. The burning was what he assumed was the mark he read about that had started to appear in the form of a crescent moon with a star. The same mark appeared on her forehead, blood draining down her face slowly. Once fully in place on both beginnings the marks disappeared. She was his, maybe not in the way he wanted, but he was one step closer to achieving that goal as well.
"Ready to go home my Epitaph?"
Her mind had gone
Out for a stroll
And had fallen down
The rabbit hole