I sat back, my arm draped over the couch, watching TV. Sierra was curled up at my feet.

Sighing, I looked down at my dog, then back to the TV. I didn't have anything to do.

I had a throbbing headache, and I was out of Tylenol.

'Ugh,' I grumbled. 'Fucking headaches.'

'Quit whining,' Noir growled.

It had been a week since I'd received the news about my dad's death, and I was doing okay, except I was thinking so much it made my brain hurt. That, and Noir's constant snarling.

Nny had continuously given me these speculative looks that were starting to make me a little nervous.

When I'd ask, 'Why are you staring at me?' he'd laugh, and wander off somewhere.

I idly stared across the room at my empty canvas.

It sat there, watching me.

Begging to be stained.

'With blood,' Noir inputted unhelpfully.

A canvas couldn't watch, could it? It could only sit there, looking blank.

I lay back on the couch and stretched, a groan of boredom escaping my throat.

'Enjoying yourself?' I heard the familiar growling hiss of Nny's voice.

'No. No, I'm not,' I replied irritably.

'Why?'

'Because I can't find a form of entertainment anywhere.'

'I thought you were above things as monotone as that.'

'No, not really. Everybody requires amusement- even you, Nny. You kill people for fun.'

'Touché.'

I sighed, and got up angrily, pacing back and forth across the room, Nny's intent gaze following me back and forth.

'I'm tired, Nny.' I mumbled.

'What do you mean?'

'There's physically tired, mentally tired, and just plain tired. I'm tired of life. I don't feel good- ever. Sure, there's those moments, but they are worthless in the big picture.'

'A single molecular spot of light in infinite darkness,' Nny replied.

'Exactly. Nothing is bright anymore, nothing is enjoyable, nothing is pure.'

'I've found myself enjoying things lately. Usually my moods affect you in one way or another.'

'That's because when you're in a bad mood, you're more liable to beat the shit out of me, whereas when you are feeling good-natured, you are slightly merciful.'

Nny chuckled. 'Ouch. You got me there.'

'That canvas over there, it tortures me with its emptiness. I get so many ideas flashing in my mind, but I know I'll start and never finish it. That's the shitty bit of it- so many great ideas, yet no inspiration.'

'Well, then, find something that inspires you.'

'But what? What could possibly motivate me to do what I used to? I remember as a kid, I'd sneak out of bed and draw all night. Nowadays, that lust to create art escapes me entirely. Where did it go? And why is it gone?'

'I don't know.'

I got up and stormed over to the canvas. 'You can drain my life all you want, but you won't ever be what you think you are! Forever blank, you piece of shit!'

Nny interrupted my tirade. 'Blood, you're talking to a canvas.'

'I know. I'm pissed off.'

Time to put a simple test into play.

I almost let out a snigger as I walked over to Blood and placed my hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

I said as sincerely as possible, 'Your need to create art will return eventually. Just try doing things- other things- that you like, for now.'

It worked- she calmed down immediately. 'I guess you're right, Nny.'

It was too easy, influencing Blood as soon as I truly paid attention to it. All I had to do was something that seemed genuine, and I could ask her to jump off a bridge or shoot herself in the head. She'd comply willingly, without doubts.

It was fascinating.

'But remember she's a person, Nny, a special person,' Nailbunny pressed gently.

Stupid bunny. He wanted me to try falling in love with Blood to see if it would silence those impetuous fucks, the Doughboys.

And, happiness, la la la- skipping into the sunset. Common human ideals. I wasn't like that.

Blood went to lay on the couch again, looking tired and upset. She hadn't eaten for a while, either, as her father's death had sucked away her appetite.

In fact, when I thought about it, the death had sucked away everything. She was very mellow, and blank most of the time, save a few moments of emotion- but it was usually irritation.

She slept sometimes, but usually lay staring into space for a few hours before that could even happen.

I, personally, liked the little apartment- it was neat, nice, and had a dark, quiet atmosphere.

'I just don't understand this anymore. I used to think I knew what I was doing, and always had a purpose. Lately, I can't think of anything to do except lie around and feel like shit.'

I wasn't sure what to say to that. I think Blood just wanted to talk to someone.

'Maybe you should write your thoughts in a die-ary,' I said. She didn't notice my pause between words. It was obvious she thought I'd said diary rather than die-ary.

'Possibly. I had a book for that, but it's at your labyrinth,' she replied. 'Besides, I think it's my voices, they won't shut up lately.'

'What do you mean?'

'They kept telling me to go home, and now they keep telling me to listen to the whispers. None of it makes sense.'

'Maybe the whispers are impulse. Maybe you should obey some of them.'

She laughed. 'You don't want to know what my impulses are, Nny.'

This interested me. 'Why not?'

'I'm not going to tell you.'

I growled, and she shot me an irritated look.

She stared at the canvas again. 'I have an idea for a painting.'

'What is it?' I asked.

'Noir. She doesn't have a form. She likes it that way,' she grinned evilly. 'And I'll give her one. One that she'll hate.'

'What do you mean by a form I'll hate?' Noir asked irritably.

I didn't respond, as Nny was standing there, staring at me.

Getting up, I stalked over to the canvas and stared at it, pictures flashing through my mind.

Then, it all started when I picked up a pencil.

'No! NOO! What the fuck is wrong with you! ? This cannot be my form!'

I growled with pleasure at Noir's angry screams. She couldn't hurt me- not physically, although she seethed with the desire to.

'It's very fitting,' I mumbled.

'A rat is vermin! Crawling, dirty, polluting vermin!'

'You crawl through my mind, dirtying and polluting it. I think it resembles you a lot more than you'd care to admit,' I replied.

I heard a mental snarl, and a lot of thrashing.

Zavé was laughing her ass off at Noir's reaction, gleeful at the usually irritating shadow's fury.

My mood while creating the painting had turned more and more foul. I was very, very bad-tempered at that moment, and the screeching arguments in my head were not helping.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! I couldn't stand this feeling of anger and anxiety.

I looked away from the drying painting, the rat's red eyes burning into mine. I couldn't look at it for long, and walked down the short hall to sit in my room.

Nny had disappeared to the guest room, I think. He seemed to somehow manage to vanish in my six-room apartment.

Seven if you count my closet.

I lay back, staring at the ceilings. I needed to relax. Just relax- stop thinking. Stop being angry.

I mumbled to myself furiously, trying to think of something.

Music tended to help. My Skillet CD was around somewhere, but I didn't want to listen to it.

Closing my eyes. I tried to relax. My bed was a little lumpy, a little flaw I had yearned in my captivity. Little things from home, the smells, the sounds, the memories- they all helped me feel better.

Like I was still sane. Like nothing had ever changed.

Nny walked in, and asked, 'What are you doing? You never sleep at this time.'

'I'm annoyed,' I replied.

'You're always annoyed.'

'I want to be happy.'

'Well, you can't just be happy- that's not how it works.'

'Obviously,' I replied bad-temperedly.

'The illusion always dissolves,' I growled. 'Never permanent, the happiness never lasts. Even if it were to last, its beauty would be marred by sadness and hate.'

Nny nodded. 'Stop it in its tracks and refuse the disintegration.'

'Being blank would be easier than battling to be happy.'

'Something I've considered attempting- becoming cold, heartless, unfeeling of anything.'

'But we are feeling beings. Emotional, sexual, and thoughtful. We can't go back to our roots like that, it would be devolving.'

'That would take a very long time, yes- so how can you pursue happiness? It is the nature of all things to chase contentment.'

I sat in thought for a second, my mind dancing in circles endlessly.

'Fuckitty fuck fuck,' I growled angrily.

'Well, you were fine while you were doing that painting, weren't you?'

'No, Noir was yelling at me all the time.'

'Why?'

'She likes being formless. Having a form makes her angry.'

'You gave her one?'

'Yes.'

'What is it?'

'A rat.'

He nodded thoughtfully. 'Maybe you should just go to sleep.'

'I can't,' I moaned. 'I want to, but I can't.'

'Draw?'

'I just made a painting.'

'I don't know, then.'

My mind was reeling. I couldn't think, act, do anything.

'Can you take me outside, Nny? I really need some fresh air.'

'Yeah, whatever.'

Weird, he was actually obeying requests for once.

There was something going on with him, I was sure of it.

And it was the only thing I was sure of any more.

We walked along the pavement. I watched her movements, her hands clenching and unclenching in fists.

No doubt, she was just stressed and irritable. No reason for it- it happened to me quite consistently.

'Hey,' Blood said, suddenly. 'Do you want to go get food?'

'Hmm,' I mumbled. 'I suppose so. You haven't had fast food in a while, have you?'

'No, I haven't. I need to do some stupid stuff.'

'Like what?'

'What I used to do to pass the time- go to fast food joints, buy stupid stuff, hang out in front of coffee shops.. I miss just doing what I used to.'

I figured that doing this would assist me in the whole 'bonding' thing. I was interested how Blood would react to the whole 'listening to her' thing. Usually, her ideas were worthless to me unless I actually bothered thinking about it.

We walked down the way, and she stared at the ground. It was night, of course, as going outdoors during the day pissed Blood off to no end.

'I'm not crazy, Nny, am I?'

It was an unexpected question.

She continued. 'I'm just… I don't know what's wrong with me lately- I feel like something's clawing to get out- I want to attack everything!' She snarled and spasmed, suddenly, and turned to punch a concrete flowerbed.

I felt a little sympathetic- she wanted to kill, but didn't have the stomach to possibly ever commit such a misdeed.

'You need to release some energy and relax. Go out more often. I will escort you.'

She gave me a very suspicious look. 'Nny, why have you been so lax in your punishments lately? And you're nice to me. You never do that. Are you sick or something?'

I shook my head. 'No. I'm fine.'

'There's something going on with you, and I'm going to find it out.'

I snapped, 'Watch your boundaries! You seem to frequently forget that I hold the key to all your freedom!'

Suddenly, Blood's face contorted in absolute seething fury.

'You… Dare… Threaten me?'

Her teeth showed in an animalistic expression, and suddenly, she was leaping for me before I even could comprehend it.

I knocked the fuck to the ground, a red haze covering my mind.

'How dare he? !' Zavé screamed, urging on my fury.

I pounded him across the face again and again, his limbs quickly twitching to life to throw me off.

I saw him advancing, black rage flashing dangerously like fire in his eyes.

He went to hit me, but I knew his moves. I dodged to the side, and kicked him in the knee cap. Hard.

Nny staggered slightly, but regained his balance, his head whipping furiously from side to side, trying to track my quick movements.

I darted back and forth from his blows, clipping him here and there.

Suddenly, his leg suddenly shot out and caught me in the shin.

I fell forwards, and was soon flat on my back, with Nny sitting on my chest, glaring down at me.

His lip and eyes were twitching, and his nose was bleeding.

I glared back up, and struggled wildly to free myself.

'Hey, hey- enough of that,' he laughed.

This was funny?

'You son of a bitch,' I breathed. 'Is this all a joke to you?'

He gave me an amused look. 'Oh, although this is very funny, your pathetic attempt to overpower me, but I digress. This is not a joke at all- I am assisting you, and you decide to attack me? What stops me from strangling you to death right now?'

'I don't know,' I replied.

'Well, do check yourself next time to be sure that this doesn't happen again.

'Otherwise, I'm afraid I will have to kill you, Blood.'

Not a spectacular chapter. I had some writer's block. Keeping them in one place is a pain in the ass, especially a six-room apartment, and, with Blood's personality, is not good.

Crazychic111: Thank you. Sierra would wag her tail if she were alive. ;_;

Thunder's Winged Heart: Your name is cool. Thanks for the deviant art comments and stuff (if that was you xD) And don't worry, calling her Kiera is hard for me too.

D.G. Blackwolf: I wanted to put some hugging in, and I had the chapter finished when I realized it ran up to it too quickly, so then I extended it by a good two thousand words or so. That's why it took so long, that, and my mom was interrupting my writing a lot.

TheBrokenChild: I'm not particularly fond of the name 'Chogan,' but I figured it couldn't be anything super-attractive as it would go against Nny's personality. (Imagine: Johnny 'Cullen.' Are you happy with Chogan now?)

Anyways, thanks for reviews, etc, etc… Have a good night. Tomorrow's Friday, so I'll start the next chapter tomorrow.

Who knows, they might kiss. -wink wink- (I actually don't know. I'm making the story up as I go- and in Math class when I'm not paying attention.)

A little note: The more reviews I get, the more guilty I feel to update faster.