I'm sorry these things are short, but I really doubt I'd be as motivated to update this thing quickly (I don't think one chapter every day or every other day is too bad...) or to even work on it at all if they were much longer than this. Writing doesn't really come naturally to me, I kind of have to sit myself down and make myself do it. I think this part is a little bit longer, though. I really didn't realize that these parts were so much smaller than what's expected, and I apologize, but I'm glad that seems to be the only complaint. o_o; Again, thanks for the reviews, and if you really want to speed me up and make these longer, keep them coming. I think I work best under pressure. c_c
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The morning light clawed at Ryou's eyelids, and he stirred, yawning groggily - but it was the fact something warm and breathing was beside him on the pillow that really made him wake up. He sat up quickly and looked around, clutching his blankets, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw it was only a familiar white ball of fluff sitting on his pillow, looking at him expectantly. Angora meowed up at him, impatient for her breakfast.
"You really must stop doing that, my nerves have been bad enough lately..." he laughed softly, gathering the cat up in his arms and stroking her. She let out a quiet purr, and was quite content to be carried as he shuffled out of bed.
Something made him pause in the middle of the room, though - his eyes wandered over to the dresser. As he had come to expect, the emotionless golden eye was staring at him unblinkingly as Angora twitched her long tail back and forth against his night shirt. It didn't seem to bore into his soul quite like it had before, though, and without thinking he walked over and slipped the leather cord around his neck, shaking his hair out of the way.
It felt right, somehow, and in the back of his mind he wondered how he had been able to stand not having the comfortable weight hanging from his neck before. A strange, almost electrical sensation seemed to course outwards from the ring's place against his chest, giving him a jolt of energy. It was better than caffeine.
But not everyone was so pleased. As soon as one of its pendulums brushed against Angora's back, she let out a feral hiss and launched herself away from Ryou, raking his arms with her claws in the process. She hit the ground running.
"Ow! Angora, what's the matter with you?" Ryou winced, holding his arm and glaring slightly at where the cat had been. She had left three long, shallow cuts in her wake, and small beads of blood had started to well up along the dotted cuts. He didn't have anything to wipe it off with, and he certainly wasn't going to use his shirt...
It was only a moment after the fact that Ryou realized he had lifted his arm up and proceeded to lick his wounds.
Sputtering, he tore his arm away from his face and wiped it hastily on his shirt anyway, his skin crawling, stomach twisting into a knot. The bitter, metallic taste of the blood was strong on his tongue, and he felt like he might be sick. God, he hated blood, what on Earth had possessed him to do that...
He had been ready to run off to the bathroom and retch, when he froze, tilting his head. Somewhere, in the recesses of his mind, he could have sworn...
Someone was laughing.
Ryou glanced around the room with a slight paranoia, halting his breath so he could 'hear'.
The laughter - a quiet snickering, the kind that was always accompanied by a knowing, wicked smirk - quickly faded. Ryou shook his head firmly and forced himself to concentrate, trying to banish his nausea and disturbing thoughts by focusing on finding some clean clothes. He wrapped himself up so tightly in his task that he failed to hear the voice when it mused to itself again.
Possessed indeed.
He'd been already halfway to school when he realized that he was still wearing the ring, and had hastily tucked it beneath his sweater. The cold metal and sharp points of the pendulum against his skin weren't very comfortable, not to mention that he just felt embarrassed to take such an ungainly, gaudy thing to school, even if no one could see it.
There was still that odd buzz in his head. As he glanced around the classroom, it was almost as if he were hyper-aware of his surroundings. The bright fluorescent lights, the sound of the teacher's voice, the strange, garish clothes of his classmates - it was as though he were taking all of this in for the first time, leaving him in what should have been a constant daze.
But he had far too much pent-up energy to be dazed. Ryou fidgeted restlessly in his seat, scribbled on paper, gnawed on his pencil - he had a nearly irresistible urge to simply go out and take a walk, eat a warm meal, or partake in some other mundane physical activity. It seemed like such a long time since he had done any of that... but that was ridiculous. Some strange part of him was filled with elation every time something brushed against his arm and reminded him of the sore scratches there - as if just to simply feel something again was a luxury, even if it was pain.
He was starting to seriously disturb himself.
Just now? He laughed at himself mentally, though it was tired and almost bitter. Anxiety crept across the back of his mind. That was him laughing, right...?
The sudden blare of the bell did nothing to calm him down. He nearly jumped out of his seat, hurriedly stumbling to his feet and almost tripping over himself. He had always been clumsy, but today it seemed like he could hardly coordinate his legs, like he was vying for control with some...
STOP IT! Ryou sharply reprimanded himself internally, but not without a note of desperation, clutching his head with one hand. He was certain he was getting some odd looks from his classmates, as if his ordinarily neat hair and clothes being ruffled and ragged weren't suspicious enough. They probably thought he was doing drugs.
No, just going crazy...
At least school was nearly over. He managed to make it out into the hallway without bumping into anyone, despite the fact he felt off-balance whenever he stepped forward. How had things gone downhill so quickly? He had been almost happy last night...
He reached up, touching his sweater. He could plainly feel the round outline of the metal that lay beneath. It was the ring... it had to be. The fact it was so physically close to him just made things worse. He looked up, and realized his legs had taken him to his locker. Maybe he could stuff it in there, at least for the night...
As he fought with the lock, the hallways slowly emptied. Without so many people around him, talking, brushing against him, just being near him and violating his personal space, he relaxed immensely. Ryou couldn't remember feeling so uncomfortable in crowds before, but nevertheless, he was finally able to concentrate enough to open his locker. He reached into the collar of his shirt and managed to wrangle the ring out from beneath his sweater, the pendulums jangling. They sounded almost angry as he started pulling the cord off of his neck...
Behind you!
He dropped the ring back against his chest and spun around, coming face to chest with two rather large upperclassmen.
"Well, lookit that. Now the prettyboy's got jewelry to compliment his hair," the dark-haired one sniggered, and the other inquired, "What cheap-ass dollar store did you pick that piece of crap up at?"
Ryou's lip twitched. He should have been scared, standing in their shadows, their broad forms blocking any attempt at escape. But more than that, he was just... irritated. Dangerously irritated.
"I suggest you leave me alone. I have not been having a very good day," Ryou growled. In the back of his mind, he was starting to become afraid - but of himself. A look of slight surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly gone.
He didn't growl. His voice shouldn't sound like that. And he most certainly didn't threaten seniors that were football players.
But the back of his mind was far away, and whatever - whoever - had taken center stage of his psyche was a far different person.
And the prospect of being in a fight only excited this twisted version of Ryou.
"What was that?" The seniors' amused expressions became harsh glares. They hadn't been expecting him to threaten them, either. One looked to the other, "I say we break his new toy over his head."
Ryou felt his lips curl into an unbidden smirk. He lowered his head, and his hands seemed to raise themselves, beckoning the upperclassmen towards him.
The taller of the two charged forward, lifting his fist in a wild swing. With the speed of a serpent, Ryou deftly avoided the attack, grabbing one of the senior's beefy arms and yanking him downwards. He watched his own hands in awe as they redirected the bully's forehead - and the full force of his attack - into the sharp, metal edge of the bottom of his locker effortlessly. There was a strangled yelp, and the senior slumped to the floor.
The other upperclassman looked rather shocked and bewildered for a moment, before he snarled and rushed recklessly at the thin, white-haired boy. He was met with a sound kick to his stomach, and as he doubled over, Ryou kneed him in the throat. He tumbled to the floor, gasping for air and clutching his neck.
"I warned you," the silky voice that was not his own reminded them smoothly, before its smug presence seemed to slip back into the shadows of Ryou's mind. The boy stood there, blinking dumbly and staring at the two fallen jocks.
With a shaking hand, he took what books he needed out of his locker before closing the door. It didn't quite shut right, thanks to the new dent in the bottom - but Ryou was too busy running out of the school as fast as he could to notice.