Write date: 03-07; 04-03
Greetings,
Well the chapter's long so I won't blabber, besides the fact that it's been a crazy week.
On with the story, hope you enjoy! :)
-X-X-X-
-Four months ago-
'Ekhem, I am Utura Hisho, a psychologist in Seven Voices academy. In this tape I'll record a testimony of one of my former friends, a patient to be exact. The principal of Seven Voices, Minami Ritsu... His patient number 005. No diagnose of a long lasting disease, the patient is healthy in 20XX, up until further notice... However I have a hunch that there is something going on behind the sufferer's sickness document. There is something he desperatly hides and keeps quiet to anything that relates to that matter... In so I made this recording to gather information beyond his will. Case number I: Minami Ritsu...'
X X X
19XX-10-28
"Hah... Where to now..." A heavy sigh left the lungs, when a young man padded down the stairs of the university's entrance, admiring the calming scenery before him: trees( stripped naked from their leaves), benches, grass (not so green anymore, but holding a questionable shade of white, from the freeze) and pavement, leading out into the smog filled city. Beautiful... If you ignore the racket of cource.
He bit his lower lip in disgust. Damn to all hell and back, he hated the hustle and bustle of this place! The annoying hornings of cars, currents of people, flowing back and forth, the unclean air and the roadsides, leading to the back areas of the nasty duplex apartments, he had to take every day just to get back to his dormitory...
Damn to all heaven, he wished he would still live in Seven Voices academy, where everything was peaceful or even his father's summer condo, which was now only ashes... Damn fate...
"Ritsu?! Your sessions over too?"
The nineteen-year-old silverette turned around to his new companion, who jumped through the stairs, skipping the last three. He haulted in front of Ritsu with a wide smile on top.
"Seems like it... What about you, Hisho, skipping the philosophy lecture again?"
"It's nothing..."
The man had brown, neatly combed hair, with a few golden strands, without virgin ears. He fixed his shirt, seeing some lower course girls walk by. Then quickly winked to them, causing the youngsters to rush by, blushing and squaeling between them.
Ritsu smiled at that, his habits never change, do they?
"So..." The brown-haired man turned to the silverette again, taking a piece of gum from his neatly arranged book bag." Where are you heading? Want gum by the way?"
"No thank you..." Ritsu declined after a short moment and Hisho began chewing by himself.
"Want to go to a bar?"
"And what, get drunk again?"
"No..."Hisho sighed in annoyance, shaking his head, then pointed at Ritsu's cheek."Get ladies!"
"I'll pass."
"Oh come on, are you still crying over that teacher you loved, she has a child now, doesn't she? Fail, Ritsu, fail..."
The silver-haired man hadn't even noticed, how he began to clutch his fists to the point, where his knuckles turned white...
Seriously it's been nearly four whole years since Akio Sugou, Akio Agatsuma would be more precise, had obliged to go on a date with him. In so had turned down his love, his first love... In fact Ritsu felt weak...
Four years... In such a span of time Akio surely erased him from her memory, forgot all about him, treated his love confession as somesort of accident perhaps...
So why couldn't he forget like they told him to? It was said that it would get better over the years, that the youngster will eventually move on... Nonesense... He was still trapped in the same circle of memories and love... Trapped. Unable to find an exit as everything repeated again and again...
"Get a grip on yourself, Ritsu, The world isn't ending. You have to move on."
"Who said the world was ending?" Ritsu cocked an eyebrow, scoffing.
"Your expression. Seriously I think you need another round of heavy drinking. Up for that? It was a lot of fun back in the days, remember? The two of us and Takehito used to go to all kinds of places! Sometimes dragging Nana and Nagisa too."
"Nagisa was with us? How come I don't remember any of that..." The silver-haired palmed his face, with a grunt, while dragging his feet by the well known sidewalk.
"Because we got you partying like an animal! The best fun is the kind you don't remember! That saying's not for nothing you know." Hisho lectured, extending a finger, as he immitated a pose of a philosopher. Before Ritsu threw him a weird eye, quickly smacking the other by the back of the head.
"You made that up... Anyway, I don't think I can ever go for another dtink , because of your so called fun, my body got intoxicated," The silverette crossed his arms, slightly smirking at the fact, that his hit made Hisho spit out his gum.
The brunette scratched his head, sadly looking at his lost crunch. He piped up, though lacking his previous enthusiasm, after his inspection of the victim, that fell by Ritsu's annoyed hand.
"Oh poor you, if everyone would turn into an alcohol-free person, just after one hangover."
Ritsu breathed out heavily, hidding the lower half of his face in his checkered scarf.
But on the other hand he could testify his pessimistic turn to alcohol... That year was horrid...
Firstly he got turned down by Akio, then his fighter died, Nagisa blamed him. He got terribly sick because of that separation. But it passed eventually... Even if there were lot of people, who helped him, there were none to fill the aching hole in his heart...
Losing a fighter, was like losing a part of yourself, breaking and shattering your soul... Even now Ritsu still did not dare to look at his severed bond, that limply fell down, dangling off his scarred name Endless.
For some reason it was agonizing in a physical and mental way, leaving a gash of thoughts lingering after. Thoughts a sane person wouldn't dare to do to himself. He almost succeeded them though. The ever-so-tempting demons would have been proud of him...
Moreover his other half was none other than Nagisa's younger sister Sanae, that unfortunetly met a horrid demise too early... Ritsu occasionally blamed himself for that accident, despite the fact, that past could not be overwritten and it wasn't his fault in the slightest.
"How did you pass the period, when your sacrifice died?..." The silver-haired student suddenly muttered, after a deafening silence between the two, interrupted by occasional soughs of wind. Hisho whirled his head at his friend, with an expression as if seeing Ritsu grown a second head.
Then the brunette slowly fished for another piece of gum in an attempt to stall, unfortunetly the tube was empty. Fuck it, no more sugar for the brain cells, to keep their factory running...
"Kaede..." His voice seemed strained, when be finally gathered the strength to answer.
"How long has it..."
"Four... Four years already... Since that driver..." Hisho suddenly gone quiet and the high pitched wind was the only response Ritsu got, until the silverette's quivering voice proclaimed, lost in his own turmoil of feelings.
"Damn... Driving drunk like that... Your sacrifice wasn't at fault, Hisho..."
"What's the point of saying... That now..." Hisho clutched his hair, his form leaning wherever the breeze whistled and bowed it at. Ritsu looked distressed likewise, ecerting his eyes to the pavement.
"She was innocent... Innocent...S. she didn't deserved it... Kaede... Didn't had to die like that..."
"Yet..."
"Don't say that, Ritsu! Don't repeat it. not anymore..."
"Fine... " The silver-haired man found a limp in his throat, blocking his quivering answer."I'm... I'm sorry..."
"You don't have to be... Thank's for the sympathy..."
"Your... Welcome..."
Ending with that sad note they found themselves out of the backyards in front of the dormitory. The evening spread out the cyan sky, already darkening it's features to an unwelcoming shade.
Hisho haulted, upon opening the door. Then spun his feet to face his silver-haired companion once more, who seemed quite interested in the rubble at the moment, kicking it like an unsatisfied child, who wasn't given a candy. The street lamp flickered, erasing Ritsu's glooming body, did it just convulced for a second?
Hisho frowned. Was this pessimistic, quiet state, the way Ritsu dealt with his loss all the time? He called out.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Mh..." As Ritsu's body shook again, he hugged himself."Just... Cold I suppose..."
Was that the reason?
Hisho's face didn't falter and remained scrutinizing, whilst the lamp's boring monotonious shine continued to flutter, like in a crappy horror movie. If that's so, then this would be the moment where the monsters jump out. But instead it was greeted by a growl from Ritsu, that can be just as scary sometimes.
"What? I'm not an exhibit in a zoo, stop staring. If I said I was okay, I mean it."
"So you say..." Hisho mused, after a sigh." Come to my room, if you have the time, I wanna show you something."
"Well, alright..."
Ritsu eventually followed his friend into the darkened starcase, with a lonely light bulb a few meters above.
In the meantime Utura Hisho smirked, he had a feeling that he'll sacrifice something today in sake of another... And fate will be decided by polling: three points- hanging out with Ritsu, zero-for learning and infinity- for throwing a party, while hitting Ritsu with someone! Hisho smirked evilly- The plan for the night had been pretty much settled...
When they scarcely stepped in the dorm it's owner slumped into his bed, emmiting a sigh, filled with fatigue.
Ritsu, on the other hand, remained by the doorstep, adjusting his bag's strap, drapped on his shoulder. He was hesitant, not stepping any further in the room as if afraid the floor was on fire... As he stood there he took a glimpse of his surroundings.
Everything was cleaned off, not a single dust was left alive, no papers, or clothing tossed around, immitating a black hole, something that was Takehito's special feature.
Not even pictures or phone numbers of the girls he idolised so much, despite Ritsu's belief of such an event.
A bed in the corner with cupboards from the side, a bookshelf accompanied by a small, senile desk in the opposite direction. The middle of the room was mostly empty, There wasn't even a carpet, concealing the plain and endlessly cracking floorboards.
Maybe Ritsu hadn't joined Hisho, spooked by the floor breaking. However that was hardly possible, Ritsu recalled, that the brown-haired man used to throw wild parties here. Until the neighbours got sick of the midnight racket. So soon after Hisho had to shift his assemblies to the bar... The company probably lived off his constant parties now.
Although Ritsu didn't have to ponder on the mysteriously robust wooden planks anymore, he heared the brunette's concerned voice.
"You okay, Ritsu?" He perked up, while straightening the edges of the blanket he layed on." Been standing there for a few good minutes now. Come in, I won't bite!"
"Eh... yea..." The silverette blushed, pulling a chair in front of him, and sitting on it backwards, gently crossing his hands on the seat's back.
"I'm not stupid, I know what I'm dealing with."
Hisho smiled, soon noticing a soft, beep from his mobile phone, that looked like a blue colored brick. He smirked after, sending Ritsu a wink.
"Yes. But you dont know what you'll be in for in the night!"
"What are you up to?" The guestsulked in, putting his chin on the edge of the wooden chair's back, hands hiding his mouth.
"Is it something stupid again?"
"Perhaps..." Hisho drawn out, thinking, what to text back and messing up his bed's blanket again from all his shifting and turning.
" But believe me, you won't regret it! My ideas always work! No matter how weird they sound!"
"Yea, I believe you, they work out, to whose favour I wonder?" Ritsu rasped, lifting his glasses and hearing Hisho giggle, while throwing the phone in his hands.
"Mine of cource. Oh, this is gonna be one heck of a party! So don't you dare poop in the middle of it! Hear me, Ritsu?! You will not get away this time, I won't let you... Besides I found a cute girl for yea." He gave a sincere smile to the silverette, who pretended to ignore him, by shuffling through his bag.
The brunette pouted his lips, he hated, when people didn't listen to him. Eventually Ritsu faced him again, after getting out a water bottle.
"Alright, alright, you don't have to plead me like last time, I'll stay... Just don't imagine me joining in the hangover..."
"Wohoo! Now where talking! Wanna hear about Sachika, she's really cute, funny and has brains I think you'd get along great. So she..."
"Hold on..." The silver-haired man retorted, raising his hand, unable to calm his dry throat..." I didn't said I need a girlfriend, quit it."
"Ah... But I love it and you need it!"
"No I don't..." Ritsu shook his head; taking a slirp, before noticing he had another question burning to be answered.
"Who else will be here?"
"Well, me, you, Takehito... Nagisa..."
Ritsu nearly choked on water at the unexpected turn of events. He quickly covered his mouth, to regain his breath, coughing for few times. Whilst Hisho shot him a glare.
"Your cleaning that up."
"Ah... Whatever... Ehm..." He drew out a tissue." Nagisa?! Why her? Why the hell would you invite that... that... fool? And wasn't she learning in another city, that means she'll crash here! Not just for a visit!"
"You hate her that much? But you know, since you are part of the new Septimal Moon you'll have to work together, so I think it would be beneficial on both sides."
"Beneficial my ass!"
"Listen, stop acting like a child..."
Hisho overlooked Ritsu's movements, when the man got up, picking up his bottle and violantly shoving it in the dark dephs of his book bag.
"Could've told me sooner that she'll be coming..."
"Ritsu, calm down... Why are you angry at her anyway? Does it have anything to do with Sanae's... Ehm... Accident?"
"How should I know?!" The silver-haired man raised his voice at his friend, clutching the strap." She's the one giving me trash treatment."
"But maybe you did something to deserve it. Try thinking for a moment." Hisho softened his tone, remembering the teachings in the university.
"Like what?!"
"Ritsu... If you don't like her, then atleast put a formal face, while working together. You can lash out on her after." Hisho folded his arms." Remember you are the new Septimal Moon, you have to forget the differences, our whole world depends on your decisions." Ritsu's face colden, as he bit his lip." So there is no time to waste in pointless bicker."
"New Septimal Moon?" The silverette didn't gave up. He snickered in a mocking manner.
"Let me get this straight, you call us an organization? Us? We're a laughing stock nothing more. There are only four of us, unexperianced brats: me, Nana, Nagisa, Takehito."
Ritsu suddenly stomped to Hisho, barking right at his face. His hands deliriously shook with no end.
"All we ever cared, was taking down the old geezers, not a single idea passed our screwed heads that it's far from the ending!"He shook his head."We're idiots!"
It gone quiet, once Ritsu let out the final staggering breath, out of air, from his yelling.
And Hisho's expression didn't waver one bit. He looked up at his companion, noticing the silver-haired male rub his hands together. Ritsu everted his eyes, that still held down rage, scrapping against his emotions.
Hisho smiled, since the wolf had gone tired- time for the rabbit to jump out, keeping the last arguement.
"Well yes, you have a lot of opposition, especially the ever unsatisfied teachers causing havoc with their protests..." The student countered with a winning smirk, when his companion looked worned out, going quiet like a scared prey.
"But remember the previous Septimal Moon rose up in even drier state, but still managed to win over the majority's trust, eventually becoming nearly unstopable and inseparable as a group. That's what you should aim at: trust, friendship..."
Ritsu's eyes danced all over the ground, afraid to look up, or meet Hisho's stare at that point.
Alright, the silver-haired man had to admit the other held sense and wisdom, however that didn't ment Ritsu had to bow to that belief and abandon his heavely constructed way of dealing with people. Annoying people, who didn't saw reason.
Perfect example- Nagisa...
There was no way he would let her trump all over him, squashing Ritsu with her neverending, burning disdain or ridicule, loathe on top of all. He will hold his own, Ritsu's pride will not give up to a low cast such as Nagisa...
The man's features were suddenly greeted with a sneer, that he instantly deflected, trying to keep his face down and neutral.
Wait a minute... Didn't he held the principal's chair now? He was the head of the school, a position, that the silverette so easily kept forgetting, because it seemed so foreign...
Still, believable or not, Ritsu had more power than her, did he not? Atleast that was one upside of overthrowing Septimal Moon.
"Whatever..." Ritsu finally managed to grumble out, grappling his teeth.
The silver-haired man spun his feet from his friend, striding out of the room, however, when the male stood inches away from the door, something made him pause.
"Left something?"
"No..." The silverette's eyes sparkled with interest, before he slowly reached for a fallen piece of paper, tossed near the empty trash bin.
"What did you find there?" Hisho drew himself up from the bed, looking intentionally at the unexpected object...
Ritsu took another glimpse of the paper, trying to read through the scribble, as Hisho hurriedly skipped to him.
"Poetry?..."
"Well... Yea..." The brown-haired male smiled warily. " Not the best piece I've written, if you want to laugh, go right ahead..."
"No... It doesn't seem that bad, from what I can make out anyway... When did you became a poet?" Ritsu smirked at his friend a bit mockingly.
" And do you have some more pieces, that could be readable, I'd like to take a look..."
"Always an admirier of art, huh?" Hisho sighed, tearing the paper out of Ritsu's grasp and desposing it properly this time...
The silverette now stared at his empty hands.
"So?" The brunette asked, grabbing some books from his bookshelf and getting out hidden sheets within their contents... Hidding his art so well.
"W. What?" Ritsu blurted, waking up from his daze, then everting his eyes from Hisho as if his secret artwork was forbidden to be ever read.
"You can take these."
The brunette flapped his poems at Ritsu, before the latter walked closer, inspecting the abrupt gift. Hisho swayed on his toes in the meantime, waiting for his friend to finish one of them, soon spotting a distasteful, uneasy expresion lurching on the silverette's face...
"Yea... You might be able to guess already. This was all made after Kaede's death... " He giggled, while watching Ritsu's face shift further with every line seen.
"That's why it does have some conflicting ideas scattered and hidden... You'll be my first reader..."
"What? Why hadn't you shared these yet? You shouldn't hide, Hisho."
"Well, you know not all creators want their art to be seen. I'm one of them."
"Still..."
"Mh..." Hisho mused, scratching his head and darting at his companion a bit drowsily."Look, Ritsu, one thing I'm absolutely sure about is that art doesn't have rules... So give me a break would you?"
'An annoyed Hisho, better not push this any further.' Ritsu's mind instructed, as he bit down his upcoming arguement...
Damn, losing to him twice in one day...
"Alright, guess I'll be going now..." The silver-haired man droned out, tilting his head at Hisho, who suddenly became oddly drawn to his phone, texting someone.
The brunette just released a hum, going back to his previous activity.
"Thank's... I'll return these tomorrow..." With that the silver-haired student left, with an awkward silence reigning between his sentences.
Ritsu strided down the stairs speedely, wanting to get back to his dorm sooner.
The night had already fallen, that he confirmed, catching a glimpse of the outside through a small window just above his head. Although he paused for an instant.
Why did Hisho let him go just like that? Didn't he promised, that he'll drag him into a party? Did Hisho forgot?
Not like him. But guess there was a first time for everything.
So Ritsu just shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the strap of his satchel further on, to prevent it from falling.
When the silverette layed his eyes on the hall again, his face dyed in disgust, maybe embarrasment. He sighed continuing on the steps, hoping with all his heart that his poor eyesight mistook the two people chatting loudly beside the doorway.
As he strided closer, his mind just confirmed, that in fact, his first glance wasn't wrong...
Takehito with Nagisa... Oh, what joy...
He rolled his eyes...
To add more to that, it seemed they've finally spotted him too. Nagisa's gaze was nightmare itself.
"Hey, where are you heading off?" Takehito's voice proclaimed, when Ritsu was a few steps away.
And unluckily, the plump man slided his feet in front, blocking his way.
The silver-haired gave a dissatisfied glance, burning with annoyance. Before making a detour, attempting to ignore him again...
"Wov... You're not going anywhere!" The dark-haired male laughed, grabbing his friend's arm."Hisho's orders."
"What?" Ritsu's eyes shot open.
So that's who Hisho was texting all that time, wasn't it?
Well the party wasn't as bad as Ritsu predicted, considering, that there were only four people and no outsiders.
They were playing card games and losing pitifully to Takehito-the game master, dancing to music, coming from a small, worned casette player, talking. And laughing out of stupid incidents, they incountered.
"Haha... Yea that's right!" Hisho exclaimed.
In the meantime Takehito finished the snacks, they've bought for the party... He looked around, still crunching. Then carefully put the empty bag where he found it... Still crunching.
While Ritsu was sitting on the bed next to Hisho. And Nagisa was on the other side, picking at the many casette's out of Hisho's collection.
No doubt Hisho was always ready for a party, spending the scraps of money he earned on new singles, rather than food, or clothing... His admirers didn't seemed to mind his scrawniness as long as he had the parties coming.
"Well if we're talking about fails, I remember one!" Ritsu exclaimed.
"Well let it rip! I'm all ears!" Nagisa's cat ears perked up and tail wagged.
"Nagisa once fell into the pond trying to catch leaves. She believed the water was solid!" The silverette concluded with a ridiculing smirk, when Hisho released a barely hearable snicker.
"I think you got it wrong, Ritsu." The female's calm voice declared, accompanied by a rattle.
The silver-haired man glanced at Nagisa, raising an eyebrow and waiting to hear her pitiful excuses.
"It was Mion, who fell into it. She grabbed my arm and dragged me along."
The male's jaw parted, attempting to shoot back. Though his mind didn't think of anything at that moment. He blushed deeply, lost of words.
"Woah, woah..."Hisho put his chin on his hands, while laying on his stomach." Stop dreaming, Ritsu!"
"Besides." Nagisa gave the ashamed coleague a sparkling glare. Nothing good comes out of that...
" When you were a little child you believed, that the walls could actually be walk-through if you put enough will to it!" Ritsu shook his head, afraid of what's to come..." Your little journey ended with a huge bump on your head, cracked glasses and the whole school ringing from your crying!"
"God, damn it!" The silverette burried his face in his palms from the embarassement, that caused his friends laughter to increase.
"Hey, come on!" Hisho called, still giggling, while patting Ritsu's head." You were a child."
"Still embarrassing..."
"Shouldn't we be moving already?"Takehito pryed in to their circle all of a sudden.
"Oh..." Hisho ruffled his hair, eyes going wide from spotting the clock." It's already past first in the morning."
"Call it quits?" Nagisa's ears fell, before she slowly slid down the bed with a groan." Don't wanna..."
"We have classes in the morning, right Ritsu?" The silverette nodded."We probably should... So Takehito's staying with me, what about Nagisa?"
Hisho's eyes veered between the slumped female and Ritsu, who was already packing his book bag. He suddenly called out with a high voice.
"I know! Ritsu, you said your roommate moved out, correct? So why can't Nagisa sleep there?"
"What!?" Hisho shut his ears, hearing a fierce yell from the other.
"Well I don't have enough money to book a night, so I'm okay if that's fine with Ritsu." The female smiled lightheartedly, standing up from her crouching position, while sparing a glance to the silverette.
While the man was quite shocked, trying to stir up a believable excuse. However his little scheme was crushed, when Takehito began to rattle from behind.
"Come on, Ritsu, I'm not letting Nagisa wander through some motels at night. She's a girl after all..."
"Jeez, Takehito, always thinking of the worst..." The twin-tailed woman rolled her eyes, catching up with her roommate for the night. Then she waved to her remaining friends, exchanging short goodbyes.
X X X
The monotonic rattle of the bus was the only disturbance of the cold night. And absolutely nothing could be spotted through the windows.
Moreover there were no other people in the public transport, save for one sleeping fellow in the back of the bus.
In so Nagisa was dozing off quite quickly too. Her eyelids felt heavy, whilst her head searched for comfort on the back of the seat. However it wasn't the best solution, constant vibrating forced her to look for another spot to lay.
After a while the blue-haired female settled on Ritsu's shoulder... He blushed at first, but decided to keep the comments to himself. He couldn't really blame her, the long ride was agonizing.
Rattle and stop. Rattle and stop...
"We're not there yet?" A smooth, quiet voice intermited Ritsu's reading.
He gave an irritated glance at her, snuggling at his shoulder.
"No."
"What is that?" She shifted closer, raising her head to peek at the many papers in the silverette's hands.
"Hisho's artwork... You ever knew he was a poet?"
"Hm... I think... He mentioned it once..." The blue-haired teenager yawned out lazzily.
And the man only hummed in response, feeling stupid. Why did Hisho only revealed about it just now, when Nagisa most likely knew for quite some time?...
"Talking about art..." Nagisa mumbled, landing sideways on his shoulder. While Ritsu fought back an urge to shove her off, nevertheless shot an ill glare. He wasn't a stand to her...
"Ever known about Takehito's case?"
"What about Takehito?" Ritsu's concentration finally broke, as he tore his eyes away from the papers.
"He used to paint very beautifully..." Nagisa's eyes fluttered closed." But he doesn't anymore... Probably never will."
"Mh... Hadn't expected something like that out of him... But why do you say that he won't draw again?"
"Because I know that..."
"How?"
"When he was a child... They said Takehito had an outstanding photographic memory. So his pictures were probabaly very realistic..."
Nagisa paused for a minute, her lips left parted soundlessly.
"He had been not aging more than ten... That was the time he had came to Septimal Moon to seek refugee... From then onwards he never drew a single picture. Understanding his case, the teachers even let him pass the art class, without him attending it once... He couldn't bare to paint ever again..."
Nagisa haulted for a while, seeing that a new passenger got onboard, when the bus made a stop at the city center.
The door greeted the darkness and the breeze of the night along... Then the man dizzily walked and suddenly slumped into the seat before them, as if falling into a bed... When the hooded man miserably managed to straighten in his seat after a few good minutes, the students notted the instant reek of alcohol, it caused both youngsters to wrinkle their noses in disgust...
"So..." Ritsu snapped his companion out of the daze, bringing the previous conversation back." What exactly caused Takehito to quit art?"
"Well we don't have clear evidence, but according to what he stated to the doctor... It was... Quite. Shocking." The bluenette slowly concealed her mouth with her fingers, thinking for a minute, before continuing in a cracking pitched whisper.
"Takehito... He lost his ears to his own father, who forced him to draw portraits of his deceased family members..."
"W-what?" The man's eyes went bloodshot.
"He had to copy corpses on paper..." She bit her nail, feeling distressed. "It's possible that Takehito's father killed his other two children, after his wife's death, that he hid as well... And then..."
"Damn it..." Was the only phrase leaving the stunted lips. Ritsu had nothing more to say.
Now just remembering Takehito's neverending jokes, caused an unnerving feeling, wrenching in his stomach. Did the dark-haired male joked to oppose and forget the agony he'd been through?...
Now when Ritsu thought about it, his constant cheerful personality made sense. Takehito had to do that, in order to escape from the haunting past. That was the only way to fight the absurd he'd been forced to commit, the trash his body was pressured to coat and drag in. Insane...
How could a parent dare to even think of doing that to his own son? He breathed out in a mocking tone, unable to hold down, what was hurling up his throat.
"And of cource that father lives on unpunished, right?"
The female only nodded weakly to the silverette's shoulder, soon burrying her face in the fabric of his dark coat and gently clutching at his arm with a frail grip.
While the silverette felt, that he'll be unable to indulge in poetry any longer, as his brain assumed it would be more interesting to ponder in Takehito's past instead. It's because his mind couldn't comprehend the meaning. It wanted to deny the bizarre fact heard, or atleast find justification.
Ritsu shut his flaming emotions off, from his mind. He didn't needed that now.
Suddenly the silverette shook his head, causing Nagisa to look at him in confusion.
"S.Stop... Leaning at me, Nagisa..." He grumbled out as an excuse, then pushed her away lightly.
The girl gave her colleague an angry glare, a little blush tinting her cheeks. Though unfortunetly it seemed, Ritsu's voice reached one set of ears too many.
The stanger in front of them swiftly whirled around, with a weird glint in his eyes and scrutinized them for a minute.
"Good to see you!" He finally greeted, slowly slurling his words and making Nagisa's expresion dye in fury.
She rolled her eyes, looking through the window and not sparing a glance to the drunkard.
'Please leave us alone, leave us alone, you weirdo!'
Her mind felt anxious and soon Nagisa spotted, that Ritsu was taking the comment hard as well. His eyes gazing at the darkness, trying to put all his mind to the boring, dull view...
"Sagan Nagisa..."
The silver-haired nearly jerked at the man, with wide eyes, though remained steady, a slight shiver was the only response. He knew, that if they want the drunk stranger to leave them alone they mustn't react to him...
"Yea... I thought you looked familiar..." He continued, his eyes glued to Nagisa, eyeing her up and down as if she was a prey.
"Sanae looked the same too... Your father's genes, eh?"
'Go away, fuck it, go away...' The blue-haired female bit her trembling lip, however she suddenly felt Ritsu's grasp on her palm.
"Calm down... We're almost there..." The silver-haired muttered, gradually shifting closer to the glass.
"So you're the new Septimal Moon? How interesting, wouldn't have guessed in a million years, that someone from Sagan's could actually...
Ritsu gulped.
'Come on, we're almost there, can't this junk move any faster?'
"You won't go far kids... You won't.." The hooded man shook his head, facing downwards, before a horrid sneer curved his lips." No one will let you..."
The silverette suddenly drew up, jerking Nagisa upwards as well. He dragged her by the arm to the door.
"You think he's threat?" She whispered, leaning to his side a little, when they stood before the entrance.
"Who knows... But he's aware of us... That's what freak's me out..." Ritsu gave the stranger a side-glance; Their gazes met... He turned to Nagisa, letting out a staggering breath.
"Call Hisho..."
"Wh-what?"
"You know his number, right? Dial..."
Nagisa reached for her pocket, though her hand was snatched away by Ritsu again.
" No... Don't make it obvious... Keep the phone in your pocket..."
He settled keeping her hand, while the girl gave a small nod, beginning to shuffle through her pocket in search for her mobile.
"Alright, got it."She whispered back.
The silver-haired youth gave a smile in response, moreover noticing, the bus making a screeching stop on the wet road. That was their stop... He released a grateful sigh, thank goodness, it's almost over...
"Ritsu..." The bluenette tugged at his arm after a second. In so his dreaming was cut short. She spotted a bunch of hooded people, waiting at the bus stop. The door began to open up into the wet darkness, whilst Ritsu gave a hum in response.
"I'm scared..."
"Stop worrying... It's okay." He reassured in a low voice, taking a step back and to his surprise, leaned at something...
It reeked...
The silverette's eyes grew wide from fear.
That drunk man? Was this, his stop as well?
Ritsu didn't falter or waited for the door to fully open at that point. The man quickly squeezed through the small opening, draging a squeling Nagisa out too. He ignored angry shoutings from the group of people, then pushed aside, making his way. His footfalls and breathing heavy.
That man knew about Septimal Moon, knew, that they made a revolution, changing the authority and the whole structure of it... Of cource the new team battled in order to change the unfair and outdated rights. To the majority, that was beneficial...
Although there were still people, who fanatically scratched at the old rules, opposing anything that's new and desperatly desiring to take over.
Especially now, when they saw, that a few kids took down the great Septimal Moon, might as well try too. The power alone drove them to do so...
"Ritsu! Stop! What in the world is..." The bluenette released an ear-killing-shriek, trying to keep up with him. Thank heavens he atleast held her hand, otherwise she would've stopped long time ago... Nagisa already felt a pang below her chest and her feet were weak, as they splashed the rainwater on her flowered dress, beneath her jacket.
"We're making a detour. I'm not leading them to my dorm..." Ritsu's voice was hoarse from the running, when he suddenly made a turn into the alley, nearly avoiding a trashcan.
"T...Them?" Nagisa's eyes widened in puzzlement.
Regardless the silver-haired man didn't answer her, running through the narrow, smog filled street.
He svore to not pause even for an instance, to not look back, to ignore the ache all over his body.
Although something jerked Ritsu back... Nagisa finally gave up? She yelped suddenly, as their fingers finally lost contact, grasping through the air in vein...
"Ritsu!!!"
He whirled around at the commotion... But it was too late... Everything happened to fast...
A sudden thrust to his stomach made him cough, another kick shoved him down into the mud... The silverette released a groan, as a protest, though a firm hand quickly cought his strands of hair, gritting his face further down the sludge. He gasped. He couldn't breathe anymore.
"Would you look who we have here?" One man, who was twisting Nagisa's arm behind her back, whistled, taking off his hood. A scarred smirk, accompanied by shimmering red eyes shone through.
"Sagan and the principal... What loot. Two birds with one stone, eh?"
The red-eyed with violet hair tilted Nagisa's chin to look at him, smirking at her frightened, lost pupils.
"Hey! I told you it would be easy to track them down!" Another voice growled, nearly a laughter, a hideous one...
"You know best, man! With these two out of the way, Septimal Moon's a free roadway!"
Ritsu flinched overhearing it. 'No...' His eyes fired up. 'No way.'
The man attempted to get up, get fresh air instead of soil...
"Ah... Look at that, the headmaster has a different opinion." The man, that was holding him, beamed, as a reponse to the silverette's struggle." Should we listen to the baby?"
Soon a round of gruesome chuckling evoke from the group. And Nagisa watched in terror, when a few began kicking her colleague restlessly... The laughter increased, nearly blocking the screams, as the poor lamp above the scene gave out in the poor flickering-the last signs of light.
There were no people anymore... No figures, standing or laying... Nothing escaped the engulfing darkness. The cries, the pleas, the echoing groans, the scrapping, the ceaseless smashing, the thumping, the hoarse snickering, the whistles- that's the melody remaining for the ears to listen to and bleed...
Were they human? Those figures surrounding their prey? Or demons gobbling down a lost soul?
"P.please..." Nagisa finally managed to mumble out, tearstained eyes unable to gaze anywhere else but the source of the sounds. She felt her knees shaking. The captor just overlooked her with a sneer.
"S... Stop. T-this... Pl-pl.."
"Don't worry..." He cut her stammer short, suddenly eyeing her with a lecherous glint.
"We have something in store for you too, doll."