In the main room, there hangs a painting of the Earl. Whenever I was sent to clean the room, I would gaze up at it and ponder who would paint such a thing, and if the Earl had killed them afterwards. Never the less, the horrid painting of the vile fat man intrigued me. Paintings have always caught the attention of my ever wandering mind, giving me an image to base my tales off of. It wasn't only painting that the lost traveler of my mind found tranquility in, but any creative act, truthfully. Art, music, and of course, cooking.
It was with that thought in mind that I turned on the oven, digging through the cabinets to find the right ingredients for Jasdevi's meal. It's not like cooking can ever clear my mind, but at least the act of creating something will help my mind focus on something other than Jasdevi... I pulled out the frying pan for David's omelet. Then again, how distracted can I become when this meal could be my "last supper"? I don't even know how I should make Jasdero's curry...and I still don't know how I'd make a fried rice omelet. Should I just make a normal omelet and stuff it full of fried rice? Does David like his fried rice with vegetables and egg or without...?
"Cooking?" I nearly dropped the pan, slowly turning around to face Road. "Don't look so surprised." She giggled, taking a step closer. "Did Jasdevi tell you to make them something to eat? It's only five, we eat dinner at seven, don't you know that?" There was something eerie in her voice, a threatening undertone beneath her supposedly harmless admonishing.
"I-I know." How would Eliade handle this...? She had an ego bigger than I could ever have... She wouldn't let even Road intimidate her... Even if she followed their orders, she never seemed like a pushover, she was stronger than that... I never sensed an fear in those cold eyes of hers...
"So why are you cooking...?" She smirked.
"They told me they were hungry."
"Alright." Road stuck her tongue out, "I won't tell this time."
Hesitantly, I started to cook, feeling her watchful golden eyes on the back of my head. I started with Jasdero's curry, hoping I could put off the troublesome omelet for as long as possible.
"So, why is it you can't remember your name?"
"My name? I remember it, Mistress, the name you and Lord Jasdevi gifted me with. My name is Rain Fantastico... or Fantastico Rain..."
"Not that, silly," Road gave another little laugh, "your real name, the name the human who created your akuma self had."
What's she talking about? Why would I know that person's name...? I stopped cooking, a jar of spices in one of my hands as I stood completely still over Jasdero's half-made curry.
"Don't you remember being a level one akuma? When you would pretend to be that person and go about thoughtlessly killing?" Road went on.
"I remember..." I told her. "I remember... I was created, and then I killed. Lots of people..."
"But you don't recall your name?"
"No..." I never talked to the other akuma. The only one I had conversed with was Eliade, and I never asked her about her name, and she never questioned why I didn't have one... was it true that the other akuma had names? Had I really been left out of the circle, one single odd weapon out. Some samurai would name their swords... I knew, so it shouldn't be that queer that an akuma, a weapon, has a name as well... Akuma had names, genders, had pasts they could look back on... how could it all be, I wondered. I thought Jasdevi had given me the two things all akuma wanted... that everyone of my kind desire but... did they just compensate for what I lacked, hand me the two things I rightfully deserve...? "I don't know why, but the beginning of my life is kind of hazy." My voice was soft, shaking carefully. The day had presented me with too many obstacles, too many events in a life that should be devoted to only bloodshed.
"It's alright, that can happen sometimes." Road told me. "How's the curry coming?" I set myself back on track, forcing my eyes to stick to the bowl of curry in front of me, tipping my shaking hand so that the spices sprinkled in. "I'm going to go visit an exorcist tomorrow." Road went on, changing the topic, "I'm not telling the Earl, but I think it will be fun. I'm taking some level two akuma with me... you want to come along?"
"I've never fought an exorcist." I warned her.
"You're an akuma, it will come naturally."
"Alright." I grinned, "It's been too long since I killed someone last."
Road smiled, "We can't have that!"
"Road?" The kitchen door opened slowly, Tyki walking in, his hair still a mess around his face from sticking his head out the window, his eyes only glossing over me as he looked briefly around the room. His elegant narrow eyes hit upon my nervous figure for but a moment before moving on, my heart still beating like crazy as if his very gaze held it's own poison.
And I'm not even a woman... how could any girl look into those eyes without her heart exploding? I gulped, looking away from Tyki to tend to Jasdero's curry. Knowing them they won't want too wait long...
"So you couldn't find Lero after all?" Tyki chuckled.
"No, I couldn't. I guess the Earl took Lero with him." I couldn't see her expression, but knowing Road she had put on one of her cute, childish pouts that would look almost innocent if not on her devilish gray face, on a mouth that shared the same face as the signature Noah stigmata.
"So why are you in the kitchen, then?" I could feel Tyki's sharp eyes move over to the back of my head, a shiver running up my spine as I finished up the curry and put it to the side, starting on the omelet for David, who seemed far less intimidating when compared to Tyki.
`"I heard Rain in here and wanted to see what he was doing." Road told him, using my name freely.
"Rain? I thought Jasdevi named it Fantastico..."
Just hearing him say my name makes my heart skip... being in the same room as him puts me on edge... How could someone so handsome lead a double life as a hobo...?
"It's Rain Fantastico." Road laughed, "Me and Jasdevi picked it out together."
"I see..." I could hear how stupid Tyki thought it was by the tone of his voice. "And why is he cooking?" He called me he, but I was sure it only did it because Road had.
"Jasdevi's hungry." Road answered for me. Thank you, Road... I thought, keeping my back turned to the two Noah. I don't think I could handle it if I actually had to have a conversation with Tyki...
"So why is he cooking for them?"
"Look at it this way, if they eat early they won't sit with everyone at dinner, and that means no food fights tonight... I think I'll miss it, though." Road laughed.
"I won't." Tyki assured her.
"Well, I'll see you later, Tyki, Rain!" Road suddenly ended the conversation, skipping out of the kitchen and pulling the door behind her soundlessly. For whatever reason, Road had decided to leave me along with Tyki. Road, who had saved me only moments ago by answering for me, had condemned me to being alone with Tyki, a fate I could do nothing to fight against.
I have to finish David's omelet... I tried to stay focused, hoping the twin's taste in food wasn't as picky as Skin's. I can't leave until I do...The awkward atmosphere was so thick I thought it would obscure my vision, and even though I had my backed turned to him I could almost see Tyki's confused expression. He's probably questioning why Road just ditched him as much as I am... A few seconds passed, almost as long as the eternity I had spent panicking while David pressed his gun to my head. Maybe I should ask him about what Jasdevi said.. I was able to push my way in pretty far with them... maybe Tyki won't get offended if I dare to talk to him, either... and even in worse case scenario, he's not hot headed like Skin or Jasdevi... I doubt he'd just up and kill me... I tried to remain calm, but my rapid twitching was subverting all my efforts. Not just because I'm curious... for Jasdevi, too, I realized. Right... it doesn't matter if they were just making up for the fact that I didn't have a name to begin with, the fact is they gave me one, and more than that, even... They actually talked to me, sought me out for advise on how to play poker... They trusted me with their problem... They didn't just give me a name, they gave me an entire identity. They gave me a present that isn't just bloodshed and bullets. Eliade was my only friend but now... I can say that I have two more friends, as well... and even if we're not that close, I still have to cling to all the friends I have, just the way they cling to their handful of family...
"My Lord," I let go of the frying pan and turned to face Tyki, my words gushing out of my mouth like a waterfall, my speech slurring as I rushed to get the sentence out before I could second think it. Tyki, who had just moved to grab the door, looked over his shoulder at me.
"Hm?"
I can just say never mind, and have him forget this ever happened... No, I couldn't, and in the depths of my mind I knew it, I knew all I could do was keep talking like I was a broken sink, letting the words come out before I had time to regret them. "My Lord, it seems you've upset Lord Jasdevi."
"Have I?" Tyki smirked, turning completely around and leaning against the door, crossing his arms over his chest and he looked at me with his beautiful, seductive eyes.
"I'm afraid you have." I tripped up on my words, making it sound more like "I'mafriadyouhave". "You see, sir, Jasdevi seems to be-er-lonely."
"Really?" Tyki chuckled, as if he was watching some sort of entertaining play unfold in front of him.
"Y-yes..."
"I find it hard to imagine they actually came out and said that." His voice was casual, holding no malice or ill intentions like the undertone of Road's sugary sweet voice, yet I couldn't be sure what lurked just beneath the surface of his trivial words.
"No, they didn't..." I pray that he doesn't go and tell them I told him this!! I'm just trying to help... but knowing Jasdevi.. they'll take it as betrayal.... I thought nervously. "but one can fill in the blanks."
"Fill in the blanks?" Tyki chuckled again in the same amused tone.
"Well, yes, my lord." I paused, finally stopping my rapid speech and letting my effrontery catch up with my mind. I owe them at least this much but... no, I won't die... I don't think... But why does it feel different than it did before? When I was at Hell's gate with David's gun aimed to kill me, I felt so scared... I thought the end was coming and I was truly going to be destroyed... and that frightened me, maybe because I couldn't actually die, death frightened me to my core. I couldn't die, not the way I was. Someone, akuma or human, can't die unless they have a name. If not, they're just another nameless corpse that never even lived...Yet now, standing at these blazing gates once more, it feels more depressing then scary... I don't want to die, I don't want to die a somebody who became a nobody, that's almost as bad as being a nobody to begin with...
"I think it would be wise of you to see to those two." The words had escaped my lips, taken flight into the air and gained a life of their own, and I would make no apology to kill them. The least I can do is tell him that Jasdevi needs him... that's the least I can do... I braced myself, my hands bawled into fists. If he choses to kill me, I'll gladly self destruct. I thought, but I'd rather he did it himself. What would it feel like to be killed by him? Killed by a god... killed by a vagabond...