Yay, next chapter! I made this one pretty long to make up for the past two shorter ones, so enjoy! This is a Gumi chapter two, so those of you who like her will enjoy this update, I assure you. ^^
I have another one of my weird little questions at the bottom of today's chapter too, so be aware of that as well. Thanks for all the response last time, I think it helped a lot.
Thanks to reviewers:
`XxKingArthurIIIxX
`Silencing Snow
`MT's Souless6
`Shino No Mikaga No Kudotata
`Black White and Supersticious
`RandomNumbers523156
`zhane 17
~Tiruneko ;3
X~49~X
Walking slowly, Gumi moves towards the side of Yuuma's van and throws down the thick, matt-like blanket on the cold grass. She turns around to look over her shoulder as the sun begins to set and a high pitched wailing erupts from behind her.
IA jumps on top of IO's back, startling him and throwing him to the ground. He cries out in shock and IA sits on his back, tapping him on the back of his head and laughing hysterically. Yuuma and Len move at the same time, but Yuuma is closer to them and he lifts IA off of IO, swinging her around a little and setting her down beside him, she frowns as IO scrambles to his feet and rushes to stand next to her. He pulls on her far too long sleeve and she grins, rushing back off in a circle toward a car, chasing IO around.
Len frowns, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring at Yuuma for a moment before turning around and walking back over to where Lapis is trying to start their camp fire. She is fussing with the lighter angrily, flicking the silver thing over and over again, but she seems to be enjoying it.
Miku hovers over her shoulder and as Lapis stands up straight, righting herself, Miku jumps a little. On the other side of the car where Gumi is Oliver and Rin are. Gumi can hear them incoherently muttering to each other from where she stands. Then their talking stops and it's quiet until IA and IO come rushing over together.
IO throws himself down onto the thick blanket and IA jumps, landing on top of him. Gumi jumps a little and smirks for a second before flopping down her back pack and Gumo. She places both hands on the hood of the car and climbs up to the top, sitting on the roof of the car and lying flat out on her back, gazing up at the crimson-illuminated sky.
The sun has begun to set a while ago but it still hasn't died yet, lingering on the edge of the horizon and leaving the brilliant claw marks of its struggle with the moon, painted across the darkening sky.
Gumi closes her eyes, inhaling one long shuddering breath and holding it before releasing and re-opening her eyes. She hears Lapis cry with joy and the rush of flames. She can hear Miku jump and Len laugh. She can hear Rin and Oliver mummer softly and IA and IO shriek and wrestle with each other. She can hear her own heartbeat, and for the first time in a while, her own thoughts. And it terrifies her.
"What Len did-"
"Jesus Christ, Oliver. I told you to let it go, we've done it before." Rin groans, leaning against the trunk of a tree just a few yards away from their camp. Oliver sighs, making sure no one is watching, and scoots a little closer, wrapping his arm around her lower back. Rin flinches, but doesn't pull away.
"He killed you Rin." Oliver gulps, freezing for a minute. "On me." Rin glances down at Oliver's shirt and pants, covered in the stains from her blood and darker marks where part of her brain must have been. Little strands of hair from her busted skull remain sticking to his clothes in the stain and she sighs this time, inhaling deeply.
"Look, that's just Len. He's…" Rin does the head-check this time. "…he's really frustrated and pissed right now."
"Why? I thought him and IA-"
"It's because it wasn't him that rescued her. It's because he didn't know where she was or what was happening to her and because he wasn't the one to save and take care of her. But hey- at least he doesn't hate you as much as that Yuuma guy right now." Rin smirks, brushing some hair out of her face with the palm of her hand. "Today kinda sucked in a good way."
"How does it suck in a good way?" Oliver leans forward, looking her in the face with his one good eye.
"Well, if you think about it… the whole group is back together in a way, but everyone's pissed off at someone or doesn't trust someone. We're pretty damn vulnerable, if you ask me. And we have no coffee. That also sucks."
The sound of footsteps approaching jars the two out of their melancholy trance and Oliver pulls away, scooting to sit further. Rin sighs, standing as Miku approaches, face mostly hidden by her scarf.
"Len said- um… Yuuma has some food. We're gonna' eat now." Oliver goes first, walking past the two girls back into the grove of trees where the van has been skillfully hidden and parked like a wall on the only opening of the circular camp. Miku grabs Rin by the arm as she begins to walk back into the clearing and Rin turns around, ready to give Miku her best glare.
Upon seeing Miku's crimson red face mostly hidden under her scarf, Rin relaxes, stepping closer to the girl and sighing.
"What's up?"
"Rin… um… do you remember the day when-when Miki and-"
"Yes, I remember Miku." Rin cuts her off, cringing as the teal haired girl speaks.
"Well…" Miku shifts uncomfortably, her eyes threatening to swim with tears. "…when… M-Meiko had me and you…" she gulps. "…showed up… you remember what I was… doing, right?" Rin's eyes widen with horror at the painful memory of how Miku's body had begun to seize and contort, the way her eyes had been entirely swallowed by the red glare- Rin shakes her head to clear her mind and nods gently, stepping a little closer to Miku. Just as Rin's about to say something, Miku continues, her voice rushed and full of panic. "Oh God Rin, today when me and Lapis were at the cabin and Luka was there-" Miku shudders and looks as if she's about to throw up. Her scarf falls away from her face with the small movement of her shoulders to reveal her pale and cracked mouth, pressed into a thin line. "-it felt like it did then! I thought that… that whatever it was might happen again! I'm so afraid, Rin!" Miku gasps at the end.
Rin puts a hand on the side of Miku's arm. "You're fine, Miku, whatever it was, it won't happen again." Before Miku can argue or say anything more, Rin pulls her in front of her and continues talking. "Let's just go eat."
Rin leads Miku into the camp and sets her down in between Lapis and Len. There she seems to settle comfortably, sitting a little closer to Len than Lapis. Rin sits on the other side of Len and Oliver next to her. The "new kid" Yuuma moves over to the blanket under the van from his previous position on top of a fallen log where he had been rummaging through his supplies. There he taps IA twice on the shoulder and she stands, crawling off of IO, who she was ecstatically wrestling on the matt.
She pulled and pinched at him, giggling hysterically, but IO didn't really seem to mind, but he seems relived that Yuuma has come to get them. As IO rights himself, IA lurches forward, grabbing one of his hands with both of hers and grinning madly at him. IO gives her a tiny smile and she tugs his arm down, nearly throwing him to the ground. She tugs him forward madly, pulling him over to the small fire pit and flopping herself down in front of Len.
IO sits beside her, and takes a quick glance at her. Frowning, having realized the slight distance in between where they are sitting, he moves himself closer to her and takes one of her hands gently. He begins to absent mindedly play with her fingers.
Len frowns watching this but dismisses it as Yuuma brings open the backpack. He sits down next to IA and opens the leather bag taken from the store where he also got the pair clothes. He rummages through it and dumps out a slew of food onto the ground and begins to sort through it.
"It's not too much…" He says, trailing off. Yuuma takes out one of the travel sized boxes of sugary cereal out of the bag and IA's eyes light up. She reaches both of her arms out and Yuuma, giving her a gentle grin, places the colorful box in her hands. Len scowls but Yuuma doesn't seem to notice. "Does anyone want the last of the beef jerky?" He asks, pulling out a green and white bag.
"Give it here." Rin demands, extending her hand.
"R-right." Yuuma says, tossing the bag to her over the small fire after meeting her eyes. The first time he had seen her, the back of her skull had exploded outwards and she was dead, so he finds himself slightly uncomfortable around her right now. Rin tears open the bag and begins eating while Yuuma picks up the next thing out of the pile. "Dried fruit?"
Miku sheepishly raises her hand at the same time as Lapis. Lapis sees Miku and quickly puts her hand down. Yuuma tosses the bag to Len, who hands it to Miku. Miku opens the bag and holds it out to Lapis. "We can share." Miku says, smiling. Lapis takes a small handful of the fruit.
"Alright, uh…" Yuuma moves aside a pack of gum and holds up a bag of jelly beans. Yuuma glances around and sets it aside for himself. "Granola bars? I have four…"
"I'll take one and… so will Lapis and Oliver, set aside the other for tomorrow. We'll stop somewhere tomorrow and get more supplies." Len takes the food from Yuuma and disperses it, opening his own with his teeth. As Yuuma opens the bag of jelly beans and rolls an orange and yellow speckled one between his fingers, Rin's voice stops him.
"Where's Gumi?" She asks.
Everyone goes deadly silent. A loud thud and the sound of crunching leaves follows Gumi's voice as she snaps out of her trance and walks over to the group. "Sheesh, you'd think I died." She smirks, flopping down on the other side of Yuuma. She crosses her legs and lies Gumo across her knees.
"Do you-", Yuuma is about to ask before Gumi interrupts, waving him off.
"I'm fine. Not really hungry." She waves him off, cracking her neck and yawning loudly.
IA tears open the box of cereal and takes out a handful of the colorful shapes. She raises her handful to her mouth and pops some of them in her mouth. She turns to IO. "Hold out your hand, okay?" IO nods, tentatively holding out his dirty palm. She places the shapes into his hand and he looks at it dumbly. Everyone in the group is watching them now. "You can eat it." She smiles at him and IO hurriedly shoves the food into his mouth, as if it was the last time he'd ever eat.
"So tell us…" Gumi waves her hand in a circle in front of her, as if flagging down a taxi. "…where'd you get your hands on them?"
Yuuma sighs and IA looks up at him, IO as well. "I uh… it's kinda a long story…" Yuuma rubs the back of his head with his hand and smiles nervously.
"I don't have anywhere to be." Gumi shrugs, picking a piece of grass out of the ground and bending it in between her fingers.
Yuuma sighs again and he catches Len's eye. The blonde sends him a glare, which Yuuma ignores. "Well… I guess it kinda' started when I was a kid. I was born on the surface and when I was two my parents converted and moved to the Heaven's Mouth."
"Heaven's Mouth?!" Lapis shouts, leaning forward suddenly, eyes widening with shock. "You're kidding, right? You've lived in Heaven's Mouth since you were two?!"
"Uh, I seem to be missing something here?" Rin waves her hands above her head wildly. "Heaven's Mouth?"
"It's the underground city spreading for miles, right under the heart of Demon's Crow. It's where all of the followers live. It's said to be as close to heaven as something Earthly can possibly be, hence the name. My mom used to tell me stories about it, when I was a kid. I've always dreamed of Heaven's Mouth." Lapis smiles to herself and tentatively touches the gem of her necklace, smiling warmly for a moment.
"Yeah. When you're a kid they tell you all of the worst stories you could ever imagine about the demons, sometimes referred to as 'Akuma'. They taught us you were cannibals, creatures of war, born out of blood, soulless, merciless, the physical embodiment of evil that would stop at nothing to bring the Lord's world down to the depths of hell themselves." Yuuma looks at IA and smiles sadly. He watches her rip grass out of the ground and sprinkle it over IO's head like confetti as he squirms.
"It's itchy!" He whines, swatting it out of his fine hair. IA giggles, running her fingers through his hair and shaking out the grass.
"I'd always had this… unhealthy obsession with the stories and once I got older it's all I cared about. My parents were always horrified because they thought that the Watchers would come and take me away. That's what they do to the people that are too… interested. They take them to the upper levels and they're never seen again. So I toned it down and kept my hobby a personal thing. In your third year of high school your entire grade gets taken on a trip to the upper floors. I snuck away on the first day and…" His eyes drift to IA and IO, now watching him intently with their red eyes. "The next- and last- day of the trip I did what I thought was right."
"Len…" Miku looks up at the blonde. Len looks at her and she whispers softly, "I'm tired."
"Alright. I think Gumi collapsed the backseat in the car, so you can sleep back there for now. We'll be right here, so yell if you need anything, okay? You'll be fine. We're right here." Len gives her a reassuring, yet brief smile and Miku slowly stands, moving over to the silver mini-van.
"Deep." Gumi tosses her blade of grass into the small fire pit, about the size of a fist, and watches the bright green blade burn in front of her eyes.
"I used IA's memory of where you were staying when she was with you to back track to where you got separated. From there it was a matter of common sense and a little bit of guessing. We were pulling into a gas station down the road when IO heard the explosion. I figured it was as good a lead as any, and I just ended up trailing the first car that came out of there."
IO looks at IA at the mention of his name. He leans in, cupping his hand over his mouth and whispering to her, "I helped?"
IA pulls away, grinning widely. She grabs him around the shoulders and gives him a tight hug. She pulls away and nods, IO gives her a half-cocked grin and scoots a little closer to her, closing the last bit of distance between them. Their arms are touching and IO puts his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes and hanging on her like she's a giant stuffed animal.
IA seems unfazed and sprinkles more grass on IO's back silently.
"We should all get some sleep." Len says, standing. "I'll take watch-"
"I got it covered, Len." Gumi stands.
"Are you sure?" Len looks slightly confused at Gumi's blatant audacity to do nothing but sit awake all night.
"Don't worry about it, you need the rest anyways."
"I'll help too." Yuuma says, also standing. Gumi chuckles and shakes her head, no.
"You've done enough for us today, let us pay this back. Just get some sleep. You must be pretty much exhausted from taking care of both of them alone. I'd be." Gumi begins to kick dirt into the fire pit and Lapis frowns as her work is destroyed. She walks with Rin and Oliver back to the car and Len moves over to IA and IO.
"Actually, I slept fine last night." Yuuma smirks. "You look pretty tired yourself."
Gumi then gives him a look of something in between utter shock and slight rage, as if he'd somehow exposed a deep secret of hers. The expression disappears just as sudden as it had come and Gumi leans onto Gumo, sighing. "Fine, we'll do it together." Gumi gives him a maddening smirk before Yuuma finally caves and nods in agreement.
Len ushers IA and IO to their feet and before he leads them towards the car, IA stops and tugs on Yuuma's jacket, eyes pleading something silent. IO clings around her, looking as if he's so tired he'll collapse any moment. Yuuma bends down to her level and tilts his head to a smile. "It's okay. I'll be out here." IA bites her lip and nods. She had grown over the brief amount of time she has spent with Yuuma, to fully trust him if not as much, maybe even more than she had first trusted Len when they met. At this point, her foundations with Len having been tested and proven weaker than she expected, it seems almost blasphemous to do something without the pink haired boy's approval. "Night, IA." Yuuma smiles at IO and pats his head. IO opens one eye and sticks out his tongue, standing up straight and grabbing IA roughly by the hand.
She doesn't seem to mind and Len gives Gumi and Yuuma a slight nod before moving off with the kids.
Gumi turns to Yuuma after she's satisfied with her job at putting out the blaze. "Well…" She's answered by the noise of the wind.
Yuuma turns to her, his backpack slung over his shoulder. The two climb up to the top of the car as Gumi had done earlier. There they can see for a few yards in all directions around their camp. Everyone has moved inside the car and are too tired to care that Gumi and Yuuma's voices are coming to the car like small whispers of the wind.
"So, how'd you end up here?" Yuuma asks, brushing hair out of his face.
Gumi chuckles again, but this laugh is emotionless and stale. "Out paths just happened to cross…"
Yuuma taps his thumb on the roof of the car gently. "What about your family? Friends?"
Gumi stays silent for a moment before speaking again. "I'm an orphan, and I'm not really the most friendly and inviting person on the planet. My best friend is a crowbar, Yuuma. I'm not really a person everyone wants to 'hang out' with."
This time Yuuma is silent before responding. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to them, your parents, I mean." His voice drops off at the end and he notices a small shift in Gumi out of his peripheral vision. Her shoulders roll and her back goes rigid, almost like a startled cat. Her eyes seem to narrow and sink with an expression Yuuma's never seen before and then her body snaps back into place, as if it had never happened at all.
"Death takes us all eventually."
"Yeah. I just hope I get to live long enough to make something out of myself, you know?"
There's an empty pause.
"Not really." Gumi responds, brushing a strand of green hair out of her face and following a bird that circles the moon high above her head.
"My parents were afraid of me. I don't think they'd ever say it, but they are, or, I mean, were." Yuuma feels something well up inside of him and he blinks his eyes closed for a very long moment. "I have a sister, too. I probably really hurt her, when I left. I probably really hurt her…" He trails off, as if realizing something he hadn't really considered before. He stews with it silently.
"Why'd you want to know? About my family…" Gumi asks, curious now. Her voice has taken a different tone, almost a softer echo now.
"I guess I just wanted to know a little more about your past. The past is what writes people… and plus, you seem like you have a pretty interesting story." He gives her a snide smile.
Gumi smirks, returning her gaze to the bird overhead, now settled in a tree. "It's a story like you wouldn't ever imagine."
"How about we guess? I'll pick the most outrageous thing I can think of, and you tell me if you've done it." Yuuma chuckles at his own idea.
"Alright, let's do it, let's play your little lame ol' game." Gumi taunts.
Yuuma pauses, thinking. "Have you ever… done drugs?" Gumi laughs nearly hysterically.
"A little too out there. But not far off…" Yuuma laughs. There's a brief silence that seems to stretch out for a long time. "I dealt some before." Yuuma's jaw drops.
"Wait, what?"
"I needed the cash." The silence that follows is mournful. "Go again."
"Have you ever… driven a boat?"
"Where'd you come up with that? Nope." Gumi lies her crowbar across her lap and flips her goggles down over her eyes. She uses the corner of her shirt to begin to rub the day's stains off of the orange tool.
"What about been to jail?"
He can hear Gumi's breath hitch. Her gloved hands stop moving up and down the crowbar and everything around her seems to hang suspended in that moment. Her goggles hide the expression in her eyes. It would have stopped anyone, no matter what type of person, in their tracks. It's a look that could drive someone to madness. The breathless moment is agony.
Yuuma gets the idea that it was probably a horrible thing to mention, considering her reaction and he lets the subject drop. He hops down off the car and picks up a handful of small rocks, climbing back up. Yuuma begins to steadily toss them down and he watches them roll off of the dirt and disappear into the shadows of the darkness.
"Yes."
As Gumi's eyes travel upwards she notices the lone bird she had been following is gone. She stares at the moon for what seems to be an eternity.
One of Tiruneko's Weird Little Questions: Hi! So, based off of the information I've given so far, what do you think Gumi's basic back story is? I want to be sure I'm steering you guys in the right direction so that when I end up revealing it you haven't been severely disappointed. Thanks again!
Character Pole:
Len- 9
Gumi- 9
Miku- 8
Rin- 8
IO- 4
Gumo- 4
Oliver- 3
IA- 2
Lapis- 2
Yuuma- 2
Luka- 1
Haku-1
~Tiruneko ;3