CLOSED.

[String x Theory]

Saria grinned as she made Akako laugh. "Thank you. The heartless is sort of my pride and joy."

She shifted her weight slightly but was still leaning on the counter. She was growing more curious about the happenings at MoI and how things were faring with Leo. Last she remembered, they wanted to leave to some other planet, accessible only by portal system.

"So, tell me about this spat you got into with Leo." She said, crossing her arms, reading herself for a tale.

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

Yuni popped back into action, from wherever her nonexistent brain had gone. Jack had left, and Saria was talking to a vaguely familiar demoness. Sitting atop the bar counter's corner, the young Nekojin yawned and cracked her neck. Why was the MoI female here? Another mysterious proposition? Yuni giggled, thinking herself silly for assuming anything. Probably just a visit. Though her ears were sensitive, catching something like a tiff between the demoness and the MoI owner, Leo.

[Akako Akari]

•°o.O Akako Akari O.o°•


"My fire is W I L D.
My rage is deep.
Feel my fury.
You really light me U P!"

====================== ☠ ======================

Akako lips twitched into a smirk as she tried to recall what exactly set her off. Ah yes... now she remembered. "Leo has this uncanny ability of saying he will do something and then become conveniently too busy to follow through. It's not everyone he does this to... just those that he is comfortable with. I am am one of those..." Akako paused recalling their marriage and the fall out. A sigh then a shake of her head and she continued. "I was taking care of payroll for our staff and he was so interested in a possible fight that he wasn't exactly paying much attention to those around him, me in particular. I have this thing about being ignored, forgotten. I hate it. And as I am sure you can tell... we have a history which makes him forgetting my presence that much worse. I know it sounds childish, but the bottom line is I turned into a ghost around him and everyone, but the man himself could see it so I left to gauge his response. True to himself... he paid no mind to my sudden absence. Like I hadn't been there to begin with."

Brows furrowed as her eyes took on a more troubled look before she spoke again. "And here I am... going back. Like I always do. Invisible chains.. the red thread that binds me to his side. Fate is cruel my love... somehow it forbids me from finding another form of happiness with him completely out of the picture." A laugh escaped her, the sound of it was almost bitter. 'Believe me... I have tried my best."

====================== ☠ ======================

[String x Theory]

As Saria listened to Akako's story, her brows slowly began to furrow and a slight frown formed upon her lips. "I've had similar experiences in my marriage." She said softly. While her marriage was very, very different, there were still aspects she could relate to.

"I know how it feels to have your happiness, even your sanity, tied to someone else."

She sighed, shaking her head slightly to get the conversation off of herself. "It sounds like Leo has a really strong hold on your heart, but you don't exactly have the same grip in return. It sounds very frustrating."

[Akako Akari]

•°o.O Akako Akari O.o°•


"My fire is W I L D.
My rage is deep.
Feel my fury.
You really light me U P!"

====================== ☠ ======================

The woman clicked her tongue. "No longer married. That ended eons ago... that is another story in itself." Akako took another long sip of her wine and cast her crimson eyes down toward the counter. What Saria said was true. Akako denied it to almost everyone, to the man himself. Always denied how strong his hold was on her. Another bitter laugh escape her as she tilted her head back. Her face looked exhausted now, bitter, exhausted, yet somehow lovely in its sorrow.

"As much as I hate it you are absolutely right. I hate loving him, time and silence don't change that. I haven't talked to him in... six months now and still I grovel like this. Anyway... enough of my twisted love life." Akako dropped her head forward again and took yet another long sip finishing her glass of wine. After her sip, she tugged her bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth. She sucked and tongued the soft piece of flesh, a nervous habit that she somehow picked up. This made her seem a little more ... human. Usually Akako seemed flawless, but alas, she was not. The Malevolence's own Akako was very much fragile and full of human flaws.

====================== ☠ ======================

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

"It's okies. Mr. Leo is a poo head."

Sudden, blunt, and childish in tone... Yuni must be getting tired. She was rubbing her eyes when she piped up, tail curling and uncurling. She remembered when she was trying to get a hold of the male, to let him know Saria had left, and couldn't get to him. Even stalked his place and she couldn't find him. But the teen didn't explain that outright, since she still needed to talk to Saria about what she's done to the manor and such. And she had heard the demoness say something about moving on in topic.

[Lack_EXE]

A familiar clicking noise echoed through the air following determined footsteps down the surprisingly well traveled area in front of the manor. The figures build was difficult to make out beneath the torn earthy shawl covering most of the body, but it would appear slim to medium. Small tan lines could be seen around the figures eyes where glasses had provided shade from what could easily be described as a tanning bed gone wrong. The man's lips were dried out, chapped, and seemed to almost beg for water on their own. Despite this a canteen waved back and forth frivolously at the man's waist held in place only by a small rope, which appeared to be a mock belt. His facial features were mostly hidden, as the shawl he wore clung to his neck and rested just below his chin. He wore glasses with small lenses, bearing an amber color, and his hair had a distinct almost white purple color to it length wise being just long enough to annoy, but short enough to stay out of the way despite its messy and unkempt appearance. A small blades hilt was visible protruding from the back of the shawl, angled slightly downwards for easy access from the right arm. He huffed slightly as he reached the door, surely she was annoyed again, but that was far from the first thing on his mind. Without even a pause he swung the door open and stepped inside. Everything seemed to be in its regular place, now to find Yuni.

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

Yuni's feline ears perked up at the sound of the front door swinging wide, head tilting at hearing heavy foot steps. Another someone new coming in? Man. Bring back Saria, and this manor sprang back into life like a plant given MiracleGro... Which made sense. Saria's talent lied with plants....

Did that mean Saria was MiracleGro...?

Yuni slapped herself out of that crazy thought train, literally, and leaned back on the bar counter to get herself a root beer bottle from the cooler. Sitting back up and popping the top off, the teen took a swig and waited for the newcomer to meander down this way. Lazycat...

[String x Theory]

Saria nodded as she listened to Akako's story. Her facial expression softened as the demoness dared show her softer, more vulnerable side. "Well, just know that the Heartless is a safe place for you, and you're always welcome to be yourself here. Flaws and all."

She glanced at Yuni and smirked as she offered her simplistic input. Then her ears twitched as she heard familiar footsteps entering the manor.

"Stykes!" She exclaimed as he entered. She wasn't expecting him to return from.. wherever he was. She knew the place died down when she took her leave, but she didn't know the various places that everyone went or when they would return, if ever.

[Lack_EXE]

Majority of the noise in the establishment seemed to be coming from the bar, to which Stykes quickly headed towards. There was nothing meek about his approach as his boots made contact with the flooring. He gave a crooked smile as he entered the bar area and saw his friends all gathered conversing. It seemed he hadn't missed much. An inquisitive glance was given in Akako's direction as it seemed odd to Stykes to see her once again, here of all places. He remained wary in her presence still finding it somewhat difficult to trust a creature that could be called a demon in any tongue. He gave a sheepish smile as Saria called his name out before responding simply, but warmly with
"Saria"
He quickly directed his attention to the quirky nekojin, who he doubted had gained any sort of sanity in his absence, and greeted her with a slight bit more formality.
"Yuni, my friend, just who I was hoping to find"
His tone was calm and direct, carrying the inclination that he was still quite happy to see her, but that he needed something and didn't plan to beat around the bush. Surely Saria would have more questions shortly, but those could wait.

[String x Theory]

Saria quirked a brow as Stykes seemed intent on talking to Yuni about something. She watched quietly as he approached her, curious as to what was going on. After all the years of knowing Stykes he still had a way of mystifying her sometimes.

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

Saria called out the name before Yuni realized who it was, listening for the gait she thought she had memorized. Well, everyone's gait had been memorized a while ago. Totally not creepy, in any way shape or form... but Yuni would by chance know who gets up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. By footsteps.

Anyway~ The Nekojin gave a cheeky grin to the Stykes man as he entered the scene, his face almost nonexistent to her because of that damn scarf. But what skin she could see was dried out, dusty. She looked at her mostly full root beer bottle, then Stykes, then bottle...

Sh!t, you know you're considered Yuni's friend if she gives up her root beer for you to drink.

"Oy, man. I swear, to whatever ya believe in, I didn't do it. I mean, I know how ya room got flipped upside down, but..." Yuni's weak charade faltered, and that mad grin cracked. "Okay, I admit. I glued ya bed and stuff to the ceiling."

[String x Theory]

Saria bit her lower lip, grinning widely, trying to hold back a laugh at the thought of Yuni gluing Styke's room upside down. Maybe she wasn't exactly the perfect person to leave in charge. But Yuni did her job and stuck around, kept an eye on this place, even to the point of almost insanity, and thats more than Saria could ask for.

She mentally reminded herself that she needs to speak with Yuni about whatever happened in her absence. Of course, when things weren't so busy, and when Stykes wasn't the first priority.

[Lack_EXE]

Stykes was somewhat baffled at Yuni's response to his greeting. He gave a confused look to Saria, before returning his emerald orbs to Yuni. Clearly the neko had been finding ways to entertain herself in his absence. He gave a short laugh, which rasped its way through cracked, cry lips. With a smile he began explaining his intentions.
"We'll deal with my upside down room later, besides I'm sure its an improvement"
He gave another small chuckle before continuing.
"Yuni, I need to find the one who watches over you, I need to find the 'deconstructor'"
An intentional stress hung on the last of his words, he was well aware that few mortals knew of her watcher, let alone what the neko's watcher was.

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

Yeah, Yuni had an abandonment issue. She tended to do odd... odder things when she finds the place she's watching over or living in empty for too long. Though Saria's room and office were the only ones untouched. One does not simply enter a room barricaded by possibly lethal and angry plants...

But, back to Stykes. It was Yuni's turn to wear the baffled expression, the root beer bottle she was holding out dropping slightly. Then her baffled face turned into a rather uncharacteristically serious set, icy eyes narrowed slightly in question at the man in the shawl.

"I gotta ask ya one thing 'fore I agree to anythin' on gettin' the ol' bird for ya... And I'll know if ya lyin'." Yuni tilted her head, wiggling her nose. "Are ya suicidal, by chance?"