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 Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:15 pm
Deacon hadn't gone to the trials. All of the noise might have drowned out the strange whispers in his head, but he just couldn't bring himself to go out. He didn't want to be among crowds. Not when he felt so edgy. He was afraid it would turn into Scaretines all over again, but worse. So, he'd been locked in his dorm more often than not for over the past month.
When he didn't have to go to class or pick up food, he was there. Usually trying and failing to sleep.
He was, however, curious on just what had transpired in the trials that everyone had been so hyped up about. In the recent couple of classes he'd been to there had been a few things said amongst others that perked his interest. If not downright confusing him in the process, he had made note to try and talk to someone who had been there first hand.
He really didn't want to talk to Yuki. He wanted to talk to Riyo. Whether or not she would talk to him, though...
When he left his dorm and crossed the hall, he instinctively reached for the handle. He expected it to be locked as usual.
It wasn't, and he was almost concerned by that fact.
He opened the door open just a little, trying to peek through the crack. "Riyo?" Deacon announced himself, softly. "I figured you'd never leave your door unlocked, again."
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:48 pm
like those who had previously barged in, there was no answer. In fact, it looked as if there might not be anyone home. It was dark. The window was covered with blinds and curtains. No lights on at all. But the stirring of blankets seemed to be an indication of a certain sentient life form squirming around in the bed.
Riyo hadn't actually slept since the trials, finding more peace in the waking world even as her mind started to fall apart, but eventually even she couldn't withstand the serene call of her bed. She knew what would happen. That the promised comfort was only a facade to convince the feline to drop her guard, but she still ended up falling to the whims of slumber.
Meanwhile, her room was in shambles. Not at all kept up like it had been since she arrived. It looked like a wrecking ball had come through, and for some reason her floor was sticky... Papers with stick figure drawings were strewn about the room, along with dirty laundry the ghoul hadn't been bothered to pick up. But what seemed even worse than her room was Riyo's own state. Messy hair, huge bags under her closed eyes, and a worn look that shouted she hadn't been sleeping well herself.
Which might've been due to the nightmare she was in the process of repeating. Quiet groans followed tossing and turning under the sheets, as if she was struggling with something.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:57 pm
Deacon trained his ears for any sign of life, when he didn't get a response. Maybe she was out? It had happened before... It was the entire reason that he'd been able to get into her dorm and play 'Fredrick' after all.
The ruffling of bedsheets, though, didn't go unheard. He paled a bit, initially thinking it might have been a breath of those damned voices, but just as quickly realized that it was a real sound from inside Riyo's room. "Riyo?"
He could see perfectly well as he slipped in and closed the door. He did lock it. Not out of any intent to lock her in so much as to keep others out. The last thing he needed was that b*****d Titus welcoming himself in and causing an even more awkward confrontation than this was probably already destined to be.
Deacon briefly glanced around at the mess, but it didn't keep his attention. He approached the bed silently, a frown forming and his ears falling back as he watched her sleep. If it could even be called sleep. Inwardly, he realized that whenever he got a few winks he probably didn't look any better off. Carefully, he laid a hand on one of her shoulders and gently tried to stir her awake.
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Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:44 am
the quiet mumbles and tossing increased when Deacon started shaking her began to worsen. "No... NO!" The ghoul cried as her hands reached to grab her assailant, head shaking violently.
In her mind, it was not the gentle shakes of Deacon, but the whirring of the small cylinder that had her. The pain, it wasn't there this time, but it was more than real to her.
When her blood red eyes shot open, she didn't process the cat boil in front of her. The feline screamed and immediately forced herself up... knocking her head on the boils. "s**t."Riyo screached, her head falling back onto the pillow as she clenched her poor skull. Not a pleasant way to wake up.
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:03 am
When Riyo screamed and bolted upright, Deacon couldn't recoil fast enough, although he certainly had tried.
The violent connection between their skulls sent him stumbling back from the edge of her bed, pressing a hand to his own forehead and clenching his teeth against the pain. He hissed through his teeth, eyes clenched shut for several moments before he tried to manage to speak.
"J-Jack! I didn't mean to..." Scare her? He wasn't even sure what he had done, or why he had braved coming here. Suddenly, it all seemed like such a terrible, horrifying idea and he took several steps back. Taking his hand back a few inches, he looked over his shoulder and back toward the door as though just as swiftly as he had come in uninvited he was seeking an escape route.
Why did it look like he was trying to give her competition in hiding skin? Although his feet and hands were still bare, everything else with even his neck included was clothed. It wasn't like it was cold, either... Had he thought to stuff his tail down one of his pant legs, he might have even tried that. He didn't even seem the type to wear such inexpensive attire. He looked like a boil from public school, complete with tacky pull over hoodie. The hood itself had been thrown back with the headbutt and his jerk back, and he was fidgeting with it and trying to pull it up and back into place.
"I shouldn't have... B-but you looked like you were having a bad dream..." His amber eyes darted between her and over his shoulder swiftly, claws scuffing the floor as he shuffled back. "But you're awake now... So, uh... I guess I should just go away..."
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:57 pm
When the pain began to dull, Riyo could only groan. Half awake, the demoness sat up in her bed, immediately slumping over as if she carried a heavy weight. Another dream.
The same dream. The only dream. Not really a dream. She wished right now, more than anything, that the memory (was it really a memory if it didn't technically happen?) would leave her in peace. She was trying to piece her life back together, but nothing fit quite right anymore.
Nothing fit like it used to..
It took her a moment to fully understand she was being spoken to. Red orbs slowly met the other bakeneko's face in both confusion and annoyance.
"Jack ******** dammit Deacon, stop being a little b***h." The ghoul finally moaned out as she covered her face with her hands. "Have you... Turned into some crazy stalker who sneaks into my room to watch me sleep now?" For once, she failed to notice her beautiful floor taking damage. The disarray proved that the state of her living quarters was far from her mind right now. So what was actually on it?
"What's with the getup? You look like a thug or something." What was with his getup? What was with HER getup? Nothing but a skimpy red camisole and pajama pants. "If you want my money, it's in the second desk drawer." Was she kidding? No, apparently not.
Her hands remained on her face as she stood up on her own wobbly two feet and moved almost zombie-like towards the bathroom. She... Didn't appear very affected by what just transpired. No anger, no real emotion. Just some sort of semi-acceptance.
The sound of a faucet started to break the silence, adding a pleasant ambient noise that dulled out the deafening nothingness. And after a few moments of just that, there was a distinct splash.
Riyo had just submerged her head in the sink. Well alright then.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:13 pm
He was still shuffling, if very slowly, toward the door. He supposed he inwardly hoped that she would stop him, tell him not to leave, or ask him if he was alright. She didn't do any of those things, except perhaps the last one in a not-so-kind way. He looked down at himself, feeling all the more self conscious of his state with her pointing it out.
"No, that wasn't what I was doing!" Only he had watched her sleep, for a few moments. Did that still count?
"Thug? What do you mean, I look like a thug?" He sounded more confused than offended. Apparently, he didn't entirely know what she was getting at. At least not until she sarcastically (he thought) mentioned where she kept her money. Beneath his hood, his ears pinned back and his brow furrowed. "That isn't funny, Riyo..."
Though apparently she didn't find it funny, either. She didn't even seem angry with him. She didn't seem... Anything, really. It wasn't something he was used to.
His gaze followed her as she crossed the room to the bathroom, not really processing her lack of typical dress as he once would have.
He tilted his head when the water splashed, carefully stepping over to the bathroom door and peeking in.
What in Halloween was wrong with her?
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:35 pm
It was just as little bubbles came up that the feline resurfaced, not with a gasp but with a sigh. At the very least, she seemed a little more awake. "Mm." Her hand patted the shelf down for a towel, not quite remembering where she placed it last time she'd used it... So she just grabbed a handful of Deacon's hoodie and used that instead. Worked just as well. "Thanks." So she had apparently realized what she was doing at least a little bit.
"So uh. What were you doing then?" The feline finally asked, gently pushing past him to walk towards the kitchen. "Kill me in my sleep? Is this a new weird way kids show each other affection? Doesn't really surprise me. Probably picked it up from a movie or something. I dunno." Now she was just talking to hear herself talk, it seemed.
Riyo's slender hands reached out for her trusty kitten tea kettle, dumping a bunch of water in it before she sat it on the stove.
... And immediately took it back off.
Then poured plain water into her cup, and drank it as if nothing was wrong. "You've seemed high strung lately. Have a cup of tea."
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:07 pm
Deacon really didn't have anything to say when she used his shirt as her makeshift towel, and he wordlessly followed her once she moved past. What was he doing? That was a good question. One that he wished he knew the answer to.
"I came to talk to you." He decided, simply. Apparently, he ignored the rest of her sarcastic accusation. At least, he hoped she was being sarcastic.
He frowned in genuine concern when he watched her with the teapot.
"Uh..." Was it bad for him to say something? "I think you forgot the actual tea."
He had been hesitating just outside the kitchen, but stepped in quietly to at least be closer to her. If she wanted him to drink lukewarm water, he didn't care and he would do it.
"What happened at the trials? Is that why you're acting strange?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:37 pm
When Deacon pointed out there wasn't any tea in what she was drinking, Riyo's brow furrowed. The feline quietly looked down into her cup, blinking a few times before finally answering. "So the tea is a lie then. Fancy that." It didn't look like she was going to do anything about it, though. Instead, she simply kept sipping.
The next words out of his mouth, however, seemed to illicit a real response. The feline's eyes narrowed as she slammed the cup down on the counter. A little more force and she might've broken the adorable cup. "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to. Sure. You think you want to know right now. I'm sure you do. Unfortunately, curiosity has a sadistic vendetta against members of the feline persuasion. You'd do good to remember that if you value your life and sanity." or was it more to protect her own sanity? It could've very well been.
Reaching up into the cupboard for another teacup, the ghoul sat this one closer to Deacon and poured him the faux tea.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:20 am
Deacon's expression mirrored his growing concern, but he simply kept his mouth shut as Riyo continued to sip the water in her cup. He jumped, though, when she forcefully slammed the cup down on the counter. His ears fell back, wondering just why his question had brought forth such anger, and he looked at her with a start.
If he valued his sanity... That was quite a meaningful statement, right now.
"Oh... Okay?" Deacon submitted to the fact that she wasn't going to answer, apparently.
With a soft sigh, he took the teacup with a frown and took a drink from it to satisfy her. He seemed rather lost in his thoughts, as he tried to work out how to speak up about why he had come here. Why he had really come here.
It was pathetic, really, that the only person he wanted to share secrets with was someone who hated him.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:05 pm
The fact that Deacon simply accepted whatever she said didn't bother Riyo like it usually would've. It was a little bit of a relief, actually. It meant she could keep avoiding her thoughts. Keep running from her problems. For now, she was okay with that.
With her pot of faux tea, the ghoul swiveled over to her table and had a seat, scooting a couple of cats out of her way beforehand. The pot made a gentle clank as it met with the messy table that was under piles of papers. "Does it really matter if it's tea or not? I mean, it's all made of the same thing, right? FEAR, yeah? FEAR particles. Able to be built up... Able to be broken down." She seemed to catch herself, immediately shaking her messy head to clear her thoughts.
"But seriously, you came here for a reason. How about you stop beating around the bush and tell me? I'm tired of thinking about my own problems. Sit down, kick off the shoes you don't wear. Enjoy some tea."
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:38 pm
Wordlessly, Deacon followed her to the table and scooted a chair out for himself. Anything on it was carefully picked up and deposited in what he hoped would be a suitable enough spot nearby. Once he'd taken a seat, his eyes briefly traveling over the mess of papers there in silent wonder of what on earth they could all be, he set his cup down on something that looked unimportant in hopes that he wouldn't get something she would need later wet with the 'tea'.
"I'm going into the student exchange," he said. "To the Four Clans' domain. They talk as though we'll be gone for just a couple of weeks, but you know how most of these trips go..."
He shrugged lightly, circling the rim of his cup with a fingertip absently as he moved his gaze to stare down into it. "Yuki seemed pretty upset about the trials, too. I couldn't get him to talk about it, either. I know it's probably a horrible decision, but I have to get away from here for a while. Seems like the best way."
Riyo wasn't the only one who was trying to run away from her problems, perhaps?
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:03 pm
Riyo rested her head on her hand as Deacon finally started spilling the beans, though her eyes seemed focused on what his finger was doing. Round and round. Round and round.
"Yeah. There's a reason he was upset." The ghoul scoffed, though it appeared to be the only reaction he would get out of her for now.
"Well then. More power to you." What did he want her to say? "Or do you want me to say 'noooo, don't go. I need you'? Really, I don't understand why you're telling me this. Xiu and Mitsu are going. I doubt they'd try anything like..."
And then she clammed up. "Wait wait. No, I got it." The feline looked around and scooped something up off the floor, holding it out to the other bakeneko.
It was... A poptart cat. A tabby poptart cat. Who looked at Deacon with big, round eyes. "It's dangerous to go alone. Here, take this!"
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:42 pm
His ears twitched at the tone of her voice, catching that she was still touchy about the subject of the Trials. For good reason, he supposed. Yuki usually wasn't angry about something. But this, as it turned out, he had been...
The way she went on, though, made him a little angry as well. He frowned, looking at her from under his brow. He didn't know why he expected her to speak to him kindly tonight, or any time of day or night. He'd just... Hoped. Hoped that someone would reach out and at least pretend they cared if he was around or not.
Although he drew back and looked surprised for a moment when she thrust a Nyancat over the table toward him, in a blink he glared at it and had to resist the urge to swat the small minipet out of her hands. He gritted his teeth, tunneling his fingers through his hair and over one ear.
"Ssstaying there... Is what we want..." As though just because he wished it, they would let him. His other hand, resting on the table, clenched into a fist. He'd done it again. How many times had he fumbled over his words? It was as though he had to concentrate, just to get them out. It was getting worse. Noticeable. He swallowed, there was a long pause before he tried again.
"Need their help."
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