There were much getting used to the desert though they were no more fond of it. As long as they only traveled long distances at night, they can endure the sandy expanse. They had to tolerate it, of course, to get away from the people.Though the people of Suna has been a tolerable sort, as far as humans can be, the two had to get away from the village proper often. They couldn’t take far too long among the many, thoughts and emotions of both living and the dead assaulting their senses at all hours of the day, like unwanted maggots crawling into their ears and squirming in every crevice of their brains. Only the Void, their elder brother Tatsuya, could bring them peace and quiet with his presence. But to use him like a crutch would be inexcusable and they had to find other means to overcome this annoyance.
So out into the desert it is, lest they get overwhelmed and do something everyone will regret.
It wasn’t all bad, really. As long as they dressed appropriately so that the sand won’t get into their shoes or at their face, it was... nice. All is quiet except for the howling of the wind and of a wild wolf off in the distance. With no other living human nearby, the only emotions they could feel was their own.
The dead, on the other hand, could be found here and there. Those who had succumbed to the elements have a quieter song to their ears though and, if anything, it soothes them. It is often those with violent deaths that stand out from the symphony of the corpses. This... hearing problem wasn’t at all bad when they were just Shoukyou Akane and Akihiko. But whatever the Saiko Jinmin had done to them have made it all come up to the forefront, as if the life and Deaths of humans are all they are and all they will be.
Even now, as they headed further East, a lullaby comes to play in their ears. The voice becomes louder with each step they took. It’s song is filled with pain and sorrow and a dull, cold hate that did not belong with the desert sands. And memories – flashes of black, white and red – cloud their vision.
яσ¢к α вує, вαву, ση тнє тяєєтσρ.
A woman with a face too beautiful beyond compare washes her hands in the sink. She doesn’t pay attention to the blood on her uniform, she’ll have time to take care of that later. Her work is done for the day and her dearest doctor had promised her a wonderful time tonight. Her heart flutters like a bird’s wing in her chest. Finally, the man of her dreams has acknowledged her.
ωнєη тнє ωιη∂ вℓσωѕ, тнє ¢яα∂ℓє ωιℓℓ яσ¢к.
He leads her out in the desert expanse, with the moon high in the sky and stars as far as the eye can see. She’s waited so long for her love to bear fruit and here they are. She doesn’t even notice how far they’ve come from the village. All that mattered is they only had eyes for each other.
ωнєη тнє вσω вяєαкѕ, тнє ¢яα∂ℓє ωιℓℓ ƒαℓℓ.
The woman’s eyes is the first to go, right after he’s cut off her tongue. He kisses her after gouging out one eye, blood filling both of their mouths. And she can’t even struggle against this sick, perverse bastard. She can barely see through her remaining eye, through the pain and the tears and the hate. She doesn’t know what she did to deserve this and she wants to ask him if she could when he drove a scalpel through her side. And she did nothing to deserve this.
αη∂ ∂σωη ωιℓℓ ¢σмє вαву.
Skilled and strong but soft of heart, easily manipulated, she hadn’t been able to put up a fight. She was a pretty, innocent thing who only sought to love and be loved. And he was a monster who feasted on such things. He leaves her body, to be consumed by the desert winds, and cleans himself of the blood, spit, tears and other bodily fluids that have stained his person.
¢яα∂ℓє αη∂ α-
The singing stops when they come to a spot, innocent and innocuous enough. It’s a grave yet it is not, they know that well enough. There is no ghost, though most would assume Dark Sages like they would see such things. There is no haunting specter or ghoul in the night. What they hear are true spirits of the dead, not mocking reflections and sad echoes of what they once there. They see nothing there with their eyes but they know it is there, feel it in their very bones. After all, spirits were wonderful and strange things that a mind wouldn’t be able to truly comprehend. Though if they wished so, they could imagine and conjure the image of the beautiful, young nurse they had seen in the memories. But to do so would be a great disrespect to the dead, much worse than speaking ill of them.
And the spirit here stops and regards them with disinterest as it does with every traveler who passes by. They would be treated as such, if Akihiko did not speak. “You have a beautiful voice. It would please us if you went on.” That renders it shocked. None had noticed her presence here before. And there is no malice. They were not the doctor who had caused her demise nor were they men who played with young maiden’s heart only to betray them. The two can feel it regarding them and the pull is strong. The soul still stays, still fresh with no time to cross, and it wants to live again. An easy feat, especially if they are able to find the body.
It is now the living’s turn to regard the dead, crimson eyes glazed over as their power overtook them. This isn’t the first of the deceased to plead with them when they come in contact with the powers of the twin Sages. “What was your name, dear?” Akane asked, her tone light and sweet. It’s a question she always asks towards the spirits that become so bold.
яιѕα.
The name echoes in their head, ringing over and over, and they wait to see if they liked the ring to it. “It is a beautiful name for, no doubt, a beautiful soul.” It... she wants to live. That is as plain as day to them. And they are under no delusions that they would have a killer doctor to take care of if they put her under their care. Rest assured, they had thought of dispatching such a vile man the moment the memories had assaulted them.
But this is starting to look like a one way deal, with the dead asking for too much from the living. After all, like with everything they do, they demand a price. When dealing with the twin devil Deaths, a price, from you, they will get. The thing with the dead though... they had very little to lost and everything to gain. Her decision is clear. Her assistance and loyalty, not servitude, for a second life. The two do not mind. Dealing with the dead is always more pleasant than dealing with the livings. They do not lie or judge or blame. They just... well, they’re dead. There’s not much to it.
They beckon the spirit to come. Easy enough. It would be finding the body that is a problem. And though they know it is here, exactly where they stand, they wouldn’t know how deep it is in the ground with the ever shifting landscape. They might very well dig and search through the night and days more. But with how strong this spirit’s will is, it might very well be worth it.
Oh, the things they do for a good deal.
It is a good thing that the earth listens and the wind lends a helping hand. They would not suffer the embarrassment of looking for a corpse with a shovel. And if anyone were to stumble upon them, it would be to find them in the early morning light when the sun has risen and thought it fit to try and burn their skin for their good deed. But they persisted in their search, even as sand dirtied their clothes and a light sheen of sweat marred their skin. The two would summon a rain if it did not destroy their work. They’re close to finding a body, they know it, and the spirit is adamant to look for it. Delaying this to another time would make all their work over the night pointless as the sand would have shifted back into the hole in the ground they’ve made.
[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]
- Marked for IWR Application
