A Trip In Vertigo - Lunatic

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN His mind was reeling with this new information and the impossibility of it. Alex and his family had died, there had been no survivors, and yet here the boy stood, another ghost of his past. He was more real than his father ever had been though, and Yuri was keenly aware of the youth's movement as stepped closer to lean against the table. Weight shifting, he straightened his posture by a fraction and peered down at the blonde, pale features a blank mask. Nostrils flaring with a slow exhale, he shook his head and finally raised a hand, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. Then, as he inhaled, he lowered his hand slightly and brought his attention back to his companion. Reaching out, he moved to settle his palm atop Alex's head. If allowed, he would pat him stiffly, the gesture just as awkward, if not more so, as it had been all those years ago. "It's not your fault," He found himself reassuring before he could really think over the words. He was too taken aback by the fact that Alex was indeed here in the flesh. It meant he had to visit justice upon those who had wronged the Shioda family even more, having left the boy to grow up like this. It wasn't surprising that it was so hard to tell that this teenager had once been the bright-eyed youth he had looked after, but that fact made him all the more angry. Yuri squinted his eyes shut to quell the flames that wanted to escape and breathed deeply once more, to keep his emotions from spilling over. After a few beats, he 'lids fluttered open and he peered down at Alex. "Being who I am, I'm already in danger. It's nothing of consequence," That cool matter-of-fact tone returned to his speech and he shook his head, letting his hands drop to his sides. "While I was in college your parents asked me to look after you. My name is Yuri." The re-introduction left him rather haltingly, as the whole situation was still playing hell with the logical part of his brain. Instead, he turned his attention to the tea tray on the table. Without speaking, he leaned over and began to prepare a fresh cup, drizzling some honey into the amber liquid. Afterwards, he turned back to Alex and tilted his head to the side, holding out the cup. As much as this whole coming-back-from-the-dead business was bothering him, he still had enough of his faculties to realize how that looked. "You're probably thirsty. Take it or leave it but my quarrel is not with you," Which was Yuri's quirky way of saying he meant Alex no harm. 457 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 689 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin Alex wasn’t really sure how to handle all of his, he was doing his best and maybe it was his drugged soaked brain that was letting him handle this the way he was…drawing a blank on everything and just moving forward like nothing was going on. At the moment, all he could really think about was the fear he felt as the plane went down…the way his mother hugged on to him tightly… His father moving to see what was going on…how cold the water felt when it hit and brought him back from the darkness that all the chaos brought…then someone dragging him from the water and to the surface… As he remembered his father dying, he had to push back his feelings but his eyes that were staring down at the floor showed he was struggling to keep back those. Usually his walls were better built but this drug in him was making hard to deal with. All because he had found this connection to his past…and how he warned him of the danger. He doubted there would any…he didn’t remember anyone named Yuri when he was finding connections to his parent’s death. But he couldn’t give away more than he already did… He could give away he was the man dressed in black and green that was called the Vigilante… His work wasn’t done yet and yes he part of the reason a few of those connections were dead. It wasn’t one of the reason why he hadn’t passed any judgment on the Lunatic... they were pretty much the same in that sense…though no one would ever tie him to that life. His whole body tensed when he felt the weight of a hand on his head…he couldn’t remember the last time he felt a touch like that…Yes it was awkward but there was a sense of caring there. His walls started to shattered when those words were spoken…that it wasn’t his fault. Though he didn’t show, he kept strong and just muttered. ”I know… I was just six, how could it be my fault?” It was his best defense to go all logical and avoid letting his emotions to show at this point. Instead he stood there listening to the white hair man talk, wondering how he could stay so cool at a moment like this when most would be broken down. With him, it was because he didn’t understand many of the feelings anymore having been so isolated for many years. It was when he heard the name Yuri…that things started to come back to him. How he swore he would teach Yuri how to play good, how build good lego castles… Those times when he would run up with his favorite toy car and ask to play and even the matching green car he had picked out so they could race each other… ”Yu…yuri…” Stumbled on his words almost sounding like that six year old again, his eyes just staring at the floor. He hadn’t even noticed that Yuri had moved away and was making a cup of tea. It wasn’t until he heard the whole thirsty bit that he glanced up. There was a slight nod of his head and carefully reached out for the cup that was being held out to him. ”Thank you.. For the tea and not having a quarrel with me. I get why you were out there now that night…and earlier tonight.” Alex sat down carefully on the floor and took a sip from the tea…rather enjoying the taste of honey. He really wasn’t sure what to say at this point…there was just that awkward silence there. Alex allowed it to stay that way for a while, knowing they both just need time. A deep breath was taken and let out slowly. His eyes staring into the cup of tea that was half gone…”Was there any idea on why the plane went down or why my parents were killed?” He knew no one suspect anything other than engine failure due to the fact the plane was never found but he just thought maybe Yuri would know something… The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN The judge's impassive mask had been something he perfected over the years since his father's death. It had aided him in many ways, allowed him to project more sociably acceptable feelings when in the presence of others, or aided him in his job giving him that severe, professional air that demanded respect. Now however it was more of a mechanism to keep himself from showing any vulnerability. The fact that he felt such strong emotion at all was a bizarre thing and Yuri wasn't sure how liked that. He wasn't used to attachments...Alex had to be one of the few people he spent any amount of time with during his college years that was not directly related to coursework and studying to pass the various law exams. A strange warmth flooded his chest as he heard just how the young male stammered his name. The desire to make the individuals responsible for the ruining of this boy's life roiled within him. It was true Yuri had no idea what Alex had been up to with his life recently, besides choosing poor places to spend his evenings around, but...He could guess. No one ventured into such things unless they were looking to get involved, or investigating. Which made him regard his companion in a whole new light. Head cocked to the side, he watched as the other accepted the tea cup, and some of the tension ebbed away from his shoulders. His carefully constructed wall cracked a little and some of his relief shown on his face, his pale lips quirked upwards in the faint beginnings of a smile. He wasn't about to admit it, but he was happy to see that Alex trusted him enough to believe he wasn't going to drug his drink or anything of the sort. When Alex moved to sit, Yuri stood, awkwardly shifting his weight from one booted foot to the other. Finally he lowered himself down to the floor in front of the boy, and tilted his head to the side slightly. "I'm sure you're aware it was labeled as an accident. Too convenient. I believe there is a connection with a Judge Waite. Possibly corrupt. However the trail left is one that's been well covered. It will not remain as such forever," A strange sort of cold certainty entered his voice. They will hear the voice of Thanatos, he mused, but bit back the comment, instead saying aloud: "They will pay." 407 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 592 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin Alex didn’t really have time over the past ten years to work on anything other than staying alive…each was a battle for him…struggle to stay alive. Whether dealing with not being able to get food down to dealing with the larger wildlife who say him as pray… The first year was the hardest…having to learn everything at such a young age. Back in those early days it was getting by one berries and fish he managed to get from the lake at times…but he evolved and became something more with each passing year. Losing all those human qualities and gaining the animal ones he tend to show more than human ones. Then in the last year, he had to learn how to become a human again…learn all those things he never learned…too busy to deal with emotions and how to hold them back let alone understand them. His blue eyes noticed the way Yuri responded to hearing his name and it touched him…that there was someone who cared about him on some level out there. That he really wasn’t truly alone anymore…there was someone who knew him. What happened in the warehouse was a first sign that he could trust Yuri and now all of this… he didn’t see why he couldn’t trust someone who at some point was a very special person in his life. Besides the tea with honey was too good not to pass up… for once he couldn’t taste any preserves or any additives… it was just tea and honey. As Yuri moved, Alex tensed up slightly still a bit on edge around any movements but that was something that would take a long while to get over. He wasn’t this use to being close to another human and not have it end in pain… Then came a name, it didn’t surprise him that Yuri had been looking into this from what he had gathered of the other man so far. Maybe with this name and a visit to the judge, he could figure out where to go from there…or maybe he would get lucky and find out why. All he did was just nod his head when Alex said they would pay, yes they would and it would be by his hands. He may not have a power but he had ability on his side. He carefully sat down the cup on the floor and reached into one of the cargo pockets on his pants. His small hand pulled out an old car about six inches long, the paint faded and the decals gone there was also bit of rust on the fade blue and white care. Carefully the car was sat down on the floor and pushed forward… The car rolled slowly, one of the wheels in the rear wobbling around. It was his car from long ago, having never left his side this whole time. Nothing was said; he was just staring at the car as it moved forward…then he slowly spoke. ”My father pulled from the plane…my mother had been knocked out by the time he tried to get back to her to get her out, the plane had sank too much… My father had a gash in his chest from where something sliced him...he died holding me...” He swallowed hard, knowing he had to tell Yuri what happened. After all, Yuri was the only one who paid attention to him when his parents were to busy working. Even though his family was hardly around, he could always count on Yuri to be there. The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN Head canted, he watched his companion closely as he settled on the floor. Yuri wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly, some semblance of the kid he had gotten close to in the past, maybe. It was there, he could feel it, but circumstances had changed him into something different, something more than a teenager should be. The judge sympathized with that, having had to grow up quickly himself. He wanted to reassure Alex, give him some soft words to tell him that everything would be alright, except he knew better than that. This world was a lot more cruel than many people let themselves believe, and though the blonde was lucky to be alive, his fight was not yet over. When Alex pulled out the poor, beat-up toy car, something in his stomach lurched. He may have felt guilty for not being a better companion all those years ago if he hadn't felt such pure rage for those that had brought the youth to this point. A sudden warmth licking at his cheeks caught him off guard for only a brief moment until he became cognizant of what was happening. Yuri turned his head away from his companion, fixating a pointed stare on the far wall until he felt the flames cool. Composure steadied, he turned back to the smaller male and let out a low sigh. While he was fatherless now, and his mother could hardly be considered such, at least he knew why and had someone to blame. Alex, however, was not so lucky, having lost both of his parents to an unknown assailant. The corners of his mouth quirked downwards in a frown and he leaned forward ever-so-slightly. He wasn't exactly one for physical contact or affection, so he didn't pull the younger male into a hug, rather he simply settled his hands on Alex's shoulders, his fingers curling in a firm grip. "You are no longer alone." 323 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 543 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin Being alone was something he had grown used to… it didn’t bother him anymore. Truth was being around people bothered him…one on one like this not so much… two or more it started to and he couldn’t handle crowds very well. It was just like the noise of the city, he couldn’t stand it even though he tolerated it. Alex never saw anything wrong with who or what he was because it was all he knew… he didn’t know how he was suppose to act or what to be other than what he was. Just an animal…nothing more to it but tonight there was something different, something that was making him feel more human…and the feels he was feeling he just couldn’t understand them. When it came to his fight, he knew it wasn’t going to be over until he got those who killed his parents…after that he had no idea what he was going to do. He always pictured himself getting wounded and dying after the final battle in his head because after that…there would be nothing for him. He was just so tired…and even though he missed the forest and the only home he knew, he didn’t think he could handle living there anymore… just too worn out and tired to do so. Even as he sat there playing with that old car which was a comfort to him in some weird way, his security blanket of sorts. He noticed that Yuri was struggling with his emotions and that some how he figured that the flames were tied to those emotions…that the cool blanket cover was just to keep those flames in check. Yes even though he was a wild raised kid, he was rather intelligent. His eyes glanced up from the toy when he noticed that Yuri had turned back around and then he noticed that Yuri was moving close to him…then came that hand upon him again… His eyes glanced down at the hand and figured that was Yuri’s awkward way of comforting him...there was always that awkwardness to the white hair mail from what he could remember. His body relaxed under the firm grip and he closed his eyes and dealt with the wave of nausea that came from closing his eyes having everything feel like it was spinning again. After a moment, he reached up with his own hand a placed it on top of Yuri’s hand. ”Thank you Yuri-sama… Pulling out what he used to call Yuri all those years ago, not even sure where it had come from in his memories…it just felt right. ”Well… I guess I can stop calling you the creepo stalker….” He said rather quietly, rather glad things had turned out this way. Alex’s eyes remained closes as he leaned in and allowed the top of his head to rest on Yuri’s shoulder. He knew he should get going but he couldn’t bring himself to do it... This strange sense of comfort and belonging felt too good to leave just yet. ”Sorry I am not like you remember me…the forest changed me.” He felt so bad for not being the kid that Yuri most likely remembered…that goofy little clumsy messy blonde hair boy who was always trying to Yuri to smile. The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN There were no words. Funny how the judge who always had something calm and collected to say while wielding the gavel was tongue-tied when it came to comforting a child. He simply let his hand linger there, his olive eyes half-shut. Yuri was tired, now more than ever, with the weight of this revelation. Yet he couldn't bring himself to truly rest or relax at the moment. Those were things one did when he had no pressing matters or work to attend to. This whole situation with Alex simply reinforced his views regarding the city's justice system. The courts couldn't handle everything. Lunatic needed to ramp up his game. Figuring out how to do so was going to be difficult, as he was already pushing on two hours of sleep a night but...He was a man married to his ideals. He would figure it out. Pulled from his reverie by the thank you, he blinked his eyes open all the way and peered down at Alex. Yuri-sama. Now that wasn't something he had heard in years. His lips parted for a moment, but he seemed to think better of what he was going to say, and paused. Eventually he continued, "There's nothing to thank for," After all, he was simply doing what he believed to be right. As the other raised a hand and placed it over his own, his lips quirked slightly as he did his best to offer a small smile. It was tiny compared to the usual professional expressions he employed during his job, but at least it had a hint of genuineness to it. "Hm," came the faint vocalization in response to the commentary regarding his nickname, a small tinge of amusement to his voice. When Alex leaned forward to rest his head against Yuri's shoulder, the judge's posture stiffened and he let out a low breath. He wasn't too accustomed to such close contact, having done considerably to distance himself from other people over the years. So he simply sat awkwardly, patting Alex on the shoulder. "No need to say sorry. Life changes us." 350 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 474 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin Having someone from his past back in his life, it was a feeling he couldn’t understand or knew where to begin. There was the sense he needed to protect this little piece of his past…someone who he used to look up to and thought of as a friend but from the looks of it Yuri could handle himself rather well. And he couldn’t really think of what to talk about…talking was something he just learned how to do in the past year well relearn how to do. Being alone with nothing but his thoughts and wildlife really put a damper on how social he could be other than giving information or answering questions. Small talk was truly not his thing. This whole situation was truly hard to take in like this… the drug that was still working its way out of his system. The tea had helped to clear a bit of the fog away from his mind. But unable to associate any of the feels that should be normal in this kind of situation made it harder to have any kind of true reaction to all of this. For now he was just handling like he was…like it was something that happened to him everyday, somewhat unaffected but that was only because he didn’t know any other way. There was something to thank Yuri for and that was for not leaving him behind to those people at the warehouse whoever they were or whatever they wanted and then for showing him that there was someone still life in this world that he had some kind of connection…bond to however strange it might be. He glanced up when he heard the hm, his blue eyes watched for a moment noticing the slight amusement that comment had brought to Yuri. ”Unless you want me to keep calling you Creepo… That whole fire thing is creepy…what is it?” Having been away for so long and been so young when he was lost, he had no idea about the heroes or their little powers. Alex allowed his head to continue to rest against the warm body of Yuri. For years there had a been a part of him that longed for any kind of companionship…a simple caring touch. Now here he was being able to get that gentle touch now matter how awkward it was...it still felt wonderful. After his shoulder was patted and the words exchanged, he gave a nod of his head before sitting back up straight. ”I should go... I bet you have some kind of day job to support being Mr. Creepo at night.” He wasn’t quite comfortable being around someone for too long. Even though he still felt rather ill from the drug as well as being tired…he knew had work to do and didn’t want to be too much trouble or a bother to Yuri. The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN "Yuri is fine. Can't say I'm very fond of creepo," He mused with an ever-so-faint smirk, the corners of his pale mouth quirking upwards briefly. At the inquiry regarding his NEXT power, he canted his head to the side, his gaze falling half-shut. "It's what allows me to visit justice upon those who deserve it," He rolled his free shoulder in a stiff half shrug, his attention diverting to the ground for a few moments. "It manifested...when I was younger," That for the moment was as much as he wanted to get into his past and his power, his expression settling back into one of neutrality, his eyes falling the rest of the way shut for a short while. Sitting in silence, he inhaled slowly then exhaled, attempting to will away some of the tension he felt at the close contact. It was an unusual thing for him, being this close to another human being. Not even his mother got this close, as she had shunned him shortly after the death of his father. When he felt Alex start to draw away, he blinked open his gaze and glanced down at him. He wasn't about to admit the close proximity was nice or made him feel less alone, so he simply canted his head to the side and watched the younger male. "I'm not sure you are well enough to travel yet, Alex," He stated, masking his reluctance with a cool overtone. Yuri really didn't like having anyone else around to witness the outbursts of his mother, while she was docile enough so long as he played along...His tolerance for doing such was waning more and more over the years. Given the circumstances though, he couldn't exactly turn the teenager back out onto the streets in his current state. Especially not when there was someone out there so very keen on exterminating everyone connected to his family. He pulled his hands away from the boy's shoulders and moved to stand slowly, long fingers brushing some silver-grey hair from his face. "You can stay in the guest room until you recover." It was bound to be a little musty seeing as they rarely had visitors, but it would have to do. Peering down to Alex, he held out a slender hand to the boy, in case he needed help standing up. 392 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 472 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin When Alex had spoke about how he could keep calling him Creepo, he had been joking about that. He would have a hard time calling Yuri something other than Yuri-Sama. It was a small part of him that was coming back… the part that looked up to the white hair male where a lot of respect. However now, he had himself having other feelings he couldn’t quite understand yet or knew what they were… He sat there quiet as Yuri spoke about his powers, seeing that the other was not really comfortable taking about them. Which made him wonder what happened to make him feel that but he felt it wasn’t the time or place to ask more about those powers. ”So those guys back at the warehouse were the same or something like that but not for justice?” This who power thing was confusing to him and he knew he would have to look more into it. A part of him wondered how common it was but he didn’t they were that common seeing how he didn’t have any kind of power. The contact had made him feel less alone and he longed to feel more of it… It had been so long since he had human contact. Sure it felt strange at the very first touch when he wasn’t sure what to expect by the second time Yuri touched, it felt warm and good. A part of him wanted to crawl into Yuri’s lap like a cat would but he didn’t want to be a bother or over extend his welcome him. ”I’ve been through worse… Much worse. This is just a simple cold compared to those times.” There had been the time he had been tortured and then there the times that he had just had to deal with the nature dangers of nature. All those times just made him tougher and gave him the ability to handle something like this where most people would have been in a hospital or still on the sofa. Sure he wasn’t doing well but it wouldn’t be enough to keep him still for long. Alex wasn’t sure if anyone knew he was alive besides Yuri but he wasn’t too worried about that, he could handle himself. After all, he was just more than a normal teenager. His eyes glanced up at the white hair male as he stood up and then he slowly stood up himself. ”I haven’t been able to sleep well since I got back into the city. So the offer for a guest room is nice but I really wouldn’t be able to sleep. Too much noise in the city…” He took a step closer and leaned into Yuri again for a moment, closing his eyes enjoying the closeness. ”Its was good to get part of my past back.” The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN At the moment, everything was simply so...strange. Yuri was not used to having others close to him - beyond what little he shared with his mother, that blonde kid from long ago had been it...And now Alex was back, and not only that, he knew that the judge was the man behind the mask of Lunatic. It was enough to make his head spin, but only for a moment as his analytical side kicked in and attempted to sort through everything neatly. He peered down at the younger male, olive eyes narrowed in thought. The question made his lips twitch slightly, curling in a faint trace of a bemused smirk before fading back into a neutral line. "They call themselves heroes," His voice was cool, nearly to the point of being mocking, "But their version of justice is frail and weak. They arrest the sinful only to let them walk free later," A low huff flared his nostrils, his expression going dark for a moment. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the boy in front of him. "We do not see eye to eye...It would be best if no one found out that I hold the mantle of Lunatic," Though that went without saying, and the fact that Yuri felt deep down that he could trust the youth...He still had to comment on it. He wasn't used to being able to trust others. Hearing the fact that Alex had been through worse made his hands furl into fists at his sides. It was unsurprising, and yet still made him want to punish everyone who had broken the innocence of such a pure soul. Yuri closed his eyes for a few moments, inhaled deeply, then opened them again, to peer down at the smaller male. "As you say," He murmured stiffly, feeling rather ineloquent at the moment. As Alex stood and stepped closer, he cocked his head to the side and blinked. When the boy nestled close to him, he reflexively tensed. One hand raised awkwardly, he patted the teenager on the head lightly, unsure of what to do in this situation. Had he been more relaxed he may have hugged him, but as it was, he simply rested his palm atop his hair. "I don't like the idea of you leaving in this state, but I will not force you to stay. Do you have a safe place to rest?" He managed, after a moment of adjusting to the close proximity of the other. "Yes...Certainly an unexpected turn of events," Yuri said softly, his eyes closing half-way as he patted Alex once more. 440 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 606 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin When it came to his sense of justice, it was one built from his time in the forest… there was his own code of justice that he believe in after all of these years. And it was something he had plenty of time to reflect upon. When he heard Yuri call say that they believe they are heroes, his eyes narrowed and he let out a very faint, almost hard to hear growl. He waited until his friend was finished talking before he spoke. ”Heroes…are not someone with powers. They are everyday people who raise above their call of duty…those who protect the weak and punish those who hurt others. True justice is not what I’ve seen in this city… this whole city is a joke. Everything is so wrong and fake. Greed…power have ruined the human race among things… Those who call themselves are not heroes… heroes don’t seek out the title and often refuse it because they are always doing their job that they hardly ever get thanked for.” It was his little outburst but it was how he felt about things. It was also the most he ever talked at once.. To him, a hero was his father the cop who went to work knowing each day his life was on the line and that any moment could be taken away from what he held dearest to him but never stopped to think twice about it. He only thought about protecting and servicing the community and not being a hero to anyone. ”No one will find out from me Yuri-sama… your secret is beyond safe with me, I promise.” It would be a promise he would never break no matter what happened. After all, he had his own secret that he kept and never wanted anyone to find out and one he really didn’t want Yuri to find out about because he had a feeling it would be the end of him. Alex could tell what he had told the white hair male had upset him…from the way his hands curled up to the look in his eyes. Yes, Alex had lost his innocent and pretty much every experience that a child should have as well as all those human qualities he was starting to learn. However, it someone asked him if he would go through all of that again if he could, the answer would be yes. For he was something more than a human now and didn’t need any special powers in order for that… A content sigh was given as he felt Yuri’s hand pat him then come to a rest upon his head, nestled in his messy blonde hair. He listened to close to what was being said then gave it a bit of thought before shifting his head ever so slightly to look up with those big blue eyes of his. ”If you don’t like the idea of me leaving then I shall stay but would it be okay if I slept on the floor in here by the sofa? Its kind of quiet in here… And if I am going to fit into society again, I should at least be willing to meet someone on something, right?” Alex hoped that would be enough to stop Yuri from asking whether or not he had a safe place. Sure he had the theatre but he didn’t want anyone to know he had that let alone access to the family money. There was a slight nod of his head to the part about an unexpected turn one that still surprised him if he were to think about it. After his head was patted once more, he did something he seen a few people do when he watched them from his perch up in trees. He wrapped his arms around Yuri and gave a very small squeeze. The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN A dry chuckle rumbled from deep within the russian's throat. The noise was a wry, awkward sound, cynically amused. "There are very few people who see things on our level, Alex. The sorry excuse for justice perpetrated by the bureau has not been true justice for quite some time. There were once heroes who stood for real justice but no longer. It is as unfortunate as it is maddening," Yuri inhaled deeply and closed his eyes again, awkwardly working his long fingers through Alex's messy blonde hair in a stilted fashion. "Lunatic exists for a reason." He had every intention of punishing those the justice system didn't until he was no longer able to do so. In his view, he was the only one willing to do so. None of the so-called "heroes" were willing to take that necessary step to execute those who didn't deserve to live. He straightened his posture slightly, shaking his head at the disapproving glower he received from the shade of his father. I know what I'm doing. A firm glare dispelled the phantom, and he turned his attention back to Alex. A faint smile traced across his pale lips. "I know." He couldn't bring himself to say that he trusted the other aloud for some strange reason - his odd attachment issues, probably, but...He couldn't deny it either. So he simply nodded along in silence as his companion continued to speak. His stance remained as rigid as ever, as it would take him quite a while to adjust to the idea and reality of close physical contact, but he didn't pull away at the very least. Yuri just stood, patting the teenager on the head lightly. "Yes, that's fine. At least I'll know you will be safe." There was a pause as he considered, "I tend to do my work in here however. I will try not to keep you up." After all, he had a lot of data to sift through on his laptop, and while he could've slept...He viewed that as a waste of good time. His eyes widened as he felt the arms curl about him in a small squeeze, and Yuri found himself standing there awkwardly, his hand still situated atop Alex's head. He inhaled slowly and closed his eyes. All the stereotypical things one seen in movies or read in novels - it's okay, it'll be alright, etc. - he couldn't bring himself to say...Because he couldn't be certain. 413 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖

[Alexander Shioda]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/2w722k3.jpg);] WORD COUNT: 831 TAGGED: Yuri NOTES: THIS AND THAT No one knows the way I feel a part of me I have to find Buried somewhere deep beneath my skin As he heard the chuckle that seemed slightly amused in a cynically way, those blue eyes glanced up at the deep green almost olive colored eyes. Even though he really couldn’t say much on the matter, he knew that Yuri would understand him because they seemed to share the same since of justice. And it was only confirmed as he listened to Yuri speak. ”Its what happens when people get too much power and wealth…they only want to profit from something that should not be a profit to anyone. Only closure to the victims. For someone who had spent all of his life in a forest away from all of this, he was rather jaded. But only became more so after getting back to this city and started the work of finding the truth and those who took his parents away from him. Alex had been staring at the floor since he had started to speak… he hated not being able to share his other side of who he was with Yuri after all he had seen what Yuri did to correct the injustice but it wasn’t something he could share with anyone. No one needed to know that he was anyone more than that young teenager who stood in this vary room. ”He will always exist no matter what happens. He is you and you are he. However… the idea of Lunatic, what he stands for will stand the test of time and he will be there in some shape or form.” He glanced up at Yuri for a moment. And in those words, there was a hint of what kind of teenager he could have been if things had been different. No doubt he could have been an A student, working his way toward being something successful in society. Instead, he was just a young male who had been taken back a few centuries to point in human evolution where they were more animal like. He was pretty much a more modern caveman in the sense of it all. A smile came across his lips as Yuri said he knew, he was glad Yuri did know that. Even though they had not seen each other since that day all those years ago when both had been so young…they both had a weird sense of trust between the two of them. Alex was just trying to be more like what he should be instead of what he was by having the contact. But also since the start of having that first gentle warm touch of Yuri’s hand on his shoulder moments ago, he really found himself longing for more contact. There was part of him that he was holding back, trying to keep it buried within but there was a part of him that was wanting and rather sad that he could never be able to feel the warm embrace of his parents again. That he would have given anything to have a good snuggle with them at this moment. That there was a little boy in there that wanted nothing more than to be held again… All that was pushed aside and buried deeper as he turned his attention back to Yuri. He wanted to reassure Yuri that he would be okay, that he would be safe no matter what because he could truly handle anything that came his way or at least believe he could… well more likely when he was in his suit and had his bow. But he couldn’t do that without giving himself away. ”You’re the only one who knows that I am alive… I don’t think we have too worry to much about my safety at the moment.” He said rather quietly… Maybe if someone knew he was alive, it would lure out those who killed his parents and this whole thing would have be over sooner. ”You won’t keep me up…do what you need to, I won’t bother you.” He really doubted that he would be able to sleep and didn’t want Yuri to worry about keeping him awake. Sleep was something he tried to avoid if he could…mostly because of the nightmares that seemed to be happening more now that he was back in this city. The small hug was something he just seemed to feel like the right thing to do at the moment… he was still very awkward with all the contact but he really wanted more of it… To become comfortable with it again… and he was rather glad that there was just that silence to the moment and nothing along the lines of it will be okay was said. He knew better than to accept that things would be okay when they had not been okay for his whole life. Alex moved away from Yuri only to reach down and pick up the toy car before heading towards the sofa. Instead of being normal and laying on the sofa, he circled before lying down. Curling up in a ball with his head tucked into his arms. The emptiness in me is faded And I can see my life is waiting

[Yuri Petrov]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 15px; background: url(http://i.imgur.com/4fVyd.jpg); border: #333 solid 10px; width: 300px;] IT'S ME COMBINING NUMBERS IT'S ME JUST PLAYING GOD IT'S ME WHO'S MAKING RULES HERE I CANNOT COME UNDONE YOU SHOULD NEVER BE FORGIVEN "It's unfortunate, and slipping further and further from real justice each year." The judge commented, his voice hollow, almost tired. He had tried, oh how he had tried, to restore real justice through lawful means. But there was so much red tape and politics to deal with that all of his attempts were ultimately for naught. In his mind, the city had brought Lunatic down upon itself, by not giving him any other means to dole out proper justice. The fact that so many could go free on little technicalities, even when everyone in the court room knew the defendant was guilty...It was despicable. His body tensed at the mere thought, and he inhaled slowly to maintain his cool. His nightly hunts, while some no doubt considered them psychopathic excursions, were something he deemed necessary. There was no other way to halt the downward spiral of Sternbild. He gave a silent nod in response to the teenager's commentary regarding Lunatic. He would carry the mantle until he could no longer, and likely would push past that point so long as it was physically possible. Though the contact was unusual for Yuri, he couldn't say that he disliked it. It reminded him of the hugs he received from his mother or father, before the drinking and beatings began...A little scrap of nostalgia from a time long past. He closed his eyes halfway for a few moments before he glanced down to the boy. "Hm," He vocalized softly, patting Alex on the head gently. "You may be right, but the city is dangerous even for those who are 'dead'," After all, even if no one really knew who the blonde was...He was sure there were unsavory characters who would try to take advantage of a drunk youth skulking around, no matter Alex's identity. When Alex pulled away to go lay down, Yuri canted his head to the side and watched him. He made note of the dog-like mannerism and pursed his lips together in thought. After a few beats of observation he sidled over to retrieve his laptop and wandered back over to the table side, prepared to settle in for another long night of research. 367 WORDS TAGGED Alex

MADE BY CYANIDE CANDY ✖