“No one can draw a clear line between sane and insane. You move that line as you see fit for yourself. No one can draw a clear line between sane and insane. You move that line as you see fit for yourself. No one else can. You'll understand soon... that the one that's insane is this world.” – Vincent from Cowboy Bebop The quote was written in red ink upon black pages of a very old book that rested open on a wooden shelf barely being held up upon the crack wall by the nails within it. The room, a small grey square to be exact, was illuminated by a single naked light bulb that hung from the ceiling, the only person here was a man in all black that sat at an old square table that had a large strange board made of glass and wood upon it. On top of the board rested odd pieces in the shapes of odd creatures. Each piece rested in a particular square, their positions being slightly shifted by the pale hand of the man who watched the board in silence as he remained within the abandoned jail cell with no door.
He was always here under the humans’ noses. Right in his spot should he ever be caught in the game he played and yet no one could catch him. No one knew how to for you see, even if he was no longer connected the Velvet Room, the man known as Hiro had a variety of ways to hide himself and use the supernatural to his advantage without the need of compendium or any of these other “powers” that had been cropping up lately. He used his head as he played the game alone, never expecting a partner in the game.
But it seemed that Fate was far from leaving him be. Yes this day the game would change for the one known as Hiro.
As his crimson eyes gazed at the board with pieces scattered about, the light in the room would flicker and stutter out before with an electrical buzz the light would snap on revealing another had entered his space.
It was an man in traditional Japanese clothing with the scent of herbs upon him. Ah yes…he knew this person who sat across for him well, didn’t he?
“…It has been a long time, hasn’t it, my dear little brother?” the dark haired man would say, his voice deep and calm as always. The other across from him was silent as he leaned back in the chair no doubt trying to comprehend what was before him. When he spoke, the other was straight to the point.
“Hiro...Why are you doing this? Messing with the humans and their Fates?” Akumu asked in tones the other did not care for, but the man in black change in his calmness as his eyes drifted to a knight on the board that was suddenly glowing with light. Ah...so that one was Philemon's Wild Card. Intriguing. Watching that piece, Hiro would speak after a moment.
“I have always been playing the game against the world. Always undoing what the "pure" does. Before it was simple my job was. Black and white, but now,” the man swept a hand over the board showing the pieces of various colors everywhere.
“The board has become more complicated as more pieces have joined the fray. They struggle so hard to trumph each other, but in the end, they will be burned in the flames to come. Flames to clean the world,” Hiro said as his eyes drifted to an angel piece on the board and the area around it.
A smile would come to his lips as he watched the section crack and decay. So the other side was getting a beating too? Good.
“Chaos is already winning, so why bother to struggle? Why help the humans at all? Aren’t they strong enough without the likes of us holding their hands…or is it because they are so wretched we have to do such a dull duty?” Crimson eyes would flick to Akumu.
“Don’t you see? I am not changing Fates, but simply cleaning up a mess that has been building up for years,” the dark haired man hissed as his eyes narrowed dangerously. However, Akumu did not flinch as he instead shook his head at the other.
“You are delusional if you believe yourself. All you are doing is murdering because you feel like it and unfortunately for you, I won’t stand by to let you do that any longer,” Akumu said watching the other carefully.
“You stand in my way?” Hiro scoffed before throwing back his head and letting out a laugh that shifted from normal to beastly before coming back to normal again. As he calmed, the rouge attendant would look at his younger brother as he gave him a shark like grin.
“Prey tell me how you will accomplish that. Your precious masters don’t take kindly to rule breakers,” the other taunted.
“They would make an exception for stopping out you,” Akumu said in low tones.
“Heh. So you will play the Fools’s part will you? Well then…I will play the Jester,” Hiro said as a red Jester representing him and blue fool representing Akumu appeared on the board at either end.
“Come little one. Let me teach a lesson in challenging your elders,” Hiro said with a laugh.
The only response he got was narrowed eyes from Akumu who held his ground as he finally decided to make a stand against one of the problems in the chaos that had its claws sunk deeply into the world.
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Note:
Akumu Yume has joined the fray and is now open to helping any human or creature working against the chaos in the world and trying to save the world. (He will aid anyone aligned with Philemon or is generally a good guy).
Hiro Sakahshi has joined the fray and is now open to helping any human or creature working to tear down or destroy the world. (He will aid in one aligned with Nyra or is generally a bad guy.)
The Third Bell Hast Wrung
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