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Cat’s-paw 02: Atonement
PG
Ritsuka, OFC
Summary: Seimei taught him the power of orders to corrupt him, to dirty him. But Ritsuka was strong; he had to be strong, had to survive. And in doing so, he could maybe save a life along the way...
The last rays of sun slithered over the bed, skittering like crickets over her hand. She could feel the warmth being slowly replaced by chill, but she couldn’t find the strength to move. The sheets she was lying on were old and dirty, and the apartment eerily quiet.
She should probably eat but she couldn’t be bothered to get up.
She should probably get a shower, but it all just seemed too surreal to her.
Her vision blurred, eyes kept open too long to the point of pain, but even that didn’t matter.
He told her to live, but how could she, when there was no longer a reason to?
She wanted to die so badly, to end this misery.
“Live. That’s my last order Mey. Live.”
She closed her eyes. It would have been so much kinder to just let her die with him.
“You should eat something.” The voice was sweet and gentle. She forgot about the boy. He didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
The boy, Ritsuka, sighed again. She wished he would just go.
She heard him coming closer and sitting on the bed beside her. His hand was warm and dry as it petted her dirty hair.
“I won’t leave you alone.” He said in the same gentle voice, but this time there was power behind his words. Almost a spell, a warning.
So, he was a Sacrifice, a powerful one, too.
Briefly, she wondered if it was a threat.
* * *
Ritsuka stared at the unresponsive Fighter. He came here every day for a week already, trying to find a way to drag the woman from her shell.
It hurt to watch her, her thin body so fragile on the huge bed, her ash blond hair painfully familiar.
He could force her into obedience. To his horror, the first thing that Seimei forced him to learn were the restriction spells. It seemed that the Aoyagi boys had a unique talent for them... but he would not do that. No matter what, he would not resort to violence and using an offensive spell was violence.
He remembered what Kio told him once that after Seimei’s death, Soubi was like a zombie, a living corpse. He didn’t understand then. Now, looking at the pitiful husk of a woman in front of him, he understood all too well.
He knelt in front of the bed, shifting so that he could look into the half open, flat eyes. They were grey. Soubi had blue...
“Listen to me. I will not leave here without you.” He gathered his strength and put power into his words, like Seimei showed him before. “You <b>will</b> obey me.”
She flinched, the command penetrating deep into her very core, where the roots of her training began. It wasn’t a spell, not yet. But it could be, and she finally understood it.
“Why?” She asked finally, her eyes focusing on him for a moment.
Ritsuka held her gaze and answered truthfully.
“Before... I failed someone. Because I was afraid, because I was weak, because I didn’t know things. Let this be my atonement.” He put the palm of his hand on her cheek, feeling how cold and clammy her skin was. “Come with me, and the only thing you will have to do will be to listen to my orders. Let me control you. Let me take your pain away; let me bear the burden of your responsibility. Let me help you fulfill that last order...”
He could feel the wetness under his hand. He broke through, finally.
If he only knew all that he knew now, two years ago... if only...
“Let’s make a deal…” She whispered against the skin of his palm, and he smiled gently. Seimei taught him the power of orders to corrupt him, to dirty him. But Ritsuka was strong, he had to be strong, had to survive. And in doing so, he could maybe save a life along the way...
tbc
She should probably eat but she couldn’t be bothered to get up.
She should probably get a shower, but it all just seemed too surreal to her.
Her vision blurred, eyes kept open too long to the point of pain, but even that didn’t matter.
He told her to live, but how could she, when there was no longer a reason to?
She wanted to die so badly, to end this misery.
“Live. That’s my last order Mey. Live.”
She closed her eyes. It would have been so much kinder to just let her die with him.
“You should eat something.” The voice was sweet and gentle. She forgot about the boy. He didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
The boy, Ritsuka, sighed again. She wished he would just go.
She heard him coming closer and sitting on the bed beside her. His hand was warm and dry as it petted her dirty hair.
“I won’t leave you alone.” He said in the same gentle voice, but this time there was power behind his words. Almost a spell, a warning.
So, he was a Sacrifice, a powerful one, too.
Briefly, she wondered if it was a threat.
* * *
Ritsuka stared at the unresponsive Fighter. He came here every day for a week already, trying to find a way to drag the woman from her shell.
It hurt to watch her, her thin body so fragile on the huge bed, her ash blond hair painfully familiar.
He could force her into obedience. To his horror, the first thing that Seimei forced him to learn were the restriction spells. It seemed that the Aoyagi boys had a unique talent for them... but he would not do that. No matter what, he would not resort to violence and using an offensive spell was violence.
He remembered what Kio told him once that after Seimei’s death, Soubi was like a zombie, a living corpse. He didn’t understand then. Now, looking at the pitiful husk of a woman in front of him, he understood all too well.
He knelt in front of the bed, shifting so that he could look into the half open, flat eyes. They were grey. Soubi had blue...
“Listen to me. I will not leave here without you.” He gathered his strength and put power into his words, like Seimei showed him before. “You <b>will</b> obey me.”
She flinched, the command penetrating deep into her very core, where the roots of her training began. It wasn’t a spell, not yet. But it could be, and she finally understood it.
“Why?” She asked finally, her eyes focusing on him for a moment.
Ritsuka held her gaze and answered truthfully.
“Before... I failed someone. Because I was afraid, because I was weak, because I didn’t know things. Let this be my atonement.” He put the palm of his hand on her cheek, feeling how cold and clammy her skin was. “Come with me, and the only thing you will have to do will be to listen to my orders. Let me control you. Let me take your pain away; let me bear the burden of your responsibility. Let me help you fulfill that last order...”
He could feel the wetness under his hand. He broke through, finally.
If he only knew all that he knew now, two years ago... if only...
“Let’s make a deal…” She whispered against the skin of his palm, and he smiled gently. Seimei taught him the power of orders to corrupt him, to dirty him. But Ritsuka was strong, he had to be strong, had to survive. And in doing so, he could maybe save a life along the way...
tbc
