Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Angel ❯ Flashback ( Chapter 4 )

And that had been that; he had moved on from the town in the same way he moved on from everywhere else, and was met with the same boring encounters and conversations in the next town as he had found every where else… and that was basically Bastia's life for about a month; nearly as normal as everyone else's.

 

In his opinion, “normality” was overrated. It was even worse than growing up isolated save for the company your brother and parents. Surely there was something else that he could do…besides live all alone in the mountains, or travel from place to place doing the exact same thing every time he moved…surely there was something else he could do.

 

It was there, he knew it. The only thing was, he did not know where or what it was.

 

Bessy…you up? Came a voice in his mind.

 

Indomien was and always would be the only one that Bastia would not kill for intruding into his head even the littlest bit. If somebody else tried to just say something, not even see what he was saying, just try to talk to him a bit, Bastia would murder them for daring to touch his only personal space; his head. But Indomien was the exception to this; Bastia would not murder his brother under any circumstances, and anyway, it was the best way to communicate between the two when for the most part they were on opposite sides of the earth. And Indomien did not even attempt to contact him all that often; maybe once in a week he would say hello to Bastia before not talking again until the next week. And of course, Bastia never bothered to do more than answer his brother when he was called to.

 

Yes…I will be for a while now, I think, he replied, casting his eyes about his current location. It would definitely be difficult to catch any semblance of sleep while here, as a combination of sugar-high from hot chocolate and the way that his sixth sense was going crazy with warnings. There was something up, something waiting to happen lurking around the corner, and it was driving him crazy. The long black tail that snuck behind him was rhythmically thumping quietly against the ground, and his pointed ears were laid back.

 

Where are you now? Indomien asked, and Bastia noted there was something different in his mental tone of voice. It was difficult to describe; a combination of slight guilt or the like with sinful pride and an overall unusually dark tone that bothered his younger brother. A slight frown creased the face of the half-morphed hybrid, and the agitated twitching of his tail increased as his ears perked up in rapt attention. His senses were going haywire; whatever it was that was bothering had just increased its bothering, if that made any sense.

 

He paused a moment before replying. I…am in this little town in America…quaint little place, though I've seen worse…where are you? He did not straight out ask Indomien what was bothering him; that would cause his brother to close up faster than a bothered clam on the ocean floor. Which he did not want…if anything had happened to Indomien, somebody was going to die…a soft growl left his lips, though no one heard it since the park was largely uninhabited.

 

Bessy? Are you okay? Ah, Indomien had no doubt caught a trace of Bastia's growl. There was a slight trace of concern in his voice, overtaking the tones from before, and Bastia hoped that he had only imagined what had happened before. Or rather, he thought that perhaps he should be hoping that; Bastia knew better than to deny reality like that.

 

I'm fine…just was thinking about stuff…you didn't answer yet. Where are you? Bastia repeated, his eyes scanning without seeing the surrounding park. He also wondered why he had the feeling that some thing was lurking behind that bush over to his left, waiting to pounce on him.

 

Indomien let silence stretch out in both of their minds for a few moments, and when he answered, that strange tone was back in his voice. Bastia…I killed a man today.

 

Dead silence in which the chirping of crickets cut through the air like a hot knife through butter.

 

Indomien, love…care to repeat that?

 

There was a bit of choked laughter coming from his mental link with his brother; a sort of sobbing noise that had started with some semblance of a laugh but ended with nothing of the sort. I killed someone. Bessy, I actually did it.

 

Bastia was silent for a moment, considering the possibility that his brother, only sixteen years of age, could possibly have killed someone. Not much ever actually surprised Bastia, but now…he was, admittedly, shocked to the point of speechless.

 

Bessy?

 

Yeah. So…is there a reason why? Bastia's mental voice was void of emotion, as it usually was. And his physical appearance remained the same as well; it was as though Indomien had announced he'd eaten a piece of pizza. Inside, however, Indomien had struck something that Bastia had hidden away deep inside of him the moment that this thought occurred to him: Mom and Dad aren't coming back. There was a slight twisting in his gut, despite his outward icy demeanor.

 

Indomien was silent for a moment. Then there came the reply: Someone asked me to…a friend of mine.

 

A friend, Bastia repeated.

 

A slight hesitation. Yeah, a friend of mine…see, look Bastia, I met some really nice people the other day, and-

 

When? He was sharply interrupted by the single word.

 

It was a couple of days…after we split up… Indomien paused for a moment, to wait for any further questions or a command.

 

Sure enough, he was answered with a curt “Go on,” in the same emotionless voice that seemed to only be gathering more and more ice crystals.

 

Another slight pause, and then, all in a rush-

 

I was lonely after you left, Bessy, and I went to this little restaurant…yes, there was a bar there, I know you'll yell at me, but I didn't drink anything…and anyway, I met this one vampire there-NO! Wait, please, interrupt me later- and so he talked to me and I talked to him and he seemed really nice.

 

Indomien caught the slightest flash of laughter from his brother, even though it was cynical in nature and therefore typical of Bastia. In truth, his twin was thinking about how when people wanted to recruit Indomien, they were nice and offered him tea and cookies. When they came after Bastia, it was an attempt to literally break apart his arm and run him through. He wondered if there was a reason for that difference or was it just luck that had thrown them into their respective situations.

 

Continue, Bastia said when Indomien stopped.

 

Er…okay…well, he was really nice, and he also seemed to understand me and not care that I was a hybrid, so when he offered to take me to see his friends, I went with him. They were all nice to me too, and we just kind of stayed together in this one town for a week or so. Another hesitant pause here, which Bastia met with the reply he had been waiting for: a simple, dripping icicles in its emotionless void, “go on”.

 

Still, he hesitated for a moment longer, before finally…

 

Bastia…please, don't-

 

Just keep talking, he was interrupted sharply by the cools words, as sharp as knives even in their calm tones.

 

Fine…maybe I should just tell you the whole thing from the beginning, with all the details…

 

Perhaps that is a good idea.

 

…

 

 

 

 

“Indomien.”

 

The older brother was startled at the single word, common as it was. True, his parents had always called him that, and he had had one heck of a time trying to learn how to write his name. It was just that he had thought it was established that Bastia would call him Dom, as he had insisted when going through that “I need a nickname” phase. It was then that the upstanding and serious Bastia had gained the title “Bessy”, but only after much debate and heated argument between the two. Or at least, it had been heated on Indomien's side…Bastia had had only one reply to each and everything that the older brother had said, and it never lost its final tone throughout it all. It was a wonder that Indomien had persisted in fighting and finally won against the cold, inevitable “no” that somehow had become Bastia's signature.

 

He immediately shifted in his seat, turning around from his seat on the sinfully comfortable chair he so loved to look at Bastia with that concern that was more and more often on his face. “Is something up, Bessy?” he asked carefully, knowing that his brother was just as likely to explode if he wasn't careful as he was to tell Indomien the reason why he ever did anything.

 

“I'm going out.” Still in the same, curt, calm, quiet, and utterly disturbing voice that Indomien hated to here. Yes, Bastia was a bit of an emotionless person, or at least on the outside, but even then he was never this dead unless something was seriously bothering him.

 

“Where?”

 

“I don't know. Just somewhere that isn't here.”

 

Indomien stared for a moment, surprised that his brother would ever say something as vague as that. Bastia…said either nothing or was explicit in such a way so as to drive Indomien crazy. So now, this answer that was not an answer was just another little bit about this particular moment to ascertain the fact that there was something seriously wrong with his little yet not little brother.

 

And was it just him, or was there the faintest trace of amusement in eyes that seemed a tad brighter, more gold than yesterday? It was almost as though Bastia was amused and letting it show…another thing that Bastia never did.

 

“Um…okay then, so do you want dinner or something ready for when you get back? Or will you get your own dinner? And on that note, when are you going to get back?”

 

There was a slight pause here, and that trace of something- whatever it was, it didn't belong there- that glittered in Bastia's nearly constantly dead eyes did not belong there at all. “Indomien…you don't need to make dinner for me. Though it would be advisable for you to get something for yourself anyway. Don't worry about me.”

 

“Bastia, is something wrong?” Indomien bit his lip, hoping that he would get an answer from his entirely out of character younger twin.

 

A ghost of a smile fluttered around pale pink lips. “Nothing's wrong…I decided that I don't want to spend eternity in this one little hole of a house, that's all. I don't have anything against our house, but I do believe it's just about time to leave the nest; we can't stay here forever. Might as well leave now.”

 

Assaulted by this sudden revelation and surprised as he was, Bastia immediately said the first thing that came to mind. “Wow Bessy, I don't believe you've ever said so many words at one time, let alone in a breath, for the past sixteen years that you have been alive. Congratulations.”

 

“…”

 

And Indomien thought he was crazy.

 

“Thank…you…” The words, with their accentuated pauses between them paired with the still emotionless and cold tone of voice that Bastia perpetually had…

 

How on earth was it possible for Indomien was to think the one who was crazy when Indomien was the one who laughed like that? He sounded like a hyena, honestly, with that high pitched cackle that cut through the silence following Bastia's remark.

 

“Sorry,” the older twin choked out, finally ceasing his laughter, though by now his eyes were bright with mirth and he was breathing a little harder than normal. Bastia just continued to stare at him with a mix of amusement and a sort of stay-away-from-me look in his bright eyes.

 

Another quick cough, and a clearing of the throat before Indomien was nearly returned to normal. “Ah, well…so when should I have your supper ready by, then? A year? Half of one?”

 

“I believe that a year should be the minimum. Nothing less than that, unless something goes wrong.”

 

And it was Bastia's turn to have his remark met with utter silence that stretched on like the path around the equator…

 

Indomien was now looking at his younger brother with a sort of uncertainty and something that was almost…was that really fear in his eyes? “Bastia…you're not serious, are you?”

 

“I can assure you, I am perfectly serious,” Bastia replied in his consistently unemotional tone of voice, though there was a bit of regret that just might have been laced through his tones. “I don't want to live here forever…it's about time that we left.”

 

He hesitated a moment before saying his next comment; judging by the stricken look on Indomien's face and the pain on it that twisted Bastia's heart, it was not time to release the next bit of information.

 

“So you're serious. You really want to leave?”

 

“Yes. And, Indomien…” He really should just say it now and get it over with, because if he didn't do it now then he never would. So his next words came out all in a rush.

 

“What, now you're going to confess your love to that girl in the village?”

 

“Ah…” Bastia couldn't help it; the slight glimmer of mirth returned to his coppery eyes. “No, I don't think I'm up to that just yet…maybe in another couple of years, but not now…”

 

A sort of choked out laugh came from the elder, as though he was trying his best to hold it in but just could not help but laugh at Bastia's comment. He had meant it as a sarcastic comment, that reference to what had happened so long ago, and here Bastia was, playing off his words as though it was something he did naturally. It was almost worth Bastia's words and the flicker of amusement in his eyes, to have to leave; in fact, now that he thought about it, it probably wouldn't be that bad. Different, yes, but the two of them should be okay as long as they were-

 

“Indomien.”

 

“Hn?” He refocused his eyes from where he had lost himself in a world of reminiscence and contemplation of the current situation, fixing his gaze on Bastia's now entirely bereft of life and darkened face.

 

Did he really want to say this? By the look that had been on Indomien's face after he'd first said he was leaving, this next bit would be just another kick to that poor little puppy that was his older brother…

 

“Indomien…I don't think we should stay together.”

 

And once more, it was silence that consumed the short distance between them and suffocated the entire living room.

 

Finally, in a voice that frightened Bastia in its similarity to his own frigid, emotionless tones: “What?”

 

“Look, Indomien, one of these days we will not be together. Something might…happen.” Bastia refrained from mentioning the particular scenarios running through his mind. “We might end up separated somehow, and so if that happens, I don't want either of us to be destroyed by it…”

 

It was Bastia's turn to be interrupted, by that same distorted parallel of a laugh that Indomien had used. He looked at his brother with curiosity in his eyes, but Indomien did not specify his thoughts. In truth, the older was thinking about how if anyone was going to be destroyed by the loss of the other, it would definitely be Bastia. Ah, dear Bessy…maybe I sound extremely self-centered and maybe I am, but Bastia, I fear for what would happen to you should something ever happen to me…

 

Had Bastia been a normal person, he would have cleared his throat and then begun despite the constant out of character staring of his brother; as it was, Bastia just gave a disturbing stare of his own right back as he tried to figure out what was going on with his brother. And then he continued speaking as the silence stretched out to the point that is was disconcerting.

 

“So I'll be leaving now, Indomien. You can go too if you want, or you can stay here and keep the house alive. But I'm not going to stick around” He looked at his brother a moment longer.

 

Indomien blinked once in an extremely slow and deliberate manner, before clearing his throat like a normal person would. “I…don't know. I think I'll probably stick around here…take care of Mom and Dad, and all that. Are you leaving now?”

 

“Yes…”

 

For the first time, Indomien registered the clothes that Bastia was wearing and what they signified. His younger sibling was clad in pure black from head to toe; or rather, from the edges of his jaw line to the boots on his feet. As well as full sleeves and a trench coat which, incidentally, had slits in the back, he also wore gloves and a bandana was tied around his pale neck. Combined with the long braid of ebony with its golden sparked, and an unhealthy in it's lack of weight slenderness to his figure, he pretty much looked like a girl.

 

“Bessy…you look like a girl.”

 

“Hn…” Bastia took a moment to glance down at himself; he didn't like to, but he had to admit that he did look especially feminine in this particular set of garments. He growled quietly, and then tucked the long tail of hair hanging behind him beneath a black coat. “Better?” he more or less snarled, hiding his own regretful feelings behind the traditional façade of ice.

 

“Yeah…so you're going now then?”

 

“Right.”

 

A heavy silence.

 

“Well…bye then…”

 

And that was that. Bastia gave him one last look, a confusing mix of emotions swirling in his hazy bronze eyes, before he abruptly stepped out of the house and into the dusky sunset.

 

Indomien watched the retreating figure, silhouetted against the bright red setting sun that sank into the mountains surrounding the valley that they called home. “I'll miss you,” he whispered quietly.

 

 

 

 

Indomien stared miserably into a pool of reddish brown liquid, eying with some uncertainty the chunks of some suspicious unknown substance flowing in and near the top of the mug. They had labeled the mysterious mix “House special” on the menu, and had had a special low price on it; that was mainly what drew the not-particularly-money-full hybrid to order the unknown substance. And now, as he stared down into the oddly colored stuff that was sitting in his beer-mug-style glass, he wasn't sure if that had been the best idea ever.

 

“I know it doesn't actually look that great, but it tastes really good, trust me.” Indomien was startled out of his reverie by the sudden words, and turned his right to look at their owner.

 

What struck him as a kind face looked back at him, and there was a laughing expression in clear blue eyes that gazed into his own darker azul pair of orbs. The features were admittedly rather pale, and yes, there was the vampire aura emanating from him; but the soft smile and inviting eyes threw off any suspicions Indomien might've had regarding his companion. It never really got into his head that he was kind of sandwiched between the man and the two walls of the corner he had been hiding in. And even if he had realized this particular fact, it would not have bothered him overly once; he was not quite as paranoid as his younger brother- Bastia would be flipping out by now and would have already had some knife or other such implement out and in his hand, waiting for the perfect moment to strike- and so Indomien was still nearly completely at peace. This may or may not have been a good thing under any circumstances, however, under the given settings, it was going to end badly for the overly trusting older brother.

 

“I don't know…you can't really tell by looking at it, can you?” the more outgoing of the two brothers replied with a bit of smile in his voice and on his lips. He broke the sparking chain of connection between him and the other vampire to look down at his mug once more, staring into the depths of foggy brown…

 

He heard the soft laughter of the other and allowed himself a soft smile before turning to his mug and gingerly raising it to his slightly parted lips. Cautiously he took a sip, and was surprised by the taste and smell assaulting his sensitive feline nostrils and tongue. His more animalistic side was far more than pleased with the meaty flavor, and the beans added a nice touch. And of course, the spiciness that had caused many another's eyes to water only brought a smile to stretch his lips even further as his cerulean orbs gained a little more of the luminosity lost when Bastia had left the week before.

 

“So? Is it good?”

 

So absorbed had Indomien been in the rich and complicated and ever-so-hard-to-describe flavor of the- was it soup? He had no idea- that he had completely forgotten about his rather random companion.

 

He turned toward the other with much brighter features and an almost normal smile on his lips. “Wonderful…you'd really have no idea, would you? I must thank you for revealing to me the wonderful world of…whatever this may be…?”

 

His companion laughed. It was a warm, rich sound that reminded Indomien of his father back when the four of them used to stay up at night in front of a roaring fire…“Chili. It's a kind of soup, called chili. It tastes amazing, doesn't it? I adore this little pub, because they nearly always have some available. None of the newcomers-save for you- have ever wanted to try it, but there are many regulars such as my self who refuse to order anything but this.”

 

Indomien hadn't realized that the other had a mug that was quite similar in appearance sitting before him as well. The only difference between Indomien's and the other's was that the vampire sitting behind him was nearly finished with the drink/soup; there was hardly any left sitting at the bottom of the ceramic mug.

 

“It is rather good...once again, my thanks…” Indomien could not really thing of anything else to say to this other that he had only met a few minutes ago; the warnings of Bastia had suddenly reappeared in his head, and he was slightly on guard in the presence of the other vampire.

 

The vampire seemed to notice the slight change in Indomien's demeanor, and responded by only smiling all the more invitingly at his newfound companion. That mixed aura…it intrigued him…it seemed like the rumors he'd heard around the area were true; there was some sort of strange folk living up in the mountains. It had been a good idea to come here.

 

“My name's Akiko,” the vampire suddenly announced, startling Indomien slightly once more from where he had been staring into his chili with a thoughtful look on his face. “I've been hanging around this area for a while now, but I've never seen you before…are you from around here?”

 

Had it been Bastia that this “Akiko” had been talking to, the sudden and totally unexpected release of the name would either have Bastia's nerves even more tightly strung than normal-if that was even possible- or the hybrid would definitely be attacking the vampire with his knives. But as we by no definitely know, Indomien and Bastia are two entirely different and separate entities; they are nothing like each other. So instead of Akiko's words having the reverse psychology affect they would have on Bastia, they were instead as reassuring and beguiling as the vampire had intended them to be on the older and less cautious sibling.

 

“I'm Indomien,” the half-breed replied brightly, delighted to already be close to another person so soon after Bastia had left. “Indomien Nox. Do you have a last name?” he asked with an amused note in his cheery voice.

 

He was met with that rich laugh once more. “I should think I do, but it makes no difference to you I think. No offense intended. But it is a great pleasure to meet someone as unique as you, my dear Indomien.”

 

It was the “unique” that suddenly reminded the eldest of Bastia once more; if the vampire was making note of the fact that he was not quite vampire nor human, then there was a fair chance that Akiko wanted something of him- just as Bastia had warned him that vampires would do.

 

“What do you mean by…unique?” Indomien asked cautiously, seriousness creeping into his darkening eyes and his voice as he immediately went on guard once more.

 

“Well, my young hybrid friend, if moving on and off your guard was a taxing process, by now you would have collapsed with the effort of switching back and forth. I can assure you, Mister Nox, that I mean you no harm. I will admit that I was fascinated by your mixed aura, but I do not seek you into servitude of any kind. I was merely curious regarding what sort of person would have an air like yours about him. “ He held his pale hands in the air, in the universal gesture of “I surrender/mean you no harm”.

 

Indomien was slightly calmed by the speech, and even smiled slightly at Akiko's first comment. “You cannot really blame me for being on my guard; not everybody acts as well meaning as you…”

 

 

If Akiko caught the specific “acts” instead of “was”, he did not say anything; rather, he merely smiled in return. This sort of thing was best handled slowly, like taming a wild beast. In fact, it was nearly the same; you had to take your time and be extremely gentle yet somewhat forceful at the same time. He planned on adhering to all of those guidelines and pieces of advice while he brought his new pet to heel.

 

His reply was given in a laughing tone, so as to encourage Indomien into trusting him more and bring the other to comfort, despite the cold and calculating thoughts that were going through his head. “No; I would fear for your health and perhaps your mental sanity if you were not constantly on your guard against those who would seek to…exploit your no doubt truly fearsome powers,” he said laughingly, chuckling at the end as he gazed into the cerulean eyes of the other.

 

Indomien hesitated for another couple of moments, and then he smiled as well; the older hybrid had been thrown off the sarcasm that had been in Akiko's voice when he had said “fearsome powers”, just as the much older vampire had predicted of him. You are far too easy to read, my love; I cannot help but wonder if there is something wrong with you? Really, how could the half-breed be this stupid? He was falling into Akiko's trap like an obedient hound with the vampire as his master.

 

Akiko was not entirely correct, however; the vampire was not the only one who knew how to play games here. Indomien was still wary and was putting on an act just to please the other and throw him off guard. The combination of battling wills and minds made for an interesting air hanging between the two as they strained to keep easygoing, relaxing outward appearances while inside they were practically in the middle of a war. Bastia would be proud to see how Indomien was faring; the half-breed's plan was working more than his vampiric opponent's was.

 

“Indeed, one must always be careful,” Indomien laughed his agreement. However, there was a hard, serious shade hidden in his darkened blue eyes that showed that he meant what he said.

 

Contrary to Bastia and Indomien's darkening of their unnatural eyes when they were being strongly emotional, Akiko's seemed to become paler when he was involved in something that took up much of his mind strength; something like this. Darkened orbs were locked onto icy blue, and they held a sparking chain between them for a long time that stretched out forever in the mind of a certain half breed and was beginning to get on the nerves of a senior vampire.

 

“That's just life for you,” Akiko said finally, smiling even as his eyes narrowed slightly. And just like that, the silence was over, and the war began again.

 

They had begun their unofficial battle in the early hours of the evening; by now, only the most loyal and faithful of regulars remained in their particular little tavern. Those who were there were either on the brink of unconsciousness due to the amount of alcohol consumed or were avidly listening as loyal spectators, cheering on and even going as far as to have one of them keep up a constant commentary of the feelings between the two of them.

 

“And so, point for Blondie over there! Oh, but Mr. Ice has a comeback, and even then it is one that deems no less than at least 2 minutes! Ah, Blondie, come on, surely you will not give in so easily! Hold on, does Dark Eyes have a return? Yes, he does! Go Dark!”

 

And on it went, with the two of them exchanging a fierce volley of words including a variety of unusual insults, compliments, and everything in between. Watching the two of them, they seemed more like an experienced pair of friends who knew exactly what buttons to push in order to have the other's hair bristling in annoyance or to bring the other to a soothing state of semi-calm.

 

“They're pratic'ly mad fir `chother, don't cha thinks so?” slurred one of the drunken spectators. Indeed, the minds of the two were so similar that they did appear to go perfectly with each other as they battled fiercely.

 

On and on they went; the owners of the tavern and even their bouncers were afraid to go near the quarreling pair due to the venomous looks that would be shot at them. It would only last a second, but the murderous intent in the two different shades of blue of their eyes was enough to frighten away even the most hardened of war veterans.

 

By the wee hours of the morning, Indomien and his quarreling companion were the only two inhabitants of the building that were awake; the rest were fairly certain that if anything important happened, the commotion would wake them up; for now, as entertaining as watching the two was, it just was not worth missing out on their necessary sleep for the coming day. Indomien and Akiko, however, were only starting to wind down because the sun was rising and despite the vampires ability to walk in the sun if he wished, it was a rather annoying experience and he hoped to avoid it. Therefore, Indomien would have liked to keep him awake and in the sun, for as a hybrid it did not effect him, but his companion simply refused to respond quite as vehemently anymore. And both of them were, unbelievably enough, beginning to be content in each other's presence, to the point that they were no longer arguing to prove a point, but rather to enjoy the other's company. It was a strange relationship between them, but it was one that was mutually thought to be something easily dealt with and enjoyable.

 

Indomien cast his nearly black gaze out at the window, looking in almost a startled fashion at the tendrils of blushing pink and pale peach that stretched out across the horizon, the mountains silhouetted against them in an entrancing picture.

 

He wasn't normally one to be caught in awe by something as simple as the rising sun or the night sky; that was more Bastia's kind of thing. Looking out at the scene unfurling slowly before him, he almost wished that he was able to send the image to his younger brother somehow; the other would be delighted- though of course he would never show it- to have him send the beautiful picture to him. Then again, there was the possibility that the other hybrid would just smile softly and be laughing inside at his foolishness. You never really could tell with the younger of the two half-breeds.

 

“Mister Nox? Indomien?”

 

“What?” Indomien finally said as he realized that Akiko was talking to him and had been trying to get his attention for the past who knows how long. He had been absorbed in his thoughts, as he often was, and it was only now that he realized just how much of a bad thing that was. The elder vampire would have found it extremely easy to take advantage of an unfocused young hybrid, had he jumped upon the opportunity. In fact, Indomien was wondering why Akiko hadn't pounced on him despite his total obliviousness. He had been such easy prey…it disgusted him. Maybe that was why Akiko hadn't done it?

 

Actually, the other vampire was pondering the same question himself, though he managed to do so while maintaining complete focus on his little pet to ensure that the other did not get away. Or at least, to make sure that he didn't leave before Akiko was read, should the young hybrid prove to be…difficult. He nearly shrugged physically and definitely performed the action in his mind as his pale eyed gaze remained locked upon the other.

 

“Nothing,” he replied, smiling darkly even as he cleared his throat a bit as though clearing his mind of that particularly distracting train of thought. “You just seemed to have zoned out for a moment there…”

 

“Hn,” Indomien replied shortly in a manner that screamed of the influence of his younger brother Bastia. Somehow he had managed to exactly duplicate those cool, completely and utterly disinterested, and bored-out-of-my-mind type of tones that were the younger hybrids signature. He nearly smiled, but seeing as that would utterly defeat the point of using his younger brother's voice with the way it contradicted the tone, he did not ruin and therefore saved the dark effect.

 

Akiko was a bit surprised at the sudden change in the younger of the two's demeanor, for he did not know of the existence nor the character of the other's little brother Bastia, and therefore the unexpected shift threw him slightly off guard. This, of course, did not show, for the vampire was as set-in-stone as Bastia was when he had the will for it. Which the vampire usually did not, but the principle was still there anyway.

 

“It seems that our conversation is dying a bit now. I must admit that I want to say `finally', but I believe that would be an insult,” Akiko finally said, allowing his smile to fade a bit but not letting the amusement disappear from his face.

 

“Hn?” Complete silence followed that comment as both of them wondered how exactly Indomien had managed to pull off the sound that he just had. In some unknown and highly improbable way, the older of two hybrids had some how taken Bastia's icy, “don't care what you're saying” voice and had used it to make a question. The resulting effect of inquiry and frigid calm mixing together like that in the not-even-a-word grunt was…interesting. Or more specifically, it somehow managed to prompt both into laughter, once the temporary shock had worn off.

 

Indomien was still smiling and his voice returned to normal as he said, “I am guessing so…clearly our conversation is boring enough to prompt our listeners to sleep; they were paying rapt attention before.” He allowed his midnight blue eyes to flicker around the room and take in the variety of drunken people who were sprawled across various chairs and tables; some had even collapsed on the floor, finding it more comfortable than the stiff-backed wooden chairs. Even the owners had fallen asleep at the bar, dead to the world in their slumber. The scene brought a bright smile to the face of Indomien, the likes of which not having been seen for a good two weeks now, ever since Bastia had left…

 

“Perhaps they were lulled to sleep by your pretty little voice.” Akiko's purr cut through the silence left in the wake of Indomien's words as loudly as would the sound of ripping paper. The smile dropped from the face of the younger half-breed in the time that it took to blink, and darkened blue eyes narrowed as they sharply flew back to the face of the other.

 

But there was nothing in Akiko's eyes but slight amusement and even sincerity…nothing along the lines of coercion or the like showed in his face. And even Bastia's eyes never lied, so why would Akiko's?

 

Later Indomien would find himself wrong on both counts; not only was it well more than possible for someone's eyes to look perfectly honest while they were spouting lies at top notch speeds, but Bastia's shifting golden eyes had held many a secret in their times while he hid inside his heart.

 

 

 

 

And we just kind of became friends after that; actually, no, we didn't, Indomien said suddenly, changing his mind. We sort of just…talked a lot more like that, you know, kind of just…insulting each other, I guess…it was enjoyable, he added defensively. He could just feel his younger brother raise his eyebrow, even though there was quite a considerable distance between the two so he could nowhere near physically see the raised eyebrow itself; he couldn't help but smile at this revelation. The two were strongly connected; he knew all of Bastia's feelings, as Bastia knew all of his. It was because of this that he could also feel the slight disdain and disapproval that was, in fact, rolling of Bastia in waves to anyone who stood in close proximity to the younger of two brothers. As it was, the two feelings were just about palpable to the several thousand miles away elder Indomien.

 

So…you just immediately trusted this vampire who you met one night in an almost utterly random fashion? Indomien made sure to hide the slight laughter that echoed in his mind as he listened to his brother. Sure enough, Bastia was proving loyal to his signature; the words were pronounced in an utterly quiet, frozen tone that was only slightly changed by the hint of the earlier feelings of disdain and disapproval that made it sound all the more darker. If the younger brother did catch any of the other hybrid's amusement, he did not comment on it; rather he continued his expectant silence as he waited for more comments from his older brother.

 

Didn't I just say that we just talked for a while? Indomien couldn't help the trace of a whine that snuck into his voice, giving it a sort of plaintive tone that raised the slim black line of Bastia's eyebrow even further. Aware of this as he was, Indomien couldn't help but laugh softly in his mind, regardless of what Bastia might think of it.

 

The younger brother was not entirely sure why Indomien was laughing, but he was also not entirely sure if he quite wanted to know. He just let the silence stretch on after the soft laughter until Indomien spoke once more. The older hybrid was right, he knew- Indomien had indeed told him that he hadn't immediately gone off with this vampire called “Akiko”, but Bastia was not entirely concerned with this fact at the moment. He was merely getting tired of waiting for the end of Indomien's story; the only thing that the other hybrid really cared about was why Indomien had done what he did. And so far, the story was not helping explain at all; it was only causing Bastia's opinion of his brother to lower slightly, which was, admittedly, not a very good thing.

 

Indomien felt the impatience that was emanating from his younger hybrid brother, and so he went hastily to continue his story, coughing slightly to clear his voice of the slight amusement before he began speaking once more. Yeah, so…it wasn't that bad, Bessy, I didn't immediately go off with him to kill people or anything. And now there was a slight trace of bitterness in his mental tone, as well as the traces of regret that made up the same voice Bastia had heard when Indomien had first given him those soon-to-be-fateful words.

 

It was more of a slow thing, I guess…we just started spending more and more time together talking like that…he was always there, whenever I went to that tavern, waiting for me with their “house special”…every single time. A slight longing, as though the older brother yearned for that same sort of contentment he had gotten during the short but happy part of his life.

 

And then he started introducing me to his friends. There weren't all that many that he showed me; I only met a few more vampires and a couple of those ghoul thingies- you know them?

 

Bastia was reluctant to admit it, but he could not say that he knew what ghouls were. No; tell me what they are, he said shortly, though there was a slight curiosity in his normally emotionally void voice.

 

Indomien smiled slightly, not bothering to hide his amusement as he answered Bastia's demand. Fear not, dear Bessy, your wish is my command… The younger half-breed sibling growled darkly for a single second. Short as it was, there was a world of pain rumbling about in the one mental sound, just waiting to burst out and eat the nearest person to Bastia alive. Indomien grinned full out, noting that he was, incidentally, a fairly large distance away from his well more than slightly dark minded younger brother and therefore he was not the first one on the other hybrid's list of people to kill; at least, not on the real one- no doubt he was the top of the “wish list”. Yes, there were definitely times that he did not want to be anywhere within 1000 miles of his also more than slightly insane younger brother. Bessy- I love you.

 

And this comment was once again followed by a long pause while Bastia considered running as fast as possible toward wherever it happened to be that his older brother was hiding and running the idiot of a hybrid through with his just recently polished and honed blade.

 

Indomien noted the new feeling that rolled off Bastia in darkened waves that were more than slightly threatening; clearly there was danger to his own health here, and he made sure that he had not given away his location to his definitely quite insane younger brother. No, he hadn't done it just yet, and he had absolutely no plan to, for he valued his life far too much to ever intentionally let an angry Bastia onto his trail, especially when that Bastia had all intention of trying to kill him. It really was amazing, how many things Indomien said that night to his younger brother as he poured out all the feelings in his heart over the past couple of months since Bessy had been gone; and it was even more amazing how many of the thoughts that he had that night that would prove to be ironically untrue. This particular thought regarding the threats toward his life and health would come to be one of the most belying ironically twisted statements that Indomien ever said in his entire life.

 

Sorry, Bessy- though really, you never object when I call you “love”- and here the younger twin growled again, even louder as well as even shorter than before. Indomien laughed quietly and hid it well, clearing his throat both mentally and physically before he continued on with his story. So for a while, since I was lonely without you love-, Bastia's growling was starting to become constant now. It was almost comforting, how the younger hybrid was keeping up the consistent low rumble of his more feline nature all the time that Indomien continued to speak- I hung out with them for a while; they were and still are really nice to me, Bastia, and that's why…

 

Indomien stopped talking abruptly, as it struck him that was something was wrong. His feline sixth sense was going crazy, similar to the way Bastia's had been since the beginning of the night. Like his younger twin brother, the air of wrongness suddenly surrounded him and he was assaulted with that undeniably sensation that so clearly indicated that something was not right. Whether that something was specific to the particular area, particular time, or particular conversation, he did not know; but there was going to be something that happened that night, whether or not the pair of them ever found out quite what it was. Though neither of them spoke of the feeling to the other, they both knew it was there and now that Indomien knew to look for it in his brother, he could also feel the apprehension that emanated quietly from the younger twin.

 

Except, while Bastia took this sense of uneasiness in the air as a sign to constantly sit on his haunches and hold his guard tight around his slender form, Indomien immediately searched for the source of the problem. And searching as he was, it fairly easy for him to pass the unnatural feeling off as merely being the sudden lack of Bastia's growl. For indeed, the younger half bred twin had stopped his previously continuous growl in favor a of a contented, peaceful silence the moment that his elder brother had called him by his preferred name- Bastia.

 

Inquisitive as Indomien was, it did not take long for him to guess that this was the reason for his younger brother's sudden silence. So immediately piped up with a Bessy…

And immediately the threatening growl started up again. Indomien laughed again, hiding it from Bastia, before continuing his tale…

 

Or at least he started to. And I'd known them for a while when all of a sudden we were leaving the hometown- had it really never occurred to Bastia that he didn't know where they lived? All the way from when he'd first been born, he had never known where on Earth he was- and I was just wandering around with them. We were just going to-

 

And that was the last word that Indomien said, the last thing that Bastia heard before the connection between the two was suddenly ripped apart and for a moment, there was nothing in either ones' minds but incredible searing pain. Bastia, taken by surprise as he was, could not help but fall to his knees from it all, despite his stubborn resolve to never show any expression at all. Neither of the pair knew quite what had happened, and for a moment they did not realize the connection was broken for the hot pain that consumed the both of them so thoroughly.