A pleased smile made itself at home on Shikou’s lips, delighted at Cain’s reluctant obedience. He expected no less from the boy. He was walking away with a flourish of his robes before Cain could even finish his sentence, humming a faraway song in his joy.
Once they were far enough away from the ruins of the shrine, Shikou placed a gentle palm at the floor of the forest. He lifted his hand, twirling his fingers in a movement that made him look as if he were strumming the strings to an invisible harp. From the floor where his palm had been placed a thrashing creature grew from the dirt and stone, muscles clenching and skin stretching as it was brought to life. After a few moments a brilliant white horse stood quietly by Shikou's side, blinking its beady black eyes inquisitively. The masked figure mounted the horse, patting its flank fondly before giving Cain a jerk of his chin that gestured for him to continue leading the way. He didn't offer the boy a seat on the horse, and in fact, he said nothing about it the entire walk down. Perhaps he found amusement in annoying the human, though Shikou felt as if a little walk like this hardly bothered Cain, considering how he made it up the mountain by himself in the first place.
Throughout the rest of the journey down to the foot of the mountain the mysterious being was quiet, observing the forest around him as if he were a child looking at the world with new, unaware eyes. He’d been locked away for a long time, so things were bound to be different. However it seemed like the forest was the same as all those years ago for the most part, save for the occasional human trash littered in the bushes that brought irritation through Shikou every time he took notice of the unnatural colors and material. Damn humans.
Although he gave no indication that he heard Cain’s complaints(he wasn't as subtle as he thought), whether it be by expressing anger and amusement, there was a small smile that was hidden behind his mask as he listened to the boy’s voice meld in with the gentle sounds of the forest.
…
Shikou watched in silence as Cain approached the car, deaf to his words as he observed the harsh metal of the alien object with wide eyes. He had no idea what it was, nor what it was capable of. His unmoving figure was oddly unsettling, especially with the mask he was wearing. It became clear that he was cautious about approaching the car, which would have been cute if it weren’t for the way that the same silent tension wormed through the air again, threatening to kill.
“Human,” he growled, the anger in his voice poorly concealed. “What games are you trying to play? Do you expect me to willing offer myself to this machine of yours?” He’d seen the types of things humans could make. Weapons, cages, things that could kill in the most painful ways. If this tiny human thought he could fool Shikou into stepping inside a stupid human trap, he was wrong. He was wrong and stupid, and he would regret ever trying to deceive him.
“Tiny human,” he snarled again, voice strained. “Watch carefully.” Things never went the way he wanted them to. Shikou had hoped he could have one servant to himself before he became fully settled in the world once more, but this boy had made a grave mistake. It was unfortunate, because he would forever remain as the boy who freed him but also had the most short-lived contract in Shikou’s existence. It was tragic and humorous at the same time time.
The car trembled for a moment. It was a subtle movement, the motors inside rattling softly as a misplaced virus invaded its frame. Vines swelled up inside of it from the seat, twisting and thrashing until all the space inside the vehicle had been swallowed up by tendrils that moved as if they were alive. The car struggled in place, shaking wildly, and it blew up slowly like a balloon, the hinges snapping and popping from pressure.
And then it burst, shrapnel and oil shooting into the air. Miraculously, the spots where both the human and the otherworldly being stood were untouched, but Shikou wasn’t looking at the wreck. He was looking at Cain, his innocently bright robes floating around him.
Unaware of the misunderstanding, Shikou faced his palm towards Cain’s chest, dry smile hidden behind his mask. “This is unfortunate,” he admitted, feigning sadness. “I'd been planning to pay my gratitude after you served me well, but I suppose I should give you my thanks for releasing me right here and now.”
He drew his fist upwards and the air froze for a few heartbeats. It was quiet; nothing had changed. Shikou stared at Cain, puzzled, and wondered if he made a mistake.
And then he shuddered as if he'd been shot, crumbling to the floor with a gasp. He clutched at his chest in agony and wailed in pain like an animal being torn apart alive, body twisting in the dirt. Grass and flowers bloomed all around around him as if sensing his pain, embracing his shivering figure, but then they withered away as if they had been drained of their life. Birds and insects, even creatures of the earth, woke from his feet, but the moment they breathed the air they squealed and shriveled to nothing, dying the moment they had seen the world. Behind him, the white horse that had been standing dormant shrieked, bones cracking and snapping until it was a corpse on the floor.
“Human,” Shikou gasped, voice thin from a phantom pain. “Human, carry me. Carry me somewhere else, I don’t care where,” he pleaded, and although the sound was a pitiful thing, something silent behind his voice demanded for Cain to follow through without resistance. “Take me away from this- this… this awful place. Do it.”
((aa thank you so much >//< i had a lot of trouble thinking about what kind of character i wanted to have for this thread, but the idea came to me out of nowhere haha. i hope i don’t disappoint!!! once again, i’m really excited for this rp uwu
also,,, take a shot evertime shikou says human lol))
