Polo! (how many RPs do you do at any one time? xD)

((Yeah, the description sucks but it is not at all important. Just for the sake of having one... ))

Name: Kougu
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Appearance: Kougu is tall, standing around 6ft, yet he is by no means muscular and powerful. His limbs are abnormally long, and he is thin. Not slender or healthily fit, but downright skinny and gawky. His fingers are extremely long, even for his tall frame. He has a very pale complexion. That, combined with his skinny build and the permanent signs of insomnia marking his face, give him the appearance of being permanently unwell. He has long, black hair that often falls down over his eyes, and constantly covers the long, ugly scar on his left temple. His eyes are a dark, midnight blue that seem to hold a distant, haunted expression, though it is well hidden behind his layers of disguise. His expression is always kind and gentle, with very few situations causing an exception.

((Amazing character Dreameh. I really enjoyed reading that, even after Midnight! Haha! She is totally awesome! *claps* I shall reply as soon as I can tomorrow! Hopefully early morning. ))

(Nawww Polo, she's not that great Just one of those I did when I was bored lol, I've got writers block...again -_- could you do the honours of starting? *sweet smile*)

((Pft! Pure brilliance, more like. o_0 *stares* And yeah, I'll try, but I'll suck. ))

A tide of crimson flashed over the world, then flashed to black. Deep within the darkness, a faint flicker of sound forged a melancholy monotone, still indistinguishable through the haze that blurred the senses. Eventually the rhythmic thumping became identifiable as a heartbeat. Within the next moment, it became clear that the heart in question was racing, beating quickly and violently as though determined to fling itself out of its unbreakable cage of bone. The heart rate quickened again as determination bled into desperation. Suddenly, the crimson flashed through the blackness again. For a moment the boy could not make out any detail in the sudden brightness, then a hand came into view. It was shaking violently, sliding in and out of focus... And... It seemed to be coated in a read glove. A glove of blood. Veins stood up thickly through his skin, pulsing so violently that the blood on the surface began to seep away from the ridges, avoiding them as though by choice... As though the blood itself was alive and fearing death... Fearing the same death that had already taken the body which had once housed it. The boy's senses were heightened so much by adrenalin that everything seemed to move in slow motion... His senses flicked from crystal clear to blurred and hazy within a heartbeat, yet the only thing he was fully aware of was the fear... The ice-cold, paralysing fear that gripped his thumping heart as his dark eyes reflected the horror of his own pale, long-fingered hands coated in an ocean of unbearable blood...

Kougu awoke with a gasp, bolting upright so suddenly that he hit his head on the wall behind his bed. Pain knifed like fire through his skull, but he ignored it, instantly snatching his knees to his chest and grabbing them in his arms, as though trying to make himself as small as possible. His eyes were blank and staring, boring into the wall in front of him, yet not seeing anything past the image in his head. As the shock finally subsided, a released his legs with a shuddering sigh and stretched them out before him, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. His head was throbbing more painfully now that he was more aware of his surroundings. He touched the back of his head, wincing as pain bolted through his skull again. When he brought his hand back within his line of vision, the thick blood on his fingers was so reminiscent of the nightmare that it dragged a shudder from him and sent a chill extending right to the marrows of his bones. Kougu gulped, then took a steadying breath. Gradually, he began to calm. Finally, he slipped out of bed and padded barefoot to the kitchen, rubbing his injured head tenderly. Would the memories never forsake him...? In wake and in sleep they tortured him... It was all he could do to block them out and keep on moving forward...

(Bleh, that's gunna be hard to beat Oh well, be prepared for a true failure )

The clouds smothered the golden skies with a thick layer of grey as the sun shone dimly and rose above the city's horizon. It was a new day; blackbirds sang happily on the corners of the five story rooftops, and an elderly woman was already out walking her frisky white highland terrier. Although the moon was still in sight, morning was slowly creeping up and taking over the darkness that once filled the night with fear and dread. Noone went out at night, as it was far too dangerous to know if you'd even return home the next day. It would take an idiot to even think about lingering the streets at such a time. An idiot that is, unless you were Charlie.

"Get back here, you blithering youth!" A shout interrupted the peaceful silence of the street, as chorusing footsteps echoed down the cobbled pathway, just hiding within the shadows that were uncaught by the sun's rays. The young girl sprinted down the road, the small brown box clutched tightly by her side. "Thief!" She panted, not daring to look back as the shop keeper and a small huddle of police ran on after her, screaming orders for her to stop and hand herself in, but they should have realised by now that she wasn't going to stop. She'd been searching all night for that little box, she hadn't eaten for a whole day and she knew if she didn't get home soon she'd collapse on the tarmac from exhaustion. It hadn't been the first time she'd been caught stealing, as only the week before the exact same thing had occurred, and she'd only just managed to get home before they found out where she lived. She'd got away with it that time, but things would never happen the same way twice. She was running out of time, and they were closing in on her. She quickened her pace, swerving round a corner towards the busy road. Just half a mile till she got home...

(*Phew* that took a while o_0)

Kougu poured himself a glass of water and drained it in one, hating the clammy feeling of the cold sweat on his body. He glanced toward the cereal cupboard with distaste, and decided that it would be best to skip breakfast once again. He was seldom hungry in the mornings, or at any other time for that matter. He rinsed his glass and put it into the draining board, then turned and left the kitchen, eager to take a warm shower. Just before he reached the bathroom, he heard shouts outside. Spinning around, he stood tense and alert, trying to work out what was going on. The shouts came again, and this time Kougu was able to hazard a guess that he thought was fairly accurate. Unconcerned about his appearance, he threw a warm hoodie over his white T-shirt to keep from freezing and dashed outside barefoot in the old tracksuit pants he had slept in. He glanced around and sighed with relief when he saw that he was on time. He slipped into the dark alleyway beside his house, and readied himself for the thief's approach. He was certain that the thief would pass here, so he waited with tense anticipation. He was not disappointed. A short while later, a girl dashed round the corner and sprinted toward the alleyway. The police were still around the bend, though Kougu could hear their shouts growing nearer by the second. Well aware that they were racing against the clock, he crept to the fore of the alleyway, then snatched out a long arm as the girl dashed past, catching her arm in his long, pale fingers. Yet his grip was gentle, and when he spoke his voice was quiet and calm, perhaps even sympathetic. "Get in here." He offered quietly. "You'll be able to evade them if you're quick." A faint hint of a smile flickered at his lips as he released her arm and stepped back into the gloom.

((Go Dreameh!!! ))

Charlie skidded to a halt as she felt the boy's grip on her arm and automatically turned her head to look behind her. They were getting closer, she knew it. She turned her head back to the boy, wrinkling her pale brow as she watched his long bony fingers slowly retreat from her skin. She'd never seen him before, she thought with a confused frown as she quickly scanned her brain for any clues of to who he actually was. But she found nothing. She studied his face for even a hint of uncertainty or untruthfulness, but again, nothing. The footsteps behind her became closer, she realised with a gasp and sighed. It seemed she didn't have much choice in the matter anyway, she thought with an inward groan and nodded quickly, skipping into a jog to hurry on after him. She still didn't know whether she could trust him or not, but at that one time, she had no choice. The furiated yells echoed the streets, and by now everyone had realised who the police were after. If her mother was still home, she would be getting worried that she wan't home. But home would have to wait. She just hoped it would be worth it.

Kougu crouched in the deep, dark shadows, relatively confident that he would not be found in this place. He glanced up as he heard the footsteps of the girl approaching and peered into the gloom to pinpoint her position. He said nothing, but simply listened closely. His senses were well trained, and he was immediately able to work out when her pursuers had rounded the next corner. When they saw she was not in front of them, they would probably do a brief check of the area, then retrace their steps back here. But no matter... The initial danger was over. They had time now. He glanced over at the girl again and slowly straightened, gnawing his lip nervously as he realised the predicament he had gotten himself into... Before, the heat of the moment had made him forget all else. Now he was blatantly aware of the fact that he would soon be required to speak... And that he did not want to, not in the slightest. He sighed softly, scratching his head awkwardly, then decided that, if he was going to have to speak, now would be the best time, since he could barely see anything in the low light conditions, which would save him the trouble of reading facial expressions. He took a deep breath, then hurriedly began explaining the situation, his voice hushed, "They're gone for now, but likely as not they'll return within the next 5 or 10 minutes and then they'll be sniffing around for a while. The most logical solution to the situation with regards to safety and success would probably be to hide and bide your time in the nearby area until they leave altogether, though of course that is unlikely to be successful if you are hiding somewhere, like here for example, where they might look." Kougu lapsed into silence for a moment, frowning as he considered what he had just said. That hadn't been very helpful, really... In fact, considering the pace of his speech and the volume of his voice, he had probably lost her understanding before midway, perhaps sooner depending on her hearing ability, IQ, and general concentration habits. Finally he decided that it would probably be wisest to come straight out with his proposal in simple terms. "My house is nearby. You may hide there until it is safe to leave if you wish." He concluded, already dreading the horror of possibly tolerating the presence of another person for perhaps as long as 30 minutes or an hour... He hoped vaguely that she would turn down his offer, yet at the same time he embraced the fact that, if she did, luck would be a strong factor in this equation, and luck was never the best skill to rely on.

Charlie watched the boy back away into the shadows with a frown, slowly nodding and doing the same. She wasn't in the mood for hide and seek, but her energy had drained from her body like water until now all she wanted to do was fall asleep. With a tiny gasp for breath, she lowered herself down beside him and rested her hand lightly on the cold, damp pavement to keep her shaking self upright. As the boy spoke, she found her pointed jaw drop open as she tried to make sense of his logical thinking. Her brain wasn't working, she thought to herself with a slight speck of annoyance. Thinking was the last thing he wanted to be doing at that particular moment in time. "How d'you know all this?" she whispered almost silently to his now darkened shadowy figure. But she already knew the answer, it was a very wise estimate. It was best not to question his thoughts on the matter, as he was probably right. She had to find somewhere to hide, and fast. She wouldn't be able to arrive home for at least another half hour, and by then she would almost certainly be caught. At his suggestion, she nodded quickly, autiomatically turning her head back to the cornered wall where she had run from before they had stopped at that spot. Quickly brushing her long, straight brown hair behind her ear, she turned back to him, her eyes still anxious and questioning. She didn't know who he was, and suspicion still rose upon to why he would want to help a thieving criminal such as herself. "Why should I trust you?" she asked in a demanding tone, looking at him right in the eye.

Kougu shrugged vaguely in answer to her first question, reluctant to speak and unwilling to answer. He stepped toward the gradually paling edge of the alleyway and peered out into the brightness, shielding his eyes from the light as they gradually adjusted to it. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he glanced back over his shoulder to hear what the girl was saying. Why should she trust him? Well, the question proved that she had sense, at least. He had suspected it... Her quickness, confidence, general attitude and actions all suggested sense and intelligence, and usually his readings on people were fairly accurate... Usually. All the same, she had asked whether she could trust him, not what information he had gauged about her from his observations. That, he figured, it was probably best if he kept to himself. "Why should you trust me...?" He repeated the question softly and thoughtfully, his expression slipping into a frown of concentration as he attempted to calculate the most suitable answer. "Well, you probably shouldn't, but do you have an other choice?" He asked with a solemn expression, watching her intently as he hovered at the edge of the alleyway. Finally he gave a vague shrug and began walking back toward his house. His steps were short and springy from the tension in his leg muscles as his eyes darted around, searching endlessly for possible threats on the short, 10 meter journey to his house.

The girl stayed crouched in the darkness as he peered his head into the bright light, and realised that he was probably right. With a simple cock of the head she regarded his answer, following his gaze to the bright light shining down on the gravel just literally a few meters away. If it had been anyone else, anyone even a year or so older looking than he, she probably would have yanked her arm away as soon as he'd touched it. She'd have pushed him away and continued running, but her complete lack of energy told her she had to stop, as her legs were still shaking from running so far. She figured he didn't have a proper answer to her question, as otherwise he wouldn't have answered hers with on of his own. Hesitantly, she stood up, ulling up her dark hood to shadow her face and slowly made her way after him. Questions spun around in her head as she walked; who was he? Why was he being to nice? Why did he want to help her? But she decided to save her thoughts for later, as people were already starting to look at her suspiciously. She cushione the box protectively in her left hand and followed him down the street, carefully keeping her eyes to the ground.

(Sorry it's a little short, just about to have tea. I've got a piano lesson soon, so I'll talk to you in aout an hour ^_^ 6pm is a bad time to have a piano lesson -_-)

Kougu strolled briskly down the street, his bare feet looking ice white in contrast to the black tarmac of the street. He kept his eyes downcast, watching his own hands as he twirled them nervously. What the hell was he getting himself into...? He knew perfectly well that he was completely incapable of tolerating company successfully... The stress might force him into a complete mental breakdown... He sighed irritably, then shook the thoughts away as he noticed that his feet had taken him right to his door. The main reason he noticed this so suddenly, was due to the sharp pain in his head as his forehead collided with the wood. He stumbled backward, stars flashing before his eyes as he raised a hand to his head. He stood still for a moment, swaying dizzily, then stepped forward again as his vision cleared, seemingly unconcerned by the collision. He grabbed the doorknob and attempted to open the door, yet it refused to budge. Frowning in concentration, he tapped it experimentally, then pressed his ear against it for a moment. With an expression of dawning comprehension, he grabbed a bobby pin out of his pocket and skillfully picked the lock. Within brief moments, the door swung open and he stepped inside and slipped the pin back into his pocket. He stood beside the door and waited for the girl to enter, determinedly staring in the opposite direction. As he had assumed, it was far more difficult to remain calm in the presence of this person out of cover of darkness. At best, he was a complete social failure. At worst... Well, there was not quite a label for that yet. At least, not tat he had heard of.

To distract himself from his predicament, Kougu let his eyes wander over the familiar features of his house. It was a large house for one person, clearly made to house a small family, yet apparently a large portion of it was not in use. Though it was double storey, the top of the stairs was boarded off, clearly not meant to be used. From where he stood in the hallway, there was a bathroom to the left of the staircase, and his own bedroom to the right. In the left hand corner of the house, a kitchen lead to an open plan dining room, which seemed to serve the dual purpose of a lounge, as there was a television hanging in a bracket on the wall, and a couch pushed against the wall. This room was directly beside where he stood. Directly to his right, beside the en-suite of his bedroom, was a locked room. Its use was impossible to guess, yet i was clearly never meant to be entered. A dozen locks, thick chains, padlocks, combination locks and all sorts of other security devices blocked access to this room. As Kougu's dark blue eyes darted briefly over the door, he tensed, and a haunted expression entered his eyes for a short moment, then he blinked it swiftly away and glanced briefly toward the girl to see if she was coming, only to find his gaze dart away instantly. Against the wall that separated him from the dining room was a bookshelf. The books stood perfectly straight and were arranged in alphabetical order. A few had Japanese symbols on the spines, and the English ones mostly had very complex titles. Despite his own scruffy appearance and careless personality, there was not a speck of dust to be found in the house. In fact, it was the one thing of his that was kept in good condition.

Steeling himself with a deep breath, Kougu slowly turned his head to stare out onto the street. The seconds seemed to be dragging by like hours as he stood there, and he wished that the suspense could just end... His midnight blue eyes darted toward the girl and he forced himself to hold the gaze. She was already suspicious, and rightfully so. His acting as twitchy and nervous as a terrified squirrel was certainly not going to help matters any. His dark hair fell down over his eyes, making his expression near unreadable. Each strand was as black and shiny as a raven's wing, yet they were not sculpted into any sort of style, but simply flapped around untidily, shifting into whatever sort of position the weather moulded them in to. In contrast, his pale skin seemed almost ice white, giving him an almost glowing, vampiric quality. Though this impression was strongly denied by his generally gentle expression, the soft, poetic lines of his frail build and the general distracted dreaminess with which he acted. His face was gaunt and sunken from exhaustion, black rings growing deeper and darker beneath his eyes by the day. His long fingers nervously stroked the doorknob as he forced himself to wait patiently just a little longer. Though less than half a minute had passed since he had opened the door, it now felt more like 30 years.

((Naaaw, I shall miss you! D: Be sure to give my a shout, and a post of course, when you get back. I am thoroughly enjoying this RP, and your character is SO AWESOME! Seriously, your replies allow me to really get into character. Haha! Hence the decent lengths I am managing. *glomps* You're amazing! ))

( he walked into a door! Wow Polo, she's not as good as our strange, clumsy, yet adorable friend Kougu over there *points* I still need to actually...'get' her yet, but thank you anyway )

With a brisk walk Charlie clutched the box by her side, her spine twisted round just slightly so that it was hidden just enugh to be carried unnoticed by the boy infront. She was greatful for his help, but at the same time, so many things were beginning to bother her. Like, in case he started asking questions...little questions that seemed like nothing, but added together could result in far too much information being given to a complete stranger, and it was beginning to unsettle her. She heard a light thump just a foot or two infront of her and shifted her feet to a halt, slowly raising her head to see what had just happened. He was clutching his head, in a manor that she immediately guess he'd walked right into the door. Her small, dark eyebrows raised in surprise, although she said nothing. Of course, he really was such a mastermind, she thought sarcastically to herself, shaking her head in amusement. If he was putting an act on, he was some seriously good actor. Now she was sure she'd been paranoid about him helping her. Of course he wasn't going to turn her in, at least...not yet. As long as he didn't lock the door behind her, she had no reason to be alarmed. As he pressed his ear to the door, she realised with slight amusement that he'd forgotten his key. That is, if he ever had one. The corners of her lips curved into a tiny smile as she watched him turn the pin through the key hole and open the door. After a few seconds to force her expression back oto one of seriousness, she hesitantly entered the house.

And, (xD) of course, it surprised her. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she most certainly wasn't expecting that. She'd only just entered the corridoor, and already she could tell how clean the whole house was going to be. The colours on the walls were crisp and bright, almost as if he'd painted them that very day. Not a single strand on the carpet was out of place, and as her eyes flicked in amazement to the entrance of the rooms around her, she noticed a simple, yet beautifully varnished book case, filled to the spare centimeter(sp?) of books. Now that surprised more than naything else, as he didn;t look like the bookworm type. She squinted, just enough to notice some blurry titles on the spines, some long and English, and others in chinese or japanese symbols, although she wasn't educated enough to know which one. She inhaled deeply, letting her hood slip off her head as she took some time to take it all in.

((*squeals happily* ^_^ DREAMEH! Hehe! I know what you mean... I usually take ages to get int character, but with your awesome skills inspiring me combined with the fact that I've used Kougu a lot lately, I'm getting there quicker... *nods* He is such an oddity. ))

"Well... Make yourself at home." Kougu offered awkwardly, closing the door carefully so as not to slam it. He stood still, hovering uncertainly for a moment. It was strange, really... She seemed more comfortable in his house than he was! That fact simply proved just how much social interaction freaked him out. Finally he overcame his temporary shocked paralysis and moved off toward the kitchen. "Would you like some refreshments?" He asked, still using the same hushed tone despite the fact that there was no danger in his own home. Perhaps it had not been intentional in the first place... Kougu was silent for a moment, then felt an urge to explain his thinking, which he did instantly. "The stiffness in your movement shows exhaustion, and the noticeable increase in your heart rate hints toward shock. In addition, It is morning, and since the body goes into a forced state of semi-starvation while it sleeps, it is important to have some sustenance if you are to have enough energy for your daily endeavours. Assuming my calculations are correct, and depending on how far you ran and when last you ate, which are factors that I can only make semi-accurate assumptions on based off my observations, I would guess that you have a total of 8 hours left before your body shuts down and you faint." When he finally concluded his speech, he glanced down awkwardly. He was not a particularly conversational person by nature, but somehow explaining and attempting to prove his hypotheses through speech did not count as conversation... At least, not to him. He glanced toward her briefly, then looked away again and began fidgeting slightly. "That is... What I mean to say..." He stuttered incoherently, his anxiety escalating by the second. "Would you... Like something to drink?" He asked, shrugging slightly with an awkward smile.

(( I'm getting the hang of this, although I'm with my charri on this one. I barely got a word of that something about passing out in eight hours? Well, I'm somehow getting used to using her, I should use her a little more often ))

Charlie stared at him blankly for a moment, completely speechless. What had he just said? Her eyes flicked back and forth for a moment, trying to pick up at least a few words from his informative speech. She'd no idea where his voice had actually come from, as he'd not spoken so much since they'd met a few minutes ago. Stiffness...exhaustion...increased heart rate...eight hours...faint...It took her a few moments to put the peices together in her head, and then for it to actually sink in. She looked down at her body, noticing her shaking legs and the fact that her rib cage was rising and falling dranatically with every breath she took. Yep, looked like something to do with exhaustion. She sighed, more to calm her speeding heart rate more than anything else. "Erm..." she mumbled quietly, forcing her legs to keep her standing. If she collapsed on the sofa too quickly, it may give him the complete wrong impression that she was comfortable in a stranger's house. Of course, she wasn't panicked, but she had to be aware in case anything unexpected happened from out of the blue. "Thanks" she muttered, looking back up at him with a slightly confused expression. A brain box, definately one more clever that she was. Great. She licked her dry lips, suddenly realising how parched she had actually become. "Could I just have a water...um...please?" she asked in her kindest tone, trying her best to make him stop looking so tense. It was his house, after all. Unless he was hiding something...she shook her head to herself. She was tired, and her paranoia was now takign over her. She looked around the room, clearing her throat incomfortably before slowly leaning back on the chair arm.

Kougu nodded slightly, his expression grim as he grabbed 2 glasses out of the cupboard. If he thought about it, he was rather a hypocrite... His own body was also nearing starvation, yet as usual he felt no hunger and the thought of food repulsed him. All the same, a glass of water was definitely necessary, especially as he was stressing enough to dehydrate himself extremely quickly. He stared at the glasses for a moment, trying to work out how he could turn on the tap when his hands were full. A frown of concentration crossed his face, and his tense muscles relaxed involuntarily as he focused his mind entirely on the situation at hand. Nope, it was not possible to open a tap while holding 2 glasses, but then how did people do it? He could not remember ever having filled more than one glass at a time before... Perhaps he should just do that... Yes, that made sense! He put the glasses down on the counter, opened the tap, and filled them one at a time. He frowned at them, then muttered something incoherent and left the room briefly. He returned with a measuring tape, which he then used to measure the height and radius of the glasses. Glad to find that they were the same, he then used his findings to calculate how long he should leave the tap on for, and at what pressure, to have the exact same volume of water in each glass. About 5 minutes later, he had accomplished it. His frown vanished for a moment as he decided to accept his work, then returned as he suddenly wondered why he had been filling 2 glasses in the first place. The sound of an unfamiliar heartbeat struck his enhanced hearing and he spun around to see the girl sitting on the couch. He jumped slightly in surprise, then calmed down slightly as he remember why she was there. He took a deep breath, and released it slowly, wishing that he could calm down slightly. He picked up the glasses of water and headed to the lounge area, where he placed one on the coffee table near where the girl was sitting. He stepped back instantly, a slight shudder running through him from having been so near another person. He walked over to the window, opened the curtains a crack, and stared out, more to try to ignore the girl's presence than because he really had something to look at. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small tube. He shook it slightly, picking up the sound of about 5 pills rattling around. He was running low... Flipping open the lid, he took one out, then closed it again. He popped it into his mouth and washed it down with the water, then walked back to the kitchen to drop his glass into the sink. He gave a relieved sigh and rubbed his forehead, messing up his already messy hair even more. With the pain gone, he could think more clearly now, and this relaxed him a substantial amount. He would be able to detect dishonesty through body language and speech when he was thinking clearly. He wandered over to the lounge again, and pulled out one of the four dining room chairs, sitting backwards on it with his folded arms leaning on the backrest. He watched the girl intently for a moment, then asked, "So what did you steal?" His voice was slightly calmer and perhaps more coherent now, and his trembling had reduced substantially.

Charlie sat herself patiently on the chair arm, still cupping the small box in her right arm and her free arm resting in her large hoodie pocket. Her body was beginning to relax, she noticed with a tiny smile. Although she was still unsure whether it was because of her atmosphere or whether the boy who brought her there wasn't such a mastermind as she'd feared. She leant over on the chair arm to reveal a fraction of the kitchen from the room she was standing in, just in time to see him bending over the glasses with a tape measure. Was he...measuring the water? It was that moment she decided she was safe in the household for the time being, as he wasn't going to exactly chase after her with handcuffs or anything. What kind of mastermind measured out glasses of water anyway? She bowed her head slightly, causing her long dark hair to fall just over her face, enough to hide the little amused smile lighting up her bonnie face. He was the strangest person she'd ever set eyes on, and yet he was so much easier to be around than any of her friends. Her smile vanished. Those same friends who left her just because of a few mischosen words. Just a few poisoned words that dribbled from her lips were enough to make her lose her friends forever. And for what? For those populars that hung around the school car park with the jocks and boys that were so up themselves, she was sure they were out the other side. But she'd had to leave all that behind when she left school, and honestly, she was glad. No more school meant no more abuse pointed at her, no more betrayal and no more so-called friends. A silent sigh ascaoed her pale pink lips as she looked up to see the boy re-entering the room with the glasses he'd planned to prepare around ten minutes earlier. She getly took her glass from him, forcing a smile. "Thanks" she muttered, taking a small sip to moisten her mouth. The water dribbled around her mouth for a second or two before she swallowed, cupping the glass with her free hand and bringign it to her chest. At his question, she let out a tiny shrug, forcing herself not to meet his eye. "It doesn't matter" she muttered in the same emotionless tone, refusing to give anything away. She still didn't trust him that well. At least, not yet.

"Doesn't it?" Kougu asked, raising his eyebrows. He watched her for a moment, then looked away. It was quite important that he should know exactly what she had stolen and why... Otherwise the guilt of having intervened in something without knowing if he was doing the right thing or not might drive him insane. Yet at the same time, he was already uncomfortable enough without prolonging the conversation.... A soft groan escaped his lips as pain erupted in his head yet again. He couldn't take another pill for the next 3 hours, else it might affect his health... He turned his head to stare toward the window, his dark eyes sliding out of focus as he allowed his mind to toy with the reflections. Before long he had slipped into a daydream, letting the colours and patters of light form their own stories in his mind. Lost within a daydream, he could escape to another world... A world where there was no force, no violence and no suffering. Naught but peace, friendship and happiness... If only the world could be the same. He wished he could change it... He had wished that since the day he had born. If only he had known his fate back then, he could have forsaken that dream sooner. Perhaps then it would not have caused him so much grief to learn that he was destined, not only to fail, but to contribute to the evil already ruling the world. A flash of an image shot through his mind: Pale hands, coated with gleaming red blood. An involuntary shudder ran through him as he was jerked back to reality. With a massive effort, he tore his gaze away from the window and glanced at his watch, surprised to fin that his neck had become quite stiff. And () no wonder... He had been staring unseeingly at that window for near 25 minutes. A bomb could have gone off, and he would probably not have noticed. He quickly blinked the haunted expression away from his eyes, trying to force the grisly image imprinted on his retinas away. It took him a few moments to remember the girl, and when he did, he jolted slightly in his seat, suddenly nervous and edgy again. He whipped his head around so quickly that he got a crick in his neck. Wincing and rubbing it, he let his eyes dart around the room to see if the girl was still there.

Charlie thought about his question with a frown, forcing her eyes away from his. She didn't want to discuss her intentions with the contents of that little box with a stranger, even if she did know more than she needed to about how supposedly odd he seemed. So she decided if she kept quiet and didn't give him too much eye contact he would let it slip. A few moments later, she finally had her way. His head was bothering him, she noticed. It may have been something to do with the pills he had taken, although she was unsure. Dehydration, perhaps? She quickly snapped from her thoughts, shaking her head slightly to herself. Why was it bothering her anyway? Perhaps because there seemed to be more to this strange being than what was meeting her eye. For one, he had blocked his room from the rest of the house, with strange contraptions she guessed were meant as locks to hide his room for anyone else, not that it seemed anyone else actually lived in the house, although it was definately large enough. Her home, she was sure, was smaller than the room she was stood in. The front room convieved of a small 2 person sofa, a tv, a small wobbly coffee table and a kitchen area. All of which seemed smaller than half the room she was stood in. Her rich green eyes flicked towards the boy, noticing him staring out the window. Just as he had done for the past few minutes. What was going on in his mind, she dreaded to think. But to her surprise, she began to smile. What she like about him was not just because he was different, but because he kept himself to himself. He was never in her face, and realistically, he'd barely said anything longer than 1 or 2 word sentences, minus the little speech she had struggled to understand when he'd lectured about her fainting. It was interesting, in a way, despite the fact that she'd not understood a word of it. With a tiny sigh, she pushed her backside from the chair arm and slowly walked around the room, studyign each and every bit of information hung on the walls, rested on the window sill(sp?) and mantelpiece. There wasn't much of it, but enough to know that he...had apsalutely no past life whatsoever. But that was impossible. Everyone had a past, although not everyone wanted to talk about it. There was obviously something he wasn't going to tell her, perhaps not even if she asked. No point trying, she thought to herself and turned back round to see him finally turning away from the window and waking back up to reality.

Kougu glanced around the room until he brought the girl into his vision. She seemed to be watching him... The thought made him uneasy. He subconsciously touched a hand to his left temple, making sure that his hair was still hiding the permanent scar that resided there. As expected, it was. He stared at the girl a moment longer in deathlike silence, then checked his watch. He stepped quickly toward the window and stared up and down the street. No hint of the police... Perhaps they had left already. It would be best to wait a few minutes, just to be on the safe side... Though even then, they might be hiding somewhere and waiting... Perhaps he would scout the perimeter and make sure the coat was clear before offering the girl the option to leave. He was able to tolerate her presence by this time. That made her the nearest thing to a friend that he had had in over 5 years. That fact was of little importance to him, or so he told himself, but he was certainly not going to let her get caught, and he wanted to avoid violence if he could... For he was in no doubt that if she was captured, he would not be able to restrain himself from freeing her using all means necessary. Unfortunately, he was painfully aware of what he was capable of. He had to exercise caution at all times... Anything to avoid a repeat of- No. He would not think about that. He pushed his chair back abruptly and stood up, causing his knees to collide painfully with the table. Sighing with pained patience, he pushed the chair further back and stood slowly. He glanced at the blood gradually seeping through the material on his right knee with vague disappointment, then shrugged and walked over to the kitchen. He pulled open the cutlery draw, removed something, and stepped back. He gnawed his lip undecidedly for a moment, staring at something in his hand, then walked over to the front door. He placed one hand on he doorknob, then hesitated. A moment passed where he seemed undecided, then he turned to face the girl. Slowly, he raised his left hand until the object he had removed from the drawer became visible: He held the gun pointed directly at her forehead. His expression, usually unreadable, now held a vague hint of teasing, apparent under close observation in the slight smiling curve of his lips, and the permanent honesty and innocence that lingered in his gentle gaze.

Charlie turned round to face the boy, her eyes softening. He was still so nervous in her presence, athough she was getting used to it by now. Although it still seemed to bother her why, even in his own home he was still so uncomfortable. Possibly to do with the fact that he'd just brought an obviously guilty thief into his household, although he could always throw her out at any time if he wished. But so far he hadn't, and she was greatful. Her plan was to stay there just before sunset, when the moon was at it's highest, and all the people looking for her had gone home. Noone went out at night anymore, unless of course, you were ...different, like the boy opposite her. She casually turned back to viewing the room as he stood up and went to the kitchen, clearly completely unnaware of what he was doing in there. He'd wounded himself on the table corner, she remembered vaguly when she'd studied just a few seconds ago. Keeping the box set loosely by her side, she heard his footsteps creak across the room to the front door, as he tried it, and turned back to face her. She did the same, studying his features as he watched her for a moment, his expression for the first time since she'd seen him beginning to show much more emotion. Although she was unsure of which one. His hand slowly raised from his side to reveal the small black object, and she felt her blood run ice cold. She froze. Her mind went completely blank of all thoughts, feelings, and memories that she'd stored in there for her whole life;those she cherished, those she lost, those she hated so coldly, she forgot. She forgot everything. Now she just stared at him, her brow wrinkled in what she guessed was confusion althoug hshe was unsure. Questions ran through her head; what was he doing? Why was he doing this? Where on earth had he got that gun from? But she didn't speak, as she feared doing so would alarm him even more, and whatever croaks she could manage to come from her lips would most definately be the last she would speak. Her gaze slipped slightly and she swallowed violently, trying to clear her suddenly dry throat. Her ribcage rose up and down, qucker and quicker with every breath she managed to take, terrified that each one would be her last. He was mad. Bonkers. She didn't even know him!

Kougu's expression did not change as he pulled the trigger. For the space of a heartbeat, time seemed to stand still. The air was thick with anticipation, waiting to be shattered by the fateful shot. Yet the sound never came, nor did the bullet. From the gun, a jet of water erupted, darting through the air toward the girl. Kougu's lips twitched slightly and he winked at her before spinning the gun around in his hand and sliding it into his pocket. He turned away without a word and turned the doorknob, this time tugging it open without hesitance. He paused for a moment in the doorway, reaching into his pocket to remove a key, which he hung on the hook beside the door. Apparently he had forgotten that he had needed to pick the lock to get in... It seemed the key had been in his pocket the entire time, though obviously he had forgotten. He hesitated for a moment, a slight frown crossing his face as he stared at the key uncertainly. She might lock him out... Use the opportunity to dig around in his precious house for evidence... But he had decided to trust her, and he would stick to that decision. Nodding firmly to himself, he left the house and let the door click shut behind him before stepping out onto the street. He walked with tense, nervous steps. As usual, no keen to meet anybody. Thankfully, there was nobody around... Or so it seemed. Still, he had to be sure. Kougu walked further and further down the street. When he finally reached the end, he had still not seen a single person. He might have found their absence ominous, had he not been certain of the fact that most people in his street kept to themselves anyway. As he walked back, Kougu began to relax. He let his gaze slip to the sky, his feet carrying him out of habit as he drifted into a daydream, getting lose in the world of cloud creatures that his mind created. He was jerked out of this peaceful fantasy by a sharp grip on his arm as he walked past one of the many alleyways in the street. He came around with a jerk, looking down at his arm. Panic caused his heart to lurch as he saw a hand encircling his comparatively flimsy arm.

Kougu stood stock still for a moment, panic seeping through him, then raised his gaze to see the face of his attacker, only he could not, for the man wore a black hood pulled down over his eyes. Kougu began to tremble slightly, staring at the man with what might have been fear, though it was in some way warped and twisted. His trembling ceased, however, when a knife was pressed to his throat. A loud clicking erupted in Kougu's mind, and he blacked out instantly.

A short while later, Kougu came to. For a moment he was unaware of anything around him, but then it slowly began to sink in. He was kneeling on his attacker' chest, the knife clutched in his hand as he held it high above his head, preparing to stab. Blood dripped down his arm, and Kougu gasped with shock and fear, quickly flinging himself backward away from the man. Sensing his freedom, the man jumped to his feet with a strangled scream and bolted away as fast as his legs could carry him. Kougu heaved a sigh of relief as he realised that his attacker was unharmed. This brought his mind back to the blood. He kicked the knife away with a frustrated snarl, then tried to track the trail of blood trickling sickeningly down his arm to its source. A deep gash stretched from his collarbone to his shoulder, narrowly missing his windpipe. The skin had split apart, leaving the wound over an inch in both width and depth, and perhaps 5 inches in length. A tingling sensation ran from his fingertips to his shoulder, and suddenly the pain hit him. He flinched and shuddered, but otherwise did not react. Kougu slowly heaved himself to his feet, then set off down the street again, his eyes wide and staring from shock. Again....? That had been too close... Too close to what had happened before. He could not believe it had almost happened again... So close... He had been lucky this time, but what of next time? The possible consequences were... Horrific. Just like that time... A flash of a familiar memory darted through Kougu's mind. A pair of small, pale palms soaked in thick crimson blood. He shuddered violently and forced his attention back to where he was going. He could see his house now... He was almost at the door... Already he could feel blood loss dragging at his consciousness as he dragged his feet up the familiar driveway.

((xD you got me ))

Charlie closed her eyes for a moment, waiting for the bang to go off. But to her surprise, and slight horror, she was faced with a cold splurt of wet trickling down her head, face and chest. Her eyes flashed open to see the extremely amused expression of the boy with the pistol and smiled, a huge, revenge-seeking, yet delightful smile that seemed to light up her small, bonnie face. Still in shock, she glanced down at herself, watching the small doplets of water roll down her chest to the top of her dark-coloured crop top, tickling the skin on her stomach and stopping at her skinny jeans. She op-ened her arms out to gesture what he'd done and looked up at him, her eyes now twinkling with life. After spending so long hiding, that unusual way of brightening her day really had done just that, along with causing her to relax much more than she had when she'd first entered the house. After a moments thought to let what just happened actually sink in, she slowly and dramatically wiped the water from her face and let the water drip onto the carpet. "Thanks" she could only say, unable to stop the giggles from being slurted from her bright smile. She watched him leave the house, and made the wise decision of finding a towel to dry herself off. Well that ws an interesting few minutes.

Later on she was sitting in the lounge with her shoes kicked off her feet, but she was careful to, at least attempt to place them neatly side by side just beside the sofa. That way, they would kind of blend in with the rest of the room, in the sense that they were tidily put. Although if they were to blend in properly, they would probably would have had a crisp white, unused feel to them, as a pose to the muddy half brown, half white, overused look she had dropped upon them ever since they'd run out of money and moved house. They were her only pair, although she had failed to keep them healthy at all. It didn't take einstien to work that one out. he rested the small box on the chair arm, imagining what was to happen if her mother realised she'd found it, or borrowed it, or stole it. Surprised? She doubted it, as it hadn't been the first thing she'd stolen, not by a long shot. Furiated? Possibly, slightly. Although she still had her doubts. Overjoyed? More than likely, although she would be ancious and terrified of what was to happen if it was descovered there in the first place. It would pay off their debts, get them a better house, and probably make them rich. But it was wrong, se knew that. Although they needed the money, more than anyone else in the city. She checked the small clock hanging on the blank wall beside her and frowned. The boy had been gone a good hour and a half. Where was he? She left the box carefully propped upright on the cushion and opened the door, just in time to see him stumbling up the steps towards the house. She smiled, but it was quickly swiped from her face when she saw the huge wound by his throat. Her expression quickly turned to sympathy as she ran to the front step, offering a hand to help him up. What had he been up to?

Kougu stumbled away from the girl as she offered a hand to help him, raising his own hand to indicate that he was all right, since he was certain that speaking would escalate the speed of his bleeding, and thus cause him to lose consciousness considerably sooner. He had no intention of losing consciousness, as that would likely make him a burden to this girl, who he was sure would feel obliged to attempt to assist him in some way, as human society tended to require that assistance be repaid. He cast aside his logical thoughts as his vision began to lose clarity, making a desperate snatch for the doorknob as his legs weakened. He pushed the door open and collapsed against the wall, leaning again it for support for a moment before pushing away and dragging himself to the bathroom where he kept his abundance of medical supplies. He slammed the door shut behind him, locking himself away. At least that way if he did lose consciousness, the girl would feel no obligation to attempt to assist him, as she would be unable to access the room. Still, it was a situation that must be avoided at all costs. Pressing one hand to the gaping wound, Kougu wrenched open the medical cabinet. He quickly cleaned the blood away, then grabbed a surgical needle and thread and set to work stitching up his own wound using his good hand and teeth. He worked with expert speed and precision, the distance between each stitch having been flawlessly calculated to be as effective as possible. Within about 5 minutes, the wound was stitched closed and the bleeding was starting to slow. Relief weakened Kougu's already weak legs more still and he collapsed against the sink, clutching it tightly to keep from falling over. He drew a deep breath, the jabbed himself with a needle to insert an antiseptic injection before quickly bandaging the wound as best he could. Finally, he splashed his face with cold water to get himself thinking properly, then slowly unlocked the door and pushed it open. He kept his eyes downcast, not too keen to have to tolerate the girl's presence after showing up covered in blood... He did not want to answer any questions, in case they lead to the sort of questions he would not and could not answer. At this thought, his eyes darted to the locked room. He shuddered slightly, then slowly dragged his gaze up to look for the girl, his expression somewhat reminiscent of a dog anticipating a dreaded scolding.

He was gone for only five minutes until Charlie was beginning to wonder where he had run off to. The bathroom door was locked tight, so she knew there was no possible way she was getting in there without hurting herself, or him, first. Goodness knows what he had been up to in there, and hearing all the muffling of objects and the creaking of the floorboards made her wonder if he was even concious at all. With a worried sigh, she lingered by the bottom of the staircase and waited for him to appear back down. If he was gone for more than 20 minutes, she would go up there and force the door open herself. Not that she ever couldm but she could try, at least. She rested her hand on the bottom of the banister, slowly letting her fingers curl round the ball and raise up again, lightly tapping her short fingernails into the polished paintwork. A few moments later, she looked up to see him retracing his steps down the staircase and turn his gaze upon her, his expression now what seemed like a mixture between fear, worry and a slight glimmer of dread, What was he expecting for her to do? She wrinkled her brow questioningly, studying his newly stitched wound. He mut have done it himself, she realised with a tiny nod to herself. His lack of socialising seemed to have been made up for by the high amount of knowledge he seemed to have on a vast amount of topics. But she was still worried for him, as it took no geek to realise how deep the slash in his throat had been. With a quiet sniff, she looked at him once more, deciding she wasn't going to get a simple answer from whatever question she dared to ask and inhled deeply, turning to the door. "I should really be going..." she muttered, looking down to her empty side with a confused frown. She was sure she had more than what she had on...then she remembered. The box.