Fateful Meeting [vulpine]

[Shiro Ryouta]

Every morning was the exact same. He would wake up from nightmares that tormented his nights at around 3 in the morning, sweating and gasping for breath, his hands as white as his hair from gripping the sheets so tightly. After a few minutes of just sitting there, slowing his heartbeat, Shiro will pace the room for an hour trying to erase the memories and emotions he has locked away. At around 4 in the morning, he will walk around the building, wasting an hour or so. Finally he goes back to his room and lays on his bed, staring at the ceiling fan until his alarm clock goes off for school. However, today was different.

"Where are you taking me?" Shiro asked with forced calmness. He was being 'escorted' to the basement for some reason, he had no idea what though.

"There is someone we want you to meet," the first security man spoke, his voice burly and hard.

"You were born to serve this person, so just wait to ask your questions until after you meet," the second man said, his voice was softer with more compassion.

"Wait... Im finally meeting my Sacrifice?" Shiro asked in a small voice, his eyes wide, but the guards spoke no more. After a few minutes of walking down hallway, their pace slowed down. After a few moments, they stopped at a door. "... This is the place?" he murmured, heart beating slightly, his right side aching. The nicer guard stiffly nodded and opened the door. The other pushed the Fighter inside. Caught by surprise, Shiro fell inside of the room, landing on his hands and knees, hard, a slight grunt of shock escaping his mouth.

"Here is your Fighter, sir." The mean guard spoke respectfully, then shut the door. All Shiro could do was rise to his feet and look at the ground slightly, white hair partially covering his red eyes. 'Crap...'

[Hikaru Kagami]

Hikaru's cool silver eyes scanned the dozen of screens that sat before him, his finger occasionally pressing a key to change the feed on a number of them until he saw the sight of two of his guards escorting a young male down the hallway, and heading in his direction at that. Either they found someone that had caused some trouble away from his watchful eyes, or they finally cornered the fighter that he had heard was here in the school, as he had asked them to. It wasn't likely that they were the prior, so it was the latter. Smirking lightly, he watched them as they approached, waiting for the door to open. Then it did.

"Here is your Fighter, sir."

The words he wanted to hear. They didn't even need to be told they were dismissed, either. He liked that they knew what he was going to tell them before the words even had a chance to fall from his mouth. That saved time. He typed a few things into his computer and pulled up the teen's file, looking it over before he turned around in his chair to look him over. "Hello, Ryouta Shiro. We meet at last. I am Hikaru Kagami, one of the Seven Voices of this elite academy, and your Sacrifice. Welcome to my computer lab!" he announced, gesturing to the rather dimly lit area around him as he lounged back in his rotating chair, much like a cat would lounge upon a pillow. It was clear that he knew he was in charge, and was loving every minute of it. "Have a seat over there. We have much to talk about, my Fighter."

[Shiro Ryouta]

Shiro stood there, head facing down, hands clentched slightly, when he heard the door close with the echo of finality ringing throuh his ears. Repressing the urge to sigh with defeat, he adapted back to his surviving ways. Looking up, his gaze rested on his Sacrifice, the person he was born to serve. A part of him wanted to just walk over to him and tend to every single one of his desires, however he could not trust him yet.The person sitting before him was definitely 'handsom'. His dark hair was in a high, messy ponytail and his silver eyes were looking at a screen, his features sharpened by the light of the screen.

"Hello, Ryouta Shiro. We meet at last. I am Hikaru Kagami, one of the Seven Voices of this elite academy, and your Sacrifice. Welcome to my computer lab!"

For lack of better words, Shiro just nodded. Hikaru's voice resonated with confidence. He was the boss here and he knew it. Shiro smiled slightly and suppressed the urge to chuckle. When he was nerves, the Fighter always had the urge to laugh for some reason. Raising his head, Shiro' white hair fell out of his face, revealing his striking red eyes and the prominent scar on his cheek. "The pleasure is all mine." he spoke, unable to keep the smile out of his words.

"Have a seat over there. We have much to talk about, my Fighter."

The way Hikaru was sitting reminded the Fighter of one of those evil villans. The ones whose hearts are completely black. All that he needed now was a white cat in his lap that he would pet const- 'Wait a second...' He walked over to the dimly lit area and took a seat. When he sat down, Shiro touched his white hair and fought to let out a depressed sigh. 'I hope I'm wrong...'

[Hikaru Kagami]

Silver eyes bore into the white-haired boy, observing him very closely from across the room. Everything about the teen said he was uncomfortable, and incredibly so. From the nervous smile to the ever so faint pitch of his voice, and even to his posture, every fibre of the teen's being was on edge. Granted, it was a stressful situation, being grabbed out from the hall in the middle of the night and dragged down into a dimly lit basement computer lab full of surveillance equipment, but he really couldn't have him being too stressed out. Some fear was fine, since it usually commanded respect, but there was a fine line to observe. After all, he needed him to be able to focus in spell battles, should the opportunity arise, and a stressed out individual typically didn't focus very well.

His eyes quietly followed the teen as he moved to sit down, the colourless orbs boring holes into his back until he returned to facing him. Aside from their brief greeting, he sure didn't seem to want to talk much. Had he no desire at all to find him? After all, it seemed as though he had made little to no effort to investigate the school, even though he had been there for a short while, and their shared name was no doubt reacting even before this moment. Hikaru, on the other hand, had simply chosen to watch him, and see if he would start looking, as most unit halves tended to, but was disappointed to find nothing at all. Thus, this nighttime meeting had to be arranged, albeit somewhat at short notice.

"I see you've been staying with us for a short while, am I correct?" he asked, turning momentarily to peer at his computer screen, reading a little more of the computer's file and scrolling through it a bit before he turned back to face Shiro and resumed lounging in his chair. "As you can see, I know quite a bit about you already... Shiro. Since you came to us, I took the liberty of watching over you to some degree, as well as digging up whatever files I could find from various sources. It seems you had a hard time some time back that caused your scars. However, I couldn't give a rat's ass about all that. You're here, and that's what matters, correct?" He tilted his head, staring at the teen some more before he straightened himself and leaned forward a bit. "I can't help but wonder, though. Even though you were told what and who you are, you didn't want to even bother looking for me, did you? I suppose, given your... background, I can't completely fault you for that. So, now that I've taken it into my own hands and summoned you here, is there anything you want to know about me? I know a lot about you, after all." He knew that he was probably looking like some insane movie villain chatting up the hero before he sent them to what he believed to be their deaths, but he didn't care in the slightest. What people thought about him was rarely important to him, and it wasn't about to start being so now.

[Shiro Ryouta]

...Thuddump... His heartbeat was growing louder, faster. 'It hurts...' his mind murmured. Right side slowly turning from a dull to violent ache. 'Can he feel it to?' The desire to serve was growing within Shiro. He felt Hikaru's eyes on him, watching his every move, the Fighter did not want to displease him. 'Why do I feel this way?!' his mind roared the question. Shiro knew the answer though. It had two parts, firstly that he was born to do just that. As a Fighter, his existence was only to be the slave to his Sacrifice, to protect his master. The other reason is that for four years, he did that and only that. To survive, he had to obey Taiki by any means necessary or it would mean the harshest of punishments. For years and years, complete and utter servitude ment survival. Now the instincts were coming back to him, and it was worthless trying to stop them.

"I see you've been staying with us for a short while, am I correct?"

Thuddump..Thuddump.. Relaxing, Shiro sat up a little straighter, feeling a tad more at ease. "For a few weeks, yes. The best I have had in a long, long time." A small, saddened smile reached his lips. That was the truth. "It feels weird, to be honest... not being chained to a wall..." The murmur escaped his lips as he absentmindedly rubbed his right wrist, a sincere smile on his face. "It feels good."

"As you can see, I know quite a bit about you already... Shiro. Since you came to us, I took the liberty of watching over you to some degree, as well as digging up whatever files I could find from various sources."

Thuddump.Thuddump.Thuddump. Every word spoken by Hikaru sent an electric bolt down his spine to his heart. His right side was starting to ease on the pain as Shiro accepted his fate. "I figured you would know a lot about me." Red eyes peering at all the monitors around the whole room. "The people who brought me here called you sir. You're in a room full of monitors." Eyes flicked into the silver ones of his Sacrifice's. His master's. "Your pupils are dilated drasticly, which happens when you look at computer screens for long periods of time in a dark room like this." Closing his eyes, Shiro sighed, "The monitors are full of surveillance videos that show every nook and cranny of this place." Opening his eyes, the Fighter smiled once again. "Lastly, you knew my name. Only those who rescued me and the higher ups know of my existence. I knew you were one of The Seven before you even told me, and so of course the Seven know a lot about me."

"It seems you had a hard time some time back that caused your scars. However, I couldn't give a rat's ass about all that. You're here, and that's what matters, correct?"

Thuddump..Thuddump.. This voice was relaxing him... his heart-rate slowed. With Taiki, all it would do was race with fear, but Shiro's heart felt that it didn't need to be afraid of him. "Yes. That's all that matters." Without a moments hesitation, the words flowed out naturally, smooth and softly.

"I can't help but wonder, though. Even though you were told what and who you are, you didn't want to even bother looking for me, did you? I suppose, given your... background, I can't completely fault you for that."

Thuddump.Thuddump.Thuddump. For some reason, his heart shot up again. Not from fear, Shiro was possitive. It was from embarrassment. "Er... to be perfectly honest..." The teenager looked down and blushed slightly, shifting in his seat from the shame, "I was scared that you would be like Taiki... my previous, er, owner." Suddenly Shiro's head jerked up, red looking into silver, afraid that what he just said might offend Hikaru. "But-" and paused. Blinking a few times, Shiro realized that he was behaving childishly and mentally scolded himself, his eyes broke contact and fell back down, white hair partially covering his face, mainly his eyes. "You're not..." A confused look washed over Shiro as he discovered that his words ment the truth, "I don't know why, but I'm not scared anymore." Confidence now rang through his voice, and in his heart he knew this was honesty.

"So, now that I've taken it into my own hands and summoned you here, is there anything you want to know about me? I know a lot about you, after all."

Blinking a few times, Shiro thought the answer was obvious. "I am only your Fighter. I was born to serve you. You order me to do something and I will follow without hesitation. You ask me to tell you something and I will answer honestly and give you the best response I possibly can. You tell me something and I will listen. Tell me as much as you want me to know about yourself." Now it was his turn to lean forward slightly, sort of eager to hear his Sacrifice's response.

His right side no longer a ached, but longed to get near his better half. Shiro's heart was completely content on just the sound of his Master's voice. Thuddump...

[Hikaru Kagami]

Hikaru watched Shiro intently, is silver eyes observing every movement, and every nervous tic the Fighter had. Something was stirring, though there was only so much that school profiles, and information he had hacked off of the internet could provide. Some feeling was bubbling up within the boy, and it was all too amusing to watch. It seemed as though he understood his position well, which was a thought the Sacrifice quite thoroughly enjoyed. Fighters were supposed to serve their Sacrifices, and Hikaru loved the idea of having someone aside from his guards serve him. It tickled his ego in all the right ways.

"Chained to a wall, hm?" the black-haired young man asked, lounging a bit more in his chair. He wasn't one to normally take interest in kinks like that, but the fact that his Fighter had been possessed by someone before him was irritating. Shiro was his Fighter, and that made him his property now. If he was to meet that previous "owner", he would teach him that, and make sure the lesson was especially unpleasant. No one touched his things, after all.

The young man couldn't help but laugh as he was analysed in detail. Nothing got past him, did it? Perfect. Just perfect. He was perfect as his Fighter. He was going to have to put him to work in the security, for sure. There was no way to avoid that, now. "Sharp. You know your stuff. I'm impressed. I could use that," he stated, leaning his cheek onto his hand as he continued to observe the boy. Very little could have pleased him more at that moment.

As the boy talked about his owner, and how he feared that Hikaru would be like him, he couldn't help but frown a bit, however. He didn't like the fact someone had owned him before, and he liked the fact that he was being possibly compared to him even less. However, he sat there silently and allowed him to finish. As the words that said he wasn't like the previous owner hit his ears, he couldn't help but snort slightly. "Not like him? I should hope so," he stated, rising to his feet as he approached Shiro where he sat. Slowly, he reached down to lightly grip him by the chin and turn his head up to look at him as he leaned down a bit. " Because I'm your Sacrifice, and he's not. You're mine now, Shiro. Remember that, and there will be nothing you need to worry about." He released Shiro's chin and straightened himself before he headed back to his previous seat.

"Let's see..." he muttered to himself as he rested his hands on the back of the chair, glancing up at the monitors before he turned around to look back a the Fighter. "I suppose I could start with this: I like information. I never thought about becoming the head of the security at this institution, but the fact I like information made it perfect for me. I actually used to be a hacker, as you can probably guess. There aren't many people here that I don't have anything on. I even have dirt on my family. It comes in handy in case people don't wish to adhere to the regulations, but above all, I just like to have the satisfaction of knowing people better than their friends... All without meeting them, even. It's always amusing when you reveal such information, after all. There's also always amusing things going on within the academy's staff, as well. You'd be surprised." He turned back around and then raised an eyebrow, smirk firmly in place. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to know?"

[Shiro Ryouta]

Hikaru was happy.

Shiro knew this for an absolute fact. It was all in, well, everything about the Sacrifice. His posture, strong and confindent, looked completely pleased. The occasional glint in the silver eyes of his as he examined his Fighter. The man's face appeared... amused? No, that is not the word. Pleased? Well, that was close enough to the expression he was looking for. Hikaru's ego, pride and all round mood were swelling up, Shiro could tell. Hikaru was a natural born master, and Shiro was the slave. Smiling, the Sacrifice happily sank deeper into his fate.

"Chained to a wall, hm?"

Those words. A memory Shiro had blocked for a long time began to emerge from his sub-concious. It was one of his most painful memories, the few times Taiki let the metal come off his wrists and throat. "Yes. Most of the time." The scared teen's eyes blanked out for a moment as a flash-back took over his mind.

[Shiro was in his third year of being a slave to Taiki. His skin was ghostly, to weak to move most of the time. Bruised, battered and broken, the boy was dead inside, completely hollow. The only people that would come and see him besides Taiki were other slaves that knew medicine so they could bring him back from the brink whenever his master was done doing whatever he felt like. Shiro was not allowed to think of them as people though. Only items, objects, belongings. He was not a person either, only Taiki's play thing. That was it. Building enough energy, taking a shaky breath in, it sighed. Master Taiki had never let him off the chains, not once. Granted, the metal ropes were long, long enough for Shiro to get in the center of the living room sized box, but that was pretty much it. He never did though, took to much of the energy he never had.]

[However, that changed one day. Shiro was suddenly ripped from the wall, chains literally severed so that there was about a 1.5 feet of the metal left on the cuffs, and thrown into a car. Again, quite literally. To weak from hunger, neglect and constant abuse, he could not think straight. So he just layed there, on the seats, eyes staring into nothing. When they arrived at the destination, a huge ware-house that could fit half a football feild in the steel walls. Tossed into another cage, sort of like a horse stable, Shiro was given a surprise. Food. Not his usual, once every other day soggy loaf of bread and daily cups of suspicious water, but soup! Soup, a piece of toast with an orange, and a cup of clear tap water. A feast, fit for, well... a slave? But, summoning all of his strength, Shiro wolfed down every last drop. This continued for days, weeks, almost two whole months.]

[During that time, Shiro met someone. Through the bars of his cage, he would talk to a forign slave, one from America, probably 12 or 13 years old, who was kidnapped. They would talk constantly, only pausing to eat and sleep when necisary. Tired, knowing smiles were shared between the two boys, and they became each-others saviors, reasons to keep going. Shiro finally met a person, after all these years. They did not tell their names though. No, not their names. They knew what was happening here. Every day, loads of people came, sometimes in the hundreds. Cheering could be heard, but barely, as two slaves were taken from their cages and cast out. Only one would come back. The two boys agreed that as long as they did not know each-other's names, they would not miss the other when they were taken away. No one remembers a nameless slave. One day, while Shiro was sleeping, he was suddenly awoken by a tugging sensation. His chains, what was left of them, were being yanked by the Takers, big guys who took the slaves away. The white-haired slave, only just recovered and no longer a toothpick thanks to the constant meals, decided not to struggle and just go. As he was leaving, Shiro called out to his friend 'Wish me luck!' No response. He frowned, heart sinking.]

[It was a stadium. A huge dirt Arena surrounded by completely packed bleachers. People were cheering, the Arena went pitch black and Shiro was put in his starting spot, a little square drawn in the dirt. Suddenly, lights flared, blinding Shiro. When he saw his opponent, his heart shattered. It was his friend, on the opposite side of the area. About to break down, the Slave looked to his side. Eyes immediately locked with Taiki, who was steel-faced, nodding. Hardening his soul, he faced his target with a blank face. The horn sounded, and Shiro ran at the younger boy. They fought forcefully for several minutes, tears running down each of their expressionless faces. Five minutes into the fight to the death, Taiki grew impatient. "Finish that thing, you useless peice of trash!" the master screeched.]

[Shiro responded instantly. Doing a sweep-kick, they young boy fell. It was over. Both the slaves knew it. Gently, the older tucked the longer hair from the small boy's face, sadness and utter grief taking over his face, a constant stream of tears falling from his face. "My name is Kyle." the little slave murmured in a tiny voice. Shiro forced a slight smile, completely wrecked with emotions. "I'm Shiro." the older choked out, barely able to make the words form. Fear slowly spread over the child's face. "I'm scared Shiro. My master will kill me for loosing. I don't want to hurt anymore..." he whispered,crying silently. Shiro softly put his hands to the boys cheeks and put his forehead on Kyle's. "Don't worry. You won't hurt anymore. Thank you for saving me, my friend." Relief and a final peace took over the yound teen's face as Shiro moved his hands to his chin and the back of his head, and twisted sharply, ending Kyle's life with a sickening snap. Shiro broke. His shattered heart and soul could not take the sadness anymore. He began to sob, taking the dead boy into his arms. His face buried in Kyle's hair, tears made the dead slave's head wet within seconds. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Kyle!" the teenager wailed with a throbbing grief. As he was pulled away from his friend, the crowd cheered.]

The flashback probably lasted a few seconds at most, but in the darkness, half of his face hidden from Hikaru, a drop of water fell off of the Fighter's face. Whatever mood he had, whatever joy he experienced at the time, was gone for now. But it improved slightly when Hikaru laughed. His new master's outburst shocked some happiness into Shiro. Managing to relax a little, he changed his sitting position into criss-cross. Shrugging, he closed his eyes. "I will do whatever you want, really. What do you have in mind for me to do?"

Hikaru was coming over to Shiro. Tilting his head just slightly, he wondered what his Sacrifice was doing. As he lifted up Shiro's chin, slight surprise come up inside of him, but a curious look is what he put out into his expression, the motion causing his white hair to fall from out of his face.

"Because I'm your Sacrifice, and he's not. You're mine now, Shiro. Remember that, and there will be nothing you need to worry about."

A small smile came on Shiro's face, partially from relief and mostly because he felt the urge to. Hikaru's face was so close, his silver eyes bore into his red ones, the scar on his cheek sent a buzzing sensation in his mind. "Yes, Hikaru. Thank you" he spoke, words filled with a mix of a happy calm and joy, what he was feeling right now. As Hikaru left, the presences of his fingers immediately left, their ghost touch vanishing quickly. When his master had his back turned, Shiro gently brushed his chin, a vacant look in his eyes, hoping to hold the ghost feeling captive a little longer. As his Sacrifice almost turned around, Shiro's hand dropped to where it was previously.

As Hikaru told Shiro the information about himself, he could not help but smile, head resting on his hand, whose elbow was sitting on his knee. Content would be his outgoing emotion right now, relaxed also. Shiro would be perfectly happy listening to his master's voice for all eternity.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to know?"

Of course there were more questions he wanted to ask! What was his past like? Who were his family? Did he have any pets? What were his favorite music? Animals? Food?! Did he like tea, hot chocolate, or coffee the best?!?! Shiro wanted to know all of these questions with a fiery passion, plus dozens of more. But he didn't ask. An amused, ever so slight smirk came to his face, the natural expression he had on his face. "I'm fine with anything you tell me about, actually. If you want to go more in depth later, I would be more than happy to listen, but only if you want to, Hikaru." His master was pleased. This made Shiro feel the same way. As long as his master was content, so would he be. Especially if he was the cause.

Shiro was happy.

[Hikaru Kagami]

Looking back at his fighter for a moment, Hikaru could see that something... seemed wrong with him. What, he didn't know, but he felt resolved to stop it, especially since it probably had something to do with his past, and the Sacrifice hated that. Shiro was his, and no one else's. He wasn't just going to let some bad past steal him from him. No fucking way. He chewed his lip a little and then motioned to the Fighter. "Shiro. Come here," he ordered. He wanted the boy to only focus on him, and not on the past. He didn't care how many times he needed to remind him, but remind him he shall.

"I understand from your file that you have had a troubling past, but you are to leave that behind now, am I clear?" he asked, his grey eyes staring into the white-haired boy's as if piercing him. If he was to assist him, as his Fighter should, then he wasn't to be allowing things to distract him, anyway. "From now on, you must focus only on me and what lies in front of you. You will be assisting me with security management starting today, so you'd better be prepared. Yamura and Suzuki are no slouches, nor will they allow us to let anything by, so I expect you to be at 200 percent at all times." Then, he smirked faintly, deciding to lighten the situation a little. "And most importantly, relax. I don't bite... hard." Or anywhere visible, for that matter, he thought to himself with a bit more of a smirk, though he'd never voice that part aloud. Or, at least not yet.

[Shiro Ryouta]

Shiro was confused. Looking at his Sacrifice, bright red eyes gleaming in the artificial light, the Fighter studied. There were three things he learned while being a slave, and most were giving off warning bells. First, he learned how to lie and mask his emotions to near perfection, which was completely useful. Kept his rage, hatred and utter sadness off of his face so that Taiki would not make it worse. Second, he learned to read a person's emotions by their eyes, facial expressions, posture, and every single little thing they did. Lastly, it was to never upset his master. Right now, by what Shiro could see, Hikaru was very, very upset. Biting his lip slightly, more in a thinking matter than a nervous one, he thought back to their conversation. Nothing came to his mind that would have caused his Sacrifice to be this distraught. It was becoming more and more obvious as time passed. Maybe it was something he did? Would he be in trouble? Of course. It was his fault. Wondering what Hikaru would do, not so nervous as he was curious, Shiro waited patiently.

"Shiro. Come here,"

His Sacrifice's voice sent his heart lurching. Suppressing a sigh of defeat, he got up. Shiro's steps were silent as he walked over to Hikaru. Taking a quiet, deep breath, he stopped in-front of the Voice.

"I understand from your file that you have had a troubling past, but you are to leave that behind now, am I clear?"

He had to admit, the order did not shock him, nor was he expecting it. Sort of in-between. Looking straight into his Sacrifice's piercing grey eyes, his red ones gazed obediently back. It felt as if Hikaru was looking right into him, as if his eyes were staring right at the Fighter's soul. A shiver ran down Shiro's back, good or bad, he did not know. Feeling as though it was not the time to talk, he just nodded slightly without breaking eye-contact.

"From now on, you must focus only on me and what lies in front of you. You will be assisting me with security management starting today, so you'd better be prepared. Yamura and Suzuki are no slouches, nor will they allow us to let anything by, so I expect you to be at 200 percent at all times."

A cold sweat broke down Shiro's neck. The memory of random objects being thrown at him were fresh in his mind. Yesterday it was a stapler, the day before that it was a book. He was lucky enough to scrape by with a few paper-cuts. Thankfully he completely dodged the stapler. The Fighter was not especially thrilled with working along side his teacher, but it was Hikaru's wish, so it would be done. "I'll go above my very best." He said warmly, with a smile. After-all, this was the first job his Sacrifice had given him! Of course he would be happy and excited about it! As always, though, Shiro was calm about it.

"And most importantly, relax. I don't bite... hard."

W-wh-whaat? Blushing slightly, the white-haired boy broke eye-contact. What was that supposed to mean?! Was Hikaru going to bite him? The thought made his nose burn slightly, adding to the slight redness in his cheeks. Wait. If Hikaru was going to bite him... His Sacrifice was a very secretive person, Shiro knew that. So he would not bite in a visible pla-... eyes widening with slight embarrassment, his insides fluttered slightly. "Okay." He managed to get out, his voice miraculously stable and not quivering, unlike how he felt in the inside.

[Hikaru Kagami]

Hikaru watched the fighter carefully as he gave the first few orders of their life together as a unit. It seemed as though the boy was holding things back. His feelings, thoughts, everything appeared to be carefully locked away behind his calm mask. That might've fooled his last "master", but Hikaru spent his entire time watching people. He knew what it looked like to wear a mask. He wore one himself at times, after all. However, the Fighter was still being obedient. Maybe it was time to add on to the pile of demands.

"In addition to all of this, I'd like for you to gather up your things after classes are out this afternoon. As my Fighter, you will be staying by my side, and are to stay alongside me in my room from this evening on. Any objections?" the Voice asked rhetorically, cocking an eyebrow. He asked if there were any objections, but it wasn't as if the boy had much of a choice. He wanted him there to assist him at any turn. He was his fighter, and it was his role, after all. Then, a smirk played across the black-haired young man's lips as he patted Shiro on the head. "No, of course you won't object. You're not that type. Am I right, Shiro?" he asked, deciding to see how the young man before him would react to even the smallest amount of trust. Even if it wasn't fair, it was time to test the Fighter and see if he could really entrust his safety to this boy.

He could only smile more as the white-haired boy said he'd give his 200% in helping him. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. Now, if he could deliver. Softly, his hand came into contact with the white hair once more, petting the boy to show his appreciation. Positive feedback was a good method of training, after all, even if he was partially trained already. "There's a good boy," Hikaru practically purred, pulling his hand away after a moment more of petting him.

When Shiro blushed and looked away, the grey-eyed Voice could only watch with extreme interest. What was this now? Was he embarrassed? And after he said that he didn't bite hard. Just where did his mind go? Smirking devilishly, Hikaru couldn't help but take the Fighter's chin in his hand, forcing him to look back over at him. "What's this...? Blushing? Did you want me to bite you? What a naughty boy you are, Shiro." He leaned in so that his face was little more than an inch away from Shiros and whispered softly. "Be careful what you wish for. I may be tempted to deliver."[/style]

[Shiro Ryouta]

Gray eyes pierced through Shiro. By the minute, the Fighter was getting less and less nervous, the tension in his body dissipating. So far, his Sacrifice was... well, interesting. To say the least. The white haired boy definitely felt something towards Hikaru, yet failed to name the emotion. Shoving it under like any other nameless feeling, Shiro focused back on his partner.

"In addition to all of this, I'd like for you to gather up your things after classes are out this afternoon. As my Fighter, you will be staying by my side, and are to stay alongside me in my room from this evening on. Any objections?"

His face paled a shade, barely noticeable on his already light skin, and resisted his natural urge to swallow when nervous. Because the past four years of Shiro's life had been, well... unavailable to the world... he had to take High-school classes. Luckily for him, the Fighter was extremely smart. Exactly like a sponge, absorbing everything he learned with ease. Unlike other fast learners who eventually forget what they learned, Shiro's memory was impeccable. However, this meant a lot of school work. Tons. He was taking a multitude of courses from mixed grades, advancing when he could and staying back when he needed. Homework every day took an average of four to five hours. This meant that the white haired boy would be busy. Very, very busy. 'Rule No. 1, never complain. Ever.' It was the first guideline to survive. As a force-of-habit, he nodded. "I'll do it." Shiro spoke simply, as a matter-of-fact way. It was an order after all, and the Fighter always followed orders.

"There's a good boy,"

The hand on Shiro's head spooked him at first, then the feeling quickly disappeared. It felt good, the way Hikaru patted his head. Yeah. Good... A warmth spread through his body, making his stunning red eyes shine. But then the hand left, and the Fighter could not help but feel as if his head was now missing something.

"What's this...? Blushing? Did you want me to bite you? What a naughty boy you are, Shiro. Be careful what you wish for. I may be tempted to deliver."

The redness just added to his cheeks. At a lack for words, all the boy could do was put his arms out and gently push his Sacrifice's chest, hoping his face would be a little farther away. Of course, this was also an exploratory move, a small part of the white haired teen wanting to see what was in the boundaries of right and wrong. "H-Hikaru! If you say stuff like that, you're only going to make it worse!" Shiro exclaimed nervously, finally finding his voice. Of course, now that he said it, the Fighter realized that it probably was not the wisest thing to say. Just dandy.

[Hikaru Kagami]

Hikaru watched with great amusement as Shiro paled a little more, obviously worried about being cut off from the world again. Pfft, that almost made the raven-haired male sound like some sort of lowlife. Sure, he struck people as the villainous sort, but the did have standards to his work, and besides peons worked better when they felt appreciated, didn't they? Of course. They were human, after all, even though they were manipulated like little puppets. Humans always had a strong desire to feel... needed and appreciated. It was a base instinct, and so was the desire for freedom. So both needed to be applied, naturally, with moderation, of course.

"Good. I'm glad you're willing to help me out. Now, while I said you'll be here to assist me, you'll also be helping me to some extent outside. If there are any favours or errands I need run out there, I'll be depending on you to help me. As you can see," he gestured to the many monitors that were mounted on the wall. "there are a lot of things that require my attention down here. There was a recent compromise to security, so I need to be extra diligent. Of course, I'll be lenient on you where your schoolwork is involved. Yamura would have my head if you flunked." he chuckled lightly, lounging lazily in his chair, observing the Fighter with his grey hawk-like eyes.

That said, it didn't go unnoticed when the blush on the fighter's face deepened and he said that the sacrifice made it worse. Did he now? Slowly, his smile spread into a devious grin. Oh, how much fun he'd have with his new toy. He couldn't ask for anything more amusing. "Would I now? My, what a naughty little mind you have, Shiro. Mind that you don't get yourself into trouble with such a dirty mind, hm?" he teased, hoping to get more of a reaction from the boy. It was really too much fun.

[Shiro Ryouta]

Shiro was growing accustomed to the gaze of his Sacrifice, looking over him with a fine-tooth-comb. The Fighter simply ignored the feeling he got when he looked into Hikaru's eyes, even if it was merely for a moment, like the Raven saw through every fiber of his being, every mask he put on his face, every emotion he felt deep in his heart. It was nerve wracking, and so the white-haired boy simply opted to ignore it. It was the best option. Of course, that by no means meant that Shiro was ignoring the man in front of him. No, that would be stupid. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The words that rolled off out of the older man's mouth seemed to require every shred of attention that the Fighter could muster.

"Good. I'm glad you're willing to help me out. Now, while I said you'll be here to assist me, you'll also be helping me to some extent outside. If there are any favors or errands I need run out there, I'll be depending on you to help me.

Shiro could only nod at the command, something telling him that it was not the time to talk. He intuition was proven correct when his Sacrifice continued on.

"As you can see, there are a lot of things that require my attention down here. There was a recent compromise to security, so I need to be extra diligent. Of course, I'll be lenient on you where your schoolwork is involved. Yamura would have my head if you flunked."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern and confusion. A recent compromise to the security of Septimal Moon? What could it be? He wanted to ask, however the question would have surely ruined the now-chuckling man's mood. Smiling with a tired-softness, Shiro let out a quiet chuckle as well, imagining the teacher throwing a stapler at Hikaru. While he would never allow that to happen, ever, it was still an amusing thought.

... Well crap. The crappest of craps. He was in quite the perdicament, the saying 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' seemed to understate his situation quite perfectly. Everything he said just turned against him! If only Shiro could learn how to keep his big-mouth shut, then his life would be oh so much easier to live. Dang.

"Would I now? My, what a naughty little mind you have, Shiro. Mind that you don't get yourself into trouble with such a dirty mind, hm?"

His eyes were practically swirling now, at a complete and utter loss for words. If he said no, Hikaru would probably just say that he is being defensive, thus he does have a pervy mind. If he says yes, he automatically has a pervy mind. Its a complete and total lose-lose situation. To say he was beyond flustered would be a complete and total understatement. So he could only stand there, like a complete and total buffoon, and stutter out a, "N-N-No I don't!" like an idiot. Ugh, sheesh. How much worse could this get?

[Hikaru Kagami]

He was nervous. He seemed to be getting used to it, but once again, the teen's body language was giving him away. How he sat, how he reacted when their eyes met, and the way he paid attention so closely... He was clearly still uncomfortable, and nervous, what with Hikaru being able to see through him, but it was his job to see through people. Should he expect much else? Still, it was amusing to watch.

He was such a good boy, too. From nodding obediently and waiting for him to finish, to suddenly taking an interest in the security compromise as if it was already his problem. If there was one thing that his previous master did right, it was the fact that he was so well-trained. He knew exactly how to respond properly, though it would've been a bit more fun breaking him in himself. Oh well. He'll just have to make sure no one touches his things ever again. Well, at least he was someone who'd listen and do as he was instructed. Less of a hassle that way.

Then it happened. The delightful moment when Shiro realised exactly what kind of trap he walked into. Hikaru watched with amused glee as the fighter struggled with himself, trying to figure out a way out of this one, but it was too late; there was no way out. He had gone and opened his mouth and wound up being teased into a corner. But, it was hard to resist. They always said that a cornered animal tends to bite, but Shiro wasn't like that. He had been trained to be obedient, so even if he didn't want it, he wouldn't bite Hikaru. Didn't stop the black-haired man from teasing him, however.

"N-N-No I don't!"

So he denied it. A typical response, given the situation, but the sacrifice couldn't resist one last dig at the fighter, almost as if to gloat about how badly he just lost to him. "You don't, hm? I'm no expert, but I don't think you'd be this flustered and worked up if you didn't, Shiro," he said cooly, a slight tone of amusement leaking over into his voice as he spoke before he chuckled once more and gave the fighter another quick pat on the head. "Regardless of how dirty your little mind is, it's late for you, isn't it? You're free to go back to your room for now, if you want. Get some rest. You're going to need it from now on, and don't forget that you're to come back here after class. I'll arrange it so you can get past the security."