No Man's Land

[Deleted]

At the moment, his vision was shrouded in darkness. He wasn’t particularly fond of that feeling but soon enough, his eyes compensated for the lack of light. The objects that had once been blurry soon became clear. Panic rose as he realized he was in a foreign location. This was somewhere he didn’t recognize. The walls were bare with a new coat of paint while the floor was spotless. Ren was used to seeing carpet stained with food he had carelessly dropped. There was a window in front of him, though it was covered by a dark curtain. He could tell the window was open by the way the curtain moved and the chill that hit him. Perhaps most disturbing of all was the lack of computers in the room. He was used to being surrounded by machines and their absence startled him. Besides the bed, boxes could be found in the room. They were unopened and had his name written across them. Ren. R-e-n. Ren. He tilted his head as if trying to understand why his name would be on the boxes. There was a knock. He ignored it, but the knocking persisted. This time it was louder with a more urgent feel to it. He slid off the bed and stood, walking slowly towards the door. He opened it slowly and stared at the man in front of him. He didn’t apologize for taking so long to answer the door, nor did he show any sign of caring if she had an urgent message or not. It was natural for Ren to be this way, though and the person before him knew it.

“Ren! You haven’t even started unpacking!” He scolded. “Look at this mess!”

Ah, that’s right. They had moved. That’s why everything was different. His parents had wanted a change. They said they wanted to “broaden their horizons,” but he knew the real reason. They were worried about him like they always were. He hadn’t gotten along well with his classmates and was always alienated from them. No friends ever came by to his house because he didn’t have any. Making bonds with others seemed like a burden, so he had avoided it at all costs. Perhaps they thought change would be good for him or something like that. He didn’t feel any different, though. He’d moved to another planet and it still felt the same as back on Parinenai. No matter where he went, nothing ever changed. What was this planet called? Oh, right. They’d called it Zerca. It was a dull place with dull people and he was uninterested in his new residence. He took note that the man, his mother, was still talking. Ren didn’t like being scolded, but he didn’t protest as the other ranted about how irresponsible he was being. It was not as though he wasn’t used to being scolded. He knew it was his own fault since he never listened. Listening took too much effort and he wasn’t one to take orders from someone else. It seemed his mother was giving up, though. A sigh escaped the other’s lips as he ruffled the younger male’s hair.

“It can’t be helped I suppose,” the man muttered. “You never listen anyway. Why don’t you have a look around the planet? Ren…try to make some friends, alright? You’re too quiet for your own good, but I suppose that can’t be helped either.”

Moments later he found himself standing in front of his new home. Somehow his mother had tricked him because he didn’t remember agreeing to take a walk. He looked at the money in his hand and shoved it in his pocket, hoping he didn’t get robbed. A friend? Where was he supposed to get one of those? His mother wanted him to make a friend, but that was a lot harder than it seemed. Ren began walking, not caring what direction he was walking in. Today he was dressed in the same style he always wore, shabby. That’s right; his clothes were in such a sorry state that no sane person would wear them. Luckily, Ren wasn’t sane. All the holes had been repaired by adding a piece of cloth on top of them. The many patches on his pants caused them to look rather odd and displeasing to the eye, mostly because none of the patches were of the same pattern. Once his pants had been a solid black, but now they were faded and turning slightly grey. His shirt, though covered by a coat, was a dark red. It was a plain T-shirt with no logos, though the hem was slightly brown after Ren had accidently spilt coffee on it. The coat he wore was warm and possibly the newest thing he owned. His mother had made it for him a few months ago in preparation of the move.

The boy’s hair was a common dark brown. It seemed to head in every direction since Ren had conveniently forgotten to comb it, only running his fingers through it. Perhaps the only real interesting part of him was his eyes. They were amber colored but shone brightly under light. It seemed he was lost now. That was rather…unfortunate. He looked behind him and took note that he didn’t remember walking from there. It was too bad he was horrible at paying attention because now he didn’t know where he was. Asking for help was out of the question. Ren didn’t know how to ask for directions. Besides, everyone seemed to be in a rush and would probably not stop even if he asked. He fell forward as someone bumped into him. He rubbed the back of his head and looked around for the person that had caused him to fall down. There were too many people, though, and he wasn’t able to spot the offender. How annoying. This was why he hated being outside. He should have just unpacked his things. Maybe then his mother wouldn’t have felt the need to meddle.

“Stupid…” he muttered as he stood up, hoping he would not be knocked over again.

[Sephirah]

(Coming from 'Where to go from here?')

"All right then..." Marcus gave Aiden a confused look as they walked through the market. Poor thing seemed a little insecure. Whether it was mean to think so or not, this sort of gave Marcus a boost in his own confidence. Since he had arrived on Zerca, he had felt at home and yet somewhat out of place. He thought everyone would continue to stare at him for his faults, like his tail. So far, however, he was being accepted just fine.

"Oof!" The blonde stopped dead as he bumped into another teen head on. It was his fault for not paying attention, but the first words to instinctively come out of his mouth were not the best. "What is this, another bum?" Amber eyes were focused on Ren and his shabby clothes.

[fromtheshadows]

Aiden smiled weakly and shook his head, "We don't have bums, Marcus," he told him softly, "And hes not a mistress." He looked him over and smiled weakly, "Hmm, whats your name?" he asked curious. He looked him over a bit confused, he normally didn't talk to people his own age.

[Deleted]

Ren tilted his head, looking from one man to the other. Such odd people, but then again, most people on this planet seemed odd to him. It took him a second to realize he was being spoken to. What an unusual occurrence. Usually he was not expected to speak, so it was rare to be spoken to. He didn’t like. So, being the oddball he was, instead of answering any questions, he shoved the closest man, which happened to be Marcus. It wasn’t the first time he had attacked someone without some kind of provocation and it wouldn’t be the last either. He just did not feel like answering questions was all. So after shoving the other, he simply stared as though what he had done was normal. There was no smirk on his face or indication that he had done this out of malice, just a look of apathy on his face. He took another glace at the two, noting the one he had shoved was dressed the strangest out of the two. Was it a costume party of sorts? Maybe they were cossplayers. He turned away from the two and began to walk away slowly. He was in no rush to go anywhere and simply blended into the crowd. Of course the man could go ahead and attack him, but that thought didn’t come to mind at the moment. He was simply thinking of what direction to pick. He was still lost after all.

“Obnoxious,” he muttered to himself.

It wasn’t anger that he was feeling. More like mild annoyance at everything. This time around, he was the one roughly bumping into others as he slowly made his way to nowhere in particular. Then it occurred to him the other thought he was homeless. Ren usually didn’t think about things until much later, so it was no surprise he hadn’t thought about it until that moment. How weird. Why would he be homeless? Couldn’t the other tell he had a home? How did you know if someone that homeless unless you asked? What a weird man. Phrases like, “crazy weirdo” and “strange giant” were muttered. He was becoming more and more lost without taking note. That and his knee was bleeding, something he had failed to notice before. Then again, Ren was never good at taking care of himself and taking note of injuries wasn’t his strong suit. All that mattered now was walking away from the strangers whom he was sure were up to no good.

(Shortest post I've ever writen... o__O)

[Sephirah]

(That's a good thing <<... I think.)

Marcus saw the teens hands lift up in an aggressive manner and watched as they made contact with his chest, pushing him back. The push itself was rougher than what he expected and he took a step or two back to regain his balance. Placing a hand to his hat, he had a look of apparent annoyance back on his face. How dare that little punk push him. If he were on his home planet, he could take Ren and have him thrown in jail. Or, if it displeased him enough, he could punish him personally with a good old fashioned whip. Luckily for Ren, or for the both of them, Marcus wasn't the type to strike down a youth just for a harmless act of aggression.

"Rude," was all he said at first. He dusted off his sleeves as if he had been soiled. His eye gave a twitch along with the tip of his tail. "I have half a mind to drag him out of that crowd and fix his attitude."

But, no, he wouldn't go chasing after the disgruntled teen. It was obvious from that encounter that it would only end in a bigger mess. Then again...how he would love to reprimand him. Just for the sake of his pride at having been blown off like that. Still toying with the idea in his head, he clenched his teeth and tapped his gloved fingers against the hilt of his rapier. Maybe he should...

[fromtheshadows]

Aiden stepped closer to him as his words and shook his head. "Please don't," he murmured and placed a hand over the other's, wanting to stop him, he knew it would turn ugly if he did. He looked up into the others eyes, "Maybe we should just go to your home," he offered softly. "I can cook you a meal." He just didn't want anything to happen to the other, he knew that would be bad for the both of them.

[Deleted]

“Ren! Ren! Did you just hurt that person?!”

Ah, it seemed that person had returned. His mother grabbed him and spoke in a slightly loud voice. Perhaps he had stayed out too long and his mother had gotten worried. He wished she’d stop worrying so much about him. It wasn’t as though he didn’t know how to take care of himself. More words were spoken but Ren took no note of them. His apathetic look only served to anger his mother even more. The scolding ceased as the other sighed. Sighs always mean his mother was giving up. The other didn’t like arguing and would rather give in rather than keep going. In a way, that’s how they were alike. Ren too liked to take the road with the least resistance. Disappointment arrived when he realized the other hadn’t stopped talking, though the angry tone was gone. It wasn’t that he felt bad when he was being scolded, but when his mother was angry he forced Ren to listen. Ren disliked being ordered around more than anything else. It was one of his few dislikes. Not many things were annoying enough to be considered a dislike, but orders were one of the few things.

“…and I didn’t know where you were,” the man continued. “That’s why I was worried. Since I thought you were hurt… Just don’t wander around so much. Try not to pick fights with others either. You’ve been here a day and you’re already causing trouble. You should apologize, right? Be a good boy and apologize.”

Ren felt himself turned around to face the couple. His mother walked him towards the two and he knew right away he wasn’t going to enjoy what was coming next. His mother was always under the impression he was the sort of person that caused trouble. That he didn’t know how to control himself and did bad things on purpose. It was only partially true. He didn’t do them on purpose, but he did not have good self control. There were just times he ended up hurting others without meaning to. It wasn’t his intent to hurt others, but it was a reaction to his actions. The grip on his arms was strong. It wasn’t surprising. As delicate as his mother looked, the man was a force to be reckoned with like most dragons were. Ren too was strong. His thin frame and shabby appearance fooled others, but if provoked, he too could become deadly. No one would think much of it either. A dragon killing another was not rare at all. They weren’t exactly known for their friendly attitudes. Ren looked up to glare at his mother and then he turned his attention to the two in front of him. Oh well. He would do it. Not because his mother had asked, but because it was the easiest way to get out of the situation.

“I apologize,” he stated simply.

There was no sincerity in his voice. Ren didn’t look the least bit sorry or remorseful for his actions. His attitude was almost mocking but that was just the sort of impression Ren gave people, that he was mocking them. It was as though they were beneath him and not worthy of his attention. Feelings like those were caused by Ren frequently. It was enough for his mother, though, who seemed pleased Ren was being obedient. At least he hadn’t caused a scene. Ren’s moods weren’t easy too predict and it was hard to decipher what sort of reaction would come from simple actions. Again he heard the chatter of the one that bore him. He didn’t bother paying attention and loosened himself from the man’s grip. What a bother this all was.

[Sephirah]

Marcus glared into the crowd a moment longer, only half listening to the teen trying to soothe his mood. Once the moment passed, his shoulders slumped into a relaxed state and his slit pupils focused themselves on Aiden. He lifted his free hand, and in a comforting gesture, he patted the back of Aiden's as if to say 'you win.' A hot meal sounded good, and relaxing in a place that didn't involve crowds of people sounded heavenly. That is until Ren's mother decided to drag the spit-fire boy back into his presence.

Marcus gently pulled Aiden behind him once more, eying Ren with a glare. His mother, of course, was not free of this pressure, as he wished to have a good word with him as well. All that Marcus could think of was that this boy's parents must be either extremely lazy or lacking the nerve to raise a teenage boy. Maybe both. They obviously weren't on him enough to work on his manners, and in scolding him, it seemed that Ren was the one with the power between he and his mother. And that defiant little look. The answer to this problem: he should smack the boy. Yes, that sounded appealing. The only thing holding his hand... Aiden's concern, and the boy's mother being present.

Oh the hell with it.

SMACK.

The back of Marcus' gloved hand met with Ren's cheek. It was a backhand blow hard enough to catch his attention and leave a red mark, but not by any means abusive or capable of bruising him. "Do you really?" Marcus challenged Ren's apology. "From the sound of your voice, you don't sound sorry at all." His amber eyes shot to Ren's mother. "Forgive me, sir, I don't mean to question your methods on this matter, but might I suggest a firmer touch with your rebellious boy." In other words, strike your kid once in a while lady--er--mister. Again, Marcus put his hand out to make sure Aiden stayed behind him. This could either go fairly well or really bad.

[Deleted]

The slap itself didn’t hurt. In fact, he barely felt it. But yet there was a slight bit of anger in him and his eyes flashed, skin turning scaly. It was the sign of a true dragon and someone that should not be messed with. There was no real reason for him to be angry. So what if the other had slapped him? Still, the feeling persisted and anger was something Ren did not know how to control. He knew something bad would happen if he stayed, so without a word, he ran. There was no particular place in mind as he rushed away from the scene, his mother calling behind him to come back. He wasn’t coming back, though. He didn’t want to return to the new house with a new life. Change wasn’t easy for him to accept. It felt unfair his parents were dictating his life. He ran until he was out of breath, his lungs burning from lack of oxygen. He’d been running so fast he was certainly a long way from his mother or the other two. The area he was in now was full of ships and busy workers. It felt even more crowded than the previous streets he’d wandered in. Was the whole planet this way? What an annoying thought. He disliked crowds such as this and having others bump into him disturbed him. Physical contact with others wasn’t something he ached for.

“Hey you! Yeah you! What are you doing?!” A man angrily shouted. “You were supposed to be here half an hour ago! Look at you, you’re a mess! Get back to work already!”

Ren didn’t realize he was being spoken to until the man grabbed his arm. He felt himself being dragged into the ship and he knew it was all a mistake, but strangely, he didn’t feel the need to correct the other. He simply nodded at the other and busied himself with the task he was given. Interesting… Yes, this was interesting. He wondered where they were going. There was no protest as the ship took off. His mother would be furious if he ever found out. Oh well, that’s just how things went. He’d only been on a ship when he’d been on his way to Zerca, so he wondered how long he’d be on this ship. Would they realize he actually didn’t work here? It didn’t matter, or so he thought. Life went slowly on the ship. Time seemed still like when he locked himself in his room. There was security in the routine he was given and he remained unnoticed by most. He’d been given a uniform and though he missed his old clothes, he didn’t mind the new ones. Clothes never mattered much to him, if they had, he wouldn’t have dressed the way he had for so long. He supposed if his parents had been here, they would have been proud of how he was holding down a job. They’d always believe he’d never be ready for the workforce.

Thinking about his parents didn’t bring Ren the sadness he was sure he’d feel. Sure they were the ones that had brought life to him, but so what? He did not owe them emotional attachment simply for that. Perhaps his parents were selfish. Wanting that kind of connection without earning it seemed rather unfair. He thought about many things during his trip and felt he had made a few discoveries of sort. His time, however, was cut short once the crew realized he did not really belong on the ship and was not trained in the work he’d been doing. Mostly, this was discovered because Ren had attacked the captain and the guy had looked Ren up only to realize the person on the computer and the boy standing before him didn’t match. In panic, the captain effectively kicked Ren off the ship. It wouldn’t be good to have others know about the situation. After all, the boy could claim to have been kidnapped or something of the sort. This is how Ren found himself miles and miles away from anyone he knew, stranded on a planet he didn’t recognize. His stomach growled and Ren knew it would only get worse from there.

(To Fair Grounds)

[fromtheshadows]

Aiden smiled wide when he thought he had won, he was really happy, he just didn't like fighting at all. "Thanks so much," he exclaimed but frowned when the boy came back. "Please don't do anything stupid." He sighed as he was pushed behind him, but he was confused, he normally wasn't protected, so this was a bit new, but not unwelcome. He peaked around him wondering what he was going to do and smiling when the other said sorry, it was nice even if he didn't mean it. He thought it was all over then but gasped loudly as Marcus hit him. "Marcus!" he exclaimed in shock, then looked to the boy, he tried to move around Marcus and comfort Ren, but he ran quickly. "Marcus why did you do that?" he asked confused, "That boy might have problems you don't know of, maybe he just doesn't get along with people. How could you be so mean?" He had some experience with people being mean to him, so he knew how it felt, and knew the boy would hate it. "Why?" he asked again demanding an answer.

[Sephirah]

Marcus sighed as the boy ran off, adjusting one of his gloves. What a pain that had been. The sound of Aiden's scolding voice brought him back to attention as he slowly placed his amber eyes on the teen. The explanation was simple, but he wasn't sure if Aiden would understand. Most people didn't understand the logic behind it unless they were experienced with these sorts of situations on a level that transcended being the victim or the accused.

"Calm down, Aiden, I meant no ill-will by it," Marcus tried to assure Aiden. "I wasn't trying to be mean, I simply wasn't going to pander to the boy's needs. I believe in disciplining bad behavior no matter what the background." He straightened up a little more. "If I babied the boy just because he might have 'problems' then instead of learning and getting over those problems, he would expect others to go soft on him. Therefore, he would use his 'problems' as a way to manipulate people into feeling sorry for him or treating him special."

Marcus began to walk again, his tail swishing back and forth with his stabilizing mood. "It's like refusing to bop a misbehaving dog on the nose just because it's small and cute. Instead of learning, it'll just bark louder."

[fromtheshadows]

Aiden sighed and shruged, "I guess," he murmured. He followed him slowly as he looked around and smiled, he loved his home planet, even if he had to watch mates making-out every few feet. "How do you like Zerca?" he asked after a while in silence, which he hated. He walked with him and eyed him curiously wondering what he was like, he really wanted to know, expecially if he was to be working for him. He pointed to a run-down home, "If you ever need a mistress," he murmured and looked down, "If you don't want me that is. You can go there..."

[Sephirah]

(Moving to a new thread, Marcus' hotel room >w<)