And once I had a Strange Love, a mad sort of deranged love;

[graces]

She hadn't walked anywhere in a very long time. She'd been forced into Taxi-cabs and Subways during her pregnancy, short as it was. And now that she had Miyoko, she just didn't have the time for leisurely strolls around the town. She had to get there, get what she needed, and go home. She'd gotten quite a few veiled complaints from friends that she

Comments

[tothedust]

Malik didn't like the cold. It wasn't even the sort of dislike he could get off on, the way he disliked having a knife shoved into his side; chill winds--which didn't even carry a noticeable amount of dust here--were unfamiliar and annoying. Besides that, he'd nearly been mugged. The maiming that followed might have been cathartic for a time, but he still had a little blood on his shirt--which was black, and didn't show it, but it had smeared up along his neck and arms--and the wind was making it cold and sticky and stiff. Gods he hated feeling dirty.

Furthermore, while he was a fluent speaker, he couldn't read the signs in Domino without a bit of effort. It was effort he was further annoyed to have to spend, while standing in the relentless wind and the slowly setting sun.

When he finally found the giant neon sign he'd been hoping for, he wasn't in a spectacular mood. This meant that, while he walked in the doors with a small grin when he saw Anzu, he was all too happy to jerk the door shut behind him. The wind helped it along, enough that the window cracked a little.

The startled desk clerk hurried out to see how bad the damage was, and Malik found himself watching her, hand flexing slowly.... The clerk caught his eye, paused, and scurried back behind the counter. Odd.

He shifted his attention back onto Anzu and drawled, "Did you get us room service?"

[graces]

Anzu had barely settled into one of the armchairs before she heard a slam and a crack, which upon investigation, was the person she was waiting for. Dragging herself out of the chair, managing to reach him just about the time the woman skittered back behind her desk.

Jesus, he'd cracked the window. Anzu glanced at it for a moment, before deciding she wasn't really interested in that. Mental note, however -- do not trust him around doors and windows.

Then again, was there a place she could trust him?

"Ne, we can order it in the room," Anzu said, eyes narrowing for a moment. While she didn't really make a point of how other people smelled, he smelled ... well, not good. And this wasn't a haven't-showered stink or had-too-much-to-drink stink like she'd get from Bakura. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she mentally ruled out getting closer to him than she had to.

"I have the keys," She said, digging in her back pocket for them. She'd already bought the room, but seeing as the room was for him, she gave both the card-keys given to him. Perhaps she might have kept one for herself if she'd really been thinking, but if she came to visit again, seeing as her name was the one the room was purchased under, she would be able to get a new key printed.

Why she would need to come back she didn't know. "It's a room upstairs -- 213."

[tothedust]

He took both of the thin plastic cards, making an irritated tch when his fingers left gummy, bloody marks on them.

"Ne, I brought money," aggravated or not, his tone was still soft and mock-warm, a side-effect he always got after fighting. "You order while I shower, hm?"

Naturally, he didn't think she'd argue with that. Having seen the way she'd looked at him, though--half-confused, half put-off--he wondered if she'd run away while he cleaned up. Which made him realize that he actually didn't want her to.

So. How to make sure your 'guest' stayed put against their instincts? Last time had involved sending her into shock and then following it up with sex, but neither of those were ready options now.

Hn, maybe she'd be enthralled by the cable tv.

The news wouldn't have any knowledge of what he'd done until the next day, so there at least wouldn't be a risk of her realizing that she'd be wise to run.

Confident that he'd find some way of pinning her to this place--the thought brought to mind the little butterflies in Sister's museum, with those thin needles stuck through their abdomens and into stark white styrofoam backing...and it made him grin pleasantly at her as they waited for the elevator to reach them.

[graces]

Her eyes focused on the red marks his fingers left behind on the plastic cards, but for some reason, they didn't raise up the significant warning flags that they should. Of course, they perturbed her, and made her a little more nervous about the meeting, but ... overall, she should be a little more worked up about it.

At least he was going to shower.

What kind of excuse was that? She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She should probably have been thinking about escape plans, but right now, her energy was running too low to even think of a good one. Well, if she was really smart, maybe she could sneak out while he was in the bathroom. She might have to move fast, but maybe she could get away ...

Who was she fooling. She wanted to get drunk, and preferably as soon as possible. The company didn't really matter. Even if his hands were covered in some red substance. (So it was naive, to skirt around calling it blood, but Anzu was the queen of telling herself pretty little lites)

"It sounds like a plan," Anzu murmured agreeably, as sitting around on the bed waiting for him sounded rather boring.

That smile was even more disconcerting than the blood on his fingers, but Anzu managed a rather weak smile in return. Well, he should be happy with what he got. She wasn't exactly in a smiley mood.

She mentally frowned when he led her to the elevator -- no matter who she was with, she hated elevators -- and tried to steel herself so she wouldn't broadcast the fear too loudly. She knew it was something he would use against her if he needed to, and ... well. She didn't need any extra ways for him torture her.

[tothedust]

He could sense her anxiety, the way he could feel rain coming in the desert. When the elevator doors opened, he brushed his hand against her lower back, guiding her inside. From anyone else it might've bordered on chivalry.

The subtle tang of blood was easier to smell once the doors were shut and they were trapped in the small confines of the elevator, but the room was on the second floor and it was a short ride.

"So quiet," he crooned, leading her to the thirteenth door. He slid the card into the reader and it opened with an electronic buzz. "Is it tired?"

He only half-waited for a response, though, before stepping inside and holding the door open for her.

[graces]

She somehow managed not to jump when he led her inside -- she was supposed to be used to being touched, all that. But she really hadn't been touched lately, short of her mother, and the idea that he had blood on his hands was a disturbing one.

Yes,she was definitely glad he wanted to take a shower.

Anzu, as she always did, fell completely silent in the elevator, and even managed to keep from whimpering or something equally pathetic when the doors rolled shut and the small metal box lurched around. While she had noticed his peculiar scent before, it was overpowering in such a confined space, making her feel almost ill. Combined together, though, the smell was enough to take her mind off the small space, which is what worried her most about elevators.

"A little," Anzu replied, just so he would know she was listening. So 'a little' was perhaps a small understatement, but.

Her eyes caught a streak of blood on his neck, and she forced her to look away as she slipped into the room past him, managing not to touch him at all. Her curiosity was biting at the back of her thoughts ... What exactly had he been doing to have blood all over him? Or. Something that was red.

...She had to stop that. She was almost 99% certain it was blood. But, she wasn't going to go out of her way to confirm, either.

The room was not the biggest -- she hadn't seen the sense in getting more than one bed, as after all, there would be only one person sleeping here. She wandered in, picking up the Room Service menu, fully intending to order something, seeing as that was what she had been told to do in the first place.

[tothedust]

He shut the door and locked it behind them, mainly out of habit.

Anzu seemed uneasy, which placated him a little; and she was doing what he'd told her to do, which meant that by the time he was done getting clean, they would have food and drink. At least the night was getting better.

He took the six or seven steps necessary to get into the bathroom and, since he wasn't sure yet if Anzu would run, he left the door open so he would hear her if she tried.

Then he stripped off his shirt, which he'd had no intention of putting back on anyway (not when it was so filthy and stiff), but he noted that it was torn on the back anyway. Small loss; he had others.

"Ne, order whatever suits you," he said, and pulled a slim credit card out of his pocket. He set it on the vanity table just outside the bathroom. "But get me food." That said, he kicked off shoes and socks and pants and started the shower.

[graces]

Anzu went to collect the credit card, avoiding looking at him (for more than one reason) idly wiping the smudges of red off it and onto the black yarn of her sweater. Once she thought about it, she regretted it -- that smell was going to bother her the rest of the night. Or, at least, as long as she was wearing the sweater.

Well, she wouldn't let herself get nervous about it, so she decided she might as well take it off, pulling it over her head, folding it, and putting it on the small table in the corner so she'd remember to bring it home.

The shirt she had on underneath wasn't terribly substantial -- hardly more than a glorified tank top -- so she futzed with the heat to make sure she wouldn't be shivering before Malik got back. She got cold far to easily, and...

He had the door open. Sure, she'd already seen him without -- well, anything, but ... avoiding seeing it again would probably be prudent. Anzu dropped onto the bed, out of eyesight. She couldn't be tempted this way, at least. Not that she would be tempted. Damnit. She sighed, shifting so her legs were underneath her as she reached for the menu.

Yes, she'd probably be better off looking at that.

He wanted food. The vegetarian options on the menu were rather meager, but she decided a stir-fry dish without the chicken would do. As for her, she wanted straight-up alcohol, even though the only bottled options were beer vodka.

Beer reminded her too much of people she was trying to forget, so she was leaning towards the vodka, unflavored though it might be. She considered getting something for herself to eat, but she wasn't hungry. Drinking on an empty stomach wasn't wise, but not a lot about this venture was.

She picked up the phone just as she heard the water turn on.

[tothedust]

Malik left the water lukewarm as usual, and watched the blood run off of him and down the drain in a steady, candy-pink stream. When the water was just clear, he unwrapped the paper around the tiny hotel soap and set about scrubbing himself clean.

He paused, straining to hear if she was still there. The room was small enough that, even through the heavy white noise of the showerhead, he could make out her voice.

Hn, pretty little thing seemed so distraught, and even though he knew he wasn't the cause it made him smile.

His hair he washed twice, just because doing so made him feel cleaner, and then he shut the water off, scrubbed himself quickly with a towel and redressed. Well, dressed his lower half, anyway.

He found Anzu still on the bed, but--ah. Her sweater was missing. Funny, he thought he'd pegged her as a person always on the verge of chills. It was the sort of thing he took note of, in case the opportunity for torment ever came up, and he was rarely wrong.

...Nn, something to figure out later.

"Ne, did it find anything it liked?" He asked this as he settled on the bed beside her, crossing his feet at the ankles.

[graces]

Anzu was still half on the phone, as apparently the person in charge of taking room-service orders was painfully inefficient, and she made sure to let the phone fall to the crook of her neck before she turned to answer.

"Well, I'm not hard to please," She managed, sitting up minutely straighter. Why? Because it put a little more distance between them. The chittering on the phone stopped, likely because the person on the other line was expecting an answer, so she twisted her ear back down, explaining that no, she didn't want the chicken on the side. She didn't want it at all.

Thankfully the conversation didn't last much longer and after a quick goodbye (even though the girl on the other line hung up before she could hear it), Anzu put the phone down.

She rubbed her arms, though she wasn't terribly cold, and informed him, "She says it'll be fifteen minutes. I got you a vegetable stir fry, I hope that's okay."

It would have to be, seeing as the only other vegetarian thing on the menu was some tomato juice.

[tothedust]

Malik offered an agreeable sort of grunt, and offered the menu a curious sidelong glance. Too late to order anything, of course, and he had just stopped being annoyed; he wasn't going to revive it by trying to figure out the odd chicken scratch words of this language.

Besides, Anzu was living, breathing, and warm; there was no inanimate object that could compare to that. Not even a knife.

"And alcohol?" His lips quirked into a sharp little grin. "Didn't you order that, too? I thought we were here to relax...." He was sure she had, of course, but he didn't know what kind. Something strong? Something to drown out whatever misery was drifting around in her mind?

Wondering that made him wonder more seriously why she'd chosen to stay with him. He wasn't exactly a cure for agony, be it emotional or physical. Another question to figure out, later.

[graces]

Now that she was off the phone, Anzu took the pillows that were behind her, moving them to the floor, and resting her back against the headboard. The pillows were just in the way, as she wasn't trying to get to sleep, so they were better off on the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest only made her look more pathetic, but. She couldn't bring herself to care.

She rested her head on top of her knees, glancing at him. She was at least glad he was clean now --- even smelled good. That was not something she could often say about Bakura.

"I ordered vodka," She told him. She had considered ordering beer as well, just in case he wanted that, but she knew seeing someone drinking it was enough to upset her.

Though, she wasn't going to make a point of it. Which is why she hadn't ordered it in the first place.

[tothedust]

Vodka was decent. He could make do with that. Unfortunately for Anzu, though, he'd grown up drinking beer--granted it was a slightly different version than what they sold in bars, but it was an inevitable product of preserving the ancient ways.

He'd order some when the waiter arrived, though; no reason to make her call back down.

Besides, vodka implied she wanted to be truly drunk, and that opened up all sorts of fun avenues of conversation.

"You look so sad," he told her, voice softened by the grin that had never really left his mouth. "Why~? Shouldn't a baby make you happy?"

[graces]

Well, while she couldn't say she hadn't been expecting a question of that sort, she also couldn't help wishing it wouldn't come up. But, of course it had. It seemed if she even thought of something, he'd say it a second later.

It made her think about things she'd rather forget, like the tournament of Kaiba-san's where they all had been formally introduced to Malik. She could only be thankful that he was ... different now. And that the rod was still nowhere near either of them. While she didn't care for any of the items, she was downright afraid of that one in paticular.

She would never have someone using her like that, ever again. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

"I'm happy most of the time," She said, which was true, in a way. "We all have bad days."

It was strange, to hear him talking about her baby, and she would probably rather he didn't.

[tothedust]

"Mm." He crossed his hands behind his head, not minding that his hair was still damp.

"So kind of your friends to rally behind you, ne? Making sure that even though you're alone, the baby won't be." Well, not that he really knew if her friends gave a damn. He assumed they did, given how protective they generally were of one another.

Thinking of anyone being protective inevitably brought Rishid and Isis to mind, though. As much as he wanted to keep the conversation on her pain, he had other things he needed to know as well.

"Oi, did you speak to shujinkaku yet? Does he know where Sister went or does he just not care?"

[graces]

She had roll her eyes at what he said, though it gave her an opportunity to look away. Well, it sounded dumb coming from him, but that was likely only because she had thought that herself -- at least once.

Malik ... well, she had talked to Malik, but she hadn't exactly hounded him for information about Isis-san. He was coming to visit, and she had figured she could wait until then.

"I've spoken to him, but I haven't gotten a chance to ask him about her yet," She said, brushing imaginary lint from the fabric of her skirt. "But I hear that she quit her job at the museum."

She'd heard it from Shizuka, and she had decided bringing up the girl wasn't a good idea. She knew what he had done, and she knew that considering, she shouldn't be here. But when had common sense ever swayed her decision making.

"They could at least bring the vodka up first," She suddenly said, sounding annoyed. And she was -- she would like to be drinking, and because they were so slow, she couldn't.