Prelude: Arriving in the DGM DR
Wisely sighed and glanced out the rain-streaked window. It had been five months since he was attacked but the scars on his back still ached. He was healing slowly, unable to do anything to speed up the process. Since his humanity had blocked his powers, it had also blocked the natural inhuman healing ability that all Noah had. It wasn't instantaneous but it allowed for faster healing than normal. Instead, his humanity cancelled out the ability and drew out the healing process longer than should have been necessary. Instead of taking maybe a two weeks to heal, it had taken the full three and a half months to heal the burns on his back. Worse still, he had to let Cyril care for his wounds for the first month. He loved his brother but a full month of Cyril doting on him and smothering him with worried affection was too much.
He was fully healed now but the Earl was still hesitant to let him go outside alone. He wouldn't let him fight, worried that Wisely would be ambushed again. Wisely took to practicing his powers on people passing by the mansion and on the guests at the Earl's parties. There was no excitement in it for him, though. He was stagnate, unable to advance and that left him to brooding. Thinking about what he was, how he reached this point, and why he existed. If he was a Noah who wasn't allowed out onto the battlefield, wasn't he a failure? And if he was a failure of a Noah, didn't that make his existence pointless? He shied away from the thought but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling.
He sighs again and watches the rain drip down the glass. Road bounces in and jumps on his back, hugging him from behind. "Wisely~♥ How are you today?"
He winces a little when she pounces on his back too hard but he pats her head absently. "Bored. What were you up to?"
"I went to play with some exorcists~ I got to play with the real pretty girl again today. I can't wait until you can come and play with us. Just don't go after Allen, he's mine~♪" Road smiled broadly at Wisely. She didn't miss the wince but he's trying to cover it up so she's pretending she didn't see it.
Tyki phases through the wall, dripping wet. "Mah, mah. It's really pouring out there. Oh?" He pauses to eye Wisely and Road. "Are you two having a date without me?"
"Yes!" Road cries, laughing happily. "No stinky hobos allowed, Tyki."
"The Earl's going to have a fit if he sees you wearing that outfit here, Tyk." Wisely added, calling his brother by his pet name. "He hates that unrefined look. Not to mention you're dripping all over his favorite Chinese rug."
Tyki quickly moved off the rug and took off his glasses, phasing them through his hand. They disappeared into smoke before they reached the floor, nothing more than an illusion. He slicked his wet hair back, proudly displaying his stigmata. Wisely felt a moment of envy. "You call me unrefined but look at your clothes, brother. Nothing could be more unrefined."
Wisely glanced down at the white vest-like shirt of Arabian design. The matching pants added to the effect of an exotic look. He looked back up at Tyki and smirked. You're just jealous, brother. Besides, you know this is the only outfit I'll wear." It's his only tie to his past and he's not willing to let it go.
Tyki chuckled and walked over to Wisely, ruffling his hair playfully. His "white side" clothes were gone, replaced by the stuffy suit he kept so immaculate. Wisely couldn't understand how he could bare wearing that tight, constricting funeral clothes. "Me? Jealous of that ridiculous outfit? Surely you jest."
Wisely grins at the wise-crack. It feels good, bantering with his brother like this. "So how was today?"
"I had a hard time at the mines." He complains, rubbing one of his shoulders. "Sometimes I wonder why I keep my white side up." He continued talking but Wisely tuned him out. His smile dropped from his face.
Tyki complained about his white side but to Wisely, it sounded like bragging. All his memories of his past life were wiped clean, gone. When Wisely first awoke as a Noah, the process was mind-splittingly painful. It literally felt like he was going to lose his mind. In a way, he supposed, he did. Shortly after turning, he realized that almost all his memories were gone. Completely erased, as if his life as a human hadn't existed. He would recognize someone, would see their face and know he knew this person but he would have no idea who they were. He wouldn't know how he knew them. They could tell him stories about his life one day and even that would disappear by the next morning. It was as if his Noah powers were canceling out everything that made him human. That was eight months ago. Wisely had given up any idea that he might regain his memories.
Wisely had admitted the lose of his memories but most of the other Noah has seen in as a blessing. The Earl had even applauded it as something good and told him he was better off forgetting all about his past life. Tyki was the only one who had understood a little of the troubles Wisely was undergoing; Wisely was grateful to him for that. However, Wisely still had difficulty adjusting since he felt he could no longer be anything but a Noah. He knew he wasn't human anymore but then, what was he? Some of his humanity still remained, a desperate secret he kept from his beloved Family. That humanity kept telling him that this lifestyle was wrong; that killing humans was wrong, that creating akuma was wrong. But he was a Noah now. He was a Noah and that was all he could be. He had no other choice now...right?
Tyki realized something was wrong when Wisely stopped responding, a far off look on his face. He stopped talking. "Wisely?"
Wisely glanced at Tyki. Oh. He had spaced out again. "Ah. Sorry. Just had something on my mind. What were you saying?"
Tyki strode across the room. "I was saying that I think you've been cooped up inside here for too long. You are coming with me on a shopping trip."
"Eh?"
"Me too, me too~" Road piped up.
Wisely found himself dragged to his feet and being forced towards the door. "Hey, hey. Are you serious?"
-0-0-
Four hours later, Wisely collapsed on the couch again, exhausted. He was smiling again, though. He and Tyki had spent the time pampering Road and joking together. He felt better, better than he had in a long time. He hadn't laughed in a long time and it had felt good. His eyes felt heavy and he leaned his head back, thinking there was nothing wrong with a nap. Slowly his eye lids closed and he allowed himself to be lulled to sleep. It was a mistake he would regret.
He woke up when he felt a thud, as if he'd fallen off the couch. Except, normally he didn't move in his sleep and it felt like he'd fallen farther then he should have. He cracked an eye open, expecting to see Road or Tyki grinning at him, having shoved him off the couch. Or maybe the twins, they would sometimes pull pranks on him as well. What he didn't expect to see was a couch looming over him, several feet in the air. He had just enough time to roll out of the way before it fell on top of him. It landed with a loud thud. He glanced back and was surprised to see it was his couch. This was the couch he'd been sleeping on.
He sat up carefully and glanced around, not recognizing his surroundings. Was this another practical joke? He really hoped it was, because he didn't see any of his family here. "Road? Is this another one of your pranks?" He waited for a response, feeling his gut plunge at the thought of being alone again.
If he wasn't with his family, he wasn't a Noah anymore. And if he wasn't a Noah, just what was he? With no memories, no past, and no place to return to, Wisely had never felt more lost.
He was fully healed now but the Earl was still hesitant to let him go outside alone. He wouldn't let him fight, worried that Wisely would be ambushed again. Wisely took to practicing his powers on people passing by the mansion and on the guests at the Earl's parties. There was no excitement in it for him, though. He was stagnate, unable to advance and that left him to brooding. Thinking about what he was, how he reached this point, and why he existed. If he was a Noah who wasn't allowed out onto the battlefield, wasn't he a failure? And if he was a failure of a Noah, didn't that make his existence pointless? He shied away from the thought but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling.
He sighs again and watches the rain drip down the glass. Road bounces in and jumps on his back, hugging him from behind. "Wisely~♥ How are you today?"
He winces a little when she pounces on his back too hard but he pats her head absently. "Bored. What were you up to?"
"I went to play with some exorcists~ I got to play with the real pretty girl again today. I can't wait until you can come and play with us. Just don't go after Allen, he's mine~♪" Road smiled broadly at Wisely. She didn't miss the wince but he's trying to cover it up so she's pretending she didn't see it.
Tyki phases through the wall, dripping wet. "Mah, mah. It's really pouring out there. Oh?" He pauses to eye Wisely and Road. "Are you two having a date without me?"
"Yes!" Road cries, laughing happily. "No stinky hobos allowed, Tyki."
"The Earl's going to have a fit if he sees you wearing that outfit here, Tyk." Wisely added, calling his brother by his pet name. "He hates that unrefined look. Not to mention you're dripping all over his favorite Chinese rug."
Tyki quickly moved off the rug and took off his glasses, phasing them through his hand. They disappeared into smoke before they reached the floor, nothing more than an illusion. He slicked his wet hair back, proudly displaying his stigmata. Wisely felt a moment of envy. "You call me unrefined but look at your clothes, brother. Nothing could be more unrefined."
Wisely glanced down at the white vest-like shirt of Arabian design. The matching pants added to the effect of an exotic look. He looked back up at Tyki and smirked. You're just jealous, brother. Besides, you know this is the only outfit I'll wear." It's his only tie to his past and he's not willing to let it go.
Tyki chuckled and walked over to Wisely, ruffling his hair playfully. His "white side" clothes were gone, replaced by the stuffy suit he kept so immaculate. Wisely couldn't understand how he could bare wearing that tight, constricting funeral clothes. "Me? Jealous of that ridiculous outfit? Surely you jest."
Wisely grins at the wise-crack. It feels good, bantering with his brother like this. "So how was today?"
"I had a hard time at the mines." He complains, rubbing one of his shoulders. "Sometimes I wonder why I keep my white side up." He continued talking but Wisely tuned him out. His smile dropped from his face.
Tyki complained about his white side but to Wisely, it sounded like bragging. All his memories of his past life were wiped clean, gone. When Wisely first awoke as a Noah, the process was mind-splittingly painful. It literally felt like he was going to lose his mind. In a way, he supposed, he did. Shortly after turning, he realized that almost all his memories were gone. Completely erased, as if his life as a human hadn't existed. He would recognize someone, would see their face and know he knew this person but he would have no idea who they were. He wouldn't know how he knew them. They could tell him stories about his life one day and even that would disappear by the next morning. It was as if his Noah powers were canceling out everything that made him human. That was eight months ago. Wisely had given up any idea that he might regain his memories.
Wisely had admitted the lose of his memories but most of the other Noah has seen in as a blessing. The Earl had even applauded it as something good and told him he was better off forgetting all about his past life. Tyki was the only one who had understood a little of the troubles Wisely was undergoing; Wisely was grateful to him for that. However, Wisely still had difficulty adjusting since he felt he could no longer be anything but a Noah. He knew he wasn't human anymore but then, what was he? Some of his humanity still remained, a desperate secret he kept from his beloved Family. That humanity kept telling him that this lifestyle was wrong; that killing humans was wrong, that creating akuma was wrong. But he was a Noah now. He was a Noah and that was all he could be. He had no other choice now...right?
Tyki realized something was wrong when Wisely stopped responding, a far off look on his face. He stopped talking. "Wisely?"
Wisely glanced at Tyki. Oh. He had spaced out again. "Ah. Sorry. Just had something on my mind. What were you saying?"
Tyki strode across the room. "I was saying that I think you've been cooped up inside here for too long. You are coming with me on a shopping trip."
"Eh?"
"Me too, me too~" Road piped up.
Wisely found himself dragged to his feet and being forced towards the door. "Hey, hey. Are you serious?"
-0-0-
Four hours later, Wisely collapsed on the couch again, exhausted. He was smiling again, though. He and Tyki had spent the time pampering Road and joking together. He felt better, better than he had in a long time. He hadn't laughed in a long time and it had felt good. His eyes felt heavy and he leaned his head back, thinking there was nothing wrong with a nap. Slowly his eye lids closed and he allowed himself to be lulled to sleep. It was a mistake he would regret.
He woke up when he felt a thud, as if he'd fallen off the couch. Except, normally he didn't move in his sleep and it felt like he'd fallen farther then he should have. He cracked an eye open, expecting to see Road or Tyki grinning at him, having shoved him off the couch. Or maybe the twins, they would sometimes pull pranks on him as well. What he didn't expect to see was a couch looming over him, several feet in the air. He had just enough time to roll out of the way before it fell on top of him. It landed with a loud thud. He glanced back and was surprised to see it was his couch. This was the couch he'd been sleeping on.
He sat up carefully and glanced around, not recognizing his surroundings. Was this another practical joke? He really hoped it was, because he didn't see any of his family here. "Road? Is this another one of your pranks?" He waited for a response, feeling his gut plunge at the thought of being alone again.
If he wasn't with his family, he wasn't a Noah anymore. And if he wasn't a Noah, just what was he? With no memories, no past, and no place to return to, Wisely had never felt more lost.