Flower Eye? (Private)

The cracking of dead leaves underneath Sayuno’s heels disrupted the silence of the misty night. Rose Garden was a place much different from the ones she had visited before and thus it had left quite the impression on her. Congested streets and a strong scent of alcohol in the air made her curious about the lives these people lived. Sayuno stood a few meters away from the crowd, close enough to inspect and to hear, but too far away to be drawn in by the mass. The sorceress, a dainty girl with a great mind, had always been a brilliant lurker. Gifted with the rare talent to keep her presence underneath a thick veil of nothingness, the lady in white remained hidden until she genuinely wished to be seen.


She pulled her hood down with the intention to cover her sharp-featured face. Although Sayuno could easily be considered a timeless beauty, it wasn’t her porcelain-like skin, or the rose-coloured eyes that eventually caught everyone’s attention. Her grace, with which she carried herself, the endless ocean of hair that cascaded down the length of her body and shimmered in a captivating silvery hue and, of course, the white lily adorning the right side of her face in an unique and mysterious fashion.

Tonight, the young woman was dressed completely in black. A dark cloak rested upon her shoulders, falling loosely around her body so that no trace which could possibly hint at her body-type and build was left to be found. The dress she wore underneath, however, represented the complete opposite of that. Daringly short and skin tight with trailing sleeves, Sayuno decided to combine it with a pair of thigh-high boots that would emit a clicking sound after every step she took. Either way, the night was still young and Sayuno shamelessly snuck through the streets of Rose Garden either to pry on people or to find something she was actually interested in. That happened when she spotted a strawberry-selling stand not too far from her. She was close to approaching it when she noticed the man who stood by its side and basically towered above her.

Feeling somewhat intimidated by the thought of having an actual person who wasn’t bound to one position (such as the vendor) see her face Sayuno made a rash decision.

Click. Clack.

She took about two steps backwards when her heel decided it would be the best timing to hit a brick and cause her to stumble - but luckily not to fall. The hood had slipped off her head and the bright lights of the lacrimas blinded her all at once. Sayuno, who was easily irritated and frightened in moments like these, could feel an all too familiar sensation rushing through her veins. Before she could react she could feel her whole body morphing into something out of this world. It was only for a mere few seconds, it disappeared all by itself but Sayuno could see her own reflection in the man’s eyes - and it was enough to make her turn around and run away, hoping that she would easily blend in with the crowd that was now surrounding her.

She wished she could have gotten away with it. Becoming merged with the crowd, Sayuno’s eyes searched the scenery and for a few moments she saw herself safe and sound, albeit squished together, in between hundreds of people. Running was so much easier than explaining to the people what they had witnessed. She hated the disgusted looks they gave her, it was unfair because she had never had the chance to choose the magic she wanted - but she still did appreciate it. It was her magic through which she had survived, that taught her to live in this rotten world - not the humans that shared the same place with her. They were selfish, ignorant, cold-hearted and before Sayuno could realize what had happened, she had to admit that she had become one of them as well.

Sayuno’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man, one she had met before, albeit briefly. He stood in front of her, close enough for his words to reach her ears and Sayuno’s motions froze for a few seconds, while her mind worked restlessly on trying to explain how he had gotten past her so quickly. “..How?” She turned around to look over her shoulder, but there was nothing but an ocean of strangers. Sayuno looked up to the man and allowed for their eyes to lock once again. “I’m not lost,” she explained eventually with a calm voice, “..and there is nothing wrong with it. It’s just an accessory, see?” With a swift hand motion Sayuno took the flower off her eye and dangled it in front of the man’s face. Her right eye, just like her left, turned out to be completely fine. “Why are you asking me that? I don’t recall ever appearing to be lost.” Her voice hinted at sassiness, but her expression never changed.

He was so curious about you, now he looks disappointed, a faint voice spoke softly, passing by her thoughts as nothing but a mere whisper. Sayuno smiled a wolfish smile and with it, her expression changed ever so slightly. She did not miss the discouragement, and sudden lack of interest in his speech, but the sorceress was not all too bothered by it. Little did he knew that the flower did indeed serve a purpose but whether or not he was going to find out about its truth was in his hands. “Don’t look at me like that, kind stranger,” she whispered to him, and her voice was much gentler now. Sayuno’s nervosity had finally vanished and she was able to take a closer look upon him. Fairly tall, most likely combat-ready, she thought to herself and allowed for her eyes to shamelessly inspect his body. He had raven hair, pale skin just like hers and deep, red eyes. All in all a pleasant sight, she decided.

Sayuno’s rose eyes climbed all the way back up to his and she curled her lips a little. “I wasn’t lost,” she assured him and for a few seconds she became a little dreamy-eyed. “But I think now I am.” They remained like that for a short time before she turned her face away after he mentioned to her that he had certainly seen her back then. “I wasn’t running,” Sayuno shook her head and silvery wisps of hair danced around her skull. “I’m allowed to enjoy any city of Fiore just as much as everyone else is, right?” She asked rhetorically and closed her eyes for a moment. The way he handled what he had seen stirred up worry once again.

That man showed no sign of concern whatsoever - he wasn’t looking for an answer, he hadn’t come to her because he wanted to know about what she was - he already did. Sayuno was grateful when he offered her the strawberries because it would lift the weight off her shoulders. She returned his generous offer with a sheepish smile of hers. “As many as I would like?” Sayuno asked, as meekly as a lamb, before taking the whole basket from him. “Thank you,” she spoke and showed him her gratitude by caressing his hand with her fingers - accidently of course and only for a moment. Sayuno popped one into her mouth while turning around and taking a few steps towards the city, assuming that he would follow her if he ever wanted to see his strawberries again.

“They are delicious. I wonder if they were expensive?”

“Everything is valuable in its own way. Only because people tend to have a different outlook on things, and different opinions on values, it doesn’t change a thing about it,” Sayuno spoke and nodded to herself. She actually believed in that. That everything was worth something and even though some people refused to acknowledge that fact, it was still there. “These strawberries are sweet and juicy. Whoever planted them must have put a lot of work into them, so they are worth the money they cost.” Sayuno did realize that he had made an implication and she figured that he was, perhaps, a wealthy wanderer? People like that could afford traveling across the country, seeing everything, without having to work for something. It was a comfortable life and if that was his case she would envy him.

After she realized that he was eating something right behind her, Sayuno turned around as well, saw the strawberries in his hands and gave him a frown. “Where did those come from?” She asked him and her voice would reveal the sudden suspicion she felt towards him - not in a bad way though. Without asking whether or not it was okay for him, she leaned in, snatched the strawberry from his fingers and popped it into her very own mouth. After chewing for a few seconds her eyes lightened up and her cheeks reddened a little. “Delicious,” she whispered and stared at the carton. “No, seriously. Where did you get those?” It was a typical thing for Sayuno to let her guard down while getting excited over something so small and irrelevant such as strawberries, so when she realized what she was doing she straightened herself up. A smile spread across her face, but his next words took it away almost immediately.

“I’m human,” she whispered, “..and whatever you saw may be part of me now, but it hasn’t always been that way. It’s nothing I chose, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot appreciate it. It seeks knowledge, power and life and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that’s a very human thing to do.” Sayuno wasn’t going to mention her magic, she wasn’t going to mention just how cruel her spirits were - it would not matter to him and she had no reason to trust him that much. Wordlessly, she turned around and continued moving, this time approaching a part of the city that was far away from the crowds and almost abandoned at this time of the day.

Sayuno listened to his feet touching the ground behind the very own she just stood on and their steps echoed through the empty alleyways of Rose Garden. The sound of laughter and music could now barely be heard from a far distance and Sayuno began to feel more at ease. She no longer had to keep him interested and distracted with all that nonsense she spoke about - instead she stopped right on the spot, turned around and placed her hand upon his chest. “We are going nowhere,” she said, and this time firmness lingered beneath her soft and sweet voice. “I don’t have time for this nonsense,” much colder now, Sayuno’s eyes had lost their spark and she returned the basket to him without further ado. “Perhaps you will feel more comfortable in knowing that all your questions will never be answered, nor will they affect your life in any way - unless you keep bothering me. And if that’s the case I will gladly bite your head off.” She flashed him a toothy grin and cracked her neck. “That’s right, bite - not cut.”

She had no idea who she was talking to. Naturally. Wizard Saints, the Magic Council, they simply did not interest her and their authority and their power wouldn’t stop her from a dare devil. She could sense no interest in the sound of his voice, he wasn’t here for small talk - and to say it quite frankly, neither was Sayuno - however his presence had begun to bother her. His existence served no purpose (at least not to her) whatsoever and if he was really that curious about the flower on her eye, it was just another thing he would have to live without. “Now go, before I actually make use of the fact that I have lured you into some empty alley.” Indeed, it was true. There was no one there but them, some boy and a demon possessed murderess.

A sudden change in the atmosphere was what caught her attention. A mild breeze carried the sound of Sayuno’s mocking snickers through the streets of Rose Garden, a faint laughter that died away when she saw and recognized the changes which overcame his body. Although Sayuno could not have been more pleased with herself, she did realize that the situation she suddenly found herself in was a dangerous one. She had never intended to bring out whatever monster lingered behind his handsome facade, and she was surprised at how easy it had been for her to do so. Her reticence had angered him and he had snapped. Sayuno, a woman born with the ability people called ‘take over’, could easily identify the magic once she saw it - and he couldn’t have made it more obvious.

Still, his power was completely out of this world.

Sayuno meant to say something, but his transformation had left her speechless for a long moment. She just stood there, looked up to him, watching as he snitched the lily away, but paid it no attention afterwards. “Wait,” she begged him, unsure whether or not the words of a stranger would even calm him down. “I had no idea,” she whispered, reached out to him and eventually - if he would allow - her hands would reach his cheeks. She was too excited to feel fear, even though she knew she would be better off if she did. Sayuno never had met a single other person using the same magic as her, and thus she had never met anyone who could even attempt to understand what it was like to be a mere vessel to a different entity in your body. But if anyone in this world could understand - it would be him.

Sayuno was now on her tiptoes. She brought her lips closer to his ear, carefully so he wouldn’t fight her back (there was nothing he had to fear from her after all), and whispered a few words to him. “Calm down, please, and I will tell you everything you wish to know. But trust me when I say, you already know more than you think, and it couldn’t be easier than this because you are, in a way, just like me. But first, I want you to tell me about yourself.  Who are you? And tell me, what could someone like you possibly want from someone like me?” She took a look around and fortunately there was no one else to be seen.

“Possessed? By a little flower?” The girl smiled her sweetest smile and chuckled to herself while shaking her head ever so slightly. “So wrong, my dear. If I were possessed by a mere flower I could have just taken it off a long time ago - or asked someone to do it for me, like you just did, mh?” She shook her head once more and subtly slid her hands higher, to his head, which she would pat even so carefully. “No, sweetling, the flower serves a whole nother purpose, but you will find out eventually. If you try hard enough, that is.” She was no longer whispering, now that she realized she had his attention. Unlike hers, he had his take overs completely under control, a decent and admirable work as she thought. However, she was still too curious to learn more about him to just drop him here and now (not that running away would have done anything for her in this situation, she was well aware of that).

“First of all,” she spoke, “Nothing ever happens against my will.” If he ever wanted to find about her, he would have to let her live. There was no other way and even Sayuno realized that murdering her right now was way too boring of an act, even for that stranger. And to make this experience worth their while she decided to keep him on edge for even a little longer. Lowering her head, Sayuno’s eyes found the flower and with it, the way he treated the small plant incurred her displeasure. “No!” She scolded him, raising her index-finger to his face so he could see. “Don’t do that, this is an important item and you may regret your decision.” She picked the flower from his hands and placed it back into her hair - not her eye this time considering that she needed both to marvel at his armour. Sayuno, who figured that she was free to do whatever she wanted, danced around the man’s takeover, inspected each and every part of him, and her eyes searched his whole body always hoping to find something that would tell her more about what he was.

“Impressive,” she noted and nodded approvingly, now that she was standing in front of him again. She had tried using her magic on him - he looked quite evil, much like a demon as well, but even though Sayuno was specialized in taking over demons, this one was pretty much immune to her. “An excellent take over. Strong and sturdy, I just want to look at you all day. But perhaps this is all you have? Interesting looks? Or are you strong as well?” She shrugged at him and nonchalantly pulled on his wings a little. She needed to know more before she could decide what to do with him.  

Sayuno looked through the fog-shrouded streets. It had gotten so dark without her even noticing it. The man, Sayuno could feel his wrath growing stronger by the minute, and each second he lost a bigger bit of his patience to her stubbornness, still stood where he was and glared at her. He slapped her hand away without a warning and Sayuno winced and quickly pulled the limb away which was now overwhelmed by a throbbing pain. The sorceress had undergone little to no training in the past few months and she hated to admit that she had become quite delicate and bruised easily. She flashed the man a mean look before turning her face away, realizing (better late than never) that angering him had been a stupid idea and that she wasn’t getting anything out of him after all - not like this.

Enough of this nonsense now, Sayuno heard a voice growl inside her mind. Feminine, yet dark and deep. She immediately stopped caressing her hand and straightened herself up to listen to what Basileus had to say. The demoness was by far her strongest take over spirit, although Sayuno could barely use her potential. She was too weak to use the full strength of hers, so relying on Basileus’ wisdom was the best she could do in all situations. In the meantime the man had switched positions and now stood closer to a wall, against which he would lean himself while crossing his arms in front of his chest. Sayuno frowned at him and shook her head. He was no longer amused by her little games and maybe he never had been in first place. She knew that she had to give up on it now and that this wouldn’t take her anywhere. The words that came out of his mouth next could only confirm his words.

Basileus had become silent, but Sayuno knew that she was still listening. She began playing with her hair a little, ran her fingers through the silvery mane and rubbed the tips in between her thumb and index before curling it around and letting it go again. She played it off well, but what little he ended up revealing about himself after all created a whole new image inside her mind.

“A Nephalem?” She asked innocently and slightly tilted her head to the side. This is bad, Belial, Sayuno’s other demon, had come out of nowhere. She usually wasn’t interested in anything so she was surprised to hear her speak. A Nephalem is a creature born when a demon lays with an angel. It’s a great sin even among the greatest sinners and their spawns are bastards. Unwanted and ditched aside, they have no place in either of the worlds. Belial explained an Sayuno’s eyes widened a little. Is this why he is here on earth? Among humans even though he isn’t one of them? She knew nothing about that man, yet when that thought crossed her mind she felt something similar to pity. Perhaps. If he is truly a half-breed he is no one you want to be seen with.

“Fine,” she said and smiled frostily at him. Recurrent pulses of dark, magical energy emitted from her body and her body engulfed in a crimson light created by a small magic circle above their heads. Sayuno’s transformation was by far not as as intimidating as it, and instead offered quite the lovely sight. Compared to the Nephalem, Sayuno’s take over still looked much more human compared to his and her voluptuous body was only partially covered in dark red and black scales, as well as some armour. Horns, a long spiky tail and four wings were still there to vouch for the demonic beast inside her and Sayuno wondered if he would finally understood that this was her magic - and not her species. “I was wrong about you, though. You’re nothing like me at all. You’re the one who is not human.” Sayuno stepped closer, not touching him but peering at him with an evil smirk on her lips. “Are you lonely? Is that why you came to me? Were you hoping to find someone who is just like you? Do you need someone to be with? If that’s the case, I’ll be with you. And if you tell me about yourself, I will understand you.” She might have left a different, more dishonest impression on him but Sayuno was genuine with what she said. She just wasn’t sure if he wanted her, and if he would admit it even if he did.

After all, she was a nobody.

Sayuno revealed her magic to him and promptly his expression softened. She was surprised to see his anger vanish and for once the stranger almost looked satisfied with what he had seen and heard. Needless to say, there wasn’t much more she could tell him about herself and the magic she used and the man seemed to understand that and stopped asking questions. Sayuno flapped her wings a little, an act of nervosity since the young sorceress wasn’t sure how to handle the sudden change of the situation. It was quite unexpected, to say the least. Her long tail whipped over the ground and stirred up the dust and her eyes widened a little when she saw him transform back to...his more human-like body. He appeared to be one of them, but his Take Over would never change who or what he really was - that much she knew.

“I’m nothing compared to you,” she quickly responded to his remark and took a step backwards. A strange sensation overcame her and she felt ill at the thought of falling into one of his traps. He knew what he wanted know and nothing stopped him from punishing her for toying with him for so long. “I’ve never met a Nephalem..truth be told I wasn’t exactly sure if they actually existed to begin with, but here you are.” If Sayuno knew nothing about Take Over she could have easily dismissed his transformation as some sort of trick, but knowing how real it was made her recoil from his touch.

“I wonder just how powerful a Nephalem really is,” she smiled meekly at him, “..but thinking about it I’d rather not find out about it right here and right now.” She took another step backwards and her whole body visible shivered under his touch. “Unfortunately, I’m not a whore. And if I were, I wouldn’t be a very good one. I was wrong with my assumption and I have nothing to satisfy your nonhuman thirsts.” That was true, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t let her go like that. Now that he had returned to his previous appearance Sayuno decided that it was best to do the same. She slid her left hand underneath his shirt, lifted it up ever so slightly and carved a little heart into his skin using one of her long fingernails. Her fingers trailed down his abdomen and gently traced the shape of his muscles before she removed it and canceled her Take Over quickly. “It’s late already, too late for us to be seen like this. People might get the wrong idea.” She allowed him to take a glimpse at her most bewitching smile before lowering her head in a respectful manner. “I should go.”

Strange, how much more human he had become. He was a lot more talk-active now and Sayuno sighed heavily. She now knew that she was no longer in danger and that he wouldn’t harm her, and it had been quite the educational experience. He was the first of his kind she had ever met, in many ways, and while the man didn’t seem all too good-natured there was still something she hoped she could trust one day. He was the closest she would ever be with in regards to her magic so when he asked her to stay and listen to him instead she smiled almost happily at him. “Okay,” he was much more straight-forward with her now and needless to say, it caught her by surprise. Sayuno arched her brow, looked up to him and placed her hand over his chest. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.” In a way, there was nothing in for him, nothing Sayuno could give a creature like that, but he still allowed her to be with him.

Her gaze shifted over to his hand and another carton of strawberry appeared. She almost laughed.  She took one without asking, stuffed it into her mouth and quietly chewed on it while listening to him. The adventure of her lifetime? Sayuno had always assumed that someone like her wouldn’t live that long, so now was better than late, right? She nodded and quickly stole another few strawberries from his grasp. Eventually, Sayuno would take his hand when he offered to her and played a little with his fingers before intertwining them with his. She grinned a little at the thought of him training her and something in her decided that, in spite of all those things, tonight she would be the one to show him some things he had never seen before. “If that’s so, then I choose you,” she said and snickered, “Should I call you Master from now on?” Her voice had become a little teasing once again and she squeezed his hand tightly before taking a look around. “Where should we go together, Master?” Her voice hinted that she wasn’t being serious with that term and she eagerly awaited his expression and his answer.

He choked on his strawberry, stuttered a little and Sayuno couldn’t help but laugh at how silly he was being. She waited until he picked another strawberry to eat before stepping closer to him and reaching out for it with her mouth. She would snatch it away from his fingers like that and happily chew on it while watching his face. “Of course I’m not being serious, stupid.” She took one more strawberry with her free hand and willingly followed him when he started dragging her across the city. “I thought you wanted to murder me? I’m surprised you haven’t lost interest in me yet,” she curled her lips and as soon as her other hand was freed from strawberries she reached out and gave him a firm spank on his behind. “But sure, take me anywhere you’d like to!” She said with a grin and curiously looked around while he was leading her. While she was following him she remembered that they hadn’t introduced themselves to each other yet but perhaps it was better to wait a little longer with that.

The hotel he brought her to was quite fancy and Sayuno was actually impressed. He had proven his strength to her and it was very clear now that he used said strength to go on a lot, and she meant a lot of jobs or else he wouldn’t be able to afford all of this. I should follow his example at some point, she thought to herself as they entered. He invited her into this room and Sayuno stepped inside. She took a look around and registered everything that there was while letting go of his hand to take a few steps. “It’s very nice,” she said and smiled at him, “We will have enough time to ourselves here, so it seems.” What he said next made her chuckle a little. He laid himself down on his bed and Sayuno moved to the closet that was nearby and opened it. Wordlessly she removed the black coat she was wearing as well as the dress underneath it and her boots. Sayuno was a neat person so she folded everything and placed it aside before pulling out a random shirt of his, which ever she would reach first, and tossed it over her shoulder.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she announced to him and walked over to his side. She sat down on the bed for a moment and placed her hand on his cheek to get his attention. “You’re right, there is a long night ahead of us, so you should rest while you still can.” With that being said, she stood up and disappeared into the bathroom.

The faint sound of knocking against a wooden door could be heard. She had long taken off what clothes remained on her body and allowed the warm water to rinse her long hair. The room was already mist-shrouded and he would, if he took a closer look, see her silhouette perhaps but nothing more. Sayuno did not mind his presence in the bathroom with her and while she almost expected him to join her in the shower very soon she also wasn’t surprised when he didn’t and started a conversation instead. “I am, thank you for taking me here.” She responded to his question and glanced over her shoulder to flash him a smile he most likely wouldn’t be able to see. Eventually she turned off the water and began cleaning herself with some soap and shampoo while he introduced himself to her.

“I’ve thought about that too,” she said and turned her back on him while she was still casually washing herself. “We’ve both had a long day, but strangely enough I’m glad that I met you Deca. I wasn’t expecting that a of turn of events.” Deca was a strange name, she thought to herself, and the way he worded it it was most definitely not his real name either. Sayuno was a little disappointed to see that he wasn’t going to trust her with his real name, but got over it quickly and decided to be honest with him. “I am Sayuno. Or Yuno, if you’d like.” She turned the water back on and spent the next few minutes in silence while she was rinsing her body off the foam. Once finished, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body before stepping out of the shower. “I’ve had them for almost my entire life now, actually. Not always, but long since I was a young girl. They are what saved me from being sold into prostitution, but I’ve been nothing but a mere wanderer my whole life.” She used another, smaller towel to dry her hair and eventually left the bathroom to sit on the bed. “Considering what you are I assume you’ve had yours your entire life?”