Kuoh Town

[Bloodedge]

In another time years ago, seen through this world of dreams, there was a single boy looking through his bedroom window at the full moon. This lad was not quite a teen, though he felt every ounce of loneliness found in an old hermit on his deathbed. Deep cardinal eyes gazed upon the moon in all its splendor, and it was like looking at a reverse mirror. As full as the moon was, it was reflected in the emptiness of the boy's eyes. 'God... you still won't answer me,' he thought. His head lowered, and his long and wild hair fell to cover the majority of his face. The windowsill beneath him became wetter over time, and yet... it wasn't raining, nor was it the sill on the outside which gained this moisture. Indeed, these drops came from the boy's face by pouring from those empty eyes of his. "... Satan?" he said aloud, unknowingly calling from a place deep within his heart. 'Will you be my friend?'

[Apollymi]

This lonely boy who cried and prayed, first to god and then to Satan would eventually have his prayer answered. It was strange because in the deepest part of his heart all he wanted was a friend, and one would surely appear. Through the conviction of this moment, a magic circle would be formed glowing red behind the lad, out of it would come a buxom young woman with her crimson locks atop her head in a ponytail, with bangs covering her left eye. Beyond this she was dressed in a black form fitted top with a turtle neck and no sleeves, but a short red and black plaid mini-skirt and thigh high socks in addition to black boots. Her one visible eye glowed crimson in color and as she stood in this room she managed to look confused. "Ano, did you call for me?" she asked as if it was the most normal thing in the world for her to appear randomly in the bedrooms of children.

[Bloodedge]

Something was suddenly appearing behind the lad, and it created a light coming from within his room. This was a very unnatural light, or rather a supernatural one. His eyes opened more as he turned around, viewing the creature which emerged from this light with his face drenched, even though he looked as if he felt nothing otherwise. As odd as the appearance of this buxom woman should have been, he was completely unfazed by it. He was, however, surprised that anyone might have heard his call. "Satan?"

[Apollymi]

Strangely, this crimson haired woman was confronted by a child, who questioned her only with the idea that she might have been Satan. Her eyes widened at this because it was a really strange thing to assume. Beyond that this kid didn't look like he was even a teenager, what could have happened to make him think he needed Satan. "Well, no. I not Satan. I'm a Devil... and I know Satan~" she mentioned. Even without thinking that this kid had accidentally called her, she was more than willing to help, and even prove what she meant. "Mite, I have wings and everything~" she said causing the unfurling of large bat-like wings from between her shoulder blades. "Do you need a Devil for something?" she asked of the lad, she couldn't see his face, but her powers let her know that there was something amiss with this lad, and she was keen to figure out what it was, and right it, if she could.

[Bloodedge]

The woman who appeared in his room was not, in fact, Satan. This was initially a saddening fact, as it meant his prayers had still not been answered. However, the woman claimed herself to be a devil in association with Satan. She even showed him her wings to prove her status. "Sugoi..." he said somewhat flatly. Perhaps this person could grant his wish after all. Regardless, all he had was hope. Perhaps it could even pay off this time, unlike every other scenario thus far. "Ano... I just wanted a friend. God never answered, so... I asked Satan. Did Satan send you to be my friend?"

[Apollymi]

The boy this winged lass stood in front of seemed less than impressed by her status as a Devil. In fact, he'd seem almost disappointed even when viewing her wings. What a strangely flat affect this young man possessed and he was but a boy she couldn't understand this level of apathy. When she asked this boy what he needed of a devil, he mentioned that he wanted a friend. That he'd even asked both God and Satan and Satan was the who'd answered by virtue of her presence. "You prayed, to both god and Satan... for a friend?" this question was rhetorical, she'd just heard him say this very thing, it was just amazing to her. How few friends could one have? How alone could one feel, that they felt the need to pray to different deities just for friends. "You don't have to wish for a friend... I'll be your friend," she said calmly. "Save your wish for something else," she finished this thought calmly. In the background of the house another voice could be heard, it would be that of this child's mother calling him down for dinner. "SHOUKI! DINNER'S READY!" she chimed, such news made the crimson haired woman's eyes widen just a bit. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Eir, I take it, you're Shouki?" she asked as she approached this lad with her arms outstretched, intending to wrap herself around him and offer him a hug. She could only imagine how starved for attention he had to be to end up in the state that would have him asking Satan for friends. She only wished to comfort him now, and help him if she could.

[Bloodedge]

"... Ou," the boy said. For some time now, he had been praying to God for someone he could call a friend, albeit to no avail. Here in his first attempt to reach Satan instead, there was success. It wasn't so much a wish on his part as it was a plea, but this crimson-haired woman claimed he did not have to wish for a friend... that she would be it, so he could save whatever wish he had for something else. This was something baffling; he didn't understand. "I didn't want to make a wish. I just want a friend," he specified. Just then, his mother called him downstairs. Before he could react to the woman, this devil introduced herself as Eir, making the assumption that Shouki was his name because she'd heard it from his mother. He wanted to correct her, really... but then he was suddenly taken into an embrace initiated by the devil, allowing him to experience something he'd never felt before. His arms hesitantly wrapped around her as he settled into this strange warmth, and when they did, he gripped tightly whilst trembling. For whatever reason, his crying began anew. "... Hai. Shouki desu!"

[Apollymi]

This boy went on to claim that he didn't intend to make a wish and instead simply wanted a friend. That didn't really make sense to the girl, as she was pretty sure the magic circle that summoned her was a contract circle and should involve some kind of deal. But she figured she'd worry about that later, having already made the decision to be this boy's friend. "Hai," she mentioned feeling strangely that the lad wanted a friend this badly. And as she hugged him even stranger things were to come, his tears began a new and he squeezed her back as if he'd never felt like this before. These emotions were rather intense and the nature of this devil meant she could feel them too. "Yare yare, it's okay Sho-u-ki~" she mused with a sing-song quality to her voice. She didn't let go of this lad until she heard the cries of his mother again. "SHOUKI!" the woman yelled which made her embrace of the lad become slightly more gentle and prodding as she laid a hand atop the mass of his hair shuffling it just a bit and gave him a soft smile. "Go have dinner with your mother... I'll be right here waiting for you~" she said as she leaned in and pressed her lips against the boy's forehead. And when he released her, true to her own word, she'd take a seat upon his bed and wait for him to return.

[Bloodedge]

Another call from his mother broke a moment the boy called Shouki would rather have continued. However, the devil who appeared to him urged him on with the promise of still being here when he returned. This brought a smile to the young one's face; yet another thing he hadn't experienced in a long time. What's more, the sensation of the devil's lips upon his forehead brought him an unknown level of satisfaction, causing his face to redden. "Hai! I'll eat really fast!" he said, hopping over to grip the devil once more before running off to the dinner table.

[Apollymi]

This boy had rather suddenly changed moods. It was as if his entire life was changed by something Eir herself considered to be simple. There was a smile on this boy's face, the likes of which she wouldn't have thought possible upon first meeting him, and something about that vision warmed her heart deeply. What was more the lad had a red tint to his face when her lips touched his forehead. She was more than curious about what all he'd been without as far as his interactions were concerned, but she supposed she would have time to figure this out. He even went to far as to hug her again of his own volition. She was stunned by this, but her smile remained. "Hai hai, but be careful..." she mused, waiting for him to return. But time move different in dreams so that time seemed to pass in a literal instant.

Some other time this girl sat upon the desk in this boy's room. It was the afternoon and this time she sat in the sun shining on the desk having it reflect off the crimson of her hair, which found itself free this day. Her legs crossed at the ankle dangling over the edge as she addressed this boy seemingly interested in every aspect of his life. "So what did you do today, Sho-u-ki~?" she asked of the lad. She'd grown attached to him. Looked forward to the hours of the day they spent together, she'd become his friend as properly as she knew how.

[Bloodedge]

The day 'Eir' sat on Shouki's desk under the light of the sun, the boy sat upon his bed with a simple toy in his hand. It was nothing more than a faceless doll with a crude drawing on its head. It looked as if it had been squeezed ragged over years, and if one looked hard enough, the drawing on the head looked a bit like the devil Takumi had come to call his friend. When asked what he'd done this day, he held the doll with both hands and looked up to the devil. "I... I colored this. I've had it for a few years, but lately I... it lets me pretend you're there when you have to go," he said of the raggedy doll with its stuffing beginning to spew from the stitching in its side. "What did you do? Do you have any more devil stories?"

[Apollymi]

Eir sat upon this boy's desk looking at the doll he held. It seemed to be well loved and he showed a bit of attachment to it. He claimed he'd had it for years, but today was the day he'd colored it. Upon closer inspection she could see that it looked a bit like her. And if she needed any confirmation of this, the lad's words were ones which seemed to hint that he'd made it to look like her for the times she was away from him. "Sou ka, it looks really cute. I'm glad it keeps you company~ Let me just add in the finishing touches~" she gave a slight moment of pause before a magic circle appeared around the doll causing a minor upgrade. Stitching the side of it closed and adding little bat wings to it. She didn't change it much at all, just added a bit of flare. When asked about Devil stories she thought about what her day had gone before this point. She'd left him the previous night after tucking him into bed.

"Let's see... last night I had a contract. It wasn't really interesting or anything, but... I'll tell you about it if you want," she mentioned. The story was a bit long so she moved, choosing to seat herself behind the lad wrapping her body around him so she could tell him of her night's adventure. "I was summoned to a house, it was said to be haunted. All day and all night they could hear this music, but never figure out where it was coming from. Nothing in the house played the song... and nothing they tried to do would drown it out. It was like the family was cursed to hear this one song, over and over again~" she mused thinking about it now that it was over, the entire thing was just a little funny. "But it turned out, that the house had a secret space, like a play room for the previous owner's kids, covered on the outside by a bookshelf. And they were into the occult, they'd given their kids a music box which played this one song... so they could have it even when they were gone," she stated explaining it. "The music coming out of the box was enchanted with power to make the children sleep, but it wouldn't turn off unless the parents turned it off," she said. "But apparently an impish neighbor found out about the box and went in and turned it on while wearing ear plugs and then just left it there. So, whenever the people were looking for it, they couldn't find it, but it always played over and over again. And since it wasn't enchanted for them, it'd just keep playing forever...." she said. This problem was a rather minor one on the scale of things she encountered but still she enjoyed helping people and would do so no matter what. "So, I found the music box, it was pretty easy after I realized I wasn't crazy and the music wasn't just following me around. And then I drained the magic from it so they could keep the box. It was antique, but they said the didn't want it, and gave it to me... They were nice people," she mused. "Actually that was probably kind of boring for a whole night huh, Shouki?"

[Bloodedge]

Eir delivered a compliment to the young boy on the design he'd given the doll, and he grinned while looking at it. This expression turned to one of surprise as she used her magical abilities to repair the tattered item, and even spruce it up a bit by making it more like the devil she was. He seemed very excited about this, and he even went on to squeeze the doll right then and there. "Sugoi! Your powers are awesome, Eir-san! Arigatou!" he exclaimed.

The female devil did indeed have another story to tell. To do so, she took a position against Shouki which clearly provided him great comfort by the way he immediately sank into it. He listened intently, first staring into the face of the doll, then looking her in the face as his excitement grew more and more. There was much depth to this tale, even though it may not have been very high on most people's lists for its resolution. Takumi had no stories of his own though, and had nothing to use as reference for how great of an experience it was. As such, when Eir claimed it was probably boring, he shook his head with much intensity. "Iie, iie! I tried imagining myself there with you the whole time; I would have enjoyed being there! Everything you do sounds like so much fun," he continued. At this point, the mood of the young male went south rather quickly. He looked at the doll again, squeezing it gently with both hands. "All I do is sit here and be nothing. I want a life like yours, with you there..."

[Apollymi]

"Iie, that's what friends are for. I'm glad you like it," she said in response to the thanks she received as well as the praise of her powers. She concluded that if she had a magic that could help the lad, helping him out a bit for these moments wasn't a really big deal. Besides that she enjoyed his company truly and seeing him happy made her happy.

Though she'd thought the story of her previous night boring, it seemed the lad in her company thought it the exact opposite. In getting to know him over an extended period of time she noticed that he didn't really go out much. He didn't hang out with other children his age, he attended school and came home and she wondered if he knew the kinds of things the world really had to offer. The fact that he thought he would have enjoyed the haunted house which though mild was still potentially life threatening led her to wonder what this child's tolerance for such information was. "Really? You would have enjoyed something like that?" she teased the lad just a bit. Her boring nights didn't make for good material, it barely made for okay conversation. Regardless of that point, she heard what this lad thought of himself and how he viewed his own life and she couldn't disagree more. "Iie, Shouki," she started while she gave the lad a gentle squeeze meaning to be a bit more comfort to him. "You aren't nothing, you're my friend," the girl mused. "If you want a life of interesting things... why don't we go out and do some interesting things next time, hm?" she said. She had no adventures to speak of, but she wanted this boy to experience the fun of life. And deep down, the idea that he wanted her as part of his life made her really happy, in a way she couldn't begin to explain or vocalize.

[Bloodedge]

"Ou. It sounded really great, like one of the mysteries in the books!" Shouki asserted. Moments later, Eir was asserting the clause that the boy was not, in fact, the 'nothing' he claimed to be. Instead, she would have him believe he could be something in the form of a friend to her. This alone was a very big deal in the child's mind and heart, and just as great was the idea of the pair doing something interesting when next they met. Shouki's gaze returned to the devil, and there was much light in his eyes. "Hai!" And so, this blossoming friendship persisted. Again and again they met, for just over two full years. Shouki had never enjoyed himself so much as when the devil woman appeared to him each time. Over the course of it all, he became more and more invested in the idea of her appearing more and more.

All things end though, and this relationship with a devil would be no exception. Shouki eventually had to learn this the hard way, and he did so at the worst possible time. He'd come to accept that there was nothing else for him outside of his interactions with the female devil, even when he attempted to branch out and fill his time away from her. So, he sat on his bed one night, as he had done for nearly a week in wait. She was gone for longer than he was used to, and much longer than he would have ever liked... yet he was excited. The longer he waited, the more excited and anxious he became. Each night away this week was no different than the last. He sat at the edge of his bed, holding in his hands not the doll he made two years before, but a wrapped box... a special sort of present for his one and only friend in this world.