[Blood Brothers]

"Sh-sh-shad-dow," he wheezed with much difficulty, mouth grimacing once he had accomplished what little he could. Lifting his hand to his throat, the servant of the darkness felt the neck he might as well call his own and noticed the scarring. Why it was there, he knew not, but it was unpleasant to touch and the act that caused it had obviously damaged his vocal chords, as well. At least, that's what he assumed.

[The Collections]

The voice coming from the man scratched at his ears as he strained to catch what it was he was saying. Sound flowing to him eventually, he heard the uttered word shadow and his smile grew bigger.

"Your name is simply Shadow? Huh?", he stepped closer to the man with a few steps his hair falling back into his eyes softly, "How intriguing..."

Looking the man up and down again he brought his mercury gaze back upon the blue headed one.

"A strange name for one that stands out like a blue bonnet upon roses."

[Blood Brothers]

The shadow winced, feeling his body twitch in response. Yugure was acting strangely and he didn't know what to do. His master would disapprove of this, he was almost sure, but the draw towards the Dark Element was extremely difficult to resist. It felt as if he knew Yugure in another life, but neither of them could remember.

WIth each new word from the black-haired man's lips, the shadow became more frustrated and the body it controlled began to fidget.

"N-not," he finally managed to wheeze, but that was all. His agitation was robbing him of the little verbalization he could force out of the wounded throat. Forcing his body was not producing the results he wanted and he felt rather light-headed.

[The Collections]

Yugure stepped back at the sound of the struggle to speak. Raising an eyebrow, he rubbed his lips together and snorted/chuckled.

"Not? Hmmm...thats not a good enough answer."

His body sunk through the floor quickly like a building demolishing. Shadows enveloped his body full throttle.  A few seconds would pass before his body would shoot through the floor to form himself behind the man.

"Can you do better than that??", he whispered into the man's ear.

Yugure placed his cold hand upon the middle of the man's back.

[Blood Brothers]

The more frustrated he became, the less articulate he became. Yugure's teleportation act didn't help, at all.The cold hand on his back stopped his breath from shock and he stood there gaping as he tried to get his body under control again.

With great difficulty, the shadow turned his body around and took Yugure's hand in his, unable to keep the admonishment to himself.

'Don't do that!' His mind hissed and, because of the body's touch telepathy, sent the message straight to Yugure's brain. The shadow was mostly unaware that his once master could now hear him as clear as day.

[The Collections]

Yugure was stunned. Paralyzed.

His hand stiffened within the others as his wide eyes continued to stare into the blue haired man's. Slowly a smirk began to curl onto the ends of his lips showing the medusa's stare was not working upon him. Livening up with a relaxing of his hand and sagging of his shoulders, he got real close to the man's face still making eye contact at all times.

"So I see we all have gifts in this world."

His eyes closed for a second and then he gently shook his hand from the others and stepped back.

"You still have yet to answer my question silent one.....hahahah", he finished with a chuckle as he crossed his arms and leaned to the side to stare at the man in wait for the others reply or action.

[Blood Brothers]

Not sure what just happened, the shadow scowled and touched his hand to his throat again. He couldn't speak. Forcing it as he had been was making his throat dry and close up. The blue-haired male didn't want to do this anymore. If he hadn't left Kamikuro, then this would have never happened.

He wouldn't have seen how cruel his master could be if he wasn't recognized, if things had changed. His life or what passed as such was very different now. He could feel something - someone - stirring in the back of his mind.

No, it was their mind.

Tou returned to consciousness sluggishly, feeling something cool pressing against him like an ice pack inside his cranium. The sensation was giving him a headache, but he pressed forward anyways and came face to face with a scary looking man who was giving him an expectant look.

The very fact that he could tell that there was a man that was staring at him rattled him, making him pull back and lift his hands to his face. The blindfold was still there, but he could sense his hands in such a way that it seemed to his mind that he was viewing them. It was as if something was acting as eyes and sending the information straight to his brain.

Unconsciously, he was starting to hyperventilate and was completely unaware of the shadow residing in his body.

[The Collections]

Watching the man shudder and breathe hard was odd as the mood in the room suddenly changed from salutations to emergencies. Rolling his eyes half-heartedly, Yugure stepped over to the man, his right hand being placed on his shoulder.

"Are you okay? Your breathing is not that well....", he asked looking at what should have been eyes, even though a blindfold hid them, "And why do you have this on. You make me think like you are an escapist or something."

Reaching up to the man's face, he slid his fingers behind the blindfold and gently slid it down over his nose and cheeks.

This one worries me...Do I have another collection in hand., he thought with a smile on his face as he revealed the man's face.

[Blood Brothers]

The stranger was touching him, had a hand on his shoulder (why did it feel so heavy?), was holding him still just by being in contact with him. Their skin did not touch because he wore something that covered his top section from fingertip to fingertip and everything in between but nothing below until his skirt.

Then his blindfold was coming off, but that wasn't right. The only one who should be able to take it off was the one who did this to him.

This couldn't be him, so this man must be the one who took his place as the Dark Element.

He was frightened.

"Don't," Tou croaked, lifting his hands to cover his eyes. There was a hand on his face and it was cool, but to him it might as well have been on fire. He jerked back, searching around for his blindfold, his shield.

[The Collections]

Yugure straightened up as the man jerked away. Holding the blindfold in his hand limply, he shook his head.

"As you insist....", he said softly closing his eyes.

Placing the blindfold in both hands, he began to roll it taco fashion.

"So you dont speak much, your insecure, and you are easily frightened. Now a good combo....Heres your blindfold back."

Throwing the blindfold at the man's chest, he hoped that the man would feel the soft impact.

[Blood Brothers]

Trying to keep his head down, Tou caught the blindfold clumsily. It was more than he could understand just being able to see somewhat. After so long in the darkness, he was sure that he would never perceive anything with his eyes ever again.

He hadn't since that creature had sewn his eyes shut.

Now, he was perceiving his surroundings as images in his head. Had his senses developed beyond touch? Somehow, the blue-haired male couldn't believe that.

Replacing his blindfold over his hideous eyes, Tou stretched out his senses and saw the man who had removed his shield. There were some similarities to his tormentor, but they were too general to make any conclusive connections.

Then again, the man who altered him was harmless to him now. Trowa had made sure of that, hence why Tou would forever be indebted to the Great God.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-who... a-are y-y-you?" The blue-haired male asked with great effort. What had he been doing - eating sand?

[The Collections]

He opened his mouth in a mockery of shock.

"Me? You are asking who I am?? Oooohhhhh....", he questioned hypothectically, "In that case let me introduce myself guest. My name is Yugure. Yugure Kurayami. I am the ruler of shadow, the owner of Horse, and bearing of dark news."

He bowed slowly.

"A pleasure to meet you stranger. Shadow is it still??", he asked curiously. Oddly that name pick was ironic to him. He let the thought go though....

[Blood Brothers]

He knew it.

That person had to be a shadow manipulator. Something was odd, though. The curse that bound him to his tormentor was still active, which meant that he was still alive. If he wasn't the commander of darkness, then what was he now?

The man's, Yugure's, words reached him slowly, stirring him out of his thoughts. When what he was trying to communicate was finally comprehended, Tou couldn't hold back the frown. What was this about him being 'shadow'?

"N-n-not... not sh-sh-sh-shadow. Tou," the blue-haired male corrected with difficulty. He really hated to speak since the damage done to his throat itched and ached.

[The Collections]

Coming up from his bow, Yugure squeezed his brow together in confusion.

"But that is what you titled yourself was it not only but ten minutes ago. Which is it? Tou....or Shadow?", he asked curious as to why the story line had changed already.

Crossing his arms again, he walked over to the nearest wall and leaned sideways against it. He had a feeling he was going to get to know this individual pretty well here in the future.

-==-

Draped in her own sorrow and insecurities, Supaida wept upon her large bed. Hair stuck to her cheeks and face, she quivered with each sob that ran out her chest.

"Why??!!!..... Why!!!!!!", she pleaded to no one between inhales and exhales.

Hands coming up to her face, she felt her cheekbones and let her fingers inch their way to her eyes. The feeling of lose skin and aged texture could be felt under her fingertips.

A scream could be heard from the hotel.

[Blood Brothers]

He really couldn't do anymore talking and as much as he disliked doing it Tou knew that he had to communicate. Undoing the straps around his wrist, he freed his hand from its confines. Everything he wore had two purposes - confinement and protection. Clothes meant nothing to him, but these were forced on him. They meant little to him, but he couldn't find anything to suit his purpose better.

Taking a few steps forward, he positioned himself close enough to touch, but not too close, and offered his hand. This was the only way that Yugure would get the answers he sought.

The sudden scream made him wince, but it was muffled and distant. He was beyond frightened, but this was the only way. There was just something about his situation that insisted that he would get nowhere if he tried to escape. All he could do was go along and hope for the best.

[The Collections]

Yugure looked at the man oddly, his eyebrows uneven from befuddlement. Seeing that the other was implying for physical contact, he nodded his head in agreement and held his hand out to the other. In the middle of this action, Yugure jumped from the scream, his back lurching back and his teeth gritting together hard.

"Son of a..... SUPAIDA!", he yelled out.

The hotel grew quiet and Yugure finally calmed down.

"Now...where were we?", he asked Tou/Shadow.

He held his hand out for the man to receive.

[Blood Brothers]

This man confused him greatly, but he had already come to the conclusion that he could do nothing, so he braced himself and took the other man's hand. At first, all he could do was breathe as he focused on not being overwhelmed by all that was this man named Yugure.

There was a brief touch of his once master, but then it was gone.

'I am called Tou and always have been. Where you got the name 'shadow', I have no idea. Speech is difficult for me since my old master slit my throat and I can't... really see since he also sewed my eyes shut. I am not a pretty sight and I apologize if I have offended you in any way. It was not my intent,' the blue-haired boy explained quickly, wanting to get through with this quickly as it was a very wearing activity.