Buried [Sho and Tachi]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Sho on 03-07-2014, 11:44:55</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>03-07-2014, 11:44:55</strong>
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				It had been so long. So long in the stillness of the dark room, unable to feel even the stalest of stale air washing over him, trapped and unmoving. If he flicked his pupils up he could see the darkness above, and if he looked to the side he could see the flagsones of the room, covered in dust. The occasional cockroach or rat would scuttle by, but they avoided the huge, flawlessly-shaped block of what appeared to be glass, or perhaps plastic. He as utterly immobilized, trapped as though time had stopped when he had fallen in, unable to see anything going on.<br><br>It had been so long since he had heard footsteps, and he craved even that sound, despaired that he would never see any more light than just that thin crack of guttering fluorescence under the door. <br><br>It was hell.<br><br>He deserved it, he supposed, or that was what his captors had claimed. Unable to control or kill him, they had locked him up, put him in the one place where he would likely never be found. He remembered when the museum was being built two hundred years ago, just a small building then. He had been put here, down in the lowest levels, sealed away and even when the building had been retrofitted with electrical wiring his room had been left alone. <br><br>He was suspended as if laying on his back, one hand hovering over his mouth, long-nailed hand suspended above his face The other hand was lifted as though he might be reaching for something, his legs stretched long, right knee bent slightly upwards. His face was beautiful in a way that few human faces were; pale and narrow, with long, almond-shaped eyes, dark pupils wide in the dark and almost hiding the lovely honey color. His hair was long, straight, and dark, caught in waves of motion about his face where he had been frozen. <br><br>He was naked, though a red cloth of the thinnest cotton floated around him, just barely concealing his long-limbed, slender frame, covering only the most indecent sections of his white skin. He was so very desperate to move but doubted he even could, now, lips caught in a permanent parted position that gave the impression of him being just about to say something. <br><br>A rat ran by, freezing as it approached the block. It tottered away for a few steps and squeezed under the door, back feet flailing, only to drop dead just a few inches short of the door. <em>Served it right</em>, he thought, feeling the last few heartbeats of the desperate creature. Filthy things. Nowhere near enough energy to offer, and certainly not capable of the sort of fear that humans were. He would have sighed if he could have, but instead was stuck seeing a faint red twinkle, a hint of light catching the red stone dangling from a delicate gold chain in his left ear.<br><br>&nbsp;<em>Someone,</em> he thought, <em>Someone, come to me. Please. Let me see a human. Let me see a real life, a beating heart. Anything but this.</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>03-07-2014, 23:53:52</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://oi62.tinypic.com/os606q.jpg)</div>"Yeah, yeah." A soft, bored tone interrupted the silence of the corridor followed by the chirp of the two way radio.<br><br>"Don't 'yeah' me, get it done and get your ass back to work!" No response came, only the sound of air being forced through teeth. It was that fat S.O.B's fault the fuze had blown in the first place. Who brought an x-box to work? Better yet, who plugged it into an overworked outlet and expected this not to happen? They were in a museum, for fuck's sake. It was old.<br><br>Sloan's keys jingled as he searched through them. <em>Lets see, it should be around here somewhere...</em> It was his first week on the job and so far he'd been handed his keys, told not to break anything, and was virtually ignored until this circuit blew. Carter had given him vague directions to where the power box was, deep in the underground hallways, which was more like a maze. Sloan didn't want to give anymore fuel to his already irritating co-worker, but he thought he was lost.<br><br>This is what he got for taking an easy job for minimum wage. No one bothered him most of the night but it came with a lazy, bitchy partner who wouldn't know manners if it bit him on the ass. As long as he did his rounds though, he'd stay out of trouble and the security system did the rest. Carter certainly didn't care as long as he wasn't interrupted or, like now, if the power went out.<br><br>Realizing that everything was starting to look the same, he paused and looked up at the ceiling. "Ch'." Spotting a door not too far away, he sighed, figuring he might as well get his bearings. Several keys had to be tried out until he found the right one, opening the door and feeling for a light switch. He didn't find one and came away with dust all over his fingers. Wiping them off on his shirt he took out his flash light and shined it on the floor, spotting the dead rat amidst all the dust.<br><br>"Janitor needs to be fired." He mused, his voice always soft it seemed. Sloan shined the light on the walls but there was nothing in this room except for more dust, when it swept it over the floor though, a glint caught his eye and he stepped in to get a better look. Normally he didn't scare easy, but when he saw eyes down below he nearly dropped his flashlight as he jumped back.<br><br><em>What?</em> Needing another look, he stepped forward and peered into the area. As the light shown over it again he concluded that he was definitely seeing eyes. In the floor. The pupils contracted and Sloan felt a shiver go down his spine. <em>Nope. Not possible.</em> Sloan turned off the flashlight and turned around. He was insane. He was insane or Carter had driven him so crazy he was starting to hallucinate. Wait, wasn't that the same thing?<br><br>Shaking his head he headed for the door, planning to lock it back up and pretend this never happened. Of course there was no way he could ever forget what he saw, or what he thought he saw. Another shiver when down his spine and he jumped, cursing softly as the radio cackled again. "What's taking you so damn long?"<br><br>"I'm on it." He replied and locked the door, heading off to find the power box.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 01:50:43</strong>
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				Just like in the many, many dreams he had had while trapped down below the bustling city, the door opened. Just like he thought he had seen before, the door swung inwards to leave a figure silhouetted in the light, footsteps coming towards him. He sighed, or would have if he could have made any real noise. So cruel, that his mind was capable of conjuring such clear images that he could almost believe it was a real person.<br><br>Then the flashlight's beam hit his eyes. He winced, pupils dilating hard, light searing into eyes that hadn't seen light in years. The pupils shot down to pinpoints, eyes suddenly displaying their warm honey color for anyone who got close enough to see. <em>Thank God,</em> he thought, <em>Someone has finally come.</em> <br><br>But then the light turned away.<br><br>He wanted to scream, suddenly desperate. It had been years, no...decades, centuries, since he had seen someone. To have them leave now was just too cruel, and despite all the terrible things he has done and the darkness inside him there was a very childlike fear of that light leaving him and plunging him into darkness once more.<br><br>"Ah..."<br><br>The sound was barely audible, and was lost in the shutting of the door, the sound of the lock squealing shut.<br><br><em>Please</em>, he thought with sheer desperation, <em>Don't leave me here. Not again. Please, oh please, come back...</em><br><br>As the boy walked away from him he released what little energy he had to try and make another noise, but he as thoroughly trapped and couldn't even do that, weak as he was. Instead he directed his energy outwards - why had he had to waste so much energy on that stupid rat?! -&nbsp; letting his own power seep along the boy's back like a cool caress of fingers on the nape of his neck. This time he let the words whisper into the air behind Sloan, so quiet that it could have just been the wind.<br><br>"I won't hurt you." <br><br>He had no idea if the boy had heard it and he had no more energy to waste. The sound could easily have been blamed on the air ducts, just an odd occurrence in a creepy old building. He wanted to scream, to pound his fists, but all he could do was remain locked away in his terrible prison, able to see nothing more than the dust motes settling into the boy's footsteps.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 04:17:29</strong>
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				It was a little over an hour later and Sloan was stuck listening to the sounds of Halo 2 in the background. How Carter kept his job, he had no idea. His mind was wandering though, back to that dark room covered in dust. People didn't just...suddenly imagine stuff like that, did they? He couldn't remember a time in his life when he had ever hallucinated. Insanity didn't even run in his family.<br><br>It had only been a few seconds, but honey irises haunted his vision whenever he closed his eyes. He wasn't tired. He wasn't on medication. Hell, he didn't even drink coffee. "Kill them! Kill them, kill them, kill them!" Sloan looked to Carter with a frown and didn't bother saying anything as he left the security office. If he needed him--which he doubted he would--he could use the walkie.<br><br>Sloan slowly made a round of the museum, thinking, and eventually came back to the stairs. "This is stupid..." He whispered and silence answered him. Wondering what he was doing, Sloan unlocked the janitor's closet and borrowed a broom and dust pan. At the top of the stairs, he took a breath, and then headed down. That utterly creepy feeling was coming back and he wasn't sure if it was all in his head or what, but he could've sworn he'd heard a whispered voice just as he left. It'd been creepy as hell.<br><br>Coming to a stop a ways away yet, he banished the fear that was clouding his judgement. This was a museum and it was old. Maybe it was some old display. An old animatronic that still worked. A nagging little voice in the back of his mind said, <em>Then why was it locked away in the basement? Why was it covered in dust? Why was it in the floor? Why did the pupils react to light?</em> No. He wasn't going to be afraid of his work place. He needed this job.<br><br>Steeling himself, Sloan walked back to the door and unlocked it. Opening it wide, he left it that way, with the light spilling in. "Okay, time to find out if you're really crazy." Taking out his flashlight, he shinned it where he'd caught the glint before and held his breath. Shit. There were still eyes there. Noticing how small the pupils were, he moved the light to the side. <em>Okay. Okay, this is weird.</em> <br><br>He put the flashlight down near the door, still on, so he could see what he was doing. Dust pan aside, he started sweeping the area. As he worked, more and more was uncovered until he realized, as he picked up the flashlight again, that he was looking at large glass box in the ground. This guy--naked, mind you--was suspended in it, frozen, all except for his eyes. At this point he was really hoping for animatronics because what the hell did this mean for his sanity?
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 04:54:08</strong>
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				He was gone. Gone, like every other person, like any chance he'd had. His words hadn't reached him, and the door was now shut. <br><br>He would never leave.<br><br>Despair washed over him and if he could have buried his face in his hands, he would have. Instead he stayed suspended in his prison, staring at the darkness around him, trying not to panic. It was no darker than it had been before, he had to tell himself. The only reason it seemed so dark was that the light had hurt his eyes. He would become readjusted, in time. <br><br>Time was the only thing he had, now.<br><br>His eyes fluttered shut, the only motion he could make, really. He wanted to shiver, the glass seeming so cold, but he was sealed into the glass so tightly that even goosebumps couldn't rise on his skin. <br><br>It seemed like forever but was only truly an hour, and then he heard footsteps. He let his eyes open slowly. Was it...him? Did he come back? <br><br>Was this real?<br><br>The door opened slowly and his eyes shut sluggishly, barely having enough energy for that, finally opening a crack when the aching pain the light inspired faded. He saw a small torch - odd, that it could lie on the ground without flaming upwards - being set down and then the steady strokes of a brush moving over the block. <br><br>He blinked slowly, looking up at him, lips ever so slightly parted. <br><br><em>Hello</em>.<br><br>He had to shut his eyes after expending even that small bit of information, the word seeming to whisper out of the darkness around Sloan. The eyes slowly opened, almost weakly, looking up curiously at him. There was a certain desperation there, a hunger to see a human face, eyes wide and bright.<br><br>The honey-colored eyes flicked up to him and then looked at the lights, turning up to look at Sloan with a very human sort of intelligence behind his eyes. <br><br>A person.<br><br>There was a person there with him. <br><br>Suddenly, he didn't even care about the light. He didn't care who Sloan was. The only thing he cared about was having a person there, someone with a real body, someone who could lock eyes with him. Despite the fact that Sloan looked confused and perhaps even a bit scared, the man trapped below him looked nothing but grateful, or at least as grateful as one could look while utterly trapped.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 09:52:16</strong>
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				Another shiver went through him. What were the chances that he delusioned the same voice twice, saying different things? He wasn't altogether convinced he wasn't crazy, but one thing was for certain and that was that he was seeing a man encased in glass, and his eyes were moving. Either he was very much an animatronic or...it wasn't even possible. No one could be encased like this and still be living.<br><br>Crouching down, he looked him over again before meeting his eyes, which definitely didn't look fake. They reacted to light and held recognition and intelligence, at least as far as he could tell. "What on earth are you?" He whispered. Sloan kept the beam out of the man's eyes. A thought was spared to asking Carter about this room, but if this was all in his head he didn't want the man harping on him until the end of time.<br><br>Sloan was an accepting guy. If something seemed like it moved or went bump in the night he was fine with thinking it was a ghost just as much as a cat, not really fearing either. As long as he wasn't harmed or had anything destroyed, he didn't care. Live and let live, though he never actually sat down thought about whether the supernatural was real or not. If it was, fine, if not, then that was fine too. This, however, could be clear signs of a psychotic break. Or something not human. Who <em>wouldn't</em> be creeped out by eyes in the floor?<br><br>Goosebumps on his arms, he looked off to the side and thought, remaining in the crouched position for now. "Alright, so I'm either insane or you're not human." He found himself talking to the man in the glass, wondering if he'd get an answer. Fake eyes couldn't mimic emotions like that.<br><br>Going over what little he knew, he noted that this room hadn't been opened in a very long time. There were no outlets or light switches, which meant it had been skipped over way back when this building got wired up. How long ago was that? Which meant this guy had been here for...hundreds of years maybe. Yeah, insane or not human were his only two options. They didn't even have animatronics back then.<br><br>A sigh escaped him. "I'd like to believe that you're not human. Being insane just isn't a good option for me. Though..." He trailed off, meeting honey colored eyes again. "It rather changes my view on the world." Why he kept talking right now he wasn't entirely sure. It was silent for a moment as they just stared. "It must be lonely."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 10:32:42</strong>
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				Those eyes shifted upwards to meet Sloan's, and there could have been just the barest twitch of his lips when asked what he was. He didn't answer that question, saving his energy for the few words he could spare. Just these little burst of energy were draining him, but he was just so excited to have someone there with him that he didn't care. He would have years to gather the energy again; for now, he wanted to talk, to see a human face. <br><br>He waited until the other man stopped talking, knowing that any word he said would be so quiet that he wouldn't be heard. <br><br>What he didn't expect was the other man, having just come upon something very inhuman, to say that it must be lonely.<br><br>His eyes shut, almost as if he was in pain.<br><br><em>So lonely.</em> <br><br>The words whispered through the room again, brows twitching together almost as though it was physically painful to reflect on the solitude of this place.<br><br><em>Are you...</em> <br><br>The words whispered through the room but stopped, and the man's eyes shut for a moment, what little color was left in his skin draining, putting out as much energy as he could. <br><br><em>...Lonely too?</em><br><br>The words came out in a painful whisper, breaking off at the end as though he couldn't quite manage to get them out without it draining him. His eyes opened once more, looking past a few tendrils of dark hair to meet Sloan's eyes, watching him curiously but sympathetically.<br><br>He tried to put as much as he could into his eyes; the years of loneliness, the desperation to see someone. He looked up at Sloan as though Sloan was the only person he wanted to see, truly appreciating him as though Sloan was the most valuable person in the world. <br><br>Despite what he was, any desires to hurt or manipulate were stemmed by his excitement over seeing another person, a true eagerness to reach out and connect despite being entombed.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 11:37:21</strong>
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				The words were so quiet that it took complete silence for Sloan to even hear them. It was like a breath releasing. The pain in his voice and expression...Slaon couldn't even fathom what it must be like for this guy. What had he done to deserve this solitude and imprisonment? The question that followed had him thinking, and not only about the answer. It didn't seem like he had the energy to speak.<br><br>It was disturbing to look down and see the effect it had. "No more lonely than anyone else. You should stop talking though, it doesn't look like you can handle it." Eyes were losing their fear the longer he stayed, showing how easily he went with the flow. So he was talking to a dude in the floor and magic and supernatural creatures were real. He could go with this. At least he wasn't insane.<br><br>That intense gaze that stared back at him had him looking away for a moment. "You don't have to look at me like that. I'd feel pretty bad if I just left you down here alone." His hand ran over the glass, not seeing or feeling any seams. As if it would be that easy. Part of him questioned if he <em>should</em> release him even if he could. There <em>had</em> to be a reason. None the less, no matter what he'd done, Sloan wasn't heartless enough to ignore that pleading look.<br><br>Knowing there wasn't any need for him upstairs, Sloan set the flashlight off to the side so it illuminated the both of them but wasn't in anyone's eyes. He sat down near the edge of the block. Why he was naked was also on his mind, but he couldn't ask anything he'd feel inclined to answer right now. Well, anything that required a verbal answer.<br><br>"You can blink just fine." He mused. "How about once for yes and twice for no?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 12:00:29</strong>
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				His eyes drifted shut in agreement as the other man told him not to talk, opening them after he had braced himself a bit, glancing upwards through all that glass. There was another twitch of a smile to his lips, almost invisible but just enough of a change to be noticeable, when Sloan said that he would feel bad if he just left him down here alone.<br><br>That was the first step.<br><br>Getting them to feel guilty, to stay...he would sink his claws in, he decided. He would likely never get another chance. This was the one, and he had all the time in the world to draw him closer and closer, to establish a connection so he could slowly start appearing in his dreams.<br><br>He blinked once for yes in response to the other man's question, eyes searching Sloan's face as though trying to memorize every line, incredibly hungry to remember what humans looked like, what life looked like. <br><br><em>Tell me...about you...</em> <br><br>The words came out hoarse, painful, but he wanted so badly to know more about Sloan. He was the first person he had seen in so long, and though it physically hurt him he was desperate to ask that question. Sloan was special to him. Sloan was everything. No matter what happened, he would cling to Sloan, because Sloan came to him and brought him light and the first ray of hope he had had in years.<br><br>Sloan would be his. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 12:54:56</strong>
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				A soft smile passed his lips as he saw his answer. Now, what was there to talk about? Having someone beside you was one thing but he was sure that the silence was torture as well. Sloan didn't mind carrying on like a fool, but before he could make a decision, he heard another whisper and focused in on those eyes. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't be speaking?" His voice was continuously soft, not trace of irritation.<br><br>"Very well then." He replied. "But no more talking for now." That desperation to have someone around and learn what little he could about them was very pitiful. Sloan didn't think of himself as all that interesting, but compared to the carcasses of dead rats, he supposed that he was. If that's what this man wanted to hear from him, he didn't see a reason to say no. <br><br>"This is my first week working here. I'm a night time security guard and this is a museum, in case you didn't know. I don't know how long you've been down here." Sloan explained away when he was stating the obvious. "I was down here looking for the power box, as my partner blew the fuze upstairs." A pause was given where he met the man's eyes again. "A power box allows you to turn on and off the electricity to a building. It's what powers the lights in the hall. A blow fuze is when one of the circuits gets over loaded and turns itself off. You have to manually reset it."<br><br>That was a little off topic but he felt he should explain what he was talking about and how he had found him. "I'm twenty six years old and have completed my education, but I still don't know what I want to do in life. Nothing really excites me. No exciting career path or plans for the future." That wasn't to say he discontent, but he wasn't exactly content either. <br><br>"I live with my boyfriend of three years. He's...strong willed." There was a hint of something in his voice that could be sadness. Sloan moved on before he could become depressed. "I speak with my family infrequently but it has become less over the years." Since he'd started dating him.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>04-07-2014, 13:59:11</strong>
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				He listened, repressing a faint smile as the other man told him that they had agreed he wouldn't speak, blinking once to signal that he understood. <br><br>He listened, taking it all in...electricity. He vaguely remembered that something like that had been discovered, but to think that humans had harnessed such a natural force...fascinating. Then again, humans always seemed to be able to get away with harnessing forces that shouldn't have been theirs to begin with. If they kept up at this rate, he wondered if his kind would have any role in this world. Perhaps that was why they were all locked away - if they were, at all. Maybe the smarter ones still wandered free.<br><br>At least some things hadn't changed; this was still the museum, though clearly a larger and more modern one than the one he had seen being built before his sealing. <br><br>So this boy had no real goals. He didn't know himself. <br><br>It was almost too easy, he reflected. It was as though life had offered him exactly what he needed and liked; someone who he could mold, a host to glom onto and explore the future with. If the man ever came back after tonight, that was.<br><br>His eyes widened ever so slightly, though, as he picked up that hint of sadness in the other man's voice while he discussed his boyfriend. Sloan. He turned the name over in his mind, and realized that he didn't like the idea of someone making this Sloan sad. His Sloan. He had already decided he wanted Sloan and was so very desperate for that human contact that the thought of someone hurting the person he considered his savior was unappetizing at best. He didn't know if he hurt him, but he made him sad, and that was enough.<br><br>His honey-colored eyes - a color not typically seen on humans if it ever was at all - shone with sympathy. He blinked once again, showing that he understood all he had said, still eager to hear more. <br><br>He wanted to ask more questions but had no energy, and even now he felt exhausted, as though sleep was dragging at him. The thought infuriated him and his lips twitched desperately, trying to fight it off, but all he could do was watch Sloan's face. <br><br>He blinked again, eyes desperately trying to convey the simple request for more, for any information on anything. Unlike the people Sloan would have encountered in the real world, this man wanted to hear everything Sloan could say to him. Sloan could offer him nothing uninteresting. Sloan was, to him, the most interesting thing in the world. <br><br>Exhaustion dragged heavy on him, though, and his eyes and head hurt from exposure to light that he hadn't seen in centuries. A warmth seemed to brush over Sloan, almost like a hand of comfort caressing his brow, a silent plea to come back unformed on his pale, parted lips. It was the only comfort he could offer Sloan, but he gave it willingly, eager to hear everything but feeling his eyes drifting shut despite all of his best efforts. <br><br>The pressure of the glass was agonizing on him, he realized. It was something he had forgotten, having lived with it for so long, but now he wanted to move and he realized that the glass had caught him on an exhale, all the air crushed out of his lungs, filling his ears and his nose. <br><br>He focused on that pain, and the throbbing of his head, in an effort to stay awake and milk every moment of human contact he could have though it showed in the flicker of his eyes, the uncertainty shining there, almost child-like as he glanced towards the lights, terrified of their disappearance. <br><br>To learn this had been a dream...it would break what little sanity he had left. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>05-07-2014, 05:14:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan watched the man's eyes, the only thing he could communicate with without exhausting himself, and saw an array of emotions. Desperation was key among them. "Ah, my full name is Sloan Matthew Barry. I'm sorry, that was rude of me not to introduce myself." He was thinking of what else to say when he felt a warmth. It sent his spine tingling and not because it was cold, but because it was so very unnatural.<br><br>The man's eyes fought a battle to stay open and Sloan concluded that he really had exhausted himself with all that talking. "It's alright. I'll come back tomorrow night, so sleep and save your strength." Sloan followed his gaze and guessed what he was looking at and what he was feeling. "If you're able, I'd like to know your name next time. I might get chewed out, but I'll leave the flashlight." In truth, Carter might not even notice. Something better could be brought in.<br><br>"Don't struggle with it. I'll talk until you fall asleep." Sloan relented. The human launched into the various things he'd seen on display in the museum. Things that didn't really matter and wouldn't be that important if the man fell asleep in the middle of. His soft voice was easy to send to the background and lacked any harshness to irritate the senses. Sloan willingly babbled until he saw his honey eyes close and then still.<br><br>When he trailed off, there was no response or flicker of needing more and so he quietly got up, looking him over once more, before collecting the broom and dust pan and locking back up the room. It was weird. So very weird, but he had chosen to believe he was real and he would keep his word and return.<br><br>_____<br><br>Not a word of his encounter was told to his boyfriend, co-worker, or anyone else. Who would believe him anyway? Despite his decision, he knew how crazy it sounded and if it turned out he was imagining things, that would pretty much be the end of his life. No one wanted a psycho working for them and his boyfriend certainly wouldn't tolerate it. There were few things he held dear to him and his relationships were one of them.<br><br>It didn't take long, once work started, for Sloan to slip away. Carter didn't care what he did as long as the job got done and his Halo sessions weren't interrupted. Heading back to the lower levels, he carried a small lantern that ran on batteries. It created a descent amount of light and he could take the flashlight back in place of it. Unlocking the door, he left it open again. Part of him was a little wary that he'd be locked in here as well.<br><br>"Hello." He greeted and turned on the lantern, placing it a short ways off from the cube so the man could see it but not be blinded by it. The flashlight was turned off and put back on his belt before he sat down, looking the man over, who obviously hadn't moved. There was a short pause so he could answer if he wanted, before he continued. "That's a lantern. Powered by batteries, which are metal conduits that hold an electrical charge, essentially. I'll replace the batteries when they die, so you won't be left in the dark."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>05-07-2014, 11:23:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The man's eyes fluttered open and shut, trying to stay awake, but when he managed to meet Sloan's eyes his own shone with thanks, filled with a true appreciation for both the light and his words. He listened to his words about the displays, not particularly caring what he said but thrilled that he was simply hearing someone talk. <br><br>He felt sleep take him despite his best efforts, and time drifted past him once more, soothing him into a state of restfulness. <br><br>When Sloan entered the room again, the man had been awake for a few hours, glancing around, seeming far more awake than he had been the day before.<br><br>It appeared that the light had given him some sort of energy, enough to make his eyes almost glow when the other man came in, his lips twitching into a hint of a smile. It wasn't a real smile, but there was enough of one to show that he was eager to see Sloan, truly pleased. <br><br><em>Thank you.</em><br><br>The words came in a more secure voice this time, murmured in a tone so soft and smooth it seemed to be dripping in honey. He still couldn't speak much, and it expended a great deal of energy, but he owed the other man those words, at least. <br><br><em>How was...</em><br><br>The words came out hesitantly, as if he was tasting the air, still weak but at least able to get out a few words at a time if he was careful to restrain his expenditure of energy.<br><br><em>Your day?</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>05-07-2014, 12:03:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Had his eyes always been so bright? Sloan couldn't recall them glowing so vividly the day before, but perhaps that was just something they did after a long day's rest. His voice was stronger too and there were vague twitches, if he paid close enough attention, of what were meant to be facial expressions. It was amazing what you noticed when verbal communication was so restricted. <br><br>"You're welcome." Today too he was set on communicating as much as possible and Sloan couldn't say that he blamed him. Being alone in the darkness, never acknowledged...he wondered if the curator even knew he was down here. That wasn't a conversation that could easily be had 'do you know there's an inhuman something in the basement, encased in glass?'. Same problem as before with sounding insane.<br><br>Sloan smiled at the question, it not quite reaching his amber colored eyes. Rare, but not unheard of in humans. "I got into an argument with my boyfriend. He doesn't like that I work nights and says I'm avoiding him, but I'm not. There aren't that many jobs out there and I can't afford to be picky. We have bills to pay..." Not that they hadn't been having problems before this though. Sloan didn't know what he was doing wrong.<br><br>"He works days so there isn't a lot of time we can spend together." His eyes, unfocused for a moment, sharpened to meet the man's. "Sorry. I don't mean to complain to you." Sloan went over what he'd said and added. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on going anywhere." Getting another job would mean he couldn't come down here anymore. Aside from needing this, he felt a sense of responsibility to this man.<br><br>"Can you tell me your name? I don't know what to call you." 'That man' or 'Glass man' just didn't seem appropriate.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>05-07-2014, 12:22:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He blinked to show that he had heard, wishing that he could say more. Instead, there came that feeling of warmth, the press of a hand stroking over his brow and attempting to soothe. It was all he could do, but there was a sympathy there.<br><br><em>You can...complain. I like to hear you.</em><br><br>The man's eyes flicked up to meet Sloan's, shutting momentarily as the other man said that he didn't plan on going anywhere. There was a blurring of water before his eyes for a moment before he blinked it back, a strange, tight feeling in his throat.<br><br>What was this?<br><br>Perhaps it was that he had been acknowledged for the first time in so long, and he was being promised some sort of contact on a consistent basis, something that he needed more desperately than he wanted to admit.<br><br><em>I am...I am Rembrandt, I think. Rem, to you, as you are a friend.</em><br><br>His voice purred through the room, soft and intimate, just above a whisper and still hoarse with disuse. His eyes flicked up to the other man's face, lips twitching with a hint of a smile. <br><br><em>I will...spend time with you...if your lover cannot...</em><br><br>It was offered gently, and there was that thready hint of tiredness seeping in. He stopped speaking, then, begging with his eyes for the other man to tell him anything. Sloan would feel a faint push to discuss his boyfriend, to tell more about him, but it was nothing discernable. <br><br>Perhaps it was just the cool, dark air of the room.<br><br><em>Why...would he fight...with you?</em><br><br>Rem didn't fully understand it; how could anyone fight with Sloan? The thought made him angry. The light-bringer, the first person to offer any sort of comfort to him, and someone was hurting him.<br><br>Unacceptable.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>05-07-2014, 13:30:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Comforting, a phantom touch warmed his skin and it made him wonder what else this man could do. Sloan had no knowledge of magic, but its existance was easily accepted. There was a man in the floor, encased in glass, and still alive after hundred of years. Nothing was more magical than this. Normally a person would feel jealous of someone having a skill that they didn't, but he wasn't. There were people in this world who were meant to be artists, chefs, and other such things. It made sense that there was someone meant to use magic. He couldn't use it, just like he couldn't draw, but he could appreciate it.<br><br>Sloan smiled in thanks and appreciation for the easy acceptance of his complaints. Cut off from his family, he didn't have anyone to talk to aside from his boyfriend and that usually didn't go over very well. It took a moment for the man to answer him, almost as if he had forgotten his own name, and perhaps he had. With no one to talk to, no one ever calling his name, anyone was likely to forget it.<br><br>His lips parted just a bit in surprise at the flirtatious tone Rem's voice took on and then he smiled, this time it reaching his eyes. He shouldn't find it amusing, but he did. Obviously, trapped in glass, small talk wasn't all that this man was missing. Although he was the only one Rem had seen in so long, Sloan still found it flattering and didn't think much of it when he offered to keep him company instead. He was lonely and, in a way, Sloan was as well.<br><br>"Thank you." It seemed like he was running out of energy again. Sloan thought about changing the subject, but then Rembrandt pressed for more information and he didn't have it in him to say no. Perhaps he too wanted to talk about this, more so than he'd realized. Rem was the first person who had ever really listened to him.<br><br>"Every couple fights." He defended him. That was just who he was. "Stress can build up for anyone and then we haven't had much time for sex or dates recently. Sometimes he just lashes out, but he always apologizes for it&nbsp; and never means it." He wished they could go back to how things had been in the beginning. It had been so much better, but he wanted to work through this. Sloan could still remembered moments that made his heart flutter, and it gave him hope.<br><br>"There's times when he's really loving and I want to get back to that. I don't want this to end badly." Or at all. Being alone was hard, something Rem could definitely understand. "How about we talk about something else? I can tell you about my family...." Sloan continued on, telling him about parents, older brother and little sister. Also about his in-laws, his brother's wife. There were pauses for Rem to insert something if he wanted, otherwise he kept going.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 08:32:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's eyes crinkled in pleasure as the other man's eyes lit up with that smile; apparently his flirtation had been welcome enough, or at the very least hadn't insulted Sloan. That was enough, though. <br><br>He disliked hearing that the other man's boyfriend didn't treat him flawlessly; that was enough to put a large black 'X' by the other man's name, as far as he was concerned. Sloan would be under his protection, once he got out. All the same, he could tell that it was nice for Sloan to get these sorts of things off of his chest, to finally have someone listen intently and with complete interest.<br><br>He listened to the story of his family, occasionally adding a hum of sound to show he agreed with a statement or thought something of what the other man was saying, though he didn't actually speak.<br><br>When a few hours had passed with Sloan talking, silence fell, and he reached out with his voice once more.<br><br><em>What are...your dreams? If you had no limits...</em><br><br>The voice was fainter this time, but at least he got out the sentence in one fairly short, if wavery, time. He had said so many more words today than he had yesterday. If he gave it time and kept practicing, he should be able to speak regularly and easily after his vocal cords had become adjusted.<br><br>He looked forward to that time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 09:45:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sometimes Sloan forgot to mentions names. It was a bad habit of his that he could never quite seem to break. Eventually he backtracked as he was telling a tale of his family, mentioning that his boyfriend's name was Marcel. Marc for short. Sloan didn't even think about the possibility that saying anything to Rem could put his family, his boyfriend, in danger. It was so out of his realm of reality. He tried to see the good in people.<br><br>Though nothing was said by Rem in the hours that he babbled, there were little noises that he was listening and his gaze, for the most part, was entirely focused on him. It was one thing to be forced to listen to him, but Rem actually wanted to hear what he had to say. It didn't matter what it was, as long as he kept talking. Somehow, by looking into his eyes, he knew that he was still listening. Really listening.<br><br>Eventually he ran out of memories that jumped out at him and he stared at the fall wall for several moments, trying to think of something, when Rembrandt spoke again. He met his eyes and paused to think about the question. "That's a hard question to answer... What I really want, I suppose, is to be happy. Caring about someone as much as they care about me, living comfortably and experiencing new and exciting things."<br><br>A lot of people wanted to be rich and important, but if he had those few mentioned things then nothing else mattered. Fingers trailing over the glass as he looked down at Rem's frozen body. It must be painful, in so many ways. Was it cruel to ask what he wanted. Getting out of there was at the top of the list, no doubt. "I'm not overly ambitious. There's not much I really want, though I suppose if I found something I was passionate about, things would change."<br><br>"How long have you been down here?" He asked after a moment, changing the subject. His last sentence sounded alright, better than when he first started talking, so he thought he'd be able to answer.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 12:55:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Whatever power it was that existed above had given him a gift; Sloan wanted all the sorts of things he wanted a partner to desire. Happiness, someone who cared about them, and beautiful and new experiences. Those were the sorts of things that he could give. <br><br>Not Marcel.<br><br>Tonight, he would follow him. He would dip into Sloan's dreams, watch him, come to him and offer him sex and love and affection, all the things he needed, even if he would only have the vaguest memory of it in the morning. At the end of the day, it would stick in his subconscious.<br><br>He would torment Marcel.<br><br>Nightmares were a particular specialty, and if he could get close enough to Sloan to get into his dreams, it should be an easy feat to climb over to Marcel provided they shared a bed.<br><br><em>Two hundred years...maybe more, maybe less. So long. So much darkness.</em><br><br>A soft sigh seemed to escape him, and though speaking tired him,he wanted to.<br><br><em>I haven't seen the sun...or a person...in two hundred years.</em><br><br>He sounded sad, but then his eyes turned upwards to Sloan, thankfully admiring him. He looked at Sloan as if he was the most valuable person to ever walk this earth, a warmth seeming to melt the hardness of his honey eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 13:46:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan's eyes were full of sympathy. Such a long time for anyone to be alone. Trapped in darkness. Trapped in <em>glass</em>. He could only imagine what it felt like: only his eyes being able to move and the vaguest of facial expressions coming through. Not that there'd have been anyone to see them. Humans were social creatures and he had to assume that Rem was the same. Even not being human, there was no doubt he was lonely.<br><br>For a moment his breath caught, looking down and seeing the gaze of utter adoration. It was completely by chance that he'd come across this place and he wasn't so sure he deserved to be looked at like that. Still, to say something so negative and bring up a potential argument with a man in this predicament...he couldn't do it. It drained him just to speak.<br><br>Still, the words gave him an idea for his next visit and he realized then that he had to tell him. "Rem, I work four days a week. After tomorrow--tonight" he corrected, after checking his watch. "I'll be off for the next three days. My co-worker, Carter, isn't concerned with anything not on a screen, but others would notice." Sloan paused, realizing it could be taken that he wanted to keep this man all to himself. He wasn't usually so selfish.<br><br>"...Do you want me to tell someone you're down here?" Not just another employee, but someone that could perhaps do something for him. On the other hand, while Sloan was very accepting, others weren't. A supernatural creature in glass? If it was the wrong person, this room could be sealed off completely.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 14:11:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's eyes fluttered shut in what was clearly regret as the other man said that he would be off for three days after that night. He looked up at him with a sort of vague thankfulness in his eyes as well as pain, as though he appreciated Sloan having come but not fully trusting him to come back to see him after those three days. <br><br>He wished he could shake his head in panic at the other man's words, but instead let out a soft sound, finally beginning to find his words once again.<br><br><em>Tell no one,</em> came the soft voice, <em>Tell no one that I'm here. I don't want to see anyone but you, please...</em> came the honeyed voice, warm but pleading.<br><br>That being said, he was far too excited to get into Sloan's dreams. He knew that he already could - those little warm brushes had served their purpose, after all - but he wished he could get closer right then. <br><br><em>I will wait for you.</em><br><br>The voice was honest, and then came a faint, almost pathetic set of questions. <br><br><em>Can you wipe some of the dust off my glass? To...want to see. And the light...please, leave the light...</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>06-07-2014, 14:41:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was hard to see that expression of panic and regret. Never, not even with a pet, had anyone or anything been so utterly dependant on him. It gave him a strong sense of responsibility that couldn't be ignored. Sloan would feel horrible if he never came back. If he skipped even a day he knew Rem would be down here, waiting for him, and that he would still be overjoyed that he eventually came back at all. Sloan would feel so guilty then.<br><br>"...Alright." He agreed, a little torn about Rem's decision, but perhaps he too worried that the wrong person would find out. Sloan didn't want to be responsible for that either. All he could do for this man was to keep coming here, giving him light and company. It wasn't like it was any sort of a burden either. He liked talking to Rem and it was a lot better than walking the halls all night or listening to Carter scream at his buddies through his headset.<br><br>"I'll come back." He promised. "And I'll be here tonight as well." At the questions, he glanced around the room. It was actually filthy. He sighed softly. "I suppose I'll have to borrow some supplies. to clean this place." Looking back to Rem, he smiled. "Of course. I planned on leaving the light to begin with."<br><br>Moving to his knees, he used his sleeve to wipe off the glass, giving him a good area to see out of. "You need some windex." He mused, glancing to the honey eyes. "It's a cleaning chemical for glass." Looking down at him, seeing him a little clearer, he asked. "Do you want me to bring you a radio? It's an electronic device that plays music. People talk on it as well. It seems better than leaving you in silence."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 09:06:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's lips twitched into the faintest smile as the other man said that he would come back and that he would clean and leave the light on. All things that he needed, things he had been waiting for for years. <br><br>His eyes roved around as the other man wiped the glass off, an almost child-like curiosity lighting up on his face as he took in the room around him. He hadn't actually seen the room, even empty as it was, for so long, and was almost eager to take it all in. HIs eyes roved around as the man used his arm to wipe the glass off and then moved to nod, only to remind himself exactly how trapped he was. <br><br><em>How odd. I would like to hear the music of today, as well as people talking. I want to know more about the world. Do you listen to the radio?"</em><br><br>He blinked up at him, eyes roving the room, finally focusing back on Sloan's face.<br><br><em>You are kind to me. If I were free, I would ensure that you only experienced the finest things in life.</em><br><br>He didn't say it as if he was trying to flirt or lie, simply a statement. He said it not as though he was using it to be romantic, or even as if he was trying to be set free. He said it simply as if he wanted the other man to know.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 09:36:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was nice to see him move back into being excited. Certainly better than melancholy. "Sometimes." He replied. "There are items that focus on specific music, tapes and CDs, mp3 players, that you can play over and over again. Usually people listen to those instead, but the radio would tell you a bit more about what's happening in the world, or at least the local area, today." Undoubtedly he'd hear about a lot of things he didn't understand and Sloan smiled in thinking of the questions he'd have when he came back.<br><br>At his next words, he paused and looked down him, his smile turning a little sad. "I can't even comprehend how you're still alive..." Looking over this huge cube of glass, he didn't know what to do. "Beyond what I'm doing, I don't know how to help you." Even if Rem hadn't meant it to sound like a plea for help, this was something that had been on Sloan's mind. Should or shouldn't he? Was it even possible?<br><br>"Why are you here?" He finally asked. Magic was obviously the 'how', but what on earth caused someone to encase you in glass and seal you away for hundreds of years in darkness? Had he done something bad? Was this two hundred year punishment enough to be forgiven? Perhaps he was just a creature who was feared simply because he existed. Humans were very much fearful creatures. Anyone who didn't fit in didn't belong.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 10:00:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem actually seemed to be faintly excited about what the other man mentioned, wondering what all of these things were, but happy to listen and find out. He would make a list of questions for Sloan and ask all of them when he came back. At some point he would know so much about the world that he was now living in. <br><br>That was what he truly wanted.<br><br>That, and to spend time with Sloan.<br><br><em>When I lived in your world, I had a lover.</em><br><br>There was a faint sigh, a concentration of energy so that he could continue to speak, drawing what energy he had back into him to flow into his words. <br><br><em>He became tired of me, but did not want a nonhuman ex-lover living in the same world as him.</em><br><br>A faint sigh, a vaguely mournful sound. He didn't seem to mind admitting that he had been gay, or at the very least, had dated a man back when he walked Sloan's earth.<br><br><em>They were so scared of me. Humans, particularly back then, don't like things that are different. He told the priests and town leaders what I was. I was drugged, thrown in here...I woke up when they began pouring molten glass around me. That was how they sealed me. </em><br><br>He conveniently left off the reasons they had been so scared, or how bodies had been turning up, people going mad and doing terrible things. Sloan didn't need to know those sorts of things.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 11:21:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>My world?</em> Sloan supposed that Rem meant the world outside of this glass, all those years ago. As he continued, it was impossible for the human not to notice that he was speaking in full, unbroken sentences. Something he had started doing tonight but so far hadn't been able to to this extent. Was he getting stronger? Had he just not been used to speaking? Likely it was magical in nature. Something he wouldn't understand.<br><br>So a lover had betrayed him. <br><br>What would make someone believe that <em>this</em> was what had to be done? Sloan didn't understand it. Fear had been known to make people do stupid and crazy things, but to someone you knew and once cared for? Two hundred years ago...It was very conservative back then. There were a lot of things in this world he didn't understand, but the fact was that Rem was here and there was no other information available to him. He had to believe the man.<br><br>Sympathy was in his eyes. "What...are you?" He asked, not knowing how to word the question properly. Sloan had cleaned what he could and sat back near the edge. For some reason it just felt odd to be on the glass. "I can't say that much has changed as far as humans go. Only the methods.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 11:38:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rembrandt thought about this answer very, very carefully. This would likely determine whether or not he actually got out of this situation. If Sloan even could get him out, that was. Perhaps humans weren't allowed to undo things like this. He could only hope that that wasn't the case.<br><br><em>I don't really know,</em> came the quiet voice, somewhat weaker now. He was able to speak in complete sentences but it was still a challenge, and it still drained him. Two hundred years of not using your throat did cause a great deal of atrophy, after all. <br><br><em>I was human, once. Then I gave up a portion of myself. Now I am...a ghost, perhaps. Perhaps a demon. I am powerful, is what I am, or at least I was at one point.</em><br><br>His words ended on a faintly sad note, realizing for the first time that he really had no power, no matter what he was. It was one thing to be locked up, but realizing how hard it was for him to work even his mind to speak, he wondered if he could even move his body when he got out.<br><br>He was weak.<br><br>He was weak, and trapped, and would likely never get out. His eyes fluttered shut, and he looked up at Sloan, seeming to ache for a moment.<br><br><em>Doesn't matter what I am, </em> came Rem's soft voice, almost as though exhaustion was creeping over him again, <em>I doubt I'll be it again. I'm trapped. But you're trapped too,</em> he whispered, voice getting fainter and fainter, <em>You're trapped in your life, and I'm trapped in mine...</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 12:50:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan's head tilted slightly to the side without him noticing. Not knowing what you were, was it the same as no knowing who you were? Todays legends were all romanticized, but quite popular were things such as vampires and werewolves changing humans. Why not a human who could change himself? It was interesting. <br><br>A ghost or a demon. The second he might've guessed at. Ghosts, to him, were barely there things that came and went, rarely being seen or felt. Or at least that's how he understood them to be. Demons were supposed to be evil though. Was Rem evil? Looking down at him, he just seemed sad, lonely, and desperate. <br><br>Again he touched the glass but there was no way to reach him. <br><br>It was faintly unsettling how Rem called him trapped as well. He supposed that he was correct, in a way. Everyone was trapped by something. This job, keeping Rem company, his apartment lease, bills, there were a lot of things. "...You're getting tired?" He said, changing the subject. <br><br>"Let my tell you about my family's vacation to the beach when I was a kid. If you fall asleep, that's okay." Sloan smiled at him and, with his permission, he'd launch into it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 13:01:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem let out a faint noise, an agreement, when asked if he was getting tired. <br><br><em>Haven't spoken in so long. It's...hard. I don't want to sleep. So tired, but...scared this is just a dream. Don't want it to end.</em><br><br>He seemed to lose the ability to form full sentences as he got more tired and he had to practice a certain economy with his words in order to speak at all. <br><br><em>Please. Talk about the...beach...</em> <br><br>Rem's voice may have trailed off but he stayed awake for a surprisingly long time after that, listening to the stories and eagerly taking in every detail. It seemed that Sloan couldn't tell him anything that bored him; he was simply too content to listen to what he was telling him. <br><br>His eyes began to drift shut as the story neared an eventual end, and soon enough it was clear that Rem had fallen asleep, no motion or sound coming from him. He seemed to sleep better now that there was light nearby, face a bit smoother, a bit calmer. <br><br>Tonight, he would go to Sloan. It wouldn't be hard; he could take some of Sloan's own energy to do it, all he needed was the initial connection, which Sloan had given to him in spades. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 13:53:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With a soft smile, Sloan launched into it, telling him about little things like collecting shells or their dog desperately trying to catch a seagull and then getting chased by one. The freak out his mother had over a small hermit crab coming out of a shell she thought had been empty. It had been a good memory and something positive for Rem to fall asleep listening to. When he ran out of interesting details, he looked down to see his eyes closed.<br><br>Again he allowed a moment, just to be sure, and then he left the room, locking it back up again. This time though, Rem wasn't left in darkness and that made him feel a little bit better about it. Sloan played out the rest of his shift doing the things he was supposed to do and waiting to clock out. His thoughts kept sliding back to Rem, but as he got closer to the end of his shift he thought about Marcel instead and sighed softly.<br><br>He hated it when they fought. They always made up after, but it didn't make the fights any less painful. Finally the time came for him to go home and he paused once he was outside the door before walking in. It was quiet inside. It was still early morning and Marcel didn't have to be up for an hour, so that wasn't surprising. Quietly taking off the bulky bits of his uniform, he went into the kitchen to prepare the man's favorite breakfast.<br><br>About twenty minutes later he heard the bedroom door open and a minute after that, arms wrapped around his neck. He paused to put a hand on them. "Smells good." Sloan turned to put his arms around his waist and lean into a kiss. "Mmm, I've got to go in early today. After I eat this amazing breakfast, of course."<br><br>"I'm off after tonight. We'll do something, alight?" There was a tentativeness about him and Marcel smiled, taking a short kiss before letting him go to yawn and pad back to get dressed.<br><br>"There's a movie I want to see. Lets go to it."<br><br>"Alright." Sloan agreed. Marcel was always the one who could better state what he wanted, and he usualy got his way. It was a fairly pleasant breakfast and after his boyfriend left for work, Sloan took a shower and then crawled into bed. He'd get the radio ready before he left as well as his little surprise for Rem.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 14:04:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He knew the moment the other man was asleep, almost as if he'd been clinging to his back, watching his every move and waiting until his heartbeat calmed. The dreams came slowly at first, dreams of a beach, then shifted to a house, and then in through the house to a room. It was hard to do; he was out of practice, and he found that things kept shifting to what Sloan would normally have thought of, almost turning to Marcel before Rem managed to wrench things back to the room. <br><br>Finally he focused on the bedroom of the apartment, having seen it by tracking Sloan's warmth (his soul, Rem thought, though he really wasn't quite certain if that was what he followed). He formed every inch of the room down to the last wrinkle in the sheets and then seemed to appear there, though it was all a dream, and would fade as Sloan woke up.<br><br>Rem was sitting there in all his glory, dressed properly, in the clothes he would have worn normally. The outfit was a severely cut gold-brown jacket covered in a stunning damask, clinging to every long line as it fell into a set of slim-cut pants tucked into over-the-knee boots in a supple kidskin. In the dream Sloan was awake and just entering the room, while Rem was sitting on the end of the bed.<br><br>"i've been waiting for you," he murmured in a playful, sweet tone that positively rumbled with power. "You inspire a wonderful feeling in me whenever I see you," he said, giving the other man some real admiration. "I've come here to give back just a portion of what you've given me. Take my hand."<br><br>He held out his hand, knowing Sloan would take it; he was compelling him with delicate magic, knowing that this was simply a dream, and that such things wouldn't work in the real world. When the other man's fingers touched his, the bedroom dissolved into what could only be described as the beach Sloan had spoken so fondly of. A dog yapped after a seagull in the distance, and water lapped up onto the shore.<br><br>"You sounded so happy when you talked about this place. I wanted to give it to you."<br><br>He made the sun a bit brighter, the water a bit bluer, the sand a bit whiter. He was doing it solely to make Sloan happy, to give him a lingering feeling of warmth and strength when he woke, and most of all, to foster discontentment because Marcel couldn't offer that sort of feeling.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 14:31:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Sloan walked into the room his eyes immediately went to the well dressed man sitting on the bed. Any oddity he found in it was soon swept away, as dreams were so easy to manipulate and rarely made sense to begin with. "Rem." He greeted, smiling. He was happy to see him and a garbled thought of the man being out of the glass passed by and was simply accepted. It was good that he'd gotten out.<br><br>Though there was power in that voice, he wasn't afraid and reached out to take his hand. Moving to the beach in the blink of an eye. He caught a glimpse of a dog in the distance and although it might not even be the right dog, he knew it was Butch who had died many years ago. None of this phased him. <br><br>It suddenly seemed so bright, not overly so, but everything sparkled with vibrancy. He squatted down to run his fingers through the sand and then looked back up to Rem, somehow knowing that this was all his doing. That he was doing this for him. He smiled again, genuinely happy.<br><br>"Thank you." His other hand went to his cheek and brushed it. "You should be smiling as well."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>07-07-2014, 22:55:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem let a hint of a smile touch his lips as the other man told&nbsp; him to smile, nodding a bit, walking carefully in the sand. He walked a bit oddly, mostly because he could barely remember what it felt like to move his legs. <br><br>"It's hard to remember how to smile," he said honestly, "I can barely remember which muscles to use." <br><br>Even in a dream, one had to manipulate false muscles in order to appear, and he was finding it rather difficult. Instead he shunted himself along behind Sloan, reaching out and resting a hand on his shoulder. <br><br>"I'm so glad to see you happy. Your smile...I love seeing it," Rem said, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Sloan. <br><br>Sloan was so easy to please, he realized. If he were real, if he ever managed to get out of the glass, he knew that he as absolutely going to take Sloan everywhere he could possibly want to go. He would take him to the most beautiful beaches, to the most exotic locales. He would ensure that he would always have money and the best food, the best of everything.<br><br>He would provide far more than this Marcel could.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 05:26:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Not remembering how to smile, how sad was that? Stepping in front of Rem he pushed up the corners of his mouth until his face was in more of a smile. He chuckled softly before letting him go and taking a few more steps towards the too blue ocean. He missed the beach and family time. Creating happy memories with someone he cared about. He was happy Rem got to see it.<br><br>A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to look back. "Rem..." Such affection. His thoughts flickered to Marcel for a moment but were easily refocused.<br><br>"Then I'll keep smiling for you." It was easy and pleasant, walking with Rem. Somehow it felt like everything would be fine as long as he was there. He didn't have to worry about anything.<br><br>Eventually things became wavy as he started waking up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 07:04:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's lips tilted upwards into a smile as the other man's fingers pushed at them, and he found it coming naturally then. He felt a certain warmth fill him, something very human that had nothing to do with energy, something that simply came from someone who would reach out and touch him and make him smile.<br><br>He followed the other man about the beach until everything began to waver around them, and he knew that his hold had been broken. This was the only way he could see Sloan outside of his box, and he had to let it go for that moment, the dream ending.<br><br>He knew that Sloan wouldn't remember everything; like all dreams, it would fade until just the most basic feelings lingered.<br><br>Still, that was enough for that moment.<br><br>When he came to, he was in the dark of the room, though there was just enough light for him to see by. That was nice. The room didn't seem nearly so terrible when there was just a bit of light to show the heavy flagstones and the metal-banded door that was always locked.<br><br>He was eager for Sloan to come back, yet at the same time, a bit sad. He knew that when he came back he would leave after a few hours and then be gone for three days. That had seemed like the blink of an eye before, but now it seemed like an interminable period of time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 08:24:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When Sloan woke it was with the vague feeling that he'd had a good dream, though he couldn't remember any of it. Turning the alarm off he laid there for a few more minutes before getting up. His thoughts drifted to Rem and he smiled softly, remembering his surprise. He had a few minutes until Marcel came home and then a few hours together before he left for work. A little while later though came the text that his boyfriend was going to celebrate a co-workers promotion at the bar and wouldn't be home until late.<br><br>Sloan sighed, a little depressed over it but understanding. When the time came, he left for work and thanked whatever it was out there that Carter didn't even notice the small radio he'd brought in. That or he just didn't care. Really, it could be either. After the initial rounds and completing his duties, he stopped at the janitor's closed and borrowed quite a few things before heading down to the basement.<br><br>"Hello." He greeted as he opened the door, bringing the cleaning stuff in. It had been a chore to bring everything all at once, but he wasn't complaining. "I thought I'd get the cleaning out of the way so you can see a little better." Asking how Rem was just seemed silly. <br><br>"Is there anything you want to talk about? I'm going to run out of tidbits about myself eventually. Something about the changes these past two hundred years?" He said conversationally as he eyed the grimy walls and ceiling. No point in cleaning the floor without getting those first. Taking the broom, he started in the corner and swept the ceiling first, being sure to stand out of the way as dust and dirt fell.<br><br>"Sorry, it might become rather dirty for you before it gets clean." Rem might have trouble seeing, but they could still talk.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 09:51:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's eyes opened lazily when Sloan came in, looking at everything he had with him. Cleaning supplies, apparently, and a box under his arm. Maybe that was that contraption - a radio - that he had mentioned? The box that would tell him about things?<br><br>The glass became dirtier as the other man started cleaning, but he didn't mind. He knew that Sloan wouldn't leave him like that. <em>Well...</em><br><br>Rem tried to think about what questions he had.<br><br><em>Do people still ride horses everywhere? This...electricity you mentioned, what is it used for, other than lights? Have they cured disease yet?</em><br><br>There were so many questions that he wanted to find answers for. <br><br><em>You mentioned you had a boyfriend. How have you not been burned or beaten yet?</em><br><br>The question was asked relatively innocently; he hardly wanted Sloan to be hurt, but back when he had been free to move, homosexuality was something that was kept absolutely hidden. From what he had gathered, Sloan was able to admit to having a relationship with another man. Not just a physical thing, but an actual relationship. That was unheard of.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 10:56:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan smiled and laughed softly at the slew of questions Rem had for him. He planned on answering them one at a time until the last one came. "What?" He asked, confused. For a moment he thought he was asking how Marcel hadn't beaten or burned him yet and couldn't comprehend that thought and how he'd gotten to it. Then he started to understand he meant by other people and had to remember that Rem was hundreds of years old.<br><br>"Oh. People are much more open about their sexuality and relationships these days. There are those who are still against it, mostly overly religious people, but homosexuals are gaining rights. More and more places are allowing gay marriage. Sometimes there are stares, name calling, or assaults, but for the most part no one cares who you're with. It depends on the area, really." Back in Rem's time it had been a lot worse, if he expected beating or burning.<br><br>"It's called a hate crime to attack someone based upon skin color, religion, sexuality, or anything similar and it's punishable by prison or community service depending on the severity. Sometimes they get off easy. It's still being worked on, but better than it once was." Likely this fear and hated had only fueled those that did this to Rem.<br><br>"As for your other questions, riding horses is more of a hobby unless you own a farm or a ranch out in the country. You don't really see it inside the city." For which Rem had no idea about how things looked today. Sloan wondered if he got internet down here and would have to check. There was so much more he could show him.<br><br>"Electricity is used for everything. Appliances, which are machines built to do various tasks like cook food or wash clothes, are mostly run on electricity. Signs, phones, computers, televisions, a lot of things, really." Most of which he probably didn't know about, but there was plenty of time to talk and discuss them all. If not today then next week and...he didn't know how long this would continue. He felt obligated to stay, so...<br><br>"There are a lot of diseases, some cured and some not, so it depends on which one you're talking about. Diseases still exist though." He thought he covered all the questions and was about half-way through cleaning the ceiling. So dirty.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 11:44:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Hate crimes? Things have certainly changed...back when I was free, people just killed who they hated. I suppose you don't burn witches anymore, then?</em><br><br>Rem listened, rapt, as the other man talked about what electricity to do. So many machines...machines to build, machines to cook for you, and machines to wash clothes. Humans really were amazing; in the years he had been alive, he had seen them invent so much, but it seemed that the last two hundred years had clearly heralded unprecedented innovation. <br><br><em>So disease hasn't been destroyed...</em> <br><br>Rem's voice was thoughtful, taking in everything the other man was telling him. He was tracking all the answers that Sloan gave him, trying to absorb everything, trying to imagine what the world was like outside.<br><br><em>Do you ride horses, then? I was quite good at it, when I was...well, before this.</em><br><br>He tried to shift but was still trapped, a faint sigh escaping him. <br><br><em>Oh, I wish I could see it...the outside world sounds amazing.</em><br><br>A soft sigh could be heard echoing through the chilly room, and he found himself pushing against the glass, trying to get out. He wanted so badly to move, even if he had to clean. <br><br><em>How do you wash? Do you still have to carry water in inside buckets? Do you have servants? If you have servants, why do you clean?</em><br><br>The questions came fast and eager, so excited to learn about what was going on outside. He took advantage of a momentary pause in Sloan's words to speak two simple words, heavy with feeling.<br><br><em>Thank you.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 12:04:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A smile flickered to Sloan's lips despite the conversation. "No. No one's burned, and if they are it's a crime punishable by death or life in prison, given that they died. People are still killed and some get away with it, but there are law enforcement officers who try to track them down and put a stop to it." It was hard to remember just how different it was back then. <br><br>It was a little hard to see Rem now, but he could still hear the amazement in his voice. It felt good to tell him about things that excited and fascinated him, that maybe helped him to forget, even for a little while, about the situation he was in. "I rode a horse once, when I was a kid. A city has sprung up around his museum though. Many tall buildings and everything's basically concrete. Not many opportunities for it."<br><br>Another smile came to him at the wish, but he kept quiet for now. <br><br>"Rich people are the only ones who have servants now, and they're all paid well. This job pays well enough, but I'm not rich. Everyone usually cleans their own stuff. Those that don't are considered lazy." Ah, he'd forgotten about the lack of taps back then. "Almost everyone has indoor plumbing now. There's sewer systems underground to handle fecal matter, which toilets and showers are hooked up to, and pipes that pump in clean water (relatively). Washing machines though, they're hooked up to a pipe and pour water in by themselves and send it back out when they're done."<br><br>Sloan paused for a moment in cleaning and cleared off the section where his eyes were. "You're welcome. You can ask me anything." He smiled down at him and then moved onto the walls. The floor would be last and then came the mopping.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 12:32:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Indoor plumbing, law enforcement, concrete...things have changed so much. I have to say, humans are amazing beings when they put their mind to something. </em><br><br>He saw a spider drop down and scurry away into the relative safety of the darkness beyond. It enraged him to know that bugs had more freedom than he did, but he had to bite it back and instead focus on Sloan, since this was certainly better than anything he'd had in years.<br><br><em>Do you want to be rich?</em><br><br>The question was asked innocently enough, knowing that in the future, he would be. He would give Sloan amazing opportunities, money, adventure...he would give him whatever he needed. Everything he needed to be happy.<br><br><em>If I could, I would do servant work for you, since you are doing it for me. It's very kind of you.</em><br><br>He tried to imagine what a city with no greenery would look like; what a bizarre concept. <em>Why are the buildings tall? How do people get up and down without being exhausted?</em><br><br>He watched another wash of dust come down off a wall and realized that the room would finally be clean. It was such a small thing, but the room was so much more interesting when clean; the stones had texture, there were things to look at, even if they were just walls. It was sad that he was so excited for it, he knew, but at the same time he couldn't deny the almost giddy feeling creeping up over him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>08-07-2014, 12:56:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was an odd question to ask, or perhaps just oddly worded. "It's certainly easier to do things when you have money, but there's such a thing as too much of it as well. It can cause people to become greedy and lose sight of the values they once had. I suppose everyone wants to be rich though." Sloan didn't think anything of it as he wouldn't be winning the lottery anytime soon.<br><br>"Thank you." He said sincerely. "It's not that hard though. I don't mind doing it." He never minded doing housework or odd little chores. Especially not for someone who had so little to look forward to. The amount of bugs in here though was a little disturbing. He hoped he didn't get bit.<br><br>"There are a lot of humans these days. Billions, actually. We all live and work on different rooms and floors. Tall buildings are needed just to contain us all. There's stairs inside but most people use elevators. They're like small rooms on pulley systems that take people up and down inside a building, stopping on different floors depending on what button you press. Also powered by electricity." He imagined, if Rem ever got out of here, that it would be fun to take him out to see the world and experience it for himself. It was hard not to get pulled into that enthusiasm.<br><br>It was fairly easy to get the walls clean if he was rough with it. Eventually he found the floor covered in dust and grime and began sweeping it all up. "I'll mop after this and then take care of the glass." The lantern was moved around but not taken out of the room as he worked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 06:46:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Billions of humans?<br><br>He knew that humans bred; they certainly enjoyed sex to an extent that he wasn't sure he could...he wasn't motivated by it, at least...but to think that there were billions? So many. What hope did nonhumans have of surviving in this world?<br><br>Perhaps they had a better chance, though. Now they could hide. They could go unnoticed in such crowds, in such cities. <br><br>He listened eagerly to the explanation of what an elevator was, letting out a sound that was vaguely muffled by the glass. His eyes widened; his throat had worked! He couldn't move his tongue and he certainly couldn't speak, but he had made a noise. That meant that there was a minuscule amount of space between his skin and the glass right there, enough to allow the sound to escape.<br><br>He practically purred in pleasant, but had to soothe himself, giving himself the painful reminder that he was most certainly still trapped. <br><br><em>How did you and your boyfriend meet?</em><br><br>He was curious to know exactly how their relationship had started, if only so that he could later subvert it. It was as good a place to start as any; he would build up his information on their relationship and then destroy it so that he could take his spot (for he had already started to think of it that way) at Sloan's side.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>09-07-2014, 07:12:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan looked over at the noise he had almost missed. Usuauly sounds came in from everywhere, like a shadow, but this was specifically from the glass. How odd. Rem seemed pleased though so he assumed it was either a new thing or he was just excited about the concept of an elevator. There was a lot for him to take in. Either way, he went back to sweeping and made quick work of it, as much as he could anyway. The dirt he swept up ended up in a trash bag. There really was a lot of it for such a barren room.<br><br>At the question, he kept working but also answered. "We met in college. That's the same as a university, basically. One of the required classes to take is in English. It was a creative writing class. Neither of us were that good at it but we sat next to each other and ended up meeting outside of class to share ideas and try and figure it out together. Somehow it turned into a date." It had been so good at first. Like what people imagined a surprise romance to be.<br><br>"We decided to move in together once we graduated. It's been about three years, a year and a half since graduation." Rem was interested in anything about him so Sloan wasn't concerned that he kept asking questions about his boyfriend. Not only that, but it wasn't acceptable back in his time. Of course he'd be interested in how a modern homosexual relationship worked.<br><br>Setting the broom and such aside he dipped the mop and got started. He planned on using less water on the glass so it would dry quickly and he could get it nice and clear for Rem. As he went about doing that he spoke of their first unintentional date and the things they did, going out for coffee and discussing their current assignments. He remembered thinking he was so cute. They started flirting and by the end, Sloan had surprised Marcel, and himself, by boldly kissing him. It had went from there.<br><br>Mopping done, he took the windex and sprayed down the glass before wiping it off, making sure there were no streaks or finger prints as he went. "There. How does it look?" He asked putting everything into an organized pile to take back up later. The floor was still wet but Sloan didn't seem to care as he sat down beside the glass. "I brought something else for you, besides the radio."<br><br>Sloan took out his smart phone and looked for the clip he'd downloaded. "This is a phone but it does a lot more than let you call people on it. You can listen to music, watch movies, get on the internet. Ah, the internet is...a hard to explain collection of data and all sorts of things that can be accessed anywhere. But here, this is something I downloaded for you." He pressed play before setting the phone on the glass to where Rem could see it. "You said you hadn't seen the sun in a while." It was a time lapse video of the sun's journey through the day, from sunrise to sunset. "It's sped up, of course, but I hope you like it." He stayed silent after that and just let him enjoy it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 04:13:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>In my time, three years was a long time for a relationship. Most people were married in arranged matches and only met their betrothed one or two times. Or else they were together for a few months before they sealed themselves into a match. Then again, people died much younger, so they needed to get an early start.</em><br><br>It was the most he had said in quite some time and he had to rest, almost as if he was catching his breath for a moment. Then he asked the next question, somewhat delicately, not wanting to offend Sloan but also wanting to know the answer desperately.<br><br><em>If you have been together for so long, and if men are allowed to get married, now...are you planning to marry him, or simply to stay like this? What of children? I assume science hasn't allow for men to have their own children, yet...</em><br><br>He sighed again, a faint little huff of sound that echoed through the halls. It was still hard to talk, no doubt about that, and it tired him. All the same, having the light in the room along with Sloan's presence gave him more energy than he had had in years. One of the reasons he had been locked in the dark was that his captors had known the lack of light would weaken him over time, leech him of energy and power. He doubted he could break this glass himself, though. He would perhaps shift his way out in a millennia, if that (he knew his captors had been hoping that technology would advance to where they could truly destroy demons before that happened), but he figured that a few good swings with an ice-pick would work. There were ample spells on the glass to keep him imprisoned, but his captors had assumed that no one would be foolish enough to use brute force to free him.<br><br>Rem was truly hoping that Sloan would be the one to do just that.<br><br>He disliked hearing about Marcel having kissed him, and how they seemed to have such a perfect romance. He knew it was silly, but it made him angry to hear such things. Sloan was his. Marcel just didn't know it, yet.<br><br>He let his eyes twinkle merrily up at him from under the now-clean glass, and would have smiled if he could have.<br><br><em>It's wonderful, thank you. You're quite handsome, now that I can see you properly.</em><br><br>He watched the sunset video with rapt attention, asking Sloan to play it two or three more times, then let out a faint, mournful sound. <em> So beautiful. I hope that one day I'll see it again in person. Can you show me videos of other things? Perhaps...I always liked music. Can you show me music that is popular today?</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 09:44:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem was definitely getting stronger, or at least used to speaking again. Two nights ago a few broken sentences had drained him completely. Now he was carrying on a full conversation. When he went about asking his set of questions, Sloan felt slightly awkward about answering them as Marcel had never seemed to like the idea of marriage.<br><br>"Three years really isn't that long anymore. Some couples are together for decades without getting married. We haven't talked about it too much, but he doesn't seem to like the idea. Maybe it's just too soon. Kids would be a long way off and no, men still can't get pregnant. I think they're working on it somewhere, China maybe, but nothing widely accepted. There's always adoption or a surrogate mother if we choose to go down that path." It made him sad to think about it because he really didn't know where their relationship was going anymore. He wanted it to work, but if Marcel wasn't happy...<br><br>It was nice to focus on the positive aspects instead and remind himself of the good times they had.<br><br>He smiled down at Rem once the glass was squeaky clean and laughed softly a the compliment, pleased. Then he was finally able to show him that video and replayed it for him as many times as he liked. Sloan couldn't answer on if he'd ever see it again, but he agreed to what he could and picked up the phone to check his signal. "I'll see if I get internet down here." It was a good thing this museum had a wifi connection so he didn't have to use any data. It was faint, but there was a signal and he went&nbsp; to youtube to get a playlist of live action songs for this year featuring various artists.<br><br>"Here, these are from concerts that were performed this year." Turning it up and hitting play, he set it back on the glass for it to start, laying out on the mostly dry floor as he listened. Some artists were rather questionable in taste and he wondered what Rem would think of them. Also what kind of music he liked to begin with.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 11:38:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem felt sad, or at least felt an approximation of sadness, when he saw that expression on Sloan's face. He deserved better than a pig like Marcel. How could someone not want to marry this wonderful man? It was beyond Rem to understand it.<br><br>He listened as the other man began playing music, and his lips seemed to twitch downwards as some of them started, eyes narrowing slightly.<br><br><em>Why is it so...mechanical?</em><br><br>He seemed confused by the concept of autotune, of this odd new music, of all of it. Really, this wasn't music, at least not the music he was used to. <br><br><em>Your voice is much nicer than theirs. And why do they keep singing about sex? People like that would have been burnt at the stake for saying such lewd things back in my day. But listen to me. I sound like an old bore...</em><br><br>He listened a bit and then perked at the next song. It was from Mumford and Sons, and he appeared to like their folksy sound. <br><br><em>Still odd, but lovely voices. It reminds me of tavern songs.</em><br><br>He hummed along faintly with the refrain, occasionally harmonizing, the sound perfectly on pitch. He didn't have to think about it; it just happened. When you had lived for as long as Rem did, you tended to develop musical abilities to while away the boredom. It was one of the many reasons why the entertainment industry had always been so appealing to non-humans. <br><br><em>I only listened to classical, and some opera. Nothing like these. Amazing that you can play them out of a little box. When you leave, will you leave the...radio, you called it, I think...will you leave it for me to hear more songs? Then we can talk about them. I want to learn everything.</em><br><br>He left off the 'I want to learn everything about you' because if there was anything creepy (and even in his trapped state he realized this), it was a man imprisoned in glass who was somehow still alive telling you that he was obsessed with you. No, better to just take it slow.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>10-07-2014, 12:45:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan laughed softly a the question. "Instruments and vocals are hooked up to speakers, which magnifies the sound. There's a sound board where everything can be manipulated to sound different, better or cooler. A lot of instruments are electronic now too so I suppose it does sound mechanical. People are so used to it today that we don't really notice." Maybe these were just a little too modern for him.<br><br>Steadily he was growing to like these little compliments that Rem kept feeding him. A lot of them sounded so natural that he wasn't sure if he was even making them on purpose, which made them all the better. "People are much more open about their relationships, women generally have the same rights as men, and sex is so commonly talked about it you can hardly go a day without hearing or seeing something sexual." 'An old bore'. Well, he was quite old.<br><br>A smile remained on his face while the demon hummed along and he was starting to realize he smiled a lot more with Rem than he did with Marcel. That thought made him feel a little guilty afterwards, but he wasn't going to let it dampen Rem's good time. He was actually quite good. Sloan wondered if the man was able to sing (in other circumstances, of course).<br><br>"Of course, I said that I would." He replied pleasantly. "There's still some classical and Opera being composed today, but it's not that popular anymore. Each station plays various genres, though some are more focused on one specifically. Do you have one in mind?" He supposed that he didn't, as he didn't know what they were. "I can tell you with genre a song belongs to so you can have a better idea of it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 01:29:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Talking openly about sex...well, I suppose it's not a bad thing. Can't tell you how many young women got pregnant when I was out and about - not by me, of course, my tastes run more towards the other sex - because they didn't know anything about sex or how babies were made.</em><br><br>He listened contentedly to each of the songs; it didn't really matter to him whether he liked them or not, he simply wanted to hear everything that was out in the modern world. Plus, if he was going to do well in this brave, brazen new world he was going to have to know what was popular and what wasn't, otherwise he was going to find it rather hard to provide for Sloan. He would, too. He would learn what was popular, what wasn't, and what made people scream with glee. He would then monetize those skills and provide for his Sloan with a mixture of smarts, trickery, and good old fashioned politics. <br><br>He certainly wouldn't make Sloan work a job like this where he clearly was unfulfilled; after all, he could hardly imagine someone who had a difficult or engrossing job being able to spend so much time with someone trapped down in the depths of a dingy, uncleaned-in-centuries basement.<br><br><em>I suppose that I like classical music, though it's hard to tell. I like hearing all of it, regardless of whether it's the sort of music I would typically listen to. I like these folksy sort of songs, I think.</em><br><br>He paused to gather his power around him once more and then asked a bit fainter this time as he was beginning to grow tired, <em>If you could travel to any place in the world, what would it be, and why would you want to go there? When I was younger my dream was to visit the Orient and I luckily managed to do so by joining a trader. It was glorious to see it firsthand. So different from our society, but perhaps even more productive, and they made the most beautiful things...</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>11-07-2014, 04:23:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You'd probably like Heather Alexandra then. She sings folk type songs and is a little more modern day. Some groups are turning classical music into rock too, making them more mechanical." Humans had really created a lot of technology over these past two hundred years. It'd take a while for Rem to catch up, even with Sloan telling him what he could. Easier, he thought, if the man could watch TV.<br><br>Content to lay there and listen, Sloan had his eyes closed and then opened them briefly once Rem started in on his questions. It was rather long winded for him, and he wondered just how much he'd be talking in a few weeks time. It was nice that it was a conversation though rather him babbling all the time and leaving silences for input every once in a while.<br><br>"I suppose Scotland or Ireland. I like the old world feel of those countries, and there aren't many places where you can see original castles amidst expanses of green anymore. It seems much more relaxed." Like a place where you could ride a horse everywhere and chose to live somewhere not so crowded.<br><br>"The Orient has a large concentration of people these days. I've never been outside of the country, but anyplace where I can experience new things would be nice. What did you trade in?" Sloan didn't want to ask him too many questions as he was growing quiet again and might exhaust himself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>14-07-2014, 11:03:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Mmm, I'm the opposite. Spent so much time in the old countries that I don't particularly want to go back...though I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing the differences between then and now. I was born in France, I vaguely remember...then lived in England, coming to America when trade picked up.</em><br><br>He rested for a moment to listen to another song, taking in the rhythm of Sloan's breathing. He had spent so much time memorizing the sounds of this room that, faint as they were, the sounds of Sloan's blood beating and his lungs pumping air in and out of his body were clear to him, a soothing back and forth of sound.<br><br><em>I traded in...well, whatever people needed. Primarily tobacco from the Americas when traveling to England, then bringing back things people needed...furniture, liquor, things of that sort. Eventually I became the lover of a man who traded heavily in spices and silks which, as America began to thrive under its newfound independence and get a huge amount of wealth ripe for spending, allowed me to trade in spices.</em><br><br>He sighed softly, the sound echoing throughout the room.<br><br><em>I loved the sound of the ocean. My kind have always liked traveling, spreading out away from each other and into new places. I wonder if the world is too full for us now, though.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>14-07-2014, 11:51:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It sounds nice, like an interesting life." Before he became imprisoned. Traveling around and having freedom in where you went, it sounded nice. These days companies had taken over and everything was mostly industrialized. There were still sales people and business men who went to negotiate, but there was no freedom in it. It was all about money and restrictions. Never about exploration and discovery. <br><br>Sometimes he thought he should've been a chef, as he could cook rather well and could travel around, searching for exotic ingredients, but he wasn't suited for the demanding and hot atmosphere of a commercial kitchen and he was far from financial freedom. He'd never really explored it.<br><br>"Demons and other magical creatures are considered myths. I wouldn't know, but wouldn't they change and adapt just like everyone else? Maybe the rules have changed and there's more non-humans out there than any human could ever know about." A man trapped in glass for two hundred years was chatting with him. Anything was possible at this point.<br><br>As he had said to Rem, the man had changed his view on the world. Sometimes, in looking around at all the people, he wondered if any of them weren't human. It wasn't a fear at this point, but a curiosity, though he still felt like there was a barrier between that world and his, similar to the glass Rem was trapped behind.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>15-07-2014, 10:04:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Myths, hm?</em><br><br>He simply thought about that for a few moments, absorbing the implications of the fact people genuinely didn't believe in his kind any more. He supposed it made sense - the most progressive thinkers, the ones who had been forming and building the country had already been turning away from belief in the supernatural. It only stood to reason that even fewer people would believe in it nowadays.<br><br><em>We are very adaptable, certainly. I suppose many of his thrived, and those that couldn't went to sleep, waiting for a time when the world was more favourable.</em><br><br>He looked up at Sloan through he now-clean glass, honey-colored eyes glittering. <br><br><em>You can ask me whatever you'd like about my world. I'll tell you as much as I can...my memories are faded, some because I think my kind aren't supposed to remember everything about our forming, and others because I won't remember more until my body has more power. Being trapped like this - deprived of natural light and oxygen - keeps me in a permanently weakened state.</em><br><br>He let out a faintly frustrated sound as he thought of that fact, wishing he could push up against the glass, wishing for any sort of freedom. The problem with having even the faintest bit of energy, mostly thanks to Sloan's company and the light, was that he was becoming increasingly more aware that he was trapped and unable to draw even a single breath into his aching lungs.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>20-07-2014, 09:05:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"How are you alive?" It was the question that was on his mind the most. He wasn't human, obviously, but he couldn't breathe, could barely move, and had no nourishment as far as he knew. Would Rem continue to exist forever no matter what happened to him? Unchanging, if he got out would he be forced to wander alone, people passing through his life like a change of weather? Perhaps there was more freedom in it, but to Sloan it sounded just as lonely. Still, it was a better option than this, no doubt.<br><br>After a moment, he added, "How old are you? You want to know all about me, but won't you tell me more about yourself?" Aside from the lover who had betrayed him and his stint as a trader. Sloan knew little of demons other than what he'd said; that they were considered myths. Myths, by nature, were stories that were told so many times, and changed, that no one knew what the truth was anymore.<br><br>It was more than that though, he wanted to know a little about Rem as a person. He had rambled on about his family, boyfriend, and memories while the man had simply listened. Sloan liked this about him, but now that he was able to speak in full sentences, he wanted to do the same for him. Wasn't there something he'd wanted to tell someone while stuck in there for all those years?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>24-07-2014, 11:40:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>I really don't know,</em> came the soft voice, <em>I'm fairly certain I can die, but I think I was spelled to stay alive in here. A sort of perpetual punishment for being nonhuman.</em><br><br>A soft sigh seemed to sound around the room, echoing against the stone walls. <em>Approximately four hundred years old, if we are past the year two thousand. I was born in France and lived during the time of Louis the Fourteenth.</em> His eyes seemed to twinkle, faintly teasing. <em>It was a wonderful time.</em><br><br>He glanced up at the other man, honeyed eyes gleaming through the glass, watching Sloan.<br><br><em>I suppose you're curious about me. I became what I am by meeting a demon who was a part of the French court at the time. He took me under his wing, groomed me for success, and turned me loose once he had taught me everything I needed to know. By the 1800's I had moved to England.</em><br><br>He had to pause to catch his breath, to center himself. It was still hard to speak for extended periods of time, and he found his breath coming short, what little of it there was. He relaxed and calmed himself once he had gathered a bit more energy, eyes flicking up to watch Sloan.<br><br><em>For all of our reputation of being damned and evil,&nbsp; humans are cruel. To seal me in here, they had a priest cast an incantation over me - my Latin was never particularly good, but I assume that it's why I'm still alive - and then they poured molten glass over my body. Luckily we regenerate over time and the skin was able to heal. It was terribly painful.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>29-07-2014, 09:39:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Something Sloan would never understand and would probably never know, was the magic that kept Rem alive and trapped here. All he had was Rem's word and he had to take him for it, that people were just cruel and this was how he'd been punished for being what he was. <br><br>History had never been his strong suit so all he could call to mind was powdered wigs, though that might be the wrong century entirely. His eyes met his around the phone and the music all but faded into the background as he listened. So many years ago, in a time he couldn't imagine, Remebrandt gave up his humanity in order to become a demon, or at least that's how it sounded. So he had once been human.<br><br>The strain in his voice near the end explained the silence and he waited patiently for him to finish. His eyes showed pity at the description of how painful it'd been to be trapped in here. Skin burned off by molten glass... had his ex-lover watched? Sloan couldn't comprehend behind able to watch, let alone do such a thing to someone. There were cruel people in the world who did worse, but it wasn't something he could do.<br><br>There was nothing he could say that would make it any better and so his fingers touched the glass briefly before he took them away and changed the subject. "So you were once human?" What was so tempting about being a demon that Rem would want it so badly? Was it the long years? The magic?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>19-08-2014, 13:18:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Rem's eyes flicked up to watch Sloan as he asked his question, gathering his energy once more to project his words outside of his prison so that Sloan would be able to hear him. <br><br><em>Once long ago I was human,</em> Rem began, <em>When I met the demon I made the mistake of falling in love with him. He liked me because I was lecherous and debauched, using my body solely for pleasure. I had never been in love before, though, and I began to do everything I did in order to please him rather than to please myself. I gave him my soul, but...I believe, at least...that he felt guilty and that he had some sort of love for me. Demons do not feel love in the same way humans do, but what he could do was make me what he was. He gave me the gift of immortality, and I thought I would spend it with him.</em><br><br>His voice faltered for a moment and his eyes flickered away, would have shut if he could. After a long silence his voice came again, quiet. <br><br><em>Over time I realized that while we were wonderful friends, we were no longer in love. He agreed, so we parted ways. I had learned at his hand, and continued traveling the world, feeding myself. I became bored with that eventually, and thus ended up here. It has been...a long road. A long, lonely road. Especially these last years in darkness. I would never feed again, I would never harm anyone, just so long as I could see sunlight.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>19-08-2014, 14:09:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ah, love. It could be a wonderful and terrifying thing. Sloan didn't judge him for how he chose to use his body, or even for falling in love with a demon. The heart wanted what the heart wanted. However he had to wonder how he could continue to be with him when the man obviously couldn't love him back. It tugged at something that Sloan shoved down and didn't want to think about. Mentally shaking himself, he focused in again on what Rem was saying.<br><br>Again he felt pity for him, but now Rem was a demon. That meant he didn't feel love the same way either now. Had his turning killed it then? Another thing stuck out to him and Sloan had to wonder how Rem fed. By the end of it though, he was fairly certain Rem had in fact hurt people before. Was that the real reason his human lover had sealed him away like this? Sloan didn't know what to think or feel. <br><br>Who was he to say Rem didn't truly regret it? That he wouldn't keep his word and not hurt people if he got out again? "You said it was because you weren't human and they were afraid of you that you were sealed away, but just now it sounded like you've hurt people." His tone wasn't accusatory or even judgmental, but he wanted to know the truth. Either way, he knew of no way to break magical spells so even if he wanted to do something, what could he do?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sho</strong> on <strong>22-08-2014, 10:20:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan was thinking, and he wondered what he was thinking about. Did he think Rem was a monster? Did he think that he was some awful thing that had crawled out of the darkness to hurt humans and bring about their nightmares? Did he think that Rem was what went bump in the dead of night?<br><br>But no, he was asking questions, at least hearing him out. <br><br><em>Well...</em><br><br>His voice purred through the darkness, thoughtful and careful, wondering how to explain the sorts of things he had done.<br><br><em>When I was locked in here, I actually hadn't hurt people in years. I certainly caused a great deal of pain and suffering back in Europe back when I was with my lover. I didn't know that we could survive without hurting people. I thought that we had to eat that way. He said...he said that that was the balance of things, that we had been created in order to help manage the border between light and dark. He said that no one would ever understand goodness if there was no pain in the world. He said...he said we had the hardest job in the world, because we had to cause suffering in order to allow others to appreciate goodness and kindness.</em><br><br>There was a soft sigh and a warm wind seemed to brush Sloan's cheek briefly.<br><br><em>I'm glad that before I was locked up I learned that that wasn't the case. I am perfectly capable of living without causing pain. I can help people. Perhaps a balance necessary, but I can fall on the good side. I'm not sure that that makes up for my past sins, but...</em><br><br>He blinked slowly, then let his eyes drift shut. <br><br><em>Listen to me prattling on. Silly. Tell me more about you, Sloan. If you could do anything in the world for one day, what would it be? Please. Even if I'll never get out of here, tell me about your dreams. I want to know. I want to dream.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Buried [Sho and Tachi]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tachi</strong> on <strong>13-09-2014, 09:08:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sloan wasn't religious and didn't believe in repentance to a deity that may or may not exist. Repentance was for ones self and others, so that they may heal. Rem hadn't repented, but he had stopped what he was doing. He supposed there was no way for a couple hundred year old demon to heal the one's he'd wronged anyway, but being encased in glass and left alone to his thoughts might be enough of a repentance. Anything further was his choice and not something for Sloan to judge him over. <br><br>Rem, however, seemed somewhat interested in it though. A demon helping people...not often was that written about even in fiction. Usually it was whispered, enticing words that lowered your guard and invited you into darkness. Sloan didn't miss the similarities to his situation, but he chose to believe in Rem. Even demons deserved a second chance and there was always the possibility that the things he told him were true.<br><br>He almost opened his mouth to ask what he ate, but Rem had answered that, hadn't he? Light and company. Energy then? Sloan couldn't feel Rem feeding off of him, but he supposed that he was. Each day with light and company he was growing stronger, able to talk longer and with less breaks. More touches of ghostly wind.<br><br>When the demon opted to change the subject, he didn't deny him. "I suppose I'd want to go somewhere I'd never been before, doing activities I've never done with the people I love. Feeling happy, complete, and not having to worry about anything. Something like spelunking or even just an amusement park." He wasn't overly ambitious and the things he wanted were simple.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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