Men.

[Guest]

Soft paper brushed against her pearly fingertips, dampened slightly from the warm air in the room. Off the kitchen stool she rose, pacing the room still holding the words formed in blue ink. Well, it could have been a dark green for all she could tell. She walked, wondering this very thing, which had nothing to do with the contents written. Strange letters requesting her presence came in the mail rather frequently so this did not bother her, rather, she was intrigued. Who dare label himself as someone "precious" to her? None of such existed. What a waste of ink regardless of its color.

She set the piece of stationary down on the counter and headed for the fridge. The door creaked and the foggy light flickered on. Without looking, the tall girl grabbed the milk and took a lazy swig. Milk mustaches were the best--especially on girls. Guys digged that. Smiling viciously to herself, icy blue eyes fell on the letter. She would go. Oh yes. And she would bring her gloves. The white ones that reached her elbows.

* * *

Straps with shiny silver buckles on the ends jingled unfastened down her slender legs. White shorts rode up her thighs with each calculated step. Her black lace shirt ruffled in the slight breeze which lifted up long strands of white hair. The rest waved in her motions, tickling the backs of her knees. White Doc Martin boots clicked against the intricate bricks leading into the Central Park. Carefully, she assessed the entire area, taking in faces, builds, and features of all the men within range. She stopped at the specific bench that was dedicated to some dead soldier. Hanging on the edge of it, she waited, hands at the ready, prepared for the worst. With a sly smile curled on her glossed lips she knew it was about time to discover who had written the letter in blue ink. Or maybe it was green...or orange.

[Guest]

The letter was sent and the deed was done. All that was left was the meeting itself. Nathan had to see her... after so many years, so many years indeed. The man looked into his own blue eyes, which he could see in a human-sized mirror in the wall. Usually he had no need to examine himself this closely, but today was a very special day. Special indeed. Nathan examined his body, looking at his chest and abdomen. Right now he had only his black pants on, no other clothing. He raised a hand to his face and pulled the skin on his face, to see if something was wrong. Flawless. Very good. Very good...
The man smiled, looking at his own image, and turned around. He came up to the closet and opened it. He needed something good to wear today, he needed something flashy, no - not flashy but stylish. His blue gaze stopped on his favourite coat. It was a white-red coat, with white dominating the red. Actually most of the coat was white, but the areas on it's shoulders and near where the legs would be had sections of red on it - it was perfect. He started dressing...

In an hour he was at the place. He just finished eating his hot dogs and right now was near his destination. What was this feeling? Was it anxiety? Was if fear? Or was it something else... he couldn't really say.
Then he saw her... she was there, sitting on the bench's arm rest, there was no mistake! It was her. Nathan noticed that they were kind of alike, but at the same time looked different. They had the same hair colour though, but her hair was just a bit more white. He stood there, examining her - her every feature, her clothes, her facial expression. He noticed that he had a silly smile on his face and made himself look like usual. Finally! This was it! The moment he longed for all these years..... so much expectation! He had to present himself as best as he could!

Nathan came closer to the the girl and coughed a single time to draw her attention to him. He showed a light smile and spoke:

"Saga Tsukino? No - silly question, since it is unmistakably you." - he scratched his neck as he spoke. - "It's been a long time since we met, and I know you probably don't remember me... but maybe you do? I hope you do! I really hope you do." - he smiled again, wishing he saved a hot dog so he could give her one. he continued without letting her to reply, even if she wanted to. - "Anyway - my name is Nathan, maybe you remember me? Tell me you do, please tell me you do."

Nathan was nothing what he was always like. He behaved very differently from the way he always did.

[Guest]

There was a way in which all stalkers acted. And he was (luckily) not one of them. Saga stared listlessly at her silky, white gloves. It seemed their purpose had been stripped from them today. Through black lashes coated in dark mascara, a frozen blue beheld the strangely familiar man. She reached to him and drew a line across the red and white coat over his chest. A seductive smile curled like a serpent over her lips, reminding her of the reason why she hated the color red. "I don't remember the names of all the men I sleep with," she cooed into his ear before pulling her hot breath from him. Despite her words, the girl felt an odd connection with this person. This drawing of him she knew wasn't related to sex, but something closer. The ties of her veins tingled with memories her mind had long forgotten, capturing her usually divided attention.

Who...was this man? He said it was a long time ago, but how long? She looked up at the calming sky with wondrous eyes that searched her memory for any clues that may pertain to the identity of Nathan. Sweet, sweet silence, if only she could capture it and put it in a bottle. She wondered briefly what it would look like and the image of fireflies came to her. Night-dwellers--like moths--whose wings did not flap, but flickered quietly in the flashing of their own lights. An old memory thrashed against the invisible walls of her tormented mind and clung to the facets of her consciousness. A memory...

There on the windowsill across from her bed was a jar. A jar brimming with lights so beautiful she didn't want to look away. Glowing soft white light in the black that surrounded her. No monsters would get her now. The tinkling of their bodies slid against the glass that kept them from the night. A foreboding feeling entered the little girl's heart. She was supposed to be sleeping, but she just couldn't look away. Was it okay for them to be like that? This selfishness...it didn't feel right. A creaking sound alerted her of a presence there at her chamber door. She flung her head around, long white hair glittering against the glow of the fireflies. "Who's there?" she asked in an wary voice, but the shadow was small--that of a little boy. It was her brother and nothing more.

"Those bugs," he said, "shouldn't be locked away like that; they'll die."

Her eyes cast forth the doubt she had been feeling in her heart, and in one quick movement, she withdrew the jar from the window and hid it behind her back.

"Why do you say that?" she asked quietly, innocently as only a little girl could do. Mother was sick or she would have asked her. And Father...never came to visit.

"Because they're meant to be free."

The girl didn't understand, though they were crawling all over themselves...they weren't able to fly. So beautiful. They were only meant for the night. She clutched open the lid and held it open to the veranda outside. Be free, then, she thought.

Saga looked down from the sky, startled out of a reverie of memories she thought she had lost long ago. A treacherous headache clawed at her skull. She massaged her temples, eyes in vicious slits of ice. "Tell me... is your last name Tsukino?"

[Guest]

Nathan shivered a bit when she spoke of men she slept with. So there were many of them, the bastards... Nathan clenched his fist, but opened it when she whispered into his ear. This was a very strange feeling, it was like he could almost feel her. She was this close after so many years of loneliness, and even though he had people who called him "friend" or some such - he never really saw them as friends or allies. Saga however was far more than a friend - she was family! His only family!!!
Then he tried to look into her eyes, but she seemed far away, as if slightly out of it. She was this way for but a few seconds, but when she came to she seemed angry for some reason, she massaged her temples and asked him if his last name was Tsukino.
Nathan felt so elated - never before had he experienced such feelings - such warmth inside him, only when he was with mother.... but that was a long time ago, a very long time. The man smiled, showing, perhaps, one of the happiest face he ever made. His smile was warm. He spoke in their native language:

"Yes, that is my surname. I am so glad you remembered..." - he grabbed her arms, near the shoulders and held her tight. He wasn't going to let go of her now, he would not abandon her - even if that meant the death of him. He pulled his face closer to hers and then hugged her, placing his hands on her back. He could feel tears of joy gather in his eyes. - "... sister.... I finally... found you."

Perhaps with his actions he had drawn the people's attention, but it didn't matter now. He focused solely on one existence - his sister. He needed no one else. No - that wasn't true, he also had to meet Reila - Reila Tsukino, but that would come later. Right now he had to stay with Saga.
Nathan finally let go of her, but still kept his hands on her slender, delicate shoulders. He looked into her eyes as he spoke:

"I-I was afraid I wouldn't find you, Saga. After so many years... I heard that you were abandoned and I heard different horrible things... I..." - he looked down, holding in the tears, he had to be strong. - "I'm sorry. I am so sorry Saga. I couldn't be there for you when you needed me most."

[Guest]

He was speaking Aerugese. That simple fact was the first thing to register clearly into her ravaged mind. It was her language in a foreign land. Suddenly, Saga's frozen eyes went wide when she felt his arms clutching her tightly to him. Her heart rose into her throat, thumping harshly, and shaking her world from under her feet. The ground itself seemed to shift and move, distorting everything around them. It was coming... Something she couldn't control--an unspoken, ferocious thing inside of her. It was let out. And she couldn't stop it...

In a swift movement, she removed his hands from her shoulders, a demonic look glinting inside the blue. Her pupils slipped to murderous slits, letting in nearly no light. She thrust her gloved hand at the man's face, fingers quivering with uncertainty. She felt the warmth from his skin seeping out to caress her. She shivered, erasing his smile--that smile that was different from anything she had ever seen in her entire life. Understanding it--what it meant...had already been lost. His death...was now eminent. Her long, white hair flew out wildly at odd angles, a harsh red light flaring up from the palms of both her hands. His heart...would stop...

Family........Was that what he was? He had said "sister" did that mean that he was her brother? That little boy...was him? Impossible!! Why hadn't he saved her?! He could only be dead! Or else...or else he would have saved her!! He was fake--an impostor! She clamped her eyes shut, tears she couldn't make sense of, cascading to leave nearly invisible spots on the park's pavement below. Before Saga realized it, she was on her knees, clutching her head. She couldn't concentrate. The alchemy wouldn't come; she would kill herself. Already now she felt light-headed, her heart beating irregularly from the waves she tried to extract from it for her alchemy. She took shallow breaths, trying to regain the normal state of her body. She had failed. She failed to kill the liar! The one whose smile...whose embrace felt so real. It was almost as if...he wasn't faking it. No! She shouldn't be fooled!

"You..." she tried in a low, menacing voice that quivered as she panted for air. "where...were you?"

[Guest]

Nathan was surprised as she threw off his arms, he couldn't understand what was wrong. But then she put her hand to his face, no - thrust was a better word, and he saw red light coming out of the hand. Was she going to preform alchemy? Was she going to hurt him? Why was she angry with him? Did she not feel happy that she met him? What did he do wrong?!
Nathan opened his eyes wider, his pupils narrowed as he looked at the red light. He didn't know what to do right now - he felt anger, confusion and god knows what else emotions were there at that moment. Then the light faded and Saga fell down on her knees. The man lowered his gaze, looking at her, with the same expression as before - he no longer wore a warm smile on his face, no longer was he a loving brother.
He clenched his fists, and spoke, as if he didn't hear what she asked him, while she struggled to breathe:

"You can't recognize your own brother anymore... what did they do to you, sister? What did they do?! Bastards!" - he could feels his twitching, he clenched his fists so hard that blood started dripping from where his nails cut his skin. He could never forgive the people who had done this to her. Never! Father.... it was him - he had abandoned Saga after their mother died. He was the one at fault.

Then next moment all his anger faded away. No, rather, it had gone deep inside. All that was important now was his sister, since he had found the one at fault here - he knew who to be angry at. And he could never be angry at his sister - no.
He crouched on his knees as well, stretching his arms towards Saga, but... this time he didn't touch her. His hands stopped, he wasn't sure if he could touch her now - she could become more angry with him. He spoke softly, while smiling:

"Don't worry, Saga. I'm here now - everything is going to be alright. Your brother is here with you now." - he tried to look in her face, but she was looking down on the ground, so her hair covered her face right now. Meanwhile Nathan continued. - "I was away... I was in an orphanage in Aerugo, but I left that place - I left for Amestris to find you! When I heard you were abandoned I was so worried - I never thought... he... would do that kind of thing. And I found you at last." - he extended his left arm to touch her cheek, but when his fingertips were just a few inches away from her hair he noticed that his palm was covered in blood, that dripped from the four little cuts on his palm. He did not wish to stain his sister's face with blood, so he stopped.
He couldn't wipe off her tears.... that made him sad.

[Guest]

Saga bit her lip and flung her head up, hair flying out and falling down her back in long twirls of white silk. He fierce blue eyes focused intently on the man before her who she was now certain of. This was indeed Nathan; her brother with the weird name. Mother had wanted to give him a different name so as to attract father's attention. But of course, nothing of the sort happened, especially after her death..........

So he had gone to an orphanage? Why had it been him instead of her who had turned out normal? She stared down at her pale hands, eyes now dry and forlorn. Who decided that? While one suffered, the other...? Whoever wielded the strings of fate deserved to meet their maker. She clenched her own fists now, an inhuman look becoming of her. "Everything is going to be alright?" she hissed through pristine white teeth, staring directly at him. Saga let her fists go and pushed herself off the ground in a single, fluid movement. The buckles hanging off her shorts jingled, waving back and forth against her bare thighs, and awakening the cold by metal. "What difference could you make?" She flicked strands of bangs from her eyes. "After all this time, you actually think that you could make a difference?"

She grabbed his collar and hauled him up with odd, feminine strength. Holding him close at eye level, a terrifying look shadowed into the depths of her eyes--the window to her ravaged soul. "I don't care what you heard or who you heard it from, but you have no idea of the hell I went through." Saga found herself laughing bitterly, thoroughly amused by her own suffering and her brother's ignorance. She had never admitted it before to anyone. No, she had never talked to anyone about it in order to be able to even come close to admitting her pain out loud. This was a strange change and she didn't know how to react to it. So instead of reacting further, she shut up and dropped him. What...had she done? Not only had she almost killed her brother, but she had also told him...no, gave him a sense of what her life had been like. Was it really that bad? No, no, it was just fine. She was fine.

Images of her time with Ike flashed before her mind, convincing her of this fact more readily. She had found some happiness. Her eyes, holding a creepy gleam, raised once again to challenge her brother head-on. He would leave now. After hearing this, he would leave her be back to her normal way of life--without the bother of a clingy long-lost brother. He had always been clingy, but he had also...always loved her.

"I am mentally insane."

[Guest]

Saga stood up and grabbed Nathan by the collar and pulled him towards her. Her eyes were close, very close - and they showed nothing more than anger. She hated him, it had seemed and he could do nothing about it. He could understand that she needed his support back then, and not now....
Afterwards she let him free of her grasp and went silent. He simply looked at her, still standing in the same place. He kept an indifferent cold face all the while she angrily spoke. He didn't flinch when she told him she was mentally insane, and that she admitted it. It was weird to hear, but still...
Nathan grabbed her hand, by the wrist, with his own hand, covering her clothes and skin in blood and squeezed. He squeezed hard, perhaps even enough for her to experience some pain, but right now he did not care. He inhaled and shouted, almost right in front of her face:

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!" - he could no longer contain his anger. But no - he wasn't angry at her, no. He hated anyone and anything that had made her this way. He continued, lowering his voice. - "I still love you sister - you are my family, my kin! The same blood runs through our veins, can't you feel that?!" - he inhaled again and spoke, trying to counter that fierce look in her face with his own sure look. - "I can make a difference! I can take care of you, we can be a family just like before! Don't you understand? I need you and I... hope you need me..." - an expression of surprise showed on his face. The last words came out separately and unsure.
Nathan looked at her hand and suddenly released her from his grip. He moved back a step, looking like he had just realized something important. Then surprise changed to almost desperation, his lips formed a thin straight line, he spoke quietly, but surely:

"... But... if you don't want me to be by your side I can leave." - his voice was cold and almost devoid of any emotion. If she did not need him he would go away, he would never see her again and never bother her, or try to intrude in her life. He would just become another blank chapter in the history of her life. If she hated him so much... if she really didn't feel any connection with him, if she preffered to be alone, or with whoever she had in her life - so it would be.
Nathan would accept her wish as his own.

[Guest]

People were staring. That was the first thing that Saga processed as she was being yelled at. Subconsciously, she shrunk to his words, the fire seeping out of her eyes like rain slipping off spring leaves. Looking down at her scuffed boots, she let out a light breath and looked back up at him with soft eyes. His hand was hurting her, leaving a red stain on her new gloves. She hated that color. A disgusted look crossed her face when she looked at it, but disappeared when she met his eyes like a scolded child. It angered her beyond all reason. There was no mistaking it: this was definitely what one would call...family. How odd...no, how frustrating!

When he was finished expelling his loud declarations of emotion and completed it with an emotionless line, Saga raised her free hand and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Whereas he would go flying, she made sure the grip he had on her stayed. Then, glaring angrily at him, removed her wrist from his grasp and grabbed him instead. "Stop bitching and come with me." Saga dragged him a few steps and then turned back to set her serious blue eyes on him. "And stop using that language; I hate it."

Silently, she pulled him the short distance to her apartment that she had just come from. They went up the neat staircase and to the white door, which read 'SAGA' in all capitals. Juggling her brother's wrist and the key, she managed to kick the door open with her boot. It slammed on the opposing wall, and did not leave a mark (for there already was one there). The walls were a pearly peach color and all of the floor except the kitchen was a push white carpet. The kitchen floor was black and white tiles with black granite counters. Everything else...did not match in the slightest including the pink refrigerator. Her curtains, wash cloths, kitchen stools, paper towel holder, and much more were all in varying colors that made it seem as if she enjoyed rainbows rather than the safe tones of the rest of the apartment. Except there was one color missing: red. It was also very clear that she had no idea that the colors didn't match at all, nor did she seem to care either way.

Saga lead him straight into the kitchen and thrust him at the white porcelain sink. "Wash," she commanded simply, her voice softer as if it had run out of energy completely. Before her brother could turn around, she was gone: into the bathroom. Loud clanks resounded from the hallway and she returned with a metal box of band aids. Saga slammed it onto the counter and frowned. "You can stay here; just don't make a mess," she blushed slightly, "and don't bring anything red in here; I hate red."

[Guest]

Nathan felt a slap on his face. Saga had slapped him, and slapped him real hard. She was pretty strong for a woman... then she grabbed him instead and dragged him off to wherever. He did not resist. He simply did not want to, he had no desire to resist her anyway. She seemed to have a lot more fire in her than he expected. He smiled bitterly while she dragged him in the direction of some building - that meant she was strong on her own... she didn't really need him, did she?

Next he was dragged up the ladder and in front of a door. It said "SAGA". She kicked out the door and led him inside. He finally started to come to, when he saw the interior... it was... weird, or perhaps eccentric. Well - in any case it was his first time seeing something like this. And the fridge was actually pink. Nathan actually emitted a single quiet laugh when he saw that, but the next moment he was dragged away towards the sink. Then Saga told him to wash, his hands presumably and went away, when he turned around she was already gone.
Nathan turned on the water and started washing his hands with cold water. He could try something with alchemy, but he wasn't sure he could do that - so he washed the blood away, mostly because his wounds started healing, or rather the bleeding simply stopped. The alchemist got a bit startled when Saga slammed the box of band aids on the counter. He turned around and closed the water. Next he sat down and took the band aids, wrapping them over both his palms. He listened to his sister as she spoke, and... did she just blush? Maybe she did, or perhaps he just had a wild imagination. He lowered his head and spoke:

"Thank you." - he didn't say anything else, but after some time, about 20 seconds maybe, he spoke up again. - "I won't bring anything red in here." - another pause. - "... does this mean you won't throw me away, sister? You don't hate me?"

He felt devastated, he felt down, he felt so weak and pathetic. He didn't know why.

[Guest]

Saga looked up from the band aid box she was about to put back in the powder room. Icy eyes blinked curiously at him for a few moments before falling onto the discarded paper wrappers inscribed with small Amestrian letters. She sighed and looked back up at her brother. "If I hated you..." She decided not to finish that sentence. "A brother is a brother regardless of how someone feels about them. That fact will always stand true." And then with a whip of womanly perfume, she left for the bathroom, shoving the box in a drawer filled with various other essentials. She returned to the kitchen to collect the wrappers from their comfortable place on her pristine, granite counter top. A pale hand grabbed the black metal of the cabinet under the sink and pulled it open, tossing the trash where it belonged.

After everything was finished, she realized that she was now stuck here with her brother without anything to do. This discovery was semi-frustrating and just a little more than a bit strange; she wasn't used to being with other people. Saga's solitude was what kept her going, but now she had to deal with this. And despite, the annoyance, she felt better. No longer did she have to go it alone, but...did he know what she did? What... "What do you do?" she asked quietly, looking through white bangs. "And are you staying here, or what?" She frowned and put her hands on her hips, strutting over to a stool. She sat down and crossed her long legs. "Your coat is red. You've already broken the rule. Get out," she joked lightly, eyes holding amusement. She couldn't wait to see his reaction.

[Sponsored content]