literature

-Smoke and Mirrors-

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Literature Text

The smell of smoke strangled the air, and the air hung heavily and was dyed with the odor of humans. Bodies were compacted tightly together in the confined space of the Subway car. Arms clung lazily to the straps swaying gently from the ceiling, and the mass of passengers moved with the rumbling vehicle. A man with greasy black hair tapped his long fingernails against the cold steel as he swayed to the music leaking from his headphones. They were draped lazily at the base of his neck and turned to a ridiculous volume setting. An elderly gentleman kept glancing at the boy, his disdain for the music and its' listener apparent on his face. He wiped his face deliberately with his finely pressed kerchief, as if the motion could somehow clean the filth from the car as well. A toddler screeched from its' position atop the mothers' lap. She dismissed the squeal with a wave of her hand; deep bags hanging from her eyes and her other hand pressed to her temple in exhaustion. A muscular man with cropped red hair pushed himself closer to a young woman with straight blonde hair. He appeared to be whispering some kind of flirtatious dialogue, but it was falling on deaf and very irritated ears as the girl brushed him off with a flick of her long hair.

How amusing.

A grin snuck across Orion's features as he flicked open the bright red box on his lap.

"I never get tired of watching these fascinating things…these humans. " He mused to himself as he slid the long stick from its packaging.  He slid the Pocky into place between his lips and crunched with satisfaction. His bright crimson tail flicked unconsciously, and moved in quick, sporadic jolts. The long fur on the tips of his ears quivered as they wiggled in delight. He lifted his fingers to his pale lips and licked the last of the chocolate from his fingertips happily. The bright silver of his many rings dazzled in the artificial light of the cab and he brushed his painted fingernails against the cool of his lip piercing.

It was then he noticed the pair of doe like eyes staring into him. They were concealed in a jungle of legs and belonged to a very small onlooker. The young boy gripped his fathers' pant leg tightly as he stared captivated by the young adult seated a ways in front of him. Orion chuckled as he watched the giant pools of blue in the boy's eyes follow the movement of his tail to perfection. Lifting his tail gently, Orion pulled it closer to him and grabbed the end of it firmly. The boy watched silently as Orion lifted his tail in front of him; Orion smiled and then moved his tail up and down in a waving motion, mouthing the word "hello" to the small boy as he did so. The boy's eyes widened and he quickly looked downward blushing fiercely. Orion laughed and wiggled his ears, tilting them towards the boy. The faintest tinkle of a laugh escaped the boy's mouth as he watched Orion's ears with fascination. He flicked them up and down, alternating the speed as he blatantly showed off his dexterity. A smile crept across the child's small, delighted face and was reflected in Orion's own.

Stop Number 14, Saints Street and Restaurant District

The monotonous female voice said the words dully as the car pulled into the station with a rough halt. A bell dinged and the doors slid open and allowed the endless stem of people to exit. Orion pushed himself to his feet alighting quickly atop the vinyl seat to reach into the over-head compartment. He scrabbled for the beaten leather of his guitar case and then pulled it down, slinging it over his shoulder as he jumped down from his perch. He joined the throngs of people, deliberately pacing close by to the small boy who remained on the car. His hands moved quickly and in a flash he had done what he had intended too. He heard the audible gasp but didn't turn around until he had left the car and the crowd off people had roughly dispersed.

The boy now stood in the almost empty car, a huge smile across his features as he held the piece of Pocky tightly in his small fist.

"Thank you!" The boy called as the metallic doors slid to a close in front of him. Orion nodded his head and watched as the ox of steel rumbled away down the track. He continued staring well after the lights had turned the corner down the long dark tunnel. He absentmindedly pulled his headphones from the deep confines of his jacket and shoved them into his ears.  The music tumbled gently into his ears as he turned swiftly on his heels, adjusting the strap of his guitar case as he walked towards the exit.

The subway station smelled foul and thick layers of grim were everywhere. What appeared to be a person was huddled in the corner under a thick covering of rags and dirt. Snoring reverberated loudly off the walls as Orion slipped his pass into the rusting turn stills by the exit. He paused as he made his way to the stairs, taking a minute to ponder a rather complicated piece of graffiti. Bright oranges and yellows dominated the thick lettering, and as he stared Orion could make out the many layers of graffiti underneath the current. He mused at the endless cycle that made graffiti what it was. One artist spending precious moments to place their own unique splash of color onto the heart of the urban jungle, only to have it be covered up by the next.

His worn out sneakers squeaked against the linoleum as he skipped every other step, hopping his way awkwardly up the stairs. A flickering light greeted him as he reached the top of the landing and he quickly jumped the railing to the next set of stairs. He took these three at a time, the smell of night taunting him from above. The air progressively got cooler as he ascended and his lungs purred in anticipation. He burst forth from the underground passage and grinned as he erupted into the heart of the city. People passing by quickly moved to give the panting youth a wide birth. His bright blue hair reflected gorgeously against the neon of the street signs as he spun around, breathing in the sights of the city. Shadows were everywhere, the air was clouded and choked with congestion, and everywhere you looked there was nothing but concrete and steel.

"Home sweet home." Orion sung to himself quietly as he skipped over an uncovered manhole. He rummaged in his pocket lazily as he walked slowly, spinning every so often to take in the full 360 degrees of the city. From the deep folds of his pocket he withdrew a yellowed and crumpled piece of paper. His eyes darted to the address and badly scrawled directions on the paper, even though he had done so over a dozen times now and the directions were thoroughly ingrained in his brain.

A right there. A left past the light. Three blocks down. Cut across the park.

He let his hand clutching the paper fall to his side as he stared at the weathered apartment building. It had an almost serene feeling to it and felt just about as homely as an apartment complex could get. An ivy climbed it's way lazily around the pillars barring the entrance, and the metal gate screeched loudly as Orion pushed through it.  He hopped up the couple crooked stairs swiftly and ran his index finger quickly down the long list of residents.

302…405….417-, Sangaze, Hachiro.

His teeth flashed white in the moonlight as he grinned. He didn't bother pressing the button to ring his apartment, if he had come this far unannounced; why not go the whole way? He pushed his shoulder against the large oaken doors which pushed open fairly easily (with just a little persuasion from his hair clip inserted into the lock). The hallway was dimly lit, but was in a relatively decent condition considering the usual look of the apartments Orion was used too. He nudged the metallic door open to the stairs and began his ascent upward, pausing once he reached the giant red "4th Floor" painted on one of the walls .Opening the door he peaked his head out into the hall, silence greeted him and he slipped out into the corridor. A mirror hung lazily and a dying plant stood in a tall vase next to it. Orion picked a dead leaf off of it as he strode down the hallway glancing at the apartment numbers lazily.

He finally found the one he was looking for, tucked away safely at the end of the hall with a deep brown door with elegant woodwork inlaid in it. Orion slung his guitar case down onto the carpeted floor in front of it and then rapped on the wood with his knuckles. He heard a couple muffled thuds and then a slightly clearer "coming!" from somewhere deep within. Orion shook his mane of hair casually and leaned back on his heels leisurely as he heard the footsteps approaching the door. A clanking sound resounded just on the other side of the door as a chain was removed, and the lock clicked as the door was pulled open. A deep, warm light poured from the apartment into the darkened hallway and silhouetted the tall figure in the doorway. He blinked a couple times rapidly in shock, his mouth hanging slightly agape as he stared dumbfounded.

"O-Orion? Good grief, is that really you?" He practically whispered it, staring at him as though he were a spectral image; ready to disappear if he were to reach out and touch him.

"What's with your clothes?" Orion practically laughed, taking in the strange outfit with a smug grin. Covering Hachiro's top half was a satiny fabric that was bright red and baggy. It fit around his slight frame baggily and was tied around the middle with a sash. It looked thoroughly out of place on the young man with his black skinny jeans underneath the garment, and bright red hair done up in a half ponytail. One side of his face was covered by his long hair which hung loosely, while the other side had been cropped up tightly into a messy ponytail. Hachiro's blue eyes brimmed with disbelief and shock as he took in what Orion had said and then he smacked his hand to his forehead, pinching the skin on his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"'Fer crying out loud! You show up at my doorstep after three years of who-knows-what; probably looking for a place to crash knowing you…And the first thing you do is remark on what I'm wearing?!"

"You look like a girl. What is that? Your Mom's prom dress?" Orion grinned tugging at the silky sash.

"It's a ki-mon-no." Hachiro said annoyed, putting emphasis on every syllable, slapping Orion's hand away annoyed.  "And I'll have you know this is what I wear to work." He added quickly looking rather embarrassed that he had been caught wearing it.

"Whatever you say, Haru- Haru." He grinned as the clear look of annoyance crossed Hachiro's face as he heard that. That nickname was not regarded fondly by Hachiro in the slightest and Orion was well aware of that fact. He just couldn't help it.

Hachiro sighed as he leaned against the doorframe, his muscles rippling slightly as he folded his arms against his chest. He stared at Orion for a long while, like one would when deciding whether or not to let a stray dog into the house. Orion allowed him to scrutinize and smiled innocently at his old friend, honestly wishing he could put into words how much he had missed him these past years. Teasing seemed just so much more natural to him. Hachiro let out another deep sigh and then pushed the door further open with his back, he silently nodded his head in the direction of the apartment and Orion grinned wider. He scooped up his guitar case and skipped into the hallway as Hachiro shut the door behind him.

"What have I just gotten myself into?" Hachiro thought to himself, resisting the urge to smile as his old friend bounded into the living room like a lost puppy who had finally found its way home.
Mwha!
Were you expecting Kaylith, Tye, and the rest of the gang? >:]

Well, guess what this isn't! xD

Sorry, I felt like writing about my new OC's.
Orion--> [link]
and Haru ---> [link]

I thoroughly enjoy the dynamic between these two characters <3
And I have fun with City descriptions x3

I'd love some feedback, if you have any!
And I hope you enjoyed it!

Orion, Haru, and Writing (c) Me
© 2012 - 2024 PandorasKaleidoscope
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TDI-luver-4eva's avatar
Omg this has been in my inbox forever, I'm so sorry for taking this long to read it! XD
AAAAH ABSOLUTELY AMAAAZING, AS USUAL PANDORA-CHAN!!!!! I love your writing sooosososososo much :iconsobeautifulplz: Your good at city descriptions!