His little whispers,

"Love me, love me

That's all I ask for

Love me, love me."                    Monsters by Meg and Dia

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I stood behind the door, peeking into the arena while Vincent trained with his father. From the bleachers, Vladimir and his familiars watched in silence. Levi and Grigori stood like sentinels at the sidelines.

Vincent was sitting on the floor, crossed legged with the back of his hands resting on his knees. He was muttering some kind of mantra under his breath. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing.

Soon the torches bolstered on the walls started to catch fire one by one. The fourth torch exploded and the next two spewed out flames. It nearly got Vladimir, but Mei pushed him out of the way. Byron Flynn used himself to shield all of them, opening his mouth to swallow the flames. He was coughing by the time all of it was consumed.

"Flynn, you okay?" Amyr asked.

"This'll give me the indigestion. Otherwise, I am fine," Byron Flynn panted, clutching his stomach.

Amyr gave him a pat on the back. "I know you think you're fireproof man, but not so much when you're not your doggy self. Take it easy."

It wasn't the first batch of flames Byron Flynn had to ingest. Vincent had been screwing up all morning. I think he was mad—more than the usual—about something.

There was a hard look on Sathariel's face as he fixed his gooseberry green eyes on his son. "Focus, Vince!"

A rumble scraped out of Vincent's throat as he rammed his fist on floor.

The ground began to shift from beneath him. Smoke wafted from his skin as if all the rage in his body was burning him up.

"Use your words, Vincent. Like we practiced," Sathariel hushed. "Acting out would get your friends barbequed and we don't want that, remember?"

Vincent's jaws tensed. "It's... f-frustrating."

"Okay... That's a good start. Now, breathe."

It looked like Vincent was being strangled while sucking and puffing out air. Nonetheless, it appeared to have calmed him a little.

"You did it yesterday and the day before that. Surely you can do it now." There was something in Sathariel's gruff voice that wasn't only commanding, but most importantly, encouraging. "Take a breath... Try again!"

Vincent did as told, but like the last few tries, he had sent something flying or blew something up. And worse, Byron Flynn had to clean up the flames.

Angrily, Vincent got up and kicked the air in front of him.

"How long have we been doing this? Three weeks? All I do is light up your damn torches! And that's going to help me fight Legion how?"

Sathariel closed his eyes and took a lungful himself. "Control, Vincent. This drill's supposed to teach you control. But with the way you're acting up, I think we're going to have to go back to square one."

"For Vinci, that would indeed take a while," Vladimir confessed, brushing the soot off his shirt.

"No one asked you, Vlad. And stop. Calling me. Vinci."

The chagrin on Vladimir's face told me this session wasn't going to end with him and Vincent bromancing over lunch.

"Of course, Vincent. These days, no one ever cares to ask me anything. You do what you want when you want it without even considering the consequences because you're such a big boy now."

Vincent faked a laugh. "At least I'm not lying to your face."

"I was protecting you!"

"Hey!" Sathariel snarled. He clenched and unclenched his teeth, struggling to keep his breaths even. Horrible temper. Like father, like son. "You two want to be bound? I can help you with that."

"Yikes," Amyr whistled. "Anyone else thinks we need a break, raise your right hand."

Byron Flynn was the first one to do so.

"I-if anyone needs me, I'll be sick in my room."

He scurried out of the arena, bumping into me on his way out. With his face paling, he pressed a hand over his mouth.

Amyr groaned, turning to his master. "Someone's gotta remind him the toilet ain't fireproof before he starts hurling fireballs everywhere."

Mei and Archie averted their gazes. Even I wouldn't want to have that job.

"Ugh, dudes! Really?" Amyr bargained.

Receiving a tired nod from Vladimir, he kicked the bleacher twice before storming out of the arena looking like he very much wanted to tear his own face apart.

He passed by me muttering, "The things I do for immortality. I should at least get paid for this."

All I could give him was what I hoped to be an apologetic smile.

"You!" Vincent yelled, glaring at the floor.

Is he... talking to me?

"Yes, you! I know you've been there the whole time."

Gulping, I went inside slowly with my head down.

"I was just... watching," I said.

"Don't you have more important things to do?" he answered, his smile sardonic. "Like—I don't know—hit it off with your new friend Hector?"

"He's not my friend."

"Oh, right. That's why you were so good at standing up for him when he was making me look like the bad guy."

Sathariel began laughing for some absurd reason, garnering him weird looks from everyone else.

"Is that it?" he asked Vincent once he had recovered. "That's why you're all over the place this whole time?" He laughed some more and waved the others away. "Everyone take ten while I sort things out with these two."

Vladimir seemed relieved as he left. Vincent's always been a handful. For that, I felt sorry for him.

Levi said, "We will stand guard," before closing the door on us.

"Go on," Sathariel said, crossing his arms on his chest, his all-knowing gaze alternating between me and Vincent. "Pretend I'm not even here. Let's pick up again from Vincent flunking my class 'cause he's jealous of Hector."

"Shut up, old man! I'm not jealous!" he snapped at his father only to fall into silence with his brows knitted. "I-I'm... not jealous."

"I don't know who you're trying to convince, son," Sathariel shrugged. "Me or yourself."

I tilted my head sideways to search for his gaze. "No one thinks you're the enemy, Vincent. We just think you're... biased."

At last, he looked at me with question in his eyes. "Who knew you being too damn honest would suck way more than you lying?"

I was the one at fault here. As his familiar, I should have been honest. My loyalty to him should have been unquestionable. Now, all I could do was accept everything he had to say without spontaneously combusting where I stood.

"What?" Vincent leered, snatching my arm. "No comeback?"

"Whoa." Sathariel got in between us. "Using your words is good Vincent, as long as you're not being a condescending ass." He said that like he was talking to a toddler.

"It's not his fault," I told Sathariel.

Vincent put his arms up and backed away. "Look at her. Being all selfless and honest. I'm not even sure if it's still her in there or something else Hector made from his lab." He tilted his ear to me. "What's that? Do I hear her defending herself? No?"

I kept my mouth shut. He was trying to pick a fight with me. Get me to react. But I couldn't find it in me to feel anything. I was numb. Like a rock.

"See? I'm talking crap about her and she doesn't fricking mind!"

"I mind," I said, my small voice seeming to silence him. "I just don't see the point of talking back when we both know it will just make you angrier. And I don't want that anymore."

Vincent caught his head with his hands. He swallowed hard, blinking fast to clear the mist out his eyes. "Why do you even have to be so kind? You're mad at me, aren't you? This ugly mess is all on me. Because... because I couldn't protect you. I couldn't save you sooner. J-just tell me how much of a pathetic loser I'd been for letting Hector take you away and break you. Now, I can't even do anything to fix you. Why can't you just blame me for everything and be done with it? Just blame me!!"

Sathariel faced his son. "Vincent. That's enough."

"It's not enough!" He clutched his chest as he trailed into an excruciating quiet. His voice was barely even a whisper as he said, "If... if she wants Death's head on a plate, I'd give it to her. If she tells me to kill Adrianna here and now, I'd do that too. I'd hate myself even more but I will. But no matter what I do, it's never going to be enough!"

The twinge of pain in my chest told me I wasn't as numb as I thought.

"Stop, Vincent," I murmured flatly. "Stop blaming yourself like everything bad that has happened to the world is your fault. You can't save everyone."

"I should've saved you!" he yelled angrily. "I never wanted to save the world. Just... you."

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This be a lengthy update since I had been gone for a while. T___T Gomenasai!!!

I was distracted by beautiful Korean Boys (EXO specifically) an awesome anime (Gate) and super-curious dramas (The Girl Who Sees Scents & Oh My Ghost!)

If that wasn't dilly-dallying enough, I suddenly had this urge to draw anime versions of the Reapers characters. Been a frustrated artist since forever. I wish I could make a manga!!!

I know. I know. We don't always get what we want.

So please forgive me if I can't always upload all the time. u__u A girl's gotta have dreams too, y'know. Even though how much unrealistic it is.

So there. Enjoy. *bows*