Running a hand through his hair, Jiro could feel the sweat penetrating his gloves. He would never understand how these barren sands got so hot. Looking up into the sun, he shielded his eyes slightly as he stopped at the top of a dune. He hoped Akkuma had not lied to him. But he had seemed so genuine about wanting the Chigokai to find a contract of his own.
Of course, it could have all just been a ploy to get Jiro out of his hair for a bit. But he had done everything the revenant had said! Well, almost everything. The whole meditation thing was not exactly what Jiro was good at. The Chigokai was too bouncy and hyper for that. Even now, alone on the excruciatingly hot sands, he was practically bouncing, almost as if he was physically unable to stand still.
Maybe Akkuma-Sama was right, he could not help but think. The prospect of him being wrong and Akkuma being right once more made him laugh, a dark sound, devoid of any humor. "Ah, what the hell....?" he finally said, seemingly not bothered by the fact no one else was around for miles. And now that he thought about it, there was no other living thing near him.
There had been no signs of life for miles. It seemed to just be dawning on him in that moment. There was nothing else living. No pulsing of blood from anywhere. The absolute quiet of the sands in that moment unnerved him. He had never realized just how much he hated silence. There was almost something unnatural about it.
Jiro finally sighed and sat down on the dune. The granules of sand scratched at his back, rubbing against the pale flesh, leaving a small abrasion, making him flinch slightly. He squirmed against the feeling even as he tried to remain still. And somehow, he managed, even though he did not know how. He then closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath in.
Just as slowly, he let the breath out again. And then he could not help it. Red eyes flickered open and he looked around intensely, still waiting for a sign that something, anything was there. But there was nothing there but the beating of his own heart thudding against his ribcage as a mixture of emotions flowed through him. But so far, there was that eerie stillness.
It was too still, too quiet. And finally the Chigokai could take no more.
"If you're here, come out!" he finally burst out. He knew that he should have listened to Akkuma when he had told him to be respectful to whatever he may find during his search, but Jiro was also very impatient. He compromised by adding a tentative "please?" after the sentence.
And then he tried to focus on his breathing again. Three slow breaths into his mouth, even though he felt like each breath was baking his lungs with heat instead of actually helping his breaths. And then three slow breaths out through his nose. Until he got bored of the silence again. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..." he singsonged.
[wC: 526]
Of course, it could have all just been a ploy to get Jiro out of his hair for a bit. But he had done everything the revenant had said! Well, almost everything. The whole meditation thing was not exactly what Jiro was good at. The Chigokai was too bouncy and hyper for that. Even now, alone on the excruciatingly hot sands, he was practically bouncing, almost as if he was physically unable to stand still.
Maybe Akkuma-Sama was right, he could not help but think. The prospect of him being wrong and Akkuma being right once more made him laugh, a dark sound, devoid of any humor. "Ah, what the hell....?" he finally said, seemingly not bothered by the fact no one else was around for miles. And now that he thought about it, there was no other living thing near him.
There had been no signs of life for miles. It seemed to just be dawning on him in that moment. There was nothing else living. No pulsing of blood from anywhere. The absolute quiet of the sands in that moment unnerved him. He had never realized just how much he hated silence. There was almost something unnatural about it.
Jiro finally sighed and sat down on the dune. The granules of sand scratched at his back, rubbing against the pale flesh, leaving a small abrasion, making him flinch slightly. He squirmed against the feeling even as he tried to remain still. And somehow, he managed, even though he did not know how. He then closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath in.
Just as slowly, he let the breath out again. And then he could not help it. Red eyes flickered open and he looked around intensely, still waiting for a sign that something, anything was there. But there was nothing there but the beating of his own heart thudding against his ribcage as a mixture of emotions flowed through him. But so far, there was that eerie stillness.
It was too still, too quiet. And finally the Chigokai could take no more.
"If you're here, come out!" he finally burst out. He knew that he should have listened to Akkuma when he had told him to be respectful to whatever he may find during his search, but Jiro was also very impatient. He compromised by adding a tentative "please?" after the sentence.
And then he tried to focus on his breathing again. Three slow breaths into his mouth, even though he felt like each breath was baking his lungs with heat instead of actually helping his breaths. And then three slow breaths out through his nose. Until he got bored of the silence again. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..." he singsonged.
[wC: 526]
