Cri De Coeur ||Mikayuu||

⚜15⚜

Mika received yet another lash across the face, although no marks remained upon his smooth skin for more than a minute, sealing into nothing. "It's pointless to try and leave your mark, can't you see that?" I pointed out, narrowly missing the cane that had swung around to strike my skull as I bowed my head.
"You have no say in what I do." He seethed. I thought once more to the fact he didn't look old. No, he seemed thirty, aged by something. I can never guess what. Thirty three, the number of strikes given to Mika. Seventeen to myself. And yet, he didn't stumble, didn't choke, didn't wince, and most definitely did not cry. He already did enough of that. On the last strike, the ringleader gave up.
"Are you alright?" Mika later asked as he patched me up. I wasn't struck on the head as much as my back and chest. "Probably going to bruise, but I'll heal. What about you?" I shrugged, hands on his shoulders. as he poked at the injury on my side. "They only hurt at first. Then it doesn't." He muttered. "We need ice for you." 

"This is uncomfortable." I complained, straining my head to glance over to Mika, who was sitting beside my bunk. My arms were outstretched above my head, stomach facing downwards. He shrugged his shoulders lazily, obviously having no clue with what I wanted him to do.

That night, I had begun to think about something that should have crossed my mind long ago. How long have the others been here? What Lives did they live previously, at that?
"Probably average ones. If the ringleader took someone well known, he wouldn't really have much time before authorities would find him." Asuramaru said.
He had a fine point, although I kept wondering. Did they have family missing them? I knew Lola would. It made me hate the ringleader a little more- realizing they he took them from those they love. I heard a bunk creak, footsteps across the floor. Colette was awake. I stared at the bottom of Mika's bunk as it creaked slightly as he moved in his sleep. Tossing my feet over the side of my bunk, I quietly followed her. She didn't go far, simply turning on a light, tearing down the white cloth she constantly kept up. I knew she could paint, but what was behind it was breathtaking. There were three, obviously separate, murals. One was more recent, of a fully blossomed rose. Except, the front petals had Ferid dipping Lola, the other bent petal Colette herself, mirror tightly to her chest. In the center was the one thing hinting that it was recent. Mika and myself, facing each other with foreheads touching. The thorns- the stems, were replaced by the ringleader. Paint dripped from us, as the stem stayed pristine. The second, to the left of it, was Mika. It wasn't old nor new. Maybe a year old. His eyes were closed with lashes casting shadows across his cheeks, tears dripping from them. Shadows covered a vast majority of his face as well. The third... The third was aged, you could tell. But it was restored constantly. Myself, smiling brightly with the crown of roses upon my head. There was a small detail that was changed- my smile. She had fixed my lips, and added the detail of the small lines my smile conjured.
"Hello, Yuichiro." Colette said in an emotionless tone. She was working on the most recent one, working on coloring in everyone. The ringleader was void of all color. "You can join me, if you want." She said, tapping the seat beside her. So I did.

"You really impacted Mika's life, you know. Even before he was captured." Colette said as her thin brush went over Ferid's hair.
"'Lettie, Lettie, wake up please. I really miss him, and I don't know what to do. I don't know what he thinks happened to me, and I never got to say goodbye.' That is what he said to me on his third night here. Every time he would get beat for messing up, I would always hear him talk to himself. 'It's for Yuu. Stay strong, and find Yuu again.'" She whispered, and I had noticed something very minor yet important. When she told me the things Mika said, I could hear bits and pieces of him within her voice. "You're the reason he's kept so strong, I think. I can never be certain with him."
I watched her expression change once more. "What were we talking about?" She asked, glancing about.
"Something about Mika."
"Oh, I forgot. Oh well. Y'see, I forget a lot of things when I switch personalities. Not even sure which one is my usual personality, in all honesty." She blabbered on, continuing to speak of countless things both important and unimportant.
But I had learned something about Mika that night.
He stayed alive, clinging to the hope of finding me again.
And here I was.

By his side once more, although not in the way he wanted.

"Yuu, I want you to promise me something right now, before we're due to perform." Mika said, clasping my hands in his. "Don't get smart with the ring leader or defend me. Please." I was going to question what he meant, but shook it away quickly.
"I promise."
"Now kiss." Asuramaru said. I had recently noticed that it sounded much like he had an echo behind his voice.
I ignored him as we entered to the stage, the cheers of a farewell reaching our ears.
They would fade quickly, I knew.

After the show, Ferid had to quickly pull me off stage. Wait, why isn't the audience leaving? Where is Mika?
"Alright folks, remember to drop on by to see the monster up close! Don't worry, he's caged, so your little ones have nothing to worry about!"
Okay, now I'm pissed. Good job, ringleader, you just added another tally to your list of things that make me hate you a tad bit more. "Take me to him." I muttered to Ferid.
"Will do," he said lightheartedly, practically skipping as he hauled me along. Steering me away from the bastard's direction as he sauntered to the exit, leading to the main exit hallway for the guests, merging within them.

Freak of Nature is the translation of Lusus Naturae.

The ringleader referred to him as a monster, and that is how he is being presented.

A beast within a cage, pacing and eyeing those who passed.
His dark aura was bottled up within the bars. I saw him grip the bars, the glances he tossed to the faces very quick as he studied each and every one, watching them shift from curiosity to fear as they backed away. He met my gaze, the intimidating demeanor about him vanishing in that moment. A silent apology. I didn't blame him, simply wishing he had told me about this. It made me wonder if he had done this after every performance previous to the one I attended and then on. Anger began to spark, igniting the fuse. Ferid made a small noise I could not decipher the mood behind, shoving my body back to the door we had left. He muttered something about 'not wanting to deal with that bullshit today' as he did so. I stole another glance to Mika, watching him reach between the bars, the people backing against the wall.
And I closed my eyes, allowing the fury within my heart to consume my soul. I was reaching my breaking point, I knew. How dare he present Mika as something he was not- a freak of nature. He was human, despite the fact that they had taken away a part of it. He could still cry, still worry, still become infuriated. But the imprint they have left upon his brain may make it difficult for him to still laugh, and to still smile happily. Mika was human. He was human. Not what they force him to believe.  We are all human. Living, breathing, with a heart to beat for each other.
The voice pounding in my skull breathed out, laughing within his prolonged exhale.

"Ah, the way you desire to save Mikaela. To avenge him. It's absolutely delicious."