Ride or Die

ii.// things that go bump in the night

haha this ain't edited so have fun

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"Racers, take your positions! Tonight's race will start in one hour!"

by now, Aiko had officially seen it all.

there had never been more spectators watching her races. the number of people being jammed into the stadiums was completely terrifying, yet Aiko couldn't get enough of it. the air buzzed all around her, a static that traveled from fingertips to toes. laced in her blood was euphoria, every breath or movement causing her to shiver. it was an addiction. 

unlike the other racers, Aiko didn't bother running through her car like they did. she didn't check to see if the brakes worked or if there were any gas or oil leaks - none of that stuff, for she had made a deal with someone long ago.

if she died because of this insatiable craving of hers, if she died because she had such an insane desire to kiss death's cheek, to meet death so many times it falls in love with her just as she did with it, then so be it.

to all who knew Aiko - acquaintances, enemies - they never suspected that Aiko was one fit for a long life. they couldn't imagine seeing her old, withered, and wrinkled. she was the epitome of a painful, rebelling youth. forever burned under their eyelids was the image of her as young as she was, chasing the sun or anything else in the world that brought her one step closer to death, because for Aiko, death was the only god who came when she called.

Aiko crushed the cigarette beneath her foot, the ashes smearing the bottoms of her shoe. something had caught her eye, and she watched carefully as a long, black car slowly pulled up to the curb. five men clad in elegant black suits emerged from it. these five men appeared to be examining their surroundings, looking out for anything that could've possibly been a threat to whoever was waiting in the car. Aiko tilted her head in amusement. 

"now, what could they possibly be doing?" she hummed to herself.

everybody's eyes seemed to be on them now. even the racers stopped what they were doing to steal a glance at whoever it was that decided to make such a grand, mystique entrance. nobody here had seen such things in their life that were this fine or exciting. nobody here ever believed anybody would want to watch them race. this part of town - or as Aiko preferred to call it, her part of town - consisted of all the sinners, pariahs, dreamers, martyrs, messiahs, and cowards that the rest of the world decided one day that they did not want. only the ones who were doomed, destined for absolutely nothing were banished here. 'it's for the best,' they said. the best? is that what they call it?

it was as if those five men were ordered specifically to wait for every single pair of eyes to be on them, because finally, after the "long-awaited" reveal, after they made sure nobody could even think about looking away, finally, one of the five men opened the door.

the other four stood guard; obedient little pets, they were. the air stood still and everyone held their breath as a man stepped out, looking more beautiful and powerful than anything they had ever seen in their lives. the messiah.

another man came out, looking just as beautiful, but had more of a playful and flirtatious aura than the other man did. the dreamer.

and then a third came out, this time a woman. she was clad in tight, black leather, a whip at her hip. something about her made Aiko raise an eyebrow. this fierce looking woman carried a shy looking girl out from the car. around this girl's neck was a long, leather leash that the first woman held tightly around her fingers. kinky, she thought. the hedonist and the coward. 

danger. danger. danger.  

appeared to be emitting from them.

how lovely.

the hybristophilics continued gawking at them, their lips being bitten and their clothes suddenly all too hot for them. the other people simply wanted to be able to catch their eyes first, perhaps become one of their little pets. it seemed that everybody suddenly wanted to impress them, be held between their divine fingers. the divine fingers of these gods. their aura was that powerful.

but Aiko was the first to look away. she saw what she needed to see, and she was satisfied enough. under her breath, she sang a japanese lullaby and wondered why the stars were so far away.