Collab between Headphones & Oblivion
Tick-tock. The needle is going tick-tock.
It's making my already impatient heart hurry.
Tick-tock. The needle is going tick-tock.
Moving ahead, the sense of stopping is blurry.Yet again, he was standing there.
A lone existence within the dark room.
Blind and deaf, he could only stare.
In that space, only darkness could bloom.
Hakuren understood this was his own mind, a closed space only he could enter. Whether it was his unconsciousness, consciousness, subconsciousness or whatever you wish to call it, it did not truly matter. Not at all. It was the same as time. How long had they been in Nowhere? How long had he been in this state of mind? How long had he existed in this current form? It was information of not the slightest necessity, thus completely irrelevant. So long as he remained in that bewildering world, the passage of time could not be measured properly and, even if it was, it would not offer anything. It was simply a term, which could not find a proper purpose, not in that twisted candy dimension at least. Where square roots had a thing for the fancy, rabbits had social problems and computers probably ate websites for breakfast, this country was one full of wonders. If ever a contest were to be held, it would certainly defeat The Country of Hearts from "Alice in Wonderland". Nowhere was a peculiar place indeed.
What was waltzing through the young man's mind, however, was nothing along the lines of marveling over the exquisiteness of his whereabouts, neither bodily, nor mentally. Rather, he was attempting to assemble all the facts and piece them together, in order to form what could be classified as "a recap". It was a slight hassle, for he discovered that several names of former companions, which he had encountered in the lobby at the train station, escaped his memory. Despite feeling a bit of distaste in his mouth for not being able to create the full reconstruction of their journey, it equally did not bother him. Those people were already part of another world, which he did not intend to enter in the near future. This being said, they were no longer of any importance. What was worth the worry was that he had forgotten so quickly. The gap between the batch's arrival and the end of their second mission was vague. It was nearly impossible to precisely determine the distance between the two events. Yet, as mentioned beforehand, time did not exist or was at least irrelevant in Nowhere in the norms familiar to human beings, thus it was ridiculous to even think of the time spent from one occurrence to the other. Albeit this illogically logical Nowhereian statement had been confirmed on numerous occasions, the youngster could tell that it had not been very long ago. He relied solely on his intuition, on his inner senses, which told him that certain requirements had not been met. If time were not to be taken into consideration, he could easily replace it with brain storage. A certain amount of space had to be taken in his mind by information before trivial, yet maked as potentially important, pieces of information could be erased. In his current condition, the lad was aware that such was not the case and he had definitely not acquired enough for there to be a need to delete. The more he tried to remember, the more irritable it became.
Coming into terms with not knowing something that should have been known was a rather tricky task for him to accomplish. A test, so to speak. And yet this bothersome feeling soon came to pass. Or had it taken him long? It certainly had not felt as the latter, which meant it should have been the first. It was only logical, yet ofttimes the known senseless slander was a profound thesis. A certainty became absurd. Such were the rules of this country. If this were to be taken as a constant, then anything, anything at all, was possible. The possibility of endless possibilities was an abyss many on Earth had either dared not enter or had jumped right into. In both cases, the individual often lost something. One - his chance of greatness, the second - his sanity. With Nowhere being this kind of bottomless pit, if not walked through with caution, insanity was sure to catch on quickly.
Understanding that it was impossible to remember that, which had presumably not happened long ago, Hakuren assumed that an outside force was the likely cause of this incoherence. It could have been due to the blows to his head. They had been quite injurious. He had not woken up for awhile, after all, and could not force himself to awaken. Wounds were the most plausible explanation. And yet he count recall that one statement he believed he heard some time ago. Perhaps it had been at the station or at the lobby. It was from a memory very early on, before he had met Dissonance and Serenade, before the Shakespearean and the Siren. What were the exact words? "The more you stay, the more you forget."? If we were to take it as granted, it would be more or less a contradiction. "The more you stay" implies that we are speaking of a certain period of time. With it being irrelevant, how could one know when boundaries were crossed and "the more" piled up? It would explain his lack in memory, however, this was an idea he decided to put off. No further evidence pointed that everyone was affected in a similar matter, none that he knew of at least. It would have been due to the hits to the head, which was far better answer than someone taking away his memories or them simply fading away. Yet that theory did tie nicely with his concept of the Queen and Train. Nevertheless, the youngster knew he needed more facts, more experience on the field, before coming up with a proper thesis on the matter. Making a note to himself to write at least half of his current findings in his notebook, the boy felt, you could say, at ease. With the past cleared up and left behind him, he was ready to walk towards the future. Right after he lazed about in bed, of course.
As Leon lay in bed somewhere in the massive castle, hands on his stomach and legs crossed in a relaxed position, he grew all the more confused. Nowhere was strange, he would give it that. The room he was resting in was fairly normal, from the unusually high ceiling inlaid with golden, sparkling stars down to the soft king-sized bed. Here, surrounded by around a dozen exceedingly fluffy pillows, Leon had sank into a hole of fluff and feathers. There was nothing spectacular or unique going on in his mind, nothing he felt apart from the usual emptiness. He really did consider himself a waste of oxygen, simply a living and breathing vessel capable of molding itself to fit its surroundings. He'd long ago decided to get a chameleon to talk to and had one back in his residence in Tokyo, a chameleon he'd so smartly named Leon 2.0. While he did feel the urge to go back to Tokyo and see whether Leon 2.0 had survived Leon's latest existential crisis - admittedly one he'd never come back from, lying in a fluffy sinkhole in another world, literally - Leon didn't really feel much for the poor reptile. Absentmindedly, he started wondering whether to arrange Leon 2.0 an elaborate funeral or chuck it out of the window. Yet he found himself unable to remember the layout of his home, or what car he drove. What had that girl said? "The more you stay, the more you forget?" It was strange and mildly unnerving but nothing of immediate concern to the boy.
Eventually, his scattered thoughts faded away and despite his desire to simply lay down and go back to sleep, Leon knew it was already far past daybreak and he needed to get up and do something productive. Not that he normally did, unless consuming oxygen counted as productive, but he figured the Queen wouldn't be too happy with his pointless existence. He managed to crawl out of his fortress after a bit of struggling and rose to his knees in the middle of the bed, stretching his arms upwards towards the ceiling, the action following with several cracks and pops. By the time he had washed and dressed, a good long hour had passed. Still situated in front of the body-length mirror, Leon fished his earrings from his jacket pocket (the jacket had been unceremoniously snatched away from Mado the moment they'd gotten back) and put them back in, admiring the way the light glinted off of the inlaid gold flakes. They really were one of a kind and he couldn't even remotely begin to imagine losing them. He remained in front of the mirror for the next half hour, hands on his hips and inspecting himself from every angle. Luckily, he hadn't deteriorated much during their travels.
By the time it was late morning, staring at himself in the mirror had become pretty boring so, flinging his jacket over his shoulder, Leon left the room. The door's loud bang behind him didn't register as he found himself standing in a very long hallway that only seemed to have his room. Shrugging, he set off at a leisurely pace down one side of the hallway, as if taking a stroll in a garden, looking for something even he didn't know. Eventually, however, he did come upon a garden after several long and tiresome minutes of walking down the carpeted hallway. An ornately-decorated arch opened up into a vast garden beyond, a garden that could qualify as a child's dream of Candyland.
He spent several minutes marveling at the garden, circling the trees - a bit like a predator - and inspecting the cotton-candy bushes. There never really was anything normal in this place, was there?
In a room without anyone's warmth,
I'm stretching out my frozen hand.
A place completely blocked for my hearth.
Faceless, they walk, an ignorant band.Yawning like a cat under the warm sunny rays in a midsummer day, Hakuren stretched his arms upwards above him. The rest he had had, long or short, had certainly been enough to please his bodily needs. The soft covers and pillows of his lovely double bed provided such warmth and comfort, that he did not wish to move a muscle. To simply curl up like a good pet and sleep the day away. It was tempting, yet would not fit in with the rest of the young man's plans. Frankly speaking, it would be the cheerful trumpet of the minor. A cold shower during winter. A celery ordering a salad, even.
Once his eyes escaped the haze of slumber, the youngster examined his surroundings and easily reached the conclusion that he had been brought back to the palace of the Queen.
To the right of the bed from his point of view were the tall windows, the glass spotless from top to bottom, through which light bent and broke into the confines of the chamber. Above each was a shorter halfmoon of stained glass, a lovely piece of decoration that enhanced the merry atmosphere. Curtains gently floated from the top, their colour being a shade of light sky blue, with white star symbols here and there, just the same as the ones coming down from the canopy of the bed.
To the left was the door and a set of drawers, as well as a nightstand nearby. All the furniture was wooden and white, with carvings of different kinds. Some bore abstract curves and swirls. Others had deer and trees embedded into them. Of course, it would not have been Nowhere if not for the occasional cupcake or ice-cream character drawn randomly in places. The walls did not stoop lower, for they were also white with plenty of decor.
The overall design of the room would remind one of the Rococo period in the human world. Fancy. Fantastic. Romantic. It was the epitome of frivolousness. A moment in history where all was as if let lose and indulged in the beauty of forms and colours. A marvelous jovial time for artists. Yet it was not to last, a childish dream, just like this room.
Pushing himself upwards to a sitting position, the young man ran his fingers gently through his black-blue hair and a slight sting quickly followed. Apparently whoever had taken care of him during his coma-like state had done a good job in healing him, but the pain had not finished packing its bags just yet and the wound remained, closed but still there. In spite of this, the lad still smiled. After yawning once more, his smile became even bigger as he got himself out of bed.
Barefoot he walked on the marble floor, which was an art piece itself. A portrait of the sky it was; with stars, flying whales, turtles in celestial currents and all kinds of wondrous beings playing in what seemed to be a beautiful corner of deep space. Upon reaching the other side of the room, he stood in front of a full-sized mirror, only to discover he wore nothing more than a long white shirt that almost reached his knees and his underwear. Moreover, it looked as though he had had a bath, for his hair was clean and his skin felt a bit softer.
"Missed my chance again, didn't I?" he sighed, fists pressed on each side of his waist.
It was a disappointment indeed. He would have liked nothing more than being in the bath with a bunny girl or one of those cat ladies. Then again, sleeping through the process could have been a blessing, if the one who had taken the liberty of washing him had been some fatso or brainless muscle-maniac.
Dismissing this already past event, Hakuren made his way to another door, which lead to a small personal bathroom, where he washed and freshened up. After performing the most basic hygiene rituals, the youngster changed into his usual attire, consisting of a blue shirt, midnight green coat, dark blue jeans and brown boots. The woolen sweater and the scarf, which had been worn during his arrival in Nowhere, he intended to leave behind, just as he had done before leaving for the first mission. Wherever he went, it had been warm enough to not place layers over layers of clothing on oneself. From what he recalled, they were meant to face dragons in the journey to come. Albeit he did not wish to imagine what Nowhere's dragons breathed, the simple assumption that they were reptilians mean that they preferred warmer climates. This being said, he did not see the need to dress warmly or at least not now, for they were in the castle, where the temperature was pleasantly cool.
Having completed these two tasks, the boy proceeded with taking out his black notebook from the inside pocket of his coat and writing down the thoughts and reflections he had had during sleep. Fortunately, the item had remained intact and had apparently not been touched by anyone. The bookmark seemed happy to reunite with its master, for parts of its shadowy structure curled and twirled between his fingers. Making it take the form of a pen, he quickly jotted down the words, yet with precision, not missing any details. Even if something or someone was rubbing away their memories, as an artist would with the lines of a sketch, something so recent could not be forgotten that easily. After filling in three pages and half, he put a fin and closed the book, placing it back where it belonged.
Before exiting his quarters, the human opened one of the doors of a wardrobe near his bed and took out two items. A black tie and a hat. The first he tied losely around his collar, in order to give off that semiformal, almost casual, impression. Standing in front of the mirror, he placed the black fedora atop his head and turned it about several times. It was a nifty little accessory, the first present he had received in Nowhere, one given to him by the notorious mermaid Martini. The human adored it quite, just as he fancied the suit he had been given by the same fishy designer, yet refrained from dressing up so formally. In his opinion, he had gotten well acquainted with the Queen, enough to drop the serious act.
Just he finished adjusting the hat, the youngster spotted in the mirror the reflection of a pair of shoes neatly placed next to his bed. There had been no other person next to him when he awakened and there was a small ribbon and a card attached to the pair, thus it was obviously a gift. They were a pair of black brogues shoes, with details so fine they could be called an artwork. Elegant in a gentleman sense, he did not hesitate to try them on. Being just the right size and feeling quite comfortable, the lad decided to leave them on for his meeting with the Queen and the rest of his companions. Maintaining an image was one thing, appreciating a gift was another. The boots would have to await his return, for they would be needed in the upcoming adventure. A challenge involving dragons meant a terrain, on which one had to be stable, not fancy.
With this final preparation completed, the young man took his leave from his bedroom.
Tap, tap, tap. Footsteps resounded in the halls. Brogues certainly made you stand out when all else was quiet. The corridors had not a soul in sight, apart from the occasional rabbit guard, who passed by, but the critters' feet were so soft and light that they did not make a single sound as they marched forward. In contrast, Hakuren's gait, albeit not too proud, announced his presence from far away.
Flags of all kind littered the walls, with paintings often hanging between them. A long carpet ran down the hall, it's colours and patterns changing slowly, yet surely. The walls stood tall and graceful, towering above the passer by. Fortunately for him, there were signs and maps in specific locations, pointing out directions and whereabouts. Rather than take a direct route to the appointed meeting place, which he discovered written on the card in his new footwear, the boy chose to take a slight detour. It was a spectacular building, after all. A jewel of architecture.
Tick-tock. The needle is going tick-tock.
The boundary between the end and the start.
Tick-tock. The needle is going tick-tock.
All has become a piece of abstract art.As he strode through this peculiar maze, Hakuren came upon an indoor garden, a little paradise of purple cat bell flowers, yellow tart bushes and many more colourful plants. There were even two lollipop trees. What intrigued the young man, as he passed by the marble columns, which were on the right side of the corridor, between which was space, through which one could enter the garden, was that Leon was standing there. Walking about rather absentmindedly, one of the greenest members of their little group seemed to be wondering how to kill some of his boredom. This made a quiet "heh" sound escape the mouth of the one in the midnight green coat. Not losing his newest target once, a playful flame danced in those strange green-blue eyes. Perhaps it would be amusing to toy around with this newbie.
"Hello, Leon." Hakuren greeted his comrade with a friendly smile, as he walked towards him. "Anything stirring in that coop of yours?"
Speak of the devil, it was Hakuren. Leon fully believed, at that moment, that Hakuren had strategically been placed on Earth to simply irritate the living hell out of him. Turning his head a bit towards said menace, Leon schooled his empty expression into one of surprise. "Hakuren. What a pleasant surprise." His voice remained monotone, a sharp contrast against the expression Leon had named 'pleasantly surprised'. Of course, Hakuren was anything but pleasant. A small smile appeared on his face for a split second before he started speaking again. "Seems like that girl and her pipe dealt some lasting damage. Are you sure you have enough brain cells left to function?"
"Certainly." was the other's response, his friendly appearance not once wavering. "It's a pleasure to hear you worried about me. Don't fret, I have enough to make more sense than that 'light as a feather' mind of yours."
Leon smiled back and clasped his hands together behind his back, starting to walk around the tree he had been standing under, giving a very casual appearance to the onlooker. "My, my, someone's quite arrogant I see. I must say, that girl did a fine job of smashing your skull in, I need to send her flowers and a thank-you note. Know her address?"
"Quite the coincidence. It appears I do~" he even beamed. "Your father's place. I do believe she has taken a firm residence there."
"Oh, so she isn't in your room!" Leon exclaimed with a playful smile. "But then again, who would willingly spend time with a human missing the majority of his brain cells?"
"Funny, the same question occurred to me recently. Mind if you tell me from your personal experience, since you did have some of yours pecked away."
"Not as much as poor Hakuren, though." Leon mock pouted before smiling again. "The poor baby is practically incapable of acting like a civilized human being anymore!"
Hakuren could only smirk at that statement, perhaps it was even close to a laugh. Truly, Leon was a greenhorn in this business. Making such accusations could potentially lead him in a deadly situation, not to mention that the ludicracy of his words created the image of a fool, desperately struggling to attack the one in front of him.
"As I recall, dear wingless bird, in our battle with those ruffians, you were the pathetic weakling of the day." he told him, not the slightest bit grazed by his oponent's speech. "While I was busy partaking in the fight, you were in such a daze that you could not lift a rock and throw it right. What does that speak of you, it is not far from even the oaf's mind. "The poor baby" was of greater help than you, the crippled avian." and then his expression became more cheerful and he added in a more casual manner. "Don't worry, Leon. Even the scantiest of broilers end up in the pot."
There was little that hit Leon personally and this wasn't one of those things. So he simply smiled and held back a laugh. "And you think prancing around and displaying your ballet skills was any better? Or was having Leila chucked at you better? It was a fight, dear Hakuren-san, not the Nutcracker."
'Repeating words. He's no longer truly stable. How sweet. Nothing out of the ordinary.' he thought and kept his happy demeanor going.
"Be cock-a-hoop and lighten up, Leo-kun. Just because I was proficient in this one skill doesn't mean you don't have something. You know what they say. "The superior man seeks in himself, whilst the small man - in others. There must be a part of you, which is worth praising, unless, of course, you are simply a blank mask." During the very last sentence, the young man's expression could be compared to that of the tricky fox from folk tales. A hidden mockery, combined with ingenuity and daringness.
There was nothing unpredictable, nothing ingenious anymore, simply a loop of words Leon could almost foresee coming out of Hakuren's mouth. His comment about his blank mask, however, made his smile grow wider. "There is much you don't know about me and unlike you, Mr. Smarticles, I like keeping it private. Now, while I could decide to become a ballerina in the middle of a fight, I didn't get smashed in the head."
"I can't disagree with your first statement." the young man in the midnight green coat said, with his right hand pressed to his chin, as if he were a detective, voicing out his theory regarding the latest murder. However, rather than staying in that position, he swayed the mentioned upper limb to the side, holding it in midair, and allowed his palm to face upwards. "Indeed, there is so much in the depths of what we humans call "empty space" simply awaiting to be discovered." he continued, smiling evermore "A bottomless pit of dark matter. Full and void all the same. A pointless mystery, yet a mystery in fact. It is what keeps many bright minds awake." With a short sigh, the youngster retracted his arm and placed his hand in the pocket of his coat. "However, yours is not the kind of abyss that is to my taste. Shallow. Walled. You are the kind of book that is only interesting when thrown into the fire. Perhaps, even the kaonashi Mado speaks of is deeper than your existence."
Leon remained silent for several moments, taking in the boy in front of him, his golden eyes sharp and piercing. After several long moments, he spoke, "But Hakuren-san, you're forgetting one very important thing. So important that in fact, it renders your entire argument null and void. The constant factor here is that," He paused for a few seconds, a small smile emerging. "You don't know me, at least not well enough. You can't judge what you don't know. Therefore --" At that moment, a sharp spike of pain made him cut himself off and yelp in pain. Something with teeth, very sharp teeth had attached itself to his upper leg and though Leon would never admit it, it had attached itself to the side of his butt.
As exciting as the battle of the two wordsmiths was, a group of certain individuals had not taken a liking to this sudden disturbance in their sweet little garden paradice. Creatures the size of a medium sized poodle had come to check what all the ruckus was about and, seeing as they were not given the least amount of attention from their guests, two of the locals promptly bit the lads on their bottoms, one for each human.
The sensation of feeling the sharp teeth of a being, the other parts of which were made of cotton candy, was a unique experience. In that moment, Hakuren honestly felt like a mailman on his very first day at work. Despite the obvious pain running through his body, he did not let out a sound. Either those pipes had truly dulled out his sense of pain or feeling something tighten around that area was nothing new to him. Perhaps it was a bit of both, with the latter being in greater quantity.
"Oi!!! Yous listen to us when we're talkin!" a cotton candy bush, that now stood between them, spoke. It was nothing more than a pile of colour with eyes. The mouth was completely invisible, the only exception being when they bit someone. "Now shush and eat us!" it insisted.
It took the two humans a few moments to completely comprehend the situation they were in. Staring at the castle dwellers speechlessly, it was as if someone had pressed the mute button. The silence which engulfed the atmosphere was almost unnerving, considering how many words had been poured our prior to this event. The cotton candy bushes actually murmured between themselves, wondering if they were asking too much of their guests, but were soon to be placed in an even more awkward position.
The two boys suddenly broke out in a hysterical laughter, one so hard and loud that their eyes teared up a bit. Their stomachs hurt and their feet began to slightly tremble. To this the sweets could only stare wide-eyed and confused, for they could not comprehend why the two-leggeds were laughing.
"Haaa." Hakuren let out the last of his uncontrolled joviality with a sigh-like finish. Brushing away the few tears in his eyes with his hand, he smiled politely at their hosts. "Excuse us for our sudden arrival and peak of emotion. With your permission, I would like to taste you." How innocent that line sounded.
"Good. Good!" the cotton candy bushes nodded. "Which flavor? Which flavor?"
"Hmm, I think a mix of everything would be delightful. What do you say, Leo-kun?" the green-blue-eyed youngster replied.
There was nothing more Leon would've liked to eat at that moment than the cotton-candy bushes. Whether it was of an underlying need for vengeance (honestly, those rascals weren't amateurs when it came to biting) or his sudden love for sugary snacks, Leon nodded with a wide smile, his golden eyes sparkling in mirth. "A little bit of everyone would be a treat, especially the pink one, you look so yummy!"
If the pink cotton candy bush were a human, it would be blushing right about now. Hastily it jumped forward and provided a long stick from its pocket, which was apparently invisible. All the creatures came closer and cotton threads steadily slid like snakes out of them and gathered around the top of the stick. Within moments, a giant swirl of colour was formed, one which smelled sweeter than ambrosia.
"What a colourful palette." Hakuren remarked.
The bushes were shining with joy and pride. Their newest creation was a success and pleased their guests.
There was, however, one little problem. There was only one stick.
"Don't cause any more commotion now! We like you, cuz you're humans, so take this little present as a token of our hospitality." one of the bushes told the lads, whilst the rest of its hind headed in different directions, away from them.
'And take a hike.' the psychologist finished the sentence in his mind.
"Thank you very much." he thanked the bush, taking the stick of gigantic cotton candy in one hand.
Leon didn't even bother trying to argue with the bushes and ask them for a second stick. Why, ruining their masterpiece was the farthest thing from his mind. It was beautiful and ethereal, glowing in a beautiful array of colors. And it was simply beckoning him to take a bite. And so he did, forgetting to warn Hakuren in case he was one of those people who detested contact, and simply took a direct bite out of the huge mound of cotton candy. It dissolved on his tongue as soon as he put it in his mouth, making his face light up in delight. "I'd live here forever just to be able to eat this regularly," He said before taking another bite. The sweetness of the cotton candy threw everything out of his mind, even the fact that him sharing a cotton-candy stick with the very same guy that he had been arguing with a few minutes ago. He was absentmindedly thanking his lucky stars there was no one around to witness this, except for the bushes, who could subsequently end up ratting them out. But Leon didn't care, instead devoting all of his attention to the delicacy that was the cotton candy.
Hakuren could only chuckle at the younger boy's actions. Leon was like a little child at the carnival, excited to get his hands on the sweet delight that was their present. It did not bother him that this greensprout was freely eating away the cotton candy directly with his mouth, so long as it did not meet with his own. He himself had no intention of using his hands, since he didn't want them to become sticky.
"Careful what you wish for." he told Leon before taking a bite from his side "This really is fantastic!" After two or three more delicious chuncks were down his throat, he added "We should head for the teaparty. The Queen is expecting us, after all."
"Hmm... sure," Leon mumbled through a mouthful of cotton-candy. A tea party sounded absolutely amazing and if the cotton-candy in the garden was this good, Leon couldn't imagine how good the treats at the tea-party would be. He hoped the Queen herself would be there; her crown was fabulous and he wouldn't mind stealing another glance.
After a long walk down the confusing maze that were the castle corridors, with all those turns, twisted signs and doors, the duo finally made it to what was supposedly a door to the Queen's dining hall. By then, the cotton candy had already been consumed and only the stick remained, held by Hakuren, who would sometimes use it to poke Leon as a joke, whilst they strolled down the halls of this magical manor.
Upon pushing the double doors forwards, they found themselves at the right place. Indeed, this was the appointed gathering location, which was a relief, for getting lost in the castle could mean a day or two of isolation. With their mouths clean from their little feast, having stopped at a little drinking fountain beforehand, they were proper and presentable gentlemen. However, all the gazes were directed not at the two, who had just arived, but elsewhere, towards faces fresh and unknown.
Newly arrived humans. Albeit they were a rather odd bunch of people, who was to say their seniors weren't? A total of four individuals, just as colourful as the dessert that had been eaten. One of pink hair. One of ginger. One of blond. And one of green. What a bizarre combination. Only three colours away from a full rainbow set.
Hakuren's gaze instantly landed on the third mentioned. He was man of strenght, with a heavy build and a wild look, the perfect example of a gang boss picked straight from the lawless street. There was actually a chill that tickled the black-blue-haired youngster's spine, yet it was not of fear, nor of horor.
'With that style and overall appearance, he certainly seems like one of those people...Aksel, you bastard. Came to haunt me, didn't you?' he thought.
Despite that pinch of unease, which lasted for simply a heartbeat, there was a smile on Hakuren's face. A small light one, which could easily turn into a grin at any moment. And it did, once his sight came upon the pink-haired newbie.
It looked as though the Pink Panther had drunk a magical potion and was turned into a giraffe. The individiual, whose colouration was most astounding, was rather tall in height, literally towering over every other human in the room. Like a white sheep amidst a black flock, they created an excellent contrast with the rest of the group. Long curly pink hair, gangling legs and splendid attire, this was a person of grace and beauty.
As lovely as this Eiffel tower was, there was something that simply did not click, so to speak, with Hakuren. This particular newcomer was an eye-candy, no doubt, however, something was amiss. At first, he could not tell what exactly it was. Every inch was lovely in its own way, but first impressions ofttimes lied. Thus he continued scanning, whilst Ash and co. introduced themselves. After a thorought observation, the youngster finally understood what had pestered him about his subject's physique. Over the course of existing in his original realm, there had been many women, which he had seen and been with. In addition, his lists on MAL were quite long. These two types of experiences taught him many things, one of which was the finesse of female proportions. No matter how much you changed your angle, not even the skinniest of girls had such a body build, nor was their gait of a similar type. The closer he looked, the more he came to realize the solid fact. Lesley, as he would introduce himself afterwords, was a trap.
Next in line was the only true girl in the new batch. One of ginger hair and straight posture, there was nothing to complain about regarding her appearance. Her chest size was not as big as Ace's and not as small as Jasper's, thus placing her in an acceptable category. When it came to her outfit, she apparently prefered the business outfit, yet it suited her well. Just in case, Hakuren ran some measurements in his head, which confirmed her to be female, at least by proportion standards.
Interestingly enough, there was another person next to the green-haired boy. A young man with brown hair and glasses, hunched a bit forward, wearing casual everyday clothes. Out of all of them, he fell into the same category as Harper. Completely normal, appearance-wise at least. Having nothing outstanding on the outside meant that only the inside would speak of his identity, which made it all that funner. At least one of them would place a challenge to decipher.
As for the green-haired lad, if there was a pink one, why couldn't there be a green one? A candy cane gentleman and Songbird were with them, which mean the latter had been their guide, seeing as the walking stick had been seen working at the castle. Their identities would be revealed in all due time, yet rather than heading directly to the introduction cluster, Hakuren rested his back against the door, which was now closed shut behind him, and watched as the chatter went on, his smile not once taking its leave.
