Under Pressure (Open)

[Ryuu]

6:00pm. The subway was tight and crowded, as it always was around this time of day. Another workday was done and over with, as Ryuu stood in the subway car, gripping onto the metal bar like his life depended on it, which it did, seeing as it was the only thing keeping him from bouncing around the subway car like a pinball. As the subway pulled up to its stop, the doors opened and more people piled onto the subway, packing it even tighter than a can of tuna. As Ryuu shifted a bit, trying to avoid getting squished, he felt someone elbow him in the ribs, making him cringe in pain. This was getting too crowded, and too painful. The subway once more started to move, as he felt someone step on his foot hard, making him howl as quietly as he possibly could in pain. He saw a spot that wasn't so crowded and began to worm his way through the crowd, trying his best to not step on anyone's foot or accidentally elbow them. He needed to escape from the crowd, before anymore injuries were inflicted on him. His foot was already sore from being stomped on.

But just as Ryuu reached the less crowded spot, the subway pulled up to its stop, screeching to a halt, and because Ryuu wasn't holding onto anything except for maybe his shoulder bag, Ryuu was flung forward. Straight into another passenger. He slammed into the passenger headfirst, looking like he was headbutting the chest of the passenger. The impact stopped Ryuu from falling over, but it also sent him rebounding backwards and landing on his ass, hard he might add, as he nearly crushed the books in bag from his fall. "Ahhh..." Ryuu groaned in pain, as he began to rub the spot where his head had collided with the person's chest, cradling his head in his hand, while he rubbed his tailbone. "That hurt..." Ryuu then looked up at the person he slammed headfirst to, the look of pain on his face quickly replaced with a look of pure dread. And worst of all, he now had a headache to go with it. This was not looking good for poor Ryuu.

Uh oh...

[Allen Daughtry]

Subway trains were the ultimate way to feel like a sheep.

It wasn't a special circumstance. It was evening, middle of the week, rush hour as those citizens of San Francisco used what little energy was left in them to break away from the office and find some lazy way home. The roads were crowded, the sidewalks were crowded, the restaurants were crowded... everything was crowded around rush hour. It was the worst.

Still, regardless of the fact, Allen Daughtry was here to smell whatever roses he could detect with his puny nose, though lost his care for such a pursuit over time. Still, he was practically in the front row when the only incident of the evening happened. He was leaning against the car's interior wall, his own right hand gripped around a horizontal bar that ran across the subway car's ceiling. He had been minding his own business when some random bystander suddenly crashed into another man in a freak accident. It seemed the culprit was the sudden car stop, but the only one who would lose would be the unlucky tackler.

Daughtry turned his ears to listen to whatever the other nameless man had to say, though it didn't take a genius to sense his excessive anger over the younger boy's supposedly "intended" fall. Some rolling of sleeves were made, some growling teeth, and some cracking knuckles. This guy meant business.

Allen wasn't in the mood though. He could already tell that the innocent guy on his right didn't deserve to be beaten on a car full of strangers, and regardless of the fact that he'd been struck in the chest, the "victim" was acting far too arrogant for the role. Frankly, the gray-shaded man had enough.

Just as the violence victim pulled back his right fist to prepare some kind of attack on his hapless tackler (Ryuu), he was suddenly started to find a swift left elbow crack against his nose, breaking the cartilage with a noticeable crack. He hadn't even taken a single hit; the bastard was down within an instant, falling the ground as if he were Goliath.

"Huh, funny how situations play out, eh?" Allen quipped to the hapless boy next to him, before grinning and making a nod of taking his leave as he turned to the doors of the car, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off..."[/font]

[Ryuu]

As soon as Ryuu managed to regain his senses and looked up, he found himself staring straight into the face a very angry, very pissed off man, who began to rave and rant at Ryuu. I won't bore with the details of what the man said, but let's just say, it involved swearing... lots of swearing. It didn't take a genius to see that the man was getting more and more angry, as evident by him starting to roll his sleeves up, some growling teeth, and cracking of knuckles, as Ryuu calmly stood up, keeping as cool as possible while staring straight into the face of a guy who planned on kicking Ryuu's ass. Just as Ryuu saw the guy rear his right arm back and prepared to launch an attack on Ryuu, as Ryuu tried to evade or possibly dodge it, except he was blocked on all sides. But before the guy could launch an attack, he dropped just as quickly like a sack of potatoes.

But Ryuu didn't attack the guy. In fact, Ryuu didn't even touch the guy. It was another guy that attacked the guy, with a swift left elbow to the guy's face, breaking the guy's nose, as evident by the noticeable crack heard. Ryuu calmly stared as the guy fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from his broken nose. "Huh,funny how situations play out, eh?" Ryuu looked over at the guy who had stopped the guy from punching Ryuu's lights out, as the guy grinned before nodding and made to leave through the doors of the subway. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off..." Ryuu watched the guy exit through the doors of the subway, as Ryuu lingered on the subway for a little bit longer, before making his decision, and rushed out through the subway doors, running after the guy, before catching up to him and clasped his hand on the guy's shoulder. "Wait. You saved my ass back there. Why? And who are you exactly?"

Ryuu wasn't gripping the guy's shoulder tightly, but there was enough pressure on it to show the guy that Ryuu wasn't going to let go until he got some answers. "I owe you for that. And I, Ryuu Hikari, always pay back what I owe."

[Allen Daughtry]

'See Allen, this is why you don't do good deeds!'

While the possibility of the victim following him for thanks had been in the back of his mind, Allen Daughtry had shoved it aside as a petty possibility - and while he knew it had more value to help then ignore, the fact that he had to accept the usual happy business was still a nuisance. Still, he had bought what he had, and would accept the entire package, no matter what came with it.

He kept his walk constant as he continued his way toward the subway's exit, and his sunglasses remained poised on the path ahead. His overcoat followed his air in a light tuck, and what little white line his lips pressed could have given a little hint of what frustration he had over the circumstances.

'Shit, he feels like he owes me something. That's wonderful. What next, do I get a Wookie life debt sworn to me by his brother's uncle?'

He waited to respond until the long line for departure intercepted him, and only when he stopped moving did he finally quip back, waving his hand in front of the other man to exemplify the facts given as he gave eye contact. "Buddy, you owe me nothing. I didn't save your ass - it was just one elbow hit. The asshole deserves what he got."

He pocketed his gloved hands for a moment as if he were finished, glancing back at the line to see when he'd have to move forward, before turning back to speak, "And I, Allen Daughtry, am no loan shark. So don't feel obligated to do shit. Unless you have a cute sister or something, and then maybe we can talk. But beyond that, we're good. Go live and all that jazz. Oh, and learn to keep your frakkin' footing in the future, got it?"[/font]

[Ryuu]

It seemed the man who knocked the other guy clean out was not in the mood for conversation, for his walk was at a constant pace as he headed to the subway exit. Only when the long line of people departing intercepting him did he stop, and waved his hand in front of Ryuu as he made eye contact with Ryuu (Well, based on what Ryuu assumed, seeing as the guy was wearing dark shades). "Buddy, you owe me nothing. I didn't save your ass - it was just one elbow hit. The asshole deserves what he got." Now Ryuu was no mind reader, but given the fact the white line from the guy's lips pressing together was very thin, it was obvious he was frustrated. Ryuu saw him place his gloved hands into his jacket, glancing back at the line to see when he'd have to move forward, before turning back to Ryuu, who maintained the cool but calm look on his face.

"And I, Allen Daughtry, am no loan shark. So don't feel obligated to do shit. Unless you have a cute sister or something, and then maybe we can talk. But beyond that, we're good. Go live and all that jazz. Oh, and learn to keep your frakkin' footing in the future, got it?"

Ryuu continued to look calmly at Allen, while he did have an older sister, and she was extremely pretty, at least, according to legion of fanboys she... Why the hell was he thinking about this now!? Ryuu saw the line begin to move, as Ryuu stayed where he was. "Witty aren't you?" Ryuu said calmly, as people began to walk past him. "They say the eyes are the gateway to the soul. Maybe that's why you wear sunglasses, particularly in a place where there is no sun to be seen, save for the entrance and exit." Ryuu said, his voice not loud, though it could still be heard clearly. "But what you are hiding, is no concern of mine. Keep your secrets to yourself, but no matter how much you try to, there will be someone who will find out what you hide deep within."

[Allen Daughtry]

"Witty? Hell, I get that a lot."

Which was true, surprisingly enough.

Having barked back at Hikari with his own hostile tone, Allen had hoped that the man would take some kind of hint and leave. But the gray-shaded man was already collecting the impression that Ryuu was one of the "noble and good-willed" types, and groggily sighed at the thought. Lectures were not his thing, nor were religious conversions, political causes, or the ethical problems of other people. And Allen was almost certain that such issues were about to arise out of Hikari's mouth.

He was right.

As the line began to sift through the security checkpoint, Allen casually followed, uninterested in staying behind to entertain the supposed victim. Ryuu went on about a common myth involving the character of eyes, and tried to use it as a means of translating Daughtry's motives behind wearing the signature sunglasses. The very mention of the topic brought Allen's walk to a halt. He clenched his fists, glared back at Ryuu, and held the stare without break for several seconds. From behind the dark shades, his cerulean gaze was harsh, wide-eyed, as Daughtry both scaled the nature of the question and reminisced on his true motives.

In truth, Hikari's observation was only partly true. Allen did indeed wear the sunglasses as a figurative veil over his real personality, to shield himself from personal harm, but that was only a symptom of the original cause. And when he thought far back enough, it all came back to a night years ago, when the angry young boy saw himself in a mirror, and gazed through his own eyes, and did not see himself, but his mother. The woman who abandoned him. The woman who discarded him. The woman he now despised. To see those cerulean eyes without the veil, naked to the air and the wind, was to bring back those memories. Terrible, painful memories.

In the end, it was all best left to himself. It was the very motive behind the sunglasses in the first place.

At last, after staring the man down, Daughtry finally responded, his voice cold, his lips perched like stone, "You're right, they are mine, and mine alone. And if anyone tries to force their way past these shades, they're going to end up like that bastard on the subway, if you get me."

Daughtry turned away for a moment, acting as if he were suddenly interested in some cluster of individuals just down the corridor, before reluctantly turning his gaze back, barking a new retort, "And why the hell are you so interested? To try and comprehend my nature, my reasons for doing what I did? Answer me that, smart guy!"[/font]

[Ryuu]

"Witty? Hell, I get that a lot." Ryuu wasn't that all surprised. Given the impression Ryuu got from Allen, it seemed this guy was nothing but witty to everyone he met. He must be the most popular guy in the school... Heh, yeah right. Ryuu was not here to lecture, once he said his piece, he was going to leave. As the line began to move, he saw Allen follow the crowd, clearly not interested in Ryuu, not that he ever was to begin with. But it seemed Ryuu mentioning that the eyes were the gateway to the soul, made Allen stop in his tracks, as he clenched his fists, and glared at Ryuu, who merely kept calm and looked back, the stare was kept up for a few good minutes. Ryuu did not care what the reason was, nor did he particularly want to find out. "You're right, they are mine, and mine alone. And if anyone tries to force their way past these shades, they're going to end up like that bastard on the subway, if you get me." Although his voice was cold, and his lips were perched like stone, Ryuu was not intimidated by it, if anything, he was still frighteningly calm. Ryuu saw Allen turn away, like he was interested in a cluster of people ahead, before reluctantly turning back, as Ryuu looked more interested in his fingernails.

"And why the hell are you so interested? To try and comprehend my nature, my reasons for doing what I did? Answer me that, smart guy!"

Ryuu just stared blankly at Allen, and stared, and stared some more. Until he broke out in laughter, and laughed for a couple minutes, before wiping his tears away. "Oh, man, I haven't had a good laugh like that in a long time," He finally managed to say, after taking a deep breath and calming himself down, "Oh man, that was a good one." Ryuu's face returned back to calm, though his eyes were cold as ice, hidden slightly by his front hair. "I'll tell you right now, Mr. Daughtry," Ryuu began, ignoring the people around him who stared at him after his little outburst of laughter, "I don't give a rat's ass about what you do, what your nature is, what your reasons are, anything and everything to do with you. I just merely stated my observation. You are free to interpret it as you please, because I don't care either way." With that said, Ryuu then turned around, and began to walk back towards the subway waiting platform, but stopped, and looked back at Allen. "I don't get involved in things that do not concern me. So keep your secrets to yourself. Because that may be all you have." Ryuu then began to walk back to the waiting platform, to wait for the subway to arrive, to take him to his station, and home.

[Allen Daughtry]

OOC: Sorry this took so long Li man, just been going through some writer's block.

IC: 'I should have let the prick bust your face in.'

It had been bad enough that Allen was suddenly given the dull offer of a favor, then worse when Hikari went on about the philosophy of one's eyes and actually strike a chord with Daughtry's own true persona, but to stand there without a care and laugh at him when he demanded answers in response was beyond an insult, it was a travesty of the other man's character.

Having turned around in utter shock at Ryuu's bewildering laughter, the dark shades merely glared back at Hikari's ecstatic amusement before forcing himself to hear out his response, only to find a desire to punch out the fool even more. There he was, using Allen as some snide joke, supposedly having wasted his time and prodding his emotions merely to entertain himself. And it wasn't the malevolence behind it that bothered Allen the most - it was the dire hypocrisy, and the sheer doubt he felt about the other man's genuine attitude. After all, just thirty second ago he had been offering his name out right and praising Allen's kindness - now he was using him for the butt of ill humor and apparently caring less for Allen's own feelings than his own instant gratification?

To say the least, Ryuu Hikari was starting to come off as a two-faced asshole, and a classic case at that.

As Hikari walked away, Allen watched him with a disgusted sneer, then nodded his head in despair over the waste, before chiding the man from a distance with a moderately dark tone, "It's ironic that the supposed asshole commits a random moment of kindness in order to save the suppose kind man that is really just an asshole. Truly, I should be more like you."

Allen again nodded his head in anger, and turned his own back away, preparing to walk away. Though the animalistic part of him wanted to charge after the bastard and attack him, the sheer blindsided offense given to him simply brought up the decision that it was a waste of time. It was clear that "Hikari" truly didn't give a damn - or perhaps that was merely his cover for feeling hurt from Daughtry's own cold attitude, which if were the case, the shaded man wouldn't have blamed him. So he too prepared to leave, no longer interested in the other man's character - the one that, for a moment, seemed genuinely interested in that of Allen Daughtry, his supposed hero of but a moment's notice. [/font]

[Ryuu]

Ryuu couldn't help but chuckle quietly inside at the look of utter shock on Allen's face. Yes, Ryuu was being an asshole right now, but his reason for acting in such a manner, was not because he was hurt by Allen's cold attitude, but because Ryuu always acted sarcastic and cynical, adopting a cavalier attitude you could say. Didn't offer much of an explanation, I know, but you'd be hard pressed to find an suitable explanation. Either way, Ryuu, while he did give his name, and was grateful for Allen's help, did not care much for the man's cold attitude, and found it interesting that Allen had gotten so worked up over Ryuu's analogy, when Ryuu did not in fact, his analogy had hit close to home for Allen. Once Ryuu finished laughing, he began to walk away, the amused expression no longer on his face, a calm expression now on his face, never wavering even as he heard the dark tone of Allen's voice chiding him from behind.

"It's ironic that the supposed asshole commits a random moment of kindness in order to save the suppose kind man that is really just an asshole. Truly, I should be more like you."

Ryuu stopped instantly, as he slowly turned his face, a slightly menacing look in his eyes, as he sneered quietly in response. "Do you want, let others do what they want, but in the end, we're all the same." Ryuu then turned around, facing forward, before heading towards the train, walking into the open doors of the just arrived subway. He then gripped the metal pole, waiting for the subway door to close. If Allen decided to confront him because of his last remark, well, Ryuu wouldn't blame him. As long as no innocent bystanders got caught in between, then he could care less what happened. A small smirk started to form on Ryuu's face, as down on the the next car beside the one he was in, some people began to enter. The car Ryuu was in, was empty, not a single soul inside. No one to get in the way.