Stinging Beauty

Ok, folks, bear with me. This chapter focuses on Jou’s past, which I totally made up. I’m not even sure if I got his gang leaders’ name correctly, I just put in something remotely alike.

I have absolutely no idea how gangs are supposed to work, well, Japanese gangs for any matter. So please be gentle with me, ‘kay? Oh, and I think, we all know Eric Clapton, who owns this song-sigh. I love Clapton, how can one not?

Ja ne!^^

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9. Dirtied repent

Crossing his arms behind his head, Jou fixed his gaze at the ceiling.

Unnoticed by the teen, his street drawl had crept in.

“Then, one day, I was intr’duced into th’..’ritual’. ”

A disgusted scowl marred the youth’s face at the memory.

“Obviously, ‘t was rather common ‘mong those thugs, if y’ got caught in foreign terit’rry the first time, y’ got kick’ed out,” Jou’s accent grew stronger with every sentence, Seto noticed, but decided againt interrupting the blond, ”next two times, y’ get beat up. If y’ still didn’t catch th’ drift…”

Kaiba’s mind reeled with the confession.

He knew, he didn’t wanted to know, didn’t want to listen, to what the blond had to say, but it was too late. The cards had been laid, and he had to play the game, like it or not.

So, swallowing the bile rising in his throat, he asked:

“How..old were you, when you first-?” He couldn’t even say it aloud.

Jou turned his head to look at him, and Seto shivered inwardly, when he saw how.. empty, void and dull those amber orbs were. Time run past, as they stared into each other’s eyes, then Jou turned his skywards.

“Twelve. Turns out, I had a real..talent f’r this kinda..thing. ”

Seto cocked a brow.

“What? Your size?” It was a bad joke, the brunet knew it, even before the words had passed his lips, but Jou didn’t bother going there.

“Endurance. I-I don’t know, how t’ ‘xplain it, but-it’s like turnin’ a switch in m’ brain, and m’ body jus’ keeps ‘n going, y’ know? If I place it jus’ right, I can-go on f’r hours. I don’t get tired, hungry or anything, don’t feel anything, I jus’-keep going…”

Seto knew, he was going to regret the next question, but he just had to know.

“How..many, Jou? How many did you-“

“Fourteen. ” Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he continued:

“After my first…time, th’ gang was so..thrilled, I was deemed with th’ role of th’ executioner. That also became m’ street name: Katsuya, th’ Executioner. An’ that’s why I hate m’ first name. ”

Again, that same, empty look, but this time Seto was prepared.

“I was a.. legend. If y’ got done by m’, you’d surely not walk straight f’r the next three weeks. ”

The brunet winced; he remembered the first couple of days after their- encounter well enough to know that Jou was not exaggerating.

“Normally, th’ gang would keep th’ trespassers at bay until I joined them. Said, ‘t was more fun watching a pro in action. ”

He sighed, tired in more than one way.

“Then, one day, I jus’ came from school, th’ gang had this..guy cornered. So I walked up t’ them, an’ then..I think, m’ heart stopped. ”

“Honda. ”

Jou nodded, shame written clearly across his face.

“The boy who sat next t’ m’, who always let m’ copy, was s’posed t’ be m’ next victim. I-I knew, I couldn’t do it. ”

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Yeah, I had a real falling out with Jou’s slang here-my keyboard almost back-fired, because of all the ‘. Oo