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Eiji was a frustrating human to have to work with, the idiot who loved everyone around him like family, but never spoke of his own. Who gave everything to everyone but never took their hands when they reached out to him, only finding him slipping out of their grips and disappearing. Ankh wondered if Eiji would have stuck around the restaurant for long if not for his promise to Hina, and needing to keep an eye on Ankh who much preferred his nest to the trees in the park.
'We aren't dogs' Ankh had snarled, and with that Eiji had reluctantly accepted the hospitality offered.
Eiji in all his attempts at being friendly, silly, harmless was still an empty void, and that was frightening frustrating. Ankh hated how he acted but- he needed him, needed him to survive. It was ridiculous he was a Greeed who was depending on a human with no desires to draw upon. Eiji did not need him for anything but OOOs- not even because he personally needed it but because of his stupid altruism, that idiot Eiji believed he had to to help everyone with every stupid problem that popped up. It was such a ridiculous way to live,
There was nothing there to grasp, no strings to pull, just a whirling pool of emptiness, a void that he fatalistically reached into, in search of something, anything to grasp. Some will to live, some desire, something that showed Eiji was alive.
“Idiot! Do you want to die?!”
“If my only options are to stand aside and do nothing or help and risk my life, I won’t stand aside.”
Idiot idiot idiot
There was absolutely nothing to draw from, Eiji might as well have been a corpse, or so Ankh thought- One day out of the void something was completely new was born.
Pu-to-tyra
Putotrya’s power was immeasurable. Ankh had never seen anything like it; the world bent and broke as it tried in vain to stand against the monster that was born. He didn’t think even the original OOO could ever have manifested such a horrifying abomination. Waves of that familiar chill that encompassed Eiji rippled from it, so overwhelming that Ankh keeled over from it, could only watch in awe as his fellow Greeed struggled to fight Putotrya themselves, and after failing to, subsequently ran for their lives. Even Gamel had enough self preservation instincts to head for the hills.
It screamed, the sound ringing out. It was only now that Ankh could put a name to that feeling that Eiji gave off. Despair Ankh could not tell exactly where the word had come from- nor could he examine the revelation at the time. Putotyra had noticed him, letting out another terrible ear splitting screech. At least Eiji’s body gave out before he could reach Ankh, though he was sure that he could have maybe survived, he would rather n ot find out exactly how he fared against Putotyra. Ankh knew that they would be seeing that form again. Especially after Eiji admitted that he thought it could help (despite everyone else's insistence that they needed to get rid of it) . The bonehead would do anything to help others despite the risks, he was such a self sacrificing martyr. He would destroy himself.
In the dark of night Ankh stared at his Rider, one thin white line of a street lamp tracing over Eiji’s form as he snored lightly. The transformation from Putotyra always exhausted him, he wouldn’t be waking up til midday at least.
Ankh traced his claws along the light intimate curve of the light, his touch feather-light and slow. He stopped at Eiji’s stomach, where he could feel the purple medal’s miasma was the strongest. Someone had to keep this idiot from getting himself killed. Ankh aimed his hand for it and plunged-
He was promptly slammed into the wall, hitting it with a loud crash that sent various of the restaurant's decorations flying. Flopping onto the ground Ankh groaned and clutched at his hand. This idea was probably a failure.
“Ankh?” Eiji’s voice was heavy with sleep, but also careful as it reached out for the Greeed, their concern was damn near sickening.
“Idiot, go back to sleep.” Ankh said from the floor.
“I felt… something weird.” He muttered.
“Well I didn’t hear or see anything, so shut up and rest. We can’t have you wasting your time in bed for too long, so hurry up and heal.” Ankh spoke his words through clenched teeth, his hand stung something fierce. Had the medals bit him? Fighting with his useless body’s continuous protests, Ankh managed to roll on his side.
Some coins clinked out of his hand as he did. His gaze fell onto Eiji’s face. He was still lying down and his eyes weren’t fully open, clearly still half asleep. Even in this state he managed a suspicious frown, “Why are you on the ground?”
“Because I want to be, idiot.” Finally Ankh managed to get up again, his back complaining about his chosen action, but he ignored it.
Eiji’s sigh was one of a man who knew he was being given a false story, and was trying to figure out if the truth was worth obtaining, “Is there anything I can help-”
"No.” Ankh snapped, his frustration refusing to be masked, “You've done enough, Now go back to sleep.” Ankh stalked back to his nest, refusing to look back at Eiji as he leapt into his perch and kept his back to him.
“Jerk.”
“Idiot.”
And with that Eiji grew quiet, too tired to argue further and ignorant for now of what Ankh had attempted.
The Greeed clutched at his hand and let out another scoff, yet another thing he had not the strength to do (another thing Eiji would not need him for). He was helpless against that despair that encompassed the rider. Helpless against everything coming for them. Helpless to do anything that would give him any sort of control over Eiji. Trying to convince himself that it did not matter, Ankh stared at the black wall until he could dip into a blissful empty sleep.