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Lloyd numbly looked down at the paper clip in his hand. It was covered in red plastics to hide the cold metal part that was underneath. Lloyd found it amusing how one harmless looking object could do so many more things. How the plastic parts hid the ugly, blend, and cold metal but couldn’t manage to hide the sharp and dangerous ends of it. While some might not think about it, if it was given to someone… let’s say… someone like him, it might have a purpose of something way different.
Putting that thought away, he bent the clip until the ends were poking out and clear of any obstacles. One of the ends had a dull end of metal poking out while the other side had a pointy end of metal poking out. Without thinking, he brought the pointy end of metal on his arm and started to scratch with it in a messy line.
At first, he felt nothing. Slowly, the familiar stinging pain bloomed from the metal end’s trails. White flecks of skin started to peel off soon after, exposing the layer of skin beneath it. Then the trails became glossy with a liquid that Lloyd never bothered to search for. Finally, red liquid seeped out of the sides of the trails, filling the deep creek in his arm. Before he started to bleed noticeably, Lloyd stopped scratching, forcing his hand away and putting the paper pin on the desk in front of him.
On his arm, among all the fading scars and still healing cuts that matched this one, was an ugly cut that was glistening in vibrate magenta and red liquid sat. The satisfying stinging pain that it sent to his brain calmed down his nerves and thoughts while making his stomach churn at the same time. After staring at the new cut for some time while welcoming the pain, Lloyd put the pin away in his desk drawer and walked out of his room. He made sure to camouflage his scarred and wounded arms with his oni powers before stepping out into the world.
Lloyd found him as a paper pin. A personality to mask his true, broken self from others. To others, he looked harmless, a hero. But little did they know what kind of danger he was hiding underneath. How his idiotic, kind and bright leader mask hid his true self underneath. But not being able to hide fully at the same time.
The only difference was that a paper clip’s ends never came out. Lloyd’s true self will have to come out at one point, especially if the ends were coming quicker than ever.
Lloyd smiled as it walked back into the darkness while he walked towards the light.
Oh the irony.