[from here]It looked like they were the first ones in the Sun Room this night. There weren't any monsters in plain sight, which was a good sign
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Howl slipped into the room, and made an effort to stay close to the wall. As long as he remained anchored to that, he could cling to some false sense of security. It was growing increasingly difficult to silence the voice inside of him that was pointing out how horribly dangerous this was. And for what? It would be so much easier to sit back in his room and wait for someone else to figure out how to escape. Let them risk their necks.
Thankfully, the Witch and what she might do to his assorted crew of loved ones was still more frightening than what the Institute held. The idea of Sophie, Michael and Megan trying to defend themselves was laughable. Calcifer might have been able to manage something. But Calcifer might also be dead, Howl told himself severely. His chest ached with its emptiness. So Howl pushed forward, against his better judgment. His hair was falling into his eyes, and he was almost too worried to care. (Almost.)
Silently, Howl pointed towards the door that he and his companion needed to reach. "There. Alright?" he asked, already moving.
Zoro hmmed his understanding and stayed close to the shadows somewhere just behind Howl. He was far calmer than his companion, his own breathing relaxed though his body was tense. Being sneaky may never have been a Straw Hat specialty (even Robin sometimes lost her guile to Luffy's over-loud presence) but Zoro could be subtle when he had to. As they crept along, he kept his eyes trained on the surrounding darkness, alert to the presence of the figure he'd seen from outside the door. Maybe whoever it was would just let them through peacefully since they had no real intention to fight; optimistic as it sounded, there was a slim chance that it would happen. Maybe. Not that Zoro would back down when it came to blows, but he didn't think his guide was particularly keen about it happening.
He moved quickly and silently, taking care not to trip over anything. His left side missed the familiar balance of his swords and his stomach felt cold without the haramaki around to warm it. Zoro didn't think he'd find any of those items in the kitchen but he'd seen and found a lot of weirder things in a bunch of even weirder places. A guy stuck in a chimney, for instance.
The entity hovered closer to the pair, violet eyes shaded for now. There was an undercurrent, an annoyance. Something settling and shifting (fading and rising), and these, these, were not what he had sought. Albedo blinked once, twice, something shaking behind his eyes. Again, and here, a song rose and fell, gracing madness, dancing melodic. He begged to differ in its theme, but nonetheless, he found iridescence once more, violet rising to a shine around him.
"You have touched grace," he murmured, almost soft. The deeds of the past, past moments, past year was left forgotten, and he wondered at them even as his right hand raised, lightning and energy slipped over it like a shroud. "And when you see the silent candle burning? What has came over you?" The softness slid, mirrored in time, a whisper, a wanting, and then it had passed like it had never been. His hand raised higher, and again his face split with a grin, mind dancing to music unheard. Consuming. Devouring. The boy looked at the first, and made to move.
A pounding, deep and dark. And he had promises to keep.
The heartbeat right outside the door, and then, and now--inside, storming. Angry, hostile, and in this? Albedo laughed outright, whipping from the duo in front of him to his other, the attack forgotten. His heart had come to play with him, and who was he to leave him wanting? The butterflies would float away, and Albedo didn't mind.
Howl's blood ran cold when the boy floated down to them, like some kind of eerie specter. He left as mysteriously as he had appeared, and although Howl remained uninjured, the icy fear remained. Fear as well as confusion, since the things the child said had made no sense whatsoever.
Regardless, Howl knew it was not the responsibility, nor the nature of spirits (if that's indeed what they just saw) to be clear and reasonable. He was no sooner ready to question the child's words than he was to waste time wondering why he had not been attacked.
"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth," Howl urged, finally breaking free of his own nerves. He gestured stiffly to Zoro and made a beeline for the door.
Howl slipped into the room, and made an effort to stay close to the wall. As long as he remained anchored to that, he could cling to some false sense of security. It was growing increasingly difficult to silence the voice inside of him that was pointing out how horribly dangerous this was. And for what? It would be so much easier to sit back in his room and wait for someone else to figure out how to escape. Let them risk their necks.
Thankfully, the Witch and what she might do to his assorted crew of loved ones was still more frightening than what the Institute held. The idea of Sophie, Michael and Megan trying to defend themselves was laughable. Calcifer might have been able to manage something. But Calcifer might also be dead, Howl told himself severely. His chest ached with its emptiness. So Howl pushed forward, against his better judgment. His hair was falling into his eyes, and he was almost too worried to care. (Almost.)
Silently, Howl pointed towards the door that he and his companion needed to reach. "There. Alright?" he asked, already moving.
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He moved quickly and silently, taking care not to trip over anything. His left side missed the familiar balance of his swords and his stomach felt cold without the haramaki around to warm it. Zoro didn't think he'd find any of those items in the kitchen but he'd seen and found a lot of weirder things in a bunch of even weirder places. A guy stuck in a chimney, for instance.
Oh, wait. That had been him.
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The entity hovered closer to the pair, violet eyes shaded for now. There was an undercurrent, an annoyance. Something settling and shifting (fading and rising), and these, these, were not what he had sought. Albedo blinked once, twice, something shaking behind his eyes. Again, and here, a song rose and fell, gracing madness, dancing melodic. He begged to differ in its theme, but nonetheless, he found iridescence once more, violet rising to a shine around him.
"You have touched grace," he murmured, almost soft. The deeds of the past, past moments, past year was left forgotten, and he wondered at them even as his right hand raised, lightning and energy slipped over it like a shroud. "And when you see the silent candle burning? What has came over you?" The softness slid, mirrored in time, a whisper, a wanting, and then it had passed like it had never been. His hand raised higher, and again his face split with a grin, mind dancing to music unheard. Consuming. Devouring. The boy looked at the first, and made to move.
A pounding, deep and dark. And he had promises to keep.
The heartbeat right outside the door, and then, and now--inside, storming. Angry, hostile, and in this? Albedo laughed outright, whipping from the duo in front of him to his other, the attack forgotten. His heart had come to play with him, and who was he to leave him wanting? The butterflies would float away, and Albedo didn't mind.
[to here]
Reply
Regardless, Howl knew it was not the responsibility, nor the nature of spirits (if that's indeed what they just saw) to be clear and reasonable. He was no sooner ready to question the child's words than he was to waste time wondering why he had not been attacked.
"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth," Howl urged, finally breaking free of his own nerves. He gestured stiffly to Zoro and made a beeline for the door.
[To here.]
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