But Hold Me Fast [20/?]
anonymous
July 11 2009, 16:59:48 UTC
“It’s all right, Alfred,” Matthew says, fingers tightening on Alfred’s wrist. “I’ve got you.”
“Lovino - GAH!” Alfred yelps and has to bite back a scream as another hand clamps onto his shoulder.
“There you are, you burger bastard.” Lovino shoves aside the bamboo and makes his way to Alfred’s side. “I was wondering where you were. Now let’s go!”
“What? Go where?” Alfred hears the bamboo click - Matthew making a gesture, probably. “For heaven’s sake, we can’t see anything! What would the use be, eh?”
“It’s better than just standing here, isn’t it? Let’s see if we can find a trail or anything! We don’t have anything to lose!”
Silence, filled only with the sound of birds and trilling cicadas.
“You’re right.” Matthew takes a step forward, prompting Lovino and Alfred to follow. “Let’s keep going. Who knows what we’ll find -”
And Alfred hears it; a high, organic sound, the voice of another human being somewhere to his left.
“Sakura, sakura…”
All three of them freeze at the high, eerie sound, at the voice of a child growing closer and closer. And beneath it all lays the choppy sound of bamboo being cut and hacked away.
“…no-yama mo sato mo…”
Hack. Tumble. Alfred swears he hears Lovino gulp behind him as the voice grows nearer. For some reason, all Alfred can wonder is how sharp something had to be to cut through bamboo.
“…mi-watasu kagiri…”
They can see it now, drawing closer; the bamboo jerking and falling away a little to the left of them. This seems to jerk Matthew out of his shock, and with a muffled cry he tries to run ahead.
His foot catches on a piece of bamboo, and with a sharp yelp he falls to the ground. Alfred tries to reach to help him up, but there isn’t enough time, it’s almost here -
“…kasumi ka kumo ka?”
With one last hack, the bamboo hiding the three of them falls away. They find themselves face-to-face with a little girl. And that should not be scary, but all Alfred can think of is how blank and neutral her face looks, how the blade of that cutter seems as long as one of her arms.
Lovino’s breath ghosts in quick, panicked gusts over his ear. Alfred swallows the fear trying to fight its way up his stomach.
“We’re…we’re sorry,” he says, as slow and quiet as possible. He has to explain that they’re not intruders - that they’re here by accident. “We…we do not mean to intrude…we came here…by…by accident -”
The girl tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Are you here to see Lady Kaguya?” she asks them in perfect English. ___
Yao is looking at the moon when Heracles joins him on the small porch in Yao’s room. “It’s a full moon tonight,” he hears Heracles say.
“It’s beautiful, aru,” Yao responds. They fall silent for a bit at that, just watching the moon reach out and eclipse the stars. “How is Ludwig?” he asks after a bit
“Still locked in his room, last I checked. I believe he’s working.”
“Working, aru?”
“…I gave him the journal that Kiku made.”
“Ah.” Yao drops his gaze to the balcony. “Yes. I…remember you telling me about that.”
“I still don’t know anything beyond what Kiku instructed me to do, though.”
“That’s all right, aru.” Yao clasps his hands together, not daring to meet Heracles’ gaze.
“…It’s been seven years,” Heracles responds at last. “Seven years since…since those three disappeared. And now it’s continuing, isn’t it? The story, I mean.”
“I think so.” Yao sighs and shuts his eyes. “…Though to be honest, I’m less afraid for Alfred and his companions than I am for others still among us, aru.”
Heracles doesn’t respond, choosing to wait instead for Yao to continue if he wishes.
“Seven years ago,” Yao said, lifting his head, “Arthur, Francis, and Antonio disappeared. Seven years ago, I asked the bai ze to journey around the world and collect the names of every demon living on this earth - all the living creatures that did not have souls.”
“And you think you will find the names of the kidnapper on that list?”
“Perhaps.” Yao looks up at the moon again. “But I am more afraid that I shall find the name of another - the name of one of us.”
Re: But Hold Me Fast [20/?]
anonymous
July 12 2009, 06:42:01 UTC
MOOAAAAARRR!!!! argh!!! cliffhanger right at the most interesting part! but don't worry you make a very good and interesting fic, i'll wait patiently, okay ^__^
“Lovino - GAH!” Alfred yelps and has to bite back a scream as another hand clamps onto his shoulder.
“There you are, you burger bastard.” Lovino shoves aside the bamboo and makes his way to Alfred’s side. “I was wondering where you were. Now let’s go!”
“What? Go where?” Alfred hears the bamboo click - Matthew making a gesture, probably. “For heaven’s sake, we can’t see anything! What would the use be, eh?”
“It’s better than just standing here, isn’t it? Let’s see if we can find a trail or anything! We don’t have anything to lose!”
Silence, filled only with the sound of birds and trilling cicadas.
“You’re right.” Matthew takes a step forward, prompting Lovino and Alfred to follow. “Let’s keep going. Who knows what we’ll find -”
And Alfred hears it; a high, organic sound, the voice of another human being somewhere to his left.
“Sakura, sakura…”
All three of them freeze at the high, eerie sound, at the voice of a child growing closer and closer. And beneath it all lays the choppy sound of bamboo being cut and hacked away.
“…no-yama mo sato mo…”
Hack. Tumble. Alfred swears he hears Lovino gulp behind him as the voice grows nearer. For some reason, all Alfred can wonder is how sharp something had to be to cut through bamboo.
“…mi-watasu kagiri…”
They can see it now, drawing closer; the bamboo jerking and falling away a little to the left of them. This seems to jerk Matthew out of his shock, and with a muffled cry he tries to run ahead.
His foot catches on a piece of bamboo, and with a sharp yelp he falls to the ground. Alfred tries to reach to help him up, but there isn’t enough time, it’s almost here -
“…kasumi ka kumo ka?”
With one last hack, the bamboo hiding the three of them falls away. They find themselves face-to-face with a little girl. And that should not be scary, but all Alfred can think of is how blank and neutral her face looks, how the blade of that cutter seems as long as one of her arms.
Lovino’s breath ghosts in quick, panicked gusts over his ear. Alfred swallows the fear trying to fight its way up his stomach.
“We’re…we’re sorry,” he says, as slow and quiet as possible. He has to explain that they’re not intruders - that they’re here by accident. “We…we do not mean to intrude…we came here…by…by accident -”
The girl tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Are you here to see Lady Kaguya?” she asks them in perfect English.
___
Yao is looking at the moon when Heracles joins him on the small porch in Yao’s room. “It’s a full moon tonight,” he hears Heracles say.
“It’s beautiful, aru,” Yao responds. They fall silent for a bit at that, just watching the moon reach out and eclipse the stars. “How is Ludwig?” he asks after a bit
“Still locked in his room, last I checked. I believe he’s working.”
“Working, aru?”
“…I gave him the journal that Kiku made.”
“Ah.” Yao drops his gaze to the balcony. “Yes. I…remember you telling me about that.”
“I still don’t know anything beyond what Kiku instructed me to do, though.”
“That’s all right, aru.” Yao clasps his hands together, not daring to meet Heracles’ gaze.
“…It’s been seven years,” Heracles responds at last. “Seven years since…since those three disappeared. And now it’s continuing, isn’t it? The story, I mean.”
“I think so.” Yao sighs and shuts his eyes. “…Though to be honest, I’m less afraid for Alfred and his companions than I am for others still among us, aru.”
Heracles doesn’t respond, choosing to wait instead for Yao to continue if he wishes.
“Seven years ago,” Yao said, lifting his head, “Arthur, Francis, and Antonio disappeared. Seven years ago, I asked the bai ze to journey around the world and collect the names of every demon living on this earth - all the living creatures that did not have souls.”
“And you think you will find the names of the kidnapper on that list?”
“Perhaps.” Yao looks up at the moon again. “But I am more afraid that I shall find the name of another - the name of one of us.”
“One of us?”
Reply
argh!!! cliffhanger right at the most interesting part!
but don't worry
you make a very good and interesting fic, i'll wait patiently, okay ^__^
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment