A mirror locked in a room/You wonder what it did (TotA, gen, PG-13) 1/1
Title: A mirror locked in a room/You wonder what it did
Author: Spinny Roses
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, gen
Spoilers: Who Asch really is
Disclaimer: Don't own. Title from "Fear's in the Water" by The Vincent Black Shadow
Summary: But the most interesting thing dove off the bed with a small gasp, watching him over the edge of the mattress with vibrant green eyes.
A mirror locked in a room/You wonder what it did
By Spinny Roses
There was a room Luke wasn't allowed to go into. It was an empty guest room - he remembered that from before the... from before. But after his return, after stumbling to the courtyard and into his mother's arms, the room had been tightly locked. Servants, from his mother's Maria to his own Guy, had keys to get in, but each time they entered the room they locked it behind them.
It was, Luke reflected later, a good thing that his desperate flight from that hellish lab taught him a few underhanded and, quite honestly, common sleight-of-hand tricks. He held the keys he had pulled off Guy so tightly his bones ached. The door loomed over him, promising a truth that gave Luke an uneasy feeling. Perhaps it wasn't the best of ideas, he could just tell Guy he had left his keys in his room and what a poor servant he was to leave property just lying about...
No. He had to know why this room was off-limits. The key was raised, shaking... only to be too small for the hole. With a snarl, Luke switched keys, going through the ring faster and faster. The keys slammed against the hole, improperly sized, until one slid in. He blinked, his chest heaving as his body slowed down at this surprise. Then, meekly, he unlocked the door.
If it wasn't for a lone lamp, affixed to the wall too high up for Luke to replace the weak flame, the room would be completely dark. There was little in the way of furniture; in fact, most of the dressers and all of the mirrors from before had been removed. There was a wooden tray laying on the floor by the door, the old, chipped dishes on the tray caked in the dried remains of a meal. The window was covered, boarded over. But the most interesting thing dove off the bed with a small gasp, watching him over the edge of the mattress with vibrant green eyes.
Luke took a small step in the wrong direction, entering past the threshold. The unruly mop of crimson hair ducked lower and closer to the wall at that, watching him warily.
"Who...?" Luke started, wincing as the word sounded louder than any scream in that quiet room. The... thing behind the bed winced as well, making a soft, wordless whine. He stepped forward again, letting go of the knob as he moved towards the side of the bed.
The thing... looked exactly like him. It looked up at him with a scared mirror of his own eyes, clung to the bed with hands shaped exactly like his. He had to swallow quickly as the bile rose, watching as this copy of him pressed harder into the wall. "Who are you?" he asked, this time lowering his voice to a near whisper.
The copy whined again, pressing his hands to his ears. He babbled something in a low tone, almost too soft to be heard. With a sudden rush of anger, Luke reached out with his empty and and grabbed a shoulder that wasn't his, was too bony and underfed to be his. The copy went still at this, looking up at him with only the barest unconscious shaking of his muscles. He babbled something again, the tone almost like conversation.
"Speak clearly," Luke instructed. "Who are you? Why do you look like me?"
The copy blinked, the lack of comprehension clear.
"Who are you?!"
"Master Luke!"
Guy's voice cut between them, causing another whine from the copy. The manservant grabbed Luke's shoulders roughly, pulling him away from the suddenly panicking copy. It wasn't until they were near the door that Luke dug in his heels, resisting. "Who is that? What is that? Guy, I demand that you answer me!"
The older boy turned to him, angry. "I have orders from the Duke himself that supersede yours, Master Luke. Where are my keys?"
"Who is that?!"
Guy grabbed the wrist holding the key chain, yanking it up over Luke's head. "I'll only say this one more time. Where are my keys?" At the defiant look, he tugged the arm further. "Your father will not be as kind as I am. Hand them over."
Luke growled, but opened his hand to let the keys drop. Guy tossed him - tossed him - to one side, scooping up the ring and locking the door deftly. He turned back to his young master, holding the keys tightly in his hand. "You're not to go back in there," he started. "You're not to have any contact with that, and I have full authority from your father to say this so don't give me that look! I won't tell the Duke this time, but Lorelei help you if I find you in there again."
Luke glared as Guy turned to leave, rubbing his wrist spitefully.
On the other side of the door, the copy scratched at the wood. The only sound that managed to squeeze between the cracks was a low, needy whine.
Author: Spinny Roses
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, gen
Spoilers: Who Asch really is
Disclaimer: Don't own. Title from "Fear's in the Water" by The Vincent Black Shadow
Summary: But the most interesting thing dove off the bed with a small gasp, watching him over the edge of the mattress with vibrant green eyes.
A mirror locked in a room/You wonder what it did
By Spinny Roses
There was a room Luke wasn't allowed to go into. It was an empty guest room - he remembered that from before the... from before. But after his return, after stumbling to the courtyard and into his mother's arms, the room had been tightly locked. Servants, from his mother's Maria to his own Guy, had keys to get in, but each time they entered the room they locked it behind them.
It was, Luke reflected later, a good thing that his desperate flight from that hellish lab taught him a few underhanded and, quite honestly, common sleight-of-hand tricks. He held the keys he had pulled off Guy so tightly his bones ached. The door loomed over him, promising a truth that gave Luke an uneasy feeling. Perhaps it wasn't the best of ideas, he could just tell Guy he had left his keys in his room and what a poor servant he was to leave property just lying about...
No. He had to know why this room was off-limits. The key was raised, shaking... only to be too small for the hole. With a snarl, Luke switched keys, going through the ring faster and faster. The keys slammed against the hole, improperly sized, until one slid in. He blinked, his chest heaving as his body slowed down at this surprise. Then, meekly, he unlocked the door.
If it wasn't for a lone lamp, affixed to the wall too high up for Luke to replace the weak flame, the room would be completely dark. There was little in the way of furniture; in fact, most of the dressers and all of the mirrors from before had been removed. There was a wooden tray laying on the floor by the door, the old, chipped dishes on the tray caked in the dried remains of a meal. The window was covered, boarded over. But the most interesting thing dove off the bed with a small gasp, watching him over the edge of the mattress with vibrant green eyes.
Luke took a small step in the wrong direction, entering past the threshold. The unruly mop of crimson hair ducked lower and closer to the wall at that, watching him warily.
"Who...?" Luke started, wincing as the word sounded louder than any scream in that quiet room. The... thing behind the bed winced as well, making a soft, wordless whine. He stepped forward again, letting go of the knob as he moved towards the side of the bed.
The thing... looked exactly like him. It looked up at him with a scared mirror of his own eyes, clung to the bed with hands shaped exactly like his. He had to swallow quickly as the bile rose, watching as this copy of him pressed harder into the wall. "Who are you?" he asked, this time lowering his voice to a near whisper.
The copy whined again, pressing his hands to his ears. He babbled something in a low tone, almost too soft to be heard. With a sudden rush of anger, Luke reached out with his empty and and grabbed a shoulder that wasn't his, was too bony and underfed to be his. The copy went still at this, looking up at him with only the barest unconscious shaking of his muscles. He babbled something again, the tone almost like conversation.
"Speak clearly," Luke instructed. "Who are you? Why do you look like me?"
The copy blinked, the lack of comprehension clear.
"Who are you?!"
"Master Luke!"
Guy's voice cut between them, causing another whine from the copy. The manservant grabbed Luke's shoulders roughly, pulling him away from the suddenly panicking copy. It wasn't until they were near the door that Luke dug in his heels, resisting. "Who is that? What is that? Guy, I demand that you answer me!"
The older boy turned to him, angry. "I have orders from the Duke himself that supersede yours, Master Luke. Where are my keys?"
"Who is that?!"
Guy grabbed the wrist holding the key chain, yanking it up over Luke's head. "I'll only say this one more time. Where are my keys?" At the defiant look, he tugged the arm further. "Your father will not be as kind as I am. Hand them over."
Luke growled, but opened his hand to let the keys drop. Guy tossed him - tossed him - to one side, scooping up the ring and locking the door deftly. He turned back to his young master, holding the keys tightly in his hand. "You're not to go back in there," he started. "You're not to have any contact with that, and I have full authority from your father to say this so don't give me that look! I won't tell the Duke this time, but Lorelei help you if I find you in there again."
Luke glared as Guy turned to leave, rubbing his wrist spitefully.
On the other side of the door, the copy scratched at the wood. The only sound that managed to squeeze between the cracks was a low, needy whine.