Fandom 1
Title: Fear of the Dark
Fandom: Detective Academy Q
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryu talks to his grandfather about the dark.
Ryu wasn’t particularly disturbed when he woke up to find that the lights wouldn’t go on. He’d been afraid of the dark once but that had been in his other life. He distantly remembered that he’d had a nightlight then and that when he’d first come here, he’d cried at creaking sounds in the blackness. But it was a memory of no consequence now. He was seven and seven was too old to be afraid of the dark (four was too old to be afraid of the dark.)
He was a little annoyed that there was no light though. Why was there no light? He wanted to put the light on to go and get himself a drink and it was silly that the light didn’t work. It had worked when he’d gone to bed. Things were supposed to work.
Still, it didn’t matter very much. Not if Ryu used his brain. Carefully, he slid himself out of bed and padded across the floor. The floor was always tidy. They told him that it had to be and he never disobeyed. There was nothing for him to trip over on the floor and anyway, he owned very little that he could spread out over the floor now.
He carefully pulled down the door handle and peered into the black corridor. It was almost completely black for the heavy curtains were pulled completely shut and there was more risk of trouble, for there were hall tables that held bowls and vases and he would be in trouble if he knocked them over. Ryu was sure that he could do it. Summoning up the memory of where things were and mapping it out in his head, he slowly began to make his way down through the darkness, shuffling gently down and blinking a lot to try and see if his eyes would get used to the lack of light.
It was probably because he was moving so slowly and could see very little that he heard the strange sound from one of the rooms. A sound like a gasp or a sob. Frowning, Ryu turned to face the room. Running his fingers over the door and quickly counting how many doors he’d probably passed, he realised that it was his grandfather’s room.
Ryu paused. His grandfather was a strange figure to him. He spent most of his time with his tutors and it was very rare that his grandfather even stayed in the same house as Ryu. From what had been said and what time he’d spent with the man, Ryu thought of his grandfather as a strange, God-like being and this was encouraged. He didn’t spend that much time with his Grandfather and he wasn’t sure that he was supposed to go into his grandfather’s room.
But the sound came again and Ryu thought that he really should investigate it. He was supposed to find things out after all, wasn’t he? He reached up for the door handle and opened the door a little. The curtains of this room were slightly open so it wasn’t as dark and Ryu could see the shape of his grandfather sitting on the bed.
“Who is that?” his voice cracked out sharply.
“Ryu,” Ryu said. “Why won’t the lights go on?”
He wasn’t sure his grandfather was going to answer at first but then the figure shifted and he knew the face was turned towards him. Even in the dark, he could fill in the features of that face. The thin eyes and the two scars that tore down one cheek. Even without seeing him, Ryu felt small and awed.
“Come here, Ryu.”
Ryu obeyed, shuffling carefully over to the bed. The faint natural light cast shadows over his grandfather’s face and Ryu found him more aloof than ever. A warm hand touched his head, rubbing gently through his hair. Ryu noted that the hand was slightly clammy. Was Grandfather sick?
“There has been a power cut,” his grandfather said in a low voice. “The lights will come back in time.”
His hand trembled slightly and Ryu blinked. Logically, the symptoms suggested his grandfather was afraid. But that couldn’t be right because grandfather never got afraid of anything.
“Why are you out of bed?” Grandfather asked.
“I wanted a drink.”
“Weren’t you worried about falling over?”
“No,” Ryu said eagerly. “It was like a puzzle - I had to work out where everything was. Only then I heard something and I had to investigate, didn’t I?”
His grandfather gave a low laugh. He moved slightly on the bed and held out a hand. Ryu paused for a moment, then took the hand and scrambled up onto the bed. To his surprise, his Grandfather pulled him gently onto his lap, holding him close. Ryu hadn’t been hugged by anyone for a long time. The last time someone had held him close was his father and that had been before -
Ryu didn’t think about before. It was irrelevant. His father was a weak, foolish person and this was his life now. Only babies thought about those things.
“Tell me Ryu,” his grandfather said. “Are you frightened of the dark?”
“No,” Ryu said. “Not any more.”
He hadn’t meant to let the last part slip out and he hung his head, biting his lip in shame. He wanted his grandfather to think he was perfect. That was what everyone told him he had to be. He had to impress his grandfather, show that he was worthy of being his grandfather’s heir. He wasn’t allowed to be a child any more, even if he was only seven. He had to know more, be better, be cleverer and more amazing than everyone. That was what he had to do and if he let them down … But his grandfather didn’t seem disappointed. He rubbed Ryu’s back gently, still holding him.
“Do you remember the story I told you, Ryu?” he said. “About getting out of an underground room?”
“Yes,” Ryu said slowly. “I remember.”
That story had been interesting because he’d had to work things out but it had been creepy too. His grandfather had laughed about it but it had been a scary laugh and Ryu had known he probably shouldn’t be scared but he had been because it had been a nasty laugh.
“It was a dark room,” his grandfather said slowly. “Pitch black for endless days. Can you imagine what it is like, to be trapped in dark forever?”
Ryu obediently tried to. Abruptly, a memory bubbled up, huddled on the huge bed and crying and crying because all he could see in his minds eye was the last time he’d seen his father, all cold and blue and -
He shuddered and clutched at his grandfather’s shirt without thinking.
“Wouldn’t like it,” he said indistinctly.
“No,” his grandfather said quietly. “No one would like it. Could you blame someone who had experienced that for fearing the dark?”
“No,” Ryu said. “No, I don’t.”
He snuggled closer to his grandfather after a moment and his grandfather held him close. It was a nice feeling, Ryu thought. Safe. It was nice to feel safe. His grandfather was the only person who could do that, he knew. Except for Ryu himself, of course.
As long as he was good enough, he and his grandfather could take care of each other.
Fandom: Detective Academy Q
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryu talks to his grandfather about the dark.
Ryu wasn’t particularly disturbed when he woke up to find that the lights wouldn’t go on. He’d been afraid of the dark once but that had been in his other life. He distantly remembered that he’d had a nightlight then and that when he’d first come here, he’d cried at creaking sounds in the blackness. But it was a memory of no consequence now. He was seven and seven was too old to be afraid of the dark (four was too old to be afraid of the dark.)
He was a little annoyed that there was no light though. Why was there no light? He wanted to put the light on to go and get himself a drink and it was silly that the light didn’t work. It had worked when he’d gone to bed. Things were supposed to work.
Still, it didn’t matter very much. Not if Ryu used his brain. Carefully, he slid himself out of bed and padded across the floor. The floor was always tidy. They told him that it had to be and he never disobeyed. There was nothing for him to trip over on the floor and anyway, he owned very little that he could spread out over the floor now.
He carefully pulled down the door handle and peered into the black corridor. It was almost completely black for the heavy curtains were pulled completely shut and there was more risk of trouble, for there were hall tables that held bowls and vases and he would be in trouble if he knocked them over. Ryu was sure that he could do it. Summoning up the memory of where things were and mapping it out in his head, he slowly began to make his way down through the darkness, shuffling gently down and blinking a lot to try and see if his eyes would get used to the lack of light.
It was probably because he was moving so slowly and could see very little that he heard the strange sound from one of the rooms. A sound like a gasp or a sob. Frowning, Ryu turned to face the room. Running his fingers over the door and quickly counting how many doors he’d probably passed, he realised that it was his grandfather’s room.
Ryu paused. His grandfather was a strange figure to him. He spent most of his time with his tutors and it was very rare that his grandfather even stayed in the same house as Ryu. From what had been said and what time he’d spent with the man, Ryu thought of his grandfather as a strange, God-like being and this was encouraged. He didn’t spend that much time with his Grandfather and he wasn’t sure that he was supposed to go into his grandfather’s room.
But the sound came again and Ryu thought that he really should investigate it. He was supposed to find things out after all, wasn’t he? He reached up for the door handle and opened the door a little. The curtains of this room were slightly open so it wasn’t as dark and Ryu could see the shape of his grandfather sitting on the bed.
“Who is that?” his voice cracked out sharply.
“Ryu,” Ryu said. “Why won’t the lights go on?”
He wasn’t sure his grandfather was going to answer at first but then the figure shifted and he knew the face was turned towards him. Even in the dark, he could fill in the features of that face. The thin eyes and the two scars that tore down one cheek. Even without seeing him, Ryu felt small and awed.
“Come here, Ryu.”
Ryu obeyed, shuffling carefully over to the bed. The faint natural light cast shadows over his grandfather’s face and Ryu found him more aloof than ever. A warm hand touched his head, rubbing gently through his hair. Ryu noted that the hand was slightly clammy. Was Grandfather sick?
“There has been a power cut,” his grandfather said in a low voice. “The lights will come back in time.”
His hand trembled slightly and Ryu blinked. Logically, the symptoms suggested his grandfather was afraid. But that couldn’t be right because grandfather never got afraid of anything.
“Why are you out of bed?” Grandfather asked.
“I wanted a drink.”
“Weren’t you worried about falling over?”
“No,” Ryu said eagerly. “It was like a puzzle - I had to work out where everything was. Only then I heard something and I had to investigate, didn’t I?”
His grandfather gave a low laugh. He moved slightly on the bed and held out a hand. Ryu paused for a moment, then took the hand and scrambled up onto the bed. To his surprise, his Grandfather pulled him gently onto his lap, holding him close. Ryu hadn’t been hugged by anyone for a long time. The last time someone had held him close was his father and that had been before -
Ryu didn’t think about before. It was irrelevant. His father was a weak, foolish person and this was his life now. Only babies thought about those things.
“Tell me Ryu,” his grandfather said. “Are you frightened of the dark?”
“No,” Ryu said. “Not any more.”
He hadn’t meant to let the last part slip out and he hung his head, biting his lip in shame. He wanted his grandfather to think he was perfect. That was what everyone told him he had to be. He had to impress his grandfather, show that he was worthy of being his grandfather’s heir. He wasn’t allowed to be a child any more, even if he was only seven. He had to know more, be better, be cleverer and more amazing than everyone. That was what he had to do and if he let them down … But his grandfather didn’t seem disappointed. He rubbed Ryu’s back gently, still holding him.
“Do you remember the story I told you, Ryu?” he said. “About getting out of an underground room?”
“Yes,” Ryu said slowly. “I remember.”
That story had been interesting because he’d had to work things out but it had been creepy too. His grandfather had laughed about it but it had been a scary laugh and Ryu had known he probably shouldn’t be scared but he had been because it had been a nasty laugh.
“It was a dark room,” his grandfather said slowly. “Pitch black for endless days. Can you imagine what it is like, to be trapped in dark forever?”
Ryu obediently tried to. Abruptly, a memory bubbled up, huddled on the huge bed and crying and crying because all he could see in his minds eye was the last time he’d seen his father, all cold and blue and -
He shuddered and clutched at his grandfather’s shirt without thinking.
“Wouldn’t like it,” he said indistinctly.
“No,” his grandfather said quietly. “No one would like it. Could you blame someone who had experienced that for fearing the dark?”
“No,” Ryu said. “No, I don’t.”
He snuggled closer to his grandfather after a moment and his grandfather held him close. It was a nice feeling, Ryu thought. Safe. It was nice to feel safe. His grandfather was the only person who could do that, he knew. Except for Ryu himself, of course.
As long as he was good enough, he and his grandfather could take care of each other.