[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: My Very Own Creature of Darkness - Part 9
Happy Halloween! A year later, this fic is still in the "Halloween" arc... Enjoy? (Also, a new part was added to the Undercover fic over at the Round Robin post!)
Title: My Very Own Creature of Darkness - Part 9
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 2,130
Summary: If it weren't because my friends had dared me to touch the gravestones, I would never have set even one foot in the cemetery. Ceo/Roland, reincarnation, sequel to A Slice of Wedding Cake
Notes: Illustration by kiyutsuna within. A must see even if you don't read the fic. =P
Previous part
Part 9: All Hallows' Eve 3
Roland had never gone trick-or-treating before. Like Chika had exclaimed upon finding out, that was definitely something we needed to change. I wanted to show him all sorts of things -- things that he'd missed out on, things that everyone should experience, things that I thought he might enjoy. I never wanted him to be alone in the cemetery ever again, high up in the tree, watching the world pass him by.
Always a bystander. Always an outsider.
Never invited. Never involved.
That was too lonely a thought.
The seven of us walked outside underneath the moonlight, a mismatched group of "undead creatures." There was only one true undead creature among us. The rest of us were far from it, and our costumes were anything but scary. The cats led the way with Chika at the front, while Demyan and Ashlan tried their best to keep up with her quick pace and easy laughter. They watched her the entire time, unable to tear their gazes away.
Roland and I were in the middle, with Grisel and Lesia bringing up the rear. A few more steps away, and we would reach our stop, a set of double doors belonging to a lavishly decorated house.
We couldn't go wrong with this house. Cobwebs dangled from the roof. Fake gravestones littered the yard. This had to be a house that greatly enjoyed the holiday and would welcome a ragtag group of trick-or-treaters like us.
"Aren't we too old for this?" Grisel asked. Whether or not he had wanted to come with us, he had no choice when he was still chained to Lesia. He was the exact reason why he and Lesia were trailing at the end. He had voted against trick-or-treating, wanting to hole up at my house instead, but we had outvoted him.
"I never thought I'd hear you complain about free candy," was Lesia's reply. She tugged him along. Grisel pouted.
"Of course I like free candy! But I'll have you know, I am still the student council president."
"So?" she asked.
"I have a reputation to uphold!"
While they continued to argue back and forth, we'd already reached the front door. Chika looked like she had every intention to kick the door open, but thankfully, Demyan and Ashlan were quick enough to pull her back, so her foot merely grazed the door, disturbing a few cobwebs.
I nudged Roland forward.
"Why don't you ring the doorbell this time?" I suggested.
Roland nodded and moved forward to press the doorbell, like he had watched us do several times already. We crowded by his side, nearly plastering against his wings, eager to see the reaction of whoever might open the door. It wasn't everyday that you could see a creature of darkness as impressive as Roland wearing a maid's outfit, ringing your doorbell. I so wanted to show him off and see people's reactions.
For a scary moment, a really scary moment, I had the thought that this was exactly what my dad must feel whenever he dressed me up. I never wanted to be as embarrassing as he was!
The door creaked open then, revealing a dark hallway lit only by candles, and we shouted, "Trick-or-treat!"
Sock-clad feet shuffled forward.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the dried blood that speckled the socks and white pants, but as my eyes trailed upward, I found that I actually knew the person under all the blood.
"Elwyn?" Chika shouted exactly what I was thinking. Grisel groaned and tried to hide behind Lesia, but it was too late.
The archery club captain, Elwyn, was holding a tub of candy in front of us. I didn't think that this house that had gone all out on decorations would belong to someone we knew. It was even more decorated than my house, and my parents always outdid themselves with decorations each year. But with Elwyn, it made sense. He wasn't just the captain of the archery club. He was also the president of the occult club, even though not a lot people knew that. He must like All Hallows' Eve a lot.
Elwyn blinked in surprise, but an easy smile soon came over his face. "Going trick-or-treating together?"
"Yup!" Chika pulled Demyan and Ashlan forward. "So, hand over the candy!"
Elwyn obediently dropped a handful of candy in each of their pillowcases that they were using as their bags. Chika grinned and immediately started digging through her bag to see what she had gotten while Demyan and Ashlan traded their candy with each other.
After they moved to the side, I held my basket forward. It was a pumpkin shaped basket I'd used when I was a kid. I'd given Roland my much cooler black, cauldron shaped basket.
Roland looked down at his basket and then at me, watching what I was doing. I gave him a smile and shook my hand that held the basket, trying to indicate to him that he should hold out his basket too like what I was doing.
Slowly, he extended his basket out to Elwyn.
"Trick-or-treat!" I said. I glanced at Roland.
Very seriously, Roland gazed at Elwyn and said, "Trick-or-treat."
"Um, your treat." Elwyn hastily grabbed a handful of candy and deposited it in our baskets. When he straightened back up, he let his eyes wander over Roland's outfit. They soon came to rest on Roland's wings. His eyes practically shone, and he gushed, "That's a really, really impressive costume!"
While I agreed with his assessment, I had been expecting more shock.
Then again, Elwyn's outfit was also impressive in a way. Just what exactly was he... a murder victim? Or was this his idea of what a zombie looked like? He had dried blood on the side of his face too, and all over his neck and chest. It didn't match at all with his smile. It was kind of disturbing, actually.
Just then, an arm holding a bloody knife abruptly appeared, encircling Elwyn's shoulders from behind.
Several of us jolted, and Roland even got into a battle ready stance upon seeing the knife. However, Elwyn's expression was merely surprised and not frightened. He tilted his head back, his smile softening. I too looked behind him. The person who was hugging him from behind was a familiar face, a handsome one, no less.
I relaxed and quietly filled Roland in. "That's Andrew from our neighboring school. Elwyn isn't in any danger."
Roland gave me a small nod but moved closer to me.
Was he trying to protect me? I couldn't help but smile. I half wanted to take his hand.
Although Elwyn wasn't in any actual danger, Andrew really did look dangerous with that knife dangling from his hand. Their costumes seemed to run along the same theme. He also had blood all over him. They seemed to be a pair of zombies...? The only thing that mitigated his maniacal image was the adoration in his eyes as he gazed at Elwyn.
However, the adoration disappeared when he glanced over at us. He eyed Grisel and me especially. Then, a smirk came over his face. "I can't believe the student council is going around trick-or-treating."
Chika grinned, her response immediate. "We're all just teenagers, duh. I can't believe you're stuck passing out candy like some old person!"
Bless my sister.
Elwyn chuckled. "An, why don't we go trick-or-treating too?"
Andrew made a face. "No thanks."
"You're missing out," Grisel said with a smile, his demeanor entirely different now that Andrew was present. He walked forward, his posture straight, and held out his treat bag like a prince waiting to be served.
His elegance truly didn't lose out to his mother's. That public image of his was exactly what made him so popular among the student body, so much that he'd won the presidential vote by a landslide.
Andrew scowled but let go of Elwyn so that Elwyn could pass out the candy. After Lesia also received candy, we bid Elwyn and Andrew farewell. As we left, Elwyn waved enthusiastically at us. Andrew was more reluctant, eventually waving at us with his knife. I really could have done without that.
"They've really hit it off, haven't they?" I asked after we were a distance away from the house.
Grisel nodded. "Never saw it coming."
Near the beginning of the school year, Grisel had recruited several captains from the athletic clubs to help with diplomatic exchanges with Moon Orchid Academy, stating something about how we needed to present ourselves with our most attractive students in order not to lose to our rival school. It might even help us attract more students to our school. Elwyn was one of the recruits, recruited for his approachability and "cute" factor. When Leafbud High and Moon Orchid Academy got together to discuss the logistics of the cultural festival, that was when Elwyn and Andrew met for the first time.
Soon after that, they began texting each other.
Maybe Grisel's idea of presenting ourselves with our most attractive students had worked a bit too well.
Just as I was thinking this, a hand grasped mine. I glanced up, startled, heart fluttering upon seeing that it was Roland who had taken my hand.
"Roland...?" I asked. He strode along, seemingly nonchalant about having taken my hand. I, however, wasn't having nearly as easy a time as he was having.
Come on Theo. Don't get your hopes up!
Knowing Roland, he definitely wasn't holding my hand because of any romantic reasons.
But he did indeed have his hand around mine. Just that was enough to make my heart pound hard.
His hand was rough with callouses, yet his grip was tender and reassuring. Gentle, even. I held his hand back, weaving my fingers with his.
"Stay close," he said. "The elements aren't very stable today."
As I had expected, Roland was Roland.
I nodded, unable to keep my eyes off of him. Perhaps my expression was just as captivated as how Demyan and Ashlan looked as they gazed at Chika, or I might even resemble Andrew, whose eyes overflowed with adoration whenever he looked at Elwyn.
I couldn't help it. Under the moonlight, Roland was so ethereal that I was almost forgetting to breathe. I was half afraid I would wake up and find this a dream, but his touch reassured me otherwise. Even though he was someone from a whole different world, a world long gone, he was here right now, with me. His rough skin against mine was proof of his existence. I wanted to remember this scene forever, this quiet moment of Roland protectively guiding me through the dark streets on All Hallows' Eve.
As Grisel and Lesia passed us, Grisel gave me a knowing look. Seriously, he wasn't qualified to give me that kind of look, not when he still hadn't even taken the first step with Lesia.
I looked down at their chained wrists. If not for those chains, would Grisel have come with us tonight? He was so in denial.
I raised one eyebrow at him.
What about holding her hand, huh? Nothing stopping you. You don't need chains as an excuse.
Grisel made a face and turned away, ignoring me.
I pulled on Roland's hand.
"Let's race them to the next house!"
With that said, I turned and dashed forward, tugging him with me. Roland only hesitated for a moment to digest my words. Then, he followed right along, jogging by my side.
From behind, Grisel huffed. "How is that fair? You want me to win against the track and field captain?"
I grinned, not expecting him to be able to win against me.
Although he was full of complaints, Grisel began running too. Lesia shook her head in exasperation at us, but she humored us and picked up her pace as well. When we ran past Chika, there was of course no way she wouldn't join in.
"A race? Count me in!" Chika broke into a run, leaving Demyan and Ashlan to chase after her once again.
The night air filled my lungs, cold and sharp. I'd always felt the most alive while running, adrenaline rushing through me, wind weaving through my hair. Tonight, there was an added sensation of thrill, of restraint unlocked, giving way to freedom. There may be a distance between us I didn't know how to close, but right now, at this very moment, he and I were side-by-side, fingers interwoven.
In the midst of what I enjoyed the most, Roland was with me every step of the way. All I had to do was turn, and he would be there, right by my side.
His eyes met mine. I had been watching him too closely. But he made no comment on that and only said, "You're fast."
My heart pounded. So, so fast. I couldn't blame it on the running. Giddy, I breathed out, "Can you keep up with me?"
Maybe I was being too overconfident. Roland was a death monarch! But my speed was top notch, and I was caught in the moment.
Roland nodded seriously. I grinned.
If these moments could become treasured memories for Roland, that was more than I could ever wish for.
They were certainly treasures to me.
to be continued
One more part to this Halloween arc. :3;;
Way to break the mood, Elywn. :'D;;
Title: My Very Own Creature of Darkness - Part 9
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 2,130
Summary: If it weren't because my friends had dared me to touch the gravestones, I would never have set even one foot in the cemetery. Ceo/Roland, reincarnation, sequel to A Slice of Wedding Cake
Notes: Illustration by kiyutsuna within. A must see even if you don't read the fic. =P
Previous part
Part 9: All Hallows' Eve 3
Roland had never gone trick-or-treating before. Like Chika had exclaimed upon finding out, that was definitely something we needed to change. I wanted to show him all sorts of things -- things that he'd missed out on, things that everyone should experience, things that I thought he might enjoy. I never wanted him to be alone in the cemetery ever again, high up in the tree, watching the world pass him by.
Always a bystander. Always an outsider.
Never invited. Never involved.
That was too lonely a thought.
The seven of us walked outside underneath the moonlight, a mismatched group of "undead creatures." There was only one true undead creature among us. The rest of us were far from it, and our costumes were anything but scary. The cats led the way with Chika at the front, while Demyan and Ashlan tried their best to keep up with her quick pace and easy laughter. They watched her the entire time, unable to tear their gazes away.
Roland and I were in the middle, with Grisel and Lesia bringing up the rear. A few more steps away, and we would reach our stop, a set of double doors belonging to a lavishly decorated house.
We couldn't go wrong with this house. Cobwebs dangled from the roof. Fake gravestones littered the yard. This had to be a house that greatly enjoyed the holiday and would welcome a ragtag group of trick-or-treaters like us.
"Aren't we too old for this?" Grisel asked. Whether or not he had wanted to come with us, he had no choice when he was still chained to Lesia. He was the exact reason why he and Lesia were trailing at the end. He had voted against trick-or-treating, wanting to hole up at my house instead, but we had outvoted him.
"I never thought I'd hear you complain about free candy," was Lesia's reply. She tugged him along. Grisel pouted.
"Of course I like free candy! But I'll have you know, I am still the student council president."
"So?" she asked.
"I have a reputation to uphold!"
While they continued to argue back and forth, we'd already reached the front door. Chika looked like she had every intention to kick the door open, but thankfully, Demyan and Ashlan were quick enough to pull her back, so her foot merely grazed the door, disturbing a few cobwebs.
I nudged Roland forward.
"Why don't you ring the doorbell this time?" I suggested.
Roland nodded and moved forward to press the doorbell, like he had watched us do several times already. We crowded by his side, nearly plastering against his wings, eager to see the reaction of whoever might open the door. It wasn't everyday that you could see a creature of darkness as impressive as Roland wearing a maid's outfit, ringing your doorbell. I so wanted to show him off and see people's reactions.
For a scary moment, a really scary moment, I had the thought that this was exactly what my dad must feel whenever he dressed me up. I never wanted to be as embarrassing as he was!
The door creaked open then, revealing a dark hallway lit only by candles, and we shouted, "Trick-or-treat!"
Sock-clad feet shuffled forward.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the dried blood that speckled the socks and white pants, but as my eyes trailed upward, I found that I actually knew the person under all the blood.
"Elwyn?" Chika shouted exactly what I was thinking. Grisel groaned and tried to hide behind Lesia, but it was too late.
The archery club captain, Elwyn, was holding a tub of candy in front of us. I didn't think that this house that had gone all out on decorations would belong to someone we knew. It was even more decorated than my house, and my parents always outdid themselves with decorations each year. But with Elwyn, it made sense. He wasn't just the captain of the archery club. He was also the president of the occult club, even though not a lot people knew that. He must like All Hallows' Eve a lot.
Elwyn blinked in surprise, but an easy smile soon came over his face. "Going trick-or-treating together?"
"Yup!" Chika pulled Demyan and Ashlan forward. "So, hand over the candy!"
Elwyn obediently dropped a handful of candy in each of their pillowcases that they were using as their bags. Chika grinned and immediately started digging through her bag to see what she had gotten while Demyan and Ashlan traded their candy with each other.
After they moved to the side, I held my basket forward. It was a pumpkin shaped basket I'd used when I was a kid. I'd given Roland my much cooler black, cauldron shaped basket.
Roland looked down at his basket and then at me, watching what I was doing. I gave him a smile and shook my hand that held the basket, trying to indicate to him that he should hold out his basket too like what I was doing.
Slowly, he extended his basket out to Elwyn.
"Trick-or-treat!" I said. I glanced at Roland.
Very seriously, Roland gazed at Elwyn and said, "Trick-or-treat."
"Um, your treat." Elwyn hastily grabbed a handful of candy and deposited it in our baskets. When he straightened back up, he let his eyes wander over Roland's outfit. They soon came to rest on Roland's wings. His eyes practically shone, and he gushed, "That's a really, really impressive costume!"
While I agreed with his assessment, I had been expecting more shock.
Then again, Elwyn's outfit was also impressive in a way. Just what exactly was he... a murder victim? Or was this his idea of what a zombie looked like? He had dried blood on the side of his face too, and all over his neck and chest. It didn't match at all with his smile. It was kind of disturbing, actually.
Just then, an arm holding a bloody knife abruptly appeared, encircling Elwyn's shoulders from behind.
Several of us jolted, and Roland even got into a battle ready stance upon seeing the knife. However, Elwyn's expression was merely surprised and not frightened. He tilted his head back, his smile softening. I too looked behind him. The person who was hugging him from behind was a familiar face, a handsome one, no less.
I relaxed and quietly filled Roland in. "That's Andrew from our neighboring school. Elwyn isn't in any danger."
Roland gave me a small nod but moved closer to me.
Was he trying to protect me? I couldn't help but smile. I half wanted to take his hand.
Although Elwyn wasn't in any actual danger, Andrew really did look dangerous with that knife dangling from his hand. Their costumes seemed to run along the same theme. He also had blood all over him. They seemed to be a pair of zombies...? The only thing that mitigated his maniacal image was the adoration in his eyes as he gazed at Elwyn.
However, the adoration disappeared when he glanced over at us. He eyed Grisel and me especially. Then, a smirk came over his face. "I can't believe the student council is going around trick-or-treating."
Chika grinned, her response immediate. "We're all just teenagers, duh. I can't believe you're stuck passing out candy like some old person!"
Bless my sister.
Elwyn chuckled. "An, why don't we go trick-or-treating too?"
Andrew made a face. "No thanks."
"You're missing out," Grisel said with a smile, his demeanor entirely different now that Andrew was present. He walked forward, his posture straight, and held out his treat bag like a prince waiting to be served.
His elegance truly didn't lose out to his mother's. That public image of his was exactly what made him so popular among the student body, so much that he'd won the presidential vote by a landslide.
Andrew scowled but let go of Elwyn so that Elwyn could pass out the candy. After Lesia also received candy, we bid Elwyn and Andrew farewell. As we left, Elwyn waved enthusiastically at us. Andrew was more reluctant, eventually waving at us with his knife. I really could have done without that.
"They've really hit it off, haven't they?" I asked after we were a distance away from the house.
Grisel nodded. "Never saw it coming."
Near the beginning of the school year, Grisel had recruited several captains from the athletic clubs to help with diplomatic exchanges with Moon Orchid Academy, stating something about how we needed to present ourselves with our most attractive students in order not to lose to our rival school. It might even help us attract more students to our school. Elwyn was one of the recruits, recruited for his approachability and "cute" factor. When Leafbud High and Moon Orchid Academy got together to discuss the logistics of the cultural festival, that was when Elwyn and Andrew met for the first time.
Soon after that, they began texting each other.
Maybe Grisel's idea of presenting ourselves with our most attractive students had worked a bit too well.
Just as I was thinking this, a hand grasped mine. I glanced up, startled, heart fluttering upon seeing that it was Roland who had taken my hand.
"Roland...?" I asked. He strode along, seemingly nonchalant about having taken my hand. I, however, wasn't having nearly as easy a time as he was having.
Come on Theo. Don't get your hopes up!
Knowing Roland, he definitely wasn't holding my hand because of any romantic reasons.
But he did indeed have his hand around mine. Just that was enough to make my heart pound hard.
His hand was rough with callouses, yet his grip was tender and reassuring. Gentle, even. I held his hand back, weaving my fingers with his.
"Stay close," he said. "The elements aren't very stable today."
As I had expected, Roland was Roland.
I nodded, unable to keep my eyes off of him. Perhaps my expression was just as captivated as how Demyan and Ashlan looked as they gazed at Chika, or I might even resemble Andrew, whose eyes overflowed with adoration whenever he looked at Elwyn.
I couldn't help it. Under the moonlight, Roland was so ethereal that I was almost forgetting to breathe. I was half afraid I would wake up and find this a dream, but his touch reassured me otherwise. Even though he was someone from a whole different world, a world long gone, he was here right now, with me. His rough skin against mine was proof of his existence. I wanted to remember this scene forever, this quiet moment of Roland protectively guiding me through the dark streets on All Hallows' Eve.
As Grisel and Lesia passed us, Grisel gave me a knowing look. Seriously, he wasn't qualified to give me that kind of look, not when he still hadn't even taken the first step with Lesia.
I looked down at their chained wrists. If not for those chains, would Grisel have come with us tonight? He was so in denial.
I raised one eyebrow at him.
What about holding her hand, huh? Nothing stopping you. You don't need chains as an excuse.
Grisel made a face and turned away, ignoring me.
I pulled on Roland's hand.
"Let's race them to the next house!"
With that said, I turned and dashed forward, tugging him with me. Roland only hesitated for a moment to digest my words. Then, he followed right along, jogging by my side.
From behind, Grisel huffed. "How is that fair? You want me to win against the track and field captain?"
I grinned, not expecting him to be able to win against me.
Although he was full of complaints, Grisel began running too. Lesia shook her head in exasperation at us, but she humored us and picked up her pace as well. When we ran past Chika, there was of course no way she wouldn't join in.
"A race? Count me in!" Chika broke into a run, leaving Demyan and Ashlan to chase after her once again.
The night air filled my lungs, cold and sharp. I'd always felt the most alive while running, adrenaline rushing through me, wind weaving through my hair. Tonight, there was an added sensation of thrill, of restraint unlocked, giving way to freedom. There may be a distance between us I didn't know how to close, but right now, at this very moment, he and I were side-by-side, fingers interwoven.
In the midst of what I enjoyed the most, Roland was with me every step of the way. All I had to do was turn, and he would be there, right by my side.
His eyes met mine. I had been watching him too closely. But he made no comment on that and only said, "You're fast."
My heart pounded. So, so fast. I couldn't blame it on the running. Giddy, I breathed out, "Can you keep up with me?"
Maybe I was being too overconfident. Roland was a death monarch! But my speed was top notch, and I was caught in the moment.
Roland nodded seriously. I grinned.
If these moments could become treasured memories for Roland, that was more than I could ever wish for.
They were certainly treasures to me.
to be continued
One more part to this Halloween arc. :3;;
Way to break the mood, Elywn. :'D;;