Once upon a time... Part 3
Aug. 9th, 2005 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lotus_beautyFic description and first two parts can be found here
Part 3
The cell door clicked and began to open, bumping You to make him move out of the way as it opened. Once the door was out of the way, You rushed in to hug his father. Relief poured into him as he held his father. His dad would be okay and he would get out of this place to be back with him soon enough. The demon wouldn’t be able to keep him here for long.
“Come.”
The two turned to see the master regarding them blankly, his eyes cold. He turned and motioned for them to follow as he started to walk out of the dungeon. You sighed and put his arm around his father to guide him out as the two servants followed. Once they were out of the dungeon, the servants stopped glowing and let them walk through the halls by the dim candlelight.
You looked around the walls and decorations in the dark. He wondered how long it had taken him to travel to the castle and how long he’d been there. Was it still night time outside? Was it always this dark in the castle, even during the daytime? It didn’t take the master long to lead them to the main doors and he opened them with a motion from his hand. You watched him with interest. If he was going to escape, he needed to know what kind of powers this man had.
When the doors swung open, they pulled Hoshi in, surprising the master. She snorted and looked at him for a moment before looking away, ignoring him altogether. Apparently, she wasn’t scared of him in the very least. You hid a smile as the master glared at her and reached up to untie her from his door. He then looked up at the sky which shimmered with the light of dawn. He greeted the sight with a look of distaste before turning to the trespassers.
“Here.” He held the reigns out to You’s father.
Hiro looked cautiously at his son, who nodded. “Are you sure? What if he kills you after I leave?”
“Well, if he’d wanted to kill me, he would have done the same to you as soon as he saw you,” You whispered.
“He almost did. That servant Cha stopped him,” Hiro told him. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t kill him?”
“What guarantee do I have that you won’t tell anyone about me?” the master asked mildly with a raised eyebrow.
“He’s got a point,” You muttered.
“I’ll let him write you letters.” The master looked to Hoshi and petted her forehead. She nudged his chest making him snort. You frowned to see such behavior from her, especially with someone who was threatening their lives. If she was being friendly with him, maybe it meant that he didn’t really want to kill them after all. If You was a good prisoner, someday he might convince the master to release him. He wouldn’t want to keep him there for good, would he? Maybe he was lonely. You shivered—that sounded creepy.
“You would do that?” Hiro asked, snapping You out of his reverie.
“I’ll send one of my servants to deliver the letters.” The master nodded. “And please hurry it up. I’m not too keen on standing out here all day waiting for you to decide.”
“What am I going to tell everyone?” Hiro asked as You led him over to the horse and helped him on.
“Tell them that…” You sighed and had to think quickly. “Tell them someone told you about a good school in the city and that you toured it and decided to send me there. Don’t let Namie find out about this, dad. I don’t want her traipsing her way through the woods, looking for me.”
“Well, now. At least there’s a good side to living here, son,” his dad smiled a little.
“Huh?” You tilted his head in confusion.
“You won’t have to worry about any girls chasing you, especially Namie.”
His son laughed. “Don’t tempt me to actually like the situation.”
Hiro leaned closer and whispered. “Are you sure you don’t just want to jump on and make a run for it?”
You dared a glance at the master who smirked. Had he heard? The man’s pale hand came up out of his cloak and he pointed at You. The blonde suddenly felt something around his neck, a light pressure appeared as if he’d had a collar on. Just as his hand went to his neck, he heard the master speak.
“Sit.”
The young man fell straight to the ground, hard. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him from the force of the invisible blow. He tried to push himself up off of the cold stones but found that the force was holding his entire body down as if gravity itself had intensified just for him. You could hear his father yelling his name and Hoshi whinnying and bucking as he tried to fight the force, but finally gave up as he saw the cloak stop before him. He could hear the fabric of the cloak fold as the master knelt down and put a finger under his chin.
“Say goodbye,” he told the young man and tilted his head up to see his father. “Ren, escort the old man home.”
You heard the servant give his accent as he fought the invisible hold on his body. “Dad,” he whimpered as Ren turned Hoshi around. Hoshi tried to pull away to You, but Hiro turned her and told her to go. The less conflict the better, he supposed. This could have been a lot more painful.
“Be strong,” Hiro told his son as they made their way to the gate.
“I will,” You said before he whispered. “Goodbye.” His head fell as the master let his chin go and tears slipped down his cheeks. The force that had been holding his body down lifted, but You didn’t bother moving as he cried. Someone would pick him up and drag him down to that damn dungeon anyway, what did it matter if he got up? He could still feel the slight pressure around his neck as Cha came over and murmured to him. He helped the young man up and brought him back into the castle, the master nowhere in sight. You grimaced when he heard the door shut and knew he wouldn’t be able to leave from now on.
He coughed and wiped at his cheeks. He couldn’t give up now. Someday he would get out, and he had to stay optimistic and plan carefully. For now, he was at the master’s mercy.
“I’m sorry. Gackt can be a little… cruel when he gets angry. He doesn’t handle delicate situations very well,” Cha said as he led You away from the door.
“Gackt?” You asked and sniffled and wiped his cheeks dry.
“That’s our master’s name.”
“Oh,” the young man murmured and stopped as Cha began up a set of stairs instead of the way they’d come from the dungeon. “I’m not going in a cell?”
Cha turned and smiled gently. “No. I told you he can get cruel. I don’t think he meant to keep your father in that cell indefinitely.” He flipped his long hair over his shoulder as he turned to keep going. “And we wouldn’t want you staying in the dungeon for so long. You could get sick and all sorts of things. You’ll be staying in one of the guest rooms. I believe Hiromi already cleaned one out for your father initially, so you’ll be staying there.”
“Oh,” was all You could think of saying. This was all so weird. He half expected to wake up, as if he was in the middle of some crazy dream. He hoped that it really was a dream and after he got some sleep that he would wake up back at home. But the bruises on his knees from that forced fall throbbed so well that he knew it wasn’t a dream. It was all just too painfully real.
“Are you okay?” the servant asked as he stopped at a door in the hallway.
You shook his head and didn’t bother to show his misery vocally. He just stared at the floor as Cha sighed quietly and patted his shoulder sympathetically and opened the door. You peeked into the room before stepping in. He mildly surprised by the space of the large room. It was bigger than the house he and his father lived in, and this was just the main room. The actual bedroom was joined through a door to his right. He would really have all this space to himself?
“Come on.” Cha carefully tugged his arm and You followed him into the bedroom to find a girl running around the bed pulling on the blankets until they were fit right. He looked away, not having the heart to tell her that he would be ruining her work in about five minutes when he planned to collapse into the bed. “You, this is Hiromi. She’ll be the one cleaning your room and such. Anything you need, call her or me, alright?” You nodded as she came up to them.
“I cleaned most everything.” She bowed to him then looked up at him in shock. “Are you okay? You look terrible! Did you need anything?”
“Bed,” You croaked and rubbed at his eyes as he wished it really was a dream. Hiromi brought him over to the bed and pulled the blankets back as You took his jacket, shoes and shirt off. He couldn’t bring himself to take his pants off in front of these strangers, even if he was incredibly tired. He crawled under the covers as Hiromi tucked him in and yawned.
“Has he been up all night?” he heard Hiromi ask.
“He was looking for his father, so I would say yes,” Cha answered as he drifted off.
~***~
When You finally woke some time later, he felt incredibly disoriented. He sat up and blinked a few times before he ran a hand through his hair with a sleepy grunt. The sunlight that poured through the windows showed the answer to his question—this really wasn’t a dream. He sat there for some time, just staring at the covers without a thought in his head. The blankness enveloped him like the silence of the room. It was…suffocating.
The blonde slipped out of the bed and walked over to the window, the reason unknown, but he felt a little better feeling the sun over him. He glanced down at his pants and sighed. He didn’t bring a change of pants with him when he’d come in, because whatever he’d initially brought had been tied to Hoshi when his father left. You wondered if he would have to wear clothing that the Gackt…demon…thing would provide him. He jumped a little when he heard the door in the main room open and shut. The blonde turned to see Ren walk in with some bags in his arms and put them down in the middle of the room.
“What…” You trailed off as he realized those were his bags. “Why did you bring those?”
“Your father asked me to take your things to you, since you’ll be here for quite some time.” Ren smiled a little as he pulled You’s violin case out and walked over to hand it to him. “He wanted you to feel more comfortable.”
He took the case and blinked back his tears. “Thanks, dad,” he murmured, mostly to himself. “Thanks, Ren. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” He moved away to open the bags and start to take the clothing out and fold them properly. “We were in a hurry so we shoved whatever we could into the bags. He said some girl Namie might come looking for you and that I had to leave before she came. He said lots of girls really like you.” Ren laughed. “I’m not surprised. You’re handsome and tall, so I’m sure they just chase you all the time. But your father said you don’t really pay much attention to them. He said you probably aren’t attracted to girls anyway. Poor things. I’ll put your clothing in the wardrobe if you don’t mind. They look clean enough to me anyway. I’m sure Cha will end up having new clothing made for you anyway, since you’ll be here for a while.”
“Okay,” You replied absently, not really listening as he leaned his violin case against one of the bedside tables and wandered through a door opposite the main room. “Oh, a bathroom!”
Ren laughed. “Yeah. You haven’t really searched around yet, have you?”
The blonde shook his head. “I haven’t really had the urge to do anything up until now. I was asleep.”
“Oh, right!” The servant nodded in understanding. “You were up all night, weren’t you?”
“Yeah… is it okay if I take a shower?” he asked quietly.
Ren gave him an odd look. “You can do whatever you want. This is your home now, too.”
“Okay.” He nodded and closed the door for some privacy. This was his home. He would have to accept that, for now. He moved to the shower and turned it on, feeling the water until it was warm and adjusted to the handle to the temperature he wanted. With a glance, You found soap and shampoo conveniently stowed in the shower and wondered if that was Hiromi’s doing. He took his pants and boxers off and slipped into the shower, standing under the warm stream of water for a long moment. It felt so good.
After the shower, You dried himself that wrapped up in the towel feeling clean and far more refreshed. He looked into his bedroom before venturing out to see that it was empty. A smile graced his face when he noticed that Ren must have set out some clothing for him on the bed. He quickly changed into them and looked around, wondering where he should put the towel and his dirty clothing. As if to answer his thoughts, there was a knock on the door.
You hurried through to the main room and pulled the door open. “Hi Hiromi.” He smiled. “Hey, do you know where I should put my dirty clothing?”
“Sure!” She scurried in and showed him a little hamper in the bathroom that he hadn’t noticed before. “And it’s time for supper. Would you care to join us?”
“Boy, you’re reading my mind, I’m starved!” You told her as she laughed. “Us?”
“Yep, we all eat together as a family,” she told him as he followed her out. “We’ve been eating together like that since… well, for a while anyway!”
“Um, Hiromi, could I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
You collected his thoughts as he followed her through the corridors. “Can all of you glow, or is it just Cha and Ren?”
She smiled at him as she stopped at a set of double doors. “We all can, except the master.”
“Why is that?” You asked as she pushed the doors open. He stepped in after her to see a long table with people either sitting at it or gathered around it and they all looked straight at him. He immediately felt uncomfortable under all their gazes. He wasn’t very good at social gatherings as it was, and he didn’t like to take the spotlight much so this was very strange for him. He heard giggles and whispers from girls about how handsome he was and found that the marble floors looked very pretty and man, did they look expensive.
“You, everything alright?” Cha asked as he came up.
“I’m really not used to eating with so many people. My father and I usually eat together, but that’s all,” he blushed a little at all the unwanted attention.
“Why don’t I bring some food up to your room and I’ll eat with you there? How does that sound?” The long haired one smiled as Ren approached.
“Do you think Gackt will get mad?” he asked curiously. “I know it won’t matter that much, since he doesn’t actually eat anyway.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Cha said as they turned, stopping in their tracks to see Gackt standing in the doorway. You frowned as he looked the man up and down. He was wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt but remained shoeless, his toes poking out from under the pants. He was also less pale than earlier, and the darkness around his eyes could barely be seen. That was an odd change, but wasn’t he taller before? Or was it just his demeanor that made him seem that way?
“What?” he asked defensively.
“No-nothing,” You glanced away, hoping he hadn’t angered the master of the castle.
“Master, You is a little uncomfortable eating with everyone since he isn’t around so many people,” Cha explained quietly. “Is it alright if I eat with him in his room?”
Gackt nodded and looked up at the tall newcomer for a moment. “I hope you’ll join us some other day in the future,” he said and walked away to the head of the table.
The blonde blinked in surprise and stared in confusion after the master. Was that the same man he’d met before that had worn the cape, scared him in the dungeon and had forced him to the ground when his father offered him escape? He gasped for a moment when the master’s yellow eyes focused on him and the invisible force around his neck tightened for a few seconds, reminding him of his place. A chill of fear settled over him and he rushed out of the large dining area shaking. You’s hands balled into fists as he forced himself to breathe deeply and the shakes from his body. The shaking stopped suddenly when Hiromi hugged him and a feeling of calm centered over him. You breathed a sigh of relief.
“Okay now?” she asked to receive a nod.
“How did you do that?” he asked breathlessly.
“We’ll explain it when we get to your room,” Cha told him and started away from the dining room.
“I’m coming with!” Hiromi went after Cha as You lagged behind them at his own pace and finally took the time to look around at the elaborately decorated, but dimly lit hallways. It looked like a rich wood lined the walls, from what he could tell anyway. He didn’t really know how much any of these things would really cost, since he didn’t care about such things, so he assumed they were just as expensive as things Namie would have bought for herself. He did understand that many of the things decorating the halls were probably antiques or expensive, and made sure not to touch anything.
“How large is the castle?” You asked absently as he was looking over a painting in the hallway before moving on.
“Huge!” Hiromi told him with a smile.
Cha laughed at her. “The master said you could go anywhere in the castle except the west wing.”
“What’s in the west wing?” You looked around, wondering which way west was.
“It holds the master’s private quarters. Trust me, you don’t want to get caught in there by him,” Hiromi told him.
“I’ll make sure never to go there then,” he murmured hoping he could get his directions straight and not end up stumbling into that wing.
~***~
please comment if you read ^_^v
Part 3
The cell door clicked and began to open, bumping You to make him move out of the way as it opened. Once the door was out of the way, You rushed in to hug his father. Relief poured into him as he held his father. His dad would be okay and he would get out of this place to be back with him soon enough. The demon wouldn’t be able to keep him here for long.
“Come.”
The two turned to see the master regarding them blankly, his eyes cold. He turned and motioned for them to follow as he started to walk out of the dungeon. You sighed and put his arm around his father to guide him out as the two servants followed. Once they were out of the dungeon, the servants stopped glowing and let them walk through the halls by the dim candlelight.
You looked around the walls and decorations in the dark. He wondered how long it had taken him to travel to the castle and how long he’d been there. Was it still night time outside? Was it always this dark in the castle, even during the daytime? It didn’t take the master long to lead them to the main doors and he opened them with a motion from his hand. You watched him with interest. If he was going to escape, he needed to know what kind of powers this man had.
When the doors swung open, they pulled Hoshi in, surprising the master. She snorted and looked at him for a moment before looking away, ignoring him altogether. Apparently, she wasn’t scared of him in the very least. You hid a smile as the master glared at her and reached up to untie her from his door. He then looked up at the sky which shimmered with the light of dawn. He greeted the sight with a look of distaste before turning to the trespassers.
“Here.” He held the reigns out to You’s father.
Hiro looked cautiously at his son, who nodded. “Are you sure? What if he kills you after I leave?”
“Well, if he’d wanted to kill me, he would have done the same to you as soon as he saw you,” You whispered.
“He almost did. That servant Cha stopped him,” Hiro told him. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t kill him?”
“What guarantee do I have that you won’t tell anyone about me?” the master asked mildly with a raised eyebrow.
“He’s got a point,” You muttered.
“I’ll let him write you letters.” The master looked to Hoshi and petted her forehead. She nudged his chest making him snort. You frowned to see such behavior from her, especially with someone who was threatening their lives. If she was being friendly with him, maybe it meant that he didn’t really want to kill them after all. If You was a good prisoner, someday he might convince the master to release him. He wouldn’t want to keep him there for good, would he? Maybe he was lonely. You shivered—that sounded creepy.
“You would do that?” Hiro asked, snapping You out of his reverie.
“I’ll send one of my servants to deliver the letters.” The master nodded. “And please hurry it up. I’m not too keen on standing out here all day waiting for you to decide.”
“What am I going to tell everyone?” Hiro asked as You led him over to the horse and helped him on.
“Tell them that…” You sighed and had to think quickly. “Tell them someone told you about a good school in the city and that you toured it and decided to send me there. Don’t let Namie find out about this, dad. I don’t want her traipsing her way through the woods, looking for me.”
“Well, now. At least there’s a good side to living here, son,” his dad smiled a little.
“Huh?” You tilted his head in confusion.
“You won’t have to worry about any girls chasing you, especially Namie.”
His son laughed. “Don’t tempt me to actually like the situation.”
Hiro leaned closer and whispered. “Are you sure you don’t just want to jump on and make a run for it?”
You dared a glance at the master who smirked. Had he heard? The man’s pale hand came up out of his cloak and he pointed at You. The blonde suddenly felt something around his neck, a light pressure appeared as if he’d had a collar on. Just as his hand went to his neck, he heard the master speak.
“Sit.”
The young man fell straight to the ground, hard. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him from the force of the invisible blow. He tried to push himself up off of the cold stones but found that the force was holding his entire body down as if gravity itself had intensified just for him. You could hear his father yelling his name and Hoshi whinnying and bucking as he tried to fight the force, but finally gave up as he saw the cloak stop before him. He could hear the fabric of the cloak fold as the master knelt down and put a finger under his chin.
“Say goodbye,” he told the young man and tilted his head up to see his father. “Ren, escort the old man home.”
You heard the servant give his accent as he fought the invisible hold on his body. “Dad,” he whimpered as Ren turned Hoshi around. Hoshi tried to pull away to You, but Hiro turned her and told her to go. The less conflict the better, he supposed. This could have been a lot more painful.
“Be strong,” Hiro told his son as they made their way to the gate.
“I will,” You said before he whispered. “Goodbye.” His head fell as the master let his chin go and tears slipped down his cheeks. The force that had been holding his body down lifted, but You didn’t bother moving as he cried. Someone would pick him up and drag him down to that damn dungeon anyway, what did it matter if he got up? He could still feel the slight pressure around his neck as Cha came over and murmured to him. He helped the young man up and brought him back into the castle, the master nowhere in sight. You grimaced when he heard the door shut and knew he wouldn’t be able to leave from now on.
He coughed and wiped at his cheeks. He couldn’t give up now. Someday he would get out, and he had to stay optimistic and plan carefully. For now, he was at the master’s mercy.
“I’m sorry. Gackt can be a little… cruel when he gets angry. He doesn’t handle delicate situations very well,” Cha said as he led You away from the door.
“Gackt?” You asked and sniffled and wiped his cheeks dry.
“That’s our master’s name.”
“Oh,” the young man murmured and stopped as Cha began up a set of stairs instead of the way they’d come from the dungeon. “I’m not going in a cell?”
Cha turned and smiled gently. “No. I told you he can get cruel. I don’t think he meant to keep your father in that cell indefinitely.” He flipped his long hair over his shoulder as he turned to keep going. “And we wouldn’t want you staying in the dungeon for so long. You could get sick and all sorts of things. You’ll be staying in one of the guest rooms. I believe Hiromi already cleaned one out for your father initially, so you’ll be staying there.”
“Oh,” was all You could think of saying. This was all so weird. He half expected to wake up, as if he was in the middle of some crazy dream. He hoped that it really was a dream and after he got some sleep that he would wake up back at home. But the bruises on his knees from that forced fall throbbed so well that he knew it wasn’t a dream. It was all just too painfully real.
“Are you okay?” the servant asked as he stopped at a door in the hallway.
You shook his head and didn’t bother to show his misery vocally. He just stared at the floor as Cha sighed quietly and patted his shoulder sympathetically and opened the door. You peeked into the room before stepping in. He mildly surprised by the space of the large room. It was bigger than the house he and his father lived in, and this was just the main room. The actual bedroom was joined through a door to his right. He would really have all this space to himself?
“Come on.” Cha carefully tugged his arm and You followed him into the bedroom to find a girl running around the bed pulling on the blankets until they were fit right. He looked away, not having the heart to tell her that he would be ruining her work in about five minutes when he planned to collapse into the bed. “You, this is Hiromi. She’ll be the one cleaning your room and such. Anything you need, call her or me, alright?” You nodded as she came up to them.
“I cleaned most everything.” She bowed to him then looked up at him in shock. “Are you okay? You look terrible! Did you need anything?”
“Bed,” You croaked and rubbed at his eyes as he wished it really was a dream. Hiromi brought him over to the bed and pulled the blankets back as You took his jacket, shoes and shirt off. He couldn’t bring himself to take his pants off in front of these strangers, even if he was incredibly tired. He crawled under the covers as Hiromi tucked him in and yawned.
“Has he been up all night?” he heard Hiromi ask.
“He was looking for his father, so I would say yes,” Cha answered as he drifted off.
~***~
When You finally woke some time later, he felt incredibly disoriented. He sat up and blinked a few times before he ran a hand through his hair with a sleepy grunt. The sunlight that poured through the windows showed the answer to his question—this really wasn’t a dream. He sat there for some time, just staring at the covers without a thought in his head. The blankness enveloped him like the silence of the room. It was…suffocating.
The blonde slipped out of the bed and walked over to the window, the reason unknown, but he felt a little better feeling the sun over him. He glanced down at his pants and sighed. He didn’t bring a change of pants with him when he’d come in, because whatever he’d initially brought had been tied to Hoshi when his father left. You wondered if he would have to wear clothing that the Gackt…demon…thing would provide him. He jumped a little when he heard the door in the main room open and shut. The blonde turned to see Ren walk in with some bags in his arms and put them down in the middle of the room.
“What…” You trailed off as he realized those were his bags. “Why did you bring those?”
“Your father asked me to take your things to you, since you’ll be here for quite some time.” Ren smiled a little as he pulled You’s violin case out and walked over to hand it to him. “He wanted you to feel more comfortable.”
He took the case and blinked back his tears. “Thanks, dad,” he murmured, mostly to himself. “Thanks, Ren. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” He moved away to open the bags and start to take the clothing out and fold them properly. “We were in a hurry so we shoved whatever we could into the bags. He said some girl Namie might come looking for you and that I had to leave before she came. He said lots of girls really like you.” Ren laughed. “I’m not surprised. You’re handsome and tall, so I’m sure they just chase you all the time. But your father said you don’t really pay much attention to them. He said you probably aren’t attracted to girls anyway. Poor things. I’ll put your clothing in the wardrobe if you don’t mind. They look clean enough to me anyway. I’m sure Cha will end up having new clothing made for you anyway, since you’ll be here for a while.”
“Okay,” You replied absently, not really listening as he leaned his violin case against one of the bedside tables and wandered through a door opposite the main room. “Oh, a bathroom!”
Ren laughed. “Yeah. You haven’t really searched around yet, have you?”
The blonde shook his head. “I haven’t really had the urge to do anything up until now. I was asleep.”
“Oh, right!” The servant nodded in understanding. “You were up all night, weren’t you?”
“Yeah… is it okay if I take a shower?” he asked quietly.
Ren gave him an odd look. “You can do whatever you want. This is your home now, too.”
“Okay.” He nodded and closed the door for some privacy. This was his home. He would have to accept that, for now. He moved to the shower and turned it on, feeling the water until it was warm and adjusted to the handle to the temperature he wanted. With a glance, You found soap and shampoo conveniently stowed in the shower and wondered if that was Hiromi’s doing. He took his pants and boxers off and slipped into the shower, standing under the warm stream of water for a long moment. It felt so good.
After the shower, You dried himself that wrapped up in the towel feeling clean and far more refreshed. He looked into his bedroom before venturing out to see that it was empty. A smile graced his face when he noticed that Ren must have set out some clothing for him on the bed. He quickly changed into them and looked around, wondering where he should put the towel and his dirty clothing. As if to answer his thoughts, there was a knock on the door.
You hurried through to the main room and pulled the door open. “Hi Hiromi.” He smiled. “Hey, do you know where I should put my dirty clothing?”
“Sure!” She scurried in and showed him a little hamper in the bathroom that he hadn’t noticed before. “And it’s time for supper. Would you care to join us?”
“Boy, you’re reading my mind, I’m starved!” You told her as she laughed. “Us?”
“Yep, we all eat together as a family,” she told him as he followed her out. “We’ve been eating together like that since… well, for a while anyway!”
“Um, Hiromi, could I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
You collected his thoughts as he followed her through the corridors. “Can all of you glow, or is it just Cha and Ren?”
She smiled at him as she stopped at a set of double doors. “We all can, except the master.”
“Why is that?” You asked as she pushed the doors open. He stepped in after her to see a long table with people either sitting at it or gathered around it and they all looked straight at him. He immediately felt uncomfortable under all their gazes. He wasn’t very good at social gatherings as it was, and he didn’t like to take the spotlight much so this was very strange for him. He heard giggles and whispers from girls about how handsome he was and found that the marble floors looked very pretty and man, did they look expensive.
“You, everything alright?” Cha asked as he came up.
“I’m really not used to eating with so many people. My father and I usually eat together, but that’s all,” he blushed a little at all the unwanted attention.
“Why don’t I bring some food up to your room and I’ll eat with you there? How does that sound?” The long haired one smiled as Ren approached.
“Do you think Gackt will get mad?” he asked curiously. “I know it won’t matter that much, since he doesn’t actually eat anyway.”
“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Cha said as they turned, stopping in their tracks to see Gackt standing in the doorway. You frowned as he looked the man up and down. He was wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt but remained shoeless, his toes poking out from under the pants. He was also less pale than earlier, and the darkness around his eyes could barely be seen. That was an odd change, but wasn’t he taller before? Or was it just his demeanor that made him seem that way?
“What?” he asked defensively.
“No-nothing,” You glanced away, hoping he hadn’t angered the master of the castle.
“Master, You is a little uncomfortable eating with everyone since he isn’t around so many people,” Cha explained quietly. “Is it alright if I eat with him in his room?”
Gackt nodded and looked up at the tall newcomer for a moment. “I hope you’ll join us some other day in the future,” he said and walked away to the head of the table.
The blonde blinked in surprise and stared in confusion after the master. Was that the same man he’d met before that had worn the cape, scared him in the dungeon and had forced him to the ground when his father offered him escape? He gasped for a moment when the master’s yellow eyes focused on him and the invisible force around his neck tightened for a few seconds, reminding him of his place. A chill of fear settled over him and he rushed out of the large dining area shaking. You’s hands balled into fists as he forced himself to breathe deeply and the shakes from his body. The shaking stopped suddenly when Hiromi hugged him and a feeling of calm centered over him. You breathed a sigh of relief.
“Okay now?” she asked to receive a nod.
“How did you do that?” he asked breathlessly.
“We’ll explain it when we get to your room,” Cha told him and started away from the dining room.
“I’m coming with!” Hiromi went after Cha as You lagged behind them at his own pace and finally took the time to look around at the elaborately decorated, but dimly lit hallways. It looked like a rich wood lined the walls, from what he could tell anyway. He didn’t really know how much any of these things would really cost, since he didn’t care about such things, so he assumed they were just as expensive as things Namie would have bought for herself. He did understand that many of the things decorating the halls were probably antiques or expensive, and made sure not to touch anything.
“How large is the castle?” You asked absently as he was looking over a painting in the hallway before moving on.
“Huge!” Hiromi told him with a smile.
Cha laughed at her. “The master said you could go anywhere in the castle except the west wing.”
“What’s in the west wing?” You looked around, wondering which way west was.
“It holds the master’s private quarters. Trust me, you don’t want to get caught in there by him,” Hiromi told him.
“I’ll make sure never to go there then,” he murmured hoping he could get his directions straight and not end up stumbling into that wing.
~***~
please comment if you read ^_^v
