17. Having Help (1/2)
title: of the darkness||chapter: having helpcharacters: ryou, shou, camulachapters: 17-25||words: 1,230||total: 19,215genre: family, supernatural||rated: pg-13challenge: diversity writing challenge, ygo gx, j6, multi-chapter with 15-25 chaptersnotes: it's an au. it involves vampires.summary: shou invites his
other in after ryou returns from a long trip away. that is his first mistake. it only gets worse from there.
"no, not him." the butcher shook her head as she washed the last of her sharp knives and hung them in their appointed places on the wall. "perhaps one of the servants up there, but marufuji ryou-sama couldn't be a vampire. he's too noble. too good."
chaos hunter
eathed in and out, trying with all of her might not to lose her temper. she'd heard this so many times in the last few days as she tried to gather help to raid the mansion and put an end to this reign of terror.
"perhaps he was once, but not now," she tried again. "at least come with me to see for yourself."
the butcher shook her head once more. "i can't spare the time away, and for all we know, the vampire was just passing through. i know you miss him. we all do. but sometimes things happen. it's no more than if he had an accident or some thief stabbed him."
chaos hunter
eathed again. it was a little less calm this time. "this is different. this is a vampire." how to put all of this into words that people who had never encountered one of the unholy undead could understand? how to put it into words that meant something and would get the results that she needed.
"i'm sorry." the butcher turned to face her head on, and the wild warrior could see sympathy all over her gentle features. "but there's nothing that any of us can do. if you want to try to do something up there, then if you're right, i wish you the best of luck. but i don't think you are right, and i'm certain his lordship will be gentle with you." a small rueful smile touched her lips. "one of them will be, at least."
chaos hunter delivered a small, tight nod, then whirled and stalked out of the butcher's shop, lips pressed together, eyes flashing in concealed anger. if this hadn't been her home and these people hadn't been people that she knew, she would've done so much more, she knew it. how could they be so apathetic? how could they have such trust in people?
"excuse me." a quiet voice came from the shadows and if she'd been anyone else, she might have jumped fairly out of her skin. as it was, she whirled, whip in hand and ready to defend herself at any cost.
when she saw a slender figure dressed in dark shades there, she blinked. he wasn't either of the marufujis, nor was he anyone that she recognized at all. "yes?" she didn't relax all that much. he could still be a thief or a murderer of some kind, or even someone concealed by magic. she would sell her life dearly if it came to that.
"would you come over here, please? i'd like to speak with you without getting too much attention." his gaze flickered around the town square and she let hers follow for a moment or two. early morning sunlight filled the air, with people moving this way and that on their first errands of the day.
her fingers twiddled for a moment on the stock of her whip, then she stalked over toward where he stood. "who are you and what is it that you want?" if she didn't get some good, useful answers in the next few seconds, she was fully intent on letting him have a few slices of her weapon before she left.
"you know of what's going on at the mansion?" his eyes were a pale lavender, but full of concern, not fear. chaos hunter stared back at him, her own eyes narrowed.
"what do you know about that? who are you?" she had not yet gained her answers. she did not like this at all.
"my name is fujiwara yuusuke. i've known ryou since he and i were small children, and i want to help him now." he raised one hand as she tightened her grip on her whip. "i want to help him become a free person and not a slave to an evil vampire's whims."