lucetilogs | So tear me open, but beware

Entry tags:

So tear me open, but beware—

Who:

ishisfriend.
What: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. (This is relevant.)
When: July 27th, late in the afternoon.
Where: Somewhere near house 53.
Summary: An encounter with an "enemy" draws out a certain chain, but it doesn't seem to belong to any of the contractors in the village. Maybe it's another random enemy... Or maybe it's not.
Rating: PG-13.

[There are random monsters showing up all over the village, you say? Here's Elliot Nightray giving a damn.

A little chaos in the village would not prevent Elliot from doing the things that he or his servant wanted to do. They're just monsters, after all, and Elliot sure as hell isn't afraid of them. As long as he had his sword, he would be fine. He could protect himself, his servant, and anyone else who might need it.

That had been Elliot's reasoning for venturing out today. But of course, it's not monsters or being a hero that's on his mind right at this very moment. Instead, it's flowers. He is in the backyard, staring down at what should be a garden, but no longer appears to be.

Hmm... Something isn't right.]

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[He frowns, turning away from the "garden".]

It's nothing. Let's go.

... [He'll follow him out of the backyard, of course, but he's certain that he knows Elliot better than that.]

You're annoyed.

Do I look annoyed?

[Or sound annoyed? Or feel annoyed?

...yes.]

...yes.

[It's a simple answer, but even as they talk, something watches them. It wastes no time in approaching them directly, choosing instead to morph into something more familiar. Something a little more innocent, more...childish.]

It's none of your business.

[Being annoyed, Elliot doesn't seem to notice the familiar form that approaches them. Or at least, not immediately. He'd rather puzzle over the unfortunate (?) state of the garden he was forced to put together a month ago.]

That's not an answer.

[However, right when Leo replies, it speaks up in the familiar slightly-afraid voice of Phillipe West (http://www.mangareader.net/350-24665-12/pandora-hearts/chapter-36.html) from just beyond the fence: "Big brother?"]

[It's the other voice, the one that definitely does not belong to Leo that catches Elliot's attention. He turns around to look for it, and when he finds the source, he kind of just stares.]

What the...?

[Leo turns as well; the surprise on his face this time is genuine.]

...Phillipe?

[And indeed it looks like him-- like a Phillipe that's about to cry. There may be some blubbering involved.]

[...this is strange. Elliot looks over to Leo, awaiting his servant's decision on what to do here.

He was always better with kids, anyway.]

[Except that "Phillipe" takes the initiative even before Leo can and runs forward to literally smash into both Elliot and Leo, clinging off their shirts. "I'm so glad I found someone!"]

What are you doing here, Phillipe...?

[But even as he says that, he looks over at Elliot with a frankly perplexed expression. What the, indeed.]

[Elliot blinks at his servant, and looks down at the little boy clinging to the both of them. He reaches out to pat his back, and as he does so, he immediately notices the lack of wings.

Another glance over at his servant. Something doesn't feel right about this, either.]

[Phillipe's wingless condition doesn't go unnoticed by Leo either, and the look that he exchanges with Elliot is apprehension, confusion-- he's read the Guide (numerous times, he's been bored), and he's pretty sure that no wings spell death.

Except that the kid in front of them is clearly alive. Or so he feels.

Leo's attempts to disengage himself right then are futile, however, as that clutch on both their shirts tightens.]

How did you find your way here, Phillipe?

["I had to walk through the forest earlier. That was really scary!"]

[While Leo questions the boy, Elliot tries to take his hand and pry the fingers off his shirt. Phillipe shouldn't be here. A part of him worries that he might be wrong, that this kid might actually need help, but he has a bad feeling about this that he simply can't ignore.

He has to get this kid off of them.]

How did you end up in the forest?

[It's a reproachful look that the boy gives Elliot as he doubles his grip on his shirt and yanks him closer. "I dunno. Should I know? Why are you all standing behind that fence?"

...he has a point.

He pulls at Leo's shirt with his other hand, downwards and dangerously close to the wooden fence, as if to tell a secret.]

Elliot...

[Elliot frowns at the little boy pulling on him, but it just makes him try harder to push him away.]

Let go, Phillipe.

["Why?"

...please don't make him cry again, Elliot.]

Because I said so. [He raises his voice by default, and gives the boy a shove. Maybe he shouldn't act this way toward a kid, but that bad feeling he has... He can't shake it.] Let go of us and we can help you.

[A cry from Phillipe and one from Leo as well--]

Elliot, stop that!

[You'd think that the shove should be strong enough to dislodge such a small boy, but there's a hint of something stronger than pure obstinacy that clings on, even as Phillipe's grip slackens. With his other hand, he'll release Leo's shirt and with speed that shouldn't be present in a boy of his size, reaches up to tug viciously down at Leo's neck ribbon.

There's a choked sound as Leo is pulled down, head narrowly missing the pointed ends of the fence as he quickly extends a hand to shove himself away from the danger. His glasses are dislodged, askew and he lets out another yell.]

Phillipe!

[At the same time that the little boy pulls on the ribbon around Leo's neck, an unusual and yet familiar feeling comes over Elliot. Somehow, he feels... out of place. He feels like he is no longer in control. He doesn't try to push the little boy away again, or anything. He doesn't move at all.

...and there is that voice. He's heard this voice before.

Kill him.

We have to kill him!]

[Elliot has no idea what it is, but he knows that he has to fight it. He has to struggle to quell the voice, but he manages it for now, and pulls on the back of his servant's shirt.]

Leo!

[He knew there was something wrong with Phillipe, or whoever this was. He had to get Leo away from him, he had to protect him...

We must protect him.]

Let-- go--

[It's a choking sensation as he's tugged from both front and back and Leo is sure that his shirt will tear soon if this keeps up (but it would be less painful, surely). It's a little hard to see what's going on when his hair pokes at his eyes, obscuring his vision, or he might notice those tiny boyish hands that once belonged to Phillipe slowly changing into the spindly legs reminiscent of a spider's. He's aware of the scratchier sensation (and Elliot would notice that by now, the grip has left him to focus on the well, blinder Leo), however, and hits out at it with both fists.]

[Elliot lets go of Leo, but not because of his servant's words. He lets go of him because all of a sudden, his chest hurts, but he has no time to think about why that is. His left hand clutches at his chest, and his right hand hovers over the hilt of his sword. That voice, that familiar voice says kill him and Elliot resists. He resists because he's Elliot Nightray and no one tells him what to do.]

[But it's just a chain. He won't be sad if you kill him.]

Ah...

[That's right. It's not Phillipe. It's just a chain.]

[There's no point in resisting.

Elliot draws his sword, but perhaps it's not quite Elliot anymore. And perhaps... they're not quite alone anymore, either.

If he can't get that monster to let go of his servant, then perhaps the round, white chain with its obscured eyes and rows of teeth could do him the favor instead.]

[When Elliot lets go, Leo stumbles to the front, choking. He can't see anything at all now, and it's only that (blind sense) of self-preservation that saves him from being impaled on that sharp fence as he catches himself the wood under his hands. The splinters will hurt later, but suddenly, that's not what he's worried about at the moment.

What he's worried about, is the sound of someone drawing a sword behind him, and whilst he's pretty sure he knows who that is, it makes him question who's in front of him, with the sharp spindly things that pull him and used to sound like Phillipe. Leo can't speak to yell because he will bite his tongue if he does as he tries, with the best of one free hand, to swipe his hair from his eyes, glasses be damned.

No, not Phillipe, as he would find out later. This monster, this Chain had a name-- the Red Baby.]

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