“I’m talking about the world that exists parallel to yours. The world inhabited by creatures that aren’t quite human.”
“Che.” Lovino snorts, and Alfred can almost see the smirk on his face. “And why should we listen to you?”
“You don’t have to. You can refuse. But I don’t think that’s a good choice.”
Alfred frowns. “Why not?”
“Because if you don’t, you’re going to lose the chance to rescue people precious to you forever.
Green eyes. Sandy-blond hair. Alfred feels his muscles tense at the thought. It’s – could he be talking about – but it’s not possible, is it?
“How do we know you’re not lying?”
“You’re going to have to take my word for it.” The man gives them a very thin grin. “If you don’t like that explanation, though, you can always go back to your broken bodies and try to fight for your lives.”
Alfred blinks. “Wait, what are you talking about –”
“…mmm.” Alfred’s head jerks down as Matthew stirs and opens his eyes. His unfocused gaze rests on Alfred, and Alfred does his best to give his brother a reassuring smile.
“Hey, Matt, how are you –”
Matthew’s eyes widen and he gasps. He jerks away from Alfred with a small cry and scrambles back, staring at Alfred.
Alfred frowns. “Matt, what’s the matter? It’s just us, Alfred and Lovino –”
“Alfred,” Matthew whispers. “I can see through your bodies.”
Alfred blinks, processes this, and lifts his hands into his vision. He watches them start to shake as he realizes, oh God, Matthew is right. Behind him, he hears Lovino gasp and realizes in a numb rush that he must have seen the same thing.
“You’re not dead,” the man says. “You’re minds seem to be fine.” He smiles again, and the knowledge behind it sends something shivering straight down to Alfred’s toes.
“I can’t say the same for your bodies, though.” ___
So it’s come to this, Ludwig thinks, and only wishes he could be surprised at all.
But who was he kidding? The world is falling down around them. Around all of them. Three nations went missing seven years ago; Ivan’s starting to exhibit his old Cold War habits of conquering and possessing; relationships between Tino and Berwald are growing tenser and more aggressive by the day.
And now this, a world power and a remnant of Italy lying broken in hospital beds, comatose.
Ludwig cups his face in his hands and sighs. His head hurts, he’s tired, and he wants a drink despite common sense telling him it’s bad.
But most of all, he wishes that Gilbert were here. His brother was brusque and had all the maturity of what Alfred called a “frat boy”, but Ludwig can’t help but feel that he’d know what to do in this situation, offer some sort of advice to them.
“Ludwig?”
Ludwig jolts, lifting his head from his hands and looking up. He meet Heracles’ green eyes first. The rest of the waiting room and its sterile whiteness and magazine racks seem to filter in around him, filling the space beyond the corners of his eyes.
“Herr Karpusi,” he says, then drops his gaze back to the carpet.
Heracles takes a seat next to him, reaching into tote bag and pulling a kitten out to offer out to him. When Ludwig refuses to take it, Heracles pets its head and hides it in the bag again before anyone can actually see what he smuggled in.
They sit in silence for a moment, listening to half-hearted elevator music in the harsh white room.
Heracles speaks first. “It was not your fault, Ludwig,” he says.
“I was right there.” Ludwig starts to feel helpless again. “I was right there. I – I should have tried to at least – Herr Jones, the stupid idiot –”
“If you had run out into the street, too, you’d be in a bed like them,” Heracles says. “And they’re alive – at least for the moment. I think that’s all that we can really ask for.”
Ludwig sighs. “I still can’t help but feel that Herr Williams will be after my head when he finds out what happened to his brother. I’m not relishing telling him, at any rate.”
“That’s technically my responsibility as replacement host for Kiku, though.”
They don’t speak after that for a bit. Heracles bends down, searching inside his tote bag and shushing sleepy mewls and meows.
It takes Ludwig a second to realize he’s searching for something.
Writer!non has left us again with a cliff hanger. D: This faithful anon is dutifully waiting for the next part. But do take your time (I can't believe I'm saying this). Anon doesn't want you to be too stressed. But for now, thank you for taking time to fill this. XD
This is amazing. I love the excitement, and the cliffhangers are killing me. I keep F5ing in the hope that there will be more, even though I know no one could possibly get something out that fast. You sure are good at keeping me hooked.
Back to checking a bookmark every day to see if anything new's been written, back to squealing at every development, back to the suspense and the heartbreak and the adventure...
Why am I saying this as if it's a bad thing?
D'awww, Greece and his kittens!
It's really nice to see the spotlight on the nations you didn't include in Croatan. Their chance to shine, kind of thing - though I'm rather more worried about them than I was about Arthur. Arthur knows about the fey: here the only ones with any real knowledge are the only ones still concious.
I'm curious as to who this cloaked man is going to be. My first thought was Rome, but he's not |D enough. So, CLAMP again?
M-my one judgement would be that you do tend to overuse the CLAMP a little bit. It makes sense for the parts tied in with Japanese folklore, but for the other cultures, maybe other crossovers? i.e., Discworld for England, actual Grimm's fairytale characters for Germany...
It's just a small criticism! Croatan worked fine with only CLAMP. Plus, you put Himawari-chan in here, and that girl needs more love, seriously.
Anyway, anon, I look forward to the rest of this! And squealed loudly when I saw you were writing more folklore-rescue stories!
Anon apologizes for all the CLAMP references. They should end after this part. I actually needed Himawari, and the world of dreams is more based on the CLAMP world of dreams than anything - I just wanted to give credit where it was due. And I don't think anyone is going to think that Rainbow Bridge = coincidence even though it kinda-sorta-really was, but, um, yeah xDDD
But I'm going to try to make the plot less heavily dependent on CLAMP now. I've got a few other crossovers planned, though.
I'm not saying they're bad! It was just that, at some points in Croatan it seemed that a knowledge of CLAMP's works was required, and some readers unfamiliar with their works might find that a bit off-putting. You worked it all together really well, though, so it didn't feel forced and awkward as some crossovers do. It's just a very small criticism I had :) And, considering the length of your fic, that that's my only criticism's quite an achievement! At least it's not Tokyo Tower? XD
I do love your writing, though, and look forward to seeing what you're going to with this prompt :) And I look forward to your other crossovers and hope to recognise them!
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But Hold Me Fast [15/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-16 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)“Che.” Lovino snorts, and Alfred can almost see the smirk on his face. “And why should we listen to you?”
“You don’t have to. You can refuse. But I don’t think that’s a good choice.”
Alfred frowns. “Why not?”
“Because if you don’t, you’re going to lose the chance to rescue people precious to you forever.
Green eyes. Sandy-blond hair. Alfred feels his muscles tense at the thought. It’s – could he be talking about – but it’s not possible, is it?
“How do we know you’re not lying?”
“You’re going to have to take my word for it.” The man gives them a very thin grin. “If you don’t like that explanation, though, you can always go back to your broken bodies and try to fight for your lives.”
Alfred blinks. “Wait, what are you talking about –”
“…mmm.” Alfred’s head jerks down as Matthew stirs and opens his eyes. His unfocused gaze rests on Alfred, and Alfred does his best to give his brother a reassuring smile.
“Hey, Matt, how are you –”
Matthew’s eyes widen and he gasps. He jerks away from Alfred with a small cry and scrambles back, staring at Alfred.
Alfred frowns. “Matt, what’s the matter? It’s just us, Alfred and Lovino –”
“Alfred,” Matthew whispers. “I can see through your bodies.”
Alfred blinks, processes this, and lifts his hands into his vision. He watches them start to shake as he realizes, oh God, Matthew is right. Behind him, he hears Lovino gasp and realizes in a numb rush that he must have seen the same thing.
“You’re not dead,” the man says. “You’re minds seem to be fine.” He smiles again, and the knowledge behind it sends something shivering straight down to Alfred’s toes.
“I can’t say the same for your bodies, though.”
___
So it’s come to this, Ludwig thinks, and only wishes he could be surprised at all.
But who was he kidding? The world is falling down around them. Around all of them. Three nations went missing seven years ago; Ivan’s starting to exhibit his old Cold War habits of conquering and possessing; relationships between Tino and Berwald are growing tenser and more aggressive by the day.
And now this, a world power and a remnant of Italy lying broken in hospital beds, comatose.
Ludwig cups his face in his hands and sighs. His head hurts, he’s tired, and he wants a drink despite common sense telling him it’s bad.
But most of all, he wishes that Gilbert were here. His brother was brusque and had all the maturity of what Alfred called a “frat boy”, but Ludwig can’t help but feel that he’d know what to do in this situation, offer some sort of advice to them.
“Ludwig?”
Ludwig jolts, lifting his head from his hands and looking up. He meet Heracles’ green eyes first. The rest of the waiting room and its sterile whiteness and magazine racks seem to filter in around him, filling the space beyond the corners of his eyes.
“Herr Karpusi,” he says, then drops his gaze back to the carpet.
Heracles takes a seat next to him, reaching into tote bag and pulling a kitten out to offer out to him. When Ludwig refuses to take it, Heracles pets its head and hides it in the bag again before anyone can actually see what he smuggled in.
They sit in silence for a moment, listening to half-hearted elevator music in the harsh white room.
Heracles speaks first. “It was not your fault, Ludwig,” he says.
“I was right there.” Ludwig starts to feel helpless again. “I was right there. I – I should have tried to at least – Herr Jones, the stupid idiot –”
“If you had run out into the street, too, you’d be in a bed like them,” Heracles says. “And they’re alive – at least for the moment. I think that’s all that we can really ask for.”
Ludwig sighs. “I still can’t help but feel that Herr Williams will be after my head when he finds out what happened to his brother. I’m not relishing telling him, at any rate.”
“That’s technically my responsibility as replacement host for Kiku, though.”
They don’t speak after that for a bit. Heracles bends down, searching inside his tote bag and shushing sleepy mewls and meows.
It takes Ludwig a second to realize he’s searching for something.
Re: But Hold Me Fast [15/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-17 11:22 am (UTC)(link)Re: But Hold Me Fast [15/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-20 12:23 am (UTC)(link)Re: But Hold Me Fast [15/?]
(Anonymous) 2009-05-20 01:26 am (UTC)(link)WE MEET AGAIN, WRITER!ANON.
Back to checking a bookmark every day to see if anything new's been written, back to squealing at every development, back to the suspense and the heartbreak and the adventure...
Why am I saying this as if it's a bad thing?
D'awww, Greece and his kittens!
It's really nice to see the spotlight on the nations you didn't include in Croatan. Their chance to shine, kind of thing - though I'm rather more worried about them than I was about Arthur. Arthur knows about the fey: here the only ones with any real knowledge are the only ones still concious.
I'm curious as to who this cloaked man is going to be. My first thought was Rome, but he's not |D enough. So, CLAMP again?
M-my one judgement would be that you do tend to overuse the CLAMP a little bit. It makes sense for the parts tied in with Japanese folklore, but for the other cultures, maybe other crossovers? i.e., Discworld for England, actual Grimm's fairytale characters for Germany...
It's just a small criticism! Croatan worked fine with only CLAMP. Plus, you put Himawari-chan in here, and that girl needs more love, seriously.
Anyway, anon, I look forward to the rest of this! And squealed loudly when I saw you were writing more folklore-rescue stories!
Writernon admits she is guilty of this.
(Anonymous) 2009-05-20 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)And I don't think anyone is going to think that Rainbow Bridge = coincidence even though it kinda-sorta-really was, but, um, yeah xDDDBut I'm going to try to make the plot less heavily dependent on CLAMP now. I've got a few other crossovers planned, though.
This Readeranon doesn't really mind it :)
(Anonymous) 2009-05-20 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)At least it's not Tokyo Tower? XDI do love your writing, though, and look forward to seeing what you're going to with this prompt :) And I look forward to your other crossovers and hope to recognise them!
Late OP!Anon is late orz
(Anonymous) 2009-05-20 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)