Caitie (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
commandant) wrote2010-04-14 09:52 pm
commandant) wrote2010-04-14 09:52 pm
Entry tags:
After- Chapter 2
SO THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS PRETTY WELL RECIEVED ON FF.NET SO I WORKED ON IT SOME MORE. Yuri actually.... isn't in this chapter. Raven is, but not till the second half. INSTEAD WE HAVE KAROL AND JUDITH. I was going to switch over back to Yuri for the second half of the chapter but the bit with Karol ended up longer than I anticipated. SO YEAH. Also the first chapter is here, since I don't think I posted it here.
He could barely see from the tears blurring his vision and the blood flowing down his face, the dim light from out the window made everything appear like shadows. He was clutching the wound at his side, gritting his teeth to withstand the pain.
From where he lay on the floor, he could just barely make out the other two people in the room. He heard a pained groan in a familiar voice, and involuntarily cried out softly, "Yuri!"
"Karol... g-get out of here..." Yuri's voice was tense and uneven, and held none of its usual strength and confidence.
Karol found he could not move his legs, whether it was due to injury or his own petrifying fear he was unable to tell. He could do nothing, watching the dark shapes helplessly, uttering plaintive cries interspersed with sobbing, "Y-Yuri, p-please... s-someone... h-help... s-someone help Y-Yuri!"
He shakily brushed away the tears and blood clouding his vision, and through the darkness of the room, he glimpsed Yuri's face. Their eyes met, but Yuri's dark eyes seemed unable to see at all, staring through him into nothing, frozen, expressing nothing but pain and fear, emotions that Karol was entirely unaccustomed to seeing on that face. "Yuri!" he cried out again, everything around him a vague blur, only able to see those deathly cold eyes and red stains of blood.
Karol suddenly found himself awake, breathing hard, confused to find himself in bed, safe, if not entirely sound. He felt a gentle hand touch the side of his head and he turned to see Judith standing next to him.
"You were crying out in your sleep again, so I woke you up," she said softly, a look of quiet concern on her face. She sat, perching lightly on the edge of the bed, "It was that same one again, wasn't it?"
Karol nodded, rubbing his face as if to brush away the lingering remnants of the memory. He sat up, knowing he would not be able to fall back asleep that night, "It all gets blurrier every time... except for the worst parts... they're always as clear as they were when it happened..." he frowned, still visibly shaken.
"Well at least it's happening much less often than it used to," Judith put her hand on Karol's shoulder in a reassuring manner.
"I just wish Yuri could get better too..." Karol remarked quietly, worry on his face. From when she had first met him, Karol seemed to have aged greatly, though it had only been a few years. "I-I wish I could help him get better... But whenever I look him in the eyes and there's just... nothing there... I can't bear it..."
Judith embraced him lightly, "It alright Karol, it would be unfair to expect that much of you." She released him and smiled, "All you need to worry about is your guild. Just think of how proud Yuri will be when he sees how much Brave Vesperia has grown."
Karol sniffed softly, slightly teary eyed, "Y-You're right, Judy... Thanks," he smiled softly.
Judith responded simply with a smile, and as she stood up she added, "I'm sure he'll be glad to see how much you've grown too."
"That's right! I'm not just some kid for everyone to pick on anymore!" He slid out of bed, striking a somewhat comical triumphant pose. "I'm even taller than Rita now."
Judith laughed, "at the rate you're growing you'll be taller than Raven pretty soon." She then turned her head to glance out the window, "Oh, the sun is about to rise." The two of them watched in silence as the hue of the sky shifted through the spectrum; red, orange, gold, creamy yellow, greyish green, and finally blue.
Karol turned his head to look at Judith, "good morning, Judy."
Judith smiled, and replied, "good morning, boss." She turned to leave the room, but stopped, and turned her head, "I'm going to go check in with Ba'ul. Will you will be alright by yourself?"
"I'll be fine, I feel a lot better now." his face brightened as a thought occured to him, "Oh, I can make breakfast while you do that, and then we can eat together!"
"That sounds lovely, Karol. I'll be back in a little while, then." she then turned and left, leaving Karol alone.
Karol dressed, and headed into the kitchen, getting out all the necessary pots, pans, and ingredients. He was a surprisingly capable cook for his age, having gotten plenty of experience with it when he was out traveling with his friends. Even Rita had admitted, at one point, that his cooking was "pretty edible." He enjoyed doing things like cooking now, because he didn't have room to dwell on things, lest let something or other burn. Judith walked in the door as he was setting out plates on the table, "Oh, Judy, perfect timing!"
"It smells delicious," she said, smiling as she sat down.
Karol sat as well, "Ba'ul's doing alright, I assume?"
Judith nodded, "We should take the newer members out to meet him sometime this week, he is a pretty important part of our guild, don't you think?"
"Of course! That sounds like a great idea. We can decide what day at the guild meeting today," Karol smiled and began eating. The two were quiet for the next few minutes as the ate, and all went as normal until they had just finished cleaning up. Karol was in the bathroom when he heard a familiar voice.
"Oh Judith darlin' how I've missed your voluptuous-ow! Jeez, ya didn't even let me finish..."
"I can guess what you were going to say, old man."
Karol burst out of the bathroom, "Raven!" he cried out as he ran over to the familiar scruffy man.
"Aw Judy babe, don't be like that, can't I just get a h-oh hey there, Karol!" Raven beamed at the boy, "how ya been? Feels like I haven't seen ya in ages. Man, you're gettin' tall."
Karol grinned, "I'm doing good! We just got a bunch of new members last week!" his smile then lessened, as he added, "... how's Yuri doing?"
Raven sighed softly as he linked his arms behind his head, "he's doing alright, s'kinda hard fer me ta notice th' change since I'm with him everyday, but Flynn said he did seem a lot better."
"Oh, so him coming to visit worked out after all?" Judith asked.
"Yeah, he had to come out to meet with Harry 'bout somethin' or other, so he managed to sneak in some time ta visit with us. He's with 'im now, actually."
"Well that's good then," Judith smiled. "It should do him some good to spend some time with an old friend."
Raven nodded, "yeah, I'm sure it will." he paused, then added, "y'know, I bet he'd like it if you came ta see him too, Karol."
Karol looked at his feet, not saying anything.
Seeing this, Judith spoke instead, "we should both come by and visit, that way he'll get two visitors instead of just one." She looked at Karol, "would that be alright with you, Karol?"
"But Judy darlin', you visit plenty of times already! Not that I mind, I just figure ya got other things that need doing too."
"Judith glanced at Raven with a look that was almost a glare, "You know this isn't easy for Karol to do."
Karol was silent for a moment before he shook his head, "N-no, Raven's right... I should come see him on my own. I have to be strong."
Raven ruffled Karol's hair, "Just don't push yerself too hard, alright?"
Karol nodded, smiling a little again, "I won't."
"Alrighty then. I gotta go runs some errands 'fore I have ta head back when Flynn leaves, but you try ta stop by sometime soon, yeah?" Raven said as he turned to leave.
"Y-yeah! I promise!"
He could barely see from the tears blurring his vision and the blood flowing down his face, the dim light from out the window made everything appear like shadows. He was clutching the wound at his side, gritting his teeth to withstand the pain.
From where he lay on the floor, he could just barely make out the other two people in the room. He heard a pained groan in a familiar voice, and involuntarily cried out softly, "Yuri!"
"Karol... g-get out of here..." Yuri's voice was tense and uneven, and held none of its usual strength and confidence.
Karol found he could not move his legs, whether it was due to injury or his own petrifying fear he was unable to tell. He could do nothing, watching the dark shapes helplessly, uttering plaintive cries interspersed with sobbing, "Y-Yuri, p-please... s-someone... h-help... s-someone help Y-Yuri!"
He shakily brushed away the tears and blood clouding his vision, and through the darkness of the room, he glimpsed Yuri's face. Their eyes met, but Yuri's dark eyes seemed unable to see at all, staring through him into nothing, frozen, expressing nothing but pain and fear, emotions that Karol was entirely unaccustomed to seeing on that face. "Yuri!" he cried out again, everything around him a vague blur, only able to see those deathly cold eyes and red stains of blood.
Karol suddenly found himself awake, breathing hard, confused to find himself in bed, safe, if not entirely sound. He felt a gentle hand touch the side of his head and he turned to see Judith standing next to him.
"You were crying out in your sleep again, so I woke you up," she said softly, a look of quiet concern on her face. She sat, perching lightly on the edge of the bed, "It was that same one again, wasn't it?"
Karol nodded, rubbing his face as if to brush away the lingering remnants of the memory. He sat up, knowing he would not be able to fall back asleep that night, "It all gets blurrier every time... except for the worst parts... they're always as clear as they were when it happened..." he frowned, still visibly shaken.
"Well at least it's happening much less often than it used to," Judith put her hand on Karol's shoulder in a reassuring manner.
"I just wish Yuri could get better too..." Karol remarked quietly, worry on his face. From when she had first met him, Karol seemed to have aged greatly, though it had only been a few years. "I-I wish I could help him get better... But whenever I look him in the eyes and there's just... nothing there... I can't bear it..."
Judith embraced him lightly, "It alright Karol, it would be unfair to expect that much of you." She released him and smiled, "All you need to worry about is your guild. Just think of how proud Yuri will be when he sees how much Brave Vesperia has grown."
Karol sniffed softly, slightly teary eyed, "Y-You're right, Judy... Thanks," he smiled softly.
Judith responded simply with a smile, and as she stood up she added, "I'm sure he'll be glad to see how much you've grown too."
"That's right! I'm not just some kid for everyone to pick on anymore!" He slid out of bed, striking a somewhat comical triumphant pose. "I'm even taller than Rita now."
Judith laughed, "at the rate you're growing you'll be taller than Raven pretty soon." She then turned her head to glance out the window, "Oh, the sun is about to rise." The two of them watched in silence as the hue of the sky shifted through the spectrum; red, orange, gold, creamy yellow, greyish green, and finally blue.
Karol turned his head to look at Judith, "good morning, Judy."
Judith smiled, and replied, "good morning, boss." She turned to leave the room, but stopped, and turned her head, "I'm going to go check in with Ba'ul. Will you will be alright by yourself?"
"I'll be fine, I feel a lot better now." his face brightened as a thought occured to him, "Oh, I can make breakfast while you do that, and then we can eat together!"
"That sounds lovely, Karol. I'll be back in a little while, then." she then turned and left, leaving Karol alone.
Karol dressed, and headed into the kitchen, getting out all the necessary pots, pans, and ingredients. He was a surprisingly capable cook for his age, having gotten plenty of experience with it when he was out traveling with his friends. Even Rita had admitted, at one point, that his cooking was "pretty edible." He enjoyed doing things like cooking now, because he didn't have room to dwell on things, lest let something or other burn. Judith walked in the door as he was setting out plates on the table, "Oh, Judy, perfect timing!"
"It smells delicious," she said, smiling as she sat down.
Karol sat as well, "Ba'ul's doing alright, I assume?"
Judith nodded, "We should take the newer members out to meet him sometime this week, he is a pretty important part of our guild, don't you think?"
"Of course! That sounds like a great idea. We can decide what day at the guild meeting today," Karol smiled and began eating. The two were quiet for the next few minutes as the ate, and all went as normal until they had just finished cleaning up. Karol was in the bathroom when he heard a familiar voice.
"Oh Judith darlin' how I've missed your voluptuous-ow! Jeez, ya didn't even let me finish..."
"I can guess what you were going to say, old man."
Karol burst out of the bathroom, "Raven!" he cried out as he ran over to the familiar scruffy man.
"Aw Judy babe, don't be like that, can't I just get a h-oh hey there, Karol!" Raven beamed at the boy, "how ya been? Feels like I haven't seen ya in ages. Man, you're gettin' tall."
Karol grinned, "I'm doing good! We just got a bunch of new members last week!" his smile then lessened, as he added, "... how's Yuri doing?"
Raven sighed softly as he linked his arms behind his head, "he's doing alright, s'kinda hard fer me ta notice th' change since I'm with him everyday, but Flynn said he did seem a lot better."
"Oh, so him coming to visit worked out after all?" Judith asked.
"Yeah, he had to come out to meet with Harry 'bout somethin' or other, so he managed to sneak in some time ta visit with us. He's with 'im now, actually."
"Well that's good then," Judith smiled. "It should do him some good to spend some time with an old friend."
Raven nodded, "yeah, I'm sure it will." he paused, then added, "y'know, I bet he'd like it if you came ta see him too, Karol."
Karol looked at his feet, not saying anything.
Seeing this, Judith spoke instead, "we should both come by and visit, that way he'll get two visitors instead of just one." She looked at Karol, "would that be alright with you, Karol?"
"But Judy darlin', you visit plenty of times already! Not that I mind, I just figure ya got other things that need doing too."
"Judith glanced at Raven with a look that was almost a glare, "You know this isn't easy for Karol to do."
Karol was silent for a moment before he shook his head, "N-no, Raven's right... I should come see him on my own. I have to be strong."
Raven ruffled Karol's hair, "Just don't push yerself too hard, alright?"
Karol nodded, smiling a little again, "I won't."
"Alrighty then. I gotta go runs some errands 'fore I have ta head back when Flynn leaves, but you try ta stop by sometime soon, yeah?" Raven said as he turned to leave.
"Y-yeah! I promise!"