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Section One- According to Plan.
“Every single tiny microscopic little thing must go, According to Plan.”
If you had told the Everglots a year ago they would be bankrupt and forced to marry off their son Keigo Everglot to the nouveau riche, they would’ve laughed abysmally in your face. Yet, here they stood together at their window the distasteful Lord Kai Everglot and Lady Hari Everglot at their window preparing for the visit of their gateway into riches once more. The wealthy fishmonger family the Van Dorts. Everything was going to be perfect, the Everglots would be endowed with riches beyond imagination while the Van Dorts would benefit from the Everglots standing in high society, it was all down to their two sons. Providing of course, that everything went According to Plan.
“You’ve really reeled in a winner this time Touya” Rei beamed, her face holding a look of both pure excitement and something sinister as if she couldn’t make it clearer that her intention for the day was to heighten her social standing. Enji sat in silent agreement, staring intently at Touya, the same dead stare he’d always had towards his only son.
“I am reeling, Mother, completely and utterly, shouldn’t Keigo Everglot be marrying a Lord or something?” Touya’s voice was practically stammering over every word, it wasn’t like him to be so nervous but faced with a marriage he wasn’t even sure he wanted- he was like a ghost of his own self.
“Oh hush, we’re every bit as good and important as the Everglots, so long as you don't screw anything up, everything will be perfect.” It was Enji who spoke this time, his rough voice filling their carriage with purpose, as it belonged there, which of course it did but it didn’t stop the eerie and uncomfortable feeling surrounding the three Van Dorts.
“But, I’ve never even spoken to him” It was true, Touya has only ever seen one singular portrait of Mr Everglot, he’d met the Everglot boys’ parents at dinners a few years back which had caused this whole arrangement to exist but the man himself? Not so much as a passing glance to each other, they’d never even been allowed to remain in the same room together. If they had? Scandal. He’d heard stories though, many stories, how he was supposedly a foul-faced young man with ignorance for any type of useful skill or even a skill of aesthetics at that, he was known to be cocky, and while Touya himself had his anxieties, being married to somebody who was rumoured to be just as over the top and demanding as he was sounding like a living nightmare.
“At least we have that in our favour, charm them Touya, make the Lord and Lady Everglot want you as their son’s marriage partner.” Rei had a million other wishes for her son, about how he couldn’t afford to mess this up, that if she ever wanted to be seen in high society she needed this. Enji remained seated in silence, he had expectations for his son, expectations he demanded to be met, so much so that they’d been forced onto the younger man since the day he came to exist.
Meanwhile, within the Everglot estate, Keigo sat at a vanity, almost too small for him now that he’d grown, his hair tied back into a bun and his suit vest neatly done up with a deep red bowtie to accentuate his golden eyes. His corset underneath his clothing tied tight, as per his mother’s request, now he could loosely speak without gasping for air after every sentence. Standing, watching him at the door was Lord Kai Everglot. Keigo’s father, a man as ruthless in business as he was in the treatment he had for his son. A permanent scowl plastered his face that was rarely ever swept away, it was so engraved into his face it remained even while he slept, he lived in perpetual disdain. Alongside him, Lady Hari Everglot, glared down at Keigo's appearance, comparing it to his own as he carefully inspected the bun making sure it was exactly similar and exactly perfect to the one Lady Everglot had in his own hair, tying up the white strands.
“What if Touya and I don’t…like each other?” Keigo asked, his normally bright and airy voice, quiet and anxious.
“Do you suppose your father and I like each other?” Hari said, disgust in his voice.
“Surely you must…a little?” Keigo sounded almost hopeful.
“Of course not! Marriage is a partnership, a little tit for tat.” Kai spoke, stepping further into the room to pull his wife away from their son, practically forcing the slimmer man into his side. “You do not need to like somebody to marry them, boy. Just make sure they know you are the reason they are where they are in the world.”
“Precisely, liking one another causes frivolous activity, an activity you needn’t worry yourself with.” The two of Keigo’s parents then left his chamber, leaving him alone with his thoughts, well mostly alone save for his maid Miruko, they had grown to be fast friends when she’d arrived to work for the Everglots, she remained as one of their only staff, save the snot-nosed butler Mimic.
“You’ll like each other Kei, I promise this won’t be so bad.” Miruko was always good at comforting him, but something about the situation made not even her words make him feel better.
“And what if it isn't okay Miruko?”
“If it isn’t okay, you’ll have me to talk to and complain about all your marriage woes too.”
The door knocked below the room of the younger Everglot as the pair listened to the footsteps of the Van Dorts, this was it. Keigo’s betrothed was downstairs, in his estate, in his life.
Finally.
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“Oh, my goodness! Such impeccable taste!” The doors of the Everglot estate opened to welcome the Van Dorts. Although that being said, perhaps welcome isn’t the correct term, perhaps in different circumstances, welcome would be correct but with the way things were “lure” may be the correct term. Yes, that's it.
The doors of the Everglot estate opened to lure in the Van Dorts Touya looked around aimlessly, the Everglot estate was in physical disrepair, like it hadn’t seen true daylight in years, let alone a feather duster or a splotch of paint. Yet his mother gawked and admired it like it was her firstborn child, not that Touya- being her firstborn had ever seen her look at him that way, maybe if she had seen him as something more than a timepiece he would be in this situation. An act. He could tell, as his mother bombarded his father with shushes as he pointed out the blatantly poor condition of the Everglots home.
“Lord and Lady Everglot!” Rei practically preened at the sight of the nobles, her frame much smaller than the two who stood before her.
“Mr and Mrs Van Dort.” Hari looked down at them in disgust, the smile plastered on his face anything but accommodating.
“Smile, darling, smile” He forced his arm into Kai’s side, as his husband replaced his scowl with an uncomfortable, for everybody involved, smile.
“Welcome to our home, it’s a pleasure” Kai’s tone couldn’t have been more unconvincing if he physically tried to make it so. “We’ll be taking tea in the west drawing room”
Not a single person in the room took notice of Touya as if it wasn’t his marriage and future they were discussing, both sets of parents took to the drawing room but something caught Touya’s eye in the corner of the foyer. A piano.
It was an old style, clearly, with the keys covered in dust and the gold plaque that would normally embellish the brat had been pried off, perhaps the Everglots had tried to sell the metal?
Touya ran his fingers over the keys, the temptation to play was overwhelming, surely nobody would mind? It wasn’t like he was a child who would slam the keys in any random order, he knew how to play. So he gave in to that temptation, Touya sat at the piano, the cushioned seat feeling like the most comforting thing he found in the Everglot estate. Touya started playing a simple tune, up and down the piano, his fingers moving as he’d always known the melody.
Keigo perked up at the unusual sound of a piano coming from below his room, he knew the piano was there. Still, Mother had always told him that he didn’t have time for such frivolous activities and that his life would not need the use of piano music, but rather things such as singing, ballroom dancing, needlework and other more, wifely duties. He knew how to command a household and take care of affairs- within the house. Everything he did was with the intention of becoming a good wife one day. He’d always been fascinated by the piano, he knew his mother knew how to play but he never did play, so Keigo stood, and made his way towards the sound looking for the perpetrator of the elegant sound coming from below him.
He came out into the foyer, looking down to where the piano would be only to see Touya sat, playing the melody in a way that seemed so natural to him it was mesmerising to Keigo. He slowly moved down the staircase, practically floating towards the sound, the way Touya’s hands moved across the keys, the way his body swayed to the music, the way he seemed so at peace like he wasn’t being forced into a marriage of benefit like he was free. Keigo wanted to feel like that too, looking at Touya from this perspective, maybe Keigo wouldn’t find marrying him so badly after all. He hoped that was the case, he hoped that everything would go according to plan.
Touya didn’t expect the presence of an extra person in the room so when he finally noticed the man’s frame he was immediately startled, stopping his playing.
“I..I...I do apologise, Mr Everglot! How rude of me too..uh..well…” Touya had never stuttered so badly over his words before, but being in the presence of his soon-to-be wife it was like every ounce of confidence he had gone down the drain. Like it had only just dawned on him that this was it, that the man standing in front of him was the one he was here to have a marriage recital with. The man standing in front of him was the one he was to marry.
“Mother won’t let me near the piano, believes music is improper for a young man training to be a wife, far too passionate she says.” Touya almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing, the man that stood before him was the same man he had heard nothing but bad rumours about, who he had thought to be cocky and arrogant, this quiet thing before him was that same man. Perhaps it was just nerves, after all, he too was acting unlike himself today.
“If I may ask, Mr Everglot..where is your chaperone?”
Keigo took a step towards him, and Touya took one back, almost as if he was afraid of the other.
“Perhaps, in view of the circumstances, you might call me...Keigo?”
“Keigo…” Touya stuttered once again, what was it about this day that had disintegrated entirely his confidence?
“Yes, Touya..?” His name, sounded almost strange coming out of Keigo’s mouth, foreign maybe. It just wasn't right, something he should get used to he supposed if he was true to be taking Keigo as his wife.
The doors from the drawing room swung open to reveal the two sets of parents, Lady Everglot’s face twisted in disgust, Touya’s own parents bearing looks of anger, while Lord Everglot kept his same condescending scowl.
“What sort of impropriety is this? You shouldn’t be alone together.”
“One minute before rehearsals and you’re here. Pastor Gaswells is waiting for us! Move along.” Rei spoke, practically rushing towards her son and forcing him out of the foyer and into the drawing room where Pastor Shouta Gaswells stood tall, cane in hand and a completely bored yet somehow mad expression.
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“Again Mr Van Dort. From the beginning” Gaswells spoke, his tone unchanging lest the last four times they’ve had to go over their blasted vows.
“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows, Your cup will never empty, for I will..uh..for I will uh…”
“I will be your wine, Mr Van Dort. Let’s try it again.” Gaswells took the goblet from him, almost slamming it back onto the table, while his frustration didn’t show on his face, it showed clearly through his actions.
“Yes, Yes of course sir.” Touya fumbled with the candle as he held it closer to the flame on the table.
“With this candle….This candle…This…candle…”
“Shall I get up there and do it for him, the fool.” Rei practically rocked forward in her chair in agitation, how dare he? Her son. HER Son, solely responsible for her future, flubbing up his marriage vows. She swore he was doing it on purpose.
“Don’t get all aflutter dear. He will marry regardless if he gets the vows correct.” Enji forced Rei back into her seat, not once taking his eyes off the display his fool of a son was putting on in front of him. Something he was sure he would receive due punishment for
once they returned home.
Knocking could be heard coming from the foyer, a quiet sound that only Lord Everglot heard.
“Get the door Mimic” The man practically shot out of the room at the opportunity to no longer be present for the carnival he was currently exposed to, so he raced out the room, returning a moment or so later to his Lord, carrying a small business card which he handed to him in due speed.
“Lord Toshinori Barkis, sir.” Miruko was all too familiar with the name, she practically scowled at it, overhearing it from where she stood beside Kai.
“Apparently I’m a day early for the ceremony, I haven’t a head for dates.” Barkis stepped through the room, stopping a few feet from Lord and Lady Everglot. The Everglots couldn’t place where they’d seen the man before but something about him seemed familiar, in an unsettling way, but far be it from them to turn away the guest.
“Mimic, fetch a seat for Lord Barkis.” Within the next moment, the additional member was seated, his hoarse voice cutting through the silence.
“Do continue.”
“With this…uh hand! With this hand, I uh…with..” Touya and Keigo took steps forward toward the altar, Touya taking one step, two steps, three steps, fo—
“Three steps, Three! Can you not count Master Van Dort? Do you not wish to be married?” Gaswell’s patience was slowly becoming lesser and lesser, showing in his voice just as much as his actions.
“No! No..No! I mean, yes, that is what I wish very much, to be married I mean. That I wish to be married very much.” Touya looked at Keigo, the man looked worried, as if he didn’t want Touya to not want to marry him. Did he forget this was arranged? He was under the impression neither he nor Keigo truly wanted this.
“Pay attention Boy! Did you even remember the ring?” Touya flinched at the loud tone, yelling tended to be something he heard more from his father so to hear it in a new setting was startling at the best. He fumbled about taking the ring from his vest coat, it falling out of his hands immediately.
“Dropping the ring!” Gaswell’s patience had well and truly ran out, he slammed his cane onto the floor, the sound resonating through the room. “This boy doesn’t want to be married!”
Touya fumbled with the candle as he chased after the dropped ring, the candle falling out of his hand, landing directly onto the bottom of Lady Everglot’s dress, his clothing catching on fire immediately. Hari started to fan at the flame in a poor attempt to put it out as Kai stomped the flame, in another poor attempt to fix anything. Touya focused on the ring, desperately dropping to the floor to grab at it, his mother rushing to Lady Everglot trying to help, Mimic running back and forth with a large water vase but not doing anything noteworthy as Enji watched in disgust from a distance.
Toshinori took the vase from Mimic, pouring the water onto Lady Everglot’s dress as the flame dissipated, before returning to his seat as Touya stood with the ring.
“Enough!” It was Shouta who spoke, his patience well and truly gone. “ This wedding cannot take place until he is properly prepared. Master Van Dort, Learn. Your. Vows.”
Touya did the only thing he could think of to do, run. He ran out of the Van Dort estate, past his mother's jeers, father’s brooding silence, past Keigo’s concern, past the loss of Gaswell’s patience, past the derogatory words of the Everglots and past the smirking Barkis. He ran. He ran into the forest, hearing the news lad shaking his bell and calling out news that had somehow surfaced in the thirty seconds he’d taken going from the estate to the woods. “Hear ye, hear ye! Rehearsal in ruins as Van Dort boy causes chaos!”
Touya breathed, he hid against a tree and breathed. Forcing himself to slow down and realise what he had done, he ran from his future, from his parents and more importantly, he ran from his bride. He ran from Keigo.
“It really shouldn’t be that difficult” He said to himself “It's just a few simple vows”
“With this hand, I will…I will..I will take your wine..No…with this hand I will cup your…Oh goodness no..with this candle I will…I will….ugh..I will set your mother on fire.”
Touya took the ring from his pocket, staring at it in despair as if he knew that he’d screwed up not only his whole future but his family and Keigo’s future too. He walked around the tree stumps surrounding him and tried to imagine, tried to imagine if the Everglots accepted him, tried to imagine if his parents loved him truly, tried to imagine if he could have a pleasant future with Keigo, tried to imagine anything that would make him remember the blasted vows, He even imagined a life where he and Keigo never spoke and all their communication would be through Miruko, Keigo’s maid. Anything was better than his current reality.
He repeated the vows again.
“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows.
Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine.”
Touya walked around the stumps, speaking the vows like they were memorised poetry and sliding the ring onto a branch, continuing the vows.
“With this candle I will light your way in darkness, With this ring….
I ask you to be mine”
“I do.”
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“We all end up, the Remains of the Day.”
A glowing light erupted from the ground as a figure emerged from the dirt, a floating creature. Skinny, dead stare with a pained expression, light blue- almost white hair, and a long flowing dress. A bridal dress. The arms on it were frail, one of them an exposed bone, the other long and scrawny. Touya was startled and he, once again, ran.
He ran through the trees back into the streets, he wasn’t clear if the figure was chasing him but he didn't dare look back. He sped up the streets, running towards the bridge just beside the Everglot and Van Dort estates. He almost made it and then just as he ran towards the bridge.
“You may kiss the bride”
Everything stopped around him, his breathing slowed, his mind slowed. Everything slowed. Touya couldn’t see or hear a thing let alone the owner of the light, solemn voice calling out to him.
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“ A new arrival!”
“He must’ve fainted..”
“Are you all right?”
Touya awoke to be surrounded by voices, multiple of them all around him, some voices questioning, some voices annoyed, Touya couldn’t decipher them. As he opened his eyes and blinked out the fuzzy spots and sat up from the floor as he turned to look at figures around him, at the sight of the unfamiliar faces he jumped up immediately and ran backwards directly into a bar, the hard wood shoving into the centre of his back. He grabbed at the first thing he could, not paying attention to what it was exactly.
“Stand back! I’ve got a..a..uhm a…dwarf and i'm not afraid to use it!” Touya nearly dropped the creature in his hand, but forced himself to hold it out towards the others in the room.
“Looks like we’ve got a breather!” A tall, bigger built man..no..woman? Approached him, smiling and smacking him gleefully on the shoulder. Joined by a lizard looking thing and another thinner, but more muscled man.
“He’s still soft!” Said the lizard, inspecting the skin on Touya’s body as he switched to hold the dwarf at the creature.
“Oh leave him alone” Came the alluring soft voice that had dragged Touya down to where he was currently.
“A toast to the newlyweds!” The last of the trio spoke, his voice almost sounding as if there were multiple people talking. Touya inspected the trio as closely as he could, each of them were skeletal, missing parts of their flesh exposing the bones under their skin. Each of them had a different instrument on their backs.
“Newlyweds..Who are you..?” Touya startled at the phrase, dropping the dwarf at the sight of one final skeleton approaching him. A girl this time, a young one. Significantly shorter than the others, she couldn’t have been taller than 5,2, maybe she was a child? Touya thought to himself. Her bone was almost entirely exposed on the right side of her face and her arms and legs, even her torso was missing flesh. Her outfit was similar to that of a classical school uniform, the sort Touya had seen the female students of the academy near his estate attend. The girl was probably a student there?
She had long hair, it was blonde and messy, most of it halfway down her back and spiky, she stepped past the three taller individuals and her almost sickening sweet voice called out to Touya.
“Who are we?” She said, being cut off by the gentle voice behind her, a man’s voice Touya could finally decipher.
“Well, that's kind of a long story”
The girl got loud, and quick as if all her excitement had waited for this moment.
“Oh! And what a story it is, a tragic tale of romance, passion..
….and a murder most foul.”
The twin sounding voice in front of Touya immediately joined the girl in her excitement. “Ooh! This is gonna be good! Tell the story, Bonejangles!”
The entire room went silent as the girl spoke.
“Hit it boys.”
Touya turned and saw the other three pick up their instruments from their backs as music sounded from around them. The girl appeared behind Touya, a microphone before her as, much to Touya’s surprise she began singing to the tune of the instruments around her. It was like a party had begun, the story she told was practically poetry.
“Hey, give me a listen, I’ll tell you a story make a skeleton cry of our own jubiliciously lovely Corpse Bride”
The corpses and skeletons around him began to dance, he dropped the dwarf as it scurried away and he backed up into a corner, being surrounded by dancing skeletons.
“Well, our girl was a beauty known for miles around when a mysterious stranger came into town.” The girl practically bounced about the room as if the story she was telling wasn’t some tragic love story but instead a jazzy musical number.
Touya was in awe, from fear of amazement he was unclear but as the skeletons sang and danced he found himself naturally triggered as a fight and flight response. Trying to get away from the sound and bright lights around him, but he found that no matter where he went there were always skeletons waiting for him there.
“He was plenty good looking, but down on his cash, and our poor little baby, he fell hard and fast.”
“He?” Touya wasn’t sure if he’d heard her correctly, he turned to look to where he hoped the figure that dragged him down here still was and much to his surprise there, bopping his head along to the jazzy music was a man. A skinny, small, dainty looking man, but a man nonetheless. A man stood there, in a wedding dress. He had said his vows to a man, in a wedding dress. Fuck.
“When her daddy said no, she just couldn’t cope so our lovers came up with a plan to elope.”
Shadows looking like figures became present on the wall to the side of Touya, they looked familiar, the shorter of the two shadows looking like the corpse that had dragged him down here whereas the other looked like somebody he’d seen before, somebody he didn’t like the look of but he certainly knew them. Perhaps an acquaintance of his father? A chess mate of his mothers? He wasn’t sure.
“Come on boys, pick it up!” The girl jumped from the stage, microphone in hand as she approached Touya, circling him in an almost playful manner.
“Okay Himiko, take it” The muscled woman said, strumming her guitar strings harder. The smaller girl jumped at the opportunity, practically floating about the place.
“Now his mother’s wedding dress, fit like a glove, you don’t need much when you’re really in love, except a few things, or so I'm told.”
“Like the family jewels and a satchel of gold”
The figures shifted on the wall, the emerald light surrounding them fading in and out.
“Then next to the graveyard by the old oak tree, on a dark foggy night at a quarter to three, he was ready to go, and where was he?”
The other skeletons and corpses around Touya leaned into the space where the girl was standing, her microphone balancing as she spun it around in her hands.
“And then?” The lizard-looking corpse said.
“She waited.”
“And then..?” The twin sounding voice said tapping quietly on the drum in his hand, for atmosphere probably to weaken the sudden silence in the room.
“And there in the shadows, was it her man?
Her little heart beat so loud”
“And then…?” The older woman asked.
“And then baby, everything went black.”
Touya could finally breathe as he felt the ‘people’ around him dissipated and allowed him his space, he stepped back- his back colliding with a figure, he turned and came face to face with the bride.
“When she opened her eyes, she was dead as dust, her jewels were missing and her heart was bust. She made a vow Lying under that tree that she’d wait for her true love to come set her free”
The face of the thinner man was solemn, but in a peaceful way, he almost seemed happy with the situation that was surrounding them both. Touya wasn’t sure where was appropriate to look, he couldn’t deny that the man was beautiful, anybody with eyes could see that but something about the beauty was chilling and creepy, expected for a corpse he thought. Assuming that’s what the creature in front of him was.
“Then out of the blue comes this groovy young man, who vows forever to be by her side.”
Touya’s hand is grabbed by the man before him, a sweet smile taking to the smaller man’s face.
“And that’s the story of our Corpse Bride.”
The blonde skeletal girl bounced around Touya and the bride, tilting her top hat down towards Touya in an elegant manner before she smiled and laughed maniacally as she danced away, surrounded by a troupe of singing skeletons- including the older woman and the two other corpses.
“Die, die, we all pass away. But don’t wear a frown cause it’s really okay. You might try and hide and you might try and pray, but we all end up. The Remains of the Day.”
The laughter and music silenced around Touya until all that could be heard was the fading sound of the blonde girl’s voice as she giggled her way down the hall away from them both. Touya’s head felt cloudy, he didn’t know what to think or what he had just witnessed. He hoped it was some sort of sick dream that his wedding nerves had brought upon him, he hoped he had passed out at the Everglots and was just thinking the worst, but he knew. He knew this was actually happening.
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Back at the Everglot estate Keigo was in a frenzy, pacing back and forth in his mother’s tea room panic finally starting to set in.
“Sit Keigo, you look like a fool pacing back and forth like that. It’s very improper.” Hari said, a scowl on his face as he prompted his son to sit alongside him before directing his attention to the Van Dorts. “I knew this would be a foolish idea, does your family take us for fools?”
“No no! Not at all Lady Everglot, I’m sure he’ll be back soon. It’s dark, when he was a boy he was oh so terrified of the dark you-” Rei’s rambling was cut off by the page boy as he entered alongside Lord Barkis.
“I do hate to interrupt,” Barkis said, directing his attention to the page boy “But care to repeat tonight’s headline?”
“Hear ye, Hear ye! Touya Van Dort seen this night on the bridge in the arms of a mystery man!” The shorter green haired boy’s shout overtook the silenced room, his bell shaking rapidly in his hand as he found himself surrounded by aristocrats that he’d never imagine going anywhere near. “The light-haired temptress and Master Van Dort slipped away into the night!”
“Good, now get out.” Barkis practically threw a small coin at the younger boy as he just about sprinted out of the tea room, Barkis scoffed in annoyance as if he thought the rapid speed the child left in wasn’t nearly as fast as it should’ve been.
“Mystery man..? He doesn’t even know any men!” Rei exclaimed, rising from her seat to approach her husband who stood alongside Lord Everglot, only to sit back down at Enji’s sharp glare.
“Please, just give us a chance to find him before we do anything brash father..” Keigo spoke, practically begging his father to be more considerate, Keigo could almost exactly tell the cruel intentions behind his father’s stoic expression.
“Very well. Until dawn, if he is not found, I pray you and your wife will be gone by the time I find out he won’t be returning, for it won’t be pretty.” Kai said as he left the room, only to be followed by his wife, Lord Barkis and the two Van Dorts.
“Oh Touya darling…” Kei approached the window in the room, the rain poured outside the house, hitting the window as he gazed out. “Where are you..?”
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Touya ran. He couldn’t clear his thoughts so he ran, again. He wasn’t sure if the bride was following him but he didn’t care, he ran through hallway after hallway before coming to a cliff, which in his panic he began to climb.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher..
Until…
“Could’ve used the stairs silly”
His arm was grasped by a skeletal arm and dragged onto a platform over a balcony, in front of him once again stood the bride. Touya was captivated by him, he was enchanting to look at.
“Isn’t the view beautiful?” The thinner man said, sitting on a small bench opposite the balcony where Touya joined him on the crooked wood. “Well, it would if I had any.”
“Look..I’m terribly sorry but there’s been a misunderstanding, I’d like to help…Really! But..I need to get home.” Touya’s words all jumbled together barely coherent to the man sitting beside him.
“This is your home now.” The slimmer man said.
“But I don’t even know your name..” Touya added, it all seemed foolish to him until a voice popped up, a cloud of black smoke that quickly washed away after it uttered the words “Well, that’s a great way to start a marriage” to the corpse.
“Shut up!” The Corpse said, using his hand to brush away the thick smoke as it dissipated into the air.
“It’s Tomura..”
“Tomura..” Touya repeated the name to himself quietly, it fit the face so perfectly. An elegant name for an elegant person. Person? Creature? Lord knows what he should call the man in front of him at this rate.
“Oh! I almost forgot!” Tomura said, reaching behind him to pick up a gift box, it was torn a little at the sides and the light blue ribbon was more tattered than fabric, he placed the box into Touya’s lap. “I have something for you, it’s a wedding present.”
“Oh, uh, Thank you” Touya was surprised at the sudden movement of the box, he opened it to see a deep blue collar in it accompanied by a pile of bones. He dropped the box in a startle, clutching the collar and watching the bones roll out of the box.
Touya looked down at the collar’s tag, the name Shoto engraved into the metal, the name of Touya’s pet dog from when he was a child. The bones in front of him moved slightly, before beginning to form into a creature. As they came into their places, a quiet barking came from the pile. There in a state of nothing but bone- was Shoto. Barking and lively..well not ‘lively’ but excited.
“Shoto..? Shoto!” Touya practically jumped from his seat beside Tomura and knelt on the floor as the dog leaped into his lap.
“I knew you’d be happy to see him”
Touya began talking to Shoto, saying a number of tricks as Shoto went through them one after the other, just like when he was alive and breathing, it was as if he’d never died.
“Play dead,Shoto! Play dead.” Shoto whimpered and turned his head to the side as he looked up at Touya, all before it dawned on the man. “Oh, sorry boy.”
Tomura chuckled quietly “Oh what a cutie.”
“You should’ve seen him with fur” Touya took his seat back next to Tomura, lifting Shoto into his lap and petting him as the excited dog jumped up in his lap. “Mother never approved of Shoto jumping up like this, but then again, she never approved of anything, nor did father.”
“Do..Do you uhm.” Tomura sighed as he went over the words in his head. “Do you think she would’ve approved of me?”
“You’re lucky you’ll never have to meet her” Touya laughed pitifully, reminiscing the realisation of how little his parents truly cared for his well being, Touya wasn’t even certain if they were currently looking for him, he rather though that if he didn't return, his parents would force his responsibility onto a new child that they would undoubtedly have if this didn’t work out.
His parents would probably hope for a girl if that became what was happening, somebody they could force into marriage at a young age, rather than waiting until she became of age. Touya had often overheard his parents talk about what action they would take if Touya’s marriage didn’t fix everything. He knew of a maid they had in his home who had a young daughter, Fuyumi, if Touya failed it was highly likely that as the nobles of the house, they would force the girl away from her mother and claim her their own and marry her off in fraudulence. He wouldn’t put it past his parents.
“Well actually.” A somewhat intelligent idea came to Touya’s mind, his normally quite cocky state returning to him to provide him with such a thought. “I think you should, now that we’re married, you definitely should meet her”
Tomura’s face lit up, he was actually really excited at the idea, Touya actually wanted him as his and wanted to introduce him to his family. Somebody finally wanted to love Tomura, somebody other than Kurogiri and Sako, who’d practically taken him in after he’d died.
“And my father too, we should go and see them right now”
“What an excellent idea! Where are they buried?” Tomura stood, clapping his hands together in joy.
“Oh well..they’re still alive..”
“Oh I see, that is a problem.”
Shoto barked, pawing at the bottom of Tomura’s dress.
“What’s that, Sho? Oh no, we couldn’t possibly.” Another bark from Shoto and possibly the cutest but emptiest puppy dog eyes ever had Tomura thinking. “Well if you put it like that..”
“What? What is he saying..?” Touya stood, looking down at the small dog in front of him, Sho was still pawing down at Tomura, so Touya picked him up and petted him in his arms.
“Elder Gutknecht”
. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ ..
The pair made their way to a much taller building that was unlike any building Touya had ever seen before, It looked a little like a run down church, but something about it made it completely unfamiliar to the boy, it could’ve been the sheer size of the building, it could’ve been the amount of cracks, and twists and turns on the steps as he and Tomura climbed them. Maybe it was the creaking floorboards or the fact that there was only one singular lantern, but Toyya knew for sure he wanted to spend as little time in the building as he could physically manage, no matter the cost.
“Elder Gutknecht!” Tomura called out a little too familalary for Touya’s liking. The pair stopped as they heard footsteps, quiet ones, so quiet they were lucky they caught them at all, but they were as fast as they were quiet. Tomura called out the name again, and nothing, no footsteps this time.
“Hello? Is anyone home..?” He called out again, the corpse proceeded through the building a slight spring in his step as if he couldn’t care less about the fact he is literally dragging his new husband around who was still in quite a state of shock.