|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:00 am
He shied back again, twisting a tattered, moth eaten and blood-stained scarf between mismatched, knobbly fingers. "You are very pretty," He said softly, eyes darting up and down her form before gingerly reaching for her hand to lead her back a few steps, "P-pleathe, make yourthelf comfortable," His scarred lips twitched into a hopeful smile as she was practically pushed (in the most polite way he could manage) into a heavy wooden chair. "I hawe to finith before Mathter returnth but... but... but a few momentth thould be alright..."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:11 am
"T-thank you." She managed to smile, albeit it was a small and shaky one. She hadn't gotten an answer to her question, but that was fine--perhaps he simply didn't want to share his name with her. She wouldn't prod if that was the case.
Xiu let herself be pushed into the chair without too much resistance, but from the way that she immediately scooted forward to perch on the edge, it was evident that she was still nervous. She wasn't sure what could possibly happen, really, but the general atmosphere was making her a bit antsy. At least the boil seemed rather nice? She tilted her head at the Igor and cleared her throat.
"F-finish? Finish what, may I ask?" And who was his master, she wondered?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:14 am
"Cleaning mothtly. It'th boring, really boring, and itth newer clean enough for him..." He mumbled, trying to ease her back in the chair before casually buckling one of the straps on the arm-wrest around one of her slender wrists. That done, he hobbled uneasily around to the other side to repeat the process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:23 am
Before Xiu could ask who this "him" referred to (his master obviously, but who was his master?), she was vaguely aware of something of something wrapping around her wrist. By the time she had looked down to investigate, her other wrist had been strapped down as well. What in the--
"...W-what are you doing?" She whimpered, tugging hard as she attempted to wriggle free from the confines. There was a good reason for this, right? He was just...just...
...No, she couldn't really think of a reason why the hunchback would trap her in the chair. Struggling more violently now, the Baku emitted a little whimper. "P-please let me out of here." In her panic, she began to forget one very important fact: that this was a dream, and only a dream.
If it had crossed her mind, perhaps she could have tried to get out of there or attempted to devour the nightmare (well, she wasn't sure if it was the Igor's nightmare, but this was definitely turning into one for her) and find a way out. But no, she was too distracted trying to get free, her heart thudding violently in her chest as she wondered just what the boil's plans were.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:41 am
"Jutht hold thtill a moment," He was still smiling meekly as he swung the metal bar around that would keep her legs from kicking with a metallic clap, and he was humming quietly under his breath as he trotted away to root behind the workbench for the proper tools to entertain a lady of her caliber.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 2:06 am
"W-what are you going to do?" She clearly seemed upset by this suddenly turn of events, now struggling to free her wrists and her legs as the bar was moved into place. Oh, what had she gotten herself into?
Sure, she had gotten self-defense lessons from Roch and Levi, but she could put either of those to the test when she was strapped down to a chair! And...where was he going?! Xiu gave another sharp tug, wincing as she realized how red her wrist area was becoming from the abuse. "R-really, please, just let me go! I...I'm sorry for coming down here without permission!"
A small part of her tried to convince herself that she was overreacting--maybe this boil really didn't have bad intentions. But again, she was having a great deal of trouble wondering why she had to be strapped to the chair if this was the case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:37 pm
"Oh, itth quite alright... I don't get company wery often," The hunchback replied conversationally as he emerged with an armful of tools which he carefully, methodically laid out on the table next to the chair. He let them sit for now, picking up a fabric tape measure to measure the length of her arm from shoulder to elbow, and then from elbow to wrist before moving around, "Ethpethially pretty oneth," His voice was breathless as he hovered around to the other side of the chair, positively beside himself as he gave her hair a long, loving sniff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 3:19 pm
Xiu's panicking spiked up when she noticed the all tools that he suddenly returned with. Those...those weren't all going to be used on her, were they? The fact that he was measuring her arm didn't help alleviate her fears either, and she thought back to what he said before: the fact that she had "nice parts".
The thought made her shiver.
She leaned away with another whimper when he leaned in close and sniffed at her. Oh Jack, why had she thought that coming down here was a good idea? She kept getting these flashes through her head of walking out of here as a patchwork Baku or, worse yet, not at all.
If only someone else was here to save me. Even though she knew it was futile, Xiu strained against the bounds again. It made her feel better to try something rather than just sit there docilely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:39 pm
The Igor made a gleeful noise in his throat, moving around to pick up the glistening bone saw, "Itth amathing, really. Not allowed to do thith at thchool, get in trouble. Don't want trouble." He wiped a cloth along it's seraded edge before moving around to her front again.
The ground suddenly felt odd, vibrating subtly as a growing low rumble inched it's way into their hearing, but the madman with the saw didn't seem to hear it, "Itth not quite the thame with corptheth... You don't get that... that FEELING... Leg? Arm? I'm tho exthited I don't know where to-"
There was a loud crack and suddenly the creature's head went flying onto Xiu's lap with a groan, the decapitated body slumping to the ground to shatter into parts as a large black blur rushed past. It veered around the work bench in a swerve before coming to a stop. It was a motorcycle- or perhaps the shadow of what a motorcycle always dreamed of being, black iron twisted into a fearsome shape with glowing red headlight eyes, somewhere between a bowing horse or a crouching panther. It's rider quickly remounted the shovel onto his back before leaping from his machine to kick the head away before it could come-to. "Quick!" He hissed, tearing the restraints free before grabbing her hand to drag her towards the monstrous motorbike, "It's not safe here!" Whoever it was, he was master of the obvious, no doubt.
He was, though, undoubtedly familiar. The same seams and patches, and mismatched hair, but much taller than the cowering Igor that had tried to trap her- He was still hunched, but it was more like a permanent slouch than anything, face handsome in a rugged, earthy sort of way.
"Mathter....! Mathterrr!" The Igor on the floor cried like a wailing child as the head rolled under the workbench.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:53 pm
Xiu vaguely recalled Roch teaching her that she should scream in dire situations to scare off the attacker, but when she saw the saw, it was pure instinct and fear that made the ordinarily quiet Baku shriek with terror. This was followed by yet another scream--an even louder one--when her captor's head landed right in her lap.
She could barely process what was happening--the motorcycle, the rider saving her, and the Igor's head that had been kicked aside--when she suddenly felt the rider grab her hand. For a second, she resisted and tried to jerk her hand free. Was it really a good idea to go with them? But then again, as he said, it definitely wasn't safe here. She cast a shaky look towards the decapitated body before nodding, obediently allowing herself to get pulled along.
However, Xiu was given quite a start when she looked up at her savior. To her surprise, she found that he looked...well, similar, at the very least. Definitely not exactly the same as her captor, but there were little things that were the same between them...
"W-who are you? Who was that?" Eyes wide, she shot a glance behind her, searching for the head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 5:57 pm
"Complicated," Was what she was given as he lifted her onto the back of the bike before climbing on himself and they both surged forward, the pathetic, wailing creature's cries becoming dimmer as they bolted down a hallway she hadn't noticed before. Dreams were often convenient like that. The laboratory gave away to somber dark walls lit by torches that flitted past, highlighting in those brief instances shimmering skulls inlaid into the walls- a crypt. Or a catacomb by the looks of things as the device under them surged around a turn before practically flying up a flight of stairs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:09 pm
The motorbike was far faster than Xiu had anticipated, and she clung on for dear life as the scenery swept by. The Baku was stuck between squeezing her eyes shut out of fear, or keeping them open so that she could see where they were going.
She decided on the latter, which proved to be much tougher than she thought, as the air rushed past them and straight into her eyes. Still, she managed to make out a bit of their surroundings, taking in the skulls with a shiver. "...W-what is this pla--!"
Xiu's question ended with a yelp as they suddenly took a sharp turn. Terrified that she would be flung off, she clung harder and shut her eyes, her heart beating so hard that she was worried she was going to have an attack. Where were they going?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:41 pm
Her rescuer didn't answer, or if he did it was caught in the wind as light erupted around them, the bike flying up the steps and into the air before landing heavily in the graveyard beyond. He finally slowed, swerving around a stone monument they could hide behind while catching their breath. Even so, he leaned around the edge as though checking to see if they were followed.
Already, the sky was filling with birds, silently circling the dim sky up above. Searching? Or waiting?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 9:21 pm
When they finally stopped for a bit, the Baku found that she was quivering quite violently. Xiu wasn't sure whether it was from the fact she had nearly lost her limbs, or from the terror of driving on a motorcycle at such a high speed. It was probably a combination of both of those things, but the latter was at least a little bit exciting. The former had just been downright horrifying.
She briefly watched as the rider seemingly checked for something, and then her gaze flew up towards the birds in the sky above. This whole place was giving her an uneasy feeling, though she wasn't sure if there was any real reason for her to be afraid.
At least this person--the one who rescued her--seemed trustworthy. ...Hopefully?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:35 pm
"You need to leave," He said pointedly, finally turning back to her with a determined expression. "I was bad. They're going to-" He didn't get to finish as the ground suddenly rumbled before up heaving out from under them, Patchwork-rescuer, Dream-walker and motorcycle alike being thrown as headstones leaped into the air.
The rescuer gave a snarl, scrambling to his feet as his left arm suddenly was covered by a rusty bronze shield, his hair and coat whipping around him- something was emerging from under them, the distant opening to the catacombs erupting with shattered stone. "Go! Run now!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
