Synopsis: In a world where one's zodiac sign determines one's looks and abilities, a Capricorn learns the dangers of crossing a seemingly harmless Pisces.
Author's Note: No idea why, it just gives me great pleasure to know Gilbert is older than Serge by two months. Also, at the end of this story, I go into great depths about this universe that I made just for this, so if you're interested, I encourage reading that as well!
Warning: There's some OOCness to better fit the characters' zodiac signs. Based on that, do know that I'm not an expert in astrology nor how accurate the zodiac descriptions will be, as this is based on what is generally said about the signs presented or mentioned. This was written purely to be entertaining without making any assumptions so I hope this doesn't offend anyone.
When the Earth Touched the Water
With a bored gaze, Gilbert sat still and watched the Piscean boy before him reach out to touch his horns, his deep brown eyes filled with awe. He wanted to scoff at the gesture for he acted as if he's never encountered a Capricorn before. The white horns atop his blond head were like any other Capricorn's - long and twisted and pointing towards the back, strong and unyielding when need be. It would take the strongest known metals in the world to break them with ease, yet this boy preferred to handle them with gentle strokes, almost seeming to be afraid of grabbing them.
This was not what he had in mind when these two crossed paths at the river in the middle of the forest. He had meant to refill his canteen for the long walk back to the school, only to find the water occupied by a swimming Pisces. He then had second thoughts, believing the water to have been tainted, and was about to turn and leave before he found himself noticed. He would've ignored him altogether if he hadn't been startled by the boy's sudden exclamation of "You have horns!" and then asking for permission to see them up close.
Of course he said no in the beginning. After all, this sort of behavior was to be expected from a Pisces, whom based on his past experiences never understood how to take proper caution around strangers, naïve as they can be. In the usual circumstances, if he declined something they'd ask from him, they'd know how to take no for an answer.
"Please? It won't be long!" But this Pisces, this was a stubborn one. "I know that uniform you're wearing. You attend Lacombrade Academy, the school north of here, right? I'll refill that canteen of yours for your trip back if you let me see your horns!"
And there it was, that keen intuition every water-oriented zodiac possessed, something beheld by the earth signs whom themselves were more drawn to logic. Gilbert could look into the boy's eyes and clearly see that he had no hidden motives, but knowledge of intuition such as his always did spark a bit of fear in him. Only then did he agree to his request, coming closer and sitting on his knees at the riverbank while the Pisces stood in front of him with the bottom half of his waist still submerged. It didn't take long for him to be dissatisfied with just examining them.
He sighed, and seeing that that did nothing to break the other out of his trance, he decided to focus on the boy himself. The water gave his raven curls a glossy look unless that's how they've always been, the same going for his sun-kissed skin. Patches of turquoise scales aligned the sides of his forearms and torso as well as the crooks of his neck, where his gills could be made out in the midst of them, reminding the blond of his own peeking out from behind his hair.
People from either of their signs shared the ability to survive both on land and in the water. What differentiated the two was that it was necessary for those of this specific sign to have constant exposure to water lest they dehydrate or their scales become brittle and crack in the heat; it was as painful as having one's horns being treated with harsh tugs. Back at the school, there were very few Piscean students attending for that very reason, most preferring to board at schools located closer to the coast. The ones there usually had to skip out on physical training and avoid the sun on warmer days, and were required to carry their canteens with them at all times. Any slip-ups resulted in a couple to several hours in the infirmary.
"Your horns are so beautiful!" the noirette murmured under his breath, cheeks turning a rosy red that complimented his beaming smile. "I've never gotten to see a Capricorn up close before. I must give my most sincere thanks to the stars for meeting you!"
Now that got Gilbert's attention. "'Never'?" he repeated. "Surely you're exaggerating."
"Not at all! Where I live, my aunt doesn't let me interact with other people unless I'm supposed to entertain them, so any Capricorn's I have met I've only seen from a distance. That, and none of my private tutors were Capricorn's. If I have seen any up close like this, I might've been too young to remember."
"Is that so..." It was to be expected, though: Pisces tend to end up more sheltered from the world due to their physical conditions.
However, the boy didn't appear to look like those at Lacombrade Academy, setting his out of place skin color aside. Unlike the boys at school, his complexion lacked the commonplace wanness, and did his body look to be too thin or weak from a lack of exercise. Rather, by the look of his visibly bare chest and arms, he looked to be fairly toned with a very healthy glow. It might have something to do with having those aforementioned private tutors keeping him in independent studies, meaning he let no part of him suffer while he stayed at home.
Even a Capricorn such as himself had to appreciate good looks when presented to him.
Snapping twigs caused both boys to turn their heads in the direction of the bushes. A tall silhouette made its way through the foliage towards them until a pair of long curved horns atop a head of dark, poorly kept hair entered the sunlight. There stood a young Taurus man now leaning against a tree, his tail swishing lazily behind him.
Upon instinct, Gilbert recoiled in disgust at the sight, also withdrawing from the Piscean boy's touch. Dammit, he found me...
"What are you doing here, Dren?" he called out.
The Taurus flashed a smirk. "I should be the one asking you that instead, shouldn't I, Gilbert?" He took a step forward, Gilbert scooting himself closer to the edge of the riverbank in response. "You caused me a lot of frustration when you ran off like that without paying me back for my services. No way am I letting you head back to the school until I get what's rightfully mine."
"What, so fifteen minutes wasn't enough for you, you greedy pig? That's more than enough of my time for your lame excuse of a history essay!"
Beside him, his new companion looked between both of them in confusion. He managed to get the Taurus's attention by raising his hand. "Umm... I don't mean to intrude on the conversation, but... 'services'? 'Fifteen minutes'? What are you two talking about?"
Dren gave the Pisces a once-over, fully acknowledging his presence this time. "The name's Jack Dren." He gestured towards Gilbert. "You're aware that Capricorn's will do anything to get what they want, right? This one got what he wanted, but he didn't pay back the favor the way he should've. Capricorn's like him can be quite unfair when they're moody." The blond clenched his fists into the ground, gathering wet grass and bits of mud into his hands, glaring daggers at the older student for the things he said about him.
Even then, however, the Pisces did not grasp what he was told. "But, he's been nice to me all this time. He let me touch his horns, even after he at first said no."
Dear stars, just how naïve is he?!
"Believe me, he'll betray you, too, if you don't satisfy him," Dren assured him whilst cracking his knuckles. "Now, as long as you don't say anything, you can do whatever you want to Gilbert after I'm done with him, got it?"
His eyes widened, and for a second, Gilbert swore he saw something flash in front of those doe-like browns. From the corner of his eye, he recognized a tiny whirlpool forming in the water behind the boy. A heavy weight gathered in his stomach and he knew it meant a sudden change in both the river and the ground beneath them itself was about to occur. Perhaps Dren was too distracted by his own intentions in mind, for as an earth sign like the Capricorn himself, he should've also been able to detect something wrong, but he made no reaction to show he even knew what was happening. He only began to make his way closer to them and therefore the river.
Raven curls swayed to one side with a tilt of the head. "What are you... going to do to him...?"
"Oh, nothing too drastic, if he behaves."
"You mean, you're going... you're going to hurt him...?"
Was Gilbert the only one aware of the water rushing faster than usual, the whirlpool growing larger? To avoid what must be to come, he slowly inched away from the other.
After all, as one of the four mutable zodiacs, that meant Pisces were the most capable of-
Gushing water and Dren's gargled screams interrupted his thoughts. Now the roles have switched with him being the one in awe, unable to say anything as he witnessed water shoot out of the river with the strength of geysers, pummel the Taurus to the ground, and return into a spiraling pillar towering behind the Piscean boy, whose eyes had changed from a soft brown to a blue glowing brighter than his scales. He wore no particular expression on his face, which was in truth discomforting and made him all the more terrifying. Once Dren found it in him to scramble back to unsteady feet, his lips curled into the slightest frown.
Fear coursed through both earth signs and chilled them to the bone. This was the strength of the mutable water sign, who when at full health could be trained to demonstrate the highest proficiency in magic according to their aligned element.
"I was hoping to avoid putting so much energy into just one attack," he said, "so I thought using only a quarter of my power would help." He sighed. "It's as how my instructors warned me, I guess: I still have a long way to go before I can fully master control over my powers simply because I have too much."
That was only a quarter?! Gilbert, and maybe Dren as well, couldn't help but wonder.
"Either way, I believe my position on the matter is clear..." Turning to the Capricorn, he had a smile on his face again. "Your name's Gilbert, yes? I might not know you, but I like you a lot, Gilbert; I was touched by how you were kind enough to let me be this close to you. Refilling your canteen won't be enough to repay you for that, so I hope being your friend will suffice!" Not seeming to mind there being a lack of words, he looked back to Dren with newfound determination. In his raised hand, his middle finger and thumb pressed together.
"Oh, and by the way, my name is Serge. Serge Battour."
He snapped his fingers, triggering the pillar of water to hit Dren full-on one more time, sending him onto his back with no chance of getting back up on his own as it poured down on him, purposely positioned to avoid submerging his face the way it did so before. The earth shook from the pressure alone.
Gilbert had never been filled with so much combined admiration and fear for another, not in such a long time. He could bring himself to do nothing else except watch the Taurus be beaten down for what felt like an extra minute or so until he heard the snap of Serge's fingers again, when the water retracted back into the river, everything becoming peaceful as it was in the beginning. Maybe he'd decided the punishment lasted long enough?
In the midst of Dren's groaning, for he was somehow still barely conscious, the noirette leaned forward to rest his upper half against the earth of the riverbank. No longer were his eyes a glowing blue but their ordinary brown. His chest heaved, trying to balance out his labored breaths with deeper ones. Gilbert saw right away that though he must be a powerful Pisces, he lacked the control to sustain himself when using a lot of magic in a short time span.
"... I never asked for your help," he was able to say after recovering his ability to speak. "You exhausted yourself over a stranger, and for what? So we can be friends?"
But Serge surprised him further by responding with a laugh. No matter how tired it sounded, it had this oddly lovely ring to it that the light breeze surrounding them carried through the air. It eased the tension right away.
"What's so funny?"
"... Well, you see, you would be my first real friend. My aunt kept me home because she thought I was a danger to myself and to the family name, that with one mistake I would be more of a disgrace than ever. The staff there was kind, but they were too old to bond with. It felt like a prison there... I ran away from home to make friends."
Around him, the water lapped against the riverbank, occasionally meeting the grass at the top. He basked in the gentle sunbeams pouring through the thick trees above. "It was hard living on my own, but I survived long enough that my aunt finally agreed to send me school, where I can interact with people normally! As long as I can control my magic, she'll let me stay until it's time for me to attend university." He chuckled again. "What's more, I got to make a friend out here by myself. I met you!"
Why he felt his cheeks heat up then, the Capricorn was unsure about. He didn't have any friends of his own to speak of, not with the reputation he's built up at school. As strong as he was, Serge put too much trust in him for someone he'd just met. He could get hurt if he didn't understand what he'd get into by associating himself with him.
However, when he saw how happy he was, a smile that reached his honey brown eyes - a combination overly saccharine for his own tastes - he was overcome with gratitude towards the stars for their chance encounter. The stars have never gifted him so graciously the way they did today. School was a place where he was cast aside from every group, every social, every opportunity to get anywhere by himself. No one cared to interact with him unless it was in their benefit. Because of this, he'd decided he'd treat everyone else the same way.
After all, he preferred the cold treatment there over being kept under the harsh gaze and cruel touch of a certain Scorpio awaiting him at home. He'd stopped believing in the stars for some time, but something about this Piscean boy was bringing him to come back around...
With a slight smirk, Gilbert decided to fully introduce himself. "Gilbert Cocteau. I look forward to being friends with you, Serge."
Serge's smile widened at that, and between them, a small splash of water landed atop the dirt. "The feelings are of course mutual! I'm glad that this makes up for- Oh!" He then gasped, having must remembered something. "Your canteen! It's getting quite late, so I should refill it and get dressed. That way, we can make it to the school without either of us getting into trouble!"
"... 'We'?" 'Either of us'?
Recognizing the blond's confusion, he turned to point at some large rocks along the riverbank in the distance. Sure enough, a very familiar set of clothes were laid out over there to remain dry.
An identical copy of Gilbert's school uniform.
"Gilbert, you're lucky you're only five minutes late this time. Any longer than that would have marked it the third time this week you've arrived after sundown."
The Capricorn in question bit back a groan, pushing his bangs to the side as he passed the scolding Virgo at the front gate. It was nightfall by the time a successful trip back to Lacombrade Academy was made from the river. His feet were aching so much that he could care less for tardiness as of that moment. What mattered more to him was the fact that he knew dinner had just started, meaning he could grab food while he still had the chance-
"You should stop leaving the school and coming back late like this. The student superintendent has established punishments for leaving the school grounds as often as you do, you know-"
"Enough with the incessant nagging, Karl," he finally spoke. "I'm here, aren't I? I'm also tired, so I can go without anything else that keeps me from having a much-deserved meal and a good night's rest." And stop following, for stars' sake.
Seeing that his mind has been made up, the dormitory dean stopped in his tracks to let out a soft huff and shake his head. The single stalk of wheat tucked behind his ear did not budge one bit with the movement. "Consider yourself lucky I was the one in charge of closing the gates tonight... Oh!" Now ahead of him, Gilbert heard him jump, something to be expected given his focus had been solely on the former until then. "Have you always been with us? M-My apologies! Allow me to introduce myself: I am Karl Meiser, the dormitory dean for Class B students, and I apologize again for not noticing you."
Beside the Virgo, Serge chuckled, standing there with his arms leisurely folded behind his back as he's kept it during his and Gilbert's walk together. "It's alright, my aunt always did say I had a way with scaring people with my presence, intentionally or not... Karl Meiser, you said was your name? I am Serge Battour. If you're one of the deans, then you must have been notified about my enrollment here as a student starting tomorrow."
"Why, yes! That must mean you're Gilbert's new roommate!"
Gilbert froze and did an immediate about-face, spinning on his heel to stare at the two boys behind him. No way, there was no way the stars could have come into such a perfect alignment on this day. Yes, he and Serge did talk over the course of walking back to the school, and the latter did mention he was going to be a Class B student, but they hadn't put any thought into whose room he would be staying in. They should have taken a guess in consideration that Gilbert's room was the only one left vacant in their building.
The two looked to each other. A joyful glint shone in one's brown eyes, intrigue and a strange enthusiasm entering emerald greens. Serge and Gilbert. A Pisces and a Capricorn. Water and earth. Neither of them could even begin to imagine what keeping them together could possibly unfold. Only the stars would be able to tell.
Simultaneously, they shared a grin. So be it.
Author's Note: And scene! I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I hope to expand on this universe I'm slowly creating as I go!
Allow me to explain some things about how KazeKi ties into this universe. Feel free to read or skip to the bottom so you can leave a comment on my writing (*hint-hint*).
This is a universe I've been creating that's inspired by my love (and unreasonably extended research) for the zodiac signs. Here, reproduction is based on the time at which a person is born, even though they may still have their parents' physical and some personality traits. That means that it's ultimately up to a person's date of birth to determine the "otherworldly" traits, such as Serge having patches of scales on his skin and Gilbert having horns. For other zodiacs that are not associated with an animal, such as Karl, whom I headcanon as a Virgo for accuracy reasons, they pertain special items or skills related to their sign; the stalk of wheat behind Karl's ear represents how his sign is related to the harvest season.
On top of that, what better way to make this even more of a fantasy world than add magic, right? Because the mutable signs for each of the four natural elements - Sagittarius for fire, Virgo for earth, Gemini for wind, and Pisces for water - are associated with adaptability and flexibility, this universe recognizes individuals born under these signs as having the best compatibility with elemental magic. And then, of course that meant I had to make Serge the stereotypical OP magic-using anime protagonist. In comparison, as a cardinal sign, Gilbert the Capricorn won't have as much magical prowess, but he makes up for it with his physical abilities such as his horns and his ability to survive both on land and in the water. Jack Dren, whom I put into the story as a Taurus, is a fixed sign, making him the least likely to control powerful magic and so relies more on physical strength.
While all of this was fun to develop, the simplest aspect of this universe that was one of my personal favorites to create was that there is no God. People in this universe instead believe in "the stars", something I mention throughout this story, which are the celestial beings that brought life and uniqueness of character into this world. What's more, because of this, people are free to choose how they worship the stars, as there are no specific "guidelines" to follow for all people. Even though Serge might still be stigmatized for his bloodline, and Gilbert might still be infamous for his promiscuity, society here in general has our modern day's open-mindedness; people here are defined by what they make of their reputation rather than their race or sexuality. And due to this sort of thinking, conflicts that involved Auguste are more likely to be solved, and that's something I'll be sure to add onto when giving more depth to Gilbert.
As you can tell, there's so much that I want to cover on this universe I've given birth to! I haven't even gotten started on what this means for zodiac cusps or the signs outside of Western astrology like the Chinese zodiacs. I want to make characters of each and every sign as unique as possible in their own ways, just as I've done with Serge and Gilbert (but mostly Serge, haha).
So, by making this into a fully fleshed-out story, what could this mean for our boys in the future? For one thing, a lack of strict, closeminded social constructs will make it easier for Serge and Gilbert to potentially enter a relationship. For another, while Serge is technically the OP anime protagonist, Gilbert is going to be the real protagonist of this story, so that means he's going to go through a lot of development. Only the stars will be able to tell what's up my sleeve!
Until then, I hope you guys enjoyed this! Again, please leave a review about your thoughts on what I have in mind!