Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne.
A/N: I love that you all like my story! Unlike "The Painting", there won't be the chick in the middle. It'll be Van and Hitomi all the way! Hehe! Well, I hope you continue to review and I love you all!
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Just Communication
Chapter II: Loving Hate
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Folken laid in bed, a female figure at each side of him. With luxurious silk sheets and a roaring fire next to the bed, it was a vision of royal splendor. Reaching over the silver catgirl to the right of him, he picked up the heavy gold crown. Looking into the large energist jewels, he frowned at the man in there. This man was resentful, cold, and childish in his mannerisms. Most of all, he carried deep hatred.
When fate had chosen Van to be king, he rejoiced at the freedom of remaining a prince for the rest of his days. But fate decided to evilly change its mind and take the body of the gentle old horse. And with it, the kingdom was given to him. Ever since that day, he was living a nightmare. He could no longer marry the twin catwomen he so desperately loved. The only thing he could do was to make them the worse thing imaginable, his mistresses. But they stayed true to him and willingly were reduced to that title.
So in turn, he hated his brother. Many times he tried to kill him while training him to swordfight. But his love for him stayed his hand. Even though he hated Van with a passion, he still held a deep brotherly love for him. And he didn't want to hurt their sister Merle, who was so attached to Van, by slaughtering him mercilessly.
Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to kill him because he was still needed to do his work for him and write speeches. But he didn't want to face him every second of the day. Maybe he could sell him into a priesthood. He could still write the speeches and he'd be locked up into a monastery. Only that would take time with a middleman to send back and forth letters.
And then he finally figured out the most perfect way. Tonight, he'll be moved into the basements with only a simple bed and a desk. All he'd tell Merle was that he contracted a rare skin disease and any ray of sunlight would be fatal. Smirking to himself, he got out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and left to tell the servants to prepare it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Van was back at the book and trinket shop. He had written more into the story, leaving Tivel thinking at night about the mysterious Hineto. Hitomi sat in the corner, happily studying the shape of a statue of two lovers. Long and sensual fingers traced their way down the hip of the woman and then over her calves and to the heel of her foot. Then, her leg came to the man's waist and up his side. Caressing the hard stone muscles on his chest, her fingers traced around broad shoulders and up a strong neck to a well sculpted head.
Suddenly, she shuddered and gasped. "Van must not leave. He'll be alone!: she yelled. Clutching her head, she quietly cried. He knelt in front of her and placed his hands over hers.
'What do you mean 'don't leave'?' he demanded in his mind as she struggled to get away from him.
"You mustn't go! You'll be so alone. Please don't be alone..." she said, whispering at the end. Quickly, she pulled him in an embrace. She was warm to him, soothing as well. Her being reminded him of his mother, the Late Queen Varie. Everything about her was gentle and kind and she always smelled of sweet foods. And her death hurt him the most. His father's passing was hard enough but for a year, he had to watch her slowly waste away until she was a cold corpse in her warm and comforting bed.
Gently, he pulled the shaded glasses from her face. The palest of sky blue had captured her eyes in a blind beauty. Small flecks of emerald green, what he presumed to be her normal eye color sparkled at him. They quivered and stared blankly at him.
Moving her hands shyly to his face, she frowned in concentration. Gliding her fingertips over his forehead, she slowly moved over his eyes and traced a finger along his regal and perfect nose. Her hands then sensuously danced across his cheeks and strong jaw line. As they traced across his lips, they stopped. Placing her left hand on his right shoulder, she traced her right index finger over the velvety texture. Blushing, she pulled herself away and placed her hands on her lap.
"I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." She apologized and stood up. She walked quickly to her room and closed the door. Quietly, he got up and walked up to the door.
Knocking firmly, he waited for her to reply. "Who is it?" she asked from inside. He just stood there stuck. He couldn't communicate to her through words, that was a fact. And surely he couldn't sign to her because she was blind. The gods were probably laughing at him in this minor turmoil inside of him.
Retreating sadly away from the door, he left to the front of the house, the storefront. Mamoru caught sight of him as he walked in with food for dinner. "Hey Van! Dinner should be ready soon if you want to stay." he said happily. Placing the parcels down in the kitchen, he pulled out a bag of a few potatoes and started peeling.
Van cleared his throat to get Mamoru's attention. "Your sister freaked out a while ago. She says if I go back home, I'll be alone." he signed in confusion. He nodded his head and went back to peeling potatoes.
"Yeah, that's her power. She probably had a vision." he said matter-of- factly. The prince blinked in even more confusion.
"How would she get a vision? How would she understand it if she's blind?" he signed again.
"Well she's had a lot of visions in her lifetime. So many that she can be able to distinguish what is what."
"But she said my name. How would she know what I look like?" he signed. Looking back to the potatoes, he peeled the last few.
"Well, even though she can't see with her eyes, she has sight in her mind. It's very complicated to explain but her mind gives her the same images her eyes would." he said and began to chop them lightly in to the bowl.
Van knocked on the table to retrieve his attention. "Do you two live alone? Where are your parents? Or Family?" he mentioned.
Mamoru's eyes saddened. "Father left us when Hitomi was born. He was a very prideful man and despised the fact of having a daughter, plus a blind one. And Mother became sad and longed for Father to come back. And a few months later, broke and hungry, he crawled back to her. Stupidly enough, she took him back."
Van frowned and looked down. Mamoru pulled out the sausage and cut them up into good sized chunks.
"Well, a year later, she had me and I became the son that my father always wanted. He'd parade me around the town while Hitomi would be locked up in her room wearing shabby clothes. A few years after that, Mother fell ill and Father never cared enough to get her a good doctor. She died while I was seven."
"As time went by, he married a local prostitute that he was paying for her sexual favors. She was the ugliest and most cruel hag. She hated us equally. But she only pampered me because I was Father's favorite. Hitomi, on the other hand, was beaten and bruised by her and Father would just sit back and sadistically laugh. I could only take it for a while, nursing her injuries and sneaking her some real food, rather than the slop they gave her."
"One time, after I had come back from my schooling, I had caught the wench beating her until she was bloody. I fought with her, pleading for her to stop but she turned her assault towards me. So, I grabbed grandfather's sword from the mantle and killed her. Leaving her body on the floor, I helped Hitomi wash up and calmed her crying. Taking the sword, I sat at the kitchen table, looking down at her bloody form."
"I must have gone insane from watching the blood ooze from her, her cold black eyes staring at me in dead misbelief. When my father came home, he called me. Hearing no reply, he walked in and stumbled across her body. Before he could speak, I had slain him as well. Cleaning up the blood and the sword, I had dragged their bodies out in a sack to the river and tossed them in. Of course you know that there is a waterfall and under that, a water cavern that sinks into an abyss. So, inspectors came in and asked where they were. I simply said that they ran off together to a place unknown and wasn't likely to come back."
"Brother? I need help with my dress." said Hitomi, who came to the kitchen. Van looked to her and then Mamoru in question. Putting down the knife and dumping the sausage in the bowl, he walked up to her.
"Why do you want to change dresses? The one you have on is fine." he asked as he picked her up. She smiled as she cuddled up into his embrace.
"That's for me to know and you to know later." she said jokingly. "You're getting stronger."
"If you'd excuse me Van; I must help my sister for a moment." he said as they retreated to the hall and into her room.
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The tragic Hineto and her brother only had each other in the hard world of peasantry. But they were kind. They shared their somewhat fair food with Tivel, who was used to more hearty portions of food but surprisingly loved it. He observed Hineto the most though. The way she would play hide and seek with the local children and always found them intrigued him. She was always so graceful that she didn't seem to be blind at all.
He'd watch her as she would sew with ease, mending the children's dolls and dresses. Each stitch was masterfully sewn in and the things would come out better than before. And she'd notice he'd be looking at her and would give him a warm smile. Like she knew something that he didn't. Maybe she did. Maybe she had perfect vision and he was blind instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
A/N: I know it took me forever to update but I haven't been able to figure out how to write this chapter. But I will so make a longer and better chapter. Until then please review! I'm actually gonna make this a strict Hitomi Van story and I can't continue if I don't get a lick of reviews. Kind of like a hostage huh? Hehe. Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Bye!
~!~
A/N: I love that you all like my story! Unlike "The Painting", there won't be the chick in the middle. It'll be Van and Hitomi all the way! Hehe! Well, I hope you continue to review and I love you all!
-----------------------------------------------------
Just Communication
Chapter II: Loving Hate
-----------------------------------------------------
Folken laid in bed, a female figure at each side of him. With luxurious silk sheets and a roaring fire next to the bed, it was a vision of royal splendor. Reaching over the silver catgirl to the right of him, he picked up the heavy gold crown. Looking into the large energist jewels, he frowned at the man in there. This man was resentful, cold, and childish in his mannerisms. Most of all, he carried deep hatred.
When fate had chosen Van to be king, he rejoiced at the freedom of remaining a prince for the rest of his days. But fate decided to evilly change its mind and take the body of the gentle old horse. And with it, the kingdom was given to him. Ever since that day, he was living a nightmare. He could no longer marry the twin catwomen he so desperately loved. The only thing he could do was to make them the worse thing imaginable, his mistresses. But they stayed true to him and willingly were reduced to that title.
So in turn, he hated his brother. Many times he tried to kill him while training him to swordfight. But his love for him stayed his hand. Even though he hated Van with a passion, he still held a deep brotherly love for him. And he didn't want to hurt their sister Merle, who was so attached to Van, by slaughtering him mercilessly.
Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to kill him because he was still needed to do his work for him and write speeches. But he didn't want to face him every second of the day. Maybe he could sell him into a priesthood. He could still write the speeches and he'd be locked up into a monastery. Only that would take time with a middleman to send back and forth letters.
And then he finally figured out the most perfect way. Tonight, he'll be moved into the basements with only a simple bed and a desk. All he'd tell Merle was that he contracted a rare skin disease and any ray of sunlight would be fatal. Smirking to himself, he got out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and left to tell the servants to prepare it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Van was back at the book and trinket shop. He had written more into the story, leaving Tivel thinking at night about the mysterious Hineto. Hitomi sat in the corner, happily studying the shape of a statue of two lovers. Long and sensual fingers traced their way down the hip of the woman and then over her calves and to the heel of her foot. Then, her leg came to the man's waist and up his side. Caressing the hard stone muscles on his chest, her fingers traced around broad shoulders and up a strong neck to a well sculpted head.
Suddenly, she shuddered and gasped. "Van must not leave. He'll be alone!: she yelled. Clutching her head, she quietly cried. He knelt in front of her and placed his hands over hers.
'What do you mean 'don't leave'?' he demanded in his mind as she struggled to get away from him.
"You mustn't go! You'll be so alone. Please don't be alone..." she said, whispering at the end. Quickly, she pulled him in an embrace. She was warm to him, soothing as well. Her being reminded him of his mother, the Late Queen Varie. Everything about her was gentle and kind and she always smelled of sweet foods. And her death hurt him the most. His father's passing was hard enough but for a year, he had to watch her slowly waste away until she was a cold corpse in her warm and comforting bed.
Gently, he pulled the shaded glasses from her face. The palest of sky blue had captured her eyes in a blind beauty. Small flecks of emerald green, what he presumed to be her normal eye color sparkled at him. They quivered and stared blankly at him.
Moving her hands shyly to his face, she frowned in concentration. Gliding her fingertips over his forehead, she slowly moved over his eyes and traced a finger along his regal and perfect nose. Her hands then sensuously danced across his cheeks and strong jaw line. As they traced across his lips, they stopped. Placing her left hand on his right shoulder, she traced her right index finger over the velvety texture. Blushing, she pulled herself away and placed her hands on her lap.
"I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." She apologized and stood up. She walked quickly to her room and closed the door. Quietly, he got up and walked up to the door.
Knocking firmly, he waited for her to reply. "Who is it?" she asked from inside. He just stood there stuck. He couldn't communicate to her through words, that was a fact. And surely he couldn't sign to her because she was blind. The gods were probably laughing at him in this minor turmoil inside of him.
Retreating sadly away from the door, he left to the front of the house, the storefront. Mamoru caught sight of him as he walked in with food for dinner. "Hey Van! Dinner should be ready soon if you want to stay." he said happily. Placing the parcels down in the kitchen, he pulled out a bag of a few potatoes and started peeling.
Van cleared his throat to get Mamoru's attention. "Your sister freaked out a while ago. She says if I go back home, I'll be alone." he signed in confusion. He nodded his head and went back to peeling potatoes.
"Yeah, that's her power. She probably had a vision." he said matter-of- factly. The prince blinked in even more confusion.
"How would she get a vision? How would she understand it if she's blind?" he signed again.
"Well she's had a lot of visions in her lifetime. So many that she can be able to distinguish what is what."
"But she said my name. How would she know what I look like?" he signed. Looking back to the potatoes, he peeled the last few.
"Well, even though she can't see with her eyes, she has sight in her mind. It's very complicated to explain but her mind gives her the same images her eyes would." he said and began to chop them lightly in to the bowl.
Van knocked on the table to retrieve his attention. "Do you two live alone? Where are your parents? Or Family?" he mentioned.
Mamoru's eyes saddened. "Father left us when Hitomi was born. He was a very prideful man and despised the fact of having a daughter, plus a blind one. And Mother became sad and longed for Father to come back. And a few months later, broke and hungry, he crawled back to her. Stupidly enough, she took him back."
Van frowned and looked down. Mamoru pulled out the sausage and cut them up into good sized chunks.
"Well, a year later, she had me and I became the son that my father always wanted. He'd parade me around the town while Hitomi would be locked up in her room wearing shabby clothes. A few years after that, Mother fell ill and Father never cared enough to get her a good doctor. She died while I was seven."
"As time went by, he married a local prostitute that he was paying for her sexual favors. She was the ugliest and most cruel hag. She hated us equally. But she only pampered me because I was Father's favorite. Hitomi, on the other hand, was beaten and bruised by her and Father would just sit back and sadistically laugh. I could only take it for a while, nursing her injuries and sneaking her some real food, rather than the slop they gave her."
"One time, after I had come back from my schooling, I had caught the wench beating her until she was bloody. I fought with her, pleading for her to stop but she turned her assault towards me. So, I grabbed grandfather's sword from the mantle and killed her. Leaving her body on the floor, I helped Hitomi wash up and calmed her crying. Taking the sword, I sat at the kitchen table, looking down at her bloody form."
"I must have gone insane from watching the blood ooze from her, her cold black eyes staring at me in dead misbelief. When my father came home, he called me. Hearing no reply, he walked in and stumbled across her body. Before he could speak, I had slain him as well. Cleaning up the blood and the sword, I had dragged their bodies out in a sack to the river and tossed them in. Of course you know that there is a waterfall and under that, a water cavern that sinks into an abyss. So, inspectors came in and asked where they were. I simply said that they ran off together to a place unknown and wasn't likely to come back."
"Brother? I need help with my dress." said Hitomi, who came to the kitchen. Van looked to her and then Mamoru in question. Putting down the knife and dumping the sausage in the bowl, he walked up to her.
"Why do you want to change dresses? The one you have on is fine." he asked as he picked her up. She smiled as she cuddled up into his embrace.
"That's for me to know and you to know later." she said jokingly. "You're getting stronger."
"If you'd excuse me Van; I must help my sister for a moment." he said as they retreated to the hall and into her room.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
The tragic Hineto and her brother only had each other in the hard world of peasantry. But they were kind. They shared their somewhat fair food with Tivel, who was used to more hearty portions of food but surprisingly loved it. He observed Hineto the most though. The way she would play hide and seek with the local children and always found them intrigued him. She was always so graceful that she didn't seem to be blind at all.
He'd watch her as she would sew with ease, mending the children's dolls and dresses. Each stitch was masterfully sewn in and the things would come out better than before. And she'd notice he'd be looking at her and would give him a warm smile. Like she knew something that he didn't. Maybe she did. Maybe she had perfect vision and he was blind instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
A/N: I know it took me forever to update but I haven't been able to figure out how to write this chapter. But I will so make a longer and better chapter. Until then please review! I'm actually gonna make this a strict Hitomi Van story and I can't continue if I don't get a lick of reviews. Kind of like a hostage huh? Hehe. Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Bye!
~!~