Rath- Done For chapter number 3 has finally arrived, mates!
Set- Indeed it has. Have a pleasant read.
Rath- Enjoy. bows
-Pet Shop of Horrors is something we don't own-
Several days passed as uneventful as usual, Leon still hadn't returned to the pet shop. Count D was beginning to wonder whether or not he'd ever come back. He hoped so, but something in his "gut" as Leon would put it, told him that he did strongly doubt that they'd come back for another long while. D would go about his usual business, feeding, brushing, and mending wounds… He had even sold a few pets to some very nice people who very well deserved a good companion. And one pet, whose contract was sure to be broken… And that was perfectly fine with him. After all, he owned the shop where finally what ever you got, you deserved… And D was very proud of that fact.
But every time tea came about, he'd wait for about an hour, before finally giving up and having tea by himself, just like the years before he met Leon.
Alone. By himself. No other humans around.
Now, alone didn't seem quite as inviting as it had been before. He had found that in the past year and a half he rather enjoyed having Leon and Chris come by. He really did enjoy having regular people come to his shop and talk to him. Talk to him about their lives and just normal things. He didn't know why, they were just humans, soon to die and be forgotten like everyone else, and yet; they brought him momentary happiness when ever they came by. Despite their squabbles about tea etiquette, the up bringing of Chris, pet disasters and Leon's…interestingly decorated apartment, D very much enjoyed the company.
And he doubted that he'd ever admit it to anyone but himself. And that only made him feel a bit more depressed, perhaps a bit ignorant also. He wanted to tell Leon and Chris how much they meant to him, but he never could bring himself to do it.
While he sat there, he didn't seem to notice the room grow darker and the tea in his hands grew much, much colder, losing heat more rapidly than it should…
"Dear boy, why do you sit there day in and day out sulking? I've grown tired of watching you now." D gently placed the teacup on the table and stood up to face the person who was talking to him.
"Dear old man, why do you sit there day in and day out watching? I've grown tired of sensing you now." He said, glaring at the mirror image of himself. The second figure laughed at D's jokes.
"Well, that is a pleasant way to greet your father, boy." He grinned, the gold eye flashing dauntingly beneath a curtain of his black hair.
"What do you want?" The Count said, his own gold eye brilliantly shining to accept whatever challenge may come his way.
"For you to come with me." He said, steadily walking around the shop and looking around the room and such. He stopped momentarily with D's answer.
"I don't think so. We'd gone over this before, father." He stated plainly, anger apparent.
"Think of all that the power we could have! Especially with the two of us, one would be great, two would be awesome to every living organism." He said, just as plainly and angry as D had answered. He continued to walk around the room, as if he had lost something very precious and was trying to find. He didn't bother to look away from his task as he answered. D's frown deepened and his eyes narrowed and followed his father as he walked around.
"I disagree with you, father. The two of us would wreak havoc. I think the world only deserves one of us to do what you do. I've already wasted much my time correcting your mistakes. Now, please leave. I wouldn't want you to scare away my customers." D proclaimed, stepping in front of his father in a swift blur of movement. The atmosphere tensed and grew thick with annoyance. Animals in the background began to clatter and shriek against their cages and rooms; they could feel the irritation and great power radiating from the spot where the men stood. It had been deadly silent till now. But the two men were so involved in their conversation that the blissful rare silence had gone unappreciated.
He picked up a framed photograph to his side that was resting innocently on the dark wooden desk. It was set in the middle of the group, surrounded by picture of Count D's, Grandfather, father and son. He studied it, eyes scanning over the entire thing. D dared not to look down at the desk to see which picture he had taken, but he had a hint of what it may have been of.
The father smirked at D and said simply.
"You are just the same as your Grandfather. Well, just beware of what you say. I'll be back, and with some better terms for this pact." He too blurred into a mess of black, and then disappeared. The picture dropped from several feet above the ground from where he it. It hit the ground and bounced and then flopped to the ground, face up. The room lightened and the racket of animals still hadn't died down.
D felt a drop of sweat slide down his cheek. Please let it not be that one picture. Please not that one… He pleaded in his mind, slowly looking down at his feet.
And there of course, was a picture of him. But he wasn't alone. Leon and Chris were there also. All of them happily posing for the picture, thinking of it as just another memory to lock within their minds… But, they were all unaware of what havoc that mere image could bring.
The Chinese man walked, the back of his aou dai fluttering behind him in the wind. He was torn being smiling and frowning. He still didn't understand why his son refused to take part of his own journeys. He had spent much time with his son in the past, so he didn't quiet understand why his son was sp spiteful towards him.
Last time he had offered, years ago, he refused, only because his Grandfather was to leave town for a month or so, and D wished to watch the pet shop. It was meant to only be a temporary job. But, years passed and each person grew more in love with what he was doing. And before they all knew it, they had grown very far apart. His grandfather had probably come to visit him more and poisoned his mind with some damned philosophy or something, he though bitterly, cursing his own father.
But then again, he was in the same position as D. He preferred his own Grandfather than his father.
But the smile won, ah, yes, he now had something to give his son some more reason to come with him…
Count D stormed down the street when he heard someone coming up behind him. Just as soon as he took note of it someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder rather roughly and spun him around.
" D?! What the hell are you doing walking around?" The man was tall, and well muscled. A small boy, who looked remarkably like him, accompanied the man. The small boy, about six or so, ran up to hug him. He immediately recognized the two people and smiled as friendly he could in his current mood. He couldn't allow himself to let out his aggravation on them, as they meant very much to D.
" I was out for a walk; it's a lovely day you know." He answered, still smiling.
" Whatever, well, we were just comin' to your place to visit." Leon said, rubbing the back of his neck. Something didn't seem quite right about D today… He had changed some how. Chris also seemed a bit nervous, but thought that he was just incredibly happy to see the Count after several days of boredom.
" How nice of you. But I'm afraid that I'm not going to back to my Grandfather's shop right now. I'm going out for tea. Would you like to come?" He said, turning and walking down the street.
" Yeah, alright. Lets go, Chris." He said, clasping the little boy's hand in his own. And they followed D. They walked for some time, Leon and Chris not paying attention to where they were going, but more concentrating on D himself.
" Did you get a haircut?" Chris pondered.
" No, I didn't." D said, shaking his head and smiling.
" A new dress?" Leon asked this time.
" Funny. No." D said, glaring at him. "Dress?" Honestly… It didn't even remotely look like a dress.
" Hm, you changed something, I know it. My gut tells me so." He snapped back.
" Well, then, I think you're gut may be wrong." He said, turning up his head a bit. Too bad for them… He laughed in his head. They didn't seem to notice that his gold eye was on the left side, instead of the right.
Rath- What do ya' all think?
Set- Well, what ever it is, be sure to tell us in the review.
Rath- Ja ne, mates.
Set- Later.