Growth, part 3
The following day went smoothly. Van seemed to be back to his normal self and showed his friends the sights of his home. A beautiful garden bloomed inside the walls despite the cold. "The springs bring life", explained Van. Relaxation and usual antics filled the day with laughter. When everyone assembled for dinner, things took a dramatic shift when someone new joined them. A man with long dark blue hair and red eyes sat at the head of the table. His hair was tied back from his face and his expression seemed cold at best. "Niisama, I didn't know you were coming downstairs", ventured Camille, trying to keep things calm. "So, this is Serpent Wing? I trust you've been taking good care of my little brother. My name is Takeshi, but I prefer you keep ties formal with me. Yukimaru-san will do fine", he stated calmly.
It seemed like everyone was staring at him. Everyone, but Van. He stared into his plate, refusing to make eye contact. Kavi politely introduced the guild members one at a time and thanked Takeshi for his hospitality. "I didn't know Van had a brother", stated Blythe. That simple statement created a rise in the air's tension. "Yes, well, I'm sure he doesn't speak of me often", said the family head. "You shouldn't be here", said Van, still intently focused on his plate. Beside him, Camille took his hand into her own. "Niisan, please try...For me", she pleaded. She stared with concern. He was trembling. Did he really hate Takeshi that much?
Before anything else could be said, Takeshi rose from his seat. "I'll leave you to your friends, then. Perhaps we'll speak further later." He exited the room in silence after that. Van didn't stay much longer. He barely touched his food before retreating to his old room. An awkward quiet filled the rest of the evening. Many questions lingered in the air, but no one really had the guts to ask them and the one who did got her team leader's stern 'warning' face to stay silent.
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Everyone separated to their rooms. Koko and Yung-Li played cards, trying not to worry about their friend. Yung-Li didn't feel it was his place to relate Van's past to anyone else. If he wanted them to know, he'd speak up. Elsewhere, Ronen and Rani were keeping Blythe and Kavi company, leaving Yona and Jasper alone. Normally, she'd take the chance to give him a hard time, but she had someone else on her mind.
"Why doesn't he just tell me?", she vented, annoyed. "Maybe he doesn't want you to know", offered Jasper, watching her pace in frustration. "He's never kept anything from me before! Hell, he even told me about all his ex-girlfriends!" Jasper sighed. Nothing he said was going to calm her down. She really did have hard time understanding why people kept secrets, saying they only made things more complicated. She froze in mid-step at the sound of Van yelling in the distance. "Forgive you?! Do you even remember half of the things you've done?!", echoed through the hall followed by slamming doors. Jasper watched Yona's reaction carefully. Would she go after Van or try to beat the tar of Takeshi? Either was possible at this point. She set her hand on the doorknob, but pulled it back when she remembered she wasn't alone. "You can go if you want to. I won't stop you", said Jasper. "But - ", she argued. The incubus offered a soft smile. "Go. He needs you. I'll be here when you get back." She thrust herself into a hug with a whispered, "Thank you", before departing. She was lucky Jasper was so understanding. Not every man would let his girlfriend go after an old flame.
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It took some time to navigate the building, but Yona finally made her way up to the private floor where the Yukimaru clan resided. It wasn't hard to tell which room was Van's. Camille stood outside his door with a sad expression while Yung-Li pleaded with him to unlock the door. "Go away", shouted Van. He didn't sound angry anymore. He sounded...sloshed. "He must be drinking", thought Yona, but how much could he imbibe in the time it took her to find him? That was a stupid question. She'd seen him put back his liquor before. The more upset he was, the faster it vanished.
"Van, please open the door. I want to talk to you", said Yung-Li. "I can hear you where you are", replied Van. "Niisan", uttered Camille, tears streaming down her face. "Please go away, Camille-chan. I don't want you to see me like this...I'm no good to you right now..." Knowing she wasn't helping the situation, she hugged Yung-Li and whispered a plea to help her brother before leaving. She locked eyes with Yona briefly. Her eyes said so much, namely, "Please help." Yona nodded in acknowledgment and made her way toward the door. Knocking loudly, she called, "Open the damn door. I don't want your sister to have to pay for a new one if you make me come in there." Yung-Li sighed as he stepped back. Would such tactics really work? It grew silent inside the room. Finally, a metallic 'click' sounded, followed by a 'thump'.
Opening the door, Yona was caught off guard. The scent of alcohol was strong, even for her. The door thudded against something, or rather someone. Van's leg made a good door stop. His two friends came in to see the shape he was in. He leaned heavily onto a chair, a bottle in one hand. He was completely wasted. Yung-Li turned on the lights, showing the wake of devastation from Van's earlier rage. Empty and broken bottles littered the floor and a bloody hand-print smeared the doorknob. "You're bleeding, stupid!", chided Yona, kneeling to eye level. "I don't care", spat Van, shying his gaze. She eyed him cautiously. He was usually the clingy, "I love you", guy when he drank too much, but this was a new side of him. "What did that asshole do to you?", she asked, trying to get him up.
With Yung-Li's help, she managed to get Van on the edge of his bed. "What didn't he do?", he laughed sarcastically. "Is this about Hannah?", inquired Yung-Li carefully. Van's expression shifted quickly as he threw his precious booze at his team mate's head. "Shut up! It's not just about her!", he said, trying to stand and failing. Another name Yona didn't know. She hated this. How could she help if she didn't know the issue? Yung-Li dodged the projectile easily and stared at his friend with disappointment. "You have to let it go...All of it. Can't you see it's destroying you?", he pleaded. Van seemed offended by the thought. "You mean forget? Don't you think I've tried!...What do you know anyway? You're an only child; You wouldn't understand", said Van, his vision getting even more blurred.
Yona stood firmly in front of her friend and held his shoulders in her hands. "Spill it. Tell me what happened. I can't help you if don't let me", she said, staring him down. Van seemed to waver. He sighed and dropped his defiant gaze. "There's things about me you don't want to know", he said grimly. She slapped him hard across the face, causing both men to stare in surprise. "Snap out of it! You're not the only person who ever went through shit! I'm your best friend. If you can't tell me, then that's fucked up", she said. She sat beside him in a huff, jerking his injured hand aside. "Now hold still", she snapped, pulling a shard of glass from his skin. "That hurts!", he whined. "Good, now hold still! You're a real mess, you know that?", she replied. Yung-Li said nothing, simply finding the supplies to wrap the wound. If anyone could drag Van out of his personal hell, it was Yona. Van gave in and held still. It was for his own good and it was own stupidity that caused him to bleed. He'd smashed a bottle in a fit of rage. He hated that Takeshi got to him so easily. He hated everything about the guy, really.
Eventually, Van passed out from the vast amount of booze he'd drank. Yona held his head in her lap and watched him snore with mixed emotions. "Thank you", said Yung-Li out of the blue. "For what?", she asked confused. "He wasn't listening to me, but you got through...He really values you", replied the speed mage carefully. Yona smirked and said, "You mean he's still in love with me...I know, but look at him. Even I can't tape back together a train wreck." Yung-Li grinned faintly. He knew she was worried, but she got through things with sarcasm or her fists, whichever worked at the time. "Who's Hannah?", she asked directly. Yung-Li tried to avoid answering, but she was staring right at him. Finally, he sighed and explained, "Van was engaged once. Takeshi didn't approve or her. He said she was from 'too low a class to bear their name'. Van already had a lot things against his brother by that point, but that was the last straw, I guess." She glanced at her unconscious friend and waited for more. "I'll admit Takeshi went too far. Even if he is head of the household, he had no right to do what he did... Hannah disappeared in the middle of the night one day. Van looked everywhere. I tried my best to help, but there was no trace of her."
Yona didn't like where this was going. Almost afraid to find out, she asked, "What happened?". Yung-Li's expression grew darker. He didn't want to tell the story, but he had little choice. "Takeshi had a private meeting with her and told her exactly what he thought. She ran off, heartbroken...Van finally tracked her down almost a year after that, but by that time, he'd only found her grave...Rumors say she did it herself..." Yona's body had become tense; She was livid. "Why'd he do it? And why didn't anyone kick his ass?! What's wrong with this place?!", she shouted. To her surprise, Van was awake. "He's untouchable", he said, trying not to vomit.
"He did a lot of terrible things in his younger days. No one locally would try to arrest him. They're afraid of his influence", explained Yung-Li. "I don't give a damn about his money; I'm not letting him off the hook. Where is he?", asked Yona, her eyes ablaze. Van grasped her hand. "Don't. He's not worth it...Hannah was only the last thing he took from me. Believe or not, he's done worse...I guess now you know why I didn't want to see him", he uttered. "What else did he do?", she asked stiffly. "Too much to talk about right now...I'm tired", yawned Van, quickly passing out once more. Yona was ready to kick Takeshi's ass already. The more she knew, the madder she would get. Maybe Van knew that and was playing opossum. Yung-Li wouldn't put it passed him. Once they got Van resettled, they left him to sleep in peace. He'd be in misery tomorrow, but that was his own fault.
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Yona only returned to her room after Yung-Li pleaded for her not to start more trouble. Jasper was awake and waiting for her. He watched her with concern when she entered. "You're still awake?", asked Yona. After she said it, she felt silly. Of course, he was. He would be worried. "Is everything all right?", he inquired, passing the previous question. She sat down beside him and leaned her back against the wall. "For now, but you may have to bail me out later...Murder charges and all. Did you bring any money?", she teased. He gently pulled her close until her head rested against his shoulder. "No, but I can hide a body or two", he replied, trying to keep the mood light. She grinned at his response. It was nice to see him loosen up for a change, even it was just for her. "Did you meet him?", he inquired after a long pause. "Not yet, but when I do, he's got hell to pay for", she replied. His grip around her torso tightened faintly. He was worried for both her and Van. Letting go of her pride, she snuggled close to him and just tried to relax in his arms. It would be a long night.
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To be continued...