Time of Dying
A Hagi story based off the song "Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace
Aldedron: Okay!! "Second Story" time!!
Serin: It'd be easier if you weren't splitting this into "stories", you know…
Aldedron: Shut up!!!
Serin: Face the facts, Aldedron. It's a baka concept
Aldedron: Hai, wagarimashite, but I still want to do so anyways. It splits up the story better
Serin: You know, people other than you and me are reading this and most people aren't total Hagi obsessionists and don't know what the heaven "wagarimashite" means, BAKA
Aldedron: *narrows eyes darkly*
Serin: I mean, not EVERYONE has someone at their school who lived in Japan for several years teaching English and just HAPPENED to have returned to the States to teach Japanese
Aldedron: *clenches fists*
Serin: And not everyone has watched an ENTIRE fifty episode anime five times in a row, then read all three manga series –
Aldedron: Alright that's enough!! I can obsess if I want to!
Serin: *smiles in triumph* (she's thinking this and thinks Aldedron can't hear it) Ha-ha! I made her snap!! (end thought) Yes, yes. You do that, then
Aldedron: You're in MY mind, so I can hear your thoughts, just as you can hear mine, BAKA!!!
Serin: *blanch*
Hagi leaned against the wall casually, blocking out the conversation everyone else was participating in. His face was blank and devoid of emotion. He was a closed book. David eyed him curiously throughout the conversation, wondering just who he was. He had not explained anything upon arriving to pick him up, nor had Joel. All he knew was his name: Hagi.
What the group also didn't know was that while he ignored the conversation, he was actually watching them all closely. Inside, he felt like screaming in remorse, but he kept it hidden. He wondered how they felt about this situation. Because he was blocking out their words, he could only guess what they were talking about and made his guess based on their expressions and actions. He knew for a fact that none of them felt broken and alone like him at what had occurred. If anything, they all portrayed a sense of relief, their posture slackening slightly from when he had seen them at the first meeting concerning Red Shield.
He decided he didn't want to know how overjoyed they were concerning what had happened and instead chose to remember that first meeting with David…
…
David walked down the plank solemnly. He wasn't exactly looking forward to this proposition of Joel's. He almost smirked at that thought. It was so easy to think of his lifelong friend as "Joel", even though that habit had only begun a couple days ago. His thoughts returned to the problem at hand. Red Shield, was what Joel had called it. An organization dedicated to the extermination of Chiropterans and the murder of Diva. It was an army, basically, fighting in a secret war which would always remain as such… a secret. He and Joel had been conversing about such an organization for two decades now. To think that they would actually create it…
He reached dry land and looked around. He stood taller than most other in the crowd and was able to gaze over their heads for his guide. Joel had said he'd send someone to pick him up, but failed to specify who. He cocked an eyebrow at the sight of a slightly familiar face. He had seen this person clad in black once before. The last time he had visited the Zoo, he had seen this dark haired person as not a man, but a teenage boy. A servant to the mansion. Why had Joel sent a servant to retrieve him?? This was supposed to be a secret organization.
The man clad in black approached David, pushing lightly through the crowd. He also stood taller than most and had therefore been easy to spot. Plus, he possessed a dangerous aura that made people unthinkingly move away from him, so he needn't push or shove his way through like most would have. It was only when the man was nearly upon David that he saw the girl following behind him who he recognized immediately as Saya… Joel senior's experiment. As usual, she wore pink and looked exactly as she had last time he had seen her. The only difference was her hair and dress. How strange… In his thirty years, she had never worn such a thin dress or had her held up. Maybe she'd have a bun every now and then, but most all her hair would still be free, unlike today. Also, she wasn't smiling. Odd…
"It's nice to see you again, David-san," she said with a small nod, stepping in front of the servant. "We were sent to retrieve you."
The servant seemed reluctant to have Saya with him. In truth, he had been hoping she wouldn't come at all. She hadn't been sleeping when Joel briefed him on this… job. She had been listening the whole time and offered to come with. Hagi had failed to verbally object, so Joel II had agreed to it and Saya came with. And then, on the train ride to the coast, she had forced him to make that promise.
"I know," David nodded. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Saya-san." He looked at the dark man pointedly.
"Hagi desu. Hajimemashite," he said with a bow.
So his name was Hagi… "David desu. Hajimemashite," David said back with only a nod. He needn't bow to a servant.
Saya looked up at him. "Hagi tells me you and Joel two have been discussing a certain organization?"
"We shall discuss it at the manor," David said with a dark look. He gestured lightly to the throngs of people surrounding them.
He also specially noted how she called Joel "Joel two". But it made sense. She was far older than he and had known Joel senior her entire life as Joel and Joel II as David. He himself had never been very close to Joel senior and did not care much for the change of name between his friend at the death of his father. It had always been annoying possessing the same name and this would simplify matter greatly.
"Would you like to rest at a local inn?" Saya inquired. She was quite tired herself, but refused to show it. She knew Hagi would make her sleep if she revealed her exhaustion. She wanted to return to the mansion as soon as possible to hear this proposition that Hagi had spoken of. But she still had to be polite to David and would take advantage of the possibility of sleeping in an actual bed, rather than the bench on the train.
"I'm fine. Let's go," he said firmly.
…
Hagi returned his focus to the real world to find the room empty save David and Joel II. He did not respond to this, even though he was moderately surprised at how much time had passed. The room had darkened significantly, so he knew the sun had long since set. Silver moonlight poured gently through the windows. But the silver glow did not touch him. It was erased within the flickering orange and yellow candlelight which eerily reminded him of the burning mansion. The only thing missing from this scene were bloody bodies and blue eyes.
"This turn of events is very unfortunate," Joel II said, looking sternly at Hagi. No response. "Can we trust that you will still follow Red Shield, even with this occurrence?" Still no response. "We'll leave you to think about your future," he said, turning away to gaze out at the starry skies.
David continued to watch the unresponsive Hagi with interest. How could he care so much about this?? Even David knew that this turn of events would be devastating towards their schedule, but it was still a relief for this to have happened. And yet this person obviously cared that this had occurred. He didn't seem very happy about it. Why? On the trip to the manor, he had revealed expression and responded whenever someone spoke to him. Now… there was nothing. His gray eyes were cold and empty.
Out of nowhere, he straightened from his position against the wall with a quiet," Excuse me," as he quietly left the room.
David continued to stare after him. There was something… about the way he moved… that reminded him… of Saya…
Aldedron: So, seriously! Does anyone know what a New Hampshire resident is called??
Saya: Talk about a killjoy!
Lulu: Hagi and Seras are STILL missing, you know…
Serin: And Neles hasn't been around for a while, either…
Aldedron: I think she's corrupting them *shiver*
Saya: What do you mean?
Aldedron: *looks around before leaning forward and whispering in Saya's ear* Last time Neles was left alone with someone for a really long time, they went insane
Serin: You don't have to worry. Seras is with them—
Aldedron: Exactly!! He's left alone with her all the time!! I'll bet that he's long since gone insane. He's just really good at hiding it
Serin: Am I insane?
Aldedron: Yes
Saya: What do you mean with THAT!? Serin is NOT insane! If anything, she's the most sane person I've ever met!
Aldedron: You forget about Tahn
Saya: Oh yeah… someone named Tahn made a comment concerning you and Lulu once and it really pissed you guys off. Who was that girl??
Aldedron: She was mentioned a LONG time ago… Remember?
Saya: … I got nothing—
Aldedron: She's Serin!! Serin has a split personality, REMEMBER!!!!!!?
Saya: *flinch* Hey! You made ONE comment a million years ago! You didn't really think I'd remember every single word that's ever come outta your mouth, did you!!?
Serin: Break it up, break it up!! I'll admit, she got me on that one, but I'm not crazy insane like the people Neles are left alone with. She's got a similar effect on people as the Joker, only they don't become homicidal maniacs
Aldedron: Yeah. They just start saying creepy things and going emo corner and laughing like the Joker all the time…
Serin: She watched the Dark Knight recently, by the way… That movie has taken its toll on me, too
Aldedron: I've also been reading Joker fics on Quizilla!! They're REALLY addicting…
Serin: *exasperated* Just move on to the next chapter already…