Title: Startling
Author: badly-knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo, OC.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Dee's first encounter with an antique clock is a bit alarming.
Written Using: The dw100 prompt 'Pendulum / Pendulous'.
Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Triple drabble.
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OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
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The long-cased grandfather clock standing in the hallway of the guesthouse had Dee practically hypnotised. He'd never seen one like it, with a glass front through which the pendulum could be seen, swinging rhythmically back and forth, keeping perfect time. Its slow, patient ticking was remarkably soothing, like the metronome Father Francis used to use during choir practice.
Ryo was talking to the woman in charge of the B & B about… something. Probably how long they were planning on staying, and what time they needed to be down for breakfast in the morning, but Dee had tuned them out, his focus on the clock, breathing in time with the pendulum's graceful swing.
The journey from London had been quite stressful. Getting used to having the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car, as well as driving on the wrong side of the road, would have been bad enough, but on top of that they'd gotten lost three times, at one point almost ending up going the wrong way around a busy roundabout. Now, standing in the quiet hallway, listening to the clock, Dee was finally beginning to relax.
Then, just as he felt the tension draining from his shoulders, the clock gave a click, and….
BONG!
"ACK!" Dee yelped, stumbling backwards, tripping on the edge of the rug, and falling on his ass as the clock continued to chime, announcing the time as three in the afternoon.
Scrabbling back to his feet, Dee caught sight of Ryo, doubled over with laughter. He glared at his lover.
"Stop laughin', it's not funny!"
Ryo snickered. "Anyone would think you'd never heard a clock chime before."
"I just didn't think it'd be that loud. It's gonna do that every hour?"
"I expect so."
"Anywhere round here I can buy earplugs?"
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The End
