Breath of Life [Epilogue]
May. 19th, 2021 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonv2Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: Frankenstein almost drowned. He didn't, something in the sea saving him, and he's going to find out just what it was.
Notes: Mermaid au
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 787
Total word count: 18,340
Status: Complete
Frankenstein exhaled, seeing the familiar cave in front of him. It looked different in the afternoon sun compared to early morning.
It had been a year since he'd been here and when he realised he was passing by, he found his feet already moving before he thought about it. He peered at the foliage around himself and as far as he could tell, from the lack of disturbance and how much overgrown everything was now, it didn't look like anyone had been there in a while.
Good.
Frankenstein still checked with every step, making sure. He hadn't dropped into the port, opting to bypass it completely, but he'd made wrong assumptions before.
He sighed, hand playing with his locket out of habit as he made his way through the cave. He wouldn't find anything, he knew that. It still didn't stop his gut from jittering, his heart picking up a pace as he listened to the waves echoing to him.
The cave was, unsurprisingly, empty once he reached it. The boat was gone, and there was no debris to suggest it had rotted and fallen apart there, so it must have been collected after he and Muzaka had left it.
Aside from that, the cave appeared untouched, the same as it was a year ago. There were a few more shrubs by the wall, but that was it.
Frankenstein sat down, close to the waves but not enough that they would lap at his shoes. "Hello, Muzaka," he said. He knew Muzaka wasn't there, but he wanted to talk. His voice echoed back at him, only the waves answering him.
"It's been a rather busy year for me," he continued, rooting around in his bag. He was able to destroy a few Union strongholds, and kept his research out of their hands. Frankenstein had never talked about what he did on land, just like he'd never asked what Muzaka did, so he kept that information to himself. It wouldn't make sense to Muzaka.
"I've been practising my swimming - I can swim further now, though I doubt I can swim in the deep sea just yet." He chuckled softly, memories resurfacing, both of Muzaka teaching him, and of his own, later efforts. Even if he could swim in the sea now, he still hadn't found a way to enhance himself yet to allow him to hold his breath for long.
He pulled out the two small bread rolls from his bag, setting them down next to him. "I have bread this time for you. You'll need to eat this above water: the texture changes when it's wet. And you should chew before swallowing it - the crust is hard enough that it could scratch your throat on the way down." Bread was definitely something Muzaka wouldn't have had before.
Frankenstein sat there for a minute more, listening to the waves, before he stood up. "Well then," he said out to the sea, "goodbye, Muzaka." He'd been here long enough.
He turned, taking a few steps when he heard a familiar slap of water. Wait...
He whirled around in time to see something small flying at him. He caught it out of habit, eyes scanning the waves in front of him. Nothing was out of place and when he looked down, a smile burst from his face, his heart soaring.
It was a small doll. Frankenstein wasn't sure what it was made from just yet, each part different, but he could recognise the blond hair and blue eyes.
It was him.
A doll created to look like him.
Muzaka was still alive. "I don't know when I'll be back," Frankenstein said, trying to keep his voice the same as it was previously, in case there was anyone else there. "I may not be back for another couple of years, but I wish you well." He needed to make sure Muzaka wouldn't hang around waiting for him, increasing his chance of being found.
Frankenstein sucked in a breath as a soft clicking answered him. It was the sound of Muzaka's laughter. Maybe he didn't want to reply with his voice, but it was definitely Muzaka.
Frankenstein span on his heel and left the cave before his resolve broke. Muzaka was already risking so much by staying near the cave; Frankenstein couldn't repay that with getting Muzaka captured again.
Frankenstein kept a firm hold of the doll as he ran through the forest, his necklace thumping against his chest with every step.
There was so much more he wished he could show and tell Muzaka, to learn about him, but it was enough to know that Muzaka was still alive.
And he had to make sure it stayed that way.
Summary: Frankenstein almost drowned. He didn't, something in the sea saving him, and he's going to find out just what it was.
Notes: Mermaid au
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 787
Total word count: 18,340
Status: Complete
Frankenstein exhaled, seeing the familiar cave in front of him. It looked different in the afternoon sun compared to early morning.
It had been a year since he'd been here and when he realised he was passing by, he found his feet already moving before he thought about it. He peered at the foliage around himself and as far as he could tell, from the lack of disturbance and how much overgrown everything was now, it didn't look like anyone had been there in a while.
Good.
Frankenstein still checked with every step, making sure. He hadn't dropped into the port, opting to bypass it completely, but he'd made wrong assumptions before.
He sighed, hand playing with his locket out of habit as he made his way through the cave. He wouldn't find anything, he knew that. It still didn't stop his gut from jittering, his heart picking up a pace as he listened to the waves echoing to him.
The cave was, unsurprisingly, empty once he reached it. The boat was gone, and there was no debris to suggest it had rotted and fallen apart there, so it must have been collected after he and Muzaka had left it.
Aside from that, the cave appeared untouched, the same as it was a year ago. There were a few more shrubs by the wall, but that was it.
Frankenstein sat down, close to the waves but not enough that they would lap at his shoes. "Hello, Muzaka," he said. He knew Muzaka wasn't there, but he wanted to talk. His voice echoed back at him, only the waves answering him.
"It's been a rather busy year for me," he continued, rooting around in his bag. He was able to destroy a few Union strongholds, and kept his research out of their hands. Frankenstein had never talked about what he did on land, just like he'd never asked what Muzaka did, so he kept that information to himself. It wouldn't make sense to Muzaka.
"I've been practising my swimming - I can swim further now, though I doubt I can swim in the deep sea just yet." He chuckled softly, memories resurfacing, both of Muzaka teaching him, and of his own, later efforts. Even if he could swim in the sea now, he still hadn't found a way to enhance himself yet to allow him to hold his breath for long.
He pulled out the two small bread rolls from his bag, setting them down next to him. "I have bread this time for you. You'll need to eat this above water: the texture changes when it's wet. And you should chew before swallowing it - the crust is hard enough that it could scratch your throat on the way down." Bread was definitely something Muzaka wouldn't have had before.
Frankenstein sat there for a minute more, listening to the waves, before he stood up. "Well then," he said out to the sea, "goodbye, Muzaka." He'd been here long enough.
He turned, taking a few steps when he heard a familiar slap of water. Wait...
He whirled around in time to see something small flying at him. He caught it out of habit, eyes scanning the waves in front of him. Nothing was out of place and when he looked down, a smile burst from his face, his heart soaring.
It was a small doll. Frankenstein wasn't sure what it was made from just yet, each part different, but he could recognise the blond hair and blue eyes.
It was him.
A doll created to look like him.
Muzaka was still alive. "I don't know when I'll be back," Frankenstein said, trying to keep his voice the same as it was previously, in case there was anyone else there. "I may not be back for another couple of years, but I wish you well." He needed to make sure Muzaka wouldn't hang around waiting for him, increasing his chance of being found.
Frankenstein sucked in a breath as a soft clicking answered him. It was the sound of Muzaka's laughter. Maybe he didn't want to reply with his voice, but it was definitely Muzaka.
Frankenstein span on his heel and left the cave before his resolve broke. Muzaka was already risking so much by staying near the cave; Frankenstein couldn't repay that with getting Muzaka captured again.
Frankenstein kept a firm hold of the doll as he ran through the forest, his necklace thumping against his chest with every step.
There was so much more he wished he could show and tell Muzaka, to learn about him, but it was enough to know that Muzaka was still alive.
And he had to make sure it stayed that way.