Your body’s in the room but you’re not really there…
-Numb Little Bug, Em Beihold-
||PRESENT||
He felt like he was floating, despite being on solid land. Could he even wiggle his toes anymore? What was he supposed to call the lights he thought he could see; did fluorescence even have a describable colour? What was happening to him? Why could he feel someone touching him, someone’s? He let out a breath, at least he could still feel the air entering and exiting; but he supposed the movement was so minute that no one would or could notice. He had never been a fan of the machines humans had made to show that someone was still alive… what was it? As long as he had a pulse. Ha, his heart had been weak and getting weaker for centuries. What did it matter now? Not like it would continue to effectively pump blood. BLOOD.
I don’t want to die.
No one had said it, not even Jillian whose fanatic whispers could just be heard over the beeping of the machine; it had come from within, he was losing his grip on reality. He had to blink, move… do anything to suggest he was still hanging on; still fighting to be there in the now with Qrow.
I don’t want to die.
Please
We have to live
We cannot leave
Not without saying goodbye.
It had been hell, the fact that he couldn’t speak in his first life, to assure Qrow that things would be alright.
And I’d save everyday like a treasure
-Time In a Bottle, Rob Lane, Jim Croce ft. Julia Church-
||SIXTY MINUTES BEFORE DEATH||
“I suppose you won’t be needing this.”
Gideon held Godfrey’s tongue in his hand triumphantly, how someone could be so gleeful over the mutilation of another made Godfrey feel even worse than he already did, he continued to throw up copious amounts of blood. They shouldn’t have cleaned him… shouldn’t have done anything to pretty him up for his death. He was barely able to open his mouth to inhale a gulp of fresh air before something, like a gag. A sponge? It stung of sea salt and vinegar, it filled his lungs with acid, and he tried with all his might to spit it out; to no avail as the black cloth was placed around his eyes, lowering over his nose and then finally his clamped mouth. He could sense the padlock before they had even picked it up, and the wailing that came… another one a claimant like him had suffered this exact fate.
“Take him down the scenic path, not like he’ll see anything.” Gideon mused
If only Godfrey could have spoken, for he would have said something along the lines of ‘you won’t get away with this’, the guards who were used to Gideon being slightly mad did not take Godfrey down the scenic route – for there was not one that existed, and instead just took Godfrey like every claimant before him down the same set of stairs he had first climbed down initially when he was being hauled off to his cell. Occasionally Godfrey could feel the sensation from both men that carried/dragged his body towards his final presumed destination that they did not think he was deserving of this fate; how peculiar, for one would think that guards would like their masters to be absolute in their thought that if a man is sentenced to die then he deserves to die. Though the gag made it hard for him to smile, he did anyway. Now, in this case one would think that would be it, that would be the end or rather this would be the end to his tale; however, one could not have fathomed or known what chaos was partaking upstairs… at that these very moments.
Tonic kicked the limp guard’s body, the gown around him swished and he inwardly groaned; why the hell was he the one stuck in a fucking dress. He lifted his head as Qrow finished off another three guards – all of whom would fall into the moat and drown. To his right, Ears shivered he was not entirely trained nor equipped to be holding a polearm and the fact that he was trembling made it even more obvious that he was not a guard, nor a knight. Tonic was no fair maiden – the bonnet and ruff made it easier to trick the eyes, but one close inspection of Tonic’s face and one would be able to tell immediately that the face powder was too much, the lips were too red, and he looked like a botched jester on a three-day bender.
“Come on, towards the gate.”
“He hasn’t given us the signal though.” Ears teeth refused to stop clattering
“He’s off to kill the Holy Roman Emperor. We need to find Godfrey and besides if the intel is right, we have at least forty minutes before his head is removed.”
Ears didn’t want to argue with Tonic any more than he wanted to be in this position as they started to make their way towards the last of the nobles who were here to witness the first of many executions – Godfrey was schedule to die last.
Rather be the hunter than the prey
And you’re standing on the edge face up
-Natural, Imagine Dragons-
||INSIDE THE THRONE ROOM||
“You must not pay your guards enough, to make it this easy.”
Trembling behind the velvet and silk lined throne, around the puddles of blood and the scent of death peeked a pair of cloudy grey eyes; it had long since been rumoured that the Holy Roman Emperor’s habit of heavy drinking of somewhat tainted mercurial wine and late reading of less than solicitous material had led to the man being somewhat blind if not entirely afflicted by double vision; in any case he had not foreseen that Qrow would find him like this, with his closest members of his court celebrating the soon to be execution of the traitor that they had known by the cover named of Michele {a.k.a Godfrey} the man practically pissed himself as Qrow moved a step closer only to take another stab at one of the guards who tried to get up; Qrow wanted silence and blood.
“Where are you keeping him?”
“Who?”
Even though he was terrified to death, his words still slurred. He was intoxicated. He tried to get up but his grip was far from strong and so he remained hidden behind the throne unable to do much except wait for his death he supposed. Perhaps, the emperor thought that he could appease his would-be assassin; he started to think up all sorts of things, like land, title, power anything! If only to stave off his inevitable demise. He wondered almost selfishly where his friend was; the one who wore a jester outfit who could do wonderful things with the click of his hands, or the blink of his eyes… who could take the emperor and his esteemed guests off to paradise. He was brought back to the situation at hand when this unnamed murderer began tossing the bodies of the now deceased nobles into the fireplace, the scent of melting human flesh made the emperor wish he had not had so much to eat during his morning meal… his feast of oysters and suckling pig no longer sat still in his stomach and he was forced to clap his hands over his mouth and to breathe into the surface of the rosemary throne that merely minutes ago he was sitting on comfortably being fed all manner of sweet treats by his wives and daughters. They had not suffered when they had died, all of them and their throats slit until their blood sprayed upon the emperor; but he had gotten so used to the gore that he could barely even smell their perfume now mixed in with the iron tang of human blood.
“Fuck this!”
Sick of being stuck in this stupid dress – one that Qrow had picked at random for Tonic to wear, the male tore at the fabric until finally his legs were somewhat freed. He tossed the heeled slippers away and reached up to where Ears was semi dangling off the stone wall; it had been too easy sneaking away from the festivities and now they were trying to shimmy their way into the guard tower so they could pin point where exactly the entrance to the dungeons were, it hadn’t been inside – Qrow had seen to that, seeing as he had massacred anyone or thing with a pulse, there were death claimants inside idly keeping the appearance up that everything was fine whilst also clearing away the corpses and tidying up any signs of disturbance.
“See anything?” Ears asked, his back turned away from Tonic as they took turns to use the single eyed telescope.
“There!”
Ears gave Tonic a look of astonishment as the male stripped clean of the dress – how he had managed to become entirely nude within the last minute or so was something that Ears clearly didn’t need to know, quickly switching attire with the unconscious guard who Ears had promptly kicked in the head when he was trying to ascend the tower, Tonic without so much as looking at his mortal companion dove from the window towards the direction of a trio of individuals, one of whom looked a little like Godfrey though Ears couldn’t tell from the blindfold and the gag… and now he was alone.
“What do I do?!”
“START A FIRE. GET QROW.”
Ears blinked, Tonic was gone, and he looked around, what the hell was he supposed to start a fire with? He bit his lip and decided perhaps it would be better to find a way out of the tower, not including the way they gotten in and perhaps then it would be clear, picking up the torn fabrics of the dress and the corset that Tonic had wenched in half, Ears decided he would now play the role of lost noble servant, if anything if he looked like he knew where he was going well enough; then perhaps he could secure them an escape route.
So light me up, my little projector
And eat me up like Hannibal Lecter
-Projector, Set It Off-
||SUNROOM||
Godfrey had barely looked at the spread that had been laid out in front of him, instead focusing on the bag of pearls that had been handed to him by a very sorry looking Ears. Godfrey had waved Ears away with a smile and he hoped that would do now in regard to forgiveness; if he had to be honest, the scent of the meat made him slightly ill, and he tried his best to wave the fumes away. The pearls were nice, smooth but not the quality he needed, he would have to go to the markets again and fight the old woman who did sell these pearls for the sake of being able to see oriental sort. He was so focused, so consumed by the sensation of pearls running through his hands that he barely even felt the kiss that Qrow had planted on his forehead, had only come back to the moment when he heard the scraping of a fork and his sizable plate becoming even more sizable…
“Like a mountain of food… what was that tall one you wanted to climb called?” He glanced at his husband, why he was so clearly distracted; concerned Godfrey for just a moment. He continued as best he could.
“The one near the orients… maybe you can get my pearls for me, and I can skip the old hag by the docks altogether…”
Now that he was actually able to think straight, discounting the fact that he was still running his hands. Through the bag of pearls was that Qrow had not changed and was so smeared with his own blood… he looked towards the back where the entrance of the sunroom sat and waved for Ears, well Ears was not there but Carrot was – she’d have to do.
“Go up to the tower… have them bring something down for Qrow to wear.”
Carrot looked at Godfrey once then at Qrow before running off to do as she was told. He then put the pearls away and finally decided he would attempt to eat what was; he thought an impossible amount of food. Sometimes it made him want to grind his teeth whenever Qrow moved food from his plate; it reminded him of when they were kids, when Godfrey was still new to the Void and entirely unaware of the customs that the house of Death seemed to share (or at least appeared to share where Qrow was concerned/involved).
“They were only doing their best; my condition is not something they can control.”
He tried to seem firm, tried to glare but it was impossible to glare at Qrow without feeling like glaring would be the last thing you’d ever be able to do. Carrot re-entered the room and placed a tray of clean identical clothing near Qrow before scurrying away. As the door was about to close, Godfrey threw one of the pearls he had recently bartered over, towards Carrot who without a backwards glance caught it, she barely had a moment to register what it was but held it to her chest regardless; he liked to do that… pay the servants with little trinkets like that – he could always afford more pearls. Picking up his spoon, he tried to tackle the mound of potatoes first, they were covered in thyme, garlic, and butter and even though he was starving… he just didn’t have the energy or need to eat. He tried to sit a little taller when Qrow mentioned something about a walk.
“I think that would be nice, the fresh air…”
The mosaics needed changing, that could be his next project! What materials would he need? Would he need to go to Venice? He felt a nudge and then he was back in the sunroom with Qrow who was looking at his plate pointedly, course not that Godfrey had realised because he was forever stuck in his own thoughts – Qrow had decided to effectively take over and was feeding him without his realisation; hell he hadn’t even tasted the food he had just chewed and swallowed and now his plate was empty.
“Did I eat all of that?” He reached for the napkin
“You did.”
“On my own or did you feed me?”
“What does it matter, you’ve lost weight and it’s my job to keep you alive.”
“You forget you… have your own life…”
It was a point of constant conflict, the whole ‘own life’ aspect of their relationship… as Godfrey was constantly in need of care, he had gotten mostly used to the relative peace of being coddled and moved about like a pawn on an empty chessboard, Qrow silently in the background making moves and plans to keep the board empty of all threats and possible annoyances; just so that Godfrey would be forced to sit in their little piece of mortal paradise and rest. He wiped his mouth, before placing it back on the emptied plates in the shape of a crane; he knew that Chef hated the habit, of him folding his napkins but it felt nice to leave something of his own…
“Where did you want to go?”
Pills n potions,
We’re overdosin’
I’m angry, but I still love you
-Pills N Potions, Nicki Minaj-
||SEVERAL YEARS AGO||
“Come on, this way… not much further.”
Gideon persisted in this quest, this foolish embarkment to change Qrow’s mind. He had to change Qrow’s mind, they were meant for each other and the only thing getting in his way was this sickly boy that barely managed to stay upright when the wind blew the wrong way. He had managed to get Godfrey away from Qrow, separated by the promise that they were going to the bathroom, when instead Gideon had transported them to a tall rocky cliff in the realm of Naiick. If Qrow really loved Godfrey, he’d come for him. Gideon just knew it. For his part, the metal future-Aikekunai was doing his best to keep up, it wasn’t made easy by the rocks or the branches but if Gideon had something that he thought Godfrey would like to see… then why not?
“Almost there.”
Gideon looked behind him as Godfrey bent over to take a few breaths, what the hell did Qrow see in him? Gideon wasn’t too sure and decided to wait for Godfrey to take a few breaths, not like he was going to survive the fall anyway. Once Godfrey had composed himself and was no longer wheezing Gideon stepped aside and allowed Godfrey to see the view, the clearing itself wasn’t so spectacular; nor was the view really but Godfrey didn’t want to say anything… after all Gideon had gone to all of this effort to take him to this new place, perhaps this was a new realm? Like the Void? But different?
“Isn’t this lovely?”
“Yes of course.”
It was a lie, but Godfrey really didn’t want to insult his new friend, he wished he had brought Crow and Qrow along… maybe Qrow was coming with Crow later? Gideon moved so that Godfrey would be given the space to explore the none-to-stable cliff, but course he didn’t know that, only Gideon knew, and he was making it seem like the earth beneath them was as hard and solid as any tree. Finally Godfrey ventured just far enough that Gideon knew that any step further would send him straight to his watery death.
“GODFREY. FREEZE!”
He had been bending over to tie his shoelace and nearly toppled in the wrong direction when Qrow dispelled of the trees and what have you with his blades to get to Godfrey, there was no Crow alas, but it was nice to see Qrow.
“You came! I knew you’d be coming to find us!”
Godfrey stood up, proud with his knot work and wanted to head towards Qrow who felt like a stable anchor in the world, felt like a presence that would never leave him… just like the ones he occasionally heard in his head; like him but not quite. Qrow looked rather displeased by the sight and Godfrey wondered if it had anything to do with him… he hadn’t done anything wrong, and this new friend named Gideon hadn’t been rude or mean in any such way. He wanted to move, he wanted to be with Qrow but something in Qrow’s eyes told him to stay still and not to argue or make any moves. So he decided to sit down instead, his head was starting to spin, and he didn’t like that he was cold. Rubbing his arms, he watched as Qrow, weapons drawn turned his blades upon Gideon. Gideon for his part was smiling like a deranged cat, he took out his own weapon and took a small step in Godfrey’s direction.
“You’ve got a choice, me or him.”
“Why would I have to choose?”
“Because I said so. Him or me.”
Gideon wanted more than anything for Qrow to pick him, he’d push Godfrey into the water and the kid would drown, Qrow would see how weak he was and then – then he would only care for Gideon, care, and love the stronger of the two… Qrow was however entirely unconcerned with Gideon’s words and was instead trying to calculate mentally a way to get Godfrey back out of danger and perhaps… Gideon in the water.
“Come on, pick me. I’m the one who’s better. Stronger. I won’t die.”
“Shut up.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m cold.” Godfrey wheedled, not that Gideon heard that.
“Godfrey, in a minute you are going to get up. Jump towards me. Into my arms.”
Godfrey contemplated the words, it sounded like a command but was offered like a lifeline, like rope to take him back to shore. He nodded so softly that even Qrow had to have sworn he had missed it if he wasn’t staring so intently. Qrow opened up a pocket into the Void just in case he was calculations were off. Godfrey for his part was still entirely innocent and still totally unaware that his life was at risk, he got onto his knees first and then left leg before right he straightened and dusted himself off... there was a soft sound of earth crumbling but nothing so serious that Qrow wanted to hurry the kid up.
Qrow mouthed the countdown as Godfrey, sure that he was able to make it into Qrow’s arms leapt… just as he thought he was going to crash into the dirt and hurt himself terribly, he was saved by Qrow as the sound of someone else landing in the water and the cliff face disintegrating caught him off guard. Qrow had barely managed to catch Godfrey and even then, only by his collar before sweeping him into a tight hug. Gideon in the meanwhile was suitably soaked the bone and pissed. He screamed up at the wind as the rocks plummeted into the water and he was forced to swim back to shore… Qrow had not needed to say anything to make his choice, he already knew in his heart of hearts that it would be Godfrey he would save.
And I look the other way as they are kissing their hello’s
And I’m pretending not to see them
-Tom’s Diner, AnneMayKantereit, Giant Rooks-
||PRESENT||
It began with Godfrey, as the monitor finally let out once last indication of the mortal definition of life, he himself did not fade but it was if the world for a fraction grew dimmer as a man charged in, covered in sweat, and holding onto two still bodies, one of which was already beginning to fall away like petals on a rose, just like when the rain is two days late. This man, as tall as he is, barely manages to lay them in each other’s arms these broken companions; one of whom gropes the air attempting to find the other only to be met with the freshly abandoned night gown of a body who once resided there.
The next is a sight to behold, as a tiny woman with a bandaged chest clutches at her heart and attempts one last time to kiss the lips of her lover as she topples off the bed into oblivion, their cries of pain are in earnest… they don’t know what to make of it. It’s heart wrenching for they were supposed to board a plane later that evening to begin the first of many treks around the world. They’ve got nothing left but an old battered soft toy whose missing it’s left eye.
The third is different, for the pair are not sad nor angry but defeated, the male is laughing and waving his arms around as they dissolve into invisibility. The woman is hitting his chest and trying to grip onto him, hoping that she is enough… but like the others he fades; though his smile tells her that he is not going away in vain.
Finally, it reaches the most recent who having watched her past lives begin to dissolve in front of her, like some cruel memory has nothing she can do as her chest begins to fall and hollow out; the blade topples and crashes to floor as she does nothing but cry. It’s silent… she doesn’t want to be heard. Like the whisper of a gale on a hot summer’s night she too is gone, the last thing she sees is the woman she loves being consoled by a man she never really liked but accepted because that woman; her happiness meant everything.
Ordinarily their souls might have flown, gone to the Void or off to Elysian if that was the path they wanted to take; to begin again and yet that is not the case for a skeletal hand reaches into the air and those souls are forced into a sort of suspended space where they cannot quite move nor do anything to free themselves. This dark mass whose eyes are not on the people but rather on the souls who are scratching, clawing, and howling to escape.
“Did you catch them?”
It’s the only important question that can be asked, the only appropriate one as this the son of death approaches the centre of the room; it’s utter chaos otherwise but he does not seem to care these petty mortals and their false memories; it’s the next woman who enters the room who tries to make sense of it all, she is bouncing on her feet and barely bothers to touch the cloaked figure as she settles upon bringing back to life, a life cut too short by pain.
“Wake up, wake up!”
Minutely and probably only detectable to those connected and concerned another three bodies make their way in, though one body is attached to another who is despite the loud protests on their part too frail to get away. His red hair is grossly damaged, no doubt the fault of the dye or maybe his own amateur hands misreading and mixing the appropriate chemicals. Like how humans destroy dams built by beavers, this protesting man is thrown onto the bed beside the woman whose arms around that of a deceased man.
I feel so light.
Well fuck we die looking like we lived. You got a fucker of a sword inside you.
Remind me to wash your mouth out with soap.
Gross, I died wearing a binder fuck of bandages
Why are we all such potty mouths?
Haven’t heard that term being used in a long time
Could you wake up please so we can come back?
I know life was hard and you were sick most of it, but we did not consent to being evaporated. Is that the right word?
SHUT up. Just let the man think. It’s his choice not ours.
Streets not safe
But I never run away
Even when I’m away
-One Dance, Drake ft WizKid, Kyla-
||CHILDHOOD||
He really was crying, his nose stung and it might have been broken as he approached Novevu, whose eyes were full of concern and something else; like glue being applied to be a broken frame, his nose was healed and the blood disappeared being reabsorbed back into his skin; though the same could not be said for his clothes which had taken the blunt of the blood that had escaped from his previously broken nose. A ruffle of his hair and a quick word to be a little more cautious about climbing back onto furniture before the Death Ancient departed and left Godfrey, Crow and Qrow alone.
He hadn’t expected for the other boy to be so nice as to give him a shirt, which he quickly tried to change into; only to fall on his butt with the shirt on inside out; a sigh was let out and Godfrey felt even further embarrassed. He could put on his own clothes! He wasn’t trying to be what was the word the other kid had used? It had started with the letter ‘s’ that much Godfrey could be sure of. He was no longer there, from the arm hole that Godfrey had somehow put his head through… he was alone.
“He was so stupid and…”
“He’s close to death Qrow.”
“So is he a human?”
“No, he’s just like you.”
“How could someone so weak be like me?”
“He’s unwell. He has a disease.”
“You told me that our kind couldn’t get sick.”
“And that is normally true but the elements… don’t seem to agree with Godfrey. At least not the element he was born with. Nammay is too scared that the changing of elements will kill Godfrey and so we haven’t decided until now what to do.”
Qrow kicked the rug, he hated being in this office, it was god awful how Novevu liked to arrange his rooms and the furniture, he partially wanted to destroy the current layout and redo it in a way that would look far better; he watched as his Ancient took out a bottle of amber liquid and poured himself a glass.
“Look he won’t be around for very long so just try to be his friend. He needs it.”
