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Entry tags:
sinking village
Summary: An exploration about Allen's love for humanity, as well as Lavi's incomprehension.
“I heard this village will sink in a few years.” Lavi propped up his chin on his fist, and stared outside. It was raining, his breath misting over the window. With his gloved finger, he rubbed at the glass until he had an oval overlooking the street. The sky was gloomy.
“You’re just saying that because it’s raining so much.”
“It’s true,” Lavi said. “It said so in the brochure. It’s ‘cause of the ocean.” He listened to the sharp intake of breath, and then a wheezy gasp.
“Why were you even reading it.” He could just imagine the look on Allen’s face.
“I was bored.” The umbrellas bobbed up and down the street. Everything seemed to be a shade of gray. “Oi, why don’t the people move? There’s not going to be anything here in a few years. They can’t even breathe underwater.”
When he didn’t receive an answer, he twisted around. “Didya hear me?”
“Lavi . . . “ There was a tone of irritation in Allen’s voice. Lavi smirked. That was like music to his ears.
“I know, I know. I should let you rest.” Lavi slung his arm over the chair and reclined, propping his feet on the windowsill. He stretched his neck backwards until all he could see was the ceiling, with spidery cracks running back and forth.
“Lavi . . . “
Was Allen trying to comfort him? In that case, that beansprout was doing it all wrong. But it was nice. To have someone with him and talking to him. Despite Allen’s best intentions, though, Lavi still worried a little bit. At least Allen was trying.
“Lavi, I’m hungry.”
He fell off his chair.
--
It was a small village. The baker delivered the goods to their room, once he heard there was a sick boy.
“That’s why ya gotta milk it. Look sick. No, look sicker.”
“Lavi, go away!”
“I bet we can get a discount, too. Here, let me do your hair—“
“Get away from me!”
For a sick person, Allen sure did flail a lot. But Lavi leaned back to appreciate his handiwork. The covers were drawn to Allen’s chin, and he had managed to tie Allen’s hair back in a ponytail. Even though the beansprout snarled and made empty threats, he still looked almost cute.
There was knocking at the door.
“Ah, he’s here.” Lavi opened the door for the baker, and smiled. “Good morning!”
“It’s afternoon by now, but it’s too rainy to tell. That’s the weather here, always rainy in the wintertime. Makes it hard to do anything. Gave my wife a case of the chills, too. My youngest son is sick, down with the sniffles. Are you two brothers? You look alike.”
The baker, in the meanwhile, had shuffled into the room and was placing the bag on the table, arranging the bread on the dishes. Lavi felt his eye twitch and closed the door behind him, hearing Allen’s soft snickering. That shrimp would have probably gotten overwhelmed, too, if he had been attacked by a talkative baker.
“No, we’re not brothers,” Lavi tried to say, “We’re here on business—“
“Business? At that young an age? Nonsense. Now, how’s the young one doing? The doctor could come to take a look at you. Is it a fever?”
“You could say that,” Lavi said, inching away. Allen made fake coughing noises (couldn’t he at least do it better?) and turned away, pretending to be asleep. Lavi knew his ways. He was trying to leave him alone with the baker.
“Ah, those clothes. Did you buy them from the tailor down the street? Get mighty good deals there. Always in tip-top shape, too. Much better than Gunkel’s, from two streets away. He always cheats them out of their good money, he does.”
“Well, you could say that too,” Lavi said, rubbing the back of his head now. “So, I guess it’s getting late—“
“I’ll come back tomorrow,” the baker promised, and with a resounding thack to Lavi’s back, left the room.
When the door shut, Allen burst out laughing, wheezing and coughing and holding his ribs at the same time.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Lavi grumbled, “You wimp.”
He sighed and swung around to sit at his seat, facing the window. It was still raining outside. He scratched at the back of his head. “I didn’t even get to ask him about the town sinking and everything.” Then he scrunched his face at the continuing laughter. “Oi, it wasn’t that funny!”
--
“Lavi, I’m bored.”
“It’s your fault that we’re here.” Lavi flipped through the brochure again. Its pages were torn and dog-earred, “All we had to do was drop off a package. But then you had to go and fight the Akuma in this village. Even though they already dispatched a team and everything!”
“We were closer . . . “
“I guess we were.” Lavi flipped to a random page, and skimmed the page. It seemed like he had read the entire pamphlet back to front at least three hundred times. He began to fold it into a paper boat.
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“What would you do if I said that I was? We could be back at base right now, enjoying dinner, instead of hiding out because you disobeyed orders. When are your injuries going to heal, anyway?”
“I’m okay now. I can walk.”
“Yeah, right.” Lavi paused in his folding. “Hey, you know that this place sinks every night we sit here? That’s kinda creepy.”
“I said I could walk. We can leave now.” Allen struggled out of bed. Lavi tore off a piece of the brochure and flicked it at Allen’s head. It hit him smack on the forehead.
“I would leave this place,” Lavi said. “If I lived here. It’s too dangerous. What if one night there’s a storm? Next day, I wouldn’t even have a home.”
“That’s true.” Allen reclined back on the bed. “I really do think we can leave by tomorrow, though. Or even tonight, when it’s dark.”
“Mah.” Allen was ignoring him again. “It’s fine, isn’t it? To wait until tomorrow?”
“My arm’s too obvious,” Allen said sadly, holding it up to what little light there was. Its strange, dark color seemed even more mystical in the semi-darkness.
“That’s your own fault. Ripping up your uniform like that,” Lavi said, rummaging through the box until he found the shreds of Allen’s old uniform. He threw it at Allen’s face. “Try it on again. If you don’t wear it back to headquarters, Komui’s going to suspect something’s up.”
“. . . Drill . . . “ Allen looked traumatized, and then slung on the coat hastily.
“Oi, Allen. If you lived here, would you leave this town?” Lavi asked, holding up his new paper boat.
“Me . . . ?”
The door flung open with a crash. Lavi jumped, his boat dropping to the ground and denting its front. Even Allen froze, dark arm stretching to retrieve his glove.
The baker dropped his goods, hitting the floor with a dent. A bun rolled from the paper bag.
“You . . . “
“Oh, you brought more stuff. But you could knock next time,” Lavi said, standing up.
“You . . . monster . . . !” The baker had a horrified look on his face. “You’re a monster!” He turned around and left the room.
“Oi! Oi, what’s the big idea!” Lavi grabbed the door frame and shouted at the baker’s receding back. “What do you mean, monster, you bastard? He’s the guy that saved your town! Your sinking town! Don’t call him that! He fought off the real monster, and got injured for—“
“Lavi.”
He didn’t turn around when he heard Allen’s voice. It had a note of sad acceptance in it. He didn’t like that.
“It’s fine. Let’s just go.”
“But—“
“If we get caught, we’ll be in seriously trouble,” Allen said, smiling with his fake smile. “It’s not the first time we’ve disobeyed orders.”
“. . . But.” Lavi looked back at him, but he was already flinging on his cloak, and busying to clean up the room.
--
It was still raining when they wandered outside. They did not have an umbrella, and Lavi clutched onto his cloak, shivering. His hood had already become dripping wet. Once they got home, he would bury himself in his warm bed and not come out for days. If Panda let him.
“Have you seen a pair of boys? They would be dressed in black uniforms.”
“What? What’ve they done?”
Lavi had a sinking feeling. Allen obliviously was heading towards a fruit stand, still in the dripping rain, but Lavi yanked him back behind the corner and only peered nervously. Even worse, it was somebody from the administrative section from the Black Order. They must have gotten wind of their actions somehow. Lavi suddenly felt cold.
Even worse, they were talking to the baker! The only one who really knew them. He would be sure to give them an accurate description.
“No need for you to know, sir. Just be rest assured that they will be dealt with accordingly.”
“What’d they do wrong?”
“. . . They dealt with a matter outside their jurisdiction.”
“Y’mean that monster that came down our streets a few days ago?”
“. . . Perhaps. Please, sir, did you see them?”
This was the end for them. He could already hear the buzzing Komui’s drill—even if it wasn’t really for him. He winced and shut his eyes.
“Nah. None of that around here. We only have good kids.”
The baker . . . lied?
“I guess,” Allen said, standing on tip-toes, staring at the sky. It had started to clear up, the gray clouds splitting enough to show the sun. “I wouldn’t leave this town. Even if it sank.”
Allen began to walk away, head still tilted back as he stared at the sky above. Lavi stared after him, and then down at the paper boat in his hands. Then he gently placed it on the stream of water that still ran down the street.
“Hey, wait up! You had the answer all the time, didn’t you?”
“I heard this village will sink in a few years.” Lavi propped up his chin on his fist, and stared outside. It was raining, his breath misting over the window. With his gloved finger, he rubbed at the glass until he had an oval overlooking the street. The sky was gloomy.
“You’re just saying that because it’s raining so much.”
“It’s true,” Lavi said. “It said so in the brochure. It’s ‘cause of the ocean.” He listened to the sharp intake of breath, and then a wheezy gasp.
“Why were you even reading it.” He could just imagine the look on Allen’s face.
“I was bored.” The umbrellas bobbed up and down the street. Everything seemed to be a shade of gray. “Oi, why don’t the people move? There’s not going to be anything here in a few years. They can’t even breathe underwater.”
When he didn’t receive an answer, he twisted around. “Didya hear me?”
“Lavi . . . “ There was a tone of irritation in Allen’s voice. Lavi smirked. That was like music to his ears.
“I know, I know. I should let you rest.” Lavi slung his arm over the chair and reclined, propping his feet on the windowsill. He stretched his neck backwards until all he could see was the ceiling, with spidery cracks running back and forth.
“Lavi . . . “
Was Allen trying to comfort him? In that case, that beansprout was doing it all wrong. But it was nice. To have someone with him and talking to him. Despite Allen’s best intentions, though, Lavi still worried a little bit. At least Allen was trying.
“Lavi, I’m hungry.”
He fell off his chair.
--
It was a small village. The baker delivered the goods to their room, once he heard there was a sick boy.
“That’s why ya gotta milk it. Look sick. No, look sicker.”
“Lavi, go away!”
“I bet we can get a discount, too. Here, let me do your hair—“
“Get away from me!”
For a sick person, Allen sure did flail a lot. But Lavi leaned back to appreciate his handiwork. The covers were drawn to Allen’s chin, and he had managed to tie Allen’s hair back in a ponytail. Even though the beansprout snarled and made empty threats, he still looked almost cute.
There was knocking at the door.
“Ah, he’s here.” Lavi opened the door for the baker, and smiled. “Good morning!”
“It’s afternoon by now, but it’s too rainy to tell. That’s the weather here, always rainy in the wintertime. Makes it hard to do anything. Gave my wife a case of the chills, too. My youngest son is sick, down with the sniffles. Are you two brothers? You look alike.”
The baker, in the meanwhile, had shuffled into the room and was placing the bag on the table, arranging the bread on the dishes. Lavi felt his eye twitch and closed the door behind him, hearing Allen’s soft snickering. That shrimp would have probably gotten overwhelmed, too, if he had been attacked by a talkative baker.
“No, we’re not brothers,” Lavi tried to say, “We’re here on business—“
“Business? At that young an age? Nonsense. Now, how’s the young one doing? The doctor could come to take a look at you. Is it a fever?”
“You could say that,” Lavi said, inching away. Allen made fake coughing noises (couldn’t he at least do it better?) and turned away, pretending to be asleep. Lavi knew his ways. He was trying to leave him alone with the baker.
“Ah, those clothes. Did you buy them from the tailor down the street? Get mighty good deals there. Always in tip-top shape, too. Much better than Gunkel’s, from two streets away. He always cheats them out of their good money, he does.”
“Well, you could say that too,” Lavi said, rubbing the back of his head now. “So, I guess it’s getting late—“
“I’ll come back tomorrow,” the baker promised, and with a resounding thack to Lavi’s back, left the room.
When the door shut, Allen burst out laughing, wheezing and coughing and holding his ribs at the same time.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Lavi grumbled, “You wimp.”
He sighed and swung around to sit at his seat, facing the window. It was still raining outside. He scratched at the back of his head. “I didn’t even get to ask him about the town sinking and everything.” Then he scrunched his face at the continuing laughter. “Oi, it wasn’t that funny!”
--
“Lavi, I’m bored.”
“It’s your fault that we’re here.” Lavi flipped through the brochure again. Its pages were torn and dog-earred, “All we had to do was drop off a package. But then you had to go and fight the Akuma in this village. Even though they already dispatched a team and everything!”
“We were closer . . . “
“I guess we were.” Lavi flipped to a random page, and skimmed the page. It seemed like he had read the entire pamphlet back to front at least three hundred times. He began to fold it into a paper boat.
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“What would you do if I said that I was? We could be back at base right now, enjoying dinner, instead of hiding out because you disobeyed orders. When are your injuries going to heal, anyway?”
“I’m okay now. I can walk.”
“Yeah, right.” Lavi paused in his folding. “Hey, you know that this place sinks every night we sit here? That’s kinda creepy.”
“I said I could walk. We can leave now.” Allen struggled out of bed. Lavi tore off a piece of the brochure and flicked it at Allen’s head. It hit him smack on the forehead.
“I would leave this place,” Lavi said. “If I lived here. It’s too dangerous. What if one night there’s a storm? Next day, I wouldn’t even have a home.”
“That’s true.” Allen reclined back on the bed. “I really do think we can leave by tomorrow, though. Or even tonight, when it’s dark.”
“Mah.” Allen was ignoring him again. “It’s fine, isn’t it? To wait until tomorrow?”
“My arm’s too obvious,” Allen said sadly, holding it up to what little light there was. Its strange, dark color seemed even more mystical in the semi-darkness.
“That’s your own fault. Ripping up your uniform like that,” Lavi said, rummaging through the box until he found the shreds of Allen’s old uniform. He threw it at Allen’s face. “Try it on again. If you don’t wear it back to headquarters, Komui’s going to suspect something’s up.”
“. . . Drill . . . “ Allen looked traumatized, and then slung on the coat hastily.
“Oi, Allen. If you lived here, would you leave this town?” Lavi asked, holding up his new paper boat.
“Me . . . ?”
The door flung open with a crash. Lavi jumped, his boat dropping to the ground and denting its front. Even Allen froze, dark arm stretching to retrieve his glove.
The baker dropped his goods, hitting the floor with a dent. A bun rolled from the paper bag.
“You . . . “
“Oh, you brought more stuff. But you could knock next time,” Lavi said, standing up.
“You . . . monster . . . !” The baker had a horrified look on his face. “You’re a monster!” He turned around and left the room.
“Oi! Oi, what’s the big idea!” Lavi grabbed the door frame and shouted at the baker’s receding back. “What do you mean, monster, you bastard? He’s the guy that saved your town! Your sinking town! Don’t call him that! He fought off the real monster, and got injured for—“
“Lavi.”
He didn’t turn around when he heard Allen’s voice. It had a note of sad acceptance in it. He didn’t like that.
“It’s fine. Let’s just go.”
“But—“
“If we get caught, we’ll be in seriously trouble,” Allen said, smiling with his fake smile. “It’s not the first time we’ve disobeyed orders.”
“. . . But.” Lavi looked back at him, but he was already flinging on his cloak, and busying to clean up the room.
--
It was still raining when they wandered outside. They did not have an umbrella, and Lavi clutched onto his cloak, shivering. His hood had already become dripping wet. Once they got home, he would bury himself in his warm bed and not come out for days. If Panda let him.
“Have you seen a pair of boys? They would be dressed in black uniforms.”
“What? What’ve they done?”
Lavi had a sinking feeling. Allen obliviously was heading towards a fruit stand, still in the dripping rain, but Lavi yanked him back behind the corner and only peered nervously. Even worse, it was somebody from the administrative section from the Black Order. They must have gotten wind of their actions somehow. Lavi suddenly felt cold.
Even worse, they were talking to the baker! The only one who really knew them. He would be sure to give them an accurate description.
“No need for you to know, sir. Just be rest assured that they will be dealt with accordingly.”
“What’d they do wrong?”
“. . . They dealt with a matter outside their jurisdiction.”
“Y’mean that monster that came down our streets a few days ago?”
“. . . Perhaps. Please, sir, did you see them?”
This was the end for them. He could already hear the buzzing Komui’s drill—even if it wasn’t really for him. He winced and shut his eyes.
“Nah. None of that around here. We only have good kids.”
The baker . . . lied?
“I guess,” Allen said, standing on tip-toes, staring at the sky. It had started to clear up, the gray clouds splitting enough to show the sun. “I wouldn’t leave this town. Even if it sank.”
Allen began to walk away, head still tilted back as he stared at the sky above. Lavi stared after him, and then down at the paper boat in his hands. Then he gently placed it on the stream of water that still ran down the street.
“Hey, wait up! You had the answer all the time, didn’t you?”