[03] The Prisons We Choose
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kh_drabbleChallenge: [181] Watch
Title: The Prisons We Choose
Word Count: 598 (\o/)
Notes: Because where Xaldin and Xigbar don't need much of an explanation, my other OTF sorta does. Just for fun, but entering for kicks(?)!
The Master chooses to wait.
~~~
In the Castle White, there are twelve rooms, twelve chambers where the twelve Major Arcana reside. All of them are connected via secret passageways that no one quite understands.
The Originals of the cards have so many passageways that the walls between their chambers are hollow. The Moon follows a long straight corridor to the Emperor, no complications or swerves. The Sitarist’s passageways curve around the Opposite’s chambers, frustrating but ultimately close in a spiral staircase. The passageways of the Scythe, the High Priestess, and the Teardrops (the young Flush calls him Diamond-Eyes) weave through each other, a lover’s tango, traps and doors laid.
And the Master is left alone.
His chamber is filled with doors, surrounding him like a clock face. How the Master loves his games. His fellow gamblers watch as he opens one door and leaves the rest closed. The single rectangle of light cuts the circle room in two. They watch from the shadows. They wait.
Some of the Lords (or the Lady) stray close to his Game, the mystery he sees in himself. They stand in the doorway, never wanting to learn the rules. They watch as they leave. The Master needs an Opponent. But they already have their own passageways – why bother complicating things and opening more doors?
And the Master does wonder. Why bother? He waits in the darkness, and they watch as his chamber becomes a dungeon around him. He could leave. But he tells them that he is fine on his own, in the long words they understand too well.
But hark! One day, Royal and Full have news. New Greaters. Light and Memories. All of the Lessers are gossiping amongst themselves, speaking in the deeper language the Lords don’t understand. Two new sets of siblings! Light. Memories! Together? Hope for us after all? Hope.
They are confused when they are only greeted with little brothers. The Samurai are quiet, but aggressive, like the Prince of Light in his black armour and twin Keyblades. Only the Creepers speak of his counterpart, saying the Princess is quiet and kind, and that the Greaters are meeting her one by one.
They watch the Master. He does not have hope.
On the day he meets with the Princess, the back door opens, and they watch. It had always been locked, and they see a passageway behind. The Master goes into it. When he returns, he has met the Princess, and invited her to play the Game. But no true hope lies in his eyes.
At first, he treats her no different than the other players: sees her only as a piece to play with, to manipulate for brief amusement and then let her pass by like grains of sand in an hourglass.
It is Royal who speaks up. No, Master, he says, she is your Opponent. She is your Apprentice, the one who will play the Game. She is the Princess and she will listen to you.
We have been watching, Master. You have been waiting for a friend. We have been waiting. She is she.
The Master is silent for a long time, then orders them to leave him.
Alone in his castle room, the Master contemplates the door that had been locked for so long. Slowly, he climbs the secret staircase to the tower room, stained blue with moonlight. The Princess waits, sitting on her white dress folds. She wears no crown, but she smiles at him from across a battle map of fifty-two spread cards.
“Can you teach me?” she asks, a little shyly.
He smiles. “Indeed. I can.”
Title: The Prisons We Choose
Word Count: 598 (\o/)
Notes: Because where Xaldin and Xigbar don't need much of an explanation, my other OTF sorta does. Just for fun, but entering for kicks(?)!
~~~
In the Castle White, there are twelve rooms, twelve chambers where the twelve Major Arcana reside. All of them are connected via secret passageways that no one quite understands.
The Originals of the cards have so many passageways that the walls between their chambers are hollow. The Moon follows a long straight corridor to the Emperor, no complications or swerves. The Sitarist’s passageways curve around the Opposite’s chambers, frustrating but ultimately close in a spiral staircase. The passageways of the Scythe, the High Priestess, and the Teardrops (the young Flush calls him Diamond-Eyes) weave through each other, a lover’s tango, traps and doors laid.
And the Master is left alone.
His chamber is filled with doors, surrounding him like a clock face. How the Master loves his games. His fellow gamblers watch as he opens one door and leaves the rest closed. The single rectangle of light cuts the circle room in two. They watch from the shadows. They wait.
Some of the Lords (or the Lady) stray close to his Game, the mystery he sees in himself. They stand in the doorway, never wanting to learn the rules. They watch as they leave. The Master needs an Opponent. But they already have their own passageways – why bother complicating things and opening more doors?
And the Master does wonder. Why bother? He waits in the darkness, and they watch as his chamber becomes a dungeon around him. He could leave. But he tells them that he is fine on his own, in the long words they understand too well.
But hark! One day, Royal and Full have news. New Greaters. Light and Memories. All of the Lessers are gossiping amongst themselves, speaking in the deeper language the Lords don’t understand. Two new sets of siblings! Light. Memories! Together? Hope for us after all? Hope.
They are confused when they are only greeted with little brothers. The Samurai are quiet, but aggressive, like the Prince of Light in his black armour and twin Keyblades. Only the Creepers speak of his counterpart, saying the Princess is quiet and kind, and that the Greaters are meeting her one by one.
They watch the Master. He does not have hope.
On the day he meets with the Princess, the back door opens, and they watch. It had always been locked, and they see a passageway behind. The Master goes into it. When he returns, he has met the Princess, and invited her to play the Game. But no true hope lies in his eyes.
At first, he treats her no different than the other players: sees her only as a piece to play with, to manipulate for brief amusement and then let her pass by like grains of sand in an hourglass.
It is Royal who speaks up. No, Master, he says, she is your Opponent. She is your Apprentice, the one who will play the Game. She is the Princess and she will listen to you.
We have been watching, Master. You have been waiting for a friend. We have been waiting. She is she.
The Master is silent for a long time, then orders them to leave him.
Alone in his castle room, the Master contemplates the door that had been locked for so long. Slowly, he climbs the secret staircase to the tower room, stained blue with moonlight. The Princess waits, sitting on her white dress folds. She wears no crown, but she smiles at him from across a battle map of fifty-two spread cards.
“Can you teach me?” she asks, a little shyly.
He smiles. “Indeed. I can.”
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 04:08 am (UTC)What can I say? Yet another wonderful piece you've brought to the table. I love how Luxord has assigned Tarot cards to various Organization members-- it seems so him.
And once again, you continue to blow me away with this friendship dynamic. This time there's something somewhat spiritual about their interaction.
I know I promised you text spazzing, but I'm not really good at that. XD Let me just say that you just keep getting better and better.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 09:34 pm (UTC)Originally they all had Tarot names, but it started getting really vague. Demyx was the Fool, Marluxia was Death, Axel was Strength. I bet there are more, but I'm too lazy to draw the proper parallels.
♥ D'aww. That's what I was going for.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 04:28 am (UTC)Er, um...so. amazing. ♥♥ Love love love. Beginning is fantastic, the names are a wonderful puzzle, the line "Light. Memories! Together? Hope for us after all? Hope." was absolutely amazing in characterization, as is "The Samurai are quiet, but aggressive, like the Prince of Light in his black armour and twin Keyblades. Only the Creepers speak of his counterpart...." Language choice is super and asdfghjkl; everything. ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 09:36 pm (UTC)ffffffffffsdalfjdasdfasdf a {:D Thank you! Fdskfsd. No seriously, thank you.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-26 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-26 02:14 am (UTC)...I do not know why I just used a mustachioed emoticon. ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 09:47 am (UTC)That was badass. <3
I never even thought about a relationship between them, to be honest. o-o
I loved trying to determine who was who, though. I kind of automatically assumed Luxord was lord of just like, normal playing cards, but it seems likely now that you bring it up that he's in tune with all sorts. :3 Interesting.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-25 09:55 pm (UTC)Neither did I, until I read a gen fic about Naminé meeting the Organization one by one. And then I sort of thought about how all the members have been connected in canon, and he sorta seemed by himself. So uh, this is sorta where this comes from!
There's also the whole fortune-telling aspect to Tarot, which ties into his "Gambler of Fate" title. :3
no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-28 11:25 pm (UTC)Wow, thank you so much! {:D (The Axel-Larxene-Marluxia bit was my favourite.) I'm glad I've got you interested!
*marks down another name*no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 03:40 am (UTC)skjdfksjdfsf ♥ ♥ I love the names of the lesser Nobodies and trying to figure out who was who and the whole way this was written in general. Fabulous job, bb~ ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-03-31 11:58 pm (UTC)^^ Thank you!