Fic - The Irregularity of Death - Chapter Nine - Silence

[elfowlgirl]

SO THIS CHAPTER IS LATE BECAUSE I AM A DERP.

Also, I'm afraid IoD is going to be on a temporary hiatus for the next few weeks so Slushie and I have the time to write more chapters - we're reaching the end of what might be considered "the first act" and need to do a lot of planning! So see you all soon!

Chapter 9: Silence

 

“The conditions for death will not be realized unless it is physically possible for that human or it is reasonably assumed to be carried out by that human.”

The silence was deafening.

It was only silence, technically, in that no one was speaking. Many people around Etho were mourning, crying, sobbing. Needlessly solemn music played throughout the busy room, although if he bothered to even concentrate for a moment he could tell that it was no doubt a recording. And then there was the casket.

Casket, coffin, whatever your term of choice was. It was made of some sort of beautiful dark wood, though it hardly seemed to matter when it came to stuff like… this. The lid was closed. They’d all heard about the murder, so it only felt respectful.

Etho felt like he was taking this whole thing too well.

Pause had been a wreck since he’d heard last week and had completely bailed on school since. He hadn’t even known BdoubleO that well, but he’d been friends with Guude and the fact that his friend was going to be locked away on murder charges… Tears still streamed down his face even when it seemed like they should’ve long run out.

Beef had been a wreck as well, although not nearly as much. He’d taken it the same as Pause, though yet he sat here still as a statue. Hardly breathing, never blinking, as though if he did either his whole facade would break.

The fact that Guude was in the room with them probably didn’t help matters.

He’d gotten off with aggravated murder charges which, to put it bluntly, meant life in prison without parole. His lawyer would likely keep fighting for a voluntary manslaughter and a diminished sentence, but it’d take a while. He’d ended up pleading guilty as part of an agreement that he got to go to his friend’s funeral.

And there Guude was, standing quietly in the corner of the room and surrounded by half a dozen prison guards. His orange jumpsuit was already mangled, arms bound together before him with handcuffs. His eyes were red, his skin horribly off-color and he was still shaking like he’d been when--

Etho turned his face away.

And he… he hadn’t shed a single tear, despite being there when it happened. Despite knowing both John and Jason as well as they’d known each other. Despite being helpless to have stopped Vechs from causing this whole thing. Despite…

His hands clenched into fists in his lap.

A single, soft tremor ran down his spine.

And he began to cry.

---

Etho had sat - “relaxed” was not the right word in this instance and never would be - in the same church pew for several hours. He hadn’t spoken, hadn’t looked up, had just sat there and reflected. Pause and Beef and everyone else had long since left. It was just him and his thoughts.

The door to the church slowly creaked open.

Etho looked back at the newcomer, who was masked by their bouquet of flowers. Each of the flowers was vibrant - purple, pink, bright yellow. They were so colorful that it was like… like the flowers were laughing.

It was only natural to think that, he supposed, especially considering that was most likely what the man behind them wanted you to think as he lay them down before the casket and revealed himself.

“What are you doing here?” Etho called out across the room, voice hoarse from disuse and tears.

“Paying my respects,” Vechs replied nonchalantly while he stood looking down on the casket. “I give these to all my players. It’s only the polite thing to do.”

“You’re mocking them.”

“Same difference,” Vechs shrugged. “What are you doing here?”

Etho shrugged in return. “Thinking.”

“Dangerous work.”

The silver-haired teen felt a small tug at his core; the motion of his conscience. “Thinking about you, actually.”

“Even dangerous-er, then.”

“I’ve been thinking about…” Etho stood up from his seat, slowly, and meandered his way into the aisle, his eyes never leaving the dark box. “You broke our deal. You gave me your word that you wouldn’t hurt anybody I cared about. You promised that they’d be fine so long as I lent you my eye.” His voice had risen steadily, but he didn’t care, not now, not here. He swung around and stared at the smugly smirking teen standing so casually to one side, hands in his pockets like he was ten years their senior.

“And here I am, at the funeral of one of my friends, and the condemnation for life of the other which might as well be the same thing! The deal is off!!”

That last word echoed around the room, rebounding off the church’s walls until it had died out completely. All the while, Vechs just smiled.

“It’s not off.” Vechs suddenly took a step forward. “Far from it. How was I to know that you cared about these two? You never mentioned them, or recognized them, even when I asked for their names.” The blue eyes bore into Etho. “You knew what was likely to come. You were there when I quote unquote ‘condemned’ them.” A few more steps. “You never stopped me. You didn’t speak up. You didn’t vouch for their lives when you could have.”

Etho was so transfixed by the other boy’s tirade that he didn’t realize Vechs had walked all the way up to him until he had to stumble back on his heels to keep a measure of private space.

“It’s hardly my fault, Etho Slab. This whole thing is on you. I hope you can live with yourself after this because if I was you, I certainly couldn’t.”

There was a single beat of silence.

Then Vechs stepped back, just one step, before he swept past Etho and marched briskly out of both the room and the church, as light-footed as when he had arrived.

Etho didn’t actually see him leave. He kept his eyes on the casket in front of him, the luxurious bouquet of flowers that Vechs had left elegantly propped against the elaborately crafted wooden box where one of Etho’s best friends now rested.

He stood there and sighed, breathing in the perfumed smell of the flowers mixed with the metallic scents of blood and death.

Comments

[ex_writeitinsharpie308]

Thinking really is dangerous work for you, Etho. Don't try it again. (If Etho reads this, I'm kidding! (Just a caution. Lots of 'Crackers are here, so...))

When it said that Vechs swept past Etho, I imagined that he was in a cloak. Like an evil overlord.

[justicetom]

There are times when I really hate Vechs. Super Hostile is one. This is another. :P
Damnit, Vechs.

[bookworm2692]

*sits in corner, glaring at Vechs, Elfy and Ice*

[tjmachado]

Vechs, you do know that one could either use LOGIC here or loophole abuse... Which loophole abuse sounds kind of right here (of course Etho didn't say anything, you would've killed him), at least for the Vetcheseseses.

[(Anonymous)]

i love this fic but where's the next one??

[elfowlgirl]

Like I said, it's on hiatus until me and my co-author feel motivated enough to keep writing. We've planned out the next chunk of story but don't feel it's quite good enough to write, yet.