#prul is just sort of a nebulous bad guy in the marji raiku lore

[marjiandco]

Prompt #30: Splinter

warnings: bad fathers, dark conversations. A continuation of prompt #29 

Where...

Lights were strewn about in no discernible reason, blotting in and out of his consciousness. He was vaguely aware he was moving, as shadowy blobs pass by. Some even talked.

Where am I?

His thoughts were stronger now, if still muddled. He blinked, his lids heavy as he stared down. His wrists were bound in front of him, they felt rough and sticky. He slammed his head back harder than he meant, the weight of it too much as his hair covered his eyes. There was cloth around his dry mouth but he didn't seem to care too much, only that it was there.  Feeling slipped away from him and he closed his eyes.

When he awoke this time it was with a sharp clarity. He squinted his eyes as if the raging headache would disappear if he squashed his face enough. The lights he saw before was sunlight passing through trees, the 'talking' the rumble of the chocobo carriage over a rocky dirt road. He twisted around and groaned. His stomach was sore but he still can't remember from what.

“So you're awake then? That was fast.”

Raiku tilted his head back so far it hit the floor, his heart pounding hard against his chest. Over the lip of the carriage he could see pale blonde hair and long pointed miqo'te ears.

“Prul,” he said, his voice muffled.

The man driving shrugged his shoulders and the sounds of indignant chocobo chatter announced the stop of the carriage. Prul's head disappears and the crunch of gravel underfoot went around the carriage. Raiku rolled over onto his stomach and got onto his knees, glancing wildly around. Judging from the trees he's somewhere in the black shroud. That's good, he might be familiar with the area. He stumbled to his feet and took a few short steps towards the edge of the carriage, determined to roll himself over the opposite end of the footsteps. He shrugged a leg over, putting his weight on his bound wrists to pull his other leg over.

“Oh no you don't”

Prul grabbed the collar of Raiku's shirt and yanked him back onto the floor, rolling him over onto his back and pressed a foot down on Raiku's stomach to hold him still. Raiku wriggled beneath him, grabbing Prul's ankle in both hands but quickly released him when a sharp dagger was pointed between his eyes.

“I know how fast you little bastards can be, deceptively fast.”

Prul moved the dagger to under Raiku's throat, who leaned back into the floor as if he could somehow disappear beneath it. Raiku's nostrils flared as he tried to get enough air for his beating heart. He layed his arms across his chest and neck protectively. When Prul seemed satisfied enough, he put the dagger back into his boot.

What do you want Raiku said, again his words muffled but his captor seemed to get the general idea.

Prul wrapped his fingers in Raiku's hair, his golden eyes staring at it in interest as he started to stroke through it.

“You know I've always wondered what your hair would feel like. It's so different from hers; maybe a little bit better. It's so soft. Like feathers on a bird.”

Goosebumps raced across Raiku's body everytime Prul's fingers touched his scalp. No wonder Marji acted the way she did around him.

Don't touch me you fucking creep! Raiku shouted as best he could. Prul gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes and as Raiku's heart dropped into his stomach Prul grabbed his hair in a hard grasp, slowly lifting him up towards Prul's face while his foot still held him down at the middle.

“I'm not going to eat you; I was just curious.” Prul turned his head hard to the side and kissed him on his exposed neck, his fangs dragging momentarily against his skin. He laughed to himself as Raiku stretched his arms awkwardly to try and push him away with his bound hands.

Revulsion and anger glitttered Raiku's eyes with hot tears and he blinked furiously to hide it.

“Like I said, I'm not going to eat you. You're father would he'd pay me less if you're harmed.”

Raiku's rapid breathing stopped for a moment. Dad?

“And don't worry kid, I'll mend that little flower blooming on your stomach before we get there.”

Huh?

Prul moved his foot and grabbed both of Raiku's wrists in one hand and pushed it to the side and lifted his shirt. Raiku shuddered at the sight of a deeply purple and blue mark covering his right side. Prul let go of his shirt as he moved around to pick Raiku up by the armpits and dragged him back towards the middle of the carriage.

“You might be a liitttle allergic to sleeping spells.” Prul brushed his fingers over Raiku's side who, unable to do much else, sucked his stomach in. “Nothing a little healing wouldn't fix, but, we'll have to do it again.” He pursed his lips in mock sympathy.

He moved away from Raiku, pulling out a small staff from behind him as Raiku aimed a kick at the man. He flailed about as a burst of pink clouded over his chest and he screeched at the sudden burning sensation before quickly blacking out.

The next time Raiku awoke it was in a familiar sight. A large room with a four poster bed and posters littering the wall greeted him. Faces of gladiators with snarling mouths, an adventurers in need advertisements, and even a young faces Marji, fresh after her battle with ifrit in black and white. A window was open with a warm breeze lifting thin white curtains. soft sheets enveloped him beneath an expensive comforter. He lifted himself onto his elbows, sinking into the pillow beneath him. He was back in his parent's house, inside of his room.

He moved the blankets off of him, twisting his mouth when he saw he wasn't in his original clothes before pulling up his shirt. The bastard was right; there were no markings on him, just his own freckled skin. He lowered his shirt and touched his neck where Prul had kissed him. He felt so humiliated, unable to do anything to stop him. He doesn't even remember how he was captured but it must have been so quick, so easy. He'll keep his guard up next time. Be more wary of the darker corners of the world.

He got out of his old bed, not bothering to put things back and went over to his walnut wooden drawers, complete with golden handles for each opening. He opened them and laughed to himself; there's still his old clothes in there, neatly pressed as if they'd washed them yesterday. He picked out a pair of brown pants and a yellow top, and in another his old school shoes, shining so brightly he wondered if he'd go blind. He quickly changed and went over to the window, but his escape won't be so easy a second time; they cut down the tree that was next to his room, rather roughly by the look of it.

There was a soft knock at his door followed by it opening in a smooth motion. Raiku stiffened at the sight of an unfamiliar face. That's no the usual manservant who'd wake him.

“Sir, your father requests you meet him downstairs when it conveniences you.” He wasn't looking at Raiku in the eyes as he bowed.

“I'll come now.” Raiku said. Might as well get this over with, and ask him some, strongly, why in the seven hells he'd hire a man like Prul.

The interior of his parents mansion was as he remembered: gaudy and large. The height of the rooms are big enough to make a Roegadyn feel comfortable let alone a lalafellin family. Though they were fairly tall for their race it felt ridiculous to him to have such vaunted ceilings with their races size fixings. He always thought it made them look like kids playing house rather than the grandness his parents desired. Portraits lined the upstairs hallway with faces of his extended family. Well, his father's side mostly; there weren't many portraits done of his mother's side. At the end near the staircase had his face in it. Even the painter couldn't hide how miserable he looked, at least, that's how Raiku could see it. He wasn't smiling, and his eyes were devoid of warmth, looking off to the left as if begging to be anywhere but stuck in time.

You're out now. He told himself in his head as he descended the stairs with the manservant.

Down in the parlor the floors were a gleaming marble, scrubbed smooth of any embellishments. The couches and seats seemed tiny in comparison to how tall the room felt, a suffocating amount of decorations littering the room to fill the void. Everything shiny, everything untouched except by time. Nearby one of the armchairs was his father, standing as he always did when he was angry: with a cup of tea and his glasses low on his nose. Raiku rolled his eyes; his father never changes, always hiding his feelings by focusing on something else. The only thing he could tell was different is there was more salt than pepper in his charcoal hair, his mustache bushier than Raiku remembers.

“Hey dad.” Raiku said.

“Sit.” his father responded.

“Yes sir.” Raiku maliciously complied, flopping onto one of the couches, one leg dangling down the edge and the other wrapped around the top. He scrapped his shoes across the cushions as he leaned back against the armrest. Raiku smiled, hoping to goad his father but Raido Yomundo made no indication of his annoyance.

“You have-”

“Why” Raiku said loudly, drowning out his father. “on this entire continent, no this entire planet, did you pick that guy to pick me up?”

His father flicked his eyes at him before turning around to look out an overlarge window, to the golden streets of Ul'dah.

“He came highly recommended, and he was the better option of the rough bounty hunters that bothered our servants for work.” He looked Raiku up and down, his disdain palpable enough that Raiku righted himself on the couch. “I do not see anything amiss with you.”

Raiku fiddled with his hands, not entirely unscathed from his encounter. He knew better than to argue about results with his father.

“He did such a fine job I'll continue to utilize his services, for the time being.”

Raiku's head snapped up as he glared at the man. “You can't be fucking serious.”

“Raiku Honaku you know better than to speak that way to me.” His father started to yell but shut his jaw quickly, taking a moment to collect himself. “I'm...sorry for my outburst. I'm employing him until we can come to some sort of agreement.”

Raiku rolled his eyes and laughed bitterly. “Ah, so you're keeping me prisoner until I turn into a good little worker bee again, is that it?”

“Raiku Honaku-”

“Raiku. I just go by my first half now dad.” He spit.

“You can renounce your true name but that won't stop you being a part of our family. I'm not sure who put these ideas in your head but we're not bad people. We want your company again son. We worry about the dangers you're being put into. Since you ran off after that girl we've heard nothing from you.”

“I ran off to become my own man, she was just the catalyst.”

“Son, I know you.”

Raiku scoffs but his father pretends not to hear.

“You were always a smart boy, sensitive to the needs of others. We heard how kind you were with the servants, and in school you were praised by your tutors, when you did your work. Despite this, you are susceptible to influences, as we all are. Maybe more so. The person I can see now, I'm sorry to say, is the result of bad characters. You started acting out ever since you started reading the papers on this girls exploits, and do you really know her? She has no past, no relations or connections anywhere. How can a person like that hope to have a future, least of all with you?”

Raiku narrowed his eyes and stood up. “Maybe I should just take my chances with the psychopath you hired. Anything is better than to sit here and listen to you acting like you know me.”

“Raiku Honaku I'm not trying to pick a fight with you.”

“Oh really? Belittling me isn't starting a fight? Would you like me to kiss your boots instead?”

His father put his tea cup down onto a silver table tray.

“Listen to me, I do not guarantee you will come out unharmed with your next interaction with my hire.” his father said darkly.

Raiku looked between his fathers eyes, but there was no indication of a bluff. He took a step back. “Does mom know about this?”

“As your father I don't want to see you get hurt,” Raido Yomundo said, ignoring the question “but unruly children tend to need a firmer hand to get them to sit still.” He waited to see if Raiku would interrupt him again. “Now, again, I apologize for being firm with you. Whether or not your actions were your own until this point is irrelevant. What will happen from this day forward is based on your choices.

“My hire will watch the estate, checking to make sure you haven't attempted an escape during negotiations. This is only a temporary measure; I am not keeping you here against your will but to hear your families concerns. No one else knows I've tracked you down, and tonight we will hold a party for your return. This is only to have us all be able to chat together, without hard conversations. Something I'm sure your mother would like very much. Afterwords, you and I will talk about your actions in depth, and see how we can move forward hand in hand. Raiku Honaku I don't want to lose you as a son. Even I can come to terms with some of your lifestyle I only want a few things any father would want. So, what do you say?”

Raiku stared at his father with new eyes. The man before him, who he used to believe was foolish and neglectful was a shrewd little snake. His skin crawled as the image of a cage snapped shut around him, and like a wild animal Raiku wondered if he should gnaw through his own arm to escape.  He wanted to. He wished he could run as fast as he could, to dive out of the room and fling open the front gates and disappear into the crowd. The thought of running into Prul again, failing and still having to be in this prison with his father made his legs wobble. He shook his fathers hand before retiring back to his room. He'll stay for the circus, to agree to whatever he needs to get out of this house.

After that? He'll never look back. No matter what his estranged father said, he's permanently splintered their bond.