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Pet Shop of Horrors fic
Caveat: I've only seen the 4 episodes of Pet Shop available in the US. I haven't read any of the manga, although I've heard hints of D's supernatural background. I don't know if D's grandfather ever shows up in the manga, but the idea of D, who's always in control with his mysterious powers, getting one-upped by someone who knew more than he did was something that interested me.
Prologue
"You haven't the right," Count D said, sounding inexplicably petulant in his own ears. His grandfather could not have reduced him in this manner.
"Hmph," his grandfather said, sipping at his tea. "You should show more respect for your elders."
Count D felt the fire go out of him. He pulled his shoulders in and bowed his head. He had only sealed his fate by protesting it. The only way he could convince his grandfather that he had not abandoned the old ways was to adhere to them stringently, and he had failed at that.
"Really, D," his grandfather said. "Mermaids and Medusas? You must learn subtlety, if nothing else."
I.
"I bid you welcome. We have everything you may desire, from dogs and cats to birds and insects and rep--"
"Yeah, I know," Leon said, frowning at the man before him. "I'm not here to buy. I'm looking for Count D."
"I am Count D," said the man, his posture stiffening.
Leon studied him. He did look kind of like D, but older. Not that he looked old, exactly, he just looked more solid. Less like a slender porcelain figurine. "Younger guy," Leon said. "Weird eyes--one purple and one yellow."
"Ah, you seek my grandson," the elder D said, with no discernible softening of demeanor. "I am sorry," he went on, sounding terribly light-hearted for someone apologizing. "He is not here."
"Where is he?" Leon demanded.
"He has returned to China," the man said, turning away and retreating deeper into the shop.
"China!" Leon protested. He followed a few steps. "When's he coming back?"
The man stopped and turned back, as if to bar Leon from the interior of the shop. "I am not certain he will come to America again," the man said. "This country has made him forget his heritage, and he goes back to relearn it. Once he remembers it, he may choose to remain in his own land."
"But he--" Leon frowned at his shoe, dejected. "Have you got a phone number or something?"
"Phone calls to China are very expensive," D's grandfather admonished.
"Then an address. Have you got an address?" Leon asked.
The man clacked his tongue disapprovingly. "Why do you so urgently need to communicate with him?"
Leon opened his mouth. Shut it. Gritted his teeth. "Police business," he said finally, pulling out his badge.
"May I see?" the man said, taking the badge from his hand before Leon could protest. "My eyesight is not what it once was, alas." He had carried it over to a lamp, and stood examining for a few moments before returning it to Leon. "Detective Orcot, if this is about any of the cases involving the pet shop that occurred duing my absence, I assure you, I can answer fully as well as my grandson. I have records of all the contracts and transactions he made."
"But you didn't actually talk to the customers yourself," Leon said stubbornly. "I really do have to talk to D. He's a witness."
"A witness to what, people buying pets?" the man asked derisively.
"You're impeding an investigation," Leon told him. He sniffed disdainfully. "That's against the law. Maybe I should arrest you."
Leon had clearly angered D's grandfather. "Wait here," he said curtly, walking off.
Leon stuck his hands in his pockets and waited. He fidgeted restlessly after a few moments, and went to look at some canaries and some kind of lizard that were in cages along the wall. They looked ordinary enough. Hadn't D kept something more colorful out here?
"Here," the man said from behind Leon.
Leon turned quickly. "What's that?" he asked. The man was holding out a sheet of something very thin and translucent.
"Onion paper," the man replied. "Sending letters to China is also very expensive, so I ask you to use the lightest paper there is. Write your questions on it. Bring it to me when you are done. I will send it to my grandson."
"But--"
"You will do as I ask," D's grandfather ordered him, seeming taller. The room seemed to darken, and the scent of incense that permeated the place suddenly grew stronger.
Leon meekly took the fragile sheet of paper.
"Now go."
Leon went.
He climbed the stairs to street level, and walked down the street to where he'd parked his car. He sat behind the wheel and set the paper down in the passenger seat. He frowned at it, and then at the sunlight, feeling oddly dazed.
He wondered what he was going to write to D.
---------
I think to continue this, especially D's end of it, I'm going to have to do some research into Chinese mythology, to get a handle on what, exactly, D's going to be relearning.
Prologue
"You haven't the right," Count D said, sounding inexplicably petulant in his own ears. His grandfather could not have reduced him in this manner.
"Hmph," his grandfather said, sipping at his tea. "You should show more respect for your elders."
Count D felt the fire go out of him. He pulled his shoulders in and bowed his head. He had only sealed his fate by protesting it. The only way he could convince his grandfather that he had not abandoned the old ways was to adhere to them stringently, and he had failed at that.
"Really, D," his grandfather said. "Mermaids and Medusas? You must learn subtlety, if nothing else."
I.
"I bid you welcome. We have everything you may desire, from dogs and cats to birds and insects and rep--"
"Yeah, I know," Leon said, frowning at the man before him. "I'm not here to buy. I'm looking for Count D."
"I am Count D," said the man, his posture stiffening.
Leon studied him. He did look kind of like D, but older. Not that he looked old, exactly, he just looked more solid. Less like a slender porcelain figurine. "Younger guy," Leon said. "Weird eyes--one purple and one yellow."
"Ah, you seek my grandson," the elder D said, with no discernible softening of demeanor. "I am sorry," he went on, sounding terribly light-hearted for someone apologizing. "He is not here."
"Where is he?" Leon demanded.
"He has returned to China," the man said, turning away and retreating deeper into the shop.
"China!" Leon protested. He followed a few steps. "When's he coming back?"
The man stopped and turned back, as if to bar Leon from the interior of the shop. "I am not certain he will come to America again," the man said. "This country has made him forget his heritage, and he goes back to relearn it. Once he remembers it, he may choose to remain in his own land."
"But he--" Leon frowned at his shoe, dejected. "Have you got a phone number or something?"
"Phone calls to China are very expensive," D's grandfather admonished.
"Then an address. Have you got an address?" Leon asked.
The man clacked his tongue disapprovingly. "Why do you so urgently need to communicate with him?"
Leon opened his mouth. Shut it. Gritted his teeth. "Police business," he said finally, pulling out his badge.
"May I see?" the man said, taking the badge from his hand before Leon could protest. "My eyesight is not what it once was, alas." He had carried it over to a lamp, and stood examining for a few moments before returning it to Leon. "Detective Orcot, if this is about any of the cases involving the pet shop that occurred duing my absence, I assure you, I can answer fully as well as my grandson. I have records of all the contracts and transactions he made."
"But you didn't actually talk to the customers yourself," Leon said stubbornly. "I really do have to talk to D. He's a witness."
"A witness to what, people buying pets?" the man asked derisively.
"You're impeding an investigation," Leon told him. He sniffed disdainfully. "That's against the law. Maybe I should arrest you."
Leon had clearly angered D's grandfather. "Wait here," he said curtly, walking off.
Leon stuck his hands in his pockets and waited. He fidgeted restlessly after a few moments, and went to look at some canaries and some kind of lizard that were in cages along the wall. They looked ordinary enough. Hadn't D kept something more colorful out here?
"Here," the man said from behind Leon.
Leon turned quickly. "What's that?" he asked. The man was holding out a sheet of something very thin and translucent.
"Onion paper," the man replied. "Sending letters to China is also very expensive, so I ask you to use the lightest paper there is. Write your questions on it. Bring it to me when you are done. I will send it to my grandson."
"But--"
"You will do as I ask," D's grandfather ordered him, seeming taller. The room seemed to darken, and the scent of incense that permeated the place suddenly grew stronger.
Leon meekly took the fragile sheet of paper.
"Now go."
Leon went.
He climbed the stairs to street level, and walked down the street to where he'd parked his car. He sat behind the wheel and set the paper down in the passenger seat. He frowned at it, and then at the sunlight, feeling oddly dazed.
He wondered what he was going to write to D.
---------
I think to continue this, especially D's end of it, I'm going to have to do some research into Chinese mythology, to get a handle on what, exactly, D's going to be relearning.
no subject
This is good. Curse you having to do research to write more. *shakes fist*
Now I have to wait. *g*
Re:
I have three books on hand (well. Two and a book on Tibetan mythology. Well, one and a half, because one of them is Chinese *and* Japanese mythology. Well.) and just no time to read them right now. I don't even really have time to be writing this or reading inspiring Petshop fic, or, you know, checking my email right now...
no subject
The manga is going to be released in the English by Tokyopop (tokyopop.com) at some point, if you're interested. =)
no subject
well, there are spoilers here...
The manga is simply gorgeous, I can't put it into words. It was my first major purchase, so I'm a little attached to it.
Re: well, there are spoilers here...
I've seen a few scans of Count D--Guh. Pretty. :-D
Re:
Thanks for the link!
Re:
Re: well, there are spoilers here...
no subject
Wish I could help make more time available for you to work on wortwhile things like reading those mythology books and then writing more fic. *g*
Re:
no subject