Chapter Text
The outside wind welcomed itself past the dark drapes and breezed coolly into the dark room. It stirred itself to tousle the curly knots of hair of the man at the desk, chilling his neck and the animal perched upon his shoulders. He glanced to the window and the drapes gently sweeping at its sill. The dark indigo that had previously so thickly blanketed the sky had thinned to a neutral, husky violet.
The sun will be up soon… And I've still yet to allow Karl out… He thought as he stood, cold hand brushing over the pages on the cluttered desk, many of which had been marked with a name at the top: Edgar Allan Poe . He allowed the furred creature to leave his shoulders. Karl jumped to the floor and weaved between the man's legs, fluffing out his tail. Poe closed the drapes, setting one heavily over the other; "Come, Karl." He said, leading the animal out the door.
At the bottom of the staircase he came across a peculiarity. The room, though large and usually without a fire in the stone place anyways, was uncharacteristically cold. A dim light, like that of the moon, flooded in through the open front door, accompanied by the gusty, chilling wind of the forested outside. The animal at his feet sniffed the air, nosing itself towards a particular direction in the room. A figure basked in all the beautiful light, tracing their fingers carefully over the keys of the grand piano that sat silently, waiting to be played. Black hair topped with a brown hat, and a coat draped over their shoulders were the basics he could make out. Poe stared at the one at the piano, a delicate dread and fear beginning to grow in his chest. Someone had invaded his home. They gently pressed down on a few keys, filling the room with a loud but empty and depressing sound. They turned their head to survey the room, catching sight of the man on the staircase.
"Oh, hi! What's your name?" They said. Their voice was so light and cheerful, it was a complete opposition to the depression that plagued the room.
The man tightly grasped the railing of the staircase and stuttered out his name to the stranger, not knowing what else to do. "E… Edgar A-Allan Poe…" His chest tightened and he took the last few steps to the bottom of the stairs. "W-who are you?"
"Edogawa Ranpo! I'm a detective."
The very word brought about a sense of disgust to him. He was vaguely reminded of something hidden very, very deep down in his memories that gave him a bitter taste in his mouth. Ranpo left the piano's side and waltzed over to him, hands on his hips. His hips. Thin, and so very graspable- Poe held onto the railing even tighter than before, listening to the other talk. "I really thought for a moment that no one was here. Yet I stand corrected. That doesn't happen a lot, y'know."
Ranpo continued to close the difference between them, making light of Poe's growing anxiety with some soft conversation; "I really like your outfit. Pretty goth. Straight out of the 1800s or something," they leaned on the stair’s railing, "kind of like a vampire."
Oh- Poe tried to get at least another foot of space between them again, taking miniscule steps backward. He heard a yelp beneath him before he even could tell he had tripped. The sudden sight of the ceiling above him, and the even more sudden feeling of being frozen in place. His hand… It felt even colder now when it was surrounded by warmth. He recollected himself, feeling the floor firm under his feet. "Careful!" Ranpo pulled him to his feet and let go of his hand, "Sorry, did I catch you off guard?"
Poe could actively feel any color that could've possibly been in his face drain away. He stared down at Ranpo, and felt the difference in height. He was not comforted. Poe quickly reached for Karl and brought him into his arms. He spoke as he began to climb the stairs, "You should leave. I don't know how you got here, b-but you shouldn't have. Y-you…"
"Oh, yep! I'll leave." Ranpo made their way to the door, speaking again before they left, "See you later, Poe!"
"No-" The door had already shut heavily before he could argue. He worried for a moment, then saw the lightening of the sky through the curtains. It was dawn now. He hurried up the stairs, and shut the door behind him when he reached his bedroom.
He panted, or, more so, hyperventilated. Some stranger had found him, in the middle of the thick woods, and was unusually friendly. Scarily so. And, even more terrible, had made the comment of vampirism. He let Karl leap from his arms as he sat down again at the desk. Ranpo said they would return soon; this was not good in the slightest. Poe could feel his heart, cold in his chest, pick up to a rapid pace. He stared down at his hands and the rest of himself. His bangs fell thickly over his eyes, always slightly obscuring his vision; his skin was pale as the moon; his nails sharp and painted black as usual. He took off his coat, feeling very hot all of a sudden. He stood up as well, smoothing out his shirt, feeling the fast beating of his heart as his hand traced his chest.
He leaned against the back of the chair and thought, Terrible. Most definitely terrible, in all variations. He paid no attention to the quick tapping of his heel on the floor as he continued to think. Rampo… Edogawa Rampo, what is wrong with you? You appear without reason and treat me as though we are as familiar as friends. Edogawa Rampo, I have gone without human interaction for so many years; the only reason I continue to speak is Karl. Are you in search of a friend? Is that why you came here? I apologize. I am truly sorry. You cannot be friends with someone like me. All I do is cause pain to those who get close to me. I am a terrible being. I am a monster.