The story of Sleeping Rappig (open)

[necroshmancer]

WHO: Jade, Peony, Dist (unfortunately).
WHAT: Peony carries an unconscious Jade back to the Inn.
WHERE: Crimson Dragon Inn,
WHEN: Day 20 after the sparring with Dist (yes still backlogging!).

Comments

[peony_the_ninth]

Peony had ignored any strange looks or whispers as he walked through the Inn towards the stairs. The regulars of the Crimson Dragon had seen them enough to have at least a vague idea who they were. Enough to have expected Jade to be carrying Peony if anything, not the other way around.

The Emperor had broken into a light sweat, his tan face dewy and cheeks slightly flushed. At least he hadn't actually dropped Jade yet, just had a few stumbles. Peony's shoulders were burning, and climbing the stairs was no easy feat with the necromancer in his arms. Reaching their room Peony kicked the door open, dropping placing Jade on the bed.

Jade was still out. He hadn't even stirred when Peony had jostled him. It wasn't surprising, but Peony still felt anxiously worried. It didn't help that Dist was lurking around, unnerving Peony with his constant, silent presence. "Get me a jug of cold water Safir." No question in his voice. It was an order.

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist wrinkled his nose upon hearing his real name. "It's Dist the rose...." he began, quickly realizing that his retort could not come at a worse time. Silently, he went headed to the restaurant on the first floor and pestered one of the waitresses, returning within five minutes of his departure with a clay jug of ice water.

The uncomfortable silence filled the room stiffly, and Dist shivered, watching Peony panic quietly. It was quite obvious Peony wanted to be alone, but Dist wouldn't stand for it. Not only was it far too much of a tempting offer to care for HIS Jade after so long, but there was a certain degree of tension during the Colonel and the Emperor which had only grown since they had arrived in Rivelata. Dist was quite thick-headed, but it was so obvious it was actually beginning to irritate him on a daily basis.

He feared they may throttle each other if things progressed- and as much as he fantasized about Jade, running to him, crying, a tear streaming down his face quietly...'I need you, Safir', he would say...'the

[peony_the_ninth]

"The water will help!" Peony snapped back at Dist, a bit more harshly than he had intended. Seeing Jade in such a state was bad enough, having Dist around was even worse. It made Peony irate, especially since Dist knew so much more about fonons than he did. Dist could probably help Jade more than he could, which was the most annoying of all.

Peony dipped a cool cloth into the ice water, wringing out the cloth before laying it across Jade's forehead. Peony knew it probably wouldn't make a difference, but it made HIM feel better. He hated feeling helpless, hated that he hadn't been able to stop Jade before it had came to this point. The blonde chewed on his lower lip, sitting on the edge of the bed to stare down at Jade. Willing him mentally to wake up, to bat an eyelash, to do anything aside from quietly breathe.

[dist_the_reaper]

"WELL," Dist huffed loudly, taken aback by the Emperor's harsh attitude. "SOR-RYYYY for being RIGHT." He crossed his arms and waited for a retort from Peony, but it never came. The atmosphere continued to tense as the minutes passed in silence.

He was getting really sick of whatever game of emotional tag the Emperor and Jade were playing. You're acting like an OVER DRAMATIC woman, he retorted mentally. Not that he was one to talk, but the over dramatic persona was HIS role. He hadn't seen Peony act like this in nearly twenty years, and it was beginning to make him feel emotionally crowded. Dist hated to admit he preferred the light-hearted teasing manner the Emperor usually took on. What had being in Rivelata done to those two?

Dist wasn't sure he wanted to find out, and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his breath bated as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[peony_the_ninth]

That was it. If Dist didn't give him some space, he would knock the other man out. Peony was in no mood to deal with the ex-god general, he barely managed on a good day. "Go to the kitchen. Get them to make tea for Jade, he'll need it when he wakes up. Some soup too." The longer Dist was gone, the better. Peony ached to brush the hair back from Jades face, to grab his cold hand like he had done when they were children. The Emperor was feeling nostalgic in all the wrong ways, down to the over-protective attitude he had drove Nephry and Dist insane with.

[dist_the_reaper]

It wasn't hard, by the tone of Peony's voice, to decipher what he was implying by that order. Dist glowered, his eyes narrowed into furious slits behind his cracked spectacles. "Is that so?" he managed. His small hands clenched into fists, trembling. After all he'd done, helping them with the journal theft, trying to help Jade train, and helping Peony carry him back. Trying to be on his "best behavior", which was mostly just language for "not throwing hissy fits". After all that, Dist thought, I'm STILL an outsider? And here I was, trying to make sure another WAR between the Keterberg trio wouldn't break out!

Perhaps it hadn't seemed like it to Peony or Jade, but Dist had tried. As much as someone as deeply neurotic and narcissistic as he COULD try to get along with old friends, with whom he had been on ambiguous terms. He was used to the verbal abuse and the teasing, and even really, the air of discontent Jade treated him with (though he knew deep inside, he was only doing it out of love! of course!). But they were alone here

[necroshmancer]

Noise... there was so much noise...

Jade's eyelashes fluttered, and he half opened his eyes, like someone attempting to wake from a long, restless sleep. His eyelids felt so heavy, the world was so hazy, his head was thrumming... he felt so cold.

"Peony?" he whispered. His left hand moved with difficulty, dragging on the rough blankets, searching... he felt a hand under his fingers and tightened his grip, only then giving in to the urge to close this eyes and let his head roll to the side. He didn't feel so alone, now.

He blearily thought he might have thrown up, right then and there, if he had enough energy left to do so.

"Peony..." he swallowed, throat dry, something felt wrong, he felt so wrong, "Where is everyone? Where is... where is Safir? Is he all right?"

His voice broke as he continued: "Where is Nebilim? What happened?"

[peony_the_ninth]

How the hell had it came to this again? The scene was nearly identical to how it had happened in Keterburg. However, they weren't children. They weren't in Keterburg, or even in Auldrant anymore

[necroshmancer]

"Nebilim... is dead... it's me isn't it..."

Jade's speech was hesitant, and his voice sounded unlike that of the Colonel, confident, and strong, and used to being obeyed. It was a voice called forth from a separation of years.

"I know you'd rather be with Nephry... you always did like her best. But I understand..." the rest of his sentence was lost in a mumble, and he looked as if he had fallen asleep, for a minute or two, until he opened his eyes again. Crimson eyes a bit too bright, slightly unfocused.

"I know you'd rather be with Nephry..." he started again, with some difficulty, "I know she must be crying... but stay with me a little bit... I'm so cold... I'm so tired... stay with me... just for a little while..."

[dist_the_reaper]

Dist shouldn't have. He really shouldn't have.

But there he was, standing at the door to their room, greedily listening to the hushed murmur of voices coming from inside.

He...he really, really really shouldn't have. Why he was still standing there, listening...he didn't know. Another stray tear trickled down his face and he sniffed and wiped it away furiously. The nerve of his body to start crying at this age, really...

The scientist felt a strange twinge in his chest as he heard Jade talk. He hadn't heard the name Nebilm in a long, long time. For the past few hours the feeling and the memory had been there, but as an unspoken rule, no one had mentioned it. Even Dist had gathered enough tact not to. He had thought in the midst of this new world perhaps it might be time to leave it behind, just for now...just until...well...he hadn't really thought about it that far ahead