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!).

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[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 Emperor doesn't...he just doesn't understand...not like YOU do...'

Dist interrupted his train of thought as he felt his cheeks flush visibly. Having an argument between the two of them right now was not a good idea- there were plenty of more important things at stake, and Dist knew he'd never be able to convince a reconciliation should something arise. They were both too stubborn. And neither Jade or Peony ever bothered listening to Dist. At best it seemed his job was to distract them from acting irrationally- it seemed the near-death experience had opened a long-lost sliver of logic in his mind and he had decided to run with it.

"The water won't do anything," Dist stated, after a period of pregnant silence. His voice smooth, matter-of-fact. "He's overused his artes, his fonons were drained as a result. Rest is just about the only thing that will help."

[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 together. And he had been discarded yet again.

Something inside of Dist snapped. Whatever hadn't been snapped to begin with, anyway. It snapped.

"I see how it is then," Dist added, with a highly indignant tone. "You're going to get RID of me, is it? Well you know what Emperor? I'm SICK and TIRED of you and Jade acting like schoolchildren, BICKERING, FIGHTING-" He took a deep breath. "We-WE-We were best friends! At least YOU two were, I'm not quite SURE where I stand, but all the same-We're SUPPOSED to be trying to get OUT of here TOGETHER! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP IF YOU KEEP LEAVING ME OUT OF YOUR LIVES?!" The lanky man was panting in fury, the words flying out of his mouth with little control.

He paused to catch another breath. "I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT TOO! You're not the only one who's WORRIED! You're not the only one who SUFFERED. But you know what, Emperor? You can HAVE your stupid fight and scream at each other! I'm LEAVING!"

He stomped out of the room, a few stray angry tears spilling from his eyes. He wiped them away hastily, full well knowing that despite it all, he was going to head to the kitchen and try to get Jade some tea.

Some things never changed.

[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.

Peony stared after Dist, not quite sure what he felt. Angry? yes. Guilty? yes. Overwhelmed by every emotion known to mankind aside from humour? most assuredly. He had wanted to say something, to somehow take away the hurt out of Dist's voice and spare himself from feeling like a complete bastard.
Peony didn't want to think that Dist was right, that the eccentric man could be telling the truth. He couldn't deal with Jade AND Safir, not right now. The door slammed loudly, and it was just him and his unconscious friend. Peony watched Jade's face tiredly, staring as if he could wish back expression onto the other man's slack face.

A moment or so had passed since the room had gone silent, Dist having left to go who knows where. He wouldn't of blamed him if he had left the Inn altogether. Despite his conflicting emotions towards what Dist had said, he was secretly glad that he had been left alone to take care of Jade. It was after that selfish though, that he saw movement. Jade's dark lashes fluttering, and then a shock of bright crimson from beneath heavy lids. At his whispered name the Emperor felt something heavy lift from his chest, sudden relief washing over him.

"I'm here Jade." The fingers that wrapped about his own were ice-cold, the grip weak but desperate. The sickening sense of worry was slowly ebbing, though not completely gone. "Everyone?" He nearly croaked, his voice raspy from the strenuous walk back to the Inn. "He's..he's fine."

It was the next time that Jade spoke that caused Peony's heart to nearly stop. A sudden cold washed over his body, and he felt his chest tighten uncomfortably. "Jade.. Nebilim is dead. We're in Rivelata Jade, remember?"

[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...

With the mention of her again all those memories, those years of obsessing, all flooded back. He choked back a sob, slapping a hand over his mouth, completely embarrassed. Why am I crying, he asked himself angrily as he backed away from the door, sniveling loudly. This isn't the time-...nor the place...

Defeated, the 35-year old man wiped his eyes again and squeezed them shut, taking a shallow breath. He then slowly drudged downstairs to the restaurant.