Before: Coping

[sliceitwithwind]

Ansem's new apprentice has been part of the team for three weeks, two days, six hours, and fourteen minutes.

In that time he has managed to screw up four experiments, three desks, five computers, and Dilan's filing system.

Dilan is in the labs several hours before he's expecting anyone else to even be awake (the sun isn't due for another hour),

Comments

[bashitwithearth]

"Tell me you slept," he says as he comes in, his own coffee warm in his hands.

"Please."

[sliceitwithwind]

"I slept." Dilan states promptly.

And falsely.

[bashitwithearth]

"Tell me you slept... without lying."

Someone is three seconds away from calling Braig and four seconds away from knocking his best friend out, putting him over one shoulder, and making him take a nap.

[sliceitwithwind]

"If we expand the time-frame sufficiently then yes." Dilan says, fussing with binders, "I slept."

Not that he's going to admit what sufficiently is.

[bashitwithearth]

"Dilan."

Very very firm. Quiet, peaceful, but firm.

[sliceitwithwind]

"He comes in here." it's helplessly angry, "He comes in here and he messes with everyone's things, and he's so proud of himself even knowing nothing about himself. I came back last night to get my notes and it was just -

"And Ansem treats him like he's gold, and I know that he doesn't care for how Braig and I live our life outside of here but we're good scientists, we're some of the best or we wouldn't be here and it's hard having to turn everything over and know it's going to get trashed before Ansem ever sees it."

[bashitwithearth]

He nods and walks over to Dilan.

"I know," he says, calm. He's playing the human Quaalude right now and he knows it.

"He's a dick," he continues.

"But you need your sleep. You won't be a good scientist without that."

It's just concern. His own anger is thick and black and hot and it grows beneath the surface, far down where no one knows where to find it. There's a reason they say it's always the quiet ones.

[sliceitwithwind]

It's another couple of seconds before Dilan leans against Aeleus and shudders a little bit. "I didn't mean to let it get so far out of control. I was just going to get my notes, then I realized he'd left it a mess again - " and then one more thing, and then another.

[bashitwithearth]

Aeleus wraps an arm around his friend's shoulders.

"I know," he said, just as settled. Dilan was under stress, so no wonder this would happen.

"You can head home and take a nap, come in with Braig later in the morning."

[sliceitwithwind]

One of the best things about Al is that he's big enough to actually lean on. This is not something that can be truthfully said about any of their other friends.

"But he's going to mess it all up again."

[bashitwithearth]

"Yes," he agrees with a sigh.

"But hopefully he'll get the point.

"Or I'll hit him."

And that was quite the thing for Aeleus to say, but when he saw his friends so upset, the protective tendencies he had came out in full force.

[sliceitwithwind]

"Heh. You'd probably hurt your hand on his thick head." Dilan has his head tucked on Aeleus' shoulder at this point which is far more comfortable than he would have guessed. "I'll cope, Al. Don't let him get to you too."

[bashitwithearth]

He shakes his head, careful not to dislodge Dilan.

"He doesn't bother me. You all being bothered. That bothers me."

[sliceitwithwind]

"It's probably not going to stop." Dilan points out, "Ienzo and Braig are high-strung and I'm neurotic. Even - won't tell anyone if he's upset, but I'll probably lose my temper if I find him crying. Where's the fun in this, you know? It was fun when it was the five of us. We got so much done, and learned so much, and now it's like we're barely treading water."

[bashitwithearth]

"Has any of you tried speaking to Ansem?" he asks carefully.

[sliceitwithwind]

" 'Hey, Ansem?' 'Yes Dilan?' 'It's about Xehanort.' 'Ah, yes!' insert five or six minutes of the sun shining out Xehanort's ass." That spirals a little bit up toward hysteria before he throttles it down again, "We worked hard to get here, Al. This whole thing is offensive."