Apocripha/0: Jade x Platina - Exploration of a Relationship Through The Five Senses
Posting both Sight and Hearing at the same time, mods if this isn't allowed do let me know and I'll edit the post. ^___^
Title: Trust
Author: risax
Theme: Sight, Hearing
Rating: PG
Word Count: 464 and 500 respectively
Author's Note: This takes place after the Jade Long Life ending. Also took some liberties with the explanation for Jade's eyeglass... :p
Sight
Jade entered the bedroom with a tired sigh. He was taking off his eyeglass and about to climb into the bed when he noticed Platina’s curious gaze. “Is there something wrong?” he asked.
“Aren’t angels supposed to be perfect?”
“Why Platina-sama,” Jade exclaimed in mock surprise, “are you flattering me? That’s so unlike you - “
“The eyeglass, Jade,” Platina interrupted impatiently, “I didn’t think angels would have impaired vision. Although,” he paused thoughtfully, “it doesn’t seem to stop them from having impaired brains.”
“How could you think such a thing of your faithful advisor who just spent the last four hours slogging away at paperwork on your behalf?” Jade said flamboyantly.
“Just answer the question.”
“Well, we angels bleed the same colour as you. It makes perfect sense that we could have lasting damage from past injuries as well.”
“That’s not it. I know for a fact that you can see perfectly well without your eyeglass,” he said, trying not to let himself get distracted by thoughts of just how well Jade could see without his eyeglass. “If you’re not going to answer the question…” Platina yawned, “I don’t know, I’ve been feeling really weak recently, the headaches and dizzy spells seem to be coming more often. I really should get more sleep…”
“Platina-sama! You can’t be serious!” Jade said, his eyes opening wide and reflecting a hint of panic. But damn if he hadn’t been looking forward to this after a particularly grueling day of paperwork…
Platina ignored him and turned to his side, shutting his eyes.
“All right! If you must know…” Jade gave in with a sigh. “You’re right, I don’t actually need the eyeglass. But the eyes of angels seem to unsettle demons - maybe they’re too bright, too piercing or too intense, I don’t know. Whatever it is, wearing the eyeglass helps camouflage them. It’s the same reason why Sapphirus always kept his eyes hidden behind his fringe.”
Platina was silent for a moment, carefully thinking over Jade's words. Finally, he said, “I think I like you better without the eyeglass on though. It's easier to tell what you're really thinking when you don't have it on like a mask.”
Jade smiled at Platina affectionately. “And here I thought you would like it because it makes me look older and wiser, an image more befitting of an advisor to a person of your station.”
Platina scoffed, causing Jade to grin. He stretched and yawned, “Now that you mention it, it has been a very tiring day. Maybe going to sleep right now is not such a bad idea after all.”
“Jade!”
“I’m only joking,” Jade said, laughing, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You…” Platina fumbled under the bed for something.
“All right, all right, I apologize! Put the sword down!”
Hearing
“… Platina-sama,” a voice called out.
Platina scowled as he tried to push away the voice and continue sleeping.
“Platina-sama,” the voice said again, more urgently this time but losing none of its gentleness.
It took all of Platina’s willpower to suppress a smile as he identified the voice, even though the gentleness of that voice still caught him by surprise. Mocking, disparaging, flamboyant, frivolous, scolding… all these voices he was used to. The best he could expect from Jade was usually a tone of bemused affection. Not gentleness. Never that.
Not until that day when they had rescued Jade from near-death. Since then Jade would lapse into a gentleness that was as surprising as it was unsettling. This was not the Jade that he knew and frankly, there was a part of him which feared that such gentleness was only another mask that Jade had adopted to deceive him again.
Platina sighed inwardly. The wounds of Jade’s betrayal were still too fresh. Platina remembered all too well the merciless, cold and cutting voice that reduced their entire relationship to nothing more than a sham. A means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. It was only through a stubborn determination not to give Jade any satisfaction that Platina managed to hide just how badly those words had torn apart his heart.
“Platina-sama,” Jade said again, “Don’t make me bring out the bucket of snow…”
“Go away, Jade,” Platina said as he turned away, scowling, “You’re giving me a headache.”
“Are you all right?” Jade asked, the mischief in his voice chased away by concern. There was something more than simple irritation in Platina’s words, something that was troubling him deeply. Even though Platina’s constitution seemed to have improved after swallowing the stone, the memory of Platina’s frail health was too recent for Jade to allow such a remark to pass by without concern.
Platina suddenly sat up and asked, “Jade, what did you love most about heaven?”
Jade blinked in surprise. “The music I suppose,” his expression puzzled. “The fact that there was always music everywhere,” he said, a smile on his face in fond remembrance.
Platina sighed. “Do you regret not being able to go back? Are you only with me because you’re resigned to the fact that you can’t go back?” Am I only a second-best option that you’re settling for?
Jade’s expression softened as he shook his head. “No. This is where my happiness is now,” he said with a gentle smile.
Platina stared up at him in blank puzzlement.
Jade laughed. “Besides, all that caterwauling gets boring and annoying after a while.”
Platina glared. “Can’t you ever be serious for once?” As Jade laughed again, Platina felt a curious sense of calm. Jade was here and they had the present. That was all he could ask for. Although… Please Jade, please don’t be another Seles…
No. He was Platina and Jade was Jade. The past will not be repeated. Platina would make sure of that.
Title: Trust
Author: risax
Theme: Sight, Hearing
Rating: PG
Word Count: 464 and 500 respectively
Author's Note: This takes place after the Jade Long Life ending. Also took some liberties with the explanation for Jade's eyeglass... :p
Sight
Jade entered the bedroom with a tired sigh. He was taking off his eyeglass and about to climb into the bed when he noticed Platina’s curious gaze. “Is there something wrong?” he asked.
“Aren’t angels supposed to be perfect?”
“Why Platina-sama,” Jade exclaimed in mock surprise, “are you flattering me? That’s so unlike you - “
“The eyeglass, Jade,” Platina interrupted impatiently, “I didn’t think angels would have impaired vision. Although,” he paused thoughtfully, “it doesn’t seem to stop them from having impaired brains.”
“How could you think such a thing of your faithful advisor who just spent the last four hours slogging away at paperwork on your behalf?” Jade said flamboyantly.
“Just answer the question.”
“Well, we angels bleed the same colour as you. It makes perfect sense that we could have lasting damage from past injuries as well.”
“That’s not it. I know for a fact that you can see perfectly well without your eyeglass,” he said, trying not to let himself get distracted by thoughts of just how well Jade could see without his eyeglass. “If you’re not going to answer the question…” Platina yawned, “I don’t know, I’ve been feeling really weak recently, the headaches and dizzy spells seem to be coming more often. I really should get more sleep…”
“Platina-sama! You can’t be serious!” Jade said, his eyes opening wide and reflecting a hint of panic. But damn if he hadn’t been looking forward to this after a particularly grueling day of paperwork…
Platina ignored him and turned to his side, shutting his eyes.
“All right! If you must know…” Jade gave in with a sigh. “You’re right, I don’t actually need the eyeglass. But the eyes of angels seem to unsettle demons - maybe they’re too bright, too piercing or too intense, I don’t know. Whatever it is, wearing the eyeglass helps camouflage them. It’s the same reason why Sapphirus always kept his eyes hidden behind his fringe.”
Platina was silent for a moment, carefully thinking over Jade's words. Finally, he said, “I think I like you better without the eyeglass on though. It's easier to tell what you're really thinking when you don't have it on like a mask.”
Jade smiled at Platina affectionately. “And here I thought you would like it because it makes me look older and wiser, an image more befitting of an advisor to a person of your station.”
Platina scoffed, causing Jade to grin. He stretched and yawned, “Now that you mention it, it has been a very tiring day. Maybe going to sleep right now is not such a bad idea after all.”
“Jade!”
“I’m only joking,” Jade said, laughing, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You…” Platina fumbled under the bed for something.
“All right, all right, I apologize! Put the sword down!”
Hearing
“… Platina-sama,” a voice called out.
Platina scowled as he tried to push away the voice and continue sleeping.
“Platina-sama,” the voice said again, more urgently this time but losing none of its gentleness.
It took all of Platina’s willpower to suppress a smile as he identified the voice, even though the gentleness of that voice still caught him by surprise. Mocking, disparaging, flamboyant, frivolous, scolding… all these voices he was used to. The best he could expect from Jade was usually a tone of bemused affection. Not gentleness. Never that.
Not until that day when they had rescued Jade from near-death. Since then Jade would lapse into a gentleness that was as surprising as it was unsettling. This was not the Jade that he knew and frankly, there was a part of him which feared that such gentleness was only another mask that Jade had adopted to deceive him again.
Platina sighed inwardly. The wounds of Jade’s betrayal were still too fresh. Platina remembered all too well the merciless, cold and cutting voice that reduced their entire relationship to nothing more than a sham. A means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. It was only through a stubborn determination not to give Jade any satisfaction that Platina managed to hide just how badly those words had torn apart his heart.
“Platina-sama,” Jade said again, “Don’t make me bring out the bucket of snow…”
“Go away, Jade,” Platina said as he turned away, scowling, “You’re giving me a headache.”
“Are you all right?” Jade asked, the mischief in his voice chased away by concern. There was something more than simple irritation in Platina’s words, something that was troubling him deeply. Even though Platina’s constitution seemed to have improved after swallowing the stone, the memory of Platina’s frail health was too recent for Jade to allow such a remark to pass by without concern.
Platina suddenly sat up and asked, “Jade, what did you love most about heaven?”
Jade blinked in surprise. “The music I suppose,” his expression puzzled. “The fact that there was always music everywhere,” he said, a smile on his face in fond remembrance.
Platina sighed. “Do you regret not being able to go back? Are you only with me because you’re resigned to the fact that you can’t go back?” Am I only a second-best option that you’re settling for?
Jade’s expression softened as he shook his head. “No. This is where my happiness is now,” he said with a gentle smile.
Platina stared up at him in blank puzzlement.
Jade laughed. “Besides, all that caterwauling gets boring and annoying after a while.”
Platina glared. “Can’t you ever be serious for once?” As Jade laughed again, Platina felt a curious sense of calm. Jade was here and they had the present. That was all he could ask for. Although… Please Jade, please don’t be another Seles…
No. He was Platina and Jade was Jade. The past will not be repeated. Platina would make sure of that.