anybody seen a wombat? O.o
Oct. 25th, 2006 07:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2This should be longer, but my hamsters have found a new plaything, otherwise know as Toadius Rex. *sigh* I need to find Bubba; he wandered off when we were at the zoo. ~_~ Rotten wombat....
Um... if this isn't "g" it's whatever comes next. *pops two aspirin*
BFB - Part 097g - Under Fire
"Tiffany!" I yelled. "Take me back! I'm not leaving them!"
"No," she said bluntly. "Heero wanted you both out of there for a reason. He and Q can deal with Zephyrus, especially with Enrique and Trowa to help. The two of you being there would only complicate things. No!" she snapped as I reached for my phone. It vanished from my hand and reappeared in hers. "You are not to go back there. Don't make me sit on you," she threatened, "Because I will."
I glared at her furiously, but there was no way I could go against her and win. I spun away and slammed my fist down on a desk.
"I want to be there!" I snarled. "I'm supposed to be with him! I'm supposed to-to protect him..." Dammit, he Chose me... That *meant* something. I should be there, backing him up. Instead... Instead, I was here; sent home with a nanny, like a temperamental child... I folded into a chair and dropped my head into my arms on the desktop.
A moment later, hands touched my shoulders.
"I know," whispered Inazuma. "It's not fair that they make us wait here; worrying."
And I felt bad then, because Zuma really likes Enrique and he was as scared as I was.
He slid his arms around my shoulders and rested his cheek against my hair for a few minutes.
"They'll be okay; they know how to deal with Zephyrus. And I've been here longer than you, and they still sent me back." He sounded vaguely... indignant.
I sat up and looked up at him. "He can't hurt them, can he?"
"All four of them? Not likely," he snorted. "But he's a demon; if he got really angry, he might take a shot at you or me, out of frustration. And then Heero really would have to destroy him."
"Which is exactly why he wanted the two of you out of there," called Tiffany from her desk.
If Zephyrus hurt Heero or one of my other friends.... Well, my control might still suck, but there was nothing wrong with my raw power.
+*+
Tiffany suggested rather strongly - actually, she said do it or else - that we use our time to write up our reports of the incident. A report had to be written, but I could barely concentrate enough to get a single short paragraph written. I kept glancing at the clock on the wall or the time on my computer screen. For a while I would have sworn both had stopped dead.
I typed, checked the clock. I twitched, checked the screen. I sighed, checked the clock. I sniffed, checked the screen. At some point a bottle of soda appeared in front of me with Tiffany's hand attached.
"Duo, I'm sorry; I know you want to be there, but demons are problematic creatures, even at the best of times. Heero has dealt with both Zephyrus and Farquahar before; he knows just which buttons to push and how hard to push them." She gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I should be there..." I said. Okay, I whined; I couldn't help it. "He Chose me; I should be there to watch his back."
Above me, Tiffany sighed. "Yes, Heero Chose you. But you have not Chosen him. Until then, you do not have the... standing to make that decision."
I looked up at her. "You mean, if I had Chosen him back, I would've been able to stay with him?" My brain cells all started screaming at once.
"Duo... Don't. You'll make yourself crazy," she said quietly, not really answering me. "It will be fine. They will handle Zephyrus and deal with Farquahar. Finding a demon under a control spell is a serious thing, Duo. That is so against magical law, it isn't even debatable."
I just sat there, sipping at my soda, thinking of all the things I've screwed up in my life. Hoping like crazy that my relationship with Heero wasn't going to join the list. Wishing I'd thought to ask just what all came with that "Choosing".
I do... care about him; a lot. I just can't... say it. But if Choosing him would give me the right to stay with him in a situation like this, I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't see any point in trying to deny that.
The soda settled my stomach some; I was able to take another stab at writing my report. It'd been almost two hours since we left them there... I managed another few words; the whole report consisted of "We talked to the complainent, the antagonist shot Wufei, I teleported him to the infirmary. Heero and I went back, the antagonist turned out to be a demon, Zephyrus arrived and Heero sent me home." Not what you'd call detailed, but I was having a hard time not picturing things in my head. Things like Zephyrus standing over a bunch of bodies; like blood and guts and scales strewn over the field; like my life sucking itself inside out.
Where the hell were they?! How long did it take to resolve something like this?
"Tiffany," I asked finally. "What's taking so long?"
"Zephyrus is a pain in the butt; he's probably still arguing that a demon can't be controlled that way."
"But if Q found the spell..."
"I said Zephyrus was a pain in the butt. I doubt if anyone could control him, but Farquahar is only third level, second at best; a Wizard with a decent amount of power and the ability to acquire more could probably enspell him, at least for a while. Q will figure it out."
I did not feel especially comforted. I closed my file with a sigh. "I can't think straight enough to finish this," I muttered.
"That's all right," Tiffany said. "You can finish tomorrow. Why don't you go on to dinner and then back to your room. Heero will probably come there first when he gets back."
I kind of doubted that, but I was tired of sitting at my desk, wishing I had my blanket. I might just as well worry in comfort.
"Duo." Inazuma waited at my side. "Come to dinner with me? We'll stop and see Wufei, if Mistress will allow it."
I did want to see him; I wanted to make sure everything was still okay. I didn't feel much like eating, but I agreed because it wouldn't be kind to let Zuma eat alone.
I may have been on autopilot for a while. I wasn't really thinking in any active way, just letting Inazuma lead me around and trying to respond in some way to his efforts at conversation. I don't remember much; just random flashes of other people.
Um... if this isn't "g" it's whatever comes next. *pops two aspirin*
BFB - Part 097g - Under Fire
"Tiffany!" I yelled. "Take me back! I'm not leaving them!"
"No," she said bluntly. "Heero wanted you both out of there for a reason. He and Q can deal with Zephyrus, especially with Enrique and Trowa to help. The two of you being there would only complicate things. No!" she snapped as I reached for my phone. It vanished from my hand and reappeared in hers. "You are not to go back there. Don't make me sit on you," she threatened, "Because I will."
I glared at her furiously, but there was no way I could go against her and win. I spun away and slammed my fist down on a desk.
"I want to be there!" I snarled. "I'm supposed to be with him! I'm supposed to-to protect him..." Dammit, he Chose me... That *meant* something. I should be there, backing him up. Instead... Instead, I was here; sent home with a nanny, like a temperamental child... I folded into a chair and dropped my head into my arms on the desktop.
A moment later, hands touched my shoulders.
"I know," whispered Inazuma. "It's not fair that they make us wait here; worrying."
And I felt bad then, because Zuma really likes Enrique and he was as scared as I was.
He slid his arms around my shoulders and rested his cheek against my hair for a few minutes.
"They'll be okay; they know how to deal with Zephyrus. And I've been here longer than you, and they still sent me back." He sounded vaguely... indignant.
I sat up and looked up at him. "He can't hurt them, can he?"
"All four of them? Not likely," he snorted. "But he's a demon; if he got really angry, he might take a shot at you or me, out of frustration. And then Heero really would have to destroy him."
"Which is exactly why he wanted the two of you out of there," called Tiffany from her desk.
If Zephyrus hurt Heero or one of my other friends.... Well, my control might still suck, but there was nothing wrong with my raw power.
+*+
Tiffany suggested rather strongly - actually, she said do it or else - that we use our time to write up our reports of the incident. A report had to be written, but I could barely concentrate enough to get a single short paragraph written. I kept glancing at the clock on the wall or the time on my computer screen. For a while I would have sworn both had stopped dead.
I typed, checked the clock. I twitched, checked the screen. I sighed, checked the clock. I sniffed, checked the screen. At some point a bottle of soda appeared in front of me with Tiffany's hand attached.
"Duo, I'm sorry; I know you want to be there, but demons are problematic creatures, even at the best of times. Heero has dealt with both Zephyrus and Farquahar before; he knows just which buttons to push and how hard to push them." She gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I should be there..." I said. Okay, I whined; I couldn't help it. "He Chose me; I should be there to watch his back."
Above me, Tiffany sighed. "Yes, Heero Chose you. But you have not Chosen him. Until then, you do not have the... standing to make that decision."
I looked up at her. "You mean, if I had Chosen him back, I would've been able to stay with him?" My brain cells all started screaming at once.
"Duo... Don't. You'll make yourself crazy," she said quietly, not really answering me. "It will be fine. They will handle Zephyrus and deal with Farquahar. Finding a demon under a control spell is a serious thing, Duo. That is so against magical law, it isn't even debatable."
I just sat there, sipping at my soda, thinking of all the things I've screwed up in my life. Hoping like crazy that my relationship with Heero wasn't going to join the list. Wishing I'd thought to ask just what all came with that "Choosing".
I do... care about him; a lot. I just can't... say it. But if Choosing him would give me the right to stay with him in a situation like this, I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't see any point in trying to deny that.
The soda settled my stomach some; I was able to take another stab at writing my report. It'd been almost two hours since we left them there... I managed another few words; the whole report consisted of "We talked to the complainent, the antagonist shot Wufei, I teleported him to the infirmary. Heero and I went back, the antagonist turned out to be a demon, Zephyrus arrived and Heero sent me home." Not what you'd call detailed, but I was having a hard time not picturing things in my head. Things like Zephyrus standing over a bunch of bodies; like blood and guts and scales strewn over the field; like my life sucking itself inside out.
Where the hell were they?! How long did it take to resolve something like this?
"Tiffany," I asked finally. "What's taking so long?"
"Zephyrus is a pain in the butt; he's probably still arguing that a demon can't be controlled that way."
"But if Q found the spell..."
"I said Zephyrus was a pain in the butt. I doubt if anyone could control him, but Farquahar is only third level, second at best; a Wizard with a decent amount of power and the ability to acquire more could probably enspell him, at least for a while. Q will figure it out."
I did not feel especially comforted. I closed my file with a sigh. "I can't think straight enough to finish this," I muttered.
"That's all right," Tiffany said. "You can finish tomorrow. Why don't you go on to dinner and then back to your room. Heero will probably come there first when he gets back."
I kind of doubted that, but I was tired of sitting at my desk, wishing I had my blanket. I might just as well worry in comfort.
"Duo." Inazuma waited at my side. "Come to dinner with me? We'll stop and see Wufei, if Mistress will allow it."
I did want to see him; I wanted to make sure everything was still okay. I didn't feel much like eating, but I agreed because it wouldn't be kind to let Zuma eat alone.
I may have been on autopilot for a while. I wasn't really thinking in any active way, just letting Inazuma lead me around and trying to respond in some way to his efforts at conversation. I don't remember much; just random flashes of other people.
