Zoe – Kiki Conversation 4


He's never slept before, and now that he's done it, he feels a sort of private triumph.  He revels in this triumph, silently, eyes still closed, as the first rays of sunlight pierce through the grime-encrusted window; they beam down upon the old bed, holding dust particles hostage in their random flight.  It's quiet; there's no sound except for that of Seraph's steady breathing.

He smiles, reminded of earlier years when he, Ialdabode and a much younger Seraph would gather in his grandfather's bedroom for rare afternoon naps.  The sun was shining then as well.  He's somewhat embarrassed that still he remembers how to sleep, simple though it may be to Seraph and his more pure-bred human ilk.  It's embarrassing because it's selfish; that's how he feels about it, at any rate.  The sentiment is difficult for him to explain, even to himself; why would the much shorter-living beings waste so many hours of their precious time to something such as sleep?  He knows they need it…so then, why would their creator, be it natural or otherwise, cheat them so?

He'll never understand it.  He's sure of it.

Beside him, Seraph stirs.  The half-elf's arm readjusts its grip around his waist, the newly-wrapped bandages uncomfortably rough against the bare skin of his back.

Zojikoe frowns into Seraph's hair.

The bandages around Seraph's arm are a new addition that he finds particularly worrying.  He knows what they're for, and he finds it somewhat insulting.  How can Seraph think that hiding the illithid's progress will somehow ease his concern?  It triples it, if anything.  Is he hiding the marks from himself then, so as to not have to look upon them as they creep further up his arm, beautiful patterns that mock his resolve?  He decides that would not be so offensive as the former option.

But the half-elf is far from such debates now.  Curled against him Seraph sleeps soundly, as always he sleeps, much as Zojikoe did the night before.  He did it because he needed it.  Eralador's death did not sit well with him and in the wake of such a symbol he did the least he could do: he sought comfort.  Seraph once told him that in sleep he could forget – and sometimes even heal – so he figured he'd take his advice for once and padded over to the redhead's room for company.  Seraph could not refuse him; it was a simple request, made outside the scorecard of their relationship.

As he lays there now, though, warm and comfortable amidst the dark sheets, Seraph's pale flesh pressed for the first time (if innocently) against his own, he wonders if perhaps he was foolish for having sought the man's company only in sleep.  The thought bothers him for only a moment before he settles into the quaint reality that the half-elf will soon wake, and that he has only a few moments to enjoy their proximity before things return to normal between them.

Pleased at the unplanned exploit, he snuggles closer.

This, for some unknown reason, Riku Seraphim Sephiroth disagrees with.  

Violently.

"Ho–!"  The half-elf's cry comes out only half-finished as he unexpectedly tears himself away from Zoe's side and rolls off the bed, taking the sheets with him.  His head hits something before he hits the ground.

"Owfuck."  He mumbles from the floor, out of sight.  On the bed, Zoe is sitting bolt-upright, wide awake, a hand to his pounding chest.  He wonders if he should have perhaps left the room before the morning.  Embarrassed, he blushes to the tips of his pointed ears.

"W..what…"  Seraph's voice floats up from beyond the edge of the mattress.  He sounds confused.  Zoe perks at this, hopeful.

"Seraph?"  He tries, quietly.  Perhaps he had been dreaming and was only beginning to wake.  There is no answer from the floor, however, and Zoe finds this perplexing.  He shifts his weight forward a bit then stops, keenly aware of his lack of clothes.  There is a pause, and then a soft shuffling from the floor.

"Shut the fuck up!"  Seraph cries, indignant and angry and offended all at once.  Zojikoe recoils at the tone, furrowing his brow.

"Watch your language!"  He hisses back, still shocked.  Has he done something wrong?  He pushes down the dread welling up in his stomach with a bit of correctional logic: the half elf's words sound as though they've been pulled from a separate conversation.  The right words (he supposes…), but the wrong tone.  Curious, he drops to his stomach and curls his fingers over the edge of the mattress, then pulls forward just enough to peek down at Seraph.  

The half-elf is laying at an acutely odd angle, head leaning crookedly up against the leg of the small oak nightstand, the bed sheets tangled up around him.  He's staring at the floorboards incredulously, his lip twitching.  Zoe blinks once.

"It's probably not real wood, Seraph."  He offers, his voice only a peep.  Like a madman, Seraph jumps at the sound and looks over him, then jumps again, eyes wide.  Startled, Zoe gives a little shriek and pulls back over the edge of the bed.  Alert now, Seraph scrambles up after him, stopping short when he catches sight of Zoe's very naked form huddled at the other end of the bed.

Zoe returns the stare apprehensively and debates the likelihood of Seraph having turned into a mental case overnight.

That would not do.

As if to worsen things for himself, Seraph chooses that very moment to cry out and clutch his head.  Across from him, Zoe eyes the door and considers running.  Like a small animal or rodent, perhaps, Seraph looks over his shoulder and then back at Zojikoe.

"Zoe…"  He rasps, his tone conspiratorial.  He furrows his brow, his eyes moving from side to side nervously.  Zoe swallows thickly and manages a small smile.

"Y–yes?"  He answers, as normally as he can afford.  He looks to the door again and feels a spike of panic.  If Seraph has gone insane, he likely won't let him to escape that easily.  He looks to the window instead.  A few feet away, Seraph narrows his eyes.

"Someone's talking to me…"  He says slowly, searching the room with his gaze.  He licks his thin lips.  "Is it you?"  He asks.  Zojikoe's heart sinks.

Definitely insane.

He stares at Seraph for a moment longer, rapidly settling into a kind of abject acceptance.  It's a pity the boy is crazy.  It's a pity, but it's not irreparable, he figures.  He's already invested this many years in him, he can't bloody well stop now…

I hope you're happy, Kiki.   He grumbles mentally.  He braces for the gloating response from his psicrystal, already loathing it for having been right all this time.

The response does not come.

Kiki?   He tries again, reaching to touch the back of his head; his hair is down, though, and the brooch is missing.  Much like the sadly-insane Seraph, he jerks upright and scans the room for the small object.  He locates it quickly; it's sitting atop the small night table behind Seraph, the gem prettily highlighted by a sunbeam.

"No!"  Seraph cries suddenly, in strong denial of something or other.  Zoe, suddenly very calm, looks from the crystal to the half-elf and back again.

Understanding (at least somewhat), he closes his eyes and sighs.

That explains the crystal's strange silence this morning.

"You've got to be kidding me."  He moans, staring flatly at Seraph, who's now got a look of complete hopelessness on his face.  He sighs again and clambers across the bed on all fours, heading for the night stand.

It's not me!   The crystal's dual-pitched voice washes into his mind defensively as he draws closer to it.  He snatches it off the table just as Seraph gets to his feet off to the side.

"What the hell is going on?!"  The half-elf growls and points an accusatory finger down at the yellow stone.  "Is that–"  He starts but Zoe cuts him off with a wave of his hand.

"Shh!"  He urges, angry now.  He casts a stormy look up at Seraph.  "It's Kiki, Seraph.  Kiki's talking to you."  He explains quickly.  The notion distresses him greatly.  "I didn't think it could do that…"  He adds through clenched teeth.

On the upside, seeing as Seraph's never acted this crazy in the past, he can be reasonably certain that the crystal's never spoken to him (or hopefully anyone else) before.

You are in big trouble, Kiki.   Zoe scolds, ignoring the repetitive sound of Seraph's ticked-off pacing.  The crystal is snippy.

I didn't say anything awful to him!   It counters, the lie an obvious one.  It's just wasting time, hoping its master will cool down.  Zoe makes a gesture of incredulousness.

People don't tell you to 'shut the fuck up' when you tell them to have a good day, Kiki! He cries, wishing he had shoulders to shake.  Don't tell me you said nice things to him, I know what you think of him!   He pauses.  And since when can you talk to other people?   The crystal is sulky.

I just figured it out this morning.   It answers, its presence in Zoe's mind making as if to turn and leave before re-entering swiftly.  It's your fault.   Zoe shakes his head.

What?!   He cries.  The crystal is impatient.

Is he going to stop that any time soon?   It asks hotly, referring to Seraph's pacing.  Zojikoe peers over at the half-elf and manages to catch his eye.

"I'm gonna throw it out the god damned window!"  He screams and thrusts his finger at the fixture in question.

Zoe rolls his eyes and lets himself fall back onto the mattress.

Why didn't you tell me?   He asks of the psicrystal.  The diminutive construct purrs its response.

Why would I tell you?  You left me alone.   It's trying to trap Zoe again, and it knows its master is aware.  It doesn't really care; it's feeling jilted.  Zojikoe stares up at the ceiling.

I didn't leave you alone.   He drones.

Yes you did!  You left me alone for hours!

Kiki…

I was scared.   Zojikoe rolls his eyes again and holds the crystal up overhead, dipping it into the warm sunlight.

I was trying to speak with you, in your wretched sleep.   The crystal says in a small voice.  I couldn't do it at all!  It was a nightmare; you were very inconsiderate, Zojikoe.   It pauses, well-aware that its master feels a twinge of guilt.  In trying to speak with you I found a way to speak with others.  I didn't plan it…it just happened.   Zojikoe raises an eyebrow.

I don't ever want you to speak with Seraph ever again.   He snaps.  The crystal doesn't immediately reply; in fact, its presence has left his mind.  His eyes flick to Seraph, who's suddenly stopped short in his pacing.  His heartbeat accelerates and he gets up on his hands, almost certain of what the crystal's doing at the moment.   Do you hear me, Kiki?   He presses fiercely.  The crystal's presence comes whooshing back moments later, just as Seraph veers towards the bed, his expression a mask of rage.

Whatever he says is a lie!   The crystal screeches painfully in Zoe's mind, voice like fingernails on a chalkboard.  The elf backs up into the pillows and holds up the small brooch as high as he can, up and out of Seraph's reach as the half-elf roughly climbs up onto the bed and lunges for it.

"Give it!"  Seraph screams, grasping at the crystal when Zoe's squirming allows him decent reach.  In Zoe's mind, the crystal is terrified.

Don't, Zoe!   It wails.  Zoe bats away Seraph's hand as it tries to pin one of his flailing arms down.

Be quiet! He growls back at it, wishing his hair has tied back.  Seraph is much stronger than he thought.  The half-elf succeeds in pinning one of his arms behind his back.

Kick him in the groin! The crystal urges, as much a spectator as a combatant in the tussle.  Zojikoe tries to dislodge the half-elf with his legs, keeping his arm up high always.

Kiki…that's horrible.   He says bluntly and means to say more, but Seraph gives himself a push and manages to scrape his fingers over the brooch's smooth surface.  The crystal's presence tightens into a small pinprick.

He touched me!  He touched me!   It howls, prompting Zoe, by instinct, to struggle to hold it up higher than before.

"Gah!  Are you on my side or on its side, Zoe?!"  Seraph shouts, more frustrated than ever.  Zoe closes his eyes tightly.

"Neither!"  He answers, then, "Both!"  He struggles blindly a bit more, then gives up, tired.  Seraph stops moving.

What are you doing?!   The crystal demands, terrified.  Zoe opens his eyes and, hand still up high, examines Seraph's freckled face.  The half-elf is blushing.  Zoe takes a moment to clue in and blushes as well.

"You're on my hair."  He peeps, tilting his head to the left a bit to indicate the spot where Seraph's hand holds a good portion of his hair captive.  The hand jerks away at once and the rest of the half-elf does much the same seconds later.  Zoe watches him scurry off the bed and waits until he's curiously turned away from him before lowering his own hand.  The psicrystal's presence expands a bit, retaining its tenseness.

Good thinking.   It commends its master, failing to understand what has just occurred.  Zoe doesn't feel like explaining.

Thank you.   He replies, slowly regaining his composure.  The trio stays silent for a good thirty seconds before Seraph, still facing away from the bed, speaks up.

"Put some clothes on.  We should get moving."  He says flatly.  On the bed, Zoe's ears droop with a tinkle.  Seraph moves to the chair across the room to grab his shirt then stalks out the door, slamming it behind him.

Do you think he's angry?   The crystal asks meekly.  Zoe bites his lower lip.

Be quiet.