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31_days2008-01-05 09:47 pm
sophiap.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2008-01-05 09:47 pm
[Jan. 05] [D.Gray-Man] End of Days, Part 5
Title: End of Days pt. 5
Day/Theme: Jan. 5/emotions and hunches
Series: D.Gray-Man
Character/Pairing: Ensemble, with a few OCs.
Rating: PG-13
Part 4
Komui and Rondine left the office together, with Komurin 5 clanking along behind.
"I look forward to working with you." Rondine's affable unflappability had almost returned. Still, while he was ostensibly thanking Komui, the words were partially directed at the three exorcists he'd brought with him. Misha bounded to his feet, grinning wide, and Dolores looked fractionally less frightened. Jamie merely slumped forward, eyes closing and face going slack with relief and profound fatigue.
It had all been too much, for all of them. Emotions running from desperate hope to desperate fear and back again. And, as if he could forget, all the sadness. Even though they would soon be back at work, Rondine hoped they had a chance to enjoy some peace for even a few hours.
"I'll send someone to meet you and take you all to the infirmary shortly," Komui said even as he walked away. Komurin 5 remained behind with the others.
"Is everything all right?" Rondine was not surprised that Misha was the first to speak up. If anything, he was surprised that the boy hadn't started peppering him with questions the instant he and Komui walked out the door. "Are we in? Was that really Komui? Did he really--"
Rondine patted at the air and shushed Misha gently. Cameras and microphones were everywhere throughout this building, and he only now wished he'd had time to warn his charges to keep their own counsel while Komui had separated him from them. He prayed Jamie had the presence of mind to keep the others--well, Misha--under control. "Later... later... Everything is fine. There was an emergency and Supervisor Komui had to go take care of it. This way, at least we'll have time to rest. We're to wait here with our metallic friend, and then someone will be here to take us to get some food and some clean clothes."
Both Misha and Dolores perked at the mention of food. Jamie, however, was hardly impressed.
"What did he say about us, Giuseppe?" Jamie's voice rasped like stone over stone.
"Don't speak," Rondine nearly snapped. "You're hardly recovered from your last fight." It had been so close to being the last fight. They were lucky that Dolores still had the use of her hand.
Jamie, of course didn't listen. "I want to meet them."
"Umm... I'm... excuse me?"
A short, pasty young man with frizzy brown hair walked towards them, taking a few steps at a time, then stopping cold before gathering up the courage to take another few steps. He seemed far more wary of the robot than of them, and when Komurin 5 emitted a random whirrrrrCLANK (very much like a man clearing his throat), he hopped nearly a foot into the air, eyes nearly wider than his outrageously large glasses.
When he landed, he stumbled back a step, a stammering laugh covering his embarrassment.
"Um, the Chief told me to come up here and find you," he said, and though he was smiling, he clearly wanted to be somewhere very much else. "I'm Johnny Gill. I'm, um, I'm with the science department...?"
Rondine struck breathless and thoughtless with surprise and was not able to stop Misha from sweeping forward. The boy executed a neat, courtly bow, once leg sweeping gracefully back then forward, heels clicking together as he straightened up. "Ah! Johnny Gill! Very good to meet you Johnny Gill. I'm Mikhail Petrovich Avramenko!" As always, his boisterous speech clashed with the polished elegance of his movements. Dolores was right there behind him, ever his shadow, and she was the next to be introduced, Misha rolling out every syllable of 'Dolores Martinez de la Fuente' and letting his accent tease it outrageously.
Dolores peeked around from behind his back then ducked immediately out of sight again.
Rondine stepped forward and clasped Johnny's hand in both of his. The poor lad's hand was miserably damp. "Our other companion here is Jamie Rossi." If Jamie was sitting stone-still before, it was nothing compared to this new, chillier stillness. Rondine stepped to the side, giving a less elegant version of Misha's bow. The fact that he kicked Misha in the ankle in doing so was merely coincidence (as he swore on the Blessed Virgin and all the saints when confronted with this later on). "And I--I am your humble servant, Giuseppe Rondine."
Johnny all but ignored Rondine. He studied Jamie intently, and Rondine caught a brief glimpse of the scientist inside the rabbity young man. Then, their new friend frowned and went hmmm, and seemed about to say something, but the rabbit soul returned five fold as Jamie spoke. The raspy, crackling voice was bad enough if you were used to it.
"You said we were going to go get something to eat, Giuseppe." It was like listening to a bag of gravel being dragged over slate.
Johnny's mouth twitched into something that was probably supposed to be a smile. "Sure! Right... the cafeteria. That's what Komui said. You need food. I'm, um, also supposed to show you to your rooms and get you some clean clothes, and, um, that's first, so right this way!"
Misha groaned at the delay in the promised meal, but he would survive. Yes, they would all survive. Rondine held back slightly, basking in the sight of his three charges, all well (or at least, not permanently maimed). His stomach rumbled, and he patted it, deciding he rather missed the bulk that was once there.
Food would be good. And perhaps there would be a shower or, better yet, a bath to precede those clean clothes. And then maybe a nap. Just the thought of a nap made Rondine's eyes ache. They hadn't planned this out very well, he thought. Too many decisions made too quickly in the heat of the moment and the heat of temper. But even if they had been able to talk about things rationally and make plans--and contingency plans--but they had been under the clock's remorseless eye.
Fortunately, he had always been quick on his feet. He had saved them from Misha's running at the mouth, he thought with no small self-congratulation. But they were tired. And hungry. And frayed.
Rondine had a horrible feeling he had overlooked something important, that he had managed to set them up for failure. Every instinct told him that he had already made a mistake, but the promise of rest, of food, and of not smelling like a ditch overrode any hunch that things were about to go very wrong.
Part 6
Day/Theme: Jan. 5/emotions and hunches
Series: D.Gray-Man
Character/Pairing: Ensemble, with a few OCs.
Rating: PG-13
Part 4
Komui and Rondine left the office together, with Komurin 5 clanking along behind.
"I look forward to working with you." Rondine's affable unflappability had almost returned. Still, while he was ostensibly thanking Komui, the words were partially directed at the three exorcists he'd brought with him. Misha bounded to his feet, grinning wide, and Dolores looked fractionally less frightened. Jamie merely slumped forward, eyes closing and face going slack with relief and profound fatigue.
It had all been too much, for all of them. Emotions running from desperate hope to desperate fear and back again. And, as if he could forget, all the sadness. Even though they would soon be back at work, Rondine hoped they had a chance to enjoy some peace for even a few hours.
"I'll send someone to meet you and take you all to the infirmary shortly," Komui said even as he walked away. Komurin 5 remained behind with the others.
"Is everything all right?" Rondine was not surprised that Misha was the first to speak up. If anything, he was surprised that the boy hadn't started peppering him with questions the instant he and Komui walked out the door. "Are we in? Was that really Komui? Did he really--"
Rondine patted at the air and shushed Misha gently. Cameras and microphones were everywhere throughout this building, and he only now wished he'd had time to warn his charges to keep their own counsel while Komui had separated him from them. He prayed Jamie had the presence of mind to keep the others--well, Misha--under control. "Later... later... Everything is fine. There was an emergency and Supervisor Komui had to go take care of it. This way, at least we'll have time to rest. We're to wait here with our metallic friend, and then someone will be here to take us to get some food and some clean clothes."
Both Misha and Dolores perked at the mention of food. Jamie, however, was hardly impressed.
"What did he say about us, Giuseppe?" Jamie's voice rasped like stone over stone.
"Don't speak," Rondine nearly snapped. "You're hardly recovered from your last fight." It had been so close to being the last fight. They were lucky that Dolores still had the use of her hand.
Jamie, of course didn't listen. "I want to meet them."
"Umm... I'm... excuse me?"
A short, pasty young man with frizzy brown hair walked towards them, taking a few steps at a time, then stopping cold before gathering up the courage to take another few steps. He seemed far more wary of the robot than of them, and when Komurin 5 emitted a random whirrrrrCLANK (very much like a man clearing his throat), he hopped nearly a foot into the air, eyes nearly wider than his outrageously large glasses.
When he landed, he stumbled back a step, a stammering laugh covering his embarrassment.
"Um, the Chief told me to come up here and find you," he said, and though he was smiling, he clearly wanted to be somewhere very much else. "I'm Johnny Gill. I'm, um, I'm with the science department...?"
Rondine struck breathless and thoughtless with surprise and was not able to stop Misha from sweeping forward. The boy executed a neat, courtly bow, once leg sweeping gracefully back then forward, heels clicking together as he straightened up. "Ah! Johnny Gill! Very good to meet you Johnny Gill. I'm Mikhail Petrovich Avramenko!" As always, his boisterous speech clashed with the polished elegance of his movements. Dolores was right there behind him, ever his shadow, and she was the next to be introduced, Misha rolling out every syllable of 'Dolores Martinez de la Fuente' and letting his accent tease it outrageously.
Dolores peeked around from behind his back then ducked immediately out of sight again.
Rondine stepped forward and clasped Johnny's hand in both of his. The poor lad's hand was miserably damp. "Our other companion here is Jamie Rossi." If Jamie was sitting stone-still before, it was nothing compared to this new, chillier stillness. Rondine stepped to the side, giving a less elegant version of Misha's bow. The fact that he kicked Misha in the ankle in doing so was merely coincidence (as he swore on the Blessed Virgin and all the saints when confronted with this later on). "And I--I am your humble servant, Giuseppe Rondine."
Johnny all but ignored Rondine. He studied Jamie intently, and Rondine caught a brief glimpse of the scientist inside the rabbity young man. Then, their new friend frowned and went hmmm, and seemed about to say something, but the rabbit soul returned five fold as Jamie spoke. The raspy, crackling voice was bad enough if you were used to it.
"You said we were going to go get something to eat, Giuseppe." It was like listening to a bag of gravel being dragged over slate.
Johnny's mouth twitched into something that was probably supposed to be a smile. "Sure! Right... the cafeteria. That's what Komui said. You need food. I'm, um, also supposed to show you to your rooms and get you some clean clothes, and, um, that's first, so right this way!"
Misha groaned at the delay in the promised meal, but he would survive. Yes, they would all survive. Rondine held back slightly, basking in the sight of his three charges, all well (or at least, not permanently maimed). His stomach rumbled, and he patted it, deciding he rather missed the bulk that was once there.
Food would be good. And perhaps there would be a shower or, better yet, a bath to precede those clean clothes. And then maybe a nap. Just the thought of a nap made Rondine's eyes ache. They hadn't planned this out very well, he thought. Too many decisions made too quickly in the heat of the moment and the heat of temper. But even if they had been able to talk about things rationally and make plans--and contingency plans--but they had been under the clock's remorseless eye.
Fortunately, he had always been quick on his feet. He had saved them from Misha's running at the mouth, he thought with no small self-congratulation. But they were tired. And hungry. And frayed.
Rondine had a horrible feeling he had overlooked something important, that he had managed to set them up for failure. Every instinct told him that he had already made a mistake, but the promise of rest, of food, and of not smelling like a ditch overrode any hunch that things were about to go very wrong.
Part 6