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Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne ... but that's okay 'cause I don't like white vehicles they get mucky to easily. I wouldn't mind an Alseides though, d'ya think Dilandau-sama would lend me his?
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(Don't) Blame it on the Weather Man
Chapter 3: Water Torture
Author: Rachel
Just down the hall from Dalet's room, Dilandau was lying in bed letting his thoughts drift while he waited for sleep to come to him. He hadn't snuffed out the candle by his bedside, instead he just let it burn; it was cruel to stop it now that it was so close to finishing its dance. He watched with fascination as the last wisp of the candles flame flickered and died out, enshrouding the room in a thick blanket of darkness. Squinting, his eyes struggled to adjust to the extreme contrast from light to dark.
~It's always so empty
when the flame burns out~ he mused. He blinked and listened to the intense
quiet, the empty silence that was left after the flames cackling had ceased,
~A void. An empty void, but it's worth the emptiness for the heat of the
battle. Better to be hot or cold, than simply just warm~ Dilandau always
did like extremes, and he should know, he was one himself.
Today had been a bad day ~understatement~ he was having a lot
of those recently. That was going to have to change. The leader of the DragonSlayers
was completely burned out, and tomorrow didn't look like it was going to be
much better.
He scowled.
~Idiots~
It would be all over the Vione by the morning, that they had crashed;
the DragonSlayers, Zaibachs elite force or guymelef pilots had crashed - Crashed!!
Not shot down or destroyed in battle, but crashed, during a routine flight
no less! He was going to make Guimel suffer in the morning, incompetent fool,
it was all his fault and Dilandau was going to make sure he didn't make the
same mistake again. Still, leave that for tomorrow,
~I'll enjoy it more when I'm properly awake, besides, he's probably scaring
himself shitless in his quarters right now. Serves him right for making me
look a fool, let the little bastard suffer!~
On that mentally appealing note, Dilandau turned over and closed his eyes.
********
Guimels eyes had a sparkle to them, which told Dalet his attempt to take the other slayers' mind off of things had been more than successful. Infact, he looked downright smug, and if the grip in Guimel handshake was anything to go by, he was looking forward to the challenge. Of course, all things considered Gumiel really didn't stand a chance against Dalet in a melef race, or at least that's what Dalet liked to think.
~ Tada! Problem solved! ~ Dalet grinned ~ Probably just wanted a chance to prove his worth. Shesta eat your heart out! Another amazing victory for the Great Dalet. I'm so great!! ~
Victory it may have been,
but, oh, so short lived! Dalets' self appraisal therapy was brought to a premature
conclusion as he and Guimel jumped guiltily when the door to his room slid
open ...
Dalet froze, his breath
catching in his throat...
~If Dilandau thinks we're gambling again ...~
~Oh man...I'm in enough trouble as it is.~
Viole walked in.
"Don't you
ever knock!" Dalet snapped, snatching his hand back from Guimel. He folded
his arms irritably over his chest, and gave Viole a look that you could brake
up and put in whisky.
"Oooh,
tetchy! I shouldn't need to ... unless," He cocked his head to one side,
and a sly smirk spread knowingly on his face, " I wasn't interrupting
anything was I?"
"What?"
Violes eyes flicked across to Dalets jacket and shirt on the desk, and back
to the two guilty looking slayers, and he arched an eyebrow meaningfully "
Why are you to looking so guilty?"
Viole had noted that the two had been shaking hands when he'd walked
in, this could mean one of two things. He'd heard about the crash ~hell,
who hadn't!~ and no doubt the 'Slayers blamed Guimel since he was in the
lead at the time, so this was just Dalet and him making up after an argument.
Or with any luck there was some kind of deal or gambling going on. Gambling,
definitely. That was more Dalet's style. It wasn't in Dalet's nature to think
of anyone else before himself, and trying to get an apology out of Dalet was
like trying to get blood out of a stone, or at least that was the general
consensus of opinion among the DragonSlayers. Right now neither of the true
reasons mattered. Viole had found an excellent opportunity to wind the pair
of the up, and he was enjoying watching them squirm.
And squirm they did; Guimel had turned a rather fetching shade of pink
and his eye's had slowly widened as he realized what Viole was insinuating.
It was all Viole could do to keep a straight face, as he switched his scrutinizing
gaze back to Dalet.
The brown haired slayer held his trademark silence, though his eyes
twitched in annoyance.
~Damn! He couldn't be thinking ... he couldn't ... Oh hell! How am
I going to get out of this one? Guimel how the hell do you get me into these
situations~
**********
Drip
His eyelids flicked open.~What
the...?~
Drip
~There it is again...~ Dilandau strained his ears to hear. It was distant, slow and quiet enough to seem unimportant, but regular, repetitive and irritating and ...
Drip
....and it was a tap! Some fool had left the bloody tap on!!
"Tsch!" He turned over and slammed the pillow over his head, he was determined to get some sleep tonight.
*********
"Oh that's it!! I
can't keep this up any longer!" Viole doubled over in a fit of giggles
that sent his soft purple hair bouncing around his shoulders. " You guys
are the greatest! Your so gullible!" Dalet blinked "You didn't really
think that I thought that ... Damn, you guys crack me up!" Viole's inane
giggling continued for a moment before he realized Dalet wasn't laughing ....
and neither was Guimel. Viole trailed off ...
"Ahem ... yes ... well ... Ok. So what's really going on?" Before
either of them had a chance to deny anything, Viole put his hand up and grinned.
" Come one, you wasn't planning on leaving your good buddy Viole outta
the bet where you? It's not like I'm going to go drop you in it."
He swung himself up to sit on the desk. " OK. So what's it on? Oh no,
hang on a sec, I'll go get the others, they'll be interested too. Oh but not
Gatty or Shesta, they'd only tell Dilandau right? I'll be right back"
He hadn't even finished the sentence before he swung back off of the desk
and turned for the door.
" Wait, Viole! "
*shhthud* Too late, the door slid shut, leaving a slightly bemused
Guimel and a very annoyed Dalet staring at the door.
Author's
Notey Stuff: First, I want to apologize to any Viole fans for turning
him into this. I needed a slayer to fulfill a relatively unimportant role
and his name was the first that popped into my head. Gomen.
I managed to drag Dilly-sama into it at last ^_^ 'Twas only a matter
of time I guess. Okay, seriously though I wish I had bothered to plan what
I was doing before I started...I have a vague idea of where its headed now,
but nothing definate so I s'pse I'll just have just keep writing and see what
happens.
Dalet and Guimel?? Nahh, it'd never work. Would it? Originally I was just
bringing Viole in to get him to tell the other's to keep the noise down 'cause
Dilly was trying to get some sleep, but then I saw it all in my minds eye-
Dalet half dressed holding Guimels hand and grinning like a fool, and Guimels
eyes doing the sparkly thang, and I thought...oh well you know what I thought,
so I figured maybe Viole would think too, but probably know better and take
advantage of their discomfort. Although he's just messing with them in this
chapter, I though about developing a relationship later in the story at some
point, but Guimel and Dalet....that wouldn't really...*pictures D & G
in her mind* Eiieuu no! That just wouldn't work. Surely not. Note to self:
Do not, I repeat do not put these two together, it just not going to work.
Next time your brain tells your pen to just write something, just don't OK.