Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne...yadda yadda, you know the drill.
******
(Don't) Blame it on the Weather Man
Chapter 4: Wet Blanket
*****
The icy blue flame hissed
and cackled. It coaxed the shadows to dance to its irregular rhythm, bobbing
and twisting along the stone walls of Dalet's dorm, adding a life to the room
that was normally missing - still asleep if it had any sense - at this ungodly
hour.
Things had livened up considerably when Viole had returned bearing gifts
of wine, more wine and apparently, wine. A small party of his fellow 'slayers
had trailed in with him, grinning cheerfully at the prospect of a good wager
and a well earned drink. The tiny room was packed to it's very limits, but if
anyone minded the cramped atmosphere they didn't say, they were having too much
fun.
******
Drip
In the silence of his quarters, the occasional sound of the tap water dripping still seemed intolerably loud. Apparently, the pillow wasn't helping to quiet its row.
Drip
"Rrrrrrr"
Drip
"Gatty! Shesta! Someone
turn off that damn tap!" He waited.
No one answered.
Drip
Dilandau blinked, and tossed the pillow irritably to the floor. ~Can't they here it?... Can't they hear me? ~ If it was disturbing his sleep then surely it was disturbing theirs.
Drip
~ Arrrrrrrgggg!!! I can't take it anymore!!~
Drip
"DAAAAALLETT!!!!"
Silence, followed by another mocking 'drip'.
"Tsch!" ~If you want a job doing...~ he sighed and grudgingly
slid out of bed. How the hell they could be sleeping through that he didn't
know, but after he was through with them, they wouldn't sleep for a week! He
slung a gown round his shoulders and made his way down the hall towards the
noise. ~Stupid tap~
As he shuffled sleepily
down the length of the hall, grumbling about the cold floor and swearing to
himself that he was going to burn to the bone whichever unfortunate Slayer had
left the tap on, he became faintly aware of another noise. To his left, perhaps
a little further down ...
... It sounded like ... like ... muffled laughter? Damn! They were having fun!
How dare they, after all they'd put him through today! They should be cowering
in their rooms dreading the morning ... and they were having fun!?! There
was a soft light coming from beneath the door to Dalets' room, and Dilandau
locked onto it, approaching it slowly, stalking like a great white cat and bristling
furiously. He was just about to slam the door open and give them all a piece
of his mind, when he over heard a snatch of the conversation from within:
"I'll put 200 on Guimel"
"What!? Oh Gee thanks for the vote of confidence, well now I know who my
real friends are"
"Since when did you care about friends"
"Whatchit you, or I'll lose on purpose just so you don't win your wager"
"You wouldn't!"
"Wanna bet!"
....more laughter.
Dilandau scowled,~ A wager? What on?~ Curiosity, apparently did indeed
kill the cat, so Dilandau pressed an ear against the door and listened.
*****
The wine was gone.
The money was gone. The atmosphere was gone, and cramped room was beginning
to get on everyone's nerves.
Dalet drowsily gazed round the room, coming to the conclusion that it was about
time everyone got lost and let him get some sleep. He and Guimel sat cross-legged
on the edge of the bed. Viole was again sitting on Dalet's desk, and Miguel
leaned nonchalantly against the wall at the far end of the room, his arms folded
over his chest, his eyes half closed as if they too were thinking about going
to sleep; and everyone else was sat - no, sprawled - haphazardly on the floor.
For some reason, no one had chosen to sit in the chair ~ Probably 'cause
the stone floors softer ~ Dalet noted to himself with a wry, knowing smile.
"And what are you grinning at? Do you know something we don't?" Viole questioned with irritating cheerfulness as he sorted through the money he'd collected, being careful to note who had bet what and on who in order to fairly hand out the winnings after it was all over.
"Nothing important." Dalet replied "Just thinking."
"Ooh! That's gotta hurt. Careful you don't strain anything."
Ignoring him, Dalet turned to look at the single blue flame that lit the room, his thoughts drifting ~ Dilandau's probably fast asleep dreaming about the many new and original ways to kill a DragonSlayer ~ The thought didn't please him, but it reminded him of sleep and he glanced over his shoulder at the bed, wondering what time it was.
The glance didn't go unnoticed and with a sneaky looking smile Gumiel slided another attempt at a witty jab in on the heels of Violes previous one. "Well we can't race now, it's late and Dalet needs his beauty sleep".
"Hey! What is this? Pick on Dalet day? Your just lucky I'm tired" The lavender eyed 'Slayer replied with feigned indignantly, before continuing in a more conversational tone "seriouly though, it'd make more sense to leave it till morning. We'll both be more awake, and the sky's cleared up now, so perhaps we'll have some sun as well."
"Suits me fine, so long as I get my winnings," Miguel added giving Dalet an 'I-put-a-lot-of-money-on-you-so-you'd-better-not-let-me-down-Okay' look. "But what about Dilandau? He's pretty mad with you guys ya know. Perhaps you should leave it a day or two till things settle down."
"What?" Viole whined "Aww come on, it's about time we had a little fun, and I was really looking forward to it. Things have been really dull lately, if you put the date off now it'll probably never happen. Best we all get up earlier than usual, he'll never know any different so long as we're all back on time."
"But Dilandau..." Guimel began to object, seeing the sense in Miguel's logic.
"...Will no doubt still be fast asleep right through to the afternoon thanks to you two!" Viole finnished the sentence for him with a flash grin.
"I'm tired too you know!" Guimel countered wearily "He's not the only one who had to walk all the way back. I'm knackered, has anyone actually considered that I might need some sleep!"
"Having second thought's Guimel? I don't blame you, I always thought Dalet was the better pilot."
"Oh, let it lie Viole!
It's been a good night, I'll give you that, but now I'm tired, Guimel's tired,
Dalet's tired - everyone's tired and your just stirring it." Miguel gave
Viole a flat glare that said he'd had enough, and sensing the damping air Viole
sighed defeatedly.
"Drearily miserable lot you are, " he said still smiling slightly
nonetheless. He slipped the money into his inside jacket pocket and pushed himself
back off the desk. "But you're right I guess, I know when to quit - time
to throw in the blanket."
"You mean towel."
"Whatever"
"Tomorrow then, " Guimel concluded, "Well meet at the hanger."
*****
Dilandau had lost track
of time completely as he listened eagerly with his ear pressed to the door.
He'd realized three things; one, that if he did storm in wearing his dressing
gown he'd only look a fool; two, that he actually wanted to watch the
race; and three, that some pillock had raided his wine supply and was handing
the damn stuff out.
These things in mind, Dilandau had decided that the best course
of action was to find out when and where the race was going to take place, and
then just to turn up conveniently in the middle of it all. That way he could
watch the race and he still got to yell at them for doing it. As for
the wine, he had no idea who was responsible, but he decided to blame Guimel
(for no other reason than he was getting on his nerves) and Dalet (Because it
was his room and he expected Dalet to know better).
He was just pondering the finer details of this when he heard someone's
hand brush the otherside of the door,
"...so I'll see you guys later then, I'm gonna hit the sack"
Panicking - not wanting
to be caught in the act of snooping on his 'slayers - Dilandau spun on his heals
and pelted it down the hall as fast as he could whilst trying not to make any
noise that would alert them to the fact he'd been there.
Sliding the door to his room behind him Dilandau leant back against it
and exhaled in relief. He started forward in the darkness towards his bed, only
to end up face down on the floor, cursing whichever idiot had left a pillow
on the floor, before realizing the idiot was him, "rrrrr".
~ I'll be glad when today's over ~ He thought, pulling himself into bed
and finally relaxing ~And I'll be even more glad after I've had some sleep
~ Yawning slightly, he wrapped himself in the sheets contentedly and closed
his eyes.
~ Silence, wonderful, peaceful silence...and sleep ~
Drip
"Arrrg!" .... all that and he'd forgotten the damn tap!