Chapter One:
The Not-Quite-Evil Not-Quite-Good Plan To Overthrow Sad Sibling Syndrome And Its Effects On Glenn!
Four years ago, Dario died.
It was sad for all of us.
It was such a big deal for little Glenn.
I had the hardest time though.
No, the guy wasn't my brother.
And Hell no, the guy wasn't my husband!
But he was my bud, and we were all touched by his loss.
Especally me, since I always thought it was my fault.
But Glenn reassures me.
And I believe him.
But does he believe it, when Dario tells him everything's okay?
~Karsh's Innermost Thoughts
"Poor Glenn, he was so young, only 16 years old. He cried, and cried, and cried some more when he first found out," Karsh said, sipping from his frothy mug of beer. "I caught him crying in the parlor, once, all alone. After going to his brother's room and finding everyone there all sad and stuff, he just took off to be by himself. So I never really bothered him about it. I can't even imagine, if I had a brother, going to his room and not finding him there. Not finding him anywhere, you know?" He asked Zoah and Marcy, who were reminiscing about the old times. Before Dario had been found, before he'd gotten engaged to Riddel. Before that all started.
"Yeah, I guess.." Marcy sighed. She turned to Zoah, who just shook his head...er..his helmet.
With a shrug Zoah said in his usual, booming voice, "GLENN SEEMS TROUBLED NOW. HE WAS HAPPY TO SEE DARIO AGAIN BUT HIS BROTHER HAS NOT PAID ANY ATTENTION TO HIM."
Karsh simultaneously sat up and slammed his free hand on the table. "Exactly!" he shouted in a devious, matter-of-fact tone. "He's been crap out there on the battlefield lately. And he's always moping around, all depressed! He locks himself in his room, and I'm guessing, that while he's in there, he--"
"He cries?" The youngest Deva inquired.
"Yes, Marcy. Because --"
"HIS BROTHER IS TOO BUSY WITH LADY RIDDEL TO NOTICE HIM?"
"Yes, Zoah. This here's what we in the 'business' call, sad sibling syndrome."
Marcy arched a brow. "Sad sibling syndrome?"
Karsh's ruby eyes narrowed. "You know I'm getting tired of saying 'yes', don't you." It was more of a fact than a question. "We're gonna play doctor and fix this up."
"I dunno, Karsh, we might end up messing up someone's life, here."
"We won't, we won't! Trust me, guys!"
"IF YOU SCREW UP WE'RE NOT TAKING THE BLAME, KARSH."
"I understand that, fully! Now let's get to work!"
*~*~*~GLeNN'S pov~*~*~*
I pretended not to notice when Karsh came into the kitchen today. I just faked a small smile when he walked by, even though I knew he wouldn't have turned back to see it. Feeling my eyes well up with tears for no apparent reason, I blinked them away. Having nothing else to do I picked up the newspaper and began reading.
Nothing too interesting. Just the comics.
I put down the newspaper to be face-to-face with Karsh. "I'm goin' outside to train, Viper wants us up and at 'em," he said with a smirk, and headed out the door, just as he had said.
Outside, I sat on the new, wooden fence, digging small holes in the soil and cracking the walkway tiles boredly with my einlanzers. Karsh was attacking random inanimate objects. After about ten minutes, he put down his axe, leaned on the handle, wiping sweat from his forehead with a gloved hand. "Hey kid, you okay? Wanna give it a try anytime today?" he shouted. I noticed that his gaze was locked on me, but I didn't know why. My mind was on other things...
"N-....No thankies, Karsh." Wow, now did I sound half my age or what? It slipped, I tell you! It slipped! I didn't say 'thankies'! I said, umm, I said 'thank ye'! But I can't talk with anyone like that. I can barely feel embarrassed anymore. Nothing really matters except Dario.
Karsh blinked at me. "Ooooookay then Glenn. You'd better get back inside, I think you're having a heat stroke or somethin'. Weird kid."
I took his advice and retreated to my room.
*~*
On the way I passed a kitchen which was now full of the Manor's residents. Those who weren't training at least. Riddel, Marcy, Viper and....
And Dario.
"So how is the married life, Dario?"
"Are you feeling well, Dario?"
"Is Riddel making you happy, Dario?"
"Did you decide on the wedding date, Dario?"
I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to vomit. All over Dario.
"Oh! Glenn! Why don't you come in here? We're talking with Dario." Riddel waved to me.
My body betrayed me and I walked a step further. And another, and another, and another. What was I doing?
The next ten minutes were full of 'Dario and Riddel' goodness.
Blech.
"Oh Glenn, you must be so happy for Dario!"
"Dario, Dario, DARIO!" I shouted, throwing my arms in the air, attracting an odd stare from 'The Almighty Dario'. "All I ever hear about is DARIO! I, for one, am SICK of DARIO and I wish that DARIO would just disappear!" With those last words I ran off to my room.
The Not-Quite-Evil Not-Quite-Good Plan To Overthrow Sad Sibling Syndrome And Its Effects On Glenn!
Four years ago, Dario died.
It was sad for all of us.
It was such a big deal for little Glenn.
I had the hardest time though.
No, the guy wasn't my brother.
And Hell no, the guy wasn't my husband!
But he was my bud, and we were all touched by his loss.
Especally me, since I always thought it was my fault.
But Glenn reassures me.
And I believe him.
But does he believe it, when Dario tells him everything's okay?
~Karsh's Innermost Thoughts
"Poor Glenn, he was so young, only 16 years old. He cried, and cried, and cried some more when he first found out," Karsh said, sipping from his frothy mug of beer. "I caught him crying in the parlor, once, all alone. After going to his brother's room and finding everyone there all sad and stuff, he just took off to be by himself. So I never really bothered him about it. I can't even imagine, if I had a brother, going to his room and not finding him there. Not finding him anywhere, you know?" He asked Zoah and Marcy, who were reminiscing about the old times. Before Dario had been found, before he'd gotten engaged to Riddel. Before that all started.
"Yeah, I guess.." Marcy sighed. She turned to Zoah, who just shook his head...er..his helmet.
With a shrug Zoah said in his usual, booming voice, "GLENN SEEMS TROUBLED NOW. HE WAS HAPPY TO SEE DARIO AGAIN BUT HIS BROTHER HAS NOT PAID ANY ATTENTION TO HIM."
Karsh simultaneously sat up and slammed his free hand on the table. "Exactly!" he shouted in a devious, matter-of-fact tone. "He's been crap out there on the battlefield lately. And he's always moping around, all depressed! He locks himself in his room, and I'm guessing, that while he's in there, he--"
"He cries?" The youngest Deva inquired.
"Yes, Marcy. Because --"
"HIS BROTHER IS TOO BUSY WITH LADY RIDDEL TO NOTICE HIM?"
"Yes, Zoah. This here's what we in the 'business' call, sad sibling syndrome."
Marcy arched a brow. "Sad sibling syndrome?"
Karsh's ruby eyes narrowed. "You know I'm getting tired of saying 'yes', don't you." It was more of a fact than a question. "We're gonna play doctor and fix this up."
"I dunno, Karsh, we might end up messing up someone's life, here."
"We won't, we won't! Trust me, guys!"
"IF YOU SCREW UP WE'RE NOT TAKING THE BLAME, KARSH."
"I understand that, fully! Now let's get to work!"
*~*~*~GLeNN'S pov~*~*~*
I pretended not to notice when Karsh came into the kitchen today. I just faked a small smile when he walked by, even though I knew he wouldn't have turned back to see it. Feeling my eyes well up with tears for no apparent reason, I blinked them away. Having nothing else to do I picked up the newspaper and began reading.
Nothing too interesting. Just the comics.
I put down the newspaper to be face-to-face with Karsh. "I'm goin' outside to train, Viper wants us up and at 'em," he said with a smirk, and headed out the door, just as he had said.
Outside, I sat on the new, wooden fence, digging small holes in the soil and cracking the walkway tiles boredly with my einlanzers. Karsh was attacking random inanimate objects. After about ten minutes, he put down his axe, leaned on the handle, wiping sweat from his forehead with a gloved hand. "Hey kid, you okay? Wanna give it a try anytime today?" he shouted. I noticed that his gaze was locked on me, but I didn't know why. My mind was on other things...
"N-....No thankies, Karsh." Wow, now did I sound half my age or what? It slipped, I tell you! It slipped! I didn't say 'thankies'! I said, umm, I said 'thank ye'! But I can't talk with anyone like that. I can barely feel embarrassed anymore. Nothing really matters except Dario.
Karsh blinked at me. "Ooooookay then Glenn. You'd better get back inside, I think you're having a heat stroke or somethin'. Weird kid."
I took his advice and retreated to my room.
*~*
On the way I passed a kitchen which was now full of the Manor's residents. Those who weren't training at least. Riddel, Marcy, Viper and....
And Dario.
"So how is the married life, Dario?"
"Are you feeling well, Dario?"
"Is Riddel making you happy, Dario?"
"Did you decide on the wedding date, Dario?"
I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to vomit. All over Dario.
"Oh! Glenn! Why don't you come in here? We're talking with Dario." Riddel waved to me.
My body betrayed me and I walked a step further. And another, and another, and another. What was I doing?
The next ten minutes were full of 'Dario and Riddel' goodness.
Blech.
"Oh Glenn, you must be so happy for Dario!"
"Dario, Dario, DARIO!" I shouted, throwing my arms in the air, attracting an odd stare from 'The Almighty Dario'. "All I ever hear about is DARIO! I, for one, am SICK of DARIO and I wish that DARIO would just disappear!" With those last words I ran off to my room.