badfic_manor | backdated to december 26; early morning.

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john egbert

backdated to december 26; early morning.

[John had all but fled the party the night before, and while the locked doors of the lower floor hadn't immediately allowed him to return to his room, he had shifted around uncomfortably and stayed out of sight of most everyone he came across as he skittered about. At one point he had wedged himself behind a plush arm chair and sat in the corner with his knees drawn to his chest, desperate to be alone somewhere that was quiet.]

[When he had gotten back to his room, he had promptly screamed into his pillow until his throat was raw and his voice was scratchy.]

[Which he figured was probably part of the reason he had then curled up in the corner of his bed under a mound of pillows and blankets and watched City of Angels twice before he fell asleep to Sarah McLachlan's melodious voice with his face buried in a pillow to hide the fact that he was way more upset about this than he was letting on.]

[Dawn startled him awake in the form of a ray of sunlight glinting off his glasses, which he had neglected to remove, and he vaulted himself out of bed, still in his sweater and socks from the previous evening, and slid down the hallway in aforementioned sock-feet to room ninety-six, where a one Rose Lalonde dwelled.]

[He stood there for about thirty seconds solid before he knocked shortly on the door.]

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[ Rose had spent a large majority of the events knitting her way through it. She had, thus far, completed four scarves (even one for the sole absent party member to their group). She then started on a hat, but had abandoned that project part way through; missing a stitch or two and snagging threads were becoming her forte. A once calming exercise for her to partake in became one that tried her patience.

If she was being honest, Rose imagines she's gaining something akin to cabin fever. Too used to fighting for ones life and then being thrust into a world where the nearest danger was under age drinking did very little for her sanity. The validity of her existence was only assisted by the fact that John and Dave were in such close proximity. It left her feeling marginally less stir-crazy as the days waned on.

While she had every every intention of venturing out to do something productive with her time that didn't include knitting needles of any sort, Rose stops short of pulling her coat on when the knock comes on her door.

It was far too early for one Dave Strider to be wandering the hallways, which left only one other option. One that she didn't even need to use her Seers sight for.

She spares a glance to the lock on her door (not bolted) and settles on the edge of her bed instead, coat forgotten on its hook. ]

It's open, John.

[A second later, he burst into the room with the grace of a battering ram and shut the door immediately behind him, pressing himself to it and hunching his shoulders, looking extremely small for one as usually bright and bold in presence, even if comically and unintentionally.]

...Rose, I messed up. I messed up big time, and I'm sorry that I'm going to wind up venting this all at you, you can really feel free to tell me to stop if you don't want me to but you're the only person I could think of that can actually think because I can't, especially not now.

[He inhaled sharply after his tirade, realizing he'd said it all in one breath.]

Edited 2012-01-05 03:39 (UTC)

[ In all reality, Rose might have considered being alarmed; that is, if they had, perhaps, still been in the game. In a place like this, she imagined there was minimal opportunity for true 'messing up'.

Which is why she looks entirely unperturbed by his announcement. ]

I have heard that it's helpful to breathe on occasion. [ She smiles, just a bit. ]

Rose! [That was definitely a whine.]

[He moves away from the door in a flurry of awkward motion, flailing his arms around as he speaks. The sleeves of his loud Christmas sweater are a little too big for him, and periodically slip over his hands and flop around uselessly, only for him to fix them in distracted annoyance.]

I-- this place is terrible, really. I mean for starters, it totally has outpranked me on a number of occasions and I just can't have that. But-- nono, that's the problem. I tried to get my prankster's gambit back in my favor-- just a joke!! And it wound up in such a mess and I don't even know how to begin to fix any of it.

My, that does sound like an incredible predicament that you have found yourself in, John. [ Rose is interested, obviously, and is finding it difficult fighting the urge to reach for a notebook and begin taking notes.

However, memory will have to serve at a later date when John is not currently motioning as though he might be on fire. ]

I think, perhaps, you should first take a few deep breaths, sit down, and then begin calmly explaining what it is you are unable to begin repairing.

[He inhales, deeply but still rapidly, flops into a seated position right where he stands, and blurts, a bit louder than necessary.]

I kissed Dave!!

And? [ Which is all she says, because she imagines John might have much more to say on the matter. ]

What do you mean, and? Rose I kissed your slime brother!!

[Pause.] ...

And, he kissed me back. And it was just supposed to be a joke, and now I'm so scared to talk to him.

[Jake was a pretty early riser mostly for silly reasons. Wasting daylight was like wasting precious adventure time. And really, you didn't want to be out and about adventuring when it was dark. Between to hazards of the environment to the monsters on his island it was just a bad idea. As such he was a pretty light sleeper. ]

[The last few days were also sort of miserable for Jake English for a number of reasons he was too bones tired to think about. it was six a.m. and he needed a mountain dew.]

[However it seemed his quest for the radiant elixir would be put on hold as he was crashed into by a wall of thirteen-year-old.]

Holy radiated applesauce!!

[John really wasn't watching where he was going, at all. So when his eyes decided to focus on Jake as he careened into him with a sharp, startled cry, he was sort of confused and for a mere fraction of a second horrified that it was Dave he was about to run into.]

[Jake was a much, much safer alternative.]

[That didn't mean he didn't wind up bouncing off the taller bespectacled boy, bumping into the wall, and ricocheting into an awkward tumble of limbs on the floor.]

Holy animal crackers on Liv Tyler's naked stomach, Jake, what are you doing in the hall at six in the morning. [His voice was high, and hushed, like he was afraid of being overheard.]

[Jake at least had the reflex to keep himself from tumbling onto his ass. Instead he just strategically leaped a few feet back.]

I-- Well, I could certainly ask the very same of you, chum.

[John probably would, under normal circumstances, have just windy thing'd himself out of the way instead of flailing and falling over. But he's so out of sorts right now he doesn't even trust his senses to manipulate the air around him.]

That's-- totally none of your business. [He looks away and shuffles, gathering himself and slowly standing up, dusting himself off needlessly.] I'm going to see Rose.

[Pauses, just a bit off put by that response. He frowns for a moment, opening his mouth to respond when John changes his tune. Oh. Well. Huh. Kid was all out of sorts today wasn't he.]

I'm a bit of an early riser, myself. Early riser and an unfortunately light sleeper.

[Standing there awkwardly for a minute, Jake sort of fiddled with his soda bottle and then sort of made to step around him.]

Right o. Far be it that I interrupt a visit with one of your besties. Good morning and all that jazz.

[He starts to just let Jake wander off, and then pauses when his second statement processes, belatedly.]

--wait, light sleeper? ...what room are you in? [Did I keep you up oh my God.]

[Pauses.]

Eighty-five.

[Yeah, kind of.]

. . .

You weren't, uh. By chance, bothered... in terms of sleeping. By a tragic love story of Meg Ryan as a surgeon and Nic Cage as an Angel the Fell for Meg in more ways than one being played twice last night, were you?

[Straight-faced.]

And I don't want the world to see me, because I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.

[gnrjkdnfjkgbn.]

Geez. [He looks... sort of intensely scolded.] ...man, Jake, I'm sorry. I was just kind of a big stupid mess last night, I didn't even think that I was keeping anybody up.

[As an afterthought, he gestures vaguely to Jake's caffeinated beverage.] ...but if you haven't slept, why are you hitting the caffeine? Shouldn't you be curling up and sleeping, now that the Wonder Derp has finally shut the hell up?

[Look softens a bit, Man he looks rather downtrodden about whatever's bothering him. Way to kick a thirteen year old while he was literally down.]

Think nothing of it. For all intents and purposes I could have very well have ...actually said something.

[But of course he didn't because for some reason he just couldn't muster up the nerve to go knocking on someone else's door while they were watching movies. It gave him that uncomfortable tight feeling in his chest and made his fingers all tingly and slkdgld bluh.]

I thought perhaps it would be best to continue staying awake until night graced me with its presence once more so that I not completely ruin the shit out of my sleeping habits.

[Shrugs]

Do that, next time, huh? I promise I don't bite. Hell, you can even just throw me a text or something and say Hey Egbert shut the hell up I'm trying to sleep.

... [Snickers a little.] Um, well. We never did get to watch Weekend at Bernie's, the other weekend. We could give that a shot now, if you wanted?

[It would postpone his talking to Rose, but ...well, a movie or two might do him some good.]

[Jake's face sort of lights up at the notion but then his brow immediately knits in confusion.]

Weren't you just on your merry way to pay your friend a visit? Hastily so, if I recall.

Well, I was gonna go see Rose because I needed to talk to her about some stuff that happened yesterday, but it's a conversation that isn't exactly time-sensitive.

[He flinches, just a touch, at his own choice of words.]

I see. Everything alright?

[Quirks his mouth funny.]

I may have potentially really messed up one of my best friendships with something that was supposed to be a prank. So no, not really.

[Pauses and, really can't help a fond sort of grin.]

Crockers-- Crockers and Egberts and your constant battle of japery. Somethings must be universal constants.

But yes, I am certainly not going to refuse the viewing of one of my most favorites, especially if you are offering.

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INTERRUPTING YOUR SOCK SLIDAGE

oh shit--

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