Waking from a nightmare...

[myblueskies]

Who: Romeo and Open
Where: Luggage carriage and then dining room
When: Evening of day 18, month of Egret
What: Romeo returns from hiatus, believing his best friend dead. (Note: Both parts are open, but I ask that we allow Joss the "honour" of the reveal.)
Warnings: Very sad, grieving small child. Mentions of death.



Waking- luggage carriage

When Romeo opened his eyes the rage he had felt was all gone. For a moment it was just like any other morning and he sat up, still in his flight suit, pushing upwards when he realised there was a roof to his bed. Not a bed. A suitcase.

He sat up, bleerily eyed and looked around. He was back on the train, in the luggage carriage.

Joss was dead.

The fact hit him hard. Joss was dead. And he was back on the train. He looked at his hands and noticed the blight spotting his skin. He was blighted? Yes. Because he had been bad. Joss had died because he wasn't quick enough or strong enough and then he had gotten really angry and wanted to kill the bad enemy.

Had he hurt Elfnein?

Bad shinki hurt their gods and the idea that he might have hurt her was terrible. But not as terrible as the fact that Joss was dead.

He sat there for a very long time, numb, staring at nothing. Joss... His best friend. It couldn't be true but it had been. It hadn't been a dream. This isn't his bed.

Slowly he clambered out of the suitcase on shaking legs, he held on to the trunks and suitcases. His heart hurt too much for him to be able to walk confidently. But also his body hurt as well, blight and bruises mottled his skin.

One step, then another. He needed to find Elfnein. But he just wanted to curl up and cry forever and ever and ever.

Romeo stumbles into the dressing carriage, pale and bruised. Exhausted and dazed. For those that know him there is none of the perpetually enthusiastic, hopeful child they know. Instead he shuffles his feet, looking lost as he makes his way into the light.

Later: In the dining room

Romeo is sat on one of the benches, he looks exhausted and shell shocked. But a lot less sad. He's confused but can only be grateful that Joss was not dead after all. His best friend was not gone forever.

He had still been bad and he had a lot of big things to think about but he was very tired and very very hungry so he was sat with a plate of food, picking at it. Despite his hunger he seemed to lack his normal appetite.

Maybe it was because he was too exhausted, everything still hurt but it was fine. Because Joss wasn't dead. That was the biggest thing, a thing that made hope in his heart.

Comments

Waking

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin has taken to haunting the area around the luggage carriage in the desperate hope that Romeo would return. But it’s been three days since his own miraculous revival, and that hope is starting to turn into disappointment.

He’d been sitting in the dressing room amidst the spiderwebs, next to the door connecting it to the luggage car, for hours now. At some point he’d dozed off, leaning against the wall.

So when Romeo comes bursting through that door, he’s not ready. Joscelin jolts awake and looks around blearily for the source of the noise, before spotting Romeo. He doesn’t believe it. He scrubs at his eyes and puts on his new glasses, but the hallucination doesn’t go away.

Wordlessly, he runs to his best friend and hugs him tight, sobbing his relief into the taller boy’s shoulder.

[myblueskies]

For a moment Romeo doesn't understand what he is seeing either. But a boy who looks like Joss but can't be Joss because he's wearing glasses and Joss is dead, runs over and hugs him, taking him by surprise. He's too warm to be Joss.

For a moment Romeo doesn't react at all. Just stands there, the hug hurts a bit but... Is this Joss? How could this be Joss?

He doesn't say anything, or move. Confused and sad all at the same time.

[dredefulchilde]

All Joss can say, once he’s found his voice again, is “I’m sorry.” Over and over again. He holds Romeo, not yet aware of the bruises and blight, and cries.

[myblueskies]

"Joss?"

It was Joss' fault. Why was he saying sorry? It was Romeo that hadn't been quick enough. Joss had died... But now he was here.

"I thought... I..."

Slowly arms moved up to wrap around Joss and tears spilled down Romeo's own face. He's so confused. "You don't got to say sorry."

Later

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita wasn't as close with the boy as certain people on the train were... but that did not mean she was neither surprised nor pleased to see him.

Forgetting all thought of her own hunger, and focusing on the fact the boy still looks exhausted, she heads over to his bench in something of a rush.

"Romeo? Are- what happened?"

'Okay' is not a question Nita figures she should be asking. Not right now.

"You've seen Joss, right? Do you need to visit Wen Qing and the Doctor, too?"

[myblueskies]

"Miss Nita?" He blinks tiredly but gives her a smile. It's good to see her even though her question makes him pause. What had happened? Joss had died, Romeo had got mad, then he had been in a suitcase and Joss was alive, properly alive. Not a shinki. Not a vampire. Just Joss.

"I sawed him. I'm okay miss..." Things hurt but he does't think a doctor can help with it. Especially the Doctor, who isn't actually a doctor at all. He doesn't know who Wen Qing is, or at least he does but he's never spoke to her properly.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita gives him a sidelong Look.

"At least you've talked already..."

She sighs - and then her gaze locks on what's visible of the blight marks.

"Romeo, what are those?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, it was good that he had seen Joss. He had thought he would never see Joss again and it had hurt so much but Joss was back and that made him so happy!

He moved his arms to his lap, under the table, hiding them as she pointed out the marks. "It's just a shinki thing, miss." He mumbled, it wasn't a lie. But it wasn't an explanation either. But it's a bad thing he had done a bad thing and felt bad about it and that's was tricky to talk about.

Dining room

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis is looking at a list of things he needs to get made for the upcoming wedding. And of course there's the list of ingredients he has to make sure that they have before anything actually gets made. So a cup of coffee and sitting down with the kitchen and a list are on his to do list.

Then he spots a lost looking Romeo with his eyes above the list and immediately heads over. "You are so very late coming back from the mission." When that doesn't seem to get a response right off, there's something wrong.

So the advisor knelt down to the boy (much like he always did with Madoka. Blue team leader Ignis might be, but Romeo was more than a teammate in his eyes.

"Romeo?"

[myblueskies]

He blinked at Ignis, feeling even worse than he had before. Because on top of everything else he had abandoned his team in the mission and hadn't even come back to the train properly with them and probably made people worry!

He looked down, looking a bit lost.

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to be late."

[faithfulsupport]

"No.."

Hesitantly from his position on the floor, Ignis placed a hand to put on the boy's shoulder. "It was..my way of saying I missed you." There he went again as usual with zero ability to read a personal situation.

"Is something wrong?"

[myblueskies]

There's a slight flinch as his shoulder is touched but he doesn't shy away. Mister Ignis is a nice adult and it seems he isn't too mad about Romeo disappearing half way through the mission.

He shook his head. "No sir... I mean..." There's lots of feelings in him and it is hard to keep his spirits up right now.

"Joss died... But he's better now. So that's good..."

But it had still caused a lot of complicated big feelings.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin walks into the dining room and spots Romeo sitting on one of the benches with a plate in front of him.

"Romeo!" he exclaims. "Welcome back!"

[myblueskies]

Romeo looked up and despite all the complicated feelings swirling around him he smiled. "Hello mister Curufin!"

He was glad to see Curufin was alright. He hoped everyone else had came back off the mission okay. It had been a scary one!

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was glad to see anyone return, even if via the luggage car. If Romeo had not come back, he'd have been a terrible loss to the train community. Curufin smiled back. "I am very glad to see you. I heard only rumors of what happened, and I was grieved for both you and Joss. But then he came back first."

[myblueskies]

"I am glad to see you too sir." He nodded, no one else had been there when the bad person had killed Joss, people must have been very confused and sad.

"I'm sorry we made you sad sir. I'm really glad Joss has come back."

dining room

[happyends]

Madoka is just heading over to the dining room with some delicious dessert when she spots a familiar face sitting there. At first it brings surprise, mixed with relief. She thought Romeo would be back when she didn't see him leave at the platform, but it's still great to actually see him sitting there.

But then she looks again. And he looks so.. sad. Or tired. She can't tell for sure, but something about Romeo is missing his usual energy.

So the girl's gaze drops a bit in concern before shaking her head and trying to look a little braver as she heads over to where the boy is sitting, sitting down on the opposite side of the table so she can look at him.

"Romeo.. Hi." She offers him a small smile, although it's hard to hide the surprise in her eyes when her gaze falls on his hands.

Flashes of memory come rushing back in her head. They're faint and all jumbled up, but she does still remember. That time in her dream, when similar marks had suddenly appeared on Romeo before all out consuming him and changing him into--

"T-.. That's..."

[myblueskies]

"Madoka!" A bit of energy comes back to his face as he sees her. Madoka always makes him smile, even when things are really bad and scary. She was a good friend and just seeing her brought his spirits up and made him feel less tired.

But then she looks so worried and he looks down at his hands as well, feeling bad. Because that had happened in the bad dream, the terrible dream where Madoka kept getting hurt and Romeo had turned...

"It's okay Madoka! I'm not going to turn into anything bad, or hurt you!"

He hopes he's not going to turn, if he makes sure to be really sorry for the bad things he wanted to do it would all be alright... He was sure.

[happyends]

It's not even a surprise to see his concern turn towards her. It's just how Romeo is. Even though he looked so tired and sad a moment ago - and she can still see it now, even though he thankfully has regained some energy - he's thinking of the people around him. Honestly, Romeo is so infinitely sweet..

Which is exactly why it's so weird to see that on his hands, right?

"D-Don't worry, I know you wouldn't turn into anything bad. You're a good person, Romeo." Yet he had also turned in that dream. Without doing anything bad, she thinks. Did being here on the train mess with the conditions for it happening? She can't imagine Romeo could have done something on the mission bad enough for this to happen..

"But.. we should still take care of this, right..?" She slowly reaches out with a hand, trying to lightly grab a hold of Romeo's hand, if he'll let her. "It looks pretty bad.. Does it hurt you..?"

Dining

[stealsyourheart]

"Romeo?" Kaito comes in and spots him, heading straight for him.

"Hey! You're okay!"

[myblueskies]

Romeo managed a small smile when he saw Kaito. It really was good to see everyone again. "Hello Kaito-san!" He nodded.

"I'm okay. I just disappeared and woked up in a suitcase."

[stealsyourheart]

He sits beside him to nudge him fondly.

"You had everyone worried. You sure you're okay?"

Dining car

[laurefindil]

There was a small boy eating alone, or at least picking at his food, in the dining car. He looked dazed and a bit lost, and Glorfindel did not recognize him from the train's inhabitants.

"Hello," he said gently, walking up to where the boy was sitting. "May I join you? Mine name is Glorfindel, and...I'm new here. Are you also new?"

[myblueskies]

"Hello sir." Romeo looked up at the voice and nodded, there was lots of space and he was always happy to have company. He didn't recognise the man, but it seemed new people had arrived.

"It's nice to meet you mister Glor...findel." The man was an elf, Romeo thought, and the names were a bit tricky! "I'm Romeo. I'm not new but I was... not here for a bit."

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel sat down across the table from the child. "Thank you. It is nice to meet you, Romeo. You do not have to call me Mister or Sir, though. Just Glorfindel is enough."

"Were you dead?" Glorfindel asked, tucking into his own lunch.