everlastingsoul: (Jade)
Athena ([personal profile] everlastingsoul) wrote2007-01-05 01:43 am

Tales of the Abyss ficlet

Title: Question and Answer
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Rating: 13+ just to be safe. Spoilers about Jade and Dist's relationship and Dist's ... endgame status.
Characters: Jade and Dist
Summary: Dist sits in his cell. Jade visits and interrogates--except not really, because this Jade and Dist we're talking about here.


For Jess, who provided me with the inspiration to actually write something relatively solid.
Started: November 27, 2006
Finished: January 5, 2007

“Question and Answer”

“Tell me something, Saphir: why did you choose such a droll name as your … alias?”

The younger man looked absolutely petulant as he sat in his cell, facing away from the colonel. He was still recovering from his last escapade, sporting more than a few bandages on his effeminate frame. “Trying to be conversational, Jade? That’s so unlike you.”

“I would think you, in such a pathetic state, would appreciate idle banter. But if I thought wrong, I suppose I could keep His Majesty company this afternoon…”

Dist practically smoldered in his seat at the mentioning of the Malkuth emperor, and he growled outright as he heard the emphatic staccatos of Jade’s leaving. “Have you always enjoyed being a lapdog? Or is this recent development?”

“Oh, so you do feel like talking after all.”

Although he was not looking at the pristine colonel, Dist already had an image of him in his head—the man would turn neatly on one heel, never hurrying, and look in his direction that same damnable confidence he had always possessed. “Well?” the pale-haired scientist snapped, glaring at the wall in front of him.

“What?” Jade’s light, mocking tone fairly echoed through the spacious dungeon. “I thought you were doing the talking, Saphir.”

It occurred to Dist, belatedly (as always), that his childhood friend nemesis meant to unnerve him by referring to him by his real name. He crossed his arms and tried to calm himself, but found it impossible within the confines of a cell. “I asked you a question!”

“Ah, but if you recall, I asked you a question first.”

Dist’s eyes narrowed into slits as he imagined Jade smiling ironically with his hands slipped into his pockets. The man always seemed to have his hands hidden in some fashion. He focused on the question, cupping his chin in one hand as he thought about it. “… But that’s not fair!

“If life was indeed ‘fair,’ Saphir, I would have rid this world of your incessant whining already.”

Of course, Jade never meant that. Or, at least, Dist never quite took him seriously. He had known the other scientist since they were children, and all of those unfortunate incidents were accidents. Really. “There is a certain flair to the name. That’s all.”

There was a noticeable silence following the answer, and Dist fought to urge to look over his shoulder to see if Jade had somehow silently snuck off. “Distal… Disturbed… Distant… Distained…”

“What are you doing?” Dist inquired darkly, sensing a pattern to Jade’s murmured list.

“I appear to have found the ‘flair’ of your name. I like ‘disturbed’ the most. Quite fitting.”

Dist balled his hands into outraged fists and finally spun his chair around to face his uppity nemesis. “I am not crazy!”

Jade was prepared for the shrill exclamation; he adjusted his glasses and folded his hands behind his back before replying. “I never said that.”

“You implied it, you jerk.” The silver-haired scientist glared through the bars, sitting up straight in a noticeable attempt to appear taller; even standing, he was shorter than the other man. When Jade did not immediately answer with his caustic wit, Dist ventured out with a bitter question. “Why are you even here?”

“So many questions, Saphir. You still haven’t … graced me with an answer to my question.”

“I already answered your stupid question!”

“Ah, forgive me. I meant you haven’t graced me with an acceptable answer.”

Dist pressed his lips together in frustration—trust Jade to hold something so insignificant over his head. “Distortion. I thought it was a fitting name for someone involved in fomicry,” he sniffed arrogantly. He leaned back in his seat, forgetting his attempt to appear taller than he actually was. “Now, will you answer my question?”

“Yes, I was merely trying to be conversational…”

As he became increasingly aware with each word that Jade meant to answer each of his previous questions, Dist jerked his hands up to stop him. “No. No, no, no. You will answer my last question. No more of these roundabout … trivialities.” His expression became smug when he saw Jade’s brow lift, and he happily thought that he caught the colonel off-guard.

The smile slipped from his face when he heard a clink of metal against metal, and his eyes averted to Jade’s hands.

And his temper reared its whiny head again.

“You were going to release me this entire time?!”

Jade’s voice was utterly unapologetic, as well as just slightly mocking, as he shifted the key in his hand to unlock the cell. “If you had answered my question right away, Saphir, we could have been drinking tea with His Majesty already.” He paused as he stepped to one side, sweeping his hand out grandiosely as if he was ushering out a noble. “Now I fear you will have to suffer through His Majesty’s rappigs; Guy should be back from their morning walk now.”

Dist seethed the entire way to the palace, going so far as to abandon his chair halfway to their destination to stalk through the streets.

And Jade simply smiled.



-----
Oh yes, Jade can be quite mean when he feels he's entitled. And with the way Dist annoyed him throughout the game ... yes, I think this works just fine.

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