Post by Jude Dorrian on Nov 25, 2007 19:20:28 GMT
What was the best method of murder?
Jude found that the beauty of life lay in the million, billion, trillion ways one could meet their end. If it was up to Jude, when he felt sane, he often thought he'd like to die old, and comfortable, lying in bed and drifting off to sleep. However, when he felt a little more exotic, he was often torn between death by enchanted ice-pick wielding Nutcracker toy and the classic falling piano- except this particular piano was as green as Steve's hair and housed a family of rats who dreamed of life in Broadway.
He reckoned he preferred the rat one though- mainly because his death would be fantastic publicity for them. However... that Nutcracker one could be one hell of a Christmas.
Lee, however, deserved no such luxury, because Jude was going to decide his death for him.
It would be exactly what the goddam lying, sneaking, deceitful little prick needed- or at least a good kick up the old ass. He wasn't quite sure how he'd done it, but Lee had actually gotten up hours ago- at 6am Brian had told him sleepily- apparently for a walk in Blueberg Forest. Just to be sure, Jude had dropped by Nurse Gornray, who'd told him impatiently as she'd wrestled a frothing, marmite-colored first-year to the ground that no, she hadn't seen Lee, and that Jude's stetson was not appropriate in or out of school. He'd dipped his hat to her respectfully- but of course, had not removed it- and went on his way.
"Hey, Jude."
"Don't make it bad," he replied distractedly. "Take a sad song and- okay, hang on, have you seen Lee?"
Kira looked at him strangely. "I was about to ask you the same question."
"Argh!" Jude growled, rounding on the wall and giving it a good kick.
Kira watch him silently as he swore violently, collapsing against the wall and massaging his foot as he sat down.
"I imagine that must've hurt," she said softly, sitting beside him after a moment's silence.
"It did," Jude told her. "Y'all are very perceptive."
She tilted her head. "You lost your temper."
"I lost my temper," he breathed.
"You never lose your temper."
"Lee ain't got the best of effects on me," Jude told her dryly.
She giggled. "Aye. Fair enough."
"So how come you were looking for him?" Jude asked her, hooking his fingers inside his shoe to tenderly locate the bruise he could feel forming.
Kira paused for a couple of seconds, her blue eyes glazing. "Deron told me to."
Jude paused curiously, his breath held. "Oh...? Um... why would he do that?"
"Because apparently I go quiet when I think about him."
"You go quiet a lot," shrugged Jude.
"I think he means more so."
"Oh," Jude stopped. "Yeah. I knew that. Goddamit!"
"Your foot?"
"It huuuurts."
"You shouldn't have kicked the wall."
"I know..." he groaned, and in an idiotic act of exasperation banged his head against the wall.
Stars erupted before his eyes, but it didn't stop Kira and him from bursting into peals of weak laughter. After it'd subsided, and Kira was cleansing the back of his head with a dripping wet packet of hankies- thank the gods for those water powers of hers- Jude took a deep breath.
"Kira, y'all know Maddie isn't the real problem, don't you?"
"It's me, isn't it?"
"Kinda," he grinned sheepishly. "Like... y'all just are blaming her because you and Lee are drifting. Except... did you ever stop to think that that's what people do? They drift."
"You and Tameron haven't drifted."
"Are you kiddin'?!" he laughed. "Of course we have! Do I hang out with all her friends? Do I know every single little minuscule detail of her social life? No way! I used to- now she makes a point of keeping me out. But do you think that alters how I feel about her?"
Kira paused, and Jude felt a cold bead of water dribble down his neck as she squeezed on the hankie.
"I guess not."
"Hell no," he laughed. "I love that bloody kid so goddam much it hurts. And you love Lee like that- yeah?"
"I know, I know," she said slightly impatiently, Jude sensing the suppressed ripple of anger in her tone. "I do. I get what y'all- I mean, you- are saying, but the problem is... me and Lee always knew everything about each other, and I hate that we don't now. We're the same age; it's not like you and Tameron."
Jude begged to differ, but he took her point. "Okay, okay. So you should just make the effort."
She grunted.
He grinned. "Yes?"
She grunted again. "Stupid shrink."
"Thanks...?"
"You should be a counsellor of some sort," Kira decided, her lithe fingers tiptoeing carefully around his wound as they pressed against the hankie, re-soaking it.
It was amazing how she could keep them from falling apart like that.
Jude considered her. "So I've heard."
"People would hate you for it," she told him. "You're sort of nosy. Always poking your head where it's not wanted..." She paused, then on an apparent whim, hugged him from behind. "It's great you do that."
He laughed nervously, moving out of her grasp. "Thanks... you should be a ballet dancer."
She giggled. "I'd be good at that."
"You would," Jude told her earnestly. "That or a top spy. Whatever."
She laughed again. "Good at getting information out of people, aren't cha'?"
"That sounded business-like."
"It was just an observation," she replied. "You know- for future reference."
He smiled. "Not good enough, apparently."
She stopped, lifting the hankie away from his head finally. He felt a strange, wind-like sensation ripple his hair, telling him the beads of water were now evaporating from his head. Soon, he was dry again, the bump was far smaller than it had been before, and he was free to look at Kira.
"What do you mean?"
He sighed. "I was looking for Lee too, remember?"
Kira's lips pressed together, forming a thin line. "Yes."
"Kira... do you know anything about the nightmares?"
Her widened eyes told him the answer before she'd even opened her mouth. Goddamit, Lee! Goddamit!
"What nightmares?"
Jude cleared his throat. "I don't know much about them, really. It's just... well. Lee's been having some really rough nightmares for the past month or so. I didn't know about it until last night- and neither did Maddox-" he added quickly- "but Lee took a nap on the sofa, and Brian came running to fetch me. Maddox came in too and... well..."
"Why didn't he tell me?" Her voice was soft, but even now, Jude thought he could detect the faint quiver of anger... and fear.
"He didn't tell any of us," Jude reminded her.
"But he usually tells... me." Hurt was there too; its unmistakable note prominent.
Aw, GODDAMIT, Lee...
"Yeah, well," he shrugged. "Lee's nightmares are rough. He screams and... shakes and writhes about. His eyes turn black- well, really dark brown, at any rate- and you can't actually wake him up from them. Brian's bet- and I agree- is that they're magically-induced."
"Magically...?" Kira echoed hollowly. "But... who would...?"
"I don't know," Jude groaned, rubbing his eyes. "And he won't give us any clue! Come on, Kira! We're Spies. We should be able to understand all this."
"Technically, the Academics work through any information we gather."
"So that's what they're there for- I mean... oh. Well, you take my point."
"I have to find him," Kira said simply, getting up off the ground. "I've gotta' talk to him... I don't care what you said about people drifting, Jude. This is me and Lee. We don't drift. We stay like this." She held up two crossed fingers, then smiled at him. "Thanks for telling me."
"No problem," Jude said blankly, getting to his feet. "But... um... tell him I may be coming after him with a silver hammer at some point..."
"Will do," she laughed, and waved- but as she skipped off down the corridor... well, he felt apprehensive.
Kira may be putting on a brave front, but it was obvious that the news he'd just given her had taken major impact. And he wasn't sure how she has really, really reacted to the news. She could be taking it well. But... somehow, he felt that his warning to Kira about the hammer may not be necessary. She did have a very short temper...
After all, there were only so many ways you could die- right?
Jude found that the beauty of life lay in the million, billion, trillion ways one could meet their end. If it was up to Jude, when he felt sane, he often thought he'd like to die old, and comfortable, lying in bed and drifting off to sleep. However, when he felt a little more exotic, he was often torn between death by enchanted ice-pick wielding Nutcracker toy and the classic falling piano- except this particular piano was as green as Steve's hair and housed a family of rats who dreamed of life in Broadway.
He reckoned he preferred the rat one though- mainly because his death would be fantastic publicity for them. However... that Nutcracker one could be one hell of a Christmas.
Lee, however, deserved no such luxury, because Jude was going to decide his death for him.
It would be exactly what the goddam lying, sneaking, deceitful little prick needed- or at least a good kick up the old ass. He wasn't quite sure how he'd done it, but Lee had actually gotten up hours ago- at 6am Brian had told him sleepily- apparently for a walk in Blueberg Forest. Just to be sure, Jude had dropped by Nurse Gornray, who'd told him impatiently as she'd wrestled a frothing, marmite-colored first-year to the ground that no, she hadn't seen Lee, and that Jude's stetson was not appropriate in or out of school. He'd dipped his hat to her respectfully- but of course, had not removed it- and went on his way.
"Hey, Jude."
"Don't make it bad," he replied distractedly. "Take a sad song and- okay, hang on, have you seen Lee?"
Kira looked at him strangely. "I was about to ask you the same question."
"Argh!" Jude growled, rounding on the wall and giving it a good kick.
Kira watch him silently as he swore violently, collapsing against the wall and massaging his foot as he sat down.
"I imagine that must've hurt," she said softly, sitting beside him after a moment's silence.
"It did," Jude told her. "Y'all are very perceptive."
She tilted her head. "You lost your temper."
"I lost my temper," he breathed.
"You never lose your temper."
"Lee ain't got the best of effects on me," Jude told her dryly.
She giggled. "Aye. Fair enough."
"So how come you were looking for him?" Jude asked her, hooking his fingers inside his shoe to tenderly locate the bruise he could feel forming.
Kira paused for a couple of seconds, her blue eyes glazing. "Deron told me to."
Jude paused curiously, his breath held. "Oh...? Um... why would he do that?"
"Because apparently I go quiet when I think about him."
"You go quiet a lot," shrugged Jude.
"I think he means more so."
"Oh," Jude stopped. "Yeah. I knew that. Goddamit!"
"Your foot?"
"It huuuurts."
"You shouldn't have kicked the wall."
"I know..." he groaned, and in an idiotic act of exasperation banged his head against the wall.
Stars erupted before his eyes, but it didn't stop Kira and him from bursting into peals of weak laughter. After it'd subsided, and Kira was cleansing the back of his head with a dripping wet packet of hankies- thank the gods for those water powers of hers- Jude took a deep breath.
"Kira, y'all know Maddie isn't the real problem, don't you?"
"It's me, isn't it?"
"Kinda," he grinned sheepishly. "Like... y'all just are blaming her because you and Lee are drifting. Except... did you ever stop to think that that's what people do? They drift."
"You and Tameron haven't drifted."
"Are you kiddin'?!" he laughed. "Of course we have! Do I hang out with all her friends? Do I know every single little minuscule detail of her social life? No way! I used to- now she makes a point of keeping me out. But do you think that alters how I feel about her?"
Kira paused, and Jude felt a cold bead of water dribble down his neck as she squeezed on the hankie.
"I guess not."
"Hell no," he laughed. "I love that bloody kid so goddam much it hurts. And you love Lee like that- yeah?"
"I know, I know," she said slightly impatiently, Jude sensing the suppressed ripple of anger in her tone. "I do. I get what y'all- I mean, you- are saying, but the problem is... me and Lee always knew everything about each other, and I hate that we don't now. We're the same age; it's not like you and Tameron."
Jude begged to differ, but he took her point. "Okay, okay. So you should just make the effort."
She grunted.
He grinned. "Yes?"
She grunted again. "Stupid shrink."
"Thanks...?"
"You should be a counsellor of some sort," Kira decided, her lithe fingers tiptoeing carefully around his wound as they pressed against the hankie, re-soaking it.
It was amazing how she could keep them from falling apart like that.
Jude considered her. "So I've heard."
"People would hate you for it," she told him. "You're sort of nosy. Always poking your head where it's not wanted..." She paused, then on an apparent whim, hugged him from behind. "It's great you do that."
He laughed nervously, moving out of her grasp. "Thanks... you should be a ballet dancer."
She giggled. "I'd be good at that."
"You would," Jude told her earnestly. "That or a top spy. Whatever."
She laughed again. "Good at getting information out of people, aren't cha'?"
"That sounded business-like."
"It was just an observation," she replied. "You know- for future reference."
He smiled. "Not good enough, apparently."
She stopped, lifting the hankie away from his head finally. He felt a strange, wind-like sensation ripple his hair, telling him the beads of water were now evaporating from his head. Soon, he was dry again, the bump was far smaller than it had been before, and he was free to look at Kira.
"What do you mean?"
He sighed. "I was looking for Lee too, remember?"
Kira's lips pressed together, forming a thin line. "Yes."
"Kira... do you know anything about the nightmares?"
Her widened eyes told him the answer before she'd even opened her mouth. Goddamit, Lee! Goddamit!
"What nightmares?"
Jude cleared his throat. "I don't know much about them, really. It's just... well. Lee's been having some really rough nightmares for the past month or so. I didn't know about it until last night- and neither did Maddox-" he added quickly- "but Lee took a nap on the sofa, and Brian came running to fetch me. Maddox came in too and... well..."
"Why didn't he tell me?" Her voice was soft, but even now, Jude thought he could detect the faint quiver of anger... and fear.
"He didn't tell any of us," Jude reminded her.
"But he usually tells... me." Hurt was there too; its unmistakable note prominent.
Aw, GODDAMIT, Lee...
"Yeah, well," he shrugged. "Lee's nightmares are rough. He screams and... shakes and writhes about. His eyes turn black- well, really dark brown, at any rate- and you can't actually wake him up from them. Brian's bet- and I agree- is that they're magically-induced."
"Magically...?" Kira echoed hollowly. "But... who would...?"
"I don't know," Jude groaned, rubbing his eyes. "And he won't give us any clue! Come on, Kira! We're Spies. We should be able to understand all this."
"Technically, the Academics work through any information we gather."
"So that's what they're there for- I mean... oh. Well, you take my point."
"I have to find him," Kira said simply, getting up off the ground. "I've gotta' talk to him... I don't care what you said about people drifting, Jude. This is me and Lee. We don't drift. We stay like this." She held up two crossed fingers, then smiled at him. "Thanks for telling me."
"No problem," Jude said blankly, getting to his feet. "But... um... tell him I may be coming after him with a silver hammer at some point..."
"Will do," she laughed, and waved- but as she skipped off down the corridor... well, he felt apprehensive.
Kira may be putting on a brave front, but it was obvious that the news he'd just given her had taken major impact. And he wasn't sure how she has really, really reacted to the news. She could be taking it well. But... somehow, he felt that his warning to Kira about the hammer may not be necessary. She did have a very short temper...
After all, there were only so many ways you could die- right?
