sunnyshadow (sunnyshadow) wrote in bearandbarnacle, @ 2009-02-28 00:21:00 |
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Current mood: | sick as the devil's heart |
Xellos Okage: Topics: Secrets
Ivonka-san, he writes, handwriting a bit more stilted than usual, as he's still having a bit of trouble holding a pen steady.
Thank you for taking good care of the restaurant while I was--
He pauses, thinking of ways to end that sentence. 'Held captive by the Lord of Hell' is not something to toss into a work-related memo in his current career, and the marginally more credible 'abducted by aliens' is if possible even more problematic. To say nothing of untrue. 'Unwillingly out of body while encased in a life-sucking, magic-strangling lump of ethereal rock' while having the benefit of accuracy, would probably either get him committed to a mental hospital or lose him the best assistant he could ask for in this place. Finally, he settles on,
--indisposed. Unfortunately, while I'm better off than I was, it seems that I'm going to need to have an operation before I'll be really well again.
And if the operation is completely unrelated to his 'indisposition' and probably won't actually be surgical, well, there's no real reason for her to be bothered with that information, now is there?
That's why, unfortunately, I'm going to have to selfishly put even more of a burden on you, Ivonka-san. You see, although Iago-san is too conscientious to take a complete vacation, he's also had a hard time while I was--
Hmm.
--wasn't well, and so he's going to be taking half-days for a little while.
To sit in the breeze with Iago again, and walk under the trees until he's well enough for an unfaltering pace. To go away somewhere for the handful of hours Margate will let them intend, to sit on some foreign hillside together with gentle afternoon light warming them--but no, not that. No flitting here and there through Astral space for Xellos, not until he's strong enough again to face the consequences of intriguing curious demons with a smile and a Ragna Blade.
So if you'll continue with your excellent and reliable work with even less help for the next two or three weeks, I'd be very grateful.If you decide to be a full-time worker for the duration you'll be paid appropriately, of course, and given a budget for temporary evening staff (hirings subject to Iago-san's approval, of course) but if you'd prefer to close up after lunch when Iago-san leaves and maintain your normal schedule, I think we can survive for a little while on reduced hours. You can call or come by if you need anything--
His pen pauses a minute. He has other responsibilities besides the restaurant.
--but I don't want to disrupt your schedule further or pull you away from work on such short notice, so you can just tell Val-kun what your answer is and send him to me; he can use the flying practice.
Because Xel can't make a decision about whether or not to tell Val himself that Ma-ou-dono is alive (more or less) and taking an interest in Margate until he sees where the dragon's head has gone in his absence. Or, for that matter, whether said Phibrizzo is likely to notice Val until Xel takes another, closer astral look at him.
With my sincere gratitude for your skill and dedication,
XnO
He opens a window and looks out it for a moment, vaguely, the sun feeling achingly welcome on his face, painfully strange. Before long, a squirrel bounces along a nearby branch to leap and perch on the windowsill. It holds very still while Xel gently ties the folded note onto its back, careful to place the thread so it can bend over to bite and free itself when it reaches her. The squirrel bounds off towards the restaurant, and Xel slumps back into bed. He falls back into nightmare almost as soon as his back hits the blankets, and not the Nightmare he loves. His last thought is that if Val's astral signature doesn't ring half-mazoku, as he thinks it doesn't (one eventually forgets to notice certain background details of people one's known forever), then the boy won't need to know, and can and should be kept out of the whole mess.
I regret how gone Xel has been recently, and apologize about any threads he would otherwise have taken up. He's been having an absolutely nightmarish couple of months, and since mine haven't been appreciably more bearable (with thanks to anyone who might have asked, it's not something I want to talk about), I haven't been in any shape to try and force him to be social (not that I can ever make him do anything anyway).