When our troubles are like a river

[myblueskies]

Who: Romeo and Elfnien
Where: Gegute's library
What: Romeo regains a memory and awakes in a panic.
When 14th April
Warnings: Romeo's memory has themes of child slavery and child cruelty.

It was early morning but not too long before Romeo usually woke up. There was lots to do and lots of friends to meet, people to help and chores to do and so waking early was a good way to make sure it all got done!

But this morning Romeo did not wake naturally. Not with his usual bounce, his usual smile and his usual energy. As the sun was rising over the heavens Gegute's library was filled with the cries of a very upset, very panicked Romeo.

"Let me go! Alfredo! Alfredo! We didn't finish our vow yet!" Romeo has been teaching Elfnein Italian so it might be that she understands some of the words coming from his room as Romeo sits bolt upright in bed.

For a moment he has no idea where he is, but soon it comes back to him. He's in his room. In Elfnein's temple. Elfnein is his god and his friend and there are no cruel men with unkind laughs and cruel eyes.

His breath was fast and his hands bunched in the sheets. He had just wanted to finish his vow. Just wanted to say the words and let Alfredo know how much their friendship meant to him.

Comments

[alchemists]

[ Elfnein had been up in the early morning already working on another project when she heard Romeo's screaming from his room. All she could make out was "vow" and "let me go". ]

[ She quickly made her way to Romeo's room and opened the door, she'd have to apologize later for not knocking but it was an emergency situation. ]

Romeo, what's happening are you ok?

[myblueskies]

Elfnein? [Everything a bit blurry and Romeo reaches up to rub his eyes as he tries to calm down. He had to keep his spirits up! It's was alright because Elfnein was here now!]

Elfnein! I remembered... [He is still speaking Italian and he stopped and forced his tongue back into Japanese.] I had a dream but I think it was real! That boy was in it again! His name is Alfrdo!

[alchemists]

Can you slow down a bit?

[ The switch from Italian to Japanese was a bit jarring since Elfnein didn't really understand the first part of what Romeo was saying. ]

The dream was like the other ones you've had right? Maybe this person is a friend you just forgot about?

[myblueskies]

[Slow, slow Romeo nodded and punched the air, keeping his spirits up as he listened to Elfnein, she always had good ideas and could figure things out.]

He was... He was a really good friend. [All in Japenese this time, and a little bit slower.] We were vowing to be friends forever and ever and ever but they didn't let us finish.

[alchemists]

Do you mean like the pinky promise or something like a formal contract?

[ Elfnein doesn't really know how formal people get when they try to make friends. ]

[myblueskies]

Like this... [Romeo raised his hand in a fist and put it on his heart. It was a bit like the pinky promise, something special to show that your vow was important and you wouldn't break it no matter what!]

He said Even when our troubles are like a river, our eternal friendship is like a safe shore. Even if we're separated, remember that oath. And I was supposed to say it back but then... He got dragged away!

[alchemists]

Why don't you say it back to me for now? I know I'm not the same as your friend but I still want to be able to understand what it means.

[myblueskies]

Oh... [He blinked at her, he was still a little muddled. He moved so he was sitting crossed legged next to her and nodded. He closed his eyes remembering again his friend and the vow he had made and then opened them. It would be nice to say the words even if it wasn't to Alfredo.

Elfnein was a really good friend as well. He brought his fist to his heart and made sure his tongue was speaking in Japanese!] Even when our troubles are like a river, our eternal friendship is like a safe shore. Even if we're separated, remember that oath!

[They had been separated and Romeo had forgotten... Did that mean he had broken it already?]

[alchemists]

I'm really happy that you said that in front of me.

[ She wanted to repeat it back to him but that would be a bit pushy since it was meant for someone else. ]

Your friend from before is lucky to know you, that's something you should always keep in mind even if you can't remember.

[myblueskies]

I think I was really lucky to know him too. He seems like a really good friend to have. [Romeo hoped that he had been a good friend in turn, even if he had broken their vow because he had died and was in the Far Shore now and couldn't even remember Alfredo all that much.]

[alchemists]

I have an idea!

[ Elfnein didn't know if it would help or not but Romeo had always offered her ideas when things got sad. ]

We can write them a letter so your feelings can get across even if they're not here.

[myblueskies]

A letter? [Romeo blinked at her and then smiled. A letter would be a really good idea! He could write down all the things he felt about Alfredo and even though Alfredo wasn't here...

He liked the idea.] I think that's a great idea!

[alchemists]

I can help you write it if you want? Maybe if you wrote it in Italian it will help?

[myblueskies]

Thank you Elfnein! [He's really lucky to have a friend like Elfnein and he's really really glad that he's got her as a god. He remembered the first morning waking up here in this bed when he had been confused and full of questions and Elfnein had said that she thought he belonged in this temple with her. That big feeling of being somewhere with a good friend and in a team was so different than the feelings in the jumble of memories that came to him in his dreams.

But the huge big feelings he had when he thought about Elfnein were just like the feelings he had felt about Alfredo.] Writing in Italian is easier because it's only got one writing to remember.

[alchemists]

You'll have to teach me more of it as we write the letter then, I don't think I know enough to write a full letter like you.

[myblueskies]

I will! I can show you. [He untangled himself from the covers fully so he could get up out of the bed.]

Lets go get some paper!

[alchemists]

There should be some in my room.

[ There's plenty of paper and pens there, in the scattered mess somehow. ]

[myblueskies]

Okay! [Romeo's spirits were definitely more up now. He got to his feet and followed Elfnein to her room. It was such a mess! It was a room Romeo didn't go into because it was Elfnein's place but there were things everywhere!]

Do you not think we should tidy up?

[alchemists]

I've been putting that off for awhile...

[ It's more of an on-going issue, but she knows were everything goes and is so it's just a matter of making it look clean. ]

[myblueskies]

I can help you though! You should have just said! If we work together we will get it all tidy and clean in no time at all!

[It's his job to help her! Because he's her shinki but also because he's her friend! Teamwork is important!]

[alchemists]

I would feel awful asking you to help clean up my mess, I let it get this way so I should be the one to clean it.

[myblueskies]

But if we work together it will go so much faster and then there will be more time to do fun things together!

[Teamwork just made sense!]

[alchemists]

You're not going to back down on this are you...

[myblueskies]

Nope! We can get everything tidy in no time!

[He really can't let Elfnein do all the work! It would be a bad thing to do!]

[alchemists]

First we need to make a game plan, some of what's out happens to be current projects I'm working on and need to be filed differently.

[myblueskies]

A game plan? [Romeo had been ready to jump right into things but this truthfully was why Elfnein was a good god. She always thought things through and came up with good plans and ways of doing things!

Romeo trusted that she knew what she was doing!] Alright! So we got to figure out what is what first!

[alchemists]

So the books that are on my main work desk are the ones that are currently in use.

[ The desk wasn't that much of a mess, there were papers stacked up with different writing on each, sticky notes in different places for later reference. If you didn't know it was Elfnein you would think it was a college student studying for exams. ]

But, the books that aren't there can be put away.

[myblueskies]

Alright... [He looks over at the desk, that sure was a lot of papers and books! Elfnein was really clever to be able to know what was on all of them and keep track of everything like that!] I'll put all the other books back then!

[And he's off, around the room gathering up books to take back to the library to the shelves where they lived!]

[alchemists]

It'll be better if you take a cart with you! There's a lot more books stacked up then you think are.

[myblueskies]

Okay! I'll go get one first then!

[It would be a good idea if there's lots and lots of books to put away! Or he would have to do a lot of trips!

He rushes out of the room to look for one of the carts. Luckily the library has a few so it's not hard to find one near the information desk and he returns, a little slower as he has to concentrate on pushing the cart so he didn't crash into anything!]

[alchemists]

Once we're done putting the books on the cart I can put them away, I know where I took everything from so it'll be faster for me to do it.

[ Elfnein had made sure to keep track of everything she took out to use in the lab, even if it would take awhile to clean up having a good idea of where to put things was always needed. ]

[myblueskies]

Right! That's a good idea! Together we will get all it tidy in no time!

[Teamwork was the best way to do anything after all!]