Prose log with Shoon

[falenas_fop]

Who: Euram and Shoon
What: The elevator breaks down with Euram and Shoon trapped inside.



Shoon felt tired and sore. He had just gotten out of the bath after a run, and still he ached, thinking he might have over did it today he decided to take the elevator instead of the stairs today. He pushed the button and when the door opened he stepped out of the cool sublevels and into the elevator.

Euram was in a good mood today. It was not just an obvious façade for the public this time either, or at least not entirely. It had been a lazy day that, while spent in solitude, had been great for his creativity in his sketch book. He held the book in his hands now as he waited for the elevator to arrive. He had to show Miss Josephine his latest ideas for the manor while the creativity was still sparkling.

If he hadn’t been in such a mood, he never would have entered the elevator when it revealed who was already inside of it. After spotting the gladiator, Euram made an obvious show of ignoring him as he pushed the button to his destination and looked towards the walls, seemingly considering the design.

For his part Shoon was too concerned with getting back to his room and laying down that he decided to follow Euram's example and just wait until they got to the second floor where he would get off and go to his and Morgan's room. And maybe convince Morgan that he was owed a back rub. He watched the lift's door with focus. And kept watching.

Then the lift gave a shudder, "oh, crap." He said.

It seemed that fate had a horrible sense of humor as the elevator made a sound that Euram was all too familiar with. His eyes snapped open at the sound and he grasped the walls with a shout at the lurch. “Wh…What did you do?!” he screeched convinced that the only way this could have happened to him twice was for there to be purposeful tampering.

Giving Euram a disgusted glance he said, "You honestly expect that I did this? Why in the world would I want to be stuck with you?" He pressed a button. Nothing. Crap. "Damn, this is why I never take the elevator."

“I’m certain I don’t know,” Euram spat, moving to the opposite side of the elevator as Shoon went to the buttons. “But then I do not pretend to understand the crude workings of your mind.”

Shoon groaned and thumped his head lightly agains the wall. "This, is hell," he said, "Simply, hell."

“At last we find something to agree on,” Euram muttered, folding his arms. He had been in this situation before but this was far worse! “Well…don’t just stand there. Fix it.”

"Do I look like I can fix this?" Shoon asked shooting him a disbelieving look. "We need Lu to fix this." Well, that was actually a bad idea, as Lu was prone to making explosions for fun. But Euram probably didn't know that so that was OK. "I know as much about elevators as I know boats, less even. If I try anything I'll probably break it some more and then we'll crash and die."

“Of course,” Euram said, trying to keep his anxiety from his voice and failing. “I should have known better than to think you were capable of such a task. Of anything.” It may have been unfair, but he needed to lash out before he exploded.

"You might want to watch what comes out of your mouth," Shoon snarled, crossed his arms, and stood as straight as posible. He was shorter than Euram, but he was going to use as much height as he could. "Because I'm more than willing to use your head to bash our way out of here."

“Su…Such violence…” Euram said, anxiety increasing as the full situation became apparent. He knew Shoon didn’t like him..and he certainly didn’t like him in return, but he was in far more danger being alone in an enclosed space like this. “S..Surely y…you would not be so coarse.”

No, he wouldn't, but if Euram thought he would then maybe he could survive this with his sanity intact. "Don't tempt me." He moved over to the door and tapped on it. See if worse came to worse, he could bust through it.

Euram bristled at that, though he pushed as far into the wall as possible. Even as scared as he was, as long as Shoon stayed OVER THERE he wasn’t going to let him have the last word. “Your brutish solutions would be far more productive if they were focused towards the offending doors instead of your baseless antagonism.”

"Baseless?" Shoon asked quietly, his voice trembling. "Baseless?" he repeated, louder this time, whiping around to glare fully at Euram. "BASELESS?!" he yelled. "Do you even pay attention to what you're saying? Everthing that comes out of your mouth is an insult, or sounds like one because you're too wrapped up in looking smart or better than everyone that it sounds like an insult!"

The fake smirk fell off of Euram face when Shoon whipped around like that. If there wasn’t a barrier he would have backed up at least 3 steps, but as it was he could only try to cling to the wall. “What do you know about it?!” Euram screeched back, not admitting to himself that Shoon may have been making sense. “You merely do not understand proper discourse and which words should be retained and which can be disregarded in a sentence.”

"No. You're just a jackass," Shoon said, "And what do you mean disregarding words?! You should say what you mean other wise you're just lying!" He gave a disgusted grunt and turned around again and banged as hard as he could on the door. "HEY!" He called, "WE'RE STUCK!"

“Don’t you tell me what to do!” Euram snapped back instantly. He hadn’t been trying to make sense, he had just been trying to get the last word. Sense had no place in that. He stood pouting and cringed as Shoon began his shouting.

"Shut up, Euram!" Shoon shouted over his shoulder, "I'm trying to get us out of here!"

“Oh you’re doing a splendid job of it too,” Euram said acidly. “Really, a bit louder and you may succeed in giving me a permanent headache as we lie trapped in this infernal contraption.”

"Well at least I'm doing something," Shoon shot back, "All you're doing is moaning and groaning about what I'm doing."

Shoon gave a grunt and gave the door another final, rather hard punch, leaving a slight dent. "Damn it. I hate this."

Euram jumped at the noise from the last punch as it reverberated about the small room. “I am doing something!” he protested quickly trying to come up with what he could be doing. “..Ah! I am saving my precious energy to last this dreadful condition until it is properly rectified. Unlike you.”

"I call bullshit," Shoon said and slumped to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as he slumpped against the wall and looked up at the ceiling, "Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit."

Euram was getting tired, but refused to sit with Shoon do to the rules of pride he’d just made up. “Do you intend to repeat that one word incessantly?” he snapped, sounding more sullen than irritated by this point.

"Only when you're full of it," Shoon said, making sure he was looking anywhere but at Euram. "Which is all the time."

Euram sneered at Shoon’s insult, but did not verbally react. If his time stuck in the elevator with Percival was any indication someone would notice eventually. Until then he would show that he was the better of the two by staring at the wall and maintaining the silence longer.

After a moment Shoon blew out a sigh and crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Maybe he could do what Morgan does all the time and meditate. It was hard though, do to the fact that Euram was very near him. Much closer than he was comfortable with in such an enclosed space.

Euram shifted at the sigh, the noise sounding much louder than it was due to the density of the air between them. He stared resolutely at the wall his growing irritation obvious as every tiny sound made my himself or Shoon was amplified to an annoying degree.

Shoon felt his eye twitch, but made every effort in order to stay calm. He took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head, hoping that would help. It didn't, not really.

Euram breathed deeply trying hard to maintain his composure. He had to stay resolute, he’d made up that rule! He couldn’t fall back on a rule he made. Unless…yes Shoon’s loud breathing was obviously a breach of the silence meant to grate on his nerves meaning the other had lost first. It may have made no sense but it was enough for him to justify stomping his foot and demanding of the other, “Must you be so noisy?!”

Shoon opened his eyes and looked directly at Euram. "You're being just as loud."

“I most certainly am not,” Euram snapped back, clenching his fists childishly under his rufflely sleeves. “If I were I would be unable to hear you so clearly.”

Shoon stared at Euram. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm mediatating. You're the one with the obnoxiously loud breath."

“If you’re meditating then why are you still speaking?” Euram asked through a pout. This situation could not get any worse in his opinion.

"....Because you yelled at me" Shoon asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Only because you were being obnoxiously loud.”

"You're just looking for reasons to yell at me now," Shoon accused.

“Hmpf,” Euram said, crossing his arms again and looking away. “I hardly need a reason when by now your mere presence has become enough.”

"You should learn to shut up," Shoon said.

“Stop telling me what to do!” Euram shouted sounding like a broken record. “You…Peasant!”

"Oh, that's it!" Shoon shot up to his feet and glared at Euram. "Stop acting like you're high and mighty because you're not! You're just a noble clinging to your title like a security blanket!"

“Shut up, shut up SHUT UP!” Euram screeched back as Shoon hit a little too close to the mark. “What do you know about it?! Nothing!”

"Well you know nothing about me!" Shoon shouted back, "So YOU SHOULD SHUT UP!"

“You were the one who started this wretched conversation so you must be the one to cease!” Euram shouted, logic getting further and further from his words.

"The hell I did!" Shoon shouted, "It was you who started the conversation!"

“Do not try to pass the blame off on me!” Euram retorted gesturing with a point right at Shoon paying little attention to the fact that there really wasn’t room enough to do so.

"Oh screw off!"

Euram’s jaw dropped in scandalized shock at the debased words. “Such unrefined language,” he mocked sobbed. “Oh that I must be trapped in such a horrid situation with such a louse.”

"Oh," Shoon said in a mocking tone, "That I must be trapped in such a horrid situation with such a jackass!" He poked a finger into Euram's chest. "I've gone out my way to try to be nice to you, and ever since I blew up at you after the reading incidnet, I tried to apologize but you threw back in my face! And everytime I try to be nice you're a jackass to me!"

Euram stepped back at the bruising finger, until he hit the wall. He tried to disappear into it on habit even as his blood boiled at the accusations Shoon was throwing at him. “I?! I have been the instigator?!” He shouted back. “You have thwarted me at every turn! Taking obvious pleasure in my misery! Butting your nose into business that in no way concerns you just so you can turn even more against me! You call this nice?!!”

"I don't!" Shoon cried out, "I don't take pleasure in causing you misery you self absorb idiot! And I'm not trying to make anyone hate you!" He took a step back and crossed his arms, "You do that enough on your own! I just wanted-" He cut himself off, and glared at Euram.

“Then why continue to ensure my life is so difficult?!” Euram shouted too caught up in himself to realize that Shoon had left off mid-sentence. He looked at him angrily as he breathed deeply to catch his breath and reign in his emotions at the bite the remark about his making enemies had.

"Because I like you and I wanted you like me!" Shoon shouted, and suddenly felt vunrable. He retreated the furthest corner away from Euram.

“Well you…” Euram was all set to retort, but somewhere between his brain forming a scathing sentence and speaking, Shoon’s words threw a wrench in the process. “W…what?” he got out, confusing and disbelief showing clearly on his face.

"I liked you," Shoon said again, quieter this time, looking anywhere but at Euram.

Euram took a step back in reflex, realizing belatedly that he couldn’t as his heels hit the wall. Euram’s mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to form words but they didn’t seem to be coming. “…You hit me,” he said finally catching a thought long enough to vocalize it.

"You insulted Nanami," Shoon said softly. "And I was upset over her death."

“I did not,” Euram protested, his glare returning but tempered by his uncertainty. “I…I was expressing relief that it was not far worse…As it easily could have been! You…You reacted excessively to watch you decided you heard and not the actual intent!” His voice picked up volume as he went, but it still did not sound as scathing as earlier.

Shoon gave a humorless laugh, "Sounds like what you do a lot with me." He looked up at Euram, "I'm sorry."

“Are you implying I am unable to understand you?” Euram asked, unknowingly doing it again. “Sorry for what? For the physical pain or the constant badgering I have had to endure?”

"Yes, that's what I'm saying," Shoon said, "And I'm sorry for hitting you and misunderstanding you."

Euram regarded the smaller boy silently for a moment, the only change in expression the occasional blink. The relative calm was suddenly shattered however. “What do you mean you are sorry?! You can’t make it that simple! I…” Euram was still upset by everything, and so used to this dynamic with the gladiator that he honestly did not know how to deal with the prospect of moving on from it.

"No," Shoon admitted, "I don't expect it be that simple."

“T..then why did you bother to say anything like that?!” Euram said, even realizing himself that he wasn’t making much sense. He could handle Shoon yelling at him, it felt more normal. It felt more like he was a Falenan noble and Shoon an escaped Gladiator. Him being so calm now…it was like when it happened with Sigurd. Euram had had a great deal of trouble accepting that he could be friends with a pirate and still see himself as a noble. He had accepted it eventually…but this was so much more difficult! A pirate from another time was one thing, but a gladiator that he had once bet upon…it was too much.

"I don't know," Shoon said, "Because I want to move on from this hate." He hadn't been able to do so as of yet, but finally being able to talk to Euram about it made it more possible.

“What makes you think you can?” Euram snapped back, clinging to his denial. “Or..ha…what makes you believe I share this hate of yours?” He stood taller, putting on a haughty mask. It took a few breaths before his noble smirk returned, but he was unable to hide the lasting uncertainty from his eyes. “I do not of course,” he said eyebrows twitching trying to force the arrogant expression to look genuine. “You are nothing to one such as me. Merely a nuisance. A fly.”

"Then why do you get so pissy when ever I talk back to you?" Shoon retorted, "If I were a fly to you wouldn't you be able to ignore me?"

“Because I…beca…” Euram wasn’t good under pressure, and he couldn’t figure anything to say to that, that would still make him feel important. “JUST SHUT UP!” he shouted, and brushed past Shoon to get to a far corner, his back to the small room.

"See?" Shoon pointed out, smirking slightly. "You just proved my point"

“Tch,” Euram folded his arms into himself, wishing he could disappear altogether. “I have not. You had no point,” he said not turning around.

"I totally did," Shoon said, "My point is I matter more to you than you want to admit."

“You most certainly do not!” Euram shouted back. “You…GLADIATOR!”

"I'm not a gladiator anymore," Shoon said. "You know what?" he stepped forward, emboldened, "I was the one who lead the other Gladiators in revolt. I was the one who led us to freedom! It was me!" He grinned, a mixture of pleasure at his own boldness, and the discomfort he was giving Euram. "I was the one that you nobles feared the most from the gladiators! The one who made it possible to for all of us to say we weren't going to be the noble's toys anymore!"

Euram stepped back as Shoon advanced, or tried to; he was never taking the elevator again after this. Ever. Bringing up their classes was always Euram’s last resort to making himself feel more important. However, it didn’t work when Shoon didn’t get offended…and especially not when he not only argued that he was better than Euram but had examples as proof. “..Well…BULLY FOR YOU!” he shouted. “I’m certain there are some about who would be impressed but they are not in this room.”

Shoon took another step forward, grinning, "What's the matter?"

Euram may not have been able to step backwords, but he could still move to the side. “Other than I am being forced to converse with the likes of you?”

"More like I'm forced to stay in here with you," Shoon said, "but hey, whatever makes you feel better about yourself."

“Are you implying that I want to be here?” Euram shot back.

"No, I'm saying I'm the one who's suffering the most here."

“Tc.w…” Euram sputtered. “That may be the most preposterous thing I have ever heard you say, and that is truly a feat considering the inane babbling you are so prone to!”

"I'm stuck here," Shoon said in matter of fact voice, "with you, someone who will refuse to see me as their equal and spat at me more times than not, while you're stuck with someone who has tried to apologize and mend bridges." HE crossed his arms and gave Euram a dirty look.

“Excuse me?!” Euram shot back, quite offended. He had actually done enough in his life to feel guilt over he would not let someone so… insignificant imply that he had more. “How dare you,” he said, actually stepping forward instead of further away. “I have the far worse predicament in having to share such close quarters with one who has seemed to make it their purpose in life to thwart any attempt I might have at contentment. Mend bridges?! Ha! Lies. You are the one who reacts with violence for no reason and then acts like the victim!”

"And I apologized for that," Shoon said trying to remain calm. Counting to ten in his head mentally, "Didn't I tell you to stay safe while you ran to Vinay? Didn't I welcome you back, before I thought you insulted Nanami's memory and punched you?"

“I did not!” Euram shouted again slamming his arms down like a child. “I had nothing wrong with the girl and no reason to have done what you continue to accuse me of! And all of your ideas of best wishes were clearly a base attempt at sarcasm.”

"And I've said twice now I was upset and I misunderstood!" Shoon cried, "And I was serious all those times!"

“Well I don’t believe you!” Euram retorted, folding his arms and looking away, clearly wanting to end this conversation right now.

"Believe this!" Shoon shouted and took Euram by the the collar and pulled him down, pressing their lips together forcefully.

Euram cringed back, fully expecting another blow or something similar, but froze completely at Shoon’s actual actions. It only lasted as long as it did, because Euram’s brain was not able to comprehend exactly what was happening. Once it did, he instantly pushed Shoon back with all his frightened might, and all but jumped to the furthest corner of the elevator, the back of his hand to his mouth speechless as he stared at him in horror.

Shoon stood in place for a moment. To be honest he hadn't expected himself to do that. He looked at Euram, then quickly shuffled back into a corner, and curled up on himself, quietly cursing himself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Euram had finally gotten the quiet he’d wanted in the small space, but was not sure it was worth the price. He still wasn’t completely sure what had just happened. It didn’t make any sense. As much as he had wanted the silence, he couldn’t last in it very long before breaking. “WHAT FORM OF SICK GAME ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO PLAY?!”

Shoon cringed and said quietly, "I told you I liked you."

“But..you…” Euram tried to say, but ended just staring open mouthed, horrified into space. That’s what he had meant? But… “You disgusting peasant!” he shouted as everything clicked in a terrible way.

Sighing, Shoon stood, "You will not call me that," he said firmly, barely managing to look Euram in the eyes.

“I will call you whatever I wish! You filthy…revolting…Argh!”

"You're such a hypocrit," Shoon said, "You know that pirate you always hide behind is sleeping with Geddoe."

“I am not a hypocrite!” Euram shouted back, horrified look strong, but now being tempered with anger as well. “Of course I know that…You would be hard pressed to find one who does not! Don’t you dare try to sully his name by associating him with yourself! You…you…Dammit! Why won’t this thing move?!” he banged his fist into the wall as though that would magically make the doors open and free him from this ever worsening situation.

"And how am I so different?" Shoon asked. "Just because I used to be a gladiator?"

“Just shut up!” Euram shouted back, focusing his attention on the door, as though his meager strength would be enough to pry them open.

"Dude," Shoon said, "You suck. Move over, let me have a go at it."

“I said shut up!” Euram said, but moved. Not because Shoon told him to, but because he wanted to be as far away as possible, which now was only the back corner. He stood there, arms folded staring hard at the wall in an effort to ignore everything else.

Sighing again, Shoon tried to pry the doors as well, but to no aveil. "Damn it, come on!" Using all his strength he pulled and he pulled and he pulled, but the metal fram of the door would not yeild.

In frustration Shoon kicked the control panel. "Stupid technology," and he gave it another kick, and suddenly the lift started moving again.

Even though he was leaning against the wall the sudden jolt of the elevator almost made Euram topple over. He braced a hand on the adjunct wall to catch his balance and looked over wide-eyed to see what exactly Shoon had done.

"Well," Shoon said slowly, "That works."

“What did you do?” Euram demanded, part impressed, part relieved and mostly suspicious. “I knew it! You had the means of correcting this all along! It was all some vast scheme! You…you..” he couldn’t even think of a proper string of adjectives to describe everything he thought Shoon was.

"I kicked it," Shoon said in a dead pan, "Just like I'm going to do with your head if you don't shut up."

“Ah! Now that your villainous plot has been unmasked you again resort to violence! How very…like you!” Euram shouted, brain still not functioning on a high enough level to allow him access to his repertoire of fancy adjectives.

"OK, you know what?" Shoon advanced towards Euram, "When I said I liked you it was in the past tense, meaning I don't anymore, and I hadn't for a long time, and that kiss? Yeah it didn't happen at all. You mention it to anyone and I will deny it, and let's face it, who would believe you over me other than your two asskissers?"

Euram wasn’t sure what drove him to it. He didn’t like being physical, it wasn’t his arena, but he had been emotionally on edge long before this and Shoon pushed him off of it. It was bad enough that Shoon had violated him but then to throw it in his face that no one would care or rise in his defense was too much.

“Shut up!” He shouted for the trillionth time and slapped him across the face.

Shoon stared at Euram for a moment, then laughed. It was too funny, that the jackass would think that a little slap like that would do anything. "I've been stabbed in the gut," he said between laughs, "I've be slashed at more times than I can count, hell, you've seen me in battle at the arena, I have more scars than anyone else in the castle my age, and you think a slap like that would so anything to me?"

The laughing was the last thing Euram was expecting, or wanted to hear…that was until Shoon had clarified it with his words. In the past two minutes he’d been told that no one ever listened to him, and he wasn’t able to do anything by himself. He told himself this all the time in solitude, but it always hurt more when someone else essentially told him the same.

It was a good thing that just then the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Euram didn’t care what floor it was on, he was out of this terrible box. He pushed past Shoon and bolted out the door, forgetting the small sketchbook he had brought with him on the floor. He was never good at hiding his emotions so Shoon might have noticed the change, but his pride was spared enough that no tears fell until he was a good ways away.

Shoon straigtened and sighed. He was done with this, he was done with Euram, and done trying to be nice. He had opened himself to Euram, put himself out, made himself vulnerable, and apologized for the misunderstandings in the past, again. He looked out at the floor, and stepped out of the elvetor. "Never taking that thing again," he said, "I hope you break and Lu blows you up," he told it as the doors slid shut and it went to another floor.

He let out a breath and touched his lips, both pleased and disappointed that he had kissed Euram. He had wanted to for awhile, but ever since Nanami... well, his emotions towards the older boy had significantly dropped. He touched his cheek where Euram slapped him, it stung a little, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

He let out a breath and headed to his room, planning on curling under his covers and falling asleep forever and hoping Euram didn't mention the kiss to anyone.