Chapter Five- ...And I Have Been Found Wanting

[thetrudger]

Filtered to Tamaki
You were a great Host King, my liege. I shall… I shall miss you dearly.

Filtered to Aziraphale
I don’t know what to say. It seems selfish to wish you hadn’t left, but I do.
… Live well, my angelic friend.

Filtered to Murphy MacManus
What the hell were you talking about? The doctors in the clinic said it was a loss.

Filtered to Gwaine and Cole
…I need help.

Filtered to Phoenix
Have a moment?

Filtered to Felix
Are you

[After all that, he tries to come up with an apology to all the people he might've hurt when he was sober. But he just can't admit that it was his fault.]

Comments

Phoenix 3/3

[thetrudger]

Phoenix??!!

Geoff

[takethat]

[ALL THE LAUGHING]

Hey, Geoff! It's me!

Phoenix

[thetrudger]

...Phoenix!

[He laughs happily along with him.] I can't... I can't believe...

It's really good to hear your voice at last. How did you...?

Geoff

[takethat]

It's kind of funny, really...

...I fell out a window, hit my head, stayed knocked out for a week, and when I woke up I could talk.

Phoenix

[thetrudger]

[There's a pause as Geoff rereads that sentence.]

You... you fell out a window??!! Are you all right?!

Geoff

[takethat]

Yeah, I'm probably better off than I was before I fell!

[As with most things, he's just taking it all in stride.]

How've you been? I haven't heard from you in a while!

Phoenix

[thetrudger]

I... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you.

Can we speak in person? I'd like to see you. My room is 2007 Terrere Tower, if you have the time.

Geoff

[takethat]

There wasn't much of me to be there for seeing as how I was in a coma and all...

[But now he's concerned.]

Sure, I'll be there soon.

[And, as soon as he figures out how to get up to said tower, he'll be there, knocking on the door.]

[thetrudger]

[Geoff just sits there and waits for Phoenix to come. When he hears the knocking, he opens the door with a smile. There's stubble on his face and he looks a bit grungy.]

Phoenix.

[He leaves the door open and hurries to a table in the corner, clearing it of empty bottles.]

Please, have a seat.

[takethat]

[The messy state of both the room and Geoff himself don't go unnoticed, but Phoenix doesn't immediately launch into asking about those specific details, either. Instead, he takes a seat, and looks around the room.]


...is everything okay, Geoff?

[thetrudger]

[He wishes up a glass of wine for Phoenix and set in front of him, then wishes one up for himself. He takes a large swig and sits with a sigh.]

It's... been a rough couple of weeks. I was on a loss, I've been horrible to my friends, I fail in the romance department, and two friends went home recently.

And now I'm laying all this shit on you, a man who fell out a window.

[He laughs bitterly and takes a sip of wine, waiting for Phoenix to speak.]

[takethat]

[Phoenix isn't going to complain about free wine; he takes a couple of gulps.]

Lay it on me. Really. I like helping, and I sure as heck have been completely failing at that lately.

[He looks at the wine and then shakes his head--nope, not going to get into that right now.]

I'm so sorry two of your friends have gone... god, that must be horrible.

[thetrudger]

[Geoff runs his fingers through his hair. He feels so guilty about laying this all on Phoenix that he feels like vomiting. All he does is complain. He never does anything about it. He bites his lip.]

They were Aziraphale the angel and Tamaki, the Host King. Did you know them?

[takethat]

I didn't know them, but I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet them. If they were friends of yours, they must've been good people.

[He picks at a spot on the table, idly.]

Been a rough past few weeks, huh?

[thetrudger]

[He smiles gratefully.] They were. Are.

Yes. The castle wouldn't let me get drunk. It sounds silly, but it really made me ill.

[takethat]

Wow, the castle did that to you? I guess it would be pretty awful to be forced sober like that... Wonder why it did that to you?

[thetrudger]

Well, I hadn't been on a loss yet. I suppose it wanted to hit me hard to make up for it.

I got in an argument with a friend. But he was being...ridiculous!

[Phoenix is such a good friend for listening to all of this. :')]

[takethat]

[Phoenix is your BRO, Geoff, he will listen always]

Ridiculous? ...well, you don't have to give me details, of course, but I admit I'm curious now.

[thetrudger]

I...well, he...

...Isn't a man allowed to complain when his alcohol is taken from him? What makes him so righteous? What gives him the right to go around and tell me I'm handling it wrong?

[He's afraid to tell Phoenix the exact details in case he agrees with Felix.]

[takethat]

Sure, I'd complain!

[He laughs, just a little.]

But maybe this guy was just worried about you. Who knows?

[thetrudger]

[He blinks. He hadn't considered that.]

I... I suppose that could be true.

Now, tell me. How did you fall out a window? Were you drunk?

[takethat]

...w-well, yes, as a matter of fact, I was drunk. I was drunk and leaning out the window, and this friend of mine tried to pull me back in but he tripped and sort of... succeeded in helping me fall out, instead.

[And that is how Edgeworth pushed me out the window.]

[thetrudger]

[A sigh.] I'll remember to drink with you in single-story taverns, then.