ext_66872 ([identity profile] dreamer1789.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] kh_drabble2008-06-29 11:23 pm
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Non-Challenge

Written as part of a trade for [profile] nilmiel_chan    

Title: Unanticipated Results
Characters: Aleus, Ienzo
Genre: gen
Prompt: "adventures in solitude"
Word count:  472
A/N: Ok, I tried to get a feeling for these characters. I hope I didn’t mess up too bad. Uhm, the ‘adventure’ part might be lacking.
 
 
Aleus chose to join the only other person present in the lunchroom. With no more than a nod he sat down with his tray in front of him, waiting to see when Ienzo would break his concentration to speak with him. As it was, Aleus chose to dig into his sandwich because his partner’s feverishly scribbled calculations indicated that he would not stop to socialize anytime soon. That was fine with the other, who was content to just watch the youngest researcher on the team scribble with one hand, while the other kept stirring his now cool coffee in a rhythm that suggested he had completely forgotten that hand was still carrying out that action and worked on automatism.
 
Aleus glanced at the clock to check when he would have no choice but to break the other’s concentration, because Ienzo’s lunchtime would only last another 4’23’’. Before Ienzo joined the team, Aleus meals had been spent in solitude – because only their lunch break overlapped by a solid seven minutes.
 
Presently the still stirring spoon abandoned its rhythm as it clanged against the rim of the porcelain cup, calling Ienzo’s genius back to Radiant Garden from wherever intricate mathematical plane it had been on.
 
“How’s your experiment proceeding?” Aleus inquired politely in his deep baritone, which power could vibrate through porcelain, wood and glass. It might help to explain why the bulk of Aleus didn’t speak much. To do so, especially in the lab, filled with tubes, delicate breakable things and violate chemical substances would be most unwise.
 
Ienzo’s serious expression looked up from his scribbled paper, meeting Aleus’ inquiry with professional content. “It is going mainly as predicted. We haven’t met much resistance and might reach a breakthrough before midnight.”  
 
As they debated experiment XYA-13’s psychological resistance to the latest tests, – something that particularly intrigued Ienzo – the remaining 2’05’’ of their lunch were unexpectedly interrupted by a harassed looking Even – complete with nervous twitch in his right eye, a testament to the stress he experienced.
 
“You must come assist me at once,” he half ordered, half begged them without preamble. “Test-subject 000ψb has escaped.”
 
Aleus was on his feet at once, his companion not far behind. “How the heck did that happen? I thought you said every precaution had been taken.”
 
Even looked as if he’d swallowed something bitter indeed. “Apparently, it has other abilities we had not yet discovered. Now hurry up,” he shooed them as if they were naughty schoolboys, “Xehanort will have our hides if the project crosses Master Ansem’s path before we locate its position.”
 
With shared grimaces at that worst-possible scenario, Ienzo and Aleus had to postpone their personal experiments by at least one hour, forty one minutes and twenty-six seconds. That did not include the verbal lashing a usually unruffled first apprentice bestowed upon them all.  

 
A/N: Constructive criticism welcome. ^^