[voicemail]

[chokmahemperor]

Thi~s is Peony~ Leave your name and a message, and I'll get back to you A.S.A.P.. Maybe sooner for pretty girls~

Comments

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

Your Majesty?

Your Majesty--- if you're there, please pick up---

[Guy sounds out of breath, as if he's running while talking. Because, well, he is. He'll be on Peony's doorstep in only a couple minutes... and hopefully Peony will be there.]

[Voice]

[chokmahemperor]

Guy?

[Have a curious emperor.]

Hey, where's the fire?

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

[Oh thank Yulia you're not dead. D|]

If I knew, I'd tell you.

When did you last see Jade?

[Voice]

[chokmahemperor]

[Of course he's not dead, Guy. |D Why would he be dead? Although that? That first bit is a little concerning. And hooked into the second...]

He's been pretty to himself, lately, but the last time I saw the back of his head was probably a couple days ago.

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

[So Jade wasn't kidding, then. If he'd made that original call outside his apartment walls... He really didn't want Peony to know.

Stubborn old coot--]

Damn... he hasn't been home since then, I guess.

Listen, I'm going to be over there in just a sec. I know it's kind of sudden--

[Voice]

[chokmahemperor]

What's he done, now?

[He's pretty sure this all amounts to "Jade's in trouble" or "Jade's off doing something utterly stupid", and it started the day Jade left to go out for "a bit". Man, that guy...]

[Voice]

[relinquishing]

[There's a moment of hesitation. He promised Jade he wouldn't get the Emperor involved, but--]

I'm not sure. He asked a favor of me a couple days back, but he's been acting strangely since then. I assumed he was still with you.

Your Majesty, I'm pretty sure he's in trouble.

[Voice]

[chokmahemperor]

[There's what sounds like a sharp breath, but it's almost too soft to really be heard.]

What kind of strangely?

[Jade is always strange. But it's the mention of trouble that has him ask. Jade's obsessed to the point of doing himself harm before, and... Damnit.]

Tell me everything.

[Voice] sob, so weird to be doing these threads out of order

[relinquishing]

[Guy sighs heavily, but nods. He wasn't going to get anywhere without more information.

Sorry, Jade.]

A couple days ago, he apparently lost his glasses and came to talk to me about making a replacement. He didn't give me many details outside the bare minimum. I know he was on edge and distracted while we were speaking, but he seemed alright otherwise.

I tried to talk to him earlier today, and-- well, it's almost like he's not even the same person anymore. Everything he said was bizarre, like he wasn't entirely sure of where he was or what he was talking about. I tried to ask about you, and he got pretty aggressive. He wouldn't say where he was or answer much at all. That's why I called.

[Voice] it issss a little bit ahaha, oh well!

[chokmahemperor]

His glasses, huh?

[Explains things a lot, really.]

He wouldn't want to say much about that, so I'm not surprised. Jade isn't the type to confess to weakness. It usually takes a certain kind of reminder that he's only human. Haah...

[It's not evident, but Peony shakes his head on the other end of the line, sigh mixing with a low chuckle.]

Man, he's just got to make trouble everywhere he goes.

[He doesn't know what the lack of a limiter truly entails, but overload of any kind doesn't usually end well.]

I don't know what all I can do, unfortunately. Other than make suggestions how to handle him if you run into him, but I've never seen him like that.

[And that's why there's that hint of worry in his tone he tries to cover up.]

[Voice >> Action] Then Guy proceeds to not follow the Emperor's suggestions and get his butt kicked!

[relinquishing]

Anything at all would be a help. You know him a lot better than I do. Ahh, well... hold on--

[The feed clicks off with a start, and Peony will hear a knock on his door only moments later. Hi, have an out-of-breath count.]

[Voice >> Action] gdi guy! /also still out of order everything L-LOL;;;

[chokmahemperor]

[Peony chuckles, keeping the usual lightness to it as best he can. And then the feed cuts, cue the knock, and Peony's up and taking hasty steps to the door. Even then, composure's back in place when he opens it.]

Well that didn't take long.

[Action]

[relinquishing]

Hey, when I say I'm almost there, I usually mean it. [He manages a smirk.] I'm glad to see you're alright, though, Your Majesty.

Can I come in?

[Action]

[chokmahemperor]

[Peony grins at that. And there's something on the tip of his tongue he might say, but he hasn't forgotten the disparity in their origin times. Pity~]

I dunno, can you?

[He settles for that, instead, grin turning sly for a moment. Now really isn't the time for that, though, so immediately after that comes a small laugh and he beckons Guy in.]

Grab a seat wherever you want.

[The mess is, as it normally is, contained to Peony's room alone.]

[Action]

[relinquishing]

[He is doing so, gratefully! He plops into the nearest chair, taking a glance over at the disaster that is Peony's room with a raised eyebrow before turning his attention back to the Emperor himself.]

Sorry again for the suddenness of all this. So, did Jade ever talk to you about his fonic sight?

[Action]

[chokmahemperor]

[Heeey, that's his space, so it's alright~ It's not like anyone else needs to figure out how to navigate around it. Peony takes the seat roughly across from Guy, settling in with his cheek against his palm.]

Jade really needs to learn not to make other people clean up his messes~ But yeah, he told me about it.

[Action]

[relinquishing]

Did he ever tell you exactly what it did? [He leans forward, elbows on his knees.] I mean, I've seen the formula for how to regulate it, but Jade never explained the actual arte.

[Action]

[chokmahemperor]

[Peony chuckles.]

I'm the last person to talk to about the technicalities about those things. It mostly just lets him do a lot more, as far as I know.

[Action]

[relinquishing]

Hey, outside Jade himself, you're the only other person I have to ask. Can't blame me for trying.

[He shrugs, a hand rubbing at his neck.] I'm just worried what it might be doing to him unchecked like this. And, well, outside getting him his glasses? I'm not sure what else would help him.

[Action]

[chokmahemperor]

Guess that means getting him his glasses or a replacement, then.

[Bit of a no-brainer, there~ But he understands why it's brought up. He's a little antsy too, Guy, even if he's just fine at covering it up.]

[Action]

[relinquishing]

Well, thankfully, the replacement isn't the issue right now. I've got something that should work. It's just getting them to him that's become tricky. I'd assumed he was here, but--

[He obviously isn't. And Guy has no idea where the Colonel might have secluded himself otherwise.]

[Action]

[chokmahemperor]

I'm afraid I can't tell you where he is. But when you find him, if it comes to it, you're free to ask me for help.

[He'd make it so Guy has no choice in the matter, but there's this thing people have about royalty sticking their noses into anything remotely dangerous (and Jade can definitely be dangerous when he wants to be). Not like Peony hasn't wormed his way into those kinds of situations before, but there's also the fact that... if Jade's in trouble, Peony knows that putting himself in harm's way is the last thing Jade would want.

But if the situation calls for it, Jade'll just have to deal.]