[ it's lucky that Nesso didn't get caged until towards the end; he doesn't spend too much time locked in Zara's room before the latter's sanity returns.
At which point, he's crushed by the the most soul-rending sense of despair he's ever felt.
All at once, Nesso will hear a loud gasp from outside the room - followed by a loud string of curses he's probably never heard Zara say before in a panicked voice he's never heard Zara use before. Footsteps sound heavy and desperate down the hallway, and there's sudden loud jangling as the chains on the door are yanked and pulled out of their locked positions with great aggression and heavy breaths. ]
Nesso--!! Nesso...! [ sounding anguished, he calls the poor man's name as he undoes all the barricades he'd set up as fast as he can, hands shaking, voice growing more pained as he goes, until finally, the last chain slides loose and the door is forced open.
Whatever Nesso's state is in there, Zara can't bear to look. Part of him wants to just run away, but he can't run away from this. He remembers doing it. Instead, he just slowly sinks to the ground until he's on his hands and knees, the tips of his ears grazing the floor. ] Nesso... I...
[Nesso is bored out of his mind. That's the worst of it. ...most of the worst of it. He's also a little sore from spending hours on end throwing himself against the door and alternately the window. He ah... he's a stubborn one. Didn't get him anywhere though.
But the sound of his name has him lifting his head and standing abruptly from where he'd been sprawled on the bed (staring at the ceiling and plotting his escape). That's Zara, but he sounds... different.
He hears the locks being undone frantically and then the door opens and he stares as Zara goes and winds up on his knees.] Zara...
[Nesso has at least put together that something weird was going on.] Are you back now?
[ At least Nesso doesn't look like he's been crying or emaciated or anything - the hours stretched themselves out so long in Zara's mind. That's the only good thing he can say. He can't bear to even meet Nesso's eyes like this.
He's ashamed of what he's done - but more than that, he feels guilty. Painfully, painfully guilty. It doesn't matter that he wasn't himself; he was Nesso's servant. His friend, even. Nesso's family had saved him from suffering, and Nesso himself had helped save him from himself. And now he's betrayed his trust entirely. What happened and why it happened, he doesn't know, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't change what he did.
Whatever Nesso does now, he deserves entirely. He's essentially disqualified himself as a servant; he could be expelled from the house, and no matter how painful that would be, he deserves it entirely. ]
... M-my sincerest apologies. I... I owe you everything, and yet... [ his voice quavers in a way that Nesso probably hasn't heard in a long time, if ever; he sinks even lower towards the floor. ] I wasn't myself... I can't ask you to forgive me, Nesso, but I swear, I would never...
[Not nearly that long, Zara. He's been annoyed and vaguely infuriated, but no worse for the wear anyway.
But Zara is wrong anyway. He's not Nesso's friend, he is family, and has been almost as far back as Nesso can remember.]
Forgiveness...
[Nesso echoes quietly, stepping closer to where Zara is still on the ground.] In a case like this, that's something you'll have to earn, isn't it?
[Stern voice! Except it cracks a moment later as Nesso smiles.] I think a good cup of tea ought to about do it. [He holds out a hand towards him.] Get up, Zara. I'm just glad you're back with us. [Because the way he'd been? Definitely not the Zara Nesso knows.] Whatever happened, it wasn't you. That's been obvious.
[ half of him is honestly hoping for harsh punishment; it would at least help clear some of his guilt. But that hope doesn't come true. The greater part of him knew it wouldn't. There's a reason he and Nesso were such good friends - he isn't the type of master who strictly ruled and punished his servants.
Still, it's difficult to accept. Shamefully, Zara lifts his head enough to meet his eyes, looking absolutely miserable. ]
... Are you certain? I... went directly against you.
[Nesso's not the type. Not when he knows full well that Zara wasn't himself, that it wasn't his doing even if he was the one doing... well. This place is confusing, but Nesso knows that by now too.
So he's still holding out a hand towards him, lifting an eyebrow.]
Zara. How long have we known each other? [So long now. Since they were kids!] Do you honestly think I wouldn't recognize when something was wrong? I admit I imagined shaking you pretty hard if I could manage to get out for a while there, but yes. I'm certain. Whatever happened, wrong was done you even more so than it was to me by whatever caused thsi. That is who I would hold responsible.
[ he laughs a dry, bitter little laugh under his breath, shaking his head. It feels like there's nothing worse he could have done as a servant, short of actually trying to attack Nesso, and yet he's being forgiven anyway. How did he get lucky enough to be picked up by these kind people?
Zara resolves to start thanking Nesso more often.
Taking his hand, he slowly gets to his feet, although he still looks deeply ashamed, ears drooping. ]
... I couldn't tell you what happened... I've felt strange ever since a few days ago, but...
[There. That's better. Nesso nods in approval, but oh no he's not getting off that easy. A tug of his hand and he pulls the other man into a brief but heartfelt hug. He's free; Zara's back in his right mind.
It's a pretty good day, all told.]
We've seen this place have strange effects on people before. So I doubt you were the only one affected. We should make sure that no one else we know is still under that influence. [Something like investigating, right?]
When it came over you, was it very sudden? Or did that strange feeling build up?
[ he's not one for tears, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit of emotion well up when Nesso pulled him in for a hug. For a moment, he's stiff and hesitant to return it, still feeling that he hasn't repented enough; it's not his decision to make, however, and he returns it soon enough, bumping his head against Nesso's shoulder with a defeated sigh. ]
You're probably right, [ Zara admits. He didn't see anyone else acting like himself, but then again, no one other than the people who lived in this apartment saw him acting strangely. Oh, and Break. ] It was... over time. At first, I was able to fight it off, but eventually, it overpowered me.
action / backdated to after the effects of the event wear off
Date: 2015-02-16 07:03 am (UTC)At which point, he's crushed by the the most soul-rending sense of despair he's ever felt.
All at once, Nesso will hear a loud gasp from outside the room - followed by a loud string of curses he's probably never heard Zara say before in a panicked voice he's never heard Zara use before. Footsteps sound heavy and desperate down the hallway, and there's sudden loud jangling as the chains on the door are yanked and pulled out of their locked positions with great aggression and heavy breaths. ]
Nesso--!! Nesso...! [ sounding anguished, he calls the poor man's name as he undoes all the barricades he'd set up as fast as he can, hands shaking, voice growing more pained as he goes, until finally, the last chain slides loose and the door is forced open.
Whatever Nesso's state is in there, Zara can't bear to look. Part of him wants to just run away, but he can't run away from this. He remembers doing it. Instead, he just slowly sinks to the ground until he's on his hands and knees, the tips of his ears grazing the floor. ] Nesso... I...
no subject
Date: 2015-02-17 04:25 am (UTC)But the sound of his name has him lifting his head and standing abruptly from where he'd been sprawled on the bed (staring at the ceiling and plotting his escape). That's Zara, but he sounds... different.
He hears the locks being undone frantically and then the door opens and he stares as Zara goes and winds up on his knees.] Zara...
[Nesso has at least put together that something weird was going on.] Are you back now?
no subject
Date: 2015-02-18 05:54 am (UTC)He's ashamed of what he's done - but more than that, he feels guilty. Painfully, painfully guilty. It doesn't matter that he wasn't himself; he was Nesso's servant. His friend, even. Nesso's family had saved him from suffering, and Nesso himself had helped save him from himself. And now he's betrayed his trust entirely. What happened and why it happened, he doesn't know, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't change what he did.
Whatever Nesso does now, he deserves entirely. He's essentially disqualified himself as a servant; he could be expelled from the house, and no matter how painful that would be, he deserves it entirely. ]
... M-my sincerest apologies. I... I owe you everything, and yet... [ his voice quavers in a way that Nesso probably hasn't heard in a long time, if ever; he sinks even lower towards the floor. ] I wasn't myself... I can't ask you to forgive me, Nesso, but I swear, I would never...
no subject
Date: 2015-02-19 04:04 am (UTC)But Zara is wrong anyway. He's not Nesso's friend, he is family, and has been almost as far back as Nesso can remember.]
Forgiveness...
[Nesso echoes quietly, stepping closer to where Zara is still on the ground.] In a case like this, that's something you'll have to earn, isn't it?
[Stern voice! Except it cracks a moment later as Nesso smiles.] I think a good cup of tea ought to about do it. [He holds out a hand towards him.] Get up, Zara. I'm just glad you're back with us. [Because the way he'd been? Definitely not the Zara Nesso knows.] Whatever happened, it wasn't you. That's been obvious.
no subject
Date: 2015-02-19 07:46 am (UTC)Still, it's difficult to accept. Shamefully, Zara lifts his head enough to meet his eyes, looking absolutely miserable. ]
... Are you certain? I... went directly against you.
no subject
Date: 2015-02-20 03:26 am (UTC)So he's still holding out a hand towards him, lifting an eyebrow.]
Zara. How long have we known each other? [So long now. Since they were kids!] Do you honestly think I wouldn't recognize when something was wrong? I admit I imagined shaking you pretty hard if I could manage to get out for a while there, but yes. I'm certain. Whatever happened, wrong was done you even more so than it was to me by whatever caused thsi. That is who I would hold responsible.
no subject
Date: 2015-02-21 02:33 am (UTC)[ he laughs a dry, bitter little laugh under his breath, shaking his head. It feels like there's nothing worse he could have done as a servant, short of actually trying to attack Nesso, and yet he's being forgiven anyway. How did he get lucky enough to be picked up by these kind people?
Zara resolves to start thanking Nesso more often.
Taking his hand, he slowly gets to his feet, although he still looks deeply ashamed, ears drooping. ]
... I couldn't tell you what happened... I've felt strange ever since a few days ago, but...
no subject
Date: 2015-02-21 02:43 am (UTC)It's a pretty good day, all told.]
We've seen this place have strange effects on people before. So I doubt you were the only one affected. We should make sure that no one else we know is still under that influence. [Something like investigating, right?]
When it came over you, was it very sudden? Or did that strange feeling build up?
no subject
Date: 2015-02-23 07:28 am (UTC)You're probably right, [ Zara admits. He didn't see anyone else acting like himself, but then again, no one other than the people who lived in this apartment saw him acting strangely. Oh, and Break. ] It was... over time. At first, I was able to fight it off, but eventually, it overpowered me.