On a flickering screen, an image of a lone pink haired man is reflected. There are bags under his azure eyes and only a slight flush on his cheeks puts a color on his paper pale face. Even so, his lips curve into a child-like grin as he looks at the camera installed above the screen and speaks with a high pitched voice.
"Ya, ya, ya! Is everyone alright? This is professor Ramuda on his v-log entry 6991!" He fakes a cough while looking at the papers on his tiny hands. "Starting with the report, it is 526 days since the snow started to cover our home star TDD-1210 and killed more than 98% of the inhabitants. Still the temperature continues to drop and the rest of our communications with the other survivors died down. Recently, ice started to form at B-block!" He makes a fake distressed face then dramatically puts the back of his hand on his forehead. "If the temperature drop remains constant, ice would reach our location, E-block, in less than a hundred days! That's bad news... really, really baaaaad news!!"
He throws the papers then slams his table as he moves closer to the camera. "Buuuuut no worries! I'm halfway done with our escape ship!!" Ramuda giggles despite having no glimmer in his eyes. "But if the temperature drop speeds up and evacuation will be almost impossible, I will have to make modifications with our bodies to withstand the cold."
He swipes his fingers in the air. As he does so, various graphs and charts appear on the screen. "As a Nimrodian, a cold blooded specie, I can only live for about 5 days without artificial heat. While my companion, Doctor Jakurai..." An image of a man with grey and lavender locks pops up next. "...A warm blooded Kamarian with extreme durability and adaptability can survive for more than 360 days however..." He stops speaking, pink hair quivering as he coughs. Purple blood flows from his pale lips which he immediately wipes away. "Jakurai is nearing the end of his life."
The last line and the blood left a bitter taste in his mouth so he grabs a jar of drops and then throws a purple colored one inside his mouth. "It's not sweet enough," he laughs. "Jakurai, you still suck at this." Even if he says that, he bites on the candy to finish it and returns his focus towards the camera.
"Either way, I have to save Jakurai and take him out of this place. It's literally a battle against cold and time and it makes my heart go bathump, bathump, heehee!" A knock on his room's door along with a base voice calling for him, interrupts Ramuda. He returns his childish grin on his face before waving his hands goodbye and clicking on a button to save his v-log.
As he stands, Ramuda ruffles his hair, paces around the room to intentionally take his time before opening his door. Jakurai stands there, with a gentle smile, his beloved coat on and a plate on his hand.
"Ramuda-kun, pardon me for interrupting your research but I recommend taking proper meals so you'll have more energy to work." Formal as ever, he steps inside the colorfully cluttered room. He sighs to drown down the desire to nag at Ramuda, making him look older than he really is.
"Eh? I am properly taking my meal. Look!" His childish grin on his lips, Ramuda raises the jar of sweets which makes the Doctor heave another sigh.
"That's not a meal, Ramuda-kun." He takes the jar away and puts the plate on Ramuda's empty hands. "Come on, have this instead. I specially prepared this to warm your body up." He raises his hand then, just as Ramuda expected, buries it on his hair. Fixing all of its tangled strands using his long fingers, Jakurai sends warmth no kind of meal can give Ramuda. "Your nutrition is my utmost priority so I would greatly appreciate your cooperation."
"Oh, okay, I got it. I got it." The petite man says as he guides the two of them into the sole table free from the devices the scientist tweaks to pass time. They sit side by side; Jakurai makes sure he leans on Ramuda for the purpose of sharing his body temperature with this small being.
"So, how's your health?" Ramuda asks, pretending to be nonchalant as he takes another bite of his meal.
"Not bad but not getting good either." Ramuda knows he lies. The increasing amount of lavender hair underneath the Doctor's ashen ones hints how sick he is right now. "How about you, Ramuda-kun? Are you feeling cold?"
"Nope." Now it's him who lies. The truth is he can feel the frozen icicles of blood scratching and straining his organs with every movement. "I feel veeeeery, very warm because Jakurai is here." He puts his plate on the table then wraps his arms on the elder man. "Jakurai is my heater after all!"
"Ramuda-kun, I am not a heater." Jakurai says but still humors him by putting his arms on Ramuda's shoulders. There's a happy twinkle in his eyes. More than the artificial heat, that sparkle is the only thing that keeps Ramuda's heart from totally freezing.
He'll absolutely, definitely, take Jakurai away from this place... towards Stella.
//
The first time Ramuda met Jakurai was in a lab accident. He was building a rocket ship that time when a miscalculation on his end caused the whole thing to explode. And of course, the injury he got was far worse than the rest of the team as his body is the most vulnerable, even sending him to the doors of afterlife. Being the only Doctor around in the whole building, it was Jakurai who revived him.
Ramuda thought it was gratitude at first. He kept bugging the good Doctor to hang out with him but Jakurai always declines him. But he never gave up. Giving up, succumbing to other people's will to be exact is something uncharacteristic of Ramuda. Through sheer persistence, okay, blackmailing, Jakurai finally agreed to go out with him.
But as they talked and talked, they mutually considered each other interesting -- Jakurai with wildness underneath his never ending sophistication and Ramuda with his deviousness underneath his childishness. Complementing each other the way no one, even them, imagined, they instantly became joined at the hip.
Even the storm of ice that killed their home was unable to separate the two. Nothing will.
Now that they're dealing with the aftermath of the storm, Ramuda works on building their escape ship out of the materials available in the facility where they took shelter while Jakurai focuses on their nutrition, providing them with meals that ensure their survival for as long as their supplies allow.
A smooth and perfectly round drop makes a clacking sound inside Ramuda's mouth syncs perfectly as his fingers glide over this crystalline keyboard. The candy's taste is still a little bit too bland for him yet he still compliments Jakurai for constantly improving the taste. Jakurai's specie only eats once a month so it's almost only Ramuda who needs food. He just asked the Doctor to make him candies for fun, which he never expected Jakurai would take seriously.
Still, he feels something is odd with these candies. Knowing how much of a nagger Jakurai becomes when it comes to his glucose intake, he should examine these on his free time. Perhaps the Doctor added something in these so he would survive longer.
The thought suddenly puts a heavy feeling inside his chest. His heart thumps violently with the thoughts running inside his mind.
As a scientist, illogical things like intuition are something unacceptable. He must move with calculated steps, act using his brain not his heart. Yet Ramuda is born with extreme perception thus most of his hunches are correct.
Ramuda immediately abandons his project. He places a sample of the candies inside a molecular scanner. Running his fingers on the keyboard on the same pace as his heartbeats, the results that appear on the screen forcibly squeeze it to an abrupt stop. Emotionless, he stands then runs towards the room his companion uses. He bangs on its metallic door until the Doctor opens it, letting him inside his room.
Scanning the surroundings, he notices the seemingly endless jars of sweets lined on the Doctor's shelves. He trembles. Just... how many candies is he planning to make?
"I thought it'll take at least a month before you piece together the facts." He must be expecting Ramuda to come here with this as his purpose. "I guess I am wrong again."
With the force he never expected he has, he yanks the Doctor's hair, pulling him down until their faces just a few centimeters apart. "Jakurai, you bastard!" Even facing Ramuda's rage, Jakurai just continues smiling. "How dare you use your own blood as a supplement for me?!"
It is a known fact that Kamarian blood has potent healing properties and when treated properly, can even revive someone from death. That's how exactly Jakurai saved Ramuda -- by giving him a drug that the genius Doctor made out of his own blood.
"How much... How much blood did you use on those candies?!" Ramuda asks, trembling with both anger and fear. Jakurai keeps his mouth shut, even avoiding Ramuda's eyes for he knows the Scientist will immediately figure the answer out. He yanks the elder's hair harder until he's looking at his shoes, with Ramuda freely seeing the roots of his lavender hair he repeatedly dyed to hide his actual remaining life span. "What the fuck, Jakurai!"
His grip loosens as his legs wobble and finally collapse on him. For every drop of blood, Kamarians lose a minute of their lives. With Jakurai's ashen hair turned completely purple, Ramuda knew Jakurai wouldn't even last for thirty days.
He feels the elder man's warmth embrace him. Soon, if he didn't do anything, this warmth will leave him. "Ramuda-kun, I'm so--"
"For what reason am I working my ass off without resting?" Ramuda cuts off Jakurai's speech. He tries to break out of his embrace yet he's too weak to shake him off. "It's so we can escape this place together. T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R, Jakurai!"
"I'm sorry."
"We're supposed to travel towards Stella..." Ramuda's voice goes down a pitch or two lower, drained from this farce.
"I'm sorry."
"...See the sky there filled with stars from another galaxy. Observe life outside our home." It continues to drop until it sounds too foreign for Jakurai's ears.
Ramuda is losing it. That's not what he wants for the prettiest and most twisted creature he met in his entire life, for his sole love. But all the Doctor could say is... "I'm sorry."
"We're gonna live and die there together." All of his hopes come crashing; all of his purpose vanishes. What is the point of continuing now? Without Jakurai he'll definitely...
"I'm really, really sorry. Please..."
"I will never forgive you." Ramuda finally says, devoid of emotion. "I hate you; despise you from the bottom of my heart."
//
The sound of metal hitting metal resounds together with the recorded video Ramuda kept playing. [Jakurai is nearing the end of his life.] Although set on the activity he's currently delving on, he knows that on the screen, a pink haired man gets a jar of drops then eats a purple colored one. [It's not sweet enough...] He hears a sweet laughter he never made again for the past days. [Jakurai, you still suck at this.] Ramuda finally takes his eyes towards the screen to see his image enjoying the sweet treat. Now knowing what was inside those candies, a sickening feeling wells up inside Ramuda's stomach as he watches the last v-log he made.
He never talked with Jakurai since that day. He never ate anything the Doctor prepares. Who knows what he put in there right?
Aside from the water he melted and purified, he digests nothing. There are times he's tempted to get from the jar of candies left inside his room but his incredible desire to fulfill his promise keeps him going.
He was disappointed that Jakurai would do such thing. He knows all of Ramuda's plans and agreed to take part in it... to go with him wherever their little ship take them. But now he decides to leave Ramuda behind? It's unfair; really unfair.
Ramuda covers his mouth with his hand while coughing; more blood with small frozen bits stains his palm. Good. If he loses this game and Jakurai dies, then he will die here as well.
[Either way, I have to save Jakurai and take him out of this place. It's literally a battle against cold and time and it makes my heart go bathump, bathump, heehee!] A knock along with Jakurai's voice plays next.
A nostalgic memory plays inside his mind. It is the time when he asked Jakurai if he wants to go with him. He knew that the Doctor never considered going anywhere yet when he proposed, he went along as if it is the answer he longs to have.
The desire to take Jakurai out of this place burns inside him. Dwelling on emotions is not a Nimrodian habit; he has to keep moving forward towards his goal.
After the video ends, Ramuda is forced to notice the lack of knock on his door. Jakurai always comes to bug him at this exact moment. Even if he continues to refuse the food, Jakurai still comes to convince him to eat.
The scientist then instantly knew something is wrong.
Running as fast as his nutrition-deprived body allows, he locates Jakurai. He's on the floor of his room, unconscious. Fear engulfs Ramuda as he approaches the seemingly dead Doctor. He lost the game. "Oi, Jakurai! D-don't die on me, shitty Doctor!"
He climbs on Jakurai's body then shakes him as violently as he could. "Open your damn eyes before I pluck them out!" He continues shaking until a feeble hand stops him. Jakurai's eyes flutter open, seeing the how Ramuda's get flooded with tears
"I thought Nimrodians cannot cry?" He jokes even if his voice gives away a hint that he will not last for long.
"I thought Doctors can treat anyone, why can't you heal yourself?" Ramuda desperately said despite his brains nagging him that what he said is too stupid and too hopeful. Both of them knew that there's nothing that can be done with Jakurai's lifespan.
"I beg your pardon but I cannot treat myself." Then there goes Jakurai telling him the obvious. "I'm sorry..."
"Enough, shh." Ramuda leans his forehead against Jakurai as he lies the elder man down. "Enough, I still won't forgive you. And there's no need for that 'coz if you die, I will die with you here as well."
"Ramuda-kun, please don't."
"I told you already, didn't I?!" He slams his hands on both sides of Jakurai's head then lifts himself up. "You're my one. There's no one I will love and hate in my entire life aside from you!"
They never used words to tell how much they love each other. They just knew and understood that they're for each other. Even in death, they will be together. How dare Jakurai leave him!
"I never intend to leave you. I will always be with you." Jakurai reaches out to Ramuda. The younger one expects him to pat his head but instead, his hand lands on the tips of his hair. Ramuda's eyes widens as its hair color is no longer pink, but a lighter shade of purple. A triumphant smile blossoms on the Doctor's pale lips. "I... already ingrained my heat in you, you will never feel cold again."
He knew Jakurai always hated anyone playing with the natural structure of one’s body. He condemns them of losing their identity as that specie but here he is, doing the same thing he considered as taboo. What a hypocrite.
"Remember what I told you before? About Stella?"
"Yeah..." Ramuda tries to smile even though his eyes continue to brim with tears. This is Jakurai's silent wish-- to talk like they used to, like the one they did in the past when their home is not freezing and not one of them dies. "But Jakurai, only dumb people believe in next lives. We should always do what we want... we only have the one we're living in now..." He weeps. Ramuda cannot grant him this wish; he cannot pretend he is not losing the one he loves. "Please don't do this to me. I don't want to part from you. I will hate you if you leave me!"
"Keep on hating me until your life ends then. So aside from your body, I can continue existing inside your heart and mind." Jakurai's hands cup Ramuda's face then bring it closer to his lips. He kisses him then whispers something in Ramuda's ear, making his tears flow like a river.
Tears fall until they all run dry, until all that remained of Jakurai is a single white stone flower, the only proof that the person he loved all his life existed. With all of his emotions except hatred vanished along with Jakurai, he takes the flower with him. Before heading out of the once warm room, he grabs a cherry colored candy with a stick attached inside it as a handle; he walks out of the room.
He still has a place to go and someone to meet.
//
"Ramuda, are those good?" The blue-haired ex-king asks Ramuda as he types into his keyboard. For the first time in like, four days (?), he takes his eyes off the screen seeing Dice (he says it's his real name) pointing towards the candy he calls lollipops for now.
"Ya!" He answers briefly; the candy clacks inside his mouth as he speaks. For the longest of time he's travelling with his new companions, this is the first time one of them asks about his candies.
"Can I have one?"
"Daisu!" Their Brunette Thief interjects. Once or twice, this interesting man named Gentaro (he says it's not his real name, not sure if he's telling the truth though) attempted to steal one of it but still unsuccessful until now. "Don't you know that if you eat this Nimrodian's candy, you'll turn into a monster?" Ramuda knows he's lying but not that far from the truth.
"W-WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Dice looks at Ramuda, horrified. "PLEASE DON'T EAT MEEEEEE!"
"If you're as sweet as my candies, why not?" Ramuda grins. Gentaro who is almost on the same wavelength as Ramuda mimics his grin. Two seemingly evil grins presented right in front of him, Dice shakes in fear then jumps to prostrate.
"I BEG YOUR PARDON BUT THIS HUMBLE SERVANT IS UNFIT FOR YOUR PALATE!"
"Daisu, it was just a joke," Gentaro snorts, a smile hiding behind his sleeve.
"A joke?" He looks at them like a newborn fawn. As he sees how Ramuda cracks into a loud laughter he finally believes Gentaro. "Phew! Man, I thought you're gonna eat me!" He puts his hand on Ramuda's head then gently ruffles his hair. The petite man somehow feels too warm for a Nimrodian.
His thoughts drift away from Ramuda's odd body temperature when he presents them some of his candies, a gesture that not only surprises Dice but Gentaro too. "I share these candies with everyone who pats my head, heehee!" Ramuda just confesses.
The two of them, although reluctantly, grabs one each-- green colored one for Gentaro and a blue colored one for Dice.
"Hmmn, it tastes extremely sweet, as expected for this scientist with a severe sweet tooth," Gentaro comments.
"But somehow it feels like it's making my stomach warm?" A secretive smile blossoms on Ramuda's lips with Dice's commentary.
"It tastes good and feels wonderful, ne?" He twists the strands of purplish hair around his index finger as his white stone flower brooch glows under the artificial light inside his ship. Gentaro stares at him in wonder as he never heard of a Nimrodian with ombre hair. "Just don't consume too much, someone I hate made those after all."
The two give confused looks but never pressed Ramuda to speak further. Such questions can wait until they reach Stella.