Number 6 becomes Patient 0 [Open/Mingle]

[be_seeing_you]

Who: Number 6 & OPEN
What: As explained in this OOC post Number 6 got the flu as a regain and he's in a sharing mood. This is 100% opt-in.
When: Starting March 6, thru the month of March
Where All over, indicated in starters
Warnings: Sickness, all things that having the flu entails. This is magic flu that is incurable but only lasts for exactly one week. Let's keep it light and not have anyone die, and also please do not have the flu spread into memories, keep it contained to the ship.

For everyone's convenience, feel free to use this post as a mingle. I'm going to turn off tracking so you can post your toplevels here as much as you desire. There's no posting time-limit.




Get comfy in your robe and have a cuppa tea. It's going to be a long week.

Comments

[prince_of_beasts]

'I'm grateful to have you in my life.' People don't say things like that to Dimitri. For every oath and promise and reassurance he's received it is so rare that anyone actually tells him they like having him around.

He giggles again (it's so rare that anyone can make him laugh), but then he sobers. (Shivers, as the cool air hits a pulse of his fever.)

"I wish I could believe that," he says. Glancing up, he amends, "This isn't just me being insecure, it's -- Daisy targeted Dedue because she realized I cared." He wilts at the remembered grief and guilt, tugging the comforter closer about his shoulders. "She wanted me scared, and angry, and stupid. And it worked."

[ossie_oswald]

Record-scratch.

Oh she's absolutely dead when Ossie finds her. Socially if not literally.

"Using someone's feelings against them like that is the single most cowardly act I could envision. It's certainly not your fault it worked on you- heavens knows it would have worked on me, old thing."

[prince_of_beasts]

"I know. I know, it was -- " Dimitri heaves a phlegmy sigh and rubs his face. He's still furious, and he doesn't want Ossie to not be furious, but his conscience won't rest unless he gives proper context. " -- I did confront her, afterwards. To make clear exactly what would happen if she ever," his voice drops briefly into a snarl, "threatened him again. She explained a little of ... she was bound to a sort of god that feeds on fear. She had resolved not to hunt in its service again, but that left her starving, and ... eventually she couldn't bear that hunger any longer. She is looking for a solution, which means something, I suppose. But I'll never forgive her."

Staring through the table. "It's ... it's not the first time being close to me has put him in danger." A bitter laugh. "Goddess, that's been all his life since we met. But it's the first time anyone came after him to get at me. With his pain, his suffering as an -- as an afterthought." Dimitri glances back up. " ... I think ... that's why I don't like that it worked. I wanted to hurt her for it, but -- I forgot to take care of him, too."

[ossie_oswald]

"I'd be checking your temperature if you did intend on forgiving her. Addlement is often a symptom of a high fever, wot."

Which he says mostly to give himself enough time to calm down and not start working out some way to bloody well wage war against the beazel. If it's settled, then it's settled, but he still doesn't have to like it.

"I'm sure that you won't make the same mistake again. Just the same as the rest of it. Oftentimes when we are thrust in fire, our invisible imperfections come to the surface. All we can do is reforge ourselves to do better next time."

[prince_of_beasts]

'Growth' is too gentle of a metaphor for Dimitri to accept. He can barely accept gentleness from others, let alone grant it to himself. Smithing, though -- he already sees himself as a blade.

He nods. "You have more f-faith in me than I do. But I h-hh -- hhh ... " The word breaks off into several consecutive sneezes. Ribs aching, eyes watering, Dimitri finishes weakly, " ... hope so. Um. I think that's a sign I should go back inside."

[ossie_oswald]

"You ought to, yes," Ossie stands from his seat and gestures to the back door, which creaks open merrily.

"You get yourself back in bed, I'll bring around some tea and I'll have Giles fix you up some soup later, if you're up to it. Anything else you need, just ask- hot water bottle, more blankets, more pillows, just give a shout- I'll be by in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

[prince_of_beasts]

"Soup would be lovely, thagk you." Dimitri gets to his feet unsteadily. His head still swims and there's felt lodged in his sinuses. "Th'nk you for e-everything."

He shuffles himself back up the stairs and into the guest room, where he crawls onto the bed and crumples into a shivering, occasionally-sneezing ball.

Despite all of that, he does feel better.