[ open ]

[finethanks]

who: Eichi & You! (Some closed prompts in here, too)
what: Catch-all for the AU event!
when: FORWARD DATED 6-14 through 6-24
where: Various places in the quarantine
warnings: Uhhh health talk that's about it

[The most difficult thing to deal with in regards to Eichi's ambition is probably his health. He's been feeling mostly good for the past month, taking it easy, so why was it that now that he wanted to really get things done, even taking a walk was making his chest ache? Each beat of his heart was throbbing, irregular, and something as simple as taking in oxygen was painful in a way that's hard to put to words.

Despite that, he's really determined to get to where he wants to be. He could be on any of the crowded streets of the city, stumbling a little too much if anyone bumps into his shoulder. This is an issue that goes on for days— he walks, his body strains, and a coughing fit turns into something worse.

You could run into him:
A. Literally fainting on you, sorry
B. Coughing up blood as he supports himself against the wall of some building
C. Looking paler than ever and asking for directions
D. He's not watching where he's going and runs into someone

He's a mess. Hopefully he doesn't get sick on anyone.]

(OOC: I just thought I'd throw up an open post too for anyone who wants new CR and didn't plot with me! If you can't work with this prompt, just hit me up and I'll write us something closed that works better.)

Comments

CLOSED TO VICTOR

[finethanks]

Do you have a license for something like this, Victor-kun?

[Of all the times to ask that, maybe the best isn't as he's climbing behind him and onto the moped. Still, it hits him now that there might be something that you need for driving one of these things around... right? He's not actually sure.

Well, the answer won't change his mind, either way. Victor is someone who has excellent control over his own body, so there's no real worry that he'll have any trouble with a moped. So, he settles in behind him easily, wrapping his arms around him and then peering around to see the front of it.]

This does seem the best way to find something to do, though. ♪

[enticeing]

( Victor laughs off the question and associated concern (if there'd really been any), getting a feel for the moped's controls. )

Not specifically!

( Besides, with how they end up here it's not like he probably doesn't have a license stashed away somewhere. That nice tired man had already announced things were off kilter for a reason related to the thing that brought them here and the thing from his world or whatever that'd been. Victor merely turns his head and flashes Eichi a grin. )

Is that discouraging?

( Giving on real time for him to respond, Victor goes. Surprisingly smooth as he kicks them off and joins the flow of traffic on the street, not too crowded in this part of town. Calling out loud enough to be heard, he asks: )

First interesting sight we see, we pull over!

( There. A travel plan. )

[finethanks]

Ah—

[Give him a second to process this, goodness! Instead, he has to squeeze Victor a little, leaning into his back rather than around him and staying safe where he is. He almost had a heart attack...]

So we're going to drive around aimlessly, then...? [Eichi is trying to speak up, but he can only get so loud with these lungs of his, so he might still be drowned out. Either way, he turns his head to the side to cautiously watch what they're passing. Plenty of people out and doing things...]

There are so many interesting things, though.

[enticeing]

( Victor, who might well opt to ignore him if he so decides, hums something noncommittal and signals for a left turn. There's a street stand set back on the sidewalk with a variety of whirligigs and bubbles floating around it, advertising something about being blown away. Fascinating stuff, and more than a bit juvenile.

Victor drives past, responding too late to really be polite. It's not intentional so much as a mark of his wide eyed distraction. )

Hey, do you like puppies?

( This is best asked when driving mopeds. Like right now. )

[finethanks]

[Honestly, Eichi doesn't mind being ignored in this particular case, and it's purely because his own mind is wandering too. He'd be very bothered if he actually noticed.

The question draws his attention and he blinks at the back of Victor's head.]

Puppies? Ah, well, they're quite cute, yes. Why do you ask?

CLOSED TO YUURI

[finethanks]

Yuuri-kun~.

[There's a knock knock knocking at his neighbor's door as Eichi tries to call for him. It may be hard to tell that he's any younger, since his appearance hasn't changed all that much, but adding a sudden honorific is like regressing a little, isn't it?]

Are you free? [He knows he's home because he can hear him moving around in there. His noises are always different from Victor's.]

[yokunaru]

[While hearing the honorific is a little strange, Yuuri doesn't think too much of it when he opens the door. For all he knows, Eichi could just be in a particular mood for it.]

I think I am. I just came back from the skating class. [Yuuri pushes his glasses up and smiles.] Ah, was there anything you wanted to do?

[finethanks]

I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you, so I was hoping we could sit down and chat.

[If he's just come from his skating class, too, then that gives the perfect chance to ask how his music has been doing for them. He'd given it to him, hadn't he? It should be in use by now.]

[yokunaru]

I have time. [Yuuri smiles and steps aside to let Eichi into the apartment.]

Come right in. I'll get the tea and rice cakes--unless you wanted to go somewhere else?

[finethanks]

No, right here should be just fine.

[He heads right in and to the usual place, having a seat and waiting for tea and rice cakes.]

You must have had quite a lot of time to meet new people here, Yuuri-kun. Have you run across anyone exceptionally interesting lately?

CLOSED TO GLADIOLUS

[finethanks]

And then I should... tap tap, like this...!

[Eichi has been out on this shared balcony for way too long. Though it's hard to tell from appearance that he's reverted to a younger age, he's been busy the entire time. No more knocking on the walls to talk with Gladio, no inviting him out to go anywhere. It was always shows, business, discussions, and practice.

Really, he's well aware that someone with his body and health shouldn't be physically practicing as much as he is. Someone like him should stick to watching videos, coming up with things in his mind and staying off of his feet as much as he can before the performance. But how can he try new things like that? This quarantine calls for a completely different style to garner interest, and he's not about to lose out to different types of entertainment.

But it's this determination that has him so pale and unsteady on his feet. He tries his move again, stepping forward, moving his arms, turning around— but the turn throws him off this time, and he falls a little to close to the balcony railing.]

Ah—!

[leatherdaddy]

Alright, you've had enough. [ Gladio's been watching, mostly listening with some distant amusement as a familiar background noise to flip pages to. He's been reading one of the books his little sister gave him, or trying to. In time, those heavy breaths give him cause for concern, and when he sees how long he's been at it? That's when he steps in.

It's a good thing too, because as soon as he staggers to the railing, Gladio's arm reaches out to seize the back of his shirt and hauls him away. Pulls him around to face him only to grasp his shoulders, peering into his face. Is he okay? ]

You've been at this for, hell - I don't know how long... [ Gladio gives him a little shake, just to make sure he understands the position he's in - an unspoken threat that he will drag him bodily into bed if he keeps this nonsense up. ] Oi, eyes on me.

[finethanks]

[Ugh, what is this manhandling. It pulls him to safety, but it also sends his stomach for a loop, and Eichi has to lean heavily against the grip on his shoulder as he coughs. And again, covering his mouth with a hand before he looks up with bleary eyes.]

Until I perfect this move, I won't have any hope of making a difference here. I would appreciate it if you could let go of me, Gladio-kun. I know you're strict and easily worried, but I have deadlines to meet and I'll get nowhere if I don't manage this.

[But he's coughing again.]

.....aggressively undresses i guess

[leatherdaddy]

Really?

[ Since when has he become so reckless with his own health? Did something happen? Whatever the reason, what rash ambitions Eichi's spouting strikes Gladio as off enough that he pushes a wrist against his forehead. Unfortunately, he's a human furnace and Eichi always seems to run a little under temperature even when he's worked up a sweat.

He's going to need a thermometer. ]

Alright, in you go. [ Said as if he's not nearly pushing-slash-carrying him into Eichi's apartment. Hopefully Noct isn't in, or he's going to... wake him up with all that racket or something. Actually, this is his royal sleepiness here so probably not. ]

Save perfecting your moves for when you've recovered.

gdsfjkgf GLADIO

[finethanks]

H-hey, what are you—

[He's being forced into his own apartment?! He struggles, too, but that does a whole lot of nothing. Besides that, he's coughing anyway. Gladio is useful to have around, but when he's like this, irritation almost outweighs it all. It's just like Keito...]

You don't understand, Gladio-kun. If I don't push myself, I won't excel. It's not that I want to work myself to exhaustion, but there are times when it's necessary to try until I can't anymore. I...

[Coughing fit, and this time he can't stay standing, so if Gladio isn't already holding him up he'll have to be now.]

tsumugi appears nonetheless

[exfine]

[ This situation is familiar. Way too familiar that it's practically a sick cosmic jokes at this point. Tsumugi was just ambling through the shopping district, looking for some new clothes to wear, when he suddenly sees Eichi from a distance, wobbling and about to collapse.

The image of their last performance as fine flashes through his mind, and Tsumugi quickly rushes to Eichi's rescue, catching the sickly boy in his arms before he hits the ground. This is bad. Real bad. ]

Eichi-kun! [ Oh no. Oh nonononono, why now, he literally just got here a few days ago -- ] Eichi-kun, are you all right? [ Such an obvious question, but he wants to hear it from him as he presses the back of his hand at Eichi's forehead and neck, checking his temperature. So deathly cold... ]

HE!!!!!!

[finethanks]

[He's caught, thankfully, and his weight slumps completely against Tsumugi for a solid few seconds before he comes to again. Blinking blearily at the blue color of the one holding him, it takes him a minute before realizing just who it is.]

Tsumugi...?

[What on earth is he doing in a place like this, so conveniently? Well, he won't criticize it. It's thanks to him that he didn't end up hitting the concrete. A head injury sustained from something like that would be too much to deal with, right now.

He's so cold and pale that he might be proclaimed dead if it weren't for that struggling heartbeat of his still going. One of his hands moves to grip Tsumugi's arm to steady himself, and he tries to stand more completely, bringing his free hand immediately to his forehead.]

No matter where I go, you're always there offering me help like this. Thank you.

him :(

[exfine]

[ It's just like after that one confrontation with Rei, when the vampire had walked off after giving Eichi a stern talking about him losing potential friends during the war. And Tsumugi is here to prove him wrong -- he's still Eichi's friend even after everything, and even if they aren't, he can't just leave Eichi to die like this.

He may not be the strength for it, but he may as well damn try. He shifts his hand around and hoists Eichi up in a bridal carry, head turning left to right to find the nearest hospital or something. ]

Do you want to go to the hospital? I can take you there. [ Just going to ask first before doing anything rash. ]

[finethanks]

[This catches him completely off guard. Gravity leaves him and he's convinced he's falling again until he realizes that no, Tsumugi's arms are firmly around him. He's being carried. One of his hands rests against Tsumugi's chest in shocked reaction to this, the other one curled close to his own. This hurts his pride a little, but he's too sick to argue it.

Which brings him to that question... The hospital. Just thinking about it makes him want to decline, but as that thought runs through his mind a cough shakes his body and he leans his head against Tsumugi's shoulder, eyes closed.]

I'd like to avoid it, if possible, but I'm not sure if I can. [He coughs again.] Perhaps if you could carry me somewhere to rest for a while, I can see if it gets any better. Surely with a Bluebird of Happiness at my side, I'll recover quickly...

[He's trying to make light of it, but he's also in the past here.]

[exfine]

[ It's been a while since he's heard that title from Eichi himself, so Tsumugi's slowly taken aback but he still has a good grip on Eichi so as not to drop him like that. It hurts, seeing him curled up against him like a child, but Tsumugi will do his best this time around. History won't repeat itself this time around.

He finds a bench just a couple steps away and half-runs to it, propping Eichi up on it while letting him lean on his shoulder for now. His mind is racing, figuring out ways how to make him feel just a teeny bit better without imprisoning him in a hospital yet again. ]

I could get you some water if you want? Or maybe your medication? Did they ever give you some when you first ended up here?

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar's wheeling down the street when he sees the teen right around his own age coming towards him take a stumbling step and then another. Then he just completely faints dead away. Fortunately, Ivar's reflexes are fast and he's pretty damn strong from pulling himself around using only his arms his entire life, so he manages to catch Eichi before he can hit the ground.]

Shit!

[Then Ivar's left there holding his limp form. Should he call for help? Hope he wakes up on his own? At least he's still breathing, so he knows he didn't just drop dead. He shakes Eichi's prone form gently, hoping that might revive him.]

Come on. Wake up.

[finethanks]

[After the gentle shake, there's a small noise of confusion or protest from Eichi. It takes a moment longer for him to regain enough strength to move, but then his brows furrow slightly and he blinks blearily up at the stranger who caught him.]

What...? [It's going to take him a moment to come to.]

[ragnarsson]

[Alright, that seems to have done the trick. He keeps a hold of Eichi, supporting him against the side of his wheelchair in case he passes back out again. Just how does he get himself into these kind of situations?]

Want me to get a doctor?

[Normally, he wouldn't really give a fuck, but with the butterfly effect in place and his memories of his childhood a lot more stable, he's at least able to fake empathy a lot better, if not actually fully feel it

[finethanks]

No— no...

[Eichi is very quick to answer that, placing a hand to his own chest and the other to the arm of Ivar's wheelchair so he can push himself more upright. He still wobbles and sways, and he's pale as paper, but he's determined.]

I'm fine. I'm sorry. Falling on someone in the middle of the walkway like this... How embarrassing. It's just that my health is acting up a bit, but it should recover in no time. [Ummm, he thinks.]

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar looks Eichi over doubtfully as he pulls himself back up. A stiff wind looks like it might knock him right back over. Ivar would leave him to his own devices, but what if he falls again with no one to catch him this time?]

You know, if someone's health was that bad back home, I'd say that person might be dying.

[Not to put too fine of a dramatic point on it.]