exsilium | seven (voice) ♞ ❝i made it through the year and i did not even collapse.❞

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seven (voice) ♞ ❝i made it through the year and i did not even collapse.❞

[ a sneeze; acough, and a creak of a door. ]

Ugh.

I knew going out in the snow was bad news.

[ a quiet, affectionate cry echoes, animalistic in origin. Stellaluna's a bit worried about her human. 8( not like him to be so lethargic for a few days.

However, Riku's been spreading a bit of cheer--some of his presents might be a tad late, but they're delivered carefully. And random transports were given pies or torts, even if he doesn't know them. ]

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Now we just--

[ achoo! Groan, wobble, worried scree. ]

... have the New Year to worry about.

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[She gives him a dry grin.] Well don't strain that head of yours too much; you've already overclocked it. It's not that important.

I grew up in a big city further north, but we used to spend a couple weeks every summer in Alabama with mom's folks, and they'd always come visit for the winter holidays. Nana used to complain something awful about how cold Chicago got around Christmastime.

[A sidelong look and she reaches forward to grab that bottle, throwing back a swig. Drinking from a glass is for the birds, amirite? She kind of wants to ask Riku about those other worlds, but he looks pretty exhausted, so she refrains for now. Instead she just sort of clicks her tongue chidingly.]

What're you even doing out of bed, in such sad shape, anyway? Overdo it and you'll be sick even longer, cadet.

[ his answer is so simple and saccarhine that it'd be hard to believe if Riku's face was even remotely able to lie for him. Too much sincerity on those eyes for this to be a joke. ]

I had late Christmas gifts to deliver.

Chri-- You had gifts to deliver. [It's not even an incredulous question, it's just an incredulous echo.] For flak's sake, Riku, next time you decide on an impromptu paper-route holler at me and I'll let you borrow my cruiser or something.

[Seriously, rookie, being sick isn't going to do you any favors. You're gonna have training to make up! She gestures at him with the bottle then.]

Soon as you're not cooking your brains in that skull of yours I'm taking you coat shopping, kiddo.

[ Riku just wrinkles his nose in a smile, ever amused by her incredulous repetition. ]

Sure. Cruising on a cruiser sounds cool.

[ a beat; ]

Coat shopping, huh? I guess I could use another. My coat's getting thin. [ he looks up to the Organization coat hanging from a rack. ] It's... not for cold weather, anyway.

[She jerks her thumb toward the clunky backpack now resting beside the sofa.]

I'll give you a lesson sometime. Can you skateboard? It's not all that different--just hurts more when you fall off, 'cuz you're up in the air.

[She follows his gaze to the black coat, then gives him a dubious look.]

Kind'a fancy lookin', but yeah it doesn't look too insulated. What's the point of having a coat that doesn't keep you warm?

[Tamora doesn't really understand impracticality in most situations.]

I can skateboard. [ not that well. at the notion of falling in the air, he scratches Stellaluna's head with two fingers. ] As long as she's with me, I'll be fine.

[ the question, however, makes him sigh a little. ]

It's supposed to protect your heart from the Darkness when you go through corridors. You could end up in a lot of trouble if you don't protect yourself.

[Headtilt.] Wait, she's strong enough to fly with passengers? [She's not that big. Physics wat. She pauses, then takes another sip of the whiskey, just for good measure.] That's some bat. [Maybe it's in the purple gene or something.

[She chuckles helplessly at his answer then. He just sounds so... serious.]

Hadn't pegged you for someone scared of the dark, Riku.

Uh--well... no. [ awkwardly; ] She can sort of... hold on.

[ with her wiggling, he scratches her under her chin before prodding her stomach. she gives a sleepy little scree before hopping up to his chest, then shoulder. in a shock of light, she disappears--

and wings are on his back. remember these? he even leans a little forwards so they're blatantly obvious. ] If she's with me, I can fly.

[ a pause--another flash of light as Stellaluna appears again, his wings disappear. she yawns and crawls back under the covers, making Riku chuckle fondly. he lets her settle, looking up at Tamora when she teases. he turns bright red (redder than his fever), shoulders stiffening. he looks, for a moment, like a bristling cat, before he calms himself. ]

... right. This is another world thing. Uh--

Darkness isn't just the dark, like when you turn off a light. It's a power, too. [ he screws his eyes shut and aims at an empty box in the corner of the room--with a blue-violet burst of energy, it's turned to ash and smoke. ] It can destroy everything, even yourself.

[ light shrug. ] I'd know.

[Tamora stares at him a moment.] So... that night at the masq... [She points at the wings, then makes a bit of a face and throws back another swig of the whiskey. Yeah, definitely not buzzed enough to deal with purple bat fusion.

[Then she nearly jerks to her feet when Riku fires off a blast of--]

What in the holy huevos rancheros just happened? [The bottle of whiskey is on the table again and she is gawping at him. Riku, you are just full of surprises, and that's definitely something Tamora can appreciate, but not when you're running a fever young man.] Okay is that a normal thing you can do, or only when you're running a at a hundred-and-two degrees? Because if it's the former, then what in the name of caraway pumpernickel do you think you're doing firing off hocus pocus in your condition?

[Riku. Riku pls. She came here trying to help you recover, not make it worse with Demonstration Hour.]

[ as she tries to process that, Riku absently presses a hand against his forehead. man, he's still fire-hot, isn't he? he hates being sick. ]

It's normal--

And you thought Darkness was lights out. [ frown. ] It's more serious than that where I'm from.

It's fine.

[She gets to her feet then and folds her arms, giving him A Serious Look.]

Fine my rear end. You could'a just said 'I can fire darkness lasers from my fingertips' and I would have been happy to take a raincheck on the fireworks until you recovered, you lunkhead. [She points to his mug then.] Chug that toddy, cadet, [And then she points to the hallway.] and then get your posterior to bed, and you can tell me all about your crazy serious adventures in destroying yourself when you're less delirious, capisce?

[ he sinks into the sofa with a glowering look for a good minute.

good god, Riku, are you five? ~~yes.~~

but he mans up and starts properly drinking the concoction with no fuss. ]

[That's right, kiddo. Sergeant Not!Mom is on your case. She watches him a moment, then rounds the corner of the sofa and heads back to the kitchen to grab the cap from the counter, then returns to the table to close the bottle. She puts her hands on her hips then, but more just because that's... kind of how she stands than any attempt to look especially intimidating, and when he's finished the drink in the mug she points toward the hallway again.]

Don't expect me to tuck you in, kiddo, but I expect a full report on your status tomorrow when you wake up. And I don't want to hear about you waking up before tomorrow, are we clear?

[She's severe, but there's a hint of a smile on her face; really she's just not really sure what to do around sick people and so she just wants you to get well so things can go back to normal.]

I'll pencil you in for that cruiser lesson next week, and you can show off your finger-fireworks properly then, okay?

[ he looks over his shoulder to the hallway, getting up and taking his covers with him. Stellaluna pokes her head out of the back of the bundle, looking at Tamora blearily. he shuffles towards his room as she speaks, giving a nod, but turning when he's at the door of his room, listening to her. ]

Okay.

[ then, a salute, and a little grin. ]

Heard, ma'am.

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seven (voice) ♞ ❝i made it through the year and i did not even collapse.❞

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