[ Persistent. That's what Theo thinks. Soft knocking. An even softer voice. There's that internal debate of whether or not the Viera should get up. If he allows for the Exarch to enter, there's such a high chance that Theo will do something he'll be embarrassed about earlier. Just the presence of another person being so close would probably be enough to just... Making logical thinking hard and more biological instinct to take hold.
This is so not a thing that is discussed. Not with anyone outside of their villages. Ever. So someone seeing him like this. Theo doesn't like it at all. And yet someone is right there too.
Maybe it will be all right if he just. Stays under this blanket. ]
Very well.
[ His voice probably sounds a little off - more like it had once upon a time rather than the Eorzean accent he has adopted over the years. There's a sigh as Theo pushes himself up and slowly makes his way out of bed and to the door. His steps are heavy and slow. And when he gets to the door there's a pauses as he presses his head against the coolness of it. Just for a moment.
Theo then unlocks the door, the sound too loud in his ears. He doesn't open it, rather the red mage turns around and goes to return to his bed. The Viera hopes that the sound of the door itself will be enough of an indicator that the Exarch is permitted to enter. ]
[ He hears the lock clicking out of place and waits for the door to open, but it never does. Waiting is all he's done for a long, long time. He's good at it. And he lasts a good minute or so before worry overtakes patience. ]
Please excuse me-
[ And he enters. He closes the door behind him carefully, soundlessly to any but a viera or duskwight. Sets his basket on the table. Sniffs at the air - it smells like Theo, this room. But off somehow. And without the smell, he'd almost think that the room's owner was not here at all. ]
My friend? [ Oh. In the bed. He sighs, going to the sink. He knows full well, of course, where everything is. He had a hundred years to see to it that everything that might be needed would be here.
He tilts the kettle to one side as he fills it, so that the water runs down the side rather than falling into it with a splash. Like he knows that he ought to be quiet. Like he's spent a long time perfecting the art of performing daily tasks as quietly as possible. ]
You've taken ill, then. [ Let it just be a passing illness. Please let it just be a passing illness and not the light clawing him open from the inside. ] Apologies. Desperation forced my hand, but 'twas thoughtless to set you to such constant work since your arrival.
[ Theo only seems to curl into himself more. One of the pillows might be missing from the top of the bed. It's being used to hold onto and bury his face into. Of course it doesn't matter how silently the other moves about the room, the Viera can hear it. He can hear it as readily as his own racing heart and feel the growing awareness that someone is in here with him.
Perhaps it would have been safer to have the lock on the outside rather than the inside. To keep him from people, of course.
He licks his lips, finding that he is feeling a bit dry. Though what bothers the mage even more at this point is that apparently his friend over by the sink is blaming himself for Theo's current state. ]
This? It isn't your doing at all.
[ Gripping that pillow a bit tighter. He can do this. It will pass. It must because the alternative would mean giving in and Theo can't do that. To do so would also mean that there's a chance that it could expose the Exarch in a way that the man himself does not want. ]
I'll likely be able to resume by the end of the week.
I am, of course, grateful. But in truth I am less concerned with when you will be able to resume your work. More concerned with when you will be well.
[ The sounds are tiny, inaudible even to the exarch himself, but they're there. The bell-like sound of water moving in the kettle. The smallest pulse of aether as his hands heat it. The bubbles forming as it boils.
He could send him to spagyrics, of course. But if it is the light, that would do far more harm than good. They can't afford the panic an instance of light poisoning would cause, and he cannot explain to the city's people why they might not use the only known way to avert a turning in this instance.
Staying here and praying that it isn't something terrible is, it seems, the best option.
The sound of hot water singing against the surface of a cup, and the smell of cloves and cinnamon and honey starts to spread through the room. ]
I have seen enough of your friends to know that the former will come before the latter.
[ Theo doesn't respond to that comment, though it does bring a rather sad smile to his lips. There are a lot of people pushing him at the moment. They have been for a while. The Viera can't really remember the last time he has fully been able to rest. Everything just seems to important. That's why this couldn't have occurred at a more inopportune time. Even after his body readjusts itself, it will take another day or two to recover from the exhaustion and exertion. ]
Perhaps...
[ Not that he has much of a choice at the moment. There is a thought in his mind that if a moment presents itself where he feels well, there could be an attempt to leave. A short teleport shouldn't cause him too many issues. Theo just doesn't dare try it at the moment.
The scent of cinnamon is what actually hits him first. His ears perk forward - which likely looks like the lump of blankets are moving to the man across the room - and he knows the wrongness of it. Those are used to warm the body. Not cool it. ]
I'd... Suggest something other than cinnamon. [ At least he can still speak, even if his speech is dull and slowed. ] Mint. Lavender. Lemon balm.
[ Those have an effect that cool down the body rather than warm it up. ]
[ Ah, yes. There he is. The Warrior of Blankets. ]
You're certain? For a fever-
[ And this is a fever, surely. Why else would he be under so may layers of blankets despite the smell of sweat? Especially if he feels the need to be cooler?
Oh.
He knows a little of this. Not nearly enough to be much use, but enough to know what to keep Spagyrics stocked with, to understand that being outside of the greatwood means these matters can be unpredictable to the viis of the Crystarium. That if possible they should be kept apart - else together from start to end in groups of two, should they wish it - when it does strike one of them. Enough to know that it was best he ask a few trusted viis to attend to Lyna's education in the matter. But the viis of the crystarium are women to the last. And as close as they keep information to their chests, he had been led to assume that it was only the women struck by the condition.
He doesn't quite know how to ask, and it would be rude to assume, but-
There's a rustling as he looks for something in his basket. Dried pixie apple. ]
[ Warrior of Blankets and Burrowing is what he is.
Some things are just not to be discussed to others. That is their way. Theo had found it oddly comforting that, despite so many differences, there are things that are the same from Source to Shard and vice versa. The Viis and their reluctance to share of themselves to those that are not also Viis happens to be one of them. So no, he would not expect others to understand what it is that is going on.
Though this Exarch even if Theo is fully aware of who it is under that hood seems to piece something together. Cutting himself off like that can only mean he's thought of something or has figured something out. At least he's polite enough not to say which it is. But does that make it easier or more difficult? Theo can't decide.
What he does catch, then, is that the other says "the cinnamon can be mine," which implies that he intends to stay? Augh. How thrilling and aggravating all the same. It's enough for Theo to turn in his bed, hoping that his back facing the Exarch will make it less... Tempting. ]
I... Am not much for company.
[ Actually, it is just the opposite. Theo absolutely craves it. ]
[ The blankets move. Which means that Theo is moving beneath them, though he can't tell much more. ]
Not even at the best of times, really.
[ It's fond. Fond and something of an odd thing to say about someone one has met not long ago, as most would find 'wow you're not good with people huh' to be a thinly veiled insult. It probably is somewhat invasive to stay, if the few things he has come to understand about the phenomenon are true and true across shard and source. But the tea is poured, now. And he is worried. ]
I won't stay long. Just until my tea is finished. And you need not speak, if it troubles you to. I would simply be certain that you are well.
[ Footsteps approaching. The soft noise of a cup being placed down carefully next to the bed. The footsteps move away, then the crumpling of fabric as he sits down at the table, blowing on his own tea. ]
The viis have never been forthcoming about the particulars of their kind, and never have I had reason to ask them to be so long as they are able to receive what they need from spagyrics. [ He shouldn't presume, but it's fine so long as he's vague. Right? Right? ] If this concerns- one of those particulars, they may be able to help you. They have the plants on hand to prepare traditional viis remedies. Though the Crystarium has never sheltered one of the menfolk of your kind before, so I do not know know effective they would be for you.
[ It is entirely invasive to stay, especially since Theo's more or less implied that it's better if he's left alone at the moment. Though he doesn't take the statement as insult. It... Is more or less true.
Besides. His focus is entirely on not reaching out to snatch up the wrist that is setting the tea down at the bedside table. All of Theo's willpower goes into it, enough that his fingers and ears twitch. Curse him for him close. For a moment, the Viera bites at the pillow, keeping himself in check. He only seems to relax when the Exarch has taken a seat, but even that is... Questionable. "Relax" perhaps isn't the best of terms for it. Less tense, maybe. ]
I've never tried.
[ Since he's always just dealt with it on his own after he had left. Not once has Theo bothered to share in these moments with another. He has no idea if it will hurt or help.
Still! That's really the only answer that the Exarch will receive. Theo knows that he really shouldn't do what he is about to but the allure of something to cool his blood is too great. Thus he shifts, pushing the blankets off of him. Now there should be no question of whether or not the room is about to smell of Theo There's no way to drink the tea under the blankets and keep things neat, so he's little choice.
Gone are the usual feathers and braiding in his hair and the Viera definitely looks ruffled. Unkempt. Tired. Additionally shirtless, but that should be expected. He's only reaching out for the tea and to partake of it. Anything to not feel that burning. ]
[ Ah. That certainly is a smell. It isn't bad so much as it is just very, very noticeable. He tries to be subtle about holding his cup under his nose while he inhales for a few breaths, to make the transition a little easier. ]
From a prison of cotton and wool, the great hero emerges.
[ He chuckles, sipping at his tea. Despite everything, it still feels correct to be here. Still feels right to be talking in the shadow of the tower, to be saying some nonsense to a Theo who isn't really in the mood to hear it. ]
You're certain that you don't want company? This all seems particularly miserable.
[ There's an ear twitch at the comment and a small frown pulls at Theo's lips. Ah yes. Telltale sign of irritation. The teasing... Oh how he had almost forgotten that the one across the room does so love to tease. That there had been a time where delight might have received from getting under the Viera's skin.
Too bad that might be desired by said Viera. In a different sense, of course. ]
The world is too loud.
[ Theo comments, huffing. Without that "prison of cotton and wool" everything is assaulting his ears again. He grunts, ears unable to stop their twitching at every little sound.
As does his fingers as he almost takes hold of the cup - the Exarch questioning the need for company. ]
I'd rather be miserable than a burden.
[ Because being clingy and a literal furnace is definitely a burden to some. He finally picks up his cup and huddles as far back on the bed as he can, blowing before taking a sip. ]
[ He says it softer than anything so far, setting down his cup. ]
My friend. I have asked you to fight terrible battles. Asked you to fight and bleed and risk life and loss that people with whom you do not share a star might live joyfully. I have asked you to pull two worlds from the jaws of damnation.
There is very little you could ask of me that might be burdunsome. There is very little at all that I would not do and do gladly, were it for you.
[ He sits there upon the bed, slowly taking sips of the tea. The initial heat from it steeping makes Theo uncomfortable. However the coolness of the mint itself is. Somewhat a relief. It will not last long but... At least it's there. Cool and crisp. ]
You have not asked anything of me that I've not already done. Not because it has been asked of me, but because I desire to do so.
[ Though no one should make such confessions. The Viera really has no willpower to deny or fight off the need for another's presence next to his own when statements like that are made. ]
You do not realize what it is you ask. I am mostly in control of my decision making processes. Making any offers will ensure you do not leave this room for at least several days. Minimum.
You may do this of your own will, but I have asked it of you nonetheless.
[ The sound of fur scratching against cloth. His ears are trying to shift against the his hood, even if the material of it is too thick for the movement to show from the outside. He wants to help. He wasn't lying when he said that there is close to nothing he would not do if it saw the Warrior safer and more comfortable.
He knows how all of this will end. And he has no desire to be mourned when it does. Every little thing he does now will make it more difficult then. Will make the betrayal cut deeper.
But he is weak, faced with Theo's distress. ]
I will finish my tea, then. And see to it that I am not needed for anything for a few days. [ That will make some people happy. The gods know Lyna has been suggesting, increasingly sternly, that he set aside his work for a few days for about the last year. ] And I shall make offers upon my return.
[ He knew a mystel boy once, a G'raha Tia. He would have never been so bold as this. ]
[ Theo, of course, has no clue what the Exarch's designs are. Hasn't the faintest idea why the Miqo'te would hide under all of those robes. Though the Viera has never pressed for answers either. As much as he'd like to have all of those answers, he understands that they are not his to give.
He's staring into his cup, thinking that his words have put the matter to rest. After all, who truly wants to be holed up in a room with an overly affectionate Viera for a couple of days? Aggressively affectionate at that. Though neither has come right out and said what is going on with Theo, it's clear that even the Exarch knows something of the nature of what ails him.
But then the other says something unexpected. Something that implies he will be staying. It's enough for Theo to look up and his ears perk up and forward. No, G'raha would never have been this bold, but apparently the Exarch is.
It makes Theo drop his head again, releasing a breathless laugh. ]
How unfair. I've not the willpower to turn you away.
I have found myself described as a villain of late. It seems only right that I act the part, does it not?
[ He drinks his tea slowly, thoughtfully, trying not to be too obvious about watching Theo as he tries to figure out what might be done to help him. More mint for tea. Earplugs, perhaps, as a last resort. Aloe, perhaps, to cool the skin. Or thin layers of cloth, dampened and frozen.
Eventually, he places the cup down. ]
I shan't be offended if you dismiss me, when I return. But I would ask you to do so only if you wish to. Put aside any notions of burdening me. Because in truth, I have never felt lighter than I have since your arrival
That description must only come from yourself. The entirety of the Crystarium does naught but sing your praise.
[ So says the Viera between sips of tea. The Exarch is hardly a villain and he'd be hard pressed to convince anyone of this. Poor thing has set himself up to fail on that account.
Fingers squeeze around the cup a bit tighter all the same. His "wishes" and "wants" are kind of all jumbled up right now. Therein lies the problem. Theo has been through this before - both with "company" and without. The instinctual drive and desires he is familiar with. They are nothing new. However they have never quite so aligned with his personal ones before. It isn't just what Theo is experiencing that craves the Exarch's company - it is also Theo himself and that is what is throwing him off. This is what is making it difficult for the Viera to maintain his usual status quo.
And now that the other has said he's willing to stay? There's no possible way that Theo can let go of the idea. ]
I suppose we'll see if you return. [ Slight hope that maybe the other will be preoccupied? ] Though Lyna might have suggested that you seem. Happier.
From our friends in Eulmore. They were all too clear about it, during my visit.
[ Or his glamour's visit, to be more truthful.
He speaks as he takes things out of his basket - not everything, because he'd packed it with things to bring to someone experiencing a chill, and the truth is the opposite, but some. Bags of biscuits, of dried apples and pixieberries for tea. The rest he'll put away before he returns, bring things better suited to the problem. ]
I thought I had been a little more subtle than that. [ He's by the door as he says it, pausing there to speak before he leaves. ] But then, if anyone would have taken note of it, it would have been she.
I would not take to heart what it is that they say.
[ Theo watches the other move about the room. Take things out of the basket and set them aside. It seems as though he is weighing what to keep here and what to take back with him. He wonders if the Exarch is overthinking things just a touch.
There's a click from cup meeting table that makes Theo wince. It's from none other than himself as he sets the now empty thing down and start to buckle down into the blankets once more. ]
'Tis not just she.
[ It had been quite the talk of the city in general. People have noticed. People have questions. However they respect their leader too much to inquire.
Right now though, Theo thinks that he can make due. He can already feel his body temperature lowering, if only temporary. Perhaps he can find some rest in the moments before the effects wear off. Either way, he will not be moving from this spot. ]
[ Of course he's overthinking things. It's what he does. ]
…significantly less subtle than I thought I had been, then.
[ He'll have to watch himself to keep gossip under control, he thinks, as he considers what will need to be seen to so that he can lock himself in a room with Theo for a few days. A thing that is entirely compatible with watching himself to avoid gossip. ]
I shall be back once I know if I can be spared for a few days. If I can, then I am at your disposal, entirely.
[ He closes the door behind him as softly as he can, and for a few bells Theo has peace. Slightly more peace than before, in fact. There's little that can be done about the constant assault of incidental sounds, but people seem to be avoiding walking the hallway outside his room unless they have to, and when they do they're quick and quiet about it.
In the absence of an unforeseen emergency, he can be spared for a few days. The people of the Crystarium govern themselves more often than not, he'd done all he could to make sure that outside of the task of operating the tower, he would never truly be needed. It was always meant to outlive him, after all. Most of its people are only too glad to see him taking a few days away from his work. Nobody brings up the suspiciously-timed absence of the latest guest.
He spends entirely too long paralysed by the question of whether or not to bring oil. Presumptuous. Wrong. It makes him feel as if he's hoping for-
-he it not hoping for Theo to be in such distress that he will have any use at all for a crystal-ruined body. He is hoping that this will be nothing more than continuing to sit for tea, waiting out the condition, giving what support he can. Which does not mean he is not thinking about Theo having use for a crystal-ruined body. But he has thought about a lot of ridiculous things.
(Oil. But tucked into a corner of the basket, covered by other things.)
His footsteps are so careful and the knock on the door so soft that Theo can probably hear his heartbeat more clearly than either, drumming in his chest as it is. ]
[ The Exarch can say that he is going to be more careful, that he will watch what he says and how he will present himself, yes. However will he be able to really keep that up? Will he be able to contain himself?
In the moments after the other departs, Theo does notice the difference. It is a fair bit quieter than it had been and he's not so far gone to not be able to put two and two together. The Viera is finally able to poke his head out of the blankets, even if he is holding onto that pillow rather tightly. He's able to find rest for a bell or so, but not much longer than that. Theo will wake to find that he's kicked off the blanket entirely, body temperature rising once more.
The Viera moves to the table, slowly as if on a cloud. There's always been food left here. Various fruits and the like. Theo is likely going to need something more substantial than that with heat burning away calories. Though for now it will do, Theo taking a moment to pick up something from the bowl and eating it. Yet he does pick up remnants of the Exarch's scent. And he hates his heightened senses for it. Especially when it takes him to the sink. Just lingering in the spaces that the Exarch had.
At least until he breaks himself away long enough to draw himself a glass of water. And that's when his ears twitch at the sound of the door. When he can hear that heartbeat. ]
As it happens, I am all but entirely replicable. Half the city would rather I leave my post a few days. [ A chuckle. ] I shall try not to be too insulted by that.
[ He isn't insulted. He knows that they worry, good people all of them. That they're overjoyed he's spending time away from his work. That, no doubt, any gossip that's spreading about his newfound lightness of heart comes from a place of wanting him to be happy. They're kinder than he deserves, every last one of them.
He sets his basket down again, taking a facecloth from it. He soaks it in the sink, then wrings it out as best he can. Then, a simple ice spell. ]
So in the absence of some terrible disaster- [ Smiling, he holds the frozen cloth out to Theo. ] -I am yours.
[ Theo, of course, does not leave the sink. Rather he continues to drink from his glass of water as the Exarch moves about the room. He's unpacking some things from the basket - a full one, Theo notes - and the Viera wonders if there's enough to weather the next couple of days. The red mage is about to pour another for himself, his throat ridiculously dry, when the other man sees fit to enter his personal space. Theo can only stare, a bit transfixed on mismatched hands working the washcloth and then applying a bit of magic to it.
Now the impulse hits a bit hard and Theo a bit too tired to fight it off when the Exarch has made his stance on the matter perfectly clear. The Exarch is not going anywhere. So instead of just outright accepting the cloth, Theo drops his head upon that covered shoulder. This is actually better... ]
What terrible phrasing. Let's hope that you haven't made some horrible miscalculation here.
[ Terrible phrasing, Theo calls it, and he chooses not to comment. Not to say that no, the phrasing is perfectly accurate. It's the truth of the sentiment that's the problem. ]
Believe me, some days I do nothing but hope that I haven't made a terrible miscalculation. [ His voice drops to almost nothing, so quiet that it isn't really a voice, only breath shaped into words. ] But this? This I am certain of.
[ With his spoken hand, he lifts Theo's hair slightly. So that he can press the cold cloth to the back of his neck. If nothing else, bringing his body temperature down seems important for keeping him comfortable. ]
[ Terrible phrasing because of the way it makes Theo want to react to it. At least that is what it means for him. He, of course, has not the slightest clue about how the other may feel towards him which makes the Viera believe that he is taking advantage of the Exarch and his kindness. Of a moment to be had with a friend he may never see again due to G'raha's situation
He breathes a sigh. ]
Apologies regarding my selfishness in the moment, but I am not thinking of much outside this room right now.
[ So the first thing that can be done is not thinking about the state of the First and whether or not the Exarch is placing further burdens on Theo and yada yada. Right now it's hard not to be a little put out by discussion like that when there's company present and the Warrior of Light is right there and able to catch traces of the Exarch's G'raha's scent.
He almost turns so that he can attempt to get at what he can of that neck, but then feels the cool cloth on his own. Theo startles, with a bit of a surprised sound tumbling from his lips. It's freezing against his heated skin. ]
Then... You are far more certain than me. I'm still making a valiant effort to contain myself, I'll have you know.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sandwichbasket) wrote2021-11-26 01:03 am
no subject
This is so not a thing that is discussed. Not with anyone outside of their villages. Ever. So someone seeing him like this. Theo doesn't like it at all. And yet someone is right there too.
Maybe it will be all right if he just. Stays under this blanket. ]
Very well.
[ His voice probably sounds a little off - more like it had once upon a time rather than the Eorzean accent he has adopted over the years. There's a sigh as Theo pushes himself up and slowly makes his way out of bed and to the door. His steps are heavy and slow. And when he gets to the door there's a pauses as he presses his head against the coolness of it. Just for a moment.
Theo then unlocks the door, the sound too loud in his ears. He doesn't open it, rather the red mage turns around and goes to return to his bed. The Viera hopes that the sound of the door itself will be enough of an indicator that the Exarch is permitted to enter. ]
no subject
Please excuse me-
[ And he enters. He closes the door behind him carefully, soundlessly to any but a viera or duskwight. Sets his basket on the table. Sniffs at the air - it smells like Theo, this room. But off somehow. And without the smell, he'd almost think that the room's owner was not here at all. ]
My friend? [ Oh. In the bed. He sighs, going to the sink. He knows full well, of course, where everything is. He had a hundred years to see to it that everything that might be needed would be here.
He tilts the kettle to one side as he fills it, so that the water runs down the side rather than falling into it with a splash. Like he knows that he ought to be quiet. Like he's spent a long time perfecting the art of performing daily tasks as quietly as possible. ]
You've taken ill, then. [ Let it just be a passing illness. Please let it just be a passing illness and not the light clawing him open from the inside. ] Apologies. Desperation forced my hand, but 'twas thoughtless to set you to such constant work since your arrival.
no subject
Perhaps it would have been safer to have the lock on the outside rather than the inside. To keep him from people, of course.
He licks his lips, finding that he is feeling a bit dry. Though what bothers the mage even more at this point is that apparently his friend over by the sink is blaming himself for Theo's current state. ]
This? It isn't your doing at all.
[ Gripping that pillow a bit tighter. He can do this. It will pass. It must because the alternative would mean giving in and Theo can't do that. To do so would also mean that there's a chance that it could expose the Exarch in a way that the man himself does not want. ]
I'll likely be able to resume by the end of the week.
no subject
[ The sounds are tiny, inaudible even to the exarch himself, but they're there. The bell-like sound of water moving in the kettle. The smallest pulse of aether as his hands heat it. The bubbles forming as it boils.
He could send him to spagyrics, of course. But if it is the light, that would do far more harm than good. They can't afford the panic an instance of light poisoning would cause, and he cannot explain to the city's people why they might not use the only known way to avert a turning in this instance.
Staying here and praying that it isn't something terrible is, it seems, the best option.
The sound of hot water singing against the surface of a cup, and the smell of cloves and cinnamon and honey starts to spread through the room. ]
I have seen enough of your friends to know that the former will come before the latter.
no subject
Perhaps...
[ Not that he has much of a choice at the moment. There is a thought in his mind that if a moment presents itself where he feels well, there could be an attempt to leave. A short teleport shouldn't cause him too many issues. Theo just doesn't dare try it at the moment.
The scent of cinnamon is what actually hits him first. His ears perk forward - which likely looks like the lump of blankets are moving to the man across the room - and he knows the wrongness of it. Those are used to warm the body. Not cool it. ]
I'd... Suggest something other than cinnamon. [ At least he can still speak, even if his speech is dull and slowed. ] Mint. Lavender. Lemon balm.
[ Those have an effect that cool down the body rather than warm it up. ]
no subject
You're certain? For a fever-
[ And this is a fever, surely. Why else would he be under so may layers of blankets despite the smell of sweat? Especially if he feels the need to be cooler?
Oh.
He knows a little of this. Not nearly enough to be much use, but enough to know what to keep Spagyrics stocked with, to understand that being outside of the greatwood means these matters can be unpredictable to the viis of the Crystarium. That if possible they should be kept apart - else together from start to end in groups of two, should they wish it - when it does strike one of them. Enough to know that it was best he ask a few trusted viis to attend to Lyna's education in the matter. But the viis of the crystarium are women to the last. And as close as they keep information to their chests, he had been led to assume that it was only the women struck by the condition.
He doesn't quite know how to ask, and it would be rude to assume, but-
There's a rustling as he looks for something in his basket. Dried pixie apple. ]
Apple and mint, then. The cinnamon can be mine.
no subject
Some things are just not to be discussed to others. That is their way. Theo had found it oddly comforting that, despite so many differences, there are things that are the same from Source to Shard and vice versa. The Viis and their reluctance to share of themselves to those that are not also Viis happens to be one of them. So no, he would not expect others to understand what it is that is going on.
Though this Exarch
even if Theo is fully aware of who it is under that hoodseems to piece something together. Cutting himself off like that can only mean he's thought of something or has figured something out. At least he's polite enough not to say which it is.But does that make it easier or more difficult? Theo can't decide.What he does catch, then, is that the other says "the cinnamon can be mine," which implies that he intends to stay? Augh. How thrilling and aggravating all the same. It's enough for Theo to turn in his bed, hoping that his back facing the Exarch will make it less... Tempting. ]
I... Am not much for company.
[ Actually, it is just the opposite. Theo absolutely craves it. ]
no subject
Not even at the best of times, really.
[ It's fond. Fond and something of an odd thing to say about someone one has met not long ago, as most would find 'wow you're not good with people huh' to be a thinly veiled insult. It probably is somewhat invasive to stay, if the few things he has come to understand about the phenomenon are true and true across shard and source. But the tea is poured, now. And he is worried. ]
I won't stay long. Just until my tea is finished. And you need not speak, if it troubles you to. I would simply be certain that you are well.
[ Footsteps approaching. The soft noise of a cup being placed down carefully next to the bed. The footsteps move away, then the crumpling of fabric as he sits down at the table, blowing on his own tea. ]
The viis have never been forthcoming about the particulars of their kind, and never have I had reason to ask them to be so long as they are able to receive what they need from spagyrics. [ He shouldn't presume, but it's fine so long as he's vague. Right? Right? ] If this concerns- one of those particulars, they may be able to help you. They have the plants on hand to prepare traditional viis remedies. Though the Crystarium has never sheltered one of the menfolk of your kind before, so I do not know know effective they would be for you.
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Besides. His focus is entirely on not reaching out to snatch up the wrist that is setting the tea down at the bedside table. All of Theo's willpower goes into it, enough that his fingers and ears twitch. Curse him for him close. For a moment, the Viera bites at the pillow, keeping himself in check. He only seems to relax when the Exarch has taken a seat, but even that is... Questionable. "Relax" perhaps isn't the best of terms for it. Less tense, maybe. ]
I've never tried.
[ Since he's always just dealt with it on his own after he had left. Not once has Theo bothered to share in these moments with another. He has no idea if it will hurt or help.
Still! That's really the only answer that the Exarch will receive. Theo knows that he really shouldn't do what he is about to but the allure of something to cool his blood is too great. Thus he shifts, pushing the blankets off of him.
Now there should be no question of whether or not the room is about to smell of TheoThere's no way to drink the tea under the blankets and keep things neat, so he's little choice.Gone are the usual feathers and braiding in his hair and the Viera definitely looks ruffled. Unkempt. Tired. Additionally shirtless, but that should be expected. He's only reaching out for the tea and to partake of it. Anything to not feel that burning. ]
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From a prison of cotton and wool, the great hero emerges.
[ He chuckles, sipping at his tea. Despite everything, it still feels correct to be here. Still feels right to be talking in the shadow of the tower, to be saying some nonsense to a Theo who isn't really in the mood to hear it. ]
You're certain that you don't want company? This all seems particularly miserable.
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Too bad that might be desired by said Viera. In a different sense, of course. ]
The world is too loud.
[ Theo comments, huffing. Without that "prison of cotton and wool" everything is assaulting his ears again. He grunts, ears unable to stop their twitching at every little sound.
As does his fingers as he almost takes hold of the cup - the Exarch questioning the need for company. ]
I'd rather be miserable than a burden.
[ Because being clingy and a literal furnace is definitely a burden to some. He finally picks up his cup and huddles as far back on the bed as he can, blowing before taking a sip. ]
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[ He says it softer than anything so far, setting down his cup. ]
My friend. I have asked you to fight terrible battles. Asked you to fight and bleed and risk life and loss that people with whom you do not share a star might live joyfully. I have asked you to pull two worlds from the jaws of damnation.
There is very little you could ask of me that might be burdunsome. There is very little at all that I would not do and do gladly, were it for you.
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You have not asked anything of me that I've not already done. Not because it has been asked of me, but because I desire to do so.
[ Though no one should make such confessions. The Viera really has no willpower to deny or fight off the need for another's presence next to his own when statements like that are made. ]
You do not realize what it is you ask. I am mostly in control of my decision making processes. Making any offers will ensure you do not leave this room for at least several days. Minimum.
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[ The sound of fur scratching against cloth. His ears are trying to shift against the his hood, even if the material of it is too thick for the movement to show from the outside. He wants to help. He wasn't lying when he said that there is close to nothing he would not do if it saw the Warrior safer and more comfortable.
He knows how all of this will end. And he has no desire to be mourned when it does. Every little thing he does now will make it more difficult then. Will make the betrayal cut deeper.
But he is weak, faced with Theo's distress. ]
I will finish my tea, then. And see to it that I am not needed for anything for a few days. [ That will make some people happy. The gods know Lyna has been suggesting, increasingly sternly, that he set aside his work for a few days for about the last year. ] And I shall make offers upon my return.
[ He knew a mystel boy once, a G'raha Tia. He would have never been so bold as this. ]
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He's staring into his cup, thinking that his words have put the matter to rest. After all, who truly wants to be holed up in a room with an overly affectionate Viera for a couple of days? Aggressively affectionate at that. Though neither has come right out and said what is going on with Theo, it's clear that even the Exarch knows something of the nature of what ails him.
But then the other says something unexpected. Something that implies he will be staying. It's enough for Theo to look up and his ears perk up and forward. No, G'raha would never have been this bold, but apparently the Exarch is.
It makes Theo drop his head again, releasing a breathless laugh. ]
How unfair. I've not the willpower to turn you away.
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[ He drinks his tea slowly, thoughtfully, trying not to be too obvious about watching Theo as he tries to figure out what might be done to help him. More mint for tea. Earplugs, perhaps, as a last resort. Aloe, perhaps, to cool the skin. Or thin layers of cloth, dampened and frozen.
Eventually, he places the cup down. ]
I shan't be offended if you dismiss me, when I return. But I would ask you to do so only if you wish to. Put aside any notions of burdening me. Because in truth, I have never felt lighter than I have since your arrival
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[ So says the Viera between sips of tea. The Exarch is hardly a villain and he'd be hard pressed to convince anyone of this. Poor thing has set himself up to fail on that account.
Fingers squeeze around the cup a bit tighter all the same. His "wishes" and "wants" are kind of all jumbled up right now. Therein lies the problem. Theo has been through this before - both with "company" and without. The instinctual drive and desires he is familiar with. They are nothing new. However they have never quite so aligned with his personal ones before. It isn't just what Theo is experiencing that craves the Exarch's company - it is also Theo himself and that is what is throwing him off. This is what is making it difficult for the Viera to maintain his usual status quo.
And now that the other has said he's willing to stay? There's no possible way that Theo can let go of the idea. ]
I suppose we'll see if you return. [ Slight hope that maybe the other will be preoccupied? ] Though Lyna might have suggested that you seem. Happier.
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[ Or his glamour's visit, to be more truthful.
He speaks as he takes things out of his basket - not everything, because he'd packed it with things to bring to someone experiencing a chill, and the truth is the opposite, but some. Bags of biscuits, of dried apples and pixieberries for tea. The rest he'll put away before he returns, bring things better suited to the problem. ]
I thought I had been a little more subtle than that. [ He's by the door as he says it, pausing there to speak before he leaves. ] But then, if anyone would have taken note of it, it would have been she.
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[ Theo watches the other move about the room. Take things out of the basket and set them aside. It seems as though he is weighing what to keep here and what to take back with him. He wonders if the Exarch is overthinking things just a touch.
There's a click from cup meeting table that makes Theo wince. It's from none other than himself as he sets the now empty thing down and start to buckle down into the blankets once more. ]
'Tis not just she.
[ It had been quite the talk of the city in general. People have noticed. People have questions. However they respect their leader too much to inquire.
Right now though, Theo thinks that he can make due. He can already feel his body temperature lowering, if only temporary. Perhaps he can find some rest in the moments before the effects wear off. Either way, he will not be moving from this spot. ]
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…significantly less subtle than I thought I had been, then.
[ He'll have to watch himself to keep gossip under control, he thinks, as he considers what will need to be seen to so that he can lock himself in a room with Theo for a few days. A thing that is entirely compatible with watching himself to avoid gossip. ]
I shall be back once I know if I can be spared for a few days. If I can, then I am at your disposal, entirely.
[ He closes the door behind him as softly as he can, and for a few bells Theo has peace. Slightly more peace than before, in fact. There's little that can be done about the constant assault of incidental sounds, but people seem to be avoiding walking the hallway outside his room unless they have to, and when they do they're quick and quiet about it.
In the absence of an unforeseen emergency, he can be spared for a few days. The people of the Crystarium govern themselves more often than not, he'd done all he could to make sure that outside of the task of operating the tower, he would never truly be needed. It was always meant to outlive him, after all. Most of its people are only too glad to see him taking a few days away from his work. Nobody brings up the suspiciously-timed absence of the latest guest.
He spends entirely too long paralysed by the question of whether or not to bring oil. Presumptuous. Wrong. It makes him feel as if he's hoping for-
-he it not hoping for Theo to be in such distress that he will have any use at all for a crystal-ruined body. He is hoping that this will be nothing more than continuing to sit for tea, waiting out the condition, giving what support he can. Which does not mean he is not thinking about Theo having use for a crystal-ruined body. But he has thought about a lot of ridiculous things.
(Oil. But tucked into a corner of the basket, covered by other things.)
His footsteps are so careful and the knock on the door so soft that Theo can probably hear his heartbeat more clearly than either, drumming in his chest as it is. ]
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In the moments after the other departs, Theo does notice the difference. It is a fair bit quieter than it had been and he's not so far gone to not be able to put two and two together. The Viera is finally able to poke his head out of the blankets, even if he is holding onto that pillow rather tightly. He's able to find rest for a bell or so, but not much longer than that. Theo will wake to find that he's kicked off the blanket entirely, body temperature rising once more.
The Viera moves to the table, slowly as if on a cloud. There's always been food left here. Various fruits and the like. Theo is likely going to need something more substantial than that with heat burning away calories. Though for now it will do, Theo taking a moment to pick up something from the bowl and eating it. Yet he does pick up remnants of the Exarch's scent. And he hates his heightened senses for it. Especially when it takes him to the sink. Just lingering in the spaces that the Exarch had.
At least until he breaks himself away long enough to draw himself a glass of water. And that's when his ears twitch at the sound of the door. When he can hear that heartbeat. ]
Come in.
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As it happens, I am all but entirely replicable. Half the city would rather I leave my post a few days. [ A chuckle. ] I shall try not to be too insulted by that.
[ He isn't insulted. He knows that they worry, good people all of them. That they're overjoyed he's spending time away from his work. That, no doubt, any gossip that's spreading about his newfound lightness of heart comes from a place of wanting him to be happy. They're kinder than he deserves, every last one of them.
He sets his basket down again, taking a facecloth from it. He soaks it in the sink, then wrings it out as best he can. Then, a simple ice spell. ]
So in the absence of some terrible disaster- [ Smiling, he holds the frozen cloth out to Theo. ] -I am yours.
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Now the impulse hits a bit hard and Theo a bit too tired to fight it off when the Exarch has made his stance on the matter perfectly clear. The Exarch is not going anywhere. So instead of just outright accepting the cloth, Theo drops his head upon that covered shoulder. This is actually better... ]
What terrible phrasing. Let's hope that you haven't made some horrible miscalculation here.
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Believe me, some days I do nothing but hope that I haven't made a terrible miscalculation. [ His voice drops to almost nothing, so quiet that it isn't really a voice, only breath shaped into words. ] But this? This I am certain of.
[ With his spoken hand, he lifts Theo's hair slightly. So that he can press the cold cloth to the back of his neck. If nothing else, bringing his body temperature down seems important for keeping him comfortable. ]
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Of a moment to be had with a friend he may never see again due to G'raha's situationHe breathes a sigh. ]
Apologies regarding my selfishness in the moment, but I am not thinking of much outside this room right now.
[ So the first thing that can be done is not thinking about the state of the First and whether or not the Exarch is placing further burdens on Theo and yada yada. Right now it's hard not to be a little put out by discussion like that when there's company present and the Warrior of Light is right there and able to catch traces of the Exarch's
G'raha'sscent.He almost turns so that he can attempt to get at what he can of that neck, but then feels the cool cloth on his own. Theo startles, with a bit of a surprised sound tumbling from his lips. It's freezing against his heated skin. ]
Then... You are far more certain than me. I'm still making a valiant effort to contain myself, I'll have you know.
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