[netbook-ish] blood for the blöödchëëp

[unheiring]

[Somewhere in the midst of the magical mishaps and the sleepless shenanigans, someone gets the terrible idea to visit the clocktower. Be a result of recklessness borne from a lack of sleep, or just the sheer need to put something obscene in his mouth, Luca winds up beside a certain pile of goo. For just a moment, he seems to second guess himself, consider turning away -

before he reaches down to scoop it right into his mouth.

The first, near ear piercing squawk that results from his efforts is due to the taste. It is absolutely awful, as one might expect. The second comes only a moment or two later, after much spitting and regret. A clump of hair falls out, landing on the ground beside Luca's feet.

If you're drawn to the noise, you might briefly see one Luca Aurelius streaking across the grove. Hair and feathers alike rain down on the ground behind him, a morbid and slightly hilarious trail leading to the bar. A handful of minutes later, some hastily scrabbled words appear on the netbook.]

I have fallen violently ill, it seems.
In the interest of not spreading a secondary plague, the bar will be closed for the foreseeable future. Please avoid the premises.

[Rejoice, world! For blöödchëëp has arisen.]

Comments

[eidxiety]

[Through their gossip hairpins... or well maybe poor cheeping Luca does not have his in his hair anymore but either way...]

Mr. Bartender? You ran past the bakery in a panic and I just read your note. Do you want me to bring you anything?

[unheiring]

[Sorry, Ain, you're going to be subjected to some accidental shrieking there for a minute. There's a second where that connection drops off entirely, almost as if the pin was dropped and forgotten entirely. A moment or two later, it returns, and just in time, too.]

... What do you know about wigs, Ain.

[eidxiety]

I know that you snatch them.

[You can truly hear the :O in his voice here. He must have learnt that from one of y'all kids.]

[unheiring]

.... I have no idea what that means, and I do not know who you learned it from. [He is so exasperated Ain. He is so tired.] Can you bring me a scarf of some sort. One that I can twine about my head for a time?

[eidxiety]

Haha, there are a lot of young kids here these days. ^^ Okay, I'll dig through and see what I have. I think I have a nice orangey-red one in the back of the shop.

[He will go a'diggin for it, unless Luca has colour protests. If not, Ain will be at the bar shortly with it clutched in his hands. Unfortunately he has no wigs.]

[lovelyredthread]

[ He was outside tending his garden and most assuredly saw Luca hoof it past his house ]

Uh... do you... Want me to clean up the mess for you?

[unheiring]

I have no idea what you are talking about, thank you!

[lovelyredthread]

[ My dear friend there is a trail. ]

Oh... kay?

[ ??? ]

I guess I'll clean up this completely unrelated mess, then.

[ninelines]

Violently ill? Are you sure that a healer shouldn't check in on you?

[unheiring]

A healer absolutely should not check on me. In fact, I believe if anyone sees Joshua looking at his netbook they should steal it from him.
Thank you.

[ninelines]

... okay, starting to sound like this is less of an illness and more of a... actually, let me start over. Hypothetically, if someone were trying to assist you with your... unfortunate onset of a highly contagious malady, what should they bring you? Hypothetically!

[unheiring]

Nothing, as this malady will remedy itself in record time.
... But if it will get you off of my back, I suppose a jacket would be nice. One that is large and has a hood.

For keeping warm, of course.

[ninelines]

Oh, well that's a relief! I was worried that it was something incurable.

A large jacket with a hood, huh... okay, I can do that. Would a... robe with a hood work? I've got the one I'm wearing, and it's built of multiple different layers. I could wash it first and then leave it outside the bar for you.

[unheiring]

... how soft is the robe?

[ninelines]

Pretty soft! Built for both comfort and function, I'd say. It was a gift from the people that saved me the first time I had an experience with the whole "traveling across time and space unexpectedly" thing.

[unheiring]

If you would like to leave it on the bar's doorstep, I can collect it.

But, ah... Dare I ask?

[ninelines]

You've got it. I'll hand wash it first so it's clean. Uh. I wouldn't put it on immediately, obviously, lest it... worsen your malady?

Oh! I mean, you can ask if you want. It's not something I'd, uh, want to distract from your circumstances with, though.

[unheiring]

... I will make it work.
Thank you, Lodi.

Trust me, I could use a distraction right about now. This is... rather miserable.

[ninelines]

No problem, Mr. Luca! [ Yep. Still doin' that. ]

That bad? I mean, if it'll help! What do you wanna know?

[unheiring]

[You know... he only has energy to address so much and that's being focused into being bald, so...

Moving right along!]

You have done this whole mess before? And got a warmer welcome?

[ninelines]

Um. Not QUITE the same? And I also wouldn't necessarily say the welcome was... warm... but it was at least a hint more, uh. Consensual? Than getting pulled here was. And it was a lot more confusing the first go around!

[astralprojection]

What did you do.

[unheiring]

Got sick?
I believe I made that very clear, thank you.

[astralprojection]

Hmmmmmm.

I'm not afraid of being sick. I'll cover my face and come over.

[unheiring]

THAT IS NOT NECESSARY.
I mean.

You ought to enjoy your day off, yes?

[astralprojection]

Days off are boring. I need personal enrichment in life.

I am scratching at your metaphorical door. My paw is wiggling under the crack for you to let me in. Meow.

[unheiring]

And if I get the spray bottle?
What then, kitty cat?

[astralprojection]

I am being so nice and cute? All the time?? You would spray a cute little guy who has done nothing wrong with water like a criminal????

[unheiring]

When that criminal is not doing what he is told...
Do I need to pull rank? Give you orders from the boss?

[astralprojection]

So mean to me. I am hated. Unloved. Forsaken.

I am taking my little rucksack and I am leaving and you'll never see me again and then you'll be sorry.

[unheiring]

I am not going to reward bad behavior, you know.

... but if you did want to leave a slice of apple pie at my doorway, I would not complain. Since you are so concerned.

[astralprojection]

( •`ᴖ´•)

[That's all Astrid writes back. One might think this was the end of it, even. Except for maybe fifteen minutes later, Luca will hear a loud knock followed by the rapid sounds of footsteps scampering away down the stairs.

There's a plate in front of his door, and Astrid nowhere to be seen... except for actually he was, he's hiding very poorly behind one of the seats where he still has vantage of Luca's door. You can literally see his ears poking out. It's pretty pathetic, really.]

[unheiring]

[Even though Luca does indeed hear those steps pattering away, he still waits nearly two minutes before finally opening the door. When he does, Astrid will find that he's swaddled impossibly tight within a blanket, one that covers the top of his head and wraps around his face. His neck, however, is woefully visible, and surprisingly bare considering the normal feathering there.

As he carefully bends down to take the plate, his eyes scan the room and narrow on that telltale pair of ears.]

You are a nosy menace, you know.

[He begins to retreat back into his shelter, thank you.]

[astralprojection]

Your nosy menace.

[Bold to say when both of them are knee deep in this mutual crush situationship with nary a single emotion ever discussed between them, but you know.

Baby steps. Months and months worth of baby steps—

Astrid does not attempt to insert himself in the situation any further though, if Luca wants to take his treat and run, then so be it. He's just glad he was helpful ✨]