[AUDIO] - The Clinic

[seacub]

[Emporio holds his pearl with care, making sure not to project much of a video image. The mental audio is best here he thinks, if at least because of what he's 'talking' about.

...

With difficulty, but he's trying to keep those feelings out of the transmission as well.]

Everyone- Uh. I need you to know that Guildmaster Ribombee brought Firepaw in today. ...He found him outside his office door, with a report in his jaws.

...Firepaw was. ...Was working really hard the last little while. He was down here so many times that Anasui and I had to pull him out more than once to try and get him to sleep, but.

[Distantly, one might actually make out the sounds of the Espartha cursing. Anyone who actually knows the bird can tell that he's upset.

But not in an 'angry' way.

Emporio presses on.]

...I'd say I'd hope he can get some rest for a bit now, but after what happened to A.B.A...

...Well. We'll all be taking turns looking after him with the others. But please. Just... ...Look after yourselves too. Don't push it.

[The connection ends.]

Comments

[loopsiedaisy]

[But...]

[But they just saw him yesterday, and he was fine! Tired, but fine!]

[But     it's not fair.]

[There is a sinking feeling in their stomach, almost like a tug... but

n

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i

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g

 

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.]

[x625]

[Firepaw is Reuben's guildmate, and Reuben had been looking forward to hanging out with the little fella some more.]

[To other people on the Grumpearl network, there's a few seconds of incomprehensible rapid sound before it cuts off- Reuben trying to figure out how these things work.

Then he speaks.]

What's wrong with him?

[seacub]

[There's...

A wave of confusion. Of sadness. Emporio's a smart kid- that much, Reuben probably got within the first few minutes of talking.

And this is something that he doesn't know. That no one knows.]

...We can't figure it out. We...

It's not a lot of us, but some of the people who came here just...end up like this.

A.B.A. experienced the same thing, a while ago. It...It was really touch and go. I mean...A coma is always a risky state of being, right?

She managed to wake up, but the others just...

[Haven't.]

[friendlyflower]

[No. That can't be happening. Not him. It can't have happened to him while passing Flowey up.

Weren't they just starting to make things right? How is that fair...?

Instinctively, Flowey reaches for his save file.

It isn't there.]

...

[It's permanent. He can't go back. He can't fix it. All he can do is wait. There's noting he hates more than feeling helpless like this. Maybe this is the price he pays for getting to meet Chara again. Maybe it's only a matter of time until he loses them again, too.]

... What an idiot. He spends so much time taking care of other people, but he can't even take care of himself.

[Flowey cuts the psychic transmission.

If anyone checks on Firepaw later, a half-wilted and slightly-battered flower crown rests near his bedside.]

[wovensecrets]

[ Every time the grumpearl device activates, it's a new, intrusive sensation. She's new enough that she hasn't yet found the psychic wavelength to drown it out better, as much as it feels like a low thrum of background chatter.

Worse though, are when the broadcasts feel particularly heavy as well as invasive. In this instance, she can pick apart some information here once she can shake off some of the initial sensation, the fact that Ribombee is particularly mentioned might indicate having to be wary if this news would increase the general emotions around the Cheri's base. All the more reason to keep busy, regardless of what's been said... ]

Tch...

[ She doesn't intend to respond but it's difficult not to. An unknown ailment, this heavy feeling - it's nothing to do with her, stop it. ]

audio

[telewarped]

[Shoka doesn't reply right away—can't, when her thoughts are immediately sent into a spiral. She told Firepaw that he didn't have to overwork himself so much, that it wasn't all on him—but that was a while ago now, wasn't it? Maybe she should have said it more, tried harder to make him really listen...

Eventually, she does reply, because it feels like she should say something. And it's not like Firepaw's dead. She can't write him off so easily. A.B.A came back, so—he might, too.

Her tone is flat, detached.]

Thanks. The same goes for you. Sui, too.

I'll... [Do what I can to help? What can she even do?] I'll be around. If...

[If they need anything? If they want to talk? Like she could help with that!

Unsure of how to finish that sentence, she trails off without bothering.]

[quirkynote]

[Although A.B.A understands empathy and recognizes it as something to strive for, she's still......very bad at it. Don't get her wrong, she loves Firepaw, but she is, at her core..............a very immature person.]

Is it truly necessary to continuously bring me up anytime someone succumbs to this ailment? The constant reminder makes me sound weak and pathetic...

[seacub]

[Emporio does the nice and empathetic thing by not immediately touching the pearl to overload it with all his frustrations at that reply. He counts to ten. He breathes.

....]

People don't often think about how serious a coma is, so yes.

Also, doesn't you waking up from it make you stronger more than anything? You're the only one who fell that deep and came back.

[seacub]

Yeah. I, um. ...I try not to overbook myself, so...

[Anasui's cursing can still be heard in the background.]

Yeah. I'll see you around. Um. Not just here, obviously!

[seacub]

[uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

It's perhaps fortunate for Archnemon that Emporio tries, on principle, not to overload pearls with his own emotions. He tries to wait until his mind is relatively clear to open these connections, actually.

But, anyway.]

...Are you okay?

[WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW, SMALL CHILD???]

[seacub]

[Ah, there goes the pearl connection.

He's not taking it personally at least. Or, well.

...He knows Flowey's not saying that to be mean.

That said, there's a pretty strong chance that Emporio is actually down there in the room when the flower crown is being delivered. He won't comment on it. He's nicer than that.

But he does make sure a space is clear when he sees what Flowey has.]

[quirkynote]

[She isn't getting yelled at, so she clearly didn't do anything wrong. She continues to be Correct™.]

That isn't true. Ren only just recently recovered, or did you buy that it was merely overexertion?

That, or you have a cat bias... Shame on you.

[seacub]

[He shakes his head, though it probably doesn't carry over that well.

Emporio Also Refuses To Be Wrong.]

He also only recently entered that coma himself. Comparatively, it was pretty light.

[A wave of severity through the pearl.] A.B.A. ...I really can't emphasize enough how scary it was in your case.

You waking up from that was astounding.

[telewarped]

Right...

[That's... a lot of colorful language she's hearing in the background. She understands.]

... What about Sui?

[wovensecrets]

[ The effort he makes would certainly be more noticeable the more she gets used to having to process these broadcasts. Like now when she can tell the broadcaster has picked up on her "picking up" on the line, as it were.

How careless. ]

I'm fine. I was just considering the impact that sort of news would have on the other Cheri guild members.

[ Not out of consideration! Just... that it would be an impact. Logically. Right, great cover. ]

[offtracks]

...oh.

[ His voice and mental presence are heavy, but...what is there, really, to be said? ]

I am terribly sorry to hear it. He is a shining light among our number.

[Audio]

[bladeofnymeia]

[...Yeah.

Yeah, Firoza had probably heard of this by now. But Emporio's message is welcome.]

I'm going to bring his blanket to him. [The one she'd gotten together and embroidered for his nameday gift.] Should we...take shifts, now and again? To keep him company?

[seacub]

[.....The sounds have faded.]

...He'll...be okay.

...It'll just take time.

[seacub]

Oh...

[Well, he can't tell what Archnemon's inner thoughts on it all are, but he certainly sends the idea of a wince because she's got a good point.]

...Right. ...There weren't a lot in the entire town who didn't like Firepaw but...I'm pretty sure he was actually one of Ribombee's favorites...

[Not that Ribombee will be taking any upset out on anyone, but he's probably going to be a depressed bee of a leader for a bit.]

[seacub]

Y...yeah. He really was, huh. [Emporio sighs. The heaviness feels like something that could loop itself into a bottomless pit.]

Hopefully...h..hopefully we can find out what causes this sooner, rather than later.

[seacub]

That sounds like a good idea. The blanket, I mean. I...

...I don't know if I can really answer that. You'd probably have to ask Dr. Denne, but at the very least he's allowed visitors, so...

[wovensecrets]

[ Emotionally, it comes across as more of a guarded irritation, though the annoyance is a little more self-directed at not being good at this yet. ]

...Mm. I don't know him very well yet, but it seems like something he would take personally. Others might feel compelled to push themselves harder with the absence instead of the other way around, too. Just so you're not too surprised later, if that clinic sees this result.

[ Not too difficult to pick up on that vibe of the place when making it a point to observe others. ]

[offtracks]

I do hope so.

[ At least it seems...well, non-fatal. For now... ]

[outbounds]

... That is. Verrrry sudden.

[ There's stillness in the psychic link, Emmet's own brand of solemnity in place of his usual reined in, restless energy. Collapsed in front of a door. A report in Firepaw's mouth. Not like going to sleep and not waking back up, not like succumbing to some injury incurred on a quest, not like simply a case of exhaustion. (Too many of them are too prone to running themselves ragged for it to be that alone, and it has affected more than just the overworkers among them.)

Rapidly, suddenly, with as of yet no real explanation or answers. ]

... He is being well taken care of, at least. But. What about you?

[seacub]

I...really hope that isn't what happens, [He admits rather honestly.] You're not wrong to have that worry though I guess...I mean, it seems whenever this happens, everyone else starts working harder.

If that creates a loop...

[Augh!]