driftfleet | DRAMA, DRAMA, DUCK

[ it really was only a matter of time. with how his augment glitched out back on the snow planet (in a way, he was surprised it didn't flare up then), along with the emotions he felt while discovering Kaneis's fate on the same planet as well as what he'd seen and received back on the forest planet, it really was only a matter of time.

fear and suffering along with constant battle, huh...?

the transition between human and angel is a delicate process, and Lloyd is definitely not exempt from the process, no matter how special his exsphere is. it comes up almost suddenly, on the surface: he seems fine, oblivious to what's been happening outside of the Wonderduck — because a certain other angel decided to lock the doors during the day shit went down for some reason. internally, it almost seemed like he was coming down with a small fever: his body was feeling a little achy and he felt hot, but it was nothing that was too alarming. he figured some bed rest would be enough to get the fever down.

at least, that's what he believed before fainting. he hits the nearest wall hard, sliding against it as he slumps to the floor in a sloppy fetal position. he's shaking from the fever and intense pain searing through his nerves, his head is swimming and he can't think straight. he's trying his damnedest to stay conscious enough for him to at least try to crawl back to the cabin, wherever it could be. the gem on his hand seems to glow a brighter blue, as though it were the source of all this pain.

he tries to swear, but all that comes out is an almost pitiful groan. ]

Edited 2015-01-31 22:09 (UTC)

[Who knows what Cole was doing or what he was planning on doing, because the moment he saw Lloyd, all thoughts of doing anything else fled his mind and he rushed over him, kneeling down next to him. Being forced into fatherhood had only deepened his desire to help innocents, especially those who were children. He knew this was a member of the crew, somebody he saw in passing when he wasn't shimmering over to see Chris.

Now he wished he had been more active in meeting everyone on the ship.

But that was a thought for another time. He noticed the glowing blue gem and using his senses, he could feel magic of some kind radiating out of it. The kid wasn't up to explaining that to him, from the looks of things, so he'd deal with that later.]

Hey, can you hear me? Grunt if you can. [He's not waiting for an answer.] What I'm going to do is pick you up, carry you to bed, and see about getting you a doctor or something to help you, okay?

...Brace yourself because I'm picking you up now, so don't freak out.

[And he goes to pick up Lloyd in his arms. This would be easier as Belthazor, but he's not going to give the poor kid a heart attack by shifting. He has enough to deal with without that revelation.]

[Flora was on her way to cook when she catches sight of Lloyd, followed by Cole very quickly on the scene and she rushes over.]

Lloyd!

[She feels that magic and looks at the gem on his wrist, and is reminded of the last time she might have seen something similar with Kaneis, where she had to keep him hidden away for the safety of others, as well as himself. Considering where they are, she's hoping things don't get any worse, but she has no idea what's going on in the first place.

One thing at a time. Her face pinches in concern, but if she feels anything like panic, it's not visible, and her voice is steady as she stares straight at Cole. Even.]

Get him to my bed, there'll be less in the way.

[ even if Cole hadn't been expecting an answer, Lloyd gives him one regardless: it's soft, but he grunts to affirm that he is listening. he recognizes the voice, even if it isn't very clear to him: it's the new guy, and he can hear Flora chime in not too long after. he looks up, breathing uneven and eyes half-lidded and unfocused. Lloyd, if anything, definitely looks worse for the wear: his skin is deathly pale, severe enough that even his lips are turning blue. there's so much pain everywhere that it's getting harder to focus and he's pretty sure his fever got worse.

then again, that could just be his usual red-and-black number. considering how much it covers, it feels awfully stifling all of a sudden.

he feels himself being lifted and he struggles only a little — weakly fidgeting against his hold — before giving in. he could barely move to get himself to the cabin, screw fighting against being lifted like a little kid. he doesn't even have the strength to keep his head lifted, so he lets it loll to the side. ]

M'fine... [ doesn't mean he still won't put up resistance. ]

[Well, at least the kid--Lloyd, thanks for that, Flora--was aware of his surroundings. That was good. From what he knew of humans and demons, anyways. He carefully moves Lloyd around a bit so a) he doesn't drop him and b) he's as comfortable as possible.]

Got it, captain. [He starts heading the direction to the cabin and expects Flora to follow.] You got any idea what's going on with him?

[Aaaand there's a soft laugh at the resistance. It reminds him of Chris.]

Yeah, I'm sure you're ready to go fight all the monsters, kid.

Lloyd, you are not fine, don't even start. [Flora is pretty reliable in a crisis on a good day, but all the hours she put in the clinic back on Exsilium are certainly being put to use, now.]

I haven't a clue. And I don't have the right augment to use what we have, either. [It's frustrating, but she shoves that aside. Frustration isn't going to help him. When they get to the room she immediately moves to his bedside once he's set down. She can't take his proper temperature, but she does touch his forehead and he is burning up. He needs to be kept warm, but his clothes aren't exactly unobtrusive. They're in the way and have got to go.]

I'm sorry, Lloyd, but I'm going to have to strip you down. [At any other time, she'd be blushing wildly, and would never be able to even say such a thing, but this is not any other time, and so she raises a glowing hand and his clothes burst into light before appearing neatly folded on his bunk.

Save his underwear, obviously.]

Lloyd, are you still with me?

Mmn.

[ barely, but he's still there. he doesn't resist when he somehow feels his clothes... disappear? he probably blacked out at some point and got stripped during that time because there is no way his clothes could just vanish like that. whatever, all he knows is that he's somehow aware of the chill hitting him along with the pain and it's not exactly the best combination.

damn. second episode in and he's still wondering how Colette put up with this.

he feels the strain hitting his eyes-- suddenly everything seemed brighter and uncomfortable, and Lloyd had to close them to try and alleviate it. an arm drapes over his eyes. how long is he supposed to put up with this again...? ]

Sorry. [ its tiring for him to talk, but he goes on regardless. ] Thought I wouldn't get like this for a while...

Know anyone with the augment or some kind of healing magic? I could bring them over in a snap if you call them up and tell me what ship they're on. [He'd snap his fingers, but his hands are full.

When he puts him down, he still hovers nearby, keeping an eye on him. DON'T DIE ON HIM TINY CREWMATE HE DOESN'T KNOW YOU YET.

There is an eyebrow raise at her magically removing Lloyd's clothes though. He didn't think it was that kind of ship.] Nice trick, I bet that's useful.

Think you're up to explaining? Your...hand thing is looking a little glowy there. [Cole tries to move to the side of the bed and carefully take his left hand to study it because he was sure he sensed magic from it and if he focused, he could probably sense what exactly it was.]

[ well, good thing he doesn't need to focus much. or, maybe not a good thing.

he already feels uncomfortable over Cole grabbing at his hand, mainly because of how much of a sentimental value the exsphere has to him. he opens his mouth to protest and tenses his arm to pull it away...

but then a shock travels up his arm and through his body. there's energy in Cole's touch, dark energy unlike any he's ever felt, but some sort of instinct in the back of his mind is instantly telling him that energy is bad and it needs to go away. and that shock and instinct, combined with the toxicosis? it hurts.

all at once, the glow on his exsphere intensifies to a near blinding light and Lloyd is engulfed in a glow the color of robin's eggs. he rolls to his side into a fetal position and, without warning, his wings shoot out in a burst of sparks and mana feathers. with how large they are, it's difficult to properly evade them in such a small room. ]

[If nearly a hundred and twenty years had taught him anything, it's that things that build up in glow are bad and to back away when they get to be that way. Cole immediately lets go of Lloyd's hand and is caught off guard by the intensity of the light, shielding his eyes from it so as to not get blinded.

Which meant that he was completely unprepared for the wing spearing his gut. He didn't cry out or anything of the just, just giving off a pained grunt. He'd been stabbed before, no big deal, but the the pain hit, spread out in a way that was not just from being stabbed.

And then his body flickered, a quick shift back and forth from human to demon and back to human and then firmly sticking to demon. There was only one way his body handled great trauma and that was to have Belthazor straighten it out. He looked over at Flora and laughed painfully.]

Guess that was a really bad idea.

[Things happen, and very quickly.

When Flora touched Lloyd earlier there was no adverse effect, but Cole isn't the same. She feels it, but is too late to do anything, can only watch what happens next when Lloyd's form fills with light and wings burst from his back.

She's been trying to keep it together, but her eyes widen and she cries out when Cole is speared from Lloyd's wings. The fact that he was using some sort of glamour adds to it, but it also doesn't matter; seeing it broken is enough to get her moving again and she rushes to his side.]

Hang in there, okay? I'm calling for help.

[ if Lloyd was having trouble focusing earlier, he's definitely not paying attention now. his shaking grows worse and his breathing even more ragged. the pain is worse yet, especially on his left hand and it's pure instinct that leads him to grab his left wrist in an attempt to quell the pain. considering his condition doesn't get any better, it doesn't work.

he can't focus, he can't make out Flora's words, much less Cole's. despite that, he does respond with a small whimper, curling further into himself as his wings curl around him as well, twitching from the pain. ]

Don't worry about me, I've been through worse than this. Go get help for him though. He needs it more than I do.

[No he hasn't, but he never tells the truth. He has a terrible idea, but really this is not a surprise to anybody that knows Cole. Focusing intently, he shimmers away incredibly slowly and appears a second later a few steps to the side before collapsing on the ground, hand putting pressure on where the wing impaled him and laughs painfully.]

Well, that was my last shimmer for a while.

[ All it takes is that quick call from Flora and Chris is shimmering in with Kaneis and Riku in tow. For a moment, he stops breathing, then he rushes over and kneels next to Cole, hand on his shoulder and one hovering over the obvious wound in his gut. ]

Dad! No. No, no, no, no. You can't do this. What happened?! [ The last part's directed to the room at large. He heard Flora on the communicator but there's a definite panic reaction going on here. ] Dad, talk to me.

Edited 2015-02-02 00:39 (UTC)

[Shimmering was a strange sensation, but he doesn't have time to dwell on that the moment the room comes into view. Instead while Chris runs to Cole, Kaneis rushes over to Lloyd, sparing a glance at Cole on the way there. What happened here?]

[But right. Lloyd. He focuses on Lloyd. Setting down the drink tray he had gotten from the way station on the ground, he kneels down next to Lloyd's bed, grimacing]

Damn Lloyd, you missed me so much you decided to act up now?

[He pulls off his glove and puts his hand on his forehead. Lloyd is burning up- way hotter than any normal fever. No doubt about it, it was toxicosis. He pulls his hand away, trying to force himself back into the healer mentality. His hand is shaking a bit more than he'd like, but he forces a breath to calm himself]

Someone get me a cool, wet towel. And tell me what happened with Cole.

Edited 2015-02-02 01:00 (UTC)

On it. Incoming. [A towel appears, moved, not made, cool and damp with water, hovering in front of Kaneis.]

Cole has some sort of dark energy, I think, I barely got to feel it, but I think it's what triggered Lloyd's wings. He didn't mean for it to happen, he was just on the wrong end. I think it might have been some sort of defense mechanism.

[That's her guess, anyway, but Kaneis is the expert here.]

[ uh yeah, 'some sort of dark energy'...

riku finally snaps out of just BSOD mode before he clears his throat, setting aside the various items they'd gotten for what was supposed to be an impromptu movie night. well, that's a dud. ]

I can feel it, yeah. The dark energy.

[ it's pretty potent, wow. riku shake shis head to try and get rid of the scent, or at least stop paying attention to it.

dear light, why did everything have to happen today? he's not sure who to go to--he definitely doesn't want to do more damage here. ]

Then, what's happening with Lloyd?

[ there's more voices, and there's only one that he can properly recognize through how fogged his mind is, while all the others have varying levels of familiarity. the one he recognizes... it's definitely a voice from home. it was... Zelos? yeah... yeah, that voice was definitely Zelos's. good. a friend from home definitely puts him at ease, even if his physical condition doesn't get any better.

he tries to open his eyes to get a better look at Zelos, but the lights in the room still hurt. so yep. back to squeezing his eyes shut. ]

Nnh... Not my fault...

[ dammit. the towel on his forehead helps a little, but he hurts all over. he doesn't remember his last bout of toxicosis hurting this bad. is it because of Cole's touch or is it supposed to get worse with each stage? man, he really feels bad for Colette now for going through all this... Zelos and Kratos and all the other angels too. ]

Edited 2015-02-02 02:39 (UTC)

Kit, I'm fine. I've had worse than this and survived. I need you to help me with my shirt so we can slow down the bleeding.

[Cole groans as he sits up, his body flickering some more between his two halves as he forces himself to stay in his human form. Staying demon meant he was badly injured and he wasn't going to put that worry on Chris. He had already died once in front of Chris, in the future, and Cole wasn't planning on doing it again.]

Demonic magic. It reacted badly with his magic, it looks like, and one of his wings stabbed me.

...what is he? Because he sure felt like a whitelighter to me. Well, from what I could sense before agonizing pain.

I've got a better idea.

[ Chris looks back to see Lloyd, but his concern is really focused on his father right now even if the wound isn't as severe as it appears. He shimmers away for just a moment, then returns with an honest to God actual advanced, automated medkit that he starts fiddling around with like he knows what he's doing.

Surprise, Cole. Your son is a healer and conveniently forgot to mention this. He works while talking because it's kind of most comfortable. ]

Yeah, with those wings out it's like whitelighter or... or angel. Only... more sinister? I'm not sure.

[Initially, he ignores the others. Their questions, their actions, their comments- he doesn't seem to pay them any heed. Instead, he's focusing solely on his crewmate lying in bed. He is using the wet towel to dab around Lloyd's forehead gently before resting it on his head again. His other hand will go rest on Lloyd's wrist- trying to be a calming presence.]

[When he speaks, it's almost in an uncharacteristically calm and soothing manner - even casual despite the fact everything's kinda gone to hell at the moment. But it sounds like one he's used to speaking in. Maybe not for Lloyd, but he's had more than enough practice in bedside manner with Seles and other patients.]

Uh huh. You say that, but I'm not so sure. [He uses that thumb on his wrist to discreetly check his pulse. It's still beating strong, good.] Now c'mon. I know it hurts, but you have to try to relax. You're perfectly safe. I'm here and so's Flora and Riku.

[And you know, Cole & Company. But whatever. demons probably not the key to relaxation]

How about...try making a list of all those dwarven vows, hm? You can do that much, right?

[At least...hopefully that'll be a good distraction from how much it hurt. Kaneis could recall busying himself with making a list of square roots during his own episodes]

[Eventually though, his attention will come back to everyone in the room, and he'll glance over his shoulder. Huh. When did that medkit get here?]

[But oh right- guess everyone is kind of confused as to what's going on. Sigh. Way to do this in front of everyone Lloyd]

...He's an angel. Or at least, becoming one. That's what this is about.

[He'll turn a bit more to look at Cole]

Sorry about the wings, Cole. I didn't think this would happen with a demon around. If it makes you feel better, if this had been a later stage, you might've lost a few limbs. So- I think you got off pretty lucky there!

Kaneis!

[Her voice is a stern, rebuking whisper with a glare to match. Come on, now.

Flora processes what Kaneis has to say. It doesn't strike her as being particularly strange, she's gone through something a little similar over the years, but it does sound immensely unfair. The only thing she's endured in becoming a full-fledged fairy is almost dying.

...that sounds a bit wrong, but anyway, not the point.

She exhales and her expression eases back into one of open concern and assessment as she looks between Cole and Lloyd. Chris seems to have things under control, thank goodness, and, as far as she knows, as brutal and awful as this being stabbed there must be, Cole appears to be a lot more durable than he seems--at least she's hoping so. It can't be easy to be treating your father and her voice is kind and steady as she speaks to Chris.]

Chris, I don't have the right augment for it but if you need help, please let me know.

[There is still a lot about this that she doesn't know about Lloyd's case, and wishes she did before this particular moment, something she'll probably beat herself up about much later, but for the moment keeps her head in the game. She has questions, many of them, but nothing is rushed nor demanding in her asking.]

Kaneis. Do we wait this out with him? Is there nothing more we can do? And you mentioned stages, how many of them are there and are they all going to happen, now?

Definitely full of light.

[ he can tell that much, but it doesn't do anyone any good. after a moment--he quickly backs away from the medkit, raising his brows. well, that's helpful.

the situation is tense, though--and with what just happened with lloyd hurting chris's dad, he's not so sure his magic would help any. sure, some of his dark spells might, but something tells him something neutral might blow back in his face. he breathes in, refocusing his attentions on lloyd, but keeping an eye on chris and cole. ]

And is it better to get it over with or slow it down so he can breathe? Maybe I could slow it down, but... [ who knew, at this rate. he was starting to get a little worried, everything was happening all at once. ]

[ if Kaneis is paying enough attention, he'll notice that the area around Lloyd's key crest is pretty red. it's something that's never really happened with toxicosis, and is likely an after effect of when Cole touched him.

he is right, though. hearing Zelos's voice, along with the reassurance that he's here along with Flora and Riku - the faces that go with those names are lost on him, but they feel just as familiar - it enough to calm him down some. recite the Dwarven Vows, though? he can barely remember what he had for breakfast (did he eat breakfast?), could he remember all 150+ vows enough for him to recite them by memory?

Dwarven Vow 16: you can do anything if you try. okay. he can do this. if he can remember that one, he can remember them all. ]

"Let's all... work to-together for a... a peace-peaceful world."

"Ne-never... abandon s-someone... in need."

[ he doesn't bother to ass himself with the numbers, but he's doing it, one by one. Zelos is right: the distraction is well enough for him to forget his pain and he can gradually feel it ebb away. the trembling dies down to what it was before Cole touched him and his wings even fade away in sparks, working frm the base to the tip. ]

[There's a moment right after Chris returns where Cole just laughs at the thought of a demon healer. Well, he tries to, but doubles over in pain and he loses control of his form for a moment, shifting to Belthazor for a second before forcing himself back.]

Leo would be proud, Kit.

[But his attention is really on Kaneis and Lloyd. Angel, huh? He'd have to keep that in mind for later. And also buy gloves.]

I could use a little luck.

...He'll be okay, right? I didn't harm him by touching him, did I?

[Why yes, he does care about the kid who speared him through the gut with a wing.]

Pretty sure I've got this.

[ The medkit is hella useful. Chris does help Cole get his shirt off, then the kit is working some figurative magic on analyzing the wound and advising treatment while Chris follows the instructions with ease. It's all thanks to this thing in his head and while that rankles, right now there's nothing he's happier for. ]

I don't really care about what Uncle Leo thinks right now, Dad. Just... stop fighting, you're probably going to make the wound worse or something.

[ At Cole's concern, Chris hesitates and finally looks back to Lloyd. He doesn't like the magic he's feeling there, good-aligned but something wrong with it and he doesn't know how to express that. Something about the task set to him amuses him, darkly, in this weird and stressful moment. All he can think of is Varric trying to repeat the same things. ]

Dwarven vows?

[All the questions were starting to cause cracks in Kaneis's calm facade. It was too many questions that he didn't know the answer of, too many questions of a topic he spent most of his time trying to forget. It was odd, technically angel didn't need to breath yet he found himself started to feel short of breath as the panic was coming forth. It'd been a long time since he was the actual center of attention anywhere, and now that he was he found himself desperately wanting to go back to being unnoticed]

[He forces himself to breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as a scowl forms on his face as he raises his voice]

Okay, could everyone just shut up for a second?!

[Right. Okay. Breath. Focus. His voice goes back to a normal volume]

Don't do any magic on him. Just...leave him alone and let him rest. If we're lucky, it'll sort itself out in a few hours.

Until then either help with Cole...or, I don't know, go do something. Whatever.

[ urk. riku is silent, watching lloyd's condition before he breathes in and turns away.

better to not clog up the air and shorten anyone's patience further, then. he picks up the cartons and drink tray, heading out of the cabin to go to the galley.

these guys are on a ship together for a reason, he's sure they can figure it out. until then, he'll, uh... babysit the pizza and soda. ]

Zelos...

[ it sounds more like a whine than anything because his yelling is certainly not helping any. really, he already hurts enough as is, he doesn't need anyone else practically yelling into his ear on top of it. but okay, things quieted down. good. he continues where he left off, which is impressive enough that he remembered where he was in the first place.

or did he skip a couple of numbers? oh, who cares. ]

"Fall down se-seven times... stand up eight."

"Play hard, p-play often."

"Lying is... th-the first step--" Nnh... "D-down the path... of thievery."

[ he's still going strong, but as he continues, his voice starts to sound mumbled, as though he were about to fall asleep. ]

[Cole goes as quiet as he can when Kaneis tells everyone to shut up, but he's still breathing hard and every so often there's a pained snarl. It hurts far more than a stab should be hurting and he doesn't really know why.

Even while Chris is working with the medkit, Cole is looking worse. His skin is pale, eyes are bloodshot, and he's sweating a fair bit. He barely notices the name Lloyd says because it doesn't really matter to his own thoughts.

Which are currently "I really should lay down now and rest" since he kind of falls back onto the floor hard enough to give off a clear thud as his head hits.]

...ow.

[ There's a lot Chris isn't paying attention to, least of all Kaneis getting pissed or Lloyd continuing to fight because Cole is getting worse. Chris moves to try and soften the blow when Cole falls; when he doesn't manage, he does place a hand on Cole's arm and shimmer them to a nearby bed before he scoots the medkit over and begins to root around in it. ]

Guess it's time to figure out how much these augments can actually be trusted, because I think I'm going to have to stitch this up, Dad.

[ But it's obvious he's worried. The rest of this reaction isn't becoming for being stabbed, especially not when the victim is half-demon. ]

[Wow. People actually...listened? Not exactly what he was expecting, but he'll be glad for it. He takes the chance to breathe, knelling down to check on Lloyd again (was he falling asleep? That's a good sign right?) when he hears that thud from Cole's head and Chris saying that. He snaps his head to look at him, and focusing on Cole.]

[His professional medical assessment? Shit. He's looking bad. Way worse than just from bleeding. Even if Lloyd was a major concern for Kaneis, he was just too much of a healer to let something pass with someone else.]

Wait, hold up before you do any stitching. Something's not right with him.

[He stands and moves away from Lloyd, taking a couple steps closer to Chris and Cole. Except he seems to stop a few feet away, hesitant. Because hey, if an angel caused this probably another angel getting close to that wound would be bad. But he's still trying to get a good look at the injury]

You're demons, right? How does your kind of demon usually react to angel magic?

DRAMA, DRAMA, DUCK

TOXICOSIS, HO

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HOPE MOVING THEM IS OKAY

no vynd its not fine at all gosh

no it's never fine

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