1. Has any one of you seen a white-haired man with a prosthetic arm? You'll know it when you see it. 2. Who dropped these scales? 3. Who owns the plot of crops?
[ Dozing in and out of consciousness, the sound of footsteps rouses him from half-dreamed memories; Shiro still wears his dirtied uniform under the blanket and could do with a bath, maybe another cool rag for the sweat beading down his face and sticking white bangs in his eyes, but he smiles weakly as the visage moves closer. ]
Keith makes an indignant sound of protest and half-makes like he's just going to completely disregard what is said and charge in anyway, because this is Shiro! Because he would! And he makes his way to the door and past it anyway, forcing himself not to run. He said not to run in, right? He didn't say not to walk in?
Because this is Keith following paces after him, Kosmo at his heels.
[He's almost to the point of saying "welcome back" to Shiro when he overhears the sound of footsteps on the floor behind him, and has to actively work not to roll his eyes so hard they literally fall out of his head.
Still, that's a problem for later. Right now, he keeps his attention on Shiro, expression soft and betraying none of his annoyance as once again he retrieves that clean cloth from before and dabs at Shiro's face, like it's just instinctual and automatic to do it.]
Your friend Keith is here. He's worried about you.
[ Leaning into Adam's gentle touch as the sweat is daubed away, his eyes widen at the mention of, ]
Keith? [ Even delirious and sick, his face still lights up as he struggles against the blanket. It had felt like this was some weird sort of purgatory with Adam, a sweet house where Shiro would slowly waste away and never know what became of his friends. Keith makes it all so much more real. ] Keith!
[ Shiro looks like shit. Shiro looks worse than when he'd been fighting for his life in the healing pod, and Keith swallows a soft sound of dismay, chokes it back as he grips the doorjamb. He releases it, coming up behind Ignis.
He doesn't miss the way he cares for him, how Ignis is most likely not the person who's done this to him, and he's making a beeline to his side without a word, concern and worry written all over his face. ]
Shiro. [ He's coming over on Shiro's other side, brows creased. ] It's me -- what happened to you? Who got you sick? Ignis, was anyone with him? Did you see anyone?
Don't thrash about. You'll waste your strength that way.
[Once a mom, always a mom. But at least that confirms that this Keith really is who he says he is; Shiro seems happy enough to see him, and the concern on Keith's part, while vaguely infuriating where it leads to disobedience, is at least reassuring.
(Well, of course it is. It's the sort of thing Noct would do, isn't it? And it occurs to him then, now that he's got the chance to really, properly look at Keith, just how much the two of them resemble each other, too.)
Still. He sets the cloth aside, leaving it out and balanced on the armrest of the couch rather than replacing it in the Armiger where it'd been.]
I didn't. He said he'd climbed out of the well and took ill soon after. He was still soaked through when he came across me, so the window of opportunity for it to have set in must have been short.
[ He has a chance to be of use, at last. Keith will know what he's saying, surely, so Shiro tries to prop up on an arm and get it all out in a rush. ]
Giving the world-address speech when I fell down, I landed in a well. You were all recovering in the garrison hospital, are you ... ? Are you okay? [ Keith took the worst of the fall in the Black Lion. He squints at him through a haze. ] The planet's gray, Keith, only a few ... colorful stones. [ Startled by his own forgetfulness, he rasps, ] Adam's here! Keith, isn't that ... isn't that great?
Shiro was -- he was all right before I ended up here.
[ As far as he remembers. Keith's gently brushing his hair back from his forehead, his gaze inexplicably soft and tender when he looks down at pale, sick Shiro. He can't shake his worry, and he's looking to Ignis, then Shiro, then back again. He frowns; the world address was a few weeks ago, they'd been discharged since, and he gives Ignis a frankly worried, near-frantic look, blue eyes wide.
Something's wrong. Ignis wouldn't know this, but Keith does. The memory loss, the mention of stones...? And then there's Adam, and Shiro sounds so happy his heart breaks for him.
He could be honest, he could tell him that Ignis isn't Adam, that he's seeing him wrongly, but what good would being honest do? It would break his heart all over again, and in his current state, Keith doesn't know how it'll turn out; if it'll make him worse.
Which means... ]
Y-yeah. It's... it's great, Shiro. [ He pats his hand, swallowing the lump in his throat. He's going to explain this to Ignis later, then. For better or worse; he needs this man's help. ] What -- did you do about these colorful stones?
[ His eyelashes flutter shut when his hair is gently stroked out of his eyes, sagging back into the couch with enough motion to make him dizzy, nodding absently when Adam murmurs he's leaving to look at something. Shiro's gaze slides back to Keith, a soft smile playing on his lips as the quiet of the domestic living room surrounds them. ]
Found me again, space ranger.
[ His prosthetic fingers twitch toward Keith where Shiro's arm rests over the blanket. ]
[ Keith tells him without thinking. In any world, at any time, he'll find him. As many times as it takes. Keith should pay more attention to the stones, he knows, but he's grateful for Ignis' concession. He doesn't owe Shiro or Keith anything, but here he is, caring for Shiro, gentle enough to let him carry on this masquerade for his sake.
He owes Ignis his thanks. But Keith is pressing his forehead to Shiro's clammy forehead as he draws closer to him, giving him a half-hug to reassure and soothe him. He's smiling down at Shiro, his hand coming to curl over Shiro's prosthetic one. He has to get Ignis' help to figure out a cure for Shiro, but until then... ]
[ Head tipping closer so that he leans into Keith instead of the couch, Shiro sighs and squeezes the hand in his. The exhaustion is fully permeating every limb except for the prosthetic so he's genuinely glad to have it for once. ]
I don't want to sleep while you're here. What ... What's going on, Keith? Where are the others?
[ Keith is shifting so that Shiro can rest on him instead. He's scooting close, reaching for the wet towel that Ignis has set aside so that he can tend to Shiro himself, if he needs it. ]
I'm trying to figure that out. We're in a different world, and it looks like the others aren't here. It's a town filled with people who come from different worlds, I think.
[ He's quiet for a moment, worried. ] Shiro, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. If you need rest, you should be resting.
[ Keith might not think he's going anywhere but neither did Shro before he fell straight through the podium floor and into a well, so. He stubbornly stays awake. ]
Is this what it was like when Bob kidnapped you? Nothing making sense.
[ Sort of. But slightly better. Keith did not like the pacifier! ]
It was a lot brighter, and full of people. But sort of.
[ He'd like to forget that now please, Shiro. He's in no hurry of letting him go, once he's got Shiro in his arms just like that, braced against his chest. ]
And no, you're definitely not okay. Ig -- uh... that guy might know something, though. Maybe it has something to do with the stones you picked up.
[ ...He's so, so sorry, Shiro. He's so bad at lying. He's just banking on Shiro being too sick to catch it. ] You need to rest. And let me handle this. Okay?
[ Okay, he needs to tell Ignis this, but he can't leave Shiro to his own devices, and Shiro's uneven breathing sparks a fresh wave of anxiety and panic in him. What should they do? Shiro looks awful. ]
[ It was definitely cold as hell and unpleasant, but Shiro looks so bad right now he's pretty sure the stone thing is worse, right? He needs to ask Ignis about this -- the guy looks like he knows everything.
He's gently easing Shiro back onto the pillows nonetheless. ]
I'm gonna see if I can get you a change of clothes, okay...?
[ An unintelligible murmur is all he manages as sleep drags him under, leaving Keith free to roam the house and pilfer whatever he thinks will fit Shiro. The garrison captain's uniform is filthy and starting to reek like sweat and well-water, so Shiro wouldn't blame him for trying to replace the worst of it while he passes out. ]
[ Keith is definitely roaming, moving to look for Ignis -- he's going to need his help if he's going to help Shiro out of his clothes and into less filthy ones.
He's tucking him into the warm blankets before setting off to search for the other man. ]
[Luckily, Ignis didn't have to go far in order to investigate the matter of the colored scales — not that he would've anyway, because like hell he's going to leave a couple of random new arrivals alone inside his house, where Noct sleeps, where Noct is probably sleeping at this very moment.
He's just a little way down the street, though, and crouching to examine a series of the scales when Keith makes his reappearance; he doesn't get up, but he does turn to look with a quizzical expression.]
[ Noct is definitely sleeping like the dead at this very moment, missing the warmth that is Ignis, but with the ultimate faith of believing he wouldn't be gone long.
In the meantime, Keith is loathe to leave Shiro to his own devices in a place they know little about. Even if the people here seem like the decent sort, the paladin refuses to be too far from where he's sleeping. He's looking over at the colorful scales with a frown. ]
Shiro said he picked up the purple one. Don't touch it.
[ He draws closer, frowning as he nudges at it with his shoe before crouching down beside him. ]
I hear stuff like this happens a lot in this place. Is it true?
Ah, is that what he did. Do you know if he put it back down again, or does he still have it on his person somewhere?
[Almost absently, he reaches into the armiger and draws one of his spelldaggers, digging the point into the ground beneath one of the purple scales and giving it a flip into a nearby flowerbed.]
...Curious. It doesn't seem to have any affect on the flora, so it's not just that the scale itself is harmful. More likely it's some sort of enchantment, rather, triggered by contact.
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Adam ...
[ Has it been minutes or hours? ]
M'awake.
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Keith makes an indignant sound of protest and half-makes like he's just going to completely disregard what is said and charge in anyway, because this is Shiro! Because he would! And he makes his way to the door and past it anyway, forcing himself not to run. He said not to run in, right? He didn't say not to walk in?
Because this is Keith following paces after him, Kosmo at his heels.
:( Sorry, Ignis. ]
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Still, that's a problem for later. Right now, he keeps his attention on Shiro, expression soft and betraying none of his annoyance as once again he retrieves that clean cloth from before and dabs at Shiro's face, like it's just instinctual and automatic to do it.]
Your friend Keith is here. He's worried about you.
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Keith? [ Even delirious and sick, his face still lights up as he struggles against the blanket. It had felt like this was some weird sort of purgatory with Adam, a sweet house where Shiro would slowly waste away and never know what became of his friends. Keith makes it all so much more real. ] Keith!
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He doesn't miss the way he cares for him, how Ignis is most likely not the person who's done this to him, and he's making a beeline to his side without a word, concern and worry written all over his face. ]
Shiro. [ He's coming over on Shiro's other side, brows creased. ] It's me -- what happened to you? Who got you sick? Ignis, was anyone with him? Did you see anyone?
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[Once a mom, always a mom. But at least that confirms that this Keith really is who he says he is; Shiro seems happy enough to see him, and the concern on Keith's part, while vaguely infuriating where it leads to disobedience, is at least reassuring.
(Well, of course it is. It's the sort of thing Noct would do, isn't it? And it occurs to him then, now that he's got the chance to really, properly look at Keith, just how much the two of them resemble each other, too.)
Still. He sets the cloth aside, leaving it out and balanced on the armrest of the couch rather than replacing it in the Armiger where it'd been.]
I didn't. He said he'd climbed out of the well and took ill soon after. He was still soaked through when he came across me, so the window of opportunity for it to have set in must have been short.
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Giving the world-address speech when I fell down, I landed in a well. You were all recovering in the garrison hospital, are you ... ? Are you okay? [ Keith took the worst of the fall in the Black Lion. He squints at him through a haze. ] The planet's gray, Keith, only a few ... colorful stones. [ Startled by his own forgetfulness, he rasps, ] Adam's here! Keith, isn't that ... isn't that great?
[ Hard to keep his thoughts linear. ]
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[ As far as he remembers. Keith's gently brushing his hair back from his forehead, his gaze inexplicably soft and tender when he looks down at pale, sick Shiro. He can't shake his worry, and he's looking to Ignis, then Shiro, then back again. He frowns; the world address was a few weeks ago, they'd been discharged since, and he gives Ignis a frankly worried, near-frantic look, blue eyes wide.
Something's wrong. Ignis wouldn't know this, but Keith does. The memory loss, the mention of stones...? And then there's Adam, and Shiro sounds so happy his heart breaks for him.
He could be honest, he could tell him that Ignis isn't Adam, that he's seeing him wrongly, but what good would being honest do? It would break his heart all over again, and in his current state, Keith doesn't know how it'll turn out; if it'll make him worse.
Which means... ]
Y-yeah. It's... it's great, Shiro. [ He pats his hand, swallowing the lump in his throat. He's going to explain this to Ignis later, then. For better or worse; he needs this man's help. ] What -- did you do about these colorful stones?
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[Oh. Oh, boy, does he see where this is going. He gets up slowly, offering Shiro a light touch to the elbow in indication of the movement.]
I'm going to go have a closer look at those.
[And then, more quietly to Keith, his voice shot low enough that Shiro shouldn't be able to overhear: ]
I'm willing to maintain the ruse, for his sake. He seems to be taking strength from it.
[And off he goes to examine those oddly colored scales.]
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Found me again, space ranger.
[ His prosthetic fingers twitch toward Keith where Shiro's arm rests over the blanket. ]
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[ Keith tells him without thinking. In any world, at any time, he'll find him. As many times as it takes. Keith should pay more attention to the stones, he knows, but he's grateful for Ignis' concession. He doesn't owe Shiro or Keith anything, but here he is, caring for Shiro, gentle enough to let him carry on this masquerade for his sake.
He owes Ignis his thanks. But Keith is pressing his forehead to Shiro's clammy forehead as he draws closer to him, giving him a half-hug to reassure and soothe him. He's smiling down at Shiro, his hand coming to curl over Shiro's prosthetic one. He has to get Ignis' help to figure out a cure for Shiro, but until then... ]
You should be resting, Shiro.
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[ Head tipping closer so that he leans into Keith instead of the couch, Shiro sighs and squeezes the hand in his. The exhaustion is fully permeating every limb except for the prosthetic so he's genuinely glad to have it for once. ]
I don't want to sleep while you're here. What ... What's going on, Keith? Where are the others?
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I'm trying to figure that out. We're in a different world, and it looks like the others aren't here. It's a town filled with people who come from different worlds, I think.
[ He's quiet for a moment, worried. ] Shiro, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. If you need rest, you should be resting.
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[ Keith might not think he's going anywhere but neither did Shro before he fell straight through the podium floor and into a well, so. He stubbornly stays awake. ]
Is this what it was like when Bob kidnapped you? Nothing making sense.
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[ Sort of. But slightly better. Keith did not like the pacifier! ]
It was a lot brighter, and full of people. But sort of.
[ He'd like to forget that now please, Shiro. He's in no hurry of letting him go, once he's got Shiro in his arms just like that, braced against his chest. ]
And no, you're definitely not okay. Ig -- uh... that guy might know something, though. Maybe it has something to do with the stones you picked up.
[ ...He's so, so sorry, Shiro. He's so bad at lying. He's just banking on Shiro being too sick to catch it. ] You need to rest. And let me handle this. Okay?
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[ That's all the sense he can make of things right now. Breathing unsteadily, he shakes his head. ]
Only touched one stone. [ His smile flashes and wanes in a moment, a private joke between them. ] It was ... a nice dark purple.
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[ Okay, he needs to tell Ignis this, but he can't leave Shiro to his own devices, and Shiro's uneven breathing sparks a fresh wave of anxiety and panic in him. What should they do? Shiro looks awful. ]
Did you get sick after that? Can you remember?
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Think so ... The well was worse, though.
[ That "resting" Keith mentioned equates to passing out, evidently. ]
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[ It was definitely cold as hell and unpleasant, but Shiro looks so bad right now he's pretty sure the stone thing is worse, right? He needs to ask Ignis about this -- the guy looks like he knows everything.
He's gently easing Shiro back onto the pillows nonetheless. ]
I'm gonna see if I can get you a change of clothes, okay...?
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He's tucking him into the warm blankets before setting off to search for the other man. ]
Ignis...?
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He's just a little way down the street, though, and crouching to examine a series of the scales when Keith makes his reappearance; he doesn't get up, but he does turn to look with a quizzical expression.]
Down here. I've come across a number of them.
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In the meantime, Keith is loathe to leave Shiro to his own devices in a place they know little about. Even if the people here seem like the decent sort, the paladin refuses to be too far from where he's sleeping. He's looking over at the colorful scales with a frown. ]
Shiro said he picked up the purple one. Don't touch it.
[ He draws closer, frowning as he nudges at it with his shoe before crouching down beside him. ]
I hear stuff like this happens a lot in this place. Is it true?
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[Almost absently, he reaches into the armiger and draws one of his spelldaggers, digging the point into the ground beneath one of the purple scales and giving it a flip into a nearby flowerbed.]
...Curious. It doesn't seem to have any affect on the flora, so it's not just that the scale itself is harmful. More likely it's some sort of enchantment, rather, triggered by contact.