middaeg | [closed] and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

[There are several downsides to not having an established bond for a few months. It leaves Zack feeling like there’s something hollow inside of him. And it makes him itch when he’s near other witches. The worst part is probably the fitful sleeps and the way his body burns when the moons get closer.

He has to do something to tide him over until he can decide on someone he can trust to bond with him. And that means he seeks out Elliot for something temporary. He goes to where Elliot lives and knocks on the door.]

Elliot, it’s Zack. I need to ask you something.

[Luckily, Elliot was home and near enough to the door to be the one to answer. No having to explain to the other people from Elliot's world what he was doing here.

Elliot himself is not sure why he is, but it's not like him to turn away a friend who needs help so he'll open the door and hear him out]

Hey Zack. What's up?

[Zack raises a hand and waves.]

Yo! Hm.

[It's probably pretty strange that a fully transformed chimera needs to ask something like this. He was lucky enough to have a bond for nearly a full straight six months and now...]

I was wondering if I could ask you to bond with me. [...] Temporarily. Again.

[Strange, maybe. But really what part of Elliot's life ISN'T strange]

A temporary bond again?

[He wasn't expecting this]

Well, sure - did your old bond leave?

[Zack scratches the back of his head sheepishly.]

Yeah, he's been gone for about a month now. It's starting to ... uh.

[Make him itch and feel depressed TIME TO SMILE--]

It'll just be for a bit, that's cool, right?

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Zack....

[He never knew Zack's bond, but it's always sad to hear someone important leave his friend's lives]

Yeah, that's cool with me. Though... [Boy, he bites his lip] There's probably something you should know before getting into a bond with me again.

[Zack shrugs easily. It happens to a lot of people so Zack doesn't really feel right about complaining.]

Hm? What's that?

Well...

[How to sum this up quickly]

The past few months, I've been investigating what happens to the severe cases of Cwyld in the Coven's infirmary. And I've hit a lucky break where they might let me into the basement area, but...first I have build up a resistance to Cwyld.

[...]

So I might be...slightly infected right now.

Oh shit?

[Zack looks surprised but honestly Elliot's work with trying to figure out more about cwyld and everything behind it has always been good work. Zack doesn't seem too phased by it. Maybe because... He pulls down the collar of his shirt to expose part of his shoulder. There's a bandaged puncture wound there. The tell-tale signs of some black lines of cwyld seeping out from under the bandage.]

I'm healing from a hit myself, right now. It's not bad, though. It shouldn't make much of a difference. Unless the infection somehow messes with both sides of the bond?

[ZACK. WHY. Elliot's eyes widen and he immediately goes into fretting mode]

Wha- Zack! That looks bad! Are you okay?!

Please tell me you've been to a healer!

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it.

[He lifts an arm to show Elliot that he's mostly okay. Shrug shrug. See? He's fine. Mostly! It's just a scratch!]

It's not as bad as it looks. Just ran into a feisty creature out in the wilde. But what about you? Are you gonna be okay? That's a long way to go for research, Elliot.

[He knows Elliot is a smart cookie but to willingly try to build up a resistance to a dark magic disease? It's Hojo levels of dedication but with more honour.]

[He is not reassured!!!]

Yeah, I'll be alright. The friends I live with are keeping an eye on me to make sure it doesn't go wrong. [He's being careful!!!] And if it means I'll be closer to finding the people who've disappeared from outside the wall, it's worth the risk.

[Being infected wasn't pleasant, but it was nothing compared to what his students might be going through]

But really Zack, I'd feel better if you'd let me take a look at it. I know how to treat small cases of Cwyld now.

[Zack makes a frown. More at the idea that Elliot really is going through with this and it's a natural concern but at least he's being careful...]

I hope you'll ask if you need help, then. With any of it.

[He guesses he has to do the same in return so he nods.]

And alright, I'll let you look. But seriously, it's not as bad as it looks.

[Elliot won't argue about the feelings of concern. HE has concerns about this. But it was necessary.]

I will, promise.

[He does mean it. He's not so terrible at asking for help]

Yeah, but it could get bad. [He gestures for Zack to follow him. His medical supplies is in his room. It's not a far walk, luckily]

[Zack nods with affirmation and follows Elliot while shoving his hands into his pockets.]

I guess you'd be the expert on if it will or not now, huh. What do they have you doing to get you used to cwyld anyway?

Yeah, I have studied it maybe more than any other Mirrorbound yet.

[A simple inquiry months ago sure has expanded into a real wild ride, he has to say.

When they reach Elliot's room, Elliot indicates for him to sit down in his desk chair. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the room looks like a music room with a bed put in there. There's instruments all over the place, along with other musical equipment he's acquired.

Elliot himself heads over to his shelves, where he may be using a footstool to reach the top shelves where he put his medical supplies]

They injected me with a small seed infected with Cwyld. I have to keep in me for a few months, and it should help build up my resistance. [Assuming they're telling the truth] I have to do a bunch of reading and intern at the clinic.

[Zack does as he's instructed and moves to sit down at the chair given. He glances around the room idly for about half a second before he stares at Elliot with a shocked expression.]

Injected? A seed?! Into you?!

[wtf? ... It really is some fucked up Hojo level tinkering. Zack frowns...]

[Wow talk about lucky that he told him to sit down.]

E-Er...yeah. It's in my arm.

[He has his own concerns about it, but he wasn't expecting THAT strong of reaction to it]

[It's a strong reaction because he knows what human experimentation can do?! Speaking from personal experience here...]

And everyone just thinks it's okay that you do that? Have it stuck in you? What if it backfires? What if you get seriously messed up or hurt?

[Elliot is SMALL]

My friends trust my judgement. And we're keeping an eye on it. If it gets out of hand, we'll remove the seed.

[Elliot meanwhile is remaining firm on his stance.]

I know it's concerning, Zack, but it's something I have to do. I just wanted to tell you because it's something you should know if you're gonna bond with me.

Yeah, I get that. But what if you're alone or they can't get you to someone who can help fast enough. What if it gets out of hand before you can even get the seed out.

[Zack frowns and runs a hand through his dark hair. He doesn't like it. He doesn't like that Elliot is going to be using his body for this when they don't know what could happen. Here he thought it was going to be maybe a spell of dark magic here and there, maybe coming into contact with some light spores of cwyld. Not having it injected like that. Having people watch over Elliot and trust his judgement is all fine and dandy but what if Elliot spirals to a point where he can't come back from it.

He's just worried. Elliot's been a good friend to him and he cares quite a lot.]

... You're pretty set on this then?

Edited 2019-12-21 01:17 (UTC)

Zack....

[He frowns some, looking worried at the other guy. This wasn't just about Cwyld, was it? Zack treated his own infection like it was nothing. But something about the seed really bothered the guy. Elliot wasn't sure what...and it only made him realize just how little he knew about his friend's life. Just what made him this worried?]

...I am. [He doesn't sound happy or dismissive of Zack's concern, because he has plenty of his own, but...] Some students of mine disappeared. It's been months and they haven't come home. Their friends and families asked me to find them, they're really worried. And ... the trail's led to whatever's down in that basement.

So I can't turn away now. Not until I get some real answers.

[Basements. God, he hates basements.]

Right...

[Can't say he really blames Elliot's reasonings. If it were him he'd be jumping the bandwagon to seed-ville too. It's just rubbing him the wrong way seeing a friend do it instead of himself.]

You would've been a good SOLDIER if you came from my world, Elliot.

[He moves to pull off his shirt to expose the coin-sized puncture wound on his shoulder that has some black spots of cwyld blotching around it.]

[Basements are the worst, so that's fair.

Elliot approaches him, bending down a little to examine that puncture. Digging up a vile of magic cream, he'll start drawing an enchantment on Zack's skin near the area.

As for Zack's remark, Elliot knows it's meant to be complimentary, but boy does that sound ironic to Elliot's ears- especially when you can't hear the name said in caps]

Aha...my dad actually wanted me to be one. That's why I was at military school. [He offers a little shrug, willing to get away from the subject of his own infection] I didn't follow through though.

[Zack lets the other work without much fuss. The wound is about a week old or so, scabbed and trying to heal. The touch of magic is fairly familiar to Zack now.]

Your military school, right? Your classmates mentioned some of that.

[He grins a little, although it's still a little strained.]

What changed for you?

[closed] and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

Elliot Craig

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