[Boxer's such a big, and ultimately well functioning guy, that she had never imagined him getting sick. Some incredibly unfair and ridiculous work related injury? That felt way more likely and it was what she was prepared for, not the sudden alteration of his usually smooth voice. The moment he called her she up and left work, and put some of her vacation time to proper use.
He called her twenty minutes ago, tops, and she's already half stumbling through the door, her work bag half fallen down her arm.]
Boxer! [She's usually a little more organized about coming home but fuck that, man, getting to him is the most important thing. Thankfully it seems he's just laid out on the couch and she touches his face a little gently, as if she might accidentally break the poor man.] Oh, sweetheart ...
[If she could back smack a cold then she would, but for right now she's just gonna kiss his forehead.]
[It's obvious he's sick just by looking at him. His eyes are sunken and his skin seems to be making half-hearted attempts to camouflage with the couch, while his tentacles are lifelessly still when they're usually wriggling about without abandon.]
Nariko...
[He doesn't remember the last time he was sick, and if he did, it surely wouldn't have been this bad.]
You'll have to call everyone and let them know I can't show up for work today...
[She'd chide him for thinking about work before anything else if she wouldn't have done the exact same thing, and also if he wasn't the major protecting factor of the bay itself.] It's early enough that they'll find someone to take over, try not to worry about it. [She eases his bangs out of the way and kisses his forehead - on top of the color shifting his skin doesn't even feel normal. Christ.]
Have you eaten anything?
[She's pulling her phone out and adjusting a bit so that she can hold him and call at the same time.]
No...I can't sit up long enough to get anything done.
[Basically getting from one place to the next is hard enough, he feels like he weighs three times as much as he actually does and his hearts are working overtime even when he's horizontal.]
Then you get to eat the one, single thing that I can make!
[It's only fit for situations like these ... And half the time she still fucks it up, but maybe it'll be easier to pay attention since it's for Boxer.] Give me one second, handsome.
[While she calls his work Nariko sifts her fingers through his hair, rhythmic and well practiced. They are politely informed that Boxer is out sick for at least today and tomorrow, and he would be back as soon as possible. She's on a little bit longer after that, and when she pulls the phone away there's an almost wistful - if still concerned - smile on her face.]
They're really worried about you. [Which tells her Boxer's probably never taken a sick day in his life, but he's got sweet coworkers who aren't dicks. It's kind of a relief. She sets her phone off to one side and hugs him very gently.] How does water and a giant blanket sound?
[Oh, that's definitely on the list, too! But first things first - he needs some water and at least a little something in his very impressive stomach. The good thing is that Boxer seems pretty good about shopping, and Nariko had actually already picked up chicken and some of her favorite vegetables. It only takes her a few seconds to get the pot going - all she has to do is throw everything in there and pay attention tot he smell! She gets a tall glass of water and sets that nearby - but she comes back with the biggest blanket she can find.
Nariko spreads it over Boxer as if it's a mathematical equation that she has to take great care to solve, and each unmoving tentacle is gently guided underneath the blanket, and rubbed soothingly. Poor guys and gals.]
Okay, it's going to take at least thirty minutes, so we've got a little bit. [Maybe he can get a nap in, but she tries to help him move before sitting back down again. And, yes, this time her lap and everything else attached is open for laying on, and she's got the water and remote nearby.]
[It feels good to be touched. It feels good to have her cool hands against the feverish skin that reaches all the way down to the tips of his tentacles--and she could even see the impact she had on them because their weird half-hearted attempt to blend into the couch stops for a while where she touched him.]
Thanks.
[He does take a few gulps of water but he's mostly interested in cuddling up on her lap. Ahh...maybe he can fall asleep like this.]
Y'can turn on the TV if you want...if you keep it down...
[The lap is open and as soon as he's gotten comfortable on her she slides her fingers through his hair, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. Yeah, she definitely isn't getting up anytime soon.]
No, there's nothing more important than watching you. [That has to be one of the most terrible lines she's ever come up with, but it's also incredibly genuine.]
Besides, when you fall asleep I'm totally going to start reading out loud, you'll have to tell me if you remember anything from it.
[In his head, he appreciates the terrible line. Unfortunately, none of it manages to escape his thoughts as any physical response. He lets out a throaty noise in understanding, and he buries his face against her lap to block out the light in attempt to sleep.]
Of course. [She pulls the blanket up a bit more to help block out the light. She'd turn them all off if she wouldn't need to get up and go back to the kitchen eventually.]
It's a book about an emotionally isolated and difficult woman finding love and coming to grips with incredibly trauma thanks to an amazing individual she meets on a beach.
[What an incredibly convoluted way of saying she's reading a boring romance book. Or something.]
[... Is he okay? Is he so feverish that she needs to consider the hospital?]
Well, it's a story that occurs in big segments, so we're very far off from the ending, don't worry. [She bends and twists to be able to kiss his forehead.]
Instead of coming up with an ending we'll just read another story, it won't be as cool but it'll tie up neatly enough, I'm sure.
[ .... She'll read fanfiction on her phone and just change the names when she reads it to him ...]
Oh. [... Man, how did that work? Wouldn't the hooves be a little bit of a concern and the positioning -- Okay now is not the time to think about that. She rubs his back in wide, slightly firm motions. Boxer is the only one allowed to cough into an eight hundred dollar dress, man. That's some real love.]
I feel like this is another reminder that I'm supposed to tell you about college if you tell me about your exes. [Because she just keeps forgetting to relate some of those adventures.
Also probably something awful like Law&Order or Bones type shows, fanfiction of that, where the fic writers characterizations are way more fleshed out and poignant than the actual crappy network writing.]
[He doesn't know it's eight hundred dollars. He knows it's a pretty dress, but if he knew how much it was, he'd probably be trying to hold onto his coughing.]
His--[cough]--name was Sjors. Had the most magnificent long blonde hair I've ever seen on a living being, ever. And we were the same size, so there was a lot of camaraderie, and...we were really into each other, but he decided the city wasn't for him...
[That would be a terrible idea, and an expensive dress is absolutely nothing compared to Boxer's health and comfort, so it all works out.
... She has no idea how one would spell 'Sjors', that sounds like an incredibly unique name. And that's coming from a woman whose own name absolutely does not fit her voice or appearance.]
What, and you weren't tempted to run off into the Country with him?
[She's teasing, of course, and continues to alternate between rubbing his back and petting his hair.]
[Of course he couldn't, she knew it, but either the joke went over his head or it's still a vaguely serious thought for him.]
You know my weaknesses, handsome. [Although emotionally sensitive types don't always do so well with her.] Well, hey, if you ever wanna go visit him for a few days, there's still the aqua bed, and the ecosystem would recover.
[By now the smell of chicken and vegetables is beginning to fill up his apartment, but she doesn't make a move to get up yet.]
I swear being with you really has made me a much better person, Boxer. I'm not even jealous.
[And usually she would be frothing a little at the idea of someone before her, someone that might be better or love harder or satisfy better than she could. But, nope, totally chill.]
No way...I know if I ever visited him we'd have sex for hours. Can't do that stuff anymore.
[He means emotionally sensitive in the best way--the kind that Sjors could see through anyone like an open book, which was both eerie and soothing to Boxer who tends to try to hide things when he's uncomfortable.]
Yeah?
[He's smiling, even though his face is a bit buried.]
Glad to hear it...I'm much happier with you in my life, too...
[Which is why he can't go around fucking God-tier-handsome centaurs.]
[She had kind of meant they could all have sex for hours and therefore no one would be cheating, but her newfound growth doesn't extent to people who might potentially wield the ability to take Boxer from her.
So she lets that topic go pretty easily.]
Even when you're sicker than a dog at the vet.
[Was that supposed to be a metaphor??? Who knows. She keeps petting him, though, and graduates to gently running the tips of her nails along his shoulders, and then goes a step forward to massage him gently.]
When you have something on your stomach you need to get some real sleep, okay?
[Well, for one, he has no idea that's what she was proposing. And two: she doesn't have to worry about Sjors being competition, because their environment needs were so radically different that it broke them up in the first place.]
I'd rather be here than at the vet.
[Because that's...despite all of the progress the culture has made to include monsterkind into the fold, they're still treated by veterinarians, not medical doctors. Not that Boxer has ever expressed a sensitivity to it--it's just that, like anyone else, he'd rather be in his own bed (tank) than a hard examination table.
He groans pleasantly at the massaging. He wants her to move lower, like his lumbar area, but he doesn't want to lose his lap-pillow either. He gives her a tired nod to agree with the idea of food...]
[She ... Really wants to say something about that because why the hell would any monsterkind go to a vet? Vets were for animals who didn't have the sense nor capability to take care of themselves or communicate. It seemed ludicrous to her, but it was a topic saved for much later, when he wasn't feeling as if death had warmed over all of his internal parts.]
Mm. Have you already been in there? I could get them out and put them in a bowl for a little while, just to keep them safe?
[But if he's already contaminated them then it's just a matter of time - though it might be depressing to leave them in there with him for their final moments, too.]
Maybe I should make sure to run the StarBot first, too ... [Of course she has no idea if that makes it more or less comfortable for him, so maybe it's just the thought that counts here. In any case, she might slowly make her way down to his lumbar because she's already inching downward as it is.]
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He called her twenty minutes ago, tops, and she's already half stumbling through the door, her work bag half fallen down her arm.]
Boxer! [She's usually a little more organized about coming home but fuck that, man, getting to him is the most important thing. Thankfully it seems he's just laid out on the couch and she touches his face a little gently, as if she might accidentally break the poor man.] Oh, sweetheart ...
[If she could back smack a cold then she would, but for right now she's just gonna kiss his forehead.]
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Nariko...
[He doesn't remember the last time he was sick, and if he did, it surely wouldn't have been this bad.]
You'll have to call everyone and let them know I can't show up for work today...
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[She'd chide him for thinking about work before anything else if she wouldn't have done the exact same thing, and also if he wasn't the major protecting factor of the bay itself.] It's early enough that they'll find someone to take over, try not to worry about it. [She eases his bangs out of the way and kisses his forehead - on top of the color shifting his skin doesn't even feel normal. Christ.]
Have you eaten anything?
[She's pulling her phone out and adjusting a bit so that she can hold him and call at the same time.]
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[Basically getting from one place to the next is hard enough, he feels like he weighs three times as much as he actually does and his hearts are working overtime even when he's horizontal.]
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[It's only fit for situations like these ... And half the time she still fucks it up, but maybe it'll be easier to pay attention since it's for Boxer.] Give me one second, handsome.
[While she calls his work Nariko sifts her fingers through his hair, rhythmic and well practiced. They are politely informed that Boxer is out sick for at least today and tomorrow, and he would be back as soon as possible. She's on a little bit longer after that, and when she pulls the phone away there's an almost wistful - if still concerned - smile on her face.]
They're really worried about you. [Which tells her Boxer's probably never taken a sick day in his life, but he's got sweet coworkers who aren't dicks. It's kind of a relief. She sets her phone off to one side and hugs him very gently.] How does water and a giant blanket sound?
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[He says that now, while he can still breathe.]
They both sound like a dream.
[But he more than anything wants to use her lap as a pillow...but if she's gonna cook something, he'd better wait to ask...]
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Nariko spreads it over Boxer as if it's a mathematical equation that she has to take great care to solve, and each unmoving tentacle is gently guided underneath the blanket, and rubbed soothingly. Poor guys and gals.]
Okay, it's going to take at least thirty minutes, so we've got a little bit. [Maybe he can get a nap in, but she tries to help him move before sitting back down again. And, yes, this time her lap and everything else attached is open for laying on, and she's got the water and remote nearby.]
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Thanks.
[He does take a few gulps of water but he's mostly interested in cuddling up on her lap. Ahh...maybe he can fall asleep like this.]
Y'can turn on the TV if you want...if you keep it down...
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No, there's nothing more important than watching you. [That has to be one of the most terrible lines she's ever come up with, but it's also incredibly genuine.]
Besides, when you fall asleep I'm totally going to start reading out loud, you'll have to tell me if you remember anything from it.
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...read s'mthing happy then...
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It's a book about an emotionally isolated and difficult woman finding love and coming to grips with incredibly trauma thanks to an amazing individual she meets on a beach.
[What an incredibly convoluted way of saying she's reading a boring romance book. Or something.]
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[Sounds good! He snuggles in to get some proper sleep...
....then realizes.]
Wait. I think I know this story...
[It sounds awfully familiar, Nariko!!]
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[And she and Boxer were way cooler than horses.
She reaches under the blanket to run her fingers through his hair a bit.] Besides, I can't imagine a happier story than ours.
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[Thanks for that...valuable input, Boxer?]
Yeah, but there's no ending yet...
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[... Is he okay? Is he so feverish that she needs to consider the hospital?]
Well, it's a story that occurs in big segments, so we're very far off from the ending, don't worry. [She bends and twists to be able to kiss his forehead.]
Instead of coming up with an ending we'll just read another story, it won't be as cool but it'll tie up neatly enough, I'm sure.
[ .... She'll read fanfiction on her phone and just change the names when she reads it to him ...]
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[hold on brb coughing fit.
What kind of fanfiction? She might not even need to change the names.]
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I feel like this is another reminder that I'm supposed to tell you about college if you tell me about your exes. [Because she just keeps forgetting to relate some of those adventures.
Also probably something awful like Law&Order or Bones type shows, fanfiction of that, where the fic writers characterizations are way more fleshed out and poignant than the actual crappy network writing.]
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His--[cough]--name was Sjors. Had the most magnificent long blonde hair I've ever seen on a living being, ever. And we were the same size, so there was a lot of camaraderie, and...we were really into each other, but he decided the city wasn't for him...
[He'd be into that, honestly.]
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... She has no idea how one would spell 'Sjors', that sounds like an incredibly unique name. And that's coming from a woman whose own name absolutely does not fit her voice or appearance.]
What, and you weren't tempted to run off into the Country with him?
[She's teasing, of course, and continues to alternate between rubbing his back and petting his hair.]
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[The affection...actually really, really helps, and not in just the way he imagined it would.]
I think you would've liked him. Quiet. [Coming from Boxer, that's saying something.] Artsy. Emotionally sensitive. Ripped. [Cough.]
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You know my weaknesses, handsome. [Although emotionally sensitive types don't always do so well with her.] Well, hey, if you ever wanna go visit him for a few days, there's still the aqua bed, and the ecosystem would recover.
[By now the smell of chicken and vegetables is beginning to fill up his apartment, but she doesn't make a move to get up yet.]
I swear being with you really has made me a much better person, Boxer. I'm not even jealous.
[And usually she would be frothing a little at the idea of someone before her, someone that might be better or love harder or satisfy better than she could. But, nope, totally chill.]
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[He means emotionally sensitive in the best way--the kind that Sjors could see through anyone like an open book, which was both eerie and soothing to Boxer who tends to try to hide things when he's uncomfortable.]
Yeah?
[He's smiling, even though his face is a bit buried.]
Glad to hear it...I'm much happier with you in my life, too...
[Which is why he can't go around fucking God-tier-handsome centaurs.]
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So she lets that topic go pretty easily.]
Even when you're sicker than a dog at the vet.
[Was that supposed to be a metaphor??? Who knows. She keeps petting him, though, and graduates to gently running the tips of her nails along his shoulders, and then goes a step forward to massage him gently.]
When you have something on your stomach you need to get some real sleep, okay?
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I'd rather be here than at the vet.
[Because that's...despite all of the progress the culture has made to include monsterkind into the fold, they're still treated by veterinarians, not medical doctors. Not that Boxer has ever expressed a sensitivity to it--it's just that, like anyone else, he'd rather be in his own bed (tank) than a hard examination table.
He groans pleasantly at the massaging. He wants her to move lower, like his lumbar area, but he doesn't want to lose his lap-pillow either. He gives her a tired nod to agree with the idea of food...]
I hope I don't get my fish sick...
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Mm. Have you already been in there? I could get them out and put them in a bowl for a little while, just to keep them safe?
[But if he's already contaminated them then it's just a matter of time - though it might be depressing to leave them in there with him for their final moments, too.]
Maybe I should make sure to run the StarBot first, too ... [Of course she has no idea if that makes it more or less comfortable for him, so maybe it's just the thought that counts here. In any case, she might slowly make her way down to his lumbar because she's already inching downward as it is.]
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