NAKAMAAAAAAAAAAA

[intellectualrapist]

[After intense debate - a word which here means 'a lot of whining and pouting' - Erika got Zelos's permission to go talk to Willard. The only conditions were that Zelos be allowed to wait nearby and no fighting. Both very reasonable requests, really, considering the state Erika was left in after the last talk.

Right now, she has a theory. Will's been in a bad state and probably by this point doesn't even know what day it is or what events are going on. Probably he was at fault for the whole Dagon thing but that's not so surprising. More surprising is that it happened. And Mikado wants to talk to Will about it, meaning who knows what could happen, but Erika wants to check Will's mood first.

So Zelos gets to wait with some church ladies while Erika heads Will off. If she's right, he probably still was thinking he had to show up at Dagon at some point to check on her, too. Or he's just really out of it and who knows but either way, given everything that happened and Will's status, she figures her guess is spot on when she catches Will heading out.]

Willard, you're looking splendid as ever.

Comments

[intellectualrapist]

[Erika's grin widens and she places a hand on her chest with pride.]

I am now your sister, not your cat! We share blood after all, Willard.

[alethiological]

Sister. [With that odd tone of someone who's never had siblings or family members and is kind of 'durr?' at the concept.

Though the tone dies in an instant as that's too much effort when life is pain, and staying on the ground with his eyes shut. The hand on hers doesn't loosen.] Right. Idiot sister.

[intellectualrapist]

[Erika smiles brightly. 'Sister.' It has a nice ring to it. Not that she was ever close to her family but maybe that's why it sounds so nice. It just has a nice feeling of belonging.

And then she punches his healing scythe wound.] Stupid onii-chan!

[alethiological]

[Only Erika would be horrible to hit someone trying to fight off a heart attack. It also means the only punishment she gets is a sound of agony meeting misery as he curls a bit further around the injury. No backlashes of kicking her ribs or punching her in the face. Reality blacking out again is more important here.

But oh how she will pay for that later. Realize that, Erika.]

[intellectualrapist]

[Whoops. That's right he's sort of half-dead at the moment.]

Ahh, are you okay? Willard?

[alethiological]

[She gets a faint, irritated 'nn' sound and he drags his hand off hers. Which is hard when your nerves are shot, but he doesn't care. He's mad at you Erika. Bad sister.]

[intellectualrapist]

[She loves you?] ...Willaaaaard?

[alethiological]

[No, still mad. Bad sister. But he still answers with a muffled and flat] What?

[intellectualrapist]

[Poooooooooke in the cheek. Leaning in to try to see his face.] Are you going to be okay? This is ruining our sacred ceremony. Willaaaaard onii-chan, get better soon!

[alethiological]

[He's still pale as death, left arm still shaking from shot nerves, and pained eyes open enough to glare at her.] Call me 'onii-chan' again and I kick you in the ribs.

[The soft tone is still angry enough to mean it.]

[intellectualrapist]

It's not like I have a brother complex, so you can relax.

[alethiological]

In the ribs.

[He is not kidding Erika, do not make him spritz you.]

[intellectualrapist]

All right, all right. [She giggles and sits back, smiling.] I suppose if you can still threaten me so seriously, you'll be fine.

[He might notice she actually relaxes now. This whole time she's been worried but Will acting like, well, normal... that's good enough.]

[alethiological]

[He does notice. Normally, he wouldn't call her out on it. Right now, she needs him acting normally to keep herself relaxed. Apparently, he is an asshole normally. Which means calling her out.]

Little sister worried on my behalf? How cute.

[intellectualrapist]

[Observe, a Willard in his natural state of mind: an asshole.]

I wasn't worried at all! You're just being dramatic and whiny over a little sting!

[alethiological]

[Poor tsunsis. He laughs a bit, shaking as he moves slowly, but ultimately succeeding in getting back against the wall. Kind of. There's still that wavering balance that looks like he's going to fall over again. But hey, been through worse. Barely.]

If you call concept denials 'stings'! Nngh... [Owowowow getting too angry still hurts lousy stupid heart failure-] Did my writer get heart attacks at a young age or something? This is nonsense...

[Cynicism and irritation work fine though. Good, he can work with that.]

[intellectualrapist]

[Erika starts laughing, because ahhh yes she remembers that. Sure it sort of helped lead to this but as a moment itself, it was just so much fun. And totally awesome. And- Wait what did he say?]

...Uhmm... [Erika pauses. Quick reference check. ...Ah.] ...Well! Be careful just in case?

[alethiological]

[He was making a joke, actually. So that reaction... Well. Erika's not a very subtle person. That was a dodge of the answer so she doesn't concept deny him. But still a yes.

This still takes a bit to process, and still doesn't really make it all the way.] Excuse me?

[intellectualrapist]

[Well, she can't concept deny him. He's already in pain worthy of it. So she laughs a little again and scratches her head.]

Some people have heart troubles, don't they? Even while they're young they could get their first heart attack and die in a few years from another. Of course, if it's caught early on and taken care of with medicine, I'm sure nothing bad will come of it. In fact, proper care would be enough for sure. People who don't and stay stressed might not be all right, though, right?

[Talking in this way sounds really, really stupid. But it does avoid a concept denial. Hopefully he understands it, though.]

[alethiological]

[That was so unsubtle she should win the award for unsubtlety. But she doesn't get called out on it, for once. She'll know why she isn't simply because Will's staring at the opposing wall with a vaguely blank expression. Less feeling nothing and more out of shock, like someone just told him exactly how stupidly he's going to die.

Oh, wait. She did. And she did avoid a concept denial while getting her point driven in. There's one of those hollow little laughs here, attempting to play it off. Doesn't work well but at least it was an attempt.] They don't have that kind of treatment yet, huh. What's worse. Cardiac arrest or Jade?

[intellectualrapist]

[Her poor BROTHER!!!

Erika pats him lightly on the arm. Look, comfort! Well, she's trying. She hardly wants him to die like a moron of a heart attack.] Jade seems like someone who can create a treatment. It would be worth considering.

[alethiological]

[Comfort is good. It means she's learning how to care about people more openinly. Caring mixed with her statement earns a groan. Ughhhhh Jade.]

I'd say I'd rather die than deal with him, but not of something that stupid. That'd be equal to you getting capped executioner-style by Lion.

[intellectualrapist]

[That earns a frown. Gross, Willard. How could you suggest something that stupid? But either way he gets the point. Good.]

Wow, that really is stupid. Then it's a good thing you'll have it taken care of, yes?

[alethiological]

Yeah. Have to deal with Lion first.

[Not looking forward to that one, but it'll make Jade a bit more tolerable.]

[intellectualrapist]

Ah... well. Good luck with that.

[She means it at least? She knows that won't be...fun.]