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singillatim2024-03-04 12:22 pm
20likes) wrote in singillatim2024-03-04 12:22 pm
OTA - Let that yawn out;
Who: Heartman and OTA, plus a few closed starters
What: Good News: Heartman knows how to make warding amulets against the Darkwalker. Bad news: he's got Pneumonia because of it.
When: Just after the latest darkwalker attacks + just before the town meeeting
Where: Heartman's makeshift lab + cabin
Content Warnings: TBD
[ To say he's grateful to the Mountie once he sees him would be the understatement of the century. To Heartman's credit, he's managed to walk most of the way to his cabin by himself before he has to lean against the nearest wall, out of breath, the room spinning. It's not an unfamiliar sensation but it is a very, very unwelcome one.
He doesn't regret it. Heartman's sweating in the cold, his coughs are painful and his heart feels like it's working overtime despite his issue being a lung infection--he suspects he may still be immunocompromised in Milton as well, considering his condition--but if he just takes a few minutes to rest...
He looks up after trying to stop the dizziness, pushing off of the wall only to see a familiar sight: clean shaven, square jaw, red uniform. He half-waves. ]
Is it safe to presume you're rescuing me a second time? [ His smile is faint, face pale as he fights the urge to fall--best he lean back on the side of the wall again. He's clearly visibly relieved despite his small, tiny joke. ]
[ The door to his cabin and makeshift lab remains unlocked as it always does. Courtesy of a few kind people looking out for him, there's a constant fire as Heartman stays underneath thick, warm blankets on the couch. He's no stranger to falling in and out of sleep, although it's perhaps a sign he really is sick when his body completely stops its natural 20 minute cycles and he remains napping for a long, long while, only his own coughing or someone entering waking him up.
He keeps busy: he reads books, some found in his place already and some from the library if he can sucker a poor soul into going for him. He's always welcoming guests, even if he's drifting in and out of it. Dief is curled up at his feet or on top of him at times, clearly a very important part in healing.
That's not to say he isn't bored. Restlessness comes easy when he feels like he can do something--should be doing something--and a visitor who gets him on one of these moments may get him attempting to sit up, speaking after a flurry of coughs. ]
Please, stay--company would be wonderful. I'm in dire need of someone to fill me in on what I've missed. What happened while I've been gone?
[ When he feels well enough--at the very least when he can actually concentrate on something other than a few pages at a time in whatever book he's got on him--he'll get to work. After the town meeting, if anyone comes in there will be two small piles of stones on the coffee table by where he's lying or sitting down. Heartman, knife in hand as he's in the middle of carving something, will raise it slightly in a greeting. ]
Do forgive the mess.
[ It is rather cluttered. Asides from the two piles of stones and the stacks of books scattered around his spot there is also an absurd amount of scraps of paper strewn about with his handwriting as he theorizes and tries to put together pieces of a puzzle he's unsure if he'll ever solve. Stranger or friend alike, the half-smile is the same. ]
Did Fraser reach out to you about the talismans? Please, have a seat.
What: Good News: Heartman knows how to make warding amulets against the Darkwalker. Bad news: he's got Pneumonia because of it.
When: Just after the latest darkwalker attacks + just before the town meeeting
Where: Heartman's makeshift lab + cabin
Content Warnings: TBD
i. closed to Fraser;
[ To say he's grateful to the Mountie once he sees him would be the understatement of the century. To Heartman's credit, he's managed to walk most of the way to his cabin by himself before he has to lean against the nearest wall, out of breath, the room spinning. It's not an unfamiliar sensation but it is a very, very unwelcome one.
He doesn't regret it. Heartman's sweating in the cold, his coughs are painful and his heart feels like it's working overtime despite his issue being a lung infection--he suspects he may still be immunocompromised in Milton as well, considering his condition--but if he just takes a few minutes to rest...
He looks up after trying to stop the dizziness, pushing off of the wall only to see a familiar sight: clean shaven, square jaw, red uniform. He half-waves. ]
Is it safe to presume you're rescuing me a second time? [ His smile is faint, face pale as he fights the urge to fall--best he lean back on the side of the wall again. He's clearly visibly relieved despite his small, tiny joke. ]
ii. OTA - visits while ill;
[ The door to his cabin and makeshift lab remains unlocked as it always does. Courtesy of a few kind people looking out for him, there's a constant fire as Heartman stays underneath thick, warm blankets on the couch. He's no stranger to falling in and out of sleep, although it's perhaps a sign he really is sick when his body completely stops its natural 20 minute cycles and he remains napping for a long, long while, only his own coughing or someone entering waking him up.
He keeps busy: he reads books, some found in his place already and some from the library if he can sucker a poor soul into going for him. He's always welcoming guests, even if he's drifting in and out of it. Dief is curled up at his feet or on top of him at times, clearly a very important part in healing.
That's not to say he isn't bored. Restlessness comes easy when he feels like he can do something--should be doing something--and a visitor who gets him on one of these moments may get him attempting to sit up, speaking after a flurry of coughs. ]
Please, stay--company would be wonderful. I'm in dire need of someone to fill me in on what I've missed. What happened while I've been gone?
iii. OTA - darkwalker warding;
[ When he feels well enough--at the very least when he can actually concentrate on something other than a few pages at a time in whatever book he's got on him--he'll get to work. After the town meeting, if anyone comes in there will be two small piles of stones on the coffee table by where he's lying or sitting down. Heartman, knife in hand as he's in the middle of carving something, will raise it slightly in a greeting. ]
Do forgive the mess.
[ It is rather cluttered. Asides from the two piles of stones and the stacks of books scattered around his spot there is also an absurd amount of scraps of paper strewn about with his handwriting as he theorizes and tries to put together pieces of a puzzle he's unsure if he'll ever solve. Stranger or friend alike, the half-smile is the same. ]
Did Fraser reach out to you about the talismans? Please, have a seat.
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Goodsir comes to visit Heartman as soon as he hears that 1. he's back and 2. he's poorly. He brings some medicine to alleviate the symptoms, and if things get noticeably worse, he'll break out the precious antibiotics.
He's in and out, and eventually is bound to catch Heartman in one of his more voluble moments.
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Goodsir is a sight for sore eyes, and Heartman almost immediately closes the copy of Call of The Wild he'd been reading out loud to Dief, grin wide. Strange how he can live most of his years back home in quiet isolation but the moment he gets a taste of the hustle and bustle of other people, he finds himself growing completely and utterly stir crazy without it.
"Doctor Goodsir--hello. Wonderful you're hear, just the person I was hoping to see. Help yourself to tea if you'd like." a vague gesture around him. Make yourself at home, it's not like he can get it himself!
"Are you well?"
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"All things being equal ... well enough," Goodsir says, with a touch of mordant humour. He gives Dief a pat on the head and a small treat—a bit of jerky from his stores (he's gotten back in the habit of keeping animal treats in his pocket again).
"You're looking better today."
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ii
Seeing him in his current state makes her heart drop. Such an energetic man confined to his bed like this seems like a distortion of nature.
The coughing fit sounds so terrible she nearly turns and leaves, but he asks her to stay.]
Heartman, I'm pleased that you've returned, but what happened?
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Randvi's a sight for sore eyes, a pleasant diversion both aesthetically and intellectually. He's quick to assure her she can stay, really, he's fine, and manages to sit up after only a few moments. Progress, however small, is still progress. ]
Hubris. [ It's the truth. He'd thought he could handle a travel with Methuselah, and while that's technically true, this is the price him and his deformed heart had paid. The look on his eyes is clear: he doesn't regret it. ]
I went with Methuselah to speak with him about things, to learn about weather. An attempt to discern and predict the Aurora or at the very least storms--I am pleased you're here, Randvi. Take a seat. I'd offer you tea, but I'm afraid you'll have to make it yourself if you'd like some. Terribly sorry.
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Methuselah either has extremely good or poor fortune; the other two people I know who have travelled with him both returned injured.
[She is still curious about it. They aren't like the aurora at home.] Did he actually teach you to predict them?
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ii-ish
The fact he's so sick is a frightening thing, though. And that 'missing him' quickly shifts to 'worrying for him'. Especially considering he's got a heart condition. What was he thinking? He could have died, and they're losing their own fast — with everything else going on.
She'd arrived when he was already asleep and in that lull, she keeps a quiet vigil — curled up in a chair by his bedside, reading. There's little flickers of her mental voice, here and there, thanks her new... gift — soft utterances of bible verses: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
It'll stop abruptly when he awakes, and she's setting her bible to the side. ]
Hey. Mr Heartman. [ Her voice is soft, but she's... fretful, hovering. ] What do you need? Do you want me to get Constable Fraser?
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The first time he's awake--properly so, not just vaguely around with his eyes open--he's quick to shake his head. ]
There's no need, although... water, perhaps.
[ Kate's here. Of course Kate is here. Heartman's slightly pained face softens considerably, smiling. ]
How long have you been there, Kate?
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It's... hard to exactly keep track of time. [ A little while now, she guesses? She wrinkles her nose a tiny bit because it's like, totally fine. ] It's been no trouble though, for real. This technically counts as a nice change of scenery.
[ A.... joke—! And besides, keeping watch over someone who's sick actually counts as being helpful, which she's always glad to be. ]
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iii
"Not - not directly. But I did hear him mention it and - " She starts and stops, her accented English proficient but certainly not native. "I wanted to know more about them."
Anything magical or mystical is worth a look, even to a Svetlana who doesn't have magic. She's always been interested in folklore, in learning.
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Thank goodness.
"You're welcome to pull up a chair, although I understand if you'd like to keep your distance." Heartman genuinely doesn't seem to mind. He motions with the knife--he clearly talks with his hands--to the kitchen behind him, speaking in a gravelly, fried voice from coughing so much.
"Happy to tell you all I know. Perhaps in exchange for small act of some tea?"
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"Yes, yes. Are you well?" she asks.
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iii, but sliiightly wildcarding it, if that's okay!
In truth, Heartman doesn't seem like such a bad person to be around. Even if he is overly social - a trait Billy often shies away from, especially when one of the lieutenants he served back home was just like that - he does have some sort of positive energy about him that Billy can appreciate in people, deep down.
Hence why he probably even visits a few times while the other is ill. And when Heartman is feeling good enough again to actually get to work and invites Billy over to help, of course he shows up then too. ]
I have to warn you, I can't say I've ever done much crafting.
[ It's different from mending, after all! Clothes are one thing, Billy is pretty good at those, but the things Heartman had been describing.. He isn't too sure how he'll fare there, though he's willing to give it a try. ]
Will accuracy be important? [ Down to business real quick as always, even taking a seat already near the materials Heartman's got lying around. He's just kind of bad at small talk.. ]
yeSSSSS come to me
This isn't like the Bridges I expansion westward. This isn't like helping Sam reconnect America. This is something else, something different, and simple act of a presence in his house, be it Fraser or Kate or Billy, gives him a reminder to keep on keeping on. It's nice, that reminder. It's something to hold onto. He'd been missing that since his wife and child were caught in the death stranding. ]
I can't say I have, either, but as accurate as possible, please. Practice makes perfect.
[ They're truly in this together. It's a good thing it's not that hard to find little pebbles that work. ]
There was a colleague of mine who would be perfect for this. A brilliant scientist--far greater than me--who made all sorts of things. Beautiful things. Useful things. Tools, and gadgets. The network which we all communicate on. We called her Mama.
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Besides, he's perfectly capable of multitasking, between looking at this thing and actually still listening to Heartman. Some of the more outrageous sounding things he says certainly aren't all that surprising to Billy anymore. He's just accepted it as part of the other rather than questioning it. It's easier. ]
A nickname? [ He asks - still staring at the example and turning it over in his hands, but seemingly listening to the other well enough at the same time. ]
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cw: period-typical homophobia
bILLLYYYYY
he's been straight up not having a good time!!!!!
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iii
...Yeah, he said something about it at the community hall. We had a meeting. I wanted to see one, if I could?
[To see if he recognizes the sigil at all.]
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And lacking something very significant.
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What's it missing?
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i.
[ Although it's undoubtedly accurate. He's there in the next moment, one strong arm going around Heartman's back to support the other man as he slings Heartman's arm over his own shoulders. Diefenbaker watches with interest before turning around to trot back the way he and Fraser had come, and Fraser starts following, holding up almost all of Heartman's weight. ]
I'm just glad to see you.
[ He hopes it was worth it. Never in a million years would he have counseled Heartman to take a trip into the wilds with Methuselah; even without his fatal heart condition, the scientist is terribly frail. ]
Did you find what you were hoping for?
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Oh, absolutely not!
[ But he's delighted nonetheless. Even if Fraser doesn't glance over to see the small smile on his face, the little grin is easily detectable despite his frail state. He's both warm and hot. And... dizzy, oddly enough. He has just a little stumble, but with Fraser there it's easy not to fall. ]
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[ Well, he sounds cheerful about it, at least. Fraser can feel the heat of Heartman's fever baking off the man's lanky body, and starts making a list in his head of everything they'll need: blankets. A fire. Some sort of electrolyte drink... once Heartman is ensconced in front of a fire with some soup and tea, Fraser decides, he'll go tap some of the many birch trees around to collect enough sap for the man to drink. ]
I hope you didn't come back from this excursion with nothing to show for it aside from an infection, Heartman.
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iii
He mentioned it at the big town meeting. I thought I'd come see how things were going and if you needed any help.
[ She moves further into the room, deftly stepping around any clutter to claim a seat around the coffee table. Her worn purple backpack is set on the floor beside her before she unzips the oversized coat she'd found in town. ]
My name's Daisy, by the way. I'm new.
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[ Heartman's lips lift in what he hopes is a smile that's less miserable than he looks. Jury's out if that's accurate or not. ]
Pleasure to meet you, you can call me Heartman--thank you, yes, take a seat. [ She already has. Heartman seems to realize this only after the fact. ]
I certainly wouldn't say no to a pair of hands. Whittling and carving aren't my strong suit.
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ii.
[ He claps his hands together lightly, rubbing his palms in a quick motion as he comes closer. Despite not being explicitly invited here, the Doctor certainly takes the unlocked door as invitation enough, not only for his presence but as an assumption that he can just barrel in with chatter like they're already old friends. Well — he did offer for him to stay. ]
I'm the Doctor, here to help! And just who do I have the absolute pleasure of meeting?
[ If it's possible for any sort to completely misread the general vibe or mood and be entirely out of place, it's certainly always going to be the Doctor. ]
i am so sorry for the lateness! vaycay + heartman tags escaped me
Heartman. It's my pleasure, really.
[ He's almost immediately matching the mood despite his level way of speaking and how hoarse coughing has made him. Being called dreadful doesn't seem to bother him in the least. Honesty is appreciated! ]
You're... [ How to phrase this politely? ] a new arrival?
[ He'd remember this energy 100% otherwise. ]
you're all good friend!
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