fabrecation | 024 [Voice/Video]

[When the journal opens, there's a redhead who looks as if he wants to do nothing more than climb into a bed and sleep. A good explanation for that should show itself just as he opens his mouth to speak.]

Hey –

[Because he suddenly lurches forward and coughs harshly, though he tries ducking out of view of the camera. There's a slight sniffle before he leans in again, just after he wipes his mouth and nose with the back of his hand. His cheeks are slightly flushed, too, with signs of a fever.]

I'm back. Anyone know what day it is? [And he ducks his head again to cough, though not quite as hard as before. As for the question? Because he'd really like to know how close it is to that accursed Valentine's holiday.

... But now that he's got that journal open, he pauses, looks off with an expression of uncertainty towards the village and flexes his left hand, then squints slightly as he works on a filter. Ugh, it's hard to work with this stupid foggy ache in his head. Yet he knows that it'd be dangerous otherwise, especially with the topic of his questioning.]

[Filtered to Jade... and Dist//100%]

Could you take a look at me when I get back to the village? Something happened to me back there... [He does hate getting examined, especially for medical reasons. But this is extremely important.]

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It's fine... I'm fine.

[Might as well get going. He looks back towards where Noelle walked out of the room for a moment before he turns and leaves, still holding on tight to Tear's hand. It helps him keep his balance a little, and to think about something else. He needs to think of other things... not like how he saw through his own hand, or...]

[If Tear had any problem with him holding on to her hand at this point, it did not show on her face as she leads them to the door and holds it open for the two of them, determined to help him safely reach there. Hoping that not too many people would disrupt them on the way there, even if they would be happy to know that Luke was back in the village with them. That could wait until later, when he was ready to face everyone on his own terms.]

[Luke leans his shoulder against hers, though he doesn't use his full weight. He just needs something to keep him going. A warmth to let him know that he's not alone in this. The fact that it's Tear's warmth just pushes him further.

The walk is long and slow, and there are a couple of times where Luke has to stop and press his free hand against his forehead, trying to stop the dizziness as well as the ache. There are a few times where Luke just wanted to lie down and give up and not walk anymore. But Luke is a fighter. So, he walks on while keeping his complaints to a minimum.

By the time they get there, though, Luke can't help narrowing his eyes and letting out a long, ragged sigh. He started to breathe a little harder just a couple minutes before.]

Finally, jeez...

[She can't help but smile a little when she hears that familiar tone and sense of impatience from him, though at the same time there was exasperation within her. There he goes again, pushing himself more than he had to; at least he could stop and rest now, though that may not be the most accurate description of the reason they are here. An appointment with Dist could hardly be considered relaxing, especially one such as this.]

Do you want me to wait outside? I don't mind. [In fact, she would prefer it so that she could at least make sure he didn't exert himself further after finishing up with the man waiting for him.]

... Please. [Though for him, it's for a different reason. If the news he gets is bad... he doesn't want Tear to hear about it. He doesn't want to do that to her... Or for her to see how he might react to it.]

All right. [For just a moment she stands there awkwardly, but it passes quickly enough that she turns her heel and begins to make her way to the door. He wanted privacy, and she would give it to him just as he did her. She could only hope that there was enough trust between the two of them that he would be willing to tell her the results of this appointment later on, when he was ready to do so while she waits outside the door dutifully.

Please, let this be nothing more than a side effect of the Malnosso forced him to do, don't let this turn into what was happening back in Auldrant, where it could very well be too late. Luke deserved to live out his life in Luceti as he wished after all he had been through, or will go through.]

[It takes a long while. Dist had to give him the results as well as further tests, and he had to go to Jade for further tests and more of the same diagnosis. He took some time to rest, and Xion came to him after that, where he just cried. And she let him do so.

He's tempted to let Xion take him home, but he decided to walk. Now that he's strong enough, now that he's composed himself enough, he'd rather walk and take the time to think. Plus, Tear might still be waiting for him...

So, he makes his way outside, doing his best to keep a straight face. He might still seem pale and weak, the former due to the news, but he tries. He tries to look okay as he looks around, wondering if Tear's still here.]

[Tear is still here after all that time, just as she said she would be; it wouldn't be right to leave when she had said she would, and she wasn't one to do that in the first place. Though it won't show on her face, she spent those long minutes wondering what was going on, what could have been done to Luke while in the holding facilities and what Dist could possibly be telling him in there. Every once in a while she would flip through her journal and try to distract herself, but it isn't a very effective tactic.

So when she hears Luke come back out, there's a feeling of relief in addition to a rejuvenation of her worry as she stands up to go meet him.]

[When Luke sees her, he's both surprised and not. That she waited this long for him, but... it's Tear. She's waited for him before...

Eh heh. Good thing he's already red in the face thanks to his illness. Once they're close to each other, Luke glances away and runs a hand through his hair. If she looks hard enough, he might see that hand trembling just slightly, but he hopes to cover it up.]

Uh... hey. [What is he supposed to say? What can he say to push her worry away?]

Hey... [If Luke didn't know what to say, neither did she. She had never been very good when it came to providing comforting words, despite her best efforts, and in situations like these it was all the more frustrating. The soldier front was only good for feigning calm during situations, not for putting up a happy front for the sake of someone dear.

If only she could focus her mind on anything but his face, the traces of fever and how tired he seemed. It's this wandering gaze that makes her notice his trembling hand, stretching out her own to it in that natural instinct to help stave away the fears of whatever it was he had been told in there, of what was plaguing his mind.]

[He hesitates for a moment... but after that, he reaches out to take her hand, squeezing a little more than he normally would in an attempt to stop his shaking. He's silent after that, though he quickly thinks up an excuse. He doesn't really expect Tear to take it; sometimes Luke's good at hiding things, sometimes he slips a bit. And she can usually catch him when he slips, as much as he'd rather she not.]

Dist just... said it was some kind of weird sickness. [Well, it wasn't... a lie entirely, but also not the full truth.]

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