Kib wakes up first. This has always been the case. He kisses his sleeping husband and gets up, prompting Charp to start making breakfast and boiling a kettle so Aydanci can have tea whenever he's up. Kib finished a book yesterday, so he picks up a new one. He should make some more storks if he can't think of anything useful to do with the day; the world can always use more storks.
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so far there's always an age gap
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
Avedan
do_over
Aydanci wakes up earlier than usual today, but that's really not saying very much. He yawns and grouches in an undertone about creaking bones and stiff muscles and shuffles his way out of bed. Tea? Tea. Good Charp.
"Good morning, love," he says, when he is somewhat more coherent.
"Good morning, love," he says, when he is somewhat more coherent.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Morning honey. How'd you sleep?"
Avedan
do_over
He shrugs and makes a noncommittal sound. Sleep's become more of a chore than something to be enjoyed, at this age.
"You?"
"You?"
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"I slept fine. I'm thinking of making more storks today."
Avedan
do_over
"That'd be useful. I can help, if you want it."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"As if I'd kick you out of the workshop. But you just do the puppeting from a comfy chair, okay? I don't want your joints getting worse trying to fiddle with the chassis or interrupt the automata."
Avedan
do_over
"Yes, Kib," he agrees, amused. "Comfortable chair puppeting only."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
Kiss. "I can't just build you a golem to carry your brain around. Won't work."
Avedan
do_over
Kiss! "Pity, it would be so convenient."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"It would! I could decorate you with little flowers," teases Kib.
Avedan
do_over
"Would they be carved onto my golem body's surface, or painted on? I need to know if I would be colorful."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Colorful paint. With sequins attached," Kib declares.
Avedan
do_over
"Truly, the world is lesser for the lack of colorful paint and sequins. Though maybe we could decorate Charp..."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Charp I think would benefit from ribbons tied in elaborate bows."
"Whatever milord suggests, of course," says Charp in complete deadpan.
"Whatever milord suggests, of course," says Charp in complete deadpan.
Avedan
do_over
Snicker. "You will be the prettiest of golems."
He finishes his tea and breakfast. "To the workshop, then?"
He finishes his tea and breakfast. "To the workshop, then?"
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"To fill the sky with additional storks, since I'm not feeling creative today," agrees Kib, getting up. He offers Aydanci a hand.
Avedan
do_over
Aydanci takes it, and stands, smiling.
Halfway to the workshop he slows, his breathing quicker than usual.
Halfway to the workshop he slows, his breathing quicker than usual.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Honey?"
Avedan
do_over
"I... Believe I should sit down," says Aydanci, faintly.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
Kib snaps his fingers a couple of times and his chair comes running. "Here. What's wrong?"
Avedan
do_over
"Bit of trouble breathing." He sits. "And a spell of dizziness. It should pass."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Charp, get a glass of water."
"Yes milord," replies Charp from the kitchen. It is along presently with a glass of water.
"Yes milord," replies Charp from the kitchen. It is along presently with a glass of water.
Avedan
do_over
Aydanci takes the offered glass, and sips at it a bit. After two mouthfuls he puts it down on a nearby table.
... He is sort of wheezing. Strange, he hasn't done anything strenuous.
... He is sort of wheezing. Strange, he hasn't done anything strenuous.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Do you need a doctor? I can take you to a doctor."
Avedan
do_over
He considers this.
"Yes," he decides.
"Yes," he decides.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Okay. Better to have Charp carry you -" Charp picks Aydanci up; Kib can pilot the chair faster and Charp's got a quick smooth gait when it wants. Out they go. "This is sudden? You felt all right when you woke up?"
Avedan
do_over
"Mhm," he says, leaning on Charp a bit. Breathing: continues to be hard! Well. Actually the breathing itself isn't hard, he's doing quite a lot of it, but it still feels so much like he's not getting enough air.
"... Feeling lightheaded and my fingers are tingly," he pronounces, because telling symptoms is important.
"... Feeling lightheaded and my fingers are tingly," he pronounces, because telling symptoms is important.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"That's - not good -" The chair is already going as fast as it can. "... Charp, run on ahead, tell the doctors anything he can't, I'll catch up."
"Yes milord." It lengthens its stride. The chair jogs doggedly after it.
"Yes milord." It lengthens its stride. The chair jogs doggedly after it.
Avedan
do_over
Aydanci doesn't have anything useful to offer, so he decides to conserve energy and lean on Charp. And carefully keeps breathing. He will focus on that. That seems important. In, out, in, out. It's not really helping, but he doesn't know what else to do.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
Charp brings him to the hospital. He is put in a hospital bed and a nurse gives him a general-purpose soothing herb to chew on. A doctor will be with him momentarily, but he's not unconscious or contagious and his golem can shout if something changes and there are some kids threatening to bleed out from a cart accident. Triage doesn't favor the old guy with a dizzy spell.
Kib catches up. He goes in, he finds his husband. He sits on the bed. "Any better?"
Kib catches up. He goes in, he finds his husband. He sits on the bed. "Any better?"
Avedan
do_over
"... Worse," he pronounces, wincing. "S'ry."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
Kib takes his hand. "Sh, it's okay, not your fault. Unless it is and then I'll be very annoyed, you know. Deep breaths. You're still dizzy even lying down?"
Avedan
do_over
That coaxes a smile out of him. "Mhm. Sort of, not all here, either." He waves a hand vaguely.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Not all here?" Hand squeeze. "Multitasking even when sick, are you, honey?"
Avedan
do_over
"Workaholic. Habitual by now," he snorts. "But, harder to think."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Well, then instead of thinking just - breathe." Kib swallows. "Keep breathing, honey."
Avedan
do_over
"Have been," he agrees. Breathing. Breathing. Breathing.
... He closes his eyes. But he continues breathing. Very quickly, but he is.
... He closes his eyes. But he continues breathing. Very quickly, but he is.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
A doctor is freed up to have a look at him. Kib recites symptoms so Aydanci doesn't have to. The doctor listens to and looks at various parts of the patient.
"It seems to be your heart," he says. "There aren't any reliable interventions. It may pass on its own."
"Or?" says Kib.
"...Or it may not. How old did you say your husband is?"
"Eighty-eight."
"...I'm sorry, sir. We can keep him comfortable."
"It seems to be your heart," he says. "There aren't any reliable interventions. It may pass on its own."
"Or?" says Kib.
"...Or it may not. How old did you say your husband is?"
"Eighty-eight."
"...I'm sorry, sir. We can keep him comfortable."
Avedan
do_over
Well isn't that just the most fantastic news ever.
"Your unfalling optimism," he says, breathe breathe, "fills me with," breathe breathe, "hope and glee."
"Your unfalling optimism," he says, breathe breathe, "fills me with," breathe breathe, "hope and glee."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"It may pass. Are you in pain? We can get you an analgesic," says the doctor.
"Honey," murmurs Kib.
"Honey," murmurs Kib.
Avedan
do_over
"Nnrgh. Shoo." He waves a hand at the doctor. Shoo, doctor.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
The doctor shoos.
"Honey," says Kib, "hypocritical as it is for me to say this: do not die on me."
"Honey," says Kib, "hypocritical as it is for me to say this: do not die on me."
Avedan
do_over
"Trying." He clutches a hand at his chest, somewhat clumsily. "Really. Breathing."
Breathing! Breathing breathing breathing.
Breathing! Breathing breathing breathing.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"And if you can't manage that," says Kib. "If you can't, then you come back to me."
Avedan
do_over
"How," he whimpers. "Don't know how, I, I would, how...?"
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"I don't know either do it anyway do not leave me alone I didn't leave you alone, okay, come back anyway."
Avedan
do_over
"'l try..."
Breathing breathing breathing it's not working, he's surprised that he doesn't feel pain but he doesn't, it's more like he is fading away.
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Come back," begs Kib.
Avedan
do_over
"'f can't," he says, "If I can't, you - please, happy..."
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"If you want me to be happy you'd better check on me and make sure, I am not promising to be all right without you, honey, I will fucking be miserable for ten lifetimes missing you if it suits me, see if I don't, come back, come back, come back -"
Avedan
do_over
Whimper. "Please?"
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"I'll be as happy as you were when I died. Until. You. Come. Back," hisses Kib.
Avedan
do_over
He makes a wordless sound, and leans into Kib.
...
...
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Honey?" breathes Kib.
Avedan
do_over
...
Akibel Mowar
secondchance
"Oh no honey no I wasn't ready I'm not ready, no no honey," whispers Kib, going from handholding to cradling his husband in his arms instead. "Honey, honey give me a few scares before the real thing, please, not like this, be alive, it's only fair - honey -"
Avedan
do_over
Avedan makes a slightly strangled noise and twitches awake.
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
Sylvi is snoozing beside him.
"Albatross."
"Albatross."
Avedan
do_over
Well, he's very happy for her, but he requires cuddles right now. Glomp.
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
"Mmf?"
Avedan
do_over
"S'rry. Dream. Aydanci's death." Snuggle.
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
Snuggle. "Y'okay?"
Avedan
do_over
"Nnnnh. Cuddles. Then yes."
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
Squeeze.
"Did - it hurt? I was worried it hurt."
"Did - it hurt? I was worried it hurt."
Avedan
do_over
"Not exactly hurt, I mean, a bit, but... like when your arm falls asleep. Except everywhere. And then it stopped."
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
Snuggle.
"You came back. It's okay."
"You came back. It's okay."
Avedan
do_over
"I did," he agrees. Snuggle!
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
"We'll just keep doing that until we figure out how to stop dying and we'll be fine."
Avedan
do_over
"Yeah. 'S nice."
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
"Yeah." Nuzzle.
Avedan
do_over
Hooray!
"'m going to sleep more now. Thanks." Nuzzle. "Love you."
"'m going to sleep more now. Thanks." Nuzzle. "Love you."
Sylvibel Mar
if_at_first
"Love you."
Avedan
do_over
Good, good.
Zzzzzzzzz...
Zzzzzzzzz...