witchesreign | [Busy little bluebird]

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[Busy little bluebird]

[Thanks to having been 9 years old for the past two weeks, Marco's would-be Christmas preparations are very far behind. So there he is, frantically trying to fold origami blue roses in order to fill Grell's room and get Espio, Toby, Ace, Rinoa, Luki, Damien, and the Great Birds gift exchange all wrapped and done with. Only then he finds out Toby's in a coma. So there he is, slumped in a chair, looking almost as exhausted as he feels and refusing to leave the kid's side come hell or high water.]

Hang in there, eh. I won't lose another one. Not now. Not over that.

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[You're going to have to leave sometime, Marco. Damian doesn't really know Toby, but he does know that Marco's going to need something to eat eventually. So he arrives in Toby's hospital room with a big tin of cookies he baked himself.]

... Marco? How is he?

No change.

[Rubs his temples and looks around for the bag with a present he got Damien.]

Shit... he's just... so small. And he was looking for me and I couldn't remember him. I promised he could be my son and now...

[Present? Damian blinks, confused. But he'll push it aside in order to offer Marco the cookies.]

... They're doing all they can for him. Don't blame yourself for something the Time Compression did. [in other words: "I'm sorry."]

Thanks. [Takes a few and very lightly nibbles.]

I'm not blaming myself... just worried. And I got to make it up to him. Make sure he knows I won't leave him. Somehow. [Stifles a yawn and reaches down to hand Damien a wrapped present of this]

I think he'll know that. Slag... I haven't even known you that long and I know that you're the kind of person who never leaves people alone.

[blinks at the present, but takes it and carefully opens it. He stares at the fedora for a minute before remembering to put it on.] Th-thanks. What's this for?

Heh. Dunno. One misstep, one moment's hesitation, it can cost you a life sometimes. [Practically bites his knuckles, trying to stifle a yawn.]

Oh, Christmas. Or winter solstice, Great Birds? Whatever it's called here or where you're from. It's a tradition back on my ship to give gifts round this time of year. I should get something for Ace's birthday too...

Don't think like that. Life is short, but so's everything else.

... Oh. [he nods knowingly; Damian knows of Christmas, but doesn't celebrate it for religious reasons] My gift-giving holiday changes with the lunar calendar. This year, it happened before I came to Garden, so I um. Didn't exactly bother.

But the cookies're home-made.

[Laughs softly.] The cookies are great thanks. Better than anything else could be right now. [Grins.] Besides I just like giving presents. You should see all the stuff I get for Grell usually.

No problem. Grell's... your girlfriend, right? [How Marco can date someone so... creepy, Damian doesn't understand, but that's a question for another day.]

[Because Marco is SO special.]

Yeah, she is.

Huh. [He's going to play nice and not insult her! So he just looks at Toby instead.]

... Promise me you'll at least eat every once in a while, okay?

[A small grunt and nod.]

Nurses scare me. I don't want them getting on my case, eh.

Forget the nurses. [smiiiiirk] If you don't eat, I'll make those nurses look like kittens in comparison.

[Laughs and grins evilly.] Mate, men don't scare me.

It's because of the nurses back in my crew.

[]

Get out of here, Marco. Staring at him for hours isn't going to do anything.

[]

No. I have to be here when he gets up.

[]

Nice sentiment, but not realistic. You'll have to leave at some point, at least for five minutes.

I'm fine.

Yes, I'm sure you're fine. Obviously, you looking like death just means you're "conserving your energy" or something stupid like that. Here.

[]

This could take a while. If you're not gonna budge, you should at least look after yourself. You're important too - don't make yourself sick.

[Blinks and just accepts it with a sigh.]

The last thing he heard from me was that I didn't remember him. I can't leave. I'll be okay.

Idiot. That's just an excuse - you just wanna look after him, right? You'd be doing it even if you didn't feel guilty.

Well, yeah. I have to be there when he wakes up. [Rubs his face. He'll be more coherent after some actual sleep.]

The more you say that, the more likely he'll only wake up the moment you have to leave for five minutes.

Then I should stay and only be fast.

[]

I'm not even gonna convince you to let me take over for a bit, am I?

Well. For a little. But I'm not budging. I'll just... sleep, eh?

Promise you'll [Stifles a yawn.] wake me if he wakes up?

Sure. [] I'll throw something at you.

Thanks.

Just go to sleep. You need it.

[Noncommittal grunt.]

Figures doesn't it? Find one kid lose another...

[]

We've not lost him. He'll be fine. It's probably another one of those time compression things, like we've had before.

[]

[Nods, because that sounds reasonable.]

Okay. [Switches to phoenix and makes a sleeping bag nest on the floor before remembering to switch back for a moment.] Espio... thanks.

What are you thanking me for?

[]

Sleeping bag, staying, being a good friend to me and Toby, taking time out to do this, humoring me... [Yawns and fluffs up a pillow.] I could come up with more when I'm more coherent.

It's nothing special.

[]

Goodnight.

Yes it is.

Night Espio. [Sleeps in bird form.]

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[Busy little bluebird]

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