lightwithin | 4th ♥ Plantfection [Audio]

[Kairi nods and settles back, more than happy to fall back to sleep. It feels like the rest of the world is rising above her while she sinks downward into unconsciousness, but she hasn't the presence of mind to be alarmed.]

[Sycora waits another few moments, just to be sure Kairi settles down alright, but that's not necessary. Kairi is a good patient and Sycora is thankful for it.

The operation complete, Sycora takes her equipment to clean and the bowl of root cuttings to be burned.]

[Meanwhile, someone else has finally gotten Kairi's message. Xanth is worried - not for himself, of course, but for Kairi. He never got scratched by any plant, nor has he seen any infections rising, so he's sure he's fine...

Some few minutes after Kairi falls asleep, Xanth peeks inside the infirmary. There's Kairi! Unconscious! That's bad! Isn't it?

Xanth quietly closes the door behind him, then approaches. Uncertainly, he reaches and touches Kairi on the shoulder.]

K...Kairi?

[Kairi's swimming in and out of consciousness. One moment she is staring up at the roof of the infirmary. The next, Xanth is there, and she's not quite sure how that happened. But she blinks and smiles, tries for a wave and even manages the gesture, half-hearted as it is.]

Hi...

[Her throat tastes like that nasty stuff and feels like someone covered it in carpet. She rolls her gaze around the room, looking for the doctor. Some water would be nice.]

[Xanth returns Kairi's smile, though his is a little uneasy.]

H-Hey. Um. Are-- a-are you-- o-okay? Did it... g-go alright?

[He looks down at her arm and spots the fresh scar. If the doctor had healing magic, they probably fixed her up already. Maybe it was simpler than she made it sound?]

Hm?

[She looks back at him, her smile broadening for no real reason. And then she swings her feet off the cot and half-rolls into a sitting position on it's edge. She needs water. Water before sleep. She can't find the water here but that's okay. She knows there's water in her room.

Kairi tries to rise on wobbly legs, Xanth's question completely forgotten.]

W-Woah, woah, um--

[As Kairi gets to her feet, Xanth reaches out to support her.]

K-Kairi, uh, you-- y-you should-- p-probably s-stay down?

[She leans on him, more heavily than she would usually, and even then she's not entirely stable. But she's not looked at Xanth.]

'M thirsty. Drink tasted awful. Le's go get some water, k?

[And she looks back at him and smiles that vacant, honest smile. He'll take her. She trust him. He'll take care of her.]

Um. S--Sure.

[This is a bad idea. In fact this is one of the worst ideas! But Kairi can be so stubborn, and Xanth can't just let her go on her own.

Xanth slips one arm around Kairi's waist. The close proximity is obvious, but Xanth doesn't even blush; Kairi needs help. He will take care of her.

He carefully steers her towards the door, taking it slow. Baby steps, Kairi!]

[She loops an arm around his shoulder, but still can't stand straight, or walk in a straight line for that matter. As they shuffle towards the door, she bumps into Xanth and then weaves away from him by turns, oblivious.

And then they're across the room somehow and the door's in front of her and she's groping for the handle with her free hand... And completely missing it.]

[Oh, gods.

Xanth will just get the door for her. He's got one arm free, after all, and he's going to need if it Kairi keeps wobbling like this. What did the doctor even give her? How long would it last?

Maybe he can try to get some answers.]

S-So, um, you're-- are-- a-are you b-better now?

Yes.

[She nods. Her shoulder catches on the doorjamb on the way through but she doesn't even seem to notice.]

She had to operate.

[But it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt. Her head was just spinning, but that was okay. She could make it to the barracks even if her legs were a bit funny. She was looking at her arm. There was a scar. That was why it didn't hurt. She'd fixed it.

Look down, it turned out, was not the best idea. Neither was nodding. Kairi began to sway and then fall forward, half-folding over as she struggled to keep her own feet under her.]

[Xanth winces when Kairi hits the doorway - cue pang of guilt - but she seems okay.

That theory is quickly disproven when Kairi topples forward.]

W-Woah!

[Xanth swoops in and catches her before she can hit the ground. He sags a little with her weight, but then he straightens up. Granted, he's now full-on embracing her to keep her standing, but that's so much better than her knocking her head on the floor.]

[It takes Kairi a moment to realize how heavily she's leaning against Xanth. He's holding her up. Her mouth twists, perplexed, as she shifts awkwardly to find her feet again. But now that she's realized he's holding her, she's having trouble focusing her already-hazy thoughts on anything else.]

'M okay.

[She goes to step away, succeeds only in swaying backwards, and then forwards again. She's much too close. It's like the time when he first met her again. Or the second time he met her first. Or...

She's smiling. This is silly. Would he let her sit down here a while? She's so sleepy.]

[Even as Kairi steps away, Xanth doesn't let her go. She's really in no condition to be walking on her own, but Xanth isn't sure he can carry her. Bridal-style is hard on the arms; over the shoulder is just undignified. Maybe he could carry her on his back?

But the longer he spends thinking, the longer he's stuck holding Kairi up.]

O-- Okay, um, he-- here. Just-- s-sit-- f-for a second?

[Xanth carefully lowers her down to sit on the ground.]

[She flops onto the floor in a messy heap of limbs, slouched over and uncaring, but stable and upright for the moment.]

Oh... Reading my mind, hm?

[She's still smiling, but her eyelids are dropping and she can't meet his gaze. She throws out a hand and catches the wall, and wonders if it's worth dragging herself over to lean against it or if she could just lie down here and fill the space between, snug in the corner of wall and floor.]

[Xanth smiles and shakes his head. Oh, Kairi...]

N-No, just, g-good at-- at g-guessing...

[She looks so sleepy - he's got to work quickly. Xanth first crouches down. Then, turning his back to her, he takes one of her arms and drapes it over his shoulder and around his neck.]

O-Okay, just-- g-grab around my neck a-and lean against me, o-okay? I'm-- I-I'll c-carry you.

'Kay.

[She really doesn't take much convincing. Xanth's more comfortable than a wall or a floor and he's suddenly closer too. She leans against his back, wraps her arms around his neck in a loose hug and idly wonders if he'll mind if she falls asleep like this.]

[Great!

Xanth reaches behind himself and secures Kairi's legs. Then, very carefully, he stands back up - but he's still leaning forward to make sure Kairi doesn't slip off. She's not hard to carry, though. Xanth has borne far heavier burdens.

But Xanth does wonder if her quest for water has been abandoned. If it has, maybe he should just take her back to the infirmary?

No. Then she'd remember. Best to just take her to her room and watch over her there.]

[Kairi wastes no time in propping her chin on Xanth's shoulder and closing her eyes. But it's no use. She can't sleep. He's walking and carrying her and it's so uncomfortable.

She squirms. The world spins and she stops, clinging on harder. That wasn't very smart. In fact, it was very silly.

Kairi starts to giggle softly. She kicks ineffectually at the door as they approach and only giggles more.]

S-Stay still, [he instructs more than orders. This isn't terribly comfortable for him, either, but the least she could do is not kick around while he's carrying her!

He leans forward a little more to balance letting one of Kairi's legs go. He opens the door, then takes Kairi's leg again, and they're off outside.

They exit the Great Keep on the side facing the springs and the training yard. From there, it's just a straight shot to the right, and then they'll be at the barracks.

It's still quite a walk, though..]

[Kairi does as she's told, but it's hard. She tries to stay so still, and to quell her giggles, but that only makes her shake with laughter instead.

It works, after a couple of minutes. The giggling subsides and she's still and quiet and holding on...]

Hey...

[It's half a whisper, but still pretty loud for that.]

I can feel your heart.

Th-- that's good. It-- i-it'd be... w-weird, if y-you couldn't.

[At this point, he's just humoring her. Is this what being drunk is like? Xanth might have been high before, but never drunk.]

Yeah...

[Her chin drops back onto his shoulder and without realizing it, she's hugging him more than simply holding on.]

Like when I lost mine.

[Xanth very nearly stops in his tracks. As it is, his step falters, and he goes a little more slowly. She couldn't mean the time he's thinking of. She couldn't mean losing her heartbeat to the cardinals. She couldn't. She was not that Kairi.

But what else could she mean?

Realizing that he'd been quiet far too long, Xanth speaks up:]

B-But... don't... d-don't you h--have it? R-Right now, I, I-I mean?

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]

[Commentlog]