distressedude | 027 ~ [Action]

Entry tags:

027 ~ [Action]

[The past few days have been rather strange for Ion. Between all the problems stemming off of what happened on Christmas eve and the incident with Kohan, something new has started happening. Something he can't quite explain.]

[It started out of nowhere. Just like that day when he was returned from the malnosso, he awoke with a sharp pain running down his arms and legs. But this time it felt different -- stronger. And it took more than a few minutes before he finally felt stable enough to move out of bed. For awhile, he thought perhaps it was nothing. Maybe he was just feeling a little sore from all the stress? It wouldn't be the first time stress had affected his health, after all.]

[But then it happened again at the library. And that was only a few hours after a rather nasty fall while walking around the village, scraping the palms of his hands and his knees. He's lucky it was snowing earlier that day, or it might have been even worse! But in the library, all he had been doing was sitting and reading. And then, once he tried to move again to find another book, his legs prickled with pain, pulling him back down where he'd been sitting.]

[Something was wrong. But what should he do? Would it be right to bring this up, knowing it might be nothing? Especially if it does turn out to be nothing, in which case he'd just be causing undue stress for the others. And he can't help but think back to that last conversation with Nephry...]

[Which is why he'll be popping over to go visit a certain friend, without notice -- rather unlike him, but he didn't exactly want to make the trek back home to fetch his journal. He'll just have to hope he's home...]

[After that, he'll be making his way home. But given the snow still falling and covering the ground, he won't be having a very easy time of it. At least the snow will provide a soft landing for when he trips over his own feet.]

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((ooc: Hey guys! So this post is basically the starting point for a little plot I've got going for Ion. Feel free to catch him anywhere around the village, including: the plaza, Seventh Heaven, the library, walking towards C4, or making his way back to House 1.))

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[For his part, Ion isn't even fully aware of what just happened. One minute he was coming down the stairs, and the next the ground suddenly came up to meet his face. Thankfully he was already over halfway down -- his head collided with the floor rather than however many steps until the bottom.]

I-I think I'm all right. [He's entirely out of breath, heart still racing from the shock. He doesn't feel hurt, aside from the scrape on his forehead where he hit the floor, but... that could have ended much worse. He starts to pull himself up into a sitting position, but he's still shaking quite a bit. And for whatever reason, his legs just aren't cooperating, so he's sitting a bit... oddly.]

Edited 2013-02-05 18:04 (UTC)

You don't look 'all right'. [He already has a red mark where his face met the ground, and he looks out of it and shaky. Nephry kneels, trying to offer him support without jostling him around.] Maybe you shouldn't try to move.

I'm just a bit shaken from the fall. [But he still complies. It's not like he'll be trying to stand right off the bat.]

[He takes a number of deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. For someone with a fear of heights, a fear of falling from heights pretty much goes hand-in-hand.] Could you... bring me a glass of water?

[Later, when it's over and the worry fades, she'll think about how it didn't feel strange at all to be kneeling here at the bottom of the stairs, trying to comfort him.]

Of course. [Falls like this are always a shock, aren't they?] I can also ask Tear to come home, if you think you need her.

I don't think calling Tear will be necessary right away, but... I'll see how I feel once I calm down a bit...

[He can't help but think about what good luck it was that Nephry was home, and the fall hadn't been worse. Otherwise someone might have come home, maybe even hours later, and found him still sitting huddled by the stairs.]

[Probably not the best thought to have while trying to calm down.]

[Tear was, arguably, better at calming people down in general. After all, Nephry panicked a little herself, seeing him slumped at the bottom of the stairs like that. As he is still shaking and doesn't seem to be trying to hold himself up, she doesn't leave yet to get his water.]

At least this didn't happen to you in front of visiting nobility from the capital. [In a tone of gentle personal embarrassment. The accompanying smile hides a little bit of worry.]

[It takes a moment for him to attempt a smile back in her direction.]

I hope there was at least some snow to break your fall... or perhaps ice to excuse it.

[Ion doesn't have much of an excuse in his case... or rather, not one he'd like to admit.]

I was inside, actually. So I blamed the carpeting. [And they were very understanding but it was still not so dignified of a new governor.] We didn't have any Seventh Fonists in the city at the time, so I had to attend a week of meetings with carpet-burn across my face. At least I made an impression.

[With a very soft laugh, and only because he's still a bit too out of breath for much more than that:] For more reasons than just the carpet-burn, I'm sure.

I suppose I should be thankful that a reputation for clumsiness did not follow me all these years. [And the story seems to produce the desired result - Ion focusing on something else.] Fortunately, you don't have to go around looking as though you lost your fight with the floor.

[The scrape is turning into a bump, though. When she goes to get that water she'll bring back some ice too.]

I would hope not.. though at least in my case, my hair would cover it up. [Seeing as he's feeling a bit better, or at least a little more calm, he tries to shift into a better sitting position. Though his legs still aren't really cooperating... maybe if he tries--]

[And in trying to force his leg to bend closer to him, it seems to remember all at once that pain is a thing. There's almost no attempt at hiding the wince and soft whimper that comes from moving it. Thought at least for him, the pain is a familiar one rather than cause for alarm.]

I think you are hurt, after all. [Maybe it's nothing; she keeps her voice gentle. She would never think of accusing him of lying after an incident like this.] If you still want water, I'll bring it to you, but please don't try to get up.

I-I won't. This... should pass in a few minutes.

[It's with a touch of guilt that he says that, fully aware of why it's happening and knowing it's unrelated to his fall.]

["This"? Nephry lifts a brow, but says nothing yet, letting him go carefully so he doesn't slump again when she stands to go to the kitchen.

This.]

[She almost doesn't need to say anything. The silence is enough. But really... falling down the stairs, now? It's not as though he can just keep quiet about things anymore. But what would he even say? If it's what he thinks it is, he just needs to wait it out...]

[But if it's what he fears it is... then nothing can be done anyway, right?]

[Once Nephry is back, he'll already have shifted into a more comfortable position, now leaning against the wall and his legs straightened out in front of him. Keeping them like this hurt the least, though he still wasn't sure why.]

[Nephry hands him the water carefully, noticing that he looks less disoriented now.]

What else can I do?

[He'll take the water with a small smile, taking a good, long drink before replying.]

...I should be well enough to stand in a few minutes, with some help. The only part of my head that hurts is where it grazed the floor, so I don't think I hit it very hard. [...] And... the pain in my legs is subsiding as well.

Is the pain in your legs a result of falling down the stairs, Ion?

...no. It isn't.

[There's little point in keeping things hidden now, is there?]

It's... something I know I should have told you about earlier. But I never knew quite how to bring it up. [His gaze falls.] Thinking about it now, it's probably why I fell in the first place.

Don't worry about not bringing it up. If you don't want to share it with me still, it's all right, but I hope you find someone you can.

[She looks at the mark on his head again and...well, it doesn't look too bad.]

[He shakes his head. This is different than what had him upset before. That was been a more personal matter... but this. This wasn't something he could continue to ignore.]

The only reason I didn't tell you earlier is because I don't know what it is. I thought perhaps the same thing that happened over the summer was happening again... [Which Dist had probably described as an extreme case of stress-induced fatigue, worsened by his already poor health.]

But it's different this time. I think it's getting worse... it used to only hurt when I woke up, but now the pain never completely goes away.

I see. Have you told anyone at all about this?

[She doesn't know enough about replicas. Maybe no one here does.]

I spoke with Luke about it, but he doesn't have any ideas either.

[None that he would ever tell Nephry about, at least. He'd never tell anyone that there's a possibility he could be dying unless he knew for sure. Thankfully, the symptoms are completely different, but still... it was something to consider.]

If it is the same as last summer, it should go away in time. I just need to... relax a little more.

It has been a difficult few weeks for you, hasn't it? [What she wouldn't give to have Jade or Saphir here with her now.] Would you like to stay home from school for a while?

I think I'd only wind up more stressed if I cut out school... [Ion is one of those weird kids who gets all disappointed when he's too sick to attend.]

[But there's definitely something that could probably relieve a lot of the stress he's been going through if he had someone to talk to about it. And he never really had the chance to bring it up when he was talking to Luke...]

...actually, would you mind helping me into the living room? It's... a bit awkward talking here in the hallway.

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