[you know, like the kind of phase where you're both hungry and not hungry. the cat in the box is both dead and it's not dead.]
[or maybe that's just how it is for Dave — he was lucky enough to be one of the very first ones to break from from that stupidly high fever, and now that he's done grossly sweating gallons and he has some actual energy, he's trying to track down people he likes well enough to make sure they're okay. he'd been too ill to do it earlier.]
[Hajime is on the observation deck, just sprawled out in a corner staring out the window. His room was just... too hot? And the cool metal decking feels good, sometimes. He's still wrapped up in one of his blankets, though. A blanket burrito with an ahoge sticking out, a water bottle at his side and a half-finished plate of crackers nearby.
Also, he's pretty sure he doesn't have any hands? He's kind of too scared to pull his arms out from inside the blankets to find out, even as he rolls himself onto his side and presses his cheek into the deck.]
[Dave's only ever flushed burritos down the toilet on board this space station, which, considering the state he's found Hinata in, may or may not be something he'd also want? it's cold out there in space — much more cool and soothing than this metal decking, anyway.]
[boy, there's a dumb thought. he just flops down on the floor next to him instead.]
Hey. [said with something of a "there you are" air.]
Hajime just kind of rolls his burrito-self slightly closer to get a better look at Dave. Just... squinting at him, as if trying to figure out if he's real, or if he's just talking to himself.]
Trying... to sleep. If I disappear at least somebody will know what happened. Quicker than just disappearing in my room, anyway.
[It's said slowly, because his thoughts are moving just as slowly. Did his foot fall asleep, or is it gone? He just can't be sure without unfurling the burrito.]
[oh ... the past few days have sort of congealed into one long blur, honestly, which is really saying something considering Dave is a literal god of time. he instinctively knows it — like he's a very sassy living clock that's never gotten the time wrong before.]
[but he remembers seeing his own hands phase out of existence, and he remembers the panic he felt, because regardless of this stupid fucking space station and its stupid fucking hauntings, Dave desperately doesn't want to leave. he's only just now started forging a life that he's okay saying he's happy about. he doesn't have the luxury of a life to live back where he came from.]
[and it wasn't real. he's pretty sure what Hinata's seeing isn't real, either, but he's not so sure that just saying it is going to be convincing enough.]
Are you seeing it right now? [the disappearing, he means.]
[He wiggles a bit, inside his burrito-blanket, which honestly probably needs to be washed since he's been sweating in it for at least the last several hours. Gross.]
It can't be real. I know it can't be real, but if I can't see my arms, and I can't feel anything with them, then what's the difference?
[He groans, continues rolling until his forehead is pressed into the deck.]
There's crackers if you want some. Can't eat anymore.
[ew ... a blanket burrito with extra Hinata sauce.]
Nah. [there's something in that one syllable that indicates that he appreciates the thought, at least. he leans to the side just slightly, so he can rest his head in his hand.]
I get what you're saying. I was seein' the exact same shit you are up until a few hours ago. I mean ... I know exactly fuckall about biology, but I'm pretty sure that viruses have a set course. Like a time frame on symptoms, or something.
[maybe you should try being a little more straightforward instead of burying your reassurances when you're talking to someone who just admitted he was hallucinating, Dave. just say, "hey, this will pass sooner than you think. just keep toughing it out, dude."]
[no? fine.]
You're probably better off trying a cold shower instead of melting into the floor, though. I can take you back if you want.
[Hajime was starting to think this fever was going to last forever, considering that some people had recovered what feels like days ago, and he's still suffering. But if Dave was having hallucinations, too...
That train of thought runs out of steam before he can reach any kind of logical conclusion. He just closes his eyes and keeps his face pressed against the decking.]
'S good... I don't think I can walk back right now, sorry. Maybe later.
[what, is he gonna princess carry Hinata back to his room in some grand sweeping heroic gesture? it might be awkward, considering Hinata's a little bit taller than him. it's too bad he doesn't have his god-tier jammies, though, the cape would really complete the hero look.]
[no ... no, what Dave is actually thinking about doing is way, way stupider.]
[He opens one (1) eye, giving Dave his best patient stare. Which is undercut by, well, just about everything about this situation, from how pathetic he looks and sounds to his current blanket-burrito form.]
Okay, even though that sounds completely hilarious, and you'd be a major buzzkill for refusin' ... neither of those were on my list of ideas.
[is Hinata curious enough to subject himself to more stupid Homestuck mechanics? or is he going to become a melted burrito puddle here in the middle of the observation deck?]
[tune in next time on dragonball z]
No, but seriously, dude. I don't mind helping you out if you need something.
[Admittedly, he would rather be in bed right now than curled up on the floor in the observation deck. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, except now he's just even more sore and uncomfortable than he would have been otherwise.]
[Dave is bullshitting. he actually has no idea what sort of experience Hinata is in for, exactly? he's just confident that captchaloguing a dude hallucinating on a cold space station floor is the best course of action here.]
[besides, John captchalogued a salamander once. it'll be fine.]
Or, to level with you a bit, you could probably think of it as magic. Like, more accurately, you'd be taking a ride on the Magic School Bus — which, shit, I guess that makes me Miss Frizzle.
[welp, that did it. Dave's gone and weirded himself out for once.]
First of all, Hajime doesn't know who Miss Frizzle is. Second of all, talking about magic when Hajime is doing his best to just melt into the floor is making his ahoge wilt in exhaustion.]
Is it magic that'll make my fever stop...?
[Even for a minute. What was it like to think clearly again and be a normal temperature? He's forgotten.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
that awkward bit that's not phase 2, but it's not phase 3 either
[or maybe that's just how it is for Dave — he was lucky enough to be one of the very first ones to break from from that stupidly high fever, and now that he's done grossly sweating gallons and he has some actual energy, he's trying to track down people he likes well enough to make sure they're okay. he'd been too ill to do it earlier.]
[so, uh, Hinata. where y'at, bro.]
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Also, he's pretty sure he doesn't have any hands? He's kind of too scared to pull his arms out from inside the blankets to find out, even as he rolls himself onto his side and presses his cheek into the deck.]
... Dave?
[Hey dude.]
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[boy, there's a dumb thought. he just flops down on the floor next to him instead.]
Hey. [said with something of a "there you are" air.]
The hell are you doing out here?
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Hajime just kind of rolls his burrito-self slightly closer to get a better look at Dave. Just... squinting at him, as if trying to figure out if he's real, or if he's just talking to himself.]
Trying... to sleep. If I disappear at least somebody will know what happened. Quicker than just disappearing in my room, anyway.
[It's said slowly, because his thoughts are moving just as slowly. Did his foot fall asleep, or is it gone? He just can't be sure without unfurling the burrito.]
...You?
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[but he remembers seeing his own hands phase out of existence, and he remembers the panic he felt, because regardless of this stupid fucking space station and its stupid fucking hauntings, Dave desperately doesn't want to leave. he's only just now started forging a life that he's okay saying he's happy about. he doesn't have the luxury of a life to live back where he came from.]
[and it wasn't real. he's pretty sure what Hinata's seeing isn't real, either, but he's not so sure that just saying it is going to be convincing enough.]
Are you seeing it right now? [the disappearing, he means.]
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[He wiggles a bit, inside his burrito-blanket, which honestly probably needs to be washed since he's been sweating in it for at least the last several hours. Gross.]
It can't be real. I know it can't be real, but if I can't see my arms, and I can't feel anything with them, then what's the difference?
[He groans, continues rolling until his forehead is pressed into the deck.]
There's crackers if you want some. Can't eat anymore.
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Nah. [there's something in that one syllable that indicates that he appreciates the thought, at least. he leans to the side just slightly, so he can rest his head in his hand.]
I get what you're saying. I was seein' the exact same shit you are up until a few hours ago. I mean ... I know exactly fuckall about biology, but I'm pretty sure that viruses have a set course. Like a time frame on symptoms, or something.
[maybe you should try being a little more straightforward instead of burying your reassurances when you're talking to someone who just admitted he was hallucinating, Dave. just say, "hey, this will pass sooner than you think. just keep toughing it out, dude."]
[no? fine.]
You're probably better off trying a cold shower instead of melting into the floor, though. I can take you back if you want.
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[Hajime was starting to think this fever was going to last forever, considering that some people had recovered what feels like days ago, and he's still suffering. But if Dave was having hallucinations, too...
That train of thought runs out of steam before he can reach any kind of logical conclusion. He just closes his eyes and keeps his face pressed against the decking.]
'S good... I don't think I can walk back right now, sorry. Maybe later.
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[what, is he gonna princess carry Hinata back to his room in some grand sweeping heroic gesture? it might be awkward, considering Hinata's a little bit taller than him. it's too bad he doesn't have his god-tier jammies, though, the cape would really complete the hero look.]
[no ... no, what Dave is actually thinking about doing is way, way stupider.]
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[He opens one (1) eye, giving Dave his best patient stare. Which is undercut by, well, just about everything about this situation, from how pathetic he looks and sounds to his current blanket-burrito form.]
...Or roll me down the hall.
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[is Hinata curious enough to subject himself to more stupid Homestuck mechanics? or is he going to become a melted burrito puddle here in the middle of the observation deck?]
[tune in next time on dragonball z]
No, but seriously, dude. I don't mind helping you out if you need something.
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[Admittedly, he would rather be in bed right now than curled up on the floor in the observation deck. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, except now he's just even more sore and uncomfortable than he would have been otherwise.]
What... did you have in mind?
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[Dave is bullshitting. he actually has no idea what sort of experience Hinata is in for, exactly? he's just confident that captchaloguing a dude hallucinating on a cold space station floor is the best course of action here.]
[besides, John captchalogued a salamander once. it'll be fine.]
Or, to level with you a bit, you could probably think of it as magic. Like, more accurately, you'd be taking a ride on the Magic School Bus — which, shit, I guess that makes me Miss Frizzle.
[welp, that did it. Dave's gone and weirded himself out for once.]
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First of all, Hajime doesn't know who Miss Frizzle is. Second of all, talking about magic when Hajime is doing his best to just melt into the floor is making his ahoge wilt in exhaustion.]
Is it magic that'll make my fever stop...?
[Even for a minute. What was it like to think clearly again and be a normal temperature? He's forgotten.]
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[hypothesis: Miss Frizzle is a hot mom.]
[this just keeps getting weirder.]
Kinda doubt it. It'll just get you back to your bed.