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 Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 6:01 pm
An early morning frost clung to the window pane and painted an odd little picture for Callum. His morning had kicked off after a long night of tossing and turning, which wasn't particularly a new habit for the shifter, but running for a chamber pot to lose the contents of his stomach was. Thankfully this inn was large enough to have it's own cleansing area so he hadn't had to wake Nimueh anymore than necessary during the night.
The shifter scuffled back to his room after having rinsed out his mouth, bare feet slipping over the worn wood of the floorboards. Common sense would have told him to dress warmer after leaving his bed, but Callum hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. He generally slept in the buff, so when the nausea had woken him all he'd had time to do was slip on a pair of pants before taking off.
Callum only wished this was a one time thing. A cold had come over him, or some other form of irritating illness. While not serious enough to bring out a fever or anything drastic, it was enough to bring him down to a sniffling mess. It started out with a dry cough, then came the sneezing, irritated throat, headaches, and now his stomach was rebelling. Maybe it's time to see a healer. Stubbornness could only get him so far, and he didn't want it to spread to Nimueh.
Pushing the door closed behind him, Callum let out a long, tired sigh that had a bit more of a rasp to it than he would have liked.
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:02 pm
At times, Nimueh missed the intimacy of a private camp, where he and Callum could lay under the stars or nestled into a tent, or could simply fall into the rhythm of comfortable and mundane tasks. When you had to secure a camp, the supportive presence of someone you loved beside you was all you needed, and more complex concerns could move to the back burner until things calmed down.
It was when they came to an inn or a settlement that these calm moments came, and with it came Nimueh's gnawing brain and looming thoughts. He and Callum, together, were perfect... better than, at times. They both had insecurities that often reared their ugly heads, tripping them in a sea of complications or misunderstandings until, inevitably, they rearranged themselves and fit more snugly together. Neither of them had cracked open their exact issues as, to this day, Nim still knew startlingly little about his lover, beyond a few things, and vice versa.
He knew the particulars of Callum setting up camp, or the way he would pause to listen. Nim knew, now, that Callum was a man of many faces and many talents, and that behind the visage of a confident, sexual man was a sweet, loving person who was wholly devoted to those he cared for.
He knew that Callum was scarred, in more ways than one, and that at times a shroud of sadness came over him. And he knew very little about earthling culture, as far as Wind or Shifters went.
As such, in moments of calm, when Nim and Callum settled down and stayed at a settlement, an inn, or a Sauti caravan for too long, they became... twitchy. At least Nim did, and as such he kept increasingly closer eye on Callum out of his own paranoid fears that this perfect thing they had going would shatter apart at any moment. It wasn't healthy, and he knew it, but Nim did it all the same.
Callum tossing and turning wasn't new, that was true... nor was it for Nim, although his own nightmares (which stemmed from the sermal mauling, and brief memories of his childhood) were less frequent by far. But to be roused by his lover scrambling out of the thick sheets, and out the door was... new. Nim blearily sat up, rubbing the heel of his palm against a closed eyelid, face scrunched against the minimal light that peeked from the window. He sat, head nodding as he waited, until finally the door creaked open, and he snapped awake once again, looking across the room to Callum. "Mmm... 'r you ok?" He croaked, his own throat ragged from sleep, rather than sickness.
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:24 pm
"Mmm'hmm". Callum nodded his head, raising the back of one palm to rub at his dripping nose. It took him a moment to realize what he had done, and when he did Callum look at his hand as if it had thoroughly betrayed his trust. He moved to a night stand close to his side of the bed where a wash basin resided. The large, shallow bowl was already half filled with water, and Callum dipped his fingers into it's chilly depths to scrub the offending phlegm off his digits.
It was hard to look down, and not have a torrent of filth slip out of his nose. So, for the most part he kept his head tilted up and washed on blind faith alone so his sniffling could be kept to a minimum. "Would you mind going with me to see a healer today?" When he looked over to Nimueh, hands already moving for a dryer cloth to wipe the water off his hands, the pale skin around his nose was flush. Callum was also notably breathing solely from his mouth, which made talking a semi-exhausting experience on little sleep. He knew with a few more hours he would be fine, it was always worse in the mornings, but he really could do without talking as if his nose were broken. That stubbed up quality to his voice was annoying.
Brow furrowing, Callum started to ask, "Did I wake you up?" but only made it half way through the question before the same feeling of nausea attacked him. Having no other choice, he found himself sick once more and this time in the wash basin.
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 7:39 pm
Such symptoms weren't strange to Nim. Living in Zena, along the fierce cold, it wasn't strange for to become ill from the bitter climate and temperatures, and so as Callum miserably washed his hands Nimueh watched him, eyebrows furrowed in sympathy. "Yes, of course." He agreed instantly, as he wouldn't dream of making Callum stumble about in such a state by himself. Peeling the blankets off, and fighting back a shudder at the oncoming cold against sleep-warmed limbs, Nim moved to shift closer to the edge of the bed, hesitant of stepping out of it just yet - when Callum became violently ill. Instantly, Nim shuffled forward and steadied the edge of the bowl in one hand, reaching with the other to rub against Callum's shoulder.
And in that first moment, nothing was amiss - it wasn't strange, really, for colds to roil up the belly, and cause it to rebel.
...But then a thought appeared in his mind. The soothing rub of his hand slowed, then stopped, instead gripping at Callum's shoulder, while honey-yellow eyes turned to stare, with growing horror, at his lover. He clearly had a cold, of that there was no doubt, and yet... the small speckle of a doubt still gnawed in his mind. A reminder that there WAS, technically, a possibility....
Biting his tongue, Nim decided to wait until Callum had somewhat recovered himself before further scaring him, but the look of growing trepidation was obvious in the tight bow of his shoulders, and the line of his set jaw.
As Callum finally caught his breath from his vomiting, Nim leaned closer and peered at him. "Alright? Do we need to move?" He asked, gesturing with a twitch of his hand towards the door.
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 8:06 pm
There was nothing worse in Callum's mind than what was happening to him at that moment. Nothing compared to the horror of losing control of his stomach in front of his lover; nothing. Not the mauling, nor his drunken escapades or even very nearly freezing to death. He wanted nothing more than to wash out his mouth, and bury himself in bed until this all disappeared from memory. However, only one of those options was logical at the moment, so Callum opted for taking the remaining fresh water in the pitcher and using it to cleanse his mouth. After a quick gargle he spat out the remaining foulness into the basin, and turned his eyes to Nim.
He felt bad enough for having woken the younger man, but true to his good soul here he was, helping Callum out as if it were second nature. In truth he had been so wrapped up in the act of being ill that he hadn't noticed the shift in Nimueh's hold, though he did notice the strange look on his face. Of course he assumed the horror was because of the nasty scene he'd been force to bare witness to. Callum couldn't blame him for it.
He nodded his head, sniffled and almost wiped his nose off on his hand again before catching himself. Instead he reached for one of the wash clothes near the basin and used it to clear his nose. "If you don't mind, I think that would be best." The sooner they saw a healer the sooner Callum could get cleared up, and Nim would stop looking at him like he'd seen the walking dead.
Callum gently pushed away from his lover and started shuffling around the room, doggedly grabbing up scraps of clothing and fumbling his way into them.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:02 pm
As Callum washed out his mouth, Nimueh found it difficult to tug his eyes away. Was it possible? Could he truly... but then, why else would Callum seem so ashamed, so nervous about a mere illness? For a brief moment, blue eyes met his, and Nimueh held his breath, wondering if Callum would bring it up - but instead those beautiful eyes turned away as he began wobbling about the room, attempting to tug on some clothes, and the moment passed.
He was just overreacting, right? The temptation to bring up it up was strong, but ... he couldn't bare the thought of revealing how stupid he must be, to not know such a simple thing. But try as he might to put it out of his mind, Nimueh kept circling back to that one thought: was Callum... pregnant?
Nimueh knew very little about earthling reproduction. Growing up among the alkidike, the idea of an 'accidental' child was unheard of- but as he grew, he'd been informed, in hushed whispers form earthling friends, that earthlings had 'accidents' all the time. To think! Earthlings bumbled around, dropping babies from their bellies (and how on earth did THAT happen?), not blooms! He'd always been assured, by his mother, that an Alkidike couldn't have an 'accident', and that it wasn't a concern he should worry about. But... Callum wasn't an Alkidike. And the realization that he'd not thought of the risk made him feel utterly foolish, and childish.
Gnawing his lip, Nim shuffled back and out of the way as Callum fished around for his clothes, watching, before finally rousing himself enough to hastily drag on his own coat and trousers. He was confident that someone in the inn would be able to help - the place they were in was a tiny group of buildings surrounding the inn, mostly for breeding familiars to drag carts and wagons. Someone here would be able to fetch a healer.
"Do you-- should I... er." Dragging a hand through sleep mussed dreads, Nim waited until Callum was clothed, then tugged open the door, ushering Callum past him. "Should you be going out? I can find the healer and ... bring them. Isn't that ... safer?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:23 pm
"Wha-?" Callum gave a wide yawn, and stretched his arms through the sleeves of his coat. The more he moved around the less he felt like death warmed over, even if he still wasn't at his peak. He could feel those sunshine eyes watching him from across the room, and while normally Callum might have preened under the attention this morning it made him feel odd. As if he had a large smudge on his face, or something equally as distressing.
"Nim, it's alright. I can handle a trip to the healer and back." He couldn't help feeling touched, though. Despite the unpleasantness of the situation Nimueh was still concerned for his safety, which made Callum risk rejection and reach for the other's hand. If he didn't take a sick man touching him then he would simply shrug away, which would be fine with Callum. "But...well, I am tired, so if you wouldn't mind...?"
He had no idea if Nimueh had any experience with sickness or not. It was one of many concepts that had yet to be brought up between the two of them. Callum supposed that it was a good thing this was happening now, but he just wished it hadn't. "Or I could just go by myself. I won't be upset if you think I'm...if you think this is gross and don't want to be around me right now."
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:32 pm
Oh, right. Of course Nim's growing panic would be obvious, and of course it would only serve to confuse Callum. Embarassed to be caught fussing, Nim huffed out a breath and reached to take Nimueh's hand, squeezing it, then thinking better of it and instead lacing their fingers together. "I know you can handle it, I just... Of course you must be exhausted, I can't imagine--" Nim's mouth moved as if to speak more, but instead snapped shut.
"I don't really-- understand it. Alkidike don't-- we don't..." Mortified, Nim struggled over how to phrase it, and instead puffed out his cheeks and gestured vaguely to his stomach. Whether he meant nausea or the bloated belly, he wasn't sure - both, probably. "Aisha, and a cold too. You must be miserable, Cal." And freaked out - they'd never even talked about each other's families, and now... what. Children?
He felt almost faint!
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:42 pm
Callum furrowed his brow. Had Nimueh never been sick before? The way he talked was as if what was happening to his lover were something he'd never experienced...wait, alkidike's got sick from time to time, right? Maybe they didn't. It hadn't occurred to him that they wouldn't get the same diseases as earthlings, though now that he thought about it...That had to be it!
And to have Nimueh confirm it only made Callum's shoulders relax. "Those are just side effects, love. A few potions should help with the nausea." What a blessed world he must live in, never to get sick like that - blessed and cursed. This must be terrifying for him.
"Yes, the cold..." Callum opened his mouth and closed it, looking up at his lover with a sort of 'what the-?' look. "What do you mean by 'and a cold'? Nimueh, what do you think is wrong with me?" The concern was quickly shifting to outright confusion as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. Unfortunately lack of proper sleep and the illness itself robbed him of that level of thought, leaving Callum stumped.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:53 pm
Side effects - did that mean?? Nim huffed out a breath, but ... honestly didn't know how to feel about the possible confirmation. If it was true, then he... they...
Realizing he'd left the door open, as he made to leave minutes ago, Nim closed it for the time being, and instead sagged backwards against it, biting the inside of his cheek. Cal didn't seem as torn up about it, but then again he was most likely too torn up by the symptoms.
And as quickly as the confirmation came, it was rescinded. A cold - Callum was only talking about a cold, and at the implication of there being something else, he recoiled, and now peered up at him with confusion. Oh- uhm. ....Huh.
And now he would take his leave. "You're exhausted. Going to grab the healer- just sit. Rest!" And before Callum could argue, Nimueh scrambled to open the door and escaped outside, taking the stairs down hurriedly.
Could he have been wrong? He had been so sure... or maybe Callum just hadn't thought of it just yet? He was, after all, exhausted from not being able to rest, and it was still early morning, so the realization may not have hit him. And if that was so, Nim didn't want to bring it up, not when he should focus on resting. Right?
And if it meant delaying the swirl of thoughts about possible parenthood, then all the better.
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Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 8:03 pm
What...just happened?
One moment the other seemed to bow under some kind of heavy burden, only to pop up and disappear through the doorway before Callum could get a word in edgewise. He raised his arms, sputtering a little while his mind tried to play catch up. "Nim?" Ignoring the orders, he moved for the door and opened it, only to see nothing more than an empty hallway. He debated running after the younger man, but running in his current condition didn't seem plausible. His breathing was already labored, and he'd barely done more than dressed himself this morning.
Curling his lips into a frown Callum slipped back into the room and closed the door behind him. He set about taking most of his clothing back off, leaving nothing more than a loose shirt and pants before climbing onto the bed. The swordsman sat cross legged on top of the blankets, a pillow in his lap and his back pressed against the headboard. A few coughs slipped out as if to remind him that yes, he should stay put, no matter how much he wanted to put his boots back on and go after Nim.
So he decided he would stay away and wait for him, seat just as he was...until he eventually fell asleep with his body crumpled forward, head laid out on his lap.
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:19 pm
Painted Moose You can shoo her off, or I can next post XD I just was BSing this one :3
It was still early morning, and in such a small village it was strange for the healer to be roused so early. Even so, the little old woman was patient and kindly, all things considered, but took far too long for his liking making a route of her small cabin, heating up a kettle of milk and mixing in powdered herbs and honey. Along with this heated drink, which she had him help pour into a skin, the woman gathered handfuls of assorted plants and vials before she was satisfied, and agreed to leave.
Finally.... they ascended the stairs back up to the room, pushing the door open - to see Callum fast asleep, flopped over himself. Despite his own fluttering nerves, Nim paused to drink in the sight, lips quirking upwards in amusement, before logic won him over. Crossing the room with carefully measured steps, Nim reached to grip Callum's shoulders, drawing him upright slowly so as not to startle him. "The healer is here. You can sleep some more soon." He murmured soothingly, drawing his hand down Callum's back soothingly, sitting at the edge of the bed and curling his arm around his lover's lower back to hold him upright.
Without so much as an introduction, the old healer came to the edge of the bed and peered at him, humming and hawing, reaching with overly cold fingers to rub at his throat and under his jaw. "Not too serious, lad. My own special blend of milk tea will do the trick - though I'd suggest warm curds before bedtime, to help."
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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:03 pm
It took Callum much longer than usual to rouse himself, and when he did his gaze wasn't focused in the least. At first he thought Nim raising him up might have been part of a dream because his vision was a bit cloudy, but after a hearty yawn and a throat burning cough he was awake enough to realize the truth of it.
Callum rubbed at his throat, wincing at the dryness of it. He leaned against Nimueh on reflex, snuggling up into the warmth of his arms all the while burrowing his bare toes into the warm blankets. How long had he been out? He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he did feel a little better for doing so.
The inspection was unpleasantly thorough. Her fingers were, pardon the pun, like ice and Callum couldn't count the amount of times his body jerked away from her on reflex. As a grown man he shouldn't have shrunk away from her as he did, but Callum pulled away from her grabby fingers all the same.
Perhaps the only time he voluntarily moved towards her was when the healer uncorked the drink skin and handed it to him. Callum passed Nimueh a speculative look, healing solutions always had weird ingredients that tasted bad, always, before taking a drink. It wasn't...nearly as bad as what he had been expecting, though Callum had never been overly fond of milk. At the very least the mixture soothed his throat and made it easier for him to thank her before she left.
Callum pulled himself back, slipping up onto Nimueh's thighs before coiling up against his lover like a chilled perzi. He still held the skin between his fingers, the weight of it slumping against his lap.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:17 am
Nimueh was thankful that Callum accepted his embrace, because as the healer conducted her exam, he was able to hold on to him with every jolt and attempt to fall over, and had he been sitting under his own strength Nim would have expected Callum to topple over at the slightest prod.
Thankfully, the woman was skilled and finished as quickly as she'd started, waiting until Nimueh approved of the remedy (by way of a gentle nod and coaxing rub of his fingers against his lover's lower back). Once Callum began to drink, she nodded once in approval, then turned and left them to their privacy. She had been paid before coming to inspect him, so there was little reason to loiter any longer, after all.
Once again alone, a tickle of anxiety coiled at the back of his mind, but Callum was so sleepy and curled so comfortably in his lap that he opted to leave the matter alone, hoping that his perzi-like companion had forgotten, in sleep, the oddity of his behavior from earlier.
Nuzzling against Callum's hair, Nim pressed a gentle kiss to his curls, and securely coiled his arms around his partner, shifting to sit more comfortably with his back leaning against the headboard of the tiny bed. "I'm surprised you didn't catch a cold earlier, honestly." Nim teased, his voice gentle and still somewhat husky from the cold outside.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2016 11:36 am
Callum wasn't entirely sleepy, just tired, and now that he had been roused from his slumber the swordsman was finding it hard to return. It allowed him to muse on events from earlier in the morning, though his mouth did quirk into a little smile, "I did. The first few days I was in Zena, before I found you, I was laid up in bed with a fever." Nasty stuff, that. Callum tucked one of his partner's arms around his waist, pinning it securely against his chest by overlapping Nim's arm with his own. "That's the first time I've seen a healer for a sickness. It wasn't...as awful as I thought it would be. The fever I just sweated out, but I think that next time medicine would be the way to go."
He canted his head so that he could look up into his lover's eyes. "So, about earlier...why did you run away like that? When I asked about what else you thought was wrong with me?" Callum tapped his fingers against Nim's, and the look in his eyes said that he would have his answer, one way or the other. It was rare for Callum to demand anything, usually he just went with whatever the other party wanted, but right now he needed to know.
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