[closed] hange, yes: vol.2 (the apothecary)

[wingbound]

WHO: shingekis
WHAT: turns out the people who never talk about their feelings is extra susceptible to the heartfreeze disease. everyone is shocked.
WHEN: july event!
WHERE: levi & eren's apartment
WARNINGS: shingeki no kokoro

::

Extra OOC information:
Known afflicted: Gabi, Reiner, Historia?
Surprise afflicted that will be revealed in log: Eren
Surprise afflicted that may or may not be revealed in log: Levi
Non-afflicted: Jean, Mikasa, Hange?

::

[ After Gabi scares the shit out of Levi during a quest, and he turns to Hange as he already knows they're part of the potion brewing crew, it doesn't take too long to find out that Gabi's not the only one suffering from the disease... ]

[ As the completion of the cure draws closer, they figure to start gathering the afflicted Scouts and those willing to ease their suffering in Hange's apartment, however as it turns out, running an alchemy lab from an apartment leaves very little leg (or butt) room, so in the end, everybody who showed up (and their +1s...) get shuffled into the much more unencumbered apartment next door belonging to Eren and Levi. ]

[ The ground rules will, of course, be laid out before entering as to avoid another sand incident: outside clothes and shoes must be left in the wardrobe by the door, absolutely no exceptions, unless somebody wants to be folded twice and thrown into the hallway. Any snot covered handkerchiefs must go into the special basket marked "biohazard", and there's several hand sanitizer spray bottles around just in case. ]

[ Assuming everyone is capable of following basic hygiene procedures, eventually they will all get served tea (yes, even Reiner, though he's probably getting an extra long stare in the face as the cup is being set down) at least once, possibly more, depending how long it takes. (Those shivering will also receive a throw blanket or two with the implicit instruction to not get disgusting body fluids on it.) ]

[ The apartment is clean and has little furnishing, but there's a nice big couch with some armchairs and a soft carpet in the living room, and of course a wide screen TV picture box. If anybody wishes to tune in to the latest Annika episode, they're free to do so. There's... maybe some leftover food in the kitchen, most notably stew in the fridge that seems to contain little pizza squares?.. but the pantry and most of the other cabinets are instead filled with tea, if anybody goes looking around. ]

[ There is also a (secretly cursed) Roomba that seems especially keen on hanging out on the walls today, and a terrifying cute Yamask shyly hanging about. A void cat might also join the party at some point and yowl until it receives a share of the pizza stew. ]

::

(( ooc: this is a mingle! toplevel, tag each other, thread out whatever you'd like. eventually, everybody who needs it will receive a cure potion one way or another, and the day will be saved! ))

Comments

[dreamsofwings]

Eren wonders if it's just a titan thing. But no, Gabi isn't a titan and she's sick, too. She seems sicker, where he and Reiner are just cold and pissed off. That probably tracks.

Eren is shocked when Jean hugs him. Of all the people to just hug him, he sure isn't expecting this. It's awkward, probably, because they're so uncertain with each other. But Eren turns after a moment and hugs him back, careful to keep his freezing hands from touching skin and being a nuisance.

The warmth of another person is so much better than a blanket, somehow.

"I'm glad you're not freezing," Eren says. Would it be worse for Jean, without the regular higher temperature of the titans? He has no idea, but the feeling of the cold inside him is so unpleasant. He wouldn't wish this on Jean.

"...I know. I'm really fine." He still isn't, but not just because of the cold. But what can he do or say? He's so bad at asking for help, internalising the idea that he can only rely on himself. (Sorry, Captain.)

[rustyhonesty]

There's a shiver going down Jean's spine when Eren's cold hands wrap around him. They may not touch skin, but he's still incredibly cold. But also because now it was a proper hug. His ears may be a touch red over slight embarrassment, but he won't say anything about it. This was to help. And he wanted to help, especially because this was something he could do for him. There's not much he can do for Eren these days... or at least it somehow feels like there isn't.

"Yeah", he says, in response to Eren being glad he wasn't freezing. He's glad too, of course. And it sort of warms him that Eren's glad too. His ears may be a bit more red now. Must be the non-existent cold air.

Jean doesn't believe that Eren's fine. When was the last time he had actually seemed fine? Even back home it felt like Eren was burdened with thoughts ever since they saved him from Rod Reiss. After that he had started to be less respondent to his taunts. Not as bad as he is now, but it had felt like something was changing, back then. And now... he couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong but it felt like Eren definitely wasn't fine.

"Great, next time your heart starts freezing over I'll be expecting you to tell me right away, then. That's settled. Glad we agree."

[dreamsofwings]

Eren catches that shiver and almost feels bad about it, but that doesn't stop the hug. He has some vague lingering annoyance that Jean is somehow still taller than him. How is that fair? Jean and Reiner both still taller than him?

It's also…a little strange. He doesn't touch people that often. Often enough to not turn to stone, sure. Wild now to think that the person who touches him the most isn't a friend, not Levi or Hange, not even Mikasa. It's Reiner. Maybe that's fitting on some level. He can't remember the last time he hugged Jean. Sometime in the past, relieved about them all being alive. That must be it. Marley? Before that?

Jean's right not to trust Eren's words. Has he ever been fine in his life? Who knows.

He manages a little scoff.

"So next time you go on a dangerous mission, you'll call me, huh?" He says back, though his tone is mild. He's not going to go back to blaming Jean for what happened; they did that already. But he's not going to just forget, either.

[rustyhonesty]

Okay, Jean should have expected that. He scoffs in return, slightly uncomfortable at the remark, but doesn't break the hug. But he's a little more tense than before.

"What, you want me to call you the moment something a little dangerous happens while out? Keep dreaming." He's not going to take anything too dangerous for a good while anyway. "Besides, I've been training."

He doesn't want to be the person depending on his stronger friends, hiding behind their backs. But it would take a while until he achieves that. In the meantime, easier quests for him. That would work fine.

[dreamsofwings]

"Not a little dangerous," Eren says. As if a little danger was going to end one of their lives. Sure, Jean is mostly a regular person and Eren is a nearly impossible to kill monster. But even now, he doesn't think of Jean as fragile.

"I know you have," he says. He heard about it from Levi at some point.

"But if you think I should rely on you, that works both ways. That's the only way it works."

Even as he says it, he knows it's hypocrisy. He does want people to rely on him again, even if he's not trustworthy. But can Eren really rely on anyone else? He's so hell-bent on doing everything himself, on not putting anyone else in harm's way ever again, that it's hard to do that. Levi's words about relying on his own power have lived inside him for years.

[rustyhonesty]

Jean hates it when Eren makes an argument and he's right. If he expects Eren to rely on him he should probably rely on him, too.

"... I know. ANd I'll definitely talk to you guys first if I want to go on another dangerous trip again. If nothing else, you can talk me out of it."

Not that the trip they originally went on was dangerous. It just turned into one.

"It's not like I want to die again."

[dreamsofwings]

"As if you'd let me talk you out of anything," Eren says. He knows better. If he argued against it, Jean would probably dig his heels in. Eren would have when he was younger. He might now, depending on the circumstances, but he's no longer inclined to just pick a fight with Jean about nothing.

He grew out of that and decided to pick a fight with the whole world instead.

"I know you don't want to die again. But if you're going it alone, we can't help keep you safe. You're a capable person. But…the captain and Hange told me to tell them if stuff is wrong. That goes for you too. Even if you don't wanna tell me."

It's sort of his way of agreeing that he won't hide everything.

[rustyhonesty]

"I'm not an idiot kid anymore, I actually listen to people now!" People including Eren. Probably. He might be defensive, but he would at least listen and not immediately go into 'No I'll do it' mode like he would have as a pre-teen.

Then again, if he had a bad day he might just fall into the same routine with Eren specifically. Isn't he arguing with Eren even now? Sort of.

Jean unwillingly tenses a little bit. Tell them if something is wrong... ha. He's an honest person when it comes to his problems and feelings, but right now he does have a little something he keeps to himself. But it's not important so he hasn't brough it up.

"Unlike you, I have a problem of being too honest, you know", he says finally.

[dreamsofwings]

"Uh-huh," Eren says, sceptical. Not that he has room to talk. He's technically the oldest of the former cadets now (WEIRD), but he's still such a teenager in many ways. Maybe that's just a holdover from when he repressed his whole personality for like a year or more, but he doesn't recognise it in himself.

He catches the tension but he can't interpret it well enough to chase an answer. Things are still a little rocky between them, he thinks, but improved from when he first got here. That's more than he deserves in his own head; he'll take it.

"You calling me a liar?" he asks. His words are soft, though, not a challenge or an argument. Jean would be right to call him a liar, after all, though he does his best not to lie to them now. At least…not to lie outright. He's still not in the habit of telling anyone the whole truth.

[rustyhonesty]

Jean decides to just huff. He's not going to start arguing about being someone who listens because that would probably look bad! Like he doesn't! So he's just going to leave it.

Instead he focuses on the other subject. "Not necessarily a liar, but someone who likes to hide important things like freezing to death."

[dreamsofwings]

Eren frowns a little but he can't deny it. It's not like this is the only important thing he's ever hidden, or even the only important thing he keep hiding from people.

"Yeah. I guess. I just didn't want to burden anyone with my shit any more than I already do."

[rustyhonesty]

"Taking care of your health isn't a burden", Jean says sternly. "And... you're a pain in the ass, but I wouldn't say you're a burden."