jigokulogs | ( closed ) i'm the wound you tried to hide

Second floor?

[ he tilts his head, much like a cat. ]

Well, that takes precedence, of course. But you must consider a uniform for yourself, at the very least. Wouldn't it be nice to wear a freshly laundered doctor's coat every now and then?

[ his priorities, are usual, are a little skewed. but at least he's got the spirit? and he'll gladly donate -- in secret of course, in case emily rebukes his offer because she seems like the type of gal. ]

Edited 2022-08-10 14:01 (UTC)

Maybe...

[she's definitely thinking about it. but Shylock is right, she'd refuse from him - not because she doesn't need it, but because he's also a business owner, and she wants him to be able to sustain his as well.]

It certainly would look rather professional. It's an idea that will keep until our facilities are fixed.

I'd be delighted to be the first one to see you in it.

[ he's having way too much fun with that proposed idea. ]

May I see the second floor? Or is it truly under renovation at the moment?

[he gets a look that says she's considering several witty replies, but discards them all in favor of answering his questions.]

You may - we haven't begun anything larger in scale, and since I don't have any patients...

[if he follows her, she'll open the door to the staircase, and take him up. the second level is the same size as the lower, but it's clear that the place was abandoned before they moved in downstairs. there's been attempts at cleaning, but it's still nowhere near in condition to move anything into it. the windows are still shut, and the air feels stagnant.]

What I want to do is turn this into more rooms to see more people at once and devote at least one of them to medicine compounding and research...Dr. Heng is a pharmacologist and would appreciate the space, while then I could turn one downstairs one into whatever Miss Kouchou wants for physical therapy.

[ shylock takes a peek behind the other woman, his sharp, curious eyes scanning the place. ]

Just knowing that your business is expanding... I'm happy for you, Emily.

[ so happy that his heart is singing -- except no, not really. there's that sharp frisson of burning pain, starting from a mere candlelight that slowly spreads over his heart until it dares peek through his skin and his uniform. he carefully leans onto the doorjamb so as not to alert emily but the heavy thump would've notified her anyway. ]

Nngh--

[ still, though. god

dammit. ]

[she hears that sound, turns, and her eyes widen with a bone deep fear and panic.]

Shylock?!

[what does she do, there's not water up here, and help doesn't stop that he's burning. no thought to the fact that she's not wearing gloves, but a flame needs to be extinguished somehow. it's too strong to bat off, though she's trying, a frantic fear there. cover it, smother it - with what? all she has is her hands.

they don't matter. she can heal them after him. thus, she presses down, trying to crush the flame so it will stop. it hurts, it sears like knives, but she's been burned before.]

Emily--

[ he can barely cough out her name before that familiar searing ache causes him to stagger, his free hand wrapping around her wrist over his flaming heart. he can't even say that he doesn't need her help at all, since it's pretty much her job, so... ]

L-Lay me down, at least. Can you... do that?

Of course.

[to aid him into lying down, she can do that with her other hand, guiding him into a prone position while one tries still to smother the flames. it's not sustainable - she has to try, and if nothing else she can ease the pain, minimize the damage. her own powers at her fingertips, and a counterlight comes from her hands. the healing trying to fight it off, to soothe the agony in his breast and repair what damage there might be.

it's a single wall against the tidal wave of the moon's power, but she stands behind it, trying with all she has.]

[ come to think of it, this is shylock's first time seeing her in her element, eyes zooming in on her healing hands. it's not unlike how figaro does it, but then again figaro himself is powerful in his own right, so shylock would be lying if he isn't interested in what emily can do.

unfortunately, even the doctor herself is no match for the moon's curse. the fire almost seems like its growing stronger, outdoing the glow in emily's fingertips. shylock continues to sweat and writhe in pain. ]

Emily... There's. Nothing you can do... against the moon.

[it doesn't mean she won't try. there has to be something she can do, something she can make happen, and it's only when the presence in her head shrieks that it's throwing energy into a bottomless pit, that she'll just wear herself to shreds, that Emily pulls back. her burned hands can be healed, but all she can do after is hold him and wait, and it's terrifying. if she keeps watching, he can't die on her. he's stronger than that - she has to believe.

whatever the moon is doing to him, she begs of it to stop.

time passes, flowing slow like crystalized honey. but it does pass, and she's still here. if that's the only thing she can do for him, she'll do it. waiting, for this to either do the job or end.]

[ the great calamity may be lightyears away from where they are but its effects can still be felt by certain wizards, and shylock is certainly no exemption to the rule. with cain's own affliction still affecting him even now, it was only a matter of time before his own comes back to haunt him, so he's been prepared for a while now...

and yet.

shylock will give her this though, as he continues to writhe -- he's glad that emily knows not to push herself too hard in times like this. the fire does die out after a while, and shylock can easily breathe again albeit shakily, lifting a slightly trembling hand to place it on top of hers. strangely enough, the fire did not leave a hole in shylock's clothing, but rather a simple singed portion. ]

Emily... [ he pants, giving her a weak smile. ] That gave you quite the shock, didn't it?

Of course it did, you ridiculous man...

[softly said, because she did run through a chunk of her energy trying to fight for him and having to heal herself.]

I'm grateful that you somehow survived.

[the pulse in his veins, the warmth in him, the breath he takes - it's all for the best. a solemn reassurance that he's still here with her, and that she didn't have to weep over his corpse today. she can't smile, worry etched too deeply into her face for it. he can't act like it's nothing at all.]

...I need to see your chest.

[because if it left marks, aftereffects - she wants to fix those. to feel like she's doing more than being scared for him.]

Fufu. Something as miniscule as a fire on my chest won't be enough to turn me into stone.

[ that certainly is an odd euphemism for dying, but! shylock as always takes this in stride, still having the gall to chuckle at emily'd apparent distress despite being the one in utter pain just now. what can he say, he's used to it.

which is why when emily makes that request, shylock is barely holding back the urge to waggle his eyebrows at her. this!! isn't the time!!! ]

Who am I to deny such a demand?

[ he unbuttons his shirt, and the first thing emily will see is his crest -- a lily-shaped black tattoo right above his chest, a little singed from the fire but otherwise manageable. nothing too badly burned. ]

[her expression loses none of its worry for his laughter, for seeing the crest. pensive, almost, in her evaluation.]

Does it still hurt?

[it's a strange mark, but she can ask about it when her priority of him healthy is met.]

[ shylock shakes his head weakly. ]

It comes and goes. I feel drained at the moment.

Will you... lay me down somewhere? That's more comfortable.

You'll have to lean on me, but I can get you downstairs.

[taking his arm to put around her shoulders, she starts gently helping him up, making sure he's not losing his footing or grip the entire way. downstairs is a bit of a trek, but if they go slow, together, they can make it. there's a far more comfortable bed to lay down on for recovering patients that he can make use of, clean and quiet, but she's slow to let go, wanting to make sure he really is going to rest.]

[ shylock grunts with every step they take, still clutching at his heart even as he's laid down on the bed. he's not resting just yet though, as he's still looking at emily's distressed face with a weary smile. ]

It's too bad. If I truly did get worse burn, I would've been able to see you at your element.

[ alas... ]

I still can offer you some kind of relief.

[taking a deep breath, she reaches back for the energy she'd had to discard earlier. she could swear Hibiki is laughing at her, but the light reenters her hands, and her expression is focused, putting a hand over his heart.

it won't erase the full drain of the burning, the moon's toll on him, but it will ease any lingering pain - a warmth like a touch, coaxing out strain, infusing him with a little more energy. relaxing what was hurting, leaving him room to breathe. he'll be able to rest somewhat easier, and when she pulls back, she doesn't look as distressed. just a little tired, but that's usual for her.]

[ shylock takes slow, deep breaths, letting emily's magic(?) course through him like soothing waves. it's a different kind of magic, much too gentle compared to someone of figaro's caliber for example, and he doesn't dislike it at all.

once he feels like his usual self again, he smiles at her. not a weak one, but a tired one. it's been a Day. ]

I can never thank you enough, Emily...

[ ... ]

Except... You wanted an explanation, do you?

Don't push yourself. Explanations can wait.

[later, she'll need to eat, she'll need to rest some herself, but she's fine for the moment to fuss over him and to let the other doctors take point on whatever happens. instead, she reaches up to his face to push back a stray bit of hair, and takes a breath of her own.]

You can stay here as long as you need. There's no time limit for it...just rest for now, Shylock.

[and she means it - right here, he's basically sheltered from the world, the same way he had done for her when she had slept on one of the couches in Hemlock, safe from anything outside. no one will disturb him, need something from him, and hopefully that strange fire has had its fill for now.]

[ ah.

he does recall that one moment in team -- a haggard emily that's too stubborn to rest her bones until shylock soothingly convinces her to take a nap. she's doing the same thing here, isn't she? to repay for that, maybe. or perhaps... it's just her job as a doctor.

the edges of his eyes crinkle as he manages a more genuine smile. when he speaks, it's almost inaudible. it's been a while since he's been comforted like this after an affliction attack, and it feels rather nice. maybe he should set herself on fire once more just to experience this again.

haha, kidding. ]

...Thank you, Emily.

[ just going to close his eyes and rest, his heart filling up with a nice kind of warmth that is not incendiary. ]

( closed ) i'm the wound you tried to hide

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