09 ⚓ Video ⚓ I had to wander on sick and sorry till the gods delivered me from evil

[hearrrtofgold]

[Backdated to the second day of the flood]
[He's flushed. Duke's skin is streaked with pink, sweaty and feverish, and he looks like he baked in the sun too long. Clearly moving is not easy right now - he's groaning even as he sets the communicator down. For a second he fixes it with a consternated stare, and lifts his hands up for examination.]

I don't know what's going on or if you're - burning it or what. But can you stop it? Ice water. My only request.

[Private to Rogue]

There's something here that belongs to you. [He has no idea if she can even see this - he suspects not - but pans the feed over the miniature Rogue. It's intact, except for its eyes - the irises are both scratched out, porcelain cracked. He just couldn't stand it staring at him.] I'm so sorry.

It's not… This isn't like me.

Comments

[Private + Dean]

[surfaceshine]

Put it down and don't touch it, goddammit. But don't let it outta your sight, either: I don't need to be chasing down someone else with it.

Rogue, sit tight, I'm on my way.

[And he is, snatching up his communicator and heading out the door at a quick walk and, when that doesn't seem to knock him over for now, picking up to a long-legged jog.]

Duke, what all'd you do?

[Private + Dean]

[hearrrtofgold]

I'm not touching it! It's on the chair right here, see?

Just the eyes, nothing else. Butterknife. It was like instinct, I didn't even think about it. [If a person can sound like a beaten dog with its tail between its legs, Duke does. He's never given into something like this before.]

[Private + Dean]

[surfaceshine]

[Something in Dean's normally lively hazelgreen eyes shutters, and a muscle in his jaw jumps.]

It's the flood. [He doesn't want to say it, but it's true enough: there is a flood, and it is making people do things they wouldn't normally do. He's still not happy about it.]

No one's shown any damage yet. It's okay. It's gonna be fine.

[The hunter's breath is hitching by the time he hits the stairs, but he pelts down them anyway, moving down three levels to seven.]

[Private + Dean]

[hearrrtofgold]

Yeah. [It's the flood. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about that. Still, that changes next to nothing in Duke's eyes. If a Trouble made him do this, he'd fight to the end.]

What are you going to do with it?

[Private + Dean]

[surfaceshine]

Keep it until this all blows over if I can. Attach my lassiebot to it so I can find it if I can't.

Figure something out.

[Private + Dean]

[hearrrtofgold]

Attach your what?

[Private + Dean] Sorry about that, my phone sent it SUPER LATE

[surfaceshine]

Lassiebot. Iris makes 'em. They can find each other, in case you get kidnapped, or die somewhere outta the way.

[Private + Dean] phone hdu

[hearrrtofgold]

If you put it on and the doll disappears the next person could destroy it. Temporary fix.

Can you give it to someone else you trust in a couple of hours?

[Private + Dean] phone hdu

[surfaceshine]

If someone destroys it, Iris fixes it, no big.

That's up to her, but I wouldn't be happy about it.

[Private + Dean] phone hdu

[hearrrtofgold]

But the next person could take it off. Can you permanently attach it without hurting Rogue?

[Private + Dean]

[surfaceshine]

Probably not.

I don't know. I don't know yet.

[Private + Dean]

[hearrrtofgold]

[Grimly:] Superglue.

[Private + Dean]

[surfaceshine]

Maybe.

Or duct tape.