A Darker tint

[Florian Maverick]

Chiasa would find Florian farther within the castle, his hand put directly through that of a shadow. "Nnyah!" He growled with primal exuberance, as the creature struggled, before it's darkness entered his body, snaking around his hand before entering through his throat, his aura more visible than ever. "Refreshi...." Florian gulped as he looked behind him, his face fearful. "Chiasa... It's not what you think." He said finally.

[Chiasa]

Chiasa opened her eyes, slightly perturbed. "Florian, I...well...I'm sure it's not what I think, 'cause I got nothin'..." She stood by the door cautiously. "Can you...can you explain? 'Cause I dunno what to think, Florian. Is this what happens when your heart fuses with the crystal-thing?"

[Florian Maverick]

"Yes... No! I mean..." Florian stuttered. "I... I sort of kind of got wounded before this whole she-bang started, and Xerj saved me, but he did it by feeding me a heartless... I mean, I was pretty banged up, there wasn't another way!" He explained. "But now I get.. cravings, from time to time. It's not connected to the essence at all." Florian told her, stumbling over his words. "Please don't hold this against me. I don't really get a choice in it."

[Chiasa]

Chiasa felt sad for Florian, taking a few steps closer. "So...this is different from the other thing? I'm sorry you're forced into this...jeez, Florian...see, I wanted to tell y'something, but you're busy. So it can prolly just wait' til tomorrow. I'm gettin' kinda sleepy anyways..."

[Florian Maverick]

"Just... wait till tomorrow, yeah." Florian said with a strange smile. He went to say more, but a slight amount of black substance fell from his mouth, which he wiped with a blush, turning pale as he did so. "Tomorrow, everything will be better."

[Chiasa]

Chiasa approached carefully and looked at Florian with some concern. "You don't look right, Florian." She placed a finger under his chin, gently lifting his face towards her. "Jeez...C'mon, you got a bedroom right? You should lay down. You look about ready to fall over, y'know."

[Florian Maverick]

Florian looked at Chiasa in the face, before hugging her, tears in his eyes. "I... I'm sorry." He said, pulling back suddenly. "it's just... being out here with the heartless... having to eat them like some kind of animal, it's... it's been hard." He said in an exhausted tone. "If you weren't here... I don't know what I'd want to do with myself."

[Chiasa]

"Heyyy, woooah...it's okay, it'll be okay. Y'know, we all gotta do things we don't wanna do sometimes. If you haveta do it to stay alive, nobody can judge ya. I don't. It scared me right off the bat, but I get it." Chiasa hugged Florian back. "Like I said, where's your bedroom? You gotta go to sleep, if you ask me..."

[Florian Maverick]

"I just... I ran in here trying to find dad, and maybe show everyone I wasn't a screw-up, you know? and now... Everything got messed up." Florian said, before wiping his eyes off. "I'm... sorry, it's not right for me to do this to you. Sleep... might be good." He said finally.

[Chiasa]

"Dad?" She tilted her head curiously a moment, but brushed it off. "You're not doing anything to me, you're allowed to be emotional, y'know. It happens to the best of us. C'mon, let's get you to bed. Where to?"

[Florian Maverick]

"Well... back then, my dad tried to fight the heartless with everyone. I told him it was stupid, but he went anyway..." Florian said, guiding her towards the bedroom with him. "I figured he might not have been lost, and was just hiding out... Stupid, right?" Florian asked with a glare. "The heartless eat anyone without the power to control them. They're too powerful for any being to oppose directly like that. My dad didn't have a chance." Florian said, hobbling towards the room. "I didn't either, really..."

[Chiasa]

"Florian...jeez...I had no idea. Sorry. Really, I am." She smiled up at him, trying to comfort him. "But it'll all work out for the better. You made it out alive, plus you got this really cool castle to live in." Chiasa smiled and took his arm gently, taking him into the bedroom. She sat him down on the bed. "If your dad knew you were trying to protect everyone from the heartless, I think he'd be real proud of you today."

[Florian Maverick]

"Proud?" Florian said with a slight smile. "Maybe..." Florian said, feeling paler than before. "I really need to sit down..." Florian said finally, allowing Chiasa to sit him on his bed.

[Chiasa]

"I think laying down might do ya some good...here, lemme help." Chiasa pulled back the covers and gently lay him down on the pillow, covering him up. "You look like you might keel over, Florian." She crossed her arms over her chest and stood beside the bed. "Thirsty? Can you, uh...still drink?" Chiasa felt strange, having asked that question twice in the same day.

[Florian Maverick]

"Yeah... I can still drink. Water probably'd be in the sink, over there." Florian pointed towards a small room connected to the bedroom. "If the stupid heartless have connected it, anyways."

[Chiasa]

Chiasa made her way to the room and found a cup by the sink, then turned on the faucet. She grinned. "Success! We have water." Chiasa poured a glass and rummaged through a couple drawers until she found what she was looking for; a straw. She took the water to him and placed the straw in the cup, carefully holding it towards him. "Here. Don't bother sitting up, you're way too beat. Drink up."

[Florian Maverick]

Florian drank from the cup after taking a few tries at sitting up enough to do so. "I'm not sure why I feel this way, exactly... It's worse than most colds I've ever had."

[Chiasa]

Chiasa shrugged. "Everyone gets sick. But maybe the darkness is hurting you. I dunno. Just another reason for me to...ah..." She cleared her throat anxiously and smiled. "I dunno. You'll get better from resting, though. 'Least that's what I think."

[Florian Maverick]

Florian looked at her suspiciously, but didn't have the energy to continue the argument. "Will you... Sit with me?" He asked.

[Chiasa]

Chiasa considered protesting, but hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Sure, if y'like." She sat down on the edge of the bed gently, making sure not to disturb Florian too much as she did. She gave him a pat on the shoulder softly and smiled. She noticed that Florian reacted to her slip up, but shook it off.

[Florian Maverick]

Florian coughed, the spittle black in color. "What is... that's not right." Florian said, looking at the coloration. "I... It's not a problem, I just... Need to assert more control, maybe. Yeah."

[Chiasa]

"Florian?" Chiasa stood up and found a cloth, dampening it. She rushed back and gingerly sat back down, using the damp cloth to wipe his face and cool off his forehead. "You're burning up...what do you need? What can I do?"

[Florian Maverick]

"nothing, nothing. I'm fine. I'm in control of the situation." He told her. "Don't worry about me. I'm the most powerful being in traverse town. This... isn't... enough to get me down." Florian said, sitting up slightly in an effort to show how good he was still doing.

[Chiasa]

"Stop that. This is serious, s'don't be trying to be big and bad. Lay down." Chiasa carefully lay Florian back down and placed a hand on his forehead. "Put'cher pride away...what can I do to help? "

[Florian Maverick]

"Just... Stay near me. I... Worry about you, when you're not near me." Florian told her with a grave expression. "I... Know I didn't always show it, back then."

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