18

[asea]

Who: Walter and anyone
Where: Island
When: 5th, morning
Style: Either
Status: Open

[The change is gradual and starts with faint discomfort when it actually affects him. The onset of something more severe begins much later.

Walter glimpses the network between then: I believe this week some of you might begin feeling a little chilly if you don't have physical contact with someone. He throws the communicator aside after that, and ignores the clatter of the thing against a table as he folds his arms.

He endures through Thursday, but by Friday, his senses have dulled and he doesn't quite see it or his paling complexion.

Something compels him to visit the island that morning. His gait on the way is more languid than that of his usual march, and he moves with a deaf ear to his surroundings, his inattentiveness being cause for the rare bump (or close call) into another denizen of Vatheon. But he cares little for the error and moves on without so much as a glance when it happens. He's strong yet – there's nary a stumble throughout the whole ordeal.

When he reaches shore, Walter sits where the tides reach. Perhaps it is against his better judgment, but his mind is a haze and why should he not sit there in the seawater? It belongs to the sea. He belongs to the sea.

His head rolls to the side in a fit of exhaustion, his ear brushing against the fabric of his attire. He's tired. Odd, considering he has neither fought nor trained recently, and he should be accustomed to a few hours of sleep; but he's tired nonetheless, the feeling reminding him of another time . . . a time he can't recall . . .]

Comments

[asea]

[Intended to, if she would allow it. She was cold, and he knew of a way to make her warm again; her well being still trumped the rest of his priorities.]

. . . I'm fine.

[It was her warmth that was important. This time, he extended a hand forward. A very cold hand.]

Hold my hand.

[shirleyhopeful]

[Was this...a breakthrough of sorts? She knew that Walter was only doing it for her sake but the fact that he was so willingly to hold her hand like that...]

Okay then...

[As her hand was closer towards his, she hesitated at first. It was one thing to hold her hand to Senel or anyone of her friends. But Walter...? This was going to take some time to use get to.

Eventually her hand did reach to his but she can't help but be curious at what his reaction would be.]

[asea]

[His wasn't much of a reaction. The moment their hands touched, he clamped his over hers; his expression still impassive, if dazed. The sooner she got warm, the better. That was all he thought. That was all he was capable of thinking in his numbed state.

Then his shoulders tightened, and he felt a chill run down his whole frame. It was the beginnings of a shiver as his body temperature began to rise. It shocked his mind to the truth that he had been cold. From there, everything seemed to become clearer within a matter of seconds.

But it wasn't as clear as it should be, and he became confused as his brows furrowed, his hand tightening around something soft and just a little warmer – (a hand) – ]

[shirleyhopeful]

[If Walter was able to feel the rise in temperature, so could Shirley. The moment that her hand was fully covered by his own, she flinched at the sudden warmth.

At first, she would feel the heat from her hand and then eventually it traveled up through her body. Throughout the whole thing, she wasn't sure if it was the heat but...she couldn't stop feeling embarrassed.

Why was he tightening his hand around hers? In response, she did the same because she wasn't sure what else to do.]

[asea]

[He was still somewhat dazed until he felt her hand tighten around his, too, and that struck a sudden sense into him. Without warning, he jerked his hand back, intending to tear his and hers apart – no, rather, intending to remove his contact with her, as it had been unwarranted, and she was a holy figure.

She was Shirley, and she was the Merines.

His brows furrowed in bewilderment, as color returned to his skin so did the rest of his mind. Walter's hand dropped to his side.]

Merines –

[His voice was stronger now, more reminiscent of his usual strength. But he still lacked the words.]

[shirleyhopeful]

[From that sudden movement, Shirley too took a step back. Did something happen? She...didn't hurt him did she? Was he getting warmer?

All these questions were running through her head as she finally spoke up.]

Um...Walter?

[It looked like he was okay and he didn't sound like what he was before. She stared down at his hand and then back at him. It looked like he would be fine.]

[asea]

[He was still cold, but not as cold as before, and he felt it by the way his muscles tightened relentlessly to preserve what heat he'd managed to acquire from the Merines.

From the Merines, at whom he shook his head vehemently in spite of the headache that followed.]

– that was unnecessary.

[Whether he meant that more to himself or more to her, he didn't clarify.]

[shirleyhopeful]

[Shirley could feel that her entire arm was warm but the rest of her body wasn't. As she stood there, she knew that she can't be selfish. She should be happy that she managed to get some heat.]

But you are feeling warmer aren't you?

[While it might be unnecessary, the thing was that there weren't quite as cold as before]

[asea]

That wasn't what I had intended.

[He raised an upturned hand as an accompanying gesture while explaining. Hers had been the first hand he had held – much less touched – in a long time, and as it was obviously the first for the curse, its effect were extreme on him. His senses were coming back more quickly now since he had regained some of it.]

I didn't intend to have you freeze.

[shirleyhopeful]

[Now that it was clear that Walter answered her question, she gave a smile before shaking her hand a bit.]

And I didn't want you to freeze and get a cold either.

[In addition, she knew that he would regret his actions later on. His reaction was not a surprise to her. However, another question comes up.]

Um...do you want to stay up on the island a bit longer?

[asea]

[A cold . . . such a mundane thing.

He considered her question, as there was no harm in staying up on the island. However, he was as warm as he could possibly be now (which still was rather far off, admittedly, but at least he wasn't freezing anymore), and he knew there was nothing to be gained from the sea or the sun.

Ridiculus.]

There's no point in staying up here. The outside doesn't do anything to sustain your body heat.

[shirleyhopeful]

[Hey, she's just worried about you Walter.

Now that Shirley wasn't quite as cold but at the same time, she does have to admit that she missed being up on the island. It's been a long time since she's been up here but...]

Then how about we go back home for now? I wonder if we're not cursed anymore though.

[asea]

[Unlikely. That was highly unlikely.]

It should last the week. A few more days . . .

[They were more than halfway past the week, the usual time frame for such ridiculousness. At the very least, the escalating cold shouldn't hit such a high peak again.

But.

Home?]

This isn't home.

[shirleyhopeful]

Hopefully we won't have to worry about being cold! We'll just have to wait and see!

[Despite the situation they were in, she was still trying to make the best out of everything. However, when she heard what Walter had to say, she was rather shocked.]

Ah...I meant going back to the apartment...

[Oh dear. She wasn't getting comfortable with Vatheon was she?]

[asea]

[This was problematic.

How could anyone make a mistake like that?]

. . . I'm staying here.

[For the time being. What she had just said didn't give him much of an inclination to go back to a place where all he could do was sit or stand around.

Not that the island offered him much else.]

[shirleyhopeful]

[Did she say something wrong?

She didn't mean to make a mistake like that.]

Um...okay then. Is there anything else I can do?

[It was strange for her say that but she did feel guilty for what she said.]

[asea]

[Why was she asking him that?

Why was she asking him all these things?

Walter turned away and folded his arms, bowing his head in thought.]

. . . No. It's me that should be doing something for you.

[shirleyhopeful]

No, it's okay! You don't need to do anything for me!

[She quickly said to Walter.

Right now, she just wanted to find a way to make him happy but...

That wasn't going go that way was it?]

[asea]

I do.

[And he felt something hot in his chest in spite of the cold for having to establish that. That no matter how many times he said, he wasn't allowed to follow up without the deed being considered unnecessary.

That he was unnecessary.

But that – that – ]

You only need to tell me what.

[shirleyhopeful]

[How was she suppose to respond to that? She knew that this was said many times but their ideals were just so different.

The last time she forced Walter to do something, it was something she regretted.

It was difficult but...]

No, it's okay. If you want to stay on the island, that's fine by me!

[Now what?]

[asea]

[ . . . of course.

Perhaps one day – ]

Then will you be returning?

[shirleyhopeful]

I'm not sure but I don't think I would be...

[Mostly because there are a lot of others that might need some help from this curse]