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[ ... ]

Wait, you're in Goldenrod, right?

Yes! [Oh wait shit, he can't let her come into the Base. IMPROVISE IMPROVISE--] I'm at the inn. [Boy, he feels clever now. Except for the bit where he has to am-scray outta here to make it there before she does.]

Oh, then we actually are at the same place!

[ silly her for forgetting... despite the fact that she was in a hurry to get here because of him in the first place. ]

I'll be there right away!

[You know what?]

[Challenge accepted.]

All right, just--ugh, my head!

[HORRIBLE 'I'M DYING FROM MIGRAINE' NOISES, and then the feed cuts.]

Shadow! Come on!

[There's barely any time to gather supplies into a backpack before they're off, coursing through the city. Becoming a grifter certainly taught Luke a few shortcuts, so that despite his headache, they're making good time.

It's only when they're about to barge in through the lobby doors that Luke realizes that A) he barely knows what this girl looks like and B) he needs to get a room like, yesterday.]

[He gives Shadow a sideways glance.

Sighing, the Zoroark shifts easily into a foreign human shape. It's not often that he has to botch a transformation, but he needs to explain an inability to speak; markings from power-disease will do that.

While Shadow takes Luke's backpack and trudges off to brave the receptionist, Luke does his best to ignore the way his brain feels like it's splitting in two. The inn's back door leads into its kitchen, and from there, it's a quick jog to the stairwell. He finally gets to crumple a bit while he waits for Shadow to return, not actually feigning his pain for once. His head actually hurts, the mottled purplish marks of his Psychic powers blazing at his temples.

Shadow dutifully appears with a pair of keys for a room, and Luke sends him upstairs with one to get things nice and lived-in looking.]

[And there is Luke, slightly disheveled--but you could always blame that on the migraines--stumbling into the lobby on exhausted legs. He dials Makoto's number again and croaks:]

So, you here or what?

[ well played, luke... unfortunately, makoto will never know the pains you went through to achieve that feat.

though that's kind of the point, isn't it?

as he calls her up in the lobby, he can probably hear her phone go off. she'd come immediately after their call, and was pretty fast to begin with. though she doesn't quite recognize him either: instead she answers her phone, not realizing the caller is standing just across the room. ]

Yeah, I'm here! What about you?

[ her voice is probably audible to him even without the help of the pokegear... ]

[--mission accomplished.

Luke cuts the feed and walks up to Makoto, his red hair falling behind him like a banner. His expression is pulled down into completely earnest disapproval, because seriously, she had better live up after all that work.]

Finally!

[ she turns when she hears him, blinking before recognizing. ]

Oh, you're here!

[ but her smile quickly turns into a pout. ]

But what do you mean "finally"? I came as fast as I could! It was pretty far, you know?

Well, I've been suffering all this time!

[Look at him. A bleak ball of misery.]

Suffering?

[ blink. ]

You look okay to me...

Yeah, see-- [He tilts his head, exposing the pink-purple dots along his jaw that are the remains of his Psychic powers. There are more at his joints and his temples, hidden under his hair.] I got affected by the stupid bug going around...and lately I've been having these really bad headaches. [He offers a hangdog look. A tiny wibble.]

C'mon, I need you to take care of me.

[You wouldn't turn a face like this down, would you?]

Oh, you were sick? [ that at least draws her concern. ] I... um... let's see... someone said the best way to treat that is with soup! And... rest... and what else was there?

[ she's clearly a bit panicked now, especially as she looks closer at those marks. ]

Um... but first... you should be in bed! [ so she'll grab his arm and start dragging him towards his room.

not that she has any idea where his room is. yet for some reason, she doesn't stop to ask, either. ]

Sure, oka--hrk!

[Oh lawdy what has he signed up for.]

Hey, wait! Maids don't just yank around their masters!

Huh? Then how am I supposed to get you to your room?

[ look, she isn't exactly trained to do this. ]

Besides, right now the most important thing is that you get better! We can worry about stuff like that later.

I walked to the lobby, didn't I?

[Collecting himself, he steps up next to her and falls into her stride, taking the opportunity to lean against her a bit. He really wasn't kidding about the headaches, and now that he's coming down off the adrenaline of getting here, it's back with a splitting vengeance. Reaching into his pocket, he hands her the keys to room 226.]

[ luckily, that's not too far from her own room.

but when he leans against her, she can tell that he really is sick. not that she really doubted him before, but she's always had a hard time telling when he's being serious. though she'd never admit it aloud, she does kind of thing he can be a little petty at times... ]

We're here! [ she opens his room with the key, before doing her best to support him inside. ] Once you're in bed I'll go get you some soup.

['A little'? 'At times'? Makoto you ain't seen nothing yet.]

[It's with a grateful noise that Luke lets himself fall on the bed, which has been artfully arranged as if he'd been wallowing in bed for some time. His Zoroark has curled up in a corner like a big dog, but his eyes fall on Makoto like a jewelry appraiser, mmorizing each line of her shape as she moves, just in case he needs to use her as an illusion.

Luke shucks off his boots with little energy, before crawling under the covers, awaiting Makoto's care expectantly.]

[ makoto isn't entirely sure what she's gotten herself into, but she can't very well abandon him now.

once she's satisfied he's in bed, she quickly goes out to the kitchen to get him some soup. she arrives back frighteningly quickly, soup and some bread in hand. ]

I hope you're hungry! [ she beams a bit, quite proud of her accomplishment. ] When you're sick, you've gotta eat a lot to keep up your strength. When I told that to the person downstairs, they gave me a lot!

[He's about to open his mouth to tell her she's a pretty crappy maid, but woops, there is some soup there.]

[Nom nom nom. It's not bad soup! It hangs a bit heavily in his stomach, but there's another spoonful preventing him from complaining. Ah, well, he can certainly put food away. With surprising obedience, he lets her feed him the bowl, reclining on the pillows. Zoroark watches on, torn between being vaguely disgusted or impressed.]

Got any apple gels or something...?

[You know, those things that restore your HP!]

[ she watches her eat, satisfied that she's done a good job. for now, anyway. maybe this maid stuff isn't really that hard! ...though still needs a cute outfit with the frills, huh...

as she starts to zone out a bit thinking about it, she hears his question. ][ she just shakes her head. ] They had some regular apples in the kitchen though...

[she definitely needs a cute outfit. in fact--]

Yeah, I guess an apple is good enough. Make sure to slice it, and put cinnamon on it. Oh, and while you're there--[motions to all of her.]--do something about those clothes.

C, cinnamon? [ well maybe she can find that... if it'll help him get better she can do it, but... ]

Wait, wh, what's wrong with my clothes? [ even if she had been having similar thoughts... ] It's not like I'm going to find something cuter than this in the kitchen.

Well, are you a maid or aren't you? [Another kind of dismissive motion.] Can't you at least get an apron or something?

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action; incoming backtags mayday mayday incoming

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action; w/e neither did i.....