CICONIA: WHEN THEY CRY

[insinning]

It's a holy night. Silent night.

All is calm.

Everything is b r i g h t.

Comments

[insinning]

[...he doesn't like that. There's a relief of course which is muddled by all his other thoughts]

is there anything i can do tor you? i can try sneaking in peeps with the next guard

[ It's a playfulness that he doesn't feel at all. But to the guards, he continues talking] >

...if it's destructive for the factory born, that's practically everyone in the AOU.

[ But not Oria. Even so, there's no relief he can find in that knowledge. He can't dismiss what the other knights say about the hacker because

Charon tried running over them. Charon failed.

But Sinclair was... okay.]

[dissimulative]

[ The texts take some time to be replied to. Perhaps Oria is really struggling to get them out there. Whatever he's affected with, it must be so dire if he can't even use his Selcom with no trouble. ]

no
j▓st ta▓k to me
e▓eryt▓▓ng h▓▓ts so ▓uch

[ Oria is never the type to admit his vulnerability right away, but here he is. It must be pretty bad.

If it's that bad for the factory borns, then why was only a handful selected? And one of them being Oria, who has always claimed to be ciconia-born? Something doesn't add up, but the guards admittedly don't know a whole lot. It's just the things that they heard from other people while doing their job.

The medical department finally releases a statement that the new sudden affliction is contagious and that no one should get in contact with the affected. It also seems to heavily affect their P3 levels. The department is working day in and out to find a cure.

Sinclair would get the feeling that the first statement is false. If it was contagious, he and Katherine would have been affected by now. The hacker theory sounds more right with each evidence stacked against it. Perhaps the government doesn't want visitors for whatever reason and wants to keep them quarantined. The second statement about the P3 levels... the only basis Sinclair has is that Oria can barely use his Selcom. Whether it's true or not remains to be unclear. ]

[insinning]

okay. I'll keep talking. what did you want to hear about?

[ anxiety and worry gnaw at Sinclair's mind. Seeing the way Oria had dropped from the sky had made Sinclair's heart drop and he had barely been able to sleep since. Again. Again. No, not again.

Especially if it was the p3 levels...

Aria...now Oria and far too many people.

Being told he wasn't allowed to visit even in a hazmat suit makes Sinclair mutinous. Yes, he was factory born but he was healthier than most people.

And he's getting better at sniffing out the lies the officials tried to pull on him. The guards he's friends with can't really help. So he spends his time watching the medical facility, while keeping Oria updated on mundane things. If there was a chance he could sneak in, his own health be damned...]

[dissimulative]

i do▓t fee▓ f▓▓ly a▓ake
how lo▓g ▓as it b▓en

[ Security is fortunately pretty lax for Sinclair's standards once he gets into the medical facility. Most of the guards were outside, probably due to contagion fears, and they were associated with the government, not Limbus.

It's lunch break. They have 30 minutes, in which they'll eat in a different room. The doctors look so tired when they leave.

It's Sinclair's chance. ]

[insinning]

it's been a few days. everyone keeps spreading rumors about what's happening and why

[ Aha. Sinclair brightens when he spots his chance. He steals a coat from a rack and walks in, trying to imagine the confidence someone like...well an actual scientist would have here. He Does Not Feel Guilty (no). If he walks in like he meant to, then no one will stop him. Hopefully the medical bay hasn't been changed too much since and he can find Oria easily]

[dissimulative]

[ It looks like it's been sectioned off according to the patient. When Sinclair sifts through them, none of them look like they're conscious, even Oria when he finally finds him despite how he's barely using his Selcom to message Sinclair.

He lies on the medical bed with his back against the mattress. He isn't covered by a blanket, but it looks like random parts of his body were dug up with how many "dents" there seems to be. If these are what hurts Oria, he most likely haven't been given painkillers—perhaps there is a good reason why, but no one knows for sure. ]

it h▓rts
i▓ hu▓▓s
▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓

[insinning]

Oria...

[ It takes all of Sinclair's strength not to collapse on the spot. This... wasn't right. Did they remove Oria's implants or something else? He presses a hand to Oria's forehead, gently pushing back his hair. He's so very afraid of causing Oria more pain]

I'm here. Everyone is working hard to help you.

[dissimulative]

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

[ The heart rate monitor seems to slow, but that's just Oria's usual. He always had a slow beating heart for some reason, and he was never as warm as most people.

For a moment, Oria's lips slowly part from a small smile. ]

"My... Sinclair".

[ Oria never calls him by his last name. ]

"You came for me. I'm so... so happy."

[insinning]

...Oria?

[ Sinclair brightens when he hears Oria's voice but then the words sink in.

That.. isn't Oria, is it?]

Of course...

[ There's only one person left in this world that calls him Emil. He hadn't realised how much he needed to hear it until now]

[dissimulative]

"You sound so disappointed."

[ It doesn't change how giddy he seems to sound despite the pain. ]

"But I'm happy anyway. I hope you remember our promise... I'm here to fulfill it, for you."

[insinning]

... because, you don't sound like Oria now. And you're not well.

[ His brow furrows and he takes Oria's hand anyway. He feels uneasy.

And somewhere, he remembers an echo of a voice, a laughing and grating voice that sent chills down his spine.

"My Sinclair...you did well."

Huh? Why was he suddenly thinking of that?]

Our promise?

[dissimulative]

[ There seems to be a small dent in Oria's palm when Sinclair takes Oria's hand. ]

"Yes, our promise. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot it..."

[ There's a wistful smile on Oria's face. ]

"After all, you forgot everything prior to the incident."

[insinning]

...incident? [ That wariness grows, uncertainty deepening] What do you mean? We only met two years ago.

[ ... didn't they? No, Oria would have told him, would have known and]

[dissimulative]

"Well, yes and no. You met 'Oria Severine' two years ago."

[ The voice grows fainter. Maybe Oria's body isn't meant to be talking right now from how painful everything is. Imagine that. ]

"Do you still have the coin?"

[insinning]

[ The...coin?

Something snaps in Sinclair's head and he lets go of Oria's hand, sinking to his knees.

The coin. The coin...?

A woman's scream, pained cries for him to run. Blood. Bodies everywhere.]

...if you're not Oria. Who...who are you?

[dissimulative]

"My Sinclair... Have you really forgotten?"

[ The strength seems to be sapping rapidly, though Oria's heartbeat still continues, steady... steady... ]

"I am the reason why you're here in the first place. After all, these factory-borns... they're an affront to humanity."

[ The hand drops onto the bed and the heart rate lowers significantly, but it never dips to the point of no return.

There is no more response from Oria's mouth. The Selcom seems offline too. ]

[insinning]

[ Shut up! He wants to say. But Oria's hand stops moving and...

Factory born...?]

... but I'm Factory-born. And Oria...

[something doesn't add up. Of those afflicted, the Factory-born had it the worst. But it was so clear to Sinclair that Oria was suffering so much too. His gaze falls on the clipboard with the doctor's notes. What an old fashioned thing. But it was something that couldn't be hacked...]

[dissimulative]

[ Sinclair can "hack" it by overwriting the things on the clipboard if he wants, but the meal break is nearly over. Moreover, the significant drop in heart rate have alerted the medical staff to come look. Time to bail... ]

[insinning]

[He's just taking a picture of the board and leaving, hopefully without notice.

What that person in Oria said...

He goes to look for Limbus Personnel. He had to speak to That person. And maybe...they could help him help Oria ]

[dissimulative]

[ A few more days pass and there has been no signs of Oria's Selcom coming online throughout the time. However, once those few days pass, Oria is allowed to have visitors in a separate private ward.

His Selcom is still off, but Oria is seen looking out the window at the occasional passing bird in the sky. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair goes to Oria as soon as he's allowed to with permission. He had removed Oria's name from the files, and then asked some of the Limbus Personnel what it might mean. The personnel he knew that wouldn't spread anything around. But aside from that, he feels useless. If he really was someone capable of knowing military secrets, then he should be smarter right? His discussions with Dante steady him but...]

Oria...I brought some peeps. They said it should be okay.

[He sets down his bag of snacks, picked out with Oria's likes in mind]

How are you feeling?

[dissimulative]

[ Oria slowly turns his head to Sinclair and grins when he sees him. ]

Haha... a bit under the weather, but fine, generally! Ohh, you brought peeps! My favorite too!

[ Yup, this is Oria. ]

[insinning]

[ Sinclair relaxes. This was definitely Oria]

Of course. It'd just be hosptial food in here, right?

[ Sitting down and scanning Oria over. Nothing notably wrong anymore...?]

[dissimulative]

[ Those odd dents throughout his body are gone, or at least whatever is visible, which... isn't much. His hospital attire has long sleeves, long pants, and a blanket that covers from waist down. His hands look fine though. Normal hands. No dents. ]

Ugh, yeah... I was actually stuck with nutrient IVs for several days because I was out for so long.

[ Oria doesn't seem to remember that he was barely conscious to text Sinclair that day. ]

Peeps will definitely rejuvenate me~ Ahhh~

[ feed him. ]

[insinning]

I can't imagine.

[ He feeds Oria willingly, holding the peep up to his mouth. It's a relief seeing Oria awake and not like death had come for him]

... still, you managed to send me messages even like that.