justscribing | Pestilentem PC: Childermass + Blade

[Alhaitham finds the time. He consults Yugamu and in the gaps of finding a cure they put their minds together with an earnest passion that gives a solid schematic in a few days. Alhaitham, always willing to use whatever tools are available to him, finds Blade first to show him the result and ask him to come deliver it to Childermass together.

They find him in the witch's lair, which at least means nobody has to try and force their way into any rooms.] There you are.

[Hi.]

Edited 2025-12-09 18:41 (UTC)

[ Childermass is already combing the fourth fucking space with tons of books — why are there so many, why can't they be consolidated! — for books related to wishing and wishes. He's pulled a few and is noting down pages with anything remotely of interest to return to later on some paper he's brought with him, and...

Alhaitham appears to interrupt him. Great. He looks up, annoyance clear on his face at first, but when he sees Blade with him, that quickly becomes confusion. ]

...yes, here I am. [ He gives Blade a questioning look. ] What's going on?

Hi John~

[He bounds on over to where Childermass is sitting, clearly more excited than he has been so far this week.]

Al-Al and Blue Yu-Yu did something~ And I helped!

Edited 2025-12-09 20:13 (UTC)

That's right. [He gives Blade the chance to bound over and lighten up the room. This should be a good thing after all.] It's for you.

[He unfurls the paper and offers it to Childermass: the blueprints for a prosthetic leg, wood with metal at the core and simple joint mechanics to enable the tension and release of movement. The top involves a padded cap and straps for a secure, comfortable fit.]

There's some flexibility with the shape of the wood depending on how much you want to match your remaining one, we'd just need to get the weight of it. You won't be running marathons but this design should allow you to regain most of your mobility without hobbling. And it doesn't require anything more advanced than screws and basic physics.

[Well? He said he'd do it.]

[ Blue Yu...? That must be Yugamu, but if it's Alhaitham and Yugamu teaming up, he can only guess what's about to happen, and oh boy, is he right. The blueprints are offered, and while Childermass does tentatively take them, he can only stare at them with... what? He is not sure what he feels right now.

He sets his jaw, tight, as it all roils together into a mess. Hope, that maybe, maybe this would work, then anger, that they wasted their time on this at all! Rage, even, that they dragged Blade into it! No doubt to keep him from lashing out if it had only been Alhaitham!

He drops the blueprints on the table and looks up, past Blade, to pin Alhaitham with a disdainful stare. ]

I said not to waste your time on this, and now you are wasting Yumgau's time, as well? Are you mad?

[Oh boy that is not the reaction he thought this would get.]

But...you won't let me give you piggyback rides, so this is a better option, right?

[Local robot doesn't understand the complex emotions Childermass is feeling right now.]

[Blade is doing his best with his earnest, honest encouragement. Unfortunately, Childermass also says one of the things primed to get under Alhaitham's skin.

So after the papers hit the table, so so Alhaitham's hands with a thus. He stares Childermass down with a firm, scathing gaze.]

You don't get to decide what's a waste of our time. Yugamu gladly agreed because he already wanted to make something for you, Thancred, and Julius. I did this because it mattered to me that you have the option for a better future than you think.

You don't have to accept it. You don't even have to accept that you yourself are worth the time. It doesn't change that I still consider this to be worthwhile and I'd do it regardless because you have things you want to live for.

[And that matters because he cares, which is terribly simple and terribly selfish. But he's never needed a grander reason.]

[ So that's the way to bother Althaitham. Good to know. ]

And yet it still is a waste. Where is the metal coming from? The wood? The parts? When will Yugamu find the time to assemble it all?

[ It chafes at him that they just went ahead and spent the time on this when he had never even asked for it! ]

It's...! [ Irresponsible, but is it? He's dead weight on crutches, and Blade is right. He refuses to let himself be carried around. Though he does look down at the blueprints again. If it can be done, though... ] Of course, I do have things I wish to live for, but we do not even know if I am going to live when all of this shakes out.

That's why I said you should come with me!

[Wow all of this tenseness is stressing Blade out. For now though it's contained to him wringing his hands, as he doesn't want to get in the middle of a fight.]

And besides, if we're going to mess with the wish-giver, it would be better for you to be able to run away if needed.

Why do you seem to believe this is all going to come further on Yugamu? Besides that, do you even realize how many people would come together to make this a reality if you would only want it?

[Blade, for starters, but there was a line of people protesting his pessimism when it came to giving up himself. People who care, who want him happy and thriving.]

You don't know if you'll live but you also don't know if you'll die. When the future is unknown, would you really give up on the possibility of a better one because you fear it's out of reach? If it fails, it fails only in the way you were already expecting things to go.

[And--] And Blade also makes a good point if you won't let anyone carry you.

[ When the future is unknown, would you really give up? No, Childermass would not. Logically, he knows this. He strives to survive and reach his goals no matter what, and to do otherwise may as well be as good as death, but what if he is dead? What if he is alive? He can't be without a leg if he is alive, or—!

The blueprints crinkle faintly under Childermass's fingers, but he won't damage them. It's a very faint motion, a very faint sound, and he resorts to staring at them again. ]

I am not used to not knowing things. [ Because he always knows, has to know. It got him this far in life. ] I despise it, having no clue what's coming, with my own life, with Magi, with all of this.

[ But he's afraid, too. What if this distraction means something slips through? That they miss something important? Or would having the idea spurned be just as distracting? ]

It is why I cannot go with you, Blade, even if I may be dead... Just as you cannot come to England with me, I have my own duties that I cannot abandon... [ And for that two work? He'll need two legs. ] Fine. Make the leg. You will stand here arguing until you're blue in the face otherwise.

[Blade is clearly Not Happy with Childermass preferring to go off to somewhere he might be dead, AGAIN, but accepting the leg is process at least.]

We'll see what happens once we deal with everything here. But this should help you a lot in the meantime.

[It's just one leg, how long can it take to make? Ten minutes?]

[Sometimes what someone holds onto matters enough to be worth the risk of death. Alhaitham understands that--if Childermass was certainly dead it'd be a different story.

But he's not. So he hasn't let go of hope. A man who could read fate would feel blind when forced to act on the unknown. But Childermass has never needed to be held back by such things.

Alhaitham's lips curl, just a bit smug.] I'm glad we've come to an agreement. I already have some thoughts on how to get the right pieces to have a prototype ready for you. One you can test and give feedback so we can refine the final design.

[They'll have that done by Wednesday evening and deliver it. Whether that's because Alhaitham hyperfixated so he didn't have to think about [redacted] is between him and Magi.]

[ Wow, Alhaitham, [redacted]? Really? Hmmm. ]

Yes... We will see what happens, won't we?

[ Until then, who's to say what will happen? Who will survive? Will they win, lose, will all their worlds be ravaged by the illness regardless? Will they even get a chance to argue over whether he should or should not return to England? He'll give his head a tired shake and eye Alhaitham. ]

Try not to look too smug, young man. It will give you wrinkles. [ And heaven forbid Alhaitham lose his good looks. No one would put up with the ego otherwise. ] You can fetch me from this place when it is ready to test. I do not plan on being much of anywhere else.

Pestilentem PC: Childermass + Blade

WK5 Tuesday

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