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I’ll be right over.
[ it doesn’t take long. when he arrives, he sheds his shoes. washes his hands. all the little idiosyncrasies that levi cares, dolph pays attention to. until he sits down nervously. works his jaw before speaking. ]
He got me a ring.
[ it doesn’t take long. when he arrives, he sheds his shoes. washes his hands. all the little idiosyncrasies that levi cares, dolph pays attention to. until he sits down nervously. works his jaw before speaking. ]
He got me a ring.
[ Dolph's nervous (but excited?) energy is palpable as soon as he steps in. Levi greets him briefly, appreciative as always that Dolph observes his practices. After a minute or so he finishes preparing the tea and brings it over, setting a cup in front of his friend.
He hasn't even sat down himself yet-
- and immediately reaches to pick up Dolph's hand to examine it. ]
Oh~? How did he do?
He hasn't even sat down himself yet-
- and immediately reaches to pick up Dolph's hand to examine it. ]
Oh~? How did he do?
[ It's rather impressive how quickly Dolph flushes, which Levi can't help but be quietly bemused by - but no, that isn't what he meant, necessarily. ]
Glad to hear it, though I wouldn't have expected anything less. Meant about what he got you.
[ He's looking at the ring - which seems very much to suit Dolph, but he still wants to hear what he thinks. ]
Glad to hear it, though I wouldn't have expected anything less. Meant about what he got you.
[ He's looking at the ring - which seems very much to suit Dolph, but he still wants to hear what he thinks. ]
[ He hums, a soft noise of approval, and gives Dolph's hand a faint squeeze before letting go. His voice is soft, but fond. ]
...yeah, not bad.
[ Taking a seat then, he leans back, crossing one ankle over a knee. ]
So when's the big day? Or you just gonna elope?
...yeah, not bad.
[ Taking a seat then, he leans back, crossing one ankle over a knee. ]
So when's the big day? Or you just gonna elope?
[ dolph nods slowly. levi would understand. he's sure at some point, he too felt the enormity of it. the way it weighs down while feeling like you're floating. like you're tumbling down the hill, to — to something magical. ]
It feels so big. And I don't — know what to do next.
It feels so big. And I don't — know what to do next.
[ it'd been that first sojourn into the Labyrinth, where they'd both experienced the reality of their Wish. A little cottage together; their horses in the pasture; a ring, simple but clearly worn with many years appearing on his finger. He'd never dared to ever think that far. They hadn't even had the chance to admit any real hint of their feelings before then. The world had spun then; elation and disbelief and the deepest ache that it would probably never come true. It hadn't been long after that it was confirmed Erwin wouldn't return from that expedition.
So at least they had this. It's all they would have.
Levi regards Dolph solemnly, but gentle. He gestures to the cup in front of him. ]
Drink some tea, first.
So at least they had this. It's all they would have.
Levi regards Dolph solemnly, but gentle. He gestures to the cup in front of him. ]
Drink some tea, first.
[On 12/25, Levi will have a gift delivered. Inside is a small mountain of knit cleaning cloths, but also a scarf with his name embroidered on on the bottom and a card.] Hello Levi, I've been buying cotton yarn as needed for a while since our talk about knitting and finally finished all of these. They should last very well and hold up to cleaning. I hope the scarf keeps you warm. Best Wishes, Eilonwy
Erwin can't deny the inevitable any longer. He's sick, he's coughing up sakura petals everywhere, and he can't hide it from Levi. He's stayed out as long as he can, but it's getting late and he needs to go home.
He wonders what kind of secret he's going to have to tell to get these flowers to stop.
As he makes his way through the city, he calls up Levi. He leaves the video off, and when he speaks, he sounds like he's trying very hard not to cough.
"Are you feeling all right, Levi?"
Erwin really hopes that he's the only one who caught this. As bad as it's been for him, it would be worse for Levi.
He wonders what kind of secret he's going to have to tell to get these flowers to stop.
As he makes his way through the city, he calls up Levi. He leaves the video off, and when he speaks, he sounds like he's trying very hard not to cough.
"Are you feeling all right, Levi?"
Erwin really hopes that he's the only one who caught this. As bad as it's been for him, it would be worse for Levi.
Edited 2025-02-24 18:26 (UTC)
Although he's been spending quite a lot of time in the new city as well as the tea shop, Levi's elected to stay home for once and give their cottage a thorough refresh. It's still cold as fuck outside, but he's put on an extra layer and cracked a couple windows anyway, to tempt in some fresh air.
He holds the device to his ear with his shoulder, so he can continue drying recently scrubbed mugs that hadn't been used for a while.
Erwin certainly sounds strange, and the unprompted question makes his eyes narrow.
"Fine," he answers, clearly already suspicious. "What's wrong? Constipated again?"
He holds the device to his ear with his shoulder, so he can continue drying recently scrubbed mugs that hadn't been used for a while.
Erwin certainly sounds strange, and the unprompted question makes his eyes narrow.
"Fine," he answers, clearly already suspicious. "What's wrong? Constipated again?"
Later on, Erwin will have to tell Levi about how he and Jean made the executive decision to close the tea shop early when they both started coughing up flowers. What an unsanitary mess.
Erwin should have seen the question about constipation coming, but he did, and it makes him snort some laughter. Unfortunately, that jars the coughing loose, and he has to stop walking to let the spell take its course. It takes about twenty seconds, and he spits out a spray of petals into his hand at the end of it.
"No. Not constipated."
Erwin should have seen the question about constipation coming, but he did, and it makes him snort some laughter. Unfortunately, that jars the coughing loose, and he has to stop walking to let the spell take its course. It takes about twenty seconds, and he spits out a spray of petals into his hand at the end of it.
"No. Not constipated."
Edited (the horrors of html beset me yet again) 2025-02-24 19:16 (UTC)
Very good and smart of you both.
There's a twist in his stomach as soon as Erwin starts coughing - an old, uncontrollable reaction - but Levi forces the feeling down with practice, and abandons his drying, grabbing up the device as he gets up to pace to look out the front window, as though he expected to see Erwin walking up to the door already.
"Get your ass home. Now."
There's a twist in his stomach as soon as Erwin starts coughing - an old, uncontrollable reaction - but Levi forces the feeling down with practice, and abandons his drying, grabbing up the device as he gets up to pace to look out the front window, as though he expected to see Erwin walking up to the door already.
"Get your ass home. Now."
Erwin winces. He was really hoping he'd be able to keep from coughing over this call, and now he's gone and upset Levi. Oh, well... probably better for him to have advance warning, rather than Erwin getting home and immediately spraying flower petals everywhere.
"I'm on my way. I'll be about ten minutes."
He thinks about making an answering poop joke, but it's just not in him today. He doesn't think Levi would be terribly receptive to it either. So Erwin simply keeps the call open as he walks the streets.
"I don't think it's as bad as I sound."
At least he's not coughing up blood and flower petals, like he's seen other people do today.
"I'm on my way. I'll be about ten minutes."
He thinks about making an answering poop joke, but it's just not in him today. He doesn't think Levi would be terribly receptive to it either. So Erwin simply keeps the call open as he walks the streets.
"I don't think it's as bad as I sound."
At least he's not coughing up blood and flower petals, like he's seen other people do today.
"The fact that you're saying that means it's worse." Underneath the flat disbelief, there's a note of distress. In a place that didn't have weird shit happening every other month, he'd count it as just an ordinary cold (which would be Unpleasant but manageable). But after a year and a half in this place, Levi's learned to not assume anything to be ordinary at first blush.
And yes, blood and petals would definitely be worse.
"When did it start? You sounded fine this morning."
Unless Erwin had successfully hidden his off feeling from him early on...
And yes, blood and petals would definitely be worse.
"When did it start? You sounded fine this morning."
Unless Erwin had successfully hidden his off feeling from him early on...
If it was just a cold, Erwin would excuse himself to the couch for the night. He'd bundle up under a load of blankets and coax Burnt Rice to join him, and drink a pot of hot tea with honey before going to sleep. That was usually enough to knock any ordinary illness away.
The flower petals mean this isn't any ordinary illness.
"It started later in the afternoon. Jean had it too, and I helped him get settled before I started home."
Jean was settled a couple of hours ago, but Levi doesn't need to know that. Erwin had held out stubborn hope that sharing secrets with Jean would be enough to cure himself, but he doesn't seem to be so lucky.
"It's, ah... it's not a regular cough." Best to just get it out there. "I'm coughing up flower petals."
The flower petals mean this isn't any ordinary illness.
"It started later in the afternoon. Jean had it too, and I helped him get settled before I started home."
Jean was settled a couple of hours ago, but Levi doesn't need to know that. Erwin had held out stubborn hope that sharing secrets with Jean would be enough to cure himself, but he doesn't seem to be so lucky.
"It's, ah... it's not a regular cough." Best to just get it out there. "I'm coughing up flower petals."
Luckily, Levi had just changed all of the bed linens - both in their room and in Hange's (even though they haven't been here for nearly...a year...it's still their room, in his mind). He's in the process of grabbing an extra thick blanket from the closet when Erwin drops that bomb.
There's a very long pause, as though he's playing that comment over in his head multiple times, trying to work out if he heard right.
After a moment or two:
"You're fucking what?"
There's a very long pause, as though he's playing that comment over in his head multiple times, trying to work out if he heard right.
After a moment or two:
"You're fucking what?"
That is more or less what Erwin expected.
"Flower petals. I'm... ah..." It seems that mentioning the damn things inspired them, and Erwin stops to cough again. It's not as long this time, but more violently, finishing with him retching from deep in his lungs and expelling the petals with a splat onto the wall.
"I'm coughing them up." Erwin straightens and wipes his mouth with a handkerchief. A few stray sakura petals stick to it.
"Flower petals. I'm... ah..." It seems that mentioning the damn things inspired them, and Erwin stops to cough again. It's not as long this time, but more violently, finishing with him retching from deep in his lungs and expelling the petals with a splat onto the wall.
"I'm coughing them up." Erwin straightens and wipes his mouth with a handkerchief. A few stray sakura petals stick to it.
There's some predictably impressive swearing happening on the other end, and the sound of quicker footsteps and rustling as Levi immediately pivots and starts getting ready to leave.
"You sound worse than shit. Where are you, I'm coming to get you before you turn into a fucking tree and get rooted to who the fuck knows where."
"You sound worse than shit. Where are you, I'm coming to get you before you turn into a fucking tree and get rooted to who the fuck knows where."
"No, don't do that. I'm almost home."
He's still over five minutes out, but he'd rather get any stray petals out before getting to the cottage. Levi has seen him laid low and at his worst before, but Erwin isn't crazy about repeating the experience.
"Can you get the kettle going? These petals keep scratching my throat."
He's still over five minutes out, but he'd rather get any stray petals out before getting to the cottage. Levi has seen him laid low and at his worst before, but Erwin isn't crazy about repeating the experience.
"Can you get the kettle going? These petals keep scratching my throat."
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