[PRP] Now See Here (Oliver & Horace)

[The Semblance of Unity]

There were any number of magically-inclined people Horace could have bothered. Any number of those who potentially had more experience in this sort of thing, if it was magical at all. He could just be dying. It would make sense, of course, to happen now. Things had been too good. The knowledge that his comeuppance was hurrying towards him had lingered over his head like Damocle's sword, suspended by a string waiting to snap. This was it.

He knocked on the door calmly, considering how anxiety twisted in him like a snake. No one ever expected him to be anxiety-ridden. Loud Horace, smiling Horace, Horace who happily offered rides to strangers when it was raining. He was a product of his past, and that meant that whenever things started to get good, he expected them to immediately drop. Like now, for example. For the past couple of nights, his vision had been blacking out at random. He'd be reading or watching T.V. and then, nothing. A fluke, Horace had thought, and resolved not to drink anymore for a while.

But it happened again. There had even been a very brief, but utterly frightening moment in his car on the way here...

"Ollie?" he said, worry carrying through in his tone.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Ollie was quietly enjoying a cup of tea, the earl grey leaving a subtle taste in his mouth. The TV was set to one of those channels that only played music, the soft classical tones rolling through the air quietly. Chai was in his lap, purring. Nosey was on the back of the couch, loafing. His attire was utterly comfortable even to look at, lounge pants loose and shirt possibly a hair too big for him. It was picturesque and relaxing.

It put Oliver in a rare mood. He wasn't relaxed like this, not completely, not often anymore.

So when the door knocked, he was actually rather unbothered. He swiveled his head in the direction of the sound, only moving when he heard his name faintly echoed through the walls. It gave him pause. He shooed Chai away a moment later, "I know, I know." He said apologetically as he stroked her fur, "But I'll be right back, I promise."

She occupied the warm spot he left behind, seemingly content.

The door opened to reveal him standing there, still holding the cup of tea (if he left it behind, Chai might try to get into it). "Horace?" He took a long, slow, deliberate sip as he assessed the situation, eyes looking the man up and down very obviously, "Did... you need something?"

The Semblance of Unityyyy

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

He blinked at Ollie when he answered the door, taking a moment to appreciate the look. Tea, big, comfortable clothing - now they just needed a quiet rainstorm and a book and Ollie would have it down pat. His own clothing was understated for him: a big green jacket, a tank top that loudly proclaimed 'why fall in love when you can fall asleep', and a small orange messenger bag. He wasn't the sort of idyllic rain-comfortable that Oliver was. But Horace wasn't here to think about rainstorms (and how silly a raccoon Oliver would look after being caught in one), he was here to ask questions. So he wasn't entirely sure why the first thing that came out of his mouth wasn't exactly a question.

"Hi, Oliver. I think I'm dying. Can I come in?"

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver took another slow, deliberate sip. This time he tasted the tea in his mouth for a while before swallowing, licking his lips afterwards. Finally he sighed. "It's possible?" He stood to the side, "You can come in, but only if you promise not to do the dying part in my living room. I was having a very nice* afternoon and I don't feel like cleaning your corpse up." His eyes glinted, "Nor do I feel like calling your workplace to explain your death and arrange for your funeral." And for good measure, "The explanation to the cops and the subsequent obituary they'd want me to write would really eat into my school work."

"Horace Nokoni," He mad a grand motion with his free hand, "Keeled over in my living room, aged twenty-something, slashed his hand open in Ashdown's hell-twin and almost crashed his car taking me home one day. He'll be missed." Despite this, his voice wasn't sarcastic in a mocking way. He was calm, merely being dramatic, maybe joking? He was joking.

Chai's head appeared over the back of the couch, apparently interested in all the commotion. Nosey continued to loaf like the loafer she was, eyes bright yellow against the black-as-pitch void of her fur.

The Semblance of Unity

*this edit was done just for The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Luckily for you, Oliver Beaumont, calling my work is the same as arranging my funeral. The unmentioned perks of working for a funeral home." Oliver's levity in this situation actually wan making him feel a bit better.

He rolled his eyes and moved past Oliver. "This is how you treat a dying man? I'm absolutely shattered by your lack of regard." He pressed a hand to his chest. "Also, I didn't almost crash." Looking remarkably life-like, Horace moved over to the couch in an attempt to pet Chai.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"...why am I not surprised you work at a funeral home?" He sighed, but still seemed rather lax as he closed the door behind him. "Anyway, if you ask me, you're looking very alive, so..."

Chai was very thrilled with not just company, but familiar company. She squeaked out a tiny mew before hopping on the back of the couch, her stout body homing right towards Horace's hand. Nosey remained as still as ever, eyes wide and watching. She looked offended actually, in that judgmental animal way.

"...if you looked a hair's breath away from death, maybe I would be giving you more regard. Can I get you some tea? Granted, the dead and dying don't really drink." He moved to turn the TV down a little more, even though it was already soft as is. On the coffee table was a massive photobook looking thing with colorful bits of papers and fancy scissors, but he seemed oblivious to them for the moment.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Wow, do I really give off the whole dark, dour, and creepy vibe? Wait, don't answer that." He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Sighing, he stroked his hand down Chai's fur.

"Pretty sure the dying still drink, Ollie. Tea might be.. nice. If I don't black out first." He moved around and sat on the couch, eyeing the scrap booking supplies. "My vision's being weird."

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"No, it's because it's utterly contradicting to your personality." He said from the kitchen, surprisingly pleasant. A moment later and he was walking back with a small cup, the tea bag sitting in the warmed water. "I'd just made a new batch, so the water was still hot. All we had left is earl grey though." He supposed he could've done the shopping today, but he was taking a load off instead. Never a bad thing.

Ollie tucked his legs up under him as he sat on the couch. A lift of his hand and Nosey was immediately beckoned to his lap in Chai's steed, but only because she was busy cavorting with the new visitor. "Have you ever stopped to consider that you might just be going blind rather than dying?" His own tea was set gingerly down on the table as he played with Nosey's ears. "Either way, it doesn't sound completely normal." He didn't say it, but his first thought was <******** magic.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I don't even remember what earl grey tastes like; I'm sure it's okay." He took the cup, then set it down. It needed to steep, right? "Also, I'm not exactly allowed to wear bright clothes at work - I suit up, you know."

Horace pet Chai dutifully. He knew his place. "If I were going blind, why would I only lose my vision in the evening-ish? And it goes suddenly, then comes back, then goes... Plus, 'I'm dying' sounded better." It also sounded more over-the-top and absurd. And absurdity was the best way to combat uncertainty.

"What if it's the spirit of the flower I nuked with spark magic?"

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver shrugged, "Maybe it's magic-blind?" He joked, lips forming a small smile against the warmth of his cup. "I don't think flowers have spirits, but you're welcome to think that if it makes you feel any better."

He took a sip.

"Though, it does... sound a little familiar to what I went through." He said after a long moment, "Not exactly the same, because I had my symptoms for a while before I learned how to manually turn them off. They weren't time sensitive either." He shrugged a second time, "So you're probably just normal-dying." A more serious, less lighthearted thought hit him, "Wait, you've been blacking out but you drove here?"

The implication made him look a little angry; sort of how he looked back when Horace gashed his hand open. "You really are a dumbass." He huffed as he furiously drank his tea. Still, he didn't seem as mad. Something about him was still overtly calm. No panic, no anxiety, nothing.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Horace made an odd choking noise. "Magic blind's not any better, Oliver!" He put his tea down with a loud click. "Normal dying's not good, either! I... I don't feel like a raccoon or anything..." He ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah, I drove here. How else was I supposed to come by?" He'd been worried, dammit, and come to Oliver for, for... he didn't even know why. "How're you so chill?" he asked, but he meant 'why don't you care'.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver thought about this for a moment, "I'm not actually sure? Maybe Elliot drugged my tea with xanax last night." He looked a little more relaxed now, "I'm no complaining, though, I'm sorry if I was coming off as insensitive." He was being polite too? Seemed like his anxiety was the source of a lot of his personality tics.

"Anyway, I was just concerned. If you're blacking out, then operating a vehicle isn't very smart." He sighed into his tea, "You could've called. I could've come over instead. That's all I meant." He looked over sympathetically, "But I really don't know what it could be."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Horace huffed. "Sorry for being stupid," he said childishly, pettily. He stood, knee knocking against the table. "I'll just g-" Then the world when dark again and he wobbled, off balance.

"Oliver?" he said, his voice higher pitched. His hand had immediately fanned out and he froze, afraid to move. In the darkness, he could... see, almost, like a faint memory of things. But it wasn't the table near Oliver's couch.

melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

There he went, acting without thinking again. Oliver watched a pair of his scissors dangle dangerously close to the edge, the rest of his supplies rattling with the force from Horace's knee. Oliver looked concerned now that Horace apparently couldn't see.

"First you announce you're going to leave, then you call for me again." He sighed wistfully before also standing, "I didn't go anywhere, you can still hear me, right? I'm not touching you or anything." Cautiously, he peeked around the front.

"Your eyes look a little unfocused. Is this the black out thing?" His brows scrunched up as he worried his hand around his wrist, "Maybe you should sit back down?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Yes, I can't see." He could, sort of, but it looked weird and it definitely was far too dark and it wasn't Oliver's apartment. Dark shapes blended with something - a wall? Horace blinked rapidly but nothing changed.

"But I can't see the couch..." he said, sounding a little lost.

melancholies