infamousdelsin | hey brother, do you still believe in one another?

". . . Wow," Reggie says.

He's sitting on Delsin's couch, in Delsin's apartment, and Delsin's just broken the news that Reggie's dead. He'd been standing at the door when Delsin had brought Spark back from his morning walk, and the dog couldn't stop barking at him so Delsin had tucked him into the bathroom to get some quiet and privacy. He's exhausted and his head hurts, and he's got Reggie.

"Yeah," he says softly. "I tried so hard to save you."

"I . . . I know," Reggie assures. He grips Delsin's shoulder. "I remember, Del. You did your best, okay? I know you did." He leans back, arms out to the side. "But, hey. Here I am, right?" He smiles, chin lifting in that achingly familiar way.

"Here you are," he agrees. His eyes are soft and maybe still a little surprised. "God, it— it blows my mind, Reg. You're right here." He reaches and touches his shoulder, and for a second, Delsin almost believes his hand will pass right through him. But it doesn't. It lands firmly on Reggie's shoulder and stays there, and he clutches tightly before yanking him into a hug.

"That's right, Brother," Reggie whispers. "I'm right here. And I'm never gonna leave you again."

It's exactly what Delsin needs to hear, and he grips tighter with a soft, broken sound. He ignores the weird, worried knot in his belly. This is Reggie. Reggie is real, and here, and safe.

Later, Delsin is feeling tired. He's always cold, now, which seems to make the fatigue even worse. He hasn't been cold in so long, not since he'd gotten his smoke powers. But now he is, and it's . . . weird. He takes a deep breath: he's ready to tell Reggie he's going to go lay down and rest for awhile. Reggie pops out of his seat like there's a tack under him.

"Hey, Brother, why don't we go for a walk?" he suggests. "You look like you could use some fresh air."

Delsin looks up, and he's about to protest, say that he just wants to take a nap, or something. Then Reggie's hands are under his arms and hauling him up.

"Yeah, come on!" he assures. "It'll be great! You can show me around, introduce me to your friends; I can help you find a job to keep this respectable apartment."

"Creepy apartment," Delsin corrects with a little mumble. Well, it is! It's just kind of here for him, with no precursor, right? Did I just use 'precursor' right? he asks himself.

"Ah, it's not so bad," Reggie says, looking around. "Come on, let's go!"

"Hang on, lemme get Spark." Delsin doesn't like to leave him alone anymore, not since he's been forgetting to lock him in the bathroom. Reggie sighs heavily, but he lets Delsin hook the dog up. Delsin gives him a look, but brushes it off to typical brother annoyance at the barky beast.

Delsin's feet hit the sidewalk heavily, and he has to continually tug at Spark's leash to quiet his barking at Reggie. He leans into Reggie occasionally as they walk, just listening to his voice. It's nice. The cadence is familiar. He has no idea what Reggie is talking about, but that part doesn't matter. It's just for the sake of hearing his brother again.

They're just outside the park when Delsin has another dizzy spell. He clutches to Reggie with a gasp. No, no, no. He can do this. He can breathe through this. Reggie's arms are around him, holding him up carefully. Delsin's sure he'll come out of it. Only he doesn't. This time, the world spins black.

The last thing he hears as his body slumps to the sidewalk is Spark barking.

[ Timed to August 10th, 2014, around two PM. Find Delsin sprawled just outside the park, or have Spark find your character and drag you to him! Either way, he'll be unconscious when you find him and you'll have to shake him awake. Open for forever! ]

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His skin is hot under her hands — it's always been warm but this is like a fever — and smoke sort of swirls around his skin in loose curls when he stirs. Spark whines and paws at his shoulder, then licks Aurora's cheek nervously. Delsin's eyelids flutter.

"What happened?" he breathes out. He feels foggy and distant. And so cold. Then he remembers. "Where's Reggie?"

Aurora frowns as she feels the slick of his skin against her palms, watches the smoke rising from him as though he were on fire. "Delsin, I think you must have a fever," she tells him. "You're warm, and there seems to be smoke coming from you?"

"Who's Reggie?" She asks, gently. She has a feeling she knows the answer, but she waits for him to answer.

"He's my brother," he says. He grits his teeth and shifts up to his knees. He lets out a breath. "Shit," he breathes. Spark is pacing around them, and when Delsin reaches his hand out, Spark pushes his head into Delsin's palm. He feels so weak. "Can't believe I passed out like that." Reggie must have gone to get help, he realizes. He shivers and hugs himself tightly. "God, it's cold."

"Your brother is here in Darrow?" She asks, concerned, because she thinks he's told her that his brother passed on. She watches as Spark nuzzles into his owner's hand, clearly as worried as Aurora feels. "Are you certain you saw him?" She unwraps the shawl she'd worn that day, wraps it around him. "I know it's not much, but does that help at all? We should probably get you to a doctor."

"It was him," he assures. He gratefully clutches the shawl around him, but it doesn't do much. It feels like the warmth is seeping out of him from the inside, and he's not sure if he should say that because . . . that's kind of an alarming thing. But he's fine, it's okay. He'll be fine.

"I don't need a doctor," he assures. "I'm not sick or anything, I'm just— I'm really tired, that's all. Maybe Spark's got me stressed out, y'know?"

"Did you get to speak to him?" She asks, keeping an eye on him. Her shawl isn't thick, she knows, so it probably doesn't add too much additional heat, but her friend looks in need of it, regardless.

"This looks more than just stress," she tells him. He doesn't just look tired; he looks drained, but she isn't sure how to tell him this.

"Yeah, we've been hanging out," he assures. "It's nice, I—" He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I've missed him so much." But there's a certain . . . hesitance to him when he says it. Delsin isn't sure this is all Reggie: it feels like the city has changed him, somehow, and he's not sure how. Reggie never would have left him lying in the sidewalk like this.

Would he?

Now that Delsin is awake, Spark is leaning against him, nudging his elbow and shoving his muzzle between Delsin's arm and body.

"That's wonderful, that you've gotten to spend time with your brother again," she says, though she does notice his hesitation. "Is anything the matter?"

She glances down at Spark beside him and smiles at the way he nuzzles against Delsin.

"Someone is very happy you're awake," she tells him.

Delsin smiles. "I'm okay," he assures. He rubs Spark's ears gently. "Good little guy," he murmurs to him. He nods at Aurora. "Hey, Kid, would you mind helping me up? This concrete is hell on my knees." He needs to turn it into a joke, because it's no big deal. It can't be a big deal.

"Of course," she says, moving to place herself in a position to support him. She makes sure to keep Spark out of the way, lest he runs into one of their limbs in the process. "Alright, let's get you back on your feet."

Delsin manages to get one foot under him, and he uses it as a brace so he can stand and get the other stable without totally shoving Aurora down. It's right about now that he realizes just how much taller he is than her, and he grimaces. "Sorry," he says.

Spark dances around their feet, whining and yipping nervously, but otherwise actually attempting to stay out of the way.

"Don't apologize," she tells him, wincing a little under his weight. As much of a height difference as there is between them, Aurora doesn't mind. Delsin's a dear friend, and she wants to see him well again. "How do you feel now?"

"Better," he says with a nod. It feels a lot better to be standing, like having the blood flowing properly is helping. "Kinda hungry, though," he adds with a little laugh. "Why don't we, uh, go back to my place and have some lunch?"

"That sounds good to me," she tells him with a nod, helping to move with him as they begin to walk.

hey brother, do you still believe in one another?

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