Sniffles and Sneezles Spread Diseasles

[idontneedluck]

The last few months have been stressful, to say the least, as he worked off his probation. Nothing he was made to do was out of malicious intent, of course, but hours upon hours of service work coupled with even more hours of solitary reflection meant it was a properly chastened Chirrut who returned to the fold.

It was also a Chirrut who'd been exposed to a majority of the pilgrims to the temple.

It was fairly inevitable that something lingered.

When Chirrut woke up this morning, the world was muffled, his chest heavy, his joints creaky and unhelpful. He ignored it.

That is to say, he forced himself up, went through the routines of getting ready for the day, but when it came time to actually set forth, he... stayed back. Casually. He didn't want a fuss, there was enough fuss over the last few months, this was just a cold. Once everyone was gone, he nabbed as many blankets as he could get his hands on, piling them onto his bed into a tangle of a nest to hide in... and then did exactly that. If this stupid thing was going to make his world muffled and off-balance, then he was just going to ride it out somewhere that didn't matter as much.

Comments

[iprotectyou]

"Ugh, that figures," Baze says, gratefully taking the soup. He sips at it carefully; it's not the saltiest broth he's ever tasted, but then again, he can hardly taste it. And he certainly can't smell it. He sniffles, thoroughly miserable. "Thank you for the soup. I'd hate to have the kids contract this illness. They'd give it to each other in an endless cycle. We're going to be sick again in a month, aren't we?"

[idontneedluck]

Churrit shudders at the thought, making the soup in his own bowl ripple - bad enough to go through this once.

"Maybe the Elders would accept my petition to go spend some time in the desert." Somewhere away from people. He could call it meditating. It wouldn't really be a lie, he would meditate, but mostly it would be a self-imposed quarantine.

[iprotectyou]

Baze cackles, and then winces, as the laugh hurt his head. "No, I don't think Master Sheotar will let you out of her sight," he says, grinning. "Who knows what kind of trouble you could get into unsupervised."

Base knows exactly what kind of trouble. He'd be right there with Chirrut, and often has been. "Aren't we supposed to be representatives of the temple? We can't do that if we're hiding."

[idontneedluck]

"I never said anything about hiding." Chirrut retorts, sitting prim and proper on the foot of Baze's bed. "I would be seeking a closer connection with the Force."

And a farther connection with anyone sick. It all works out for everyone's benefit!

[iprotectyou]

Baze snorts, nudging Chirrut from under the blanket nest. "The Force surrounds and binds living things. You're not going to find much of that in a Jedhan desert," he says, drinking his broth. "Sorry Chirrut, but you're stuck with us. Do you really want to spend more time in self-reflection?"

[idontneedluck]

He sways with the nudge, managing to avoid spilling the soup and avoid falling over the side of the bed. Progress!

"Any more and they'll start calling me vain." Chirrut grumbles, because after the first couple weeks he had thoroughly gotten the message - the rest of it just dragged.

[iprotectyou]

"How can a blind man be vain?" Baze says, thoroughly confused. "Do you just enjoy the sound of your voice?"

Baze scratches his cheek. "It's not that you're not handsome, because you are, but if you can't see it, then what's the point?"

[idontneedluck]

"Reflection? I was told it was something to do with sight and it resembles yourself. Figures they were pulling my leg." He sighs, the put-upon sigh of a man who still wonders some days if this 'sight' thing is a giant joke everyone's decided to tell.

"And there's nothing wrong with my voice."

[iprotectyou]

Baze pats his shoulder, and then returns to his own soup. "Your voice is fine," the older Guardian says. "How's Eiko doing? I haven't seen her in a while."

[idontneedluck]

He resists making the obvious quip, if only because his position on the bed isn't very secure, and he doesn't want to end up on the floor.

"Very well - her form is improving every day. Though I think she has found a new love." He reports, ruefully. "Master Benoo has introduced her to manuscript restoration."

[iprotectyou]

"Don't worry, she'll come back to quarterstaff training--and you--soon enough," Baze says, laughing.

Eiko's crush on Chirrut is legendary, and painfully obvious. Baze tries not to tease Chirrut about it too much, given the tender heart of the young lady, but sometimes the older Guardian just can't help himself.

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut snorts (and soon regrets it), reaching out to tweak one of Baze's toes through the blankets.

"She'll come back, if only because she cannot stand not being able to beat everyone in her class."

[iprotectyou]

"You mean her skills will slip without constant training?" Baze says, pressing a hand to his chest, his fingers splayed, in the universal gesture of shock. "Force forbid! She'll outgrow your training soon enough, and then where will she be?"

[idontneedluck]

"Sparring with you in the acolyte class while I take a vacation." Chirrut retorts. "But I don't think you need to worry, she shouldn't be able to manage that feat too soon."

[iprotectyou]

"How can a blind man be vain?" Baze says, nudging his friend in the shoulder. "I think we just found out."

[idontneedluck]

"Say that to me again on the training grounds." Chirrut replies serenely. "Which shouldn't be too long - you sound better." More happy, less like the rancor with a tooth-ache that he started with.

[iprotectyou]

"The soup has helped," Baze says, still sniffly, but in general feeling much better. "I'm glad you've improved, too. You can walk without bumping into walls, at least, which is an improvement."

[idontneedluck]

"I'm still not giving back the blankets. Not until they make me." He'd forgotten the joys of a giant nest of blankets to curl up in, and he's loathe to let this opportunity go.

[iprotectyou]

Baze turns his head aside to cough up some phlegm. "Well, they're mine now, so I'll give them back on your behalf. You can fight for them once you're one hundred percent better."

[idontneedluck]

Chirrut smiles.

(Yes, when he does go to get a ridiculous amount of blankets later, he'll tell those in charge of laundry that it was Baze's idea.)

"As the Force wills."