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[ As much as it pains them to ask for help, this situation has gone completely out of control from the moment it happened. It doesn't help that Lottie is so panicked over it, and they have no way of knowing how long it will last. So, they swallow their pride, and send what might come off as something pretty ominous. ]

Are you busy right now?
Something happened

[ lord. Luckily, it doesn't take Lupin too long to see this - something that he, himself, is grateful for, because of course reading that immediately makes him start worrying. It is exceptionally rare for Cairngorm to ask for anything, let alone help; therefore, whatever that "something" was, it must have been serious. ]

I will come over immediately. Are you okay?

I don't know if "okay" is the way to describe it...

[ No, this is not okay. They aren't hurt (they don't think), but there's nothing about this situation that's fine. But they have faith that he'll try to do something about it to fix it, or at least help them cope somehow. ]

I'll just explain it to you when you get here

[ They will not get a reply to that one - Lupin's shuffling on his coat and heading out the door as soon as they intimate that they are possibly Not Okay. There's no time to bother typing a response when Cairngorm is potentially in danger, even if it's only mental or emotional danger; he needs to be at their side. That's just how he's always been. Possibilities are running through his head as he quickly makes his way over to Flavo; maybe they got turned into a frog? No, they were typing too quickly for that to be the case. Then perhaps someone's wish went wrong? Or maybe there's something new and sinister in the air that he hasn't caught onto yet? He can't always be the first one to know about every new supernatural ailment in town.

Whatever it is, he'll find out about it in a second, and he resolves to do something about it, or his name isn't Arsène Lupin. He knocks on the front door this time rather than coming in through the window (thankfully), calling out: ]

Cairngorm?

[ They're pacing around the living room when the knock comes, which immediately makes them freeze up. Then, they sigh, probably audibly through the door, padding over very quietly as opposed to the usual trademark clinks of their heavy footsteps. ]

You're here already. [ They mumble, and it's very clear that they're on the other side of the door now. But they hesitate to open it, not particularly looking forward to whatever his reaction is going to be. They're weirded out enough by how they look now; the last thing they need is him thinking it's weird too. ] Don't freak out when I open this.

[ They wait another beat so he can heed their warning, before opening the door. Which reveals... them, but not really them. Right away, its noticeable that every part of them lacks their usual luster, from their softer looking hair to their now less-than-glinting eyes. Sure, their very features are the same; the shape of their eyes and nose, the line of their body. But their rigid and powdered crystal self has been replaced by a more delicate human one. They seem smaller, too - their heeled shoes and long legs usually belie their true height, but as they stand before him, dressed in the warmer, more comfortable clothes this house has to offer, their thin frame appears tinier than normal. ]

Hurry up. It's cold out there.

[ They try to hurry him in, half because it's actually pretty warm inside their house thanks to the heating system, and half because they don't want him to stare. ]

[ Normal people might not notice these little differences - but part of being a master thief is picking up on little details. A good thief is aware of his surroundings, Lupin always says (sometimes.) He knows very well what Cairngorm's footsteps usually sound like, and it's not that. Combine the unusual sound with their hesitation, and he can guess that something's physically changed about them. What, he can't guess -- but he's worried about it. At least they're well enough to talk and type... ]

Of course I am - I'll always come running when you're in trouble. That's my job. [ as a gentleman thief, and as their boyfriend, more importantly. ] I won't freak out.

[ and it's purely due to that request - and their telling him to hurry up and get inside - that he isn't frozen to the spot when they do open the door. The difference is obvious upon a single glance. They're not a gem anymore. Lupin's mouth drops open for a half-second, and despite Cairngorm's wishes, he's definitely going to stare - but he shuffles himself inside as he does, at least.

He keeps his mouth shut even once he's over the threshold and the door's shut. There's an obvious answer here, but it's preposterous - then again, is anything preposterous in this town? Without a word, he slips one of his gloves off, and very delicately reaches out, touching his fingertips to Cairngorm's cheek. It's soft and warm. ]

... You're a human. [ more of a statement than a question. His brow furrows, concerned, and his eyes meet theirs, questioning - how did this happen? There's a barrage of wildly varying thoughts going through his mind at the moment, happy, sad, worried, but he can't pay them any heed until he knows what Cairngorm's thinking, first. ]

[ The warmth of his hand on their face is pleasant, aside from the alien sensation it gives them of their skin giving. They tense up a little without thinking, but otherwise, don't move away. ]

I know.

[ With the door shut, and no one else in the house with him, it's fine to complain now - Phos isn't someone they can trust to be mature about this, and Lottie was not helpful as she too was panicking. One of their hands covers the better portion of their face, hiding their expression, though it is obvious from context that it isn't a pleased one. ]

It's that exchanging powers quest. Lottie and I don't have powers, so we didn't think this would happen. Now we're stuck like this and haven't been able to change back...

[ It's an extremely stressful situation. Sure, the quest said "for a short period of time", but that's too vague to know when this will be over. What if they die while in this form by accident? Being human alone is sort of overwhelming; feeling the temperature of things around them, having to breathe. They look strange, they're weaker, more susceptible to injury, and worst of all, they have to eat to function (which they're putting off as long as they possibly can). All of this combined? It's giving them a crisis. ]

[ yeah, okay, "stressed" is about what he was predicting. As the shock wears off, Lupin relaxes somewhat knowing they're not in pain or in danger (provided someone reminds them to eat), sighing and shaking his head. ]

So that's what happened... I wouldn't have seen that coming, either. [ from each others' perspectives, he supposes they have different "powers," but the definition is clearly a little looser than he was imagining. ] Don't worry - that stuff never lasts very long. I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time.

[ In actuality, he's not that sure, but he's being optimistic, as usual - besides, he's here to run damage control. Someone's gotta keep them from freaking out. But it's true that the quest effects are usually far less permanent than, say, a wish gone wrong, and so, his worst fears are assuaged. Lupin smiles wryly, gently sneaking his fingers around Cairngorm's and trying to pull their hand away from their face. ]

You're gonna be fine. You've got me here to help you out. And being a human isn't so bad, I promise.

[ from his perspective, there are a lot of potentially good things about this, actually... but, again, he's prioritizing their peace of mind here, not his sudden curiosity. ]

Edited 2019-01-09 06:37 (UTC)

I don't know...

[ From their perspective, there's already too many problems with this body to count. Sensei had always said that gems evolved away many of the imperfections and defects that other forms of life on their planet had in the past. Humans aren't terrible - it's just that if they had to choose between being rigid and unfeeling or squishy and sensitive to everything, they'd choose the former.

They let him pull their hand from their face, trying very hard not to let their expression falter when they feel just how much warmer his hand seems when they grip back gently. Touching him is completely different when they're like this - not in a completely worse or better way, just different. It isn't exactly what they had intended when they asked him to come here, but his presence is distracting them from their spiraling, if only slightly... ]

I thought I'd be able to sleep it off, but it's harder to fall asleep like this than it is usually.

[ Turns out that not all creatures can just pass out if they turn off enough lights. That plan started failing after the first two 1-hour naps they took following this disaster. Now they're wide awake and stuck with it!!!! ]

[ why isn't he surprised that their first method of dealing with this new problem was "sleep" ... at least their second one was calling him over. That's got to be an improvement. ]

Well, most humans only sleep at night, and after they've used up all their energy... [ ... is that really that different from gems? Probably not. Which leads Lupin to believe there's another (obvious) cause to this particular problem. ] You're probably stressed out. It's hard to sleep if you've got a lot of worries on your mind, even if you're tired and it's dark.

[ He can't help marveling inwardly at holding their hand and actually feeling warmth instead of cold stone, either. How long will this last, he wonders? It feels like a waste to just sleep it off when the two of them could go eat lunch or take a boat ride together or something. But Lupin's not inclined to force them into things just for novelty's sake when they're struggling. Taking care of them might be fun by itself. ]

How about I keep you company? You might be able to calm down some and get some proper rest. [ a beat; he smiles mischievously. ] Although I guess you did say before that you couldn't relax around me. I'll have to try to be less dashing for your sake - just this once.

Edited 2019-01-12 07:06 (UTC)

Ugh. [ They huff, making a sour expression at his bravado - since becoming human, they're not as fond of the strain in their brow that comes from furrowing it, but they can't help themself. ] Would you stop bringing that up? I said that because you're always giving me reasons to be "stressed out."

[ Almost getting himself killed, for example. Being around him is stressful, not just from the romantic standpoint; worrying about him constantly also makes it hard to relax. Here's where they try to give his hand a little scolding squeeze, the kind they've used on him in the past to show their displeasure. But now, it's lacking in strength and the unforgiving texture of their hand, so it's just a slightly harder hold than anything else. ]

Heh heh. Sorry, but the chances of me letting that one go are zero.

[ the truth is that it made him really happy when he heard it... although he's sure Cairngorm's excuse for it is true, too. Considering their caring nature and their awkward indirectness are two of their traits he finds most charming, both ways are just fine. Lupin squeezes their hand back affectionately, the scolding intent missing him almost completely, and tugs them towards him a little bit, taking a step in the direction of their room. The layout of the house has changed pretty significantly thanks to Lottie's wish, but he thinks he still knows where it is...

He looks their way again, unable to resist. Unquestionably, he prefers them the way they usually are - that's the Cairngorm he knows and loves - but he can't help being fascinated by this transformation. And they're still cute. They know how he feels; he doesn't make any attempt to hide the enamored glances he throws their way these days. ]

You know, I don't think I've ever seen you without those shoes on... I was wondering why you seemed smaller.

[ What's immediately noticeable is how much easier it is for him to tug them around now, considering how much lighter they are. Not that they had that much intention of pulling away, even if his comment about not letting it go makes them frown. Only the enamored look he gifts them softens their expression before they dart their eyes away, adjusting their palm against his as he leads them up towards the stairs to their room. ]

That's because you've only seen me when I've been up for a while. But this is my regular height...

[ The latter part of their statement, they mumble. They only take their shoes off to sleep or when they know they'll be in the house for the rest of the day, anyway. Of course, in this body, it'd be too painful to wear them for any long period of time, and they don't own any other shoes, so they're stuck here for the time being. ]

[ they're small... logically, he already knew they were small, but those ridiculous heels add so much height. Without them - and without their heavy rock body especially - they suddenly seem so petite and delicate. It's a little jarring; it's sort of endearing, too. Like this, he could actually scoop them up into his arms like he always wants to... but it would be too self-indulgent to do that out of nowhere when they're befuddled from this transformation. Maybe in a little bit. He'll figure out some excuse... ]

I know. I guess you've just usually got a bigger presence. [ being an immortal crystal and all. Lupin continues, slightly more seriously, as he approaches their door: ] Are you feeling all right? Human bodies are a tad more complicated than crystal ones. If you haven't eaten anything, you probably should.

Edited 2019-01-18 03:53 (UTC)

[ Hmm. They immediately grimace, even as they push open the door for both of them. Against one wall, like they'd told him, is their massive bed from home. It's identical to the one he'd seen in their world, aside from the missing abundance of Shiros... but they don't quite go over to it yet, standing in the middle of the room with him. ]

I was hoping I'd turn back before I had to...

[ Translation: no, they haven't eaten anything. Nor do they want to. Even just putting things in their mouth is a gross experience for gems (other than to Phos, apparently), so they can only imagine that actually eating will be that much worse. They don't know a ton about what's suitable for eating and what's not - he knows this, if their repeated offenses with the onions are anything to go by. ]

[ it hadn't seemed out of the ordinary while he'd been at the academy, but the bed certainly looks huge and out-of-place in the little Flavo house, even after the "renovations." It only draws Lupin's gaze for a second before he turns back to Cairngorm and their grimace. He smiles ruefully. ]

Eating's one of life's greatest pleasures for us lowly mortals, you know. You might be surprised. [ a pause; he lets go of their hand to hold their shoulder briefly instead. ] Go make yourself comfortable; I'll whip up something simple for you to make you feel better. And after that, I'll stay with you as long as you've got even a shadow of a worry in your heart. All right?

[ he leans in to press a quick, reassuring kiss to their forehead, then breaks away from them to head for the door (and the kitchen) once more. ]

Fine. Okay...

[ They look up at him with a healthy dose of wariness as he says that, before closing their eyes when he kisses their forehead, mostly out of embarrassment. It's good he scurries off to go figure out the mystery that is Lottie's modern technology, so they don't have to wallow in the feeling of being doted on for too long.

When he comes back, they'll be sitting on the side of the bed, an elbow on their knee and a hand propping their head up. It looks like they rearranged the mess that is the horde of all their pillows while he was gone, as they are now all shoved up against the wall as opposed to strewn about at random as they tend to be after they sleep. ]

[ Lottie will have to forgive him for taking some of her stuff, but it's for a good cause. It does take him slightly longer than planned to get back to Cairngorm's room due to gawking at the weird technology in the kitchen and trying to figure out what everything is; fortunately, all he really needs to use is the stove, and he at least knows how that works. Mostly.

(He figures it out.)

Lupin returns with a tray in his hands, two steaming mugs and a thin slice of that fruitcake the two gems got (that stuff lasts forever) sitting atop it. He's not really a chef beyond the basics, and he's even less of one with such limited ingredients - especially at someone else's house - so he's glad there was a ready-made treat sitting there for him already. ]

Voila! Not that I put in much work on this - but it should be tasty and warm you up. That's what's important. [ as much as he'd like to strut his ego here and serve them something fantastic... it's just not possible. He sets the tray down, then picks up both of the mugs, holding one out towards Cairngorm as he moves to take a seat next to them. ] It's mulled cider. Careful - it's still hot. I don't want you to burn your mouth.

[ They take the mug with some caution since he says it'll be hot - but to their surprise, it seems okay to the touch... the steam emitting from the mug is pleasantly warm, but they just peer into it with measured concern, their brow tensing. The nice smell of this beverage is truly not enough to offset their reluctance to drink it, or their new unease about the temperature. ]

How do I know when it's not hot anymore...?

[ Now that he mentions it, no, they don't want to burn their mouth either. Lottie had failed to mention that this was possible when consuming food. ]

Good question. There's not really a way to tell for sure - just don't take a big gulp. Blow on it a little to cool it off, and then take a sip. Like this--

[ and he demonstrates for them, gently blowing some of the steam off the top of his mug before taking an experimental sip. It's not scalding hot, fortunately, since he was trying to make it quickly - it feels nice more than anything in this cold weather. Or it does to Lupin, at least. ]

Mm. It warms you up in the winter.

[ As they watch him demonstrate (probably a little too intently, just to make sure they do it right), their hands feel a little clammier against the mug. When he doesn't recoil at how hot it is, that unfortunately means that they have to follow suit, they suppose...

So they do, going through the motions of blowing the steam away then taking a small sip. Except they can't hold back the unpleasant expression that gradually creeps onto their features - oh, it's so alien, enough so that they can't fully appreciate the taste or the soothing temperature, and they're not sure what they're supposed to do with it now that they got to this step. Thankfully, human instinct kicks in, and they swallow it, though not without a grimace. ]

This tastes like— those "tarts", from the festival...

[ Did Lupin know they could taste those? He does now. Maybe they don't even taste that similar, but there's the taste of apples in both, so that's similar enough to their unsophisticated palate. ]

[ he watches as they grimace, feels just faintly guilty, because even though he's confident that he's doing the right thing and that they should get something in their stomach before they start feeling worse, he's still aware they're enduring something bizarre and invasive for them. ]

That's because they're both made from the same fruit. [ Lupin explains, his face slightly apologetic despite his conversational tone. ] You could taste it back then? I'd never have guessed that.

[ it's more of an idle comment than anything - why would a gem that can't eat, doesn't need to, be able to taste things? He's reminded a little bit of Cardia and her appreciation for cooking despite her lack of requiring food. At least she was a homunculus modeled after a human - it made sense there. Cairngorm's case is much more peculiar. But this isn't the time for these wondering thoughts (and he doesn't want to dwell on Cardia for too long, either, or he'll start feeling guilty.) Lupin reaches out towards them and softly places his hand on their back, giving them a gentle, reassuring rub. ]

... Sorry. I know this is strange. Are you okay?

[ they're not. but he wants to check in, anyway. ]

[ It's not like they particularly like being coddled, but in this moment, his gentle touch and caring words are more welcome than usual. They don't flinch away in the slightest. This is strange, and uncomfortable, but he's at least being more helpful than Lottie was (not that it was her fault, since she was freaked out about her transformation, too.) They sigh, closing their eyes. ]

Does it matter? I'm not going to change back for a while, probably...

[ Whether they're "okay" or not won't make this any less weird or change the fact that they have to do it eventually unless they want to starve (probably one of the least favorable of ways to die as a mortal, if they had to guess.) The reasonable thing to do here would be to suck it up and adapt as quickly as they can - but it's difficult to keep a level head when it's so tempting to sulk.

They'll be good and take another sip of their cider, if only so they can make this experience end faster. It's less bad the second time around, they'll admit, even if it is still bizarre. ]

Most of everyone here really enjoys doing this. [ He's not the only one that's expressed to them how fun and pleasurable eating can be for humans, after all. ] But at home, gems think of needing to eat as a flaw in other beings.

It matters to me, [ Lupin offers, simply. He knows they're stuck like this for a while; he just wants to try and minimize the discomfort. Which he is, perhaps, doing a poor job of at the moment, but getting a warm beverage into their system will have benefits in the long-term, okay. Since they don't inch away, he continues stroking their back, inwardly wondering at the feeling of skin that gives and the suggestion of warmth through their clothes. Perfectly normal things that aren't even really noticeable - save for the fact that he knows those features aren't supposed to be there. ]

... Well, I can't deny it's less convenient then just soaking in the sun like a tree. But doesn't have to be a chore - people come up with lots of delicious combinations of food, and being able to taste lots of different flavors is fun.

[ he lifts his mug an inch or two in a demonstrative way. ]

When it's cold out, eating or drinking something hot like this will warm you up from the inside - it relaxes you. And sweet drinks like apple cider are sort of a rare treat. [ a wry smile. ] If you have to drink something, it should be something you can enjoy. This is probably the only time you'll be able to experience this, right? I think that counts as a special occasion.

[ As he speaks, they frown, like someone trying very hard to understand material in a difficult class. It really is like that - it can sometimes be overwhelming trying to keep track of humans' preferences and the things they enjoy and don't enjoy. They didn't even realize this sort of drink was supposed to be special.

So they sit, contemplative, letting the mug warm their hands. They've felt this sort of warmth before, or at least something similar to it, during the few times this place has bestowed upon them the ability to feel temperature. If they had to put it some way, they guess "relaxing" is the best way to put it, after the freakiness of the sensation subsides. ]

It's strange... [ A mutter. One of their hands comes to rest at the side of their neck, like they're trying to feel for warmth. ] Being warm on the inside. I didn't know humans could even keep warm like this, from eating or drinking.

[ In all their time here, they had never deduced that maybe people eat warm food to make them feel warmer... for some reason, they guess they didn't think heat worked like that. Of course this is easier for them to grapple with from the utilitarian perspective. ]

#C1BA57 now its my turn to flood your inbox

how the turn tables...

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im laughing at how related that icon is (akihiko voice) i've been waiting for this

I KNOW... ITS MOMENT FINALLY CAME

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