Gargling Glass(Private)

Wait. Had he just called Ryse? A high schooler on a school night? Damn it. That hadn’t been what he had meant to do. But he could hear shuffling, and could only assume she was already on her way. The phone made weird sounds while in her mouth and he could already hear the flapping of her wings. There was definitely going to be no convincing her to turn away at this point.

That would literally be a waste of breath. “Ummm…” He looked around real quick, trying to suppress another coughing fit as his voice became more grated. “At the corner of 13th and Mythriil Road. Next to the….’ He started coughing again, once more palming the shards he coughed out. He really couldn’t have these just lying about.

They’d crumple to dust after a couple of days without a host to leech off of, but if they found one that host would die a terrible death. The only reason he hadn’t died from them years ago was because of his undead status. There was a bit of pain associated from them from time to time, but usually their growth rate was rather slow. Also due to his undead state. Thusly any pains were usually rare. That, however, was not the case during the Summer Solstice.

“The Wonder Cafe. I-I'm sorry for waking you. I meant- I meant to call s-.” Each time there was a pause it was another cough. Ughgh. He couldn’t say anything right now. One of the crystals had gotten caught in his throat. Aaaand now he sounded like he was choking and coughing. He pulled the phone a bit away from his mouth, not wanting to subject Ryse to hearing all of that. Though he did try to keep it on his ear so he could hear anything she might say.

By the time she had reached him Ozaki had resorted to simply sitting down rather than trying to stand up. A few people had tried to come up and see if he was okay, but he’d waved them away. Now Ryse was here asking about a doctor. “They… They can’t do anything.” He’d wheeze. “I have my medicines at home.” He had been to the doctor for this. And short of a complete lung transplant there wasn’t much they could do about the crystals in his lungs but medicate him when these growth spurts did happen. And he already had all the medications prepared. They were just… Not here.

They wouldn’t stop these coughing fits, indeed it was better out than in. But they would make them less terribly painful. Stopping the growth spurt was not something that could be done either, the crystals were not keen to heed anything but their own ravenous hunger this time of year.

Once more he cursed himself for having called the wrong person, though was somewhat grateful for once that at the very least he was no heavy weight class boxer. She was taller than him by at least six inches, and his undead frame had little need for fat stores put him in a lighter weight class even if he had tried to over time build up muscle mass so he didn’t look like a scrawny kid for the rest of eternity… However long that lasted. To be frank Ozaki had never imaged himself living past the age of a hundred, a rather young age for a vampire.

For months now Antonio and the other shadow he had been assigned had been watching over him on order of his sire. Now they were gone. Without warning or sign, he had to wonder why. Were they too going through this? And simply left to deal with it at their own residences? Had they left him behind? That was… That was fine. He wouldn’t have wanted Antonio’s help even if he had been here. But now that Ozaki found it lacking in a time he needed it most, it felt like he had lost a crutch he had been able to anticipate… One he hadn’t wanted. If Antonio had been here to help him in this moment he would have loathed him for it. But he wasn’t… But why? Likely because Ozaki had done everything in his power to push him away the moment this had started.

Ozaki shook his head, clearing himself of said thoughts. Focus. “2101 Flo-Floratz Drive… The apartments.” He went through another coughing fit, hacking up a quarter sized Roseite mana crystal coated in blood. He palmed the thing, hoping not to reveal said crystal to her. He was doubtful she would recognize it… But she was a scholar student if he remembered correctly. There was a chance.

That would lead to very many questions if she figured out what it was… Which she’d have either way. Considering she was helping him like this he probably owed her some measure of explanation. An explanation that would be easier given over text and by giving her a book with a chapter on them rather than speaking all of it himself personally. Talking obviously hurt very much right now.

He nodded rather than speaking. It seemed she knew something about them after all.. The vampire pocketed the coughed up. No doubt something she would find odd. But you really did not simply leave parasitic crystals lying around after all. He was a little surprised when she lifted him up in her hybrid form, but did not resist the movement as he was placed on her back. Instead tried using his blood manipulation to try and clear away the blood on his hands. When the power shorted out, he simply resorted to wiping his hand on his coat and only then gripping her ruff as tightly as he dared. “Sorry.” He muttered. But he had to hold on some how after all.

Ow. Ow.

Ozaki stopped breathing again in an attempt to stall more of his coughing for the trip over, keeping a hand close to his mouth in the event of such. Internally he tried to go to a corner of his mind, reminding himself though it might hurt, this was only a temporary pain. It might hurt. But he would not die. This was okay. He was okay. He would be okay. He had felt worse than the sensation of a lacerated windpipe… But hell if it wasn’t up there.

Usually he had pain killers that made the very sensation of pain impossible in his system at this point but… He didn’t have those on him now. And with the crystals in their growth spurt stage, they were sapping his mana. Making the usage of his talent impossible, making some for now would be impossible.

He had to lean into Ryse a bit as they took off initially in order not to produce too much drag and not be swept off, but once they were in the air he was able to straighten up at least a little bit. This he mostly did to avoid coughing on her if he couldn't stop it.  Ozaki let out a painful sounding laugh as Ryse made the joke, the rapid outtake of air setting off another wave of coughing that had him hunched over until about half a dozen smaller shards of crystals had been coughed out.

When they landed he rubbed at his mouth with the back of his hand, wiping away the blood that had seeped out. If his neighbors saw him with blood all over his face they’d assume he was a messy, brutal eater. While that was true if he actually bit down… He preferred blood packets to avoid such a mess. Ozaki pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Ryse, showing her the screen of his own phone so she wouldn’t have to pull hers out.

I forgot my luggage back at the other airport. Can we go back?

His own attempt to use humor given the grim scenario he was facing himself in. Well. Grim might be an overstatement. He’d be fine once he got his medicines. Still coughing up Rosite Mana Crystals for no apparent reason was no good. Maybe it was an inherited trait… But so far as he had found vampires typically only acquired one trait from their sire. His own sire’s line inherited this dumb ahoge. But maybe there was an exception.

The only other explanation strained credulity.

He waved away her apologies before reaching into his pocket and bring out his apartment keycard to get into the complex, sliding it quickly and pushing the handicap button to open the door for them. He used his curved wrist rather than hiis hand to avoid getting blood on the button. Now that would certainly be a fright for anyone walking in. 

Once he put his card away he’d start typing one handedly on his phone.

You don’t have to go that far. Just taking me to the door is more than enough.

She’d already gone this out of her way. Plus. The medication was in his room and it was a mess in there. He didn’t think his roommate was the type to take random drugs for the hell of it. But the painkillers he had prepared ahead of time, knowing his ability to use his talent would be shot this week, were some pretty heavy duty stuff. If someone had drug abusing tendencies they wouldn’t be able to help themselves.