Work Text:
Days, weeks, without realizing it, two months had already passed since the arrival of that brilliant writer with a unique personality.
Everyone got used to her, some slowly, some quickly, but there was no one who didn't grow fond of her company.
Always hanging around, asking curious and direct questions about the experiences and adventures of others, all with the aim of
enriching her own writing and her hunger for great stories.
It was Marcus, the avid reader, who enjoyed her company the most though, the fact that both girls shared an affinity for reading made it not unusual for them to spend entire afternoons immersing themselves in those books together or simply chatting about them, their themes, theories or simply the way in which even the smallest details were presented.
That infectious passion had reached the heart of the shy researcher, and had dug itself in strongly, like an anchor that pulled her out of her comfort zone, and yet, being together, it wasn't uncomfortable, but quite the opposite, slowly her company had become indispensable.
It had become their routine, meeting almost every day, not counting when they were needed for mission or some other assignment from Vertin or the Foundation, as had been the case this time, taking Marcus's
time for a few days due to her work, which was why she was especially looking forward to the meeting they had scheduled for today. However, there was a problem:
Recoleta was nowhere to be found.
She wasn't in the library, which was the place where they usually meet at. Just to make herself sure, Marcus looked through every corner of the place, thinking Recoleta would be in some far-off corner, sitting by herself while mindlessly reading a book. But Marcus turned up with nothing, for such a huge library she would think that Recoleta would be found in the 265th row of books or so. But still, she needed to find her dear friend.
She's not in the wilderness, under the shades of the trees where they would often meet at, nor in the suitcase hanging out with her fellow arcanists, where she would usually chat with someone by the window, enjoying herself a tea while writing down notes for her next piece.
It was strange, she had never just disappeared without notice, and that was unsettling, especially since she had already promised to show her the progress of her manuscript that day.
It was worrying, a gnawing feeling that chews at Marcus' mind as she focuses on the pages in front of her, every sentence that her eyes lands at now look like jumbled letters arranged in a specific order, the words now holding no meaning whatsoever, because her head was simply in another place then it should be. She waited for hours and hours in the library, and slowly the orange of the afternoon sun had filtered through the windows, yet Recoleta is still nowhere to be found.
She didn't want to be clingy or seem pushy, but she simply couldn't continue worrying, not when she had that bad feeling in her gut telling her to check, and that's when she finally decided, there was only one place she hadn't looked, she had been a couple of times there before, however it had always been with a clear invitation:
Recoleta’s room.
Just the idea of perhaps interrupting something important was already causing indecision, but she wanted to be sure, and so she walked with increasingly determined steps towards her goal.
On her way she remembered her presence. When had she become so indispensable to her? How could simply not knowing about her condition for a day or two already have her like this?
She had great friends and coworkers; Sonetto herself was a great reading companion, and she undoubtedly cared for her, too. But if she thought about it, she knew that deep down, she trusted that she would be okay and that they would see each other again even if it takes a while.
Did she not trust Recoleta's abilities? No, that wasn't it. She had seen it herself firsthand, all those strengths. She didn't need to "read" with her arcane skill to notice. The more she naturally learned about her, the more she could see how strong she was, in many ways.
Then why…?
Before she could continue thinking, she had already arrived, in front of that tall door that was almost completely closed and only allowed her to see the complete darkness inside.
She swallowed, considered knocking, turned away, then changed her mind and reached out the door again.
Where did all her confidence go?
She couldn't help but wonder as she repeated the process a few times before snapping out of her thoughts when she heard a faint sound, like papers, coming from inside.
That was the sign that confirmed her suspicions: she was inside, and she hadn't come in vain. She sighed and knocked on her door.
“Recoleta…? Excuse me, are you busy right now? It’s Marcus.”
The answer was not immediate, instead, she heard hurried footsteps, the sound of papers and—
Thump
It was like a reflex, there was no shame or hesitation as her body moved swiftly to open the door.
“Recoleta! Are you okay!?”
And then she saw her, her heart tightened, the one she was searching for, the one who seemed to light up every place she was in, lying on the ground with her face red, her hair disheveled, her skin covered in a light sweat, and her clothes carelessly put on.
“Oh… Marcus.”
Her smile, though lacking in strength, was genuine, and a bit… Embarrassed?
“I apologize for the mess. I don't seem to be in the best shape today.”
And she wasn't lying, unlike the previous times Marcus recalled being there, her room was not only dark due to the closed curtains, but some books were off the shelves and there was a large amount of manuscripts scattered everywhere.
“What… What happened?”
Her tone couldn't hide her now even bigger concern as she came closer to check and see how that she was.
“Oh, well…”
Supporting herself with Marcus’s hand, she stood unsteadily, the warmth of her body felt even through the other’s gloves.
“Turns out while you were gone I came up with a great idea for a new story, I wanted to finish it as quickly as possible, so I’ve been working day and night but— *cough* *cough*... It seems I ended up with a slight cold… Why are you..? Ah, our reunion! Cómo me pude olvidar?”
“Th-that’s not important now!”
It had been a while since Marcus had raised her voice, her fists clenched tightly as she quickly put her head together.
“You should sit down first.”
She took her hand to guide her to her bed.
“How long have you been this sick? Have you eaten anything? You’re burning with fever… Are you feeling dizzy?”
A flurry of sudden questions were thrown out carelessly, with a frown and a unique seriousness in her expression, a sight so uncommon that Recoleta couldn't help but let out a slight laugh.
“Hehe.. I feel fine, it’s just a small thing, I just lost track of time and tripped accidentally with a book, you don’t need to worry.”
She tried to stand up confidently, only to fail and stagger weakly, leaning on Marcus, who unhesitatingly held her firmly.
“You’re definitely not okay.”
Her voice was more determined, more serious, yet still retaining that delicate,
characteristic tone.
“You can’t go on like this.”
Recoleta had never heard her like that before, her smile faded, she didn't say anything at first, just held on tightly for a few seconds before sitting back down with her help.
“I… I would like to consult with Vertin, this requires care.”
She wanted to retort, to say that it wasn't necessary, that she would be fine, but the words didn't come out of her mouth, instead she could only nod.
And with her agreement, Marcus did not hesitate to go out for the necessary help.
First, she decided to explain the situation to the Timekeeper, who calmly listened to her and organized everything on her mind.
“Miss ToothFairy should be free right now, why don't you go find her to check on Recoleta? I'll take care of the rest and notify the Foundation”
The calmness in Vertin's voice was reassuring to Marcus, who slowly felt more confident, trusting that things would be alright.
It didn't took long to find the lady with fairies around her and ask for her help, with a quick examination she confirmed the obvious:
"It's not serious yet, but it definitely requires complete rest and care. If it had continued like this for one or two more days, it could have become quite complicated.”
ToothFairy left some instructions to the both of them and left to inform Vertin more clearly about Recoleta's condition.
Recoleta felt a little ashamed, by not taking enough care before and overlooking her health just to write, but she obeyed, changed into her pajamas, and finally lay down definitively while Marcus left for a moment.
Shortly after another visit arrived, Sonetto, who pursed her lips at the state of the room for a second.
“It seems like it was a good thing that I came to help.”
Her gaze softened and she offered her help tidying and cleaning to Marcus, who had just come with cleaning supplies, beginning to gather papers and put books away while making a small chat.
Satsuki also paid a visit, smiling warmly. She explained to the patient what was on the tray she was carrying. Ochazuke, some side dishes, and lemon tea, and wishing a good recovery before going.
Ezra and Sotheby were the last, carrying small bottles of medicine they had made especially for her.
“After research, we believe this should alleviate symptoms and speed your recovery”
And as Ezra finished speaking and left everything on the table, Sotheby approached and left a Typhon plushie on Recoleta’s bed.
“Typhon will protect you while you sleep, with that you'll sleep deeply and have amazing adventures in your dreams.”
Both kids smiled with the best intentions before continuing with their own researches.
Soon the busy room finally fell silent, occupied only by the two girls who were originally supposed to meet, one looking thoughtfully at the other who had just finished leaving all the manuscripts in order on one side of the desk.
"W-well…"
Marcus's soft murmur caught her attention.
"I'll let you rest. It's getting late. But please don't hesitate to ask for help if you need anything.”
Her expression was much calmer than when she found her, with that characteristic gentleness.
Recoleta watched her for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on her, Marcus, she had been the greatest help, she had not left her alone, she sought help and put aside her indecision only to guide her efforts to help her rest and recover.
Yet, this was not enough, and blaming it on her sickness, she convinced herself to ask for one last favor.
“Marcus… Can you stay for one last thing?”
With intrigue she approached.
Was anything still bothering her? Did she need any further help?
"Could I… Ask you to read me something before I go to sleep?”
Marcus blinked in surprise for a second; of all her thoughts, this hadn't crossed her mind, but perhaps it should have, considering her love for stories.
“Read…?”
"I think it would help me sleep.”
Her energy was evident through her smile, she was definitely feeling better, deep down she knew she could have read for herself, but something just wanted to end the day with Marcus's voice in her head, something she just couldn't name for now.
Maybe she was being selfish, but she'd worry about that later.
Nodding with a warm expression after the realization, Marcus took a book from the shelf. It contained their favorite short stories, which she remembered perfectly talking about in the past. She sat down in the desk chair near Recoleta's bed.
And with only the illumination of a lamp on the desk, she began to read in her soft voice, neither too fast nor too slow, adding characteristics to the characters' voices and creating a unique atmosphere, immersed in doing a good job.
It was strange, until now Recoleta had been taking care of herself on her own, of course, on her travels she had found many people, she had shared and she was proud of her ability to make friends.
But this was different from anything she had ever experienced.
There was warmth, there was trust.
Everyone cared for her, looked after her, even those who didn't have time had stopped by to leave a present or two or words of support.
Her chest felt funny, tight, but she didn't hate it, a feeling that filled her not only with even more inspiration to capture in the future on her stories, but with appreciation towards everyone.
But it was right now, in this moment, with the sweet, honey-like words enveloping her like warm music, that she finally felt complete.
That story she enjoyed now had a stronger meaning, she felt she could go on like this forever, it wasn't just anyone, it had to be her, Marcus, it wasn't just gratitude, it was something else, something she had read in so many books, something she had heard so much about on her travels…
But she could reflect on that tomorrow; for now, with this dreamlike atmosphere, she finally let her tired eyelids fall and her breathing fall calm, partly wishing with all her heart that none of this had been a dream, that she never felt lonely again.
Fin... For now?