The Immortal War

@ sun spirit

Jonathan couldn't help but laugh as Fate said that he and Time were head over heels for each other, the sound warm and light as he shook his head. He hadn't laughed like that in ages, and he was sure it was an odd sight to see Death nearly doubled over with laughter. "Florence and I are most certainly not in love. She's like my sister, there's no way we'd ever date. Besides, she thinks my nose is too big and that I'm too 'upity'." He lifted his fingers to make air quotes as he talked about what Florence thought of him, breaking out into another laugh at the thought.

He grew more serious as she spoke about her condition growing worse over the next few days, frowning a bit at the thought. He'd hoped it would have taken longer, but now that she'd pushed herself so much.. it'd likely get worse faster than either of them anticipated. "No." He lied quickly when she asked if he'd eaten already, pointing toward the kitchen. "I can go get my food and come back? Or you can sit at the table, if you want." He offered, rubbing at the back of his neck again. He was rather full from eating earlier, but would eat again to make her feel less awkward.

@ katahdin

It wasn't that he laughed that surprised Cat so much as how long and hard he did, how ridiculous it made her feel when she'd been so sure that she was right, and her face reddened, feeling like a fool for not believing him earlier. He'd sounded so nervous when he first said it though! Maybe he liked someone else and didn't want them thinking what she had... April's face came to mind, the way he'd tried to convince her and the betrayal she'd shown. "Okay, okay, I'm wrong. You just got weird anytime I mentioned it or when it comes to the subject of being around me a long time or touching. And you were practically panicked when you denied having a relationship with Time the first time, when I hadn't even said a word about it. No one acts like that unless they're hiding something or wants the person they like to know they're single.... So is it April? A mortal?"

She was sure he must've eaten but she couldn't help but be both relieved and a little guilty to hear that he hadn't and offered a smile. "Usually I'd leave it up to you since it's your home, but table will probably be better in case something spills." She hesitated, not quite sure what to do with the weight of knowing that he'd stopped everything he was doing to help her. "I'm sorry you've had to wait so long to eat." She stood and followed him to the dining room, shaky but steady on her feet this time and aware of Jonathan's lingering. "Go, get your food," she insisted as she reached the table, realizing as she set the container he'd given her down, however, that she needed something to eat with. He'd already disappeared into the kitchen, so she followed to ask about a fork, nearly running into him in the process since he was standing just around the corner.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan smiled a bit at her blush, finding it rather endearing. He hadn't meant to embarrass her, but he knew that his initial reaction hadn't been the best. "You just caught me off guard with the implication, is all. I wasn't really sure how to respond." He shrugged, although he shook his head quickly when she began to ask who he was dating, whether it was April or a mortal. "It's kind of you to think a mortal would be interested in Death like that." He teased, helping her stand, keeping close in case she stumbled. "No, I'm not dating anyone. April and I are just friends. We became Immortal around the same time, and because no one really wanted to associate with us, we had to learn to rely on one another." He explained as he led her to the dining room before heading into the kitchen to make himself another plate of food.

He didn't pile as much food on as he had before, and while he waited for the plate to heat up in the microwave he rolled up his sleeves and leaned back against the island as he watched the dish spin in the microwave. He jumped a little in surprise when Cat ran into him, hands quickly moving to her arms to steady her. "Everything alright? Need something to drink?" He asked, already moving to grab a glass from a cabinet and fill it with water. "I only really have water.. Well, one of the precious Deaths left behind a pretty big wine collection, but I don't think you're in any condition to drink." He attempted to joke, giving her a little smile.

@ katahdin

He seemed to be in a better mood after laughing, not acting quite as awkward around her, though Cat couldn't help but pout when he assured her that she was wrong on all accounts and he was not dating nor had a crush on anyone, essentially squashing the ideas her mind had latched onto as they walked to the dining room. Yet, it somehow felt like the most comfortable conversation they'd had, and she found herself relaxed--as much as she could be. Well, better she put it all out of her mind anyway and focus on important things.

"So much for that train of thought. And I know you became an Immortal before me, but to be clear, I never avoided you because you were Death. I avoided you because April hated me as soon as she saw me, and you were always around her. And you always came off grumpy whenever we did speak... though I guess that's probably because you thought I had something against you. I figured you probably disliked me as much as she did though." It was hard being the new Immortal when everyone else already had their established dynamics and relationships; that was why she'd been so forthcoming with Nature. Despite being around long enough to feel old, she remembered how it was being the new person and feeling excluded and unwanted. She was the second-youngest, next to Skylar, and until he'd taken over as Nature several years ago, other than being on relatively good terms with Time, she'd pretty much been on her own.

"Sorry," she stuttered in surprise when she ran into Jonathan and he steadied her, making a glass of water before she could say what she'd walked in for. "I came looking for a fork, actually," she admitted, laughing softly at his joke. "I don't think I'm in any condition to eat, but I'm about to attempt it anyway, with an audience," she countered, holding out a hand to accept the water. She just had to be still enough not to shake the water out onto the floor, which he'd apparently thought of, since it was only half full.

@ sun spirit

"It's fine. April can be.. Abrasive." Jonathan said, knowing it could be hard being the new Immortal. "I think she just thought of you being the same as the previous Fate, who she didn't get along with well.. I hope if things go well, she'll be more willing to see past the position to the person." He shrugged. She'd done it with Florence, even though the previous Time had been a jerk to her, although it had taken a bit of work for her to let it go.

He offered her a reassuring smile when she apologized, shaking his head. "No, it's alright. I was in the way." He said, nodding a little when she asked for a fork, offering her a sheepish smile. "Should have thought of that, sorry." He apologized, shaking his head. "You'll feel better once you eat. Even if it doesn't stop the shaking, it'll at least make you feel better." He said, carefully passing the glass to her. "I think I've got a straw somewhere, if that makes it easier.."

@ katahdin

Cat wasn't convinced April would ever like her, but it was a nice goal to work towards at least, in the event that they actually managed to stop the apocalypse. Maybe, just maybe, all five of them could get along and support each other then, rather than there being exclusions and arguments. There were only five immortals after all.

Cat gave him a little grin. "I'm sure you thought I had my own silverware at my house, and you'd be right. Normally, I wouldn't mind eating with my hands, but..." She gave her mittened hands a pointed look. "Thanks again for dinner, by the way." If by feeling better, he meant less scared, she was already starting to feel there. Even if she wasn't entirely control of her actions, being able to stand and walk went a long ways towards making her feel more like herself. "That's okay, I'll figure it out," she added quickly when he offered to go on a straw hunt. The microwave beeped at them then, and she stepped back so he could remove his food and let him carry her fork for her simply because it took both hands to keep the water steady. Still, she was proud when she sat down without spilling anything and successfully opened the container he'd given her, trying not to pay too much attention to Death and what he was doing/looking at, as, holding her fork like she was a toddler, she scraped the chicken into the pasta. It took a couple of tries before she was able to spear a piece of chicken, then she scooped up some noodles with it and held everything as steady as she was able to as she raised her fork to her mouth.

"Thank you. That was great." There had been little conversation at dinner with the majority of Cat's attention focused on her hand movements, and though it went neater than she'd anticipated, there was still a little bit of a mess around/on her that just made her feel like a toddler again. With a napkin Jonathan had brought her out of mercy halfway through the meal, she wiped at his table, saying, "I'm really sorry about this."

@ sun spirit

"It's nothing." Jonathan said simply when she thanked him for dinner , grabbing his plate from the microwave before following her back to the dining table, passing her her fork once she was seated before turning his attention to his own meal. He tried not to stare at her while she ate, knowing she was probably embarrassed because of her situation, but he glanced up at her every now and then to make sure that she was doing alright. He managed to eat most of his second meal, stomach protesting a bit, but he hadn't eaten all day, so he figured it might be for the best.

He smiled a little as she apologized for the mess and started to clean it up, waving his hand, which cause their dirty plates and silverware to disappear into the kitchen, the mess disappearing as well. "It's fine, Cat. Nothing I can't handle."

@ katahdin

Cat blinked as one moment, dishes and a small mess sat in front of her, and in the next, there was only a clean table. "That's a nice trick," she said, then hesitated, not entirely sure what to do or say now. "You'll have to let me pay you back for this sometime. Skylar comes over once a week for pancakes, if you're interested. You have to be okay with dogs though. He always brings Sprite to see me." She'd like to see Jonathan more, honestly, now that she was getting to know him better.

"I guess I should also ask what I have to do to get enough trust to get the mittens off and not need a babysitter," she added, quirking a smile. "Not that I'm complaining about you. It's just nice not having someone watching you because they're afraid you're going to use your leftover food to doodle or because they think you'll fall or whatever it is you're afraid I'm going to do." Not to mention the mittens were uncomfortable. If he hadn't used packing tape to secure them, she would've taken them off by now. She'd kill to be able to scratch a spot on the back of her leg.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan smiled a little at her invitation to come over for pancakes, shaking his head. "You don't have to repay me, Cat. You don't owe me anything for helping." He reassured her. "Besides, I'm allergic to dogs, and even though I'm sure Sprite is nice, I don't really need an allergy attack over breakfast." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

He looked over at her seriously when she began to ask about when she could take the mittens off, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "You can take them off when you stop trying to scratch when you think I'm not looking. Or when you stop subconsciously doing it." He said as he sat up, reaching for her covered hands. "I might be able to enchant them so that they disappear, but only reappear when you try to scratch, whether you realize it or not. That might make you feel a little better." He offered.

@ katahdin

"Well, we just can't be friends then. Sprite is the love of my life, and the only reason I haven't tried to steal her yet is because she's happy with Skylar," Cat decided, more than happy to fall into an easy banter. "Really though, I'm not asking because I feel like I owe you, even though I kind of do. It just sounds nice."

Her eyes narrowed when he mentioned scratching when he wasn't looking, which turned into a sigh at subconscious scratching. Dammit, he really was watching closely. "I think a mosquito bit my leg! It's not like I'm trying to draw in scratch marks or anything," she defended, going quiet though as he mentioned an enchantment, hesitating. "Can you really do that?" she asked, honestly curious more than anything, adding as she squeezed his hands, "That might not be a bad idea if so. If they're only there when I'm actively scratching, I can't take a pair of scissors to them, which I did consider for half a second earlier. I've also wondered if I might try to impulsively make a picture with my own hair if the urge gets bad enough though, so I'm not sure how seriously to take my thoughts."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan smiled a little at her teasing, giving a little shrug as he looked at her. "That's a shame, then. I guess you won't get to meet my cat." He teased. It wasn't really his, it just wandered in every now and then, and it had gotten to the point where he just left water and food out for it in case it showed up. "But I'd like to have breakfast or something sometime. That sounds nice."

He chuckled as she tried to defend herself, nodding as she asked about the enchantments. "I'm pretty sure I can. Might take me a minute, but I should be able to pull it off." And I know you could come up with some creative ways around the mittens, but I like to think that you know better." He teased, frowning a little as she spoke of her creative ideas for destroying the mittens or making a picture with her own hair. "The thoughts will get worse, don't underestimate them. You might think it's silly, but when you get desperate enough you'll do anything." He squeezed her hands before standing. "Come on, let me look over one of the spell books an old Death kept, and then I'll try to enchant you." He teased, waiting for her to follow him before heading upstairs to a little library full of absolutely ancient books and artifacts.

@ katahdin

Cat pursed her lips, trying to think of a good retort, but smiled instead when he said he'd like to have breakfast. "Come over any day," she said, "Except Saturday. That's when Skylar and Sprite show up." She wanted to meet the cat he mentioned too, but that probably wasn't a good idea when she was still shaking.

"No, I'm not going to try to take them off because you're probably right about it being a side-effect," Cat confirmed, just short of a sigh, and frowned as he mentioned the thoughts. She didn't want to think about herself potentially attempting to act on those thoughts though and was glad when the subject was dropped. "Okay," she agreed, following at he led her to the stairs. Her steps faltered as she reached the top of the stairs and looked around though. It was decorated differently than downstairs, but in a familiar way that was unexpected and made her stomach turn. She saw Jonathan turn into a room down the hall but stumbled back downstairs and emptied the contents of her stomach into the kitchen sink rather than follow him, heaving until there was nothing left. Shaking, she started reach out to turn on the faucet but slid to the floor instead. When Jonathan appeared in the doorway, she tried to wave him off before he could get worried. "Sorry. Probably just another side-effect," she explained hoarsely.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan felt his stomach flip when she said he could come over whenever he wanted, but in an excited way. No one besides Time really let him come over whenever he felt like it. April did sometimes, but she preferred to know ahead of time. "Thanks. I'll remember that." He smiled at her as he headed up the stairs, sticking close in case she lost her balance. When the reached the top of the stairs and he realized she was alright he headed into his library, searching for the books he needed. He turned to ask Fate a question and frowned when he saw that she wasn't there, hurrying downstairs when he heard her wretching into the sink.

He frowned when he saw her on the floor, heading over to turn on the faucet and fill up a glass of water for her, kneeling at her side to hand it to her. "You don't have to apologize.. Are you sure you're alright? You didn't seem nauseous earlier. And it was so sudden, I would have expected more of a warning.." he thought aloud, frowning as he sat back to look at her, although after a moment he smiled halfheartedly. "Is it because of the way things are decorated upstairs? I know I'm no interior designer, but I didn't think it was bad enough to make people physical sick.. If it makes you feel better, Time hates it too." He spoke softly, hoping maybe his joke would help cheer her up.

@ katahdin

Cat nodded as he passed the glass, holding it in hands that were shaking more than they had been previously. "Thanks. Yeah, I'm fine," she said softly, washing the lingering taste of sick out of her mouth with the water he'd handed her. Embarrassment burned in her alongside a thread of worry about going back and trying to pretend nothing was wrong. Her head snapped up when he mentioned the way he'd decorated. "No, that's not--it's not--I wasn't expecting--I just saw it," realizing she was starting new thoughts before she finished the first ones, she made herself stop and take a deep breath. "It's me."

@ sun spirit

Jonathan offered her a reassuring smile as she rambled on without finishing a thought, taking the empty glass from her once she was done to fill it up again. "It's alright, Cat.. If it's alright with you, I'll bring you back to the living room and help you get settled there, and then I can go upstairs and look for what I need. Sound good?" He asked, waiting for her permission before he shifted and lifted her into his arms again, carrying her to the living room where he set her down on the couch, tucking a blanket around her and setting her fresh glass of water on the table in front of her. "If you feel up to it, you should get some sleep. I won't wake you, I promise. Shout if you need anything." He said before heading back upstairs.

He returned about half an hour later, muttering the spell to himself so he wouldn't forget it, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to peek into the living room, wanting to check and see if she was asleep so he knew whether or not to be quiet.

@ katahdin

Cat expected questions or confusion or something and was shocked silent when Jonathan only offered acceptance and reassurance. Nature had freaked out the first time she went to his house and the noise had made her start shaking and crying and had wanted to know what happened. She'd just walked up a flight of stairs, puked, and admitted it had basically been a reaction to what she saw, and he just accepted that. A feeling started to appear in her chest but disappeared before she could identify it. "Okay," she agreed softly, shifting to stand, but Jonathan stopped her and picked her up instead. Almost before she knew it, she was on a couch, covered in a blanket, and unsure how to respond to Jonathan's kindness. "Thank you," she said softly, because those were the only words her tongue could find. And despite thinking that she wouldn't be able to, she did end up falling asleep on the couch, curled on her side with the blanket pulled tight around her and her face pressed into the fabric.

@ sun spirit

Jonathan smiled a bit when she saw that she was asleep, moving over quietly before kneeling at her side. He carefully pried one of her hands away from the blanket so he could enchant them, closing his eyes in concentration as he muttered the spell over and over until he felt the mitten disappear under his fingertips, leaving her bare hand resting in his. Once he was sure the magic would stay he carefully lifted her into his arms again, doing his best not to wake her, before teleporting her back to her home. It took him a bit of wandering around her house before he finally found her room, tucking her into bed, even with his favorite blanket wrapped around her, before heading to the living room to clean. He figured she wouldn't want to wake up to this mess, so he spent an hour or so returning the books and artifacts she'd pulled out back to their spots before growing tired. He laid down on her couch, convinced he'd just close his eyes for five minutes and then get back to cleaning up, but he was out like a light almost as soon as he let himself relax, not waking even when morning came, and the time of their meeting with Time and Nature grew closer.

When Cat woke, she was still wrapped in the blanket she'd fallen asleep under, her face pressed into the soft fabric. As she opened her eyes, she looked across her bed--in her room--and frowned at the blanket as she sat up. That was... Jonathan's. She looked around the room, almost as if she expected to find him there, then slowly stood and made her way out into the living room, remembering a comment he'd made the night before. Sure enough, there he was, sleeping on her couch. She quietly made her way back to her room and grabbed his blanket, then took it back to the living room and draped it over him, hovering for a moment as she studied his sleeping face.

Afraid to wake him up by lingering or cleaning a mess that was considerably smaller than the one she'd made the night before though, she retreated to take a shower and change into clean clothes--a faded t-shirt and pair of capris. The spell worked, she found out through an intentional attempt to scratch her arm, and though she was still shaking, it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday had been--though, unfortunately, not subtle enough to be overlooked. Still, after getting ready for the day, with the meeting time approaching, Cat decided to make breakfast. It was early enough for everyone to be hungry, and in any case, it was the least she owed Jonathan.

---

When Skylar teleported into Cat's home, the last thing he expected was to come face-to-face with Death sleeping on her couch. He froze where he stood, watching the other man as if expecting him to open his eyes and yell, but as he realized he heard faint noises from the kitchen, he quickly stepped around Death and made his way towards the kitchen. It smelled pleasantly of cinnamon, and as he watched, Cat stirred blueberries into a bowl of batter. She looked a little like a squirrel on a sugar high, the way she didn't stop moving, but otherwise no different from her usual happy self. "Umm, hi Cat?" he called to get her attention. "Not sure if you knew this, but Death's sleeping on your couch."

"Sky! Hope you didn't eat," Cat said as she poured batter into muffin tins. "I'm making cinnamon bread and blueberry muffins. Don't talk too loud and wake up Jonathan. I'm not sure how long he stayed up last night. Should I make pancakes too?"

Skylar blinked. "Umm... the rest should be enough."

"You eat like a black hole though." Cat frowned at her kitchen and nodded. "I'm making the pancakes."

@ sun spirit

When Cat woke Jonathan was still sound asleep on her couch, one arm slightly draped over his eyes to block out the morning sun, the other resting on his chest. He looked rather comfortable, despite sleeping on the couch, and when Cat draped the blanket he let out a pleasant hum as he shifted to get more comfortable. He still didn't wake even when Nature arrived, although their voices from the kitchen and the smell of blueberries and cinnamon wafting in from the kitchen did start to wake him, but it wasn't until he heard Time's voice that he fully woke, letting out a groan as he started to sit up.

"Flor..? Che ore sono? Quanto tempo ho dormito?" Jonathan grumbled tiredly, often forgetting to not use his native tongue when he didn't get enough sleep.

This of course only caused Florence to giggle, adjusting the blanket around her friend. "Sono le nove, Jonathan. Hai dormito troppo." She teased, flicking his cheek before straightening. "I think Fate is making breakfast with Nature. You learn how to speak English again, and I'll go check on them."

With a little sigh Jonathan nodded, watching as Time headed into the kitchen with the others, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. He hadn't meant to sleep that long, he'd meant to just close his eyes for a minute before picking up the rest, but he wasn't surprised that he'd fallen asleep, not really.

Florence knocked lightly at the doorframe as she entered the kitchen, offering the two Immortals in there a smile. "Good morning. Jonathan's just woken up, so it'll be a minute before he's in here.. Are those muffins?" She asked curiously as she potted the muffin tins, her eyes lightening up in excitement.

@ katahdin

With Cat moving around, reaching for things in various places, Skylar had decided to offer help and was in turn instructed to make hot chocolate. The only kind he'd ever made was a packet poured into a water and microwaved though, so Cat then had to pull out a recipe card and tell him where ingredients were when asked. By the time he heard a knock and glanced back to see Florence enter the kitchen, she'd just pulled the muffins out of the oven and set them aside to cool next to the bread. "Good morning," he called with a smile, careful to keep stirring the hot chocolate as he'd been instructed. "They're blueberry, but I'd wait a couple minutes since they just came out of the oven. Cat likes to bake, and like always, she's going overboard."

"I'm just making sure there's something for everyone," Cat argued as she drizzled pancake batter onto her griddle. "Good morning, and go ahead and help if you want, Florence. Sky, that should be ready by now. Pour a mug for Jonathan and take it to him since he's up, would you? And let him know I'm almost done with everything. You and Florence can have some too, but whenever you finish pouring, put it back on the stove on simmer to keep it warm. Unless you're waiting on pancakes, you guys can go ahead and start eating."

"Got it." Glancing up at Florence to see if maybe she had some idea of what was going on and discerning that she didn't, Skylar simply followed his instructions. He opened cabinets until he found a mug and filled it with hot chocolate, then set the pan back on the stove on simmer and carried the mug out into the living room, feeling a bit awkward as he set it on the table in front of Death. "Umm, Cat said to bring you that. It's hot chocolate. And she says she's almost done cooking and that you can come make a plate anytime," he said, then backed up and made his way back to the kitchen.