ask-human-ratchet

[ask-human-ratchet]

Ralph stiffened when he heard Dennis, knowing he had been caught in an embarrassing situation. He really should have been more aware but his back hurt and he was tired. He mulled over the question, ears tinted red from more than the sunburn. He didn't like feeling vulnerable, but he also had been trying to show Dennis that it was okay to ask for help.

He was caught in his own teachings.

Finally, Ralph sighed. "Alright," he conceded, holding out the tube of aloe vera for Dennis to take. His back was pretty red, especially around his shoulder blades which was the hardest spot to reach. Rest of him also bore signs of having been out in the sun too much. Damn summer.

@ask-human-ratchet

[ alone ] for one muse to find the other trying to treat themselves  injury/hurt prompts bc reasons

He didn't mean to walk in on Ralph during such a vulnerable moment. Twice over now though, when Dennis paid a visit to the man's apartment rather than the clinic, he walked in on something that would have been better off going on without him. First, there was the meeting with Silas - which he could guess was just a simple hang out session between friends. Nothing inherently wrong with it, but Silas was still Silas and so Dennis had to make his displeasure known before Ralph nipped their bickering in the bud.

Now, as he peered around the corner and caught sight of the older man trying to put on some aloe vera Dennis just felt bad for Ralph's plight. Sun burns were always the worst, but getting them on the back where it was impossible to reach sucked even more. "Do you want me to get your back for you?" He offered without the slightest bit of hesitation or shame for what he had walked in on.

[ask-human-ratchet]

Making you the patron saint of something

Patron Saint of Relics

patron saint of remembering. patron saint of holding something close. patron saint of holding on for too long. for a saint, a relic is often a part of the body, kept for some physical memento of their holiness. they are all in your hands, now: does it feel like remembrance? does it feel sanctified? are the dust and blood as precious as they're supposed to be?

[ask-human-ratchet]

The silence hurt, more than Ralph wanted to admit. He had expected something more, not the quiet so he could sit in it and dread everything that had happened. He couldn't look at Silas, couldn't look at the door where Eve had left. Just waited for some sort of judgement.

Which is why Silas' words surprised him enough to snap his gaze back on the other man. "Tell you?" Ralph said in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. Him and Eve both expected him to just, what, tell them he had a crush on Eve, lose both of them and be alone? What the hell was so wrong about trying to salvage something! "That isn't going very well, is it," Ralph returned, his own ire stoked at the sharp words, brow furrowed.

@codenamesilas

However many loops of pacing Evelyn completed were lost on her. The bitter muttering continued on, but she still listened to the exchange inside with one ear. As more talk of the grey one came forth, she finally came to a stop.

One hand fished out her phone and she scrolled through saved images. The blur of pictures stopped on that one specific message that kickstarted this entire mess. She stared down at it and felt her stomach fold in on itself. She only showed that anonymous charm to Ralph because she wanted consent! And it just.. made everything like this. At least that’s what her presently jumbled thoughts could tease out. Ralph was being a coward, but maybe he as doing that so she didn’t become a homewrecker.

Eve returned her phone to her pocket and leaned against the wall beside the door, eyes stinging with wetness and her arms hugging herself hard. Words suddenly failed her and all she could do was listen.

@codenamesilas

[ask-human-ratchet]

Ralph had to calm himself before he forcefully knocked his head against the door. Instead he sighed, rubbing his nose bridge. Grand. "I have an open door policy and you two just so happen to get the same idea to visit," he grumbled, seeing that Dennis wasn't entering. He was very close to add a comment about them having the same mind, but they would both be insulted by that.

"Dennis, I understand you're caught off guard, but this is one of those situations where we don't talk with an open door," Ralph then said to the kid, indicating for him to enter. Dennis should know some friends shouldn't be openly advertised. A few of the neighbours knew a little, but he would rather keep it at a minimum. "Or one of you can go."

And they could figure out which one themselves.

@codenamesilas

The commander’s head tilted at the unexpected knock. He returned the Look from Ralph with a teasing one of his own that said ‘didn’t realize I was interrupting something’. Nevertheless, he waited patiently for the door to be answered and stayed quiet. More out of respect than any fear of being spotted; by now, a few others in the apartment were bound to recognize him as a regular visitor.

Still, it didn’t hurt, considering the doctor’s former connections.

A mix of caution and curiosity drew Silas’ attention to the door and the threshold’s current occupant. He frowned. Well, more so than usual. “What’s he doing here?” He didn’t think Ralph the type to stage a ‘talk and make up’ kind of get together, but that didn’t help explain why the kid was here now.

@anotherhumanpet

[ask-human-ratchet]

It wasn't unusual for Ralph to get visitors at random hours. These days only some of them tended to knock though, so the doctor made sure to give the certain idiot in the apartment a look before going to answer.

Opening the door a bit, Ralph was surprised. He had invited Dennis to come by at any time - and he had meant it - but he hadn't expected it for at least a while. And oh boy, the timing couldn't have been worse.

Dennis could probably see some apprehension in Ralph's face as the man thought through his options. He could say it was a bad time, and have Dennis come back later, but he had a feeling the kid would think he was disturbing and then never come back. Dennis did know about the other visitor too...

With a sigh, Ralph spoke. "You two don't have the best timing," he said, opening the door fully to allow Dennis to peer past the doctor and to Silas inside. It was also an invitation to enter if he wanted to. Silas knew to stay out of sight but this was also an indicator that it was safe.

@codenamesilas

Making a house call (or, rather, an apartment call) was a bit unorthodox for Dennis. It felt unorthodox, intrusive even, and like an overstep in boundaries was being taken even though Ralph had invited him over anyway. The man couldn't have been more explicit and clear about it; Dennis was welcome over, albeit briefly, because he had asked if they could talk and-- well--

Maybe he was just overthinking things again.

He was definitely overthinking things again.

Purging the thoughts from his head with a heavy sigh, the boy marched onwards and upwards to the doctor's address, and carefully counted off each door marker until he came to the right one. Then, after triple checking that he had the right address, he pocketed his phone away and reached out to knock politely upon the door.

Hopefully Ralph didn't mind being bugged outside of office hours. Maybe, in the future though, Dennis should keep his talks to strictly office hours so the man can have some peace...

@ask-human-ratchet

[ask-human-ratchet]

He doesn't say anything.

He only gives a look. A look that says...

'Who is going to believe you'

[ask-human-ratchet]

boops

We are leaving the realm of the boop feature, all bets are off.

You are playing with fire.

[ask-human-ratchet]

She was quiet, peeking over Ralph’s shoulder. After a moment, a kittenish smile crossed her face. “Boop~” His cheek is getting a little boop.

Congratulations, you have succesfully distracted him. A raised eyebrow and an amused look. "At least you didn't use your hooves."

[ask-human-ratchet]

He doesn't say anything.

He only gives a look. A look that says...

'Who is going to believe you'

"That seems highly unlikely."

A raised eyebrow

and...

Tap tap tap

[ask-human-ratchet]

“Heyyyyy~”

"Hello Eve."

Don't mind him, he's only minorly preoccupied with his phone

[ask-human-ratchet]

"That seems highly unlikely."

A raised eyebrow

and...

Tap tap tap

"It might be a glitch."

Tap tap tap on phone

[ask-human-ratchet]

"It might be a glitch."

Tap tap tap on phone

"I think you're mistaken, I don't know what booping is."

[ask-human-ratchet]

"I think you're mistaken, I don't know what booping is."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Don't mind him being on the phone.

[ask-human-ratchet]

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Don't mind him being on the phone.

@ask-human-ratchet

[ask-human-ratchet]

"What?"

@ask-human-ratchet

[ask-human-ratchet]

"Excuse you."

[ask-human-ratchet]

In any other situation, Ralph might have become impatient. Not with patients though. He prided himself in being able to keep calm with situations like with Dennis. He also considered how much he should say, but considering how skittish the boy was, he opted for the full truth. "They have a tube looking device, about this big," he said, indicating the size between his thumb and pointer finger tip. "In it is a thin needle. The tube is put against your skin and the needle goes through your skin to collect the blood. You won't see the needle and it shouldn't hurt, but it might feel like a pinch."

Honestly it was a wonder how long it had taken humanity as a whole to invent technology that didn't require seeing the needle. Medical history was fascinating and appalling all at once.

The instinct to argue against spending such materials on him reared its ugly head up so fast, Dennis almost didn't have time to rethink his choices and bite his tongue to stop himself from saying anything regretful. Going over and through the same arguments repetitively was costly in more ways than one, and redundant to boot. It was better to just shut his mouth and go forth with the plan, as they agreed upon.

So why was he still so anxious?

Fidgeting on the spot, Dennis looked between his escorts and the final threshold leading into the medical center, bidding his time for whatever precious few seconds he could get before they forced him through those doors. "How do they take blood samples?" This was both a genuine question, and another delay from the inevitable. Genuine because the only ways Dennis could think of extracting blood were... less than ideal; A delay because, well, it forced them to stand outside a little bit longer, didn't it?