marthasteeth

[marthasteeth]

@floristhabit​

[He felt the heat rise to his face before the feeling of pain, before the feeling of embarrassment or sadness- there was anger.

It was a special kind of anger. Like as if it took all his patience in the world to not turn around and confirm the voice to match the face of a certain someone, a certain double, who he did not like.

His breath hitched at the crunch of pottery under the doctor’s foot.]

“i domn’t seem to knowe wat yuo mean, aw-full littol man.”

[Never before had it taken just so much of his energy to not snap like the lily’s stem under Habit’s boot. He attempted to calm himself as he stood up straight to his full height, hands clenching around the metal watering can as he turned to view his double. He’d nearly forgotten that he had said 'fuck you’ to the shorter man, and instead, he was focused on the lilies lying dead on the floor.]

“ime sor-ey. but maybe yuo shuld be leav-inge now, domt u Think?”

[He smiles with a tilt of his head, his eyes red as he clenches hard enough to indent on the poor pretty metal watering can. It can always be replaced later. ..However, his lilies could not.]

“we’re closed, aktually.”

[He says it with malice dripping off every sylable as he brings his watering can down upon Dr Habit’s face.]

tall. the other was almost a foot taller than him - it was the first time he’d noticed it, the faux smile on his face falling as he has to look up. he barely has time to process it before the watering can hits his face with an almost comedic metal clang, leaving him to gasp and stumble backwards in alarm.

“AH!”

dr. habit’s hands shoot up to his nose as a dull ache begins to set in, shock keeping him still for a moment. he’d hit him. that stupid, flowery bastard had hit him! over a lily?

“i let youe go! izzent that enuff for you?” he snaps, anger bubbling up in his stomach. he takes his hands away from his face and shoves boris as hard as he can, clearly intending to knock him down. he hadn’t come here for a fight - not a physical one, anyway - but if that was what boris wanted, that was what he would get.

continued with @floristhabit​

[Boris had felt pretty good about.. working up the courage to send that bouquet. He was many things. Positive, sure, and optimistic-? Of course! But he could also be quite petty.

He had made a miscalculation, though. Dr. Habit had said he wasn't into flora and fauna, and Boris took that at face value and believed him.

He hadn't any idea that the dentist would know. G-d, no, he hadn't had any idea.

So when he got a customer, he was beaming, though he did not look up from his work and he did not pay attention to who stood in the doorway. He was busy tending to a special corner of lilies- ones that had the signs 'dew NOT tuch' and 'NOT 4 sale' by them. He would part with almost any other plant, even the orchids he worked so hard for.. But he would not part with these. Lilies meant everything to him, and his collection was.. quite expensive.

He was giving a particular flower a kiss when the other had walked in, and now he was peppering the other flowers with kisses- and water- as he asked what he could help him with.]

"helo, can i help, yuo? wat ise it that U r luking 4?"

dr. habit didn’t say anything at first, approaching his double at a leisurely pace. it was evident that letting him go the first time had been a mistake - a lapse in his reasoning. he had expected some gratitude, at the very least - was that so much to ask for? 

glancing briefly over the ‘do not touch’ signs, dr. habit hummed, reaching out in front of boris and swiping his hand across the shelf; two lilies toppled to the floor, the terra cotta pottery smashing into pieces, leaving the plants to lie helplessly on the ground. as if to add insult to injury, he stepped on one as he moved closer, crushing the petals carelessly under his heel.

“ime acktually looking for sum Orange Lillies. do u hav any ov those? or do u mayke a habit of giving them awaye?”

[marthasteeth]

continued with @floristhabit​

[Boris had felt pretty good about.. working up the courage to send that bouquet. He was many things. Positive, sure, and optimistic-? Of course! But he could also be quite petty.

He had made a miscalculation, though. Dr. Habit had said he wasn't into flora and fauna, and Boris took that at face value and believed him.

He hadn't any idea that the dentist would know. G-d, no, he hadn't had any idea.

So when he got a customer, he was beaming, though he did not look up from his work and he did not pay attention to who stood in the doorway. He was busy tending to a special corner of lilies- ones that had the signs 'dew NOT tuch' and 'NOT 4 sale' by them. He would part with almost any other plant, even the orchids he worked so hard for.. But he would not part with these. Lilies meant everything to him, and his collection was.. quite expensive.

He was giving a particular flower a kiss when the other had walked in, and now he was peppering the other flowers with kisses- and water- as he asked what he could help him with.]

"helo, can i help, yuo? wat ise it that U r luking 4?"

dr. habit didn’t say anything at first, approaching his double at a leisurely pace. it was evident that letting him go the first time had been a mistake - a lapse in his reasoning. he had expected some gratitude, at the very least - was that so much to ask for? 

glancing briefly over the ‘do not touch’ signs, dr. habit hummed, reaching out in front of boris and swiping his hand across the shelf; two lilies toppled to the floor, the terra cotta pottery smashing into pieces, leaving the plants to lie helplessly on the ground. as if to add insult to injury, he stepped on one as he moved closer, crushing the petals carelessly under his heel.

“ime acktually looking for sum Orange Lillies. do u hav any ov those? or do u mayke a habit of giving them awaye?”

[marthasteeth]

@roboticbunnies​

[Kamal doesn’t quite remember what that word means, though he’s absolutely positive he could’ve remembered any other day- he’s just so sure of it. Either way, he’s blushing- but he wants to pretend it’s just because he needs to cool off.]

“.. thank you.”

[He shivers at the touch of cold ice, like an icy claw down his spine. Still, he leans into Habit’s touch. Ridiculous- he feels like he’s ridiculous. He holds the icepack in place, where he got hit the hardest from the stupid curb and stupid tree.

He nods at the other’s statement, of not minding taking him home, and the nodding makes the dizziness worse. He feels like he’s going to be sick- but he calms his breathing and focuses on not throwing up instead.

He really does need to go home.. He really needs a nap.

By the time Dr. Habit is back with the water, he’s sort of slouched, sleeping sitting up. It would hurt his neck and head later, he knew, but he didn’t want to say anything about being tired. Didn’t need his boss to worry about him so much, anyways.]

dr. habit can’t help but snort at the sight, despite his own concern. it was kind of cute...if extremely worrisome. he needed to get kamal home, regardless of what he said. 

“dide youe still want yor Water, kamal?” his voice is quiet as he rests a hand on kamal’s shoulder, the amusement just barely there in his tone - he’s had concussions before, and he’s more than aware of how loud everything seems when your head is ringing. he holds the little paper cup insistently out toward him, tapping his shoulder with his fingers in an attempt to wake him without freaking him out.

“whye dont u juszt drink this, and then ille take u home. u kan take 2-morrow off, if u need, too.”

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal blinks. Of course his head hurts, but that.. doesn't mean he's got something that serious. Right?

It was just a little fall from his bike crash. It couldn't have been that bad!]

"i think im okay! i mean, see-?"

[He smiles a smile of reassurance as he tries to stand. With a little support from the wall and his friend, he does just fine. Besides feeling so dizzy everything's seeming to be in two's, of course.

He gives a nervous chuckle.]

"thank you, boris, but i'm quite all-right."

[He isn't, and to further disprove his reassuring act, he stumbles a little with the feeling of dizzy-falling. He doesn't fall over with Habit there to help him, but he definitely is not okay. He's got his eyes shut now as well- When did the sky get so bright??]

boris makes a little noise, reaching out quickly to prevent kamal from falling. he rolls his eyes a little at kamal’s almost amusingly nonchalant attitude about the situation; nonetheless, he’s concerned.

“ok, meester ‘Tuff Guy’, whye donte u just sit down, ok? i will get u an icey-packe from thee freezer.” he attempts to corral kamal into one of the plastic seats in the clinic’s waiting room, keeping a firm hand on his upper back.

“...youe fell prettdy hard, kamal.”

[marthasteeth]

[ Since returning home from their last encounter, Boris has been filled with many things- none of them good or nice. He needed to get rid of some of this emotion, like blowing off steam. And so he sent in flowers. Orange lillies; symbolizing hatred and resentment and other nasty things. Sent with a note to the Dentist, saying,] " get bet-ore soone. pleaz & thenks "

- floristhabit

boris was a lot of things. cheerful? yes. eccentric? certainly. malicious? on occasion.

stupid? absolutely not.

is lips drew into a thin line as he stared at the vibrant bouquet on his desk. as much as denied and suppressed it, dr. habit was, in fact, very knowledgeable when it came to flora. orange lilies. they were beautiful, he would admit that, and he might be inclined to accept them...if they weren’t a floral punch in the face. hatred, pride, disdain. he was no fool when it came to flower meanings.

this guy was saying ‘fuck you’.

how frustrating. how rude. he’d let him go, hadn’t he? he could have hurt him, but he didn’t - was that a mistake, after all? he cussed under his breath, ripping the tag off of the vase and looking over it, scanning the business card for an address.

he was going to pay himself a little visit.

[marthasteeth]

lyrics from my favorite ed sheeran songs bc reasons … sentence starters

“Oh, how we’ve grown.”

“I swear it will get easier.”

“Darling, just hold my hand.”

“Wait for me to come home.”

“Everything led back to you.”

“Loving can mend your soul.”

“Been this way since eighteen.”

“I know we’ll be alright this time.”

“Yeah, you look happier, you do.”

“Darling, you look perfect tonight.”

“I’m in love with the shape of you.”

“But I know I was happier with you.”

“I found my heart and broke it here.”

“It’s too cold outside for angels to fly.”

“And if you hurt me, that’s okay, baby.”

“I fall in love with you every single day.”

“Oh, I won’t be silent and I won’t let go.”

“The worst things in life come free to us.”

“'Cause we’re just under the upper hand.”

“We made these memories for ourselves.”

“I saw a shooting star and thought of you.”

“Maybe we found love right where we are.”

“We were love drunk, waiting on a miracle.”

“It is the only thing that makes us feel alive.”

“The club isn’t the best place to find a lover.”

“Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars.”

“Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead.”

“I’m holding nothing against it, except you and I.”

“Your love was handmade for somebody like me.”

“Only a month we’ve been apart. You look happier.”

“And we’ll burn so bright ‘til the darkness softly clears.”

“You should see the way the light dances off your hair.”

“Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.”

“Although my heart is falling too, I’m in love with your body.”

“I’m thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways.”

“Loving can hurt sometimes, but it’s the only thing that I know.”

“'Cause, honey, your soul could never grow old, it’s evergreen.”

“Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you, but ain’t nobody love you like I do.”

“'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love, not knowing what it was.”

“But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting, crumbling like pastries.”

[marthasteeth]

roboticbunnies

[He looks at him, and continues to mess with his hair. He glances away for a long time, trying to give the other some mental-space. Breakdowns were hard, and he knew that his boss didn’t like to really.. work through it like he was supposed to. He knew, basically, that the other wasn’t going to talk much about his past, and that was okay. He just wished that he could do more, or that Boris would let him do more.]

“hmm.. you are the doctor here, but youre- youre not that kind of doctor. it’s perfectly normal to be upset. …are you sure you don’t want to rest?”

dr. habit shook his head, finally bringing his face away from his hands. carefully, he pulled kamal’s hands away from his head, squeezing them lightly in his own. a gesture of appreciation...probably. or it would have been, if he didn’t continue to hold his hands long after he should have released them.

“noh. i will b fien, kamal - i need 2 finish today. i kant juzt go home or sleep ever-ee tyme somthing getz diffykult, rite?” a beat. “...do youe kno if we hab any appoyentmints, 2dae?”

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal smiles, and it's a gentle smile. A reassuring smile.]

"silly, i don't 'have' to, i want to help. ... 's okay."

[Besides, Dr. Habit's hair has always been a nice texture. It's soft and curly- not the kind of hair you can run your fingers through, but still the kind of hair you could pet and try to play with. He was currently twirling some of the other's hair in his hands, stroking it gently, doing his best to help. He cared very much for the other, and he wanted him to feel okay. He didn't think anything of the workplace they were in at the moment- what was most important was making sure Boris was okay.]

dr. habit covers his flushed face with his hands. its easier to calm down when he doesn’t have to see kamal; he can just feel the comfort of hands in his hair and not think about who they belonged to. he gives a shaky breath, followed by a chuckle, curling in further on himself.

“i knowe...i appresh-ee-ayte et more than youe porbably kno...but i shouldent b brakeing down at wurk an-e-wayz.”

“i am sup-pose 2 be the docktor heer, rite?”

[marthasteeth]

roboticbunnies

[He knew better than to argue with his boss.. but he didn’t really remember hitting the tree at all. Maybe he was starting to get a little concerned.]

“i, uh, i’m sure it’s alright. i definitely don’t need a hospital!”

[Another nervous little laugh.]

“its not that cold, really. besides, i.. i like the bike rides.”

[And cars were scary. Cars were simply just too much for him sometimes.]

“im okay, i- i promise-! i… might need a ride home for today.. though… just in case..”

[How embarrassing, he thought, that he needed a ride home because he was going to fast and not paying attention while biking. Maybe he should invest in a helmet to go with his elbow and knee pads. He cracked a smile, and as he did so, he happened to remember he was thirsty. (And a little winded.)]

“do you have any, um, drinking.. water?

“ov korse, дорогой.” dr. habit steps back out of his office with an ice pack in hand, waving it as he moves back over to kamal. he presses the pack against his assistants skull gently, keeping it there himself for a moment. “juste hold thadt there for a moment and iylle go git u a cup ov water, ok?”

a beat.

“and donte worrey abowt it. i haff no issue with taking u home - esp-eshally avter a fall liek that.”

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal blinks. Of course his head hurts, but that.. doesn't mean he's got something that serious. Right?

It was just a little fall from his bike crash. It couldn't have been that bad!]

"i think im okay! i mean, see-?"

[He smiles a smile of reassurance as he tries to stand. With a little support from the wall and his friend, he does just fine. Besides feeling so dizzy everything's seeming to be in two's, of course.

He gives a nervous chuckle.]

"thank you, boris, but i'm quite all-right."

[He isn't, and to further disprove his reassuring act, he stumbles a little with the feeling of dizzy-falling. He doesn't fall over with Habit there to help him, but he definitely is not okay. He's got his eyes shut now as well- When did the sky get so bright??]

boris makes a little noise, reaching out quickly to prevent kamal from falling. he rolls his eyes a little at kamal’s almost amusingly nonchalant attitude about the situation; nonetheless, he’s concerned.

“ok, meester ‘Tuff Guy’, whye donte u just sit down, ok? i will get u an icey-packe from thee freezer.” he attempts to corral kamal into one of the plastic seats in the clinic’s waiting room, keeping a firm hand on his upper back.

“...youe fell prettdy hard, kamal.”

[marthasteeth]

roboticbunnies

[Kamal almost scoffs as he sighs. He doesn’t want Boris to worry about him. After all, it was just a little scuffle. A little fall. A little nap and he was more than sure he’d be fine.

He’s careful with his steps going forward, looking at the ground as if studying his feet and trying to make sure he doesn’t trip over anything.]

“…. thank you..”

[He mumbles as he takes a seat. If anything, he’s simply more worried about his bike than himself. He knew that the pain was temporary and he’d be fine.. He just wanted his bike to not be too messed up when they finally went back and got it.]

“’s not like i ran into a tree or something..”

[(He did, in fact, somewhat run into a tree.)]

“you did run in2 a tree,” boris argues, moving into his office, toward the icebox in the corner. he pushes the top open, rummaging around for an ice pack that isn’t totally rock-solid frozen. “...and then u hit yore hedd on the curb stop. i hav half a minde 2 tayke u 2 tha ‘Hop-Spital’, kamal - are u shore u donte want me 2 tayke u home? i womt cownt it as any ofv yor sick dayze or an-e-thing.”

to be fair, he never held any of kamal’s sick leave against him.

“u kno...itz getting pritty Coald for u 2 be biking heer evry day. do u need a ride or sumthing?”

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal blinks. Of course his head hurts, but that.. doesn't mean he's got something that serious. Right?

It was just a little fall from his bike crash. It couldn't have been that bad!]

"i think im okay! i mean, see-?"

[He smiles a smile of reassurance as he tries to stand. With a little support from the wall and his friend, he does just fine. Besides feeling so dizzy everything's seeming to be in two's, of course.

He gives a nervous chuckle.]

"thank you, boris, but i'm quite all-right."

[He isn't, and to further disprove his reassuring act, he stumbles a little with the feeling of dizzy-falling. He doesn't fall over with Habit there to help him, but he definitely is not okay. He's got his eyes shut now as well- When did the sky get so bright??]

boris makes a little noise, reaching out quickly to prevent kamal from falling. he rolls his eyes a little at kamal’s almost amusingly nonchalant attitude about the situation; nonetheless, he’s concerned.

“ok, meester ‘Tuff Guy’, whye donte u just sit down, ok? i will get u an icey-packe from thee freezer.” he attempts to corral kamal into one of the plastic seats in the clinic’s waiting room, keeping a firm hand on his upper back.

“...youe fell prettdy hard, kamal.”

[marthasteeth]

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal smiles, and it's a gentle smile. A reassuring smile.]

"silly, i don't 'have' to, i want to help. ... 's okay."

[Besides, Dr. Habit's hair has always been a nice texture. It's soft and curly- not the kind of hair you can run your fingers through, but still the kind of hair you could pet and try to play with. He was currently twirling some of the other's hair in his hands, stroking it gently, doing his best to help. He cared very much for the other, and he wanted him to feel okay. He didn't think anything of the workplace they were in at the moment- what was most important was making sure Boris was okay.]

dr. habit covers his flushed face with his hands. its easier to calm down when he doesn’t have to see kamal; he can just feel the comfort of hands in his hair and not think about who they belonged to. he gives a shaky breath, followed by a chuckle, curling in further on himself.

“i knowe...i appresh-ee-ayte et more than youe porbably kno...but i shouldent b brakeing down at wurk an-e-wayz.”

“i am sup-pose 2 be the docktor heer, rite?”

[marthasteeth]

continued with @roboticbunnies​

[Kamal blinks. Of course his head hurts, but that.. doesn't mean he's got something that serious. Right?

It was just a little fall from his bike crash. It couldn't have been that bad!]

"i think im okay! i mean, see-?"

[He smiles a smile of reassurance as he tries to stand. With a little support from the wall and his friend, he does just fine. Besides feeling so dizzy everything's seeming to be in two's, of course.

He gives a nervous chuckle.]

"thank you, boris, but i'm quite all-right."

[He isn't, and to further disprove his reassuring act, he stumbles a little with the feeling of dizzy-falling. He doesn't fall over with Habit there to help him, but he definitely is not okay. He's got his eyes shut now as well- When did the sky get so bright??]

boris makes a little noise, reaching out quickly to prevent kamal from falling. he rolls his eyes a little at kamal’s almost amusingly nonchalant attitude about the situation; nonetheless, he’s concerned.

“ok, meester ‘Tuff Guy’, whye donte u just sit down, ok? i will get u an icey-packe from thee freezer.” he attempts to corral kamal into one of the plastic seats in the clinic’s waiting room, keeping a firm hand on his upper back.

“...youe fell prettdy hard, kamal.”

[marthasteeth]

You uh...you like bugs???

“not part-ick-ularly,” he admits, shrugging his shoulders. “i think they kan be ver-ee...bite-y and crawl-y and “Ouch-Ee”. but i wld not b mean 2 one on purpos or KEEL it!”

“they r living thingz 2, after all!”

[marthasteeth]

@floristhabit​

[He’s horrified. He’s terrified, petrified, any sort of word that you could possibly think to describe scared- he was it. He never thought he was better than his counterpart. He cared for him, or he had, as all people should. But right then and there he was just so scared. A shaking hand brought up to the other’s wrist- the one with the hand holding the pliers- and he grabbed ahold of him quite gently.]

“whye-?”

[It’s hard to talk- it’s even harder to properly annunciate and pronounce the words to convey his message.]

“yuo don’t haev to do thise,, we dont haev 2 b ‘enemies,’”

[He closes his eyes, his face a little scrunched up as he gets ready for the pain.]

“pleaze don’t do thise..”

[His voice is weak, like him and how he feels in this very moment. If the other’s going to do this, he at least wanted it to happen as fast as possible. Like ripping a bandaid off.

He shakily lets go,

and he braces

for the pain.]

dr. habit’s grip on the pliers tightens, the rusty metal teeth gripping the tooth with uncomfortable force. his wrist shakes as he stares down at his counterpart. this was nothing short of self-destructive, but he’d been aware of that since the beginning. he looks down at his own terrified expression, rage fogging his vision as his teeth clench. it isn’t fair, he thinks. it isn’t fair that in some universe apparently not-so-far from his own, he got to be the man he wanted to be, it isn’t fair that he’s stuck like this, and so it only is fair that this other him experience some measure of the pain he had to go through. it’s only right for him to do this.

he remembers being ten years old and spitting his teeth into his palms.

“...Блядь.” dr. habit cusses under his breath, releasing his grip on the other’s tooth and tossing the pliers carelessly to the side. he steps away from the dental chair, rubbing his hand over his own face as he tries to force himself to cool off.

“get out of here.”

[continued with @floristhabit]

"whye, are u sure u do not wamt, a flowr?"

[Habit's smile falters, and he, momentarily, has a sadder and confused expression on his face. He does not give himself time to feel such things, and his smile returns rather quickly for someone who's talking to his clone.

He beams, gentle with how he moves, and removes the potted plant from behind his back. He is now holding this baby calla lily in front of himself. He doesn't want to pressure the other, but he does want Dr. Habit to accept his gift.]

"i liek lillies, 2,! do u like them, as wel,?"

[He couldn't possibly imagine a universe where a version of himself did not like flowers. He nearly shuddered at the thought, looking down at the flower, and suddenly smiling and looking at Dr. Habit again.]

"can, i help *yuo* with some-thing, doktore?"

vague discomfort fills dr. habit’s chest at the sight of the lily, some locked-away memory threatening to resurface. he shakes his head ‘no’ once again, a tight smile on his lips. for the life of him, he can’t won’t remember why, but the sight of that flower is making him deeply upset. he swipes his tongue over the back of his top row of teeth, feeling over the gaps there.

than again...he’s being offered a gift, and he can practically hear his mother calling him rude. not wanting to be inhospitable, even to himself, he sighs, reaching out with careful hands to take the potted plant from his double. he smiles awkwardly.

“euh...they’re okay. we are a bit diff-rent, so et seems, i’me um...i do not know much abowt Flow-Ers.” it’s a lie, and not a very good one.

“if i remember korreck-tly, yoo kame in2 mie clinic, so i shuld be asking the kwestions heer,” his tone is friendly, if a little firm. theres an ounce of caution behind his words. “righte?”

[marthasteeth]

scritches !! -roboticbunnies / kamal

send me ‘ scritches ‘  for my muse’s reaction to yours stroking mine’s hair to calm them down in an emotional moment…

dr. habit tenses for a moment, wiping at his face - his cheeks are raw from crying, but for the most part he’s calmed down from his panic attack. it’s embarrassing; under no circumstance should he be crying at work, and his assistant certainly shouldn’t have to comfort him.

that being said...it’s kind of nice.

he relaxes into kamal’s touch, averting his gaze, mostly out of shame.

“...thenk u. u shldent hav 2 do this sort ov thing.”

[marthasteeth]

@floristhabit​

[He tried to clench his teeth in attempt to keep his mouth closed. He was horrified- he hated the idea of losing more teeth. He hated dentists.

He shook his head, tears continuing to roll down his face as his mouth was pried open.

He began to shake with how hard he cried. Would he die? Would Dr. Habit kill him? No, but he was so afraid he thought he would. He feared for his life. His nails dug into the chair, and he couldn’t get himself to just stop shaking.

He had nothing to say for himself, not that he could talk, anyways. He just kept trying to sink backwards into the seat, as if he could shrink himself out of existence with a little play pretend.]

“stop crying,” he spits. he’s angry, and jealous, and for the life of him he can’t rationalize what he’s doing. that doesn’t seem to stop him, though, as he forces the pliers into boris’s mouth. they’re not medical; it’s a pair of slip-joint pliers, the type you’d get at a hardware store. it’s uncomfortable to think why he even had them in with his tools. the pliers’ metal teeth close around one of boris’s back molars. dr. habit’s hands shake.

“youe think you are SO MUCH better than me? hm? hum hm hm humn?” he leans in close to his florist-self’s face. the rage in his eyes is impalpable. “juzt because youuuue git to do wat u liek? youre not better than me!”

[continued with @floristhabit]

"whye, are u sure u do not wamt, a flowr?"

[Habit's smile falters, and he, momentarily, has a sadder and confused expression on his face. He does not give himself time to feel such things, and his smile returns rather quickly for someone who's talking to his clone.

He beams, gentle with how he moves, and removes the potted plant from behind his back. He is now holding this baby calla lily in front of himself. He doesn't want to pressure the other, but he does want Dr. Habit to accept his gift.]

"i liek lillies, 2,! do u like them, as wel,?"

[He couldn't possibly imagine a universe where a version of himself did not like flowers. He nearly shuddered at the thought, looking down at the flower, and suddenly smiling and looking at Dr. Habit again.]

"can, i help *yuo* with some-thing, doktore?"

vague discomfort fills dr. habit’s chest at the sight of the lily, some locked-away memory threatening to resurface. he shakes his head ‘no’ once again, a tight smile on his lips. for the life of him, he can’t won’t remember why, but the sight of that flower is making him deeply upset. he swipes his tongue over the back of his top row of teeth, feeling over the gaps there.

than again...he’s being offered a gift, and he can practically hear his mother calling him rude. not wanting to be inhospitable, even to himself, he sighs, reaching out with careful hands to take the potted plant from his double. he smiles awkwardly.

“euh...they’re okay. we are a bit diff-rent, so et seems, i’me um...i do not know much abowt Flow-Ers.” it’s a lie, and not a very good one.

“if i remember korreck-tly, yoo kame in2 mie clinic, so i shuld be asking the kwestions heer,” his tone is friendly, if a little firm. theres an ounce of caution behind his words. “righte?”

[marthasteeth]

Fig. 29. Mouth hygiene : a course of instruction for dental hygienists. 1916.

[marthasteeth]

send me  ‘ scritches ‘  for my muse’s reaction to yours stroking mine’s hair to calm them down in an emotional moment… 

[marthasteeth]

@floristhabit​

[He’s paralyzed with fear, and begins to struggle to keep talking. The other’s change in his voice reminds him too much of his father. It’s all too much. He begins to cry, tears already pouring like he’s in pain. He doesn’t even understand what he’s done.]

“wayt-!! i didmt mean, it liek thate!!!”

[He doesn’t know what he’s even apologizing for. It doesn’t matter what he did wrong, he knows he’s going to get hurt. He begins to sob, almost, his breath hitching and uneven as he carries on.]

“i- i didn’t– i promyse i didnmt mean it, not to hurt yuo, i jost, i- im sory-!! please–”

[He doesn’t realize he can struggle, or that the other’s hand isn’t going to keep him there if he can just manage to move, but he can’t. He’s struck with fear, unable to even fathom a possible escape. He needs someone to save him. No one is coming to save him. Silly Boris, no one’s ever going to save you.]

perhaps, if dr. habit were in a better state - a less compromised state - he would have stopped by now. perhaps if it were anybody else, he would retract and step back, apologizing with wide eyes and wondering what could have possibly come over him, as if he didn’t already know. but he was not in a better state, and this was not somebody else; it was him. it was the same face that he had to look at every morning in the cracked bathroom mirror, and it was crying.

his father always had said he was an ugly crier.

“ohh? yoo prooomise? youe donte promise anything,” he moves his hand away from his chest and presses his fingers past his patient’s lips, pushing down hard on his bottom set of teeth in an attempt to pry his jaw open. he fumbles blindly around the tray with his free hand, until his fingers close around a pair of pliers. “you donte even kno waht yore apologizing fore.”

“now open wide! say ahh!!”

[continued with @floristhabit]

"whye, are u sure u do not wamt, a flowr?"

[Habit's smile falters, and he, momentarily, has a sadder and confused expression on his face. He does not give himself time to feel such things, and his smile returns rather quickly for someone who's talking to his clone.

He beams, gentle with how he moves, and removes the potted plant from behind his back. He is now holding this baby calla lily in front of himself. He doesn't want to pressure the other, but he does want Dr. Habit to accept his gift.]

"i liek lillies, 2,! do u like them, as wel,?"

[He couldn't possibly imagine a universe where a version of himself did not like flowers. He nearly shuddered at the thought, looking down at the flower, and suddenly smiling and looking at Dr. Habit again.]

"can, i help *yuo* with some-thing, doktore?"

vague discomfort fills dr. habit’s chest at the sight of the lily, some locked-away memory threatening to resurface. he shakes his head ‘no’ once again, a tight smile on his lips. for the life of him, he can’t won’t remember why, but the sight of that flower is making him deeply upset. he swipes his tongue over the back of his top row of teeth, feeling over the gaps there.

than again...he’s being offered a gift, and he can practically hear his mother calling him rude. not wanting to be inhospitable, even to himself, he sighs, reaching out with careful hands to take the potted plant from his double. he smiles awkwardly.

“euh...they’re okay. we are a bit diff-rent, so et seems, i’me um...i do not know much abowt Flow-Ers.” it’s a lie, and not a very good one.

“if i remember korreck-tly, yoo kame in2 mie clinic, so i shuld be asking the kwestions heer,” his tone is friendly, if a little firm. theres an ounce of caution behind his words. “righte?”