#dog voice i am j i am JUST a lil GUY an you're being MEAN AND

[jackals-ships]

once again The Rituals,,

Your boy is sick. Which frankly ain't that surprising, you swear you look at em sideways and they end up with a cold. They spend a couple days grumblin about it and sleeping then bounce back into finding entirely new nerves to tap dance on the moment they feel better. (you'd think. after sweeps upon sweeps of this shit. they'd stop finding em. and yet.)

Even the bad ones don't usually have em in bed for more than a week. Where they intermittently hibernate and glare at you for the sin of, let you check your notes; breathing.

This one is…bad.

It started out small; Dog grumbled about a headache that just wouldn't quit. You'd told em same, damn bastard just wouldn't fuck off and it's been years. Took them a second to get it. The moment of realization was accompanied by repeatedly smacking between your horns as they tried not to laugh. This why nobody likes your ass Ampora!

Then it was a rasping cough that they waved you off about. Same with the sneezing you could hear across the damn ship. Keep lookin at me like that a man could think you were flipping diamonds here.

It was the lethargy that had you lookin at Dog even more sideways. Shore they always sleep a lot after a job, nesting in your bed and entering full corpse mode. (one time you spent several minutes just lifting and dropping their arm. dead to the world.) But it was lingering.

Even their snark lacked bite. Leaning against you with grumbles and half hearted insults. Like it took too much outta em to call you more than a bastard.

It was when they woke you up with a raging fever that you realized somethin was wrong wrong. Dog’s always been hot to the touch but this was almost painful levels.

Had you swearing as you woke em up, concern almost slipping into blind panic as they started whining at you. Repeated refrains of <hurts> that only stopped once you had em sleeping again. Aided by a heavy dose of painkillers and your hands on their throat, their chest, trying to cool em down even a lil.

It's been a few days since then, where Dog’s been mostly sleeping on and off. The few times they're awake you try and get em to drink water at the least. Getting them to eat is like pulling teeth, so you figure fuck it. Take whatever win you can get.

Anyways it's fine. You're fine. You're dealin with the whole situation just fine.

So long as everyone ignores the fact you're about to start chewing on the walls.

Because you. You keep gettin told Dog’s gonna be fine. By themself when they're with it enough to talk, voice gone all raspy. By your Ami who's makin sure you don't start actually eating the floor boards. Even by the fuckin clown.

But they look bad. They sound bad. They're hot to the touch and when they're awake they ain't themself. They're fuzzy and slow and you.

You can't make yourself believe that. You're hidin away even though you're pretty sure you can't get whatever they have. Because you can't. (can't decide if it'll be worse to watch em go or to go an check on em, finding their limbs cool as your own an)

You're dragged out of your thoughts by the sound of the door opening, a half snarl on your lips before you register it's Dog in the doorway. All wrapped up in your shirt like it's a blanket while sniffling something fierce at you when they should be sleeping.

“Dog-”

They cut you off with a mournful lil noise. Type you didn't know they could make. Type that has you on your feet before you're thinking consciously about it. “Sat-tii.”

Okay.

What the fuck is happening.

You have not the faintest clue what face you must've made at that because Dog bursts into tears. Oh fuck, oh shit, uh, uh. (bachus was gonna fucking kill you for makin em cry if your pusher didn't give out first.)

At least it spurs you into moving again, wrapping them up in your arms as you try to calm them down. Letting out soft rumbling croons as Dog makes the most pathetic little noises you've ever heard. “Shh, shh, hey, hey, none of that, shshsh.”

They're just crying harder. Hiccuping things that sound almost painful as they all but bury themself into your chest. “Sati. Satiii.” If you weren't worried about them dyin before now you're convinced they have to be.

“Shhh…shhh…’m right here. Hush. You're fine.” (“Hurts.”) “I knowwv. I knowwv.” They're going all limp boneless on you so you sink to the ground with em, tucking them up tightly against you. Purring and chittering seems to calm em down a little. Even more when you start rubbing your cheek on the top of their head.

It takes far longer than you'd like for them to calm back down. Back to damp sniffles as they push the top of your head against your neck in a weak headbutt. “I ‘on feel good.”

“No shit, you don't feel good dumbass-” Oh fuck your entire life they're tearing up at you again, you backpedal and nuzzle the top of their head. “Shsh. No more of that. Sorry, sorry, you're okay.”

“Mean. To me.” They're headbutting you again. Little thumps against your chest. “Sati. Mean. Not in. My room n being. Mean.” They're glaring at you before pressing back into your chest with a huff. “Cuddle. Bed. Now."

You're still all but vibrating with the fear of losing em but. The look Dog gives you plainly states you have no other choice unless you wanna make em start up again. And you're really not sure your pusher can take that much strain. “..okay. cuddles.”

In the end Dog does get better, even if it takes weeks longer than you'd thought. An you end up having to play the Get Your God Damn Idiot Bastard Back In Bed You're Still Sick game for the latter portion.

You, on the other hand, almost die.

It's silent. Dog almost but not quite asleep where they're curled up, breaths starting to come slower as you speak. “So. ‘Sati’ huh?”

They're back awake in an instant. All but shrieking as they try to strangle you, cackling as the two of you roll. “Shut up shut up shut up SHUT-”

"You like-"

"Saturn Ampora you finish that sentence there ain't gonna be enough of you to identify-"

(you wonder, on an idle scale, how pissy the clown is gonna be if you steal his moirail twice.)