#illusion disc au and the so many consequences on his physical and mental health good lord

[bravevolunteer]

@trapton asked: [cover] ID au // associated word starters

[cover]  your  muse  covers  my  muse  up  with  a  blanket.

WHILE MICHAEL HAS BEEN USED TO SLEEP DEPRIVATION for some time now, never has it been as intense as it is now: days on end with only minutes of rest if lucky, waking countless times through the night if he does manage to sleep, dragging himself through waking hours fatigued and lethargic, low concentration and high irritability. It's all he is. Every hour awake is spent paranoid, staving off hallucinations and crafted illusions alike— none of the usual numbing works anymore. Sometimes... sometimes it lets up, always around his father... always during moments of assurance that feel so entirely fragile every time they're bestowed upon him ( what does one do with a gentle hand when it has been nothing but rough for so long? ).

In fact, he didn't have nearly as many hallucinations for about a week... only when the man orchestrating the nightmare was largely absent to handle business protocol for a new location did they return at full force.

It doesn't just chip away at his mental state. Turns out his immune system is entirely fucked, too. The busy few days for the company come to an end, and Michael is sick, unable to stop himself from shivering no matter how much he tries to hide it. He stares at the ground from his seat on the couch, held still to minimize the way his head spins. Far-gone enough to feel halfway unconscious... the rest of him still violently averse to the idea of sleep.

Warmth and its temporary comfort settles over him as his father places the blanket, Michael pulling it closer immediately ( again contrary to all the wariness he held for so long ). "It's a fever," He explains, mumbled— admitting it so quickly. "I already checked."