video; un: shiro

[shiro2hero]

[Oh hi Shiro, long time no see on the network. That's because this is a last-ditch effort. He looks pretty darn not great, despite the fact it's Sleep Season for Warmbloods. Maybe it's the Arena. Maybe it's the River. Something honestly, sincerely traumatic that's happened already.]

[His face is in his hands, hunched over the counter in his kitchen. The omni in front of him. Voice haggard and quiet. Like he has a migraine.]

I will pay... however much anyone wants. For coffee beans. Espresso beans. Don't even have to be cooked. Roasted. Doesn't matter.

[... Or it's caffeine withdrawl.]

Or tea leaves. I don't care.

[Please, he is Suffering.]

Comments

cw: drug addiction..obviously (video)

[klussy]

Shiro, you realize that being addicted to caffeine isn't any different than being addicted to stuff like cocaine, right?

(CONCERNED TONE.)

As a medical professional, I diagnose that you're going through withdrawals. Drink a lot of clear fluids. Like water.

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[All this fuss over coffee? Really? Maul looks supremely unimpressed.]

You look terrible. Trying flinging yourself into the sea, it might have the same results as what you are looking for.

son don't call him out

[shiro2hero]

Any other time, I'd be happy to listen.

Right now, I am either going to let my head split open or jump into the ocean. Those are my options.

[i.e. not water.]

[shiro2hero]

Wow... thanks. Really needed that opinion.

calling out loudly

[klussy]

Yeeeeah, I'm not joking though, dude. Caffeine's a literal drug and you got dependent on it altering your mood and fucking with your heart. It's like one of the most common habit-forming addictions out there.

(He's so matter of fact about this.)

It can make anxiety and insomnia a hundred percent worse. It's probably good you don't have it anymore. You've got a withdrawal headache. Put a wet cloth over your eyes and lay down.

video; UN: TripleJ

[kyley_b]

...uh. Is coffee scarce here? Because I totally had some.

Please tell me we can get more.

[survivalthroughhate]

That is what I am here for.

[Sorry Shiro, Maul is a gadfly sometimes.]

If you do find anyone who has tea, be sure to let me know. I have been out for quite some time.

why did he adopt you

[shiro2hero]

[Deep breaths. Deep breaths, Shiro... you're fine. Eddie means well.]

I've been laying down all month... I need to get moving and do something around here.

Nothing about this is good.

[shiro2hero]

If we can... I can't find it. Anywhere.

Ration what you have.

[The most grave of warnings, right here.]

[shiro2hero]

There has to be tea.

It's just - everyone has tea. Aliens have tea.

[kyley_b]

Oh my god. I didn't, I just assumed there was more...

Dude there HAS to be some, or something like it. I will search this entire fucking city to find some.

[shiro2hero]

I sincerely cannot find... any. None whatsoever.

Friend of mine says he can't find it either. Pretty sure we're done for.

[survivalthroughhate]

Is the lack of caffeine causing you to say obvious statements?

[He knows very well aliens have tea, he comes from a galaxy full of them after all!]

I haven't explored every nook and cranny of this city. Perhaps there is some hidden shop that has some.

[kyley_b]

No. I refuse. I've been turned into a squid, dumped in a creepy city where all the clothes make me look like Oliver Twist, smacked around, missed important holidays, and I might be losing my mind, so they can't take all the coffee on top of that! NO.

I'm sending my fucking whale to find coffee! [Uh. Kyle? That sentence makes no sense without context.]

eddie tries to ask him this all the time

[klussy]

Then you're gonna have to keep laying down. Do you really think walking around outside right now is gonna make you feel better? Invest in a puzzle.

(He was starting to get the No-Nonsense he tone he tended to lean into when he got difficult patients. Sorry, Shiro. He's going into full nurse mode.)

You need to eat a proper meal and drink clear fluids.

[shiro2hero]

... Okay, I was with you until the whale.

What whale?

[shiro2hero]

That's the point. If worlds other than Earth have it, why shouldn't this one?

Maybe someone's growing some.

[survivalthroughhate]

Because this one is run by sadistic Pthumerians who enjoy watching us suffer?

[shiro2hero]

[Ugh!! The worst!! He'll be extremely proud of Eddie later. When the headache and general nastiness goes away.]

I think doing something is going to make me feel better than laying around.

... 'Proper meal' means using the stove. [Eddie have you heard about his cooking mishaps?]

video

[viciousmaukery]

I've got some tea if you want some. Apparently they can make it from mushrooms here.

[He sounds very excited about this.]

Video; UN: Willow

[frogfear]

[There's a lack of coffee in Trench? This is an alarming turn of events. Willow hasn't specifically gone looking yet, but somewhere there has to be a nice little hole in the wall coffee shop that makes a good mocha?]

There's gotta be coffee here somewhere, right? I mean, everywhere has coffee.

un: trienemybest; video

[droptheious]

Oh, if all you need is coffee, I can get you that. Fern can grow it. You-you don't have to pay for it or...

[Hmmmmm ]

You really don't look so good. I thought you were sleeping properly this month?

[kyley_b]

Oh. I have a whale. Don't you have a something? An animal that sort of materializes out of smoke?

Willzyx! Go find us coffee!

[A rather diminutive orca cruises by in the background, pausing to stare at Kyle a moment.]

Fuck you, we're desperate men here! Ugh. [Kyle turns back to the screen.] Stupid whale...

Okay. This is a port city, right? So our best bet might be to hit up ocean traders. We'll need something worth trading, obviously.

video; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ .. oh, sheesh. Talk about someone not looking their best.. ]

Don't you think there might be.. something else you can do? [ Because coffee might not necessarily make someone looking like that feel any better. Ange thinks, anyway. ]

.. What's bothering you?

[ It's not like she doesn't have any idea of what it could be.. no, the problem is that she has too many ideas for what could possibly have made him look like that. ]

[klussy]

Shiro. (He's NOT having this.) You cannot possibly look me in the eye and have the audacity to imply that you don't know at least 20 people who would immediately bring you a hot, healthy meal if you asked.

Shut up.