Work Text:
It was winter in Robloxia, Christmas had just passed, and people in Bizville were taking off all the bright lights and decorations from their homes and shops. While in the Blackrock Kingdom people were fighting the extreme blizzards with heavy jackets and warm drinks, Turitopulis was the only city that had enough snow to have fun, and wasn't too cold. The tall trees and jungle vines were covered with candid freckles of white, while the green grass was nowhere to be seen, completely frozen and crunchy under all the fallen leaves. Player woke up on a usual winter morning. He stretched, got up, and did his very boring morning routine, ate breakfast, brushed his teeth, and all that. It had been a while since he completed Shedletsky’s quest and obtained the Windforce, so now he had a few months to take a break from his risky adventures and sword collecting. Now with no battles to fight, he concentrated on spending more time with the friends he made along the way, like Calypso, Red and Blue, Noobador, Kyoko, Griefer and a few more. He really had no plans for today, but his creative and bored mind immediately came up with a cute way to pass the time: recently he had been a bit busy helping out the Blackrock Kingdom get rid of all the snow, and it had been a while since he heard from Kyoko or Griefer, so he decided to pay them a visit and go with them to get some hot chocolate. He wore his heaviest jacket, exited his warm house and began to head over to Turitopulis. He didn’t really know where Kyoko could be, since she is a traveler and loves to go on vacation, so he decided it was best to go recruit Griefer first. He made his way through the snowy jungle, and dragged his heavy black boots to the Turitopulis sign, and to the first shop of the village in front of him. He sighed in relief and began calmly walking through the city, waving at the citizens and getting a few snacks from the nearby shops. He was about to dive back into the jungle again when he noticed Kyoko talking to Mayor Thaniyel. They seemed rather pensive. He walked over to them, happy that Kyoko wasn’t on vacation. He gently tapped on her shoulder, she turned around:
“ Hi Player! How are you? “
Player smiled, pulling down his jacket’s furry hood
“ I’m good! What are you up to? No winter holidays? “
Kyoko exchanged a small glance with Mayor Thaniyel, then continued speaking with a warm smile on her lips
“ I've traveled enough this year. I was going to stay here at Turitopulis, they have the best winter breeze! “
Player nodded, not noticing the shared glance between the two.
“ Me too! I was going to go visit Griefer, so we can all get some hot cocoa together! Will you come with me? “
Kyoko opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, almost reconsidering her choice, then she spoke again, slightly uncertain, but not wanting to ruin the mood
“ Yeah..sure! Let's go then! “
Player nodded enthusiastically and he and Kyoko headed off to the jungle once again. They walked for miles, finding no trace of animal, no gorilla, no komodo dragon, no helmet noobs either, it must be too cold for them to fight enemies now. They reached Griefer’s house (which was also Mayor Thaniyel’s, of course) They knocked at the front door. Player looked so enthusiastic, but Kyoko had to tell him before things went south. She exhaled
“ Player, i’ve been meaning to tell you, … Griefer’s sick, Thaniyel was telling me how the fact of being half-plant influenced his body a lot. “
Player tilted his head, confused and slightly upset, but still curious
“ Sick? How come? “
“Well in winter, there's not much sunlight, and plants receive most of their energy from it. With no sunlight, Griefer’s tired and weaker. His dad told me he got sick from this “
Player was still half confused and inquisitive
“ How does his plant body even work? “
Kyoko was about to answer when the front door clicked behind them. They froze as they saw Griefer appear on the other side of the door, his green eye scouting out the small thin opening, only half of his face visible. He squinted to make out the figures better. Player perked up and smiled
“ Hello Griefer” how are you?- Hey don't hide behind the door, c’mon! Don't be shy! “
He let out a low groan and slowly opened the door more. His face was flushed, vines and leaves unusually pale and wrinkly, messy hair, hat missing, eyes half-lidded, arms crossed, and he was only wearing a black tank top and shorts, in the first week of January. He looked at Player menacingly, daring for him to say something about his tired appearance. Player smiled slightly at his look, teasing:
“ Aren't you cold? It's freezing out here “
Griefer shrugged, frown deepening slightly in annoyance
“ I D0N’T KN0W WH4T U R T4LK1NG AB7 “
Player exchanged a glance with Kyoko. She smiled slightly at Griefer
“ Can we come in? We walked all the way to your house, and we are about to turn into ice popsicles! “
Griefer nodded with a small grunt of approval, walking away from the door and letting them be able to walk in. His tail dragged on the floor behind him, seemingly motionless and “dead”. Player and Kyoko immediately noticed how warm Griefer’s whole house was, even without any radiators in sight. His bed was full of Witch’s Brew like usual, but also a few napkins laid on the ground near it. The sheets were all tangled up with the pillow, pc shut off, and two used mugs laid on the table, along with a bottle of vitamins, which was perfectly closed and never even opened.
Player quickly understood better what Kyoko meant when she said Griefer was sick , because it surely looked like he was, all dishleveled and wilting, just like a plant. Griefer collapsed on the couch
“ TH3R3S 4 F3W FR3SH C0L4S 1N TH3 FR1DG3, 0R JUST M4K3 Y0URS3LF S0M3TH1N’ “
Kyoko didn't like for people to be impolite, but seeing how tired Griefer was, she didn't want to stress him out or correct his attitude, after all, it was Griefer they were talking about, Brad Thaniyel, the Mayor’s snarky son, nobody could change his weird personality. Player grabbed a can of soda, while Kyoko made herself some herbal tea. Player sat down next to Griefer, watching his chest rise and fall in slow breaths and his eye staring at nothing but the wall. He gently placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it, trying to catch his attention. Even in just a second of contact with Griefer’s skin, Player felt it was very warm, either from the room temperature, or from whatever fever or flu was bubbling up inside him. Griefer lazily moved his eye to stare at Player, then slowly moved his head and his body to face him. He looked at Player and raised a brow. Player felt a bit of compassion for the guy:
“ You alright? You seem a bit out of it. “
Griefer exhaled and rubbed his eyes sluggishly
“ ‘M F1N3. “
He answered dryly, turning to stare at the ceiling again. Player looked at him, then walked over to Kyoko:
“ I don’t think he wants to really go out right now..but it would help him “
Kyoko sighed and nodded, thinking
“ Well, what can he really do? His brain is cooked up from the sickness, he was probably sleeping until we came and woke him up “
Player fixed his jacket and tilted his head, drumming his fingers on the Bloxy Cola in his hand
“ I think we should still try to convince him to go outside for a while. There's no sunlight for his leaves, sure, but there's some fresh air to cool him down. “
Griefer overheard the conversation, but pretended to not have, and just swinged his arms over the couch, laying down. Player walked over to him and tapped him knee:
“Grieferrrr! Would you want to go take a walk with us? Maybe get some hot cocoa? A snack?”
Griefer shook his head from side to side, thinking and mumbling
“ HMMMM…. 1 DUNN0… “
Kyoko walked up behind Player
“ Come on! It’ll be fun! and you can get some fresh air, hm? “
Griefer sighed and slowly sat up
“ 4LR1GHT.. 1 GU3SS, BUT 0NLY B3C4US3 Y0U 4R3 4SK1NG N1C3LY “
Player clapped his hand enthusiastically and stood up from the couch. Griefer grinned slightly and slowly rose to his feet, looking around:
“ D0 I H4V3 T0 CH4NG3 CL0TH3S..? “
Kyoko looked him up and down:
“ You seriously want to go out in a tank top in the middle of winter? “
Griefer shrugged, smiling
“ C4N’T B3 TH4T B4D “
He quickly threw on a pair of green pants and tied a red jacket to his waist. He put on his hat and shoved his crowbar halfway into his pocket, because you never know when you might need it. He followed Player and Kyoko outside drowsily. He almost didn't feel the cold if it wasn't for the snow making his feet slightly numb and a gust of wind hitting his face once in a while. He walked through the jungle carefully, highly alert for any danger. He seemed disorientated and a bit dizzy, or just trying to not get ambushed by a gorilla (It happened countless times before). They walked to the city slower than usual, having to wait for Griefer’s lost mind to find them again amongst all the vines. Taking care of a man in his 80s would have been easier..
They arrived in Turitopolis and entered a bar. Griefer looked around, relieved to see no one except the barista:
“ ‘Morning! What would you three like today? “
Player and Kyoko began looking around and considering the options, while Griefer just wanted his 6th Witch’s Brew of the day. Player went first:
“ I would like a bag of chips and a bottle of water, please! “
While the barista turned around to get the order Kyoko spoke up:
“ I would like one hot chocolate please! “
The barista nodded and started putting everything together, grabbing the chips for Player and the hot cocoa for Kyoko. Kyoko turned to Griefer, he side eyed her weirdly. Kyoko stared at him confused:
“ Are you getting anything, Brad? “
He groggily tilted his head backwards and crossed his arms on the table:
“ 0N3 W1TCH’5 BR3W “
He said simply, pushing himself off the counter and heading outside, not able to stand the suffocating heat of the bar, despite his house being 30 degrees celcius. He sat at a table outside, seeing Player and Kyoko follow behind with their snacks. They sat down on the seats next to him and began eating and chatting, mostly small talk. Griefer was actually enjoying this, the breeze felt comfortable against his overheated skin, and his friends were there with him. In the meantime, Mayor Thaniyel had noticed them and was approaching, clearly worried for his child. Griefer turned around, tilting his head and glancing at his dad. The Mayor put a hand on Griefer’s shoulder.
“ Bradley, you alright? Do you feel better? “
Before Griefer could respond, Kyoko spoke up
“Well i thought- We thought that Griefer could get some fresh air, maybe to clear his mind a bit, from all those.. feverish thoughts? “
The mayor sighed and patted Griefer’s shoulder, ruffling his hair. Griefer’s lips curved in a “ pissed off ” frown as he readjusted his hat
“ Brad, you need to go home, take your medicine and rest. I told you to not go outside, didn't I? “
Griefer’s eyes widened slightly as the Mayor grabbed him more firmly
“ D4D TH3R3S N0 N33D- 1M F1N3- “
He was interrupted by Thaniyel pulling his chair back and talking:
“ Let me help you, you must be tired “
Griefer started moving a bit frenetically, trying to explain and push his dad away at the same time
“ P0PS- “
He gently wrapped his vine tail around his father’s arm, trying to pull it away from his chair. Thaniyel grabbed Griefer’s tail by accident, startling him. He jumped in his seat, quickly untangling it. He grabbed his dad’s wrists firmly, finally stopping him. He gritted his teeth, annoyed and frustrated.
“ ST0P TR34T1NG M3 L1K3 1 C4N’T D0 ANYTH1NG 0N MY 0WN! 1 D0N’T N33D Y0UR H3LP! “
He snarled and stood up, wobbling away from his seat and knocking the empty Witch’s Brew can off the table. He started walking in the snow, feeling the cold seep in his tired numb limbs. He proceeded towards his home, the only place where he could be warmer. Suddenly, two gorillas jumped in his path. Griefer backed away, startled. He thought gorillas were all sheltered in their dens with such cold weather, but he guessed he was wrong. He was caught in the fight with the gorilla, managing to defeat the first one, but with a lot of struggle that led him to missing his moves and not being able to dodge the animal’s attacks. He had less than half HP when he heard someone join the fight. Player had come to help. He huffed, concentrating on protecting Player rather than trying to attack. He gave Player a weak nod and. Player gave the gorilla a few power stabs and the fight was already over. Player dragged Griefer out of the battle, trying to support him, despite Griefer’s failed attempts in supporting his own weight. Kyoko was standing outside the battlefield, and quickly came closer to help Player:
“ Griefer! You alright? “
He let out a pained groan and mumbled
“ W3LL, WH4T D0 Y0U TH1NK? “
Player sighed, swinging Griefer’s arm over his shoulder
“Come on, let’s go to your house, get some medical supplies.. “
Player, Kyoko and Griefer once again paced to his house, finally arriving in front of Griefer’s crib. They dragged him inside and made him lay on the couch, already beginning to look around for bandages or medkits. Player yelled from the kitchen:
“ What hurts? “
Griefer sighed painfully, flexing his muscles to test the pain
“ M0STLY 3V3RYTH1NG.. C4N 1 H4V3 4 W1TCH’S BR3W? “
“ Yeah, good idea.. get some energy “
Player threw a soda can at Griefer, who lazily opened it and chugged it down. He laid down more comfortably on the couch, spreading his arms and legs, head lolling as he nearly dozed off. Kyoko shook him
“ Hey, don’t pass out on us now, you can sleep later, we need your cooperation, alright? “
Griefer grumbled something and nodded, raising his head and rubbing his eyes. He shifted his leg and hissed in pain. Kyoko frowned and went back to scavenging for medical supplies. Griefer bent over to check on his leg, seeing a big gash on his shin. He hissed through his teeth again and covered the wound with his pants, already slightly stained with blood. He shook his head to not focus on it too much and just stared at the ceiling, half-awake. In the meantime, Player found a small box of bandaids and Kyoko found some bandages in the bathroom, along with some disinfectant. They sat down on the couch next to Griefer, examining him from head to toe. Kyoko, remembering about Griefer’s leg, raised the blood-soaked pant sleeve and saw the cut
“ Ouch.. “
She frowned and glanced at Griefer, who seemed as worried as she was. She pointed out the wound to Player who gave her the disinfectant. Kyoko sighed
“ Alright, this is gonna sting, just tell me if- “
Griefer groaned, rolling his eyes
“ JUS7 D0 1T 4LR3ADY! “
Kyoko glanced at him and shrugged, soaking a cotton swab with the disinfectant and patting it on the wound. Griefer clenched his fists and shut his eyes, staying incredibly stiff and silent despite the burning sensation on the open wound. Kyoko finished cleaning the wound and put the bloodied cotton swab away. While Player applied some bandaids to Griefer’s smaller scratches and wounds, Kyoko wrapped up his leg tight and securely. They both stayed in silence for a bit, awkwardly staring in front of them, until player decided to speak up
“ What has gotten into you? Why did you run away like that? “
Griefer glanced at Player shamefully and looked away, sighing
“ 1.. D0N’T KN0W. 1 JUST D0N’T L1K3 H0W MY D4D TR34TS ME, OR H0W 3V3RY0N3 TR3ATS ME.. 3V3R S1NC3 TH3 V3N0MSH4NK 1NC1D3NT, TH3Y 4LL 4CT L1K3 1M S0ME B4BY TH4T C4NT D0 4NYTH1NG! “
He frowned, sighing through his nose
“ BUT 1 D0NT W4NN4 B3 TR34T3D L1K3 TH4T! IT’S 4NN0Y1NG, 1 KN0W I M3SS3D UP, ST4BB1NG MYS3LF 4ND TURN1NG 1NT0 TH4T BUB0NIC..PL4NT..TH1NG.. “
He stretched his arms, joints popping
“ BUT 3V3N 4FT3R TH4T, 1M ST1LL GR13F3R, 1M ST1LL 4 N0RM4L P3RS0N “
He glanced at his vine tail and leaves scattered around his body
“ K1ND 0F.. “
His lips curved in a small smile. Player smiled as well, putting a hand on Griefer’s shoulder
“Griefer.. we don’t do that because we think you aren’t capable of doing it yourself. Your friends and your dad care about you, and they just want to help you. Me and Kyoko aren’t doing this because of the Venomshank incident, right now you are sick, and I'm not saying that you can't do anything by yourself in this situation, but we are worried about you, you know? “
Griefer glanced at Player, shoulders drooping and relaxing
“ TH4TS F41R….TH4NKS, BY TH3 W4Y “
He tried to act nonchalant as usual, but a smirk remained on his face. He slowly sat up and tested his leg. It didn’t hurt much to walk or to put pressure on it. He slowly stood up, huffing
“ T3LL MY D4D TH4T 1M F1N3 “
He said as he walked over to his bed and collapsed on it, muscles immediately relaxing. Player and Kyoko watched, amused
“ Will do! “
Player yelled out. They stayed for a few more minutes, making sure Griefer was asleep
“ Shall we go? “
“ Yeah, lets leave him to rest “
Player nodded and watched as Kyoko exited the crib. Player hesitantly stood there, before making up his mind and walking up to Griefer. He bent down slightly and gave him a small soft kiss on his forehead before scurrying away after Kyoko and shutting the door quietly behind him.