Archive of Our Own

Coco was laid down onto the soft surface of her own bed. Qifrey had carried her from the living space above to her room after he had watched her head start to nod to the side. 

They had been up above, going over a lesson at the time. All four girls had sat around and were originally watching attentively as Qifrey spoke about a new symbol. 

“Do you remember my Raincleaver? There’s a sign inside of the spells that looks like this. We call it Envelop.”

Qifrey had pulled out his pen and scratched a straight line onto the surface of a piece of paper before them. On each end, he drew one line, diagonally from the tip down, like half of an arrow. Both lines were themselves diagonal from each other, meaning that if you were to hold the paper upright, the top line was always on the right side, and the bottom line on the left. 

“We use this spell when we want to wrap the spell’s effects around an object. It’s often used in contraptions, like the Raincleaver. In those spells, it helps to wrap the water around the sword. You also may have seen it on your cloaks during the Sincerity of the Shield.”

Coco, Agott, Richeh, and Tetia were all present, carefully listening to each word that came from their teacher’s mouth. Olruggio had been in the space with them earlier, but had left for his section of the atelier only a few minutes prior to the discussion about the new sign. 

The topic of the Raincleaver had come up once more, and as a result, Qifrey had decided to use it as a way to teach a new lesson about signs. The four young girls themselves were, as usual, listening each in their own way. Agott was staring hard at the new sign. Tetia seemed to be staring off into the distance, though the others knew she was absolutely focused on the sign. Richeh seemed to have a look of wonder, likely one resulting from her newfound interest in learning other signs and spells, if only to adapt them to her own uses.

Coco was always focused and pulling out her own papers to write down the spell parts and what they were for. She, indeed, had her small palm quire out with her pen in her hand. However, her eyes seemed glazed over, and her movements, normally faster than the others in her haste to learn, were slow and sluggish.

That morning had only seen her behavior worsen up to that point. Coco had slept just fine, a contrast to the last illness that befell her. This time, it seemed to simply be a normal bug. What was previously taken for exhaustion was shown to be something more when the usually-attentive girl started to lean to the side, her head slowly getting closer and closer to Tetia on her left, until her body slumped into the pink haired apprentice and almost knocked her over. 

Qifrey was momentarily confused, calling out the girl’s name to her and earning a flutter of eyelids as she tried to focus on him. When she was able to, she attempted to sit up. 

Tetia, however, had already placed a palm on her cheek, eyes widening in surprise. Her hand glided to the warm forehead quickly, and her inner thoughts were voiced within an instant. “Coco, you’re burning up!”

The man across from them hastily crossed the space towards the other, repeating the same motion that Tetia had just performed. It was confirmation enough to him, and he swooped the fevered child into his arms swiftly. Coco, however, protested as she felt her body weight get lifted into the air. “Master Qifrey, I’m okay! We can continue with-” Her voice wasn’t strained, and it showed no signs of the sickness. For all intents and purposes, she sounded strong and confident.

Those pleas and requests were not only ignored, but interrupted by a low voice. “Coco, you need to rest. You shouldn’t push yourself.”

You shouldn’t push yourself.

Coco had taken a moment to fall asleep after she was finally convinced to stay in her bed instead of practicing more spell casting. Qifrey, the man responsible for her care, only left the room after that to finish the lesson for the other girls, who were evidently distracted by the missing student more than interested in his words by that point. Admitting defeat, he allotted them the rest of the afternoon to simply practice on their own, drawing spell after spell in their own ways in order to get better. 

It gave him a chance to slip off to his own room, the sleeves of his white outfit dropped to his waist. The man stepped into the wash room in order to rinse his face off with some cold water. 

Qifrey wasn’t unaware of his own body. He could tell just as well when something was off within him as he was when something was wrong with the others. He was attentive in that way. The unfortunate reality, though, is that this never translated to actually holding that knowledge with any proper regard. At least when it came to worry about the person staring back in the mirror, with his pale skin and worn expression. 

Coco’s fever was slight, yet she was forced to her room to sleep it off in order to get well. Qifrey felt the lack of appetite and the nausea of illness deep within, and yet he was returning to the main room of his atelier to check on the state of things around the space, cleaning up and tidying any messes that were scattered throughout the structure. 

This stubbornness fueled him within every waking moment of his life, and it drove him to simply push away any negative physical sensations that he felt. He had better things to do, or so he felt. It pushed him forward, more and more, day and night, week after week. 

Coco was like a reflection of this man, though. And it made it easier for her to pick up on his cues and notice. But the other three, as well as Olruggio, could sense it. They could see when their teacher was struggling. They were overly aware of any changes in his behavior or speech, and they could quickly deduce the reasons behind this. Coco, though, seemed to be the first. 

It began at supper. Food was brought directly to the girl, who was sitting awake in her bed. The fever was gone already, but she was stuck there for the remainder of the night as a precaution, in order to prevent it from coming back. The messenger, of course, was Qifrey, worry etched into his features but erased when he witnessed Coco’s return to normalcy. His closed fist, pressed again to her once fevered skin, confirmed that her temperature was normal. 

He remained there, in her room, providing company while she ate. His eyes carefully moved around the room. The examination was only interrupted by Coco’s inquisitive stare, which, once noticed, felt slightly unnerving. 

There was a shrug, a tilt of his head. “Coco, is something wrong?” He noticed her food was almost finished, though not quite, but she didn’t seem to be ready to release the bowl. Her hunger was definitely present as usual. 

“Master Qifrey, are you okay?”

Her words startled him, though he was careful to not let it show on his face, even slightly. “What do you mean? Do I look off?”

“You seem… tense, and you’re kind of curled into yourself, more than usual.”

Unfortunately for him, Coco picked up on even the slightest changes in behavior. Her eyes were too sharp, her senses too keen, for him to attempt to pull the wool over her eyes. He was fully aware of this. Yet, he couldn’t help his response. He couldn’t help saying, “Of course. I’m alright, don’t worry about me.” There was a classic signature smile planted on his face. 

Coco, for the most part, didn’t seem convinced. The slight oddities, even though they were out of the normal, were only slight. But even so, she could sense that there was something off, even if she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Just make sure you rest well tonight, please.” She left it at that, returning to her bowl and finishing the last few spoonfuls of her supper. 

The man had crossed the threshold towards her in her bed to accept the bowl from outstretched hands, before setting it down on the table nearby her bed. As the girl settled into her bed, lying on the warm covers, Qifrey pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, tucking her in. One palm rested on the soft locks that adorned her head, ruffling them slightly. “Rest well, Coco. We can finish the lesson from earlier tomorrow if you’re better by then.”

Slumber came fast for the young girl. The man who led the four of them, though, didn’t have such luck. He stayed up late once more researching an artifact he had managed to get his hands on, and even once he had settled into his own bed, the sky outside dark as ever, sleep itself proved to be difficult. Qifrey laid under his blankets, eyes closed, then open, staring at the walls and ceilings, before shutting his eyes once more. Anxiety remained ever present in every corner of his body, in ever fiber of his being, and it prevented him from achieving any meaningful amount of rest. Each night brought on fitful rests, short and sweet, not enough to provide him relief from his sleep deprivation and not enough to help him properly recover in the way he needed. Because, as much as he would argue that he is just fine, that there is no issues with him, he was definitely worse off than when he has awoken that same day.

It was while he laid there, mind active, that he realized he hadn’t been able to eat that day at all. It only added onto the previously held anxieties. It wasn’t so much out of concern for himself, but more worry that the others had noticed. He began to think of what excuses he could possibly use to explain away his lack of nourishment in a way that didn’t hint at nausea and lack of appetite. 

It was during this train of thought that he realized he was now shivering in addition to the other sensations. With that, he noticed how cold he felt, which was in contrast to the temperature of his room. It wasn’t quite warm, but it was comfortable, perfect even. And yet, even so, he felt like it had dropped twenty degrees. Common sense dictated that this hadn’t occurred, but at the same time, it definitely felt like it. And the only thing that this indicated to him was that whatever he woke up with was only getting worse. 

Finally, sleep overtook him, if only for a little bit. His body forcibly shutting itself down could count as rest, and it certainly did to him, but even then, the few hours he got of shuteye weren’t nearly enough to even begin the healing process. The sun, though, in spite of the chronic sleep deprivation, dragged him up from the inky depths of a dreamless slumber. It woke him up, slightly later than when he usually would get up, and his whole mind felt like it was covered in a fog. Groggily, Qifrey stared at his window, struggling to properly pull himself out of the swamp in his brain. 

Knocking at his door, though, helped to speed up the process. He blearily blinked at the wooden surface for a moment, before he called out in his soft, cheery voice he always took with the girls. “I’m sorry, I’m coming.” 

“Master Qifrey, breakfast is ready! Master Olruggio helped us!” 

If Olruggio was already up, then that means he really slept in, for sure. The other man often was up late and then in his bed until noon, or until someone dragged him out of his slumber. 

There was a chance it was simply the latter, however. Qifrey was normally up earlier himself, so maybe the girls wanted to give him a chance to rest more before summoning him to the kitchen for food. It wasn’t the norm for himself to be in bed so late. It sounded wholly in character for them to recognize this and to then act in this way. 

It was a moment before he lifted himself from the sheets, and as he got himself righted on his feet, he felt the effects of the fever fully kick in. A harsh shiver raced down his spine in spite of the sun shining upon him. “I’m on my way, give me a moment Coco. I apologise for sleeping in so late.” 

From behind the door, he heard her response, a simple “It’s okay!” before she hurried off to join the others, likely in setting up the table for them all to eat. Once she had scampered off, Qifrey turned to look at his cloak and other clothes. Within the atelier, he normally didn’t wear the full cloak, of course, but today it felt a bit necessary. He felt fairly chilled, even as he acknowledged this wasn’t true and he was definitely warmer than usual. And the occasional shiver would at least be hidden underneath the fabric. It was meant to conceal spell casting, so some small jitters would easily be rendered invisible within the folds of the thicker fabric. Over his shoulders it went once he had pulled on his other lighter robes, and the glasses which hid his right eye socket were placed on the bridge of his nose as usual. The hat wasn’t a necessity within his own home, so it was left behind as he stepped out of his living quarters to face the others.

The girls were all sitting around the table with Olruggio hesitantly joining them and attempting to also make conversation. It was a normal morning. Coco had clearly fully recovered from the slight fever of the day before, and she was talking with Richeh about another one of the timid girl’s spells that she had been practicing and perfecting for the last several days. 

When their teacher stepped in, though, all eyes moved to look at him. Their joy and cheer seemed to remain for a fleeting moment, with Tetia even pushing her whole body up with her arms. But the chatter died, and he watched as each girl’s smile flipped, the corners of their own mouths turning down. Agott was the only one whose expression hadn’t changed, solely because she hadn’t been smiling with the rest. She did lower her spoon to her dish, though, staring along with Olruggio to her side. 

Qifrey immediately sensed the tension within the room. He worried that his face was flushed, freezing where he stood. “Girls? Is something wrong?” Of course, they were all incredibly perceptive. He wouldn’t be shocked that they noticed his illness. What he would do, though, is fervently deny that he was unwell. Classic, of course.

Until Tetia covered her mouth and turned away.

“Master Qifrey’s hair is sticking straight up.” Richeh, in her soft voice, pointed out what made them all stare. 

His white hair, normally messy as it was, was sticking up all over the place. Olruggio was turning away just like Tetia, and his stifled laughter was clearly audible. Coco was smiling, but at least not giggling herself. 

The only one who wasn’t laughing or grinning was Agott, who continued to peer through narrowing eyes at the man. Qifrey chose to not focus on her and instead run a hand through his hair in a half-hearted attempt to smooth it over. “Ah, I was in such a rush to come and enjoy breakfast with all of you that I must have not checked before leaving my room.” He smiled warmly, hand patting down the stray, disobedient locks. Agott returned to her food, and the other girls slowly settled down and went back to happily chatting. 

Olruggio glanced back in the direction of his childhood friend, smile fading as he did so. The taller man didn’t notice this, though, heading towards the table himself to take his place amongst the group. 

The food, of course, looked delightful. But the smell turned his stomach over. It flip flopped back and forth, rejecting the very notion of the addition of anything within the otherwise empty organ. It made Qifrey not exactly eager to partake in the wonderful spread of food that the girls prepared for the whole household. He felt guilty about this, and it was that guilt that helped to propel his hand towards the utensils, taking them in his hand and then scooping up some of the stew. 

All around him were happy faces and rapidly filling bellies. They chattered across the table while he brought the first bite of his own breakfast to his mouth, crossing the threshold of his lips and being set down on his tongue. He thoughtfully chewed and swallowed, finding no issues aside from an increasingly unhappy stomach. The next few bites went the same way, forced down with a smile. The taste was spectacular, as he would expect from the young apprentices now. It was an issue within his own body. 

He couldn’t finish, though. It took only a few mouthfuls before he feared that another would result in a visible response. All the while, the dark haired man across from him peered at him. 

Qifrey’s face was slightly flushed. His cape was on in full as if he planned to leave, however the plan for that day was to spend the hours at the atelier, either inside where it was comfortable or outside where the temperature was nice enough to shed even the robes underneath that cloak. He wasn’t joining in with the conversation taking place, which was about his sword, a topic he himself started the day prior. It seemed appropriate for the master himself to start to chat about the other parts of that spell that he hadn’t yet introduced to the young minds, but he chose not to. To cap it all off, there was the slight quiver of his spoon every now and then. 

Before he could broach the subject, Qifrey rose from the table with his unfinished food. “I believe I will finish this off later. I must have ate quite a bit last night, as I don’t think I can eat the rest of this. Thank you, all, for the wonderful meal.” 

It was the perception of the others that brought them to silence as he stepped away from the table. They weren’t about to laugh at his bedhead this time, at least, but more curious and worried about his words. They didn’t exactly see him eating last night, so it felt like a complete lie told to assuage their concerns. Coco herself stood up to approach their teacher first, footsteps soft and quiet behind him, eyes firmly on his cloaked form. 

The food was poured into a pot with a spell on the inside of the lid, made to preserve the contents within. Once the food was properly stored, Qifrey turned to set the dish on the countertop in order to clean it later properly. 

It was like a movie played in slow motion. The dish slipped from his fingers, which were trembling under the fabric he donned in order to hide those movements. It fell, rotating in midair, then hit the floor. A dull crash echoed out across the atelier room. Olruggio, Agott, Richeh, Tetia, and Coco, who was now close to him, were all staring. 

“Ah, I apologise. I was too hasty in my movement. Let me clean this up. Olruggio, can you please take them outside? I will tidy up the table.” A smiling face had turned in their direction, beaming as if he had just done something wonderful, not broken a dish. His hands were put together, almost as if in a prayer, held underneath his chin. The redness in his cheeks was now one of slight embarrassment, and not just fever. 

It was only natural for his request to be initially ignored. Silence rang out across the space, until Olruggio stood up and clapped his hands. “Alright, girls, time to head outside. Come on, Coco, you too.” 

There wasn’t an attempt to ensure that all of them followed him, though three of the children did lead behind. The green haired girl was the only one who remained in the space as Qifrey knelt down to grab the broken pieces off of the floor. It was her small hands that reached out and grabbed for his before he could grasp the first piece. 

Heat. The man’s slender fingers exuded heat, more than what could be natural for a person, and more than what she was used to feeling from his skin. And the trembling, it was immediately noticed. Her lips parted in surprise.

“Coco, it’s okay, I got this. Please head outside with the others-”

“You’re burning up, Master Qifrey!”

He couldn’t deny what she felt. To his credit, he didn’t yank his hand away immediately. But he did attempt to comfort her in spite of his condition. 

A hand came out and ruffled her hair. “It’s just a bit. I was warm when I woke up, and I will cool off with some time outside, I’m sure. You needn’t worry.” 

“You just told me yesterday that if we feel ill, we need to rest!” The protests were entirely earned and deserved. He had said that. Those very words, in fact. Hypocrite as he was, though, he shook his head and rose from where he had squatted. 

It must have been dehydration that took his vision with the movement, a drop in blood pressure that would take anyone out. “I did say that, didn’t I..?” The voice, breathy as it came out, sounded distant, far off. To Coco, it was right in front of her. But right in front of her was also her wavering teacher, body leaning to the side before his hand grasped the counter for support, eyes not at all focused on her.

She was much smaller than the fully grown adult in front of her, whose face had gone pale as if he was on the verge of collapse. This did not stop her in the slightest, though, as she reached for his free arm once it was released from her own grip, holding on tightly and pulling him down. Qifrey felt the pressure and the pull, and without the strength to fight against it, he lowered his body clumsily in the direction of the tugging, all but crashing mostly upright to the floor, butt firmly planted on the wood underneath. 

As his vision returned to his one remaining eye, he saw Coco’s face as she leaned in to feel his forehead underneath his messy hair. It was hot, way hotter than it should be. And with the near loss in his consciousness, his breathing had picked up and sounded hurried, heavy even. His eyelid was drooping as he finally caught Coco’s form in his vision. 

Her cool hand pulled away from his fevered skin, and he nearly found himself leaning forward as if to try and follow it. “Coco, I-” 

“No! You need to rest, please, Master Qifrey.” Coco spoke with a firmness that he often heard from her, as if she was the one in charge. He felt like he had to listen to her instructions when she spoke to him like this. She glanced towards the closed door that led outside, and said, “I’ll get Master Olruggio, he-” 

Qifrey’s hand, trembling more, cut her off. He had taken hold of her arm as if to prevent her from turning to gather the other adult of this atelier. 

It wasn’t like she could carry him like he would carry her. And he didn’t seem in the condition to stand at that moment. At least, she didn’t think so, until he rose off the floor with his own support. Upright now, there was that sweet, child-like smile. It felt fake every time she saw it. It didn’t matter who he was or what he had already lived through, because it felt like she could see right through it in that instant. Urgency in her voice, she spoke, grabbing his arm again and nearly dragging him off to his room. “Master Qifrey, rest! Please! You’re sick!”

Helpless against her stubborn disposition, he finally allowed the young girl to simply guide him to his room. Qifrey followed quietly, no longer attempting to fight his predetermined fate at the hands of his newest apprentice. 

The two entered the room as a pair, Coco fixated on the mission at hand. She allowed Qifrey to come up by her side, one of the two hands clenching his arm falling away as she pointed at the bed. “Wait here, I will get Master Olruggio.”

“Nothing gets past you, Coco.” 

“Please, Master!”

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Qifrey finally sat down on the bed. And with that movement, he finally recognized how exhausted his body was.

And as he sat there while the normally cheery girl darted off in her hunt for Olruggio, he took the time to completely recognize each symptom and the full weight of them all. The dizziness that was creeping up since he nearly had a fainting episode in the kitchen. The nausea, gripping his abdomen with the deep claws that had become embedded in his body. The fatigue and draw of sleep that he knew could never last properly enough to rid himself of this sleepiness. 

Coco returned with Olruggio in her arms in much the same way that she had held Qifrey whilst she led him to his bed. The normally unhurried man stepped forward quickly to place his own rough and calloused palm to the pale man’s head. 

Qifrey didn’t stop himself fast enough before he leaned into the light, cool touch. He pulled himself back, but not fast enough, because it was immediately noticed by the two who stood inside of his room. Coco looked like she was near tears at his condition, incredibly worried and fearful with how ill he was. The last time she saw him so unable to function was when he got himself injured and was unconscious for days on end after the failed second test. This time, it was his own actions that had led to his own undoing. It reminded her of the way Olruggio had to step in when Qifrey insisted on using his injured right arm to do chores, as well as to save her from running off to the library. 

“I just need to-”

“No. Qifrey, lay down. Coco is right, you need to rest. The girls are learning from your example.” Olruggio waves his hand vaguely at Coco, who is still staring at the ill man, not exactly paying attention to the one gesturing at herself. It was likely to reference the afternoon prior, where Coco had been the one resisting rest, though she went down way easier than Qifrey, and over less. 

When there isn’t immediate obedience, whether it’s from a brain fog or continued stubbornness, Olruggio uses his hands and pushes down on the shoulders of the other. Qifrey pretty much falls back onto his bed, eyes now focusing solely on the other male instead of shifting back and forth between him and the girl. He takes a shuddering breath in, trying to fill his lungs, before letting it all out in a huff. In a soft and hushed voice, Qifrey says, “Alright, you both win.” 

Coco, able to make out the voice and the words said by the witch, feels her shoulders relax. She didn’t even realise how tense she had become until that moment. She steps forward and watches Qifrey push his shoes off with his toes, before slipping his legs onto the bed and turning to lay properly. As Olruggio steps back to give the girl room, sensing that she wanted to try and take care of him, Coco reached for the blanket underneath her teacher’s body and pulled it out from under him, nearly stumbling backwards and falling onto the floor. Olruggio’s hand reaches out to steady her, but it’s not needed by that point, as she’s moving back to Qifrey’s side and pulling the warm blanket over him. Her arms reach over his chest and pulls the blanket up to his neck properly, tucking him in and reversing the roles they had assumed the day prior. 

The black haired man mutters something about water as he turns and leaves the room, allowing both Qifrey and Coco to remain in the room alone. It gives Coco a chance to speak, to tell him what was on her mind that whole morning. This is where Qifrey would usually ask Coco how she noticed, what was on her mind, but instead, he simply turns his head to peer at her, silently wondering what was going on inside her head in that moment. One of his hands rises above the boundary of his blanket, immediately snatched by cooler, softer, smaller fingers. Both of her hands surround his and cup it, thumbs pressed to the surface of his palm as she drops her head. 

He’s not left to wonder for long. “Master Qifrey… why do you ignore your injuries? Why do you ignore when you get sick? You tell us we need to rest when we are ill, but you push yourself so much… You always hide when you struggle from the rest of us. You should trust us a little more than that. You already told me about the silverwood tree… why not this?” 

Qifrey didn’t have an answer. Coco’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears that she kept back with pure willpower alone. Her eyebrows were pointed together, lowered, frustration evident. But she couldn’t maintain her slight glare for long. The expression faded away to simple pain soon enough. Her head fell forward, and she pushed the tips of her thumbs into his hand even harder, the nails slightly biting into his skin. 

“I’m sorry,” was all he could eventually muster in response. That was the only thing appropriate here. No longer did he attempt to fight against the forces keeping him in that bed; Qifrey accepted and resigned himself to properly resting now that he was caught red handed… or maybe, in this case, red faced. 

A sniffle became audible as she shook her head. “No, Master Qifrey, you don’t need to be sorry for that. You should just accept that you need to get better, just like you tell all of us. Right? Agott, Richeh, Tetia, and me. You would tell all of us to rest until we felt better, so you should rest, too. Right?” Eyes became visible, and her head was lifted. A pained smile covered her face. This wasn’t anguish over the current condition of the man -- no, it was anguish over the constant mistreatment of his own body, his constant willingness to put himself recklessly in danger and to constantly push past what the boundaries are, to ignore the need for recovery that he so often deflected from requiring. Qifrey constantly kept secrets. Sure, he was just their teacher, but he took care of the girls as a father would. He protected the apprentices like a parent should. And it made them all see him as a father figure as a result. Including Coco. The fear that one day, he would simply ignore the pain again and let it result in further injury or permanent disability, if not worse, was truly ever present since she was witness to his determination to pursue the Brimmed Caps within that serpentine cave system. 

And now? It felt reinforced. Coco was justified in her fears. And Qifrey was aware of that. It made his throat tighten, stomach turning now over more than the illness in his system. 

“Coco, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you all so much-”

“That’s just the issue! You ignore your body!” The smile evaporated in an instant. It wasn’t like she expected immediate change, but the words that came from his mouth just stoked the fire. “You don’t need to focus on our worry, you should focus on taking care of yourself!”

“She’s right.”

Olruggio, leaned against the doorframe, spoke up. He had listened for a bit of time until he decided to finally declare his presence. “You can’t take care of them if you can’t take care of yourself first. That comes before anything else.” 

Long strides took him across the room and over to the two. Coco stood up with teary eyes, one finally leaking past her eyelid and dripping down her cheek. Qifrey watched him with a slightly open mouth. It seemed like he intended to speak and say something, but he chose not to. He visibly cringed when the cool pack was placed to his forehead, a spell that Coco herself thought up when he recovered in the hospital all that time ago. “You’re staying in that bed until you’re fully recovered. You ain’t gettin’ out of it this time. Understood?”

Normally, this is where he would allow soft, gentle laughter to escape his mouth. But with Coco now starting to cry whilst hanging onto his right hand, it felt inappropriate to do so. His lips pressed together, and a moment later, he nodded, saying, “I understand. It would be cruel of me to ignore the pleas of my friend and my apprentice, would it not? I will rest and recover properly, so that I can spend time with all of you once more as we always do.” His other hand reached out, turning onto his side, shivering as his arm became exposed to the air outside of his sheets. He found the soft locks he was looking for, hand rubbing the girl’s head as she continued to sniffle occasionally. Coco dropped her head, both making it easier for him to reach her scalp as well as pressing his hand to her own forehead, holding on for dear life. 

Olruggio watched from behind her as she calmed herself quickly, finally releasing his hand from her grasp. Coco picked herself up and stood up from where she had been at the side of his bed. One sleeve rose to her face to wipe away the tears and to sniff once more to try and keep her nose clear, and with her face cleaned off, she smiled again. “Don’t worry, Master Qifrey, we will take good care of you so you can get well. But you can’t lie to us anymore. You have to tell us how you are feeling.”

He was allergic to doing such a thing, as he had already proven, but when he saw the look in her eyes, as well as the pointed stare from a well-versed Olruggio, already accustomed to his nonsense, he felt it would be best to put in an effort to inform them all of how he was feeling. 

“It has to start now, though. How are you feeling, Master Qifrey?” 

A wince was his first response. He didn’t expect to get cornered so fast. “Ah… I’m just a bit dizzy, is all…” 

“That’s not it! Tell the truth!”

He gave his own slightly tortured grin. “You’re very perceptive, Coco. Ah…” Qifrey took a moment, his eyes drifting away from the stubborn girl off to one of the walls of his bedroom. “I don’t think I can eat much food right now without upsetting my stomach. And it feels rather chilly…” Roundabout ways of declaring he felt feverish and nauseated, but it was better than his non-answers of before. Or insisting he was actually well.

Coco clapped her hands together, a habit she clearly picked up from Qifrey’s own behavior. “Okay! We will make you some food that’s easy to eat, so that you don’t get more sick. We will also try to bring your fever down!”

Coco turned and moved to leave the room as Qifrey spoke. “We?” His confusion wasn’t answered by her, and she departed the space without so much as an answer provided. Olruggio, though, took up her spot by the bed to replace her lost presence. 

He pressed his palm to the man’s head and ruffled it in much the same way Qifrey ruffled Coco’s. “You know, those girls all noticed. They can tell when you aren’t doing so well. They were all askin’ me to go and check on you until Coco ran our after me. Worried me a ton, as well.” He shrugged his shoulders, gaze trained on something outside of his window. “You gotta be more careful from now on. You can’t just keep pushin’ on. They watch you and follow the example you set for them -- I mean, look at Coco, even she’s actin’ the same way. Remember yesterday?” There was a short shake of his head, a clear disapproval. “You can’t tell them to do somethin’ you aren’t willing to do. They won’t listen. That’s how those kids are.” 

It looked like a one-sided conversation, but it was one Qifrey was a silent participant in. He had closed his eyes, nodding and shaking his head where appropriate. There wasn’t any words that he could add to this talk. Once Olruggio stopped scolding him, the room went silent, aside from his own labored breathing. 

He opened his eyes for a second as he felt the bed sink by his body. The other had sat down and returned to rubbing the taller man’s scalp soothingly. It was quite relaxing. 

Qifrey eventually drifted off to sleep, dreamless slumber taking him as the girls outside of the house plotted what to do for their sick and bedridden teacher. 

“We could make him a special stew!”

“We can give him a warm light.”

“We can enchant water pouches to make a lot of cooling packs for him to use!”

Tetia, Richeh, and Coco all shared ideas. Agott was with them, listening yet not adding to their ideas quite yet. Her best bet in this group was taking the spells they choose to use and either perfecting them or drawing them. The other three had wonderful ideas to help out Qifrey. She didn’t need to add on to their ever-growing list of plans to aid in his recovery. 

However, even Agott eventually decided to give advice, a possible spell to perform. One that she thought of thanks to Coco’s guidance prior to this episode. One that was utilized during the witch procession on Silver Eve. 

“What if we cast a spell that makes water animals for him to watch?”

Coco was the first to stand up and nod eagerly. “That’s a wonderful idea, Agott!”

Agott was already turning to look away from them, her face flushed now, as Richeh spoke as well. “Richeh also likes that idea. Master Qifrey really likes your spells.” 

Tetia was grinning from ear to ear as she hugged Agott, almost knocking her over. “Yay! I think these are all perfect ideas! Wait until Master Qifrey sees them all!” 

The girls set off to work, drawing and practicing spell after spell, altering them or drawing them neater and neater each time they remade them on their palm quires. Inside of the atelier, Qifrey was sleeping while Olruggio watched from a different room as the girls all worked together to produce their own spells with the hopes that it would help the atelier’s owner to recover. 

It was evening when they returned to eat supper with newfound confidence in their abilities. Qifrey had awoken from a ever increasingly fitful sleep, lying in his room alone while he listened to the soft, distant conversations of the girls in the kitchen. 

The sounds of their voices drew closer and closer, volume increasing until they were knocking on his bedroom door, left ajar by the other man earlier when he left to allow Qifrey space to sleep. Four heads poked in, eyes finding the man forced to his bed only hours prior, each holding something behind their backs.

“Master Qifrey, we brought you some gifts!” Tetia was the first to speak, her hands coming from behind her to show off her present before the others had a chance to. 

A bowl of a thin, simple stew was held out in her hands. Richeh pouted, before she, too showed what she had brought. It had similarities to the contraption invented by Olruggio, the warm snugstones he created to let them sleep. Her own item was fairly different, though. Richeh’s spell had created a pretty, glowing object that seemed crystalline in nature, emitting warmth the same way that Olruggio’s snugstones did. “Master Qifrey seemed cold, so Richeh wanted to give him something that would make him warmer.” She placed it in her hands before stepping back, as Tetia was already taking up space by his bed, near the top of it, ready to feed him. 

Coco was next up, presenting an improved cooling pouch. This one was larger and, when placed to his head, seemed to stay put and conform to his skin. It didn’t feel like it was stuck, so he had to take care to not knock it off, but as she helped him sit up in anticipation of being fed a proper meal by the twin-tailed girl at his side, it didn’t slide right off like a normal head cloth. 

Agott was the last to show her spell. She didn’t go immediately, though, watching quietly as they all took up their own spaces within his bedroom. Tetia was preparing the stew she had cooked for him by his head. 

Truth be told, Qifrey didn’t feel any better when he first woke up. He felt just as nauseated and feverish, if not more so than when he first fell asleep. But seeing the dedication of all four of the girls, how insistent they were on helping him feel better, how much concern they held -- it seemed to push away some of those negative physical sensations in favor of the warmth of their love and care. 

He didn’t protest the food, eyeing Coco carefully as Tetia took the first scoop with the spoon and brought it to his mouth. He knew who would be the first to argue should he try to turn down the nourishment. To his relief, though, even as he swallowed the first mouthful of the thin broth and light vegetables, he felt less like it would immediately return from his stomach. It still felt upset, and each bite made him feel uncomfortable, but with the simplicity of the food prepared for him, it helped to prevent his symptoms from significantly worsening. 

While he was fed the meal by Tetia’s gentle hand, Agott finally approached the bed, her hands slowly extended in front of her as she opened her palm quire, pen in hand. With one careful movement, she finished the circle for the spell, and from the center of the circle came forth several blobs of water. 

However, they weren’t only blobs of water. They quickly took shape and formed different animals, dancing around the room above everyone. Even the girls had paused for a moment to watch the beautiful scene play out before them, Tetia the first to return her attention to the entranced man seated on the bed. A few more spells were cast by the girl, her own eyes sparkling even with the unreadable expression she wore on her face as usual. 

Her reward was clapping, first from Qifrey, and then from the other girls. Gentle clapping, wordless praise offered for the splendid performance she had put on. The animals left the room through the open doorway, heading for the seal she had put outside of the building so that they didn’t leave a wet mess somewhere inside the atelier. Agott was left to stand there and nervously look off away from the others. There was a small smile gracing her lips in spite of her bashfulness. 

They were all peaceful and calm as they spoke about mundane things whilst Qifrey finished his own dinner, and once that was all over, they packed up and departed. The only one who remained was Coco, who was now switching the cooling pack on his forehead as he laid down and got comfortable for the night. 

The other girls weren’t returning after that, heading off to their bedrooms, so Qifrey removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose. It didn’t make his eye immediately visible, but the concealment spell was no longer active to prevent sight of his right eye and what was there in place of the eyeball itself. The messy white hair that made up his bangs hung over the socket just fine, and while Coco remembered what was actually underneath, she couldn’t see it in that moment. That was actually preferential, as well. Seeing that and remembering what it meant was horrifying, and the current reality was scary enough for her. 

Coco sat in a chair by his bed, lifting up the enchanted pack of water in order to switch it out for a fresher and cooler one. The man’s fever remained persistent and hadn’t let up, and it was clear with his shivers that he was still being affected by the chill wracking his body. The positive part of this was that with the fever making him so uncomfortable, there wasn’t any branches in his eye to worry about, and even with the gentle touches of everyone, he didn’t feel the effects of his own “curse.” Coco demonstrated just that as she patted his head a few times after adjusting the cooling pack on his head. 

“All done. It’s really dark out already.” Her eyes drifted away from him to peer out at the starry night sky. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, but eventually spoke more. “My mom sometimes got sick, too, and we had to close the shop for a few days. I was always worried about her when that happened. But I still enjoyed being able to help, because she was always there for me when I got sick, too. I made her stay in bed, and I made her porridge and stew until she got better. Each time, I was more and more capable of assisting, since I was getting older and older. I want there to be a day where I can help her out again, just like this. Until then, I will help until you get better, and the next time you get sick, I’ll do it again then, too. Just like you do for us.” A bittersweet smile was visible on Coco’s face. 

Qifrey, as she spoke, turned his head to look out the window at the stars she looked upon, until she began to address him instead. This immediately, of course, drew his attention back, and caused him to witness the shift in facial expression as it occurred, with her still staring off at the stars above. 

This girl never ceased to amaze him. She was so careful and dedicated to her craft, so focused on caring for others, and so confident in her abilities, save for the few times he had witnessed her doubting herself. Even now, her words inspired him to return her comments in kind. “Coco, I can see you care very much for the people around you. Never let go of that. It will guide you as a witch as you craft and cast your spells. You are a wonderful witch. I appreciate your concern and care, as well. I’m sure your mom does, too. Thank you, Coco.” Even as quiet as his voice was, the genuineness behind his words was clear. He wasn’t just speaking to speak, but he was sharing statements that came from the heart. 

The smiling face turned to face him, and she leaned forward, resting her arms and head on the edge of his bed. “Thank you, Master Qifrey.” 

She remained there by his side as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to eventually fall asleep once more. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and it lulled the girl herself into a slumber of her own, unintentionally dozing off at his bedside instead of returning to her own room. 

It was here where she awoke sometime during the night, wincing from the position she had held as she sat up and turned her neck. It hurt just slightly, pain caused by the poor position she had assumed. 

Her eyes didn’t need any time to adjust to the dark, dim room. They could see well enough to make out Qifrey’s form, his body curled up and facing where she sat. His mouth was open, allowing him to breathe heavily, and in the glow of Richeh’s contraption, plus the light that came in from outside, Coco could see the increased red staining his face. 

Within a matter of seconds, the girl went from half asleep to wide awake. The cooling pack came off first, and her hand pressed to his skin. Warmer than before. She stood up too fast, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. As she whipped around to grab the wooden seat so it didn’t clatter loudly to the ground, she noticed a man in the corner of the room, familiar dark hair visible above a white open collar shirt. He was stirring with the noise she had made, and his dark eyes blinked open to stare across at her as she froze like a deer in headlights. 

“Master Olruggio, Master Qifrey’s temperature rose!” Her hushed voice alerted the other man, who also rose from his seated position, only slightly less urgent than Coco had been. 

His palm pressed flat to the man’s head, without a care that it caused the ill male to stir slightly in his bed. He examined the white haired man, committing the tensed facial expression and the feel of his skin to memory. “He’s burning up badly. Let me see that cooling pack spell.” 

Coco turned and grabbed one of the old packs, passing it off to Olruggio, who took it and immediately walked back to his own chair to gather his ink and pen. Qifrey, however, was now waking up, and used one arm to try and push himself upright, regretting it immediately as his head swam. It got the attention pulled right back to him as the shorter girl turned and nearly cried out. “Master Qifrey, please lay down! It’s okay!” 

He froze rather than lying back on his bed. In his hazy vision, he saw Coco move forward, feeling her hands push against him to urge him back to the bed. He easily complied with the request as he watched Olruggio come back over with the cooling pack Coco had made for him. However, whatever he had changed had resulted in a much cooler pack, and it made him cringe back for a moment. 

Just like she had earlier, Coco took hold of his hand in her own, this time tracing shapes on the back of it with her fingers to soothe the fevered witch. She was watching carefully as his breathing continued at the hastened pace it had taken up before she had been woken up. Her attention was so set on it that she almost missed the words that came from Qifrey’s mouth. 

“I feel rather chilly. I know it’s because of this fever, but it doesn’t feel pleasant.” 

Nervous giggles were emitted from Coco’s mouth as she considered this statement. In response, she carefully tucked the blanket in more with her right hand as she continued to hold his hand with her left. “I’ll stay with you, Master Qifrey, and hopefully that will help you feel warmer.” She looked at his equally nervous smile, awkward due to how foreign it felt to actually confess the negative feelings within his body. 

The two healthy visitors could both hear the soft pants that came from his overheated state, almost in spite of his declaration. Olruggio stepped out of the room entirely to retrieve something — water, hopefully to prevent further dehydration for when the fever broke and he started to sweat. In his absence, Coco simply continued to create patterns on the back of Qifrey’s hand in silence. 

The muffled footsteps of the approaching man drew her attention, though Qifrey himself continued to watch her instead, unable to see past. Until Olruggio sat at the side of his head next to her, he couldn’t tell what he had grabbed. Now he could see. A cup of something. 

An arm snaked around his back and pulled him upright to hold him, while the other handed over the cup. There was only water inside, not tea or juice, but water. Qifrey accepted the offering in his left hand, trembling but not dropping the cup. It was raised to his lips, where he carefully and very slowly sipped the refreshing fluid, careful to not trigger the nausea. “Drink all of it. I’ll get you more later.” Gentle encouragement was provided by the man who got the cup for him in the first place, and it helped to prevent the white haired man from giving up halfway through and putting the half full cup down. 

Coco watched as if this was the most fascinating thing in the entire world. To her, it may very well be. She didn’t stop with the soothing movements on the back of his hand, and she didn’t slow down either, continuing even after the cup, now drained fully, was returned to the hands of his childhood friend. 

Olruggio slowly and carefully lowered Qifrey back to the bed, allowing him to tug the blanket over his still-robed shoulders first before he shook his head. “You cain’t keep sleepin’ in your cloak. Your robes are one thing, but the cloak is another. C’mon…” 

Back into a more upright position, Qifrey was allowed temporary usage of his right hand in order to shakily undo the clasp that held the two sides of his cape together on his shoulders. With the clasp undone on both sides, the brass charm was handed to Coco, who held it like it was precious. The heavier fabric slipped off of his shoulders as he did so, and Olruggio took that chance to grab it and pull it from under him as well, dropping it on top of Coco unintentionally. As Qifrey felt a vicious shiver race through his body, Coco scrambled to get the cloak off of her head and hung up properly on the wall for when he was well enough to leave the atelier. 

Qifrey was lying down when she returned to take up her post once more inscribing unseen shapes onto the skin on the back of his hand. First, she tucked him in tightly, hoping to provide some kind of relief. Then, she sat down, before lying her head on his bed in spite of the pain it had caused her previously. 

“Coco, you should return to your room and get some proper rest. I'll be alright on my own for now.” 

The only answer he received came in the form of her head shaking. Qifrey hoped the other man would back him up, but the gruff witch said nothing at all from where he sat.

“This isn’t the first time I fell ill, dear Coco. You’re free to go sleep in your own bed.”

Her response was resolute, firm, unwavering. “I’m staying with you to make sure that you heal properly and don’t get worse. You push yourself too hard, Master Qifrey.”

Olruggio, to his credit, didn’t snort. He did have to lift his hand to cover his mouth, remaining silent and thankfully unnoticed by the two at the bed. Coco wasn’t facing him, and Qifrey couldn’t spot him from over there. 

There was a pause, and then acceptance that he wasn’t going to change the young girl’s mind, as Qifrey chose his next words. “I don’t wish to burden you or-“

“You aren’t a burden, Master Qifrey! There you go again! Just rest and get better!”

“Ah…” He tensed up momentarily, then relaxed his body immediately after. “Okay. I understand.” Qifrey himself still felt like he was burdening them all with his condition, but seeing the fiery light in Coco’s eyes made him wonder if it was okay to do such a thing. He considered it for a few beats. 

If Coco, or any of the other girls, or even Olruggio said the same thing, he would likely be repeating Coco’s own words right back to them. He had said very similar things in the past. Yet, here he was, claiming that they shouldn’t do the same. 

What did that make him?

Hypocrite. Olruggio had said it offhand before to him. When he got injured in the serpentback cave. After he finally woke up and left the hospital, he stubbornly continued to try and do normal chores and clean up the atelier as if nothing at all had happened, as if he was perfectly fine. He constantly found brooms and dishes taken from his hands either in response to him crying out in pain or as a pre-emptive measure to keep the injuries from worsening further. The five of them all constantly told him to rest. Yet, when Richeh hurt herself, gaining a minor cut, she was forced to lay down for the day. That’s when Olruggio made the remark in passing, as right after that, Qifrey had started tending to the dishes on the table, wincing once more. 

“If you understand, then go to sleep. She’s not leavin’ your side, I already tried to convince her myself.” 

Instead of continuing to be a hypocrite, at least in that moment, Qifrey closed his eyes once more. Coco made circles on his hand, her eyes lidded but not yet shutting, and he simply focused on that motion. 

“Rest well, Master Qifrey.” 

Coco’s hushed, soft voice was the last words he heard that night. Around ten minutes later, he was unconscious again, drifting in the dark void of his mind. Coco fell asleep soon after, relaxing as she noticed his breathing evening out beside her. Her fingers slowed to a halt, but she continued to hold his hand with both of hers. 

When Olruggio woke in the morning before the other two, he was the first to witness the scene, smiling at the two of them. Qifrey was breathing a bit easier finally, and they both seemed content as they rested. It brought back memories of Coco, sick herself in the hospital, while Qifrey sat at her bedside.

They truly were spitting images of each other. The phrase “like father, like daughter” seemed incredibly fitting.