DUZII ; the one thing corrupting this world, from the inside out & outside in, taking in new victims day by day… poor 007n7 was oblivious to the virus. the most exposure he’d gotten to it was a small section dedicated to the rumour of the virus in the weekly newspaper, nothing more. “it’s just a hypotheses—neighbourhood drama,” he dismissed, shrugging, “nothing much.”

c00lkidd was sick the very next day. 007n7 didn’t, even for a second, think that it was the karma of his precious dismissal of the news of the upcoming virus. he tended to his son, allowing the boy to stay home from school as he was throwing up & had quite an intense fever. at worst, 007n7 believed this to be a quite a terrible case of the stomach flu, as c00lkidd had had that before… but it had never been quite this bad.

007n7 had to take time off of work. in the rare slips of time he could manage to get some work done, either around the house or for his actual jobs, c00lkidd’s condition always seemed to worsen. 007n7 grew ever more worried when these dark patches began to appear on c00lkidd’s skin, traced with teal circles & swirls, things he’d never seen before. 007n7 bit his nails, a nervous habit he hadn’t done in ages. he needed to get some professional help for c00lkidd, & fast.

no doctor 007n7 went to seemed to have a clue what c00lkidd’s condition was when 007n7 got to the teal patches. any doctor that tried to help immediately backed away at the sight of the child’s skin, & the paediatricians were no different. 007n7 eventually swallowed his fear & took c00lkidd into his arms, knowing he had to get the help of a professional… the town alchemist, winslet. 007n7 had seen their work before. it was a miracle, all in all of itself. he admired their work, & perhaps they’d be able to help c00lkidd with…whatever that was wrong with him.

007n7 rushed out of the house all a-stumble. c00lkidd sobbed faintly in his arms as 007n7 jostled him, & 007n7 apologised absent-mindedly. he rushed over to the woods, as he knew the alchemist’s base of operations were hidden away amongst the branches, away from the sight of the public eye. as he approached the building, c00lkidd still faintly whimpering in his arms about how much the patches hurt whilst scratching them, 007n7 couldn’t find the entrance to the building. he loitered around the front of it, distress written all over his expression, as he stood there dithering like an idiot, cradling his son in his arms. he shifted c00lkidd’s position in his arms, holding his son against his shoulder as the child continued to sob. he began to get desperate, walking all around looking for winslet, so much so he began to call out their name amidst his search for the prized alchemist.

“winslet-!! if you can hear me, please, god, come out.. i really need your help here..”