InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I've had better reasons..."

Quentin Reyes (Quetzalcoatl) (featheredscales) wrote in forgotten_gods,
@ 2009-10-05 22:42:00

Entry tags:

quetzalcoatl, tezcatlipoca, xolotl

Let the Healing Begin
Who: Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Xolotl
What: Healing Xolotl
When: 9:00, Tuesday morning
Where: Quetzalcoatl's apartment.

Xolotl was still too pale. His lips and fingertips were blue, and his skin was cold to the touch. Xolotl had passed through Mictlan hundreds of times back in the old days; it had been his job. But things were too different now. Quetzalcoatl had hoped that the effects would wear off. After all, he had been right there besides Xolotl the whole time, and was more or less fine. But Quetzalcoatl hadn't died.

He sighed and scooped the eggs he was cooking out of the frying pan and onto a plate. He had actually been fairly pleased to master the art of scrambled eggs, but culinary success wasn't really something to celebrate these days. A knock at the door startled him out of his musings, and he turned the stove off and headed for the door. The apartment was a little more organized lately, for Xol's benefit if nothing else. The stacks of books were lining the walls instead of scattered across the floor, and there was space to sit on most of the furniture.

Seeing Tezcatlipoca at the door was still something of a shock, after not seeing him for more than a century.

"Right on time."

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-06 03:10 am UTC (link)

"I value punctuality," Tezcatlipoca said, striving for a neutral tone. It was still strange, talking to Quetzalcoatl without agenda -- or, at least, without much of one -- but they were the only three Aztecs here. They had to have some form of cameraderie.

He was, at least, feeling a little more like himself today, after spending time with his followers. He should have enough energy in him to at least start to fix Quetzalcoatl's obscenely foolish brother.

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featheredscales
2009-10-06 03:17 am UTC (link)

Quetzalcoatl was tempted to ask, "Since when?", but resisted. Tezcatlipoca was doing him a favor, and a big one at that. Quetzalcoatl would owe him, which was a worrying position to be in. But if it would save Xol, he was willing to try anything.

"He's back this way," Quetzalcoatl said, stepping aside to let Tezcatlipoca enter. "There are eggs. If you're hungry. Yes."

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	smokeandmirror 2009-10-06 03:20 am UTC (link)
	"I'll probably be hungry afterwards," Tezcatlipoca said, following Quetzalcoatl. Burning out the cold from Xolotl would take a lot out of him, and food would be the first, and easiest, way to replace what he used. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

featheredscales
2009-10-06 03:35 am UTC (link)

Quetzalcoatl led Tezcatlipoca back to Xol's room, which he was keeping warm enough that the heat wave seemed to blast out of the hallway. He'd been vaguely concerned that keeping three space heaters running in an apartment filled with paper was a recipe for flaming disaster, but Xolotl needed to be warm.

Xolotl himself was curled up under a small mountain of blankets, sleeping fitfully. Quetzalcoatl sat down next to him on the bed and tucked some of the blankets a little tighter around him.

"How are you going to do this?"

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-06 03:39 am UTC (link)

"Magic," Tezcatlipoca said tersely. He did not like how cold Xolotl was. "I'm going to use my power to burn out Mictlan's cold. It's going to take time. You know they don't give up their dead easily; I wouldn't be surprised if this was some sort of... I don't know, a failsafe. I'll find it, though, and I'll get rid of it." His smile turned savage. "The Lord and Lady of the dead are going to find me a harder mouthful to swallow."

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	featheredscales 2009-10-06 03:47 am UTC (link)
	He muttered something generally uncomplimentary towards the guardians of Mictlan, then said, "Is it going to hurt him?" At Tezcatlipoca's look, Quetzalcoatl glared and said, "He's been through enough." After a moment, he asked, "Is it going to hurt you?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

smokeandmirror
2009-10-06 03:50 am UTC (link)

"It'll feel warm. It shouldn't hurt him," Tezcatlipoca replied, after a moment. It was a bit of a lie; normally, he was pretty sure that burning out the cold would be moderately unpleasant. But he didn't want Quetzalcoatl biting his head off, or interrupting while he was working, so he'd try to keep that part of the process to himself. Xolotl would feel a little overheated, nothing more.

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featheredscales
2009-10-08 02:46 am UTC (link)

"All right," Quetzalcoatl, standing up to give Tezcatlipoca more room. He crossed his arms, shifting nervously back and forth. He wasn't positive he could stand here and watch his brother and his...nemesis? Comrade? Quetzalcoatl wasn't even sure what Tezcatlipoca was to him now. But he wasn't sure he could watch this.

He would, though.

"Tell me if you need me for anything."

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-08 02:50 am UTC (link)

Tezcatlipoca knelt next to the bed, absently brushing his hair back off his face as he settled into a comfortable position. He extended his hands, settling them lightly over Xolotl's heart, where the cold was posing the most danger, and closed his eyes, drawing his power up and channeling it out through his hands. He kept the worst of the fire to himself, trying to make this as pain-free for Xolotl as he could, although not out of any real consideration for the other god. He just didn't want Quetzalcoatl interrupting.

He could feel the cold as he worked, trying to seep back into Xolotl; he refused to allow it that access. It turned back on him, trying to seep into him, and he let out a savage snarl of laughter, almost unconsciously.

"Have to try harder than that," he murmured, calling on more of his power.

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featheredscales
2009-10-12 07:15 pm UTC (link)

Quetzalcoatl circled the bed, picking at his fingernails nervously. Tezcatlipoca seemed to be tuning him out, and Xolotl was still motionless, either sleeping or just too lethargic to move. Either way, he wasn't actively resisting the magic being done to him, so that had to be a good sign.

Quetzalcoatl had never been quite so frustrated by his inability to heal. Back in the old days, he'd been able to use his blood to bring the dead back to life and never break a sweat. He'd been thinking about trying it on Xol, but knew that it could very well end in his own death. Especially considering he was still mostly powerless from their trip to Mictlan.

Feeling unsure, he sat down on the other side of the bed and rested a hand on Xol's shoulder. He could at least comfort his brother.

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xeveningstar
2009-10-12 08:03 pm UTC (link)

Xolotl was cold yes, but his sleeping mind was lost in the dark places of Mictlan, blind and shivering. He was unresponsive on the outside, sleepy and sedated with the cold fingers that gripped his organs and the ice that lay in his veins.

The heat from Tezcatlipoca's hands burned like the heat after frostbite against that cold. It brought his sleeping mind back from the darkness it had fallen into and back up, up but not quite to consciousness.

On the bed his fingers twitched and then so did he, arching his back up slightly and whining in the back of his throat against the discomfort and the pain, despite how strangely gentle Tezcatlipoca was being. He panted for breath but wasn't awake, didn't open his eyes, and the warmth was turning the cold around his heart tepid but brought no colour to his lips yet.

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-12 08:15 pm UTC (link)

Tezcatlipoca let out a soft snarl, cursing under his breath. There was so much cold there, more than he'd anticipated. But he was not going to look bad in front of Quetzalcoatl, so he dove deeper into his well of power, drawing it up and out, chasing the cold to Xolotl's extremities and replacing it with warmth.

He closed his eyes, partly in an attempt to focus, partly because the way his vision was swimming was distracting. He could do this. He'd told Quetzalcoatl he could fix Xolotl, and damn it, he was not going to break his word. He was not going to fail.

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featheredscales
2009-10-12 10:42 pm UTC (link)

Quetzalcoatl wasn't sure where to focus his attention. Xolotl was still in his strange, half-conscious state, squirming in obvious discomfort on the bed. But Tezcatlipoca looked pale and sick, and Quetzalcoatl could see the sweat breaking out across his forehead, the way his hands were trembling.

And the most maddening, frustrating part of it all was that there was nothing Quetzalcoatl could do to help them.

"Tezcatlipoca?" he asked, reaching forward, but pausing before he touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-13 08:02 pm UTC (link)

Tezcatlipoca hissed, beginning to swear softly in their native Nahautl. He could still feel the cold inside Xolotl -- not nearly so bad, but still there -- and it was maddening. Mictlan was not going to win, because Tezcatlipoca did not lose. Ever.

Warmth was coming back into Xolotl's extremities. That was a start. There was still too much cold, more than he liked -- but then, he'd always hated cold, coming from the Mesoamerican region as he did. Even the slightest bit of cold weather made him grumpy, and this much cold inside another Aztec, even an annoying little brat like Xolotl, set his teeth on edge.

"Come on," he muttered, forcing more energy into Xolotl, more power, trying to burn away more of the chill. Xolotl's heart was starting to beat at a healthier rate, no longer quite so sluggish from cold, and his blood was flowing better. Still not perfect. Still not done. Tezcatlipoca ignored the way his hands were shaking, the odd rushing sensation in his ears, as though there was a wild storm blowing through the room, making everything sound muffled and strange. He wasn't done. He wasn't going to fail.

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xeveningstar
2009-10-13 08:58 pm UTC (link)

Xolotl felt feeling come back and it hurt after the numb nothing of the cold. He whined like an injured child too young to know what was happening to it, coughing and choking as the cold air rattled with more strength from his lungs, one hand feeling out and coming to wrap around Tezcatlipoca's wrist, not holding it down but just holding on like he was afraid to fall away.

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-13 09:26 pm UTC (link)

Oddly, it was the contact that did it. Tezcatlipoca had been focusing on pushing power into Xolotl, focusing on leaching out the cold, so much that the sensation of fingers around his wrist jolted him a little. He jerked back as though he'd been stung, suddenly aware of exactly how little power he had left within himself. Suddenly aware of the rushing sensation in his head, and an odd, almost tugging sensation in his chest, just below his heart.

You, Tezcatlipoca, are a very stupid god. Is he worth it? Are either of them?

He wasn't sure what the answer to that was, or why the words were so clear through the rushing in his head, or even who had asked them. He looked down at Xolotl, blinking numbly at the hand around his wrist; he half-turned to look at Quetzalcoatl, frowning a little, and mumbled, "maybe. Maybe not," before the rushing and the tugging got too strong and he passed out beside the bed.

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featheredscales
2009-10-13 09:44 pm UTC (link)

"Shit!" Quetzalcoatl swore, diving over his brother's from to grab the collar of Tezcatlipoca's shirt before he hit the ground. He pulled the other god onto the bed and laid him next to Xolot. After a moment's thought, he pulled them apart and stuffed a blanket between them. Them touching might not be the best thing right now.

"Shit, shit, shit." Now it was Tezcatlipoca who was too still and looked too pale. His breathing was labored, but he was otherwise motionless. Xolotl, one the other hand, finally had color back in his face and seemed to be breathing easier.

"Xol, can you hear me?"

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xeveningstar
2009-10-13 09:48 pm UTC (link)

Xolotl felt warmer but it was the kind of warmth you had when you were this close to passing out unconscious while drunk, floaty and quiet and the last thing you wanted to do was open your eyes.

But he did because he recognised the voice. Or one eye at least. He hacked another cough, leftovers from the cold that had been mostly completely burnt away from his system... he didn't seem to acknowledge anything else though, closing his eye again and falling into a more natural sleep, even curling towards Tezcatlipoca's sleeping form a little.

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featheredscales
2009-10-13 09:56 pm UTC (link)

Well, that seemed positive. Xolotl seemed to be sleeping now, instead of unconscious and half-dead. Quetzalcoatl rested a hand on his forehead just to make sure, and was reassured to feel that his brother's skin felt warm and healthy again.

He turned his attention to Tezcatlipoca, who was most definitely unconscious. Quetzalcoatl leaned over him and checked his pulse and breathing, but both seemed fine, and the other god didn't have any visible injuries.

"Tezcatlipoca?" Quetzalcoatl asked, unsure of what to do next. Sorcery was not his area of expertise, and for all he knew, Tezcatlipoca could be about to burst into flames. "You need to wake up."

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-13 10:00 pm UTC (link)

Unconsciousness was nice. There wasn't any rushing sensation when he was unconscious, or weird tugging in his chest. But someone was poking at him and someone else was snuggling and Tezcatlipoca did not approve of either of those things.

Clawing his way back to consciousness, he pushed weakly at Quetzalcoatl's hands, shoving them away from him, and attempted to sit up, shifting away from Xolotl even before he'd regained his equilibrium.

"...if that didn't fix him, I'm out of ideas."

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	featheredscales 2009-10-13 10:04 pm UTC (link)
	Quetzalcoatl jumped a little when Tezcatlipoca spoke suddenly, but felt enormously reassured. At least he was awake. "What just happened?" Quetzalcoatl asked, kneeling by him. Tezcatlipoca was irritable, which was normal and probably a good thing. "Are you okay?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

smokeandmirror
2009-10-13 10:08 pm UTC (link)

"How, exactly, did he end up dying in the first place?" Tezcatlipoca snapped. "That wasn't normal. Every organ in his body was close to shutting down, and the cold stayed far too strong for as long as he's been back. What the fuck has your idiot of a brother been doing?"

Okay, so being snappy wasn't helping the situation, but it made Tezcatlipoca feel a little bit better. Even if it didn't help him ignore the odd sensation in his chest.

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featheredscales
2009-10-13 10:14 pm UTC (link)

"He..." Quetzalcoatl glanced at Xolotl, still sleeping soundly. It was Xolotl's business if he wanted Tezcatlipoca to know, and Quetzalcoatl didn't feel right deciding for him. But Tezcatlipoca had drained himself nearly dry trying to help Xol, and maybe the only thing worse than Tezcatlipoca when he was angry was Tezcatlipoca when he was curious. Quetzalcoatl sighed.

"It was a heroine overdose. He's apparently been smuggling it, and one of the bags ruptured inside of him."

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smokeandmirror
2009-10-13 10:21 pm UTC (link)

"Smuggling heroin?"

Tezcatlipoca's expression turned disgusted, and he clambered off the bed, ignoring the way he swayed when he stood up; he didn't want to be in touching proximity of someone who'd done something so stupid.

"Is this what we've come to? We were magnificent, even he had a touch of the divine about him, and he's let himself be reduced to a drug mule? Is this the glorious future of enlightenment that Cortez so graciously brought with him, with the fucking Spanish and the fucking Christians? Is your oh-so-tragic brother so utterly suicidal that he does something this stupid? Does he have that little pride left in what we were? We were their world, Feathered Serpent, we were everything, and time was I could have done this a hundred times over, a thousand, and never even blinked, and this is what he makes of what's left? This is what we are now?"

Shouting had been a bad idea; it made his head spin.

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featheredscales
2009-10-13 10:35 pm UTC (link)

Quetzalcoatl glared, torn between agreeing with everything Tezcatlipoca said and bristling at the insult to his brother. He stood as well, back stiff.

"First off, calm down, and think about sitting down," he said. "You're going to fall over and knock yourself out. Secondly, it's not Xol's fault. I mean, the heroine was actually his fault, and believe me, I'm no happier than you are, but...He's doing the best he can."