John was wan and weak when he walked into the building to start preparing for the support group eting. He imnsely regretted the spiced at he’d eaten at Grimnar’s and had spent all of the previous evening, most of the morning, and a good chunk of the afternoon emptying himself of every trace of it from every available orifice. He’d attempted to treat himself with so small healing potions he kept in the apartnt, but while they gave him temporary relief, since he wasn’t empty yet they couldn’t ‘heal’ him. Andressa had asked him if he wanted her to stay the night, since they’d been spending most of their evenings together, but he’d already been feeling the stirrings of sothing in his gut and while he was enjoying his intimacy with Andressa there was such a thing as too much intimacy, so he made an excuse to get her to leave.
He had been ‘better’ for a few hours at this point. This ant that he was no longer expelling from every end and his stomach no longer felt as if it was made of writhing centipedes. He considered skipping the support group, but he had never missed one since he’d started them and he didn’t want to leave everyone rudderless without him. The only compromise he’d made was instead of walking as he usually did, he instead opted to hire a carriage, winding up in one in the shape of a pumpkin.
Before he set up anything else he sent for the deliveries of tea and pastries and sat halfway between wakefulness and sleep for nearly an hour before people began arriving. He forced himself to his feet and said his hellos, his legs and hands a bit shaky as he did so.
“Are you okay?” asked Sarah, who'd been among the first to arrive.
“I’m fine. How are you doing? Your last set seed to do really well.”
“It did! I’m sorry I didn’t get a drink with you afterward. I had to et with the manager. He wanted to emcee a few nights next week.”
“That’s great… It is great right?”
“He pays a bit extra for it, so yes.”
“Congratulations then,” said John, his voice shaking a bit.
“Why don’t you have a seat? I think it’s about ti for things to start.”
John nodded. It seed a bit early, but she may have just been paying more attention to the ti than he was. He went to sit on one of the uncomfortable chairs, grateful to be sitting, though he would’ve preferred to be laying down. He dozed there for a while, feeling like more ti was passing than he expected, but soon enough the usual crowd as well as a few irregulars showed up. He stood to get things started managing, he thought, to give his usual scripted description of his arrival to the world perfectly, though for so reason he saw a number of concerned looks in his direction. He presud people were feeling particularly empathetic to his plight when he had been trapped in trees by mites.
He sat back down and listened to a few of the others go over their stories and what they’d been struggling with. When he would be about to interject or ask an additional question Sarah or another of the other group mbers seed to beat him to it. They seed very eager to contribute that evening, which surprised him, but also made him feel proud of them.
After they were done a new mber began talking. She was tall and pale with jet black hair and after a few monts John recognized her as the girl that had showed up a few months ago, but not said anything. He’d seen her one or two more tis since then, but she remained shy and unwilling to speak. This ti though she was standing in front of the group.
“Hello uh, everyone. My na is Delilah, and I ca to Avalon just a few months ago.”
“Hey there Delilah,” said a man next to Sarah in a sing-song voice, getting him a firm stomp to the foot from her and a glare from John. It was hard enough for people to talk without people making jokes the first ti they spoke.
The girl hesitated, but managed to continue. “I was pulled here when I opened a book in a used bookstore. I woke up on the back of a flying turtle. It was… cold, and there was nothing for to eat or drink. The turtle didn’t know how to talk, but after a day on him I managed to get the courage to look off the side of his shell. I could see a city, I know now that it was Avalon. When we flew over it I flagged down what looked like a man on the back of a dragon, but turned out to be an elf. He helped get down on solid ground and gave food and water, then I was guided to a guard. He was a minotaur, but at that point I was so tired that I didn’t care what he was. I just wanted to get ho.” She paused for a mont. “He guided to the housing that was set up for otherworlders like and my neighbors gave food and drinks and explained the situation to and where I could go for help.”
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John felt so pride hearing that. Pride that the housing he set up was so helpful, but more pride that the people he’d helped place in it had done such a good job helping another person. It used to be that he’d personally go and talk to the people himself if he could, but there were just too many at too random of tis. Knowing that everyone else was stepping up like he’d hoped made him feel better for not being able to give everyone the personal touch he wanted to.
“I’m glad that everyone helped . I still want to get ho, but I also want to get better at dealing with being here. So… that’s why I’m here now.”
“Welco Delilah. We’re glad you decided to join us,” said John, managing to beat Sarah to speaking in spite of his exhaustion. “This is a safe place and we’re all here to help however we can.”
There was so light applause and Delilah smiled for just a mont, then nodded awkwardly and sat back in her seat. There were a few more people that wanted to talk or go over specific problems they’d been dealing with, but John was only barely able to stay aware of it.
When it was over he walked over to the refreshnts and made a brave attempt to drink so small sips of water.
“Are you dying?” asked Sarah.
“What? No.”
“You look like it.”
“I was sick most of the day. Just feeling a little weak is all. I didn’t think anyone had noticed.”
“Everyone noticed, John. You’re two shades paler than usual and you’re pretty pale to begin with. Not to ntion your trembling voice and shaky limbs.”
“Ah. I thought I was hiding it pretty well.”
“No.”
“Well, I just didn’t want to miss a eting. I’ve run every single one. I don’t want to not be there if I can help soone.”
“John, no one else attends every eting. Even Rene, Ben, and Eric aren’t here today.”
“Rene ate the sa food I did that made sick, Ben’s upset with , and Eric is hanging out with his Arena friends… I’m very proud of him. That said, who would run the eting if I’m not here?”
Sarah pointed at herself.
“I don’t know…”
“I’ve done these etings a thousand tis, John. I can emcee more than just a night at a cody club. I was basically running things for you today in case you didn’t notice.”
John frowned. “I did… Just, what if there’s a particular sensitive situation and I’m not here to help?”
“Then I can send a ssage to you for advice or help.”
John frowned.
She sighed. “You’re a bit of a control freak, you know that? Tell you what, let wrap up here tonight. If nothing explodes you can maybe let take the lead while you’re here once or twice.”
He sighed. “I guess I can do that.”
“Good. Now get out of here and go lay down in bed.”
“Let just-”
“Go now or I’ll make you. I can probably take you when you’re not sick as a dog, when you’re barely able to stand like this it's a sure thing.”
He shook his head. “Thank you. Let know if there’s any trouble.”
She nodded and he made his way out and onto the street. He flagged down a carriage, this ti one that was all black and being pulled by a man in all black with no head. He carefully climbed up the stairs to his apartnt, finding Andressa sitting with her back against his apartnt door reading a book.
“Andressa?”
She looked up from her book and frowned with concern. “I knew you were sick. You ran your group in this state?”
He nodded sheepishly.
She sighed. “Open the door and let's get you inside. I’m going to be pampering you and caring for you until you feel better.”
“You don’t have to go that far,” said John, a bit uncomfortable at her wording. “Just your company will be nice.”
“I do have to go that far. I need to eat while I’m here, don't I?” she asked, smiling as she absorbed his discomfort.
“I suppose one of us should get to eat sothing. I think I’ll be on dry toast for the next day or so.”
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