Ring Around the Rosies

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Reuben started a bit. Oh god, was that Cepheid? This seriously wasn't his day, was it? But if anything, he had managed to remain safe since the last time Andy had seen him. Today was just a bad day. He swore to himself mentally. Either way, he tried to make things as easy as he could for the other to get him onto the ship.

"You really don't want to say anything." Reuben held his arm close, trying not to put any pressure on it or his bad leg as they collapsed on the deck.

"...And those girls of yours are NOT seeing me with my clothes off."

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Sorry dear Twin, you were a mass murdering rapist wanted in the three kingdoms and your brother was a crackpot star gazer slash magician slash crazy man in a mask. He put up with you, put up with him!

With Dani's aid, he hauled his twin and nephew up onto deck and, as soon as they were on, he helped move the two of them a little ways from the ledge. He carefully positioned Reuben on his back, taking his mask off and tucking it under the boy's head as a kind of headrest. Not the most comfortable, but at least he was propped up.

He couldn't help but chuckle lightly as Reuben's comment. "Well, I don't really have much experience in the bullet digging department, my dear Nephew." He said with a smile. "And to be honest, I think, between the two of us, I'm the one more at risk in the lack of clothes department." Those women were awfully rabid fangirls. "You just sit tight, okay lad? Dani will be back soon and we'll get you fixed up."

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<sub>Oh quiet, Cepheid. You know he puts up with you anyway, and you know you probably have the same reaction to your twin whenever he's trying to raid a ship or raiding someone's pockets... or pants.

Andromeda finally managed to catch his breath and now he looked over to see that Cepheid had propped up Reuben. It felt like ages since Dani had left, and Reuben finally spoke up, pulling out some of that attitude of his, so Andy decided it was time to just play his own game.

"My girls will do whatever it is necessary to patch you up." Andromeda snapped. Yes, he was still mad at you, sonny. He'd look over to Cepheid as he spoke up. At least he was comforting the kid anyway.

Dani had come back with the items at hand, Godwine finally behind her. Look, Godwine gets real screentime!

"Just apply pressure to the wounds while I get things in order." Dani spoke up, Godwine helping with them. Yes, even she would cut off her flirting attitude whenever something serious happened. Plus Reuben was too young for her anyway, hah. Dani finally got the items ready, including the item used to pry bullets out. And a rag.

Reuben will need that to bite down. Cepheid would know why.</sub>

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How those two put up with each other, Reuben would probably never understand. Family makes for strange things. Either way, he let himself lay down on the deck with his head propped up. Okay, Andy was still pissed at him, that much was evident.

"..." He took a look at the girls, and then back at Cepheid. "You're right. But I'm getting the strangest feeling I'm supposed to be wary of at least the one named Godwine-" He stared at Andy as the other snapped at him. Seriously? He just didn't want to be naked in front of a bunch of girls! Of course Andy probably saw nothing wrong with that, given his characteristics.

"...This is going to be fun." He didn't complain though, and instead grabbed the rag so that he could bite down on it. It was going to be painful, that was for sure.

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At least the Star Man's antics pulled a legal profit, and the rapport that he had with the public would be a very valuable tool in the future, if they were careful. Still, now wasn't the time for an OOC brotherly argument! They had bullet wounds to treat!

As Dani and Godwin returned, Cepheid moved to help. "How many wounds?" He asked. "Where?"

Once the wounds were pointed out, he'd help the girls in getting Reuben positioned correctly and the entry holes revealed. He's apply pressure to the one on his arm, so he's be better able to talk to Reuben, but someone else would have to see to the leg. It only then occurred to Cepheid as he undid the bandaging that his twin was devoid of his coat.

No way.

Focusing back on things, he looked to Reuben's face as the boy accepted the rag. "Hey, look at it this way, I'm pretty sure none of us are going to deny you a nice tot or four of gin after this." He grinned. He knew he certainly wanted a pint after his bullet wound, though he had Nerys to go right after, so he never got a chance at his.

He'd help Dani and Godwin as best he could, his awareness of basic first aid making him able to stitch closed the holes and\or help keeping the boy from going into shock.

At some point, without thinking and when\if Reuben seemed to be in a real amount of pain, he's instinctively reach over and run his hand through his nephew's hair.

---

Drawn by the noise on deck, Lapis peered curiously out from the door, watching the rather bloody operation going on. What was going on?"

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<sub>Andromeda just gave a blank stare at Reuben when he mentioned Godwine. Seriously, of all the things to remember now form his drunk night, it was him mentioning Godwine? Andromeda crawled forward to help with the operation, as Cepheid went to help as well. However, Godwine focused on applying pressure to the leg until Dani got ready.

"Yeah, gin. Personally I think it's better than painki-" The glare he got from Daniela shut him up. He'd watch almost helplessly as Dani went to pry the bullet out of his arm, carefully removing it to not cause it to bleed out consistently, quickly going to stitch up the wound and wrap it up.

As soon as that was taken care of, she would go for the leg, trying to get enough space to pry the bullet out as well and then stitch it up carefully. Hopefully he wouldn't be in took much pain, but once the worst of it was over, Reuben should find the injury calming down in the screaming pain department.

"Alright..." Godwine flopped back and took a deep breath now that the worst was over. "Now, care to tell us girls what exactly happened?"</sub>

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It wasn't as if he could choose what to remember! At least it was Godwine and not the fact that he sobbed all over your clothes and then snuggled you in his sleep. Either way, Reuben opened his mouth to tell them where the wounds were.

"Two. One in my arm here, one in my leg there." Good god that was painful. That rag was probably going to be in tatters once Reuben was done with it, but there wasn't much that he could do about it. He'd gotten shot.

Reuben let out a small grin as both Cepheid and Andy decided that gin was a good idea after that. That wouldn't be bad, actually. Family going out and getting drunk. Okay, maybe that was the worst thing in the world. But it would be fun, that was for sure. But even the rag couldn't hold back the yells upon the bullets finally being pried out and the injuries being stitched up.

Seriously, that was painful. He wasn't a sobbing baby about it, but he couldn't hold it in, either.

"Some bounty hunters thought I was a good target. I got shot. Pops here came upon us." He said, raising his eyebrows at the girls and looking warily at them. He didn't notice Lapis.

"I feel tired..." He had lost a lot of blood, after all. And maybe it was his imagination, but the "Star Man" was running a hand through his hair.

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Ceph was grinning at his brother as he agreed, though Daniela's glare made him hide the smile as fast as he could. Hey, booze was cheap, man! Compared to medicine? Yeesh.

Turning his focus to the makeshift operation table, Cepheid did everything he could to be a help, gently nudging Andy back once the man was not being an active assistance.

Once the whole thing was done with, Ceph was just absently running his hand through Reuben's hair as the boy regained his senses. "Godwin, go get a chair from the cabin, we can put him in it and move him to a bed." He instructed.It's a legit method of carrying a person. RPer read it in a first aid manual. "Lets let him rest up some, we can get the details later on. Andy, why don't you go find the gin, I think we can all use a nice tumbler of the stuff at this point." He sighed, looking a little frazzled.

---

When Lapis realized that someone might be coming in her direction, she let out a quiet gasp and tottered back to the kitchen where Nerys was, trying to pretend that she hadn't been observing the bloody mess on deck.

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<sub>Godwine was disappointed with the lack of getting any information, but Andy might be able to explain as soon as things get taken care of. She'd leave the deck to grab a chair, knowing what Cepheid meant in this situation, and she would return quickly with a chair from the kitchen, saying hello to Nerys and making an adorable face at Lapis.

"There's nothing to be worried about~." She'd pat the kid and then walk out with the chair. By the time she had come back, Andy had also left to go to the storage area, grab several shot glasses and a nice canister of gin that he totally didn't steal, and returned.

"Alright, let's be careful now... just take him... where do we take him? Loki and my bro took the extra bedroom." Andy wasn't sure Reuben even wanted to camp out in his bedroom.</sub>

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It wasn't as if he really wanted to tell her anything; he barely knew her compared to Nerys, Andy, and even the Star Man. Plus, that one warning was still in his head. Reuben frowned a little as Cepheid talked about moving him to a cabin. For the love of god, he wasn't an invalid. Of course, he tried to put a bit of weight on his bad leg and winced, stopping immediately.

Okay, maybe he did need the help. Reuben perked up a bit when he saw the gin. Much better than any painkiller, that was for sure. At least he wasn't allergic to the gin.

"You know, you could always just drop me off at Seria and I'll find a place to camp out in."

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Cepheid helped Godwin load Reuben into the chair, and he glanced to Andy as he asked about where to put the boy. "I can get across to the Super Arrow with little trouble now. He can take the room I was boarded in." The younger twin replied.

"Come on, boy. Lets get you to a bed and then you can have your gin." With Godwin's help, he'd hoist the chair and carry it below, ignoring Reuben's subtle requests to not have to stay on the ship. Sorry lad, Uncle Cepheid agreed with his brother. You're staying put, mai boi.

Getting the chair below deck, Ceph guided their load to his old cabin, nudging the door open and stepping inside, moving the chair so they could easily get Reuben onto the bed. "Can one of you find some extra pillows to prop him up with?" He asked, moving the now empty chair to the corner. He'd then step up to his brother and take all but one of the shot glasses, so Andy could pour one for the kid on the bed.

---

Curious, Lapis had snagged an orange from the kitchen and was now watching the procession come down the hall with a teenager on a chair. She idly peeled the fruit as she tottered closer to the door to listen-she had never had them before this and found a fondess- and tried to piece together what happened.

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<sub>Godwine and Daniela would help carrying Reuben to Cepheid's bedroom, which was great relief for Andy that he didn't have to worry about the kid. Well, except for him running off. He'd glare at the kid when he spoke up about insisting on being dropped off at Seria.

"I am not going to Seria. I am not going to take my eyes of you, and furthermore, you're grounded until you get better." Yes, he went there. As Dani propped the kid up with an extra pillow she had found. Andy put the shot glasses on the table, grabbing enough for all of them, though he'd limit the amount for the girls.

"A shot for all of us. I need to save gin though." He'd cap the bottle and then raise a glass. God he needed this.</sub>

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Andy didn't need to worry about Reuben running off; it wasn't as if he could be using his leg that well for the next several weeks, either way. So he was safe in that the boy wouldn't be running off. But now, it seemed, he had ended up in what was Cepheid's former room and was now in bed. He felt like an invalid, and it frankly annoyed him.

"What?! You can't ground me!" Who did he think he was?! Reuben scowled at him, taking his glass of gin. Man, he needed the alcohol at the moment.

"No one to steal gin from?" Andy might have saved his life, but he had grounded him. Reuben was more than a little annoyed at the moment as he downed the shot of gin.

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Once he had a spare moment, Cepheid would get himself a glass of gin and down it, before looking himself over.

"I'll be right back, I need to see if I can't get the blood off my sleeves." He said. it wasn't much, so if he rinsed the jacket now he should be able to rescue it.

He chuckled as he heard Andy and Reuben going back and forth while he walked down the hall, and shook his head lightly. Those two.

He'd pass Lapis and smile at the girl, making her shrink a little in the doorway and nod back shyly. She watched as he walked down the hall and step into a washroom, where he began fighting with the sleeves, scrubbing at them lightly.


Wait, where was his mask? Lapis suddenly realized that Cepheid didn't have it on him. Was it up on deck? Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she trotted up to the stairs and climbed them, stepping onto the deck and looking around. There!

Bending over, she picked up the wooden mask and looked at it. She really should return it to Mr. Callidum, but...

She couldn't help herself, she took the mask with her and got off the blood covered deck, putting the facial cover on and, slipping into one of the less populated parts of the ship, began mimicking The Star Man, even quoting him a little.

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<sub>Andromeda would tip back his glass and down the drink as well, putting the back of his hand over his mouth as the strong smell of gin flowed through his sinuses and nostrils. He'd then put down the shot glass and then stare at Reuben.

"I am biologically capable of grounding you, kiddoe." He spoke up, before adding. "They, at least Dula, seem to keep certain spirits and liquors under heavy lock and key. So it's so much harder to steal this kind of beverage." He paused. "Let's not get started with the issues revolving around absinthe. I still have that bottle, by the way."

Dani got bored with the conversation, leaving Godwine to sample a bit of gin herself, walking out in time to see that Lapis was wandering around the place. Of course, once she noticed what she was doing, she had to bite back a loud giggle.

Looks like Cepheid had a fan!</sub>