You mentioned being open to marchil fodder, right? Well, let me ask you this how do you think these dysfunctionally functional lil guys would handle one or the other being sick, not with anything major but like a light flu or cold type situation.

Yanno things with chil kinda parenting marcille a bit or marcille lowkey panicking like chil is gonna die but he won't. What's your take on it since it's a common hurt comfort type premise?

Thank you for the ask!! I’m gonna start by talking about the clues that canon gives us because I have no self-control, but you can also just skip to the hc part and you wouldn’t miss anything about the meat of the topic heh~ Both of them would handle it really differently, both surprisingly well and surprisingly not

On Chilchuck’s side:

Chilchuck does have some nursing in him, but usually in small, casual ways, like how this dad compilation of him shows lol. He has no problem helping his party members around, and even scolding Marcille and warning her not to work herself sick. But, if he worries he tends to suppress it/not show it, and overall he’s pretty nonchalant over it. As seen with Marcille being hangover, unlike Laios he’s not worried over it at all and preaches the good old method of "drink water and rest!". I think he’d be a rather by the book caretaker, would do all the classic things for someone who has a cold. It bears remembering that Chilchuck is a father, a father of three even. Even if I’m sure he tended to leave most of it to his wife, he’s no stranger to loved ones being sick with colds and such, and would know the basics of homely nursing. With the second page I put above, I wanted to show though that while I think he certainly can nurse, he tends to leave that to others. When Marcille is out of mana, he stays out of the way rather than doing things for her. He’s someone big about roles, "My job is the rogue so don’t expect me to fight I’m here to help you get around, also no talking I’m just here for my job" "you’re the healer so get to safety because if you die we’re fucked" etc etc, and I think he tends to relay the responsibility of caring after someone sick onto others he thinks are more suited to it. Though as we see with his dad moment compilations, it’s not like he doesn’t feel the urge to care after people at all.

In this last picture, he leaves the comforting to others, which he probably think are "more suited for it" besides just being "yikes I’m staying out of that", much like Izutsumi here. He tries staying out of emotional talks.

There’s also a fun scene where Chilchuck is like "Healers having to be so in contact with people is a problem you know, it complicates relationships and is bad for a party". Take that as you will for how he likes/dislikes being nursed, though in this case he’s mostly referring to the touch aspect of it in a social situation with a group.

On Marcille’s side:

Whereas Chilchuck is pretty laissez-faire and competent though somewhat stays distant, Marcille would fuss and do too much.

Interestingly, Marcille is rather desensitized to wounded people. She’s also not shown worrying over her party members when they’re hurting over "recovery pangs". She’s shown healing Chilchuck a couple of times.

What’s interesting in her case is that she’s a healer, she’s very familiar with treating wounds and injuries with magic, but magic doesn’t heal illnesses much. Which, illnesses would def be a source of existential despair for her with her trauma, so I definitely can see her stressing over it a lot.

All that to say that she’s no stranger to nursing people, just not in the way that would really matter when it comes to treating a cold instead of a broken bone. On top of that, she’s a mom friend that naturally seeks to care after her loved ones, nurse them and take care of them. She’s shown being a real worry wart, fussing over Falin, from the time when she thinks Falin got stolen away by Laios to mid-canon, and we see that habit of caring after others with Izutsumi too. The only times that can qualify as her taking care of someone sick I think would be Laios with his kraken parasite, which since she could just physically heal the wounds it left she didn’t stress over it much, and with her dad which she was too young to really do anything about.

All that to say that unlike Chilchuck, the caring role suits her just fine, and that unlike him she STRESSES. She has the best of intentions, but she can try to do too much or go about it in a clumsy way, tends to be overbearing.

Headcanons time!

If Chilchuck was sick:

Since Marcille is shown to have some misconception about short-lived races/half-foots in canon, I def think it’d be possible for her to be like "half-foots have a frail health!! Even this cold might be grave!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" but I think that in that case, she’d run everywhere, getting him a cold compress and buying him the best quality take-out food and throwing herself at the feet of his bed sobbing and Chilchuck as soon as he’d pick up on it, while his snot goes everywhere and he looks 10 years older from his eyebags and his voice is raspy and he’s feeling dizzy from the fever, he’d explain that he’ll get over it soon and there’s no reason to overly worry about it, "so just get me some soup or something". And Marcille would go "Well you SAY that but you’re known to not take care of yourself enough and make yourself work too hard so I can’t trust you on this", but he’d be serious and comforting about it so she’d eventually relent and be more chill about it. But she’d still 100% take the day off from work to stay with him as much as possible, and would be ready at any second to jump to fulfill his every request. It’d end up being a pretty cozy day. She’d sleep hunched over the foot of his bed/his side or leaning back in a chair in the corner of the bedroom with a blanket. If it’s that bad, she’d stay awake and change his cold compress every hour or so and dab the sweat off of his skin with a damp rag. She’d stare at his sleeping face a lot, tired and worried but also feeling comforted at watching him breathe. Maybe in the dead of night after a day of caring after him frantically, she’d muse about illness and how fragile life can be, how there are bumps in the road and things can go unexpectedly, but it’d be like pressing on a bruise for her instead of sharp stabs, and she’d push the thoughts back, holding his hand for her own sake.

She’d 100% tuck him in and take some enjoyment from getting to nurse him too. Since Chilchuck doesn’t like showing his needs, being vulnerable or relying on others much she really doesn’t get to treat him in such an overtly caring way like this, his pride gets in the way of that. She’d spoonfeed him his soup and Chil would ONLY mildly complain. She’d rub his back as he pukes in a bucket, while he fumes at having her seeing him like this, like a mess. Can’t very well keep his usual bravado of cool and composed in such a situation, and he’d grumble and be frustrated about it. Marcille resists the urge to give him pecks-kisses to not get sick too. That has to happen at least once in their relationship lol, and then Chilchuck gets to be a little condescending and vindicated like "Told you so". Chilchuck complains every time she does it but he secretly enjoys it, he’s just like "gross, you’ll get sick too" (give me one more pls…). Her lips would be cool to the touch and he’d also really enjoy it if she were to put her hand to his cheek, if he’s feverish enough he’d more transparent about it but if he stil has his wits about him he’d be his typical tsundere and act totally unaffected.

In Chilchuck’s pov, he’d be frustrated at being sick for sure. He hates feeling unproductive or weak, at first he might argue that he can still do work, but at some point he relents and realizes that he might be undermining it, he does know that pushing yourself when sick only makes it worse after all, which doesn’t help productivity in the long run. He’s not fully a workaholic anyways, so he would partially enjoy the opportunity to kick back and relax, even if he can’t have alcohol… Being malnourished and underweight def doesn’t help sicknesses, so maybe it actually WOULD be more dangerous than people would assume, though I def think he’d stop his harsh diet post-canon. If he has enough headspace for it, I think he’d bring small chests and such that he has to unlock for his job, and it’d be like casual little puzzles to keep him busy as he tries to picklock them open. He’d like that sort of puzzle fidget toys I think. But if he shivers and his agility his reduced/it’s difficult he’d get really frustrated over it not being as easy as usual and being more tedious so he’d end up flying into a gamer rage and cussing and maybe even throwing the locked things away unless Marcille is there and soothes him lol.

In the aftermath, when he gets better, I think he’d try to treat her extra well. He’d bring her a nice eggs and french toast breakfast in bed and maybe they’d go out together that day. He’d be a bit embarrassed and grumbly but he’d thank her sincerely, probably hug her and sigh and be like "Sorry you had to see me like that." Marcille pats his back and is like "Don’t apologize come on. Yes I was worried and yes you were gross with puke on your chin… But also I got to see you being cute and depending me a bit while I nurse you ☆😋" cue pissing off Chilchuck and he retaliates and they end up bantering

Dish for sick people: Soup with pasta that easily goes down the throat with simple broth, sort of minestrone soup-like. She’d make sure not to put too much salt it soup hah, but she’d frantically remember Senshi’s lessons on nutrition and the importance of getting sick people nutrients and minerals, so she might go overboard a bit trying not to make it too barebones. I’m not good enough to do a nutrition traits wheel meal rating like in canon though haha

If Marcille was sick:

They notice pretty quick that she’s sick because Marcille loves to complain every time she feels a mild discomfort or inconvenience. At first Chilchuck brushes it off because, again, her complaining is common place, but one can only take so many "My throat feels scratchy" "It’s so hot in here" "I’m cooooold" (‘just put on a jacket’ ‘I have!’) "This doesn’t taste like usual :(" "Man why am I sweating so much today" "Chilchuck I feel bad" before they pick up on her having a cold. Her whining doesn’t end there however, even as he leads her to bed and gets her a cold compress and measures her temperature with a hand to her folder, she would dramatically talk about how she’s feeling and complain. Chilchuck even gives her a scalding diss of "you’re as whiny as my daughters when they were 5". "Chiiiiiil" she calls from the other room "What?" he shouts back, "Can you bring me my dog plush-pillow?" and he huffs but he does it. Caring for someone like that for a whole day wrings him out, but it does feel worth it when he goes to check up on her or bring her a heated pad or book at her request and sees her being all sick and mopey, yet still be her usual self. Unlike with Marcille nursing him, caring after someone like this does feel like work to him and there’s not one bit of him that’s happy to be doing it, but it’s work that’s worth it, work that leaves him feeling satisfied and content though tired out. He would care after her as many times and for as long as she’d need, and if he complains while doing it, well, it’d only be fair with how much she complains too. Although, he’s surprisingly gentle and quiet while she’s sick and caring for her, he still scolds when she does something less than ideal, like sitting up when she should stay laying down or puking besides the bucket, but he’s overall incredibly patient and lenient compared to usual, supportive rather than criticizing. While feverish and sloppy, unlike Chilchuck she wouldn’t try to maintain her composure at all, letting herself be a slob. She’d be eating her porridge and her hair would get in her mouth since it’s down, and Chilchuck would tie up her hair in a comfortable braid or other simple hairdo.

Chil nursing someone would be very by the book I think. He believes in home recipes and methods. Wouldn’t let her get out of bed, would make her basic porridge, would keep track of her temperature and such. He might skip over some fancier treatments or details though, like dabbing off her sweat unless it’s excessive. He would change her bedsheets though. He might even take a break from work and keep her company, and chat with her so she’s less bored and even hold hands. He’d even indulge her in a forehead kiss to bid her good night, telling her to call out his name if she needs anything during the night, and if they usually shared a bed at that point in their relationship then he’d sleep on the couch instead. Marcille would dramatically ask for a kiss but Chilchuck would ruthlessly refuse. He’d grumble about her taking her cold too lightly probably, but he also wouldn’t really worry about her. Being sick happens sometimes, and he knows she’s tough. It would pass.

Sick, feverish Marcille would be even more emotional than usual. Chil would cringe and brace himself for it every time she opens her mouth, but nurses her like a champ anyways with the patience of a saint. She’d go on rants, would keep telling him that she loves him over the smallest things. Her eyes would sparkle as she stares lovingly at him, and Chil def notices it but sweats and tries to ignore it all like :| If she gets delirious enough, at some point she would say "Chilchuck… I gotta tell you something…" "Hm-hm?" "I cheated on you." Glass breaking, Chilchuck falling over, "W-what? How?!" Marcille sniffles "The other day… An elf ambassador came to the castle… And I thought he was really pretty." She sniffles again, Chil’s heart is pouding, "And? What happened?" "And… He was really pretty! I’m so sorry. I thought he was really pretty, I’m not faithful!" and then Chilchuck realizes she’s just being dramatic over aesthetic attraction and he’s so PISSED, he untenses and his soul leaves his body a bit, he steps out of the room to go scream in a pillow because he knows he can’t take it out on her for having scared him. Pushing it even further if she in one moment can’t recognize him, and like he leans over her to give her a cold compress or something and suddenly her hand shoots out and push him away by the chin. "No! I am a taken woman…" and he’s torn between feeling touched and so over it, his neck hurts now. She calls him a tall and dark handsome stranger. Chilchuck considers calling for a doctor.

In the aftermath, Marcille is super thankful and keeps thanking him and praising him but Chilchuck is just like "I didn’t do anything special. If you want to thank me then finish cleaning up your puke bucket.". She wouldn’t stop though, making up for the time that she couldn’t cuddle and touch him while sick to be super affectionate. She’d be all over him and he’d be exasperated but also lowkey it feels nice too, he also missed her cuddles in the one day she was sick. Feels like getting your battery recharged. If people come by or like she goes to the castle she would tell everyone listening about how her lover was SO KIND and ATTENTIONATE and NURSED HER and is VIRTUOUS and COMPETENT and PERFECT and—

Dish for sick people: She wouldn’t praise his cooking skills then though. Chilchuck’s go-to for sick people is a bland af oatmeal porridge. It does its job. It’s easy to eat and keeps her alive well enough. She feels grateful over it and it gets brownie points from her because Chilchuck cooked it FOR HER with his HEART but she still can’t bring herself to rate it more than 3/5 stars aloud.

-—-

They would be so marriedcore 🙏 Now I’m tempted to write a fic like this ngl. I’d prob call it Chills bc I love puns and that sounds like smth I can work in prose about heheh. Could even do two birds one stone by having it start by Chil getting sick and then Marcille indulging in kissing too much then Marcille gets sick haHAH ohhh yeah it’s all coming together 🔥 This took me all morning thank you for enabling my brainrot 💕💕 This is what you call a uhh whump fic right. I did have a fic planned like that except it’s an injury and not sickness