Event Log: Flu Season

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters
What: The event log for the Flu Season event
Where: All over the city
When: March 20th-March 30th
Warnings: Gross sneezing, sick people, and paranoia

It starts with a cough, a sneeze, a sore throat - something small and simple, easily ignored. But then your symptoms get worse. It's probably been awhile since you've been sick, that sort of thing doesn't usually happen here. You might be able to raid the shops for some tissues and tea before it gets too bad, and hopefully you've got a friend to help out until you get better. Surely it'll be over soon, right?

Until the fever sets in, and you start to understand why your friend is really there. They don't want to take care of you. They want to make sure this is the last anyone will ever see of you. They want to learn all your secrets. They want to steal your most precious possession. You know they're plotting against you, you know they're keeping something from you. What will you do to find out what it is?

Then, as the sickness fades, you realize it was all in your mind. Let's hope you didn't do or say anything too awful. But that friend of yours... they seem to have picked up your cough. Maybe you should help them out?

► This log covers March 20th-March 30th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If your paranoia ends in murder, please let us know here.

Comments

[hardwearing]

"I'd be up for that." A lot of the others probably would be, too... he's actually discussed how neither of them had been to their Earth with Ephemera, who'd heard stories of places that weren't wrecked. But an Earth of the past would be completely different, to all of them. What year had Kyna said it was? Over 500 years ago, he recalls.

"Things were pretty good back then."

[evocation]

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet. We can check out all the tourist traps and you can try all of our awesome Earth food." Because the food is the most important part, clearly. "Have you ever been on a rollercoaster?"

[hardwearing]

"Make me a list of things I need to try." To the roller coaster question, he shakes his head. He'd been to a few fairs, back on Minab, but none of them had ever put up a roller coaster.

[evocation]

"Okay." She's already mentally been making a list, but it's woefully unfinished. "Roller coasters are first, but you have to promise not to puke on me."

[hardwearing]

"I've definitely been through things worse than roller coasters without puking. It's fine." Though he remembers a few close calls, and a certain AI warning him against the others' teasing not to throw up with his helmet on, or he'd drown. He grins a little. "Never did get that vomit disposal patch out of beta."

[evocation]

"Vomit disposal patch?" That sounds disgusting. "What does that even mean?"

[hardwearing]

"Armor seals airtight. So if you throw up enough in your helmet and can't get it off, you drown. I guess at some point they were trying to fix that but never got there."

[evocation]

"Dude, what the fuck." She looks utterly disgusted. "Did someone actually die that way? Drowning in puke?"

[hardwearing]

Sorry, Kyna. These are the kinds of things space marines worry about. "Nobody I know? But it must have happened before."

[evocation]

"That's so gross. Wait, have you ever puked in your helmet?"

[hardwearing]

"No -- came really close once, when Niner pulled something crazy. The others were making fun of me like usual and that's when Delta mentioned the patch." That had been.... a rough day, for a lot of reasons, but he remembers the good-natured teasing on the Pelican rather fondly.

[evocation]

"As usual? How much shit did they give you?"

[hardwearing]

"A lot. I was the rookie," Wash says as explanation, "and I reacted just enough to be funny. People like that always get it the worst. Sometimes I gave it back if York was being a prick but for the most part, I didn't mind. I was bullied as a kid, teasing's different."

He doesn't rise to that kind of thing anymore, certainly not as comically as he used to. Maybe some of how he used to be was just wanting to have a place with the other Freelancers, wanting to fill that role because it was safe. He hadn't let on, back then, just how angry he was. Better to be the rookie.

[evocation]

"Oh. That's good." That he didn't mind, she means. She snuggles a little closer, reaching out to stroke Olympia's back. "My teasing doesn't bother you, right?"

[hardwearing]

"No. Not at all." He doesn't need to hesitate or think about it before answering. "The fact it matters to you enough to ask proves you mean well. And you've never been mean."

[evocation]

"Okay. You can tell me I'm being an asshole whenever you want." Ignoring all possible safety measures, she kisses him on the cheek. "You should probably try to sleep."

[hardwearing]

Sleep? He's not great at napping. Read: he never naps, it's too hard to relax enough for it and when he does sleep it's lightly in the first place. During the day there's just more going on that could startle him awake after too short a time, which makes him feel worse. But sick people need rest, he acknowledges. He should get as much as he can now, before being too stuffed up to breathe properly starts keeping him awake.

"Hm... I'll try."

[evocation]

"Yeah, I know, you suck at sleeping, but you're going to feel way shittier if you don't." Maybe he'll get a break this time, though. Maybe being sick will knock him out.

[hardwearing]

"You're right, so this is me trying. Shh." He closes his eyes obediently, and Kyna will feel him do that trick where he tenses hard and slowly relaxes by force. It'll take awhile for him to actually drift off, but perhaps owing to being sick, it actually does happen today. He doesn't expect her to be there when he wakes up -- watching someone sleep is exceedingly boring.

[evocation]

She does stay. In fact, she sticks around the house for the next couple of days, trying to take care of Wash and keeping him company. It's no surprise when she starts feeling crappy. She's not sick yet, but she can feel it coming on, not that she says anything to him, because she's too worried to. His fever is getting worse, and she's starting to worry that this might turn into something serious.

"How are you feeling?"

[hardwearing]

Wash is fairly certain he's never been this sick before. Logically, it's just a flu -- his head is foggy and stuffed, he's been expelling all sorts of nasty gunk from his lungs and sinuses, and he's nauseous enough it's hard to keep anything down -- a bad flu, but nothing too crazy. Except for the fever, which has been steadily climbing. Aren't these things supposed to break? They don't have a thermometer but he feels awful, sweating constantly and shivering even as he feels like he's being burned alive from the inside. The cool cloths Kyna presses to his forehead provide only a brief relief and when she touches him she has a worried look in her eye and always tries to make him drink more immediately.

Worse, she's starting to look a little pale herself. He's certain she's caught it by now and is just hiding the fact that she's sick too because he's such a mess. Because he needs to be babysat right now. In fact, he's certain she's hiding lots of things from him. Everyone is. They must think he's weak, and obviously some people will take advantage of that but others will just hate him for it. There are so many things Kyna must hate him for and when he looks at her now that's all he can think about. His thoughts are currently spiraling in another direction but when she comes in now and asks him how he's feeling, that takes over again and his eyes are wary and afraid.

Should he lie? Or would that only make her resentment grow? "I'm fine," he says, before he can really think about it. He's too addled to process that he's taken the wrong tack.

[evocation]

That's the answer she was expecting, but she doesn't buy it. She frowns at him, pushing his damp hair off of his forehead. Just a fever, she tells herself, but she's not so sure. The way he's looking at her makes her worry. "Are you sure? You look kind of... I don't know. Freaked out."

[hardwearing]

"I'm fine," he repeats, but this time his voice is shaking. This is it, isn't it? She's frowning at him, she's angry, she's done with this bullshit. Maybe he's delirious again right now, but he's also so sure. He turns his head away, not wanting to see hate in her eyes.

[evocation]

That only ramps up her concern, and she tries to tilt his head back towards her. This doesn't seem like his usual stubbornness, or his desire to keep her from worrying, it seems like... Something else. Something she can't pinpoint. "Wash, come on. Please tell me."

[hardwearing]

Was he wrong? Is he just screwing up worse? No, she's just gearing up to rip off the bandage. That's all it is. And so he doesn't fight -- is too weak and tired to anyway -- letting her turn his head back. He just looks defeated, now. "Fine. Just do it already."