hadriel_logs | Event Log: Flu Season

Entry tags:

Event Log: Flu Season

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.

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[Michael is a lot worse at concealing his fear than some. It's so telling. But Law isn't here to take advantage of it or manipulate it, he needs to work quickly to try and get Michael somewhere to help him. Before he does anything crazy, and Law knows full well what level of crazy could be suddenly unleashed on an unsuspecting population]

I want to know how you're feeling. Do you need anything? I'm here to help.

[not terribly aggressively so, but he's still got the squared shoulders and determined stance of someone who isn't going to be gentle about it]

[And that's the part that gets him, the posture that says "I'm not giving you a choice", the phrase- I'm here to help- that, filtered through a haze of sickness and fear, sounds all too uncomfortably familiar.

This isn't, technically, all that unusual. His brain makes bad connections all the time, it's part of the condition. But normally he can look past it, see that he's being unreasonable, that this person actually is here to help him. Not today.]

I don't need your kind of help.

[He slides the knife into a better position in his hand, so that now the tip of it is sticking out of his sleeve, and takes a half-step back. His eyes are still wild.]

What are you...?

[the movement catches his eye but as of yet he doesn't see the tip of the knife. Everything about Michael's posture radiates danger, though, Law doesn't need any special senses to tell that. And knowing what he knows of Michael, danger is not something he wants unleashed on the city while everyone is fighting off this plague.

His gray eyes shift, hunting around for a quick scope of all options. Without his sword he's going to have to get creative.]

You know full well my kind of help isn't going to hurt. Come on, don't make this difficult.

[his fingertips splay, ready to bring up a Room the instant it becomes necessary. A moment too soon and Michael, like his other patients, might see it as a threat]

[Nope. Wrong response. The shift is pretty instant and visible; Michael goes from cautiously aggressive to completely afraid. He thought he was ready to defend himself, but he isn't, the wording sets off too many alarm bells all at once. "It isn't going to hurt." "Don't make this difficult."]

Don't-

[He can't even articulate it. He wants to run but he's convinced Law could catch up to him in no time. His hands come up to the sides of his head, the knife now clearly visible as the flat of it is resting against his temple.]

Stay away from me!

[It's a warning and a threat, and one he knows Law will understand. The Visitor is clamoring for release, and for once- no, this makes twice now, doesn't it?- their thoughts are fairly aligned: Law is dangerous and he's going to hurt them. The howls it makes don't really translate to words, but if he had to, Michael would say it meant something like, allow me. And he is very close to saying yes. It... might be more a matter of when than if.]

[Yep he sure stepped in it that time. He should have known better than to try to rationalize with an irrational person.

Law slides back a step in alarm, almost as if to leave a cushion between himself and Michael, but then he spots the glint of metal. Even without the creature inside him, this guy needs to quickly be rendered harmless. It worked in the dream, why wouldn't Mes work here? Timing, it's all in the timing.]

Room. Michael-ya, don't! You have to control it!

[the aura swells around them as he charges, trying to get in close before it's too late.]

[Control it? Why would he want to? Or rather, it's not that he can't. He and the Visitor are on the same page, here, after all. Which is why, when Law moves, he gives it what it wants: permission.

Michael's eyes roll back in his head and he drops like a sack of bricks. He's lucky enough not to land face-first, but he hits hard enough that his glasses get knocked to the side. And the instant he's down, a skeletal arm shoots up out of the air around him, followed immediately by a skull with snapping jaws. The Visitor is wasting no time in manifesting itself, screeching as it hauls its body up from the ether, clawing furiously at the ground, with both hands now, to make the process go faster. The black, ashy vapors that surround its bones are restless, shifting and glitching wildly.

The blue lights that serve for its eyes are focused solely on Law. If he's going to charge, it's going to meet him.]

[it would almost be funny, the flailing of Law's arms and legs as he does his best to screech to an abrupt halt before he plows head-first into the Visitor, except that there's nothing funny about this at all. He manages to stop and yank his head and arms backwards before the first snap can take them clean off.

Shit shit shit shit how is he going to handle this without a weapon? He can't run, it's too fast. He could Shambles, but that would just leave the Visitor on the loose with unsuspecting civilians everywhere. He doesn't know what would get Michael to reel it back in, if its target disappeared. He remembers the Null battle, it only stopped when the enemies were gone. The way it's looking at him now, he's sure that the definition of enemies has changed.

It's a good thing he already brought up the Room, because he needs it already. One Shambles to put some distance between them, but he didn't make the Room very large so he can only reach its boundary, some twenty feet away.]

Takt!

[any loose rubble or stone within the boundary rises up. With the flick of a finger, Law sends it flying toward the Visitor, trying to slow it down.]

[The monster steps out onto all four legs just as Law teleports away. It doesn't get the chance to reorient itself to his new position before there's incoming debris, so instead it sort of backs up and hunkers down over its host, using the solid parts of its bulk to deflect most of the rubble. Michael is fine, but the Visitor is less than pleased.

It shakes off like a massive dog and then lunges, barrelling forward in a kind of lumbering charge, the end result of which will be a pouncing leap if Law doesn't move out of the way.

There is still the knife in Michael's hand if Law really wants a weapon. Unfortunately, it's past the Visitor.]

[From what he remembers, Michael himself is the key. But getting close enough to him to do anything - take the knife, take his heart, try to wake him - is the hard part. The creature is fast, powerful, and determined not to let anything happen to its host. Law immediately rejects Mes as an option - Michael's already out cold, so it's not like it would actually stop the thing. He has to weaken or incapacitate the Visitor enough, first, before he can even think about getting close.

There's not even time to think, here, he immediately goes on the defensive, using all that handy rubble to Shambles himself here and there and everywhere, circling around the Visitor and pelting it with debris to get it to keep changing directions. It's a stalling tactic, nothing more. He catches the glint of light on the knife and thinks about it, but at the same time, he wonders if he could lead the Visitor to within range of his apartment and teleport Kikoku down to his hand. Without getting shredded. Hmm.

Oh shit gotta move again. This time, he does the true dick move and swaps himself for Michael, putting his limp body right in the Visitor's path.]

[The Visitor, not particularly intelligent, is easily led in a wild goose chase by Law's constant movements. The rubble doesn't hurt it much, beyond chipping a rib here or there, but it is rather annoying.

The creature is mid-leap when Law swaps out for Michael, causing it to twist itself so that its massive front paws land on either side of him instead of on him. It roars and sort of bunches itself up before simply launching itself at Law in a long jump, rather than running at him first. Think fast.]

[think fast is right, that's just....damn, bearmonster. Law barely even registers a ping of haki and a flash of his arm being taken off, twisting and flicking his finger up in another Takt. This time, though, instead of picking up stray objects, the ground itself erupts in a spike of rock straight up into the Visitor's path. It's a desperate move, it's all he's got right now. If he times it right, it should skewer straight up toward the creature, but he has the impression that it's a lot like a Logia user - corporeal and yet not, capable of being slowed by a rock in the face or through the ribs but not completely stopped. He'll need something more...

He's smart, he should know it's not going to work, but the electricity arcing between his thumbs is frankly all he's got.]

[Law's desperation tactic does manage to stall it; the Visitor is caught through the ribcage and has to spend a moment wriggling itself off the rock spire. In its all-consuming rage it just sort of snaps a few ribs in order to free itself, then hurtles forward again, swiping with its claws.

If Law does employ the electricity, it'll be to no avail. The monster doesn't even seem to feel it, really, though it does make the black stuff a little glitchier for a bit.]

Counter-shock!

[yeah, he sure does try it. It absolutely fails to stop the rampage, which is what he was afraid of. As the claws make first contact, raking across his left arm and shoulder, Law mentally berates himself for not remembering that bones don't conduct electricity. Stupid! That's an elementary mistake!

The hit sends him tumbling sideways a few meters, rolling over before he can regain his feet. The Room falls with him, only to reappear as soon as he's up again - bigger. He needs more range, more objects within his operating room. But that hit was more serious than it looked, blood is already pouring from his shoulder and soaking his shirt. There isn't time to heal himself, he has to stay mobile before the Visitor can jump him again.

And so, like a terrified rabbit, he runs.]

[The Visitor takes a second to make a triumphant screech before going on the offensive once again. The blood on its claws only seems to incense it further. If Law is going to run, it's going to follow, and unfortunately it has a bit of a longer stride.

Its next move is sort of cat-like, swiping at his legs in an attempt to trip him up so that it can pin him down.]

[without a weapon the battle is such a mismatch, it's almost pathetic. Law feels his feet leave the ground and flicks his fingers so that before he crashes down, a big rock has been swapped into his place. He only makes it a few extra feet, buying himself a fraction of a minute, and still lands pretty hard on his damaged shoulder, but at least it's enough to scramble back up and keep going. Until the next time the beast catches up, of course, so he knows this isn't a viable escape route...

Holding his arm to his side, he brings the other up and moves his fingers in a scanning motion, feeling out with his ability throughout the entire Room as if taking inventory of what's all in it. Rubble, full buildings, Michael...wait. The knife.

Law immediately swerves and makes a beeline for Michael. Hopefully the knife didn't fall from his hand when he tossed Michael in the Visitor's way, it's all he's got without bringing up a Room large enough to reach all the way to his apartment. There's no energy for that right now.]

[The monster leaps onto the rock with so much enthusiasm that it snaps off one of its own fingers. It doesn't feel pain, but the rock was enough of a distraction to give Law a bit of a head start. Now it has to relocate him and start running again. Which it, of course, does immediately.

The knife did fall out of Michael's hand, but only to the ground in front of it. It's still there, sitting in the dust. Law can grab it easily. It's Michael's pocket knife, though it's a bit large to be called that, even if it does fold, thus technically qualifying it.

[It's all he's got right now. Aware that running straight at Michael might make his guardian beast assume he's going to harm the host, Law doesn't look over his shoulder, he just pelts his way toward Michael and at the last second catches the glint of metal on the ground by his hand. Swooping down to grab it, he turns to confront his pursuer, aware of how ridiculous this looks.

But no matter how small the blade, it is still a channeling tool for the Ope-Ope fruit. It allows him a greater range of moves, although Law himself thinks there's no way he's cutting the Visitor in half from a distance like he would with Kikoku. The real trouble right now is that he's sure Injection Shot will be very effective, but with such a short blade, he'll have to be in extremely close range. Shit. Well, left arm is already damaged, might as well put it forward and use it to shield the rest of him.]

Come on, you lumbering bastard. Come get me.

[and wait for it...]

[He doesn't need to tell it twice. The Visitor is honing in on him the moment it sees his direction, screaming as it dashes after. Luckily it doesn't notice in time to stop him from swooping down for the knife, and when he does so and turns on it instead, it seems just slightly hesitant.

It comes to a jerky stop, watching him like a hawk. Perhaps it thinks he might turn his weapon on its host if it gets too close too quickly, but when that doesn't happen, it suddenly darts forward to try and snap him up in its jaws before he can decide on it. Since his left arm is out in front, it'll go for that first.]

[Taking a breath and holding it really doesn't prepare him for the pain of teeth ripping into his injured arm, but it's a sacrifice Law has to make in order to get that short little knife blade close enough to the skull to work.]

...fuck! Injection Shot!

[it's like a high-powered bullet delivered at point blank range, but invisible, a burst of energy off the tip of the knife where it just barely touches the front of the skull that acts as a piercing projectile. On fleshy creatures, it rips through tissue and organs like a bullet, but at least this one also shatters bone. Law knows that if it works, the backwards momentum will rip those teeth right back out of him, but that shit will heal in time. Hurt like a motherfucker, but it's preferable to being dead and dealing with Hope.]

[The Visitor, naturally, was not expecting this. It's caught entirely off-guard.

And the thing about skulls, is that they're not just one solid piece, but rather made up of several, all interlocked and lightly fused at the seams. They were, anyway. The invisible shot goes right through the creature's snout, shattering its nasal bones and blasting out through the back of the cranium. The whole thing splits in half, down the center seams, and though the skull doesn't fall apart, it's definitely in bad shape.

The monster staggers back, both from the force of the bullet and from what seems to be confusion. The lights of its eyes are fading, and several of its teeth have been jarred loose (and possibly left behind). The lower jaw seems to sort of hang limply, as if it's no longer properly aligned. A couple of attempted jaw snaps serve only to shake some of the bone debris loose, and shards of it scatter to the ground.

The creature makes a low, guttural sound as the blue fires wink out one after the other. It stops moving.

But only for a second.

Its head effectively disabled, the Visitor is blind but still mobile. It knows where its host is, but not where its prey is. All it can do now is swing wildly, hoping to catch him where he stood last.]

Edited 2018-04-13 09:13 (UTC)

[therein lies the sacrifice of point-blank attacks. Law isn't fast enough to find something to grab and shuffle into his place in time, only the slight recoil backward saves him from being killed on the spot. The claws rake across his neck and chest, missing main arteries by mere millimeters, and send him crashing and tumbling backwards. He comes to rest some distance away, paralyzed with pain. After one strangled shout, he clamps down and forces himself to endure it in silence. Maybe if he plays dead, the Visitor will assume he is.

Palming the pocketknife, just in case, Law rolls onto his side and tries to hold as still as he can, which is pretty difficult when all he wants to do is seethe in pain. The Room vanishes, he can't keep it up in this state. He lays there hoping this is all it'll take, but struggling to come up with an alternate plan if it turns out the shadowy monster can still hear or smell him. It'll all be over if he can't make another Room.]

[It can't smell or hear him, luckily, and after batting him away it doesn't seem to know where he went. The single shout isn't enough to clue it in, and even if it were, it can't be sure that Law isn't on the move, getting closer to the person it's trying to protect. Essentially, all of its senses but the supernatural one have been shut down.

The Visitor walks a circle around Michael, sort of half-striking at the air in front of it as it goes. When it finds nothing, it moves to stand over him and then sort of hunkers down, like a mother hen over her chicks. It's an incongruously gentle image for a creature whose existence is mostly violence, and in another context it might even be funny.

It remains there, its broken skull resting on Michael's back between his shoulders, for a long time. But gradually, as it's clear the threat hasn't returned, it starts to break apart further; first the folded limbs, and then the ribcage, and then the head and spine. They sort of melt into ashes, which vanish into Michael's shadow and the space around him. Michael, for his part, continues to not move.]

[from where he lies Law has a perfect view of this, and remains as still as he can, breathing hard and bleeding out but otherwise...safe? Oh thank god he's safe. It's over. Wincing, he tries to push himself up, but knows he can't get far in this state. He needs help, but Michael isn't alert to give it even if he would in his altered state.

It takes a number of fits and starts, but finally he manages to scrape up enough stamina for one more Room, just long enough to teleport himself inside the nearest building. He'll have to take hops and jumps to get to the clinic, or maybe call Atem, or something. Who knows. He can't even think right now.

But he's keeping the knife. At least until all of this is over. Sorry Michael.]

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Event Log: Flu Season

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