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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Glacius shifts quietly, extending his arm and turning it so that he can see the scars drawn into him by his partner. "Hm. This can do something like that?" the alien asks, his voice thoughtful. Then, still holding the limb out, he flicks his gaze back to Carlisle. "Well, I suppose that stands to reason. It is serving the same purpose as my microweave: helping my body maintain proper temperatures. I suppose it is not a stretch to think that it could give resistances to them, too."

The otherworldly being considers it a moment longer, flexing his fingers a few times before settling his arm back on the edge of the tub. "It needn't be something so permanent, though. If there was a spell that could just be cast when we needed it, that might fade on its own... ah, but that would mean asking others to lend their thoughts on the matter. If I am going to trust someone to experiment with my physiology, I would vastly prefer it would be you."

"If it needn't be permanent," Carlisle replies, thinking aloud, "then perhaps an imbued tea would be the best way to go. We'd have to test it, of course, as a magical drink might not interact with your particular anatomy and energies quite as readily as I can on the manual level, but that might be a way to, at the very least, mitigate some of the inherent problems with you slipping into a warm bath."

He slows down, trying to manage his thoughts; they're still frantic from his relative lack of sleep, and therefore harder to control. "Al- although perhaps it'd be safest if I just took a cold shower instead. Much simpler."

Simple, yes, but not nearly as relaxing for his stiff joints and aching forearms. His need to water his garden through magic has only exacerbated his condition over time, and with each month that goes by, it gets harder to pretend that he's not hurting. His plants only needed minimal watering when in the cool comfort of the cave, but on this world with multiple suns, the only way he's managed to keep his garden green is by ensuring his various shrubs and vines never go thirsty.

"Simpler, safer... but defeating the point," Glacius notes, "Which is to allow us both to be physically close and comfortable at the same time. It is no more pleasant for you to plunge yourself under cold water while pressed against my freezing skin, than it is for me to bare myself and subject myself to painful heat. Enchanting tea seems straightforward and is something we are both familiar with by now, so I think we should start there."

The ice alien doesn't just leave it at that, though; he extends one arm, offering his hand for his partner to take. "It will be worth it in the end, that I can guarantee. We have managed very well given the different needs of our bodies, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to come together without worrying about that at all? To hold you in my arms without worrying about you getting cold... for me to bare myself to you without you worrying about me overheating... that's all the more focus that we can put on our love for each other."

Carlisle smiles and takes Glacius' hand, liking his partner's reasoning. His pragmatism does help curb his partner's tendency to go about things in as complicated a manner as possible, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. He has spent so long isolating himself from such things that he struggles to find the way out of his own maze of internal debate. Leave it to Glacius to show him the simplest exit, even if it requires knocking a hole in the wall (and even then, that might be more of Algidus' style).

"Speaking of the needs of our, um. Bodies" — he really shouldn't put it that way, he chides inwardly — "I have something for you once you are feeling better. It won't help you now, but- but in the future, I believe it could be useful for you. Kate's beau brought it by a while back, and I thought just now that it may be best used in your possession rather than mine."

"Kate's 'beau'?" Glacius is not familiar with the term, though he can figure what it means. "I have not yet met the man, though I really should rectify it. Still—are you sure you are alright passing his gift on to me? If he brought it specifically to you, perhaps you are who it should remain with."

The ice alien has not yet drawn the connection between the objects from each inhabitant's own world recently, and what Carlisle is suggesting now; he's supposing it was just a nice courtesy that Kate's significant other brought to his partner. He's not sure how he feels about encroaching on that, and he'll be even less sure—yet simultaneously even more flattered—when the meaning behind the clergyman's offering is fully explained.

"It will be better in your hands," Carlisle insists, reddening just a hair -- whether it is from the idea of this gift, or the fact that he's somehow met Kate's beau and Glacius hasn't, he doesn't say. He knows she and Glacius are close, but just how close is a bit of a mystery. Carlisle only hopes she has expressed it openly to Glacius at some point, rather than assuming he will figure it out on his own.

"The man's name is Ignis," he continues. "Glasses, my height. His hair has a bit more color, I believe."

All that Glacius lets out in response to that is a note of acknowledgement; he cannot recall encountering anyone like Carlisle is describing, and unlike his partner, it does not seem to bother him. The alien's attention remains on the other subject at hand. "I will respect your wishes in this regard, I just do not wish to somehow slight the man's offer. Are you going to tell me what you are re-gifting to me, or is this to be some sort of surprise?"

"After you soak, my friend," Carlisle says with a hint of a smile, pushing his notes aside. He stretches his neck this way and that before settling back onto the cushions, his weariness having finally caught up to him.

"Until then, I believe I'll just... shut my eyes for a moment or two." Or three, or however many moments of rest he may find while Glacius finish his bath. He pulls in a breath, one deeper than his last. "Then we will see to your surprise. It has waited this long, so... a little while longer will be fine, don't you think?"

"I think so," Glacius replies, more than happy to hear his partner suggest he might try to shut his eyes. That had been the reason he'd climbed into the tub in the first place: to soothe Carlisle's worries and hopefully allow him to rest, so the alien is surprised and glad both that he doesn't have to do any more convincing in that regard.

To really drive the point home that it's okay for his partner to relax, Glacius does the same, leaning back against the walls of the tub and closing his eyes. He, however, does not plan to sleep; he only waits until Carlisle seems to have drifted off before he cracks one eye open to check for himself. Confirming that the human is out for the moment, the marshal opens the other and then rises carefully from the tub to gather his partner up carefully in his arms and tote him out into the living room.

If Carlisle happens to wake up in the process, that is fine; if not, then the otherworldly being is happy to sit on the couch with his partner bundled in his lap for as long as he needs. Either way, Glacius figures that it will be much nicer than dozing on the floor of the bathroom... and he's glad to see Carlisle actually getting some sleep. The alien knows that after the way the clergyman kept that worried vigil for so long, he likely needs it. He's had some experience with those himself, and he knows the way they tend to run you ragged... he feels lucky and touched that he has a partner that will put himself through that just to look out for him, but also concerned. He must help however he can.

As Glacius leans back in the tub and settles down for what Carlisle assumes is a nap of his own, the clergyman feels that much more relaxed. Everything is going to be fine, he inwardly insists. He'll close his eyes for just a few minutes to alleviate the throbbing behind them and that dry burning that says he's been awake for too long. And so he does close his eyes, pulling in a long, deep breath, then another. And then a third.

And by the fourth breath, he's out, exhaustion finally overtaking him. He doesn't stir as his partner rises from the tub, nor when Glacius gathers him up to carry him into the den. It's only as they settle on the couch that he mumbles something -- Glacius' name and a vague question about where he put Rabbit. Carlisle always says he sleeps best when he's beside his partner, and that seems to hold true as he snoozes for nearly an hour, only waking as he turns his head and the corner of his glasses hits Glacius' leg, pushing them askew and off his nose. That's a sensation he's well-attuned to, especially when it comes to putting him on high alert.

Carlisle sits up immediately, his hand going to his face to catch his spectacles, his voice ringing in sudden alarm. "My glasses!" It takes him only a second to realize they weren't being taken, he's not on the floor of the bathroom anymore, the couch cushions have been returned to the chair, and that Glacius is out here in the den with him, seated on said couch cushions.

"C- cisth, how long was I out? Sorry, I- I didn't mean to nod off like that. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

Glacius blinks, mildly surprised by his partner's start; even when he tries to provide his partner with a peaceful rest, there's always something to upset him, it seems. Quickly realizing that what had caused said alarm is nothing serious and that it was simply a misunderstanding, the alien's expression shifts into a smile quickly enough.

"Hush," Glacius replies, tapping Carlisle once on his round nose, "You did exactly what you were supposed to be doing. You cannot keep an eye on me if you are too exhausted to keep them open in the first place, no? I'm glad you got some rest. Besides, the whole reason I dipped into the bath in the first place was to get you to do so."

The ice alien pauses before shifting, cradling his partner's head and shoudlers as he leans down to bump his forehead to the human's. "How are you feeling? Do you need to sleep for longer? I can fetch some tea if it will help you relax—I'm an old hand at making it, now."

Glacius bumps his forehead with his own, and Carlisle returns the gesture, a sheepish laugh escaping him. "I will catch up on my sleep later, thank you," he assures. "Tea would be nice, but I'd rather you not push yourself so soon after you've recovered."

He slides off the couch, holding up a hand to his partner as he beelines for their shared bedroom. "You wait here just a moment. I promised you a surprise, and I intend to make good on my word."

And without so much as waiting another second, he's gone. So much for that relaxation.

Well, at least he's not so exhausted that he can't still bustle about, Glacius muses as he watches the human go. There's not much that he can do save for wait to Carlisle to come back; thankfully it's not like the bedroom is far, so the alien isn't left twiddling his four thumbs for long.

It's when the clergyman returns that Glacius lifts his head. "Alright. What is this surprise you are so insistent on showing me?"

"This," Carlisle says with a hint of pride and a lopsided smile, presenting his gift.

Immediately noticeable is the beastly head, that same kind of flat-headed, bear-and-tiger-had-a-child-and-it-ran-into-a-wall sort that adorns his own, enchanted cloak. Given the leather straps and the single, massive paw, it's clearly not an entire pelt like his cloak is, but rather something to drape around one's shoulders. Attached to the pelt is a faded capelet, one that has seen its fair share of long journeys. The garment takes up the entirety of Carlisle's lanky arms; there is no way this gear would fit someone of his stature.

The clergyman adjusts the strange piece in his grasp, righting the head and letting the long arm of the beast drape across his forearm, the straps dangling as he balances the oversized head in both hands. "Ta-da."

Glacius looks the capelet over as it is presented to him. It's only the face of the beast that it was made from—similar in appearance to the one that Carlisle owns—that lets Glacius recognize the gift for what it is. The alien blinks in surprise, straightening up immediately; surprising indeed.

"Oh..! This is... a keepsake from your world?" The importance of that is not lost on the otherworldly being; he meets his partner's eyes, his own gaze uncertain but touched. "I-I did not think... I mean, are you sure you wish to gift this to me? It belonged to your family, did it not..?"

He could be mistaken—maybe it is presumptuous of him to think that Carlisle might gift something with such significance to a being as different, as alien as he is. Glacius himself clearly can't seem to quite believe it... but they've always attested to the sense of belonging and acceptance that they find with one another. The physical confirmation inherent in such a gifting is not something that he'd expected, but it's clearly struck him deeply; if Carlisle truly means to pass this possession on to him, then it means he seems him worthy not only of owning it, but of being associated with his lineage... and even if its influence on his partner has been questionable at times, Glacius knows how much that it means to Carlisle.

... It just seems that he perpetually underestimates how much he himself means to his partner. Maybe that's why this offer seems to have left him uncharacteristically shaken; it's like a wake-up call of the best sort. There's little room for confusion or misinterpretation after a gesture like this.

Carlisle takes Glacius' utter bewilderment as a good sign, not realizing just how monumentally shaken his partner is by this gesture. He runs a thumb over the fur of the kalugra's head; despite the monstrous nature of the beast, he looks upon the mantle fondly.

"This mantle belonged to Uncle Boris, and served him well for many, many years. Each member of my bloodline- we traditionally receive a gift made from the kalugra, as it is the beast of our family crest. While not the, ah. Most attractive creature, it is known for being as fierce as it is hardy. Like my cloak, this mantle is enchanted, as well -- something to protect the wearer from the most extreme of elements. I... I thought it might help you manage the oppressive heat of this world. And we would match, in a way. Aheh."

He's more pleased about that last bit than he thought he would be.

"Match, indeed," Glacius muses, finally managing to overcome how the act had left him dumbfounded. He still feels deeply, almost sickly touched, but the reality of the situation—of their situation—is sinking in. The alien has always adhered to the idea that actions speak louder than words, and this one resounds very clearly.

"It is a gift as thoughtful as it is lovely," the alien continues with a warm smile, "Especially on a planet such as this, where the environment is harsh. And now there is finally something that denotes our connection that people can see just by looking." Clearly Glacius likes the idea of matching, too. "It's... perfect. If you truly wish to gift this mantle unto me, then I accept with eager and grateful hearts. Thank you, Carlisle."

Carlisle's smile widens as he steps closer to his partner, the garment getting heavy in his arms. "I can think of no one better to wear a treasure of my family line than you, Glacius. We are Bonded, after all. And no one has been my stalwart defender quite like you."

He offers the mantle to Glacius. "Would you like to try it on, my friend?"

"You flatter me, my love," Glacius replies, allowing the sentimentality he is fully feeling to bleed into his voice and his expression. He moves to accept the mantle but does not take it unto himself, yet, instead clasping has hands over those of the human that is holding it. "To know that you see me worthy of bearing it... to know that you see in me the same importance as those who have worn this before me... I will treasure this physical testament to that with all that I am."

Now he finally nods, accepting the enchanted mantle with all the gravity of a knight being christened; he takes it slowly in both hands before carefully wrapping it over his shoulders. He can't wear it quite as effortlessly as a human might; he's of a more impressive stature than most and his spikes provide complications, but Glacius nudges the fur and fabric around them with all the care in the world so that it does not snag even once. Then he casts another glance to his partner, very much wanting to do this right.

"Something like this..?"

As Glacius sets the mantle around his shoulders, Carlisle slides around him, helping adjust it so it sits around and atop his spikes. The head of the kalugra leans a bit forward, but it's not unbecoming in any way, and is more like how it would have sat if Uncle Boris was carrying several of his weapons strapped to his back.

"Yes, something like that. Allow me."

He comes back to Glacius' front, adjusting the leather straps, loosening one and tightening another so that the mantle sits properly. As his fingers move the buckles into place, he continues.

"I do not see you as merely of the same importance as my uncles, Glacius," he murmurs, his eyes on the silver medallion that connects the straps along Glacius' chest. "You are the most important individual in my life. You mean... so much to me. They meant so much to me, but you are so much more. Without you, I could not bring myself to breathe another breath. My heart would have no reason to continue beating."

Glacius stands perfectly still as Carlisle helps to adjust the mantle properly... and though he's already an upright being, he seems like he might be standing a little taller when the clergyman finally finishes speaking to him. They're words that do him a lot of good, and he would do well to remember them in trying times.

"I do hope that if something were to happen to me, you would remember the strength that I have showed you and the faith that I have in you, and you would find it in yourself to carry on, but... I feel the same, nowadays," the ice alien replies, his voice an impassioned, dulcet rumble. "About how important you are at me, and about how I feel like my hearts would not be able to bear it if something were to happen to you. I am lucky that I have a partner who cares for me so deeply, and I... I am sorry I have been a slow learner when it comes to realizing how much I mean to you despite our differences."

Glacius pauses before letting out a little chuckle, shaking his head. "After all, every day we spend together we unearth more and more commonality. Every time I start to feel out of place I will look on the gifts you have given me, glyph and mantle and this relationship as a whole... and I will be reminded of my worth. Hopefully you can do the same; no matter how much you may look down on yourself some days, know that there is no one that I would rather have at my side. You are the best for me... that is all that there is to it."

Carlisle would argue about how poor a job he did remembering that strength and faith when he thought Glacius had vanished once already, but his partner's words are too sweet for him to dwell on such a thought. He laughs in reply, the sort of mirthful chuckle that rarely escapes him, pulling at all of his features simultaneously. His smile widens, his eyes watering just a bit at the sentiment.

"You are my strength, my friend. Truly." He presses a hand to Glacius' chest, the slightest energy on his fingertips to resonate to those hearts beneath, before his blinks with a sudden idea. "Ah, a moment."

He steps away, grabbing his cloak from the rack in the corner. He does the clasp on the front, pulling the hood atop his head, allowing the attached kalugra head to rest atop his own. Once situated, he digs his communicator out of his pocket, attempting to get the camera working. "Let's get a picture of the two of us, if you don't mind. These devices are handy for having such utility, and I do, ah. Enjoy looking at what portraits I have captured within it."

Most of them are of Rabbit, but with he and his partner matching, he really does want one of the two of them, despite his generally exhausted, disheveled state.

Edited 2018-05-14 00:50 (UTC)

Glacius responds just as well to that light influx of energy as he does all the other ways they interact; he draws in a breath and puffs up as the Mote thrums with pride and joy underneath Carlisle's fingertips. The thought of being included in a picture like the others that his partner keeps is undeniably appealing, especially given that they usually involve important figures in the human's life. It feels almost as though the history that they have made together is being officially added or catalogued, and the ice alien likes that as much as he likes the thought of Carlisle looking back on the picture and smiling.

So Glacius agrees quite readily. "I do not mind at all... in fact, I would love to. Where shall I stand? By some of the plants in the window, or elsewhere..?"

"Beside the window should be fine," Carlisle answers, finally getting the camera on his device working. Despite having been exposed to such technology for years now, he will forever be unaccustomed to it due to his distaste for such futuristic contraptions in general. He has to admit that the ability to instantly record pictures is amazing though. They needn't find a talented painter, hire them, bring them in -- they only need to press a single button to capture their likenesses. It doesn't have the same warmth a painting might, but Carlisle likes the convenience all the same.

But more than that, he likes that he can look at those pictures at any time, allow them to stir the fondness welling in his heart for the subject matter, be it his plants, his pet, or his partner.

Carlisle finds a place beside Glacius, and attempts to get the camera far enough away to catch both of them. "Er. You might have to take this one, actually. Longer arms and whatnot. You simply smile and press this spot here. Fascinating, isn't it?"

Glacius smiles patiently and fondly, nodding and going along with it as his partner explains to him a function that is completely simple to a being from such a technologically advanced race as is. Humans are so primitive... but it's never been a point of endearment like it is with Carlisle. More than anything he finds happiness in the cleric's excitement, in the simple joy he gets out of something that is so commonplace to others... there is certainly something to be said for that.

"Of course. Allow me," Glacius replies, plucking the small device daintily from Carlisle's hands when it is offered. It's a good choice that the clergyman has made to hand it over to him; in addition to having naturally long limbs as the human has noted, the alien can also employ his shifting abilities to make sure that enough of themselves make it into the frame. He ends up doing a bit of both; he snaps some with his normal range to get a few of them closer up, with their bodies nearly filling the frame, then makes use of his alien talents to take a few others that more closely resemble the traditional portraits that Carlisle has shown him.

When he's done he passes the phone back to his partner, tabbing over to the album for the human. "There you are. Did they turn out to your liking?"

Event Log: Flu Season

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