hadriel_logs | Event Log: Senses Fail

Entry tags:

Event Log: Senses Fail

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Senses Fail event
Where: All over the city
When: May 14th-May 20th
Warnings: None

You wake up on the 14th, and something is different. Maybe it's something small - you can't smell anything, or your hearing on one side seems to be on the fritz. Or it could be something large and impossible to miss - you've gone completely blind, or you seem to be missing a leg. You've lost something, and no matter what you do, you can't seem to fix it.

Will you ever get it back? Probably, but it's impossible to be sure. And even if you're thoroughly convinced that this is temporary, that still means you have to figure out how to live like this for the next week. Even small things can be huge difficulties. Your sense of taste doesn't seem that important, until you accidentally eat something that'll make you sick. And sure, maybe you can figure out how to live without one hand, but what about when you wake up three days from now and you've also lost your magic?

Do your best to keep yourself calm, but remember: it can always get worse.

► This log covers May 14th-May 20th.
► 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 lost sense turns out to have been essential to your survival, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Michael hears the voice on his way from the orchard to the lab. He's been spending more time there this week, since taking things apart is something all of his thoughts can agree on. All of his thoughts that aren't all his. It's a confusing time.

He diverts his route toward the sound of the shouts instead, ignoring the part of him that wants to just go and leave it. Once he realizes who it is and sees what's happening, though, he has to fight a little harder.

His brain is telling him two distinct and very conflicting things. One, that this is someone he cares about, and he's in trouble, and Michael should help. But the other is that this person is a potential threat, someone who tried to hurt him before (but that wasn't real was it?) and as a pirate, he's definitely probably killed people before, which means he should just leave him to drown. He hesitates. Which thing does he want to do? Both, actually. But which thing is the right choice?

The fact that he has to think about it at all is, frankly, terrifying.

After a few seconds, (during which, from the outside, he just appears to be staring,) Michael shakes his head and shrugs off his jacket, tossing his glasses after it and hoping they land in the same place. He wades out into the pool, hoping he isn't too late, but then, he knows it actually takes a little while for a grown man to drown.

A grown man who is, in fact, larger than himself, but he hasn't thought that through.]

Hold on, I'm coming!

[Finally, all those stupid summers at the beach are worth something.]

「It doesn't take long for Atem to just follow his friends as a shadow, since he's nothing more at the moment, aching for the company more than anything. It is but a meagre fix for it, but it's better than nothing. It is also mostly his curiosity what drives Atem to follow Law this particular day, his attire (or the lack of it) has him wondering — he wouldn't get into the water, would he? No, he's not gonna... No, he isn't... But he is.」

Law, Law! Stop!

「What is he doing!? Why is he willingly going into the water?! He follows him all the way, and he can't do anything, he tries to stand in his way, only to be walked through as Law goes into the deeper part of the pool. He still tries to reach him, to grab him and stop him. Nothing, he can't do nothing. He can only feel his desperation and hear his plea. Atem cannot remember the last time he felt so much despair. As he tries to take a hold of Law, he gets closer, he becomes more aggressive going into the water with him, until he ultimately longer sees him, but he sees through his eyes. He feels heavy again, he feels... He feels.

He also cannot breath. Not that he had been doing so at all for the past days but right now he needs to, and he can't, he can't, his lungs feel like burning. His legs are useless as he tries to swim back to the surface, they feel like cramping; his own desperation and Law's are more than overwhelming and he starts sinking, unable to fight it.

It's through Law's eyes that he can see a shadow above them and he jolts, he tries to reach, and by the time he does, he notices it. He cannot grasp that hand, or, more accurately, when he does, it closes around nothing. He's left Law's body, being able to see his friend sinking from his own perspective and Michael trying to reach for him.」

[For that brief moment of Atem's interference, Law is hazy and confused, but then it passes and he's back to being consumed with fear just as the god in question wants. He blinks, seeing Michael, and tries to lift one hand out of the water toward him]

Michael-ya...

[even his voice is too weak, thank goodness someone found him. Someone he can trust. As long as he doesn't let his nose dip under, to where he can't keep the water out any longer, he should be able to last until Michael can get to him]

[Okay, Law's still talking, that's a good sign. If you can talk or cough, you're not drowning yet. Still, Michael's not about to waste time getting to him.

Michael can't see ghosts, ironically, so he has no idea that Atem was here. He actually can't see much of Law at all, either, not once he gets closer. But he can make out enough to know where he is, and to find the closest arm, which he grabs immediately. He isn't strong enough to actually pull him up out of the water, but he can get that arm up over his shoulders so that Law's head is better positioned to breathe.

And now, the problem. How the hell does he drag Law back to the edge of the pool? Swimming with another person who isn't helping is harder than it looks on tv, but at least Law is conscious, so he's not dead weight. Needless to say, though, it's kind of slow going trying to sort of swim sideways while holding onto someone else. They'll make it eventually, but hopefully Law doesn't go under in the meantime.]

[The arm over the shoulder move is honestly a godsend (no pun intended and screw you Fear); Law's panic is cut by at least half just having someone at his side, keeping his head above water. He knows he's nothing but an anchor, a burden to be dragged by his rescuer.]

Sorry...

[breathing the apology in Michael's ear is all he can do. Slow and steady is better than going under, he's not about to complain about the pace of the rescue. The best he can do to not pull Michael under with him is to hang on and not struggle.]

[Yeah, trying to get to shore with someone hanging on is just as difficult as he thought it'd be. But Law keeping still is helping, or, well, at least it's not hurting. If Michael was an amateur swimmer, they'd probably be in trouble, but thankfully he's got a lot of practice, even if it's been a while.

Eventually, they make it to the edge of the pool, and Michael reaches up to put a hand on the rocky shore.]

Can you grab on for a second? I'll pull you up.

[There's no way he can hoist him like this, from below.]

I think so...

[Michael is his new favorite person. Jumping in like that after his sorry ass, what a dude. Law manages to fling a hand up far enough to just sort of anchor himself in place so he doesn't sink into the depths. His knee finds solid ground, too, but he's not any better at walking than he is swimming until he can get out of the pool]

[Michael leaves Law for a second to drag himself up out of the water, and then turns to help him up after. And once they're both on dry land, he just sort of flops back onto his elbows.]

Okay, I gotta ask. Why the hell were you in the water when you can't swim?

[He doesn't sound angry, just exhausted and confused.]

[for all he complains about the local climate, right about now is the best time to just lay there under the hot sun and air-dry. In his underwear, yep.]

Experimenting. I thought my Devil Fruit was gone.

[obviously it's not, thanks Fear]

Thanks, by the way.

[That... doesn't explain anything.]

What does that have to do with you jumping into water?

[He's not sure he gets the connection between swimming and Law's abilities. Has he said something about it before?]

Don't worry about it though. What was I going to do? Let you drown? [Well, he thought about it.] Just next time, uh, experiment closer to shore.

[he hasn't, which he realizes a bit too late and now he has to explain. Awesome. Well, he told Lance, might as well own up to it.]

Devil Fruit users are weak in water. I had to go in deeper than my knees to find out for sure. I guess it's still there, even if I can't use it right now.

I'm really starting to hate Fear more than the others.

And there wasn't a safer way to test that?

[Michael sits up and tries to figure out where his glasses got off to.]

I guess on the plus side, it isn't missing. And Fear is, uh, probably among my least favorites, yeah.

[Fear and Rage are kind of tied at the moment.]

No, there's really not. [as he finally feels closer to normal, enough to sit up as well. Ugh he can feel all the dust clinging to his wet back, he's going to need a shower - ironically] The effect doesn't become noticeable if you're only wading knee-deep. Though. [his expression turns a bit embarrassed; it's not that he didn't think of it, it's that he doesn't like people and wanted to leave everyone else out of it] I suppose it would have been less trouble to ask one person to stand guard while I did it.

[but. you know, it's not like he has a lot of choices if most people he doesn't hate are currently deaf, blind, or missing their entire body]

[Michael manages to locate his glasses- thankfully unbroken- and get them back on his face. Which means now he can actually like, make out Law's expressions.]

Oh well, I guess. Hindsight, you know?

[Speaking of which, a realization suddenly hits him.]

Wait. You're a pirate and you can't swim? That seems... kinda dangerous.

[it is funny, isn't it? at least that's why he snorts. Irony all up in here.]

Yeah, well, I'm still alive so it's not as risky as you'd think. The point of sailing at sea is to stay on the ship, after all.

[as long as somebody on the ship can swim, right?]

Shame, though. I haven't been swimming since I was a kid. It would've been nice for once.

Even if it meant losing your, uh, stuff?

[He's not sure if the devil fruit is the power or the... something else.]

So wait, what did you lose if not that? Just the ability to use it? Seems like the gods are kind of splitting hairs on that one.

Yeah...that's the only conclusion I can make.

[he turns a hand palm-up, even though it's not like the power is purely concentrated there.]

I'm sure it plays right into Fear's hands. He probably got a nice taste of it for a few minutes there. [asshole] At least, now I know.

[he's dry enough to get up and try brushing himself off, but he's a mess and should really get dressed before he gets sunburned.]

Sorry you had to get dragged into that, but I appreciate it.

[Michael follows suit, deciding to just... carry his jacket instead of put it on while he's still soaking wet.]

I'd say "any time" but I'd honestly prefer if you didn't do that again. If you have to drown, though, I guess you know who to call.

[he'd owe you one but there's kind of that outstanding Visitor debt so let's just call it even]

If I'm in the water ever again, it's an enormous accident and I hope the phones still work then. Otherwise, well.

[he's none the worse for wear, at least, he bounces back quickly once dry. Now if you'll excuse him, he's going to make sure no one else gets a peek at his underwear today.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event Log: Senses Fail

17th of course

skip me you guys <3

love it

guess who forgot notification tracking lmao

scoops up

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