tapestodiane | 029 - audio/action

Diane ... fever still high.

[Oh hi there Coop - been pretty quiet on the network lately, haven't you? And go figure that this time, it's a mistake to adress it anyway. But he's feverish enough not to question the fact that he's speaking into his Gear, not his usual audio recorder. He sounds tired and weak and somewhat scratchy, and like he has minor trouble articulating the words.]

Persistant pain and soreness in my back and ... [Lengthy, troubled pause.] ... I have to say, Diane, whatever these things are, they're causing me a lot of trouble.

Skin still turning rusty, although thankfully not in a literal sense. The patterns are similar to Lichtenberg figures, but I can't ...

[Trails off. Sighs.]

I find it difficult to think like this, much less speculate. Buddha once said that the mind can't be strong and clear if the body isn't kept in good health, but this is an illness I don't know how to fight.

I believe perhaps some air would do me good.

[ACTION for Ecruteak; He's out in the rain. For once, he's dressed very casually - t-shirt and jeans, actually - but that's not the most eye-catching thing right now. Like many others, he's got Symptoms. And his are of the Level 5 Fire variety. Skin is a mottled brown-red hue down his back and shoulders and upper arms, that are also lined with darker, feathery lines. Entei's influence is clear in the broken mask on his face and spikes down his back. He's not particularly happy ... but at least he's not the only one looking abnormal.]

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_{[Rain? RAIN.]

[Yes, good. RAIN.]

[Against... probably the wishes of everybody she's staying with, Heather had slipped out of the hotel and into the rain. Because fuck, this is more than just a fever. Lying down with cool washcloths over her eyes hadn't been doing anything.]

[Neither did the rain, really-- but it felt good, in any case.]

[In nothing but a pair of loose cargo shorts and an orange spaghetti-strap thing that had been part of the costume she'd gotten on arrival and had pulled from the bottom of her bag solely because it's the most sleeveless thing she owns, Heather is standing barefoot in the rain, letting it patter down on her shoulders and soak through her hair.]

[... But she looks up-- less because she heard someone there and more that she felt someone there.]

[Her first instinct? To recoil. Those things sprouting from his face, those jagged burn scars...]

[But then...]}

... Coop?

... Coop, what the HELL...

_{[He grimaces at her tone and looks away at first, in what probably looks self-conscious. In a way, he is - he knows his appearance, knows it well, because he's seen it progress in the mirror and felt those things- horns, maybe?- break through skin when he slept. And he doesn't like it. In a way, he's scared of it.]

[Because this sure as hell doesn't look like anything he's ever heard about and if the natives of this world don't even know what they're up against, then how should he?]

[He touches his face briefly before he pushes his hair back, wet and loose from the rain, before he looks back to her with a sigh.]}

I don't know, Heather.

_{[She can't help but stare. It's one thing to talk to him about whatever Crazy Of the Month has hit Johto this time, but it's entirely another to see him half-transformed into... something.]}

... Holy...

_{[She steps forward, her arms folded tightly. She's not cold, though. Not at all.]

[In fact, although she has no blemishes (yet), Cooper may notice that the rain that's pattering down on her bare shoulders is steaming.]}

... It's that sickness, isn't it?

_{[He does notice, because after the nod of 'yes', he looks her over with a bit more focus. She looks okay, but there's something subtly changed in her as well - something he can't really put his finger on.]

[And when he spots the steam and lets his gaze linger there, by her shoulders and upper arms.]}

You, too.

_{[She wants to deny it, but... well, fuck. Not much point, is there? So those steaming shoulders rise and fall in a huge sigh.]}

Yeah. I guess. Started running a fever around noon, and...

_{[An indignant squawk enters her voice and she spreads her arms.]}

I don't get it!

I didn't even go near any of the sick people!

_{[THIS ISN'T FAIR.]}

_{[That actually gets a tired sort-of-chuckle from him.]}

I didn't, either.

_{[The universe just loves being cruel to him.]}

We don't know how it spreads to begin with, regardless.

_{[She makes a begrudging noise in response. She supposes they don't, no. But... well. It's beside the point now, isn't it?]

[Turning her attention off of her own misfortune and over to his (which is considerably WORSE so far), she bites her lip.]}

God... does... does it hurt?

_{[The burn scars make her stomach turn. Part of her wants to reach out and touch them and part of her wants to just close her eyes and HUM or something. Anything to not think about them.]}

_{[He's quiet for a moment, watching her discomfort and feeling quite bad himself. He doesn't like seeing it. Doesn't like FEELING it, feeling actual things coming out of his bones. There's a pause there, before his hand comes up again to absently tap the things beneath his eyes, very small taps because he knows that he can feel them far into the skin if he accidentally touches one of them too hard, bends them just slightly.]}

These things do. Sometimes.

_{[Most of the time. Or well, not so much hurt as ... throb. Distantly. Like something sore, like a bruise.]}

_{[She winces heavily, gritting her teeth.]}

I... jeez, I'm... _{[Sorry? Nah, that doesn't really work. It isn't like this is something ANYONE can help.]}

_{[No, it's nothing anyone can help - at least not right now - and it's definitely not her fault. Even if it's more an expression of sympathy, he doesn't need her to say it. So he shakes his head slightly and raises a hand, the 'stop' gesture clear, but there's a wry smile behind it.]}

It's okay. _{[It's not, but. As much as it can be. And besides, he's not the only one suffering right now.]

[And there's a sort of shrug following that, as if to indicate the rain. Because at least there is that.]}

... Does... does that happen to everybody who gets it?

_{[She says this as she absentmindedly reaches up to rub the water from her shoulders. They sizzle at the contact.]}

Edited 2012-07-25 08:00 (UTC)

Not that I can tell, so far.

_{[He watches that motion and there's a slight mirror in the way he keeps rubbing his face, the skin stretched oddly and irritated from the alien things that quite certainly do NOT belong.]}

Whatever "it" is. Or "this", I suppose.

_{[She swallows hard. If there's anything that scares Heather beyond belief, it's the thought of something changing and warping your body without your wanting it. Without permission. Not that it's... exactly the same as the things she's been through, but it hits close enough.]}

... We have the shittiest luck, don't we.

_{[Oh Heather. You have no idea.]}

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