( closed? )

[underwhelms]

Who: Jean-Jacques Leroy (underwhelms) & his entourage
What: Explosion and sickness stuff.
When: October.
Where: Olympia & Wyver
Warning(s): N/A

[ closed starters below! if you would like to do something, please feel free to shoot me a pm or hit me up on plurk at whysofork. or just comment here. or just tag in wildly, i can roll with anything! ]

Comments

matt

[underwhelms]

[ The explosion was louder than anything that JJ had ever heard before, and the chaos that followed—he'd never seen people like this. People running; people crying; coughing, panicking, everything. The smoke was everywhere, ridiculously bright enough that JJ had almost thought this was a prank or some kind of festival until he'd seen the panic.

But nothing had been destroyed. The buildings weren't crumbling, and there weren't any people lying on the floor bleeding in the kind of scenes that movies had trained JJ to expect after an explosion like that.

There was nothing but disorientation and confusion, and JJ's certainly part of it, standing in the market district still at a complete loss.

He spots a woman crying eventually, and without really thinking about it, reaches out to see if she needs help, only to be greeting with a punch to the stomach so hard it sends him stumbling backwards, bent over and groaning in pain. ]

—hgrk...

[ghettobatman]

[Well, JJ isn't the only good Samaritan hanging around these parts and trying to help. Matt's donned his costume and set out to vigilante -- as always -- but the explosion knocks him off kilter.]

[A regular man would be disoriented, but the explosion overwhelms his super senses and sends him reeling, the sound still ringing in his ears]

Ugh---

[But never let it be said that Matt Murdock isn't a stubborn dumbass, because he absolutely is that. Barely able to discern what's going on or pinpoint the sources of the screams, he soldiers on, like the idiot that he is, stumbling around blindly (properly blindly, in this case), until there is a voice he can pinpoint. He focuses, hard, on the presence, hauling JJ up by his arm and steadying him once he's on his feet]

It isn't safe here. We need to move.

[underwhelms]

[ JJ's not sure if he's being a good samaritan as much as he is totally confused. He has no idea what people are meant to do in these types of situations—help others, probably? He just doesn't want to be That Guy that ran off while everyone else was lending hand. Granted, he's not exactly equipped with the skills to help out in a crisis, and he doesn't have much going for him other than his physical strength and health.

He grunts when Matt helps him up, and he's glad to see someone friendly, but Matt doesn't look much better off with the way that he's stumbling around. ]

That lady punched me.

[ Though that lady is long gone now, but JJ just feels the need to mention this.

Moreover, Matt looks... weird. ]

Who are you?

[ Why is he dressed up... Well, maybe that's not important right now, but JJ's too disoriented to prioritize properly. ]

yusuke

[underwhelms]

[ While a wonder on the ice, JJ does not take gracefully to being sick. He's huddled up in his bed, starving but lacking the energy to get up and find food, sweating and shivering at the same time while he contemplates just moving to the floor so that he can press his face to the cool, wooden floor.

(It's not as bad as it could be at least, he's had some nice fever dreams of home.)

Mostly, he's tired, thoughts lazily going from hazy memories of the attack from the day previous, to idle things like wondering if he should go into work tomorrow, what his bank account looks like. Thoughts that he forgets as soon as they slip from his attention.

It's exhausting through he hasn't moved in the last few hours, drained of all energy until...

There's a knock, and he bolts out of bed with as much coordination as he can (crawling on the floor until he remembers to walk on two legs) so that he can wrestle the door open and through his arms around the body on the other side— ]

You're here!

[tricksune]

[ Meanwhile, Yusuke nearly drops the soup he's brought by when JJ more-or-less bodychecks him.

Thankfully—because this isn't the first time he's stopped by—he's already braced himself when the door flings open, stepping backward to balance the two of them, containers of food carefully swinging in his one hand as he catches JJ with the other. ]

...Greetings to you too, King.

[ And now begins the process of dragging him back through the threshold of the door. Yusuke's still in good health, so it isn't that strenuous, even after a long few hours fruitlessly tracking down criminals that he has no leads on. The flu was certainly worse, and much less exciting—he sets down his delivery on the kitchen counter, looking JJ over with a small frown. ]

You look just as terrible as when I left before. Have you been resting—?

[underwhelms]

[ Mind too hazy to be anything but compliant at the moment, JJ lets himself be pulled back into the apartment, and leaning against the couch. He doesn't particularly appreciate Yusuke's comment that he looks "terrible", but it is accurate: sweaty, uncombed hair and a blotchy complexion.

But on the flip side, his abs are getting quite the work out from all the coughing, so at least he's shirtless at the moment.

Or perhaps not, as he can feel himself start to shiver, crossing his arms over his chest. ]

Yeah, it's boring. C'mon. [ And despite his words, he heads right back to his bedroom so that he can crawl back into bed, obviously expecting Yusuke to follow him. ] Tell me about the exciting stuff you've been doing while I'm trapped inside.

koltira

[underwhelms]

[ It's not easy to remain inside all day. Much less two, much less for someone that can barely sit still for an hour.

He's over this already, because while it had been nice to be doted on for a while, Yusuke had other things to attend to, and it's not that interesting to be miserable when your mother isn't around to baby you. Which is why JJ has decided to stop being miserable, and, more importantly, decided that he will no longer be sick. He'd gotten up, shivered his way through a shower and put on clothes that weren't his pyjamas and!

To be honest, he still feels like dying.

But he's prepared to fake it until he makes it, which is why he's hovering outside his workplace, the Tailor Shop, though his boss had solidly refused to let him inside, and the entire market district is still much more empty from the attack, with stalls and streets in still a bit of disarray. It spooks JJ just to be there, but if he's going to do this, might as well go big.

He fixes Koltira, who just so happens to be strolling past, with a hazy smile. ]

Hello sir, 're you interested in a suit?

[respired]

[ It doesn't take supernatural elf senses to discern that the human in front of him is Not Well. Koltira remembers him from the beach--the one who had demanded a sand castle. He pauses, arching his eyebrows. ]

Are you dying?

[ He likes to get right to the point. ]

[underwhelms]

[ JJ's eyes go wide at the question, mouth falling open slightly in surprise at how blunt and abrupt the question was. It also hit a little too close to him, because if the illness was a result of the attack, then it's unlikely that their end goal was just to give everyone a case of the sniffles.

Is he dying? ]

No. [ He answers hesitantly, before his smile comes back with his confidence. ] I'm selling suits! Are you interested?

cain

[underwhelms]

[ This illness is a bigger deal than he'd expected. By now he's heard something about how it was a result of the attack, an attempt from Olympia's enemies to win the fight by draining it of its human resources. Rumours that JJ's not entirely sure he believes, his life being void of any war or conflict. People don't target civilians, and they especially don't try to win wars by giving people the flu.

It's just the flu; it's going to be fine.

Still, he's being responsible by trudging his way to the Sanctuary in the hopes of procuring some medicine that can at least help with the symptoms—the headaches and body pain are too much sometimes, paralyzing him and nearly bringing tears to his eyes. He just needs some painkillers.

It's too bad that he's lost then, when his mission had been so simple. It's dark—when had the day passed?—and his body is starting to feel increasingly heavy, mind increasingly numb, barely thinking to pull out his phone so that he can check where he is— ]

—achoo!!

[ Except he sneezes, once, then twice. But at least he doesn't drop his phone!! ]

[baguablade]

[ Good, honorable, upstanding people don't go skulking around at night. That's really just how things are. So it's understandable that the men Cain's watching, a conspicuous group with that odd "m" tattoo on their wrists, have done nothing more than a cursory check of the surroundings before they consider themselves safe. Cain isn't exactly shady himself, but he is something of a spy, and tailing ne'er-do-wells is something he's more than used to.

Usually his efforts at spying don't get interrupted by someone stumbling into him and sneezing loud enough to wake the dead. While holding a phone that's glowing with the blinding light of a screen at 100% in the dark.

Cain jerks, catching the man — oh, the man from the boat, he absently registers — by reflex. He grabs for the phone, hoping he can turn off the light, and that JJ won't think it's an attempt at theft instead. ]

Shh—

[ A quiet hiss, but it's already far too late. The men have noticed, their heads lifted — staring right at them. ]

[underwhelms]

[ Considering that it's happened before, JJ 100% thinks that Cain is trying to steal his phone. He's not coordinated enough to dodge Cain's swipe, but he's stubborn enough not to let go, glaring at him through eyes watery from his sneezing. ]

HEY MAN. [ His voice is unnecessarily large because he's honestly just out of touch with reality. ] That's my phone! I'm not going...

[ A break, while he turns his head away to cough. ]

... I'm not going to let you take it!

[ So if Cain was hoping for any sort of discretion, he should give up all hope. His cover, as young as it was, is solidly blown as the group of men jerk their attention toward the pair, muttering curses and reaching for whatever weapons it is they have tucked under their jackets before turning toward them with intent.

'The hell are you doing?!' ]

[vacuum]

what about me

[underwhelms]

is nurse sexy going to look after jj

[vacuum]

sure .... let's go with that

here's your real tag

[excelled]

Please, JJ.

[ Caring for someone who is ill but wants to believe they're not proves to be an obstacle Lukas never wanted to imagine. Unfortunately he's tasked with living through it because a certain someone refused to stay in bed today, for one reason or another, but could hardly make it to his destination without slumping down, defeated against a market stall.

Luckily enough the knight was there in his shining armor to keep the other man from being shouted at for too long by the vendor. A quick apology is made before he's throwing an arm over his shoulder and carefully escorting JJ back to his apartment. ]

Cooperate with me for a brief moment... where exactly do you live again? And please, if you're going to cough anymore at least cover your mouth.

i can't believe you...

[underwhelms]

[ Normally, JJ would be a lot more cooperative and considerate of the fact that he's ill. He's an athlete, and he'd always done his best to take care of his body. But it was easier to lounge around back home, where he had modern comforts like music and Netflix, and parents and a girlfriend to dote on him, bring him medicine and food.

He doesn't have that here, though he does appreciate Yusuke and Keith taking the time to visit him, they have their own lives, and it wasn't their responsibility to mother him. Or entertain him. ]

I'm buying groceries. [ He argues, voice scratchy from the aforementioned coughing. ] Can't do that at my apartment.

[ And maybe the fresh air had done him so good, but the ill-advised journey to the market hadn't, with exhaustion catching up to him sooner rather than later. At least, it was escaping his attention how everyone was steering clear of him, afraid to catch the plague. ]

I'm allowed to buy groceries! I have money!

hmm... sips my mountain dew baja blast...

[excelled]

That is when you ask someone else to do that for you.

[ He answers swiftly, his tone not wavering his usual tone and even ending with a casual drawl. It sounds like he's speaking of something much more mundane than the health of a friend, even if that is his main priority at the moment: to ensure that he is well-rested while not spreading the illness at the same time. ]

For example: you could have asked me to buy a few items. I wouldn't have mind at all. And no one is saying that you don't have money. My comments are only coming from a place of genuine concern. [ He sighs, adjusting the weight on his shoulder. ] I'll drop you off and go back with a list if restocking your resources is this important.

laith

[underwhelms]

[ This is probably a good sign: the fact that they're moving to Wyver. That means there's cooperation between the two, and that they're going to work together for that cure. It gives a little hope at least, while the sick citizens get only sicker. Even if the thought of climbing on this, frankly insanely cool looking creature had flying all the way to another city makes JJ want to kindly upend the meager contents of his stomach, he'll do his best to keep positive. ]

Can't we just teleport there.

[ He mutters, forehead pressed to the side of the beast in a manner that's similar to how he'd been leaning against the wall his previous encounter with Keith. He's thankful to have the help, of both Keith and his skinny friend, when he feels both too big and too small for his skin, movements lethargic and laboured.

He might be optimistic, but he's totally given up on getting onto the gryphon. ]

Is putting a bunch of sick people on magical creatures really a good idea? Sounds like a recipe for air sickness.

[ A complaint with the perkiest of spirits. ]

[competing]

[ frankly, lance is inclined to agree. but as it stands, this is (seemingly) the best way to transport the sick to wyver as quickly as possible, and he figures that, in the long run, the faster the ill get to lay back down again in peace, the better.

(that said, he's not looking forward to having to try and coerce allura onto one of these things later...) ]

Think of it this way — the sooner you get up and going, the sooner you get to curl back up and rest again.

[ with that, lance comes up to step behind the other male, placing a gentle and (hopefully) comforting hand along his shoulder. pat pat... there there... ]

tfw u dont see lance's reply

[emblazes]

[Can't they? Probably. For whatever reason, everyone's taken to oldschool methods...though, can gryphons be considered oldschool? Harry Potter was a modern tale, right?

In any case, here he is with Lance, rounding up the stragglers out of pure coincidence -- stragglers being anyone he's had a conversation with in the last week. Most of his contacts have already departed, but somehow...

Somehow, he had a feeling that JJ of all people would require some help. Something about his attention span, his inability to take things seriously...]

Air sickness?

[A glance over in Lance's direction, is that even a thing?]

Sounds better than land sickness.

[And now just because he'll be traveling on horseback; at least if they're all sharing the disease up in the sky, they can...just...air it out...whatever.]

Maybe you should grab one of his legs, and I'll grab the other one...

[Addressing Lance, re: helping JJ get on this incredibly patient bird lion.]

siegfried

[underwhelms]

Have you ever been to a gala before?

[ He could imagine it: Siegfried was some kind of medieval knight, so it's not unlikely that he might've attended a ball in some huge castle. Like something out of a Disney novel. The parties and galas that JJ has been to probably pale in comparison, though many of them were glamorous and attended by celebrities, they weren't at the level of Cinderella.

Wherever it is that they're going tonight, the path lined with people giving them concerned stares, shops that have shut down, and run down alley ways.

JJ doesn't even realize that he has no idea where they're going, but the destination he's imagining in his mind is grand and beautiful, a reward for all the hardships that they've had to endure.

It feels like they've had to endure a lot. ]

I loved to go to parties back home. [ He's continuing before Siegfried even gets a chance to answer, his appearance hardly matching his confident tone: pale and tired. ] I love to dance, you know. Figure skaters always start with ballet, which was okay, but I like ballroom dancing too.

[ He's so excited to party!! ]

[uwe]

Perhaps not a gala, but similar parties. They were... expected of me, when I lead the Black Dragon Knights.

[ it's not something he likes talking about too much, since there's definitely heavy baggage there, but in his own... stupor, he's less tight lipped than he might have been otherwise. in other word, exactly that: extravagant parties in a giant castle.

not all they're cracked up to be, jj. ]

I was a bit worried when I received my invitation to this event. [ there definitely was no invitation. ] I've never been much for dancing myself... I was invited quite often, but people eventually stopped when they realized how unskilled I am.

[ he's actually weirdly good at everything, so they mostly stopped when they saw how much he didn't like doing it. ]

Perhaps you can instruct me when we arrive?

[ wherever it is... they're going... ]

I'M HERE TO HAND FEED JJ

[excelled]

[ Wyver traveling blah blah blah if you came here for specifics you've got the wrong player; they're here now and things are getting progressively worse despite that being the last thing any of them wanted. Lukas of course takes some priority of familiar faces in terms of taking care of the sick, despite how morally twisted that may seem, and is at least ensuring that a few individuals can stomach what little broth they can between violent hallucinations and crying tears of blood like this is a bad spin-off of My Immortal. ]

JJ. [ His voice is calm, of course, as if trying to be a source of reassurance in these troubling times. A bowl in one hand and spoon in another as he sits besides JJ's bed. ] You're awake, good. [ He offers a small smile. (Of course he's awake now that he's got an annoying ass mom friend beside him, ugh Lukas.) ]

You must be hungry, it's time that you ate something... surely you should at least be able to stomach some broth.

[ It's "some beast" flavor... it tastes like chicken... he thinks. ]

[underwhelms]

[ JJ's got a towel over his eyes, it's slightly damp from being dipped in warm water, and bloodied from constantly being used to wipe the blood from his face. JJ never had a goth or emo stage in high school, and he's not looking to start having one now.

Needless to say, he's very much the picture of teenage indifference, barely acknowledging Lukas' presence even though Lukas is the best, for actually putting up with him firstly, and then going beyond that to actually care for him.

He doesn't want to eat, or get up. There had been a burst of energy where he'd been desperate to get out and explore the city, but that too had passed, and now he's regressed to a pathetic state that wants to sleep until this entire nightmare is over. ]

Thanks.

[ But he's also learned that trying to refuse Lukas doesn't really work.

So he's have to outsmart him. ]

I'll help myself if you just leave it on the table. I'm just kind of tired right now.