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Thanks, Lance.

[So weird to say that so naturally, without any trace of sarcasm. Even with things established between them...hmph. Character development not quite as pertinent as getting JJ atop his ride, and uh....somehow getting the bleeding to stop? Maybe in reverse order, with any luck. He can only think of one thing that may help some -- it certainly couldn't make things worse.]

--The mask doesn't have anything to do with that.

[He's rifling through one of his pouches.]

No one's arresting anyone.

[It's not like JJ was kneeling during the national anthem or something. Finally, a small unmarked bottle's produced and uncorked. He never truthfully...got to the bottom of how this worked; as a topical applicant or something meant to be ingested. It's an old healing potion from way back when -- there may be an inch or less of it left.]

Drink that, it might help. [He averts his eyes, looking briefly to Lance.] It's -- in case you get nauseous while flying.

[Wait, he's a serious figure skater and probably travels all the time?]

On a gryphon.

You should listen to me because I'm right.

[ Regardless, JJ lets Chuuya take the cigarette back before easing onto the bed again.

He drapes the towel back over his eyes, hands coming to rest on his stomach as he sighs. It would be easy to drift off to sleep, and he's already halfway to it, the excitement of his entry into the apartment catching up to him, but he clings to consciousness. ]

So. [ It doesn't take him long to figure out how to break the silence. ] We all know that I'm engaged. What about you? Are you dating anyone?

[ He's prepared meals in the past, but consistently taking care of someone is a bit alien—JJ must have more experience if he's had to nurse dozen family members with the common cold. But Yusuke does what he can, pouring the soup into a bowl and rifling through the rest of the bag he'd brought by. The rustling doesn't quite cover a quiet huff. ]

I have higher priorities than courtship.

[ So whatever possibility of being brother-in-laws will have to be put on hold, even beyond stasis issues. Meanwhile, JJ seems to have found his soulmate by 20. That's a feat in and of itself, though perhaps it speaks to his neediness too. ]

Though there's nothing wrong with focusing one's life ventures on love...

[ Koltira's less-than-positive response does little to damage JJ's mood, given that if anything was going to bring him down, it would be the weird mash up of uncomfortable sensations he's currently experiencing. He and Koltira don't really know each other either—he's confident that he can win the stranger over.

He's just charming like that. ]

You don't really sugarcoat anything, huh? Well, that's okay. A good deed is a good deed...

[ He cants forward, slightly unsteady, so that he can put a hand on Koltira's arm, expression turning slightly more serious. ]

But do you really think someone could die from this disease?

[ Somehow, Yusuke's response doesn't surprise him much, and JJ smiles as he pushes himself up, lumbering toward the kitchen both in search of companionship and food. The hunger's come suddenly, even as an ache starts to crawl up his legs at the movement, the tremble of his knees isn't enough to slow him down in his quest for the kitchen table. ]

Uh huh. Are you still in the "girls have cooties" stage of development?

[ He doesn't really think that's the case, but he can't help but tease as he settles down, grimacing and feeling like an old man as he does so. ]

I guess you're still kind of young... even though I started dating Isabella when I was sixteen. But I wasn't moonlighting as a superhero in my spare time.

[ Though he was flying around the globe for skating competitions. Maybe it really is his neediness. ]

[ it doesn't really take a genius to tell that keith's struggling here, but then again, his interpersonal relations had never exactly been his strong suit. kind of silly, then, to expect he'd have decent bedside manners. at least he tries...

but with the gryphon tamed, lance steps up again, affixing jj with an encouraging smile. ]

It'll help, dude, trust me. A sip of that stuff gets me feeling right as rain.

[ except it had been used as an ointment on him before, but he's like 99.9% sure it was originally intended for consumption anyway....

that gives him an idea, though, turning to his and keith's discarded duffel bag. from there he withdraws a single black t-shirt (could be keith's, could be lance's guard uniform, hard to say) but this he holds out towards jj, tentatively approaching. ]

We forgot to pack some towels, but this should work just fine. In case you wanna, uh, dry yourself off.

[

... ]

[ He doesn't even know what a cootie is, stop it. By straining his social muscles, he can guess that this is some kind of jab; he makes a face that's much too haughty for a simple task like preparing a tray of food, breaking a small bread loaf in half. It's all ridiculous, but the conversation brightens a little for it. ]

I wouldn't put it like that, but I did keep myself busy.

[ It's more like vigilantism, and something he's still not quite used to sharing. That's a flattering way to look at it, though. Western comics are pretty cool. ]

Regardless, you're hardly any older than I am. [ don't talk like you Know Things, JJ...... Yusuke's clearly got his life in order when he's the one setting dinner in front of him. ] I would surmise that our aspirations are not so different.

[ Besides matters of romance, clearly. ]

[ He's not dead, and he can stay on his feet, he's totally fine! Sure, it may be a somewhat broad definition of the word, but what JJ knows won't hurt him. The last thing JJ needs is having to worry about him on top of everything else, after all.

Though the trickle of blood slowly wetting Cain's sleeve might give him away. Hopefully JJ's a bit too woozy and occupied with leaning against him to notice. ]

JJ Style, huh? Well, I'm grateful. It's not a bad sort of style at all. [ There's a bit of laughter in his voice. JJ still seems out of it, but to make such a claim, that it's not his style to leave a friend behind... JJ's a pretty cool guy. ] As for what I was doing, I was trying to track them back to their hideout. [ His voice is wry; obviously the attempt isn't succeeding tonight. ] They were part of the group responsible for that attack in the market, so I'm glad for the save.

[ Never mind that he might not have needed the save in the first place if not for JJ's interruption, or that he might have been able to make a quick escape himself if not for having to worry over JJ during the fight. Such thoughts don't even occur to Cain. He can't regret that his pursuit was interrupted when he'd rather be here to make sure JJ doesn't keel right over. ]

[ It's a little uncertain for a second, because they're calming, and it feels like their help is genuine, but there's something in him that just wants to panic; a part of him that just wants to live up to the manchild reputation and throw a fit, because he's tired and aching, etc. etc.

But honestly, that seems like a lot of work, and there's a larger part that's defeated. Anger takes a lot more energy than he's will to expend right now, so he just smiles gratefully, though the expression doesn't really soften his ghastly appearance, and he takes both the offered bottle and shirt. ]

Thanks. I'm feeling better, actually.

[ As in, he's got the warm fuzzies from all the friendship floating around them, and it's overpowering the dread that would normally settle in his stomach.

He lifts the shirt to his face without really thinking about it, rubbing it over his cheeks where the blood is drying, and his nose where more is starting to trickle out. With the calm however, comes a bit of unwanted clarity: the slow realization of what exactly is happening, the red blurring over his vision, and the sudden, warm tang of blood in his mouth.

It's a good effort from Keith and Lance, but those warm fuzzies rapidly turn sour as JJ drops to his knees to throw up the contents of his stomach. ]

[ This is the life. Hanging out in his pyjamas, having friends over and serve him food. JJ looks ridiculously pleased as Yusuke sets the soup and bread on the table, it's not the first time since he'd gotten sick, but the novelty has yet to wear off. He's sure to offer Yusuke his thanks as he does so, offering a quick prayer before he tears off a piece of bread to dip into the soup. ]

You're probably right about that, we're both artists at heart.

[ Albeit ones with radically different hobbies. It doesn't really matter to him however, and he's surprised at how little his image of Yusuke has changed after finding about his dalliances in crime fighting.

He's shooting the other teen a smile as he blows on the piece of bread, but the bite never makes it to his mouth when pain, sudden and strong cracks up his legs, sharper than the dull aches that had been plaguing him before this. It's stark, the bread falling from his fingers and splattering back into the bowl but his fingers don't stay numb for long, one hand forming into a fist that bangs into the table, and the other gripping his thigh, nails digging into the bare skin there.

His eyes are already squeezed shut, blind to Yusuke's expression as he kneels over, mind overrun with the feeling of his muscles cramping so hard it's as though they're trying to tear away from his bones. ]

[ JJ's head jerks up at that tidbit of revelation—a move that isn't his greatest idea, his head throbbing at the motion, and body taking a second to reorient before he can fix Cain with a surprised stare. ]

You too? [ Cain had said it so normally, but it's really not normal for regular civilians to get up and pursue criminals. ] Are you part of the police? Why is everyone... everyone's just going after actual terrorists. Is that normal?

[ It boggles JJ's mind, when all the conflict that he'd known before this was limited to sports competitions. Thankfully he'd never been a victim or known anyone who was victim to a crime aside from some petty thefts, but he couldn't fathom regular people undertaking their own investigations to pursue the perpetrators. That in itself would probably lead to committing a crime.

He furrows his brows, fingers brushing down the side of Cain's arm as his hand falls from his shoulder, and he jerks again at the sensation of something wet a foreign against his skin. ]

Wait, wait. [ It's taking a second for his muddled brain to catch up. ] Are you... bleeding? Is that your blood?

[ Then, in a moment of clarity: ]

Do you need a hospital?

[ Yusuke's already onto dishes midway through JJ's sentence (mostly annoyed at his own clutter), and it'd be a domestic scene (a running sink, idle chatter, not much else) if one of them wasn't sick. Even then, JJ's been pretty energetic since he got here, occasionally fading in and out of his usual energy, but always bouncing back. It's probably stupid of him to expect things to stay that way. He of all people should know better.

The sudden bang and clatter makes him start; the noise catches his attention, but seeing JJ suddenly go taut as a wire—pale and curled into himself—is what has him hurrying over to his side. ] JJ—!?

[ His brow's furrowed as he grips JJ's shoulder, surprised at how he can go from feverish to clammy in the blink of an eye, eyes darting about uselessly in the face of a new symptom. There's not much else he can do until the spasm passes—he just reaches for his hand, trying to pry his fingers loose before he hurts himself. ]

[ Koltira glances at the hand on his arm, but doesn't do anything to displace it. JJ is fever-warm, and he can't deny that he likes the sensation. ]

Why would you think otherwise? The lot of you grow worse by the day.

[Isn't that his shirt? Didn't Lance only pack necessary items? He quells a pending outburst; it's fine. JJ needs it more than he does. He's dying, Squirtle.

You don't look better -- another thing he's internalizing. His brows arch high on his forehead, he spares a glance at Lance, devoid of anger...all of it replaced with skepticism. By the time he's got his sights set on JJ, he's doubling over, blood-puking?! It can't all be blood, it's not-? He's cross between jumping back and hunching over him like Owen Grady in Jurassic World trying to keep the raptors at bay -- the raptors being Lance, because he hasn't a mask covering his face...where's your dang visor son.

He's 100% bad at this, frozen like so, arms extended. It's...a good thing that he's puking, right? Getting rid of bad stuff...or, wait, that was only true for him the last time he puked and isn't universal law.

Um.]

[ siegfried just assumes jj knows where they're going, while jj probably thinks the same. ultimately, this completely unjustified reliance on one another will definitely not get them in trouble in anyway. ]

You may be a bit overqualified for this then. [ it sounds like it, anyway. ] At the very least, my coordination is decent, and I'm reasonably physically fit. [ which is... an understatement. you once fought an entire army by yourself and won, siegfried. ]

Oh, the decorations are quite lovely.

[ are they? what is he seeing? who even knows? because they're definitely just in some random deserted area in the slums now. there are a few sick wyver natives just sitting and recuperating out in the street nearby, but no one seems to bat an eyelash at them.

who knows, maybe they're somehow hallucinating the same thing. ]

Yes... I've been on the run lately, so this will be a nice change of pace.

[ sans visor, lance has only his hand to slap over his mouth. but unlike keith's concerns, his is rooted more in his own worry that he might soon follow suit... not because he'll get sick. but because he'll get sick. heh.

once he's certain he won't be blowing chunks all over keith as soon as he opens his mouth, he cautiously shifts past him to check on the other boy. ]

Hey... Tell us what you need, man. [ soft. sympathetic. caring. ]

Keith'll get it for you.

[ a regular florence nightingale. ]

[ JJ's aware of Yusuke there, hovering and trying to help, not that JJ can acknowledge him. It's fear and pain both that have paralyzed him; scared that any movement he makes, even as slight as breathing, might make the situation worse. He can't even cry, even though he wants to, and he wants to ask whats even happening to the citizens of this city— if they're going to die from this disease— he'd rather just die.

His fingers dig deeper into his skin, drawing blood and looking almost like he'd rather rip the muscle out himself than deal with the steady build of tension. It's almost accurate, and pain can drive people to extreme lengths, but he's gotten banged up before. It's a natural byproduct of being an athlete: sprains, strains, and stress fractures, some injuries more excruciating than others, and all of them with the chilling fear that he's messed up too badly and won't be able to compete anymore.

But it always gets better. The memory of the hurt always fades, and the body always heals.

He breathes and there's a moment of respite where Yusuke can take his hand, red under the fingertips, but it's brief and the ache explodes back into his senses, and now he's gripping Yusuke's arm like it intends to break it, Yusuke's skin giving way under his nails too in a sharp spike that leaves him trembling for a second, ready to split apart.

And then its gone, the numbness exquisite in comparison to what preceded it, JJ's head falling forward with a deep gasp, forehead resting on the table as he gathers his breath. ]

[ Koltira doesn't really pull any punches. JJ draws in a quick breath at his answer, his hand tightening on Koltira's arm for a second before he pulls it back, embarrassed by the reaction though still alarmed. ]

Because... wouldn't there be more of a commotion? The government would be doing something. Citywide alerts?

[ He feels like city official would be doing testing on them or something. Not just walking around as though nothing had ever happened. ]

On the run? You sound like a criminal. [ JJ's teasing, because the idea is hilarious. Siegfried hits almost every mark on the list describing a knight: serious, polite, and supportive.

He pats Siegfried's arm before pulling him along. ]

C'mon, let's get a drink before dancing.

[ They head over to more nothing, and JJ just stares at empty air with a pleasant smile on his face. There's a large dog-or-rat that scurries in front of him, running through what must be some imaginary table that JJ's apparently seeing, but it doesn't do anything to shatter the illusion that he's build up. ]

Guess they're out of drinks.

[ Which makes sense, since it's such a lively event—it feels like the entire city is here. And why would they be, when the ballroom is decorated so gorgeously and the castle a shining beacon in the night.

But that means they won't get to wet their palette before taking to exercise, and that's fine with JJ, for once oblivious to the aches plaguing his body, or the stuffiness of his head. Instead he turns to Seigfried, relaxed and refined despite the fact that he's standing in some random street in Wyver in casual wear. ]

Do you want to dance?

[ He extends a hand. (There's no music.) ]

[ Perhaps if the scenario were different he'd describe each little action JJ makes as cute, but that's the least thing on his mind. Currently occupied with returning the man home and getting him to rest, he honestly never asked for this babysitting job but he's going to accept it anyway. ]

Putting thought into our situation it's to be expected that I'd be a tad worried.

[ And then there's a shift in their conversation. One that he responds with a raised brow and quirk of his lip that struggles between shifting into a frown or a casual smile. Instead it presses into a line, poised and composed, as he hums lightly. ]

You could say that I enjoy reading. I can always get lost in a good page-turner, I would say that my favorite subjects though are that of the scholarly kind.

[ Ah, just what he'd wanted to avoid having JJ notice... But he can't yank his arm away like he wants to. For one, that'd be too suspicious. For another, he's worried that JJ might fall right over if he makes a sudden movement like that. Cain's left to wince, hoping the expression is hidden by the dim lighting even though they're nearly nose-to-nose, staring into each other's eyes. ]

Of course not, I'm fine. Most of it's not mine.

[ That's reassuring, right? Most of it, it's just a scratch, he lets his casual tone imply, hoping that JJ, in his fevered state, will buy it. JJ seems pretty scattered, after all. Easily muddled. Maybe a distraction will get him out of being worried over?

It's worth a try.

Brightly, Cain presents a not-at-all suspiciously swift change of topic. ]

Anyway, I'm a soldier back home. [ Home, Idelva. He still can't think of El Nysa as home. He still has hope that his home can somehow be rescued and restored. ] A general, actually. I'm used to this kind of dangerous thing. So I guess it is pretty normal for me.

[ Yes, someone made him general of a not particularly small army. What he doesn't care to mention is that he'd consider throwing himself into danger as normal even without being in the military. Risking himself for others is something he does without a second thought, with or without the rank to back up his penchant for doing whatever he wants. ]

It's... a bit complicated. [ teasing or not, he sort of is one. falsely accused, but all the same.

though jj doesn't seem to care either way, and siegfried gladly allows the topic to be dropped as he's literally pulled away. ]

...I have been hearing rumblings of a food shortage or something along those lines. It's a pity that it would affect this party as well...

[ though really, why wouldn't it?

if he was thinking clearly, perhaps he'd notice that throwing a party in a time of crisis seems pretty bizarre to begin with. but thinking clearly is definitely not what's happening right now, or he'd notice they're just in an empty lot. ]

I suppose we do have to amuse ourselves somehow.

[ so he'll take that hand, happily. ]

[ JJ grins at that, looking quite pleased with himself—as though he'd done anything of merit. ]

I knew you'd have some nerdy hobbies. [ Which is... rude, but his tone isn't particularly mean spirited. ] I had to read a lot for university too, some of the books were so boring, but I always forced myself to pay attention and take notes. If you're going to do something, might as well be the best you can be at it, right? There's a lot I like reading about too, I mean...

[ And he's going to keep rambling like that, going over his various hobbies and the subjects he used to study back on Earth. It's possible he could've talked about himself for the entire walk home if not for the cough that eventually cuts him up, his body jerking away from Lukas to keep from coughing on him because that's gross. ]

What? [ What? ] You were a general? But aren't you my age?

[ Then again, he reflects, delving into an internal monologue, people used to be considered adults at a much younger age, even back on Earth—even in the present day in some places. It could very well be part of the culture to hit puberty and be thrust into the world as an adult as young as twelve or thirteen. That could be likely for Cain, given that he'd described himself as a "soldier" rather than stating he was in some specific country's military. Not to mention the fact that he's used to fighting with knives instead of rifles.

Needless to say, JJ is distracted, lost in thought before his attention wanders back to Cain. ]

Did you join the army right after puberty? [ Which isn't as relevant as: ] And even if you're used to it, I don't think you can become immune to blood loss.

[ Cain's diversion hadn't worked as well as he might've hoped, and suddenly it feels like JJ can't stop smelling the blood, aware of its presence between the two of them. His hand wanders back to Cain's arm, hovering before settling lower, by his elbow. ]

Maybe you just can't feel how much it hurts. It could still be dangerous.

It's fine, I promise. It doesn't hurt at all, I've had much worse!

[ He's laughing as he says it, entirely feigned. Just another smokescreen to keep JJ from worrying over him, even if what he's saying almost isn't a lie — he has had worse, and just like now, had tried to hide the extent of his injuries.

Really, why isn't this topic change strategy working! ]

And no, not right after puberty.

[ His voice is teasing, no offense taken. He is around JJ's age, and he knows he's young for his position. Having to flee from your kingdom when it's destroyed from the inside out, lost to corruption, does that. He's also quite happily trying to avoid that very relevant point about blood loss. It's another bid at distraction, but still playful as he balances JJ with one arm and pokes JJ's cheek. ]

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