nysalogs | ( closed? )

[ 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...

[ 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!

[ 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?

[ 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!! ]

what about me

is nurse sexy going to look after jj

sure .... let's go with that

[ It's time, JJ realizes, for him to give back. He's been a fairly greedy friend, requesting that Yusuke nurse him even after Yusuke had gone as far as saving his life. It's not often that he shows this kind of consideration, but in a moment of feverish enlightenment, JJ had decided it was his turn to bring soup.

And this motivation carried him all the way to the kitchen, where he realized there was no soup and when he tried to gather the ingredients to make some he'd just ended up staring blankly at five carrots and an egg for half an hour.

In any case, he revised his plan, but he's still here, at the door of his good friend with a determined canteen of water. ]

Hey! It's me!! I made it!

[ He's so proud of himself. Even though this is now the third door he's trying, and even though he's tired enough now that he's not so much knocking at the door as he is pitching forward to rest his forehead against it, closing his eyes just for a second. ]

[ 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. ]

[ 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?!' ]

[ 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—?

[ 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.

[ He sighs, just a little, his shoulders slumping. Yes, this is exactly what he was afraid of happening. But he only permits himself a moment of exasperation. What's more important than JJ's inability to read the situation is extricating them from said situation. Quickly. ]

I don't want it. [ He says to JJ, pleasantly enough. For the moment, he ignores the men pulling out their weapons — there's no salvaging his stake out. First, he needs to maneuver JJ — a civilian — out of the way, and he makes an attempt at it by grabbing JJ's arm and trying to shuffle JJ behind him. ] And you look terrible, are you sick?

[ There's some scraping and more shouting as the men kick away the crates they were using as makeshift chairs; Cain's keeping watch on their approach from the corner of his eye, but for now, he doesn't want them to think he's concerned. ]

[ He is not reading the situation at all, agitated by the fact that he almost had his phone stolen, that he's lost, and that every part of him feelings like its working incorrectly. Generally not an aggressive person, JJ is ready to fight the guys shouting over at them, completely unaware that they armed and he's even more useless than usual.

At least, he would've been ready to fight if not for the fact that Cain was taking up all of his attention. ]

Hey! [ His protest is more bark than bite, letting Cain lead him away without any real struggle. ] Where are you taking me? I'm sick... I've been sick.

[ The noise from behind them getting louder, the men definitely on their trail, but still hesitant as they attempt to scope out who exactly it is that stumbled across them, and how urgent their pursuit needs to be.

JJ, completely oblivious to this, just presses his forehead to Cain's shoulder, his head pounding as he grumbles. ]

Ugh.

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.

Edited 2017-10-07 09:09 (UTC)

[ He isn't one to mince words, and JJ does look a mess—the flu is not exactly attractive. But at least he's well enough to speak and walk around. He probably should be sticking around more to make sure his condition doesn't get worse, but he's not a nurse, and he has to stick to his strength.

Which is, of course, beating the crap out of ne'er-do-wells. He calls out from the kitchen, putting some food on the stove before his inevitable fate of being stuck at JJ's side for like five hours. ]

It hasn't been very fruitful.

[ Otherwise, he'd have returned with good news, not soup. ]

I gave chase to a man that could use bugs as an extension of his body. There was also a sale on kelp.

[ 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!

Edited 2017-10-07 21:44 (UTC)

[ Luckily, JJ catches on that Yusuke has stopped following him before he climbs into bed, and instead he settles himself on the floor, sitting crosslegged with his head tilted back so that it can rest on the wall. He grimaces at Yusuke's words, making a face at the idea of someone controlling bugs. ]

That sounds so gross!

[ It's a good thing JJ's voice is naturally loud, because he isn't capable of raising it much without coughing. ]

You didn't get hurt, right? Did you kick his ass? Maybe a guy like that should be in jail...

[ He believes in you, Yusuke!! ]

[ Well. This is not really what Cain was expecting, and he blinks at JJ's hair, all he can see of the man, before gingerly patting his head in his best there there. No wonder JJ's stumbled right into his stakeout, if he's got whatever the illness is that's going around.

That's worse than if JJ had just been incautious, or even drunk. He can't count on JJ to run away even if Cain uses himself as a distraction, and he's now even more of a liability in a fight. ]

Let's get you somewhere to lie down, then. It's Cain, remember? [ He smiles wryly; hopefully knowing who he is will make JJ more tractable rather than less. ] Though we might have to run away, there's some very angry men after us.

[ Angry men who've circled them in the time he's taken to talk to JJ. ]

[ Running does not feel like it's something that JJ is currently capable of, but that's fine, he'll make it work if the alternative is dying. It had been a peaceful two months in Olympia without, and he'd almost forgotten what it was like to fear for his life. Granted, he's not entirely sure that he's capable of being afraid for his life right now, when everything feels so surreal and hazy. ]

Sure, I can run.

[ So he does. Like right then and there.

Mostly because he feels like if they're running anywhere, he's going to need a bit of a handicap in the form of a head start given his impaired state, and also he wants to prove that he can.

It's not a graceful run in the least, and JJ looks as though he's in danger of pitching forward with every step, but happens suddenly enough that men don't react immediately, shouting and looking back between Cain and JJ as they try to decipher what exactly is going on. ]

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.

Edited 2017-10-08 07:20 (UTC)

[ Lukas is kind: a perfect gentleman and a knight, and JJ should be appreciative of his assistance. But he's just frustrated. He doesn't want to be carted around like a nuisance. He's always missing his family on some level, but he feels it especially strong now—misses feeling cared for, and loved.

Lukas is great, but he's not any of that, and that makes him the unfortunate victim of JJ's tantrum. ]

No, just.

[ He's arguing, pushing Lukas' arm away, and not at all cooperating despite Lukas' earlier plea. ]

I can do it. And— [ in a moment of feverish brilliance: ] You'll have to catch me to stop me.

[ Before shuffling away at a... moderately fast pace. ]

Edited 2017-10-08 16:18 (UTC)

[ It was gross, but Yusuke is straight-faced when he responds. ]

Yes. Consider his ass kicked.

[ He didn't turn him in, but there were plenty of people out and about, tagging bad guys and shaking them down for info. It didn't seem to be getting them anywhere, though—the sale at the food stands was probably more exciting. He sighs as the stove flickers to life, turning back to JJ. ]

I'm sorry we haven't brought everyone who did this to justice yet.

[ It was frustrating, having sick friends and associates and no one to answer for it. ]

[ Shivering slightly as he drums his fingers over his knee, JJ contemplates getting up to grab his blanket but—opts against it in the end, too tired to keep going back at forth.

He sends a confused look at Yusuke's apology. ]

That's not your job. That's what we have police for.

[ Superpowers aside, Yusuke is still an ordinary teenager. Well, ordinary in a fairly loose sense. He does have extraordinary powers with his magic and art, but otherwise, he's a kid like JJ, who enjoys playing on the beach and using stupid nicknames.

Moreover, JJ doesn't actually care about bringing the perpetrators to justice. He thought he would, because they're so clearly Wrong, but he's just too tired. Normally he's full to the brim with energy and opinions, and strong feelings on any topic that comes up, but right now he doesn't care. About the attack or the details of the illness, or the reason behind it.

He rubs his eyes, before letting them fall closed again. ]

It'll work out.

[ Maybe it's not his duty, but his responsibilities don't just end with being a normal teenager. He responds quietly, but there's a string of tension there that's usually missing from his distant demeanor. ]

That isn't how it goes.

[ He won't abandon JJ to his boredom or sickness alone, but Yusuke's able-bodied still, and he can't help but go back out there eventually—he's never gained anything from accepting his circumstances. Things don't get better because you wait for them to; maybe the most childish thing about him is the belief that he could make a difference. Typical teenage arrogance. He moves as he continues speaking. ]

Just as you need to stay here and rest, I must do everything I can to make this situation right.

[ He hands him that blanket he's been eyeing. ]

Besides, there's only so much the police can do.

( closed? )

matt

yusuke

koltira

cain

no subject

no subject

no subject

ok

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

here's your real tag

no subject

i can't believe you...

no subject

no subject

no subject

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

you said this thread would be cute

no subject

no subject

no subject