thebastion | Day 196 : Start of the "Sickness Inside" plot

[She had expected bodies, with what Yukio had said in regards to that awful smell. Not bodies like that, though. And the lighted areas, though dim and somewhat trashed, hadn't had any at all. So seeing that the second she lit up the room had been reason enough for her to scream.

And she was just about to scream again when Zulf yanked her out of the room. An easy enough task given how tiny she was, and how easy the vest she wore made it for him to grab and pull. She really couldn't resist seeing as he'd caught her completely off guard.]

Ahk--! Zulf, what the he--...

[But then he was around the corner in one of the lighted areas, hunched over, visibly shaking and retching all over the floor.]

Zulf... ? Yukio--!

[Something's wrong something's really wrong and she can't get herself to even say as much, just a frightened cry for her brother (Please help him, I don't know what's going on!) as she regains her balance and goes stumbling over, worried hands hovering over the man.]

Edited 2014-06-09 16:25 (UTC)

[Yep, there sure are quite a few bodies in this building! They're in various stages of decomposing, but one thing is true for all of them: they have no physical injuries at all.

These people died of disease, not monsters.]

[While Rin screams and Zulf comes running, Yukio only stares, tightening his grip on his weapon and swallowing thickly. His line of work has made him privy to all manner of unpleasantness, and all of it at a much younger age than he is now. Possessions, sickness, death, and rotting things that should be long dead...

But he's never seen anything quite like this.

The young exorcist follows the other two out of the room fairly quickly, holstering his gun and laying a hand on Rin's shoulder for a moment. He's holding together fairly well, but his expression is tight and he's definitely a shade or two paler than he was a few moments ago.]

Give him a minute.

[He moves to Zulf's other side, crouching and waiting for a break in his heaving before trying to speak to him.]

When you're ready, we need to leave.

[She can see that, and she can see how bad all of this is. She's dumb but she's not that oblivious to what's right in front of her face. She swallows hard, bitter, acidic bile shoved back down in to her churning stomach.

We need to leave.

But there's things in there. Amongst the bodies, things they need.

Lips set in a tight line, she drops her pack with a thunk next to them, digging around inside until she can yank a handkerchief off from around a packed bento box she had brought along with her, moving to tie it around her face.]

[It takes a moment- it's almost the shaking that's worse than the constant heaving, even with how it makes his throat be nearly unable to take in air. Finally, however, he's nearly done, one hand pressed against the wall for support and his skin paler than normal. Nearly sheet white. He gives a weak nod to Yukio, and in him there's some relief. Someone else knows the dire issue at hand. That makes things a little better.]

[It's right as he's starting to straighten up, stomach still churning, that he hears the thump of Rin dropping her pack. For a moment, he just stares at her in confusion.]

Rin? [Even as he says it, it hits him. Jaw clenched, he moves towards her to grab her.] Don't you dare go in there!

[She can't be serious. After seeing those bodies and the condition they were in, it should be obvious enough...

Yeah, make that two people reaching out to grab Rin.]

We can't stay here. Whatever happened in there, we can't risk further exposure.

[Wow are both of you itching to get hurt? Because that's what's going to happen if you don't let go of the half demon that could probably flip both of you on your backs at the same time.

As it is she struggles against both their holds, but not so much as to injure either of them.]

Let go-- let go of me! We came here to get things and if I'm the only one that can do it without gettin' whatever the hell killed those people, then I need to go!

No you're NOT!

[Zulf's voice rises to a yell, hoarse but still more than loud enough. There's a cough, his body shaking, before he speaks in a lower tone.]

I'm immune.

[Probably. It's likely that this is a different strain- or maybe just a disease that looks similar. Zulf knows that since he's not a doctor and that he was too young to learn the science behind what swept through the Terminals, there's no way to be sure.]

[But he doesn't want to lose anyone else.]

[Oh, are we yelling now? Alright, Yukio's down with that.]

I don't give a damn who's immune and who isn't!

[A raised voice from Yukio around people who aren't Rin is actually a pretty rare thing, but the situation merits it.]

Anything we might need in there isn't going to up and walk away. We're going outside, and no one is coming back in until we know what it is we're dealing with.

[A pointed look at Zulf, since he seems to have some idea.]

[WELP.

Yeah yelling is a thing. Rin sure doesn't want Zulf going in there any more than others want her going in, but for the moment she's going to focus on what Yukio said.]

We don't have a lotta time, Yukio! The longer we stay here the more we become a target!

Besides, what if what happened is in there? What if there's a... a clue to what happened?!

[Everyone is yelling!!!]

Plague happened! That's all you need to know- look, just go outside, find Nathaniel, and tell him we need to get away from this place!

You told me once that it was alright if you were reckless because you could take it- but then one day you came back halfway into the Mother's arms and Night already there!

By arguing you're just putting us more in danger!

[Oh, ouch. Yukio only recently learned about that particular Skyway incident, and he doesn't have to look at Rin to see what her reaction will be like.

Alright, less yelling.]

... We can't take chance, Neesan.

[Well she looks like she just got slapped.

Which is probably about what Yukio would have expected. He knows Rin, even if it's male Rin that he knows more than this one. But he would still know just how personal and painful that sort of statement would be.

Losing anyone to Rin was the worst thing that could have happened to her, and she's still reeling from an incident well over a month old now.

And she doesn't listen to Yukio because of it, glaring at Zulf if only to hide how hurt she is by what he said.]

I don't. Get. Sick.

[And intending to use that as a 'that's final', she jerks the handkerchief across her face, ties it tight around her mouth and nose, and wheels around.]

Go get Nathaniel! Tell him what's going on!

[Pantheon damn it.]

[Zulf lets out a shuddery breath hissed out between his teeth before turning to Yukio. He's patting his own clothes down, seemingly.]

Please tell Colin and Nathaniel to stop what they're doing and get stop everything. If Nathaniel protests, kindly backhand him for me because we have no time for his Cael thick headedness.

[And with that- there's suddenly a puff of smoke and a slight noise to go with it. It might even wash over Rin's shoulders- hopefully provide a distraction? Whether or not it does...]

[Hey Rin, wanna learn an Ura trick? It involves being abnormally fast to the point it looks like you're disappearing. Also the door to that room is slamming shut on you. Also, Zulf is yelling at you from the other side of the door, Rin.]

You're so OBTUSE, it's RIDICULOUS, why can't you listen to me for just ONCE!

[He figures she's... probably going to break down the door- not that he's locked it or anything but that's just how he figures Rin is. So, Zulf isn't exactly going to be standing near it. But dammit, he's trying to make a point here.]

[Alright, this is absurd and Yukio hates both of you.

He really wants to object. In fact, he starts to do just that until Zulf starts yelling from the other side of the door. If Rin really wants to go in that room, neither of them will be able to stop her for long (especially while she's in this mindset), and it doesn't look like Zulf will be easy to get a hold of either.]

Damn, stubborn-...

[One more scowl in their direction and Yukio's off to find Colin and Nathaniel so he can communicate what they've found. You know, like all three of them should've done five minutes ago.

Children, both of you.]

[Shut up, Yukio.

And Zulf--

There's a shriek of "HEY!" as he bolts past her, and a growl with the door slamming in her face, foot going in to it so hard the wood shakes.

Yukio is right - it won't keep her out for long.

She has no idea what obtuse means but she's pretty sure it's an insult right now.]

Because if I don't do somethin' and keep playin' it safe like you, we're never gonna survive long enough for things to get better!

[Enjoy some kicks punctuating those yells.]

I lost Night, I know that! But I can't just fuckin' tip-toe around for the rest of my goddamn long ass life because I'm scared it might happen again! Now let! Me! IN!

[You didn't want that door intact, right?]

[It means you're a jerk and he hates you, Rin.]

[Zulf will yell back, but right now his priority is carefully picking through the room and lighting a match which will be helpful until Rin breaks the door down. Being a smoker is a great thing.]

Have you EVER played it safe? How do you know!?

[Immediately after he says it, he gives a hard swallow as the miniscule flame shows the faces of the dead. The effect is made all the worse by the way the shadows shift and cover everything. He tries not to look for too long and just searches to see if there's anything that looks important.]

[YEAH WELL

She is a jerk.

She knows that.

But she's a jerk who wants to try and be a hero when so much of her life has been mired in failure.

That does make her stop, though, door half broken down at the bottom and fists balled up at her sides, a pale glow of blue around her.]

I have... I kept people away from me because it was safer for me that way. And I hated it.

But... but now that I have friends I want to protect I can't do that anymore! I have to take risks or else... or else none of you are gonna survive this place! I'm takin' risks so that no one else has to because I have to be strong enough that no one else is gonna die for me again!

[Jesus Christ you two.

In the room there is actually a lot of radio equipment. It looks like this was the storage room for spare parts, so it has pretty much everything Nathaniel would need for his little project. Assuming that he still takes the tower back, this stuff could come in handy.

But with all the dead bodies around, it's very obviously going to be difficult to grab anything without tripping over someone.

There's also notes written everywhere. On the walls, on paper, wherever. They're in Caelondian, so only Zulf can read them, but they say things like "STAY AWAY" and "YOU WILL DIE IF YOU STAY HERE". Those are the tame writings, by the way, if Zulf picks up any of the papers, he will read worse things.]

Edited 2014-06-10 05:05 (UTC)

[No one needs your sass, narration!]

[That makes Zulf pause as well, matchlight flickering over the foreboding message that seem to fill every bit of space that isn't taken over by a corpse.]

...I don't want to lose anyone else either, Rin. I already lost my friends and family to plague before.

And- there's nothing in here but papers and corpses. [Fuck you Nathaniel] The papers... are just warnings to stay away.

[Even though it makes his stomach turn, he will give an awkward hop over one of the corpses to make his way to some of the papers on a desk and start to go through them.]

[RUDE NARRATOR. JUST RUDE.]

... please tell me there's somethin' in there we can use.

[She lets out a pained sigh, resting her forehead and hand against what's left of the door.]

Please tell me this isn't all for nothin'...

[Those papers are hastily scrawled final letters from the people who died there. Mostly written to loved ones who are already dead because of the Calamity, and a couple mention 'meeting them again soon'.

One is an angry diatribe against one person in particular, because it's all their fault everyone got sick, because they tried to help a sick person or something. It's full of bitterness.]

[Zulf starts reading one of the first letters and has to stop himself just a sentence in, eyes squeezing shut and hands starting to tremble. It takes some will to remember to respond to Rin.]

...Bring me one of the packs and I'll see if there's anything worth putting into it. Just- don't come in. Promise me.

[She stands there, waiting, holding her breath even though it will do nothing. Hand trembling on the wood, wanting to call out to him though her voice has fled.

But then he speaks, asking something of her.

This is now how she wanted it to go, but they're at an impasse where arguing is simply going to make things worse at a time when they don't need that.

Her pack thunks on the ground again, footsteps retreating, returning, a second one joining. Her handkerchief is set on top of the second one, both getting shoved in through the hole in the door by her foot.]

At least make sure you ain't breathin' in that crap any more than you gotta.

[By the time her footsteps are returning, Zulf has made his way back to the door. The match is snuffed out so that he can use both hands to help pull the packs in.]

Don't worry. I've spent enough time with the dead. I only want to be with them when I've joined the Mother once again.

Along with your brother, you can make sure that everyone else is warned about the situation in here, can't you?

...And Rin?

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SOME HOW I DELETED THIS COMMENT I'M SORRY FORGIVE ME

JENI HOW