( 004 » ENSEMBLE ) decay

[reveriemod]

» WHO? EVERYONE
» WHEN? August 1 - 31
» WHERE? the entire station
» WHAT? Characters begin suffering mysterious and varied symptoms. (More info can be found HERE.)
» WARNINGS? illness, body transformation, loss of limb, general body horror, blood, gore

0 0 1 » STAGE 1

Characters start suffering from a light fever. They’ll feel tired and achy, more inclined to bundle up in a warm sweater (if they have one) and drink tea or have chicken soup in bed than anything else. Unfortunately, the food fabricators still don’t provide the best comfort food.

Admittedly: some people are more affected than others. Some don’t seem to be affected at all.

0 0 2 » STAGE 2

For some characters, the fever will go away and they will feel fine for a brief period. It was probably just a cold, right? And then new symptoms set in: something dark and black spreads from their heart toward their extremities through their veins, making them stand out strongly. It hurts a little, or maybe a lot and no one knows what causes this or what it is that is spreading so darkly through their veins.

For some other characters, the fever will also go away and they will feel fine for a brief period before different symptoms set in: something hard starts spreading beneath their skin, making movements just a little more difficult for affected areas. The pain of this ranges from light discomfort to severe.

For yet other characters, the fever grows worse. They experience hallucinations of their extremities turning to dust, just the way it looks when someone arrives on or disappears from the station. They lose sensation in their extremities during those hallucinatory episodes, so if they reach out to touch something with a hand they think has disappeared, they’ll feel nothing. If they try to walk and then hallucinate their legs disappearing, they’ll stumble and fall to the floor.

0 0 3 » STAGE 3

For some characters, the blackness spreads and brings additional symptoms and worsening conditions with it: their skin starts to rot and fall off, toe or fingernails or entire toes or fingers might rot and fall off, wounds open that ooze a black and foul smelling, thick fluid dripping without looking to stop even if pressure is applied. It’s painful, and the open, infected looking wounds will not close, however much characters try to treat them.

Slowly, these characters’ bodies seem to rot and decay while they still live. For non-organic characters, it’s as if their wires are melting down, metals merging together and seeping through components.

For other characters, the hardness spreads and brings additional symptoms and worsening conditions with it: some of their joints may no longer move at all, their skin turning hard and impenetrable. Characters will also their sensory perception of affected limbs/surfaces, becoming unable to notice when someone touches them on an affected area. They may also lose any other sense if the infection spreads to their eyes, their ears, their mouths. Moving is slow, difficult, painful, until it becomes practically impossible. The noises their joints make seem robotic.

Slowly, these characters seem to turn into something else. Something hard and metallic, something unfeeling and impenetrable. Something inhuman?

For those who were still suffering from the fever, it seems like there is finally some good news: the fever lets up - but then affected characters find first their skin and increasingly the entirety of their body turning translucent and insubstantial. It will start with their skin and spread to the tissue beneath. One moment, they are able to see their own organs working, their heart pumping as their ribcage turns see-through… and a while later, well. Have you ever watched someone’s heart disappear? Now’s your chance.

It might reappear for a moment, as though flickering in and out of existence. It might disappear entirely. Slowly, these characters seem to fade from existence.

0 0 4 » STAGE 4

The tables turn as characters’ bodies gain ground in the fight to return back to normal, but some changes disappear sooner than others and some might even seem to be permanent.

0 0 5 » INVESTIGATION

What is wrong with you? What is wrong with everyone? What caused it and how can these symptoms be treated, halted, reversed?

Is there a cure or is it possible to at least understand what’s going on?

Comments

closed to jyn erso

[onlydoubts]

[ after their fevers abate, Bodhi assumes things will go back to normal.

he's wrong, of course. after the fever he feels... sore and achy. not like the aches and chills of the fever, and the soreness gives way to pain and stiffness.

she seems unaffected by what's currently ailing him, the stiffness in the joints doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal, and there's enough to worry about with what's going on in the station. so Bodhi just lets it go. he'll clock in an hour or two at the gym later, maybe the gravity is having some kind of an effect on him.

maybe, maybe... it doesn't seem likely, though and Bodhi knows that. on the second day, he's sitting in the one of the chairs at the command center with his hands curled awkwardly around a mug of coffee because his fingers don't want to bend right. he'd nearly messaged her this morning to tell her to go on without him, but that might be worrying, and... he'll be fine. really. it's just a few hours of going over things in here. ]

[adjy]

[ jyn is able to more-or-less ignore her own symptoms, they're not nearly as severe as everyone else around her. and she's always been able to keep a clear head during crisis, but that's when it isn't her friends in the line of fire. bodhi had been acting oddly, and she's almost certain it has to do with the outbreak. she arrives, a napkin held to her nose and a shiver running down her spine. it seems her good luck has run out, but she's convinced she can still work, it's only a few hours... ]

Sorry I'm late- [ she announces herself, voice nasally and expression dimmer than usual. it takes her a moment to settle in across from him, putting her makeshift tissue into a jumpsuit pocket and sniffling pointedly. ] You look unwell, Bodhi. What is it? [ she knows she doesn't look so hot either, but still. ]

[onlydoubts]

Don't worry about it. I haven't been here long. [ he taps the mug with a finger as if to emphasize he made a stop before getting here. normal for Bodhi to do in the morning, but it's remained untouched as it tastes off to him.

maybe it's just the fever. ]

You do too. Though you're feeling better? [ he's not sure why he seems worse off, whereas Jyn does not. it's not a complaint, he doesn't want any of his friends ill, and if it turns out can't work, then it's good one of them will be able to. ] I'm alright. Just think the fever hit me a little harder. That's all.

[adjy]

Yes, I think my fever has passed already though- [ she puts the napkin back to her face and sneezes with a pitchy Choo! ] Ugh.

If you need to take the day off, I'll understand. You should get some rest. [ this in no way applies to her too!! ]

[onlydoubts]

[ he chuckles a little bit, sorry Jyn. shakes his head and clears his throat. ] I think you might benefit from some more rest, yourself. None of this will go anywhere if either of us takes the day off.

[adjy]

[ he's right and it shows on her face that she hates it. ]

Come on. There's no reason we have to be alone.

[ since now that they're together the thought of separating from him now is akin to losing a limb for her. jyn extends a hand to him in offer, tired enough to give in that quickly. they could nap then maybe come back down here? the possibility at least keeps her from refusing. ]

[onlydoubts]

[ sorry not sorry, Jyn. he's glad she doesn't try and insist otherwise - though he half expected she would. maybe he'll feel better, going back to his room and getting rest of his own. Bodhi nods, moving to put his mug down on the desk.

his fingers, stiff and sore and seemingly unwilling to bend - a look of confusion crosses his face as he fumbles with it, it slipping from his hand.

what's happening to him?

he stares at it, glancing briefly at Jyn and then quickly away again. ]

Um. I'll catch up.

[adjy]

[ that gets a scoff. like she'd leave him behind. ]

Like Hell you will.

[ her hand drops but she takes a few steps towards him. ]

What is it, Bodhi? What aren't you telling me?

[onlydoubts]

Jyn. [ he starts, then stops because he doesn't really think he can hide it, or lie about it. not when it's increasingly obvious that he's not well.

he holds up his hand and flexes his fingers. the movement is stiff, like the joints underneath have changed. ]

I don't - [ he takes a deep, shaking breath and continues in the same quiet tone ] I don't know what's happening. My whole body hurts ... it feels like somethings growing under my skin.

[ Bodhi drops his hand onto the table, with a loud thunk (that might've sounded almost metallic). ]

[adjy]

[ she gasps at the metallic clang of his arm, working both hands around his wrist and trying to lift it gently from the table. she usually easily drags him around, but it's almost impossible to pick it up, like it's full of lead or something. she doesn't let go though, instead digging her fingers into his skin, eyeing him with worry. ]

How long has this been going on?

[onlydoubts]

[ it's worrisome how the light pressure of Jyn's hands around his wrist doesn't really register. Bodhi shakes his head, wracking his brain for an answer. ]

Yesterday I was sore, but I thought it was a result of the fever - it's been getting worse since this morning.

[ even here, right now. ]

[adjy]

You can't move your hand? [ she asks seriously, letting up a little so he can try to move it on his own. it feels like something is inside his skin, impeding the movement. how peculiar. ] You shouldn't keep things like this from me.

[ very hypocritical as always, but in this case he is worse off than her. ]

[onlydoubts]

No, not really. Not like I should be able to. [ he stares at it, even after the light pressure of her hand is gone - and moves to bend his wrist. the movement is hard earned, a flash of discomfort passes over his face from just the effort of bending it a small amount.

feeling guilty, he averts his eyes. ]

I should have, I'm sorry.

You're really not... feeling anything like this, yourself?

[ it's not a question bourne out of suspicion that she's keeping it to herself, but genuine curiosity and concern. for her, for himself - he doesn't know what's happening and it scares him. ]

[adjy]

No. [ alarmed, she shakes her head, which is full of phlegm and it hurts but nothing weird is happening that she can discern. after the brief wince she's grabbing for his arm again. ] Come on, let me help you.

[onlydoubts]

Oh. That's... that's good. [ Bodhi believes her, she seems better off, if not for the remains of the fever and illness. regardless, he doesn't try to shake off the help, or the pressure of her hand on his arm that he should be able to feel more of. and slowly pushes himself up on his aching legs, using the desk for purchase. ]

[adjy]

[ she leaves one arm on his and works the other around his shoulder when he stands, encouraging him to lean on her. she hates the idea of anything happening to him, but even less so while she watches on helplessly. ]

Perhaps you just need rest. [ she reiterates, as if she's trying to make herself believe it, helping him along towards the elevator now. ]

[onlydoubts]

[ he doesn't protest the offer, and finds himself leaning into Jyn as they walk to the lift. he feels... tired, and heavy with whatever seems to be happening.

if she actually believes that or is only saying it for his benefit, Bodhi isn't sure. he's not sure what resting would do in this situation, but well. ]

Rest sounds good. We could both use that, I think.

[adjy]

[ she nods, feeling the weariness that sinks into every one of her bones and drags her down with the one simple movement. she hits the button for their floor and hangs in close, not letting go of him even when 0 gravity engages and she floats a few feet off the ground momentarily. ]

Do you think we're ever getting off this station, Bodhi?

[ it isn't an emotionally charged question the way she asks it. their futures are uncertain, but look grim, and yet living on this station for as hostile as it is isn't a true alternative. she helps him out of the elevator when gravity turns back on and starts leading him down the corridor towards his room. ]

[onlydoubts]

[ Bodhi focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, and not leaning too much and putting all his weight on her. it throws his balance, and when the lift stops, he stumbles. ]

I don't know, Jyn.

[ the reply comes after a beat. he's thought about that, she has too probably. but it's an honest answer, he doesn't know. people come and go, but it's been months and things like this, well.

it's tiring. ]

Sometimes... it doesn't really seem like it.

[adjy]

[ she nods, commiserating with him easily. she does her best to catch him and keep supporting him on their way back to his room. ]

Even so, we mustn't give up. Promise me you won't.

[onlydoubts]

[ it'd be easy, to do just that. even still trying to fight it, find a way to fix all of this, it could be permanent. or it could kill him, and anyone else that had been infected with this.

but, they've faced terrible odds before and hadn't given up then. it'd be a shame to start now. after a long moment, Bodhi nods. ]

I won't. Promise.

[adjy]

[ satisfied with that answer, she helps him inside the room and onto the bed, helping him out of his boots before toeing out of her own and leaving her jacket and scarf on his chair. without much pretense, she's climbing in too and wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. ]

I'll hold you to that. [ she reminds him before they both drift off ]