[log] Fifty Sheds of White [Semi-closed]

[swatsflies]

Characters: Sad Losers
Location 236 and beyond
Date: 148+
Summary: They have lost their porcupine in the snow and general mingle things.
Warnings: Drama, Teenagers, Death the Kid/Symmetry, General

((OOC: The only thing closed is on Day 148. Feel free to slam in for any other day if you're in the same place. Thank you.))

Comments

148

[swatsflies]

[ 236: A small tool shed. It has a lot of boxes in it, but the vast majority are empty. It's cold, but it's not too bad if you're alone. The more people, the tighter the fit, of course. ]

[deus_ex_phs]

[A]

[The day had started off normal enough, cold and snowy as always. But cold became cold, biting down to the bone, and with it had come a disorienting haze. No matter how Kunsel had squinted or shaken his head, and no amount of rubbing his eyes, it had only grown worse, until he was seeing houses that weren't there - some rubble, some more whole - and sometimes trees, sometimes people, but none of it clear, and trying to capture it on his tablet...

Bad, bad idea.

So bad that he doesn't even know if they've managed to walk a straight line, but probably not, because the first building they've found that feels real isn't the one they were aiming for. Just a shed, but it's late, and it's cold, so cold, so cold.]

I think we're going to have to hole up here tonight. [He steps inside, glancing around, and blessedly the haze seems to get left outside. Kunsel breathes out in relief.] It'll be snug, but I think we'll all fit. Let's-

[He stops when he looks over his shoulder and sees-

Doesn't see.]

Zack?

[B]

[There is going to be no sleep tonight. Not until Zack answers his damn tablet calls. So in the mean time, there's a slightly manic SOLDIER Second Class digging through all the boxes in the shed as he tries to distract himself between messages sent.]

A for group but i would also like to do B at some point if you feel like it

[rattlingthestars]

[ After Jim's ill-advised network post, he's seeing a lot more than he would on his own. At some point he stopped jumping and trying to escape from phantom hands tugging on his clothes and voices whispering in his ears. Instead he'd wrapped both arms around himself and hunkered forward, keeping his eyes on the snow and the pair of boots walking in front of him.

He barely hears Kunsel, focused as he is, but glances up at the shed and hopes that it's a real place. It seems to be, judging by the way the hallucinations fall away as he enters. It leaves him staring around in momentary bewilderment, trying to discern what's real and what isn't, until - ]

He was right behind me! ... wasn't he?

idk I hope this works

[swatsflies]

[ Zell is pretty absorbed in his own issues. The illusions grow steadily worse as the day carries on. It's pretty shitty, but he knows it's not real. They have enough experience with this that he knows it can't be real. He can hear the crunch of foot steps and relies primarily on that to guide him. His hand feels empty, but they have to keep moving to find shelter.

There are patches of grass by his feet or occasional concrete being layered over the snow. It's much more welcomed compared to seeing the gas masks when he looks towards people. Mumbling to himself it'll be okay, that he can still past the images to see Kunsel in front of him and Jim close.

When they finally find real shelter, Zell lets the others go in first as he touches the structure to make sure it's actually there. It's not just an image on top of snow or rubble.

Breathing easier as he squeezes into the shed. Stepping over boxes and tuning out the voices around him. Focusing everything on pulling Mochi out of his bag and the food as the freaky vision melts away. Guess it's something in the stupid snow, right?

Then it finally catches up what's being said. Looking up from his task as he looks for Zack. The space is limited and missing the usual head of black spikes. ] Wha? Whoa!

[ Pulling his tablet out as he hits the call button. C'mon, man. Pick up! ] Maybe he's just outside looking over the shed?

Works for me.

[deus_ex_phs]

[No sooner are the words out of Zell's mouth than Kunsel is heading straight back for the door. Never mind that that's probably not a good idea so close to lockdown.]

Idiot. Zack, get your butt in here!

[Someone... might want to stop him...]

149

[swatsflies]

[ A small aquarium. It has the feel of a small-town tourist attraction, the sort built to give people just stopping to get gas a reason to stay for an hour or two. There are various aquariums inside that, according to plaques beside them, once showcased various Alaskan fish, but they're all empty of fish now. The water still runs here, and even runs hot in the sinks, though there aren't any showers or bathtubs to use. The whole atmosphere is kind of eerie, with the water casting rippling patterns on the walls, ceilings, and floors. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR, TRAVELLING SOUTH. IF ANY ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED CONTACT @LELRIC ANY TIME" is carved into the wall. ]

[swatsflies]

[ Things seem to be finally getting better. Zack is back and, other than superficial wounds, he’s mostly unscathed. Hopefully the static bullshit and illusions are gone tomorrow, but Zell is assuming it’ll be the same tomorrow. It usually lasts a few days, right?

He’s not really sure and he’s not looking forward to tomorrow. Plopped down with his back against a tank as he shifts around the cold chicken nuggets. It’s his turn for watch, but he’s pretty sure Jim isn’t asleep.

Knowing there are some things he needs to ask about, he shoots Jim a message. ]

Hey baby. Still awake?

[rattlingthestars]

[ Zell's right: Jim doesn't even have his eyes closed; he's staring up at the ceiling, beyond the small circle of light afforded by his tablet, when he gets the message. There are a few people he's been messaging on and off, but Zell's name is always the one that catches his attention immediately.

He doesn't bother to answer the message, just crawls carefully out of the pile of blankets to settle down beside Zell. ]

-Still awake. Hey.

[swatsflies]

[ He has a big, dumb smile when he sees Jim. Whatever lies beyond this night and the gloomy thoughts attached are blown away for the moment. It's amazing how that can happen. Scooting his chicken out of the way as he shrugs out of his coat and drapes it across their laps. Plopping his tablet between them to help with the light. ]

Hey, Stars. [ Snaking his arm across Jim's shoulders. ] Have I told you lately how much I love you? [ Cause he really, really does and Jim makes everything better by proximity. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ As usual Zell's smile gets a reflective one from Jim; it's not as big, but no less dopey. He loves that look.

Before sitting down he shrugs one arm out of the coat and pulls Zell into it, so that they're both covered there, too. ]

You could do it again. If you wanted.

[ Jim's absolutely not fishing there. Nope. ]

What's going on?

150

[swatsflies]

[ 240: A small, single-story house. Inside is a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a single bathroom with a shower but no tub. The water works, but runs cold. Both bedrooms look like bedrooms for adults, though it's impossible now to tell if two adults lived here or if one room was a guest room. There are mattresses on both beds, but no sheets or blankets. The living room lacks a sofa, instead having three plush chairs. ]

for Zack, cw: discussion of mental illness

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim's glad to have Zack back - more glad than he can say that they didn't lose him again, either to the snow or to Beckett.

Doesn't mean Zack's immune to Jim's occasional bouts of being a pain in the ass. That's why - after careful consideration - he's been chosen as a target. Jim's hollowed out a ballpoint pen casing and dropped a few coffee beans inside; he's carrying it up one sleeve as he casually tracks Zack's movements around the house.

Jim chooses his moment wisely, waiting until Zack's back is turned and he's absorbed in something else to whip it out and -

Pip! Pip! Pip!

- shoot Zack in the back of the head. His aim is excellent. ]

[heroproceeding]

[ Restless would easily describe Zack in one word right then.

He'd been a fool to lose track of the others like that, even if deep down he knew how the town could be. Although then another part of him would argue that because he knew that, that was all the more reason he should have been more on guard. He supposes in the end, it doesn't matter though. It happened, he and Beckett ended up in a fight he had a feeling had been coming at some point, and now he was back with them and mostly in one piece. Mostly because Beckett still managed to bite his arm, but it was a nibble by comparison of what he'd done to some people.

Good enough.

Doesn't stop him from doing his usual routine of squats as he loses himself in a train of thought. Enough so that he doesn't see that attack incoming until it's far too late and he feels the plunk, plunk, plunk of three who-in-the-hell-knows-what hitting him in the head. He whirls around while his hand catches the back of his head, eyes immediately finding Jim and grunting out a: ] Hey! What was that for?

[rattlingthestars]

[ The fact that Jim managed to catch Zack squatting - a difficult task, granted - makes it all the better. Jim's expression is the picture of innocence as he looks around as if seeking out the real perpetrator. This lasts approximately as long as Zack seems to be buying it - which is probably not very long at all - and then ...

PIP. Right between the eyes, unless Zack manages to dodge it. Jim doesn't stop to check; he's already taking off before Zack can get him, jumping over Mochi as he goes. ]

[heroproceeding]

[ Not long in the least.

Which also means he's not all too surprised by the next attack. At least this time, Zack's prepared. Which also means that this time, he's going to quickly duck out of the way. He doesn't have the reflexes he used to have, but experience still loves him- sometimes anyway.

Soon after he recovers, he's already giving chase. ] Get back here!

[ KID, YOU ARE GETTING THE NOOGIE OF THE CENTURY. ]

151

[swatsflies]

[ 243: An oppressive-feeling building with a pressure that hurts the ear drums. This house is a two-story A-frame house. Upstairs is a single bedroom, a bathroom, and a closet, while downstairs is a kitchen, dining room, and living room. The whole house seem to buzz faintly. This place has electricity, so the plugs do work if tested. ]

153-154

[deus_ex_phs]

[Before lock down, they cross paths with Kid before they all end up in building 245 for the night, and all of the following day.

A house sunk deep into a snowdrift. Getting in requires climbing through a second story window and into the master bedroom, which is sparsely decorated. There is also a bathroom upstairs, which is good, because it's colder downstairs than up. The snow has shattered the windows downstairs in places, but it's packed in tightly enough that the house still seals up at night. Downstairs are a kitchen, dining room, and living room. There's an arrow drawn faintly on the floor in paint. It points south, toward a similarly faintly drawn X. Whatever this means, it must have been made long before the current travelers arrived. "GATE" has been carved onto the floor near the X much more recently. The bedframe is missing. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE, TRAVELLING EAST. CONTACT @LELRIC FOR ANY HELP" is written on the wall.]

Right before lockdown on 153

[equal_shots]

[Kid is a mess by the time he makes it to the half-buried house. The cough and fever that caused him to be so far behind his traveling companion are worse and the teen is obviously disheveled, his coat buttons undone as he rushes towards the building. The sprint that was being used to get away from the anomaly has slowed to a fast walk, frequently glancing over his shoulder with the expectation of seeing a very tall meister with a screw in his head coming up behind him.

By the time he comes to a stop he's shivering violently, and seeing the building in front of him he wraps his arms around himself in an attempt to keep some warmth in. Breathing hard, he turns to look back at the snow behind him. His voice is quiet, because he really already knows the answer--he just doesn't like it.] Professor?

[Lockdown is soon; he takes a few steps back the way he came, narrowing his eyes against the blinding expanse of white. Kid's cough is worse, loud and wracking, but that doesn't stop him from continuing.]

Let's get this threeway started

[swatsflies]

[ Zell was handing out the window to tinker with the ladder. Not the best idea having your hands in the path of the window this close to lock down, but it's a distraction. He's checking if it's welded to the house or if there are any clear tool marks on anything.

It's the coughing that catches his attention. Initially, it's difficult to tell the source of the sound at first, and he looks at his partner.

That you?

[ Then the sound comes again and it sounds like it's outside. Scrambling out the window and sliding the length of the ladder with little hesitation. He spots Kid standing in front of the house. ] Kid!? Hey Stars, Kid is down here! [ He gives a look to his partner to verify he's coming down. ]

[rattlingthestars]

[ Jim had already settled down to mess around with his tablet - video game high scores had to be beaten, it was vitally important. ]

Not m- [ Jim begins, but then Zell's out the window before he can finish. He glances at the tablet - flashing another warning about getting inside, now, and is on his feet and poking out the window after him in a few seconds.

He peers out into the snow before actually slipping out the window. It's dark and hard to make out what's going on; if there are monsters out, Jim can't see any, just the faint shape of Kid. ]

-Hey! [ He calls, even as he's scrambling down the ladder as fast as Zell will let him. ] Hey, c'mon, you're going to get locked out!

[equal_shots]

[Well, they've successfully startled him if nothing else. Kid turns suddenly and rubs his eyes. His expression is slightly dazed, as if he'd brushed too close with the anomaly to get away completely free of injury.]

Professor Stein is back this way. [He points in the direction from which he's come, away from the house. Kid's tablet is packed away; he's gotten good at using the position of the sun to tell him when lockdown is imminent. That, along with the audible alert for when lockdown is coming has always been enough for him...until now.] If I leave him, he'll-- [He coughs again, this time weaker than earlier, wrapping his arms around himself just a bit tighter. His teeth are chattering, but he won't be easily deterred.] --he'll f-freeze, and that...that t-thing will g-get him.

Day 154 (All Day because I want all the CR it is great)

[equal_shots]

A. Overnight/early morning

[Guess what? Kid hid it well the first time team Sad Losers was with him, but he's cripplingly obsessive compulsive, and after the stress of the night before he's a mess. Instead of sleeping, he's back at what he did to building 245 the last time he was here: first, what looks grossly messy is tidied. Then, he cleans what is available to clean. The remaining furniture that is mobile? That's being arranged as symmetrically as Kid can possibly make it. The southward facing arrow and X, both of which he'd studied so intensely the last time he'd been here, are now a nuisance--any passerby will find him scrubbing intensely with the cloth napkin he found trying to get them off of the floor in a near panic. He's not loud by any means, but it's hard to ignore him if you're nearby.] Why won't it come off?

B. Afternoon

[Afternoon finds Kid restless, but less of an annoyance. At least he knows he was a nuisance earlier, and he wants to make amends...which is why he's going to offer everyone bits of what little food he has left. He's far too stressed out to eat it himself, anyway.]

I...apologize if I kept you up last night. [Look. Here is his bag. There is some food. He's shoving it at you. Pick some.] I don't have much, but please.

C. Late Evening

It's strange--[He yawns, rubbing his eyes.] There have been more days that we've been stuck indoors lately, have there not?

[As a reaper, Kid did not really need to sleep or eat. As a human, though, he has to do both, and he's bad at them. Which is why you might find him sitting downstairs in the living room, trying to tap away on the tablet but nodding off. If he was asking his question of the room or the tablet or attempting to ask the network, it's unclear. Regardless, Kid is sitting below one of the snow-packed windows--not an ideal place to sleep. It might be nice to poke him awake and get him to move.]

A

[deus_ex_phs]

[Considering what had just happened to Kid's companion the day before, Kunsel's been willing to ignore the manic behavior, at least at first. He can understand wanting to throw yourself into something, anything, to keep awful memories and thoughts at bay. As the night progresses into morning, though, and Kid still hasn't stopped, the SOLDIER finally decides to say something.]

Why does it need to come off?

[equal_shots]

[Crouched on the floor, Kid looks up, his hand falling still. He looks tired, stiff--uncomfortable--as he slowly sits back on his legs and turns to Kunsel, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes.]

It's...it doesn't...it's dirty. The floor is otherwise mostly balanced, symmetrical-- [Kid sputters, looking away from Kunsel, mumbling.] If I can clean it, it might be better.

[deus_ex_phs]

Is symmetry that important?

[There's an inkling of a suspicion here, but Kunsel doesn't want to jump to conclusions. He's a little tired too, and that might be affecting his judgment.]