January Undercurrent: Growing Pains

[lifeaftr_mods]

JANUARY UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: Hey bud, how's it growing?
When: January 3rd to January 20th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: This event has a potential for body horror and character death; please mark anything as it comes up!

A Notion Growing Inside Me

Those of you who weren't with us the last time Umui entered the archipelago didn't have to contend with the lethal illness known as the Overgrowth personally, but anyone who remembers it probably doesn't remember it fondly. Fortunately, this isn't quite the same strain of the illness that you had to contend with the last time. It's not unrelentingly and uncompromisingly fatal, for one! That's always nice.

For those that need a primer on the Overgrowth, it is best described as a sickness that overcomes you with floral growth both inside and outside your body that can only be cured by expressions of emotional honesty. Expressions of truths, affections, and admissions of things that you have hidden from yourselves or from others were critical in dispensing of the illness. These could be as simple as admissions of past sins or the revealing of secrets, or as grandiose and overt as confessions of guilt or love. That general idea will remain more or less the key means of curing this strain as well, though the stakes fortunately aren't as high this go around! Which is to say, if you fail to have any grand emotional epiphanies by the time this event ends, you aren't doomed to suffer a character death; symptoms will simply dissipate come January 20th.

So what's this sickness going to be like in this particular instance, then? We're so glad you asked! You can go the standard route, of course. Adventurers' first brush with the illness saw the following afflicted upon them:

[ ♆ ] Stage One: Germination. Initial symptoms involve fever, coughing fits, numbness to nerves and extremities, and general joint stiffness. Difficulty breathing or performing other basic functions will often occur. Fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and intense weakness or dizzy spells are also liable to occur as the flowers begin to harvest nutrients from the body. This will also generate extreme thirst and periods of intense nausea. Tremors and the sensation of something "itching" from inside are also common. The end of Stage One is usually marked by the act of vomiting or coughing up flower petals or spores, along with a not-insignificant amount of blood.

[ ♆ ] Stage Two: Budding. The floral growths spread more completely inside the body, and begin to grow on the skin or exterior. Difficulty performing basic functions will increase as, for example, airways become obstructed and flowers grow around joints and pinch them still. The site of affliction also yields rashes, blisters, and blood sores as the flowers sprout from the skin. The rate of vomiting or coughing up floral growths will increase dramatically. Flowers often bloom quickly, and very painfully. Numbness in affected areas will increase, oftentimes rendering parts of the body completely inert - a pair of legs claimed completely by blooms, for example, will no longer work.

This was followed by Stage Three: Bloom, which resulted in character death. However, this strain will not advance to this style of Stage Three. All symptoms will disperse by the time Umui resurfaces.

This strain is also rather more erratic, which can make emotional repression more of an inconvenience than a horrifying circumstance. For those who would rather not play around with intense sickness (or who have already endured this once before), you have the option to go that route if you like! With this variant of the Overgrowth, one can become, for example, so embarrassed that they hiccup up a flower. A vicious denial of their feelings may cause them to spontaneously erupt into a rash of dandelion puffballs, seemingly immediately. You might end up walking around with a bouquet for an arm for a few hours. Perhaps mortifying, but certainly not fatal! Isn't that nice?

Unless, of course, you want it to be...

I Can't Fight It Much Longer

Now, while the Bloom Stage isn't present in this strain, it has mutated its progression into a rather nasty end stage. Those of you who succumb a little too readily to this illness, who don't fight off the emotional repression quickly, who don't admit those difficult truths to yourself or confess to whatever you're bottling up, you'll be faced with a potentially horrifying transformation. Potentially, because it is your choice whether or not you see fit to commit your character to that fate - as stated above, this option might simply skip over your character entirely, and the worst they'll have to deal with are cartoonishly over-the-top effects that disperse in due time.

But maybe not all of you will be so lucky. Some of you might discover for yourselves how this particular variant of the Overgrowth has mutated.

We call this mutation Stage Three: Outbreak. In this final Stage, those beautiful blooms wither and harden into a fungus-like carapace as the illness grows into the victim's brain and shuts down virtually all higher functions. This can sometimes render them almost wholly recognizable, but not always - oftentimes, it's very obvious who this person once was. The victim is reduced to a carrier of the virus, which causes them to act the way you'd expect most viruses to act: becoming intent on spreading. Advanced brain functions such as speech, rational thought, and so on tend to shut off and become wholly inaccessible.

Now that the victim's body is no longer fighting the Overgrowth, the illness lends them increased speed, strength, and durability, making them dangerous foes indeed. They will usually seek to infect others by whatever means necessary - usually via biting or exuding breathable spores - but in some cases, they will simply reduce to base instincts, and just outright attempt to attack and kill whoever is closest.

Unfortunately, at this point, there is no hope of a cure; it's hard to make someone be emotionally honest when they're capable of little more than blunt, animal instinct. At this point, you can either wait for the Stage Three symptoms to disperse come Umui's return, or take manners into your own hands. You can probably guess what that might entail.

If you decide to put your Overgrown friends out of their misery, this will count as a character death. If it comes to that, be sure to let us know on the Deaths page! Death penalties, however, will not be reduced for this event.

Try to Get Through It

Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. You're free to use this log as a catch-all for the duration of January's Undercurrent Event, as well as any of the other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. And, of course, you are always free to create your own individual logs and posts as needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them over on the Questions header on our Rundown post!

January Timeline

[ ♆ ] January 1st: "This Sucks" begins and lasts until January 10th
[ ♆ ] January 3rd: "Growing Pains" begins and lasts until January 20th
[ ♆ ] January 11th: "No Water is Safe" begins and lasts until January 19th
[ ♆ ] January 20th: Umui returns to the archipelago
[ ♆ ] January 21st: "Impawsible Geometries" begins and lasts until January 31st

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[onegreeneye]

Ginko stays put for as long as it takes for Yukio to calm down, still awkwardly rubbing his back as his tail switches anxiously back and forth over the floor. Crouching like this is starting to hurt, with roots wound through the muscles of his legs, but he doesn't want to leave Yukio alone like this.

He'll stay quiet until it seems like Yukio is starting to get ahold of himself, if only a little - and even then he only speaks quietly. "Do you want water?"

[reflash]

It gets worse before it gets better, hyperventilation setting off another coughing fit, and he chokes on flowers for far too long, spits out blood and clumped petals for what feels like forever. His vision goes grey around the edges, exhaustion threatening to take over but he can't pass out right now, he can't, no matter how much his body is trying to.

Eventually (how long has it been? hours? a few minutes?) Ginko says something and it takes a second to process but then Yukio nods.

[onegreeneye]

"Alright. Lie down if you have to." He gives Yukio one last pat on the back before straightening up, casting another uncertain glance over his shoulder as he leaves.

He's just glad that he and Epsilon had refilled their drinking water not long before; otherwise, he'd have to pick between making a mana-pool round trip to and from the farming islet or braving the bridge to the next one over just to get to a well. Far from ideal, especially when he's got a panicking teenager in the living room.

Instead, it doesn't take him more than a minute to return with a jug of water in one hand - and a spare blanket in the other. Just, in case.

[reflash]

He stays where he is, more because the thought of doing anything at all is overwhelming than for any other reason. It's all he can do right now to not throw up and not pass out and just keep breathing.

"Sorry." He manages, forces out a quiet apology when Ginko comes back. It's not enough, and he knows it, but for now, for right this second, it will have to be.

[onegreeneye]

"Don't apologize." He drapes the blanket somewhat clumsily over Yukio's shoulders, then, with both hands free, opens up the water jug. He passes it to Yukio and sits down, watching him carefully.

"You couldn't give an answer, and that's not your fault. I'm just sorry I pushed as long as I did. Wasn't helping anything at that point."

[reflash]

He tries to take the jug but his hands are... they won't close properly, they're weak, the flowers have torn through the skin of his arms and wound their roots deeper. He holds it, but it takes both hands to do so, and he can't raise it to his mouth.

Ginko is apologizing. Yukio hears it, stores it away, but can't do anything about it right now. Right now, he looks down at the water jug in his hands, does not drop it, and tries to breathe.

[onegreeneye]

Yukio can't lift the jug any higher. His symptoms are so much further along than Ginko's, and he'd have been weakened by his panic besides-- Ginko should have anticipated this.

He leans over and rests his hands on the bottom of the jug, ready to guide it higher. "Just nod when you want to take a drink, okay?"

[reflash]

He's weak. He's so weak and he's never been able to get stronger, and he selfishly puts the burden of himself on others like he's doing right now. Yukio's breath rasps in his lungs, scratches through his throat and he should drink water but Ginko is... Yukio's taking up so much space, so much time and effort, and... He needs to leave. He needs to get out of here so he doesn't make things even worse than they already are, but he can't move, he can barely even breathe.

He just...

It hurts. It hurts and he's so tired and he can't stop making everything worse for everyone around him and he...

Ginko is so kind, and Yukio just keeps selfishly taking advantage of that kindness again and again and he can't apologize enough...

"Sorry." He says again, because apparently that's the only thing he can say right now, and it's useless. And then, pathetically, he nods, because he is thirsty, he does want a drink of water, and he can't even raise the jug to his mouth right now without making someone else help him.

[onegreeneye]

"Don't be." Again, just as gentle as before. He lifts the jug carefully, watching Yukio to make sure that he doesn't end up just dumping water all over him. Poor kid's having a bad enough day already.

[reflash]

His tongue flicks out, tries to taste the air but gets nothing because he's too sick, his sense of smell is overwhelmed with blood and flowers. But then the water actually gets to him and he drinks desperately, like he hasn't had water in days (maybe he hasn't, he can't remember). Ginko can try not to dump water all over Yukio, but Yukio isn't concerned about that right now.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko will hold the jug in place, adjusting the angle as necessary, until Yukio seems to be finished. Or until it's empty. Whichever comes first.

He lowers the container carefully, sets it down on the floor. "Better? Do you want more water?"

[reflash]

"No," he says quietly, not clarifying which question he's answering.

[onegreeneye]

For now, Ginko guesses he might as well assume it's both. So he stays where he's sitting, watching Yukio carefully, trying to work out whatever he can of his condition. Besides... generally bad.

"...Well, if you do need anything else, let me know. That includes if you want to talk - or to be left alone."

The last suggestion takes some effort to get out. He doesn't want to leave Yukio alone. He doesn't want to leave him to die - but if he won't talk, he won't, and there's nothing Ginko can do to force him.

[reflash]

[He doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to be left alone. He doesn't know what he wants.

He reaches out, a tiny little movement of his hand before pulling back. He's sorry. He doesn't have the solution for this.]

[onegreeneye]

Ginko sees that little motion, and... he can't be sure what that gesture was going to be. But he shouldn't ignore it.

A moment of hesitation, and he reaches around to pull the blanket up, make sure it's settled on Yukio's shoulders. And he leaves his hand there. It's about the best he can do.

[reflash]

He shifts towards that touch, just slightly, just because he wants... he's being selfish. He's being so selfish right now. Ginko's sick, and Yukio's taken up so much of his time, and Yukio shouldn't be here but he's weak and selfish and desperate and he wants to feel better, but nothing will help.

[onegreeneye]

That... seems like it's good. Ginko's not much good with affection - giving or receiving it - but, if this is going to be any comfort to Yukio, and if comfort is all he can give right now...

He shifts his hand over on Yukio's shoulder, and holds onto him a little tighter. He's not a very good hugger.

[reflash]

"I'm sorry," he says again, like saying it over and over will do anything, will make it mean something. It's not enough. But there isn't anything else he can do, so he just repeats the apology quietly.

"I should go." But he doesn't want to. He wants to stay here, with a blanket over his shoulders and someone quietly next to him. He doesn't want to try to force his uncooperative body to move when he barely made it here, when he's exhausted and his vision is blurred and he can barely sit upright. But he should leave. He shouldn't keep taking up space and making Ginko worry.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko is about to tell Yukio again that he doesn't have to apologize for anything, but Yukio's next insistence makes him hesitate. Maybe he's overstepped after all. Or maybe it's the same as the repeated apologies, the same as how he won't talk about himself-- shit, this is way too familiar for comfort.

But he can't just assume that and refuse to take Yukio's word. Yukio can probably feel him tense and pull his arm back slightly, trying to decide what to do. What would be best for Yukio.

"I... won't make you stay if you don't want to. But, I would appreciate being able to..." He pauses, rumbles quietly as he tries to work through words. "If you're alright staying here awhile, I'd like to be able to keep an eye on how you're doing."

[reflash]

Yukio opens his mouth to answer, but you don't have to- catches in his throat and his breath out comes pained and ragged around it. It's different than with Héctor, he knows that if he said it, Ginko would accept it and let him leave, but he can't say it and he doesn't quite know why.

He doesn't try to move away.

"Can I..." he says, and it comes out quiet, too quiet. But he doesn't try again.

[onegreeneye]

Trying to guess what Yukio was trying to say seems too likely to end up going wrong, making him feel like he's not being understood or has to go along with whatever Ginko thought he might be asking.

So he stays quiet instead, right where he is, and waits. If Yukio does want to leave, he should be able to whenever he wants; if not, he can stay there. And, if he finds his voice again, Ginko will listen to whatever he wants to ask.

[reflash]

He's feverish, and dazed, and he can feel the plants twisting their roots inside him and he's in more pain than he's ever been. He's exhausted, and he's struggling to breathe, and he doesn't know what to do.

But maybe, for just a little bit...

"Sorry," he says, again. And he leans against Ginko, heavily, because he can't force himself to stay upright anymore, because if he lays down he knows he'll choke on everything that's filling his lungs. If he tries to talk he'll just choke on his words but he needs to say something to explain. It's been offered but he still has to ask, just to make sure it really is all right. Ginko has to have the chance to refuse.

"Can I stay for a while?"

[onegreeneye]

Somehow, despite having been trying to comfort Yukio to begin with, Ginko wasn't ready for that. He holds very still, trying not to freeze outright and potentially make Yukio think he's done something wrong.

"Of course."

[reflash]

His breathing is still ragged, but his eyes close after a few seconds. He just wants to rest, just for a moment.

And then, after a few moments more, his breathing evens out slightly, and his body relaxes against Ginko. He's asleep, for now.