009 | Boy, it's hot in here

[neverbeamemory]

Characters: Sephiroth & OPEN
Setting: 13th December. Dormitory 03-02, Hallways & Infirmary
Format: Wordy [Action], but will match
Summary: Other people are shivering. They must have just turned the temperature up just for him. Or rather this had developed from yesterdays sniffles.
Warnings: Partial nudity in Part One. General bodily fluids that come with having a runny nose/sneezing at intervals. Lots of sweat, warm would be an understatement.

Morning: Dormitory 03-02

[If any of his dorm mates peered over at Sephiroth's section of the dormitory this morning they might catch a fright. It had been his roughest night since he'd arrived here. There was a bunch of scrunched up napkins in varying states of sogginess on the bed stand on top of the forgotten books (One of which he still has to return to Tohko at some point!) - he'd gone through the entire packet of napkins during the night.

The bottle of Tylenol had been emptied and knocked onto the floor nearby; damn his constitution and being resistant to such drugs but he'd had to take more and more thinking that in the right dosage it might relieve some of these symptoms. Which now consisted of a sore throat which made it hard to talk, the occasional but not-too unmanageable bout of coughing and a running nose which simply shouldn't have that much mucus left in it to drip out. This whole thing was maddening! How his cells allowing this contagion to develop was a mystery, he was definitely made of hardier stuff than this!

Sephiroth's top blanket was crumpled on the floor along with all of his clothing. The thin under sheet had been pushed back away from his body in his sleep and then twisted
between his legs as he'd rolled over in the constant quest to get comfortable; a glistening sheen of sweat graced every square inch of his skin. Sephiroth himself had probably passed out eventually from exhaustion, snoring congestedly through his mouth; unaware and in his rest completely uncaring that he was near baring his backside to everyone else in their room.]


Later: Floor 3 to Floor 1 Dormitory Hallways, on route to the lift.

[Wearing his big leather coat and armor in this heat just wasn't happening in this heat. It was bad enough how wet and sticky it felt inside his leather pants, but he had nothing cooler to wear - he'd even left the gloves and boots in his chest. The floor felt refreshingly cool on his bare feet.

Watching others that he passed, Sephiroth wandered why they all looked so cold but couldn't say anything offhand. He'd sweated buckets last night in the change of temperature the admins had inflicted on them; maybe Jason had finally gotten tired of freezing them all to death. He seemed the type to get bored easily after all.

In fact, Sephiroth stopped by the bathrooms on the way to the lift to splash his face and bare chest with cold water and to run some through his hair. It felt good on the back of his head, at his hairline above where the collar sat. His hair had never looked so limp and the weight of it was adding to how hot he felt; it was a simple matter to pull his hair over one shoulder and arrange a loose braid of it. Then he headed back out into the corridor, heading for the stairwell and the lift downstairs. Point of the day - to try to find something stronger than small jar of Tylenol that he'd been given by Tohko before - the whole jar now gone in a whole night for no relief. His lack of patience just made the sleeplessness worse.]

Afternoon: Infirmary - Floor 2

[The infirmary was where Tohko had gotten the pills before, so the plan was easy. Go there and pin a drone to the wall ask, calmly and in control, if they had anything stronger in stock. The tylenol he'd consumed last night just wasn't either strong enough in general, or in a single dosage high enough to penetrate his own natural defenses which had specifically been generated that way.

After eyeing a few of the drones milling around Sephiroth decided against asking them, he felt just about as hot as his frustration and he was trying to remain calm. There was no reason for him to allow this flu to get the better of him, in fact despite the soreness of his nose from the blowing and rubbing every so often Sephiroth kept at it - he was above human.

As Sephiroth was ferreting around in drawers and cabinets after medication he meticulously compared whatever he found with the empty bottle of tylenol he brought with him from his room in the attempt to find something stronger, that might at least take the edge off the symptoms and make it easier to live with. His mind occasionally drifted to the idea of Hojo's 'clinic' that he'd seen announced on the network. If anyone knew how to diagnose what exactly was wrong with him - No! Not going there.]

Comments

Infirmary

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko was just getting worse and worse. First her taste was gone, and now she was blind. Thankfully, she could still hear and feel things, but they were getting worse by the day as well. She wasn't sure if she needed bandages for her eyes, but she thought the infirmary might have some canes or something for the blind, so she had managed-with much tripping, sneezing, and feeling around-to wander into the infirmary. She heard someone making noise somewhere, so she spoke out.]

Pardon me..I don't know who you are, thanks to this terrible cold, but if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me if there's a cane in this room? Or a good long piece of metal?

Re: Infirmary

[neverbeamemory]

[Sephiroth stopped at the sound of a voice and looked up from his searching. Creasing eyebrows together as he - slower than he would usually - pieced this together. Tohko was much like him with the sneezing; but whilst inconvenient it wasn't really that much of a hindrance until he tried to sleep last night.]

"Haven't seen one." [Did he really sound that hoarse? It was rough compared to his usual smooth tones that was a fact. Sephiroth slowly forced himself to swallow past the spike of dull pain that speaking caused. Had this had all started with that guy in the gym? The Tower was a closed-in enough place for sure, but Tohko was a library girl. But if others had it... he wasn't much surprised that she had contracted it - she did go out of her way to help people. He was more concerned how he had managed to catch it as well.]

"I'll let you know."

[He turned back to his searching. Was he going to go blind as well? Mucus turned in Sephiroth's throat and he coughed heartily, a thick sniff following as he steadied himself on the side and continued to look.]

Infirmary

[tohko_amano]

[Sephiroth?! He was sick? But..how could that be? He was able to regenerate a mangled hand easily. Perhaps the Administrators were messing with them. If so, Tohko was going to slap Jason if she ever saw him. How dare he take away her eyes and what few taste buds she had. How dare he cut her away from her beloved books. Even though she wasn't sure if she considered Sephiroth a friend anymore, thanks to recent events, she wasn't going to turn down his help. She gave a small smile.]

Ah, thank you! I'd really appreciate that..and if your throat is bothering you, some cough syrup might help.

[Even though her ears were terrible, Tohko tried to follow the sound of his voice so that she could get a bit closer to him.]

Re: Infirmary

[neverbeamemory]

[It was near impossible to hear Sephiroth walk around, bare feet and all. He couldn't stop occasionally looking over at Tohko, hoping she didn't stumble over or into some of the equipment in here. He wasn't sure that with his current sluggishness he would be able to steady her if that happened.

When did he start caring? Maybe the realization that the virus could be a bigger deal than he originally surmised stirred some sort of 'we're in this together' vibe, who knows, he was way too exhausted to figure it out really. He paused to consider that a moment before spotting a series of crutches all lined up along the side of one of the cabinets. Though chunky and hardly a walking cane, one of them might at least help her from stumbling around.]

"The cough isn't the worst of it." [Sniff, sniff... it was annoying how he had to stop what he was doing to wipe at his nose with an overused napkin. Mental note: try to find some more napkins in the kitchen later. Sephiroth drew closer; but not far enough that physical contact could happen, guiding the arm brace part of the crutch towards Tohko's hands]

"I went through all those pills you gave me before. Do you know of anything that is stronger?"

Infirmary

[tohko_amano]

Oh, well, if you need some tissues or stuff for your nose, those should be to the left..if no one has moved them, and if my memory is correct.

[Tohko, not realizing where the crutch was, tried to gesture with her hand, but ended up smacking her hand on the brace.]

Ow! Is that..a crutch? Thank you so much! This should be helpful. [Tohko grabbed the arm brace and started using it as a makeshift walking cane.] I hope my eyesight returns soon..I don't know what I'll do if I can't read.

[She sighed before answering Sephiroth's question.]

Let's see..Advil is a bit stronger, but that's usually for muscle cramps and pains. However, it can help with headaches, so you can use it for that.

Dorm hallways

[pointerpixl]

[Perhaps it's just Tippi's sharpened senses, but somehow, even the body heat radiating off this man is in a class of its own compared to others, who were struggling just to keep comfortable.

...Certainly, he's warm, she realizes upon fluttering a little closer, but it's the sickly sort of warm, the kind that leaves people with a clammy sheen of sweat to them that just can't cool them down. There's been a strange little cold going around, but he still seems miserable.]

Oh... Excuse me, are you ill? You seem terribly warm... Perhaps you should get some ice...

[It's such a change from the frigid air, though, that Tippi almost can't help but to hover close, hoping to sponge a little heat off of him. The sickness worries her more, especially since it's been taking a toll on others in the tower, but... it's really cold.]

Re: Dorm hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[He quirked an eyebrow at Tippi as she drew closer. A butterfly? Really?

A talking butterfly. Sephiroth's brows creased together with curiosity as he reached up a hand to touch her, for a time ignoring the urge to sniff back the inevitable torrent of wetness that he could feel creeping down the inside of his sensitized nose. Wanting to make sure this wasn't a monster, or some sort of illusion.]

"There is some sort of flu going around. It'll pass."

[pointerpixl]

[She makes the closest thing she can to a flinch when his fingers approach her antennae, but relaxes when she realizes it isn't a swat or a midair grab.]

Oh, don't be silly. If you're sick, you shouldn't push yourself... Your body is warm because it's trying to fight off the disease. If you're going to move about, you should bring some ice so you don't overheat...

[A self-conscious beat of her wings. If she had hands, it'd be more akin to rubbing them together or cuddling them up in her sleeves.]

O-Or maybe snow...

[neverbeamemory]

[He flinched too when the butterfly did. So wrapped up in his curiosity; it was indeed a welcome distraction right now. A moment later, the tingling on the inside of his nose got too much. Sephiroth sneezed, turning his face into his forearm in an attempt not to shower this curious companion of his.]

"Ugh." ]He took out the driest piece of napkin he'd salvaged from the pile of them beside his bed and wiped at his forearm, his hand and nose.]

"So it's not really this hot? I thought-" [He wiped across his forehead and collarbone as well. The relief from the splashing of his face earlier had already all steamed off of him. There was even the line of sweat now starting to tickle down the back of his neck underneath his braid which he knew would annoy him from the rest of the day]

[pointerpixl]

Eep!

[Well, that was close. The whole thing tugs at her heartstrings, because she knows there wouldn't be much for her to do even as a human, much less a Pixl (she can certainly wish, though). The last time Tippi remembers being sick was during the body swap with the intense coughing fits, but that wasn't nearly as bad in comparison as this new... thing.]

Bless you...

N-No, it's gotten even colder since the beginning of the month... It's very worrisome, on top of the illnesses. But if you overheat now, that will be just as bad as freezing...

[Tentatively, she hovers a little closer.]

I just want to help the sick recover, and the cold stay warm... Or the warm stay cool.

Dormitory Hallways

[xroyal_bratx]

[ Ishtar's small cold didn't have much on the miserable state that she was seeing this guy in. The usually proud looking guy that she had spoken to a few long weeks ago looked absolutely miserable if not sick. Not too mention the lack of clothing. Well, it wasn't like it was a surprise to her, seeing guys walk around the way they did. It was easier for them than it was for girls. Ishtar simply couldn't just toss her tops off and say it was okay to walk around topless, or something like that.

There was a small sneeze from her as she passed by, though nothing compared to Sephiroth. She almost felt a little for him. He should probably be taken back to bed where he should be resting and trying to recover. Ishtar had complied to that for a short time, before she ran off again. ]

Hey, you okay?

[ She opted out of calling his name, since it would be weird because she never asked for it and because she didn't need to be suspected for something weird. ]

Re: Dormitory Hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[It was that girl again. The one that apparently he should remember but didn't. The one who had been there after the first collar check up. It seemed an age ago.

Small sneeze was noted and Sephiroth offered a convincing looking smile back in her direction - but for the constant wetness at his nose which he was permanently convinced would start to trickle down his face.]

"Yes, I'm fine." [There was that pride again, he couldn't allow himself show weakness in front of someone who might actually know him. But his throat was so sore to talk with...]

Dormitory Hallways

[xroyal_bratx]

[ Ishtar was fine with that. She didn't expect someone like him to remember her name or her existence. She wasn't anything important and it was perfectly with the girl It best being the kind of person that everyone knew. She didn't even seem to be offended by that thought. It was strange, however to see that expression on his face. She learned something new everyday. She didn't believe his words, though, since he looked like without help, he'd topple over. Well, it wasn't like she thought he was weak or anything, just that he needed bed rest and probably someone to look after him.

She didn't know why she was so into helping people, even though she knew they didn't want it and sometimes it was an annoyance. Still, it was Ishtar, she was used to doing things like this that it became second nature to her. ]

You sure as hell don't sound fine.

[ She replied not bothering to hide the way she sounded. ]

A guy who looks like this saying he's fine is not fine.

Re: Dormitory Hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[Damn that sore throat. He knew as well, when he'd spoken that it didn't sound like he usually did. Why had he even opened his mouth? It seemed everything about this flu wanted to make itself known to everyone - despite his attempts to keep it all controlled.]

A little rough around the edges is all.

[Well, screw it, his dripping nose couldn't be ignored anymore. Low on patience and sleep, Sephiroth took the semi-dry remains of a napkin out of his pocket. The empty bottle of tylenol came out of the pocket as well though and dropped to the floor. Sephiroth rubbed the end of his nose once before crouching to pick up the bottle back up. It took effort against this heat, was it getting even hotter in here?]

Dormitory Hallways

[xroyal_bratx]

[ Ishtar raised a brow. ]

Just a little? You sound like someone who has sandpaper down his throat.

[ not that she would know what that sounded like. She was just trying to make a point. She watched as he seemed to try to fix himself up. It made her concerned that his cold was that bad. Not to mention the empty bottle of pills fell out of his pocket. ]

Do you want me to take you the infirmary, or at least get you somewhere so that you can lay down? You really look bad.

[ Setting aside her issues at the moment, he seemed like he could use some help but wouldn't be the kind of person to ask for it. She was used to iit. ]

Dorm hallways

[divinitysoiled]

[Catarina watched him splash the water on his face and pull his hair away, feeling a bit of longing to do the same]

I would think that given how the temperature has been that those actions would have been ill advised.

Re: Dorm hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[He looked into the mirror at her before replying.]

You mean how cold it has been? Glad that's over.

[divinitysoiled]

Yes. The cold was quite annoying, but I wouldn't doubt that it would come back suddenly. [She came close, intent on stroking his neck]

[neverbeamemory]

[He kept one eye on her and the other on his fingers braiding his long silver hair. Occasionally he'd splash a bit more water on himself.]

Hot or cold. It shouldn't matter either way.

[In the last split second before she could make contact with his skin, like lightning Sephiroth raised his hand and gripped around her fingers, stopping her just short from touching him. Hot and clammy hand it might be, it still foretold his strength.

Both vivid green eyes were on her now, trying to calculate her next move.]

[divinitysoiled]

[Dark eyes met bright green ones steadily, her lips curled into a smirk at both the speed and the strength. Very close to being perfectly inhuman. She liked that. Catarina pulled his hand towards her, lips caressing his fingers in a parody of a gallant gesture]

Dormitory 03-02

[altitonant_emperor]

[ When he awoken, Hidetoshi had been too groggy with sleep and the general misery of illnesses to even glances towards his roommates' sections of the room, utterly uncaring of the loud snoring that emitted from one corner, and had simply pried himself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to perform his morning duties and routine. After splashing some water into his face, and blearily fixing his hair back in the mirror and brushing his teeth, he then stomped back to the room.

Wretched cold. Wretched sickness. Wretched admins...

... It was quite an unwelcome sight that greeted him now that he was alert enough to notice. Hidetoshi could have happily gone on with his life without knowing what Sephiroth's sweaty, bare backside looked like. The tissues, sweatiness, snoring and litter inform him that even the other male had fallen ill. He gritted his teeth and ignored the dull pounding of the headache in his temples. And if Spehiroth doesn't wake up in the next five minutes, he'll just walk over and grab the blanket tossed carelessly onto the floor and throw it onto the man to preserve some modesty. ]

Hallways

[scorchedchivalry]

[Saber was just rounding the corner when she sneezed so strongly, it caused a bit of a dizzy spell that sent her stumbling forward a couple steps and toward the wall. She was about to stumble directly into Sephiroth, but her Instinct kicked in and she quickly side-stepped the man in a manner that could only be surreal considering her previous stumble.

Hand supporting herself on the wall, she drew in a few deep breaths and blinked her eyes, trying to will the dizziness away.]

My apologies...

Re: Hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[Sephiroth stopped and turned towards the girl now supporting herself on the wall. He was a little intrigued at how she had managed to avoid stumbling into him, but then he was no stranger to quick reflexes himself. Despite this annoying flu.

He noted also how she seemed to be struggling under the effects of a similar affliction to him. Sephiroth sneezed a bit sure, but it wasn't hard enough to throw him off of balance like it had this girl.

Again with the mucus creeping down the inside of his nose. Sephiroth wiped at it with the remains of the napkin in his fist before answering Saber.]

Sniff No- [Swallow, ow, inhale.] Don't worry about it.

Hallways

[scorchedchivalry]

[Turning toward him, she leaned her weight back against the wall and looked up at him. Her nose was a bit red, but for the moment she wasn't leaking anything. Yet.]

I am usually not--

[Wait a second.]

Have you lost your shirt?

Re: Hallways

[neverbeamemory]

[Strange question. He sniffed a couple more times in succession, to make sure it wasn't going to drip, before answering.]

No I-

[Sephiroth spent a moment looking up and down over Saber, a little taken aback by her question; he hardly ever wore shirts. Leather coat and armor maybe. Not today, it was much too warm for that.]

It's too warm so-

[He gestured to what he was wearing, or rather what he wasn't. He flexed his bare toes on the cold floor as well - that felt so good.]