Open ♫ if you sneeze, a butterfly in a forest somewhere will dance

[fairysong]

Who: Sheryl Nome and anyone else! Including you. Especially you.
Where: All through the temple.
When: Arrival / sickness event
Rating PG13+, warning for mild nudity
What: Sheryl ain't down with the sickness.

[Week One:]

[It's silly to be worried about this. Sheryl knows that. She knows that her V-Type Infection had progressed to a stage where the symptoms were completely different from this; even if Ranka hadn't cured her, a resurgence would feel completely differently. And everyone else is sick, too. This can't be the disease that nearly killed her.

A part of her brain is completely ignoring all that logic and reason, though. These symptoms are like what she'd first felt, after all. And there's that tiny nagging voice that she can't banish, constantly asking her: What if? What if Ranka had just delayed her death? What if everyone else has one thing, but she has another?

It's a stupid, irrational thought, and she can't banish it. So Sheryl deals with the deep-seated panic the best way she knows how: She throws herself into her music.

The only trouble is that this lingering headache and stuffiness makes it so very hard to write lyrics. So you'll find a young woman sitting at a table in the kitchen with a pencil and a torn sheet of paper that's full of scribbled out words. Most of them are crossed out. Sheryl is looking very frustrated-- and then she turns, pointing the end of the pencil at you.] You!

...what rhymes with "forest"?

[Week Two:]

[It got worse. It got much worse.

The good news is that Sheryl is now fairly certain that this isn't her V-Type Infection coming back; the symptoms have progressed in a completely different way.

That's the only good news. Sheryl feels like shit. She hasn't experienced the hallucinations that she's heard other people dealing with, which she's thankful for, but a violent fever and everything else that comes with it isn't much better.

The worst is that she constantly feels like she's just burning up, across her entire body, and since the bathing area is communal here, she hasn't figured out how to take a cold shower or bath to try and counteract it. Still, she's a resourceful young woman.

In the hallways just outside of the bathing area, you'll come across Sheryl with a rolled-up wet towel draped around her neck and over her shoulders. Though the towel hangs down in front of her chest, it is very clear that she is not wearing a shirt. Still, any potential sexiness is blunted by the fact that Sheryl looks rough and completely exhausted.

She's just too drained to give a shit about this right now. She does glance in your direction, though, and speaks in a slow voice that sounds impossibly tired.]

Can't a girl get some privacy around here...?

[Week Three:]

[Again, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that she feels much, much better than before. No fever, no chills, no cold sweats, no trembling.

The bad news is that she can't see.

In a place where she still doesn't know anybody that well, she's reluctant to ask someone for help like she might someone she trusts, like Alto or Ranka. Which means Sheryl is moving slowly around the temple, one hand on the walls at all time, dark glasses on even in the middle of the night.

At some point leaving the kitchen area, you might hear a girl's voice yelp in pain. If you investigate, you'll find Sheryl doubled over, rubbing at one of her shins and hissing obscenities through her teeth.

When she hears footsteps, she straightens up abruptly.] Ah... someone must've moved that chair, I don't think it was there before!

[It's an odd excuse, mainly because she'd just run into a bench, and you're pretty sure the bench has always been there that whole time. Also, she's not looking directly at you, but also a little off to the side.

A little suspicious.]

Comments

[fairysong]

[She screws up her face but doesn't have an answer to that. Mainly because he's right.] A little new. Maybe... two or three weeks by now?

[She doesn't want to talk about it.] Aren't you sick? I figured everyone here got what was going around, at least a little bit.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Ah. He knew it. Right on the target.]

I got a sore throat, some coughs and sneezes. Body aches sometimes. That's about it.

[He gives a bit of a shrug. Zack has always been a pretty healthy person so while he wasn't immune it seems he's been able to dodge the worst of it.]

[fairysong]

[Sheryl scowls.] Aren't we lucky.

[She takes a deep breath. Okay. It's not just relying on charity or anything.] Since you're so healthy, I'll let you lead me back to my room, then. You just need to make sure I don't collide with anything.

Or fall down any stairs.

[activatingcombatmode]

Lucky as fish in a barrel, I guess.

[He grins with a bit of a shrug even if she can't see him do any of that. He does pat his arm, though.]

Hold on to me if you need too, that might help. Which room is yours?

[fairysong]

[She frowns a little. It's not that she's not comfortable touching a strange guy, she just doesn't want to have to depend on someone so physically.]

If I need to, I'll let you know. [Is what she'll say.] And I think I'm a floor above, near the end of the hall.

[activatingcombatmode]

[He won't push about it. She'll suit herself and that's fine.]

Alright, stay near me then. Off we go!

[Zack heads slowly in the direction of the stairs.]

What's your name, by the way? If you wanna share.

[fairysong]

[This is embarrassing.

Okay. She'll just continue on, following the sound of his voice. It's a good thing that he seems chatty?] Sheryl Nome.

You said you were Zack?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack doesn't seem to be out of his element at all.]

Nice to meet you, Sheryl. And yeah, It's Zack. Zack Fair. Showed up here a little while ago so I guess you can say I'm fresh meat.

[He still doesn't know a lot about this place but he's getting there.]

[fairysong]

That sounds fair to me. [Was that just a joke, Sheryl?

Look, she's tired. Puns are the best she can do right now.] How long have you been here? Because I've been here about two or three weeks, and I have to say, it's not a great first impression.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Like he hasn't heard that one before... Zack laughs all the same.]

All's fair in love and war. [He can make fun of himself, too.]

And I've been here about the same, so I guess we must have shown up around the same time. This place is strange but if we're here for a reason, might as well chase it.

[fairysong]

"Chase it"?

And what does "chase it" mean to you? I don't see you going off on any adventures.

[activatingcombatmode]

Hey, I just haven't seen anything jump out at me yet. But once there is, I'll be the first signing up. I wanna help. I guess that's what I mean.

[fairysong]

Is that why you offered to take me back to my room? [A smirk, made somewhat less impactful by virtue of being not entirely aimed at him.] Or are you just a sucker for a pretty face in need?

[activatingcombatmode]

I'd say ... both.

[He smiles at her, even though he figures she can't see it.]

What kind of guy leaves a pretty girl to run into things and hurt herself?

[fairysong]

A terrible one! Really, the worst kind of man there is. I'd never forgive you.

[activatingcombatmode]

Exactly.

[That's why he'd been pretty adamant about helping her. He's not really into watching someone hurt themselves.

They're reaching the stairs now.]

Alright, watch out. It's time for the stairs. Then you'll be home free.

[fairysong]

[The stairs. Okay. She can do this. She needs to just take this calmly and smartly. Sheryl reaches out to steady herself with a hand on the wall and begins inching forward, tapping the ground with her toes in front of her, trying to find the exact drop-off point.]

Am I even close to the edge or do I just look silly right now?

[activatingcombatmode]

You're close! Just take it slow, feel with your feet. You got this!

[Zack is very much so ready to be a hero and catch her if she falls. No breaking necks today.]

Just follow my voice too. [He starts on the steps.]

[fairysong]

Ugh... I swear to whatever weird god brought us here, I'm going to just stay on one floor until this all blows over. [She grits her teeth, sliding her toes forward until they find empty air.

She hopes it'll blow over, at any rate.] All right, just... going to go slowly.

It's not that hard. [It's just a little scary and she's not willing to tackle this with her usual headstrong nature. Why risk breaking her neck?]

[activatingcombatmode]

Where's the fun in staying in one place, though?

[Zack laughs warmly. He has a hand ready to grab her if needed.]

[fairysong]

Look-- it's a lot easier to go up these stairs instead of down them, you know! [She snaps in his general direction, slowly descending the stairs through sliding her feet along the stone until it reaches open space.] How many steps are there, anyway? I haven't been counting.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Down they slowly go. Easy does it.]

Come on, you still can't want to stay on your floor forever. [He looks down.] Looks like fifteen of them.

[fairysong]

I want that a lot more than I want to fall and break my neck! [Honestly, if he hadn't been here, she'd probably have... slid down the stairs on her butt or something.

Fifteen, though. Fifteen she can do.] I swear, if this is permanent, I'll...

[Learn how to deal with it. Probably.]

[activatingcombatmode]

I doubt it will be. It's some sort of flu or fever going around, right? You just need to take it easy and get a good dose of vitamins. That's all.

[He actually has no idea if eyesight loss is supposed to be a part of the flu or a fever or if it's even a temporary symptom but it's better to be optimistic than not.]

You're almost there!

[fairysong]

That's a nice, confident tone. It almost convinces me that you know what you're talking about. [Sorry, Zack. She's a little testy right now.]

Know a pharmacy around here that sells vitamins, by chance?