acatalepsy_logs | [open] you can lead a sick horse to water

Entry tags:

[open] you can lead a sick horse to water

Who: Konoha and YOU
Where: around the Temple
When: 8/28 - 9/20
Rating PG???
What: catch all log for hanging with a centaur before or after the sick sets in

01 | GARDENING | 8/28

[What Konoha really wanted to do was to go home. But she knows... She has to make the most of her situation. Has to try and stay positive the best she can. So, like she'd talked about with Nier... a garden seemed like a good idea. With the plants withering like they were planting didn't actually seem like it would work, but at least she could get the field ready? It seemed like something to do, at least, and hard labor is what Konoha did best.

So she gets to work. In the first few days she can be found out near the woods, sleeves tied back and a cloth wrapped around her forehead to keep sweat out of her eyes as she starts prepping the dirt. Digging out stones, ripping up dead roots, cutting away weeds, dragging a makeshift plow behind her to till the soil...

At the sight of anyone from the Circle, however, she takes a moment to give a friendly wave.]

02 | BATHHOUSE | 8/30

[All the plowing she's been doing works up a sweat, and it wasn't often she had the luxury of a bath big enough for jinba that wasn't... wading into the river. Not that there's anything wrong with rivers, but. The bathhouse at the temple is more luxurious than she's ever really tried before, and it's so comfortably hot???

She could be mistaken for a human woman at first glance, with all the steam, but the dark shadow in the water reveals her more equine half. That and the long black tail floating towards the top of the water. Sighing happily and resisting the urge to try and roll, Konoha lets her hair down from it's usual bun and sets about running her fingers through it to try and untangle it as she sinks a bit deeper into the water.]

Ah... This is nice.

03 | HELPING THE SICK | 9/5

[Konoha has never gotten sick when her parents or the other humans in the village had. She didn't really hear a lot about jinba getting sick at all, really... So she thinks it will be fine. She doesn't have enough education to know that this might be because, as similar as her upper body looks, a jinba and a human are different species, and not all sickness can cross those differences... She just knows that she's probably fine.

So she tries to help.]

Morning... I brought breakfast.

[She pokes her head in the door of one of the bedrooms in the Temple, smiling through the concern on her features and a steaming bowl of what looks like porridge in her hands.]

Feeling up to eating?

04 | KITCHEN STUMBLE | 9/12

[Fun fact for anyone studying this outbreak... Species doesn't matter. Jinba get sick, too.

She's been feeling tired, but... She's also been working hard as more and more people got sick. Hasn't really been sleeping well. The low fever, that... had been more concerning, but what could she do about it? She did tell someone, she wasn't trying to hide anything-

But she also didn't expect it to take a turn so fast. To be so clumsy as to catch a hoof on a stone, to send the basket of apples she'd been carrying rolling across the floor and her sprawling right after with a crash as her attempt to catch herself failed and only managed to knock cutlery off the counter.

She'll get up... She will. In a minute. Meanwhile, a lone apple rolls out the kitchen door.]

05 | HUMPTY DUMPTY | 9/17

[It's so hot. She knows it has to be because of the fever, knows she's supposed to sweat it out... but she still can't help the urge, anxiously twisting where she lies on the ground in her temple room to try and undo the bear hide wrap she wears tied about her waist, try and loosen the fit of her shirt as sweat beads on her dark skin.

Sometime in the last night... She's lost the strength to stand. Had gradually collapsed to her knees, then to her belly, and then to her side. She forgets how long ago. Long enough for the pillow she'd taken with her to soak with sweat, for her throat to parch and her stomachs to twist in protest, both starving for food and roiling to reject it.

The sound of a visitor... doesn't even really register.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh...

[So is that why he kept calling himself a tool, and other weird things like that? Philosophy and such thinking is ever something she's spent a lot of time contemplating, and maybe deep thought didn't come easy, but...]

It might be kind of nice to not have to worry about what kind of job you're going to do... I had to find a jinba in town who could get me one...

[Didnt some people have issues with that? She'd had Sha-go to recommend work for her, to introduce her to the business owner and vouch for her skills, but some people struggled. She isn't familiar so much with indecision of the more modern age borne from too many options and freedom to choose work, but she understands an inability to find work one is suited for. Still-]

You like it, though? Your job?

[A second too long passes, with Connor not responding immediately. They've had this conversation before, though the last time he had lacked providing details -- he supposes he can do so this time, to get around the crux of the actual answer. The doubt that still plagues him, that threatens to send errors compiling in his system.]

I am suited for it. I find satisfaction in the work, in knowing that I've completed a task that I was literally made to do. Working crime scenes, solving cases. The RK800 model is specially tailored for these jobs.

It sounds hard... There must be a lot of crime where you're from... ?

[To think, some people actually... investigated such incidents? Maybe it was just her world, but... she'd heard of criminals being caught for murder or stealing, but not of people whose whole job was finding out that kind of thing...]

But you at least have coworkers, right? And-

["Friends" dies out before she says it, suddenly pausing as a dizzy spell makes her press more of her face against the rock before she tries to laugh it off, slapping her cheeks lightly with river-cold hands.]

No, we talked about that before, sorry- Hank. I remember-

It’s a large city; the crime rate reflects that. The cases I’ve been delegated to specially deal with androids that have gone rogue.

[He looks at her closely, concern making his brow furrow, but her words distract him.]

That’s right. Hank, he—

[His LED flickers again, erratically, then Connor shakes his head. He discards whatever he was going to say, deciding against it.

Instead:]

Konoha, are you feeling any better?

"Make" food?

[that's a curious way of putting it, coming from someone who didn't know what Konoha's power was, specifically. but he doesn't ask for details, because his brain is a little foggy today and the porridge smells so good and now that it's in his hands he totally just wants to dig in]

[so he does, dipping the spoon into the meal and taking a hearty bite. it's hot, but doesn't burn, and it goes down easily even with a scratchy and sore throat. delicious]

[he does peer at Konoha curiously when she makes that offer, and instead of answering, he says. . .]

You don't have to go out of your way to help me, you know. . . I don't want to be a bother.

[it's sweet, and he appreciates it, but also? totally not used to it]

Big like Edo? Or Osaka?

[Places she's only heard of, and no real thought that she'd ever actually go to or see with her own eyes. Vast, bustling port towns and trade hubs that to her were just the settings of tales and the destination or origin for goods.

She shivers again without quite realizing it, looking up to hear something about Hank, but-]

Ah... a little? Maybe?

[She doesn't sound too sure.]

[He may not ask, but she is ready to explain already. After all, powers and these sorts of abilities were completely foreign to her, so it's easy to think they must be for everyone else, too, which means... explaining.]

Yeah, it's... my "magic". I can make food appear.

[He had... a much more dramatic power, turning into a ghost and all, but. When he says she needn't bother she frowns and tsks, even wagging a finger.]

It's the job of well people to take care of sick people! There's nothing bothersome about being weak.

[She doesn't lecture for too long, though, switching back to a smile.]

Now! What's your favorite fruit?

["there's nothing bothersome about being weak." Akira nearly chokes on his porridge when she says that, but he looks way more amused than insulted. it's a bleary amusement, because sick, but. it's a smile!]

[and this time, he answers her question without protest, but that may be because he wants to see how her MAGICALLY APPEARING FOOD ability works]

Blueberries.

Yes. Large like those cities.

[He won’t correct the part about Edo as he knows it now. No point in dredging up anachronisms when it’s unnecessary.]

Do you want out of the river now? I can grab you a towel or two.

[Well... that made sense, then. Big cities... more people... more crime, right?

At the question, though... Oh, yeah. Towels. She'd totally forgotten about that logistic detail... and a lot of other details, really.]

Sorry... could you?

[A bit belatedly, she looks down and realizes that she's slipped gradually in to the point that she's up to her chest in water. Her upper one, not the lower one, which means her clothing is... pretty soaked.

Oops.]

I'll get out when you get back.

[See, he smiled. He gets it. That's the whole point of teamwork, after all... those who could made up for those who couldn't. And even if you were weak... if there were enough of you, you could accomplish anything. That's what Sha-go always said about humans. About why they could win against jinba even though jinba were far stronger.]

Blueberries? Okay, let's see...

[She's still getting the hang of this, (because frankly it's still BONKERS to her), but Konoha cups her hands together, frowning in concentration... before she opens her hands and spreads her fingers to reveal a handful of wild blueberries. They weren't freshly washed or anything, looking like they'd just been plucked from the bush, but they're definitely blueberries.]

Here you go!

[oh my gosh]

[oh my gosh!1]

[he holds out his porridge bowl and nods at it, indicating she should totally mix the blueberries into said porridge]

It's that easy? I wish I would've known you could do this back when we were on Struxta.

[he would've so loved to eat something other than gray goop :(]

Haha, it's easier now that I've been practicing but... I was still getting a hang of it before.

[She would also have been much happier eating less grey goop tbh... Gross.

Into the porridge go the blueberries.]

I thought about sending an, um, "message" on the metal thing so that everyone knew I could help, but I don't really know how to work it right.

[... the watch.]

[he uses his spoon to mix the fruit and porridge together, before taking another bite. the blueberries are an excellent addition, and for a moment, he's quiet while he savors the flavor. it's amazing how much better a warm meal can make a guy feel]

[he does have to turn away for a moment to cough into his hand, but it's fine. he'll be okay]

On the watch?

[huh. . . that gives him an idea]

I can teach you how to use it, in exchange for the porridge and blueberries.

Are you sure?

[She's smiling, because she definitely appreciates the offer, but... it's the blithe smile of someone who is pretty sure they might not be that smart, and is sort of at peace with it.]

Connor offered to help, too, but I'm not a great student... I didn't last two weeks in the temple school.

[And it was easier to think it was because she wasn't that good at letters and all those fancy things than to admit that the monks hadn't been found of jinba.]

[As a response, Connor stands up, straightening his tie out of habit.]

I won't be long.

[A little nod, then he turns to disappear back into the temple. The towels are easily located, big and dry and fluffy, and he's true to his word; he isn't long, maybe two minutes at the most, before he returns to the riverside.

He has a stack of towels held in his arms.]

This should be enough, I think?

[When he leaves her sight, Konoha sinks into the water a bit deeper. Her shirt was already wet... so it was fine, right? She slips in until she's up to her neck, kicking her back legs a bit. Water was nice... it was cool, and she was so much less heavy in it...

As Connor comes back in to view Konoha tries to refresh herself, putting her face into the water and scrubbing at it quickly, pinching between her brows and pushing on her cheek bones in order to try and relieve the growing haze and pressure she feels in the back of her skull before she comes back up.

It's a lot of towels... Not more than she needed, but more than she usually had on hand, so. She does look a bit impressed.]

I think? Hold on-

[She takes her time, not wanting to mess up and slip on a rock or twist an ankle despite how weak she's feeling, dragging herself out with a clumsier-than-normal heave until she stands back on the riverbank, dripping forlornly.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to get so wet...

[She holds out her hands for a towel, sleeves sopping. At least he said he was waterproof... ?]

[He comes prepared, maybe overly prepared, but Connor assumed that she would need more towels than the average human, considering her size. Still, he eyes her exit from the river with some scrutiny, ready to drop what he’s brought for the sake of attempting to offer her an arm if she stumbles. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen, and Connor’s shoulders relax ever so slightly.

He steps forward, offering her the stack, expecting her to take the one on top.]

It’s fine. [He is indeed waterproof! He doesn’t mind. This android has a propensity to stand in the rain without much thought, occasionally.]

Just make sure you dry yourself well before we return to your room. I don’t want your fever getting worse because we neglected this part.

[She does take the top one, starting off with just burying her face in it, muttering a bit sullenly.]

I was always a really healthy filly...

[She hates the idea of getting sick, not only because she won't be able to help anyone, but also because... she's been tending to the sick humans, and she's seen how sick some of them have gotten.

And she's never been that sick before.

Her worry plain on her face despite her intent to hide it, she wraps the towel around her neck in order to reach down and begin weakly wringing out her sleeves and the bottom of her top.]

Do you think it's really what all the humans have? Maybe it's something different...

[Something less serious.]

[She would have to do a particularly good job of hiding her concern from an android like Connor, and as it stands, Konoha really does seem to wear her heart on her sleeve. He watches as she dries herself, processing some mode of comfort in his mind. Wanting to remain realistic while not frightening her; it’s a delicate balance, but he thinks he can manage it.

In the interim, he extends a hand to take back a soggy towel so that she can take another dry one.]

It’s hard to say. Even if it is the same sickness that’s ailing the humans, your biology is different. If you’ve been healthy in the past, it’s possible your immune system might be more resistant to what’s going around.

[Of course, the opposite could also be said, but Connor chooses not to say that much.]

Regardless of what happens, I’ll watch over you. It doesn’t seem to affect anyone who’s inorganic.

I'm from the largest city in my country.

[The largest city in the world, actually. The sheer size of Insomnia could very well warrant its own region of the world. It almost does, really. It's just about the only population center in the Cavaugh region.]

It's a pleasure to meet you too.

[Now that she's upright, the apples can now be attended to. Rather than make her bend over to pick them up, Ignis takes that task upon himself, gathering some of the fallen fruit in his arms.]

Where would you like these?

[Were he able to frown, Cayde would certainly be looking a bit dour right now. In as much, his browplates shift in concern, and while he gently takes a few steps back to give her some room his eye is sharp and taking in any sign that something further may be wrong. It doesn't help that he's flying blind, but that doesn't deter him in the slightest.]

Seems like a big deal, that was a pretty rough fall if I ever heard one.

[He snags an apple from the floor, briefly contemplating it as he thinks.] Seriously, that sounded like it hurt. And I'll be honest, I don't have hooves but if I did I feel like chipping them might be a big deal.

I'm positive.

[with a deep inhale that rattles in his chest, Akira places the bowl of porridge aside and shifts until he's seated on the edge of his bed, blankets still draped over his shoulders. he holds out his wrist-- the one with the watch strapped around it-- and taps against the screen to bring up the texting option. he'd offer to give Konoha lessons with her own watch, but. sick germs. he doesn't want to pass those on]

You'll pass this class with flying colors.

That would be good...

[Both things.

Konoha exchanges her towel but only clutches it at first, splaying her legs out slightly and sort of leaning forward, lengthening her spine and lowering her head... before she suddenly gives a full body shake, excess water flying off her sides, back, and belly... before she straightens back up again and only then twists in order to begin rubbing the towel over her brown hide, drying her coat as best she could. Thankfully it was at least still her shorter summer coat, but! As flexible as jinba were, there were still places she couldn't quite reach without laying down, like her back legs and rear, covered in sopping skirt.

So maybe in her fever haze she hadn't really thought this through beyond "cool please". As she towels off, though,]

You said you didn't know much about jinba or... horses, right?

[If she was going to get sick... as sick as the others...]

It just sounded bad because I'm so heavy, haha-

[Well, she was perfectly fine weight wise for her species, but!!! Compared to a human.

She gets her basket back upright and gestures for him to put her apple back in, tipping the ones she picks up back into the wicker with one hand while rubbing the back of her head with the other. Both in embarrassment as well as to quiet the ache building in her skull along with the fever.]

It doesn't look so bad...

[Jinba are pretty flexible despite their size, and Konoha leans forward to reach and inspect her front hoof, the small chip evident on the side. No, not so serious, just a consequence of the rough kitchen floor... still.]

Here, watch out... I'll get up-

[Sort... of. Part way.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 6 of 16

[open] you can lead a sick horse to water

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject