[catch-all] my body is a cage;

[dreamflowers]

WHO: Jade and You.
WHAT: Catch-all log for April.
WHEN: Month of April, namely after the Shard-Bearers have awakened in their respective Resting Rooms.
WHERE: Various, but mostly Old Springstar (and Skysong).
WARNINGS: Psychosis due to the Arcane Fever stuff. I'll mark in the subject headers for anything heavy.

Prompts will be added in the comments. If there's anything specific you'd like me to whip up for you, feel free to hit me up in a PM, discord, or plurk (whippoorwill). This will be especially helpful as Jade's Arcane Fever will result in her struggle to discern what's real and what isn't, potentially causing her to hallucinate alternate versions of characters! Fun times.

Comments

Old Springstar;

[dreamflowers]

[Waking up in the dusty room of an orphanage, surrounded by dead flowers and other trinkets had been the last thing Jade expected at the end of their little journey into the dreamy unknown.

[No, wait. Scratch that. Having been asleep for over a century was actually the last thing, but that's neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things.

[What she should have expected was the first thing that had been asked of her by her negligible caretaker (descendants of the orphans she had assisted shortly after the assassination of Springstar's Tribune, she later discovered) concerning the state of her health. Jade hadn't noticed it as fast as she should have -- probably due in part to her struggling to think straight since she awoke.

[Most might chalk it up to grogginess. But then the caretaker's face started to melt, pieces of their body turning inside out. Words spoken no longer strung together properly, until all Jade could hear were screams echoing off the walls.

[It was at that point that Jade knew something was terribly wrong. After excusing herself from the Meri's care, she promptly took to the streets, barefoot and half-naked, wearing only the scant clothing she had been dressed in during her long sleep.

[More notably, her skin glows a deep indigo, almost purple -- with skeletal patterns burning into her flesh. Every now and then, her eyes flicker as she walks the streets of what had once been Springstar proper, as the visages of the figures around her twist into various shapes. Some remain more than mere shadows of their ordinary selves, while others turn more monstrous or unrecognizable.

[Whether she runs into a Shard-Bearer such as yourself, whose face she can discern from the hallucination or not, it matters very little. Your face distorts like all the others, and Jade sharply withdraws the moment she sees you, the cold glow of her skin flaring.]

Blazes! Sorry. I didn't see you.

[Probably because she had been walking with her head down, eyes mostly closed so as not to look at the warped world around her.

[Clearly, her caretakers had no idea how to treat the Arcane Fever that plagued her, or else it wouldn't have reached the advanced stages that it's at now. Jade can barely stay vertical, and can scarcely concentrate on the road in front of her as she sways and starts to lose her focus all over again.]

I'm f-fine, [comes to inevitable answer to the inevitable question she doesn't need to be a Prophetess to see coming.

[Except she's not really fine.]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri himself is wandering a bit, trying to get his bearings in this "new" old city. It's disorienting to half recognize landmarks and then to find that the street ends or see that the building a few blocks over no longer exists - or that there's a crater where the next district over used to be. He's simply trying to familiarize himself when he practically runs into Jade. It takes him a moment to recognize her with the glow and the strange skeletal patterns, but then it dawns on him as she speaks and he eases back a step to give her a long look. ]

...Jade. What on earth has happened to you?

[ He's worried. ]

[dreamflowers]

[Even though she's taller than him, Jade keeps her head down in a way to avoid looking Dimitri directly in the eye. Once she recognizes his voice, the last thing she wants is to see his face warped like everyone else she's seen so far.]

What 114 years' worth of an untreated Arcane Fever looks like, apparently.

[She rubs her forehead, nursing the thunderous ache that pounded in her brain.]

To be honest, it's a wonder I'm even still alive, or woke up at all.

[hauntedking]

Arcane fever...?

[ He's no expert but that doesn't sound good. ]

Do you need help? Medical treatment? Should you even be walking around right now...?

[dreamflowers]

Maybe, no, and probably most definitely not.

[Jade raises a finger with each of Dimitri's queries, still keeping her eyes closed.]

But seeing as it's been over a century and nobody's bothered to learn how to treat Arcane Fever, I've no choice but to make it myself.

[Well, technically she did have a choice, but that would involve asking for help -- something she's reluctant to do. And she doesn't hold any animosity towards the Meris over their negligence. She hadn't exactly given many of them a reason to give a damn about her existence.

[And before Dimitri can ask, Jade then adds:] Unfortunately, it seems most of the potential ingredients for a remedy just aren't available in this world. So I'm trying to find the more common ones -- thistle and nightshade. And that's assuming they even share the same alchemical properties to make what I need.

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri listens with increasing concern. This sounds serious but also a little out of his wheelhouse. His healing magic certainly won't help with this. He frowns in thought, trying to get himself in order. ]

Ingredients... My house still has a garden. I don't know if it will have any of the things you need, but it can't hurt to check, surely? Would you like to take a look?

Skysong;

[dreamflowers]

[When it had become blatantly obvious that finding an Apothacarius armed with the knowledge of what Arcane Fever even is let alone how to treat the damn thing was a vain effort, Jade had no other choice but to take matters into her own hands.

[Which is easier said than done when she's walking around half-dead and glowing, wasting even more of her time having to dismiss any interrogation attempts so that she can get into the heart of the matter.

[Fortunately, she's not completely dead yet, or else she would have keeled over days ago after she woke up -- assuming she ever woke up at all.

["Honestly, I don't even know how you're still standing right now," was among the various comments she had gotten during her hunt for alchemical ingredients. When Old Springstar seemed to be a bust, she (albeit reluctantly) ventured into Skysong, traversing the islands while struggling to weave between real people and hallucinations vying for her attention.]

For the love of... You'd think they'd have nightshade somewhere on this blasted island. [Jade mutters under her breath as she exits one of the many establishments she had been scouring. It was bad enough that she was just starting to get used to the original Springstar, now she's having to re-learn the lay of the land (or lands) while struggling to maintain a sane state of mind...

[An endeavor she's failing miserably at this point: Out the corner of her eye, another phantom shadow lingers on the other side of the street she stands on -- just one of the many that has followed her around since she awoke.

[It is then that she closes her eyes, takes a breath. You're not real.

[But it lingers even when she opens her eyes.]

Oh, fuck you, [she tells the hallucination out loud.]

[a_noble_flame]

[To say Alice is used to getting cursed at is an understatement. Even with Jade doing the cursing it affects her little. It's more Jade's state that seems to jog the concern out of her. Not simply the glowing of course but having mildly experienced one of these hallucinatory episodes? It seems similar enough to have her pausing at the other woman speaks in her direction.]

Jade?

[dreamflowers]

[Hearing Alice's voice, Jade sighs, closing her eyes, not turning to face the other woman when she speaks.]

That... wasn't directed at you.

[In case it wasn't obvious.

[For the time being, she keeps her eyes closed, but it doesn't shut out both the physical voices and the hushed echoes that follow them.]

I'm really fucked right now if I can't get my hands on some damned nightshade.

[a_noble_flame]

I thought as much.

[Her tone is soft, not quite sad but certainly not pleased to see Jade in such a state. The mention of nightshade had her tilting her head.]

Does it strictly need to be nightshade or something from the same family? Er ... related to nightshade, that is.

[dreamflowers]

Not sure, honestly. I was never much of an alchemist -- most of the stuff I ever needed was bought or scavenged, so some trial and error might be necessary... and hope I don't blow anything up.

[She pinches the bridge of her nose, trying to shut out the noise of the world around her, but everything is so loud. Static. It hurts just standing here talking.]

Fuck. And I'll need access to a still, too.

[a_noble_flame]

... Maybe the orphanage has one? A still that is.

[They have a garden too of course but she couldn't fathom them having nightshade. Now plants related to it she could.]

Do you recall everything you need? [She pauses a moment, watching as Jade pinches at her nose with a furrowed brow.] I don't mean to sound rude but you don't really look like you need to be hunting things down on your own.

Wrecking ball; OPEN

[dreamflowers]

i. Uptown (Old Springstar)

[Finally having managed her Arcane Fever to a somewhat more endurable level to the extent where she isn't at risk of dropping dead any second, Jade only slightly glows now, but not enough to where the effects of what ails her are actively making her trip all the balls. For better or for worse, she'll live.

[Which means it's high time for her to make good on her little promised romp into Skysong, a place of which its very existence represents everything she's always despised about the bourgeois on Vyn, and that just won't stand.

[Of course, her "journey" begins in Old Springstar, where she properly equips herself with the necessary gear -- spray paint, blunt weapons, whatever she can get her hands on that she can't just do herself.

[Once she's ready, she closes her eyes before shooting a mental communion to certain relevant parties:]

Interested in a little high-class chaos? Come to Uptown for a good time.

[Otherwise, she can be found in said Uptown, mentally preparing herself to ascend into Skysong proper whilst testing a metal bat (or bat-like club), experimenting with the feel of each swing. It's not something she's used to, but it'll do.]

ii. Skysong

[Alternatively, she might already be in Skysong proper, because of course it isn't just a one-off event. Jade's been making the most out of the cover of night, sneaking into homes, ransacking what valuables she could find, before leaving with a comically large bag to simply chuck over the edge of the floating island itself.

[Why? Because she can. Plus material wealth is bullshit. Really, they should be thanking her for relieving them of such frivolities. Just like how they should be thanking her for every window broken and every fancy statue/poster defiled with obscene graffiti to prove just how pointless their assumed peaceful existence here is.

[Most of all, every vehicle of which she telekinetically releases the brakes, only to send sailing down the steepest hills and towards their metal demise. Those things are dangerous! Send them back to the oceans!

[She's careful, of course. Or as careful as one whose sole purpose is to recklessly sow discord can possibly be. If nothing else, evading authorities is a cakewalk when you can zip away without being seen in a matter of seconds.

[Magic is great like that.]

i

[punkisntdead]

[Look, it takes very little to get Chloe raring for some delinquent shenanigans, so that call to arms is all she needs to get going. Springstar both old and new is still mostly unfamiliar territory for her, but that’s part of the appeal, right? A bag slung over one shoulder and her hair now back to her customary blue with a little magical help, Chloe makes her way through Old Springstar’s streets with a relaxed posture only betrayed by how long her gaze lingers on buildings and other landmarks. She’s gotta get her bearings around here somehow.

Luckily Jade isn’t too hard to spot—christ, she’d forgotten how freaking tall the woman is—and Chloe’s doubling back a little when the whiz of a bat cutting through the air draws her attention in the right direction.]

Damn girl, you really mean business, huh?

[dreamflowers]

[The second she sees a familiar face, Jade stops mid-swing, realizing that- oh, someone actually did come. Isn't this nice?]

Damn right.

[She stuffs the bat in her bag, long enough to carry such a thing, then pauses when she realizes something.]

You people need some kinda bullshit badge to get up to the big pie in the sky, don't you? [Jade clicks her tongue as she says this. More reasons why she hates places like that.]

[punkisntdead]

[Fuck, right. She’d forgotten about that. Mostly it just sounds more annoying than anything else.]

Can’t have a damn dirty Zenith like me running around without everyone knowing.

[She rolls her eyes and shrugs, letting the sarcasm in her voice level out a little as she continues.]

Whatever, I’ll throw it in the trash when I get up there. As long as they’re not sticking cops on my ass it doesn’t matter, right?

[dreamflowers]

Hmm...

[Eyes narrowing into a contemplative expression, Jade studies Chloe for a moment. Though she knows very well that can make herself or her apparitions invisible, she's never made such an attempt on another living person before. But that doesn't mean it's impossible, does it?]

Y'know, I could attempt a Psionic veil to keep you from being seen. That way there's no physical "paper trail" linking you to any tomfoolery going on in their pretty little streets. Whether or not that'll work... Well, that's another story.

[But when in doubt, use the ~Jedi mind tricks~ you learned within the span of a few months.]

i

[fursuit]

Oh, fuck yes.

[ Even with the gloomy, somewhat unsettling vibe of Tezcatlipoca’s mind, the message is not only received warmly, but it is received with enthusiasm. He’s delighted that she seems to have taken his suggestion to heart after all! It was very much something he’d suggested jokingly… But is happy for it to not end up being a joke. ]

I’ll be over there ASAP. Hangin’ in Kowloon at the moment, even. So, you want anything special? I can grab goodies on my way!

[ goodies meaning like. Weapons and/or drugs. But. ]

[dreamflowers]

[Oh good! He responded.]

Just your sweet ass.

[Sorry, she's cringe. Did she say that out loud or just think it? Or both? Oh well. What is shame, anyway?]

Think I've got everything I need. But some extra shots would probably be good, if you can get any. I like those cute little bottles. Ooh, and maybe some petals, or whatever you people use to smoke. [She's still arguably sober, albeit a little tipsy.]

[fursuit]

[ Nothing he has either, at least, since he laughs easily in response. ]

Lil' bottles, somethin' good to smoke, and anything else fun I find on the way, got it.

[ His ass, clearly, goes without saying. ]

Yeah, gimme twenty and we're good and I'll meet ya. Which part are ya hangin' in? Ain't the most popular around your sides of town, considerin', but I still know my way around. There's plenty that Meridian's got goin' on that's more my vibe.

[dreamflowers]

Twenty minutes... Peachy.

[As for where she's hanging around...]

Would outside of that Uptown Cache place be as good a meeting point as any? I was just perusing there earlier.

[In case she found any other knickknacks or supplies that she could use for her little adventure. Mostly, she was just curious, as she tends to be.]

ii

[cyfaredd]

[ At a certain point in Jade's evening of noble lawlessness, she'll turn to sneak back out the window she came in through, only to find that the window is....... not there anymore. It's gone. Oh, did she get turned around and the window is on the other side of the room? Nope. This home she's broken into suddenly has no windows. ]

Where exactly do you think you're going with that, Miss Jade?

[ Just as inexplicably and instantaneously as the windows had disappeared, Howl is standing in the center of the room, dressed in a long smoking jacket and velvet pajama pants. Despite it being the middle of the sunlit night, he looks as dolled-up as he always does: hair perfect, skin perfect, eyes outlined. Did he go to bed looking like this? ]

Put it down. And, tell me how you managed to get in here.

[dreamflowers]

[At first, the window disappearance is just... odd. Had Jade not experienced a similar phenomenon during her experience with the Rhalâta, she might have reacted with a bit more shock. Instead, she has more of a dull "well, that was unexpected" flinch of the shoulders, brows lifting and eyes darting from the now-windowless wall to the comfortably dressed up inhabitant.]

Neat trick. Somebody's gonna have to show me how that works sometime...

[The illusions she creates can't do anything quite like that, at least.

[Rather than dismay or denial, Jade simply shrugs, before casually setting down the bag as instructed.]

Pardon me. I wasn't aware that this was your residency.

[There's a sort of forced politeness in her demeanor when she speaks, like she usually does when she's trying to tailor a situation to go her way.]

[cyfaredd]

[ Howl raises his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the bag floats up into the air towards him. ]

Who said it was?

[ And he grins. Is he joking? Messing with her? It's hard to tell! ]

Now, answer my question, won't you? I won't ask why you're here. That part is obvious.

[dreamflowers]

[Interesting response. But Jade doesn't have time to mull it over before she finds the bag being floated away.

[Now that just won't do.]

Oh, no you don't.

[She clenches her fingers together and pulls the bag back towards her. Of course, she's not a particularly skilled Mentalist, so her telekinesis is passable yet... lacking. But still. Heck if she's going to just accept someone trying to take her stash when she manages to pull it back just enough for her to at least grab hold of the shoulder strap with her free hand.]

And if you must know, I've been liberating the worldly attachments of the privileged by relieving them of certain... material possessions.

[More words than necessary just to say "I'm stealing their shit", but whatever.]