[open] waste time with a masterpiece, don't waste time with a masterpiece

[activatingcombatmode]

Who: Zack Fair & You
Status: Open
Where: Where these threads happen.
What: A catch-all log for closed threads for February! Includes a few Manta Board prompts as well. If you would like something specific please let me know.
Warnings: Tba.


[🐺 a. the edge of sleep: closed to crewmates & planned cr]

[Ever wonder what it's like to drown? It's a story of opposites. There’s peace in the water. Like it’s holding you. Whispering low tones to let it in. And every problem in the world will fade away... But then there's this thing. In your head. And it's raging. Lighting every nerve with madness. You have to fight. To survive. And all the while the question is before you. Have you had enough?

Zack can't breathe. He can't concentrate. All he can feel is the water cradling him like a vice and the strange invisable fingers around his throat that are both there and not there. He's drowning... He has to fight to breathe and swim. He has to fight to wake up.

This time he does manage to wake up. It's with a painful jolt, his body screaming in pain as he winces awake. His lungs gasping and his muscles screaming. The black mark on his hand pulsates with dirty murkiness, threatening to slide up his arm.

There can be a few places to find Zack when he wakes up. Either in his cabin aboard his crew's ship or on deck where he's failed to keep himself awake and has fallen asleep in a chair or even leaning against the wooden railing. Or at the worst passed out in some random storage room on the ship.]

[🐺 b. part of their world]

[When he's not suffering sleep deprivation Zack does manage to get some work done. Life goes on and he’s well enough during the day to go about his daily life. That means that Zack is getting back to work. And that means taking pictures of...]

Mermaids? Great, the last time I dealt with mermaids they wanted to drag me under the water.

[He sighs. But he clicks through his shellphone for the camera function and then nods.]

Let's just hope the mermaids we find today are a little less touchy-feely.

[🐺 c. wildcard]

[got something else? feel free to put that down here or find me at michrure for some extra plotting.]

Comments

wildcard as discussed, dated to whenever

[vermilloci]

[ A new month and still little more information has been found about the curse. Her efforts have shifted from looking for relics and tomes on the volcano to hunting the jellyfish for their eyes. Equally dangerous, but she never goes alone on those hunts. Also, she's not the one who's dying from a sleeping curse.

Ever since their little trip up the mountain weeks ago, she's been checking in on him. Today, she's here to deliver more of that angelic jellyfish salve. ]

Hello...?

[ Earlier, she'd sent a message that she was coming. He'd replied. Now that she's on the ship... she doesn't see him.

Rem begins walking to his cabin. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Rem has been a life saver. She's been on the case since day one and Zack is grateful for that. And since that day in the mountains, it's been harder and harder for Zack to go out and do some searching of his own. With the lack of sleep catching up to him it's only getting worse too.

So when he fails to meet her on the deck like they discussed... Zack is too busy being passed out cold and face-first on the floor of his cabin with the door half open...

But at least he's not dead. Yet.]

[vermilloci]

[ Zack, as she's come to know, remains determined even in the bleakest of times-- as proved by their excursion up the mountain. But since remaining in contact then, she's realized that his resilience is but one facet of him, one that's overshadowed by the sheer friendliness the man exhibits. So, alarm bells are already ringing when he doesn't respond, and by the time she gets to his cabin and notices how the door only opens part way, those bells have all but turned into sirens. ]

...No. [ The first thing she thinks when she sees him collapsed is is it too late, and if it's not too late for how long has he been lying on the ground.

That he's not on his bed but on the floor immediately near the door tells her that he had tried to seek help, only to be overcome with the curse.

Rem drops to her knees next to him, hands going to his shoulders to turn him over, looking for breathing and feeling for his pulse-- weak, thready. ] Zack--... can you hear me? It's Rem.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Luckily once he is turned over Zack lets out a wheeze. He seems to be breathing but it's haggard and weak. He coughs slightly and barely manages to ease his eyes open. His body feels heavy like it's waterlogged. And the bruise on his hand is turning darker and more purplish-blue.]

What ... Where... [Where is he? His eyesight is blurry.] Mom?

[......... WRONG.]

[vermilloci]

[ She'd laugh at being called "mom", if the situation weren't so dire.

As it is, Rem shakes her head, whispering a 'no' to him as she reaches for his other hand. Pressing a thumb to his palm, she spread out his fingers to better assess the area of the dark spot.

The mystery of this curse has vexed her for more than a month now, and little progress has been made. She's all but given up on attempting to explore the mountain for clues and information. Searching for angelic jellyfish to harest for their eyes is growing more difficult as the demand for them increases. The solution to the curse is a vague "black disk", but... what is it. Perhaps it's something she's been overlooking this entire time, a solution in plain sight.

...Sight?

As his eyes flutter open then close, she releases his hand to grasp his shoulder again. ] It's Rem. You know me, remember?

Hey, keep your eyes open. [ Like the last time she had assisted him, she props him up, as one would do for someone who's inhaled water. ] Look at me, I'm here, I am.

a

[afflatusexarch]

[ It had been one of those evenings where Zack had been the one to invite G'raha over for the evening. They had discussed this, of course. To look out for one another and to not be afraid of requesting the other's presence.

Thankfully, Raha's own sleep had been light. He had felt the other next to him shift around. Nothing too alarming until the choked sounds started. That has Raha immediately awake and on high alert. Looking over the other, he can tell what is happening within the dream - because it is something that is happening to them all.

His hand runs through Zack's hair. He calls the other's name. And then when the man wakes, Raha is there. Getting him to sit up. Patting and rubbing the man's back with no small amount of concern. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[It's difficult having the same reoccurring dream over and over. Each time it feels like he's falling farther down into the water. And each time it's harder to swim back out of it. The air in Zack's lungs feels tight and his body feels so heavy.

This time it's a miracle that it's G'raha's voice that pulls him out of it. He shifts awake with a painful jolt. Eyes wild for a moment as he grabs his own throat like he's trying to grasp for air. The mark on his hand might seem like it's growing bigger. There is sweat on Zack's brow. His breathing in laboured.]

Raha.

[... At least with him here Zack can take a breath in. He sits up with an uneasy ache. Tries to focus on G'raha's presence instead of the dream.]

Not again... These dreams are getting worse.

[afflatusexarch]

Don't speak quite yet.

[ Zack needs to catch his breath first. Raha wiggles behind the man, resting against a shoulder. Hands snaking around the other's waist so that he can press a hand against the other's sternum to rub small circles. ]

Breathe with me for a moment.

[ Try to match G'raha's deep breathing to try to soothe the burning of the lungs. The mark will be looked at later. For now he just wants to deal with one issue at at time. So manage the breathing first. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

... Yeah.

[He's grateful for G'raha's warmth. The feel of a steady human body against his. He'll sit so that G'raha can be there behind him comfortably. And he lets out a slow breath once he feels G'raha's hand against his chest.

It's strange. The nightmare is about drowning. But each time it feels as though it's familiar. The dark depths of that suffocating liquid. It reminds him of something. Of being trapped in a glass vat of green chemicals...

Breathing. Just focus on the breathing.]

a

[pinksidekicking]

[ Nimona finds him at the railing, usually having taken up a perch in the crow's nest to keep an eye out for anything interesting. It takes her no time at all to grab onto a rope and slide down it with all the ease of someone who has no fear of falling.

She leans over the railing to look at his face. ]

Hey. You are noooot okay, boss.

[ No point in asking how he is, at all. ]

Do you want to have a squat competition? Run laps around the ship? See who can swim to the beach the fastest? Scrap barnacles off the bottom of the ship?

[ Active things to take his mind off of it. ]

Ooooor, we can do the talking thing.

[activatingcombatmode]

[He gives the girl a weak grin.]

Hey, kid. At this rate, I'll need to do all of those things just to stay awake. What do you want to start with?

[He really doesn't want to sleep again. Not when he keeps nearly nodding off. He'll end up passing out and falling overboard or something and then he'll really be a drowning man.]

[pinksidekicking]

[ There are some adverse side effects to staying awake all the time, but when the alternative could also be deadly? Nimona knows which one she'd prefer. ]

We could do alternate. Do something while dry, then it'll be like splashing cold water on your face with a swim race.

[ And if she's there, Nimona can prevent any drowning from happening. Whale Nimona to the rescue. ]

Think I could out-squat you? [ Is that even a word? Who cares. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack snorts. Nimona's attitude is a breath of fresh air right now and he really needed that.]

That's a good question, can you out-squat me? I was the champion at my last job, you know.

[He grins a little.]

It might not be totally fair since I'm tired but let's see how we can do.

[And yeah, anything's better than sleeping right now.]

a - cloud flavor

[makoglow]

[ Cloud finds Zack at one of the tables in the kitchen area. Guy seems to be passed out at the table. That... Doesn't seem like something Zack would do. Though Cloud has picked up on the fact that his friend isn't feeling great. The guy is always quick to shake things off, to keep going with a smile.

But this? This doesn't look good. So Cloud puts a hand on a shoulder to gently shake him awake. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[At first it seems like Zack isn't going to wake up from the shake. He's just face down on the table, his shoulders limp and his body slightly shivering like he's cold or has a fever...

Like a dead man sleeping.]

[makoglow]

Zack!

[ Squeezing that shoulder now! Yanking and pulling his friend back so he can look in his face. ]

C'mon!

[ No. No no no no. Don't put him through this again. Don't you DARE keep your eyes shut! ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[It takes a long time to jostle Zack out of it. Minutes go by and Zack's body is still limp and barely reacting to Cloud's yanking or voice.

His mind. It's heavy. All he has to do is breathe in the water and then there will be nothing. He'll be gone.]

...Nhn...?

a - tifa flavour

[starshower]

[Tifa had been down in the kitchens when it happened. Gaslight had come bounding in meowing at her, trampling all over the counters, hopping on her shoulder, all manner of things to get her attention until Tifa would follow her. She ran off, stopped, checked over her shoulder to be sure that she was being followed, as Gaslight led her down the corridors below deck. Clearly, the cat wanted to show her something, and wanted to show her desperately.]

If this is you asking for treats, I already gave you some.

[She doesn't take her very far and stops at the storage room several down from the kitchen and claws at the door.]

There's nothing in there for you, I promise. Look—

[Tifa rolls her eyes at the cat, walks right up to the door, and opens it.]

See? Noth—Zack!?

[Except that is not nothing. That is Zack fast asleep on the floor of the storage closet...]

What in the...? Zack, wake up!

[activatingcombatmode]

[What a good kitty. Poor Zack is lying face down on the floor of the storage closet next to a scattered box of dried foodstuffs. Maybe he had been about to bring some stores up for the kitchen?

He doesn't stir the moment that she calls to him. Instead, he seems to mutter something in his sleep. His brow is heavy with sweat almost like he has a fever. And he's having trouble breathing...

If she looks she'll also notice that there is an ugly black bruise on his left hand. It looks like it's starting to grow too.]

[starshower]

[She flicks on the light and kneels down in front of him, and only now does she get a better look. The sweat, the mumbling, the laboured breathing... Her hand presses to his forehead to check his temperature, and when she spots that growing bruise on his hand...]

Gaslight, move.

[Tifa is hoisting Zack up, throwing his arm around her shoulder so that she can drag him to his feet. Whether he can hear her or not—]

Come on, we're getting you to bed right now.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Meanwhile, his mind is stuck in one of those heavy sleeping dreams again. He feels like he's falling. Down and down deeper into the depths of a black ocean. And every single second is pulling the air out of his lungs and closer to just ... letting it all go.

But when his body is jostled up from the floor he coughs out a breath. Woozy and weak, his body barely manages to react naturally to being picked up so Tifa might have to deal with a ragdoll Zack for a moment. But she's strong, she can probably benchpress two Clouds-]

... Water...

[He mutters groggily. But soon enough he feels himself jostle out of sleep enough with a weak inhale of breath.]

Tifa...?

B

[scooba]

[At the same time, Freminet found himself looking down at the ocean before getting his shellphone out. Mumbling to himself, he shook his head.]

I hope not. I rather not get bitten again and deal with the aftereffects...

[Because he sure didn't want to be feeling like he wants to throw up again!]

...Do you think we might need a bait for them to come?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack looks a bit alarmed when the kid says that.]

You got bitten by one before? How long ago was that?

[He pockets his phone for now.]

We might need some bait but for now, let's get farther out into the water. See what we can see. You ready?

[scooba]

A couple of weeks ago but I managed to get better afterwards...

[Not to mention that he got Tifa hurt too but he'll keep that to himself. But as he got his phone out, he gave a nod.]

Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Damn...] I'm glad you're okay now. Don't worry, this time I'm on the job and I won't let a mermaid get an inch near you.

[Meanwhile the ship starts to head out. Evenly sailing over the water.]