a disease of the mind [p]

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    simulacrum has been classified as a pandemic. anyone could have it. your neighbor. your boss. your spouse. and when you look at them, you can't tell. at least, in the early stages. they seem normal, except for their strange behavior and the headaches, and perhaps signs of an injury. they seem normal, at least, until they bite.


    SYMPTOMS--

    • EARLY - headaches, dizziness, mood swings, nausea
    • MID - abhorrent nervous system (slight), paleness, loss of appetite, tender gums
    • LATE - abhorrent nervous system (extreme), loss of normal teeth, growth of sharper teeth, heart failure, extreme hunger, coughing up blood

    due to fear, the government has just issued a curfew. you must be inside by 8pm. if not, you will be arrested. along with the curfew, armed military stalk the streets at night, looking to catch anyone who is ill. the hospitals aren't filling up, as expected with a pandemic. no, instead, the jails are, temporary containment for the people affected by the illness into violence. some are shot. many survive.

    you have been caught outside after curfew, along with a small group of others, on the street. about to be arrested, and at the very least tested, held at gunpoint, you suddenly see the door to a house open.

    form sort of
    Display Spoiler

    The post was edited 10 times, last by xYukirin ().

    fcf00f7f9ec7b67f7f1deb0c3107ed2a.jpg
    name: Daniel Washburne / "Wash"
    gender: Male
    age: 17 years
    sexuality: Heterosexual
    favorite color: Cyan / Light blue
    description if necessary: Has jet black hair and greenish blue eyes with a decently soft face, Wash has a face that you would see in a crowd and forget. Usually wears a grey sweatshirt with a Hawaiian shirt underneath, on warmer days he wears a tank top with a similar pattern to the Hawaiian shirt. He's 6 foot nothing and is still called pretty tall for his age. Skinny isn't exactly a good way to describe his body shape, he's more lanky-medium.
    other: "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"

    donovan
    lin
    rei


    name: Kaito Bonnefoy
    gender: Male
    age: 20
    sexuality: Heterosexual
    favorite color: Blue
    description if necessary: Just kind of sophisticated and stuff
    other: Nah


    Name: Elizabetha (III) Belmont
    Gender: Female
    Age: 19
    Sexuality: Heterosexual
    Favorite Color: Purple
    Description if necessary: She wears a bow on the back of her head and stuff
    other: more nah

    Lin believed the fact that he was a little drunk was doing the opposite of helping the situation. He put his hands up in front of him, between himself and the guard attempting to apprehend him. "Woah, there, buddy," he said, seeming to upset the guard more, as he lifted up the gun he carried. Lin winced, and took a step back. "This is ridiculous. I'm going ho--" The gun clicked, and Lin shut up. "Have you had any contact with any suspicious people recently?" asked the guard. Lin frowned, and then lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was doing research on it, which means I could have been in contact with it, but--" The guard motioned for him to get in the car.

    Rei was also in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was only about 15 minutes after curfew, but that was apparently too long. And she was working, too. Ugh. She crossed her arms at the person who had her cornered. "Listen, kiddo, sometimes, it takes people longer than 15 minutes to get home." "Well, you should've started before 8." Rei was kind of frustrated with this guy who thought he was tough shit, but she couldn't really do much about it. She sighed, and started towards him, rolling her eyes. "This is a waste of time."

    Donovan noticed lights outside his window, and put down his mug of tea. Strange. He stood, and peeked through the curtains. Looks like some arrests were being made. Something about curfew. Donovan frowned. It would be a bit strange to invite a bunch of random people into his house, and he was a tad uncomfortable with the idea, but whatever discomfort he had about inviting some strangers into his house and home was outweighed by his always rebellious attitude. He stepped out of the kitchen and to the front door. Most seemed younger, around his age or so. Most seemed to not know each other. He swallowed, summoned up a bit of courage, and called, "Hey!" The guards looked up. Donovan suddenly found himself standing before an audience. "They... they're staying here for tonight. They're late because... um... you know, it's hard to find a place you haven't been to before. Y-you understand, right?"

    Riley : Everyone


    "Ah - sir, I swear, we were just getting home," He insisted, waving his hands in a surrendering fashion, his brow creased upward with worry. His pewter-blue eyes pleaded with the guard in front of him, taking in the heavily armored body and the gun that was currently being waved in his general direction, tensing when he felt Cody bristle at his side when the thing was cocked and loaded.

    "Why are you out past curfew?" The guard demanded, his face hidden behind tinted plastic that glared harshly in the street light.

    At the sound of a voice, his head snapped upwards to find Donovan, the light streaming from the other boy's doorway almost as if it were the gate to heaven. The look of relief on his face was almost astounding, and he seemed to catch on quickly.
    "Ah - yes!" He nodded. "We were on our way to an - er - a big get together, sir -"

    Without much waiting for further explanation, the guard shoved them towards the door, herding the little group towards the house as if they were a flock of sheep.



    Cody : Everyone


    A rather annoyed look crossed the tomboy's face when they were stopped by the guard, her pale hair falling into her eyes just slightly as the man demanded what they were doing.
    Her eyes slipped to the guard instead. In truth, she and Riley had been out looking for Riley's driver's license, which he'd apparently not been keeping in his wallet for some unknown reason.

    "We were just -"

    Cody was cut off by Riley's breathy explanation, her eyebrows shooting into her hairline. Her cousin, in her opinion, was far too quick to trust. But with another man on the street about to be shoved into a cryptic car, Cody decided that it was likely safer to side with the stranger than it was to hang around their would-be protectors.



    Jace : Everyone


    Hidden behind a pile of garbage in the crevice between two houses, golden eyes narrowed as he observed the situation.

    As soon as he'd heard voices, he'd dropped for cover, tucking his prize inside his shirt hastily and hoping the tiny thing wouldn't make any sort of noise, cursing his luck. He had been hoping that he'd be able to slip in and out of his house unnoticed - apparently, his luck had run out.

    Brows furrowing at the addition of Donovan, he slide out of his hiding place, he regarded the others with sharp eyes.
    "Jeez, guys - what took you so long?" He reprimanded, striding up to his house even as the guard yelled some sort of order at him.
    "I went to look for you but you'd already left," He continued, his eyes landing on Riley as he gave the other a tiny nod.

    Donovan stepped aside to allow everyone to enter his house, glancing back before picking up an orange tabby cat who was about to escape into the night. He went to head into the door, until a guard called to him. "Hey, not yet!" He glanced up, nervousness bubbling up in his chest. "Y-yes?" he asked, hesitantly. The guard looked around at the diverse assembly of people. "What is this about, anyway?" Donovan chewed his lip. "Um, it's a... knitting... club." Oh, that was stupid. The guard narrowed his eyes at him, very suspiciously. Donovan swallowed. He shouldn't have just said the first thing to pop into his head. Idiot. Then, the guard shrugged, and turned away. Donovan couldn't believe his luck.

    Lin looked up at Donovan in surprise. Wow, talk about random acts of kindness. He was pretty sure the punishment wasn't even that bad. Then again, it could also be prison, and that would be a little dangerous. The guard stopped pointing his big gun at him, and Lin smiled at him, suddenly filled with good nature. As the guard started away, for good measure, Lin commented, "I'm working on a sweater. Takes all night, you know." He grinned as he turned to walk up the stairs, only stumbling and nearly falling down once, and turned to Donovan. "Thank you. You're a lifesaver." He scratched the cat behind the ears, and entered the small house. He decided to stop in the kitchen. Whoever this guy was, he probably didn't want strangers snooping around.

    Rei looked at the guards, then at Donovan in surprise. "Yeah... sure, he's our buddy." She smiled, then looked at the others. There were a lot on this specific road at this specific time of night, but it was a rather active area. She pushed her hair out of her face, and decided to just get out of here before figuring out what to do next. She felt relieved that she was free. She didn't feel like being arrested suited her. She touched Donovan's shoulder as she entered. "Thanks, dude," she said, grinning at him widely.

    Riley : Text


    Walking past the door and into the safety of the house, Riley turned to regard their host, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
    "Thank you," he managed, though he seemed a little wary of Donovan despite his friendly nature - however, he still seemed far more comfortable than one might be around strangers.
    "But," he paused, as if he were trying to think about how best to phrase his question. "Why help the lot of us? We're strangers, and -"

    Cody : Text


    "-moreover, we're strangers who were clearly bresking the rules," Cody interrupted her cousin, glancing at Donovan with a skeptical eye, catching Riley's nod out of the corner of her eye.

    It wasn't as if she wasn't thankful - as a matter of fact, she was. But she was overprotective of her younger relative, and the sense of paranoia that the curfew had pressed on the population was getting to her, evident in her stiff posture.

    Jace : Text


    The younger male watched, his gaze sliding between the people gathered before he looked at Donovan and declared, quite loudly,
    "Have you got any milk? Preferably warm." He was confident enough in himself that he didn't feel he needed to fear whatever this man had in store for them. He was more concerned about his personal agenda at the moment, anyways. He shuffled about, seeming to squeak slightly whenever the cats strayed too close.



    Daniel was getting out of school late because of having to retest his final. It was dark outside. He frowned, holding the strap of his messenger bag tightly. He is stopped by the campus policeman. "Hey, kid...you been in contact with anyone infected recently?" The cop asked. Wash simply shook his head and started walking away. He made it a few blocks and was almost home before the exact same policeman stopped him in his tracks, "What's your deal? I said I didn't come in contact with anyone infected." Wash said, very annoyed. "That's where you're wrong, young man. Your record says you have ties to an infected. Grandfather, looks to be." The cop almost looked sad when he said this. "I believe you have to come with me so we can get you tested." Wash scoffed at this. "With all due respect sir, It's late. If I'm going to get tested, I'll do it in the morning and I'll pay for it." Wash speedwalked away from the policeman as quick as possible.

    Donovan motioned for them to come inside, looking up as Riley and Cody stated their concerns. He glanced at the police, then replied in a low voice. "I don't trust them. I don't know what they're doing to people right now, and so I'm making sure not too many people are getting caught." He glanced up and noticed Wash walking away from the police. He waved to him, hoping that he'd join the avoiding getting arrested party that was apparently happening in his house right now. He glanced at Jace, and nodded. "Yeah, I can get you that..." He glanced back towards the others, waved them on, and headed inside and into the kitchen. He placed the cat on the floor as he reached for a mug.

    Lin looked up as people began to enter the kitchen. He had sat down on a stool behind the counter island or whatever home decorators called it. He nodded to Donovan. "Th-thanks again, pal." He grinned momentarily, then paused. "Er, what's your name? I'm Lin."

    Donovan looked at him, and said, "Donovan." He then filled the mug with milk, and placed it in the microwave.

    Riley : Text


    "That's...fair," Riley answered after a moment, his mouth curving into a frown. It was distrubing, really - how closely Donovan's words struck to home. People had been vanishing left and right, suddenly gone from their homes and jobs, swept under the rug like unwanted pieces of dust.
    He blinked, glancing out the window and observing the street outside, watching as guards patrolled the lonely pavement.

    "I mean - with this curfew, they change the reason for it all the time. At first, they said a terror attack was immenent. Now some news stations are saying it's a cult - y'know, like what happened in Johnsonville or whatever? I just..." He paused, scuffing the ground with a shoe when he realized he'd been blabbing on to complete strangers.

    Cody : Lin


    "L-i-n." She tested the word out on her tongue, as if she were tasting the name and it's worth. Her eyes narrowed in on the other person's lab-worthy attire. Perhaps their rescuer seemed trustworth, but a few of theother people gathered were just downright sketchy - and it irked her to no end that Riley immediately began to share his personal opinion with complete strangers.

    Observing Riley by the window, she opened her mouth slightly.
    "Why were you out after curfew?" She asked, difecting the question towards the two-toned male.

    Jace : Donovan


    Jace watched the milk spin gently through the microwave, attempting to look more presentable as he stood there, dusting off his jeans as best he could despite his rather awkward and stiff movements.


    It was late. Very late in fact, and Kaito knew inside his heart that it was past curfew. His heart was pounding, adrenaline rushing through him. He shouldn't have gone out on his little research expedition so late. He knew he wouldn't get home in time, so why didn't he think about it? He was stuck between two houses that were extraordinarily close to each other, and his blue hair was sticking to his head from the sweat that was dripping down his face. For now, it seemed that he cops who were on foot had lost him. However, he heard another pair of heavy and panicked footsteps coming his way.

    Elizabetha was running as fast as she could around the corner, her violin in one hand and the bow for it in the other. Her bow bobbed back and forth at the pace of her running as she sprinted. She was breathing heavily. She didn't mean for this to happen! Her house was just around the corner, and she just wanted to spend a little more time with her musical tutor... She shouldn't have to be so worried about getting home at a certain time. When she was sure that the flashlights of the paroling cops would catch her, she was suddenly pulled between two homes with a hand stuck over her mouth. She struggled at first, but relaxed when it seemed her handler wasn't going to do anything, this may be better than getting caught anyway.

    Kaito had pulled the suspecting girl into the crevice with him. Just by looking at her passing face he knew that she hadn't been doing anything mischievous that would deserve her being arrested. He had to put his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming, but he felt a little bad. When the cops had entirely turned around another corner, he stuck his head out and looked around. Looking across the street, he saw a huge group going into someone's home when they were almost caught. Though the door was closed and the cops had left, he left his hiding spot and sprinted across the street while dragging the girl with him.

    Elizabetha didn't question anything as she followed the intelligent looking man, wanting to express that she was grateful, but knowing they really didn't have time for that. Once they trotted up the steps to the door, he looked a little uncertain at what to do. Knowing that any lost seconds could mean that they were caught, she raised her fist and pounded on the door, hoping to get the attention of those behind it.

    ooc: just so u know lin isn't wearing a lab coat, i just like drawing him in that.

    ic: Lin leaned on his hand and looked over towards Cody. "You could also call me Dr. Martinez if you don't think we're on a first name basis yet, but I don't care." He had his usual, unintentionally smug smile on his face. He noticed a cat walk by, and he reached down, scratching it behind the ears, before registering that she'd asked a second question. "At the bar," he replied, "With a couple friends. They drove home, but, y'know... I live pretty nearby, so, I thought, sure, I'll just walk." He decided to lie a little bit so he seemed like less of a creepy loser. He wasn't actually with anyone, just alone at the bar. He glanced over towards Riley and Donovan. He knew the government couldn't bullshit everyone for much longer. Sooner or later, they'd figure it out.

    Donovan took out the milk once it was warmed up, and handed it to Jace, with a nod towards Riley. "It doesn't make any sense. And they're so strict about making contact with suspicious people. I wish they would explain a little better. It's like... WebMD. If you get a headache and you're a panicky type, you're gonna think you have brain cancer." He looked up as there was a knock on the door. He frowned, and got up, heading towards the door. He peered in through the eyehole, then, determining it wasn't police, he opened it. He looked over Kaito and Elizabetha with a thoughtful frown. "Here to join the party, I guess?"

    Riley : Donovan


    "Right?" Riley agreed, with a nod toward the other male, seemingly lost in thought as he continued to stare out the window. "Do you think they're just making a big deal out of nothing? Or - rather," He halted, seeming to consider his words. "Are we being to paranoid? I mean - it's probably just a weird temporary thing, y'know?" Deep brown hair fell into his eyes, his frown deepening slightly when he saw a random stranger being pulled into a cruiser, idly wondering just why this particular street was so busy.
    I suppose it's a full moon...lunacy, and all that. He decided after a while, turning away from the window with a sigh.

    His blue eyes settled on the door, curious about the newcomers, though his gaze slid to Jace almost immediately after and his mouth hung agape.
    "What are you doing?" He gasped, watching incredulously as the other boy seemed to wiggle about with the milk and his jacket in some kind of seizure-like fashion.

    Cody : Lin


    She listened for a while, weighing her words, before holding her hand out gingerly.
    "Cody," She offered, though she didn't provide her last name. She had raised her voice enough that it carried throughout the lower floor. "And that's Riley." She inclined her head towards her cousin, who barely twitched in response, too busy trying to figure out what madness Jace was up to.
    She looked back to the doctor.
    "I'm not saying that I trust any of you - of course, you're strangers, but - this curfew, it's...put me on edge. I can't see a reason for it, and that makes me nervous."

    Jace : Text


    Taking the glass from Donovan with an eager smile, the boy then proceeded to shove the cup into his sweater, unzipping it slightly and letting out a slightly breathless laugh as he seemed to wiggle uncontrollably. After a few moments, he sat on the ground and unzipped his jacket, producing a small puppy. It was a golden doodle, its paws far too big for its body as it wriggled in Jace's grip, lapping at the milk with a gusto, pawing at its master's lap.
    Gently, Jace let the puppy down, keeping a firm grip on the mug so that it wouldn't spill as the dog happily drank up the liquid, swiping its tongue along its muzzle when it had finished, the ends of its whiskers beaded with white. It yawned, squeaking once, before settling in Jace's lap sleepily, it's hind legs dangling off of his crossed legs in a comical fashion.

    As for the boy, he wore a defensive expression - after all, this was his dog. She'd gotten lose out of the house and he'd been trying to find her when curfew started;

    Kaito seemed a tad bit embarrassed when the door was opened, seeing the typical expression of the man behind the door. Reaching up, he scratched the back of his head, feeling bad that he was asking to barge in on his house like this. Clearing his throat he looked up and gave a small nod. "I'm so sorry to barge in on you like this," He admitted, "I promise I won't stay long. My house isn't too far away, it's just so risky, and I saw you take some others in..." He seemed to keep going to try and explain himself but he simply stopped, forcing himself to shut up by pressing his lips tightly together, giving one more formidable nod to the man. It was like he was silently asking if he could come in, and the way his eyes looked showed that he was very appreciative towards the man's consideration.

    Elizabetha looked up at the man that had greeted them at the door. He was certainly interesting looking, that was for a fact. Something about him was a little unnerving, but she didn't want to be super judgemental of him, and figured that it would be best if she just left it alone. She gave him a small smile as if she was trying to be friendly, but there was still a bit of a cold aura that surrounded her. "Yes please sir, that would be much appreciated." She looked past him to see a very small puppy cuddling up in someones lap, and she suddenly gasped, "A puppy!" She said in a hushed but cute tone, her eyes sparkling. She slowly acted like she was going to squeeze by Donovan.

    Wash was genuinely frightened of being questioned about his grandfather again. What did this cop know that he didn't? His gramps did seem pretty ill but...he continued walking along to his house until he noticed all the people along the entrance of his house, the sidewalk was basically inaccessible and he didn't wanna get any cops mad, so he just stayed on the sidelines of the sidewalk and all the cars and people as he paced impatiently for him to be able to put his heavy bag down and go to sleep.

    Donovan nodded to the pair, face unsmiling but not unfriendly. "Yeah, alright, come in," he said, turning back into the house. "And close the door behind you, I don't want the cats to get out." He entered his own house again, looking around at the people, and jumping when he noticed the puppy suddenly on the floor. He wasn't sure where that came from, but evidently from Jace's jacket. He blinked at it, looked around at the others, and decided to just sit himself down. He was glad he'd cleaned up recently and washed all the dishes-- he didn't look like a mess. He looked over towards Riley. "People say I'm pretty paranoid about these things, and I am, but... this is weirder than anything else. Like, this is some Orwellian shit."

    Lin shook Cody's hand, his grip slightly clumsy. He nodded to her as she spoke. "Yeah, no, I get that. I'm not really that trustworthy lookin', am I?" He looked over towards Riley and Donovan again, and his relaxed expression tensed into a frown. He didn't think he should tell them the truth, not to some random strangers, maybe that would be... bad. "Get arrested for treason" bad. He looked between them, expression uncertain. He eventually decided the urge to share it was the whiskey talking, and forced himself to keep his mouth shut. "I can't figure out any reason, either," he said, hoping that he could lie without anyone noticing. "Then again, it could be the government saying one thing, and the news getting it wrong, or whatever. I don't know."

    Rei leaned against the wall. She didn't want to bother anyone, since she was annoyed, and it would be bad to talk to people when she was annoyed. However, the atmosphere got a little better, and she relaxed. She waved as people began introducing themselves. "Hey, I'm Rei." She looked down at Jace, and noticed the puppy. "Aw, what a little cutie. Let me pet him." She knelt down, and rubbed the little puppy's ears, smiling at it. It was so wiggly and energetic. She liked dogs. More than cats, honestly. She wasn't about to share that, though, because she suspected the homeowner would kick her out.