[open]

[thleepy]

Date & Time: 5/12, day
Location: EVERYWHERE. Around the apartments, around the Hold, NIK IS GONNA FIND YOU.
Characters: Nikolai/Cherkesov/Maletski (thleepy) + you???
Summary: Dumb android baby is havin' some maaaaad hallucinations over here. And is therefore busy rolling around screaming and crying and crashing into walls.
Warnings: idk Maletski and his obnoxious self might show up...

---

It'd started two days ago. It'd started with a bad feeling, at first, the sort that he'd gotten used to back home -- that something was always watching. Something that did not wish him well.

Only this time, it had stopped watching, and gone on to hunting.

Nik had fled his room as soon as he'd heard his window crack open. He'd launched himself off his bed and landed running, and he'd kept running until he crashed into the front door. A few moments wasted fumbling to get it open-- a few moments too many. After kicking the door open, he'd glanced over his shoulder just in time to see one of the Masked emerging out into the hallway, all strange and misshapen and twisted. And turning towards him.

Nikolai hasn't bothered looking behind him since.

[ ooc: FEEL FREE TO JUST RUN INTO NIK ANYWHERE. And he'll probably even be pounding on apartment doors of complete strangers and demanding to be let in. Or he'll just burst RIGHT ON IN uninvited, if the door's unlocked :'C

ALSO WILL MATCH TAG FORMAT B) ]

Comments

[themaneater]

[ He's really got to get himself some of those thumbs. Man, they just look so useful! And in the meantime, as he contemplates thumbs and where to find a good pair of them, Khrall is staring intently at a door, perfectly arranged in front of it like a guardian sphinx. Or a guardian manticore, at least.

Until he hears something dashing down the hall toward him, that is (food? it sounds small enough), and he flicks an ear back and glances toward it curiously.

Maybe it has thumbs. ]

[thleepy]

[ All right, of all the things that Nik expected to run into, he didn't expect to run into a big wall of fur.

So seeing what looks exactly like a big wall of fur right in front of him is shocking enough to temporarily stall him. Nik stumbles to a halt just inches away from Khrall's face, reeling backwards in surprise. ]

W... wha... are...?

[ Nik's question is voiced as an extremely unhappy whine, ending on a high-pitched note of terror. Masked behind, this thing ahead -- Nik is not a happy camper right now. ]

[themaneater]

[ Whoa, that is one seriously tiny human. He blinks at it, but the smile doesn't stay away for long. ]

I'm Khrall. [ See all these teeth? That's how he makes himself look friendly. ] Will you use your thumbs on this door for me?

[thleepy]

[ Nik doesn't even answer. He just throws himself at the door, fumbles it open, and scrambles inside before Khrall. He very nearly shuts the door on Khrall too before hesitating and poking his head out from behind it. ]

Y...you should... you should come in! If you're not with them! The lady said they were going to take care of them but I don't know if they're gone yet.

[ But those teeth... eehhh.... ]

[themaneater]

[ Whoa, no way is he closing the door on Khrall, not after he waited so long to have it opened! So he's just going to be barging right in after him, shouldering any tiny bodies aside. ]

Thank you! That was very nicely opened. You're tiny, so I wasn't sure if you could do it very well. [ er. wait. He sits himself down, head cocking curiously. ] Who's "them"?

[caligulas_aquarium]

[In another fascinating display of shitty timing, Eridan happens to be out of his room to the kitchen area once the banging starts on the door. He's had two visitors recently, so he's a little more optimistic about opening the door this time around, especially since last time there was heavy banging on the door it was Feferi. Maybe it was her again.

However, his expression falls once he opens the door and sees Nik, bowing his head slightly to look down at the little guy, obviously irritated. Maybe he could just...pawn this kid off on Equius or something.........]

Wwhat the fuck do you wwant?

[thleepy]

[ Nik doesn't realize right away that this is the same apartment that Equius and Sollux live in. In fact, he doesn't even see Eridan at first -- he just dives right in through the open doorway and towards Eridan's legs. ]

There's the things out there again and I don't like them you have to shut the door mister you have to close it now please!

[caligulas_aquarium]

[Eridan's first instinct is to definitely not shut the door. No, it is in fact to attempt to pry Nik off of his legs, because HIS PERSONAL SPACE IS BEING INVADED AND SNOBBY HIGHBLOOD PRINCES DO NOT LIKE THAT.]

Hey, heyheyhey, get the fuck off a' me! You're totally invvadin' my personal space here you little bastard!

[thleepy]

[ SORRY, ERIDAN, BUT NIKOLAI DOESN'T CARE WHAT HIGHBLOOD PRINCES LIKE. NIK DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A HIGHBLOOD PRINCE IS. ARE THEY EDIBLE?

But being called "a little bastard" sure does get his attention. Only so that he can mightily resist all attempts to shake him off. At the same time, he looks up at Eridan with huge white eyes, now caught between shrieking terror and... well, more shrieking terror at the possibility of Eridan being mad at him. Oh no he called me a name he's mad at me oh no-- ]

Sorry sorry if you close the door I'll let go sorry! Please close the door!

[caligulas_aquarium]

[He's really tempted to keep arguing with this kid and tell him to get out, because meeting people halfway and trying to compromise is not how being a seadweller works. You get what you want damnit!...

...but it's not going to work, is it?

So with a flat, irritated look he leans towards the door, takes a hold of it and slams it shut.]

Now get off a' me before I pry you off myself.

WOOPS CR WITH ALL YOUR CHARACTERS

[eyecontact]

The timing was absolutely impeccable. Jericho had just begun to approach and open the door when little fists were ready to rail on it wildly. It was quite the surprise, naturally, and Jericho nearly found himself toppled over. Luckily, a quick backstep and a firm grip on little wrists was found. The whites of his eyes had begun to blacken, but there was no eye contact. Not right away. He was searching for it, though; quickly jump in, still the intruder...

I'M DOWN WITH THIS

[thleepy]

Nik's panic was temporarily put on hold when he found the movement of his arms impeded by a stronger grip. That made him even more afraid, at first. He sucked in a sharp breath and tried to jerk himself away and nearly succeeded, too -- not physically, but the program that was Nik was on the verge of giving in to one of the others. To retreat and let one of them deal with it.

Only then Nik actually looked up to blink in confusion at his captor, and-- there. Eye contact.

[eyecontact]

Like a ghost, the tall, mute boy was faded and gone, but not really. He was there with the instant command of stop, seizing control of limbs that weren't his a second ago.

And stop was really the only thing he could muster before the startling barrage began; Jericho was used to much less crowded headspaces...

[thleepy]

Too many things at once. Nik went out like a light, retreating all the way back. Which prompted both Cherkesov and Maletski to make a grab for the reigns -- only to find that Jericho had gotten there first.

A whole lot of frantic communication started happening around then. System flags went up, alarms were set off, clean-ups started and reboot processes readied (though Maletski promptly killed those, out of sheer spite for Cherkesov). Processes stalled and restarted and stalled again as Maletski and Cherkesov raced for control. But both of the two remaining AIs were united in one thing, at least: the digital equivalent of roaring get out at Jericho.

Cherkesov went for a killswitch somewhere, in another attempt to drive Jericho out, and hit it before Maletski could get in the way. Whether or not that succeeded in driving Jericho out remained to be seen. But it did wake Nik back up again to join his will with the others. One more frantic plea for this new thing to leave him alone.

[eyecontact]

Whoa–!

It was like everything he was used to doing put in reverse, so he was the one being invaded. Not one will to fight, but three, and he certainly wasn't prepared to dig his heels in.

Before he could even think about it, Jericho was reeling, falling backward and hitting the floor. Once he got his hands settled flat beside him, he stopped moving, dazed and dizzy and wide-eyed, gawking at the ceiling.

Whoa. His chest heaved one more time before he began settling down. What happened?!

[boughtabookstore]

[ She likes to leave the door of her flat open while she works. The air is nice now that the weather's improving, and it makes it easier to keep an eye on things.

She can't say she was expecting Nik to crash through it, though. In fact, that was pretty much the opposite of what she was expecting. Oh geez. Shutting her netbook, she jumps up and stares. ]

[thleepy]

[ Nik doesn't bother staring back. He sees an adult. His natural instinct is to run and try to latch on to them for protection. ]

There's things outside again they were in my room they're chasing me the lady said they were going to take care of them but they're still there and I don't know where she went and I wanna go home!

[boughtabookstore]

[ Oh god no why is there suddenly a yelling baby android attached to her legs and are those tears and why can't she just magically be somewhere else, anywhere else. ]

Nik, what - I don't see anything anywhere, you're safe now, okay?

Could you let go my legs. By any chance.

[thleepy]

That's because they're outside! They're outside.

[ Speaking of that. Nik does let go of Ros' legs, but not because she'd asked -- because he realized the door was still open. With a yelp, he ran back as fast as his tiny legs coule take him and slammed it shut. Locked it, too, for good measure. That done, he slumped up against the door and sank to the floor.

But his moment of peace was short-lived. Almost immediately, Nik's head snapped up again. Wide-eyed and fearful. ]

They're... they're here.

[boughtabookstore]

They aren't -

[ She pauses to watch him, confused and bewildered. She hasn't been sleeping well, but these hallucinations are - another thing entirely. Hesitantly, she steps towards him and crouches down to his level. ]

Nik. Listen to me. There is no one in this room but you and me.

[doctorly]

[Luckily for Nik his door is open during the day since he sometimes takes to leaving, not staying for too long. especially since he's been extra busy.

the burst of his door, however, has him at a quick stand with a reach of his handgun to hold before recognizing the tiny boy. his name--]

Nik? You alright? What's going on?

[he certainly hadn't heard anything not long before, but that didn't mean something wasn't happening.]

[thleepy]

There's things outside! [ Nikolai comes to a screeching halt, just long enough to push the door closed. But he forgets about the lock in his panic, instead turning to hurtle towards John and hide behind him. ]

The bad things are back.... with the helmets... we have to be quiet....

[doctorly]

[John turns his gaze over the boy, it's not that he thinks he's faking it-- that's genuine fear. so the doctor reaches out to lock the door, to be safe, before turning to face Nik.]

You mean the Masked Men? Did they hurt you?

[thleepy]

Yes them them.

[ Nik sits down on the floor, unhappy and exhausted. He reaches up to try and push his bangs out of his eyes, but they keep falling back. Now he is unhappy and exhausted and frustrated.

He looks back up at Watson and shakes his head to the second question. ]

I don't want them to hurt me! Are they still outside?

[ With that unpleasant thought in mind, Nik slowly starts crawling further away from both Watson and the door. ]

[doctorly]

Don't worry, they won't hurt you. Not while I'm here.

[as it goes for the next question.. well, John focuses on peeking out through the peephole in the door. from what he can see, not a person in sight.]

No, there's no one there. Not that I see. Probably be safer staying with someone though. Just in case.