no this is the opposite of what i wanted [OPEN]

[theguideless]

Date & Time: 7/5-7/10, typically in the late-late hours
Location: All over
Characters: Martin and many! YOU??
Summary: What a concept RUNNING INTO PEOPLE IN AN URBAN AREA.
Warnings: Martin is a gigantic sinkhole of misery and more misery it might make you want to throw your computer but please COME AT ME BRO




Hiding was a lot easier before the mission came along. It seemed the city was waking up, slowly but surely, to embrace the evening a little more than it did before. Lights from windows gave the streets a dim glow, played tricks with the shadows Martin's eyes were trained to follow and focus on. It was weird and unpleasant. Better for the people, maybe. But that wasn't any of his business. It never was.

He never did the right thing, whether he tried or not. Or maybe he did, but he was just unable to follow through. Either way, things would get worse, someone would get hurt...die...

He'd been training, best he could. Then that mission happened. Then, in that jungle...

It's all my fault.

If he walked fast enough, it would fall to the back of his mind, right? Or ran...

His shape flickered off walls in those glowing squares. Now and then, he saw the beams of lights of a late, late (or early) bus, and he'd skirt away like a frightened cockroach. There were quieter, empty places. Places to hide. And he'd find them, if he kept moving.

Comments

SLAMS INTO

[theguideless]

The awareness was twofold, with Martin scuffing a step to stop, body freezing up as he saw the figure defined in a streetlight's glow. He did not stay still for long, however; it did no good to stand and gawk. He tried to regain his step, darting down the nearest alley and into the dark, his heart in his throat, stomach knotted with dread.

It really wasn't taking much, was it? All that guilt, shame, and embarrassment compounding to make him an anxious wreck. Just the sight of another made him nauseous, regardless if there was potential at all to even have to exchange words.

I can't. No more. Please, just...just let me not do anything wrong anymore.

OH OKAY

[sacrificar]

They were moving away now, which meant that they too must've acknowledged her presence, but wished to remain distant from her. Could there be a reason for such behavior? Was it due to fear, or some other factor? "I know you're out there." She stated, her voice carried far by the silence of the night.

Halibel resumed walking. Slowly and calmly, remaining vigilant for any sudden movement.

"Why are you hiding?

[theguideless]

Martin pressed himself against the alley's wall, facing the direction the stranger walked. Doing so, being passed by...he would be less likely to be seen, yes? He thought so. Running was noisy, and he didn't know the right ways to go down there. Worse, as she said: she knew he was there.

To the question, he gave no reply aloud, simply swallowing and biting on the inside of his lip for silence. That was boring enough for many, wasn't it? It could be enough to dissuade this one, he hoped.

Inside, feeling heavy and sick, something made the knots in his stomach warmer and more dreadful. The notion he was wrong — again, wrong — fluttered into thought, contradicting everything he was determined to do.

What was right, then? He didn't know.

[sacrificar]

Ultimately, it would be of little use trying to hide himself from her like that. Halibel knew where he has, and her interest had been stirred enough that she wished to know the cause for his behavior. She continued walking, arms to her side, sheathed sword on her back. It was easy to spot him once he had stopped running. However, she had not made eye contact with him, and instead chose to continue moving forward.

For a moment, it seemed as though she hadn't seen him at all, walking past him altogether.

Instead of continuing on her way, though, Halibel stopped. There was enough distance between them that her back was turned to him. Looking over her shoulder would've given her a much better view of the man, but her gaze remained fixed in front of her. She simply stood there, close enough that they could easily hear each other's voice.

[theguideless]

Martin's heartbeat stopped when the footfalls did — but only in that first second of realization. The seconds following brought unhappier revelations to stamp out his hopeful wishes: No, it's not a coincidence. They're...it's...

His nose was filling up with a scent he knew better through taught lessons than experience in the world...though that ratio was ever-shifting with all he'd seen, done, and endured as part of the Initiative's whims. He knew it was death despite evidence to the contrary. Walking, moving shapes wore the stench like a cloak; Bariyan did, and perhaps others still And this one...

Perhaps it was the sickness he denied knowing or even having, or perhaps there was more to this one than experience could tell, but it wasn't just that simple scent. There were other things — dreadful, as far as Martin was concerned that night. He wanted no part of it. He wanted it to go away — wanted himself to go away.

His eyes clamped shut, as though that were going to be enough to do the trick. Stupid and childish, he knew, but his legs were lead; running meant a chase. He didn't want it.

[sacrificar]

Halibel simply stood her ground, unflinching as her back remained turned to this person. She waited, wondering if he would say something. Anything that would break the silence. It seemed unlikely, however, given how crippled he was with fear. It was easy enough to discern how utterly terrified he was... And yet, the reason why continued to elude her.

If he would not speak first, then she would take the opportunity herself.

"Why are you afraid?" She said at last, turning around so that she could face him. The bottom half of her face was covered by the white jacket she continued to wear, but her eyes remained visible and were now focused solely on him.

"I will not ask you again."

[theguideless]

Martin's eyes squeezed all the tighter as he was addressed, though he knew very well it was a futile gesture. And, given the overwhelming danger he felt, stupid. His eyes opened and fixed, wincing at the lids, on the figure who spoke.

The sight was no consolation to the sound. It seemed a threat to him. Or...that's how his mind and body determined it. Because there was something going on...

I'm afraid you're a monster, he thought, and knew very well that was exactly it. But it'd be wildly rude to blurt something like that out. Martin's mouth opened and closed silently as he denied himself that response. His shoulders drew up, bracing for retaliation.

"I..." Trying his voice, he found it horribly thick and shaken. He had to swallow. "I...I, I don't know...what you are, I...Sorry—"

[sacrificar]

Whether or not it would've been considered rude was irrelevant to her. He was right, she was a monster and one of the most powerful of her kind to have ever existed, and to still be alive. However, she did not particularly want his life, or cause him harm. Though that could've changed if he continued to hesitate.

"What I am..." The unknown was a truly crippling force, wasn't it.

"Do you want to know?" Halibel had little to hide and she would gladly tell him, if that was what he wanted. Though at this point, she half-expected him to want to remain in blissful ignorance.

[theguideless]

Definitely not really at all, if he were to offer his knee-jerk response. But he bit the inside of his cheek and stifled it.

Something like this...it wasn't about what he wanted. It was about what he knew was right. What he was supposed to do. And what he was supposed to do was to be a right and proper Darkov — something he'd been an absolute failure at for as long as he'd known.

But all he could do was try.

"Yes," he said at last, his shoulders shaking with a breath meant to brace himself.

[sacrificar]

He couldn't have known much, if anything at all, about who and what she truly was. It wasn't entirely surprising. Even most from the world of the living would spend the entirety of their lives unaware of what awaited them. In a sense, this man would be better off, having gained the knowledge before the end of his lifetime.

Having heard his answer, Halibel would come forth with the information.

"Hollow. A soul that is unable to pass to the next life will become twisted and corrupt. Their existence revolves around consuming the souls of both the living, and the dead."

A simple enough explanation, one that even he should understand.

"That is what I am."

[theguideless]

It was a terrible answer. Martin's blood burned, then chilled to ice as the words framed an awful picture in his mind. Of all the false alarms and mixed signals, he'd come across a real monster at last — if she were telling the truth.

And if that was what she was...

"Con...consuming souls," he echoed, filled with dread. "I don't...What do you mean?"

He could guess — oh, yeah. He could guess. But he didn't much like his guesses.

[sacrificar]

"Dead or alive, it wouldn't matter. You would be nothing but food to my kind." An immutable truth, convinced that he wouldn't have the strength or the capabilities to fight off even the weakest of hollow. Though as uninspiring as this man was, Halibel remained certain of one other detail.

"However, that is not a habit I share." Must less their belief of killing others just to further their own strength.

Imposing as she may have appeared, Halibel was... an oddity of sorts.

[theguideless]

"I don't...understand." Martin began to wince away, halting himself by digging his heel down to force a slow scuff. "If you're here to...to hurt people..."

[sacrificar]

"I do not indulge in needless violence." She would defend herself if provoked, and someone truly wished to challenge her. But other than that...

"I will not hurt you." It would accomplish nothing, really.

[theguideless]

It only took a few seconds for Martin to feel more ashamed than relieved. He wasn't supposed to be asking for himself. As Darkov, he was supposed to be thinking about the impact outside of himself — to where it actually mattered.

"Not..." He had to swallow, but his throat remained scratchy-dry. "Not me. Them."

[sacrificar]

Concerned over the well-being of others instead of his own?

"I have little reason to do so. However..." She eyes narrowed, still focused on the man speaking to her. "I will not allow provocation to remain unanswered."

[theguideless]

Anyone else would've questioned it. How convincing a statement was it? How could he be sure?

The reality was he just wanted to disappear. Running from his responsibilities was part of it. He was going to take that statement as his effort to be as responsible a Darkov as he could be, failure though he was.

His heel scuffed the ground behind him as he stepped backward, head starting to bow down.

"Just...just don't," he uttered. "Don't...and it's...fine. It's fine. Nevermind."