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

[undeadarmies]

"You can't fix people," Chloe said quietly. Become stronger, more controlled, yeah. But the word "fix" meant that there was something wrong in the first place, and that was a horrible thing to believe at all.

She took a deep breath. "You remind me of someone. A fr-friend, back home." Despite the situation at hand, she looked almost amused. "He'd tell me the exact same things. Can't be around people, shouldn't take the risks. Too bad for you, I think I might be a little stubborn, huh?" She tried for a grin, but it looked slightly strained. "Whatever... rules you have back home, I don't think they apply here."

[theguideless]

Martin stared, looking confused right away at being compared to anyone at all. It was in the context of Darkovs, of course, and he thought there was no way nobody could be at all like one like him. Not what she meant, of course, and that was plain as she went on.

Her forced grin was a little knife in his gut, twisting guilt further in. She was too kind. Didn't she know how bad it was to be kind to him — even now? After Robin—

It just gave him the horrid vision of her mangled in some awful way, all within reach, but ultimately unsaved. Just like always. Worse, what if it was like the Byzantine? What if he'd be lifting his hand to—

"You'll get hurt," he insisted, trying to talk over his noisy thoughts. "Or killed. I can't...I don't...want that. But every time something goes wrong, I make it worse and people just..."

[undeadarmies]

Chloe hesitated for a moment before putting her hands on his shoulders and staring at him. There was a lot that put her in danger. Her existence, back home, meant danger for her. Execution, really, if she couldn't escape the lab when she got back. And even though she had faced things that put her in that path before, Martin's words still were enough to twist her stomach anxiously. Nobody sane wanted to throw themselves into mortal danger. But even though she didn't really understand his situation, she didn't want to run either.

That just wasn't who she was anymore.

"If I get hurt... I-if I die... That's not your fault, okay? And I won't. I-I've got that whole resilient, hard to kill thing going on by this point." She laughed nervously, pausing for a moment. "You can't do things alone, Martin. Okay?"

[theguideless]

Father was the best, Martin thought suddenly, clouding his hearing of her plea. And he died, too. Because I was there. Even though he was the best.

Everything in his head was screaming to jerk him away and refuse, despite wanting, to accept her kindness and friendship. What did he know about it, anyway? Darkovs don't make friends. Alex would laugh. Alex would—

Martin shuddered, ducking his head, and began to wriggle away from her hands, scooting back on the filthy ground until there was space enough to stand. His stomach roiled anew and his veins throbbed. He felt another flash of heat, of inconceivable agitation; he still didn't know what to do with it or where it was from.

He had to get away.

"I can't," he was mumbling, over and over. I can't. I can't. He took slow, staggering steps, quickly spurred into a run by a sudden chill down his spine. He just had to get away, and it'd be fine. Had to be. Had to be.

[undeadarmies]

"Martin..." He was pulling away, and Chloe had no idea what she should do now. Part of her wanted to move forward when he scrambled back, but she knew that probably wasn't the best idea. This was something that he needed to work out on his own, even if that made her worried for him.

"Martin, wait!" Despite the conclusion, she couldn't stop herself from yelling after him after he began to run. She took a step in the direction he went, and then stopped.

She couldn't force him, didn't want to. So she stood there for a few more minutes before turning around. Tonight wasn't going to be a good night for summoning, and it was late. And if she didn't leave, she was going to go after him.

"Some heroine," she muttered to herself.