monsters and the kids who become them and the people who fight them

[theguideless]

Date & Time: 9/2 – 9/12, various times
Location: All throughout the city
Characters: See tags
Summary: A lot of people have to put up with an increasingly unstable kid
Warnings: Fightytimes violence, body horror, dead things



IN THE FAR-REACHING FUTURE OF AN ALT-EARTH, MONSTER-BASED ATTACKS ARE CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY RIDICULOUS. IN EXSILIUM, THE DEDICATED TRANSPORTS WHO ENDURE AND INVESTIGATE THESE VICIOUS HAPPENINGS ARE MEMBERS OF AN ELITE SQUAD KNOWN AS EXTRA-UNLUCKY BASTARDS.

THESE ARE THEIR STORIES.


The following threads coincide with the established timeline posted here and are arranged chronologically for participants' use if need/want be.

Comments

SUCH A GOOD SOLDIERBASTARD

[theguideless]

[Martin's walk was a stagger and a shuffle: He might as well be the drinker in this situation, though it's not alcohol clouding this brain...it won't go away.

in an alley, moving past discarded scrap and other such things. something aluminum is struck, bouncing out into the open, giving him a start; he hugs himself, shrinking back a pace.]

Grhuhh...

[you know those days where you just know you'll feel better if only you throw up, but you just can't?]

she tries

[boughtabookstore]

[ The noise takes her by surprise, and she pauses and looks down the alleyway. Isn't that...? ]

Martin?

[ It's clear, calm. She's never considered him a threat, and anyways she thinks she's able to handle herself. (Perhaps given the people here she should have reevaluated that by now. She hasn't.) ]

[theguideless]

[another gasp, hearing his name. he presses up against the wall beside him, clutching at his collar. tight...throat too tight. can't breathe...]

N-no...n...

[boughtabookstore]

[ She takes another step forward, raises her eyebrows in confusion. ]

You're young to be out this late.

[theguideless]

[he makes a choking sound, ending in a squeak of pain. his muscles began to coil up and tense so tight, he feels like a spring being coiled and pressed down...the hurt is infuriating.

his eyes dart around, seeking the sound but not seeing. where...go away, where?]

[boughtabookstore]

[ and about then is when the streetlight flickers, finally decides to come on. she stays in the light it's casting, looking down the alley at him in confusion. ]

Martin. What's wrong?

[theguideless]

[the words are hardly out of her mouth before Martin's crying out. the light is painful and infuriating, and all instinct is driven to putting it out.

his arm twists and straightens. a lance flies.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ what the fuck no seriously what the fuck. she ducks, reaches instinctively for a gun that isn't there but stands her ground otherwise. ]

Hey! What was that about?

[theguideless]

[dizzily, Martin staggers, squinting and straining in the light still shining. with an angry shout, he tried again, blindly firing toward the light.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ that was far, far too close for comfort, and she steps aside from the general area he's firing at, considers whether she should just leave in general. but he seems to need help. ]

Martin! Come here, now.

[theguideless]

Rrh–Shtoh! [his words are hard to form with the new teeth and a thickening tongue. he lets out a cry of frustration, even as the light shatters on impact.

the force of conjuring makes him half-turn and stagger backward, panting heavily, shaking with panic, heart in his throat. that was awful..and the voices...]

[boughtabookstore]

[ was that even supposed to be words? she heads towards him, no nonsense, reaches out in an attempt to grab his arm. clearly he needs some sort of help, this isn't anywhere near normal behavior. ]

[theguideless]

[the touch is almost like an electric shock, with Martin jerking violently out of reach and giving a yelp. impulsively, his other arm swings out, claws bared, to swipe at the offending party.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ what the hell is on his hands, that's the feeling of blood trickling down her skin isn't it. she jumps back further, staring at him warily, trying to determine the best course of action for next. ]

Martin, you should come with me. The clinic can help with ... whatever's wrong.

[theguideless]

[he gawked at her like she'd grown a second head. the markings on her skin...

his eyes shot down to his hands – claws, whatever they were – and...

i did this.

horrified, he looks back at her, slack-jawed.] I...

[i didn't mean to, i...

have to get away. he backs up, shaking his head, about to drop his face into his hands before he sees his hands again. horrible!

he turns and bolts.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ she tries to take a step after him, staggers and looks down again. oh. that's - slightly more blood than she thought it was, that is actually quite a bit of blood.

she almost calls out to him again but that seems to have been a pretty bad idea to start with, so she just presses a hand against her stomach and looks around, orientating herself. the clinic is that way.

yeah, it's time to head to the clinic definitely. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[He's too late to intervene. Martin is running, his movements frightened and erratic, and some distance behind him there is a woman, bloodied, stumbling. Koltira wants to go after the child, but he knows that can't be a priority right now. Cursing, he hurries forward from some ways down the street, already reaching for the bandages in the pouch at his belt.]

Keep still--I will help you.

[boughtabookstore]

[ She's still fairly alert, for the moment anyways, and at the offer she stops and takes her hand off, wipes the blood carelessly off onto her pants. ] Koltira, yes?

It would be appreciated. [ The lacerations are deeper than she'd thought, and though she has a high tolerance for pain it's sharp and hot and unpleasant still. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[he's duly impressed by Roslyn's calm and self-possession, and nods in reply.]

Yes. I suppose you've seen me over the network.

[Koltira tears a few strips off of his roll of sunset-colored bandages as he replies; they seem to shimmer in the darkness as he holds them up, judging to see if he has taken enough.

When Koltira surmises that he has, he bends slightly over Roslyn, applying them gingerly to her wounds. She should feel an instant pain-killing effect.]

Please, allow me to escort you to the clinic.

[boughtabookstore]

[ she's seen it before and she'll probably see it again. ow, though. ]

We talked, once. I'm Roslyn.

[ There's a faint exhale at the relief, holding herself still so he can work without interruption, and she nods briefly. ]

I would appreciate it, yes.

[deadelfwalking]

[ah. Well, her in-person demeanor certainly dovetails with the tone of her texts. He finishes binding the wounds--his work is deft and practiced, like he's done this many times before.]

I see. Are you able to walk?

[boughtabookstore]

[ She does let out a breath of relief as he finishes, audible. That's already much better. ]

I can walk, yes. I haven't lost that much blood yet.

[deadelfwalking]

[he's clearly still concerned, but he's also not keen to touch her, so he just nods.]

As you say. [he pauses to look off in the distance, towards where he saw Martin running. That would have to wait.]

Come, then. [he cups his hands to his mouth and there's a mist of icy energy, followed by the low, baying sound of a horn. The spell he casts quickens the step and strengthens the body.]

[boughtabookstore]

[ She's more than all right with maintaining her own personal space as long as she's able to. And that - for a moment she glances at him, startled, but her pace does pick up as she starts walking, and it's not a bad thing. ]

Some warning, next time.

[deadelfwalking]

[he shrugs as he keeps walking, though the enchantment makes their strides more like a sprint.]

My apologies, but we must move with haste. The horn of winter will not persist for long.