EVENT: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: October 24 - October 31
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: ALL; tag yourselves in
Summary: The Transports return from their mission to find the island crawling with monsters.
Warnings: Violence, possibly injuries (notify a mod if there's cause to add a particular warning!)

The Transports return from their mission to Medieval Russia, but the Initiative Hold is eerily deserted. Normally, their would be a number of Initiative personnel prepared to meet the Transports at the end of their mission for debriefing.

Instead, there is only silence.

That is, until a distant thumping sound can be heard. It is growing closer, and suddenly the beast is bursting into the room. It lets out a roar and charges. Within minutes, it is easily defeated, but damage has already been done -- it collided with the Transporter machine, which is now making a low fizzling sound and lets off a couple sparks. The commotion is enough to draw the attention of the few remaining Initiative personnel who still inhabit the Hold, who arrive immediately afterwards. They are able to tell the Transports two things: that the machine is broken and currently unable to sent anyone back in time, and that the island has been overrun with aggressive, mutated beasts sent by the United Earth. They have been under siege for months, with the island's population reduced to a mere fraction of what it had once been.

Comments

[studieswaitressing]

[She pulls a slingshot from her pocket.]

Then I direct it into the hole.

[Right, okay, totally not helping her not look like a huge rookie here -- but Mystique's actually a good shot with the thing. She learned when she was a younger girl.

She's curious about this guy, though -- since he obviously at least doesn't want Lynn to die. Interesting.]

[implying]

[ Wait. Where did she get a slingshot? Okay, true, they hadn't exactly been discussing the mechanics of battle when they'd been together before, but you'd think she'd at least have mentioned it...

...Well, stranger things have happened. He shifts to be out of the way of her slingshot, but still protectively close. ]

Be careful, my dear.

[studieswaitressing]

[She can't help the smirk at that. At least he trusts this girl enough to not think she's -- lying, or anything like that. ]

Aren't I always?

[She grins, raising an eyebrow at him and picking up a rock to shoot at the creature, to steer it toward the hole as it veers off path.]

Here, kitty kitty...

[implying]

[ Well, no arguing there, she is a pretty careful girl. And meek enough not to bring it up, under usual circumstances. But the creature is drawing nearer to its pit, so Vanadi doesn't answer. He only waits, tensely, to see if her plan will work or if he'll have to jump in. ]

[studieswaitressing]

[Careful isn't much good to a creature that starts barrelling toward them a little faster than she was anticipating, though.

She backs up along the edge of the wall as fast as she can, reloading the sling -- but if Vanadi steps in there first, he's welcome to take it on.]

...okay, okay! Less of a good plan than expected!

[implying]

[ Oh, great, precisely what he'd feared. Lovely. Vanadi sighs, but he's already moving forward. He'd been surefooted along the buildings and rooftops, but this is a new level of grace that has him spinning out of reach of that broken horn on its nose, aligning himself to its side, and slamming his left fist forward. There's a blade protruding from the top of his wrist that had definitely not been there a moment ago, and he sinks it about three inches into the things ribs. It shrieks, and the forward charge is immediately turned into a veering stumble— straight into the pit, as calculated.

Vanadi makes a face, eying the black blood dripping off the blade from his wrist. ]

...Well. The pit was still well done, at least. [ The creature isn't dead yet down there, but from the sounds of it it will be shortly. ]

[studieswaitressing]

[That was ... impressive. She's not sure what this girl has seen of Vanadi, but she doubts it's that -- so she doesn't feel so bad looking both shocked and a little bit awed. She clears her throat, trying to calm down a tad while looking like she was more worried than she really was.]

...maybe I shouldn't be out here after all.

[implying]

[ He wipes the blade carefully against the cloth of his pants leg, wincing under the mask as he does. But it's dark, his pants are dark... if it does stain after he washes it, at least no one will know. He straightens, and the blade disappears again back under his sleeve with a quick click. ]

My dear, I don't believe anyone should be out here, least of all us. [ He starts toward her, a small smile in place. ] There are risky places to have a rendezvous, and then there are outright dangerous places!

[studieswaitressing]

[At least she can't see him wincing. If she saw that he was really that worried about his pants staining, she'd probably have to make fun of him a little even if she's dressed as someone else.]

A rendezvous, huh?

[She's getting the sinking feeling that he's talking about that kind of thing because that's what he wants to ... do. Great.]

[implying]

It's always an option!

[ He comes to a stop standing awfully close to her, well within the space bubble that casual acquaintances usually set, and reaches to pull off his mask with another metallic click. Not the best place for it, but it's not as if it takes much time to snap back into place again. His smile suddenly looks softer, framed by shaggy silvered hair and those long-lashed golden eyes. ]

Unless you were planning to kill a great deal more monsters first? They would make a lovely coat, I'm sure.

[studieswaitressing]

[Well, at least she can stop wondering what's under his mask now. The amount of space between them does indeed suggest to her that Vanadi and this girl have been intimate, so she tries to remain relaxed.

He's handsome, anyway, so what's the problem? Her lips twitch into a smile.]

I think I could take a break from almost getting myself killed.

[implying]

Why, what a coincidence, so could I!

[ He happily takes that as invitation to thread both arms around her waist and pull them together, looking pleased. There are a few places along the rooftops he'd taken note of earlier that would do nicely for a quick respite. Not that he seeks them out — it's just that he always notices them. It's a skill. ]

And then back toward the Hold, mm? It's a good deal safer there. You can stay with me until we've cleaned out the neighborhood of your house, if you like, I'm quite sure my roommates won't mind.

[studieswaitressing]

[...there were worse ways to pass the time here, and this had given her that sort of familiar jolt of adrenaline and hormones that she'd felt a time or two before. This is easy and Vanadi is -- not terrible looking, not at all, and being this girl is sort of working out for her.

Except when her mind tracks back to it, she has the same worry as she did whenever she found herself in this position with another person -- could she hold this form?

What if she couldn't? It'd kept her from intimacy until she was sure that someone might not mind -- Erik -- and then that had gone less-than-ideally too. She wasn't about to admit to anyone that she was less experienced than she wanted people to think, but...it wouldn't really be fair to this guy, would it.]

...or maybe just straight back to the Hold.

[She half-backs-up and rubs her neck, at least having the good grace to look guilty.]

[implying]

[ He blinks, looking puzzled— and from there, it's straight into concern. This is entirely different from the Lynn he knows, and the only explanation he can think of is that there's something wrong. So he steps in again, but this time with less slinking suggestion. One gloved hand drops lightly to her cheek, and he leans in for a closer look at her. ]

Lynn, are you alright? [ He drops his hand to her shoulder, instead, and leans back to look her up and down. ] You haven't been hurt, have you?

[studieswaitressing]

[Well, time to 'fess up. Now's as good a time as any, she thinks, so with that familiar blue ripple -- she's back to her normal self, brows furrowed -- after she backs up a little in case he reacts to this with undignified horror or something.]

She's back at the compound, and she's -- fine. I doubt she'd leave her house in this sort of situation.

[She brings a hand to the back of her neck and leans her head back.]

I just needed to get out of the Hold for a while without anyone recognizing me. So much for that.

[implying]

[ This time there's a little more surprise in it, even up to taking a half step back, but... well, that definitely explains a lot. He drops a glance at his mask, but vetos the idea of putting it back on. It would just be silly, at this point, wouldn't it? So he leaves it tucked under an arm, considers the situation, and... has to laugh, really. ]

So much for that, is right. I'm terribly sorry! That must have been somewhat startling, hmm?

[studieswaitressing]

[At least he's taking this way better than she was thinking he was going to. That probably means he and that girl weren't that serious, or he's just -- that nice a guy.]

Yeah, to say the least. It was a good thing you were here, though, I guess.

[What with the whole 'beast charging her' thing and all.]

...I'm Mystique. I think we might've spoken on the network.

[implying]

Pleased to be of service, my dear.

[ That with a fancy little bow, and he offers out a hand as he pulls out of it. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you more officially, Mystique! I'm Vanadi.

[studieswaitressing]

You know, you're taking this pretty well.

[Then again, it wasn't like she was doing anything with this body that was considered 'untoward' or inappropriate or ... illegal, really.

She looks at his hand for a second or two before reaching out to sort of half-shake it.]

And I take it you knew -- know -- Lynn. Good to know for the future.

[implying]

[ That 'knew' is a little worrisome. Vanadi hopes it isn't 'knew', but he really hasn't seen Lynn in some time. Not since they'd left for Russia. A little cloud of worry passes over his face, but he waves it away with another smile. He'll worry about finding Lynn at a better time for it. ]

Well, your change was a good deal more graceful than the changes the skinrippers undergo, at home. Now there is a sight to put you off dinner!

[studieswaitressing]

[Also good to know, even if she doesn't say as much out loud. She half-laughs and then relaxes herself a little, shrugging.]

With a name like 'skinrippers' I'm sure I can at least partly picture it.

[That's the norm with shapeshifters in other worlds, it seems, even if Mystique isn't fully aware of that yet.]

-- did you still want to head back to the Hold? I can always make my way back there.

[...probably.]

[implying]

Oh, certainly. I can't say no to such a lovely escort! [ He holds out an elbow, clearly looking to take her arm, but... pauses, seeming to consider for a moment. ]

Ah, unless you had other plans. Or would prefer to stick to the original plans? I would hate to be inconvenient, the Hold will still be there later on!

[studieswaitressing]

[She can't help the snort. It's still such a strange thing, people calling her lovely when she's like this. It's -- nice, but still not something she's used to.]

I can't say no to someone who calls me a 'lovely' anything.

[No, really, she can't. She takes his arm easily enough -- it'll be good to have a second set of eyes for the way back, anyway, and that's about enough adventure for her for today.]

[implying]

Oh, careful, I may be tempted to abuse the power, lovely. [ That with a particularly smarmy grin, of course.

He doesn't start moving immediately, but pauses to sweep his ears back and up against his skull, brush his hair back, and click the mask back into place. Then he's ready, and starts moving. ]

[studieswaitressing]

[She doesn't ask about the mask, really. It covers his scars, sure, and she understands wanting to hide from people.]

Just trying to be honest. 'Blue and scaly' isn't exactly considered all the rage back home.