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 Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 11:22 am
prompt The little village is unnaturally empty and devoid of all life sans that which came from Destiny City. To add to the eeriness of everything, sometimes a small area will randomly feel cold and unnerving more than the rest of the town. Close investigation of the area will result in finding a small piece of weathered metal; you can just barely make out runes carved into it, but it's not large enough for you to make out anything. As soon as the metal is picked up, the mood in the area immediately fades and, oddly, you feel safer holding it. You may only find one of these per character!
“I would never have thought we’d be stuck here for more than a day,” Narcissus admittedly quietly as he peeked between the boards that guarded the window from outside view. The village was far from brightly lit, but the morning brought daylight through the cloud cover, much more lit than the pitch-black nothing of nights here, where if the moon and stars did exist, they were completely shrouded by haze. No electricity or fires lit lamps outside during the night. “But here we are, day three…”
When Narcissus kept watch at night, there was nothing but his own terror to keep him company. He couldn’t see his own hand in front of his face, let alone the figures of his comrades right next to him. They’d taken up the habit of two of them staying awake to keep watch while one of them rested.
Being older and more experienced, Narcissus and Rakovanite kept the longer watch, while Cervantite “slept,” though Narcissus very severely doubted that any of them had slept at all during the past two days.
It was impossible to, when they could hear something heavy and foreboding moving outside the house at night. That same monster kept them from speaking, so it was only the rush of air from their lungs that let Narcissus know his allies were still there. They didn’t know what the beast was capable of or what it wanted, but no one wanted to test it. There had to be a reason nothing lived here, and Narcissus was sure that they’d heard someone being taken on that first night as the creature threw itself at other buildings in the village.
The darkness was frightening, made worse from lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of knowledge.
When the creature departed and morning broke the clouds, Narcissus felt antsy to move, to do something that would help the situation. “If… if we’re going to be stuck here…” Oh, god, it frightened him to even think that they would be here for any longer than they already had. What if there was no escape home? “We need to see what other supplies are in the rest of the village. Maybe we can-” ******** his head hurt. He could barely think. He had no idea what to do here- Calm down, calm down…
What did they need?
Security. Even just a feeling of safety, whether they actually were or not. If they felt safe, they could sleep easier, they could think easier. The rest would follow.
“We should see if there’s anything to fill the gaps in these window boards. If we can completely conceal ourselves from outside, maybe we can actually light something in here? So that we’re not sitting terrified and confused in the dark for eight hours straight… We need to find food.” He’d had granola bars in his space pocket for anytime he may get hungry on a patrol, but even a whole box of granola bars didn’t really last three people one day. They needed something more sustainable. “And water and a toothbrush. I’ve never wanted a toothbrush so badly…”
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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:30 am
It was hard to believe how debilitating it was to be thrown from the comfort of his home and routine for even just two days. Rakovanite was a man of structure and schedule, and there was absolutely none of that here. He wasn't a survivalist. He was a combat tactician, and this was so far out of his comfort zone it made his heart hurt. But he couldn't be hysterical about it. He couldn't shut down. Enduring things like this was all about keeping a level head to find elusive answers amidst the turmoil.
It was just hard to keep a level head under these conditions. Rakovanite felt mentally drained already. Without proper food and rest, his reserves of patience and forethought were running particularly low... Without the energy to think clearly, priorities sometimes felt skewed.
It was going to be a vicious downward spiral if they didn't find some type of routine soon.
Rakovanite rose from where he sat against the back wall, bones cracking and muscles protesting as he stretched from a very tense night. Those hours were the longest: when he and his comrades sat in silence in the dark while some kind of thing battered against the structures outside and a dread that was almost palpable hung over the village. Rakovanite didn't yet know what to do about that, but he knew they couldn't do nothing. They couldn't live under these conditions, regardless of whether they could 'survive' them.
A quite groan escaped him and he twisted in place, earning another round of cracks before he approached Narcissus' side at he window. "I have never experienced anything like this," he admitted. "When it leaves, it is almost as if you can feel it... The air changes, somehow."
Anything they wanted to do, they had to do during the day, right now, and trying to find ways to be more comfortable seemed like a necessary use of time.
If they weren't able to escape after a day or two or three, who knew when they would be able to...
"It seemed like all of these structures were abandoned when we arrived, but I have to assume everyone else from DC has taken up post in other houses. If you intend to go searching for supplies, I will join you and keep you safe. Given the circumstances, I doubt anyone would be willing to share any particularly helpful finds, and I would hate for things to come to violence with you being so... unapologetically pacifist." At least if Rakovanite went, they'd be less likely to come back empty-handed if there was to be a fight over useful supplies.
He glanced over his shoulder to where Cervantite had curled on the ground. The first light of morning must have made him feel safe enough to actually dose off. Rakovanite's mind warred with what to do about this.
Let him sleep? If Cervantite was able to rest now he might be of more help later. Wake him? If some stranger came in (either human or otherwise), Rakovanite didn't want them to find an easy target in his brother... But it wasn't like they had much of value in their shelter. All their outside resources that had come through the space pocket with them had been depleted quickly. Order could still be looking to off potential enemies, but...
Maybe they weren't.
Cervantite could rest for now, and maybe later he would feel well enough to offer useful ideas to the group.
"Very well. We will see if there is anything beneficial for us to find," he agreed with a clipped nod in Narcissus' direction.
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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:27 am
Narcissus inhaled a slow breath.
They could do this. They had to. It was just a matter of staying clear-headed enough to sort through what little information they were presented. So many of them had been trapped here that it felt like surely someone would notice something... If they were only given enough time and enough space to figure it out. The impending doom added another layer of difficulty, but they could figure it out.
With a quick, terse smile shot in Rakovanite's direction that was meant to be reassuring, Narci moved for the door.
He wasn't worried about Cervantite. As far as Narcissus understood it, there was a silently agreed upon truce here, even between the factions. No one wanted to incite a monster attack, which meant no wars were being waged here. Even during the day, when it was relatively 'safe,' the village residents were quiet and kept to themselves.
"I bet we could find some tools if we head toward that barn," he stated as he stepped outside. "An axe or a-a hammer, or something, to chop wood..." Narcissus had never wielded anything like that a day in his life. And even if he had, it only took him a second's worth of thought to realize they probably wouldn't be able to cut boards thin enough to nail over the windows.
Assuming they found nails.
"Maybe we could use leafy branches, l-like curtains?" He prompted. "Just anything that we could put over the windows to better conceal ourselves... Should we look for food? Chopping trees sounds like it'd be a... a difficult task on an empty stomach, and, well..."
His gut clenched at even the thought of food. They'd be too weak to function if they waited too long on that front.
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:14 am
"Mhm." The note was quiet and noncommittal as it slipped out of Rakovanite's throat. The situation was not a familiar one. What he needed to do to maintain his own personal health in a survival-type situation weren't skills he had- or even thought about. Rationally, he knew what Narcissus proposed had to be right: they needed security and food. They needed to take measures that would enable them to survive for as long as necessary.
But the thought flit in a whisper through Rakovanite's mind, 'Was it worth it?' Was life worth the struggle?
It had only been a couple of days. There was really no reason to be so dramatic just yet. He followed Narcissus to the door and stepped out onto the dreary, chilly, fog-laden street. Few were around. The world was quiet, but Rakovanite's gaze trailed around the empty village as if expecting to see something that would ease the strife, just the same.
None was forthcoming, so he nodded. "I can try to manage that," He offered, since anyone with any kind of sight only had to take one look at Narcissus' scrawny arms to see that he likely had very minimal experience with things like hammers and axes. Not that Rakovanite frequently used such tools, either, but he had once or twice, with his parents in their snowy winter cabin...
He exhaled slowly.
"I... am still unsure it is wise to keep any fire at night," Rakovanite admitted. "The creature would see the smoke from the chimney, even if we covered the windows."
It wasn't what Narcissus wanted to hear, and Rakovanite understood that. Nobody wanted to sit silently awake in the dark all night, but he didn't see a way around it. He supposed they could all try to sleep, but that seemed dangerous. Maybe a very small light would be unobtrusive enough... He just wasn't sure it was worth the risk
"But if we managed something very small, perhaps it would attract no notice. We can use blankets over the windows. There must be extras in some of these other abandoned homes. If we can craft sturdier barricades from trunk and branch, that should serve us well enough. ...Maybe we could even light fires in unoccupied houses to draw it away from us. And we certainly need to decide how to preserve or cook any kind of rations."
The more they found and set up and prepared for now, the less struggle there would be later.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:43 am
’Good,’ Narcissus thought. It was at least really good that Rakovanite was willing to put forward the effort it would take to help them survive. -Not that Narci had feared he wouldn’t be! It just… It seemed like there may have been a chance that some people would feel drained by the thought of the exertion. Some people may already have lapsed into depression and not been interested in trying too hard to do something to alleviate the situation. Narci would have felt inclined to look after someone who didn’t want to look after themselves...
So it was just lucky that Rakovanite wanted to help, was all.
He gave a pleased nod as the agent offered to find the ‘hammer or axe’ or whatever they’d need for the wood, but Narci wasn’t so sure about the fire. He really thought he’d prefer to have some light, some comfort.
But it would be detrimental if the monster noticed it. The only reason they’d escaped so cleanly the first night was because someone somewhere across the path had ventured out to see what all the noise was about, and Narcissus had rushed to put out the fire Cervantite had set for them… It was just the only source of light and warmth they had, and he wasn’t willing to give it up without at least trying to make it work. “I’d really, um- Y’know, if it’s okay, I’d really p-prefer to go ahead and try to keep the fire, with whatever means we can. It just- It beats sitting silently in the dark… Whoever is keeping watch will just have an e-easier time, with the fire, I think.”
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:44 am
Rakovanite eyed the senshi from beneath his lashes. He didn’t know Narcissus very well, but during their scant previous encounters he had thought that the other man seemed twitchy and fidgety, like a little rodent. Of course he would feel safer with something to see the enemy- the predator by, even if it allowed the predator to see them, as well. But Rakovanite wanted to hope they were smarter than the average rodent.
It wasn’t like he wanted to be sitting silently in the dark during his watch, either.
“We will try to keep the fire,” he acquiesced in a low tone. “We should take every precaution to ensure it becomes no hindrance to us.” And that meant finding blankets, nails, branches, wood. Anything sturdy to barricade the doors and windows. Everything was so foggy and humid here that all the wood would burn wet, leaving massive smoke trails… Perhaps they should go out of their way to make sure they dried anything they could during the day, so it burned cleaner at night. A thought to keep in mind.
The ‘barn’ behind one of the shelters was really more like a little shed. There were larger storage areas in the village. Some had found meat storage containers and vegetable patches. They were definitely places they’d need to scan later, but for now, their focus needed to be the tools.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:45 am
Another thin smile stretched across Narcissus’ face. He wasn’t going to make a big deal of it, but it did please him that they were able to come to literally any consensus. He’d thought it would be really difficult to convince Rakovanite to do anything… “Thank you. I really appreciate it. All I can ask is that we try, and if it doesn’t work out-”
Well, if it didn’t work out, they’d probably be gotten by the creature. He didn’t want to think about that too hard. They’d just be sure to take extra care to ensure their safety and security.
Which meant finding tools from one of the little sheds in the village.
Unsurprisingly, the room was dark, lit only by the dim light offered by the open door. It wasn’t a huge space, maybe fitting five people side-by-side on the long end, and only three on the short end. And it was cluttered, with shelves and tables on every wall. And on those shelves and tables seemed to be mostly debris of dirt, vines and sprouts twisting up through the cracks, ends of sticks, and miscellaneous bits of metal junk.
Narcissus stepped in, skimmed his fingers across the top of a splintering table, leaving a trail through the dirt from where he’d touched. It was probably just the darkness, but he didn’t really feel good about this building.
Not that he felt good about anything in this place.
“It’s… It seems really cold in here, doesn’t it?”
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:46 am
Great. A dark room of nothing. Rakovanite could not even pretend to be surprised by this, considering that nothing had gone that well since they’d arrived here. It would be too easy to simply expect to find useful tools laying around.
He stepped in behind Narcissus and surveyed the small area with a dead stare before releasing a resigned sigh.
“Look in the cupboards,” he commanded softly.
They were here after all; may as well try not to miss anything that could be important later. He stooped near to the ground, to the lowest shelf in the shed, and rummaged a gloved hand across its surface. A plume of dust erupted at the disturbance. A few crumbling leaves scattered to the floor. A twig was dislodged from where it grew through the back of the building, and a metal bar clattered against the ground.
Rakovanite eyed the thin rod. It was no longer than his arm, so probably not especially useful in securing the door. It was quite rusted and otherwise unremarkable. Probably not even better to use as a weapon than a sturdier branch. He knocked it toward the wall and out of sight.
As he stood back up, he glanced to the senshi. “Cold?” Rakovanite repeated.
Now that he thought about it, it did seem a bit cooler in the shed. He felt the damp chill on his face and on the exposed part of his arms. Narcissus was no less covered than he was, but the senshi’s fabric did look quite a bit thinner than his sturdier coat and the myriad of other layers of his uniform… And everyone needed to be functioning well if they were going to be useful to him.
“Here.” Rakovanite had discarded his restrictive leather vest early on, after realizing he couldn’t power down. The thing was nearly impossible to sleep in. It made it easier now to unfasten his coat and offer it in one outstretched hand to the senshi.
He still had the heavy fabric of his shoulder and waist sashes. One less garment wouldn’t do him any harm.
And there was no sense lingering on the exchange. It was just good practice toward keeping them all well: a necessity. Nothing more. Rakovanite promptly gestured for Narcissus to join him by the shelving unit. “I will lift you so you can see the top shelf and pick out anything that may be of use. Nothing else that I can find has seemed very beneficial, so far…”
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:47 am
Narcissus didn’t argue with Rakovanite’s order. He dipped low to rummage through the cabinets beneath the table, and had about as much luck as Rakovanite did, if not worse. They were empty. Completely empty. The dust suggested that this place hadn’t yet been ransacked by anyone else who’d arrived from DC. So there was just… nothing.
Horse back to a stand, dusted his knees, and shook his head to indicate nothing had been of use.
Pink eyes riveted back to the agent at the question. “Um. Y-yes, it just seems worse, colder in here, someh-” The words cut abruptly from his tongue as Rakovanite extended his coat toward him. Narcissus wasn’t freezing, so he probably didn’t really need the added layer. But also it seemed so thoughtful of Rakovanite, just a little needle that threaded through Narci’s thoughts: ’he’s not so bad.’ He didn’t want to refuse the gesture, so he accepted the coat with a quiet, almost awed, “Thanks,” and slipped his arms into it.
It definitely didn’t fit him like it fit Rakovanite. The length was pretty similar, but the agent’s shoulders must have been twice as broad. And now that the coat was off of him, Narci could see his freaking beautifully sculpted biceps, like he had the first time they’d met.
“Y-you’ll wha-? Oh. Right.”
Right, right. Keep it together. Stay focused. He knew what they’d come here to do, and now was hardly the time to be thinking about anything but survival. It didn’t stop the furious blush from spreading on Narcissus’ cheeks as he stiffly scooted a scant inch in Rakovanite’s direction.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:49 am
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, except for the peculiar expression that had found its way onto the senshi’s face. Rakovanite canted his head very slightly as he eyed the way Narcissus suddenly didn’t seem interested in being near him. It must have been his coat. ...Maybe it smelled odd, or maybe the gesture wasn’t a welcome one, but Narcissus didn’t want to offend him by refusing. The senshi did seem the type to not pose a fuss when unsavory things were presented to him.
Rakovanite held his ground, arms still half-extended because he had been prepared to lift Narcissus close to him, but now that seemed like it might be unacceptable.
His voice dropped, low and quiet. “Something is wrong,” he prompted, dark gaze held fast on the other man in front of him: the one who suddenly looked uncomfortable and seemed as if it was inexplicably difficult to step near to him so that they could complete this very easy chore and be done with it.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 7:50 am
Narcissus’s focus flashed up to Rakovanite’s face before flitting abruptly away again. “No? No, no! N-nothing’s wrong. W-well, I mean, no, that’s not entirely true. We’re here, and that’s pretty wrong, but in terms of like- Generally speaking- I mean, like, nothing is wrong between- Between us…” Right, right, nothing was wrong. He couldn’t even begin to formulate words for why he shouldn’t just… let Rakovanite lift him in his arms… So he could look on the top shelf for supplies.
“Okay, let’s- Let’s just do it.” He took a sharp, determined step forward, putting them inches apart from being chest-to-chest, expression fierce as Narcissus tried to just stay on task. It shouldn’t even be hard.
And it wouldn’t be if- Why was his shirt so tight? And more importantly, why did it suddenly matter? He’d seen Rakovanite with his coat off. He’d touched him. He’d popped his arm back into place when he’d been injured. It hadn’t been that long ago, so not much could’ve changed in terms of physique. But it just really looked like the tight black top of his Negaverse undershirt curved around him in all the ways that just made him look broad and defined and tight. Built shoulders, toned pecs, stones for biceps.
Of course he’d noticed how Rakovaite had looked back then, but he’d been injured. He’d been hurt. And that would always be what took precedence in Narcissus’s attention. When someone was hurt, he would dedicate all his resources to helping them.
It just happened no one was hurt now. He could focus on other things.
His fingers flitted as delicate as a butterfly to just skim the very edge of Rakovanite’s pec before he realized what his hand was doing and yanked it back to himself. He shot a nervous look toward the agent and tried to explain the probably unwelcome interaction. “Y-you look nice.”
Wow.
Woooooow.
Whatever blush had been on his cheeks before was nothing compared to now. He was obviously super articulate and capable and very good at staying focused on what he was doing, and this was in no way totally odd. He snapped his hands down onto Rakovanite’s shoulders. “A-alright, please just do it, then.” They had to get out of here.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 11:39 am
No, it was in no way odd.
Rakovanite didn’t know Narcissus well enough to judge if this was normal behavior or if it was brought on by him, but at least the senshi didn’t seem like it was some offense from his coat, so that seemed like as much as Rakovanite could hope for. Even if he still didn’t understand Narcissus’ sudden blush or apparent determination. Nothing was wrong that Narcissus would admit, so there was nothing Rakovanite could do but proceed-
His hands moved to take hold of the senshi’s hips and only paused when fingers dusted across his chest. He… looked nice? “Probably nicer if a shower was readily available.”
Rakovanite wasn’t entirely oblivious. He’d done his fair share of courting at the bar to know that if it wasn’t Elijah or Noah drawing strangers near, it was frequently Nat’s looks that led another person to sit with him. And he knew that when skittish boys eyed his figure and blushed at him, he could probably manage not to go home alone. Everyone, including Nataniel, was usually pretty smashed at that point, though. And there was definitely no ‘home’ to go to here.
Uncertainty had always made him stall. Now was no exception.
He fit his fingers around Narcissus’ hips and lifted him easily to eye-level with the top shelf, before snaking one arm around the back of his thighs to support him. Rakovanite’s face was pressed to Narcissus’ abdomen, the senshi’s hips against his chest. And for whatever he felt there, he couldn’t help but tip his head back and cast a quizzical gaze up toward Narcissus.
“You are interested.”
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 11:40 am
Probably nicer in the shower.
Yyyyep, Narcissus didn’t doubt it. Warm steam, hair slicked back, skin glistening, smelling like fresh soap and slippery from it. A shower did sound pretty nice. Wait, that wasn’t what he said? “Uh, uh-huh. Right.”
He peeled his thoughts away from Rakovanite (and how he was pretty sure if the agent paid literally an ounce of attention to the person in his arms, he’d probably realize where the blood was headed) and turned his sight on the task ahead. Finding tools. So they could freaking survive. Pretty important.
The top shelf too, was mostly dust. Dust, dried leaves, and twigs. He picked through it, anyway, just in case there was something- Oh! Well- Narcissus collected the strange artifact as he saw it, and ‘artifact’ was probably a liberal term for the small scrap he’d found. The metal piece really didn’t look like much. It wasn’t a tool, nor nails, nor a weapon, but it had… something etched into it. Narcissus just couldn’t make it out very well. And there were a couple placed up here. It wasn’t what they came for, but it was the most interesting thing they’d found. He collected them in his hands and turned to look down at Rakovanite.
Only to see the man staring up at him with a peculiar gaze. Dark eyes, very slightly parted lips. He didn’t look as furiously embarrassed as Narcissus felt, but he didn’t exactly look concerned, anymore, either.
’Interested.’
Narcissus sucked a breath of air through his teeth. He found himself tensing at the insinuation, and he fumbled with what he’d found. One of the metal scraps in his hands suddenly slipped free and plummeted down.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 11:42 am
The metal bit clonked harmlessly into Rakovanite’s forehead.
It wasn’t large or heavy, so it didn’t hurt, but it did startle Rakovanite enough that he let the senshi slip from his arms and down his body, to land on his feet in front of Rakovanite. And now they were nearly eye-level with each other, with Rakovanite staring unflinchingly at the senshi before him.
He… probably shouldn’t have brought it up, then? Except Narcissus had certainly insinuated it, and it was really better to know than to just… wonder.
But even if Narcissus was ‘interested,’ did it matter? Rakovanite didn’t frequently take an interest in anyone he had to see on a regular basis. It was just safer that way. He didn’t feel confident enough to initiate any pursuits, and he didn’t want to feel uncomfortable around people he might be forced to spend any amount of time with. He had no idea how long he and Narcissus would be trapped in this village together, and the risk of forming any type of attachment just because it allowed for his physical needs to be met... It… probably wasn’t worth risking their alliance, no matter how his body responded every time there was even the slightest insinuation that someone might be interested in him.
Rakovanite cleared his throat. His hands still hovered loosely over Narcissus’ hips, where he’d held the other just moments before. “You found something?” He whispered.
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 11:43 am
Narcissus landed back on his feet with a quiet umph! of surprise at being dropped. But even if abrupt, he was unharmed. Rakovanite hadn’t dropped him flat on his back, or anything- Though maybe that wouldn’t have been terrible. But more important he should probably address the earlier question: Interested.
Or- or should he? No, maybe he shouldn’t. If they were moving on to focus more readily on what they were supposed to be doing, maybe he should just… let it happen.
Because Rakovanite, with a body like that and thoughts fueled by chaos, would certainly not be willing to let scrawny, bookish, exhausted and unkept Narcissus do anything to him. And Narcissus wasn’t upset by that. He really did have the self-control required to keep it together, and now was definitely, definitely not the time or place. It was more important that they figure out how to be safe here. Recreation could come later.
Maybe- He couldn’t risk offending or upsetting Rakovanite, since the man was kind of all he had to work with here.
He knew Rakovanite was watching him, but he couldn’t bring himself to meet the other man’s gaze. “Uh, y-yeah, yeah- Well, no, maybe not. It’s p-probably n-nothing. I’m n-not sure… It’s just-” He dipped, swiping for the metal piece that had fallen to the ground before offering both for Rakovanite to see.
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