|
Post by Blaze on Feb 21, 2022 12:49:11 GMT -8
The Torrent's face is like a death mask, and about as rigid.
"How very right you are, Yuan - you don't need to say that." Blaze made a valiant effort to stay neutral and calm, but it was clear that the Elemental's patience was wearing thin. There was only so long you can deny your own nature, Seeming-related or otherwise "Would now be a bad time to point out that we wouldn't have this problem if you haven't invited them over in the first place?"
She watches him untie the captive and set him loose. Maybe she should have blown the Beast off and just scare the living shit out of him, squeezing his emotion's-pumping heart like a sponge. This moment of weakness could cost her, could cost all of them, but rectifying it now would be even more damning.
"Still think it's wasteful to not at least ask about the guy's friends. We'll have to get on that at some point, you know. Would be much easier if you started now."
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Feb 21, 2022 13:45:49 GMT -8
Basilio inhaled sharply as he blinked in the darkness of a dead warehouse, with only the lights from the city and distant Strip filtering through the window slats. He looked to be in his early 20s and a few tattoos into covering his neck. As the Beast snipped the layers of zip-ties with his claws, he cautiously fingered the card and offered Yuan a placating smirk as he nodded along. Eyes trained on Blaze as well, taking in her face as he cautiously stood (still expecting to be shot, or jerked around a bit more).
He moved to the exit that Yuan had pointed out, frowning in confusion at the layers of ice around the frame before looking back down expectantly to see they were talking and already past his presence. A few well placed kicks smashed the window as he squinted at the drop, before recognizing that if he even managed to fit through the window, he would likely bust something.
He looked over his shoulder again, waiting for the pair to start laughing at him, or something.
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 21, 2022 14:48:07 GMT -8
"I was bleeding out and so were you," he stammered. "I just- I didn't want to die on the crass floor of some forgotten dump."
The Playmate felt stupid. He hated himself right now. Hated that he couldn't get anything done and had to rely on others instead. Hated that he couldn't find it in himself to stand up for his beliefs. She hates me she hates me she hates me I'm a failure.
"I don't speak Spanish and the guy can barely string a sentence together. Maybe Mitch could translate." The Courser had deflated, the crash of adrenaline and shock taking their toll. He heard the shattering of glass from upstairs and looked up sharply. "You could ask Fawkes about them, when we get him back. Or Loki."
"I'm not trying to sabotage the mission. I've walked in his shoes is all." He gestured up toward Basilio as he started to make his way to the scaffolding. "I know what it's like to be in a foreign country without knowing the language. I know all about being strong-armed and being scared for your life. I couldn't stand myself if I didn't help him out."
"I guess I'm trying to apologize. I'll try talking to him."
Yuan had reach the ladder and looked up. "Hey! You okay?"
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Feb 21, 2022 15:02:52 GMT -8
Basilio had tried to angle himself up, resolute that his humiliation was payment for being let go of whatever the hell was going on. He had been kidnapped by gangsters and handed over to a sicario, then there was unholy screeching and shattering glass, cold fronts, gunfire, heat, cold again, and now some Chinese guy shot to bits was calling out to him again as he broke into another sweat.
He hauled his legs back inside, recognizing he was never going to fit and pulling a sliver of glass out of his palm as be smiled and nodded to the man, attention flicking to the other shot up woman and trailing the splashes of blood along the concrete.
Wrapping his hands around the handle of the Fire Exit, he angled his body to start slamming both feet against the wall to try and dislodge the frame from the ice.
It didn't seem to budge. He snickered a bit to alleviate his boiling hysteria.
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 21, 2022 15:16:08 GMT -8
A smile and a nod - two things Yuan had faked plenty of. Then came the sound of the door being kicked. "Crap." He hadn't realized Blaze had already covered all the exits. Slowly, painfully, he proceeded to drag his body up the ladder. Mitch had told him to stay put, but realistically, to be in worse shape would be to just pass out so what the hell.
"Stop, stop. You'll hurt yourself." Now more than ever, the Beast had to trust the blessings of Spring that were still available.
"I won't hurt you. I forgot the door was locked. Just wait a little." Yuan really had no idea how much of what he said got across. Or if his efforts would help at all.
Some petty part of him noted that if gangsters were to burst into the place and open fire, they'd have cover up here.
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Feb 21, 2022 15:22:52 GMT -8
Basilio glanced at the door, cocking an eyebrow,
"You can open it?"
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 21, 2022 15:32:19 GMT -8
Yuan simply looked down to his bloody rags and shook his head. "No, I'm hurt. The people you came here with will be back soon too."
Mitch was going to be there any minute now, supposedly breaking down the door or ghosting through it. Another reason to keep the mortal upstairs and focused on the Beast. "My friend is coming to get me out of here. It'll be safe to leave then."
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this."
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Feb 21, 2022 19:33:10 GMT -8
As Yuan focuses on the literal on which door and how, Blaze keeps a close eye on the Playmate getting up close and personal with the mundie and clearly a little too comfortable with his innate gifts to connect. The mundie has the same painted friendliness as the Winter's stoicism, nodding to try not and agitate his keepers. The glint of glass emerging from his sleeve snapped Blaze's attention, with her arm moving on trained instinct as the dazed Beast clearly hadn't noticed. She breathed out to steady her hand-
For what it was worth, Basilio had no intention of pursuing a life with hard rolling gangsters — kidnapping and thinking he was going to burn alive had more than done its job. God had given him a second chance, but now he was faced with this new tense puzzle, nerves already on fire as he filtered babble and was once again boxed in. He didn't know what game Yuan and Blaze were playing, or if they were buying time, but he figured he could take the slight and heavily wounded Chinese man. The guy was being friendly, but having the opportunity to keep a hostage and have the other show him the actual exit made too much sense — more than just trusting the people who trapped him, at least. The shiv wouldn't be lethal, except make it clear he meant business, he just had to angle it right so he could grab-
Yuan blinked as Basilio's brain matter sprayed across his face.
|
|
|
Post by Blaze on Feb 22, 2022 5:58:58 GMT -8
Time slows to a crawl as the glint of glass shines in Blaze's eye, activating all the dormant instincts with the flip of a switch. Grip the gun tighter, run and lean out to gain the best angle, raise arm, aim, shoot, kill. To an outside observer it would be like watching a machine performing a quick, lethal ballet - someting straight out of a John Woo movie.
She watches the head explode and the body fall to the floor with a final thud.
"Too slow."
He was dead. The final gunshot was the exclamation point for everything that has led up to this point. The Elemental released her finger from the trigger, experiencing nothing that a normal person would be subject to - guilt, anguish, disgust... none of those words existed in Blaze's universe. The adrenaline pumping through her aching veins faded into the background, taking with it all the pain and irritation. She felt the kind of cosmic serenity that comes from completing a task well done, and why wouldn't she? All the Elemental did was her job, what she was trained for, and what she had done countless times before. Her face is impassive but her movements flowing and graceful as she kneels down to the freshly deceased and searches him for a wallet or a phone. An ID or a contact list would be of great help in tying this thing up, and at this point cutting loose threads was the Elemental's foremost concern.
"Apology accepted, by the way." She says, barely glancing from her grim work "Let the poor fuck's fate be an example of what happens when we take stupid risks."
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Feb 24, 2022 23:41:53 GMT -8
Yuan internally screamed as hot fluid sprayed across his face, running the risk of peeling his skin if the mundie had been ill with even just a cold. The Beast couldn't immediately process what had happened as his mind kicked loose once more from impulsive actions, with this particular instance killing the very person he had been trying to lift up. Mitch had told him to stay put. He stepped away from the Herald's instructions and kept nearly dying. Needles prickled like pin feathers under goose flesh as his Keeper and Spring became one in the same, roaring the consequences of failure. The Playmate hiccupped, eyes pinning to slits as primal defense mechanisms kicked in, and his humanity took a big step back from the incoming hail of traumatic guilt. He didn't have to weather it if he lapsed to instinct. He didn't have to think about it if he leaned on the Duke's programming — the Torrent was here to direct. The Onyx Elemental grit through the gunshot wound and found the wallet and ID naming the victim Basilio Torres, DOB 1999-02-06, with a fixed address in North Las Vegas. No cell phone, however (likely being removed to prevent chaos with the set up). The blood had not triggered Yuan's Bane, and all he could manage from Blaze's dress-down was a feline rumble as he blinked and fidgeted. A few minutes had passed as they listened for movement outside, with Blaze leaving the twitchy Beast to check the back door and the windows along the gangway. Her suggestion that he do his own sweep was somewhat followed, like he was trying to comply but was impeded by injury and shock. Frankly, Blaze wasn't doing much better despite her determination; feeling sick and dizzy from the lack of oxygen flowing to her flames. She leaned to catch her breath and noted Yuan had returned to sitting, tucking his knees as if to protect his organs. The sudden movement of birds had her question her grip on reality before the dancing lights and symphonic wail announced the stark form of the Spring Dancer. The dip into the Hedge around Halloween had left distinct marks with a missing ear and cold iron scarring tracing his jaw, and the shadowy orbs that ran over Blaze weren't as welcoming as the eyes before. Carr's expression was schooled as he clocked the Torrent's physical condition versus a familiar pride towards her capabilities; he was known to be the Go To for handling the worst the Seeming had to offer when it came to antisocial behaviours. "Good job on the doors. We've got eyes on the perimeter. If you want to keep helping, the best thing you can do is let Komizucha work his magic so you can get back to it without being a liability." It sounded harsh to boil it down to her performance, but in his experience the bluntness and appeal to utility was the best approach. She would simply get what she wanted faster if she was persuaded to the same conclusion. "You got the ID? Great. I'm going to carry you out to meet a Contract requirement so no one will see or touch us as we get to a secure location." He didn't interrogate or dwell on the scene, not looking to bait the Winter into trying to maintain her court's tenants when it would be needlessly disruptive. If Blaze did offer information or demand action on a critical thread, he made enough positive noises that her requests would be followed through as he picked up Yuan's gun, set the safety, and tucked it into the waist of his pants. The ice wasn't bothered with, though he had an odd way of moving through the blood as a quiet compulsion demanded that a pattern be met, along with the familiar ticks as crystals bloomed from diamond veins. Yuan watched wide-eyed from his position as Carr made his way up the stairwell, the Fairest's head swiveling to take in any other potential supernatural signs that he may have missed. Mitch's jaw clenched at the Beast's state and noted the blood trail and the spatter from the corpse that Yuan had failed to fully preen off with his soiled sleeve. Mitch bent to assess the other Spring with a professional eye, not responding to the other tearing up as he moved the arms and instructed to actually see the gunshot wounds. He then timed the Playmate's pulse before prying a small sliver of skull sticking out of Yuan's cheek. "Okay." Flicking the bone shard over the rail, he smoothly stood to meet the massive Oni that manifested in a similar manner to Carr. Despite the demonic appearance, Komi seemed in high spirits, if a little slow as he offered a sympathetic frown to the situation to check his relief with the timing. As promised, Mitch moved to pick up Blaze while the Oni offered Yuan a hand only to be met with a distrustful hiss. The Ogre processed the wave of his Curse as he blinked in confusion, though understood the basic nature of trauma and Lost getting a little weird about it sometimes. After another few steps were met with Yuan moving away and asking inane questions about if doctors were going to be involved and he thought the Bishop was here to cast Shield, Carr had to step in and trade places with firm coaxing. The Fairest at least seemed to be able to lean on his familiarity with Yuan, earning temporary compliance like the cat-like Emerald suddenly couldn't decide on what he wanted before clinging to Mitch. Oni apologized to Blaze, as polite as ever as he made sure she was okay with being carried by a stranger before the two Bishops launched into the ephemeral with the weightless injured. They skipped a few buildings over where the construction had been abandoned, awaiting for a new investor who wanted the land. It wasn't exactly a hospital, but Chrysanthemum introduced herself hastily as a fully certified nurse with field medical training. The Flowering's ivy glittered and popped with a rich rose as she directed the two onto separate sheets over a floor mat, offering the petal as a hard hitting anesthetic but leaving it up to the Lost as to whether they would take it. Donning a pair of jeweler's glasses that had fantastical gemstones and lenses, she flipped through a few magnifying options as she looked Blaze and Yuan over, confirming both would need the bullets removed. Gloves and mask went on. They noted she had even brought a portable defibrillator and some kind of cooler of unknown contents. "The less Komi has to bleed, the better off we'll all be," she explained. "I'm going to have to take these out."The offering of the anesthetic became more apparent as she drew out instruments from a kit and started prepping a cloth to scrub and sanitize the impact site.
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Feb 27, 2022 16:50:14 GMT -8
It was the glint that first caught the Grimm's attention. It took a whole second for Yuan to process what it was he was looking at before the realization set in. The feathers on his head frilled and puffed and claws sank into Mitch, who was holding him at that moment.
Contracting every muscle, he bounded out of the arms supporting him and jumped over the Dancer , debris clattering in his wake as instincts demanded he fled. But there was nowhere to go. Cornered, the Playmate exposed his pristine, almost opalescent fangs, and hissed in betrayal and displeasure, his body language indicating his fear.
Some people would say that Yuan's fear of hospitals and surgery was irrational. Then again, those people hadn't been dragged off to Arcadia and experimented upon, pulled apart into pieces and remade in the Vision of an unfathomable Keeper. But the Vision was fickle, and failure often resulted in further alterations, or worse, disposal.
|
|
|
Post by Mitchell Carr on Feb 27, 2022 18:22:19 GMT -8
Chrys' friendly smile behind the surgical mask fell; her outstretched hand offering the petal being met with Yuan practically vaulting off of the Dancer. Her attention immediately shifted to prioritize Blaze as she let the more experienced Bishop handle it.
Mitch made a sound in the back of his throat as the Beast unexpectedly clawed and clambered, resisting the instinct to subdue like he would with a maddened Torrent — no one was spearing people with concrete stalagmites and threatening to blow up the building in a blind meltdown. Blinking down at the amount of blood that he was currently covered in, he took a deep breath and wiped the side of his face that had gotten slapped with gore. The free hand snapped several times, burning more mental reserves to not tear off the shirt in a panic; the tick the only indication of his sky high anxiety. Intrusive thoughts mixed with bubbling rage that was disconnected from the situation, with the offense somewhere between being filthy and not throwing the chimera to the concrete in response to his antics. The unwelcome image was shaken off as quick as it came, and Mitch exchanged a look with Komi, before the Ogre also joined Chrys and took a sanitized scalpel to get ready with his Contract.
Keep it together, Carr.
Thumbing the petal and getting the facial twitch under control with a cough into his arm, the Fairest's Mantle spun into an Emerald gale behind him as he carefully approached the hissing Beast.
He wasn't happy about stringing along Yuan's own toxic fixations to manipulate the optimal outcome, but it was better than the Lost hurting himself. A gap was left as he assessed how close he could get into the other's space, with the Playmate literally backed into a corner. Mitch opted for straight forward simplicity, noting Yuan's state and the fact that he couldn't speak a lick of Mandarin.
"Hey, Yuan? You called me," he emphasized, stepping to block the periphery of the other Springs and Blaze and create the illusion of immediate privacy. "You've fought for your court and beat back death, and I'm proud of that, now I need you to let me help you." He offered the potent fae-rose, "We're going to fulfill our roles, and make sure you're not walking around with some ugly scars. This'll make it so you don't even notice. It's a reward."
|
|
|
Post by Blaze on Feb 28, 2022 14:02:08 GMT -8
For her part, Blaze was completely passive the whole way through, as much as the extensive damage allowed. She didn't speak a single word to any of the Springs up until they were in the makeshift clinic, and even the question if she was okay with being disintegrated into the ethereal realm was only met with a confirming nod. The Emeralds were already here, so she might as well make the most of their help, but that doesn't mean she feels obliged to involve them. They are temporary allies, not friends.
"Any chance I can take that home?" The Torrent asked, looking at the rose petal "No offence, but I have a sinking feeling this petal of yours is going to really kick me on my ass and I kind of need to focus. Just give me a stick to bite on and a drop of blue gel and I'll be fine."
She'd rather not risk being slow if the VIP is still at large. And she couldn't dismiss the possibility that some well-meaning Spring laced this thing with psychodelic drugs to make the procedure more pleasant and something you look forward to. Her mind was already away with Lotus anyway. She texted that she had eyes on Fawkes and Blaze was itching to provide another pair. That, and she needed to torch the warehouse they were in: the amount of forensic evidence inside must be massive, and the Elemental was loathe to involve anyone skilled in cleaning crime scenes, even if they happened to be Winter. Might as well go full steam ahead in that case and invite over a symphonic orchestra to provide the soundtrack.
Blaze looks at Carr trying to reason with the Beast. Didn't take an expert to say that the events shook him up pretty bad, and against all rational thoughts in her head the Elemental can't help but feel a bit guilty about it. Maybe if she steered the meet in a different direction, it wouldn't come to this, the question not so much if she did something wrong, but what.
"Take care of Yuan, okay? I think he's had enough fun for one night."
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Mar 2, 2022 10:48:36 GMT -8
Yuan’s eyes darted from Mitch to where Blaze’s voice was coming from.
“I appreciate the concern, but I’m staying. I have stakes in this.”
Everything would have been worth if Yuan succeeded in finding a solution to Spring’s failing magic. He looked back at the pleading Fairest. It was starting to get annoying how he always knew to say the right thing. How Yuan would have actually given up if Mitch had asked.
Anesthesia. Did that mean he wouldn’t remember anything? Tentatively, the Beast reached out for the petal.
“Don’t let her her leave without me,” he said before popping the petal into his mouth. Sweet oblivion was calling to him.
|
|
|
Post by Krakenbox on Mar 2, 2022 17:13:53 GMT -8
Chrys bit her lip at Blaze's request—after the Rose Water scandal, she wasn't excited at the idea of being connected to fae-roses being released to the wild again.
"Just the petal? For about twenty minutes," she confirmed. There wasn't any judgement as she withdrew the offer, the petal turning to wilt and ash between her fingers, "Damn, you're tough... Well, I can get you Tylenol-3." Blaze was offered gauze instead to prevent damage to her jaw and teeth if she seized, and the nurse directed Komi to properly position himself before the Flowering dragged scissors across the fabric to properly expose the wound. Disinfecting was nothing special until Chrysanthemum flicked a seed from her hand, which sprouted and widened the muscle and fat to give her a quick and clean entry with the forceps. The lenses of her glasses whirred as they focused, and the bullet was drawn out, giving a dull clink into the metal dish as the plant stitched something within. She then swapped out her gloves and marked a guideline for Komi to drag the scalpel along his own flesh, measuring out the appropriate minimum of self-harm as the blood arched into lightning across Blaze's wounds, shocking life and energy back into her being. Chrys offered the Torrent a shy and encouraging grin as she stitched up the Ogre's deep cut.
"Woah, wait a s-"
The petal was already chewed on before Mitch could get a word in edge-wise. Fairest grits his teeth as he catches the Beast from hitting the concrete; the combination of the potent drug and blood loss reducing Yuan to dead weight within seconds. Once the immediate wave had passed for Yuan to be mobile enough to maneuver, he was brought over to lay down on the clean surface as Chrysanthemum repeated the process. As this was going on, Komi cheerfully explained the expectations of returning the favour to the court to Blaze, alongside the general steps that were being taken to clear the warehouse proper and avoid a confrontation with the Cartel. Carr sat with the other two Springs and passively watched the more involved surgery, responding quietly to Yuan's happy babbling as he fixed the other's hair and watched the hands for any signs of panicked claws as the forceps dug around for the bullets. There wasn't a requirement for a blood transfusion, though Chrys confirmed the Beast had gone into shock and had Komi move a little faster with the second bleed.
|
|