epidemiology | EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

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EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

BENDED TIME

As outlined in the OOC post, things start to slow down and grow quiet in Oska for a few days as the bugs crawl away and slowly disappear. But then the cocoons hatch. Fully grown temporal insects claw their way out of them, each about the size and temperament of raging bulls.

They come out far more aggressive and eager to fight, are are willing to take on anything that moves with jaws and claws alike. Except, of course, another insect — when two of them encounter each other, they enter into a mating dance and then slip away into another dimension, leaving behind only the temporary ghosts of years gone by. If you can’t find a way to pierce that thick shell to take one down, better find another one to pair it off with instead. Just try not to get bit while leading them around and find yourself suddenly 5 years old again.

The insects aren’t the only thing going on in Oska, though. As it turns out, unicorns really hate this adult form of the temporal insects, and will start kicking their way out of their stalls in the stables to get at the insects in an attempt to impale or trample them. According to Uruz they’re gallant warriors, but not always quite cut out to take on a bug, and can easily get themselves hurt or killed. She would really appreciate recruits taking a moment to recapture any stray unicorns they may come across and leading them back to the stables. Try to avoid any insects on the way, or you’ll find yourself suddenly fighting insect and irate unicorn, which is no one’s idea of a good time.

The lake is getting more active, too. All the fighting has woken up something in the depths of it. Dark red tentacles sometimes creep up onto shore — and don’t worry, this time they don’t belong to a sea goddess. The tentacles don’t attack unless attacked, and can in fact be quite agreeable. Nodes along the length of them act as primitive eyes, which see well enough to interact with anyone nearby. They’re also all a little peckish. Toss a tentacle a bit of food and watch it curl around and ingest it using tiny mouths on the underside. It might even be willing to play a few rounds of fetch or slap a bug into the sky for you if you put it in a good mood with a morsel of food.

The senior ALASTAIR members can be seen out and about and doing their part, too. Uruz and Dagny fight as a team, centaur and elf, sometimes fighting back to back and sometimes as mount and rider. They’ll stop and lend a hand, but the cats are a little less generous. Cherenkov and Crowley fight inseparably and use magic and science in deadly combination to ward off and destroy the bugs, but can usually only be seen darting on their way from one place to another. They have a lot of magitek to repair in the destructive wake of the insects. Pomarr, neither as senior nor as invested in actively picking off the bugs, offers shelter near a tentacle-free portion of the lake, calling down storms to toss away bugs for her and anyone in the vicinity.

OOC NOTES

This log spans a week ICly. Characters will find themselves beginning to understand each other again as the bugs first vanish, as the effects of the cats’ work on the magitek pays off. The translation problem will be completely fixed by the time the cocoons hatch. All of the bugs will have been killed or shipped off by the sixth day, leaving the last day before their departure to the next mission blissfully relaxing. Any temporally misplaced recruits will be back to normal by the last day, as well.

A reminder to anyone still texting: the texting feature of magitek jewelry operates based on thought! There are no physical keyboards, recruits merely think the message that they’d like to send to another recruit.

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[There's a helpless shrug. He feels boneless, weak.]

I had wished for a moment that I would see that ridiculous cowboy again here when it happened. Then I quickly prayed I would not.

[He gazes at the sword for a moment before turning his head to look at the gourd in his hand.]

Then I think to myself now, that you would be happier if you were not involved with me. Is that not true?

Hey, he ain't gone nowhere. He just grew up some.

[ A lot, hopefully. He can't review a single one of his memories from last week without feeling deep embarrassment.

Not involved.

He purses his lips, frowning, and lifts his hat up. ]

What the hell do you mean?

Jesse, look at me.

[There is some frustration, in how he speaks.]

I cut him down, several times. I used my dragons, to try to ensure Genji died. I remember. Like it was not long ago. And now, look at me.

[He knows full well how much of a mess he is. How difficult and surly he is.]

Are you happy with this? Can you say that?

[ McCree runs a hand over his face. It's never been his thought, or his intention, that Hanzo should really move on from what he's done. Lord knows McCree hasn't left his past as much in the dirt as he'd like everyone--including himself--to believe. He's got ghosts trailing him every day, and expects that'll be the case until his own death. But there's a difference between haunting and possession.

He reaches for Hanzo, taking him first by the chin, and then cupping the other man's face with both of his hands. He speaks forcefully, his smoky voice turning rough and sharp. ]

You're god damn right I can. Without even blinkin'. Your demons aren't gettin' to me, Hanzo. They're gettin' to you.

[ He brushes his thumbs over Hanzo's cheeks, sighing. ]

You think it's gonna help something if you wallow in sufferin' for the rest of your damn life? Suffering isn't atonement. It's just suffering. It don't produce nothin'. It don't solve nothin'. Are you hearing me?

Edited 2016-09-11 16:46 (UTC)

[When Hanzo's hands come up to touch McCree's, the original intent was to peel them away, to pull himself free. Instead, they just rest over the other man's hands, a tremor passing, and loses all desire to fight physically.

Instead, his eyes close and he presses his face against his hands, a shudder passing through him.]

His forgiveness... all of this. You. I do not feel like I haven earned a damned thing.

[He sounds quieter, more tired.]

[ Jesse presses a kiss to Hanzo's forehead, exhaling slowly. ]

Yeah, darlin'. Round here we call it grace, and it ain't something you earn. It's something you're given.

[At the kiss, his eyes squeeze shut and he swallows against a lump in his throat. His eyes burn, tearing, tempting.]

How unbalanced. Such is life.

[With the quiver of his voice, he feels a tear slip and he hisses to himself, angry, wanting to shove it all back down inside.]

Then are you glad? To have a relationship with me.

Oh.

[ Jesse murmurs, kissing Hanzo's cheek right where the tear's falling. His heart's so full it hurts. Now it's a kiss to the lips, soft and slow. ]

I been alone most of my life. Even when I had people around me, I still felt pretty much like I was on my own. Sure as hell I didn't have nobody while on the run these past few years. I was startin' to think that'd always be the case.

[ He runs his fingers through Hanzo's hair, brushing through the silvery tufts behind his ears and on down to the other man's neck. ]

Turns out I was wrong. And I ain't sorry about it one bit.

[An uneasy sigh slips from him, quivering at the obscenely gentle contact of Jesse's lips against his skin, his mouth. The affection comes so easily for him, and from Hanzo it is spurts of enjoyment or laying his claim.

But he quietly adores what he is given. The little romantic gestures Jesse has to give him, even now.

Hanzo shudders, feeling even more exhausted now than before.

Finally, he presses close, sliding his arms around McCree's midsection, holding on tight. For ten years, he'd spent it alone, and almost begrudged being forced to cooperate in a group of so many people.

Now, truthfully, he's afraid of losing it all -- and that the fear in itself is selfish.]

You may be stuck with me.

[ Jesse laughs, nudging Hanzo gently. He presses their foreheads together and grins. ]

Sweetheart, I certainly hope so.

[Carefully, he presses his lips to Jesse's; it's soft, and he tries to be careful, though it's a little difficult to pull off since he's not exactly sober either.

But the feeling is there, no less sincere.]

And I believe I ... may need your help. Standing up.

Lord almighty.

[ Jesse doesn't judge; he's been real deep in his cups many times before. Has a mind to do it right now, really. He wanted to say it to Hanzo, to say the plain truth of things, but he just can't. Not yet. Not right now.

Especially not when Hanzo's like this.

He cinches an arm around Hanzo's waist and pulls as he stands up. ]

Come on, fella. Let's get you to your room.

[A small grunt leaves him when Jesse helps him up. He holds on a little more tightly, then relaxes with a sigh, his stance steadied by the other man.]

...Stay with me? When we get there.

[ McCree's mouth is still warm from that last, unusually gentle kiss. He keeps hold of Hanzo as they walk up to the castle, his arm tight around the other man's waist. ]

Been waitin' for you to ask.

Have you? [Hanzo snorts a little, quietly amused.]

...If you had wanted to before, I would not have told you no.

[ He kisses one of the silvery tufts as they start navigating the stairs. ]

A gentleman don't invite himself over.

[The kiss quiets him for a moment, and not for any negative reason. He tips his head away, and his ears are most assuredly not pink in any way.]

So you learned your manners as you grew, I take it. You were different, as a boy.

[They both were.]

[ As pleasing as it is to see Hanzo blush anywhere, with any depth, McCree can only cringe at the reference to his younger self. He shifts against Hanzo as he leads the other man down the corridor, sighing. ]

Sorry 'bout all that. I was a real dumbass as a teenager. Thought I was entitled to everythin'.

[ He smiles weakly. ]

You were sure cute, though.

[The way McCree seems to wince is noted, despite how inebriated he is.]

Hmm. You did not see me in any other arrangement; you would not know better. [Cute is not the word he would choose.]

You were endearing, nonetheless. Still are.

[ He's specifically remembering how he tried to intimidate Hanzo by firing at the practice targets as he approached. And demanding that he not move. And so on. Products of a bad, untrained temper. ]

Maybe so. But I liked what I got to see.

[ He wouldn't use the word 'endearing', either. He shakes his head. ]

Round then I was only just a few miles ahead of bein' a thug. Guess I oughta be glad I didn't actually shoot anybody.

[ He pauses in front of the one of the doors, squinting. ]

This yours?

I am glad you did not see more.

[It is a past best left behind, perhaps for both of them. However, from what he knows about Jesse's past, he is far from going to begrudge him for how he used to be.

He looks at the door, then shakes his head.]

One more down.

[ Amicably. ]

Probably for the best. Doubt I coulda restrained myself much longer, had we kept carryin' on.

[ He slides to the next door. They all look the same to him, honestly. ]

Here we are.

Oh? Would you have tried to stake your claim?

[It's asked with an air of amusement.

Hanzo murmurs his thanks and opens the door. The interior is spotless, perhaps unsurprisingly; there's hardly much else to it, spartan as it is.

There's a pause, then he slips his hand into McCree's, squeezing it as he goes inside, sighing as he sits on the edge of his bed.]

Reckon I just might've.

[ He shuts the door behind them with his foot, then slides up beside Hanzo on the bed. He interlocks their fingers, his grin turning sly. ]

Like I said. You were awful pretty.

[When their fingers interlock, his hand gently squeezes and he snorts as he leans his head against McCree's shoulder.]

Were pretty? Am I hideous now? [He isn't serious, though his tone might be hard to read.]

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