Event Six.

[awashmods]

If you see this hairy creature Your first choice should always be to run Otherwise you had better hope You have silver bullets in a gun.

he full moon hangs brightly over the Town, hovering so low that it almost feels as though you could reach out and touch it. It should be comforting. But as the howl of wolves fills the air, it's anything but. There are werewolves on the prowl, and their target is very clear -- the Town won't be able to last without your help. Welcome to Awash's sixth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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iii.

[moonlitknight]

[ When Zero see's her, he sighs in resignation and heads over to her, crouching in front of her sleeping form. ]

If you get bitten, I'm not feeding you.

[whereabout]

i. earlier in the week, day: i'd catch a grenade for you, throw my hand on a blade for you -
[ The first night is a bit touch and go, but it gives them some idea of what to expect going forward, at least - and that, naturally, means an equipment check is in order once there's some daylight and things are calm enough.

Joshua's seated outside the Bluobros house. He could do this inside, but as long as there are wolves on the loose he doesn't want to take a chance with the chickens, regardless of daylight seeming to be safe enough. Pancake won't stop pecking at his pockets, as if looking for some kind of treat. Muffin seems to be taking the more direct route and just trying to get at everything he's working with, but his patience remains unshakable every time he has to steer her beak away from something.

He starts with his orbment. Since fire's the way to go, he might as well optimize for it - so he's swapping in every fire quartz he has, making sure they're in the same line, and generally doing things that are actually Strategic and Important despite looking like he's just putting marbles in a weird mechanical doohickey. It's not magic, it's science!

Once that's done, he can be found taking stock of his supply of...yeah, those are definitely some kind of smoke or gas grenades, if you know your incendiary devices, ninja skills, or general shady trivia well enough to recognize them. As he gently redirects Muffin's attention to safer places yet again, he says to himself - ]

I really need to figure out if I've got the materials to make more of these.


ii. later in the week, night: bark at the moon
[ After getting bit in the most embarrassing way possible (just don't even ask him, and especially don't ask his girlfriend), Joshua of course is electing to do the Responsible thing and keep away from other people as much as possible. The fact that he's naturally calm and slow to anger is in his favor here.

The fact that his mental defenses are about as strong as a wet tissue is definitely not.

In his more lucid moments, he's scaled one of the buildings as far from where people are actually living as possible, and he's chilling on the roof, trying to find his zen. If your timing is good, you may even hear the sound of a harmonica.

He's lucky his hands didn't turn to paws, huh. ]


iii. wildcard?
[ Got an idea? Hit me up. ]

ii. b - Oh no you didn't

[moonlitknight]

[ It isn't a chicken, let alone a chocobo, but a white mare fast asleep under a tree near a house in Ruga. The mare looks defenseless enough but the moment she spots him she neighs and abruptly stands as if to warn him off. If he approaches she'll rear up, ready to kick him for invading her personal space. He might escape, but it doesn't really matter, a few moments later there's a gun at his head, the sound of the safety clicking off. ]

What are you doing.

a

[moonlitknight]

[ There's the sound of approaching footsteps before a Hunter appears in his line of sight. He stops before he gets too close, but his gaze falls directly on his hiding spot. ]

You can't stay out here.

[passio]

[ dextera can hear his voice, when damian signs like that—sharp and confident, much more sure of himself and the things he’s saying than dextera could ever be. he doesn’t want to imagine what kinds of things damian must have been through, to become like this at his age. ]

…

[ he looks for a long time at the marks in damian’s elbow, frowning now. how many others are putting themselves through the same things, denying their inflicted nature in an attempt to keep everyone else safe? dextera almost feels guilty, for not being bitten. for being a burden, to the werewolves.

he nods, without taking his eyes off that bitten flesh. ]

I couldn’t leave you there.

[swordfucker]

[Boy]

I know we're a little limited here, but you should at least try for once a week. [At least?!] Come on, I can help you get it hot. You need to relax right now, anyway.

[passio]

[ do you think he has TIME to BATHE once a WEEK?

dextera has more than enough time, actually, so it’s not like taking a bath would ever cut into his daily life. he just doesn’t do it, because it’s not a habit he got into, and as long as he can purify himself, then… what’s the point? ]

…

[ finally, dextera nods. put him in the bath. ]

[swordfucker]

Don't look like I'm punishing you or something. Next time, I'll let you use some of my shampoo.

[And then it'll be worth it. For now, though, he walks past Dextera and pats him on the shoulder.]

You can stay here with your birds, and I'll get it ready for you. It won't take too long.

[passio]

[ dextera gave away his shampoo to shiho, unfortunately for guren, but the idea of using guren’s sounds strangely appealing. he likes the way guren smells, after all. ]

…

[ he nods again, and once guren leaves to get the bath ready, he can’t help but think about how—ridiculous, this is. there are werewolves outside, and guren is forcing him to take a bath, but maybe there is something to it.

if he smells like chicken, this might make him less of a target. it’s fine. ]

[swordfucker]

[How the fuck did people live without running hot water, Guren's going to make a lot of trips with buckets or something, I guess, to the bathroom closest to Dextera's room. But he manages!! And when he's done, he finally moves to find Dextera, gesturing for him to come along.

He still leaves his sword leaning in his room, but he really does think they'll be fine. If, somehow, they're not, it's not a big deal.]

I can stay outside the door to make sure it's safe, if that'll make you feel better. But I want you to actually relax.

[thriftea]

[Ochako hones back in on the rabbit as he drops down beside her, unsure who, exactly, her new partner is, but also not... terribly concerned by this fact? He's a half-wolf and he's willing to help; that's good enough for her. Maybe he can actually catch the darn thing.

But hey, don't remind her of how small their prey is! She visibly blanches, her ears dropping down the slightest bit.]

I don't want a lot! I really don't want any, but— [A beat, and then:] I... need to eat something safe.

[With "safe" meaning "non-human," obviously. The compassionate werewolf struggle is real!]

[eusford]

[ Actually... he's probably read a book or two about werewolves before, perhaps out of curiosity of whether or not they could exist within his own world more than actually finding interest in other supernatural creatures. But as they were quickly revealed to be completely fictional creatures that's a fact he'll never be quick to admit.

Quirking a brow, he uses his free hand to take the bottle from Noctis' grasp. Holding it up to the light shining from the moon and watching the content inside. ]

Huh?

[ HE WASN'T EVEN PAYING ATTENTION. But that should answer one of his questions: no, it doesn't hurt. ]

Hey, how'd you do that? I had no idea that you could do this sort of magic, you should have told me! [ Not for himself, but maybe for someone like Guren or other humans would definitely need this more than he would. ] Do you have to drink it in order for it to work? Or do you just pour it all over the wound?

[passio]

[ guren is a hero that dextera doesn’t deserve, maybe, for setting up this bath for him. he spends the idle time playing with the chicken that’s still awake, stroking her feathers and trying to get her to settle down. by the time guren returns, she’s fallen asleep, and dextera follows him. ]

Stay.

[ he’ll ask that much of him, with his hand on the door to the bathroom. before he can think too much harder about this setup, he closes the door behind him, and there’s the rustling of fabric as he strips his clothes and drops them to the floor.

and a looooooooong pause, before he actually audibly gets into the water. ]

[passio]

[ it is dangerous. dextera knows, but he doesn’t know what else he can do to help except to put himself in the line of fire, for the wolves. he’s reckless, however, not confident. ]

I don’t mind.

[ maybe that isn’t the issue though??? ]

[sirnyxalot]

[Nyx breathes harshly through his nose, small exclamations of pain slipping through his teeth. After a few seconds he cusses one more time, and nods sharply.]

[swordfucker]

["Stay" and then the door shuts in his face. It's a relief to have this barrier between them, but it's also incredibly tantalizing. He can try all he want to worry about werewolves or the bogeyman, but this is the right now. He's leaning against the door of Dextera's bathroom and listening to him get into the water, and he realizes now that even if he talks it's going to be one sided.

That's even worse.

Still, he can't stay silent, or Dextera might not relax.]

See? You can relax. I know the water's still warm, too, so it should be comfortable. I'll be staying here.

[missingache]

[So much cursing... But that can be ignored as Roxas copies what he's seen others do, putting a hand over the older man's wounds and using a Cure spell.]

It's gonna make the bleeding stop, but it's gonna start hurting again. I got bit, too, and it keeps aching...

[So there's not much the blond can do but keep someone from bleeding to death.]

[eusford]

[ There's something in the air that Crowley indicates is both a mix of fear and curiosity -- more so the latter, as Dextera makes no signs of wanting to immediately retreat as he steps forward. Crowley cuts the distance between them, reaching out and grabbing the still beating heart a little too tightly. Fingers curling into the muscle and causing blood to spill into the palm of the others hand, plucking it from his grasp and bringing it closer to him.

And just begins to eat it casually. ]

You don't have to do all this, y'know.

[passio]

[ dextera realizes, too, once guren speaks—he won’t be able to say anything back, but maybe that’s not a bad thing. guren’s voice sounds different, through the door, but it’s soothing just to be spoken to.

this week has left him too anxious, terrified of the world around him, and feeling the warm embrace of a bath is strangely, perhaps, exactly what he needed without even realizing it.

he closes his eyes, pushing his body under the water so his scar isn’t so visible, and he gazes over at the door. ]

…

[ guren is always worrying about him, like this. ]

[thriftea]

[It is cute, and Ochako acknowledges this fact with a depressed-sounding... whine? Was that a whine? She quickly clamps a hand over her mouth, hunkering down a bit lower to the ground in the hopes that he, you know, totally didn't hear that. This werewolf thing is the worst! The worst!

But hunger trumps embarrassment, and she forces herself to peel her hand away a few short seconds later.]

We have to eat, though! And this is better than— [Humans? She catches his eye, carefully gesturing toward the town in lieu of actually saying that.] Do you have a better idea?

[Listen to how hopeful she sounds. She doesn't want to kill this rabbit any more than he does!!]

[eusford]

[ Crowley is in the process of pulling his blade from the corpse of the wolf when spoken to, turning his head only slightly when he takes note of the human just a few feet away. The initial adrenaline that came with the sudden appearance of the werewolf has now washed over him, quickly and with ease, and in turn his expression drains. He appears more relaxed, approachable despite the evidence of having dealt with other wolves painted on his clothes. ]

No need to be sorry, but you're lucky that it happened to have ran into me and not someone else.

[swordfucker]

[He can hear the slight movement of the water, and it makes him want to picture too much, but he can stay calm about it. Stand here like nothing is the matter, arms crossed, silent only until it stretches for too long and he feels he should speak to help Dextera.]

This will get cleared up, one way or another. There are hints left around for the cure, probably to encourage us. I doubt they'd pop up now otherwise.

[Another stretch of silence, and he glances to the side, like it might help him imagine what Dextera is looking at from the tub.]

Just like everything else in this shitty town, this'll pass, and we'll be able to play chess again.

[passio]

[ the weirder part of an already weird situation is that dextera licks away the blood that spills over his wrist—a nasty, ingrained habit from all the hearts he himself has eaten before. the more blood he gets in his mouth, the better. ]

You’re hungry.

[ he wipes his mouth off, on the collar of his shirt. ]

Safer to eat.

[sirnyxalot]

I haven't gotten that far yet.

[But it's hard to ignore the rising instincts and the voice inside his head urging him to just let go. Guren's demeanor helps ease it, some. Makes him feel less like he's trapped.]

And if I stay here I could attack someone, too. There're no good options.

[passio]

[ dextera wants to play chess, too. he doesn’t want to be scared of the sound of people outside anymore. he’s tired of worrying over the health and safety of his chickens, and the health and safety of his friends.

he wants to go back to relaxing, but it feels as if this town is relentless with the things it throws their way. he sighs, and touches his throat.

guren heard his voice once. he wants guren to be able to hear it again. ]

…

[ he’s trying. he’s trying—he wants to speak to guren even with a door between them, but he can’t. ]

Mmhm.

[ that’s all he has. ]