deercountry | april catch

Entry tags:

april catch - all

Who: viktor and others, open to all with some closed prompts
What: some late march/early april logs, including some tdm stuff. i'm happy to attach something else on if anyone's interest in doing something specific
When: late march through april
Where: various

content warning; terminal illness, arcane season 1 spoilers, likely game typical beast gore/body horror, potentially ableism mentioned, claustrophobic imagery

open prompts.

fishers of dreams - the lighthouse, early april (tdm)

a. while awake

[if you've been roped into this lighthouse business too you may enter to find a man already there. he seems vaguely disgruntled by the business, offers vague greetings but otherwise sticks to scribbling in his notebook. it looks like schematics and formulae, but anyone with an eye for either might notice they tend to trail off and start in odd bursts.

viktor will offer to cook when evening falls (or whatever seems to be the right mealtime in this place) so maybe that is a better time to strike up conversation. the smell coming from the kitchen is heavy on whatever spices the place stocks, promising pain to anyone who doesn't have the stomach for that sort of thing. worse if he finds the rotgut liquor tucked away, which he will pull out and offer despite smelling more like turpentine than anything edible.

these tricks of the eye though, flashes of people vaguely recognizable, he chalks it up more hallucinations. last month was mushrooms, so this? irritating, far more distracting, but it followed the pattern.

it isn't until later in all this he'll track whoever is with him down.] Did you see someone else come through? There, just up the stairs.

b. nightmare

[trying to reach the odd lighthouses is fruitless, the shadows converge and when the dark clears the area seems more closed in than before. it shouldn't be, he was just outside on the shore, yet now the dark sky seems to hang too low, lower still, suffocating.]

What now? This is another illusion of sorts, is it not? One this place is so fond of. [viktor sounds more irritated than anything, maybe defensive since the grip his has on his crutch is white-knuckle tight. in the distance seems to be a lighthouse, though the light is far and the area is so stifling, promising a tunnel that will close and snuff out the light entirely.

it's ridiculous of course, the walls are not that close, certainly not enough for this suffocating grip on the lungs and throat. there's no real explanation, less so when a few steps forward and the ground begins to dot with great metal cables, the distinct, sickly sweet smell of chemicals in the air. there are pools between them where the ocean should have been, this time shallow spills of what could be gasoline or something similar, slick rainbow puddles, oily and difficult to walk through without slipping or sinking.]

(ooc; for this one please, feel free to add your own character's nightmare in any flavor at any point!)

odds and ends - willful machine, early april

[viktor can be found around the vendors often enough, especially those specializing in scrap metal, tools or small machinery. for the most part he doesn't stick out, except for the fact often his massive omen often accompanies him, some sort of huge pink salamander/axolotl that he'll lean against or ask rather politely to help carry larger purchases.

he doesn't seem to notice or care about any attention, though the creature will blink curiously around. feel free to approach or find him haggling rather intently for such a stick of a man, accent thickening when it gets heated enough. maybe you want the same scrap? or are looking for something and he's standing nearby enough to notice a lost look and offers assistance?]

[one might also find him about by the sound of a nasty coughing fit. he stands with his back curled, a rag to his mouth as a makeshift handkerchief. it's a wet cough that shakes his entire frame, and when it's over his sniffs and clears his throat, straightening.

the cloth is stained in a pale color that catches the perpetual moonlight of april. paleblood, that he regards for a moment before folding the cloth in on itself with a small frown.]

closed prompts.

jinx - willful machine, late march

[viktor doesn't stay by the lamp exactly. he would usually but he hardly sees the point when this person he's meeting knows him by sight as far as he can tell. it leaves him feeling comfortable to wander within eyeshot mostly of the lantern, strolling down the canal docks to find a place to stand and watch the boats cut slowly through the water.

he likes it here, he thinks, in this district. the noise and foot traffic, the winding canals and dirty water, the boats bobbing to and fro - it wouldn't be a bad place to set up. a lab that will double as his home because he doesn't see the point in separating the two any longer, even if he can practically hear heimendinger's tutting about his work-life balance in his ear. it will be closer to the vendors, less of a hike to acquire what he'll need to start fresh. first a new brace for his leg and back, then some basic experiments into lunar energy to get a feel for it.

his lungs flare and burn, minor enough he manages to swallow it down without reaching for the rag in his pocket. he makes a note of the severity and timing, adds it to his growing mental list that seems to indicate his illness does indeed remain but is diminished. promising, if he's being optimistic, but at the moment he feels only a sense of irritation that now he doesn't know the timeline of his own life. one he might be shortening drastically with this ridiculous stunt.

a sigh and viktor goes back to watching the boats, trying to clear his head. he considers trying to message vi and ask her opinion of this but... no, he doubts he'll get anything. he's not sure if he disgusts her as a class traitor or amuses her in truth. better to just see for himself what he's gotten himself into like a fool.]

allen - willful machine, early april

[the 'grand tour' doesn't amount to much yet, the lab area just a large, empty space dotted with a few tables and a couple of desks, not even a chalkboard he's been keeping an eye out for or something that could do the same. one of the desks at least is littered with junk, at the moment tools and the starts of a knee brace, a table nearby with all the scrap he's managed to grab that could be useful in the future. one corner has a cot, maybe he'll clear out whatever other small rooms the place has later for a bedroom proper. maybe not.

viktor seems satisfied with it as he gestures around, and rio has commandeered one of the tables for her own to lie across.] A solid start, I think. I like this area, this eh... Willful Machine, that is.

[he'll never admit part of it is the boats. everyone's allowed a sort of childish interest, right? they're soothing, even if they lack the motors that fascinated him.] Have a seat, if you'd like. How have you been since the tombs?

wildcard.

[as i said, feel free to ask for anything else, including other tdm prompts, i am more interested in seeing the worlds built by others for the archway prompts so i didn't include any here. my plurk is

dichotomy or you can dm me here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You work with what you got, Viktor. If you've got a power that'll help you fix shit quicker, there's no shame in usin' it.

[He hadn't thought of that possibility, but it makes him light up]

Yeah, good idea. It's a Hunter's job to take care of beasts. If there's any part of them still human, I could hear it in their thoughts. I like that.

[that has viktor exhale in amusement.] You are right, this place already makes things hard for us. We might as well take what advantages we can get.

Precisely- actually, I have been studying better ways to purify beasthood with a few others. An ability like yours could be helpful in understanding corruption and beasts, if you'd be interested in helping.

Fuck yeah, I'm interested. Guess that means I'd better practice and get a handle on it.

[He's excited, and grateful to Viktor for suggesting this. Bearing Update: Jason agreed to help in studying corruption/beasthood]

[viktor's pleased at the enthusiasm- he hoped people would find it as compelling as he did and jason's response does a lot to tell him about the kind of person jason is. also more help and data? he'll always be excited about that. he sounds it as he says,] Excellent, really any information you get will be useful. Oh, if you'd like help practicing I'd be happy to volunteer. You can come down to the lab and try to control reading my mind if you'd like.

[safer than practicing on beasts, that's for sure.]

Yeah, sure, I'll stop by sometime. Can't promise I'll be any help in the lab, though.

Bah, you'd be surprised. At this point in things it is mostly information gathering. Just hearing your experiences with beasts would be help enough.

[he yawns again, a soft, defeated sigh as he rests his elbows on the table.] I fear I wouldn't be able to keep awake much longer. Here's to hoping there will be no drama, yes?

Me, Rio, and Esfir will be lookin' out for ya. And I'll be listening in. [He taps his temple meaningfully. He's not sure what will happen, exactly, but if it's some attack in the mind he'll (hopefully) be able to catch it and help Viktor fight it off]

Thank you. [he offers a small smile at that.] Wake me for your turn or if anything seems off, yes?

[he's not sure how helpful he'd be but he'd rather be awake for any drama. he gets up and settles into one of the chairs scattered about, not exactly comfortable but with a tall back to rest against and basic padding. he's pretty sure there's a cot but he doesn't think it will be much more comfortable than this and really, at least this way he'll be able to get up faster if need be.

to him it feels like he closes his eyes and opens them again to the same room only without jason, without any color at all. it makes him stand and look try to look around through the fog, a hint of panic he tries to logic through. this is another hallucination, or perhaps a dream? a pinch and he feels it, so a sturdy dream if it is one.

on jason's side it probably just seems like a deep sleep, though rio is pacing anxiously, little trills like concern as she butts her head against jason's leg in hopes of conveying that concern.]

[At first Viktor seems okay to him, so Jason gets up to move around. Those shadows are really starting to make him twitchy. He clicks on the flashlight he still keeps on him despite the radio earpiece being pretty useless.

When he turns back to Rio he notices her pacing. He approaches and tries to listen in. So far he's only purposefully listened to a person's thought once. Jason can't pick up anything distinct, but the concern from Rio is enough to alert him]

Figured it'd be some bullshit with our dreams. Ya hear me, Viktor? Whatever's goin' on is just a dream.

[Should he close his eyes? Maybe if he was in the dream, too, he could help more. Or is that just an idea the shadows are putting in his head? Jason's eyes are getting so heavy... Esfir lets out a warning yowl and digs her claws into his leg]

I got this. I got this.

[rio is glad to be listened too, even as she paces between viktor and jason, unsure of what to do. she tries nuding viktor's hand a few times and it becomes pretty clear that this is likely an unnatural sleep that isn't going away in the tradition manner.

that has rio settling protectively in front of him, a whining little trill of concern as she watches esfir and jason, now concerned for the other human in the room.

meanwhile viktor starts moving through the fog, grip tight on his crutch. in fact after a moment he pulls the hidden knife out, just to be safe, keeping it close to him as he tries to make his way through the room.]

Jason? [he calls, unsure if they're even in the same place anymore. there seems to be a light coming from the door though- the open door, the door was not open before, was it? after a moment of thought he decides to move towards it rather than linger.]

[Every time he blinks his eyes stay closed just a little bit longer. Dammit, he's a marine! He's been trained to stay awake for days at a time! But this weariness is unlike anything he's ever felt before. His eyes flutter a little when he hears his name and he lifts his head.

But Viktor is still sleeping. That call to him must have been in Viktor's dream]

I hear ya, Viktor. I'm comin' to get you.

[Probably not the greatest idea, but he'd rather go in there by choice. So Jason closes his eyes and lets the fatigue drag him in. When he opens his eyes he sees the strange, colorless world. More to the point, he can see Viktor going toward some open door]

Sorry. I couldn't let you do this alone.

[viktor turns sharply, nearly losing balance on the uneven wood floor under his crutch. his expression immediately goes relieved, a shift from that to concerned as he moves over to jason.]

You fell asleep? [that explains it better, and he's torn between wanting to scold jason for putting himself in whatever unknown danger they're in and being a little touched he came after viktor. he settles for a little sigh then a crooked smile.] I... I appreciate the company, though I should scold you for it. Whatever this is-

[he trails off a little, glances back to the open door.] Whatever this is I think we shouldn't stay in here.

We got our omens to watch out for us.

[He nods; the open door does look like the best path forward] Stick close, all right? Don't wanna lose you in this fog.

[that makes him feel better, more esfir than rio, rio wasn't really a fighter either. she was big though, that usually helped.

he nods, moving so that their arms brush, a constant sign the other is close. when they make it outside viktor immediately freezes, staring out at the vast expanse of other lighthouses that certainly were not there before. crumbling, half fallen apart but there are so many of them.] What... is this?

[a figure with broad shoulders emerges from one of the lighthouses far off, a lot of figures are still moving about but this one catches viktor's attention.] Jayce? [he turns his attention to jason, baffled.]

[A seemingly endless number of lighthouses is not the strangest thing he's seen, but it's still pretty high up there. He scans them, trying to figure out if there's any reason to any of this or if it's just one of those weird things that happen in dreams.

Viktor's voice draws his attention. He catches Viktor by the elbow to keep him close]

Don't get close to 'em. Remember all you're seein' is a dream. That thing could just be lookin' like someone you know to lure you into a trap.

[viktor nods, a small frown as he watches the figure of jayce vanish into his own lighthouse. a trap does seem likely, at this point, and though his grip tightens on knife nothing seems particularly aggressive. yet.]

Do you see those? [he asks quietly, nodding his head towards the corner of his vision. most of the figures have had a form but some now seem just dark, the distinct feeling of eyes prickling down his neck. every instinct he honed in the undercity screams danger, like walking the alleys muggers haunted, like keeping his head down when the chemrunners or enforcers moved by.

ill intent, he'd call it.] We should keep moving, I think. Surely there is a way to escape this... dream or vision.

[He lets go once he's sure Viktor isn't going to go running off toward that specter. Jason watches the other lighthouses and can see figures moving around. He doesn't like the look of any of them]

Maybe one of these lighthouses is a clue? If one of them's different from the rest. I always hated those fuckin' "spot the difference" games.

[that has viktor snorting, not easing yet but the humor is appreciated.] Neither do I. Honestly it's odd, isn't it? Lighthouses are made to be avoided, to not crash on the rocks. I am not sure what else we can do but go to them.

[he offers jason a nod before he does start towards one, avoiding the one that had jayce incase it was a trap. he makes sure to stay close, not particularly hard with his slow pace, well aware that the shadows seem to be multiplying around them in a manner he can only call menacing.] Listen, I want you to understand I would prefer you save yourself than attempt to help me when it may be fruitless. I have no particular interest playing at pointless self sacrifice but... the situation may reach that point. [and he'd rather jason survive this.]

[Gives him an amused look] Pretty sure we won't crash on any rocks if we're just walking.

[He keeps walking, trying to keep his eyes forward and ignoring all the shadowy figures lurking around. They remind him too much of the figures he saw down in the catacombs-- the ones that tried to lure him and Sharon into a burning building and almost succeeded.

He just shakes his head at Viktor's words]

We're both gettin' out of this, and that's that. Lighthouses are safety, too, and if we just get to the right one, we're home free. Those shadows ain't got nothin' on us.

[all of that gets an amused huff from viktor, a glance over as he says,] Somehow I expected you to say something like that.

[it's appreciated regardless, even if he thinks it might be a tad optimistic. then again this seems more a mental attack, and maybe that confidence will help them get through it.

reaching another lighthouse takes a little doing but the crumbling remains are there, viktor moving forward to try the door. he frowns, looking to jason.] It won't budge. Not even a rattle, it feels like it may as well be part of the wall.

[He smiles back. He's done a lot of pep talks in the years he's been a marine, and he knows what to say to motivate his troops. It isn't that different here]

All right. Hang on. [He nudges Viktor aside so he can carve an X into the door with his knife] So we can keep track of which ones we've tried.

[Who even knows if that's going to stick with this being some dreamscape. But he's giving it a try]

[viktor moves, keeping an eye out for anything approaching as jason does so. it does seem to scratch into the wood at least, though the feeling of being watched is getting heavier.]

One down, several dozen to go. [he says dryly. though before he can really say more the shadows start to converge, no longer stalking but pressing in. viktor clutches his dagger, ready to swipe but the shadows don't really attack in the physical sense. then seep and wrap around, making viktor move to grip jason's arm as the world around them goes dark.

it doesn't clear exactly, at least not yet, but two things change- one is the feeling of the dark pressing down, of everything getting smaller. two is a faint light in the distance like a true lighthouse.]

[He actually wouldn't mind a fight with the shadowy figures. The fact that they just close in on Jason and Viktor really unsettles him. If he's learned anything from living in Trench, it's that half the time the place will fuck with a person's head rather than use a physical threat.

He's grateful for the feel of Viktor clinging onto him. It's like an anchor, letting him know at least something here is still solid and real. He points to the light]

That's where we're goin'. The literal light at the end of this hellhole tunnel.

[viktor finds himself reluctant to let go, the dark too overpowering even now. after a moment he says,] I think it would be better if I kept a hold of your arm, if you don't mind it. This... it feels too easy to get separated.

[he looks to the light as well, a sharp nod. he doesn't realize how apt it is to say this place reminds him of vague nightmares he's had, walls and dark too close, great metal coils and the looming hiss of rusty machinery. it makes it feel a little harder to breath but he starts forward, eyes darting around to make sure they aren't being followed again.]

So, any guesses what all this means? The symbology of the entire affair is lost on me from start to finish. [he keeps his tone dry, the only indication of his discomfort the tight grip on jason's arm.]

I don't mind. It's best if we keep close.

[He really does not like how dark it is. Sure it's a different setting, but he hasn't shaken that temple and the vampires, and he's on high alert for any clicking noises. The claustrophobic feel definitely makes him feel like he's back in the catacombs]

Dream interpretation is a bunch of bullshit. Even more in Trench, where this place loves to fuck with you. Keep movin' to the lighthouse.

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