deercountry | (closed)

Entry tags:

(closed)

Who: Lance (

azurestar) and various
What: Catchall for September.
When: During September's event and possibly the TDM.
Where: The Gate, Cellar Door, Willful Machine, River of Regrets

Content Warnings: Probably talk of ptsd, general violence, will add as needed

[This post is for closed starters with anyone who wants a thread with Lance but doesn't have a top level or open post themselves. If you'd like a thread with Lance for September's event or perhaps using some of October's TDM prompts somehow just contact me any of the following ways:

spypigeon, charley#8222 on discord or PM this journal. Thanks!]

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[ Wu does as he's told immediately, but then he almost falls and grabs on again, but less tight this time ]

Sorry, sorry! Yep, anything to not die. Not dying today! No sir, no thank you.

[ He squeezes his eyes shut instead, like that could block out the monster, which he can hear its tromping footsteps, its loud breath. It's coming closer ]

Will they let us leave?!

[That helps him keep up the running easier and gives him space to try and come up with a plan. He looks around for an exit as Wu asks.]

I don't see an exit!

[He looks over his shoulder at the monster chasing them and heaves out a breath a bit slower to steady his nerves.]

Okay, I think I can kill that thing. If I put you down somewhere, think you can stay out of the way?!

Yes! Yes! I'll stay out of the way, I promise

[ There's no way he want to get closer to that thing. It's so big and scary and the idea of Lance taking it on alone is scary, too, but here he is.

The bad news for Lance (spoilers) is that he won't be able to stay away, the bloodlust will come back in full force ]

[Wu seems like the kind of guy who's used to staying out of the line of fire. Unfortunately, Lance has forgotten about the bloodlust factor. He's feeling it himself, but it's also not the first time he's been overcome with something like this, it's happened so often to him and he still has some sanity issues to boot, that he's able to keep a decent grip on who his real enemy is.]

Great. Okay, hold on tight for a second!

[Just don't suffocate him. But he's bracing for that to happen as he grabs hold of Wu with one arm and starts building star energy at his back and from the waist down. Half his body glows bright like a star and they're enveloped in a shifting plasma halo and then he uses it to propel them both forward like a rocket to put a lot more distance between them and the monster.

Unfortunately, he's never tried that before, so when he tries to bring them to a stop, they go rolling in the dirt. Lance recovers quick and pops up, looking to where his companion ended up.] Wu! You alright?

[ So much is happening at once, and Wu feels completely overwhelmed, but he holds tight to Lance (not suffocating him) as the light builds up around them.

When they burst forward, he shrieks, clinging tighter until the force of the move breaks his grip and sends him tumbling away into the dirt. He's dizzy and dazed and scared and he hears Lance's voice, raising his hand weakly to wave at him. He doesn't know where Lance is, can't get himself to get up

But then he hears something else. As far as they got, lying in the dirt makes them the perfect targets, and has waving also attracted the attention of the beast, who's making its way toward them with its awful tromping feet and growling breath. Wu squeaks and pulls himself up, getting dizzy all over again, but not dizzy enough not to face down the beast, his bloodlust coursing through him. ]

I can take you! Come on!

[ He has no weapon, no armor, nothing at all, but that isn't stopping him, and neither is the fear in the pit of his gut. ]

Y-yeah. Can definitely, definitely take you!

[Well, on the bright side: that sleeper toughness seems to have saved Wu from serious injury. One the down side… he forgot about how Wu is definitely very vulnerable to bloodlust. Luckily, he can sense the shift in Wu's emotional state before the guy starts trying to challenge the charging monster. But still, it's gonna be a close save.]

Wu no! Snap out of it, you absolutely can not take it!

[He yells as he starts to form a star between both hands, making it as dense as he can. Boy is he glad he gave them a bit of distance because it's just enough time to create the projectile and then fire it at maximum velocity at the monster right before it crushes Wu.

The creature gets launched backwards a good distance and lands on its side. Frantically, Lance also calls to Wu immediately before it hits:] Wu, get down on the ground now!

[Because a big shockwave is gonna knock him back and seriously hurt him if he doesn't. Lance runs over to Wu as well to throw up an energy-plasma bubble around him to help lessen the backlash.]

[ Wu was as ready as he could be to take on a big, scary monster, meaning: not at all. So when Lance's energy burst slams into it, Wu leaps back with a yelp, covering his head with his hands, and it means that when Lance yells at him to get down, he sure as hell gets down on the ground, crouching on his knees with his arms braced over his head, whimpering to himself.

What was he thinking? What was he thinking?! He can't take a monster! He's lucky Lance is here or he would be dead right now.

The plasma bubble is also very nice because that shock feels awful, he can feel it in his bones and he curls up tighter until it's over.

When it is, he peaks out from under his arms. He's covered in dust now, and the monster seems at least somewhat down for the count. ]

Did you do it? Is it, is it dead?

[That... took a lot. He's breathing heavily now standing just a few feet from Wu and he drops the shield so he can place his hands on his knees and breathe. He's learning a whole lot about what he can do today. For a long time he's been too afraid of his own power to explore it, but now he has no choice but to go all out if he wants to keep Wu rom getting killed.

He looks over to him as the dust starts to settle, still trying to catch his breath.] I dunno, I've never... done that before.

[Just as he finishes saying that, there's a groan from the beast and it stirs.]

[ Wu lets out a high pitches squeak and lurches toward Lance ]

Oh no oh please oh no let it be dead please let it be dead Lance I can't die like this I'm too young I have so much to do I can't die again please please please--

[ He's clinging to Lance's arm down, dusty and bruised and terrified and his fear is palpable through the touch. He doesn't know what to do, knows he's dead weight, knows that he might get taken over again by the bloodlust, that it might make him do something stupid again that will make this even harder and more dangerous for Lance ]

[Oh no, a panicking Wu is not what this situation needs right now, but he's not gonna shake him off and admonish him. Lance has experience feeling like the useless extra wheel and isn't about to enhance that feeling in someone else.]

Dude, hey. It's gonna be alright. [Gosh that fear is intense. Maybe he should give Wu a task…] We're gonna do it together, you trust me?

[Please god let him not be sending Wu into the jaws of death. Mako would probably kill him, but right now it seems like the best thing to help focus his friend's fear and bloodlust enough to keep him out of the way of danger.]

Yes. Yes? Yes, I trust you, Lance.

[ He's still holding tight, trying to get his breathing under control. He isn't helping, and he knows he isn't helping, but he's scared, so scared, and he doesn't want to die. He died already, once, and it's not something he wants to repeat ]

What, what do we do?!

[ He wishes he had any ideas, but his mind is static. ]

Okay, listen carefully. [He pulls Wu to face him and then places his hands on his shoulders.] I need you… to be bait.

[It's a long shot, but he has a back-up plan in mind in case it goes tits up. And to try and appease the bloodlust that may take over Wu, he explains, rocking Wu a bit with his grip in cadence with his words:] There's more than one way to kick a monster's ass, tricking it is one of the most courageous and coolest badass things you can do. So when you feel like you wanna fight it, just try and remember that. Alright? Stick to the plan.

Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan. Okay, okay! So I'm-- bait. That's the plan.

[ That isn't scary or terrifying at all. Wu stares up at Lance, trying and failing to hide his fear.

He takes a breath. Then another one. He trusts Lance. He can trust Lance. Right? Lance is a trustworthy guy. They've been through other stuff together! They can make it through this.

He grips Lance's wrist and nods firmly ]

I can do this. I can do this!

[ And with that, he lets go, gathering everything in him to yell like a maniac and run toward the monster, waving his arms and shouting: ]

I'M BAIT!

[For a moment, there, Lance is relieved because it seems like he got through to Wu. But all that comes crashing down as Wu starts rUNNING AT THE MONSTER AGAIN.

He stands in shock for just a moment before yelling and running after him.] WU NO! I HAVEN'T EVEN TOLD YOU THE PLAN AND THE BAIT RUNS AWAY FROM THE GIANT MONSTER!

[ Oh. Right. Away would have been smart. With a yell, Wu pivots on his heel and turns in the other direction, away from the monster and away from Lance ]

RIGHT, THE OTHER WAY! WE'RE RUNNING THE OTHER WAY! I CAN TOTALLY DO THIS! COME ON, MONSTER! COME AND GET ME!

[ Maybe this was the plan, maybe it wasn't, but he's running, as fast as he can, hoping that maybe this time he got it right ]

[Oh thank all the creepy dark gods of this fucked up place. Lance lets out a breath and watches as the monster gets a clue and starts chasing Wu. But before it can take more than a couple steps, he intercepts it with a large star right in its face.

It recoils at the brightness, and then he focuses on shrinking the star, condensing it and adding mass to increase its gravitational pull. The beast's feet drag in the dirt as it tries to get away, but it's locked into the star's orbit.

Lance looks over his shoulder at where Wu has gone to try and make sure he's still being bait, i.e., safely away from the action.]

Great job Wu! Now stay over there and make fun of it! Insults totally make it weaker!

[ Wu yelps at the crash of the monster and the star, ducking his head and stumbling.

But when he looks back, the monster is trapped in Lance's magic, and he's yelling at Wu and Wu can try that, can't he? He can totally insult this big, scary monster. ]

Yeah-- yeah! You fell for that, you big, big dummy! You thought you could get me-- hah! Not with my buddy Lance right there, boom, bam, he got you! Got you like the big sap you are! I bet you couldn't find a, an egg in a basket!

[Holding the monster like this in this trap has given him the time he needs to figure out where to hit it for maximum damage. But focusing like this is tough and he loses his focus when he laughs at Wu's insults. The star destabilizes and explodes, knocking him and the monster backwards. He manages to put up a shield to minimize the damage and keep it from reaching Wu.]

Oh man… [He groans from his spot in the dirt and then pulls himself up and sees the monster on its back.] Okay, I know what to do!

[And with that, he raises two fingers of one hand like finger guns and builds up a shot at the tips. Then he fires a star missile and guides it right into the weak point. Boom, dead monster. And then he falls back into the dirt.]

[ Wu's about to gain more steam, trying to find new ways to egg on the monster when it's let loose again and he instead lets out a scream and scrambles back until

Lance hits it. He hits it, and the monster goes down, and Lance goes down too, and Wu stares, fear dropping through him. The crowd around them, who he's largely ignored, is going wild ]

Lance! Lance!

[ He kicks up dirt as he runs toward him, his heart in his throat. He manages to reach Lance, breathing hard, and drops down into the dirt next to him. ]

Lance, buddy, are you okay? Oh, boy, please don't be dead!

[He wasn't kidding when he said that he's never done anything like that before, he really hasn't. This is about the first time he's really let himself do things like that with his powers and it took a lot of mental focus and energy to achieve. It also caused some damage, but nothing serious, so he just needs a rest.

He hears Wu calling and running, and he lifts a hand to give him a thumbs up. But it takes him a moment, so it only raises the moment Wu is next to him. His eyes are closed and he hums.]

Y-yeah. I'm fine, that was just crazy, man. [He cracks his eyes open to look up at Wu, brows drawing together.] You okay?

Am I okay?! I'm fine! You saved the day, Lance! You won. Do you hear that?

[ The crowd is still cheering and roaring for them, and Wu grasps his hand, squeezing tight. ]

That was really amazing. Really amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you-- I would have been a goner without you, buddy!

We won.

[Lance counters, and chuckles. Sure, he did most of the work… okay, all of the work, but he knows what it's like to feel like a burden and valuing a strong team is a key trait of the Red Paladin. He stiffly pushes himself up and looks out at the crowd, then can't help but grin and shoot them finger guns.]

Aw yeah, hear that Wu? They love us! You did an awesome job as bait, man. Soak it in!

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