songerein | I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me || Closed

Entry tags:

I Am Gonna Make It Through This Year If It Kills Me || Closed

Who: Soldier: 76, Reaper, and soon enough Kazuma Asogi
Which: Closed Log
Where: Wildlands
What: 76 has been spending more time out in the wildlands and not as easy to stumble across, of course a certain ~~edgelord~~merc who likes to keep track of the soldier has to investigate tis chance in routine. Surprisingly, he's not alone out there and the still Noctaere held Kazuma makes that known.
Warnings: Violence, canon-typical and not. Will add more as necessary.

For the moment Blue was off hunting for her own food, saddlebags kept in a pile near a log 76 was using as a bench so the noise of them wouldn't draw any attention to her. A fire crackled, well maintained and made just to help fight the chill as the weather was definitely getting colder every night that came and passed. Lit up a patch of flower across the way at the other side of the clearing, intentionally having built it far enough away once he understood they did better in cooler air.

Had been sitting there, a half full jar of glittering green and yellow liquid just within reach. Lid half on it rather than fully closed.

It was quiet, strangely so, and was enough to have the old soldier pushing himself to his feet, head tilted as he listened for- well. Some sign. There was already the feeling of not being alone, but it wasn't bringing a heat that spoke of someone more familiar with it; the one he was more familiar with out here, at least.

"Come on and show yourself already."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course 76 had a dragon. And of course it was blue. Now Reaper didn't know a whole lot about dragons aside from some boring old books he had slogged through as a teenager, but he knew enough 'nerds' in high school way back in the day to know that D&D was a thing and dragons definitely weren't usually the friendly sort to sneak up on. So he bided his time from a distance.

He had eased himself down into a familiar crouch some distance away where he could observe 76 in his usual way. Gathering intelligence was important, and so far a few of his pokes had revealed no juicy leads to who it was that had caused the injuries on 76. Knowing the old soldier, it was definitely personal.

At the call, he considered remaining exactly where he was. However, he was bored and wanting a closer look at old healing wounds, so it was worth revealing himself.

Reaper materialized in a swirl of black smoke, gathering it into himself and folded his hands behind his back as he tilted his head. He nearly entered parade rest, but decided against it. "Find any flamazine yet? Burn scars invite plenty of questions, you know."

Of course it was this asshole.

"As if the scars I do have don't already," including burn scars he already had. "Also doesn't exist yet, most you're going to get is whatever has been whipped up in that potion shop or by someone with medical knowledge here. Why, you need some? Otherwise you've got no reason to be scaring the birds away."

Wasn't about to sit back down however, fingers flexing even as hands rested by his side, arms pulling to fold across his chest instead as he stood his ground.

Of course this asshole was going to be his usual stubborn pretentious self.

"Please, I could whip up a better protein shake that could do more for burns than what they can put together," he growled, shaking his head a little. He snorted at the sheer notion that he needed burn cream. "Too late for me, Morrison. My burns are healed. Now how about yours?"

He held his ground as well, not moving closer but also not moving away. He had come here for a reason after all.

"Looks like you'd rather do more talking than putting your money where your mouth is, Reyes."

Underestimated those around him as usual as well, but that wasn't here nor there. Weight shifted and rested more on one foot, trying to keep an ear out for the return of who he had been out here for from his hunt- or even Blue from hers. One of them would be returning sooner or later, and this was not the best person t return in the company of.

Stubborn egotistical asshole. "Been long enough. What do you want?" As if in a rush to get this over with.

"Considering I don't have money, your point is moot. I can do better, Morrison."

Reaper tilted his head, his ears pricked for sounds that might indicate that the dragon would be returning. That wasn't something he was looking to contest, since he expected 76 might get all whiny and upset if he shot and killed the pet. There were, of course, signs of other creatures in the area, but this was the wildlands.

"Just checking if your skin has peeled off or if you're going to go full idiot with corruption."

"I'd say don't play dumb, but..."

They both knew the asshole knew the saying.

Fingers twitched a bit against one of his arms, "What do you even care? I doubt you came all the way out here just to check on me. Doesn't even work as a good cover for you just snooping around like the nosy piece of shit you are," wanted him gone- "So I'll ask again. What do you want?"

"But you clearly have dumb covered already."

This was the usual tit-for-tat out of them both, and he was fine with it. 76 was many things, including being a reckless idiot, but the man wasn't in the game to die either. The usual banter was a sort of greeting these days.

"Who said anything about caring, Commander?" Neither of them would ever admit to any form of care or concern for each other. Those days were long over and well dead. "You do know how I enjoy information. And watching you long enough will no doubt give me some clue of who is the result of your injuries."

"And you have the ass held firmly."

He snorted a bit, a bit of frost prickling along the edges of his shadow, the nearby fire taking on a strange blue hue despite never dying down or flickering. Chin lifted as he let fingers curl against leather, gloves keeping claws well covered. Expression well hidden by that mask of his.

The roll of eyes was, however, audible in 76's voice, "It's gotta be irritating to still be trying to find that one out. How long has it been? Few weeks? Usually you'd have something for all your trouble by now." Very much wanting to move past the burns and how they were doing, his ribs still ached from time to time as it was.

Normally, he might banter back that he definitely didn't have any ass right now, but that was too much information and too personal. It had been months since he had left Maul behind, and it was sinking in what he had given up... and for what? Another dream he couldn't escape.

So he said nothing to that, seeing no point. Instead, it was easier to focus on the output of 76's little corruption and he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You're really going to do that now? After the mess you've put yourself in already? You really are an idiot."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Believe it or not, but I don't need to gather information for you or about you any longer. That occupation is over." But he still did it when it suited him. Old habits and all that.

Wrong sort of ass.

At least he was leaving the subject of 76's burn injuries be, getting away from the fake concern and the whole ordeal of Reaper beating him to the point he couldn't fight back to check over wounds and the progress of corruption. No, there was no point in thinking about any of that as it was just some other game Reaper was likely playing. Get under his skin.

Add more of a mess on top of what was already there between them, so instead 76 picked up something and pushed it; two could play that game, and he wanted as far away from the subject of any lingering injuries as possible.

"Someone's getting defensive." Funny, was trying to dig out of something and was going the entirely wrong direction. 76 tilted his head, frost spreading as shadows stayed right where they were, taking a few steps away from the fire, leaving footprint shaped patches of ice. "You're the only one digging up what's buried here. That irritated you haven't found what you were prying in to me about yet? Having a hard time feeding your curiosity? Poor baby."

Arms unfolded, shoulders rolling as he cracked his neck, hands dropping to his sides- "Go haunt one of the candy shops."

Edited (thought of something more shh) 2021-11-22 07:00 (UTC)

Reaper took his first real step in closer, aware that 76 would be in a better state to actually fight back. That would make injuries worse. It were times like these he sorely missed Ana's sniping abilities with sleep darts. Quick jab and 76 would have been sleeping like a baby for a thorough check over and possible treatment.

Perhaps what he hated most of all was that he actually missed that stupid med pack he had in Deerington. He had scoffed at the idea of him being any sort of medic, but he knew from experience that injuries were likely to happen.

"Why would I be irritated?" He drawled that in his usual rough voice. "I would have to consider it some kind of priority, which definitely hasn't happened. I'm here to make certain you're stupid antics haven't furthered your condition... which, it seems to me that you're further along."

He started to walk forward more consistently, closing the gap between them. "How about you take off your attack visor and face guard," he challenged. "Then I'll go find a candy shop to bother."

"Sure made something else your priority by the sounds of it," it was a low growl, even as 76 stood his ground with Reaper coming closer, "Irritated by something."

Was sort of funny, if Reaper had been watching and keeping his distance because of the dragon that wasn't present at the moment? Couldn't know that she wouldn't attack him, not with how she basically grew up knowing some version of him, enough to find their more violent antics as simple play until things got bloody.

... Probably a good thing. Let the man believe the dragon would pose a threat. Seemed very much like Reaper had waited for him to be alone if he was bringing this up.

"That why you've come all the way out here, Reyes?"

"I'm perpetually irritated," he growled back, shaking his head as he moved. There was always something to be irritated by, and right now, that 'thing' happened to be 76 being the usual stubborn asshole. He was also irritated that time was precious, as he wasn't going to be blamed for killing that dragon if the beast came back. "And why wouldn't I be irritated? You're supposed to be stronger than this, and yet look at you... pathetic."

He didn't know the dragon, and he certainly wouldn't know that Blue would know him. Even if he was technically different. He had to keep his guard up just in case there came an attack, but he was here to do something of value and that would happen.

He was nearly within shotgun distance and still he was moving in.

"I already told you. I'm checking in to see how much of an idiot you've been."

"Stronger than what exactly? Do you even know what is happening, or are you just taking shots in the dark to pull whatever is happening out of me because you don't exactly know?" His chin lifted a little as he spoke, issuing some silent challenge, not stepping back even as fingers twitched a bit. "Fearing for the worst, are you? Or comparing me to you?"

Eyes narrowed behind that tactical visor when Reaper kept coming closer, rather than stopping at firing distance. Hackles were raising, but 76 refused to back down from where he had stopped.

this was almost funny—

"No more than usual," dryly.

"I have theories, but my theories usually have a good basis for being right," he remarked. It was true. He had been taking his time between their little encounters to think, to do some research but also to watch. Dream energy was different here than Deerington, yet the effects could be just as damaging. People being warped by it, molded to something they were not. He had lived that life for almost three years.

"If you die or are lost, I will burn this place to the ground. Nothing will be left but ashes." On the surface, it was easy to claim that harm and death to 76 were his rights. His task. His mission. No one and nothing could take that from him. Deeper, a small quiet part of him was angry that the great Jack Morrison could be brought so low and losing 76 was not an option.

He was in striking distance and two more steps brought him in close enough that he could lift a gloved hand and use the claws on his fingertips to catch and gently ply at the edge of the visor and face guard.

"Now there is some truth," he agreed just as dryly. Common ground. Maybe, just maybe a brief ceasefire. "Let me see how bad it's gotten."

There was a low growl, rumbling and warning— "You probably know about as much as I do," no less. He had learned so much from his time out here in the Wildlands, helping Kazuma as much as he could. It was clear that it was the same, but 76 hadn't been turned. Had been keeping it at bay somehow despite all of his exposure, not losing his head and succumbing to the nightmare energy to change him.

Or maybe he couldn't notice the changes, subtle as they could be with his behavior and moods. Even how he carried himself. Like now, with someone who knew him so well if paid enough attention to it could be caught, follow the little trail to see that something wasn't right even with what 76 had become after the fall.

"Bold words, Gabe." Carried a lot with them, the threat of a promise and amount of destruction to be acted upon if something happened to the old soldier- but anything else he would say was interrupted, that hand going for the visor and all. Hands half raised as if ready to shove Reaper away at the chest, but stopped mid-way.

The moment the visor gave way there was no sign of those blue eyes, just a pitch blackness to even the whites of 76's eyes. The entirety overtaken by it. Skin even darkened around his eyes, spiderwebbing. A hand went for Reaper's wrist, holding the one that held his mask; there was a squeeze, but no act of violence as if there was a brief settling in to that momentary ceasefire.

For the moment. The eyes were not the only thing off, it was something subtle, hidden by beard and the rest of the mask that the faceguard hooked in to. "I've looked worse."

He shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to confirm or deny one way or another what he actually had observed and heard. He surmised that the energies of dreams or created because of dreams had particular effects on people. It stood to reason that bad dreams produced a different kind of energy, though if it created the effects.

For better or worse, he knew 76 well. There were years of compounded history between them where they had learned almost everything there was to learn about another man. So he could tell that things weren't right, that no matter how resistant 76 was, effects were altering things.

"Shush, asshole," he replied simply, his claws unlocking and lifting off the visor and face mask carefully. He knew if he moved too quickly that it was likely to elicit a violent response, so even by his standards, he treaded carefully as he pulled the facial covering away to view what the corruption had already done.

What a mess. He did not resist the hold to his wrist, aware doing so was unnecessary. He stepped in closer so it was easier to examine 76's face, and his free hand lifted to stroke at 76's beard to search for the disturbance there.

"You look more like a corpse than ever," he replied with a slight shake of his head. "Whatever is causing the change is getting worse and worse every time I see you."

Lips curled a little to bare those sharp teeth of his, canine teeth far longer than normal to go right along with it. Of course that movement went to show that the corners of his mouth split on both sides, more of that black spiderwebbing creeping further along showing that it was likely his jaws would open far wider than normal. The guard along his jawline was the only ting preventing that for the most part.

"Being quiet right now is the last thing I'm going to do, jackass."

Hell, that split even showed when he spoke. Searching fingers would find the lines, just how far that split went on either side of his face. Looked almost like scar lines if it weren't for those little blackened places.

It was hard to tell where 76 was looking from the state of those purely black eyes, fingers twitching a bit as they kept curled on Reaper's wrist. Not letting go, but not stopping his movements either; almost as if he was using it as a contact point to keep grounded. "I know," could see it getting worse, but there wasn't anything he knew to do about it.

At least nothing he knew he could do for himself.

He expected the longer teeth, since the extended canines had been present in the dream and even the last time that he had seen 76. That other teeth were sharpened as well had him narrowing his eyes, but it was the split on the sides of the mouth that made him sigh through his nose. That was definitely different and offered a far more dangerous bite.

"Then be useful and sing a jaunty tune," he growled back as he explored the changes. Without saying anything, he knew it was bad. It was far worse than his last investigation.

The admittance was also damning, especially to one such as him. They put up aggressive fronts to each other, so for 76 to admit that things were bad meant it was really not a good situation. He leaned in before shaking his head as he had finished his assessment.

"You're on the verge of becoming a monster. You understand how dangerous that will be with your enhancements? You need to take corrective action." They both knew it, but how that could happen, he didn't know. He didn't fully understand the changes, just knew they were bad.

Couldn't help how his head tilted away a bit to the side, letting out a huff that misted with the slight chill taken to him still. A nearly sickening mix of heat and chill, enough that it could make someone light-headed even if they were careful. Ignoring the smart-assed comment before fingers curled tighter, for a brief moment—

"It isn't that easy, you know better than that."

Corrective action- what even was the corrective action against this? All he knew was what he did to pull Kazuma out of turning, and he still fully turned some time after because it was still plaguing him. "This shit clings once it's there, digs and digs and digs," his grip tightened, any normal man would eel the pain, but Reaper had some protection.

Would still feel it, but it was what it was. Agitation growing as eyes narrowed.

"We both understand the danger."

"Probably far better than you know." He'd been down that dangerous path, had even become a monster once. It had not be a good time for anyone involved and since then, he had stealed himself against further incidences. "Need to bleed out the corruption." Probably not literally bleeding, but some effect.

They didn't know enough of the effects to know how to correct it either. Neither of them were particularly optimistic and happy men these days, so it would be even more difficult to keep things on the up and up.

"Fight it, Morrison," he growled back, feeling the squeeze but mostly ignoring it. He lifted the visor that he had removed and lightly tapped it to 76's forehead. "I know you're insufferably better than letting it in that far."

He knew standing here in such close proximity was dangerous. He could feel the air thickening around them.

"Danger doesn't intimidate me."

"Missing time."

Reaper wouldn't know how well 76 knew it or not, how many times he'd been changed and made to fit. Play a role. Fit a scene, fit a story without any choice. How many times had he just played along because it was for the better? Was this any different? Being put in to some little role even now—

The snarl was abrupt, even surprised 76 as his expression was torn between what would be expected with such a sound and the shock of knowing it had come from him. Surging forwards and closing what little space remained between them with some choked, hysteric laugh, "I'm tired of being fit in to some fucking expected place," all of those teeth bared and then some.

It was a rush of freezing air that moved with him, almost felt sharp as it hit any little piece of exposed skin on Reaper. Biting cold. Fist aiming for throat.

Behind his mask, Reaper's eyes widened at the sudden snarl, and what a noise that was. He held his ground and didn't appear to be affected by it, but internally, he experienced a jarring thrill of a fight incoming. Whatever was happening definitely was bubbling to the surface, and that kind of violence might not be stopped easily.

"Then perhaps you should sleep," he replied, a touch mocking. "I'll help put you down..."

That was all he could purr out before his fingers were releasing the mask at the first push of cold air, and thankfully he was so naturally cold that he wasn't too bothered. He snapped an arm up to deflect the punch, taking a step back to give himself room so he could swing with his other fist to aim for those old broken ribs.

The mask hit the ground, some shadow taking it and letting it fall near his things as 76 kept pushing forwards. Heels digging in to the ground as he moved to the side, still taking a hit to the ribs that only drove him to keep going.

It carried, that laughter that carried snarls as easy as that bit of hysteria digging in to him. Winded but the pain that could slow him down doin more to fuel him, and the sharpness of the air was moving to be more literal than simply because of the chill, cutting pieces of grass down where he stood.

"Come on then!" Throwing his entire weight in to a slam, aiming to take as much damage as he was meaning to give, "Stop pussy footing and put effort towards it!"

The hairs on the back of his neck rose with that snarling laughter, and he was certain that he had encountered dangerous creatures from Deerington that made similar sounds. His punch held little back, but that didn't seem to matter as 76 just pushed through it. Of course the asshole did.

He skidded backwards with the body slam, churning up the dirt with his boot heels, and he had to grab 76 around the middle to keep them both upright. He tottered though, withstanding the onslaught but barely. They were too close together to have a good give and take, but so far, he wouldn't resort to turning to smoke.

"You're losing it..."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw: body horror

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject