( MINGLE - WEEK 2 )

[abhoth]

SURVIVORS: 40 The sun is shining, the air conditioner units hum as they always do, and a gentle morning breeze blows against the windows. The scent of pine cones and evergreen follow you wherever you go in the motel, save for the parking lot and outdoor pool. It seems like someone was very generous with the detergent while moping the floors. The two grandfather clocks (one on each floor) will ring with each passing hour, indicating the time of day without fail. With this knowledge — they'll note the motel will continue to be surrounded by fog until 8:00 AM on the dot. It is at that hour that the fog will begin to recede. Not enough to reveal the whole city, but enough to allow residents to explore some of the buildings surrounding the motel. And speaking of the motel, it seems like the Storage room has unlocked itself overnight. How quaint. Welcome to Week 2's mingle, everyone! As of this week, we are now accepting murder proposals. If you're interested in having your character murder someone this week, please send in your proposal before Tuesday, 9:00 PM EST. We'll be contacting you on plurk over the week to finalize the details, or ask for rescheduling if necessary. As always, feel free to PM us or send us a PP over plurk if you have any questions! ( quick navigation ) ic rulebook | locations | statuses | room assignments private conversations | ic profiles | graveyard | full navigation

Comments

[splinten]

If this is a puppet factory, I'll go for them first.

[Because Dave is more important than puppets, obviously (to only Dirk I guess). Dirk begrudgingly takes the back to guard Dave, because the rules are annoying and he's worried but, you know. Dave will never let him go on another stupid exploring adventure again if he breaks the rules, he is pretty sure. Better to have to take the back and get a chance to protect Dave again than throw that opportunity.

Dirk is also incredibly hyperaware. He did not have bullshit ninja traps and battles, but he did build robots to surprise ambush and try to kill him, plus all that time on planet with really rude skeleton monsters. He is very On Alert.]

[abhoth]

[ As the two Striders approach, they can still smell the faint aroma of burnt wood. It's fresh, almost as if this happened fairly recently. Odd, huh?

The first kick doesn't work, but if Dave tried again, he'll find himself stumbling forth with Dirk into what looks to be an oversized store. The shadows make it hard to see what... is inside. The burnt walls were layered, only the insulation and concrete frame in its place. Knocked over shelves and a display case with a half burned poster advertisement: the poster is displayed visible to Dirk and Dave, but the words "GET A PHOTO WITH BUDDY NEXT SUN-" is barely visible among scorch marks.

So will you go forth? ]

[parodeity]

[ he did try again, thanks. he sees the poster, makes a face, and says deadpan: ]

I hate that. [ IF THE PUPPETMAN SHOWS UP, THEY KILL HIM, NEW RULE? still, he caught his balance easily and cautiously does go forth. he'll check the shelves and display case, trying to see if anything else managed to get through the burning, apparently expecting dirk to follow after or stick close, since he at least makes sure to stay well within dirk's range so dirk can, actually, help guard him. ]

[splinten]

[Dirk keeps up the rear position, eyes and ears both heavily alert. He... doesn't hate it because his taste is frankly a little weird.]

I'll shank it if it shows up.

[But he'll kill puppetmen for Dave. That's his loyalty. While he isn't overlooking what kind of place they're in, his main goal at the moment is figuring out obstacles, escape routes, and potential blind spots for enemy attack.]

[abhoth]

[ As Dave begins to look through the shelves, he'll see an assortment of old expired cans of dog food, bird seed, bottles of flea spray.

Dirk can see a bit easier due to his positioning — a slight light beaming to his left from a hole caused by the fire. The shelves that are closer to the walls house empty cages and aquariums and piles of... bones. It's easy to see what they belonged to, given the tinier size. ]

[parodeity]

Aw, shit. It's the pet shop. Buddy & Me - holy shit, is that creepy thing Buddy??? [ he's already told dirk about the dentures and the business card he thought was mostly useless. ] They need a new logo. Like...why not a golden retriever??? Those are cute.

[ not puppety. he does check behind everything on the shelf, but none of this looks very helpful to him, so he'll keep moving on. ]

Or a cat. ...Wait, do you think that thing is meant to be a cat? Or just like, the deformed Mickey Mouse parody I assumed it was?

[ while he's speaking casually, he has not relaxed at all, and is still methodically investigating. ALSO, HE WILL CHECK THE DATES ON THE DOG FOOD CANS, WHEN THE FUCK DID THEY EXPIRE (he wants a year, damnit) ]

[splinten]

I was assuming Mickey Mouse parody but now I'm in a state of doubt. [Ugh.] Looks like a lot of animals were taken out, fuck. [Dirk is not pro-animal murder. He has always only killed in self-defense or to eat.

While Dave specifically checks the cans, Dirk keeps his position at Dave's back so nothing sneaks up on him.]

If a horrorterror dog comes out out here, I'm going to find the Gods of Irony and punch them in their damned faces.

[abhoth]

[ The dates read July 14th with no year. :( :( :(

There's enough time for Dave and Dirk to have their back and forth. Even with the rows of animal cages, it seems like it was a quick blaze — ash and debris fill the room in a way only a full blaze could have taken this place down. They can see that the scorched markings actually... are leading from the back of the store.

...Where they hear a sudden wet bubble. With a sudden flicker, Dave can make out a faint murky green light in the back. ]

[parodeity]

[ yeah cool as soon as he hears the sudden sound there's a swift wrist flick and he's got a knife in his right hand. so that works well, good job all around.

this would be a good moment to maybe turn and run, but he slants a look at dirk and starts heading towards the back, moving carefully but clearly showing no interest in getting the hell out of dodge. ]

[splinten]

[Dirk will not be running, because Dave is not. Of course if Dave were not here Dirk would have already run straight for the weird murky light but haha. Idiot teenagers. Dirk gets his knife in his hand and keeps at the rear position as promised, trusting in Dave and his peripheral vision.

Quietly:]

What do your elf eyes see?

[abhoth]

[ As they approach the dim-watt light, they'll find the source: the light of large-tank aquariums. The green was murky, clouded by algae and old-age. The closer they get, the more their noses have to contend with disgusting, old sewer water stink.

However, one thing sticks out, even if these tanks look in fairly good condition. A message is sprawled in red, dripping as if freshly painted:

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE.

Suddenly, shadows around the size of a large bullfrog swim towards the side. One thud follows right against the glass. Another. A third. A fourth and fifth. Before Dirk and Dave can react, the tank's glass walls will erupt in their direction. Glass is sent flying towards them as water spills out. While they're recuperating, the brothers will hear wet sloshing through the now plunged darkness. Huh. ]

[parodeity]

[ he's about to respond with another meme, or rate the horror-movie message aesthetic very wryly, but then, you know.

something fucking slams out of the glass and sends glass at them? dave throws up his...LEFT ARM...to cover his shades rather than anything more sensible, although he instinctively tries to shove dirk further out of the way of the glass or, rather, given their layout step...in front of it moreso.

he doesn't even love dirk atm why does he choose to do this? but really, protecting whoever is around is an instinct.

he drops his arm immediately after to survey the area though, ignoring glass injuries to draw closer to dirk's side? ]

[splinten]

[Dirk hears the burst and braces himself for it. Dave takes most of the hit, which he hates, but he gets some damage on his back, particularly the back of his neck. Once Dave is close Dirk keeps perfectly still and listens. He has hunted and fought monsters in the depths of pitch-black ocean before, but that was fully under water, with a weapon he knows well. Now he listens for any hint of movement, not daring to make any himself that might signal where they are.

He relies on his sense of Dave to let him know exactly where Dave is and how he has positioned himself. Back-to-back they should ast least avoid a surprise attack. They'll need to kill whatever it is before they can move on.

He did bring a flashlight, but he is not willing to move for it and make that light source a target. He trusts that Dave can fight and kill in the dark as easily as Dirk can]

[abhoth]

[ Dirk is wise not to go for the flashlight. It craves the Sun that it's been denied. Looking for the source of any light. What Dave and Dirk see plop on the ground was a hoard of creatures unlike anything they could have imagined. Boils of eyes that slide down reaching tendrils. Rows of teeth exposed past a maw gaping and gasping for air. The putrid smell is the least of their concern, the dry wheezing to breathe puts the creatures into a frenzy.

Dirk's sense was good and as he repositions himself, he barely misses a first leap — one that directly lands right towards Dave but falls short. The second and third ones are not so unfortunate with their aim.

If Dave does not move, one creature latches itself onto Dave's left forearm (close to the wrist). It brings forth blood, tearing at flesh if it latches to its prey. Dirk has to contend with one leaping in a fast motion towards his throat. ]

[parodeity]

[ dave is just as capable of fighting with only his senses, yes. he keeps his back to dirk's with no real space between them so he at least knows one side is guarded, and he listens. dirk manages to get out of the way of the first leap, and dave -

doesn't. he is completely unwilling to jump out of the way and allow whatever-the-fuck to get to dirk's back (that's the deal, watch my back - even if he'd never said the and i'll watch yours quite so exactly), and he blocks by instinct with his already mostly useless left arm yet again when he can't bring the knife around in time. there's a grunt of pain at the bite, but he simply goes to slice it off of him, trying to kill WHATEVER THE HELL THIS IS.

it occurs to him, randomly, that rose would probably know. ]

[splinten]

[Dirk registers that but he can't move, not when he needs to guard Dave's back. He responds to his personal unfrog friend by swinging up the flashlight to guard his neck (it's not weirder than fncysntakind tbh and he's guarding the button so it doesn't get turned on) since he figures that will serve him better than trying to cut it in half as it strikes.

If it latches on he'll try to bisect it. Let him put cuisses de grenouille on the menu. If it doesn't latch on then that scalpel needs to be kept at the ready to slice anything from a second wave.]

[abhoth]

[ The blood gushes from Dave's wound, an obvious bite mark and a tiny chunk of meat pulled off. Dave is successful in killing the creature latched onto it, it's face sliced off and falling limp at his feet. Dirk's successful dodging — the neck was protected nicely. The creature hits the brunt edge of the flashlight, flopping at his feet as well. It's open for being completely stepped on.

Two more leap towards Dave, one going high and the other going low with a wheezing beast cry that pains their ears. Instead of teeth, one attempts to latch onto Dave with long tendrils.

Dirk would be wise to watch his left side, as two completely impact against his chest — no bites, but the force is enough to knock him down. One of Dirk's flops to the side, gasping for the air and the other begins — well... begins to dry-heave. Before he can push it away, a ripe green bile shoots from its mouth onto Dirk's chest, immediately eating away at his shirt. It pools at his pecs, undoubtedly burning at Dirk but not quite hurting him past the top layer of skin. ]

[parodeity]

[ two at once, fine, still can't leave his back unguarded. the low one he settles for fucking kicking away while he slices at the tentacles of the other, forcing himself to get a scalpel into his left hand to have something to shove it off with in, like. both hands. if it gets that far.

this is maybe stupid when it keeps taking so much damage, but for thirteen years he lived through every fight beaten and bruised and battered; a broken finger and a bite and glass isn't enough to dissuade him from using the limb at all.

the noise, while it makes him wince, doesn't make him stop fighting at all.

if he can cut through the tentacles he'll try a follow-up skewering of the one that went high. if dirk does get knocked down he won't glance back but will step closer, trying to protect a wider area - ]

Bro? [ snapped out too fast and he's confusing who he's supposed to be talking to in the heat of the moment but he just needs a response to clarify how much help dirk does or doesn't need; it's hard to tell in the dark. ]

[splinten]

[Shit. He's more worried about Dave and the pain registers from the shriek but it doesn't stagger him. While Dirk manages to squish one, he does go down and his beautiful pectorals are donated to the abyss, or whatever. He doesn't cry out in pain, but he realizes there are way too many. They're going to lose in terms of numbers if this keeps up.

He rolls himself back up to his feet to get back to his position at Dave's back, muttering] 'm fine, gonna try—

[And in a move that may be spectacularly stupid, he flicks on the flashlight and tosses it away from them both, angling the throw as a lob to keep the beam from flying in their faces. The goal is the same when he fights deep sea creatures: you distract them with a light they'll chase or get confused by, and then you kill them in their distraction.

(He honestly just wants a shower from being vomited on because pain is bad but being dirty is Gross.)]

[abhoth]

[ Dave was able to protect himself, the kick sending the creature back into the broken aquarium glass to be impaled. His bite feels itchy — more so a faint bubbling. He can ignore it for now, it just looks rapidly infected. The high creature is sliced by the scalpel, taking one to the massive eye and leaving it to wither and cry in an inhumane noise.

Dirk however, will feel the bile slide down his frame. Fortunately, it is not burning into his skin - the pain central to his chest. Dave can see from his position not ordinary burn-wounds that spread across his skin like dancing flames. No. Odd markings are hot and bright from the burning bile, leaving Dirk to carry these wounds presumably permanently.

As the flashlight sails across the room, the creatures are rightfully distracted. Maybe Dirk learned from anglerfish? The disgusting plops of wet tendrils hitting the floor are a sign of victory.

But, unfortunately the light begins to slowly dim.

Dave and Dirk have only a few moments to get out of there before they begin their attack again. ]

[parodeity]

[ YEP SURE AM IGNORING THAT BITE FOR NOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MAJOR CONCERN?

hm, yeah, okay. there is a time to stand and fight, and a time to cut and run. right now, dave's pretty sure the encounter has slid firmly into the latter category. there's the sudden light of the flashlight but he gets immediately the plan, and doesn't ask about the other weird light coming from dirk.

instead, he focuses immediately on the most important matter at hand.

dave slides one blade back into place, grabs dirk with his left hand (fucking ow) and drags the other strider along until dirk starts running on his own, heading straight for the exit. he does not intend to die in a pet shop of all fucking places? he can't even tell how many of the creatures there are to kill, or if there's anything worse lying in wait, but there definitely doesn't seem to be much in the way of information.

or if there is, the cost is maybe too high. alone he might risk it; with someone else as a concern he won't. time to go, dirk. ]

[splinten]

[Dirk would stick and fight on his own, or he'd stand here and fight to the death to protect Dave, but Dave grabs his hand—] Dude, I know that's your left— [—muttered fast, and he takes the memo and Absconds.]

[abhoth]

[ Fortunately for the brothers, they're able to get out. The sound of wheezing will continue on throughout the week — as if it was some over-exhausted mating call. The sounds carry into the motel streets for now. Curiously, the burned building is once again blocked off after this event. Thick boards cover the door Dave and Dirk entered through.

Only until someone else decides to physically break in (why would they) will there be any answer for if the creatures still remain. ]

[parodeity]

[ ftr dave will simply solve the issue of telling everyone by later coming back and drawing a bad approximation of the things on the boards in marker, and under that saying "seriously stay out there are monsters, they suck. ask dave or dirk for details - ds".

because don't break in there guys it's STUPID ]