towerofanimus | watch the dog chase its tail

Entry tags:

watch the dog chase its tail

Characters: [AU3] Lancer, [OU] Zero Lancer, and you!
Setting: all over the Tower, throughout the event
Format: anything goes
Summary: Lancer acts as a group C worker. See here for details.
Warnings: Blood, gore, death, and euthanasia so far. If you tag him after the 15th, there's a chance he'll attack and try to maul you.

1. Dormitories (limited to the 15th)

[Lancer had thought that the modifications would stop at compelling him to work with maintaining the Tower or tearing apart the corpses of the fallen even with his twisted limbs. He hadn't expected blackouts. Nor had he expected waking up to realize he has been staring at someone in their sleep. When the person sleeping seems to stir, he scoots backward into a corner, trying to hide himself the best he can. He hates the idea of being seen in this shameful state. Hopefully, he would be called to his next task before anyone sees him.]

2. Aquarium

[By now, Lancer has become accustomed to the blackouts. It seems he does nothing but stare at people when his mind is taken from him. It's a relief. He knew what he could be capable of when he loses his rational thinking.]

[Currently, he's trying to scoop out the fish with his hands. Constantly fighting against his urges exhaust him. In addition, he's been taking extra precautions to try to avoid the people he knows when he doesn't have his shifts.]

[Perhaps if he ate something, he could regain some energy. However, the modification done to his limbs to make them dog-like makes his movements awkward. Pretty soon, he's abandoned using his hands and is just thrusting his face in the water. For the time being, he forgets to even watch out to see if anyone is approaching him.]

3. Dormitories (with Diarmuid/oathshackledbird)

[The sleep paralysis lasted for an hour after his revival. The first thing he notices is that he is still in his modified state. If he had his voice, he would laugh. Not even death can free him from this state.]

[He's about to jump from the bed and go to some task, any task, but he notices something.]

[His brother is lying next to him, perfectly still.]

[He wants to scream, or even gasp, but again, he can only silently stare.]

Why? Why is he here? Didn't Lancelot save him?

[He inches closer to Diarmuid, and then places his head on Diarmuid's chest so he can listen to the other Lancer's heartbeat. He silently sighs in relief as he hears that sure sign that his brother is alive right now, no matter what might have happened yesterday.]

[He lifts his head...and then nudges Diarmuid's face with his muzzle. As he is, he can't call out to Diarmuid, or shake him or kiss him or hug him. All he can do is nuzzle up to Diarmuid in the hope that he can offer his brother some comfort. Or at least show that Cu Chulainn was no longer a threat.]

[After a while, he stops pushing at Diarmuid and leans over Diarmuid's face, watching his brother just lie there either sleeping or paralyzed. A couple tears slide off his face and onto Diarmuid's cheeks. He hates this body that can do nothing else.]

4. Floor 38

[Lancer is a good little drone. He wipes the floors and the glass walls. For once, he doesn't seem to have any sign of malfunction.]

[Even though the task is banal and it sucks to have just about no control over his body, it's still better than malfunctioning, or spending every waking hour exhausted because he's fighting his urges.]

5. Lower Levels

[Lancer wants to scream. This is by far his most gruesome task, taking apart the bodies for soul extraction. He's seen more of Jason's techniques in these few days than he could care to see for his entire life.]

[Of course, he just has to malfunction down here too. Pretty soon, he's dragging organs out with him, holding the gruesome souvenirs in both his hands and his mouth.]

6. Meadow

[Even drones should be allowed to enjoy themselves. This might come to mind as the residents come upon a particular dog-like unit rolling around, apparently having fun. That is, if it wasn't rolling around in a pile of intestines and eyeballs.]

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[Now that he isn't rolling, it's easy to see what has been done to him. She gasps when he turns his face toward her, recoiling. This is perhaps even worse than Sephiroth—she clasps her hands over her mouth at the sight of his warped, distended face. The sight of it makes her feel a little sick.]

—Lancer...?

[Ah, it's pretty lass this time. But more importantly, her bones smell delicious.]

[He starts stepping toward her. Since she's not particularly important to him, he can focus on her bones as much as he wants.]

[There's pain. It isn't enough to make her bleed, but it's still obvious for what it is. The feeling—his malice—surprises her, even though it probably shouldn't now. Automatically, she takes another step back, the movement slightly unsteady.]

[But even if fear for herself has forced its way into her mind now, she still finds time to be horrified at Lancer's four-legged gait. She only has one eye to watch him with, and she's reluctant to look away from him, but— There isn't much she can do besides make a break back to the stairs, and she'll take a slight chance of survival over none at all. Maybe if she sprints—!]

[Kariya stands still for a moment, witnessing the scene.

He had hoped to at least find peace on the meadow floor, some respite from the horror. But no. Quite the opposite. His stomach twists at the sight of Lancer's now-familiar but still disturbing altered form.

And he recognizes that woman. Claudia. He sees her stagger a little and then start to run. She's obviously in distress. Oh no. Does that mean she's in danger? He's not unaware of the possibility that Lancer, in his current state, might be dangerous.

He doesn't know what he's going to do. He doesn't stop to think, but starts forward as Lancer moves toward Claudia.]

[Lancer's pace quickens, especially since he smells more bones. He doesn't notice yet that one of the sources of bones is Kariya.]

[Once he's close enough, he springs at the closest person, who happens to be Claudia.]

[The worms erupt suddenly into the air, taking flight. There's blood, then, but when Kariya has a purpose in mind, he scarcely notices the blood or the pain. He directs the worms to fly toward Lancer en masse. They swoop in, their wings and teeth sharp, prana buzzing through them.]

Stop!

[He feels a twinge of guilt. He knows Lancer doesn't mean it. But he's resolute, still moving forward. He can't let this happen. He can't allow Claudia to be hurt.]

[She doesn't scream, but there's still a small, pathetic noise of pain when she hits the ground. She curls in on herself, automatically covering her face with an arm, and then—]

[And then there's a lot of buzzing, Claudia's eye opening in confusion and surprise. She was so focused on her escape that Kariya went unnoticed. She doesn't waste time scrambling up and away at the first possible chance, though, ignoring that the wound she received while checking out the infirmary has opened up again from the impact.]

[That's Kariya's voice. He should stop. But he wants bones. He's unsure about what he should do, but the bugs make up his mind for him.]

[They attack him, chewing at his flesh and leeching at his prana. He doesn't want that. He needs to get away.]

[He pushes himself to focus. Who left such a huge pile of guts in the middle of the meadow? He should go clean.]

[However, just because he focuses on a task doesn't mean his body will respond. He's still advancing, but a lot slower right now.]

Claudia, run!

[Kariya comes to stand before Lancer, heedless of his own personal safety as the worms continue to attack. Blood starts to gather in Kariya's eyes, like tears. Using his prana to attack with the worms takes a lot out of him, but in the moment, he doesn't care.]

Lancer, stop. Remember who you are.

Ah— But...!

[She withdraws enough to stand back and away, out of Lancer's range while he's weighted down with insects. But— She doesn't want to run away and leave Kariya behind, when it was her misfortune to come across Lancer in this state in the first place. She doesn't want someone else risking themselves for her—]

[She clasps her hands over her chest, poised to take off running again even as she feels blood beginning to seep from her back.]

Can't you come with me?

[Slowly, Lancer's steps stop. He knows he should turn back to clean back those guts. The worms are still nipping at him as he stiffly looks over his shoulder.]

[Well. That's true. He could go with her. He hadn't exactly been thinking clearly. He'd been so eager to help her, caught up in the moment and her danger.

He can see Lancer slowing down as the worms continue to attack. He hesitates, because he wants to help his friend, but what can he do?]

Lancer...

[He doesn't feel right, abandoning a friend. He doesn't turn away completely, keeping an eye on Lancer, but he starts to move toward Claudia.]

It'll be all right, Lancer. You'll get better.

[Claudia hesitates when Kariya does, watching Lancer's retreat. The way his body has been warped, the insects picking at him as though he were a dog that had accidentally stuck his nose into a nest of hornets... Everything about this situation is horrifying, and she swallows. Instead of moving away, she starts toward Kariya, gently and tentatively setting a hand on his shoulder when she's near enough.]

The people—affected— They aren't in their right minds right now, and I don't know if there's anything we can do about it.

[She tells him this softly. Apologetically, even. She'll need to apologize to Lancer later, and...]

I'm—sorry.

[And then she turns away and starts back toward the stairs, not waiting for him, her pace more of a trot than anything. Her blood is seeping into her dress again, but at least the material is dark.]

[Lancer slowly walks toward the now cold pile of guts. As disgusting as it is, he picks them up in his mouth. He wishes he could turn back and tell them he doesn't blame them. In fact, he would thank Kariya for stopping him. But he has no control over his body except to bring the guts back to Jason's lower levels.]

[Kariya starts at the unexpected feel of her hand on his shoulder, then relaxes. It brings him back to himself. As awful as the situation is, his mind clears.]

I know. But I hate to see it. He's my friend.

[He goes with her, nonetheless, though not without a final glance over his shoulder at Lancer, who's now gone back to what he was doing before. Kariya tries not to focus too much on what, exactly, Lancer is doing. He pulls back the worms as he catches up to her. He feels his pain ease as the drain on his prana does the same.]

Don't apologize. [Fairly certain that Lancer's not going to follow, now, Kariya's attention turns to her.] Are you all right?

No, I— I'm sorry! You shouldn't have had to do that on my behalf, and especially not if he's your friend. [Lancer might not have made a good impression on her, but he certainly didn't deserve that, and she had no desire to put Kariya through such a thing. Her pace remains hurried, Claudia upset and guilty more than anything.]

I'm fine. [She's bleeding.] I can't thank you enough. I'm sure I would have died if you hadn't stepped in.

Please don't apologize. [He says it again, softly, but firmly.] I said I'd do whatever I could to help you, didn't I? [He forces a crooked smile, but there's some sadness in it. It's awful to see the usually strong, smiling Lancer like that, and it's had an impact on him.] He wouldn't have wanted to hurt you, I know. He's a good person.

[He shakes his head, keeping pace with her.] Maybe I should be used to these things by now, but I'm not.

You--you're bleeding. [There's blood on his own face, but he doesn't care about that, much more worried about her.] We should find you a healer. Or take you to the clinic.

I don't know what would have happened. But it didn't, and I'm glad.

Yes, I'm sure, but that's— It's still—

[She cuts off, her lips pursing together. Then, she shakes her head. She isn't worth that much, but she doesn't say that.]

If you weren't affected by something like this, I'd have to change my opinion of you. [The whole situation has left her shaken, and she can't imagine what kind of person would be unfazed, even with time to prepare.]

So are you. [She says it bluntly, though the statement isn't uncaring.] It's just an old wound that opened up again. I would have asked someone to heal me, but—

[But the person who offered to heal her took her apart on an operating table, so that was out of the question. Not that she blamed Sephiroth for what happened.]

The clinic won't help. [In fact, the clinic is the place where she got the injury to begin with. She doesn't explain why it won't help, but she says so firmly, the statement sure and definite.]

[When he tells her that he's glad, there's a moment where she finds herself at a loss for words. Ultimately, she just repeats:] I— Thank you.

[Because, really, what else can she say to that?]

Edited 2013-04-20 04:52 (UTC)

It's what I had to do. [How could he have done anything other than help?]

You're right. The terrible things here, they never stop being terrible, even though there are so many of them. I'm sorry you had to experience that.

Me? I'm fine. This just--happens. [It's not that bad, where damage from the worms is concerned.] We should do something about your wound. It doesn't matter if it's old.

The clinic doesn't help me very much either. [He doesn't question her.] I've met some healers here, but I don't know where they are now. At least let me bandage you. I have some bandages. [He often needs them. He'd come here with a first aid kit, which might have seemed like a cruel joke, but it is useful.]

You're welcome.

No, it—could have been worse. [Had been worse.] It's just... [Again, she shakes her head.] It's horrible, what they've done to people.

[Warping Lancer's body like that, or the way Sephiroth's limbs had been switched around... What purpose did any of that serve? The more she thinks about it, the sicker she feels with the pointless cruelty of it.]

[When he tells her he's fine, her lips purse together.]

Yes, well, this just happens to me as well. [She pauses when he offers to bandage her. Well, on the one hand, the injury is in a place that would be hard for her to bandage herself, but...] I wouldn't want to trouble you.

It could have been. [He doesn't disagree with her statement, as it's the truth.] I've seen so many awful things. They've done this to people before. Altered them. Made them into monsters. I don't know why. Why would someone do something like that, especially to a child? It's cruel. There's no reason for it...

[He trails off. He's thinking of Shinji, now.]

Maybe it just happens to both of us, but you're hurt worse. I can find a healer, later. [Not that he isn't discounting his own pain somewhat. He tends to do that, but he can endure a lot of pain, much more than this.]

It's no trouble. If there's anything that could make me feel better about this, it would be helping someone. Even if it was just a little.

You're right, there isn't any reason, and especially not to children. Why even bring a child here to begin with? I've seen more than one so far. It's just...

[She trails off as well, shaking her head.]

We can find a healer together. But I'm used to treating wounds, so let me clean you up first as well.

[That's as much as she's willing to concede. She can understand the feeling behind what he says next, so there's a moment where she takes a breath and opens her mouth to speak, and then she nods, relenting.]

If you're sure.

I don't know why. It's horrible. There are a few children here, and there shouldn't be any. I don't mind as much what happens to me, but the children... That's different. I want to do something about it, but I don't know what.

[Now isn't the time to come up with plans, but he does want to.]

All right, we'll look together. But really, I'm fine. [Not that he's going to keep arguing about it.] We need to go somewhere safe, to bandage up... Or as safe as anywhere can be.

[He nods, emphatically.]

I'm sure.

[For a few seconds, his words are met only with silence, but then she says:]

I think it might be a good idea to avoid from the infirmary right now. [There's another pause, and then she adds:] That's where I received this wound to begin with.

Oh, is it? I'm sorry. [He doesn't know why he's apologizing, but it seems like the right thing to do. He is sorry that she's hurt.] All right, we won't go there. Anywhere can be dangerous, I know....

Maybe the library? Or we could go back to the dormitories. I have a first aid kit in my room. It's usually safest in the dormitories.

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sicharia - 2013-05-09 21:05 (UTC) - Expand

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