watch the dog chase its tail

[puppy_lancer]

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.]

Comments

[vermicompost]

[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.

[sicharia]

[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.]

[puppy_lancer]

[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.]

[vermicompost]

[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?

[sicharia]

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.

[vermicompost]

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.

[sicharia]

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?]

[vermicompost]

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.

[sicharia]

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.

[vermicompost]

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.

[sicharia]

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.

[vermicompost]

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.

[sicharia]

[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.

[vermicompost]

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.

[sicharia]

[She shakes her head at his apology, but she doesn't wave it off this time. Unthinkingly, she pulls at the cloth of her dress, as though trying to draw it tighter over her wound.]

The dormitories might be best. But— They're far, aren't they?

[They may as well take care of the issue in the elevator, in that case.]