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

[puppy_lancer]

[The worms' bites do weaken him slightly, but his body automatically rips more prana from his Master. It's a reckless expenditure, one that would surely hurt her. And that's what gives Lancer pause.]

[But soon his thoughts turn to anger against the worms. They were the ones hurting Ayaka. They were the ones denying him his delicious bones. He starts slashing and stabbing even harder, sending minced worms flying everywhere.]

[canofworms]

[For a moment, it had seemed like he was getting somewhere -- the Worms can easily sense Lancer's hesitation, the heady weakness of prey, and it makes them clamor louder than ever for blood. Hidden in the shadows, Kariya grits his teeth against the strain: it's almost more taxing to rein them in from swarming into Lancer and devouring him whole than it is to sustain the Worms in the first place.

If he has to put Lancer out of his misery, that won't be the method he chooses. Instead, he forces them back from the wild swings -- trying to balance between damage control and keeping the Servant penned in.

There are certain skills that likely haven't been affected by whatever the Tower has done, and Kariya won't be able to hide from that nose forever.]

[puppy_lancer]

[The more he bats at the worms that won't go away, the more angry he becomes. Pretty soon, his face looks even more bestial than it originally was, and he's barreling forward, even with the bugs swarming him.]

[canofworms]

[Has he delayed too long? As much as he is a fighter, and a killer, Kariya still doesn't manage to be a soldier by nature -- too many things make him hesitate on the battlefield when his personal feelings become involved. And he has too many personal feelings.

The Lancer before him is nothing more than a hound stung to a frenzy by his own doing. He doesn't know if that makes him easier or harder to face, considering the warrior's legendary battle frenzy.

Kariya steps out of the shadows a moment later, pistol in hand. His scent, though, is as curiously scattered as it was at the beginning, made more difficult to pinpoint by the sheer mass of Worms.

He fires at Lancer's heart this time.]

[puppy_lancer]

[The bullet digs into his body, but he can't feel the pain during his rage. After all, it feels no different from the biting worms. If it was just a normal bullet, it would have even less effect on him than the worms.]

[canofworms]

[He keeps firing.

Meanwhile, behind the modified Lancer, another Kariya steps into view, one hand clenched into a fist. He looks considerably more haggard than his counterpart, but his eyes and arm are steady when he raises them. In his hand is a single Blade Wing Worm, wet with blood and saliva and swollen to a monstrous size.

He sends it straight at Lancer's heart, taking advantage of the distraction provided by the clone. It doesn't achieve the speed of a bullet, but it's still pretty damn fast. It's a thing of prana, poisonously concentrated, made to burrow straight to its target and destroy it utterly.

Finish it in one blow -- that's what he's hoping for.]

[puppy_lancer]

[There's a sudden pain in his back. A pain unlike the pain of bullets or worms. And unlike either of those things, it has a good chance of killing him.]

[He wheels around toward the direction of the attack. With his remaining strength, before whatever was put into his body can burrow into his heart, he throws the spear at his target.]

[Of course, its curse isn't quite activated given that Lancer can't talk and there's so many enemies it the spear can just hit any random worm.]

[canofworms]

[The worm's attack is a direct hit, which causes Kariya to relax his guard for just a fraction of a moment, lowering his hand. He doesn't quite see the spear itself coming; he hadn't thought Lancer had that much maneuverability left in him. What a mistake.

A great majority of the Worms, both varieties, are either with the Servant still holding him down or with his clone where they'd been keeping Lancer's attention away. Some of them are fast enough to break off and move to intercept, but--

The blow is a glancing one; Kariya's reacted fast enough, and enough Worms have gotten in the way, that the momentum (which wasn't as great as it could have been in the first place) only manages a small gash. The spear clatters to the ground behind him and he staggers but remains stubbornly on his feet, keeping an eye on the enemy and ordering the wayward Worms back to subduing their prey.

He won't make the same mistake twice.]

[puppy_lancer]

[Having taken a fatal wound, Lancer collapses. If he was in his right mind, perhaps he could have used his Battle Continuation to stand up again, but right now, with his mind worn down by the constant conflict between drone instincts and malfunctions, he's too tired to even try. He just paws at his blood and the worms on the floor in a feeble attempt to clean it up.]

[canofworms]

[It's a sad sight, seeing a proud warrior spirit and a familiar face reduced to this, and it's already been a longer fight than Kariya had ever wanted -- he closes his eyes for a moment, wearily, then steps carefully forward.

He doesn't take his eyes or his Worms off the prone form on the floor as he moves. All the same, coming in this close while Lancer is still conscious is probably not a smart thing to do. He kneels. Reaches out one hand to rest against the Servant's temple.]

... Sorry. Maybe if I were a better magus, I'd be able to break this. I don't know.

[A quiet mutter, as he attempts to induce magical sleep. Hopefully, Lancer's weakened enough that his remaining magical resistance will allow it.

The least he could do would be to send him off peacefully.]

[puppy_lancer]

[And for once, it works. It might be a miracle for a magus of Kariya's level, but it does work and Lancer spends his last few moments in a peaceful slumber.]

[He'll wake up tomorrow and wonder what happened the day before]