[open] scent of silence under starlight spinning

[borntohurt]

Who: Charles Smith and YOU. Yes you. You.
What: Exploring Anchor with a new four-legged blob-friend. Come say hey!
When: /wiggles hands vaguely and gestures at month of February
Where: All over Anchor. Seriously, he's just exploring the full extent of what's there, so you can meet up with him anywhere.


He couldn't say he'd enjoyed his time there, but things had perhaps been simpler in the City of Sin than he'd given them credit for.

For one, he'd had a place to retreat to with some kind of certainty, when need be. And the need is rather dire, as it happens. He can feel that itch coming up on him, that sense of anxiety that needed release. It grows as the days go by, clawing, scrabbling to be let out, but he doesn't trust the people here quite the same. Here, there seems to be less space to run.

Granted, it wasn't as bad as the first few times. With practice and help, he had something of a handle on the transformation. But it wasn't as good as being able to control it entirely. When it wanted out, it was going to get out, and what it wanted always remained the same. Run. Hunt. Eat. Protect the Pack.

Better that not be around a bunch of people it didn't know.

---

So he's on the move through the city, level by level, looking for anyplace big enough -- and secure enough -- to work for the time being. He's managed to find some new clothing from the recent appearance of the Alien Hot Topic, replacing his worn-out boots and acquiring a new black leather jacket in the process. It's a strange mix of old and modern, still preferring the shirt he'd arrived in, still wearing his beaded necklace, an eagle feather twined into his hair and hanging delicately against his shoulder.

Charles isn't alone, either. Almost fittingly, one of the blobs seems to have taken a liking to him and is following him around in its current assumed form: a large gray wolf. It trots along at his side, quietly offering suggestions and encouragement through this strong bond they now share as they make their way through the levels, exploring as much of the available space as possible.

Really, they're going to make their way just about everywhere in the complex. They're bound to run into at least a few people along the way.

Comments

[kaballin]

"They don't run in herds?" Packs of naked minotaur ladies sounds like something that should have been in the Netherrealm. If he ever gets back to his own time he'll have to find out.

"Whatever I want it to. And you're right, no one's a threat because everyone here is all about getting along and doing household chores. But what if that changes? What if a whole army shows up set on destroying the place? Then we have a cool clawed deer to thin the ranks so I don't have to do everything myself." As if he would altruistically save them from an oncoming army and doesn't just want to fight things regardless of the cause.

[borntohurt]

It's a valid concern. A real possibility, if what he's learned so far is true. Even so.

A shoulder rolls upwards in a half-shrug. "A lot of the people doing 'chores' are capable of fighting just fine. There's just no need right now," he replies softly.

Some people don't need to swing their weight around. Just saying, Kabal.

The wolf, meanwhile, has switched its gaze to the Reindire as it tries to bully food out of Kabal's empty pockets while they speak.

[kaballin]

He snorts. "Lacking a little imagination there. People are people. They can't get along for that long before they get on each other's nerves and start throwing punches. Hopefully where everyone else can watch but knowing everyone here that's too much to ask for. We run short on one food item and you see how eager they are to pitch in their fair share."

The reindire settles for gnawing on the sleeve of his jacket, having found no hidden food.

Kabal just sighs, "And then hopefully we have an excuse to eat this dumb thing."

[borntohurt]

He's right. He's right, and Charles has seen it happen. People will turn on each other in a heartbeat, even friends if they feel their backs are against the wall. He watched it happen with the gang, up to the point he couldn't watch any more and left. But he saw what was left behind in the wake of that schism.

Could that happen here, as well?

In either case, the way he's fallen silent is a good indication that Kabal's given him cause for second thoughts.

[kaballin]

"Never know when that might happen. Were you here when everyone was seeing shit? Hallucinating all kinds of crazy stuff. There was.." His further explanation is cut off by the reindire bleating out an angry cry and whacking Kabal with its horns.

He cuffs it across the face and it goes a few feet away to glare at him. Apparently this relationship is based on them beating each other up when they don't get what they want or annoy the other.

"Anyway. You and the mutt might wanna see about having yourselves a back up plan should the communal dinners run out."

[borntohurt]

The animal seemingly can hold its own against him. But there's a reflexive curl of his fist, a little twinge of something quietly furious, and in echo the wolf at his side growls softly. Though that could easily be a response to being called a 'mutt', so far as Kabal knows.

"The plan is to take care of everyone we can. Even the people who don't see a need for it."

The people they don't like, for example.

[kaballin]

"Well aren't you nice."

His eyeroll isn't visible with the mask, but he is so sick of these do gooder types. Why do they keep showing up here? Hasn't he suffered enough being dead and all?

"You have fun with that." He turns to leave, reindire at his side ready to fight or munch on him, depending on how the mood strikes.