I need new clothes, I need somewhere to stay

[salamanca]

Who: Lalo Salamanca and YOU.
What: Lalo comes back from his travels with Methuselah badly injured.
When: January 29th thru the next week or so after
Where: Around town. See individual prompts.

Content Warnings: Description of injury, blood, and infection; others tba.

See individual prompts in the starters below.

Comments

BUT WITHOUT YOUR LOVE I WON'T MAKE IT THROUGH | for Kate (and Goodsir, eventually?)

[salamanca]

[ Lalo limps back into town, hobbled by the injury to his dominant arm. Methuselah has done what he could to patch Lalo up, but the injury is still present. More than present. The pain doesn't concern Lalo. He's had worse; he'll survive. The iron smell of blood in the air, and the trail of ruby drops behind him alerting any predators - animals or humans - to his position concern Lalo far more as he makes his way into Milton. That, and how hobbled he is now, in this crazy wilderness area with such a drastic injury. Periodically, he stops to lean on a tree to catch his bearings, but he never stays in one place for long. Can't afford to. Too dangerous.

Fuck.

The message board, when he finally makes it there, provides some respite. Someone wanting to know what the thing they saw was. No replies. Lalo is aware of how vulnerable he is, injured like this, and while he's completely self-assured in his ability to handle any threats even in this condition, he's also not an idiot. He needs help and supplies. Badly. But he also can't ask for it without something to barter in exchange.

A reason for anyone who answers to keep him alive. He scrawls out a response. Quickly. There's blood on the paper. He can't stay here forever. He needs food, and treatment for his wounds, but for the time being he hides and waits, to see if anyone approaches the board.

At least he's not cold. He's oddly warm inside. A fever? No, it can't be. No chills.

It's strange, being so vulnerable and so aware of his vulnerability, for someone who is usually neither of those things. Of course, even with as much as he's missed lately, he's aware of the nattering over the recent death.

At the hands of the Darkwalker. Of course. Lalo would laugh out loud if he had anyone to laugh to. Instead he just breathes in, and breathes out, watching the crystals form in the air with every exhale of his warm breath. ]

[castitas]

[ It's been such a long month. At this point, she's an exhausted, skittish thing. Lieutenant Noonien-Singh's death has been a terrible blow, and there's the added devastation of the fact that Lieutenant Little won't talk to her — won't even come to the door when she'd tried to call.

Despite things, Kate checks the message board relatively regularly, just in case. In case of... what, exactly, she doesn't really know. Maybe it's the comfort to the routine of it, in a place where there seems little other routine. And she stops, lips parting in surprise at the sight: someone replied to her note.

It's been almost a month since she added the drawing of the creature to the board, and there's been nothing added to it. Why would there be? No one knows what that thing they all dreamed about it. But... someone does, clearly. She doesn't recognise the handwriting, though, as she plucks the reply from the board with a shaking hand to look at.

Her lips don't move, but there's a thought accidentally broadcast — quietly horrified: 'Is this blood...?' ]

[salamanca]

[ Shit. It's a kid. That presents a problem Lalo hadn't anticipated. He'll have to be careful about how he approaches her. She's cute, innocent-looking, and almost looks to him like a doe, or a baby bird, the kind that needs to be gently cradled in your hands to avoid being crushed. Lalo, despite his charm and skill at manipulation, has always crashed through life from Point A to Point B like a bull in a china shop, mowing down anything and anyone in his path. He's not accustomed to the kind of care he can already tell he'll need to take with her, but all he can do is try is best. To be gentle. Easy.

He still has something she wants, after all, so hopefully she won't be too skittish to deal with him.

The thought, inadvertently broadcast into his own mind, in a young girl's voice and not his own, is a strange experience; it startles him a little, to hear another voice so clearly ringing in his head. But he almost instinctively understand what it must be. Her thoughts. The girl's. Wondering if it's blood.

He feels slightly bad about approaching her. Maybe he'd feel guilty, were he capable of guilt. But he steps forward anyway, calling out a: ]

Hey!

[ As he steps towards her. He moves slowly, trying not to startle her. His good hand, previously gripping his injured arm, is held up as a gesture of goodwill.

He's smiling too, but it's a pained smile. He looks pale; he's lost blood. Some of the blood he's clearly has soaked all the way through, from his injured arm all the way through his sleeve. He has bandages, from where the old man tried to patch him up, but they're soaked through at this point too. They'll need to be changed, or better yet. He'll need to be stitched up. The wound will need to be disinfected.

Despite his injured, there's a decidedly unnerving cheerfulness about him. In a less dire situation, it might seem like a kind of easy charm, or even welcoming; right now, though, his cheeriness contrasted with his dire physical situation gives a sort of uncanny valley effect.

Despite that, Lalo means truly no harm. At least not to Kate, and not in this situation. ]

Don't be afraid. I come in peace.

[ A deep, only slightly shaky breath. An almost awkward laugh at his own dumb joke. Slightly pained, just like his smile. He can't help thinking that she almost reminds him of a bit of Ciro, with the aura of shyness and the innocence that lingers around her. ]

I should let you know, I'm the one left that note for you. You drew that? You're very talented. [ He means that completely. Lalo might be manipulative but he's also genuine in his friendliness, and sincere in his compliments when he gives them. He sees no contradiction between his genuine good cheer and doing what he has to do to protect himself.

He does keep some distance. He is aware of how it would look for a man his age to get too close to a young girl he just met, and he doesn't want to spook her any more than Lalo . ]

I can give you the information you want. The old man, he told me a lot about that thing you drew. But you have to help me too. Okay? [ He looks at her to gauge understanding. ]

BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MY POINT OF VIEW | OPEN

[salamanca]

[ Through the week of the 29th, Lalo can be found:

A. Outside his cabin. After finding its meager rations completely ransacked, he'll leave a message on the noticeboard searching for the whereabouts of the person he knows must be responsible.

B. At the hotsprings, closing his eyes and relaxing as he sinks into the warm water. He does his best to keep his injured arm away from the water and steam, though, holding it up. The slightest noise is likely to make his eyes pop open and he'll jump, glancing in the direction of the Interloper.

C. Awake at the Community Hall. Lalo typically doesn't spend much time there, but as injured as he is, he can see the benefit of strength in numbers. He might even greet you with an unnervingly friendly smile and a, "Hello there!" if you come too close.

D. Asleep at the Community Hall. Probably in the middle of the day. None of your bitches can be trusted, but he knows he'll die alone out in the wilderness right now. Approach at your own risk, though. He's a surprisingly light sleeper, considering he might very well be mistaken for a corpse from how still and pale he is. ]

C

[meadqueen]

[It's kind of shocking to see someone so severely wounded at the hall, particularly in light of recent events.

Randvi had met this man and knows how fast and agile he is, so whatever had hurt him must have been formidable.]

What happened?

[salamanca]

Randvi! How are you, my dear?

[ Lalo looks delighted to see her. He gestures to a seat next to him. ]

Come sit down! It's a long story. How much time do you have?

C

[flambeaux]

The notice could only be about Chloe. She was wearing red, and has a long ponytail. The playful tongue sticking out is indelible. But Louis is suspicious of a person offering a reward for information on the friendly woman. He doesn't usually take things at face value--except for the blood on the paper, which he knows is real. He'd like to do some investigating of his own.

He doesn't know this person at all, so he simply leaves a note next to the notice to be in the Community Hall on a certain evening. It turns out Lalo is easier to pick out than Louis thought: He has an obvious injury.

"Mr. Salamanca, I'm guessin'?"

Louis sounds cultured, Southern, calm. He wears a 3-piece suit from the late 1930s. His eyes are very green. (His nostrils flare slightly with the smell of blood and ointment. He very carefully does not look at his bandages.)

[salamanca]

An American. A calm tone of voice. The suit he wears is interesting; both the fact that it's obviously not modern, and the fact that he bothers to look dressed up even in this situation. How he takes care of his appearance says a lot about a man's character.

Lalo, too, is as dressed up as he can manage, a fashionable men's hiking jacket over a button down and some jeans. None of that disguises his injury, of course. Not the appearance or the smell. Lalo notices both the flair of the nostrils and the way Louis avoids looking at his injury - interesting! - but he makes no mention of it.

"That'd be me," he says casually. "And you are?" A faint smile plays on his lips, and there's a twinkle in his eye. Lalo is sitting down, and he seems relaxed. He pats the empty seat next to him with his good arm. "C'mere! Sit by me. What can I do you for?"

B

[lanfeared]

[ Lanfear has already received word of the springs' existence, and while she finds that she is having a much easier time staying warm in recent days — a consequence of this strange power that she's acquired, no doubt — that doesn't mean she isn't eager to find the first available opportunity to sink into something that can relax the tension she's been carrying in her limbs since her initial arrival.

Her efforts to contact the Dark One have been unsuccessful, and were eventually met with a strange rebuttal, but she doesn't consider herself easily deterred. If she's meant to wait in attendance of her Lord, then she can resign herself to that duty for the moment, even if she's not particularly happy about it.

Now, it's clear she hadn't anticipated already finding someone at the springs when she discovers them herself, but if Lanfear would openly roll her eyes at the prospect of having to share them, Selene lifts her gaze more demurely to appraise the man sitting in the water. ]

Would you be opposed to company?

[salamanca]

[ The woman has a lot of presence; she carries herself well. It would be impossible, Lalo thinks, not to notice someone like her anywhere. The dark hair is striking alongside her pale skin and eyes.

The demureness of her gaze is unexpected, but not unwelcome; it helps let him know she's not a threat. Lalo smiles, and shifts to make room for her, creating small splashing sounds and slight ripples in the water as he moves his position. His smile is slightly exhausted, but no less sincere for it. He half-shrugs up at her. ]

Not at all. Hop in. [ He winks. He's not good at it. ] Especially not when the company is so beautiful.

[ Is he flirting? Yes, but there's something almost perfunctory about it, almost like he's more just going through the motions than actually trying to get in her pants. Truthfully, he's too tired and hurt too actually do much, but old habits die hard, and for Lalo, both gregariousness and flirtatiousness come as easily as breathing. ]

C

[solitarysoul]

Levi's returned to the hall after one patrol or another to be greeted by Lalo. He hasn't seen the man in awhile so it takes him a second to remember him. "Oh! I wasn't sure if you were still around. Good to see you again."

[salamanca]

Lalo laughs out loud at Levi's forthrightness. "Heyyyy! Good to see you too, chaparro. How you holdin' up, eh?" He holds out his leg, and points to it. "Check it out! All better."

He mentions nothing of the fact that his arm is injured now.

A

[bigbaddy]

[ Granted, after seeing the note, Bigby first had to ask around where Lalo was even living.. It's not like he's been social enough to exchange names or talk with absolutely everyone in town, after all. But the note drew his attention enough to bother to ask in the first place, likely with some helpful people pointing him in the direction of the other's cabin.

It's how Bigby ends up here, figuring that the person standing outside the cabin likely is Lalo, since he doesn't recognize him as anyone else. ]

.. you're the guy from the note?

[ Talk about starting off with a friendly greeting.. Bigby, think about your non-existent manners!! ]

[salamanca]

[ Don't worry, Bigby! Lalo has more than enough manners for both of you. He fixes his sudden, unexpected visitor with his brightest smile, and offers his uninjured arm for Bigby to shake. ]

That's me! Please, feel free to call me "Lalo". And you are?

.........D??

[ployboy]

[Sucks to suck. There's a very real moment where Tim weighs his observations of the slumped form of the man against the sight of the dead, and he's definitely at least 70% sure the dude is alive by the time he's done. There's an urge to poke the bear-- (ugh, phrasing) to shake the man's shoulders and remind him to try to look more Alive next time he decides to pass out in view of the public eye.

But then Tim figures

passing out here sounds pretty good right now, actually.]

Been there, done that.

[The injuries, he means. The overwhelm and subsequent surrender to the relative peace of coming-and-goings, of equipment hauled and tossed, of a large central fire.

He sits opposite of the man, a fair distance off to a side, and

drops his head forward into the table with a tlunk.

Yeah, unconsciousness sounds good.]

LMAO <3 ilu

[salamanca]

[ Lalo, across from Tim, is still asleep when he start to snore. Loudly. Hopefully, not loudly enough to wake Tim. ]

D

[moralabsolutism]

[Rorschach had been sleeping in the middle of the day as well. But, as sometimes happened, he awoke with a start. Old ghosts from the past haunted his mind when he slept and it wasn't always easy to get back to dreamland. So instead he headed over to the Community Hall.

He saw a man there and honestly he wasn't certain if he was alive. So of course Rorschach headed over, hovering above him like the creeper that he was, trying to figure out if Lalo was dead or not.]

[salamanca]

[ Maybe he senses a presence nearby; maybe some subtle movement tips Lalo back into consciousness. Whatever the reason, Lalo immediately jolts awake, only to find Rorshach staring down at him.

Immediately, seeing that face peering down at him, he yells, voicing turning into a loud scream. ]

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

C

[guidemyway]

[Ruby didn't live in the community center, but she spent a fair bit of her time there trying to help out.

She had seen Lalo around town but had not actually talked with him. She had been a little curious when he came in looking as injured as he was. She's got a handful of fresh(ish) medical supplies with her when approaches. Mainly some fresh bandages. She manages an extremely awkward smile in response to his demeanor.]

Hey there! Thought you might need some of these, you know? Last thing you want is for any of that to get infected.

Sorry for the wait!

[salamanca]

[ Lalo gives her a (hopefully reassuring) smile back. ]

Hey! Thanks! What's your name, by the way? I've seen you around, but I don't think we've met.

B.

[pacificator]

[ She desperately needs a long soak in the hot springs after... just all this shit, and not only because her tense muscles and exhausted mind need the relief. She'd spent days, weeks, barely taking care of herself while haunted by that vampiric shadow of herself, and all she wants is to finally get clean. She doesn't give a fuck if someone's there already. ]

Hey.

[ Tossed toward him as a greeting when she enters the caves, and her only nod to modesty is to head into one of the darker corners, unlit by oil lamp or candle, to strip down. ]

[salamanca]

Hola.

[ His tone is just as casual, to match hers. He does give her a brief grin, though. But even if she doesn't care about modesty, he's gentleman first and foremost, and he does her the courtesy of looking away until she slides in beside him. He shifts slightly to make room for her, even if she doesn't ask him to.

He's impressed by her casualness, by how she takes his presence as a given, by how unafraid of him she seems. ]

Come here often?

[pacificator]

Not as often as I've heard that one.

[ He shifts and that's fine by her, it gives her more room to dunk her head under the water, scrubbing fingers through her hair. It needs a wash.

Resurfacing, she twists to face the edge of the spring and reaches for a little flask among her clothes – after her bender in the middle of the month, she hasn't wanted to get totally blitzed, but it's still nice to take a mouthful of pine moonshine before she relaxes into the water.

Right. She's got company. Wynonna cracks an eye open and waggles the flask at him. ]

Want some?

For Goodsir!

[salamanca]

[ Some days after being stitched up by Kate, Lalo is again back in the Community Hall. He's clearly suffering with a fever, vacillating between hot flashes and chills. He grabs for a blanket, and kicks it off, while he waits for the doctor. He doesn't want to look at the extent of his injuries, and how bad the flesh is doing there. He just knows he needs help, and badly. Almost too fatigued to move, he doesn't lift his head when he senses someone approach.

He's terrified in his vulnerability, angry at himself for ending up in this situation. He groans quietly. ]

Re: For Goodsir!

[bestsir]

[ Having been alerted to Lalo's dire state, Goodsir hurries to the Community Hall with his supplies, and finds him quickly. ]

Mr. Salamanca. It's me, Goodsir. I'm here to look at your injury.