WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CRACK THEIR BONES?

[sputnik]

Who: Konstantin Veshnyakov + ota!
What: an opportunity to encounter the alien parasite inhabiting Kostya's body / various other threads.
When: mid-late May / June.
Where: various places in Milton.

Content Warnings: This character comes with a parasitic alien entity by default. He's also experiencing Glimmerfog sickness, but it's in its early stages. More detailed warnings in various prompts within.

---

INFO !

■ — Kostya's in the early stages of Glimmerfog sickness. His little alien horror can sense this and is going to yeet itself out of him at random times / places in Milton.
■ — This scenario can be played with in a variety of ways, with varying degrees of horror. If needed, please let me know if there's anything you'd specifically like to indulge in or avoid.
horreur / plotting post
■ — Details on the alien can be found here. As a note, it will be staying more underdeveloped / larval in these threads, so although it may get aggressive, it won't be capable of doing too much damage... apart from biting, if you get close enough to its mouth... It WILL try to suck your blood if that happens!

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A — THERE IS A KILLER AMONG US

This is the option to chat with Kostya before his little alien freakout, for anyone who might like some build up, to get in some initial cr-building, etc. For anyone who wants this option, I'll reach out to see how you might want the alien reveal to go down later on in the thread! OR if you might want to just have them talk and not have an alien reveal, that's fine too!

[ It's common for Konstantin to find difficulty sleeping, and so the earliest days of the sickness pass by without any real awareness to the fact. It's fine if he's mildly drowsy; he can handle it! As usual, he's prone to taking walks from his cabin on the town outskirts and into the center of things, perpetually looking to keep himself busy. Maybe you catch him:

— getting in some physical fitness, taking walks and jogs around town (stopping to smile at anyone he might see out on a porch front or passing by; he'll be happy to chat, even with strangers. Maybe you'll end up inviting him in at some point! Certainly there's no danger of this man throwing up an entire alien or anything like that)
— at the hunting/fishing supply store, which is a much less-traveled area in Milton and mostly always empty... But today there is a lone cosmonaut inside, looking for a fishing pole.... and seeming a bit lost about it, standing with his hands on his hips, frowning thoughtfully. He's only ever lived in the city and in outer space, and neither of those options have exposed him to fishing.
— at one of Milton's remaining empty cabins, with the front door wide open to let in some fresh air as he pokes through dust-coated furniture to look for any home decorating items he might be able to snag...
— wildcard options! Kostya could be just about anywhere, but for this thread, it would work best if it's somewhere there aren't too many people around. ]

B — I'M A LARVA WRAPPED IN SILK

This is the option for Kostya's alien to start making an appearance at one of the mentioned locations, but it will not fully emerge from his body. Things will still get pretty gnarly, as it will visibly be seen coming upwards, but he will not actually throw it up. Once it settles back inside of him, Konstantin will wake up (so basically this thread option will involve him shortly coming to again and your person dealing with that!) Content warnings: seizure, parasitic horror, emeto / vomiting associations.

[ It happens with little warning. All of a sudden, the other occupant in the room will begin to tremble — and it's immediately violent, his body commanded by convulsive jerks that wrench him back and forth. He'll only remain upright for seconds before he's unable to hold himself, losing control of everything, falling to the floor hard and fast.

Konstantin is not a small man; about six feet tall and with the athletic build befitting his title as a Hero of the Soviet Union, hitting the deck is a rough process, hard and heavy. He might slam into something, knock nearby objects over — might even fall into you. Ultimately he'll end up on his back, however, and it's there that he keeps convulsing, back arched inwards and head hitting the floor beneath him as he spasms. His eyes loll back, gagging against the strain of his own throat.

As quickly as it starts, it seems to stop. The man's body goes completely limp, eyes shut, mouth slack with a thin stream of drool that slips from the corner and puddles to the floor. Every muscle has been forced to shut down, leaving the cosmonaut unconscious and unmoving. It's then that the creature can safely start to make its exit from the body that's progressively becoming sicker with some strange illness.

Something is happening to the man again. He remains unconscious, eyes shut, but his body is moving once more — softer spasms this time, torso rippling. His mouth parts and his throat convulses with movement as he dry heaves there on the floor as though needing to vomit. The creature makes its way up from its nest within his stomach, pushing itself from the safety of the organ and up into its host's esophagus. The journey takes some time, and then you'll see evidence of it — some thin thing wriggling under the skin of his throat, pumping itself upwards slowly, cautiously. But it pauses all of a sudden, waits. It can sense you're there, and it's completely vulnerable outside of him. ....What will your reaction be? Maybe it isn't worth coming out right now. ]

C — DON'T LOOK EVIL RIGHT IN THE EYE

This is the option for Kostya's alien to immediately make a full appearance at one of the mentioned locations. It will emerge from his body and can be interacted with as a separate entity. Its reactions will depend largely on how someone reacts to it, but if you have any preferences or thoughts here, please reach out to me! For this option, Konstantin will remain unconscious for the entire thread, so interactions will only be with his alien. Content warnings: seizure, parasitic horror, emeto / vomiting, an alien that is very worm-like and also has features associated with a variety of spooky creatures like spiders, snakes, lampreys...

[ It happens with little warning. All of a sudden, the other occupant in the room will begin to tremble — and it's immediately violent, his body commanded by convulsive jerks that wrench him back and forth. He'll only remain upright for seconds before he's unable to hold himself, losing control of everything, falling to the floor hard and fast.

Konstantin is not a small man; about six feet tall and with the athletic build befitting his title as a Hero of the Soviet Union, hitting the deck is a rough process, hard and heavy. He might slam into something, knock nearby objects over — might even fall into you. Ultimately he'll end up on his back, however, and it's there that he keeps convulsing, back arched inwards and head hitting the floor beneath him as he spasms. His eyes loll back, gagging against the strain of his own throat.

As quickly as it starts, it seems to stop. The man's body goes completely limp, eyes shut, mouth slack with a thin stream of drool that slips from the corner and puddles to the floor. Every muscle has been forced to shut down, leaving the cosmonaut unconscious and unmoving. It's then that the creature can safely start to make its exit from the body that's progressively becoming sicker with some strange illness.

Something is happening to the man again. He remains unconscious, eyes shut, but his body is moving once more — softer spasms this time, torso rippling. His mouth parts and his throat convulses with movement as he dry heaves there on the floor as though needing to vomit. The creature makes its way up from its nest within his stomach, pushing itself from the safety of the organ and up into its host's esophagus. It's in a hurry, alarmed; it lets the man's natural reflexes help urge it up and out, and suddenly Konstantin's body reels, mouth parting wider as something small and quivering spills from his throat and onto the floorboards with a wet plop.

At first, it looks like a mass of slime, but you might realise quickly enough that it's a sort of sac, a viscous membrane. The thick, protective coating is something the creature produces to keep itself and its host undamaged by its violent exit from his body.

The mess stays still enough for a few long seconds, but then its pulsing intensifies, and something begins to squirm within it. A writing thing emerges, but not easily, seeming to struggle with the task. Finally the thing that just came out of the unconscious man is revealed: a worm-like creature, body long and thin, consisting of a head, little vestigial protrusions that perhaps suggest limbs stuck in development, and ending in a tail.

It seems like too many things put together — something at once reptile, insect, invertebrate — its little head is hooded, much like a cobra's, but its mouth is only a round hole, lined with sharp little teeth. A cluster of eight black eyes glint, spiderlike, as the thing slowly writhes wetly on the floor. ]

Comments

B.

[balancedlight]

[The Glimmerfog spreads and Sveta, having already recovered from it, is learning to spot the signs. One of the caches contained basic antihistamines, first generation, the kind that cause drowsiness, and she pockets them to carry with her just in case. In Milton, Konstantin is her third stop and she knocks on the door - only to hear a crash.

Fear and panic fill her throat as she tries the door handle and pushes her way in, hoping that she doesn't find a wild animal or an attacker or any number of things that run through her head as she tries to find him.

He's on the floor and she goes to him at first, dropping to her knees immediately and shoving a hand behind his head to keep him from slamming it any more into the ground. It's not her first experience with a seizure and she mutters soft, cooing words to him in Russian, gentle as he finally slows.]

Oh what has happened to you, Konstantin Veshnyakov? [She moves her hand and places it on his shoulder, frowning as he doesn't immediately seem to regain consciousness. The spasms start again, softer and less intense this time, and Sveta searches for a way to protect his head again - but it isn't the same. She reaches out, gently touching his throat.]

What is that?

cw: gagging up some alien slime...

[sputnik]

[ It's one small, but meaningful, mercy to this situation — that he's unconscious for it whenever the creature exits or re-enters his body. Before this place, the bond Konstantin shared with the entity meant that he'd remember what it had done outside of his body whenever he woke up again later on, but in this place.... that connection seems to have been severed. He doesn't miss that. He doesn't want to remember the way it explores and maims and kills.

But he would surely be horrified to ever learn that it's breaking out of him now. He stays limp there on the floor, unaware of anything, but the creature inside of him.... hears her. It freezes, so sensitive to the world around it, able to detect movement, even the subtle flutter of a human's heart.

Then she's touching Konstantin's throat, and the creature within it has never experienced this before. No one's ever done such a thing, come close to it when it's squirming its way upwards. It flinches, writhing, and in the process pushes against its host's gag reflex; Konstantin's mouth opens and he starts gagging, though the creature refuses to come up. What does this human want? Why is she touching? Is she trying to harm it?

No, it won't come up, but Konstantin's reflexive gagging does cause a bit of slime from the alien lodged in his throat to spill from his mouth, thick and mucusy. ]

cw: body horror descriptions

[balancedlight]

[Svetalana is no shirking violet. She might have flinched at Randvi's surgery, but only because she hadn't expected it. Sveta's spent most of her time here, in this place, pretending to be something she isn't. She's spent a long time pretending that the monster disturbs her more than it actually does. She's spent a long time playing the innocent doctor.

But Sveta's seen corpses with no blood. She's seen vampires sink their teeth into necks and tear flesh. She's seen auras of murderers. She's heard the sound of bones breaking and crunching as a woman, her friend, turned into and owl and back again.

Sveta isn't afraid of this, but she is cautious. This isn't the sort of medical emergency she had once thought. As the lump moves, seeming after a hesitation, she pulls her hand back with a soft cry of surprise.]

Oh, what have you gotten yourself into? [She reaches over for a clean-ish rag and wipes at his mouth.]

It's alright. I'm here. It's alright.

[Of course, she's talking to Konstantin.]

A

[weavered]

[Hornet has been trying to explore more of the area of Milton. Draped in scraps of fur and cloth, she looks something akin to a cryptid than bug, but at least it was warmer than her red shift she arrived in. The supply store was just another stop on a long list of places she needs to see with her own eyes, and she shuts the door behind her as quietly as possible.

She starts to look at the shelves. It's all foreign to her: the cans, the jars, the bait - nothing is familiar and she worries about her health declining from a lack of nutrition. She swings around a corner, spotting the human looking for something, and then squeezing past him without so much of an "excuse me".

She can see things on the top shelf, but they are out of her reach - a frustration she had not quiet experienced before. Before anyone can say anything, she starts to climb up on the shelves, determined to see what is on the shelf and decide if it would be of any use to her.

She hangs on the shelving unit, making sure it's sturdy before she peeks her head over the top shelf, coming face to face with a box. She doesn't really mean to do it, as she is trying to grab it, but she knocks it to the floor. She stares down at the box, the top of it ajar as it lays on it's side, thankfully (for the store, not for her) empty of any supplies.]

Empty. [She's disappointed by this revelation.] Why would it be empty? [Maybe she should ask the human...]


[ ooc: let me know if this works! i am happy to adjust if need be.]

[sputnik]

( ooc — This is a perfect way to get them introduced, thank you for the tagin!! I'll give you a poke as the thread goes on to go over any thoughts about potential alien reveals here, etc.! )


[ Konstantin doesn't notice that he has company at first — with how small and quiet she moves, and how occupied his attention is on the shelves and walls he's examining. He understands the basic concept of fishing, but the nuances to it are giving him a healthy pause (the type of pole, the variety of bait, and then there's how the hell to ice fish....)

Then he feels it, catches it just in his peripheral, the awareness of someone moving past him. The man startles a little, turning to apologise for being in the way and pauses, brows lifting right up at the sight of... something small and strange. At first, he doesn't quite understand what he's seeing, and he takes some weird instinctive step back, eyes widening. Is... is this real? Or some hallucination conjured up in his mind?

Stunned, unable to do anything but stare, the cosmonaut watches as the small being starts to crawl up the shelves.... then peering into a box, as though searching for something. Even when it clatters to the floor, he's unable to do anything but stare; it's only when the being speaks that Konstantin's wrenched out of his daze.

An alien, he thinks, because that's the closest thing he knows for something that looks like this, and the thing inside of him right now can't speak like a person, but maybe something else could. He doesn't know, just ogles the creature wide-eyed, glancing quickly to the side for a moment. Surely there's something in here that could be used as a weapon if needed.

But it speaks. It's.... sentient? In a different way from the larval thing occupying his guts. Finally, after a long pause, Konstantin speaks, too. ]

You're.... looking for something? [ That doesn't answer her question just yet, but at least he's not freaking out. ]

[weavered]

Yes.

[She hops down, landing with a grace as she examines the box once more. Empty, but not entirely useless though as it has some sort of organizational system that may prove useful. She rights the box, examining the hinges of the lid before closing it.]

Though, this may prove to be useful. [For what, she doesn't know, but the tacklebox could have it's uses.]

You are looking for something as well. [She lifts the box by the handle, her gaze falling on the human as she examines him. Humans, despite being a single species, were diverse in their looks, their skin tone, their hair - it was almost maddening because she could not figure out what made each human so different. Bugs were, for the most part, easy to comprehend, but humans... they were alien to her as much as she was to him. She tilts her head, taking a cautious step forward.] Those poles. What are they for?

[She points behind him, both curious and skeptical. If he was looking for a weapon, the pole did not appear to be the most sturdy of things.]

A. IWTV season 1 spoilers

[flambeaux]

Waking up in this world with Lestat had an unforeseen advantage. Though their relationship is fraught with all that happened between them, Louis grounded himself in the here and now in order to survive.

But in his darkest hours, he dwells on how he failed Claudia and Lestat. He chose Lestat over Claudia time and time again and was complicit in keeping her trapped. He betrayed Lestat, a person he loved, and it was the only kill that actually felt like murder. In his darkest hours as the fever worsens, he sees them playing the piano or chess or, worse, as they were when they were last together, covered in blood and bitterness.

The specter that haunts him just out of the corner of his vision is not the Lestat who stalks confidently through the woods outside Milton with hunting gun in hand. This Lestat is dressed in the white breeches and loose shirt of a century before his own, and they are covered in blood from his violent feasting. The slit at his throat burbles with it. Claudia is similarly dressed in billowing skirts and blood, but she is unscathed. However she, like the real Claudia, regards him with contempt, resentment, anger, and pity. (Somewhere in there is love.)

"Mon cher..." the nightmare Lestat murmurs with a low voice soft as a cat's paw. His eyes are lambent with murderous intent. Louis doesn't wait for more. He makes a strangled sound and bolts out of his house.

During the day.

Though it is cloudy and thick with fog, Louis burns immediately. He cries out in pain. He never teased the sun here in this world, and he's convinced he'll die right away. Maybe it's what he deserves. But he survives long enough to run into a cabin with the door wide open. If he can just shelter there for a bit until evening--

[sputnik]

He'd promised to leave Vasiliy Ardankin's cabin, as soon as he was able to — once he healed up and could take care of himself. It's a burden to foster him, he knows. He comes with so much that's... difficult, and terrible. Sleeping beside him in the middle of the night is like sleeping beside a predator's home, a dark cavern in the earth. When will something deadly emerge? Every night is a gamble.

But the months have passed, and he hasn't left. He could have, by now. He's learned that the creature inside of him can be satiated with the blood of animals — that he can feed on that blood himself, and keep it from needing to emerge. He's learned that it doesn't like to emerge at all here, that the weather is too much for its sensitive body, that the Aurora nights frighten it deeply, that it prefers to stay inside of the safe warmth of his gut.

But he hasn't left the cabin. And he could reason that it's because Vasiliy is still a needed assist, that he helps keep an eye on him, keeps things stable, keeps things safe. That much is very true. But Konstantin could probably live on his own, even if it would be incredibly difficult. He could survive alone.

He doesn't want to. And somewhere along the way, it began to feel like home. It's why he's here at all, searching through an abandoned cabin for items that can be used to make the place more attractive — Vasiliy's great for practicality and efficiency, values especially important to their culture, but... he hasn't done much in the way of making the place more of a home. It might be nice if the cracks in the walls were covered with a painting or two. Maybe he could find a rug for the old wooden floorboards in the living room. Fresh pillowcases, or dishes.

He's rooting through a hutch when someone comes into the house, flies right through the open door. Konstantin startles, but then realises he recognises the person. At first, it's all he can understand, the name voiced, alarmed as he approaches him—

"Louis?"

—something's wrong, he's in pain, he's....

cw: hallucinations from the Glimmerfog sickness, severe vampire sunburn, suicidal ideation

[flambeaux]

It's a blessing and a curse that Louis can now run as fast as the wind. Louis entered too quickly and mostly silently, like a bird mistakenly flown in and only now battering against the window in confusion. His skin is red, raw, and peeling in a strange ashy way. He sees a strong jaw, muscled shoulders obvious even through the layers, tall--just a little taller than him--

"LESTAT!" he cries, the involuntary yelp of an animal coming upon something that gave a terrible startle. For such a graceful vampire, he stumbles backward against the wall and curls to the ground in an overwhelmed heap. The dream (nightmare) overlays reality perfectly. Surely this figment is wearing the costume, surely his throat is gushing fresh blood even now. Lestat will laugh at Louis, taunt him with praises and threats...

Louis throws up his arms around his head in agony. "Leave me alone!! Why are you doin' this?! Get out of my head! Why don't you just kill me?!"

— 𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳 𝑪𝑨𝑻𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑳

[sputnik]

---

■ — general threads for the months of May & June

---

[burying]

[ It's funny, and Kieren wants to laugh. He was planning on coming here anyways, a few things from him raiding the caches over in Lakeside. He knows Konstantin has yet to go there, given his whole... situation. Kieren gets these goods have been obtained through more... morally-grey means, but after the shit he's seen? He's caring a lot less about these Forest Talkers, in all honesty. And it'd be nice to give the man something.

But as Kieren staggers through the snow, almost dizzy with nausea and fear, there's a more pressing need to turn up at Konstantin's door: he needs help.

Even with the sparser cabins of Milton Outskirts, Kieren keeps one gloved hand clamped down over his upper arm to obscure it from sight. The layers of fabric of his clothing torn, black blood oozing from his skin — the tell-tale sign of Otherness he embodies. The bullet hadn't gone through; it had been a glancing blow, grazed his skin but enough to do some serious damage to him. It won't heal, he knows that. But he needs to have it seen to, needs it stitched up — and he needs it done without too many questions asked.

He tries to keep his knock calm and easy when he reaches the door, but he's inhaling and exhaling with anxiousness — looking about with wide-eyes. Shit. He'd been so careful, all this time. He'd tried to be. But he had to step in: MacCready was going to kill Bigby if he didn't. ]

Hey. [ It comes out as a wheeze, and he's shaking a little bit. Fretfulness barely concealed as he forces a smile when Konstantin opens the door. ] I— I, uh— Your housemate, he—

[ He looks behind him briefly, double checking again. He hates this, he's scared. But he doesn't know what else to do. He doesn't know who else he can trust to ask. He knows there's other doctors here, but he doesn't know them. They don't know about his condition. The last thing he wants is to be poked and prodded at when it all comes out he's anything but completely normal. His voice lowers, gesturing with his head to his arm, his hand still held against the wound. ]

Can I come in, please? [ Kieren swallows, steadies himself. ] I, uh— I need help.

[sputnik]

[ Vasiliy's not in, and although Konstantin's hardly alone (there's the cluck of grouse in the pen nearby, and the poor stray dog that followed Vasiliy here from Lakeside, better-fed these days, ribs no longer showing, but still so wary, and then of course there's the thing inside of him, an unsettling reminder that he's never really alone), there's a certain unease whenever his housemate isn't inside with him.

In this place with so much that could go wrong, that's probably nothing abnormal — but it's different from most things he's felt, a shape he's not entirely sure how to define. Konstantin has never.... relied on someone else's presence like this. Never needed it. It scares him, and it's simultaneously the most precious thing he has to hold onto, and so he does, fiercely.

In any case, he surprises even himself by how prone he's become to lingering near windows to keep an eye out for whenever Vasiliy returns. He only steps away sparingly, to give the pot resting over the fireplace a fresh stir; food's cooking, slowly. It's on one of these short interludes that the knock comes, and Konstantin looks up, setting down the ladle and moving cautiously to the door. It's not Vasiliy, that much is clear, so then who— ]

Kieren? [ The man's eyebrows shoot up at once with alarm, taking in the sight of him, the way he sounds, the.... way he holds his arm. Konstantin's taking an immediate step back, understanding that he's injured, catching a glimpse of torn fabric. ]

Here— [ Without question, he's ushering the young man inside and closing the door behind him, turning quickly to Kieren. ] Vasya's out now, he should be back soon. What happened? Did something attack you? Were you bitten?

— Bigby Wolf. (cw: parasitic horror, mentions of gore, mention of suicide)

[sputnik]

[ Things aren't good. Not for anyone — but there are things about himself that could be exceptionally dangerous to the people of this community. Things he's tried desperately to hide, but as the month goes on, and food becomes more and more scarce, Konstantin begins to think he's headed towards an inevitable place. Maybe it's where he was always going to end up; could there ever really be any other outcome, in the long-term? The animals that Vasiliy helps him feed to the creature inside of his body... they were only ever a temporary solution, weren't they? Sooner or later, it's going to need to feed on humans.

And then he sees Kieren Walker doing it. The boy kills a woman, breaks open her skull, feeds on what's inside, doesn't stop. Konstantin can't stop replaying it in his mind, re-living the experience. How much it felt like watching the alien feed, such a gruesome, relentless thing. Its victims are never dead when it starts eating the pulpy mass of blood and brains; they're still alive, for a little while. They scream, cry, plead.

And there's nothing he can do to stop it. Well— there is one thing. Or so he thought. But even the barrel of a gun pressed right to his abdomen wasn't a lasting solution, apparently. This place... stopped him from dying. Stopped them from dying. Maybe he can't even die. Maybe he'll never be able to escape this. To protect anyone from it.

As the days go on, Konstantin grows more and more restless, worried, frightened. He should check on Kieren, but he can't even risk that much — if the boy's still in some... frenzy, it could be hazardous for the thing inside of him. It seemed... excited, by the display, or maybe that was just in his head. It's hard to know what he's imagining and what's real, lately. He starts to feel trapped — the worst feeling for the cosmonaut.

There's someone he could talk to. It's such a strange thought; he's not used to any of this, but desperation fuels him, and one day he finds himself moving towards Bigby Wolf's home. Having kept himself mostly isolated through the month, Konstantin hadn't heard news of the man's injury, but he's able to easily find his home by asking around a few faces. A lot of people here seem to know Bigby, respect him. He seems like a good man. It probably isn't fair to just show up like this, but maybe.... (Maybe what? What exactly is he looking for, here?)

Maybe it's to get some advice. Maybe it's just to have someone else who understands. Whatever it is, Konstantin's knocking a fist on his door, giving a soft exhale of effort as he leans slightly against it. His condition's not great; he's weak, sick. They've been rationing grouse brains and blood, trying to make it last, and the alien's hungry.

Feeding from a human would help stabilise its condition. He can't think about it right now. ]

Bigby? It's— it's Konstantin Veshnyakov. Are you in?

[bigbaddy]

[ The door doesn't open right away.

Even though it's pretty much been a month since the initial injury, Bigby has found that this dumb human body takes so much longer to heal than he ever did back home. Even though the man is capable of getting out of bed and wandering around by himself again, going outside is still very much pushing it, leaving him to the frustrating existence of being stuck in his own house during this entire ominous month.

At least the ominous part seems to have let up by now. But Bigby's condition still isn't letting him do the stuff he'd usually be doing by now. Going around town. Checking up on people. Make sure the ones he cares for are alright.

No-- All he's capable of right now is still slightly slowly moving over to the door and opening it, having to do it himself now Snow and Connor seem to finally have lessened their fussing over him. Konstantin manages to catch Bigby at one of the rare times he's alone at home again, so that's why it takes him a while to get to the door after the Russian calls out.

And when he opens, Bigby isn't wearing a shirt. The bandages still wrapped around his torso at least give a clear reason for it. ]

I'm here. [ Even his voice isn't fully the usual. It's not as weak as it was, but there's all these signs that Bigby isn't back to his usual self either as he slowly exhales. ]

.. is something up?

[ Something tells him that Konstantin - of all people - wouldn't just come over to his house for a casual talk. It's likely not even to check in on him, considering it's not like they're that close in the first place, and just about everyone who did want to check in on him did so much closer to the initial incident.'

And after the month they've had, Bigby can't imagine this not being about something heavy. He holds the other man's gaze as he waits for the answer, his face still a touch pale. ]

C — we're gonna be partying with all the content warnings

[chuju]

[ It's hard for Daisy to just stay in one place in Milton. Without her usual range of electronics to keep her distracted, she's had to focus her attention in other ways. Gathering as much information as she can, keeping an eye on the borders of the town, making sure there isn't some sort of disaster brewing from within... That last one's a bit harder, given all the uncertainty they face on a daily basis. But she's trying.

Taking care of others is what she does, after all. Despite all the terrible things she's endured and the supreme lack of care and affection she experienced growing up, all she's ever really wanted was to connect with others and protect them from also experiencing terrible things. There's not much she's been able to do here, but she keeps her eyes open and does her best.

It's that vigilance that has her checking on the cabin with the open door. That's unusual here, especially when she thought that one was as yet unclaimed, so she gingerly steps inside, peering through to the next room and spotting a familiar face. ]

Oh, hey. [ They haven't spoken much since that terrible night in the church, but they've seen each other in passing and that's enough to earn a cordial smile as she shuts the door against the bitter cold. Not that inside is much better without a fire. ] What're you—

[ What happens next is a blur. His body falls and she springs into action, trying first to reach with powers that aren't there and then hurrying to his side as he hits the floor with a heavy thud. His head just nearly missed the battered coffee table on the way down, and she shoves it out of the way as he convulses. She tears off her scarf and tries to get it under his head to act as a cushion against the hard floor, but then he just... goes limp. ]

Konstantin? [ There's only a moment of hesitation before she reaches out to feel for his pulse, trying to remember everything Simmons told her during their field triage lessons. But then something else happens and she doesn't know what to do, she's not a doctor and she can't just leave him to try to go find one—

It's when she realizes something alive is coming out of him that she feels real fear. Jerking back, she instinctively puts space between herself, the man on the floor, and whatever the hell is coming out of him. Did she somehow wake up in a horror movie? Is this thing about to turn into a Xenomorph and try to eat her? At first, she's certain she's overexaggerating, but then it emerges from its sac and all she can do for a moment is stare at it with wide eyes, pressed against the nearest wall with her legs pulled up to her chest. But then she says the only thing any sane person could say: ]

What the fuck?!

it's a party now!!

[sputnik]

[ This is all very strange and new for the creature. It doesn't emerge except for when it needs to feed — which is never during the daytime, only in the safety of night, where the sun can't hurt its sensitive body.

But there was a time it was forced from its host unexpectedly, after a cocktail mix of toxins was pumped into Konstantin's veins, and the alien expelled itself to survive. This is something comparable to that, this sudden need to escape an environment that no longer feels safe, but unlike last time, the creature isn't able to make itself bigger and stronger once it's out of him. This place... tempers its ability to shift and transform. Keeps it weak. It can't protect itself the way it's used to, and simply writhes there on the floor for a moment, stunned.

Then come words — it can't comprehend human language, but it knows what that is. Someone's here. The alien turns to face the direction of the sound, all eight eyes locking onto the woman pressing herself against a wall as though in attempt to back away from it.

Afraid. She's afraid, and that might ordinarily spur its bloodlust, but right now the alien's too dazed to even think about nearing her, either. Instead, its hood ripples at the woman and it flashes its tiny teeth in her direction, in a manner it means to be threatening... though it's still so larval in appearance, much less intimidating than it usually could become.

Still, it has to defend itself, and the sound comes, sharp and reedy, snakelike — it hisses at her. ]

[chuju]

[ The fear ratchets up when those eyes turn toward Daisy, far too many of them staring at her in a way that almost makes her feel like prey. Except it doesn't attack yet — it stands its ground and shows off its teeth, which look extremely effective despite being so small. And then it hisses at her and she can't help but see an angry cat cornered in an alley.

Except this cat just crawled out of a person who may or may not need medical attention, and the combination with its size just makes her angry. That anger swells up enough to match the fear, and there's a good deal of both in her voice now. ]

Are you serious? You just crawled out of his throat and you're— Well, fine. [ And she hisses right back at it, feeling ridiculous and outraged and a little bit desperate. ]

a; apologies again for taking so long (also please let me know if this is alright!)

[clothed]

[ at first, it's just a direwolf.

sansa and lady have fallen back on some old habits after reuniting here in milton, and one of these habits is sansa letting lady out to run around and work up an appetite. before, back when they were still in winterfell with nothing to worry about, lady would be running with her littermates, the six of them coming back to the castle and their respective human companions to be fed. rickon and bran would have either robb or jon guiding them on how to feed their wolves, while sansa and arya would share a bucket of chopped meats between their wolves, arya feeding nymeria by hand more often than not where sansa would have a proper bowl for lady to eat from.

sansa has a bowl for lady here, too, scavenged from one of the empty houses nearby and thoroughly scrubbed before she put it to use. small amends for her wolf, same as sansa pushing herself to wake early and let lady out before the others in the community centre wake up and make breakfast.

some mornings she follows along lady's trail, leisurely walking through the empty streets and dragging snow along her skirt's hem while she watches lady run loose, gleeful circles further ahead. it's common enough for lady to dip out of sight to chase after a scent or two, so sansa isn't too worried about losing sight of her until she disappears for a long moment and returns with a man running next to her.

she's running with the man, not chasing him, running back to him and not-so-subtly herding him back onto the main path when he veers off-course. they don't seem to be in any trouble, though sansa can't quite tell from this distance just yet. when they're close enough for sansa to call out and be heard, she gathers her skirt up a bit and jogs up to meet them about halfway. ]

Ser, good morning— I hope you're all right? Did Lady find you?

NO worries at all, and this is perfect, ty!!!

[sputnik]

[ To claim that, in this place with its variety of strange circumstances and looming, pressing dangers, going for a jog around town is of so much importance that Konstantin goes out of his way to make it happen, might seem bizarre.

But it's so much more than a simple hobby or activity for the cosmonaut. There are days he's unable to do it — days the presence of the thing inside of him keeps him practically bed-ridden, body nauseated and aching and ill. Days that just moving around is a chore; the concept of doing anything physically exerting at all would be impossible.

Those days devastate him. Those days are a reminder of what he's lost — not just his role, his position, his importance, not just his small remaining family, but himself. His body, his autonomy; he no longer exists for himself. He serves a purpose for something else. A fate he knows he deserves — oh yes, he knows that much — but one he still flinches hard from, in his ways. He doesn't fight it, but that doesn't mean he'll just give in, either.

Things like this, taking little walks and jogs around town, are a rare time that Konstantin still feels like himself. Which is to say, that his mood is already high that morning as he breathes in the crisp chill of the air and exhales in measured breaths. And when he's joined by an unexpected companion — at first, he thinks it's Fraser's wolf, Dief, but he quickly realises it's another one — he's tensing only a moment or two before he realises the animal means no hostility. In fact, she's companionable, keeping pace with him and nudging him along towards the path. Konstantin finds himself greatly amused by this little game with her and lets himself be coaxed along, calling out to the wolf here and there and talking to her.

That's when he notices a young woman up ahead who comes to meet them, and Konstantin jogs up to her, coming to a slow halt and smiling. Despite the thick Russian accent that layers his words, his voice is bright, friendly. ]

Hello there! Oh, is this beautiful lady yours?

[ Lady, what a suiting name. He casts that smile down to the wolf, taking her in all over again. ]

She was just helping keep me on track. She's a good running partner!

❤️ also just a short tag for the moment! i'll get you back next tag

[clothed]

We thank you for the compliment. It's not often that Lady has someone she can run with.

[ sansa would, if she could run fast enough for a wolf's satisfaction. used to be it was with her brothers, particularly bran and rickon, young enough to roughhouse with the wolves without tumbling too hard and getting hurt. thankfully, it seems that she's found someone willing to run with her at her pace. ]

I'm Lyanna, and you've met Lady. We're both just arrived recently to Milton ourselves.

[ she makes a small bow to the man, though it's a bit awkward with her uncertainty about its reception. he looks of good stock, though it might be impolite to think of it about a stranger. he doesn't seem all too bothered by the cold, too; perhaps he's been here a while? sansa would have a lot of questions to ask if so. ]

Do you always run this early in the morning?

A.

[moralabsolutism]

[Konstantin, by his very definition of being a Russian Communist, meant that Rorschach disapproved of him greatly. The fact the man had an easy charm to his handsome face had done nothing (yet) to pierce the vigilante's prickly exterior. As far as he was concerned, Konstantin was up to something. He just didn't know what it was yet.

That was what had led him to climb down off the rooftop and follow him into what looked like one of the many abandoned cabins in Milton. He didn't trust Konstantin and wanted to make sure he wasn't up to anything nefarious. So there he was, silently moving into the cabin until he could see the cosmonaut with his back turned towards Rorschach.

He stood there, not moving or saying anything, waiting for Konstantin to figure out he was there and disapproving of the very air he was breathing.]

[sputnik]

[ His culture and particular time values efficiency, certainly not flamboyance. The way Vasiliy's kept the cabin is a model representative of that — it's minimal, containing only what's needed and demanding nothing else. But the cabin itself is... old, and worn, a home once occupied by an older man, perhaps, someone living alone, someone who'd let the wood stain and things chip away. There's clearly been no upkeep to the home in years.

And Konstantin — a man whose role has earned him what's practically celebrity status — is used to new things, nice things. Maybe it's possible to give the cabin a bit of a cosmetic lift, even if it has to come mainly in the form of finding decorative items to hide stains and missing parts with. (And it could be nice, maybe, to add a few little personal touches. He promised he'd leave as soon as he'd recovered enough to find his own place to stay, but the months passed by and now he can't imagine leaving. The cabin's become home.)

He's lifting a small vase up, turning the item around to examine it thoughtfully. The cosmonaut is an observant man, but remains oblivious to the individual who's creeped into the space with him, as silent and still as Rorschach is.

It's only when he turns his head just a little — lifting the vase towards a window to let it catch some light, see if he likes the colour or not — that he catches something in his peripheral that wasn't there before, dark and unmoving, and there's only a second or two of alarm before he's turning towards it quickly. The vase is gripped in his hands, tight. There's no threat of him dropping it. No, it's held like a weapon. He'd use it if he had to.

When he sees who it is, his alarm certainly doesn't waver (the masked man is... strange, perhaps a threat), but Konstantin does lower the vase a fraction or two, eyes wide — more intense than afraid. ]

What are you doing?

[moralabsolutism]

[Rorschach folded his arms over his chest, assessing the cosmonaut without saying anything at first. He looked a lot better than when he'd first arrived, which had been a state that could be charitably described as looking half-dead. Now he looked much stronger and healthier. Rorschach wouldn't have wanted to take him on in a fight, even though he thought he would still win in the end.]

Watching you.

[What, was Konstantin expecting a response that actually made sense? Rorschach had gotten better with talking to some of the people who had been in Milton a long time but he certainly wasn't going to waste good words on a Communist who was clearly hiding something and more than likely had some devious plot in the works with the other Communists in town.]

c. (a million years late sorry! and all the content warnings~)

[thedreamer]

[ Since arriving in this place, the Doctor has maintained a constant vigilance of their surroundings. Despite the frigid temperatures, the bleak circumstances they find themselves trapped in, he would normally be able to not only cope here with ease, but be able to better assist others. He would and should be able to, that is, except from the moment he'd woken up here, he'd been quite quickly aware of the unsettling changes his physiology had undergone. Extreme temperatures never affected him and he rarely needed to eat or sleep. That's not the case now, and he knows he's not the only one with more enhanced senses who's been meddled with in some capacity.

It keeps him busy, this worrying and wondering, trying to explore and uncover all that he can about the world they're forced to inhabit. More importantly, he wants to understand the forces that brought them here — the how, the why, and all points in between. It's frustrating to have to stop with regular frequency to do things like sleep and search out rations for a meal. It's especially vexing to him in times like this, when things have taken a noticeable turn for the worse and all that he genuinely wants to do is protect everyone here and get them safe as quickly as possible.

This particular moment — on his way towards town hall — he's diverted by the sight of an open door up ahead. The fog's beginning to roll in and though it could very well be an abandoned cabin and though the fog encroaching on them now may be less openly hostile, he'd rather not take his chances on assuming the person or people in there are perfectly fine. Coming closer, the Doctor slides his gloves off and folds them into his coat pockets. ]

Hello? Anyone —

[ Not a half second later, the Doctor finds himself mere centimeters apart from a young man who's about to hit the floor in a violent, convulsing heap. Quick to rush forward, he tries his best to catch him (clumsily, at that) before he's collapsed headfirst. It's not easy, not with his limbs flailing like this, all of his weight bearing down on the Doctor. Seconds feel like a long, tense hour spent easing him to the ground, though there's nothing peaceful or actually easy about it at all. The Doctor starts to shrug out of his coat; a temporary measure, to place something soft beneath his head until he's through the worst of it. ]

I know you likely can't hear me yet, but I'll say it anyway — I'm the Doctor. You're going to be okay.

[ That dreadful trembling seems to slow and that's good, that's a relief, though they're not nearly through it. He knows enough to understand that, particularly as the man hasn't opened his eyes yet. The Doctor rests one hand lightly on his cheek, tapping with the gentlest of touches to try and rouse him. ]

What's your name, I wonder? I'll look forward to knowing it, when you pop back awake and tell me yourself. For now, let's go with...Alexander? You could pull it off, I think! Alexander. Alex. Alexei. All variations welcome. Or wake up and shout it's dreadful, go on, I'd love to hear it. Tell me off, anything at all.

[ As he talks, he moves his hand to try and take the other man's pulse, but then something's happening again. Attempting to roll him onto his side so he doesn't choke on his own saliva, or...whatever it is that's actually happening — oh, that's. Yes. Well. That can't be good. The Doctor shifts to rest on his knees, still kneeling beside the unconscious man. Unlike probably anyone else at all, the Doctor doesn't dart away or recoil as an actual entity of sorts seems to be making its escape from the man's body. He only moves enough to give it room and space, to see what it's going to do. He hopes it's a fluid enough movement not to injure the man any further as the entity rises to the surface, and though the Doctor is alarmed for "Alexander's" well-being, he'll be as steady as he can be now, to keep anything worse from happening. Once it's out, the Doctor levels a gaze on it, wringing his hands together and checking that the man's chest is still rising and falling. Good. Good. Relief, that. Now to the creature, he speaks with confidence he's still working his way into at the moment, not knowing quite how badly this thing has damaged the stranger. ]

Ah, yes, introductions in order. Hello there, I'm the Doctor. I don't think we've met.

[ Jokes. He's got jokes. At a time like this. What else have they got, though? ]

I hope you haven't harmed my friend there, we were only just getting to know each other.

ZERO worries I'm rolling into things very late, myself!! ♡

[sputnik]

[ This would indeed be a first — as far as reactions to the creature's exit from its host body go. Its time on Earth is still so freshly new, but it's been exposed to at least some variety of humans since its arrival here, and not once has it involved... this.

There's no gasp of fear, no cry of revulsion, no screaming. There's also no pain, an association the entity has easily formed towards Earth's residents; the scientists at the facility in which it was held so quickly found ways to subdue it. Bright lights, flashed at a creature never meant to be exposed to much light at all. Later, weapons were used to control it, harsh and frightening things that tore into its soft body.

So when it realises there is someone here — and the initial perception is that the someone is human — the creature tenses, its cluster of eight little glittering eyes fixed right on the man, its wet body curling in on itself tightly. It readies itself to retaliate (...despite the fact it's still so larval, not at all capable of re-forming itself into a more developed state right now) when something gives it pause.

The man speaks to it. Directly to it. And though it can't comprehend such language, doesn't understand a single word, it does understand tone. There's nothing... aggressive here, nothing even frightened. ...That's completely and utterly new. It's enough to actually stun the little alien who stares up at the man, confused, bewildered. Maybe soon enough, curiosity will sink in.

But to begin with, instinct keeps it on the defensive; it lifts its little hooded head at the stranger — and hisses, reedy and sharp. It's scary! Very frightening! You should probably run away now!! ]