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.

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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

[sputnik]

[ The little being knows what water is, in any case. They must have it on her planet... and while Konstantin's alarm hasn't quite diminished, his curiosity is beginning to poke its head out more and more. The opportunity to... speak to something like this is... astounding. What else could he learn about other planets, worlds? ]

I think the basics should be pretty simple, although fishing in the ice is supposed to be more difficult than in normal water. I've never done either.

[ He hesitates, eyeing the "alien" for a moment or two before chancing another question. ]

You're... interested in learning it? Do you need food?

[weavered]

I see.

[So he's never fished before, which at least puts them on even ground in that regard. She's sure she could ask someone else if they knew how, but then where would that leave this human? She tips her head curiously, then nods.]

Yes, to both of your questions. [She holds the box a close to her chest, shifting it's position to hold it a little easier.] To survive we must eat - seems to be something we share. I am unfamiliar with fish or fishing, but I am willing to learn. To try something new.

[She eyes him carefully, trying to gauge his willingness to learn as well. She must do something to continue to live in this world, to thrive as best as she could. If that meant fishing, then so be it.]

[sputnik]

[ Konstantin's only experience with the diets of "alien" entities has involved a very gory appetite, but... given how calmly this little creature discusses eating in general, it's already very different from the frenzied bloodlust of the thing occupying him. He has to wonder what her usual diet might consist of, but maybe she's adaptable to different foods, if she can even consider eating something new here, like fish?

He's quiet for a few long moments, considering. All of this is so strange, so new, but... what about his life hasn't been, these days? In any case, he can't imagine taking his eye off of this little being just in case she does turn dangerous. He should make sure, find out more about this situation. So... ]

Well, they say there's no time like the present. [ Despite his lingering unease, there's a cheerfulness that Konstantin exudes, and he even smiles a little. ]

I was going to give it a try now, if you'd like to come with me? They have different sized poles here, we can find something that fits you.

[ She'd probably do best with a child's size. There's also bait to pick out, and they'll need an auger to drill into the ice. ]

I'm Konstantin, by the way. Kostya, if you like.

[weavered]

I would like that, yes.

[She has sized up this human for some time, considering his words, his movement, and he's been generous enough to offer her a chance to learn a new skill. She was so heavily focused on combat that she had not honed any useful skills. It made her wonder what her plan was once the infection had been stopped.

He gives her a name, and she can't help but notice that humans (and Bigby) have strange names. Not that hers is not so strange, she supposes.]

Konstantin. [She tries the name in her mouth, finding the foreign word to sit oddly. She's grateful that he has offered her another name to address him by.] Kostya.

I am Hornet. [She pauses momentarily before continuing on.] We must need something more than the pole, so let us gather our supplies and attempt to fish.

[sputnik]

[ To think that he's offering the diminutive of his name to an "alien"...! Truly, it's a first for Konstantin. But he only continues to find himself surprised when she gives him a name in response.

She has a name. If it wasn't already obvious, this simply clarifies it further — whatever she is, she's something much more advanced than his current unwanted resident. He's still stunned by all of this, but progressively becoming less on edge about the thought that she's immediately going to pose some kind of threat. Really, she does just seem.... curious. ]

Hornet. [ He tips his head in a nod. Is there any association with the insects from his planet? Maybe where she's from, "hornets" are similar enough? She does look almost insect-like, in ways. ]

All right, Hornet. Let's see about getting some supplies up. [ He smiles a little, friendly despite his lingering stun, and gestures towards the bait hanging up on a nearby wall. ]

I don't have any idea what bait the fish around here might prefer, so I'm thinking we could try different types? You can pick out whatever you like the looks of, if you want. Maybe some with different textures, shapes, that kind of thing? And I'll go find some poles for us.