singillatim | WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CRACK THEIR BONES?

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WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CRACK THEIR BONES?

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!

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. ]

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[ Konstantin gives a soft exhale at that, still surprised by the physical contact, but no less grateful for it. It helps, it's grounding, and it's nice. He offers a little smile to her, and a soft laugh. ]

Maybe it knows better than to mess with you. You're pretty scary with that broom.

[ An attempt at something a bit light-hearted, although he knows better than to linger there for too long. This is... very severe, and extremely worrisome. The creature's behaviour has changed. It sent him into seizure at an unexpected time.

What if that happens again? ]

Svetlana.... I can't control any of this. I've been managing it as much as I can, but if it decides it wants to come out of me... There's nothing I can do.

[That attempt at levity is appreciated and she does manage a small smile in exchange, but his next words worry her. It's not a good situation to be in, and the unpredictability adds a complicated layer to this.]

How do you manage it? Are there any signs it happens? Any pains or dizziness?

[She can treat him like any other epileptic or even narcoleptic patient at the moment, even if the reason for it is different. Him not dying over this is top priority, especially as that's the only thing she can manage.]

[ Konstantin shifts, slow and careful, not wanting to risk disturbing the thing as he presses his back to the wall and looks down at himself for a moment. It isn't moving around; it must have curled up and gone back into dormancy. ]

It hurts at times, and makes me feel ill whenever it moves around. But no signs that it's about to emerge. It just... shuts me down, without warning.

[ He sighs, raising his gaze to meet hers again. ]

The man I live with — the emergency medical technician. He's been helping me manage it. He keeps it fed with animals, and keeps an eye on me through the night. Checks on its position. He has some medical tools here.

I know I should be contacting every doctor in this place, but... it's risky. I don't want to be sent back there, to the facility. I can't.

[She lets out a long breath, shaking her head. She won't let him be sent anywhere. Never. She'd like to talk to the one he lives with, just to see what he says, what he's doing, because she also wants to help.

There's just so much evil, so much Darkness here, and Sveta is - overwhelmed. But maybe, she thinks, maybe a little truth will help.]

Kostya. [A deliberate use here. They're friends. She'd like to be his friend.]

Can I tell you a secret?

[ He knows he should be locked away. There's no question that something like him should be kept confined somewhere. Even if he doesn't hurt people himself, he's the container for something that does — the vessel for a monster.

But the facility.... didn't just want to protect people from him. They wanted to turn him into a weapon. Utilise the creature for their purposes. He can't let that happen. And he has to find his son, save him. It means that he can't let himself get caught again, has to stay free, has to try as hard as he possibly can to keep people safe from this thing in the meantime.

But he doesn't know how to guarantee that. Hope is the most precious concept to a cosmonaut — and these days, he's finding it harder and harder to hold onto when the long-term seems so hopeless. (Even if he saves Aleksei.... what then? His father is a monster. There is a very strong possibility this thing can never, ever be removed from his body.)

He sighs too, soft and quiet and tired, sitting there on the floor with the weight of all that's been shared, but then he's looking up as Svetlana says his name — the diminutive, a particular meaning in their culture. What friends call one another. Konstantin watches her, offers a smile. She really does make him miss Tatiana, but it's a warm feeling. ]

I would like that. I'll keep it safe.

[She pats his hand gently.]

I am - a sorceress. [Sveta smiles, a little embarrassed by the word, especially in the face of all that he's told her.] I am a - Night Watch agent, and we are outside the - human government.

[It takes everything in her to say these words, and while she knows she isn't making much sense, while she knows that some of it needs additional context, she waits there a moment, catching her breath, feeling her heart fluttering in her chest, threatening to break her ribs. She keeps expecting the boss to show up, to yell at her, to tell her that she's broken the Treaty by telling humans about them.

But he doesn't know about the Darkness here.]

[ A sorceress. Konstantin's surprised, even stunned — silent as he listens. There's much to ask, much he doesn't understand. But it's the next part that elicits some discomfort, something that nudges its way through his surprise and leaves him feeling tense, uneasy.

Agent. She's some sort of agent. Which is exactly what he was assuming some of the residents of this town to be.

'we are outside the human government'

What exactly that means, he doesn't know, but it's making that discomfort in him squirm harder, tighter. Maybe she's someone who deals with situations like his. Maybe she's going to report him. Maybe any little moments of trust will be used against him. Svetlana looks nervous as she says all of this, clearly just as uncomfortable, and maybe that's because she genuinely wouldn't want to turn him in.

There's a lot of "maybes." Konstantin takes a breath, slow and steadying, and finds himself squeezing her hand gently, a little gesture of comfort as they both sit there on the floor, daring to share secrets. ]

So you deal with things that aren't... human. [ He starts there, voice lowered almost to a whisper without his even realising it. ] Have you ever seen anything like... me, in your work?

Vampires. Shifters. Sorcerers. Warlocks. Witches. Others. Nothing like - this, though.

[She breathes out.]

I deal with the Darkness. The evil in the world. The people who have powers and use them for their own personal gain. This - Darkwalker. This is the sort of creature I would be fighting.

[Not without her powers, of course, but she shivers to think of how Boris would put her right in the front lines, her powers a shield, the chalk in her pocket a beacon of hope for everyone who isn't Svetlana.]

You are not that, Kostya. You are Light. I don't need to see your aura to see that. But you and I are not unused to what happens to things that are outside of understanding.

I want to help you.

[ Svetlana lists things that sound straight out of fiction — like the sci-fi movies that have become so popular in his time. And not so long ago, he might have reacted very differently — but this place has... changed things. There's a man here who claims to be a werewolf. Konstantin still doesn't know how much he truly believes, but.... his initial reaction isn't wholly disbelief. Not quite anymore.

He continues to stare as he listens to her. Darkness... evil. A man who doesn't believe in a higher power has always had a difficult time believing in evil, either. Such things had never even been a factor for him to consider, before. ]

I don't think what I am is Light. [ He manages to find words again, and gives a soft smile. Whatever all of this is, she's very kind. He thinks, again, of Tatiana — 'I want to help you. I'm going to help you.' But he doesn't... deserve that, or for this unusual, kind woman to risk her safety trying to help him. He's just as much of a monster as this thing inhabiting him, but he finds himself strangely bothered by the thought of telling Svetlana that now. ]

This thing.... it prefers to feed from humans, Sveta. Needs to feed from them, to keep itself stabilised. ...To keep me stabilised. [ The reciprocation of her diminutive comes naturally now, though his voice is strained in its upset. ] And I let it happen, without trying to stop it. I did whatever I had to, to escape the facility.

I think I'm something that you would be fighting back home, too. Something bad. You shouldn't try to help me.

[She draws herself up and points a finger at him, feeling a wave of protectiveness and anger welling up. She isn't angry at him, but at how he views himself. How this thing, this malady has made him think. Does the creature harm others? Yes, but the creature itself is not beholden to the rules and the balance. Kostya is and she can tell. She knows. And she will fight everyone, including Kostya himself, to make him see that.]

You don't get to tell me that, Konstantin Sergeyevich. I know what I am and I would not fight you. Because you are telling me this now.

If you were truly a monster, you would have continued to keep it to yourself and let it harm other people. You wouldn't care that it was hurting others.

But you care.

[ The reaction genuinely surprises him. Konstantin blinks, a little taken aback — but then, it had baffled him when Tatiana had chosen to fight for him so fiercely, too. And like Tatiana, Svetlana barely knows him. He could be or do anything, and yet she says he's Light and that he isn't a monster.

It says more about her character than his own. That she could see the good in someone who exists the way he does, a threat to humanity itself. Tatiana had seen the good in him, too. For all the strife between them, the head-butting, the difficulties, in the end, she had seen the good. She'd made him... want to be good, be better. And maybe in the end, that's why he made the ultimate decision that he did.

He's quiet for a few long moments, before he looks down, smiles a little. ]

The woman whose name I spoke... Tatiana. Tanya. She was a doctor who was brought in to the facility to help me. Except unlike the others there, she actually wanted to do that. Even if it was a danger to her own well-being.

[ Something aches in his chest, deep and tight. He hopes she's okay. He wonders if he'll ever know. ]

You remind me of her.

[He isn't the first person to think of Sveta that way. Most of the people in the Watch feel that way around her. Wanting to be better, do better. She always assumed it was because of what they were - Light Others. Night Watch agents. She's starting to think, however, that it might not be the case.

That name is so familiar now, almost like Sveta knows this woman already, though she had nothing in her head about her save her hair color. And that Kostya was fond of her.

The explanation - helps.]

I hope that's a good thing. I want to help you.

[ It's truly incredible how much it matters to have one person who believes in you, just one person. It helps fuel Konstantin, who has always existed as some... concept, some picture-perfect idea. If he doesn't make others happy, doesn't impress or please them, then what is his own worth?

So people like Tatiana, like Sveta, like Vasiliy... people who see him in a good light... it makes him want to be that. ]

It is. [ He smiles again, gives a soft nod. ] We didn't know each other for long, but... she helped me. She was my very dear friend.

[ He clears his throat a little, looks back up to the other. ]

The truth is, I do need your help. Vasya is helping me with this... this thing, but I worry about it hurting him. I can't predict anything about it. Having a doctor around would be.... it would help.

Of course.

[She puts a hand on his chest.]

I want - well, when the world is right again, I would like to stay with you for a few days. Monitor your vitals, try and see what I can learn.

[She smiles a bit sheepishly.] I know that it may not be enjoyable to have me staying around all day, but I think it would be very important.

[ It's genuinely frightening to let anyone in on this — and really, there's so much more about his situation to reveal. But this is a start. An important one. Making connection with a doctor, and especially one who has... experience with the supernatural.

Konstantin's still worried, giving a soft exhale when Svetlana places that hand on his chest — what if the creature decides to make a reappearance? But it seems to be going back into incubation, he can feel it in his gut, curled in on itself. ]

I would like that. I think anyone would be fortunate to have your company all day.

[ He manages one of his usual smiles again, charming — but warm. ]

There are... things that arrived here with me. They might help; I can show them to you sometime. I have an X-ray of the creature... [ His smile flickers again, a little. He realises he hasn't even told her this much yet, and it's probably helpful. ]

It lives in my stomach. If it would just stay there, then there would be no cause for alarm...

[She laughs a little in disbelief.]

You have an X-ray image of it? Well, I'll need to add that to my notes. But - I also would like to know why it emerges. If it is a parasite, then it should stay dormant as long as it's getting what it needs.

[She can only hypothesize at this point, but if he has more information about the creature, about its habits and its makeup, then she can look it over. This is not her specialty; she's a family doctor, but she has already done chest surgery, eye surgery, and patched up broken organs while here. What's one more specialty?]

I might have broken out of my cage, did some nightly sneaking around. [ He gives a playful little smile. ] I found a room where they were keeping secret information about the creature — and pictures of it, X-rays. I don't know why one showed up with me here, though. But if it can be of help...

[ A few other items had arrived with him. A photo of himself in uniform. The little nevalyashka doll that makes him think of his son. He doesn't know why these things are here, maybe to remind him of the punishments he does deserve. But if that X-ray could potentially help a doctor better understand his situation... then maybe he should be grateful it's here, despite how unnerving the fucking thing is to look at. ]

As far as I know, it should only emerge to feed. Maybe animals aren't enough for it anymore. Maybe it wants... people, now. [ He shakes his head tiredly before looking back up to Svetlana. ]

It sounds like it'd best not mess with you, though. [ Sorceress, she said. Konstantin studies her, hesitating a beat before he asks. ] Does that mean... magic?

[The thought of him sneaking around, trying to get through a secret lab, is amusing, yes, but not altogether surprising. He's a formidable man.

She dreams for a moment about what she might find, but there's really no way to know. She just knows she's excited to start, despite the somber situation.

His question startles her out of her daydreams a little.]

Oh. Yes. There is - another dimension, I suppose, between the worlds. It's called the Twilight. Humans can't see it, but that's where magic comes from.

Imagine - a cup breaking. [She uses her hands to show the shattering.] In this world, it is broken beyond repair. But in the Twilight, the pieces still want to come together. They know that they belong there. So you can manipulate them and bring them back together.

There is no Twilight here, so I have no magic.

[ Magic. A concept that the cosmonaut has never held any belief in — before this place and all of its impossible things (admittedly, he does still try to find logical, scientific explanations for them, but... there are a few that defy even that.)

But now, with so many of his beliefs being challenged, with meeting people from other times and worlds... He's a little more receptive to the idea, as strange as it is. And hell, there's so much about it all that's still such an unknown — isn't he a living testament to that? The vessel of an entity that doesn't belong anywhere near Earth? He listens quietly, thoughtfully, curiously, as Sveta mentions another dimension. Actual proof of the existence of such a thing would be life-changing knowledge to the scientists and space-travelers of his time. ]

That's... incredible, [ he says, clearly in awe of it all. ] Back in your world, you can use this magic to... repair things? Is it something you use in your medical practice?

[And her face falls.]

No. I - could, but there would be consequences. The Light and the Dark have achieved a balance, a Truce, to keep the universe equal. For every action, there is a reaction.

[She uses her hands again to explain, but it's clear that she's not happy with this explanation.]

Every time I heal a human, it gives the Dark license to hurt.

[ Those kinds of rules, boundaries... it does seem very scientific, actually. Laws of the universe, energy or actions or however you want to define it — correcting itself when the balance is tipped. But the fact this "Dark" is outright capable of harming people if that balance gets skewed in favour of the other... sounds very frightening indeed. He can only imagine the ways the darknesses she's listed could hurt people. ]

That's a lot of responsibility for someone to have, [ he remarks, casting Svetlana an empathetic frown. ]

Did you.... choose this job? Or is it something people like you — people with magic — have to do?

It was - fate. [There was no way she could have refused. She is not only a sorceress, hut a great light sorceress, the strongest of her generation. There was no normal life for her once she was there.]

After I - nearly destroyed Moscow, I needed to learn to control my abilities.

And the Night Watch was the only place that could do that.

Nearly destroyed Moscow? [ He's visibly stunned, leaning forwards a bit as he listens intently. She's that powerful...? What exactly.... can Svetlana do?

...But it makes him think of his own situation. Back home, not in this place that dulls down what the creature's done to this body, what improvements it's made. He's nothing nearly as powerful as what she describes, but... the creature was changing him. What might have happened, if they'd both survived? Been kept alive against his will, experimented on, made into the weapon that the facility wanted them to be?

He was already beginning to feel like something inhuman. ]

This Night Watch... you can really trust them? They didn't... experiment on you?

[She takes the questions one at a time.]

I - did not mean to. But curses are - real. Even humans can cast them, to an extent. When you think of how angry you are at your boss, at your friend, when you wish them harm, it manifests as a small vortex that follows them. Maybe they stub their toe. Maybe their coffee spills before they can drink it.

Just a small amount of bad luck.

I - accidentally cursed myself. I did something I thought unforgiveable. And I hated myself so much and I was so powerful and didn't know it that I created a vortex that would have caused a plane crash, a tornado, a storm, a war...

[She sniffs, looking down at her hands.]

[ Energy — that balance to the universe, a darkness to accompany, or perhaps counter, the light. What Svetlana speaks of would be the stuff of science fiction in his world, but isn't true science fiction simply an extension of what does exist?

He swallows as he listens, brows furrowing. Cursed herself.... and caused so much destruction as a result. It sounds horrific, terrifying, and— ...... familiar. Again, perhaps not in such extreme measures, but.. Konstantin Veshnyakov knows what it means to feel as though he has done something that the universe has to.. correct. That he has done something horrific. He didn't accidentally become a monster, after all. He knows he deserves this fate.

He frowns deeply, sadly, empathy leaking into the core of himself for this young woman. He leans closer to her, reaching to give her arm a soft squeeze. ]

I am sorry. Deeply. You should be allowed to feel upset at yourself for making a mistake, just like the rest of us. That's too much pressure for a human. You're carrying the weight of so much. [ A small smile, but it's pained. ]

Were things able to be... fixed? What happened after that? Are you... are you all right now?

(no subject)

balancedlight - 2024-08-02 02:16 (UTC) - Expand

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