( PLAYER PLOT LOG ) — The Patchwork Man

[kovach]

CHARACTERS: The Patchwork Man & all involved orbers
LOCATION: The Station, from the living quarters through to the Sunlight Room
DATE: Mid-December
CONTENT: After deciding to change his deal once more with the orb, Takeshi Kovacs regains his previously lost memories from the past year, forcing him into a sudden grotesque transformation.
WARNINGS: Prompts include heavy violence and graphic gore imagery, as well as body horror, disfiguration, and dismemberment.

  I. TRANSFORMATION   ( ♪ stay at home, don't go out alone ♪ )  

Whenever Kovacs goes to sleep, he always anticipates waking up with his body feeling lighter, not from a sense of ease but from one of loss, aware that memories will continue to vanish from his mind, just as they've been doing so gradually over the past year. He doesn't know what he's lost, impossible considering the circumstances, save for whatever little he's pieced together from what he'd scribbled out in notebooks in preparation for forgetting, but he knows it's all likely been important, despite the gradual trickle that's prevented him from realizing just how significant those losses have been — until the night comes where they all come pouring back into his mind all at once.

He wakes with a start, gasps stealing all of the breath from his lungs as he scrambles out of bed and crumbles upon the floor, his eyes wide and crazed with the abundance of information that resurfaces through his thoughts.

  1.0     With the earpieces, it's impossible for these overflowing memories to be filtered solely into his own mind as they return, and for the briefest moment, one of some images or words might reflect through the minds of other orbers:

• "Death isn't up to us to give or withhold," Kovacs says to the snide, prideful man beside him who only smiles smugly. The man responds, "You think we should leave it up to God, do you? Oh, Mr. Kovacs, haven't you heard? God is dead. We have taken his place."

• Someone else speaks through Newt's body with a cunning grin. "Weird that someone like you would act so oblivious; you're used to killing people left and right, aren't you? You do it every mission, in some way. Blowing your dad away in your dreams, stabbing that zealot to death in Giva... Oh, man, the bandits in Badrock... Is it that shocking, when someone else decides to get their hands dirty?"

• Words from Kovacs are heard, "I still dream about Welford, what we cursed that man with. These orbs — I don't know how long they'll let us get away with just trying to do the right thing."

• A different chain of fragmented words from Kovacs speaks out, "A few months ago, I had to make a change to the deal that I came in with (...) Every month, I'm supposed to lose ... an important memory (...) I don't even know what's missing. Or how much it might be ... changing me."

With what is seen or heard, it's possible some may consider something to be wrong with the original source of who the memories come from, or it can just as easily be waved away as a mishap with the comms, considering how easy it can be sometimes for thoughts to be exchanged. However the orbers choose to respond if they experience the invasion of thoughts, it isn't long before something loud and almost animalistic is heard in the halls ...

  2.0     As Kovacs struggles to stand from the ground or even find the capability to breathe, he can feel a sudden unbearable twist through his body, muscle and bone turned and stretched from the inside, elongated and bent out of place as though the entirety of his physical being is gradually ripped apart. Flesh tears at his joints but no blood spills, open flaps of skin only exposing bare tissue. It's almost as though there'd been no actual man in that body all along, merely fragments of faux parts composed together like a rag doll stitched to mimic the presentation of one.

After moments of transformative agony, the body stands once more but Takeshi Kovacs is nowhere to be seen; instead, in his place is a disfigured creature, eight feet hunched forward in the cramped bedroom. Its long twisted fingers reach for the door, dirty nails clawing at the seam where it mechanically closes against the metal frame before its strength yanks it to manufacture its own opening into the hall of the station's residential section.

Within the lit area, the grotesque creature can easily be visible to any witnesses whose eyes fall upon it, its skin discolored to a pale olive as if it had never really been alive at all. Its jaw hangs loose, barely connected at its mouth save for the stitched string that almost struggles to hold it together, the sewn material similarly seen throughout the rest of its body, making it all the more obvious how all the parts seem ... wrong, as if the limbs hadn't all come from one solitary body but, rather, from many.

  II. BATTLE   ( ♪ or the Patchwork Man will crack your bones ♪ )  

After barely observing its surroundings, the creature begins to move, slow but determined, its steps jagged but strong as each step beneath bare feet stomps against the floor while making its way down the hall. It heaves with every breath through its open mouth, crooked teeth barely containing the monstrous groan that escapes from its throat.

As the hall begins to crowd with orbers, its empty eyes observe the arriving bodies, a predatory stare perceiving them not as people but as ingredients, a necessity to replace its own faulty limbs. The threat seems to be imminent as the creature wastes little time in its first attack and, soon enough, it becomes apparent that battling it will be no easy feat.

Its strength is instantly demonstrated when Mal charges forward without hesitation and a large distorted arm swings with ease to knock him to the side, impacting his body with a thump against the station wall. It does momentarily falter in its step as sudden vibrations disturb it against its ears, shouting a frustrated cry as it brings its hands to steady its own head. For a moment, Daisy's quaking abilities allow an opening for Shang-Chi to land some swatting punches but as the man goes in for a kick, a gnarly hand snatches at his ankle and sends him flying down the hall to collide with Daisy, disturbing the use of her power.

The creature travels further through the station, only halting again when Ed's alchemy shuffles the ground beneath it, forcing it to tumble forward in its trap hole. Another window of opportunity permits Minimus to try to clutch the monster down, a sturdy line of defense to allow orbers to run away from the scene of battle to seek evacuation towards a safer room. But while the creature's crippled body seems like it would inevitably crumble beneath the strength of advanced metal physiology, a thunderous kick propels the weight off.

But this monster isn't content with the violence of battle; what it needs are bodies, proper flesh to replace its own as the threads holding it together continue to loosen — and Dean looks plenty ripe for the picking. The creature grabs the man at the neck, holding him down to the floor as a free hand curls into a fist, slamming hard against the joint of his arm as if attempting to hammer it off, but before the damage is too severe, the threads connecting the creature's own arm to its body are sliced clean by the sharp end of a swung axe.

Though Andy's slash seems capable of success in taking the creature down, the attack attracts its furious attention, the monster suddenly abandoning Dean to redirect its rage towards the woman who threatens it. In time, it steals a chance to knock Andy down onto her belly, budging its knee tight against her back as it makes use of its solitary remaining hand to grip at her arm, pulling with all its might to tear the flesh right from her shoulder. Suddenly appearing from behind, Dante attempts to use that opportunity to jump at the creature's back, but the axe clutched within Andy's fingers from a now-severed arm is shoved and impaled right at his belly to halt him in his tracks.

  3.0     The creature is no easy opponent, as numerous others might also take a chance to try battling the monster or, at the very least, attempt running away from being its target. Despite its frail and gangly appearance, its strength is not to be underestimated as it can rip apart flesh and crush bone. Magic may not destroy him, but various spells can prove capable of at least stunning it or slowing it in its tracks, enough to allow trapped orbers to escape before meeting its might.

  4.0    Even with its destructive nature, the creature isn't the only target that deserves the immediate attention of the orbers. Various paths and rooms need protection to block out the monster from entering, especially areas such as the infirmary or storage rooms that might become evacuation spots for those trying to avoid the fight. Sections of the station might also be in need of instant repair to avoid the circumstances of heavier damages later. With no awareness of how long this battle might go on, it's prudent to act fast and take precautions, but plenty of orbers could remain in hiding, waiting it out in their own rooms or quieter sections until the fighting is over.

  5.0     Eventually, once the creature works its way into the Sunlight Room, having faced plenty of opponents to tire it out and weaken its defenses, the Doctor and Sabriel finally succeed in taming the monster's destructive rampage, its body falling defeated upon the bright pillow of snow, its weight sinking deep. Once again, the sounds of twisting and cracking bones creak and grind as it shifts about where it lays, and when anyone steps forward to peer down into the sunken hole of snow, the creature that had raged through the station's halls is no longer there ...

Instead, it's Takeshi Kovacs' naked body collapsed there, confirming the identity of the monster which some might have already suspected.

Though the arm that had previously been ripped from the creature seems to be repaired back in place after the transformation, his skin remains coated with the blood of his teammates, proof of all that had just taken place upon the station. From here, it seems vital for the orbers to decide what to do with Kovacs, now that they've fallen victim to such a gruesome scene and to, perhaps, find out exactly how this came to happen in the first place.

( OOC NOTES: Thank you for your willingness to participate in this player plot! As a result of his deal change with the orb, Kovacs' price is an uncontrollable transformation into a storybook monster from his childhood, known as the Patchwork Man. Characters will be able to thread out encounters with the creature, though its ultimate defeat will be closed to a thread with the Doctor and Sabriel, based on RNG selection from the previous plotting post. Feel free to create top levels and prompts for interactions between orbers during the attack.

There is also a VOTING THREAD where players are encouraged to make suggestions on how their characters might argue for how Kovacs should be dealt with after the attack. The purpose of this is to see how characters might respond to an attack from their own, intentional or otherwise, and how they might choose to look further into its causes and how the orbs might be involved. Consider making use of the network to spark up IC discussion!

Here's some soundtrack inspiration for the log: ♪ ♪ ♪ )

Comments

QUESTIONS

[kovach]

Please reply to this comment with any questions you may have about the log or the creature known as the Patchwork Man.

VOTING THREAD — attack aftermath

[kovach]

Please use this comment to offer how characters might ICly argue for how to deal with the aftermath of the attack, including what should be done about Kovacs. Feel free to use +1 for anything other characters might agree with or how they might vary in their own opinions. Consider using the network for IC discussion of the voting process. Voting suggestions will be closed December 28th.

[chrysology]

Ed would probably argue for more of a restraining situation while they figure out what happened? Who it is and how to help them? Because he is still very much in the camp of Not Killing. Even if he will hurt if necessary to defend himself or others. And he will fight in the attack itself.

Once they figure it is Kovacs he would prob argue for talking to him and finding out what happened, what set him off so they can avoid it happening again.

[drawsblood]

Joric is well aware of what it's like to lose control and turn into a monster so he's sympathetic with Kovacs's situation. However, he also doesn't want to knowingly let a monster roam free if this is set to happen again so what he'll say is they need to get Viveca and Degar or maybe the medical staff available to work something out and see if there is some kind of medication that can hold this monster back. If not that, something that can disable the monster and stop it moving if he turns again.

While Joric isn't going to spill his personal history, he's definitely invested and it's prooobably fishy that big, dumb mountain man from Fantasyland thinks medication can stop the monster. He is, of course, working from personal experience since he was issued medication when he arrived to stop the magically-induced rage from taking over and it's worked so far.

He will admit that restraining Kovacs would keep everyone safe for now, but it can't be a permanent solution. No man can live like that. He knows.

[heroooic]

+1
A lot of this will make sense to finn, depending on what they learn about the circumstances. Confinement isn’t really a good long term solution, and merely talking it out ignores that people were hurt and could be hurt again. A scientific solution sounds sound, if it’s something they’d be worried about happening more than once

+1

[dr_unconscious]

Clayton in definite support of this entire plan, particularly the "contact Viveca and Degar first" part of it. Surely they have the knowledge and experience to know how to help someone with whatever the fuck has happened to Kovacs. He's sympathetic with the idea that people who are potentially very dangerous don't have to be treated like prisoners if they have a way of moderating themselves (also speaking from experience without actually mentioning that he's in a similar camp hahaha sob).

He would also vouch himself as someone to help keep an eye on Kovacs and help him work through shit, especially if it's a mental thing, so, kind of combining this suggestion with Wangji's? Guided meditation helps him a lot and could help here too.

[gusurules]

Wangji would advocate for treating him as anyone in his world recovering from a qi deviation and be cautious, but kind, with him through the process of waking up and trying to get answers for how this happened and if its likely to happen again. And what might trigger it.

Regardless of how likely it is to happen again, Wangji will also suggest regular sessions of meditation to help focus and calm the mind. Since the man isn't a cultivator as he knows it, he is uncertain if Cleansing will do much, but will also offer that should he wish to try. Otherwise, Kovacs should make time to be in calming environment on a regular basis and keep those around him he trusts to help monitor his physical, metaphysical, and mental stability.

He will argue against any involuntary confinement or punishment for what Kovacs did when he could not control himself.

Re: VOTING THREAD — attack aftermath

[groupiedrifter]

Newt might have been too beat up after to give a proper opinion, but he'll definitely at the least urge that they not hurt him or anything; he'll recommend him be confined until the situation is resolved, and that they should ask Degar especially if there's anything that can be done (i.e. how they handled Kirigan!)

Ziggy would fall under the same thing, warily. While there was no helping Tommy back in her world, this ship has a lot more capability with stopping and helping someone who seems to be possessed/changed into something evil. She would absolutely recommend him be locked down and would even offer to be a guard at his door just in case.

[romancekiller]

Clarke would would be against permanently restraining/imprisoning Kovacs and would be more for it as a temporary solution until they get more answers. She'd want to want to learn what happened and see how they can deal with/prevent it from happening in the future whether it involves medication or if there is any thing else that could be a potential treatment.

PATCHWORK MAN TAKEDOWN ( closed to the DOCTOR and SABRIEL )

[kovach]

( This thread is for the eventual takedown of the Patchwork Man after it makes its way from the living area over to the Sunlight Room, closed to the Doctor and Sabriel to complete the task. )


As it drags itself into the depths of the snowy scenery of the Sunlight Room, the creature has already, no doubt, faced plenty of struggle to get this far. Though attack had been its original intent, its priority has since switched over to retreat. Having stolen Andy's arm after losing its own, it intends to seek out refuge so that it could stitch up the loose limb onto its own body, desperate to be complete once more.

However, with so many already on its tail, it proves impossible to completely disappear into hiding, even through the expansive snowy field of this room, especially as the Doctor and Sabriel soon catch up behind it.

[bindsthedead]

Sabriel is ready and waiting- but despite her sword being drawn, she keeps her distance. Instead, the marks on the blade flare to brilliant life as she forms a spell at the tip of the blade, golden marks forming one after another, knitting together into a shining net.

They need answers, before they jump to lethal force.

PATCHWORK MAN ENCOUNTERS ( open to all characters )

[kovach]

This section is for anyone that wishes to thread a direct encounter with the Patchwork Man. Please write your tag prompt for option 3.0 from the log above and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know if an additional character will be involved in the encounter but please include no more than 2 characters per thread.

[groupiedrifter]

[You know, Newton probably should have known better.

But then again, the station has always been (for the most part) a source of comfort and safety, so he doesn't think twice about saving everyone's ears a break and putting some headphones on to listen to some of his favorite underground punk bands. He's not even sure how long he's been sitting perched on his little work stool, hunched over his current project: weapon modification. The taser he carries around is great and all, but Nat's zappy-fists have no doubt inspired some idea of boosting the juice of what he is maybe naming the 'newtaser'. The 'Electric Geiszler'?]

No, nooo. That sounds like a sex toy.

[He did say that aloud even though he's unable to even hear it himself, yeah. Hunching back over his work again, he has absolutely no clue that someone has entered the lab. He hadn't heard a moment of the skirmishes in the halls, he hadn't seen anyone come or go, and he most certainly doesn't realize that there's a growing shadow being cast along the smooth floor where the Patchwork Man is shuffling his direction.

He just hums and sings under his breath for now.

Ignorance is bliss for about five to ten seconds. Somewhere abouts.]

3.0 LONG TAG, short thread to come haha

[heroooic]

Finn’s encounter with Andy had proven just what this thing roaming through the halls of Ximilia could do, what it was capable of. Once he’d been sure she wasn’t actually going to bleed to death, it wasn’t a hard choice to run after it. It wasn’t hard to find it either; shattered lights, dropped items from people fleeing, an occasional splash or smear of blood on the floor or wall blazing a trail in its wake. Whatever this monster was doing, it seemed to be doing it blindly, or at least with some sort of senseless purpose that he couldn’t ascertain.

But it’s not really a monster. The thought comes, intrusive and unbidden. He was a person. Maybe he’s still a person in there.

Finn shakes his head, gripping the sword hilt in his hand tighter. It was a monster, it was hurting people. He’d seen it rip someone’s arm clean off and leave her there, to die.

She didn’t die.

She could have though, he reminds himself firmly. And others had been injured, that was clear. Maybe some of them had died. There was too much turmoil and chaos to tell right now. He couldn’t let his resolve flicker on something that felt so…clean cut.

“Oh gross.” The response comes instinctively, startled at the grotesque sight as he turns the corner. Ahead of him, lanky and strange and barely human, the monster loomed. The sight makes his chest tighten with an internal stab of fear.

“Alright, you’re way creepier than I expected,” He brings his other hand to the sword hilt, holding it in front of him with a forced determination. Just another monster, he’d fought a hundred. A thousand. “But I’ve killed creepier monsters for breakfast.”

Close enough.

the latest tag in ever

[bossily]

[If it's not one thing, it's another. There never really seems to be time for a proper break here. Which is fine, because Clara knows how people on the station get with too much downtime on their hands. But this feels like it's the first time that an attack has happened while they're inside the station like this.

It's not an infiltration, doesn't seem to be one of their own. It makes no sense why this is happening here and now. But Clara is quick to try and be useful, hurrying people to safety and trying to close off as many areas as she can so no one gets hurt. She's not looking to be reckless and fight, she just wants to save as many people as possible.

What she's not counting on is busying herself with barricading one of the doors to the corridors closed, only to wind up closed in by the thing that's attacking. The second she realizes she can't just barrel over all the junk she's piled up all that easily, she thinks maybe she's doomed herself and everyone else she's trying to lock in this area with her. Because genius move that she's just made, she's barricaded them on the side with the raging monster of a man.

And she seems to have earned his attention, because his focus is solely on her. Clara shrinks back against the junk pile she's built up, and figures that if there's ever a time she can talk her way out of anything? It might as well be this.]

Fancy meeting you here. Thought you might have made your way to the orbs by now. Cos that's what you're here after, yeah? The orbs?

dante | devil may cry

[shishkabob]

pre-encounter

[He's still reeling from both his abilities going on the fritz and the sudden flash of somebody else's memories in his head when the screaming starts. For once, Dante's first reaction isn't to run towards it, although he certainly glances in its direction, inclined to do so anyway. Instead, he goes to grab for the nearest fellow orber.

Shit, and here he left his weapons in his room.]

Come on, move. Let's get you outta here. [With his demonic abilities on the fritz, it's much easier than usual to pull away from him, but there's a real worry in his eyes that's at odds with his general cheer just, what, five minutes ago?

But then, five minutes ago, there wasn't any yelling. He glances back again, brows furrowing, and murmurs:] The hell's going on...?

post-encounter

[Thankfully, the healing factor clicked back on just in time to keep him from bleeding out like a stuck pig on the floor. Unfortunately, he's, uh, he's still got an axe in his gut. And, uh, it kinda hurts? He looks up at the ceiling and gives an aggrieved sigh.

Right. This is going to be a lot trickier than just pulling a sword out of him.]

Hey, little tip, [he says, spitting some blood out onto the floor,] if you're gonna get impaled, make sure it's with a sword. This? [He gestures to Andy's axe.] Is not very ideal.

[He puts two hands on the handle, then glances up and raises an eyebrow.] Help me out here? I can't get up until it's not pinning me down.

post encounter

[oiorpata]

[ her sense of time is piss poor on a regular day and growing back a limb when you are already feeling incredibly impatient just makes it even worse; she couldn't tell you how long it takes her arm to re-grow or how long the demon guy is laying with her axe embedded, but she is no longer dismembered by the time she makes her way over to him. ]

[ she's bloody as shit though - spattered across her face and shirt, smudged up one of her arms (the one she didn't lose). ]

[ andy grabs at the handle of her axe, but hesitates. her tone is gruff with irritation, though not necessarily at him. ] You're not going to bleed out when I pull it, are you? Should I get a medic first?

[ he's not dead already, so she is assuming he's got some sort of healing factor going on, but better safe than sorry. ]

Clayton | OC | OTA | Blanket CW: Injuries

[dr_unconscious]

1 - During the battle | Various locations

[Kind of hard to miss that some shit is going down when said shit flashes memories directly into your brain. For a moment after he startles awake in a cold sweat, Clayton assumes that they were just the discombobulated after-images of a nightmare, but another moment's consideration tells him that this doesn't make any sense. His dreams come from his own memories, of which he has an exhaustive catalogue of. These don't belong to him.]

[Then he hears the yelling, and the slamming and wrenching of metal, and his fears that something is amiss are more or less confirmed.]

[Clayton is not bold enough to assume that he can do anything to the Patchwork Man directly, but he absolutely refuses to leave anyone behind to face him, either. So he ends up spending most of the battle trailing just after the carnage, placing a gentle hand on the shoulders of those who are still standing--]

Here, c'mon. Let's get you somewhere safe.

[--or assessing the injured on the floor, trying to determine how badly they're hurt and if he can move them.]

Hey, you awake? Can you hear me?

2 - After the battle | Infirmary

[Obviously Clayton ends up circling back to the Infirmary, either shuttling the people he helped pull into rooms earlier into a bed, or tending to those that others have brought here (or that have brought themselves) instead. He has been on his feet for several hours now, moving quickly and with purpose from cot to cot, but the man looks fucking wiped. He's not sure how long he can continue doing this and frankly he doesn't care - too many people need his help for him to stop now.]

[Maybe someone should get him to sit down for a minute.]

2

[coordination]

We've got other medics on the station and my Charter magic should be of help now that I'm here.

[ Yzak speaks as he makes his own way to the infirmary, hearing the chaos not only over the network but it's not hard to miss on the station itself, regardless of where one is. ]

You look as bad as the ones who ran into that thing - go rest for a bit.

2. after the battle

[tochnyy]

[ for all his enthuiasm and gung-ho attitude when it comes to putting himself in danger, mal recognizes that the cracked ribs and bruises were not worth it. the lack of plan in facing the patchwork man, the monster that kovach had become, is something that's left him suffering.

he lays in the infirmary with his torso and shoulder bandaged, nothing broken but bruised. clayton has been buzzing around near by, tending to him and others. mal frowns, watching him for a moment. ] Watching you is making me more tired.

Edward Elric l Fullmetal Alchemist

[chrysology]

II: Battle:

[Ed grins, seeing that his alchemy, his transmutation seems to have worked. He is trying to help, and figures if he can at least restrain or trap the creature, they could figure a chance to deal with it and find out what was going on. He calls out to the others nearby that the creature fell.]

It worked! The creature's down there!

4.0: Defense:

[For his part, as focused as he is on trying to help out in fighting the creature. Ed is also focused on keeping everyone safe. Trying to keep the station together as best he can without too much damage. So he will be also alongside fighting, running around to fix things where he can, using his alchemy, clapping his hands together and emitting a faint ringing sound and pale blue sparks as he slams his hands to the floor or wall that might need to be fixed.

Or possibly rather than repairing, he is dealing with a situation in the moment in transmuting barriers to protect others nearby. Other orbers that aren't immediately in the fight but happen to run into it as it transpires and moves along the ship. He slams his hands against the floor, causing it to rise up to protect the bystanders, or further than that in creating a path of sorts in keeping them safe to let them get past and out of harms way. Maybe he calls out, checking if anyone is hiding nearby and if they need help, if they need protection, more barriers in front of their doors to keep them safe for the time being until they deal with this.

Or perhaps it is more a case of Ed being stubborn, instinctive and reacting in the moment that he might end up getting in the way before someone else can get hurt. Taking the hit instead. He is that kind of self-sacrificing idiot. Reckless. Impulsive.]

andromache | semi ota

[oiorpata]

i. post patchwork encounter
cw: dismemberment (missing arm), blood and gore, arm re-growth

[ this is not the first time andy has lost a limb. but it might be the first time its been essentially quartered away from her body - it's not a manner of execution she's previously suffered. ]

[ she screams when the creature pulls her arm off, expletives echoing down the hall as she hears the thunk of her axe into another body before it lumbers away. she allows the time to lay facedown with the pain of it for a few moments, angry at herself for letting the monster get the better of her. the blood loss has her dizzy as it pools down her chest and near her mouth, spilling across the floor. it takes tremendous effort, sliding her remaining arm under her head and using it to help slowly roll herself over so she's on her back. she breathes heavily from the effort but now the only thing left to do is just... fucking wait. she feels like she just fucking did this with her own fucking skin, but at least she still had the baseline of her bones. ]

[ she is now missing the bones! ]

FUCK. [ it's loud and frustrated most of all, but there's no hiding the pain of it too. luckily, she can already feel the sensation of the bone re-forming from the jagged edge where the monster had broken it straight off, up at her shoulder. ]

ii. post arm healing

[ the amount of blood seeping down andy's shirt is cause for alarm, but as she hurries through the ship she doesn't move like she's been wounded. mostly she is both angry and worried for others on board. ]

[ perhaps you saw her lose her arm. and yet now andy has both arms, and her axe, trailing after the destruction and hoping no one else has lost any limbs along the way. ]

Where the fuck did it go! [ it's not even a real question, she's just pissed despite the very worrisome appearance of her bloodstained self. it's a pretty obscene amount of blood smeared over the clothes and up her neck, speckled on her face. ]

[ ooc note: andy's arm will heal/grow back with fairly quick turnaround, so i'm not looking for too many tag ins for the healing process unless we've talked about it! communism !]

I

[heroooic]

[The monster rampaging through the station was heard long before it was seen. Not just the creature itself, crashing and thundering through the halls, but the rapid pace of the news, spreading from person to person anywhere nearby. Naturally, Finn’s hard-headed lack of fear about these things had him running toward the danger rather than away, a powerful need to be of use pushing any self-concern to the back of his mind.

Ahead, just beyond his line of sight, there was a scream that sent a chill down his spine, followed by more thudding footsteps of the creature continuing its path. Finn almost slips coming around the corner, halting dead in his tracks. He recognized the woman, they’d spoken once over the network and she’d been kind, welcoming. Not overtly judgmental about his food predicament.

Now she was lying in a spreading pool of blood, swearing and missing an arm. Finn feels a panicked twist in his stomach at the sight.]

Whoa, are you- [Okay? She wasn’t okay, that was obvious.] Do you need help? ‘Cuz that looks…bad. [no point sugar coating that, she definitely knew.] I can help you get to the infirmary…

[He kneels next to her, cautiously not touching her, a worried look on his face. She’d lost so much blood…how much blood could you lose before things got really dire?]

Closed to Yujin | After He Gets His Shit Wrecked

[groupiedrifter]

[Newton had the misfortune of being caught off-guard by the Patchwork Man — which is to say, he had very little chance against something so much bigger and stronger and more capable than him. Newt's never been much of a fighter, that much is obvious by the way he'd been thrown around and beaten like a crash test dummy; it's made all the worse by the sudden blindness that grips him in the midst of the awful creature's lashings.

But he'd gotten away. Or at least had distracted the thing enough with a taser long since abandoned in the lab he'd been assaulted in; now he claws along the walls of the Ximilia, still blinded by the orb's agreement with him, his mouth hanging slack as he breathes heavily and leaves blood dripping off a nasty gash in his lip.

Focus, Newt, he tells himself. Focus, you've been practicing. Weeks before this, he'd made it a hefty effort to learn the station while blind; now more than ever, it needs to pay off, throbbing concussion be damned. He's pretty sure one of his forearms are broken, or maybe fractured — no, that feels kind of broken — but if he's lucky, none of his insides are currently pooling with blood. He took some pretty bad hits; he's pretty sure he won't look very pretty in the face to whoever he manages to find.

Ugh, his glasses are gone; they're probably a broken mess somewhere in the lab.

Fuck.

Shitfuckshit.

Stumbling through the darkness only he's been left to endure, he trips on his uncoordinated foot and falls hard on the floor with a strangled sound of pain. But — oh, wait. Footsteps. They don't sound like they're shuffling or monstrous, so that's a benefit. With a wobbly and breathless voice still of bloody spit, he calls out:]

Anybody there?

... I need a hand... Definitely at least one...

[... Don't be alarmed, Yujin, if the little guy on the ground looks like he's been ganged up on and curb-stomped. He just got beat nearly half to death by a very fucked up version of Frankenstein. It happens to the best of us.]

[softshoes]

[Although he doesn't catch the fight itself, Yujin does hear the sounds of a scuffle, and he does see the wreckage the Patchwork Man has left in his wake around the ship. Busted machinery, dents and tears in the walls-- even streaks of blood left here and there from those unfortunate enough to have been caught in his path. Once, he even sees the creature shambling down a hall: whatever it is, it's uncanny and terrifying beyond anything he's ever seen in his life.

And sure, this isn't the first scrape he's ever been in. But it's most certainly the strangest. He shoots quick messages to Kazuma and Ryunosuke to stay inside and stay safe, then begins to make the rounds around the ship, carefully avoiding the Patchwork Man as he searches for any of his victims.

Luckily for him-- and for Newt-- it doesn't take long. There's some small flecks of blood on the ground that appear fresher than the rest.]

Blood... [he breathes, staring down the hall. Which, of course, is when he hears Newt's voice-- and sees the man crumpled on the floor.] Ah-- Dr. Geizler?!

[He definitely recognizes that man from the network, but even if he didn't? He's in need of immediate help. Without hesitation, Yujin hurries forward to help him off the ground, brow furrowed with worry.]

We need to get you somewhere safer. Where are you injured? [a beat,] Can you walk?