EVENT ONE: JUNE 21ST-28TH

[luminals]

TAKE BACK KNOWHERE
When: June 21-28
Who: Everyone.
Where: All over Knowhere, ending in the Continuum Cortex and Observation Deck.

Event details are here, IC announcement is here.

Prose & Action brackets are both acceptable ways of posting to these comments, please be mindful of what threads you are posting under!

Comments

leonard mccoy ✩ open

[sufferably]

( all things considered, it’s not the worst day he’s ever had. if he had the time to stop and think about that, he might realize the scale on which that places his life—but he doesn’t, so he won’t. instead, he hugs the walls of the long and winding hallways as he tries to make his way back to any area that’s populated.

he could almost buy all of this as a transporter accident, as some kind of grand social experiment he’s been swept up in without his consent. but he’s also got a monstrous headache, one that starts at the base of his skull and fans out to his temples, and that crushes his resolve to find a logical explanation for any of this.

there is also the fact that his mood is shifting rapidly—anxiety wars with anger and gives way to despair too quickly, and his mind realizes in some distant way that this isn’t normal. he’s no stranger to any of these emotions, but the way they’re racing through his mind without him being able to process them is downright freakish.

so here stands mccoy, arms crossed over his chest and expression the epitome of exasperation. he might catch sight of someone else in the halls, lift a hand and begin to call out— ) Hey, hey you! Do you have any idea—

( he’s cut off fairly quickly, because as soon as he asks the question a third party enters—an alien who’s species he can’t identify, who doesn’t look anything so much as mean and hostile.

good goddamn, he thinks mildly. then he’s lunging to one side, to get out of the way as the third party starts to attack. )

hope this works?

[knightoflight]

[Wing has been chasing the invaders up from the cortex. They are fascinatingly hard to kill. Well, it would be more fascinating if there weren't quite as many fragile-looking organics around.]

[He skids around the corner a few beats after the creature, blue blades hissing with charge.]

I was not done with our previous conversation!

[By conversation, he means fight, as the creature bears the mark of a severed limb or two. But life's far too precious to him right now to pass up an opportunity at what he thinks is witty combat repartee.]

[sufferably]

( he'd like to say that nothing can quite surprise him anymore-- he's supposed to be going boldly into the unknown, after all. but the sight of wing definitely pushes his sense of normalcy, so much so that he scrambles back away from the robot as much as he does the bigger alien. )

Oh, my god. ( he says, eloquently. ) This is just fantastic. Please, proceed with chopping off the alien's limbs. I'm sure that'll make this whole thing a lot better.

[knightoflight]

[There must be something off with the translation protocol, because the words sounded positive, but the tone of voice seemed a bit...sarcastic?]

I was just...going to cut off enough so it didn't kill you?

[He's not excessive, after all!]

[sufferably]

Well, that makes it better.

( the giant robot is talking to him. this a terrible and awful and also a terrible day.

but the hostile alien is still around, so bones hunches his shoulders and lunges out of the way. for all his grousing, he really does look like he could use some help. )

[knightoflight]

I'd hope so!

[There's no sarcasm in the voice: Wing figures 'not being killed' is pretty good a reason.

[Besides there's not much time to argue, since the creature definitely doesn't want to play nice. Wing turns, driving the back of his blade's hilt into the center of the other's chest. ]

Proper introductions when we get done here?

[sufferably]

( the giant robot has manners. he supposes he should be able to appreciate that, but right now he's just looking, wide-eyed, at the rapidly dying form of the alien.

despite everything, he can still mourn a death-- even if the alternative would have been his own.

he's silent for a long moment before he grits out-- ) Thanks.

[sophos]

[Unlike the man, who ducks and covers, Annabeth lunges to meet the alien halfway - and maybe to draw its attention to her, rather than the man himself (people who can defend themselves don't avoid conflict like that). It manages to land a blow on her shoulder, but she only grunts as she strikes back, slashing at it with her sword.]

[The alien jerks backward, and she thrusts it forward again, the tip cutting into its gut. It's a lot taller than she is, but she doesn't seem bothered by this. Quite the opposite - she ducks to the ground and rolls between its legs, coming up behind it and stabbing her sword into its side before it can turn around.]

[As it yelps and falls over, she yanks the bone out, taking in a deep breath. The adrenaline's still in her, and she gives the area a scan to make sure there isn't a second ready to pounce from the shadows.]

[sufferably]

( she moves too quickly for him to react properly-- his mind registers, in stages, the skill with which she's dispatching the aggressor, then her unconventional weapon, and finally her age. she's just a kid, and that realization makes bones feel more than a little ashamed for shying away from the conflict at all.

as soon as she's defeated the thing, he takes a few brisk steps forward, hands raised to show her he isn't a threat. )

You're hurt. ( he shakes his head. ) C'mon, kid-- we need to get out of here before more show up.

[sophos]

What? [Hurt?? After a few seconds it registers that the alien hit her, but it's hardly the worst she's ever felt. She rolls her shoulder as if to prove it.] I'm fine.

[Annabeth glances around again.] But yeah, not keeping in one place is probably still for the best. [Especially if he can't fight.]

[sufferably]

Not if you keep doing that, you won't be. Injuries need to be set. Putting more strain on them doesn't prove you're alright, it's just asking for it to get worse.

( he's not sure why he always has to end up explaining these things to people-- shouldn't this all be common sense? but he supposes he can give her a pass, given how young she is. and the fact that she probably just saved his life doesn't hurt, either. )

Let's see if we can't find a room without attacking aliens in it.

[sophos]

[Annabeth gives him a pointed look.] It's not like it's broken. All the stupid thing did was knock into me. I've had worse and it didn't stop me.

[Maybe it'll bruise but lbr a demigod pretty much always has a bruise on their body somewhere?? It might be a little sore too, but now is not the time to deal with it, as far as she's concerned.]

Why, did it get you? [It might be a little more biting than she intended, because she doesn't think she'd have missed the man getting hit, but her shoulder is fine gdit.]

[parallels]

[Well at least there's someone else who seems to be as confused as she is. When he hails her, she pauses for a second, and then walks over. Unfortunately, her movement is interrupted by something big, cross, and definitely hostile. It lunges for both of them and instinctively she dodges out of the way, rolling across the floor, and landing near the man's feet. ]

Nope. No idea at all.

[Then she scrambles to her feet and backs away from the approaching alien.]

But I think we ought to be getting the hell away from this thing.

[sufferably]

( human. she looks human, which is undoubtedly a good thing. he nods in quick assent, offers her a hand should she need it, and jerks his head to one side. )

I came from that way-- there's more turns, harder for something that big to make it's way through.

( he's already setting off at a brisk pace-- the only thing that could make this day worse would be dying. )

[parallels]

[And she's moving too. Swifter than he is, practically running. She's used to this. Far too used to this.

Instinctively, she holds out her hand for him to take.]

C'mon on then, lets run.

[sufferably]

( in other circumstances he might think twice about grasping her hand, but as it is the emotions of the day fuel him forward and he takes it without a second thought. once he gets going, he's far from slow, and when they arrive at a corner he tugs them in one direction, relying on earlier memories of the place. )

This is fun. ( he says, shortly, trying not to let that turn into a long-winded rant. he can use all the breath he has, right now. )

[necrokinetic]

[ there's a shroud of darkness that hovers over nico and the man who'd been attempting to get his attention. the shadows had risen out of instinct — and the demigod is glad that at least his powers seem to be working on some level here — and now absorb the weird rays being shot their way. being grazed by one had told him that those were definitely to be avoided.

their makeshift shield won't hold for more than a minute, so they'd best try to make their move while it still worked. he turns to the man he'd covered for with a grimace. ]

Are you okay?

[sufferably]

( it's not that he isn't grateful for the save. those blasts look like they'll bite worse than a phaser, and he knows he'll have an even harder time getting out of here if he's injured. but his savior looks to be, for all appearances, a little kid. a kid who's working some kind of magic on the shadows, but a kid nonetheless. and mccoy's pride rebels at the thought.

so he squares his shoulders, shakes his head. ) Just fine. Can't really say the same for you, can we?

( his gaze might be narrowing in one where nico might've been struck earlier. )

[necrokinetic]

[ nico stubbornly resists following the man's gaze to where he knows he must be sporting a nasty burn thanks to the aliens. it wasn't as if he had any ambrosia on hand, nor the time to sit down and wait to heal, so what was the point? add in the fact that he's still not really used to getting help and the demigod is frowning back like mccoy's just insulted him. ]

It's nothing to worry about.

[sufferably]

Uh-huh. And what's telling you that, kid?

( clearly, it's misplaced heroism. that's what it always is. )

[necrokinetic]

[ you don't know his life!! .... but yeah, it totally is. ]

I'm not a kid.

[ just let him keep protecting you ok ]

[rodders]

( Rodimus had spent his time tearing through the halls in his alt-mode - it allowed for quicker travel to get... wherever they were supposed to be. All things considered he thought he was taking this 'pulled away from Cybertron and his quest' thing pretty well. But if getting whatever it was free and clear was the ticket for getting back home? Yeah, he could do that.

His attention is grabbed by a human yelling and it's not enough to make him stop-- or at least it wasn't until he realizes that another organic has joined the fray. With a very clear purpose in mind.

Transforming out of his alt-mode is second nature by this point, and so's the firing off a few rounds from his exhaust into the looming organic. There's a grim sense of satisfaction watching it stumble and fall, even if he's not used to fighting fleshlings. )

Aren't most organics bigger than this?

( He's not nudging the corpse with his giant foot because that's gross, but the action is implied in his tone. )

[sufferably]

Depends if we're talking molecules, or lifeforms.

( the words make sense, to some extent, even if he's never heard them used in that way. but, honestly, let's be glad that bones is left with any speech at all, after watching a vehicle become a robot and then that robot dispatching his attacker.

good god, it's going to be a long, long day. )

What the hell are you?

( not exactly first contact procedures. but fuck that noise, really. )

[rodders]

Lifeforms? ( Yeah, definitely lifeforms.

The next question catches him off guard because honestly? They've sort of made a name for themselves on earth and around the galaxy. It's weird for someone to ask - he's just used to everyone knowing at first glance. )

Cybertronian. You're welcome, by the way.

( Rodimus saved your life, where's his thanks? )

[sufferably]

Never heard of you. ( that's gruff, but not quite dismissive. they boldly go, after all. they're supposed to expect that new species will pop up from time to time.

he waves a hand, and this time the gesture is definitely dismissive. )

Looks like you were gonna go for it whether I was here or not.