[OPEN] Mission 156

[soul_mods]

Characters: Open to participants who signed up here.
Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
Rating: Various.
Time: March 27th, late morning.
Description: The second of the three Madness emitters outside Death City is the target for this mission. Bundle up, everyone -- it's gonna be a cold one.

The mission begins late in the morning, to allow the mission-goers as much sunlight as possible in the warmest part of the day. Not that it'll help much… Temperatures are well below freezing already -- unnatural even for early Spring in the mountains -- and a howling snowstorm threatens to blot out the sun, beginning up the mountain where the slope just begins to rise sharply.

The slopes themselves are fairly barren: a windswept-looking tree here, a cabin that may have once belonged to the snow patrol there, maybe a Madness-crazed bear or mountain lion. Those braving the storm are lucky enough to see five feet in front of their face in these conditions!

Those brave few who manage to make it to the top (enduring falling temperatures and defeating the corrupted fauna and hulking kishin yeti along the way) may come across their goal at the very summit of the half-mile-high mountain: the Madness emitter itself, in the eye of the storm… And one last obstacle: the Witch guarding it.



OOC NOTES.
- The event summary post containing all relevant links is located here.
- Make your own threads, but please indicate in your subject line [CHARACTER(S) | LOCATION | OPEN/CLOSED]
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

Comments

[silicomb]

I heard that. [ conversationally! but he turns in the indicated direction, and slogs onward. ]

Any plans for after we miraculously survive this snowy goddamn hell?

[3rdbest]

[Thanks for mentioning the fact they are fucked over and over again, Sol. You are a pal. And with that, Matt's need for a cigarette grows.]

No idea. So far, I'm happy enough that you didn't fall and roll down the hill. [considering all the clothing Sollux seemed to be wearing, it didn't look as if he'd be able to get up if he did fall]

How many times did you and the later-me [since he can't say "past-me"] go on a mission?

[silicomb]

Whereas I'm happy you didn't freeze to my gloves.

[ stop that Matt, he can kinda feel the cigarette-itch in the back of his head now. it's a really weird feeling. ]

Couple of times, at best. We're not exactly heroic mission-busting material, are we?

[3rdbest]

Aha, there's still that chance.

[ he can't stop it. Each step Sollux takes, it gets worse and worse. Actually, a little more and he will get snappy. But he is trying to keep a decent mood by making conversation, at least. ]

Unless it's on screen. But- kinda want to level up. [ see it like a video game. Maybe it won't be that bad ]

[silicomb]

[ Matt's irritation is very, dangerously close to carrying over, and it doesn't take very much at all to push Sollux to the edge of snappiness himself. turbulent waters, here. ]

Same. It just takes practice. You know, next time we could just go to morning training? Shitty as the hours they set it for are.

[ less of a chance of either them losing a limb. maybe. ]

[3rdbest]

Been there - too many people, no thanks. Rather go train by myself. [ which would never happen because Matt doesn't have much self discipline when it comes to physical exercise ]

Hey. Stop.

[ he can't handle this, he needs to smoke ] I need a smoke.

[silicomb]

Do you really fucking have to?

[ but he stops anyway, directing a blind glower most dire at the portal gun in his hands. ]

Okay, sure. Let's just fall behind a while because you need to fuck up your tarred aeration sacs a little bit more, okay.

[3rdbest]

Falling behind on what, do you think we can actually climb this whole fucking mountain of doom? If they made it any bigger we'd reach the psychotic sun. [ yep, he is cranky ]

And at least one of us will be in a better mood. Or maybe just relax a bit. [ not that facing death makes anyone happy, but hell, Matt would like to do it without being reminded he will die, every 5 seconds. ]

[silicomb]

Relax? Sure, okay. I can totally do that.

[ says Sollux with a gaunt kinda grin, right before he drops Matt's Weapon form into the snow. ]

Because I'm definitely not the one who signed us up for this shit-mission that's probably far too many levels above our pay-grade, yeah.

[3rdbest]

You fucking-!! [the moment Matt is dropped, he turns, looking up at Sollux] Fuck you! You didn't have to accept! [he gets up, quickly]

No one pointed a gun at your head and told you to come. If you are that pissy about it, stay behind, kid. [ hands searching for his pack of cigarettes ] I don't have to deal with this shit.

[ Matt is pissed. He is angry about the cold, about not being able to use his portals, about not having nicotine, about Sollux complain, about being dropped into the snow like that, about this whole goddamn place which was getting to his head, somehow. ]

[ The moment Matt found a cancer stick, he put it to his mouth, but lighting it up in this weather is impossible. He does try a lot of times, but ends up heading towards the cabin to use it to cover himself (and his lighter) from the wind. ]

[silicomb]

I'm not a fucking kid, corpsemeat, watch your rancid gaping mealtunnel. I went with you because who the fuck else would stand your stupid lousy smoker's cough?

[ Sollux is angry. he's pissed. he's positively furious and could very well chew nails if they were available. it's like the mountain's trying to get to him, wiggling its way into his pan the way Matt's nicotine addiction was, and it only makes him angrier.

hearing Matt's receding footsteps is only additional oil on the fire. ]

Like I even need you! Fuck.

[3rdbest]

Don't know what the fuck you are complaining about; I heard you used to have your goddamn tongue down my throat quite often, after all. [ oh snap, he went there. And Matt doesn't even seem to understand it himself. He is trying to light his cigarette once again, but a sound stops him.

Matt looks up and staring down at him, at the top of the cabin's roof, a cougar (that seems to be the size of a goddamn tiger) seems to have found its dinner. ]

Sol- [ he has time to snap out of it, but not to finish. The animal suddenly jumps on him, throwing Matt to the ground, which causes he to let out a scream. ]

[silicomb]

[ Matt's barb is a sharp one, sharp enough to shock Sollux into relative silence. Oh, there's hurt in spades, yes indeed, quite a fair amount, but it's just as quickly lost in the roiling anger bubbling back up to the surface. He's about to retort, to yell or shout, perhaps, maybe even to march over to Matt and kick him in the shins when the scream hits him next.

That's definitely not what he was expecting. Was he shrieking in stupid gamer triumph? Did he burn his eyebrows off with his cigarette?

Maybe it was because of that very ominous, very dangerous-sounding growl there. Huh. ]

Matt!

[3rdbest]

[ the thing about being attacked by a wild animal is that you aren't very sure on what to do because it never happened before. It's no different with Matt. He is being attacked by a goddamn lion and there is no quick reaction to this.

Mostly, he is just shocked. He hears Sollux's voice, but everything feels surreal right now.

Until there is pain. Suddenly the animal bites his left shoulder, teeth sinking into Matt's skin with no mercy and the claws manage to slash the left arm. The redhead wakes up from his own shock with a cry of pain, mixed with a loud "Fuck!!" and finds his right hand trying to push the animal off him, but in vain. ]

[silicomb]

[ It sounds violent, it sounds hideous, and above all, it sounds terrifying as all hell. Sollux doesn't know what to make of it save that his Weapon sounds an inch away from a very painful and likely messy death. It's what gets Sollux moving, stumbling through the snow toward the really fucking unnerving cacophony. ]

Matt? Fuck!

[ Maybe it's for the best all around that Sollux ends up tripping and sprawling into the snow. It keeps him nicely out of the way of the rampaging lion. ]

[3rdbest]

[ Move, Matt!

Move, he wants to move, but how?! And that's when he remembered the gun he was given before going up the mountain. At first, it's hard to find it; the snow , the animal on top of him, panic and pain don't work well, but soon he feels the metallic object.

And when he does, it's a matter of seconds to grab it and point it at the cougar's head, shooting four bullets in a row which is more than enough to kill it. There is no longer growling and Matt no longer screams, but as he gets off the animal, he hisses in pain, hand quickly reaching for his hurt arm.

There is blood, a lot of it.]

Shit, shit, shit! [if it hit an artery, he is fucked. So what Matt does is to open his jacket and try to see just how much blood there is to be exact. As he does so, he turns his head towards Sollux.]

Sollux! I'm fine, I'm alive! [the troll will have to move closer to him by following Matt's voice] It's just a scratch!

[silicomb]

[ It takes a moment or two, but Sollux manages to regain his feet. He hates snow all the more for how it impedes his progress. ]

That is utter fucking hoofbeastshit! [ he'd be embarrassed by how his voice just cracked on that if he wasn't so busy being worried. ]

It didn't sound like "just a scratch". Matt? Shit.

[ Though, once he reaches Matt, he doesn't do much more than hover over him uncertainly. He can't see what's happened, and he can't gauge the extent of any injuries because of it, and even if he could see, what could he really do about it? He knows shit-all about first-aid. ]

[3rdbest]

Sollux. [ a deep breathe, as he finally manages to pull away his shirt enough to have a look ] I can't have you freaking out right now, okay? We don't want its mate to come by and check out what a piece of delicious meat we both are.

[ yes, joking. Less stressful and the best way to regain your cool. Mind you, Matt no longer needs a cigarette. But it's a fact; there is a lot of blood and blood draws other animals.

The redhead observes the wounds; fuck, it's a goddamn mess. But the blood isn't coming out like a spurt, so no major artery was hit. All he needs to do is compression, maybe it will stop; and for that, Matt reaches for the hem of his shirt and tears a piece of it.] I need your help, okay?

[silicomb]

[ wild animals are Serious Business even on Alternia, but that's not what's really worrying Sollux right now. priorities, man. his Weapon may or may not be in pieces right now and Sollux can't tell a damn thing. ]

Yeah? Yeah, sure. I- er. What? I mean, how?

[ he's stuttering and faltering right now, and later on, he might even be embarrassed by it. right now, though, it's all about Matt and the apparent dead thing nearby.

grand. ]

[3rdbest]

[ matt wraps the cloth around the wound in his arm, watching it quickly gain a red color from the blood. He lets his arm up, and with his free hand he reaches for Sollux's hands to put them on the improvised bandage he just made. Sorry, Sollux, your hands will get dirty with human blood. ] I need you to tie that up, as hard as you can.

[ Sollux being blind thing. Yeah, Matt needs to explain what is going on. ] It's a bandage. I want to compress the wound on my arm, so blood will stop flooding out. I can't do it with one hand, I need you to do this for me.

[silicomb]

[ aw shit. this is, perhaps, the closest Sollux will ever seem to open and utter dismay. ]

Mothergrubfucker, okay, okay! I-- just tie it, right?

[ he really, really doesn't want to do this, but there Sollux is anyway, doing his best to oblige Matt's request without being very stupidly and violently ill. ]

Like this?

[3rdbest]

[ Matt hisses, but he lets out a small "yeah". He observes the arm for a second and then remembers his shoulder; there are puncture wounds, but the cougar didn't tear the flesh, at least.

Once he is done, he reaches for some snow, pressing it against his arm to numb the pain.]

......I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. [ to get angry like that; that wasn't like him at all. And he seriously didn't want to say those things to Sollux. ]

[silicomb]

... Don't apologize. I, er. Didn't mean to either. [ what the hell was wrong with him, saying that kind of shit? sure, he can be abrasive like no one else can, but that was several levels of Crossing The Line back there.

he hates this mountain. ]

Sorry. [ maybe, maybe if he hadn't dropped Matt like that, or kept a lid on his temper, this wouldn't have happened. maybe. probably. definitely. ]

[3rdbest]

[ Matt went as far as mentioning Sollux's relationship with him. That was all sorts of low. ]

I guess we are even. [Matt finally grabs back the clothes he took; it was getting cold, even if adrenaline was pumping through all of his body right now.

After, he grabs snow yet again but this time he plays with it a bit before giving it to Sollux; wash the blood on your hands, Matt doesn't want people asking why your hands are covered in blood, Sol. ]

[silicomb]

[ it takes Sollux a moment to register just why he has a handful of terrible frozen precipitation, but when it finally hits, he starts scrubbing the blood off with a furious vengeance. ew ew ick ew. ]

Matt-- Matt, we need to get you to a... the infirmary, or someplace. We gotta go back.