[closed] yes, turn the knob and switch that gear

[faithlikeaseed]

Who: The SQUIP, L Lawliet, Connor, and Justine vs Rich Goranski, Michael Mell, Myr Shivana, and Niles, with Jeremy Heere in the middle like a rugby ball.
When: The 14th, before the mist recedes.
Where: waves hands vaguely, somewhere near where the SQUIP’s hiding its people-hoard
What: A little spot of aggravated assault against an AI gone rogue. The SQUIP’s number is up.
Warnings: v i o l e n c e, body horror, blood, traumatic brain injury; more as needed.


Three days of mist and chaos hadn’t been kind to Aefenglom. Despite the Coven’s best efforts, the city resembled a war zone more than a thriving metropolis, with Monsters and Witches alike running rampant. Some were feral--some were simply making best use of a crisis--but regardless of motive, many, too many, were going unopposed and unnoticed.

Among the rioting and looting, the SQUIP’s quiet personal effort to grow its social network might’ve gone entirely unnoticed. It was almost commendable, in a sick way, in stashing the people it collected out of harm’s way. It could have very well gone on doing so until the mist receded with no one but its new acquisitions the wiser--

But then it made the mistake of grabbing the wrong person, and all hell broke loose.

Comments

[plasticasshole]

[Connor's attention is immediately drawn to Niles when he shows up, and he sneers. Standing in front of Justine defensively, he sees the wall of ice go up and recognises it as the SQUIP trying to protect him. His eyes do flick over the others as they appear, but nobody grabs his attention the way Niles does.

Niles already killed the SQUIP once. Niles is a threat that needs to be kept away from it. His own safety doesn't concern him. Not when he has two people he loves to protect.]

Justine... stand back.

[He doesn't really expect her to listen even as he says it, so he steps forward too, wondering inwardly how he's supposed to fight Niles in that form. He's close to the ice now, not considering that Niles can jump it.]

[ishisstrength]

[Justine's gaze follows each person as they join the fray. She recognizes them but there is a distance to that recognition. The only names that circle through her thoughts are her Bonded and the SQUIP.

She must protect it and Connor and Ri-- the name staggers in her thoughts and she struggles to hold onto it. He's in trouble.

SQUIP is in trouble. Rich's name is suddenly replaced. Yet she can feel Rich's anger through the Bond, the contradiction. Something feels wrong but Justine can't place it, she can't focus on it.]

Connor.

[Justine whispers his name and steps forward. She isn't weak, not anymore, not like when they first met, when she first arrived to this city.

"I will protect you."

She wants to protect everyone she's come to care about and with that thought planted firmly in my mind, the air around her began to stir.]

[cyclopticsadist]

[And it looks like she'll need to. With a cold laugh Niles crouches, hind legs shifting from side to side and tail lashing back and forth. Then he leaps front paws reaching and catching the rim of the wall. He pulls himself up and as soon as his hind legs touch the wall he leaps again, this time sailing over L's barrier to pounce onto Connor, slamming into him with his full taur weight.

He bends forward at the human waist, arm flying towards Connor, attempting to literally slap the charm breaker onto him.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor hits the ground with a grunt, but manages to block the charm breaker by throwing up his arms. He grabs the paper, tearing it half out of Niles' hands. He doesn't know what that does, but he doesn't want any part of it. He aims a punch to Niles' stomach from where he is, but he can't dislodge the taur without help.]

[ishisstrength]

[Her chin lifts, her dark flecked gaze following Nile's as he sails effortlessly over the wall of ice. Justine readies her spell.

She'd never been one for evocation but Harry had insisted she learn, more so after she accidentally sent him flying across the yard with a gust of wind.

Niles crashes into Connor and she focuses on that feeling again, channeling her determination into magical energy that she can use.]

Ventus. [Justine whispers the word beneath her breath and the air between Connor and Niles coils like a spring. It lifts the tuar up and into the air while subsequently pushing Connor back towards the ground.]

[cyclopticsadist]

[Niles lets out a single peel of laughter when Connor grabs the paper, which dies and revives as a growl when it's totally ineffective, and then shredded. In Dorcharcht they worked on skin contact so why...

But he doesn't have time to be confused before he's tumbling away. The gust snatches the
remaining charms breakers and flings them away. He closes his fist reflexively, managing to hold onto one, although it's a bit crumpled now. Hopefully it'll still work, because he needs this woman out of commission.

His tail sweeps out in a long dangerous arc, but not in a strike. It acts as a counterbalance as he twists to get his legs back under him, claws extending and digging into the dirt in case another blast is coming his way. Next to him Connor is righting himself too and about to get back on his feet. Niles raises a foreleg and in quick succession bats at him twice, claws extended. The first he aims for the head, wanting to box him on the ear and disorient him, and the second is aimed lower, intended to push him out of Niles way so he can have a clear shot at charging Justine.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor takes the paw to the face and as it turns out, leopard claws are long and sharp. Sharp enough to leave a series of slashes along his face that extend from his ear to his nose, deep enough that it opened the plastic underneath. Blue blood seeps from the wound, the skin retracted around it to show the shiny white of the plastic around his cheek. He doesn’t seem to be in any kind of pain despite the gashes.

He gets pushed back, but gets up again quickly. He sees Niles is aiming for Justine right now, and he’s determined not to let him hurt her. He jumps up and hangs off Niles, hoping to at least distract him. Focus on the guy who can’t feel pain, asshole.]

[ishisstrength]

Connor!

[Justine shouts, panic catching in her throat as the bright flecks of blue blood splatters the stone sidewalk.

Her blood pumps hot as fear and anger gather within her chest. Soft cruel voices echo through her thoughts, a byproduct of the mist.]

Get away from him.

[It's unclear who she's talking too but the wind picks up around her again. She lifts her fingers and tries to focus on narrowing the air to a blade.

Her aim is off in an attempt to avoid hitting Connor and it slams into the top portion of the ice wall, splintering razor shards down over all three of them.]

[cyclopticsadist]

[Niles' attention is immediately drawn back to Connor. Not just by the tackle, but that blood. He grabs Connor's face with his human hands. The nails on his fingers weren't as long or as sturdy as the ones on his paws, but they were plenty sharp. He digs them into the skin, (was it skin? it didn't feel quite like flesh), and drags his right hand across the undamaged cheek. Slowly. More curious blue blood welled up and Niles pupils dilate with hungry curiosity. Was that a monster trait? A magical effect of some kind? What was he? How-

His rapidly increasing list of questions is interrupted by the sharp sound of ice cracking. He jumps, bringing Connor along for the ride, although it causes him to stumble on landing due to the imbalanced weight. Now flanking Justine with the remainder of the ice wall he's got a perfect chance to get the charm breaker on her. Or he would if he didn't have this hitchhiker. With a growl Niles drops to the ground and rolls, trying to break Connor's grip by crushing him.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor growls as Niles grabs his cheek, the claws going through the "skin" on the other side of his face and exposing more plastic. He bleeds as it's damaged, but he can't do much when he's hanging off Niles like this.

When Niles jumps he clings harder, and when he rolls he keeps his grip firm. It doesn't hurt and he doesn't need to breathe... and Justine is more important than himself.]

Just hit him, Justine! Don't worry about me!

[ishisstrength]

[A vice tightens around her heart and her blood runs cold at the sight of Connor being torn apart in front of her. The hazy dreamlike gleam to her eyes sharpens as a new anger fills her to her breaking point. That furry consumes her and the rest of the battle slips into the background.]

Let go Connor. [She whispers, her words dangerous and low.

There is no cast. Instead Justine steps forwards and reaches out with her hand. Her nails curl together as if crushing the air in her palm and then she pulls back, stealing the air from Nile's lungs. All of her pain, her fear, her anger, the torrent of chaotic emotions inside of her pours into that single spell and fuels it.]

You. [Her words are low and clipped.] Will. Not. Hurt. Him.

[cyclopticsadist]

[Connor releases Niles and he twists as he stands up to face Justine properly. The reaching hand motion causes a spike of fear in his gut, thinking Justine knew the same mind control magic as the Squip. He has to deal with her before he loses himse-

The spell hits and he tries to gasp, no longer worried about losing his mind, but now his life as she chokes him out. He has at least a minute before he's out of it. He stumbles forward, lungs aching, leaning forward and reaching out, doing everything he can to close the distance between himself and the witch, charm breaker in hand.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor gets back to his feet and looks between the two. Something feels wrong about watching Justine choke Niles. Does she really want to kill him? He struggles briefly against the SQUIP's control, an easier task now that everyone is distracted.]

Justine. Stop.

[It's not that he cares if Niles dies... because quite honestly, he doesn't. What he does care about is the fact that Niles will likely come after Justine if she does. Death isn't permanent here, but Niles could be capable of thinking of something worse. He can't take that chance.]

Please.

[His eyes dart between both of them as he inches closer to her.]

[twoplayergay]

[ Michael is temporarily distracted from his fussing with Jeremy by the sight of the chaos happening across the way. Fear grips tight onto Michael's guts, and a plethora of other confusing emotions he can't rightly cope with.

Connor was siding with the SQUIP, that much he could see, and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Worse still was seeing him ripped open, though, especially because Michael knows nothing about Niles or why he would be here, who he's even trying to help.

Justine is someone he trusted, though, and he's certain she's simply under some kind of control, like Jeremy. Connor, who knows, but Justine definitely wouldn't be the type to condone the shit the SQUIP does... right?

And he doubts she's the kind of person who wants a death on her consciousness. ]

Justine, no!

[ He doesn't realize until after he's screamed that he probably doesn't want to be drawing attention to himself, actually. Shit. ]

[ishisstrength]

[Her breath quickens as her heart threatens to pull from her chest. She doesn't want to hurt anyone but she needs to protect Connor. She can't lose him. She can't lose anyone else. Harry... Majima... Paris... they were all leaving. It would destroy her to lose anyone else she'd come to care about.]

I can't let that happen. [Her words are soft, whispered like a prayer.] I can't lose anyone else.

[It's Connor's voice that reaches her first. The soft pleading note. The spell loosens but she doesn't stop. She's trying to protect him. Doesn't he realize it? He's bleeding.

Then Michael's shout fills her thoughts. Her back straightens as if someone is pulling her shoulders back. The spell doesn't release but her body moves with a jerky tightness as if she's struggling. Tears sting her eyes. Not because she's done fighting but because she doesn't know what to do.]

Why?

[She asks, her voice thick and low. She isn't able to break the enchantment like Connor. Her thoughts are complacent beneath it and the voices quieter. Even if she wants to be free, a part of her will always seek that escape.]

[cyclopticsadist]

[Niles' legs give out underneath him before he manage to get the charm breaker on her, but as the edges of his vision start to go dark he panics. His legs kick weakly, and he disjointedly drags his body in her direction. He just needs to get...a little closer.

Rich had told him to be non-lethal, a request Niles understood and respected. The people supporting the Squip here were not in their right minds. Roughing them up was fine, but he dove into this fray intending to avoid any lasting or permanent damage.


But she went there first. She's a regrettable casualty for sure, but between her life and his, Niles is choosing the selfish option. With one last burst of strength he whips his tail around and up, stinger aimed straight at Justine's chest..]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor sees that stinger about to hit Justine, and in a moment of pure panic he flings himself forward, grabbing hold of her and hugging her to him. At the same time that stinger hits him in the back, likely sending a small electric shock down the tail to Niles as it penetrates the plastic and hits a wire.

He feels relief even as he knows the stinger is lodged in his back. Even if it could have hurt him, he wouldn't have cared as long as Justine didn't have to die a painful death.]

Just... don't.

[She'll regret it when she isn't angry anymore. He knows she will. And he doesn't want that hanging over her along with her other demons. She has enough.]

[ishisstrength]

CONNOR!

[Justine's eyes widen as Connor's arms wrap protectively around her slim frame. The tears she'd been holding back begin to fall as her fingers cling to the side of his shirt.] Connor. Connor... [She releases her spell on Niles, focusing on nothing but the weight of his body against hers and that stinger.]

No. Please.

[She looks up at Nile's as if he'd shattered her with his stinger instead of embedding it into Connor's back.]

Just stop.

[Why is Nile's fighting them? Why can't he leave them be?]

[twoplayergay]

[ Michael watches this all happen with horror and fear. He can't... do anything. And even if he could, he wouldn't know what to do. All he knows is that it hurts to watch, it hurts to see Justine and Connor be hurt and it hurts to watch them being clearly controlled by the SQUIP.

At least he doesn't have to see Justine kill someone.

He tears his eyes away, feeling useless and hating it, to focus on something else. ]

[cyclopticsadist]

[Niles watches the bonded embrace, and pulls back his tail, flicking some amount of blue blood onto the floor in the process. He's panting from his prone position on the floor, staring in addled confusion at Connor, still standing, unaffected. Then Justine addresses him, snapping Niles out of his almost awestruck pause. He huffs and leans forward, reaching past Connor's legs to put the de-charming spell tag on Justine's calf.

Then he rises to his feet but retreats. There's a dragon fight going on behind him that he's not too keen on getting caught up in, and as far as he's concerned his job here is just backup. Prevent the charmed from helping the Squip. Justine he'd freed from its influence now, and at least for the moment Connor isn't trying to interfere. He stands at the ready between the two of them and the brawling dragons, eye flicking between the various simultaneous events. This....could have been planned better he thinks.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor doesn't acknowledge anything going on around him until the SQUIP dives out of the air to go to L, at which point the anger the SQUIP feels rises with him. He lets go of Justine and starts to head towards his other Bonded, knowing that it's vulnerable right now and not wanting to let anyone get to it... even though realistically, what chance does he have against all these other Monsters?]

Watch out!

[ishisstrength]

[The charm makes Justine pause and shiver. It's as if a cold bucket of water had been splashed over her head but instead of water it was magic.

Connor slips from her grasp and she reaches for him as he moves towards the SQUIP and L and... Rich? Oh god. What was going on? It was as if he was blocked somehow or those feelings had been altered. Tears filled her eyes as the weight and memory of everything assaulted her senses but she didn't let it hold her back. She reached towards Connor, trying to find one steady source to cling too.]

Connor... no. Wait.

[Her voice is soft and as she speaks her fingers brush against his arm before he's moving towards the other fight.

Don't leave me.]