[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 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.]