@oddity-drac - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag

@oddity-drac

I'm Damien Marinos, and it's nice to meet you!

123 posts

demolitionlovedher started following you

Hello there.

#demolitionlovedher

//Tyler violently shakes his head, clenching his fists at his sides.// No…! Y-you don’t… fucking get it. It’s my fault because he put himself out there for me, I… I g-got him all exposed. He th-thinks he’s a fuck-up, but I… I fucked up first. //He covers his face with both hands, as if doing so would actually cover up the sudden vulnerability he feels.// They used me to lure him in… I sh—… should’ve…

//Now was the time Damien had been waiting for. They pulled Tyler into their arms, slowly, gently, careful as if to not startle him, and rested one hand on his head and the other along his waist.// Shh shh shh.... //They cooed, empathizing with Tyler to the point where their own heart pained with grief.// It's okay, it's going to be okay...

Vico just let them talk. The kid had to get used to that sort of thing. “Just hang back if you need to,” he said when they were done. “You’ll be fine.”

With a lurch the van left the road, jolting over rocks and dips in the rough ground, and Vico grabbed the edge of the bench to keep from falling into the woman next to him. He opened his mouth to say something else to Damien, but didn’t get the chance - at that moment they came to a sudden stop, and in the unnatural silence where the engine’s rumble used to be, the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W up front turned in her seat to address them.

“We’re a quarter mile from the target. You know your positions - we approach on foot. Do your job or get left in the desert for the cleaning crew. Arrest or shoot to kill. We’ve got a quota to make.”

"And with that inspiring pep talk," Vico muttered, leaning towards Damien under pretext of checking his shoelaces as the first pair of dracs pushed open the double doors at the rear and jumped down onto the dirt, "we’re off."

Damien nodded at Vico's advice before their arms flew up to stabilize themself. Eyes wide as the van wracked back and forth, Damien let themself breathe before the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W gave her orders. They patted down their body, double-checking that everything was properly there, and paused as Vico spoke quietly. Damien nodded, and jumped out of the van.

They stood there on the dirt for a moment, breathing intently, as if to purge out the toxins, when they straightened their body. The change in Damien's attitude was almost tangible. Where in the van they'd been a ball of nerves, they stood now secure, solid, a rock molded in the shape of the ideal Better Living Industries draculoid. Their gaze was steady in the direction of the target, and once everyone was out, they followed the herd of white in this grey-colored desert.

In the back of their mind though remained the ball of nerves from before, the squishy, emotional, Battery City citizen, worried about the actual raid itself. What was going to happen? It would be murder to go up too close for an arrest, but something in them pained at the thought of killing another person, regardless of their infamy. Perhaps the back would be the best place for them after all, Damien thought, but the draculoid pushed the thought aside, concerned with, right now, moving one foot before the last.

The back of the van was cramped, but at least the pervasive disinfectant meant it didn’t smell like anything other than faint bleach and someone’s scented deodorant. The group of dracs - six in the back, plus the two up front - moved in unison when the van went over a rough patch of concrete, jostling them against each other. Vico grinned across the narrow aisle at Damien, kicking lightly at one of their feet.

"You excited?"

His mask was pulled up to his forehead despite the usual rule of full concealment outside the city. He figured his superiors should be glad he was wearing it at all.

Along with the smell of the van, most of what Damien could smell under their mask was talc and soft, recently-formed plastic adhered almost seamlessly against their face. Their eyes darted about, scanning their fellow dracs postures with twittering hands and an overly-stiff back before Vico tapped their foot. Damien smiled an anxious, unseen smile, stilling their hands.

"I guess. I'd never really gone on a raid before; I'm kind of anxious, but in a good way, I guess." They replied, hope spilling out of their tone like sunshine through sheer curtains midday. The masked drac to their right lightly elbowed them, almost chuckling slightly.

"It's no stress, kid. Look at it this way, you do well, you'll be on plenty more raids, and you'll be enjoyin' them as much as you can," He "encouraged" in a way before the woman across him and to Vico's left kicked his knee, eyebrows knitted together in anger and her mask in her hands on her lap. Damien, somehow oblivious, failed to recognize the man's mocking tone, and moved their gaze to the ground, moving their hands once more.

#para #((npc's??? sure!))

workinginfluidity

oddity-drac started following you

workinginfluidity

In a professional setting, yes.

So does that mean when we slug beers I can call you Dan?

#((way to tone shift))

+oddity-drac

Good evening. Can I help you?

I've no needed assistance, ma'am, but I thank you. I'm Damien Marinos, it's a pleasure to meet you.

workinginfluidity

oddity-drac started following you

workinginfluidity

Daniel Oswald, but Oswald works just fine.

A pleasure.

The pleasure is mine, I assure. Do you prefer Oswald instead of Daniel?

workinginfluidity

oddity-drac started following you

Good evening.

Good evening to you. I'm Damien, I'm new here. You?

//Their arms fall from their crossing, resting with Damien holding one arm almost awkwardly, and they only look at Tyler intensely. Something in them wants to pull the kid into a hug, but a larger part is saying to stay silent and mostly as a pair of ears. They’re quiet, patient, their breathing nearly soundless.//

… You know… //Tyler continues on in Damien’s silence, too focused now on blurting out the thoughts that had been festering in him for so long that he couldn’t even worry about being judged for it.// They said they were going to make him better and that this would fix him but… I think he’s worse now. He’s not right but I can’t say it because if I say it, that makes it true… and it can’t be true because if it is… //He sniffles again, his vision beginning to blur.// …then it means I lost him, and… //A sob leaves him.// And it’s… m-my fault…

//Here is where Damien began to react, furrowing their eyebrows and frown setting deep in their face.// Just because he was reeducated doesn't mean it's your innate fault. Sometimes, things just... //They shrug.// Happen. That doesn't mean you should blame yourself for what's happened to someone else... Even if they're your friend.

… It’s hard. I thought it’d get easier but it’s… so… fucking hard. //He shrugs again, lifting his head only to stare off into the distance, avoiding Damien’s eyes.// I can’t even look at him anymore, it’s like I don’t even know him. And it.. sucks… //He sniffles.// It really sucks…

//Their arms fall from their crossing, resting with Damien holding one arm almost awkwardly, and they only look at Tyler intensely. Something in them wants to pull the kid into a hug, but a larger part is saying to stay silent and mostly as a pair of ears. They're quiet, patient, their breathing nearly soundless.//

#((gently holds tyler.... pets his hair.... how did u end up w ricky u precious...... horrible..... child............ ))

//He continues to stare down at his hands, watching himself twitching his fingers around instead of looking at them.// … Have you ever known someone who was reeducated?

//They frown, earlier teasing gone, and their posture relaxes against the wall.// No, I haven't.

There’s… it’s just, there’s a lot going on, okay…? //An embarrassed flush begins to color his cheeks. He fidgets a little, wringing his hands.// You’d regret asking if you knew…

//Damien smiles coyly, looking at Tyler bemused.// Try me.

//Tyler stares at Damien for a long time, his expression strange, as if he were trying to construct a blank mask on his face if it weren’t for the obvious bewilderment on his face. He finally looks away, shrugging his shoulders again dismissively.// Not really. It’s not… really something you should care about.

And here I am, caring about it. For real though, what's going on, what's wrong?

#//doesn't... have much to say in terms of physical actions

Oh. //He shifts, looking away and suddenly concentrating really hard on adjusting his belt.// It’s Tyler. Yeah, that…

//Tyler sighs tiredly, rubbing under his eyes with the balls of his fist.// Please, don’t bring that up again… I don’t wanna deal with any more crap, I’m really not in the mood to fight with you about it.

//Damien looks hard at Tyler, concern suffocating their earlier light distaste for this man. They lean on the wall, arms crossed and empathy in the voice.// Hey, I'm not in a mood to fight either. Is everything okay, though? You don't look hot. Have you like, not been sleeping well?

#((empathetic baby.... my son))

Not yet. I haven’t had the chance, I just clocked in.

//Unlike Damien, Tyler doesn’t seem to recognize them yet. After everything that’s been happening lately, he hasn’t been able to focus on much… his work, or anything otherwise.//

… //After a second of continuing on, he stops and turns towards Damien again.// Uh, do I… know you from somewhere?

//They look at Tyler with their eyebrows scrunched together and a frown on their face. Had he not recognized their voice or something?// ...A few days ago, on the radio?

Or... //They paused, suddenly doubtful of their intuition.// Uh, what's your name, if I'm not being rude?

//Tyler glances towards Damien, noticing the way he’s looking at him and frowning.// What… Is there a problem or something?

//Damien seems to break out of a trance, glancing at Tyler's face before even registering his voice.// What? No, nothing.

//They move a step or two closer to Tyler, aware of the fact that he was the man on the radio a few days ago.// Question, though... Have you checked to see what patrol you're on for tonight?

#((i dont think they ever shared names #i think damien just pieced together that his name was tyler from various peoples talking to/about him))

benny-mantoinette

i med mi caregiva a loose crocheted jumpa an it do nah fit at all but dis is wot it looks like.

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