“Seeing so many people talking about crushes just makes me think I’m back at work with all the kids.”
“I didn’t know so many adults had crush problems. I guess I don’t talk to other people much here. I guess if someone asked I don’t relate to the issues. No crushes here.”
The Will to Survive || Event: Dream Catcher - Drabble
He was lucky, unlike many others, when the wave of ‘sleep’ caught the citizens he was already laying in bed. He wasn’t sleeping at the time. Hands behind his head as he stared off at the ceiling. Simply thing about what to do and where to go now. Now that there were people here he knew, and one whom was his duty to protect, he had a little something of purpose in this city. The question was what to do now that there was a tad bit of purpose to his time here? Could he really win against the scientists and their little experiment?
And with that question did the wave hit him, taking his mind into a deep slumber that would last days.
But the slumber wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. Sleep, if it included dreams, was never a pleasant time for M-21. The reason was simple too. Sleep was the only time he had to work through his trauma. The trauma his conscious mind barely remembered or was ever allowed to think about. The trauma of the first experiment. The M series.
It was hard, more so after M-24′s death than before it, to handle all the shit that project did to them. All the hell of being a bunch of dogs needing to do ‘tricks’ or not be fit to live as the case was.
And this time his dreams start with him waking up in a tank of liquid. His instincts were to trash, to try to escape, to try to figure out what was going on before his eyes had laid sight on the others. Other tanks lining the room filled with the others that were M-#s like himself. The image made him shiver and freeze into place.
Look at them. Look at him. Just floating there in water with no idea they were all going to die, all going to go through hell. Just sleeping peacefully while the scientists did who-knows-what to them. He needed to escape. He needed to get them out too. What if he could save them. What if he could break them all out, right now, when no one expected it.
The pills.
Being in the tank meant he couldn’t speak but he was swearing obscenely in his mind as he realised the issue. Even now, when he was conscious without their knowledge and could attempt an escape they were screwed. Those damn fucking pills were keeping them all here obediently if they ever wanted to live. A leash so short he could feel it choking him without a single hand being on his neck.
He had to play good. He had to keep still. He closed his eyes tightly out of spite as his body shook. He needed to survive. He had to survive. The only way was to stay and to put up with them. The only road to survival was accepting the role as their test dogs. Even though it was the same road that just might kill them all.
His mind felt like it was shaking, or was it more like his head was being crushed by imminence pressure. He wasn’t sure. How could he? Everything was a swirl of hell and he couldn’t break free. He decided to open his eyes one last time before submitting himself, as he always did, to the situation and his eyes crossed upon the body of one of his best friends here.
Maybe this time you’ll survive for me like it always should have been.
💔 Did M-21 ever give little gifts out of nowhere? Like a flower or little trinkets?
> Send 💔 and a question to be answered by one of my muse’s ex-lovers!
“Little gifts?” The big guy questioned, his face and size made him look a ton more threatening about the question than he probably meant to. Though that was something he was quite used to by now.
“M-21 giving me flowers?” It took only saying the words for the big guy to start laughing. “That’d be beyond him, I’m more the type to give flowers than he is.”
It was a small pause as he thought of how to describe him. “M-21 is more the kinda guy who’d give you a brand new hat and some now that same day the old one gets destroyed as if he just knew I’d need one. Otherwise? More of the ‘physical’ gift giver than a material one with our situation--”
He actually stopped himself for a moment.
“Though I do recall he got me a necklace once. One of those with a small vial. Said something about there being something special inside there and not to open it and keep it on me. Kinda wonder if he made a charm in hopes I stabilise faster.”
“It’s a metaphor, asshole. You’re not even dealing with your feelings just look at yourself.” Snake sighs, why is it that he always gets the moody, broody kind? He isn’t completely sure- instead he listens to M21 snarking about getting out of the city and decides to give him the full Hive 101.
“You’re new around here, aren’t you? There is no way out.”
"You’re not a therapist so why don’t you stop pretending you know shit.” Was the only words he decided to reply with his whole ‘feelings’ nonsense. What the hell did he know? He didn’t, he was some random stranger who just liked to be an ass in other people’s business when they weren’t harming anyone.
“I’m not new to this place. I already know. You said ‘care about something’ I told you my cares so stop being a picky bastard.” Wow this guy was annoying as hell.
“Unlike you I’d rather not be experimented on again for the god damned third time.”
It was bliss. Being engulfed wholly by the beauty of the insect as it drifted closer to it’s comrades. No worries or cares. No loneliness or heartbreak. Just the luminescent blue, shining against the darkness.
Somehow, his voice did get through to her however. It was faint, garbled, but it was there. Stopping, mere centimetres from the toxic liquid, she slowly regained her senses and sought out the source of the voice.
“Huh?”
Brandish was still numb, like she had just awoken from a deep sleep. The butterfly forgotten for the moment as she saw him come towards her, she remained unaware that the mass of carnivorous blue was hungrily seeping out towards her.
She reacted! She stopped. Oh damn good she stopped. It was a relief to see that his words actually getting to her at all. What was going on with her that was making her talk so dead fast towards a toxic lake in the first place? Either way he needed to keep talking. It seemed to be helping at any rate.
“Get away from the water, you’re going to fall in!”
Cursing that he didn’t have his speed he really hoped he would get to her before anything worse happened. Why did they have to give him his strength and not his speed? Then again he’d probably complain about the reverse in other situations so he shook off the complaint and worried more on the lady and the toxic lake and the glowy things slowly coming near.
Wait what?
Who knew he was going to have to do some random hero stuff in this city. Who knew the city was going to cause problems in the first place? Guess that’s scientists for you.
“Hear me? Back up fast before you fall in. That’s not a nice place to take a swim. Get a move on quickly!”
The thought that others might feel uncomfortable in this city, didn’t cross Tapeta’s mind. Not even now, when being questioned about his intention.
But it makes him actually realize why he had been restless the other day. He was thinking about all the great adventures he had. Waking up in a place like this now, is like a dream coming true to him.
“Of course! I was so bored in SimaFort after my journey with Mister Ryu has ended. Here I can discover new places and meet many new people, like you! I finally get to experience a new adventure, instead of reading boring books about how to become a king one day.”
Hearing this guy talk was just a whole adventure of stunned disbelief. Sure he knew some might be happy about this but how this guy talked was just baffling to M-21.
Then again some of what he talked about did sound a bit boring.
“I guess like that it could be fun and nice..” It was hard to really reply to all the stuff he said. How was he so happy? “I don’t really exactly enjoy the idea of being here myself.. Yeah I get to see other people.. like, uh, you too but I also can’t learn about stuff that comes from outside of here..”
How would he put it in a way someone enjoying himself extremely would understand?
“Uh, outside of here I got a lot of ‘adventures’ I go on while I can’t do much here. So I guess you got me beat on the enjoyment scale. And the poetry one because how do you even write poetry?”
She stares at the tiny glass with the clear liquid sloshing around inside. Somewhat hesitantly, she brings it to her lips… then takes a sip.
“it tastes a little bit like chemicals.” It occurs to her that that’s basically what sopor slime was; maybe that has something to do with the effect it had on Gamzee. Without hesitation, she swallows the remainder of the contents, wrinkling her nose as it burns on the way down.
“ive never tried this stuff before as im sure you can tell. its… interesting.” She glances sideways at the stranger, arching an eyebrow. “do you come here often?”
Of course, the subtext behind her question:
is there something youd also like to forget?
“It does taste a bit like that, now that you mention it.” M-21 replied to the chemicals comment, trying to keep a nice persona up as he did. He was glad he asked for a mix drink this time instead of his usual. The taste was a little more calming with other stuff in it.
Looking back over at her as she spoke he found himself giving a slight shake of his head. “Not very often, no, but I work at another bar around here and this was the nearest one.”
Taking a sip of his own drink, M-21 found himself putting his arms on the counter in front of him as he looked ahead of them at the different drinks and items decorating the back of the bar.
It took him a little while before he spoke up once more.
“I guess, while others like yourself come to drink to forget, I sometimes drink in hopes to... remember.”
“I would be rather annoyed,” came her voice from behind,
“After seeing how far you have come, to see you like this would make me want to tear you apart."
Too soon?
That voice that replied. It didn’t take him long to recognise it. It wasn’t long ago he last heard it. But what he wasn’t expecting was to hear it mock some of the things that made him exactly what he was.
His eyes squinted as he did everything he could to not punch her in the face as he turned to see her. What happened since they last met?
“Well, it’s a damn good thing I wasn’t talking to you then, Lunark.”
“If you say so,” she said. Sophie grimaced for him in preparation for what she would be doing. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t curious about what happened. The older man could have gotten into a fight or just had some bad luck for all she knew. Still, she couldn’t truly fault him for saying he could handle pain. He didn’t look too phased from having the injury.
Sophie immediately got to work on the injury using every ounce of light she could get from the lamps around them. If she only could cast Boltflare, this would be a lot less difficult, or maybe if she had also learned Everheal at any point. A little at a time, she pulled out the glass. Most of it was small pieces that caught the light with tiny reflections. If she wasn’t so used to picking out small objects like that due to her lifestyle, she might have missed most of them.
Her lips had been pursed in concentration when the question had been asked. The Seeker shook her head. “Not really, not long enough to be used to it,” she answered. “I hope you don’t mind me asking how you got your hand in this mess?”
Part of him wanted to look as she worked on his hand, mostly out of curiosity on the fact he wasn’t healing. The rest of him wanted to keep his head pointed straight away just talking like he normally would do when he was worked on taken care of.
There wasn’t too many reactions from him over all as Sophie slowly removed shard after shard from his hand. Only slight twitches and his eyes closing to try to ignore it. He really had gone through a lot at this point that he mostly didn’t mind.
He was just so confused.
“I see. Sorry then we’re both new here..” He apologised, not sure why. He just felt anyone trapped here deserved to hear one. Though what she asked next he should have been prepared for... but he wasn’t.
It took him a bit of time before he finally decided to answer. Worried she’d regret helping him if she found out.
“That TV when we first get here.. I punched it.” The words were spoken so softly as his voice seemed to get caught in his throat. “ ... This isn’t my first ... experiment..”
Despite being gone for… he couldn’t really tell how long he’d been gone, it was pretty easy to settle into what the city gave him. Especially since he had all his shit and didn’t have to rely on other people supplying him with the things he needed. He had a house, a car, three different bows, several different arrows - with a chunk of trick arrows still missing - coffee. Coffee that spilled all over his chin as the leash around his wrist was tugged.
“Agh- hot.” It was wiped off with his arm as Lucky continued to pull the leash, “What the heck Luck-” His attention quite literally pulled, a brow rose as he noticed pretty aggressive body language from his dog. Growling and baring his teeth and some… guy, who didn’t seem like he wanted to attack them. “Whoa whoa boy,” Clint tugged back on the leash and forced his dog back, stepping over the dog to hug him between his knees as he tightened the leash in his hands. “Sorry ‘bout that, he’s usually pretty friendly.” Clint apologized but gave this stranger a curious look. Lucky didn’t ever growl for no reason.
Walking through the streets was normally uneventful. There wasn’t much of ‘events’ other than weird conversations happening off and on, stripping contests for some reason, and other odd occurrences.
But a dog suddenly barking at him was new. He hadn’t really came across any so far. Though it’s response to his presence was almost comforting?
“It’s alright.” Were the first words out of his mouth as M-21 looked down at the dog and then up at the man who was holding him back. The man seemed nice enough, apologising for his companion. Though the coffee hitting him looked a little painful.
“I think your friend there might just be smelling the werewolf on me.” He was learning fast, hiding he wasn’t fully human anymore in this city wasn’t really all that helpful. It was better to admit it. “Might be scaring him or something. I’m kinda glad to hear it.
“I thought for a while the scientists here made me fully human again..”
The sound of footsteps almost directly behind him catches him off guard. Stopping in his tracks, Mike turns to look over his shoulders to see if anyone is standing directly behind him - or if he hadn’t been alone in the alleyway he had found himself wandering into. At first, he doesn’t spot anything - but after a few moments of surveying the area, Mike is able to spot a silhouette just further down the alleyway, and he frowns to himself.
“Didn’t think someone else would be here, too.”
He lets out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding in, turning on his heel in an attempt to get a better look towards the silhouette who was there with him.
“You just wandering around, too? Or are you doing something else?”
The alleys were almost a safe heaven for the guy. So he found himself running into them often to just get some time without anyone else and to himself. This city was so busy during the day and night he wasn’t sure where else to go that felt normal.
But the alleys normally were pretty empty so seeing someone else show up and talk to him was a surprise, but it wasn’t an unwelcome one. He didn’t mind. At least it wasn’t a crowd.
“Oh, hey.” He started, before realising the fear that seemed to be within the stranger. Trying to tone himself down, M-21 tried to talk a little softer? Hopefully not scaring him more.
“I’m just getting away from the main streets for a while. Lots of people in this city. It’s a little over whelming some times. How about you?”
“Well join the club, find a bar to mop in and don’t sadden the entire park, jeez.”
Snake had noticed the poison in the other man’s words, but he’s not about to let it get to him, this edgelord has definitely gone through some stuff, just like the rest of the people here, but he’s either a) not dealing with it or b) hasn’t learned to put up a facade yet.
“Find something to car about then. Something new?”
Hearing his reply, M-21 wasn’t exactly feeling like easing up his blunt tongue. Especially as he didn’t share the same interest as the other man did.
“Sorry I’m not an alcoholic like you. Maybe you should take a lesson from me and deal with things without a bottle.” He snarked before looking off in a direction away from the man. Through his mind only someone who used alcohol to drown issues would say go to a bar to be depressed as everyone else he knows would tell him to go outside and ‘get some fresh air’.
“I’ll care about getting out of this hole. Happy?” M-21 questioned before slowly turning his head finally at the guy fully.
“I’m not going to find shit here in this city, so I spend time in park everyday before I go to work at a bar.”
While he didn’t have his grappling hook with him at the moment, climbing tall buildings was never an issue, aside from it taking more time than it would with the grappling hook. Nevertheless, Jacob wasn’t one to complain ( well, that much; he did huff about how much quicker this would have have been with the items he had ) and once he reached to the top, he did a quick glance over what he was dealing with.
Carriages without horses, a train station nearby, and a lot of people. This sector was as big as London. He wondered if the other sectors were like this too. How troublesome. It would take him a good week to survey the place.
Ah well, he had the information he needed. Time to head down. Of course, not a normal way. No, the assassin took a leap of faith, right into the conveniently placed cart of hay underneath the highpoint. Wriggling about, Jacob climbed out and began to dust hay off of his clothing, only stopping when he realized his event captured the eyes of a curious bystander.
“Evening. You most certainly saw nothing.”
Sure, nothing. Just a man jump down and land in some hay, unharmed.
It’s been a month since he’s entered the city, so M-21 was finally starting to get the lay of the land down. That meant he could spend a lot less attention trying to figure out what was happening and more at what was going on around him.
So catch his luck he got to see the hilarious act of some random guy going into hay and jumping out like it was some oddly secret event.
It was really quite a funny thing to see for some reason to him, but he deals with werewolves and vampires and stuff so no wonder. Especially when the guy was so insistent it didn’t happen.
“Sure.. I saw nothing... Just someone diving into hay no big deal right? You got something to hide?”
Part of him kind of wanted to try to take advantage of the situation to get something out of it. Usually wasn’t his style, but he was still low on luck in this place over all. Even if he had a job, he didn’t have much else.
They’re rather quiet, browsing through things like it might take away some of hte boredom that sits in their chest. A long time stowed away does nothing for anyone, and they’re finding that now.
So, shopping helps, and being nosy. “If you’re looking to buy that, it’s rubbish.”
Shopping for supplies was always important, especially trying to find stuff that wasn’t hard to cook. So he was about to buy some cheap microwave stuff before his reaching was interrupted by a fellow silver hair.
“Is it really that bad?” M-21 asked, surprised anyone would even tell him. Though if someone was saying it; it probably was.
“Go any suggestions then because I’m still learning how to cook.”