driftfleet | THE PLANET MINGLE

A. SHORELINE, DAY 1.

[It's a day or two before they make first contact with the planet that she drinks her last cup of coffee. Even as she puts the mug down, she wonders if this is the wisest choice - then puts her concerns away, packs them up in a box in her mind, not to be looked at again. It might not be the wisest choice, but it's the only choice.]

[So she's a little jittery when they touch down planetside. The grassy mesa stretches out before her, the length, perhaps, of a football field, if such a measurement were meaningful to her. The tops of trees that scratched the bottom of the shuttle on the way down wave in a slight breeze now, and Mal watches them, listening carefully for anything moving in the ocean-forest below. She thinks she hears something - but then, maybe it's all in her head.]

B. EXPLORING, DAYS 1 & 2.

[Halfway down the continental shelf, she begins to hear things in earnest. Riot sounds: a bottle thrown, shattering, the shouts of alarmed passersby, the crackle of fire. She knows those aren't real, for all that every few moments she pauses in her movements to listen.]

[What is very clearly real is the rustling coming from behind every increasingly-tall tree, more and more prominent as night begins to fall. Her pupils are fully dilated, her eyes red and bright in the dimming light of the sun. Something's out there, and she is going to find it.]

C. NIGHTTIME, DAY 2.

[The fear doesn't spare her. She can feel it creeping down her spine as she sneaks further into the forest, as the sun finally falls fully below the horizon. But she's too far gone to turn back now. Creeping through the forest, she ducks projectiles thrown that only she can see; anyone who's still in the forest and comes within close range will get sucked into her vision, lost in the midst of the riot in an indeterminate city, skyscraping buildings rising past the fog and mist of an early morning.]

[If she isn't brought back to the mesa before morning, she will get increasingly deep into the forest. The first real sign of danger is a flock of birds passing directly overhead, heavy wingbeats dodging between trees. She doesn't heed them, instead pressing in deeper, deeper, provoking the forest with every step and ignoring the danger as if she doesn't see it. And who knows? Maybe she doesn't.]

[Without magic of her own, Cassandra feels that fear. It's almost a foreign sensation to her at this point, so unaccustomed is she to it being present. She's aware of how it sits in her body, resting heavily in the pit of her stomach and reaching with icy fingers to her heart and lungs. It tries to play tricks on her with the dark shapes out of the corner of her eye, beyond the permeable line between light and infinite darkness laid by her torch. But for the most part, Cassandra ignores it. She still has the memory of it once before and it's not something she wishes to ever revisit. She will not allow it to paralyze her in this forest.]

[But what is she still doing here when it seems the very ground she's walking on is telling her to leave? Well, to put it simply, she's looking for Mal. It's been a couple of days since she's heard from her. From what she could gather, Mal hadn't been seen in a few hours either by anyone, but she was last seen headed in this direction. So, here she is. Trudging through a forest, not likely going to have any luck finding her, but still making an attempt all the same.]

[Of course, a few steps more and suddenly the forest changes and Cassandra very nearly drops her torch at the abrupt number of people that she can see in an unfamiliar place falling into chaos. It's only a few moments of standing still, however, that she realizes what she isn't seeing is actually in front of her. It's an illusion of sorts. Opting not to linger and stare at everything happening around her, Cassandra tries to keep moving in the forest. It's something that's much easier said than done as seeing through the riot, the stampedes of people, the shouts, and the cries for help is easier said than done. The most she can manage is seeing around it.]

Maker help you when I find you, Mal... [she mutters. Cassandra should kill her for wandering out here like this.]

[She shoves through the undergrowth, not hearing Cassandra's movements behind her, though truthfully they're not so far away from each other. Her focus is on getting away from the riot, getting through the forest and to the skyscrapers in the distance.]

[Stumbling heavily over a great tree root that she interprets as an erupted sewer main, she winces as the sounds of the riot overwhelm her sensitive ears. There's a rumble of discontent in her throat, almost a growl, and she begins to run, her feet falling lightly on the heavy cushion of the forest floor.]

[The deeper she goes, the darker it gets; in her vision, it's as though night is falling, heavy and thick as a mantle around her shoulders. Eventually only her night vision keeps her from tripping every other step.]

[It's the stumble that catches Cassandra's attention. The sound is denser than the din of the riot. It occurs to Cassandra that it could be something that she doesn't want to go following after, but a) she's more than a little confident that she can handle what ever creatures are lurking out here at night despite that fear in the pit of her stomach and b) she'd like to think the creatures would move with a little more grace than that.]

[Before she can get close enough, whatever is moving ahead picks up the pace.]

Shit, [she curses just under her breath as she takes off after what she presumes to be the vampire she's looking for.]

[Cassandra is not able to follow at her top speed with her attention divided in so many directions. She has to be mindful of what's real, what's not, navigating an impossible urban landscape and the dense forest just beneath it all the while straining her hearing to keep hold of the sound of Mal's footfalls as trying to see beyond the light of her torch is next to impossible. But even so, Cassandra's stride is longer than Mal's and she manages to cover a considerable amount of distance.]

[She's breathing a little harder by the time she closes the distance, the beginnings of perspiration that chills Cassandra a little in the night air. But Cassandra doesn't relax or feel relief until she knows she has a firm hold on Mal.]

Mal, stop!

[And that's the only warning she gets before Cassandra grabs a handful on the back of Mal's shirt collar, yanking Mal back as Cassandra skids to a halt.]

[She's almost free. She's almost away from the din and the bottles thrown and the fires starting, she's almost out of the woods (har, har - she'll think of that phrasing later and laugh), when all of a sudden something's grabbing her.]

[Instinctively, she turns on it, twisting in Cassandra's grasp and snarling at her. Her teeth lengthen, her pupils widening even further in the gathering dark. She strikes out blindly at what she perceives to be her attacker, a shadowy figure in dark clothes wielding a brick, shifting into a police officer with a nightstick, shifting into a great pale man with a stake - people she fears, nothing like the woman actually coming after her. Coming for her. To save her.]

[Truly, in her current state, she can't imagine anyone coming to save her at all.]

[The blind attack is sloppy and Cassandra's only real saving grace when Mal goes on the offensive. Well, that, and Cassandra was three-quarters-expecting Mal to lash out the moment she finally brought her to a stop. It's obvious without any prior experience that Mal is hardly aware of herself, of what's really happening around her. What she had been expecting less, however, is Mal's face.]

[When Zhas had described vampires to her, this is far closer to what Cassandra imagined. It's savage and aggressive. But it's not stupid. It's not mindless even as she strikes blindly. There's an elegance to Mal even like this that is beyond human, something that speaks to a raw and dark power. It's not particularly beautiful, but it isn't ugly either. It simply is what it is in this exact moment as it needs to be for Mal's continued survival; nothing more and nothing less. It's not to be admired, but it is to be respected.]

[Which is why Cassandra does not treat Mal delicately, does not try to reason with her in this exact moment. She leans out of the way of the strike, managing to only have the top of her shoulder essentially grazed. Which still, quite frankly, hurts like hell--she would not be surprised to find even a light bruise there given Mal's brute strength--but it's not enough to knock Cassandra off-balance and lose control of the situation. Cassandra grits her teeth, kneeing Mal hard straight in the gut before tossing her toward the ground with a foot to follow swiftly and try to keep her down at least for a few moments.]

Mal, enough! It's me. [You idiot, she wants to say, but does not.] It's Cassandra.

[It's the knee to the gut that finally brings Mal back to herself. The other blows don't do much, barely even register in her state of frenzy. But when she's doubled over, wheezing, from the hit to her stomach, she blinks and the madness of the other world vanish briefly.]

[She takes advantage of the moment to grab hold of Cassandra's cuff, pulling her closer. Her pupils narrow, her teeth retracting back into her mouth. It's difficult to make out her expression in the dark of the woods, but the way she's avoiding Cassandra's gaze would definitely indicate embarrassment.]

[Truthfully, she would rather be anywhere but here. She knew something like this would happen, but she didn't expect to get lost and need someone to retrieve her like a lost puppy. Besides which, she honestly doesn't know where she is at this moment. She knows where she was, but it's too dark to find again, and for a moment she comprehends the hugeness of all the universes she could be lost in, at the mercy of Atroma and the invisible viewers.]

Sorry, [she mutters.] I didn't-- sorry.

[Cassandra tenses when she's pull closer, but it's not out of embarrassment. It takes her a moment to see that Mal's come back to her senses, the abrupt change in scenery from illusion to reality happening faster than Cassandra can register with her attention so focused on Mal. But Mal is back to herself, at least for the moment, and so she relaxes.]

You didn't. That's all that matters.

[Her tone isn't particularly gentle, but it is forgiving. Mal could have made a better decision and stayed on her ship. Or hell, she could have stayed on Cassandra's ship if she would have felt better knowing Cassandra was right there. But it's not the worst mistake Mal could have made. It's as much a reminder for Mal as it is for Cassandra.]

[Cassandra twists her arm around in Mal's grip to hold her by the forearm and helps her straighten up. She looks up at where the sky should be (both to look and to give Mal a moment of privacy) and sees nothing but black, the sky lost behind the canopy.]

Waiting around for daylight isn't going to do us any good this far into the forest, and I don't have the mind to sit and wait for someone to find us. [Her attention turns to the ground, down where the earth has been clearly disturbed by their footsteps. Signs are not likely going to be this clear the further along they go and it will be difficult without the hallucination overlaying the forest to recognize where they are.] We should get moving.

[She looks at Mal again.]

As soon as you've caught your breath.

[The fact that Cassandra's forgiven her - instantly, effortlessly - means more than one might think. Mal isn't used to asking for forgiveness, but she makes mistakes so often that she needs it more often than not. It feels as though Cassandra understands this without needing to be told, that she comprehends how difficult it is to ask, and is willing to make the sacrifice.]

[When Cassandra gives her space, a few moments to breathe and regroup, she looks down at her feet, reluctantly reigning in her massive headache and the sense that her personal space is being invaded by every tree and animal in the vicinity. It's not really enough time, but it's all she's going to get, and she takes it and hangs on with both hands, ferociously and tightly.]

[Listening to the Seeker's voice grounds her, both in time and in space. There is no riot here. No one is going to harm her, except maybe the forest itself. She's in good company.]

[She can do this.]

[With a solemn nod, she straightens up and takes a step away from Cassandra, regaining her space, giving Cassandra space as well.]

Let's go.

[Once assured that Mal will be able to keep up, Cassandra leads the way.]

Stay close.

[It's not a stony silence that follows seeing as how Cassandra is not particularly angry with Mal, but it is silence all the same. Progress back is a lot slower than it had been getting out that far and that deep into the woods and for the most part, Cassandra is simply concentrated on finding the correct path back as well as keeping an ear out for any incoming trouble. She doesn't bother with remaining hopeful that they won't run into any, only prepared in the event that they do. Cassandra didn't come out this far unarmed, her personal sidearm holstered on her hip. Thanks to the augment and some practice with the extra jobs she's taken on, Cassandra's a decent enough shot. Although, quite frankly, she'd much rather have her sword and shield than anything else, but those seem particularly hard to come by in space.]

[The silence doesn't last forever though. She eventually glances over her shoulder at Mal.]

Did you come down to this planet by yourself?

[Mal doesn't stumble this time. With the flashsides pushed aside for the moment, she feels fairly confident in her ability to stay herself for a little while, at least until they get back to the ships. She does wish it was a little brighter out, though. Even with her superhuman vision, she can barely see her hand in front of her face, much less a few feet in front of her.]

[She looks up at Cassandra when she speaks, a little sheepish.]

I did. I wanted to see . . .

[Everything, something in the back of her mind whispers, everything there was to see. And there is so much. She just wish she hadn't gotten lost in her own mind. This wouldn't seem like such a stupid decision if she'd kept control of herself.]

[Her head whips around at a sound, a cracking of branches. It sounds huge. What the hells is that?]

[The branches breaking has Cassandra's immediate attention. The wildlife during the day had been large although clearly more prey than predator and more intent on keeping their distance. Even those that could feasibly be predator had been content to keep their distance from the new arrivals to the planet. But this planet seems to have a very important balance and it seems to react. In fact, Cassandra has little doubt the feeling gnawing away at the pit of her stomach this whole night has been in reaction to their presence on the planet. Even if not directly tied to that, there's still the chance that this creature isn't curious, but hunting.]

[She stops walking at the sound, but doesn't freeze. She assesses. She can't see that far away through the dark to make out shapes, but she can at least follow the sound with her eyes. Cassandra unholsters the gun at her side, keeping her movement slow and careful. She nudges Mal lightly with an elbow to take the torch.]

[She keeps her voice very low.]

Can you see it?

[Almost without realizing what she's doing, Mal takes the torch from Cassandra's hand and holds it out forward to see. Her night vision isn't doing any good here, that much is plain. She can't see the beginning or the end of the creature they're looking for, lost as it is in the pitch-blackness of the forest.]

Nothing.

[Her voice resonates with frustration in the relatively small space between the trees. Everything seems to be hemming in and getting ready to swallow them whole, the forest itself coming alive to drive them out.]

It's huge, whatever it is. I can--

[She can smell it. For a moment she freezes, then strides forward, her head cocked up, nose in the air. Musty, with the coppery scent of blood. She can no more walk away from that than she could stop her own constant hunger.]

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c for craycray vampires

the only kind of vampire tbh

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Night time.

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