The Swarm: Stay

[atlasmods]

Who: These Interlopers
When: IC Day 5.5-6
Where: The Boneyard
What: The Swarm Event

THE SWARM: STAY PRELUDE. Five days have passed since you, The First, woke on the strange and barren planet of Kharas. Four days since the pods housing you exploded when tampered with, and Three since the strange Trilobite-like sand crabs began hesitantly crawling their way into and around the boneyard. At first there was only a few brave specimens to be found, keeping mostly to the shadows and scuttling this way and that. Now, however, at least a hundred of them can be found in and around the boneyard in various placed, commonly grouped together in batches of two or three, sometimes even four. Notably they do not interact much with one another despite their groups and are much more interested in scouting out their surroundings for fibrous materials. On the odd chance that they manage to obtain any scraps they will begin to wander back towards the tracks your counterparts began following earlier. Odd, isn't it? As the softer morning sun overhead slowly begins to heat up with the encroaching afternoon more of the Trilobites begin to fill the area. Only unlike their predecessors these ones do not wander around aimlessly, and instead beeline their way to any Coral stalks that remain in the area. They bury into the sand beneath them to avoid their harsh shells and attack the roots until they topple and collapse under their own weight. Once this happens they practically swarm, working to segment it into pieces with their mandibles. When the Coral's shell cracks the Trilobites pry all vegetable matter from within and begin dragging it into the desert. And that's not all: these new Trilobites seem much braver and more interested in you than their predecessors. They will openly wander up to characters and gnaw uselessly at their ankles or feet, chittering and chattering. If enough of them happen to get together around an individual they will form a tiny ankle-gnawing mob intent on clambering all over you. As the daily eclipse nears their numbers will begin to grow even further. Odd tremors can be felt beneath the ground, even in spite of all the sand, but characters won't get much of a chance to look into the matter before their wrist communicators begin to emit that same strange static from the mist. ...Only there's none to be seen in any direction whatsoever.
OOC	IC Days 5.5 - 6 (Oct 26th - 28th)
This log starts during the afternoon of IC day 5.5 and continues on until the morning of day 6 (with the rest of that day being the aftermath/conclusion). There will be a time-sensitive event which will run for 24 hours starting on the 27th at 8:00AM EST. It will conclude on the 28th at 8:00AM EST. This time-sensitive event cannot be "failed" by running out of time and will affect the lore of the game. Please direct any and all questions about this event here.

Comments

[anewhope]

[ Once they stop, Clark doesn't move. Then he comes down the bone structure and leans against it closing his eyes. It's over. And not too soon, considering his power level. Even moving felt like a chore and he felt worn down. Fighting was the least favourable aspect of his powers and Clark hated using it for violence, no matter how necessary it was.

Clark closed his eyes, breathing quietly. He didn't want to celebrate. Or check up on people. He wanted to sit and pretend that people didn't see his powers - didn't see him as strange or threatening.

He didn't want to see what kind of consequences he has wrought. ]

[ex_bossily211]

[It takes a lot of work to get to him with one of her legs being completely numb, but she's determined enough to make it work. As upset as she is over the great loss of life at their hands, she's concerned about him. Knowing that his energy must be dangerously low right now, she shuffles and stumbles her way over to him. Not sure of what to say once she does, she just slips her hand into his and stands there.]

[anewhope]

[ He looks up slowly, noting the wetness in her eyes. Lois had looked like that, alone in her bathroom. Her hands shook and she averted her gaze as she said, "I don't know if it's possible. For you to love me and be you".

His own fingers tremble. ]

I failed you.

[ex_bossily211]

[She's not expecting him to say that, and she blinks through her tears in confusion. Her head tips, looking up to him, and she grips hold of his hand a little tighter. ]

How could you possibly have failed me?

[anewhope]

[ His voice is quiet, like he's confessing. ]

I got so caught up in my past . . . it didn't occur to me that I could fail this new future I have.

[ex_bossily211]

But you haven't failed.

[Her one good leg is incredibly tired now, so she's just going to slump up against him while her numb leg gives out entirely. She's going to act like this is a show of affection and is no way an attempt to hide the fact that she's having some trouble.]

You saved us. You had a choice to make, and it's not your fault that both choices were awful ones. Sometimes, there just aren't any good choices. I don't blame you for what's happened.

[anewhope]

[ Clark notices her posture and shifts to make sure she's more comfortable. ]

They're always terrible choices. Difficult ones. And I don't want to regret helping people. That's not an option for me.

. . . I want to be more than this.

[ceruleo]

Clark! Clark!

[ Nothing about Lance is quiet. Nothing about him is prone to mindfulness and reflection. Even with one leg too numb to carry him, sore, exhausted and bitten, his elation and relief are palpable. He shuffles over, not quite grasping that Clark would rather be left in peace, and unabashedly lets himself lean against the older man's front, wrapping one arm around Clark's middle in a hug. ]

Man, you were awesome! You saved all our butts! [ He has to pause, to take a breath, feeling like he's at high altitude with too-little air. ] I owe you one, majorly.

[anewhope]

[ Clark freezes, shocked by the contact before he swallows tightly. His arms brush against Lance's shoulders with a gentle touch. The weakest of smiles flickers on his face, touched warm by Lance's regard. ]

I -- You're welcome.

How are you feeling?

[ Because that's easier to deal with than this. ]

[ceruleo]

[ He doesn't immediately disentangle, mostly because his balance isn't great right now, but also because he's craving human contact. Clark is solid and warm. ]

Like I got run over by a truck a couple times? [ Perfectly honest tbh. He peels himself off, if only to better look up at Clark's face. Lance is far from short, but Clark is as tall as Shiro--or taller, even. ] I'll get over it. I'm pretty scrappy, if I do say so myself.

[ Has he told you about That One Time He Saved Coran From A Bomb?]

[anewhope]

[ Clark finds himself relaxing, the old doubts leeching away in the face of Lance's grateful smile. ]

Well, don't be afraid to complain if something hurts.

[ He rolls his shoulders. ] It'll be a while before I'm back to speed with my powers so I can't help much right now.

[ceruleo]

[ Lance has never, not once in his life, been afraid to whine. ]

Whatever, take a break, you deserve it! Did you see yourself out there? It was like—pow, pow, pow! [ This embarrassment is absolutely making sound effects. ] You didn't tell me you had laser eyes! If I could have any superpower, I'd totally pick X-Ray vision.

[ He waggles his brows, because he's a dumb horny teenager and what else would he use it for? ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark clears his throat, sheepish. Though watching Lance re-enact Clark's actions on the field was charming. He had seen a few children after the battle of the Metropolis with costumes, but this is the first time he's really interacted with someone in this manner. ]

I have a range of sensory powers. Like . . . X-ray vision.

[falsesmile]

[ She half-climbs, half-slides down the bone structure easily, picking up her second cudgel at the base of the thing. She's smeared with dust and her suit is flecked with little rips, but aside from a bite on her hip, she's in excellent shape. ]

You're an interesting man, [ she says, her voice as light and conversational as though they were in a tapcaf instead of a battlefield. There's only the slightest ragged edge to suggest the lingering adrenaline rush from the fight or the numbness in her side, and the old small scar at the corner of her mouth gives her the illusion of a smirk. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark lifts his gaze to look at her properly now. Certainly not someone who shies from a fight and who knew how to handle herself in one. A woman he didn't know much about. He's surprised by the lack of bites on her, considering he hadn't noticed any use of special powers.

Or maybe he hadn't seen any. Idly, he remembers the woman on the battlefield with Bruce. A warrior with a sword in hand. ]

I hear that a lot. I see you made it in one piece.

[falsesmile]

I try.

[ Not that it always works, but, hey, self-preservation is the name of the game. ]

So, what was that?

[anewhope]

That was me.

[ He wished he had his glasses to fiddle with. ]

My physiology gives me a large host of powers.

[falsesmile]

You look human, [ she said skeptically, putting her hands on her hips as she looked him up and down -- and gave him a second, more careful, evaluation in the Force, expecting something... well, she wasn't sure. Not Lord Vol, not Master Skywalker, not even Abeloth could have pulled off that sort of laser attack. ]

[anewhope]

[ Clark nods, somber. ]

Kryptonians and humans are very similar in their appearance. It makes it easy for me to blend in with them. But I'm offered certain advantages others do not have.

[ He doesn't mention how or why. He's honest, not stupid. He wouldn't hand anyone the secrets to his powers. ]

[dateme]

[ Well, at least one of them doesn't look torn to heck and back. And bonus! Apparently defending them from all those crazy bugs hasn't done Clark in either. Yeah he looks a little worse for wear, but from where Inui's sprawled on his back, head tipped back over the rock to look at the world upside-down, he supposes things could be worse.

I mean, they're all still alive right? And he hadn't wet himself from fear. That's always a bonus. ]

High touch... [ he calls out, winded, not really expecting a high-five for their efforts at all. It's mostly just to let Clark know he's alive. ]

[anewhope]

[ He looks up, the lines on his face still all creased together. ]

Are you all right?

[ It's easier to delegate his feelings towards helping others than helping himself. ]

[dateme]

Totally, perfect, never better. Ten out of ten. [ ...Yeah. He sounds worn out and he knows it. Inui pauses for a moment, and then delivers uselessly: ]

I can't feel my legs. Can you come get me?

[anewhope]

[ Clark nods absently as he pushes himself onto his feet. Some of his power had quietly crept back. He couldn't tell how far he could push it, but he would do so anyway.

Clark raises his hands as he hovers above the ground and floats towards Inui. With a careful grip, Clark shifts the boy into his arms and quietly floats down and sets him against the bone.

Immediately, he pulls back as if afraid of Inui's reaction. ]

[dateme]

[ Which Inui mistakenly interprets and Clark just not wanting to be near him like everyone else back home, but that's...well. That's normal. So instead he offers a tired and wry grin, pushing himself up a little better with his arms. ]

What...you afraid I'm contagious or something?

[anewhope]

[ His eyes widen in surprise before he looks away. ]

Aren't you afraid of me?