test drive meme #21

[hadrielmods]

Welcome to Hadriel's test drive, and thank you again for your interest in the game! As always, our reserves page is here, and our applications page is here! Reserves open June 24th, and apps are open July 1st. Please remember that there is an app cap of 20 apps.

Two quick points here as well:

1. Any thread made in Hadriel's test drive will be accepted as the sole Action Log sample in the application.
2. All threads made in the test drive can be considered game canon, either through handwaving or through a shared mental experience while coming through the Door!

Test drives will be broken up into specific god mini-events, during which your characters can see how well they fare under the watchful eye of one of the gods. Choose wisely or just simply pick 'em all, and have fun!

F E A R

SCENARIO ONE: A LITTLE FRENZIED
[The Door brings in all that is chaotic and evil in the world. This may include you, may include the person next to you... and may include the monster behind you.

Do you hear something weird? Some kind of strange, constant humming? Hopefully by now you know enough to know that it's probably not nothing, and maybe you should run. If you don't, well- the Door has brought in some Winter Lanterns, from the Bloodborne video game.

Winter Lanterns are rather hideous creatures that hum constantly and glow orange when they detect someone's presence. They can grab you with their tentacles and take a nice bite out of you, which is super fun, or they can mess you up just by looking at you too long. Yep, hanging out in the gaze of a Winter Lantern for too long will end with you being afflicted by Frenzy - blood shooting out all over the place. Not great for the health, really, so maybe don't get into a staring contest. Maybe just run.]

S O R R O W / L O V E

SCENARIO TWO: HAUNTED
[You thought you might never see them again, but now they're here. That person you loved - that person you miss terribly. Except that you seem to be the only person who can see them, and you also seem to be getting steadily weaker.

So that's what it comes down to, then. This ghost that's haunting you will take your life so it can live, even if it doesn't mean to. Do you have the ability to stop them? You'll have to kill them to do it, and you love them so much. Now's the time to make your choice - but be careful. They're strong enough to be visible now, and one of your friends or even a passing stranger might have something to say about your decision.

This is a mini version of our Ghosts That You Know event this month!]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y

SCENARIO THREE: SLEEPING SICKNESS
[For some reason you can't quite put your finger on, you're tired. Like really tired. Like slurring your words, stumbling over your own feet, nodding off if you stop for a second tired. You can't seem to get enough rest no matter what you try - because it's always a light sleep. The slightest sound or movement will wake you up, leaving you just as tired and irritable as before.

What are you going to do? Try to find a quiet place to nap? Good luck. It seems like a lot of other people have the same idea as you - it might be hard to find a truly empty place. Or maybe you just can't take it anymore, and you're going to lay down and take a nap right in the middle of the street. Or maybe you actually feel fine, but everyone around you is falling asleep - and they glare at you when you make the slightest sound.

Maybe you should wake them up? Sleeping in the middle of the street isn't exactly safe. But then, maybe you just want to join them and argue over who gets the most comfortable bit of road.]

Comments

Dr. Temperance Brennan | Bones | will match format

[notimpervious]

fear

The problem with consumate scientists like Brennan is that very, very little exists that can scare her away from investigating something new. So if you happen to be in the colosseum today and you see this lady in a blue lab coat approaching a monster, maybe do her a solid and save her?

sorrow/love

"Hi, Mom."

Brennan knows this isn't real. There is no such thing as life after death, and even if there were, this is still a very detailed coma dream, or so she's still saying. But just because it's all a delusion, that doesn't mean she's going to scream at her mother's "ghost" until she's gone. Christine Brennan has gotten more solid since she first appeared, and...

And didn't Cam say she saw her mother's ghost once?

Brennan has so much trouble getting up these days, but she still forces herself to make the walk to the lab every day. This morning, however, she has to stop just outside the spire she's living in, stop and lean heavily against the wall and stare at her mother and memorize the way she looks.

"I think... I must be losing my mind."

"No, honey," says Christine. "But... you're losing your life."

Brennan snickers. "I know. I need to wake up." She's missing her baby girl's firsts. "Did you come to do that?"

Christine's smile turns sad, but Brennan doesn't see it, her eyes shut as the exhaustion starts to truly wear on her.

At this stage, just about anyone can see she's a hair's breadth from falling down. If Christine sees you walk by and you don't approach on your own, she'll call out to you: "I need your help. My daughter needs your help."


tranquility

There's not enough coffee in the world to fight this sleepiness, but guess who's fishing by the lake.

Or at least, she's set up a makeshift fishing rod and all the rest and is now lying on the blanket she brought with her.

"Do not touch anything," Brennan will snap sleepily when she hears you approach. "I am not an expert in survival skills, but--" she yawns "--I will determine if what I catch is not harmful to eat. Somehow."

Tranquility because I'm sure we'd wanna officially log the feels of her arrival

[lifetothefullest]

"I'm not sure this is worth the risk right now, Dr. Brennan." Lance is undeterred by her tone, sitting down next to her on the bank and eyeing the water suspiciously for a moment before looking back at her. "Besides, you should be getting some rest."

Of course that's easier said than done here right now, but that doesn't mean they should stop trying, right?

Tranquility pls!

[drabsolutelynot]

"Ah, no," Rosen looks a bit flustered, stopping in his tracks. "I haven't the faintest clue how to fish in the first place so I wasn't about to take anything. I just wanted to make sure you weren't injured or ill."

He's not exactly used to people just lying around here in the cave. Not that the fishing rod and the blanket weren't a giveaway, but still.

"So, um," he remains where he is standing a few paces again, hands swinging a little awkwardly at his sides, "are you alright then, I take it?"

Fear

[unitas]

The Winter Lantern seems to respond to Brennan's presence, the bulbous growths on the creature lighting up. Sharon knows immediately that this could get ugly quickly and, despite her strong desire to flee, she finds herself moving quickly across the dirt. The orange glow is a no-good, very-bad sign. Monsters don't just glow because they want you to see. No, no. Monsters glow to lure you in. Monsters glow to attack.

Sharon finds that the rush of adrenaline and fear is enough to cause things around her to spark and she wastes no time in taking advantage of her own emotional turmoil. It takes just a glare at the creature and a clenching of a fist as she moves to result in a burst of fire, burning the creatures flesh. It jolts at the first lick of flame.

As she does this, she yells at Brennan,"Move the fuck away, you idiot!"

What is it with people walking straight into danger here? The next person that does it, she's leaving.

Fear ; BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY THIS COULD GO POORLY

[yearrounder]

This waant even the weirdest thing to happen to Annabeth this week let alone ever. At first she'd just sighed and blamed Hera (really who else would do something like this) but that was before she saw the monsters. Nothing like she'd seen before. Completely disgustin . And...wait, was that someone actually walking toward one?

"Hey! What are you doing?!" No points there for creativity, but she didn't need them as long as this mysterious crazy person actually listened. Always a crapshoot. She reached for her knife and ran toward it, as much as she would have preferred to "strategically retreat," and tried to position herself between the woman and the creature. Yuck.

"You'd better get out of here unless you really want to get horribly murdered."

((Also I'm sorry for being late to the party))

you know what this is

[dedikated]

( Her parents died a long time ago, and her first time around in this city taught her too much to trust the first flickers of her dad's presence. So Kate ignores him, bites her tongue and goes about her day with most of her energy disappearing too quickly - poured into trying to block out the sounds of his voice and being drained because she can't bring herself to do what needs to be done. It took too long to leave deaths behind, and in the three years which passed between her times here, she's finally gotten used to simply being in the clinic, working to help people. The strength, or whatever it might have been, to fulfil the tasks that claw at her heart has all but evaporated from her blood.

She looks over from her tunnelled journey down the streets towards the Spires as Christine calls out, shakes off the exhaustion that has her stepping slower than usual and darts over. )

-- You're not real, are you?

( It's the same story as the lanky, curly haired man behind her, the one whose face is a sad twist of a smile. Pride at his daughter's response undercut by the bitter knowledge of what has to come for them both to survive.

Kat, you're going to have to- )

Hey- ( She ignores her dad's voice again, ducks under Brennan's arm and wraps one around her waist. ) C'mon, find you somewhere to sit.

( Her gut tells her that what appears to be her dad is right, but it's been years since she had to. She didn't even turn up with a weapon on her when this place pulled her back in. )

Fear, but like, a More Chill Version

[nonscriptum]

[Nate didn't have to look too long at those things to realize that they weren't friendly, and frankly, an idiot could tell that they weren't just judging by the wet-looking protuberances, the slick and dripping eyeballs, the sheer unnaturalness of them. He thought he'd engage in a little civic duty by dropping in at the Colosseum to lend a hand to any newcomers who might experience distress at their arrival, largely because he needs some Thrills And Chills, and partly because he's not bad with a gun.

What he doesn't expect to see is someone in a lab coat observing one of the creatures from a (slightly) safe distance, as if committing the movements to memory.]

Hey, uh.

[Nate sidles up, keeping his tone light but with that mild concern winnowing in at the edges, one eye on the...thing covered in eyes. Yeesh.]

What are you doing?

Ignis Scientia | FFXV | OTA/will match format

[claritatis]

SCENARIO ONE: A LITTLE FRENZIED

[Ignis doesn't run.. at first. He even takes a few steps closer to the noise as the names of his friends die on his lips before the first syllable is sounded.

There's a dagger in his hand, but very quickly, he realises he's out of his depth.

Ignis does run, with the full intention of putting as much distance between he and the humming creature as he can. He knows when he's outmatched, and this isn't the kind of day to add a deathwish to his list of things to do. If he happens to pass you in his retreat, feel free to grab his arm.. or just run alongside.]

SCENARIO THREE: SLEEPING SICKNESS

[He fights it from the moment he realises that it isn't natural. While never a heavy sleeper, Ignis found all too quickly that the quick catnaps he was taking were doing nothing to keep the weariness at bay, and opts instead for trying to walk off the fatigue. It was, perhaps, not the best idea.

By the time he puts his back to a wall and almost - but not quite - sinks down to the floor he isn't entirely sure where he is. He takes his glasses off and pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.. or two.. or--

He catches himself before he loses his balance, and straightens quickly.]

I am not falling asleep in the middle of the road. [He tells himself, ignoring the disgruntled looks he gets from the few that his voice disturbed. He sets off again unsteadily, bracing his hand against the nearest wall whenever he can. Whatever this is... it's not going to get the best of him.]

One

[filmthenight]

[Tatara is... a little surprised, when he sees someone running his direction. One would think that, when you see someone running in something of a panic, you would get the common sense to run from them or with them. Who knows what could be chasing this guy.

But Tatara? No, he's curious. Is this guy okay? As Ignis gets closer, he reaches out an arm to try and get the man's attention. It would be a weak grab at best, and would depend on how much attention Ignis is going to pay him if Tatara will or won't fall to the ground from the force of it.]

Hey, hey, what's the matter? [His voice is light and casual as he tries to capture Ignis' attention.]

Raidou Kuzunoha XIV | Devil Summoner

[the_fourteenth]

[I]

[Raidou isn't one to back down from a monster. But he's also never come across anything like this, and it's a lot tougher than he's expected. A few sword strikes, a few bullets from a pistol, and this thing is still perusing him. He even summons his own distractingly cute monster to shoot some fire and ice spells at it, which only slows it down. Raidou can tell that the gaze from this creature is making him feel Not Good at all, and on top of the hits he's already taken from it, he begrudgingly sheathes his sword and makes a break for it. Maybe some kind person can jump in to help him fight it off, or help him get away.]


[III]
[It's really difficult to investigate why something is making everyone so tired when it's affecting you, too. If he's going to fall asleep, Raidou would at least not like to have it happen in the middle of the street. How embarrassing is that? It takes some conscious effort on his part to step around the people who've already decided the ground is a fine place for a nap. And his apartment is so far away...

If he sees anyone else struggling to stay awake, he'll talk to them, in the hopes that maybe they can help each other.]

This... This is very unfair.

[III]

[drabsolutelynot]

Unfair?

[Rosen is still standing though he's taking a breather. The trudge back to the clinic has frustratingly winded him]

Tatara Totsuka | K Project | Will match format

[filmthenight]

[ O N E ]

Tatara is still blinking in confusion and curiousity after he's found himself in this little cave-city. He had died, hadn't he? He's pretty sure he remembers being shot, and caressing Yata's face as the younger man begged him not to go to sleep. It's such a painful memory. But here he is, solid and alive. Was that all a dream? Or is this the dream? Do the dead even dream?

Nevermind that this is a place he's certainly not familiar with. That's not the weird part at all.

Although, the strange humming coming from nearby is almost definitely weird. But humming comes from people, so maybe he can ask where he is and put an end to this mystery after all. And he heads toward the humming, walking calmly without even the slightest suspicion of potential dangers. And it isn't until he's in the creature's line of sight that he realises, much too late, that it wasn't a person making the humming. Erm.... Maybe this thing is sentient?

"Hello, can you help me?" he says with a cheerful, gentle smile. "I'm afraid I have no idea where I am. Could you maybe give me some directions?"

And with that, the monster seems to glow orange as it launches out it's tentacles at him. Tatara's eyes widen and he narrowly ducks out of the way, hitting the ground on his chest as his footing slips. Ooh, boy, this thing doesn't appear friendly, and as the monster readies another attack, Tatara's brow furrows with another smile.

"Looks like I'm really in trouble."

Can someone die twice?


[ T H R E E ]

Tatara rubs his face for what must be the hundredth time, and gives another yawn, adding to the countless number that came before it. He's trying to stay on his feet, really. But, every so often, he finds himself collapsed on the ground, rousing from only what he can assume was a short nap. And not feeling the slightest bit refreshed. After which, he always picks himself up, not bothering to dust off the dirt he might have gathered from his impromptu hug of the ground. Just why is he so tired.

Being unable to properly focus, mostly from how often he's closing his eyes for just a few seconds, he bumps into or stumbles over you. Whichever it is causes him to fall to the ground. And he lets out a very weak chuckle as he looks at you.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

[notimpervious]

"Ow."

Will no one let her sleep?

Wait, how did she get on the ground?

"Normally when someone... causes another person to fall, they ext..." Stay awake, stay awake. "They extend an offer to help them up."

Brennan is now awake enough to fix half a glare on Tatara. Yeah, she's annoyed.

faith connors. mirror's edge: catalyst.

[altitude]

fear
( The light shining in Faith's eyes is like a beacon, a starting pistol that shoots her to full wakefulness without so much as a glance to her wider surroundings. Nothing good comes of lights shining in her direction - drones and cameras and KSec guards all done up to find her in the darkest of nights. She bolts before she even gets a chance to look around at what's in front of her, to properly take in the fact that this isn't Glass. This isn't even the sand that would make Glass.

(We're sorry, that was terrible.)

Moving is instinctive to her, barreling past people, pulling herself up the sides of the Colosseum's walls and into the stands. Higher means better. Means she's at home, and further away from whatever's trying to catch her.

But there's no gunshots. And that's the first thing that causes Faith to slow down, once she's perched at the highest point she can find, makes her take in the surroundings she's trying to navigate and their unfamiliar shapes and paths. Nothing glistens with the gloss that comes from Glass' architecture, and everything smells... different. Earthier.

Real. )

... Okay.

( She doesn't have time to question things out loud, not when she wants to keep moving, swinging over rooftops and traversing away from the Colosseum without letting her feet touch the ground. If she comes across someone while running the rooftops, she slows down, eyes them for a moment before coming over: )

You need something?

( Why else would most people be up here? )

sorrow/love
...Noah?

( The first time she sees him, Faith thinks she's just going crazy after everything that's happened. That being dragged here is the cherry on a shit sundae and her mind's making up things to try and make sense of it all.

He keeps disappearing, like a hacked feed - flitting in an out of existence in the corner of her eye. )

Noah, where are you?

( I'm with you-

It's the kind of answer a trick of her mind would pull, right? That's not what she wants to know. Where are you? Not dead, right? KSec didn't, or at least that's what she's been told.

And it has to be her imagination that makes him seem clearer, more solid. Like he's exiting fog, or maybe it's just that her vision's swimming. Where everything's so out of focus, things are in focus again. She reaches forward, forward- just a little more. He's just in reach. )

C'mon, Noah. Tell me where you are.

( The next time Noah speaks, he's loud enough to be heard by passers by: I told you. I'm here, with you. And I need your help, Faith. )

I don't get it - what's going on?

( Noah's expression is nothing but pain, the twisting of realisation that he can't stop this, that Faith looks weaker and weaker with each passing second. The words he has to say are the ones she'll never agree to, but he says them anyway, because their lives have never been easy.

You have to kill me. )

wildcard
( throw me something, anything else! )

sorrow/love

[notimpervious]

[It's not hust her. It's happening to everyone. Fitting, that her brain normalizes the illusion by giving all these coma-dream people a ghost or two of their own. They're corporeal now, visible to everyone. Brennan likes having her mother by her side, even if it's getting more difficult to walk by the minute.

A girl with dark hair reaches out for a figure Brennan just knows (instinct, how foolish) is one of these ghosts.

The ghost-man says you have to kill me. Brennan looks at her mother.] That's what you said to me.

[Christine Brennan is stronger than her daughter now, so she walks up to the girl talking to the ghost. "If you don't kill me," says Christine, grabbing for the girl's wrist, "she's going to die." With her free hand, she points to the slowly approaching, exhausted looking woman she left behind. "Kill me. Please."

Christine is too worried about her daughter to give Faith personal incentive to do this, but she knows that Temperance will figure it out and do the same, will kill the ghost called Noah and free this stranger from a sad fate.]

akira kurusu (protagonist) | persona 5 (action or prose are both welcome!)

[jocoeur]

I: ONLY SLIGHTLY FRENZIED

Out of the frying pan and into the oven, was it? Joker had just been in the thick of infiltrating a Palace, and here was this thing in front of him now, just upsetting his day, really. A new type of Shadow he hadn't yet encountered perhaps? And more importantly, where had the other thieves gone? Still thinking this was just part of the mission, he ducked behind cover, glancing at the monster that seemed to be steadily approaching. There's the slight adjusting of his gloves as he waits... and waits for it to come closer. Just a little more and he'll be able to ambush the thing... but another glance towards the monster to check the positioning has his phantom-senses tingling. A cold sweat seems to break out across the back of his neck as the humming draws closer, louder...

He'd been so focused on the creatures approach, he hadn't noticed the silent tentacle that had somehow moved to his boots, realizing far too late that it was now wrapping itself tightly around his leg, pulling him out from hiding with an alarmed— "Wh-what the..."

III: SLEEPING SICKNESS BEAUTIES

A hand cups at Akira's head as he leans against the closest object he can find for support. Removing his glasses for a moment to rub at his tired eyes, there's an uncomfortable realization when he replaces them that it did nothing to curb the increasing heaviness his eyelids. Sleep had hardly been coming easily, if at all, and he didn't think that today would be any different, despite how overwhelmingly exhausted he felt.

With a frustrated sigh, he looked around noting that everyone else didn't seem to be much better off than he was— though he had no intention of trying to rest out in the open here. He'd learned his lesson about letting his guard down in this place and wasn't about to tempt the gods into playing their tricks on him. Feeling a wave of renewed dizziness as he tried to stand all again, Akira stumbles slightly forward, bumping into something warm this time, and quickly following up with a mumbled, "Sorry..."

I.

[theperfectcrime]

Beyond had sat by, observing what this boy would do against this beast. Apparently, the kid had a plan, and he was quite curious to see it. How do you beat these monsters? But, he sees the boy hesitate as the monster gets closer, and foolishly allows it to snag him by the leg.

How disappointing. The boy had gotten in precisely zero action before already being nabbed.

Still, he continues to watch, observing with wide eyes to see if the child has any solutions to this new predicament. Of course, Beyond himself doesn't do or say anything. He's sitting in a peculiar position - crouched with his knees to his chest as he bites on his thumbnail in thought. Maybe if Akira spots him and asks for assistance, he'll do something then. But he has no intention of assisting otherwise.

Zack Addy + Bones

[kingoftheloonybin]

FEAR

[His knees crack against the ground before he scrambles clumsily to his feet. Zack is a lot of things: a genius, a scientist, an engineer, male, awkward. One thing he wasn't was athletic. His hair is cut back and he's wearing the gray jumpsuit from the institution.

His mind works quickly, turning over scenario's as he runs. He wishes Hodgins was here. He'd been the one to get Zack to first play Bloodborne.]

Why does it feel like I'm in a video game?

[His voice is surprisingly flat for someone who's about to have his ass kicked by a monster. For all Zack has done, probably deserves something like this.]

TRANQUILITY

Zack was used to late nights with little to no sleep. This feeling went beyond that. He felt his mind tug sluggishly and it frustrated him. Logically, he knew that he should sleep but something in him resisted that logic. It felt as if he'd fall asleep and never wake up. It was a stupid thought.

He paused when he saw others sleeping on the road, his brows furrowing with uncertainty.

Zack begins to list sleeping gas's and compounds, forcing them from his mind. "BZ, halothane vapour,methyl propyl ether, methoxyflurane." It could be a substance that was transmits by touch or through a medium besides air: drinking water? Zack stifles a yawn and stumbles forward while continuing to ramble to himself. "Prolonged sleep can cause headaches, pains..."

His voice trailed off, his chest falling against his chest before he jolted himself awake. "We can't sleep... have to figure out what's happening..." Except that it was taking everything for him to stay on his feet.

[ooc: Will match format, did two just because.]

tranquility

[notimpervious]

Why. Why did everything and everyone in this city insist on waking her up not five minutes after she'd fallen asleep. (Brennan has no idea if it has been five minutes or not, but hyperbole seems an appropriate way to express how frustrated she is.)

Even as tired as she is, she recognizes the person who woke her. Suddenly she's back in the lab, and the Gormogon case hasn't even surfaced. Those were good times. She and Zack and the others working together, forming a strong partnership with Booth and the FBI by extension.

"Have you found anything?" What had he been saying? Those compounds-- "It could be a gas, yes. It's... a logical assumption. I have... I have no other suggestions."

There are no bones to look at. No one has died. She might even be the first, seeing as she's just lying on the road. She knows she should stand or at least sit, but it's so, so hard.

"Help me sit up, Zack. I can't..." It's ll she can do to keep her eyes open.

Kate Fuller | From Dusk Till Dawn | will match format

[littlemisskate]

FEAR

The last thing that Kate remembered was the loud echoing sound of gunfire. Getting shot hadn't felt like she thought it might. Warmth and pain spread from her stomach as the strength slowly seeped her limbs. Time slowed and a chilling cold surrounded her as her body crumpled weakly to the ground. With each passing second she remembered her heart beating a little slower, Richie and Scott were looking down at her and then there was only darkness.

She heard singing when her eyes opened next, a grotesques creature looming over her. Kate knew she should scream for help but she only watched as the creature reared back, it's tentacles flicking towards her.

It was just another monster coming to kill her.

LOVE

"Kill me Kate."

She turned when she heard her brothers voice and stopped. "Scott?" It couldn't be him but he was standing in front of her with those familiar swords sticking like ugly reminders from his back. He'd killed her. Him and Richie. She bit her lower lip and spoke in a low voice. "I tried to save you Scott but you didn't want to be saved... did you?" Is this what she got for giving up? Was Scott the reason why she was here?

Her last words echoed in her mind, 'There is no more love left, Richard'

Kate closed her eyes, only vaguely aware that the ghost of Scott was stepping forward. No love left? She wondered if she really believed that. It was hard to tell.

Fear

[pyralisit]

Fuck these things were ugly. The longer they stayed the worse the monsters got. Really, should anyone have been surprised? That was the whole point, wasn't it? Escalation of the torture until they broke and weren't useful anymore to give them the power they wanted. Emotions were exhausting and eventually you ran out. How much longer until that happened?

He shot the beast before he even aaw that it was terrorizing someone on the ground. Someone who didn't seem to be doing the smart thing and running for their fucking life. Wonderful.

"Get up and move. Unless you'd rather die painfully."

Annabeth Chase | Percy Jackson Novels

[yearrounder]

Sorrow

Wonderful. First a cave and now ghosts. It didn't look like the Underworld, but that didn't mean anything. There was still a lot of the Underworld Annabeth hadn't seen and never wanted to. She might have concluded "Tartarus" next except the air didn't burn. But seeing the specter standing next to her, it might as well have been. She'd definitely call that torture. It may not hurt her body, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

What was she supposed to do, talk to it? He seemed to think so. He wouldn't shut up, in fact, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. It got harder to the longer it went, though, and she was trying not to cry in public before long. Maybe the weakness was getting to her.

Eventually, though, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it, Luke!"

Wildcard
Anything else?

[chaosling]

"I'm sorry, what?"

Sari hadn't been paying much attention to anything in the here and now. At least the physical here and now. When the sudden exasperated exclamation was shouted she snapped back into the here and now.

"Oh. I"m sorry. You're talking to one of those ghosts?"

Nico di Angelo | Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

[hasadoctorsnote]

Haunted

[A cave, huh. Well, when you've lived in the Underworld before, you're kind of used to being underground. This doesn't look like the Underworld though. Doesn't feel like it either. Underworld or not, he'd still be on guard like he is right now since he's not in his father's palace and he learned the hard way that he can't just go anywhere he wants to in the Underworld without repercussions, even if he's Hades's son, and he's not about to make a dumb mistake like that again.

Nico's dealt with plenty of ghosts before too, probably numbering in the thousands by now. He knows it's a ghost when she shows up because he can feel it, and even though he knows she chose to be reincarnated so it can't really be her, he still wants so much to believe that there's a chance it might actually really be her that he falters for a moment. He misses her so much.]

Bianca...?

Sleeping Sickness

[Nico's felt exhaustion that he's pushed himself through before, even managed to get himself to the point where he almost started to fade away into nothing and kept going. He's not about to give up now, even if he feels like he's just shadow traveled and is completely wiped from the effort. He fights to keep his eyes open as he stumbles a little, using his sword as a makeshift walking cane to keep himself upright, resisting the urge to sleep for now. He still doesn't know where he is and there could be danger anywhere. He already had to deal with a monster as soon as he showed up wherever here was. It's not safe to just lay down and take a nap; he at least needs to find some place that's more sheltered or find someone that might be able to help him.]

WOO Option 2 as requested :D

[sonofacesius]

That was a dangerous looking cane, Nico. One slip and you were going to end up skewered and then you'd really need a doctor. Luckily, there he was! Don't slip and fall on your sword, Will had ambrosia but he didn't want to waste it unnecessarily. He had his backpack slung over his shoulders, chalk full of medical supplies and ambrosia, and non-CHB issue bow and quiver. Will was trying to make habit of hanging around the colosseum for the new arrivals, it seemed inevitable that there would be people who had injuries either sustained from their world before, or from the monsters when they arrived. Will had to deal with harpies when he arrived. Maybe the Door thought it was funny to kidnap a Greek demigod and let harpies loose on him.

"Nico?"

Not completely sure he wasn't losing his own mind, Will ran over to his boyfriend, putting one arm around him and another going to the sword. "Can you sheath that for me? I'm going to get you someplace safe." He looked exhausted. Like he had shadow traveled. Had he?

Will was totally ready to pick him up in that fireman's carry Nico was probably used to by now, but he really didn't want one of them to get skewered with a sword made of stygian iron.

Oscar | Syberia (Possible Syberia 3 Spoilers)

[onlyanautomaton]

2. Haunted

Oscar is sitting on a sofa in their house.

He consolidates his remaining resources--in a manner he didn't think was possible until now, much the same as how he didn't think he could lose the simple capability to convert vision of his local environment into easily decipherable data--to focus on a matter of pressing importance. He manages to lift his head slightly, his attention firmly directed at the woman next to him.

"Kate Walker..." Oscar finally replies to a voice nobody else could hear until two days ago, coming from a woman only he has been able to see for the better part of a week, his tone gentle. Limiting his activity would be the wisest choice, especially as he is not prepared to exchange farewells just yet, but he lifts his head further to meet her gaze anyway. "What you fail to understand is that you are as real to me now as the day I had the fortune of meeting you. If, by this cave's design, my deactivation somehow serves to ensure your survival, I have no objections. Please, do me the kind favor of allowing me to help you one last time."

Another silence, this time somewhat expected, but difficult all the same. Her eyes are filled with sorrow. She is no longer protesting. He knows she doesn't want to believe it, but it is indeed too late. She did everything she possibly could, but by the time the problem became apparent and she wished to investigate tirelessly ways in which to solve it, this body, steadily worsening in functionality, did not prove up to the task of moving them both around the city. She could not find a solution through Hadriel's telephone network either, so it would seem; she managed to push herself through to the adjoining room during that particular stage of her enquiries, insisting rather erroneously that an automaton such as himself needed 'rest'. And he remembers in stark detail her calls for help subsequent to all of this, the stream of noise mostly directed at the front door and windows in the hope some passerby may hear. He also remembers politely requesting that she stop, for it made him feel uneasy.

He doesn't wish to leave her. Quite the contrary: he wants to help her in her mission to escape along with the others and return to the aid of the Youkols once more. Very soon, she will be able to resume that mission.

Oscar looks away.

"The townspeople need you, Kate Walker." Another pause, a hesitation, before he gingerly raises a hand to his chest, giving it two inaudible taps. "There might come a time when you encounter an expert craftsman the likes of which we have encountered before in a certain Hans Voralberg. Perhaps they could repair me. You may even return as I once did; everything would then be the way it was before your unplanned arrival here. You would lack any memory of these events."

His hand falls back to his side harder than he likes with a ragdoll quality most unseemly for a production-grade Voralberg automaton. There is little time left...

Kate Walker turns from him and places one of her hands beside his, wiping her tears with her other. Hypothetically, if Oscar currently possessed the capacity to move as he pleased, he does not know what he would do. He knows he does not wish for this to continue. He looks down and attempts to move his fingers, trying to the best of his ability to regain control of the appendage.

Automatons cannot interact with that which is not real.

She behaves, speaks, and looks like Kate Walker.

That is enough.

"...Do not cry, Kate Walker."

[ooc: TL;DR Your character might hear ghost!Kate's calls for help from inside their house, or maybe she's interacted with them on the network! Dying in order to save him is not something she will have considered, though.]

the sole survivor | fallout 4

[rebuilds]

( for the canon familiar folk: stella is post railroad ending + dlcs. peace was forged between the factions in far harbor and the raider gangs destroyed in nuka-world. )

— ＦＥＡＲ

[ Perhaps you've wandered close to the Door to help the newest set of arrivals spilling in, perhaps you're not here to help or here looking to fight some monsters. Whatever the case, as you wander there is a hand that reaches out to stop your steps by resting a hand atop your shoulder. Its owner is a tired looking woman, matted blonde-hair and face dusted with grime. ]

Shhh. [ Her instructions are given quietly, barely audible as the woman points a gloved finger toward the current situation lingering nearby and hopes they will not continue crossing into the monsters' path. ]

—ＳＯＲＲＯＷ ／ ＬＯＶＥ

If only this was real...

[ Stella's voice is distant, dream-like as she stares at the makeshift crib containing the small baby who coos and giggles at his mother. Her eyes are heavy, finding it harder to stay awake but she is afraid to fall asleep now. She is afraid of her son once again vanishing without a trace. This is not real though, she knows this but still finds that fear eating away inside her. It was the same fear she remembers watching Nate die and watching those bastards steal her child away. Tiredly, she sighs and leans back where she sits and briefly gazes upwards with a deep breath of air.

Coffee would be swell, she thinks. Hell, she'd even settle for an old bottle of Nuka just for a needed jolt of energy. Thankfully, Shaun's upset cry is enough to snap her into focus and smile down at infant. ]

It's okay, it's okay. I'll keep you safe.

— ＴＲＡＮＱＵＩＬＩＴＹ

[ There is a suit of power armor in the street among all the sleeping bodies. It is stood upright, rather imposing but definitely not moving. In fact, it is not doing much of anything but there is a... noise. A strange noise at that. It's only when you get close enough to the armor that it becomes clear just what the noise is.

Snoring. Maybe you should wake the owner up? After all, falling asleep like that just can't be comfortable. ]

— ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ

[ For anything not mentioned above! Stella likes to explore so she'll constantly be on the move, exploring whatever she can find and tinkering with whatever she can get her hands on. ]

tranquillity

[64th]

[ yeah, the suit of armor catches her attention. Cashmere actually thinks she might be hallucinating (she's tired. so tired) and stumbles over to check it out. she gives the suit of armor a gentle kick. it seems to be real. ]

Anybody home?

[ she staggers a little. Cashmere doesn't want to sleep. it doesn't feel safe. ]

Sharkface | Red vs. Blue | ota

[requiemshark]

Fear

[Nope. Nope. There are a lot of things Sharkface will put up with. Prison food. Field rations. Field rations that are inexplicably worse than prison food. Felix.

Weird, possibly alien monsters?

Yeah, no.

Thankfully, he has flamethrowers.

How do you like that, monster? How do you like being coated in napalm?

Should you come across the sight, you'll get a good view of an ex-space marine committing arson. And possibly murder. Are these things sentient? Sharkface has no idea. Sharkface, frankly, does not care.

Besides, burning shit alive is always a legitimate solution.

He's totally not giggling.]

Sorrow/Love

[There's a dead man sitting next to him. This should probably be concerning. It's CT all in armor, his girlfriend's helmet sitting next to him.

They're sharing a cigarette. Neither of them are wearing their helmets. Sharkface feels oddly tired, but comforted.

'Why the long face, Picasso?']

Don't worry about it, buddy.

Wildcard

[Hit me!]

fear;

[itsaqua]

[ Tucker's had some unpleasant wake-up calls before, but this ranks pretty high on the list... someone is apparently trying to roast him alive inside his armor. He curses loudly and rolls away from the flames, which apparently weren't being directed at him specifically but some alien creature in his vicinity, whose tentacles are now whipping everywhere as it's burned. This can't be the test, but stepping into it is the last thing he remembers. And he does seem to be in some kind of arena...

Luckily his sword is strapped to his thigh and he pushes himself up and powers it with a flick of his wrist, trying to see past the fire to whoever's using it. He's not certain over the roar of flame, but it sounds like someone's giggling maniacally. Because it wouldn't be a day ending in Y if there wasn't some kind of maniac around.

A tentacle flails in his direction and he slices it off, stepping farther out of the way.... and as he moves to the side he can see just who's throwing the flames. Shit. A space pirate. Maybe this is the test. But rushing a dude who's holding an active flamethrower is definitely not a good plan. Time to try a different tactic, and conveniently there's another tentacle monster (ohhhh the jokes he could make) coming up on their left. ]

Hey! [ He waves his sword to get the pirate's attention, gesturing wildly at the new creature. It's a gamble to see which the other soldier is more afraid of, aliens or him. While he's an impeccable badass, the aliens are more of a threat at the moment. ] To the left, man!

lup | the adventure zone | Will Match

[restinglichface]

fear

You are about to get lit the fuck up, homie. [For most people, the logical response to seeing a grotesque monster lumbering toward them would be to turn tail and run. But then again, Lup had always thought she was a little outside the realm of normal to begin with.

The high elf twists to meet the monster with a laugh, baring her teeth as she twirls an umbrella in hand.] Step off or I will take you down.

[Naturally, the creature keeps humming as it slumps forward into another step, a soft, orange glow illuminating the closing distance between it and the elf.]


sorrow/love

[It's Barry.

Lup may not know where the fuck she is or how she's managed to get pulled so far off track in her search for the gauntlet, but she knows the semi-translucent figure beside her is Barry Bluejeans. The things he's saying, the mention of tender memories only the two of them could ever recall, even that ridiculous way the brush of his hand felt against her skin. Even if all of her naturally sharp senses tell her to not trust what she's seeing, she just can't bring herself to listen. Lup's observed illusory magic before, but nothing she's seen has ever come off as real as the ghostly man following so devotedly at her heels.

So, despite his pleas for her to kill him and the fact she can feel her very life-force draining from her body the longer they are together, Lup squares her shoulders and walks on. There has to be a solution somewhere.]

Lup, you-- [Barry, nervous and gruff-voiced as ever, barely gets the that 'you' out before Lup is spinning to shoot him a glare.]

Shut up! [she snaps, exhaustion seeping into her tone, the constant draining of her life over the last day or so making her feel more frazzled and temperamental than normal.] I'm figuring this out, got it? Just give me some time to think!

[Though really, any passerby would easily be able to see just how little of that time she actually had left.]

one Twin Tag Team as requested :3c

[pocketspa]

[If there's anything Taako's realizing in this place, it's when there's a monster making a noise, you shoot first and ask questions later. Double so when it's this fuck ugly thing and it's going after your sister. With a solid 16 to hit, a fireball comes streaking in from the right, slamming into the Winter Lanturns' side and knocking it over as it scrambles to regain footing. Taako doesn't make an attempt to move closer, but he does cup his hands and yell.]

They don't do well to threats! Just kick it's ass!

Mackenzie Stuart | OC | will match format

[theconsequences]

fear;

She had seen some nasty crap in her time. Scorpions, rattlesnakes. Once, she found a six-inch centipede coiled in her left shoe. When it came to nightmare creatures, Mack was sure the desert had about all there was to offer.

So, this? This was new.

The one comfort is that she isn't the only one in the arena, and there seems to be some other people who are a little more prepared to take on a nightmare octo-monster. Mack lacks any capability other than quivering in fear, until someone starts yelling at her to get out of the way and her legs, by some miracle, carry her to the nearest exit in a frenzy.

She doesn't quite make it to the exit, though, tripping over her on feet and landing flat on her face. With the breath knocked out of her, she manages to scramble for some cover and heave for breath, muttering in a panic as she moves.

"What the ever loving fuck is that?"

sorrow;

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, Ma, and you have said some dumbass shit to me."

Mack probably isn't in the best position to mock her mother, considering she is, at the moment, sprawled out in the doorway of Delight's Bar. Peggy is standing over her, pulling distractedly at her own blonde hair. Any onlookers will see the resemblance; Mack is the spitting image of her mother if you subtract twenty years of damage one too many drinks has done to her mother.

"You're not listening. I'm doing this to you. I'm not supposed to be here."

"I'm just tired." Mack didn't move, staring up at what should have been the sky in any world other than this one. "Just a nap."

"Please, baby." Peggy will turn, grabbing the attention of the first unsuspecting passer-by. "You know what is going on here, right? Tell her."

tranquility;

Delight's Bar again. Another day, another beer or six.

This time, Mack is taking a nap on the bar. Not a normal, I've had too much to drink, head on the bar kind of nap. No, her entire body is spread out over the bar, feet hanging off the ends and her cheek pressed on the surface. Maybe people are ordering drinks over her, or maybe she is just in somebody's way. In any case, it's not the greatest place for a nap.

Fear

[requiemshark]

[More alien bullshit. But at least these ones die when they burn, bleed when they're shot. And, apparently, there are people on this god forsaken shithole of a planet who haven't gotten the memo that walking around in anything less than a full suit of tactical armor is tantamount to suicide these days.

If this is even Chorus. Jury's still out.

Sharkface keeps his flame throwers active when he ambles over. Just in case.]

Dunno. It's dead.

[Then, quite casually, he levels his arm at her face. The flame winks. Nothing personal.]

'sup. I got some questions.

Drake Holloway | iZombie | will match format

[braveoff]

fear

[ Drake wakes up slowly, grimacing at the cold hard floor beneath him. The last thing he remembers is volunteering for experimentation so that no one else had to go, walking down the corridor to his certain doom... and yes, the sharp slide of a needle into his vein. A quick flexing of his limbs tells him he's not restrained -- they must have tossed him back into a cell. Was he really lucky enough to still have his mind? Or maybe, even less likely, their cure had actually worked?

Yeah. Fat chance of that.

He expects to still be a zombie. What he doesn't expect upon pushing himself up and opening his eyes, is to be somewhere outside the lab. An arena of some sort, that he's definitely never seen before. Dread settles over him like a weighted blanket, making it hard to breathe. At least in the lab, he knew what he was in for. He'd resigned himself to it, to sacrificing himself to protect the others a little longer, until they were rescued. And they would be rescued, he believed. He had to.

This, though? Drake stood up and dusted himself off, looking around and seeing others sprawled on the ground like he had been. He didn't recognize anyone, turning slowly to take in the scene -- and spotting a thing, monstrous and tentacled, hovering over an unconscious man a few yards away. Humming and glowing and reaching for him. Nope. Nooooope. Not on his watch. As the man opens his eyes and begins to scream, Drake is in motion, running straight at the creature, hands balled into fists.

It may not be the wisest decision. ]

tranquility

[ Being so tired and sleeping so lightly means Drake needed to get off the streets. This place looks mostly abandoned anyway so he wanders into the nearest apartment building or house, what have you, and finds a bed... it might well be yours. Yes, you may come home to a zombie in your bed tonight. Do you kick him out or not? ]

tranquility

[unheeled]

Nah, Rita doesn't kick him out. She just fills a cup with water and dumps it on his face. The pillow is soaked now, but she has others and can always get more from the so-called shops.

Getting this asshole out of her bed is far more important.

"Go find another place to crash in, lab rat."

Oh how her father had bragged when he'd brought in Liv's zombie boyfriend. See that guy there, Rita? That's your ex-roommate's lover. So many zombies, so little time.

Noctis Lucis Caelum | FFXV

[noctyourking]

F E A R

A sunken feeling draped over his shoulders, like a wet blanket, and caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand guard. He wasn’t so fresh here he didn’t know what that meant, rather, he’d been here long enough by now to gather impending doom followed close at his heels. His experience here thus far put him constantly on edge and he expected every narrow hallway to end up at the belly of one beast or another. Noctis clenched his fists to his sides before he slowly turned to face the cool breath of ghastly horror that stalked him now.

What he saw was a nonsensical shape which seemed to pulsate an eerie light around its ugly head. A breath caught at the back of his throat and his brows drew together while his hands slowly pried from their grip to his sides. A low hum then came to his ears and though it sounded distant and muffled as if it came from the other side of a wall he knew it resonated from the creature. Tendrils dipped from the pulp of a head, they looked slick and moved as if a beard caught in a breeze.

Though he could not depict the eyes on the creature he knew he was undeniable in its sight. Noctis slid a foot back and raised a hand to call forth his weapon. A long sword appeared in his grip with a matching glow though his blade blue whereas the creature illuminated an ember-orange.

S O R R O W / L O V E

It started with a soft breeze brushing at his pants. The feeling of it was cool and gentle and slowly worked up to his curious fingers that fanned out to greet the breeze. The sound of leaves scattering toward him across the pavement had Noctis turn his head toward the direction of the blow. By then the breath reached his chest and his own breath stilled as he caught sight of a distant memory. Even ten years could not keep him from remembering the details of her face. A soft pale light surrounded her and he stepped in her direction with a tentative hope warming his limbs. When he finally exhaled it was against the breeze that reached his lips. “Luna…” As if a secret between them he whispered her name and his eyes softened for her.

A smile then pushed at the corners of his lips and he took another step. The prison of deep ocean water held her far from his reach, but only a few steps more and he would hold her again.

Noctis would not stop here, despite a sudden heaviness to his step, he pushed forward with another step. He thought the ache in his legs benign and again he took another step. He couldn’t see past her now that she was in his sight and his fall to his knees was nothing of consequence and he moved one knee on the pavement before the other, still inching closer to her. “Luna..” More than just the call of her name, he promised her he would be there to embrace her, to protect her now that he was stronger. Before long he was on his hands along with his knees, but still he pushed forward.

T R A N Q U I L I T Y; on the N E T W O R K

[ Noctis pulls out his phone and opens up the app to broadcast. He’s aggitated and before he gets a word out his phone fumbles between his fingers and he drops it on the ground. A soft “Tch..” could be heard as he bends over to pick up the phone and a small grumble afterward he looks to the video of himself with some disgust. He looks absolutely exhausted— ]

Hn… I..

[ Turns out he had forgotten what he meant to say, although he knew it had to be in lines of his current feeling. His brows furrow. ]

I just want to.. … [ He nods off mid-sentence and the phone drops on the floor again, this time it runs for a near minute before Noctis scuffs and bends to pick the phone up again. However, he doesn’t recover from his bend and he’s soon flopping on the ground. He doesn’t bother to hold the phone up, rather he lays the phone on his thigh. ]

W…why can’t… I get home?

fear!

[nyxus]

From behind, he almost thought it was his King. There was no leg brace, the figure was thinner and stronger, but the clothes— and the weapon. Nyx knew it couldn't be him but there was no one, literally no one else, it could be. He had been trailing behind him and staying to the shadows for only just the past few minutes, and he had noticed the moment the other man had changed.

It had been the same moment in which he had, that moment of ice up his spine and dread arching hackles over every inch of him. Nyx had only felt that immediate horrifying terror a few times in his life and the moment the blue light lit the ember, Nyx understood where it was coming from. The nobleman (for what else could he think of a wielder of such a weapon be) faced off against the hulking nightmare and Nyx reacted immediately.

What mattered was that the man was a Lucis Caelum and from Eos, not which King it was or not. Nyx's loyalty lie with King Regis but neither was he going to stand by and let a fellow countryman face that horror alone. The churning glacial glass his innards had turned into were ignored as best they could be, and Nyx rushed forward with his Kukris in hand. He had no magic to offer this nobleman, but he could still fight with his blade and stand by his side.

"Maybe I can distract it?" Nyx offered for a plan, glancing quickly over at the other— who looked bizarrely familiar and yet Nyx was certain he didn't know him— and gave him a smirk. "Your Majesty."

Beyond Birthday | DeathNote | Will match format

[theperfectcrime]

[FEAR]

He stirs slowly from the cold, hard ground. Just where is he at? He's not entirely sure. Though he may have a few guesses, he's certain none of them will be accurate. He's not familiar with any of this. He stretches, not unlike an awkward cat, as he finally pushes himself off of the ground. He bites on his thumbnail as he examines his surroundings. He hears a faint humming and tilts his head said direction from which it comes.

Humming is a bit odd for such a place like this. Isn't it like one of those horror films?

Beyond's not interested in dying. At least, not yet. He has a mission to accomplish, and a place he needs to get back to in order to do it. First things first, he needs to find out his current location, and then make his way back home. He does need to hurry. His plan is already in motion and he only has a handful of days to create the next murder. He can't halt that process now. Not after he's come this far. And it would premature of said plans to die in this place, especially if it weren't by his own hand.

The source of humming seems to be coming from several places and, though he tries to avoid all of it, that seems to become increasingly impossible. He supposes, then, he should try to examine the source from a safe location. Though, what he finds is certainly very unexpected. A certain form of monster, that could only be described as from the world of nightmares. This thing is making that eerie sound?

Maybe he really did wake up in a horror film... He's not particularly thrilled of these circumstances.

Still though, this is no cause for alarm. He just has to find his way past it and find the doorway out of this decrepit Colosseum. Things that would be easier if he had a map and if this monster didn't seem to have companions around nearly every bend. He takes his time trying to sneak his way around these creatures. Although, it's line of sight seems to be difficult to pinpoint, with the lighting in here. Luckily, some of them will head a certain direction, and he'll use that in order to tell which way it's looking at the time.

Carefully, he backtracks and retracks several times on his course. Some areas seem to swarm with them, and it becomes difficult to move forward at all. And, much to his chagrin, one seems to have stumbled upon him on a backtrack from a said swarm. It lights up orange and stares directly at him. Well... at least now he knows how to tell when he's been detected. With turning back not being an option, he observes it carefully with wide eyes in return, to see what moves it will make, to see what he needs to dodge and how.

And when a tentacle lashes out, he is quick to dodge, and charges forward in the hopes of scrambling past it. What concerns him is that this thing's gaze never seems to break. This could be truly problematic in trying to hide from it, to see if he can trick it into thinking he's escaped. And trying to dodge those appendages is difficult in and of itself. He narrowly escapes a few more as they grab at him. But he seems to have gotten to the desired space beyond the fell beast, and he books it into a run.

Within a few paces, however, blood seems to randomly spurt from his body. Was I struck??! A look of panic crosses his features as he continues to run, seeking a safe place to examine and tend to his wounds.

Well... This is unpleasant.

[torrefied]

Mello is minding his own business, on his way to work in the orchard, as he does most days, not searching for any excitement, but this place certainly does has a way of creating unwanted excitement, doesn't it. Mello may not be a great humanitarian, but a visibly bleeding man crossing his path is hard to ignore, as is the vague resemblance to L. For a moment - from the side, from a distance - Mello thinks it might be L, and panic kick-starts his heartbeat into a faster pace.

Then he draws in closer, gets a better look. He's not L, which is a relief, but there's still something naggingly familiar about him.

He feels utterly stupid when the realization finally does click into place in his mind, like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle completing the picture. It's been years since Mello has seen him, which makes sense, since he has been dead for years. But the bleeding man in front of him is none other than Beyond Birthday - of this, Mello is almost one hundred percent certain. His eyes widen underneath the ridiculous slat-lens novelty sunglasses he still wears as a precaution. Is this another trick of the gods? If it is, it's following awfully soon after the visitation from his long-dead mother.

There's no way to know for certain without further investigation. Mello pulls the glasses off his face - a deliberate move, designed to provide the man who was born with shinigami eyes a clear view of his entire face, many years older than he may remember (if he does remember at all) and scarred by fire, but it still should display the same name, Mihael Keehl - and tucks the glasses into his jacket pocket as he approaches.

"What happened?"