apocalypsehowcomm | [log] don't go in there, you'll become one

Entry tags:

[log] don't go in there, you'll become one

Who: Martin and perhaps you!
When: December 2nd-13th
Where: Various around ADI headquarters and housing
Summary: Between the worm game and the hidden mold, everybody's starting to be a worse version of themselves. Martin, on the other hand, has had some Experiences with worms he is refusing to repeat.
Warnings: Likely spoilers for season 1 of the Magnus Archives, potential mentions of worms, holes and/or insects in skin, and maybe the brandishing of a corkscrew.

i. [adi headquarters] everybody likes to get taken for turns

[Here's the thing. If that cute little game was called anything, and I mean anything else, Martin would be all over it. Snake? Sure. Spider's Web or something equally ominous? Why not. Hell, it could be Death Spiral for all he cared, it would still be more appealing than this accursed, smiling little pixel worm now on his and everyone else's phone. It's been years since the incident with Prentiss, and arguably, he's gone through a lot more stuff since then that should have gotten him a lot worse.

And yet. That little worm sits there. Mocking him. He feels like he's going absolutely insane.

The thing is, he has absolutely no good reason at this stage to tell people not to play it. It's just a little phone game, and he's certainly not about to start infodumping all his trauma. But if he sees you in a lounge playing, or at the cafeteria, or even at a work desk, he may just slide over and caaaasually look over your shoulder at it.]

C'mon, don't-- don't wear it out, you know? Everybody's been playing that lately.

ii. [adi housing] to see how bright the fire inside of us burns

[Despite the fact that Martin tries very hard to act like a normal person, sometimes his paranoia or preparedness wins out in the face of typical calm activity. He doesn't mean to worry anyone, nor could he actually explain what he's doing without a lot of exposition, so it's better to just... be chill about it.

The 'it' in particular, however, can now be discovered by you, as you get to see Martin in the halls of the ADI housing building carrying what looks to be six or seven fire extinguishers. Where did he get them? Good question! What is he doing with them? Probably a better one! He doesn’t look as though he’s overtly trying to sneak, but he is checking his corners and cursing a little under his breath every time the metal ones hit together.

Maybe you want to help him. Or just figure out why he’s suddenly so passionate about fire safety. Or maybe you just caught him taking one out of a case in the hall. It’s fine. It’s, it’s so fine. Trust him. It’s gonna be so fine.]

iii. [just about anywhere] but all good devils masquerade under the light

[So. Things have escalated. After the announcement by Reyes, Martin has now gone into what may best be described as a little panic, and is doing less of his usual avoidance and more direct action. That is to say, if you have any visible mold or are otherwise acting weirdly (or even still just playing that horribly cursed game), you might find him cautiously approaching holding a fire extinguisher in a way that can only be described as 'armed'. The main tank is under one arm, and the nozzle is unclipped and held out ahead of him.]

Okay... look. I don't-- I don't want to hurt anybody, here, but-- you need to get to medical. Now. Or-- or I'll use this.

[You know, the fire extinguisher? He seems serious about that part, at least.]

[ooc: If you want a specific starter, other prompt, or just want to chat about current or future plotting, hit me up via PM or at

cancerously!]

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[Jon enters their apartment... and is nearly sent sprawling when he trips over- what is that? Why are there several fire extinguishe- Oh. Oh no.]

Martin! Martin are you alright? Are-

[Oh god, what if a hive is here? He picks up one of the extinguishers and clutches it like a lifeline.]

Martin? Whoever is here. Come out where I can See you.

[Winter is baffled by the kid carrying around fire extinguishers. Don't those belong in their little cabinet around the complex? He watches for a minute before stepping in, collecting one of the cannisters that fell from Martin's already-over-full grip.

Since he's indoors, and "at home" technically, there's no mask.
So there's that. He doesn't look impressed, though, when he asks:]

What are you doing.

[Yuri hadn't really even had a phone until she'd gotten here, still poking and prodding and learning how to use it. It's convenient, she supposes, but otherwise unremarkable to her. She keeps forgetting it at home.

She also keeps forgetting to take breaks, which is what prompts someone to force her on a lunch, pointing out the game as a fun way to pass time.

Normally she can tell when someone's coming near her, but she'd been a little absorbed in trying to figure out the game. Which means that Martin's comment makes her gasp and jerk in surprise, fumbling as the phone falls from her hands to the floor. She looks between it and Martin, confused and not knowing where to direct her attention to first]

I... I'm sorry?

[On the scale of one to "pigs with a dozen extra limbs, apparently", a man clanking down the hall of a housing block with an armful of a half dozen or so fire extinguishers is not, perhaps, exceedingly bizarre.

It's still pretty weird. Especially the armful part - Yelena would expect anyone with a legitimate reason to be hauling around that many fire extinguishers - say, equipment replacement - to have a less precarious system for carrying them. Like, say, a cart.

And so she stops outside the apartment she'd just exited, thumb pausing over the send button on the text she'd just drafted, to blink in bafflement at the sight.]

What are you doing with all of those?

[Sorry Jon, any attempt at having a normal apartment has now been disrupted by this absolute glut of fire extinguishers. At his words, there's a small clinking noise coming from the next room over, followed by a few shuffled footsteps and then quiet.

And then, a few tense seconds later, Martin rounds the corner with his own fire extinguisher in hand, holding it like he's about to fire before he stops and sees it is in fact Jon.]

Oh-- oh, you're back. Hi.

[He looks visibly relieved, and then seems to realize what everything looks like here as his shoulders drop.]

I'm, uh. It's. Sorry, I'll get these, uh, put away soon, I promise.

[He spots movement, and is on guard, instinctively reaching for the Watcher- but it's Martin. It's his Martin.]

Hey. Are you- are you alright? Is there- is there something here?

[Does he need to get the corkscrew out?]

[Martin doesn't even notice the other man slipping up, mind full of plans and a bit of fear, so he nearly leaps out of his skin when Winter speaks. it's a scramble to keep the rest of the extinguishers in his arms as he whips around, looking afraid for a moment before he relaxes.]

Oh! Hi! I'm, uh, I-I'm just... collecting these. For. Safety.

[Lord, he's usually such a better liar than this.]

[He immediately and instantly feels awful when he sees her fumble so much, and goes for the phone as best he can. Naturally he misses, but he'll retrieve it from the ground for her at least, probably getting rid of any coolness or poise he might have seemed to have.]

Sorry! Sorry, I, I didn't mean to, uh, scare you, I was just-- that game isn't really good. For, for you or anyone, so. I'm sorry.

[He is very much in his own head at the moment she speaks, meaning that he barely notices her exiting the apartment and proceeds to jump just a bit out of his skin when he realizes he isn't alone. Another extinguisher threatens to tumble from his grip, and he manages to correct and keep it in his arms just in time as he turns to look at her.]

Uhh, just-- just moving them! These uh, t-these don't work. So. Wouldn't want them out and about, right?

[Don't worry Jon, the corkscrew is already in his pocket. He's fine! This is fine. They are both obviously Fine about all of this.]

It's-- no, it's fine. I mean, it's, I-I don't have any reason to believe there actually is something, yet, that is--

[He takes a breath, trying to steady himself.]

This is-- this is just precaution. For, for now, it's-- have you heard about the whole... game thing?

[That doesn't make any sense, Marin. It's a dumb lie. Also, you clearly can't lie for shit.]

They should be in their cases, for safety. So there's ones at all the expected places if there was a fire.

You obviously have some concerns.

[He wouldn't have nearly broken his toe on a fire extinguisher if that wasn't the case.]

Some stupid phone game? I don't see what's got everyone obsessed with it.

[He's only good at big lies, not small ones. You know, the ones like about who you are as a person and how willing you might be to kill a man for sport. Regardless, he knows that one was not good, and Winter clearly knows it.]

Well-- yes, I know, they're-- t-they're for fire. Buuuut... I need them. Or, uhm, some of them. For defensive purposes.

I know, right? It's just a game, but it, it just--

[He's putting down the fire extinguishers so he can gesticulate with his hands, a sort of swirly motion of the wrist as he searches for the right word.]

It's suspicious. The whole thing, it's, I don't trust some fun-- fun bug thing! Fun bug things don't just happen and I don't like it!!

[Winter looks from Martin's collected fire extinguishers to his face, though he doesn't make eye contact, which should be familiar enough by now. He never makes eye contact.]

Fire extinguishers are poor weapons for self-defense. Even if they were, you don't need this many for your own defense. You are just one person.

[Trust him on this. Winter is the foremost self-defense instructor among the displaced people in ADI.]

Fun bug things probably happen to lots of people.

[He's sure some 'fun' bug thing happened to that French man but he- ugh why had he thought that?]

But you're right it is odd how quickly it's taken hold.

Weeeeeell, that-- that depends on what you're fighting.

[He sort of knows he shouldn't be disagreeing with an assassin, but this might be a good way to let the masses know his little trick without it seeming like it came from him.]

These aren't for people. I mean, I, I know they wouldn't be very good against people, but-- that's not why I have them. They're for something... smaller.

[Oh, buddy, that is the worst example of 'fun bug things' you could've pulled.]

I just, I-- I can't let it go, you know? It's too suspicious. And, and-- maybe it is just! A fun app and then it'll eventually go away and nothing will happen.

[His face certainly doesn't look like he thinks nothing will happen, but like, okay. Martin sighs maybe too heavily, looking at Jon with a hand still on an extinguisher like some kind of metal teddy bear.]

Do... do you think I'm being weird about this? This is just, just... preventative.

I understand that. We haven't exactly had pleasant experiences with insects and bugs.

[He takes a step towards Martin and takes his hand.]

No. No I don't. I'd rather be prepared than... well... infected.

Smaller.

[Winter frowns.]

Like what. Fire extinguishers are for fire, not. Animals? Birds?

[What else is smaller than people?]

[Martin's trying to keep himself together, but he can't quite fix the tremble in his hand as Jon takes it, the way his heart is still racing as he tries to breathe. It's fine. He knows it's fine, but... well, fear was always the point. He just hates that he's still succeptable to it, sometimes.]

I've been trying to, you know, keep quiet about it-- not tell too many people, but, you know, I... I just need to think of places to put these that people might find them. In, in case something happens.

[He grips Jon's hand a little tighter, using it as a steadying hold.]

I'm sorry. I, I don't really know exactly what for, but this sort of feels like I, uhm, I should say it, so. Sorry.

Not really either of those, it's... well!

[He leans in a little closer as if telling some kind of secret.]

They work surprisingly well against worms.

[Winter looks the tiniest bit perplexed.]

Worms.

[Like the dumb game everyone is talking about? Or real worms? He's confused.]

Why would you need to fight worms. This many worms.

I know. I know, Martin. It's not- it makes sense. It's helpful! And it's not like fire extinguishers are a bad idea even under normal circumstances.

[He squeezes Martin's hand in return.]

It's alright. There's nothing to apologise for.

If everything goes well, it really won't be necessary. And uhm, l-let me tell you, I'm, I'm really hoping it's not? It would be great if it wasn't. Necessary, er, that is.

[As if it's going to clarify more, he waits a beat, and then speaks again.]

I, I'm talking about a lot of worms. Like, uh, like waves of them. Up to your knees in them down the hall sort of worms.

It just-- it just feels dumb, you know? I, I know what this is, and it probably won't-- won't happen just like that. Prentiss is dead, and I was fine when she died, it's been... you know! Fine!

[He's frustrated, and his mouth flattens for a moment as he tries to think of a way to explain something he knows is dumb.]

We have all this... this knowledge, to do it better. It feels stupid to be afraid of them. I-- I should know better than this.

[You know, those double standards? He'd never say something like this to Jon, but he's obviously a completely different case.]

[Okay, sure, he can kind of see it being useful if there were some kind of bug flood. Still excessive, but maybe useful.

However, that begs the question:]

Why do you think there will be waves of worms?

Nothing has been fine.

[Jon says it softly, gently.]

We're not fine. We haven't been fine for- for years. After everything we've been through, everything we've seen...

And knowledge hasn't always helped.

[He chuckles a nervous, hollow little sound, but he knows Jon's right.]

I mean, it... yeah, I know. I know.

[Martin looks down towards their clasped hands, trying to think of the right thing to say, and utterly failing.]

'Mm sorry if I scared you. I just... you know. We're going to be ready. And, and I won't let anything happen to you, so. It's an us, you know?

[Now he knows he's babbling, and he attempts a smile when he looks back up to Jon.]

I can be fine if it's with you.

[Sure does make you wonder, huh??? Martin is realizing he needs to come up with some way to justify this that doesn't make him look suspicious as hell, so let's try to swing that one.]

Well, uhm... you know that, uh, game? That everyone is playing. I've been doing some research and nobody can find exactly where it comes from, but apparently a similar thing happened to someone online recently, a-- streamer, video person. She got really into a game and then caught a parasite and died.

[Okay that's not... perfect, but sure, it's plausible enough. Anyway.]

So a while back I had an issue in my flat with uhm, with an infestation, right? Lots of little maggoty things, and-- well, fire extinguishers worked really well! And didn't, you know, burn my flat down.

[Well that bit isn't a lie, at least.]

[He squeezes Martin's hands again, draws him a little closer.]

Scared for you, not of you.

[He can't imagine ever being scared of Martin.

He gives a weak smile in response, but it's genuine.]

You and me. That's the deal.

[Martin feels the same. Never of Jon. Just for him. He doesn't let go, but Jon's smile does calm him, letting him take a few breaths and steady the jittering of his heart that's been going on for... maybe days now.]

D'you think I should... put these back, or? I mean we probably don't need, uhm, all of them, but...

[He does not want to put them back.]

They probably won't notice, right?

Maybe we could put one of them back outside the door? And then keep the rest.

[It seems like a reasonable compromise.]

[That, at least, gets him to smile.]

Yeah, it's... maybe I can stash a few. You know, in more convenient places. It worked once?

[The problem with being paranoid and doing things is that if those things work, you are now convinced you must do them again. So here he is. This is largely code for 'there's going to be two under the bed' and 'every single place Jon frequents'.]

Thank you. Still, uhm-- sorry if I startled you.

That sounds like a plan. In easy reach whether it's worms or an actual fire.

[He isn't sure which would be worse honestly.]

It's alright. I'm just glad you're safe.

[He's so damn lucky that Jon is here, and in the moment that feeling surges in him, he leans down and gives him a little kiss. The whole worm situation back in the Archives would have been so much better if he could have done that.]

Of course. Always when, uhm-- when I’m with you.

[He's hesitant to let go, and is either going to wait until Jon does or give it... a few minutes. At least two, even if it's a little weird.]

[Jon smiles at the kiss, and he's not letting go either.]

I love you.

[That's never going to fail to make him feel so giddy, and honestly it just goes into full hug mode. Hell, Martin sort of loses himself for a second and maybe lifts Jon off the ground a couple of inches. Just be glad he's not spinning or something in a bear hug, Jon, because he wants to.]

I love you too!

[It's fine, they'll let go later. For now, they get to be cute.]

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[log] don't go in there, you'll become one

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