apocalypsehowcomm | Leave me here, Burning with you (Open)

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Leave me here, Burning with you (Open)

Who: Andrew Jaeger

bloodalwaystells and Everyone!
When: Late April-May
Where: Various locations
Summary: Catch-all for post-assassination and TDM events
Warnings: Scars, hospital setting, burn wounds, mentions of violence, murder, and torture, burned bodies, more will be added as needed!

((OOC: Open to planning, just PM or brimstonemuse to discuss ideas and set up a starter! I will match brackets or prose, as desired!))

The Infirmary ((Approx April 23-30, after this thread)) CW: Burn wounds and other damage, hospital setting

It's not the first time that Jaeger has been hurt in the line of so-called "duty", and it won't be the last. Normally, it's something he can fix, but not anymore. Not here, especially since using his powers is partly what got him into this situation in the first place.

So, a hospital bed is home for a while, until he is steady on his feet and showing signs of good healing. He's being kept in the infirmary ward for some fairly severe burns, and some rather mysterious internal damage that has him occasionally coughing blood. Bandages cover one arm and his side and chest, and there's a quietly beaten, haggard look to him that the big man seldom allows to show. Painkillers help, and so do visitors, though his entirely inadequate hospital gown shows both a fine array of decorative-looking scars (well healed) on his arms, and the vicious mark across his throat that by now is starting to become common knowledge.

Visitors will be greeted with a wan smile, though, once word gets out that he's laid up. It's better than listlessly flipping through cable channels for something interesting to watch. Most of the time, he settles on a murder mystery or old western, though other times he'll simply doze through whatever's on the screen.

Well-Read - (May 1 - 12): CW: mentions of torture, murder, scars/scarification, Bad Magic

Being out of the infirmary is a relief for Jaeger, even if it means returning to something like chaos. He's still healing, though, still tentative and careful in the way he moves. A book fair, though? That's a good excuse to get out and about. Fresh air, a change of scenery, and hopefully, bringing back something interesting to read while he's still recovering a bit.

There's still bandages, but he's better. He'll continue to get better, he's resolute on that. He might be out of action for a bit, but certainly not too much longer. He hopes.

In the meantime, he'll be found browsing the offered books, especially the folklore and local history sections. Or, occasionally, hunched over a laptop, a rare deep scowl on his face as the questions flash by. Terrible, pointedly direct questions, that the computer has no business knowing.

Hello, Sebastian. May we call you that? No. Invalid answer. Hello, Sebastian. May we call you that? No. Invalid answer. Hello, Sebastian. May we call you that? Yes. Excellent! Welcome, Sebastian.

This is not the worst of the questions. Not even close to it. Do you still love your wife? gets a vicious glare, and by the time he gets to Why did you kill Claudia when she was already helpless? he's ready to throw the laptop. Or just wither and die on the spot...that's an option too. He's tired and overdue for his next pain pill and goddamn, sometimes this place is just awful.

Alternatively, he might catch a glimpse of your screen, even in spite of his best efforts not to pry. But it's really just a reading questionnaire, right? There's no harm in seeing what kind of questions they're- oh. Okay.

Training Wheels Off - (May 13 - 14) CW: burn wounds, burned bodies, claustrophobia

The Train

Jaeger has never been fond of flying, really. A train proves much more comfortable, even if it's slower, and he is still healing. Most of the bandages are off by now, but he's still just a little bit careful, a little bit tired. Three weeks is a good amount of time to heal, though, and his wounds are well on the way to becoming new scars across his chest and arm.

He's going to choose to take the time on the train to relax as best he can, to lose himself in the liminal space of travel. They're going to be on the train for a while so he may as well make the best of it.

Until things start getting weird, at least. Then he can be found on a slow patrol of the train, or standing sentry (or sitting sentry) at one of the ends of the train cars. Breaks are taken in the dining car, usually with a cup of apple juice or a bottle of water and gaze alert to the darkness beyond the windows.

At some point in the evening, after the chaos of the Tunnel Incident, Jaeger will return to his assigned sleeping car, and whoever his roommate for the trip might be. If it's someone he knows, he will be as cordial as ever...if it's someone he previously hasn't met, well, he'll still be friendly, if a bit reserved? But quick to introduce himself before stretching out his huge frame on the provided bedding with a deep sigh.

Burned Bridges

He's not hallucinating. He's pretty sure of that, and the sight of the body propped up by the tracks, contorted by intense heat into something barely human-seeming, is a strange and surreal shock after the night they've had. He's seen a lot of Weird Things In The Woods but a body always draws his attention right away. It's wired into him by now, with all the awful things he's seen, even though through the glass of a moving train car, it's oddly distant and surreal.

Until Jaeger sees the lower portion of a leg, and the whole thing snaps into focus. Untouched, unscorched, just laying there amid the charred, leathery mess of the rest of the corpse. "That's human."

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He has a small handful of books he has currently tucked into the well of his hat that he's carrying up toward the front desk to check out when he spots Jaeger at one of the computers, scowling in a way he hasn't seen him look before.

Aside from checking in on him a few times while he was laid up and bringing him a few magazines, he has kept his distance. Not many men he knows like to be fussed over, him included. But since he's out and about on his own, there's no harm in taking a quick detour and seeing if everything's OK.

Glancing over his shoulder, he sees the question and the flashing cursor.

Why did you kill Claudia when she was already helpless?

|

"Jaeger?" he asks, settling one hand to a broad shoulder. It's almost like he didn't even see him coming.

[Aelwyn's own reaction is a disgusted grimace more than any outright fear, she's notably looking at a different location, though she herself hasn't really taken notice of that.

How predictable is it that even on a train ride to go stop a situation, they'd still be subjected to horrors like this.

More importantly, it's very clearly a message to them. The Shadowcats. It's cute, really. No doubt they expect her to be scared. The enemy is inside, she's certain of that by now. Of course they'd find out about the operation and use it to knock them off guard.

She shakes her head.]

Well, of course. It wouldn't be anywhere near as effective if it was a charred pig.

It's cute, really. They're trying so hard.

Jaeger has given up trying to answer the screen and just stares at it in focused hate, until a hand lands on his shoulder and he glances up with a twitch- surprise that gives way quickly to guilt and shame.

It's just...book questions, right? Certainly no reason to think it's in any way relevant to Jaeger's life. Except, it is, and normally he'd be better at hiding it but he's just raw from the past few weeks. Months, even. This place has slowly been grinding away at him and while he's made some progress, it's also torn its share of new bloody wounds, too.

"...George." He's not sure what to say. His mind isn't on niceties, and "hello" seems stupid, inane under the circumstances. From down in this well of thought, everything seems a little glassy, surreal, and he knows it's not the modest dose of painkillers he's on so it's got to be the blinking cursor and those stark words on the screen.

[Jaeger makes a noncommittal but unhappy sound, tearing his gaze from the little horror show to follow Aelwyn's line of sight. The train is chugging by, but entirely too slowly, though of course he sees nothing of her phantom.

Playing tricks, maybe. It wouldn't be the first time and probably won't be the last. He lets his breath out in a weary huff, more exasperated than worried.

He doesn't like it, but he's played this kind of game before. Stay calm, stay steady.]

It seems like they are, yes.

[He goes quiet again for a moment.]

It's still probably worth staying on guard, between this and last night. But from the sound of it, we're going to have work to do when we get there.

Something is definitely not right here. He sets his hat on the table next to the laptop and leans himself on the edge of the same table so he's more in his line of vision and he's not having to twist up like that. "How long you been out? You need company back to the campus? I was gonna finish up here with them books and head out. Ain't nothin' at all to have company. Fact is, I'd welcome it."

He's thinking medication. He's seen guys zoned out like this after getting hurt, those who could afford the treatment. The rest of them drank themselves into this kind of haze.

As for the question on the screen, he's not sure at all what to make of that, or if it's personal at all.

Cortana had also been involved in the assassination plot, though strictly in a supportive, non combat role.

When she hears about her roommate, she comes to visit as soon as she's able, bringing a couple books and some snacks-she's heard the Human stereotypes about hospital food-with her.

"Hey."

Jaeger's gaze flicks to George, and for a moment he's willing and able to believe that everything is okay. Everything, of course, except for his tight, pain-filled posture and the expression on his face. Jaeger tries to school himself into something more neutral, more friendly because this isn't George's fault.

"Just a couple of days," he answers after a second, forcing himself to sit up straighter. It hurts, but hunching wasn't good for him, either. He might be healing well, better than expected, even, but he's still got a ways to go. "I'm still on partial bedrest but I needed some air."

He glances back to the screen without realizing it, uneasy with leaving it for even a moment. He can't leave the screen like that. Not for someone else to come upon, even though there's no real connection between him and Claudia. At least, not here.

"I just...need to finish these questions, and then I'll head back." He moves as if to start typing, but then his hands drop again.

Things are still a bit hazy, touched at the edges as they are with blood loss, pain, and medication, but Jaeger recognizes his visitor right away (hard not to!) and he gives her a small nod, a briefly raised hand of greeting.

"Hey. I probably won't be back to the apartment for a few days." It's subdued and apologetic, the first thing that comes to mind when he sees Cortana. He shifts slowly, very carefully to get a better look at her and what she's carrying.

"Is everything going okay out there?"

His quick eyes take him in altogether, the pain pinching around his mouth, the way he holds himself. He's no doctor and not one to tell a man when he may be pushing himself harder than he should. It's probably somewhere in his expression. He's not the best at hiding concern.

He glances at the computer again, frowning. "You sure about that? That's one a' them book quizzes, right? They offering a prize or something? If not, ain't no harm in leaving it, is there?" It's a weird question. Doesn't look like the sort of thing out of any kind of book he's ever read, not that that's saying much.

Jaeger doesn't look like he's eager to take it, either.

Beau was busy tussling with Fenix when everyone else was going after Roderick and Penny, and all things considered, she's... fine. It's a bit hard to tell with a girl already so covered in scars and old injuries what's new and what isn't, but whatever the case, her injuries aren't dire enough to keep her down for too long. Or at the very least, none of the medical staff can physically do so, so here she is.

Ultimately, she's got her robes on, but the bandages around her hands are different than the usual tape she's got for fighting. There's also some marks around her stomach and what looks like a bigger cover somewhere around a shoulder, but otherwise, she looks as confident as ever.

Which is why she walks into where Jaeger is with a little smirk on her face to see him so laid up. "Wow. Fire not your thing, huh? Looks like you really got your ass beat." Beau doesn't wait for a greeting to come and sit nearby, flex one of her legs just a bit until something in her knee pops before she sets it back down. "Who were you after?"

"In your current condition? It better be more than a few days." He's gonna need at least a week to recuperate, stubborn man. She sets the books and snacks on the bedside table. Some fruit, some sweets, and a couple paperbacks that seemed like they might be interesting. "I'll try to keep Tony from wrecking the place while you're gone."

She smiles at him. "Everything's fine. Actually, aside from our little raid on the circus, this is probably the calmest things have been since I got here."

The first time he's in here, it's for his own injuries and the breathing of his companion is his only tell he's not alone. His own injuries are manageable. Still probably the worst he's suffered in recent memory, but not so bad to keep him in the room when they're through patching him up.

So a few days later, he returns, bandages still around his left arm and some hidden under his shirt, but on his feet and with a book in hand as he settles in a chair he finds next to Jaeger's bedside. It sounds like he might be dozing, so he's quiet until he hears movement and a shift in the man's breathing.

"Good morning. I think."

Jaeger generally takes good care of himself, but like a lot of big, stoic men, he sometimes loses track of just how hard he's pushing. He's not horribly out of step here, but he is probably pushing the limits of his allowed "out" time. A few more days of bed rest is probably ideal, and he's willing to stick with that, except, well, he did need something new to read. And a little fresh air. Maybe something from the bake sale.

And instead, he's got this. A screen full of accusations, and he doesn't want to leave the computer, doesn't want to leave that question out and bare for anyone to stumble on. He wants it to go away.

"Book quizzes, yes." He types something, anything, just for the sake of putting something in. Fahrenheit 451.

And of course, it spits back an error, repeating the incriminating question with the same blinking green cursor, patient and accusatory at the same time.

"I just...don't want to leave it on the screen," he admits, letting a rare moment of dejection through.

"I'll probably be on bed rest for a bit longer after this, but I'm okay with that." He did his part in the fight, and while not precisely proud of it, there's a quiet satisfaction that it's over and done with. He'll take that, even if it comes with a few new questions and worries.

"Just as long as he leaves the kitchen. I've given up on anything else," he admits with a wry tip of his head. "But I'm glad things are calm. I think a lot of us are healing and while I don't necessarily trust the quiet, it's good for as long as it lasts."

Fruit, sweets, and paperbacks are an absolutely welcome delivery, and he gives Cortana a smile, weary but genuine, as he looks over at the gifts she's brought.

It seems a lot of them are a bit banged up, but Jaeger is always relieved when someone else walks into his room. None of them are dead, from all he can tell, and the injuries might take some time but the matter is, at least for now, dealt with.

Whether it stays that way, they'll find out eventually, but for now, he's taking what he can get.

He looks up when Beau comes in, giving her the faintest crooked smile before reaching for his cup of apple juice. Of course he notes the bandages: few of them got out of this whole mess unscathed and he expects that Roderick and Fenix were just as rough as Penny.

"To be perfectly fair, some of it is internal bleeding. They just want to keep an eye on me for a few days," he returns amiably. Of course he didn't get his ass beat: he's not the one in pieces in a shallow grave full of sawdust somewhere.

Also, he's got painkillers, which are really nice right now. He appreciates chemistry so much at the moment.

"Winter and I dealt with Penny. The one with the fire whip." He winces, shifting to put his cup back on the little bedside table, then settles back into the nest of pillows. "It was a bit more complicated than planned. It turned out she was held together with wax."

Which is exactly as disturbing as it sounds.

Jaeger's particular injuries are best served by as much rest as possible, complemented with a careful diet and fluids and everything else prescribed for someone suffering the injuries he is. The cause of the exhaustion might be a bit suspicious, but the burns? Those are clear enough, where the bandages cover his arm and chest in a broad swath.

He's not comfortable, but too tired to resist the lure of painkiller-laden sleep, and he wakes slowly, roused to reluctant consciousness by nothing in particular but his own restless mind.

"Mmph." Eloquent. He's going to try that again. He turns his head slowly to regard Garner, to take in the other man's presence and condition. There's the rustling of bedcovers, but only faintly: he's not going to risk more pain than he has to.

Morning? Time is kind of fuzzy right now, but Jaeger will go with that. "Mmph." It's a more nuanced grunt, this time, and followed a moment later by actual words. He'll reach for his water in a minute, but one thing at a time. "Think you're right. Morning. How are you feeling?"

His experience on the train has been unusual to say the least, but despite all of that Senku couldn't help but figure rest was better than sitting around trapped on the train. Investigative work was all well and good, but sitting around idle was not.

As much as his sleep could suffer, there was no reason not to take the opportunity for rest when given the chance.

When his unknown roommate returned he offered him a smile. "Hey."

Senku had already removed his shoes and tucked them under the bed and was in the process of removing the cape he normally kept secured around his shoulders. An odd choice for a man that was just wearing a suit without a jacket beneath it, but from the tattered state of the cape it was something he'd worn a long time. He sat on the bench and raised a leg up, lifting his pant leg to untie a piece of rope that had been interlaced with red and tied in an unusual knot.

"Oh, totally fair that the blood is still in your body, sure." She's grinning at him as she says it, but lets it go just as quickly. "So you were whipped, got it. Did Aelwyn not tell you about the whole wax thing? Apparently that's what's up with the whole Desolation guys. Turns out that also hurts." She wiggles her fists back and forth, as if to suggest exactly why she has these burns. As it turns out, trying to punch a human candle is very, very painful. Who'd have thought?

"'Ss probably how Roderick was too. So far seems like we all got 'em without losing anyone, though. So that's good, I guess."

Garner listens, his smile gently aimed at the bedding near Jaeger's chest. The grunts are entirely understandable and coherent enough to him, he spoke in 'half awake' fluently enough. His voice sounds rough, the kind of scratchy that came from a dry throat, but he didn't dare go looking for water he couldn't see, he'd be just as likely to knock it over as to help.

He does, however, reach a hand out to feel along the edge of the bed to find a place to set the book down. It's a murder mystery, he knows that much, to what degree it was any good he couldn't begin to say. He'd found it while he was out on his walk that morning and simply purchased it on whim and desire to offer his friend something to keep his mind engaged while laid up.

"I should be asking you that, shouldn't I? I am...healing. I have burns from tangling with Roderick and a lingering pain in my knee from talking with Fenix...aside from what wounds I expect to earn in a fight."

"Can't these things be turned off or somethin'?" he asks, leaning over to look closer for a switch. He has been taking tech classes, enough to know a little bit by now.

"Looks like it's messed up. It ain't taking what you're putting in there. Guess we could call over a librarian?" He sounds less certain about that. In his experience kicking up a fuss with so-called authority figures only leads to more trouble, not less.

"If you can't get up easy, you can lean on me. We can make it look real natural. Nobody has to know." He doesn't know if that's it. Something has him uneasy and glued to his seet.

Waiting to get to the actual action is tough, Jaeger has done more than his share. He should be happy to have the time to heal, and he is, but the anticipation of what they might find when they get to their destination makes him restless, uncertain.

Especially with that little bout of darkness in the tunnel. Jaeger retires to his sleeping compartment not long after that, and he's only vaguely surprised to find someone already there.

Jaeger's a hard man to miss in nearly any circumstances: Well over six feet tall and broad in build, he towers over most people in a room, and over his new roommate in particular. He's amiable enough, though, tilting his head in a small nod of friendly acknowledgement.

The cape and cord both get a thoughtful look, brief and eccentric details to be filed away but certainly nothing alarming.

"Hey. I, ah. Don't think we've been introduced? Though I'm sure I saw you at orientation. I'm Andrew Jaeger. Investigations and Security."

Introductions. That's a good place to start.

Senku didn't really bat an eye at Jaeger's height, after all he had friends like that at home. Not everyone could be built like a house. He had never been bothered by his slight build, it had really come in handy at times.

He held the rope with his teeth and pulled his hair back into a ponytail before using it to tie it off snugly, with the same kind of knot.

"We haven't. Dr. Senku Ishigami." He responded. "Ah, but call me Senku, I don't give a shit about titles or whatever. I'm working in Equipment and Information Technology." He was more than happy to take on two roles and devote a good amount of time to both. He may have been a workaholic.

The cape got folded and tucked under the pillow for safe keeping, and that was as far as he was willing to go with disrobing on a train.

"Have you been working for ADI long?"

"No, I can get up." He doesn't want to put that burden on George because he is quite capable of getting to his feet, he just doesn't want to leave the screen.

He glances at George, then nods briefly and hits the power button. The screen stays lit, those accusatory letters still bright on the laptop face. Another press gathers exactly the same result, and in irritation Jaeger reaches to the back of the computer to pull out the power cord.

Still there. Of course. That's not a surprise: Jaeger is starting to learn to expect the worst here and he shoots George a look that's positively mournful.

Why did you kill Claudia when she was already helpless?

"I don't want the librarian. I don't think it will help." He pauses, then rests his forehead in his palm, trying to gather his composure. He shouldn't be breaking down over this sort of trivial mindgame, but, here he is. Too many weeks of stress and pain wears a man down, he supposes.

Finally, quietly, he admits, "The screen is showing me questions about...things that have happened. Things no one should know about." His head still resting on his hand, giving himself a moment of tiny collapse. Just a little.

Jaeger isn't going to be stripping down all that much, either. He's slept in his clothes more than often enough to be comfortable, especially with the general lack of space the train cars offer. His sports jacket gets removed and carefully hung on one of the hooks provided, before he sits to strip off his running shoes and put those aside as well.

He moves just a bit stiffly, holding himself with just enough care to imply he's been injured sometime not so long ago. Whatever it might be is covered by his long sleeved, high-collared shirt, and other than that he seems hale enough.

"Senku. Nice to meet you, then." He gives another nod, quiet approval as he gives the man a thoughtful glance. Polite and assessing, fitting the person to the role and, perhaps, searching for signs of just how dangerous Senku might be.

"Eight months, now, so a while to get used to things," he replies after only a second. "I was in a similar line of work before I came here, so that made it easier to settle into.

"What kind of doctor?"

"It's funny how it can cause just as many problems in there as it does outside," he jokes wryly. He's not above a little black humor, especially when laid out the way he is. And mentions of being 'whipped'? That's just hilarious given his ten years of marriage. "But I'm stable and recovering well, so I'll take it."

He gives Beau a sympathetic look, then gestures toward the rolling service tray off to the side. The water is on the bedstand, leaving the rolling tray free to host a small assortment of fruit, chocolates, and other snacks, clearly get well gifts left for Jaeger while he's recovering. "If you'd like something sweet, help yourself. There's more than I can manage, here."

A brief detour in the conversation, but he wants his guest to be comfortable. He continues after that, quietly matter of fact.

"We didn't know about the wax, so we had to improvise. We did know that she wouldn't be harmed by knives or bullets, though." He glances around, to make certain that no one else is listening, no lingering nurses or other personnel before he continues.

"We used grenades and magic. And even that didn't do the job until we found some sawdust and roofing nails."

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Leave me here, Burning with you (Open)

Well Read

Burned Bridges

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Infirmary

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infirmary!

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Infirmary

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The Train - Roommates?

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Roommates!

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