forum Monsters Within • OxO • CLOSED • Mature

Started November 17, 2022 by @Imagine_Logic

tune

Oh, shoot.

No. No, no, no.

Orion's heart jumped to his throat. Getting spotted was the last thing he needed right now. Having a civilian see him and freak out about his appearance would draw way more attention than he could afford. Panic shot through his veins; his hands went numb, and his chest tightened. He could make a run for it, but— would that just make himself seem more suspicious? Would the guy chase him? Probably not, but if he were followed, there's a decent chance this dude was already way too close for Orion to outrun him…

He had to stay calm. Freaking out right now would only make the situation first. He kept his eyes forward, resisting the powerful urge to get a quick glance at the stranger. All he had to do was get out of here without letting this guy see his face.

"Oh, yeah! Don't worry— I'm fine," Orion said without stopping, trying a little harder to conceal his limp. The casualness of his tone couldn’t have sounded more fake and he knew it. Breathless, scratchy, and nervously high. He could never shake the feeling that, somehow, people could tell he wasn't "normal" just based on the sound of his voice— though he could never pinpoint why. Was it the scratchiness? The specific inflection of his words? Or perhaps there was no noticeable difference, only his own paranoia. Everything in him begged him to run, flee, get away before he was identified as being something not-fully-human, but he forced himself to hold it together, just for now, just—

Screw that. The guy was too close. He couldn't do it. He had to run.

Heat and adrenaline shot through him as he sprinted forward with all of what little strength he had left— which wasn't much. His fatigued body wanted to give out.

Orion only made it about 25 feet or so before one of his knees buckled; he tried to right himself, but couldn't stop his momentum. He landed on his right shoulder and chest— hard— and grunted as the air got knocked out of him a second time in the last two minutes.

Ronnie was catching up to the figure, who hadn't bothered to stop, when they called out an answer. They said they were ok, but the voice was… wrong. Something was off, and Ronnie was worried they were hurt.
"Wait a second, let me at least make sure you're ok, I nearly hit you." The guy had walked out in front of him, but there was no point in playing the blame game. He moved a little quicker to catchup.
The hoodie guy took off running, catching Ronnie off guard. It wasn't like he was angry, there was no reason for the person to run. Ronnie stopped moving, watching the figure move away from him in an unsteady sprint.
Well, that's weird…

It was only a couple seconds before the guy's legs gave out, and he toppled, landing hard on the pavement. He didn't move for a second, which gave Ronnie the chance to catch him. He ran up and knelt next to the crumpled figure.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, it's ok. I'm not angry, just trying to make sure you're ok-"
He froze as he caught sight of the face under the hood. Blue-black skin. Yellow eyes. Fangs and claws.
Well, that's even more weird…

Still. It wasn't insane. It took a second, but something about the look was familiar, and Ronnie squinted as he tried to place where he'd seen this before…
"Oh! Wow, nice Nightcrawler cosplay! Kinda strange to be wearing it this ealry, but hey. Cool look." His face went back to concerned. "You ok? You've fallen pretty hard a couple times now and you're limping. Can I get you to the hospital? I've got a car, it'll be quicker than walking."

(Nightcrawler reference! He’s been my favorite Marvel hero since I was twelve. And definitely an inspiration for Orion’s character design. :>)

It took Orion a second to regain his bearings and even realize that the man was already caught up to him. He looked up at the stranger, a half-panicked, half-perplexed expression on his face, until what the guy had said actually sank in. What the— Nightcrawler? Of course Orion knew who Nightcrawler was. There were only so many fictional characters that could be relatable when you were blue and had fangs— but Orion had managed to get his hands on enough X-Men and Nightcrawler comics that he found a certain connection to Kurt. Rejected by most of society, treated like a demon, permanently outcasted from a “normal” life… but at least Nightcrawler had the X-Men, though, and made allies. Something Orion could only fantasize about.

Still, though— he had never been mistaken for someone cosplaying the hero. That was not the reaction he expected, but it was the reaction he preferred. It reminded him that not everyone was looking to find a monster in him.

Orion forced his expression to relax. He smiled nervously— one of the few expressions that might hide his pained grimace. He’d always been terrible at keeping a poker face. “Oh— hah, thanks! Yeah, I love Nightcrawler.” He pushed himself to his knees and sat back on his heels, mind racing as he tried to keep calm. “Thought I’d try my own version of him for comic con, you know?” Even though he’d barely said anything, he felt like he was talking too much. “I’m fine though, really. Just a little scratched up.” He remembered the blood-spot on his hoodie and repositioned his arm to cover it. “I don’t know what got into me. I got spooked by some— some crazy dog back there, and I just started running—“ He waved his hand back in the direction he’d came from. “It was huge. And I guess it didn’t like me. Or my… cosplay.”

The guy was clearly in pain. He was hiding exactly what was hurting him, but his expressions were all tainted with something. It might be feqar, but Ronnie was doing his best not to be scary. So he assumed it was fear.
He nodded as the guy talked about his costume. "What're you doing wearing it out this early, with no cons going on?" It was a little odd, but Bozeman had its share of strange folks, and there were LARP communities, and the comic shop had contests sometimes, so maybe there was an explanation.
Ronnie stifled a laugh at the thought of the poor dog reacting to this guy's costume. "Oof. I can see why he'd be spooked." He chuckled. "Name's Ronnie. Got one, or should I just call you Kurt?" He stood, and offered a hand to pull the guy up. "You're sure you're ok, though? You were limping and you've fallen hard twice right in a row. Hit your head? Dog bite you or anything? Urgent care opens at 8, though we could just go to the hospital if you're hurt."

Orion stared, wide eyed, at the guy’s— no, at Ronnie’s— outstretched hand. It was… weird to see someone offering him even the smallest gesture of kindness. Ronnie’s tone and expression betrayed not even the slightest hint of hatred or fear. Only concern. He thought Orion was just another person, a cosplayer. Not a monster.

Orion tentatively accepted Ronnie’s hand and used Ronnie’s help to pull himself to his feet. Everything hurt, but especially his side. He winced a little, but tried to keep a straight face. “Orion.” He hesitated. Sharing his name wasn’t all that dangerous, since as far as the people hunting him were concerned he didn’t have one. They probably knew him as a code word or some number. He wasn’t exactly sure what they referred to him as. “I go by Orion. Like the constellation.”

A beat of silence passed. “Sorry for freaking out on you there. And for running out in front of your car,” he said as casually as he could. His heart was still pounding, but he was starting to calm down enough— hopefully enough to talk his way into continuing on without getting found out. Going to the hospital wasn’t an option; it wouldn’t take a doctor very long to figure out he wasn’t your typical patient, even with the ruse of being a cosplayer.

“It’s been a really weird morning. I appreciate you stopping to check on me, though.” He paused, somewhat awkwardly, trying to construct a story that he could work with. “I didn’t get bitten or anything, I’m okay, I just— I’ve been in such a huge rush because my friends are about to leave without me. The con’s hours away from here, and they’re my only method of transportation. And they… have my ticket, too.” He wasn’t sure how believable his story was, but it was the best he could come up with on the fly.

The guy seemed shocked Ronnie was trying to be kind, but slowly accepted his help and got to his feet. He flinched, and though he tried to hide it, Ronnie could see he was hurt. He appeared to be shielding one side of his body from view, and there was no telling exactly why. If he could, Ronnie would convince him to get some help, though he seemed to be in enough of a hurry it may be hard to do.
Ronnie's eyes widened just slightly at the name. "That's a fantastic name, I think. Nice to meet you, Orion." He smiled at his new acquaintance, and shrugged sheepishly. "Wouldn't have wanted to meet like this, exactly, if we could have chosen how, but still glad to meet you." Nearly running a guy over was no way to make friends, but Orion seemed like he could use some friendliness, some kindness. He was clearly unused to it.
He waved off the apology. "Sounds like you've had an intense morning, you're ok. Don't apologize." His eyebrows raised as Orion described his situation. "Oh, well then. Lemme take you where you're going. I'll drive you, it's for sure faster and safer than you running through the streets as the sun comes out and the dogs wake up and the cars get moving. C'mon, I can get you there before your friends leave, I'm sure." He turned and headed back towards his car, looking over his shoulder at Orion. "Where we headed?"

“Oh— you don’t… have to do that. Really.” Orion’s feet seemed glued to the asphalt. How was he supposed to keep his story from spinning out of control with this guy offering to fix every problem he tried to dream up? He swallowed and took a deep breath. All he had to do was try to act casual, try not to be weird about it. Being all fidgety and avoidant would just make him look more suspicious, right?

He took a couple slow steps after Ronnie just to keep from standing in the same place, but stopped himself after a few feet. His body ached with every movement. “It’s, uh, well—“ Orion scratched his head, trying to think fast. He decided to spurt out the first street name that came to mind. “Baxter Lane. I was supposed to meet them there.” His mouth felt dry. “But they might already be gone for all I know.”

The temptation to run off weighed heavy on him. After all, it wasn’t likely Ronnie would follow. But if he did, Orion wasn’t in any state to outrun him, and if Ronnie caught up to him, what kind of excuse can you even give for behavior like that?

Ronnie stopped for a moment in his walk to his car. He'd been trying to be friendly, which was kinda difficult for him at times. But now, this guy was beginning to set off alarms in his head. His analytical mind was slowly compiling facts in their small interaction.
Orion just seemed polite and unsure, but… there was something else there. He looked like he was fighting down some kind of panic, but about what, Ronnie wasn't sure.

It was the street name that made him really pause. Orion was still a bit behind him, not really following him, and Ronnie could tell he was reluctant. But Baxter Lane was just couple streets over… in the direction Orion had come from. It seemed less like his destination and more like the first street that came to mind because he'd recently seen the street sign.
Which indicated he was lying, or confused, or… something was up.

Ronnie stepped back towards Orion, lowering his voice a bit. "Hey… are you sure you're ok?" His gaze stayed neutral, but if you looked close, you could see him calculating. "You're sure something's not wrong? Nobody's… chasing you, or anything?"

He didn't want to corner Orion, or make him afraid, but if the guy needed help, Ronnie could help. Too many things seemed just a little off.

Orion stared at Ronnie for a few seconds, frozen like a deer in headlights. He never was the best at thinking on the spot, or lying, or doing pretty much any of the things that would help him out of sticky situations like these. That's why he usually didn't talk to people, and usually it wasn't that hard to avoid doing so. Luck just wasn't on his side today. Not that it had ever been.

"What?" He let out a short breath of a laugh as a nervous grin broke his face. It wasn't a voluntary reaction, more of a reflexive, his brain forcing a smile to try to lighten the intensity of the situation. But he could practically feel the anxiety and obvious discomfort radiating from him. "No, no. I'm fine, really." Orion cleared his throat and took a few steps closer, trying to act calmer, hoping that his forced openness would perhaps ease some of Ronnie's rising suspicions. "I'm just… stressed. It's been… a really long last few days. This morning hasn't really been any better." His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he wondered if Ronnie could hear it. Probably not— but that didn't mean the paranoia didn't linger. He took in a deep breath, exhaled as quietly as possible, trying to ground himself and stay calm. "But I— really appreciate you offering to help me. Guess I'm just not used to it." A twinge of sincerity— and perhaps sadness— slipped into that last line, something Orion hadn't exactly intended.

Ronnie listened to Orion's explanation, not quite believing it. The guy seemed sincere, and genuine, but something was still bothering Ronnie's instincts.
Orion's statement about not being used to help was sad, and Ronnie glanced down, nodding sympathetically. He was about say something about understanding what that was like in a new place, when his eyes fell on Orion's bleeding side.
"Hey, you're bleeding." His voice stayed neutral, calm, but his gaze intensified just a bit. "You need to get that taken care of. I'll stop pushing you to tell me what's wrong if you'll let me help you." That wasn't entirely true, but he was hoping that helping Orion would show him Ronnie could be trusted.
He was fairly certain, now, that something was up with these friends Orion had mentioned. They'd left him to fend for himself, in costume, early on a rainy morning, and he was hurt on top of that. That was hazing at the very least; bullying or even abuse seemed like more applicable words to Ronnie.
"I'm gonna drive you to the hospital. That's bleeding enough to ruin your costume." He tried a simpler appeal, to see how Orion would react.

“No, no— that’s ok, really.” Orion glanced down at the blood on his jacket and quickly covered it with his hand— as if that would do anything. He’d been so preoccupied with trying to be inconspicuous that he hadn’t been doing a very good job at hiding the injury. “It’s nothing. Just a little scrape or something.”

Orion swallowed and stared at Ronnie. It had been a really, really long time since he’d held up a conversation like this with anyone, and it became increasingly obvious that his lie wasn’t holding up. Ronnie knew something weird was going on— that much was clear— and he seemed determined to try and help Orion. Which meant sooner or later Orion was going to have to choose one of only two options.

Either he had to get away from Ronnie, or he had to tell him, at least in vague terms, that he couldn’t go to the hospital— or anywhere populated for that matter— in order to keep from getting himself into a bigger pickle. Unless, of course, he could figure out some secret third option, but he’d been trying that already and it wasn’t working out at all.

Getting away from Ronnie proposed a variety of new problems. Orion would probably have to run. Just straight up run away. Which would make Ronnie even more suspicious of him. It might even make Ronnie concerned enough to call the police, and if that happened the hunters in the area who were already in pursuit of him would likely be informed of the call, and the description that Ronnie would no-doubt give considering that Orion stood out like a sore thumb would pretty much be an immediate death sentence. And even if Ronnie didn’t call the police or do anything at all, the hunters had been closing in on Orion for awhile. It was only a matter of time before they got him, especially with his injuries.

Telling Ronnie the truth was equally dangerous, if not even more so. He could call the police over that, too. Or he might feel too crazy to want to tell another person about Orion.

But maybe if Ronnie really did want to help, and Orion could be vague enough with his words— maybe, just maybe, it could work.

All of this went through Orion’s head in matter of seconds.

“I can’t go to the hospital,” he said, blurting it out suddenly. He took a couple steps back, preparing himself for any sort of sudden reaction from Ronnie. “It’s not a good idea. Well, I mean it probably would be, except it’s not safe.” He spoke quickly, sort of rambling and running his words together. “I lied. Somebody is after me. But you can’t call the police. That’ll make it worse, and I’ll— get killed.” It seemed like his rapidly pumping heart could burst at any second. “I’m not a criminal though, I swear— I just— I can’t really explain it— that’s why I lied.“ The more he talked, the more he panicked. Should he really be telling Ronnie any of this? Or did it even matter?