Dante's Abyss -- Spectator Thread

[Dust]

One moment the two were in the midsts of battle, sun rising over water's edge as if to give the looser one last look at it before brutal death by the claws of the other, the next Hokori Hoshi was straddling Harlan Higgs on a teleporter pad where the fluorescent lights that hummed over them cast a shadow not much different than the one Dust had been attacked by in his trip to the vortex. Instead of a giant were-beast of fur and fight, he found he'd taken a bite out of someone who was arguably less beastly.

If anyone looked in on them, it could easily be misunderstood as something more compromising than two animals fighting it out. Vic's chest was bare behind shreds of a nice suit from the transformation - a hazard that Wolf was more than familiar with and hence not yet putting a shirt on - and deep scarring could be seen across his ash pale skin. The missing piece of flesh was lost to the island, but there was another wicked infliction on his neck. The Dying Star only had a few moments to take in everything from his place on top of the shorter man before Victor came to his senses. Without and clothing to grab he reached up and grabbed the larger man by the broad shoulders and pulled the serial kisser down into a kiss with the gangster himself.

Dust had been so distracted by the guy's new appearance that he had no fight in him when he was grabbed and dragged down onto his lips, which only distracted him more. His eyes went as wide as his face would allow it, and he stared in disbelief as the other male held it for another second. Any longer and Dust could have gone another round with him, but as soon as he felt the pressure let up on his mouth, one-half of a pair of knuckles came right across Dust's face! The momentum of Hendy's punch carried him into the wall and without a doubt gave the kid a matching bruise to the one Yuki gave him.

Dust was in pure shock as he twisted back upon the wall, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief as he watched the man pick himself up like this wasn't his first rodeo. He went to go pop his collar back into place, only to remember his finely tailored suit was scrap fabric now, a frown crossed his face and he took up to pocketing one hand and running the knuckled fingers through his short hair.

"That Lady Luck sure knows how to flirt with a guy." He snarked, staying just vague enough to keep Dust in the dark about what exactly he felt favored in. He cocked a grin at the other man, twisting back to face the heavily wounded man. Had Harlan not just finished feeding the amount of blood that was pouring out of this poor sap might have bothered him a bit more. But he had places to be, people to meet, and things to do. "If you ever wanna finish this, Pretty Boy, you come find me in Tier 5." He stated, then calmly started to turn around and leave, only the flash him another smirk and give him a wink. "I meant the fight. Not the kiss, but hey, anything can happen in this place."

With that, Dust was left alone with both fire in his face and helplessly perplexed by the guy. These past couple days were full of a lot of firsts, and for sure even now. His first couple of friends (Takezo/Yuki/Gildarts), first fight, first real kiss he'd stolen from a girl before running away, his first competition, and now his first time being kissed! By an admittedly attractive man no less, who also was the first to challenge him to a rematch!

It was at this point that his bewilderment is replaced by the waking of his other senses, specifically the pain receptors. Each breath only amplified the horrid feeling in his body. He let out a loud groan of suffering as he responds finally to being shot at point blank. That last of his worries were the two badges on his cheeks. As if answering his call, his pack was dropped next to him, opened as if someone had rummaged through it. He remembered the hook he'd gotten out of the bird's nest and suddenly realized it had to have been important enough for Karl Jak to take it back. His sudden burst of personal pride was interrupted again by the throbbing of his guts.

Dust threw his head back, biting his lip and wishing he had Tamsin's help again. Except.. She probably didn't want anything to do with him at this point. She might even let him die with how stupid that line had been. 'Enchanting..' What the hell, was he twelve years old, 75, or twenty?

The half naked man, bleeding from his arm, torso, and back, weakly pawed at his souvenir bag and dug out the last item he'd manifested as a last minute effort to surviving this game. It was almost laughable how little it contained, how dainty the applicator was. How funny would it be to get to the end, only to die because he couldn't unscrew the top gently enough? Dust's fingers were wet with blood and smeared across the plunger like top. He had a harder time holding the amber colored glass but freed it just the same. He applied the Viral Serum the gunshot wounds. Most of the bullets had just passed through him, but he could guarantee not all of them. Shaking his head at the empty bottle and finding it nearly empty he tossed it back in his bag and just let it work.

The holes began to heal. It was hard to tell which puncture wounds were from the gun and which ones were from the ice, but in the end, they slowly began to heal from the inside out. It was a familiar feeling to him. Along with raw power, his inner wolf could lick his wounds and he'd be fine over a reasonable time's rest. This only worked for things like this, had he broken a leg out there he wouldn't be able to walk until it set again. Lycan just leaned back and let the magic work, only when he heard two of the bullets clatter to the ground did he look again.

If it weren't for the metallic sound, he might have fallen asleep and missed his ride.

Just as he was preparing himself to lift up off the ground, less holy now, he heard a large weight fall against the hard ground nearby. Puzzled, he strained to see where it came from, only to hear someone say Gildart's name. The wounded pup sprang to action or would have liked to if the pain in his back wasn't so deep. He slides up the wall, leaving crimson smears across the paint, snagged up his bag, and then left to go find out what the commotion is. Only to find Gildarts has eaten dirt right off the pad of his return. He couldn't remember getting much sleep while he was with the crash mage, and imagines before he came along neither he or Illidan did either.

"Gildarts?" He called out, and pushed past everyone and dropped to his knees beside the older man. His head went down on the most powerful prime's back and his ear fought to hear anything but his own panicked heartbeat. He heard it thump against his eardrum at the same time the man took a breath, and relief washed over him. Dust sighed as he sat up, a grin cutting through his bruised face and satisfaction filled his heart. "There, there buddy. You earned a nap." He teased, patting the man gently on his decloaked back.

He'd stay at the sleeping man's side like the loyal stray he'd become, ready to take the old man home as if he were drunk and needed a ride home. Dust was probably the only guy around big enough and strong enough to hoist the guy up anyways. It, unfortunately, didn't cross his mind to move out of the way of any incoming competitors and left them both there for potential tripping traps.

I used the viral serum as flavor text because the competition is over, but I will use it for real if I need to. (I'll adjust Log and Roster accordingly)

Dust, still batted to hell and back, gets an invite to come see Vic anytime.
Before he can consider his options he finds Gildarts face down in the dirt. Since he's a good guy he is going to be Gildarts' designated driver and get him home. (Apparently were going to Nexus as soon as I get my akward 'next day we see each other' with Tamsin. =P)