week five

[biteys]

WEEK FIVE

!

run, run, run

As the party has been advised to rest for a few days before heading back out to their journey, on the third night of their undisturbed peace in the bunker, they may be beginning to feel that it really is safe down there. And for the most part, it is. Is everyone sleeping soundly? Or is someone awake when a faint tink followed by a hiss can be heard…?

Characters will awaken to the sight and smell of a canister of gas having been tossed into their bunker from the hidden opening above. Whoever's up there, they intend to force you out of your safe haven like a bunch of unwanted gophers from someone’s lawn.

The gas that leaks from the canister will spread throughout the bunker slowly but surely — characters will need to be swift about waking everyone up and escaping out of the bunker. Take what you can carry, and fast! The gas is an acidic, pungent substance that causes eyes to water and vision to blur; it also obstructs the air ways, if too much of it is inhaled — symptoms may linger for multiple days, in that case.

Once you’ve made it outside, you’ll be able to identify your attackers: some of the teenagers you encountered two weeks ago are among them, and this seems to be the rest of their camp, their parents, friends, and comrades. The survivors' party is vastly outnumbered, and the raiders that have come are actively hostile: the party will have to fight their way to an escape, and it’s not going to be a bloodless struggle on either side.

The good news is that while there are many enemies, they are regular humans armed with the same makeshift weapons you’ve all had to make do with. Fighting your way through them shouldn’t be impossible… if you’re willing to do what’s necessary.

It will soon become apparent that the entire mission will be at risk if you stick around trying to subdue every opponent — though simultaneously, it’s also impossible to regroup with the entire party. Looks like you’ll have to split up just to survive…

if you chose beach...

In the chaotic departure from the bunker, Shoko Ieiri, Leontuzzo Bellone, Vinsmoke Reiju, Henry Creel, Sigewinne, and Gojo Satoru make their escape towards a nearby shoreline, losing their pursuers in the coves and rocky structures that lead to the sea.

Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. On this piece of shoreline, there are a number of small piers and abandoned nets, not to mention driftwood that can be sharpened into spears. That’s right, this team will have to play a 🔥FISHING MINIGAME🔥 to secure their food. There are also small tide pools where shellfish may be collected, but crabs are aggressive and may pinch any errant fingers.

Water, on the other hand, is harder to come by. There are no fresh water sources nearby, so either the endless salt water will need to be processed somehow, or… everyone will begin to feel the effects of dehydration. Delirium, lightheadedness, and worst of all, chapped lips.

Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.

Characters on the beach will also discover that there are a number of traps hidden in the sand, rusty and clearly human made. They seem to be intentionally hidden among the terrain, and judging by the blood rust on them, they’ve been in use for some time.

Sigewinne is caught in one of these traps, badly injuring one of their legs. The trap is fashioned to be similar to a bear trap, and will take collaboration to be freed from.

Nearby zombies have caught on to the fact that this is a hunting ground of sorts where humans occasionally get stuck in these traps — therefore, they’re prowling around further up the beach in scattered groups, distracted and listless until the sounds of traps going off draws them sprinting towards the party. Given the nature of the minefield of traps, one wrong step while running away could mean the end! It might be better to stand ground and fight….

Of this group, no one is infected.

if you chose forest...

In the chaotic departure from the bunker, Haru Okumura, Soujuurou Shizuki, Mark Grayson, Suzuha Amane, Ninety-Nine and Hella make their escape towards the denser part of the forest, losing their pursuers in the cover of tall trees and thick bushes.

Supplies are likely scarce due to the hastened way everyone was forced to leave: securing food and water will be among the first necessary tasks. In this section of forest, wildlife does seem to be teeming thanks to the time of year, with mule deer and small foxes scampering about. The game is quick and clever here, and much more difficult to approach and catch than the horses everyone encountered a while back. Without someone skilled in hunting or trapping, the party will likely begin to suffer from the effects of starvation. Sluggish movement, and increasing desperation to eat anything that might be edible.

As for forage-able plants, there aren’t many. Several berries and leaves in this area seem to be mildly poisonous, which will cause any particularly desperate campers an unpleasant surprise if they try their hand at tasting them.

The small mercy of this area is that there’s a small freshwater creek, which will provide some relief from dehydration — though it’s far too shallow to submerge oneself in any capacity.

Places to rest will be... rustic and wild, to say the least, but there are a number of pits that would be suitable for making campfires, if enough material is found to feed the flames.

Characters in the forest will also discover that not only is there normal wildlife here, but there is also infected wildlife. During one of the nights while camping, the group will be ambushed by an infected bear and a single cub. That’s right, this party will need to defeat a 🔥ZOMBIE BEAR BOSS FIGHT🔥 to stay alive.

During the ambush, Haru Okumura is mauled by a swipe of one of the bear’s paws, severely injuring them.

As with the other infected, it seems only the bites of these creatures cause a transmission of the virus, so characters will need to be very careful about not getting bit. The claws are fair game, with paws rated E for Everybody. Better time those dodge rolls!

Of this group, Soujuurou Shizuki is infected.

rendezvous

It won’t be easy to find each other again after getting separated so suddenly, especially not after both groups have likely sustained several injuries. Straying further than five miles from each other will still have the bracelets sending a potent burning sensation through your arm, so perhaps you ought to use the bracelets as a compass to get an estimation of what direction you ought not to go.

Due north of the shoreline and forest, though, there is a lighthouse overlooking a small touristy gift shop and gas station, who’s height might be useful as a landmark for the groups to travel to.

The inside of the lighthouse provides decent shelter, with ample room inside for the small ragtag team to each have a place to be alone, but the howl of the sea breeze, and the unending crashes of the waves against the cliffside may make sleep less than restful. In fact, being alone in here might be scarier than the outside. Worst of all, from the looks of the darkening gray sky, a storm might be coming soon.

Reuniting might still prove even more bittersweet than the first time the party split. Take what you can from the available gas station snacks and tourist shirts, and treat whatever wounds possible… because there’s unfortunately not the same amount of time to rest and recover as there was in the bunker, which is now a distant relic of the past. They're closing in on their destination, however they might feel about it.

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Comments

[titlecard]

i. run, run, run cw: graphic violence

[ The good thing is that he's quick on his feet — or in the air, as circumstances may have it. Mark's lucky enough to be able to zoom through the rooms, shake anyone awake who might need it. He's able to grab a random backpack — whose it is or what it's filled with, he couldn't say — and instinctively bundle up some blankets in his arms. He's sick... it'll be cold out... they'll need these...

All of this forgotten when he catches sight of who it is attacking them. Recognizes some of the teenagers.

The instinct to keep warm is dropped, replaced by a white hot rage that's all too natural to slip into. ]

Why? [ It's a strangled shout — he had tried to protect them, to keep anyone else from being hurt. But this, fresh off of Kotoha's death... ] Why would you do this?

[ Fuck the blankets. They've been attacked, he doesn't know if everyone else is okay, and it's all too natural to leap into the fray. He can take a blade clipping his arm or a bat to the rib cage, sure — in the exact same way that with a couple of blows he's strong enough to physically punch through another human being, to rip off a key body part.

Fuck this, they've earned it.

Somebody please impress upon him the fact that they have to go, because Mark doesn't seem inclined to leave the fight. ]


ii. forest cw: potential for violence against animals

[ He's kind of stopped eating, for the most part. Not that he isn't hungry — fuck, is he hungry. But he can't think about that. Because the food he used to go for is no longer appetizing, but everyone else around him...

Not thinking about that.

So instead, Mark has spotted a deer. It hasn't seen him yet, and aside from a growling stomach, he isn't making any sounds.

It isn't even like he'd need to cook it. He could be on it within seconds, sinking his teeth in, ripping its throat out—

He doesn't move. He just stares, intent and focused. ]


iii. rendezvous

[ When Mark had first been bitten, after they'd completed their mission at the hospital, he'd sequestered himself away from everybody else.

Now, after having certainly killed people, after having to accept the reality of his new appetite, after becoming far too comfortable with blood in a way he never thought he would be, he is sequestering himself once again.

Because he can fly, because he wants to be left alone, he makes his way to the top room of the lighthouse and just. Sits there, staring at absolutely nothing, eyes narrowed and body tensed. He's so pissed off. Pissed at himself, pissed at what he's done, pissed that any of this is happening at all. Everything has gone to shit, and — ]

What?

[ — when he hears footsteps approaching he snaps around, growling out the word. What do you want. ]

iii

[venomnom]

[What does she want? . . . Who knows?

Reiju isn't sentimental by nature. She lacks a certain delicate touch, and for that reason she's largely kept her distance from those who've suffered irreversible bites. There are bigger compassionate souls among their number.

Consequently, she doesn't mean to happen upon Mark in the middle of her scouting the lighthouse's interior. Having said that, she doesn't turn on her heels to leave right away, nor does she cower at his tone.]

Are you occupying this room? . . . If you'd prefer to be alone, I can go and let the others know.

[titlecard]

[ Mark gets it, anyone who's avoided him. He's understood the entire time, tried to be respectful of it — for their sake, not his. Whatever their reasons are, even when he was convinced he would be fine, he knew he could be perceived as a ticking time bomb.

The ticks are just getting substantially louder now, which is why it's a surprise to see Reiju here — enough of one to make him deflate, go from snapping to sullen. ]

I... I don't know. [ Weird answer, but that's what emotional whiplash will do, when your justified anger suddenly no longer feels justified. ] I'm, um.

[ His voice softens as he looks right up at her from his position on the floor. Even if his words are bitchy, at the heart of it, he's just a scared kid. ]

... You can stay if you want. People can come up here if they want. [ A mutter: ] Not like I own the place.

[venomnom]

[She should go. There's nothing she can do for him. He's a stranger as much as the rest of them, and she isn't equipped to deal with complex emotions. Protecting is hard; harming is easier.

In spite of all the reasons swirling in her head, Reiju steps forward—deeper into the room with her arms folded as she glances around, like she's taking in the scenery, before her gaze lands on Mark again. It's true that anyone can come up here. Nobody in this group has ownership of the lighthouse. The opposite also holds true: There's no reason to stay, either.

"I'm, um." Maybe those words are what did it for her.]

What were you going to say earlier?

[titlecard]

[ He doesn't know what she's looking at. Anything but him, he figures, which — yeah. Fair.

At least until she looks back at him. Doesn't leave. Asks him, and,

he folds his hands in his lap, turning them over one another. Nervous, and like doing that will help him in some way, even when it's nothing more than something to do. ]

... I don't think I want to be alone. But maybe I should be alone, if that makes sense. But I don't... want to be. [ Will being alone make him lose his humanity that much faster? But he's killed even more people now; is it safe for him to be around others? But—

He tries to meet Reiju's eyes but finds himself giving up, shoulders slumping as he stares at the floor instead. ] I don't think I even know what I want anymore.

[venomnom]

You don't want to be alone. Isn't that what you said?

[He's just rationalized that he should be. That part, she can sort of understand.

Her mind made up, she strides the rest of the way over to where Mark is sitting, stopping with a respectable gap between them so as to give him space. She claims a seat for herself on the floor, legs drawn up with her arms looped around them, and cranes her head toward him.]

What makes you think you should be?

[titlecard]

[ There's an involuntarily flinch as she points out his own words against him. Is half expecting her to go now, isn't sure if he should be relieved or upset at the thought. But through his peripheral vision he sees her approach. Stop. Sit, make herself comfortable, and he looks up at her for real with eyes a little wide in surprise. ]

I don't want to hurt people. And it feels like that's all I'm doing lately. [ He's been able to get the blood off of himself by now, so when he spreads his hands helplessly, it's not like there's anything actually on them. ] I wanted to help, to complete the mission, to save lives. But if I can't even do that, then why am I here?

[ It could be just about this. Or maybe it's more existential... either or. ]

[venomnom]

[She returns his wide-eyed look with a wry smile. In a way, she's just as surprised as he is.

Then her gaze flits down to his hands as they spread. They're clean at a glance, but she knows better. She's certain that she caught a glimpse of him when the party was fleeing the bunker. There are some things that will always linger, and guilt is one of those things that will never wash away. It's a shame, because Mark seems to care.]

You're here, because you were selected from a pool of candidates. [At the end of the day, that's really all it is.] Are you afraid that you'll attack us next?

[titlecard]

[ The fact that he hesitates before answering her is probably all she really needs to know, but. ]

Yeah.

[ He answers her anyway, even if it comes out in an exhale, chest tight and heart starting to ache. Yeah, he's afraid that that's what's going to come next. ]

I'm here because I was selected... we all were. We all had something about us that meant we could help. I'm strong, I can fly, but if I just end up using that against everyone else then what good am I? [ He brings his a hand up to his head, palm pressed into forehead, fingertips pressing into scalp. ] I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

i

[parttimesoldier]

[It’s almost like she never left home.

At least that’s how it feels when finds herself getting roused from a light sleep because something is off. A minor commotion to start, noise penetrating the silence of the night when it’s not expected. And that hissing… that’s what’s got her eyes snapping open and her moving automatically with familiar motions—bag slung over her shoulder, weapon holstered, her old bandana hurriedly fished out of her jacket pocket to be held over her nose and mouth even as she’s shouting for everyone to get up and get moving.

The enemy that waits for them outside isn’t as organized and dangerous as what she’s used to (one minor blessing, if it can even been considered one), but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to fight their way to safety. The air is filled with a chorus of shouts from both sides, pained and angry and frightened, and the initial chaos flits by in a blur.

Eventually Suzuha pushes herself to her feet where she’s crouched over the now-still form of one of their attackers. There’s a hitch in her breathing from the sudden spark of pain radiating from her side where they’d gotten in a good hit with a bat as she’d taken them down (that was certainly going to be an ugly bruise), and in her hand a blood-soaked knife pilfered from the bunker’s kitchen as she’d fled. It’s only a momentary reprieve, but she glances around to get her bearings—and she realizes if they stand their ground here, they’re screwed. Too many of the raiders, not enough of their own. They’re too scattered now to safely pull back for a proper counter attack.

Even if some of their own are scary good at tearing through the enemy.

She can’t help but be kind of stunned at seeing Mark in action like this. Sure, she’s aware he’s supposed to be like, a super strong hero or something, but there’s something incredibly incongruous about seeing this angry force and realizing it’s the same friendly guy she’s gotten to know over the last few weeks. But she can’t allow herself to stand there and gawk; he’s going to get himself surrounded if he keeps it up.]

Mark! [Damn it, is he listening?] Mark! We have to go!

just keeping up the cw for graphic violence... i'm being true to canon

[titlecard]

[ His blood is rushing through his ears, and there's little beyond a red haze that makes sense, can command his attention. He's just thinking—

He isn't thinking. Someone comes swinging at him with a spiked bat, hitting him square in the side from where he's floating, tearing off bits of flesh with it. The recoil gets him, but it's more a growl of anger than a yell of pain upon impact before he is reaching out to grab the person who hit him in turn. One hand gets their hair, the other is balled into a fist and cocked back. One, two, three, and his fist explodes out the other side of their head; his other hand can let go, look around for the next target—

Suzuha's voice breaks through and he straightens up, that much more alert. ]

Suzuha? [ There's a frantic edge to his voice as he looks around, sees her standing over someone, her blood-soaked knife matching his fist. ] Suzuha! You get out of here — I'll handle them!

[ Because of course he will, it's his job, he'll protect everyone else, he's Invincible—

As someone else comes up from behind him, gets ahold of one of his ankles, and forcefully slams back him down to the ground, leaving him temporarily supine and winded. ]

[parttimesoldier]

[Get armed, assess the situation, fight or flee. Those are the only imperatives that have any meaning to Suzuha while in the thick of a situation like this. There’s no time to reconcile with the violence of it all, or how infuriating it might be for those kids to come around to attack them again with even more numbers. The main thing is to get out of there alive.

Mark’s insistence on staying to fight is making that harder than it needs to be. For a moment, she almost wants to believe him—believe that whatever alien DNA he’s got going on that lets him fend off the sickness for longer, and fly through the air, and completely reduce someone’s head to a bloody pulp might let him really pull this off.

But the thing is? He’s still sick. He can’t stay airborne forever. He can get beat as bad as whatever he dishes out if the enemy gets their hands on him.]

No! There’s too many to—

[Her protest is cut off in a clipped but frustrated groan when one of the enemies gets the drop on him. Instincts tell her to run in; the rational part of her brain tells her she’s not getting there in time with her leg still on the mend. The attacker’s now rearing back to try to deliver a kick to the stunned Mark, and Suzuha retaliates by whipping that kitchen knife through the air with a tightly controlled throw. It sinks into their shoulder and draws out a pained cry.

Suzuha hurries to pull the gun from its holster on her thigh, raising it to aim at the enemy as she limps a few steps closer.]

Back off! Now!

[titlecard]

[ This... shouldn't hurt as much as it does.

He should be able to get right back up. Slam through all of these people. Save the group, so they can wait for the gas to clear or something, go back into the bunker, rest, recuperate. Be a hero, right? That's where his mind is at as he's lying on the ground, dazed out of reality for a moment — like a kick coming right for him that never arrives. ]

Huh—?

[ Mark comes back to earth in just enough time to register that Suzuha's knife is now buried in someone else. That she's got another weapon trained on them. That she is saving his ass, because all the powers in the world don't compare to the fact that she actually knows what she's doing.

He moves to scramble back towards her. She's— She's still hurt, and he can actually do something about that. Get her out of here so she doesn't have to stay and fight, but,

But what did trying to treat these people kindly do the last time? It resulted in this, and maybe a part of him is ready for them to pay.

Especially when all their attacker sees is two wounded teenagers, so why would they back off now? They can regroup, draw that knife from their shoulder, try to advance on them. Like they see Mark on the ground too stunned to do anything after being proven quite vincible, and don't buy that Suzuha is going to do anything herself.

And normally he'd put himself in between the two, try to deescalate the situation, stop anything stupid from happening... But he's fresh off of killing someone, and Suzuha knows what she's doing better than he does, so he tries to move back towards her — and avoids getting in her way as he does. ]

[parttimesoldier]

[Yeah, she knows what she’s doing. Pulled the trigger on SERN’s Rounders how many times in ambushes just like this one? The answer should be easy.

But.

These are just ordinary people. (They attacked first.) All they want to do is survive in this screwed up world. (They hunted them down in order to do it again.)

She knows the answer, but she doesn’t like it. She doesn’t like it at all.

When Mark starts scrambling back toward her, she keeps at a slow pace forward, no hesitation despite her stilted gait. That same instinct to get between an attacker and someone she wants to protect is right there in her too, so the gun stays trained on their enemy even as they brandish her knife and glance between the two, assessing.]

Don’t be stupid. Back off. It’s the last warning you’ll get.

[Her voice is cold and steady, as unfaltering as her one-handed aim with that pistol. A warning they only get because she hates that this is what the situation boiled down to. This would be so much easier if she wasn’t injured—hell, even if she was dealing with just one injury or the other. But the double disadvantage of being down and arm and hobbling on a shot leg means she’s not willing to risk rushing in to do this hand-to-hand.

Maybe they decide the risk of leaving themself open in rushing for Mark would be unwise, or maybe they thought the chance that Suzuha was bluffing was worth betting on. Either way they’re wrong. Their gaze darts to the side just momentarily, then they rush her. She pulls the trigger. They collapse in a heap with a grunt as the bullet strikes them in the chest. Suzuha breaths out a sharp exhale, then glances to where their enemy had briefly diverted their attention.

And then gets the wind knocked out of her as another enemy comes in to tackle her from that side, and they fall in a tangle of bodies toward Mark.]

[titlecard]

[ She's still limping. What is he even doing?

Suzuha is— She'd fit right in with some of the people he knows from back home, which isn't necessarily a good thing, since most of them actually have powers and Suzuha is just. She's her. She's great, but she's down an arm (they're going to get her a new one) and limping on an injured leg (it will heal) and taking charge of the whole situation, and it's all Mark can do but look up at her in something akin to awe.

Maybe even admiration, as she shoots — probably kills, which is something he'd have felt a certain way about before, but now... he isn't sure. He doesn't want to kill; he's killed. Maybe these people have earned it. Maybe he was wrong to try to stop Ninety-Nine before, maybe this is the way the world actually works—

She gets tackled, and the strangled cry of her name is ripped from his throat. ]

Suzuha! [ It's— He's— Mark is up and launching himself towards the pair of bodies before he even knows what he's doing, hoisting them both up into the air with him. He wants to protect her. He wants to kill her attacker. He doesn't know how to separate the two, so he can't use his strength, but he wants to, but—

In his own personal scramble he finds the stump of where an arm used to be, knows it's her, and holds on tight. ]

Get off of her!

[ As he finds a grip on their new attacker, and tries to wrench them away as hard as he possibly can — he just needs them to not take Suzuha with them, and if that means they're down a limb, then it's still more than what they deserve. ]

[parttimesoldier]

[It was such a stupid mistake to make, leaving herself open like that. Frustration comes up in a surge, but there’s no time to wallow in it. The fight is still ongoing; beating herself up over it can come after she survives. So she focuses on that—just like always—and tries to push against her attacker, leveraging her hips in an attempt to flip them around even if her injured leg is screaming in protest at the motion.

And then very suddenly, things get disorienting—because they do move, but not in the direction she expects. There’s other hands scrambling at her as they go up, and for a moment alarm bells are going off in her head as someone’s brushing against her shortened arm before she realizes—Mark, right. He’s up, he’s okay, he’s helping, even if the urgent maneuvering of three airborne bodies is hard to parse at first. He's strong and capable, and surely they can turn this around two-against-one.

A wordless yell of frustrated exertion comes from her even as he shouts at their enemy, begins pulling at them. Suzuha tries to help in disentangling herself from them, kicking and shoving now that she’s got the support of Mark gripping her tightly. She’s managed to hold onto her gun through this quick rush of chaos, but firing with the three of them in such a close scramble would be a terrible idea in the best of times, and their streak of bad luck would surely only compound it.

She feels herself getting jerked forward as Mark yanks at their enemy with great force—an agonized scream comes from them and she can’t be sure why in the thick of things, but she knows she needs to get them to let go of her. She swings her gun, whipping it against their skull in an attempt to daze that seems to succeed; the hand clawing tightly at her shoulder suddenly falls slack enough that they can’t cling to her any longer to fight against Mark’s relentless force. They are pulled away and Suzuha finds herself once again missing having a second hand as she scrambles to try to stabilize herself against Mark, feeling off-balance with the sudden absence of their foe.]

[titlecard]

[ It's.

It's not over, because there are still so many of them down below. Their supplies— Their group— Everything's a chaotic mess and it's all that Mark can do but pant as he hovers in the air above it all, suddenly too winded from this whole thing, feeling beaten and broken and like he should have been able to do more but—

Suzuha tries to find her grip against him and it brings him back to reality. Now that it's just the two of them with a moment of respite above the fray he can adjust his hold on her, try to get her into something more comfortable, less frantic. ]

I've got you. I've got you, I've got you, I've got you...

[ His words come out in quick breaths as he brings them a little higher — no stray ankle-grabbing or sneak attacks this time, just. He needs a moment to breathe. And after that moment, after looking down at the carnage below them, taking in stock Suzuha's wounds, his own exhaustion, the way everything has devolved so inexplicably fast, he looks down at her. Searches her eyes.

We have to go, she'd said, and, ]

Do you, [ gulps down another lungful of air. Fuck, ] want to go now?

[ She was right. She probably knows better than he does. ]

ii

[bicth]

[ The escape from the bunker had been chaotic, but not so chaotic that Hella hadn't caught glimpses of the rampage that Mark had gone on. Had things not unfolded the way they did in gore and blood, it would've been an opportune moment to say I told you so, but she's lost nearly all her good humor after roughing in the woods for a few days on an empty stomach. She's tired and afraid and exhausted, not to mention concerned, with how he seems to be spinning out.

Or, that's what she takes it as, when she catches him staring down a deer in a nearby bush, ready to pounce on it like an animal. The team does need food, so she won't sabotage his efforts immediately, but she does wonder if it's everyone's benefit that's driving that hungry look in his eyes... or if it's something far more primal.

Rather than say anything and potentially spook the dear, she reaches into her pocket and produces a berry from it, winding her arm back and throwing it squarely at the side of his head, wondering if his reaction might tell her how much of a grip he has, right now. If he swivels around snarling, she'll know it's a good thing she interfered — if not, well, maybe they can work together to catch this damn thing. If he looks over after she pelts him, she's just crouching in a bush making a 🤷‍♀️ gesture, as if asking what the hell he's doing. ]

[titlecard]

[ He is so single-mindedly focused on the deer that he doesn't notice Hella coming up beside him him at all. Doesn't notice any movements, just keeping his eyes trained on the animal, its back to them as it dips its head down, goes for some grass— and then a berry is knocking him in the head, and he whips his gaze around to glare at the intruder. ]

What the— [ his voice comes out in a hiss, but the anger behind it dies out as he sees who it is, and he deflates in real time. ] Oh... it's you.

[ Is he disappointed to see her? Upset? Resigned? Hell if Mark knows what to think about Hella's appearance, but. He's maybe not happy about having his staring session interrupted.

So, whispered, but with agitation in his voice: ] What do you want?

[ The deer, meanwhile, has frozen in place — but since they're both hidden behind foliage and not actually that loud, it can go back to its grassy lunch after a moment of waiting. ]

[bicth]

[ Her face pinches in annoyance as soon as he gives her attitude, leveling him with a glare that's far too unserious for what's likely prompting his shift in demeanor. The Sinner she's closest with after Ninety-Nine was like this too, before she was dragged here; she'd act like her friend up until she got too in her head about her powers and decided to give Hella the cold shoulder. If there's one thing she hates as one of the most naturally nosy people in the Bureau, it's being shut out. ]

Oh, it's you. [ She does an impression of his voice, still whispering. ] The fuck? I come to check on you and this is how you talk at me? Up yours, Mark.

[ Unimpressed, she chucks her next berry in the direction of the deer, which catches its attention, but doesn't quite scare it off, yet. The threat there is real, though: she can and will scare it away if she keeps getting the sense that letting Mark 1v1 it will only worsen his bloodlust. ]

I wanted to make sure you weren't going nuts over here.

[titlecard]

[ She already hadn't been winning him over, but up yours? He stares at her incredulously, a curl to his lip. Not enough for teeth to show, just—

His eyes widen as she throws a berry towards the deer. Mark freezes, tense, watching it to see what it does. He could probably still catch it on his own if it took off, but that isn't something he has to worry about.

Yet. When he turns back to face Hella, there's teeth. ]

I'm fine. [ Little too loud on that second word there. Things go a little too still, like the deer is about to bolt at any moment. He stops breathing, but after a second, his glare resumes. ] I'm not doing anything. See? Nothing is happening here.

[ Technically true, not that he hadn't been trying to work himself up into making something happen. And now that he can sense his chance slipping away, he's maybe starting to get pissed at Hella specifically. ]

[bicth]

[ She levels him with a matching glare, still unconvinced. Sure, she can hear and see that he's actually starting to get pissed for real, but her pastime in the Bureau is literally irritating Sinners stronger than her until they start whaling on her, so this is just another day ending in y. At least here, she feels she has a good reason to direct his anger at something other than an innocent deer he just wants to tear apart — she's not even doing it for fun. If she was, this would be the part where she started smiling and laughing the madder he got. Instead, she keeps her expression stern, like she's disciplining a bad dog. ]

Right. So you're just sitting here for no reason. Well, I guess you don't care if I throw another berry, then!

[ She fiddles around in her pockets for another one, then winds her arm back as though she's going to toss it. Mercifully, she holds the position there, not yet following through. ]

Unless you're trying to catch it for all of us?

[titlecard]

[ His lip curls up into a snarl at the threat of her potentially chasing the deer off. He is so hungry, and Hella is just fucking around for. What? Is she trying to piss him off? Does she want to see what he can actually do? His muscles tense, his fists clench, ready to rush in on her before she can follow through,

She directs that actual question on him, and his heart stops. ]

I— [ The fight fades from his voice, like she's effectively called him out on an instinct he wasn't aware he was operating on. He was going to zoom over, sink his teeth into the deer, tear it apart in his own personal feast. He was just psyching himself up. Or waiting for the right moment.

He'd forgotten there were others with him, and that blunt reminder leaves Mark lost, uncertain, upset. At her, at himself, at everything.

He looks away. ]

I need one for myself. [ A petulant mutter. He can't even look at her right now. ] I could catch another one for you guys after.

[bicth]

[ The reminder had been the important part — reminding him that he's not alone out here, with only his urges. Ninety-Nine gets that way too, only able to think about fighting and destruction. That, and, well, she wants (needs) to understand how to take care of their party members who are getting to this state. Hella is stubborn in her hope: she's adamant about saving them all, even those who get infected, so long as they can survive long enough without fully turning. ]

Is that the only thing you think you can eat?

[ The question is genuine: will only blood of a living thing sate him now? That makes things more difficult... but she needs to be sure. ]

[titlecard]

I… don’t know.

[ Now that her tone has softened — now that she no longer seems to be trying to piss him off — he risks a glance up at her. Confirming that she isn’t going to chase the deer off after all, or confirming that they’re still friends. Or something.

But it’s just a glance, because he can’t stand to look at her for much longer then that. Shame burns across his face as he redirects his gaze to the ground. Not her, not the deer, just— nothing. ]

It’s the only thing I want to eat. [ … ] I don’t think it makes a difference beyond that.