open ⇉ here we go 'round the mulberry bush

[resleeves]

» WHO? takeshi kovcs + ota
» WHEN? after the event
» WHERE? his room, bar, mess hall, various corridors
» WHAT? just fuck me up
» WARNINGS? violence, violent imagery, gore, possession, terrible things, language

( the ceiling is white.

the ceiling is white the ceiling is white the ceiling is white. he's been repeating that to himself for the last two minutes because nothing else is working. he's breathing. he's blinking. but he can't move. he's been staring at the fucking ceiling for long enough that he hates the color white.

at first, he thinks it's some side effect of the music but it's been quiet for a few days now. quiet enough that he'd been able to sleep in the wrecked remains of his bed. it's quiet right now.

the ceiling is white. kovacs blinks and

-- he gets up. )

⇉ 01. bar

( he's staring at the bottles.

most of them are empty, upended or broken and he's just staring like just his gaze alone will make alcohol magically appear in the bottles. but, they remain empty. hadn't this been someone's job, to get them more alcohol? hadn't that been assigned to someone as a top priority? wasn't there any fucking responsibility on this fucking station?

in the absence of alcohol, kovacs unfolds his long frame from the stool and finds himself some water.

sips it. finishes it. repeats the process until he feels his thirst receding. then, he resumes his spot on the stool and keeps staring.

thoughtful. introspective.

vacant. )

⇉ 02. mess hall

( a man has to eat.

there's a tray of food in front of kovacs that he's been picking at for a few minutes now. he barely tastes the food, barely even processes what he's eating but it's tasteless, inoffensive. whoever fixed the replicators did a halfway decent job. compliments to the chefs and all those fucking sweet nothings.

kovacs picks up one piece of food, brings it up so it's right in front of his eyes and then he flicks it towards the door, uncaring if anyone's making their way in and gets a fucking piece of food stuck to themselves.

one corner of his mouth lifts up and a brief, sharp laugh slips out before he's back to frowning, back to his food. )

⇉ 03. corridor cw: violence, violent imagery, gore, creepiness

( when he sees her, he smiles.

down the hall, a few feet away, lies the body of his sister. reileen. reileen who'd watched as he'd killed their father. reileen who'd been given to the yakuza. reileen who had left him. left him so along ago.

back where she belonged. with him. as he steps closer, boots echoing off the floor, he inhales deeply and smells the rot, the death. her hair is a halo around her head, some strands clinging stubbornly to her cheek and chin.

her eyes are open.

when kovacs is close enough, he crouches down beside her and rubs a tender, feather light hand over her cheek and up her forehead. her skin is clammy and grey. cold. she's so cold. she needs to be warmed up.

his hands are strong and assured when he reaches for her shoulders and turns her over. they're soft and efficient when he brushes the hair off the back of her neck, exposing her skin.

he has no knife. so he uses his fingernails.

with only the slightest tensing of his jaw, kovacs digs his nails into the back of her neck like a rabid animal. he scrapes and pulls, pushes and tears until blood spills over his hands, and onto the deck below.

he doesn't stop. an envoy's strength is significant and he uses that to brutally dig a gash into the back of his sister's neck. his thumbs pull apart the raggedly cut skin until he can see the muscle and bone below.

he reaches in and breaks her spine at the neck. the sound of bones popping echoes off the walls and kovacs moves those aside to grab what he's looking for.

with a grunt, he rips the stack out of her neck and holds it up. it's covered in blood and tissue, still glowing a brilliant blue color.

with his sister's neck open and smeared with blood, kovacs gets to his feet, turns and smashes the stack against the wall over and over again. blood from his hands transfers to the wall, leaving behind smudged bloody palm prints and fingerprints.

the stack cracks. it breaks. it bends. it shatters to pieces that fall harmlessly to the floor.

and then kovacs steps on them, grinding them down into his sister is reduced to dust underneath his shoes.

kovacs sighs. with that done, he turns back the way he came, covered in reileen's blood and body tissue. he tucks his hands into his pockets and walks off as if there wasn't a scene of horror behind him. )

⇉ 04. kovacs' room, corridor

( kovacs is a mess by the time he's back in his room.

well, that just requires a shower, doesn't it? stripping himself of his jumpsuit and stepping into the shower. he washes himself free of the bits of his sister that have clung to him and then he steps out, dries off, puts his clothes back on and lays down.

he closes his eyes. takes a breath and

-- gets up again. )

Fuck.

( the word is a whispered note of pain. of terror. of unbelievable anger. he has no idea what's just happened but he remembers it all. he remembers every fucking detail and with a growl that reverberates down the hall, he shoots out of his bed and down the hall.

he takes a path that he wishes weren't sickeningly familiar until he's standing at the end of the corridor staring at the carnage he'd just inflicted.

staring at his sister with the back of her neck a gaping maw and her body ignored and abused by the one person she'd trusted. by the one person she'd loved.

for once in his life, kovacs doesn't know what to do. )

⇉ ooc

( what's up, party people! just wanted to put a few notes down here for a few things. obviously, the first two prompts are kovacs but not. but, it's a very close replication and though i'm cool with people being able to figure it out, if you don't know him well, you wouldn't be able to tell there's a difference. if you know him well, you would.

in the prompt with his sister, you're not going to be able to stop him from doing what he does. feel free to witness it or try to stop but in the end, he's going to complete the process of destroying her stack.

in the last prompt, he's going to end up spacing the body (because safest, most hygienic option) but might need some assistance because, you know. )

Comments

[resleeves]

"A lot of people." He shrugs, acts like it's not a big deal. Pissing people off was a hobby of his and not something likely to change just because he was on some fucking space station instead of on Earth.

"You looking for a comprehensive list?" Miller leans closer and Kovacs meets his gaze coolly, unflinching. "Find me some paper and a fucking pen and I'll gladly write down all the names of the people I pissed off."

[pampa]

"Okay..." Miller leans back, not really getting what the game is here. Usually Kovacs would be rearing to share with him all his dumb exploits. He's not into it, he's not into the plants, he's not into Miller sitting right here paying him attention - which really is the only thing he ever seems to want on any given day. Just not today. Wait. "Are you on drugs?"

[resleeves]

Kovacs snorts. "Where the fuck would I get drugs? Can the replicators be made to cook up some Reaper? Because I could go for some right now and I think you'd like it."

He smiles, an atypical expression for someone like him but talking about drugs does make him a little happier than normal.

"I'm not on fucking drugs," he says and rolls his eyes. "I'm not that fucking lucky."

[pampa]

"Thought you might've gotten paid a visit by the station fairy, beratna." He floats it out there, as a test, the word he had been so offended by. There's no way Kovacs would let that one pass him by, would he?

[resleeves]

"And what if I had?" Kovacs asks, tilting his head and fixing Miller with a look. "That against your no smoking policy too, you fucking do gooder?"

Well, he'd kind of let it slide but not. He'd still come back with an insult albeit not one of his strongest ones.

"Would you slap my hands and lecture me on the side effects of doing drugs?" Not need, he'd already fucked himself up.

[pampa]

No reaction. Nothing. He stands suddenly, pitched across the table so he can look in Kovacs' eyes. He doesn't look high, but he still doesn't seem engaged. He's fighting, but his heart's not in it. Miller grabs the front of the other man's jumpsuit with all his strength and narrows his eyes.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" It's through clenched teeth, extreme concern feigning rage.

[resleeves]

When Kovacs smiles, it's thin and brittle. There's anger lurking at the edges but he doesn't rise to the bait just yet. His jaw works tightly, teeth grinding together while he considers his options.

"I would advise you, brother, to take your fucking hands off me before you come back with stumps."

Did that work better for him? Seem a little more like Kovacs? Or was there still doubt floating around in Miller's mind?

[pampa]

He clenches his fist tighter, but he knows he'd only break his hand trying to hit Kovacs right in his smug face. His eyes are still blank, even though the words match up. It's throwing him for a good goddamn loop.

"What, afraid of a little brotherly love?"

[resleeves]

For a few quiet, long moments, Kovacs just stares at him, unmoving. He lets Miller think he's getting to him, lets Miller think that his badgering will have any kind of affect and when Miller doesn't take his hands away, Kovacs pushes up and out of his chair quicker than someone his size should be able to.

A smirk makes its way across his face before he rears back and throws a heavy, straight punch right at Miller's face. Miller's a fragile sort, the kind of glass that breaks if a slight breeze rolls through so Kovacs wonders how many brittle bones will shatter, if any. He hadn't wanted to use violence just yet but it's required.

And he really needs Miller to fucking let go of him.

[pampa]

Miller lets it happen, on some level he'd wanted it to. It occurs to him only after Kovacs' fist is meeting his face that this really doesn't prove anything... except that he'd been much more annoying in the past. He'd shot at him, and Kovacs still hadn't hurt him. Amos' words are in his ear as he hits the ground. Stay down. Maybe he should listen this time. Getting hit by Inners really sucks the big felota.

The blow cracks his nose on impact, echoing through the mess as his face springs a red leak and he stumbles back, head bouncing off his own chair on the way down. Before he can consider the merits of getting up or staying down, the darkness pulling him under wins out and Miller falls asleep in a pool of his own blood.

[resleeves]

His hand doesn't even hurt. He's just punched the hell out of a man and his hand doesn't even hurt. What the hell was Miller's face made up that it felt like punching a bunch of twigs covered in moss?

Fucking ridiculous. How that man stays live Kovacs doesn't know?

With a shake of his head, he gets up and proceeds to clean everything up while Miller lies there before he departs without another look back.

[donkeyballs]

It was pure chance, that Alex walked past Kovacs on the way out. He didn't try stopping the man - still embarrassed from their last encounter, though he did nod vaguely in his direction, without looking to see if it was reciprocated. He owed the man an apology, but - later.

The mess hall was strangely quiet, and Alex thought little of it before he saw the figure lying on the floor, the dark pool under him--

"Miller!" He launched himself forward, running right up to the man's side and kneeling down to gently shake him. "Come on, hoss, you better be alright--"

[pampa]

He's only out for a moment or two, but it's long enough that Kovacs was there one minute and Alex replaces him the next. Miller gasps, coughing some blood out of his mouth that had trickled down his throat. His hand comes up, wiping at his nose with the back of it and slowly he's able to blink the other man into focus.

"Alex?" he sounds unsteady, but then he's trying to get up. This will fail spectacularly if Alex doesn't grab him, his free hand already slipping in the blood on the floor beneath him. "Where is he? I have to-" But Kovacs is gone. That can't be good.

[donkeyballs]

The blood is bad, and Alex looks incredibly worried, reaching down to grab and steady him as the man tries to get up.

"Where is who? What happened?"

[pampa]

Miller grabs Alex's shoulder to support himself and then he's getting up, ignoring the blood still freely flowing from his face.

"Kovacs. There's something... I think something happened to him, like what happened to you and Bobbie. I need to find him."

[donkeyballs]

"Brother, you ain't in a state to go findin' anyone." He slides his arm around Miller's back, supporting him as much as he can.

"I'm gettin' you down to med bay." Then, more worried: "Somethin' happened to him and he did this to you?"

[pampa]

Shoving Alex away gingerly, it takes him a few steps to bring his shambling gait up to speed. And then he groans, turning back to snatch his hat off the table and check it for blood before putting it back on his head.

"It's just a busted nose, Kamal." One he can feel shifting around in his head. He looks at the trail of blood he's leaving... yeah. He's causing a scene. Maybe he does need to take a detour.

[donkeyballs]

"It's a Belter Blood Fountain, Miller." He holds his hands up, as if in surrender, even though really he just wants to reach out for the man again.

"Did he punch you in the face?"

[pampa]

"Yeah, because I grabbed him. His clothes." He mimes grabbing the front of Alex's jumpsuit then shrugs, trying not to get blood on him as they walk. He puts his arm back up to his face to try and minimize the mess, the next words muffled as a result. "I've shoved him plenty of times, he never reacted like that."

[donkeyballs]

Alex sighs, wishing he had anything he could give Miller to hold against his nose, but he literally only had the jumpsuit on his back. They'd just have to make good time.

"That's cause it's a bit nuts. You sure he didn't just snap? Is he gonna be a problem?"

Do they need to call Amos, he's wondering...

[pampa]

He shakes his head. Everyone stop blaming Kovacs!!! Miller is trying to be smart here. "He was acting weird before that. That's why I grabbed him, I thought he got drugs somehow, like stuff sometimes shows up? But there was no quick heartbeat, no dilated eyes. I don't know how to explain this without soundin' nuts myself."

Miller takes the hint and fast-walks towards the elevator, slapping the down button and slipping inside.

"He was acting like himself, but not. Off. I don't know."

[donkeyballs]

"Trust me, you don't sound nuts." Alex wished he did. "Amos was acting fuckin' weird a few weeks ago, too. What happened to me mighta been mostly physical, but there ain't a doubt in my mind that this station can mess with our heads pretty thoroughly."

He slipped in the elevator, pressing the button for the floor, feeling the weight of the world lift off him. But he kept his mag boots engaged.

"Where was he tryin' to go?"

[pampa]

For once, Miller rocks back to engage his boots too, wiping off his hand before grabbing his hat as it tries to float away. "Yeah. It's different from what happened to Amos too, though. Like some automaton is controlling him somehow? It's not him, but it's him. It's-- he didn't say where he was going. He lives on Deck 3." He is once again talking far too fast, but at least the situation warrants it. This shit is fucked up. "If he does something crazy right now - everyone will think it's him. You pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?"

[donkeyballs]

"Yeah, I'm picking it up." He didn't like it, but he was following it.

"We gotta find him. But we gotta get your nose to stop bleedin' first, Miller."

[pampa]

"Yeah, okay, whatever." He's already heading toward the newly discovered medbay, bleeding is inconvenient, he agrees. And it's not helping him think any, that's for sure. They enter the room and he spares a halfhearted glare for the cryopods before slipping onto the nearest cot so space magic can heal him. He puts a hand on his stomach and winces as his nose rights itself. The second it's in place though, his mind starts working again and he remembers something. "Didn't one of those robot guys find you that video of what happened to you? Which one was it?"