3rd Elevator (Action/dictated)

[honeytoes]

[ Anybody going near the kitchens will come across alot of crashing, banging, and a whole lot of swearing.

God DAMNIT!! Why won't you come off?

[It started with him noticing a small blood stain on his right palm when he went to get his mid-morning coffee. Rubbing it didn't help and neither did running it under the tap. Now it's dripping down both his forearms and getting more and more on his nerves.

He's basically rummaging around the cupboards under the kitchen sinks looking for cleaning supplies.]

What the fuck are you doing to me?...oh god no!

Not here...not now!

[And now he's noticed that the blood on his left palm has cleared slightly to reveal a burn mark in the shape of the symbol of The Ancient Ones. He freaks out. It's partly because of his paranoia that they're coming for him and partly because he has no desire to reveal his secrets to anybody in Paradisa.

He gets back to scrubbing his hands...only more franticly and occasionally cursing under his breath.]

ooc: The symbol in question on Garys hand is images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120920040705/thecabininthewoods/images/9/96/Ancient_Symbol.jpg

Comments

[lightbranded]

[Will walks into the kitchen, intending to make a cup of tea. He wasn't much of a cook, but he thought he could manage that much.

And after the morning he'd just experiences, the boy really wanted a cup of tea. For that touch of familiarity.

For his own part, Will had been marked with ashes on his lips and hands. And on his inner arm there was a symbol marked in blood soaked fabric. He had already given up on trying to stop the bleeding from the old brand on his arm. It simply seemed to bleed through anything he tried to cover it with.

He stops and watches the commotion in the kitchen with some concern.]

Are you quite alright?

[honeytoes]

[Gary doesn't even look up from cleaning...he's transfixed on the blood on his hands and The Ancients Ones crest burnt into his hand.]

Yes I'm fine.

Nothing some industrial strength cleaner and some Band-Aid’s can't help.

You don't have any do you?

[lightbranded]

I'm afraid not. But I am thinking it wouldn't be of much use. Not today.

[honeytoes]

[He sighs.]

I didnt think so...

[He turns to face Will, soap suds and blood trickling down his arms.]

Ok...so im not the only one who looks like crap then.

[Tactful as always Gary.]

[lightbranded]

[Will responds placidly, without any hint of irritation at the rudeness.]

No, you are not. Nor am I the only one, I am thinking. It seems to be happening to a great many people at once.

[honeytoes]

Looks like we just have to deal with it then.

Sorry for the attitude kid...I just didn't expect to spend today bleeding like a vir [He stops himself from making an inappropriate comment...Will's just a kid as far as he knows.]

Like a wounded wildebeest.

[lightbranded]

I don't think anyone did, really. But I suppose all there is to do is wait it out.

[honeytoes]

Very true.

What's the point of getting worked up over something you can't control huh?

I'm Gary by the way.

[lightbranded]

Will Stanton.

Pleasure to meet you.

[kid_apocalypse]

[Evan, for his part, isn't having such a good day either. He's sitting at a nearby table, numbly munching on a sandwich, his hands stained red with blood, a scarab-like symbol on his chest, bleeding through his shirt, a scarlet letter A bleeding through his pants and shirt, and worst of all, the words "KID APOCALYPSE" in bright red across his forehead.]

It's not going to wash off. We've all tried. You just...have to learn to live with it, until they decide to go away.

[honeytoes]

[He stops and sighs.

He lowers his head with his hands still in the sink. He has a dejected tone when he speaks]

What gives them the right to do this?

What gives them the fucking right to decide how we all live with our demons?

[kid_apocalypse]

[He shrugs.]

We're at the castle's mercy. Always have been. This...this is my second time going through something like this, now. The castle...likes to remind us that it's in control. Keeps us doubting ourselves. Or...maybe it's trying to make us angry, so we wanna leave even more. God knows it worked on me...

[He clenches a fist, causing it to glow an orange-ish red for a moment.]

I...destroyed my room this morning, when I saw...

[He puts the formerly glowing hand to his chest, against the ugly mark there.]

[honeytoes]

[He takes his hands out the sink for a moment and turns to look at Evan...And then wishes he didn't.]

Aw man I'm sorry...

[kid_apocalypse]

It's okay. I was due to lose control of my powers sooner or later anyway. At least I can blame it on the castle being stupid, right?

[He manages a weak smile. He's trying to find some good in this, anyway.]

[honeytoes]

Right.

[He decides to stop scrubbing...what's the point of fighting something you can't control?]

You want a coffee or something? I just brewed a fresh pot before I went all Martha Stewart on my hands.

[kid_apocalypse]

Sure, I'd have some. I was up pretty early this morning, and my little temper tantrum's taken a lot out of me. That's why I came in here, to get a bite to eat.

[He holds up what remains of his sandwhich, which is a childish hodgepodge of meat, cheese, pickles, barbeque sauce, and relish.]

[honeytoes]

Looks good...I might get one myself.

Uh so how do you take your coffee?

[savethedarkness]

You're just going to wash your skin raw, at this rate. [M speaks up from where she's standing in the doorway. she's wearing a dark top to help cover the fact that there's a large bloodstain working its way across her left side, low under her ribs, but there's no hiding the bruise wrapped around her left hand.]

Everyone seems to have them, and they're not going away.

[honeytoes]

Some might argue I deserve that and more.

[Not him though...it might be guilt but it's guilt from a necessary evil.

But that was the thing wasn't it? The right option was never the easy option.]

[savethedarkness]

And who might "some" be? Anyone here? [she knows the feeling, there are millions who would want her dead. which is why she's curious. what sort of duty did this man do, and how does it measure against her own values and agenda? he could he dangerous, or an ally, depending]

[honeytoes]

Nobody here...thank fuck!

[Hardly appropriate language in the presense of somebody of M's standing but he doesnt care right now. He's terrified that this is the work of The ancient ones.

And the idea of one of the organisations victims turning up has just increased his paranoia. The fool, the jock, the whore....they could all fuck everything up.

He gets back to scrubbing.]

Lady...do you know anything about duty?

[savethedarkness]

[please, she's heard worse. said worse, sometimes, in certain company. she raises an eyebrow, trying to hide how infinitely amused his question makes her]

More than most would imagine, yes.

[she'll scan the room for an open journal. before she says any more, she wants to make sure it's private in here. there are people she'd rather not have overhear her - even the most offhanded remark is fodder for Moriarty, after all, and she hates the insufferable little creeper]

[honeytoes]

[He keeps talking as he scrubs.]

It's never like you imagined when you were you young is it? You get told stories about brave knights defending villages against nasty ogres or soldiers who fight off invaders to their country and stand up for their beliefs.

It's always made out to kids that duty is glamorous. They leave out the part that occasionally you have to make shitty decisions. It doesn't get mentioned that in order for the world to keep turning tough decisions need to be made and somebody needs to get fucked over every now and again.

[He stops...the reality kicks in that the stains are here to stay. He gets a tea towel to dry off the soap suds, and turns to face M for the first time.]

But that's just the way the world is...everything comes at a price right?

[savethedarkness]

[she watches him wax poetic as he washes, not sure whether she should feel badly for him, or be vaguely frustrated. of course it isn't what they say it is - she worked out long ago that you have to lie to innocent people, or they wouldn't stay innocent long enough to form their own opinions of the world and act on it - they'd take whatever point of view you fed them, and there'd be no point in freedom of thought or of speech. the irony was never lost on her, and when he turns, she nods, smiling very faintly]

That's why you have to be careful about what you buy.

[honeytoes]

Hey careful is my middle name.

[He smiles. There’s something about M that seems familiar to him. The way she speaks and presents herself makes him feel like he's front of The Director again in a planning meeting.

He likes it.]