reanbeanmachine | gross au

gross au

[Once upon a time, perhaps, a man named Giliath Osborne had been a good man, a kind father, a loving husband, a good soldier. That was a long, long time ago, long forgotten. These days, there was merely the Blood and Iron Chancellor. A man hellbent on a goal, ready to use everything to achieve it.

Currently, the latest tool from his little workshop was standing in his office facing him with a familiar face, but an unfamiliarly blank expression.

"Siegried" was the name of the doll in front of him, a creature with uses. Already, standing in front of Osborne was plenty of proof that this boy was only a shell that resembled a person, an empty vessel whose memories were sealed away.

He ran his fingertips over the boy's cheek, watching for any reaction, any flinch or concealed disgust. Nothing. Obedience. Perfect.

There was more he could test for this, and if that proved successful, this doll could be useful in very many ways indeed. His fingers lifted a lock of white hair, let it slide over his knuckles as he pulled his hand away.]

Siegfried, I want you to kneel.

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[His hands don't have the leeway to get around Crow, even straining to break more chains, but he does, well, have Crow in range? He's dropping his face to Crow's collar but instead of going still or chilling out he's biting, hard. Hard enough to break skin.]

[This is fine! It hurts, but he's now close enough to use the keys he's gathered to start undoing chains. He's doing that with one hand, and holding Rean with the other, regardless of pain or his own safety.]

Go ahead and get it out. I'm not going anywhere, even if you kill me.

[He's snarling as he bites down, tearing at Crow's skin, swallowing some, licking at his blood, mostly mauling but a little eating him.

When he has an arm free it come up, latches into the back of Crow's shirt, holding on, or making sure Crow can't escape?

It's... Difficult. There isn't really any "Rean" in his head right now. But some part of him finds this voice soothing, nostalgic, some part of him finds this hold enough to make him want to cry, and while that confuses him it also agitates him, and he's biting in deeper.]

[Being slightly eaten is really not fun! But Crow's not gonna move. He just gets all the chains off and then hugs Rean tighter. His breath is ragged with pain, but he's gently petting Rean's hair even so.]

If it makes you feel better, take a chunk out. But cannibalism isn't very cool.

[He's definitely taking a chunk out. It's going to heal and scar ugly, but the more Crow holds him gently and talks the less savage he seems to get, even holding onto Crow as tightly as he is, the murderous aura in the room starts to fade a little.

Honestly it's the gentleness and it being Crow that's getting through. He doesn't understand why he wants to trust this person, or why this hold is comforting but aches, but slowly his urge to lash out at everything, maul anyone near him for daring to approach, it's dwindling.]

[There's quite a bit of blood spilling down Crow's chest now, but it's not that bad. It's not life-threatening. He's seen way worse (haha). So he winces but doesn't let go -- it seems to be working, if slowly. He'll just put his face against Rean's head and rub his back, soothing.]

I know, I know. It hurts, doesn't it? You've had a rough time.

[He's got a bit of Crow in him and he'll digest it and they'll be one forever now, I guess. But the petting has him panting against Crow's chest, stressed, half crying, totally feral but the gentleness works. He hasn't been treated gently in the last day, which is all he remembers of the whole world now anyway. So this is a novel and new experience that aches in his chest and makes him whine against Crow's ravaged skin, teeth bared like he'll take another chunk out if Crow makes any moves he doesn't like.]

Take some deep breaths, then when you're ready to get out of here just say the word.

[He's not making any sudden moves. Best to keep up the comforting until Rean's aware enough to follow him out.]

[He takes those breaths, in and out, the taste and smell of Crow's blood strong, weirdly heady. He doesn't quite understand except that Crow's freed him from chains and hasn't hurt him, has just held him.

Words are a bit beyond him at the moment but he pulls back, still wild and wary, but less murderous.]

[Eh, words. At least it seems like communication is progressing.]

Can you follow me? Just nod.

[A hesitation and then Rean does nod. Mouth red and dripping with Crow's blood making him look way less than sane or human.]

Alright, then. I don't care how much of a mess we make on the way out, but if you want to escape, stay close behind me no matter what.

[Rean doesn't look... well, he doesn't look like Rean. But he is, so Crow will lead him out, no matter how many people they have to kill to get there. Time hasn't made him care more about collateral damage, and right now he cares even less. All he can imagine is how much the people he loves have suffered because of everyone here. How many of them watched Rean get hurt in the last day and said nothing? How many of them heard Crow screaming yesterday and tuned it out?

He doesn't care about them, and he's not going to stop Rean from mauling anyone. He just tries to keep moving til they're out of the building.]

[Mauling... Definitely happens. A few times. Rean doesn't have a sword but he doesn't need one to rip a guy's throat out with his fingers or to take another man's gun and bludgeon his face in with it. He's savage, animalistic even, not speaking, but he does follow Crow, ultimately, trailing after him like a hound from some deep hell chasing his shadow.]

[It's honestly really fucking disturbing but at least Rean's mauling people not-Crow. At least he seems to be listening to Crow. That'll be enough. Right now their knights are somewhere inaccessible, locked down just the way Rean was, but Crow finds them a normal-looking car to steal and shoves Rean in the back seat before hopping into the driver's and flooring it.

He's got to get them away from here. But it's gonna take awhile to get actually somewhere safe so for now he's trying to blend in til he finds a nice shady neighborhood full of mess where he knows a few people who won't sell them out. Probably.

Getting Rean hidden is kind of... an undertaking... But Crow tries to keep himself between Rean and anyone he doesn't want to get mauled at all times, and hopes Rean'll listen to him. He's not hoping some part of Rean will be able to tell he's trying to protect him, because he doesn't want to be disappointed, but he does hope Rean listens until he can get his contact to convince the local extremely shady slumlord to let them rent a tiny shitty house -- one where it's all one room with the bed in the loft and a bath behind a curtain. What's important is it has a basement that locks from the outside. Probably this has been used for very unsavory means before but hey, they're unsavory people now so whatever.]

[For all he's... Obviously fucking nuts, Rean is strangely obedient to Crow. Not exactly docile, and he growls and nearly bites off a few hands but, for the most part, if Crow sticks between Rean and others, Rean listens? He at least doesn't start anything and Crow manages to both get them a place and into it without major incident.

And Rean sticks to Crow, eyeing the ramshackle abode with wary madness as he follows Crow in, but still, he's still listening to Crow.]

[Great! Great... They're both alive and this is, while not exactly safe, not as bad as where they were. There are only a few people who know they're here and less that know they're in hiding, so as long as he can keep Rean here until he finds a way out of the city, they'll be fine.

For now there's onyl one door, and the only people who have keys are Crow and the landlord. So he's locking both the knob and the deadbolt, sliding the chain into place, and then turning and leaning hard against the door.

The truth is, he's pretty damned tired. But he's still running on adrenaline, and he has things he needs to address with Rean.]

...Okay. We're going to stay here until I find us a way to get out of town. I'm gonna take care of you, but I need you to keep quiet and don't leave this house unless I say. Okay?

[I mean, well, look. Not much is going on in Rean's head right now. Does he understand what Crow's saying or does he just understand Crow needs a response? Either way he turns to look back at Crow with too-bright eyes and growls.

That's maybe yes?]

...Okay.

[Good enough for now?? He'll just have to keep an eye on him for a couple of days until Rean either snaps out of it or demonstrates that he won't be leaving.

Right now though Crow's just going to stumble over to the kitchen sink and start dealing with his own wounds. He lost a fair amount of blood thanks to Rean, and as soon as he's sure that's stopped and is going to close, he really really needs a bath. So does Rean but Crow's allowing himself to go first.

This means he's stripping layers off in front of Rean but WHO CARES. Rean's not even thinking human thoughts right now so he's not going to get into it or not into it or notice that Crow has to kinda peel his underwear off.]

[Well for now. Rean is just staring at Crow with a creepy intensity. He probably doesn't understand anything going on but that's not keeping him from just watching Crow like a particularly dangerous monster watches potential prey, unblinking and hungry.]

[It's hard not to feel a little frightened of that kind of stare. Crow knows all about danger. He can't ignore the way it makes the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. But... it's Rean, so he's determined not to freak out. Besides, he'd honestly rather be stared at that way by Rean than ever be stared at the way he was so often the past year. So it's fine. He's fine. He's not going to think about anything but Rean, because thinking about himself is just going to result in being even more unhappy than he already is.

So he just ignores it, digging into his own convenient rpg inventory for first aid stuff. Wound stitched and balms applied he's going to sit on the edge of the tub while it fills and try to pretend this is a sane situation.]

You're gettin' pretty intense there. I'm not gonna eat you, y'know. Not gonna run off, either.

[I mean, what constitutes a conversation here? There's a low, guttural snarl which might be anything from acknowledgement to a warning. In any case Rean does actually stalk up to the side of the tub, looking down at Crow but then not doing anything. Just. Being near him?]

...Little close there, buddy.

[Maybe if he talks to Rean like he's Rean for long enough, eventually he'll get, y'know, Rean. Maybe not, but it feels less scary to keep chattering. He's running the fingertips of one hand through the water idly as it rises, and from them come tiny wisps of pink that dissipate as the remains of blood both his and not wash away.]

I know I'm gorgeous but I like a date who talks back.

[Crow's going to be doing a lot of talking to himself for the foreseeable future, but for now Rean just. Looks at him. No snarling or whatever, just that eerie stare and that aura of predatory menace and silence.

At least the water is warm and nice.]

Oookay then.

[He's either going to give up or just lean harder into talking until he loses his mind a little. Probably the latter, given that he keeps chattering now, even while he's sliding into the bath. It's gonna take a couple of tubs full of water to get actually clean but he's gonna try.]

Y'know, I'm glad you're here even if you're nuts. It's kinda weird to think we've spent way more time apart than we ever did together, actually...

[He's just gonna keep going the whole time. Venting his feelings at an apparent living wall. It's a bunch of mostly stupid stuff about haha I did all these silly things while I was running away from you and geez you would be so mad at me right now if you were you, and whatnot. But as he's finishing up, shaking his head to clear some water after rinsing his hair out, he pauses, then looks upward briefly and mutters:]

I think... I kinda missed you even while I didn't remember you.

[No, he knows he does. He can remember it now -- the way his heart twisted every time he gave himself up for a year, never knowing why, never knowing there was anything to give away. The precious memories that had dangled right beyond his fingertips are right here with him, but... But Rean's the one who's not really here now, and those memories are all fucked up--

He sighs, reaching toward to unplug the drain. Better not to think about it. Let that dirty feeling go right down with the dirty water.]

[At some point while Crow talks Rean sits next to the tub, leaning on the edge and watching him still. He doesn't respond, obviously, but he's... Here? Partly here.

He's at least physically present if mentally all gone. But he's not so all gone that he's not apparently soothed by Crow talking at him, and he's here enough that his eyes follow Crow with intensity and eerie lack of humanity but no real threat in them, despite the ever-present aura of murder.

Maybe he doesn't process what Crow's saying but he's still listening to him.]

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