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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[He's so used to waking up to Rean now that he's startled when he's not being stared at. He wakes up all at once, sitting up and crawling to the edge of the bed to look over the edge of the loft.]

--Rean?!

[He's not thinking about the trouble Rean could cause. He's worried about someone hurting him. About someone taking him away while Crow's too out of it to stop them.]

[Rean's not there. No answering growl, no even presence. He's straight up not home.]

[He's still a mess from yesterday but Crow's not taking the time to get ready for his day. Work is not on his mind. He's just gotta find Rean, so he's scrambling down the stairs despite still being woozy, pulling his shoes on, and taking off out the door.

He doesn't know where to look. If someone took Rean he could be anywhere. Without a direction he can't just run, so to start he's walking down their street, keeping an eye out for clues and calling Rean's name.]

Rean! Rean...!

[[Calling Rean's name does not... Magically make him appear, alas. No barking either, or, growling, nothing to lead Crow to his lost feral pet.

Except luck, because eventually Crow will turn down and alley towards his "job" and find Rean just. There.

He's not in great shape. His clothes are a mess of. Things. Tears and fluids, a lot of which are blood and some of which are definitely not. He's bruised and sitting on the ground at the end of a trail of blood that stretches towards a door and into the dark beyond it.

He also looks fucked up and high, but mostly, he looks like he committed a massacre.

Which is funny because he did.]

[This is... the opposite of what Crow wanted to find, but something close to what he was afraid he might. For a moment Crow just stands there taking it in, as his eyes go bigger and his face loses colour. But then he's breaking into a run, slipping on some kind of alleyway grossness and falling to his knees right near Rean. He has to drag himself the last couple of feet, but then he's right there, looking Rean over but afraid to touch, so his hands just hover, shaking.

He's so angry. He's furious enough to make his blood boil, but he's even more afraid. He's scared of what kind of bad memories this is giving Rean, but mostly he's scared of what's going to happen to them both now.]

Rean--

[His voice cracks, but he's refusing to cry. Just like he's been this whole time, he's trying not to show exactly how bad he feels -- even though it's obvious he's failed to hide it.]

Why-- I was protecting you!

[And he was trying so hard. So why did they take Rean... or why did Rean leave on his own? Either way, it's making all Crow's efforts useless and that's going to really, really mess with him once the adrenaline wears off.]

[Whatever the case it's not like Rean can tell Crow, but he can lean on him, even if Crow's too afraid to touch.

He's a very tired, fucked up monster, he's not hungry, at least, he won't be hungry for a while, in fact, he's very, very full. But he's. Tired. Or maybe that's the amount of drugs in him. Either way he's nuzzling Crow's shoulder so he seems to be fine...?]

[At least if Rean's being snuggly that means it's safe to touch. Crow can hug him, and he's going to do so as tight as he can (which is nowhere near as tightly as before all this mess). He's dirty and smelly himself so he doesn't care about getting dirtier as he holds Rean close and buries his face in his hair.

He won't cry but his breathing is panicked and his whole body is trembling from stress. What should he do now? Where can they go? He doesn't know how many people Rean killed or if the ones in charge were among them but he knows they almost certainly can't stay here. But getting them out of town is honestly way scarier a prospect than continuing this ugly lifestyle was, so Crow is... well. Losing it, honestly. He's so scared, and angry, and guilty. This is all his fault. He got Rean into this and he failed to do anything to protect him, and he's not sure he can save him from the consequences of that failure.

He really doesn't care what happens to him, as long as it isn't losing his memories again. But Rean... He really just wanted Rean to be safe.]

I'm so sorry...

[Here he is again like the first day, spilling barely-audible apologies all over Rean and feeling like he should never have been revived.]

[Rean gets that Crow is upset though not really why. Look he's crazy and he's high as fuck and nothing seems that upsetting at all right now. He nuzzles Crow in an attempt to be like, soothing? Mane he doesn't know, he just wants a nap, nothing is bad right now, except Crow being unhappy, that sucks. He thought he took care of whatever what going on maybe he'll have to kill more people after a nap.]

[You tried to fix it and you made it worse, Rean!! Crow's absolutely lost in panic, but he knows they can't just sit on the ground and wait for soldiers to show up. There was probably screaming. There's no way no one will come and investigate.

At the very least, Crow's able to move in a crisis. So even though he's one very thin emotional line away from screaming and crying he's untangling himself from Rean, forcing himself to his feet and trying to drag Rean up with him. They need to-- They need to clean up. They won't escape walking around all bloody. They'll just have to steal stuff from the dead.]

Come on... We can't stay here.

[At least high Rean is exceptionally obedient, he gets up and follows Crow easily, chill with... whatever.]

Edited 2018-11-02 17:16 (UTC)

[Great because Crow is not physically capable of forcing it right now. He's just gonna get Rean inside and to the shower, where he'll turn it on on him whether he's willing to get undressed or not. Then Crow's got to steal supplies -- he's stepping over mangled bodies to do it but that part isn't particularly traumatizing, given his history. It's even be a little comforting to see these particular people dead.

He'd be having a meltdown though, if he wasn't running on pure flight response. He can't afford to collapse when he's got to get Rean out of here. So he manages to keep going, gathering clothes and food and various useful things, then coming back to shove clean, unripped clothes at Rean. If he can get Rean dressed and himself cleaned up and also dressed, then they can at least not be actually literally running from the cops.

...Assuming the cops don't arrive while they're doing this.]

[Rean is even good about being cleaned up and getting dressed, maybe because of the drugs or maybe because Crow's so urgent about it, or maybe both, but he's not difficult. He isn't helpful but he's not getting in Crow's way or delaying things by being a pain.

Luck is on their side, no cops show up by the time they're making their getaway. And as long as Crow can sneak them out of the city they could very well just... Make it. The world's in a messy state, so security is tighter getting into the capital than it is heading out.]

[The thing is, the actual paths in and out of the city are definitely watched. They could go through an underground passage but those are full of monsters that Crow's not up to fighting. So they have to be very sneaky. They have to try to look like normal people when they're both in bad shape and Rean has a spooky demon face.

The best way to do this, Crow thinks, is to stick to the bad parts of town where if people think they're a couple of junkies it won't actually cause notice. From there he finds a place to hang out near a gate, then drags Rean into a group of workers headed outside for some job or another. He stays close, and tries to keep Rean from growling or looking at anyone.

Eventually they do get out. But that's only because when a solider gives them a funny look and starts to ask a question Crow just grabs Rean's hand and bolts. Which will get them pursued but not for very long since they don't look like a threat, they look like scruffy drunks.]

[At least they're out. And from here, well, there's more choices of places to go that are more... Peaceful, even in the world like it is. At the very least bumming it across the countryside is probably going to be less of a toll, if Crow can hold out long enough to get somewhere remote and sustainable.

Rean at least is, in fact, pretty easy to kidnap and goes along without fuss as long as he's close to Crow, leaning on him whenever they rest.]

[Crow... may have a hard time getting very far. Running like that is a lot in his condition, which just makes him angry because he knows how strong he's supposed to be. He doesn't like feeling fragile, but he's swaying on his feet pretty quickly, as soon as he doesn't have to keep running to live.

They can reach a farm, at least, but then Crow's climbing over the nearest fence and finding a hay pile to flop into.]

[Rean is too high to do anything but follow Crow and curl up next to him, actually looking like he might sleep for once? He's never fallen asleep in front of Crow, always too busy staring at him.]

[Now that's wild. Sleepy Rean is cute, but Crow is really very tired and unhappy right now so he doesn't have the energy to do more than pet him a little as he, too, dozes off. Later they'll have to actually find somewhere safe, but for right now they're just gonna be weird hobos sleeping in someone's hay.]

[It's probably night by the time Crow wakes up, and by then Rean's awake and staring at him, as per usual. At least he hasn't wandered off, and all his injuries seem to have healed with the nap.

On the other hand Crow's likely not as lucky, even with his sturdy body.]

[He won't die but he sure doesn't have speed-healing. He's almost jealous, because when Crow wakes up he's still tired and sore all over and in bad need of rest and actual, y'know, food and water. But he's been sore and exhausted and mostly hungry for awhile so it's not exactly new. It's just that his calves are unusually achey today.

It's weird that seeing that stare is comforting.]

...Hi.

[Teach your dog to steal and he'll fetch, Crow. But for now he is just staring, no response as usual, but you know, waiting for Crow to.... Direct what they do.]

[Right now the answer appears to be "groan uncomfortably while forcing ourselves to get out of the hay". But once he's up (with hay all stuck in his clothes and hair), he rubs his face a little and starts to think. His stomach is growling but he's trying to ignore it.]

Okay... Maybe if we head far enough north...

[They could... try to find Rean's family? Would that help?]

[Ymir at least would likely be... Better than here. Rean seems to have no opinions though, simply leaning forward to nuzzle Crow in almost affection? Maybe he's trying to be comforting.]

[Rean gets pets like the good(?) dog he is. Crow meanwhile is staring off into the distance, trying to think about the right action to take without thinking about how spooked he is. He still can't afford to have a breakdown.

After a few moments he just starts walking. Fuck roads. They're dangerous. He's gonna make a bee line for the mountains. They will of course eventually have to steal to eat. But he leaves Rean tucked somewhere safe when he does it, for the sake of silence and his really messed up priorities. Sleep is generally under some bushes or something, Crow trying to leave as little trace of them as he can. But if it rains he'll make a lean-to.

It's gonna take a couple of weeks to get there, but on the upside Crow's not really getting worse anymore, physically. He's just not getting better. This kind of traveling is hard on the body, and he's pushing himself way too hard for a guy who's barely eating and is still giving blood every day (he insists). The question is: will Rean find himself before they find Ymir?]

[It's halfway to Ymir, while they're resting in an abandoned shack, over the course of one night while Crow's sleeping, that Rean... Finally comes back.

It's been happening gradually, honestly. Maybe he would have a while ago if the situation hadn't been so shitty in Heimdallr. But on the road, it's tough but it's not getting worse, and Rean can kill any monsters they encounter with ease, letting Crow get some rest so that, while Crow isn't really recovering, nothing gets... Worse.

And that's enough for the fight and survival and rage to start uncoiling day by day, so that while he watches Crow sleep, more of him returns, clawing out of the abyss of his own mind.

It might wake Crow up, when Rean lurches away from his side to stumble outside and throw up. Or try to. There's nothing in him but blood and he doesn't... Actually want to waste what Crow's sacrificed so he just ends up pressing a hand to his mouth to prevent it and wretching.]

[He doesn't hear Rean get up but he does hear the door, the part of him that's always on guard keying in and snapping him awake. There's immediate fear when Rean isn't there staring at him. Rean's supposed to be there -- the only time he wasn't, it was awful. So he's up and looking for Rean in seconds, and when he hears the wretching he's... confused. But not as alarmed as he was, so instead of the door flying open it creaks slowly, Crow peeking out with dark circles under his eyes.]

...Rean?

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