Blowing you all away in the shitstorm sweepstakes

[vvdanicavv]

Time: approx. lunchtime, Christmas Day
Location: Basement stairs

Manicured fingertips flicked burning embers off the gun before picking it up out of the pile of ashes and shaking off the remains of a lackey who had obviously shown more loyalty to Danica than was good for his health. She checked the magazine, stepping purposefully around the couch,

Comments

[colbert_bump]

Stephen had taken a short break from all the Christmas activities going around. It was one of the few times he actually felt at home on the island, with the cold and the food and the singing. He had gone downstairs for a bit but couldn't stay there long - the Christmas Spirit was too strong! He had to rejoin everyone!

He was just leaving the dorm area and going for the stairs when he heard gunshots. Really loud, nearby gunshots. After his initial reaction of dropping to the floor, he wondered who the hell would be shooting people on Christmas. That was no way to get presents.

Then a body came tumbling down.

God, seriously? Stephen had to be the one to deal with a dead body?! This was bullshit!

Clearing his throat, he got off the floor, peering from around the wall he had dove behind. "...Are you alive?" It was worth a shot, right?

[vvdanicavv]

Concrete dust settled on Danica's clothes, leaving a fine white covering all over, as if she wasn't ashen enough already. She'd landed hard at the bottom of the stairs, shocked by the pain of it, and whipped her head up with a low growl, baring her teeth. Bullets were too good for King, she'd decided that back in the cell, but it was all she had now. That, and patience that was running in the negatives.

Eyes flashed with unbridled rage but the washing machines didn't even flinch. King was nowhere to be seen. Or heard. No wise-cracks, no cocky insults. Aggravated, Danica pushed herself up further, ignoring the ache already setting in. Which of the dumbshits at the Tower left washing machines in the middle of the penthouse? The stink of soap assaulted her nose but she only had a moment to express her disgust before Jack fucking Frost appeared

[colbert_bump]

Oh God, she was the one with the gun! She was going to kill Stephen right there in the basement, away from everyone else and Asher was going to just be sad that it wasn't him to do it! Stupid Asher.

Wait.

Now that Asher was in his head, he kind of thought this crazy chick with the gun looked familiar. Stephen's hands were in the air, as was the common procedure for these types of things, and he blinked at her with wide eyes.

"You...fell down the stairs?" he ventured, then added quickly, "Were you just someplace else a second ago? Please don't shoot me."

[vvdanicavv]

It didn't take Danica long to realize she was faced with a human and a pathetic excuse for one at that. She toyed with the idea of simply putting an end to his pitiful existence, do her good deed for the day, but then she'd lose a bullet and answers to the questions that were starting to pile up

[colbert_bump]

Stephen was used to feeling scared for his life, but that was different, somehow. Possibly because he was overdramatic by nature and so reacted to many things as if he were about to die.

But now he was actually about to die. And she expected coherent answers?!

"Okay, okay!" he started, palms still up. "You're on an island in the middle of nowhere with no way to get off." That...probably wasn't going to stop her from killing him. "People just show up and no one knows why. I was in New York, doing my very popular TV show when--" Shut up, Colbert!

"You look, you look familiar," he said, his voice going up nervously. Then his eyes went even wider once he realized.

She was from the movie. Asher's movie.

[vvdanicavv]

Looking familiar wasn't anything new; Danica wasn't one to commit a face to memory for the pure fact that she fully expected it to be the other way around.

She laughed unkindly at the man's explanation, entertained for the moment. Maybe King had been right. Maybe there really had been something in the ventilation. The thought put another scowl on her face and she glanced around her, stiffening her posture against the tremor threatening to climb her spine. It was nervous habit that made her run her tongue over a fang only to discover her mouth void of the sharp teeth. The fucker had knocked out her fangs! She brought a willowy hand up to her lips, both alarmed and revolted at the idea of having to get her own pair of steel incisors.

"And you look like Bob fucking Saget. Your point?" Why hadn't she just shot him yet?

[colbert_bump]

Stephen went from terror to annoyance. What the hell was with people saying that?

Anyway, if he had been unsure before, the fact that she clearly checked for fangs was the last clue. Not that there had been any clues; Stephen was just that smart.

"You're..." What was her name? What was her name? Stephen loved being recognized, shouldn't it be the same here? "Danica Talos! Uh, Asher's here."

Asher would be thrilled. Stephen just needed to go find him... If he wasn't killed first.

[vvdanicavv]

Vain by nature, Danica was still seething about her fangs, replaying her last memories in her head to figure out how - and when - they got knocked out. Or broken off, whatever, since she was still in possession of teeth. Just not her own fucking ones. Grimwood was supposed to be the unlucky bastard forced to live with a mouth full of metal, not her.

She pushed her free hand flat to her hair, heaving an agitated sigh, and automatically looked around again for something to break. Except the man's neck in front of her, she found little else that was worth her effort.

And then he had to go and make himself useful again by mentioning her brother. So this was where Asher had run off to after Blade had dropped in to say hi. "Where?" She demanded, hardly believing he was hiding in a washing machine. If it wasn't the man's desperate lie to save his life, or a trap, then Asher could be the one to sort out what the fuck was going on. Danica didn't have the patience.

[colbert_bump]

"Uh..." Oh God, where was Asher? Stephen doubted he was out playing in the snow, so he was probably...

"He's gotta be upstairs. I can go get him! He'll explain things better." It pained him to admit to not being the best at something, but he figured it was worth it to live. "I'll be right back, I swear."

[vvdanicavv]

Familiars weren't worth much as leverage so it was no hardship letting him go and saving herself the trouble of dealing with a body in unfamiliar surroundings. "Run along now," she agreed, letting the gun dangle lazily in her hand as she grew bored of brandishing it without putting it to good use. She held no delusions as to the man's return - plenty of people, her brother included, chose placation over argument on a daily basis, telling her exactly what she wanted to hear before escaping. This was no different, as far as Danica was concerned.

Only once he had left did she stop checking her nails and truly take in the last few minutes. Alone, she finally allowed herself to press a palm to her sore ribs, her breaths shallow as she tried to remember what sickness, pain, felt like. What it meant. It was a difficult task after so many years of being everything but vulnerable. Her mood only worsened when she patted her pockets for a cigarette, only for her hands to come back empty.

[colbert_bump]

Stephen, thought his ego was bruised, was alive, so he let it go. He went through the kitchen at a run, then turned back to get a glass of juice.

Ah, that was better. Really hit the spot.

That done, he continued on into the rec room, calling Asher's name repeatedly. Someone had to know where he was.

[asher_talos]

Reentering the compound, Asher blew a puff of warm air into his cupped hands. He'd gone out for a smoke and hadn't bothered going through the whole ordeal of bundling up for it. He could barely feel his fingers or the tip of his nose, but Asher was almost tempted to brave the cold again when he heard his name being yelled. By Stephen of all fucking people.

Grumbling to his self, he deciding running was the cowards' way out (not that he hadn't resorted to it before, but a pundit was no sword wielding Daywalker).

"No," Asher began evenly once he was at the entrance of the rec room, rubbing his hands together before blowing into them again. "I don't want to have sex with you."

That was the only thing he expected to come from the mouth of a (clearly) drunken Stephen Colbert.

[colbert_bump]

Stephen skidded to a stop, relieved to find Asher so quickly, and promptly scowled. What was with all the hits to his ego today?! Why was Asher so--

Stephen forced himself to move off the mental subject of himself. There was possible death downstairs.

"There you are!" he said, deciding to ignore Asher's statement. "You should see something. Follow me." He forced a casual smile, gesturing towards the basement.

[asher_talos]

"Here I am," Asher confirmed, arms spread wide. He thought better of that pretty quickly, though, and dropped them back down to his sides before drunken Stephen decided to hug him or something.

Pursing his lips together, Asher nodded, his eyes then drifting downward before flicking back up to meet Stephen's gaze. "Pretty sure I've already seen it." He didn't care if he hated the reminder.

[colbert_bump]

"I don't--" Stephen cut himself off, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "You will want to come with me. Downstairs."

And yeah, it may have sounded a little pleading. But he couldn't just say that Asher's sister was down there! How was he supposed to explain knowing who she was?

[asher_talos]

All of a sudden, Asher had a really great view of his shoes, his head dropping as he took a few calming breaths. Stephen was just lucky his hands were too cold to form proper fists. Short of the man having sprouted a second dick, he couldn't imagine anything he'd want to see.

Actually, he probably wouldn't even want to see that...

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Lead the way," he agreed. Skipping Stephen's Show and Tell altogether and making a B-line for a hot shower sounded like a better idea, but he could at least pretend to play along.