He's back. This time, he doesn't creep in, but rather, makes his way in through the portal, stands at the edge of the nexus for a moment, and then takes a step
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"...Relax? Uhm, and as to that last question? I'd spend it with the people I love. You know, the, uhm, the usual?" Why hello again, Derek! Yoko's got a bag slung over one shoulder and her laptop under her arm.
"You're not... uhm, that is, you're not... dying, are you?" Her tone of voice is one that is hopeful that Derek's not going to wind up taking a dirt nap, but very afraid that he's not going to be around for long. "Uhm..."
"But you don't look okay. Your eyes are, uhm, well... kind of not normal." Glowy eyes are never omens of goodness and sunshine. She sets down her laptop and scratches her head.
"D-did you find Chris and thank him?" Hello, subject change! "B-Because he's been around here a lot more recently, and I hope you found him." Nnnnope, that stammering isn't a sign of fear. Not at all. Whatever gave you that idea?
Ikanthilossk returns Derek's predatory stare with one of its own, sizing him up both phyisically and psionically. If the illithid is bothered by the blood or the injuries, it's certainly concealing its reaction well.
Letting down one's defenses entirely is begging for trouble, but onstant hypervigilance is a drain on energy and resources. I would use that time to build up defenses against future interlopers to prevent them from surviving long enough to challenge me in the future. There's no reason to deal with a threat if you can eliminate it before it becomes a threat.
A tiny tendril of psionic energy reaches out towards Derek at this point as the illithid trys to read his aura to ascertain exactly what it's dealing with here.
And for your simple question: I would make the thing that dealt the deathblow suffer as much as I could.
She'd been looking, and there he was, right back at the jeep. Just like before. And looking more tired, more battleworn and more hungrystressed than he did last time.
Casting a quick eye around and making sure he doesn't see her yet, Leela heads back to where the crowd has thinned out and moved on. She leans against a tree, concentrating, opening the gates in her mind and body. Her skin warms, and begins to turn from a pink to a soft gold, and slowly begins to glow.
She closes her eyes for a moment, feeling the earth below her feet, feeling the familiar energy of life course through her.
The glow strengthens, becomes more noticeable. Now it's shimmering in the air around her and Leela opens her eyes and smiles. She's wearing no jewelry this time, just a long, gleaming unbroken line of skin at her throat. She pulls out a small silver dagger, thin bladed, nearly ineffectual against the threat that will soon be heading for her; and begins cleaning her nails with it. Her backup pistol is tucked into the front of her jeans, showing plainly against her white tank top.
But that's ok. After all, can't make a sacrifice be too easy, or he'd know.
She swallows hard, and wraps her fingers around the pendant that Serenskaya promised would always lead her to her husband. She's not getting much from the pendant. She went looking for Derek, as it had been a day and change since last sight.
And now she sees him.
She's not counting on anything, not even the non-violence shield.
She promised him. She did. She did promise.
She doesn't see the other people who approach and gather. She only has eyes for him. That is, what's left of him.
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"You're not... uhm, that is, you're not... dying, are you?" Her tone of voice is one that is hopeful that Derek's not going to wind up taking a dirt nap, but very afraid that he's not going to be around for long. "Uhm..."
"...Derek? You're kind of acting weird."
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"That's not quite right, Yoko. I'm acting fine."
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"D-did you find Chris and thank him?" Hello, subject change! "B-Because he's been around here a lot more recently, and I hope you found him." Nnnnope, that stammering isn't a sign of fear. Not at all. Whatever gave you that idea?
"...You're not hurt, are you? Do you need help?"
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He doesn't recall right now that the only STARs member that knows for sure what he is, is Jill.
"I found him. I thanked him. It was only polite."
"And no, Yoko. I'm not hurt."
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Letting down one's defenses entirely is begging for trouble, but onstant hypervigilance is a drain on energy and resources. I would use that time to build up defenses against future interlopers to prevent them from surviving long enough to challenge me in the future. There's no reason to deal with a threat if you can eliminate it before it becomes a threat.
A tiny tendril of psionic energy reaches out towards Derek at this point as the illithid trys to read his aura to ascertain exactly what it's dealing with here.
And for your simple question: I would make the thing that dealt the deathblow suffer as much as I could.
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And he seems no more bothered by Ikan than Ikan by him.
"Preventative measures. I like that."
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It nods agreement, then looks at him curiously.
What would you do with the last minutes of your life?
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Casting a quick eye around and making sure he doesn't see her yet, Leela heads back to where the crowd has thinned out and moved on. She leans against a tree, concentrating, opening the gates in her mind and body. Her skin warms, and begins to turn from a pink to a soft gold, and slowly begins to glow.
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That annoying glow.
That very tasty glow.
Crouching, the hunter slides off the hood of the jeep and into the shadows, searching for the source of this new temptation.
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The glow strengthens, becomes more noticeable. Now it's shimmering in the air around her and Leela opens her eyes and smiles. She's wearing no jewelry this time, just a long, gleaming unbroken line of skin at her throat. She pulls out a small silver dagger, thin bladed, nearly ineffectual against the threat that will soon be heading for her; and begins cleaning her nails with it. Her backup pistol is tucked into the front of her jeans, showing plainly against her white tank top.
But that's ok. After all, can't make a sacrifice be too easy, or he'd know.
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She swallows hard, and wraps her fingers around the pendant that Serenskaya promised would always lead her to her husband. She's not getting much from the pendant. She went looking for Derek, as it had been a day and change since last sight.
And now she sees him.
She's not counting on anything, not even the non-violence shield.
She promised him. She did. She did promise.
She doesn't see the other people who approach and gather. She only has eyes for him. That is, what's left of him.
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"Jun..." cold, predatory.
"Mi corazon y alma."
His usual voice. Sad, broken.
He hesitates, turning to look at her fully. And then he nods at her.
And then he's gone.
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She looks around, fading back, back, hoping to see where he might be. If not him...then...
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He's not far enough along to endanger her. Not yet. And he won't risk it.
Besides, there is tastier, more appropriate prey around.
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