How does a part of the world leave the world?

[imareporter]

Who: Eddie Brock
Where: In order, the fountain, the woods, and then about the village.
When: November 1rst.
Open to: Peter Parker, Kamala Khan, and you??
Warnings: None Yet, but they're likely. Will update as needed.

No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes it's in front.

Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.

But that shadow has been serving you.
What hurts you blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest. - Rumi, The Big Red Book

YOUR SHADOW MORE THAN KEEPS UP (For Peter)

[It's disorienting. One minute Eddie is walking out of Mrs. Chen's bodega feeling sated listening to Venom try and tempt him with tiny tendrils of emotion, The way I see it, we can do whatever we want. did he walk? Run? It's been weeks since the life foundation and he's settled in with his roommate, his buddy and it's...comforting.

Except then everything was thrown off. It was a big wall of nothing, he lost touch with Venom, touch with himself, there was nothing.

Darkness.

Then he comes up sputtering, one hand through the water. His instincts are purely animal. He's wet, cold, sick, stomach rolling. Every nerve ending is alight with sensations but all the sees is darkness for a moment before light blazes into being and he lets out a snarl What the hell. He feels smacked, on edge. Where were they? What was happening? His body twitches and something swims across his skin and his chest before blinding pain makes him snarl. Flopping over, his hands out. Fight. Run. Flee. Kill. Fight run. flee-

...Venom?

cantcomeoutcantcomeoutcan

Venom!

Painwherepainwherearewekillkillkillthemall-

The body of Eddie Brock, completely out of his control, writhes on the ground for a moment and clenches his fists, twitching, muscles spasming.

Venom! It's me! Relax buddy!

WherearewewhereareweWherearewe...Eddie

Eddie. that's right big guy. It's me. I'm here.

He flops over onto his back, chest heaving. That's how anyone who comes upon him will find him. Trying to calm a terrified alien inside him down. One hand strokes his chest, trying to offer some sort of of comfort to the creature who is...stuck. So he speaks to it. Voice above a whisper. Just like his mother used to do to him.]

...It's okay love...It's okay.

It's okay love. I'm here.


BUT THAT SHADOW HAS BEEN SERVING YOU (For Kamala)

[I don't like this place Eddie. I do not. We are not at home. I have no sense of anything. I can't come out. I'm stuck in you. I want to come out. I'm hungry this isn't okay this isn't okay-

Eddie presses a hand over his chest, stumbling loosely through the forest looking for a road in and out of the village.]

I know. I know you're scared. But I'm here okay? And I'll protect you. I won't let anyone here hurt you. I've got us this time okay?

[I hate being helpless.

Something visibly shifts beneath his skin, but you'd have to be close to see it as Eddie continues his trek looking for a road.]


DARKNESS IS YOUR CANDLE. (OTA)

[This is what he knows. He is stuck. There's no way in or out, and there's a man in teal scrubs pacing through the village looking less and less lost. One pack over his shoulder, he's just...observing.

We're going to have to cross the bridge of feeding you when it comes to it, but for now. Just-let me help you okay? Like I said. I'm going to protect you.]

Everything's gonna be fine love. I've got us.

[The words are mumbled and eddie's back on his game, looking gradually more and more assured as the day passes.]

Comments

[oorah]

[ a new teal scrubs. it doesn't quite make up for ravi and owen leaving, but he supposes he should at least say hi? he's getting better at the casual interaction part of this schtick, and when he looks down at his teal communicator it seals it for him. if they can't stick together, what do they have, right? he keeps saying that to other people so he has to actually follow his own advice at some point. an unkempt man in a bright teal hoodie and bright teal sneakers approaches flanked by two dogs: one a black and tan bloodhound and the other a slate gray pit bull. there's a croc-dog under his arm too and yet he approaches as if he's entirely unencumbered. reims had left frank with amazing hearing, understandably enough, and while he can't make out all of what eddie is saying he assumes the man is addressing him since now he's well within view. ] Did you say something?

[imareporter]

[Eddie jerks up, about to say something before focusing intently on the animals.

Dogs. Both dogs. He loved Dogs which is why Anne a cat person would have never worked. Venom also loved dogs. and cats. And living creatures. And while the symbiote curling in the pit of his gut like an angry cat was careful not to have him remember eating them but-

Venom is not in it's right mind right now. Their right mind.

So he stares at the dogs. Focusing on them with an almost animal light intensity.

eat them. Eat them. Get them alone and eat them please EddieImsohungrypleasepleaseplease

Soon. Food soon but not these dogs okay? I'll...I'll find something

His throat works before greeting the other man...dressed like him.]

...Wh-no. No I didn't. I mean maybe I did? Just arrived. Trying to get ahold of myself here.

[And his eyes still don't leave the dogs.]

[oorah]

[ this is a weird one, he already knows. which usually just means frank will get along with someone but this time something's off. aretha is braying and carrying on, spinning in a circle as she howls and something about it sets his teeth on edge even as aloe hides behind him, barking his own caution. even the croc-dog lets out a rattly little noise like he's responding to some canine intuition. frank frowns at eddie, his own senses in overdrive, the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck standing on end. nothing seems to be amiss and yet... his powers are going haywire. but why? he shuffles a little closer to see if eddie has one of those weird forcefields that set him off, but there's no barrier. it must be something else. ]

You're not the only one. Got liver in your pockets or something?

[imareporter]

Nope.

[Liver sounds delicious Venom swims inside of him and he can feel the creature's eager interest in the animals. No, no no no. C'mon no.]

I wish, I coulda eaten it.

[He looks pained.] Maybe they're smelling my dog. Princess Venom. S'long story but I left them at home. so...

[He shrugs and extends a hand.] 'm Eddie.

[morphogenia]

[There's a guy stumbling through the forest while Kamala makes her daily run. Of course she's going to help him. She picks up the pace of her run, dressed in a light jacket, hunter green scrub pants, and oddly enough Nike's as she goes to catch up with him. She is the image of non-threatening at a whole 4'10 with messy curls pulled back into a ponytail as she jogs towards a guy clearly talking to himself.] Hey! Are you lost?

[imareporter]

[Kill her. Kill her and eat her brain Eddie. Eddie please, I'm so hungry and your liver is looking really...

Eddie cringes. He's gray from head to toe.]

...Yeah. You see what they did with San Francisco? I think they musta...put it somewhere cause the spider kid said we were stuck.

[in no uncertain terms. She's a child. We don't kill children. she's an innocent.

His stomach clenches.]

Or you could point me at to where I can...get a bite to eat. That'd be great.

[morphogenia]

[Kamala takes in his appearance with an increasingly worried expression. She can't be sure what's wrong. Something clearly is off with this guy and she's kind of afraid of what might happen if she minds her own business here.] I've actually never been there so I couldn't tell you. I can tell you spider kid tends to be right about stuff.

[She'll ask Peter for the story behind that later. For now she gestures for him to follow her.] C'mon. I know where you can get a free meal at any time of day and if I didn't I'd definitely make you something. No offense random guy who looks weirdly familiar, but you look really sick. I don't leave sick people wandering around the woods to fend for themselves.

[imareporter]

You've seen my show? [Holding onto the idea of something human is helping him focus on not leaping into the woods and climbing up to the top of a tree.] The Brock Report?

...Kids are kinda a lot more politically active then I was when I was young.

[he winces.] Lead...the way. and I'd appreciate it.

[connatural]

[No matter what this place seems to be, Ashley is unwilling to take things easy on herself. She needs to stay in shape, prepared. She wants to know every path, every turn, every building in this place so that no matter the time of the day or night, she can be there if needed.

Caught up in her thoughts, thinking about the fact that she wants to fence in their backyard, bring in animals, considering if they can before winter hits or wait until spring.

When you know a place well, you can get lost in your thoughts and run forever. In a place you don't know as well, it means you run towards another, paying more attention to thoughts of little cutesy purple llamas than others around her.]

[imareporter]

[It's like a blink in his mind that confuses both he and Venom (and that was unusual in and of itself.) A flash of a person walking directly at them. Both he and the symbiote were of one mind - hands out, eyes wide.

...That was different. That was not a part of us.

...Let's worry about whoever it is before we break it down.

Eddie's hands go up. He's grateful at least that he found meat- some kinda meat - that he was able to keep down. It's silenced the ever present gnawing hunger in his gut that is Venom curled around his organs.

It's a girl. Huh.]

Easy. Easy. Sorry. Still...getting my sea legs. I've paced around this place more then a drunk trying to get back to his hotel room after a long night of partying but I still can't manage to remember this.

[connatural]

[Startling back into the real world and not her thoughts, Ashley winces as she realizes she's lost herself, to offer a shy smile as she wipes her brow against her shirt against her shoulder.]

Hey. Uhmmm, I am so sorry. I, uhmmm... Nope, no excuse. I was thinking about lilac llamas, and I got distracted. Which around here can be stupid.

[Chuckling then at herself as she gives him a look, then offers her hand.]

I don't think we've met. I'm Ashley.

[The more people she gets to know, the safer this place can be. Especially since she's always kind of paranoid someone in the group will end up being with those that brought them here rather than the kidnapped.]

[imareporter]

That's not stupid at all.

[If we keep our cool? Right now? I'll get us food. I don't care what it is or even if it makes me sick all right? I swear

He offers her a hand and Venom rumbles in his chest, discontent.]

Eddie Brock.

OTA

[to_defend]

Having been here a day already, 7's getting into familiar habits; namely, scouting the area, keeping track of people from a distance. She's also keeping her eye out for supplies she can use to craft a spear, or a similar weapon. She's already got a bola made from stones and strips of linen.

In her ventures, she finds someone who is obviously looking how she felt just the other day, in the scrubs, with the backpack. He looks pretty sure of himself, and 7 follows him at a distance.

Normally, this would be about it. As much as he's observing, she's doing the same. The people she's encountered here have been - nice. Friendly. Discerning. She's constantly being proven wrong about her understandings of humans, so with that in mind, she takes the initiative to eventually step out of the shadows she's been using as cover and give a small, uneasy wave.

"You're new."

Still, being mindful of her distance. Old habits die hard.

She's got on the jeans from the party - since they were warmer and more durable than the scrub pants, although she is wearing her navy blue scrub top. At her waist is a three-stone bola, and while her body language is carrying a certain amount of tension, she's not reaching for the weapon.

Re: OTA

[imareporter]

Eddie is...tense. He looks assured only because he feels more at home here in the woods. Venom is whispering. It whispers about how similar this place is, how there are planets it had been on before that were like this one.

He swallows hard, jerked out of listening he hears "You're new" and stares. Odd outfit, but real jeans.

"...Yeah. Yeah I guess so."

[to_defend]

Now that she's gotten a chance to see him close, get a chance to study him like this, she recognizes tension.

It's enough to make her ease up on hers, though she doesn't close the distance yet.

"Welcome to the village." Was that a good enough greeting? She could leave it at that. She almost turns as it is, but hesitates long enough to continue the awkward introduction. "You can call me 7."

[imareporter]

"7? 7 what?"

He sticks out his hand in a jerky motion, "...Sorry. I'm Eddie."

We are Venom

His mouth works like he wants to say something before he shakes it off like a dog snapping an animal's neck."

"Edward, but everybody calls me Eddie."

Hope late is okay

[minus1twin]

[Wanda looks up as the man in teal scrubs passes her on the sidewalk. She's heading home with Arado, a large dog, padding obediently at her side. Clasped within the dogs jaw is a decently sized dead bird. Arado looks very proud of himself.

Wanda doesn't remember seeing this man before and he looks... kind of pissed off.

Her brow furrows and her steps slow to a stop as she nears his side.]

Are you alright?

[Her accent is thick and pleasant while worry and uncertainty color her tone.]

Of course!

[imareporter]

[Does everyone have dogs here? the dog and the bird get a look. He's overcome with the urge to eat that bird, it's chicken, it's totally just like chicken...

While twitchy, he bares his teeth at the dog before shivering and looking away.]

Just arrived. I'm uh...trying to accept that I'm stuck here.

[We're stuck here Eddie. We can't go home can we?

Eddie nods to the dog, smiling weakly, trying not to bare his teeth again.]

Nice dog.

\o/

[minus1twin]

[Arado growled but stopped when he got a look from Wanda. He was a very well trained dog and even if he didn't like this strange guy, he was going to behave and sit sentry by his person.]

Thanks.

[He expression softens.]

It's a little tough to handle. I think Sam keeps some of her vodka at the inn, if you want something to take the edge off.

Fountain

[fwips]

Not everybody likes being down in the bunker. In fact, Peter's willing to guess that almost no one actually enjoys being down there, not just for a hell of it — There's nobody around here that he personally knows who thinks being in a concrete room thousands of feet underground with a bunch of creepy readouts and vials of blood is a good time. Including himself.

Technically, officially, there is a bunker rota. People sign up to sit down there and watch the tubes, see if anybody pops in and new and oblivious, but it's really far. Really far — Just to get to the pod is a couple of hours, and who really has time for that? He's supposed to be working on sublimating the chemical properties that trigger improved healing from the spring water. That's not a small job.

So he volunteers to take his shift at the fountain instead, and he doesn't think anybody blames him.

Backpack slouched open beside him, he's perched on one of the benches, making a probably futile attempt to work through some equations in the little notebook he got back at the summer party, when a guy bursts up and out of the fountain like the friggin Kool-Aid man. Startled, Peter bobbles his notebook and pen a moment before successfully flipping them back into his bag, and then surges forward, eyes wide.

"Whoa, okay— Um," he begins, and winces at his inability to form a complete sentence. "Are you okay, Mister? Do you need a doctor?"

[imareporter]

EddieEddieEddieEddieKillKillKillthemAll.

Listen to me-Listen to me! I got us okay? I got us! I- his eyes roll back into his head for a moment. Someone is talking to him. His chest aches. He can feel his roommate, his de-facto partner, swimming through his body and he whimpers.

Venom's pain is so real.

"...Wh..."

"Where are we?"

[fwips]

The guy is talking, so that's good, but he still looks more agonized than your average, everyday pop out of the fountain. Peter hesitates with his finger poised over his wrist device, debating whether to send out a message for a doctor, and then drops his hand to instead offer it to the man on the ground.

"You're in a village. Nobody here really knows where it is. My best guess is an alternate universe, which might sound crazy but I swear is legit." He pulls in a breath, his brow pinching. "Seriously, we have doctors here, they're free. I can send a message for one if you're hurt."

[tothefly]

Natasha's seen this particular guy in the teal scrubs walk by more than once. That's not all that unusual: the village isn't that big. It's more the how that she's taken note of than the who--she's still learning all the faces to go with the names she's read in the ledger, she definitely hasn't seen all of them, so even strangers aren't necessarily new. It's the way he walks and looks, like someone taking it all in, memorizing what he sees, analyzing. It's not all that different from the way she'd done the same, two weeks ago. Still doesn't stop her from calling out from the porch of the house she'd just come from, a borrowed broom in her hand.

"Looking for something?"

What? She's helping. Just being charitable. Not at all doing some investigating of her own.

[imareporter]

"...A way out?"

He offers his trademark smirk, a quirky look of his features. Venom curls in his stomach and he shrugs his shoulders. His heart is pumping better and he's grateful to Venom for still keeping him going.

If only it's excess energy could be expended in someother way.

"...Just something to do I guess."

[tothefly]

Doesn't cost her anything to laugh, and she can appreciate a smartass answer as much as the next girl. "There's plenty of ways out of town, but I'm not sure you'd end up any place you'd like," she answers, amused. "The local wildlife isn't exactly all friendly. New in town? Have you gotten the rundown on the community calendar? There's all sorts of helpful locals around, but if they've been sleeping on the job, I can see what I can do."