[MINGLE] Worried/Sick 2: Snake Expedition & Recovery!

[sixthiteration]

WHERE: Anywhere; multiple locations
WHEN: Apx. 19-27 November
OPEN TO: ALL - MINGLE
WARNINGS: Serious illness and reactions to such, snakes, hallucinations

IMPORTANT NOTES: This is the second of two mingles. Please see the timing and general event details here.

Not putting any mod top-levels in this one — Just make sure you label your own top-level clearly as to whether it's Expedition or Recovery, and as always, whether it is OTA or not!

Please keep in mind the established plot details, but creative license is welcome and encouraged as long as it doesn't step on toes.

Comments

[fishermansweater]

"It's a good distraction," Finnick offers.

With the number of mutts in this place, one of which has actually killed people (not just people, Peeta, the kid who hadn't deserved any of this who'd still died), snakes that people have been known to survive probably shouldn't be this much of a concern to Finnick. He hadn't realized they would be. He gives the bag full of snake a wary look and slowly straightens from the defensive pose he'd struck.

"What happened with Kelly?" he asks. "I wasn't trying to do anything, the snake just surprised me."

[warriorborn]

The creatures he's seen here have been both fascinating and terrifying, but after having fought off a swarm of silkweavers, nearly being killed by their venom in the process, Benedict finds himself somewhat jaded towards animals of all kinds. Would he be more comfortable with his sword and gauntlet? Of course. But after over two years of being stuck on the Surface with neither of his primary weapons, he's grown used to their absence, and has accepted the fact that he may never see them, or his home, again.

This place, his little house with Kate, is his home now.

"At the time, she was attempting to break up an altercation I was having with Mr Barnes."

He was getting the ever-living shit kicked out of him, is what he means. Bucky had broken his nose already, was mere minutes away from crushing his throat and suffocating him to death, and Kate had come barging in, frying pan held aloft, ready to get in between them. Her bubble had saved her from an ignoble death, and had distracted everyone for long enough for them to give up on their fight. It had been an eventful morning.

"I do believe her anger was the cause for the barrier, and once she had sufficiently calmed herself, it vanished."

[fishermansweater]

If anything, Finnick's reaction to his experiences with animals before he found himself here have made him more cautious, more suspicious. That's probably unsurprising since those experiences have included animals that were genetically engineered to use as weapons during the Dark Days and against the tributes in the arena. There had been plenty of animals that weren't mutts, too, but anything unusual in his experience was automatically suspect.

At least a snake was, mostly, just a snake.

Still, something in him found it a little relieving that he could protect himself, even if he didn't know just how he'd done it.

"She didn't mean to do it? It just happened?"

That does sound like what Benedict is suggesting. He can imagine it happening like that: Kelly being furious at the fight and interposing herself, and a barrier pushing them away like his had pushed at the snake.

[warriorborn]

"She was just as surprised as we were," he replies, seemingly unconcerned with the swinging bag in his fist and the bubble around Finnick alike. Having experience with it, he has written it off as not needing too much thinking about.

For a moment, it looks as though he's debating putting the bagged snake down on the ground, but in the end decides against it. Who knows whether or not it'd manage to wriggle out of the bag, and then they'd be forced to go find another one, and that might take hours of searching.

"It also vanished without conscious direction; one moment I could not touch her, the next, I could."

[fishermansweater]

"Be good to know how I did it."

It could be useful here. Not for the snakes, not really, because in his experience they're not much of a problem if you stay out of their usual habitat. But there are dangerous animals and mutts here, and any protective edge he can get is a good advantage.

"I guess now the snake's in the bag, mine should go away too."

He takes a cautious step forward, not sure if the barrier will move with him or if he'll be stopped by it too. A few more steps and he's about as far away as the snake was, and he doesn't hit anything.

"I'm not doing anything consciously either."

[warriorborn]

"You might wish to speak with her about it, perhaps you can practice together."

There are undoubtedly others in the habble with the same newfound ability; they could get together if they so wished to try and learn about their skills together. Perhaps he should mention such a thought to his Kate, so she could rustle up a meeting time and place for this discussion, if someone has not already done so.

Careful to keep the bagged snake held away from his body, and therefore away from Odair as well, Benedict extends his free hand towards the other man, letting him step closer and closer until Benedict would either press his palm against his bubble or break through to touch his hand to Odair's shoulder.