sixthiterationlogs | [Closed] Sunset Approaches

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[Closed] Sunset Approaches

WHO: (Who is making the post)
WHERE: House 17
WHEN: Sunset 5 December
OPEN TO: Eddie Brock
WARNINGS: None Yet, Will Update if Venom decides to complicate it

Make yourself useful in the community he'd been told. Get acquainted, help people when you can, use what skills you had. And while Nida was working on preparing himself for some more specific goals, the firewood chopping was something he could do for hours on end without thinking too much. It helped him stay fit, gave him time to clear his head, and hey, warm house. So with the invitation from Eddie over the net, and the chance to see if his housemate was okay, Nida had jumped at the chance to hit a few different goals at once. Meet new people, help his neighbors, and make use of the pile of firewood that was growing with his increased calm with the whole situation.

Arms loaded up with mounds of wood he headed out across the path to Seventeen. Almost fitting 7 had ended up there, but he'd avoid any quips along those lines. Soon enough he was in front of the door and, hands full, gently kicked it twice with a booted foot. There was always the chance that the guy was busy and not just waiting around for Nida to show up.

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We can do this we can do this we can do this.

Except it's like...a pull? A push? A howl? It's just an urge and he's exhausted all of a sudden. It's like he's pulled 3 all nighters in a row. He can feel Venom twisting, writhing, spreading beneath him.

We can do this. Please V. Please let's try.

...For you Eddie.

He has his head in his hands in the living room when the boot comes against the door and he moves. It's fluid. Animal like. One foot in front of the other before he's standing at the door and opening it.

From the outside, it's a sweat drenched man in green scrubs trying for a friendly smile despite the fact that he looks...sick.

"Hey. Hi. Come on in. Sorry we don't have anything on tap. Hope that's okay."

Firewood Firewood, where to put the Firewood...

No Fires!

It'd be hard not to notice the full body twitch Eddie manages.

"...Here's fine. Let me uh...Box. I've got a box over here? I don't know if she's home but you're more then welcome to knock..."

He points a shaky hand in the direction of her door.

"Sorry I'm not feeling well."

Tension, that's what Nida read in Eddie when the door opened. Like he wasn't sure if Nida should even be there. Again Altair's advice sprang to mind, but Nida put it aside for just a moment. Until the twitch. Even then Nida smiled, but it seemed a bit more concerned.

"There are medics here, right? Want me to run and get one?" he asked as he stepped in, looking for this indicated box.

He doesn't care much where he puts this, he's more concerned for Eddie. Rinoa had said something about an illness that had gone around. Maybe this guy had caught it as well.

"No. No I'm okay." His stomach rolled and he gestured, "I think I will be. Might just need to-" he swallowed, "Lie down."

He smiled weakly, "Seven's great. I saw her though that illness how...uh...how long have you and she known each other?"

Sit down

I need to eat!

Let's just sit down-

I need to eat now!

Eddie forces himself to sit, twitching again, "What do you uh...what do you know about her?"

"I arrived a few hours before her house burned down. Haven't had a chance to talk to her since then. I've... had an eventful few days. Things get lost in the chaos."

The man looked beyond sick. Probably best that he got out of here before he caught something. Still, he put the wood down where he was instructed and slowly flexed his arms a bit to try and get the tension out of them. It also gave him an excuse to look at Eddie for a moment longer.

"If you're not feeling well and need to lay down, don't let me stop you. You've already pointed out which door is hers. I can manage that. Promise I'm not here to drive you crazy with more questions about goat worship."

"What the Gavle Goat?"

That. He can latch onto that, "I've never been to Sweden. Ironic. I've been...everywhere else but I used to be obsessed with the goat when I was a kid. Santa...well. Santa scared me."

...Weak. Santa? He brought you gifts!

"Santa's another being from my world that gives...gifts. Of a sort. I'm happy to explain things uh...what kind of world are you from?"

"People tend to react strangely when I explain my world," Nida answered as he strolled slowly toward 7's door. "Mostly because of some of the history, so I hope you don't mind if I avoid that. My world is a bit strange, my understanding is that most places don't have monsters. Well, at least not ones from the moon."

That one always struck him as interesting. The monsters had become so commonplace on the world that he wondered if animals hadn't been affected. There were things in history books he'd never actually seen, like wolves. And they ate monsters, he was particularly fond of behemoth steaks for instance. The oceans hadn't changed so much, he thought.

"Our world has aliens. That's...what beings from the moons look like." Eddie twitches, "...Are. They are like."

I'm not from the moon Eddie! That is rude. Your moon is small. There are other moons...

He sees them so vividly and it twists in his gut. He can see it when he opens his eyes and they fade from white to black. It might just be a glimpse, a blink. Then it's gone.

"...Thanks..." He swallows, "Fuck. Would you excuse me for a moment? Can I...Can I get you a glass...of water?"

He swallows down a dry heave before he nods, "...I need one."

"I would appreciate that."

Frankly he wasn't all that thirsty, but the man clearly wasn't doing well. What Nida wanted was as much time as possible to gather a list of symptoms before finding one of the medically minded and alerting them to the issue. From what he'd seen in the resources in the in there had been instances of illness before. Perhaps Eddie had been bit by something, or exposed to something. If he was feeling well enough to invite Nida over not twenty minutes before, then these might be new symptoms and early signs would be vital.

One foot in front of another. He staggers out of sight into the kitchen.

Eddie I don't think we can keep this up. I can't. I'm...anxious. You're anxious. Say goodbye and have him leave.

"...Don't you think that would be suspicious?" He stifled a large yawn.

"eddie please....Eddie-"

The deep voice vanishes and Eddie clenches the countertop.

"...Hey listen. I'm out of wa-wa-ter. Nida? Can you yourself out? I see something...some...thing I need to fix."

Out of water? That wasn't likely. From what Nida had seen the taps worked perfectly well. Something was definitely wrong. Should he leave? Absolutely. Would he?

Well now that was another question entirely, wasn't it? There was a problem with being a recon and infiltration trained mercenary. Information like this was hard to pass up. Which meant he stood. He wasn't going to argue, didn't intend to point out that he came to check on 7 because that had been the invitation. Instead he made sure there was a bit of noise as he went to the front door.

"Yeah. We'll talk later, okay? Tell 7 I dropped by. Just say I was that annoying guy who took her to the in. Night."

Doors were wonderful props for an infiltration guy. A little open and they creak just right. Close it again and you've got this loud thump that most people would assume meant someone had left. If he wanted he could probably close it pretty quietly. Which was why Nida had no problem closing the front door and remaining inside.

Eddie could hate him later for it. For right now he needed to know what was going on. If this was an illness he'd never forgive himself for not getting the information. If he got caught he would deal with that too.

Quiet as a proverbial mouse Nida slipped across the room and toward the door Eddie had staggered through. He just wanted to get close enough for another glance. Just had to make sure.

What does it look like from the outside? Eddie can't feel it. Even when he's awake he can't see the slow oozing pull Venom around his ankles. The swelling calves and thickening thighs. The bulging, twisting, swelling thing that he becomes.

Not that he'd notice it. Venom likes to try and give Eddie a nice dream. Nice dreams. Dreams like his mother being alive and at his wedding to Anne. Dreams of him owning a cat. That was what he and Anne had talked about. Getting him a pet.

If they could find the right animal that could work. Yes. And for now...

Venom straightens, a 7 foot tall monster, before he bares his teeth. The other man. He had to have left right?

Right.

One massive clawed hand hangs down and Venom hisses. Time to hunt. To feed.

Training and experience kept Nida from so much as squeaking in shock at the... what could he call it, a transformation? Perhaps there was a touch of fear too, but that much he could master. He hoped. All he could do was hope as he quietly backed away from the door.

Okay, get out alive. That was clearly the first step, especially with that particular statement from the... whatever Eddie actually was. It left one hand shaking, his pulse rushing just a bit, but channeling that into action rather than freezing up was what training as a mercenary was about. Nida crouched down just a bit lower, important to change your center of gravity when moving through unfamiliar areas. Better to avoid bumping into things when you were nervous, it kept your head down in the chance of an attack, and you were less likely to be seen. With all of this in mind Nida started toward the door. Time to go for real.

Too bad his coat, far looser than he would ever wear back home, got caught on one of those set aside chopped logs as he crept past. Too bad that made one tumble down the stack and make a nice, noticeable thunk. Nida almost wanted to smack himself in the head. Instead he moved toward a couch and hid behind it, careful to stay very still.

Hyne, he really was unlucky, wasn't he? The world was out to kill him. It was official.

Venom shot up. Who's there?! Show yourself! The thing's voice could shake iron and lead and granite, it's decidedly inhuman ...7? Is that you? We can explain...

The creature whirls and paces towards the sound, Do not hide. We are not dangerous. We will not hurt you...

Venom paused, ...Is this another game? Like the one we played in the woods?

The big creature turns over furniture, surprisingly gentle.

These are important bits of information, a detached part of Nida's mind told him. This thing, whatever it was that Eddie was, at least retained some knowledge of the human form. The pronoun change meant... well, he didn't know what that meant. Could be a historic, royal we. Could be a true plural. The lack of destruction of the things around it in search for the source of the noise spoke to intelligence and respect of one's own environment. A good sign.

None of that made Nida any less of in intruder caught in something Eddie had clearly been trying to get him away from. So the detached part catalogued it all away while the mercenary training worked something else into position. The fight or flight reactions of someone who had been actively refining them for eleven years. Granted that didn't match up to the lifespan of a symbiote or even it's experience. But Nida took a deep breath. From where he was he measured up the distance to the door mentally, and then, as he heard the creature move closer to some nearby furniture, he moved. A hand planted on the back of the couch he was hiding behind, he vaulted over it one handed, rolled over the floor, sprang to his feet, and darted for the door.

Better safe than sorry.

No.

No No no. This is not okay. No. This is not how it's supposed to go. Stark will be angry, Anne will be angry, 7 might leave... Venom registers the figure fleeing and leaps after him with a growl, doing it's best to close the distance. Leaping over any and all furniture, turning things over as he runs.

He roars. Stop! You have to stop! Stop you idiot!

Eddie this was the stupidest idea! You should have been better about it. I should have warned you. No more. This ends here. And now!

...Please!

The growl definitely doesn't help the case this thing is trying to make. Strangely enough, neither does the roar. Okay, maybe that wasn't strange because things that growled and roared and had teeth like that tended to be things ready to eat Nida back home. And no, it wasn't the being called an idiot that stopped him either. It's the please. Was that... desperation?

Nida paused. He had made it all the way to the door, and his hand rested on the handle now as he watched the... whatever the large black thing was. His eyes flashed with annoyance, that probably from the 'idiot', his outward demeanor rather calm even though his heart was racing in his chest. He couldn't even help the fact that even as he stood there his legs spread a little to give him a better centering to his gravity, that his free hand clenched into a good fist, that he was angling himself to present a smaller target, to give as little vulnerable parts away as possible.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nida demanded, impressed by how he managed to keep his voice level. For a moment he considered backing that up with a threat to scream, but that would only get other people into potential danger.

Venom skids to a halt and knocks into a sofa with a snarl. It gets turned over, twisted, before the creature stares at it, then at the boy, You were supposed to go!

Damn it.

Venom rises to it's full height and approaches, one hand out, You were supposed to leave! Why did you stay?!

"Because Eddie was sick. Because I read there were illnesses in the town before today. Because maybe someone has to be smart and make sure that information makes it back to doctors," Nida countered.

And because when you're trained to pry into other people's business, it takes more than just a few days to break that habit. Quite a few more. But that one Nida wasn't going to point out. First rule of intel agemts, don't tell people that's what you are. It's pretty much a given.

Still, he steels himself, eyes narrowed.

"I wouldn't take another step forward, if I were you."

What a stupid choice, bluff with the large scary thing. What was that supposed to do, Nomura? He wasn't even armed. What he'd give for even a broom right now.

Venom snorts, You are foolish boy. Beyond foolish. Do you honestly think that you could stop us? That said your... We will think on this Stark..

Your presence here is concerning. Venom frowns, If you were to disappear you would be noticed. That would upset...people we appreciate. We admire. We care for.

ever see a cat pace when watching a bird? That's what Venom looks like, a smooth black shadow.

Do you intend to...attack us?

He'd almost welcome an assault at this point. Eddie you stupid fool. You stupid stupid fool.

"I think you'd be surprised at what I can do. Maybe not stop you if you chose to attack me, but you would hurt for it," Nida answered. Not entirely a bluff when he was unarmed. It wasn't like he knew nothing about fighting. Plus he had an advantage. Yes, Venom was close, but Nida was at the door. "If I intended to attack you, I would have found a means to arm myself. But, here's the thing..."

Nida rattled the door handle to draw the big guy's attention to it. To the implication of what was beyond it. The village. The streets. Yes, Vemon had size, probably strength advantage. But Nida was perfectly placed to open the door with ease. To scream.

And they lived a stone's throw from the inn.

"Two points, big guy. One, at this time of day, there are likely people in the inn, and in the cold, when it isn't snowing, noises carry further. If I shout for help, someone will hear. Maybe I won't make it far past the door, but people will know something happened. And two, they'll know it happened here, even if you hide that. Because the network post was open to all. And Eddie clearly invited me over. That's pretty simple math. I get hurt, people put it either on Eddie or 7. Who I imagine are people you care for. So don't start something."

Really, he'd prefer an explanation of what in Hyne's name was going on here. Less threats, more answers.

Hnnnnnngh.

The thing's growl is deep and feral.

...What...would it take. For you to forget what you...have seen here. To not tell 7. To not reveal my presence. I am not...I suppose my hand has been forced and I must reveal myself now but until I chose to do that...

"Explain what you are and what you did to Eddie," Nida answered, a slightly fierce edge in his voice.

Because so far as he knew, Eddie was gone. Sure the guy was a relative stranger, but this thing was clearly a potential danger. And the guy had been nice enough to put up with Nida's cluelessness. Which sort of meant that, in Nida's way of looking at the world and this place he'd ended up in, Eddie was someone he should protect. Even from... whatever this was.

...Damn it. Well. I am a symbiote. I call myself the Klyntar. I cannot function without a host. Eddie is my host.

His Eddie. Venom hisses through his teeth, Eddie is a reporter. A great and noble warrior, even if he does not actually fight in his job he still tells people the truth and protects them from corporate powers. He is a hero.

I was part of a landing party that would have taken over his planet. He...is passionate about human beings. He made them...his species, enticing. So I decided to help save them for the moment. While useful hosts. WE ...should not devour earth. So I turned against my leader riot. We killed him. Without Riot however I had no host, no purpose. Eddie let me stay. Bond with him. Until we got here and now we are...fused together.

He snorts, By day he is Eddie. By night. He sleeps. and we are venom.

Well... that was definitely a more thorough explanation than Nida had expected. And it raised a whole host of other questions. Like there was legitimately life from other planets other than, you know, the standard monsters on the moon? Granted Nida didn't know that that little detail wasn't exactly standard, but moving on.

"So you are Eddie, and Eddie is you, but you're both still... yourselves," Nida said, as if by explaining it himself it would make any sense. And wow, it still didn't. He was willing to take it in stride if, come the morning, Eddie was back. "What was wrong with Eddie then? You taking over, is that why he seemed so sick?"

He does not know his limitations I cannot come out during the day, I only come out at night!

One hand slams into the wall as the creature snarls.

He needs to accept that while we are here there are things we cannot do

"That didn't exactly answer my question, Kelyanter," Nida says, and he actually feels bad about butchering that pronunciation. Oh well. "Was the change over from day to night why Eddie seemed sick? The writings at the inn said there were some sort of illness recently. If there's another going around, we need to know sooner rather than later, get you into isolation. But if this is just how it is at night..."

Well then, Nida can probably part in peace and talk to the less hostile Eddie in the morning. Because clearly this big thing didn't like him very much. Which was fair, Nida had sort of violated some trust and respect things here, but the cause was a good one, he swore by it.

It is only at night.

You must swear to me you will not tell anyone of this!

He bares his teeth, ...We will tell people. In our own time.

Nida considered this request for a while before raising a single finger to show he had one condition on this.

"If I don't see Eddie around in the morning, then I'll tell people. Otherwise, I'll keep your secret. Not mine to tell. Because I only stayed to make sure Eddie was okay."

And anything else wasn't his to tell. But he'd keep it in mind, just in case something happened. Keep an eye on his neighbor and all of that. Better to be safe than sorry.

Venom sits up. ...You...care about him too.

The creature sits up, I will tell him of this. He needs...he needs to know people care about him. He sees it but he is...frustratingly sad.

Of course he cared. Had the creature not been paying attention when Nida explained he had stayed despite being dismissed because of how sick Eddie had seemed? Of course before meeting Venom, Nida had assumed the guy needed looking after. Now, maybe not so much.

"I may not know him well yet, but we're in this together," Nida shrugged before turning back toward the door. "You should probably get yourself out of sight. I should leave you alone, but I don't want to open this door when you could be seen."

Venom stares at him before nodding, and turning away and disappearing into the house.

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[Closed] Sunset Approaches

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