camppetoskey | WEEK 3 - INVESTIGATION

[Alright so after seeing that the beach is not where Clarke is, Lance wanders away from Mitsuru and Nine to try and find her. On some level, he knows it must've been her who was murdered this week, but he doesn't want to believe it. Clarke's a survivor -- even the hippies thought so, damn it -- and none of this can seriously be happening.

Eventually though, he does find her.... and it's not at all what he hoped to see. He says nothing while the others wrap up their investigation and waits silently until they're done with their examination. He drops to the ground beside her body unable to do anything but stare blankly until his vision starts to blur.]

You've been through so much... I can't believe....

[... that this of all things is what took her life. That she had to die in such an awful place and meet such an awful fate as one of those rock zombies. As a friend, he can't let that happen to her. He wipes his face, then as carefully as he can, he picks her up and carries her to the beach to cremate her. He'd do that on the grass if the people that gave him his fire powers also gave him the ability to put his fires out, but... that's a different story.

Once he's there, he sets Clarke down and closes her eyes.]

Sorry. I really hope this works....

[He takes several paces back, takes a deep breath and concentrates on starting a fire.]

[It does work, and Lance will be able to start a fire. But any part of Clarke's body that catches on fire will instantly turn to stone, with her body cracking and popping as the stone bits come into place where her skin used to be.

Well. At least you kids know what the stonification process looks like now.]

[Lance's concentration falters immediately, eyes widening in horror as Clarke's feet and legs turn to stone.]

No. No, no I- that's not-!!

[Out of nothing but sheer unthinking desperation, he tries to focus harder on burning - like burning the stone might make that go away and put an end to this hideous turn of events.]

[What's that, Lance? You want MORE STONE?

SURE YOU CAN HAVE MORE STONE]

[ And here comes Nine to check on Lance, and then he sees what's happening. ]

Whoa! Hey. Maybe you should stop, yo?

[ Nine doesn't have a cape to use so he's just going to try to pat out the fire quick. ]

[...oh god, it's Nine and Lance just turns to him with a despairing look.]

I can't. I can't put out the fire.

[He swallows, biting back some bitter tears because Nine's just about the last person he wants to be crying around.]

I didn't think this was what was going to happen......

[ Trust him, he doesn't want to see Lance cry either. Between that look, and the fire, he mutters a curse and then pulls off his tank-top, being careful not to knock off his hat. Then he just kneels down, making a face cause his legs hurt for some mysterious reason. Ignoring it now has he tries to smother the flames. ~~Did Lance want to know what the chest of a REAL MAN looks like~~ ]

Can't your whatever it is turn into a water gun?

[ MAYBE? ]

[With some effort, Nine can get the fire out. His shirt is burned though, and there's black blood all over it. And possibly him.]

[The suggestion sits in his head awkwardly as Lance tries to forcibly wrap his mind around the idea of what his bayard can and can't do. It occurs to him so belatedly that Nine's probably making fun of his bayard that the will to reply with a sarcastic quip just kinda dies in his mouth. In the end, he just numbly takes off his own jacket and joins Nine in trying to pat the fire out.]

It's a weapon. Not a toy.

[ Seems like it does the trick. Nine's top is completely ruined though. ]

Yeah, but...

[ Eh. He gives up even responding. Feeling the tense energy just drain out completely. Looking at his shirt and then deciding to just lay it over Clarke. Looks like he might have to see what Stan has come monday. ]

Hey, sorry she's... you know.

[At some point, someone is going to have to tell space boy that his face mask is still on. But until that point, he looks down at Nine's shirt and just breathes out.]

...yeah. Clarke was cool. I... you know, I was supposed to introduce her to s'mores?

[He forms a fist and drives it into the sand.]

And I just... did this to her instead.

[ He's trying hard to ignore the face mask. Nine is just going to check to make sure her tags are gone first.

He feels...conflicted. For zomboyfriend reasons. ]

You just didn't want her to wind up like one of the others, yo.

[ No judgement in his voice. He rubs across his nose bridge, accidentally smearing some of the black blood on his face. ]

It's probably what she would have wanted. She was one of those logical types.

[Lance takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.]

I'm pretty sure she wanted to go back home and make things right.

[But it's not stated with any kind of negativity directed at Nine, just... a general kind of bitterness that's slowly beginning to entrench itself in all of their minds. Thanks, camp.]

... I hope she's not going to be mad.

[ Standing up, as he looks at her one more time. ]

She won't be mad. So long as someone honors her memory.

[ He remembers his conversation with her about that. How it was terrible that he's used to forgetting. ]

[Lance just remains seated beside her on the sand, keeping his face averted from Nine's sight.]

...Tal said something like that, too.

[His voice is soft, thoughtful. And almost entirely unrelatedly, he adds:]

I'm sorry. I just ... can't do anything right these days.

[ He swallows hard at the mention of Tal. There's a part of him that's kind of proud that he said something Tal would have.

But it's still a reminder of what isn't the same any more. Reaching up to tug on his hat. ]

Getting to know her was doing something right. And tomorrow you can help figure out what the hell happened and keep it from repeating, yo. That's what they would want.

[ It was easy to lose track of people while everyone was investigating and sharing evidence, but after a while Floe breaks away from the group and starts looking for Lance. Not that she's nervous or anything, but...okay yeah, she's a little nervous. Which doesn't help when she hears some kind of commotion down on the beach, and then sees...whatever this is. ]

Lance?! Nine? What...

[ what is going on over here is that a dead body wtf ]

[Lance mulls over Nine's words in silence... feeling oddly grateful (???) which is enough whiplash from how he usually feels towards the guy that he can't quite work out what to say. Between that and looking down at Clarke's ~~rocking~~ body, it's a bit like having an outer body experience.]

...Yeah. Gotta get her some justice. Or whatever counts as-

[He stops mid-sentence to look over when he hears Floe's voice... and though he's usually fairly chatty around her, somehow the thought of explaining why any of this is happening or why and Nine are both covered in black blood just feels exhausting.]

Hey.. you may not want to come closer. Clarke is....

[ His eyes widen at the voice, and then he sees Floe. Giving a wave with black blood covered hands. He doesn't even realize it... ]

Hey. Listen to Laance, yo.

[ Wow what is he eve saying. He's trying to step in front he Clarke's body in an attempt to shield her from it. ]

[ Floe does stop short when they speak, but she can't help but look past them. The scene is a bit too much for them to block it completely...her stomach churns unpleasantly at just a glimpse of it. ]

Clarke...

What...what happened to her? What were you two doing?

[As surprising (??) as Nine's comment there is, Lance doesn't turn to give him a look or anything. His eyes stay on Floe as he stands up, belatedly trying to assist in the efforts to shield Floe from ... this.]

It's... [He tries to find words to soften this, but eventually he only manages shaking his head.] It's bad.

I carried her over here to cremate her so she wouldn't come back like the others did. But - [His throat tightens.] -... but I just made it worse.

[Bitterly, he hangs his head.]

[ Nine opens his mouth almost to argue something. Then he drops it. Shaking his head and then he gestures at Lance hoping Lance can't see. ]

Came to check up.

[ After Boa said she was dead for sure and hearing how Lance sounded... well he came over to check. Like a idiot. ]

Cremate?!

[ That's...ohh, it's not even a BAD idea, but it is an extremely distressing one. And the fact that it didn't work somehow makes it that much worse. She doesn't know what to say, so she focuses on what's right in front of her instead. ]

Are you okay? You've got... [ crap all over your faces, actually, and- Nine, are you shirtless? ] You two are a mess.

[Lance winces at that exclamation. That's just the thing -- cremating her had been a simple conclusion to come to, but actually doing it? Mentally preparing himself for the act of burning a friend down to ashes with your mind and then for that to not even work? He just feels sick to his stomach.

But he does force himself to look back up at Floe because yeah.. he's fine. Everything's fiiiine. He'll just wipe his face. but before he can get the words "got sand in my eye," he looks down at his hand and sees... white paste?]

....oh.

[...oh indeed. CAN THE BEACH JUSTSWALLOW HIM WHOLE NOW. Metaphorically speaking only pls.]

[ Nine is totally shirtless. She might be able to make out his tank-top there at Chloe's feet.

Nine looks himself over and sees the black blood on him. They make quite the team, Floe. He nudges Lance over towards the lake. ]

I'll watch for the kittens.

[ Lake water is full of mineral stuff, right? It'll be good for the face. ]

What is that anyways?

WEEK 3 - INVESTIGATION

LATER

cw: body horror

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I'm like crashing so you guys can skip me a couple of times

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