( open log ) who's that creepin in the shadows

[worstpire]

WHO: Conrad Achenleck and YOU!
WHAT: Scoping out the town, now that it's dark outside.
WHEN: Day 46, nighttime.
WHERE: ERRYWHERE
WARNINGS: Conrad's mouth, will be updated if necessary.

It's been a really, really long day-slash-night-slash-day. Between Hanna's crazy "let's just walk straight into danger" plan, getting attacked by Robocop the Vampire Slayer, waking up in somebody's attic and getting cornered into telling strangers about his condition, Conrad feels like he's going to drop. Not that he can physically feel tired, but mentally, it's a lot to take in at such a nonstop pace. On top of all that, waiting in that unfurnished, dusty attic for the sun to go down without anything to do to occupy himself has been torture.

The sun does go down eventually, though, and as soon as it does, Conrad's headache seems to lessen. He creeps downstairs - not investigating the house too fully, lest he run into his broom-zealous buddy again - and quickly checks out the kitchen and living room - ugh, so not a fan of the basic decor - before heading outside and getting hit with the smell of sea air. Yyyyikes.

He'll be spending the evening like this: hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched up even though he's not cold, wandering the streets and investigating public buildings, maybe talking to himself a little. It distracts from his hunger, anyway; as usual, his sense of smell has amped up - as if he needs help finding food, ugh - but he's saving that last bit of blood until he's found a replacement. Logical action, Conrad.

He's also looking for any sign of a way out, but, well. That's a given.

Comments

[enchangement]

The long and the short of it is thus: River Tam doesn't sleep well. Even on Serenity, even after Miranda, River's mind is so hyperaware that she sleeps in quick bursts, because to do otherwise puts her and everyone else at risk. To be unaware and in the dark means to be a little less prepared than she might be otherwise, and that is something she cannot afford to be.

Not here and not now.

So she watches. She watched Darwin and Jim, instinctively checking the first for loose particles drifting upwards and outwards from the skin with every steady breath (she found none, much to her comfort and joy) and the latter...well. There's good in Jim, valor and other things, but his ego threatens to nearly blot out everything else in it's mindless consumption of reassurance and it makes her want to rouse him from sleep just to shake him a bit for his own good.

River didn't; at least there is that.

There has been a storm brewing at the edge of her consciousness all day, heavy and tasting of overly sharp iodized air - it's a mix of general exhaustion from everyone, concern from a few, personal emotional upheaval (she drags her resistant attention from the eight house with some effort, moving in the opposite direction), forks of green lightning from the treeline earlier and a mental fog not unlike whatever clouded the reality of the woman who thought a flimsy box and a chant would move heaven, earth, tired souls or hardened hearts.

There is a storm on the edge of her consciousness and River needs something to do.

So she sets out in foot to map the lay of the land; to learn the buildings and the stones and the water and everything in between. The woods are best left for daylight, but there's so much else she can manage in moonlight. This is how she comes across Conrad, a will-o-the-wisps if such things were given to poor posture and grumbling monologues - she follows him some fifteen minutes silently, pondering at everything he is and trying to remember the word...drat it all, she just had it on the tip of her tongue.

"Fidgety," she finally manages with some pride, from...essentially directly behind Conrad, so that is bound to be a bit startling isn't it?

[tooghoulforschool]

The newbies always go exploring. It's like an unwritten rule. Maybe it's just instinct. It just happens. And Ghoul's got a hunch that this particular newbie isn't going anywhere until after sunset. Call it intuition. Call it an educated guess. There's a lot of weird shit around here. Things that shouldn't exist, but do. It's not that far off.

And it's not stalking if he's sitting stationary by the fountain. He's gotta pass by sometime. The hideous statue's like a beacon or some shit. Everyone ends up here.

So he lights the cigarette in his mouth and waits, all hunched over and nonchalant. But he's watching. That guy just has to show. He can feel it in his bones.

[facilitated]

It's not exactly a surprise that Laura's still up and wandering around. It's been a long day for her too, there's been far too much to arrange and it's keeping her from falling asleep. She's lingering in the kitchen, perched on the counter with an empty cup in her hands, but when she hears noises she snaps out of the dazed, zoned out mode almost instantly.

"Hey, Jesse?" It's a deliberate decision to stay quiet, because there's a chance it's not him, and after a moment or two she slips down off the counter, gripping the handle of the mug tightly as she starts to creep towards the direction of said noise. Not the most threatening sight in the world, bright fluffy socks and a mug for a weapon, but it'll have to do. "Who's there, huh?"

[gloryisbullshit]

"Issat a sweater vest?"

So you have like...vampire-smell right? So when this guy pops out from a fucking alley, it shouldn't be a surprise. Might be a little rude for him to stroll up and just start tugging at Conrad's clothes. But, hey. You can probably smell the rude on him too. "What are you from, like...the seventies? Whattaya doin? You look sick, buddy, you gonna getcha cold out here. It's cold out here."

[rigging]

It's dark outside, and while Jesse's not normally a night person, he's feeling restless. He wants out of the house, he wants out of this town. He's not high anymore, but he keeps getting that itch for it, and he knows it's bad. His art supplies from the drop have been helping. He's glad for that at least.

Tonight, he walks. For the first time in two days he's felt like being on his own, so he just goes for it. Jesse heads in the direction of the sea. He likes the water. He likes the sand; there's just something familiar about it.

He probably looks like he's dead with how he's laying flat out in the sand looking up at the sky, with the noise of the waves in his ears. Not that he cares. Say hello, vampire boy.