bakerstreet | The Beast Within

The Beast Within

The Beast Within Meme

It's that time of year again - the time for ghouls and ghosts, horrors and hauntings, and things that go bump in the night.
But what do you do if you're one of them?

By some misfortune, your character has been... turned. The night is dark and full of terrors. Congratulations. You're one of them.

Threads can have one human and one monster, or two monsters - it's up to you!Use the prompts below, or come up with your own, and terrorise the comments page.

MONSTER

Werewolf - The moon is full, and there's a strange hunger that seems to reach down to your bones. Shed your skin, and become the beast.
Vampire - Your thirst is unbearable, and deep down, you know there's only one way to satisfy it. But be careful... don't stay out too late. The sun will come up soon.
Ghost - Death is not the end...
Zombie - ...Nor, to some people's immense discomfort, is decomposition.
Fae/Changeling - One foot in this world, and one foot in another. The power of the faerie realm can be intoxicating, but it will leech the humanity out of you.
Mermaid - No pretty Disney mermaids here. With the cold blood and the fish tail comes the end of your humanity, and a terrible hunger for flesh.
Or make up your own!

SITUATION

It bit me! - Perhaps this is a literal bite, or perhaps you've been infected by some other, more subtle means. But one (or both) of you has been infected, and you can feel the poison seeping through you... feel the transformation starting.
The night calls... - You were recently turned, and you're still finding your feet (or fins, or paws...) in this whole monster business. You have to hunt, have to feed your unnatural instincts. But do you really have it in you to kill?
What have I done? - The morning after. When there's blood and guts all over the place, or a murder victim in your front room, who do you turn to for clean-up? Who can you trust? And what do you do about people who might wander in on the evidence?
I imagine you have questions. - You've been found out. Maybe it was by a stranger, maybe by the closest of your friends, but either way, you've got some 'splaining to do.
I have something to tell you. - The other side of 4. It's time to come clean. Hopefully they won't scream. Or faint. Or try to stake you through the heart.
The hunter becomes the hunted. - Someone is after you. Someone who knows what you truly are. Can you talk them down, or kill them first? Or will the dawn see you no longer in this world?
We're in this together! - Maybe you've both been changed, and you're learning the ropes together. Maybe one of you is still human, but willing to try and work around this... little issue. Either way, it's good to know someone has your back, even when you're an unholy abomination.
Join me in darkness... - The cycle doesn't end with you, and this kind of (un)life can be lonely. Something deep in the black hole that was once your soul tells you it's time - time to bring another acolyte into the circle. Time to change someone else.
Ze seduction of ze night. - What's a Bakerstreet meme without a gratuitous shipping/smut option? Let's be honest, we all know that's what some of you are here for.
Make up your own!

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[ rolled 5 for fae, 4 for situation. down? ]

[It's been easier to hide than he thought-- honestly, having Rei and Ritsu around has turned out to be a blessing. When you've got them claiming to be vampires (and few people believing it), nobody thinks much of anything weird going on, and anyway, weird is what they expect from Leo. There's never really been a need to act normal.

So maybe he's gotten a little careless, lately, with everyone being so used to his eccentricity. Maybe he hasn't been as cautious as he probably should be. Hell, maybe Izumi was onto him already, he doesn't know.

What Leo does know is that standing there with an unconscious first year slumped against the wall has to look pretty damn suspicious.]

-Sena!

[Leo turns to him with his usual bright smile, as if there's nothing at all wrong with this picture. Totally normal. (He's pretty much keeping the poor kid propped up, at this point.)]

Did I miss practice again...? Ahh, I could've sworn it was tomorrow! The days didn't change without me noticing, did they-- maybe I was missing for a day?!

[ YEAH ACTUALLY, IT'S SUPER SUSPICIOUS.

Sena wasn't suspicious, honestly. He got used to Leo's ramblings and nonsensical talk about aliens a long time ago because none of that is actually any weirder than Rei and Ritsu pretending to be vampires or Wataru...being Wataru. So he's never suspected anything about his king other than "his king is really weird sometimes."

At least he didn't. Until he came across this.

There is no explaining this with "weird." ]

What happened?

[ Maybe the kid fainted. First year lessons can be pretty grueling. Fainting has happened before.

But Leo is way too nonchalant about it, even for Leo. ]

Forget practice, forget the days, what happened?

Huh, this guy? He's fine! Probably just needs to sleep it off.

[And sure, maybe that's because Leo put him to sleep, but details. He hums under his breath, relaxing his grip and letting the guy slide gently down until he's sitting against the wall.]

A lot of things could've happened-- just think of all the possibilities! I'm almost jealous nothing happened to me, you know? I'd have material for days...

[He's incapable of outright lying, can't say he had nothing to do with this, but it's not like he doesn't already have a reputation for having strange trains of thought.]

[It's true, most of what comes out of Leo's mouth doesn't make a whole lot of sense at the best of times, but Izumi usually likes to think he's gotten pretty good at digging the information out of the noise. Usually.

Now is not one of those times.]

Okay, none of that explains what's going on here.

[Sleep what off? Why is Leo jealous nothing happened to him--]

What did you do?

[Oh. Well, Izumi got to that conclusion faster than he thought-- and his immediate instinct on hearing that question is to run from it, just like he has before. He's gotten awfully good at that, right? But it's not so easy when he can't even outright deny things anymore, and considering everything (considering they actually wanted him back)... maybe he's just been fooling himself, thinking he could hide this from them forever.

So instead, Leo just blinks a couple of times, then pouts, shoulders slumping, arms hanging at his sides.]

Aaaah, it's no fun if you just get right to the point! It's so boring if I just tell you-- you're not gonna guess or anything? Don't you have any imagination?!

[He looks like he might keep going, for a moment, at least until he sighs, raking his fingers through messy bangs before he crouches down to peer at the unconscious student. Yep, definitely still out. Leo flicks his forehead to be sure-- very much out. With that done, he speaks up again, quieter this time; he's not bothering to stand back up, though, nor is he looking at Izumi.]

...hey. Sena. If I told you something crazy, would you believe me? [A brief pause, there, before he shakes his head and breathes out a reflexive little laugh.] I mean, I know you don't believe any of the other stuff, so probably not! But I promise this one's not about the aliens.

[Another pause.]

Mostly. I'm pretty sure it's not about aliens. Who knows, right?

[Ugh.

He's always like this, disconnected thoughts and word salad and sentences that go in ten different directions at once. Izumi is used to it, and Leo wouldn't be Leo without it, but it still drives him up the freaking wall sometimes. Like now, while Leo is avoiding his question. As usual.]

How are you this annoying? Don't you get tired of it?

[He makes a face like he's just smelled something bad (okay, that's his usual face, actually).]

Anyway, just answer the question. Even if it's the same stupid stuff you always say and even if it's totally unbelieveable, I want to hear your explanation.

[If Leo isn't going to stand up, Izumi is going to crouch beside him. Which he would do anyway. He loops an arm around the poor, unconscious student, intent on picking the poor guy up. Whatever happened, they can't just leave him here in the middle of a hallway.]

[It's probably as much assurance as he'll get, coming from Izumi-- but watching him start to pick the guy up reminds Leo that oh, right, they should probably do something about that, and that this probably isn't the place.

Leo hadn't really planned on doing anything, himself, and in all honesty he's not sure when he stopped thinking about things like that (really stopped, rather than just forgetting things out of distraction.) He thinks doing this to people used to bother him more.

It's a thought he shakes off, pushing himself to his feet.]

I can't really talk about it here, so take care of him and meet me in the practice room later, 'kay? Just tell them... well, you'll figure something out!

[He's already taken a couple steps back, taking full advantage of the fact that Izumi has a lot of dead weight to handle to put space between them.

sorry about your king being himself, bye Sena-- but at least he'll actually be where he promised after ditching Izumi. The strains of music coming from the room should make that clear enough, though rather than a full piece, he'll be repeating the same segment of it, apparently trying and failing to figure out how to continue.]

Edited 2016-10-24 08:27 (UTC)

[You know what, he's not even going to question how weirdly flighty Leo is being because Leo is always weirdly flighty and completely unhelpful at least 80% of the time. Sena, like the rest of Knights, has just learned to live with it while quietly venting his frustration elsewhere.]

You're seriously just gonna leave me here?!

[He's not surprised. Sena groans in irritation the entire long walk to the infirmary, but by the time he's done and back outside the practice room, his mood isn't actually any more sour than usual.

At least Leo kept his promise, this time, and he's actually where he said he'd be. Sena stands outside the door for a minute or two, listening to the repeated measures. He's not sure where it's going either, but he's not the inexplicably genius composer of the group, now is he? He turns his face toward the ceiling like it'll give him answers (honestly, about as likely as Leo giving him answers, sometimes) and opens the door.]

Kid's got anemia. You could have taken him there yourself, y'know.

I could've! But I couldn't give them any good answers.

[He hums to himself, letting the music come to a stop with a few trailing notes.]

I mean, I'm probably only telling you because you're not gonna let me get away with it, yeah? And it's not like I can lie about it!

[Leo shifts to flop onto his back, sprawling carelessly across the sheet music spread on the floor around his keyboard, eyes focused upward.]

Anyway, there's not a whole lot of answers to give you in the first place, 'cause I really don't know what happened. [He shrugs, nonchalant.] But he doesn't have anemia, I told you he's fine! Geez, what am I, a vampire now? [He can't help laughing at the thought. Maybe in a sense, yeah, but come on-- that's Rei and Rittsu's thing.] I just took some of his life, not his blood... he'll get his energy back later, it wasn't even that much!

[That comes with a wave of his hand, like it doesn't even matter. Like he just said something completely normal.]

[There's a long, long silence before Sena scoffs. And then laughs. Leo? Took some of some random kid's life? That's even less believable than Rei or Ritsu being vampires and Sena definitely doesn't believe that. Sena puts his hands on his head and just laughs for a minute.]

Incredible. I was expecting, I don't know, aliens or something. Some kind of non-answer or avoiding the question like you always do, but no. No, you try to tell me, what.

[Still laughing, but it's tinged with annoyance. He doesn't know what he expected. He should have known better than to get a logical answer out of Leo where an unusual situation is concerned. Not when so little of what Leo says these days makes sense to him at the best of times.

(Where's Ritsu to interpret idiot for him when he needs it?)

You're not even a regular vampire, you're a special one?

No, no, I told you already, I'm not a vampire at all! Are you even listening, Sena?

[Cue a loud, overdramatic groan while he spreads his arms out, sending papers scattering further across the floor.]

I knew you weren't gonna believe it if I told you. It still kind of sounds crazy to me, honestly! But--

[He finally rolls onto his side to face Izumi, looking up at him-- just sort of contemplating, in a rare moment of focus. For once, he has Leo's complete and undivided attention, and the intensity in that look could very well be uncomfortable.]

Sena. You trust me, right?

[Nonsensical and overdramatic, that's his king alright. Sena rolls his eyes, caught between annoyed and resigned because of course Leo would complain about him not listening to vampire talk.

But.

But then Leo is looking at him like he hasn't looked at Sena in a long time. The attention isn't uncomfortable. The intensity isn't uncomfortable. He's been starving for it and he sucks in a breath through his teeth, not quite drowning, but close.]

What kind of stupid question is that? You think I'd be here if I didn't?

[Of course he does. His faith in Leo is the only thing keeping him afloat some days.]

[It's enough for him. Leo smiles a little, pushes himself to his feet, moves over to him-- it's like he's a completely different person than he was just a few moments ago, focused and self-assured as he reaches up to place his hands on either side of Izumi's face.

Then his smile shifts just slightly, a tinge of something apologetic in it.]

I'd tell you what to expect, but... well, most people aren't really awake for it, you know? So you're just gonna have to tell me, instead.

[With that vague warning, he lets his eyes slide shut to focus a little more-- and Izumi will be able to feel himself being sapped almost immediately, Leo's hands warming slightly with the transfer.]

[And he's back to saying things that don't make sense.]

God, you're annoying, that doesn't even...make sense...

[Well, that's weird. It'd be so easy to smack Leo away, but for some reason he can't. Wait...no...maybe it's not that he can't but that he doesn't want to? He goes from irritated to slightly numb in a heartbeat, feeling like he's slightly disconnected from his body. It's the kind of tired he gets on hot days where he doesn't want to move at all, he just wants to lie in front of a fan and doze peacefully.

He should probably freak out right about now but he does trust Leo, all foul-mouthed complaining aside, and besides, he feels so pleasantly floaty.]

[It's always hard to stop.

Still, somehow it's both harder and easier to stop himself with Izumi; the connection they already have makes it better than usual, but whatever part of him is slowly telling him to just steal what he wants from others is just-- quieter, now. The urge to just completely drain him isn't so strong, and after a few long moments he lets his hands drop with a contented little sigh.]

...you see, Sena?

[He always looks bright, but now Leo's practically glowing (he might actually be glowing a little, or maybe that's a trick of the light). Leo leans in a bit to peer at Izumi, head tilted slightly.]

Sena? Hey, you're fine, right? C'mon, tell me you are, okay--

Shut up.

[Sena finally gets control of his arms and puts a hand on Leo's face to shove him away weakly, like he's half asleep. He is half asleep. He feels like he took a nap and woke up at the wrong time and it's left him feeling a little groggy. Maybe if he gives himself a good shake.]

What did you do?

[Okay. Yes. A good, full-body shake is definitely helping him wake up a little, but he's still weirdly tired. Sena makes his way over to the couch, it's cushions all in disarray thanks to Ritsu's stupid sleeping habits, and flops down on it. Yes, that's better. Not being upright is definitely better.]

I already told you what I do!

[Leo hangs back until Izumi's settled onto the couch, then ambles over to flop right on top of him and make himself comfortable. He's warmer than usual, a little antsy from the extra energy, but-- he can hold still for now.

Relatively still. He's shifting position, trying to wriggle into the comfiest possible spot.]

I knew you weren't gonna believe me if I didn't prove it, so... I just took a little bit, you know?

[After a moment, he remembers something and pokes at Izumi eagerly.]

Oh! Sena, hey Sena-- what's it like?

[He grunts when Leo lands on top of him but otherwise doesn't try stopping it. Leo will do what Leo wants to do and besides, Sena's been so starved for his King's attention it's not like he'd try to get out of this anyway, not when Leo is being relatively still for once in his life. It makes Sena feel important and like he might actually matter to Leo and he's soaking it in while he's got the chance.]

Shut up. I still feel fuzzy, let me think.

[...Soaking it in, and still being a bit of an asshole, that's Izumi.]

Kind of disconnected, I guess. Heavy, kind of. But not in a bad way. Kinda felt like I was really, really tired.

Hmm... so it doesn't hurt or anything, huh? That's good to know!

[He hums thoughtfully to himself, an idle, pleased little tune, before he shifts to lean forward and fold his arms on Izumi's chest, leaving little space between them.]

I promise I'm gonna try not to do it to you though, okay? I don't-- I mean, it kinda feels easier not to go overboard if it's you, I think, but I still could.

Nah, it doesn't hurt or anything.

[Just like every time Leo gets too close into his personal space, Izumi is caught between the urge to hit him or kiss him, and just like every other time, he ignores the urge and sighs heavily instead. He turns his head slightly to the side, looking away from Leo.]

You think it's better to do this to strangers? Are you serious right now?

Huh-- why wouldn't I be?

[Leo just tilts his head and blinks curiously down at him.]

Of course it's better, they don't really matter as much. It's not gonna be a big deal if something happens to them, right? And it's not like they're gonna know anything!

Because you put them to sleep first?

[Sena shakes his head. The urge to hit is definitely getting stronger.]

That's stupid. Instead of thinking it doesn't matter if something happens to them, isn't it better if you avoid that something happening in the first place?

[What is he saying here.]

You've got all of your Knights. Just tell everyone what's going on, and then you don't have to put us to sleep first, and we can shove you off if you go overboard.

[Yeah, great plan.]

I guess I should, it's just... [Another little hum.] It's kinda hard to think about? Like the longer I've been doing it, the more I don't really care.

Besides-

[QUICKLY MOVING ON from that topic. Leo grins down at him, his smile perhaps a little wider and sharper than Izumi's ever really seen it-- but it might be softened a bit by the way he reaches out to playfully flick at Izumi's forehead.]

Didn't look like you could've pushed me off if you wanted to, Sena!

[Considering he's just found out Leo can drain people's energy and has even experienced it first hand, Sena should probably be a lot more cautious around Leo now, but he's mostly annoyed by how flippant Leo is being. He grits his teeth in irritation at that stupid smile and this time does give Leo a push.]

I didn't because I didn't want to, and don't flick me, it's irritating!

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I'M SO DOWN let's go

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