[open/closed] I watched a change in you

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who: John Sheppard & friends, GUEST STARRING the retrovirus, and anyone unlucky enough to cross his path
what: John's problematic transformation from a man into a manbugthing and all the drama that follows
when: Late April to early May
where: Various, inside and outside the wall
warnings: Graphic violence, sexual content, disturbing imagery, language... your typical Rated R Sci-fi movie

Day 0: John is bitten by a venomous insect in the field. Lingering traces of the Irratus bug retrovirus in his system are activated in biological defense, successfully counteracting the venom.

Day 1: No outward physical mutation. Physiological condition is optimized. All symptoms of stress, fatigue and exertion are eliminated. Near instantaneous healing of minor wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability are at peak human capacity. Dopamines and hormones exceed normal levels. Positive change in mood is subsequent.

Day 2: No outward physical mutation. Instantaneous healing of minor wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability are above peak human capacity. Dopamines and hormones are off the charts. Senses are enhanced. Extreme decline of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Behaviour is erratic and reactive.

Day 3: Physical mutation begins, progressing rapidly. Pupils become slitted. Skin and extremities show signs of textural change, becoming rough, hardened and discoloured. Grey dermal patterning covers significant portion of body. Near instantaneous healing of major wounds. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability , as well as senses, are super-human. Shift of brain chemicals and hormones from human to Iratus bug. Loss of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Behaviour is extremely erratic, reactive, and violent.

Day 4: Physical mutation advances significantly, altering facial features. Skin takes on an exoskeleton appearance. Strength, speed, stamina, and durability, as well as senses, are super-human. Complete regenerative ability. Extreme shift of brain chemicals and hormones from human to Iratus bug. Loss of mental/emotional/sexual inhibitions. Loss of identity, and some cognitive function. Behaviour is that of an apex predator. Hyper-violent, territorial, and predatory.

Day 5: Chrysalis. Complete transformation to Iratus hybrid, and loss of human consciousness. Point of no return.

Comments

[winscenario]

Well... just a little bit. But with that scruffy hair there's only so much that can be done about that.

[ He doesn't think twice about John's honesty. His particular brand of self-deprecation only shows once in a blue moon, and always shielded in the form of a joke (mostly at his own expense), but John has generally always been honest around him. About himself, or everything else.

He shrugs as he toes off his shoes, then steps onto the training mat. ]

Won't know until I give it a try, now will I?

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You're gonna pay for that you My Size Ken doll.

[John's going to make Jim eat his words, and he's going to have fun doing it. He chuckles to himself as he finishes wrapping his fists, punching his knuckles together.

Advancing on Jim, he's still grinning. There's no question who's the predator and who's the prey. At least in John's mind. His eyes flick over Jim from head to toe, scanning him for any weakness. Predicting his first move. John's on his game, and not even Jim, or his body, can throw him. Every tense and twitch of Jim's muscles might as well be highlighted in neon.

John can see everything.]

Don't worry, I won't go for the face.

[winscenario]

Thank you. It's so nice when you flatter me.

[ As far as Jim is concerned, there is no prey and predator here. John's teasing him, and he's teasing back. It's banter, playful back and forth.

The last thing he expects is for John to hurt him in any way. A little rough, sure, but nothing more than that. He grins crookedly at that smug look on John's face. It's attractive on him, he has to admit. Suits him.

He slips into an easy stance, a little guarded. Waiting for John to make the first move. ]

I'd still look better than you, either way.

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Uh huh. Whatever you say, blondie.

[Jim won't have to wait long. John's already on the move, and he's fast.

Faster than usual.

John usually wins when they spar. It's not that Jim lacks skill, or he isn't strong. He outweighs John by a solid twenty pounds, and he's got the biceps to prove it. Jim works out. John doesn't.

What Jim lacks is an edge. He doesn't fight tooth and nail like John does. He doesn't know what it feels like to kill a man with his bare hands, or quick and quiet with a knife. To be good at it. Jim's softer than John.

And he doesn't have that mean-streak.

John throws a kick at the side of Jim's knee, and follows up with a left hook to the face. Narrowly missing. On purpose. John grins.

He's playing with him.]

Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're cute.

[winscenario]

[ Their sparring's never something he takes too seriously. It's good exercise, granted, but above all else, it's fun. A few harder hits here and there, but mostly they spend the time teasing each other, making jokes. That kinda thing.

John doesn't usually look like this. He doesn't usually move like this, either.

It's what catches him off-guard the most. He expects a blow to his side, a shove, John trying to catch him by the wrist. The fist aimed at his face has him startling, eyes wide as he jerks away from it. He can tell it would have landed if John had meant it to, though. ]

Geez. Getting a little intense there, aren't you? [ He purses his lips, rolling his shoulders and finding his footing again. ] Alright. We'll get serious, if that's what you want.

[ And yet he still has no intention of even trying to hurt John. Obviously. He's under the impression that John has no such plans for him either. ]

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C'mon, Jim. I thought you liked it rough.

[John doesn't have plans to hurt Jim. He just wants to beat him, is all. Show off, and maybe show him who's boss. That if push comes to shove, John could have him on the ground, if he wanted him there.

And so what if he does? There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.

Or domination.

John rolls his neck, eyes slitting with amusement. Then he's coming at him again. Too fast, and too hard. There's no way Jim can hope to evade him. John's at the top of his game. Stronger than he's ever been. Jim might as well be fighting in slow motion. John can hear/feel/smell his every move before he makes it.

He takes Jim's legs out from under him with a sweep of his foot, knocking him hard onto his back. John's on him before he hits the ground, dropping down onto the mats between his legs and aiming softened punches at his belly, ribs, and cheek. John doesn't want to knock him out. He wants to prove a point.

Jim may be in charge of the shuttle team, the one who has his shit together, smarter, better, and easier to love than John will ever be, but John's on top.]

You look good on your back, Kirk.

[winscenario]

[ Jim barks out a laugh at that, grinning crookedly. ] Oh, you have no idea.

[ That's kind of the game, isn't it? A little friendly banter, a little casual flirting that goes nowhere. Jim normally wouldn't, but John's in a strangely good mood. Not that John's usually the sulky type, but he feels... different, now. A little surer, cockier, more assertive. Jim's not gonna look into why that excites him a little.

He's both surprised and not that John manages to overtake him so easily. He still lets out a yelp when he's literally swept of his feet, the air leaving his lungs with a dry huff when his back hits the mattress. The blows to his stomach and ribs have him curling into himself slightly, though he can't go too far with John between his legs. ]

Jesus. [ He hugs his midsection, and then— just laughs, relaxing again, head falling back, hair a bit of a mess. It's fine, he's not really worried about looking good right now. ] Okay, fine. You win. [ Still grinning, he looks at John, eyebrows knitting together just so. ] What's gotten into you, anyway? You're not usually this intense.

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Oh, I've got some.

[Looking down at Jim, into those beautiful blue eyes, John knows he could never really be with this man for so many reasons. He's too beautiful. Too kind. Too good. John cares about him too much to inflict his own special brand of pain and misfortune upon him.

That's what he'd be telling himself if this were any other day, and his blood wasn't lava in his veins. So hot he's burning himself up from the inside out.

John rakes his fingers back through Jim's blonde hair, smoothing it back almost gently from his face before grabbing a fistful of yanking Jim's head back.]

You're so fucking perfect I can't help but hate you sometimes.

[And he can't help but want him too.

John smashes his mouth against Jim's with bruising force, kissing him with all the repressed desire and frustration he's been holding in his gut for as long as they've known each other.

He's going to regret this later, but his inner animal? The one that's in control right now? He doesn't give a fuck.]

[winscenario]

[ Jim knows something's off with John, he's realized it a while ago now, but he doesn't really understand to what extent. He doesn't think there's something really wrong, or that he might do something bad or— well, something that he might not do normally.

There's a warning somewhere that he ignores when John's fingers sift through his hair. His eyebrows raise, but he has no time to react or say anything at all before his head is being tilted back with a forceful tug to his hair.

A gasp leaves him, half-swallowed by the kiss, his hands immediately fisting John's shirt. Trying and failing to push him away. The pain that comes with the clashing of their mouths together doesn't even register, nor the pleasure that he might feel in some remote part of his brain— just the shock of the kiss itself, the fact that John of all people is doing this. ]

John, [ He manages somehow, between teeth dragging across his lips, and a tongue trying to push past them. ] Stop—