[Closed; see note] Trigger Scent Hunting

[shoplifter]

who: Laura Howlett and You
what: Laura has been afflicted with the Trigger Scent - and is ready to kill.
when: Thursday, Early Friday morning, after this unsettling post. 
where: All across Riverview.
warnings: Violence/blood, potential death (mainly NPC).
Note: If you would like to be involved, I may be able to squeeze you in; just hit me up at simpledog! I have a plurk here regarding this plot.

Laura isn't herself.

She doesn't really feel anything — see anything, think anything. It's more just an all-encompassing need to kill, some sort of mentally paralyzing fog where all she can think is that she needs to track and hunt. If you'd asked her, before the trigger scent was used, what this strange liquid was? She wouldn't be able to tell you. It's new information, something the scarce files Gabriela stole away didn't cover.

Too late now. 

She prowls through the city, her steps fast and her nose sniffing at the cooling air. She smells her targets. Some are stronger than others, closer by. Some are moving. Some are stationary. Whatever the case, she stops firstly by a local liquor store where a man is stumbling out with a beer in hand. She doesn't know him, and she won't remember that he's her first victim. Poor guy just got doused with the wrong thing, wrong time, wrong place. With him easily neutralized, she moves on to the next scent—

Likely one of you.

Comments

Kirk and Hawke

[shoplifter]

Keith and Gabby

[shoplifter]

Natasha

[shoplifter]

Lola and Jintetsu

[shoplifter]

Chyler and Iona

[shoplifter]

Villanelle

[shoplifter]

Doreen (and potentially Gyda!)

[shoplifter]

Laura's Capture

[shoplifter]

Killing Shiloh

[shoplifter]

operation 'this will definitely end badly' is a go

[winscenario]

[ Jim's seen the network post, as most everyone likely has, and he's taken it upon himself to find either Laura, or the guy. He's not counting on the latter— he's likely hiding right now, like the coward he is. As for Laura, he's hoping to find her before she'll actually hurt anyone.

He doesn't remember being doused by the liquid, doesn't realize it's happened. When he spots Laura coming down the street, headed towards him, Jim doesn't even think that she might be getting ready to attack him, and despite knowing he has to be careful, he doesn't actually think she's set her sights on him as her next victim. ]

Laura!!

[tuer]

[ villanelle isn't having a good day. first of all, she's still here, just, generally, which considering the circumstances is the least fun she's had in a while. second of all, she's wet. not that it was raining or anything, god no, she'd never be that lucky. it was deliberate, and worst of all it was a bunch of children. do they not know she's a City Safety Officer (Espionage) for the Government of Riverview? do they not know she just did her hair this morning? and – their worst offence – do they not know this shirt was couture? never mind the big hole in it and the blood stains she hadn't been able to get out, it's still the best looking thing in her closet including all the ratty polycotton shit they gave her when she got here. but now it's wet, and so is she, and she's fuming.

she spends the afternoon stalking around the center of town looking for those awful children. she could go get changed, do her hair, etcetera, but this is more important. the first child-sized body she sees, she's going after it. that'll teach children to do child-things near or at her. ]

Investigations

[shoplifter]

ignore that i hit enter too quickly and was clearly on the wrong account LOL

[shoplifter]

[Terrible idea, really, Jim.

She pauses in front of him, viciously red eyes wide and almost unseeing in their bloodlust — and then she sniffs once, twice, before she starts walking toward him with a sort of darkness around her. She doesn't seem to even so much as flinch at her name.

And her claws already have blood on them.

One person snuffed out. The smell overpowers every single sensibility.

Her steps quicken, and it starts becoming a little too clear she's planning to go for Kirk next.]

lmf yeah no worries, I figured!

[winscenario]

[ He doesn't quite realize the danger he's in right now. He doesn't connect the dots, nor does he notice the almost possessed look on Laura's face until she's too close, and her walking starts to turn into running.

His eyes widen, and he stops in his tracks. Taking one step back, then another. ]

Shit—

[ He hesitates, probably for too long. But he can run pretty fast, which is what he starts doing the next second. Whirling around in his heels, he takes off in the direction he came from, sprinting fast down the street. He knows there's no point in trying to reason with her right now, she won't even recognize him. ]

[shoplifter]

[Laura's brain switches gears, when the new scent hits her nostrils. The child Villanelle runs into is small for her age, tucked away in the dimness of the morning by the mouth of a back alleyway — she's crouched down over what appears to be the figure of a woman who has very clearly flown the mortal coil. Laura turns to the stalking, annoyed City Safety Officer, revealing patches of blood on her shirt and jacket.

No visible weapon, yet. But as she starts walking toward Villanelle with blood-red eyes—

Ah, andthen the claws come back out, two from each knuckle.

She looks particularly eager to reach the woman, lips curled into a snarl.]

[shoplifter]

[It's a valiant effort, at least. She's running after him with fire in her eyes, and the moment he rounds a corner he can probably hear the sound of her flying by and just narrowly missing him, her claws tearing through a newspaper box like it was paper. Metal clangs to the floor and she's lunging, climbing up the side of the nearest building with her claws and vanishing up onto the roof.

It's quiet, but not wise to assume she's left. Oh, she's watching and following, bloodshot eyes scanning as she sneaks through the night. It's not a great feeling, the sensation of being watched. And stalked. Hunted, for lack of a better term.

As long as she kills him, it's fine. She can only think of that. Just kill him, and move on.

Kill the target, move along to the next target.

It's easy and thoughtless.]

Re: Doreen (and potentially Gyda!)

[like_quicksilver]

The entire day, Gyda was in a daze; Ivar..her remaining connection to home, was gone, and she'd have to try and provide his memories to Winter instead of him being there.

She was grateful for being in school this time-if only to get a way. The usual chaos and confusion of the

Then there was the message with Laura. She'd wondered why the girl wasn't in school, wondered if it was possible she as sick-until the message. Gyda wasn't so foolhardy as to go search for her, she didn't have the power or means, especially with Laura being bewitched as she was. She didn't know what to do, hoped there were others who could help her.

Gyda didn't notice that morning when something wet got on her tunic. Between everything else, she still brought a dagger with her to school-a connection she couldn't break from. The school didn't allow for them of course, but she could easily hide a dagger or small ax in her bag, so long as she was mindful of where it was.

She was on her way to the school, still keeping an eye out. Not there yet, she had her knife at her belt, wary if anyone came near.

[winscenario]

[ Jim ducks on instinct when he hears her claws cut through something metallic, but he doesn’t look back over his shoulder. He hears her jumping away, climbing, but he’s not stupid. He knows better than to think she’s given up so easily.

So he runs faster. The street is dipped mostly in darkness, but he’s getting closer to one of the plazas, an open space with better light. Easier to spot him, but also easier for him to see her.

It’s not like locating him is much of an issue to her, even if he were to hide. At least like this he might be able to avoid her a little better— and hopefully, he’s thinking, stun her with his phaser. ]

[tempredmental]

[The disturbing network post hadn't been missed, honestly. So, as part of the Perimeter Guard, Keith decided to take him on himself to try to find Laura. He was worried about her, honestly. He didn't fully understand the entire thing of what was going on, but he was determined.

This, of course, set him up in the sights of some of those hired kids hitting people with 'water balloons'. He got hit, but ignored them. It was just a simple prank, as far as he knew, and started looking again. He didn't realize that the 'water balloon' was designed to bring Laura to him.

Good thing he was wearing his Paladin armor... it might afford him a little extra protection...]

[shoplifter]

[A dark figure bounds over him from above, casting a fast shadow before it's gone. When he finally finds a decent area in the plaza, he may be distracted by a small group of teenagers hanging out past curfew, looking alarmed at the panting man.

"Did you just rob a place or something?"

"You can hide behind this bush over here!" one says with pep behind a cigarette.

They're not exactly looking at the hunched figure that stands upright on the nearby roof. Claws glint menacingly, and it's clear she's planning her leap of faith into the throng of people, more than willing to shove and smash through them to get to Kirk if she has to. It's a short window for the good captain to make some seasoned life choices for his sake and/or these oblivious teens.]

[shoplifter]

[Laura stalks him along the rooftops, eyes scanning him up and down and nose wrinkled in a displeased snarl; she couldn't think straight, or really much at all — but she also was working on blind instinct. The armor was unfamiliar, and she wasn't sure the material. The smell? Now that was overshadowing everything else. She stepped onto the ledge with bloody claws extended, hungry to appease the mindless hunger in her head for every target she can get a whiff of tonight.

Look out, Keith, she's lunging from the moonlit sky, arm pulled back and fist and claws aimed to try and impale him through the head. She is nothing if not eager to make it quick. That's important in killing, in wiping out your enemy. Making it very quick. Painlessness doesn't matter, but thoroughness does.]

[shoplifter]

The night had been a considerably violent and unpleasant experience for a number of people, and by this rate Laura had needed to be more stealthy; even in her rabid need to kill, she was more than aware that people were following and trying to put tabs on her, and with that in mind she keeps to the alleys and quieter little patches. It's morning, and many are avoiding the streets and trying not to get themselves killed.

That's when Laura gets the scent of Gyda, tinged with that overpowering smell. She races faster now, breathing low through her nose as her teeth gnash. Kill the target, that's one of the few thoughts that cross her foggy mind. She's already killed a few; injured others; what's one more? It has to end when the scent is washed out by blood. It has to end when the enemies are eliminated.

With that in mind, Laura skids out onto the sidewalk ahead of Gyda, caked with dry blood and looking feral and dangerous.

... Looking right at the other girl, of course.

[tempredmental]

[It was a weird sensation, one he was still getting used to, but something set him on edge and told him to look up. He trusted his instincts, though, and did so just in time to avoid getting stabbed from above.]

Laura!

[No... he'd seen the video. That hadn't been her. Something was wrong, and he knew it. It wasn't as twisted as it had been fighting Shiro. Shiro had been yelling at him, saying things. This was just a blank, feral stare as she came at him, ready to kill.

Keith brought out his bayard, lighting up the particle shield on his other arm for protection. He didn't plan on using the sharp sides of his blade even if she could heal, not yet. He didn't want to antagonize her by causing too much pain.]

[like_quicksilver]

Gyda's own bike skidding to a halt when Laura came out infront of her. The video played itself over in her head, and even if she wasn't covered in blood, she knew that look too well to not believe she was in for the kill.

Carefully, she got off the bike. If what was about to happen happened, she didn't trust herself not to fall off. "Laura.." She wasn't sure if she could really hear her or not through the blood lust, but she wanted to try. "Laura..this isn't you..you've been bewitched. We're friends."

The entire time she spoke, her hand reached for her bag, not inside it-yet. If she could try and talk sense into her, she wouldn't have to reach for the knife, but she couldn't trust her state not to have it handy either.

[shoplifter]

[He may be worried about causing her pain, but it rolls off her like water. It only last a moment. Stab wounds or gunshot wounds, burns and broken bones, they only last moments. She can suck out bullets and waste no time watching them close.

Now, it's doubly true. She almost can't feel a thing, her focus is so pinpoint.

... Well, she's not particularly sure what that particle shield does —

But she's more than happy to test how it works by swinging her claws right into it.]