[open] like puppets dangling on strings

[whowhatnow]

CHARACTERS: Nathaniel Horn and YOU
WHERE: Concordia
WHEN: post Big Bang, 025
SUMMARY: Nathaniel dabbles with his parasite powers and hangs around Concordia trying to deal with life.
WARNINGS:none at the moment except mind control! will update as needed

I. just let them hang where they stand

[In the hustle and bustle of Concordia, its easy to miss things. Secret trysts, forbidden deals, activities done only in the darkest of places...and what Nathaniel is doing may count for that last one. After the whole bomb fiasco, he's been hanging around, looking like he's doing nothing but lazing around like always...but, in reality, he's up to something. That whole event shook him to the core, and he's not going to pretend that everything is okay. He needs to adapt to this, just like he's adapted to everything he's encountered in his life.]

[You can probably feel the pricklings of his thoughts coming over the mental link (it feels pleasant, like he's having fun, like he's winning at something and laughing about it)- track them down, and you'll find him standing across from a man in an alleyway. The man looks like some kind of office worker, his clothes neat and tailored but not especially extravagant - he's just a cog in a large corporate machine, by the looks of it. He's staring at Nathaniel, who only grins and points down to the end of the alleyway. He speaks, but his voice holds a certain strange tone to it - it's far too smooth to be comfortable.]

Pick it up.

[The man jerks a little in place, like his body is moving on his own without his control. He walks down the alleyway, picking up what looks to be some kind of bottle. He stares back at Nathaniel, his expression confused.]

Bring it back to me.

[A pause, and the man does so, his dark eyes darting nervously in their sockets. When he approaches, Nathaniel outstretches his hand, and the man drops the bottle into it. Nathaniel lets out a laugh, like he can't believe his good fortune, and then suddenly turns to toss the bottle back into the alleyway.]

[He turns back to the man, a grin on his face as he points back into the alleyway.]

Come on, go on. Go pick it up.


II. or cut them down and let them fall

[What's work? Nathaniel certainly doesn't know. He travels the streets of Concordia like a vagabond, exploring every nook and cranny he can find. He's far more on guard since the bombing incident, and isn't willing to draw attention (no more wearing Bout-It-Out gear for him!), but still, he's unwilling to let himself get bored.]

[Eventually, it's nighttime and he has to take a break, and he decides to rest by sitting up on the roof of a small building near the outskirts of the city, staring out at the bright lights and bustling movement with a wide smile. You know, Concordia isn't half bad, he thinks. Just remove all the hassle, the fighting, the politics, and you have a place where fun lurks in the form of so many things. He can get behind a place like that.]

[He leans back on his perch, and if he senses somebody approaching, he'll greet them by turning his head over his shoulder, his wide grin glinting in the low light.]

Hey, quick question: if you could be anyone you wanted to be in the whole wide universe, who would you be? And I'm not talking about jobs, here. I'm talking about everything.


III. WILDCARD

[Want a prompt with Nathaniel that isn't up here? Just let me know! Nathaniel is all over the place and isn't hard to find, so send me a message if you want to work something out!]

Comments

i

[inflori]

[ It's virtually impossible for the members of the hive to hide from each other, the constant feedback of their mental links making them aware of who stands where. Petre still seems to be drawn to the alleyway like a shadow, though. Just a boy in regular clothes, chewing on some kind of candy the city is known for, blue eyes distinguishable in the darkness he steps out of. There's a careless kind of smile hinting at the corner of his lips when he speaks up. ]

What're you doing?

[ He makes the man startle, which doesn't stop him from fulfilling his command. Petre's eyes follow the movements without confusion or surprise - it's nothing more than observation, deliberately pushing the fact that he rejected Nathaniel's help (and maybe tried to eat him) to the back of his mind. Just so he doesn't have to apologize for it, of course. ]

II.

[exhuxperation]

[ Concordia at night is his favorite time. Something about all the blinking lights and rushing traffic is soothing. Everyone is so busy 10 stories below on the street. Lights dazzle and flash– it should be aggravating but it reminds him of over-active landing pads instead. Or of the control panels on the deck of the Finalizer.

Ren has been up and moving, something that is moderately relieving as much as it's draining. Hux can't tell him what to do though, so he just ignores it and moves on. Having been cooped up over the last couple days, he decided to walk around on the street, to be around people that weren't the nest for once.

His unplanned path takes him out towards the outskirts, where the pull of a broodmate catches his notice. Nathaniel– that mental impression is easy to name. Glancing up at the nearby building, he carefully navigates to the fire escape on the side, climbing up the metal bars. He's dusting his hands off as he walks over to Nathaniel, who's perched near the edge fearlessly. ]

Is this a question to have logic and real life circumstances applied to it or is it a flight of fancy?

[whowhatnow]

I'm having a little fun.

[He gives Petre a cool smile, devoid of warmth. He doesn't seem like he's going to ignore him or try to belittle him, even though their last encounter was, well, not so nice at all. The man stumbles back, eyes wide as he glances between the two, probably expecting Petre to go and mess with his mind, too.]

Bring it back. [He says, over his shoulder, and the man steps back up with the bottle in his hand, depositing it into Nathaniel's palm.]

What's been going since I saw you, last? You seem much less toothy.

[whowhatnow]

Knowing you, you'd choose the former every time.

[He grins wide - ah, Hux, always the stickler for rules so uppity and strict about everything in life. Nathaniel perches his chin in hand, his eyes almost twinkling as the cityscape before him shines within a multitude of colorful, dazzling lights.]

So tell me the latter. Like, if you could be anything or anyone in the world, what would you be? Don't be boring.

ii

[headinjuries]

[ Sam likes roofs. They're as close as he gets to flying, since they're supposed to be keeping a low profile here, and spending so long grounded is driving him up the wall. The best he can do is kill some time in high places, stand too close to the edge, and pretend there's nothing under his feet.

He usually tries to do that when nobody else is around to see it, though, so he's considering bailing to find a different place until Nathaniel speaks. ]

Uh.

[ That question used to be really easy, even if for a while when he was a kid, the answer changed nearly every week. An astronaut. A baseball player. A pro skateboarder. A Jedi (come on, who wouldn't).

A superhero, for a month in there somewhere.

He doesn't know about the rest of it, but the superhero thing hasn't been everything he dreamed of, that's for sure. ]

[exhuxperation]

Of course. Why have aspirations that you cannot achieve?

[ This was their gap. The sticking point between them, really. Nathaniel adhered to the chaotic side of life. Selfish and without a full regard for rules and regulation. It contrasted sharply to his own life, to put it lightly. Still, the outlook wasn't something he could completely fault. It could be useful.

Surprisingly, as Nathaniel looks up at him, Hux moves closer to the perch, taking a seat a comfortable distance away. His posture is still stiff as he glances out to the city, the neon lights flickering in patterns across both of them. ]

I'd be emperor.

[inflori]

[ He can recognize it for what it really is, of course. He could just be doing this for fun, could have somehow threatened the man into these inane tasks, but there's an element of practice to it that Petre remembers having experimented with as well. He's controlling him.

So... Petre can do what Nate does. And Nate can do what Petre does. Isn't that interesting. ]

I'm okay. I died, but I got better.

[ As Nate knows. ]

[whowhatnow]

Sounds pretty harsh, buddy.

[He sounds as if they're talking about the weather, but in reality, he knows it's anything but. They were practically at each other's throats. Petre would've killed him if Nathaniel had given the chance for him to do so.]

[He shrugs.]

Go take a break. [He says to his victim, whose shoulders slump with an obvious sign of relief. The man instantly rushes past Petre, nervously, ever so eager to get the hell out of dodge. When they're finally alone, Nathaniel drops the bottle to the side, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he steps closer to the other.]

So, Petre. [He shakes his head, smirking.] Tried your best to rip me apart back then, huh? Didn't know you had it in you.

[inflori]

[ There's not even a glance at the man as he rushes past the two little psychos. Petre's attention is on Nate and Nate alone, staring up at him as he moves closer. He still won't apologize, but it's clear there's no pride in what he did, either. He likes the alien. Eating him would really have been a shame. ]

... You got in the way.

[ In the way of a demon's survival instinct. He wouldn't even know how to describe how much Petre restrained himself to not just rip him apart in those first few seconds. ]

I wasn't really going to eat you. I just needed to get my powers back.

[ And, ya know. ]

I guess I should thank you, though. I figured out what my new power is.

[whowhatnow]

Ah, so I was an obstacle?

[Is he offended? Surprised? It's hard to tell - he says the question as if he's just clarifying it for himself. Nathaniel nods, still smirking - honestly, he doesn't hold a grudge against the other. He's a bit miffed, yes, but at the end of the day, it isn't a terribly big deal.]

Let me guess. It was that nice-looking other form of yours, was it? [He leans forward, his voice dropping to a low, almost conspiratorial murmur.] With all those lovely eyes.

[inflori]

I had to get my energy back. I died. [ Arms crossed, sulking a little, but not entirely defensive. ]

I was turning into you.

[whowhatnow]

Me?

[That actually makes him pause, blinking in slight confusion. He had assumed that it was some kind of alternate form, but now it seems he was seeing it completely the wrong way.]

What do you mean, "me"?

[whowhatnow]

You don't know?

[They may have not talked in person, but by the feel of the mental link, Nathaniel knows exactly who this is. He gives him a lazy, casual smile, resting his ear on his shoulder as he continues to observe the busy city below.]

What's the first thing that pops into your head, then?

[inflori]

I felt it. When I changed. I was growing the same things you had.

[ The things he'd seen at the pool. The tendrils Nate had been using to keep a hold on Petre. All those teeth. ]

I guess I didn't do a very good job.

[whowhatnow]

[Now that he thinks of it...it was like him. This jawbones sticking out of his head...Nathaniel reaches up to cover his mouth, sort of trying to stifle a grin and a laugh. He was trying to look like him.]

Oh, now you're just flattering me, Petre. [He says, eyes glinting in amusement.] And are you kidding? That was a good look on you! Though I guess I'm now realizing how narcissistic it is to say that.

[whowhatnow]

...Wow, Hux.. Here I was thinking, like, you'd answer "military commander" or something. But emperor?

[His tone makes it sound like he finds it funny, but the look on his face is clearly impressed - he had honestly expected something incredibly boring, but Hux is clearly full of more surprises than he makes it seem. Hux: Emperor. He could see it.]

What would you be emperor of? The entire universe?

[inflori]

[ At least he's grinning now. That means they can be buddies, right. ]

... I tried to do it again, but I couldn't. I don't know why.

[ That's because you need to touch Nate again lil demon. ]

And now you can control people, like me.

[whowhatnow]

[It definitely means they can be budies. Just don't try to eat him again, little man.]

Really? Well, you were kind of not yourself, so maybe you got some weird adrenaline rush or something? We'll have to figure that out.

[A pause, and...he really can't help himself, he's shameless....he winks.]

I'd really like to see you turn into that thing again.

[someone eject him into a trash dumpster]

Like you? Was that one of your demon powers, I'm guessing?

[inflori]

[ Not gonna make promises i may not be able to keep, sweats ]

Yeah, maybe. Hope I don't have to fucking die every time I wanna do it.

[ What a mess that would be, man. ]

Yeah. I can control people, but I have to know what they want. It makes it easier for me to manipulate them.

[whowhatnow]

That would be a pretty bad thing, I agree. You should be able to change into things without having to die for it.

[If he had to die every time he changed, he simply wouldn't do it. It wouldn't be worth the hassle.]

That so? Huh. I don't even know what people want, I just tell them to do stuff. It can't be that complicated though, else it won't work.

[inflori]

Oh. [ That's interesting. Petre can't say he's tried to use his power in any complicated manner since he's been here, except for getting everyone in the hive to join the Bout it Out competition without question. That wasn't really fun, though. ]

I could teach you.

[exhuxperation]

[ Hux tilts his head just enough to glance at Nathaniel, taking in his expression. There's amusement– to be expected of course– but there's a fascination. Or something that resembles it. Being so close, mentally, makes it even easier to pick out. There's nothing completely mocking underlying.

In some way, he's relieved. Nathaniel is one of the first people besides his father he's told this. ]

I am already a military commander. The ranking chain only goes so far; military rule is not sustainable, either.

[ All things he's reasoned out, over time, as he climbed the proverbial ladder. ]

I'd envisioned the galaxy I'm from. Perhaps more. [ All the core worlds and the outer rim under his control. It would've been possible, he believed it. ]

It's no longer something available to me. [ A hard pill to swallow. ] What about you?

[headinjuries]

[ He doesn't answer immediately, instead closing the distance between them to take a seat on the edge of the roof himself. Because, sure, why not. If Nathaniel doesn't have a problem with having his alone time interrupted, conversation's as good a distraction as anything.

And it gives him a little more time to consider an answer. ]

Right now I'd settle for "someone whose life isn't a total freaking mess."

III. Ilde Option

[erbier]

[ She appears in a doorway, looking significantly better than the last time he had seen her. She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. ]

Hello, Nate.

[whowhatnow]

[He's sort of half-asleep on his bed, some kind of brochure perched right on top of his face - at the sound of Ilde's voice, he instantly sits up straight with a gasp, the brochure fluttering down to the floor.]

Oh! Hey! [He says, a little startled - he hadn't expected anyone to come visit him, and he gives Ilde a sheepish grin.] Sorry, I was kind of drifting off there...how's everything? You seem much better after...well, you know.