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[ ACTIVE / SEMI-OPEN ]
Who: John Sheppard & various (& maybe you!)
What: Various Stages On The Grief Arc: An illustration of John Sheppard being a disaster
When: Mid to Late November & Early December maybe
Where: Olympia & Dranbu
Warning(s): Some arm injury gore in one thread!
1. OLYMPIA -- Mid November
John is pretty sure he looks a mess to anyone who knows him, but that's precisely why he's avoiding most people who know him.
He's called out of work to give himself a recovery buffer and is taking a walk with Seren, who is completely oblivious to his problems. Seren is still a puppy, and her excitement for everything in their surroundings and for him to play with her is a good distraction -- even if he wishes she understand the word 'chill' on occasion.
The little German Shepherd is starting to grow up quickly, though. She's smart, smart enough John suspects to know exactly when she's just ignoring John's instructions. Old enough to know better, young enough not to care. Off the leash, she's skipping ahead of him with her nose to the ground -- sniffing for traces of other dogs who might have come this way. At this time of day there aren't too many, mostly people, and although she mostly just runs up and down finding things then bringing them to John (or John to them) occasionally she gets curious and bounces toward another human. Either because they smell interesting or have something with them that smells interesting.
Seren shoots toward the new person and bounces curiously while John jogs to catch up, jacket loose and unzipped over his plaid shirt and jeans.
"Hey!" he prompts sharply, and the puppy stops and looks over at him. "We talked about this, manners!"
Apparently bouncing at people is not a good display of puppy manners.
2. DRANBU -- Late November/Early December (specify before or after people change back!)
After having pretty much been holed up in Olympia drowning his sorrows for most of the month, once he finally makes it out to Josa Forest (initially to help Ianto, but then staying to sate his curiosity about what's going on) John realises he does... feel better. He probably should have come out sooner to give himself something to do, instead of just skulking around avoiding everything, but hindsight is 20/20 and all that. At the time he hadn't felt like he wanted to do anything.
Once he's there, though, actually exploring Josa Forest again after his initial trip out with Phoenix helps take his mind off things. The tree villages are interesting, and John picks through them as much to satisfy his own curiosity as to give him a reason to be --
To be away from things that he's absolutely not avoiding but also, is avoiding.
The markets of Dranbu, he notices, are very animal-focused. So after a long moment picking through things he catches the attention of someone and hesitantly asked:
"Do you have anything for dogs...?"
They point him further a long and John lofts an eyebrow curiously, turning and padding in the direction he's been pointed -- bumping into someone near a different stand along the way and setting his good hand on them apologetically to steady them. The marketplace is busy and also, not designed with space in mind. He supposes that's what comes of not normally having this many visitors.
"Sorry," he says with a wince, and bends to try and pick up whatever it is he made them drop. "Here, let me --"
What: Various Stages On The Grief Arc: An illustration of John Sheppard being a disaster
When: Mid to Late November & Early December maybe
Where: Olympia & Dranbu
Warning(s): Some arm injury gore in one thread!
1. OLYMPIA -- Mid November
John is pretty sure he looks a mess to anyone who knows him, but that's precisely why he's avoiding most people who know him.
He's called out of work to give himself a recovery buffer and is taking a walk with Seren, who is completely oblivious to his problems. Seren is still a puppy, and her excitement for everything in their surroundings and for him to play with her is a good distraction -- even if he wishes she understand the word 'chill' on occasion.
The little German Shepherd is starting to grow up quickly, though. She's smart, smart enough John suspects to know exactly when she's just ignoring John's instructions. Old enough to know better, young enough not to care. Off the leash, she's skipping ahead of him with her nose to the ground -- sniffing for traces of other dogs who might have come this way. At this time of day there aren't too many, mostly people, and although she mostly just runs up and down finding things then bringing them to John (or John to them) occasionally she gets curious and bounces toward another human. Either because they smell interesting or have something with them that smells interesting.
Seren shoots toward the new person and bounces curiously while John jogs to catch up, jacket loose and unzipped over his plaid shirt and jeans.
"Hey!" he prompts sharply, and the puppy stops and looks over at him. "We talked about this, manners!"
Apparently bouncing at people is not a good display of puppy manners.
2. DRANBU -- Late November/Early December (specify before or after people change back!)
After having pretty much been holed up in Olympia drowning his sorrows for most of the month, once he finally makes it out to Josa Forest (initially to help Ianto, but then staying to sate his curiosity about what's going on) John realises he does... feel better. He probably should have come out sooner to give himself something to do, instead of just skulking around avoiding everything, but hindsight is 20/20 and all that. At the time he hadn't felt like he wanted to do anything.
Once he's there, though, actually exploring Josa Forest again after his initial trip out with Phoenix helps take his mind off things. The tree villages are interesting, and John picks through them as much to satisfy his own curiosity as to give him a reason to be --
To be away from things that he's absolutely not avoiding but also, is avoiding.
The markets of Dranbu, he notices, are very animal-focused. So after a long moment picking through things he catches the attention of someone and hesitantly asked:
"Do you have anything for dogs...?"
They point him further a long and John lofts an eyebrow curiously, turning and padding in the direction he's been pointed -- bumping into someone near a different stand along the way and setting his good hand on them apologetically to steady them. The marketplace is busy and also, not designed with space in mind. He supposes that's what comes of not normally having this many visitors.
"Sorry," he says with a wince, and bends to try and pick up whatever it is he made them drop. "Here, let me --"
no subject
Which makes it considerably safer but perhaps... but entirely safe, in truth. Still, small details! Stunning them will help and they'll be careful. It'll be fine.
"Lysa gave me something we can take if we need it, but I'm sure we'll be fine. Maybe you can ask her how it all works when we hand them in."
See? That's how you get your answers, Ianto! By finishing the mission first. John unholsters his gun and begins to check it over one-handed, making sure the cartridge is charged. His limited movement is, perhaps, not that reassuring.
no subject
"Well," he says, as lightly as he can which clearly means that he's trying desperately and failing miserably not to think about it. "Let's just. Both of us try our best not to get bitten regardless though, shall we?"
Ianto moves to reach for his own Torchwood-issue firearm, but then stops himself. Should he really be wasting ammunition on these things if they're going to be stunned already.
"So -- how would you suggest I go about this, then...?"
no subject
"So, Lysa says regular green lizards and these hinit things look very similar. However, regular green lizards aren't a threat. A hinit will rear up and flare out its frill thing when threatened. So, step one -- find a lizard. Step too, make sure it sees us and see if it rears up. Step three, I stun it. Step four, double check its definitely the kind of lizard we need. Step five, kill it and bag it if it is."
Simple plan, right? John thinks so! He thumbs the cartridge back into place and clicks his gun over onto stun, then looks hesitantly at Ianto.
"Normally I'd say snap their neck, but if you prefer maybe we could see if this thing doesn't overcook them too much."
He gestures with his gun. John suspects the kill setting might... you know... damage the bits of lizard they're after, but he can't be sure.
no subject
"We're not going through all that effort just to roast the thing," he says. Or worse. He supposes they might be small enough shooting them probably isn't an option either. Snapping their necks though... Could he really do that? He's shot plenty of alien threats but he's never killed anything with his bare hands before. Not that he can recall, at any rate.
"No," he says again. "We'll. I'll think of something."
Hit it with a stick? A rock? No, that might damage what they're hunting them for in the first place as well...
no subject
"Sure," he says, and it's the kind of sure which normally means no or I don't want to but okay. In this context, it's more I don't believe you but okay. "Well, before we can get to step one we need to find some of these things so..."
He holsters his gun again and gestures vaguely.
"Why don't we take a walk. I figure rocky places are our best bet, lizards normally like sunning themselves -- and unless they're radically different from the kind we know I figure the same applies here."
So, lizard hunting among the rocks it is!
no subject
"You've got the bag that they're to go in?" he asks. Fussing over the equipment itself because it's better than to fuss over the things he has no control over. Like the lizards, and whether or not he's going to make a mistake and accidentally poison himself in doing what is shaping up to sound like a rather foolish idea, all things considered.
no subject
Not, you know, any kind of special lizard-catching bag. He begins to trudge out along the path toward where he thinks the best... rocky patches are going to be. Better to go outward toward Flona cove, he figures. That area had lots of rock pools and that sort of thing, so probably good rocky patches that catch heat for lizards.
"I'm guessing you don't get lizards in Wales."
Probably not the right climate for heat-loving creatures? Since it seems like it's cold and miserable most of the time.
no subject
"No," he replies. "Not really. Myfanwy doesn't really count, I shouldn't think. She's not exactly native." He tilts his head at the other man, before adding, "Then again, we do have our fair share of dragon myths. God only knows where they came from. I'm not really sure I want to know."
no subject
Or maybe... dinosaurs? Who even knows. He rolls his shoulder distractedly, trying to tune out the ache in his arm. Lizards, right. Think about lizards. Find a good lizard spot, catch lizards. Don't think about your arm hurting.
"Get a lot of them in California. Swifts, Geckos, Whiptails, Skinks -- Skinks are cool, they're kinda shiny and come in lots of colours. Some of them get really blue tails."
John is absolutely the kind of person who tried to catch lizards as a kid. Who wouldn't want a pet lizard?
no subject
He glances aside at John as they walk, studying him for a moment, before continuing to comment, "Are these lizards we're looking for much different from any of those you know from California, then?"
Not that they've exactly run into the lizards themselves yet, but from that list, John's familiar with a wide variety of the creatures. Certainly more than Ianto himself. Surely he must know something...?
no subject
"The most common lizards we get are fence lizards and alligator lizards and they're not exactly dangerous. I mean, alligator lizards bite if you annoy them but they won't do you much damage and they're not very quick."
He can't think of any with frills, though, and certainly not any which have frills and which can also cause numbness, vomiting and paralysis.
no subject
He falls silent as they walk for a few moments longer before he glances aside at the other man again, raising an eyebrow at him once he's caught John's attention before continuing, "So. Do we know exactly how potent this venom of theirs is? Or how it's transmitted for that matter? Exactly how worried about these things spitting poison into my eyes should things go awry?"
no subject
So, it's all simple! Nothing to worry about. Probably nothing to worry about, anyway.
no subject
It feels -- rather brutal, all things considered. Not that he hasn't done worse, for worse reasons. And this is all for medicinal purposes, is it not? Still...
He supposes that they will cross that bridge when they get there.
no subject
"Medical tape would work," he hazards, "and it would give us a chance to make sure each lizard is the right kind without fear of spitting if the stun doesn't work for some reason."
Which, you know, he doesn't expect it wouldn't but also... tape is easier than lizard murder.
no subject
"Yeah, alright."
Ianto glances aside at the other man again, hooking the straps of his bag higher on his shoulders before sticking his hands deep into his pockets. It's not Nadril, but the air still holds a chill at this time of year.
"Well. Nothing like a day of poisonous lizard hunting to get the blood flowing," Ianto quips, idly. Perhaps because he is uncomfortable with the idea of it. Perhaps because he's uncomfortable in general.