taxonomites | [Visual] [To everyone]

The tablet gives an image of... Paul Smecker, looking slightly disheveled, and Glitch looking seriously disheveled, as well as bleeding from scratches on his face. Both of them are rather damp although Glitch is fairly water-logged.

"--just fucking hold still and let me check you for--"

"--this is more important--"

"Alright, you talk, I check for concussions, genius--"

Glitch clears his throat and addresses the city via Paul's tablet. "We have a situation. There's... some sort of monster, I suppose, running loose-- ugly yellow-- ow! careful-- ugly yellow thing with... horns, fangs, claws--"

Glitch breaks off into a fit of coughing. He's cradling one hand with the other. Behind him, his shop can be seen-- with black smoke pouring from the roof. Paul grabs the tablet back while pushing a water bottle at Glitch.

"Yeah, I guess whatever the fuck did that to his shop is loose and screwing around. He-- what?"

(Glitch and Paul both talk for the next ten seconds, making what either of them is saying indistinguishable. Finally Paul looks back to the tablet.)

"--okaaaay, I guess it, he, was wearing a prisoner bracelet and he, uh, speaks in rhyme. The fuck, Glitch?"

"I'm not making that up! Here, give it back!"

Paul sighs, and hands the tablet over again.

[ooc: OKAY so as usual I fail at my own deadlines, but, WARNING IS NOW UP. Feel free to react. Keri, if you want to add more stuff from Glitch other than what we discussed, go for it like a boss. <3 Big Fighty Post coming soon.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Still not a kid, Paul, we've been over this.

Narration quibbles aside: Glitch sometimes wonders if he's actually more than slightly magical, or just lucky for some truly bizarre definition of "luck". Here's Bagoas, as if summoned, and here's the premiere yeller of Taxon giving just about exactly the information he wants to give out.

And here's Glitch, straightening up from his slump against the wall. The scratches have mostly ceased bleeding, his wrist is of much less concern than his hand, but he's upright, soggy and scorched but on his own two feet. As Bagoas closes in he holds out his left arm, hand angled to try and convey slow down and come here at the same time.

Careful pouncing, darling.

Well...given the age gap and Bagoas' comparatively narrow world view... But anyhoo: buddy system? Yes, please do explain - Smecker gets a relieved, grateful grin in passing, but that's as much attention Bagoas can spare at the moment.

That thing about velocity and physical laws and ~~poetry in motion~~ momentum? That thing is a tad troublesome when you come running like a newly fired cannon ball and you're in what technically amounts to flip-flops (and jeans and a pretty floral t-shirt, but shhh).

Bagoas skitters to a halting stop and very nearly trips over his own feet for all his efforts. Nevertheless, Glitch gets a hug that is firm but careful, before he steps back to inspect the damage done.

"You'll be fine." His eyes see it, so he must believe it. He draws a shaky little breath, the cups Glitch's poor face for a kiss. "You'll be fine."

It's tricky to catch one's breath when it's being stolen away, not that Glitch minds all that much for the moment. He folds his left arm around Bagoas, the right kept at his side as returns the kiss with a little smile.

"I am, and I will. Salam, azizam, I'm glad you're--" He draws away and turns his head to cough again. "Eugh, sorry. Glad you're all right, though I'm getting you all--" Damp, sooty, etc. "But yes, buddy system. And stuff about not running towards burning buildings."

Oh gods, their poor shop. Glitch regards it with a little sulk, then reaches to clasp Bagoas' hand with his good one and glances to Paul and nods.

"We should get out of here, I think everyone's up to speed." Pause. "And I think I can walk at a decent pace."

"Down with that," Paul says fervently to 'getting out of here'.

He heads for one of Taxon's cars, parked on the street by a fake Taxon person who uses it to drive to and from a fake Taxon job, shrugging off his jacket as he goes.

"But I'm not really in the mood to walk, if it's okay with the two of you--"

Hand, arm, and shoulder, shielded with wrapped-up sweater; face turned away, aaand butt of the gun to the rear driver's side window.

"Hope I still remember how to hotwire," Paul says cheerfully as he reaches in through the broken window to unlock the front. The cheer's an act: he is scanning the rooftops even as he speaks, and the alleys, for this 'demon' thing that Glitch described and Selina confirmed.

Fuck if he wants to walk away from that.

"...that works too," Glitch remarks with a little shrug and hobbles toward the car. Okay, already grateful for the car-borrowing since he's starting to doubt that ability-to-walk assertion.

Maybe his grip on Bagoas' hand is a little tight...maybe he really ought to have followed Mayalnd's advice and tried that laying-down thing.

Eunuch, genius, and FBI agent all present and accounted for? All hands and arms and feet inside the vehicle?

Then they are off, putting some distance between them and the sadly smoking soul of Glitch's work in the city.

[Visual] [To everyone]

[location] ...icon used mostly for the keywords

[location]

[location]

[location] scram bam thank you ma'am

[location] aww yes time for the annual Grand Theft Taxon scene

[location] zipping off into the sunset!