06 - Out of Patience

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Ragnar explodes onto the plain in a blast of snow and visible gray wind. Related as they are to time itself, he's been having very little luck getting anywhere on the roads--and now he's been spat out again, this time on the plane, completely under their influence. He's slightly larger even than last time, his proportions more stocky, his teeth longer, his coat more thick and tangled than ever. His pupils are dilated with anger and the pull of the road; he chuffs, and then snarls, rearing back on his hind legs and slamming his paws against the astral floor.]

Comments

[contract_star]

R-Ragnar?

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Whips around with speed that, for his size, seems unnatural. He lowers his head and braces himself against the plane as though ready for an attack, his growl sounding more like a semi passing over a bridge.]

[contract_star]

[Flinches, tenses and reaches for his knife, though he doesn't draw it yet. He holds up a hand, palm out.]

Ragnar. Please calm down. It's me, Li.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Sorry, Ragnar's stepped out for a bit. D: He circles, rumbling steadily, his tail whipping back and forth like a loose rigging rope in a storm.]

[contract_star]

[Hei turns slowly, watching Ragnar's every movement, his hand on the hilt of his knife. He really, really doesn't want to have to shock Rags again, not least of all because he has no idea how much juice it would take to bring him down.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[He rushes, checks at the last second and veers away. Circling again now, though closer than before.]

[contract_star]

[Shit shit shit, this is bringing back memories of the Gate and the long, deliberate way that the creatures there stalked Hei. Hei grits his teeth briefly then disappears from the Plane, reappearing several yards away.]

Ragnar, get a hold of yourself!

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Whips around to face Hei again, air huffing out of his mouth in steamy clouds as though he's still surrounded by ancient snow. Rumbling roar, and charging at full speed.]

[contract_star]

[The flashback comes on almost instantly; the only warning is the way the world suddenly tilts and the building pressure in his head. And then, just like that, Rags is an enormous one of those Gate creatures. It takes all of Hei's training not to just collapse and start screaming.]

[Instead, he disappears from the Plane, reappearing a ways away. Normally he would just get the hell out of there, but Ragnar is a threat to everyone right now--and he'd rather not have anyone accidentally kill Ragnar, either. Man, having a conscience sucks.]

Ragnar, please. Wake up. [It's probably not helping his case that to an animal like Ragnar Hei probably reeks of fear right now :\]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Snuffling at the place where Hei was, so that when his scent reappears--intensified by the smell of fear-sweat--Ragnar's head snaps around. He growls. The prey is stupid. It taunts.

He launches himself forward again.]

[contract_star]

[Ragnar's own image is flickering now, the stars are flashing, and a nonexistent wind howls through metal trees. And the Masters are there now as well, one on either side of Hei, reaching for him, their laughter echoing, "Bee-kay, Bee-kay, Bee-kay."]

[Hei clutches his head and sinks to his knees, trying to focus enough to leave the Plane.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[And Ragnar skids to a halt, standing over him, still rumbling a growl.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[Oh, this is bad news.] Oh, great.

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[His head whips around, homing in on the sound of her voice. Pacing forward now, slowly, head low, and then breaking into a run.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[Okay, have Willow taking to the air then, staying out of reach.] Must resist 'here kitty kitty' jokes. [She fires a blast of energy from her fingertips at him, her hair and eyes growing dark.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

Lunges to one side, the blast scraping against his back haunch and burning through his guardhairs. He snarls, bunches and leaps--and seventeen-odd-feet of kitty can leap pretty high.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[We're gonna be dodging that, thanks, Willow managing to form something akin to a fireball before launching it at the big kitty again.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[A kitty in the air cannot dodge. So it hits him full in the face. He closes his eyes, snarls and writhes in midair. He's dropping now, landing badly, his shoulders hitting the plane side on and the rest of him and his substantial weight coming down on top of them. He struggles to his feet, staggers, falls over, stunned by the force of the fall.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[Magical binding power GET! Big kitty can't move much now.] What a pain... [She lands, scratching her head.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[He snarls and thrashes, still squinting through the burn damage on his face. He yowls--something in his shoulder isn't lined up right any more--but doesn't stop struggling. Ragnar is, now, confused and a little bit scared, a cornered animal who doesn't understand how he got that way. Naturally, he's not happy about this.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[Willow sits down nearby and closed her eyes, trying to enter the large cat's mind. She can sense something is wrong, but she can't quite pinpoint it.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[It feels as though she's laid a hand on his head and her fingers are sinking into his skull. He thrashes, snaps at the ghost of her, shakes his head back and forth and bubbles out a snarl.]

[hexhax.livejournal.com]

[Willow expected a fight, but fights back, soon easing herself in and trying to get a grasp of what's going on.]

[shunofandromeda.livejournal.com]

[And just when he was celebrating being back to normal...big cat. Very, very big cat. Cloth time now and he's keeping a wary eye on you Ragnar.]

[prince-stupid.livejournal.com]

[Paces slowly closer, his head and body slung low and ready to charge.]