[GRO]Kursha Vidari - Adult

[Hivestuck]

Gentle moonlight filtered down through the trees and filled Four Fronds forest with dappled bright and dark patterns. Light and shade. In a small clearing, there was a little camp set up. A portable stove, an umbrella, a little yet luxurious portable hive, and even a bizzarely out of place kiddie pool.

Resting her feet in the pool, with the rest of her body slouched in a dee-lux portable folding sofachair, Regina sat with her chin propped up on one fist. The majestic beauty of the forest was decidedly lost on the seadweller. Instead, every sense was focused on listening for the drones arrival, with the 'parcel' they had been sent to collect. They were strong, no nonsense, and formally trained. They had taken in trolls much more dangerous than Kursha. So she sat and waited, patiently playing with the handle of her sabre with her free hand.

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

In the back of a scuttlebuggy, sealed off from the front cabin by a sheet of semi-opaque ballistic glass, Kursha waited. He sat with is eyes closed and his chin tucked towards his chest. Even in his youth, he had never been so helpless. His wrists were cuffed behind his back, and his rifle, knife, and ammunition had been confiscated prior to his arrest. The drones had left him only the newly attached prosthetic in his right shoulder, a fresh reminder of his mortality. A dull pain dwelled inside the artificial limb, an echo of the arm he had lost. The circumstances could not have been worse. And yet he felt as still and calm as he ever had.

Eventually the high hum of the biomotor diminished to a low rumble and then stopped a minute later. Kursha opened his eyes. His pump biscuit beat like a drum in his chest, despite the quiet in his mind. After a few seconds, the side hatch slid open. The sounds of rustling leaves and songbirds reached his spongeclots. A waiting drone hauled him out and to his feet. Kursha turned his head and shut his eyes against the sudden light. His sandals touched down on a bed of damp leaves. The smell of moss and loamy soil permeated the air. He did not need to see to know where they had taken him. Fate seemed determined to make the accursed forest his final resting place.

A drone on either shoulder, Kursha allowed his captors to guide him through the forest. He made no attempt to resist or drag his feet. There was no use delaying the inevitable. Up ahead, through the trees, he spotted a clearing. Waiting within it was a troll he had not been sure he would have the privilege to see again. Despite being bound and captive, Kursha flashed the empress a grin as the drones shoved him into the clearing.

“Camping, huh?” he asked, making a show of looking around. “If you'd given me a heads-up, I would have brought marshmallows.”

amicableAggressor

 

[amicableAggressor]

While the greeting could have easily been taken as arrogant and flippant, especially to the empress, Regina felt relieved instead. The greenblood was still fundamentally and unrepentantly himself. There was no exoskeleton peeled back to reveal the true form that lay underneath. There was just horribly (and morbidly fascinatingly) misplaced and mistimed jaunty arrogance. Still, she said nothing until she had let her eyes take in Kursha's new arm. She felt certain that Aandes would have mentioned it if he had been responsible - which meant it probably happened after she had put out the arrest warrant. There was a mechanic somewhere who would have to be hunted down and punished for assisting known criminals, even unknowingly. After she had given the greenblood enough of an uncomfortable pause, she broke the silence. "You know Kursha, I've thought long and hard over what to do with you. I really have. Like, I devoted serious time and thought to what was gonna happen."

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Once upon a time, every interaction with the empress was haunted by a spectre of fear. The weight of her influence and power guarded his actions, even if he might not have shown it. Now was different however. His bloodpusher may have been beating fast, but he felt no fear, even in the silence that she regarded him. She had given him more than enough time to come to terms with reality.

“Serious thought, huh?” Kursha echoed. He shrugged his shoulders, rattling the cuffs around his wrists. “And yet here we are. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that you didn’t drag me out here to grant me a pardon.” He paused for a beat. Not long enough for her to interject.

“Look,” he continued. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, let’s just skip it.” The second thought he had, he left unvoiced. No use in stirring up extra trouble. Nevertheless, Kursha searched the empress’ features to see if his words left any kind of mark.

amicableAggressor

These were meant to be notes for after work, but I guess they are a post!

 

[amicableAggressor]

"A pardon?" Regina stood up, her face splitting into a grin. "Oh no, this is much better than a pardon, Kursha. This is a promotion." Stepping forwards, splashing in the pool for the first few then across the grass towards him, she raised a hand and gave a quick gesture. From behind the trees around her, drones stepped forward, aiming guns, crossbows, javelins, and even a few slingshots. Stopping nearly nose-to-nose with the greenblood, she looked around at the suddenly crowded clearing, then back to her captive.

"Death or captainhood, Vidari. This is what you want right? A little gamble for a big reward? Let's get this show on the road - you have five minutes head start."

Green Minuet

Regina's hp will represent how close Kursha is to the edge of the forest. You can start rolling on your next post!

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Health: 40/40
Military Weapon: You have been disarmed!
Trinkets: You can't use that right now!
Eagle Eyes: [ ACTIVE ]

That twisted b***h.

Kursha's mouth pulled into a taught grin. So it was death sentence, or a life on a leash. He should have known she would not let him go that easily. As the empress crossed towards him, she made a gesture towards the trees. All at once the clearing filled with a chorus of sound. Snapping twigs, heavy feet, the groan of drawstrings, a half a dozen guns cocking. Even without looking, he felt the intent of every weapon drawn to his being. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck and his fists clenched.

Regina came to a stop in front of him, close enough that he could count every one of her teeth. As she turned her eyes to view the clearing, his blood pusher squeezed in his chest with the weight of the atmosphere. His eyes never left hers however, even for the drones that surrounded him. He held her gaze unflinching. All the while he remained silent. There was nothing he could say that would mean anything. After all, he was only a dead man walking.

“Death or captainhood, Vidari.” Regina said. “You have five minutes head start.”

No sooner had the words left Regina's lips than Kursha bolted. He pushed all other thoughts out of his head and focused on pumping energy to his legs... and counting. Five minutes she said. Whether he lived or died depended on how well he utilised his time. He tore through the brush, heedless of leaving a trail. First things first: put enough distance between him and his hunters that he could operate without been seen or heard. His sandals slapped down hard against the topsoil. His strides were so long, he seemed to fly. He led with his right side, to allow his metal arm to take the brunt of the undergrowth. Trees whipped past.

After counting a minute, Kursha allowed himself to slow to a jog. Another thirty seconds passed and he drew to a stop. He sucked in air like someone half-drowned, chest heaving. For the rest of the journey he would have to pace himself. For now though, provided Regina stayed true to her word, he would make good use of his time.

Hunching his back, Kursha drove his hands down towards the back of his knees. He pinched his shoulders as close together as he could. Then with a heavy exhale, he slipped the cuffs around his backside, under his legs, and took a step back. His hands, still bound, hung in front of his waist. Step one complete. Grabbing ahold of the cuff around his left wrist, Kursha straightened his fingers and eased his hand backwards. Predictably, the cuff caught on the side of his thumb. He gave it a wiggle, working it up his hand and glove. It stuck against the ridge of his knuckles.

A pain began to creep into Kursha's cramping hand. He released a breath he only just realised he had been holding. He flexed his fingers once. The sting in them momentarily faded. Gritting his teeth, Kursha braced himself. He pulled as hard as he could against the tight metal ring. The sweat from his palm oiled his hand against the leather of his glove. He could feel his bones being crunched together. Just when it felt like they would break, he managed to squeeze his hand outside the glove and out of the cuff. The glove fell to the ground and the empty cuff dangled from his metal wrist. Gritting his teeth in pain, Kursha clenched and unclenched a fist. His left hand was free.

As he recomposed himself, he tried to think of the time he had left. At some point during the escape from his bonds, he had stopped counting. Three minutes and five seconds. That was the last number that stuck in his thinkpan. He could have anywhere from a minute to a few seconds left. It took all his force of will not to panic.

Kicking his glove beneath a bed of leaves, Kursha made a sharp right from the trail he carved through the forest. He moved at a slower pace than before. Rather than charge straight through the underbrush, he took care not to disturb any of the foliage any more than he had to. To survive, he needed to become a ghost. Taking cover in the shadows and against the trees, Kursha weaved through the forest.

[ Kursha runs 8 grubmetres away. ]

 

[amicableAggressor]

Watching any troll bolt like a rabbit should have given Regina at least a fleeting window of amusement, longer depending on if it was a certain mutantblood. Instead she frowned. This was being done by the book - there was no way she would let a single troll say she was playing favourites. Then they would think perhaps they too could get special treatment. No, she wouldn't let people know that disobeying direct orders was the path to leniency. So if Vidari lost the game, he would be culled. And that was the easier option. The harder one would involve trying to re-build the bridges that he himself had poured gasoline over.

Mulling this over, she slowly walked back over to her chain and dropped down into it. After five minutes, she waved a hand vaguely. One of the armed trolls pulled a walkie talkie out of their belt and barked an order into it. A few seconds later, the sound of a gunshot rang out in the forest. As always, it was less of a hunt and more of a gauntlet. Not relying on the stamina of her troops, she had simply made sure to scatter them around in the trees of the forest, waiting for the signal to start taking aim and firing.

Forest remaining: 32/40 square grubmeters
Damage done by troops: 8 hp

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Health: 32/40
Military Weapon: You have been disarmed!
Trinkets: You can't use that right now!
Eagle Eyes: 2/3

A buzz of static and a voice sounded somewhere up ahead through the trees. It was the only warning he had. Ducking down behind the brush, Kursha bolted for the nearest tree. A second later he heard the shot and felt something hot in his side. He pressed himself to the trunk, teeth grit. Warm blood seeped from a dark hole in his stomach. So much for not leaving a trail for them to follow.

He peered around the opposite side of the tree to catch a glimpse of his opponent. Even as he did he cursed. He could not remain immobile for long, or he risked getting surrounded. Thinkpan a whirl, he tried to formulate a plan for escape.

[ Kursha runs 0 grubmetres away. ]

amicableAggressor

Late but here it is!

 

[amicableAggressor]

There was silence in the forest, then a voice echoed loudly down from the tree the greenblood was bleeding gently against.

"Did ya get him, Franky?" The reply was a hushed round of shushes from the surrounding trees, and a drone's head popped out of some foliage.

"Be quiet!"
"You idiot, we're supposed to be quiet!"
"Do you want to get us all in trouble?"
"LOWER YOUR VOICES!"
"I think I just clipped him ..."
"Shut up everyone! I'm trying to get a clear shot!"

The vocal warning was followed a breath later with another shot.

Forest remaining: 32/40 square grubmeters
Damage done by troops: 3 hp

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Health: 29/40
Military Weapon: You have been disarmed!
Trinkets: You can't use that right now!
Eagle Eyes: 2/3

Kursha cast an incredulous look into the canopy. Despite the gravity of his current predicament, he could not help but be amazed. Sheer luck or sheer stupidity had saved him from taking a bullet to the brain. Silently thanking the nameless drone for their ineptitude, he scanned the trees from the escape route. The voices gave him a clue as to the location of his hunters, as well as how many. Too many to retaliate, that much was certain. He began to inch away from the tree, breath waiting in his throat.

Another warning of an incoming shot. Kursha burst into a sprint. Hot pain brushed past his shoulder even as he moved. The greenblood barely registered it. He pelted full tilt towards a thick copse, between two of the disembodied voices, undergrowth whipping past. When he passed the dense treeline the earth suddenly tumbled out from beneath him. His body tipped towards the decline. The greenblood leaned into his momentum. He dropped out of sight, tumbling down the hill among tree roots and gravel. He got to his feet again before he so much as slowed and pressed onto where the trees were thickest.

[ Kursha rolls 2 units of measurement away. ]

amicableAggressor

 

[amicableAggressor]

Regina could see the veins standing up on the neck of the sergeant who started to scream into his walkie talkie. Closing her eyes for a moment, she stopped agitatedly rubbing her forefinger and thumb together, a small display of nerves that was frankly unbecoming, and also lame and stupid.

"Hey. Is he there yet?"

The sergeant paused mid-cuss, to turn to her. "Sorry your worshipfulness, I didn't quite catch - "

"Is he at the pit traps yet?"

Glancing over at their map, the sergeant rubbed their chin in consideration. "Yeess... he should be about at the first set of traps. The pit traps. With the er, sharpened stakes. Hidden under artfully put together bush disguises, if I do say so myself."

With a grunt of acknowledgement, she settled back down in her chair, listening to the occasional gunshot that filled the air.

Forest remaining: 30/40 square grubmeters
Damage done by troops: 4 hp

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Health: 25/40
Military Weapon: You have been disarmed!
Trinkets: You can't use that right now!
Eagle Eyes: 2/3

The time between shots grew longer as his pursuers fell further behind. Soon, they seemed to stop all together. The sound of his pusher and ragged breathing seemed deafening in the silence. He could not even hear the buzz of insects. Only the forest debris crackling under his feet made any kind of noise. Something was wrong.

Against his instincts, Kursha forced himself to slow down to a jog. The trees stopped rushing past, and he had a chance to catch his breath. All the while his eyes surveyed the canopy above. The leaves pulled into focus, as his pupils spun into crosshairs. They would be well camouflaged no doubt. He just needed to see one to start recognising their shapes.

From below, Kursha heard the ground give a loud crunch. It lurched beneath his feet, then disappeared. He dropped, his vision suddenly full of branches and leaves. * tab * tab *

[amicableAggressor]

There was a pause, then a moment of silent confusion on the radio. After a coupe of seconds of hissing static, a voice could be heard in the background. Muffled, the empress's voice was still recognisable by the tone of someone who's every word was a demand instantly obeyed.

"Why's your mouth hanging open like that? Hand it over, hurry up!"

There was a click, silence, then the line opened again. The low quality of the connection overpowered any subtle moods in the queens voice as she spoke, but the chipper friendliness was obviously a lie. Part of the game, as always.

"Vi-daaaa-ri, so nice for you to drop in a line. What's the matter? You feeling lonely?" Regina was leaning forwards in her seat as she spoke, wrestling with mixed emotions. The cynical, stupid, seemingly oblivious deathwish the greenblood exuded in style was what she lived for, in all of its manifestations. To kill one of her troops, stop, and pick up the line for a chat was par in course. But this wasn't the time to be charmed into banter - this was supposed to be the punishment, for him, and to a lesser extent, herself as well. It was ... aggravating to think that this might be the last time she talked to him. But maybe that was giving him too little credit. Cursing herself for being so eager to grab for the line - she should have let the captain hang up on him - she pushed forwards before Kursha had a chance to reply.

"But you really don't have the luxury of being a sitting target, do you? I might get bored of this and just ... reach out."

Turning off the channel, she focused her mind. Gl was far away physically, but in the realm of the unconscious, she was always directly behind Regina. And a little bit to the side. One metaphorical tentacle on her shoulder, as it were. In support, and guidance.

In the forest, the pained scream of a drone a few trees away was all the warning that Kursha was given before the less-than-perfectly aimed psychic blast rolled over his mind.

Forest remaining: 23/40 square grubmeters
Damage done by Gygolybs Whispers: 7 hp

Green Minuet

 

[Green Minuet]

[+] Kursha Vidari

Health: 18/40
Military Weapon: You have been disarmed!
Trinkets: You can't use that right now!
Eagle Eyes: [ ACTIVE ]

The whispers bore down on his thinkpan like the crest of a tidal wave. His skull begin to splinter.

The receiver bounced to the forest floor, soundless. The greenblood buckled over, teeth bared, and hands clutching at his head. The knuckles and joints of his fingers glowed white. A garbled whine trailed from his throat. Encased in the murmurs of the deep, he saw nothing of the world around him. But neither did anyone else.

For what seemed like an eternity, terrifying and dark, the crushing, world-ending sensation only lasted a few seconds. The ache in his brain would last a while longer though. As the final reverberations of Gygolyb's short utterance faded, the forest began to take shape again. Kursha removed the heel of his hand from his forehead, where he had pressed his exoskeleton dry of colour. He hurt. Everywhere.

How much ground had he covered? How much more remained? He shut down the thought as soon as it came. With slow, mechanical movements the greenblood stooped down to take the fallen troll's weapon: a hunting rifle, standard make, four bullets. He checked the cartridge—three. There must have been a shot earlier, when he climbed out of the pit. Three bullets, three lives. His for theirs.

Damn it, Regina. Just come find me, already.

He flipped on the safety, and stuck the barrel of the rifle into the forest loam. With half his weight resting on the weapon, he continued to limp through the trees.

[ Kursha limps 7 units of measurement away. ]

 

[amicableAggressor]

And now it was quiet again. Drumming her fingers on her knee, Regina tossed the receiver back at the hovering officer, looking out over the forest.

"Where's the rest of your squad? Why aren't we hearing anything?"

Standing up as the troll began to cautiously describe troops as 'passed out from surprise and pain in the trees' the empress resisted the urge to kick over her chair. Wiggler temper tantrums were reserved for everyone else. Striding towards a large, artificial looking bush, she waved a hand over her shoulder, beckoning the other troll to follow behind her.

"Drive me out to the edge of the woods, lieutenant. I should be there when they haul his body out."

There was still a stream to cross, net traps, and hopefully, once they pulled themselves together again, troops taking more pot shots. She'd have plenty of time to reach the edge of the forest before Kursha crawled into a hole and died.

Forest remaining: 16/40 square grubmeters
Damage done by our troops (save them): 4 hp

Green Minuet