vatheon | (no subject)

Entry tags:

dr. franken stein

(no subject)

Who: Stein, Maka, and then other Villa people
When: Today, afternoon
Where: Coral and then probably the Villa
Style: Actionbrackets
Status: Mostly closed

[He drops into the middle of the Plaza, stumbling over himself before landing hard, facedown on the pavement. He's shaking as he pushes himself up, but he manages to get to his feet, walking forward unsteadly, like someone who hasn't slept in days. He hasn't.

Stein's mind is elsewhere, completely lost in fog and nightmares. The world he's seeing isn't the one he's in right now.]

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[Maka wouldn't have been upset if Stein didn't return either way, but when she feels his soul ping at her senses, she stands and rushes to find him nonetheless.

However, when she's able to get more of a read on the Professor's soul, she stops. Hesitation.

There's fog and static and insanity and--danger danger this man will kill you don't--

Courage.

Her feet move forward again, then she breaks into a run, flaring out her soul to meet with Stein's as she spots him. Runs straight to him, throwing herself to him into a hug both with her physical form and her soul.]

Professor!

[She's glad to see him. She's not sure if he can feel or even comprehend that, but she's glad to see him.

But when did his insanity get this bad...?]

[He can't see her. He can't see anyone. He sees only fog and hears only the static of a screaming broken radio.

Outside his soul, his body falls backwards under the force of her embrace, flat on his back and hitting his head on the pavement.

His hand twitches, eyes wide and staring. His glasses are gone, lost somewhere back in their world. He's too thin, cheeks sunken and shadows under his staring eyes.]

[This isn't right. She shouldn't have been able to knock him over at all, this is Stein, the strongest Meister at the Academy, nigh unbeatable even against Black*Star.

Why...?

Anxiety grips at her again. Oh, Stein, what happened?]

Professor--[she shifts off of him and tries to help him to his feet.] Let's get you to the clinic. You need treatment...b-because you haven't eaten yet. [God only knows who would be able to treat insanity of their kind. She gives his soul another nudge with her own, drawing it back when all she feels is impenetrable static.

I can't help anybody, can I?

She shakes her head and determinedly shoulders the (admittedly much taller) man.] If you can even hear me in there, come with me please.

[He's past even being able to pretend to be normal. There's nothing of Stein's mannerisms left, just a twisted grin that stretches across his face.

He's weakened, but that overwhelming need to destroy is all that he has left, the only instinct left in his mind. Maka is just another thing to tear apart, and his hand goes straight for her neck.]

[And, as it always goes, Maka acts before thinking--grabbing her professor's wrist to keep it away from her throat, shrieking as she twists his arm around and pins him back to the ground.]

Don't touch me!

[...Ah, she acted impulsively. Maka shivers with a combination of adrenaline and certain...memories of the last time someone went for her neck under the influence of madness. But she doesn't relent, she keeps him pinned with a knee pushed into his back, breathing harshly.

...She needs to call for help, she can't do this on her own.]

[He laughs, entire body shaking as hysterical noise rips from his throat. Broken fingernails claw at the dirt as he struggles up again, completely ignoring Maka trying to pin him down. Insanity gives him strength his body doesn't really have.]

[This isn't going anywhere.

She rolls away and grabs her SFC to make a call, as much as she would like to text instead to avoid sounding panicked or rushed, there really wasn't any time for that.

What stops her is considering who should be called...Shiro would be harmed without a doubt, Rin is probably busy with something else...

She calls Kid, quickly blathering out a message when she hits his voicemail, already feeling like she should have brought her weapon.]

[There's a commotion somewhere else in the Villa, as in Kid's urgency to get to Maka's side there was a moment's scrambling, but that has little to do with anything happening here.

His arrival is abrupt and nearly half an agonizing minute later when he's dropping out of flight to the ground, his pale fingers are possessively attempting to seize the younger Meister with every intention of putting distance -- and himself -- between her and the professor.

Then, a sidelong glance:]

I received your message and came as quickly as I could.

[Yes, Kid, that explanation was sort of unnecessary. Let's see if they even have time to address Stein himself.]

[Stein managed to struggle to his feet, hands sparking with wavelength. An open palm shoved against Maka's chest.

Misfire.

He doesn't have enough control over his soul to hurt her.

Then Kid appears and pulls Maka back. Stein falters, not moving forward. That is Death's soul, and he still has remnants of training, still something left that says "don't attack",]

[It should have hurt.

But it didn't.

And he stopped?

Maka shakes her head at Kid, gripping his hand with hers.]

I'm glad you're here, sorry for the trouble.

Aren't you hurt? I thought I saw him strike, but...

[That brief squint at her, the weight of Soul Perception, and the minute shake of his head at the other Meister suggest the rest of his unspoken observation; somehow, what should have caused her injury didn't, and he has every reason to believe their professor held back.

But why?

Because he's still hanging on, in spite of his apparent slide into insanity? Kid's gaze returns to Stein.

This again. The familiar spiritual vibration unique to Madness alone.]

Stein! What's the meaning of this?

[A laugh hisses through his teeth, too much noise in his head to respond coherently.

He steps forward, hand sparking again with his unsteady wavelength. He will not misfire this time.]

I've been trying to talk to him, but he won't respond at all. I don't think he's going to respond to anything but force.

Regrettable. He won't go down easily, and I'm concerned about the rest of the villa, as well.

[He makes no effort to push Maka out of the way, not when he knows better.

But neither does he intend to let Stein advance on her without getting directly in his way; one forearm crosses over the other, his posture easily falling into a defensive stance.]

What started this?

[He rushes forward, hand aimed in a straightforward thrust at Kid's soul. Destroy.]

He just--

[She rears back, hoping that Kid won't just stand still to protect her. She can move herself. Move away from someone much stronger than her with gripping tight fingers like death--

Stop. Courage.]

He just came back like that! Then when I tried to help him up he started attacking!

[He'd better not take the hit.]

Kid, move!

[Kid spares himself a second's hesitation.

Once he's determined that he can dodge and not see Stein's attack land on Maka instead, he takes the chance, feeling the crackle of his soul wavelength scraping against the periphery of his own awareness.

Any closer, and even a grazing hit would have given him a fresh definition of pain.]

Then he's..! You can't counteract his Madness without Soul, Maka, this is bad!

[He's not moving with any of his usual intentionality or grace, just striking blindly, the desperate struggle of someone pushed past the point of total exhaustion. When the strike doesn't connect he stumbles, falls, and struggles to stand again.]

I know.

[Of course she knows, yet again someone she trusted was pushed to madness and violence. Unstoppable, relentless, horrifying.

And there was her, unable to do a damned thing about it.]

I...tried to resonate with him, but there was too much noise in his soul. I don't think he can hear anything right now. [He could hear Soul's music.

But Soul isn't here.

But she has to do something.]

I can pin him, do you think you'll be able to bind him?

[A darting glance flits from Stein to Maka, stern and then uncertain.

As much as he wants to help her, to facilitate the effectiveness of that unique wavelength that could restore some of Stein's sanity, there's nothing else he can do.

He can't help feeling like he's failed her somehow, but the professor is an eminent threat he can't afford to ignore long.]

I can't guarantee he won't be hurt. [But he's made of stern enough stuff to make his Father's own Death Scythe.] Let's try it. Just be careful!

[He struggles to his feet, teeth bared in a snarl, and he rushes at Kid, hand charged with his wavelength. No thought, just killing intent.]

[Careful?

No, the time for careful is gone. When Stein moves, so does she, his blind run is met with her charging into a skid to kick out his feet from under him, get him down on the ground and in a position where she can pin him.

There's no more room for making it painless, either.]

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DIS IS THE CLOSED THREAD

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