energyfieldgood | IC Inbox for Apocalypse Now

It's something.

I need to talk to you in person. Privately.

No.

Wait, why is that the first thing you thought of?

Fine.

I'm coming over.

I don't know, it's the last thing that happened to you? Maybe some of it lingered.

Or you really are a vampire.

If this is a ruse and you bite me, I won't talk to you for a month.

Great. Don’t knock, I’ll unlock the door.

I mean maybe but you just seem kind of convinced that I’m really a vampire.

Listen if I was really gonna bite you I’d put you under some mesmerizing spell first. You wouldn’t even know it happened until you woke up with bite marks.

Right, and then I'd think oh, I wonder where these BITE MARKS are coming from, it can't possibly be the guy implicating hinself.

You're not helping your case, Lestat.

Make coffee.

[He's already on his way, yawning a jaw-aching yawn of bad posture and less-than-ideal desk sleep.]

Edited 2022-12-02 08:22 (UTC)

Could be from some other vampire.

Circumstantial at best.

Aren’t you worried I only drink blood now and therefore have no coffee?

[True to his word, though, the door will be unlocked and open, and there’ll be a fresh pot of coffee steaming, filling the place with a refreshing scent.

And no blood.]

If there's no coffee, I'll bite YOU.

[Luckily for both of them, there is.

Rodney rubs his eyes again as he walks inside but the scent placates him. He immediately moves over to the counter to help himself to a mug before actually acknowledging Sheppard.]

All right, let's hear it. What's the big emergency?

[There’s no annoyance, only an easy familiarity from knowing the man for long enough that he isn’t bothered by him needing coffee before speaking to him first. He’d have poured himself one but he’s wired enough already, still jazzed by that…

…that hunt.]

So I think an Entity gave me superpowers.

[He’s just gonna come right out and say it. No sense in being coy about it. He puts his hands on the counter—

—and flexes his fingers, making the claws come out. They’re small but sharp, about an inch long, and almost identical to a cat’s claws. When retracted, they stick out just a little, where his nails should be, but aren’t, replaced by the claws.]

[Never mind Rodney, he'll just take a few sips and smush his face against the mug with a tired hum. Maybe he can just go back to sleep for a few minutes until the caffeine kicks in... At least, until Sheppard's words register and he had a second to process them.]

What?

[The effect is immediate, him sitting up straight and staring at him, fully awake and alert now.]

What do you mean? What kind of superpowers?

[When John presents his claws, he leans forward and inspects them.]

Oh, that's just great. You couldn't leave it at vampirism, could you? What, they just show up like that?

[He reaches out, one finger poking at one of the claws.]

Yeah. I had a dream about it, and I just knew…it was kinda like those other dreams we had awhile back. But I had to…

[He drops his voice, just in case.]

Scare someone to make it work. Plus I don’t think it’s just this. I was fast, really fast, I meant to just scare this poor guy but I ended up wanting to chase him and it was really fun, then I pounced on him…

[The little claw flexes a little when he pokes at it.]

It was kinda like the same feeling I got, when I was turned into a bug?

[Man, he hopes this isn’t what’s happening here. The claws are different though, and there’s no sign of blue, so that’s probably good?]

You pounced on him?

[Rodney draws his hand back, trying to sort through John's rambling and all the information he's being presented with here.

He grabs the mug and takes a long sip.]

The last time you turned into a bug you lost your mind. So I'd say that's probably not good.

Yeah. It was definitely a pounce.

[Not even a proper jump, he literally crouched down and leapt at him.]

Definitely not good.

[Except.]

Thing is, aren't you tired of not being able to fight back against any of this stuff? I mean, at least with the Wraith, they're physical beings you can bring down. Entities, magic...whatever is actually going on here, we can't fight against it.

[He flexes his claws, a little proud of them now that the shock has worn off. He will make all the Wolverine references now. Or maybe Sabertooth.]

If this really is a superpower? With speed and jumping and all that stuff? At least it gives us some advantage. Some protection.

[A beat.]

Also assuming I don't lose my mind.

[Rodney drinks his coffee as he listens - okay, the revelations are horrifying and he's horrified, he really is, an Entity potentially influencing Sheppard is awful but he also really needs this and it's about to get cold - frowning at the explanations and reasoning.]

Okay, but you didn't fight back against any of this stuff. You pounced a man. Who, I presume, had nothing to do with any of it.

[He's just going to. Keep pointing that out.

And then his frown deepens and he looks up sharply.]

Did you kill him?

Edited 2022-12-03 07:43 (UTC)

…well, yeah? If it gives us an advantage, why wouldn’t I take it? And I just scared him. He’s fine.

[He grabs a tissue from a box on the counter and starts shredding it with his claws.

It’s unclear if he’s doing it on purpose or just got distracted.]

What?! Of course I didn’t—why is that the first thing you thought of? You coulda asked first if I injured him, at least!

Edited 2022-12-03 08:10 (UTC)

Well, excuse me for not having more faith in your Entity-jacked clawface when you're literally going around terrorizing people!

[Rodney scowls but watches the paper shredding with a curious tilt of his head. It reminds him of his cat - man, he hasn't thought of his cat in so long - and gives one of the tissues John is working on a playful tug.]

Did anyone see you?

…okay, you have a point there.

[His exuberance fades a little when he remembered why he called Rodney over in the first place.

About how he was feeling—

—good about what he did.]

No. Nobody did. I made sure, okay?

[He absently starts clawing at the tissue, focusing on it intently.

He likes the way it moves.]

Good. ... Unless 'making sure' means you killed someone, in that case, not good. Don't do that.

[Well, that's... familiar.

A little disturbing.

Rodney watches him closely as he starts moving the tissue in a zigzag pattern.]

I’m not gonna do that!

[He trails off, his annoyance fading into focus.

A zig-zag pattern?! Even better!

He seems to light up, his eyes widening, pupils dilating, pawing at the tissue like a—

—well, exactly like a cat.

Can you do that some more? Please?]

[Rodney stares at the changes in him and it really is just like a--]

Oh my God, you're a cat.

[He just blurts it out like that, playing with the tissue some more.]

The Entities turned you into a cat!

What?!

[It’s enough to break him of the trance.]

I’m not a cat!

[Or not, because he focuses on the tissue again, batting at it. It’s his! He’s killing it dead and he’s the greatest hunter that ever lived!

…

…oh.

He looks back up to Rodney.]

They turned me into a cat?!

I... guess it beats being a bug?

[Is this helping?

Rodney stares, then narrows his eyes at him.]

... Do you have a tail?

[This is not helping. That gets a glare. And a look like he might just sink his claws into Rodney's hand.

But he resists. For now.]

...a tail.

No, I don't have a tail!

[...does he? He never looked. He gives Rodney a very, very miffed look and backs up several steps, before quickly turning around and checking.]

No...no tail.

Hey, you got claws! What's to say that's the only thing you're getting?

[Rodney leans forward in turn, trying to catch a glimpse at his behind.]

Just checking.

[For a moment he just sits there, at a loss. He wishes he had his gear, his labs, Ancient equipment. Something to scan Sheppard with, to figure out what is going on.]

... I guess you coming here means you don't want to tell ADI.

[...he saw you do that, Rodney.]

...well, maybe I'm like Sabertooth. He doesn't have a tail.

[It's more fun to talk about stuff like that, than the reality that this could get so much worse.]

No. They cannot find out. You know what they'd do to me?

I do not.

[He hasn't been here that long and so far, ADI has reminded him more of the SGC than the IOA so he's willing to cut them some slack.]

Examine you, try to help you and make sure you're not a threat to people?

[You know, like their people would?]

No.

[He grimaces.]

They'd count this as working in the service of an Entity.

[So...he lets that hang for a moment.]

I doubt I'd see the light of day again.

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