Separation Anxiety

Bridhe only vaguely noticed that his shoulder hurt. He only faintly saw the dingy concrete and the broken cars... and just barely smelled the blood and gore smeared on his sticky, cold jeans. The thin teen was shaking, dragging that dirty mace with the grate of metal against concrete as he trudged almost blindly away from the snarling, growling sounds of angry canines.

"Rusty?" That was the man's name, right? That earlier snark, fear, panic was gone. All that was left was uncertainty and the taste of bile that kept creeping up into the back of his mouth. One arm lifted to half-hug his bare chest, smearing dirt and rust along his freckled skin as he bit at the piercing in his bottom lip. "Rusty, we're separated. Where are you?"

There was a stumble and a grunt as Bridhe's gut wretched, twisting like a serrated knife in his stomach as his head fuzzed in and out of focus. He fell to his knees, dry heaving over the overgrown asphalt before he struggled to crawl to a nearby wall before leaning against it with a violent shake. The metal in his arm burned, flaring up as if it were trying to melt the skin that kept it in place.

He looked at it once more, one eye squinting before he started to claw at it almost desperately. This wasn't part of him, he was sure of this now. Why would someone that was apart of him feel so foreign? Feel so painful and strange? He stopped clawing when his skin started to bleed, sliding his hand out of the loop of that mace as he hugged himself with a soft whimper. This was horrible, he was acting like such a girl.

"Fuck."

Tossing more scrap aside, trying to pull out the old engine out of the rusty shell of an old lawn mower. It was in bad condition as it had been left in the elements, but it was a good source of spare parts. Knitting his brows together he put his giant paw like hands around the small metal box and started to pull. He dimly thought about using his powers to pull it out, as to not get his hands covered in rust.... but...

That thing in the center of his chest, is acting up again, red and raw. It did that whenever Reggie went out on her own, she was a loner and he was often left to attend to the lighthouse by himself.

This time was different though, his chest had an empty feeling in it like there was something missing... and of course he paid it no mind... till his dwelling thoughts seemed to call out to it...
Pain lanced through his chest, he released the engine and fell down the scrap heap to the bottom. He lay clutching his chest as if seized by a sudden heart attack, madly unbuttoning his coat to get a look at it. It looked infected, it oozed puss and smelled of rotten toes. He dived a hand into his pocket to pull out some med supplies he found in a bathroom and applied the dressings to his chest.

He didn't know what was going on, but he felt he needed to find Reggie, but at the back of his mind he very much doubted he would see her again. He crawled put of the pit that was a basement for a building that had been completely razed. He stared out over the city it looked like a scene from one of Vitaly S Alexius's works.

He set out across the city, determined to find Reggie so that he didn't feel like his chest was exploding.

"Rusty?"

Yanni wasn't wearing armor, but he was as big as the older man and in Bridhe's slightly hallucinating mind he looked like the insane knight. Hazel eyes squinted, trying to make out the dirty-looking man as another shudder racked his hunched form. Everything was so wet, or was that because he was sweating so much? The ginger couldn't tell the difference at the moment.

He had been looking for clothing when he got separated from his partner, wandering off into creepy dark hallways to break into apartments long unused. Obviously his search was fruitless, or he had lost said articles along the way in a fit of sudden panic and sickness. Bridhe honestly couldn't remember which, as his brain was fuzzing in and out of focus like a bad projector.

"Rusty, I got lost. I'm sorry, man. I don't know where you went, or where I went. I don't feel too good."

He moved as if he were going to get up, struggling for a moment before falling back against the wall with another violent stomach spasm. He panted, frowning and looking determined as he finally forced himself to stand up, that weapon smacking loudly against the wall behind him. The sound of grinding teeth was audible from the smaller male, one eye closing before looking up at Yanni's closer form with a frown.

"You're not Rusty."

...

"Is who? ... I to be call-ed Yanni." He didn't even know what a rusty was, his English was terrible. Scratching at his chest again, he wasn't feeling too good himself, staring at the "weak puny American" he scoffed. Although to be honest, this was the first person he had come across in his time he had spent here... at least a person that was not Reggi anyway.

There were two ways to distinguish people in this world, Russia had taught him this, you were either friend or foe.

This kid looked to be the former. Yanni was slow, yes, but not stupid to think that just because he had a weapon in his hand the kid was a threat to him. If anything it was smart. He said he did not feel good, this was English that he could understand but hardly needed, as he didn't look good either.

Yanni was also not so heartless to leave someone out to dry, he had made that decision many years ago, absent minded touching the edge of his sunglasses. So he did what Reggi told him not to do, and decided to make some conversation.

"Mmmm... I not to know who you speak, but I look-ed also Reggi... is uhh like me". Indicating with his hand how tall she was, about his height. "and is uhh is big bitch..." Not really knowing how to finish that statement, he didn't really care. He was alone in this city, he had no contacts no nothing, and try as he might he really couldn't see any reason NOT to chill with this kid, at least he would have some company besides his cat Yu-lia.

"uhh, nevermind-ed my shits, you to have problem? I can to help-ed if want" Trying his hardest to convey this. He was standing there, scratching at his chest again, while this poor kid looked like he was going to collapse.

Bridhe was too soft, too naive about the world to classify people as "friend or foe". He generally classified people as "fuckable" or "not fuckable" but at the moment everyone automatically was filed into the "not fuckable" slot. He looked up at the large man as he moved closer, a frown crossing those open features before he took a sharp breath in. It was easier to breath, the weight on his chest seeming to lift itself as the man moved closer.

He noticed the stranger had an odd accent, one he hadn't heard before (Had he? He didn't remember anything, how could he know if he'd heard this before or not?) that was probably just as broken as he imagined it to be. Maybe not that broken, Bridhe seemed to be imagining a lot of things lately. Dogs with two mouths? A man the size of a house carrying a decapitated, bloody dog corpse with the intention of eating it? No, none of this could be real. He was probably sick with something (something, something, he couldn't remember what, though) and hallucinating.

"No... I haven't seen any big bitches lately..." He managed to mumble out, trying to offer a hazy smile as he shifted to sit up a little more. Bridhe's stomach stopped spasming, and the feeling in his wrist started to feel like it was burning less as what had been static buzzing through the back of his head cleared. He would notice that more if he weren't picking up so much on the combination of Yanni's emotions belonging to the man right in front of him. Of course, this was layered on the sudden feed he was getting from his tick, his eye twitching a little as he tried to figure out just why he felt like he (himself) was not a threat.

It took him a moment to realize that he was looking at himself, all sad and pathetic against that wall with a weapon that was obviously too heavy for him to properly wield. This overlapped his own vision, causing vertigo as his stomach protested violently, hands reaching down to grip the ground in a mild state of panic as he tried to sort himself out.

"Yanni? I lost the guy that saved my life.." He gave a sharp laugh before trying to stand up, feeling better than he had a few moments before. Bridhe didn't question it, instead being too focused on standing upright without falling on his ass. He squinted, grinding his teeth as he tried to focus on himself. Here. The one not looking at the little ginger on the sidewalk. That was him, right? He couldn't see himself, right? Ugh, this was too confusing.

"I'm... Hungry."

"Do not to worry, she will to find home in time" He hoped anyway, He had stopped scratching at his chest, but he did not notice this. He was unconcerned with his partner's current status, he was also stupidly oblivious to the new feeling washing over him and easing him, the tension in his chest lifting. This kid probably was not terrribly younger than him, but he certainly was smaller. In his mind he was a kid but if he were to say it, it would probably come out as "child".

"Food is good, Da I to not to hunt in some time and to run-ed low on meats and things. Mmmm to hope-ed to catch a few dog but would not to say-ed no to big cow shit if to find. Could use-ed meat, also bacon, to not to have bacon in time." He was rambling on now. He was unaware of the ginger's self identity conflict. He was thinking to himself how nice it would be to get some good meat in him, and to get some in this kid too... who looked like he was going to vomit on the spot again.
"If want food, will to have to hunt or... err, look in trash for shits to eat. I to prefer hunt" Looking over Bridhe. "If you to have strength to do..." He still didn't know the small ginger's name, so he asked for it bluntly. "What is name or what I to call? I to need to know what to call if to want hunt, you to want hunt?" Smiling broadly, his fists clenched and on his hips beaming like some fearless leader in the dusk. Yanni was good at putting on a face for things.

If this kid wanted to survive with Yanni and partake in his meat eating, then he had to earn it, not saying he expected much but he expected the effort.

Hunting, could he do that? He had managed to wound some of the dogs before, but something as... "Graceful" as hunting seemed to be beyond his ability at the moment. Bridhe's hazel eyes moved up to look at Yanni's face, that expression unreadable because of those glasses. Not that the young man needed to see that face, for some reason he got an impression of what the man was feeling regardless of what he could see or not see. He got the feeling that the large Russian seemed to term Bridhe as more of a child than an adult, but if that dirty thing on the ground in front of him (Yanni?) was any indication of how he looked the ginger really couldn't blame him. After all, the mace-wielding man really didn't feel like a man... And without knowing how old he really was he couldn't tell if that assumption was wrong.

"I--.. Yeah, I'll try to hunt." Was the response finally, sounding a little stronger than before as an unstead step was taken forward. He tried to smile a bit more, ignoring the burning sensation as his lips cracked at the sudden stretch of that skin. "Bridhe. I'm Bridhe. At least I think that's what my name is. I don't really remember."

A filthy hand came up to his head, palm pressed against his temple as he closed his eyes once more. He was focusing intently on the "shorter" view in his head. In his eyes. Whatever. When he opened his eyes Yanni was standing there with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out and a somewhat proud expression on his face (Or rather, his body language... Not that it mattered either way) but Bridhe got the feeling that this was more for show than anything else. Maybe. Or was his smile more for show? Ugh. That didn't matter, either.

". . .Are you going to fly into the sunset, man...?"

"Daaaaaa! IS good choice! You to stick-ed with me and we to find-ed good shits n eatin like kings!" He twirled around on the spot, his arms raised to the heavens in celebration. Yanni loved the thrill of the hunt, but he was not so stupid as to do it alone if he did not have to. He had already had some close calls with potentially maiming accidents. At least with a partner... his new partner... with Bridhe, the least the kid could do was keep an eye out for shit coming his way. He didn't want to deal with a full pack of toothdogs again.

Stopping his spinning. "hmm" Looking back down at Bridhe. "If you can to walk-ed, we should to go-ed soon, will be dark and not to see hand in face if to not catch-ed something in... oh" Counting his fingers. "One... two... three... four-ed or five-ed hours maybe I not to know. BUT! if you can to do-ed good job I will to take-ed you back to home and we can to celebrate by eatin what meat thing we to catch."

With that, Yanni started off down the street, he had a few ideas to lure out something, predator animals were easier to lure out then grazers. Maybe he could set out some bait to lure in some scavengers, or maybe he could just cause a huge ruckus and take pot shots at a pack of them from great height. He sighed, he wish he had a gun, it was not the first time this had crossed his mind and it probably would not be the last. Turning to his new partner in crime he asked... "Mmmm you to by chance-ed to have gun? I not to play with gun in long time and I to worry about to lose practice..."

He doubted the little man had a gun as he would probably have it out, he doubted he even knew how to use a gun. Still he continued down the alleyway looking around for trouble, but not so concerned as to actually move cautiously himself. Yanni had never been good at being discrete...

Bridhe snorted a little, that weak grin still in place as he reached over to snag the mace with his left hand as he let that right arm dangle almost uselessly by his side. It was clearly dislocated, and the pain was probably part of the reason he had so much nausea.

"A gun? No. Even if I had one I doubt I would have any bullets." Bridhe grunted a little as he wobbled to a stand, bracing himself against he wall next to him as he closed his eyes again. The ginger felt like he was going to vomit again, lips pursing painfully before he swallowed thickly. It felt like his mouth was full of cotton balls. "I can walk, yeah, but fuck me if I'm going to be able to hunt right now. Something's wrong with my eyes."

Said eyes opened again, a deep breath taken as he finally moved to walk up behind Yanni. His shoulder screamed and Bridhe pitched forward to fall against the Russian's back as he gagged a little. The gagging was cut off as he jerked away as if Yanni were on fire. Touching the man made the shorter male react even worse, the sudden change in height and perspective jarring his sense of reality. Deep breaths were taken as his fingers twitched.

"My shoulder, it's fucked up. I need to see a doctor or somethin', man."