neonleon | post-snek recoveries

[Flyer Derby? Flyer derby. Leo watches as they approach the field and get ready to land, even if his arm is just. Aching now. A low grade throbbing that doesn't seem to be letting up. Probably overworked it or something, or lay on it weird while they were napping. But it's fine. It's fine, and Lucky trills at his ear as they land.]

Yeah? You ready to do this, buddy? [He just pets at Lucky's head on his shoulder.] Okay, so hhhhow do I start this.

[ Hunter looks back at the trill - SO cute - and snags the bag of supplies from Leo. ]

He looks ready to fly, I think. Just kind of ... think about having a staff in your hand. He'll get the idea.

[He gets his feet under him and listens to that. Looks at Lucky on his shoulder and holds up a hand.]

You ready you think? [Lucky looks at him curiously, like thinking about it. Then Leo focuses and watches as the little palisman shifts into a staff, the pine marten shape solidifying at the end like it's perched on a limb watching.]

Okay. Very cool.

See? I told you.

[ Hunter holds out a helmet and pads for Leo. ]

I think he likes you.

[He grabs for the gear in his other hand but watches Hunter.]

You think so? Kinda... figured he was just filling in and not that interested.

[Honestly hard for Leo to tell, but maybe Hunter just has The Gift for understanding palismen he doesn't.]

Lucky's always been one of the calmer ones. I wouldn't take that one way or the other.

[ he quickly puts his own gear on. ]

Yeah?

[He's just holding the staff in both hands now very carefully. He knows he's stupid strong and doesn't wanna break it but.]

Then I can't let Lucky down.

You can’t let him down. He can literally fly.

[ He heads over to the pitch. Gesturing for Leo to follow. ]

[?? omg. Hunter. Leo bursts into a laugh at that following after him.]

You got me there! You're right. Okay, so rules. Obviously flying, you said magic and attacking is okay. What's the goal?

[ Good. Hunter LOVES to hear that laugh. ]

You want to steal the other team's flags and bring them back to your side. Pretty simple.

Aaaaassuming from your gear that the flags are on the other team's players? Perfect, got it. Easy peasy. Should I be putting on gear? Also what color flag? Because, obviously blue is my best color-

[ Hunter laughs at that and hands over some pads. ]

Take these. And we're the Emerald Entrails, so look for green flags. Which I think is your SECOND best color.

I do wear it well...

[But he'll take the pads and start putting them on, natural as anything. Even when his wrapped arm aches and twinges as he moves to get that on. Something isn't right. He can't put his finger on it, but he knows as an anxious ball starts winding up in his gut that something is very very not right. But if he can't figure out what it is, then there's no point stopping the good thing they have going right now is there? He looks down at his wrapped hand, and maybe it's just his imagination from all the injury and exhaustion that it seems like the lines of the bandages are moving.

No.

He closes his hand into his fist before gripping the staff with both hands now and moving to follow Hunter further on to the field.]

All right, I think I'm ready to give this a try. Whaddoyou think, Lucky?

[ Hunter hesitates himself, not seeing the movement, but sensing Leo's discomfort. He's pretty fine-tuned to his fiancé by now.

Lucky meeps at him from staff form. He's ready! ]

All right. We're gonna get started soon.

[ A gentle smile. ]

And - if you need to sit it out after the first round, that's okay too. We have backups.

[Funny how going through hell together for a year being tortured gets you really in tune with each other. But Leo smiles brightly hearing that.]

Thanks. But I'm sure the other team'll be the ones who need to sit out.

Okay, okay, just saying ...

[ Hunter kicks off into the air then to start the match. It's gonna be a fierce one - their scrimmage opponent is from St. Epiderm and is gonna give them a heck of a time, despite theoretically just being a scrimmage. ]

[Leo watches him do that then looks a staff-Lucky and follows the same motions. Before he knows it he's up in the air. And even from this, he can smell the animosity from St. Epiderm; there's definitely some long standing beef there they use Flyer Derby (and probably also Grudgby) to sort out.

He takes note of which side is theirs to take the flags back to, any notes Hunter and Willow have to give him about tells or weaknesses in the other players.]

All right, I think I got the hang of this. Ready whenever.

[ Willow has way more specifics; she's clearly the the tactician of the two. And once she sees that Leo's into this, her usual light levels of frost warm up a bit. ]

Okay. Wait for the whistle -

[ And after a PIERCING whistle noise, they're off! Hunter is in the thick of it immediately, blinking all over the field to swipe flags and avoid getting his own taken. ]

[No one actually said that they had to use their actual physical fingers to remove the flags. He's focusing on staying just barely out of range of the other flyers, using his Snail boon to quickly yank the flags away from his opponents once he's close enough. He doesn't wanna give away the strat immediately.]

Ohoho, I think we got this in the bag- [He just has to go put them on his own team's bone-tower and that's it right?]

[ It's true! And St. Epiderm is showing way less restraint with their own magic, so frankly Leo will go unnoticed at first.

Hunter, meanwhile, has to dodge a lightning bolt. He gives Leo a thumbs up. ]

Go for it!

[ And go quickly. There's actually a turtle demon on the other team who is zooming across the field now, on a collision course with Leo. ]

A race, huh?

[This turtle demon wants to try and get the best of him? Good luck-

It's wrong. As suddenly as he feels it, the pain is unbearable shooting up his arm. Leo cries out from it, barely keeping control of Lucky to stay in the air a few extra seconds. But the sudden sight of pink flesh tearing through the bandages and taking over his green skin is enough that he falls out of the air to the pitch.

He's not going to hurt you EVER again.

Hunter had promised. So why now? The fear that takes hold of him blinds him from how much falling to the ground hurt, but it isn't nearly as much as his arm hurts, as much as the Krang flesh digging into his bicep and up his shoulder hurts. A few of the other flyers start to approach.]

Don't! Stay away! [He has to deal with this. But he doesn't have his sword with him.]

[ To St. Epiderm's credit, the match IMMEDIATELY stops as soon as it's clear this isn't a normal fall. Hunter sees his fiancé go down and zooms that way in an instant. But when he sees that flash of pink ...

Screw zooming. He's teleporting. He's at Leo's side in the next moment, trying to put his hand on Leo's arm to see what's going on. ]

Leo? What - is that -

[ That CAN'T be Krang. Right? ]

[Willow and Gus aren't too far behind her, Luz and Amity watching from the stands and Luz having to be stopped from climbing over the railing to come see herself.

Leo's trying to keep it from touching anything, even the ground. But the pain is a searing white hot flash that he's trying to think through. Hunter shouldn't be this close, it'll just get him too- even as it's climbing further up his shoulder to his neck.]

Don't touch it- Just- get it off!

I - okay! I'll get it off! Somehow!

[ But HOW? It's all over Leo's arm, he's not sure how to get it off without hurting him? Or ...

He swallows thickly and pushes THAT thought away. Instead he grabs his staff and focuses electricity into his hands. Reaches down to grab the pink part and try to zap it with his bare fingers. ]

[The zapping is the only thing that keeps the Krang flesh from trying to find a home in Hunter's skin as well. It recoils, wrapping tighter around Leo's arm with a squelching sound.

Whether fortunate or not, Darius was watching the match as well. Damn him for wanting to support Hunter's endeavors. He's stepping in to take a look and makes a disgusted face at the sight. None of the Boiling Isles natives have any idea what this is, or that this had come with the turtle. The Krang mutation starts solidifying around Leo's hand, long sharp appendages over his fingers and hard, calcified pink wrist and forearm. But Leo looks up at Hunter, tears in his eyes like a plea.

Darius rests a hand on Hunter's shoulder.]

"I can take care if this."

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