( i got burned by icarus )  ⸺  open, return
#1
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you cannot domesticate an animal. lake had learned this the hard way, the messy way, the bloody way. as it turned out, she was an animal after all, and she hadn't enjoyed her domestication.


she's seventeen, nearly eighteen, by all measures no more mature than any child. but the issue always arises in that matter, when she struggles to think in any complex manner, but she's bigger and stronger than any grown man she'd matched thus far. nearly seven feet tall, bluntly cut ashen curls hanging just above her shoulders, blue eyes wild and hungry like those of an animal. she's lean, not muscular or thin; hidden muscle so clearly lying beneath a frame that lacked fat, a side effect of needing twice the daily calories of the average person her age.


scars and tattoos line sun kissed flesh, glowing golden in the light of the late winter sunset. covering too many of them, however, is blood in varying stages of the drying process. she's sitting on a rock, perched on the edge, looking every bit a predator as she rests there. she's covered in blood, but from a lack of injuries, it's clearly not her own. instead, it covers her hands and forearms, splatters along her chest and knees, smears over her mouth and jaw, and if there was any question about it's origins, the vague remains of a deer were half buried a few yards away from her. there's a dark look in those blue eyes as she sits, not bothering to clean herself off, waiting for someone to approach.


anyone who'd met lake before wouldn't ever forget her. the teenager, tall and solid as a tree, is hard to miss. you get tall people, sure, but nothing like the creature that rested like a lioness on her own pride rock. it's more than just her distinct appearance, though— it's that personality that was so often impossible to forget.


she'd raised herself, grown up away from society. it left her largely illiterate and likewise lacking communication skills. she had no knowledge of social rules, crossing physical and society rules regularly. she said exactly what popped into her head with no hesitation, blunt and frank. likewise, she was often seen strutting about eating food, and without any hesitation, she could just as easily chase down just about anyone, as was evident by the doe's passing without any weaponry involved. she had no qualms, no restrictions regarding violence, and while it could be dangerous when she was viewed as volatile, all to often she made a fantastic weapon.


built like a tank, she could be as obedient as a dog when she felt there was something to gain from it. the last time she'd been there, it was that coveted brand. she didn't care what the seared flesh represented, only that few people got it, and that made her want it. in camp apocalypse, it was an affection towards willow and jordan, two of the only women who'd ever seemingly given her a chance. that affection carried her to bluestem, willow's next location.


she'd tried so hard to be good, to domesticate herself. but it was like putting a sweater on a wolf; the wool covering it's frame didn't suddenly strip it of it's wicked, wild ways. she'd been left feeling restless and contained, two feelings that didn't compute well for a teenager of nearly seven feet, so she left. just as she had so many times over, she'd stood up one day and left.


but there was a distinction about her now, seated there. she'd always had a wildness to her, but it was different now. the sun kissed flesh surrounding blue eyes was darkened with kohl, and though she'd always seemed plenty impervious to the cold, perpetually in a tank top and cargo pants, this time she wore only black. for once, she wore shoes, mens boots that barely fit. also black, laced up tightly around her ankle.


it was an entirely new look, and though she was plenty recognizable, it was quite obvious that the time that had passed since her last residence in the badlands had brought that legendary teenage angst along with it. perhaps it might be viewed as a phase, but one might just as easily presume that this was simply who she was now. after all, she'd never been the sweet-and-sunny variety.


flesh covered in small tattoos of symbols and scars, covered in blood and smears of dirt and kohl, glowing in the sunset. body clad in black clothing, ignoring the cool weather. a duffel bag rests beside her, lumpy and only half full, her entire life reduced to it's contents. lake stands, done with her meal, and lifts the bag, traipsing into the territory with her usual lack of regard for boundaries. she figures she'll run into someone eventually— was catalyst still here? she couldn't imagine they'd be very happy to see her after her lack of a goodbye, but that didn't stop lake. she'd never been one to give a shit.


( hi hello i'm sick but the tree is bacc bois )


[b][i]she'll want the devil on her side
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#2
| | | YOU'RE A VILLAINOUS THING
AND WE CAN'T HAVE YOU LIVING A LIE
A few inches over six feet, and wild as a storming sea, Salem was about as domestic as an attack dog. Sure he had his moments of sloth and gluttony - more than the average man, he's assume - but one look into his bright eyes revealed a deep fire buried underneath the meadow of friendly green.

But he was refined, a cutting knife with a sharp edge. One would never find the current Top Dog of the Badlands tearing apart a doe with his bare hands; he drew the line in the sand at acting like a feral bear. But one could find Salem around the edges of the city during the sunset, enjoying the nip of the cold air while he was perched on the porch of an abandoned house.

And like a lycanthrope in the night, a bloodied girl wandered into town. All black clothes might've hid the blood, if it wasn't for the fact it was splattered her form alongside a healthy amount of dirt. In the dimming light he couldn't really tell anything else about her, but he felt confident in the idea she was likely covered in scars.

"Darling, did you get mauled by a wolf or something?" Salem asked, hopping to his feet and ignoring the burn of his bad leg as he approached the stranger slowly. She was tall, he noticed; taller than him even, perhaps as tall as Draekon. What was it with him finding giants lately? He was starting to feel short, and he was a good bit above average.
[justify]Waste no worry for the world, [abbr=Goes by Salem or Monty | He/Him or They/Them Pronouns | 28yrs Old | 6'3"| Leader of the Badlands | Former pirate captain | Sexuality is a unlabeled free for all; Panromantic and attracted solely to people who radiate power]&[/abbr]
Let it be a tragedy of love and glory, [abbr=Medium-Hard Physically | Hard Mentally | Attacks with whip, scimitar or revolver | Open to maim if requested / discussed prior | Not open for death or capture | Difficult but not impossible to defeat or subdue]&[/abbr]
While they wait by gates of pearl, [abbr=Guy Fieri aesthetic | Choppy short dull brownish-grey hair | Bright green eyes | Three piercings on both ears (two on top cartilage, one large on lobe), and a lip piercing | Scruffy beard starting to grow in | Both pinky fingers cut off | Walks with noticeable limp, favors his right leg]&[/abbr]
We'll be building palaces in purgatory, [abbr=There are no extra tags this is just for aesthetic]&[/abbr]
(IC Opinions)[/justify]


TAKING LESSONS FROM THE DELUDED
top dog salem - he/him or they/them
tags in template
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#3
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her journey is brought to a halt when a man intercepts her path. he's tall, objectively; not very compared to her, but not as small as willow was. a little scruffy, a piece of metal or something through his lip and gaping holes in his ears. she stays quiet, lets the silence hang in the air, pale gaze searching him up and down, sizing him up, deciding whether or not she wants to bother with him. talk to him, shove him away, bother in general.

she decides with the prior, dropping her bag on the ground. it would probably be easier to convince cat to let her stay if she didn't pick fights right away. [color=#894230]"not my blood." she says shortly, never a long winded one, nor one for much eloquence. [color=#894230]"got hungry, ate a deer." she's almost defensive about this point, stuffing her hands into the top pockets of her black cargo pants, all the others stuffed to the maximum.

she's big, she's powerful, but she isn't smart. she's uneducated, never learning to read, and even speaking is a fairly new trait to her. there's never any tone or infliction to her words, and social cues don't process in her brain. she was raised wild as a wolf, and she operates similarly to one. [color=#894230]"where is cat?" she asks, but it sounds more like a demand, cerulean eyes giving nothing away, though she does remove a familiar red bandanna from her pocket with one hand. with the other, she brushes she hair from behind her ear, revealing the earrings of an enforcer decorating it. she'd just left, never bothered to hand them back. [color=#894230]"i'm back."


[b][i]she'll want the devil on her side
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#4
| | | YOU'RE A VILLAINOUS THING
AND WE CAN'T HAVE YOU LIVING A LIE
Getting sized up by this woman didn't feel great, and his hand moved to the handle of his revolver resting neatly in its holster on his hip. But apparently he'd been deemed worthy of her time, as she dropped her bag and gave a short explanation.

He decided immediately he didn't want to know anything past "got hungry, ate a deer,". You know what, feral women from the woods were certainly not what he signed up for; but through sheer blind confidence he'd continue despite his lack of expertise in handling... Whatever she had going on.

"Cat's gone," He answered simply; what other answer was there? Catalyst was out, and they likely weren't coming back. Salem felt his face contort into a grimace as the woman pulled out a familiar red bandanna, and revealed the earrings of an enforcer still worn.

He was mildly surprised she knew about the bandannas, but hadn't noticed his black and white one; the signal of a leader. Maybe she forgot the ranks of bandannas, or didn't care; perhaps both. "And back you are, mind if I ask your name, missy? I'm Salem, I run things now in the absence of our mutual friend Catalyst," It was a bit disrespectful to call Catalyst his friend after what happened, but Salem was nothing if not eternally disrespectful. "-So I need to know who's coming and going, of course," He added.
[justify]Waste no worry for the world, [abbr=Goes by Salem or Monty | He/Him or They/Them Pronouns | 28yrs Old | 6'3"| Leader of the Badlands | Former pirate captain | Sexuality is a unlabeled free for all; Panromantic and attracted solely to people who radiate power]&[/abbr]
Let it be a tragedy of love and glory, [abbr=Medium-Hard Physically | Hard Mentally | Attacks with whip, scimitar or revolver | Open to maim if requested / discussed prior | Not open for death or capture | Difficult but not impossible to defeat or subdue]&[/abbr]
While they wait by gates of pearl, [abbr=Guy Fieri aesthetic | Choppy short dull brownish-grey hair | Bright green eyes | Three piercings on both ears (two on top cartilage, one large on lobe), and a lip piercing | Scruffy beard starting to grow in | Both pinky fingers cut off | Walks with noticeable limp, favors his right leg]&[/abbr]
We'll be building palaces in purgatory, [abbr=There are no extra tags this is just for aesthetic]&[/abbr]
(IC Opinions)[/justify]


TAKING LESSONS FROM THE DELUDED
top dog salem - he/him or they/them
tags in template
Reply
#5
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she's not smart, but she is watchful. observant. she's far more feline than canine, movements swift and precise, never missing a thing. she lacks any desire to please, only seeking self gratification. sometimes, it simply requires pleasing others to get. she see's the hand move to the gun, and her eyes never change. cold, blank. the threat doesn't intimidate her in the slightest.


[color=#894230]"those do not hurt me." she says passively, and from the pocket that she'd removed the handkerchief from, she removes a handful of small metal pieces. twenty, easily, all slightly bloodstained and used, but easily recognizable; bullets. used bullets. it's a bit of a macabre collection, but if you put two-and-two together, deduced from her words where they came from, one could theoretically understand the collection. keepsakes, proof of the relative immortality she sort of thought she possessed. nothing had killed her yet, right?


cat was gone, he said. he's in charge. his name is salem, he's in charge, he wants her name. blue eyes give him another once over, she clears her throat again, and shrugs thin shoulders. [color=#894230]"lake." it's the only name she's ever known. she's been told it was once elizabeth, but that name died alongside her old life, the one she doesn't remember. she's lake now, that's all that matters.


she uses her handkerchief to begin wiping her skin off. it's not very useful, considering most of the blood has begun to dry, but it's effective enough, revealing more flashes of flesh. [color=#894230]"so i can stay?" she demands, glancing up towards salem, gaze intense and unwavering. she hardly even blinks, and it's clear to see that she isn't exactly trained in social etiquette. [color=#894230]"i left, thought cat might be mad. but you are not cat." she says this simply, frankly, never looks away as she wipes her mouth off. [color=#894230]"i can be useful. obviously." she felt no need to state this, but did regardless. nearly seven feet tall and not done growing, she's visibly underweight but what little meat clings to her bones is muscle. the blood, the simplicity and aggression in her demeanor— she is obviously useful.


[b][i]she'll want the devil on her side
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#6
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[div style="borderwidth; width: 400px; padding: 1px; text-align: justify; color: #4B3E2D; line-height: 14px; font-size: 11pt; font-family:timesnewroman"]"speech" 'thought' text
tw: alcohol, death, lots of blood, profanity, heavy violence, religion

Voila! A Mike had appeared. Mike's knowledge of Lake, and interactions with her, were both limited. He knew of her as Gabe's friend... which was a whole 'nother kettle of fish. He'd been pretty bad in those days. Hell, if Salem knew how bad, he might have run him out of town. But nobody needed to know he'd stabbed Cat. And nobody needed to know that he'd broken some kids bones over their continued bullying of Gabe... no one also needed to know about the guy who's hand he'd broken when he'd picked a fight with Sheo.

There were a lot of things people didn't need to know. His hands were in his pockets as he made his way to the scene, unphased by the amount of blood which was on Lake. In truth, there was a lot of blood in the world, and somehow, even more in the Badlands. He shrugged his shoulders, and nodded a greeting to Lake, what else to do? Talk? That seemed very out of character for his (more often than not) brooding character.


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MICHAEL FORD
Michael Ford is a 45 year old, man, he's stubbornly loyal to whatever cause he chooses, protective of his family and friends, he's a member of the Badlands. Michael has issues controlling his anger in most situations. He is a difficult opponent and well trained, feel free to power play nonviolent interactions though.
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#7
| | | YOU'RE A VILLAINOUS THING
AND WE CAN'T HAVE YOU LIVING A LIE
So either this girl was bluffing like a goddess straight from Hades by pulling out a handkerchief full of spent bullets, or she was actually a goddess straight from Hades who could not be hurt with mortal weapons. He was going with the first; after all, there was no proof any of those bullets had been shot at her, after all.

Still, it was wildly unnerving and he definitely didn't want to know what was going on with this girl beyond the most surface-level information. "Duly noted,"

Lake wasn't the worst name; he couldn't imagine naming his own kid Lake, but she seemed more beast than woman so perhaps her parents were the weirdest kind of hippies, or something. He couldn't judge, his parents named him Monty; it was just unique enough for them to brag about it, but not so unique he was walking around named Fir-Tree or some shit.

He lost track of what he was thinking about. Oh right- letting Lake stay. "I don't see any reason you can't stay, if you can pull your weight you'll be fine," Salem said with a shrug. If Lake was on Cat's shit-list, even potentially on their shit-list, then Salem wanted her around. "Maybe head to the casino and get something to eat that's not raw meat, I can see your ribs," He figured a tour was unnecessary; she was a returning member, not a newbie.

His eyes turned towards Mike, scanning the silent figure thoughtfully. Mike was certainly the welcoming type, wasn't he? But Salem didn't mind the silent nod, it played up Mike's mysterious aura and having a mystery-man was important, probably.

Sure, he didn't know the first thing about Mike's backstory; his bloodied history in the Badlands. But did Salem need to know that stuff? For now, he didn't think he needed to pry Mike apart to uncover any of it; so long as Mike was loyal and obedient, he could be on a dozen Most Wanted lists around the world and Salem wouldn't care at all.
[justify]Waste no worry for the world, [abbr=Goes by Salem or Monty | He/Him or They/Them Pronouns | 28yrs Old | 6'3"| Leader of the Badlands | Former pirate captain | Sexuality is a unlabeled free for all; Panromantic and attracted solely to people who radiate power]&[/abbr]
Let it be a tragedy of love and glory, [abbr=Medium-Hard Physically | Hard Mentally | Attacks with whip, scimitar or revolver | Open to maim if requested / discussed prior | Not open for death or capture | Difficult but not impossible to defeat or subdue]&[/abbr]
While they wait by gates of pearl, [abbr=Guy Fieri aesthetic | Choppy short dull brownish-grey hair | Bright green eyes | Three piercings on both ears (two on top cartilage, one large on lobe), and a lip piercing | Scruffy beard starting to grow in | Both pinky fingers cut off | Walks with noticeable limp, favors his right leg]&[/abbr]
We'll be building palaces in purgatory, [abbr=There are no extra tags this is just for aesthetic]&[/abbr]
(IC Opinions)[/justify]


TAKING LESSONS FROM THE DELUDED
top dog salem - he/him or they/them
tags in template
Reply
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