The Cleansing (BearClaw x Greatmar2)

[Greatmar2]

Keegan awoke slowly, feeling sluggish and sore. He was sore all over, and had not slept well last night. His skin had been nonstop itchy, and after waking up and scratching it several times during the night, he realised it would be best not to scratch it, as that might make it worse, whatever it was.


Well, at least I am alive… he realized. After some time he opened his eyes and apprehensively lifted his hand and forearm in front of his eyes. What he saw was even stranger than the dying blue skin he had expected. He could not see any skin. He was covered in blue scales! The clouds of his sleepiness immediately lifted, as he sat up with a start. His other arm was also covered in scales. He didn't have nails anymore, instead there was the start of black... claws? He lifted his shirt. His stomach was also covered in scales. What on earth is happening?! Well, of course this is not from earth... Shirana has some explaining to do...


He got out of his bed, standing up, then falling over with a thump. "Ouch," he groaned, then looked at his feet. He had to stop himself from shouting in surprise. His big toes had moved towards his heel, and the gap between his toes was longer as well. They looked a bit more like hands than feet now... His parents must not see him like this. He would have to wait until they had left for work before he left the room. He glanced at his watch, lying on his bedside table. His parents should be leaving in a dozen or so minutes. Using various objects in the room to support himself, he walked wobbly to his door and listened. He could hear the sounds of his parents getting ready.


Glad that his parents knew he was a light sleeper, and wouldn't be bursting into the room and checking up on him, he sat on the floor, leaning against the door. He sighed and waited impatiently until his parents had left.


Once they had left, several minutes later, he immedieately headed over to the guest room, using the walls for a bit of support. Not caing whether the angel was asleep or not, he knocked loudly on her door and asked, "Shirana, what has this - your - disease done to me?!?!" He was more frightened by his own appearance and what change had been wrought to him than angry. There was not much room left for other emotions amongst his bewilderment. He was supposed to be dead, not turning into some kind of reptile! 

Spoiler

For those of you following along with this RP, I thought I would include some pictures to help you imagine what Keegan would look like.


These are pretty much what his scales look like:

And this is sorta what his hands (top row and bottom center) and feet (middle row and left bottom row) look like, but he has five digits on each appendage. Ignore the random head at the bottom right for now:

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana woke with a start. "Wha?" She rubbed her eyes slowly. "My disease? I don't own a disease... But my dad owns one, do you want me to call him?" She was still half asleep and her brain wasn't quite registering where she was or what she was doing there. She dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the door. When she opened the door, however, her brain immediately woke up. She grabbed his arm and dragged him inside the room. "When did this happen? Humans shouldn't have scales!" She excitedly looked him up and down to try and figure out why the disease would cause scales. She would have to make a much bigger effort to get home, it wouldn't be as interesting staying here if she didn't know what was happening.

 

[Greatmar2]

Keegan yelped with surprise as Shirana pulled him into the guest room. He gripped her arm for stability as he almost fell over again. After he had regained his delicate stability, he replied, "Last night. I was itchy most of the night… I didn't know it was because of this… I thought I was supposed to be dying… not… not mutating! My hands and especially feet have also changed!" He would pinch himself in attempt to wake up from this bad dream, but unfortunately the hard scales now covering him made that rather hard. "We need to find out what is going on. Before something bad happens…"


He didn't want to, but he couldn't help but think about possibilities of what could happen to him. There were many, but he didn't seem to be dying. The anxiety was killing him. He then remembered something he had seen on the news. The meteor had showered Earth in small pieces. He was likely not the only one who had been hit. News reporters were very nosey. Surely someone else somewhere on Earth was going through similar things, and hadn't been able to hide it from the media. Once Shirana had finished speaking, which he had been half-listening to, he would go look at a news channel on TV, or website.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana listened carefully to what Keegan was saying. "Well I also thought you were dying... My father never explained everything to me. I am just a child after all. I can see you have changed quite a it since yesterday." She shook her head. "Do you have any suggestions on what you need to do? I am fine, this disease won't affect me so I can just hide out here and wait for my parents to come find me."

 

[Greatmar2]

Keegan face-palmed and groaned. "My parents…" he said, "I can't hide this from them. I managed to sneak past them yesterday, but I can't just avoid them for the rest of my life. They'll notice something is wrong by the latest at supper time." He stood there for a short while, not knowing what to do about that, but then decided that he should focus on the present, instead of the future. He would think about that later.


"Well, I was thinking that I should check the news. The pieces of meteor are bound to have hit someone else as well, not just me. Maybe some news reporters have somehow found out about other people? Maybe if someone got a bigger chunk in them, they would be changing more rapidly than me and I could see what was going to happen to me?" He suggested.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana shook her head, "No, I guess you won't be able to hide it from them, the best you can do is keep them from finding out for as long as possible. They are out now right? I am getting pretty hungry, where do you keep the food in this house? You can watch the news while I go get something to eat." She wondered if all the humans mutating would be going through the same changes as him or if some would be dying as a result of it. She would need to get in contact with her father soon to find out just what was happening and how she could get home amidst all this chaos.

 

[Greatmar2]

"I guess I should have some breakfast too..." Keegan said. He still did not feel well, but he was also incredibly hungry. This mutating must be using a lot of energy, he concluded. "Lets do that first," he gestured for Shirana to follow him, leading her to the kitchen, then into the pantry. Gesturing to the row of cereal boxes, he said, "Well these are the choices we have, and there is also the fruit bowl back on the dining room table that you can help yourself to, if you want. Ask if you need help." He stared a bit at the boxes before making his choice, cornflakes. He picked up the box, walked out of the pantry, put the box on the counter and then took out bowls, spoons and milk for them both. He poured more than he normally would into his bowl, being careful not to puncture the packet with his new claws. He then added milk then sat down at the dining room table, which was next to the kitchen.


After finishing his cereal, he munched on an apple while he waited for Shirana. Once she had finished, he quickly washed the dishes, getting quite annoyed with the claws. He then led Shirana to the lounge and turned on the TV, flicking to a news channel and waiting as the 8 o' clock news was about to begin in a few minutes.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana followed Keegan down to the kitchen and watched him as he showed her the cereal. She chose one that looked edible before sitting down at the table and quickly finishing it. She handed her bowl to Keegan and went to stand by the tv. She was waiting to find out what was happening around the world.

 

[Greatmar2]

Keegan looked briefly at Shirana, before looking back to the TV as he heard the news starting. The host started off by greeting the audience, then immediately began talking about a 'major update' to the story of the mystery meteor crashing to earth.


"Experts are greatly concerned about curious happenings apparently due to the meteor," the presenter said, "several of the scientists who have been studying the large chunk have fallen gravely ill with an unknown disease. The members of the team who don't seem to have been affected have also been quarantined, in a separate area to the dying, and are being monitored."


Keegan glanced again at Shirana. He guessed the scientists who were getting sick were ones 'bad at heart', as she put it, and the ones who were not affected weren't bad.


He focused again on the TV as an image was displayed next to the presenter. It showed a very odd looking person. The man was standing in a passage, dressed in a plain t-shirt and short pants that looked like something a hospital patient would wear. Keegan realised that it was, in fact, a hospital that the man was standing in. However, the main thing that caught his attention was the man's limbs. The man's legs were covered in a thick golden fur, his feet cat-like. His arms and face were covered in white and brown feathers. His hands had rough skin, with long claws, almost talons, extending from their tips. There was something… pointed about the man's face as well, but Keegan couldn't figure it out.


"This photo was taken yesterday of a Mr. Robertson who was reportedly hit in the chest with a sizable chunk of the meteor while in his garden yesterday. A neighbour who had witnessed the event phoned the hospital, which promptly sent an ambulance. Reports of the happenings are mixed, but what can be confirmed is that Mr. Robertson's chest, including his several broken ribs, had completely healed by the time he arrived in the emergency ward. Strange things began in mere hours. He growing sprouting fur and feathers. This picture of him was taken as he was being moved to quarantine. Only staff are allowed to see him now, but reports says he has begun to resemble the mythological creature known as a 'griffon'. He has also been growing wings and a tail." There was a pause as the picture disappeared, before the presenter changed the topic somewhat, "Authorities request that anyone who has been exposed to the meteor, whether going near it or being hit by shrapnel, go to the nearest registered medical practise to be monitored."


Keegan reached for the remote and turned the TV off. All he did was star wordlessly at the blank screen.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana took a step back from the tv, "No, no, how could this be possible? It was just supposed to kill them. Why is it turning them into out creatures?" She muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "I need to get in touch with my father. This can't be happening." She was talking to herself more than to Keegan, shaking her head and pacing up and down the room trying to figure out a way of either getting home or at least being able to speak to her father.

 

[Greatmar2]

Keegan opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, not knowing what to say. He needed answers too. Maybe she knew what these creatures were? He was wondering what he might turn into. He just hoped remained mentally sane. The news host had said nothing about that 'griffon'-guy's mental condition, just that he was being quarantined, which was not much of an indicator since they probably wanted to contain this virus Shirana had brought.


After a while he started to feel dizzy from watching Shirana pacing constantly. So he decided to make a suggestion, to feel like he was at least helping. Also on the chance she might stop pacing when she talked to him. "Well, here on earth, we have things called cell phones. We use them to talk to each other from far away. Maybe you have something like that?" After he said that, he realised how stupid it was, but he had already said it, so he awaited an answer.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana laughed, "Of course we have a communication device, nothing as simple as your cellphones though. The only problem is mine is still in my room, I wasn't planning on coming to Earth, I was just going to check out his workshop... I was just going to be a few minutes and then I would go back to my room so my father wouldn't know I had disobeyed him." She shook her head, "If only I kept mine with me every day like some of the Angels."

 

[Greatmar2]

"Ok," mumbled Keegan, "that doesn't help us much here, though." He didn't know what to say. He didn't know anything about Shirana's world, and had no clue of how to help her communicate with her parents. He thought briefly of the movie E.T., but this was rather different and he doubted Shirana would build a communications device from a bunch of old toys. Though if the authorities found out about Shirana or what was happening to him, it might be something similar. They were already cutting the guy who seemed to be turning into a griffon off from society. He wanted to at least know what he was turning into, as that was one of the things that were bugging him the most. The vast majority of the creatures he could think of that were scaly and clawed, were lizards. Yet he could not think of any that were a deep blue. There were some tinged bluish, but none he knew that were full-on blue.


He begun to speak, "So do you have any idea wha-" But the words turned into a scream of pain. He doubled over, barely noticing as he fell to the floor, screaming enough to frighten even a banshee. The only thing he could focus one, the thing that had now become his world, was the searing pain in his back. It felt as if molten metal was being poured over it, hot enough to melt him. Yet somehow he was still alive, stuck in a world of pain. As time seemed to drag on for years, he noticed nothing else until the soothing blackness of unconsciousness swallowed him.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana sighed and stopped pacing. This wasn't getting anywhere. She needed to figure out what was going on. "I should be able to figure this out! My father is the head inventor for heaven's sake!" She groaned and shook her head.


She turned around quickly as she heard Keegan scream. She felt utterly useless as he fell over, wailing in pain. She took a step towards him and reached out her hand but just as quickly as his screaming had started, it stopped. She watched his chest rise and fall rapidly.

 

[Greatmar2]

A painful throbbing in his back was the first thing he was aware of. It felt like metal rods had been driven into his spine, and now remained there. Keegan groaned with pain and weakly lifted his right hand, trying to feel his back, but his leaden body could not move properly. Giving up and letting his arm drop, he opened his eyes to see Shirana looking worriedly down at him.


"Hi," he managed to croak. His throat ached, presumably from his screaming earlier. Whether he had been out for minutes or hours, he did not know. The shear pain must have been too much for him, and caused him to black out. Feeling was returning to his limbs once again, but they still felt weak. With another groan, he sat up gingerly. "How long was I out?" he asked.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana choked back a cry of relief as Keegan regained conciousness. "Are you okay? I was so worried!" She crouched down next to him. She couldn't understand how she could have worried about him. She didn't care about humans. So why this one? She shook her head, "I am not quite sure how long you were out but it can't have been more than half an hour."


Her gaze drifted to the beginning of his new limbs, she wasn't sure if he had noticed that they were there yet. She guessed that the pain was due to them. They were only a few centimetres long but they would have had to push their ways out of his back. She hoped that they wouldn't grow any more. She didn't want him to collapse again.

 

[Greatmar2]

"Oh... Not too long then," Keegan replied, just happy he was not out for hours. He looked at his arms again, he doubted he would ever get used to these new scales. Or the claws, he thought as he started fiddling with his hands, inspecting the sharp black claws that were now growing at the ends of his fingers. This was something beyond any science-fiction movie he had ever seen. Sure, there were often aliens with advanced technology who wanted to destroy humans. However, in the movies, humans died when they were supposed to, being hit with whatever weapon the aliens had. But the protagonists always somehow survived everything and saved the human race. Sure, this did seem to be making people sick, if the news was anything to go by, but what did being turned into some lizard have to do with it?


After a few moments of silence he spoke, "So, what do you thi-" he looked at her and stopped. She had a weird expression on her face, and she seemed to be staring at his back. "Uh... is everything ok?" he asked, almost apprehensively.

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana looked up at Keegan, "What? Oh, yeah, everything is fine. Sorry." She shook her head and smiled, "You are feeling okay now right? You don't feel anything growing any more?"

 

[Greatmar2]

Shirana's question gave Keegan pause. What kind of question is that? was his first reaction, but then he soon realised, well, considering I am rapidly mutating into some... creature, it is reasonable... He took a little longer thinking of what to respond. He didn't actually know what it felt like when something was growing. He had been asleep when the scales had appeared, his nails turned to claws and his feet... deformed. Though he had had a fitful sleep, all he had felt was pain the times he woke up.


He looked down at himself. He couldn't see anything that had changed since he had passed out. Almost all the 'skin' he could see was covered in a layer of deep blue scales. The palms of his hands had not changed either, still a lighter blue with leathery unscaled skin.


Realising Shirana was still waiting for an answer, he looked up at her, biting back a groan of pain as a spike of pain ran through his back. "Uh… I haven't really noticed anything else growing… why?"

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana watched Keegan as he looked at himself. She could see that he was still feeling pain and wondered if that was because of him growing or if it was just the remnants of what had happened. She took a shaky breath, "If you feel anything begin to grow again please let me know." She was worried that if his limbs continued to grow, they would soon rip him apart.

 

[Greatmar2]

"Uhm, ok... I'll do that," said Keegan, feeling a bit awkward, he got up to his feet. He resisted the urge to look down at his clawed feet. I'm never going to get used to this... he thought, this should not be happening. He thought his shirt felt a bit tight, but he dismissed it, deciding it was the scales. They were noticeably less sensitive than just plain skin.


"So, what now?" Ever since this morning, after the first drastic changes happened to him, he had not had the slightest idea about what to do anymore. All the things he had learned today and yesterday were overwhelming. He was going to turn into some unnatural creature. There was that other person he had seen on TV. The presenter said he was a... what was it? A griffon? If that person was changing into something recognizable from mythology, maybe I am; not just randomly turning blue and growing claws and scales...





"Shirana?" he asked, "That person we saw on the television. Did you recognize what creature he was turning into? I mean, angels came from mythology..."

 

[BearClaw]

Shirana shook her head, "I honestly don't know what to do. My father would know what to do... If only I had contact with him..." She looked Keegan up and down. The creature he was turning into looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She was sure it came from her home though. "I can't tell you exactly what you are turning into though I know I have seen the creature before."

 

[Greatmar2]

Keegan paused at Shirana's response. She had misunderstood his question, but answered what he actually wanted to know. He wasn't going to complain about that. He was relieved that it did seem as if he was turning into some recognisable creature, not just mutating at random. "Ok. If you recognise what it is, please tell me." He walked away, heading to his room in hope of finding something to keep him occupied and his mind off the disease that had taken over his body.


((Time skip to just before his parents arrive?))

 

[Greatmar2]

*bump to reset timer*

 

[BearClaw]

(Time skip)


Shirana was sitting on the floor in a corner of Keegan's room, inspecting her metallic limbs. She wondered if she would be able to fix the wing up so that she could fly again. It would be easy if she were still at home, but she didn't know whether she could find anything useful on Earth. She looked up at Keegan and opened her mouth to speak before deciding against it and looking back down.