hadriel | ✘ Round 4

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✘ Round 4 | [Audio]

[It's time for someone who rarely accesses the network to rear his head again, driven to desperation as the days have ticked by and he's failed to find even a trace of one of his closest friends. That being said when Glacius speaks there's an uncharacteristic urgency tinting his voice, worry bubbling just underneath the surface.] Kate Galloway. Has--has anyone seen or heard from her recently?

[Realizing that in his haste to get to the point he's left out some details, he dials it back a bit:] She's, ah, a human woman. Brightly-colored hair. Worked at the clinic, primarily. I... haven't seen a trace of her ever since the masquerade and...

... Please. [His voice finally wavers noticeably, resignation clashing up against his innate tendency to hope again hope. This can't be how it goes.] I need someone to tell me she's still here.

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[If only Glacius was in a state fit to make a better impression for an actual first meeting--and he's aware that he's not, which is enough to make him self-conscious on top of all the other undesirable emotions choking him up right now. He's trying his best, keeping his back more or less straight as he approaches the door, but Rome can probably tell from the way his head his bows and his steps are slow and heavy that this loss has struck the alien incredibly hard.

Nonetheless he eventually makes it over to the man. In his large white hands, a singular object is held, cradled as if it were the most valuable of treasures-- because to Glacius, it is. It's a mug with an elephant on it, but to him it's much more than that, one of the last ties he has to his lost friend; something that she cared for, that he will now do in turn. The ice alien regards Rome for a few moments, his expression knitted with woe, and it seems like he's trying to work up the gumption to actually hand it off to the other guardsman. He eventually manages it, all the care in the world behind the gesture, his eyes locked not on the other person present but on the mug itself.]

Here... you are. Will this be enough? How does this process even work?

Hm.

[Having seen Glacius in passing before, he doesn't startle at the alien's imposing figure now- though with the opportunity to finally see him up close, Rome admits to a little curiosity, tilting his head as he approaches.

Still, when he's handed the mug, he treats it carefully, taking his cues from the larger alien and gently taking it into his hands, his brow furrowing a little as he looks over it carefully. After a moment or two, he lifts the mug to his face, sniffing at it with a small frown.]

Ceramic does not hold scent very well, but I'll try. [And then, in explanation-] Due to the material, I'll need to utilize the best of my abilities, which will require shifting. After I shift, I'll isolate her scent and use that to track her most recent location. You will follow me until we reach either her, or where she last touched Hadriel. I will be unable to speak in my other form, but I will retain all cognitive abilities and can understand you.

[A small pause, before he carefully offers the cup back with a slight nod.]

Is that acceptable?

[If only Glacius had known it had to do with scent; he probably should have asked for more details before choosing the object. Oh well--what is done is done, and besides, he'd be wary to bring out some of the softer, more easily dirtied items of hers that he now possesses anyways. Something else has seized the alien's attention now: the thought that he might literally be able to follow in Kate's footsteps, to learn more about what happened to her, to forge this one final connection, even if it is not much of one at all.

So he nods.] It is. [He's curious about this one's shifting capabilities, having not yet met anyone else in this cave who possessed them... but he doesn't ask any more questions. He suspects he'll see what Rome means soon enough.] Let us proceed.

[Rome nods, stepping lightly toward the nearby table before summarily shrugging out of his coat and folding it, setting it on the wood. His shirt comes off next, then shoes, then socks- all set down in a neat and orderly fashion. Rome has no shame or compunctions about nudity, and so he doesn't hesitate at all before removing his belt and the rest of his clothing.

He cracks his knuckles, getting himself ready, before his limbs fall to his side, relaxed. Romulus exhales slowly, before his shoulder snaps forward almost violently and then the shift is underway.

The entire transformation is grotesque and oddly beautiful at the same time, pitching him forward onto his knees as his bones grind against one another and his muscle tears itself apart and changes shape. The fur comes along with the rest of it, claws bursting from his nailbeds, ears going pointed and upward along the side of his head. It's over in just a handful of seconds, when a darkly-colored wolf stands on all fours where Rome had been a few moments before.

It's nothing drastic to him- Rome shakes off the lingering itch of the shift, before making his way toward Glacius, his head lifted to try and get a good few sniffs at the cup in the alien's hand.

[And here comes another reason Glacius should have asked for more details about the whole process: he seems unbothered by Rome's transformation at first, but then a coat of fur ripples down to coat his body, his ears elongate, and those claws burst forth, wicked and sharp. Though the color of the fur and the quadrupedal stance is different, the ice alien is immediately reminded of the lycanthrope that he'd fought back on earth and he tenses, taking a step back as he holds the cup protectively against his body.

The wolf, however, doesn't howl or snarl or so much as even growl at him; it doesn't bare its fangs and rush him, trying to cleave through his icy armor. It--no, he, Glacius has to remind himself--remains calm and focused on the task presented to him. The otherworldly warrior forces himself to relax, holding the cup out to Rome once more. He decides to test what the man said about being able to udnerstand him; perhaps that will help him feel more at ease with this situation, even if the being before him can't answer back in this form.] I do not know how you have not lost yourself to this beast, but I am grateful for it. If you can track her with this, then lead the way.

[He can sense the apprehension in the alien as soon as all fours hit the ground and Rome takes painstaking care to remain still and nonthreatening, to allow Glacius to look and make sure that he isn't a threat. He's calm, breathing softly, and quiet.

The moment passes sooner rather than later and he nods, reaching up to grab his clothing in his mouth and nudge them into Glacius' hands before pressing his nose to the ground and moving off.

Kate often worked in the clinic, so it would make sense that her scent would light up on the pathway there. Rome follows it all the same, leading the way down the street. The clinic isn't particularly far off, but it grows more difficult to pinpoint her most recent location from there- she's been here a lot, and the scent of her is overwhelming. Once they reach the clinic, he'll need a moment or two, and Rome paces around the front door, trying to locate the freshest piece of the trail.]

[Glacius takes the human's clothing in his massive hand and follows after the animal; though he prefers to move at a slow and steady pace, he's feeling a sense of urgency at the thought of finding out more about what happened to his friend, so his long and quick strides enable him to keep up fairly easily.

It doesn't surprise him that they end up at the clinic; Kate spent a lot of time here, and he with her, as they talked and worked and healed together on many separate occassions. So much time and so many memories. The ice alien feels a tightening in his hearts as the wolf paces about, trying to figure out where to go from here. He doesn't want this to be it... and yet at the same time, Glacius would understand if this is where it all ends.]

[It takes him a few minutes before he catches wind of the most recent scent of hers, a trail that takes him away from the clinic. Rome lets out a low woof under his breath to catch Glacius' attention, before trotting off down the path, sniffing carefully at the ground.

He's not paying much attention to where he's going, so it's a surprise to him when they end up at the Colosseum, where there had recently been the ball held by Sorrow. Rome's nose presses into the dirt path leading up to it and he turns back to his icy companion, his head tilted curiously before moving forward again.

This was one of the last places. There isn't much after this, he thinks.]

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✘ Round 4 | [Audio]

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