![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaisoumods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
kaisou2024-10-03 12:45 pm
October Event Log (Space Horror Edition)
OCTOBER EVENT: HEAVY
TRIGGER WARNING: This event features heavy use of hallucinations, reliving past traumas, mental corruption and PVP death. Please proceed with caution.
Day OneWherever you drift off to sleep certainly isn't where you wake up the following day. Or... you assume it's day, as there is no natural light to truly clue you in. You wake on a bunk in a metallic room along with three other app users, also tucked into their comfy little bunks. A quick survey of your surroundings, and you will find you are on a sizeable spaceship. Outside the window, a blue planet slowly turns- those who have a knowledge of space might be able to recognize this as Neptune- you are far, far from Earth. Stepping out of the bunk room, you will find other doors opening to other bunk rooms, with similarly confused app users inside. No one has any idea how you got here. You will find your communications devices do not work- after all, you're a long way away from any cell towers. You'll be glad to see your abilities work just fine. Telepathy outside of the ship is impossible- perhaps distance matters here, too.
Exploration of the ship will show a worrying absence of any crew. You can see dried blood on several metallic surfaces as you move around. Canteens are stocked with freeze-dried astronaut meals, all perfectly edible, but there is no sign anyone has been eating anything in here for some time. You can see another ship docked outside the one you're in- the name on the side claiming it as The Lewis and Clark. There doesn't seem to be any way to get to it currently, though. The door leading to the docking station is locked tight. You eventually come across the bridge, with blood-crusted computer systems still running. Those tech-savvy amongst you might be able to get some informational screens up, which tell you that you are aboard The Event Horizon. This is a scientific vessel which was researching a means of faster space travel. They intended to do this with something called "The Gravity Core" - a device which would create an artificial black hole, which would in theory allow the user to bend space-time and cut a journey of thousands of years into a single day. So it turns out you're sitting in a spaceship with the means to create the most destructive force in the galaxy right next to you. Super! A few of the video files are corrupted, which will need some work getting to play. Ominously, every now and again the screens of the computer flash up a single, desperate message: Libera te tutemet ex inferis.
If you so decide to check out that Gravity Core, you will find a tunnel with sharp, moving sides. It moves like a meat grinder. Luckily there is a narrow walkway- wide enough for you to walk single file through it without getting hurt on the spikes. Worrying, some more of that dried blood can be seen on the spikes as they rotate. It's probably fine. The tunnel opens up into a big, circular, spiked room. There's a pool of water at the bottom of the room, and in the centre is a strange contraption, a ball with three spiked rings, about 10 meters in diameter. For now, they're just turning around one another slowly, never stopping. Congratulations, you found the Gravity Core! Anyone with demonic or holy ties will be deeply unsettled by this device. They can't put their finger on what it is, but they know it's deeply unsafe, and feel intense discomfort being anywhere near it. For now, there doesn't seem much to do other than get used to their surroundings. They can check the lock that could take them to the Lewis and Clark- their only way off this ship, but the lock is a complex series of rusted cogs. There seems to be no way to undo these locks no matter what you try- not even abilities will work on it. It's like some outside (or inside) force is preventing you from an early escape. For now, it seems you're stuck here.
Day TwoAt the start of day two, the whole ship shakes- anyone near the Gravity Core will witness the rings suddenly all line up, stopping their slow spiral. Everything is still for a moment, and then the center of the Core suddenly glows in a blinding flash of light, then... it settles- the lights around the center pulsing on and off like a heartbeat. The entire surface of the ball at the center of the core turns into a shimmering, water-like substance. Anyone nearby will feel an overwhelming urge to touch it. Should you give into the intrusive thought, you will find your hand sinks into the center as if it is made of water. With no warning, something on the other side GRIPS you, and pulls you in with a sharp tug. No one around can grab you in time before you vanish into the sludge.
For a moment, everything is still- then as quickly as they were pulled in, the poor souls dragged into the Core are unceremoniously spat out. The Core returns to normal, the rings spinning slowly around one another again. Those spat out will lay on the ground, catatonic, eyes open wide, staring in terror at... something - nothing seems to wake them. You may be left worried about what to do with your friends, but there's something else too. Something prickling at the edge of your consciousness. Perhaps it's a distant noise that almost sounds like a voice, a shifting shadow you swear was a person. Today, these things linger just on the periphery of your senses- there to unnerve you, but you cannot put your finger on what they are.
About an hour after they were spat out by the Core, the poor souls dragged into it suddenly bolt awake, that "the darkness is coming". It takes a hot minute for them to settle down again, and realise where they are. If you were one of those unlucky people, you cannot remember what you saw while you were inside the Core- all you remember is that it was terrible- and yet, you want to go to it again. You are convinced the absolute right thing to do is to open the Gravity Core again and for you all to step inside it. It's where you all belong. For now, you can be convinced to not do the blatantly stupid and dangerous thing and restart the Core, but as one day moves into the next, those urges only grow.
Day ThreeThose who were dragged into the Core are much, much worse off the next day. Your feelings about needing to restart the Core are even stronger - and those who weren't pulled in will need to guard the controls to prevent it from being forcibly started up. Those who fell in start calling themselves "corrupted" and you will do everything in your power to convince everyone that you need to open the Core. Perhaps you want to embrace what's on the other side of that Core- the horrors you saw. Or perhaps your spirit was so broken by the terrifying mixed-up memories you can only partly put together that you feel it's inevitable- that you may as well submit to the Core because there's no escape from it. The way you all speak about it makes it sound like hell, quite literally, and nothing will sway you from your desire to go back into it and drag everyone on the ship with you. You will be willing to fight and attack your fellow prisoners on the ship, to lie to and cajole them - anything that gets you to those controls.
Things aren't so hot for those not corrupted by the Core, either. The flickering visions you had yesterday turn into full-blown hallucinations today. These hallucinations are steeped heavily in your mental traumas and regrets. Perhaps you feel responsible for the death of a loved one- that person will appear and speak to you. Or perhaps you were attacked by someone in your past- now that attacker will stalk you through the ship. Perhaps your actions inadvertently caused a great disaster- victims of that disaster will appear to you, fingers pointing in blame. No matter what weakness of your mind is preyed upon, these hallucinations will chip away at your grasp of reality fairly quickly. They will do everything in their power to convince you to attack the others on the ship- be it through cajoling you or through simple trickery such as appearing before someone nearby, making you lash out at them, unaware you have struck the wrong target until it is too late. Worse still, everyone can see everyone else's hallucinations- there is no hiding from them or pretending they are not real. They are here and they are ready to push everyone into attacking one another. Those fully corrupted by the ship may see hallucinations of their own, too- but nothing overrides their desire to get the Core restarted.
Either through the efforts of those with tech-savvy skills, or from following old, tattered manuals you find stuffed behind a console, you are finally able to uncorrupt the ship's video files. The first shows the original Event Horizon crew, they are smiling and happy. The captain states they are about to open the Gravity Drive for the first time and hopes that soon they will be light years away from here, with minimal effort. Confidently, he smiles at the camera, stating "Ave, atque, vale. Hail and farewell." The screen suddenly goes fuzzy, and screams can be heard in the thick static. The screen goes dead. What follows are small video clips, tiny glimpses into madness. Once smiling happy crew go through a living nightmare as their world crashes down around them. You might see one sobbing about seeing her dead best friend she couldn't save, or perhaps another screaming at an invisible foe- you will even see the crew turn on each other, the camera catching the glint of a knife or a thrown punch. No matter what, it's clear that the previous crew went through exactly what you are going through now- and they destroyed one another over it.
There is one final video to play. This is of the captain, his face is bleeding from a deep gash in his cheek, and one arm hangs limp and useless at his side. In the background, screaming can be heard:
"I stashed the explosives around the Horizon. It's the only way to get the damned doors open. She won't let them free. She'll take them to hell. They won't even fight it. They're not interested."
Static fills the screen for a moment, and the screaming is louder, followed by banging. The captain gives a frustrated groan and smacks the camera with his good arm, clearing it up.
"If any of you are still alive, you've got to blow the doors apart. The ship's hull is designed to take it, just get into the umbilical and get the fuck out- it's oxygenated. Don't let her win. Don't let her drag you into hell with the rest of them. Don't-"
A loud CRASH occurs off-screen. The captain turns, to be tackled to the ground by someone else, covered in blood and barely recognizable as human. The figure drops to the ground on top of the captain, out of view of the camera. But his screams are heard. Terrified, bloodcurdling screams. When they stop. The figure stands. It's one of his crew, the woman who had been talking about her dead friend. She raises her hand, stained with blood, looking at it curiously for a moment, before turning to the camera.
"Liberate tutame ex inferis."
The video cuts out and there are no more.
The message is clear- the only way off the Event Horizon is to blow up the doors and get to the Lewis and Clark - preferably before the Gravity Core is activated again and you are all dragged, quite literally, into Hell.
Day FourSo now you know what you need to do. You need to find the explosives stashed around the Event Horizon and blow those doors to kingdom come. Not a simple task, with your corrupted friends and your own hallucinations trying to stop you from doing just that. You will likely have to fight your friends plenty in the search for the explosives- as the corrupted folks absolutely do not want you to escape. There are fives explosives to find, hidden in The control room, the engineering room, the med bay, the kitchen and finally, unhelpfully, near the controls of the Gravity Core. You will need to gather all of them and get them attached to the doors. They are, thankfully, simple to use and soon blow the doors clear off. They open to a yellow tube that leads into the waiting Lewis and Clark. There's no gravity in the tube, even if it is oxygenated, so you will have to float your way there. But...
The Event Horizon SHUDDERS in what you could only describe as anger when the doors are blown off. The captain's warning was right. The ship certainly doesn't want you to get away from this. The corrupted finally managed to get the Core started again, gleeful at pulling you all into hell. There is no switching it off, all you can do is fight your own hallucinations to get to the Lewis and Clark. Perhaps you have enough of your senses to try and pull the corrupted folks aboard with you- but they will fight you every step of the way. The only way you'll get them aboard the Lewis and Clark is by incapacitating them and dragging them to escape.
The Lewis and Clark is, blissfully, pre-programmed to return to Earth- though it may take a real long time to get there. Ship instructions bleep at you to put yourself into stasis for the long journey, but luckily, you do not need to worry about that. The Lewis and Clark pulls away from the Event Horizon- blasting quickly away. All you can see of it is a bright blue light as the Even Horizon swallows in on itself- taking whoever so remained on board with it. The hallucinations abruptly stop, and you are left only with the stark reality of all that has happened as the ship zooms forward.
After only about fifteen minutes on the Lewis and Clark, you feel yourself enveloped in a white light- then suddenly you'll find yourselves in a pile at the entrance to Blue Fish Park- as if you were spat out by any other spirit gate. Those who died on the Horizon will find themselves amongst you, none the worse for wear. Physically, at least. The corrupted will find their minds clear of the Core's influence, their memories of what they did aboard the ship can either either fuzzy or crystal clear. Regardless, you are now all back in Kaisou and safe- though the mental trauma of what happened may linger for a while.
The dominant element this month is Earth! Anyone with an affinity to the wind element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Water will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.
The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. There will be a midmonth Zodiac post on the 15th. If you wish to have your character in this event, you MUST SIGN UP by October 6th.
Characters NOT involved in this plot ARE allowed to comment as hallucinations that the characters on the ship are seeing. However, these hallucinations are hallucinations ONLY. They cannot relay any information the hallucinating character doesn't already know, and the real version of the hallucinated character will have know memory of being a hallucination.
Someone is Craaaazy
There has to be something. We already discussed this--I grew up in a place like this. Chase off the other humans--I don't care, I don't trust any of them at this point.
But I need to get off this ship.
I need to get Kni off this ship before one of you kill him too.
So just move aside. Or I'll shoot.
[ there's a click. and his gun is up.
...vash would never shoot at anyone, much less a friend.
he's not doing okay. ]
no subject
[And then Vash pulls a gun on him. In all the time Vash has been here, Varian has never seen this guy resort to violence. Not once. He tenses, tightening his hand on the vial of explosive. He'd rather not use it. Unlike Vash, Varian really has lashed out at friends before, tried to push them off the mortal coil. He knows he can do it if he has to - Cassandra was proof enough of that, even if what he did ultimately didn't kill her.
He really doesn't want to, though. He stays firmly in front of the console.]
Vash. Vash think about what you're doing here. This - this isn't you.
[He hallucination Varian appears beside him again, full of righteous rage as always.]
What are you waiting for? DO IT. You know that's all you're good for. It's EASY. Get rid of him.
[Varian ignores the hallucination, trying to focus on Vash instead. ]
I'm sorry about what happened to Wolfwood, really, I am, but this? This isn't gonna fix things.
no subject
[ this isn't him at all. He almost hesitates when he hefts that gun towards Varian. Almost. Almost, because as much time as he takes to think about aiming the barrel of the gun at Varian...
He also takes the time to think about how hesitating had gotten Wolfwood killed.
And with Kni standing a little ways back in the hallway behind him... ]
You don't actually know that.
You don't know anything about spaceships and technology like this.
Move.
I won't ask again.
no subject
[He lets out a small, incredulous noise. Varian isn't exactly vain, but he sure gets rankled whenever his intellect is put into question. It puts his back up.]
I know plenty about portals. I've made two from scratch. I'm telling you this is a bad idea.
[ This is so beyond what Vash normally is. Varian knows that. But he also sees there's no sense in the man's eyes. That he's either tipped over the edge or is pretty damn close to it. He can't step back and let Vash get to these controls.
But he knows Vash will shoot him if he doesn't move. That much is clear. And if he does that, Varian's not sure he'd miss. And if that happened? If Vash killed him? Well, there's no way Vash would be able to live with that once he's back to his senses. He doesn't want to be the reason Vash hates himself - Vash reminds him far too much of Rapunzel with his ceaseless, loving light. Varian doesn't want to be the reason that goes out. Vash is too kind a soul to carry a burden like that with him.
Varian is not. He was fully ready to destroy Cassandra, back when she attacked Corona. The only one willing to go to those lengths, if needed. Much as he adored that woman, he knew he was capable of doing what needed to be done. His conscience was pretty damn muddy already, he can survive more.]
...Sorry. No can do.
[Thanks to his ARCUS, he knows where Vash is weakest - but more to the point, he knows how Vash dodges bullets. Vash did give him that helpful little demonstration a while ago. He just needs to out-math the guy. And so, when he lets his green ball of explosive Flynnolium fly, he's not aiming for where Vash is, he's aiming for where he calculates the man will be. He isn't aiming to kill, either, only hurt. Something to make him back off. He knows Vash can survive a lot. He just needs to get him away from the console.
Still, when the glass vial breaks, it explodes in a concentrated spark of flame and force - just enough to know someone off their feet and... admittedly set them on fire a little. ]
tw: descriptions of violence with fire, major injury
Unfortunately, the vicinity close to hell and the way its effecting even the most level-headed pacifist is clear here, as vash is not thinking with any part of his brain right now. It's just instinct and desperation.
Normally Vash would even be able to sense the emotional and physical pain of others and make good judgements based on it--but even that's off the table as he laser-focuses on something else.
And varian is
In the way.
Varian has more than one advantage here. One being that he's unafraid to attack people he considers friends if it meant protecting himself, or other people he cares about. It's a sort of bravery and gall not many people had. And were vash in his right mind he might compliment the guy for his steel-hard resolution. But he's not in his right mind.
Varian's not moving and is threatening him with that explosive? An vial that's full of a mixture that creates an explosion when released into the air. He can see the way Varian's arm moves, the likely trajectory of it when he throws it and vash moves. Blindingly fast; as Varian's most certainly witnessed this before. His movement that's based half on instinct and half on intense, momentary calculations.
...It's just his misfortune that Varian's seen his trick before and had a mind perfectly made to meet Vash on the same playing field.
He tracked his arm, he calculated the trajectory of that explosive and he'd moved in a way where he should have avoided the area the explosion would engulf. It's too late when he realises that Varian had done the same math and threw it in a way that countered his usual quick thinking.
Vash doesn't even have a moment to scream out when he's swallowed up by the roiling cloud of flame and burning air.
It's not a great feeling--how quickly the skin boils when exposed to air too hot to handle. Made worse because of his own monsterous transformation into a Dryad--he's even more susceptible to the flame and it's moments before vash is on the ground, screaming in a ball of flame as he desperately tries to put himself out; skin charred and black.
His one hand flying out to try to grab Varian--the closest person to him currently--while still half on fire. His face almost fully charred black by the fire, it's probably a horrifying sight to see, until those fingers close in around Varian's wrist.
All he can do in this moment is think to activate his Persona's power--the ability to drain Varian's strength to heal some of the damage that's been done, as he gasps out for help.
Help him.
Help. ]
tw: descriptions of violence with fire, major injury
Varian didn't want to do this. Just like he never wanted to hurt Cass. He doesn't like hurting people - it feels like slipping too deep into the person he used to be, all hurt and rage - lashing out at anyone who hurt him. Hurting them worse in return. He knows that sometimes he has to dip into that dark, awful part of him. That sometimes he has to do what needs to be done, especially if it's him or them.
But it doesn't mean he has to like it any.
He looks away when Vash begins to burn - he's going up so very quickly, and he doesn't want the man to suffer. Just enough to get him out of commission long enough that he won't keep trying to get at the damn controls. Or shoot him, either or. He didn't want it to be this bad. He realises he's severely miscalculated here, and so he's already reaching for a fire retardant in his bag when Vash's hand closes on his wrist.
He gasps out in surprise as he feels the energy start to drain out of him. He drops the vial in his hand, so it skitters onto the ground between them, unbroken, doing nothing - he wanted to get it ON Vash, so he can go heal and lick his wounds, but that's not happening. Varian hasn't even got the strength to break it and push the man into it ad he drops to his knees, feeling weaker and weaker with the prolonged contact. The flame starts to lick up his own arm, but he hasn't got the strength to push Vash off or get away from the fire himself.]
Vash, let go. Lemmie- lemmie get-
no subject
her presence throws him off kilter, disoriented and a shade too distracted to do more than watch from the hallway as vash tries to push his way into the control room. kni can see varian, hear him argue with his brother - they need to get inside, they need to take control of the ship - but there's another voice overlapping varian's that sparks a violent rage inside him.
her voice, begging vash to stop, come home- ]
Vash, wait-
[it must be some cosmic joke to be always a moment too late, unable to prevent one tragedy after another. ultimately, he can blame no one but himself for his own failings. as the flames envelope vash, kni rushes forward with fear squeezing his heart and screams, his voice breaking.]
Vash!!!
[his abilities are a far cry from what they would be a hundred and fifty years from now. all he can manage is a portion of his gate, the alien material fluid and lightweight as kni uses it to try and put out the fire covering his brother even as his own hands burn with the effort.]
Vash! Vash, please- please don't do this, please...
no subject
Were it not for him grabbing varian to heal himself, he may have sustained even worse injuries. Even if it came at the cost of hurting someone he considered a very important friend.
the gun is out of his hand now, having fallen out of his hands, clattering across the floor and lost in the chaos of what's happening. He finally does let go of Varian once Kni appears from where he'd been in the hallway behind him, turning to try to follow the safe voice that surrounds him and --no, it's something else surrounding him. A soft, and yet solid material that swallows up the flame and soon leaves only a rising cloud of smoke around the taller plant as he successfully smothers out what's left of it. Leaving vash wheezing both in pain and smoke inhalation from being caught on fire.
At least varian had done one thing: Vash no longer seems interested in the console, or the gate.
His head turning toward the hallway as he considers his escape. Once he has feeling in his limbs again. ]
It hurts. [ he wheezes, his arms moving to wrap around himself, burnt and charred fingers curling around one of kni's wrists, looking up at him from where the 'hood' part of the cloak-like object he's wrapped in. ]
Knives, I want to go home.
no subject
Not that Varian has much time to think on that currently. He stumbles back when Vash finally lets go of him. He catches Kni is here and thinks for a moment good - at least Kni can deal with his brother. He drops to the ground, trying to put out the fire from his own arm after Vash touched him, the skin is blistering and agonising to the touch. Fuck, fuck, this was way messier than anticipated.
He fumbles for his ARCUS - he'd dropped it in the fight and it landed way too close to the brothers - if he can get to it, he can get Seraphic Ring and get them both healed from this. Unfortunately, he's weakened and stumbling and the damn thing IS a weapon. It would be only too easy to put two and two together to make five.
It doesn't help Varian's hallucination appears again, that younger, nastier version of himself. The person he isn't anymore, standing with his hands into fists.]
Do it! Kill them! What are you waiting for? He's DOWN.
no subject
this was her fault. kni can still hear her in his ear, whimpering and grating voice daring to say his brother's name as if she ever cared.
his anger turns towards varian in an instant the moment the other stumbles. kni pulls himself away from vash and advances towards varian.]
Witch! [his voice drips with acidic hostility, teeth bared.] I should have killed you back then--
[his hands come up, reaching for varian's neck with every intention to feel it crack under his grip.]
I won't make that mistake again!
no subject
Why. Why, despite how hard he tried, how gentle and understanding he was--did humans always do this? Why did he only add to his scars, time and time again?
The floor of the spaceship is replaced with that of an arid desert, and he watches Knives as he walks into a town full of humans, who had stolen everything from him. The smell of blood that followed as he helplessly watched him kill everyone he came even close to.
And vash makes
Absolutely no move
As Kni grabs Varian around the neck, lifting him dangerously as he barks ... 'witch'? Why... witch?
He reaches out to try to touch Kni, but he's already too far away. ]
CW death
There's a blast of magic, healing Vash's injuries caused from the fire- his own, too- and ironically, anything Kni might have picked up. It's a powerful piece of magic, and if nothing else, he can undo the damage he caused his friend. Varian's learned a lot about making good from his mistakes, he doesn't think he could have forgiven himself if he hadn't at least tried.
The ability is a massive energy drain, though. What little reserve Varian had left after Vash took it for himself is gone. He doesn't have enough strength to even push back against Kni as he grabs him by the neck, screaming about a witch. He can only paw weakly at his friends hands until Kni cracks his neck with a sickly sound. At least it's quick- the second it's done, Varian goes ragdoll limp in Kni's hands, eyes staring out at nothing. He's gone. ]
no subject
I'm sorry... [his voice is tight, feeling the rise of anguish threatening to overtake him but vash's presence snaps him back. kni shakes his head, leaning back on his knees besides varian's body as he runs a hand down his face. he inhales a steadying breath, noting it doesn't help in the slightest, and turns back to vash.
the absence of his own wounds doesn't register to him yet, but he notices it on his brother. the smell of burning smoke sticks to hise nose as he reaches out to check over the arm that had been engulfed in flames only moments ago.] Vash- Can you move at all?
no subject
he's using his hands to try to pat out the embering edges of it, to try to at least save part of it. it was fruitless--once they were out of here it'd be garbage.
not that
that mattered right now
his frantic patting might also be because he's trying to drag his attention away from the fact that
varian was dead
varian was dead and he healed them moments before his pain turned into silence.
vash's ability to sense others' pain was going berserk in this place, but he wasn't prepared for how jarring it was to have someone going from being in pain to completely silent like that.
he can feel himself starting to hyperventilate, despite how plants barely need to breathe in the first place.
his head whips around when kni touches him. ]
--he.
He healed us.
Before he went down, his. Tool, there. He...
[ look, kni. all his wounds. gone. ]
no subject
[kni reaches out to grasp at his brother's shoulders, trying desperately not to crumble under the reassurance that there aren't any fresh burns under his grip. varian had saved them in his dying breath and kni could chew his own tongue off about it.
he needs to get vash to focus.]
Look. We have to get off this ship. Or it'll kill us both. [all this suffering, and for what purpose? kni bites the inside of his cheek, the tang of iron sharp on his tongue.] We can't bring them back, we... we have to keep moving. Are you listening to me, Vash?
no subject
getting hurt by his friend
watching his friend regret the action
watching his brother kill his friend
and watching his friend heal him moments before the light left his eyes
he can feel tears running down his face, hot and wet and making it hard to see as his glasses fog up a little
he doesn't feel kni's hands on him, on his shoulders, his whole body feels numb
and his hands move up to touch his own face, as the horror of what he'd just
done
Vash
Vash
Vash.
Knives is calling to him.
His eyes flicker back into focus as he looks at the young knives
and suddenly he's back
in the middle of that desert, a hundred and fifty years younger
and his fingers cling to knives' hands
the only hands he knows
the only hands he can
trust ]
I'm listening.
[ the music between them goes eerily silent as the reality sets in. they have to keep going.
they have to keep moving. they... ]
We have to leave.
I don't want to die.
I don't want you to die.
no subject
[his voice stutters as his heart kicks hard, that momentary fluttering fear of a future where that is possible striking him dead-on. if vash died, if he died...
kni squeezes his brother's hands back, until his knuckles turn white, until he trembles with the effort of keeping the only family he had left here with him in this life.
varian's dead weight a physical presence behind him, pressing against his senses as if he could ever forget who else shared this space with them. the emotions, grief and something even more bitter, rises up inside him and as kni tries to push it all back down as his vision blurs around the edges. in between blinking, vash changes- from vash, taller and older, and tired to vash. his mirror stares back up at him with tears in his eyes, desperate for this suffering to end all while kni knows he is just as powerless. he couldn't fail vash, not again.
some tears slip past his guard and when he blinks away the fog, his older brother is back. it's his hands kni holds in his own, battle worn and half-synthetic.]
... Can you stand? Does it- are you hurt anywhere? Are you in pain, Vash?
no subject
measurably small.
his hands gripping the others' as he promises to protect him. Yes. Kni would... Kni was always there, wasn't he?
His eyes flick up and focus on him; trying hard
hard to ignore the corpse of Varian and the horror done here
the dawning feeling of
What if Shroud finds out echoing in his head.
He promised to kill Kni if... ]
I can stand.
I'm...
I'm not in pain. No. Varian. Varian healed it all before he.
[ fuck. fuck fuck fuck. ]
We can't just leave him here.