[ Blade hears the murmurs, strange as they are, and then of course Metis' caution that follows right after the sounds seem to increase in volume.
With Metis watching the rear, Blade sees fit not to look back, focusing on what's in front of him, and taking in their current environment.
He spots the familiar faces, the sight of one of them in particular causes him to take pause. ]
...Someone who is trying to distract us.
[ Blade simply says, though he can't help keep his eyes on the general direction of those 'familiar faces', even if he is also heading the same way Mizuki so happens to be. ]
I do not think it wise to ignore it entirely, Mizuki. Though, I do agree there is something that is toying with our minds.
[ There is sympathy in his voice, and clear concern, and while he mostly follows Mizuki and Blade both, he seems to maneuver closer to those held up. Looking over the flesh restraints that keep them enclosed and held up.
The device itself looks like a computer of sorts, but like the people, it has that sickly membrane almost fused into it and pulses as if breathing. The screen flickers on when it reads nearby life and the words on it ask for a password.
The one Anise looks to seems to stir a bit awake, and when their gaze meets her does she see an expression of fear. A frantic mumbling and they try to pull at the flesh that holds them up, the movement stirring Rodya nearby who groans out, calling out to the group, "Heeeyyy, if you're gonna try and do anything about... all of this.. you're gonna need to get to the Core." ]
...A Core? Within this tower?
[ An echoing rumble sounds throughout the spire, sending another mini-earthquake through the area and their unfortunate held up "friends" seem to receive the worse of it, twisting in their restraints with pained cries and frantic murmuring. "Need to.. go up, go up." While this happens, there's a sharper pull at all of their senses, cutting in the back of everyone's minds. Losing the feeling of themselves for just a moment. ]
[ There's a lot Mizuki could say and acknowledge in the next few moments—Metis' following comment, the device before them, what's said on how to proceed—but it's all cut short when suddenly, her mind goes blank.
It's as though an unseen force yanks at her very being, rendering her unable to think. ]
Ugh...
[ Absentmindedly, Mizuki drops her broken helmet, gripping at her head; there's no headache coming on, but it feels a lot like one might. ]
I'm going to snap every neck of the assholes who thought putting obvious imposters through this was a fun idea.
[ Blade hears the sound of Rodya's voice and whips his head back in that direction immediately.
The Core...he remembers those others mumbling something about that before. Not unlike a prayer, some kind of crazed mantra. His eyes fall to examine where one might slice those restraints through without cutting off a limb or two, then Rodya.
Not that it seems to matter much, with the sudden rumble crashing in through the area. It's jarring, hearing their voices like that, and then seemingly focused on a repeated set of words angled towards a certain direction. Not that much matters, because temporarily there is that disorientation, a sudden disassociation that is upon him, however brief. ]
[ Anise keeps staring, and doesn't seem to pay much attention to anything else... but then something pulls at her mind and her whole body shudders. The shock of it seems to be enough to make her pull away and turn to face Mizuki, Blade, and Metis.
Blade asks the important question, so she glances around and hopes somebody has an answer. ]
[ Metis is not one without those pains, holding onto his own helmet before he slowly shakes it off, exhaling a breath. The rumbles seem to quiet down, the echo dying out in the background and while that insist painful tugging lessens.. it's still there, hovering in the back of their mind, with an image they cannot quite name. Something is there but they cannot tell what no matter how much they think about it.
It's a feeling of unease, but also a kind of eerie comfort. You're not alone, what is here will help you, aid you, offer a guiding hand. Better in numbers, you won't be alone here.
The fleshy restraints look thick and heavy, like a large puffy blanket covering over all of them, and there is clear discomfort as they hang their heads when the pain lessens. Rodya shakes her head, laughing a little, "Come on, babes. How else but up? Riiight at the very tippy top. ..Woulda dealt with it myself but. A little too tied up right now, haha." The other two green figures are quieter, except one perks up with a whine, "If you're going, please please pleaaaaase be careful! Something is really wrong about this place, it's hard for us to even think most of the time..."
Metis grows quieter, looking over at them. ] What seems to be affecting them may no sooner begin to affect us as well... if so, then that means we are on a clear timer here.
[ He thinks it over, hand beneath his chin. ]
We can try to go for the Core together if that's what we want to do. But we could potentially try to see about our hostages as well.
[ After, despite the painful throb, he is able to listen to Metis' words closely, as well as Rodya and Dahut's. Decisive to the end, Blade makes his choice; even in the face of Mizuki's outburst, he doesn't mull over the surprising aspect, if it is true. And even if not, he feels he owes it to try, in case this does effect a certain someone in some way. He thinks, that he also does owe her a debt. ]
We've little time...
We'll take care of both. That computer might be a device that will allow us to go 'up' if we input a password. Unless there is some other way we have yet to have glimpsed.
Whatever the case, one of you attempt to put something in, or assist me. [ Then to the folks trapped: ] Unless...do any of you know the password?
[ Blade brings up his sword...and swings as hard as he can to try to cut through the walls first they're trapped to. One above, then along the outer edge to weaken its foundations. He is going to see if he can cut them out that way. ]
[ She watches Blade start hacking at the wall... then glances over at the computer terminal. ]
So... this might open up that other path?
[ She goes to the terminal, even as she can't fully pull her attention away from those in the wall. Can she make anything out about the device, what kind of input it's seeking? ]
[ Dahut shakes his head quickly though, "No no, there's more of us! I don't know if they escaped or, there was Monsieur Charles, and and.. we found other people, stuck in the walls, did you see them-?" ]
We may as well try our hand. But my thoughts are that terminal there may activate the pathway that we were unable to get to.
[ In agreement with Anise, who already starts to look it over, the request for a password shining back at her. It's asking for a seven letter password, the keyboard settled beneath the terminal's monitor.
Rodya pipes up helpfully, voice cheery despite her exhausted tone, "Guess you really didn't look around, huh? Don't worry, that's what I'm here for! Annie, input O-T-U-S-L-A-Y." Metis stands by Blade as he starts to make work of the restraints, in which the only one familiar to Anise starts to panic, "No, don't do that!"
The flesh gives away easy like paper, some of it seeming inserted into the back of Rodya as she's cut down and falls freely onto her hands and knees. She curses a bit, ow ow that hurt? But when she tries to stand, she no sooner collapses, growing pale and grasping at her throat. The flesh still tethered to her back pulses, rapidly, and she begins to crumble as if weaken, voice faint and as she tries to speak hurriedly, "This place is using people-- feeding off them, like a battery, you need-! You need.. to go up and--" The rest of her words die out as she fully collapses over, Metis checking her over quickly, but doing his best to avoid direct contact as flesh weakly clings from where it connects to her body. ]
..It was.. keeping her alive? [ Dahut and the other aren't able to get any more words out, the flesh around them constricting and slowly begins to eat more of them. The sickly membrane around them within this room starting to leak and melt, pulsing more rapidly. ]
Whenever he has tried to save someone, it has always failed. Though, his past life can no longer be grasped in his hands, he knows this keenly. The gravity and weight of his sins.
The price he will continue to keep paying.
Blade never expected it to affect him this much, for a moment just staring at the wall and remains. A reminder of the only thing he has ever been good for.
So, for once, as Metis checks over what remains before it all crumbles to nothing, Blade simply just stands there. With Anise closer still than either one of them, Mizuki's words make sense. ]
Metis eventually takes a step back from the body, the flesh beneath starting to take the remains of it as the two still held in the walls start to get absorbed further in. Their voices fading out, muffled as the flesh swallows them up. The walls around them pulse further, the room shrinking in - or rather, the flesh seems to expand, growing.
He at least moves, rather than waiting, coming over to check on Anise briefly. ]
Lady Anise, are you alright? Here, let us just--
[ Insert the phrase real quick. It shows a map, some coils that can be accessed and triggered to lead upwards to the top, being quick to hit the command. It highlights, and there's a lot of information listed on the side of the terminal screen but the area trembles again with another mini-earthquake. The air in the room becoming more oppressive, heavy, a gas starting to leak out with an audible hiss. To those exposed to the gas, a wave of dizziness, an itchy sensation dragging itself beneath your skin. ]
I think that is all we have time for now in here, let us keep moving!
[ Quickly, Mizuki scans over the information given, then— ]
You heard 'im! Let's go!
[ And she isn't going to waste time moseying out of here—but not before she scoops up the frozen Anise into her arm, hoisting her over a shoulder. She does understand why she's hesitating, but it really is too dangerous to linger. ]
[ No time to linger. I forget if they have their phones able to take pictures here so if he can he will, if not, well he will commit the info to memory.
Blade tears himself immediately away from the scene once Metis springs into action to activate everything on that computer.
But he too will be heading on outie too. Let's go, fam! ]
[ In the end, even an imitation of Ion's voice was enough to stop Anise in her tracks. And not for the first time. Thankfully, Metis moves in to input the passcode.
Anise lifts her gaze to see the last of those wall-bodies getting swallowed up... and is immediately scooped up by Mizuki. ]
Huh? -- Whoa!
[ Okay, well. She's not going to struggle -- the fact is that, even getting her head back in the zone, she was going to have a hard time running with her injury. So when she shifts around, it's only to hold on to Mizuki while they book it out of here. ]
[ Unfortunately any use of their I.R.I.S proves to be fruitless, it fizzles and glitches out statically. Not allowing any pictures to be taken. So hopefully their memory is good enough to remember what information they looked over. Outside the clear map and directions of ways to go.
Blade is making his way out, Mizuki scooping Anise up and Metis follows right behind. As they leave the room, it's barely enough time to see behind as flesh covers the entrance in and forbidding any way back in.
Which leaves them to return back up the stairs, back onto the coiling path and back to the platform that was initially their dead end to the area to the right. The platform trembles a little, that coiling structure making its way upwards to connect to that bridge. At least they managed to get their way up working... ]
If this Core is what controls this whole spire, our best chance of putting an end to all of this is to find it and power it down. [ They have a moment here to ponder their plans, but over the edge, there seems to be a rising level of gas that stretches around the tower. ] We can try to split up to find any other hostages or stick together and go for the Core directly.
[ Though Metis has his own opinions on things, he values everyone else's thoughts as well. What shall it be, friends? ]
[ Dang, it was worth a short, he supposes. Regardless, Blade tries to think things through this with a great deal of concentration on his end. ]
...They said that in order to put a halt to this we would need to go to the Core. We can use that as the primary goal, and then double back on our way out to see if we can catch any hostages.
If the Core is causing these oddities, then taking care of it may enable a safer search and a better way to secure them.
[ Metis has always been the kind of person to care more for the people, real or not. However, he regards Mizuki's own words, taking in Anise's and gesturing to Blade. ]
Sir Blade is right that, given the Core is causing this as far as we know, it might be best to take care of it. Mayhap there is a way to depower it - or even destroy it? If we shut it down, perhaps that will free those held up still?
[ Though the walls in their outer section of inside the tower are farther out of sight, all in the background and in the distance - if they look closely, they can see some faces, hands or other limbs hanging out from the sickly membranes. So that's lovely. Everything about all of this is normal. ]
...I have to imagine that the Core will not be easily accessible, even with the way there now connected. Someone - or something may be keeping it guard.
[ Blade doesn't imagine himself to hold such kindness, but he is still feeling...something about earlier.
He would never admit to that, though. ]
Hm.
I will not be surprised if what you say is true about a guard for the Core, Metis. Either way, whatever blocks our path, let's be prepared to dispatch it.
[ Turning away from the nightmare fuel-laden walls, Blade focuses on heading the only way they can: straight along the path forward. Though he is still well within earshot for whatever Anise may add in case of any differing opinions, he figures there's not much time to stand around, considering. ]
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With Metis watching the rear, Blade sees fit not to look back, focusing on what's in front of him, and taking in their current environment.
He spots the familiar faces, the sight of one of them in particular causes him to take pause. ]
...Someone who is trying to distract us.
[ Blade simply says, though he can't help keep his eyes on the general direction of those 'familiar faces', even if he is also heading the same way Mizuki so happens to be. ]
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Rather than passing by the faces, she stops to stare at them. Well, one of them.
There's no way they could be real... and yet. ]
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[ There is sympathy in his voice, and clear concern, and while he mostly follows Mizuki and Blade both, he seems to maneuver closer to those held up. Looking over the flesh restraints that keep them enclosed and held up.
The device itself looks like a computer of sorts, but like the people, it has that sickly membrane almost fused into it and pulses as if breathing. The screen flickers on when it reads nearby life and the words on it ask for a password.
The one Anise looks to seems to stir a bit awake, and when their gaze meets her does she see an expression of fear. A frantic mumbling and they try to pull at the flesh that holds them up, the movement stirring Rodya nearby who groans out, calling out to the group, "Heeeyyy, if you're gonna try and do anything about... all of this.. you're gonna need to get to the Core." ]
...A Core? Within this tower?
[ An echoing rumble sounds throughout the spire, sending another mini-earthquake through the area and their unfortunate held up "friends" seem to receive the worse of it, twisting in their restraints with pained cries and frantic murmuring. "Need to.. go up, go up." While this happens, there's a sharper pull at all of their senses, cutting in the back of everyone's minds. Losing the feeling of themselves for just a moment. ]
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It's as though an unseen force yanks at her very being, rendering her unable to think. ]
Ugh...
[ Absentmindedly, Mizuki drops her broken helmet, gripping at her head; there's no headache coming on, but it feels a lot like one might. ]
I'm going to snap every neck of the assholes who thought putting obvious imposters through this was a fun idea.
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The Core...he remembers those others mumbling something about that before. Not unlike a prayer, some kind of crazed mantra. His eyes fall to examine where one might slice those restraints through without cutting off a limb or two, then Rodya.
Not that it seems to matter much, with the sudden rumble crashing in through the area. It's jarring, hearing their voices like that, and then seemingly focused on a repeated set of words angled towards a certain direction. Not that much matters, because temporarily there is that disorientation, a sudden disassociation that is upon him, however brief. ]
...How do we get to the core?
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Blade asks the important question, so she glances around and hopes somebody has an answer. ]
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It's a feeling of unease, but also a kind of eerie comfort. You're not alone, what is here will help you, aid you, offer a guiding hand. Better in numbers, you won't be alone here.
The fleshy restraints look thick and heavy, like a large puffy blanket covering over all of them, and there is clear discomfort as they hang their heads when the pain lessens. Rodya shakes her head, laughing a little, "Come on, babes. How else but up? Riiight at the very tippy top. ..Woulda dealt with it myself but. A little too tied up right now, haha." The other two green figures are quieter, except one perks up with a whine, "If you're going, please please pleaaaaase be careful! Something is really wrong about this place, it's hard for us to even think most of the time..."
Metis grows quieter, looking over at them. ] What seems to be affecting them may no sooner begin to affect us as well... if so, then that means we are on a clear timer here.
[ He thinks it over, hand beneath his chin. ]
We can try to go for the Core together if that's what we want to do. But we could potentially try to see about our hostages as well.
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[ There's clear disbelief in her voice as she speaks. ]
They're supposed to be the hostages we're here for?!
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We've little time...
We'll take care of both. That computer might be a device that will allow us to go 'up' if we input a password. Unless there is some other way we have yet to have glimpsed.
Whatever the case, one of you attempt to put something in, or assist me. [ Then to the folks trapped: ] Unless...do any of you know the password?
[ Blade brings up his sword...and swings as hard as he can to try to cut through the walls first they're trapped to. One above, then along the outer edge to weaken its foundations. He is going to see if he can cut them out that way. ]
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[ She watches Blade start hacking at the wall... then glances over at the computer terminal. ]
So... this might open up that other path?
[ She goes to the terminal, even as she can't fully pull her attention away from those in the wall. Can she make anything out about the device, what kind of input it's seeking? ]
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[ Dahut shakes his head quickly though, "No no, there's more of us! I don't know if they escaped or, there was Monsieur Charles, and and.. we found other people, stuck in the walls, did you see them-?" ]
We may as well try our hand. But my thoughts are that terminal there may activate the pathway that we were unable to get to.
[ In agreement with Anise, who already starts to look it over, the request for a password shining back at her. It's asking for a seven letter password, the keyboard settled beneath the terminal's monitor.
Rodya pipes up helpfully, voice cheery despite her exhausted tone, "Guess you really didn't look around, huh? Don't worry, that's what I'm here for! Annie, input O-T-U-S-L-A-Y." Metis stands by Blade as he starts to make work of the restraints, in which the only one familiar to Anise starts to panic, "No, don't do that!"
The flesh gives away easy like paper, some of it seeming inserted into the back of Rodya as she's cut down and falls freely onto her hands and knees. She curses a bit, ow ow that hurt? But when she tries to stand, she no sooner collapses, growing pale and grasping at her throat. The flesh still tethered to her back pulses, rapidly, and she begins to crumble as if weaken, voice faint and as she tries to speak hurriedly, "This place is using people-- feeding off them, like a battery, you need-! You need.. to go up and--" The rest of her words die out as she fully collapses over, Metis checking her over quickly, but doing his best to avoid direct contact as flesh weakly clings from where it connects to her body. ]
..It was.. keeping her alive? [ Dahut and the other aren't able to get any more words out, the flesh around them constricting and slowly begins to eat more of them. The sickly membrane around them within this room starting to leak and melt, pulsing more rapidly. ]
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mom holy fuck ]
What... the hell—
[ Well, that's horrifying. Mizuki stares in horror before she manages to pull her sight away. ]
—Anise, put it in the terminal!
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Whenever he has tried to save someone, it has always failed. Though, his past life can no longer be grasped in his hands, he knows this keenly. The gravity and weight of his sins.
The price he will continue to keep paying.
Blade never expected it to affect him this much, for a moment just staring at the wall and remains. A reminder of the only thing he has ever been good for.
So, for once, as Metis checks over what remains before it all crumbles to nothing, Blade simply just stands there. With Anise closer still than either one of them, Mizuki's words make sense. ]
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[ she moves to enter it, but she hears that familiar voice tell her to stop.
and she freezes. sorry, gang. ]
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Metis eventually takes a step back from the body, the flesh beneath starting to take the remains of it as the two still held in the walls start to get absorbed further in. Their voices fading out, muffled as the flesh swallows them up. The walls around them pulse further, the room shrinking in - or rather, the flesh seems to expand, growing.
He at least moves, rather than waiting, coming over to check on Anise briefly. ]
Lady Anise, are you alright? Here, let us just--
[ Insert the phrase real quick. It shows a map, some coils that can be accessed and triggered to lead upwards to the top, being quick to hit the command. It highlights, and there's a lot of information listed on the side of the terminal screen but the area trembles again with another mini-earthquake. The air in the room becoming more oppressive, heavy, a gas starting to leak out with an audible hiss. To those exposed to the gas, a wave of dizziness, an itchy sensation dragging itself beneath your skin. ]
I think that is all we have time for now in here, let us keep moving!
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You heard 'im! Let's go!
[ And she isn't going to waste time moseying out of here—but not before she scoops up the frozen Anise into her arm, hoisting her over a shoulder. She does understand why she's hesitating, but it really is too dangerous to linger. ]
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Blade tears himself immediately away from the scene once Metis springs into action to activate everything on that computer.
But he too will be heading on outie too. Let's go, fam! ]
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Anise lifts her gaze to see the last of those wall-bodies getting swallowed up... and is immediately scooped up by Mizuki. ]
Huh? -- Whoa!
[ Okay, well. She's not going to struggle -- the fact is that, even getting her head back in the zone, she was going to have a hard time running with her injury. So when she shifts around, it's only to hold on to Mizuki while they book it out of here. ]
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Blade is making his way out, Mizuki scooping Anise up and Metis follows right behind. As they leave the room, it's barely enough time to see behind as flesh covers the entrance in and forbidding any way back in.
Which leaves them to return back up the stairs, back onto the coiling path and back to the platform that was initially their dead end to the area to the right. The platform trembles a little, that coiling structure making its way upwards to connect to that bridge. At least they managed to get their way up working... ]
If this Core is what controls this whole spire, our best chance of putting an end to all of this is to find it and power it down. [ They have a moment here to ponder their plans, but over the edge, there seems to be a rising level of gas that stretches around the tower. ] We can try to split up to find any other hostages or stick together and go for the Core directly.
[ Though Metis has his own opinions on things, he values everyone else's thoughts as well. What shall it be, friends? ]
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[ Mizuki glances back behind them (while also setting sweet Anise back down). ]
If the rest of them are also trapped, how are we supposed to get them out without killing them?
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...They said that in order to put a halt to this we would need to go to the Core. We can use that as the primary goal, and then double back on our way out to see if we can catch any hostages.
If the Core is causing these oddities, then taking care of it may enable a safer search and a better way to secure them.
[ Blade awaits everyone's thoughts, though. He, fortunately, isn't feeling absuredly bullheaded about this. ]
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But you guys have a point... If we can't pull them out, then how do we save them? Other than heading to the Core to stop this?
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[ Metis has always been the kind of person to care more for the people, real or not. However, he regards Mizuki's own words, taking in Anise's and gesturing to Blade. ]
Sir Blade is right that, given the Core is causing this as far as we know, it might be best to take care of it. Mayhap there is a way to depower it - or even destroy it? If we shut it down, perhaps that will free those held up still?
[ Though the walls in their outer section of inside the tower are farther out of sight, all in the background and in the distance - if they look closely, they can see some faces, hands or other limbs hanging out from the sickly membranes. So that's lovely. Everything about all of this is normal. ]
...I have to imagine that the Core will not be easily accessible, even with the way there now connected. Someone - or something may be keeping it guard.
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He would never admit to that, though. ]
Hm.
I will not be surprised if what you say is true about a guard for the Core, Metis. Either way, whatever blocks our path, let's be prepared to dispatch it.
[ Turning away from the nightmare fuel-laden walls, Blade focuses on heading the only way they can: straight along the path forward. Though he is still well within earshot for whatever Anise may add in case of any differing opinions, he figures there's not much time to stand around, considering. ]
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