solesuccess: (Charge it)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ this is fine. the sound of silence is deafening, and for a moment he's stuck staring at this writhing mass of bodies melting together to become one. the sound of their cries it enough to fully distract him, though he knows charles can handle himself.

everything's bloody and there's organs and he's trying to decide what to do when the tendril appears. the thing about it is, even if she didn't glitch, he'd move. it doesn't actually help though. seeing her face (even knowing it's not real, this is fake, it's all fake (isn't it?)) is enough to make him launch himself forward trying to grab this woman's arm and pull her back from the mass, pushing aside tendrils as best as he can.

he doesn't make a sound. how can he when everything's buzzing too loudly in his own head? ]
riverbeans: (a1. 1)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[okay. bad. bad!]

Of course things have to go to hell...

[he knows the suggestion was NOT to pull out blades on people except as a last resort but something is trying to vore him right now maybe so he feels like this counts. or, in other words, he's whipping out that plasma blade now to to slash at the not-man's face.

at the same time, he glances over his shoulder to see what shoma is doing.]


Shoma—!
solesuccess: (And I screamed until my voice was gone)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[ shoma does in fact have baby strength, but he's got the power of spite on his side!!! sort of. he tries to grab the woman's--amame's--whoever's arm, pulling and trying to grip. there's a strangled sound of confusion and also alarm as the limb goes fleshy and limp in his hand. the tendrils bury this woman and despite his best efforts the thing wins in the end.

though that probably has to do with the fact his suit is now melting and burning, something seeping through and eating away at his suit and jesus that's bad. he pulls back, shaking his arm before he whirls around to see-- ]


Why is it always Arthur? [ he's going to lose his mind. but of course it's enough to watch charles get tongue-punched and he's once again trying to move except this time it's to charles.

wait. he has a gun. hold that thought, it's very obvious something is very wrong here, so he's pulling out the plasma gun to try and shoot the man (monster?) in the head to get it to let go of charles aaaaAAAHHHHHH. ]
riverbeans: (e1)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[WHY IS IT ALWAYS ARTHUR!! actually i said it oocly but you know what? charles will say it icly too, even though he has take a moment to catch his breath after being tongue-punched.]

Think I liked the Mariachi version better than this one—!

[the good news is that as past history has proven, charles is ruthless enough to have absolutely zero qualms about cutting down even something that wears the face of a loved one. even more so when it's some kind of fucked up monster!!

and his suit melting is very bad, so he's really not hesitating in trying to slice off this thing's split tongue as shoma also shoots it. BUT SHOMA YOUR MONSTER PLEASE!!]
solesuccess: (But they're my sutures)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ well. between the sword and the gun we are now covered in acid and ooze and meat aren't we. that's gross! that's really gross, actually, and while shoma was focused on trying to get the tongued-creature out of range there are a lot of things happening, including him trying not to gag inside his own suit once the tongue's been sliced away.

the creature behind him is moving, and the walls are closing in and the entire room seems to be fleshy and alive and bleeding, a room full of slaughtered pieces and parts. tendrils catch his feet and it stops him from going further to charles, shaking his leg and trying to stomp on the tendril to free himself. the floor's slippery by now, overwhelmingly smelling of iron and something foul, but it's the voice that gets his attention.

and the hand. even if he wanted to ignore it, there it goes, crawling and stretching and they're running out of room to move. ]


Charles, the door! [ let's go let's go let's go!!! ]
riverbeans: (sprite. 13)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[at least they're very used to being covered in gore especially after that time lovelace exploded on them... but charles will not be flashing anyone today maybe as he pushes away the image of arthur falling apart like this. bad!

the voice echoes, and its sentiment is one that's uncomfortably familiar to charles, even if under different circumstances. after all, how many times have he and those back home wondered the same about all the tyrants they've faced? all the more reason he hates everything right now, but that's just another thing to put to the side. the mess everywhere is just a bit more pressing right now, actually.]


Don't have to tell me twice!

[swiftly, he sheathes the blade to take out his sword again for the longer reach, slashing away at the hands and flesh as he moves to follow shoma towards the door—staying behind him to watch their backs.]
solesuccess: (It might be your wound)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ at least this time they had some (?) warning about the gore.

and so they bolt. they're quick to slip out of the room, shoma finally getting himself free from the mass and slipping ahead to lead the way with charles right behind him. he doesn't look back, knowing they're together and well aware they're being followed which is worse, and it's mounting and swelling and it's stairs. it's stairs that are steep and the plant's dark, slick with blood.

but you know that thing that happens when you run around in slippery areas? sometimes you roll a nat 1 and immediately eat shit down the stairs, tumbling and banging all the way down to the bottom so hard your fucking helmet's faceplate cracks a little and one of your legs lands a little wrong. ow. ow ow ow ow ow, motherfucker. but it's fine. he's immediately back on his hands and knees, ignoring his burnt-away sleeve and the sudden awareness that this helmet isn't as protective as it used to be, trying to get back up and finally glancing back to check on charles.

where can they even go from here? do they have any escape route now? ]
riverbeans: (e3)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[shoma!!! charles rolled a 12 so he is not a graceful swan down these stairs, slipping at least once, but he manages to catch himself relatively well enough to prevent anything worse than some bruises.]

You all right, Shoma?

[he holds out a free hand if shoma needs any help with standing or moving, but he's also glancing around, looking for any other possible escape route. a vent, another path—something to shake off this mass of heads and tendrils and flesh.]
solesuccess: (I'll be the guard dog)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ NO NOT THE SMELL HE'S GONNA DIE (metaphorically. well maybe physically too.) it's manageable for now, and he's up even though everything is sore beyond belief and he's going to be extremely bruised and one of his ankles is definitely twisted but walkable.

none of that matters because theres's charles behind him, and then suddenly the familiar voice. the creature on the stairs is stunned, and they're slowly surrounded, and everything's loud but he can still pick up on io saying run, so-- ]


No! [ YOU STUPID COW WE ARE NOT LEAVING? RIGHT? CHARLES WE AREN'T LEAVING RIGHT???? everything's slowing boxing them in and herding them back down the hall, and yet he's looking at the horrific monstrosity holding onto io. ] We have to get him back!

[ but he's not always the best at risk assessment, and even if he has a gun in his hand he's leaving this up to charles. where he leads, shoma will follow. ]
riverbeans: (a1. 1)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[WELL FUCK

this kind of decision is always one that charles dislikes making—pragmatism versus compassion. he is not someone who can say he always leans on one spectrum consistently. an idealist, but also someone who favours practicality, knowing that kindness alone does not get results.

he can't even tell shoma to run alone, not sure of what he'll face or if he can reach temenos and keith in time, particularly with his ankle. everything is bad!!]


Shoma, try and keep this—thing at bay!

[he cuts at what he can, but the important thing is that he's trying to reach for io, to see if he can free him from the mass of tentacles at all.]
solesuccess: (Quick - rewrite it)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh good. we are going to die. charles says to keep the creature on the stairs at bay so they can try to save io, and his eyes are watering a little as the stifling, offensive smell filters into his helmet. but the important thing is to get all three of them out there. he hears the sound of a slice behind him, and the room shakes and he's immediately onguard. he moves, trying to avoid any of the ceiling actually caving on him before he's grabbing the plasma gun again to shoot his shot as this thing moves at mach fuck.

fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

IS THIS A KINDNESS? IS IT. IT FEELS LIKE ALL OPTIONS ARE BAD HERE. but he's hoping it's enough to at least give charles and io time to get up so the three of them can book it. ]
riverbeans: (sprite. 13)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Look, we're doing our best here!

[he yells at nothing in particular but please!!! but io has been freed, so it's time to run. charles will help him get back on his feet/move if need be but uh LET'S GO PROBABLY]
solesuccess: (Call it)

[personal profile] solesuccess 2024-04-09 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
We're doing something! [ nice. he is probably never going to shoot this well again, and he's not even waiting to see what happens when the fountain of pus and blood erupts from this thing. io's fine, charles, is fine, and the area they're in is very much not fine. with both creatures temporarily stalled he's up and he's booking it to join them.

we're moving! we are all absolutely moving to head down the hall where the others are, and he's only pausing to make sure charles and io are behind him. onward! ]
riverbeans: (a1. 9)

[personal profile] riverbeans 2024-04-09 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[onward!! charles will bring up the rear but yeah let's move]