lucetilogs | So tear me open, but beware

Entry tags:

So tear me open, but beware—

Who:

ishisfriend.
What: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. (This is relevant.)
When: July 27th, late in the afternoon.
Where: Somewhere near house 53.
Summary: An encounter with an "enemy" draws out a certain chain, but it doesn't seem to belong to any of the contractors in the village. Maybe it's another random enemy... Or maybe it's not.
Rating: PG-13.

[There are random monsters showing up all over the village, you say? Here's Elliot Nightray giving a damn.

A little chaos in the village would not prevent Elliot from doing the things that he or his servant wanted to do. They're just monsters, after all, and Elliot sure as hell isn't afraid of them. As long as he had his sword, he would be fine. He could protect himself, his servant, and anyone else who might need it.

That had been Elliot's reasoning for venturing out today. But of course, it's not monsters or being a hero that's on his mind right at this very moment. Instead, it's flowers. He is in the backyard, staring down at what should be a garden, but no longer appears to be.

Hmm... Something isn't right.]

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[Leo turns as well; the surprise on his face this time is genuine.]

...Phillipe?

[And indeed it looks like him-- like a Phillipe that's about to cry. There may be some blubbering involved.]

[...this is strange. Elliot looks over to Leo, awaiting his servant's decision on what to do here.

He was always better with kids, anyway.]

[Except that "Phillipe" takes the initiative even before Leo can and runs forward to literally smash into both Elliot and Leo, clinging off their shirts. "I'm so glad I found someone!"]

What are you doing here, Phillipe...?

[But even as he says that, he looks over at Elliot with a frankly perplexed expression. What the, indeed.]

[Elliot blinks at his servant, and looks down at the little boy clinging to the both of them. He reaches out to pat his back, and as he does so, he immediately notices the lack of wings.

Another glance over at his servant. Something doesn't feel right about this, either.]

[Phillipe's wingless condition doesn't go unnoticed by Leo either, and the look that he exchanges with Elliot is apprehension, confusion-- he's read the Guide (numerous times, he's been bored), and he's pretty sure that no wings spell death.

Except that the kid in front of them is clearly alive. Or so he feels.

Leo's attempts to disengage himself right then are futile, however, as that clutch on both their shirts tightens.]

How did you find your way here, Phillipe?

["I had to walk through the forest earlier. That was really scary!"]

[While Leo questions the boy, Elliot tries to take his hand and pry the fingers off his shirt. Phillipe shouldn't be here. A part of him worries that he might be wrong, that this kid might actually need help, but he has a bad feeling about this that he simply can't ignore.

He has to get this kid off of them.]

How did you end up in the forest?

[It's a reproachful look that the boy gives Elliot as he doubles his grip on his shirt and yanks him closer. "I dunno. Should I know? Why are you all standing behind that fence?"

...he has a point.

He pulls at Leo's shirt with his other hand, downwards and dangerously close to the wooden fence, as if to tell a secret.]

Elliot...

[Elliot frowns at the little boy pulling on him, but it just makes him try harder to push him away.]

Let go, Phillipe.

["Why?"

...please don't make him cry again, Elliot.]

Because I said so. [He raises his voice by default, and gives the boy a shove. Maybe he shouldn't act this way toward a kid, but that bad feeling he has... He can't shake it.] Let go of us and we can help you.

[A cry from Phillipe and one from Leo as well--]

Elliot, stop that!

[You'd think that the shove should be strong enough to dislodge such a small boy, but there's a hint of something stronger than pure obstinacy that clings on, even as Phillipe's grip slackens. With his other hand, he'll release Leo's shirt and with speed that shouldn't be present in a boy of his size, reaches up to tug viciously down at Leo's neck ribbon.

There's a choked sound as Leo is pulled down, head narrowly missing the pointed ends of the fence as he quickly extends a hand to shove himself away from the danger. His glasses are dislodged, askew and he lets out another yell.]

Phillipe!

[At the same time that the little boy pulls on the ribbon around Leo's neck, an unusual and yet familiar feeling comes over Elliot. Somehow, he feels... out of place. He feels like he is no longer in control. He doesn't try to push the little boy away again, or anything. He doesn't move at all.

...and there is that voice. He's heard this voice before.

Kill him.

We have to kill him!]

[Elliot has no idea what it is, but he knows that he has to fight it. He has to struggle to quell the voice, but he manages it for now, and pulls on the back of his servant's shirt.]

Leo!

[He knew there was something wrong with Phillipe, or whoever this was. He had to get Leo away from him, he had to protect him...

We must protect him.]

Let-- go--

[It's a choking sensation as he's tugged from both front and back and Leo is sure that his shirt will tear soon if this keeps up (but it would be less painful, surely). It's a little hard to see what's going on when his hair pokes at his eyes, obscuring his vision, or he might notice those tiny boyish hands that once belonged to Phillipe slowly changing into the spindly legs reminiscent of a spider's. He's aware of the scratchier sensation (and Elliot would notice that by now, the grip has left him to focus on the well, blinder Leo), however, and hits out at it with both fists.]

[Elliot lets go of Leo, but not because of his servant's words. He lets go of him because all of a sudden, his chest hurts, but he has no time to think about why that is. His left hand clutches at his chest, and his right hand hovers over the hilt of his sword. That voice, that familiar voice says kill him and Elliot resists. He resists because he's Elliot Nightray and no one tells him what to do.]

[But it's just a chain. He won't be sad if you kill him.]

Ah...

[That's right. It's not Phillipe. It's just a chain.]

[There's no point in resisting.

Elliot draws his sword, but perhaps it's not quite Elliot anymore. And perhaps... they're not quite alone anymore, either.

If he can't get that monster to let go of his servant, then perhaps the round, white chain with its obscured eyes and rows of teeth could do him the favor instead.]

[When Elliot lets go, Leo stumbles to the front, choking. He can't see anything at all now, and it's only that (blind sense) of self-preservation that saves him from being impaled on that sharp fence as he catches himself the wood under his hands. The splinters will hurt later, but suddenly, that's not what he's worried about at the moment.

What he's worried about, is the sound of someone drawing a sword behind him, and whilst he's pretty sure he knows who that is, it makes him question who's in front of him, with the sharp spindly things that pull him and used to sound like Phillipe. Leo can't speak to yell because he will bite his tongue if he does as he tries, with the best of one free hand, to swipe his hair from his eyes, glasses be damned.

No, not Phillipe, as he would find out later. This monster, this Chain had a name-- the Red Baby.]

[It's much bigger than the both of them, but even without Humpty Dumpty's help, Elliot is not afraid to face the chain. The youngest Nightray goes right for the core, aiming to cut apart the large, drooling head that made up the body of the chain. It's dangerous, very dangerous, but that's not something Elliot ever cared about normally, either.

Leo would not go ignored, either, of course. It's Humpty Dumpty who severs the spider-like legs that have a hold on him. All it takes is one swift flick of its long, bloodied tongue.

The fight isn't over yet, though. This chain could still hurt him. They had to get rid of this chain.]

[Leo's footing is a little more stable this time and he pushes himself the hell away when he feels that grip slacken. His fingers leave fingerprints on the surface of his glasses, but as he catches himself and manages to part the mess of hair that sits on top of his head, he sees for the first time today-- Humpty Dumpty.]

[..........]

[He goes for his gun (tucked neatly in his pocket, mostly an ornament, really, since as Elliot always remarked, Leo had the aiming sense of a blind man) just as Humpty Dumpty severs the legs of the bobble-headed Chain. There's a furious screech from Red Baby as it rears back, recognising the Chain that was damaging it just as Elliot's sword comes thrusting forward, nicking it.

Chains aren't stupid. When dealing with contracted Chains, the easiest way was to Damage the Contractor. And with Elliot close enough, it lunges forward again, legs clicking and aiming towards the smallest but most vital target-- Elliot Nightray's heart.]

[There are enemies everywhere lately, it seems, but Gilbert hadn't expected to see anything quite so... disturbingly familiar. It's enough to make him falter for a second as he comes around the house and sees just what is going on, as he wonders which one is really the most dangerous— one he's encountered before, the one suspected of belonging to the Headhunter, but the other?

The question is answered quickly enough, though, as one of them lunges for Elliot, and without conscious thought a pistol is in his hand and he's firing at the unfamiliar Chain. And with a tiny corner of his mind he's hoping that he chose the right one, since they both have to be the same simulated monsters he's been running into. Don't they?]

[While Gilbert's help would normally be appreciated, his presence is largely ignored by Elliot. Not for the usual reasons, though—simply because of the chain that stands right in front of him. Fortunately, Gilbert's shot causes the chain to recoil just a bit, and Elliot charges forward to finish it off.

Humpty Dumpty lingers there, in the meantime. It is probably more aware of Gilbert's presence than Elliot is, however. That bullet came dangerously close just now, you know.]

[Why is Gil-- no, there was no time to think, no time to lament Gilbert's rather unfortunate timing.

Red Baby is a large target, and even if Leo's no marksman, it's difficult to miss something as large as that...that head. He'll steady his shaking hand and take aim just as a cry rings out from the Chain itself:

"YOU'RE NO FUN TO PLAY WITH AT ALL!"

--and he pulls the trigger just as Elliot strikes at it. His shot grazes off the top of the Chain's head but it helps; Chains bleed, and this one is very obviously bleeding.

It might take more than one shot to take it down, though, and Leo has to fumble a bit more with his gun.]

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/jumps in?

♥!

No better time. B)