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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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.]

[Gilbert takes a step forward but hesitates again, glancing from Chain to Chain and from Elliot to Leo, then around the circle once more before realizing that he's thinking too much about it right now. Humpty Dumpty isn't attacking (should that be as odd as it seems?) but the other Chain certainly is, and there will be time to talk later, once the immediate danger has passed.

He scowls and clenches his jaw, forcing himself to focus on his aim and the target before him, firing a series of bullets at the mad Chain with single-minded intensity. Deal with this first. He can do that.]

[Between the three of them and Humpty Dumpty's assistance in severing its legs, the unusual chain doesn't stand a chance. The chain weakens—soon, it will fade away, just like all the other simulated monsters do—but Humpty Dumpty doesn't quite feel that the threat is over yet. It's not Leo that it's concerned for this time, but Elliot instead. After all, the only thing even remotely close to protecting Glen Baskerville's soul was protecting its contractor.

No. No, no, no.

Elliot drops his sword.]

[It makes a weird sight -Red Baby fading away- and Leo stares for a moment, still breathing hard from that adrenaline rush, when he hears the sword fall. It's not Elliot that his glance flicks to almost instantly-- rather, it's Gilbert and the gun in his hand.]

Elliot?!

[That gun in Gilbert's hand would now be pointing at Humpty Dumpty, too, now that the other threat has been dealt with. He isn't firing, not yet, but he's quite close to it— after all, he remembers all to well the last time he saw that Chain. But even if he doesn't dare to look away, that doesn't mean he isn't concerned.]

Elliot, are you all right?

[They're calling his name. He can hear them, but he can't...]

I can't—

[Why can't he make it go away?

Perhaps the way the chain had simply disappeared threw Humpty Dumpty off a little. Or perhaps it's the way the environment around them flickers again and begins to change that begins to confuse Humpty Dumpty. It tries to remain alert, but Elliot just wants it to go away.

The area around them changes, soon becoming an old, darkened street, and Humpty Dumpty does the only thing that makes sense to it. It goes after the only thing that looks dangerous here—

—and that would be Gilbert, of course.]

[A Chain may not make much (if any) noise when floating, but Humpty Dumpty is nevertheless large enough to cast a substantial shadow as it hurtles towards Gilbert. Leo knows that he should probably say something-- yell a warning, tackle Elliot, something but he just.

Can't move.]

[The last time he'd encountered this Chain it had been mostly stationary, and even then his gun had done little against it. Now with it heading toward him Gilbert realizes the weapon that had worked against the simulated enemy won't serve him well here; his right hand lowers as his left lifts, and he calls Raven to protect himself, greeting Humpty Dumpty with a flurry of feathers and blue flames.]

[Raven is in Humpty Dumpty's way.

It makes no attempt to fight the chain—it's Gilbert that it wants, and it will take whatever Raven throws in its direction. Elliot, meanwhile, bends down to pick up his sword. If anyone was actually paying attention to him still, they'd notice that his movements are full of hesitance. He's literally trembling. It's an internal struggle. He doesn't want to pick up that sword, he doesn't want to hurt Gilbert, he doesn't want—

But we must.

I won't!]

[Leo's throat is dry and his grip around his gun slackens when he sees Raven for the first time-- he's heard a bit about this Chain, but it's the first time he's seen it. There's this sense of curiosity, of dread of--

...but what about Elliot?

His gaze flicks towards the blonde and he sees for the first time since the Red Baby was brought down, Elliot's expression. Leo's been his friend long enough to notice the more subtle signs, the trembling as he leans down to pick up--

--to pick up his sword.

...]

[Leo didn't care about a lot of things; Gilbert was on the list of "things he didn't really give a damn about" but hurting Gilbert was something that would hurt Elliot. He knew this-- Elliot was loud but it was all usually just bluster.

That's why he turns, that's why he launches himself at Elliot to stop him from picking up his sword (he doesn't know if he can stop the Chain, he doesn't know how and the voices are quiet)--]

Elliot, stop!

[Invoking his Chain is rapidly exhausting on a good day back home, but here it's even more difficult still, and thus almost all of Gilbert's attention is focused on Raven as it blocks Humpty Dumpty's advance with a rush of fire. At Leo's shout he looks away, though, a confused frown creasing his forehead as he looks beyond him toward Elliot. What is he... why?]

[Later on, Elliot would probably punch Leo for this, but right now, being taken down by his servant is one of the best things that could happen to him. It's a much needed reality check.]

[Humpty Dumpty doesn't react well to the other chain's attack, but that's fine, because all it takes is Elliot's brief moment of awareness to bring the chain back. Elliot hits the ground hard when Leo runs into him, and even though his servant isn't very heavy, the force is enough to remind him of his surroundings. He feels a sharp pain for a very brief moment, but he can't pinpoint the source of it. That doesn't matter, though. He doesn't care about the pain. He just... He just needs to—

Stop this!

And his chain vanishes. Not quite like the one they fought a few moments ago, but it's gone nonetheless. Elliot looks over at his servant, opening his mouth to speak, but he seems to pass out before he can say anything.]

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/jumps in?

♥!

No better time. B)

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