[While Ochako is off being severely traumatized two feet over--
Xie Lian dodges the initial grab for him, but he hasn't retreated out of range and Chiron refuses to budge from where he is, all four of his legs planted firmly in place. It'll be over in the span of a second; the victor is the one who lands the killing blow.
(And if that means an ill-gotten win by adjusting his grip inside the bandages that accidentally get caught in his fingertips, ah what terrible luck, his fellow immortal--)
The blow meant for Chiron's neck is delivered to the temple instead, still with enough force and aim that a small piece of the sage's brain realizes he'll be concussed no matter what, barely able to move for a while after, kill him now, there's no other chance--
Holding tight, his hand fists over the bandages that wind around the windpipe, and it doesn't matter how much the other struggles. At this angle he can still push off his hind legs, gaining enough height to press his front hooves against the other's chest and
slams down with his full weight right over the heart and lungs, driving the body into the ground.
He'd apologize if he was actually sorry, Xie Lian.]
[gravity is restored all too suddenly and he stumbles. the monster that controls soo-won's body curses it - whereas the young man inside decides that this is the most fortunate thing that could have happened. she panics, and the knife sinks into his chest suddenly as his momentum plunges it into his chest.
he looks surprised as he faces her, even as his eyes look down onto the knife and he thinks -
so this is what it's like.
for his last few moments, he is himself again, and he thinks that all he can offer in reassurance is:]
.... you did... the right thing.
[this is the most effective move, and he is glad that he didn't get to harming her - but he won't make her carry his weight anymore, instead stumbling back and wrenching the knife out of his chest. he won't have to wait longer this way, in pain and forcing chiron and ochako to watch his life fade away in a slow tick.
if he's to die, let it just once be on his terms.
he falls to the ground, blood pooling underneath him, and the king of kouka breathes his last after falling onto the blade of a teenage girl.
he wishes that this wasn't how it came to be - but perhaps this is the work of fate too.
[ her eyes lock onto where the knife penetrates soo-won's chest, wide with horror as his clothes start turning red. stunned, her grip on the knife is loose enough that he can easily back away.
...you did... the right thing.
if it's an attempt at reassurance, it does the opposite for ochako, a soft, strangled noise escaping her as he drops to the ground.
no, no no no, this can't be happening! that wasn't - it wasn't supposed to happen like this. they were supposed to try to save them! tears spring to her eyes, blurring her vision, as she turns her eyes to see another figure prone on the ground, under chiron's hooves, and finds her breath caught in her throat.
her voice, when she finds it, is small, shaky. ]
A-Archer-san... what do we do now...?
[ there's no more serum. even if there was, it could end up just like this again, and they can't risk that. but they... they can't leave the two of them here, either, can they? ]
[He doesn't... need long to deliberate, voice quiet as he removes his hooves from the corpse beneath him. There's no misery or despair in how he addresses her. All of his features are set tight and restrained.
They did what they had to do... in that way, he was united with Soo-Won and Xie Lian to their last breaths.]
-- I know it hurts, Ochako, to not succeed in the ways we wanted, but we still have much to do. There is a chance they are infected, first off. So even as we bring them back, we must warn the others of what happened.
[Turning his head to face her -- slowly, with much effort. The adrenaline is wearing off fast, and between being concussed and having lost a lot of blood, even he marvels that he's still on his feet]
Then we must see to our own wounds. It would dishonor both of them for us to die after battle. They are expecting us to carry on.
[ Chiron has more of a braincell than Jan does, because only about an hour ago did I realize that there was nothing stopping you from taking the bodies with you and I had to alter my notes slightly.
Anyway, all the doors now unlock, so they're free to leave this room and through the Unknown (One-way Entry) Door. ]
[ ...he's right, of course. they can't stop now; they still have to get back, and they have to make sure the rest of them are safe before anything else. ochako will have to deal with the fact that she's become a murder and have a breakdown later.
she takes a deep breath (that does little to steady her) and bites her lip as she steps forward, reactivating her quirk first on soo-won, then on xie lian. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please hold both Soo-won-san and Xie Lian-san. We're taking them with us, okay?
[ how much of that will ruoye understand. will it even still work, without xie lian...? if it does, we're taking our corpse balloons and leaving. ]
[Chiron being the super braincell will probably at some point warn Ochako that her quirk might malfunction once they leave this area and thus the corpses will have to eventually be carried on his back but after that--
[ Glad for Ochako and her corpse balloons, honestly.
They + Ruoye step through the doorway, taking them to another hallway. True to the sign, the door will shut behind them and lock. But because y'all had to be smart and bring the corpses with you, no one has to live with their sad feelings for too long. (Well, aside from any sad feelings not over Soo-won and Xie Lian's unfortunate deaths, but that's on you.)
As the bodies of the dead pass through and enter the hallway, their wounds begin to heal, perhaps to varying degrees. At best, they'll still leave a scar; at worst, they'll heal just enough so that they're no longer fatal. Soo-won and Xie Lian's horns disappear, and their teeth return to normal.
Then, they wake up. Soo-won and Xie Lian are alive. (Hey, looks like Xie Lian was right about not being able to die.) As a bonus, no more murderous urges!
Chiron and Ochako, however, get no free healing. Whoops.
Along the corridor, there's a compartment in one of the walls. Opening it will reveal:
• A printed report. • A pistol that fires... fire. The fire will not cause damage and will instead heal the target. • Another pistol! It has the same function as the one above. • A small tree branch. If it's placed in a location before curfew, the user will receive a vague idea of anything that occurs there on Thursday night that week.
There's an explanation of what each item does. Each item is also one use only.
At the end of the corridor is a door. Going through it will take them back to the Main Hallway in the northern area of the Realm! Chiron and Ochako will once again be nerfed, and any item that they took—besides the aforementioned four—will turn to ashes upon going through this door. No free weapons. ): ]
and he aches. there's confusion that comes first, and then the hand that moves to his own chest as if to address the pain that comes from the gently healed stab wound. his blinks once, twice, in confusion and seems to register that he's still floating.]
Ah.
[very intelligent, our beloved king]
... Archer. Ochako.
[gently, to get their attention - ]
Um. May we be released? We're... alive, I think. For good this time, I hope.
[ all things considered, this was a pretty quick revival process. last time, he awoke a few days later on an empty battlefield, injuries healed and heartbroken for the tragedies that occurred in ban yue.
this time, when xie lian opens his eyes, he's looking at.. the ceiling? his chest aches, and his throat hurts, but...
well. the theory of xie lian's life continues: if he is supposed to die during an event, he will survive. ] ...Ruoye. [ he says, voice hoarse. the bandage perks up out of ochako's hand as if it's been electrified, and shoots up xie lian's arm and away from soo-won, wrapping around his forearm immediately and up to his face, pressing the edge of its bandage into his cheek.
xie lian looks to won, first, to check that he's alive - his gentle voice soothes something small in him. still, they live again.
and, as he's starting to try and right himself from floating, he spots chiron's arrows, he's not surprised - xie lian feels respect for him, immediately, martial combatant to combatant, and gives him a small, tired smile. ] ...If there's something you would like to do to confirm that we are ourselves, I understand.
[He says, voice gentle and focused as it usually is, the teacherly illusion only broken by the fact that he has an arrow trained to shoot off at a moment's notice. His eyes track between the men, thoughtful.]
... I would not believe anything you said, even if I asked it of you.
[But the arrow isn't released -- and frankly, Chiron is forced to lower it after another pause of consideration. He can shoot if necessary, but the damage to his shoulder means he cannot hold the bow steady for more than a few moments at a time. The fatigue is too great (and he still has... the arrow... stuck in there... smh)]
However, I've doubts your "Ruoye" would return to you if you were not of your right mind, so I will trust that instinct for now.
You may keep in front of me so that I might continue to observe you both. Break that condition and I will execute you. Are we agreed?
[ to chiron: ] En. It would not have disregarded my order.
[ "ruoye, help them!" had been the last thing he'd told it, after all. and seeing as how it responds to xie lian's finger gently nudging at the edge of it, then disappears back down his sleeve, winding happily back around his wrist, it seems to have settled.
soo-won's questions are about the same as xie lian's, and he nods in agreement, looking to the other two. his expression melts into worry at their injuries, for the moment having forgotten that he's still suspended in mid air. it's fine. ] ...And... we should get you two to somewhere your injuries can be treated, too, as soon as possible.
[ she's just going to let chiron take the lead for now, then. at least he's armed, even if he is heavily injured. ]
R-Right. Oh, and let me just... [ pressing her fingers together, she mutters "Release!" under her breath to return them to gravity. ] S-Sorry, it was the easiest way to carry you both.
[ and to answer soo-won, voice laced with guilt: ]
We had to fight monsters, but... it seems like it was actually you two. You had all the same injuries they did, when we first found you.
[It's fine, guys. Despite essentially threatening to kill them again, Chiron looks perfectly at ease with the way things are going. He'll step back a few so that he can keep both of them in range, but otherwise lets Ochako do the talking.
Only at one point does he interject, and that's to nod at the compartment lining the wall.]
[he listens.... and offers a report of his own as he adjusts to gravity and comes back onto the ground. he. inspects his chest wound which seems to have mostly healed???
but not entirely, and so he'll move to apply pressure to staunch the bleeding]
It's alright. We were prompted to ask if we were ready to fight monsters as well - but I believe we were knocked unconscious. I'm unfamiliar with what Xie Lian saw... but memories of my past and incidents that could be considered upsetting were brought up.
['could be considered upsetting' is such a way to say trauma
but he'll go to inspect the compartment! comparatively he doesn't feel as bad off as the others]
[ he nods along to soo-won’s statement as he slowly taps down on the ground again, in a flutter of white. xie lian’s everything hurts, upon further inspection— his breathing is a little wheezy, and each word out of his mouth feels a little laborious. but he ignores it in favor of the much more important mission at hand, very glad for soo-won taking the lead. ]
It was the same for me. The memories were not exact; it felt more like the contents of a nightmare than anything. [ he reaches up for a moment, as if to check his injuries, but, his hand curls a bit over the ring hanging at his chest, instead.
it wasn’t real. ] If the monsters were us... [ his brow furrows, and he glances back to ochako, letting the other two handle the compartment. ] ...perhaps our actions within such a hallucination or experience was tied to it, as well? Did you all notice anything strange...?
Well... the one I was fighting - it would have been Soo-won-san - shrunk and just stopped moving, after a while? I thought it was just stunned, but if you guys were connected somehow...
[ her voice trails off as she watches soo-won check the compartment. ]
The serum we used to revive you guys was in a compartment like that, too. That's what made you... like that.
[ with another small, solemn, apologetic nod of his head in the direction of both chiron and ochako, xie lian glances over soo-won's shoulder to read the note. he has some questions about this serum thing too, but... that can come later. ]
...Removed their mask...
[ from the same country...? and the other blacked out name - perhaps, one of their participants...? xie lian stares at it for a long moment, and then nods, slowly. ]
Perhaps it would be best that we each take this down... [ a beat, and he gestures to the three remaining items. ] For what trouble you were caused, it seems only right for you two to take and use what you need... I'll be alright, once we can get back to the others.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Xie Lian dodges the initial grab for him, but he hasn't retreated out of range and Chiron refuses to budge from where he is, all four of his legs planted firmly in place. It'll be over in the span of a second; the victor is the one who lands the killing blow.
(And if that means an ill-gotten win by adjusting his grip inside the bandages that accidentally get caught in his fingertips, ah what terrible luck, his fellow immortal--)
The blow meant for Chiron's neck is delivered to the temple instead, still with enough force and aim that a small piece of the sage's brain realizes he'll be concussed no matter what, barely able to move for a while after, kill him now, there's no other chance--
Holding tight, his hand fists over the bandages that wind around the windpipe, and it doesn't matter how much the other struggles. At this angle he can still push off his hind legs, gaining enough height to press his front hooves against the other's chest and
slams down with his full weight right over the heart and lungs, driving the body into the ground.
He'd apologize if he was actually sorry, Xie Lian.]
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not much coming back from that. xie lian would know from experience.
he has a single moment of clarity again when chiron's hand wraps around his windpipe, as the darkness starts to dissipate when his airflow's cut off.
and, though chiron might not catch it--
as he's falling, xie lian smiles, and closes his eyes.
here again, huh?
and the hooves make perfect contact, crushing his ribcage with a sickening crunch.
Xie Lian is dead.
at least it wasn't because his shoelaces were untied, this time.]
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he looks surprised as he faces her, even as his eyes look down onto the knife and he thinks -
so this is what it's like.
for his last few moments, he is himself again, and he thinks that all he can offer in reassurance is:]
.... you did... the right thing.
[this is the most effective move, and he is glad that he didn't get to harming her - but he won't make her carry his weight anymore, instead stumbling back and wrenching the knife out of his chest. he won't have to wait longer this way, in pain and forcing chiron and ochako to watch his life fade away in a slow tick.
if he's to die, let it just once be on his terms.
he falls to the ground, blood pooling underneath him, and the king of kouka breathes his last after falling onto the blade of a teenage girl.
he wishes that this wasn't how it came to be - but perhaps this is the work of fate too.
Soo-won is dead.]
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...you did... the right thing.
if it's an attempt at reassurance, it does the opposite for ochako, a soft, strangled noise escaping her as he drops to the ground.
no, no no no, this can't be happening! that wasn't - it wasn't supposed to happen like this. they were supposed to try to save them! tears spring to her eyes, blurring her vision, as she turns her eyes to see another figure prone on the ground, under chiron's hooves, and finds her breath caught in her throat.
her voice, when she finds it, is small, shaky. ]
A-Archer-san... what do we do now...?
[ there's no more serum. even if there was, it could end up just like this again, and they can't risk that. but they... they can't leave the two of them here, either, can they? ]
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[He doesn't... need long to deliberate, voice quiet as he removes his hooves from the corpse beneath him. There's no misery or despair in how he addresses her. All of his features are set tight and restrained.
They did what they had to do... in that way, he was united with Soo-Won and Xie Lian to their last breaths.]
-- I know it hurts, Ochako, to not succeed in the ways we wanted, but we still have much to do. There is a chance they are infected, first off. So even as we bring them back, we must warn the others of what happened.
[Turning his head to face her -- slowly, with much effort. The adrenaline is wearing off fast, and between being concussed and having lost a lot of blood, even he marvels that he's still on his feet]
Then we must see to our own wounds. It would dishonor both of them for us to die after battle. They are expecting us to carry on.
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Anyway, all the doors now unlock, so they're free to leave this room and through the Unknown (One-way Entry) Door. ]
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she takes a deep breath (that does little to steady her) and bites her lip as she steps forward, reactivating her quirk first on soo-won, then on xie lian. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please hold both Soo-won-san and Xie Lian-san. We're taking them with us, okay?
[ how much of that will ruoye understand. will it even still work, without xie lian...? if it does, we're taking our corpse balloons and leaving. ]
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Yes, it's time to go through the door.
To the victors go the spoils of war, ha... ha...]
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They + Ruoye step through the doorway, taking them to another hallway. True to the sign, the door will shut behind them and lock. But because y'all had to be smart and bring the corpses with you, no one has to live with their sad feelings for too long. (Well, aside from any sad feelings not over Soo-won and Xie Lian's unfortunate deaths, but that's on you.)
As the bodies of the dead pass through and enter the hallway, their wounds begin to heal, perhaps to varying degrees. At best, they'll still leave a scar; at worst, they'll heal just enough so that they're no longer fatal. Soo-won and Xie Lian's horns disappear, and their teeth return to normal.
Then, they wake up. Soo-won and Xie Lian are alive. (Hey, looks like Xie Lian was right about not being able to die.) As a bonus, no more murderous urges!
Chiron and Ochako, however, get no free healing. Whoops.
Along the corridor, there's a compartment in one of the walls. Opening it will reveal:
• A printed report.
• A pistol that fires... fire. The fire will not cause damage and will instead heal the target.
• Another pistol! It has the same function as the one above.
• A small tree branch. If it's placed in a location before curfew, the user will receive a vague idea of anything that occurs there on Thursday night that week.
There's an explanation of what each item does. Each item is also one use only.
At the end of the corridor is a door. Going through it will take them back to the Main Hallway in the northern area of the Realm! Chiron and Ochako will once again be nerfed, and any item that they took—besides the aforementioned four—will turn to ashes upon going through this door. No free weapons. ): ]
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and he aches. there's confusion that comes first, and then the hand that moves to his own chest as if to address the pain that comes from the gently healed stab wound. his blinks once, twice, in confusion and seems to register that he's still floating.]
Ah.
[very intelligent, our beloved king]
... Archer. Ochako.
[gently, to get their attention - ]
Um. May we be released? We're... alive, I think. For good this time, I hope.
[how many times did he die today]
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this time, when xie lian opens his eyes, he's looking at.. the ceiling? his chest aches, and his throat hurts, but...
well. the theory of xie lian's life continues: if he is supposed to die during an event, he will survive. ] ...Ruoye. [ he says, voice hoarse. the bandage perks up out of ochako's hand as if it's been electrified, and shoots up xie lian's arm and away from soo-won, wrapping around his forearm immediately and up to his face, pressing the edge of its bandage into his cheek.
xie lian looks to won, first, to check that he's alive - his gentle voice soothes something small in him. still, they live again.
and, as he's starting to try and right himself from floating, he spots chiron's arrows, he's not surprised - xie lian feels respect for him, immediately, martial combatant to combatant, and gives him a small, tired smile. ] ...If there's something you would like to do to confirm that we are ourselves, I understand.
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Z-Z-Z-Zombies?!??
[ HORSE DAD HELP ]
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[He says, voice gentle and focused as it usually is, the teacherly illusion only broken by the fact that he has an arrow trained to shoot off at a moment's notice. His eyes track between the men, thoughtful.]
... I would not believe anything you said, even if I asked it of you.
[But the arrow isn't released -- and frankly, Chiron is forced to lower it after another pause of consideration. He can shoot if necessary, but the damage to his shoulder means he cannot hold the bow steady for more than a few moments at a time. The fatigue is too great (and he still has... the arrow... stuck in there... smh)]
However, I've doubts your "Ruoye" would return to you if you were not of your right mind, so I will trust that instinct for now.
You may keep in front of me so that I might continue to observe you both. Break that condition and I will execute you. Are we agreed?
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sorry about the arrow
soo-won will just nod easily at that]
Understood. How long have we been out and where are we now?
[he's just trying to also get a grasp of the situation since the last time he woke up from death he became a fucking monster person]
Could you give a report on what you endured before we were reunited as well?
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[ "ruoye, help them!" had been the last thing he'd told it, after all. and seeing as how it responds to xie lian's finger gently nudging at the edge of it, then disappears back down his sleeve, winding happily back around his wrist, it seems to have settled.
soo-won's questions are about the same as xie lian's, and he nods in agreement, looking to the other two. his expression melts into worry at their injuries, for the moment having forgotten that he's still suspended in mid air. it's fine. ] ...And... we should get you two to somewhere your injuries can be treated, too, as soon as possible.
[ he is also so very sorry. ]
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R-Right. Oh, and let me just... [ pressing her fingers together, she mutters "Release!" under her breath to return them to gravity. ] S-Sorry, it was the easiest way to carry you both.
[ and to answer soo-won, voice laced with guilt: ]
We had to fight monsters, but... it seems like it was actually you two. You had all the same injuries they did, when we first found you.
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Only at one point does he interject, and that's to nod at the compartment lining the wall.]
There might be medical supplies in here.
[That's what they found last time!]
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but not entirely, and so he'll move to apply pressure to staunch the bleeding]
It's alright. We were prompted to ask if we were ready to fight monsters as well - but I believe we were knocked unconscious. I'm unfamiliar with what Xie Lian saw... but memories of my past and incidents that could be considered upsetting were brought up.
['could be considered upsetting' is such a way to say trauma
but he'll go to inspect the compartment! comparatively he doesn't feel as bad off as the others]
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It was the same for me. The memories were not exact; it felt more like the contents of a nightmare than anything. [ he reaches up for a moment, as if to check his injuries, but, his hand curls a bit over the ring hanging at his chest, instead.
it wasn’t real. ] If the monsters were us... [ his brow furrows, and he glances back to ochako, letting the other two handle the compartment. ] ...perhaps our actions within such a hallucination or experience was tied to it, as well? Did you all notice anything strange...?
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Well... the one I was fighting - it would have been Soo-won-san - shrunk and just stopped moving, after a while? I thought it was just stunned, but if you guys were connected somehow...
[ her voice trails off as she watches soo-won check the compartment. ]
The serum we used to revive you guys was in a compartment like that, too. That's what made you... like that.
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[So hopefully whatever they find in the compartment now isn't going to cause another problem]
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[though his expression is neutral, betraying nothing more than that. he'll give the relevant information - his emotions don't matter much.]
I apologize for the burden we left you with.
[but he'll reach out with his clean hand to inspect the compartment and he reads off an explanation of all the items inside]
- we could use these for your injuries, if you'd like. And the note says...
[he'll read it off, noting where it seems blacked out where he can't read]
... A memo, it seems, written by a leader. I wonder if it's recent.
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...Removed their mask...
[ from the same country...? and the other blacked out name - perhaps, one of their participants...? xie lian stares at it for a long moment, and then nods, slowly. ]
Perhaps it would be best that we each take this down... [ a beat, and he gestures to the three remaining items. ] For what trouble you were caused, it seems only right for you two to take and use what you need... I'll be alright, once we can get back to the others.
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[ she's going to make some quick notes on that. as for the rest.. ]
If those guns can heal, I'd like to take one, if you guys don't mind... but not for myself. I want to save it for someone who needs it more than I do.