who's seen jezebel? | september catch-all

[acidjail]

Who: Mercymorn the First, Paul Atreides, Ortus Nigenad, and you
What: September catch-all, open and closed prompts
When: Throughout September
Where: Trench and other Trench

Content Warnings: Cults, body horror, psychological horror, violence, death, marked by thread

Comments

[wannasmash]

He darts to Kaworu but keeps his eyes on Epsilon, who flinches at the hand moving towards them, though they are several lengths away. They can bolt, but would that encourage a chase? Epsilon hesitates, seemingly caught in this quagmire, the best resemblance to a thinking being they can muster.

(Humans are not to be trusted; eyes forward-facing like predators, feet made for stalking prey at long distances, dishonesty, suspicion, and secret machinations in their every look. Only the small pale one doesn't move quite like the others, though he communicates in unintelligible languages with his mouth and hands like them.)

Midoriya's body is half-crouched and taut, his face shining with perspiration. The shift from person trying to survive and protect is a subtle one. His back loosens, and he rises slightly. He remembers a little girl in an alley.

"Do you want to come with us?" Midoriya calls in a soft voice, tentatively opening his gloved hand.

[terriblepurpose]

Epsilon chitters frantically, their teeth rasping back and forth across each other like coarse grit sandpaper. There is the one inhuman biped, delicate and distinct, its blood smeared on Epsilon's talons but its body healed clean - there are the two predator-Beasts, the old one and the one of many hands. In the woods, away from them, the single hunter.

They are not sane. They have not been sane for longer than there have been some of these trees. But in a flickering instant of future-permutation, in the haze of their blood-madness, they determine their odds.

With a moanful groan, Epsilon crouches, whirls on their hands, and gallops into the woods.

Paul locks his arms around Kaworu's waist from behind, a gentler restraint than Epsilon's was. He knows he won't be able to hold him, if the angel wants to follow, but he thinks he'll let Epsilon go as Paul lets them go.

"You tried," he says, unable to hear it himself, the words soft and carefully formed.

[wannasmash]

The old enemy-master isn't using that terrible Voice. This is their chance to escape, and they do, moving faster than an ungainly number of limbs would suggest. Midoriya's eyes are locked on the place where they disappeared, but he can't pursue victory or rescue now. He needs to get Paul and Kaworu out of here.

To Midoriya, Paul sounds as if he will blow away with the wind like dead leaves.

"That was a kind thing you tried to do, Kaworu-kun," he says quietly. He places a gloved hand on his shoulder and signs his words with his free hand. "I have to scold you for being reckless, but... giving help unasked for is part of what makes a hero."

His heart swells with that knowledge, and it makes his voice full despite still feeling unsettled. He throws Paul a quick questioning look that promises he will ask him about this whole thing, then returns his eyes to Kaworu.

"Don't worry. This isn't over, but we need to leave. It isn't safe here for long."

He wants to come back, go after the Bugge, and see if he can prevent it from terrorizing the woods. With how some Beasts keep coming back, the best way to stop a monster is to save it.