[She murmurs, her voice still carrying that odd toneless quality. She sounds as if she were speaking from a great distance, her words echoing across some sort of vast gulf. The implication, of course, is that she has had a previous run-in with these things.]
This way doesn't lead anywhere in particular. It's all simply an endless maze.
Well, I'm not just going to sit around until they really trap me.
[ With the implication that she can if she wants, but he wouldn't recommend it. ]
Maybe they're more powerful right now. Together, we might be able to take them. Two's always better than one.
[ He sees that distance in her eyes and, well, he gets it. He really does. If he and Flynn couldn't take them, that's not great. But Lysithea has different skills than Flynn does. Maybe together, they might be able to do something. ]
[At his query, she stops abruptly, turning her gaze to meet his eyes for the first time. The hollow expression does not change -- Yuri likely knows her well enough by now to recognize that something is seriously wrong. Lysithea has retreated somewhere inside her mind, leaving this automaton behind to carry out vital processes.
Something about his question has aroused some unknown emotion.]
...
No. I have to find them...
[Her words trail off. No explanation is offered before she resumes a brisk pace.]
[ He sees that, and steps closer to her, only for her to take off. He follows, walking by her ]
Find who? You got friends in here?
[ It wouldn't be surprising, seeing as him and Flynn are here, and so is Lysithea. There have to be others.
He's concerned about her, but at least she's moving. She's moving and determined and has more of an idea of what's going on than he does, so he's determined to back her up, to help them both get the hell out of here. Then, maybe, they can figure out how to get her back out of her head. ]
[She closes her eyes and tries - very hard - not to think too deeply on that question. Her response, when it comes, is almost whispered.]
The captives...
[The bodies lined up in rows. The mutilated corpses, the severed limbs, the vats of blood, (the blood! - the artificial blood), the destroyed faces, the faces she recognizes, the faces of her si --
She must not think of it.
It takes another few moments before she speaks again.]
This labyrinth is impossible... I can't find... anything.
[ He can imagine what she's thinking. He saw plenty of them, too. Tied up, drained of blood, people helpless against what was happening to them ]
Anywhere. Staying put isn't going to help.
[ Even if moving might not, either. He can't just sit still and do nothing. But he glances back at her with a grimace ]
You got a better idea?
[ Just as he says it, there's a sound from down the hallway and he looks up with wide eyes, just in time to be lifted in the air by something he can't see. One of those guys, those zealots, stands there with her hands raised, clearly manipulating something around him. He feels like he's being squeezed tight, like he can't breathe. He can barely move against what has him, but he lets out a strangled: ]
[Lysithea might be lost in a distant recess of her mind, but the one thing she's always been able to do regardless of her mental state is fling out magic haphazardly. The incantation comes as smoothly as reciting her times tables, and the pillar of light that erupts around the cultist is startling enough to momentarily loosen the hold.]
Run! Run -- go!
[Panic is writ across her features as she grabs at Yuri, pulling him away.]
[ He stumbles after him, angry at himself that he let those guys get him again. Yeah, maybe he's not as strong as he should be, here, but he should still be able to defend himself.
But he can't say no to help, not right now. He wants to make it out of here alive, so he can do something about this place.
They manage to run, skidding around another corner, only to come upon more of the zealots, and Yuri curses under his breath, dropping down into a fighting stance, using what he can of his power to cover his fists in ice before he runs at the next pair of zealots with a roar, throwing a punch at one of them ]
[They're trapped. Just like she thought - they are trapped and now she will watch as they're captured - and restrained - and unthinkable things done for the sake of knowledge and power --
From her retreat in her mind, everything seems too far away. She watches Yuri leap straight at the zealots, knowing dimly that it was foolish to the extreme, watches as they respond with some sort of blood manipulation that sparks intense electricity to crackle through the air all around them, surging towards Yuri.]
Yuri --
[If they begged... no, why would that work? It hadn't worked. No amount of tears or pleading... not against these - people who were no longer people.]
Yuri, don't...
[An arc of shining light cuts through the closest zealot as Lysithea casts Nosferatu, draining its strength and making it her own. But still, there are too many.]
[ Yuri is, in fact, outnumbered. It's foolhardy, but there's a part of him that's convinced that if he can just save Lysithea, it'll be okay. He couldn't save Flynn, has no idea what happened to him, and that aches in his head, an ache he refuses to acknowledge because he has to more forward. Maybe he can do some good, here, before he's killed, or worse. Maybe he can help.
Her spell knocks a few of them back, and he's able to move, in, tossing a kick here, a punch there, his fists coating and re-coating in ice to make his hits more powerful, more impactful, and he yells back to her: ]
[Even if she were to run, there is nowhere to go. Footsteps behind her signal that the cultist startled by Abraxas has rounded the corner; before her, she watches Yuri continue to punch and kick desperately at their enemies. Spell options flash through her mind - but there is nothing in her arsenal that can stave off enemies on all sides, nothing in her arsenal that can save them.]
I'm still not strong enough...
[She is three years old and she is watching dark mages disassemble her brother, piece by piece. The cultist that Yuri punches with an icy fist rears back; next to him, another cultist makes a jerking hand motion as if crushing something between his two hands, and she knows, instinctively, that if he completes this bit of blood magic there will be a terrible outcome.
Time seems to slow as she watches the zealot leer at Yuri, his hands crushing and grinding and she thinks - she imagines - she is convinced she can see Yuri's head jerking as if a great force bears down upon it and the zealot's hands stained with glittering darkblood are on the verge of coming together -
[The world stops and everything is gray and indistinct or perhaps that was just her imagination for she feels incredibly lightheaded and incredibly strained, as if she is holding her breath. She looks down at her pale hands and looks back up and --
Everything is gray and indistinct except for her and except for Yuri, who is still carrying through his last punch.]
Yuri - Yuri!
[She doesn't really know what else to say after calling his name because she has no explanation.]
this is perfect, thank you! and go lysithea, so cool
[ His punch lands, and the zealot is pushed back, but it's like it's happening in slow motion as soon as the velocity of Yuri's punch ends. He watches the now-grey zealot fall back, his eyes wide.
Everything has stopped. Everything is still and he looks around, searching for Lysithea and she seems-- fine. She's okay. She's still moving, unlike everything else, and is yelling his name ]
Lysithea? What the-- what happened?
[ He takes a step back toward her, in awe of what's going on around them ]
[Lysithea's tone is somewhere between incredulity and wonder. She slowly walks down the hallway towards her friend, her words coming in a somewhat belabored manner, drawing great breaths between phrases.]
I feel... very odd. But I think... we have time to escape.
[Time to kick the darkblood zealot in the shins, too, as she passes, though she has no idea if it's effective or not.]
So this... is the power of blood... I almost thought...
[The monochrome world begins to slowly saturate with color as Lysithea tries to draw breath. ...They really need to go.]
[ Except, getting a few hits in doesn't seem like a bad idea, even if these guys are incapacitated for the moment. He doesn't care. They deserve it. He gives one of them a left hook to the body as he passes, and it feels good, really good. For capturing him, for taking Flynn away, for giving Lysithea that haunted look in her eyes.
He catches up with her, giving her a flicker of a smile as he starts to speed up, intent to run out of eye sight before they come back from wherever the hell they are ]
[Lysithea is gasping now as she staggers down the hallway, clutching at Yuri. The coloration around them now resembles an odd sepia photograph; it is clear that she is striving to keep this effect active as long as she is capable.
One turn, two turns...
'One more hallway...!' she thinks.
Five turns later, Lysithea releases a great gasp of breath and the world supersaturates in a great flash. She tries to take a step and topples sideways.]
[ Yuri's there a second later, grabbing her arm to stop her from falling over entirely. He hefts her back to her feet, biting back a laugh. Despite how dire their situation is, that felt good. It felt good to get away, it felt good to watch Lysithea do something seemingly impossible. They're away from the zealots, for now, they're safe, they have a head start. He feels like a kid who got away with something he shouldn't have ]
Watch it. You alright?
[ He doesn't know what magic like that might take out of someone ]
[Despite her words, there are two good signs here: she is breathing normally, and her brisk, matter-of-fact manner is much more reminiscent of her usual state of being. It appears that this unexpected development has jarred her back into something resembling normalcy.
If she could not rectify the regrets of her past, today, at least, it appears she will not be adding more to that list.
Lysithea backs up against a wall and allows herself a moment to regain her bearings.]
[ His body hurts, muscles straining and tired, but that doesn't matter. He's dealt with worse, and at least adrenalin is still keeping him going. He looks her over and, yeah, she looks, if not better, then more present. Like that shocked her back into the moment, which is good for him, because Lysithea is a good partner for something like this. She can hold her own, she can fight by his side, or, behind him, backing him up with magic. ]
Next step, we get the hell out of here. Okay?
[ But he doesn't move away, not yet. If she needs more time, well... he doesn't know how much they have, but at least it's quiet for now. ]
[Lysithea nods, taking one more breath before she stands upright. Her face is pale and drawn - though this is not a far departure from her usual appearance. At the very least, there is a note of resolution that had not been there previously.]
...I know where we are.
[Somehow, in their escape, they had returned to a familiar area. Lysithea looks ahead.]
There's a large chamber around a few more bends.
It has many people trapped. I was in the middle of pulling them out when those people...
[She trails off and her eyes flicker to the side. Obviously something had happened.]
I had to run. If we have a chance, there might still be... people who need us.
[ Which he really should have thought of. Flynn and him saw plenty of people, earlier. Tried to help them, too, but the same thing happened. The zealots fought them, chased them. Maybe the two of them stand a chance, but he isn't so sure.
But who would he be if he didn't try? It's better to die trying to help people than live knowing he could have done more. He nods to her and starts off in the direction she indicated. ]
Any of them conscious? Saw a few, earlier, who weren't. It's gonna be hard to drag a bunch of unconscious people out.
[This is a very unclear answer. Lysithea hesitates briefly -- ]
When I saw them, they were all connected to this... tubing. They were being used as fuel, I surmise. If we disconnect them, I should be able to revive them. Some of them.
[Again, this was provided that any of them were still alive. Lysithea leads them around a corner towards a closed door.]
If we're caught again...
Don't rush the enemy again, alright? Don't put yourself in a foolhardy situation.
[ Told off again. Well, she isn't really wrong. There isn't a reason to put himself in so much danger, especially if it then makes her have to take risks like whatever she did to make everything grey ]
Okay, okay. No rushing them. But I am gonna watch your back.
[ Since there are still only two of them, and he's more okay with putting himself in danger than anyone else ]
Alright, so we unhook them, you wake them up, then we find the exit.
[ Easy peasy! They've got this! Good thing there are no zealots on the way to this room. Smooth sailing. Almost like it's too easy.
When they get there, Yuri feels sick, seeing everyone strung up like that, tubes connected to their wrists, ankles, and stomaches. ]
This is fucked up.
[ It's said on a breath, and it doesn't stop him from getting to work because they can't leave people like this. ]
[Lysithea responds with a short shake of her head as they enter the chamber. And just as she remembers... before them lie the victims of these depraved creatures. Her breath catches in her throat as she feels a familiar heaviness settle over her senses.
...She must not falter again.]
...Quickly.
We must pull them free.
[She is fumbling with the first set of restraints already. There's no telling how much time they have - how quickly the zealots will discover them. Then, too, she ignores the nagging voice in the back of her mind that whispers, 'How are you to escape?'
[ Yuri unchains one person, then another, easing them to the ground. They aren't conscious, not enough to say anything or help. One person mumbles something indistinct, but Yuri can't pause. He doesn't have a plan either. Flynn would say to stop, think about it, make a plan, then act, but there's no time, to time to think. They just need to do what they can, help these people as best as they can.
There's so much blood, in the air, on the people, in the bags and buckets around the room. He's breathing it in, he can't not, there's no way around it. Blood pollution, it's called, he remembers vaguely, but he can't think about it too hard.
If Lysithea spares a glance at him, she'll see his skin fading, blue-ish and odd, his eyes bloodshot, fingers elongating. He doesn't notice, either, too focused.
They're left alone, for now, at least. The zealots must not have to check on this room just yet.
Yuri's got five of them down, then six, his fingers starting to go numb, they're so cold, and now there's blue blood on the people, too, blue blood slowly seeping from his nails as he works. The blood in the air is affecting him more and more, the corruption sinking into his lungs, his single-minded focus not really helping, seeing the horror in front of him, these people, who are no different than him, unconscious, hurting, being used for their blood. It's like Ragou all over again, people with power using those without for their own gain, against their will, using them, killing them, for-- for what? For their own pleasure? For power? He doesn't know, he doesn't want to know, but the horror sinks into him, too, the horror that this is happening, here, in Trench, that it's been happening, that he didn't know, didn't do anything about it.
Suddenly, Yuri wavers, halfway through unhooking an IV from someone's arm, and stares at what he's doing. He doesn't remember showing up here, doesn't remember what's happening, where he is, the corruption making him lose track of himself, his purpose here.
He looks around, seeing all of the bodies, propped against the walls, laying on tables, unmoving, sees another person, on the other side of the room. ]
Flynn--?
[ No, not Flynn. That isn't Flynn. White hair, he doesn't remember. He drops the IV and takes a staggering step back ]
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no subject
[She murmurs, her voice still carrying that odd toneless quality. She sounds as if she were speaking from a great distance, her words echoing across some sort of vast gulf. The implication, of course, is that she has had a previous run-in with these things.]
This way doesn't lead anywhere in particular. It's all simply an endless maze.
They have us trapped.
no subject
[ With the implication that she can if she wants, but he wouldn't recommend it. ]
Maybe they're more powerful right now. Together, we might be able to take them. Two's always better than one.
[ He sees that distance in her eyes and, well, he gets it. He really does. If he and Flynn couldn't take them, that's not great. But Lysithea has different skills than Flynn does. Maybe together, they might be able to do something. ]
You gonna give up on me?
no subject
[At his query, she stops abruptly, turning her gaze to meet his eyes for the first time. The hollow expression does not change -- Yuri likely knows her well enough by now to recognize that something is seriously wrong. Lysithea has retreated somewhere inside her mind, leaving this automaton behind to carry out vital processes.
Something about his question has aroused some unknown emotion.]
...
No. I have to find them...
[Her words trail off. No explanation is offered before she resumes a brisk pace.]
no subject
Find who? You got friends in here?
[ It wouldn't be surprising, seeing as him and Flynn are here, and so is Lysithea. There have to be others.
He's concerned about her, but at least she's moving. She's moving and determined and has more of an idea of what's going on than he does, so he's determined to back her up, to help them both get the hell out of here. Then, maybe, they can figure out how to get her back out of her head. ]
no subject
The captives...
[The bodies lined up in rows. The mutilated corpses, the severed limbs, the vats of blood, (the blood! - the artificial blood), the destroyed faces, the faces she recognizes, the faces of her si --
She must not think of it.
It takes another few moments before she speaks again.]
This labyrinth is impossible... I can't find... anything.
Where are you going, Yuri?
no subject
Anywhere. Staying put isn't going to help.
[ Even if moving might not, either. He can't just sit still and do nothing. But he glances back at her with a grimace ]
You got a better idea?
[ Just as he says it, there's a sound from down the hallway and he looks up with wide eyes, just in time to be lifted in the air by something he can't see. One of those guys, those zealots, stands there with her hands raised, clearly manipulating something around him. He feels like he's being squeezed tight, like he can't breathe. He can barely move against what has him, but he lets out a strangled: ]
You-- bastard--
no subject
[Lysithea might be lost in a distant recess of her mind, but the one thing she's always been able to do regardless of her mental state is fling out magic haphazardly. The incantation comes as smoothly as reciting her times tables, and the pillar of light that erupts around the cultist is startling enough to momentarily loosen the hold.]
Run! Run -- go!
[Panic is writ across her features as she grabs at Yuri, pulling him away.]
no subject
But he can't say no to help, not right now. He wants to make it out of here alive, so he can do something about this place.
They manage to run, skidding around another corner, only to come upon more of the zealots, and Yuri curses under his breath, dropping down into a fighting stance, using what he can of his power to cover his fists in ice before he runs at the next pair of zealots with a roar, throwing a punch at one of them ]
no subject
From her retreat in her mind, everything seems too far away. She watches Yuri leap straight at the zealots, knowing dimly that it was foolish to the extreme, watches as they respond with some sort of blood manipulation that sparks intense electricity to crackle through the air all around them, surging towards Yuri.]
Yuri --
[If they begged... no, why would that work? It hadn't worked. No amount of tears or pleading... not against these - people who were no longer people.]
Yuri, don't...
[An arc of shining light cuts through the closest zealot as Lysithea casts Nosferatu, draining its strength and making it her own. But still, there are too many.]
no subject
Her spell knocks a few of them back, and he's able to move, in, tossing a kick here, a punch there, his fists coating and re-coating in ice to make his hits more powerful, more impactful, and he yells back to her: ]
Get the hell out of here! Just go!
1/2 hope this is ok let me know if it's too much
I'm still not strong enough...
[She is three years old and she is watching dark mages disassemble her brother, piece by piece. The cultist that Yuri punches with an icy fist rears back; next to him, another cultist makes a jerking hand motion as if crushing something between his two hands, and she knows, instinctively, that if he completes this bit of blood magic there will be a terrible outcome.
Time seems to slow as she watches the zealot leer at Yuri, his hands crushing and grinding and she thinks - she imagines - she is convinced she can see Yuri's head jerking as if a great force bears down upon it and the zealot's hands stained with glittering darkblood are on the verge of coming together -
Lysithea screams.]
Stop!
[And the world stops.]
no subject
Everything is gray and indistinct except for her and except for Yuri, who is still carrying through his last punch.]
Yuri - Yuri!
[She doesn't really know what else to say after calling his name because she has no explanation.]
this is perfect, thank you! and go lysithea, so cool
Everything has stopped. Everything is still and he looks around, searching for Lysithea and she seems-- fine. She's okay. She's still moving, unlike everything else, and is yelling his name ]
Lysithea? What the-- what happened?
[ He takes a step back toward her, in awe of what's going on around them ]
no subject
[Lysithea's tone is somewhere between incredulity and wonder. She slowly walks down the hallway towards her friend, her words coming in a somewhat belabored manner, drawing great breaths between phrases.]
I feel... very odd. But I think... we have time to escape.
[Time to kick the darkblood zealot in the shins, too, as she passes, though she has no idea if it's effective or not.]
So this... is the power of blood... I almost thought...
[The monochrome world begins to slowly saturate with color as Lysithea tries to draw breath. ...They really need to go.]
no subject
[ Except, getting a few hits in doesn't seem like a bad idea, even if these guys are incapacitated for the moment. He doesn't care. They deserve it. He gives one of them a left hook to the body as he passes, and it feels good, really good. For capturing him, for taking Flynn away, for giving Lysithea that haunted look in her eyes.
He catches up with her, giving her a flicker of a smile as he starts to speed up, intent to run out of eye sight before they come back from wherever the hell they are ]
Pretty cool. More useful than ice.
no subject
[Lysithea is gasping now as she staggers down the hallway, clutching at Yuri. The coloration around them now resembles an odd sepia photograph; it is clear that she is striving to keep this effect active as long as she is capable.
One turn, two turns...
'One more hallway...!' she thinks.
Five turns later, Lysithea releases a great gasp of breath and the world supersaturates in a great flash. She tries to take a step and topples sideways.]
no subject
Watch it. You alright?
[ He doesn't know what magic like that might take out of someone ]
no subject
[Despite her words, there are two good signs here: she is breathing normally, and her brisk, matter-of-fact manner is much more reminiscent of her usual state of being. It appears that this unexpected development has jarred her back into something resembling normalcy.
If she could not rectify the regrets of her past, today, at least, it appears she will not be adding more to that list.
Lysithea backs up against a wall and allows herself a moment to regain her bearings.]
...What of you? You took on too many on your own.
no subject
[ His body hurts, muscles straining and tired, but that doesn't matter. He's dealt with worse, and at least adrenalin is still keeping him going. He looks her over and, yeah, she looks, if not better, then more present. Like that shocked her back into the moment, which is good for him, because Lysithea is a good partner for something like this. She can hold her own, she can fight by his side, or, behind him, backing him up with magic. ]
Next step, we get the hell out of here. Okay?
[ But he doesn't move away, not yet. If she needs more time, well... he doesn't know how much they have, but at least it's quiet for now. ]
no subject
...I know where we are.
[Somehow, in their escape, they had returned to a familiar area. Lysithea looks ahead.]
There's a large chamber around a few more bends.
It has many people trapped. I was in the middle of pulling them out when those people...
[She trails off and her eyes flicker to the side. Obviously something had happened.]
I had to run. If we have a chance, there might still be... people who need us.
[If they weren't all dead.]
no subject
[ Which he really should have thought of. Flynn and him saw plenty of people, earlier. Tried to help them, too, but the same thing happened. The zealots fought them, chased them. Maybe the two of them stand a chance, but he isn't so sure.
But who would he be if he didn't try? It's better to die trying to help people than live knowing he could have done more. He nods to her and starts off in the direction she indicated. ]
Any of them conscious? Saw a few, earlier, who weren't. It's gonna be hard to drag a bunch of unconscious people out.
no subject
[This is a very unclear answer. Lysithea hesitates briefly -- ]
When I saw them, they were all connected to this... tubing. They were being used as fuel, I surmise. If we disconnect them, I should be able to revive them. Some of them.
[Again, this was provided that any of them were still alive. Lysithea leads them around a corner towards a closed door.]
If we're caught again...
Don't rush the enemy again, alright? Don't put yourself in a foolhardy situation.
no subject
Okay, okay. No rushing them. But I am gonna watch your back.
[ Since there are still only two of them, and he's more okay with putting himself in danger than anyone else ]
Alright, so we unhook them, you wake them up, then we find the exit.
[ Easy peasy! They've got this! Good thing there are no zealots on the way to this room. Smooth sailing. Almost like it's too easy.
When they get there, Yuri feels sick, seeing everyone strung up like that, tubes connected to their wrists, ankles, and stomaches. ]
This is fucked up.
[ It's said on a breath, and it doesn't stop him from getting to work because they can't leave people like this. ]
no subject
[Lysithea responds with a short shake of her head as they enter the chamber. And just as she remembers... before them lie the victims of these depraved creatures. Her breath catches in her throat as she feels a familiar heaviness settle over her senses.
...She must not falter again.]
...Quickly.
We must pull them free.
[She is fumbling with the first set of restraints already. There's no telling how much time they have - how quickly the zealots will discover them. Then, too, she ignores the nagging voice in the back of her mind that whispers, 'How are you to escape?'
She has no plan...]
cw: mild body horror
There's so much blood, in the air, on the people, in the bags and buckets around the room. He's breathing it in, he can't not, there's no way around it. Blood pollution, it's called, he remembers vaguely, but he can't think about it too hard.
If Lysithea spares a glance at him, she'll see his skin fading, blue-ish and odd, his eyes bloodshot, fingers elongating. He doesn't notice, either, too focused.
They're left alone, for now, at least. The zealots must not have to check on this room just yet.
Yuri's got five of them down, then six, his fingers starting to go numb, they're so cold, and now there's blue blood on the people, too, blue blood slowly seeping from his nails as he works. The blood in the air is affecting him more and more, the corruption sinking into his lungs, his single-minded focus not really helping, seeing the horror in front of him, these people, who are no different than him, unconscious, hurting, being used for their blood. It's like Ragou all over again, people with power using those without for their own gain, against their will, using them, killing them, for-- for what? For their own pleasure? For power? He doesn't know, he doesn't want to know, but the horror sinks into him, too, the horror that this is happening, here, in Trench, that it's been happening, that he didn't know, didn't do anything about it.
Suddenly, Yuri wavers, halfway through unhooking an IV from someone's arm, and stares at what he's doing. He doesn't remember showing up here, doesn't remember what's happening, where he is, the corruption making him lose track of himself, his purpose here.
He looks around, seeing all of the bodies, propped against the walls, laying on tables, unmoving, sees another person, on the other side of the room. ]
Flynn--?
[ No, not Flynn. That isn't Flynn. White hair, he doesn't remember. He drops the IV and takes a staggering step back ]
What the hell?
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