DAY: 011

[zerkalos]

[ It begins in drum beats, louder and louder over itself, begins like eyes opening out of childhood nightmares, begins like a mother waking to her child's crying in the night, between Sam and Zhukov and something that is the sea - something that is a river in full flood. Out and out to where there is no difference between them. Through the hive and through the void in a space that is not space and like any waters, the void takes the path of least resistance, eager to expand in every direction.

Finds Sam first, of course it does. Wraps about him like a sycophant. It beats itself out against him, demanding, demanding, wanting and pushing and clawing and gnawing at once. Looks for a crack, any crack, just one simple divide, and as Sam splits his mind. It slips in stiletto blade thin between ribs and cracks apart at the edges. To take and take and take, to carve on the edge of a knife a way forward and engulf.

Not in words, but it speaks:

( a city, a city overrun in gnawing creatures, rats, thousands of them, their fur wet and spillery smooth as nails try to pry their teeth out of supple muscles, between fingers as they crawl, of flies, loud and buzzing, sickly honeyed hives that are corpse sweet and they nestle like lovers into flesh. Of something older than modern lights and inventions that sits at the back of the tongue and is suckled out by empires as oils. This is what the flesh of the sea looks like, this is what the water tastes like free of everything and full of nothing. Of cities under the earth, forgotten. Of the rot and the festering and the piling: this is what happens to a body that is on top of another body, this is what happens when the flesh is stripped away in salt and dried to air. Lovers that are in sewers and together, together, together. Looking up is to look down to the depths. There is no left or right, there's only a deep, deep breath and coughing up the taste of blue and violet and dark-light. This is the sun through the ice, reflected over and over again until it sears the skin in its reflection. Objects that float like they never knew the ground, or that they exist and don't exist and forget where to walk, paths that overlay paths that overlay paths,

and black - black eyes. There is nothing, nothing so black as those eyes. Nothing so beautiful as them as when they stare down into these oceans of you. Above and below and no where at all. Crawling in the sewers, through grand mansions, not welcome here but oh, so very, very wanted. Come, come, you are its lover, and it wants to carve purpose in bones. You are so beautiful, it wants to lick the marrow out of your bones, and it will call you pure for the broken parts of you, it wants, just give in, just give it everything.

these waters will never give back what they have taken. )

It takes Sam, where they are a half beat apart, and when he slips, it rushes over the top of him, holding to him tightly and then the everything stops. Expanded as far as it can go. The healing on his body is nothing but tinder, something new to be devoured.

And then, there is nothing but the dark and a naked flame.

Out of mind and body, Zhukov starts screaming as he burns. ]

( ooc: this is the continuation from this thread here, and is open for anyone to feel and react to. I am also happy to have the void reach out to touch whoever wants to from him. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a plurk to @aeneia or send me a message here! )

Comments

[greentech]

[ Black eyes and cracking skin and blood. Ice cold and heat. There's something tugging at her, trying to pull the beating essence of life out of her and consume it. There's something draining her - no, draining Sam - but her heart feels like it's struggling even while she feels it hammering against her ribs and she can't tell where Sam's pain and sensation ends and her own begins.

Over it all, there's the void. The engulfing darkness and the sharp sense of fear that cuts off as Sam falls into unconsciousness and then there's nothing left as an anchor, just a grabbing, greedy, devouring force that's looking for something, anything, it can latch onto. She can feel the flames trying to take more, searching for an opening.

And when Sam drops, he threatens to take Katie with her. She can feel the tug of his mind spiraling into unconsciousness and she takes a few stumbled steps down the path. She's rigid in her chair, knuckles going white as she grabs the table like a lifeline. ]

Misato-

[ Katie's voice pitches up, sounding strained. ]

It's Sam. There's something, I don't know, it's trying to find a way through, it's like - it wants to consume everything-

[ Panic, panic, panic.

Her eyes start to roll back in her head. ]

[wille]

[ It's the difference between experiencing something firsthand and watching it happen to someone standing across the room from you. She feels the darkness, the undeniable pull, as one might imagine plunging into a void seen through a television screen helped by imagination and no small measure of empathy. It isn't the same as actually falling, but she knows enough of how the girl feels the moment unconsciousness grabs hold, enough to kick back her chair and rush to catch Pidge with both arms in case her feet give way.

While she moves fast, her mind is notably calm with laser sharp focus heightened and adding no panic to the equation and little in the way of worry. Such things can wait for later. Now what matters is what one does in the moment. Practiced and automatic, her priority is on ensuring Pidge can breathe and doesn't hurt herself, holding the girl sideways and tapping her cheeks to try and keep her conscious. ]

Katie. Look at me. What's happened to Sam?

[greentech]

[ Pidge slumps against Misato. there's a soldness to her that helps keep her in the present. The void isn't reaching for her yet, but she's still feeling drawn down by Sam. Her eyes flutter and she fights through the urge to sink into the darkness that nibbles on the edges of her vision with a little 'nnn' sound. ]

I don't know. I think - there's something - it's trying to consume... everything.

[ It's just a jumble of emotions in her head right now. All second-hand from Sam and none of it makes sense in any particular order. ]

[wille]

[ Her belonging to another brood partly shields her from the worst of it, but now the proximity nearly negates that. Misato has yet to learn how to properly wall herself off, protect herself from others, others from herself. Everything still bleeds through, the darkness and the unbearable hunger. Her attempt is slipshod, barely succeeding by sheer insistence on pushing away anything that feels alien, a dam built as the flood rushes in. But she refuses to abandon the attempt.

She keeps a bruising grip on Pidge's arm and doesn't soften her touch when she grabs hold of the girl's jaw to force her to focus. Let the pain ground her. She can thank her later. ]

You have to fight it. Come on. Block it out. You're not even trying.

[greentech]

[ The pain drags her back. And the anger. She's fighting as best she can, but she's not used to finding herself clawing at the edge of a mental abyss. She's never had to fight this kind of thing before. Her shields are starting to rebuild themselves, especially since her symbiote is trying to defend itself. ]

I - am-

[ It's half-muttered from the edge of unconsciousness, but she manages another push and her eyelides fluttter a few more times before they settle, half open, eyes struggling to focus.

She's going to have a hell of a headache and she feels drained, like she's been fighting in her lion for the last half hour. ]

H-hey. Misato.

[ She sounds shaky, but at least she's not bonelessly limp and there's color coming back into her cheeks. ]

[wille]

[ Good. If raising the girl's wrath and leaving bruises on her arms brings Pidge back, then she would do both and more. Whatever it takes, right?

Her relief is palpable when she hears her name and the tension hardening her face takes a backseat. But the anxiety remains, tightly coiled, barely restrained. She doesn't let go of her grip just yet because something that feels so dangerous and all-encompassing can't possibly be frightened away so easily. The worst is yet to come, she thinks. ]

Hey-- How are you feeling? What was that?

[greentech]

[ She's going to feel this for a day or two. There's a bit of bruising and she's got a killer headache, but she's conscious. Although she sort of wishes she was passed out at this point. Katie sways slightly and then leans against Misato, resting her head against her chest as she tries to get her focus back. ]

Like someone rammed a moon into my head. That's how I feel.

[ Deep breath, Katie. Focus. ]

I - wish I knew. I've never felt anything like that.

[wille]

[ Misato doesn't ease her grip, still expecting another wave of whatever that was to come back. The worst is always yet to come and she wants to be ready for it. Concern has settled into her face and it crackles like an electric buzz on her mind. Still she lets Katie rest against her without moving to comfort her just yet. ]

That was the symbiote, wasn't it? So, Sam--?

[ She refrains from saying the words. Sirius disappearing felt nothing like that. Maybe it's nothing. ]

[greentech]

[ Katie sways a little, still feeling lightheaded, with a cracking headache. Where Sam should be is a silent hum of unconsciousness and perhaps that's a good thing. There was something else there before. She's concerned, a little frightened. A little stressed. She's trying not to show it, though. ]

I - I don't know. I don't think he's dead. I think - I would've felt that.

[ She frowns and reaches up to touch a hand to her forehead. ]

I don't know. I've never actually... felt someone die before.

[wille]

[ She allows the girl a few more seconds to collect herself, easing her hold even as she moves to try and help her back to her feet and hopefully on to a nearby chair. Priorities shift and change orders in her mind, like forming strategies, the problem is always that they can't do all things all at once.

Her voice is gentle, but firm. ]

Don't worry about that yet.

[ She reaches to rest a hand against Katie's cheek. ]

Can you hold it off if it comes again?

[greentech]

Yeah, I think so. I just -- I wasn't expecting it. That's all.

[ Katie frowns as she settles into a chair, still rubbing at her temple. ]

I hate this thing. It's -- this wouldn't happen if I didn't have it in my head.

[wille]

It's already in our heads. There's no helping that.

[ Even so, there's no need to be curt, a reminder to herself that comes a tad too late. Misato makes a face that could pass as remorseful, certainly displeased, as she draws her hand back and lets out a sigh. That helps little to allay her anxiety. ]

Sam's not really answering, is he?

[greentech]

Yeah, I know. Don't have to remind me.

[ Pidge's response is equally curt, so they're even. She sighs softly (more of a groan) and shakes her head. She is not pleased with the empty buzz where Sam should be, even if she doesn't really like the link. ]

No, he's not. I - we should go find him.

[wille]

[ She does like the ones that can, and would, fight back, but now's not the time for approving smiles. Her expression remains grave when she nods in agreement, already rising to full height and offering Pidge a hand with walking. The girl just had something resembling a seizure, and she would offer to carry her if she doesn't think it would be rejected flat out. ]

Would you know where to look? Or should we sound the alarm, get everyone to help?

[greentech]

I think everyone felt that.

[ Pidge winces and rubs her head again. ]

We should definitely find him, though. I think I know where he is. Maybe. But, uh, talking to everyone else would probably a good idea...

[ She glances up at Misato, brow furrowed in a worried frown. ]

I just wish I knew what triggered this.

[wille]

If it was an attack, it wouldn't be a good idea to find him . . .

[ Whatever it was felt bad. And as much affinity she feels for Sam, when the matter of strategy and most effective placement of resources kick in, it's a terrible idea for everyone to come running to the rescue. If even a trained fighter couldn't take down whoever that was, it would be best to retreat and regroup. She doesn't think Pidge would agree. ]

But he's one of yours. I'll go with you. Come on.

[greentech]

OK.

[ Pidge nods. She's still shaky on her feet, but she's not going to let that stop her. Time to move. ]