[HH 1 v ??] I Can Try to Fix You...? [Alex vs ??][FIN]

[Seussi]

Quote:

Rolling a 1: ALL DAMAGE IS MULTIPLIED BY 2, but you CANNOT USE FEAR/ CHARGED ATTACKS. You feel slightly dizzy, everything around you flickers to greys.

 

[Seussi]

The zomboil stumbled through the fog, lost and disoriented. All alone now. Mort and Belladonna had both been taken by the fog. He'd failed at keeping her safe, though he at least hadn't promised to do so. The vial was apparently only a temporary fix, but still he kept the one he'd snagged from his last trip to Medea's tent safe, tucked away in his shirt pocket. The mists continued to shift and swirl around him, his vision often times flickering to greys. It was only a matter of time now, before the fog took him as well. He knew it.

At some point his movements began to slow, his shoulders hunched, his feet dragging behind him pathetically as he continued to plod along.

And then he just stopped. And then he just sat down and slumped forward, resting his head on his hands. Just resting, just fighting off the dizziness, that's what he told himself. Not giving up, no, not yet. Even if he was feeling incredibly weak and completely vulnerable.

"Is there anybody out there?" He called out, softly, his voice almost pleading. He didn't want to be alone anymore...

ramenli

 

[ramenli]

It was alone. There was an intruder and it was all alone. Yin hissed with pleasure. Easy prey. The fog began to swirl, thicken, and finally revealed the form of the large mantis.

"Home."

OOC

Total HP : 7/60

 

[Seussi]

The fog began to swirl and thicken in what was becoming a very familiar way. Slowly Alex's head rose, his shoulders straightening slightly as he waited to see what form his sure demise would take.

Oh, a giant weramantis. What a very fitting end to this nightmare.

Alex's lips actually twitched up a tiny bit before he spoke.

"Hello, Yin Cang." His voice was low and raspy, and he pushed himself wearily to his feet, eyeing the spiked claws and deadly looking mandibles with caution.

"Are you here to take me home?" He shuffled forward, hand reaching into his from pocket, pulling out again as he withdrew the vial. It was all he had. His only chance of not being destroyed by Yin.

"I think I'll pass." His voice changed to a growl, and he threw the vial forward, directly at Yins giant mantis face.

OOC

HP: 9/50

 

[ramenli]

The prey was coming at him and he raised a claw but...something was being thrown. No matter it was a small thing.

Then it smashed on him, flecks of the contents spraying over his face and thorax, some finding its way into his mouth. Some might call it a moneyshot, perhaps the only one in the zomboil's life.

Everywhere it touched the fog and grey began to leak out of him, forced from his body, the rest following. As it did he began to shrink, from almost 15 feet to just over 7, and then the involuntary shifting, cracking noises as his exoskeleton broke apart, legs merging back together, leaving in the mantis' place a bewildered looking boil. "Alexander?" what was his bonded doing here with him? He had been cleaning with Ace and Miss Sin...

The memories began flooding him. Attacking horsemen, somewhat shameful. Hunters, his only regret was that he did not kill them. But students...ghouls. Miss Xiu-Ying. Miss Danny. The feel of a first year's head in his mouth as he separated it from her body. Eyes wide with horror he started to stumble back, only to bend over, wrenching, but he had not consumed food for long enough that they were dry retches.

What had he done.

"Kill me." A broken plea, the only thing that made sense to say.  

[Seussi]

With some amount of relief Alexander watched as the vial managed to do it's work, actually surprised that it had been so easy. He knew he didn't have much left in him to fight, that one swing of those deadly claws and he would have been done. The vial had really been his only chance. A desperate hope.

And somehow, someway, it had worked.

The zomboils shoulders sagged as tension from what he thought would be his final battle left his body. "Yin Cang." Was his only reply to his former boilfriend uttering his name. He held himself back for the moment, though he wanted to move forward, wanted to wrap the weremantis up in his arms just to hold him and whisper to him that everything would be fine now. But no, that look on Yin's face as realization and horror dawned were enough to keep him in place for just a moment longer, and then all he could feel were crushing waves of guilt.

He had turned Yin back, and he would remember everything that he had done, just as Mort had. The significance of this was not lost upon the zomboil, though he had no idea what the other boil had been doing, who he had attacked. And on top of that...he had turned him back knowing that it was not permanent, that within time he would change back again.

All he had done was given Yin a chance to hate himself before he went to the fog.

The sound of the other boil retching had Alexander moving finally, hurried shuffling steps closer to Yin, reaching out, placing a cold hand on the other boils shoulder. He wanted to apologize, though that seemed like a weak and ridiculous thing to do now. Besides that, Yin's next words, his plea as he was bent over double to the ground, had Alexander's mind reeling, his own pale eye widening in horror as well, his brain going completely numb at the thought. The world shifted to greys again, and he felt the dizziness setting in, and it was a fight not to fall down to the ground in a dead faint.

"....No..." His voice was nothing more then a hoarse, choked whisper. "No...no....no..." That seemed to be the only thing he could say, at the moment, the hand that he laid on Yin's shoulder tightening.  

[ramenli]

The cold hand on his shoulder was only reminding Yin that here, wherever here was, was cold. Something that with Insanity he had not really noticed, had not really cared about. But it had a certain draining element to it to be sure. But what was worse than that was Alexander's answer.

No.

He was refusing that request. Yin managed to straighten, mostly, eyes moving to seek out Alexander's face. "Please." A choked whisper of his own. "You do not know what I have done..." But he...he could see it all clearly.

Could feel it all clearly.

"I could not recognize anyone," his voice sounded slightly panicked, desperation seeping in. He had not recognized Alexander, was about to attack him as well. He was a monster, destroying at random, and he needed to be put down. "I...I beheaded a ghoul..." Saying it out loud only made it more real. And then...there had been another creature there. One that shared certain similarities with the ghoul...and he had caused that.  

[Seussi]

The shock of Yin's words was not wearing off in the slightest, though as the boil began to straighten up Alexander let his hand fall away, his expression pained. He kept his mouth shut for the moment, not trusting himself to be able to say anything other then "No", and just let Yin speak. He tried to blame the chill that was working it's way up from his toes in a wave that consumed his body and made everything ache all the worse inside and out on the cold atmosphere that the fog presented, but it was a lie. The fact was, the very idea of hurting Yin in such a way was too painful and shocking to even consider, though he tried. For Yin, at least, he could try to see it his way.

"But---But I can't." For more then one reason, this was not something he was capable of.

"That wasn't you. You wouldn't have done those things if you weren't being influenced by the fog, the insanity...." He could feel that this argument would likely get him nowhere fast. He might not have been sane of mind at the time, but it had still been Yin. He would still remember it like he had done it. Telling him otherwise was probably pointless.

"And....if I did, even if I could, you would just dissipate and become that same monster again...." Helplessness in his voice now, raw from emotional turmoil, though he was still trying so hard not to breakdown, to be strong and not crumble.

"Would that really be so much better?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Maybe it would be better. The call for home, it was so tempting to just give in and let go, to let the fog take him.  

[ramenli]

It really did not matter. All of Alexander's fears were true, it had still been Yin, and he had still been the one responsible. He could still remember it all. But Alexander's reason of why he should not was unexpected. If he was killed...he would just come back warped. "But perhaps there is a chance," he argued. Maybe if he was dissipated while he was not infected he would come back sane.

It was a hopeless cause. But the longer he stayed...the more the fog would probably call to him. Perhaps he could just leave. Walk away from all of it, go back to his room, and he would get better. He was better now...but if something happened...on school grounds they would all be students. At least here he had a chance to fell hunters.

"Alexander, please," he had no right to ask anything of him, and the zomboil was already denying him his most sincere wish, but he had to try. "Leave this place. Go...go find my mother and tell her what is happening. She may be the only one able to help. Please." He was starting to crack, feeling worse than useless. But if anyone knew it would be the Nurse. And if Alexander left to find her...he would out of harm's way.  

[Seussi]

Of course Yin couldn't have known that these had just been excuses, just weak arguments to hide his true reason for not wanting to kill Yin. The zomboil still felt that his time was coming, that there was no escape. It was hard, watching all of your friends fall to the insanity, one by one, and not feel that way. The truth of the matter was, if this really was the end...he didn't want one of his last moments to be killing the one person at the school he cared about most. Still, yes, because feelings like those didn't just disappear in an instant.

He just shook his head, slowly, the pale eye peeking out from behind a fringe of white hair sad, and sorry, and full of pain. "I'm sorry, Yin Cang, but I just can't. Could you do it to me?" He shouldn't have asked that, the question blurted out before he could stop himself and his eye closed, his brow furrowed. After all this time he still didn't have a great brain to mouth filter.

"Your....Mother?" His eye popped back open. Just when he thought he couldn't feel more shocked or confused. Since when did Yin have a mother....?

As for leaving....well, he'd been trying to find an exit just about since he'd come back. It seemed hopeless, however. The fog continued to twist him around, and he had no idea how to escape.

"Of course...of course I'll try." That was all he could commit to. No more empty promises that he couldn't keep. He would not do that anymore.  

[ramenli]

Could he do it to him? Could he kill his bonded if he begged him to? Surrounded by the fog that had driven him past the breaking point, doing unmentionable things, not knowing if and when it might infect him again? Not before stressing every other possibility. But that was what they were doing now, seeking out other options. If Alexander refused....perhaps he would have the strength if he felt the fog consuming him again, though he did not remember feeling consumed. Just that he was not, and then he was.

Alexander's surprised served only to remind him of how far apart they really were. Really, it should only have made it easier for the zomboil to attack. To put him down. Nothing between them but a broken bond that Yin could not ignore. A promise that promised nothing.

"Yes." Ordinarily he might have been flustered to talk about his family, but all he could think of at the moment was how disappointed he would be making her. How she...she did not deserve this. He had heard tales and whisperings about Red, had seen the picture in her office. But if anyone would have looked into Insanity..."Nurse Cricket. She needs to know. Maybe...maybe she will be able to help."  

[Seussi]

Nurse Cricket....Yes, that was certainly a surprise. He'd known that Yin had a great amount of respect for her, but he'd never dreamed that it had ever become more then that. It must have been adoption, since there was just no other explanation.

Really, he just couldn't believe that in the midst of all of this craziness and turmoil, he was finding himself shocked by something that by all rights should have paled in significance compared with what they were now dealing with. He actually felt a strong pang of sadness and regret for having only found out the information now.

"She should already know...." The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "If she's in the school..." He reached up to rub at his face, trying to think, because it was still hard to believe even though he'd experienced it himself.

"The school isn't safe. I found my way back once, early on, before I got too far in the fog. I was in a classroom, and it suddenly filled with fog. When it cleared away, I was back here, and one of the insanity creatures attacked. A teacher, Professor Malcolm, he saved me just before my Fear shield could break. He transported me back to the school, told me to warn everyone but...."

He swallowed, hard, not quite wanting to continue. "I didn't listen. I came back to find Mort, and Belladonna, and....and you." His voice somehow became smaller the more he spoke, as though ashamed of his rash decision.

But that wasn't what was important. The school wasn't safe. The teachers surely all knew by now what was happening. What could going back possibly achieve?  

[ramenli]

Yin cringed at the words. The school was not safe either? Alexander had been transported from the school...no, she hhad to be safe. He had not just obtained a family to have it ripped away from him so easily. Panic and desperation were clawing at him, it could not be.

"Why did you come back?" That was what he really wanted to ask. He was constantly getting himself in messes, and Alexander kept coming back to find him. Risking himself. Of course he knew it was not just for him, there were others. And he knew he would do the same thing but...It was getting annoying. They could not both be the ones to go charging in risking themselves, it just ended up with everyone getting hurt.

It was foolish to ask him to stay safe. They had both been around the school enough to know that. Empty promises not from lack of trying but because there was nothing to be done. He wished there was something he could do but in the cold, as weak as he was, there was nothing. No Fear he could dredge up to transfer, nothing that could possibly make the situation better.

He closed his eyes, voice somewhat flat. "Thank you for seeking me out but...perhaps you should go to find them now. I do not know if I am safe, and if you will not kill me...you should probably get away from me while I am still in control."  

[Seussi]

Alexander let out a small sigh, head still hanging as he studied the fog that swirled around his feet. It felt almost like the mist was tugging at him, wanting to pull him down and consume him. Flashes of grey still impaired his vision from time to time, making his head swim dizzily, making it hard to think and to remember certain things.

Finally he looked back up. "There are no others anymore. It's just me, now. Maybe some other students too. Maybe I could find them, eventually, if something else doesn't find me first. Mort was consumed early on...but I was able to change him back. It didn't last long, maybe an hour at the most. I'm guessing that's how long you have until..." he let his voice trail off, not needing to explain further. Then he took a deep breath, held it, tried to steady his nerves, tried to remind himself to keep himself numb, so that he could keep dealing with this. Yin kept bringing up the killing him thing, like it was the only option....

"....Do you really want me to try and kill you?" He actually surprised himself with how calm he managed to sound, with how empty the words were now. If he just didn't focus on the fact that it was Yin, and if he could convince himself that it was the only thing that could be done...then maybe he could make himself just do it.

What was a little more suffering on top of everything else? What was it compared to what Yin had been through these couple of months? Maybe this is just what made sense.  

[ramenli]

"Just you?" Confusion, shock. He knew better than to think that it was just those that had been tagged, he had seen the results of killing someone and yet...for so many to have been taken. "An...an hour?" It was worse than he thought and so many of those few minutes were already gone. There was no telling how long this would last, or if it would ever end. There had been the one ghoul about campus, destroyed and then somehow she had had a booth at Fright Night but...

This could potentially be the last time he was sane. And even now he was plagued with the memories of what he had done, the faintest strains of a word he was trying desperately not to hear humming in the back of his mind.

Alexander almost sounded resigned to the only option they really had. Killing him before he killed the zomboil. Maybe...maybe he could finish himself off before Alexander had to step in instead. "I need to be stopped. There are very few options. Maybe if it is while I am still sane..." There was no real hope to his voice, only resignation. But if all he had left was an hour...there was no reason to worry about his theory being wrong. He might lose what, 45 minutes of sanity? 30? 10? Not enough to be concerned with.

"I need to be stopped." Repetition, resignation. Acceptance. He looked at his bonded, trying to hide the regret that he felt. "I...I am sorry, but I do not believe I will make it to the library." The zomboil would know what he meant. No chance for them to talk, to figure out why they could never make things work. Why everything with them was just hot and cold all the time. Too different perhaps but..."I miss you Alexander. I would prefer it be you that destroys me."