cultor | [closed] WE are so normal

[ at first, when the spell is finally cast, the only sign of its success is the subtle rise and fall of agent choi's chest.

give him some minutes though, and he'll eventually roll from his back onto his side—start coughing up a storm, including some red and black sludge onto the grimy tunnel floor. his head hurts. his body hurts. everything hurts. that's his first thought. it's only as that awareness is accepted as his reality that he has time to remember, vividly—

the taste of fresh blood on his tongue, the pain of his injuries, of subaru's injuries, the look on kim soleum's face as he was pushed out of the way, and then—

black.

silence.

stretching out endlessly until, within the depths of that darkness, he sees them: eyes. he hears its whispers, and feels its dread, looming heavy in the distance.

...

a bloodied hand comes up to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. ]

[ Dante comes down to crouch next to Choi, pulling his handkerchief from inside his coat and silently offering it to the other man so that he can wipe his face with something clean rather than his own bloody hands.

Dante simply watches for a moment, looking as if he's staring through Choi at something unseen before he will finally close his eyes and exhale softly. It seems... okay? Choi is alive and moving without trouble, so it should be fine.

He nods politely to Choi now in greeting. His voice is soft in volume as he speaks briefly. ]

...Try not to make a habit of such things, Signor Choi.

[ he'll go to get to his feet without another word, particularly so he can be out of the way of the others that have been worried about him. ]

[ the first face that agent choi looks up to see isn't one he had expected by any means. it was dante, wasn't it? that kid from earlier in the tunnels, though choi hadn't taken him for a doctor, and his expression now is deeply grave, as if searching for something that isn't what he's looking at with that gaze.

but while the relief, at least, is easy to read, he has to ask: ]

Make a habit of...

[ his voice is hoarse, but a strained grin begins to stretch across his features. it's something not quite happy, and more habitual than sincere—uncertain, but at the same time, suspicious of knowing. ]

What, exactly, if you don't mind me asking?

[ it's a headache really, all of this, any of this. his condition is... decent, roe deer has never been the chatty type anyway. with the situation at hand, there are certain intervals where he makes himself known. it's nothing noteworthy, but even in his poor state will he keep up the guise of a stable man.

a) as your character walks within the elongated tunnel that leads to the room, kim soleum will meet them halfway. while he has no business moving about, ]

In case there are anymore Hosts around, we can walk together. Are you entering or leaving for something?

[ another possible scenario?

b) catch soleum leaning against a wall with a pack of cigarettes, he'll stare at them through his deer-like mask before slipping them into the pocket behind his jacket.

...tap, tap.

lifting his head, soleum will look around, and closing the distance between himself a corner will he turn and call out. ]

Excuse me?

[ to no one.

let your character find him talking to nothing but darkness. he is certainly so normal. ]

[ That's an unexpected response, but at the same time... why is it, really? Someone dying probably doesn't really understand that they passed. For the other, it's perhaps nothing more than getting knocked out and waking up like you've been hit by a train.

In fact, that makes perfect sense to Dante.

It's not really his place to explain to Choi what happened to him, though, right? That's something he needs to hear from his friends that have clearly been upset and worried over him as well as were part of the incident. Still, it would be rude not to answer, and so he just smiles a bit like he's ever so faintly amused. ]

Allowing me to return a favor to you so quickly, of course.

[ okay, but seriously: ] Your friends can explain to you better than I can.

[ yeah, what a fucking weirdo. Dante says nothing and pretends he didn't see it.

...Nah, actually he's just staring at the other and waiting to see what other normal things he manages to do. ]

[ and he leaves. things seem a-ok. he's out of here. shuffles off. ]

[ he's very normal.

...

he stands there like a very normal person, his hands slip into his pocket, and he continues staring out there. ]

[ okay. goes up to him now and taps him on the shoulder, then. ]

Haha...

[ well that can't mean anything good.

but, fine. he won't press the issue. instead, he spares a bit of a glance to the ones behind dante—that kid, guren, and grapes, but... there's something missing. a presence that has been there almost since he first arrived, and has grown so used to carrying with him that its absence feels like an aching wound of its own. like something wrong.

his attention sets back on dante. ]

Where's Subaru?

[ he's already trying to push himself up. ]

Grapes...

[ his voice comes softly, but clearly with great strain, still hoarse. ah—his neck really doesn't feel great, but more loudly this time: ]

Hey, Grapes. Don't tell me you're leaving already...

[ some spirit touched him man, as much as this sends a shiver down his spine, he's keeping it together. it's not the same caring touch from before, he knows that much, but...

rather than turning his head to see who it is. ]

Need me for something?

[ clear, calm, and waiting. ]

[ he doesn't know who Subaru is, in particular, but he can make a guess. Dante will go to help Choi up when he sees him trying to do so on his own— and assuming he can get up with Dante's help, the young mafioso will turn and motion for Choi towards the end of the room where Subaru has been resting. Julian may or may not be there, still.

Dante will hold onto Choi until he moves away, just to make sure he make his way to the others man's side. Alternatively, if he really has to... he supposes he'll help Choi physically get over to Subaru, too, if needed. ]

[ agent choi knows better than anyone here that soleum will keep moving. it took him and seonghae having to agree that this was the right choice, that's the only reason. the only reason. ]

...

[ his steps do slowly come to a stop, the agent will see continue to see soleum's back. ]

I am. [ soleum's head hurts. ] I've done my part.

[ don't force him having to stay here and look at the poor condition agent choi is in, hasn't he done this song and dance already? ]

He seems to not be having any adverse reactions to the ritual. So, I'll be taking my leave. Take care, as well— you and the young lady look like you both could use some rest yourselves.

[ He doesn't really know what else to say, especially if the other won't even look at him. Dante honestly can't imagine what this little group is going through, though, and while he had to come help, he understands he and Nicola are not part of this; which probably makes it awkward for all of them to try and deal with their friend being alive again.

So to him it's best he exit as quickly as possible and maybe they can all start to unpack what's happened to themselves and Choi. He is stepping back and turning to signal to Nicola for them to depart. ]

C'mon, I know you're not the type to push responsibility to someone else.

[ he does know, and that's exactly why soleum is one of the first people he looks to—and for, as he finally manages to gather his bearings to the situation.

he can't just let soleum walk away. not like this. ]

I have something to say to you. Come back here.

That's right.

[ it's virgil. a familiar voice. soleum clears his throat, it's to assist in grasping the other's attention, and when he turns to see his hand about to beckon for nicola. soleum, lifts his own, adjusting the gesture so it's like he's given the other a high-five.

hopefully it works.

change the narrative.

a clap of their hands. ]

Thank you.

[ his hand lowers, how much time does that by? soleum thinks he's going crazy existing down here. ]

If we meet again above ground, let me repay you when I'm able.

Who am I pushing it onto, Agent Choi? [ firmly, but there's no blame, it's only what's the truth about all of this: ] From what I recall, you weren't here.

[ why wasn't he here?

...

that's for soleum to take the blame. ]

There's nothing to say. ...I advise that you rest.

[ won't even look at him. ]

[ that's not... what he was going for, but it's fine. it's not like he can blame grapes for acting this way either, even if he thinks to himself that he would never greet someone like this after what had happened, were he in the same position.

...

but it's hard to say that for sure, when he's not, isn't it? ]

Just wait... Hold o—

[ in trying to pull himself up to his feet, he overexerts his still-injured body and ends up coughing up a storm, including some more of that nasty sludge coughed into his hand, but it's fine. it's fine. he's already up to his knees, he just needs to lift— ]

[ huh what was that? some kinda weird hand smacking?

what does it even mean, help?

it seems like it's supposed to be positive, but he's never even seen it before nevermind had someone do it to him. ]

[ the coughing, something wet coming up too in the way he clears his throat. soleum doesn't know, he doesn't dare turn around. ]

...

[ he's weak, he can't chase soleum. he should leave him to do what he needs in order to get out of this... spore dungeon.

...

agent choi needs to lift. soleum needs to leave. he steps, one after the other, and with his shoes coming into view of the agent.

a hand extended.

a small twitch of the tips, but his hand never moves away. ]

You really should rest.

[ okay, well, there's actually no need to worry about what it means other than it's clearly the other's attempt to make some kind of positive departure between them.

So he'll glance at his hand after it's clapped against the other's curiously before smiling a bit (kind of a silly gesture, but memorable, he guesses?)

He'll nod at the thanks. ]

Seems like that's what I'm here for. Glad I could help. [ as for him repaying him ... eh, Choi and Roe Deer both had said they were only doing their jobs when helping Dante, so what makes Dante doing what he did much different? No sense nitpicking it with the other outloud, though. ]

If you must, but seeing you again without repayment is also more than fine.

You and the others shouldn't stay down here much longer, though.

[ he can hear the footsteps, but his body is wracked by the coughs, thick and grimy slime coming up from his lungs. it does stop eventually, and when it does...

he looks up.

the expression on his face can't quite be called a smile, but still, it's something close. relieved.

he wipes his hand on his shirt for a moment before holding it out to take soleum's. ]

We're teammates. I can't just let my kid run off on his own after something like that, right? And besides, this...

[ all of this. ]

Was your doing, wasn't it.

[ It's not a far distance to the other end of the room, though blood smears mark the path across in footprints and long, dark swaths. Blood smears and the slow, sticky drift of succumbence's dust, motes catching in the strange light.

He is alive, resting; there's just enough tension and color to him to signal that he survived. His rest isn't fitful, nor does he seem to be in any immediate pain, his stability tendered by an experienced doctor's hands. But stability is as far as it goes, the evidence of runic backlash painting a gruesome picture of his last memories. As if all that language shifting beneath his skin turned against him, bursting and spilling out in one unlucky draw.

And unluckier still, there's nothing to be felt in it. Nothing searching, or reaching, or aware. Their tether — or whatever it became — is gone. ]

[ oh.

the one issue here is that virgil is staring at his hand, and that's troubling, and soleum recalls their prior conversation. something about his timeframe is a little off from soleum's, or maybe he's just never had the chance to do something so simple? it was stupid, really a silly alternative to stopping him from calling over that person he's with. withdrawing his his hand, soleum drops it down to his side.

he shouldn't stare, he really shouldn't acknowledge that faint smile...

focus on the work of it all. ]

You were kidnapped so I wouldn't say it's what you're here for. [ you are a victim. ] However, I'm grateful it was you who could do this.

[ a slight nod of his head, respectable as he can be. though, his head lifts up and the confusion in his eyes hidden by his mask at his comment. unfortunately for him, there must be payment. ]

I see.

I'll see that everyone is out. I want to make sure there's no one left behind.

[ with that said, he'll dig into his pocket and bring out a familiar weapon that belongs to the other. he's giving it back. ]

[closed] WE are so normal

waking up breaking out this is what it's like to be free

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