subnautica | INTO THE VOID

[Their audience with the Emperor over, the group is changing directions in the Void, following the Void Song to track down the unfriendly Dragon.

Unfortunately, it’s much less willing to communicate with and answer them, even though some people in the group sure are trying hard to ask! It doesn’t take long before it’s actively attacking the group, hurling huge masses of seabed and geysers of lava at them, drowning out their questions by pounding them with fire and rock. BOSS...BATTLE…? ATTEMPT TO CALM IT DOWN? Or maybe you’re just trying to dodge and hustle out of there, holy shit, no one asked for all this violence.

At least no one can die or be injured in the dreamscape, but it’s sure still going to feel like that happened, if something hits you hard enough.]

[Violent as they may be, most creatures in the ocean were harmless if you left them alone. Rule of nature: don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. The group's made remarkable progress despite whalemama's warnings. The Emperor, antsy and suspicious as she was, willingly helped them when it was clear they came in peace.

The Dragon is a different story.

Once the talks break down and a crap load of lava starts flying at them, Chara doesn't bother to try calming it down. They've been clipped in the shoulder by a stray chunk of seabed. Blood dissipates around the water, but they don't seem to be concerned. If anything, they seem almost excited.

If your character is still trying to talk some sense into the rampaging creature, Chara will throw their good arm out in front of them.]

Save your breath. Talking doesn't seem to be the solution here.

[Their pupils have been steadily expanding, threatening to engulf the red of their irises. Chara is filled with DETERMINATION.]

[ This was something Alisha had expected to happen - or one of the situations in mind. Still, she can't help but be terrified for the others as that lava starts flying at them. She keeps an eye out for the others the best she can all while trying to protect herself.

She eyes Chara, brows furrowed and mouth pressed in a thin line. She holds her lance tightly, prepared to move as soon as she needs to. ]

Can you fight? Otherwise, please find somewhere safe!

Spare me your worry.

[It hurts. Their heart is beating rapidly in their chest and their head throbs. There's debris flying everywhere, putting all of them at risk of being knocked out and dead. But they've been through worse. It's okay if they bear the brunt of it. Their magic will pull them through, even if Frisk isn't here.

It's got to.

Chara looks over at Alisha.]

We have to slow it down.

[There's no way they can kill it. The consequences for such an action is unknown and they aren't strong enough in this realm to do anything, Chara's sure of it.]

[ Alisha readies her lance, jumping out of the way when yet another wave of fire is sent their way. She watches for Chara's safety all the same, mouth pressing together in a thin line once that fire stops. ]

If we could use something distract it, we could attack it and slow it down that way!

[Aside from the quickly fading patches of light caused by cooling lava, they're surrounded by darkness. It's difficult to make out their surroundings in the void, much less keep track of each other past a certain distance. Chara considers their options. Charging in headfirst isn't going to help them. However--]

It's providing us our ammo. If we can deflect what's being thrown at us, we may be able to stun it.

Are you able to do it?

[ She's unable to. She only has her lance and armor, so really - the only thing she can do is defend and attack it head on. They have to be intelligent about this before running forward. ]

[Chara shrugs, as if it doesn't matter much to them. They'd rather not get hurt. But if it can minimize the losses of their group... well.]

Sure.

[Despite not being 100% on its success rate.]

This is all part of the dreamscape. Theoretically, if we're determined enough, anything is possible.

[Korra uses her earth bending to direct another chunk of seabed away from their group, grimacing when she spies Chara's injury.]

I'm getting that feeling, too. Still...if it's really sick, it seems wrong just leaving it here without trying something.

It's malevolent. Our whale friend up in the higher reaches confirmed it.

[he's clutching his staff in a white-knuckled grip, using it to deflect some of the stray debris that comes their way; he can't get the very large pieces, though, and he's glad Korra's there. what a horrible scramble!]

If we could just get a shot at it...!

[Korra's a great help in diverting the earth being thrown their way. But they can't play chicken forever. If Chara was paired with Frisk, they'd be confident in taking the behemoth on. As it stands, though...]

Perhaps Korra and I can serve as a distraction. Her powers can keep a clear path and I can make extra interference.

[Mikleo's words tickle at her memory, making her frown. Malvolent--where has she heard that before? Finally, it clicks. Rose. She'd heard it from Rose. Which means...]

Can you purify it if we clear the path for you?

[She spares a second to look at Mikleo as she asks this, then goes right back to keeping the worst of the debris from hitting their group.]

[he draws closer to Sorey under her cover; they can't do it in this form, but maybe, if they get a powerful enough shot in at it, it'll have an effect]

We can certainly try!

[ Words are her best, leading offense, next to swift movement. Chihiro's learned how to dodge and curl herself away when she must; to an extent, calling on what she can manipulate in this dreamscape allows her some freedoms of reaction times she simply doesn't have in the waking world.

Chara's out-thrust arm cuts her off, looking to them with a firm sort of silence, one where her listening is near palpable alongside the different shade of determination: getting through. Talking to those who aren't listening is nigh impossible, but it doesn't mean one doesn't try.

Her eyes are drawn to the darker dissipation around their shoulder. ]

You're injured!

[ Not surprising with what's going on, and not the same here as it would be in the waking, but still distressing; still nothing to shy away from. Molten rock is lobbed upward, cooling in slow degrees. Too slow to make it anything other than flowing rock as it's heaved their way, the Dragon lashing out with what it has on (metaphorical) hand. Cue her focus being trying to clamp down on Chara's dreamscape injury, firming her expression even while she has no idea how to deal with the massive fit being thrown by the being down below. ]

You're right. When someone doesn't want to listen, talking isn't going to help. But what are you thinking of doing?

[Chihiro's hands on them comes as a surprise. Chara doesn't understand what's going on at first. Why is she worried? This is the dreamworld. While they'll experience something close to death, it's not as if they'll die upon waking. They shrug their shoulder, intending to roll away her grip, but instead wince at the motion.]

It's useless to fight.

[Violence must be carried out not only with proper tools, but with proper skill, which they doubt their group possesses. Taking on the Dragon would be stupid. It'd accomplish nothing and it could potentially earn them the ire of the Emperor.]

I am going to give it something to thrash about.

[ The wince has her thinking, and thinking has her pulling at her waist; in dreams, she's not swimming around in her wetsuit. Why bother? It's less comfortable. Still, it's a matter of being able to manipulate what she's wearing to find the tasuki she wants, moving around to keep her eyes on their injured shoulder.

Yes, this is the dreamscape. It doesn't technically matter — but that's exactly the thing. It doesn't matter that it's only a dream. It's still pain, it's still real, and Chihiro doesn't have to like it. ]

What does that mean, Chara?

[ She doesn't get it, but then again, she's focused on using what she has in hand to try and bind a wound that doesn't exist anywhere but here. Violence is not one of her areas of expertise. She hasn't invested any time in it, unlike in dodging and running and scaling things to get to where she needs or wants to be. ]

[They can see what she's trying to do and pulls away. Didn't anyone tell her nobody could die in the dreamscape? It doesn't matter how much it hurts. All that'll happen is you'll wake up, just like a bad dream-- just like a RESET. Without thinking, Chara's words become sharp.]

Don't bother with helping me.

[More lava is being wrenched from the seafloor, about to spew from the Dragon's vigorous movements. Chara jerks their arm away.]

I have magic I can use and I have the dreamscape. I will distract it. So don't waste time on me when you can be doing something more useful.

[ She loops the length of fabric back around, tying it off to her own arm. Don't bother. It's not that easy for her; but moreover, it just rubs her wrong. ]

Then are you going to heal yourself? Because otherwise it's not a waste!

[ s t u b b o r n, or more don't tell her what she gets to consider as useful or what or who is a waste of her time. Her friends are the people that others have been willing to toss aside.

She kicks out closer again, watching the lava that's about to head their way out of the corner of an eye. Stars, she's been dodging so far, but it's not like she can give up just because it's frightening and the Dragon's throwing a tantrum. ]

I'm not fast enough that I can just wink away, and I don't have magic. Unless we can use memories to fly —

[ Because her memories of Haku are strong enough that she can call on that to maybe, maybe speed through the water, caught up in a repetition of a journey from another world. The more faithful it is, the easier to maintain, right? (She doesn't know. She's only called him up to talk and touch, not to ride.) ]

[There's little humor in Chara's grin. If anything, it looks like a painful grimace. Chihiro was stupidly helpful. That attitude was going to get her killed one day, and there won't be any magic to help her.]

I can't die. Quit fussing, you baby, and try what you just said.

[They can feel DETERMINATION singing through their veins, a magical strength filling them from head to toe. As long as they continued to believe in the impossible, their crazy plan may just work.

Chara tries to edge Chihiro away from the lava's path with their body. She may be getting an elbow in the ribs.]

I'll handle the lava.

[ They succeed in nudging her away with their body, though her outward response is a grunting sound more mental than anything else for the elbow in her ribs. Her own determination isn't magical; Chara's prompting that she stop fussing and try what she's said has her focusing fully on the memories and emotions that strengthen them. In the Void, to be pulling on anything that counter to even the song here should feel counter-intuitive. Yet it's those places where she's touched on hopelessness before that reminds her what it is to have faith and believe in herself, and the ones she loves. It's what can remind her so firmly of her own love, and the desperation and determination of doing everything she can to save her important people.

There are no excuses for not trying. That's simply another choice made, and she won't make it.

Chara's plan is likely to come to fruition before the confusing mass of emotions that Chihiro is exuding seems to do anything. Love is a warmth and a form of determination in and of itself; love, duty, the desire and need to act in order not to lose important people. Fighting for things without the inherent violence of taking up weapons. It takes her longer to pull those memories and emotions and shape them into a figment with enough presence that the dragon that was Haku on another world curled around underneath both of them, bright and swimming and serpentine, ceaseless in his motion. A strong memory, still wrapped in with strong emotions, and an underlying determination of her own.

Not that Chara's belief is wrong. Chihiro is stupidly helpful — for those she cares about. It won't always serve her well, and in more self reflective times, she'll even be able to acknowledge that. Just... not right now. Right now, she's rather one track mind focused on what's going on, the fear and the rest shoved aside because it isn't as important. It's acknowledged, felt, and allowed to be while the rest takes precedence. ]

Handle it now!

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smileyfaced - 2016-09-28 03:12 (UTC) - Expand

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onethousen - 2016-09-28 03:58 (UTC) - Expand

[oh my god, Chara, this is why he worries. dreamscape injury or not, he thrusts a spell of healing their way, Resilient Aid a brief blue flash against their clipped shoulder.]

We didn't just come down here for nothing!

[DON'T MOM THEM, GOD, MIKLEO. Anyway, the healing spell does its job nicely. Chara is surprised enough to turn around so they can look him in the face. Why is he bothering to waste energy on them?]

We're wasting time right now. It won't listen. We're all in danger here.

[HE MOMS EVERYONE AND ALSO HE CARES, YOU TINY EDGELORD YOU]

Then we need to pull back and try to figure out an alternative! That means you, too.

But--

[Chara swallows their protest. They want to fight it. They want to throw a punch back, because they can't stand the idea of someone else having the last word. It's threatening them. Why can't they threaten it back?

But Mikleo is right. And much as they hate it, they have to agree with what he's saying.]

Fine. I'll follow you.

[bites his lip, quickly assessing]

If purification can work -- that'll give us more options. Do you have anything like that? I should have asked before we went down here--

Edited 2016-10-02 23:10 (UTC)

INTO THE VOID

III. THE DRAGON'S FURY

embarrassingly tryhard demon child

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