[ the voice itself is easy to ignore, whether that's the best choice to be made or not. even with soleum's own voice used as a cover, the uncharacteristic roughness of it, the demands, the feel of it—none of it is right. none of it is his soleum, and he fancies himself smart enough to avoid falling into such an obvious trap. even as something tears, the resultant sour air causing choi's sensitive nose to scrunch up, he's determined as he follows the lead of that tether.
their connection is the one thing he can trust in this place.
but his fingers are cold, and his breath comes out in puffs besides. even as he spots agent grapes on the other side of the window, peering through, he just as quickly spots the pulsing mass beneath it. and there, he's forced to make a decision.
does he fight, or does he run?
his instinct is the first. to drive his jakdu into the sac, he can handle it here and now, open the window, and leave with grapes.
his better judgment gives him pause, and he assesses the situation before him quickly. how far is he from the exit? are there other windows? a way for him to warn grapes without enticing him closer?
but it's a small place. it's not so large that he there's far to go, even if he does choose the proper exit closest to soleum. ]
[ there's nothing beyond this window, and kim soleum pulls away unsure because of that feeling which unnerved him not too long ago. whatever it was, it came through there, but that voice of his "good friend" remains close by reminding him he shouldn't go. he should find somewhere else to be alone. kim soleum is... bothered though, when it comes to agent choi, he wouldn't just lie like this. there's some craft in it, he would have told soleum to go to a much safer place, there's be one of the man's friends, but there's nothing.
that's why he can't just go and be alone.
his fingers press against the window to instigate the resistance, even though it doesn't budge, that doesn't stop him from trying.
what agent choi can assess from their situation: the pulsing sac has a lot of spores surrounding it meaning that the extra amount is leaking already. that could come from the light vibrations of soleum's pestering an unbeknownst to him what he's irritating. if agent choi attempts anything with his weapon here, it'll explode, and he'll be covered possibly.
a dangerous route if the case.
it's a small room, there's the door in the location of the voice that hasn't spoken up, offended that agent choi would go there. it's dangerous there. and yet agent choi doesn't listen. the last location for him to take is above, remove a panel and find his way out through the crawlspace out of the building...
but who knows what grows up there, what could be there.
that doesn't stop soleum from pushing at the glass, heavy-handed about it now there's the slight crack of dried flora along the edge of the window. for a minute, there's relief that runs through him due to progress. ]
[ ugh, talk about a rock and a hard place. there's really no choice for him but to pick up the pace and make his way back to the door, is there? rather than his usual, brisk steps, he takes it up a notch—dashing towards the sound of the place the voice had come from regardless of what may await him there.
jingle, jingle.
the bells on his jakdu continue to ring with each of his movements, and should all else fail, perhaps that sound alone might pull soleum away from his task.
if it doesn't, he's going to have to wait one more tag's worth of time for choi to make it out to him. ]
[ the ringing does, however. it breaks between the silence and soleum's eyes widen for a moment behind his glasses. that means agent choi is inside? this place is way too spooky, jarring to the eyes, and somehow he really decided to stay here. it does encourage soleum pushing forward on the glass at the same time the tug shifts away from the area.
that doesn't mean anything pleasant! the cocoon has ripped, the spores spread like blood splatter onto the window that kim soleum narrowly escapes having shot in his face. there's a vile stench that breaks through, the sound of his good friend warning him he should have left, and kim soleum bringing a hand to his nose to cover.
the vines along the walls race ahead to try and block any paths for agent choi to take, but out the corner of his eye, he'll see it. there's a window covered in black, fungal growth that's no different from ever growing mold— a dust of red coloring here and there, maybe an escape exit from sleep, maybe not. the outside isn't visible from the window, but whatever's weaving those wooden vines to stop choi from leaving through the door has yet to see this.
kim soleum has already stood up, wherever the jingling rings, he tries to follow that too. he's always at the end of it, the young man closes his eyes as he rounds the building, if he follows the bells then he should meet him. ]
[ try as they might, who do they think he is? can these growths really hope to cut him off from every exit? well, maybe, but without grapes around, he has much less to worry about in the way of caution. those vines slowly travel across the door, and agent choi? he takes a deep breath and lands a kick square in the center.
bang!
unfortunately, he's been in this darkness for white a while. one kick isn't enough to do it. by the fourth, though, the hinges splinter, the door gives in, and the thin brambles are the only thing between himself and the exit. he has no difficulty slicing through them, though the black ink that drips from the incisions as they fall limp is somewhat ominous, that's not a problem for agent choi to focus on right now.
he's quick to find soleum upon exit, and his words come low. tired. ]
Let's get out of here, Grapes.
[ taking his wrist and continuing forward without so much as a pause. ]
[ he's close, the inside is almost available to him until it's not— a hand swipes his wrist, and he's being pulled up and dragged along by someone familiar. he comes along, his feet almost tripping almost one another before he finds a pace to keep up with agent choi. ]
Not that way.
[ whether agent choi is moving blindly or if he's taking any path that's opposite of the building, kim soleum can hear something breaking inside of that place, maybe another thing being crushed, and a loud, piercing cry that erupts from there. one hand comes to his head, he covers his ear, and a shudder runs down his spine from how uncomfortable the sensation runs through his body.
his own tether trembles, the cause of it almost enough to make soleum slip. ]
...Braun kept requesting I go that way, so we shouldn't.
[ "braun" isn't here. soleum knows that.
however, he can't deny speaking the truth of the matter that it was braun who told him to come here and be alone. it must be dangerous if they're alone there or happen to split up, there's that unsettling feeling that won't pass too.
— you should be kinder, friend! that place is only meant for me and you, not with someone who will third wheel our reconnection. ]
Not with you.
[ there's some reluctance on soleum's end now, his heels digging into the ground as he wants choi to choose a different path if he can. ]
Braun, that's... Your plush rabbit friend. I remember now.
[ something that he didn't remember so well before—that there's a powerful entity residing in that plush.
instinctively, choi wants to ask why soleum would have ever listened to braun's advice in the first place, but at least in this case, he can agree. whether that thing was really speaking to soleum or not, he would agree all the same. they shouldn't be listening to that kind of dangerous being.
so he stops, pauses, assesses, and makes a sharp turn. his trembling fingers are cold around soleum's wrist, and his skin is almost as pale as that tail of his, but he doesn't hesitate in the least, even as his breath comes out in foggy puffs ahead of him. his eyes are well-adapted for their dim surroundings, and while he can vouch that he entered from that direction over there, that doesn't mean that they can't just pick a direction and leave.
right, because the most important thing right now is to leave. ]
You do. [ it reassures him some. when agent choi didn't know, when he would ask. there is no understanding between them, but knowing that he understands what's at stake makes things easier to deal with. ] You also remember that he wasn't with me at the cathedral.
[ dressed to the nines in his uniform, but no pink rabbit plush to be seen. even now, there's not one to be seen, but soleum talks as thought he's here to help. that's not why he does this, it's because he knows how odd the situation is to be with braun when then entire time he's made no connection to him at all while here.
there's something wrong with kim soleum, and yet he can't say that he needs help.
his attention leaves from his own degrading sanity to the cold sensation of fingers around his wrist, dark eyes lower, and they take in the sight. he doesn't know what's going on completely, but he can tell that either something in there, or this place in general is working itself into him.
the ground trembles, agent choi takes a sharp turn, and soleum's eyes dart from left to right in search of where to go. the ground trembles, there's an indent underneath that pushes up the soil where they are, and thanks to choi's quick thinking then that they managed to dodge it. it's only one.
underground it follows. ]
Agent. [ soleum tugs just a bit, if he's right, if agent choi's body is weaker at the moment, he could slip out...? ] We should split up.
[ his answer comes immediate, without hesitation. his grip around soleum's wrist tightens—enough to be painful, and a bitter smile curves against his lips. ]
Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?
[ because, for all his weakness, that doesn't mean that his senses are dulled. if anything, they're painfully sharp, and that fact alone makes his heart thud heavily in his chest with a not so distant memory.
so he continues pulling soleum along, and as he does, he sighs. his free hand runs through his bangs to comb out the stress, and maybe it's best to just say it aloud. he waited all this time for soleum to arrive just to ensure they didn't get separated, and as expected, he did. doesn't that show that choi knows soleum this well? that he knows best? ]
Keep an eye on that thing. If it gets too close, tell me.
[ but as long as they keep a brisk pace, maybe they can beat it to the edge of this place. ]
[ kim soleum dislikes it when he does that, agent choi always has insight on what soleum is attempting to do. he may not be in his right mind at the moment (the occasional braun in his ear ringing), but he knows that he should do something here even if the other won't like it. soleum's still fine, the color of his skin is nothing compared to the white of agent choi's right now.
and the ground is still pressed up behind them, something stalking behind their every move as though playing with them. when the cracks of the ground catch up with soleum's shadow, it melts into the indents of the ground like nothing is holding it up. a cold sensation runs through soleum's body, up his back, across his shoulders, down to his arm and even his hand that holds agent choi's. the tether too turns cold, heavy, but vanishes in a second as the shadow travels back up above land properly.
luckily, the shadow doesn't match soleum's shadow anymore so it's longer, deformed, and it gives time for him to speak. ]
Not yet.
[ he's already running faster so he isn't being dragged in a direction, but it's not long until the two will catch out the corner of their eye an arm waving behind a few bushes. the jacket sleeve around it is horribly dirty, even holes are visible, but agent choi's sharper eyes will indicate that it's some person signing for them to come their way. ]
[ how wouldn't he know? has there ever been a time since the two of them first crossed paths where soleum wasn't trying to throw himself in the face of danger for the sake of someone else? if there's one thing that someone can know about kim soleum, no matter what, it's that he'll save the person he's with—no matter the cost.
but choi is a bit stingy himself, he's not looking forward to paying anything upfront that he can get away with bartering down. just like an ebay offer that would get him shot, well, is the way he approaches disasters really so different?
that's why he's willing to take slightly more risk in venturing forward together, and in that way, surviving together.
and though at first when he sees that arm gesturing for them to come closer, he thinks it might be another vessel, his caution gets the better of him as he takes a few steps closer. when he stops, holding an arm out to block soleum from moving forward as well, there's still a good distance from the arm—enough that his sharp, catlike eyes will have a better sense of what it is than soleum's more human ones. ]
[ as they come to a halt, the stretch of choi's arm against his chest, and soleum stares out to the body that's waving in their direction. he doesn't have good eyes like agent choi, but he can tell that someone's moving and in the shape of a person. the ground underneath has stopped having gravel and such protrude up, and soleum looks out the corner of his eyes searching for where did it go.
his body feels cold as his shadow seeps between the cracks of the ground, limbs shivering from the sensation, and it raises the hair on the back of his neck. it's like a red alarm, and his free hand comes to choi's elbow tightening in its grip.
soleum feels funny, but he's trying to ignore the sensation. ]
It's... here.
[ whatever "it's" or "here" is, it only gives agent choi so much time to make a decision. in his eyes, he'll see repetition in the way the arm waves, how the mouth parts open when shifted up, and closes when pulled down. the gestures of a human being that loops the same body movements to urge them to come by to safety.
S.
O.
S.
a very human signal.
S.
O.
S.
S.
O.
S.
over and over, an endless loop with the jaw motions, the way the eyes look in their direction with interest, and how it avoids making too much noise in this location because whatever is after them reacts well to that.
around the face, it's dried with cracks from the mouth moving to the cheeks, there's movement underneath the skin, and out the corner of the man's mouth will choi catch something wriggling there before disappearing (hopefully he didn't blink). the light in the eyes have faded, the person's nails have turned purple and grown with cracks between, and underneath the shirt, the body appears bloated, and the fabric is already torn. ]
Should we go?
[ he can't see as far as agent choi, but he can recognize the signal of sos. a very human response. ]
[ his answer finally comes, firm, and he takes a step back. his arm still outstretched, he forced soleum back with him, spotted ears flattened back against his head. even as he moves, his gaze turns away from the ominous figure calling for help, and as painful as such a thing is, the attempts to locate that molehill of theirs.
right... whatever is wrong with that person is likely some kind of contamination. contamination caused by remaining in this space for too long—that's the only way to explain why it can remain unbothered while they're stalked by the likes of this thing. there's no time to waste here. they can't stay for any longer if they don't want to be giving their own SOS soon.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
their connection is the one thing he can trust in this place.
but his fingers are cold, and his breath comes out in puffs besides. even as he spots agent grapes on the other side of the window, peering through, he just as quickly spots the pulsing mass beneath it. and there, he's forced to make a decision.
does he fight, or does he run?
his instinct is the first. to drive his jakdu into the sac, he can handle it here and now, open the window, and leave with grapes.
his better judgment gives him pause, and he assesses the situation before him quickly. how far is he from the exit? are there other windows? a way for him to warn grapes without enticing him closer?
but it's a small place. it's not so large that he there's far to go, even if he does choose the proper exit closest to soleum. ]
no subject
that's why he can't just go and be alone.
his fingers press against the window to instigate the resistance, even though it doesn't budge, that doesn't stop him from trying.
what agent choi can assess from their situation: the pulsing sac has a lot of spores surrounding it meaning that the extra amount is leaking already. that could come from the light vibrations of soleum's pestering an unbeknownst to him what he's irritating. if agent choi attempts anything with his weapon here, it'll explode, and he'll be covered possibly.
a dangerous route if the case.
it's a small room, there's the door in the location of the voice that hasn't spoken up, offended that agent choi would go there. it's dangerous there. and yet agent choi doesn't listen. the last location for him to take is above, remove a panel and find his way out through the crawlspace out of the building...
but who knows what grows up there, what could be there.
that doesn't stop soleum from pushing at the glass, heavy-handed about it now there's the slight crack of dried flora along the edge of the window. for a minute, there's relief that runs through him due to progress. ]
no subject
jingle, jingle.
the bells on his jakdu continue to ring with each of his movements, and should all else fail, perhaps that sound alone might pull soleum away from his task.
if it doesn't, he's going to have to wait one more tag's worth of time for choi to make it out to him. ]
no subject
that doesn't mean anything pleasant! the cocoon has ripped, the spores spread like blood splatter onto the window that kim soleum narrowly escapes having shot in his face. there's a vile stench that breaks through, the sound of his good friend warning him he should have left, and kim soleum bringing a hand to his nose to cover.
the vines along the walls race ahead to try and block any paths for agent choi to take, but out the corner of his eye, he'll see it. there's a window covered in black, fungal growth that's no different from ever growing mold— a dust of red coloring here and there, maybe an escape exit from sleep, maybe not. the outside isn't visible from the window, but whatever's weaving those wooden vines to stop choi from leaving through the door has yet to see this.
kim soleum has already stood up, wherever the jingling rings, he tries to follow that too. he's always at the end of it, the young man closes his eyes as he rounds the building, if he follows the bells then he should meet him. ]
no subject
bang!
unfortunately, he's been in this darkness for white a while. one kick isn't enough to do it. by the fourth, though, the hinges splinter, the door gives in, and the thin brambles are the only thing between himself and the exit. he has no difficulty slicing through them, though the black ink that drips from the incisions as they fall limp is somewhat ominous, that's not a problem for agent choi to focus on right now.
he's quick to find soleum upon exit, and his words come low. tired. ]
Let's get out of here, Grapes.
[ taking his wrist and continuing forward without so much as a pause. ]
no subject
Not that way.
[ whether agent choi is moving blindly or if he's taking any path that's opposite of the building, kim soleum can hear something breaking inside of that place, maybe another thing being crushed, and a loud, piercing cry that erupts from there. one hand comes to his head, he covers his ear, and a shudder runs down his spine from how uncomfortable the sensation runs through his body.
his own tether trembles, the cause of it almost enough to make soleum slip. ]
...Braun kept requesting I go that way, so we shouldn't.
[ "braun" isn't here. soleum knows that.
however, he can't deny speaking the truth of the matter that it was braun who told him to come here and be alone. it must be dangerous if they're alone there or happen to split up, there's that unsettling feeling that won't pass too.
— you should be kinder, friend! that place is only meant for me and you, not with someone who will third wheel our reconnection. ]
Not with you.
[ there's some reluctance on soleum's end now, his heels digging into the ground as he wants choi to choose a different path if he can. ]
no subject
[ something that he didn't remember so well before—that there's a powerful entity residing in that plush.
instinctively, choi wants to ask why soleum would have ever listened to braun's advice in the first place, but at least in this case, he can agree. whether that thing was really speaking to soleum or not, he would agree all the same. they shouldn't be listening to that kind of dangerous being.
so he stops, pauses, assesses, and makes a sharp turn. his trembling fingers are cold around soleum's wrist, and his skin is almost as pale as that tail of his, but he doesn't hesitate in the least, even as his breath comes out in foggy puffs ahead of him. his eyes are well-adapted for their dim surroundings, and while he can vouch that he entered from that direction over there, that doesn't mean that they can't just pick a direction and leave.
right, because the most important thing right now is to leave. ]
no subject
[ dressed to the nines in his uniform, but no pink rabbit plush to be seen. even now, there's not one to be seen, but soleum talks as thought he's here to help. that's not why he does this, it's because he knows how odd the situation is to be with braun when then entire time he's made no connection to him at all while here.
there's something wrong with kim soleum, and yet he can't say that he needs help.
his attention leaves from his own degrading sanity to the cold sensation of fingers around his wrist, dark eyes lower, and they take in the sight. he doesn't know what's going on completely, but he can tell that either something in there, or this place in general is working itself into him.
the ground trembles, agent choi takes a sharp turn, and soleum's eyes dart from left to right in search of where to go. the ground trembles, there's an indent underneath that pushes up the soil where they are, and thanks to choi's quick thinking then that they managed to dodge it. it's only one.
underground it follows. ]
Agent. [ soleum tugs just a bit, if he's right, if agent choi's body is weaker at the moment, he could slip out...? ] We should split up.
no subject
[ his answer comes immediate, without hesitation. his grip around soleum's wrist tightens—enough to be painful, and a bitter smile curves against his lips. ]
Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?
[ because, for all his weakness, that doesn't mean that his senses are dulled. if anything, they're painfully sharp, and that fact alone makes his heart thud heavily in his chest with a not so distant memory.
so he continues pulling soleum along, and as he does, he sighs. his free hand runs through his bangs to comb out the stress, and maybe it's best to just say it aloud. he waited all this time for soleum to arrive just to ensure they didn't get separated, and as expected, he did. doesn't that show that choi knows soleum this well? that he knows best? ]
Keep an eye on that thing. If it gets too close, tell me.
[ but as long as they keep a brisk pace, maybe they can beat it to the edge of this place. ]
no subject
[ kim soleum dislikes it when he does that, agent choi always has insight on what soleum is attempting to do. he may not be in his right mind at the moment (the occasional braun in his ear ringing), but he knows that he should do something here even if the other won't like it. soleum's still fine, the color of his skin is nothing compared to the white of agent choi's right now.
and the ground is still pressed up behind them, something stalking behind their every move as though playing with them. when the cracks of the ground catch up with soleum's shadow, it melts into the indents of the ground like nothing is holding it up. a cold sensation runs through soleum's body, up his back, across his shoulders, down to his arm and even his hand that holds agent choi's. the tether too turns cold, heavy, but vanishes in a second as the shadow travels back up above land properly.
luckily, the shadow doesn't match soleum's shadow anymore so it's longer, deformed, and it gives time for him to speak. ]
Not yet.
[ he's already running faster so he isn't being dragged in a direction, but it's not long until the two will catch out the corner of their eye an arm waving behind a few bushes. the jacket sleeve around it is horribly dirty, even holes are visible, but agent choi's sharper eyes will indicate that it's some person signing for them to come their way. ]
no subject
but choi is a bit stingy himself, he's not looking forward to paying anything upfront that he can get away with bartering down. just like an ebay offer that would get him shot, well, is the way he approaches disasters really so different?
that's why he's willing to take slightly more risk in venturing forward together, and in that way, surviving together.
and though at first when he sees that arm gesturing for them to come closer, he thinks it might be another vessel, his caution gets the better of him as he takes a few steps closer. when he stops, holding an arm out to block soleum from moving forward as well, there's still a good distance from the arm—enough that his sharp, catlike eyes will have a better sense of what it is than soleum's more human ones. ]
Hold on a sec. Something feels funny...
no subject
his body feels cold as his shadow seeps between the cracks of the ground, limbs shivering from the sensation, and it raises the hair on the back of his neck. it's like a red alarm, and his free hand comes to choi's elbow tightening in its grip.
soleum feels funny, but he's trying to ignore the sensation. ]
It's... here.
[ whatever "it's" or "here" is, it only gives agent choi so much time to make a decision. in his eyes, he'll see repetition in the way the arm waves, how the mouth parts open when shifted up, and closes when pulled down. the gestures of a human being that loops the same body movements to urge them to come by to safety.
S.
O.
S.
a very human signal.
S.
O.
S.
S.
O.
S.
over and over, an endless loop with the jaw motions, the way the eyes look in their direction with interest, and how it avoids making too much noise in this location because whatever is after them reacts well to that.
around the face, it's dried with cracks from the mouth moving to the cheeks, there's movement underneath the skin, and out the corner of the man's mouth will choi catch something wriggling there before disappearing (hopefully he didn't blink). the light in the eyes have faded, the person's nails have turned purple and grown with cracks between, and underneath the shirt, the body appears bloated, and the fabric is already torn. ]
Should we go?
[ he can't see as far as agent choi, but he can recognize the signal of sos. a very human response. ]
no subject
[ his answer finally comes, firm, and he takes a step back. his arm still outstretched, he forced soleum back with him, spotted ears flattened back against his head. even as he moves, his gaze turns away from the ominous figure calling for help, and as painful as such a thing is, the attempts to locate that molehill of theirs.
right... whatever is wrong with that person is likely some kind of contamination. contamination caused by remaining in this space for too long—that's the only way to explain why it can remain unbothered while they're stalked by the likes of this thing. there's no time to waste here. they can't stay for any longer if they don't want to be giving their own SOS soon.
the question is... where do they go? ]