Dies Irae

[terreifying]

Characters: Rei, Hojo, Jade!Eridan, and the rest of you
Setting: Floor 27, then the rest of the tower
Format: any
Summary: Rei has finally fully embraced her Angelic side. Details here.
Warnings: Body horror, possible graphic violence

Floor 27 (locked to Hojo)

There was no warning when Rei Ayanami's body changed. The girl didn't even have time to gasp before her mind and her body finally gave out before the overwhelming energy of her core.

Her body collapses into a white, constantly shifting mass. The only thing it has in common with her form seconds ago is its mouth filled with jagged teeth and the thousands of eyes that litter whatever shape it takes. Sometimes it has wings, other times arms and legs spouting at strange angles, and other times spines and tentacles. Once, the center of the mass even turns into Rei's normal eyes and face. No matter how it shifts, the glow of its core shines from within its body. It is too bright. It seems to be something that might explode any second.

Heeee~ey. Brothers? Where are you?

The gaping maw sings in a language unfamiliar to the ears, but all too comprehensible to the mind

Come back. Come stay with me. Let us all be one.

It reaches out, trying to find its brethren. At the same time, it is listening for anyone to possibly respond to its message.

Throughout the Tower

The thing that once was Rei creeps through the tower, sometimes walking on strange limbs, other times shuffling forward because it can't hold a form. Those in the area may feel the heat radiating from its body. Every few "steps," it stops, as if it has thought of something or entered a familiar place.

Those are the only moments that "Rei" can actually think. But what remains of the girl's mind has too many questions and too few answers. What is she now. Where is she. What is she doing. And even that moment is all too brief before the Angel's songs fill her mind again, leaving her with only on urge.

She has to take her brothers back. Back to the womb of their Mother. All of humanity must be one existence again. Even if she must destroy their bodies, she will take them back.

When she encounters a human, her body will shift and lash out. If they are unfortunate enough to get too close, she will devour them with her jaws or envelop them with the ever-changing mass of her body. But her core glows. It is like what remains of Rei is giving those who would resist a chance to stop her.



[OOC: Jade!Eridan will be the one to finally kill Rei]

Comments

[terreifying]

[The hands retract, to be replaced by ribbons that would slice him apart if he were not careful.]

If you are innocent, I will accept you. If you are tainted I will purify you. As a human, I have known the love of a friend for you. Now, let this unconditional love wash away your sins.

[chronomancer]

I said no.

[And now he's flickering, abusing time mechanics to avoid those things. But still hesitating a little because... because friends? Which one of his friends went and got themselves turned into this?]

[terreifying]

Yes.

[The tentacles keep going for him.]

[chronomancer]

[And then suddenly there's blood and a corpse, but there's also more than one Eridan moving around, shooting at those tentacles. Rei, lemme introduce you to the concept of "doomed selves."]

Who the fuck do you even think you are?

[terreifying]

[Rei stops in her tracks again. Her mind starts trying to process the question and find a name for herself.]

I am...

I am...

[She has more than a hundred titles she can give herself, but there is no name for her as an Angel. She can only resort to her human name and, in the process, acknowledge her human existence.]

Re...

Re...

Reeeeeeei.

I am Rei.

I am Rei.

[As this existence is recognized, its memories and personality also begin to return. Not completely, but enough to recognize this person at least.]

And you are...

You are...

You are...Eridan?

[chronomancer]

Of course I am.

[Eridan - the four of them currently standing before Rei - pants a little as she stops, taking a moment to catch their breath. The cold is not doing kind things to them, making their lungs burn as they move all together too fast.]

Well, I'll give you this... you didn't go around shooting people after all.

[Did you order wry humor in the middle of your angelsplosion? No? Too bad.]

But this is just as bad, what the fuck?

[terreifying]

I have awakened.

[That is the only answer she gives, her Angel personality having regained some control. However, she still remains still, confused by how Eridan seems to have duplicated himself.]

[chronomancer]

Yeah, well, I'm cranky in the morning too, but this is kind of fucking ridiculous.

[He's wary now, twitchy and annoyed, and now not sure if he should keep shooting or not. He doesn't want to hurt her. It. Her.]

Also, seriously, get the fuck out of my head.

[terreifying]

How else may I deliver to you my words?

[An entire torso forms around her gaping maw. It looks like a twisted version of her human form.]

I have long since surpassed the need for human speech.

[chronomancer]

Yeah, well, you haven't surpassed the need for troll speech, so fucking stop it.

[Seriously, Rei. Get out of his head, it's pissing him off. He's pissed off enough he's not entirely freaked out by the forming and reforming bit.]

[terreifying]

[She remembers saying to someone else that she would not lower herself to act human again. Besides, she's not sure if her mouth can even pronounce human sounds.]

[But that was a stranger. This is someone she knows.]

Ooooooooooooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy.

[The two syllables are stretched out and not so much said as sung. It sounds like a soprano reaching the climax of her aria. Going by pitch and volume alone, it is even more painful than her usual song.]

[chronomancer]

Grubfucking hell.

[That's horrifying.]

Please don't ever do that again.

[terreifying]

In my infinite mercy I have indulged you. Why do you retract your request?

[Angel Rei does not tease. But the corners of her mouth might be turning up into a smile.]

[chronomancer]

[This deadpan wants to tell you where to stuff your infinite mercy, lady.]

Because I think my epithelial hearing membranes just collapsed on themselves.

[terreifying]

If you relinquish your body, there will be no more pain.

[Ah, finally back on topic.]

[chronomancer]

That's the worst pick up line in the history of ever. Also, the answer's still no.

[terreifying]

My love for you is not that manner of love. It is something greater.

[In giving up human form, she had also given up eros.]

[chronomancer]

...that is not reassuring. That is the furthest thing from reassuring in the history of fucking unreassuring replies.

[terreifying]

Does this...discomfort you? Perhaps you stand in awe now, but soon you will rejoice.

[Her hands are stretching out again.]

Come, into my embrace. Into my paradise.

[chronomancer]

You know for an awakened... whatever the fuck thing you are, amorphous blob with limbs and shit, you kind of don't grasp the concept of no very well.

[Yeah, shooting again! Also, another Eridan dead, whoops.]

[terreifying]

[The hands wrap around the dead Eridan. When they open again, his body has disappeared, being absorbed into the white mass.]

Why would you wish to resist?

[chronomancer]

...survival instinct?

[Though even he laughs at that. Because. Yeah. Eridan Ampora and survival instinct don't go in the same universe.]

[terreifying]

The life I offer goes beyond flesh. It is life everlasting. Life with Mother.

[The words from another person echoes in her mind. Her friends would reject her offers. They would be distraught. They could not accept life without their bodies.]

[If he was right about this, then what else was he right about?]

[Even with her doubts, she does not stop her attacks.]

[chronomancer]

[Something in Eridan recoils violently at that, enough that she manages to get the last one of the clones. Fuck.]

No one wants to live forever, sorry.

[terreifying]

No...one?

[She stops her attack. Something he said has jogged her memories as a human.]

[A life that lasted eternally was meaningless. Humans came into the world. They laughed and cried and loved. And in the end, they died. What made life worth living was the fact that it was limited. Everything you wanted to do and needed to do had to be done in one lifetime, which made for one wild ride.]

[That was the life she had lived as a human.]

[But she was an Angel now.]

[But she didn't want to be.]

[But she had to be.]

[Because it's her destiny.]