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

[chronomancer]

[If he weren't made of sterner stuff - stuff that has seen rotting shuffling zombies from up close - he'd have lost his lunch over that. He nearly did, resisting the urge to gag as her body shifted back into a blob.]

...well. That was an attempt.

[terreifying]

I can no longer be a human. I can only be a Savior.

[But even so, she feels like arguing with herself. To her Angel side, her human life is a lie, just like her human form. The Angel she tried to reject is the truth. But even so, her human side is still there, trying to retake control over this body. Because she doesn't want to disappear. Because she wants to keep living and having fun with her friends. Because she doesn't want to kill innocent people<./i>]

I will save everyone.

[Maybe this was meant to reassure him. Or maybe it was meant for the remaining shards of the human Rei.]

[chronomancer]

I don't suppose your meaning of saving has changed in the last five minutes into something other than murder everyone.

[Eridan looks uneasy, watching Rei warily but not maliciously, at least not anymore. He's tense and focused and too busy deadpan snarking at her to really get freaked out about it.]

[terreifying]

Is it still murder if they live within me?

[Her multitude of eyes begin to shape themselves into spikes. Spikes that would shoot out at him unless he moved fast.]

[Or not, as she is perfectly still after the spikes form. As much as the Angel side wants to get it over with quickly, the human side is still holding her back.]

[chronomancer]

Yes.

[Why is this so hard to understand, holy shit. Also tensing up like a coiled spring at the sight of those spikes. You're gonna make him run, aren't you? But not run away. He won't run away until this is sorted out.]

[terreifying]

[One minutes, then two, then three pass.]

Then run.

[And then the spikes shoot out.]

[chronomancer]

[He's counting seconds. He's counting fractions of seconds while she makes up her mind.]

Fuck.

[He dodges some, shoots others and very nearly loses a horn in the process. Yeah, about having a really shitty day? You're not making it better, Rei.]

[terreifying]

[At leaast he was luckier than the last guy who had spikes fired at him.]

I do not wish to see pain. I do not wish to see death.

[The human and Angel sides can actually concur on something.]

I have sent down my scourge and my sword only to make you see truth.

[chronomancer]

Lady.

[Eridan snarled.]

You can take your shittastic scourge and your grubfucking sword and shove them up your goddamn nook for all I care. Stop trying to kill me.

[terreifying]

This is...killing.

[The sounds emitting from the mouth are quieter and slower, as if she is mumbling something she just realized.]

But I cannot stop. I will not stop. My body does not stop.

[chronomancer]

[...fuck this shit, Eridan is just going to let out a strangled, incoherent scream of sheer frustration.]

[terreifying]

Are you hurting?

[A moment of silence where she remains perfectly still.]

Am I...hurting you?

[chronomancer]

You're making me want to hurt you.

[This is a bit of facetious statement, but everything about Eridan is facetious so it's okay.]

[terreifying]

Then try.

[The spikes come up again.]

[chronomancer]

NO!

[terreifying]

Please...run.

[Even as her human side speaks to him, her body fires two spikes at him. However, the rest of the spikes start retracting.]

[chronomancer]

[He shoots one of the spikes and dodges the other, though not perfectly. He winces as he stumbles a little, as his side bleeds a little where he got grazed by the spike.]

Fuck no, I'm not letting you hurt anyone!

[terreifying]

There's only one thing you can do.

[The form starts shifting again.]

I can only think like this for a little bit. How good is your aim?

[chronomancer]

[Something very much like unease starts crawling up and down Eridan's spine, as his grip on the rifle turns almost painful.]

Good.

[By which he means excellent, but he's staring at the mass that's sounding a little bit more like Rei, or what little he actually saw of Rei, and...

And then his mind went quiet. Ominously so.]

What do you want me to do?

[terreifying]

[The mouth opens wider and wider until her torso is almost turned inside out. A ball of light so bright as to be piercing can be seen in the middle of the mouth.]

Shoot.

[chronomancer]

[Shoot.

Shoot. Right. Because it's so easy. And it is easy. She's a static target at relatively close range. It's easy.

Pull up the rifle, take aim, shoot.

Don't cry.

Then it's done.

Clean and methodical, no big deal. No big deal, even if he suddenly feels like they hollowed him out with acid. Just shoot.

Because what else is he good for, if not that?]

[terreifying]

I will give you everlasting bliss. You will never know--

[Before the Angel side can finish its speech, a second before the mouth can close over the core again, the shot hits. The core pulsates, so brightly that it could burn Eridan's eyes, and then explodes into shards. Instantly, the mass collapses and dissolves, leaving the gruesome, unrecognizable remains of Rei's victims and the small remains of Rei herself, now reduced to only a head. The lips seem to flutter and say "Thanks" before her eyes close and she stops moving. There's no doubt that Rei Ayanami's life activities have ceased.]

[chronomancer]

[Well. This sure as fuck was a thing that just happened. Eridan swallows hard, staring at the mess for a long long time.

And then he turns tail and runs like the hounds of hell are running after him. The only problem is that they're inside his head, so there really isn't anywhere to hide from the howling. But damn if he's not going to damn well try.]