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]

I...am?

She actually sounds surprised now. Her human side is influencing her, if only by a little.

[warriorscribe]

"...Most likely, given the way this place acts." Enoch looks up at the giant blob in sympathy. Even if she's odd, she's still an angel, and for an angel to not only be unable to perform God's will but to be cut off from it...

[terreifying]

Who are you, child of man, to know so much of death and souls? Why do you possess knowledge that the Fruit of Knowledge itself does not?

[warriorscribe]

"I only know that we do not permanently die. I've experienced this, myself. So our souls must be bound here. It only makes sense."

[terreifying]

Or maybe you were not truly dead. You claim to be the child of man. Do you have a beating heart in your breast?

[warriorscribe]

His hand automatically flew to his own chest, resting over his armor. "Of course I do."

[terreifying]

Not a core? Not even the slightest hint of one?

She cocks her head, curious.

What manner of blessing were you given, child of man?

[warriorscribe]

"A 'core'? No, I don't think so. My...blessing was immortality. And I suppose incredible endurance and resilience."

And more but he has no idea how to even describe Ceta or if he really has it yet.

[terreifying]

Eternal life was not meant for the likes of man.

Maybe he was an Angel hybrid who hadn't noticed it?

[warriorscribe]

"I kn-..." His voice breaks. He resets his stance, flexes his grip on the Arch. Tries again. "I know. But I was given it anyway."

[terreifying]

It must be painful...

Once again, her human thoughts are breaking out.

Life only means something when it has an end...

[warriorscribe]

"No...life can be meaningful without one. Alongside other immortals."

He swallows, looking up at the strange angel. "But...living among mortals..."

It's hard to think of her as an angel, not only because of her appearance but because of the immediate human understanding. From a human perspective. A mortal perspective. It makes him want to keep talking, but he doesn't, not willing to force his emotions further, not when he isn't sure he's safe...

[terreifying]

Then let us all be immortal together.

In the end, the Angel side was still stronger. Hundreds of arms sprout from her body to reach for him. She intends to pick him apart until she can find which parts of him are human.

[warriorscribe]

"Wh-"

He's glad he never lowered his guard completely. Enoch spins to dodge the arms nearest him first, bringing the Arch around to try to cut at the attacker, the holy energy beam buzzing as it swept through the air.

[terreifying]

A large number of the arms are sliced off.

Is this too a blessing from God? The ability to fight beyond the capacity of mortal men?

More arms are spouting as she speaks.

[warriorscribe]

"I..." He slices at any that get near him. "...suppose."

The weapons were, true...but even his unarmed fighting had taken on some unusual properties. The thing was, he couldn't remember when. He isn't exactly in a position to think much about it now, though, more focused on keeping Rei from doing whatever it is she'll do to him with those arms.

[terreifying]

Fingers, hands, shards of flesh and bone fly away, leaving behind stumps stained with orange blood. But this lasts for seconds before the severed bits turn back into white goop and flow into the main body.

She could try other forms of attack, but she wants to take the human out of whatever Angelic material that surrounds him. After all, she was made to welcome humans.

And yet your form is so small. Why do you not rise to the heights of Angels? Were you not given that blessing? Not even temporarily?

[warriorscribe]

Enoch swallows as he brings the Arch back up to guard. If she's not attacking again, he might be able to purify, but he'd rather be absolutely sure. Besides, the Arch had a ways to go before it was noticeably tainted - if such a being even had any vileness to taint it with.

She'd have a hard time getting him out of that armor - it wasn't an actual set of armor so much as it was a spell of sorts, and couldn't be removed so easily.

"Angels aren't so large in my world."

[terreifying]

She considers his form for a moment. Perhaps if she attacked him over a larger area? The white mass that composes her body slowly spreads.

How did they lord over mankind if they could not take forms mightier than those of men?

The mass is flattening itself, trickling around the floor and even flowing up the closest wall like liquid. Arms start rising from the liquid as it gets closer to Enoch.

[warriorscribe]

Enoch takes a cautious step back as he watches Rei's mass spread out. He hadn't considered being surrounded against only one enemy!

"They are mightier. Even if they don't look it." Enoch takes a swipe at the nearest arms, letting his momentum carry him in a circle to attempt to fend off others.

[terreifying]

Are you saying then that they do not hold the human form in disdain?

The hands might be coming from more angles, but they are no more durable. They are shredded before the Arch, but more hands keep coming.

[warriorscribe]

"Of course not!" A hand grabs the back of his leg, and Enoch swings low at it.

That's when another grabs his wrist. Enoch struggles to free his weapon as more successfully latch onto him.

"Rei...release me!"

[terreifying]

The fingers start flattening, much like the fluid on the floor. They start slipping into the cracks of the arc. If they do make contact with his skin, the material actually feels oddly warm.

However, she stops as he calls out her name.

I...will?

The fingers start retracting again.

[warriorscribe]

As soon as the Arch is free, Enoch pulls it away, staggering back to the safe, actually not Rei-covered center of the attack.

He looks up at Rei, not even clear on what this encounter is. Is it a fight? A conversation? He's not even sure why she listened to him in the first place.

"...Thank you. What you're doing to the others...you're only causing them pain and fear. Don't you think this tower does that enough on its own?"

[terreifying]

The only reason she listened was that hearing her human name could call up the buried parts of her humanity. Even as an Angel, she had a great love for the species who came from the same root as her. Therefore, she would speak with them, again and again, until they were ready to join her.

But they will only experience that for an instant.