4th ][ ACTION/VIDEO ][ GHOULS

[huichen]

[Despite his pride, Creeping Dust has begun this video with the intent of requesting help. This is not something he would usually do. He is a leader and a loner, and incredibly arrogant when it comes to his self-sufficiency. However, he is also not usually attacked by those he trusts most deeply.]

Excuse me. [His voice is tight, strained.] I--

[Before he can continue, he's forced to jump back in order to avoid the swing of an enormous axe.]

Hawk. [It's a pleading tone, and he receives no reply. The man he's speaking to is twice his size, nearly seven feet with broad shoulders. His skin is brown and tattooed heavily, patterns that may be familiar to those inclined to notice such details.

Another voice makes the necromancer go taut and still,]

You abandoned us, brother.

[And while he is frozen, the axe is swinging towards him again...]


[[ooc; Life is being wrrretched, so I will be a backtagging backtagger on all of my posts. Thank you for your patience.]]

Comments

[deadmanbusiness]

[And Theo's there barking out a word of command to stop. He's found it's worked on the ghouls so far and it should work on this one. He'd been looking for Creeping Dust especially so it's good he's found him, right?]

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

It's a fake! [He doesn't recognize either of them, but the situation is familiar enough for him to cut in.]

Whatever it is, kill it quickly, Sir.

It is not your brother or whatever else it might claim to be; it is only a poor imitation. These creatures are already half-dead, soulless monsters.

[huichen]

[He inhales sharply, lunging to the side. Well. Now he owes you his pathetic life, Theo.]

[And he seems to be better prepared to defend it, or it's his long and stringent training as an assassin... It's shadow magic that allows his cloak to unfurl from nowhere the way it does, he's taken to wearing suits after being advised of his archaic dress. He uses the swath of heaving black fabric to capture Hawk's arms in a tight bind.]

[Still, he looks frazzled, breathing heavily perched on the behemoth's back.]

[Video]

[huichen]

Kill... him...

[WHAT NO.]

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

If you don't kill him, he will kill you.

There are no other options! [Very harsh, but he's had to make the same decision before.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[It's what you're supposed to do for your worshipers, right?]

Relative of yours?

[He's drawling the words out but, it belies the concentration that's going on. Theo has no desire to deal with the ax and he has no idea how long he can hold it.]

[Video]

[huichen]

It is deserved.

[Qwe is not generally a man for such statements, but this. This one aspect of his life has wounded him. His cowardice had nearly killed his brother. How could he ever...]

[huichen]

[He's staring blankly at nothing when Theo's voice cuts through, his hands clenching unconsciously in the heavy cloak, tightening its cling.]

[He begins to look around himself anxiously for the other ghoul, for his brother, but the Spider is nowhere to be seen.]

One of them.

[deadmanbusiness]

Do you mind killing it? I don't know how much longer I can hold it still.

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

[Chandela cuts into the screen, crying out something in its own, incomprehensible language. The voice and tone might be familiar, but neither the appearance or words (variations on its own name) make much sense. Nobori looks surprised, before gently pushing it aside.] I cannot claim to know your circumstances, but—

If you have some crime to atone for, let the one who you truly owe take your life; don't let a mere shadow take it. It is an insult to whoever you believe you've wronged.

[huichen]

[Killing it. Killing it. The mere suggestion seems to almost short out Qwe's mind, eyes going dull for a moment. The idea of killing Hawk fills him with an incredible bleakness.]

[It is almost inaudible when he croaks,]

I can't.

[Video]

[huichen]

[He swallows roughly. There's a part of him that hears the voices, but to him they are both equally incomprehensible. There is a little part of his loved ones in anything which wears their forms, speaks in their voices. And he honors even those tiny false things.]

I cannot betray them...

[deadmanbusiness]

You're the only who can stop it! It's not whoever you think it is! It's just wearing their face.

[He's sounding strained. Really Qwe. Hurry up.]

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

By believing in these shadows, you already have. You are offering up your blood at the altar of a false god.

Is your loyalty that cheap? [Somebody's taking this a tad bit too personally.]

[Video]

[huichen]

[Creeping Dust is not the sort to listen to others. Intellectually arrogant, and proud of his self-sufficiency, he generally prefers to come to his own conclusions. However, the particular parlance that the subway master has chosen sinks in. The threat of false gods is a serious one to this warrior monk. It does not make it any easier to attack the shades, but it does cut through the mire of guilt and sorrow.]

Do not think to speak on my loyalty.

[An agreement was out of the question.]

[huichen]

[He can't. Not so consciously. It's only when the ghoul has tossed him off its back, breaking from both necromancers, that he's able to attack out of instinct. The knives seem to come from nowhere, and they rip through the creature's throat with ease and speed. With his nerves snapped, Creeping Dust easily brutalizes the creature well beyond what will be able to resurrect.]

[He is not so proud of himself when the assassin's haze wears off. No, he's sitting on the ground very still, hands limp between his knees.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[on the other hand, Theo crouches down sort of trying to catch his magical breath. He hates not being able to control the undead as easily as he used to. Shaking his head after a moment he looks over at the other man.]

Are you all right?

[huichen]

[He's... muttering in a different language. Prayers. Asking for forgiveness. So. Yeeeeah he's great.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[Oh yeah. Well, Theo'll just wait until he's done with praying. You don't interrupt prayers.]

[huichen]

[This has not been fun, but Qwe eventually slouches to his feet, head hanging low. He doesn't answer Theo's question, instead returning it,]

Are you alright.

[deadmanbusiness]

I've been worse.

[huichen]

Noted.

[There's blood on his face. He doesn't try to wipe it off, merely flicks his hand once to fling it off his black gloves.]

[deadmanbusiness]

You?

[huichen]

[He frowns, brows pinching. He's not that great. But he's never going to say that. Beyond his Ghost Dog stubbornness, he is a general, a leader.]

I am unharmed.

[deadmanbusiness]

[So, not that great. Because unharmed is a bit obvious.]

That's good. Who was that?

[huichen]

Hawk.

[Which answers all questions, right.]

The other was my brother.

[He glances around slowly, wondering where the other has gotten to. Personally, he's glad it's gone.]

[deadmanbusiness]

[Theo's lost track of the guy.]

I didn't seen any family resemblance.

[huichen]

I'm more handsome.

[It's an automatic response that in normal circumstances would register as a joke.]

[deadmanbusiness]

I could tell.

[Theo adds his own automatic response to the what in normal circumstances would be a joke as he does that enough back home.]

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

Of course, actions speak louder. [Creeping Dust's actions, of course, are the ones meant, as they will either prove or disprove the words that preceded.]

[huichen]

[Good. That's all Qwe asks.]

Is there some reason you wander the street?

[Let's change the subject. Yep.]

Re: [Video]

[huichen]

[He will get there, but it's not so easy to move from words to actions.]

[deadmanbusiness]

Keeping the ghouls off of people long enough that they can get away.

[He shrugs.]

[huichen]

Very benevolent.

[Is that the kind of god you are, bro?]

[deadmanbusiness]

[No. That's what kind of man he is.]

[He shrugs.] Less messy.