Is that a birdcage? With no bird. Wendy’s close to opening it and checking inside but there’s another jumpscare. Two, actually. In quick succession.
He wastes no time disposing of them. She keeps a safe distance behind him, momentarily glancing around to check if they’re being sneaked up on. They aren’t. Thank goodness. Just the two that are now in heaps.
He doesn’t seem bothered by this? All cool and collected… Almost like he always is. Curious. Her heart’s well on its way to returning to her chest cavity, her breathing under control.
In this moment she is beyond grateful for his uncatalogued weapon. They would be sunk without it, and it would be all her fault for separating him from it. (Just how much ammunition does he have anyway? He never seems to run out. Always reloading without a problem.)
…Oh, wait. There’s a key? She plucks it from the cage for a closer look.]
Yeah it should. Not like we have a radar or anything so who knows what’s going to happen out there. [She sounds distracted while she talks. But then she’s approaching him and holding up what she’s found.] What’s this to, y’think? Door, cabinet…?
[ no more sounds from up above, whether they be footsteps or the pained moans of the dead — nothing. good, then they're safe for now. he doesn't pocket his weapon into the holster for safety. what other surprises are in store after they climb and enter a room? that's for them to find out. he can break them down, or — ]
Hmm... I'm not certain. [ a key, out in the open? someone must have left it around. he's not the only one with sharp eyes it seems. ] We'll have to figure it out with every locked door we see if you're that curious. Feels like a puzzle, this.
[ a haunted house with a puzzle. almost like it's straight out of a novel — like zombies, for instance. ]
We have to keep moving to look for a better room. [ he returns the key to her before he begins going up the stairs. ] Hopefully none of them are as small as a closet, wherever this one leads.
[ by the time he reaches the second floor, it leads to a singular door. he opens it, and they're on the second floor of the dining room with the fireplace. there's a statue across them holding something that sparkles in the light, and another set of groans. ]
[She’s already on it before he makes the suggestion. Wendy scouring every inch of their current location, slipping the key into his coat pocket for safekeeping once he gives it back. This place is dark - she doesn’t want to chance dropping and losing it somewhere. If she spots a keyhole, she’ll try it.]
I don’t even wanna know how many rooms this place could have… she can alter things however she sees fit. Could be a never-ending maze. Could just be two floors. Anything in between. [A downer as always - but she’s sharing what she knows based on previous experience and the things she’s witnessed herself. Anything could happen, even if this realm is truly abandoned. The Entity is everywhere all at once. This could be nothing or a stupid trap.
Ah - nope. Wait! Wait for her. Wendy hurries herself to the stairs, not wanting to be too far. And she meets him at the top. She squints, as if doing so will make her hear better.]
[ before august answers, he whips out his other weapon. a handgun with a unique design by comparison to those of the past. it doesn't take long for him to pull the trigger towards the zombie across from them. initially his bollet goes flying completely off direction, as if heading straight for a wall. instead it pauses in midair, and then gracefully aims for the zombie's head.
it drops, and august lowers the whistler. ]
No more of them, you mean.
[ another shot is sent out however. one where the bullet redirects towards the state, and whatever shiny object it had on the top of its head topples down onto the first floor table. he returns the whistler and begins to walk around until he sees part of the railing broken. perfect, an exit. there's another door at the end of the hall that he walks over to first and opens it without problem before he shuts it.
Leads back to where we started.
[ fine. he'll go see what he found instead, to which he walks over towards the broken railing and jumps down. from there he keeps his weapons and extends his arms wide while looking at wendy. ]
She also has a headache. These things are most likely unrelated but who knows.]
That’s helpful. [Going back to the beginning. Only not. The exasperated sarcasm in her voice says it all.
Jump? Oh uh. She gets close to the broken railing, but not too close, and sorta cranes her neck to estimate just how high of a jump he’s talking about here. Regardless of how high - she doesn’t like that. And she’s going to be a baby about it.]
N-No it’s okay. [And she leaves it at that. What ever happened to not splitting up, Wendy? It’s not that she doesn’t trust him or anything… She sorta paces by the spot like a nervous animal.
If you're scared that you're going to end up on the ground, don't be. I'm not going to let you hit the floor, dear.
[ his arms are still extended, ready to catch her anytime. his brow raises as there's the slightest shrug of his shoulders as though he's saying the decision he makes is the right one. therefore, he waits. ]
[ Finally, august thinks briefly before watching her finally take the plunge.
his thoughts immediately disappear upon contact when he catches her with strong arms because there's a slight stumble with his footing to make sure she lands with as much comfort as he can give her. what he doesn't do, however, is place her on the ground immediately.
the way he notices too late that their faces are so close, how he holds onto her tight to make sure she doesn't accidentally slip while he carries her like a princess, the magnetism that draws him to her face that lasts for a few seconds before he finally lets her feet hit the floor. ]
[Yeah no her eyes are shut and he’s going to catch her and there’s that briefest moment of panic where she forces herself not to flail. Flailing is bad. She might hit him or make him drop her or something. But she lands in his arms with a soft oof and she automatically throws her arms around him. A few moments of stillness, of steadying her breath, and then she deems it safe enough to open her eyes.
He’s really close. She doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word, just smiles a little, then looks away after catching herself looking into his eyes for a bit. It’s quiet save for the thudding of her heart. She’s probably breathing too loud? Seems that way. Dizzy. Her arms remain around his neck until she feels herself shift and her feet touch the floor. And then she can finally breathe.]
Not bad at all. [A shaky little laugh.] Nice catch.
I told you I wasn't going to let you fall. Trust me when it comes to these things, won't you?
[ even when, back in the day, he was a rather selfish man who went forward without thinking of others. the consequences of his actions is what makes him the man today. sometimes he becomes greedy again but remembers to keep his team in mind more often — how he has to be more patient and wait. it results in his squad living longer despite a target getting away with a sliver of their life left.
this applies to wendy, his new found patience. ]
Shall we continue then? I believe I saw two more doors back in the first hallway.
[ to which he guides her back to the first door that leads back to the two dead bodies. she has the key and there are other places they have yet to check. by the time he steps inside however a new zombie shows up from the opposite side of the hall. quickly dispatching it with the whistler, he pockets his smart gun before it hits the ground. ]
I’m trying. [She mumbles this, tucks a bit of hair behind her ear. Huff. Having someone else be right all the time - yeah it’s taking some getting used to on her part. She knows everything, remember? Enough, anyway. (Clearly she doesn’t. And it makes her feel dumb. Thank you, anxiety.)
She nods and follows him back to the hallway and her hand ends up gripping onto his shirt along the way. She doesn’t want to hold him back or trip him up, but she wants the contact. It helps her feel better, a bit more at ease despite the heavy atmosphere.
The dead bodies are still there - that’s a plus, right? They haven’t moved. No reanimation there. But there’s also a new friend and she takes a step back from August to let him do his thing. He makes it look so easy.
Her hand slips into her pocket and she pulls the key out for him, holding it out in her palm.]
It better work… [Yeah it still sounds like it’s storming outside, but the longer she stays here the worse she feels - present company aside.]
[ door number one: he puts the key in and tries to turn it. no luck — he lets out a disappointed hum — as he removes it from the slot. as august shakes his head. ]
Not for this one. [ he says, and then heads for the next door. key in, turn impossible. ] And neither for this...
[ glancing at the key, he heads down the hall opposite of where they initially go. the key spins between his fingers as they turn a corner. no surprise to attack them with undead hands and teeth like the first, but he does spot a locked elevator shaft with no elevator. from there he goes down a small staircase only lit by one bulb, the end being another door. august checks the handle and it's locked, and when he tries the key it's not successful. ]
Perhaps this is meant for something else entirely. I noticed certain symbols like armor and swords on the door... this has armor on it, but it doesn't open. Curiouser and curiouser...
[ this is the part where he hands the key back to wendy. ]
We might have to check the otherside of the mansion.
[She sticks with him, following him from spot to spot like his little shadow. Frowns when the first door doesn’t work. Sighs when the second doesn’t.]
Is everything in this place locked? How are we supposed to find more keys if we can’t get anywhere to look.
[Her arms end up crossing over her chest. She’s dried off for the most part but the mere idea of being stuck in such a place gives her the chills.]
So matching the symbols doesn’t do anything. Unless that doesn’t matter at all and it’s just a red herring entirely… [When she reaches out to take the key back, their fingers brush. Accidental. Time and a place. Not here, not now. The key goes back into her pocket.]
I’m trying to remember if anyone from S.T.A.R.S. had anything pertinent in their files. Nothing comes to mind.
Perhaps like the information you found it wasn't shared with you.
[ august remembers the hierarchy she tells him before. how she needs to stay on top of things least chaos occurs. whoever her bosses are must have access to it, right? or if not her immediate superior it may be the next. what depths and details do they have within the eldritch being's lair? his thoughts are erased the moment their fingers come in contact for the briefest moment — she's soft even with the smallest touch. ]
I'd shoot it open if it didn't draw attention — well, aside from when I already used it. Best to keep things quiet from now on, yes?
[ he makes a small hand gesture as if to say follow him back up. they're going to the opposite wing of the mansion. ]
Super convenient, huh? [Totally useful for their current situation. She’s ecstatic about it (no she isn’t). Keeping her bitterness to herself, but still sucking her teeth in annoyance - that’s her.]
Could do that. [Her head moves from side to side, like she’s mentally weighing the options here.] Could just keep shooting things open. Both work…
[Wait! She scurries after him, grabbing hold of his hand in a rather bold move to get him to wait up for her.]
[ before he's able to reply, there's her hand against his. there's no skinship due to his gloves that are slowly drying up but it's the fact that they're holding hands in the first place... it can't be helped when august gives into spontaneous actions and gives her a squeeze, not letting go at all. ]
If it's any of the usual, I'll just rip their head off. Simple.
[ which requires letting go of her, but for now he allows it as they venture back to the main hall. ]
Tell me about these S.T.A.R.S. fellows. Sounds like you've studied them before.
[Wendy just wanted him to wait up, not to - oh. His hand gives hers a squeeze and her mouth twitches into the faintest smile. A part of her wants to pull away - but he isn’t, so she doesn’t. The awkwardness is fleeting.]
Simple for you maybe. [There’s a pointed nod from her, and her tone is playful. She’s smiling a bit more.]
Uh - don’t know much. Gonna go out on a limb and say this particular spot is for them. That’s how it is here - every location has a purpose. They’re linked to people’s memories. A personal sort of purgatory maybe? [Oh - that realization hits different right now.
Moving on.]
I’m going to assume these zombies are manmade? I remember something about viruses. Those are always fun.
Purgatory to some, hell to others — to encounter certain one makes it the latter, surely. [ he lets out a soft hum as they walk down the hall, and back through the door that leads to the dining room. ] And then truly live it...
[ definitely hell over purgatory especially with no way to escape. there's the campfire he's told about for survivors and killers — most of them — have their own place. he's seen creatures from the unknown crawl around while he keeps himself silent and men with large swords on the hunt. always the viewer and never the encounter. sometimes he's tempted to for a challenge but this isn't the arenas. this is for survival. ]
Haven't seen any of mine dancing around. I suppose I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in, hm?
I’m not much of a spiritual person… that’s only on a strict technicality… A frowny face as she thinks on the logic here.]
I’d say this place counts as both? It’s literal hell and you don’t know where you’re going to end up. If you manage to get anywhere at all.
[Okay so it’s a grim topic of discussion - but they’re definitely holding hands during it. Neither of them are looking to pull away either. This is an odd development, but Wendy’s strangely okay with it. This place is scary and she’s spooked. Justification.]
Actually - I’d say you’re lucky. She’s choosing not to use your past against you. And that’s good. I wish I could say the same for myself.
[ a hum leaves his throat at wendy's last sentence. does that mean — ]
— you've seen places rooted from your memories? [ whatever horrors she's dealt with, physically and psychologically, he assumes. ] Unfortunate. I thought someone of your position would be immune to your lord's powers and whatnot, being able to navigate through all the fog and all.
Well - no. Not exactly. [She shakes her head a little. No fake Facility. The realms are their own respective things. She doesn’t know anyone else here from her old life. No one’s shown up as far as she can tell. She’s utterly alone - in a more literal sense than ever before.]
The irony of my new career path isn’t lost on me. I bet she thinks she’s being real funny. [Putting her in such a position that would atrophy her brain into absolute uselessness the more time goes on.]
[ "she" — the entity, he remembers her telling before. an eldritch creature that sweeps him away in the first place. so wendy's a prisoner of this world as well... he should have suspected it, really. who would be willing to work for her after all? aside from cults, yet she doesn't seem to be the type unless he's wrong about what he knows of her. ]
Oh, yes. Though it has its own blood games after all, I'd imagine it enjoy variety unless it's truly an animal in mind and heart.
[ it's smart to force survivors to do this and that in trials though, isn't it?
at this point they're in the main lobby, heading to the opposite end of the hall. ]
Better your line of work over joining the unlucky ones, yes?
[It’s different this time. She has no free will, no say in whether or not she participates in worship. Last time - back home - that was a conscientious decision on her part. It made sense. The cause was important to her.
Here… forget it. It’s just a prison.]
I’m grateful it’s not me. [A slight nod.] I’ve seen so many of these trials at this point you’d think it wouldn’t get to me. It’s rare, but - sometimes they do.
[ he does, however, give wendy's hand another squeeze as they begin their walk. to imagine wendy on one of those disgusting rusty hooks until she's taken... he forces his imagination to stop least it gets worse and he doesn't want it to get worse. it's the reason why he doesn't let go of her hand until hearing a familiar groan when they enter the next room.
letting go of her hand, he makes a hand gesture as if to say stay here. the room they enter has a statue, a few paintings, a stepping ladder, a closed door, and a heavy looking console table blocking an open doorway with curtains. it's not long until another zombie makes itself known, trying to climb over the table. it's quick and easy to deal with the problem when all august has to do is slam its skull against the table until it's nothing but blood and flesh and bone.
he shakes the blood off his glove, unable to notice what looks like a rolled up piece of paper hanging in the jar the state holds. ]
[No matter how many times Wendy reviews files and histories with a fine-toothed comb, she reaches the same conclusion in the end: no one deserves that torture. Not a single person. On the survivor side of things at least. Her sympathy for killers runs much too thin nowadays.
Wendy has no dossier on August, only knows the barest of minimums about the man, but as far as she’s concerned - he wouldn’t deserve to be stuck in the endless cycle of cat-and-mouse torture games either. Not after all the selfless kindness he’s shown towards her in the short time they’ve known each other.
She doesn’t even notice he was still holding her hand until it’s gone. Its absence is palatable. Worry on her face, she looks to him and nods in understanding. Her fingers flex, and she’s wringing her hands out of nerves as she stays behind.
She does take a step or two. They’re just hesitant ones. She wants to listen but doesn’t want to leave him alone. As long as he’s in her sight…
Her attention goes towards the layout of the room, the items inside with them. Up until he’s disposing of another zombie - this time with his hands instead of firearms. She doesn’t want to look - not at first - and simply turns her head, choosing to stare at the nearby statue, the paintings on the walls, back to the statue. The sounds are bad enough on their own. She does sneak a glance before the thing drops to the floor, brain utterly destroyed. And she makes a face, borderline disgusted.
Going to be obedient and stay put until told otherwise, still surveying their surroundings with occasional glances around.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Anyway.
Is that a birdcage? With no bird. Wendy’s close to opening it and checking inside but there’s another jumpscare. Two, actually. In quick succession.
He wastes no time disposing of them. She keeps a safe distance behind him, momentarily glancing around to check if they’re being sneaked up on. They aren’t. Thank goodness. Just the two that are now in heaps.
He doesn’t seem bothered by this? All cool and collected… Almost like he always is. Curious. Her heart’s well on its way to returning to her chest cavity, her breathing under control.
In this moment she is beyond grateful for his uncatalogued weapon. They would be sunk without it, and it would be all her fault for separating him from it. (Just how much ammunition does he have anyway? He never seems to run out. Always reloading without a problem.)
…Oh, wait. There’s a key? She plucks it from the cage for a closer look.]
Yeah it should. Not like we have a radar or anything so who knows what’s going to happen out there. [She sounds distracted while she talks. But then she’s approaching him and holding up what she’s found.] What’s this to, y’think? Door, cabinet…?
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Hmm... I'm not certain. [ a key, out in the open? someone must have left it around. he's not the only one with sharp eyes it seems. ] We'll have to figure it out with every locked door we see if you're that curious. Feels like a puzzle, this.
[ a haunted house with a puzzle. almost like it's straight out of a novel — like zombies, for instance. ]
We have to keep moving to look for a better room. [ he returns the key to her before he begins going up the stairs. ] Hopefully none of them are as small as a closet, wherever this one leads.
[ by the time he reaches the second floor, it leads to a singular door. he opens it, and they're on the second floor of the dining room with the fireplace. there's a statue across them holding something that sparkles in the light, and another set of groans. ]
no subject
I don’t even wanna know how many rooms this place could have… she can alter things however she sees fit. Could be a never-ending maze. Could just be two floors. Anything in between. [A downer as always - but she’s sharing what she knows based on previous experience and the things she’s witnessed herself. Anything could happen, even if this realm is truly abandoned. The Entity is everywhere all at once. This could be nothing or a stupid trap.
Ah - nope. Wait! Wait for her. Wendy hurries herself to the stairs, not wanting to be too far. And she meets him at the top. She squints, as if doing so will make her hear better.]
More of them?
no subject
it drops, and august lowers the whistler. ]
No more of them, you mean.
[ another shot is sent out however. one where the bullet redirects towards the state, and whatever shiny object it had on the top of its head topples down onto the first floor table. he returns the whistler and begins to walk around until he sees part of the railing broken. perfect, an exit. there's another door at the end of the hall that he walks over to first and opens it without problem before he shuts it.
Leads back to where we started.
[ fine. he'll go see what he found instead, to which he walks over towards the broken railing and jumps down. from there he keeps his weapons and extends his arms wide while looking at wendy. ]
Jump. I'll catch you.
no subject
She also has a headache. These things are most likely unrelated but who knows.]
That’s helpful. [Going back to the beginning. Only not. The exasperated sarcasm in her voice says it all.
Jump? Oh uh. She gets close to the broken railing, but not too close, and sorta cranes her neck to estimate just how high of a jump he’s talking about here. Regardless of how high - she doesn’t like that. And she’s going to be a baby about it.]
N-No it’s okay. [And she leaves it at that. What ever happened to not splitting up, Wendy? It’s not that she doesn’t trust him or anything… She sorta paces by the spot like a nervous animal.
Please go get her.]
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[ his arms are still extended, ready to catch her anytime. his brow raises as there's the slightest shrug of his shoulders as though he's saying the decision he makes is the right one. therefore, he waits. ]
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[She mumbles that last part, quickly looking away from him while doing so. As if it weren’t obvious already.
She doesn’t move, just crosses her arms over her chest. A silent protest.
Until it seems like the silence awkwardly goes on for way too long (it doesn’t) and she takes a few more baby steps towards the edge and him.
She hates this. This is dumb. But she’s actually nervous - no thanks to this entire situation they’ve found themselves stuck in.
The look of utter disdain on her face should speak volumes. But she does what he insists and finally jumps and he better fucking catch her or else.]
no subject
his thoughts immediately disappear upon contact when he catches her with strong arms because there's a slight stumble with his footing to make sure she lands with as much comfort as he can give her. what he doesn't do, however, is place her on the ground immediately.
the way he notices too late that their faces are so close, how he holds onto her tight to make sure she doesn't accidentally slip while he carries her like a princess, the magnetism that draws him to her face that lasts for a few seconds before he finally lets her feet hit the floor. ]
There. Not so bad when you have me around, yes?
no subject
He’s really close. She doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word, just smiles a little, then looks away after catching herself looking into his eyes for a bit. It’s quiet save for the thudding of her heart. She’s probably breathing too loud? Seems that way. Dizzy. Her arms remain around his neck until she feels herself shift and her feet touch the floor. And then she can finally breathe.]
Not bad at all. [A shaky little laugh.] Nice catch.
no subject
[ even when, back in the day, he was a rather selfish man who went forward without thinking of others. the consequences of his actions is what makes him the man today. sometimes he becomes greedy again but remembers to keep his team in mind more often — how he has to be more patient and wait. it results in his squad living longer despite a target getting away with a sliver of their life left.
this applies to wendy, his new found patience. ]
Shall we continue then? I believe I saw two more doors back in the first hallway.
[ to which he guides her back to the first door that leads back to the two dead bodies. she has the key and there are other places they have yet to check. by the time he steps inside however a new zombie shows up from the opposite side of the hall. quickly dispatching it with the whistler, he pockets his smart gun before it hits the ground. ]
The key, please.
no subject
She nods and follows him back to the hallway and her hand ends up gripping onto his shirt along the way. She doesn’t want to hold him back or trip him up, but she wants the contact. It helps her feel better, a bit more at ease despite the heavy atmosphere.
The dead bodies are still there - that’s a plus, right? They haven’t moved. No reanimation there. But there’s also a new friend and she takes a step back from August to let him do his thing. He makes it look so easy.
Her hand slips into her pocket and she pulls the key out for him, holding it out in her palm.]
It better work… [Yeah it still sounds like it’s storming outside, but the longer she stays here the worse she feels - present company aside.]
warning lower the volume
Not for this one. [ he says, and then heads for the next door. key in, turn impossible. ] And neither for this...
[ glancing at the key, he heads down the hall opposite of where they initially go. the key spins between his fingers as they turn a corner. no surprise to attack them with undead hands and teeth like the first, but he does spot a locked elevator shaft with no elevator. from there he goes down a small staircase only lit by one bulb, the end being another door. august checks the handle and it's locked, and when he tries the key it's not successful. ]
Perhaps this is meant for something else entirely. I noticed certain symbols like armor and swords on the door... this has armor on it, but it doesn't open. Curiouser and curiouser...
[ this is the part where he hands the key back to wendy. ]
We might have to check the otherside of the mansion.
what if i don’t tho
Is everything in this place locked? How are we supposed to find more keys if we can’t get anywhere to look.
[Her arms end up crossing over her chest. She’s dried off for the most part but the mere idea of being stuck in such a place gives her the chills.]
So matching the symbols doesn’t do anything. Unless that doesn’t matter at all and it’s just a red herring entirely… [When she reaches out to take the key back, their fingers brush. Accidental. Time and a place. Not here, not now. The key goes back into her pocket.]
I’m trying to remember if anyone from S.T.A.R.S. had anything pertinent in their files. Nothing comes to mind.
but ur ears??
[ august remembers the hierarchy she tells him before. how she needs to stay on top of things least chaos occurs. whoever her bosses are must have access to it, right? or if not her immediate superior it may be the next. what depths and details do they have within the eldritch being's lair? his thoughts are erased the moment their fingers come in contact for the briefest moment — she's soft even with the smallest touch. ]
I'd shoot it open if it didn't draw attention — well, aside from when I already used it. Best to keep things quiet from now on, yes?
[ he makes a small hand gesture as if to say follow him back up. they're going to the opposite wing of the mansion. ]
no :)
Could do that. [Her head moves from side to side, like she’s mentally weighing the options here.] Could just keep shooting things open. Both work…
[Wait! She scurries after him, grabbing hold of his hand in a rather bold move to get him to wait up for her.]
no subject
If it's any of the usual, I'll just rip their head off. Simple.
[ which requires letting go of her, but for now he allows it as they venture back to the main hall. ]
Tell me about these S.T.A.R.S. fellows. Sounds like you've studied them before.
no subject
Simple for you maybe. [There’s a pointed nod from her, and her tone is playful. She’s smiling a bit more.]
Uh - don’t know much. Gonna go out on a limb and say this particular spot is for them. That’s how it is here - every location has a purpose. They’re linked to people’s memories. A personal sort of purgatory maybe? [Oh - that realization hits different right now.
Moving on.]
I’m going to assume these zombies are manmade? I remember something about viruses. Those are always fun.
no subject
[ definitely hell over purgatory especially with no way to escape. there's the campfire he's told about for survivors and killers — most of them — have their own place. he's seen creatures from the unknown crawl around while he keeps himself silent and men with large swords on the hunt. always the viewer and never the encounter. sometimes he's tempted to for a challenge but this isn't the arenas. this is for survival. ]
Haven't seen any of mine dancing around. I suppose I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in, hm?
no subject
I’d say this place counts as both? It’s literal hell and you don’t know where you’re going to end up. If you manage to get anywhere at all.
[Okay so it’s a grim topic of discussion - but they’re definitely holding hands during it. Neither of them are looking to pull away either. This is an odd development, but Wendy’s strangely okay with it. This place is scary and she’s spooked. Justification.]
Actually - I’d say you’re lucky. She’s choosing not to use your past against you. And that’s good. I wish I could say the same for myself.
no subject
— you've seen places rooted from your memories? [ whatever horrors she's dealt with, physically and psychologically, he assumes. ] Unfortunate. I thought someone of your position would be immune to your lord's powers and whatnot, being able to navigate through all the fog and all.
no subject
The irony of my new career path isn’t lost on me. I bet she thinks she’s being real funny. [Putting her in such a position that would atrophy her brain into absolute uselessness the more time goes on.]
no subject
Oh, yes. Though it has its own blood games after all, I'd imagine it enjoy variety unless it's truly an animal in mind and heart.
[ it's smart to force survivors to do this and that in trials though, isn't it?
at this point they're in the main lobby, heading to the opposite end of the hall. ]
Better your line of work over joining the unlucky ones, yes?
no subject
Here… forget it. It’s just a prison.]
I’m grateful it’s not me. [A slight nod.] I’ve seen so many of these trials at this point you’d think it wouldn’t get to me. It’s rare, but - sometimes they do.
[At least that means she’s still human.]
Should we check more doors?
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[ he does, however, give wendy's hand another squeeze as they begin their walk. to imagine wendy on one of those disgusting rusty hooks until she's taken... he forces his imagination to stop least it gets worse and he doesn't want it to get worse. it's the reason why he doesn't let go of her hand until hearing a familiar groan when they enter the next room.
letting go of her hand, he makes a hand gesture as if to say stay here. the room they enter has a statue, a few paintings, a stepping ladder, a closed door, and a heavy looking console table blocking an open doorway with curtains. it's not long until another zombie makes itself known, trying to climb over the table. it's quick and easy to deal with the problem when all august has to do is slam its skull against the table until it's nothing but blood and flesh and bone.
he shakes the blood off his glove, unable to notice what looks like a rolled up piece of paper hanging in the jar the state holds. ]
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Wendy has no dossier on August, only knows the barest of minimums about the man, but as far as she’s concerned - he wouldn’t deserve to be stuck in the endless cycle of cat-and-mouse torture games either. Not after all the selfless kindness he’s shown towards her in the short time they’ve known each other.
She doesn’t even notice he was still holding her hand until it’s gone. Its absence is palatable. Worry on her face, she looks to him and nods in understanding. Her fingers flex, and she’s wringing her hands out of nerves as she stays behind.
She does take a step or two. They’re just hesitant ones. She wants to listen but doesn’t want to leave him alone. As long as he’s in her sight…
Her attention goes towards the layout of the room, the items inside with them. Up until he’s disposing of another zombie - this time with his hands instead of firearms. She doesn’t want to look - not at first - and simply turns her head, choosing to stare at the nearby statue, the paintings on the walls, back to the statue. The sounds are bad enough on their own. She does sneak a glance before the thing drops to the floor, brain utterly destroyed. And she makes a face, borderline disgusted.
Going to be obedient and stay put until told otherwise, still surveying their surroundings with occasional glances around.]
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supposed to sleep now but
u sneak
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