chopthatmeat | No frills, no flavor, no smut, just

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meme

No frills, no flavor, no smut, just

The STRAIGHT-UP DEATH meme

Pick a character.
Put their name and subject line in the header.
Tagging people: RNG or just pick one below. Needless to say, this meme may contain TRIGGERS for death, violence and suicide.
Posting people: the person who tagged you is now DYING.
Have fun.

OPTIONS:

Illness: Self-explanatory. You're on your deathbed from a long and drawn-out illness. Time to call someone to your side for comfort, or for a confession...
I Cannot Self Terminate: Maybe they're horribly injured, or maybe they've been mutated into a horrific monster. Either way, they can't tell anyone that they want to die--though no one doubts it. Will you be the one to take mercy on them?
Execution: Once again, self-explanatory. You fought the law and the law won. This is probably the last time anyone will see you...or is the other character your executioner?
Secretly Dying: Letting your friends and family know that you're terminally ill, or have been marked for death, or have a curse placed on you? No way. You'd rather keep them at ease. But all lies exist to be found out...
And Make You Watch: This person has hurt you in every possible way, but you can't bring yourself to kill them...looks like there's no recourse but to kill yourself. But before you do it, there's just one way you can twist the knife a little...
Bungled Suicide: You don't want to die, but can't think of any way to live. Fortunately, one of your friends has stumbled in at just the right time...
Murder: Pretty self-explanatory. One of your characters is trying to kill the other.
Fatal Accident: Drowned? Caught in a fire? Happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? All accidents and unhappy, untimely ends go here.
Duel to the Death: You, sir/madam, have been offended in every possible way, and it's time to settle this once and for all.
Old Age: Well, you've had a good run, haven't you? Somehow you managed to avoid all the other pitfalls your friends have, but everybody has to pay the piper eventually...
Ghost: You're already dead. But you had some unfinished business to attend to, so you're making just one last visit...
Other: Make up something or combine two or three!

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[ He couldn't miss if it were a normal being inside that body. But it is not a normal being inside that body and the knife is about an inch from Apep's face when it stops dead in its trajectory. It simply floats there before the pointed edge flips over and turns back towards Giles.

Apep gives an impassive looks back at Giles and the knife he had tried to use. He flicks his wrist in another angry, jarring, motion. The knife flies towards Giles, only missing his head by an inch or two. That's not to say it hasn't cut his cheek though. ] That simply won't do. Oh well. I'm sure you'll make a decent sacrifice then.

[ And as if on cue black, viscous tendrils ooze and drip out of the walls and ceiling. Their target is Giles' limbs and body and they'll stop at nothing to restrain the man in question. ]

[Well, it was worth a try. It was better than just meekly surrendering to his fate, at the least. Alight with adrenaline and anxiety and fear, Giles doesn't even notice the thin, bloody line drawn across his cheek.

But he does notice the tendrils of darkness coming out of the walls and the ceiling to bind him. Giles puts up a good fight - he always does - even making it off the bed for a brief second. But then one of the tendrils gets ahold of his wrist, and it's all over from there. For all his struggling, Giles is still restrained hand and foot within a few seconds, unable to move beyond some ineffectual squirming.

Panting heavily in the oppressive air and his own ineffectual efforts, Giles glares up at Apep, unwilling to let the demon wearing his best friend's face see his fear. Determined to be defiant to the last.]

I hope your bloody snakes choke on me.

It's you who will be the one choking, dear Rupert. On your own blood. You chose this path for yourself, and Helios too. He's the one who will be doing the cutting and the ritual after all.

[ There's a quick flash of his hand and Giles will feel Helios' icy cold hand slap him across the face. He'll let out a foreign and dark laugh at the action, enjoying it far too much. He leans over the bed, before it creaks with his added weight. Apep will be straddling Giles, the black blade gripped tightly in his hands. The tendrils form into snakes, there and then, their fangs biting and tearing into Giles' ankles and wrists, drawing blood onto the comforter of the bed. Apep's smirk is one of amusement and satisfaction. ]

Struggle all you want, mortal. It will help you no more than a fly caught in a web. I can smell the fear on you. [ He closes his eyes taking a deep breath. And when his eyes open they are surprisingly their original color. Green but wrong still as if Helios is being forced against his will to raise that knife above his head. Helios' green eyes mist over with moisture and he bites his lip in an all too familiar action. ]

G-Giles. [ God he's so sorry. But he can't fight this, he can't overcome a god. ]

[The slap gets the biggest reaction out of Giles yet - he flinches, turning his head aside with the blow, and makes a soft little sound that somehow communicates just as much if not more than any cry of pain. It's such a humiliating, demeaning gesture at the best of times. And it's poetic, in a way. Those few times Giles has been overcome by some evil force, hadn't he always slapped Helios, struck him just like his brother had, to reinforce the other man's feelings of worthlessness and powerlessness?

Only now does Giles understand firsthand how effective that was. And even now, he feels sorry for ever letting it come to that.

He's too stunned even to struggle when he feels Apep's weight settling on top of him, pinning him more firmly to the bed. But he does try, when he realizes that the dark god is suddenly so much closer. The feelings of being trapped and powerless are overwhelming right now, and even as Giles looks away, he can feel the red and black gaze on him.

Of course, when he looks away, it's just in time to see the snakes take shape.

Giles can't stop a cry of startled pain as his restraints suddenly grow teeth, and those teeth tear into him. Snake's fangs, so much like a vampire's - he's been bitten by them before, but it's not a feeling you ever get used to, or adjust to. He can feel the pain of it even after the assault ends, the hot, burning pain of torn flesh and freely flowing blood. A couple of the snakes probably opened up some important veins.

Maybe he'll bleed out before Apep has the chance to be finished with him. Before Helios can be forced to see this...

Giles is so focused on the pain in his body, from the bruising to his cheek from that slap to the sight of his shredded-open wrist, that he doesn't even notice the change at first. Not until Helios speaks - then, there's no mistaking that voice, the pain and the anguish and the sorrow there. Giles' gaze snaps up to meet Helios' hazy green eyes. For a moment, he doesn't believe what he's seeing, wonders if he's hallucinating. Wonders if maybe, just maybe, Helios had actually overcome Apep.

But then he takes in the sight of the knife, raised to strike, and Giles understands.]

...I don't blame you.

[Whatever happens, it won't be Helios' fault. It might be the last words he gets to say to the other man, so Giles hopes he understands.]

[ No. No. He has to stop. He has to cut those binds and let Giles go free. He had to cut them so Giles can stop this. He doesn't want to cut into his family, his brother. Helios tries in a small, brief, struggle to overcome the powers of Apep but his soul hurts and he gasps out in pain as his soul is wrenched even more painfully than before. It hurts and he feels the tears in the corners of his eyes to begin streaming down his cheeks. His hands move on their own as he bends over the other that blade digging into Giles' right arm first. He whimpers and sobs as he trails that knife along the other's arm the fabric of his sleeve turning crimson red as the blood flows freely from the wounds. Helios' hand is shaking all the while, the smooth line is choppy and irregular in some places.

He tries to pull away but the pain is almost unbearable whenever he goes against Apep. Apep's voice screaming in his ear to kill, maim, slaughter the man who would not join his cause. Slaughter his best friend because Apep is vengeful and wants Helios to experience this pain. And he can't escape it because he's not allowed to. He can't retreat into the corners of his own mind because Apep has them blocked off.

He's just as much a prisoner as Giles is now and the god will not let either of them rest until its hand its fun. ] I-I'm sorry.

[The cut hurts, far more than any ordinary blade should. But it's not an ordinary blade, is it? It's Apep's weapon, imbibed with the god's anger and bloodlust and hate, and it's agony as it slices into his skin. Giles grits his teeth against the pain, his face screwed up in agony and his body tense as a whipcord beneath Helios. The fact that the cut is jagged due to Helios' shaking hand only makes it hurt more.]

I-I know... [Those two words cost him a lot to say, because he can't keep the hurt out of his voice.

He knows that Helios would never do this to him, if he had a choice, if he had control. He can only imagine the hell Apep is putting him through. This isn't Helios' fault. And yet, even if they're filled with tears, having those green eyes staring down at him instead of Apep's red only makes it harder to endure.

Because Helios shouldn't be doing this to him.]

Y-You have to fight him, Helios...y-you've done it before...I, I know you can...

[ There's just another sob as he pulls away and shakily goes to start on Giles' other arm. Helios pauses though and looks as if he's fighting Apep for a moment. He tries to turn the knife on himself maybe if he ended his life he would be able to take Apep with him. He'll double over in a cry of pain. He has to fight. He has to fight him. He has to stop this from going any further. He shakes his head his hands, one covered with Giles' blood, the other clean for now, grip his head. ] I can't. I can't d-do it.

[ It's too much, too powerful. A mortal man fighting against a god was like an ant trying to lift a mountain. His eyes are darker when he looks up again his free hand going to Giles' throat while the one holding the knife gets to work on cutting Giles' other arm. ]

Yes, you can. [You have to.] You're, y-you're stronger than you think, Helios. Y-You're s-stronger th-than he's letting you believe you are. I, I know you can fight...please...

[But it hurts worse than any pain that's been inflicted on him so far to see Helios like this, so tormented and beaten down, all because of him. And maybe it's an unfair burden to place on Helios, to expect him to fight against Apep's will. But Giles knows that it's for both of their sake's, not just his own, that he's encouraging his best friend to resist.

He wonders if he's imagining the sight of Helios' bright green eyes growing darker. Wonders in his pain if it might not be a mercy to have Apep retake control, at this point. His breathing grows more ragged and deep and desperate as he feels Apep's hand move to his throat, a reflex against the threat of strangulation, and the sound of his breathing is punctuated by whimpers of pain from the new bloody line cut into his arm.]

[ Helios bites his lip to the point of splitting it at those words. His grip around Giles' throat strengthens and he feels the rapid pulse of the other man's heartbeat from his jugular vein. A shaky sigh as continues to cut through skin. He smells the blood and fear and sweat in the air and it makes him all but gag. It's Giles' blood that's staining his bed and his hands, not just anyone's. Another sob as he stops at the point right above Giles' palm. And slowly and deliberately he opens up the other's clenched hand with little to no force.

He'll bring the knife down but not enough to stab right through, though it will still hurt. And there in Giles' palm will Helios cut a sigil into it. Nothing known to the other man, but he can probably guess what it'll be used for. A body for a body, equal exchange. And then he'll begin to strangle Giles under one cold hand. His eyes bleary and clouded by tears as he begins to do so. No. No. This wasn't fair. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. He had to fight it, he had to stop it. So in a very sharp motion Helios will pull away from Giles throat, then take that knife and slam it down into the hand that was once gripping around Giles' throat. He'll let out a pained gasp of surprise as one eye begins to shift into that hideous reddish color. His face contorts into a hideous snarl as he rips out that knife with a grunt of pain. ]

You insolent fool! You would inflict such pain upon yourself for such a pathetic man!

[ And then, without a seconds thought, he'll begin to hack away at the binding around Giles' right wrist. The snake will let out a screech of pain, and Helios will as well. It was overpowering but he had to keep going, he had to fight for control and the god hated pain, it caused his influence to recede a bit further away. It was why Helios did what he had. Apep's influence was dwindling under the force of the electrifying pain, it was working but only for so long. ]

[Giles expects the knife to go straight through his hand - after all, he can still see the scar he'd once marked Helios with, on the hand that's currently closed around his throat. But it doesn't - the blade just cuts, again and again. Eventually, out of morbid fascination and horror, Giles turns to see what Apep is doing to him.

And then he recognizes the sigil being carved into his palm, and feels his heart constricted in his chest. His face pales for reasons far more serious than blood loss.]

Oh, god...

[It's the first sign of true fear he's shown since the torment began.

Giles attempts to call out to Helios any more are choked off with a feeble gasp as Helios, as Apep, puts pressure on his throat, choking him. He tries to fight, tries to throw Helios off with the animal desperation of someone trying to survive the threat of death, but he's too thoroughly restrained and he's lost too much blood. It's only a few seconds before his vision starts to blur, and narrow into one long tunnel with Helios' tearful green eyes at the other end, but it feels like an eternity. Helpless and hurt and powerless to spare Helios the pain of killing him, powerless to save either himself or his friend, and with far too long to think on his own failure as he's dying...

He starts breathing reflexively as the pain suddenly recedes, and the first thing he knows is blood spattering against his face. He doesn't even realize what's happened, not at first. When he sees Helios go for his wrist, he actually tries to resist, tries to move his arm aside, afraid that the god might be trying to cut off his hand.

But then the snake lets out a death rattle, and he hears Helios scream in pain. And, dredging up just a little more of his reserves, Giles thinks very, very quickly, and realizes that he's just been given a chance.

With his wrists and arms still bleeding freely, it feels almost impossible to move his arms. But, all the more desperate and scared for this faint glimmer of hope, Giles does. The second the snake dies, he's trying to twist his body to reach the serpent still binding his other arm. If he can just sit up, if he can just shove Apep off of him...]

[ The effort required of him to even shift his body so Giles can try and free himself is beyond and physical exertion he's ever felt. It is a mental, spiritual taxing act and Helios all but throws himself off that bed in doing so. But Apep is not pleased and the pain makes his vision go white. Someone is screaming in pain, and Helios vaguely realizes that it's him. That knife in his hand is dropped onto the bed as he staggers on both knees over Giles' body. He can fight this, he still has the power to do so. Except Apep does not take kindly to it whatsoever, nor does he appreciate someone killing his pets. Helios' eyes flash with a menacing red flare and Giles might feel the blood, Helios' blood, begin to prickle and sting his face where it has fell. Apep will lunge for Giles then, a vicious snarl escaping his throat, hoping to stop the man before he can break his bonds. ]

Helios!

[Oh god oh god oh god oh please no. Helios is hurting, now, suffering - Giles has never heard anyone make such sounds that wasn't in the throes of death themselves.

But all of that suffering is to save him, to stop this ritual, and he can't do anything to help Helios while he's still tied to the bloody bed. And, for both of their sakes, he has to get that knife. With some tugging, he manages to free both his arms from the dead snakes, and even with his legs still bound, manages to twist his body enough to grab Apep's blade and turn it on the snakes. The snakes are writhing, hissing, and confused thanks to their master's pain. It's the work of a moment to stab the knife down into their heads'.

Just in time for Apep to make a lunge at him.

Helios' blood beginning to sting like acid alerts Giles to the fact that something else is wrong. He looks up just in time to see the god move in. Without even thinking...he's too tired and bloody and scared for thought...Giles raises the knife and slashes with it in the air in front of him.]

Edited 2012-10-01 14:13 (UTC)

[ The knife hits home, across the chest, and a bloody jagged line is seared into Helios' skin from it. Apep lets out another angry snarl of rage and unbridled anger. He pulls back his hand and the air around them bristles with electricity. Black shards of energy that seem to absorb light appear behind Apep. But he doesn't let them go, because Helios is fighting him again, and he is doing whatever it takes to try and save his best friend. ] Run. G-Go!

[ His words are pained and his eyes convey his suffering. He can't hold him for much longer Giles. Either you kill him here, or he kills you. ] Please.

[That attack would have killed him, if it had been allowed to connect. There's no doubt in Giles' mind that he would be dead right now, should be dead right now...if not for Helios.]

H-Helios...

[He's so sorry. Giles is so, so sorry that he's making you feel this pain, because of him. Because he was captured, because he was hurt. Because this isn't a fight you can win alone, and he sees that now.

Most of all, he doesn't want to leave Helios like this. He wants to fix him and help him. Leaving him right now smacks of betrayal, when he owes Helios his life.

But he can't stand against a god. Not alone. And so...

...he won't dishonor his friend's efforts by making Helios watch him die. He owes him that. Giles can't run far, in his current state. But maybe he can get far enough.]

This isn't over.

[It's a threat for Apep, and a promise for Helios. Then, stumbling and staggering but running all the same, Giles hurries to the door, wrenches it open, and dashes out into the hall, calling for Ra with all the breath he has left.]

[ There's a very pained and angry cry from Helios' room when Giles leaves. It sounds lonely, deep down, but on the surface it is just suffused and imbued with rage. The door is blown off its hinges as Apep heaves himself through it. Apparently fighting for control all the while. Helios' eyes are long gone and have thus been replaced with Apep's black and red ones. He'll throw a lance of black, crackling, electricity at Giles' fleeing form. But the lightning never connects, as his aim was turned at the very last second. There's just a booming roar from somewhere in the castle and Ra, despite the chains and barriers had broken free. Somewhere amidst all the debris and crackling of the castles walls a large draconian figure will appear from the shadows.

There is a square off between a giant shadowing snake, which has now appeared out of Helios' back, and Ra in his dragon form. Ra will snarl as he faces off with Apep, blood dripping from his woulds in a black pool about his feet. It's in one quick movement, and both of them colliding, a flash of bright white light will erupt from the contact point. The looming living shadows dissolve on contact. And there are snarls and angry hisses coming from the two gods as they fight one another. And as quickly as it starts, it ends. And Ra is maintaining his human form with one hand on Helios' throat, tight enough to leave bruises, while the other rests upon Helios' heaving chest. The light of murder is in Helios' eyes which flicker back and forth between Apep's influence and Helios' pained ones. ]

You will not come to possess him anymore, Apep. You're through, and I will make sure to stop you every time you try to regain your power over this man. [ Apep cackles, despite the lack of air. ]

You'll h-have to kill for that to ever happen, E-mun Ra. And with my d-death his will come swiftly.

[And on the sidelines is Giles - exhausted, dying, the combined force of the god's might enough to keep him safely on the edge of things. But even as he's forced to lean against the wall or fall to the floor, he keeps his gaze on Helios. He couldn't look away, now, even if he wanted to. All he can do is pray that, somehow, Ra finds a way to end this and bring Helios back. To see him, standing in the ruins of the doorway, with blazing red eyes and that shadowy snake silouhetting him...Helios is barely recognizable.

And then the light comes, and the roar of the gods, and Giles feels himself blasted away, further down the hallway, off his feet to land painfully on the floor. It's a long while before his senses return, and by then it's already over.

The sight of Ra pinning his adversary to the floor, his hand at Apep's throat, Giles actually tries to push himself upright again, every instinct telling him to go and intervene, to help - help who, even he couldn't say. But instinct is often made to be overcome, and he pulls himself back. Not that it probably mattered, in the end. Giles' body is too battered and weak to get up any more. All he has left is despair at Apep's taunts.] N-No...

[He shakily raises his wounded hand to his face, his blurring vision taking in the sigil Apep had carved there. If he could...if it would have made a difference...maybe he should have let Apep finish the job.]

Edited 2012-10-02 02:44 (UTC)

[ Helios' breath rattles in his lungs and it takes only a second to notice that it's a laugh, cold and heartless just like his eyes, even as the black sludge begins to recede from them. ] Y-You cannot save him, E-mun Ra. You never c-could.

[ Ra's eyes narrow as he presses harder on Helios' chest, getting a strangled gasp from Apep as a light appears there. Apep thrashes and arches his back in pain. ] No. I will save him. And you will not possess him ever again.

[ There's a loud snapping sound and another cry of pain from Apep as a bright white thread erupts around Ra's arms. It'll twine and wriggle down the dragon god's arms and into the white pool on Helios' chest. ] No! No, no, no. You can't do that!

[ There are curses spouted from Apep's mouth that are not in English. Vicious words and hissing come from the thrashing man and the shadowy snake behind him. Ra just grunts with effort as he shoves the white light deep into Helios' chest. A piercing scream, more inhuman than anything else, rips through the torn and wrecked hallway. And just as fast as it begins it ends, and the white fibrous lights lash out before settling into Helios' chest and around his body. ] Fucking piss off. I don't want to talk to you anymore. You get no say. [ Ra turns towards Giles then, as Helios goes limp beneath him finally looking at peace, the god narrows his eyes then. ]

You better not be dead.

[Giles isn't dead, although...well, he thinks he might be close. The way he keeps slipping in and out of consciousness definitely suggests to him that his body is shutting down. He doesn't stay out for long, whenever it happens, but that's probably only because of the gods fighting to the death just a short distance away.

All the same, Ra is hard to miss. Giles manages to open his eyes again, to stare blearily up at the god. See? He's not dead.]

What...w-what's happened?

[He does trust Ra not to hurt Helios, if there's absolutely any alternative. Any he's not sure what he was expecting to happen. But, whatever it was? It wasn't that.]

Oh, good. Your ass isn't dead after all. [ Ra grunts as he gets shakily, and unsteadily, to his feet. Giles will be able to see him walking over, using the wall for support. There's a very large gash running down across his chest to the middle of his torso. ]

I sealed Apep away. He shouldn't be causing any more trouble...for now. Not as strong as I used to be, otherwise it would have worked fully. But for now? Helios is safe, so are you. [ He's right in front of Giles now, and if Giles looks closely there are reddish markings on Ra's skin. His skin is also scaled in some places and a black tail flicks in mild irritation behind him. Too much power to keep everything concealed, and he doesn't honestly give a shit right now either. ]

I guess I need to haul your ass to the hospital, don't I? [ He is sounding oh so annoyed right now. But, well, there is trace amounts of vague concern in his voice as well. It's how he shows he cares Giles. ]

S-Sure you'll be able to manage it?

[Even that faint sign of concern is almost as worrying to Giles as everything else - as how injured he is, as how still and quiet Helios is. It's part of why Giles allows himself just a bit of sarcasm.

Besides. he's never seen Ra so...shaken up, before, and he wants to test that the god still has his bark, as well as his bite. But, after a second, he nods, looking embarrassed and ashamed and apologetic. Well, he was absolutely no help at all, was he?]

...yes. Um, y-you probably do. S-Sorry.

He's...he's going to be all right, then?

I dunno. It depends on how I'm feeling, and right now that's pretty shitty. [ Ra hisses in pain as he bends down, a few droplets of blood hitting the floor at the action, as he puts an arm underneath Giles' own torn one and hefts the other up as if he weighs nothing. ]

Your legs aren't damaged, use them. And don't thank me, not yet. Still have to make sure your ass doesn't die from blood loss and Helios is fine. [ Otherwise they might both go down. Ra's both is oddly warm and almost thrumming with power as he moves back towards Helios. There's a deeply etched frown in his features as he stares back at Helios. ]

He should be. [ Should is the key word. Ra doesn't sound very sure of this answer though, and he makes no further comment on it. ]

[With Ra for support - the sort of support you might get from a brick wall - Giles is able to stand. While it's not true that his legs aren't damaged, they're nowhere near as bad off as his arms.

At least the blood is finally clotting.

"Should" does indeed appear to be the key word. And "should" is far from comforting. But, it's...better. He can see even from here that Helios looks more...normal. As silly an observation as it is, the other man just looks like he's asleep. Apep would never be so still and quiet.

Giles feels like he can hope, at least.]

...he's, um, he's not in pain. That's...s-something.

For now. When he wakes up... [ Ra just looks...solemn and impossibly stoic at the mentioning of it. He shrugs and moves Giles back into the medical area where a team of nurses, phoenixes mostly, will get to work on his wounds. ] You'll need to be there when he wakes up.

[ Ra doesn't even give Giles a second to refute that. It's more of a command really. So, yup, there you have it Giles. ]

[It doesn't have to be a command. If Giles had any chance of commanding Ra to do anything, he would have made it a command, even if the god hadn't.

Needless to say, being there when Helios wakes up? Very important, to his human best friend.

But, Giles only nods. Beyond that, he's too focused on staying upright, and walking. One foot in front of the other...amazing, how hard that can get to be, when the situation is bad enough.

So when he finally reaches the infirmary, he won't stay conscious long, unless the nurses actually make him. But, when he is, Giles will be...quiet, and cooperative. Not saying much unless asked, but not putting up a fight, either. He has a lot to think about, even as he has to focus on recovering. After all, it's when the adrenaline fades that the exhaustion and the trauma truly hit, and you only fully appreciate just how lucky you are to be alive.]

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