No frills, no flavor, no smut, just

[butcherpete]

The STRAIGHT-UP DEATH meme

1. Pick a character.
2. Put their name and subject line in the header.
3. Tagging people: RNG or just pick one below. Needless to say, this meme may contain TRIGGERS for death, violence and suicide.
4. Posting people: the person who tagged you is now DYING.
5. 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!

Comments

[consultmybooks]

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.]

[folklorist]

[ 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.

[consultmybooks]

[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.]

[folklorist]

[ 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.

[consultmybooks]

[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.]

[folklorist]

[ 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.

[consultmybooks]

[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.]

[folklorist]

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. ]

[consultmybooks]

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?

[folklorist]

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. ]

[consultmybooks]

[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.

[folklorist]

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. ]

[consultmybooks]

[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.]