yogen | MISSION 2.A

[ It takes a moment for the wood to catch, but the axe to the hindleg sends the wolf howling, one of its mouths snapping at Sidney while another turns towards Hajun when he comes close enough for it to smell the meat and pulls the opposite direction, leaving the wolf stuck in place. A third head hears Shin and seems to snarl and bare its teeth at him without coming any closer. ]

[ When one of the heads turns it's ferocious attention towards Hajun he immediately feels the wall against his back; finding no comfort in knowing that any attempts of running would mean going back the way he came. And apparently there's a body somewhere down that hallway -- and, from what they know, could be a murderer.

Unless this is their only threat.

Though he does notice something odd about the creature. Or, perhaps not. Perhaps it's predictable for it to act like this: ] Can it only focus on one target? [ He asks, the knife in his hand shaking as he holds the wrapped deer meat. Maybe, maybe.

Hajun looks to the wall, inches closer to a window. ] Strike it again, or keep it distracted -- if each head focuses on each of us then it might just confuse itself.

[ God he's really just hoping for it to be that simple. ]

[ It... is and it isn't, as Hajun will see with a little more time, the wolf's too many heads trying to focus on multiple targets spread out. But even if its focus is split, that doesn't mean it's split equally: like it did with the child, like it did with the distracted hunter, the wolf is compelled strongest to go after the weakest thing it sees. And this is Shin, holding fire that may burn and singe its fur, but cannot cut through its throats or stab through its heart like the weapons Hajun and Sidney hold. ]

...Confusing it's only gonna buy time!

[Shin knows he's the weakest link. He's going to do what he does, if not best, then habitually: try to seem otherwise. He takes out the kitchen knife from his other pocket, brandishing it in full view and desperately hoping the additional deterrent works. He is not taking his eyes off this thing.]

I-if we can just get it out... we can lock the door! Throw it!

[Their control over it's movement is... dangerously tenuous, but attacking it directly is also dangerous. It's an option, and the door is, presumably, still open from when the gunman barged in. He doesn't know what exactly is in the wax wrappings Hajun has but at least some of the wolf seems to want it.]

( a wrapped package from the kitchen- fresh meat. they're both right. )

Right- get it out. I'm watching it.

( all three of them are armed, and hajun has a potential distraction- a way to get the beast out in a brief interlude, buy them time to get back to the mirror or find another in a different room, their best way out. so sidney is still there, primed to bring the axe down with all his weight- but only if it moves for any of them. if it moves for anything but the door, he's swinging. )

Edited 2021-08-19 22:00 (UTC)

[ Three of the heads are trained on each of them, but the others... dip down and start eating the hunter's remains. It's not just a mindless killer; it's a hunter, and you are food. ]

[ The panic in Shin's voice, the calm of Sidney's; it's a tug-of-war at Hajun's heart as he bites his lip in an attempt not to snap back. He's just as anxious and even more so when the beast begins to eat away at the hunter's corpse. Fresh blood, he wonders if the deer meat will even be enough to coax it.

But Hajun takes this opportunity to unwrap the meat, exposing it in full and staring at the monster -- waiting for it's attention before he draws his arm back and throws it out the door. Y'all are actually lucky that he canonly works out apparently and doesn't smack a wall or something... praise him later and a whole lot, too. ]

[ Praise Hajun a whole lot because a wolf is no more than a dog regardless of the number of heads, and while stalking and hunting is in its blood, so is the compulsion to chase after moving prey, four legs pounding on the ground as the wolf rushes through the hallway after the hunk of meat, a blur too quick— almost like shadow— for Sidney to bring his axe down. One of its mouth is still tightly clamped over the hunter's thigh and drags him along too, dislocating a shoulder that smashes into the doorframe they pass, splattering in blood anew as the wolf steps on the remains of the girl and smears her across the threshold and out the door.

It's going to swallow this chunk of meat in 0.2 seconds so now is a good time for a follow-up plan. ]

[Who's going to ~~bell the (very very fast) cat~~ shut the door.

There's only one option, really, Shin's the closest to it, and it was his idea. He hates this. He hates everything about this. There's not going to be a better opportunity.

He hurries over as fast as every single yelling muscle in his body will allow and tosses the makeshift torch out the door after the wolf (it doesn't go far, but he just needs a hand free) before quickly trying to close and lock it. He's not strong and already exhausted and there's bits of person in the way that is making it harder and slower, though the time dilation of fear is distorting everything, and he pockets the knife to use both shaking arms and his shoulder against it.

The wide eye visible from his turned head with iris fixed on the others has the desperate unfocused look of an animal caught in a trap.]

I c-can't-

( sidney runs over to help close the door, because let's be honest he was already doing that and shin just beat him to it. once it's closed, he wants to breathe out but- well. they're not out of the woods yet- )

We need to check the other rooms for mirrors. That's our best way out at the moment.

( and then, somewhat softer- )

You're both doing great. We're going to get out of here.

( after all, they all have people waiting for them, back at the school and back home. and both are equally important, aren't they?

but for now, he's listening for any sign of the wolf approaching the door again- maybe the discarded torch will deter it. maybe the grass in front of the door will catch alight and deter it further. maybe he gets to break in the axe a little bit more. )

R-right. Yeah.

[There's nothing they can do here except get out. His legs feel like jelly and there's dark spots already ominously appearing in the corners of his vision and it shows in the slightly-absent way he's pawing at the door lock. What's keeping him upright is, like Sidney, being very aware of the not-out-of-the-woodsness. Also, being able to lean against the door, which is part of why he's not immediately moving from it. Give him a hot second.

You're both doing great. The part of him leaning into the praise like cool water gets it's hand slapped down by the part of him that resents and is suspicious of it and both are very very tired. He's heard confident assurances like that before... for the first time it occurs to him people who say that sort of thing might actually believe it. He presses his ear against the door, not looking at Sidney.]

What's it doing now...

[ There's no thump against the door, no sign of it trying to barge back in. They can hear crunching, chewing, light growls and yelps that may be the heads fighting for what scraps are left. It doesn't take long for it to finish.

The sound of dragging footsteps through parting grass, along the side of the cabin rather than away from it.

The sound of shattering glass. A heavy thump from inside the halls. ]

[ He feels like he can breathe again once the beast disappears outside the door. It's all that's blocking them from an obvious enemy, and while he should feel some relief there's nothing but panic still coursing through his veins. One hand gripping the knife he found earlier in the kitchen, so tight that his knuckles go white. ]

Barricade it.

[ It's... definitely more of a demand than it is a request. There has to be something they can at least push in front of the door that would give them a second's worth of recovery if the monster decides to attack again.

He doesn't wish for praise, all he wants is to leave, and in silence he's already finding his footing again and trying to search for a mirror within the house. He thinks of the shard inside his pocket, wonders if it will be of any use to them, and just as he's making for the parent's room does he hear the sound of shattering glass.

Uh oh, sisters? ]

[ Uh oh is right, and maybe they should think of a barricade when they're on the opposite side of the thing that crashes into something wooden, splintering it on its way towards them. In the living room, in the kitchen, there is no mirror— reflective surfaces, yes, but is breaking them enough? considering how they got here in the first place... ]

[Barricading it... good idea. Shin fractionally relaxes emotionally as well as physically. And then there's the sound of crashing glass. And splintering wood. IT CAN THINK. The worst thing about horror movie monsters.

They could run out the door and into the woods... well, he and Sidney could, Hajun being out of sight might already be dead, just like-. But it's faster than them even injured and already has a way out of the house. Their chances get worse outside it, not better.

Options... it feels like he's exhausted all of what he has. There's nothing left in reserve. He can't take this any more.]

I... I don't want to die again... not like this...!

[It's like something has snapped in him. He is just unlocking the living room door and running out along the side of the house towards the shattered window like the world's most deadly game of musical chairs. If he doesn't look back he doesn't have to see if Sidney's following or not, and therefore have to think about potentially letting a fourth person die just so he can chance getting back into the room he knows has a mirror. He can almost see the grinning silhouette he despises in the windows he passes.]

[ Shin writing Hajun off for dead...

The mirror is unbroken when Shin reaches that window, angled in such a way that it doesn't show his reflection at all, but rather, the woods surrounding the house, the break in the trees where a pond can be seen, water so still it's like seeing a snapshot of the sky and the trees turned on their heads. ]

( great googly moogly i was at the beach for a day and everything is even more on fire what the fuck-

when the sound of breaking and entering happens, sidney swears under his breath. it's hard to keep track of everything going on, even in a small house like this- he doesn't know where hajun is, beyond 'searching for a mirror', and when shin bursts through the door to flee, he's torn-

does he follow shin? or does he try to find hajun?

this sort of dilemma- he thought he was done with it, after so long in the manor. fuck. it never gets easier, does it? so how can he do this and get everyone out alive?

fuck it! the gun is also his now. and he's going to make a rather loud declaration: )

Both of you, find a mirror. I'll try to get to you, but focus on escaping.

( time to also play deadly musical chairs- but is he making a point to try and draw attention past the hallway? yes. yes he is. it is also distraction time. )

[ The scratching stops at the sound of Sidney's voice, heads turning towards the end of the hall but still others look back towards the bedroom where they can see their intended prey lingering by that window, black wisps of fur caught on the jagged edges of broken glass it had smashed through but there is no trace of blood. The mirror in that room continues to reflect the pond, the reflection darkening as if in response to their predicament. But instead of storm clouds gathering overhead, the sky itself remains clear— it's the water that muddies, strips of brown like planks of wood underneath the surface. ]

[ Hajun holds his breath for a mere moment, concentrating purely on the sound of nails scratching against wood to know where not to go -- and so he goes into the parent's bedroom and swiftly closes the door behind him. A mirror, he's looking for a mirror...

And if not a window, then, to at least find a means of escaping. ]

[Everyone dying one by one seems to be a bit of a concerning trend! That's overtuned pattern recognition for ya.

He spots the wolf spotting him, ducking down behind the window, and while the pond didn't register as something viable before, it does now, in it's odd reflection and closing of the mirror itself as an option with that thing watching.

He's going to make a run for it!]

[ Hajun enters the bedroom, door clicking shut and while there is no mirror in the room itself that he can see, there's the connected bathroom with the mirror above the sink. He looks at his reflection and his reflection stares back, just as haggard as he'd expect himself to be, but when he reaches out to touch the mirror, he is met with nothing more than cold glass, and the sound of snarls and snapping jaws that is the wolf finding Sidney.

Outside, Shin breaks for the pond, and the moment he touches the water's surface he is gone without a trace, nary a ripple to be seen on the water's surface. ]

( sidney's not even mad honestly, the others' escape is what he wants- but while he's luring the wolf away, he spots shin's mad dash for the pond and then, when he expects a splash and almost curses at the idea of that drawing the wolf's attention again, there's... nothing.

okay.

okay! here's hoping he can keep the beast distracted long enough, but that shouldn't be a problem because he's about to yell as loud as he can, again. )

HAJUN! OUTSIDE, THE POND! I'LL KEEP IT BUSY!

( it's fine. he's got an axe and will use either as needed while trying to keep both the wolf's focus and some good distance- if it gets too close, it gets the axe. if it's farther away, he's aiming the gun instead, axe tucked under his arm. it's fine. he's fine. he just needs the younger men out first- )

[ This is some shit and he hates everybody here --

He slams a fist to the mirror when he realizes that it does no good, and then he catches Sidney's voice calling for him. Making a break for it he runs out of the room, knife still in hand and carefully running past rooms; cautious, because the second he sees a shadow a bit too large and snarling, the sound of snapping jaws, he's ready to at least defend himself.

To Sidney and the wolf, he's getting to the front door and running to that pond as quickly as his legs will take him. ]

Come on!

[ If Sidney dies like this he'll be even more pissed... goddamn. ]

( sidney is keeping himself between hajun and the wolf, because of course he is- he's an identity v oc and specifically designed to be a rescuer, body blocking is a legit strat and he's a bit more armed anyways. but he is following, in his own way, just- keeping his eyes on the wolf instead. )

[ He's armed... too armed. He could stand to spare one of them—-

Backed into the living room with nothing in between them, the wolf is a blur that rushes at Sidney in a straight shot, a crunch and a snap and the sound of tearing flesh and splintering bone, the sight of the wolf playing tug-a-war with itself, one head with its fangs sunk into the hand that once held the weapon, another with jaws clamped down on the elbow once attached to Sidney's arm, a third turning back to the man and eyeing his other. ]

Edited 2021-08-24 18:14 (UTC)

IM FUCKING CRYING O R I but yeah cw disarming, violence, uhhhh is this dissociation? it might be

wolfetracks - 2021-08-24 18:20 (UTC) - Expand

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adsum - 2021-08-24 18:48 (UTC) - Expand

MISSION 2.A

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me struggling not to type wolfe instead of wolf like a dingus-

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cw disarming

IM FUCKING CRYING O R I but yeah cw disarming, violence, uhhhh is this dissociation? it might be

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