snowblindrpg | [log] Event: Metamorphosis, Part Three

Oh man, you are? Hold on, lemmie see if I got some food in my pack.

[Peter wipes his nose on his sleeve before digging in his bag, seemingly unconcerned about the anomaly effects. It's okay, he'll withstand anything for his best friend who is now apparently an anomaly somehow. He's not sure if he should scream or be happy because Flynn's feeling better?]

I don't--I woulda noticed if you were replaced somehow! But...I mean...

[This Flynn knew so much, he knew about Simone...

He pauses in his pack-rummaging when the vine curls around his wrist. Peter pokes a finger at it.]

Can you feel that? That's so weird.

Edited 2018-11-02 04:58 (UTC)

Oh hey, thanks, man. I knew you'd help!

[It's so nice of him to share his food. Flynn really wants Peter to be a part of all this now instead of just eating him. He just hopes the real Peter won't be jealous that he hangs with a copy, that would be just like him, especially when he's so salty about the whole mud affair. Maybe he doesn't have to know...]

Yeah, I can feel that.

[He gives a playful tug on his wrist in return. Pulling him in a little closer.]

Of course man, you know I got your back.

[Which is currently weird and papery? But it's fine. He hands Flynn a packet of peanut-butter crackers he'd been saving. As worried as he is about him (like, how can he even survive like this!?) Flynn seems to be in good spirits so...that's something.

He lets Flynn pull him in closer, not minding at all because it really is cool to get a good close-up view of him and all the plant-things going on. He can take the dizziness and the nosebleed, he's fine.

He tries to poke at one of the flowers.]

Can you feel that, too?

Yes, that tickles. ... Don't try to rip them out, okay?

[The vine creeps up Peter's wrist and arm like ivy tendril, intertwining. Flynn is excited – this works so much better than on the cold icy ground! No wonder he's so exhausted from trying to bloom in this dead soil...]

Sorry about the nosebleed, by the way, that's gotta hurt... It'll be better soon.

[He wonders if his outgrowths would flourish on life tissue? This is a copy of his best friend after all, he shouldn't just... eat him like anyone else. Flynn reaches out, brushing up Peter's arm and leaving a trace of spores on his neck and shoulder. They quickly take root, digging through the clothes, trying to find the warm skin underneath.]

Oh look at that! [He looks and sounds delighted.] It works!

[You can be in bloom, too, how wonderful!]

Oh! Yeah, of course not.

[He draws his hand back, he doesn't want to accidentally hurt him. A smile crosses his face because he doesn't see the vines and plants as anything menacing at all.]

Nah, it's fine. You remind me of Groot, actually. I mean, when he was big, when I first met him. But he can do stuff like that, it's really cool--

[When Flynn brushes against his arm and spores are left on his neck and shoulder, Peter doesn't think anything of it, until--

--sudden pain when something, somethings dig deep into his skin.]

It works, what the hell!? Flynn! What are you doing, what was that!?

[He thinks it must be an accident, of course, and he tries to reach up to grab what he can and yank them out--]

Don't, you're hurting them!

[The vines shoot forward now, much quicker than before, entangling with Peter's arms and yanking them back down.

He steps in closer, much closer, looking a bit miffed about the attempt to tear out the saplings but the smile returns soon enough.]

Don't be scared, you're gonna be beautiful. I'm gonna give you the prettiest blossoms I have, everybody else is gonna be so jealous!

[Oh God. This situation just went from bad to worse. He tugs at the vines entangling his arms, maybe--Flynn wouldn't hurt him on purpose, he just doesn't know what he's doing. He's seen this before, it's in all the movies. People who got turned into monsters always ended up like this. Sometimes they wouldn't listen to reason, sometimes they would.

He really, really hope Flynn is one of those monsters you can break through to.]

Buddy, Flynn, you're--[He has to pause several times, gasping, because he can feel the roots digging in, deeper, into his muscles. Blood trickles down his jacket.]

--you're hurting me, pal, these things, they're diggin' in me, man. You gotta call 'em off. Come on.

Edited 2018-11-12 21:41 (UTC)

[Flynn sighs, nodding.]

Yes, I'm sorry, but it's really important that they take proper root. They can't survive for long otherwise. They really like you, though, you're so warm! It's so hard on them in all this ice?

[There are more vines coming in, wrapping around his legs, his mid-section.]

I'm really glad you came, you really are the best. Did you know that plants living in dry environments often have deep roots systems so they can access water far below the surface? Whereas the ones in tundra regions tend to be more shallow...

And that's great?

[It was not great.]

But-but it really hurts, man, if this keeps up I can't use my shoulder or arm and that would suck even worse, bro...

[His voice is shaky, and he stares down in horror at the plants that are somehow growing on him. And to make things worse...there's more vines. Why more vines?

Why the disturbing, ominous plant facts?

U N S U B S C R I B E.]

I'm not gonna run away, what are you...you don't have to tie me up or anything...?

Edited 2018-11-12 23:17 (UTC)

I think so, too. And don't worry about the pain, I got you. I'll help you through it.

[The excited lightness to Flynn's tone doesn't change and he's still smiling. As if they were having a nice amiable chat about their latest adventures and not about growing things into living tissue.]

It's just so you'll hold still. You might start trashing about and you could rip them out or damage them.

[And they definitely can't have that, now, can they. The vines creep up and tighten their grip, holding Peter in place.

Did you know that the smell of freshly-cut grass is actually a plant distress call? #plantfacts]

But I don't really want the pain? I mean, that's great you got me, but I don't actually want any pain here, bro. And they're like...they're in my muscles I think, and that's bad news? What if it gets infected? Also I kind of like having a full range of motion in my shoulder?

[...yeah, his heart's dropping like a rock and that smile is pretty much kind of terrifying. As is your everything else. He tugs at the vines, testing how tightly they were holding him. Yeah. That's tight. This is bad. This is really, really bad.]

So can we uh...can you maybe move these little guys someplace else? We can find some soil and stuff, a cool little planter, a couple pots--it'll be great!

[U N S U B S C R I B E.]

I know, I know.

[He sounds sympathetic, but there's something wrong about it, the compassion separate from what's happening, what's going to happen. What keeps happening.]

You know, I'd give you something but I don't seem to have any toxins or spores. Did you know that some plants like the white baneberry have a sedative effect on cardiac muscle tissue?

[More plants spread, over his shoulders, down his back, his sides.]

Wolfsbane disables the nerves, too, that would come in handy.

[Okay. This isn't just bad. This is dangerous, he has to get out of here, this is--

--and they're spreading. He can feel the roots digging in his back, on his shoulders, down his sides--he's seen a lot of weird stuff over the years, been on a lot of weird planets ~~been a weird planet~~, but this takes the cake. And the candles. And the whole damn party including the hats.

You're gonna get screaming now, Flynn.]

AUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH what the hell!? Flynn! It's getting worse, I don't--it's not just the pain, man, you think giving me an asprin's gonna make it all better!? Look, you're not--you're not thinking clearly. This happens a lot in monster movies, okay? You've seen monster movies, right? Guy gets turned into a monster, goes on a rampage, usually has no idea what they're doing--I'm tellin' you, bro, right now?

You're that guy on a rampage, and you gotta take a step back and see that you're hurting me.

Me, Peter, your best friend! You don't wanna hurt me, you've never wanted to hurt me!

[The roots are digging into his muscles, spreading, it's horrifying how much he can feel them moving around in there, and there's more blood trickling down his jacket. He tries to tug harder at the vines, attempting to kick his legs, pushing his arms out with all his strength.]

Let me go, man!

It's-- Peter-- that is just-- okay, yeah, I get it, but can you just listen!?

[That is certainly a lot of screaming. Flynn frowns, something irritable on his wrong, paper-plant face. God, why did he have to be so dramatic about it all? It's just so Peter, even though it's merely a copy. At least this one isn't spewing mud while he's at it.

And much like he did with Peter's anomaly counterpart, he puts one hand over his mouth to stop the neverending litany.]

Look, man, you just have to trust me here, all right? I know what I'm doing. I got a degree in botany, it will be fine. You'll be so beautiful? And I'll make it quick, I promise.

[All right, it is officially time to freak out.

Peter's eyes are the size of saucers when Flynn covers his mouth--why are you covering his mouth, Flynn, this is terrifying, thanks--]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH--*

[*translation: I'm already beautiful, that's really not necessary.

Peter bites down on the vine-hand covering his mouth, shoving against the vines that are holding him down as hard as he can, hoping it something would hurt him enough to get a little bit loose here.

Especially before the pain from all the digging roots gets worse, because it's bad enough already.]

Ow! Did you-- did you just bite me? What the hell, Peter?

[That is so not cool?! Come on!

Ink seeps from the bite and Flynn's hand briefly withdraws, then presses down all the harder. The vines tighten their grip around Peter's body, dragging him down and pressing him into the ground.]

Why are you making this so difficult? Don't you want to help me? You're supposed to be my friend!

[He comes closer, towering above him. Plants cover the ground surrounding them, growing quickly, intertwining, slowly creeping over Peter's legs, arms, body.]

Or maybe you're not. Maybe you really are just a copy. Maybe you came back wrong.

[That's not cool?

How about plants growing on you, and getting tied down by vines, that's not cool, bro!]

Mmmmmmppppppphhhhgggghhh--

[How is this helping you? He grunts when the vines press him into the ground, and it's full-tilt fighting for his life, now. Flynn standing over him was terrifying enough, and there's more--more plants, more roots digging into him. There's blood everywhere now, if one of those roots finds an artery he's done for--or worse, he's just gonna slowly bleed to death from basically a million cuts.

He can't die here like this!?

Everything hurts, plants all over him, plants everywhere, roots everywhere, digging in. It's maddening. He struggles wildly against the vines, pushing against them with all his strength--

--he looks up at Flynn with pleading eyes, shaking his head.

No! I'm not a copy! Please, stop this!]

[Uh, that's different??

He's saving the town. You could help him safe the town! Why don't you want to be part of this? It's what heroes do.

But it looks like Peter really is in a lot of pain and some of the anger dissipates. He did promise to make it quick. Except there's all this blood and the warmth of Peter's flesh and Flynn is so hungry...]

Come on, don't be afraid.

[One vine wraps around Peter's chin and his neck.]

It's going to be okay.

[Bro, if you're considering this in any way heroic he doesn't know what to tell you.

There's a vine wrapping itself around his chin and neck and Peter's struggles, already frantic, become ten times as worse. People don't just go don't be afraid and It's going to be okay when they've got you all tied up on the ground with plants growing in you. Whatever he was gonna do...he was gonna end up choked out or bled out or something and either way, it couldn't end like this. He has no idea how he's going to get out of this situation, but unless someone came and saved him, he's not exactly sure how he's going to get out of this alive.

His heart sinks.

He doesn't think he's gonna get out of here alive.

Tears prick his eyes, borne of frustration and fear and existential dread because this can't be happening again, it keeps happening--

--it keeps happening.

Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something.

Maybe he was better off this way.

Maybe he'd see Gamora again. His mom. Blue. Rocket.

Drax. Mantis. Everybody.

If Flynn...had been taken by this town, twisted into a monster that apparently thought growing plants on people was a great idea, did that mean he lost him too?

There was nobody left but him.

And he's just so damn tired of losing.

There's tears streaming down his face now, for a few moments his struggles cease, he can feel the warm blood trickling out onto the snow.

Maybe he should just let go and hope the town doesn't bring him back.

But there's one small part of him that refuses to let it end like this. The part that fought to hold on when there was an infinity stone in his hand, the part that shot his dad after he smashed his Walkman, the part that fought him until the bomb went off, the part that tried to fight Thanos even though it was impossible.

Life did take more than it gives, and right now it might be taking everything.

But if he's got a chance, if he can come back from this. Maybe it was time to start taking back from the universe. Maybe he could still save Flynn from this thing he'd become. Somehow.

Peter bites down hard on the vines around his mouth.]

[It's not that he's unaffected by Peter's crying, it's just that his entire way of thinking, of perceiving the world has fundamentally shifted. It's not the people that matter (especially not the copies), it's the job.

It's saving Norfinbury.

It's making this place better, bringing life back into this place, it's for the greater good! That's who he is, who he is supposed to be!

His eyes are kind when he forcefully yanks the vines back, effectively breaking Peter's neck. It will mean that the body will go cold sooner, of course, that rigor mortis will set in faster, that he will have to eat right now.

But this was Peter and somehow, Flynn had not been able to calm him down with logic so this was really the only way to go.

He's actually very gentle when he pulls him in closer, allowing his plants to bloom and grow in the still warm body before he bites down, trying to still that insatiable hunger.]

[log] Event: Metamorphosis, Part Three

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