[At first, Basil doesn't get what's happening. Max seems to be struggling, but why? But then...he hears the additional footsteps rapidly approaching, then startles at the glass shattering across the sidewalk. And he realizes that Max made a mistake.
She, intentionally, impulsively, or accidentally, led multiple people back here...and that's a problem, when they could only feasibly share one human between them. It's a problem, because even though that one person she led here seemed under her control initially, all of a sudden it seems like he isn't anymore the moment Max's concentration breaks. He snaps out of it, and begins to realize what's going on.
Basil feels panic threaten to flood his system, and for a very real moment, he thinks he might turn and bolt on instinct. He wants to run, run, run away until he's somewhere far away from here, somewhere he doesn't have to deal with this. He doesn't want to fight these people. He doesn't want to kill these people. And he doesn't want to die.
And Max...
They're all focused on her. He's not sure if they've even noticed him yet or not, too focused on the Gargoyle that assaulted them in the first place. A smarter person would be grabbing Max by the hand and trying to get her to come with, to run until this gets worse. They could always try again later, somewhere else, with someONE else...
But Basil once more is finding himself trapped between a rock and a hard place. He's once more standing tentatively at the top of the stairs, looking through her bedroom door, seeing Sunny curled up beside her bed, mortified and unresponsive. In that moment, even before he'd come up with a plan, Basil knew he had to do something to save him. To protect his best friend.
And it's happening again. In another world. Another life.
Basil is still standing behind Max's shoulder when it happens, a split-second response born of a desire to protect her above all else. He barely even notices it happening as the long, rope-line vines that trail from the backs of his shoulders suddenly rush out of him all at once, whipping through the air and lashing forward with all of the speed of a striking cobra. They rush at the boy in the front- the one Max lured here- and snap themselves around his limbs. One attaches to his forearm. Another loops tight around his torso. The third, his upper thigh.
The fourth snags him around the neck, tightening like a noose.]
cw: cannibalism, suicidal imagery, major omori spoilers
She, intentionally, impulsively, or accidentally, led multiple people back here...and that's a problem, when they could only feasibly share one human between them. It's a problem, because even though that one person she led here seemed under her control initially, all of a sudden it seems like he isn't anymore the moment Max's concentration breaks. He snaps out of it, and begins to realize what's going on.
Basil feels panic threaten to flood his system, and for a very real moment, he thinks he might turn and bolt on instinct. He wants to run, run, run away until he's somewhere far away from here, somewhere he doesn't have to deal with this. He doesn't want to fight these people. He doesn't want to kill these people. And he doesn't want to die.
And Max...
They're all focused on her. He's not sure if they've even noticed him yet or not, too focused on the Gargoyle that assaulted them in the first place. A smarter person would be grabbing Max by the hand and trying to get her to come with, to run until this gets worse. They could always try again later, somewhere else, with someONE else...
But Basil once more is finding himself trapped between a rock and a hard place. He's once more standing tentatively at the top of the stairs, looking through her bedroom door, seeing Sunny curled up beside her bed, mortified and unresponsive. In that moment, even before he'd come up with a plan, Basil knew he had to do something to save him. To protect his best friend.
And it's happening again. In another world. Another life.
Basil is still standing behind Max's shoulder when it happens, a split-second response born of a desire to protect her above all else. He barely even notices it happening as the long, rope-line vines that trail from the backs of his shoulders suddenly rush out of him all at once, whipping through the air and lashing forward with all of the speed of a striking cobra. They rush at the boy in the front- the one Max lured here- and snap themselves around his limbs. One attaches to his forearm. Another loops tight around his torso. The third, his upper thigh.
The fourth snags him around the neck, tightening like a noose.]