finalflight | OPEN POST; [ JAMES SUNDERLAND / SILENT HILL 2 ]

[ Ivan has no way of knowing what the hell is going on in the shed behind him, so the sudden roar of a chainsaw is startling to say the very least.

The monster James lays into is the one that has Ivan's weapon arm held hostage, and the vines go limp as the chainsaw carves it in two. Now free, Ivan surges forward to drives the skull of the beast still latched onto him into the nearest grave marker. One, two, three times, dashing it to pieces.

His arm is already healing, broken bones snapping back into place, as he brings it up to take his scythe in a two-handed grip. ]

We should run. Follow the vines.

[ It's not like a chainsaw is quiet. There are more of those things closing in. ]

... Thanks for the save.

[The monster is carved neatly through with the chainsaw, vines severing as though they were normal plants and not the strange tendons of a hellish creature. Good. Apparently its rusty appearance has little bearing on its efficacy.

He watches as Ivan dispatches with the other monster, its head beaten against the gravestone. The display of violence doesn't bother him as much as it should, though watching those broken bones snap back into place is still bizarre. He's not sure it ever won't be concerning.

But for now, there's no time to dwell on it. Adrenaline is surging through him, the chainsaw's motor still putters loudly enough to attract attention, and they need to move. James sets his jaw and nods, then rushes forward.]

Sorry I wasn't faster-!

[But perhaps he'll be more useful now; his pipe is left behind in the shed as they flee, following the long length of the vines. Maybe there'll be some kind of sanctuary from these monsters wherever it leads them.]

[ He doesn't offer a response to that apology. Partly because it's not warranted, but mostly because it's time to go. Ivan takes off in a sprint, though not so fast that he doesn't leave James behind, leaping over headstones and winding around trees and shrubs to follow the dark, creeping tendrils of vines.

A structure does soon make itself apparent through the fog: a stone mausoleum, choked in vines spewing forth from the hands of the crumbling and moss-covered angel statue atop its roof. There really is nowhere else to go, with thorns and creatures blocking off all other avenues.

Ivan all but throws himself against the stone door, pushing with all his might to get it to scrape open enough for him and James to pass through. ]

Go, go.

[ Unnoticed as they slip into the darkness with monsters at their heels is the simple, worn engraving at the top of the door, cast in shadow and grown over by vines:

Roza Niklaus
beloved wife

Ivan shoves the door shut behind them, making the darkness and the silence absolute. ]

[James is booking it as fast as he can. His efforts put him a few paces behind Ivan, but it's still impressive, given that he's lugging a new chainsaw around. It might not be the heaviest thing in the world, but it's unwieldy and probably not the best idea to run while its motor is still going, but they don't exactly have the luxury of time.

He doesn't even give thought to where they end up; not the angel statue, not the worn engraving above the entryway. Only the fact that they barely make it in before the monsters are scraping at the stone on the other side. Only that once he kills the chainsaw's motor, they're left with baleful silence and an inky black darkness.

James catches his breath. For good or ill, at least it breaks up the empty quietude.]

Ivan? [He really can't see anything in here.] Jesus, it's pitch black.

[ WHO? (no i'm kidding) ]

I'm here.

[ There's a bit of shuffling and a moment later, an orb of pale white flame springs into being between them. It doesn't give off any heat, but the light is plenty. It reveals that they're on a stone landing, and before them is a staircase stretching down into the darkness. ]

Those things didn't get you, did they?

[The light blooms and casts light, illuminating the space. Like this, it's far more obvious what sort of structure they've bolted into — is this seriously a mausoleum?]

Nice trick. And no, I think I'm fine... somehow.

[He won't second guess his luck. Besides, he feels that luck is about to be tested when he sees a long, long staircase heading downwards below them.]

You've got to be kidding me...

[If he had a nickel for every time he had to go down a long set of mysterious stairs trailing into darkness, he'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.]

Looks like we're heading down. That can't be anything good.

[ Ivan's gaze flicks down to the chainsaw still in James' hands, and the corner of his lips quirk, ever slight. ]

I guess breaking into that shed was worthwhile after all.

[ He's never had someone to watch his back before. He doesn't really have the need, but... James coming to his aid regardless was a pleasant kind of surprising. Maybe that's another mystery he'll unravel while he's here. ]

This whole experience hasn't been anything good so far. Why start now?

[ Down they go, the little flame bobbing along with them. ]

[A little wry "ha," even if it sounds louder than it is within the confines of the mausoleum.]

What, so I can be noisier and messier? Lucky you.

[But James has a similar feeling, now, even if it took a bit to come around to it: not going at this alone (again) is its own comfort. He needn't face the darkness, the ceaseless dread this town can throw at a person, completely alone. It's a small weight off his shoulders, to share that burden.

He follow, a couple of steps behind.]

So do you think Silent Hill is really leaning into your entire "reaper" role, or...?

[Or does this place mean anything special to you, Ivan? Can he even tell?]

I've already demonstrated that stealth isn't my strong suit.

[ Mister kicking down the door...

He glances over his shoulder at James, turning the question over in his head. ]

My best guess is it's leaning into my relationship with death, more than anything.

[Yeah, could’ve fooled him.]

The way you’re stuck with your job, you mean?

Something like that.

[ There's more to it, of course. So much more. Ivan has become an agent of the thing he feared the most, tried to fight against at the cost of so much. He's got some feelings on that, but they're not things he's ever stopped to acknowledge.

The stairway eventually lands them in a long hall lined with alcoves. Perhaps this is less a mausoleum and more a crypt. At the far edge of the light cast off by Ivan's flame, a flicker of movement, there and then gone. ]

We've got company.

["Something like that" doesn't exactly illuminate much, but James might as well expect it by now. Silent Hill never draws someone in because they have issues that are easy to confront; such was the case with both Angela and Eddie (and himself.)

But he won't press the issue. Not right now. It'll eventually be dredged up, one way or another, or they'll just die. (Or maybe only James will die, given his company. Wouldn't that just track.)]

Of course we do. [He can feel his heart rate tick up a few notches when something moves in their periphery, disappearing soon after. Otherwise, his reaction is mild for now.] I don't think we've got much of a choice but to explore every little nook and cranny here, though.

[He's just going to. Dip into the nearest alcove to see what awaits them, regardless of the fact that Ivan has the light.]

[ Ivan will follow along with the light, though he doesn't really see the reason to look around so thoroughly. Clearly this is his first survival horror experience. ]

Are you hoping to find something?

[He’s scrounging around for anything of note — a key, a strange item, handwritten notes. You never know what’ll show up in a place like this.]

Maybe… a clue or something.

[ James' instincts serve him well, at least. There's a bit of paper or something wedged between the praying hands of an angel statuette nestled on the stone casket in this little alcove.

Pulling it free reveals a tarot card — or something remarkably close to one — depicting a man with his arms outstretched to the sun. Weird! ]

Huh. Before you ask, I have no idea what that means. I guess we might as well keep looking.

[SOLAIRE???

Huh. James turns it around between two fingers, examining it closely.]

Looks like a tarot card.

[Thanks Captain Obvious.]

Maybe there’s one or two more scattered around out there.

[ PRAISE THE SU- wait. ]

That's all well and good, but what do you suppose we need to do with them?

[ This, as he pokes his head out to look for whatever's lurking in the dark. It seems to be keeping its distance for now, so he moves to the next alcove. ]

[Into the next alcove they go. He’s wary of the thing skulking around nearby, but that’s never stopped James from nosing around quick-like.

Is there another statue in here? Regardless, he says blandly-]

Do you like solving puzzles?

[ It appears to be broken, so no card here. They'll have to move on. ]

I'm assuming you don't mean the daily crossword.

[Well, over to the next alcove, then, if they can.]

I wish. Usually they’re not that straightforward. But often I had to collect something and figure it where it belonged before I could move forward.

Fun.

[ He's so done with this already, but he still dutifully moves to the next alcove. There, a statue of a gaping skull has another card in its teeth, depicting some poor soul trapped in a torrential downpour. ]

Did you find anything especially strange? Just for reference.

[Trapped in a downpour… When he plucks the card free from the somewhat worrisome statue, there’s something about the imagery on it that makes him frown a little deeper. Bothers him.]

I, uh—

[He takes out the other card again, examining them side by side.]

It ran the gamut. Sometimes I had to stick my hand in… things.

[Does that. Count.]

Things?

[ BRO WHAT KIND OF THINGS? ]

[,

Wait, should he be admitting to this…]

Usually really… squishy holes in the walls. [There’s just no way to make this sound normal.] One time it was a toilet.

[ Sir........ ]

You're lucky you didn't lose your hand or catch the plague. Or both.

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