Terminal stumbles from out of the woods and collapses. Luna enters the backyard and sees Terminal, knocked the fuck out.
"Hey bro, whatcha doin out here?" Luna asks. From where she is, she can see there's something white, Terminal isnt moving. Luna gets closer. Maiden walks outside.
"Is everything ok?" Maiden asks.
"I dunno, just checkin on Terms," Luna gets closer to examine the white something. On getting closer, she starts to feel pins and needles all over her body, similar to the Sickness. Luna gets back away from the sphere of influence, coughing a little bit, "Yo Terms, can you get up?" Terminal doesnt move.
"Everything ok Term?" Maiden asks, walks closer.
"Don't get too close, slendersickness," Luna says, "Which is... different. Normally he doesn't exude it."
"What's going on?" Spider asks, appearing.
"Well, uh, Terminal is knocked the fuck out and there's a aura of slendersickness on him," Luna says. Spider walks over to terminal pushing down the feelings of sickness and examines him. He seems different, limbs stretched and laying face down, hes wearing something white. "So uh, anything different?" Spider looks closer trying to figure out what the white thing is, she doesn't answer Luna. It seems like a white tuxedo. Spider teleports a few feet away, and takes a minute to cough and compose herself.
"That explains it, he's in his Corrupted form," she says.
"So... why is everyone out here?" Chris asks, walking outside.
"That's his... Corrupted form??" Luna asks.
"Hm?"
"So uh okay, that's gonna be a thing if he wakes up angry," Luna says.
"Yeah," Spider replies.
"Maiden, Chris, Terminal's in his Corrupted forme," Luna explains, "So wait, what's the white thing?"
"It's a suit," Spider says.
"Oh, so his clothes are white?" Chris asks.
"...a white suit? Sweet," Luna says.
"Fuck knows where he got it from," Spider says.
"So Drake has a white bowtie and Terminal gets a whole white tux," Luna says, as Terminal stirs.
"Though... should we be worried?" Chris asks, "Like, should I prepare to book it?"
"Depends on how much control he has over this form. Or... you know."
"Since when has running around a predator ever made things better Chris?" Spider asks in reply to Chris.
"... No, fair enough."
"Perhaps we should calmly and slowly return back. No sudden movements." Luna says.
"Uh... actually..." Chris says, "Should we be worried about Knight?"
"Why would we? He's supposedly fine after Alice returned to sand." Luna says, "Or however all of that works."
"He makes a reference to Cinnamon, his R053'd name, and..." Chris replies, "I don't know, that stuck with me. I don't want him to get R053'd, of course." Terminal starts to get up, on standing he is significantly taller and has no face. Luna gets back even further.
"You might wanna slowly get back," she says. Spider looks over at Terminal, she doesn't move. Chris and Maiden both take a step back. Luna keeps her eyes on Terminal, taking special care to not match eyes...or whatever would cause her to get servantized...
"Termi?" Chris asks.
"Terminal?" Luna asks. He doesnt respond as he brings his hands up to feel his face.
"Mate it's ok," Spider says, "Keep calm before you accidentally kill us all, yeah?" Spider takes a step closer to him. Luna stays still and focuses on Terminal. Terminal takes a step back, as white thin tendrils grow from his back.
"Spider, don't get too close. I think Terminal might not be aware," Luna says, "Might even be his first actual transformation."
"I know," Spider sighs and doesn't move, keeping her eyes locked on Terminal. Luna focuses on Terminal, a soft endearing smile on her face. Terminal watches them, head moving side to side as he looks over at each of them. Spider takes a small step forward, "Do you recognize us?" Terminals tendrils look more like thin ribbons as the move slightly in the wind, he takes another step back. "Mate I ain't gonna hurt you," Spider reassures him.
"Terminal, it's Luna and Spider. We're not gonna hurt you," Luna says, with a smile.
"Terminal, deep breaths," Chris says. Terminal backs up more as the ribbons raise some. Luna takes a small step back, trying to defuse the situation.
"Terminal, remember what I taught you. Focus on lowering your heartrate and take deep breaths. We're gonna get through this," she says. Terminal backs up more, before walking into the woods. Spider disappears. Luna stays put. She's worried he's not even in control of this transformation.
---
Spider appears a few feet away from Terminal. He backs up, and distorts slightly. The ribbons in white distortion raise. Spider raises an eyebrow at him.
"You're being ridiculous, I hope you know that," Spider sighs. Terminal's shoulders raise and lower as if hyperventilating as he takes a step closer. Spider takes a deep breath and holds a hand out to him, "There we go, now we just gotta get your breathing under control." Terminal's fists clench at he takes another step, the sickness growing as the ribbons move forward towards Spider. Spider sighs, forcing the feelings of sickness down as best she can.
"So we're really doing this are we?" Spider asks. The ribbons reach for Spider's limbs, but she stays still, preparing to teleport away if necessary. The ribbons wrap her arms and legs as the pull her into the air, the sickness growing even more. Spider grits her teeth refusing to show the sickness affecting her, she stays watching terminal curious to see what will happen. Terminal reaches to Spider, looking for a knife.
"Yeah no. You ain't doing that on my watch, mate," Spider snarls, her voice sounding strained. Terminal's search for a knife comes up successful, finding many. He takes one with his hand and stabs it into Spider's leg. She winces, but otherwise shows no reaction. He grabs another and stabs it in her leg, by the other knife. Snow begins to fall. Spider curls her lip at Terminal, growling. She shows no reaction to the pain, though. Terminal turns his head, as if hearing something, and disappears, dropping Spider on the ground. Spider sighs, and takes a minute before teleporting after him.
---
Terminal appears in white distortion, approaching Claire's front yard. Spider appears, and she attempts to tackle Terminal to the floor. Harmonia opens the front door, looking at the scene.
"Hello?" she asks.
"Get back," Spider yells. Terminal doesnt budge as the ribbons wrap around both Harmonia and Spider. Harmonia feels the pins and needles feeling.
"What the fuck?" Harmonia coughs, trying to get out of the ribbons. Spider pulls out a knife and attempts to sever the ribbons holding her, but as they get cut, more regrow and wrap tighter. The ribbons throw both of them on the ground and pin them. Spider tries to teleport out of the ribbons, and manages to. Terminal walks closer to Harmonia, a gun appearing in Terminal's hand. Harmonia's eyes widen in fear and she struggles harder. Harmonia feels the sickness growing as Terminal feeds on her. Harmonia coughs up blood and tries not to choke on it. Spider growls and snaps her fingers. The gun disappears, reappearing in her hand. Terminal looks at his hand for a moment before looking over at Spider, the ribbons releasing Harmonia. Harmonia rolls over, coughing up the blood and trying to focus. Spider stays where she's standing, glaring at Terminal. Terminal approaches spider, ribbons rising behind him as the sickness fades some from Harmonia.
"Don't make me shoot you," Spider rolls her eyes. Harmonia coughs up the last of the blood, wiping her mouth and trying to make a run for the house. Terminal's ribbons reach for Spider's limbs, but she's able to dodge them. The door to Claire's cottage shuts and locks before Harmonia can get to it.
"Fuck-" Harmonia stumbles back. Terminal turns to face Spider again, reaching for her again as he distorts. Spider dodges again, growling. Terminal turns to face Harmonia, as a ribbon reaches out and grabs her leg. The ribbon pulls Harmonia closer as Spider starts to feel overwhelmingly tired. Harmonia struggles, trying to claw out of Terminals grip.
"Yeah no, fuck this," Spider mimics the alter attempting to knock Terminal out, or at least make him feel tired. However, it only sends a surge of sickness to Spider. The ribbons let go of Harmonia's leg, but quickly wrap her head and neck as they pull her up towards Terminal's f... well, lack of face. Spider snarls and forces all feelings and the sickness down as she aims and shoots Terminal in the leg. The bullet goes through, as Terminal's leg instantly heals itself, a syringe appears in Terminal's hand as he raises it, the ribbons around Harmonia's head holding her perfectly still. Harmonia sobs, trying to struggle and failing. Her fear increases as she coughs.
"Harmonia he's feeding off you, you have to ignore it," Spider snaps her fingers and the syringe disappears. Another syringe appears in its place, as an alter on Spider makes her only able to see an endless snow covered forest. Spider clenches a fist, doing her best to ignore the snow and the memories it brings up. Harmonia closes her eyes, sobbing. A Pamphlet appears on the ground. The ribbons reach for one of Harmonia's eyes, pulling it open as he brings the needle closer to her face. Harmonia tries to struggle, her fear only increasing. The needle is brought in front of Harmonia's eye, as the Pamphlet floats up.
"Seriously, all the fears you could of picked and you choose snow?" Spider forces herself to laugh, slowly feeling colder. Spider begins to hear wolves howling, and Terminal injects something into Harmonia's eye as the ribbons on her eye lets go. Harmonia screams in pain, blinking and panicking, shaking like a leaf. Terminal drops her on the ground, and Harmonia brings her hand to her eye, panicking.
"I c- I can't see," she says, hyperventilating. Spider takes a deep breath trying to ignore everything going on, but she feels a spike of adrenaline. Harmonia's eye begins to see again, but everything in that eye is upside down and brighter. Harmonia holds her eye, her breathing fast as she cries.
"Adrenaline trying to increase the fear response, clever," Spider sighs digging her nails into her palm. Harmonia looks to the house, using her hand to cover her injured eye. She tries to crawl over. Spider hears wolves growl right behind her, as Terminal stays in place, watching her. Spider takes a deep breath and turns around. Harmonia begins to walk back to the house.
Behind Spider stands a pack of wolves, all snarling and showing teeth, hairs raised, hunched over and stepping closer, the closest only a few feet from her. The door to the house is still locked. Harmonia begins to sob upon realizing its locked. Spider growls back, and shoots the nearest wolf. The wolf is killed as the bullet hits near Harmonia, who screams. The Pamphlet lands on Harmonia, and she's absorbed into it. Spider continues shooting the wolves, and just as she's killed half of them, the first ones start to get up again. Spider continues shooting, but eventually the visions fade. Spider takes a couple of deep breaths and looks around for Terminal, but he's gone. Spider disappears.
---
Terminal wanders the woods trying to calm down. Spider appears a bit of a way behind him and silently follows him, taking care to not be seen. Terminal's head twitches as if hearing something. She looks at him, trying to see if he's gone back to his normal form yet. He's still not normal at all, sometimes distorting. Spider continues to follow him, staying back so she wouldn't be seen. He continues to walk, fists clenched, he still has the sickness around him. Spider continues to follow Term keeping an eye on him. Eventually, Terminal starts to stumble as he walks until he distorts back into his normal form and collapses.
"Term?" Spider moves closer to him, trying to see if he's conscious. There's no more sickness around him, hes asleep. Spider sighs and snaps her fingers teleporting him to Harmonia's living room.