[ ko would’ve been taken beneath the lake’s surface too, had he not taken his gun, and, without the inhibition of fear to paralize him into expanding hesitation, put it to his head and pulled the trigger. vines and grey matter were left spewed on the floor of his bathroom, and half of that mess ended up staying when he saw the others out the window of his studio’s workplace as he twisted a red soaked cloth dry. they’re following . . . something. one, two, maybe more. shouting out the window doesn’t get the attention of their hive minds. so, he follows. he doesn’t know to where and hopes that by the time he’s out the door, he doesn’t lose them. managing to catch one, a young man plagued by these bitch weeds, ko ends up wheezing once he manages to the edge of the lake cain has walked himself into— exhausted by the takeaway of manna to reset, but still forcing his hands to clap at his knees and shout out. ]
Hey . . . Hey!
[ his heart leaps when he sees bubbles, when he sees that the other doesn’t come up, neither does he seem to make an effort to swim beyond splashes and— no one does that unless—
ko hardly wastes time in removing his clothes, even his shoes, genuine concern ravaging his heart into action to jump into the water with a shattering splash and pull the other man back up. he just had to find him . . . having not noticed he could breathe down here, ko still holds his breath as he navigates beneath the water and how goddamn dark it is, even with his eyes open. something pulls him anyway, a change in flow and the sound of gargling.
he promised himself he’d be there for anyone who was in need after the first time he died alone and lacked the company to find him, and take him to a hospital— he wouldn’t let the same happen with this guy, much less by drowning. even that, ko knew what it was like to inhale water until you asphyxiated with the burning from the inside. it’s that level of determination that finally gets him to brush into something at the bottom of this damned thing.
another race his heart is put into in an instant. water weeds, or the person? he hasn’t needed to inhale, and feels around for a limb, or a shoulder, or head, in that same spot, uplifting dirt into rising clouds as he did. come on, he was running out— ]
cw mentions of self harm + suicide
Hey . . . Hey!
[ his heart leaps when he sees bubbles, when he sees that the other doesn’t come up, neither does he seem to make an effort to swim beyond splashes and— no one does that unless—
ko hardly wastes time in removing his clothes, even his shoes, genuine concern ravaging his heart into action to jump into the water with a shattering splash and pull the other man back up. he just had to find him . . . having not noticed he could breathe down here, ko still holds his breath as he navigates beneath the water and how goddamn dark it is, even with his eyes open. something pulls him anyway, a change in flow and the sound of gargling.
he promised himself he’d be there for anyone who was in need after the first time he died alone and lacked the company to find him, and take him to a hospital— he wouldn’t let the same happen with this guy, much less by drowning. even that, ko knew what it was like to inhale water until you asphyxiated with the burning from the inside. it’s that level of determination that finally gets him to brush into something at the bottom of this damned thing.
another race his heart is put into in an instant. water weeds, or the person? he hasn’t needed to inhale, and feels around for a limb, or a shoulder, or head, in that same spot, uplifting dirt into rising clouds as he did. come on, he was running out— ]