Blue Raspberry was relieved when Plague stopped her assault on the elder slime and ran toward them instead. They were probably just regrouping. That was a common strategy they'd heard about that people use in a battle. Getting back together to plan or put their backs against each other's so enemies couldn't attack from behind. It was a good plan. Or, maybe she noticed the acid melting her feet and wanted to join the ooze on their rock island to get out of it. That was also a good idea. It was weird that she didn't just climb up onto something closer though. Well, maybe it was to regroup after all.

It was not.

Blue Raspberry was really surprised when Plague suddenly swung her claws at them. They felt a chunk of their torso be removed, flying into the muck around them just as the pieces of the elder ooze had. It hurt. A spark of electricity shot out of them, connecting with Plague's claw, making the arm a bit numb. They were worried they had hurt their friend, but also confused why their friend was attacking them now.

"Plague, what are you doing!?" the ooze cried out at the rabid wererat that was tearing into them. They jumped back, running through the swamp to get away from her. They ran in circles around the elder ooze, wrapping the pseudopods they were still holding around the huge creature as the missing chunk in their body refilled itself. The acidic sludge on the ground continued to eat away at the trees around them, making them lean farther and farther.

Finally, the trees began to fall into the clearing one by one, crashing down on the two as well as the elder ooze.

---

Cuirass

The large wererat reacted, pulling her arm back instinctually as the shock from Blue Raspberries body jolted through her own, numbing the claw she had used to swipe a chunk out of the individual. If Plague's mind had not been hijacked by a curse, the young girl would have been very upset, while violence was a tool of hers, she had never intended to hurt a friend. Blue Raspberry was a friend. Here in this moment however her emotions and feeling were being repressed, all she could do was watch through vacant eyes as the beast inside her assaulted her companion. 

The Blue Ooze used that reaction to dart away, recovering from her attack and putting distance between them. What was left of the Elder Ooze was still eating away at the environment, pools of acid and drippings of slime continued to effect the area of the swamp. While in continued to burn and eat away at those still here, but it was also tearing down the area, causing tress to fall and plants to be destroyed. 

In an unfortunate turn of events, a large collection of these tress tumbled down atop the three of them, trapping Plague, Blue and the Elder under a pile of debris and rubble. Using the strength that remained, the wererat pushed forward, putting herself between many of the trees and the creatures behind her. The curse was coming to and end and Plague was starting to push back, grasping into the mind of the beast and forcing them to react. She was going to help, protecting Blue Raspberry and the Elder Ooze from being trapped under the destruction. 

Blue Raspberry saw Plague move between them and the nearest falling trees to protect them. They were still confused about them attacking, but they didn't have any time to think about it in their current situation. The elder ooze looked miserable, wrapped in its own, numb tentacles and far smaller than it had been when they'd first encountered it. Still, it was pretty large. It could probably survive some trees falling on it. Probably. Hopefully.

Blue Raspberry leapt toward Plague and shoved her from behind, between the trees and to relative safety. The ground was still burning with acidity from all the ooze. With Plague shoved away, the trees crashed down upon both of the oozes. Dead branches skewered the ground and the elder ooze while heavy trunks pummeled it, pinning it to the ground. Once the creaking and groaning of the fallen trees subsided, the elder ooze let out a sad groan from beneath them. It had survived. How barely it had survived, they couldn't say.

For a moment, it seemed Blue Raspberry was nowhere to be found. After a tense moment, a tiny blue bird popped out from the debris and landed on top of one of the trunks before expanding back into blue Raspberry, lying on top of the wood, their limbs hanging limply.

"Ah, I'm tired. Do you think this counts as capturing the elder ooze alive? I don't think it'll fit in a barrel." Blue Raspberry said, waving one arm in the air and looking toward Plague.

Then, the ooze remembered Plague attacking them and chasing them around. They stood up and took a defensive stance.

"Are you mad at me? Did you not like the drink?"