thisavrou_log | The Demon Plot: DEATH OF GRINDING MADNESS [July Player Event]

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The Demon Plot: DEATH OF GRINDING MADNESS [July Player Event]

Who: Ensemble production, all individuals who opted in to the plot
When: July 9-21
Where: Two inhabited planets around the Ingress
What: The demon plot kicks off, in which malevolent shadow beings, copies of existing characters, begin to materialize and harass the PCs across the worlds. Plotting post is here, and a network post will go up within the next 2 days from several PCs advising on how to end the plot.
Warnings: Violence, psychological themes, possibly past trauma, etc.

Death of Grinding Madness
The Demon Plot
(mild spoilers for The Raven Cycle)

On July 9, a demon begins to make its way through the Ingress, summoned through by a shitty teenager.

July 9-12
Harrying

It's innocuous in the beginning. A movement in the corner of your eye, a shadow through a curtain-- merely a tree. But then the shadow figures begin to emerge into full being. Black-eyed wraiths that look like enemies, friends with whom you've had past conflict, or even you yourself. At first, it's merely harrying, minor harassment. Threatening gestures, broken gestures, jump scares.

Pursue them, and they disappear-- you might even catch a glimpse of how. They melt down into black slime, racing away across floors, through sewer grates, up walls, impossible to follow. By now, the worst of the climate freeze is over, but residual ice does pose a needles extra obstacle.

July 12-15
The Violence Escalates

In the days that follow, the situation only gets worse.

Sporadic harassment turns into outright attacks. The targeting is unmistakable. The shadow beings who can speak tell cruel tales of animosity, spite, even hatred. They are as deadly with their hands or strange powers as their doppelgangers are, and worse, they're functionally indestructible. Rip off one's head and it merely reforms out of sticky black ink. Limbs regenerate just as easily. The being might dispell for a few hours, but no doubt— it'll be back, if not to hurt you then someone you know.

The Savrii begin to notice. It's hard not to. While there is hardly an epidemic of panic, the disruptions are hard to miss-- broken windows, screams, random violence. Soon, the authorities begin to open safehouse facilities at which characters can seek shelter.

July 15-18
The Golem

On July 17, something horrific begins to happen— several shadow beings merge to form a massive golem in Kauto R1. It is a grotesque, horrifying spectacle, of limbs and eyes and pulsating flesh. It reaches almost sixty feet in height. Combined together, this shadow creature is considerably less intelligent than the individual beings were. However, it is also immensely strong and regenerates just like the smaller ones did.

Within the mall, hundreds of daytime shoppers are trapped within. Luckily, they have food and climate control. Perhaps you're one of them-- or perhaps you're trying to get in to provide medical care.

In the meantime, the attacks from the individual shadow beings don't stop. Despite the intelligence exhibited by some, all of them seem mindlessly bent on tormenting their targets until they are killed.

July 18-21
The Sacrifice

On the 9th day, a network post goes up (link pending, will be OOCly forward-dated to July 10th latest) revealing how to remove the invincibility of the attackers.

And by the 21st, the remaining beings utterly vanish without explanation— unless you happen to bear witness to the events that take place at St. Monmouth.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

[It leans forward again. Sharply. Across the room from her, but still seeming like it's trying to close the distance between them. Direct, confrontational.]

[Hands grip the chair's armrests. The right one creaks at the pressure.]

You did such a good job. Pretending. It was adorable, really. But it's kind of sad, right? All of us here... like a fucked up little family.

And the only one who made a difference wasn't really there at all.

[It actually laughs, right there. And something amused pops into its voice.]

But it's your name! Don't you like it anymore?

[Her face goes from carefully neutral to a full on frown.]

You don't know what you're talking about. [Because there's no way Shiro could remember what happened at the time, not with the way he was drugged up. And if he had remembered, surely he would've said something to her sooner. Which means that this... isn't real. Pidge should be the only person that knows she let Shiro mistake her for Matt so that he might feel better.

...Right?

That laugh almost makes her flinch from its abruptness. But then her eyes narrow, even more determined not to show any sign of weakness or... or anything. If this is a nightmare she's having, there has to be a way to wake herself up.]

And "Katie" is not who I am anymore. So stop. This- This isn't real.

No? I don't know how, when the Moira went crazy, you pretended for the first time, and it worked. Or, how, when something stupid happened, you pretended again, and there was so much crying?

I don't know those things?

[Another laugh. And then...]

[Then it isn't in the chair anymore. It's across the room. Reaching to grip her shin in metal fingers too cold to be the ones attached to Shiro's arm. The smile stretches a fraction too wide. With little flickers of purple in each fingertip.]

You don't sound so sure about that. Ḱ̯̹̖̹̆͐̎̂͐̂̋͜͝a̹̝̞̪̭̯͆̾́̆̉̀̇́̕ţ̩̜̙͂̅̾̈̈́̃̀͟͞i̶̘̭̘̗͕͖̜͈̣̰͛̃̎̆͑͆͗ẹ̴̛̛̛̞̦͇̲̆̅͗̋͛?̤̞̹͕̼̫̗̊̈̈́̓̏̕͜͞ͅ.

[She doesn't see that coming. How could she?

Pidge tries to jump back, tries to break free of the ice cold grip, but really only succeeds in tripping herself and falling back onto the ground. The brave face she'd tried to put up is quickly breaking, just out of sheer shock and confusion. This has to be a nightmare, though. She's never seen any living thing move so fast. That can't be real.

Even while on the ground she tries to yank her leg free, tries to crawl back and away from this... this whatever this is that's wearing Shiro's face.]

You're. Not. Real.

[It seizes on that leg. Lifting. Dangling her upside down.]

No? Or maybe you just don't want to hear what I have to say? Don't want to believe it's true?

[The shadow bounces her there. By the ankle.]

That it wasn't you who pulled my head out of my ass, it was your brother? What would it mean to you to know that? To understand it?

"Be great", more like "be Matt."

[She almost screams when he lifts her, but then she's immediately thrashing around to break free, kicking out at "Shiro" with her other leg. Trying to break free gives her something to focus on, too. Something that's not Shiro's voice trying to break her.]

Shut up! Let me go!!

[Because that's not what Shiro thinks. That can't be what Shiro thinks. He wants her to be a great paladin - wants all of them to be great paladins - and the idea that he might just be wishing it was Matt who'd escaped and became Green's paladin... No. No, that's not it at all. She refuses to even consider it, shoving the thought aside in favor of dealing with her situation right now.]

You don't know shit about us, so shut up!!! Who the hell are you, where the fuck is Shiro?!?!

I'm hurt. You're not even listening to me!

[There's another little shake to her leg. Rougher than it should be. While somewhere, in the house, the real version of their leader just screams. Just hopes she keeps on fighting like he knows she can.]

[Rooting for her. Cheering for her silently, while the shadow keeps doing all it can to pull her down.]

And language, Katie! That's not how a little girl should act!

[Pidge grimaces at the way he shakes her - it hurts, but she refuses to let him know that - and redoubles her efforts to break free, to lash out at him. Surely if she struggles hard enough she'll be able to loosen the hold "Shiro" has on her, maybe she'll land a lucky kick to his face and send those stupid sunglasses flying, maybe, maybe...]

Fuck you!! I'm NOT a little girl!!

WHERE'S SHIRO?!?!? [If her voice is shaking at all, it's because beneath all the indignant fury, she is scared. Scared that something horrible has happened to Shiro, scared that who or whatever this is will hurt the rest of her team. Scared that there may even be the tiniest grain of truth to what he's saying.]

[She manages it. She cracks it across the face with a good blow. The glasses crack, cartilage cracks. And it yelps, dropping her foot to grasp at its face for a moment, snarling.]

[When it looks up again, the lower half of its face is a sheet of black ooze, matching the empty black in its eyes.]

Why do you even care? I told you the truth! I told you what he's too scared to! Why do you even still want to know! [It snarls the words, more of that black goo dripping to the floor, smoking holes following in its wake.] Or is it just words too?

Are you "just fine" like that useless shit is?

[She hits the ground hard when he - it? - finally releases her, and she goes scrambling to put some distance between them while still keeping on eye on "Shiro". Her eyes are wide as she stares at him, taking in the dark fluid that coats his face, the deep darkness where eyes should be. She sees what happens when the stuff hits the ground and that only prompts her to scramble back faster.

She only stops when her back hits a wall, breathing hard as the adrenaline goes rushing through her. It doesn't matter that the- the monster is talking at her again, it doesn't matter what it's saying. It's probably all lies, because Pidge can't imagine Shiro thinking like that. He's proud of her, that she knows for sure, she's heard it from him enough times to know that he means it. Enough times to make what this thing is telling her not add up in her mind.

And so the anger moves in to override the fear.] DON'T YOU FUCKING CALL HIM THAT!! And if anything being said here is "just words", it's all the bullshit you're spouting at me!

I'll say whatever the fuck I want to! Who's going to stop me? You? Who's really going to believe you?

[It keeps its distance, for the moment, holding its hand to its face as the black ooze begins to trickle to a stop. Broken nose healing in moments. Even as it stares at her. Advancing a slow step toward where she's braced against the wall.]

[It spreads its hands out. As if to gesture to the whole room.]

So you don't like that term. How about a different one, huh? Crazy? Broken down quasi-monster?

[Then it pauses. And grins, like it's stumbled on something golden.]

Murderer?

[Pidge is breathing hard as she struggles to her feet, using the wall behind her for support. She doesn't dare look away, half-convinced that if she does that'll be the moment the monster swoops in close to strike. If there was only something within reach that she could use to throw at its head, something to use to delay its steady approach. If only she were in her paladin armor, with her bayard at her side.]

My friends will believe me! All I have to do is tell them some thing is wearing Shiro's face and they'll fight you too! Now where the fuck is Shiro?!

[She's so angry, so scared, but still so convinced in her team, in her friends - no, her family - that they can put a stop to this copycat and find where it's hidden the real Shiro. It's enough to make her voice tremble as she speaks, hands balling into fists at her sides, her pulse loud in her ears. And she won't believe anything this monster says. She refuses. Her family's not dead, her friends made it out of the wormhole, and Shiro's not a murderer.]

Don't you dare call him that. Any of that. Just answer me already.

[That's probably why this thing chose now. Why it chose the house. They're all too relaxed here. They've all let their guard down. It's the perfect opportunity to strike at them and make him watch. He'd said it himself after all, nothing was worse than not being able to save someone.]

They could. It's not going to help. By the time any of you get your acts together, it'll be way, way too fucking late.

[It smiles at her, pacing slowly in front of her. Watching for a weakness. Anything. The tremble in her voice just makes it grin wider, too many teeth in a face that shouldn't be able to stretch that way.]

It's true. He just kept it from all of you. Every last one. Even you -- the little sister.

If you ever see him again, why don't you ask him? [Its jaw lolls open, mocking.] Ask him... What he did to Sendak when the Castle went crazy.

I dare you.

You don't know anything about us!! [She practically spits the words out in response to that slander. Her team isn't perfect, she knows that better than anyone, but that doesn't mean they can't work together to rescue one of their own.] Stop trying to sound like you do!

And as for Shiro, I don't give a shit what he did! [It's more important for her to find out what this thing did with Shiro, needs to make sure her friend is safe and unharmed. It's like some part of her thinks that doing so will reassure her that everything she's hearing isn't true. Or at the very least remind her that there's a reason for everything, and that there might be something she can do to help convince Shiro he's none of the things he's being accused of being.]

He said he threw him out of the castle and that's all I need to know. If there's anything he hasn't shared with us yet, he will when he's good and ready!

[There's another laugh out of it. Shoulders starting to hunch, as every movement becomes more like a stalking cat than something humanoid.] Come on, you can admit it. What's a little gossip between family, hm?

I know everything he knows. I just know it better.

[It thinks, at first, what she's saying is nothing more than an attempt to throw it off. A way to shout it down. Get angry instead of getting scared. It's so very like her after all. That low, gibbering laugh again. Surely, she's only saying that because she doesn't know.]

[How could she--]

[ -- wait what.]

[It's like a record skipping. One second, the shadow is a twisted, hulking thing looking ready to pounce on her. The next it sort of looks like she just swiped the last donut on Free Donut Day at the office.]

... he did?

[It's exactly the opening Pidge needs. The sudden shift in its posture is so telling, and for a brief moment Pidge is startled to see it. And then her own expression changes, the fear that she'd had dispersing now that she'd found some footing - some real footing that gave her a bit of an upper hand. Her eyes narrow while the corner of her lip turns upward into a slight smirk.

Now it's her turn to taunt.]

Looks like you don't know Shiro as well you think. He told us he had to get him off the ship, remember? There was only one way he could've done that, and no one gave a shit!

Shit, kid, I'm not psychic. If the Dorito doesn't remember it, I sure fucking don't.

[Wow it. Kind of looks like a kid who's gotten their candy taken away or something.]

Seriously, he needs major therapy STAT. And I'm not just saying that to piss you off. This is just sad.

Edited 2017-07-18 06:46 (UTC)

[Then it shakes its head. Rapidly. The confusion and the sulk abruptly clearing up. Like a mask being slid back into place. It's probably not going to be at all effective. But the menace returns, full force.]

Fine then. You don't want to talk?

Let's dance.

[And then it lunges.]

[She's ready for that malice to come back. Honestly Pidge is kind of surprised the Shiro copy hadn't made moved to attack sooner. So as soon as it lunges she dives out of the way, glad to have been pressed up against the wall. With any luck it'll end up crashing right into it while she moves out of the way.]

I'm still waiting for you to answer me! Where. Is. Shiro?!?!

[It crashes hard into the wall. Hard enough to dent it, metal fingers ripping scuff marks into it in the process of it righting itself.]

Hopefully? Dead.

[Once again, it launches for her, metal fingers outstretched.]

[Pidge isn't terribly strong, but she's probably one of the most agile of everyone on the team. So she rolls out of the way again, hurrying back up onto her feet once she's cleared some space between them.]

Try again, asshole!! What'd you do with him?!

[This time the rush makes it bowl into the chair. Knocking it to the floor in a heap. But it's not long before it leaps back up to perch on the chair -- some kind of mimic gargoyle.]

Why do you care so much!

He got out! Your precious family is still missing!

For all you know, it was one or the other, back there!

Because!!

[And this time, she picks up the nearest object - it looks like some kind of paperweight, but Pidge's thoughts don't linger on it for long enough to be sure - and throws it as hard as she can for the monster's face.]

Shiro's family, too! You fuck with him, you fuck with me!!

You mean it's never occurred to you! You've never thought about it? 'What if it was my real family?'

[Its hand snaps up. Catching the paperweight in metal fingers -- ones that seem to have sprouted claws.]

[But for that moment, its eyes are off her.]

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I AM A LITTLE

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my child

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