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

[pillz]

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.

Comments

i love this child

[shiro2hero]

[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 a stubborn angry bean :3

[pidge_out]

[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!

my child

[shiro2hero]

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_out]

[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.

[shiro2hero]

[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.

[pidge_out]

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!

1/2

[shiro2hero]

[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--]

[shiro2hero]

[ -- 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?

[pidge_out]

[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!

1/2

[shiro2hero]

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.

[shiro2hero]

[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.]

[pidge_out]

[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?!?!

[shiro2hero]

[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_out]

[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?!

[shiro2hero]

[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!

[pidge_out]

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!!

[shiro2hero]

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.]

[pidge_out]

[It doesn't matter that it's caught the paperweight. Because as soon as Pidge sent it flying she's running. In fact, she's running straight at the shadow Shiro, a determined look in her face that shows she has every intention of attacking with nothing but her bare fists.]

Then I guess we would've been screwed!

[At the last second she drops into a slide, aiming to quickly slip through the space between his legs. She doesn't have her bayard, but as she passes him she reaches to catch one of his legs and yank him to the ground.]

We wouldn't have found Voltron!

[shiro2hero]

[It shouldn't have worked. It should have kicked her. Landed on her. Something. But it is Shiro's shadow. And probably, some part of him doesn't ever think of his own team earnestly going after him.]

[Not even in nightmares.]

[And that's why the shadow is caught off guard. Why her hold sends it slamming to the floor hard enough to chip mimic teeth.]

[It howls. The sound isn't anything like human right then. Howls and kicks at her as hard as it possibly can.]

[pidge_out]

[As soon as it goes down, Pidge tries to move away to keep it from lashing out. But from where she is on the floor, she can't quite move fast enough. The kick lands, hitting her in the side of the head, sending her rolling and sliding just a few feet away.

The world starts to spin, Pidge's head throbs with pain and it's an effort to just press one hand to where she'd been hit. Her ears are ringing a little but, but she tries to shake it off, tries to get up off the floor. It's slow going. Maybe too slow.]

[shiro2hero]

[She tries, but it follows. Crawling after her on all fours faster than something human-shaped should be able to move. It isn't human, after all. It's a shadow of one, and it moves accordingly.]

[Scrabbling toward her with a metal hand outstretched, reaching to try and seize her by the neck.]

[pidge_out]

[Pidge does try valiantly to put some more distance, but dammit this thing is recovering so much faster than she is - it seems so obvious, it's not human - and she just can't get away.

With a sharp cry, the thing has her by her neck and Pidge is gasping and wheezing for air. Both hands immediately reach up to claw at the metal hand, trying to wedge themselves under the fingers so she can break free.]

[shiro2hero]

[The smile that twists its way across the shadow's face is some parody of amusement. Some mockery of a human emotion. It starts to lift her. Slowly. Clearly enjoying every moment of it.]

Not so tough now, are you, little girl? Did you think you stood a chance?

At least when I kill you, you won't be there to hear your precious leader when I break him.

[pidge_out]

[Pidge tries to think of her next move. It's hard. Her ears are still ringing and she's kind of dizzy and there's a cold hand closing around her neck and it's hard to breathe. But she still desperately kicks out her legs at him, both hands on his arm now.]

N..Not... [Her voice is raspy and strained, and she has to close her eyes so her vision will stop swimming.] ..a li..ttle girl...

[Keep kicking, Pidge. Keep kicking. It's the only real chance she's got and she's putting as much energy as she can into it.]

[im_a_leg]

[Hunk was just coming down for a snack. Maybe a little light meal prep for everyone's lunch tomorrow, and if he was feeling inspired he might even poke at that drink bot he'd been poking at. That's when he heard the commotion in the living room.

He scrambled over, assuming Darin was experimenting or Keith and Lance were fighting, only to have his jaw drop with his heart. Panic and adrenaline spiked up his throat, but he kept his calm.]

Shiro! What the heck man, put Pidge down! [He didn't want to hurt his friend, but his friend was strangling his other friend and this was all so much less cool than his lunch plans.]