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.

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[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.]

[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!

[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.]

[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.]

[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 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.]

[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 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.]

[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.]

Little and frail. Like a mouse. Hardly a Lion.

[And then there's someone else. Someone it hadn't had the pleasure of "talking to". Its grip slackens -- still holding her up. Not choking any longer. If it turns, Hunk will see its eyes. The black goo coating its front.]

[So it doesn't turn. It keeps its eyes right on Pidge as it laughs. Voice once again mimicking Shiro's.]

Or what? You'll feed me? Throw a frying pan? I'm so terrified.

[Its grip loosens. That's the monster's first mistake.

As soon as she doesn't feel like she's being choked, Pidge is pulling in a huge gulp of air. Primarily so she can yell.]

H-Hunk, stop him!! [Her voice is still a bit hoarse from the chokehold, but it's loud enough to reach him. And just for extra good measure, she tries to kick out at the fake Shiro even harder.]

This isn't Shiro!! It's a fake!

What? [For a second he's hung up on trying to process Shiro's words, because no way Shiro would ever assume Hunk would hurt one of his precious pieces of cookware unless he absolutely had to.

But then Pidges words registered, and he didn't even think. It made sense. And it also meant Pidge was in trouble.]

Oh. Okay.

[All his trademarked mirth left his face as he reached for the heavy coffee table. He lifted it above his head, flipping it around like it wasn't any heavier than a pillow.]

Let go of my friend, you creepy friend face stealer!

[And he brought the table down as hard as he could, squarely on not-Shiro's head.]

[Okay, the shadow really, really should have expected that. Or something like that. Maybe it was too intent on the supposed victory it saw. Maybe it thought once it started speaking again, that would be it. It would end everything.]

[It did not foresee the coffee table.]

[Somewhere, the real Shiro is probably crying with pride, but that's beside the point.]

[It cracks the shadow over the head, and keeps on going. Pushing it down flat. Bones and flesh crunch and crumble, its hold on Pidge releases. The shadow goes down. Flattened like a cockroach under a sandal.]

[... it doesn't move.]

[Pidge does not go down gracefully. She hits the ground and immediately drops to all fours, a hand to her neck as she starts coughing and gasping for air. She's not sure if the lightheadedness is because of the choking or the mild concussion she probably has, but there's no time to worry about that now.

She doesn't bother sparing a thought for the crushed imposter underneath the coffee table. Once she has a little more air in her system she starts moving toward Hunk, determined to reach him and pull him out of the living room.]

Hunk, we- We have to warn everybody. [Standing is hard right now, though. So Pidge is leaning pretty heavily into Hunk for support while she reorients herself.] And Shiro, we have to find Shiro...

[That was ... seriously gross. Hunk lifts the table a little to peek underneath.] Eeew.

[And then Pidge is there, and oh her neck does not look good.] First we gotta take care of your neck man, thats gonna swell up bad. And what the heck is going on?

[Pidge just shakes her head, still trying to push Hunk out of the living room. Away from the creepy goo pile that was the Fake. She's seen enough horror movies to know that this isn't over.]

I don't really know. All I know is that- [She points back at the coffee table.] -was a fake.

[She feels like she has more of her feet under her at this point, so she starts to kind of hurry toward the kitchen.] We should probably... burn the remains or something. Just to be safe.

[Hunk dropped the table with a grimace, turning to face his friend again.]

Man I hope so. Otherwise I have a lot of "I'm sorry" pies to make.

[He stares forelornly up at the ceiling, sighing.] We just patched that hole up, too. I'm starting to think this house is cursed.

[She'd laugh at that, except her throat hurts and she's still kind of fresh out of the fight.] Trust me, that... wasn't real.

[And then she starts rummaging through the kitchen. They must have one of those lighter things, right?]

Not just the house. This entire place is seriously messed up, Hunk.

Which is awesome, but that swelling on your neck totally is, we need to get some ice on--

Wait, what do you mean the whole place?

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pidge_out - 2017-08-01 16:15 (UTC) - Expand

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