The Hannya Mask

[warandpeace]

Who: Event Post | Open
When: Dec. 5th - 15th
Where: Around Avagi
What: A demon is haunting the station, spurred on by emotional responses. More information can be found here.
Warnings: Violence, possible death, body horror, etc.

THE HAUNTING

The onryō starts making her first patrols in the early morning when most people are comfortably asleep and not wanting to wake up. The sense of unease she creates is palpable, and initially she just looks at who is around. She chooses in the dark who she should be angry with, who is a foolish idiot for making her mistakes and who is an ignorant soul who ignored the anguish of someone else's attention. Everyone else is unimportant.

Occasionally, rarely though, she'll stop and look at something. Usually carved or drawn or molded, something someone used their hands to create. The very faintest of scraps of who she used to be, though that's barely significant. There's not enough left of that self to deter her from stopping more of the foolishness that damned her.

The Noh mask appears the same day, the same time as her first investigations get underway, and there it remains, conveniently close to where the Ingress once was.

The mask will always return to this original state the moment it's not being observed. It'll be returned to its resting place. If it's been destroyed or altered or damaged in any way, it'll be back to the state that it was when previously examined (even permanent marker would disappear).

It's made of cypress wood and is covered in layers of chalk paint and a glue-like sealant. On the back is a raised signature, indicating that it was handmade by an artisan. On closer examination (like swabbing or enhanced senses or super scanner) there's a bit of smoke damage, but otherwise it's not been worn many times. The straps attached are hardly frayed at all. However it's aged, it's not from scuffing or rough handling.

There might not be much time to notice or to bother with it, though. Not when people are being hunted in the shadows, when quick hands reach out from cabinets or a hunched form hangs upside down from underneath a table, waiting for someone to sit down too close to her.

Comments

[vdova]

[ Natasha's taken to skulking the halls at night, not in an attempt to fight the thing, but to track it. Looking for patterns in the attacks or victims.

She's not expecting to see a broken, bleeding child passed out in the hallway, a clear recipient of this thing's need for vengeance. Natasha curses under her breath, picks up her steps to kneel next to the girl, reaching down to feel for a pulse. She lets out a relieved breath when she feels one, and then glances over her shoulder. The demon could be back any minute, and so she makes a split second decision.

Natasha picks the girl up, hefting her in her arms, and starts marching down the corridor towards her suite. ]

[coercive]

[It isn't much longer before Laura begins to stir. She groggily shifts, wincing and making a sound of pain that sounds very close to a wounded animal. At first she feels arms and thinks it must be Diana or her father. Then her senses kick in and she can smell and feel that isn't right at all. This is a stranger that's carrying her. Panic instantly floods her entire being and she trembles as she tries thrashing her way free.

She's healing now, injuries sealing over. The blood still remains all over her, but the bruises go just as quickly as any of the gashes. She can feel herself getting stronger by the second, but that doesn't stop her from trying to get free.

If Natasha lets her go, she'll run to press herself against the nearest wall to stop and stare.]

Who are you?

[She asks it in Spanish, sounding distrustful and a little afraid.]

And why were you holding me?

[vdova]

[ She doesn't drop Laura insomuch as she lets her go and Laura drops to the floor. She's plainly confused — Natasha had been certain that child was pretty brutally injured seconds ago — but that takes a backseat to the urgency of needing to get out of the hallways and somewhere safer.

She kneels before Laura, responding in fluent Spanish. ] My name is Natasha. You were badly hurt, and I was taking you somewhere safe. It's not safe to be in the halls right now.

[coercive]

Natasha.

[Laura repeats, still feeling her heart racing like crazy. She can feel it thundering in her ears, and it makes her look past Natasha instead of directly at her. It's sensory overload at the moment, and her healing combined with it makes her edgy.]

We can go to your room.

[She gives consent, nodding a little.]

Where it's safe.

[If she needs to, she'll fight to protect this woman. She's kind for helping her.]