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

[beeped]

[As much as Richie would like to run, he isn't sure if he's capable of moving. It's the weakest he's felt in a while, it's awful, but there's little to be done about it. At least Bill's here, at least he's not alone.

He holds onto Bill, eyes clenching shut. It's so pathetic, the demon, monster, whatever it is, is going to make an easy meal out of them. Richie braces himself, waiting for it to happen--

But it doesn't.

His brows furrow while he pulls away and looks around.] Where did it go?

[shipsandsealingwax]

[Bill slowly sits back on his heels once he's sure nothing is about to hit them, letting Richie pull away. He checks the ceiling before searching the halls, confusion clear across his face.]

It's gone, R-richie.

[Though where to and why she had bypassed him is beyond him. He gets to his feet, offering Richie a hand to help pull him up as well.]

We're okay.

[beeped]

[Richie takes his hand and gets to his feet. He can't even lie about it, he is absolutely relieved that they didn't end up monster chow. But it's still concerning, especially since he doesn't understand why things unfolded this way.]

Where did it go?

[shipsandsealingwax]

I d-didn't see it. [Bill is just as mystified as Richie, but he has a calm, resolved expression on his face despite the fear from moments ago. Whatever that thing had been, it's gone now, and they're okay, but that doesn't mean it won't be back.]

We can figure that out b-back at the room. Come on, R-richie. [The sooner they are back with the others, the sooner Bill can keep an eye on all of them. He leads the way, checking around corners and tugging the slingshot loose from his pocket, just in case it decides to come back.]