recolle | [Closed] I sung of Chaos and Eternal Night...

Entry tags:

[Closed] I sung of Chaos and Eternal Night...

WHO: Penelope Raban, the esper Mateus, and an (un)fortunate few.
WHERE: The streets of Recolle, Recolle Woods, and Kumou Shrine
WHEN: January 12th to January 15th
WHAT: Penelope has regained the demonic summon Mateus that she cannot control without a fight. Mateus flees, seeking to gather support for the inevitable conflict between them and to hurt the people close to Penelope.
WARNINGS: Violence against people and animals, blood, possible gore, potential mentions of ritualistic sacrifices. Other warnings may be added, so please assume this log will involve any number of unpleasant things.

In the early evening outside of Wiffle Waffle, something stirred, and bystanders reported that it seemed just a touch more chillier than normal. Shouts were heard, the resonant crash of steel against steel, and a deep, rasping laugh but few people got a clear picture of what was going on. It wasn't anything to worry about, probably, even if a young woman was spotted limping to her car and driving off like a maniac. Just someone who fell, probably.

Others may have noticed an enormous shape slinking off into the shadows too, but that was just a guy carrying an old Christmas tree. Probably.

I. January 12 to January 14, Streets of Recolle.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, nothing happened. The creature expected that it would very likely be met with immediate pursuit, but when it wasn't that gave it time to think. Slulking from alley to alley, Mateus considered it's surroundings in bewilderment, maddened by its failed attempt at freedom. It knew only what its summoner did, and the deluge of information took time to process.

Traveling outside the city was simple enough, and surrounded by the cold of Recolle Woods it found a place to build into a stronghold. A shrine with a certain kind of energy to it worked quite nicely, giving it an opportunity to call forth minions.

It needed more support though, and it needed it badly if it wanted it's freedom. Fortunately, this new place seemed a likely place to find the gullible and foolish, those with more ambition or desire than caution. People with darkness in their hearts, the wicked or the misguided. These were people it could use.

The darkness helped, masking its movements and making it easier to study potential allies. Moving with an unnaturally graceful gait for its ungainly form, the esper followed at a distance...weighing and measuring, trying to get a feel for who to approach. When it does, it calls out first in a voice as cold as a glacier, and as dry as a desert. Just a greeting, always delivered from a particularly dense patch of shadows, concealing itself at first.

"Why...hello there," it rasps, "...I was wondering if perhaps we could speak..."

II. January 13 to January 14, Streets of Recolle.

When dawn came, Mateus had come to several conclusions, and chief among them was that it would need to attract its summoner's attention somehow. To draw her in, to keep her off balance, and get her to come in upset. Easier prey, that way, and what better way to draw in a self righteous mortal than to play on her sense of loyalty. Discovering who she held dear was simple enough, they reeked with the girl's scent, and those become its first targets. Others as well, those not allied with the girl, but those who might carry word of the attack back to her.

Skulking, stalking, moving from shadow to shadow, Mateus observes and waits. The attack comes on suddenly, a streaking blur of cold rippling out of a shadow, a demonic form rising up from a snow drift or out of the mouth of an alley. The esper shrieks something unintelligible in a gutteral tongue, and then...

"Where is Penelope?!" before attacking with an arm, its trident, or a spell. Defend yourself, run, or perish!

III. January 14, Recolle Woods/Kumou Shrine.

As the third day arrived, Mateus had decided that staying within the bounds of the city was less than wise. It could not continue these forays into a confusing tangle of concrete and lights, and if it attacked many more people it might draw the eyes of a mortal militia. So into the forest it goes, waiting to see if its labors to attract Penelope are successful.

While out in the forest, though, it hardly remains idle. Humans that visit the Kumou shrine or who are out in the woods are both potential targets or potentially approached if they have a suitable amount of darkness in their hearts. A rustle of leaves, the tinkling of ice crystals, and a sudden deepening of shadow are all that announce its presence.

Individuals it seeks to bargain with will be greeted with a simple "Greetings..." while those it intends to attack will hear only a battlecry before being struck with a shock of freezing cold...

IV. Contact Pen.

If your character wants to contact Penelope after a thread about being attacked, this is the place to do it. Post deal threads involving action with Pen I will reply to in the original thread.

V Any Day, Wild Card.

If there is a specific scenario you'd like to play, or a different set up to being approached or attacked, then feel free to write your own prompt and I will respond with Mateus accordingly. If you want to do a group thread, as some of you guys have mentioned, just leave me a note of who is participating in the subject line as well!

I'm perfectly fine with whatever you want to do, but if you feel the need to get in touch with me OR just have any general questions, please hit me on Plurk.

intercession. Reference art linked above courtesy OperatingThetan.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sakura's an 18yo girl from Japan who has never hit someone in anger, let alone conspired against their safety. Everything about this situation should be bigger than her.

The answer is obvious, was obvious from the start. The answer is no.

And yet she still stands there in indecision, offered mental freedom at the price of someone else. She doesn't know the girl -- Penelope -- a fact which sits as both a gift and a curse in her mind. If she had spoken with her before, known her as a person instead of a chess piece, would it be easier to say the right thing?]

I...

[Her glance meets Howard, but it just as quickly falls back to the ground.]

I mean-- it'd be easier, I think, living in the city without these memories... right?

[Voice a murmur, her hands fist against her skirt.]

But we'd... we'd be helping Mateus-san hurt her, if she didn't comply.

[Images of her parents flash through her mind, then her sister, then her friends -- as if predicting her future, a world where everyone is disappointed and taken aback by her selfishness. So weak that a handful of memories would bend her principles.

... A pause.

And then Sakura shakes her head once. She can't.]

[Ah well. As expected, after a fashion. Mateus stands fully upright, looking at the pair for a moment. The girl had been just a second, and she never really had seemed wholly accepting of the idea.]

That is, of course, your decision.

[Turning to Howard...]

What about you? Does the lady speak for you as well?

[He's not surprised by Sakura's decision. In a way, he thinks it's wise. Yes, of course, there's the possibility that Penelope will be hurt. This is all too dangerous. This is something he should stay away from.]

[And yet...and yet...!]

[It's all right there. The chance to see everything, and forget everything. To finally pull the curtain off his past life and see it for what it is.]

[He raises a hand to his face, dragging it down as he continues to stare at the ground. His mouth feels dry. A person is involved who is going to get hurt, he tells himself, and yet, he can't bring himself to care. He feels only slightly ashamed by that. Finally, after a long pause, he speaks up, tone hoarse:]

...No. She doesn't.

[He takes a step forward towards Mateus. The darkness. The thing he feels so strangely comfortable with. Is that where he belongs? Is that why he feels this way?]

Can you...show me everything, and then take it away? I just want to see it, and then just go back to living a normal life...I just want to know who - what - I was.

[He doesn't look at Sakura the whole time he speaks.]

If you could do that, then...I-I'll help you...

["Does the lady speak for you as well?

"... No. She doesn't."]

... Eh?

[Sakura never thought she could forget how to breathe, but she does, lungs frozen inside her chest. Turning to Howard, her expression is wiped clean with shock.]

Howard-san...?

[Mateus's lips curve in a satisfied smile, and it looks from Sakura to Howard, eyeless gaze intent. The question is unexpected, but as it had been lying from the start about being able to grant memories, it was quite easy to continue with the charade. The demon dips into a bow of acknowledgement.]

I can indeed do that. If you wish it, I will be quite happy to grant your desire.

[If it could, though, it doubts that Howard would want to go back to being...normal. Thoughts on if he could after what he was going to do are far, far from its concerns.]

Sakura...

[Finally he looks back at her, his eyebrows drawn up in an apologetic look. Of course, Sakura had her reasons for not going along with this, but he trusted that she would understand that he had his own reasons for doing this.]

[It isn't personal. It never was. This is just about him, and him alone.]

I have to...find out. I have to. I just really want to know.

[He sighs, raising his hand to his chest.]

Mateus...what do I have to do, now? Find Penelope?

Wait, please.

[Her voice bursts from her like a pained wheeze. She's still staring at Howard.]

Howard-san, you--

[You can't, absolutely can't strike deals with the devils, and she makes to tug insistently at his sleeve. This isn't her taking the high road to spite him for not agreeing with her choice, of course not, she would never, it's just--]

Th-this isn't safe. What if you get hurt doing this?

[And it come be lying, the most obvious concern, but she hasn't yet reached the point to outright defy an enemy that could likely crush her.

Not yet.]

Find her, and bring her to me. However possible.

[Mateus shifts itself, reaching into a snowbank to grab a handful of snow and begin whispering words to some sort of spell. Just to give Howard and Sakura a chance to talk.]

I might, but...if it means Mateus can be free...

[She's tugging at his sleeve, and he only looks down with a sad look, like he expected this to happen. He doesn't make any move to pull away, but he doesn't exactly move towards her, either.]

[His eyes close with an almost pained expression.]

If I can be free of... [His voice devolves into a whisper, his eyes opening wide. They're very dark.] That contract...Fitzgerald...

[He looks almost like a man possessed at that moment - he's not even looking at Sakura, but somewhere past her, like he's seeing something that's clearly not there.]

[He takes a step towards Mateus, his arm pulling out of her reach.]

Don't worry about me. I can handle myself. Just...keep safe, okay, Sakura?

But--

[It's like grasping at water for all that Howard is listening to her. That he might pity how she clings to him, near tears at his quiet rejection -- she could forgive that. She could even forgive that he might lead a girl to her death for his own gain, no matter how ugly that makes her in turn.

But he's leaving her, isn't he? One of her friends. She can't reach him. A creature has more sway over his thought than she does, and her hand slips from his jacket when the realization fully hits.

"I'm not going to leave you alone."

You're a liar, H.P. Carter.]

[Mateus waits patiently, eyeless face impassive as this little tragedy plays out. It's interesting, to see how humans do these things, enough so that it won't interrupt or intercede.

Curious.]

I'll be back soon, Sakura.

[And for the first time during this entire conversation, he smiles.]

[He smiles, as if he isn't going off with a terrifying creature who in all likelihood may just be using him. He smiles, as if he isn't choosing his own wellbeing over staying with a friend who trusts and cares for him dearly.]

[His eyes are absolutely empty.]

Go home, alright?

[Something falters in his expression, like he's having sudden doubt, but it's gone in a second.]

[He turns back and walks to stand at the side of the creature in the midst of shadows.]

[...Isn't that where he belongs?]

[Mateus turns away, shifting itself to move further away from Sakura. If Howard follows, he'll be swept away in a gust of snow, taken to a park not far from Penelope's home. The Esper shifts, looking down at Howard questioningly .]

I will send one of my Ice Azers with you, if you think you may need it, Carter.

I don't know what an Ice Azer is. But if you think I need it...

[He rubs his shoulders, shivering from the sudden rush of snow. He turns.]

[Sakura isn't there. Of course. He's somewhere else now.]

[Howard sets his jaw and looks up at the eldritch being, his dark gaze hard to read. But he's not afraid, that's for sure. He made his choice, and he has to go along with it. No backing down, now.]

Where am I, Mateus?

A greenspace not far from the girl. Still within your city.

[It answers quickly enough, and bends to scoop up a handful of snow. It has what it wants, more or less, and while it is hesitant to expend power creating these creatures, it feels a worthwhile gambit. This human knows her. He may have insight.]

As for Azers...they are my creations. Constructs of living ice.

[Squeezing the snow, it releases a second bubble of magic, and something seems to come alive in its hand. A small bundle of ice expands to the size of a beach ball, then contracts down to the size of a golf ball before flying to Howard's jacket pocket.]

Keep it with you. It will let you find me again, when you are finished.

[What it doesn't say is that the Azer may very well attack Pen, if it senses things going badly.]

Hm. You quite like your ice. [He remarks, peering inside his jacket pocket to look at the thing. It doesn't look like much. Whatever. It's not like he'll use it until the very end, right?]

She's around here, then? [He casts his gaze around at the dark environment.] I'll try to find her...if I can.

[There's an awkward pause. He reaches up to adjust his tie, staring up at the eldritch being.]

Mateus, before I go...I'd like to ask a question.

[His eyebrows furrow together. It seems like a simple question, but...]

When you are free...what will you do?

[Mateus tilts its head to one side, almost like its considering what to say. When it does speak up, its quiet, in an almost fervent voice.]

I am going to grant you your wish, and then I am going to find a way out of this damnable city. Beyond that dome.

...And then what?

[He says, his tone flat. His eyes never leave the other, expectant for some kind of answer only he thinks will come.]

After you get out of this dome, what will you do?

I know not. This world...is foreign to me. I need to explore, to learn what I can.

[That is exactly what it will do, and there is absolute, perfect conviction in its voice.]

I am sure that I will find some calling, though.

["What are you going to do, Lovecraft?"]

Hm. [Howard closes his eyes, nodding, like he's accepting the answer for what it is.]

You know what I would've answered, to that question? [A pause. He suddenly lets out a short laugh, his face filled with a kind of strange bitter-sweetness, before he shakes his head.]

Ah...you know what? Never mind. It was a silly question.

[A man with long hair stands at the edge of a pier. He turns his head, eyes lidded, worn shoes inches away from the water.]

["Sleep."]

[Howard waves a hand, before he turns and starts to walk away into the darkness. He has to find Penelope. Then Mateus can be free, and all of this can be over.]

I'll see you soon, Mateus.

[Mateus smiled eerily, slipping back into the shadows to wait.

Finding Penelope might not be too hard, if he knows where to look. Her contact details are on Retrospec, and she'll answer his messages without any reservation. He's an odd guy, but he's a decent one, in her book.]

[He pulls out his phone, eyeing the shadows with an unreadable expression. He thinks he has an idea of how to get her out, if she's hanging around this area. He taps at his screen, sending out a quick message:]

penelope

i think i'm near your house. i can't see much. the darkness is really stifling i think i'm lost. are you at home?

Oh. Hey Howard.

I can give you my address. Put it in your phone and it'll take you there. I am at home, and from there you can call an Uber or something.

[Address sent! Bing!]

thank you very much

i'll be there soon

are you sure an uber can drive in this kind of darkness though?

[Sure enough, there's a knock at her door. Open up, Penelope.]

[The door opens, and Penelope steps out onto the porch with her Tonberry, pulling it closed behind her.]

Hey, Howard. Sorry, I have a friend over who's asleep right now, and I don't want anything to wake her up. She had a bit of a day.

[Boy howdy did Felicia have a day.]

So, you got lost?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject