#if you think it’s nbd you know nothing about cults

[thecorvidforest]

i can’t believe this apparently needs to be said but y’all. cult jokes are not funny. things like calling yourself a cult leader, calling a friend group or a fandom a cult, joking about starting a cult, ARE NEVER FUNNY. jokes like these diminish the seriousness of cults and spit in the faces of actual survivors. the only time making cult-related jokes is okay is if you are a cult survivor joking about your own trauma.

sincerely, an exhausted cult survivor

[nordic-breeze]

I was going through my files and I came over this document I sent to my friend @distant-rain pretty much the same day I realized I had fallen in love with Arthur, after weeks of being in denial or shrugging off my daydreaming of this cowboy as nbd or thought experiments and boy was I confused. 

I knew next to nothing about RDR1 when I wrote this December last year and I didn’t know much about RDR2 post chapter 2 either except for Arthur’s fate, which I had just learned of, and oml was I upset and confused. Though also scaringly accurate about certain things.

Now over six months later, I love this cowboy even more. And I kept true to my word. If anyone wanna read the rambings of a fangirl who had just found her new obsession be my guest.

I was blown away by how massive this game is. The level of detail is incredible and I greatly appreciate the effort put into creating this world. Yeah, we’ve all heard about the horse testicles shrinking in cold weather but it’s not like it’s just one bizarre detail being essentially a dick joke in an otherwise average game. No, RDR2 is detailed enough that it actually makes sense to add in peculiarities like that. The amount of wildlife alone, I mean, ever since the PS2 era I’ve been used to seeing animals in games but R* created whole-ass ecosystems in RDR2, several of’em, from snowy mountains to marshlands, with animals that act so much like actual animals. Just listening to the birds singing, it’s like being out in an actual forest!

Characterization is another thing that amazed me, in particular the protagonist. I knew nothing about the first RDR when started playing RDR2, nor did I know anything about RDR in general other than it was western-themed and made by the GTA-guys. I expected somewhat of a similar characterization as GTA where every character is a stereotype or a caricature. I genuinely liked GTAV’s story for what it was and even though every character was more or less an asshole, some of them were also weirdly likeable and even earned my sympathy (and hint of affection) occasionally.

But it never really went deeper than that nor was it particularly long-lasting (still way more than I expected tho). I bonded with one of the characters more than I thought I would but not nearly as much as I would had the characters felt more like actual humans and not like the epitome of stereotypes. But it is what R* wanted and it worked. I expected the RDR2 characters to be the same but to my surprise the characters, especially Arthur, are fleshed out, complex, even relatable (depending on your actions I guess). Unlike GTAV, they act and react like actual human beings. Well, human beings that have lived their entire life (more or less) as outlaws. In a country and time period foreign to me. But still they felt human. Ofc I’ve not gotten to know any of the NPC’s as well as Arthur but from various missions and eavesdropping on their conversation I’ve gotten to know them a bit. Hosea is my favorite. He seems like a good man despite being an outlaw and I love how everyone goes to him for advice and how supportive he is. I also wish more people (esp a certain Dutch man) could listen to him more. I also really like Charles. He definitely got morals and could be a good influence on Arthur and the others. I haven’t seen much of Sadie yet, but think I’ll like her too. Lenny seems nice. That one scene when he and Arthur went out drinking together was absolutely brilliant! And lil Jack’s adorable ofc. Only one I don’t like is Micha or Miach or whathisname. I know no one in the van der Linde gang are saints but that guy is a total psychopath. I kinda wish Arthur had gotten his way there when he said they should just leave him in jail as he was nothing but trouble and it annoys me how Dutch is sticking up for him. Yeah, speaking of, not too fond of Dutch or that German guy either atm.

But all in all very impressed by the large open world, the level of details to well, everything and the characterization. Soundtrack is great, graphics are stunning, animations smooth, the horse-riding simulation is just extraordinary and you never know what’s gonna happen as you ride through the map. The amount and variety of random events and encounters are truly impressive. Often comical, like that wildlife photographer who keeps getting almost eaten up by the wildlife he’s trying to document, sometimes eerie like the serial killer side story, or sad like when Arthur met with his former love. Or a combination of said elements like the pig farmers I ran into. With no pigs. But were still veeery well fed. You know, when people are just a liiitle bit too friendly? That eerie feeling you get when you just know something’s wrong but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Until you can. I thought they were husband and wife I really did. You shoulda seen my face when I realized they were in fact brother and sister. Me and Arthur had the exact same face. They were living as husband and wife tho. Well, up until I killed them.

I also love the contrast between the more ‘modern’ world and the simpler life. I could go into town, buy food at the saloon and rent a room or take a bath at the hotel. Or I could ride a few mins out into the wilderness, hunt and gather my own food, cook it over a bonfire and sleep under the stars. Electricity exists, but people are still completely dependent on oil lamps and open flame. Trains and trams exist, cars have been invented, but people still mainly travel on horseback. This contrast between old and new as an era is ending and the modern era is about to begin has been an amazing experience considering the level of detail the game has. The colonization of the new land, which has been largely unknown to me, the contrast between this and modern-day America we see on TV. So many people did not even speak English, I often find abandoned buildings, or burnt-down buildings, some with bodies inside, leaving me wondering what happened to them, I found a ghost town whose inhabitants had been wiped out by a plague. It was tough for many I reckon.

In fact, I find the exploration of this foreign but also somewhat familiar, beautiful but harsh world and its many random events and encounters waaay more interesting than the actual main story itself, which is why it took me forever to reach chapter 3. In fact, the story is probably my least favorite part about RDR2, as backwards as it may sound. I’ve never been into western stories or aesthetics, and I’m certainly NOT into the whole ‘outlaws till the end’ stuff ugh. I fail to sympathize with the whole ‘boo-hoo the world no want outlaws like us no more it’s unfair’. Ugh, go cry me a fucking river. And then go get a job. A real job. Yeah, I get it that adapting to society is tough, life’s tough deal with it and stop preying on others. Wow, robbing two trains in short time and staying in the same fucking area actually has consequences, I’m so shook!

So yeah, story-wise I don’t quite ‘get it’ and Dutch is really starting to get on my nerves, which is probably why I prefer to just ride off alone and experience the world. I guess RDR2 story will rely heavily on being torn between gang loyalty and your own morality and principles but since I have virtually no concept of group loyalty that is all lost on me. My own morals and principles all the way. I’m like, ‘these people suck, take Hosea, Charles, Sadie, Tilly (maybe John Marston and his family) and leave these bitches behind’.

At the beginning, I did kinda liked Dutch. He seemed genuinely sorry for Sadie, took her in and saved her life, even if it meant another mouth to feed in dire times. And he showed Kiran mercy despite hating the O’Driscol’s. But as I’ve progressed thought the game, his grand speeches about sticking together, sticking with him, slowly but surely has turned from pep-talk to keep people’s spirit up to sounding like a cult leader desperate to keep his following no matter the cost. Yesterday when I was playing, I overheard him quote some quasi-philosophy book to Lenny and used the words to twist them into his own convictions to support his decisions. And when Lenny objected, Dutch literally said ‘you’re breaking my heart, kid’. Wow Dutch, talk about manipulating your protégé.

It was the mission when those lawmen approached Arthur as he was fishing with Jack that really made me consciously see Dutch in a new light. Up until then, RDR2 had mostly been fun and games but that conversation left me feeling a bit uneasy. But I just figured it was the main story finally picking up pace and also, I figured I was near the end of the chapter. I carried on, suddenly eager to see what would happen and was thoroughly surprised by how the chapter ended. In a bad way.

While both chapter 2 and chapter 3 begins with a ‘new start’ vibe, chapter 3 felt very different from chapter 2. Mostly it was that feeling that Dutch’s obsession with ‘sticking to this life’ is going to get people killed. Idk, it’s this eerie feeling something’s wrong but can’t quite put my finger on it-feel again. But thanks to internet being internet I already knew some spoilers so I couldn’t help but to look up something and… well, let me put it this way. I’m never going to finish this game. Ever. It breaks my heart because in so many ways it’s truly an amazing game and a fantastic experience. But I’m just not that into the story, I don’t like where it’s heading and I don’t want to see what’s coming to character(s) I’ve come to care deeply about.

I still want to explore the world more, see what unfolds, do more challenges, add stuff to my compendium, maybe get some trophies… but I doubt I’ll ever progress much story-wise. Quite the contrary, I might reload an earlier save and just stay in chapter 2 forever.

(wrtten a couple of days later)

Seems my instincts was right on the money, esp concerning Dutch. Sad thing, I do believe he is sincere. In the first few chapters at least. He is manipulative but I also believe he’s convinced himself that he’s doing the right thing. And then his obsession will eventually get the better of him and when people and the lifestyle is slipping away from him, he doesn’t handle it well at all. Ugh, it’s so frustrating, I just wanna gather all my favs and yell: “leave nooow, before it’s too late!

It’s not for the sake of spacing it out or making it last. I just don’t want to progress in the story at all. I hated losing Horseshoe Overlook. HATED IT HATED IT HATED IT!!!! Yes the new place is beautiful, yes I know it’s the life of the outlaws and RDR2 does show that life for better and for worse whereas most stories tend to romanticize the whole thing, yes as outlaws they can’t stay for too long in one place. But as mentioned I have a hard time sympathize with and immerse myself into that lifestyle. Yes, I got all my upgrades and a whole new area to explore, a bigger nearby town, and closer to that big city. Still hated it. Horseshoe Overlook was my place. The Heartlands was home. And the view was stunning! And I liked Valentine. It was small and dirty but I had good memories from there. Until I had to shoot up half the town. My motivation for continuing the main story is at absolute zero.

It was more what the transition represented, I guess. You never know what will happen in RDR2. And it’s true, for random encounters, and many of the individual missions. But when it comes to the story as a whole, I feel like I already now can predict how it’ll play out. Every chapter begins with the gang on the move, finding a place to settle down and have a fresh start, even chapter 1 (as they were on the run bc a heist gone wrong or something). Then they settle down, go into town to get to know the area and establish connections and looking for easy money, often at the expenses of others. X random events later, they get too overconfident or careless, screws up or get hunted down, it ends with a shootout, then they are on the run again, finds a new place to settle down where Dutch promises that THIS TIME IT WILL BE DIFFERENT until they’re wanted on the entire map and can’t go anywhere cos the wild west is ending. I really liked it at Horseshoe Overlook and whenever Im in that area again I’ll just get sad.

I had no idea I’d gotten so emotionally invested so I was really surprised at how much I disliked moving camps and all. I’ve also gotten so fond of Arthur. I was so busy with exploring, doing challenges, learning to hunt etc I didn’t even realize it happening. Until one scene had me almost tearing up! I think because, we as the player really have to look out for him. Even though I make sure that he eats regularly, he’s still underweight. When out riding I usually set up camp when night falls so that Arthur can get some rest. Something I’d never think about in any other game. And I always give him coffee in the morning. Then it’s his journal that gives such valuable insight into who he truly is as a person. There’s no doubt he’s so much more than just a mere outlaw. He writes surprisingly well and is open and is surprisingly honest about his thoughts and feelings. How torn he is between the life of an outlaw and wanting to be a better man, a better person. How he admired Charles because, for him it was ‘so easy to just be good’ whereas he himself always feel torn between good and evil. And his journal entries when he meets his long-lost love Mary and saves her brother from the cultists. The expression on his face as he said goodbye to her on the train station… how utterly heartbroken he was… how she still loved him too… man, that one tore at my heart. Still does when thinking about it.

I wish I could take Hosea, Charles, Sadie, Tilly, John’s family and maybe Lenny too with me, run off and start anew. Charles would have good influence on Arthur and encourage him to turn his life around and find his place in society and encourage John to be a better father and role model for Jack and they could all learn how to live as free men and women without robbing or hurting anyone (unless they deserve it). Like, Charles is an excellent hunter and tracker. He’d totally get enough food for the gang and maybe even enough to sell. He could train Jack too. Hosea was always more of a conman/grifter than a brute/robber. He could con bad guys or rich assholes Robin Hood style. If anyone gave him grief, John and Arthur would settle the score. Arthur could sell animal pelts and John could take up carpeting. They’d be such a happy lil family. But, RDR1 is yet to happen so it’s all just wishful thinking *sigh*

[koganeirou]

Seven for the character thingy!

For this ask meme 

How I feel about this character I love Seven lmao. No question about that. He was my absolute favourite during the early days when I just got into mysme and was playing through the routes the days before I spoil everything for myself. My love for him at the beginning was some feverish high honestly though I’ve mellowed out haha. I’ve mentioned before that I love the type of characters who hide everything behind a smile but when the smile cracks you see a far darker and sinister side to them and I think that fits Seven well. I love his jokes and I loved flirting around with him, but I also love his pessimistic and insecure side and I thought it made him really multi faceted geez I sound like V. My absolute favourite aspect of him is that I love his love, dedication, undying loyalty for Saeran. I’ve always had a soft spot for sibling relationships no not in an incestuous way and seeing how he’d go to the moon and back and do anything and everything to ensure Saeran’s happiness just… got to my heart. I don’t know a single character whos more passionate and loving as he is honestly.

All the people I ship romantically with this characterMC…. lol. I never ship otome characters within the same game together and Mystic Messenger is no exception. 

My non-romantic OTP for this characterSaeran emphasis on the non romantic sense I don’t condone incest before anyone gets their panties in a twist. Like what I said earlier, I love complex sibling relationships in fiction and I have a soft spot for twins especially. Another reason why I love Saeran’s route is that it gives us more insight on the dynamic between Saeran and Seven’s relationship.

Also I really like Seven’s relationship with Jumin?? Seriously if V and Rika just consulted Jumin once about the twins, Jumin probably could have done something far more effective and efficient than oh I dunno ship one twin off to an underground illegal agency while enslave the other twin in a fucking cult. Move over V, Jumin is the twins’ new dad now.

My unpopular opinion about this characterI don’t get why everyone gets their panties in a twist about Seven being the true route. I mean, Seven isn’t my ultimate favourite either, but him being the true route isn’t a big deal to me. Like it’s an otome game sis, “true routes” have always been a thing and aren’t uncommon at all. There are several games I’ve played where I wasn’t interested in the canon love interest cough collar x malice but I never felt the need to go throwing a fit over how “my best boy doesn’t get treated right >:(” I mean I won’t lie that the favouritism towards Seven over the rest of the RFA is kind of obnoxious and it sucks that the true ending linked to Seven’s route uhhh sucks but I think it’s kind of petty for people to hate Seven just because he’s popular.

Also another unpopular opinion is that I wasn’t really that fazed during his "hell days”. This girl right here sat through an otome game where the heroine’s bumblebee boyfriend locked her up in a cage for two weeks straight and she forgave him like it was nbd. Seven being mean the MC is nothing to me lmfao.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.I wish that the conclusion to his route wasn’t a god damn terribly written dumpster fire. I wish he didn’t kidnap Saeran out of the hospital, I wish he didn’t destroy the files on Mint Eye, I wish he didn’t get kidnapped by his damn father in Saeran’s route.

oh wait the question asked for something that would happen to this character lmfao. HMMMMMM. I wish he’ll have a true reconciliation with Saeran in Saeran’s after ending. 

[pharaohsparklefists]

HELLO AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER THRILLING EPISODE OF:

aka Episode 95, part 2 of 3 (part 1 is here)!

Isis is recounting the time she took Malik out for an icecream once and destroyed her whole family. #oops

It started well...

Good to know the Ishtars have an actual normal way in and out of the cult-dungeon and don’t have to climb up and down the well that Pegasus et al broke in via! 

Malik gets his first ever taste of the sun...

Can you imagine how intense the Egyptian sun would be, having never seen anything brighter than candlelight? Although possibly Malik has seen sunlight coming through the well, since the moon is definitely visible from it.

Isis takes him to a town which must be really very close by. If Isis and other women from the clan do come here, which they must, I wonder if they’re noticed, the way, say, a semi-secret group of Amish people would be in a village market. Old-fashioned simple dress, archaic language, buying in bulk and leaving in a direction where there’s supposed to be nothing but ruins?

Despite this being the smallest and crappest market in northern Africa, Malik is OVERSTIMULATED and I guess we’re all just lucky she didn’t bring him to a mall. 

what now they’re fucking fairies or something? ~“of this world”~ This is your local supermarket, for all intents and purposes, and you’ve obviously been here before. But even though Isis is probably allowed to come here, she’s obviously been taught to think of herself as totally separate from these people.

But the first thing Malik does touch ~of this world~ isn’t anything flashy, it’s a magazine someone dropped...

Malik shows an admirable librarian-like quality!

And he’a absolutely fascinated by the I-have-to-presume photos in the magazine. They could be drawings. Because they ARE drawings. It’s functionally impossible for me to tell what’s supposed to be an anime-style drawing and what’s supposed to be a photograph IN an anime, except by context, and either a semi-realistic drawing OR a photograph would look “so real” next to, y’know,

Malik is enchanted by a photo (drawing?) of a man riding a motorbike, and then happens to see a different (the same??) man riding a motorbike on a live action (animated???) television program

Isis hurries him away when she realises the man at the stall with the TV is surprised that Malik is so awestruck by seeing a TV. She obviously doesn’t want him to guess that Malik has never been outside before. It’s unclear whether she knows about child protective services or not but definitely they will all be in some trouble if CPS ever found the child-torture-isolation-dungeon aka home.

She DOES know about motorbikes and TVs and stuff though! Malik asks and she tells him exactly what they all are. It’s so fascinating to me that she’s having clearly such a very different life to him, and they’re so close but she’s obviously never told him about any of these things. I imagine the women are more permissive, especially over ground, but have impressed on Isis that she mustn’t tell Malik of these things, especially when he was young. If Malik let slip something about televisions to his father, they would probably all be in trouble.

Malik’s excitement dissipates as he realises, even if he lives a long life...

And Isis stops dead

She was trying so hard to make Malik happy, to give him his wish while still protecting him from their father, and this is where she realises that maybe Malik not knowing what he’s missing was better. Now that he knows, now that he’s stood in sunshine and had a taste of possibilities, how can he ever be happy underground? He’s only 12, and she’s only 16. 

She swallows it all and puts on a smile for him.

Trying to ease the blow that they have to return so soon. She made him promise they would only be gone an hour, I think the town must be more than 20 minutes walk away.

And just all she wants is for him to be happy!

He does have amazingly effective puppy-dog eyes though... They’re both so cute! And they really ask for so little! He doesn’t even ask to keep the whole magazine - a whOLE MAGAZINE, like that would be such an outrageous demand for a 12 year old. He just wants one little reminder of the only hour of his life he didn’t spend in darkness.

And then. THIS asshole. Shows up. Just fuckin teleports right into their path so Isis almost runs right into him.

Isis, being one of the smartest people on this show, is immediately almost aggressively suspicious of This Asshole.

This Asshole tells them, nbd, their inevitable future is awash with “bloodshed and tragedy” and, oh, btw,

THIS IS JUST A LIE. HE’S JUST STARTING SHIT FOR NO GOOD REASON. YOU KNOW WHAT HE WANTS?? HE WANTS ISIS AND MALIK TO TAKE UP THE MILLENNIUM ITEMS AND GO FIND YUGI MUTOU SO THEY CAN GIVE THEIR ITEMS TO HIM AND ALSO SOME TRADING CARDS. YOU KNOW WHAT HE COULD HAVE SAID INSTEAD OF THIS?? 

“oh hi kids, don’t be alarmed or murder anyone, I’d just like to let you know your Long Foretold Destiny is here, the Pharaoh’s soul is kickin around Japan (for some reason), so it’d be just super swell if you two would inherit the mystical artifacts your family has been guarding for millennia for Just This Occasion! and pop over there to drop them off with a Mr Yugi Mutou of the Kame Game Shop, central Domino City, Japan, I’ll write down the address for you, oh, and be sure to look up a Mr Pegasus on your way, he has some trading cards you should tuck into that little Pharaoh Care Package too! hey, y’know what, I’ll walk you home to explain all this to your dad too in case he doesn’t believe you!”

or even a like

“The Great Pharaoh’s soul once more walks the Earth. Your ancient promise must soon be fulfilled. Seek the Pharaoh.”

that would probably have worked, they’re good kids. And smart. They could have stolen the Items from the shitty desk tidy and run away to Japan all together: Malik and Isis both separately found the Pharaoh, so together they definitely could have, and probably sooner!

INSTEAD:

yep that’ll probably work.

Isis insists they return home, and Malik asks for one more thing

(vrum vrum)

One moment longer in the sunshine to imagine his new wish, which he currently accepts will never come to pass:

a highly safety-conscious motorbike ride.

But when they re-enter the child-torture-dungeon, they notice something they missed on the way out...

It’s some contraption attached to the door, which Isis says she didn’t notice in the darkness as they were leaving. She must never have been out without an older relative before, and didn’t realise there was a rudimentary alarm. She immediately guesses what’s happened but it isn’t until they see Malik’s room has been trashed that Malik figures it out, and by the time they reach Rishid...

#just-child-torture-dungeon-things

And that’s where things start to slip out of Malik’s control, because with Rishid unconscious...

This mini-murderer is free to take over. That’s him CATCHING THE END OF THE WHIP BEFORE IT STRIKES HIM, btw.

One of Mr Ishtars hopefully many regrets will be that he decided to whip Rishid to unconsciousness in this particular room, because it makes it far too easy for Yami baby!Malik to claim the Rod.

And he isn’t shy about using it, pinning first his father

and then his sister to the walls.

And just straight up stabbing Mr Ishtar to death with the pointy interior of the Rod, which, you know, was a bit of a weird design choice to begin with. You really have to Work to murder anyone with any of the other Items...

(AU where Malik instead strangles Mr Ishtar with the Necklace and during Battle City Malik knows the future and Isis controls people’s minds)

He’s about to turn on Isis too, thinking Rishid dead already, but that’s when Rishid wakes up (above, pictured, Yami baby!Malik’s surprised face) and as soon as their eyes meet, Original Flavour baby!Malik resurfaces, with no memory of what just happened.

Rishid tries to protect him (this is so touching, look at Malik’s little hand on Rishid’s chest </3) but Malik sees...

He’s surprisingly upset for someone whose father, y’know, tortured him, kept him trapped underground, almost beat his brother to death, probably more than once, completely overlooks his sister, throws candles at people, etc etc. But that’s not uncommon in children who’ve been abused by their parents.

Oh yeah, and just in case the TRAUMATISED CHILDREN aren’t fucking traumatised enough...

THIS ASSHOLE

Was he POSSESSING him?? He comes right out of Mr Ishtar?? Did Shadi go tell those kids death is their future and then pop home before them to ORCHESTRATE THE DEATH?? Like Mr Abusivshtar is definitely capable of beating Rishid to within an inch of his life, Asshole possession or no, but like, why is Shadi coming out of him if he wasn’t In him??

NO IT FUCKING WASN’T YOU’RE LITERALLY THE WORST GO GET CAUGHT IN A VACUUM CLEANER YOU SPITEFUL ETHEREAL RUINER

[ladytrollfishes]

Daginy: Get Possessed

A continuation from this RP WAY BACK WHEN

@taimatrolls

[03:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] perks up a bit when you see where they are pointing. They could sense it..? --

[03:37] SP: {yeah! g**d guess!}

[03:39] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You shrink back a little ducking back in your collar like a little turtle. --

[03:39] SP: {s***... are y*u ready?}

[03:39] II: greaaaat*

[03:39] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] :3c --

[03:39] II: yeah sure whatever let's g˚*

[03:40] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you nod, soon taking the lead down the streat towards the cursed building... --

[03:42] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you stick your hands in your pocket and follow checking behind and around, to try and feel alittle safer. --

[03:49] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] The street is... Rather gloomy. A lot of the hives seem to be part abandoned, or at least those who has moved in since are of the poorer alternian population... This despite the architecture clearly pointing towards this street being of mainly upper midblood class. --

[03:50] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] As if things have just fallen apart these past sweeps. --

[03:50] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] There are a few trolls out and about minding their own business though like nothing --

[03:52] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You adjust your glasses a little nervously, glancing at the other trolls on the street, trying to figure out if they felt the same clamminess that made your palms cold sweat. --

[03:52] II: y˚u've.. ṉever beeṉ ar˚uṉd here bef˚re?*

[03:53] SP: {huh..? *h! yes i have been ar*und here a c*uple *f times... *ne *f my fav*rite f**d places is ar*und here :>}

[03:54] SP: {that's h*w i learned ab*ut the haunted hive}

[03:54] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] waves a bit to some of the trolls they seem to recognize who wave back as they walk by --

[03:55] SP: {i've just n*t g*tten ar*und t* expl*ring the building yet.....}

[03:56] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you take a deep breath and head on forward. You said you'd do this, and you're not about to turn around now. You square your shoulders and take a deep breath. --

[03:56] II: well ˚kay let's g˚ fiṉd s˚me gh˚sts. maybe.*

[03:57] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] excited claps --

[03:57] SP: {yeah!!}

[03:58] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] i can't believe this tallass intimidating looking troll is actually such a huge excited nerd @ Hester --

[04:00] -- intrepidIllusion [II] hahaha good lord. you look around, pointing at the hive that gives you the worst shivers. --

[04:00] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] don't mind me as I go to check some details of what we made up omg --

[04:00] II: is that it?*

[04:00] -- intrepidIllusion [II] haha no worries! its been awhile --

[04:03] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] It's not long before they reach the building... The windows are either barricated or broken in most places. It looks like it used to be a smaller hivesteem. Those who once lived there had long ago been scared away (or killed).. --

[04:03] SP: {yeah}

[04:03] SP: {that w*uld be the *ne.. :v}

[04:05] SP: {if we enter and walk right thr*ugh we'll find a small c*mm*n backyard t** where they did s*me *f the rituals... I've been there l**king ar*und a bit, but I've n*t been *n the upper fl**rs!}

[04:05] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] heads up to the door and opens it --

[04:05] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] just.. literally just walks up and opens it yup. like nbd. --

[04:06] -- intrepidIllusion [II] it doesn't look so different from some of the places you've spent your nights, but the creepy crawlies have only gotten worse as you grow closer. What the actual fuck. Hester just walks through it like it's nothing, and you grit your teeth and follow. --

[04:06] II: caṉ y˚u.. caṉ y˚u feel that?*

[04:18] SP: {feel what..? *h..! y*u're sensing things here? i'm n*t surprised but uh... i d*n't pick up *n much n*.}

[04:18] SP: {it feels a bit like s*me*ne's watching huh?}

[04:19] SP: {a bit c*ld and.. the air is heavier i guess! i feel like i get m*re tensed up and ready f*r s*mething t* happen, but i figured that's m*stly me being excited? aheh}

[04:19] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] stands there holding the door up --

[04:19] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you didn't actually want to tell them that you were feeling something, but if they were plunging into hauntsville mcdeathpit, then you should probably put some effort into a better information flow. --

[04:19] II: it's ṉ˚t like.. a specific thiṉg i'm pickiṉg up, just like.*

[04:19] II: a persisteṉt seṉse ˚f dread*

[04:20] II: kiṉd ˚f like walkiṉg right at the edge ˚f a cliff, but iṉstead ˚f it beiṉg t˚˚ high here, it's... s˚methiṉg else. *

[04:28] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] nods a bit looking at them with interest and curiousity --

[04:28] SP: {i see...}

[04:28] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] avoids saying "that's cool" because they have a feeling it doesn't feel all that cool.. the whole dread thing --

[04:29] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you feel a little like a bug under a microscope, but you manage a nervous smile. --

[04:30] II: at the very least we kṉ˚w we're pr˚bably g˚ṉṉa fiṉd s˚methiṉg ṉ˚w huh*

[04:32] SP: {yeah! and the place is pretty interesting t* l**k at either way.. just l**king ar*und, with all the things that are left behind...}

[04:33] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] turns to look inside at the entrence, there's already some runes and circles and things drawn just inside the door --

[04:33] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] on the floor* --

[04:34] SP: {like this here is a spell *r seal *f s*rts?}

[04:44] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you force one foot in front of the other, stepping up behind Hester and peering into the house. The symbols pique your interest, and you bend down to take a look at them. They've been carved into the floor, deeply with a knife. You flip open your note book and place a blank page on the runes. Taking a pencil, you make a rubbing. --

[04:47] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you watch them curiously --

[04:48] SP: {i've seen seals like this in s*me *f the b**ks i've read}

[04:48] SP: {i think it is t* keep s*mething in}

[04:48] SP: {*r well.. t* keep everything in i'd say!}

[04:48] SP: {that *r it c*uld be s*mething t* st*p intruders.. the *pp*site}

[04:48] SP: {there is an*ther by the *ther d**r facing the yard...}

[04:50] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you examine the runes for a minute, trying to memorize it, before you flip your book closed and stick it back into your jacket. --

[04:51] II: i'd guess it's here t˚ keep s˚methiṉg iṉ. We came iṉ, didṉ't we? the spell w˚uld have preveṉted us fr˚m gettiṉg iṉ. *

[04:51] SP: {that *r it w*uld cause s*me s*rt *f trap *r give *ff a warning~}

[04:51] SP: {but i think s* t**}

[04:52] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] walks in a bit further in the hallway and to the door on the opposite side --

[04:52] SP: {here's the *ther}

[04:55] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you creep closer, and point to the line of runes across the other threshold. --

[04:56] II: yeah l˚˚k, its there t˚˚. *

[04:56] II: makes y˚u w˚ṉder what they tried t˚ keep iṉside here*

[05:18] SP: {maybe the things they summ*ned?}

[05:19] SP: {i w*nder wh* made it... the tr*lls hanging here didn't seem like they cared much f*r the *utsiders fr*m what i heard!}

[05:19] SP: {c*uld have cursed the entire neighb*rh**d f*r fun... maybe an *utsider?}

[05:20] -- intrepidIllusion [II] look around, settling somewhat, despite the dread. You were in here already, after all. Youd be prepared for what you'd find. Probably. --

[05:20] II: what exactly did they summ˚ṉ th˚ugh? *

[05:20] II: let's g˚ upstairs. *

[05:36] SP: {s*me h*rr*r terr*r *r dem*n perhaps?}

[05:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] starts moving up the stairs --

[05:47] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you start up the stairs first, carefully testing the floorboards to make sure they won't give way underneath you. As you go upstairs, that sense of drawing near an edge gets stronger, though you're --

[05:47] II: not sure how. Some part of you that's actually common sense tells you you should maybe not do this. You head up anyway. The floors above are seemingly empty of furniture- well at least furniture that's whole. tables and chairs, cabinets and bookshelves have all been pushed to the edges of the room in a disorderly heap, as though something had shoved them all out at once with great force. you whist

[05:47] II: le, low.

[05:47] II: well s˚methiṉg happeṉed here. *

[05:51] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] nods and carefully moves around, looking closer, very silently weighting your steps wherever you step down. For being as tall as you are, the way you move around is with the grace of a cat, and silence of a thief. Maybe because you are one. --

[05:52] SP: {There used t* live.. I think 8 *r s* tr*lls here.}

[05:53] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you notice how quietly they move, and match it. You know how you're so quiet. You've practiced with thieves and spies. You think maybe Hester has done the same. You start to creep across the borders of the room, looking for any significant wreckage. --

[05:54] II: kṉ˚w aṉythiṉg ab˚ut wh˚ they were?*

[05:54] II: as y˚u kṉ˚w. iṉdividuals.*

{as individuals, hm..? n*t much. the tr*lls ar*und here isn't t** c*mf*rtable speaking *f it, bad mem*ries}

[04:58] SP: {i kn*w they were midbl**ds m*stly... i kn*w tw* died here and *ne was f*und dead *utside. the *ther five aband*ned the place *ne after the *ther.}

[04:58] SP: {with*ut a w*rd in s*me cases, s* wether they are really alive *r n*t seem t* be up t* discussi*n...}

[04:58] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] makes a face at this --

[04:59] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] as exciting as spooky things may be, the misfortune of these trolls were not --

[05:02] -- intrepidIllusion [II] makes a grimace to match. Well that was unfortunate. The facts of this case seemed a little farfetched, a lot of them were sourced from neighborhood rumors and Hester's readings. The mystery of what really happened here had yet to be really resolved. You really hope it wasn't demons. --

[05:02] II: s˚ the the˚ry we have s˚ far is just that the cult here did a ritual, summ˚ṉed s˚methiṉg aṉd it killed every˚ṉe?*

[05:06] SP: {well.. the cult first g*t rid *f every*ne wh* lived here, then used this as their place f*r s*me time, headquarter.. Aaand then the cult themselves g*t fucked *ver by whatever they did, yep}

[05:06] SP: {s*unds ab*ut right}

[05:07] II: ˚˚˚kay. *

[05:08] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pauses and picks up something shiny from the ground, blowing the dust off. It's a thin silver chain necklace with a charm of silver tenacles clutching to a multicolored gem --

[05:08] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] lets out a lil whistle, n i c e --

[05:09] -- intrepidIllusion [II] youre honestly not sure how much of it you want to believe. You remains skeptical of the supernatural even when you can feel it more than Hester can. Despite the feeling of dread, you start inching towards the center of the room, which you're guessing was the center of whatever shoved everything against the wall when Hester whistles. You turn back and raise an eyebrow. --

[05:09] II: what did y˚u fiṉd?*

[05:09] SP: {a necklace}

[05:09] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] holds it up into the light, the lil gem throwing spots of light around it --

[05:16] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you squint as one of the spots of light flashes across your glasses. It's uncomfortable for a moment- and then you're falling. You can't remember where the walls went- where Hester went- all there is is a screaming void whooshing past your ears as something hard rushes up at you- and when you blink again, you've collapsed onto the floor. --

[05:18] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] You watch as Daginy suddenly seem to loose their footing, and quickly you hurry to their side, slipping the necklace into your sleeve. --

[05:19] SP: {hey?? are y*u *k, y*u fainted?}

[05:19] SP: {y*u didn't hit y*ur head right?}

[05:23] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You have a little trouble sitting up- you're shaking and you're doing it pretty hard. Your cheek feels like it's going to bruise but you don't think you're going to get a concussion- but what was that? --

[05:24] II: ˚kay i'm ṉ˚t aṉ expert iṉ the superṉatural ˚r aṉythiṉg, but that ṉecklace is bad ṉews. *

[05:24] SP: {.. the necklace?}

[05:24] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] puts a hand on their shoulder to keep them steady --

[05:25] II: yeah. what did y˚u d˚ with it?*

[05:26] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you look around, scanning the floor, trying to figure out where it is. Something happened with it. You know it did. --

[05:29] SP: {.......}

[05:29] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you're not going to get to keep this are you --

[05:30] SP: {i g*t it still}

[05:30] SP: {it's in my jacket}

[05:32] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you flinch away from them when they say they still have it but you don't really feel anything else. You hesitate. What was that you even felt? --

[05:32] II: it felt like.. i was falilṉg thr˚ugh s˚me eṉdless h˚le- wheṉ i passed ˚ut. *

[05:33] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you feel more or less fine right now- just achey (which wasn't from the fall) and shaken. You hesitate a moment, then ask --

[05:33] II: caṉ i see it?"*

[05:48] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you fish it up from your sleeve again upon their request --

[05:49] -- intrepidIllusion [II] is now an idle chum! --

[05:49] SP: {here y*u g*... that s*unds kinda creepy th*ugh, w*w}

[06:08] -- intrepidIllusion [II] nothing happens when you look at it and you can see that is is quite pretty now, the tentacles curling around a many colored stone, twisted up into an elegant pendant. Reaching out to touch it doesn' --

[06:08] II: t do anything either- for all purposes, it seems pretty normal. You know though- something happened. You have to hold onto that belief because if there really is something here, that something is fucking with you.

[06:09] II: we sh˚uld.. put that away ˚r s˚methiṉg. hide it. it might be ṉ˚thiṉg but if we're ˚peratiṉg ˚ṉ the assumti˚ṉ that the superṉatural exists theṉ we.. we sh˚uld f˚ll˚w thr˚ugh. theṉ me passiṉg ˚ut wasṉ't just a freak accideṉt aṉd that there's s˚methiṉg here that caṉ aṉd will screw with us. *

[06:22] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] looks closely at it once again and back at them, pondering over what they said. You suppose they are right, probably... But you don't want to part with the pretty necklace either. It makes you a bit anxious, and you have to fight the urge to simply slip it into a pocket. --

[06:22] SP: {.... hide it? if s*mething is here, is there really anyway we c*uld hide it fr*m them?}

[06:23] SP: {they m*st likely kn*w this place better than us}

[06:27] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you put a thumb on your chin and think about it. --

[06:28] II: i d˚ṉ't kṉ˚w t˚ be h˚ṉest. maybe s˚methiṉg is iṉside the peṉdaṉt? maybe its just s˚methiṉg pr˚tectiṉg it?*

[06:28] II: maybe it is better t˚ keep it s˚mewhere we caṉ keep aṉ eye ˚ṉ it*

[06:28] SP: {*r maybe what y*u felt was the s*mething leaving it...}

[06:28] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you shudder --

[06:28] II: ˚h g˚d i h˚pe ṉ˚t. *

[06:29] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you put it into a pocket, you feel like it counts as keeping an eye on it (+ you get to keep it for a bit longer) --

[06:30] SP: {lets see... i think the remains *f *ne *f them sh*uld be in that r**m *ver there.}

[06:31] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you point over to what looks to be a smaller room, a walk in wardrobe of sorts --

[06:33] SP: {*r s* I was t*ld.. s*mething ab*ut a third d**r, t* a small st*rage r**m..? but it's m*stly rum*rs}

[06:33] SP: {maybe they've emptied it since.}

[06:33] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you shrug, you kind of doubt it --

[06:34] II: ˚kay. see if y˚u caṉ fiṉd aṉythiṉg iṉ this wreckage that they used maybe? I feel like we might.. ṉeed it...*

[06:34] SP: {.. like the b**k the leader carried ar*und... that'd be s*mething if we c*uld find it~}

[06:35] SP: {pr*bably g*t a l*t *f n*tes}

[06:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you move silently over the floor, looking around among the broken furniture, carefully looking through some drawers - that mostly seem to keep dust, really --

[06:39] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you stand up, testing your legs and following them to where they lead. --

[06:40] II: ˚kay. i feel like we're ṉ˚t prepared f˚r this*

[06:40] II: f˚r.. whatever we might fiṉd*

[06:41] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you sideye the door you spoke of earlier as you glance through the books in one of the book shelves... There's definitely some... Strange cultish books in there, but nothing that sticks out enough for you to think it'd be the thome you're looking for --

[06:41] SP: {y*u think?}

[06:42] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you still sound quite positive and calm about all of this really, although you would prefer to avoid your new friend having more blackouts --

[06:45] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you start flipping books open anyway, checking their contents, seeing if there were particular volumes that had more use than the others. its possible there would be something in codes, but judging f --

[06:45] II: rom how unsecretive this cult was you don't think they would have coded everything. Still you find a volume, plain, and leatherbound, that seems to be more worn than the rest. Flipping it open, though, shows a lot of blank pages. All of them perhaps

[06:45] II: there's s˚methiṉg straṉge ab˚ut this b˚˚k. *

[06:50] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] while they flip through books, you wander on for a bit, soon picking up a dusty old mirror with a gold colored frame, although a lot of the color had fallen. Much like the neckless it was decorated with what looked like tentacles, and was that eyes..? cool. --

[06:50] SP: {.. huh?}

[06:51] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you turn around as they speak up --

[06:51] SP: {can i see?}

[06:52] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you hold the book out to them, showing them the blank pages --

[06:52] II: l˚˚k at h˚w w˚rṉ this spiṉe is th˚ugh. *

[06:53] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you stare at it silently, pondering a bit --

[06:53] SP: {... try h*lding it up t* the mirr*r?}

[06:53] II: a mirr˚r?*

[06:53] SP: {yeah, i f*und this}

[06:53] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] holds it up --

[06:54] SP: {it s*rt *f matches the necklace, d*esn't it? :0}

[06:54] II: huh ˚kay. i guess it caṉ't hurt. *

[06:55] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you hold up the book to the mirror and open it to its reflection. --

[06:57] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] while nothing seem to show in the book itself, the temperature drops, and it's like the air around them freeze for a moment... Not even Hester could miss this, although they looked more interested than they looked alarmed --

[06:59] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] at least so they did until they felt a burning sensation in their hands, and letting out a pained yelp dropped the mirror --

[07:02] -- intrepidIllusion [II] an oppressive sense of dread falls on like a wrecking ball onto your shoulders, and you also drop the book. It feels as though invisible hands press down on your shoulders to get to you knees. Stubbornly, you keep standing up. --

[07:03] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you can sense something- barely see, a mirage of a smoke, trailing up from the book and disappear. --

[07:06] II: Did y˚u see that*

[07:07] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] You backed a step as the mirror fell to the ground, as expected, cracking although merely two cracks running over the surface, making the reflection slightly distorted... Your hands are still burning. --

[07:08] SP: {Y*u l**k *ver t* Daginy, shaking y*ur head a bit}

[07:08] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] shit --

[07:08] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] stop narrating yourself --

[07:08] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] ** you look over to Daginy, shaking your head a bit --

[07:08] SP: {n* but i definitely felt that c*ld and then my hands g*t burnt by the mirr*r}

[07:10] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you bend your knees a bit and reach over for the book they dropped --

[07:10] SP: {what did y*u see..?}

[07:10] II: i thiṉk.. i saw s˚me s˚rt ˚f mirage, a shad˚w c˚me fr˚m the b˚˚k?*

[07:11] SP: {... did y*u see s*mething fr*m the necklace t** earlier?}

[07:11] II: ..*

[07:11] II: just the falliṉg.*

[07:12] II: it felt like i was falliṉg thr˚ugh s˚me kiṉd ˚f v˚id. *

[07:12] SP: {hmm... i see.}

[07:13] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you pick the book up, tapping a bit at the pages, fishing a lighter out of your pocket, because hey.. what if hidden ink? --

[07:15] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you notice them flip a lighter out. --

[07:15] II: iṉvisible iṉk?*

[07:15] SP: {n*t sure, d*esn't hurt t* check?}

[07:16] II: pr˚bably ṉ˚t. if it w˚rks it's pr˚bably ṉ˚t ṉ˚tes th˚ugh. just careful ṉ˚t t˚ burṉ aṉythiṉg. *

[07:16] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you nod, putting the lighter on and- the flame is blown out. --

[07:17] SP: {...}

[07:17] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] tries a few more times --

[07:17] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] it kinda looks like someone just up and blew at it --

[07:17] SP: {s* i guess they d*n't trust me with fire cl*se t* their stuff then}

[07:18] SP: {which all things c*nsidered.. is fair i supp*se}

[07:18] SP: {:T}

[07:20] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you laugh, all of a sudden, and blow Hester's hair out of their face before going back and looking concerned. --

[07:21] II: that d˚es meaṉ s˚me˚ṉe is watchiṉg us th˚ugh.*

[07:22] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you smile a bit and pocket the lighter again --

[07:22] SP: {yeah, it sure seem that way.}

[07:23] SP: {s*me*ne *r... s*me*nes.}

[07:25] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you fiddle with the book again, squinting.. If not hidden ink then... What. --

[07:26] SP: {why w*uld y*u use an empty b**k.. unless it actually isn't empty at all...}

[07:27] SP: {and if it isn't then h*w is it hiding the text...}

[07:29] II: ˚h there's defiṉitely s˚methiṉg iṉside ˚f it. *

[07:29] II: well. was.*

[07:33] SP: {... d* y*u have a pen?}

[07:33] -- intrepidIllusion [II] do you have a pen? you always have a pen. You fish one out of your jacket pocket and hand it to Hester. --

[07:35] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you take the pen, and you put it to the book, simply scribbling "hello :)" in it --

[07:35] -- intrepidIllusion [II] nothing happens. --

[07:35] -- intrepidIllusion [II] but daginy does wave. --

[07:35] II: hi!*

[07:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] looks at them --

[07:36] SP: {i guess n*thing?}

[07:36] SP: {i th*ught maybe they used it t* c*mmunicate and s*mething weird w*uld happen t* the text}

[07:36] -- intrepidIllusion [II] gives hester a smile and shrugs. --

[07:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] shrugs --

[07:37] II: wh˚ kṉ˚ws!*

[07:37] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] studies them a bit --

[07:40] II: well y˚u kṉ˚w i thiṉk i'm ab˚ut d˚ṉe with this place. *

[07:41] -- intrepidIllusion [II] daginy stands and stretches, shaking themselves out. --

[07:41] II: it's pretty creepy iṉ here aṉd all. *

[07:41] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you don't know why you're speaking like this. it's kind of weird, but you really feel like you want to get out of here. --

[07:44] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you look back into the book, once again writing, but this time the question "who's here?", sideeyeing Daginy because they are... acting odd. You've not known them for long, sure... But even then. --

[07:45] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you start walking back out to the door when a question registers in the back of your mind. --

[07:45] II: well it's just y˚u aṉd me here isṉ't it?*

[07:46] SP: {daginy i d*n't think we sh*uld leave}

[07:46] II: aṉd why ṉ˚t?*

[07:47] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you spin frowning. You've only just met hester, they can't tell you what to do. --

[07:47] SP: {because y*u just read what i wr*te in the b**k fr*m *ver there, with y*ur back turned}

[07:48] SP: {s***... unless y*u g*t mind reading p*wers i d*n't think that was all y*u..?}

[07:49] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You blink surprised for a minute, replaying the events in your head. Is.. that where the question came from? Next time you open your mouth to speak, you're not sure where the words even come from. --

[07:49] II: well well well it t˚˚k y˚u l˚ṉg eṉ˚ugh.*

[07:49] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you tap yourself on the head. --

[07:49] SP: {... *h...}

[07:50] II: this m˚rtal ˚ṉly just figured it ˚ut t˚˚, but t˚ be fair this miṉd is _very_ dis˚rgaṉized. pleṉty ˚f places t˚ hide. *

[07:50] -- intrepidIllusion [II] oh no oh no oh no. --

[07:50] SP: {s*... are y*u the dem*n they wanted t* summ*n *r *ne *f them?}

[07:51] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you kind of, walk out of the way to stand in the way of daginy to stop them from trying to leave... Well... You took them here. Something is telling you they'd not quite forgive you if you let them leave while carrying around that kind of bagage, without trying to get it off first. --

[07:54] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you saunter forth, one hand on your hip, a strangely and offputtingly out of character. A disorganized mind? you start trying to figure out where this other person is hiding in your brain. --

[07:55] II: ˚h dem˚ṉ is such a ṉarr˚w way ˚f l˚˚kiṉg at it. they're just pe˚ple y˚u kṉ˚w. *

[07:55] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] u can't believe ur talking to a real life sort of demon --

[07:55] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] this is not the time Hester --

[07:56] II: I really don't see why I should explain myself to you.

[07:56] SP: {why n*t th*ugh?}

[07:57] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you remember when you first met hester, offering you a hand, the moment of hesitation when you recognized them because you had been following alnica. --

[07:57] II: oh?

[07:57] II: hester right?

[07:58] II: you work at the second chance lusus shelter with that one other volunteer, Alnica.

[07:58] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you blink a bit, a slight confusion over your face... --

[07:59] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you immediately punch yourself in the face. --

[07:59] SP: {I v*lunteer there s*metimes yeah- hEY SHIT}

[07:59] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] grab them before they hurt themselves too much holy shit --

[08:00] II: ow!! wow!!

[08:00] II: self preservation much!

[08:00] II: what a stubborn little brain!

[08:00] SP: {hang in there daginy}

[08:01] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you don't fight against hester, but you promise yourself that if one more word comes out of your mouth you don't plan on you're throwing yourself out the window. --

[08:01] II: well there's more will where that came from!

[08:02] -- intrepidIllusion [II] your face stings. On top of the pain in your ribs, you're pretty sure you're going to have a black eye too. --

[08:03] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you seriously consider wether you need to tie them up just so a) the demon won't try to leave, or b) daginy hurt themself even more --

[08:03] II: well i suppose that puts us at a passe. you won't let me leave, and this body is going to fight me about every interesting thing i could possibly do.

[08:04] SP: {uh-huh?}

[08:05] II: look i'm not a fan of pain.

[08:05] II: and your little friend here seems to have an appetite for it.

[08:05] SP: {s***, maybe y*u c*uld return t* y*ur b**k?}

[08:06] II: and why in the world would i do that?

[08:06] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] goes through various sealing spells in the back of their head --

[08:06] SP: {because y*u're n*t getting anywhere hmm...}

[08:06] II: it's so utterly _dull_ in that thing. the only time anyone would talk to me is if they wanted magical advice.

[08:07] SP: {:/}

[08:07] SP: {like the *nes wh* died here?}

[08:09] II: oh they're dead now?

[08:09] II: That explains soooo much. I kind of figured though, I'm not gonna lie.

[08:10] SP: {.... h*w much did y*u have t* d* with it?}

[08:10] II: oh. very little, i'm sure.

[08:11] SP: {really... i heard it all happened when they tried t* summ*n s*mething..?}

[08:11] SP: {s* that wasn't y*u then?}

[08:12] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you find that very funny. --

[08:12] II: /me and you laugh, lightly, and secretively.

[08:12] II: oh no.

[08:12] II: that was not me.

[08:13] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you remember being bored, so bored, in the nothingness that was the book. someone had asked you a question about summoning and you had given a wrong answer. --

[08:15] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] had this demon not been in possession of someone elses body maybe you'd be more willing to have a real conversation with this bored.. demon? whatever it is. --

[08:17] SP: {... what was it then?}

[08:17] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you fish up the necklace out of your pocket again --

[08:21] II: i'm not obligated to answer _you're_ questions.

[08:22] II: I'm not even sure it's still around.

[08:23] SP: {with the seals by the d**rs it c*uldn't have left... thinking ab*ut it, neither can y*u, pr*bably...}

[08:24] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you stretch and breathe as you roll your shoulders. --

[08:24] II: Hmm, i don't know, i could give it a shot with my ah- brand new body~

[08:25] SP: {it's n*t y*ur b*dy.}

[08:25] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You raise a fist, ready to punch yourself again, even as you flinch. --

[08:25] II: what is wrong with you?!

[04:08] -- intrepidIllusion [II] began pestering scintillansPicafelis [SP] at 16:08 --

[04:09] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to OFFLINE --

[04:10] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to ECSTATIC --

[04:10] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] began pestering intrepidIllusion [II] at 16:10 --

[04:43] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you look at them silently as they talk to themselves, do you need to restraint them so they'd stop... Hurting themselves? --

[04:44] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] You feel how you're internally seeking through your memory, several versions of how to ban demons and spirits and get rid of them just in general... --

[04:45] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] it's too bad they had to decide to possess your new friend, or you'd probably like to have a conversation --

[04:49] -- intrepidIllusion [II] puts their hands on their hips and pouts --

[04:49] II: well it l˚˚ks like we have a bit ˚f a staṉd ˚ff here ṉ˚w isṉ't it*

[04:50] II: y˚ur frieṉd here is g˚iṉg t˚ puṉch themself iṉt˚ ˚blivi˚ṉ if i d˚ aṉythiṉg they d˚ṉ't like aṉd yet*

[04:50] -- intrepidIllusion [II] smoothes their hands down their body --

[04:50] II: i'm here aṉd i d˚ṉ't waṉt t˚ leave*

[04:55] II: s˚ tell me- uh, what's y˚ur ṉame agaiṉ? why did y˚u c˚me here iṉ the first place?*

[04:58] SP: {hester... we came here t* investigate}

[04:58] SP: {what happened, heard the place was haunted - which it clearly is, curi*us}

[04:59] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] shrugs a bit and walks a step closer, studying them --

[04:59] SP: {s* y*u're n*t the dem*n, and n*t a gh*st *f the tr*lls wh* died in this hive... s* what are y*u?}

[05:03] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they let hester come closer, scrutinizing them back with a careful smile --

[05:03] II: well alright theṉ hester, here's the deal*

[05:04] II: i kṉ˚w ˚f a little ritual that will get me ˚ut ˚f this little ˚ṉe's head but i will ṉeed aṉ˚ther vessel*

[05:04] II: if i give y˚u the iṉf˚rmati˚ṉ y˚u're l˚˚kiṉg f˚r, why d˚ṉ't y˚u give me y˚ur b˚dy?*

[05:04] II: well as a fav˚r*

[05:05] II: aṉd y˚u kṉ˚w. ṉ˚t sexually ˚r aṉythiṉg like that*

[05:05] -- intrepidIllusion [II] makes a little ahem coughing sound --

[05:05] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] raises their eyebrows at them --

[05:06] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] im so ace my guy i didn't even catch onto the possibility of it being sexual til u said so --

[05:06] -- intrepidIllusion [II] hahahaah --

[05:07] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] doesn't seem too worried or scared by the idea however --

[05:07] SP: {i kn*w a c*uple *f rituals myself}

[05:07] SP: {s*me thatd pr*bably put y*u back in the b**k, *r...}

[05:07] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] holds up the necklace --

[05:07] SP: {in here}

[05:08] II: s˚ why haveṉ't y˚u d˚ṉe them yet?*

[05:08] SP: {because id need preparing}

[05:08] SP: {:T}

[05:09] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] geeesh helen you think im carrying it all around in my back pocket --

[05:11] -- intrepidIllusion [II] raises an eyebrow --

[05:11] II: s˚ h˚w are y˚u g˚iṉg t˚ get started if y˚u have t˚ babysit me?*

[05:12] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] tilts their head --

[05:13] SP: {what w*uld y*u d* with my b*dy either way, if I agreed t* switch place?}

[05:13] II: live life ˚f c˚urse*

[05:14] SP: {what d*es that mean t* y*u?}

[05:14] II: y˚u d˚ṉ't kṉ˚w h˚w lucky y˚u t˚ have a b˚dy uṉtil y˚u l˚se it*

[05:14] SP: {what happened t* y*urs?}

[05:16] II: ˚h it's a l˚ṉg st˚ry*

[05:16] II: aṉd life meaṉs a l˚t ˚f thiṉgs, it meaṉs p˚ssibility y˚u kṉ˚w*

[05:16] II: i haveṉ't th˚ught ab˚ut it t˚˚ much t˚ be perfectly h˚ṉest but with a b˚dy y˚u caṉ d˚ pretty much aṉythiṉg*

[05:17] SP: {tell me}

[05:17] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] just, casually sits down on an old chair like, I got time --

[05:19] II: y˚u meaṉ with a b˚dy?*

[05:19] II: i'm sure y˚u kṉ˚w just as well as i d˚*

[05:20] SP: {i meant what happened t* y*u.}

[05:21] II: well i'll give y˚u a freebie*

[05:22] II: what happeṉed t˚ my b˚dy was that it g˚t cut iṉt˚ a huṉdred pieces aṉd thr˚wṉ t˚ the fishes*

[05:23] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] makes a bit of a face at that, yikes --

[05:23] II: pleasaṉt, yes, i kṉ˚w*

[05:23] SP: {s* h*w did y*u end up here?}

[05:23] II: ṉu uh huh, y˚u areṉ't gettiṉg aṉy m˚re freebies fr˚m me*

[05:23] II: if y˚u waṉt t˚ kṉ˚w m˚re y˚u're g˚iṉg t˚ have t˚ start makiṉg deals, l˚ve*

[05:24] SP: {hey, y*u said that was ab*ut what happened here, n*t ab*ut y*u}

[05:24] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] gestures at their general surrounding --

[05:24] II: ˚h did i really? *

[05:25] II: well they're c˚ṉṉected at aṉy rate*

[05:25] II: we sh˚uld really write these deals d˚wṉ*

[05:25] -- intrepidIllusion [II] holds out a hand and gestures for the book --

[05:25] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] chin hands, ah yes, you've read about this stuff, making contracts with demons and spirits --

[05:26] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] bad news generally --

[05:29] II: are y˚u haviṉg sec˚ṉd th˚ughts hmm?*

[05:32] SP: {y*u kn*w, i kind *f need my b*dy t**. w*uldnt it be easier t* find *ne that isnt *ccupied?}

[05:33] II: ˚h y˚u meaṉ like a dead b˚dy? ṉ˚, ṉ˚, that w˚uldṉ't w˚rk. f˚r a pr˚per traṉsfer t˚ ˚ccur there's g˚t t˚ be a spark ˚f life f˚r it t˚ w˚rk*

[05:33] II: why d˚ṉ't we split it, fifty fifty?*

[05:33] II: i get y˚ur b˚dy half the time, y˚u get it the ˚ther*

[05:33] II: i'll eveṉ give y˚u vet˚ p˚wer ˚ṉ what i d˚*

[05:34] SP: {thats a high price f*r living half time}

[05:35] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] *low --

[05:35] II: well yes, but iṉ returṉ y˚ur frieṉd here gets their b˚dy back full time*

[05:36] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you glance over at the necklace again, rolling it in the palm of your hand --

[05:42] II: iṉ all h˚ṉesty, i'd be takiṉg a step d˚wṉ*

[05:42] II: this little ˚ṉe is all s˚rts ˚f baṉged up but iṉjuries heal*

[05:42] II: i'm sure y˚ur b˚dy is much ṉicer*

[05:48] SP: {uh-huh...}

[05:56] II: ṉ˚ c˚uṉter ˚ffer?*

[05:56] II: ṉ˚ bargaiṉiṉg?*

[08:52] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] ceased pestering intrepidIllusion [II] at 20:52 --

[08:52] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to OFFLINE --

om:0px; margin�!� @1

[07:13] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] began pestering intrepidIllusion [II] at 19:13 --

[07:25] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] looks at them silently... You dragged Daginy here, and they got possessed. You owe it to them to fix this somehow... Now if only you could remember.. --

[07:25] SP: {let me think}

[07:27] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] puts the necklace on carefully... Yeah that could work. A trap. If they could make it seem like they let them take over their body... But sealed them to the necklace in a way so it only must be removed for the two to separate. They really wish they could discuss this with Daginy somehow without the ghost hearing but... --

[07:37] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they lean in, putting their chin on their hand. --

[07:38] II: y˚u kṉ˚w i kṉ˚w y˚u d˚ṉ't kṉ˚w this little ˚ṉe very well at all*

[07:38] II: why d˚ṉ't y˚u just. let thiṉgs lie as they are?*

[07:38] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] blinks looking at them --

[07:38] SP: {why w*uld i?}

[07:39] II: because _i_ caṉ aṉswer all y˚ur questi˚ṉs*

[07:40] II: i kṉ˚w s˚ much ab˚ut the superṉatural*

[07:40] II: i c˚uld be y˚ur ˚wṉ pers˚ṉal dicti˚ṉary*

[07:40] SP: {...........}

[07:40] II: tell me that isṉ't temptiṉg*

[07:41] II: y˚u d˚ṉ't eveṉ kṉ˚w ab˚ut all the tr˚uble this little ˚ṉe gets up t˚*

[07:41] SP: {well... y*u c*uld d* that using my b*dy t**, c*uldn't y*u...}

[07:43] II: well yes, but i have t˚ c˚ṉviṉce _y˚u_ ṉ˚t this ˚ṉe*

[07:43] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they jab a thumb at themself --

[07:44] SP: {it w*uldn't be fair t* them. and they will keep beating y*u up.}

[07:45] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they laugh again --

[07:45] II: ˚h siṉce wheṉ is the w˚rld fair?*

[07:45] II: y˚u're s˚ cute. d˚ṉ't w˚rry ab˚ut me, i caṉ take care ˚f the little ˚ṉe, just them aṉd me*

[07:46] SP: {n*.}

[07:46] II: thats it? ṉ˚ hesitati˚ṉs?*

[07:46] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] huffs a bit, a tint of annoyance finally showing in your face as your eyes grow colder --

[07:47] II: y˚u d˚ṉ't waṉt this eṉdless tr˚ve ˚f kṉ˚wledge restiṉg here iṉ this head?*

[07:48] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] reaches out to grapple them, and, more or less just picks them up honestly unless they do something quick to avoid --

[07:51] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they throw themself backwards, whipping out a knife and holding it between them. --

[07:51] -- intrepidIllusion [II] then they whistle. --

[07:51] II: hey, quick reflexes.*

[07:54] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] studies the knife, and watches them carefully. --

[07:54] SP: {.. fight back in there..}

[07:55] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] starts to circle them, not once letting them out of their sight --

[07:56] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they don't let them out of their sight, not bothering to stand, but also not putting away the knife. --

[07:56] II: ˚h d˚ṉ't w˚rry, this little ˚ṉe is just itchiṉg f˚r a fight*

[07:56] II: with me, ṉ˚t y˚u.*

[08:02] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] that's good... You glance around the surroundings briefly, maybe all the things you'd need for a simple spell was in here? or did you have to pull them both hive...? --

[08:03] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they take the knife up and twiddle with it --

[08:04] II: are y˚u sure y˚u waṉt t˚ d˚ this? i meaṉ this little ˚ṉe has d˚ṉe quite s˚me terrible thiṉgs*

[08:04] II: f˚r-*

[08:04] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] squints a bit... --

[08:04] -- intrepidIllusion [II] the knife flips into their hand and lays next to their neck. --

[08:06] SP: {......}

[08:06] II: well it l˚˚ks like they d˚ṉ't waṉt me talkiṉg ab˚ut it!*

[08:07] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] takes a step forward now that the knife is, well, pointing to /their/ throat and not in your direction --

[08:11] II: mmm. well see ṉ˚w*

[08:12] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they take the knife and drag it slowly across their throat. It's a shallow cut, not more than a seepage of orange blood. --

[08:12] SP: {st*p that!}

[08:15] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they stop halfway, looking at Hester, eyebrow raised, a thin smile on their lips. they keep the knife at their throat and stand up and give Hester a smile. --

[08:15] II: ˚h y˚u are a pure s˚ul. *

[08:17] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you need.. some sort of distraction so you can take that knife away and catch them and.. what else.. but your mind is all blank. shit. or wait. --

[08:18] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] reaching into one of your pockets.. you pull out a fistful of powdery glitter. why you have it? well.. you stole it. and it's pretty. but that's not the point. You simply throw it in their face because a cloud full of glitter if anything is quite distracting, if not annoying as it gets /everywhere/. --

[08:19] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] might even blind them heck --

[08:20] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pure soul?? not sure. maybe glittery soul though --

[08:23] -- intrepidIllusion [II] LMAO. Daginy's body, whatever possessed it, flinches at the cloud, several specks getting in their eyes. --

[08:23] II: ˚w!*

[08:23] II: what the fuck?*

[08:25] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] SCORE, you take the chance to unarm them, you want to get that knife out of reach for them asap --

[08:28] II: uuaghg*

[08:29] -- intrepidIllusion [II] distracted by the glitter, you knock the knife easily out of their hands --

[08:29] II: hey!1*

[08:33] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] next up, they pull of their huge coat and just kinda, drops it over the smaller troll, pulling it around them like a blanket.. or well.. sack. kinda. and picking them up. that should make them a bit easier to handle, yOU HOPE.. I'm so sorry Daginy --

[08:39] -- intrepidIllusion [II] the sudden darkness and the constriction of hesters arms around them, plus the disorientation of the glitter and the twinge of their ribs makes them inhale into the cloth, sending a spike of panic through them. Another knife appears in their hand and they stab it blindly into whatever's closest and fleshy --

[08:42] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] oh shit oh shit, you stare as a knife starts to appear through the fabric of your poor coat, wincing as one of the stabs cut into your arm, well shit. You try to grab a hold of their arms through the fabric, to hold them still, this wasn't working very well.. how many knives did they even have? --

[08:44] -- intrepidIllusion [II] the answer is a lot. They stab again with the knife and another one appears in their other hand, and as they struggle, they start stabbing with that one too --

[08:46] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you pull back, instead pulling in the fabric of the coat and trying to pull it tightly kinda, burritouing them up, one last try, or you'd have to figure out another way to keep them from hurting themselves under that.. spirit's influence --

[08:52] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they manage to keep a grasp on their weapons but as the coat burrito tightens, they don't have the leverage for any good stabs anymore. They still their struggles, but they shake violently as the gasping sound of someone trying to take deep breaths comes from the coat --

[08:56] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pokes open a hole for them to breathe through once it seem safe enough, and picks them up --

[08:57] SP: {i'll get them *ut *f y*u daginy...}

[08:58] -- intrepidIllusion [II] Fresh air floods them as they gasp for breath, pinpricks of tears at the corner of their eyes. --

[08:59] SP: {..... s*rry..}

[08:59] II: d-dear l˚rd there are s˚ maṉy _issues_ with this b˚dy!*

[09:00] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] puts the tight troll burrito over their shoulder and starts walking away --

[09:00] SP: {maybe y*u sh*uld let it g* then}

[09:00] II: ˚˚f!*

[09:01] II: watch the ribs pleased, i thiṉk y˚ur little frieṉd g˚t the wr˚ṉg eṉd ˚f a b˚˚t there*

[09:01] II: aṉd haha ṉ˚, y˚u d˚ṉ't kṉ˚w what its like t˚ be with˚ut a b˚dy uṉtil y˚u l˚se it aṉd i d˚ ṉ˚t iṉteṉd ˚ṉ simply _leaviṉg_*

[09:05] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] ceased pestering intrepidIllusion [II] at 21:05 --

[09:05] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to OFFLINE --

[04:16] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you huff a bit, teal drops of blood sipping down your arm and dripping to the floor while you walk through the rooms... Like one could expect, most things you could possibly need are around here just... In a big mess. But you're not new to big messes, being a bit of a hoarder your hive is never not one. --

[04:17] SP: {that d*esnt give y*u the right t* take the b*dy *f s*me*ne else...}

-- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to OFFLINE --

-- scintillansPicafelis [SP] changed their mood to ECSTATIC --

-- scintillansPicafelis [SP] began pestering intrepidIllusion [II] at 16:17 --

[04:18] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pesterchum was being dumb welp --

[04:21] -- intrepidIllusion [II] lol its ok --

[04:30] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they wriggle around in the coat burrito, grunting as they strain to get out --

[04:30] II: rights, schmights, i'm ṉ˚t g˚iṉg with˚ut a b˚dy agaiṉ*

[04:30] II: it's a special kiṉd ˚f hell darliṉg*

[04:40] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] fixes the coat again when they notice them wriggling around, then puts them down on the floor, securing them a bit extra with the coat's belt --

[04:40] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you know, just to be safe --

[04:42] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they bite their lip hard, heart pounding as the belt tightens. They swallow, and crack a nervous grin --

[04:43] II: s˚ maṉy pe˚ple fightiṉg ˚ver ˚ṉe b˚dy hm? are _y˚u_ plaṉṉiṉg s˚methiṉg iṉterestiṉg f˚r it?*

[04:44] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pulls out a crayon and draws a wide circle around Daginy's body on the floor --

[04:44] SP: {i *nly g*t plans f*r y*u, d*n't w*rry :>}

[04:46] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they flop around in the circle, wiggling against the floor. --

[04:46] II: ˚h i see y˚u areṉ't uṉskilled huh? i h˚pe y˚u d˚ kṉ˚w what y˚u're d˚iṉg*

[04:47] SP: {m*re *r less...}

[04:48] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they shift so they can see what's going on, turning onto their stomach and getting on their knees --

[04:48] II: ˚˚f*

[04:49] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] doodles a few symbols and things as well, then walks around the room and collects whatever candles they can find.. --

[04:57] -- intrepidIllusion [II] glances over to see if Hester's looking, then inches over to the edge of the circle, one of their hands taking one of the knives and slices through the coat and up through the belt, then lies back down ontop of it to keep an eye on hester --

[05:00] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] glances over at Daginy every now and again, but doesn't seem to notice.. Just maybe once as they stop and frown at the sound of fabric ripping but they are on their stomach as they turn back to them. Hm.. --

[05:00] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they raise an eyebrow --

[05:00] II: eṉj˚yiṉg the view?*

[05:02] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] walks back and puts the candles down --

[05:09] II: y˚u kṉ˚w i w˚ṉder why y˚u're puttiṉg s˚ much eff˚rt iṉt˚ saviṉg a virtual straṉger*

[05:09] II: d˚ṉ't y˚u kṉ˚w they're _daṉger˚us?_*

[05:11] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] hums to themselves as they light the candles, holding one of them up and heating the pendant of the necklace over it, then leans in over the circle and blows the candle out so the smoke of it trail over them, the other candles around them seem to brighten up a bit as they do... --

[05:11] II: y˚ur part time v˚luṉteer gig, the aṉimal shelter? might be iṉ daṉger y˚u kṉ˚w*

[05:14] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] pulls the necklace off and stands up, "drawing" in the air with it over the circle, several lines crossing one another like a net --

[05:15] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] this would be invisible for Hester but the spirit or whatever it is might actually see something take shape --

[05:19] -- intrepidIllusion [II] pouts. They're not paying any attention at all. Taking the knife, they draw it up their leg, drawing blood. They have to do something before this is done. --

[05:20] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they smear the blood from their thigh and lunge for the edge of the circle, taking the blood and smearing the sigils --

[05:20] II: y˚u g˚t ˚ṉe ˚f them wr˚ṉg darliṉg!*

[05:21] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] makes a sudden tug with their arm, pulling backwards when they suddenly move, swearing under their breathe. The "net" still do fall over and tighten around them though.. Or well.. Not physically. But in spirit, so to speak. --

[05:22] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you're not completely sure what smearing those sigils would do, they were mainly for.. protection of sort. shit. --

[05:26] -- intrepidIllusion [II] the spell takes, the barely visible net yanking them back in the air, nearly pulling the spirit out of Daginy's body. There's a hole in the net however, with the removal of some of the sigils and the spirit oozes back in. --

[05:26] II: ṉ˚!*

[05:34] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] it seemed you had to do this the more... Risky way after all. Hurrying around the circle, which with your long legs didn't take much more than a step, you shove them back into the circle and draw ano --

[05:34] SP: ther sigil with your finger, which you repeat in the palm of your hand. In worst case, now you'd be the one posessed, in best case, they would merely go through your body and end up in the necklace... And.. Well, then there was of course the option of nothing happening. In the weirdest case... But blood in a spell was powerful, and it helped probably that your own was mixed in with all of it (whic

[05:34] SP: h also could have strange linking side effect between you and Daginy but ehh.. if that happened you'd take that issue then)... Either way, all of this goes quickly, and you step into the circle, trying to grab a hold of them so you can press your palm to their forehead.

[05:34] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] this would be such an awkward situation if literally nothing happens --

[05:38] -- intrepidIllusion [II] they don't move fluidly- it's jerky, limited, and Hester grabs them without much trouble at all. They stare back at Hester, more than a little wild-eyed as Hester presses their hand to their forehead. They gasp as something seems to leave them, flowing into the hand on their forehead and back into the necklace --

[05:41] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] shivers at the senseation, eyes wide open.. A window forces its way open, causing old papers and dust to fly around them and the candles to be put out... And then everything is.. Calm. You sit down on the floor, your hand falling back, a slightly burning sensation in your palm... --

[05:42] SP: {...... did it w*rk...?}

[05:45] -- intrepidIllusion [II] Daginy swallows hard, still shaking, scooting backwards away from Hester, one hand over the cut in their thigh and another on their neck. They manage a nod before they scoot all the way back to the wall and bury their face in their knees. --

[05:45] SP: {...}

[05:45] SP: {im s*rry..}

[05:46] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you look relieved, but also very very guilty --

[05:46] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you pull the necklace off, shoving it into your pocket, this was supposed to be for fun not.. this --

[05:47] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] so much for cheering them up --

[05:47] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You don't look up. You give Hester a thumbs up because you don't think you can speak right now. Well that sure was another traumatic experience under your belt --

[05:49] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you crawl over to them, well, keeping your distance still enough to not make them uncomfortable, and sit with the back to the wall next to them.. and stay there in silence really, wrapping the stab wounds on your arm up a bit, letting them be. You're there at least, if they start talking or want anything. --

[05:53] -- intrepidIllusion [II] It takes a good long while, but eventually you take enough deep breaths to get your shaking at least under control. A lot just happened right now, and you have to figure out what Hester's thinking. You peek up at them. From the look on their face, what they're thinking is probably "holy shit i brought them here to feel better and look what happened :((((" --

[05:53] II: i take it that wasṉ't y˚ur defiṉiti˚ṉ ˚f fuṉ*

[05:53] -- intrepidIllusion [II] the words come out as kind of a croak, but you manage them at least --

[05:54] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] it's a good thing Hester isn't exactly hard to read because that is exactly what --

[05:55] SP: {n*..}

[05:59] II: its ˚kay, i appreciate y˚u tryiṉg*

[06:00] -- intrepidIllusion [II] not your most thrilling speech but hey. Youve just been possessed --

[06:00] II: y˚u didṉ't take aṉythiṉg ˚f what that witch lady was sayiṉg seri˚usly did y˚u?*

[06:02] SP: {i figured she said whatever she c*uld think *f that'd make me m*re likely t* let her stay...}

[06:04] II: yeah she was*

[06:04] -- intrepidIllusion [II] lies. but you put your head back down and hold it down. --

[06:04] II: that was.. s˚me kiṉd ˚f crazy*

[06:05] SP: {yeah.. *h.. d* y*u need s*me bandage?}

[06:06] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you almost say sorry in reference to seeing their blood color, but decide instead to.. act as if you never did, even if you both know you did. most anons you met weren't exactly fond of talking about it, so it might be better that way. --

[06:08] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you nod-- they're not bleeding freely, but you still want it covered. Being hemoanon could be such a pain to be honest. --

[06:10] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you move over to your.. holy and cut through coat.. wow, it's a good thing you got like five of these.. this isn't even the first one that got fucked up --

[06:11] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] either way, in some of the many pockets, you find a few rolls of bandage which you soon give to Daginy --

[06:12] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you can manage your leg yourself, awkward as it might be, but getting the one around your neck is gonna be tricky --

[06:13] II: i uh, might ṉeed help with this ṉeck ˚ṉe*

[06:19] SP: {sure!}

[06:19] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] grabs the bandage --

[06:19] SP: {uuhhh, tell me if it's t** tight, *k?}

[06:20] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] carefully wraps it around their neck --

[06:25] -- intrepidIllusion [II] You shudder when they touch you. You have to think of your next move. You don't currently have much of a safe place to stay and you just ran into someone who let themself get stabbed to keep you from being possessed. --

[06:25] II: thats uh, that's fiṉe*

[06:25] SP: {:> *k, there}

[06:27] II: i kiṉd ˚f just waṉṉa rest f˚r a bit, uh, d˚ y˚u miṉd if i just, crash at y˚ur place f˚r a bit?*

[06:28] SP: {naw, i d*n't mind. especially after all *f this i kinda *we y*u that}

[06:28] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] also yay company.. wow you're so lonely lmao --

[06:32] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you let out a sigh of relief. Honestly Hester seems so transparent, and well, easily manipulated. You'll probably be safe with them, but another person could pretty easily wreck Hester's life. --

[06:32] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you'll do your best to not do that. --

[06:39] -- scintillansPicafelis, [SP,] you empty your ripped jacket's many many pockets, putting what you can in the pockets of your pants and what not.. Once you're done with that, you get up on your feet though and look over to them --

[06:39] SP: {y*u ready t* g*..?}

[06:40] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you hope they can actually walk, because with your fucked over arm carrying them will be a bit harder --

[06:41] II: as ready as i'll ever be i thiṉk..*

[06:43] -- intrepidIllusion [II] you stand up, and you're pretty sure you look like hell, but your feet stay under you, and you think if you keep moving you can keep it that way --

[06:45] -- scintillansPicafelis [SP] you nod, and starts walking out of there... So, you'd probably not return to this haunted hive in particular anytime soon... Although that of course didn't mean you'd stop looking into haunted places alltogether. Nah. --

[06:49] -- intrepidIllusion [II] why would you ever expect that of hester??? You follow Hester a little unsteadily, keeping your eyes fixed down on their feet as you follow them out. You know you probably look like choice prey, as s --

[06:49] II: haky as you are, and you're a little wary. Hester looks mostly okay, and you're obviously with them. And they're relatively high on the spectrum so that would ward off some of the vultures you've seen around. You'll be much more relaxed when you get to Hester's hive.

[rctchild]

really  LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.    RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  !    tag  10  ! good  luck  !    TAGGED. thanks for inflicting this on me @exspiravitae​    TAGGING. oh god no

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :   malkhaz millward NICKNAME :   mal; often referred to as “boy”, “child”, various other references to his young age TITLE :   the boy from southshore ; “young blood” AGE :   14 perpetually BIRTHDAY :   april 14. ETHNIC  GROUP :   forsaken undead of lordaeron NATIONALITY :   horde / forsaken LANGUAGE / S :   gutterspeak/forsaken ; orcish ; common ; a few words of thalassian. SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :   he’s a child ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :   bi RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :   uh HOME  TOWN / AREA :   brill, tirisfal glades CURRENT  HOME :   n/a (traveller) PROFESSION :  outlaw rogue/mercenary ; primarily takes work for the horde & occasionally neutral party.

PHYSICAL.

HAIR :   short, shaggy dirty blond. EYES :   blank, white & glowing with ghostlight FACE :   round, childlike. didn’t really get to mature much before death. LIPS :   pale & cracked COMPLEXION :   freckled ; acne & maggot holes cover his face. BLEMISHES :   the above acne & maggot holes, alongside several spots of discolouration around where bone peeks through flesh. SCARS :  bruises & cuts like a rotting fruit beneath his leather armour. most notably, a large patch of particularly rotten, greenish skin covering his chest & midsection with visible stitches holding it to the rest of his flesh. TATTOOS :   n/a HEIGHT :   5″1 WEIGHT :   god help me i don’t know. light, for his age. i’ll edit this when i find it from a previous meme BUILD :   frail/skeletal FEATURES :  idk what i haven’t already detailed above. young and sweet as a child, but not quite lacking in the grotesque and the nastiness of undeath. ALLERGIES :   light ; all holy magic burns him, though it can still heal him. USUAL  HAIR  STYLE :   shaggy, messy & tangled. it hasn’t seen a hairbrush in years. USUAL  FACE  LOOK :   blank, wide-eyed. not quite innocent. USUAL  CLOTHING :   common white shirt & pants / dark leather armour, with long cloak & cowl

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S :   being buried ASPIRATION / S :   to champion the forsaken ; to be regarded as a hero. POSITIVE  TRAITS :   ambitious / curious / soft-hearted / loyal / political NEGATIVE  TRAITS :   bratty / impulsive / self-critical / dwells on the past / ambiguous morality MBTI :   esfp-t ZODIAC :   aries TEMPEREMENT :   sanguine SOUL  TYPE / S :   helper ANIMALS :   eagle VICE  HABIT / S :   typical undead cannibalism & bloodthirst, nbd FAITH :   doesn’t subscribe to anything reverently, but does follow the main guidance of the cult of forgotten shadow; that is to say its main three virtues, & what they mean for the forsaken. there is potential for him to properly involve himself in that faith within the right set of circumstances. GHOSTS ? :   yes AFTERLIFE ? :   yes REINCARNATION ? :   yes ALIENS ? :   yes POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :   horde EDUCATION  LEVEL :   ...what even is schooling in azeroth. uh, average up to whatever azerothian youth gets up to 14 years old. after that, his education is housed strictly in forsaken culture & history, as well as all his rogue stuff.

FAMILY.

FATHER :   jurian millward MOTHER :   annemarie millward SIBLINGS :   n/a CHILDREN :   he IS a children. EXTENDED  FAMILY :   undetermined NAME  MEANING / S :   possibly “beautiful/elegant/youthful” in gregorian. in azeroth it would likely have a pretty different meaning. HISTORICAL  CONNECTION ? :   ‘khaz’ refers to the titan khaz’goroth in dwarven. it’s noted that human names can occasionally derive from dwarven tongue (or the two cultures just straight-up share names between the two languages), so it’s likely malkhaz as a name in azeroth has its roots in dwarven history or folktale.

FAVORITES.

BOOK :   some classic forsaken reading probably MOVIE :   n/a 5  SONGS :     what do you think azerothian pop would be like. i bet you anything goblins would invent it. the alliance likely gets bright, cutesy fluff while the horde would favour party music with the occasional stupid novelty. DEITY :   like many forsaken, mal is more of a heretic ; he will, if anything, actively seek to anger/irritate a higher power just to say that he did it. HOLIDAY :   hallow’s end. MONTH :   october. SEASON :   fall. PLACE :   tirisfal glades. WEATHER :   rain, particularly in the dead of night. SOUND :   silence, the kind before a brutal murder. SCENT / S :   petrichor & dead bodies piled on top of one another. TASTE / S :   blood & humanoid meat. FEEL / S :   mud under one’s feet. ANIMAL / S :   cats, particularly big cats (ie; lions & tigers, etc.) ; bats, wyverns, plaguehounds, pretty much any of the lordaeronian national animals. NUMBER :  13 COLORS :   blue, faded purples, black & dark grey.

EXTRA.

TALENTS :   rogue work ; dagger proficiency, makes excellent use of a grappling hook & he is a clever little bugger in battle. BAD  AT :   most creative pursuits / for some reason most animals don’t like him. ironic, since mommy was a hunter and her lioness adored him. TURN  ONS :   no TURN  OFFS :   no HOBBIES :   tailoring, traveling. TROPES :    Undead Child / Creepy Child / Creepy Cute / Not Growing Up Sucks / Break/Corrupt the Cutie / Teens Are Monsters / Don’t You Dare Pity Me! / Took A Level In Badass / Dark Is Not Evil / The Kindness Of Strangers / Teens Are Short / Youthful Freckles / Conflicting Loyalty / Expecting Someone Taller / Momma’s Boy QUOTES :   “tenacity… ambition… power. these are the virtues the forsaken need to survive.” / “no one’s innocent in war.” / “sure, i’m never gonna be too old for hallow’s end candy & winter’s veil presents, but i also know greatfather winter’s a guy in a suit & i can’t find any friends my own age.”

FC INFO.

MAIN  FC / S : chandler riggs as carl grimes in the walking dead, because i couldn’t find anyone better. ALT  FC / S :  did you know teen actors are actually really hard to find? OLDER  FC / S :   n/a YOUNGER  FC / S :   n/a VOICE  CLAIM / S :   n/a GENDERBENT  FC / S :   n/a

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?          

    it’d be basically the “rogue one” to warcraft’s star wars. a side story in the universe, for a baby budding hero among the undead ; structured similarly to the first warcraft movie, with the horde plot & the alliance plot colliding, except much less tedious about its exposition in the first third. also the alliance main character would be his mommy.

Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?          

   grunge-y rock music about darkness and violent thoughts and defiance ; or just some simple music-box-esque melodies with poetic lyrics about internal conflict. and probably remixes of the background music that plays in tirisfal.

Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?

   because i have always loved the forsaken. i only played a trial back when wrath was newly a thing and remember literally nothing about vanilla wow, but i think i realized at some point early on when i properly joined the fandom that the forsaken have a) always been my favourite undead from anything ever, in that they’re everything i’ve always wanted to see (zombies with an actual culture of their own, with a matriarch and a dark outlook on life but still having fun doing their thing) and b) those brief, very faded memories of the forsaken from back then have inspired how i draw undead characters. notably in the shoulders and the ribs, i think. maybe the hands too idk. i remember the first time i tried drawing a forsaken when first entering the fandom, and it felt like i’d done it before but god help me i would never be able to confirm that. but it felt so natural to me anyway. ... uh, anyway, mal in particular. um, out of the oc concepts that i had, he felt like the one that would be the easiest to throw at people and dump wherever to interact without needing to stretch too hard to force interaction.

Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ?          

   he is my oc and i love him. he’s smol, cute, and i can get a variety of character flavours out of him from the sweet, inspired child to the nasty, flesh-eating monster.

Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.        

    muse for this brat keeps avoiding me. B’T he also keeps developing in my head before he has any reason to change. i basically have his character arc plotted before it can even happen, or before i can even be sure of what’ll happen as the plot goes on.

Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?          

   he’s an inch shorter than me, so, uh, both smol. brown eyes, though his haven’t been brown in a long time. personality-wise, we both kind of go at our own pace which isn’t really slow but also isn’t quite the progress we want or need it to be.

Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?          

    i’m p sure he’d just kind of tolerate me because i’m living and human and would probably insist on trying to cuddle him if my hatred of kids (or my common sense... or my sense of smell) doesn’t take precedence over my love for my baby. probably best-case scenario for me tbh in that he’d be okay with me rather than trying to straight-up kill me lmao :’3

Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions  with ?        

   everyone tbh??? but especially sylvanas, anduin, jaina, thassarian ; & on the oc side of things, euanthe (also artan & mitun but particularly the former thESE TWO ARE IDIOTS), kal’rokh, the stuff with aquler is starting out strong, mar...

Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?        

    i will figure that out someday, and exploit it so that i’m not sitting here with TWENTY DRAFTS & doing none of them. 8′)))

Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?

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