EVENT #13: ADVERSITY 8765546

[expiationmods]

EVENT #13: THE BEAST INSIDE US ALL

THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand)

-Over time, characters have discovered that the world of Expiation is actually a large, elaborate simulation run by an AI that seems to be intent on helping them atone for their crimes. This news is well-known by the Chosen, enough so that any new character who wishes to handwave this knowledge is able to do so.

-In September 2024, that AI needed to be reset as a consequence of some catastrophic systems failures. So far, there has been no downside to this reset–but the AI has also been strangely absent since then.

-Things have been quiet in Aldrip since September, aside from the routine arrival of new Chosen. The locals seem less than happy with the Chosen, though, as if they have already branded them all criminals. As if they no longer trust them…

EARLY MARCH / MARCH 11TH

Something doesn’t feel quite right, does it?

There’s a strange feeling in Aldrip, something tense and strained, as if something’s about to happen. The black lines outside of the Aldrip travel further into the city and begin to spread the miasma. The fields, crops and the portion of the forest continue to wither away as a result. The signs of catastrophe. The air is thick, as if it itself is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Very abruptly, it does.

The earth quakes as something erupts from the ground: huge, snakelike heads, towering as tall as a two-story building. These heads seem to circle the city of Aldrip: a ring of threat, keeping everyone and everything within the city limits. These heads don’t change locations, and they only attack if someone gets too close. They seem almost like they’re waiting for something. At first, however, they’re invulnerable to damage. Those who get too close may be injured or even killed if they try…

TRANSFORMATION

As soon as Fauna hears the rumblings of the Beast, detects the presence of a monster, she's off without waiting for any information. Confronting monsters is what she does, after all. She transforms and attempts to destroy the Beast with her full might, but despite the fierce fight, she's unable to land any decisive hits. Eight heads are too much to fight alone, and as the fight drags on, she's cornered, and takes the Beast's attack head-on, canceling her transformation and sending her flying. But as she's blown away, from her pockets, seeds fall- A pair of seeds to grow trees from, or something greater. The seeds, divine items with no divinity to empower them, fall to the ground, and are absorbed into the Beast's black body...

What is it you wish for, deep down? What do you desire?

Those Chosen unlucky enough to be affected by wish seeds may find this wish consuming their thoughts and driving their actions. Slowly, surely, they find themselves…changing, turning into something that is not a human. These changes may be slow and painful, or they may be instantaneous. We encourage you to be creative in these changes, both physical and mental, but also to warn for potential body horror or any body part trauma that might need a content warning.

I wish… I wish…

Driven nearly to madness by their own desire, by whatever’s happening to them and whatever physical changes it brings, these Chosen may be dangerous, with uncontrollable urges or new powers they aren’t used to. Can their aggression be directed toward the coming fight? Time will tell.

SLAY THE BEAST

So much anger, hatred and pain, all rolled into a single calamitous entity, baring its fangs at the entire world. It's almost a little embarrassing for it to be out in the open like that, even if the other Chosen don't necessarily realize it's a part of him. It's not too long after the Black Beast's first appearance that Ragna makes his way to face it, though not before he makes sure everyone else has some information necessary to finish the job afterwards. But first, he would need to ensure they even stand a chance against the monster, and he came up with only one solution that could work ─ and that's to do so from within the Beast itself. And so, with a final sigh, muttering "What a pain in the ass," under his breath, Ragna approaches the giant creature unarmed. The nearest heads turn their attention to the man, immediately attacking and ripping him apart, devouring the remains.

Something has changed. Impervious until now, the Black Beast soon shows evidence of wear and tear: hits land, cuts remain, and its fighting becomes more vicious…but more desperate, too.

If the Chosen have any hopes for defeating this creature, now will be the time. Maybe if they hit it with everything they’ve got, they’ll be able to bring it down–one head at a time.

SAFE...TY?

In the past, there’s been protection. In the past, there’s been so-called “safe houses” that have been created by the environment for noncombatants or those who don’t wish to fight.

But no such thing appears.

Nothing will hold the monsters back, nothing will hold the effects of the Black Beast back as they rain destruction on the city. It seems as if the Chosen are on their own – for those who don’t wish to fight, or can’t fight, they must band together to find protection of their own. Characters who are able to fight may need to help protect these areas where those sorts of Chosen have decided to hunker down for safety. The locals have vanished completely, locked so tight into their own houses that Aldrip businesses come to a halt.

That is, unless Chosen work together to keep it going.

AFTERMATH

The Black Beast is finally put down after the hard and exhausting fighting. The black lines around the city fade away, and it seems the Chosen who have transformed… are unaffected. Those Chosen who find themselves confronting their “wish” will discover that they soon change back, shedding monstrous forms for their familiar forms. However, the Chosen who don’t confront their wishes will keep their monstrous forms, either fully or partially, for the indeterminate future. They might continue to struggle to keep their sense of self and fight against the monstrous urges. Maybe they continue to be more aggressive, have a hard time recognizing a friend from a foe and have a distorted view on what is their wish. Effects don’t wear off over time, this time. There’s no magical “reset” where they wake up one day and find themselves back to their normal selves.

No, either they confront their wishes, or they stay like this for… ? It’s up to the Chosen.

WILDCARD

Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!

♡

Comments

[baldrshand]

[If the situation were a little more urgent, Ethlyn would probably do that. But if she has the time to put someone at ease and have it be their choice to accept help, that's much better in the long run.

She helps Czeslaw up onto the horse and mounts up behind him. Venture paws at the ground a little, expressing a bit of an opinion about the extra weight, but otherwise is still calm... given the situation. Ethlyn keeps an eye on the sky as she turns him back towards the Clinic.]

How long have you been in Aldrip, Czeslaw?

[luneminary]

[This is exactly the reaction he expects, and the exact reason why Ryoji stuck around. He knew the moment Scott would wake up that he would try to go back to her, to drag his ailing body across the street just to see her again. Just for another chance of subduing her again. Because that is exactly what Ryoji would do if he were in Scott’s position.

And it pains him, it really does, knowing the state they have left Orpheus in. But she can last longer without them, and Ryoji ultimately would have to choose.

In the end, he chooses what Kotone would have wanted.

So, with great anguish, he pushes Scott by the shoulders to keep him back to his bed. It’s nothing too forceful, something that could have been easily countered by sheer will, but it’s a promise of where Ryoji stands.]

I can’t let you. [He looks away from Scott in his own pain — he doesn’t like to see his dear friend like this, either.] You haven't recovered yet.

[emotionalbeast]

[Rashomon hits her mark.

Yet, once again, its as last time he remembered.

Rashomon dispelled. The man is untouched.

Akutagawa sighs calmly, clearing his mind.]

Deflected as before. A troublesome ability.

[Is this the calm before the storm?]

text;

[nuraridouman]

Good luck on that. So far he's only guessed my name wrong (but insists that he's right) and knows that I like good alcohol.

[It's good manners to lowkey throw your friends under the bus where Douman comes from, but he hasn't gotten close enough to anybody to give them any worthwhile ammo against him for a long time. He and Gilgamesh just find each other ....useful in varying ways. Gil's his resources, and Douman the king's entertainment.]

This mess is as good a chance to look into certain things as any other. Just leave doing the nasty stuff to villains like us.

[feintofhart]

Why? Planning on killing me again? [ The curve of Claude's mouth his somehow sweet, a challenging spark in his eyes as he laughs humourlessly at his own joke, then shakes his head. ] Sorry, sorry. That was a bad joke.

[ It's difficult to see Claude's true emotions. It always has been. But if Miller looks carefully, he'll see past his dissembling to the core of the man, the way his jaw works and his shoulders hunch, a spasm of fear seeming to tremble through him as he scratches idly at what he had thought was merely a rash on his forearm. He can't seem to figure out what to say, or how to say it.

Miller has put some measure of trust in him to confess what's going on without him being cornered into it, here in this place filled with the injured and the infirm, where someone like Claude - someone who is turning into a monster - could do some real damage. He closes his eyes, breathes deeply. Miller could strike him down where he sits if he wanted to. All it would take is a squeeze of the trigger.

But he doesn't think Miller will do that. Not now, at least. Not here. ]

I didn't realize I'd been infected. Truly. I thought I was coming down with something, maybe, a cold or something like it. But I can hear your thoughts, clear as day. [ His lips press into a humourless smile. ] How can a mind-reader prove that he's telling the truth, if he knows what you're thinking, and how best to respond?

[ He runs a distracted hand through his hair, fingers getting caught up in his curls as he takes a shaky breath and says, with great meaning: ] Fuck.

[ It had been a new curse to him, when he'd learned it. He just didn't have the proper context with which to employ it. This, though? This seems to fit the bill. ]

[conflictresolution]

You attacked me, girl. What's the matter with you?

[Was it an affliction of the city or something else? He risked a look at his arm, at the blood soaking into his sleeve with... tendrils? No, it was just the frayed fabric where she bit him, wasn't it?

He raised his knife between them, willing to stab her if she came at him again. He held his ground, keeping close to the stool in case he had to throw it at her and then there was the bar he could scramble over to retreat.]

You come at me again, and I will slit your throat. [She would not be the first, but he had kept such violence to himself for the most part.] This isn't the city... is it?

[giraffic]

[ At least someone here would have the balls to do it. ]

I don't know! I don't-- I don't fucking know. This shouldn't be possible.

[ But shouldn't her immunity have been impossible too? She was never supposed to walk out of that mall. She should have turned with Riley that day and she's been living on borrowed time ever since.

She can't be infectious, though. It's not possible. Is it?

She couldn't hurt anyone in the forest. If she got worse-- A2 was there, wasn't she? She could stop Ellie. Surely an infected wouldn't be stronger than a combat robot. ]

But I couldn't control myself.

[ Was there any better proof than that? ]

[eternalcutie]

[uncertain of what to do with his hands, czeslaw first rests them at the base of the horse's neck, then hastily moves them to his own legs when it begins acting restless.]

Just a few months. I know some crazy stuff happened before I got here, but this seems pretty bad.

[well, more than "pretty bad" if you ask him, but it seems that people here have a different standard.]

[orphne]

Be careful! [she scolds gently at that gasp, though she still takes his hand, holding it there in place in case that will somehow help him not be in pain. She closes her eyes, presses her cheek into his hand, focusing on the warmth of it against her skin even as it trembles -- or maybe that's her own lips that are trembling. She can't really tell the difference.]

I-I should have been able to control it. I... [she presses her lips tightly together and sucks in a deep breath, forcing herself to open her eyes even if they burn at the edges like she's just on the edge of tears.] I love you, and I... I tried to kill you. That's all wrong.

[Even when he'd been possessed, Scott had never hurt her, not really. He'd always been able to retain that piece of himself. But she'd been so confused, so sure she'd been doing the right thing even as she screamed at herself, that... how could she really ever make up for that? How could she not be blamed for that?]

[orphne]

[She screams again, a different tenor to her voice, higher-pitched and agonized at the slice of his sword against the hard metal of her body. It doesn't cut, not like it might through flesh, but it hurts, driving her backward away from Scott.]

Don't touch him!! Don't take him!!

[She tries for an Agi, even though in another life, she should know that a spell that weak will hardly affect someone as strong as Thanatos. She has to try!]

Please, I want to keep him safe!!

[conflictresolution]

Explain what you mean by "shouldn't be possible".

[He was wary, keeping his distance from her but also unwilling to completely flee either. This was uncharacteristic behaviour from her, and he needed to assess the level of danger that she was for himself, those close to him and the city at large.

He shook his head, still aiming the tip of his knife in her direction.]

Yes well, the lack of control is well felt on my end. There will not be a second opportunity.

[laserguy]

[With every little headbutt from the creature, almost like it's trying to comfort him rather than hurt him, his anxiety continues to ebb and fade. That panic feels less overwhelming, less likely to full take over, and Scott holds in a breath as he tries to settle his remaining nerves. It actually is helping though, having Phoenix and this crystalline creature nearby, one hand reaching up to ruffle the bird's feathers while his other hand slowly unclenches around the cloth that he's been gripping to lightly pat the head of the crys.

...What is this thing anyway?

But Scott honestly isn't thinking too hard about it. Between recovering from... whatever that was and all the shit that's been going on, he'll welcome this little guy. It's not a threat and that's all that matters right now when the Black Beast is still a danger. Something that he still needs to face soon, but give him a moment with his two pals. It's also when he finally notices the damage the creature is currently sustaining, a small frown pulling at his lips as he looks at it.]

Sorry... did I do that to you? [His focus is now on the cracks and broken bits of its body.]

[laserguy]

[It honestly feels a little weird to play support like this, especially after finally becoming a X-Man. Officially. However, he knows the importance of something like this, even if it's sort of hard to swallow at first. He'll just make sure that he doesn't get taken off the battlefield so quickly next time. Yeah. More reasons to train and everything, get even better.

He'll at least finally open his bag of chips. A sign that he's finally accepting all this, to some degree.]

We got a plan going then. [He smiles slightly.] But I don't want to hold you up for long. I promise I'll be okay, there's more people out there that probably need your help. They still... need the X-Men.

atomised;

[incorrigibles]

[ of course charles is there. checking in on the people he knows is a given, and when he finds out that scott's been brought there, well — there's not a chance in hell he'd stay away, then. this is perhaps his third visit since then; he's made it a point to come every day as scott recovers, deal with the mood, try and cheer him up the best he can.

this time, he's come with one bag of chips and another full of cashew nuts; that one he opens and leaves near phoenix, for her to snack on. he tosses the bag of chips on scott's bed and perches on the edge of it, then. ]

You doing better today, mate?

[grappler]

[Vi shrugs.]

I've died twice here.

[she says it so nonchalantly too, as if she didn't still have nightmares about both encounters. Ragna and Silco... those two who'd killed her before.

she pushes the thought away. it's always easier to escape your own thoughts when you're concerned about someone else.]

But it still leaves its mark on you, whether you die or not. Don't downplay yourself and your feelings.

[grappler]

Of course I can.

[even though she's not really sure how. but there's a way to fix it, right? there's always a way to fix it, right?

hopefully they won't take that part away here too, at some point.

she takes another step forward, slow and steady, as if Ellie's a scared animal that's going to run for it at any moment.]

Infected with what? The clinic can help.

[she's not really sure who her boss is, but she's going to focus more on Ellie right now. asking her who it was and if they're okay might cause her even more stress.]

[digthefuzz]

[Ah, the sound of a bag of chips opening! It was already music to his ears, but it's extra pleasant in this instance because it means Scott is going to partake. He's going to rest, for now at least.

And his words get a full grin from Kurt.]

Spoken like a true Cyclops.

And I know you'll make a good on your word. So I'll get going now. But hey, if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask! [He flashes a thumbs up.] I'll see you, man. Keep feeling better!

[And with that, he bamfs away.]

[grappler]

[it takes her about 30-45 minutes to come back with the goods. she's bruised and scraped up with injuries that happened on the way and from earlier, but she doesn't seem to pay it any attention as she comes to the meeting place.

she slips inside the building and puts her cargo down, letting go of her gauntlets only a moment later and rubbing her wrists as she looks around the room.

she hates seeing wounded people... but at least she can help. she calls out:]

Med delivery!

[grappler]

[ohhhh, Fauna founds so similar to Vi right now.]

Not every time. Trust me on that one.

[she's learned that lesson here moreso than at home.]

I'll see if they have a way to restrain you, if I have to. You're not going back out there.

[endcaller]

[Fandaniel tugs back and prepares to throw Tsuna away with a swing of his arms, but the ice quickly claims him in mid-snarl, freezing him into a statue.

He manages to huff out words at the last moment. Words that should be a threat. But what he says is...]

Thank you.

[endcaller]

[He tuts and wags a finger.]

Why pick one when you can wield both, hmm?

[abandonware]

[Slowly, the shadows around A2 solidify into what looks like the silhouette of a female form. The glowing lettering painted across her skin ceases its frenetic movement, and she studies the being in front of her with eyes that glow like lantern lights.

Was this thing a machine? She couldn't be sure, and without her weapon (where had it gone?) she was at a disadvantage. But the fact that it could understand her seems to give her pause. Still, she is clearly looking for an escape — her is posture tense and harried.]

The machines! They have to be responsible — I have to stop them! Who are you? Are you working for them?

[laserguy]

[A small, weak laugh leaves Scott at the small scolding. He doesn't want to say that he suffered through a lot more pain than this to try and be close to her when that literally just happened not too long ago. Too soon. Not to mention he'd never say something like that to her. Instead, he does his best to curl his trembling fingers against her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin, truly just trying to soak in this simple touch.

This is familiar. Reassuring. Her transformation to Orpheus was something else entirely and just another incident that Aldrip puts on them. It's the fault of the Black Beast and Fauna's wish seeds. They can start putting all this behind them, right? He won't dream and think of Kotone beating him or how difficult it was to breathe and the moment when he thought he would actually die for once.

All of that is done with. Fully.]

You couldn't control it, no one has been able to. [He reassures her, gently stroking her cheek, not noticing the way he momentarily spaced out there. How he's been overthinking and stuck in memories. He's just been focused on Kotone this entire time, right?]

So, it's okay Kotone. The only thing to blame is the Black Beast, it caused all this. I-I still love you more than anything else.

[humandispel]

I'm sure you can try something better than that.

[Akutagawa might be stubborn, but there's no way he would be that much of an idiot, right? He must have something else up his sleeve - one that Dazai is looking forward to find out.]

[grappler]

Nothing illegal happening here yet.

[she doesn't trust him, at all. as usual.]

You can go right back to your stupid office or something. Maybe one of those snake heads or whatever will smash it with you inside.

[she's so caring...]