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

[chimericalclaw]

[The shade makes no effort to argue with the idea or insist what he's offering is any different. Instead—]

Whatever word you use for it... the peace is the same. Never having to worry about how you're perceived, or how the next crisis will hurt those you care for... rather than having to settle for a lifetime of struggle.

[digthefuzz]

That... It just doesn't feel right. [He frowns.] What about things like joy, or happiness?

[chimericalclaw]

[Somberly, as he shifts like changing his stance, moving the space of a step closer:]

They never last. [And it sounds like he truly laments that—but can't see it any other way.] And there's never any guarantee you'll find them again. Why suffer just for the random chance?

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt takes a step back, uneasily.]

It- it's not like it's random. Good things like that are out there for all of us. And even when it comes with bad feelings, it's all part of being alive. It doesn't feel right to give that up... a-and I don't get why you did. Something's wrong here, Altius.

[chimericalclaw]

What's wrong is that it all keeps going.

[His voice gets stronger, but more out of his conviction of what he sees to be true rather than any anger directed towards Kurt. With both arms he gestures to the city around them, silent except for the Black Beast's roars in the distance and the sounds of other monsters causing further chaos.]

Look at this place. Can you really tell me it's worth it, watching everyone around you get torn apart, again and again?

[digthefuzz]

[His frown tightens.]

I... I don't like that. It's definitely not good. But this - it doesn't feel like the right solution. When people get torn apart, we should help them get back together. N-not make them into... nothing. Won't that make them... not even them anymore?

[It feels harder than usual to find the right words and conviction, but he is trying.]

[chimericalclaw]

[With no apparent dismay over the idea of the loss of identity, he replies,] It's the only solution that will last.

[His arms return to his sides, shoulders sinking.]

Anything else... we'll just have to keep fighting, and losing, and wearing ourselves down until there's nothing left regardless. Why shouldn't I accept the painless option?

[digthefuzz]

That's not true. Come on, Altius. You can't give up like this. It's not all losses. We still have victories, too. And no matter what, we learn. We can keep working at being better people - and being there for people who need us.

[He's able to hold onto that much conviction.]

Nothing... Nothing can't help anyone. People have been scrambling a lot more to keep on top of things at the clinic since you disappeared, you know.

[chimericalclaw]

[The implication makes him pause. Still, so what? Another will step into the role—or they won't, and things will continue as they are, over and over again. People filtering in and out, returned to their worlds or deleted, it's all the same.

But there's a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, just for a moment. He shakes his head to dismiss it, wisps of darkness moving in lieu of strands of hair.]

Pyrrhic. Pointless. What difference will it make? Nothing I do will ever stop the suffering...

[His head falls into his hands. The feeling that he'll never make it out of here feels insurmountable. After coming so close to the end of it all, another set of gods has picked him to become their plaything.]

I'm so tired...

[digthefuzz]

[He frowns as he looks at him.]

It sounds like you still feel something at least. And if that's the case, what you need is rest. Not... not this.

[Kurt gestures all around them.]

Come on, man. It's true that you can't stop suffering forever, but there is still suffering you can stop. And every bit - every ounce helps make the world a better place. Like you were in the clinic, looking after Fauna and everyone.

[With that, Kurt hazards to start coming closer.]

Please, Altius. Try- try to become yourself again. Get some rest, and then... come back to help us. We can beat this together, and we can do it while we're still us! You can be so much more than 'nothing'.

[chimericalclaw]

[The part of him that wants to argue is drowned out by his wish to stop. He lifts his head just barely, blearily watching Kurt's approach just past his clawed fingers.]

I don't want... to be more.

[He'd chipped away at himself for so long, only ever playing the parts he felt he needed to play, grinding away any aspect of himself that got in the way because it didn't matter, in the end—it was going to be over, anyway. Until he came here, and it wasn't. But still he continued as he has been, because... why?

Because... of people like Kurt, wasn't it. Young people forced to fight, never given a chance to escape that fate through no fault of their own. He'd wanted to end that, even if only for his own world. He thinks—Kurt reminds him of one of them, the children who've been put in his way. The fiery one who works so hard to be cheerful because so many of his friends can be so grim.

Despite his voiced rejection and the way his eyes slide off of Kurt's face to gaze at a spot in the pockmarked street, one or two wisps of shadow that rise off of him in small spots reveal something much more solid than shade—the familiar coloring of the man instead of darkness and absence.]

[digthefuzz]

[He pauses for a moment as he catches those wisps of shadows. Those glimpses of the Altius he knows. That causes hope to stir up within him. In some way, he might actually be making progress. He can help him.]

You say that. But is that what you really want? I get a feeling that you're less sure of this than you say you are - or that you think you are!

[If this was a time for jokes, he'd say something about him seeming wispy on the matter. But now, it's a time to try talking from the heart.]

Come on. Just think about it. That feeling of wanting to help others. Or any feeling, really! You must really miss feeling things.

[chimericalclaw]

No, [he whispers, still hunched over. He does wish he could feel nothing, even still. It's only that there's something else he wants more than that.] But—

[Hadn't he decided long ago? That he'd do whatever it took, no matter how much pain it caused him. No matter how exhausted he got. No matter the cost. His eyes return to his hands, still held close to his head, watching as some of the darkness dissolves to show burned fingers.]

How could I forget...?

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt continues to step closer. It seems like Altius is struggling now! And are those fingers he sees? It really might be working...]

That's a good question. Whatever you're thinking about, keep it up. Keep thinking about that. Remember! Remember what's important to you. And how hard you're trying to protect others!

[chimericalclaw]

[That's right. To protect them from harm...

Head lifting, he notices Kurt's approach and moves backwards, straightening up slightly with his eyes wider with awareness; where he stood before there's a hole that's been eaten away. His expression isn't one of shock, but there's both alarm and determination there as a little more of the shade becomes human.]

I have to keep going.

[But it's not something he can do with anyone by his side. Not in any real sense.]

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt's eyes widen as he sees the hole in the ground. That confirms what he was starting to suspect about the environment surrounding them. Altius really was causing it! Now he feels a bit relieved that he didn't hold onto him for longer.]

Y-yeah. Keep going. Especially if it leads you- if it leads you back to yourself.

[He's not sure if he completely makes sense, but he just hopes that it helps.]

[chimericalclaw]

[Kurt's encouragement helps to solidify his confidence, and he straightens as he turns away. Even though he heads further into the darkness as the mist curls around him, he stops momentarily and speaks, a goodbye of sorts before he moves to disappear.]

... thank you.

[digthefuzz]

[Kurt does try to move closer. He doesn't want to stop now, not when they've made progress! But before he knows it, he's gone.]

Altius...

[But at the very least, Altius's parting words remain with Kurt and resonate with him. In this words, he feels like maybe this isn't a loss. Maybe he's paved the way to victory. All he has to do now is to hope and trust in Altius.]