capeandcowllogs | DRAIN YOU OF YOUR SANITY

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DRAIN YOU OF YOUR SANITY

WHO: The Emissary and co. versus everybody
WHERE: Off the coast of Battery Park and throughout the City
WHEN: Just before midnight October 31st (technically November 1st)
WARNINGS: Violence and frightening imagery
SUMMARY: Drawn by Illidan’s magic, a demon from beyond reality has come forth to help the Betrayer doom the world. The battle that saves or destroys everything has begun. Happy Halloween, Cityverse!
FORMAT: Paragraph to start, whatever works after.

It came.

The Moon of midnight on All Hallow’s Eve shone wetly on the waters of the City’s Harbour. From beneath the surface a rumbling could be heard, as though emanating far, far below, within abyssal depths and ancient fathoms that could not possibly be there. First there was a ripple, then a wave, then the creature began to arise from the waters. It slid upwards and upwards, rising smoothly and continuously out of the ocean like a living edifice, a vast Thing ancient and immovable, a walking island sunken no longer. The head then the shoulders then the wings then the misshapen body came forth, yet still more of Its bulk remained beneath the waters, with slow thighs beginning to move It towards the City. All around it the sky and the ocean seemed to darken with an almost positive quality, as though jet-black ink was spilling into the universe itself. The Emissary had come.

Water flowed off Its body in torrents, mixing with drool and ichor. An unending series of sickly slopping and slobbering noises came from the twitching forest of tentacles around Its mouth, the product of a ravening hunger. The ocean heaved immensely around the Titan form, waves thrashing from the power of Its body. How to describe such a thing? How to even conceive of such horror, outside of madness or nightmare? That immense octopus head crowning the terrible body, those dragon-bat wings sprouting from Its back, those rubbery, sea-green scales, the mingled and loathsome aspects of the reptile, the mollusc- and the human! For it was on two feet that It moved, and with two arms did the Emissary reach out toward the morsels It slavered for.

An aura of panic and despair announced It, greater than any herald’s trumpet. Merely to look upon that incomprehensible shape and its alien geometry was to gamble with one’s sanity. Its very presence emanated a sense of immeasurable insignificance and absence of meaning, as though all the Earth was plankton in the presence of a whale. It moved with a shambling, unwholesome motion that had nothing to do with clumsiness, gathering speed. A mountain walked or stumbled! Toward the City, toward the Well. Toward the end of the world.

[ooc: goddamndoomchat is open on AIM if anyone's interested! There are some people fighting the Emissary who have not been slotted into threads yet; we will work those out as we go along! The raid against Illidan in Central Park will be posted by Jill later. Have fun everybody!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, and you don't! Which is what makes it stupid.

Terezi, I'm uncertain how many times it will be necessary for me to repeat to you that my safety is of no consequence before it finally penetrates your think pan in a manner that you finally grasp the concept fully!

My duty is to see to yours and the others, and that overrides any supposition that mine should likewise be paid any concern.

[ yeah, she mad. you do not call her martyr complex into question when she's busy utilizing it, it's what makes such gruesome duties most tolerable, after all! so she's just gonna take out this frustration out on these fliers by clipping all of their wings. all of them. ]

Ugh!! You are being such a crazy bitch!

[yeah so maybe it is not the best idea to have an argument in the middle of fighting off a bunch of extremely persistent enemies. what of it.]

Edited 2011-11-08 04:33 (UTC)

If desiring my friends to remain protected qualifies me as a crazy bitch, than perhaps I should be the craziest bitch paradox space has yet encountered! I will be entirely [ her glow gets gradually brighter as she takes a second to remember that phrase karkat's always using ] shithive maggots if that's what's required of me!

[ she's not bothering to hop between opponents any longer, just pulling portals open and ripping open the abominations they bring her to, then moving into the next portal as soon as her slice is completed, glowing ever brighter and more furiously as she does ]

Perhaps you've forgotten that should Tavros or Nepeta die and not return, there is no future laid before them! [ a portal opens, a monster is bisected ] They are dead with a finality that the dream bubbles serve only to mask. [ a portal opens, a monster is bisected ] A fate that has already befallen Feferi and Equius, might I remind you!

The rest of you are by no means promised the return you would depend on should you fall in battle here! [ portal opens, a monster bisected ] You have just as sure chances to return to a moment where there is hardly a scrap of hope remaining, where Sollux is now more convinced of his impending doom than ever before, and may have reason for it! [ portal opens, a monster bisected ] Where Rose is speeding to her second death as a result of the machinations of an interdimensional con artist! [ portal opens, monster bisected ] Where Jade and the others are moments from being engulfed in a Scratch that will put them out of contact with us and the consequences of which could potentially tear paradox space itself asunder! [ portal opens, monster bisected ] Where even we are left adrift at the whims of a plan that has no guarantee of success!

And you, even you, are vulnerable in ways that I can no longer consider myself, [ portal, monster, bisection ] and only recently found yourself facing death's door to be potentially never seen again!

IF FOR JUST THIS ONCE, [ slice ] IN THIS ONE SINGLE INSTANCE, [ slice ] EVERYONE COULD DISPLAY ENOUGH COURTESY [ slice ] TO NOT DIE OR BE GRAVELY INJURED, [ slice ] EVERY SACRIFICE [ slice ] I COULD [ slice ] CONCEIVE TO MAKE [ slice ] WOULD BE A [ slice ] JUST TRANSACTION!!

[ and then there are no monsters in the immediate area, just a wide radius of their corpses scattered so far throughout that those beyond it have enough sense to direct their path of destruction elsewhere for the moment. and there in the middle of it, blazing like a miniature sun, enough that toward the edges of her far-casting shine it might in fact resemble daylight, is kanaya, on her knees, face cast downward and stained with blood and tears. her voice barely comes out louder than a whisper ]

...I-i-i-if preventing it could be in my c-c-c-ca-capabilites, I wo-would suffer what...would to another r-r-result in a m-million deaths. E-e-e-even a f-f-final death for...myself, should it be n-necessary.

Edited 2011-11-08 08:27 (UTC)

[there's not much for Terezi to do after that display, is there? she stands in front of Kanaya, nose burning from the sharpness of her glow, cane sword hanging useless in one hand. It's not like she has anything to use it on, after all, at least not at the moment.

She is beginning to think that she has been seriously underestimating Kanaya's issues. it's worrying.]

Kanaya...

[elsewhere on the impromptu battlefield, well within Terezi's hearing range and anyone else's sight range, others are fighting the good fight as well. The two troll girls sit in a little pocket of calm in the midst of what is basically a raging storm.]

Maybe...we should stop.

[she says each word carefully, like she thinks she's a step away from picking the wrong ones and seriously fucking things up. if there's one thing that Terezi is good at it's reading people, reading situations, and she knows now that she went into this one with an attitude that was too blase.

how the hell did she miss this?]

[ welp, here she was. she's lost her composure entirely now, stammering like a stupid baby and crying for everyone to see. though the only living thing in about a thirty yard radius is terezi. even so, this should be terribly embarrassing, but kanaya just can't summon up the energy for it right now. it just doesn't seem worth it for what little she has to spare at the moment. ]

M-m-maybe...

[ she clears her throat, her voice still a little weak, perhaps a bit hoarse, but with more volume to it at least ] For just a moment, at least.

[ there's a deep pause as she considers how much she wants to admit this next part, but she supposes it's already out in the air already, so she might as well. she glances over her shoulder to where the other girl was standing ]

I'm so...I-i'm so tired, Terezi.

[Terezi...really just doesn't know what to do in this situation. She's going to have to wing it.

She steps closer to Kanaya, cautious; at least there's no risk of bumping into her on accident. The glow is impossible to miss.]

Probably because you work yourself too hard, Kanaya.

[that almost sounded...pitying.]

You've accomplished enough today, right?

But there's--

[ she looks out onto the scene beyond her little area of calm desolation, at the still swarming horde of spawn. and beyond that still, the emissary out in the distance, climbing through the park toward its ultimate goal.

she chokes on her words as the tears start up again. ]

There's still so much yet to be done!

Edited 2011-11-09 07:35 (UTC)

Let someone else do it. Do you think any of us want to see you hurt? Pushing yourself like this is only going to end in you dead. Again.

[Terezi is being firm on this one. Time to throw in the towel, Maryam.]

[ and kanaya's just gonna turn that glance into a hard glare ]

I'm incapable of dying. That's the very reason it should be me rather than them, there are fewer risks to be faced. Any harm otherwise I'll simply need to endure as necessary.

[kanaya why are you making this so difficult]

Ugh, are you really going to make me repeat myself like a drooling wriggler? It's not worth it if you get hurt too, Maryam!

I'm unafraid of being hurt. Such harm is only temporary, I'm built to withstand it, and, as has been already stated, I find it preferable that I suffer it than others, if someone must.

[ come on terezi this is so obvious why do you keep fighting her on it ]

[BECAUSE IT'S STUPID also Terezi is about to make this about a thousand times worse]

Why are you being so selfish??

SELFISH?!

[ oh gosh i hope you didn't think that was as bright as she got BECAUSE SHE SOMEHOW JUST GOT EVEN BRIGHTER

she stumbles to her feet and stomps her way up to terezi with a fussy finger right in her face ]

The selfish thing to do would be to listen to your advice! To rest, to retreat of all fate-forsaken things!

[ that fussy finger's pointing out at all those horrorterrors getting their confidence back to move back in on them, and beyond them, the ones who'd never had a chance to loose it ]

There is no retreat, no rest, being taken by the beings who are presenting the threat to us! While they continue their advance, I should be there to maintain some semblance of a defensive front, and would be had you not been distracting me with your worries of matters so insignificant as my personal safety!

[ she turns her back to terezi there ]

Really, I've wasted enough time as it is!

[ and with that, she grabs a handful of threads and reels in a portal, ready to rejoin the battle ]

[There's no point in denying that Terezi flinches when Kanaya gets in her face, both because she's so damn bright it literally hurts and because Kanaya is kind of terrifying. But she's not going to back down after all that.]

No, Kanaya, selfish is thinking of yourself constantly! Oh My I Would Really Prefer It If I Were To Stay Here And Protect My Friends! [that is a poorly done representation of Kanaya's speech.]

Wow, did you ever think to ask the rest of us what we think about that?? You always do this, putting yourself up on a huge pedestal for the rest of us to bow down at. I'll never have to take care of myself again, Kanaya is here!!

[she's yelling now, entire body posture stiff.]

What total bullshit!! I don't need you to take care of me and neither does Tavros or Nepeta or Karkat! Stop acting like you're the most humble and helpful person to walk the fucking earth and really think about what somebody else wants for a change! All you do is yell and yell and yell about what a great person you are and it's stupid.

[ she wheels about and lets that portal go, because aw hell naw ]

Is that genuinely what you believe is happening here? Do you truly think I ever wanted matters to progress in this manner? If I've learned anything in the Veil, it's that undesirable occurrences are promised when I neglect my duties and selfishly put thought into my own well-being! There was never any choice!

Nor is there some ridiculous pedestal for me to rest on as you seem to suppose! I'm by no means a great or even good person, and have never maintained such a ludicrous position! I am, if anything, the worst of us. The suffering and harm that will inevitably result from circumstances such as this isn't simply what I'm capable of, it's no better than I deserve!

[ oops and the secret's out, but she's too agitated to stop herself from letting it spew further ]

You, on the other hand, alongside Karkat, Nepeta, and Tavros, have by no means earned such punishment! Seeing to your wants would certainly be desirable, yet the necessities will always be tantamount.

[at first Terezi just gets tenser and tenser--the bullshit pile just doesn't keep from getting higher and it's starting to affect her.

but when Kanaya finishes her speech, right when it seems like Terezi is going to snap and do something, she totally relaxes and sheathes her sword so that it's a whole cane again.

in the following two seconds, perhaps Kanaya will take that as a sign that Terezi has finally seen sense and is going to agree to be sent home.

the third second will prove any such theoretical thoughts wrong, as Terezi snaps into action with admirable speed, aiming a startlingly powerful blow--not softened or pulled for Kanaya's sake--at her nearest shoulder.

afterward she looks grim, but maybe a little...satisfied. that felt pretty good after all this okay and maybe if she's lucky it'll shut kanaya up.]

[ kanaya's footing hadn't been so sure to begin with, so the blows leaves her staggering. she twists to look at terezi, balling her fists, about to continue fussing even further, but as the question rests on her tongue, it also runs through her mind.

why the hell would terezi do that?

well, what has she been trying to do this whole time? she wants kanaya to stop, to retreat. she's trying to pacify her, and this was the only action she seemed to have left. does kanaya even need to be pacified? she'd never considered herself the type, as she was always so busy doing the pacifying herself. that was her place. that she could even have some need to be pacified is beyond her, that she could matter enough to anyone that they'd actually consider her worth the effort... no, none of that makes sense.

so, who benefits?

terezi wouldn't care about the demonspawn, she'd been slaying them right alongside. no one cares about the demonspawn, everyone would rather they were dead, except maybe the demonspawn themselves, and their giant abominolusus rampaging through the park, and no one cares what they think, obviously, because they'd rather have them dead.

which leaves the question still in the air. the only other possibility is that she...doesn't want...kanaya to get hurt, but no that's obviously not it even the notion is stupid why did she even consider it. there is nothing that matters any less than that, except perhaps the demonspawn's live.

this is bullshit, why is this even happening?

in the five seconds kanaya's taken to perform these mental gymnastics, she decides they're entirely too massive a headache, and so she finally decides to sit down and address the matter directly, turning her back to terezi. the glow noticeably settles, though gradually. ]

For what reason could this possibly matter to you so much?

[it's a relief when the glow finally lessens a little, but Terezi doesn't really relax. she sounds tired when she answers.]

Why do you think, Kanaya?

[ kanaya's just...studying the ground. oh look at all those interesting rocks and pebbles why couldn't this be a more suitable distraction ]

I'm having difficulty discerning it. Not one of the reasonings I've been able to imagine makes any degree of sense.

For some reason that doesn't surprise me at all.

[Terezi is just ready for this situation to be over. she hates feeling like she doesn't have control over things.]

You didn't believe me when I tried to tell you earlier, so I'm not sure what the point in talking about it is at this point.

[ well uh, yeah but, so um. shit. ]

Some things aren't terribly easy to be believed at their face. It isn't that I suspect you of lying, but I can't make sense of why you wold feel such a way when the possibilities involved don't actually matter.

[ not when their subject doesn't matter, either ]

And I find it so touching that you think what's important to me doesn't matter, too!!

[just frowning so hard.]

You're not even in any condition to keep this up anymore. Can't we just leave?

It isn't my intention to disparage your feelings, I simply feel they could be put to better use on a subject of greater worth. Someone more deserving, rather than a worthless expense of your time and energy you've presently chosen.

[ because, yeah, they're both pretty tired, and kanaya's pretty sure that's her fault. just one more thing.

speaking of things that she's bound to consider her own fault, she looks back up to see dem tentaclebeasts. are they really not gone yet? ]

I still can't help feeling it would be negligent to leave this situation as it currently is. I should rejoin the battle, but should you elect to accompany me, I promise to avoid any complaints on the matter.

No, that would be completely stupid! [Terezi is not even touching the first part anymore. she's referring to sticking around and fighting more.]

I know there are plenty of others fighting this. There's no reason for us to stick around.

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