etrayalogs | MISSION 005 PT 2 & ARRIVALS

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MISSION 005 PT 2 & ARRIVALS

WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: September 27th-???
WHERE: Throughout Etraya
WHAT: New Arrivals! With a side of mission 005.
NOTES\WARNINGS: Horror elements, including fear-inducing landscapes, distorted environments, unseen predators, mental/emotional distress, potential body horror, corruption, possession, brainwashing, and compulsion.

⏵ disrupted arrival ⏴

Your arrival does not go as anticipated.

Aurora, the AI that keeps Etraya in order, had been overtaken by the Im'mari earlier in the month, her systems corrupted by its influence. While efforts have been made to save her from succumbing to it, much of the city is still in disrepair.

New arrivals will not awaken in pristine hospital rooms, but will instead awaken within the Dhaliwal-to-wall Bookstore. Cots are laid on the ground surrounded by books. Kneeling beside them is a woman - or rather, Aurora, with her new body that is vaguely similar to the makeup of those from Connor's world. Her features are strangely serene, with light hair framing her face. Those capable may recognize that she is machine, rather than flesh and blood. Beside her, a vital monitor thrums as it monitors the newcomers, checking them over for any abnormalities that may require her attention. Those who may have arrived injured will find their wounds well-tended to.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Her voice is steady, tinged with something almost apologetic. She offers a slight smile, looking over her charges. "We are in the midst of a mission that has... gotten out of hand. My name is Aurora. You have been chosen to protect your home world, and I am here to assist you in achieving that goal. The multiverse has begun to fall apart, and Echo will only be able to protect some of them. You are here to show them the importance of protecting your world."

She will remain to answer questions for those who respond to her politely in turn. For those who opt to be unkind, Aurora will simply shake her head in disappointment and pull herself up to her feet, moving to check on her next charge, if any remain. Otherwise, she has other matters to attend to.

Each newcomer is given an earpiece to connect them to the others residing on Etraya before they exit the bookstore.

Welcome to your new home.

⏵ into the fractured city ⏴

Once the initial shock of arrival wears off, they're left with the daunting reality that is Etraya: a collection of islands teetering on the edge of collapse, still reeling under the influence of the Im'mari. The streets outside are eerily quiet, but signs of life and activity are scattered throughout the city.

Aurora provides a moment to gather their bearings, but the weight of her words hangs in the air: there is no time for complacency here. Etraya may be fractured, but it is still home. For now.

Whispers of Im'mari's influence linger in the city, and numerous individuals who have been drafted have become infected by it. Faint shadows seem to move just beyond sight, strange echoes sound in the empty alleys of Nova City, the hospital appears to be temporarily taken over by something otherworldly, and while many within the city are beginning to figure out their next steps in taking care of what's happening, others are left reeling, consumed by the fears that haunt them.

It may be wise to scout out a few safe zones among the untouched areas of Etraya. Ramsey Farm seems to remain... mostly peaceful, outside of the havoc caused by Mena the goat. The catacombs under the city proper also seem to have escaped Im'mari's notice - for now. And while it may be covered in snow and cold, the Wolf Cove also seems to be relatively peaceful.

Outside of safe zones, others who have been present in the city for long may provide useful information, if one were to seek them out. There are strange objects imbued with dark magic hidden throughout Etraya by Gorgug and placed strategically to affect those who come into contact with them. Those who are perceptive enough may be able to find and neutralize these objects before they spread further terror.

With enough effort, perhaps things will return to normal.

⏵ whispered influence ⏴

The air in Etraya is charged with tension, thick with the weight of something ancient and malevolent. Whatever it is has already begun warping the landscape, but what lurks behind the shifting reality is far worse. Im'mari, a fragment of the cosmic horror that ravaged Moorecroft through the night, managed to follow those who returned to Etraya on their journey back home. Its insidious presence creeps through the city like a shadow that refuses to lift.

This isn't just a fight against fear. It's a slow devouring, a feeding on the darkness that lingers in every corner of your mind.

Im'mari is not a distant beast; its very essence has embedded itself into the heart of Etraya, infecting wolves, plants, and even a few of those who currently call Etraya home. Its influence spreads like a whisper in the night, quiet at first, almost imperceptible. But with each passing moment, with each shudder that goes through one's spine as they face their fears, it grows stronger. The more one struggles, the more it feeds.

Can you feel it? The weight of it pressing in?

⏵ through the veil ⏴

The whispers grow louder.

Perhaps you see it in your friends. A little shift in their tone, the way they hesitate before speaking. Or perhaps it's something deeper--subtle changes, things you'd never normally question. Maybe they seem more irritable or doubt themselves in a way that feels foreign. You wonder: is this just the strain of the mission? Or is it something darker?

"It's easier if you just give in."

And the more you listen, the more your world bends. You swear you hear something--a voice, someone calling out to you. Or was it just the wind? The scent of blood hangs in the air, though when you search, you can't find its source.

Suddenly you see it on the walls--a message, a memory from your past--something that grips you with a cold fear. It settles deep in your gut, but it's too late. The image lingers at the edges of your vision. Your mind is playing tricks on you, isn't it? Or is it something else? The longer you linger in the halls of the apartment complex, marketplace, or the hospital, the more the world twists around you. Objects shift in your peripheral vision - did that lamp just move? Did that thing lingering just at the edge of your peripheral vision just speak your name?

Im'mari is everywhere now, its influence seeping into the very walls. While Aurora has been freed from its web and continues to work to regain control of her city, Im'mari tightens its grip, refusing to give in. The stairs creep beneath your feet, the scent of rot clings to the food in the diner, and the hospital's medical rooms are empty... or are they? Was that a scalpel, or something else? Paranoia begins to creep in, the lines between reality and illusion blurring the longer Im'mari maintains control.

And grows bolder.

Words, sounds, and images warp the world around you. Faces appear in the shadows. Scents that shouldn't exist hang in the air, triggering memories you'd long since buried. Blood, ocean waves, familiar voices fading in and out. The longer you stay in these places, the more paranoia seeps in, eroding your defenses and wearing you down.

Many objects may seem harmless, but Gorgug's magic has imbued them with dark energy. As you pass them, the whispers begin. A stair creaks underfoot and suddenly you're back within a memory. A stone shifts, and you catch a glimpse of something that shouldn't be there. These objects are traps, set to trigger the worst within you.

Each time a memory comes to life, it seems to warp the world around you - the hallways stretch, the lights flicker out, and you're certain someone is following you. The paranoia builds, a creeping dread that won't leave. You have to find the source. Break the spell, or endure it continuing to spread.

⏵ cottage in the woods ⏴

As you travel deeper into the twisted forest, the air grows heavier, more oppressive. The scorpions that guard the way to the cottage scuttle through the trees, their pincers sharp as they block your path. Vanessa lingers there, her appearance changed, eyes glowing a fiery red. Black veins pulse beneath her skin with the same dark energy that courses through the Im'mari. Along with her are her guardians, ready to fight to defend her.

The closer you get to her, the more distorted the forest becomes. Light blinks in and out, disorienting you. You're not sure which way is forward, and the scorpions hiss from the shadows, attempting to lead you away. But you must keep going. Vanessa stands at the heart of it all - broken, feral, lashing out at anyone who dares to approach.

If you get too close, you'll hear the whispers.

"They see evil in you. You're no different."

If confronted, she may call upon her magic, using Verbis Diablo. But if you act fast, you can attempt to stop her before the words take hold.

⏵ NOTES ⏴

There is a header for new arrivals if they wish to talk with Aurora!

For all questions relating to this mission, please refer to the plotting post. Please keep an eye out for new comments, as we have many new characters and players arriving! All other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Riz almost speaks, rebutts -- he knows Fabian won't leave him here. He'd never do something like that. But this isn't a case where Fabian can even do anything, he wants to argue; he's investigated every inch of this apartment, scoured every corner, broken every glass pane and window and door to the best of his ability, but this place just doesn't want him getting out. Baron doesn't want him getting out, though he would never, could never mention that part, Baron still representing something strange and unknown and humiliating and terrifying in ways that he still can't quite put words to. He can ignore it all, though, the puppet creaking through every shard of glass, taunting him from the screen, and just tell Fabian that he needs to find a way out for himself, at least, even if Baron would never let him escape.

Except... something happens. Fear rises in Riz's gut, icy and sharp. Fabian is loud and boisterous and larger than life unless something is terribly wrong - like he'd been after what happened in Leviathan, quiet and withdrawn and defeated, as shaky as a child, like he'd been in Moorecroft, having come face to face with so many mundanely awful things that he couldn't bear it anymore - but to see it happen so suddenly is nothing short of terrifying. Riz stills.

He didn't know that Baron could do this. He hadn't dared think about it. But Baron is the Nightmare King's child as surely as Kalina is his familiar, and they gain power in the dark, in the night, in the quietly cradled fears no one says aloud, and what do they do with that power? What did Kalina do with that power?

He thinks about Fabian, walking into the sea. Drowning, adrift until Riz could make a deal. ]

No, [ he says, half whisper, half moan. ] Nooo, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This isn't happening right now. Fuck-fuck-fuck. Baron? You gotta -- [ He cuts himself off, voice rising, frantic, frenetic. Riz is usually good at keeping a cool head during situations like these, but now he's visibly catapulting headfirst into outright panic. ] You said you brought me a friend, right? What's the point of that when you just go in -- inside him? You and me were talking just fine before. Right? We can go back to doing that.

[ It's fine. It's totally fine. He can just make another deal. Easy. ]

[ The way Riz gets so frantic only makes Fabian's own weird attitude stand out even more. Because there's just no reaction to it from him. There's still just that weird, weird calm, even in the face of Fabian's best friend absolutely starting to freak out right in front of him.

His face doesn't move, not even the tiniest bit, as he just stares at Riz in that unsettlingly calm way. ]

But you would not allow me close. Would you, Riz Gukgak? [ As if to emphasize that fact, Fabian's hands - still on Riz's arm - suddenly grip onto said arm tighter, as if to prevent Riz from moving away the moment he hears those words.

It's definitely a vice grip, strength-wise.. The difference in strength between Riz and Fabian is truly working out in Baron's favor right now. ]

But you allow him close. [ Fabian's body leans a little closer, his voice dropping to an ominous whisper. ] You let him touch you.

[ The words linger for a moment, but then Fabian's body is pulled backwards again, though he still doesn't release his grip on the arm. His voice does move back up to a more normal volume though when he speaks on. ]

I wonder, Riz Gukgak. Do you think a best friend is more important than a romaence partnaer?

[ It's terrifying, seeing Fabian like this, his face slack and empty like someone had simply removed everything that made Fabian Fabian and threw it all away. In a way, it almost feels like this is some comeuppance, for not understanding Fabian's keen distress when Riz had been underneath the influence of that infernal doll, for being so insecure about their friendship that he'd felt moved to make up Baron in the first place, for insinuating himself into Fabian's life without his say so. Fabian wants him around now, of course. He couldn't make that any more obvious, not with his nigh desperate need for companionship, gripped with a fear of being left behind that he'd never thought someone so confident and likeable would have.

None of that confidence or charisma is here now. Just Baron. Looking into Fabian's dark eyes and trying fruitlessly to twist away from his vice grip, Riz spares a moment to wonder where the fuck Fabian went, if he's watching all of this from some place deep inside of him to hear exactly what Riz has to say to all this -- and then tamps down the ache of shame that even now, he's scared of Fabian finding out about all of the horrible, jealous little thoughts he's kept so close to his chest all this time. ]

It doesn't matter if it is or not, [ he says, planting one foot on Fabian's knee for leverage to try to pull himself away. ] He doesn't have one, okay?! So it doesn't matter!

[ Yet. Riz glances unwittingly over to the television, where the figure of Fabian still has his back turned to him, his profile sharp as he turns to look at his companion, eyes crinkled at the corners the way they only are when he's found something truly delightful. ]

If you let him go, I'll let you -- [ touch me, he means to say, but he can't get the words out, reminded of bone-white hands reaching out of the mirror, curling around his neck, the creaking and crack of his bones, gasping for breath ] -- I'll make up dates for us! How we met, what we did, okay? He has nothing to do with what...

[ We have? What do they have? Why is he the only one to be haunted by a lie? ]

With us, okay?

You want him back, and for me to return to the television device? [ If the weird look on Fabian's face wouldn't be enough to already show that this is very much not Fabian, then it's the weird way of speaking. The odd choice of words - even compared to Fabian's own weird fancy and pompous way of speaking - coupled with the accent, sounding even more foreign on Fabian's tongue than it had on Baron's own. ] That is a cruel thing to say, Riz Gukgak.

[ There's something threatening about those words, but it doesn't seem to translate to something physical just yet. Yes, Fabian's hand is still holding onto Riz's arm tightly, but Fabian's body isn't moving to try and hurt Riz's body in any way yet, despite the fact that the goblin can't go anywhere like this.

Like Baron is more focused on talking to Riz right now than to do anything just yet. ]

You are willing to do all that for him? And yet.. you have not even spoken of me to him. He knows I am your romaence paertner.

[ Suddenly Fabian leans in closer. Uncomfortably so. There's something a little jerky about the movement, weirdly inhuman. ]

But you have not told him why I exist, Riz Gukgak. Why is that? Why would you do so much for him, and yet not tell him this one singulaer thing?

[ Riz's adams apple - stark in his skinny throat - bobs as he swallows nervously, leaning away from Fabian, from Baron, even though he doesn't dare try to wiggle himself loose. He's worried about what Baron will do to him, sure, but right now? He's more worried about what Baron will do to Fabian.

He knows what possession could do to Fabian. He's already lived it out in one of the worst nights of his entire life, knowing that Fabian had been moved to wade out into the sea, only to return hurt and shivering and changed. It's never taken much to make Riz's mind whir with possibility; already, he can imagine Baron hurling Fabian's body off of a building, dragging a knife across his throat, removing his remaining eye, snapping his achilles tendon.

He needs to be very, very careful. ]

Because it's none of his business, man! We never -- half the people Fig makes out with, we've never even heard of! [ His voice cracks: ] I'm a private guy! You know that. Right? Me telling you these things, i-it's, it'd just be for you and me, yeah? That's... [ He clears his throat. The word is squeezed out of his lungs. ] Romantic. Right?

[ Fabian - or, more appropriately, Baron inside of Fabian - releases his grip on Riz's wrist, suddenly pulling his hand back.

He doesn't lean back though. He's still uncomfortably close to Riz, possibly leaning even a little bit closer in again after Riz moved away a few moments ago. His voice has dropped to a whisper. ]

Why are you telling lies once more, Riz Gukgak?

[ For a moment he doesn't add anything to that. He just stays there, leaning uncomfortably close to Riz - watching him with Fabian's one now unblinking eye.

Then he finally does lean back. Baron still doesn't reach to hold onto Riz once more. After all, where is Riz going to go if he can't even leave this apartment? ]

You know why you created me. You created me because you lied to them. Even now, you are still lying to them, Riz Gukgak. Why would you put them above your romaence paertner if you can't even tell them the truth? Why would you call them your friends and then lie to their faces?

[ It's so awful hearing Baron using Fabian's voice.

There's a lot more he should be focusing on right now: the fact that Fabian is in danger every moment his body is out of his control, the fact that they're trapped and Riz has no idea how to get them out of here, the fact that Baron is relentlessly digging his thumbs into every weak spot Riz has and squeezing. But he can't help it. It's just so wrong. Fabian's voice is a bright, lively thing, prone to being raised in joy, dismay, and anger alike, and to hear it contorted into Baron's menacing hiss is just another reminder of who's puppeting his body. It's invasive, cruel. What is Baron getting out of this that he couldn't have done safely locked away inside of the television set? ]

Fuck you. I'm not lying. If I lied, maybe you'd have more than one personality trait, [ Riz snaps back. The heat of his anger is mitigated by the fact that he's hopping away from Baron, scrambling backwards until the back of his heels hit the couch, hands raised protectively in front of him as though he could do a goddamn thing against him. ]

Not sharing's different than lying. And don't get started with the lying by omission stuff, you and I both know that that's not a thing. [ His shoulders hunch, uncomfortable. It's not about not thinking his friends won't accept him. Not really. Not when they've accepted the rest of him. But the fears he cradles deep down inside him, the paranoia, the deep-seated knowledge that one day he's going to wind up alone and insignificant while the rest of them get to live out the rest of their lives? It's fucking embarrassing, is what it is.

They'd reassure him that never happens. He'd promise to believe them. It wouldn't work. They'll all find people that matter more to them than him; they'll be good friends, kind friends, maybe they'd even check in on him every once in a while, but they'll go home to the warmth of companionship, and Riz will go home to nothing. Even if he did... want like that, who would have him?

This guy right in front of him. That's who. ]

I don't talk about... unnecessary things. Why would I have to tell them about the absence of something?

[ He didn't even tell them about his Dad. Not until he absolutely had to. Riz doesn't have things to confess, not actively. Just yawning expanses of nothingness where he knows something else should be. ]

Edited 2024-11-05 02:08 (UTC)

[ The entire time Riz talks, the entire time he moves away, Baron just stares. Unsettingly. There's not a single emotion that moves across Fabian's features as Baron listens to the entire thing. He doesn't even move, a complete contrast with all the emotion that radiates off the goblin in this moment. ]

You say many things, Riz Gukgak. [ The body still doesn't move, even as Baron speaks up again. It's so flat - like a factual observation. ] But you display even more things. You feel more than you say. If it is not a problem, then why are you uncomfortable? Why are you afraid?

[ There's a short pause after those words, but before Riz can speak up, Baron instead starts again. ]

.. I see your decision though. It is fine, Riz Gukgak. [ And he's moving. Closer to Riz. Step by step. ] If you wish to keep me your secret, then I will be that. Your secret. Our secret.

[ He reaches out, Fabian's hand lifting - but rather than going for Riz, like it might seem at first, the hand instead grabs the remote control off the couch behind him before Fabian's body mechanically turns around to look at the television. ]

And if you have no secrets to tell, then you do not need friends to tell them to.

[ With a press of the remote control, the television changes channels. The image of the party with the older versions of Riz's party members disappears, going through a few channels of just static, and then--

There's Fabian. Not the older Fabian from before, but Fabian as he is, as Riz remembers him. The same Fabian that's standing next to Riz right now, except clearly not possessed by Baron. The Fabian on the screen looks just like himself - acts more like himself, since he's banging his fists animatedly on the screen, like he's trying to get out.

Baron drops the remote back onto the couch without bothering to do as much as look at it, and instead starts to walk over towards the television set with decisive steps. ]

You will not ever have to tell him about your absence, Riz Gukgak. You will not ever have to tell him about your romaence paertner. He can disappear, and I will stay by your side instead. [ Baron - in Fabian's body - is reaching for the off button on the television set. ]

W-what?

[ Riz stares between the television screen and Baron in Fabian's body, temporarily frozen in place. He's always prided himself on being quick to think and quick to act; swift, decisive, brutal when he needs to be. But somehow every time Baron comes around he just freezes up like he's some dumb kid and not the seasoned adventurer he knows he is, too overwhelmed by the sheer weight of his presence to be able to eke out any clarity of mind.

What does he do? What can he do? He keeps on saying what he thinks Baron wants to hear, keeps on offering what he thinks Baron would be mollified by, but nothing works. It will never work. But ever since Fabian stumbled in here, it was no longer just about him -- now his friend's been dragged into Riz's own issues in a way he'd never wanted him to be, not in the bitter thoughts he's been harbouring, not in his insecurities, and definitely not all his fears made tangible by some homicidal piece of shit.

His eyes dart between Baron puppeting Fabian's body and the television: unless this is another one of Baron's tricks, he's being forced to choose between Fabian's body, and his soul. No matter what he does now, Fabian loses. ]

No!

[ A yell rips its way out of his throat before he finally, finally manages to spring into action, rushing to tackle Baron with all of his might. He can't shoot him, he can't stab him, not like this, he just has to -- he has to do something, he needs to stop this, he needs to get Fabian out. He beats at Baron's chest with his fists, a desperate onslaught. ]

Stop it! Just stop! Just leave him alone and tell me what you want!

[ He'll do it. He swears. It feels like the only way out of this mess. Fabian's had enough of dealing with other people's messes; he doesn't need to deal with Riz's too. ]

[ The good news for Riz is that he does at least manage to get Baron away from the television. Usually Riz wouldn't really be able to knock Fabian over, given their difference in size and physical prowess, but this isn't Fabian in Fabian's body. Even though Baron has been doing pretty well with it so far, it isn't easy for them to move the body quite as easily as Fabian himself does.

So when Riz suddenly jumps on said body like that, Baron is thrown off-balance just enough that Riz's jump and consequent knocking against the body's chest does knock Fabian's body over with Baron in it, the two of them forming a boy pile on the ground. ]

I have been telling you it this whole time.

[ Unfortunately for Riz, Baron is still good enough with Fabian's body that it doesn't take him all that much to be able to pull Riz off him. Holding the goblin by both shoulders with a tight grip while Baron sits back up again.

His voice is still the same as before, mostly calm, but there's.. something else in it. Something a little more threatening now. More directly threatening, like there is some frustration on Baron's part that Riz doesn't seem to get it. ]

You still do not understand? Do you not call yourself a detective, Riz Gukgak? And yet you can't figure out what this has been about this entire time? What this place wants-- of me, of you, of us? [ He leans in closer to Riz, whispering in Fabian's voice, yet with the same strange cadence: ] It wants our fear. Do you not know what you fear?

If you just want me to fucking -- I don't know, bare my soul to you, then you can stop it with all this romance partner bullshit! You're the one not being honest with me! I offered to give you what you wanted!

[ Riz yells back -- screams, really, his voice jumping an octave, gone shrill and hoarse with the force of his emotion. He had. He tried. He'd told Baron he could have him, that he'd make up dates, that he'd do all this dumb romance shit if it would keep Fabian safe. He knew, deep down, that this isn't what it was all about.

Baron doesn't want him like that. Nobody does. Nobody would. Not that that's something that bothers Riz, not really, not until that stray thought pops into his head that maybe he's making up his own aversion to all of the everything people have going on in order to make up for the fact that he'd hardly be successful in that arena anyway. Baron is a creature of fear, born of his own mind, of his own neuroses, of all the things that Riz shouldn't rightly have when his life has been a walk in the park compared to Kristen's, compared to Adaine's.

None of that seems to matter. Somehow his paltry, stupid little hang-ups were enough to bring Baron to life; meaningless, compared to cults and monsters and gods and the end of the world twice over. What does that say about him, exactly? And even now, petrified of what might happen to Fabian, there's another voice in his head, far crueller than anything Baron could say out loud. What if he says it, and Fabian hears? What if he's able to look at Riz a little too closely, and decides...

Riz's fingers curl in the fabric of Fabian's shirt, tearing at it in a way he'll almost certainly need to apologize to Fabian about later. ]

That's it? I say my fears out loud, and you just go away? [ It sounds so simple. It's not. Even talking about it to his father, with his gentle, compassionate eyes and kind words, exactly the same as he remembered him, dancing around the true heart of the subject had been unendingly difficult for him. In this place, knowing it will be used against him but not knowing how, the words seem to get stuck in his throat. ]

I -- I fear being alone. [ That's not quite it. Riz is often alone. He's comfortable in his own company. He forces the words out, slowly, staggered, one step at a time. He wouldn't, if Fabian weren't here, stubborn to the end, unwilling to or incapable of facing down his own problems in the same way he holds a magnifying glass to everyone else's. ] I'm scared that everyone's going to find something... better than me, that they'll get tired of having to deal with me and all my -- all of it.

[ The strangeness. The social dysfunction, the periods of prolonged mania, the obsession with clues, the absence of social graces, that as they grow older and older, everything that could once be chalked up to youth and growing pains will remain, making it clear that it's not just a temporary matter. That while everyone else grows up and changes and improves, they'll find out that he can't do the same. It's just this, forever. ]

I don't know why you need me to say it out loud. It was all over the damn screen.

[ Still, Riz's eyes search Baron's, questioning, doubtful: is this enough? ]

[ Baron still isn't moving. Still occupying Fabian's body, and yet opting to not move it, even as Riz is practically clawing at the clothes. If the claws dig into more than just the shirt at one point, actually managing to pierce flesh, then Baron doesn't even look like they notice it. Instead he just stares at Riz - though still from awfully close, since he hasn't moved away from the other yet.

Yet it's calmly. Eerily calm, especially in the face of the many emotions that seem to go through the goblin. ]

Almost there. [ He says.

Because Baron knows this is true. He knows it's why he was born.

But he also knows it's a double-sided coin. After all-- ]

If it was just that, you would not have had to maeke me up. But you had to. You wanted to. [ He pauses, almost to let those words sink in for a moment. ] Because you do not just fear that. You fear--

[ --them finding out.

Baron doesn't say it.

He just eerily grins, a weird contrast with the dark emptiness in Fabian's eye. It's like he's leaving Riz to guess those words, without them being spoken.

Though there is a hint. ]

If he was here instead of me, you could not say this. You dare not to speak this to his face. You do not dare to speak it to any of them.

[ There's a small sound. A little bit like a gasp, though it sounds much more ominous than that. It sounds like it's coming from deep, far deeper than just someone's regular airway. ]

What would they think if they knew any of it, Riz Gugak..? That is what you should be thinking about.

Edited 2024-12-09 19:23 (UTC)

[ Riz is good with his claws. It's the first thing all Goblins are taught; if nothing else, they need to be taught to be careful enough to avoid hurting their parents. Even so, his claws dig into Fabian's skin, drawing blood in a way that causes Riz immediate remorse, smoothing the palm of his hand down the punctures to staunch them in a way he can't quite keep himself from doing despite the fact that the gesture is too fond to be given to Baron.

Baron, who he can't look away from. Neither the dark eyes nor the haunting grin spread across Fabian's face as though someone had simply stitched it on, still horribly, terribly still in Fabian's body. Maybe he's not focusing on that because he's worried about Fabian. Maybe he's focusing on it because if he focuses on what's happening to Fabian, what's happened to Fabian, then that means that he doesn't have to think about what Baron's actually saying, the chilling truth at the heart of everything Baron has ever told him.

That's the thing, isn't it? For a being that was made from lies, Baron never actually lies. He simply speaks to the heart of what's within Riz, yanking on the loose threads of his self-conception until he's unraveled, the bits and pieces he'd rather not look too closely at, the sort of lies he tells himself even as he hypocritically forges forwards underneath the faulty premise that he's some sort of warrior for the truth.

And there's the truth right there, pure and simple: that he is different, too different to be loved and valued in the way that he loves and values them, and that one day this time he has with his friends will trickle away like sand between his fingers as they move onto bigger, better, greater things, with people who love them in the way they want to be loved, with people they love in a way they'll never love another.

He licks his lips in a quick, nervous motion. ] They'd still be nice to me, [ he says softly. ] They're nice people. They'd... he'd feel sorry for me.

[ He'd stick around a little longer. He wouldn't leave immediately. But maybe not out of friendship, but something else: pity. He can hardly stand the thought of it. ]

They're not as cruel as you are, Baron.

[ Not as honest either. ]

[ The being in Fabian doesn't seem bothered at all by being called cruel. Fabian's expression doesn't do as much as twitch - but then again, it didn't do so either when Riz's claws started digging into Fabian's skin hard enough to draw blood, the red liquid sticking to the palms of Riz's hands as he rubs them over the wounds. ]

I wanted to let him know. [ Baron simply says.

And maybe Riz would realize too - that it would've been so easy. It would've been so easy to let loose the control he has over Fabian at just the right moment, just when Riz was saying something he wouldn't want the half-elf to hear.

But Baron didn't. Baron won't, now. With the same expression, he just continues: ]

But I will not do that now, Riz Gukgak. Instead, I will let you be reminded of the kind of coward you are, every single time you look at your fraend. He won't remember. [ Baron's voice drops to a whisper. ] But you will, Riz Gukgak. You will remember. You will always know what you are keeping from them. From him. You will always know that one day he will find aout.

[ Fabian's unblinking hollow eye finally closes. His mouth goes slack, getting rid of that creepy grin.

The screen of the television shatters.

Fabian still isn't moving, nor is he opening his eye. ]

[ Is this better?

For Baron to leave like this. For Baron not to force him to tell Fabian, to be faced with what he's almost certain would be unbearable kindness in the face of one of his closest held secrets, for Fabian to tell him that it's okay and he's making a big deal out of nothing because -- Fabian doesn't know what it means, to be nothing. Not like Kristen and Ragh's journey, not like Fabian and Fig's, but something different, the absence of love instead of the indefatigable march towards it. He can hear Fabian's pompous voice even now; that's it, The Ball? Of course we don't care about any of that! What's the big deal?

Fabian wouldn't see what the problem is, the way that romance is baked into the very spirit of every person he knows, how society is forged and maintained and carried on by virtue of a feeling Riz may never experience. Not until he was alone with his thoughts and could think the unkind things he wouldn't place on Riz, what is inherently lacking in him, foreign and strange and frightening, what future he even has without it, the meditations on if Riz is unable to feel this one thing, then how trustworthy is he for feeling the rest of it too? Riz has been accused of being unfeeling in the past more than once, as mercenary and blunt and odd and fixated as he is.

Of all the criticisms Riz can level at himself, cowardice isn't one of them. He charges into battle with reckless abandon, hunts down the truth no matter how uncomfortable, will subject himself to things strange and uncomfortable because it's the right thing to do. This is the last vestige of cowardice in him: the inability to look in the mirror. One day he'll tell him. One day, when it goes from late bloomer into something else. In college. Or after. Or maybe it's none of anyone's fucking business.

He can't think about it now. Instead, he accepts the criticism with an open palm in the same way that he does Kalina's, to hold it and bury it and remember it at another time, in another place. He rushes to Fabian's side, too worked up to remember the sort of things he should be doing after a possession, medically speaking - check for a heartbeat, check for signs of injury and strain, do an arcana check to see the lingering traces of dark magic - and, panicked, just shakes the poor guy as hard as he can. ]

Fabian! Fabian! Are you okay?! Are you alive? Please, please, don't still be in the fucking TV!

[ Okay, pulse, pulse, find a pulse... his fingers, trembling, make their way to the column of Fabian's neck, bending down so his ear hovers just above his mouth to make sure he's still breathing. ]

[ Don't worry, Riz. Fabian is very much alive, as evidenced by all the groans he lets out when the other starts suddenly shaking him like that. It doesn't even matter that Riz doesn't have a whole lot of strength - just being jostled around in general is not exactly the most pleasant experience when you're slowly gaining awareness of your own body once more. ]

The Ball, stop..

[ It's a weak protest, kind of like the way someone who's only barely waking up might speak. Fabian moves his hands as if to try and push the other off him to keep him from getting jostled further, but his hands only lift a little bit, not fully reaching the goblin.

His eye slowly blinks open. It closes again at first, but then it opens once more, Fabian looking around blearily.

He groans again. ]

What happened..?

Oh, thank god.

[ Riz doesn't get off of him. He does the exact opposite, in fact, half-collapsing on him with his face buried in his hands, a wheeze of relief escaping him. ]

It's okay. It's all good now. Totally fine, [ he mumbles into the fabric of Fabian's shirt. He realizes then that once he gets up, he's going to have to explain what happened, and feels the immediate temptation to just lie about it.

Nope! Nope, nope, nope! That's what got him into this mess in the first place! He straightens up. ]

Uh, remember how you told me the day we arrived that Baron posessed you, or something? [ He grins queasily at him. ] Turns out I really should've grilled you for more information on that. But, um, he's out now? And you feel normal?

[ He grabs onto Fabian's arm to lift it, as though testing the joint. ]

All your limbs are moving right? You're in full control? Are you -- [ His brain shorts out. It somehow reverts back to a Mom-ism. ] -- cold?

[ He fiddles with his tie, a little too obviously. He may or may not be detecting good and evil, here. ]

[ Okay, this is all a little overwhelming right upon regaining his senses again. On the other hand, Fabian is very much used to his best friend being overwhelming as hell, so it's a little easier to process than it would have been if Riz usually wasn't rambling at him or sitting on his chest at 4 am for seemingly no reason.

Fabian at least tries to keep up with what Riz is telling him here, processing the situation, and..

Baron.

Baron.

Once that name gets through to Fabian, all other answers to Riz's questions fly right out of his mind. He moves to sit up, moving Riz right alongside him so Fabian can take a good look at him. Even if he remembers just as little of what happened while he was possessed as he did last time around, he does remember what happened after it. He remembers how upset Adaine had seemed, how people told him he had hurt her.

It's an absolutely unacceptable thought. Fabian would never hurt his friends. It's crossing a terrible moral line for him, and he's instantly afraid that he hurt Riz too this time around, without having any idea of it, but--

Thankfully Riz looks alright. Maybe not emotionally, but at least physically. There's some blood, but Fabian is pretty sure that's all his, not Riz's.

It's only upon that realization that Fabian also lets out a relieved breath. ]

Fuck, The Ball-- Did he hurt you?

[ No questions about Fabian right now! Only questions about Riz!

(At least Riz will know that Baron indeed is fully gone from Fabian if he does use the tie - Fabian doesn't seem to be paying any attention to his fiddling when it's Riz as a whole he's focusing on right now, worried gaze aimed right at Riz.) ]

Why are you asking me if I'm okay? You're the one who got possessed! [ Riz exclaims, though he allows Fabian to simply pick him up and place him slightly to the left of him, his body language not changing one bit throughout. Not even being picked up will change his nervous fidgeting. ] And I scratched you!

[ Fabian has been on the brink of death before, and Riz scratching him is just a Saturday; he's generally very careful, but shit happens, and the people you spend the most time with are the most likely candidates to get a scratch here and there. But it's not just about the scratch. It's about the possession, and the figure in the television, and the Baron of it all. ]

He wouldn't hurt me, [ Riz says, and is shocked to realize that he believes the words that come out of his mouth. He wouldn't. He hasn't, really, not even when he had every opportunity to do so. Whatever the manifestation, Baron genuinely believes that he cares about Riz, and the only injuries he's eager to inflict are of the emotional sort.

Which is a shame. Riz would more gladly be punched in the face. ]

What do you remember? It looked like you were -- um, your spirit, or something? Was trapped in the television. I was getting worried.

[ Fabian is about halfway towards saying that Riz is an idiot if he thinks that Fabian would do as much as worry about a simple scratch, but--

Then there's that question.

It pauses him. Fabian really seems to think about it, but the more he thinks, the more Fabian starts to look kind of surprised. Shocked, even. ]

I.. I don't remember anything.

[ And it's not even the first time, is it? It's the same as what had happened in that weird, fucked up version of Mordred Manor. He had blacked out, and when he finally came to again, he was getting attacked by Ragh, and everyone said he had hurt Adaine, and he just.. couldn't remember. Nothing.

It unsettles him much more than any physical injury could have, and even though Fabian looks like he's trying to hide it - or, well, more like he's actively struggling with the attempt in the moment - it's clear the very idea makes him incredibly uncomfortable. ]

I swear. I remember coming in here, looking for you. And you seemed weird, like you couldn't look away from the TV, so I tried to snap you out of it, and then-- [ He opens his mouth. Closes it.

... ]

Then nothing until you woke me up just now.

[ Riz rubs at his eyes for a second, pressure throbbing from what feels like within his very skull. His heart hurts, and his head hurts, and even though it's very much against everything he's ever been known for, a part of him wants to just drag Fabian home so they can both just sleep this whole mess off.

Because talking isn't going to be much good. What he wants to say is on the tip of his tongue - it's okay that you don't remember! nothing that important happened, or maybe it was no big deal! let's go home! - but lying's fucked them over enough today. ]

I believe you. Don't worry, it's normal for some possession spells to work like that. No one remembers shit until they're woken up. [ That's not a lie. It's just cold, hard facts. Despite his own guilt and Fabian's clear agitation, nothing can take away from the relief that's settled over Riz's shoulders like a warm blanket. Fabian's safe, not trapped in that goadawful television, not watching helplessly as Baron wheeled his body around, not hurt. ]

I'm sorry you got caught up in all this, man. Baron's... [ He grimaces. ] Baron's a real piece of shit. But you didn't hurt me or anything. He just wanted to... talk.

[ Using your body, like a huge creep! ]

You know that doesn't make it better, right?

[ Uh oh, Riz. It's a call out. It even works in multiple ways - because Fabian still doesn't feel great about his body being used like some sort of puppet, for one. But he more means that it doesn't make what Baron was doing to Riz any better. Fabian has seen that-- guy? Thing? Little skeleton boy? And what he was trying to do to all of them back home was fucked up.

At least he doesn't think Riz is full on lying to him, especially when there's no signs of a real physical struggle on him to that extent, but Fabian doubts it was just some chill talk. ]

You can't tell me just wanted to have a tea party with you. [ Fabian is still agitated, yes. But mostly because he hates the idea of things fucking with his friends - and even less so in this place! It's why he isn't moving yet, just sitting there and frowning at his best friend. ]

No. No, it's...

[ He doesn't want to talk about it.

He knows that he probably should, that if he were in Fabian's position, he wouldn't take I don't want to talk about it for an answer -- not after a posession like this, not after his own body got taken over, not when he's still a threat. But what is there to say? There's no good way of telling Fabian half-truths here when each truth will inevitably lead to another, and even Riz himself isn't entirely certain as to what it is that Baron wants.

Except for him to be scared. Which, good fucking job, Baron! He's really scared of you! ]

I dunno. He's a creep. And he doesn't like that I'm friends with you. [ He gets to his feet, holding out one hand for Fabian to grasp onto. ] If you're okay, can we just get outta here? I think I've had enough of this place.

[ When in doubt, run away. And if you can't run away on your own, just invite your buddy to do it with you, and maybe he'll get distracted and you'll never have to talk about this ever again! ]

[ It's still all pretty confusing to Fabian. The explanation makes sense, considering Baron did seem to weirdly have something against them back home as well - but Fabian doesn't know why. Even with the things Riz has told him, it feels like there are so many question marks around Baron and his existence.

But even though he wouldn't usually be very easily distracted after something like this, Riz brings up the one point Fabian can't help but agree with. Even though it does seem like Baron is gone, Riz shouldn't stay in this weird apartment with all the shattered glass. It just doesn't seem good for him, especially with everything else that's going on.

So rather than protesting it, Fabian grabs Riz's hand. (He's still mostly using his own strength to get up though, considering Riz might just break his back if he had to hold all of Fabian's weight..) The thing is-- He doesn't let go of the other's hand, not even as Fabian starts walking in the direction of the door that should lead out of the apartment. Like he's that determined to not leave his best friend behind here by himself. ]

Seriously, this mess is going to keep on happening. [ Everything has been so weird here. It's like this place is getting more and more twisted by the day, and the last thing Fabian needs is to lose yet another friend over it. ] We're starting a buddy system, alright? The next time you find yourself stuck in a place like this, you better start calling me right away!

[ Riz feels a little childlike as Fabian grabs his hand and doesn't let go, just leads him out as though he's afraid that Riz will somehow be left behind, or dart back in, or something terrible will happen to him if he's left out of Fabian's sight for a moment more. He can't blame him, he supposes; the world itself seems to be an absolute terror, and he can't say that Fabian's hand ensconcing his own isn't a little bit reassuring. His hand is large, warm, grounding, calloused where he knows Fabian grips his sword, and very soft otherwise, which he knows is likely due to the fact that Fabian has an actual skincare routine and doesn't wash his face with shampoo in the shower like Riz does.

It's easier to focus on that than anything that had just happened. He follows along with a docility that's unusual for him, trailing obediently behind Fabian with his own hand squeezing Fabian's for a second (it is probably much less comforting, he knows, still clammy with sweat, pointy and angular and thin even without his claws getting in the way), words momentarily lost between his brain and his tongue. ]

I would've, [ he says quietly, once they're free of that place - his home, or some twisted version of it, a place he's missed sorely for a long time now - and he can feel a little like he can breathe again. ] I'm the first guy to say we can't split the party, remember? It's just bad tactics.

[ And he doesn't like it. Being alone. He's good at it, but he doesn't like it -- and being here in Etraya has spoiled him, careening from a lifetime of fending for himself to always having Gorgug or Fabian within arms reach. ]

That place just fucked with me, is all. [ A shiver runs down his spine. He shakes it off. ]

...thanks for coming to get me, man.

[ If he hadn't, Riz isn't entirely certain he ever would have been able to leave. ]

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