nexus_crossings | Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

[With the changing of seasons, many Nexus visitors are very happy to see the snow melt away and life returning to their beloved home. Spring is here!

It appears overnight: a large pantheon in the center of the Nexus forum, and once can only guess how such a great building was erected without anyone noticing. Atop the Patheon are two golden thrones, adorned with gemstones of great value. No one seems to be sitting there, but they seem to hold a great deal of importance to the cloaked humans who guard the Pantheon entrance.

The land in front of the Pantheon is paved with smooth, old stones in the shape of a large circle. Lush flowers and grass grown along the outskirts of the cropping, full of beautiful and exotic plants. Truly the host of this revel wants even nature to bend before their whim.

On the left and right sides of the sides of the circle are two long marble tables, where different food and drink await those who enter. Freshly cooked meat. Ripe fruits and unsullied wine. Whatever your heart desires, be it simple or sweet, you will be hard pressed to not find it on one of the tables. Near the tables is also a large group of tents, adorned with many plush chairs and sofas for those who like to relax while indulging.

The center of the circle has a large bonfire pit, carved of fine stone, lit with a brilliant (almost unearthly) red fire. Comforting to those seeking warmth or invigorating to the souls of the weary: it carries an important symbol for the revel: let your soul burn as hot as the flames inside. Which, to the satyr, it means that everyone present should be partying and indulging with one another. There seems to be plenty of space for dancing and socializing alike, whatever your preference may be.

The entrance into this festivity is monitored by a group of half-human, half-goat satyr. They don’t seem to be picky about who gets let in, assuming you’re not here to ruin the fun, but it would be wise to check it with them first. This is a masquerade-style party, so all of the guests need masks.

But there can’t be anything possible wrong with such a wonderful party, right? Perhaps things are not all as they seem….]

((Here's your OOC guide guide to this event. Post when you can as you like, no worries. Have fun!))

((The second half of the event is live link here Please read the OOC thread so you know the details!))

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Joshua's appearance goes mainly uncontested, as the satyr pay him little mind while he's got a mask on; the humans are spread thin with a sudden influx of patrons migrating to the food and drink tables. If he's going to slip around unnoticed, then the plan seems to be working thus far.

A few things might stand out to the Canadian teenager. For starters, at the top of the Pantheon, a group of satyr are bring out a large red curtain to cover up the front of the thrones. This makes it very difficult to see anyone sitting in those golden chairs, especially once two people come up from the lower level of the Pantheon, shielded by the curtain veil. But one can make out the silhouette of a man and a small child, each taking a seat in one of the two thrones.

Near the entrance to the Pantheon is a woman dressed in a long white dress, adorned with gold accents, talking with one of the older-looking satyr. Her attire stands out among the cloaked humans and near-naked goat men, clearly as someone of great important. Perhaps she can be approached and talked with? Or is it more compelling to spy on the conversation first?

Edited 2018-05-11 22:39 (UTC)

The problem with trying to find suspicious Nexus goers in a place like this is that everyone looks a bit more suspicious than usual wearing masks and wandering around mingling with strangers. Plus there's no guarantee Adia will be here, nor the person who's apparently had it in for her.

Josh's scowl is hidden behind his mask but it's about then that he can make out the figure of a man and a child being seated atop a couple of thrones way up there. Whatever that's about, he's got no clue. Are they supposed to represent the facets of whatever god these goat people worship? The woman catches his eye next and again, the only thing Josh can even think of is confusion. This might have been a crap idea after all.

He decides to grab a glass of wine and saunter a bit closer to see if he can make out what they're speaking about before he tries to approach either the woman or the satyr.

Indeed, everything and everyone looks strangely similar due to the mask requirement. Even the occasional non-human attendee is hard to read thanks to masks concealing their faces. It's a pain to get any sort of read from one of the most emotional parts of a human.

At least the two people aren't wearing masks themselves, or reading lips would be impossible here. Thankfully, Josh should be able to get a good glance at them and be able to see what they're saying. The conversation seems to be about the festival, making sure there's enough food and drink to last until the evening.

Ordinary and unsurprising, really. Then again, it's not as though Josh really had a plan when he decided to check this thing out. He just figured it might be easier to keep on a lookout for anything suspicious if he was in cognito.

He waits until the satyr wanders off before obviously watching the woman and politely waiting for her to be done so he can speak with her.

"This is a real nice thing you've put together, ma'am." He tries to keep his tone respectful when he approaches, gesturing with the glass he's holding.

Thankfully Josh doesn't have to wait long, as the satyr is already off the Pantheon steps within seconds of finishing the conversation. It's just Josh and this mysterious woman now. To be fair, she doesn't seem surprised by Josh's appearance on the steps of the Pantheon, giving him a friendly smile and nod.

"I appreciate the compliment." She gestures to his mask. "Would you kindly remove your mask? I would like to see the kind face of the gentleman who offers me compliments."

"The goatmen were pretty insistent I wear one of these things..." Josh hesitates for more than that reason but there's no one else around so he loosens the ties and removes it for the time being, keeping it close to his chest with his free hand.

The man underneath the mask is young with large olive colored eyes and a tan complexion. A couple dark curls peek out from underneath his hood across his forehead. His mother's Egyptian heritage shows in all her children, after all.

"You're the hostess, right? Or is it the folks sittin' up high?"

"What they think matters not while I'm talking to you. I am one of the festival hosts, so they follow my requests without resistance." She speaks to Josh peacefully, and upon seeing him remove the mask, smiles politely to him.

"That's better. You have a pretty face, eyes that have seen many things." She nods, then stares up at the top of the Pantheon. The gentleman sitting on the throne is staring down at the two of them from behind the curtain. "Would you like to meet the host of this festival? They seem to have an interest in you."

There's something odd about the way this lady talks. Something that jars at Joshua's sense of reality just a little bit. He has no magical powers, no special abilities that would let him understand what it is he's experiencing. What he has is a mental illness that makes him more susceptible than most to fluctuations in reality. He hardly seems to notice the twitch in his eye or the way his gaze loses its focus for a couple of seconds before he manages to jerk the reins of his attention back to the present.

"Pretty? Naw. I've got a weird looking mug, it's alright. Lots of folks say so. I don't mind." Josh feels that tug again and he turns his head to glance up toward the curtain ever so slightly. Unable to stop himself form at least giving it a glance.

"I...probably shouldn't. I'm here for as much business as I am for pleasure. That means keeping a low profile."

The woman notices that lapse, but says and does nothing to bring it to light. If Josh wants to stay out of sight and mind, then she isn't going to start calling out his faults. Instead, she looks up at the throne, seeing the man who was sitting there leave to come down the stairs. His face and hair are completely covered by a mask as well, josh like Josh.

"What kind of information are you looking for? No one comes to a party for business, unless they're looking for something..." She waits on his response. Mainly, she's drawing out the time needed for her 'friend' to make an appearance.

"I don't know yet. I didn't really have a plan. I just figured a place like this with lots of folks gathered might be a good way to keep my ear to the floor and see what kind of talk is going around the rumor mill if I kept my head down and listened."

Keep an eye out for Adia and makes sure no one tries to hurt her, for starters. Everything else seems pretty secondary to that these days. Josh gestures around the place vaguely with his glass of wine.

"But I mean, you can't deny this is a hell of a thing you've set up. I'd be stupid not to enjoy it."

"Is that so? Well, you certainly have the right idea. Don't worry, if I hear anything of interest I'll be sure to let you know of it." Even if she has no idea what Josh is trying to get information about.

From behind the woman, a tall man appears, wearing a painted mask that depicts a grinning man with demon horns. Covering his head is a fabric made to look like the night sky, adorned with glittering gemstones to represent stars. The final piece of his wardrobe is the suit he's wearing, accompanied by a white scarf with a strange black emblem on it.

The woman smiles and gestures to Josh calmly. "He's enjoying your party...David. Surely you should be happy to see a friend here." Without missing a beat, the painted mask comes off to reveal Josh's secondary employer. He has a confused look on his face, trying to process why Josh is at the party right now. Looks like he's also at a loss for words.

He's so suspicious. So on edge. So concerned over something. Does he know? Does he suspect? Will Jeff have to kill another friend so soon? And it is why Joshua's here, after all. The warning and description Caspar gave him about Adia's stalker. He wants to keep an ear to the ground, do what he can to keep her safe.

But while David meets ever check mark of Caspar's description, so does a third of the Nexus. It doesn't even occur to josh to suspect one of his friends in this. And then Josh beams a smile that makes him look as young as he really is and he hands off his glass of wine to the woman so he can pull his friend into a one armed bro hug while his smile is full of surprise and delight.

"Dave! Boss, shit man. way to scare a guy. I thought you were on vacation! You're the one hosting this shindig? Holy shit, bro. It's good to see you, Bossman."

Edited 2018-05-15 13:41 (UTC)

Fate is not kind to anyone. The woman takes the wine glass with a smile on her face, as if expecting this reaction. She's heard about this 'Joshua Washington' from her 'student', but to see them reunited like this...She loves the idea that something horrible is bound to happen. Or maybe the teenager will surprise her in a different way.

The hug is jarring to 'Dave', as he can't help but shed a small tear upon seeing Josh. This hurts. He doesn't want his friend to be here, especially since he's losing control of his body and mind. Instead of pushing away, 'Dave' just stands there with a somber look on his face.

"Look at that! You've left him speechless, which is a rarity." The woman sees that brief moment of weakness in 'Dave's' eyes. The only response he can give is to nod his head once, before managing a sentence.

"It's good to see you again, Josh."

"Don't I know it."

David's always been a talker. Always asking Josh all kinds of questions ranging from the personal to the philosophical to technical. He's always been willing to listen whenever Josh needed to vent about things he wouldn't admit to most other people. Has always supported Joshua's slow trek toward redemption.

Or at least repentance.

But he's quiet now long enough for josh's eyebrow to furrow in worry but then he's speaking and even though it's only a single sentence Josh grins again.

"Yeah, same bro. Fuck, I missed you. I've kept busy while you were gone but it ain't the same."

The silence Dave gives off is rather unusual, given his normal upbeat attitude and carefree, whimsical nature. It almost seems like the person standing in front of Josh is not his boss or the same person, at least.

Dave gets a small nudge on the back by the older woman now, and it's becoming obvious that she's moving the conversation along. Even if Dave is the one who's speaking. She definitely seems to have 'control' over the situation and her apprentice.

"I missed you too. Do you have some time to chat?" He gestures to the Pantheon behind them. "It would be nice to catch up after such a long time apart."

It occurs to Josh somewhere in the middle of the woman nudging David to speak again that maybe he's being rude here. If David's in charge of this whole shebang and playing the part of a somber and serious host then Josh trying to shoot the shit with him probably isn't the best thing. His gaze slips between the woman and David with a growing sense of uncertainty, though not for the reasons David might assume.

David is his friend, after all. Why would Josh be suspicious of him?

"Are you sure it's alright,bro? If you've got stuff going on I don't wanna get in the way."

Edited 2018-05-19 08:36 (UTC)

"You're not getting in the way, Josh." Dave manages to say that, for better or worse. He should be trying to get the Canadian teenager to leave, but this is his friend. Someone he's shared drinks with. Talked hours on hours with in the past. He doesn't want to ruin their friendship by sending Josh away, but Dave knows the danger of staying here.

He motions for Josh to follow him inside the Pantheon. "We have some time before the big finals of the festival starts up. There's a few things I need to discuss with you, mainly about the future of our business." The woman follows behind Dave, but clearly has her eyes on Josh as well. He's a good candidate, in her mind, for the upcoming 'invasion'.

"Oh, hell. You shoulda lead with that. I'm not surprised you didn't hit me up for setting this shindig up. It's decidedly out of my wheelhouse so far as decorum goes, bro. What've you got lined up now?"

The woman is once again more or less ignored while Josh follows his employer into the Pantheon, slipping his hands into his pockets in a show of relaxation. Dave has always had good work for Josh to do and encouraged him to throw himself into it whole heartedly. Putting those skills of his to some good use for a change. Helping Joshua find some semblance of pride and self confidence again. He owes the other much.

"Though later you should definitely tell me how you wound up with this gig because damn. I wouldn't have expected this from you."

"What have I got lined up now? Well, for starters..." Jeff shakes his head, wondering if he gives Josh bad news, that the teen will go away. It's always easier said than done though. "The business we have going is taking a different direction."

"What he's saying is that making props is no longer profitable. We're going forward with the times and planning something much bigger." The woman beside them smiles hopefully at Josh. In her mind, she hopes he'll consider the change as a good thing. "We're going to take over the business mantra of the Nexus and you'd be a wonderful person to have on board. You have the right mental and physical capabilities we're looking for."

"Excuse me?"

Josh looks over his shoulder at the woman following them and this time when he narrows his eyes it's with a touch of real irritation. She's not in the business with them--Josh has never met her in his life. And to go ahead and insult everything he's good at in one breath like she's the one in charge here sets his temper on edge.

"Who's 'we' here, lady?" He looks back at David for explanation. "Who is she? Why is she acting like she's in charge here? Did you hire someone to boss you around at your own business?"

Sara doesn’t seem to give a crap if she’s made Josh upset. In her mind, the only thing that matters is killing, how or what means that gets accomplished is irrelevant. It doesn’t seem like Jeff is eager to contest the idea of a shift either, because the guilt of dragging Josh into this mess is starting to weigh on his soul. What little of it is left.

“it’s not your fault, Josh. Your work has been amazing, but the people need more now than ever. They need to get in touch with their inner selves.” Jeff extends one hand to Josh. “I won’t be mad if you say no to this agreement..”

“He’ll be heartbroken.” Sara interjects. “The project has always been a ‘we’ thing. I’m the one who gave Jeff access to the Nexus. I motivated him into creating the business.” Wait. Did she just use his real name? Sara has no fear in revealing what’s really going on here. “Have you ever wanted to know what your props were used for?”

"What fucking agreement?!"

Josh whirls on David now, his temper rising when Josh doesn't get any goddamn explanation for who this woman is and lets her keep walking all over the both of them and this conversation.

"You're not explaining anything! And--" Wait. Hold on. "Who the fuck is Jeff?" He looks between the woman and David in increased confusion and frustration. "I know what my props are used for. Unlike you I've been employed in this goddamned business for over a year now."

Escape rooms. Haunted houses. Horror themed game shows. That kind of thing. All private affairs, nothing he's ever been allowed to watch. But then, it's a private venue. They don't want folks seeing them get spooped and scared. Especially not strangers.

Edited 2018-05-31 15:05 (UTC)

"So naive. Your props are being used in murderous game-shows. Jeff has been running them for years now." Sara grins, while Jeff turns away quietly. "You want an explanation? That can be done. You see, Jeffrey here has been a serial killer for years and I gave him access to the Nexus."

"She's right about everything. I've been lying to you about my name, my occupation, everything..." Jeff lowers his eyes to the floor once more. "I wanted to change and get out of the murdering business, but I couldn't. I connected with you on a personal level, Josh. WE have a lot in common."

There's always been a cruel streak in Joshua when it comes to protecting what's most important to him. Something able to justify almost any means to an end that stops someone from hurting his friends. Not only justify it, but enjoy doing it. He's digging for ammunition here; what knife to twist into Sara's poisonous gullet and watch her squirm. How hard he'd have to hit her to break an old woman's bones.

Joshua wants to hurt her. Metaphorically. Physically. Anything to make her face twist in pain. The chance never comes.

His world comes crashing down in a cacophony of shattered glass and mirrored fragments. Reflecting his ugly self and the even uglier truth staring at all of them. All of David's excuses were just so convenient. The money was good and he was getting to do something he excels in for good this time.

What a fucking joke.

Joshua doesn't want to believe it. He wouldn't believe it--if Caspar's explanation wasn't screaming through his head with all the subtlety of a multi car pileup. David fits the description Caspar gave of Adia's stalker. He's admitted to being in love with her before. And he took the alias 'Josh', the man he claims to have so much kindred spirit with.

The man who's been helping him torture his murder victims psychologically before he--

The wine glass Josh had been holding shatters against the ground where it's been dropped. Its ruby red life blood spilling across the floor. Bethany looks up at Joshua from the puddle's edge with a lopsided tilt to her head that threatens to rip it right off its severed base if she moves much more. He feels clawed hands closing over his shoulder with razor sharp nails piercing his flesh. Hannah and Beth don't have to say anything.

He's a monster.

"Y...you son of a bitch." Josh's voice is shaking, wide green eyes all but begging Jeff to tell him it's not true only for those hopes to be dashed.

"Josh...I..." Jeff wants to say more, but Sara puts a hand around the back of his neck, gripping tightly. The pain is enough to force Jeff to keep his head low and say nothing. He can't even fight back against Sara, not when she's the one who gave him this power. The power to reach the Nexus.

"You can try to go back to your old life, Joshua. Or I can help you tame the darkness within. Maybe you'll be a better student than Jeffrey..." She digs her claws into Jeff's skin, drawing a dark black substance which clearly isn't blood. "You can have it all. Money. Power. Any wish your heart wants, I can grant it."

Jeff manages to look up at Josh, after being forced to stare at the dropped wine glass. His eyes are full of concern and worry, as if he wants to tell Josh to say no. Don't take her offer.

Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

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How did I forget to actually reply to this aaaaa

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