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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Most of the people start to migrate away when Caspar starts shooing them, but the satyr are not so compliant. In fact, their numbers seem to grow, but in a way that doesn't look intentional. One might argue their actions are deliberate, especially after a wandering satyr accidentally bumps into Caspar, spilling his wine onto whatever fashionable suit the Cylon is wearing today.

"O-oh! My apologies, good sir! I didn't mean to ruin your fine clothes." The goat ma, despite his apology, doesn't look sincere.

Meanwhile, both satyr and Nexus visitor crowds are starting to congregate near the couple. Once could say it's pretty tricky to move towards the exit at the current moment, and some people are even trying to slip past Adia and Caspar quickly, making it harder to stay together....

The wine stains crimson on Caspar's pale blue blazer, eliciting a sharp frown from the already irritated Cylon. "Sure you didn't," he snaps, automatically pulling out his pocket square and dabbing at the soaked fabric.

"Hairy freak," he mutters to himself before raising his gaze. "You okay, Adia? He didn't get any of that on you, did he?"

...Adia?

She's gone. In the brief moment he checked on his suit, a group of party-goers cut between them, separating the couple. "Adia!" he calls out, alarmed. He pushes past people indiscriminately, searching the crowd for her flowery mask or the soft gray cardigan she had wrapped around her, but spots neither. Only those damn satyrs and an endless stream of masked strangers.

"Adia! Adia, where are you?"

~*~

"Excuse me. Excuse me, please!" Adia's words fall on deaf ears as she swept up with the flow of the crowd. She can't even reach for her PINpoint, afraid that it will be knocked out of her hands. Since when did the festival get so loud, so rambunctious? It makes her heart race as she searches for a way out of the swarm of people and satyrs alike.

Fortune strikes when she spots an open path. Uncaring where it leads, she takes it, hoping that with a little space and quiet, she'll be able to think about what to do next. She could try to text Caspar, or one of her friends who isn't at the festival, but perhaps the best thing to do is simply teleport home and then --

The path ends abruptly and she stumbles against some stairs. Looking up, she realizes that she has walked right up to the entrance of the Pantheon.

The satyr responsible for the spill has already blended back in with the crowd, not wanting to get tangled up with the Cylon any further. He did his job, and like a good mischief maker, it's time to hide until the real party begins.

~*~

The Pantheon lacks any of the party-goers, only being guarded by a few humans here and there. For being the iconic place of protection, one would expect more people to be around, but it seems that the population is going towards the bonfire. High in the sky, the sun look ready to set in the next hour or two, almost forcasting an ominous event.

"Don't say a word, Adia Costas." Leaning up against one of the Pantheon pillars in 'Josh', dressed in a suit and mask of his own, which covers his face completely. But his voice is certainly recognizable. He extends one hand to her. "Give me your PINpoint, unless you want to see everyone here die."

What does he mean by that? The Anti-Violence field should be online, right? He's not about to give her a bluff that he can't back up, as an attendant to the party walks in front of their line of sight. With a flick of his wrist, the man starts clutching his chest, in pain. He's not going to kill the person...unless Adia fails to cooperate.

"We need to talk."

It's quiet on the Pantheon's steps. It gives Adia a chance to sit down and catch her breath. The mask, which once fit perfectly, feels too constrictive, and she tugs it loose, letting its ribbons unravel. She turns it over in her hands, tracing the delicate flowers and trying to shake the terrible feeling of foreboding within her.

She's got her PINpoint halfway out of her pocket when she hears a familiar voice. Startled, she turns and stares up at the man in the mask and terrible suit before clutching the PINpoint defensively. She's had nightmares of this moment, but even as she feels herself constrict with terror, she refuses to give up her only means of escape.

At least, not until 'Josh' makes good on his threat and begins to torture someone else. Voodoo, she thinks, and watches helplessly as the man suffers in front of her very eyes. If he had threatened to hurt her instead, she would have tried to defend herself. But this? No... no. She can't let him kill anyone because of her.

Not again.

She stands up and offers him the PINpoint, her extended arm trembling with the effort. "Please," she says. "Josh, we can talk as much as you like. Please don't hurt anyone else."

Good. Seeing Adia cooperate instead of resisting makes his job a lot easier in the long run. There's no longer any need for friendly banter between them: Adia knows he's a psychotic killer and there's no point in trying to hide that aspect of his personality anymore.

He reaches outward, taking the PINpoint and putting it in his pocket. For a brief second, his gaze goes to the man, and with the snap of his fingers, the man crumbles to the ground. He's alive, but shaken up over the whole ordeal. 'Josh' reaches over and grabs Adia's hand with a small amount of force.

"We don't have much time..." And he's going to try to lead her into the Pantheon, hoping she won't struggle in the process.

It's one thing to know it, another to completely accept it. Even now, she searches his mask with pale, anxious eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of humanity, the part of Josh she had considered a friend and perhaps could put a stop to this madness.

She holds her breath while the man continues to suffer, then sighs softly when he collapses to the ground, free of Josh's dark hold. Too bad she isn't nearly so lucky; his grip sends a shiver through her, and she instinctively tries to pull away. "Not much time for what?" she asks. "Josh, please tell me what's going on."

When she realizes that struggling won't help, she lets herself get pulled into the Pantheon, but not before 'accidentally' dropping her mask, letting it fall on the steps, the only clue of where she's been, and where she's being taken.

Something seems terribly off about 'Josh's' eyes, the left one is still a familiar chocolate brown color, but the right eye is a faded yellow. Adia should know from previous encounters that 'Josh' doesn't have hetero-chromatic eyes. What has happened to him since the new year? Perhaps his desire to have a conversation with her can shred some light on the truth.

'Josh' fails to notice the mask hitting the steps of the Pantheon. His mind is racing, as if fighting against an unseen force. He's already had one bad experience today with a close friend and he can't let the same thing happen to Adia. The pantheon is very open on the inside, no satyr or humans grace the marble room: it's just Adia and 'Josh'. In the center of the room is a large pool of crystal clear water and a small set of metal chairs sit next to the reflecting pool.

"Adia...you know the truth. That I'm..." Ouch. He can't even say the words.

"That you kill people for fun," she says softly, when he loses the courage to finish his own sentence. "That you were the one stalking me in the Nexus."

There is fear in her voice, but there is a great sadness, too. She may not have loved Josh, but she had thought of him as a friend.

"Why didn't you just talk to me, Josh? There are people in the Nexus who have committed terrible crimes, but... but we all deserve a second chance. Why did you lie to me instead of taking it?" She stares up into his mis-matched eyes, afraid of what she might see, but wanting to know the answer all the same.

"It's true. I was the one who was stalking you, because I had to see...Had to see if you really were different from other human beings." He takes a seat, but during the time he's talking, 'Josh' can't look Adia directly in the eyes.

"Because I didn't think you could see me for who I really was. I had every intent of telling you, but then..." Caspar. He wants to say Caspar showed up and ruined everything. "I fell in love with you. And to be fair, I don't think I could ever look at you the same way again, Adia." He sighs, waiting to hear what she has to say next. Surprisingly, the conversation isn't turning into something evil...yet.

So... he really was being honest with his 'test' during the Khan invasion. She worries at the hem of her cardigan while he admits his romantic feelings for her, not quite meeting his gaze. He doesn't have to mention Caspar, she knows now that his return threw a wrench into Josh's grand plans of winning her over.

It's strange. She should be afraid -- and she is -- but watching Josh slumped in his chair, it's almost as if they're back at the café and she's having a simple, quiet conversation with her former friend.

If not for that terrible mask.

Tentatively, she takes the seat next to him. "What did you decide?" she asks. "Am I different? I'm only human, Josh, but that's what makes it possible for me to understand others." Before he can answer, she adds shakily, "I wish you would take off your mask so I can see you."

It's a silent plea to the decency within him.

"I don't have the answer yet. At first, I was just fine being friends with you, but then I became scared about you finding out I was a serial killer. At some point, I fell in love with you, because no one else ever treated me with kindness before." He pauses, reaching his hand up to his face, feeling the mask resting there. It's a perfect representation of all his thoughts, feelings and actions. Hiding from the world, other people and himself.

Adia is right. He needs to remove the mask he's wearing, both literally and psychologically.

One hand slips under the mask, about to pull it off completely...

"Don't you even think about doing that, Jeffrey." An woman descends from the staircase leading up to the Pantheon rooftop. She's wearing a white dress and jacket, giving Adia a brief glance, but focusing her attention on 'Josh'. Without missing a beat, 'Josh' stops removing the mask to stare up at her.

"Sara..." He visibly winces at seeing his 'mentor' approaching Adia, wanting to jump up and leave, but the older woman is too intimidating.

"So, I finally get to meet you, Adia Costas. You have been far more problematic than I thought you'd be." If 'Josh' was supposed to be scary, Sara is truly the epitome of something evil.

She shouldn't have such sympathy for a man who torments others for fun. And yet, knowing that she was the first person to show him kindness, she can't help but feel badly for him. It is with something like anticipation as she watches him start to slide off mask. If she can see his face, then maybe she can reason with him and talk him out of whatever he's planning to do.

But the opportunity doesn't come. She turns to look at the older woman, and although there is nothing frightening about her appearance, she feels herself recoil in horror. Her skin breaks out in goosebumps, and for the first time ever, she understands what it means to have one's flesh crawl.

It's the witch. The one who opened the portal.

Who knows why the thought pops into her mind. Perhaps it is the insight granted by her moon rune, or some sort of sympathetic magic from the charm bracelets around her wrist, but once the idea takes hold of her, she is dead certain that she is looking at the witch from Josh's diary. It explains her control over him, and how she knows her name.

It also gives her a sick, uncomfortable feeling about the festival outside.

She glances briefly at Josh -- no, Jeffrey. It's one more lie he told her, but the least of them, so she doesn't dwell on it any longer. She hears the wince in his voice and wonders about what sort of relationship has been built between the two.

Then, reluctantly, she looks up at the woman again. Sara. "I never meant to be a problem," she answers honestly, her voice shaking. "If... if I'm interrupting something, I can be on my way..." Without her PINpoint, but it's better than nothing.

Edited 2018-05-19 22:06 (UTC)

The charm on Adia's wrist is probably responding to Sara and her presence, indicating the bigger threat in the room. She's the one with all the power, the influence...and it's clear that she has her claws deep in the back of Jeff. Calmly she walks over to Jeff, standing in front of him, preventing any sort of escape.

"No. You're going to stay. I can tell that you're going to be a worthy sacrifice to Nyarlathotep." Her eyes stare deeply at Jeff's face, and despite having the mask on, he doesn't feel protected from her gaze in the slightest. She knows all and sees all.

"While you're here though, let's get the truth out on the table. You hate Jeff for what he's done, correct? Not just the murders he's conducted in the Nexus, but throughout his entire life. The guise of a game show host is purely to hide his psychotic instincts." She shakes her head. "He wants to kill you, after all."

Jeff says nothing, his head is in his hands. It's all true, except the last part about wanting to kill Adia outright. He's been fighting that urge since day one, but he can't contest the statement if he's thought it.

A worthy sacrifice...? Her stomach twists at the unfamiliar name. "Who is that?" she asks, her arms wrapped around her tightly to suppress a shudder. Not any God she's ever heard of, in her world or otherwise.

She watches as the witch seems to taunt Jeff, laying bare his proclivities as if to goad Adia into adding to the litany of sins. The fact that he wants to kill her is not entirely surprising. What is surprising is Jeff's reaction. This is not the posture of a man who is proud of what he's done.

It's only a bit of hope -- foolish hope at that -- but it's all she has.

"I don't hate him," she counters. "I'm scared a-and... and hurt, b-but..." She watches Jeff, ignoring for a moment the way Sara looms over him. "You could have killed me, but you didn't," she tells him in a broken whisper. "You showed me kindness instead. I choose to believe that was you, as much as the rest of you."

“He’s a god who will revolutionize the Nexus. And little Jeffrey here is going to usher in the new world, just as he’s always wanted! To be the star of his own show!” Sara reaches over and pats Jeff on the shoulder, causing him to flinch. ”Oh don’t lie to him, Adia. He’s a grown boy and can handle the news like a champ!”

Her tone changes as she reaches forward, grabbing Jeff’s tie and pulling on it tightly, sending him to the stone floor. Forget Adia, Sara wants Jeff to suffer most of all right now. He coughs for a few minutes, while she paces around him. “She’s going to turn you into the authorities. You’re going to jail for a very long time, Jeff. Her and Caspar are going to stop by your cell, laughing at your failure to try and change...”

Jeff looks up from the floor to face Adia, torn between anger and sadness. “Is that really what you want to do with me, Adia?”

This time, she can't hold back the shiver that travels all the way up her spine. Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad. The last time someone tried to take over the Nexus, there was so much death and destruction. What horrors would this god bring?

She wants to insist that she isn't lying, but the only sound she makes is a startled gasp when Sara slams Jeff into the ground. She listens, mortified, while the witch pokes at all of Jeff's metaphorical sore spots. What kind of a mentor is this woman? Why is she so determined to hurt her disciple?

When Jeff finally speaks again, she understands.

"I'd never laugh at someone trying to change," she says to Sara, her voice trembling with the effort. "Is that what you need to convince him, that he's terrible and everyone hates him? So you can get him to do what you want?"

She looks at the man on the ground, in his twisted mask and gaudy suit. "Jeff, I know you don't really want this." Her tone is pleading. "Not if she has to belittle you to get you to do it. Please, don't listen to her. You have a chance to stop this before it goes too far."

It's very clear that Sara doesn't care about the well-being of her disciple. She never has. To her, Jeff is just a compatible tool for bringing Nyarlathotep into this world. She doesn't show it, but Adia is reacting much differently than predicted by showing Jeff sympathy. It's time to change that.

"My dear, he doesn't need me to convince him to do bad things. Murdering is in his blood..."She's about to say more, but Jeff starts to stand up.

"Adia is right..." He's about to say more, but the second he stands up, Sara has her hand around his neck. No. All of her hard work is not getting ruined by a Canadian teenager and a biologist.

"I didn't want to do this, but your usefulness has ended. I'm content with turing you into a mindless slave like all the others." The air around them grows dark, tainted with black magic. Sara smiles gleefully as Jeff manages a scream, before being lowered back to the ground. His demeanor has changed drastically: gone is the timid man from before, now replaced with a stoic personality.

Sympathetic, yes, and desperately hopeful that she is getting through to the part of him that wants to become a better person. Her wide-eyed attention fixed on the eyes behind the mask, she silently roots for him as he gets to his feet and starts to throw the shackles off his tormentor.

And then, like Jeff's free will, her hope is snuffed out into nothing.

The black magic screams through her as loudly as Jeff's cries, a darkness so visceral she can taste it like ash in the back of her throat. Sara doesn't need to say it; she knows that the man before her is beyond reasoning with. Beyond her help.

So she does the only thing she can think of when talking it out is no longer an option.

She runs.

The metal chair clatters loudly as she leaps to her feet and dashes for the exit as fast as she can, away from the man she once considered a friend, and away from the woman who was the bigger monster all along.

Sara seems unfazed by Adia's attempted retreat, laughing as Jeff watches her run. With a snap of his fingers, something menacing descends from the ceiling of the pantheon. It's a large three headed dragon that easily flies down in front of Adia, smoke billowing from its two side heads. It seems like Jeff has been busy the last few months, having added this creature to his ranks.

"Don't go anywhere, Adia." Jeff speaks up, but the voice is no longer his own. It's dark and intimidating, almost god-like. Sara just stands and watches the interaction, but still seems intent on giving orders.

"Lock her up. She can't die until the end of the festival, especially since she carries powers related to the moon." Sara gestures to a small room off to the side of the pantheon, one where an assortment of weapons are being kept. Many of them seem to be suspiciously missing...

The Hydreigon opens his main mouth, nudging his long neck towards Adia in hopes of getting her to move without the use of force. It doesn't seem like the Pokemon has any desire to use violence on a human, unless absolutely necessary.

Adia skids to a halt, freezing in surprise at the dragon that drops down in front of her. That's... that's Deino, isn't it? The little pokémon that Jeff caught all by himself, except now it's evolved into a Hydreigon...

She doesn't need her pokédex to know that he's dangerous.

When he opens his mouth and leans his head towards her, she automatically flinches, drawing her hands into the pale comfort of her cardigan. And yet, she gets the feeling that he's only following orders like any other pokémon. Does she really want to test that theory, though? Those are three very sharp jaws at the end of three long, powerful necks.

And anyway, even if she tried to get past him, Jeff or Sara would go after her, and she doubts that either of them would use such discretion.

"O-okay...okay...." She holds up her hands, palms out, her charm bracelets disappearing beneath a sleeve. "I'll go..." She lets the dragon lead her to the small weapons room. If Sara isn't lying and she is meant to live until the end of the festival, that at least gives her a little time. For what, she has no idea. But it's better than being slaughtered on the spot.

Dangerous, yes, but only at certain moments. The dragon sniffs Adia, remembering her scent from mere months ago, when he was just a baby Deino. He grunts a little, nudging her back with his snout, making sure she gets into the room. Sara walks over to the door and locks it shut, while Jeff watches with emotionless eyes.

"Let's go, Master Nyarlathotep." Sara starts walking towards the staircase and Jeff follows her, now being addressed by his new name. It seems like Jeff truly is gone in favor of his body being controlled by an elder god.

As for Hydriegon, the dragon lays his head next to the door and sniffs loudly. Despite being there as an intimidating force, he doesn't want to leave Adia no matter what. He heard what Adia said and tries to do, which gives the dragon Pokemon some faith that she can bring his master back eventually.

Adia steps in far enough to technically be in the room. When Sara comes over to swing the door shut, she tries to peer over the witch's shoulder for one last glimpse of Jeff. "This isn't you!" she calls out. "Jeff, this isn't you!"

Once the door is shut and locked, she peers through the gaps in the wood, watching Jeff and Sara walk up to the roof. "Oh, what is he going to do," she whispers to herself, distraught.

And, for that matter, what is she going to do? Looking around here, she only sees a couple of old, broken swords and bows. There are no windows and no means of escape. Just her and her messenger bag full of books she needs to return to the Grand Library.

With a small sob, she slides down to the floor and puts her head in hands. She has felt trapped before, but never quite this helpless. She's too scattered to focus on her moon rune, not sure what good that would do anyway. It would only open herself up to sensing more of that terrible dark magic. It's not quite as terrifying as orbiting a black hole, but as the shadows grow long with the setting sun, she wonders if Nyarlahotep will bring to the Nexus something far worse.

Hydreigon's sniff startles her. "Hello?" she says softly. She kneels against the door and wipes her eyes. "Hydreigon, are you still there?"

Adia's pleas fall on deaf ears as Jeff and Sara leave the room, an eerie silence now fills the pantheon hall. Except for the muffled breathing of Hydreigon, who perks up upon hearing Adia say his name. He knocks one head against the door to let her know, that yes, he is there.

Snuffling to himself, Hydreigon moves closer to the sound of Adia's voice, finding it comforting to hear her speak. His three heads stare back at her from the splintered wood of the door, and although her can't see her, he can smell her. The Pokemon mumbles his name a few times, full of concern. What should he do, Adia?

Adia places a hand on the wooden door. Not so alone, then. The thought pulls her away from the edge of despair she had been circling moments before. She tries to get a look at him through the uneven slats, but all she sees is the purple on one of his head crests. "I hear you," she says calmly. She wishes she could understand him, too, but even with a language barrier, his concern comes through loud and clear.

"Are you worried about Jeff?" she asks. Her voice hitches. "I am, too. That woman, Sara, did something terrible to him. He's not himself anymore."

Pokémon show such fierce loyalty to their trainers. She wonders if that loyalty includes following their orders while they're possessed by a malignant entity, or if Hydreigon can understand the difference.

"He was a good trainer to you, wasn't he? If... if bad things start happening here, you should fly away, okay? Don't stay. He wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Hydreigon listens carefully to Adia's words, knocking on the door lightly with his head when she says something he agrees with. He knows something is wrong with his trainer, even if Dark type Pokemon normally enjoy chaos like this, Hydreigon clearly is not supportive of this change. He wants the old Jeff back...

The comment about flying away causes the Pokemon to become upset. He mumbles his name in displeasure to the idea. Nope. He's not leaving Adia or Jeff behind, not after the kindness they showed him as a Deino.
Speaking of bad things happening, Adia might be able to hear the speech that's going on above them. It definitely doesn't sound good, especially after the screaming and shouting starts occurring.

Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

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