Event Log: The Hills Are Silent

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone!
What: The Silent Hill event
Where: Throughout the city
When: June 15th-20th
Warnings: Silent Hill comes to Hadriel, and with it, a few personalized monsters

On the morning of June 15th, a thick fog rolls into Hadriel. There's nothing quite terrifying about it yet, but it manages to drain the city of color, forcing a grey backdrop onto everything behind it. Feel free to go try to check it out if you want, just be careful, because it won't be too long until the sirens start blaring.

There's not exactly a reasonable explanation for where the sound is coming from: Hadriel doesn't have a speaker system, or any warning sirens in place for when something horrible happens. But you'd better find cover quickly, because shortly after the sirens start wailing, the city begins to change. Walls and furniture start to peel, revealing a bloody, hellish version of the city that you once knew. In addition, the monsters from the bestiary will roam the city, as well as a few other monsters that might hit a little closer to home.

Some characters may run into monsters which embody their own sins or insecurities. Some characters may be pursued by their friends' hellish mirrors. One thing is clear: you don't want any of these things catching you. Luckily, it isn't long before Hope makes a post, declaring the god temples as safe zones from all the creatures that are now loose upon the city.

The sirens will fade within a few hours, and the city will fall back to normal, the monsters will retreat back into the fog as if they were never there, and everything seems to be fine again, as if that terrifying experience was just some kind of twisted dream. You can tell yourself that, if you like... but that won't help much the next time the sirens start again.

► This log covers June 15th-20th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► Any number of things could murder you here. If you wind up on the unfortunate end of Pyramid Head's chain, please remember to hit up our death post!

Comments

Near | Open + one Closed, will match format

[solvethepuzzle]

A: On the run (Closed to Mello)

Well. This is certainly troublesome. And caused by one of the people brought here, rather than the beings that had dumped them in this cave to begin with. How novel. Near flips his phone closed, winds a finger into his hair. He dislikes the idea of feeding any of the 'gods' more than necessary, but this may be one of those necessary times.

Calmly delivered, because of course it is: "For the moment, this may no longer be the most secure place."

His own defenses . . . do these creatures now roaming the streets qualify as eldritch? Could he erect a proper defense? That much, he does not know, and that is a big risk to take if the protections fail. Stronger spells eat up energy and he will have less with which to move if his ward is unsuitable to the task.

Besides, he has yet to let Mello know that he has acquired a few extra abilities. Time will tell if this needs to change.


B: Monster Time (Open)

This creature is more subdued than some others. Thin and ghastly pale, clad in an indigo robe, it drifts soundlessly along the streets. The only facial features it appears to have are a pair of dark, empty eyes that somehow still manage to be attentive as they sweep over the area. The creature has a specific target in mind, that boy it had once possessed. Such a good host, that boy. But in the interim, anyone of sufficient wit will do.

Those that are unsuitable and yet see fit to get in its way? Well. It has means to deal with those. Of course. The creature is fairly lacking in outright aggression, but if provoked, or in the presence of a suitable body, it will be ready.

[OOC: Details on the monster can be found here, or if anyone would like to hash anything out, they can hit me at cloudyskies.]

C: Fear's Temple (Open)

To most people, this would be perhaps the least logical place to go. But for Near, with Mello hovering over him so much, this actually makes a great deal of sense. Too much could be revealed at the temples of Delight or Hope, and he doesn't feel like escaping murder at the hands of monsters only to risk it at the hands of Mello if they'd gone to Rage's. When it had all come down to it, Near had determined that he has the least to worry about from Fear.

Which isn't to say that he likes it here. He doesn't. It's less the darkness that bothers him than the openness. Open places mean exposure, exposure means danger. Normally, this would not get to him badly, but the lingering effect of Fear's power over this place glides over his nerves, makes his stomach feel uncomfortably hollow. Nothing he is unable to manage, but more than he is accustomed to feeling.

Even in the darkness, Near is rather visible. Almost everything about him is white; his pajamas, his hair, his skin. He's a rather ragged-looking, disheveled little creature, huddled against the wall while either stacking cards in front of him or holding a toy robot in his lap. At first glance, it may seem like he's not paying attention to whatever is happening around him, but at any point where he thinks he hears anyone approach him, his gaze flicks up involuntarily. No alarm is present in his eyes when he does so, but that he reacts at all is out of the norm for him.

you can RUN but you can't hide because no one here gets out alive

[torrefied]

"Yeah, no shit." Someone's still in a grumpy mood after those earlier conversations. But whatever; Mello is, if nothing else, intensely pragmatic, and sulking here while the city went to shit around them just wouldn't be productive.

He's already got his jacket and sunglasses on and his pistol in hand, because he's absolutely not going to take any chances once they step outside the door. If - more likely when - something comes at them, even an extra second of reaction time can count a great deal.

"I'm sure you already saw it, but Hope said that anyone taking shelter in one of their temples will be affected by the corresponding emotion. Mildly." Which Mello still doesn't like, but if it's a choice between relative safety with unwanted feelings and less certain safety without any additional emotional component, he'll take the former.

[solvethepuzzle]

Mello's mood hardly matters so long as he's keeping the reality of the situation in mind. Handling things rationally is important.

"I noticed." Hardly an ideal situation, but safer than staying here. Just because death may be impermanent in this place doesn't mean that Near wants to put himself at continuous risk for it. That would be stupid. Unfortunately, that means braving the streets in the first place. A burst of danger on the way to security. Well. It wouldn't be the first time.

He unwinds the finger from his hair and reaches down to pull on the shoes he'd taken from the shop upon his arrival, mind working. They have a choice of four places to go, technically. But practically speaking there are fewer than that. Rage's temple would obviously be an abysmal idea and the only reason that Mello's recent anger is any kind of concern. Delight's risks revealing too much on Near's part and he estimates that Hope's would be little better. So that narrows the choices down to one.

Near slings the satchel holding his cards and toys over his shoulder. "Fear's temple, then."

It isn't a question. Near is not asking for permission or opinions; he's stating what will be.

[torrefied]

Luckily, Mello's come to the same conclusion about their best option of the four gods' temples, so he doesn't have an argument to offer, even if it does irritate him that Near so effectively beat him to the punch.

"Right. I doubt many people will be there - they'll most likely stick to Delight's temple, or Hope's." They wouldn't willingly seek shelter in a place guaranteed to amplify their feelings of terror. Mello's confident that he can keep his own feelings under control, and Near - well, Near would have to be capable of feeling something to be affected by Fear.

Mello heads for the door without another word of discussion about it. The sooner they get to the temple, the better.

[solvethepuzzle]

It's a common misconception, to assume that Near feels nothing. But it serves him well and he is content with who he is besides. So it's fine.

There is nothing more to be said on the matter of their destination. They're in agreement; that's all they need. Instead, Near simply calls a counterspell his mind should they have need of one on the way. So far, he's let Mello remain ignorant of what he can do now. But he will not keep the secret at the expense of both of their lives. If he needs to use his magic, then he will.

He lets Mello take point, of course. There is no other logical way to do this. Instead, Near keeps his eyes open for dangers as they step out into the fog. Always observe. Of course. As both of them do, with the mantra drilled into their heads from very young ages. Neither could forget it even if they wished to do so. And why would they want that?

Mostly, it isn't bad at first. Nothing that causes Near any particular alarm. Not much can do that. But then, out of the corner of his vision, he catches sight of a slim figure, indigo fabric draped over it. If Mello glances back at him in this moment, he will see him visibly startle.

[torrefied]

Mello does happen to glance back at Near - sensing, perhaps, a slight shift in Near's typical unruffled demeanor, or maybe simply because he's been too quiet for too long, and Mello is feeling extra paranoid in this fog. Whatever the reason, he sees the creature approaching, and alarm bells go off in his head.

"Near." There's a note of urgency in his tone; surely he's seen it too, but Mello isn't going to take chances.

[solvethepuzzle]

Ironically, this situation would bother Near less if he did not know what this is, or at least what it represents. Something that he had left behind from a few worlds ago, save for the magical abilities he possesses. The creature's approach is intent, but not particularly quick, and Near's mind races as he watches it.

Indigo. Or some twisted rendition of him. Still don't know if these qualify as eldritch, but if this corresponds closely enough to what Indigo is . . . that's fae and a protection against the eldritch will do nothing. It has to be after me; this being coincidence makes no sense.

Near's expression smoothes out, but there is still a hint of something in his eyes. "I see it. If it's what I think it is . . ." And he is quite certain of that, or he'd not waste his breath. "Then it wants me specifically. Assume it has the ability to affect minds."

He will be expected to explain this later, he's sure. That's fine. So long as there is a later to begin with.

[torrefied]

A number of questions leap to the front of Mello's mind: What do you think it is? and How do you know?; Why does it want you specifically? and Affect minds how? He pushes them all aside for the moment, though, focusing on the one that's most important.

"Can it be killed?" He slides the safety of his pistol into the off position, quickly closing the distance between him and Near, stepping just slightly ahead of Near to put himself between him and the advancing creature. This clearly isn't a normal situation, and his ammunition is limited. Wasting bullets on something that can't be injured or killed by conventional means would be stupid.

[solvethepuzzle]

The answer to some of those questions he knows better than others. To list everything the actual Indigo Illuminant could do would take far too long; it's the embodiment of an entire discipline of magic. Not everything would be detrimental, but Near highly doubts that any monstrous manifestations would be doing anything like boosting mental clarity. No, the first thing that comes to mind would be that the creature would inflict insanity.

But the question that Mello asks is indeed the most important one. Even this, though, is not so simple.

"I'm not certain. But it can survive things that should be fatal." Illuminants survive the deaths of their host bodies, retreating to their sources until another suitable one falls within its reach. To have one wandering without a proper body is too far outside the realm of what he knows to employ any certainty on the subject. "Bullets could easily be a waste."

Which means that they should just move. Or maybe it's his own lingering fear, in some back corner of his mind, that just urges him to run from something that had subsumed that other self in that other world, or could steal away from him his only strength: his mind.

Fear's Temple

[ushahin]

Ushahin is likewise one who has found refuge in the temple. He looks relatively unharmed, save for a makeshift bandage on his right shoulder. He'd run into his own personal monster earlier, barely getting away before more permanent damage could be done.

Sitting up against a wall, he has his eyes closed. For all intents and purposes, appears to be fast asleep. His chest moves slowly with deep breaths. His mind is somewhere far, far away. Then his mismatched eyes flicker open and it's clear he's been awake this whole time. Stretching out his long and crooked limbs until he gets some feeling back in them, he looks around him. Eyes falling upon Near, he asks a question in a soft voice, the kind that one hears in their dreams in the dead of the night. "Are the monsters still about?"

[solvethepuzzle]

The voice unsettles him only a bit, and Near is someone who normally feels so little that he's comfortable ascribing this much to the temple's effect. He isn't terribly much more a meal emotionally than he would be physically.

He's uninjured himself, despite encountering his own monster on the way here; his is much more a danger to the mind than the body. He almost would have rolled his eyes at how appropriate that is if such a thing hadn't represented the few things he legitimately fears: being subsumed, severely diminished mental capacity, loss of control of his own mind.

Currently, he's building a card tower on the floor in front of him, and his gaze briefly slides toward the owner of the voice. When Near responds, his own voice is soft, youthful, monotonous: "Unfortunately yes."

He notes that the way the other's eyes have opened appear to indicate he had not really been sleeping, despite appearances. It's curious, but he will get to that later.

[ushahin]

Ushahin stands up, cracking his neck back and forth. There's a crick in it from where he's been lying for so long. Some days, he feels every year weighing heavily upon his bones. "Unfortunate? Why would that be unfortunate?" He laughs quietly as if there's a private joke that only he is privy to.

He checks the bandage on his shoulder. The blood has stopped and begun to dry, leaving the cloth dyed a dark, murky red. He'll need to take care of that properly at some point. For now, he can stand the dull ache. Trying not to think of his own monster, the one with the mirrored eyes that showed everything and hid nothing, he approaches Near. Staying in this temple is dreadfully dull and he might as well make conversation. "What is your name?" A tendril of his power reaches out toward the boy, nothing sinister (yet), just enough to filter any stray thoughts that he might pick up.

[solvethepuzzle]

Hm. That's an interesting response. Most people would find the state of things outside unfortunate indeed. Something is clearly outside the norm with this one. But Near doesn't look up, doesn't visibly react the slightest bit.

"It causes quite a bit of fuss and makes basic living more difficult than it needs to be." And Near is poor at basic living skills to begin with, so this is rather irritating. He nudges a card minutely to perfect its placement on the tower. "I am called Near. Yourself?"

This is . . . sort of making conversation. It's not something Near has ever been good at -- or very interested in -- but he's improved slightly over the past several months. His phrasing might suggest that this is not actually his name, but nothing about his thoughts will indicate so. His real name is something that has hardly crossed his mind in many years. The tendril of power may pick up that Near finds the flippant response to the situation interesting and unusual, but nothing else.

[ushahin]

Ushahin pushes a lock of fair blonde hair away from his face. He sits down again, a little too close inside Near's personal space, heedless of any discomfort it might cause him. "Some call me Ushahin, other Dreamspinner." He thinks of gently probing inside the boy's mind, but decides against it. If he slips into someone's mind right now, there's a chance he may miss out on something going on out in this strange version of reality.

"So many nightmares outside instead of inside where they belong." He much prefers them when they're inside people's heads. Then he gets to play around with them, enhancing them or banishing them as his moods suites him.

[solvethepuzzle]

There's a subtle hint of tension in Near's body when Ushahin gets too close. Near very much likes his personal space and greatly dislikes when someone violates it without express permission. But that isn't something he deigns to demonstrate physically, if he can help it. When people know how to get to you, they use it. Near certainly does.

The title and the way he speaks are interesting to put together, suggestive of some manner of connection. He hadn't been sleeping a moment ago, contrary to appearances. Hm. This seems like the time to address the issue, then.

"Were you traversing ones on the inside a moment ago, when it only looked like you were asleep?"

[ushahin]

"Indeed. I find it easiest to keep an eye on everything when people are asleep. Their dreams show far more than their waking minds ever do." He'd used his abilities for many years to spy upon his master's enemies. Even now, far from home and without a purpose, Ushahin finds that old habits die hard. Knowledge gives one power and he's determined not to be caught off-guard in this new place.

Both his eyes focus in on Near, the right's pupil growing in size while the left remains fixed in its large, blown-out state. He takes in Near's appearance as if seeing him fully for the first time. One hand, the crooked right, reaches out and plucks a card from the tower. He turns it over in his fingers. "What nightmare has come to visit you?"

[solvethepuzzle]

Knowledge does give power, especially in the line of work that Near had been trained for since early childhood. Schooled in how to root out information . . . but also schooled to hide it about himself. To get that power but not give it.

Near is a pathetic sight, really. While he shows no sign of any injury or disfigurement, his pallour is an unhealthy-looking one and he's thin even accounting for his smaller stature. His own eyes follow the hand that plucks the card from the tower, the faintest hint of irritation flickering behind the otherwise impassive gaze for just a second. Had that been necessary? The card is not from a traditional playing deck; rather, it's tarot, that particular one perhaps ironically being Tower.

He stops building for now, watches the crooked hand holding the pilfered card.

"No specific one." The lie rolls off smoothly, even if the image of the bodiless Indigo Illuminant does flit through his mind. "I merely find myself unsuited to handle the ones roaming the streets."

That part, at least, is true.

fear's temple. the 19th.

[torrefied]

After several days of this nonsense, when it becomes apparent that the situation has not only failed to dissipate but actually worsened, Mello decides it's become necessary to take action. (He tried, Near; he honestly did. Maybe he's more affected by the temple's emotional influence than he anticipated after all, because the idea of some irreparable harm coming to Near is something Mello can no longer tolerate.)

"I'm going out," he says to Near, jaw tense. "Stay here."

[solvethepuzzle]

It's dark in the temple. Others are probably brighter; it makes sense for Fear's to be like this, though, preying on an instinctive apprehension about the dark and what lurks within it. But there's something that breaks through it a bit now.

A clear light shines off the toy robot that Near has sitting next to him, brightening a good twenty feet around him, then its reach gradually fading beyond that. He and Mello have had this discussion already; Near's magic isn't a secret anymore, even if some of his other abilities still are. Full disclosure is an anathema to them, who have been raised to keep things close, to deceive and mislead.

He's building with his cards again, of course. There isn't much else to do while he's here and it's an activity that usually keeps him content enough besides. He briefly glances in Mello's direction at those words, notes the set of his jaw.

"I have no intention of leaving." A statement of the obvious. "Where are you going?"

[torrefied]

The fact that a) magic exists and 2) Near knows how to work it is weird, and something that Mello is still getting used to. He drums his fingers along the side of his leg, considering how to answer the question. If he tells Near what he's thinking, it will likely erupt into an argument. If he lies, Near will likely be able to tell.

"I told you - out." Mello shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, fingers closing around the handle of his pistol inside. "If I say anything else, you're going to try to stop me, and that's going to be a waste of time for both of us."

[solvethepuzzle]

Considering where they are and how they've come to be here, that it exists shouldn't be a particular surprise anymore. But there had been no reason until the past few days to believe that Near would work it himself, to be fair. His life had taken more of a turn for the bizarre than Mello could have anticipated.

The answer to his question is a telling one; Mello has to know that, doesn't he?

"Fifth floor, spire three?" He calmly recites the location of the girl who had started this nonsense. No harshness, judgement, or annoyance in his tone this time.

[torrefied]

"It's necessary." Mello doesn't look at Near when he replies, but what he says is as good as acknowledging that Near's guess is correct. "It's been several days. The gods have had time to come up with a solution, and they haven't. Neither has the city guard. Someone has to do something about this."

And that someone apparently has to be him. Again.

[solvethepuzzle]

"Considering these facts, and a later review of what was said on the girl's post, I may be willing to revise my position on this."

Killing may not be Near's go-to solution for a problem, but he is no saint. On a personal or moral level, the girl's life means nothing to him. Much of his objection had stood from the belief that Mello had been acting on insufficient information. He still is not convinced what Mello plans to do is smart, but it's a far better thing than what he'd later seen unfold on the network.

He does not understand how people can be that stupid.

[torrefied]

Mello doesn't expect Near to actually agree with him. This time, he does look back to Near, puzzlement written in his expression.

"What came up in the review of her post that made you change your mind?" Mello's been busy with other things, and while he's been monitoring the network for new posts, he hadn't gone back to Sharon's original message, even though (he realizes, now that Near's mentioned it) he should have.

[solvethepuzzle]

Yes, he expects that Mello might be surprised by the shift in his opinion. But he keeps building. Calmly, steadily, no tremble in the fingers even through the enhanced fear effect in this place.

"There was talk of channeling and bolstering her power." He frowns subtly at this, an expression of disdain. "This is already out of control, and they decided to strengthen it."

How no one seemed to think this was a bad idea is something that Near has difficulty comprehending. If the idea had been well thought-out in the first place, he might have been more supportive of the strategy. But this way . . . this way hardly qualifies as strategy at all. There could still be untoward consequences to killing the girl; Near has not abandoned that belief. But they had to be better than what would come from amplifying the power that is already threatening them all.