[Accidental Video by Omen]

[no_reload]

CW: Body horror, assault

[The video started with a young man leaning over to assess the creature in question, but Luke's expression was already shifting from empathetic concern to alert and aware of something being off about the situation he found himself in.

In the trees, the shadows seem to deepen and thicken and all the birds stop their singing. The forest seems to go still as the shadows of the trees seem to move, dropping down to the forest floor and black smoke in tendrils crawl along the ground. For a single moment, it might even seem like a few had feet before the tendrils took on a more slithering appearance.

Luke had stood straight and turned towards the shadows and the hilt of the lightsaber came to hand.]

Who's there?

[Suddenly the smoky tendrils withdrew like they had been burned and a black creature that had little shape shot forward. Many eyes, a few mouths with shiny white teeth appeared in seemingly random places all over the black-body. Just as suddenly a gloved hand shot out of the whirling thick smoke creature of twisting tentacles, eyes, mouths. The gloved hand might look familiar as he closed around Luke's wrist holding the lightsaber.

A disjointed laugh echoed through the mass of black smoke, teeth sharpening and eyes widening all around. A voice sounded from many mouths, layering over top of each other.]

Ah ah ah... there's no need for toys.

[Black tentacles crawled around the ground to wrap around Luke's ankles then up legs as the Jedi struggled and fought to be free. Suddenly the consolidated mass of black smoke billowed forward to envelop the brunette like a noxious living cloud. The way the smoke was forced to puff out here and there indicated the continued fight going on unseen.

Smoke whirled like a miniature tornado, stirring up leaves, snapping twigs, and throwing small pebbled around. The hilt of a lightsaber rolled out from the smoke, and then there's a soft mournful call of a bird before the video ended abruptly.]

[OOC: Luke is in green & Reaper is in red. Replies will likely come from both of them.]

Comments

Audio - UN: Runeseeker

[onerthes]

...

[What did she just see?!? Ok, she kind of had a suspicion that she knew exactly what she just saw. Or more accurately who. And... shit, that was not good. She hadn't even thought of what might happen if a certain smoke monster went beast mode, but now that she saw this? She was very concerned.]

Can either of you hear me? Gods, is everyone alright in there?

Are you still in there, can you hear me?

[That last part was to Reaper more than anything. She didn't say his name. Deep down, she knew there would be people who recognized him, and for some of them? They'd know this wasn't natural behavior for him, even if he was violent by nature. But she wasn't telegraphing it.]

Private

[no_reload]

[Some time later, Reaper found himself in the awkward position of having to explain what the hell just happened. He was not happy with Wraith who currently kept a distance from him after that little stunt.

Unfortunately, his corruption was hitting the point where he didn't care nearly as much as he should. If anything, this should be a warning to anyone that might think to harm the household or anyone in it. Yes, it could spin it that way.

Be warned Trench!

Oh right, he was going to answer Vira who he suspected knew exactly who was involved in the attack. She was smart and knew him better than anyone outside of those from his own world.]

Everything is fine. [His voice sounded off, disjointed like it was still coming from multiple sources. It had an odd echo.] I knocked the kid out, but he'll come around in a few minutes I assume.

[onerthes]

Knocked out and not dead is a good thing in this case.

[It avoided some of the alternate options in terms of how some people in town were going to reply to this. She wasn't exactly keen on dealing with the fallout, though she'd deal with it one way or another. He was her friend, damnit.]

But everything is not fine, Reaper. [She didn't say 'this isn't like you.' She knew better.] What is going on? You sound unwell. Can I help?

audio; un: AskMalice

[slayerskiss]

Hey, man.

What the fuck?

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

Just a little scuffle. Nothing to worry about.

[slayerskiss]

Just a scuffle, huh? I'm calling some heavy bullshit on that shit.

Where's the other guy? Did you kill him?

un: trienemybest; video

[droptheious]

[You know, Varian doesn't always react to these kinds of videos. Weird bullshit happens in Trench all the time and there are people here much better adapted to deal with dangers here than he is.

But he recognises that smoke, even if the voice is...weird. Oh no, oh no.]

Reaper? Was- was that you?

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

[Oh Varian. Of course the kid would come and check up on things. Good kid, good intentions. Definitely needed some protection.

His voice was still odd, with an overlay of multiple sources at the same time.]

Don't worry, I'll be home soon to get a start on dinner. I have a great recipe in mind.

[droptheious]

[WELP.

He sure hates all of this.]

Uhhhhhhh what- what just then happened with the lightsaber guy? Maybe we can talk about that first? That- that seems like a priority right now???!

[schoolingfish]

Uh...Reaper? I...um...don't think you meant to post this.

Also I think you might be having a bit of corruption going on.

[no_reload]

[Ah. Luca.]

It's nothing I can't handle, Luca. Just a work in progress.

Audio UN; glphywitchy

[imaglyphwitch]

[Since the Leviathan business and the notes that had to be discovered, Luz has been keeping a closer eye on the network than usual. She was ready for the moment there was some news about some creeping monster or possibly an abduction.

What she saw instead made her insides turn to ice. She would have liked to assume she didn't know what she was looking at, but the way the man was being attacked, how whatever was upon him was doing so in what looked like smoke...that reminded her of one person off the bat.

She had not forgotten Luca's mention that Reaper had been storing blood, something Luz was sure she hadn't known, and had wondered aloud if Reaper would attack for that blood. It hadn't made sense, because obviously it would have gotten out that he was doing this, and that would have caused people to come to the house. She knew Reaper wouldn't have let that happen.

But a worry Luz really didn't want to think about was dancing in the back of her mind, one that was very obvious, especially to HER].

Hey! Hey! Are you ok?!

[No. She knew he wasn't, or at least that the one attacked wasn't ok. This situation was definitely all messed up].

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

[He expected Luz to show up; she was brilliantly nosy about all things. He admired that about her, but her concerns could be mildly annoying in a time like this.

No matter. It didn't matter. They were safe, and that's what meant the most to him. Whatever it took he would do to keep it that way.]

He'll be fine. Just a little tired. Maybe a touch of a headache.

What’s Happening…

[faithfulson]

[ The locals had seen it first: a poor, large bird limping around the edges of the nearby forest, occasionally ducking into the woods and out of sight, as if afraid of anyone that would try to help it, even though it seemed to know that it needed it. It was one of the mothers on the outskirts of town that eventually asked Luke for help, begging him to put the poor creature out of its misery if he couldn’t save it. ]

[ It took some effort to track the creature, as it definitely did not seem to want his help, and led to him being so focused on it that he wasn’t paying attention to the sun starting to sink below the trees. By the time he found it, the moon was starting to poke through the trees, shining its light down on the poor bird slumped on the ground. ]

You poor thing…

[ He approached the bird carefully, reaching his flesh and blood hand out to gently stroke the bird’s side. He reached out to the Force as well, projecting a sense of calm to the creature, hoping that would help it remain still as he tried to figure out what was wrong. ]

[no_reload]

[Wraith had played the part brilliantly, imitating a bird with a broken wing and waiting for a good samaritan to come along to try to help or put the Omen down. The peacock hobbled and hopped along the forest floor when it seemed someone had shown up to assist, ducking in the underbrush and never quite being obvious other than flashes as Wraith lead the human to isolation.

With the trap set, the peacock stopped trying to get away. Still holding a wing at an odd angle, Wraith watched the Sleeper push through the underbrush, and offered a hiss meant to ward off the human coming closer. It didn't work, of course, and it wasn't meant to. A little hop to avoid touch at first before Wraith eased down to sit on the ground.

From upper foliage, Reaper began his silent descent, creeping down between branches and even brushing leaves very gently. He could sense a lifeform and Wraith confirmed that it was a Sleeper. He quested down to a branch where he could safely consolidate and observe the trap that had been set.]

voice | un: sharpshooter

[azurestar]

[He is not saying anything for a long moment, not until he's sure that his voice is steady. That was triggering to watch. The tentacles and mouths and all that is new, but he knows pretty instantly who that is.]

Well that's familiar. [Dry, flat, a little distorted with something hard to define, and completely unsurprised.] Did you seriously just kill Luke freakin' Skywalker?

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

Kill? Hardly.

[So Lance had come calling, huh? Well, well, wasn't this just an opportunity where the corruption was going to push at him down bad road.]

Would you like to come and take his place?

audio; un: doublehedgedsword

[laminae]

[Well, even if Reaper didn't speak in this message, that black smoke is unmistakable. Fern has several large concerns. What the heck is going on??]

Uh, Reaper? What the flip, dude??

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

A game of cat and mouse. I was the cat.

[He wondered if that analogy could still stand. Well, there were bat-cats here so probably.]

video: un; apparition

[unphase]

[slowly, thrown off her game momentarily] What...did I just see?

Voice; un: Reaper

[no_reload]

A magic trick, clearly. What else did it look like?

Private Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul didn't respond to the video right away. He was too busy rescuing Luke, making sure the young Jedi was taken care of and not on the verge of death, and then working himself up into a fine rage.

When he finally responded, there was fury in his eyes as well as disapproval.]

Gabriel, what the hell do you think you are doing?

[He was supposed to be the unstable one around here but instead it seemed like his lover was on the verge of going off the deep end.]

Private Video;

[no_reload]

[Reaper was surprisingly put together compared to the previous video, of which he had already berated Wraith for posting. So much for keeping a low profile.

Oh well, he wasn't actually bothered.

Until he saw Maul on the other side of the screen with that disapproving look. Maul disapproving him? He should have expected it; only Moira could ever understood, and her disapproval was something he could endure. This? It just burned a fury inside of him that was fueled by a deep hurt and betrayal that was twisted up well beyond reason at this point.]

Whatever the fuck I want to. Go back and tend to your little friend and stay out of my way.

voice, un: GoldenFlowers

[the_obedient_servant]

Neat trick.

Feeling under the weather, old man?

Voice;

[no_reload]

Oh no, I'm right as rain!