EVENT LOG: ENTER MR SANDMAN (DEFENDERS)

[inthenightmods]

EVENT LOG:
ENTER MR. SANDMAN (DEFENDERS)

characters: those who signed up as defenders for the event
location: all around Beacon
date/time: november 16-29
content: the defenders attempt to drive off a spirit invasion
warnings: lots of horror! body horror, psychological horror, gore, violence, etc.. please cw all threads where appropriate! mods will do the same

in your closet, in your head.

It all happens in a matter of moments. Your friends, your companions, and even some people you aren't all that fond of; everyone who took so much as a bite of the spirits' feast suddenly collapses into a comatose heap. Which is bad enough already, but the worst, by far, is yet to come.

Before anyone can really figure out what's happened to the sleepers, the woods surrounding the town come alive with sound. Rustling, screeching, clicking, howling, and under it all, the characteristic hoots and whistles of the forest spirit tongue. But these aren't the friendly creatures that set up the banquet in the first place, and they aren't the familiar faces (or masks) from around Beacon. As they begin to emerge, bursting forth from the trees, these spirits reveal themselves as a horrifying army of terrors. And sprinkled among them, distinguishable by the emerald glint in their sockets, are the infamous "green eyes", the dangerous spirits that appeared once before.

Attempting to talk to these spirits is a moot point, made obvious by their immediate assault on anyone they get close to. They attack with claws and teeth, with limbs far stronger than they have any right to be, and the green eyes, as they are wont to do, will try to get into your head. Somehow, they seem to know what it is that scares you most, and they don't seem too hesitant to use it. It's not clear what they want— are they here to eradicate you? To frighten you? To send a message?

Whatever the case, one thing is very clear: you and everyone else, sleeping or waking, are in serious danger. Are you ready to defend Beacon?

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Comments

[sauntered_downward]

Crowley knew Xayan was a fighter, she'd said as much and he's never doubted her. But seeing it first hand is something else. She's quick, and she uses those feathers in a way he couldn't have possibly imagined.

Crowley, conversely, is not a fighter. He holds onto Aziraphale and takes off in the direction the human soldier person instructs.

"Get some of the food," he tells them. "We need to figure out what they were poisoned with."

[sauntered_downward]

Because she did this.

[Crowley doesn't even sound a little surprised.]

And when I get my hands on her, she'll see what a demon can do up close.

[featherknives]

[She shakes her head, not wanting to believe that. Not because she trusts Robin, but because she doesn't want to accept the fact they all might get erased.]

Last time, there was some kind of horn. A loud horn. Before the spirits attacked.

[Right. Antidote. Antidote... Crap.]

Did anyone check that store for the medicine? We use plants back home to make antidotes, but nothing grows here...

[featherknives]

Well, you know what they say-

[she has several blades summoned between her fingers-]

No rest for the wicked. [She tilts her head at the spell-] How long can it last? [Long enough for them to move the others to the inn? It's the closest.]

[sauntered_downward]

They're talking through the network now. Did they do that before?

[Crowley doubts it. Everyone seemed so surprised.]

There's a scientist here. I haven't seen her since the attack, but I'll find her. We can get her to help figure out how to wake everyone up. She's clever.

[featherknives]

No. Not a beep. [She glares, a non-healthy dose of rage bubbling up in her and she sneers.] I can't wait to see how she'll try to wriggle her ass out of this.

[A... what now?]

Scientist? I thought they make poison.

[At least, that's what they do in Zaun...]

[worthallthis]

At the moment, the goal is get people to safety, worry about food or antidotes later-- as if any of them would have a clue how to devise something like that. They can always come back out if and when the coast is clear. "Crowley use your damn wings!" They give Crowley one more shove then take off at a sprint for the Invincible. If Crowley wants to keep ahead of them, he'd better fly. If Crowley wants to get to the inn before the spirits he'll have to fly, too. The Soldier is pretty fast, but the spirits might be faster.

[sauntered_downward]

She's not going to succeed.

[he sits down across from her and leans in]

I'm going to go find her. Get her to stop this. I need you to protect Aziraphale.

[featherknives]

When the spirit charges at them again, she recalls her feathers back to herself, effectively cutting off a few gangly limbs and tying it up- and then runs after the others, towards the inn, using her wings to get a spring in her running.

"Quickly! Ties will hold it for five seconds at most!"

Xayah knows when and how to pick a fight- and this is not the moment for it.

[featherknives]

[She was about to agree with him- until she hears that last part. She leans forward as well, a bit frantic-]

Are you out of your mind!? You won't last even ten minutes out there all by yourself! Especially with those green-eyed spirits causing hallucinations.

We are outnumbered- by far. Half of the people that inhabit this place is asleep. We can't afford to lose more. We need you here, and alive.

[sauntered_downward]

Crowley turns back and focuses his limited powers, imagining the ties are suddenly large, metal chains held together with weights to hold the creature down. In a thought, they are.

"Go!" he shouts back to her. "There are more of them!"

He extends his wings as the human soldier person says, and lifts himself and Aziraphale up, soaring towards the Invincible.

[sauntered_downward]

I'm not a threat to them. Most of the time, they don't even attack me. I can just fly by them. Over the trees, get to the Lighthouse.

[He takes in a breath]

This town is lost, Xayah. We're not going to win this fight. We have to get her to stop it, it's the only way.

[featherknives]

[Thanks for healing her hand because now she can use both to grab you by the shirt and actually lift you from your chair, Crowley, as she stands too-]

You won't be able to avoid them! Are you that stupid?! THAT DENSE!?

[She's pale from rage and her eyes wide-]

They will tear you apart, limb for limb!!! We won't win the fight, but we will never win war if we keep losing people.

[She gets into his face-] You walk out of that door, and I'll kill you myself- at least I'll be able to revive you later, [-and then lets go of him, waiting to see what he does.]

[sauntered_downward]

[When she lets go of him, he falls back into the chair, immediately affecting complete relaxation and nonchalance. It's his security blanket, this nonchalant look, and he'll wrap it around himself]

So how are you going to stop this, then? Just fight them until they're all dead? A whole planet full of these things?

Because you know as well as I do that it's not going to work. The Lighthouse is the key.

[featherknives]

It takes too long for us to reach the top floor, not the spirits. They are fast...

[They need actual rooms to use with this many people around. She still thinks that the first floor should be enabled and constantly monitored and all other floors blocked off- even the stairs.]

Besides, if we have to run, it's easier for people to jump out of the first story window than third.

[Or fourth, or how many floors this place has. It's easy for her, she can fly- humans, however, can't.]

[featherknives]

[She stares at him angrily, pinning him with a glare of "don't you dare go outside". Once she's sure he won't do such a stupid thing, she relaxes a bit.

And starts pacing. Because she has no idea what to do. She agrees with Crowley that Lighthouse is the key, but they can't reach it. They couldn't reach it even when everything was calm. Now, all the spirits are out after them, so the Lighthouse is out of the question.]

We have to wake up the others. Soon. If we want to reach Lighthouse, we need everyone we can get our hands on.

[She runs hands down her face in frustration. For the first time, Xayah actually has no viable plan.]

[necromantiae]

Probably long enough to ruin my entire day.

( he sighs and shakes his head. )

Long enough to hurt people that can't defend themselves either.

[sauntered_downward]

Fine. I'll get the scientist, I'll bring her here. Then I'll go. She won't send in the cavalry if it's just me. She won't even suspect it. And I'll stop this.

[What's on his mind may or may not be revenge. He may or may not be thinking of Aziraphale sleeping on the floor and Xayah's injuries and the human soldier person and that may or may not make his demonic blood boil over.

Revenge is a decent motivator, isn't it?]

[darkeyed]

The other could've stood still and the result would've been the same; if Riku hadn't hastened to close the distance, he would have. He'll be damned: Riku. Is he--? No. No. He's not seeing things--he's relatively sure of that. His mind has been his own for some time again, and when it hadn't, his visions had fixated on older chapters of his life, ones from the Badlands and beyond. He doesn't think his imagination has enough in it to re-produce Riku to the same degree of detail as the ring of flickering torchlight picks out when the other boy steps into it.

All intact, all accounted for. He rakes him from head to toe with his gaze, scarcely believing. "What do you mean what's wrong?" he snaps. "Where have you been!?"

His anonymous informant had said to expect as much--that Riku would likely reappear on his own time--but he hadn't embraced the words, only the gaps between them, the lies by omission that left room for doubt. The Badlands may be far behind him, but the marks it'd left lives on in the scars on his arms and his expectation of the worst: a hundred nameless, faceless people could him tell not to worry, but only omissions counted for anything until his eyes decided the truth.

"What happened to you?" Said eyes stay locked on the immediate cause for alarm--the one and only that matters. The sight of Riku whole and here loosens the torrent of questions that have been building up in his absence. "Where were you? Are you okay?"

[worthallthis]

The Soldier catches the trick with the chains, but isn't sure where it came from. It's something to question later when they're not running. At least Crowley is in the air, which means he'll get there in time and they don't have to worry too much about him. The Soldier snatches up Bodhi's lantern in passing as well, keeping track of both is going to be a pain in the ass, then continues in their headlong dash to the inn.

It isn't far, at least. And with two people with wings and one supersoldier, they make it in record time. "In. Bar the door."

[callada]

Who would worry about reputation at a time like this? Thankfully, the other man seems to be willing to put that aside as Rosinante limps closer, adjusting the pack on his back as he does so. Mary hasn't moved an inch in all of this and still sleeps soundly in the bag strapped across his back, undisturbed by the cries of the spirits or the explosions of gunfire and magic outside.

"And whose reputation am I not supposed to ruin?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at the request.

[callada]

"Have any of them tried to communicate with us at all since this started?" he asks, surprised it's even a suggestion. He's anticipating an attack at any moment, and glances over his shoulder to see if there are any other lanterns visible from other patrolling groups in the distance.

"We should drop back to cover," he suggests quietly. Tables and bed frames turned outward form some rough defenses, but having the side of The Invincible itself or one of the other nearby buildings at their backs would help them so as to not be attacked from behind.

[sauntered_downward]

"Crowley."

He puts the chair down for the injured person in front of him, and reaches out to get one for himself. He could just as easily sit on the floor, but he's not that sort of a person, even in dire straights like this.

"How many are out there?" His voice is neutral, almost flippant. Hiding how nervous he is about how out in the open the Invincible really is.

[callada]

Aha, an anticipated meeting, then. It's a shame the circumstances are what they are right now. If this isn't the beginning of the end, and if they come through alive, they'll have to have a drink or two together afterward. Just not while he's distracted by throbbing pain and blood loss. He sits, though it takes some effort, and he mostly keeps his long, bleeding leg extended.

"I'm Rosinante," he offers. Then, "I don't know if there's any good way to estimate how many there are. Too many. I'm going to run out of ammunition before we've even put a dent in their numbers."

[sauntered_downward]

"There aren't enough boats to flee by water," he says, sitting. "But we could always try by the forest. See what else is out there, rather than just staying hidden in a little bar while they come at us on all sides."

He gestures for Rosinante to hand over his injured leg.