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

[mind_blown]

[ there's something in his hackles that goes up when he sees how Vanitas is handling Bruce, an instinctive drive to protect. but he stops himself from overreacting-- he's better than that now. so he needs to act like it. oh, but there is definitely a loud part of him that thinks being better is overrated.

and yet-- he pulls out his gun, firing through one of the spirits heads. even if it didn't kill them, it would slow them down for a second. Enough to get out of there. ]

You think that's what I'm aiming for?

[ there's a hint of sarcasm, and then he lurches forward. most everyone has made a break for it, so he's going to do the same. ]

Let's get the hell out of here.

[evulsed]

I didn't see you doing anything else.

[ Vanitas snarls, but there's something purposefully obtuse in that. Vanitas, too, had helped fend off what Jason as fighting before putting his full focus on Bruce. Others had made way to run much sooner than this. Some hadn't stuck around at all, but Vanitas and Jason are far from the last people to be still around the dinner table. The population of Beacon may not be huge, but almost all of them had been congregated on this one spot because of the feast.

It's a perfect place for an ambush.

Jason says let's but Vanitas sees him readying to take off. Part of him can't bring himself to care about what Jason does or doesn't want to do. Vanitas doesn't know about the connection between this man and the sleeping one breathing even and slow on his shoulder. ]

I'm not stopping you.

[ He hisses, gathering Bruce up from the table. It's a little awkward, for the angle, because Vanitas is smaller than him and Bruce is all legs. He has the strength to do it, but it doesn't stop Bruce from being a little unwieldey in all his dead weight as Vanitas arranges himself to try and pick him up. ]

[mind_blown]

Give him here.

[ his tone shifts, when it becomes obvious that Vanitas has every intention of taking Bruce and running somewhere else. In all this mess, he had lost Peter. He wasn't going to lose Bruce too, and that defensiveness shows up in how he speaks. The barest signs of attachment and desperation. ]

You're too short to carry him without tripping over yourself.

[ and Jason, at 6'1, would have no problem. wants to have no problem. But he has to fire his gun when he sees a spirit approaching them from out of the corner of his eye, another hole through a mask that will only buy them so much time. And he's hoping that with all of the other soft targets, they'll focus on something else-- but he's tracking what draws their attention in the background.

they don't seem to be leaping for the sleeping people first. or if they are, their attention is drawn too readily to a hostile target.

it's worth remembering. but more importantly, his gaze never leaves Vanitas.

he's not leaving Bruce. ]

[evulsed]

[ There's a question there, in the heartbeat between Vanitas wrangling Bruce against his chest and the gravity with which Jason suddenly addresses him, gives him his full attention.

It makes Vanitas pause long enough to listen. Long enough to really look at him, to slot the pieces together. It would be easy for Vanitas to think, despite Jason's sharp tongue, that he's just like anyone else in this town. Altruistic, sometimes to a fault. There's a certain breed of hero that Vanitas has both been conditioned to recognize, and has come to be able to recognize on his own.

So up until this moment, he figured Jason was doing what any good-natured person would do— protect the people around them.

But that isn't the story Jason's steady gaze tells him. It isn't the story the fissure of feeling he senses is, underneath the pounding weight of all the anger of the spirits. ]

What are you standing there for then?

[ It almost sounds like it could be an order, the way he barks it, the way he hoists Bruce, reluctant to let him go back to the table but telegraphing his willingness to hand him over, at least. ]

[mind_blown]

[ Good, because Jay wasn't about to let him just have him. It was better they work together than Jay make an impulsive, bad, bad, bad decision. But don't get him wrong-- he absolutely wasn't above making bad decisions. Ever. Just, there was a good time and a bad time for that.

This was definitely a bad time.

He casts one glance back at the monsters. They've got the space to run, at least from this scene. Who knows how long that's going to last though. ]

Yeah, yeah. Just hand him over.

[ He steps forward, extending his arms to catch Bruce.

Who definitely fucking owed him after this. That's all Jason had to say to that. But their time was limited-- needed to make this quick. ]

[evulsed]

[ He isn't exactly gentle with Bruce, but maybe partly because Vanitas doesn't really know how to perform it. Still, doesn't just foist Bruce off onto Jason— he makes a point of being sure the transfer is done before ever letting the other boy go. His gaze lingers briefly on Bruce's sleeping face, just a half second too long, before it snaps back to Jason's— and then over his shoulder.

With his hands free, it means he can be the one to summon Void Gear again.

Vanitas doesn't have much experience protecting anyone but himself, but the people he's shared his heart with have more than enough to make up the difference. ]

We're taking him to the museum.

[ It's a demand, and Vanitas only chooses the museum because he knows it now. He knows it's where Bruce hides, and he knows all the entrances and exits are. And chiefly, in the deepest core of him, it's where Vanitas feels safest in this town, even if he doesn't realize it.

He puts himself between Jason and the spirits, and his voice echoes as he puts his helmet back up when he says: ]

Don't do anything stupid!

[mind_blown]

[ Bruce is almost light. Is this what he's like before years of being "Batman" really bulked up his frame? This way, Jason has no doubts about his ability to carry him out of there. He's certain Roy weighed more than Bruce does at this moment, and well. Roy was no batman. and he'd leave it at that. ]

The museum?

[ the question of "why" is left in the air, but as long as they have to keep moving to keep safe, it lets him process through at least some logical order of events. whether it's safer to be separate from the masses that will probably go to the invincible. whether the museum is easily guarded. whether they could keep monsters away or evade notice by being less obvious targets.

jason's willing to bet on some of that safety, of being away from the others and not drawing attention.

he calls one of his all blades to his hand. ]

Nevermind, let's just get the hell out of here.

[ he starts to back away, back towards the entrance. He's not sure if they're surrounded yet. But the chances are? It's going to take some creative maneuvering to get the hell out of this mess. ]

[equinoctials]

[ Electric bikes do not make very impressive sounds when you really punch the acceleration, Riku discovers. Not that making that sort of flashy entrance is anywhere near a priority - it just would've been a good distraction.

Kind of like the bike itself, when it launches overhead and drops into an aggressive spirit lumbering towards the trio of Jason, Vanitas, and their unconscious and unwitting ward. Someone jumps from its seat before it collides with the spirit's body, righting himself with a mid-air twist and dropping into a crouch.

At least Riku didn't bring only a broadsword to a fight. He tosses his head, shouting over his shoulder. ]

Go! I've got this!

[ He looks at Jason, then over at Vanitas. ]

Take care of him.

[evulsed]

[ Vanitas whips around, keyblade raised. Even without the snarl of an engine, the rush of air that comes with the bike flying overhead is more than enough to take his attention. The silence of the bike means he doesn't know what to expect until he sees Riku crouched on three points, looking over his shoulder.

Vanitas wouldn't have to know anything about Riku to know what this is about. It's the kind of thing any hero might do— throw themself into the line of fire for their friends. Months ago Vanitas would have taken off with no hesitation. Let him die for his foolishness

Now he pauses, for just the flicker of a second, with his gaze on Riku's broadsword.

But flashy or not, Riku's entrance does the trick. The spirit shoves the motorcycle off and heaves to it's feet, and the commotion draws more. The hesitation costs them— now Jason's concern with being surrounded is no longer unfounded. ]

[mind_blown]

[ but they're drawn to the harder target. he notices it quickly, that the louder, more aggressive target draws their attention just slightly more than him, with his hesitation. or Jason, with his disbelief at how both cool and also lame all of that was, which really wasn't the time for smugness-- or for missing motorcycles. So he just gives a quick salute and scans the spaces they have to work with. the monsters are swarming but, they've got one bit of a chance, with that distraction. ]

Let's go.

[ even though he's carrying Bruce's weight, it doesn't seem to stop him at all. he navigates quickly, and surprisingly quietly, for his frame, between the monsters. There's a brief moment where he's not sure what to do, seeing that they're getting far enough away from Riku that they can't count on him as a distraction anymore. It's then that he realizes, well. there's advantage in some of the skills Vanitas brings to the table. ]

Now would be a good time to make yourself a large, obnoxious target.

[ he has his blade in hand. in case the hint comes too late. or there are other things that he's not anticipating. ]

[evulsed]

[ He can't be surprised by the grace with which Jason moves with Bruce— not coming from where he does, not having associated with the people he did. Carrying someone under one arm was commonplace, if seemingly impossible, even from appearances. Once he'd hoisted Bruce up, Vanitas is sure he could have carried him back to the museum— or figured out some other way to get him back there.

Instead, he paces after Jason, and alternates his position. Jason will have to do remarkably little to keep his pace, or to fend off any spirits. Vanitas is well equipped to do it on his own— even for the strength of these things, all they need to do is deflect them, and the arsenal of magic in Vanitas' ability makes this much easier than just trying to beat them down head on.

A large, obnoxious target? Simple.

Vanitas blurs at the edges, and moves so quickly that he shimmers into view in front of Jason. He isn't blocking his way, not the direction he needs to be going at least. ]

Playtime's over.

[ The keyblade is gone from his hand, and he puts both arms out in front of him. There's enough terror and rage in the area that he doesn't even need to just draw on his own— the rapid rush with which he pulls the shadows up from the ground to create a small army of Unversed is fast. Faster than even the first time Jason would have seen it, the first time they went into battle together. They for a wall, and when the first line charges forward to engage— Vanitas snarls and pulls up a second battalion from the same roiling shadows. ]

[mind_blown]

Thanks.

[ nice.

jason only watches for a moment, but he has a mission and while there are times where he can let himself get distracted, this isn't one of them. the weight of bruce on his shoulder is reminder enough that he needed to take every window of opportunity he got. and that meant tracking back to-- the museum. that's where they were going. which is just... too on the damn nose.

bruce absolutely couldn't slum it with the rest of them, could he.

a question for later, if he ever felt like being an obnoxious asshole about it. and provided that everything turned out? he would. eventually. it was too hard to resist ribbing him for that. and so jason readjusts his body-- and takes off. he has no interest in fighting any of the spirits. it's all a game of dodging and getting out of their grasp-- of losing them as fast as possible. which as he moves away from the harvest feast, gets easier.

their numbers get way thinner, and it becomes a game of listening for them and dodging before he attracts any attention.

he's assuming that Vanitas will follow, assumes that he understands the difference between "distracting" and "fighting to the death." odds jason doesn't like for anyone. ]