Darkness Descends on the Landmark Inn

[immortalaccursed]

characters: Ardyn + OPEN
location: The Landmark
date/time: March 9-16
content: The Landmark gets a little Darker
warnings: Sickness related things including purging in the Ardyn portion with elements of body horror

Closed to Carmilla

Ardyn lies supine on the floor of his suite, gazing up towards the ceiling with clouded eyes. The bed is too soft; he feels like he'd drown in it.

The firmness against his back, however, his calming. It's real... not like the two phantoms standing in the room with him. He knows that Somnus and Aera are not really there; it's hardly the first time his fevered mind has conjured their faces, either. It's happened before out of crushing boredom or loneliness.

"Aera..."

His glowing eyes turn towards the blonde woman kneeling beside him.

"I'm dying."

"You're not dying," she scolds. "You can't die, even that choice was taken from you."

Despite the harsh words, she reaches out and touches his cheek, now damp with miasma. Ardyn could swear he actually feels her caress.

"You're just sick, you big baby. You'll be fine."

Sick? Preposterous, he doesn't get sick.

In the corner he sees Somnus move through the deepening shadows. Miasma is spread across the floor. Clouds of it rise to the ceiling only to condense around him the moment he feels sleep start to take him, when his body radiates light enough to burn the Starscourge and fill him with pain. The miasma gathers to consume that light.

I'm eating myself.

He thinks and barks with laughter.

Someone moves on the other side of the door and the phantom Somnus points in the sound's direction.

"Now, brother, I shouldn't have to tell you this but remember: Friends, not food."

Open

Ardyn's miasma seeps throughout the building, consuming light. It creeps under door frames, through windows and through areas damaged in the storm.

Shadows deepen and lanterns are growing dimmer.

[ooc: People are encouraged to make top levels and mingle among themselves at the Landmark. Go forth into the shadows and bump into each other!

If you would really like for your character to seek out the source of the darkness and locate Ardyn, drop me a PM at this journal or at PsiYamaneko which accepts PMs from anyone.]

Comments

[vampirella]

Carmilla knows dark magic when she sees it.

Residents of the Landmark have eyes, so, of course they've noticed it's a lot darker in the halls that were never too bright to begin with. Still, nobody seemed to have a huge issue with it. Common consensus seemed to be that it was some spirit shenanigan and that it was probably not a big deal if nobody keeled over dead from it. Carmilla is too much cat not to be curious, so of course, she's decided to look into it.

She's found what she thinks is the source. Fourth floor — she hadn't even known there was someone living on this floor. If everyone's right and it's some spirit nonsense, maybe nobody does. The darkness seems to pool at one door in particular and thanks to vampiric hearing, she can definitely hear something moving and talking in there.

She pounds on the door, rather abruptly. If she was supposed to proceed with caution, she missed the memo. "Who the hell is in there?" She inquires, the picture of kindness and compassion.

Rosinante | OTA

[callada]

The Landmark isn't a place Rosinante finds himself often. It's not out of avoidance; rather, there has been so much to do in other parts of town, especially lately, that he hasn't made the time to go back since the first time he and Kuai and Maes entered.

It's nice that it's livelier now, and that people have taken up residence, for that was their hope when they first arrived downtown. At the time, they had desperately needed more housing. Now, it's a welcome alternative to the ruins of the cabins at the village.

Or - it should be welcome. But as he enters, intending to take a break from the searching and see what the kitchen here has for food, he pauses and looks around. Why is it so dark in here? Is his lantern all right? It's alarmingly dim when he checks it, and so he takes a deep breath and steps back outside, where it rekindles slightly. That's weird. That's probably very bad, in fact.

He'll stop anyone nearby, whether they've just come down the hotel stairs or are passing by on the main street, with a wave of his hand. "Hey. How long has the hotel been dark, do you know?"

It wasn't like this just a couple days ago when he was here speaking with Haein. What happened?