oh you fool, there are rules, i am coming for you

[singmod]

THE DARKWALKER COMES

The Darkwalker makes its first real strike against the Interlopers, resulting in the death of La'an Noonien-Singh. In the wake of her death, her fellow Interlopers are left to deal with the fallout of this new part of the horror of the Northern Territories.

WHEN: January 25th, onwards.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: death of playable character; supernatural death; mention of dead body; themes of death; supernatural beings; themes of terror; themes of peril.

OH, THE RECKONING BEGINS

On the night of January 25th, all is calm. It is a peaceful, if not cold evening. There are no clouds in the skies, the stars and moon hang high in the blanket of inky black. It would be just another night, until something strange happens: one by one, the stars begin to go out and the moon's light fades from view, as if swallowed whole.

Instead, there is nothing but the gloom. The sky is dark and green and terrible. Interlopers all over the Northern Territories will stop and stare — horrified by such a sight. And then, it washes over you like a cold wave: fear. Interlopers will find themselves over-come, and everything in their bodies and minds tells them to run. To flee. And so you run, heading for cover indoors. Curtains will be drawn, some may hide under beds, within closets or wardrobes. Some desperate attempt to conceal themselves, make themselves small, unseen. Some Interlopers, in that fear, may rush to friends or loved ones to hide with them, others may simply cowered alone — crawling and whimpering away from the night. The fear is irrational, unable to be overcome — even by the bravest or most stoic of Interlopers.

And then: noise. Coming from towards the east, the sounds of unnatural and almost-demonic roars, groans and moans — unable to be likened to or truly described. Drawing nearer and nearer — and you know it, even if you don't understand why: something is coming. It's coming here. You are powerless, unable to do anything. And it is an agony, awaiting its arrival. You cry, you whimper, you cower. Curling up for some shred of comfort, and finding none.

It seems to go on forever, building into a crescendo. Your heart beats so hard you fear it may burst from your chest, as if you might die of fright.

And then, a screaming wail — sharp as it cuts through the building dread. A woman. You know it, don't you? You're sure you've heard it before.

The silence that follows is deafening. The green gloom subsides, the fear slowly melts away within you. You wait, and wait. Finally, when it feels like you can breathe again, you decide to move.

Interlopers who dare to venture outside, who dare to look from behind curtains may see nothing at all. The skies have returned to normal, the moon is out once more. But those close to the center of town will see the small frame of a body curled in the snow. Some may not know her, but plenty will recognise her: Lieutenant La'an Noonien Singh.

It looks almost as if she'd collapsed. But those who decide to investigate will discover a gruesome scene. While there will appear to be no physical wounds, her body will appear contorted — expression frozen in absolute fear. It will be incredibly unnatural and violent to look at. La'an is dead. Around her, the footsteps that brought her to this spot. Strange 'waves' in the snow, too. Hard to define as to what exactly made them. And... faint glimmers of green, intangible. Almost like a residue — which will vanish by the time morning comes.

This is not the first time. La'an Noonien-Singh is the thirteenth Interloper to die since they first began to arrive in this place. But this is certainly the first time something like this has ever happened.

But preparations must be made, an Interloper must be mourned and laid to rest.

And the rest of Milton must come to terms with what has happened, if they can put a name to such a thing.

FAQs

1. Essentially, a 'party post' for reactions to the Darkwalker's Arrival, the immediate aftermath, and any funerary preparations following La'an's death. Have... fun?

2. Information on the Darkwalker's attack can be found here.

3. An OOC Rundown can be found here.

4. For those interested: Harry Goodsir is conducting a post-mortem on La'an, which can be found here.

Comments

[castitas]

We came here at the same time, we were in the first group of Interlopers. [ Kate says quietly, but she shakes her head. ] I never got to know her, but she was just... she always there, you know? She did a lot of patrols around town.

[ There's a quiet agreement. It never is easy, no. Kate's learning that. ]

I wish I'd gotten to know her better.

[guidemyway]

[Ruby listened lightly. It reminded her a lot of when Pyrrha had been killed. They weren't exactly the closest, but they had been together since they both arrived at Beacon. Her head sank slightly.]

...It's awful. You never know how much time you're going to have with someone.

[There's a pause before she says.]

We may not have known her very well. But that doesn't mean we'll ever forget her and what she did here.

Maybe we could ask around- Learn a little more about her and fill in the gaps that she left behind here.

[castitas]

You really don't, huh?

[ Gosh, it sucks. It really sucks. But she considers what Ruby says next for a moment, and she does manage a small smile — even if it's a sad one. ]

You're right. Like... nobody asked her to patrol or anything. [ Lieutenant Little, and Rorschach. And so many people she knows, really. ] She just... did it, right from the start. That meant something, you know?

[ There's a little pause. ]

I'd... ask Lieutenant Little but... he's, um— he's not talking to me right now...

CW: Mentions of death and suicide ideation

[guidemyway]

It sucks. It sucks a lot but unfortunately it's true.

[She knows from watching her friends die before her eyes. When she had been pushed to the absolute brink herself and had to make that choice. ...You could never know when it was yours or someone else's time.

She pushes those thoughts aside right now and focuses on the task ahead.]

Did something happen? If you want I could try talking to him for you.

Patrols are a great start- Though. It already sounds like she cared about the people here just from that.

[castitas]

I'm getting pretty tired of how much stuff sucks a lot.

[ Honestly, it's a whole mood. He nose wrinkles a little, briefly, and then she shakes her head at Ruby's question. ]

Like... I don't know? I noticed he stopped coming to Community Hall to see me, so I went to visit him. He was definitely home, but— he.. he wouldn't even open the door. [ It was... weird, and it... hurt. It hurt a lot. ] I don't know if something's wrong or not. Or like, maybe he's upset about Lieutenant Noonien-Singh.

[ She just... doesn't understand why he wouldn't come to the door. ]

I just.... really hope he's okay. He... he means a lot to me, y'know?

CW: Talk of Depression, Parental Death

[guidemyway]

You and me both.

[Because jeez. Why did it always feel like Ruby ended up in places crawling with nightmares.

Except she listens to what Kate says- And well that opens up a whole different kind of pain in her gut and heart. It reminds her a lot of her dad, and a little bit of uncle too.

She's quiet for a little as she tries to consider how to word this.]

Some people- deal with loss pretty poorly. When I was little- My mom left on a mission and never made it back home. My dad just kind of shut down after that. He around sure, but he was never really there, you know?

He was like that for years. My sister ended up doing a lot of the heavy lifting looking out for me until I was old enough to help each other.

[She reaches up and rubs her shoulder awkwardly.]

It might not be something you did. He might just need some time to figure things out if that's the case. But that doesn't mean he doesn't need you there all the same. And that you don't need him too.

I hope he's okay too.

[castitas]

... You... you lost your mom—?

[ Kate sits, lips parted in stun. She looks devastated on Ruby's behalf. To lose a parent is... unfathomable, especially at their age. Like... Ruby's maybe the same age as her? ]

Ruby... I'm so sorry. That's.. that's so awful, I— [ She takes a moment, takes a breath to steady herself before she loses herself a little. ] I'm glad you had your sister, but— I.. can't imagine how hard that must have been on your family.

[ Her head dips and she shakes her head. But they're... wise words, her experience. Maybe something like that is the same thing with Lieutenant Little. And— this isn't fair and it's so messed up. Ruby lost her mom. ]

Maybe you're right. I— [ Her voice dips and she smiles weakly. ] Part of me kind of wished I'd just... kicked the door down. Which is... totally not my style. Kinda more like yours, or Wynonna's...

[ Let's maybe leave the door alone, though. ]

He's been through a whole lot. [ Who hasn't, really. ] If... maybe he needs a little space, I can do that... and like, try again later?

[guidemyway]

[On a normal day, Ruby might have been able to brush it off a bit better. Assure someone she was alright. It happened when she was a kid after all. Except- There was more to it than that. And while she had started to tug on the thread and find out just what had happened to her mom. The working theory was far worse than just having lost her. So she feels her lip quiver briefly hearing Kate say that, but that's as far as she let's it go. She was trying to be here for Kate.]

It was- I didn't really get it at the time. But- Yeah.

[What else do you really say to that?

Still she pauses and let's Kate's words sit for a moment.]

I think the fact you thought about it is enough for now. Wynonna definitely would have done it. My sister too.

[And Ruby was honestly touched that she thought she would too. She hoped she would.]

Yeah. I think that's a good idea. Just- Don't give up on him. And don't think that he's given up on you.

Because I don't think he has.

[castitas]

I mean, you were just a kid— [ Ruby said she was 'little'. Kate guesses that must be much younger than what she is now. She's quiet for a moment, considering. ] Maybe it's good you didn't realise. Maybe that was your sister trying to protect you?

[ So maybe Ruby could have a somewhat normal childhood. Or as normal as someone could get in the wake of losing a parent. She very gently reaches over and puts her hand on Ruby's forearm, offering it a gentle squeeze. ]

I hope so. [ She finds herself smiling. ] Wynonna would definitely do it, I'm sure you would too — or, like, I dunno. Chopped it down with that giant scythe-thing of yours.

[ She remembers Girls Night. That thing is huge. ]

I don't think I could ever give up on him. [ Her voice is quiet, but there's fondness. ] He's been there for me for so much. He's just— he's like—

[ She shakes her head. She doesn't really know how to put it. Maybe that's okay. ]

[guidemyway]

Maybe. She wasn't much older than me at the time. She had a whole lot put on her shoulders. ...But- I don't think you're wrong all the same.

[Yang was always incredibly protective of her. That hadn't changed one bit over the years. They had their differences here and there- But what sisters didn't?]

Oh yeah. I don't think there are many doors around here that could stand up to Crescent Rose or a good kick from Wynonna. But- I think if you set you're mind on something that you'd be surprised with what you can do.

[Ruby didn't know Kate very well, but she was willing to put money on that.]

I think I what you mean. He's someone you care about, someone you can rely on. He's seems like he's out there doing his best too. That's pretty inspiring in it's own way.

think we can maybe wrap this one?

[castitas]

I think that's just what big sisters do. [ Still, she's sad as she says it. If she wasn't even that much older than Ruby then she would have been pretty young herself. But it's what they do... it's what Kate's supposed to do. It's what she'd do if she were in that position.

But Ruby's next words do bring a smile to her lips. She's not totally sure she could kick a door down, but it's kinda sweet of Ruby to think she might have that in her.

And it's very sweet of her to say something so nice about Lieutenant Little, too. Especially considering Ruby's less than thrilled attitude about people in positions of authority. ]

You're really good at this sort of thing. Like, you know the right thing to say.

Sure! Consider it wrapped!

[guidemyway]

Yeah... It is, isn't it?

[There is a pang in her gut as she realizes just how much she misses her sister right about now. But she brushes it aside. She can miss Yang later.

And hey. She does like Lieutenant Little, and Frasier as well. She wants to give them the benefit of the doubt despite her experiences. They were still people at the end of the day.

She feels a dorky smile play lightly at her lips hearing that.]

Well- I mean- Thanks. I'm just doing my best here though. And I care about the both of you.