you can run but you can't escape

[singmod]

THE DARKWALKER COMES

The Darkwalker strikes again. This time, it does not come for one Interloper — but four.

WHEN: March 2nd.
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.

YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T ESCAPE

The sun sets on another day in the Northern Territories. The night is calm but cold, scant clouds drifting low in the skies promising snowfall soon. A waning moon sits in the skies amongst its sea of stars, and those looking up may notice it — slowly, one by one, the stars begin to go out.

Then the moon's light is swallowed whole, and a blanket of green gloom descends upon the town of Milton. One more, the sky is dark and green and terrible. Many of those will recognise it, what this means and what will come. Others will not understand it, not know what it is that awaits them all.

They will soon find out: the Darkwalker comes.

Fear washes over you like a cold wave, a vice-tight grip that squeezes the breath from you. 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.

The Darkwalker howls: indescribable, unnatural, demonic. Low moans and groans. It comes from the east, the faint booms of footsteps in the distance growing ever nearer. It is coming, once more. It's coming for one of you. And still, 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.

The footsteps draw closer and closer, and you feel like the ground itself may be threatening splitting open beneath you. It isn't you that it hunts, but you notice its path — a straight line from the east towards Milton Church. 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.

There is an almighty sound; the Darkwalker devours and suddenly the sky is alight: streaks of pale colour shoot across the gloomy green — almost blinding for one long moment. A woman's scream fills the air and then snaps into silence.

The skies return to normal, the green is gone, the fear melts away from you. It is done.

There is no body in the street. Interlopers venturing out will need to go looking for whoever it is that's fallen victim to the Devourer. The answer will be found within Milton Church.

Towards the altar, peppered amongst faint glimmers of intangible green that will fade by morning, lie the twisted and mangled bodies of Nicholas Wolfwood, Millions Knives and both iterations of Vash the Stampede. There's no blood, no physical wounds — simply the contorted bodies that lie dropped like ragdolls. Each of their faces stare with wide eyes, frozen in horror — just as La'an Noonien-Singh was.

The Darkwalker has devoured more. There is a story, told by Methuselah: It is said that the Darkwalker will awake from its slumber and swallow the world whole. One head will swallow the stars and moon and sun. Another will swallow the seas and lakes and rivers. The third will swallow the land, and every living thing upon it — and only then will the Darkwalker be satisfied and return to sleep once more.

It feels as if the Darkwalker is making good on its story: one by one, it will devour you all whole. And now the Interlopers of Milton must grapple with more death.

FAQs

1. Essentially, a 'party post' for reactions to the Darkwalker's attack, the immediate aftermath, and any funerary preparations. Have... fun???

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

3. An OOC Rundown for the original Darkwalker's attack, which includes some FAQs can be found here.

4. Notes about the characters:

Wolfwood: He doesn't leave any messages behind. Folks are welcome to go through his house, which is the cabin by the pond -- there's nothing in there of his, and the only changes he made to the house was pulling a twin bed over in front of the fireplace. The wall of the cabin is also scorched from inside, from where his Lightbringer power erupted at one point.

Vash The Stampede (Trigun Stampede): He really didn't have much belongings or anything in particular of note, so it is a free for all situation in terms of possessions.

Vash The Stampede (Trigun Maximum): He'll be leaving behind his meager belongings. all of it can be found on either his person or in the church's living quarters which is also decently stocked with foraged foods. alas he's prepared no messages because he is absolutely atrocious at saying goodbyes.

Millions Knives: He'll leave behind sharpened hunting and skinning knives (hah), some fishing equipment, and scattered feathers around the church.

Comments

[salamanca]

For half a second after Hickey's jibe, there's absolute quiet. Then Lalo's face breaks into a wide grin. "Aaaaah!" he says, laughing, sounding amused and appreciative. He can handle a joke at his own expense, especially if it's a good one. Besides, the ordeal is over now, and Lalo isn't inclined to hold grudges over something so small. He waves a hand in the air. "Glad to see you not getting your ass pounded into the Community Hall floor." One good jab deserves another, right?

"Come on over! See anything you like?" As Lalo speaks, he's already taking one of the dead men's Colt 45 for himself, tucking it into the waistband of his pants. But other than that, everything else is still there for the taking, if Hickey wants it.

"Or," he continues, very innocently, "do you see anything that might be useful to the community?"

[friendsfordinner]

A part of Hickey's mind instantly thinks 'the only ass pounding is what I get in the bedroom,' but he keeps that to himself for the moment. He knows that Kieren said people from the future were more used to sodomy, but he doesn't think he's at the joking around stage yet.

"Don't think there's a note saying 'I'm the Darkwalker and I killed these men because I hate them specifically' or anything like that, is there?" he teases. But don't mind Hickey as he slips one of Knives's knives into his coat pocket. He's not using them any more. Besides, they're all living in dead people's houses anyway. Waste not, want not.

[salamanca]

Lalo laughs a little; a soft, but real laugh. He shares Hickey's sense of humor, at least. He shakes his head.

"Nah," he says. "I wish." He glances off in no particular direction, wondering if that's the way it had gone.

He eyes Hickey. "What do you think about it, eh? This 'Darkwalker'...what do you think it is?"

[friendsfordinner]

"I mean, it's there," Hickey says, with a little shrug. "Thing leaves tracks—I tracked it after it killed La'an. No idea where it went as the tracks stop after a while, but it still happened. I know it exists. I don't know whether it's god or demon but it's there and it's something we'll have to grapple with."

There's a moment's pause before he asks, "What d'you think about it?"

[salamanca]

Lalo hesitates. He looks Hickey over. "What do I think about it?" he says. He glances around. That he can see it, it's just the two of them. "You got everything you're gonna keep? Let's walk and talk. And I'll tell you. We don't want anybody to see us here. I mean" -- a slightly teasing grin -- "especially not you. I don't want you to get your pretty little ass kicked again."

Too much? Too soon? Lalo seems to intend it good-naturedly enough anyway, looking entertained.

It's not that Hickey seems trustworthy, exactly -- he does not -- but something about him strikes Lalo as a kindred, someone he can open up to about certain things. If nothing else, based on this alone, he's certainly a practical man, unburdened by silly little things like sentimentality or respect for the dead.