Plotlogs
Bread Circus Sr Benjamin 250131
In the quiet, transformed oasis of a backyard in small-town Haven, Lilian, a vampiress, lounges amidst the tranquility of her Japanese-inspired garden, complete with an onsen and sparring area. The peace is shattered when her evening tranquility is interrupted by a flood of notifications from MyHaven, depicting selfies of townspeople in front of a mystifying art installation that seems to beckon spring amidst a harsh winter night. Despite the serene beauty of the metallic clock tower adorned with vibrant greenery, Lilian's attention is captured by the subtle signs of a lurking threat: individuals with sapphire adornments, grim expressions, and an ominous change in the weather linked to the installation.
Forced to act as the temperature plummets and a supernatural storm brews, Lilian, unbothered by the cold, transforms into a raven to investigate the source of this unnatural phenomenon. Upon arrival at the town square, she observes the art piece and the crowd drawn to it, their fascinations seemingly controlled by a few with sinister intent. Noticing the increased life drain and the sapphire gem at the heart of the installation powering this curse, Lilian attempts to disrupt its magic. Her efforts attract hostile attention, prompting her to engage in a fierce battle to save the unwitting townspeople and dismantle the source of the anomaly.
In a display of vampiric strength and agility, Lilian confronts the assailants, employing her supernatural powers to sustain herself through the melee. As she battles, leveraging the environment and her own vitality, she completes a ritual to neutralize the cursed sapphire gem, all while dodging gunfire, blades, and an arcane backlash from the disrupted artifact. The climax of her endeavor is marked by a lightning strike that catapults her to a momentary defeat, symbolizing the end of the cursed object's influence but leaving the town square a scene of chaos and casualty.
Despite the personal toll, Lilian ensures the ritual's success, quickly retreating to recuperate from her exertions. Surveilling the aftermath from above, she witnesses the efforts to reclaim normalcy by the town's officials, attributing the night's events to a mere gas leak and ensuring the collective memory of the incident is obscured.
Returning home to cleanse herself of the battle's physical remnants, Lilian reflects on the night's events. Her actions, though unseen and unsung by the town's populace, reaffirm her role as a guardian within the shadows, preserving the balance between the mundane and the supernatural in Haven. The story concludes with an acknowledgment of the night's true events, known only to Lilian and the overworked deputies, leaving the reader with a sense of the unseen and often unappreciated battles fought to maintain the tranquility of small-town life amidst the ever-present encroach of the mystical and malevolent.
(Bread & Circus(SRBenjamin):SRBenjamin)
[Thu Jan 30 2025]
In a small grassy yard below an apartment
The backyard, once a simple expanse of green grass, has been transformed into an unexpected oasis. At its heart lay an onsen, a sunken stone bath large enough for multiple people that shimmers with the promise of tranquility. Fed by spring water, the water of the onsen is a tranquil turquoise and steam rises from it's surface no matter the weather.
Around the onsen, a Japanese-inspired garden begins to unfold. Smooth, grey river rocks are carefully arranged to create a sense of movement and flow, mimicking the path of a stream. Moss-covered boulders, like ancient sentinels, punctuated the landscape, adding a touch of rugged beauty. As if to frame the scene, a Japanese maple tree, its branches bare in this winter time, stands as a sentinel, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The sparring area has been preserved but at the side, in a large circle of perfectly mowed grass.
On every side of the garden, tall brick walls ensure privacy with vines grown over the brickwork to made a facade of nature.
From the maple tree and around the onsen, small lanterns hang, giving off a soft warm glow.
Near the onsen within arms reach from within, there is a water dispenser with a upended bottle and a tray of clean glasses underneath.
It is night, about 23F(-5C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky. There is a waxing crescent moon.
Lilian continues to lounge on the chaise, scrolling Reddit on her phone as she relaxes.
It is already the evening and given the weather many Haven residents likely are not spending much time outdoors. Thus it is surprising when Lilian's MyHaven feed is flooded with selfies of residents in front of a hauntingly beautiful art installation in front of town hall. The selfies depict rosy cheeked people in winter attire partially blocking something with an unnatural beauty. There are various angles taken and after scrolling through several feeds a picture forms. The art piece appears to be calling for spring. It is the size of a large truck, made of rusted red metal showing what appears to be an aged and failed clock tower much like the clock tower that defines the town hall. Amongst the aged rusted metal are sprouts and coils of green, the depiction of vegetation so skillful that it is likely impossible to determine from the pictures whether or not they are real plants or some kind of trick given the weather and how vibrantly green they are. In the rusted out clockface there is a hint of bright blue though even with multiple pictures Lilian cannot make out if that is intended or just a flash catching something. All in all there appears to be a crowd there, even the out of towners and unfamiliar faces can be seen in the background. As the MyHaven feed continues to be crammed with pictures some concerning hints of something far more sinister than a clever art piece begins to unfold. For the most part those in the pictures both the focus and the background are smiling and looking at the camera or the art piece but here and there some people are grim faced and looking at neither. These grim faced onlookers appear to be near alleys and dumpsters, a speck of sapphire adorning their left ears in every case. Their clothing is otherwise varied some in puffy jackets others in knit sweaters not just one style.
As Lilian is spammed with the MyHaven updates the weather grows colder and colder even her well heated yard has the tempature droping, ominious stormclouds gathering with an unnatural bluish light flickering within them like lightning with soundless thunder. Within fifteen minutes of the appearance of the art installation and the sudden attention the weather has already notable changed. Lilian even gets a text from Benjamin bitching about the weather all the way in Boston an alleged coldsnap potentially preventing him from returning to Haven from his part-time job tonight. MyHaven becomes split with different trend feeds: #TownArt and #PolarVortex. The latter appears to show residents posting pictures of outdoor water sources completely frozen over, engines not turning on, many pictures of ominious blue lights in the overwhelming stormclouds. A sense of panick is conveyed from people as they begin tagging local officials asking if it's safe and whether there is a shelter if the power goes out. Lo and behold Lilian's power flickers and twenty minutes since she first noticed the art there is a growing sense that perhaps this is not just something to be observed on the social media websites but perhaps in person. Afterall the power is about to go out what else does Lilian have to do this evening for even the onsen famously hot and welcoming is looking very cold and the water quite still.
Lilian sighs as her myhaven is flooded. At first is just with mild annoyance when the photos prevent her from scrolling through her daily ration of cat memes and how stupid people are memes on /leopardsatemyface and then it is with a growing sense of displeasure that shows in the line of Lilian's lips. Still she puts up with the terrible notifications popping up one by one until the trickling waterfall from the onsen stops. That gets her to lift her head up in a scowl. She pens a text back to her assistant Ben to tell him to be safe before take a closer look at the pictures. Being a vampiress Lilian isn't affected by the cold in the least but the power going out? "It better not be fucking Rashid again." She mutters to herself as she shifts into a raven. Black, glossy, Lilian takes to the skies, soaring over air currents as she makes to fly over to the town hall and scout while in her bird form.
As Lilian(corvus) takes flight in the form of a black and glossy raven there is an overwhelming downward pressure and a need to exert herself more than normal. The cold air from the ominious stormclouds creates an oppressive weight with no thermals or even coils of smoke from chimneys to aid in gliding. Eventually she reaches the town square and from above she can see that people continue to take pictures seemingly unaware of the freezing cold or the fact lamp lights on the street are flickering. Even Lilian(corvus) must steel her mind against the piece as from the air when she looks at it a glint of sapphire light plays tricks on the raven nature of her form calling to her shiny shiny beautiful shiny interesting shiny. It is only through mindfulness she can resist simply being sucked into fawning in adoration over the piece.@line
As Lilian(corvus) grows even nearer she can see about half a dozen people not affected like the others on the ground, they seem to be corraling and herding people towards it. Even though looking to go to the Lodge or Townhall for aid given the faltering power and storm conditions are simply guided or diverted into the path of the art installation where they mindlessly join the crowd of bewitched onlookers.
The raven swoops through the wind generated by the storm and lands down ona rooftop near the art installation. A black mist surrounds Lilian(corvus) before it shifts into the purple haired woman, down on one knee with one hand vraced against the awning on-top of the roof. She looks around for a month as she palms her pendant and swiftly she casts a mind guard ritual on herself, the glow of her pendant hidden as she remains in that crouch not unlike a gargoyle while the people below are being herded like sheep.
Ritual completed Lilian finally turns her head to look at the artwork again using her acute sight to assess the origins of those flashes of blue.
Lilian looked around for a minute not a month.
Once the mind ward ritual is completed there is a release on Lilian. She had not been aware of it but even while resisting the artwork she had succumbed to lesser distractions. Where before there were only a half dozen of the people herding the crowd towards the installation now she can tell that there are dozens amongst the crowd which is still swelling with the unaware. Each of them has little glints of sapphire in their earring and when she uses her supernaturally keen sight on the rusted clocktower piece with the green vines of spring adorning it she sees a sapphire in the center of the rusted hands.
In addition to the mind ward giving her new clarity as to the dangers there appear to be some people falling down among the crowd, collapsing from exhaustion or the cold perhaps or... the glint of sapphire among the suspicious participants herding the crowd and the art piece itself continues to grow brighter the more and more the unaware become sluggish and more fall to the 'cold' weather. Up above the ominious thunderclouds flicker with the same sapphire light and seem to come closer to the ground.
Sighing again at what she notices now that her mind is warded, Lilian adds a physical protection ritual to herself as well before she shifts back into a bird. She is a rather tiny bird, exceptionally stealthy and she glides over to the sapphire embeded in the clock hands. Once there, she pecks at the gem and tries to pry it with her talons first.
The closer Lilian(corvus) gets in her avian form the more oppressive the weight and the harder she must work to stay aloft. This is not a simple cold front causing the air to move downward, this is a feeding some sort of ritualistic method of siphoning life force from those nearby. When Lilian(corvus)'s beak touches the gem there is a spark of energy, her talons likewise cause another arc of blue light. Her stealthy form may have prevented anyone from taking significant notice of her but it appears to weak to dislodge the sapphire crystal with runs gut into it at the heart of the art piece. Now that Lilian(corvus) is closer she can also tell that the greenery winding around the rust is some form of plant, not native to Haven likely not even native to this plane and they grow thicker and more vibrantly green as time progresses and the rust begins to crumble to the ground as more and more people stagger or become afflicted still entranced not to notice their impending doom.
Unfortunately Lilian(corvus)'s stealthy approach was stealthy but trying to dislodge the sapphire has caused flashes of energy and apparently drawn the notice of the crowd herding accomplices. At least four begin to move towards the art installation, reaching into their winter attire!
The bird takes to the sky with a caw as the attention is drawn, seeming like just another bird despite the sluggishness from the magic. Doing a quick turn, Lilian(corvus) turns back into her human form as she sweeps and drops towards it, trying to slam her dagger home in the jewel as her other hand tries to catch one of the hands of the clock. Her very fashionable heels also try to find purchase wherever she can.
As Lilian drops in the air a gothic lolita styled woman with vibrant violet hair it would probably be quite the spectacle if the majority of people nearby weren't in the process of slumping against walls, cars, each other, and falling over. Still the accomplices still standing glints of sapphire blue on their ears see Lilian and more than 4 begin to push closer. There are a dozen and a variety of weapons are drawn. Guns, tazers, even throwing knives are brandished as Lilian manages to dislodge a sapphire gem with runes etched into it the size of a marble ball. As it is dislodged the greenery begins to wilt and the rust begins to crumble whatever rite that kept the art piece stable disrupted. The same moment the sapphire gemstone is removed the clouds above finally roll with thunder, dangerous, warning, almost angry sounding. Lilian lands on the ground in her heels, the gemstone bouncing away and as it bounces little arcs of energy spark off of it... Curse energy, powerful curse energy, the aura immediately notable to the woman.
A bunch of Japanese swear words sprout from Lilian's lips as soon as she feels the curse energy and Lilian doesn't waste time. Her dagger appears and she cuts her own wrist for a moment letting the blood drip onto the ground even as she chases after the jewel on her heels. Once at it, she just stands ontop of it, not touching it as her blood turns the town square into a ritual circle. Turning once the ritual has begun to the four coming after her, blood vessels in eyes pop one by one as she heals the cut on her wrist and simply stands her ground.
The energy of this curse is massive having been both used to cause the disturbance in weather above and fed by the life of those nearby. When the initial circle forms from Lilian's blood there is a sudden charge in the air. Lightning arcs from the sky to the ground striking the roof of buildings with crackle of power, the art installation is struck by one and reduced to a smoldering heap of ash, another strikes down near a group of people who had collapsed causing burns and injury to their unmoving bodies. Truly if it were not for the damage the ritual had already done this would have constituted a breach of understanding. Such as it is now with the tempature below zero, the sky covered, and the power flickering to out, only those with night vision or a source of light can see and that leaves the mundane who are not already unconscious completely unable to see the fight as it unfolds.
the four nearest open fire on Lilian with two glocks, a pair of throwing knives, and the last rushing her with a tazer is blinded when the blood vessels in their eyes burst and they scream in pain, dropping the device.
The bullets strike Lilian though her vampiric nature shrugs off the holes they make, the damage to her attire, and the distraction from her ritual the most dangerous threat of those strikes. The knife goes wide missing her completely. The other eight accomplices are now approaching pulling out more knives, guns, and some pulling out what appear to be half-spears! The seven minutes Lilian's ritual will take are ticking down and she's surrounded. How will she complete the rite and survive the fight.
"Urg." There is clear disgust and disdain in Lilian's eyes as she looks upon all the people approaching her. The ritual circle is large and thank god she can decurse objects in her sleep because that is just happening in the background as her subconscious reinforces that intent. Her sapphire eyes dart from one assailant to another before she disappears into a puff of mist. Her fangs are drawn as she reappears behind the member furthest out, sinking her fangs into his neck and tearing through his carotid artery with a glorious spray of blood. Using his body as a shield, she both drinks and lets him bleed out until the others turn back to her.
Things have escalated quickly and there is a reason that using out of towners to do these kinds of things can be dangerous. None of these people appear to have sanctuary so as Lilian bamfs from one spot to the next, the man goes down in a spray of blood and a cry. Gunshots riddle his body and the bulletproof vest he wears underneath his puff jacket absorb several of the shots but the spray of crimson vitality leaves him weak as Lilian drinks her fill. That is one down, one blinded, and ten more to go. Fortunately the majority of them appear to be using ranged attacks and only two are rushing Lilian with knives. Those with ranged weapons are moving to alleys, behind blue postal boxes, the edges of vehicles, spreading out so they cannot be caught in some kind of group strike. Up above more blue energy arcs to the ground as the cursed object itself begins to fight back. The sapphire gemstone crackles with energy and sudden a loud *pop* happens as a crack snaps through the air deafening everyone nearby. So Lilian doesn't hear as another volley of gunfire and some fucking arrows come her are, the human shield not blocking all of them and the arrow nicking her... The question is how much does poison affect her vampiric physiology. Another five minutes to the rites end.
Lilian can slow her own blood flow and physiology and as the poisoned arrow nicks her she growls. Dumping her human shield she paths first to the one behind the postal box. Surely the box and the next unfortunate man is enough of a shield. Her face and dress is covered in blood, a macabre display as she sinks her fangs into her next victim. Although the attackers don't have sanctuary, she definitely does and she's sure that the poison going through her blood isn't lethal so it offers some comfort as she drinks down the next man, tearing through in another wash of arterial spray.
The postal service provides decent cover from two thirds of the remaining accomplices. The next man to go down cries out, one hand moving to punch Lilian in the face! Although her undead toughness and blood drenched features do not even show a bruise as he throws several more increasingly weakened punches until he goes limp from the blood loss and a flurry of gunshots that strike the postal box and his body. Another archer has a line of fire on Lilian and looses an arrow. A throwing knife comes soaring by... Another flurry of gunshots ring out despite the snap minutes ago having deafened the area. Unfortunately for them and their chances of hitting Lilian they are thwarted as the sapphire gemstone begins to spin, tumble, arcs of power coming out of it and the magnet field spiking... ALl of a sudden phones, watches, earrings, bullets, arrows, everything begins to be drawn unerringly towards the gemstone. Some peoples limp bodies slide across the snow covered street, even cars begin to groan and lean. The rite now nearly completely and the acts of defiance from the empowered cursed object growing all the stronger!
Glutted with blood Lilian's eyes which usually are a deep sapphire blue is a crimson as she lifts her head from the man she's drinking and dumps his body. From there, she doesn't even bother to drink anymore. Path. Tear a throat out. Path tear a throat out. She blinks back and forth between the enemies like one's worst nightmare, her dress and skin tacky with blood. The spilt blood only adds to her ritual, reinforcing the runes that draw themselves in blood.
At a certain point people begin to flee and with the entrancing rite broken the sound of sirens in the distance are approaching. While Lilian hasn't violated the understanding this is quite messy and she looks like the culprit to anyone arriving. The rite is finally done in seven minutes with seven deaths, the remaining five fleeing from the vampire woman. The final effort of the cursed item expresses itself with a bluish arc of energy from the sky down onto Lilian herself... Despite the glut of blood and her likely supernatural reflexes the lightning is quicker. It strikes just off the center and sends her flying backwards with a deafening crack which also shatters the cursed sapphire gemstone that was used to start all of this. The tacky blood and likely ruined outfit are now accented with tendrils of smoke and a lingering static energy about Lilian whereever she ended up from the final explosive conclusion to this runious plot to destroy Haven.
As soon as the rite is finished and Lilian can hear the sirens - She shadowwalks. But maybe not quite fast enough as the lighting hits. She does manage to walk through the shadows- fly more like but its to hand in a heap on her bed at the dormitory. She groans as she lies there against her bed for a long moment but the amount of glorious human blood flowing through her gives her energy and her own ability to regenerate and restore the undead means that the wounds on her body rapidly close. Opening the window, she shifts back into a raven to fly back over the sight, scouting it on her way home back to the onsen.
When Lilian flies over the site of the ritual there is a lot to see. The sky above is still filled with stormclouds though they no longer glimmer or flicker with unnatural blue energy instead they just lay heavy over the night sky blocking out the moon and stars. Throughout the town of Haven the power is returning, people are getting their homes warmed, and those that found shelter away from the town square art installation begin to poke their heads out and head home. It's so interesting how humanity falls for normalcy bias. Was that storm as bad as they thought, false alarm, everything is fine now. The TVs are on, the power is running, and there's just enough time to go use the computer before bed, such powerful distractions.
At the actual site of the ritual in front of townhall the rust and greenery that symbolized spring overcoming winter is a blackened mark on the road. The large crowd of collapsed humans are being treated by Special Deputies and paramedics along with fire fighters. It was a gas leak they explain the damage to nearby property and the death of individuals who are covered up before the unaware properly recover. Just a gas leak that ruins the newest public art show, nothing to see here. Lilian can spy some people are being given hot beverages likely spiked with memory potions just to be safe and as per usual the Haven Sheriff's Department are not looking for the culprit of these murders to closing afterall rippedout throats, it's not really that hard to solve. At least to the satisfaction of those tasked with maintaining the understanding. Aside from some unintended broken bones and concussions it's unlikely this incident will be remembered by anyone really. Except Lilian over head and the overworked deputies below.
Lilian does a couple of laps of the site, cawing and swearing in the beautiful tongue only a corvus can manage before she sweeps her wing to head home. Although slightly bruised and tired from the fight, she is filled with blood and energy as she turns back into a human, covered in blood. She checks her phone to see if her assistant made it home so that he can help her rinse off the blood.
Forced to act as the temperature plummets and a supernatural storm brews, Lilian, unbothered by the cold, transforms into a raven to investigate the source of this unnatural phenomenon. Upon arrival at the town square, she observes the art piece and the crowd drawn to it, their fascinations seemingly controlled by a few with sinister intent. Noticing the increased life drain and the sapphire gem at the heart of the installation powering this curse, Lilian attempts to disrupt its magic. Her efforts attract hostile attention, prompting her to engage in a fierce battle to save the unwitting townspeople and dismantle the source of the anomaly.
In a display of vampiric strength and agility, Lilian confronts the assailants, employing her supernatural powers to sustain herself through the melee. As she battles, leveraging the environment and her own vitality, she completes a ritual to neutralize the cursed sapphire gem, all while dodging gunfire, blades, and an arcane backlash from the disrupted artifact. The climax of her endeavor is marked by a lightning strike that catapults her to a momentary defeat, symbolizing the end of the cursed object's influence but leaving the town square a scene of chaos and casualty.
Despite the personal toll, Lilian ensures the ritual's success, quickly retreating to recuperate from her exertions. Surveilling the aftermath from above, she witnesses the efforts to reclaim normalcy by the town's officials, attributing the night's events to a mere gas leak and ensuring the collective memory of the incident is obscured.
Returning home to cleanse herself of the battle's physical remnants, Lilian reflects on the night's events. Her actions, though unseen and unsung by the town's populace, reaffirm her role as a guardian within the shadows, preserving the balance between the mundane and the supernatural in Haven. The story concludes with an acknowledgment of the night's true events, known only to Lilian and the overworked deputies, leaving the reader with a sense of the unseen and often unappreciated battles fought to maintain the tranquility of small-town life amidst the ever-present encroach of the mystical and malevolent.
(Bread & Circus(SRBenjamin):SRBenjamin)
[Thu Jan 30 2025]
In a small grassy yard below an apartment
The backyard, once a simple expanse of green grass, has been transformed into an unexpected oasis. At its heart lay an onsen, a sunken stone bath large enough for multiple people that shimmers with the promise of tranquility. Fed by spring water, the water of the onsen is a tranquil turquoise and steam rises from it's surface no matter the weather.
Around the onsen, a Japanese-inspired garden begins to unfold. Smooth, grey river rocks are carefully arranged to create a sense of movement and flow, mimicking the path of a stream. Moss-covered boulders, like ancient sentinels, punctuated the landscape, adding a touch of rugged beauty. As if to frame the scene, a Japanese maple tree, its branches bare in this winter time, stands as a sentinel, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
The sparring area has been preserved but at the side, in a large circle of perfectly mowed grass.
On every side of the garden, tall brick walls ensure privacy with vines grown over the brickwork to made a facade of nature.
From the maple tree and around the onsen, small lanterns hang, giving off a soft warm glow.
Near the onsen within arms reach from within, there is a water dispenser with a upended bottle and a tray of clean glasses underneath.
It is night, about 23F(-5C) degrees, and there are a few dark grey stormclouds in the sky. There is a waxing crescent moon.
Lilian continues to lounge on the chaise, scrolling Reddit on her phone as she relaxes.
It is already the evening and given the weather many Haven residents likely are not spending much time outdoors. Thus it is surprising when Lilian's MyHaven feed is flooded with selfies of residents in front of a hauntingly beautiful art installation in front of town hall. The selfies depict rosy cheeked people in winter attire partially blocking something with an unnatural beauty. There are various angles taken and after scrolling through several feeds a picture forms. The art piece appears to be calling for spring. It is the size of a large truck, made of rusted red metal showing what appears to be an aged and failed clock tower much like the clock tower that defines the town hall. Amongst the aged rusted metal are sprouts and coils of green, the depiction of vegetation so skillful that it is likely impossible to determine from the pictures whether or not they are real plants or some kind of trick given the weather and how vibrantly green they are. In the rusted out clockface there is a hint of bright blue though even with multiple pictures Lilian cannot make out if that is intended or just a flash catching something. All in all there appears to be a crowd there, even the out of towners and unfamiliar faces can be seen in the background. As the MyHaven feed continues to be crammed with pictures some concerning hints of something far more sinister than a clever art piece begins to unfold. For the most part those in the pictures both the focus and the background are smiling and looking at the camera or the art piece but here and there some people are grim faced and looking at neither. These grim faced onlookers appear to be near alleys and dumpsters, a speck of sapphire adorning their left ears in every case. Their clothing is otherwise varied some in puffy jackets others in knit sweaters not just one style.
As Lilian is spammed with the MyHaven updates the weather grows colder and colder even her well heated yard has the tempature droping, ominious stormclouds gathering with an unnatural bluish light flickering within them like lightning with soundless thunder. Within fifteen minutes of the appearance of the art installation and the sudden attention the weather has already notable changed. Lilian even gets a text from Benjamin bitching about the weather all the way in Boston an alleged coldsnap potentially preventing him from returning to Haven from his part-time job tonight. MyHaven becomes split with different trend feeds: #TownArt and #PolarVortex. The latter appears to show residents posting pictures of outdoor water sources completely frozen over, engines not turning on, many pictures of ominious blue lights in the overwhelming stormclouds. A sense of panick is conveyed from people as they begin tagging local officials asking if it's safe and whether there is a shelter if the power goes out. Lo and behold Lilian's power flickers and twenty minutes since she first noticed the art there is a growing sense that perhaps this is not just something to be observed on the social media websites but perhaps in person. Afterall the power is about to go out what else does Lilian have to do this evening for even the onsen famously hot and welcoming is looking very cold and the water quite still.
Lilian sighs as her myhaven is flooded. At first is just with mild annoyance when the photos prevent her from scrolling through her daily ration of cat memes and how stupid people are memes on /leopardsatemyface and then it is with a growing sense of displeasure that shows in the line of Lilian's lips. Still she puts up with the terrible notifications popping up one by one until the trickling waterfall from the onsen stops. That gets her to lift her head up in a scowl. She pens a text back to her assistant Ben to tell him to be safe before take a closer look at the pictures. Being a vampiress Lilian isn't affected by the cold in the least but the power going out? "It better not be fucking Rashid again." She mutters to herself as she shifts into a raven. Black, glossy, Lilian takes to the skies, soaring over air currents as she makes to fly over to the town hall and scout while in her bird form.
As Lilian(corvus) takes flight in the form of a black and glossy raven there is an overwhelming downward pressure and a need to exert herself more than normal. The cold air from the ominious stormclouds creates an oppressive weight with no thermals or even coils of smoke from chimneys to aid in gliding. Eventually she reaches the town square and from above she can see that people continue to take pictures seemingly unaware of the freezing cold or the fact lamp lights on the street are flickering. Even Lilian(corvus) must steel her mind against the piece as from the air when she looks at it a glint of sapphire light plays tricks on the raven nature of her form calling to her shiny shiny beautiful shiny interesting shiny. It is only through mindfulness she can resist simply being sucked into fawning in adoration over the piece.@line
As Lilian(corvus) grows even nearer she can see about half a dozen people not affected like the others on the ground, they seem to be corraling and herding people towards it. Even though looking to go to the Lodge or Townhall for aid given the faltering power and storm conditions are simply guided or diverted into the path of the art installation where they mindlessly join the crowd of bewitched onlookers.
The raven swoops through the wind generated by the storm and lands down ona rooftop near the art installation. A black mist surrounds Lilian(corvus) before it shifts into the purple haired woman, down on one knee with one hand vraced against the awning on-top of the roof. She looks around for a month as she palms her pendant and swiftly she casts a mind guard ritual on herself, the glow of her pendant hidden as she remains in that crouch not unlike a gargoyle while the people below are being herded like sheep.
Ritual completed Lilian finally turns her head to look at the artwork again using her acute sight to assess the origins of those flashes of blue.
Lilian looked around for a minute not a month.
Once the mind ward ritual is completed there is a release on Lilian. She had not been aware of it but even while resisting the artwork she had succumbed to lesser distractions. Where before there were only a half dozen of the people herding the crowd towards the installation now she can tell that there are dozens amongst the crowd which is still swelling with the unaware. Each of them has little glints of sapphire in their earring and when she uses her supernaturally keen sight on the rusted clocktower piece with the green vines of spring adorning it she sees a sapphire in the center of the rusted hands.
In addition to the mind ward giving her new clarity as to the dangers there appear to be some people falling down among the crowd, collapsing from exhaustion or the cold perhaps or... the glint of sapphire among the suspicious participants herding the crowd and the art piece itself continues to grow brighter the more and more the unaware become sluggish and more fall to the 'cold' weather. Up above the ominious thunderclouds flicker with the same sapphire light and seem to come closer to the ground.
Sighing again at what she notices now that her mind is warded, Lilian adds a physical protection ritual to herself as well before she shifts back into a bird. She is a rather tiny bird, exceptionally stealthy and she glides over to the sapphire embeded in the clock hands. Once there, she pecks at the gem and tries to pry it with her talons first.
The closer Lilian(corvus) gets in her avian form the more oppressive the weight and the harder she must work to stay aloft. This is not a simple cold front causing the air to move downward, this is a feeding some sort of ritualistic method of siphoning life force from those nearby. When Lilian(corvus)'s beak touches the gem there is a spark of energy, her talons likewise cause another arc of blue light. Her stealthy form may have prevented anyone from taking significant notice of her but it appears to weak to dislodge the sapphire crystal with runs gut into it at the heart of the art piece. Now that Lilian(corvus) is closer she can also tell that the greenery winding around the rust is some form of plant, not native to Haven likely not even native to this plane and they grow thicker and more vibrantly green as time progresses and the rust begins to crumble to the ground as more and more people stagger or become afflicted still entranced not to notice their impending doom.
Unfortunately Lilian(corvus)'s stealthy approach was stealthy but trying to dislodge the sapphire has caused flashes of energy and apparently drawn the notice of the crowd herding accomplices. At least four begin to move towards the art installation, reaching into their winter attire!
The bird takes to the sky with a caw as the attention is drawn, seeming like just another bird despite the sluggishness from the magic. Doing a quick turn, Lilian(corvus) turns back into her human form as she sweeps and drops towards it, trying to slam her dagger home in the jewel as her other hand tries to catch one of the hands of the clock. Her very fashionable heels also try to find purchase wherever she can.
As Lilian drops in the air a gothic lolita styled woman with vibrant violet hair it would probably be quite the spectacle if the majority of people nearby weren't in the process of slumping against walls, cars, each other, and falling over. Still the accomplices still standing glints of sapphire blue on their ears see Lilian and more than 4 begin to push closer. There are a dozen and a variety of weapons are drawn. Guns, tazers, even throwing knives are brandished as Lilian manages to dislodge a sapphire gem with runes etched into it the size of a marble ball. As it is dislodged the greenery begins to wilt and the rust begins to crumble whatever rite that kept the art piece stable disrupted. The same moment the sapphire gemstone is removed the clouds above finally roll with thunder, dangerous, warning, almost angry sounding. Lilian lands on the ground in her heels, the gemstone bouncing away and as it bounces little arcs of energy spark off of it... Curse energy, powerful curse energy, the aura immediately notable to the woman.
A bunch of Japanese swear words sprout from Lilian's lips as soon as she feels the curse energy and Lilian doesn't waste time. Her dagger appears and she cuts her own wrist for a moment letting the blood drip onto the ground even as she chases after the jewel on her heels. Once at it, she just stands ontop of it, not touching it as her blood turns the town square into a ritual circle. Turning once the ritual has begun to the four coming after her, blood vessels in eyes pop one by one as she heals the cut on her wrist and simply stands her ground.
The energy of this curse is massive having been both used to cause the disturbance in weather above and fed by the life of those nearby. When the initial circle forms from Lilian's blood there is a sudden charge in the air. Lightning arcs from the sky to the ground striking the roof of buildings with crackle of power, the art installation is struck by one and reduced to a smoldering heap of ash, another strikes down near a group of people who had collapsed causing burns and injury to their unmoving bodies. Truly if it were not for the damage the ritual had already done this would have constituted a breach of understanding. Such as it is now with the tempature below zero, the sky covered, and the power flickering to out, only those with night vision or a source of light can see and that leaves the mundane who are not already unconscious completely unable to see the fight as it unfolds.
the four nearest open fire on Lilian with two glocks, a pair of throwing knives, and the last rushing her with a tazer is blinded when the blood vessels in their eyes burst and they scream in pain, dropping the device.
The bullets strike Lilian though her vampiric nature shrugs off the holes they make, the damage to her attire, and the distraction from her ritual the most dangerous threat of those strikes. The knife goes wide missing her completely. The other eight accomplices are now approaching pulling out more knives, guns, and some pulling out what appear to be half-spears! The seven minutes Lilian's ritual will take are ticking down and she's surrounded. How will she complete the rite and survive the fight.
"Urg." There is clear disgust and disdain in Lilian's eyes as she looks upon all the people approaching her. The ritual circle is large and thank god she can decurse objects in her sleep because that is just happening in the background as her subconscious reinforces that intent. Her sapphire eyes dart from one assailant to another before she disappears into a puff of mist. Her fangs are drawn as she reappears behind the member furthest out, sinking her fangs into his neck and tearing through his carotid artery with a glorious spray of blood. Using his body as a shield, she both drinks and lets him bleed out until the others turn back to her.
Things have escalated quickly and there is a reason that using out of towners to do these kinds of things can be dangerous. None of these people appear to have sanctuary so as Lilian bamfs from one spot to the next, the man goes down in a spray of blood and a cry. Gunshots riddle his body and the bulletproof vest he wears underneath his puff jacket absorb several of the shots but the spray of crimson vitality leaves him weak as Lilian drinks her fill. That is one down, one blinded, and ten more to go. Fortunately the majority of them appear to be using ranged attacks and only two are rushing Lilian with knives. Those with ranged weapons are moving to alleys, behind blue postal boxes, the edges of vehicles, spreading out so they cannot be caught in some kind of group strike. Up above more blue energy arcs to the ground as the cursed object itself begins to fight back. The sapphire gemstone crackles with energy and sudden a loud *pop* happens as a crack snaps through the air deafening everyone nearby. So Lilian doesn't hear as another volley of gunfire and some fucking arrows come her are, the human shield not blocking all of them and the arrow nicking her... The question is how much does poison affect her vampiric physiology. Another five minutes to the rites end.
Lilian can slow her own blood flow and physiology and as the poisoned arrow nicks her she growls. Dumping her human shield she paths first to the one behind the postal box. Surely the box and the next unfortunate man is enough of a shield. Her face and dress is covered in blood, a macabre display as she sinks her fangs into her next victim. Although the attackers don't have sanctuary, she definitely does and she's sure that the poison going through her blood isn't lethal so it offers some comfort as she drinks down the next man, tearing through in another wash of arterial spray.
The postal service provides decent cover from two thirds of the remaining accomplices. The next man to go down cries out, one hand moving to punch Lilian in the face! Although her undead toughness and blood drenched features do not even show a bruise as he throws several more increasingly weakened punches until he goes limp from the blood loss and a flurry of gunshots that strike the postal box and his body. Another archer has a line of fire on Lilian and looses an arrow. A throwing knife comes soaring by... Another flurry of gunshots ring out despite the snap minutes ago having deafened the area. Unfortunately for them and their chances of hitting Lilian they are thwarted as the sapphire gemstone begins to spin, tumble, arcs of power coming out of it and the magnet field spiking... ALl of a sudden phones, watches, earrings, bullets, arrows, everything begins to be drawn unerringly towards the gemstone. Some peoples limp bodies slide across the snow covered street, even cars begin to groan and lean. The rite now nearly completely and the acts of defiance from the empowered cursed object growing all the stronger!
Glutted with blood Lilian's eyes which usually are a deep sapphire blue is a crimson as she lifts her head from the man she's drinking and dumps his body. From there, she doesn't even bother to drink anymore. Path. Tear a throat out. Path tear a throat out. She blinks back and forth between the enemies like one's worst nightmare, her dress and skin tacky with blood. The spilt blood only adds to her ritual, reinforcing the runes that draw themselves in blood.
At a certain point people begin to flee and with the entrancing rite broken the sound of sirens in the distance are approaching. While Lilian hasn't violated the understanding this is quite messy and she looks like the culprit to anyone arriving. The rite is finally done in seven minutes with seven deaths, the remaining five fleeing from the vampire woman. The final effort of the cursed item expresses itself with a bluish arc of energy from the sky down onto Lilian herself... Despite the glut of blood and her likely supernatural reflexes the lightning is quicker. It strikes just off the center and sends her flying backwards with a deafening crack which also shatters the cursed sapphire gemstone that was used to start all of this. The tacky blood and likely ruined outfit are now accented with tendrils of smoke and a lingering static energy about Lilian whereever she ended up from the final explosive conclusion to this runious plot to destroy Haven.
As soon as the rite is finished and Lilian can hear the sirens - She shadowwalks. But maybe not quite fast enough as the lighting hits. She does manage to walk through the shadows- fly more like but its to hand in a heap on her bed at the dormitory. She groans as she lies there against her bed for a long moment but the amount of glorious human blood flowing through her gives her energy and her own ability to regenerate and restore the undead means that the wounds on her body rapidly close. Opening the window, she shifts back into a raven to fly back over the sight, scouting it on her way home back to the onsen.
When Lilian flies over the site of the ritual there is a lot to see. The sky above is still filled with stormclouds though they no longer glimmer or flicker with unnatural blue energy instead they just lay heavy over the night sky blocking out the moon and stars. Throughout the town of Haven the power is returning, people are getting their homes warmed, and those that found shelter away from the town square art installation begin to poke their heads out and head home. It's so interesting how humanity falls for normalcy bias. Was that storm as bad as they thought, false alarm, everything is fine now. The TVs are on, the power is running, and there's just enough time to go use the computer before bed, such powerful distractions.
At the actual site of the ritual in front of townhall the rust and greenery that symbolized spring overcoming winter is a blackened mark on the road. The large crowd of collapsed humans are being treated by Special Deputies and paramedics along with fire fighters. It was a gas leak they explain the damage to nearby property and the death of individuals who are covered up before the unaware properly recover. Just a gas leak that ruins the newest public art show, nothing to see here. Lilian can spy some people are being given hot beverages likely spiked with memory potions just to be safe and as per usual the Haven Sheriff's Department are not looking for the culprit of these murders to closing afterall rippedout throats, it's not really that hard to solve. At least to the satisfaction of those tasked with maintaining the understanding. Aside from some unintended broken bones and concussions it's unlikely this incident will be remembered by anyone really. Except Lilian over head and the overworked deputies below.
Lilian does a couple of laps of the site, cawing and swearing in the beautiful tongue only a corvus can manage before she sweeps her wing to head home. Although slightly bruised and tired from the fight, she is filled with blood and energy as she turns back into a human, covered in blood. She checks her phone to see if her assistant made it home so that he can help her rinse off the blood.