EVENT | LANDFALL | KITHIKA | BOTTLE

[cherrywood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: February 12th - 28th
Location: Kithika, inside the bottle
Situation: The discovery of an artifact from the first war against Malicant reveals the land of Kithika within a dimension of the Death Plane... and just happens to be contained inside a bottle.
Warnings/Rating: Please indicate content warnings in subject headers as applicable.

OOC INFORMATION ♦ CITY OF KEELIAI ♦ INSIDE THE BOTTLE ♦ THE WORLD EATER
Arriving in Kithika is unpleasant for the most part. Transport through the glass vessel deposits you in the middle of a thick and murky swamp, with air so hot and humid it feels as though one is breathing through a wet towel. This is a place of perpetual night and there are no celestial bodies visible overhead through the twisted vines to break up the blackness, making the only light visible that which comes clumps of marsh fungus that emit a steady glow in a variety of muted colours: pale blue, whitish green, watery mauve. The only other light comes from those who can generate it themselves and that will reveal numerous broad-leaved trees, in some places standing too thick to move through. Below, knee-deep water laps in swirls at their legs, accompanied by the occasional slithery feel of something moving in the bracken against wet limbs, gone before it can be identified. A variety of strange noises from creatures of the swamp fill the air with buzzing and hoarse croaking, interrupted by the screech of mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds darting past and hungry for a meal.

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OOC NOTE: Characters will not be able to progress past the Temple and the Grounds for 48 IC hours after which point, the way to continue onward to find the dragon will be discovered. The second log will be posted on the 17th, to help spread out the tagging. Thank you!

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OOC INFORMATION
Landfall Questions | Approved Item Requests | Player Plot - Kryptonian Rampage OOC

CITY OF KEELIAI
Emperor's Orders: Miasma Explained | Marshaling the Forces | A City Under Siege | Halting the Scourge

INSIDE THE BOTTLE
Crossing the Swamp | Decayed Grounds | The Sullied Temple | Stone Idols | Item Discovery

THE WORLD EATER
Battling the Dragon | Soul's Poison | Kryptonian Rampage | The Guarded Pool | Weighing the Options | Aftermath

Comments

[skybluejeep]

Stiles flinches.

The Nogitsune does not.

In fact, it cocks its head at Derek, distracted from Stiles for just long enough. And it smirks using his face.

"Derek, how do you sleep at night? Knowing that you're using him? That you're being completely selfish? That you're going to ruin him, like everything you touch? He'll die because of you..."

And Stiles gasps, attempting to scramble away further.

[garou]

It's Derek's turn to flinch, like the nogitsune has physically slapped him, and he shifts back to human, jaw tense. But he doesn't move otherwise, doesn't move away from Stiles.

"I don't," is all he says, glaring up at the thing before him.

[skybluejeep]

Stiles looks up at Derek, then at the Nogitsune. And he snarls to himself, totally done.

"You're full of shit!" he barks, finally standing equal at Derek's side, his face set in a mask of determination. "He's not using me. He would never. Ever. Use me. Japanese fox demon...which I'm guessing means Trickster. Been there, done that. Made friends with a trickster. You stand literally zero chance..."

"...Do we? You're so optimistic. Your mother...she was so ill...and you'll be so ill..."

And that makes Stiles gasp. Low fucking blow.

[garou]

Derek looks up at Stiles sharply, totally and completely surprised by that. Stiles... believed in him? He's not sure how to take that, including the warmth suddenly in his chest at the thought that Stiles trusts him enough to say something like that.

Derek stands fully, fingers flexing. He wants to hit this thing, he really does, but he can't. And it angers him.

"Shut up," he growls again. "If you think Stiles can't beat you then you don't know anything about him at all."

[skybluejeep]

"I don't want him to defeat me," is the answer, an evil smirk curling Stiles' stolen lips up. "I just want him to join me."

Stiles isn't hiding behind Derek. Not really. But he is wanting his boyfriend to make the scary thing go away, wanting his love to win the day.

"Yeah, no. Not a chance. Ever. You wanna do bad? You can do it without me. I'll die before I join you."

And the mocking, cruel laughter begins again, loud and oppressive.

[garou]

Derek steps in front of Stiles again, snarling just a little.

"You'll have to go through me, first."

[skybluejeep]

"Oh. I plan on it, Derek Hale."

Stiles' breathing is now completely out of control, watching his alternate self threaten his love. Oh, fuck. Without a thought, pulls himself to his feet and steps forward again, his jaw set, his shoulders straight. And he's not screwing around anymore.

"No."

"No?"

And then the two versions of Stiles are facing each other down. One is smirking, confident, and totally in control. The other...he's trembling with the effort of it all, because he refuses to give in.

"No. Touch Derek and I'll figure out a way to end you."

[garou]

"Stiles," and his tone is warning. He reaches out to touch Stiles' arm.

[skybluejeep]

He reaches back and grabs Derek's hand instead, still facing down his doppleganger. The Nogitsune raises one eyebrow, and looks Derek up and down, sizing him up.

"And what if he's the cause of my appearance? What if he's the reason I'm inside of you? What then, little host?"

"...Liar," whispers Stiles, although the seed of the idea is now planted in his head, even as he takes Derek's hand, presses himself closer.

[garou]

That causes Derek to snort, and he squeezes Stiles' hand, ignoring the sudden brick that's formed in the pit of his stomach.

"You can't be serious. Why? How?"

But he glances down to Stiles, because what if Stiles believes? Derek wouldn't blame him; wouldn't even fight to keep him if Stiles chose to believe it and left him after all this was over. He was doing a terrible job of keeping this thing away from Stiles, and the situation was only getting worse.

What if it was right? What if, in the future, Derek was the reason for it?

[skybluejeep]

The trickster spirit laughs again, using Stiles' face, and starts to inexplicably back off, spreading his hands.

"Oh, but that would be telling. You're so smart, both of you. Figure it out."

Stiles feels completely sick, clinging to Derek even though he hates himself for it. He'd promised he'd never do this, but to be confronted with what they were now...it's understandable, right?

[garou]

"Then you're lying," he snaps, nostrils flaring. He's doing his best not to shift again, but he's angry, now, that brick in his stomach replaced with molten lead burning through his veins.

"You're full of shit and you know it, and you don't have any other way to screw with us."

[skybluejeep]

"Derek! No."

Stiles is now pulling on Derek's arm to get him to back off. And the Nogitsune, it just tilts its head to the left, inspecting them both.

"I am Stiles' future," it says frankly, looking confident and implacable. "And you, Derek...you are not. He will be mine, and I will destroy his life, his friends, his family. I will eat both your souls, and laugh as you die in agony and chaos. You're both going to be so delicious..."

[garou]

"Try it, and I'll rip your throat out. With my teeth." He clenches a hand into a fist.

[skybluejeep]

"My throat is his throat," is the mocking answer. "Kill me, kill him. Could you do that, Derek? Of course you could. You could kill anybody. Just like we can. Stiles and I, we're killers too..."

That does it.

Stiles flings his knife at the Nogitsune, not caring about his form. This has gone on long enough, and it has to end now. The dirk spins in an arc, and the evil spirit screams...

[garou]

Derek flinches out of the way of the knife just in time, watching it soar, eyes wide.

[skybluejeep]

It connects. There's nothing so dramatic as blood or gore or death. Instead, the knife clatters against the statue, restored to its stone state. The thing shatters, crumbling down to join the other two pieces of rubble.

And the knife...the blade shatters too, gone.

Stiles falls to his knees next to Derek, panting heavily, and sweating like he's just run a marathon.

[garou]

Derek stares, because the statues of him are still there, the knife having vanished when everything else did too.

Derek crouches next to Stiles, reaching for him—but then he pulls back, clenching his hands into fists. He's got no right to touch him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

"Are you...?"

[skybluejeep]

"Yeah. ...Yeah."

He's fine. He's always fine. That's just how he is. Although now all of it is percolating in his head, all the lies and the half-truths and awful, awful realities.

What if it's true?

"You?"

[garou]

Derek watches him for a moment, and then just nods once.

And then he stands and turns to go.

[skybluejeep]

And his heart sinks in his chest. Of course he's leaving. Stiles is destined to apparently be evil. Maybe. Of course Derek "dated two psychos" Hale wants nothing to do with him now.

But he won't give up that easily.

"Derek! Wait!"

He scrambles to his feet, and follows his boyfriend, the first thumps of a panic attack starting in his chest.

[garou]

It's to Stiles' credit that Derek stops. He cares enough, at least, to hear him out. His back stiffens, though, and he doesn't turn, fists clenched at his sides.

"You don't have to stay with me."

[skybluejeep]

"What?"

And that makes him choke out an aborted laugh, an ugly, hurt sound. It clicks for him in that moment.

"Oh. Of course. Sure. Fine, we're gonna listen to a demon about what's coming. Great. Thanks, Derek. Thanks. Yeah, awesome. You jerk!"

And he launches himself at Derek, aiming a few open-handed blows at his back, trying to literally slap some sense into him.

[garou]

He stumbles forward, and turns, grabbing Stiles by the wrists just enough to get him to stop hitting him. He doesn't want to hurt him, even now, but the look on his face is furious.

"You do though, don't you? You believe him. About me. About how it's my fault."

[skybluejeep]

"No I don't!"

And in that moment, it's not a lie. It might be a bit of bravado, sure. But in spite of the seed of doubt planted by the Nogitsune, Stiles would never really blame Derek.

"I don't, and fuck you for assuming! I know you would never...not on purpose...never on purpose, and that's the difference. It might be something you stumble on, it'll be an accident, but it won't be your fault!"