[gardening!! . . . "gardening"]

[sevenhorrorsmods]

Who: Katsumori and the rest of the school
When: September 21
Where: the equipment shed
What: more things happened!!
Warnings: spiders, spider bites, and someone getting chomped on in the adventure itself

[It's a bit overcast today, isn't it? Clouds rumble lightly in the sky above, dark with rain that has yet to actually fall. It is still pretty hot outside, but at least the weather is beginning to cool, right? Fall must be right around the corner!]

[If you happen to be taking a moment to enjoy the great outdoors, then you may stumble across some friends in green uniforms hanging out around the equipment shed.]

[The]

[Opened equipment shed]

Comments

[presgarddihellis]

The voice of the spirit running the gamble... I think they had some sort of rivalry with Katsumori. Or something.

"The taste of victory" being their favorite.

[ha. haha.]

But they were certainly... a very sore loser.

[ordimame]

A "sore loser". . . man, those kinds of people are the worst.

[presgarddihellis]

He won twice and threw a fit over losing once.

Then again... it only takes once.

[l-laughs but it's actually to do with something else, don't worry about it.]

[ordimame]

[. . . just. staring at Smith as he laughs, before letting out a slow exhale. and then, after a moment, he reaches out-- but stops about halfway before dropping his hand back to his side]

I'm glad you got the best of him in the end.

But I hope this means he isn't holding some kind of grudge.

[presgarddihellis]

I'm sure it'll be fine.

Mostly... the familiarity is what's so haunting.

[ordimame]

[. . .]

[quietly]

Tell me more about it?

[presgarddihellis]

... I don't think they were being truly malicious.

I think they were just... having fun. "Playing"... and not necessarily understanding the damage. Or maybe even thinking the damage is part of the game.

Childish, really.

[it reminds him of a certain Bug]

[ordimame]

[with a small note of frustration]

Then someone should tell them to grow up.

[. . .]

Did you know someone else like that. . . back home?

[presgarddihellis]

[cognitohazard of talking about this guy... but.]

... the son of an Ancient Sun God. Because He was born of a god, He was born as a demi-god with a mystical creature form and everything.

And He was born and lived without the experience of being human.

So, to Him, everything is a game. You are "interesting" or "boring". If you are "boring", you are less than nothing and easily overwritten. Quite literally. Overwritten. One day, a person could be someone you knew and the next that person is who you've always known but have they ever worn a monocle on their right eye? Surely.

[it's. it's as horrifying as it sounds.]

And you did not want to be seen as "interesting" because then, He became curious.

[unfortunately, Klein Moretti is very interesting.]

[ordimame]

[boy, does this put the conversation he had with Raven about how much worse deities without humanity were than humans also lacking same]

. . . let me guess.

You were "interesting."

cw: allusion to suicidal thoughts; 1/2

[presgarddihellis]

... this spirit. Talked about how he could keep doing this. Have us choose again and again, losing continuously, being bitten at or torn at, surviving, just to do it all over again. Because it gave them a thrill to be the winner.

That Bug... He'd parasitize you, force you to follow Him with no option to do otherwise. Drive you to think about how to escape Him until you come up against the wall of realizing there is no escape, except--

And then you'd forget that thought.

Because He stole it from you.

And it'd start again.

Over and over.

[there's a hint of the madness there, the desperate futility, having been driven to the brink again and again and again and knowing worst yet it could have been so much worse--it's always a little bit there, but always behind his smiles and always just out of sight because it's not something pleasant and, well. a Clown doesn't need to be so unpleasant for others, afterall.]

I'm more powerful than Him now, technically, but...

That sort of thing... it never stops haunting.

2/2

[presgarddihellis]

In comparison, this spirit is merely... childish. Petty.

[ordimame]

[. . . . . ]

[his features harden, jaw clenched as his fingers curl tightly into the fabric of his pants. when he speaks, it is quiet. laced with something dark and raw]

. . . I hope you kicked his goddamn ass.

[he is not talking about the spirit from the caves]

[presgarddihellis]

[ah. he shouldn't encourage this side of him, really, but.]

I blew up His true body like a supernova.

He retreated to another body of His and survived, but... I did obtain His characteristics and the Uniqueness of His Marauder Pathway thanks to that.

[ordimame]

[no please DO encourage this side of bean, he doesn't indulge in it NEARLY enough]

Good.

[there's a harsh note on the edge of that word. Puck is the relatively non-violent sort (unless it's for the sake of comedy), but. . . he doesn't mind relishing in the destruction of some asshole god who would turn the world-- turn Smith-- into his hapless plaything]

Sounds like he deserved every bit of it, too.

[it's just a damn shame he survived]

[presgarddihellis]

... He did aid me, later.

Somewhat.

But... I think that is also because it was in His best interests.

[either way, yeah. yeah. that's the mood.]

There are worse entities than Him, more intentionally malicious or even more dispassionate.

But that is why the spirit's behavior isn't my favorite.

[in fact, many triggers about being an entity's plaything]

[ordimame]

[honestly, Puck has a hard time imagining anything worse than an entity that just. . . toys with people. parasitizes them and erases their own free will for its own whims. but Smith has seen so much more than he, so. . . he has to take the other's word for it]

[. . .]

[it takes him a moment. but eventually. . . he reaches out again. rests one hand lightly across Smith's, fingers digging into the backs of his knuckles]

. . . yeah.

[he gets it]

But you've proven that people like that aren't infallible. Don't forget that.

[presgarddihellis]

[the hand under Puck's actually... relaxes. more like gives up its tension as if Puck's hand has taken over that role. someone else can be righteously angry, for once. he can just be... very tired. maybe. for a moment.]

... I don't know if I could forget it, even if I wanted.

[it is good to keep in mind, though, Puck's not wrong.

but it's the fact that he still uses "people" when speaking about the natural-born demi-gods and gods... not understanding concepts drive these beings more than anything... that really drives home how pitifully human or mortal everyone here still is.

weirdly comforting.]

[ordimame]

[yeah. that's exactly it. let Puck carry that burden for a while. he gives Smith's hand a tiny squeeze]

Maybe not. But right now, you don't have to worry about any of that.

Get some rest.

[presgarddihellis]

[other comforting things: that willingness to reach out and touch even when there has been a lot of instinctive recoiling from the exposed uncanny and eldritch horror. worms may be squirming in the torn flesh, but that hand is at least fairly human-feeling. deceptively so.]

Mm... I doubt many will let me do otherwise just now.

[ordimame]

[bro the worms are the LEAST of his worries right now]

If you try to do anything else, I think they have the right to bully you back to bed.

[presgarddihellis]

[listen, maybe it means a lot to still be seen as a person! even if he's... a horribly traumatized and broken and forcibly behaviorally conditioned dragged and chased into godhood person.]

I'll behave. I will.

[ordimame]

[aren't we all a little traumatized, my guy??]

. . . I believe you.

[he gives Smith's hand one last tight squeeze before drawing away]

I'll stick around until you head back to Katsumori, okay?

[until Yuma is done plucking worms from Smith's fleshy bits]

[presgarddihellis]

[there's also the stapling of skin over the wound which is sure a thing.

but mostly, Klein just lets himself be tired and horizontal. it might be a moment before he's got energy enough to get up to go to Katsumori, but.]

Alright. Thank you.

[ordimame]

[that's okay. true to his word, Puck lingers until Smith is ready to do. this is friendship!]