[OPEN] Holes: Reapers (R-rated)

[asgardmods]

Who: EVERYONE being haunted by/hunting the ghosts/Reapers
What: An Introduction to Holes
When: Day 312 (August 17/18)
Where: The Dark Carnival/all across the city
Rating: R. Please be mindful of others and label your threads with any trigger warnings in the top-level comment! Do avoid this log if you are not looking for R-rated plot material. The PG-13 and below log is over here.

[ On Day 312 (August17/18), the Reapers that were floating listlessly around the hospital have found new victims to manipulate. They can be found in the Dark Carnival instead, twisting the otherwise peaceful spirits that usually meander around the theme park into violent vengeful spirits.

These angry spirits, driven by the Reapers, will take to the city and will target Travellers whose circumstances remind them of their own. The spirit of a woman killed by her lover may go after a man who has been violent to women in his past; the spirit of a boy dead from drowning may go after someone who has nearly drowned before. Their only purpose is to achieve “vengeance” for their untimely deaths, and they will seek this vengeance out wherever they can throughout the city. Take care, Travellers, for the night is dark and full of terrors or your past may come back to haunt you. ]

[ OOC NOTES: This is the R-rated mingle log for the Introduction to Holes Reaper plot. These spirits will not rest until they are either banished, brought to peace, or the Reapers are dealt with. A thread for plotting out how to seal the Reapers off is over here. Please be sure to include your character's location(s) and [OPEN/CLOSED] in the subject line, along with any possible trigger warnings. The PG-13 log for threads with lighter content can be found here. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns! ]

Comments

[teenyoda]

[Hey, screw you, Lahey. He can just take his mountain ash specializing self and leave. But fortunately for Isaac, Stiles can't read minds, so he arrives at his place not long after the chat, knocking on the door.]

Hey, asshole. It's me.

[freezerburned]

[And Isaac is just going to crack the door open with a longsuffering sigh. Like, almost Derek-levels of sigh. He's learning.]

Don't call me-

-no! No, how could you!?

[Something very heavy thuds against the other side of the door, and Isaac glances down toward whatever it was that was thrown for a moment, his eyes slipping shut with a deep sigh.]

Great. Hope you're ready.

[teenyoda]

[That has Stiles' brows raising, curious despite himself.]

What the hell is going on in there?

[freezerburned]

Well, he's throwing shoes now.

[And Isaac opens the door a little more to show the ghost. It's a few feet shorter than them both, in the shape of a young boy. There are tearstreaks down his face now, a dark handprint on the pale, white neck.]

I'm trying to ignore him, but- [Isaac indicates toward a cut on his brow that's since stopped bleeding. There's a few bruises on his arms as well- someone is not playing nice.]

[teenyoda]

[Stiles took a minute to look Isaac over. Not that he was concerned or anything, but hey. Scott would be mad if he died. He looked okay, but the cut didn't look too happy.]

Why is he on your ass?

[freezerburned]

I don't know, he...

[There's a pause. Isaac glances back toward the ghost, which seems to be intimidated by the both of them. He's since gone, hidden behind the couch with his head in his hands.]

I think he thinks I killed him, he's- [Isaac shrugs, tries to sound impassive,] -he's calling me 'dad'.

[teenyoda]

[Stiles looks between the cowering ghost and Isaac.]

Is there something you're not telling me? Did you do some ghost banging before I got here? Why the hell would he think you're his dad? That's just... wow.

[freezerburned]

Are you serious right now?

[Isaac looks like he's going to hit him. Maybe. His voice rises, just a tad, and that seems to set off the kid, who screams again, and Isaac grabs at Stiles' shirt and hauls him back as the clock flies off of the wall and shatters to the floor where they were standing moments ago.]

Okay, [a whisper this time,] no I did not bang a ghost. They're just latching onto people. Have you been paying any attention to the network?

[teenyoda]

No, not really. I've been busy.

[He wasn't going into details, Isaac. Don't ask him. But he was speaking more quietly and casting a quick look at the ghost brat.]

So why is he latching on to you? That's the thing. You think you look like his dad? Is there any way to unlatch him?

[freezerburned]

How the hell should I know? That's what you're here for.

[It's still in a low whisper, as the child starts to cry. Isaac groans and rubs at his face.]

I'm seventeen, I shouldn't look like anyone's dad.

[teenyoda]

You expect me to figure that out? I've never dealt with ghosts before, man. There's way too much lore on them and these ones seem to be able to actually physically do stuff. So that leaves for a lot of 'we're screwed' to fill in the gaps.

[He's looking at the ghost, one hand up near his mouth as he thinks.]

Hey there, little guy. You, uh, should probably be getting back to the fair. Is that where you're from?

[He felt like such a tool talking like this to a ghost but... he was talking to a ghost. What sort of tone were you supposed to have with ghosts?]

[freezerburned]

[Isaac takes a deep breath and watches him, falling in step behind Stiles and watching the ghost.

The boy's face contorts. He opens his mouth and a wracked sob spills out, his mouth stretching further than should be physically possible. When he speaks, it's like he's begging in a soft, plaintive voice.]

Don't make me go back there. Please- please, don't- please, please- !

[The last word is more of a scream than a sob. A crack starts in the glass of the window, splaying out with the force of it.]

[teenyoda]

[He wasn't sure which creeped him out more, the over-gape of the mouth or the fact that ghost screams could break glass. Both were pretty freaky and he'd like to get off this ride, thank you.]

Hey, hey. It's cool. NO one's going to make you go anywhere, are they, Isaac? We're good here. We can have a slumber party.

[freezerburned]

What? Stiles, I'm not keeping it around, it's not a puppy.

[He turns toward Stiles, slightly affronted. The boy takes in a deep gasp (does he even need to breathe?) and starts to cry again.]

[teenyoda]

[Stiles turned to glare at Isaac. Really, Isaac? Really?]

It's a slumber party, Isaac, not an adoption. Maybe he just wants somewhere to hang out.

Is that it, little guy? You just want a friend?

[He felt like an idiot talking like this to the kid, but he wasn't sure what else to do.]

[freezerburned]

I want- I wanna go home.

[It comes like it's a revelation. The boy grabs his throat, hands over the dark print, and he repeats himself again. Again, again, louder as the lights flicker and dim over them. He takes a step toward them.]

I wanna go home!

[And with that, Isaac turns and grabs the bag of ash on the counter, shoving it into Stiles' hands.]

Do something- !

No! No, you're not allowed, papa you can't hurt me anymore- stop it, stop it!

[The bulb flares and for a moment, the entire room is untouched- the window is whole, the walls don't have the scuff marks anymore, and the boy is gone. And then-

-well, then the lightbulb shatters and forces them into darkness.]

[teenyoda]

[He hates you, Isaac, for pulling him into this. The dark had him flinching, every horror movie he'd ever seen flashing before his eyes and he waited for his jaw to get ripped off. Oh god, please don't kill him.

He fumbled with the bag that Isaac had given him, trying to get it open and plunging his hand in.]

Don't move, Isaac. Just don't... don't move.

[He licked his lips as he pulled out the handful, bending down and starting to trail the gritty substance around them on the floor, picturing it keeping the ghost out for all he was worth.

He managed a circle that, unfortunately, wasn't that big, but hey, it was a freakin' circle. Probably under six feet in diameter, but it was big enough for the two boys to stand in it.]

Shit. Where'd he go?

[freezerburned]

I don't know. Oh my god.

[Isaac is breathing hard, eyes straining to see anything in the dark, but the child hasn't reappeared, not quite yet.]

What the hell is going on? What are these ghost things?

[teenyoda]

[Stiles was standing with his back to Isaac's, trying not to move back that little bit to feel him because god, he didn't want to get yanked away into the dark. Please let the mountain ash work.]

They look like the ones from the carnival, but... I don't remember them acting like this before.

[freezerburned]

[Isaac nods and leans back a little with a deep sigh, letting their shoulders rest together.]

Me neither. There've been some network posts about them going crazy, but I didn't think it was this bad... what do you think they want?

[teenyoda]

[This would teach him to worry about his sudden new status as a husband over checking the network posts. Apparently his life becoming a bad sitcom didn't mean that things didn't still happen around him. He should have known that.]

I have no idea. I'm not the ghost whisperer. That was Lydia's thing.

[Like when Peter had been muttering in her head from beyond the grave. Yeah, creepy.]

[freezerburned]

Was it? Well, whatever- give me a minute to think.

[As long, thin scratching sounds start echoing in the dark room. Yep. A minute.]

[teenyoda]

Minute's up, genius. What the hell are we supposed to do?

[No, Isaac, Stiles was not grabbing on to your arm and clinging a little. He totally wasn't scared of the dark or some creepy face-morphing child ghost. Not even a little.]

[freezerburned]

I dunno. Look, I'll- I'll talk to it again.

[He takes a deep breath, letting Stiles cling without saying a word. He gets it, bro.]

Hey- hey, kid. What... uh. What do you want?

[The scratching stops abruptly, and the response comes a few moments later in a low, panicky whisper that seems to come from all around them.]

I can't get out. [Progress! Maybe? Probably not.]

[teenyoda]

Use the doorknob?

[He was being so very helpful, but he wasn't stepping foot outside that circle. Later, he'd probably feel a little ashamed and embarrassed about his clinging routine, but if Isaac wasn't pushing him away, he was going to take advantage of that. Strength in numbers.]