001 - [CONSOLE | VIDEO]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sanzo did not look... pleased to say the least. Hair in disarray, dark bruise blooming on one cheekbone, and dirt on his robes suggesting he might of fallen on the way to whatever console he sat at. The heavy breathing and sweat gave anyone viewing a decent guess as to how. More striking was how...on edge he was. Scared even? He was doing his best to hide it if he was, but there was a clear nervousness about him. He glanced back before he said anything, shoulders jumping like someone just out of view had said something.]

That earthquake- whatever you call it- a few minutes ago. Half an hour ago, I don't know. Not long ago.

[It was late evening at the earliest, what light there was outside fading fast. Despite his appearance and heavy breathing, Sanzo's voice was fairly even. Not that he sounded happy.]

I found that child, that something with the wide eyes and the thing with fucking up the power wherever it's at. Several times. It didn't do shit for some eight or nine times.

[He's either avoiding looking at the console or keeping an eye out for something. He looks to either side often.]

I managed to bind the thing. Screamed like hell and- pulled me somewhere, I think it had a hold on me more than the other way around. It was dark, I couldn't move or breathe. It was so fucking dark.

[Another look over his shoulder, gaze sharp, what could be seen of him, tense. His breathing was only barely easing, maybe it wasn't the run alone making it so ragged...]

There were lights still, small and distant. They were all people, I don't know how many. I could see the shapes of people in the lights and I was lit up too. You think you find the weirdest shit here and then- It made some sort of sound, or looked like it was, I haven't heard anything like it and- fuck- I don't know how to explain how that felt. Like it was trying to tear at me, but not physical or mental.

[Alarm flashed across his expression all of the sudden and he glanced down at a string of red beads around his left wrist, the soul gem it held hidden from view of the camera. He wiped a streak of sweat and dirt above the red dot on his forehead, seemingly relieved. Momentarily.]

With these soul gems in mind... Is there anything here that could attack someone's soul directly? Anyone have any idea what that creature was? It held me for seconds at most, it felt like a lot longer. A lot longer.

[Sanzo looked for a moment like he might cut the feed and leave but he suddenly stopped and glanced to the side with a barely audible "He's going to kill me."]

Comments

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[redlightgreenlight]

[It was the mention of the child that had gotten her attention, but even then she wasn't going to respond until he began to speak about the light of the souls. Her heart skipped a beat, so it took her several minutes to say anything.]

Yes, there are things that can attack souls directly, but I don't know what that creature was.

[And she really didn't like the sound of it.]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[It took him a while to type a response, he was still getting used to the native language here and his hands were shaking no matter how much he tried to hide his reaction.]

Are there creatures like that here? I know of beings that can do such things on my world, but this was not what I expected.

[redlightgreenlight]

Malicant was one such creature, but he is dead.

[She was another, but she wasn't telling him that.]

It concerns me that there might be another like him.

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Or at least it lease to less fighting.]

Fantastic.

[There was a chunk of unintelligible text, like he'd leaned on the keys or something.]

Do you have any idea what to do about that? I've met beings that could resist or even outright stop my binding spell.

[Oh fuck it, it wasn't worth hiding what the sutra was.]

I've face another priest of my rank who could stop my sutra's attack, the binding. I know nothing that could outright turn it against me, if that is what happened. If this being was weak, it would not have survived at all. Were it to have malicious intent.

[How could it not?]

[redlightgreenlight]

There are many powers here that very few understand.

[That's what happened when you had so many different people from different worlds colliding]

You mean if it were malicious it wouldn't have survived?

[badly_behaved_priest]

I gathered that. As for if it would have survived or not, yes, it should not have survived if it were both weak or malicious. It's clear enough it's powerful. If it's malicious if what is harder to determine.

video - yeah a second thread but he *would* check...

[flyinglight]

That... stars. I've seen that child around. It has people?

[Luke frowns, lips thinning, then looks to Sanzo again. He looks more afraid than injured, but what he describes doesn't sound pleasant. At all.]

How bad is it?

[redlightgreenlight]

Have you considered fear?

[Those who experienced fear had a tendency to lash out, even if they wouldn't normally]

I wasn't able to sense emotions from him, but it is possible that the child's essence is too vast for my senses to accurately comprehend.

[no_light]

[So he barely understands a word of what has been said, and little of that can be blamed on Sanzo being shaken. More like, this is all still painfully new to him, and Sanzo is obviously in no state to be giving proper explanations. So...]

Were you injured in the attack? And do you have any indication that there will be more attacks, unprovoked ones at that?

[If in doubt, straight to the points which are of concern to him.]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sanzo, can, at least, appreciate someone who wants direct, no bullshit answers, even if it's not helpful to him.]

No injuries I'm aware of. The child doesn't seem able to do more than hold and frighten others for now. As for unprovoked attacks, I doubt it. I was doing this all deliberately to get more information.

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sanzo was very aware of that, even if he was in denial...]

I wasn't able to get a read of its emotions either or otherwise affect it outside binding it. It clearly has strong magical powers. If it is fearful, I don't understand why it can't communicate in any way but how it did with me.

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Doesn't look happy about the last question but when does he look happy ever, really?]

I can't be sure if it has people contained or I was viewing others from another plane. It's pretty hard to say with how fucked this place is. As for how bad it is, what do you think? It was fucking awful. What I have to compare to it wouldn't make any goddamned sense.

audio;

[inkulcation]

The child with the stars in its eyes.

[Irish accent, tone clipped in distaste.]

Darling, how did you find it? It seems to be adept at sneaking about.

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Someone who might actually know something about this, perhaps? Or at least someone else who's not a fan of the kid.]

I asked around where it's been spotted. It appeared for me plenty of times without doing shit. I have my ways of binding beings like it. I expected the damn thing to disappear when I tried that. Not do... this.

What, have you been looking for it?

[no_light]

I'm not easily frightened by spectres. [At least not by spectres that aren't of his own past. These would be bound to terrify him.]

What you gained, was it worth the risks you took? I'm new to this place, and its phenomenons, but I'm trying to learn.

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sanzo imeadatly felt less forgiving about the questions.]

In case you weren't paying attention: I'm trying to get information on this thing to even figure out if this was a waste of time or not.

[Sanzo let out an annoyed huff, clearly not too shaken to not get annoyed eventually.]

I've taken bigger risks than this. If you want to learn, go looking for the kid.

[flyinglight]

Hopefully it's the latter. [The frown deepens for a moment before he shakes his head.] But with the way we supposedly get here, who knows...

[He isn't sure he was wrapping his mind around the explanations right, yet.]

I guess in this case it's good you're able to compare it to anything at all. Wonder if what you got was in response to what you tried to do, or a reaction.

[Yeah, Luke's considering the risks in trying to actually reach out or read the child if he ends up seeing it again.]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sanzo pauses as he thinks over Luke's answer.]

You're suggesting it can see into the minds of others enough to find what would best incapacitate them until... I'm not sure, whatever is binding it wears off?

[The Makai Tenjou attack wasn't supposed to wear off, but this was a powerful being they were dealing with. More to think about.]

[flyinglight]

Maybe. [He runs a hand through his hair.] Or maybe what happened was... I don't know, maybe what you did reacted differently than it should and... connected you to it? So what you saw, or got attacked with was simply... what it is?

[With a sigh, he shakes his head.]

I'm not sure it's a good idea to try something myself, but it doesn't really answer if you talk to it, and if it does something, and we don't know what to do about it...

[badly_behaved_priest]

[If that was simply what that child was, Sanzo wasn't touching the topic with a ten foot pole. As it was, it was a struggle to keep the shudder that ran through him at the thought from being too visible.]

I'll look into it. What do you even plan to do to confront it? I didn't even expect my idea to work.

[flyinglight]

[Luke saw the slight shiver and frowned, but didn't say anything. Instead, he shrugged.]

Well, it didn't come up earlier, but I'm Force-sensitive. It's... I guess you could call it the 'magic' of where I'm from. [Brief amusement; he was pretty sure both Ben and Yoda would protest calling the Force that, and Luke wouldn't either, really, but it was the easiest way to phrase it.]

I can... or well, ought to be able to, I believe, touch his mind. Or presence. Something like that. Might give us more information, but if that happened to you...

[Another frown. Luke was willing to chance it, yes, since who said it even would work - he didn't want to try to go deep, just, maybe get more information, like Sanzo put it.]

[no_light]

I will!

[And he would, he promises himself. If only out of sheer spite.]

It didn't seem to do a lot of damage to you. I was merely trying to avoid wasting my time as well.

[inkulcation]

[Someone who hates things she can't track.]

I have an interest.

Somewhat more pronounced now, I'll admit. Especially if it's become predictable. You say you saw people in the lights. Distinguishably?

[There's a chance this is relevant to what Yorda showed her. If it is, China needs to know.]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Good, maybe the kid would keep him...]

I appreciate being your test dummy.

[badly_behaved_priest]

I didn't recognize anyone.

[Not that that was saying much. Sanzo made a point not to remember others when he could help it.]

I know I was lit up as well, if that give you anything.