possessum: (𝟎𝟒𝟒)
ᴘᴇᴛᴇʀ ɢʀᴀʜᴀᴍ 👑 ᴋɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɪᴍᴏɴ ([personal profile] possessum) wrote in [community profile] deercountry2022-03-06 12:44 am

we coughed up honey into the air

Who: Peter Graham [personal profile] possessum + open! Anyone welcomed!
What: March catch-all ft. a bunch of Jumanji event prompts and some general ones.
When: The month of March.
Where: The jungle, and around Trench.

Content Warnings: This character comes with demonic possession by default ; Corruption / demonic attributes ; Jumanji Jungle Level warnings ; a lot of Panicked Cursing ; others to be noted in threads


EVENT — JUNGLE LEVEL
ENTER THE JUNGLE

What the fuck, man? Oh what the fuuuuck?

( —Whimpers the tall and thin young man beside you, voice rising in pitch as he tries to huddle in on himself, wide-eyed and terrified. Maybe you know Peter already, or maybe you're strangers to each other, but either way it's clear that your new Jungle Adventure Partner is less than enthusiastic about this.

It's also clear that he's going to be absolutely no use. For as your journey continues, Peter not only emits a variety pack of distressed noises on the regular (shouts, yelps, moans, groans, frenzied whispers, and teary mumbling)... he also gets into a lot of trouble because it appears to be that a) he has absolutely no survival skills at all, and b) he is constantly on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Really, it seems inevitable he's just going to die at any given moment. There are general things like Peter getting hopelessly tangled up in vines, tripping and falling over large roots, and zoning out and wandering off out of sight only to start crying out for you in a panic, and once or twice he just straight-up crouches down on the ground with his arms wrapped around his head, as though he can't take anymore, but then there are also the challenges— )


QUICKSAND
( It happens before he can even process it. The game spits its weird riddle, and then the ground itself seems to be folding, melting, inwards. Peter screams (take a shot every time) as he feels himself start to sink. His fingers are clawing desperate at the softened ground around him, and he suddenly understands what's going on. )

It's fucking quicksand! It's fucking!! Quicksand! It's fucking quicksaaaaand! ( He's repeating this over and over and over, panicked, aware that the game has toppled over and is starting to sink too, but Peter's not at all concerned about it, doesn't even try to grab it. Maybe you can — maybe you're not sinking, evaded it by an inch or two, or weren't with him when it started happening, and just ran up now. Or maybe you're in as much trouble as he is..... or maybe not quite as much, given Peter's flailing around has caused him to personally sink even faster, and he's now covered all the way up to his waist. It's only getting worse. )

RUSHING RIVERS
( Peter, who is possessed by an ancient demon king with a lot of equally ancient abilities, can actually breathe underwater now. Peter does not currently know this.

Which is to say, when the waters come, he thinks he's going to die. He's screaming like he's going to die, from where he's clinging onto a huge, tilted tree trunk for dear life. He'd managed to scramble his way up onto it as soon as the flood broke, but now he's trapped out in the middle of the water, screaming.

Maybe you hear him and scream back, or try to make your way closer. Maybe you're caught in the merciless flow of the flood, in danger of being slammed into any number of solid objects; maybe he can actually help get you onto his tree, or maybe you manage to make your way to it yourself. Hopefully it doesn't snap. )


GIANT FROGS (NOTE: ONE ATTEMPTED EATING OPTION & ONE SUCCESSFUL EATING....)
( By the time the frogs appear, Peter's very tired. He's been made to walk for longer than he's ever walked in his entire life, he's sweating through his shirt, his hair is a wreck of curls entangled with little pieces of vines and dirt and probably a spider or two... Every once in awhile he smacks at his head, like he feels something crawling on it.

He's trailing behind whomever he's with, feet practically dragging the ground, when there's abruptly a yelp and if you turn, you'll see him staring in terror and pointing at something off to the side. Two huge black eyes peek out of the brush, where something wet and swollen and big crouches.

Peter's starting to breathe funny, like his lungs are too small: sharp attempts at air intake. He sounds like he's close to hyperventilating.

That's when a thick, ropey tongue suddenly lashes out of the creature's mouth and wraps right around his middle, as firm as a python. Peter...... screams, trying to flail around, slapping at the wormlike thing that's ensnared him, but it's not letting go. Maybe you can help get him out of this before he ends up lunch.

Or maybe, he's in the middle of a rant, because he's had it. )


I've had it! ( he declares suddenly, long arms lifting into the air with exasperation. ) This is stupid. It's so fucking stupid. Why're we even doing this— this little dumb game? This sick shit?! I'm tired, and I'm hot, and we've been walking for hours. I want to go ho—

( It's at that moment that a tongue lashes out, grabs Peter, and pulls him into a nearby frog's mouth before he or anyone can say another word. All six feet of him and his spider-filled hair completely vanishes. He has been swallowed whole.

There's probably a shocked silence for a long moment or two before panicked, muffled screaming can be heard coming from the frog's swollen body, within which Peter Graham is all crammed up. Whether you were with him this whole time or happened to be close by and witness this just now, maybe you can help Peter not get digested. Please help Peter not get digested. )


TROPHY HUNTER
( By the time this challenge takes place, Peter's gotten separated from whomever he's been with this whole time. In fact, this challenge isn't even one he helped to summon; he'd long ago given up on the game and has just been wandering aimlessly, trying to find his people, when he'd encountered the hunter who was summoned from someone else's game.

And now here he is, running up to you, some wild-eyed, dirty young man with hair all over the place who appears from the brush. He seems unhinged. )


He's crazy! He's fucking crazy!

( You might be thinking yes, you are fucking crazy, when there's the loud crack of a gun from the depths of the jungle, and Peter flinches violently, ducking downwards and grabbing for your arm, voice a hushed, strained whisper. )

We have to run! He'll kill us, don't you get it?! He wants to kill us!!

( Maybe you're already well-aware of the trophy hunter and the fact he wants to kill you; maybe you were trying to hide, already. Or maybe this is brand new information to you. Either way, you're going to have to work with Peter to survive this.

.....You might die. )

GENERAL — THE MONTH OF MARCH CW: PHYSICAL DEMONIC ATTRIBUTES, RECREATIONAL DRUG MENTION

NOTE — As a Darkblood, this month Peter has the ability to see energy / auras / life force around living things, so feel free to include what colour your character would emit!
( March is a blossom of strange things growing all over, and new worries bumping up against all the old ones. Peter largely remains a recluse, staying safely tucked away in the townhouse he shares with Luna Lovegood. There are things he has to protect: her, and a fresh new bond, and a young boy named Falco Grice who shows up trembling against the flickering ghosts at the corner of his vision. The boy stays with them for awhile as Corruption grows, spreads. Peter's kept busy in the early days of March, and will rarely be seen. But those who visit the townhouse will be invited in or met out in front of the house.

It's towards the middle of March that his own budding Corruption makes its appearance known again. This time, it's not so much a mental change as a physical one... Peter doesn't become some snarling thing the way he was back in December. He maintains his lucidity, his identity, everything that makes him Peter.

It's just that now he has a pair of large black horns sprouting from his head, as well as a long, thin, scaly black tail.

....It's alarming, to be sure, but at this point, Peter's... tired. Sure, this happened. Why the fuck wouldn't it?

And so, the boy who doesn't act like a demon this time but looks like one just kind of... continues on with his life. He's still mainly to be found at the townhouse, for any visitors, but on occasion he might be spotted around the city. He goes shopping for clothes, perusing various shops: a tall, gloomy-eyed young man with sharp horns and a tail curled shyly against his leg. He's... looking for shirts that button up instead of have to be pulled over the head.... He doesn't know how long he's going to be looking like some sort of Teenage Hellspawn, but until this goes away, he needs some more clothes that he won't destroy.

Or maybe you spot him crouching down near cobblestoned streets, looking about as depressed as anyone can, gazing listlessly across the street, one elbow folded over a knee. He's holding a joint to his mouth but not actually smoking it yet; however, when he notices you nearby, he tilts his head up at you (with some difficulty; the horns are... heavy), and gives a slight nod. )


Want one? Got extra. ( —Then, he'll be fishing through his hoodie pocket, drawing out a little bag of sour gummy candies (drug-free). Where'd he even get those... He has his ways. And apparently, he's willing to share. ) Got these, too.

( Or he can sometimes be found sitting outside under the shade of a tree, long legs curled into a crossed position, a number of books spread around him. It seems like some sort of study session, and closer inspection will show that they probably came from the Arcane Archives: ancient-looking texts bound in thick leather. Peter's thumbing through them, a pair of reading glasses pressed to his face. If you're willing to approach the person with the demon horns and tail, it's actually a pretty serene display. Flowers have popped up from the ground and a few haphazard other things can be found in little patches nearby: apples and bananas and.... a cabbage? Is that a coconut, too?? It's weird. This place is weird.

But maybe not as weird as the sight of Peter Graham actually willingly reading a book.

Or the sight of him... being so seemingly at ease about his demonic parts. He's even using his tail to his advantage, the scaly black thing poking through a book or two, slithering snake-like through the grass to find the pencil he dropped and returning it to his hand as he jots down some notes.

But he often does look up, people-watching, and if you're passing by, his eyes might drift to you — or maybe it's more at you. He sees something; there's some curious attentiveness, and he hesitates only a moment before asking, a little shy— )


Hey, uh, this might sound weird, but do I have like... a colour around me?

( If you're a fellow Darkblood, his own energy is a very dark, smooth green — something of phthalo and hunter and forest — rich and somber and quiet, and maybe a little uncomfortable, like the dark part of the woods. Anything could be looking out.

A second pulse is there up under the first: a second colour, or a cacophony of them. Flashes of gold amongst iridescent shine, alien colours that are difficult to truly pinpoint, flickering from those dark woods. If you look too long, too close, it hurts.

But maybe you can't see it. Peter wonders why he welcomed anyone to in the first place. )

WILDCARD / ETC

ooc ➤ plurk (skeletals) / discord (large bat#2354) / pm / Peter's plot post
As a note, I'm definitely open to the mosquito challenge or the perking up one despite not having prompts for them up. If you'd like to toss one of those at me, feel free!
Also, respond in prose if that's your preference, and I'll gladly follow suit.

devilmind: (soulfully confused)

[personal profile] devilmind 2022-04-01 12:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The Operator breathes a quiet sigh of relief when the young man relents and opens the door to let them inside. Maybe this will be a more peaceful interaction than they anticipated. They'd like that. Though they hadn't been sure what to make of the stranger at first, it now seems likely that he's an innocent bystander in the situation, if not a victim himself. It would sadden them to have to harm him.

They follow into the foyer—and then pause with the shock of sudden recognition. They were here before when they'd sought shelter from the blizzard a couple of months back. This is Luna's home. And, they realize as he continues to speak, the stranger is her boyfriend. They feel a brief spark of warmth, happy to have met him—before they remember the grim conversation that awaits. ]


No, thank you, [ the Operator says, taking a seat on one of the armchairs. The warm softness of it stirs memories of their last time in this room, the comfort of it. Now, though, there is a tension to the way they sit, perched stiffly on the edge of their seat. They're not afraid, of course—this man doesn't frighten them and neither does Paimon. But they've never actually had to explain how an Orokin takes a Yuvan to anyone before, much less someone who may have lost a young family member in such a way. It makes their stomach twist inside them and, for a moment, their expression is that of a nervous child, daunted by the task in front of them and wishing their mother were here to take care of it. The Lotus was always the one who spoke; the Tenno always remained silent.

But the Lotus is not here. The Operator swallows their disquiet and forces themself to speak, slow and careful. ]


What I'm going to tell you about Charles won't be easy to hear. But it's important that you understand why I need to find him. [ They pause, chewing the inside of their cheek. And then: ] Have you ever heard him mention the name 'Paimon?'
devilmind: (uncertain)

[personal profile] devilmind 2022-04-09 10:38 am (UTC)(link)
No. [ There's a hardness in the Operator's voice again, their mouth set in a grim line. ] That's what you must understand. 'Charles' didn't tell me anything because he isn't there anymore. Only Paimon remains.

[ They suck in a breath after they say it as if the words are a physical blow. But the anguish is cleansing; it reminds them of why they're doing this, the monumental stakes. It is painful for them and it will be painful for this man—but there is a purpose behind the pain. ]

That's how the Orokin work, [ they continue. ] How they stay immortal. When their Continuity approaches, they find a new host and hollow them out until nothing remains. That's what Paimon did to Charles.

[ The Operator's eyes are wide, imploring. They will do what is necessary, with or without permission. Still, they want him to believe them. ]

Paimon thinks that I'm an Orokin, too. One of the Seven. I— [ They are the destroyer of the Orokin. The Dreamer. The Betrayer. This man doesn't know that. But perhaps he still knows why they have come here. ]

Do you understand why I need to find him?
devilmind: (disbelieving)

[personal profile] devilmind 2022-04-18 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Operator expects the horror. They expect the incomprehension and even the denial. These are the reactions they would expect from anyone learning that their loved one has been lost in such a horrific way and they sit, eyes downcast and fingers tied in knots, waiting for him to finish.

And then he says that Paimon is not inside Charles—that Paimon is inside him. The Operator's yellow eyes flash up, eyes wide with incomprehension. ]


That's impossible, [ they say immediately. ] Continuity erases whoever came before. Orokin don't share their Yuvans.

[ If Paimon is inside Peter rather than Charles, then it is Paimon they are speaking to now. That alone seems impossible—the Operator sees none of the imperious presence in the young man before them that they had seen in Charles. But if it's not true, why would Peter say it? The Operator stares hard at him, brow furrowed—and then their face softens with understanding. ]

You can't protect him, you know. [ Their voice is quiet, but resolute. ] There's nothing left to protect. Nothing but the monster who destroyed him.

[ That's clearly what this is: a misguided attempt to protect Charles by claiming that he is Paimon's Yuvan instead. That he'd lie for such a purpose brings with it a new pang of guilt and sorrow, but the Operator remains intent on their purpose. Anything that can be destroyed by the truth, should be. ]

Tell me where he is. [ They're leaning forward now, looking up at Peter with a patient, baleful look. ] And I'll handle the rest.
devilmind: (possessed by devil mind)

[personal profile] devilmind 2022-04-24 08:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Operator stands at the same time Peter does, not because they intend to leave but because Peter's warning has them ready for confrontation. They can see that he is terrified and they can feel the seeds of alarm taking root in them as well, but it's not enough to make them run. They'd come here looking for Paimon—they will not turn back if he's truly on the cusp of appearing. ]

Come out from where? [ They match Peter's urgent whisper. Is Paimon somewhere inside the house, listening? Their eyes dart, looking for some sign of another presence there with them, before settling back on Peter. For a moment, they are perfectly still, a revelation falling upon them. A look of regret crosses their face for the briefest of moments and then hardens into cold resolve. ]

Tell me. Or I'll call him out myself.

[ King Paimon. He is overdue for their meeting, anyway. ]
devilmind: (void blast incoming)

[personal profile] devilmind 2022-05-03 11:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Operator has faced down Grineer armies, Infested hordes, and Corpus machines without flinching. Peter's timid attempts to shoo them out of the house do not cow them at all. They barely move as he steps into their personal space, looking past him into the house, down the hall. His eyes had moved there briefly—is that where Paimon is lurking?

Their gaze meet Peter's only briefly, looking up at him with grim determination. ]


You should leave, [ they say. ] For your own safety.

[ They give him a few seconds to heed their warning—and then they look through him once more, voice rising clear as a clarion bell. ]

King Paimon! [ they call, and a flickering golden light fills their palm. ] I summon you now—appear as you promised me you would!

[ Their tone is defiant, challenging. Paimon had left them standing on the beach, but now they are in the home he has infested, calling him out to them. If feigned respect had failed to draw him out, perhaps insolence will be more effective. ]