OPEN: Kirkwail

[faderifting]

WHO: Anyone
WHAT: Ghosts
WHEN: Wintermarch 20
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: OOC post. More content warnings than you can shake a stick at, probably, including allusions to slavery and violence in the body of the log post. Please use appropriate warnings in the subject lines for your own threads.

The storm sweeps in like an assassin: unexpected, in the dark, and throwing sharp pricks of sleet at exposed eyes and noses with expert aim and enough force to almost draw blood if the angle is right. Half an hour after the clouds crest the cliffs is all it takes for the city to retract indoors and huddle around fireplaces, settling in for a long night that will, unforeseen, turn into a long two days.

The Gallows, too, is pelted with ice; the walls of the cliffs and the fortress protect much of it from the worst of the wind, but when it can find a path over or through the walls, it slams through windows or doors to scatter papers and snuff out fires.

In the dark, in the rain, hurrying between towers or already accustomed to jumping firelight casting strange shadows and the wind howling like a wounded animal, people might be forgiven if they don't notice at first. But there's a hanging in the courtyard, a dozen translucent wisps of bodies dangling from the idea of nooses, and there's a girl's voice in the basement of the templar tower screaming for her mother, and there's a ghostly man in the library holding the blade of a knife to his palm and whispering this is it, this is it—or maybe there isn't, actually, when you lift your head to pay closer attention.

But as the night wears on they multiply, and they brighten, and even if you haven't noticed them, they begin to notice you.

Comments

Library

[circleprodigy]

Cade isn't the only one working late. Inessa, not willing to retreat to her quarters just yet, sits at a nearby table with books piled around her, scribbling notes as efficiently as possible before retiring for the night. Garahel is dozing at her feet, his legs twitching a little here and there as he dreams of an exciting chase.

She's content to ignore the winter weather outside, at least until the window blows open. Letting out a cry of dismay as her own papers suddenly scatter, she tries to snatch them before the rain and wind destroy her efforts of the night. So intent is she that Inessa doesn't hear Garahel's growl at first, the mabari suddenly awake and alert. He stands tense for a moment, then bolts ahead to Inessa's surprise.

"Garahel--!" The mabari doesn't stop until he's in front of Cade, growling and barking at the hanging bodies.

[onlyhymns]

The growl and the massive dog's presence doesn't help matters, despite his intentions; Cade likes dogs on the whole, and has communed with Garahel before, but now isn't the time to be faced with a warhound. ...even if he is barking at the enemy.

Taking the dog's distraction as an opportunity, Cade glances at Inessa with a look of silent horror and dashes out of the library.

[circleprodigy]

Garahel stays put for the time being, either too caught up in protect-mode or maybe hoping that his loud canine self will keep attention on him rather than his two-legged buddies, but Inessa can't help but follow the fleeing Cade. That horrified expression, mirroring her own, is too much to ignore. She quickens her pace to catch up with him; since virtually everyone is taller than her, it's nothing she isn't used to by now. Whenever he slows down or stops, she will too, glancing back with dread.

[onlyhymns]

If spirits are drawn to strong emotions, Cade is blood in shark-infested waters. There are mages coming up the stairs as he descends: young ones, fresh-faced and happy, but they wince and grimace when they turn to look at him, hurrying past, the skin disintegrating in gruesome chunks off their faces and arms before they vanish again. Dead, all dead.

Something scuttles by in the darkness when he reaches the bottom, and he stumbles artlessly to catch himself against a wall. Only then does he notice Inessa, looking at her with haunted eyes, perhaps not even fully convinced of her reality.

[circleprodigy]

Such gruesome imagery. Inessa winces and recoils initially, but forces herself past that point. If the horrors aren't going to stop, she can't let herself get overwhelmed by them...especially since Cade already seems to be enough for them both. Upon meeting his gaze, she tries to get a handle on her own fear for the time being. Her voice still trembles a bit, but she keeps her body from doing the same.

"I'm real, I promise. If it's all too much, I understand. But you won't be alone."

[onlyhymns]

"I..." Cade stammers, and the scuttling grows louder, the slap of flesh on the stone, "...I can't be here."

What emerges in front of them is unthinkably disgusting: a misshapen head, neither human nor animal, jaw agape and dragging a hideous tongue as long as the four arms that propel it.

Throwing a hand over his mouth and squeezing his eyes closed, Cade looks like he's about to retch.

[circleprodigy]

That Cade manages to say that much is an encouraging sign, but of course something has to go and ruin it. Inessa stiffens and turns to face the sounds of approach, recoiling at the horror before them.

"It's not real, it's not real...." It's as much muttered to herself as to Cade, before she clears her throat and reaches for his free hand. "If it helps, close your eyes. You don't need to see it. I'll guide us out." One of them has to see where they're going and until Garahel catches up to them, she'll shoulder that burden. These images aren't personal for her, not yet.

[onlyhymns]

The panic rises, oppressively so, and even Inessa's presence frays Cade's nerves. She's here to bear witness to what he's seeing, trying to help, but back then he'd probably have a sword in her by now. Friendly or not at the moment, there was a clear enemy when everything went to shit.

"I--" he stammers, stepping back, "--can't," and takes off out the door, at a dead run. Whatever happens, he has to make sure she doesn't follow. People die at times like this.

[circleprodigy]

Staring after him, Inessa sighs. She doesn't want to make things worse for him with her mere presence, as seemed to be happening. But he's clearly unraveling; what if he hurts himself or someone else while this chaos is happening. Perhaps she can at least follow at a distance, until he reaches someone or somewhere safe?

She raises a hand when Garahel comes barreling up, to prevent him from chasing after Cade and making matters worse. "No, not like that. We'll keep a lower-profile."