Hush, little baby, don't say a word...

[onlythingtofear]

Who: Anyone!
Where: Anywhere inside, and outside, the mansion.
When: 1st - 3rd
Rating: Likely some disturbing imagery, at the very least.
Summary: Little fear gas dispensers have been left around Wonderland, by a particular scientist. Treat this as a mingle-party-gathering post. Even if you don't want your character to be gassed, you can come help someone who is. Or be attacked by them for your trouble. Heheheh.
The Story:

Overnight, on the grounds and inside the mansion, toys appear.

Small, innocuous, sweet things. Teddy bears. Ragdolls. Stuffed animals. All of them appear hand-sewn, and all of them are very appealing. That's the whole point of them, after all. Nestled into their neck, or their chest, under and amidst the stuffing, are small devices with a aerosol-delivered payload. Just the slightest amount of pressure will release a small dosage of Scarecrow's very best fear toxin. A new, lighter kind. He wants to know how long it will last, and how effective the housing is for grabbing potential victims.

Wonderland is, unfortunately, the perfect testing ground.

He waits just out of sight of them, placing them when most people are asleep, lurking in the darkest corners of the mansion with a small clipboard to take notes on. What do people from different worlds fear? He's keen to find out, in addition to everything else. He places them in front of doors, in chairs, on tables. Anywhere they'll look potentially out of place and worth investigating.

Everyone here is so good at investigating.

He's counting on you all to help him.

[ooc: I'll tag in for anyone who would like to run into Scarecrow. He's being a good boy and is keeping a distance from his prey, unless you want to come across him. (Said encounter could be lethal. For either!) Otherwise, tag in with what your character is seeing, etc, and where they are, and whether your post is reactionary or open for people to tag! Have fun! Tag around! Have feels! Be terrified! MUWAHAHAHA!

Also, you by no means need to keep things to this post, of course. Feel free to post network entries of fear gas results, or other logs! Have a ball.]

Comments

[swooshycape]

No, it certainly isn't.

But it is just as dangerous in its own way, and Chaos still regards Zack as a threat, particularly after that shockwave knocked Chaos out of the air and into the dirt. But even as the monster clambers to his feet, his wounds are already starting to close up, and his golden eyes flash, as he flexes his claws and crouches to spring again. Chaos is a creature of instinct and reactions, and fury burns strong in response to Zack's attacks.

[colorofthesky]

...what is that?

Regarding it with caution as well as confusion, Zack takes a step back, the Buster Sword hanging loosely in his hand. He thought he was fighting Jenova, but this- he's never seen anything quite like it.

Hovering back, he keeps his distance this time and doesn't try to approach. If the creatures tries to attack him, he'll be ready, but now that he's broken through the illusion, he's less inclined to engage.

[swooshycape]

That the offense abruptly stops trips something inside Chaos, but his reaction is still going strong, and for now, at least, Chaos does not halt his attack but instead launches once more, both flinging the pent up energy and following after in a dive with claws extended.

If Zack pays very close attention, he might notice that Chaos' left claw bears an uncanny resemblance to Vincent's - albeit somewhat mutated - and he might notice the way the wings are reminiscent of Vincent's cape, in a way. But of course, Zack might be a little too distracted defending himself and recovering from the awful illusion to really pay attention.

[colorofthesky]

Deflecting the blast with his sword, Zack dodges the rush and rolls to the side. He's not exactly sure what to do in this situation -- attack or defend -- and it doesn't help that he's hurting from that last attack. The wings and claw do catch his eye, though, a glimmer of wonder crossing his features.

Could it be...?

He shakes his head. He can't be sure, but he doesn't want to make another mistake, either.

That's why, yet again, he hangs back.

[swooshycape]

Dodging is definitely the right move, as is deflecting instead of reflecting or otherwise attacking back. When not faced with a very direct threat, Chaos hesitates a few moments, hovering in the air. He is positioned for another dive but the change in Zack's demeanor sparks a change in Chaos. It's slow, and the quick flickering of expressions across his face hints at some sort of inner struggle. The yellow glow of his eyes dims a little, and he sinks lower in the air, but then they flash brighter, and he dives towards Zack once more.

However, this does not go the same as before, for Chaos veers off course a little and instead skids into a landing a little ways past Zack. He stumbles forward a few steps, wings folding around him and turning almost smoky and shadowy, billowing and coalescing back into Vincent's cloak. He ducks his head and staggers another step before collapsing onto one knee, seemingly oblivious to Zack for the moment, as the man struggles to catch his breath. If Zack approaches, he will find Vincent supporting himself shakily, eyes closed and face even more colorless than normal, if that's even possible.

[colorofthesky]

He's about to dodge again when the creature veers off to the side and crashes into the dirt. Straightening with a little effort (the fear and adrenaline is fading, making him stiff and sore), Zack watches the transformation with...not quite surprise, exactly. He hurts, and though he is curious about the now-recognizable form on the ground (what is he, exactly?), he doesn't have enough energy to be more than that.

Sword still in hand, he walks over slowly -- cautious. When he's sure it's a man he sees instead of a monster, he'll get closer.

"Rough night?"

A light, almost flippant question, if not for the shade of weariness behind it.

[swooshycape]

Hearing the voice, Vincent opens his eyes. They're still a little yellow around the edges, but it's fading gradually. He's confused for a moment or so before he remembers what was going on. Right. Zack. Zack had attacked him and... well, here they were. He turns his head to look over at Zack before looking down, taking a deep breath and slowly pushing himself up to a standing position. He wavers a little but remains upright as he looks Zack over, assessing the younger man's injuries (and paying no mind to his own; they'll heal on their own soon enough).

"... yours looked rougher."

[colorofthesky]

He's singed in several places, a bit cut up, burned, and bruised, but honestly, it's not enough to keep him down. If needed, he could have powered on through, healed himself, and continued the fight. He's sore, but the fatigue he feels is more mental than physical.

"I've had worse."

Much worse. He still remembers what it felt like to be shot over and over again without a shred of mercy as his own body gave out on him.

He rubs his shoulder a bit and grunts.

"You mind if I ask what that was?"

[swooshycape]

Vincent doesn't answer right away, continuing to watch Zack for several moments before dropping his gaze away.

"... part of my punishment... for my sins..."

His own fatigue is a blend of physical and mental. The transformations are all both rejuvenating and exhausting in their own ways, but Chaos in particular leaves him feeling wrung out and drained in the end, and his body aches all over. It will fade soon - aside from a few burns and slices, none of it is caused by any injuries, and he's well used to it by now.

[colorofthesky]

He raises his eyebrows at that comment. That really didn't answer his question the way he was looking to have it answered, but well, if Vincent doesn't want to say, that's his business. He did attack the man, thinking he was....something else.

He sighs. "Fair enough."

Sticking the Buster Sword into the earth, he plops down on the grass. He'll heal himself in a bit, but right now, sitting? Sitting is good.

"Sorry about the, uh..." He waves a hand in Vincent's general direction. "You know."

Injuries. He was...really out of his head, just a few minutes ago. He just can't figure how or why.

[swooshycape]

Vincent shakes his head. "... do not worry about it." He's quiet for a moment or so before adding, "... do you need healing?"

He's pretty sure he has a cure materia somewhere.

[colorofthesky]

Zack shakes his head.

"I'll take care of it."

He has Curaga on him; in fact, he generally keeps all his Materia with him -- not because he thinks they'll be stolen, but rather one never knows what could be lurking around the corner.

Right now, though, he's preoccupied and not about anything good.

"...I thought you were something else."

Note: something instead of someone.

[swooshycape]

He lifts his eyebrows a little at that, blinking at Zack once before slowly walking over to sit down next to Zack - albeit at a bit of a distance. He anticipates a bit of a story.

"... what did you see?"

[colorofthesky]

He's quiet for a moment, remembering. It's still so vivid, the sight and smell of burnt flesh, the excruciating pain of a wing bursting from his shoulder. Reaching back, he touches the spot absently, and of course, there's nothing, not even a tear in the fabric.

He's heard of drugs that induce hallucinations (he's pretty sure he WAS seeing things now) -- but why? Why were they so powerful, and how had he been exposed to something like that?

"...The Calamity from the Sky."

[swooshycape]

Vincent can tell that Zack is shaken, but he doesn't quite understand the meaning behind the reaching back yet. The mention of that other name for Jenova, however, gives him a clue, and he nods slowly.

"... Jenova." Another pause. "... was that all you saw?"

[colorofthesky]

"No."

He saw Angeal, but honestly, he's not sure how personal he wants to get in his explanation. It's not as relevant as what happened after.

"She was talking to me."

Wherever my children are, I will always be.

Suppressing a shudder, he rubs his eyes.

"I felt a wing manifest."

A beat.

"That never happened before."

[swooshycape]

"... an elaborate illusion..."

That probably isn't very comforting, but it isn't meant to be. He suspects that the wing very much bothers Zack, however, illusion or not.

"... you do not need to worry about that happening in reality. ... the wing, that is."

He can't really speak for Jenova and the way she talks to those who hold pieces of her inside.

[colorofthesky]

"Yeah."

He knows it was an illusion; he knows that Jenova was dismembered and dispersed, and that even Sephiroth, for all his airs, will never be able to achieve his goals.

What he saw hit uncomfortably close to home, however, and for the moment, he's still trying to process it.

"How do you know?"

He's never really worried about it before, but after tonight, it's uncomfortable to think about.

[swooshycape]

"... you weren't born with Jenova already in your blood."

Simple as that. Well, Vincent could potentially go into more detail about what he understands of the mutagenic process of Jenova cells on development, but now probably isn't the time for that.

[colorofthesky]

He's silent for a moment, absorbing that. Of course, it makes some sense even if he doesn't know the science behind it.

It makes him think of Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth -- the ones who test subjects before they were even born.

He sighs.

"Lucky me."

[swooshycape]

"... indeed."

Vincent isn't being sarcastic there, however. He does mean it. Zack is fortunate in that regard, at least, even if he is quite unfortunate in a good deal of other ways.

"... besides... as a SOLDIER you already successfully integrated and suppressed a smaller quantity of Jenova cells. ... I believe... like a vaccine... it offered you protection Cloud lacked..."

[colorofthesky]

Comparatively speaking, he is lucky, he supposes. Losing his mind to something like that -- he really doesn't even like to contemplate the possibilities.

"You're well-informed."

The question he wants to ask goes unspoken, on the tip of his tongue: How do you know so much about Jenova?

[swooshycape]

He understands the unspoken question, however, and after a moment he offers an answer.

"... I witnessed many of the early experiments with Jenova... Gast discovered it shortly before my ninth birthday. ... both my parents worked for Shinra, and I joined the ... Turks when I was sixteen..." Teenage rebellion to join then and there, perhaps, but... he'd had other reasons, too. "... I was privy to a lot of information. ... and I was there for the experiments that... produced Sephiroth..." He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh, ducking a little more into his collar. "... and since Meteorfall I have conducted... additional research..."

Into Shinra, Jenova, Geostigma and more... though Jenova and Geostigma and just -- reorienting himself to a world thirty years beyond what he remembered had taken up most of the past couple years for him.

[colorofthesky]

An ex-Turk...

That's news since, much like SOLDIER members, Turks get too close to Shinra's secrets to ever really retire. The fact that Vincent looks as young as he does is also curious, but thinking back on their conversation on the beach, it makes sense. Vincent clearly has no love for Professor Hojo, and though Zack doesn't ask, he has a feeling he knows why Vincent is no longer simply human.

"Hindsight is 20/20, huh?"

It's thoughtful, as much to Vincent as himself. There were a lot of things he would have done differently if he'd known what he does now.

"At least things are getting better."

[swooshycape]

"Mm. Little by little..."

Hindsight... it is a cruel thing, in Vincent's opinion. To look back and know all that you would and could have done differently.

"Rebuilding is a slow process..."

And it is constantly hindered by things from the past coming back to bite them. Not that it matters right now, of course, not while they're here. Vincent closes his eyes and slowly sinks backwards onto the grass, lying down and opening his eyes again to look up at the sky.

"And some wounds never heal..."