Watching the House (Nobilis)

[fitzgerald]

[X] Connecting to Jenna
[X] Finding a Place to Live

[X] Make a pot of tea and proper English breakfast

 

[kinglugia]

[X] Connecting to Jenna
[X] Finding a Place to Live

[X] Make a pot of tea and proper English breakfast

 

[Nolrai2]

[ x ] Wait around the apartment till later. You're more of a night person really.

 

[Void]

[X] Connecting to Jenna
[X] Finding a Place to Live

[X] Make a pot of tea and proper English breakfast

 

[Darkened]

Resolving to spend time finding a home, and to connect to your new 'daughter' you decide there's only one thing to do. Make breakfast. While the apartment is large for a city center, it isn't that hard at all to find the kitchen. A glance inside the fridge betrays an unfortunate lack of foods. Still, there's a few eggs, some cheese and bread. So you slip off your suit jacket, roll up your sleeves and, taking only the briefest moment to clean your shades, get to work.

In no time at all the smell of omelet and toast fills the room while you set an old teapot on to boil. Jenna finds you while you're setting the table, slipping out of your room wearing only a shirt that drapes down to her knees. She is smaller, younger, than before. Some facet of her new biology or some response of your miracle to proclaiming her your daughter? It's hard to say.

Instead you smile a good morning and hand her a plate covered with steaming omelet and buttery toast. Jenna stares at you for a moment before walking toward a table and sitting down, moving carefully so as to avoid slicing the plate by mistake.

"Thanks da... Thanks..." She glances around the room, "And sorry about.. last night." she blushes a little bit and shifts unconsciously, inadvertently causing her shirt to slide ever so slightly upwards, almost exposing something without ever showing anything, hinting. She doesn't notice really and you push it out of your mind. No matter her nature you shouldn't think of your kid that way. Instead you reach over and ruffle her hair.

*Connecting to Jenna: Experience Gain 1*

Odd that her mannerisms toward you are changing so quickly, that she accepts you so easily. Well, you've always made friends without trouble, but you can't help but think that she's changed some. The miracle granted a form but it's shifted become less.. extreme perhaps after you stopped sustaining the miracle. Did naming her daughter at that moment change her nature?

You sit down to eat, curious.

"Revenge?" You shove a piece of omelet into your mouth as you ask the question, chewing quietly as you watch your daughter stiffen. She viciously spears a bit of omelet with one claw and pops it into her mouth.

"Tonight. I'm going to find them and trick them and then I'll cut them from head to toe." She smiles brightly at you, showing every one of her viciously pointed teeth. "They're going to scream to beg, and I'll smile at them and laugh, because Cat screamed and begged and they didn't stop. But I'm nicer than they are, so much nicer, so when they finally stop screaming, when they don't have enough spirit left to remember how to scream or why, then I'll kill them. And umm...." Jenna hesitates for a moment, "Iguessyoucanhelpifyouwantto." She blushes and looks down.

"I mean, if you wanted to umm... turn them into dogs and make them spend eternity acting like loyal beasts or something I guess it would be okay if it's you."

Carefully you put down your fork, reach to your mug and take a deep sip of your tea. This earl grey is a good leaf after all.

How do you respond
[ ] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
[ ] It's her revenge, there's no need to spoil it for you. Though it's touching that she'd think to share.
[ ] SO..... Houses. Yes. Houses. Time to think of places you might find to live. That aren't here. Yes. Now.
[ ] Write-in

 

[kinglugia]

[X] So I'm guessing that they raped her?

 

[Xicree]

[X] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
-[X] You walk where she goes, not a participant, but a witness to her path... restrain her in nothing, encourage her in all the darkest parts of her nature... Monsters are meant to be Monstrous. She will take them... she will break them... and if she so desires then she can have the 'pets' for which she has asked. You shall watch and grant her desires. As needs must.

 

[Winged One]

[] So I'm guessing that they raped her?

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure if that would be in-character to ask. Might be, but being asked might be painful for Jenna whether she answers or not.

[X] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
-[X] You walk where she goes, not a participant, but a witness to her path... restrain her in nothing, encourage her in all the darkest parts of her nature... Monsters are meant to be Monstrous. She will take them... she will break them... and if she so desires then she can have the 'pets' for which she has asked. You shall watch and grant her desires. As needs must.

Okay, that subvote makes it clear that anything we do to them is because she wants us to rather than as some kind of repayment, and I wouldn't want to miss getting to watch by voting for the second option.

Oh, and a question for people who know Nobilis: what was that Lovecraftian thing controlling the candlewick? I ne

 

[Darkened]

Oh, and a question for people who know Nobilis: what was that Lovecraftian thing controlling the candlejack?

Click to shrink...

And he was never seen again.

 

[Warslick]

[X] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
-[X] You walk where she goes, not a participant, but a witness to her path... restrain her in nothing, encourage her in all the darkest parts of her nature... Monsters are meant to be Monstrous. She will take them... she will break them... and if she so desires then she can have the 'pets' for which she has asked. You shall watch and grant her desires. As needs must.

 

[fitzgerald]

[X] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
-[X] You walk where she goes, not a participant, but a witness to her path... restrain her in nothing, encourage her in all the darkest parts of her nature... Monsters are meant to be Monstrous. She will take them... she will break them... and if she so desires then she can have the 'pets' for which she has asked. You shall watch and grant her desires. As needs must.

 

[Tempest]

[X] You're not a violent person by nature, but your 'daughter' does want help? Is this what they call parent-child bonding?
-[X] You walk where she goes, not a participant, but a witness to her path... restrain her in nothing, encourage her in all the darkest parts of her nature... Monsters are meant to be Monstrous. She will take them... she will break them... and if she so desires then she can have the 'pets' for which she has asked. You shall watch and grant her desires. As needs must.

 

[Darkened]

You smile at her, quietly sipping your tea as you take a moment to gather your thoughts. Eventually you set down the half empty cup and nod. Jenna stares at you, practically perching on the edge of her seat with excitement, leaning forward in a way that gives you a view of her... eyes. Yes, look at the eyes, not elsewhere.

You turn your head away for propriety's sake. Jenna, as ever, seems unaware of just how much her movements are sexualized, transgressive.

"I'll watch," You say quietly, "But it's your revenge, not mine. Act as you wish."

Jenna nods, and practically leaps out of her seat, shouting how hard it will be to pick something to wear. You smile indulgently and get to work on the dishes.

-------------------------------------------------

Evening finds you and Jenna walking outside together, her arm wrapped around yours ever so slightly too tightly for propriety's sake. But that is her nature and you do your best to put it aside. Your daughter's dress shows enough skin that you should object as a father. But sexuality gone mad, sexuality that rebels against societal norms, shoves itself forward aggressively and passionately and destructively, that is her nature and you are not one who would restrain it.

And so you move with Jenna, flitting between streetlights and instinctively stepping toward shadows. Around you, you can feel all sorts of life in the city, the kind of life that's your domain at least, coming out to greet the night. You can't help but smile. But this is Jenna's big day, so you refrain from greeting any other denizens of your twisted kingdom for now.

The walk is a long one, but you can practically feel Jenna's anticipation building as she goes, a thin sheen of sweat glistens on her pale skin and she's practically panting with excitement. Finally she lets go of your arm as you approach a large, but rather rundown apartment building. She motions for you to walk around the back and then advances to the front door.

Several minutes later she practically throws herself at the young couple that moves to enter. Pushing out her chest as she clasps her hands behind her back she looks up at the boy of the pair with a helpless, pleading look. You can't quite make out the words, but you watch with amusement as the boy rushes to open the door for your daughter, even as his date glares. Slipping inside effortlessly, Jenna practically skips down the hallway.

You rush around the building's perimeter to find the door. Jenna's waiting for you, holding the rear door open with only a minimum of scratching from Jenna's claws. Quietly you step inside, following Jenna down the sterile gray hallways as she walks toward the elevator.

"This place is close to the school and it was cheap so Cat lived here before..." Jenna tightens her claws into a fist, drawing blood though she barely seems to notice. "I thought she'd be safe. But they.... She screamed and no one helped. People saw and the cops still let those bastards go."

Abruptly the anger vanishes from her face and your daughter dissolves into giggles. One claw darts out to press the elevator button, stabbing through it cleanly, and you wait in silence for the several seconds it takes the elevator to descend. Jenna fidgets with the hem of her dress, tugging it up a few inches before she practically jumps into the elevator as its doors open. Fortunately no one's inside, so you slouch in after her.

The tension in the elevator's thick enough to cut as it ascends slowly, halting with an old wounded groan between the fourth and the fifth floor for several agonizing moments. And then Jenna's out, darting over toward her goal without a care in the world, so beautiful and innocent that it brings a smile to your face.

You wait and watch as Jenna knocks on their door, taking a moment to carefully pull her top down ever so slightly and smile invitingly at whomever's inside. In no time at all the door opens and you spot a rather clean-cut looking boy step out, his eyes firmly glued to your daughter's chest. Jenna wastes no time in throwing herself at him, pushing him back inside as she wraps him into a rough kiss. Jenna's foot works the door, shoving it closed behind her so you can't see what comes next.

Instead you lean against the wall and wait, listening as the sound of voices, Jenna's and those of several boys, grow louder and louder. An older neighbor pokes her head out of a door and you shrug apologetically.

Kids, huh?" She glances you over, staring at the shades, and slams her door shut, muttering under her breath.

And, in no time at all the screams of pleasure change, shifting tone as they reach a crescendo ever so slightly. And then there is silence. Several moments later, the door opens and Jenna's clawed hand reaches out, beckoning for you to enter.

The room's inside resembles a Jackson Pollock painting. Jenna stands inside, almost covering herself with a bloody sheet.

Sadly she pokes one of the lumps of flesh. "They broke too quickly," She pouts, "Can you fix them a little, I'm going to go take a shower."

With a whirl your daughter turns to enter the bathroom. Carefully you kneel next to one of the bodies. Three in total, roommates then? Were they all guilty or did Jenna simply go for the whole group to punish one? Well, it doesn't matter that much. One of the bodies, barely recognizable as human, still seems to be breathing in and out ever so slowly.

It gurgles something as you step closer, but you can't understand. A shame, you were curious what someone in such agony might say.
Connecting to Jenna: 5xp Gain!

Well?
[ ] Jenna did ask you to fix them, and she did wants pets. Transform them?
[ ] Perhaps you should wait until she's done in the shower and ask her what she wants in more detail?
[ ] Put the last one out of its misery and tell Jenna that there's not much you can do to corpses.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Xicree]

[X] Jenna did ask you to fix them, and she did wants pets. Transform them?
-[X] Loyalty. She would have their loyalty. She would have their pain. You reshape them around these factors, their sins reflected in her desire for revenge and now engraved upon what they will for ever be. Twisted and yet recognizable, loyal and yet miserable. All the pain which she has worked to create echoing upon their shattered forms in ways which screamed for MORE.
-[X] Join her in the shower, offer to scrub her back... a familial gesture intermingled with her blatant sensuality. Indulge her in this almost but never truly sexual play. Never give in to such desires.. but feed them with every touch.

 

[Warslick]

[X] Jenna did ask you to fix them, and she did wants pets. Transform them?
-[X] Loyalty. She would have their loyalty. She would have their pain. You reshape them around these factors, their sins reflected in her desire for revenge and now engraved upon what they will for ever be. Twisted and yet recognizable, loyal and yet miserable. All the pain which she has worked to create echoing upon their shattered forms in ways which screamed for MORE.
-[X] Join her in the shower, offer to scrub her back... a familial gesture intermingled with her blatant sensuality. Indulge her in this almost but never truly sexual play. Never give in to such desires.. but feed them with every touch.

Well, I don't think there is anything to add to that at this point. Seems to cover everything

 

[kinglugia]

We need to add on what happened to Cat, so that we will know what to change them into.

 

[fitzgerald]

[X] Jenna did ask you to fix them, and she did wants pets. Transform them?
-[X] Loyalty. She would have their loyalty. She would have their pain. You reshape them around these factors, their sins reflected in her desire for revenge and now engraved upon what they will for ever be. Twisted and yet recognizable, loyal and yet miserable. All the pain which she has worked to create echoing upon their shattered forms in ways which screamed for MORE.
-[X] Join her in the shower, offer to scrub her back... a familial gesture intermingled with her blatant sensuality. Indulge her in this almost but never truly sexual play. Never give in to such desires.. but feed them with every touch.

 

[Winged One]

[X]Make a monster that will prolong the survivor's suffering though painful healing.

 

[Tempest]

[ ] Jenna did ask you to fix them, and she did wants pets. Transform them?
-Hell hounds, as they hunted before they can hunt again but no longer for their own desires. for Jenna's.

 

[Darkened]

You kneel by the bleeding twisted bodies, gently running your hand through one of the boys' hair. Your daughter has asked this of you and it is not in you to refuse when asked so. As gently as you can, you place your hand on one, stroking his palm sadly and quietly as you let your power flow through you. You give it little direction, telling it only that they should be monstrous, that they should suffer and that they should be loyal despite their suffering.

It's odd, letting that part of you that is the monster out. It's so new and so foreign, so twisted, and yet it feels so fundamentally you that you can barely envision being without it. Beneath you, the bodies of Jenna's victims begin to contort and twist. Mouths that thought themselves incapable of screaming find the motivation to scream, drowning out the nausea inducing squishes and cracks from bodies bending in ways they were never meant to bend.

Their flesh takes on a greenish sickly hue as the assailant's hands crack and break fingers crushing inwards to form almost useless paw-like appendages. Their spines shifting to be more comfortable on four legs rather than two. And then it is done. Of the three broken boys there is little left. Their bodies are almost canine. Thin to the point of anorexia, they lack fur or any clothing save random splotches of scales.

Only the faces are relatively unchanged, caught somewhere between dog and man, human enough that you can still identify them from before. If Jenna was a work of beauty, of unnatural perfection whose horror showed only when you studied her deeply, then these are beasts whose beauty is hidden by their monstrous forms.
Miracle Persona 3: Cost 1MP Discout 3MP
One brushes up against you, its clouded eyes tensed in pain as it purrs softly. It, you can't really think of it as a he anymore, knows that it is being punished for something, but the creature can't quite grasp what. It's too worldly to be innocent, but too simple to truly comprehend or repent for its sins. Unless changed again, they have only punishment in their futures.

You reach to scratch one of the hounds who purrs appreciatively with a twisted too-human voice. A normal person would probably only do something like this out of anger. A monster would do something like this out of joy or habit or to make some philosophical point. But you did it simply because someone asked.

It's a shame though. You wonder what might have driven these boys to do whatever they did. But now you won't get to hear them tell their stories. Perhaps you could pluck it from their minds, but that's so different from listening to a person, watching them talk and argue, hide and twist the inconvenient truths they don't want to acknowledge. Yes, people in all their glory are wonderful, are amazing!

Still you should probably get to... The room grows darker around you, pulsating with noise that can't be heard. It swirls around you, a twisted discordant song with all the grace of an alcoholic at his hobby. Slowly noise resolves into meaning. Thanatos, the death urge, calls to you and you absently find yourself looking for something sharp to take to your throat, before catch yourself. You'll reject this song, push it away. But as you strive to close out the melody, yo finally catch the deeper joyful chords within.

This song that isn't a song, it's truth is something so much more. The embrace of living, of folly of suicide. Poor judgment, decisions made in haste; but, above all, the song calls you to live in the now, in the moment. Indulge! It cries with a voice from the darkness itself, and you can't help but smile for it seems this song has reached inside and touched some fundamental part of your being.
It captivates you, lulling you into a trance as it fills you up. And yet, though you can hear it, you know that this song is incomplete. It's but one of many, the rest of which are maddeningly out of your reach for the moment.

Embrace the Song of the Dark? (Begins quest Song of the Dark)
[ ] Yes
[ ] No

You decide, and the song fades from a cacophony to the quiet buzz of everyday life floating through the things around you, but the shadows most of all. Right, Jenna. You don't particularly need to shower at th emoment, but if doing so would allow her to indulge the nature you've given her you...

"Ooh, Puppies! for me?" Jenna runs past you clad only in a towel. She dives for the scared hounds wrapping her arms around one and pulling it tightly to her chest, digging her claws into its sickly flesh and smiling broadly. The hound whimpers, torn between instinctive loyalty to its owner and deeply traumatized fear. The look in those simple eyes, ah what a story they would tell if they still had words.

**Quest: Connecting to Jenna: 5XP gain**

Spoiler: Song of the Dark 15xp

You've embraced the song of the Dark. Investigate it and find out what it means to you.

This is an anytime quest. Unlike larger quests with limited XP gains, anytime a write in invokes the condition for this quest, or OOC discussions of this quest

1xp: Propose a theory about what the song of the dark means to you, or how it relates to the situation at hand.

Well, that wasn't so hard. What now?
[ ] Ask for more details from Jenna? (Insert questions)
[ ] You really should go explore the city. Leave Jenna to play here and try to see if you can figure anything out about this land. You can sense half a dozen beings you could press for questions.
[ ] Write-in

 

[Tempest]

[X] Yes
[X] You really should go explore the city. Leave Jenna to play here and try to see if you can figure anything out about this land. You can sense half a dozen beings you could press for questions.

Song of the Dark theory.
The attackers have been turned into creatures that must live in the moment, their pasts are gone. A decision made in haste. That is why I think it is singing now.