fifty words for murder and i'm every one of them

[submittome]

Who: Snakegato + Clotted Cream, White Lily, Mizuki and whomever wants to jump in after the deed
What: Suri has given Affogato a task to make Pure Vanilla suffer by harming those he loves dearest
When: The Night after returning to the Grove
Where: The Grove, round about Cookie House
Warnings: snake (in more than one sense of the word), the effects of snake venom including excruciating pain and the bodily reactions that accompany it (including emeto), death, note specific topping cws!


Affogato's been given a second, immediate order by the Black Sun. Cause Pure Vanilla pain by targeting those he loves - since hurting the Martyr himself won't do anything - in revenge for taking Nene away from it.

And seeing as how Affogato may hate the other Cookie a little, it's only something he's too glad to do.

So the night back, Affogato sets aside his little Seaborn baby Mizuki gifted him so Mizuki can "be with him" at all times, and carefully leaves the therapy building. Once outside, he dons the amulet the God gifted him with the intent to enact his will. The transformation is instantaneous and soon - once he figures out how to move - a black snake is carefully winding it's way through the grass of the Grove towards it's targets. Black dahlia patterns speckle its scales, scattered with marigolds in a stained corrupted look.

It will do it's best to avoid detection, using the dark of night to hide itself, as it winds its way towards its target.

Comments

White Lily

[submittome]

[ It's rather easy to slink his way into the Cookie house. Pure Vanilla never closes the windows with his open door policy. It's harder avoiding Oreo, the puppy trained to alert to intruders, though it seems confused about what to do with the snake. Sniffs at it, but backs off when it coils up and hisses in warning. The smaller animals seem keen on giving the predator a wide berth.

Which suits Affogato just fine as he slithers silently through the house looking for a target.

Hurting Cacao would hurt Vanilla, but Affogato is simply not keen on that. So he begins looking for the ones Vanilla calls his children. What he finds instead is another Ancient. He's unsure about this one, only knowing the legends and tales.

So he hesitates, taking his time to wind himself around to investigate. ]

Re: White Lily

[lilyberation]

( she isn't up to anything too serious, honestly. while others are adjusting to coming back home, to her, it's simply... hm. she wants to be positive, of course, but it does feel like drifting with the wind, in a way. the others here already have a home here, an established life. and sometimes she feels like an intruder.

she's sitting with a cup of tea when affogato finds her. it looks as if she's deep in thought. only... at some point she seems to shift to look right at him.

her voice is gentle, at least, when she speaks. )

... It's dangerous to enter cookie abodes, especially with animals. You could get hurt. Let's get you back outside...

[submittome]

[ She seems kind, to treat an obviously dangerous animal with such soft words. He considers her, his tongue flicking the air. She smells like Vanilla, underneath the pale scent of lilies.

She might do well as a target.

He doesn't strike, however, flattening himself down and going back to slithering his way slowly. Sees if she will pick him up. He's just a simple dumb animal, after all~ ]

[lilyberation]

( oh absolutely not. even if she knew what sort of snake this was, she isn't about to risk a bite. she's going to stand and leaves the room for a moment, the picture of calm. and then she returns with a broom, quietly leaving a door open. )

Come along now, let's go.

( it might be hilarious, this frail-looking woman just calmly ushering him along with the broom. but mostly it's just a little sad, with her gentle ignorance. )

[submittome]

[ Ah, she's smart. Rats. And being ushered around with a broom is humiliating. How dare she?!

He coils up, makes himself impossible to gently push around, even tucks his head in a bit so it just looks like a nub sticking out of a cinnamon roll coil. He has to wait until the broom is moved aside, he has to wait until she brings herself within biting distance. ]

[lilyberation]

... Oh, now you're just being difficult.

( she really doesn't want to risk touching the snake, for both their sakes... it must be scared, the poor thing. enough so to not even attack... but its still too great a risk, especially with her unfamiliarity with the wildlife.

unfortunately for affogato, she is wisely keeping her distance. fortunately for him, a certain green tea cream bunny is less so, as it has not a single thought in it's creampuff brain, and opportunity comes when she moves to try and keep the little thing away from the snake as it hops over to befriend him- )

Oh, no you don't...! You're supposed to be in the other room-

Clotted Cream

[submittome]

[ After White Lily, Affogato has to act quickly. Thankfully the venom is fast and potent enough to give him time to move, to hide himself. She will undoubtedly create a fuss and cause the others to investigate. He can't hit Pure Vanilla, can't hit Cacao.

Fel... She might know, she might realize, he has to beware her.

So his next target is Clotted Cream. He waits, coiled up tight, until the - literal - shrimp comes near enough that he can lunge, eyes watching and waiting. ]

[clottedcream]

[ Luckily, with White Lily screaming bloody murder, it doesn't take long. Affogato lucks out today, because after spending so much time in the water down at the beach, Clotted Cream is actually in the house. Hearing White Lily's scream has him tearing out of his room, on human feet but barefoot and partially bare-legged - it's much more comfortable for him to wear cropped pants these days, thanks to his transformations. He's still learning voices; it's either White Lily or Felicity, but no matter who it is, it doesn't sound good. Another attack?

With Affogato coiled up underneath something, Clotted Cream doesn't see him, and there is no hesitation. Briefly, in the hallway, he pauses to round a corner so that he doesn't skid and collapse into the adjoining wall, and that's the only slowdown he makes.]

[submittome]

[ The first one past was Pure Vanilla and Affogato had to restrain himself. The earlier poison he had left for the other while handing Cacao his gift seems to be working, the minotaur dazed despite his panic.

He has to ignore Fel, Cacao, his tongue flicking quickly.

There. Clotted Cream.

As much as he likes the Consul, one simply isn't enough, and Clotted Cream was Vanilla's first little child adopted. So when the Consul slows? Affogato bites, a quick strike from his hiding spot to sink fangs into his ankle. ]

[clottedcream]

[ The strike is entirely unexpected, considering it's coming from an unseen source. One moment, Clotted Cream is running towards some unknown threat, and the next his ankle is exploding with pain. There isn't even enough time to process what might have happened, let alone what did.

The venom works quickly. Within a second of the sharp pain, it's like he's been struck by lightning, that same sharp pain bursting through every inch of his dough, bone-deep and on fire. It sends him unsteady on his feet, stumbling right into the wall and into the piece of furniture that Affogato is hiding beneath, before collapsing to the floor.

His body responds accordingly with animal instinct - get away from what's attacking you, as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, it's his whole body that's attacking him.

In a desperate bid to get away from the electric burning feeling, he scrambles backwards with a series of panicked yelps that come out just on this side of screams, fins flaring and hands pawing at invisible attackers. It doesn't take long before he finds his back in a corner, only a couple of frantic seconds. Everything hurts. His bones, his muscles, his eyes, his teeth, his skin. His entire head is awash in throbbing, unbearable pain, and he feels like he's being burned alive and torn apart at the same time, and he finally can't hold back a true scream of agony any longer. ]

[submittome]

[ It's almost amusing, this. When they were debating, he wanted to sink his teeth into the Consul then too. Bite and poison and watch him crumble.

And now here he is, getting to watch exactly that.

Here's the difficult part. The Consuls scream will bring others this way as well, and now Affogato has to figure out how to get out. Quickly he darts to use Clotted Creams body as a brief shield, then begins to make his way out. ]

Mizuki

[submittome]

[ Escape. He has to get away. Biting two people in the same location is dangerous. The alarm is raised. Thankfully with so many people in the house, and the animals, the chaos caused is enough for him to slip back out as carefully as he snuck in.

However, he hesitates. To go back to the therapy building now would be dangerous, yet if he doesn't and he's noticed missing, it would raise suspicion. He could slink into the woods surrounding the Grove, change back, and circle around...

He begins to wind his way that direction, his heart thudding. ]

[mooninthewater]

[ Affogato not being home stresses the baby seaborn out. Which is to say, it stresses Mizuki out, it just conveys this to him from his spot at the river, submerged in the water so he can get used to the river again. He misses the ocean already...

Normally, he'd be fine with it, as Affogato is absolutely allowed to do what he wants, but leaving without the creature that's supposed to help keep him safe right after Pure Vanilla got fucked up by the forest and all in the middle of the night? Uhhh???? No, absolutely not, Mizuki is full of worry, thanks. In his camouflage, and dragging himself out of the water of the river, he starts patrolling around the Grove.

And then he spots a snake in the grass! Hi, friend. You shouldn't be here, someone could step on you! He has to walk towards the woods to make sure his commander didn't wander out there, so he'll just pick it up, no problem!! It does reveal his camouflage, but he figures that's fine for now. It doesn't look like there's an real danger, anyway... ]

[submittome]

[ Mizuki being camouflaged means the pick up is surprising, and sudden, and Affogato hisses and coils. This is precisely what he didn't want, yet he can't let himself be caught. Someone might see through the disguise, might smell him, might sense him!

He twists himself around as quickly as he can and sinks fangs into the wrist of the hand holding him. The strike is quick, lightning fast. He doesn't linger, fully expecting to be dropped after. ]

1/2

[mooninthewater]

Ow!!

[ Yeah, Mizuki, you just grabbed a snake, what did you expect- ]

2/2

[mooninthewater]

[ But he ends up laughing it off after, still holding onto it and giving a gentle little stroke under it's chin with his other hand. Even with the blue blood that forms around the bite... Mizuki is so confident that everything will be fine. He's immune to poison, after all! ]

Hey, Mister Snake, none of that now. I'll take you over to the trees, okay? If you're out here like this, someone's gonna step on you.

It's okay. I've got you now, you don't have to be scared.

[ Step. Step. Step.



... Why is he suddenly wobbling...? ]

1/?

[submittome]

[ Oh no. ]

2/3

[submittome]

[ Oh no no no no no! ]

[submittome]

[ Affogato barely feels the little stroke to his scales, his mind screaming and reeling.

Mizuki.

Oh no, oh no, not him. Panic. He knows how fast the pain sets in, how bad it gets. Without thinking he strikes again, teeth latching onto another spot on Mizuki's arm. He has to stop it before it hurts too much, he has to protect Mizuki, he can't let him feel the pain-!

He's so sorry he's so sorry he's so sorry ]

OOPS Y'ALL FUCKED UP

[sticksandbonesmods]

[Onshore, a certain Aegirian Seaborn dies a slow, agonizing death, a soft glow remaining as his life blips out like the stars in the sky did aeons ago.

Within the river, the younger Seaborn feel it. Each agonizing moment into their shared consciousness, they feel the pain Mizuki feels, the danger, the weakness.

It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! We're scared! Help us! Help us!

In the depths of the water, they chirp in fear, an endless chorus of off-key song. They huddle under Sinann's fins, begging for protection. They crowd underneath The Behemoth, wanting nothing more than to be sheltered by her bulk. Yet the pain does not subside, the fear does not die.

A life ends, and the chirping increases in volume, cacophonous in the late night. They're too young to know to sing for the fallen. All they know is that one of them died, a mind erased from the collective. And in their fear, something spreads, a lattice-like blue over the river. It travels west, toward the lake; it travels east, toward the cliffside.

It traps Sinann beneath the water, and The Behemoth just outside of it, a narrow escape on her part heralded by splashing as she hurriedly swims onto the shore.

"It", the blue latticework, is Nethersea Brand, and within minutes of Mizuki's passing, it covers every inch of the river, leaving some few gaps in between large enough to stick your hand into and no more. From the river, it spreads to the bank, climbing trees near the shore, the grass, the stones, stopping just before the Church and narrowly managing not to completely consume the home to the south of the Grove.

The Nethersea Brand is meant to protect them, of course. Keep them safe from harm like what had befallen Mizuki. In so doing, it will harm you if contact lasting longer than thirty seconds is made. It's capable of paralysis, and more than that, it's very capable of killing you if you're there for too many hours without rescue.

The baby Seaborn will continue their distressed calls into the daytime, and the Nethersea Brand will remain until Mizuki returns.]

After…after shit went down

[ghostharasser]

[Hey, you know who is coming over, totally unawares? Dipper. He’s been fussed since that attack from the fallen sun, so he’s been …stress baking more than usual. So with a plate of fresh scones he made in the Inn kitchen, Dipper peers into the house.]

[And sees probably the last thing he wanted to see, which is more?? Chaos?? Injuries?? People in a bad state?]

What the fuck happened?!

[There it goes, Dipper’s first grove Fuck. Thank god neither of his uncles are around.]

Re: After…after shit went down

[amethystic]

...



Fuck if I even know anymore. Lily and Clotted Cream were attacked by something- from the forest, most likely, given that a black sun bloomed from the bite, but... it got them, bad.

[purevanillacookie]

[ Oh his children are so sweary, but honestly, this is a very fuck situation. ]

I do not doubt in the least it was the creature. It has made good on it's promise. Whether venom or poison...

[ A slow headshake. ]

[ghostharasser]

[Don't worry, that was his one fuck for the whole month.]

[Anyway ...Dipper only balks at that for a moment before he's coming over to them, setting his plate down on the nearest table and rolling his sleeves up.]

What can I do to help?

[It's a pretty open question. Anything from cooking them a meal to cursing their attacker is basically on the table.]

[purevanillacookie]

[ That gets Pure Vanilla to blink, then look touched.

Ah he might be tearing up. ]

Thank you... I do not know just yet, but I am sure it will become noticeable what we may need a few extra hands with in time.

[ Cooking, probably mostly. Keeping things tidy. Everyone in this house needs rest now, from various injuries or trauma. ]

Please, my dear, until then don't worry.