Video -- And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood

[just_displaced]

[The room is dimly lit, only one light in the room casting flickering shadows from the furniture onto the walls. At first, it's difficult to tell what the video could possibly be recording, since there doesn't appear to be anyone in the room.

Several moments later, however, when the door opens and a NPC man walks in, it becomes obvious that this is someone's apartment. And there's something moving in the shadows in the corner, something that slowly seems to be taking form where previously, there was nothing there at all. It appears to be a form, a form that seems to be made up of shadows itself, except that it's slightly darker than the shadows around it.

Slowly, it begins to move, spreading from the corner, taking on the distinct shape of a man, and then the shadow is moving more quickly. By the time it reaches the NPC man who's headed for the light switch to illuminate the place, it's taken on an almost solid form. Swiftly, the shadow wraps itself around the man, enveloping him, not giving him time to cry out. Within seconds, it's as though the shadow form has absorbed the man entirely, and the man slumps to the floor, seemingly lifeless.

The shadow's form is stronger now, sharper around the edges, and perhaps recognizable to those who have met him before. With no backward glances at the man lying on the floor, the shadow seems to float across the room, then out the door into the dark streets, looking for its next victim.]

[[OOC: Ginsberg is essentially a shadow monster, capable of attacking and draining the life from people, but it's not a permanent state -- he shifts back and forth, and when he's in the light, looks perfectly normal and corporeal. When he's in shadow, however... this is what you get. Feel free to run into him on the streets, or see this particularly pleasant attack on video.]]

Comments

[just_displaced]

[The light catches his shoulder as he tries to fade back into the shadows, and it's odd, isn't it, the way his entire form is made up of shadow except for the part the light touches? That looks real, solid, like a human being -- a human being in a particularly garish button-down shirt, as a matter of fact. She may have the sense of the shadow form freezing, turning towards her, although the face is completely indistinguishable.]

What I want is none of your concern.

[It's not at all like his normal voice, but then, he doesn't particularly remember being a normal human, either.]

[ex_sorted385]

[ Odd indeed, and Tosh isn't any more certain what she's dealing with than she was a moment ago. But the light affects it, at least. And it can communicate. ]

I can't let you go and hurt anyone else.

[ What she's going to do to stop it is still a good question, but she shines the light toward where its face ought to be as she speaks, and takes a couple of steps forward. ]

[just_displaced]

[Instinctively, he cringes away from the light, trying to stick to the shadows, but it's hard to escape the way she's shining the light towards him, catching him in the glare, and more parts of him are becoming visible, although his face is still somewhat shadowed, like he's holding his hands over his face.]

I'm not hurting them.

[That's debatable. If he were himself, he'd be appalled at what he was doing.]

[ex_sorted385]

You are hurting them!

[ But in some strange way, the creature doesn't seem to be violent, so although she continues to move closer, she drops the light away from its face. Cornering it and making it feel threatened might not be the best way to go. ]

Maybe you don't mean to. Tell me what you want, what you're trying to do. Tell me your name.

[just_displaced]

[He's been working on instinct alone, completely unaware that he's cursed, unaware that what he's become is what he'd seen in the mirror several weeks before; the unpleasant shadows he'd been seeing out of the corner of his eye are what he's become now.]

I'm...

[When confronted like this, though, there's no ready answer. It's easy enough to follow basic instincts, to slink through the shadows and attack, but when asked questions like that, the shadowy form falters, seems less threatening somehow.]

I need their energy. To become whole.

[He can't answer the name question. He doesn't remember.]

[ex_sorted385]

[ Why is stealing energy from people such a thing with aliens and monsters? At least this one isn't ripping out organs or draining blood at the same time. ]

That's still hurting them. You'll have to find energy some other way.

[ She notices the continued effect of her torch, and thinks of the lights out on the street. Can it be lured away? She remembers something Jack did once. ]

I have a lot of energy, more than normal people. You can have mine, if you can catch me.

[just_displaced]

[There's a moment of consideration, where, if she looked closely, she could almost see the shadow cocking its head to the side in contemplation.]

If I come out, you'll shine the light on me.

[That must be her game. Why else would she let him pursue her?]

[ex_sorted385]

The light bothers you?

[ She switches off the torch, though, and takes a slow step away. Like an invitation for the creature to take chase. ]

See? It's gone now. [ She has the oddest sense of trying to lure out a skittish puppy. ]

I seriously have the least threatening icons of all time

[just_displaced]

[There's a long pause, and then the shadow begins to move. It becomes more solid around the edges, darker, as though it's gathering its own energy for the sake of moving beyond the dark corner it's currently inhabiting. And then it moves towards her, slowly at first, then picking up some speed. It's not so much striding towards her as gliding, more like a phantom or an apparition than a normal human being.]

that's okay Tosh's aren't very threatening at all either

[ex_sorted385]

[ That gliding is creepy, and sends a shiver down Tosh's spine, but she stands her ground and continues backing away just fast enough to keep ahead of the creature. All she needs is to get it out in the open enough for her plan to work.

It isn't an especially complex plan (probably not an especially smart one either) -- once it's away from the shadowy corners and close enough to hopefully be taken by surprise, she switches on her torch and throws herself toward the being. If she can catch it where the light she's holding turns it solid, and shove with enough force to push it more fully into the light cast by the streetlamps...well, she has no idea what the next step will be. Aside from doing her best to not end up like that poor man lying on the street. ]

Re: They can be nonthreatening together

[just_displaced]

[It may not be an especially complex plan, but it seems to work, because he's acting on sheer impulse, something like hunger, moving towards her without thinking, and he's caught in the light from her flashlight, taken completely by surprise as she flings herself at him.

There's no resistance, he puts up no fight, simply stumbles back into the light and becomes very solid, very human, and, somehow... surprisingly scared looking, despite the fact that he's the monster.]

[ex_sorted385]

[ Tosh doesn't know what she was expecting, but colliding with a solid and perfectly human-looking man wasn't it. She manages to think quick enough to grab for him, though, to try and keep him there in the light. And she keeps the torch aimed straight at him, just in case. ]

What are you? Are you human or alien?

[ Maybe this time she'll get a better answer than 'none of your business'. ]

[just_displaced]

Am I... I'm not... I don't...

[He's stammering now, somehow seeming to be more afraid of her than she ever was of him. He squints into the light, managing to make himself look even less threatening, and shakes his head.]

I don't... what's going on? I'm human. I think I'm human.

[Human, and very, very cursed. Unfortunately, that realization hasn't quite kicked in yet.]

[ex_sorted385]

You...think you're human.

[ All right, that's something to work with, at least. Probably a case of alien possession, though she really hopes whatever it is hasn't lodged itself somewhere unpleasant. ]

You attacked someone. Said you needed his energy. You don't remember?

[just_displaced]

I attacked someone?

[He doesn't remember, except perhaps vaguely, in the corners of his mind, there's something telling him that she's right, and when he looks over her shoulder and sees the man lying motionless on the street behind them, he knows she's right.]

Oh my god...

[Monster or no, he's currently bending over and throwing up in the gutter.]

[ex_sorted385]

Maybe more than one. [ Tact isn't always Tosh's strong suit.


She's sure now that he's human, or started out that way, and probably possessed by something. Though what she's going to do about that is anyone's guess. ]

Um...I can't let you wander the streets anymore. But if you're cooperative, maybe we can figure out a way to help you.

[just_displaced]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm cooperative. I don't want to... I don't want to hurt anyone.

[Nope, he can't even look back at the person he attacked. He just stares at her instead.]

I can't go back in the dark. I become a monster in the dark.

[ex_sorted385]

Right. Then we just stay where it's light.

[ And she holds her breath and hopes this doesn't turn out to be a trick, because she has no way of defending herself. ]

Where do you live? No offense, but I'm not taking you back to mine.

[just_displaced]

I'm still staying at the Welcome Center, but if I go back there... there're so many people there, and I don't know if I can...

[A shudder, and then he seems to realize something.]

If this is a curse, it'll be over at midnight, right? It's already past eleven, isn't it? Maybe this will all be gone soon.

[ex_sorted385]

No, that probably isn't a good idea.

I don't know, I've only just got here. I don't know anything about the curses, honestly. Nothing like this has ever happened to you, then?

[ She doesn't fancy the thought of standing there pointing a torch at him all night. ]

[just_displaced]

I've never become a monster before. I mean, there've been other curses, and they've always ended at midnight. Nothing this serious, but... I... I could just go somewhere it's light, and wait till midnight.

[Although if he has to go back through anywhere dark again on his way to seek out a safe place, well, that could prove dangerous.]

[ex_sorted385]

Oh no, not by yourself. If this is just a curse like you think, then we can just...stand under a streetlight for a while and see what happens. And if it isn't, then I'll figure something else out.

[ There have to be ways to extract an alien that's taken possession of a human without killing the host, right? ]

[just_displaced]

Okay. Yeah. We can wait.

[He'd make his way towards a streetlight now, but he figures he should stay in the light from her flashlight just to be safe.]

I'm scared.

[It doesn't seem to bother him to admit it, but it was probably obvious from the way he was shaking, anyway.]

[ex_sorted385]

[ Tosh is a little scared too, out here with a possessed stranger and no weapons or backup. But she's Torchwood, she can do this. And his fear reassures her a little, motivates her to be braver. So she gives him a reassuring smile and takes hold of his arm with her free hand, while they move toward a pool of light down the street. ]

You'll be all right. I won't let you hurt anyone else, and you can't exactly hurt yourself. I'm Toshiko, by the way.

[just_displaced]

I don't want to hurt you, either. I just want this to be over.

[Being in the light still hurts his eyes more than it would normally, as the shadowy monster inside of him fights against it, but, for now, at least, it seems to be contained.]

Toshiko. Hi. I'm Ginsberg. This is a really shitty way to meet someone. I'm sorry.