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

[ex_sorted385]

I won't let you do that either.

[ She keeps a close eye on him, watching for any changes or hints that he's thinking of attacking. ]

There are worse ways. At least you're alive, and not trying to kill me at the moment. That's a positive.

[just_displaced]

That's very optimistic. I wish I could think like that.

[He squints against the dim light, responding like the minor glow from the street lamp is searing sunlight. It hurts, and his mind tells him to seek out shadows. He glances longingly at the darkness.]

Have you ever seen a monster like me before?

[ex_sorted385]

I feel very motivated to stay alive.

[ Which means she will kill him if she has to, but it would be better all around if it didn't come to that. ]

I've seen a lot worse than you. [ Suddenly she's all solemnity. ] Some of them were even human. Anyway, I don't think you're actually a monster. I think you're just possessed by one.

[just_displaced]

Sometimes humans are worse monsters than the actual monsters. I think. Where I come from, there isn't anything supernatural, there's just people. And they're bad enough. But...

[Another longing glance at the darkness.]

Back home, it wouldn't be possible for me to be possessed, either. At least, I don't think so.

[ex_sorted385]

Oh, I bet you'd be surprised at what's there that you just don't notice. Most people where I come from don't believe in things like monsters and aliens either.

[ She's going to steer clear of the humans being worse monsters topic because, yeah. Sometimes they really are. ]

The chances are pretty small. Unless you live in a really active place, I'd think. Where are you from?

[just_displaced]

Brooklyn. Most people can guess that from my voice. They say it's annoying, I say it's a regional accent, the argument goes on. Where're you from?

[Talking seems to help, somehow. He seems to be calming down, at least.]

[ex_sorted385]

Huh. You're the third person from New York, and the second from Brooklyn, that I've met since I got here.

[ The more he calms down, the more she does as well, and she shoots him a little grin. ]

London. Most people guess that from my voice. Though I've been living in Cardiff for a few years. Do you still live in Brooklyn?

[just_displaced]

Yeah, I still live in Brooklyn. Always have. Except when I was a little kid, but I mean, ever since I was five, I've lived in Brooklyn. I guess that's kinda boring, huh?

[ex_sorted385]

Oh, I don't think so. Loads of people don't ever really leave where they're from. I lived mostly in London myself except when I was very small. Only moved to Cardiff for the job. Anyway, it isn't as though Brooklyn is some little village in the middle of nowhere, right?

[just_displaced]

No, it's definitely not a little village in the middle of nowhere. It's...

[A long pause, and then a frown.]

I think it's midnight.

[ex_sorted385]

[ Tosh stops and looks around, as if somehow expecting the city to look different now that midnight has come. It doesn't, but he does, she realizes. ]

And I think you're at somewhat less risk of becoming incorporeal again.

[ The torch stays aimed at him, just in case. ]

[just_displaced]

[Well now, that's worthy of a grin. A tentative one, but a grin nonetheless.]

I could just about hug you right now. I won't, because that'd be weird, since we just met, and also since I was just a monster, but... thanks. For the light. And for helping me be not a monster. I should probably go home and just... I want to forget about... anyway...

[ex_sorted385]

[ Tosh has done weirder and far more dangerous things than hug a complete stranger who may or may not still attempt to murder her. So she does, just a quick one, because he looks like he could use it and she definitely could. ]

If I was at home, this would be what we'd call a resounding success, and we'd probably have Indian take-away and drinks and laugh about all the ways it could have gone wrong and didn't. So I think a celebratory hug isn't too much to ask.

Maybe you oughtn't be alone for a bit though, yeah? Have you got a flatmate or a friendly neighbor?

[just_displaced]

I... there're people... I've been staying at the Welcome Center. There's always someone there.

[He's grateful for the hug, though. Unspeakably so.]

At home, I think someone would've shot me now. So thanks for not shooting me. I really never thought I'd have to say that. Wow.

[ex_sorted385]

Mostly I didn't shoot you because I seem to have left my gun back in Cardiff. So probably I'm not the person you really want to thank. Though I don't normally shoot people unless it's in self defense.

[ 'Self defense' has a very broad definition at Torchwood, but he doesn't need to know that. ]

Look, I'm going to give you my number, all right? So if you can't find anyone around the Welcome Center, you can just call me.

[just_displaced]

I can still thank you. I mean, I still should thank you. I'm glad you don't normally shoot people. That's usually a bad way to get along with people.

[A deep sigh.]

Okay, I'm babbling. I'm just gonna... yeah, I'll take your number. Thanks. I think I just need to go to bed.

[ex_sorted385]

It isn't a very useful way to make friends.

You okay to get back? I'm going in that general direction myself, if you want company along the way. [ That's a lie, but she's concerned, okay? ]

[just_displaced]

I, um... I guess I wouldn't mind some company. If you're really going that way. I don't think I'm going to turn back into a monster, but you've got the flashlight if I do, so I'll call it security, right? A way to stop myself from doing anything stupid.

[And he's too jittery to stand still, so he shoves his hands into his pockets and starts heading in that direction.]

Sometimes I really hate this city. A lot of the time, actually.

[ex_sorted385]

Can't hurt to be certain. And I'm really not in a hurry to get anywhere in particular, I was just out walking. So I can do that with you. Safer for both of us, really.

[ She's pretty sure he's not a threat anymore, so she has no compunction about just walking alongside him, and maybe steering their path carefully along the most brightly lit streets. ]

Have you had things like this happen to you before?

[just_displaced]

Not like this specifically. I mean, I've never been a monster before. Not literally, anyway. But the curses... yeah, the curses happen a lot. It's only a matter of time before you get cursed, too. I don't mean that to sound threatening or disheartening, but it does get frustrating.

[ex_sorted385]

I can bet it does. Especially if you're not someone who's used to dealing with weird things. And this place rates high on the weird scale.

What do you do back in Brooklyn, when you're not being kidnapped to other dimensions?

[just_displaced]

I'm a copywriter. For an ad agency. Basically, I write all the text for ads. Catchphrases, scripts, television spots... I'd say you might have seen my stuff on TV but you're not from New York and you're also probably from the future, and I really doubt my ads are that transatlantic or timeless.

And you... deal with weird stuff a lot, I guess? I mean, you seem pretty comfortable with it.

[ex_sorted385]

I don't think I've ever met anyone who worked on adverts before. It sounds interesting. Creative. And don't doubt yourself, maybe you haven't done anything brilliant yet, but you never know. Could be someday you will.

Not the sort of weird stuff they have here, but yeah. You could say that. I have a pretty unusual job back home.

[just_displaced]

I've done brilliant stuff, believe me. I don't like to use the word 'genius' about myself, but other people seem to like to. Maybe in the future I have done something that you'd know of. Who knows. I mean, that sounds really cocky, doesn't it? Sorry.

What does 'unusual' mean in this context?

[ex_sorted385]

It's not cocky if you can follow through on it. Nothing wrong with being proud of what you're good at, is there?

[ She takes a breath and pauses, not quite sure if he's in the best mindset for the whole story. Unfortunately, she doesn't really have Jack's gift of glib and vague responses. ] Mostly aliens.