002 - Video/Action Curse: Ghost World (backdated to Saturday)

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[Video]

[ In his frantic attempts to reach Lydia, he forgot to lock the entry. His terrified face was lit only by device itself. And when it started, he was staring at something out of view of the camera.

He looked like he was going to be sick. ]

Lydia, you said he wasn't here!

[ He spoke in a harsh whispers, as if afraid he'd be heard. ]

I don't know how he got in, but Matt's. HERE!

[ He suddenly froze, his eyes going wide in terror. There was a frantic blur of movement before the video cut out. ]

[ Action ]

[ Sometime later, he burst out of the apartment building at a full sprint, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. Only when he hit the cold air did he seem to come to his senses.

He'd been struggling to stay in control for days. And now that he actually needed his anger, it seemed to have abandoned him. So for the first time, he actually reached for it, instead of fighting it. Eyes glowing and claws out, he twisted to face the doors.

There was no one there. ]

[ "What? Is that supposed to scare me?" Said the apparition. "That's nothing compared to what you were before. And before, you were mine." ]

You can't control me! Not anymore!

[ "Oh, can't I?" Matt put a finger to his temple. "All it took was a thought." ]

[ Much to Jackson's horror, the claws retracted. He fought to keep them out, but it was a futile battle. Shaking, he fell to his knees, staring at his all too human fingers. Unaware that the illusion before him was not what forced him to change, but the fear it inspired in him. ]

[ "You see? You still belong to me." ]

Comments

Video... I'm sorry I couldn't resist

[trenchknives]

You, uh, you okay there?

[Obviously not, but he's working on this whole not jumping to conclusions thing, so. Better to ask.]

Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ He had his back pressed to a wall, out in the main corridor of the apartment building. He didn't even bother asking how this guy got the message. ]

Do I LOOK okay?!

[ He tensed again. ]

[ "Why don't you put the phone down? They can't stop me this time. And neither can you." ]

[ Jackson glared at the source that could be neither seen nor heard by anyone else. ]

Stay. AWAY. FROM ME!

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

No, you sure as fuck don't look okay, but...

[Who is this guy talking to, anyway? Maybe that'd be something useful to find out. Maybe]

Look, is someone there? Someone trynna hurt you?

Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ "Why would I do that? You belong to me, don't you remember? Oh, that's right, I didn't want you to. It made things so much easier. Imagine what I could do to your memory now." ]

What the hell do you think?!

[ He looked utterly terrified, to him he was talking over Matt. Trying to ignore what was being said. He twisted the camera around to show that just around the corner from him was...nothing. He saw a slightly damn and rather irritated teenager slowly moving down the hall. But on camera, the hall was empty.

Another blur as Jackson bolted again. ]

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

I think there ain't anythin' there. I think maybe...

[How to say this without implying the guy's crazy... that's always a tough balance. But Jimmy's not so good at being polite, not really, and bluntness is going to have to work for now.]

Look, I don't see anythin'. I don't see anyone. All I can see is you.

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ He stopped again, in the stair well. Back pressed to the wall, eyes shut tight. Trying to get control over the fear. He was too freaked out to even try and hide just how terrified he was. Then he flinched. ]

[ "You didn't think he could actually see me, did you? No, only you can. I can still make you do exactly what I want. What do you say we pay Allison a little visit? I do owe her after all she did." ]

[ Jackson grit his teeth hard as he felt a hand on his cheek. He yanked his head away, trying so hard to ignore the thing beside him. ]

I don't care if you can't see him! [ Aggression started to creep into his tone. An excellent shield against the fear ] Find Allison! Allison Argent. Tell her that Matt's here!

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

Look, you need to...

['Calm down' is a really stupid thing to say to anyone. He knows it just pisses him off more when someone says it to him. Something else, then.]

There's nobody there, okay? There's nobody there. Sometimes there're curses where we... shit, where we see things that aren't real, okay? But it ain't real.

[Unless... unless whatever's coming after him is actually invisible, but that doesn't bear mentioning.]

Allison... Allison... Okay, I don't know her, but I can try.

[Maybe, at the very least, this Allison can calm the guy down just a little.]

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ "Should we go after Stiles or Derek, after her? They're both just as irritating. But I do know we'll save your precious Lydia for last. That's one I want you to remember. " ]

[ Jackson looked like he was going to be sick. ]

Tell her to stay as far away from me as she can!

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

I'll try, but you gotta know...

[Tread lightly? Hell no, he's never been good at that.]

This is probably just in your head, okay?

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ "Maybe we will go after Derek first. Just think of what you could do if you were an alpha. What WE could do." ]

[ He gripped the device tighter, trying so hard to block out Matt's voice. ]

Do you think that's going to stop him from killing everyone?!

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

Yeah, actually, yeah, I'm pretty fuckin' convinced hallucinations, even if they're caused by a curse, can't kill anybody, much less everyone.

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

You don't get it!

[ Why couldn't this guy just know what he was talking about? ]

He'll make ME kill them! He's done it before!

[ "And we'll do it again. And again. And again. Until anyone who could ever stop us is taken care of." ]

Re: Video

[trenchknives]

Okay. Okay, I get that. But...

[And shit, he does get it. Better than he'd like to. How's he supposed to calm this guy down? Why'd he get involved, anyway?]

Look, when he made you kill people, he was real, right? He wasn't just a fuckin'... phantom in your head, right? He was a real person other people could see.

Video

[lefthandedgenius]

[Lydia's worried face.]

Jackson? What's going on?

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ Jackson is beyond terrified. He's trying to hide it at all. ]

Matt is what's going on!

Re: Video

[lefthandedgenius]

[Skeptical. This sounds like a curse. In fact, it sounds like a curse Lydia knows very well.]

Show me.

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ He grit his teeth for a moment, glaring at where he could see Matt. Smirking. ]

I can't.

[ He turns the camera around to show a rather empty expanse of street. If she could see or hear Matt, the things he said would likely cause her great offense. ]

I'm betting you can't see him either. But he's still in my head.

Re: Video

[lefthandedgenius]

[Her lips press together tightly. This is cruel. More cruel than anyone deserves.]

This is a curse. It happened to me too. Only I saw Peter Hale, and he promised to kill everyone I cared about. Sound familiar?

What's Matt trying to make you do?

Re: Video

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ "Go on. Tell her. I'm sure she won't mind knowing exactly what WE have planned. All the ways you'll make her scream before--" ]

STOP!

[ He was looking off screen when he shouted. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing intentionally slow. He knew Jimmy was somewhere nearby. And he wasn't too keen on the idea of spilling everything where other people could hear. ]

He's trying to--

[ "Make you tear your friends to shreds? Return you to your true form?" ]

--make me like I was. Before.

[lefthandedgenius]

[Her eyes narrow. Once she was able to realize Peter was a ghost, he was still there, but she could ignore him. Was her will stronger than Jackson's? (LBR, yes.) Jackson needs a push. He needs something that he can latch onto and use to differentiate between real and not-real. He needs a talisman.

He needs an anchor.]

Show me where you are. I'll come and help you.

[She has an idea.]

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ It wasn't just a matter of will. His own fear gave power the apparition. If not for being so terrified of relapsing, he could easily ignore Matt. ]

[ "She's doing the work for us! And without your little savior, it will be just you...and me." ]

[ He shook his head, refusing to move the camera again. ]

You won't be safe if you come near me.

[lefthandedgenius]

I'm safer than you think. [She's so calm.]

Do you trust me?

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ He took another slow breath. Just hearing her was giving him some semblence of control. But with how easily he'd lost it before, with Jimmy, he feared not her, but what he could be made to do to her. ]

Of course I do.

[lefthandedgenius]

Then let me help you. Show me where you are.

[Of course, there'd been some background imagery and Lydia's able to pull the recording back a bit, so she's already on her way.]

[bigkanimaoncampus]

[ He glared at Matt, who was gloating about Jackson giving in. After a moment of closing his eyes, he moved the camera. He was near the edge of the city. After retrieving his phone, he'd picked up his previous route to find someone who could actually stop him if Matt's control took hold. ]