video; un: blade

[unreachableside]

WHO: Blade (?) and you
WHERE: The network
WHEN: Some time after the Zodiac network post
WHAT: Kicking off the possession plot for Blade. A log for his labyrinth will go up this Friday!
WARNINGS: Threats of violence, death, kidnapping, torture, stalking, blood, language (probably in comments). Will add more if necessary.

[video;]

[Blade doesn't make video posts often, which might make it clear that this is probably not a usual Blade post. The feed is grainy and dark, and difficult to make out at first. There are unidentifiable shapes, shuffling, and what sounds like sharp steel on concrete.

Then the light snaps on.

The room is some kind of underground, forgotten-about basement. A couple sits in two chairs, though something is wrong about their posture; they appear to be unconscious or perhaps even dead, if the amount of blood on them is any indication. They have been tied together as well as to their seats, so it looks like they're holding hands. The young woman, a college sophomore, wears a plain white dress. Her boyfriend wears a white suit that doesn't seem to fit him, and he appears to have been stabbed at some point. They aren't app users, but they attend Kaisou University as science majors: Cara, biology, and Nicholas, chemistry.

A deep and depraved voice narrates from off screen. It's Blade, no longer pretending to be friendly.]

This reminds me... of an old poem.

Since our hair was plaited and we became man and wife
the love between us was never broken by doubt.
So let us be merry this night together,
Feasting and playing while the good time lasts...

['Blade' appears in the frame with his jet black sword. He uses it to lift the young woman's chin. Quiet and trembling, she begins to cry.]

Do not worry, ['Blade' says, his voice low and mocking.] You will soon join your beloved in the afterlife.

['Blade' walks over to the phone and knocks it over so it's pointing at the ceiling. Then he kneels and peers into it. His eyes have turned completely black to match his loose dark hair, giving the sense of gazing into the void.]

You have taken something from me, Imbibitor Lunae. I have taken it back, and I am collecting interest. These are your precious students, are they not? Their blood shall whet my appetite before the main course.

My foolish, cowardly little Yingxing. How he cried and pleaded for a second chance. Old souls like his are rare, but so delicious after the wait. What could I do but grant his wish?

Let this be a lesson to you, now and forever. Know it well should you try to save this cursed vessel.

[He laughs like a mad thing.]

None of you should have ever touched w̵̧̛̥͈̟͐̂̔̐̓h̸̨̝͇̙̟͇̜͆̅̄ā̸͖͈̪̜̠͌t̵̔͊͊͋ͅ ̷̝͚̒̿͋̇̌̀͘w̶͓̓̈́̏̿̄̉ą̶̱͓͎̲͚͘ͅs̶̖̹̰͎͜͝ͅ ̵͈̓̒̒͛͆̚ṁ̷̺̹̦̫̹i̵̡͇͖̞͒͊͠ǹ̴̪͔͋̄̓͠ͅẽ̸͎͎̜̲̠̻͆̅͋̀̚ͅ.̵̣̹͊͆̔̈.

[He brings the sword down, and the feed cuts off.]

[ooc: Blade will not be responding. Their bodies will turn up in Kanto sometime after this post.]

Comments

voice | un: kissmyash

[switchaxe]

Fuck.

voice | un: fortuneclovers

[medicgunner]

This is bad. This is so fucking bad... we gotta find him now.

un: ecraig | voice

[fiddlestick]

[Well, not what he was expecting to see on the network. Those people, were they-]

T-That's- Wasn't that Blade?

[Terrible? Terrifying? No words really seems to fit.]

...S-So much for a quiet first day.

[HE JUST SIGNED UP FOR THE ORDER AND SPENT ALL DAY WORKING ON HIS INTRODUCTION TO EVERYONE, AND THIS HAPPENS?]

voice; un: luciferskylight

[scourgingstars]

Welcome to the Black Order! ♡ This is about what you can expect.

UN: jalbarea

[noblerise]

It was and wasn't. Blade had been possessed by a demon and he'd been fighting the contract price from what I'd heard. Like how Ash did last year.

[Although Jusis is calm like he expected this to happen sooner or later, there's no less urgency on the other line. It sounds like he's quickly typing away at something.]

voice; un: wisteria

[reenforces]

I... [muffled] I think I'm going to be sick.

Where's Maple? Is he okay?

text | un: shinope

[killerapp]

hes fine

[Yuuki isn't, hence text.]

Text; UN: lunae | PRIVATE

[heng_like_a_dragon]

I'm going after him.

voice; un: luciferskylight

[scourgingstars]

Well, that's a problem we'll have to take care of.

By which I mean 'me', since we're no doubt about to launch into 'oh no, Ardyn, murder's terrible as a problem solver'.

voice

[switchaxe]

That's because it is, especially when he ain't in control!

voice | UN: Arachne

[adtendo]

No one is going to touch Blade.

voice | un: laluna

[crisantemo]

You won't be doing anything, if that's how you want to solve it. Don't touch him.

[medicgunner]

Unless you want a fuckin' bullet in your arse you're not gonna touch 'im.

voice | UN: Thorn

[poisontippedcure]

No, we aren’t going to sacrifice anyone.

There’s another way. There has to be.

voice; un: tsubaki

[kanka]

[A bit of annoyance, but he can understand. This is, after all, usually TBO's first approach.]

Kaisou's team is different, in some ways, compared to what headquarters will usually take, Ardyn. I believe that unless it is our last resort, murder is not our first approach. There are many other ways of trying to bring others back before the situation calls for such a drastic measure. We have not tried any of them- and I'm certain Jusis and the others will not want to use killing someone as a first method.

[Unless you're Krusnik. Then everything goes out the window.]

text: un: The Duke

[loupmorque]

...Handing out the Death Penalty to a man who isn't in control of himself that easily?

You some sort of Bastion of the Law?
Just by looking at the others responding to you on this post--I hope you do realise you'll have to get through many others before you'll even be allowed through the gates of hell that will hold this man in his prison.

I'll keep you out myself.

voice | un: laluna

[crisantemo]

[ Oh no. No, no, no- ]

We... We have to find him, we have to find Blade as soon as possible.

voice | UN: Arachne

[adtendo]

I agree. We fine Blade, and we extract that demon from his body. And we make him pay.

voice: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

[What the actual googly mcfuck is going on here? Varian's seen people lose their shit before- hell,
he's lost his shit before- but this is something else. Something way, way outside of his wheelhouse. But Blade is his friend and something is DESPERATELY wrong.]

...What- what was that? What happened to him? [He just killed a person on the app, just right there. RIGHT THERE.] That's- that's not him, right?

voice | un: kissmyash

[switchaxe]

[As calmly as he can (which is not very but Ash is trying):]

Blade's possessed. The bitch in his head decided to be a bitch.

video | UN: Arachne

[adtendo]

[Kafka appears on the other side of the screen. There’s something—-different from her normal composure. She’s not ‘worried,’ she can’t be. But she is on the attack.]

I’d say I don’t know who you are, but that would be a lie. I have a good idea.

I know you won’t answer me—-so let me say this: You’d better enjoy your time now, because I’m going to make you regret taking control of my Bladie. Your days are numbered.

voice; un: nope

[centralfiction]

Shit... Was he this fucking out of time...?!

voice; un: captainkenway

[jackdawvision]

He must’ve been—had he told anyone just how much time he had left before this? Shit.

video; un: captainkenway

[jackdawvision]

Shit, he’s—

[Edward’s never seen someone completely taken over by their demon before. The shock of it is like someone’s shot cold ice through his veins.]

We have to find him and fix this, has anyone gotten a plan together yet or—

[centralfiction]

[And for some a potential and dangerous look into the future...]

If what Cabbot's saying isn't bullshit, the plan's find him, go through a Gate that demon's trapped him in and kill it.

voice; un: midnightfishing

[illucesco]

What the hell? Oh, shit—does anyone know who those two were, where their bodies might be? Someone’s got to—their friends and families, someone has to tell them.

voice; un: luciferskylight

[scourgingstars]

Oh, Jusis handles the clerical side of incidents like this.

[said in the audible tone of a shrug.]

Video | un: jalbarea

[noblerise]

[Jusis has suspected this would happen since Blade didn't check in this morning. His expression is more severe, but there's a hint of regret, too, that those who know him well can detect.]

The police have been informed and an investigation has opened up, for all the good it will do. I can't speak more on the subject, but I will be the lead prosecuting attorney should it progress that far.

That being said, I need to know anyone who is close to Blade and capable of holding their own to form an extraction team. His demon has currently possessed him, and I'm expecting a Labyrinth to materialize soon. The extraction team needs to get in and get out within three days of it manifesting. If you don't, the Labyrinth will collapse and take everyone inside with it, including Blade.

[He made a promise to Blade that they'd rescue him from this hell, and he's damn well following up on that promise.]

We will also need guards stationed outside the Labyrinth in case anything hostile comes through into Kaisou. I can have Guardians stationed around the area to cordon it off so that innocent people will avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

[scourgingstars]

Well, despite the fact that my very helpful solution has been repeatedly shot down, I do think it would be wise to have someone along with no annoying compunction about violence and an inability to be killed.

[voice] UN: ripfan

[bbbrightside]

[Another voice pops in, young and afraid.]

W... w-what was...

[and that's really all she can say.]

voice; un: captainkenway

[jackdawvision]

[Shit, the kid.]

Hey—turn your phone off, lass, this ain’t for young eyes.

[not_a_possum]

What the Hell is this?

[Moxxie doesn't know Blade. He has no idea who this is or that this isn't how he normally acts. However, as a former teacher at Kaisou University (from the theater department) he is absolutely not going to tolerate anyone killing students.]

Okay, anyone know where this is being filmed? I've got someone to deal with, apparently.

[He can be seen grabbing guns and tucking them under his jacket. He's not even trying to hide what he's doing.]

video; un: captainkenway, private

[jackdawvision]

[Edward toggles this to private, and judging from the background, he's already on the way to the Vogue because holy shit, Moxxie.]

Fucking—No, put those away, he's possessed! He's not himself right now, and if you kill him people will be furious with you. Shit, I'll be pissed at you, he's my friend.