we coughed up honey into the air

[possessum]

<sup>Who: Peter Graham possessum + open! Anyone welcomed!
What: March catch-all ft. a bunch of Jumanji event prompts and some general ones.
When: The month of March.
Where: The jungle, and around Trench.

Content Warnings: This character comes with demonic possession by default ; Corruption / demonic attributes ; Jumanji Jungle Level warnings ; a lot of Panicked Cursing ; others to be noted in threads</sup>

EVENT — JUNGLE LEVEL

➤ ENTER THE JUNGLE

What the fuck, man? Oh what the fuuuuck?

( —Whimpers the tall and thin young man beside you, voice rising in pitch as he tries to huddle in on himself, wide-eyed and terrified. Maybe you know Peter already, or maybe you're strangers to each other, but either way it's clear that your new Jungle Adventure Partner is less than enthusiastic about this.

It's also clear that he's going to be absolutely no use. For as your journey continues, Peter not only emits a variety pack of distressed noises on the regular (shouts, yelps, moans, groans, frenzied whispers, and teary mumbling)... he also gets into a lot of trouble because it appears to be that a) he has absolutely no survival skills at all, and b) he is constantly on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Really, it seems inevitable he's just going to die at any given moment. There are general things like Peter getting hopelessly tangled up in vines, tripping and falling over large roots, and zoning out and wandering off out of sight only to start crying out for you in a panic, and once or twice he just straight-up crouches down on the ground with his arms wrapped around his head, as though he can't take anymore, but then there are also the challenges— )

➤ QUICKSAND
( It happens before he can even process it. The game spits its weird riddle, and then the ground itself seems to be folding, melting, inwards. Peter screams (take a shot every time) as he feels himself start to sink. His fingers are clawing desperate at the softened ground around him, and he suddenly understands what's going on. )

It's fucking quicksand! It's fucking!! Quicksand! It's fucking quicksaaaaand! ( He's repeating this over and over and over, panicked, aware that the game has toppled over and is starting to sink too, but Peter's not at all concerned about it, doesn't even try to grab it. Maybe you can — maybe you're not sinking, evaded it by an inch or two, or weren't with him when it started happening, and just ran up now. Or maybe you're in as much trouble as he is..... or maybe not quite as much, given Peter's flailing around has caused him to personally sink even faster, and he's now covered all the way up to his waist. It's only getting worse. )

➤ RUSHING RIVERS
( Peter, who is possessed by an ancient demon king with a lot of equally ancient abilities, can actually breathe underwater now. Peter does not currently know this.

Which is to say, when the waters come, he thinks he's going to die. He's screaming like he's going to die, from where he's clinging onto a huge, tilted tree trunk for dear life. He'd managed to scramble his way up onto it as soon as the flood broke, but now he's trapped out in the middle of the water, screaming.

Maybe you hear him and scream back, or try to make your way closer. Maybe you're caught in the merciless flow of the flood, in danger of being slammed into any number of solid objects; maybe he can actually help get you onto his tree, or maybe you manage to make your way to it yourself. Hopefully it doesn't snap. )

➤ GIANT FROGS (NOTE: ONE ATTEMPTED EATING OPTION & ONE SUCCESSFUL EATING....)
( By the time the frogs appear, Peter's very tired. He's been made to walk for longer than he's ever walked in his entire life, he's sweating through his shirt, his hair is a wreck of curls entangled with little pieces of vines and dirt and probably a spider or two... Every once in awhile he smacks at his head, like he feels something crawling on it.

He's trailing behind whomever he's with, feet practically dragging the ground, when there's abruptly a yelp and if you turn, you'll see him staring in terror and pointing at something off to the side. Two huge black eyes peek out of the brush, where something wet and swollen and big crouches.

Peter's starting to breathe funny, like his lungs are too small: sharp attempts at air intake. He sounds like he's close to hyperventilating.

That's when a thick, ropey tongue suddenly lashes out of the creature's mouth and wraps right around his middle, as firm as a python. Peter...... screams, trying to flail around, slapping at the wormlike thing that's ensnared him, but it's not letting go. Maybe you can help get him out of this before he ends up lunch.

Or maybe, he's in the middle of a rant, because he's had it. )

I've had it! ( he declares suddenly, long arms lifting into the air with exasperation. ) This is stupid. It's so fucking stupid. Why're we even doing this— this little dumb game? This sick shit?! I'm tired, and I'm hot, and we've been walking for hours. I want to go ho—

( It's at that moment that a tongue lashes out, grabs Peter, and pulls him into a nearby frog's mouth before he or anyone can say another word. All six feet of him and his spider-filled hair completely vanishes. He has been swallowed whole.

There's probably a shocked silence for a long moment or two before panicked, muffled screaming can be heard coming from the frog's swollen body, within which Peter Graham is all crammed up. Whether you were with him this whole time or happened to be close by and witness this just now, maybe you can help Peter not get digested. Please help Peter not get digested. )

➤ TROPHY HUNTER
( By the time this challenge takes place, Peter's gotten separated from whomever he's been with this whole time. In fact, this challenge isn't even one he helped to summon; he'd long ago given up on the game and has just been wandering aimlessly, trying to find his people, when he'd encountered the hunter who was summoned from someone else's game.

And now here he is, running up to you, some wild-eyed, dirty young man with hair all over the place who appears from the brush. He seems unhinged. )

He's crazy! He's fucking crazy!

( You might be thinking yes, you are fucking crazy, when there's the loud crack of a gun from the depths of the jungle, and Peter flinches violently, ducking downwards and grabbing for your arm, voice a hushed, strained whisper. )

We have to run! He'll kill us, don't you get it?! He wants to kill us!!

( Maybe you're already well-aware of the trophy hunter and the fact he wants to kill you; maybe you were trying to hide, already. Or maybe this is brand new information to you. Either way, you're going to have to work with Peter to survive this.

.....You might die. )

GENERAL — THE MONTH OF MARCH CW: PHYSICAL DEMONIC ATTRIBUTES, RECREATIONAL DRUG MENTION

^{NOTE — As a Darkblood, this month Peter has the ability to see energy / auras / life force around living things, so feel free to include what colour your character would emit!}

( March is a blossom of strange things growing all over, and new worries bumping up against all the old ones. Peter largely remains a recluse, staying safely tucked away in the townhouse he shares with Luna Lovegood. There are things he has to protect: her, and a fresh new bond, and a young boy named Falco Grice who shows up trembling against the flickering ghosts at the corner of his vision. The boy stays with them for awhile as Corruption grows, spreads. Peter's kept busy in the early days of March, and will rarely be seen. But those who visit the townhouse will be invited in or met out in front of the house.

It's towards the middle of March that his own budding Corruption makes its appearance known again. This time, it's not so much a mental change as a physical one... Peter doesn't become some snarling thing the way he was back in December. He maintains his lucidity, his identity, everything that makes him Peter.

It's just that now he has a pair of large black horns sprouting from his head, as well as a long, thin, scaly black tail.

....It's alarming, to be sure, but at this point, Peter's... tired. Sure, this happened. Why the fuck wouldn't it?

And so, the boy who doesn't act like a demon this time but looks like one just kind of... continues on with his life. He's still mainly to be found at the townhouse, for any visitors, but on occasion he might be spotted around the city. He goes shopping for clothes, perusing various shops: a tall, gloomy-eyed young man with sharp horns and a tail curled shyly against his leg. He's... looking for shirts that button up instead of have to be pulled over the head.... He doesn't know how long he's going to be looking like some sort of Teenage Hellspawn, but until this goes away, he needs some more clothes that he won't destroy.

Or maybe you spot him crouching down near cobblestoned streets, looking about as depressed as anyone can, gazing listlessly across the street, one elbow folded over a knee. He's holding a joint to his mouth but not actually smoking it yet; however, when he notices you nearby, he tilts his head up at you (with some difficulty; the horns are... heavy), and gives a slight nod. )

Want one? Got extra. ( —Then, he'll be fishing through his hoodie pocket, drawing out a little bag of sour gummy candies (drug-free). Where'd he even get those... He has his ways. And apparently, he's willing to share. ) Got these, too.

( Or he can sometimes be found sitting outside under the shade of a tree, long legs curled into a crossed position, a number of books spread around him. It seems like some sort of study session, and closer inspection will show that they probably came from the Arcane Archives: ancient-looking texts bound in thick leather. Peter's thumbing through them, a pair of reading glasses pressed to his face. If you're willing to approach the person with the demon horns and tail, it's actually a pretty serene display. Flowers have popped up from the ground and a few haphazard other things can be found in little patches nearby: apples and bananas and.... a cabbage? Is that a coconut, too?? It's weird. This place is weird.

But maybe not as weird as the sight of Peter Graham actually willingly reading a book.

Or the sight of him... being so seemingly at ease about his demonic parts. He's even using his tail to his advantage, the scaly black thing poking through a book or two, slithering snake-like through the grass to find the pencil he dropped and returning it to his hand as he jots down some notes.

But he often does look up, people-watching, and if you're passing by, his eyes might drift to you — or maybe it's more at you. He sees something; there's some curious attentiveness, and he hesitates only a moment before asking, a little shy— )

Hey, uh, this might sound weird, but do I have like... a colour around me?

( If you're a fellow Darkblood, his own energy is a very dark, smooth green — something of phthalo and hunter and forest — rich and somber and quiet, and maybe a little uncomfortable, like the dark part of the woods. Anything could be looking out.

A second pulse is there up under the first: a second colour, or a cacophony of them. Flashes of gold amongst iridescent shine, alien colours that are difficult to truly pinpoint, flickering from those dark woods. If you look too long, too close, it hurts.

But maybe you can't see it. Peter wonders why he welcomed anyone to in the first place. )

---

WILDCARD / ETC

^{ooc ➤ plurk (skeletals) / discord (large bat#2354) / pm / Peter's plot post
As a note, I'm definitely open to the mosquito challenge or the perking up one despite not having prompts for them up. If you'd like to toss one of those at me, feel free!
Also, respond in prose if that's your preference, and I'll gladly follow suit.}

Comments

[imaglyphwitch]

"Huh. That was one creepy place I missed. With Trench there's no WAY you can avoid the water. It's pretty much a part of us now, right?

[Luz was wondering about it eating flesh. There was no way she was going to criticize him wanting a strange pet. Luz walked with him, following his gaze to Luna's door.

I need to visit her again, Luz thought to herself, wondering what more the poor girl had been dealing with.

Luz gazed all around the room, smiling a little].

Aw, it's so cozy in here! There's the fish! Heh, two heads! Bizarre.

[The tone of her voice clearly indicated that she equated bizarre with cool, no surprise there].

Hehe, makes sense! I have two Fathiers, these huge, super fast beasts on Darth Maul's world. I named them Delyn and Mila. Delyn is short for my teacher, Edalyn Clawthorn on the Boiling Isles. Mila is short for Camila, my mom's name."

[possessum]

"Oh yeah, the uh... squid thing." Peter's been here for almost half a year and he still has a hard time identifying as... one of those. He tries not to think about it too much.

The fish's heads both follow Luz's movements, curious of her. It isn't often Peter's Room gets many guests....! And there's definitely some relief on Peter's part, that the younger teen doesn't seem completely freaked out. He relaxes a little, fishing out the jerky from his pockets and moving over to pinch off some little pieces for Paimon's cursed pets, trying to make sure both heads get an equal amount. The food will end up in the same place, since they share a body, but he doesn't want them to feel unequal...

"Something from Maul's world?" Peter's mental image is definitely of something terrifying, but Luz has a couple as pets, he's sure she can handle it. Peter's seen for himself how much of a little badass Luz can be.

"Are they dangerous, or pretty easy to handle?"

[imaglyphwitch]

"Probably better not to think about it."

Which was why she didn't! Really, they had enough to worry about, the reality of being a squid was not something Luz wanted to ponder. They had more than enough to deal with.

Luz did watch the fish a moment, actually fascinated. It wasn't every day you saw something like this, so Luz had to take a moment. You know, maybe she was too hasty about the fish eating flesh. Technically, she did too, right?

"Yeah. They almost look like big space bunnies. Sort of. I mean, they're huge and they have super long legs though, and they take off like shots!"

Luz laughed. "Oh, they're pretty dangerous. I have to take them for a walk so they have fresh air every day, and hanging into them is still a little terrifying! I think I kind of like it though, and they're really sweet!"

[possessum]

There's a firm nod of agreement — definitely better not to think about it. Let's just pretend like the fact we're all actually squishy slimy squid-things now simply doesn't exist! One less terrifying thing to shuffle around inside one's mind!

He finishes feeding Lu and Na (god..... the names.....) and moves back over to sit cross-legged on the end of his bed, reaching for one of the various bags of snack items to open up and start munching on.

"Okay, that does sound terrifying, but I've definitely seen a lot of terrifying pets around here..." Even Luna has Helga, who may be very dog-like and therefore adorable, but she's also very big and very intimidating. Peter's careful around her, especially what with having a demon inside him.

"Did they have unique kinds of animals like that, in your home world? Or magical ones?" He knows Luna's world involved a lot of various magical creatures that would be considered fantasy in his own.

[imaglyphwitch]

Luz knew for sure she wasn't going to think about that anytime soon. It was hard enough trying to navigate through Trench and its way of messing with your whole situation and your OWN. Existential crises needed to take a number.

Luz decided to plant herself on the floor, asking for permission before partaking it a snack herself and sipping the tea.

"Honestly, its the height and the speed that are the scariest part of them. Otherwise, I can testify that they're big sweethearts! Don't get too near them if they get antsy of course, one kick would probably kill you."

Which was something to be concerned about, but Luz was always careful. She made sure that the Fathiers had enough room to feel safe, and to be very attentive to their needs.

"Not really. I mean, we have some pretty wild creatures, sure, but nothing as big as Fathiers would make good pets. They'd probably trample you. Nah, I found more magical creatures the moment I stumbled into the Boiling Isles from my world. To me, nothing is more amazing than this guy right here."

She motioned toward her staff, which was motionless for a moment, and the gave way to a small brown owl that hooted and nuzzled Luz's face.

"He's not mine, but I'm taking care of him for right now, and he's keeping me company. That's Owlbert, my teacher's Palisman."

[possessum]

Peter's more than happy to share the snacks — he brought up a ton and even his black hole stomach probably couldn't eat them all himself. ...Probably. But no, he's glad to have a little mini food fest with Luz. Times like this to just sit and chill for awhile are pretty rare.

As he's snacking, he's listening to Luz talk with genuine curiosity, tilting his head as he slips some more chips into his mouth, crunching. His eyes follow her gesture towards the staff; he's definitely seen her around with it a lot, but he never knew the owl was actually alive. The older teen's eyes widen and he's giving a soft, delighted little gasp. Under all the spookiness, Peter's a total softie to cute things.

"Oh! He's alive!" He leans forwards a little on the bed, holding his hand up in a wave. "Hey there, little dude." Smiling, Peter looks back to Luz.

"What's a Palisman?"

[imaglyphwitch]

For Luz's part, she was just happy to actually spend a moment doing a relaxed, teenagery thing to do right now. No looking out for some new kind of monster lurking around, or chores to do. Just having snacks and talking to a friend! Who knew those moments actually existed?

Owlbert was flying up to the ceiling now, to find a place to perch. He would probably get some crumbs from Luz later, but right now he wanted to stretch out his wings a moment.

He does give an appreciative chirp in Peter's direction though.

"Yes he is! He usually turns into a staff when I'm casting or need to fly, but he can just accompany us too! They're carved through Palisman wood back in the Boiling Isles. Owlbert is my teacher Eda's Palisman. She left him behind with me in Deerington when she...woke up."

[possessum]

It's certainly a rarity, little moments of normalcy like this. Hopefully there are no Demon Problems to crop up along the way — it would really be a bummer to this hangout if Peter were to start convulsing, speaking in tongues, or throwing up ants again!

He watches the owl flying around, before looking back down as Luz mentions her teacher who'd woken back up in Deerington. Empathy touches upon the older teen in the form of a soft frown and a little nod. He understands. He's lost count of how many people he'd lost back then. And that number's slowly starting to grow here in Trench, too.

It's... hard, always being the one left behind.

"I'm sorry. But I'm glad he has you to take care of him." And that Luz has a piece of her teacher to remember her by, even if it must be awfully bittersweet.

"I was in Deerington for a pretty long time, but.... I don't think I ever met someone named Eda. Was she there a while?"

[imaglyphwitch]

Luz was at the point with Peter now that she was starting to get used to it. Granted, she had not seen Peter at her worst yet, but she'd still seen him pretty bad off, so she was at least prepared if something like that were to happen.

Between Deerington, Trench and the Boiling Isles, Luz was just about always ready for things to go unexpected at a moment's notice.

Luz nodded. "I was actually pretty confused why he didn't go with Eda when she woke up, but boy, am I glad he didn't. I can't tell you how many times this little buddy of mine saved me from near dying! But you remember the last month of Deerington. Staying at home for most of it was what should have happened, but I don't think any of us did that."

That was a good question.

"She was here before me, so I'm not sure. I know people who knew her got close to her. Varian and Fern like her a lot, and she was there, well, when Darth Maul got possessed by his old master's wishes and nearly killed Fern but DID kill Varian. I could tell they meant a lot to her. Eda was kinda great that way: wily and underhanded, but really sweet and caring if she got to know you and liked you."