07. Insert Obligatory Bill Murray Joke Here [Permavideo]

[iamaman_punch]

[Linkara. Couch. Video. You know the drill. He's also wearing a big, fake grin.]

Well, that was fun. Who else went on a field trip? Saw some new sights, met some new people - anyone want to share with the class?

And for everyone who was here for the past two and a half weeks-

[The grin is gone. He is dead serious about this one.]

-what the hell

Comments

[outtabubblegum]

The circus came to town. It was amazing.

[iamaman_punch]

Oh really. Which kind: three rings or seven circles?

[outtabubblegum]

The one where the tiger gets loose and mauls everyone, then the elephant runs over whatever's left.

Also, everyone in it is a clown.

[iamaman_punch]

Oh. That kind.

[Filtered to Harry]

Nobody's going to give me details. I get that. Give me a name instead and I'll figure it out on my own.

Filtered to Linkara

[outtabubblegum]

Actually the name is the problem. Using this thing's name makes it stronger.

In simple terms, a creature of primal and pure cruelty appeared, beat us all to an inch of our lives, then did even worse to many of us, and was driven off by some even stronger force.

Filtered to Harry, Permafilter

[iamaman_punch]

Great. One of those. Does it have a nickname, or something we can call it that doesn't count as an invitation?

[Head in hands. Oh man. He doesn't want to ask, he doesn't want to ask, he doesn't want to ask, but-] Do I even want to know what "even worse" entails.

And what's the stronger force?

Filtered to Linkara, Permafilter

[outtabubblegum]

I call it Shagnasty.

This thing instinctively knows exactly how to hurt you most. It will find that one thing, that one weak point, and it will twist and torture and burn and tear at it until it shatters you completely, and it will do all that to you just because it finds your suffering amusing. All your fears, doubts, and regrets will be dragged out, and you'll be forced to have each and every one of them played over and over while it tortures you.

That, I don't know. Something with magic way beyond what I'm capable of.

[iamaman_punch]

...that works.

[You see that? That's his getting angry face, right there.] Psychological torture, then. Because it can.

[Yeah, he's officially sick of getting yanked around.] So it - they - whoever - just showed up and took it out? Just like that? If it were comics, I'd call that a cheap finish - deus ex machina. But here... [His lip curls. Screw that.]

[outtabubblegum]

And I'm pretty sure it annoys the bastard.

[Harry understands that anger. There are no words for how much he hates the Skinwalker] I've met some of the most twisted people and things to have ever existed. Demons, murders, dark gods, rapists, dark sorcerers, mockeries of life. That thing may be the single worst of all of them.

Here it's just raising the question where the hell were they before everyone was nearly ripped apart.