Archivist note: This post is from an older recovered archive.
==Initial Post==
((Posted by Queer Hermit on May 24, 2010))
I have not been down to the graveyard for quite some time so while I was in the area I thought I would drop over and do some grounds work. I know the spirits enjoy having company and it makes me feel like I am home when I do something that reminds me of the tasks I did as a shrine maiden back at the temple. As I am cleaning up and fussing about a small dark shape appears from behind a headstone. From what Mr. Footman says this should be a pengi but one with red eyes?
“What are you doing here?” I call out.
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The device hisses out steam and points a flipper at me then lets out a sound like a steam whistle combined with a ‘Wark”.
“Are you the pengi known as 13?”
The pengi stares at me and nods slowly.
“I understand that you are not what you appear. Is that correct also?”
It nods to this as well, looking over the graveyard , making a noise sounding almost like a chuckle.
I ponder this for a moment while watching the intent of this device, the likes of which I have never seen before.
The pengi takes a step closer, staring up at me. I decide to try to contact the spirit that dwells inside this pengi, so I compose myself and enter the space of here/not here and begin the invocation.
“Who stands before me? Who wishes to speak who cannot? Who wishes to share the space I occupy?”
As I stand in the graveyard in the trance the pengi runs up and swings an iron flipper at my knees. I stumble down to the earth of the grave yard only to stare into the red eyes. Both inside and outside of myself I hear a voice speaking in fragments sounding like someone speaking through an iron tube.
“Yes…this…would…be…a….much…better…vessel…for…my….working. You are…the one…who speaks…with spirits…will also..be useful…l…”
I break into this stream of chatter…”What working do you talk about and what is your name?”
“Slenderman…Tobias…I will…bring her back…the deadman….completed what…I could……not.”
I hear the voice coming from the device and within my head at the same time. Why, I do not understand. This has never happened before…Possession !! The thing is trying to overcome me !! Help me Father and monks from my temple. I can not let this happen !! The voice starts to get clearer and it’s words get stronger.
“Yes, you will work well…maybe not an automaton, there is some resistance, but..interesting. The soul is always the hardest part, humans always have to fight against me, it’s so much easier to just…give in.”
It would be easy just to submit, just to relax, to rest and close my eyes and thoughts. To sink into the cloud which is approaching me, the soft white cloud. Then I feel the slap of the senior monk’s stick on my back and thighs. I hear my Father calling my name. I see Evie crying and holding her doll. Sofie and Mac, arms outstretched, are standing between me and the oblivion which 13 offers. I return to myself and pull back from the soft abyss that floats in front of my soul.
“I will not! I am the shrine maiden of the temple! I am the Shini Megami; the goddess of death! The speaker for those who cannot! I refuse your offer and hand you defeat and failure instead!”
13 hisses out more steam and brings a flipper up to swing at my head “Tsk, I’ll have to do it the uncouth way then, I suppose the others had it right when they possessed the Bookworm woman only when unconscious.”
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I lean back and draw out the Byakko Sendo, the katana sword given to me by Father from the holder hidden within my skirts and strike at the iron wing. The pengi swings the flipper to deflect it and takes a quick step back.
“Violence, I see you are not as sophisticated after all. So much for the spirit takeover.”
I laugh softly as I collect myself and take the fighting stance. “I am fully prepared to defend myself demon.”
“Demon, hardly, well, if it’s a fight you want.” The pengi puts on a burst of speed at aims for my legs.
I side step to allow it to pass by me but the speed is so great that it still strikes me. I stagger from the pain of the clip directed at my legs as I swing the katana and lops off part of the smoke stack. Curse, I struck too high and it is fast for it’s appearance.
13 hisses as the metal clangs to the ground behind it. “I’ve been in this device too long, that HURT!” It does an unexepectely high jump, aiming a kick at my sword hand. I set myself for the return strike and as the kick goes wide I stab upward into the bottom of the evil creature.
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13 screams loudly, both through the pengi and in my head as the sword stabs into the leg workings, and it collapses on the ground, propping itself up on one flipper as the ruined leg twitches and sparks “Dammit, knew I should of taken the maid.”
I place the tip of the katana in front of what others would call eyes…”Yield demon. If I destroy this device which you live in, you will have no recourse but to reside in me and I can hold you off forever. Yield to me now and tell me your purpose.”
13 nods and slowly pushes the sword away with it’s other flipper “Alright…you win, just, help me up Miss.”
“I trust you as much as I trust Underby. Stay as you are and talk from there.’
13 hisses and chuckles “Well, was worth a try, just wish these things were built better, the legs are possibly the weakest points, some flaw in the metal..alright, I’m damaged and can not do more anyway, what would you want from me?”
“The truth. Simple enough as that sounds.”
“The truth…you already probably guessed it, I possessed this automaton. They often don’t have souls, and are easy to control. Footman’s machine helped me come through, it’s actually quite the marvel….my own design, yet, he improved it where I couldn’t. So many years waiting for that man to sleep, so I could whisper the design to him. What an ass. He could have it all if he would just sleep. My name is Tobias Slenderman by the way.”
I stare down in wonder…”You are an Elder Engineer that Mr. Footman seeks?”
Mr. Slenderman nods “To an extent, yes, I was not one who worked with the angels though, that is what he really looks for.”
“That would be the Cloud Angels, correct?”
“Yes, the mysterious power source nobody these days understands *snorts* and Footman uses eels and fairies to try and replicate it.”
Daniel appears in front of the pengi, shaking with anger it appears. “Traitor ! You swore the oath never to mention this. What other blasphemy are you capable of you fool?”
The pengi looks up to Daniel…“Blasphemy? Is sharing the wealth of the knowledge we possess such an evil thing? When we both walked the earth as men were we not searchers for wisdom to share with others? Why should we now withhold that which we desired to give to mankind?”
Daniel points a finger at the pengi…“The Angels were right and you know it. Mankind is not ready for this knowledge and we were charged to protect it with our deaths for all time. Your reasons are faulty, improper, and selfish.” Daniel fades as he says this.
The pengi’s eyes start to grow dim.
“Are you in pain?”
“Pain? I’ve only been in this device to long, I can feel the metal, where it has been cut, and damaged, it’s fine, it was high time I left the penguin anyway.” The pengi moves slightly, pushing itself to it’s feet and begins limping towards me.
I quickly back up…”And what would your intent be?”
“In this cemetery, I’ve learned some tricks in the land of the spirits.. the others here, they’re good little power sources on their own. My intent was simply to resurrect my wife.”
The pengi continues towards me. I swing the katana up prepared to inflict the final stroke to send the head flying. “Who would she be? What is her name?”
13 limps closer “The machine isn’t just meant for communicating with the dead, Footman has such limited vision….my original device was for much more. Morrigan was her name, poor thing went mad with what she had seen, destroyed my lab, destroyed herself…but it’s not her fault. She was too kind. I never wanted to hurt her.”
13’s dim to black, as the pengi topples over. I poke the device with the katana, still fully on guard for any tricks and then jump back as a shadow starts to rise from it. The shadow slowly starts to form in a human shape and I no longer feel Mr. Slenderman inside my head.
“Ahh…this is….excruciating.” Mr. Slenderman laughs then groans “It looks as if I will have to *ugh* pause my work…a momentary setback, I will keep in touch of course.” He waves once before dispersing…“I’ll be watching you both”
I watch as the shadow slowly seeps into the graveyard’s soil. It would appear that Mr. Slenderman has rejoined the neighbors since the pengi is damaged beyond his needs. I wonder what kind of discussion he and Daniel will have. I also what Mr. Footman will say about this. Disclosing Mr. Slenderman’s existance does not violate the deal I made with Daniel. He can keep his silence and Mr. Footman can perhaps work with Mr. Slenderman. I guess I will drag 13’s carcass into the lab and let Mr. Footman see it. Without the demon, he should be able to repair it back to factory-like condition. That will prevent the other pengi from getting upset I should think.
On some days the truth is more interesting than anything else one can imagine….
==Comments==
*Comment by Grendel Footman on May 24, 2010 at 1:42pm
Number13 is on my workbench as we speak, I’ll have to replace some of the damaged parts, including the cognigator, wich was melted into a solid mass.
*Comment by Tepic Harlequin on May 24, 2010 at 2:26pm
always ask before i go into the graveyard, after all, it’s the ghost’s home….funny thing though, this morning when i asked, was clear i wern’t to go in, cept fer one voice calling….. think it best to play outside the gate fer a while…
*Comment by Queer Hermit on May 24, 2010 at 3:58pm
Dear Tepic, how wise you are in such matters! Please stay out of the graveyard and warn the others. We have a new neighbor in there who is not very friendly and would do harm to you and others if he could.
