[M] — Mythos Complex [IC] (H)

[Ru]

Mythos Complex is rated M because Ru was too lazy to figure out what it actually fit.

However, the following themes may or may not occur in this RP: extreme violence (namely via monsters); various deaths, including suicides; adult themes, including language and possible sexual encounters (sexual encounters depends on the characters and this still does not permit cybering, for Ru does not like that and it's a no no on RPA); and drug use (this will only occur if there is a character who enters as a druggy, otherwise it will not be there).

For sure occurring themes: extreme and excessive violence; deaths and suicides; excessive language; and sexual tension (I am not sure it will go passed that, but I listed sexual encounters just in case).



http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnjhdfuESO1qdl4k8o1_500.gif
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5447/dscf3650copy.png
Always Accepting (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781)
Rated M for extreme and excessive violence, deaths and suicides, excessive language, and sexual tension/sexual scenarios.


http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7nkhuNUCm1qdl4k8o6_1280.png

All accepted characters are listed here with the apartment number they live in. If you would like to change your room number, simply ask for they are randomly assigned. If you would like to room with someone, then ask.

3000 means the top floor. 2000 is the middle floor. 1000 is unlivable.
Floor One (basement)

No Residents. No one is permitted to enter.
Floor Two

2011 - Vacant.
2012 - Vacant.
2013 - Vacant.
2014 - Noah J. Harrison (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=8&p=1026346&viewfull=1#post1026346).
2015 - Vacant.
Floor Three

3011 - Bridget Loughridge (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022803&viewfull=1#post1022803).
3012 - Holly "Boots" Hendrickson (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022601&viewfull=1#post1022601) and Howl Osborne (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022782&viewfull=1#post1022782).
3013 - Caitrìona "Cait" Shaw (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1024340&viewfull=1#post1024340).
3014 - Vacant.
3015 - Vacant.

Back Area

Landlord's Office
1 - Vacant.
2 - Vacant.


http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7nkhuNUCm1qdl4k8o5_500.png

Nat K. Liel (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=31&p=1053455&viewfull=1#post1053455)
Lilly Shephard (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=44&p=1230522&viewfull=1#post1230522)
Nyx Prodan (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=51&p=1404320&viewfull=1#post1404320)



http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7nkhuNUCm1qdl4k8o3_250.png
All who die will be listed here.

Elizabeth "Ellie" Clatter Longwhell (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022661&viewfull=1#post1022661)
Anselm "Ans" Vandershelt (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022763&viewfull=1#post1022763)
Consuelo "Consul" Alicia Rivera (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1023069&viewfull=1#post1023069)
Katia Arielle Lazaro (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1024061&viewfull=1#post1024061)
Apollo James "AJ" Simmons (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022663&viewfull=1#post1022663)
Hanna Kelly (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1023469&viewfull=1#post1023469)
Daniel Alfred Fitzgerald (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022722&viewfull=1#post1022722)
Tiffany Charlotte Young (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=29&p=1050926&viewfull=1#post1050926)

The smart/cowardly who ran away are listed here.

Vince R. Norse (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=16&p=1033676&viewfull=1#post1033676)
Owen Walsh (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=18&p=1036574&viewfull=1#post1036574)
Joseph Caleb Walker (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&page=4&p=1024360&viewfull=1#post1024360)
Keito Jr. Defam (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32781&p=1022808&viewfull=1#post1022808)




http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/269115_10150227664681658_536101657_7487418_6409194 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268002_10150227664801658_536101657_7487422_7096456 _n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/260093_10150227664851658_536101657_7487424_2238230 _n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/264231_10150227664936658_536101657_7487426_6112657 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/260518_10150227665051658_536101657_7487429_7198184 _n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/271097_10150227665141658_536101657_7487431_1200007 _n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263599_10150227665276658_536101657_7487434_1669194 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/264112_10150227665306658_536101657_7487436_76827_n .jpg



http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8iztq812k1qdl4k8o1_500.png

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8iztq812k1qdl4k8o2_500.png

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m87wpj52lN1qdl4k8o1_500.png


Please remember to use the dice rolling system explained in the OOC.

If the dice rolling system does not work in your post, then use this (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm) instead. Merely state in your post what number you got. Click on the bottom dice, which is a D20.

[Ru]

Howl; Boots; Cait.
[roll0]


On a dark winter’s night the wind howled outside and echoed throughout the halls of Mythos Complex. During the daylight hours it had been a nice sixty two degrees Fahrenheit, but in the late hours it shot down to a chilling thirty-three. Cold air nipping at the residents whom had not thought to buy a heating device, assuming the landlord would provide such a luxury. Snow caked the sidewalks and covered the shrubbery around the rundown brick building. All of the long windows were boarded up with a slab of wood to prevent anymore suicides as well as save money on replacing the glass again. This managed to keep out plenty of the air outside from creeping in, but the cracks allowed for the freeze to enter thus making the defense futile.

Anyone who had resided in this complex for a long enough duration knew to have a heater plugged in or to have several comforters this time of year, lest tempt the frost to turn their bodies to popsicles. This concept was the same once summer hit, except air conditioners or fans were the necessity. When this place had first been found it was a nicer studio apartment to reside in, but with the rumors and the price being shot down to the shitter the landlord felt no need to fix anything that dove too far into their wallet; why bother when they were likely to be dead within the month?

Miraculously, some residents managed to stay for months, even years, beyond the landlord’s expectancy. What especially surprised them were the skeptics that somehow lived throughout the whole ordeal finding several logical answers for their problems, since they were, normally, the ones to plunge to their death first. However, no questions were asked to how they dodged the grim reaper’s call, because that meant common faces that paid on time. Besides, if someone was performing a variation of voodoo magic it was best to be left unknown.

On this night in room number 3012, Holly Hendrickson, commonly known as Boots for the combat boots she is rarely seen without, was clinging onto her roommate, Howl Osborne, for warmth beneath their thick comforters. They had been residing in Mythos Complex for several years now, but decided to not buy a heater to avoid paying extra electricity, so, instead, they invested in several comforters for nights such as this one. The studio was meant for one person to reside in, yet they made do by sleeping on the same futon shoved in the farthest corner from the door. The two of them had been friends with each other since childhood and found it comforting to sleep with each other in a brother-sister sort of way, not that anyone believed them when they claimed they were nothing more than that.


A bump in the night was what caused Boots to be stirring at this hour. Today was Tuesday, so they made sure to go to bed at a decent hour so she would not be drowsy when she taught her preschoolers in the morning hours. However, she was far too paranoid to ignore the noises occurring. Carefully she scooted away from Howl — trying her best to not wake up the heavy sleeper — crawled over the covers, and entered the cold air that enveloped her the moment she left the sanctuary of their blanket cave. Shivers ran across her spine, goose bumps rising almost immediately, as she pulled her knees tightly against her chest. She was wearing a long sleeve pajama shirt with rubber duckies on it with matching pajama bottoms and socks. Boots crawled across their bed and followed the sound of moaning. Now, she knew it was not one of her neighbors — Boots knew the difference between a sexual encounter and that of a spirit — but this moaning almost sounded like crying that was all too familiar to push aside and continue her slumber.

She reached the bedroom door, her hand extended towards the knob until she realized how moronic it was for her to be doing this at all, especially without Howl. A gulp was made then went down her throat, the spit swirling about. “Howl…?” Boots turned to her sleeping roommate with her brows furrowed and a face full of fear. He grumbled something she could not make out. “Howl…?” She stepped towards the bed, closer to him instead of further examining the sound that had been tempting her out of the safety of her room. “Howl!” Boots yelled frantically.

Howl sat up instantly. He could sleep through anything, even road construction, but Boots crying was one of the few things that could bring him out of the world of dreams. Without any explanation, he jumped from their bed and pushed her down on it, keeping his arms extended in a protective stance. “I know it sounds like Katie, Boots… but she’s gone. They’re just tryin’ta bring ya down too.”


Cait jumped awake, her body almost flying up a foot off her bed. Boots screaming startled her immensely, causing her heart to race rapidly. Living right next door to her for a few years should have prepared her for these kind of circumstances by now, but she never managed to get herself to sleep heavily enough even with earplugs, headphones with music blaring, or any other method that came to her mind. Body trembling from the sudden shock, as she placed her hand over her bare bosom above her beating organ she realized that she could hear the moaning as well.

Glancing around the room briefly, there was no one else in here but her. She grabbed her button up shirt and loosely buttoned it just so she could feel appropriate enough to enter the hallway. Upon standing Cait realized the shirt she threw on was actually that of a client’s, so it was longer than expected and looked more like a nightshirt on her. With a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head, she concluded that just meant she didn’t need pants to cover herself.

Boots and Howl resided to the left of her room with Joseph on the right. Across the way was Ellie and a little boy with the haunting 3011 room beside them. It confused her that the landlord had labeled the two rooms by the stairs 3011 then 3015. Why not make those 3011 and 3012? Or 3014 and 3015? But, it did not matter to her so long as she knew who around her was helpful.

She strolled over to her door with her arms crossed over her chest in some attempt to keep warm, then pressed her left ear against the door. The moaning grew louder, so she knew it was coming from their floor. Being a resident who had lived there for some time, she remembered the same Katie that Howl was currently telling Boots was dead. The girl had been living in 3011 until a few months or so ago; inside now resided Bridget. Cait didn’t know the exact time since she never cared for her, when she jumped out of her window like the rest of them. Or maybe it was a year ago? Honestly, she had no idea.

Cait pressed her forehead against the wooden door and let out a sigh.

[The Imposter]

[4]

The low drone of the plug in heater (http://images.suite101.com/2464126_com_spaceheate.jpg) mixed well with the soft melody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz_jik29mO4) seeping from the laptop speakers. The surge of constant power being run through the twilight hours would rear its ugly head once every month but to Daniel it was the secret of a restful nights sleep. The habit had been procured far before he moved into Mythos but over his stay he seemed to only value the habit more, and the small increase in the power bill was worth the good night's slumber. The red glow illuminated from the heater stretching across the tiny room giving its contents a sinister look. A small filing cabinet reflected the light with its varying drawers pulled at different lengths, stuffed full of folders that seemed to absorb the crimson light. By far the most menacing thing obviously was the autographed poster of Magnum P.I. (http://therepublika.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/magnum_pi_tom_selleck.jpg), his smiling features twisted by the haunting glow of the heater.

Daniel laid sprawled out on his small pull out couch despite the horrid scene surrounding him. A large puddle of drool seemed to be accumulating as it cascaded down from the corner of his mouth unto his pillow. Blankets twisted and wrapped around his body so that one leg dangled out from the cocoon and over his bed. The leg enticed by the law of gravity, swayed ever so slightly close to the heater. It wasn't long before the warm sensation in his leg grew, intensifying until it became so hot it hurt. Daniel shot awake and swung his leg back onto his bed. Having been so rudely awakened by his environment he quickly shifted and rolled over hoping to quickly fall back asleep.

It was less than two minutes before his leg, the one that had been hanging had restored proper blood flow to itself which only brought the terrible feeling of pins and needles. The strange numbness shot up from his foot to his knee, annoyingly prodding discomfort to his brain. Frustrated Daniel threw the blankets off himself and got out of bed. He hobbled around trying to shake that terrible feeling but much to his chagrin it wasn't coming easily. His eyes eventually settled on the door, tainted red by the heater's warmth. Daniel couldn't help but think of the other tenants and what they might be doing this hour. From what he knew of most of them, they were probably having a better night than he was so far....well maybe that was an exaggeration. He had seen, and heard enough to know pins and needles wasn't such a bad night staying here.

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]
On the floor below Hanna could faintly hear one of the women on the third floor start yelling, probably Holly, the poor girl scared so easily. Normally Hanna was understanding of Boot's getting scared by something, but when she got woken up at such an ungodly hour it wasn't quite so easy to be understanding. "Goddamn it Boots." she said to herself as she slowly sat up in her bed which was stacked high with blankets and held up by a cheap metal frame. Hanna's apartment was about as far as you could get from Holly's without leaving the building so, if Hanna could hear Holly she was sure everyone else could, so she got out of bed to avoid simply getting woken again by the others grumbling.

Hanna normally loved winter, but around here the the cold at night could get borderline oppressive, even without her blankets she had about 5 layers on her in shirts and coats. Hanna stumbled drowsily to the wall and flipped on the light, if she was going to be awake there was no way she was just going to sit in the dark. It was that hellish point in the early morning where Hanna was up much earlier then normal but not early enough to get any real sleep if she just went back to bed, so she decided she may as well go up and see what was wrong. Hanna actually liked Holly and Howl despite the relatively short time she'd lived at Mythos, they seemed like very good people, and counted them among the very few friends she'd made in town, though she had almost no idea if they felt the same way about her. And if they didn't want her there, hell at least some walking would wake her up some more.

After draining off the bad mood she had from being woken up, Hanna went up the stairs to Howl and Holly's door and knocked "Holly, are you alright in there?" she asked in her deep Irish voice, "It's Hanna."

[Tune]

[roll0]

Katia bolted up from her bed - or tried to. Another scream; another scream from Holly and Howl's room. She rubbed her eyes and groaned. There was a pressure at her back, and it was hard to move around in her small little bed. Craning her head, she pushed back her messy hair to see the dark head of her neighbor, Apollo, peaking out from above the covers. Between the sounds upstairs and her headache, she tried to recall her night. The lack of clothing was a very subtle hint to what had gone on. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. There was someone walking up the stairs, then a knock on a door. She should have woken him up out of spite just so he could return to his own room, but even she had to admit that the extra body heat beneath the covers was a good thing.

She glared at her broken heater sitting on top her hope chest adjacent to her bed. It had gone out just the other day, and she hadn't enough blankets to keep herself entirely warm. Bedding him was an option - she couldn't say an easy one. The glass of rum she had sat on her small nightstand, still with enough for one last sip if she bothered to wet her throat. She had to admit, she tolerated the slight hangover because it granted her with the fleeting attempt to escape her thoughts for the night. He was a good distraction, she'd give him that.

Shifting to an uncomfortable position, Katia nudged Apollo with her elbow. "Apollo," she said, nudging him again, "Are you still asleep?" She already felt like a fool, and as the covers slipped, she shivered from the cold night air and clutched the covers closer to her, cuddling back under them for warmth. She'd deal with whatever anger the man had to throw at her if he woke up.

[AsianFighter]

[roll0]

Apollo woke to a foreign object making contact with his ribs. A groan escaped from his lips as the object prodded him once more. "Apollo, are you still asleep?" The sheets that had currently kept him warm were suddenly pulled and he became acutely aware of how damn cold it was - and how little he had on. Instinctively, the man rolled over, adjusting the covers as necessary. His eyes still hadn't opened. Apollo's arm met a thin, shivering body beside him and the scent of some feminine shampoo reached his nostrils.

"Mmm," he muttered. "Did you..." he yawned, "scream just now?" His voice was laced with tiredness. There was no way it was 6am already. Against his will, the thin figure opened his eyes, squinting into the darkness in an attempt to find a clock. Unfortunately, he'd left his phone - also his most trusted alarm - in his room. Given, it was only a wall away, but it was also too much hassle, considering the cold. What he found instead seemed to be the slightest silhouette - black against a color darker than black. It was hard to see, but he could have sworn Katia was wide awake, and staring straight at him.

"Katja?" he asked, his body already beginning to gain alertness. Someone above them knocked on a door. Well then, he thought to himself. It seems as if there's more night activity in these apartments than one would think. Apollo pulled one arm from underneath the sheets - sacrificing his personal comfort - so that he could stroke a clump of messier-than-usual hair out of the woman's face. "Are you alright?"

[Preach]

[3]

The heaters were on and Bridget was underneath the blankets. It was still dark out, she couldn't tell what time exactly, and she wasn't going to look at her watch, ticking away on the bedside table. The moaning was back. Bridget wasn't surprised. It was pretty regular. She should have expected it when she moved in- that girl's suicide was the reason she got the room for such a ridiculously low price. It only took her a matter of days to realize why it was so cheap, why no one else wanted it. That first night, she was actually thankful to have heard all the disturbing stories about the place - at least she knew she was dealing with a haunting, and not simply going insane. Funnily enough, she'd never believed in the supernatural before - living with a crying spirit had made her re-evaluate her views on the matter.

So, as usual, she didn't move. She lay under the blankets, facing the wall, keeping her breathing steady. Controlling her breathing allowed her to stay calm, it was almost like meditation. Being calm was important. She always used this technique whenever the crying came. A couple of nights, she had plucked up the courage to look around the room, but had never seen anything. Honestly, she didn't want to. Sometimes, her stuff would be moved around, and of course she could barely get any sleep on most nights, but the worst part was the crying itself. It just sounded so.... pleading, so pathetic... Sometimes, the thought of confronting the thing rose up in her mind, but she quickly shooed it away. Confrontation wasn't her forte, not at all. And she did not, definitely did not, want to risk angering it. No, no. Inactivity was certainly better, she was sure of it.

The noises continued. Bridget kept her eyes closed and her breathing steady. Then, she heard Holly, from down the hall, scream out. She gritted her teeth - the crying stopped. Bridget felt the temperature of the room drop, as if her comforters ceased existing and the heaters had been turned off. She kept herself from shivering. The silence lasted only for a second- then the sounds picked up again, even louder, more desperate. Bridget thought she could hear someone knocking on a door -the walls were pretty much paper thin, after all- but that only made it cry louder. Any apparent activity made it cry louder, like it was desperate for attention. Which is why, she reminded herself, movement and confrontation were not how to deal with her unwanted roommate.

[Zatory-Master]

(1d20)[5]

Keito was wrapped around the conforter blankets. It was quite cold in the room and Keito was feeling like a popsicle. The blanket was over his head and around his body leaving no open skin except for his eyes. He sat on his bed shivering. Little lights came from the windows and from the bottom of the door connected to the corridors. He looked towards his current guardian Ellie. She seemed to have noticed the cold too,but she did her own things in her own bed.

Keito looked passed his red nose and stared at the wall. He imagined all the other kids who would play in the snow. Keito would not be one of them. He would stand behind a tree and watch them play the war game of fighting with balls of snow. They would laugh and he would sigh. Now he sits on a bed of a creepy apartment with his sister's friend Ellie. Keito sighed and repeated the word "Cold" quietly every ten seconds.

He shivered from the cold room. The heaters were not doing their job properly and it felt like they were about to freeze for iternity. Keito closed his eyes, and imagined something warm, like a fire place, or a beach, until he was interrupted. A scream. Sounded like a girl's. It was faint but it was heard to their room. Keito turned his body towards the door, and hopped to Ellie's bed, still keeping his eyes on the door. He was now shivering more from fear, rather than the cold. That surprised had shaken him up so much that coldness seemed like the least of his problems. He looked at Ellie and waited for the next surprised to occur.

[Wanderess]

[18]

Ellie breathed softly, and groaned a bit, breaking the surface of the dream realm. She slowly opened her eyes ti see the boy, Keito staring at her.
She sat up and looked at him, and once she did, it was the that she had noticed the cold... She shivered, and pulled the blankets around her, for her green tank top and shorts did not protect her from the freezing cold of their own room. She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering and her attention drew back to the boy. He had come just about 3 days ago, and was only taking care of him because his sister was Ellie's best friend since high school. Yet from the three days that he had spent here, this was probably the closest he got to her...
"Jesus, it's cold in here... You okay?" She asked him cautiously, for he was shivering badly, but something told Ellie it was more from the cold... Her eyes drew to the door, and an unexplainable feeling washed over her... Ellie heard the meow of a cat, and up jumped Snickers. Ellie stroked her black fur to comfort herslef, and watched as Snickers walked across her bed and towards Keito, whom she sniffed curiously.
Ellie had named Snickers after her favorite candy bar, and the cat was just as sweet.
"Say, you must be freezing like me... do you want something warm?" Ellie asked in an attempt to communicate with the kid.

[Public_Hazard]

[roll0]

The howling wind of the winter night scraped at Noah's face as he crept his way back to his shamble of a home. The thick layer of frozen particles crunching at his every step, leaving a pitiful trail of empty shallows slowly refilling with every passing second. Stopping at a flickering light post he let his feet rest as he leaned against its cold surface. His ever faithful coat, a beanie, a red t-shirt, jeans, his boots, and a bag created a soft shadow at every passing flicker. A long and deep breathe of frozen air followed before he finally looked over at the complex across the street. The shambled windows and wooden panels befitting its deathly and battered exterior from years of nature's and man's abuse. Making sure to avoid patches of frozen puddles he effortlessly crossed the street, and entered the complex.

The wooden flooring of the establishment creaked softly as he made his way past the Landlord's office and into the staircase. It was deathly silent, and he didn't have the state of mind to figure out why, he couldn't even recall how much time had passed since he had left for work; let alone what time of night it was. In a few quivk seconds he made his way towards his room making sure to keep quiet for his roommate as he locked the door behind him. He stood in front of the wooden door for a few more moments simply listening before turning on the lights to his room. Two beds, a closet and a few personal belongings were scattered over the area as he made his way towards his bed. Putting the closely held bag on a small table next to him he began to remove his clothing. He was personally glad that his roommate was absent, this way he wouldn't have to wait until morning to start his mental purging.

After finally removing his beanie a slick stream of blood began to flow down the left side of his face. A few bruises on his cheek and blood on his busted lips becoming far more visible with the light as he lifted his gaze towards nothing. He remained this way for a few more minutes before emptying the bag at his side revealing a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey and a shot glass he had bought on his way home.

As the night went on the bottle of alcohol dwindled into its half mark as Noah continued to drink, now from the bottle since he felt shots were too slow. The cut on his lip screamed at every moment he made contact with the glass, but he just ignored the pain. As he had expected negotiations with local cliental had gotten physical. He could almost laugh at their terrible negotiating skills, and even snort at their fighting capabilities, but he did give them props for getting a few good hits. As his mind began to drift he absently let the bottle slip from his hands slowly when suddenly a scream began to fills his left ear and bringing him back to reality. To be sure of what he had heard he tilted his head to the left and was immediately followed up with more screams and movement from a neighbors. He was unsure how to respond to the situation so he remained seated on his bed simply listening before finally deciding to go to his door with bottle in hand. A soft creak echoed across the hallway from the rusted bolts of the door as Noah kept his right side to the opening simply waiting for something to happen.

[Leon G]

I rolled a 10 (http://oi47.tinypic.com/2rqfziv.jpg)
Consul resembled a butterfly coming out of its cocoon with her head peeking out from several thick blankets wrapped around her body. Consul hated the cold, but her previous space heater broke and she didn’t have the spare money to buy another heater. At least her could just stock up on blankets found at discount shops, and this was much better than heat. Her arms, covered by woolly, long sleeves, were the only thing besides her head sticking out from the blankets, and that was so she could enjoy her eBook. It was relatively late at night, and she should have been sleeping,. Between college life and being a waitress, Heaven knew she needed her energy. But the book she had been reading was impossible to put down. Consul was at the part where the heroine had confessed her love to the antagonist. Normally Consul didn’t like romances, in fact she found them stupid and overly sappy, not only in books, but also in real life, too, but this was a special case.

As good as the book was, Consul found it hard to stay awake and felt her eyelids drooping. She let out a yawn and decided to rest her eyes for a few minutes. Her eyes had been closed for no longer than two minutes, when she heard a shrill shriek through the thin floors of the apartment complex. That was the thing about this place. Even though she was on the lowest floor, she was still able to hear things from all the way up on the third floor. She dismissed it as nothing, as this place made weird noises all the time. She wasn’t concerned about danger such as a fire or a murderer. If anyone would be causing a fire, it would be her with her terrible cooking. And if a mass murder were to enter the building, wouldn’t they start at the bottom floor? Comforted by her self-made facts- even if they weren’t exactly 100% reliable- Consul was able to dismiss the noise without a second thought. She returned to her Kindle, picking up at the point where the two main characters had exchanged a kiss. Consul sighed and closed the book. While she enjoyed the romance, she wished for one of her own at times. The problem was, she wasn’t too great with people. She couldn’t even find a roommate, to split the already low costs with. Oh well, life can’t always be as great as in the books. For now, Consul with have to be content with loneliness. Shutting off the Kindle, Consul lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. It’s so dark, she thought to herself. I hate that about winter. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, but the Unknown freaked her out. And not knowing what lay in the darkness was a bit unsettling. She shut her eyes and reminded herself that she knew what was where. She imagined her apartment in the daytime and the thoughts were soothing. A few minutes later, Consul was sound asleep. That was good because she usually had a lot of trouble falling asleep, due to her insomnia.

[Ru]

Enter first monster...

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/5725/bloodmonster.png

Howl rolled a 17. An outside roll was made. Received result "clue." Will be implemented in a later post.
Boots rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result "noise." Will be implemented in post.
Cait rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Received result "noise." Will be implemented in post.
Daniel rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Received result "nothing." Nothing will occur.
Hanna rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result "noise." Will be implemented.
Katia rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result "rumor." Will be implemented in a later post.
Apollo rolled a 10. An outside roll was made. Received result "nothing." Nothing will occur.
Bridget rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result "rumor." Will be implemented in a later post.
Keito rolled a 5. An outside roll was made. Received result "rumor." Will be implemented in a later post.
Ellie rolled an 18. An outside roll was made. Received result "noise." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Received result "ghost appearance." Will be implemented in post.
Consul rolled a 10. An outside roll was made. Received result "kidnap." Will be implemented in post.
Ru's New Rolls
Howl (4); Boots (16); Cait (15).

Landlord’s Office

Achluophobia is quite common in society, namely amongst children, but is not unheard of as we age. Fear of the dark, though for most it falls more into the fear of the unknown; an irrational urge to dart away or hide from what the blind eye cannot see.

On this cold winter’s night as the crying of the deceased can vaguely be heard through thin walls of the larger building beside it and the calm winds in between the residents of Mythos Complex living in the special rooms within the landlord’s quarters can barely hear the frequent cries of Katie. And as such — in return — sounds become barely audible when escaping this area for those inside the tall walls. Lives between the main complex residents and these namely intertwine when the both attempt to use the gate or speak to the owner of the grounds at the same time, but otherwise little is truly heard.

With this said, it comes as no surprise as these creepy crawlers crept through the cracks of Room 1’s walls that no word was uttered from its neighbors, as they were too far and dealing with their own crisis to hear slithering so soft it was almost silent. Tiny monsters pressed through the gaps in between the floorboards with ease, while others came from the ceiling from seemingly nowhere. Quietly they made their way to the room’s resident: Consuelo Rivera.

Before a scream could be uttered the creatures leapt and plunged her down farther into the darkness and out of the sanctum of her closed walls. Black was all she could see, with the occasional darker shadow moving here and there. Soon many of the armored slugs appeared with tiny needles sticking out from their hardened shells and fangs bared, though their victim could barely see their gluttonous faces, but merely their silhouettes.

As Consul sat upon the wet, cobblestone floor, directly across from her in glowing red letters read:


“Fair is fair,
In death and gore,
Here’s a hint to even the score.

All is Crimson,
All is Red,
But does it matter when you’re Dead?

Color is only Surface,
It does not cause their behavior,
The common interest will be your savior.

Accountant,
Brawler,
Waitress,
History Professor,
The differences are your bane,
What will save you is what is the same.

Metallic scent,
Copper taste,
The similarities will get you out of this place.

Answer the riddle,
Profess in rhyme,
Only then will the door open in time.”

The Main Building

Fear has a tendency of controlling the actions of others, even without necessarily being a threat, especially when it arises to a phobic state. As a simple fear it can easily be conquered by pushing oneself into it with the reassurance of it being a silly thing to be afraid of, however… once it gains the title of “phobia,” it can be quite hard to overcome and venture towards vanquishing it.

Luckily, in the case of Cait, there was no fear of the dark like some of her other residents. Strolling through the halls in a pitch black haze did not bother her in the least, nor did the shadows dwelling in the background, as she knew what they were. Seeing without the light was not hard for her, but even so she was usually guessing what the silhouette was and — most of the time — she was correct. In this particular case she feared — what she considered to be — the ultimate fear: death. To her, that was what these spirits represented and the more it dawned on her how alone she was the more she was succumbing to a trembling state of mind.

Tonight was one of the few nights she lacked a client, but oh how she wished there was one, or that she had attempted to bed one of the other residents. Heck, maybe she could have gotten one of them to play Boggle with her for all Cait cared, at least she wouldn’t be so secluded. The walls around her had turned from her home — her sanctuary — into a prison with an enclosing space. Spirits could manifest wherever they pleased and she was well aware of this… Seeing Katie the mangled mess she was after her passing was not a sight she wished to ever see again.

Exiting towards the cries was an obscene idea, however the idea of dying alone was causing her body to tremble and mind to be on edge. A panic attack was on its way; she needed to act fast. Emerald eyes darted back and forth; left and right about the walls until they focused one to her left. Cait pressed her back against the door, staring intently as the thought crossed her mind. Quickly she darted over to the wall of hers that she knew had Room 3014 to the side of it where Joseph slept. She hadn’t recalled speaking much to him before, other than polite hellos, but she was desperate.

Cait knocked a barber shop rhythm on the wall and pressed her ear against it, slinking her body down to the floor as her knees collapsed beneath her. Whether he was awake was a mystery. She repeated the same pattern on the floor instead, hoping to also wake up Apollo or Noah down in Room 2014. So long as someone came… anyone… She just needed to not feel alone.


Boots jumped at the sudden sound of their door being knocked upon, though she acknowledged after such a scream she must have woke up someone. Sleeved wrists rose up to wipe her watery eyes as a sigh escape her throbbing chest. “I… I’m… I’m sorry, Hanna… I just…” the words came in stuttered whimpers; her lips trembling over her teeth.

“Don’t apologize,” he grunted and rose to his feet. Howl left Boots in the middle of the room, opening the door for their concerned neighbor. “It’s fuckin’ Katie…” muttered in a sort of growl beneath his breath as he passed by her through the doorway. “Go on and see her. I got a bone’ta pick,” then he headed over to Room 3011 where he knew Katie hid.

As he walked closer to the spirit he could not see she let out a shrill scream only so few could hear. The banshee cry shot through the ears of Boots, Cait, Hanna, and Ellie, but somehow had not reached the sound waves for others. Howl pressed on, unaware he was causing the sound to enhance.

Boots’s face shot down to her knees as she knelt on the floor with her palms over her ears in some attempt to lower the volume. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, the tears streaming down the sides of her cheeks as her body continued to shake with fear. Sometimes she wished her fears did not exist; she prayed to be more like the brave Howl, despite knowing it was a pipedream. Maybe then she could face Katie on her own without blubbering like a lost child and find out what it was the girl wanted so desperately to tell.

Cait slammed her forehead against the hardwood floor and began to scream along with the spirit. She was oblivious to how unhelpful she was being, adding to the noise of the monstrous sounds echoing inside her skull. The wider she opened her mouth the louder the cry became as she desperately kicked herself into a corner of the room right by her bed. A part of the bed frame stabbed her spine, temporarily causing the scream to cease and as she climbed atop her plush safety zone it dawned on her the spirit’s cries had came to a halt. Even so, she chose crawling into her warm comforters over returning to that doorway. Maybe… Maybe I can just sleep…. Sleep through it…


The cries had ended not because of the quieted Cait, but because she ran out of fear of the brawler. Katie’s soul darted down onto the second floor in Room 2014. There she appeared before Noah briefly in a terrified state as the pale girl trembled, brows burrowed in fear. She hid herself deep in the room, unaware of Noah’s presence with her palms placed on the wall. Rivers cascaded down her sorrowful expression, disappearing before they had a chance to hit the ground. Pure anguish could be clearly seen upon her complexion as the hold of this place ate her up inside; her soul was not permitted to rest.

“Save yourself…” Katie’s spirit whispered through a whimper. “Leave this place…” Then she disappeared for the rest of the night.

[Evil Troy]

Rolled a 12 on the DnD roller.

Like any other night Joseph lay asleep on his bed with nothing more than a single blanket over him, and the room being as dark as it could get. To him this was the only way to get a good night sleep. However, despite his pitch black room and the cold night air one thing the Mythos Complex did not always have was a quite night. Whether it was moans, the crying of a young woman, or the occasional scream; all of these thing managed to bring Joseph out of a deep sleep. Tonight was one of these nights. After hearing a scream from just down the hall Joseph rose up lazily and propped his head up on his right hand and let out a deep breath. At the price he was paying for his room Joseph really could not complain much, but at the same time being woken up multiple times a week at ungodly hours grew old. After sitting silently, for a few minutes, trying to figure out what was going on through the sound of footsteps and voice Joseph finally decided to get up and take a look.

Once Joseph was finally out of his bed he flipped the switch of his lamp and covered his eyes from the painful light which now embraced the room. After a moment Joseph uncovered his eyes and looked down at his boxers. "Heh I should probably up on some clothes first." He quietly said to himself as small smile came to his face. Slowly, almost as if forced, Joseph made his way over to the closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Moments later Joseph had his head poking out of his room and looking out into the dimly lit hallway on the other side. At the end of the hall he saw one of the girls who lived downstairs standing in front of where it sounded like the scream came from. The site of the girl made it to where he wanted to just say forget it and go back to sleep, but at the same time his curiosity of what had happened began to eat away at him. Before Joseph had a chance to decide, however, a rapping sound started coming from his wall. It was in the tune of a song which was unknown to Joseph, but as he looked back in his room to figure out where it was coming from he realized, it was coming from his neighbor Cait.

Although the two had only spoke just a few times, from the moans of pleasure and all the different men she had over he knew that she was, for a lack of better words, a slut. Not even bothering to close his door, Joseph slowly made his way to where the knocking was coming from. However, when he made it to the wall the Knocking stopped. Confused Joseph lifted his hand to knock on the wall when all of a sudden he heard the knocking again, only fainter this time. Joseph could now start feel his heart beat faster as eeriness of what was going on around him started to sink. After taking a moment to look down at his hand he was hold up and letting out a deep breath to calm himself he shook his head and knocked on the wall. Though, no sooner did he knock on the wall did he hear another scream come from right next two.

Startled by the noise Joseph fell back and looked at the wall. The scream was definitely coming from his neighbor but tonight this was no scream of pleasure, tonight it sounded more like a scream of fear. It was then that, without even thinking, Joseph ran out of his room and began knocking on his neighbors door. "H-hey! Are you alright!" He asked after he knocked a few times. Seconds later Joseph realized what it was he had just done, and, like always, his heart started beating even faster and his face grew hotter and hotter. "Shit! She may be a slut but she's still pretty hot! What the hell am I going to say to her!?" He quietly said to himself as he waited for an answer.

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]
As soon and Howl opened the door Hanna heard the spirit's call, the sudden noise made her take a step back. This Katie person had killed herself a fair bit before Hanna had come to the building, but she'd heard others occationally talk about hearing her. She didn't really believe it was a ghost, but it was hard to deny things when you hear them for yourself. ~It will take more then noises to scare me.~ she quickly glanced at the young man who asked her a question, answered with a blunt "No" and hurried in to Boot's side.

"Hey hey, you're alright." She said softly as she went down to her knees and put her arms around Holly, "She can't do anything to you, I promise." she then turned her head and addressed the spirit, "Go away Katie." she told it as polite as she could, "You're scaring Holly, you don't want that do you?" she turned her attention back to Holly. "You'll be just fine Holly, I promise." she told her as she hugged the girl.

But Hanna wasn't sure of that herself when she heard one of the tenants down the hall start to scream as well. Hanna put her arm around Holly's head to cover her ears and keep the sound away. ~Stop screaming you bitch.~ she thought at the person's direction, she'd been perfectly able to explain away or ignore the few things she'd experienced before in the building, but someone screaming right across the hallway was a bit difficult to ignore. "Everything's fine Boots, Howl and I are here so nothing cane touch you." Hanna knew that if anything could keep Boots calm it was Howl.

[Public_Hazard]

15

The screams of them all had yet to stop as pounding on the thin walls echoed through out the complex. From the distant voices that bounced off the walls and into Noah's ears Howl was the one to stand out above the rest. The rather protective man was likely taking charge of the entire dilemma. Of course he seemed more fixated on something else by the hammering of his foot steps as the cries of the others were coming from the other side of the hallway. With another chug at his whiskey he kept his ears tuned to everyone else as he let his eyes drift shut. The buzz of the alcohol had yet to kick into his system, a rather discomforting issue that had grown within him as the liquid drug's effects slowly had a much lesser effect over time. At his current understanding it would take every drop to knock him out for the night.

The pounding came to a sudden stop from above, causing Noah to pay closer attention to what was happening. A sudden chill surged through him as he encircled his arms around his torso to seek warmth, he was left uncertain of the cause as it vanished. He knew first hand the feeling of being drunk or buzzed, judging from what he could tell his mind was still considered sober. Suddenly a drift of whimpering entered his ear canal, much like the soft cold wind surrounding his body earlier. The noice was far too close to be coming from outside, with this thought Noah slowly opened his eyes as a figure descended like air through the walls of his ceiling.

Left in subtle shock Noah remained silent observing the pitiful state of the transparent being before him, her hair was long and elegant despite its untamed nature. Her soft looking expression of pain caused a twinge in Noah's heart as he softly paced towards her. The streams of transparent tears carressed her plump pale cheecks as they cascaded into nothingness. "Katie..?" Noah spoke with tears building on the rims of his eyes, a subtle cracking coming past his rigid voice. "Save yourself...." Her soft whisper barely audible in the room as she gasped a whimper. "Wait what do you mean?!" Noah raised his tone as her figure began to merge with the air surrounding them, his body instinctively moving towards her "...Leave this place." and without a second of silence she vanished.

"Katie!" Noah slammed his fist onto the surface the girl had been leaning on. His action rippling through the wall likely causing his neighbors to hear. His tears had already begun to stream down his bloody face, merging at his chin and dripping onto the floor. "Come back, we can help you....I can help you" his soft voice only meant for her as his nails scratched the surface and placed his forehead on it. Sitting this way he waited for a few moments before slamming his fist once again "God damn it! Come back!" he screamed out uncaring for who heard his cries. A slik river of whiskey began to flow from the ignored bottle on the floor, its content would remain untouched for the remainder of the night.

Brushing away the tears with his arm Noah made his way towards the door of his room, the cracked door still remained in its opened position from earlier. The cries had completely ceased except for a few whimpers emerging from the upstairs corridor. Not taking the time to be bothered with safety, his figure leaped over unneeded steps. He had forgotten to clean up his bloody exterior but all of that was rather unimportant to him as he entered the hallway. From the looks of everyone, most were left uncertain of the situation, a few whimpers were coming from Boot's room and with a quick glance inside Hannah was comforting her "Go away Katie...". He could already assume what had happened within this small hallway. However his attention came towards Howl as his rigid exterior made its way towards what was once Katie's room.

Gritting his teeth Noah called him out before he could reach the door, "Howl!" he paced towards him. "What the hell happened in here?" keeping his voice down and his anger at bay Noah spoke to him. With the time he had spent in this complex he was fully aware of Howl's protective nature to Boots. Judging from the cries coming from the man's room he was certain Howl was looking to bite off his anger on Katie. The image of the scared small girl had already engrained itself on the surface of Noah's mind. Unwilling to tolerate Howl's brawler nature Noah took a step toward calming the beastly man or at least slow him down.

[Zatory-Master]

(1d20)[9]

Keito looked up at his guardian. She was shivering just like him. She had asked him,"Jesus, it's cold in here... You okay?" Looking at Keito who felt like he was going to freeze to death. Keito responded with a small nod and continued rocking on the bed. They lived on floor three. He expected it to be cold, but not that cold. He had forgottened about the shreek that he had heard earlier and focused on the cold. Sadly, for poor little Keito Defam Jr. Things got a little worse.

A four legged creature had jumped on the bed. It's height reached Keito's knees and it was covered in fur. This was Ellie's pet cat, snickers. Keito slowly moved away from the creature. He knew what they were capable off. A little jump and cat's could cut his face into tiny pieces. He attempted to pet it, but with just a meow of the cat, Keito was already on the other side of the bed. He was still shivering but he kept his eyes on the Cat. Hoping it would just jump off the bed and walk away with no problems.

He glance at the cat was interrupted when Elli asked him,"Say, you must be freezing like me... do you want some warm?" He looked at her with warm eyes and nodded. He needed something fast. Being in the freezing room like that could be bad for someone unless they have something to warm them up. Keito sat there and waited for Ellie to do what she had in mind.

[Tune]

[roll0]

The soft touch of his warm hand against her cheek and the faint feeling of her hair being brushed out of her face shocked her. She tensed, and for a moment, she contemplated knocking his hand away. She shook her head, and brushed his hand away. He couldn't see any movement she made without his glasses - and for that she was thankful.

"I do not scream," she replied, pulling the blankets closer to her chest.

Tense and uncomfortable from Apollo's affectionate touch, the lack of sheets and clothing between them was unnerving as she sobered up. Goosebumps rose up when she turned over to face him more, her breasts mistakenly rubbing against his chest from the slight shift. In the dark, the faintest heat radiating from her cheeks hide her blush from sight.

She struggled to form words. Swallowing her embarrassment, she shook her head 'no' to his question, followed by an uncertain nod. "I'm fine." She looked away, though it wouldn't matter, her eyes traveling towards the door. "Should we.. go check?"

The thought of leaving the warm covers made her shrink back underneath the warm fabric. Her clothes... they were somewhere on the floor, lost within his own clothing. A small grin spread across her lips at the thought of his expensive clothing being worn by anyone other than him. He'd surely take offense but despite his stuffy demeanor and corporate job, he had a knack at surprising her at times.

Noises of all kind suddenly erupted from Apollo's room. Noah was back, and by the sounds of his shouting, he wasn't in the best of moods. Katia knew well the sound of a fist making contact with something - and the thin wall was no exception to that little life fact. The abruptness of it all sent Katia clinging to Apollo.

[The Imposter]

Rolls a 10 on the DnD dice rolla

The ominous door with its red glow called out to Daniel as he limped towards it. His leg still numb with pins and needles. Fact was that the commotion on the other side really is what was calling him. Thumps and voices only enticed him further into swinging the door open rather quickly, so much so that it smacked against the wall. Knocking down the baseball bat he kept beside the door, just in case. He hobbled out into the hall and called out to the room across from his own. His tone seemingly cheerful but carried with it a slight undertone of agitation.

'What the hell is going on over there? Everything alright? I hope no one is acting out that famous scene from Ghost!!?'

Seemingly there was no answer, but Daniel's ears picked up someone talking at the top of the stairs on the next floor. He quickly shuffled and did his best at getting up to see who was up there. His method was quick but it was hardly silent with his leg annoyingly giving him trouble still. When he got there he saw Noah and then Howl. In that moment Daniel almost wished he had stayed in his room. A nervous laugh seeped out through his lips as he looked at them both down the hall. Of course it would be the two guys that looked like they ate people like Daniel for breakfast that would be conversing in the hallway in the middle of the night.

'Well....looks like you two have everything under control up here. Hehehe....We can all just pretend I never poked my face up here and you two can go back to whatever it was you were doing.'

[Preach]

[12]

Was it - had it stopped? She couldn't hear the crying anymore. Sitting up hesitantly, Bridget flinched and froze once more when a scream rang through the building. This wasn't coming from her room - it was coming from elsewhere on her floor. Maybe the ghost had moved on to spook someone else? She wasn't sure, and didn't care. Her hands were shaking. She took some deep breaths to calm down. Tea, yes, she would make some tea - that would calm her down, certainly.

Regretting the decision to pull the covers off quite so violently as the cold air hit her, Bridget slid off the bed and slipped her feet into the slippers on the floor. Some footsteps and shouting were audible from the hallway.

She sighed. Her ghost roommate was apparently gone, but with the ruckus the other tenants were making it seemed unlikely she would get any sleep that night. Resigned, she flipped the lights on and shuffled to the kitchen area to turn on her electric kettle. As she took down some tea bags from her cupboard, she heard more footsteps and voices. She brushed some stray hair away from her face and approached her front door, deciding to see just what was going on outside, in case she should be concerned.

Unlocking and opening her door, light from her room poured out. She could see Howl, whom she'd always found somewhat intimidating, being confronted by Noah, who she also found intimidating. Great. Were the two going to fight? Well, she certainly wasn't going to stick around to find out. Slightly behind them, she could also see Daniel, who looked uncomfortable to be there, as well as Joseph, her neighbour, knocking on someone's door.

The kettle was whistling behind her. Her mind raced again, and she made another decision. She motioned at Daniel, and at Joseph, inviting them in. She wasn't really sure why - maybe because they looked as nervous as she felt? And though she preferred to be alone, she wouldn't mind having company just then, not when people were screaming and she'd just been haunted. Sometimes, when she couldn't handle being alone, she would visit Hanna. Now, however, the thought of reaching Hanna's room and having to pass Howl and Noah in the process made her uncomfortable. Besides, if they did choose to come by, it wouldn't be that many people anyway. It wouldn't be as bad as dealing with a big group of people. It would be fine.

[Wanderess]

[2]
Ellie smiled a bit at his answer and slipped on her college sweater which had her school mascot on it, and jumped out of the bed to go get the two of them some thing warm and comfy. Snickers scattered off ahead of Ellie as headed over to the counter and poured the two of them hot chocolate. Once done with the drinks she scattered off to the corner of the apartment room and reaches down inside a box and pulled out two blankets, that would keep the two of them warm through the rest of the night... if it even was night. She glanced up at the window which showed nothing but darkness. She yawned again and realized she was still a bit asleep. She walked over to the small bed that she slept on and handed the boy one of the hot cups.
"It's hot chocolate," she said, as she also tossed him a fuzzy blanket. She settled down crisscrossed in the middle of the small bed and felt the black cat jump up next to her and sit in the space between Keito and Ellie. Ellie stroked her soft black fur that felt like satin between her fingers. Ellie wrapped herself tightly with the blankets she had, and looked to see that Keito had just enough blankets to keep him warm as he could be.
"So!" Ellie said as she set down her cup on her dresser. "Today is a special day at work for me, and I was wondering if you wanted to come and help me out with it?" She said it with a smile and looked at the boy. "Do you like animals, cause I was gonna leave in the morning- if it is morning, seeing as I can't seem to find my alarm clock- , and I was just thinking you would like to get out of the apartment or something..." Ellie trailed off, and looked out the window, seeing the flurries of streaming snow that went hectic outside. "But I think Mother nature has different plans I guess..." she grumbled and shivered. Ellie needed to have a word with the landlord as to why the heater wasn't working. But not now, as she was scared that the drunkards in the building prowled like carnivorous dogs looking for another victim to consume along with their booze.
Eli sipped her cup, but not before she was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream that made her jump in surprise. She covered her ears in extreme discomfort as the sound intensified, and pushed harder and harder, until it had stopped just as suddenly as it had began.

What the hell is going on out there? she thought as she slowly stood up, dropping the blanket, and walking towards the door, she looked back at the boy.

"Stay here, please," Ellie asked him kindly and firmly, hoping the boy would listen. Snickers jumped off of Ellie's laugh when she got up, and now looked curiously at her owner.
"The same goes to you too missy," Ellie said pointing a finger at the cat before going out into the cold hallway.

[Leon G]

[17-With D&D dice roller]
As Consul was plunged into the darkness, she wondered whether if she was in some horrific nightmare. As she hit the cold, slimy floor and watched with wide eyes as the riddle on the wall glowed, she was uncertain of her state of consciousness. She had that feeling when something weird happens and you feel like you’re watching yourself from a distance, but you’re in your body at the same time. Consul sat in the dark for a few minutes, collecting herself. She lightly pinched her arm. She felt the pressure, so she safely concluded that it wasn’t a dream. Then...where was she? She stood up slowly and looked around. It was dark, so it was hard to see anything. She squinted and saw little silhouettes of...caterpillars? That or little slugs with spikes. It was more likely to be the former, though. Many caterpillars had spikes such as the Black Fuzzy Caterpillar. The more she studied the creatures, the less they looked like caterpillars, so she quickly turned her head to study the riddle and stop looking at the creatures. After reading it once, the answer seemed fairly obvious. The only difficult part would be answering in rhyme. Once more Consul sat down and began to think.

Constructing a simple rhyme in her head, it was 5 minutes until Consul opened her mouth to speak. Then she closed it, thinking of something. Who did this to her? She never really knew what was going on. At this point, Consul wondered if this was some sort of joke. No, Consul didn’t have many friends who would pull such a prank and they didn’t know where she lived. Or maybe it was a new gameshow/prankshow. Did she say she had wanted to be on one to someone earlier? Aware that this was a possibility, Consul became self-conscious and straightened up. Okay, if this was a test or gameshow, she had to make it good. She had to be even better than them at this little game. With a little new confidence she called out:

“There are many types of people in this world,
From tall burly men, to tiny little girls.

They’re all so different, but put that aside,
And look at what flows inside

A life-dependent plasma connects them all
And they shall die, lest too much falls.

Hospitals keep the fluids in sacks,
It is spilled by soilders when countries attack.

It is used for the letters on the stone,
And I think that it will let me go home.

If it’s wrong, I shall be a dud.
But I’m pretty sure the answer’s blood.”

[Zatory-Master]

ALREADY ROLLED FOR THIS ROUND~

Keito sat alone whith the cat roaming around. He was pretty scared. He was alone in the little bedroom with a cat that could chew him up. Of course he was exaggerating, but this was how his brain made up stories to give poor Keito even more fear. He looked at the opening where it connected with the rest of the appartment, but couldn't see Ellie yet. He looked around with his innocent eyes. Everything seemed lifeless and cold. He dug deeper into his blanket,waiting for Ellie to return.

Ellie finally returned and had a weird expression on her face."Here, it's hot chocolate," Keito wanted to know what was wrong, but got distracted by the hot beverage. Keito took it, blew a little into it and than drank it with pleasure. It felt like a warm waterfall falling into his very core, causing his to body to warm up to a preffered temperature that made Keito smile. He drank it all got out of bed. He went to the near by lamp stand and placed his empty cup there. He then turned to Ellie with a smile. He had on long soft pants that were meant for sleeping, and wore a zipped up jacket that was a bit too big for him.

Ellie interrupted the silence, "So!" She said placing her cup down. "Today is a special day at work for me, and I was wondering if you wanted to come and help me out with it?" Keito was easily interested in what she said. He wanted to know what she did for a living? Why is was a special day? And why she would bring him along? His eyes opened with a bit of excitement, until she asked the final question. "Do you like animals?" Keito was afraid of almost anything that could walk. Keito was in a no-win situation. He could stay there all alone(which he couldn't because his under age) or go with her to who knows where with animals. He had no choice. He spoke softly,"I don't like animals...but I'll go with you anyways..." Then waited for Elli to respond.

Sadly, Ellie had told him to stay instead with the cat, snickers. Ellie left the apartment and went to the hall. Keito just went back to the cold bed and looked at the cat. He was getting use to him a little.

[AsianFighter]

[roll0]

"Should we... go check?" Though it was very faint, Apollo could have sworn that he heard someone tapping the "Shave and a Haircut" rhythm from somewhere above him. Apollo was silent, merely thinking. Some people said these flats were haunted and, sure, he didn't really believe the rumours, but he couldn't deny that he wasn't curious. Random screams in the night? Who wouldn't be curious? Chances are, it was probably just someone upstairs having a nightmare and then throwing a fit over it. This was a crowded complex, with a lot of strange people, sometimes weird stuff happened. It was natural. Apollo opened his mouth to respond to the woman under the covers when his ears perked up.

"KATIE!" Apollo failed to resist a sigh as he heard a very audible banging coming from, without a doubt, the room he shared with Noah... sometimes. Apollo placed a kiss on the top of his bedmate's head before pulling away.

"Well, you can check out the noises upstairs, if you like. It sounds like Noah broke into the wine again," the man said with a slight sting. A wall away, the younger boy cried out without any regard as to who heard, and Apollo suddenly found himself - stark naked - fully exposed to the winter chill as he searched the clothing on the floor. He quietly muttered something about possibly "killing you if that alcohol doesn't." After accidentally grabbing a handful of lacy underthings, which he placed on the edge of the bed, he found his own clothing, thrown haphazardly onto the floor in the heat of the moment. Usually, he wasn't one to treat his clothing with such disregard but, well, he was focused on something else at the time. Despite the darkness, the accountant dressed with ease. Boxers, slacks, right sock, left. His roommate, it seemed, had found his way into the hall, where he was frantically yelling about something or other.

"Have you got any sedative on you?" he joked bitterly, talking over Noah's yelling. He'd never been a fan of alcoholism. Sure, Apollo drank every now and again, but drunk was not an adjective that regularly applied to the businessman. "I think I left mine in the car." After he'd pulled on his black undershirt (he strongly believed there was a special place in hell for men who wore button up shirts without undershirts), Apollo stopped, his arm halfway through a sleeve of his button up before handing it to Katia. In the current light, the shirt was just as black as every other object, but in regular lighting it was a deep red. While it was true, he wasn't fond of other people wearing his clothes, sometimes he made an exception for Katia... he also kind of liked how she somehow made men's shirts look sexy, but that part he hadn't told her.

"Here. It isn't a winter coat but it's something," he told her quietly. He pulled on his suit coat, which had probably suffered a wrinkle, and his glasses before walking towards the crack of light that indicated a doorway. The last thing he said to Katia was a brief, "Two seconds," before he entered the hall. After Apollo shut the door behind him, he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. The man mentally ran through lists of what he was going to say to his alcohol loving friend once he found him. Once Apollo climbed the flight of stairs reaching the floor above him, he could easily spot Noah by his head of white hair. The figure across from him seemed familiar, though Apollo couldn't pull the young man's name from memory if his life depended on it. It seemed Apollo's sudden appearance caused a slight increase in tension in the hall, and he slowly realized that the small passage was filled with men who had mixed emotions, and one very uncomfortable looking girl standing in her doorway.

"In certain Native American tribes," he began awkwardly, "this would be considered a pow wow." Apollo blinked. He had always been an avid fan of academia and trivia - and especially academic trivia - but sometimes he ended up saying facts when nothing else came to mind. This was one of this times. "Uh, come on, chief," he joked, putting a hand on his roommate's shoulder, "I think you've had too much fire water."

[Sickly]

[10]


http://gallery.animeinfo.ru/img/Mihaeroff_Mihai-71200-50376-1.jpg

When I first began to experience it I had thought that my dream's were becoming reality. I thought perhaps the scandal had shook loose the parts of me I had stuffed so far back into my brain. Maybe it was the pills I was taking. Maybe it was everything. Eric's disappearance hit me harder than any scandal that ever was apart of the reality I knew before. I seemed to lose myself after that day. It repeats everyday, flashes across my eye's when I dream at night. I scream for him at sudden points through out my day. Lately its become more and more of a relief, the outbursts, that is. The problem arises when I sit before my desk and wonder why I sit there. Then I fade into dream when I cannot ponder any longer. These screams of mine echo loudly in my skull and wake me from any memory I've disappeared into.

Yesterday I found that the door to my apartment will not open. At first I thought I wasn't trying hard enough to open it which honestly came to my surprise as the door itself had never presented any form of difficulty before. After my second attempt I decided to imagine that it wasn't the door but in fact it was really just myself. I convinced myself that somehow I must have gone insane from.....something. I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was, if anything at all in the first place.

No. I think its because something won't let me. I thought I was being silly but as I began to devote thought to the concept I realized that perhaps this was indeed the case. I started to write down my experiences in my notes. It did me no good to study the moments i had with my own mind, but isolation certainly forced me to try. I think Eric first appeared in the reflection of my shower head. I admit the sight didn't surprise me it was comforting to feel him at my side. I swear I could feel his hands slide down the nape of my neck and down my spine. I turn and see nothing knowing that it truly was just my imagination.

Eric appeared two days later when I stared empty into my bathroom mirror. I was naked. Most of the time I neglect to wear my clothes. Sometimes it feels stifling and others I feel as if I must lay in my bed and turn side to side in the hopes that he might appear next to me and that those eye's of his would beckon me to him for another night of passion. This was not one of those times. I stared into the mirror and waited. I did not know the Mirror itself would be my medium to his presence. I did not expect anything. I simply stared until the light from the windows became shadows. Hunger did not faze me so I did not move. I simply stared. Thirst did not draw me to the kitchen so I did not move. As darkness drifted through out the apartment I stood still. Then out of the mirror came a light that shined only within itself. It did not brighten the room with it's glare instead it only made the image visible.

I could not see his face, obscured by the edges of the mirror. It was his naked body. Well as far I could tell again, accosted by the borders of the image. For a moment I imagined myself dashing the mirror against the ground in frustration but who knew if that would solve anything. As I stood and watched the image dance, the body move, the parts I knew where there but could not be seen began to appear before my Mind's eye. I knew they were his and of course I knew them well. I merely had to let go of this petty reality and give in to the dream. One the held the risk of Horrors but the reward made it worth it. My faith was well rewarded that night. I felt his touch in my own, his breath in my own, his groans in my own.

I awoke the next day to find myself still exhausted yet satisfied. My door was open again. My sanity back and my hope renewed. Perhaps he was communicating with me trying to help me and I greedily welcomed his help in the future.

[Wanderess]

Ellie shivered and shook her covered arms as the cold seem to penetrate through them like it was freaking nothing. She really needed to where longer pants then her summer shorts and college jacket.
She saw the group of people, and hoping someone of the group could answer her questions, she walked over to them, wrapping herself in her own arms to gather some warmth. The complex was the strangest places she had stayed at. Creaks, and moans would echo through the walls and ride upon the winds that brought noises that could not explain, to her ears.
She saw the faces of the group of people through the dim light, and noted that Noah, Apollo, Howl, Daniel, and Bridget who stood in her doorway. Their names she knew, because of good research, and occasionally bumping into some of them at a time. But Noah was the only person who's name she knew and only his name.
"What, are you guys throwing a party in the hallway?" Ellie grumbled a bit annoyed at all the noises they were making. "What's going on?"

[Ru]

Howl rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Result received “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in post.
Boots rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Result received “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in post.
Cait rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Result received “kidnap.” Will be implemented in post.
Joseph rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Result received “noise.” Will be implemented in post.
Hanna rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Result received “monster.” Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Result received “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Keito rolled a 9. An outside roll was made. Result received “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Katia rolled a 9. An outside roll was made. Result received “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Daniel rolled a 10. An outside roll was made. Result received “riddle.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Bridget rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Result received “noise.” Will be implemented in post.
Ellie rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received “rumor.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Consul rolled a 17. An outside roll was made. Result received “secret.” Will be implemented post.
Apollo rolled an 11. An outside roll was made. Result received “clue.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Anselm rolled a 10. An outside roll was made. Result received “ghost noise.” Will be implement in post.

Ru's New Rolls

Howl (1); Boots (11); Cait (4).

Unknown, Dark Area — Consul's Location

The bloody thirsty creatures managed to creep up onto Consul and a couple even burrowed into her skin, sucking at her blood like leaches in the Amazon as she thought of ways to word the answer. To many the riddle was quite simple, but it was too simple. Could the result truly be as clear as the tip of their nose? No, riddles were meant to be confusing, complex, and baffle, but not in the case of this poem written before her. This girl clearly knew better and answered quickly than expected, causing the crawlers to squirm away and seemingly disappear, at least for the moment, though they did manage to get a few cuts on the girl’s legs and took a bit of blood before leaving completely.

An old, busted, and rusty door creaked open, revealing the dim, green glow of the hallway outside of the room she had been briefly held captive in. The light cascaded through, creating a blurred line on her feet, while the rest of her was still in shadow. A dark image flashed across the gap, though too unclear to the naked eye what it may be as its stomped fell into the distance through faint echoes until silence crept back into her vicinity.

“Run up stairs… stay on the shadow’s edge. You’ll be safe there,” came a soft whisper, whisking its way through Consul’s ear; a silent secret the dead wished they had known before they met their end.


The Main Building

Howl snapped his head back only to face an unsuspected neighbor: Noah. After turning his body away from the door to 3011 he decided to make a gruff response, as he felt the answer to his question should have been obvious. When was there ever noise in this complex? When someone died or a ghost decided to bug people, otherwise it was quiet as the grave here, so why even ask anymore? “I’m havin’ a meetin’ in the morning to stop this shit. If you’re in, then show up in the lounge tomorrow,” came the groggy demand; he could give two shits if anyone actually showed up, honestly. If their death wish lay within these haunted grounds, then so be it. He shot his glare over a shoulder towards Bridget, indicating he meant her as well, then also to Apollo, who just decided to come into the picture and attempt to shed some humor.

This man did not see the humor in the situation.

Just as he was stepping past the two men and towards the room across the way he noticed its resident was already out and knocking on Cait’s door, which he found odd. Never had he seen those two speak to each other before, so why now? Howl was not one to pry, so he pushed the thought away and walked towards him, repeating the same snarl of a invitation he gave to the others, then proceeded to head to Boots and Hanna, where he would say it again, but his thoughts were interrupted by what he could only assume was Katie.

Please, save her…

Came the faint voice seemingly from nowhere that was only heard by Howl, Boots, and somehow Anselm. Howl immediately looked behind him, then back inside his own room where he saw Boots expressing the same confusion, darting her head about like a deer lost in traffic. The request was so vague, yet held immense meaning coming from the desperate dead. Instinctively he assumed it meant she must be in danger, thus he entered his domain, shut the door, and knelt by Boots’s side. If only it was the right “her.”

Somehow only two residents — Bridget and Joseph — of Mythos Complex were able to here the stomping of the creature making its way up the stairs from the depths of the first floor until it managed to stagger onto the third. Keeping to the shadows made the monster’s form unclear, except for its glowing yellow eyes contrasting against the darkness it traveled though. Once it reached the highest area its steps were audible to all.

Howl’s response was to wrap his arms around both girls in his room then returned to his feet. Protectively he began to step forward, ready to take down the beast if necessary while Boots kept her face close to the floor with a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

However, he was still wrong.

The shadow creature shrunk onto the floor, keeping to the areas of black, and crept towards the group in the hallway. A pearly white grin barred with fangs appeared beneath its ghastly eyes as they fell upon the innocent Elizabeth amongst the men, blocking his view of the other woman. Women were too tempting for its taste buds to go ignored, at least one should suffice. She was not the mission, oh, how he had mistakenly headed deeper into the hallway than necessary, but the master did not say breakfast was not on the menu; the master expressed little words. So long as the mission was kept… the mission would be kept.

He leapt forward and, with little care to whether the child or others saw, began to rip the woman apart with its sharp claws and eager dagger-like teeth, consuming the sustenance greedily as the blood dripped carelessly out of its mouth. Within a matter of seconds Elizabeth Longwhell had went from handing a child cocoa and asking her neighbors what was gong on, to becoming the meal of a starving, demonic creature from the depths below. Barely enough was left of her when it stopped consuming to even identify her remains. Though, somehow, the kill was clean enough to only stain the floor and not the clothes of the people around them.

Goldenrod orbs glanced up at the group, the bloody grin still etched onto its dark mug, but men weren’t on the menu and through them it could not see delicious Bridget. It exited the hallway the same way it came, edging along the shadows away from the humans the best he could.

Cait, unaware of the massacre occurring let alone anything going on in the hall, finally mustered up the courage to leave her corner and approach the door, especially once Joseph spoke up. At least one of her neighbors managed to hear her and he did seem concerned, but was he really? Or was he hoping for a blowjob like the rest of the men who ran into her? A sigh seeped out of her plump lips as she took careful steps closer.

Slowly, cautiously, she opened the door and poked her head out to look up at Joseph. “I…” she stammered, glancing into his eyes, then down at the floor. “I’m sorry,” Cait spoke up in a deep, Scottish accent with furrowed brows. “I…” but before anymore words could be uttered her jaw dropped and her eyes widened so large they threatened to bulge out of her own face at the sight she saw behind him as the same creature with blood dripping from its shadowed lips rose up in a threatening fashion.

She let out another scream and attempted to run back into her room, but it grabbed onto her ankles and dragged her down the stairs with her nails digging into the wooden floorboards. Cait continued to let out a blood curdling scream until it finally managed to drag her down onto the first floor, then the complex returned to silence.

[Public_Hazard]

[10]

The confrontation did not go unnoticed within the hallway of the third floor. The few residents that found themselves watching the scene were either timid of the situation or simply chose to say nothing of the matter. Noah gave a slight gesture with his hand without turning back to signal Daniel that everything was fine, as fine as anything could be within the Complex. There was no sudden need to be concerned though, Howl, even with his brawler charisma, wouldn't start a fight over a simple question such as this one. With the years spent here Noah and Howl had come to know each other, a simple form of formality was at least present between the two.

Apollo, his roommate, also chose this time to make himself known, the slick man had obviously been left in the dark about the whole situation as he failed at an attempt of humor. The fact that he was even here didn't surprise Noah, he had most likely been next door with Kaita and overheard his encounter in their room. Howl also seemed to find the statement out of place as he looked towards them “I’m havin’ a meetin’ in the morning to stop this shit. If you’re in, then show up in the lounge tomorrow.” He gestured towards the two men and then at the door next to them, with the arrival of Apollo, Noah had failed to notice the arrival of another pair of eyes looming over them. Bridget, a young red headed woman that he had known for some time now had been watching them quietly, he felt rather grateful for that sense of privacy she gave them. A gratefulness he did not feel towards his roommate.

Shrugging off Apollo's hand Noah paced towards Bridget "I apologize for the commotion, I'm sure we'll figure out what to do when we gather everyone in the morning." He let a soft smile plaster itself on his rigid face before turning towards Howl. The man was informing Joseph of the meeting before seeming to head back towards his room. Overall Noah was simply satisfied that his question had stopped the brute from breaking down the door of room 3011, he didn't need an answer from him. Katie had suffered enough as it is.

He turned back towards the girl at the door before speaking again "Let me know if you need anything." It was the least he could do, no matter what anyone would say, the Complex almost demanded its inhabitants to find some form of unity. Giving a slight nod towards the girl he began to make his way towards the stairs and make his leave. Howl had long dissapeared into his room, Joseph who still remained in the hallway seemed to be fixated on something. Noah furrowed his brows before looking back at the girl he had spoken to, he scanned over her eyes searching for any form of confusion or fear. However his attention was cut off as the room of the another inhabitant, Ellie, came open.

The girl seemed to have been utterly left out of everything as she gave a simple question to them "What, are you guys throwing a party in the hallway?" she spoke in a rather annoyed tone gestured towards him "What's going on?" A sudden stomp cut him off before he could reply, Noah was unsure of the source as he looked towards were he thought it came from. The shadows seemed to be empty, a blackness of nothing that held a beating of steps. Suddenly eyes of fire came open, white tinged steel for teeth and claws illuminating from the little light available in the hallway. Its blood thirsty eyes tuned towards something, Noah followed its path until he caught the final sight of Ellie's eyes.

Her form dropped into a pile of blood as in a matter of seconds the creature consumed almost every inch of her flesh. The teeth bared at Noah and Apollo, as it looked at them mocking them as it stood over her corpse "You son of a bitch!!" Noah screamed out as he pulled his combat knife from his back pocket, he attempted to lunge at it however the creature slithered away before creeping into the darkness. An eerie silence that followed only added to the tension. Gritting his teeth Noah stared at the pile of bent flesh, he was not one to be overwhelmed by the sight, he had seen far worse corpses in his field of work. It was the very simple truth that he couldn't have done anything to stop it, Ellie had been a school teacher she didn't deserve to die this way. Another scream entered his ears as he turned towards Joseph on the other side of the hall, Cait's nails dug into the floor as her form and voice vanished into the darkness. She was too far away for him to be of any help.

Placing a hand on Apollo's shoulder to get his attention Noah spoke to him,"I need you to go get Keito, I'm going to cover Ellie with a blanket. We can only hope that kid didn't see anything." He didn't wait for the man's acknowledgment before turning to Bridget. "Take this, and stay inside, I'll come back to check on you when I'm done out here.... I promise." His voice spoke out firmly to her, his eyes were glazed over with resolve and anger as he did his best to keep a calm exterior. As he handed her his large combat knife, he firmly hold on to her hand for a few extra seconds, he needed the small comfort, before turning towards Ellie's room and going inside to find a blanket to cover her, he wa s unsure if the girl would actually listen to him. He just didn't want to lose anyone else, not if he could make sure of it.

[Preach]

[16]

Bridget felt more frustrated than anxious at this point – why were so many people in her hallway? Half of them didn’t even live on this floor. Though she didn’t mind Apollo being there, they’d spoken of classical music before, she smiled slightly at his awkward attempt at humour. Her expression quickly became blank again once Howl began to speak, but she made a mental note to attend the ‘conference’ he would be holding. He’d lived in Mythos for a while, after all, it would likely prove useful to go. She smiled again, this time at Noah – she believed he was intimidating, certainly, but he had always seemed courteous. As he addressed her again, she nodded and smiled once more, slightly wider this time, believing that was enough.

Ellie appeared, inquiring something, and Howl left the hallway. Then came footsteps. Loud. Unnaturally loud. What? A profound sense of fear overcame her, but she felt frozen to the spot, only managing to step slightly inside the threshold of her room. A pair of yellow somethings appeared in the darkness near the stairwell -eyes? Bridget found herself unable to look away.

As the monster struck a scream welled up in her throat - her hands flew to her mouth and stifled it, resulting in a strangled, quiet noise. Her eyes widened, then clamped shut once Cait screamed and was taken to god-knows where. Bridget fell against the doorframe of her room as her legs gave out. She had no idea that the hall gathering she’d been annoyed about had saved her life. Nonetheless, she was thankful they were there – they’d blocked her view of the worst of it. Bridget realized she’d been holding her breath. Her hands stayed at her mouth momentarily, as she breathed deeply they dropped to her side. She inhaled, noticing the irony smell of blood, fought back the urge to scream once more. It was all she could do to keep her breathing steady.

Once she opened her eyes she saw that people were actually moving around in the hallway, taking action. Oh, why Ellie? Didn’t she have a ward? What would happen to the child now? She avoided looking at where the remains would be, choosing to fix her eyes on the floor at her feet. Then, a knife was being thrust into her hand and Noah was speaking. She actually wanted to respond this time, to say thanks, or don’t go, to say anything – but couldn’t, she couldn’t make a sound. Instead, she nodded, gripped his hand lightly, her eyes pleading. His words and touch brought her back to reality, though she was still in a state of shock. Bridget shuffled into her room and plopped onto a couch, going through the motions almost automatically, neglecting to close the door. She leaned forward, hands on her face, leaving the knife on her lap. All she could focus on was keeping her breathing steady, all she could think of was how desperately she didn’t want to be alone.

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]

Hanna did not leave Holly's side for a second, still holding onto her Hanna moved so that she was between the door and boots, "What ever you do, do, not, look." she told Holly as she heard the footsteps ~What the fuck is happening?!~ she wanted to scream, but she wasn't going to start screaming like a scared little girl now. Her confidence froze however when she heard a horrific ripping sound coming from behind her and suddenly all she could say was, "Oh god, oh god, oh god." Hanna closed her eyes and held Boots close to her, praying to any god who would listen to make the noise stop.

When it finally did she loosened her hold on Boots and said, "Stay here, please Holly, just stay here." Hanna had never been this frightened of anything before, and she wasn't sure whether she was more afraid for herself or for Holly. But she stood up anyway and nervously went to the door, and when she peeked out all color drained from her face "W-who?" she could not tell who it was that was laying in the hall way, but the shock of seeing that much blood was immense. Her eyes lost focus for a moment and when they regained focus she wished they hadn't as she watched something horrible grab Cait and start dragging her away. Stuck between the urge to help her and her own survval instinct Hanna slammed the door shut and put her back against it as she began hyperventilating.

Hanna felt like fainting, or running out of the building screaming, but she couldn't, not now with that thing out there. When she began to hear normal voices from outside the door (Or as normal as possible in that situation) Hanna began moving back towards Holly, "It's all over now, you're safe now sweetie." She said as she took the girl's hand. "Oh dear god, Howl what the fuck was that?" she asked trying not to yell at him.

[Tune]

[roll0]

In the darkness, Katia managed a small smile through all the noise that had happened. Apollo's simple gesture of offering her what she felt was his clothing left her speechless, even after the door closed behind him. The fabric was soft, dark and cold to the touch. She dared slipping out of the warm covers to slide her arms into his shirt, and fumbled with the buttons. She hadn't bothered buttoning up the last few near the collar - a mistake she may later regret - and slipped out of the covers. Feeling around for her underclothes, she found the lacy things laying on the bed for her.

He's... being sweet, Katia thought, pulling on her panties. She hadn't had the chance to button up her shorts when the screaming began upstairs again. This time, it was different. More panicked, and the screams only grew louder. It wasn't long before she heard the screams just outside her door. She tripped backwards over the corner of her hope chest as she tried to scoot further away from the door, save the chance of anything finding her in her dark little room. This was one of those times where she hated living near the stairs.

Grabbing onto one of the blankets, she tugged it to her chest and slid down beneath her window. She wasn't normally scared, not of something like this. But the eerie darkness and the foreboding feeling of being alone left her shaking. Apollo. Struggling to her feet, she felt around in the dark for her slippers and stuck her feet into them. A bud of courage was growing in her chest as she shuffled towards her door. Her hand trembled above the door knob before she turned the knob and opened it up into the hallway. Craning her head around the corner of the doorjam, she couldn't see Apollo or anyone outside their rooms on this floor. Hugging herself from the cold, she ascended the creaking steps to the third floor.

[The Imposter]

Rolls an 8 on the dice rolla!

Daniel was at the top of the stairs, other residents had popped their heads around the scene of Howl and Noah. Things had seemed relatively alright if only for a moment. Howl's words had just made sense to Dan who had to process exactly what Howl meant when he said 'stop this shit'. It was then things started to get freaky. There was too many people, too much commotion it seemed like and Daniel didn't understand why, had he missed something. He was about to open his mouth when it came from the stairwell.

The only thing Daniel could make out was the yellow and white, whatever it was clung away from the dim hall lights. It moved towards the cat girl, and then in moments there the cat girl was gone. Those glowing eyes curled upwards complimenting that unforgettable smile and then it moved. Everything seemed so well timed, Cait's door opening, her words, and whatever it was reaching out for her.

Daniel watched as Cait was pulled down the stairwell just feet from him. Her nails digging in as she was dragged screaming. That scream, it sent a chill down Dan's body and eventually it was gone. Daniel stood looking down the stairs as time passed by around him. Everyone taking some action, but Daniel stood motionless. He took a step towards the stairs before turning to see everyone else.

'What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!!!'

Even if he was a script writer, sometimes there was no other ways to express oneself. Daniel had made his way further down the hall trying to decide on what to do.

'Did we all just see that....Cat girl, Cait'

Daniel had started to pace and was back at the stairs. His mind raced trying to calm his racing heart. He couldn't help but feel like he should have done something. Then the stairs started creaking. Daniel jumped and spun around to face the incoming evil...only to see it was another tenant.

'GAH! Katia, what are you doing?! Calm down Daniel! Phew...chill, are you ok? Did you see anything? Wait! Stop you might not want to look down this way....'

Daniel turned his head back towards where 'Ellie' was and then back at the woman coming up the stairs. Impulsively he took a step towards them trying to block her view of the grisly scene.

[Leon G]

[Rolled a 12]
Ick. Some of the leech, Caterpillar-like things had gone on Consul's legs, leaving cuts. So much for beautiful legs, the thought to herself, examining her bruised legs. Ha, as if her legs weren't already cut from the days of attempting to be feminine and trying to shave...with a pocketknife. (Consul was so stubborn, she wouldn't ask for a razor) She didn't feel faint or dizzy, so at least they didn't do any major damage. She had broken a leg before, so leg damage was nothing new to her. After solving the riddle, a door was open. But instead of someone coming out with a 'surprise!' or 'congrats', a voice told her to run upstairs and stay in the shadows and she'd be 'safe'. Did that mean no more of these tasks? Consul hoped so. She sighed and squinted at the hazy silhouette. She couldn't tell if it was a man, woman or maybe just someone in costume trying to save her. Whatever, it didn't matter. Consul just wanted to get out of there. She had no idea how much time had passed and could not be missing school. Did these people not know what a pain in the arse it was to makeup college classes.

Consul let out a loud "Thanks...I guess!" and jogged down the hallway, sticking to where the shadow's edge. Although Consul didn't mind running, she liked to exercise when she could, although the gym was a bit costly for a broke college student like her, she preferred exercising her mind. Plus, that riddle was kind of fun to solve. If this jogging task wasn't the end of this little game she had been forced to play, she hoped a riddle lay ahead. She smiled to herself thinking about how easy that one was, and if they'd get harder. Keeping a steady pace, her cut legs a small hindrance, Consul began to hum while she jogged.

[Zatory-Master]

(1d20) [19]

Keito looked at the clock. It had been quite some time since Ellie had left the room. He didn't where she headed exactly, but he wanted her home. He was getting a bit scared and his stomach was beginning to speak the words of hunger. He looked at the door. Nothing was seen, heard, or felt. Snickers was beginning to tremble in a coner. It almost looked like itwas weeping. Keito lookef at it, and wondered what got into the little creature. This looked like a bad sign. A bad sign that Keito could not see.

Keito slipped on his boots and put on his jacket. It was warm enough to stand under air condition so he wore that almost everywhere he went. He opened the door and looked down the halls. While Keito walked a man with the whitest hai he had ever seen, passed him by. The man gave him a look of tragedy. He was heading down to where Keito's room was. He had left his door a bit open because he didn't have the key. There, when he reached what he was looking for, he was too late. There was others there. They had seen it. They had seen the terrible event that took place in this spot. Keito ignored them all and focused on the real situation. The splatter of red liquid all over. The insides of a body, laying on the outside. The shell of a being that use to have a soul. A woman, murdered in the hallway. It was clear now. From the ripped clothes she wore. Why snickers weeped in sorrow. There in front of Keito, layed his guardian and sister's best friend, Ellie.

Keito eyes widened, but no tears came out. He was a scaredy cat, but not a cry baby. His whole body felt like it was hit with a powerful wave of sadness and fear. He was trembling at the sight. For a little while, he was expecting to see a figure in black to come out with a bag that was labeled, "Souls". Keito fell on his bottom holding himself up with one hand. His mouth opened in a big surprised expression. He looked down at his hands. They were a bit stained from Ellie's spread body fluid. A tear came out of Keito's left eye. But that was it. He didn't make a single sound except for his steps once he was running back to the room. He passed the man again, he was holding some blankets that Keito could of recognized if it wasn't for his mind being clouded by the images of Ellie.

He rushed in and shut the door, but did not bother to lock it. He took all the blankets available in the room and put them on top of himself on his bed. He covered every visible part of his body except for his eyes. He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth hoping he image would dissapear and if it was a dream, to finally awake from this nightmare. The cat stayed in it's corner suffering the same as Keito....Sorrow and emptyness.

[AsianFighter]

[roll0]

"What, are you guys throwing a party in the hallway? What's going on?" Apollo turned his head towards a girl he knew as Ellie. Though what graced his mouth couldn't be called a smile, it could have been the ghost of one. They'd gone to the same high school for a year - she was a freshman, he was a senior - and while he normally wouldn't have paid much attention to her, they'd shared a few advanced classes here and there. It was hard to ignore a girl as bright as that. In all honesty, he once harbored something of a crush on her back then. It was never acted upon, of course. They were both immersed in their own studies and personal problems and he'd honestly never planned on seeing her after he graduated. He especially never planned on living in the same apartment complex as her. Since he'd formed something of a relationship with Katia - however unofficial - the only contact he made with Ellie involved random meetings in the hall.

He opened his mouth to respond to her, but he couldn't find any words to say. The only thing running through his head were words spoken by Howl. What did he mean he was going to quote stop this shit unquote? If you're in, then show up in the lounge tomorrow. While it was against Apollo's nature to be tardy from work, he was curious to see exactly what the younger male had planned for said meeting. The next few moments, Apollo didn't have anything comprehensible running through his mind. It seemed as if everyone on the floor had frozen in place to listen to the noise of something sinister ascending the staircase. Slowly, the accountant turned just in time to see two bright yellow eyes peering out from the darkness and as his hand went to (what was usually) his left breast pocket, one word came to mind: shit. He was unarmed. Absentmindedly, he watched a creature rise from the shadows.

Ellie, brilliant, absent minded, kindhearted, cocoa holding Ellie, was standing right there in front of him, god damn it, and then she was gone. She was nothing but a grisly stain on the floor, another thing to lower the price for the next tenant or two. Apollo had seen a lot of gruesome things in his day, but this, this topped it all off with a beautiful, blood red cherry plopped right on top. What little color was in his face had drained and he felt a slight wave of nausea, which he responded to by placing one hand on the wall. Focus on the white hot center of the pain, and it'll go away. Apollo sucked in a large breath. There were too many people in that hall and there was not enough oxygen to go around. Was this an asthma attack? He hadn't had one of those in years. Breathe in, breathe out. As he looked up, the monster seemed to stare right back at him. Time slowed down for a moment and Apollo became acutely aware of the stench of copper in the air, pennies in his mouth, and a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. He was sure he was going to die. Noah let out a fearsome curse towards the monster, and as a female let out a blood curdling scream, something woke up inside of Apollo and another word came to mind, this time a proper noun: Katja.

Apollo felt his hands clench into fists - how could he forget his gun? - but as he attempted to lunge towards the monster, it darted away from him and wrapped itself around another female Apollo had once had feelings for - Cait. With lightning fast reflexes, the monster had taken a hold of its victim and escaped with unbelievable evidence: nails scraping across the floor. Apollo closed his eyes, mentally preparing for the inevitable: shock. Step one, intrusion. Remember what happened, relive it. Rinse. Repeat. One second, Ellie was right there and -

A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder and Apollo was brought back into reality. "I need you to get Keito," Noah said. Apollo nodded. "I'm going to cover Ellie with a blanket. We can only hope that kid didn't see anything." As if suddenly realizing that Ellie actually had someone who depended on her, Apollo stood up straighter and any sign of fear or nausea that had washed over his body was gone - or at least that's what he wanted it to look like. Noah turned toward a girl Apollo didn't know and began speaking. Apollo made a mental note about Noah's sudden appearance of leadership skill. That might come in handy in the future.

"Keito," Apollo said suddenly. It seemed as if no one else had realized that the young boy had been standing in a door way. "Keito, how long have you been there?" he asked, moving towards the boy. It was as if the boy either hadn't heard him or hadn't wanted to, but as the six foot figure approached door 3015, it slammed in his face. Apollo muttered a curse and jiggled the handle just as the sound of locks engaging reached his ears. Well, just his luck. He was good at this. The complex doors all had the same standard three lock system: padlock, deadbolt, slide.

"Keito, I'm coming in," he announced. "It's Apollo. I was friends with Ellie. I'm coming to help," he announced. There was no sound from the other side of the door. Apollo pulled out a classic Victorinox Swiss Army Knife (a gift from one of his mother's clients) and after a few minutes, he'd managed to cheat the apartment's locks. Considering the care the landlord (land lady?) put into the building, it wasn't hard. The sliding lock was always the trickiest simply because that couldn't be solved by a simple pseudo key. Apollo entered the room and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it just as Keito had. The lights turned on with a slight buzz and a flick of the wrist as Apollo walked towards a shivering lump of blankets. "Hey, Keito," he said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Apollo bit his lip, trying to debate on what to do. He was an accountant, a man of math and partially science, sometimes even literature, but comfort was not his division. After bit of awkward arm hovering, he decided to simply place a hand on the boy's back... or where it would be if there hadn't been half a dozen blankets on him.

"I... I know how you must be feeling right now," Apollo said gruffly, trying to find words that could act as comfort for the younger boy. "When I was your age, I didn't have a family either," he said quietly. Apollo looked down at his pale hands and silently congratulated himself on not shaking despite the events that he'd just witnessed. "You probably feel like there's no one out there who'd understand you, but there's me." His words were met by silence. As Apollo sat and figured Keito wasn't going to respond, his mind wandered to Katia. He only hoped that she knew how to operate the colt pistol he'd left in his coat pocket. More importantly, though, he hoped she'd never need to.

[Tune]

She was stopped on the stairs, by one of the other tenants. Was his name Daniel? It was a shame she couldn't remember. Daniel, with the baseball cap, she remembered. His room was across the hall from Apollo and Noah's. She took a few more steps up the stairs, pausing with one foot on the 3rd floor. Normally, he wasn't much taller than her, but from this position, he almost towered over her. And he was acting weird. Pale, possibly sweaty. Nervous; it was obvious as he tried to block her from looking down the hallway. Anxiety bit at her chest, and her breathing quickened considerably.

"Daniel," she spoke slowly, trying to peer around him but was blocked as he used his body as a divisional shield. She pushed at his chest as she stepped onto the third floor. "What's going on?" She tried to look past him again. From over his shoulder, she seen Noah's white hair but she couldn't see Apollo. She knew he had came this way. She turned her head, and glared at Daniel. "Where is Apollo?" With all the screaming, her nerves were almost shot. Her trembling hands reached up to grasp at his shirt. "What happened?"

Katia heard the sound of doors locking, but it wasn't easy to hear over the sound of her beating heart and people talking. She couldn't tell with Daniel in the way. She stared into his eyes, searching for an answer. Her hands tightened their grip on his shirt, and from her nerves and the booze, she wasn't in the best mindset right now.

[Extraordinaire.]

...Rolled a 4

It was strange, Owen thought, how many times he hadn't made it home until the early hours of the morning, but it was only when he was drunk, that he ever sketched out. Like tonight.

He wasn't sure how exactly he'd made it past the barbed-wire fence, or where he'd parked his car, but he lifted himself off from the ground and with a giggle, stumbled ahead. Living in the Land Lord's part of the complex, his room was in a dinky blemish on the side of the building, and no doubt sketchier than the main corridor. He passed one of the curtain-less windows, caught the reflection of what looked looked like two eyes peering up, and shuddered, a pre-hangover already kicking in.

Something fell to his right as he opened the main door, causing him to jump and all bull piss his drunken pants. Kicking the lump that had formed beneath a pile of dead leaves, he found himself looking at a weathered baseball, that must've loosened itself from a tree above. With a cheeky grin, he turned back around and continued back into the building. Leaning on the door, he sloppily fit the key into the hole, but had barely turned his wrist before a sharp snap left him with the nub of the key, the other half still jammed with the longer.

Damn...

Walking over a few feet, he knocked on the one other nearby door, forehead resting against the wood as he waited for the empty answer.

"Well shit," he said, bringing on a burst of giggles, stopping every few second to catch his breath.

Wiping his mouth, he left building and circled around to the front. He could hear movement inside, stair squeaks and hushed voices, all masked behind the stomping of feet. He looked up, waited for a moment for it to quiet down, and then let himself into the half-cracked central part of the building. As the dizzy spells began to kick in, he was completely oblivious to the mid-scene chaos breaking loose, and was untouched by the edge of eeriness.

Clearing his throat, he casually loosened his tie and asked, "Does anyone know how I can get back into my room?

[Zatory-Master]

All ready rolled.

Keito looked at the bed that belonged to the now dead Ellie. It was very lonely. Keito's world was now in a crisis. He knew he had to calm down. It was done. Ellie was gone andhe had nowhere left to go. Will he be rooming with a another person? Keito thought about the image of Ellie. Will the others be nice to him like she was? He sunk in a little more into the sheets. He wanted to stand up and be brave but, his heart didn't let him. Ellie is now lost and will be lost forever. The only way keito could see her again was in his dreams. "Ellie" He moaned softly to the empty room.

"Keito, I'm coming in," a voice was heard from the other side of the door. It sounded like a male. He opened the door and entered,finding keito covered by the massive blankets. His eyes were still uncovered. He studied the man. He had short black hair and square glasses that hung at the nose. He seemed tall and strict. He seemed cold. Keito felt like the man was there to take him away. He went deep in his blanket and waited for the man to do what he wanted to do. But instead, Keito felt him sit on the edge of the bed. "Hey, Keito," The man spoke.

The man paused. Had he put a hand on Keito's back? Keito couldn't tell because of the sheets. "I... I know how you must be feeling right now," Keito focused hard to listen to the man's speech. He seemed to be pausing after everything he said. Maybe he was thinking of what to say. Had he been in a situation like this before? "When I was your age, I didn't have a family either," Keito eyes widened. Keito was wondering if he was shy like him. By the man's looks, Keito could not tell. He listened for him again. "You probably feel like there's no one out there who'd understand you, but there's me." Keito closed his eyes and licked his lips. He had just seen the bloodshed of a kind-hearted person that was connected to him. He needed the help. The support. The kindness to comeback. withought moving he answered, "You?"

[Public_Hazard]

[roll0]

Everything felt so instant, there were no moments to think or respond with 100% rationality, perhaps he was wrong to believe that he should be used to this feeling. It was either to react on instinct or be left standing as the next target for the creatures of this complex. Death, was all but a common occurrence here, escaping it was like escaping yourself. The fact that you even bothered to stay here regardless of all the deathly events meant you held a connection here. At least that was how Noah had always seen it, death was normal to him like a distant cousin he'd see every once and a while. Appearing at gatherings that were not for the faint of heart.

The scent of death blood, metal, rot, dirt, and nothingness. Even now it caressed his nostrils as he stood over the corpse of Ellie, a white blanket in hand. He felt no sadness, he felt nothing excrpt anger towards this family member that would never leave. Yet, he did not hate him. Inside the room behind him Apollo was comforting the young boy who had unknowingly witnessed a pitiful ending for his part-time guardian. It was inevitable after all he did say "hope", now they could only make sure he could continue on his own, with them as guardians. He let out a sigh hoping to clear his weary mind, he had a promise to keep after all. Apollo would be alright on his own. As he sat up from his crouched position, the red stained blanket beneath him, he began to head into Bridget's room. A quick glance at Katie's room was all he did before submerging himself into the entrance.

Allowing himself to adjust to the light Noah scanned over the room, finding Bridget on the couch. She seemed to be crying from her position though he heard no whimpers or signs leading to it. The knife he had allowed her to have as a means of protection sat limply on her lamp, neglected. Before closing the door behind him Noah heard the arrival of someone else, he'd let the others handle whoever it was. He was fixated on the girl before him. "Bridget..." He spoke softly as he paced towards her form, he had known her for some time since moving into the complex. She seemed like a nice girl, of course he had never allowed any major friendship to form between the two. That was for his own personal reasons, however this was different. She needed someone, like he did. Perhaps it was selfish of himself, but he didn't care at the moment.

Sitting a foot away from the girl he said nothing. There were no words that could explain or heal all that had been witnessed, tears and actions were all that could be done. He needed comfort, his internal anger was overwhelming him as his mind brought back the past few minutes like a video screen. Ellie then Cait, both gone and him... He couldn't have done anything to save them. Death was not the issue, it was helplessness he felt, he had been to slow to respond, unprepared. Apollo and Bridget were perhaps there too, but this was his own personal struggle, useless, nothing could be done except follow along. It all reminded him of the reason behind his current life and it was all too painful.

As drops trickled down his face, like small rivers of pain. His guilt had already begun to bash at his heart breaking his mask in two. He placed a hand on Bridget's back, a gentle small gesture as he looked at her making zero attempt to hide his state. His eyes were tensed as the wet fluid continued to trickle down, his fist was clenched white, but his voice remained the same, strong and clear. "I will protect you." It was all he could do and all he wanted to do.

[Ru]

Howl rolled a 1. An outside roll was made. Received result, “rumor.” Will be implemented during a morning post.
Boots rolled an 11. An outside roll was made. Received result, “clue.” Will be implemented during a morning post.
Cait rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost appearance.” Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 10. An outside roll was made. Received result, “injury.” Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Received result, “monster.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Hanna rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Katia rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost appearance.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Daniel rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Consul rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Received result, “noise.” Will be implemented in post.
Keito rolled a 19. An outside roll was made. Received result, “noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Apollo rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost appearance.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Owen rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Received result, “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.

SP Lost

Will be calculated momentarily.

Ru's New Rolls
Howl (18); Boots (7); Cait (17).

In the Darkness with the Monsters

Splinters dug deep underneath her professionally polished nails painted with almost an identical color to the crimson liquid dripping from her fingertips. Due to her consistent screaming, her throat was dry, cracked, and could barely muttered an audible whisper. Her plump bosom heaved with her heavy breathing as she tried her best to remain calm, lest she panic in an area foreign to her where a false move could be her end. Truly, she was amazed the monster had not done her in like the bloodied mess she caught a picture of before being brutally dragged down the many stairs of the complex. Once it managed to pull her down to the first floor she knew she was done, at least, she had to be. Never once had she heard of someone being forced down here without returning; even those who willingly headed below the second floor did not return to the surface.

Keeping her eyes open was quite the feat, as the forest green orbs scanned the prison she was thrust into. It looked like any of the other rooms in the complex, except empty and without any form of light. The world was spinning around her, certainly due to the creature carelessly throwing her in here and having her noggin smashed into the wall. Oh, how she wished any part of her but her head was harmed; an ugly face could never make it in her business. Rivers flooded down her dirtied cheeks with her dirtied, red lips parted in an attempt to bring more air into her body. Desperately she wanted to live, but the longer she laid sprawled on the neglected floor the more she was convinced her hourglass had shed its last grain of sand.

A vision of her father’s face right before he let his soul leave with the reaper flashed into her mind, causing her eyes to close. Cait’s fingers twitched from time to time as she tried to remember her guardian’s final words. “He’d ‘ate me… fer what ah’ve become…” the young woman’s voice cracked in the silence.

“Then why did you let yourself become this way, Miss Shaw?” came an all too familiar voice. After living in the complex long enough she was well aware who this was, even without her relentless haunting. For whatever reason Katie had followed her downstairs, despite the monsters residing here. Maybe monsters couldn’t harm the dead.

Her head fell to the side and her eyelids opened to slits. “It don’… ‘urt as much…” Against her willpower and her stubborn pride her eyes were already refilling with hot tears ready to flow down to the small puddles forming on her collarbone.

“As much as what?” The young Katie was standing at the closed door and was the only light source in this room, though Cait wasn’t quite she how she glowed; she hoped she’d do the same when she passed on. Grace in each step, she edged towards her fallen comrade and knelt beside her. “I can’t say I was fond of our chats, Miss Shaw… but, please. Don’t give up like I did…”

“And why’z that, Kat?” another crack. Speaking hurt so dreadfully.

“Because… even if the curse is lifted… You’ll still be trapped here. Alone.” The ghostly voice was oddly soothing despite its paranormal ring.

“…how..?” Cait pushed her palms against the cold floor, being careful to not press her fingers too hard lest cause herself more pain, then let her back fall onto the wall.

“Regret.” Without further explaining, Katie disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as she came.

A knot began forming in her stomach, one tied directly to her aching, barely beating heart. One word was surely enough; she knew exactly what the deceased was attempting to get through her thick, stubborn brain. Cait forced herself up, sliding her body against the wall behind her until she felt her legs become as straight as she could get them, even if they were still a bit bent. Weakly she stumbled towards the dark towards the door Katie had appeared by, almost collapsing to the ground several times due to her slumped posture. The doorknob turned with ease, though her wounded fingers ached either way. As the door creaked open she carefully poked her head of mangled hair outside its archway to face none other than Consul, whom she was unaware was down her, let alone did she really know much of her existence; Cait made little effort to get to know her neighbors.

Main Building

“Nothing… is ever safe…” came a whimper when the complex had fallen to silence. The calm had swept throughout the vicinity, edging into a brief moment of disturbed peace. Voices echoed here and there, but not loud enough to grab her attention nor deter her heavy thoughts away. Whether the volume ceased or reached its maximum effected nothing dancing around her mind. Living here, or moving back home… no matter what decision she made she felt terribly unsafe and as if her life was in immediate danger the minute she let her guard down. Within Mythos’s compound dwelt vicious monsters from dark depths, while at home slept the beast from Hell that birthed her. In these situations of loss… she began to miss her dwelling with the devil.

The question was being asked of the wrong person. Sure, Howl acted as if he owned the place and knew of all who resided here — monsters included — but he only associated with one individual who would have any clue what was going on here. Due to shameless pride over the years he had avoided asking his associate for guidance, but the situation was growing to dire to ignore his necessary abilities. Brute force was on the brawler’s side, though when it came to facing the supernatural who were unaffected by his blows and uppercuts he had to give in to an individual he knew could, at the very least, give them a slight upper hand.

He stomped to the door, launching several feet with each long, tall stride, and reentered the hallway he had hoped to be done with for the night. His neighbor — Cait’s — door was slightly ajar, certainly after she had unwittingly peeked outside her safety zone to see the knight who had come to her rescue, only to fail to protect her from the dragons outside. After poking his head inside to confirm she was no longer there and no one had dared to entered the kidnapped girl’s room, he courteously closed it, then pressed on towards important matters.

Apollo and Noah were no longer in the hallway as they were presently. Near Bridget’s room laid a blanket with blood stains seeping through here and there, surely from whatever tenant became victim to the monster he had avoided. If he felt any of the other residents mattered he would have stood his ground, but he was certain the warning was towards his roommate, not for one of the girls residing nearby. There was no hint of regret, however, as he held protecting Boots as a higher priority above all.

Upon hearing the fearful voice of a woman speak up, Howl’s attention turned to Katia and Daniel standing closer to the stairway. “A room became vacant…” he spoke coldly then rolled his eyes back over to the blanket. The once filled hallway had only four people lingering in it presently, standing within feet of what could be considered a crime scene. “I’m havin’ a meetin’ in the lounge tomorrow morning…” the tall man pressed on with little remorse for the dead. “If ya care about endin’ the massacres, then ya better be there.”

All had been informed of his unofficial conference call, except for the old man downstairs he decided to bother in the morning. For now, his job was done, he could return to his room, though glancing over at Katia and the young woman’s flustered face got to him; maybe because it almost matched the devastated expression of his roommate. The man sighed, running his fingers through his mangled bed head, then walked over to her passed Daniel. “He’s fine,” he gently placed a thick, calloused hand on her slender shoulder. His eyes locked with hers in some attempt to calm her worried mind, at least he could go to sleep feeling a bit better about tonight. “I promise.” Howl managed to crack a reassuring smile, an expression normally kept for his best friend.

Noah being Harmed

Due to despair, confusion, and pure obliviousness, Noah accidentally paid little attention to the terrible floorboards beneath his feet, thus stubbing his toes rather harshly on a loose piece of wood in desperate need of being nailed back into place.

[Preach]

[6]

She heard the door close and felt panic rising up - couldn’t bring herself to look, held her breath. Then she heard his voice and realized it was just Noah, not a monster come to finish the job. He had kept his promise. Bridget felt the couch shift and sink as he sat beside her, and was grateful that he didn’t speak. During the minutes she had been alone she had failed at calming down, only succeeding in keeping distress at bay, though she still felt numb. And as comforting as having someone else with her now, Noah stank of alcohol, which made her shudder. She pushed her revulsion aside - now was not the time for that, there were other things which she needed to focus on.

She felt his hand on her back, looked up when he spoke. Protect her? Oh god, he was crying –she wasn’t good at comforting others -what should she do? She felt herself starting to panic but the feeling died quickly. Seeing him cry, the almost tangible sincerity of his words – she was tearing up. She fought against it, she hated crying, especially in front of others. Smoothly she placed the knife at her feet and scooted over, putting her arms around him. Well, as best she could, he was much taller than her.

“Thank you, Noah.”

It seemed like the right thing to do. He looked like he needed the comfort and, maybe, she needed it as well. She was almost comfortable, but the alcohol smell was much stronger. It was stirring up unwanted memories. She lightly pulled away, but not completely.

“You… Really stink.” Smiled awkwardly, looked away. Had she really said that to the man comforting her? Who’d just offered her protection? “Ah, I mean literally, not as a person, you seem like a good person, and I'm very glad you're here, it’s just the alcohol – Sorry” one hand flew to her mouth, “– I’m sorry, I should have just stopped at ‘thank you’, shouldn’t I?”

[The Imposter]

Rolled a 9

Daniel was about to answer the woman clutching his collar when Howl's voice trumped any chance of even opening his own. The words were cold and hung like stale air in the hall way. Daniel's expression turned to that of shock, unable to believe that Howl had honestly said it so simply. Katia's grip released as she was reassured Apollo was fine, but Daniel still couldn't get over Howl's words. The two people in front of him continued for a moment before Daniel interrupted.

'....a room became vacant?! That is what you have to say about Ellie being puréed in the hall! She was a living, breathing person dammit!'

His eyes met that of Howl's and his mouth closed tightly. Daniel clenched his teeth, he had let his tongue get ahead of his mind and now wasn't the time to be going off the handle. A bead of sweat formed on his brow in the cold hallway as he half expected Howl to react physically before he could try to apologize.

'...hrmph, I shouldn't have said that. I'm just going to head back down to my room now and count the hours down until the meeting tomorrow.'

He squeezed through the two and begun to make his way down the stairs, stepping over the scratches left by Cait. He looked back up at the two for a moment mostly to make sure Howl wasn't behind him ready to bash his head in the wall or something terrible.

'Oh...don't forget to check under your beds....God knows what could be under there after what happened. Hopefully I'll see you all tomorrow in the lounge.'

With that Daniel made his way back to his home, which he realized he had left the door open. He sighed heavily as his mind concluded that some yellow eyed monstrosity was now in his room. Luckily his bat was just inside the door way so he reached down and picked it up. With another deep breath he got ready to enter when he heard the complex door open behind him. Jumping he swung around with bat raised only to see someone stumbling in. The man looked vaguely familiar but Dan couldn't recall who it was.

Obviously drunk the man was asking for a way back into his room. Dan lowered his guard slightly and scratched his head.

'Do you even live man?'

[Ru]

Joseph has dropped to 17 SP, due to witnessing a brutal kidnapping right in front of him.
Daniel has dropped to 16 SP, due to stumbling upon the bloody remains of a resident.
Noah has dropped to 11 SP, due to witnessing a horrific slaughter, a brutal kidnapping, and then consistently blaming himself for the acts, thus resulting in a large drop of sanity.
Apollo has dropped to 14 SP, due to witnessing a horrific slaughter and a brutal kidnapping done by a monster/animal whom can cause severe harm, however his reaction to it all was calm and collected, showing minimal signs of damage and no guilt, thus less of a drop than Noah.
Consul has dropped to 14 SP, due to being kidnapped from her home, however, thanks to her being unaware of the true dangers presently, she gains a minimal loss of SP, unless she finds out it is not a game show, but that her life is really on the line.
Boots has dropped to 13 SP, due to hearing noises, resulting in a panic attack, and choosing to curl into a ball of fear.
Hanna has dropped to 13 SP, due to seeing a bloody, gut-tastic corpse of what could only be considered a resident of the complex.
Bridget has dropped to 12 SP, due to witnessing a horrific slaughter and a brutal kidnapping, however, losing less simply because she seems to be currently keeping her cool.
Cait has dropped to 10 SP, due to almost having a panic attack, being kidnapped by an unknown force, and appearing in a dark room, seemingly alone until she exited the room.
Keito has dropped to 8 SP, due to exiting his room only to see a mess of blood and guts on the floor, which he presumed to be his roommate (the only person he was getting close to), thus running into his room and panicking. The drop is only so high due to his reaction and because of Keito's massive amount of fears. This character should now exhibit insanity.

As a total, the group lost: 25 SP



New day. Old dice rolls, unless said to happen later, will be omitted.

Ru's New Dice Rolls

Howl, 17; Boots, 4; Cait, 4.

Main Building, then Landlord's Office

During the late hours sleep had been interrupted by pure horror brought on from the netherworld. This disruption transforming even the most sane of individuals to a near primitive state of pure id with their superego on the brink of loss. Grotesque noises died out as the night wore on and soon came the morning sun, peaking its bright face over the horizon and gently melting the piled high snow surrounding the houses below. In silence the residents of Mythos wept, slept, or laid sprawled wondering where to go from here, but they knew come the rising, gold star there were bound by obligation and survival to head to the landlord’s lounge and hear what their resident brawler had to say.

Unusually Howl was up early, preparing for the day and his croppy speech as his determination to destroy the threat grew to a high pique. The more he dwelled on Cait’s kidnapping the more he imagined Holly disappearing in the same fashion; none of this sat well with his conscious. Presumably the redhead girl was lost to the night she lived in, but Boots—in Howl’s eyes—was not meant to meet the same fate, even if it meant the loss of his own. Unlike the rest of the world, she had something pure and innocent to offer with such a huge heart it would cause the light to dim to shadows in her absence.

Oh, how he wished they never moved here. The idea was hers in the first place as a means of escaping her dark past, completely unaware Howl was a lost puppy following along. A life without her was quite meaningless to him, especially when he never bothered to take the time to think of what it would be like if they had gone their separate ways. The two had been such a tight nit duo since they were young children. Holly was the one who showed him what love was and what it meant to finally care for someone other than himself. Through all of the torment she endured in her horrific home she never stopped smiling, nor did she stop loving her parents… he admired her for that.

He could care less who lived and who died amongst the residents of Mythos Complex, so long as Boots was safe. Though this meeting was to unify them that factor would always remain a constant: Holly must live. In truth, because of this, he was bound to be a horrid leader, but the fact of the matter was no one else seemed to want to step up, nor did they have the connections he did; no one else knew a paranormal expert.

The spiritual guide wasn’t due for another hour or so, but Howl Osborne felt it was a requirement for him to rise; besides, he had a hard time sleeping the rest of the night. Boots hadn’t slept a wink, nor could she manage to get herself to close her eyes, though Howl had gotten her to get back into bed where it was warm.

He was running water through his soapy hair he could hear her soft voice through the cracked door informing the school she was not going to be able to come in for class today. A mumbled sigh crept out of his slightly parted lips, the air pushing water droplets away from his mouth then slapping back against him. Unless they were lucky there was bound to be plenty of disappointed children in her class today upon seeing a temporary replacement for Miss Hendrickson. However, this was a pressing matter they needed to address, thus dwelling became minimal.

———

Holly and Howl were lounging in the Landlord’s waiting area for the others to join them. Maybe not all would show, but why care? All it meant was less people to deal with and more people who could little for living—nothing new.

Boots kept her knees up to her chest, mangled hair covering up her sleep deprived face; all she managed to do this morning was change into some decent clothes, but otherwise she could care less. Appearances mattered little the morning after a death, even if the woman was only a neighborly acquaintance. Each passing of a resident bore heavily on her heart barely dangly from her wrists and each day it grew harder to keep it all attached to its rightful place.

Showered, dressed, and ready to kick some ass; Howl stood up straight with the office behind him and his arms crossed over his chest.



Cait and Consul

In the realm which these two currently aimlessly stroll through time does not pass as normal. Thus, until—and if—they reach the surface time is at a stand still. Consul may reply to Cait as if no day has passed. Commence postage.

[Extraordinaire.]

[2]
"Do I-Do I," he stammered, another round of chuckles sparked, "man you must be pretty fucked. Of course I live here."
As the drunken humor faded away, the touch of eeriness made some connection to his mind, as he took on the agitated body language of the man who'd spoken to him. What had he missed? or rather what had her interrupted?

Mumbling something under his breath about just sleeping in his car, he left the complex and managed to make it to his Range Rover. Removing the back two seats, he found rest in the now extended-trunk, which would only be ruined by the contents of his drunken night.

When he woke in the morning, he gargled some water, wiped off his face, and changed into the clothes of a previous night. A step up from his bartender dress, he thought to himself, as he emptied a handful of cash from the pockets and shivered while he tucked his shirt in. Closing the trunk of the odorous car, he shielded his eyes against the intensified sun, and stumbled over crunched leaves, to return to the usually-isolated landlord's sector.

That was why, in fact, he thought the form-of gathering so strange. They were all mildly recognizable faces, residents he'd briefly seen entering and leaving the complex, perhaps neighbor's whose doorsteps he'd puked on, but were still the farthest thing from friends, or even acquaintances. He could associate himself with them, past their choice of residency, in no material way, and was emotionally indifferent.

"Don't tell me everyone's lock got busted last night," he joked to no one in particular, before wobbling the still-jammed knob to his complex, with the ruined key still in place.

[Public_Hazard]

[roll0]

Despite the tense atmosphere around them Noah let out a soft chuckle as he looked down at his lap. He had not realized that the alcohol he had consumed not too long ago had fused itself with his clothing, in fact since he regularly washed his clothe he had never really smelled himself in this state. "My apologies." He dried off the tears from his cold face. "Tonight has not been the best of nights, as you already know." he shifted a bit, unused to her comforting grip around him. Though she felt a bit distant he was glad that she at least acknowledge him despite their current state, "maybe we just need each other right now." his thoughts echoed to himself. "Perhaps we should head to sleep, we need to make it to that meeting in the morning and if I know Howl he wasn't kidding about caring who went or not." his voice spoke softly to her before letting out a relaxing sigh. "I can stay on the couch if that's alright with you. You can stay at your bed." looking over at her he nodded allowing her to decide for herself. Even through his weary eyes, he needed to protect her, unlike those that fell before his eyes in the hallway. Those creatures would pay and Katie held the answers, whatever Howl had planned had better be good. He let himself get comfortable before nodding to her "Goodnight Bridget." and closing his eyes. He was unsure if he was already half asleep or perhaps in his daze he did not feel any pressure loss from the other side of the couch. The soft sound of his breathing was the only only noise he could hear.

A soft light simmered through the cracks of the wooden covered window. Noah's eyes fluttered opened his mind trying to recollect everything that had happened the day before. His meeting with local clientele that ended with a brawl, the death of one of his neighbors, the disappearance of another, and then the ending with him staying with Bridget to ensure her safety. His head throbbed slightly to each though, a very subtle hang over coursing through his cranium as he sighed. As he let out that large breathe he felt a slight pressure on his body. His eyes, which had been staring at the ceiling, moved down to the image of Bridget laying on him, her peaceful exterior hiding all the fear she had during the night before. He simply gazed at her for a bit more allowing himself a to memorize her facial features, her eyes slightly covered by her disorganized crimson hair. She was beautiful, and he felt glad nothing had happened to her she did not deserve such cruel punishment from this place. Motioning his hand to move her hair from her facial features he called out to her softly "Bridget....It's morning, wake up." his pleasant tone exiting his mouth as he continued to look at her, awaiting for her to answer him back.

He was certain Howl was currently awaiting the arrival of the others in the main lobby. The brawler held little patience and cared little if it did not concern Boots, he felt a slight of pity for him. Despite being the ultimate protector of one person, he needed to learn that others as well. Other wise what was the point of living if you left others, who had done nothing wrong to you, to the dust for yourself and one other. A truly self centered action, one which Noah hoped he could make up for by his own.

[Rin]

[8]

Vince had left his little red wagon next to a bush out front of the complex. He stared blankly at the front door; he wasn’t too sure at how things like this worked. He hadn’t looked into apartments before, living with your parents and then wandering and sleeping on benches, doesn’t exactly prepare you for the real world. So he knocked, he stood in silence for a few minutes then decided to try the knob. The door creaked open and a dusty looking hallway lay before him. He walked inside; it wasn’t much warmer inside than outside. He walked through the low light of the hall and breathed in deep, looking around he spotted a staircase on the far side of the hall. He decided to check it out; something about the place seemed… He couldn’t think of the word. It gave him an indescribable feeling. He needed to look around more, so when he got to the second floor, (strangely labeled 3rd floor) he tried one of the doors “Room 3012.” The door was locked, to his disappointment. He ventured further down the hall and noticed a large dark stain on the floor. He couldn’t even begin to think of what it could possibly be, chocolate syrup maybe? That was a lot of chocolate syrup.

Vince felt like he had gotten a good look around. He was a little confused at why he hadn’t seen anyone who lived there. In all the TV shows he watched as a kid all of the apartment inhabitants had been out and about and friendly. He wanted to be a part of that. Vince walked down the stairs and back out into the cold morning air, he hadn’t seen anything pointing out an office of any kind, which once again confused him. Then he thought he saw someone turn the corner going around the side of the building, he decided to follow. He walked over to his little red wagon and gripped the handle. Taking a deep breath, he wheeled it around the side of the building. There was a smaller building, the door to which was open. Vince peeked inside; it was a small room, with a couple couches and three doors. One of the doors said Landlord’s Office, the others had room numbers. There were other people hanging around, Vince decided if he was going to live here he was going to have to make friends. He sat down on one of the couches and spoke to the room:

“Is this where I go to get a room here? I’m new in town, and I have a job! I was wondering if any of you would consider a friendship with me.”

[Leon G]

[roll0]
Nothing could have surprised Consul more than seeing Cait pop up out from almost nowhere. Consul gave a little jump at the unexpected appearance of the rather distraught looking redhead. What was her name again? Consul stared blankly at the girl as she tried to remember the girl's name. It was funny how Consul could memorize Polyatomic ions in one night, with ease, due to her sharp memory, but recalling the name of this one girl, who had lived in the apartment probably longer than Consul had, seemed as if she was asked to translate Russian.

After awkwardly staring at Cait (Well it wasn't awkward to Consul, but it might have been for Cait) for a full two minutes or so, Consul finally spoke. "Hey... Katelyn- Katie?." Consul took in Cait's appearance. She looked a little worse for the wear, though Consul probably didn't look too hot either. Her eyes were wide and scared. Must be afraid of the dark Consul thought to herself, or just paranoid of this place. Consul sympathized with Cait. When Consul was young, and very young, no older than 7, she had a wild imagination that often scared her. Consul awkwardly placed a hand on Cait's shoulder. "Did you get the riddle wrong and something happened?" Consul asked. Consul pointed ahead, "I think the exit is up ahead that way. I got the riddle right and my next clue was stick to the shadows. You know I thought I was the only one play-" Consul suddenly stopped and looked around. Was there punishment for acknowledging the game? "I thought I was the only one down here," Consul said slowly. She walked at a slow pace so that Cait may be able to follow her. "Um, I should have mentioned this at first. I'm Consul; I live here."

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]

Hanna had stayed in Howl and Holly's room that night, she wasn't nearly brave enough to go back into the hall way, besides that she needed to make sure Holly was alright. Sure Howl was there, but even if she could find it in her to leave, Hanna wouldn't feel right leaving her after what happened in the hallway. With any potential for her to get any kind of sleep ruined, Hanna sat next to Holly watching the door to the apartment, if anything planned to come through that door it would have to go through her as wall as Howl to get anywhere near Holly. When sunlight finally peaked into the room, Hanna stood up secure in the assumption that Holly was now safe and went to the door, there was someone she needed to see before going to Howl's meeting.

After making sure she was at least straightened up Hanna left the apartment and moved quickly down the hall, trying her hardest to ignored the now very brown sheet. At the end of the hall live Bridget, Hanna's closest friend in town, they two were a part of the same music school, and Bridget had been the one who suggested moving here, and with the event last night Hanna was not happy about that. "Bridget I need to talk to you..." she said opening the door toher friend's apartment and stopped dead when he saw one of the other residents, Hanna was pretty sure his name was Noah, and Bridget on the couch together and looking like they'd slept there, "Ohh Good morning Noah." she said with some rushed politeness, "I just need to talk to her for a quick minute." She told him as she walked over grabbed the waking woman by the arm and stood her on her feet. "Bridget, has shit like this happened before?!" She asked straining not to yell, after last night Hanna didn't want to add to the problem by yelling. "Please tell me this is the first time since you've lived here something like this has happened."

[Auki]

[roll0]



Her phone flickered to life as she opened its inbox.

The latest text message; Holly. Sent in the depths of the night.

Tiffany ran casual eyes over the lighted screen; she wouldn’t call it a strange occurrence, being contacted while the sun was still sleeping. It was the nature of the text that irked her, a slight lack of coherency that didn’t usually run in the two girl’s conversation. Should she be worried? Perhaps…but then she couldn’t doubt Howl would be keeping the other girl safe as he could. She didn’t think about responding, already on her way to their apartment; questions could be asked when she arrived.

Black boots slammed against the pavement, her heavy-footed nature only emphasising the weight of the shoes. She didn’t like them - they weren’t dainty like the ones she wished she could buy – but they were comfortable for walking, a necessity when she made the journey from her home to the Mythos buildings. Treks were not really in her best interest – she hated their monotonous pace – but one could not ignore a friend’s request.

Their apartment was strange; rumours told her that much, mutterings that people wished to ignore. Tiffany was not afraid of the whispers, not when someone so close to her was in trouble – Why should a few ghosts scare her, eh? She clenched her teeth, mentally preparing herself for the worst, as she realised their home was approaching.

The Landlord’s office. That’s where Holly had said they would be. Tiffany marched straight towards it the moment that her soles touched the property.

A deep breath for luck, the doorknob felt cold as she turned it, pre-emptive as to what she might find within the room. There was a degree of rudeness to entering unannounced that Tiffany swiftly disregarded.

Thankfully, the first person to catch her eye was the woman who had called her forth, "What’sup, Holly?” The casualness in her tone left when she noticed the details to the scene; matted hair, slumped posture, tired eyes. “…Shit, seriously, what’s happened?”

[The Imposter]

rolls a 7 on the DnD rolla

Most of Daniel's night was sleepless, he ended up folding his bed back up and sitting there with his baseball bat. It was hard to shake the images from earlier from his mind, not to mention the chill his room had developed from leaving his door open. Then in what seemed like a moment he opened his eyes to a toasty warm room with sunlight dripping in through the window. He must've eventually fallen asleep but it was the kind that gave no rest. The young man felt tired and slowly picked himself up from the awkward position he had gotten himself into. Noticing the time he quickly set the coffee pot on and went through a very rushed morning routine. Howl had said something about a meeting and Daniel felt as though he was going to be late.

With bat and coffee mug in hand he headed out towards the lounge. It didn't take long and he walked in to the small place. Howl was standing looking as bad ass as ever, and there were some people he had never seen around before, plus the drunk from last night. A slight groan crawled out of Daniel's mouth as he made his presence known holding up the bat and slightly waving to everyone.

'Soooo....this is the meeting for the people that live at the gates of hell right? Because last time I showed up at an AA meeting....just don't want to make that mistake again heh.....phew.'

Daniel slouched walking past the new faces and taking a seat on the couch Boots was sitting on, he made sure to leave a buffer zone because he had a feeling that Howl might rip out his pancreas if he got to close to the girl. He looked over at her and was almost positive she had seen better days.

'Looks like you didn't get much sleep too eh? I mean between people disappearing and fucking creepy things that would make horror writers piss themselves; who can blame us right?....want some coffee?'

He held out the steaming mug rather impulsively before realizing that at this time in the morning some people might not find his words too humorous. He quickly pulled the cup back spilling some on his hand. He grunted and winced as the hot liquid hit his hand.

'..Gah..shit, don't mind me. I should probably just shut up and let the big man talk or something like that...'

[Tune]

[roll0]

A vacant room. Howl's attempt at a reassuring smile; Apollo disappearing somewhere on the top floor but said to be alright. Her mind swirled with questions. Then there was the mention of massacres from Howl. A meeting was scheduled in the morning. Running her fingers through her matted hair, she sighed heavily. Daniel had already pushed past both her and Howl, returning to his room on the first floor. She shifted on the stairs, wiping her clammy cheeks, and sniffled. She didn't bother conversing with Howl; his sudden chummy nature disturbing her enough to send a curt nod in his direction before making her way back to her chilly room.

A bottle of liquor was still sitting on her hope chest near her heater. She sat alone in her cold room for the most of the night, staring at the wall. The pain in her chest bothered her nerves. So many questions were swirling in her head, and she was tempted to drown her nerves in the bitter substance. It was odd; her bed felt lonely without Apollo. Given, leaving before morning came was not so uncommon for him, but under the circumstances, having him near by would have been a blessing in disguise.

That morning, all her covers were kicked off when the weather warmed up. Apollo's shirt was already folded and set neatly on her bed. Going through her morning routines, she stopped in front of her little mirror, hair still dripping wet, towel wrapped around her. Wiping the mirror with the back of her hand, she groaned when she seen the puffy bags beneath her eyes. She looked like crap. The only bright side of things was her scheduled day off landed on a great day. She doubted she could do her work without collapsing from lack of sleep.

Fully dressed, she grabbed her mug of Hot Chocolate, and locked her door behind her. This morning wasn't her best; her hair was styled in a way that partially hide her face - something that she normally couldn't stand. She didn't even bother too much with make-up, either and she half wondered if anyone would bother to notice such diminutive things. Wet leaves crunched under her boots as she made her way across the small courtyard to the landlord's office. She could hear noise inside, and her hand paused over the knob. Was she really here? She really didn't care much about what went on in Mythos for the most part until it affected her. And it did.

Inside the small lounge, people were there, seated on the couch or just standing around. She had never seen a couple of them before, and it didn't bother her much. She took a spot against the wall, and took a sip of her Hot Chocolate, waiting for whatever kind of meeting this was to start.

[Preach]

[2]

He didn’t react badly, jump up or leave – that was… good. Of course, she couldn’t ignore the thought that it probably would have been better if she had said nothing. Bridget considered her options – going to her bed was the most logical option, the most decent one. But… She didn’t really want to. Not now. Any other night, of course she would have. But not tonight, not now. She didn’t want to be alone. She found herself laying down next to him, gradually falling into a fitful sleep. She neglected to turn off the lights, or lock the door, she didn’t want to get up again. The images of what she’d just seen flashed through her mind, but that just made her hold on to Noah. It was... oddly comforting, being with others. She wasn’t used to it.

Bridget awoke to a soft voice and a soft touch – she blinked her eyes open, found she was still on the couch, holding on to Noah. In the split second before waking fully, part of her mind had thought what had happened the day before had been a nightmare, no different to the ones she’d experienced before, but Noah’s presence meant otherwise – it had been real. The events of last night rushed back to her. She might as well have not slept, she didn’t feel rested at all. “Mmh, Morning?” she mumbled, “oh, morning…” He was touching her face, she smiled faintly, before letting go of him and propping herself up with one arm. She rubber her eyes with her other hand, was about to speak, then Hanna burst through the door and brusquely pulled her up.

“Uh? Like – like this?” She glanced back at Noah, blushed a little, why was Hanna asking – then it clicked. The murder, she was asking about that, obviously. She sobered up. “No. I can say that with complete honestly, Hanna. You know the reputation this place has, it may have happened before I arrived here… One of the older residents might – oh! That meeting!” Her hand was at her mouth again. “Give me three seconds!”

She rushed to the bathroom, shut the door, threw on the skirt, blouse and tights from the day before, and grabbed a comb as she exited. No time to put on makeup – damn. She felt really uncomfortable without it. She brushed her hair as she spoke, sliding her feet into her shoes near the door. “We should go. I’d rather not be late to this.” She picked up her keys with her free hand, shot a meaningful glance at Noah, spoke again. “Hanna, I think you’ll get more answers from them than you can from me.”

[Lord Tully]

[Have already rolled this round]

"Good," Hanna told Bridget, she felt a little relived but she wasn't entirely sure if she beleved her ~But she's my best friend, she wouldn't lie about this would she?~ Hanna asked herself, "because if you'd brought me here knowing something like that might happen..." Hanna didn't know how to possibly finish that sentence and so turned to Noah.

"You, you know how to get guns right?" She knew one of the residents dealt with guns and other things like that, but was only mostly certain that was Noah, "If you're going to help you should call up whoever you do business with and have them bring some here, we'll need them." She kept her eyes on Bridget as she stepped back towards the door, "I'll see you downstairs Bridget." She said, still stern, but she's softened a bit from when she'd come in. She genuainly loved her friend, and didn't belive that she'd recommend a place like this knowing that whatever the fuck the thing last night was, lived their too, but that didn't stop a bit of doubt from entering her mind.

After she got past the disgusting mess in the hallway she quickly went down the stairs to join the meeting, "I'm in Howl, I'm not letting this continue." she told the man with cold determination in her voice, though she wasn't quite sure what they could do to that monster. She then saw Holly curled up in her seat, "Hey there sweety, everything's going to be alright I promise." she said to the woman sitting next to her and taking her hand, "You don't have to worry anymore, as long as Howl and I are here nothing can touch you. Right Howl?" She said wishing she could do or say something to make Holly feel better.

[Rin]

[Already rolled for this round]

Vince wasn't too sure as to what was happening, no one had acknowledged his question. Every person in the room and every person that had come into the room seemed so... so.. Scared? With one or two exceptions. He wondered if this was the part of the show where they have an intervention for one of the residents. One of the men in the room had a bat, and Vince hoped as hard as he could hope things weren't going to turn violent. The poor resident who was getting intervened on (intervented?) didn't deserve to be hurt. No one did.

A girl walked into the room and sat next to the tired looking girl on the other sofa and held her hand. Vince never understood the concept of hand holding. What made it romantic and loving, or even comforting? He had never held anyone's hand before and didn't plan on it now. Especially because he was seated next to some gnarly looking guy who smelled like alcohol. Vince felt a little uncomfortable, but he didn't want to leave he was excited to see where this intervention was going. He also wanted to know what the bat was for. His mother always told him, a question unasked is a question unanswered, so Vince turned to the lovely gentleman holding the baseball bat and asked:

"Why do you have a baseball bat? You aren't beating up the interventioned person, are you?"

[Public_Hazard]

The sudden arrival of Hanna took Noah by surprise as she swiftly greeted him and took Bridget by the hand, whom only moments ago had awoken from her slumber. He nodded towards Hanna as he acknowledge her, and turned to get himself straightened to give them some privacy in their conversation. He did not take note of the small mishap in communication regarding Hanna's panic. Once he felt he was ready to head down stair he got up from the couch and stepped next to Bridget as she exited the bathroom with a slight change of clothing and a comb in her hand. Hanna had yet to leave and looked at him before speaking "You, you know how to get guns right." a slight uneasiness settled itself at the pit of his stomach as she stated this, he had not recalled telling her of his career. Then again someone couldn't hide every fact about one's self. He gazed at Bridget for a slight moment, unsure of how she would respond to this but dismissed this and looked back to Hanna. "If you're going to help you should call up whoever you do business with and have them bring some here, we'll need them." he blankly turned towards the window not saying anything to acknowledge her request, just because he dealt with them didn't mean he liked them. He remained this way until she had left, Bridget was at the door with her keys in hand awaiting for him to exit. He let her know he was coming with a hand gesture as he bent over to grab his combat knife that had been left on the floor from the night before, he let his sit in his hand before closing it in a quick manner and pocketing it into his jeans.

Once Noah had stepped outside his eyes scanned over the hallway, there was no sudden movements around them. Any noise coming from the building was from downstairs, likely the residents who were waiting for the meeting to begin. Their voices were distant so he had no clue who was down there. He looked down at the now brown stained blanket laying on the floor, the hidden corpse beneath had yet to be removed from its place, with the time he had been here he was well aware that the apartment held its own personal "undertaker". He never really saw them in person but only their images as they dragged away the remains. It was an eerie sense of how exactly the complex worked, people died and no one on the outside would care. Click. The sound of Bridget locking her door took him out of thoughts as he looked over her. He was unsure if she had noticed the corpse that had remained over the night but he did his best to block her view as they made their way to the first floor.

Many of the inhabitants had already made their way to the Landlord's office Boots who was being comforted by Hanna and a woman he did not know, Howl standing by them like a bull dog ready to pounce on anyone who seemed like a threat. Katia was sitting absently by herself as Danial made bad attempts at humor, he felt bad for the guy what he was trying to do was a good thing but right now was not the best time to attempt it. Another man was conversing with Danial, he was unsure of who he was but said didn't think much of it. "I wonder where Apollo and Consul are..." he softly spoke to himself as he left Bridget's side to let her do as she please and stepped next to Katia. The girl reeked of alcohol but it didn't bother him, his own stench had begun to flow away from the night before. He said nothing as he took a seat next to the girl. "I'm guessing you were alone last night." his voice softly spoke to Katia as he stared at the floor. Despite now being around others she still seemed agitated and scared from last night's happenings, the least he could do was offer his presence and acknowledgement.

[Ru]

No new round until Nat is entered. Only those who have not rolled must make dice rolls, otherwise keep the roll you have until he is introduced.

Landlord’s Office

Apparently the complex was filled with comedians, unluckily for them Howl had nearly no sense of humor. As each joke rolled off their tongues he rolled his eyes, then shot a glare at the jokester who spat them out. Maybe to them it eased up the mood and maybe even made the scenario easier to deal with, but to him it was just a nuisance and quite cowardly. However, this was the lot he had to endure if he was ever to get anything done around here. Brute strength wasn’t going to be enough to defeat whatever lurked below; he was sure of this.

Though, the new arrival had a legitimate question. Howl’s eyes locked with his, arms crossed loosely over his chest. “Ya might wanna listen in on the meeting before ya decide on living here.” Then he noted Tiffany’s arrival and forced down a small smirk. How many people he trusted in this world could easily be counted on the fingers of one had, excluding his thumb, but this girl had managed be one of those few. With her around his heart could be put to ease, knowing Boots would be fine if his presence happened to be somewhere else. All he needed now was Kay. God, how odd it felt to think that… needing him?

While Howl was glancing at Tiffany Holly had her eyes faced towards the carpeted floor beneath her. Momentarily her gaze was interrupted due to feeling startled when Hanna had place her hand on her. Aside from Howl and the kids she taught at school, no one touched her. Well, then there was Tiffany. And Kay… Okay, so, there were a few people who made physical contact with her, otherwise she was too busy keeping to herself for anyone else to bother. Yet, she touched her last night… maybe she was just too uppity. Yeah, that was it.

She let out a sigh, then smiled a tad over at Hanna, before gazing up at the voice calling to her. Blond hair, dark clothing, thick boots… A smile crossed over her expression, and then she jumped off the couch and darted over to her companion. “Tiff! You came! I… I didn’t…” Boots threw her arms around the neck of the much taller woman, nuzzling her face into her chest. Under her breath she muttered, “I didn’t think you’d come…”

“Nothing is going to happen to Boots… and I don’ plan on lettin’ shit happen, unless ya’ll decide to be dumb asses,” he snorted and rolled his shoulders back, going into a slumped posture. “We’ll start once our… guest gets here.”

Cait and Consul

Being confused with Katie was rather… annoying. It wasn’t unusual living in the same complex as someone with a similar name, but attempting to go by anything other than a nickname would have been worse. However, she knew it was unlikely anyone could pronounce her birth name accurately. Still, this was irritating. If she wasn’t so terrified of being dragged down to where the monsters lived she’d have snapped back at the young woman, but these were horrifying circumstances. All she wanted was to not feel alone.

“It’s Cait,” she stammered. “Riddle…? Play…?” Cait muttered, then shook her head slowly and stepped into the hallway where Consul stood; anything was better than being alone in that room. “Do you know the way out?” the more distressed she became the more her Scottish accent became heavy and thick with each word spoken. Fear was evident in her tone as well as her shaking posture, but the proud woman no longer cared. If only one resident who did not even care enough of her to remember her name saw her trembling, then it was fine.

[Auki]

Tiffany allowed her irritation to show through with every stranger that entered behind her. Each one seemed determined to add to the conversation without explaining a slight of what was going on. She wasn’t even sure why everyone was gathering; Holly had forgotten to warn her that it would be more than just them in the office. Careful fingers pulled down her skirt and flattened her top – both, black and laced – waiting for some attention. Her eyes barely caught Howl’s gaze before she refocused them on the girl who had called her there.

After a lifestyle of constant change and excitement, her patience had never been admirable; she did not even try to hide that fact. Watching a girl – one whom she would later find to be Hanna – pounce upon Holly, she could only tap her foot, agitated, upon the hard floor. Perhaps ‘pounce’ was an exaggeration, but Tiffany reserved the right to judge anyone who got close to ‘Boots’; her friend was far too amiable to fend for herself properly.

“Holly?” she asked again, almost barking over Hanna’s gentle words. Thankfully this time, she managed to catch some notice with her words.

“Tiff! You came! I… I didn’t…”

She smiled at the embrace, a hand rising to hold the girl’s head closer. It had seemed too long since they’d seen each other – how lovely it would have been to catch up with the other’s life – but she was painfully aware of how many people surrounded them.

“I didn’t think you’d come…”

“As if I’d let you down,” she replied; her voice was kept low, nonchalant in tone.

The room (in particular, Howl) seemed to be waiting on something – standing in the middle of the room would soon become an annoyance – so she took her friend’s hand and led her back towards her original seat. There was hardly the space for two people, without it becoming uncomfortable, so Tiffany calmly sat herself down. Two short taps to her lap indicated where Holly should sit.

[Tune]

Katia caught sight of Noah when he entered, and all the others that followed. Still no Apollo, she thought, staring into her mug of Hot Chocolate. She swished the contents around, watching the small little marshmallows bump against each other. Even after her shower, she felt unclean. Why? She hadn't the faintest idea. She shot a glance in Noah's direction when he took a spot next to her. Taking a sip of her cocoa, she forced her agitation down a bit, long enough to know she could respond almost civilly after last night's events. Everyone's voices were starting to give her a headache.

"It looks like you didn't spend the night alone," said Katia, taking another sip of her drink.

"It would be a waste of time to ask if he came home to his room last night, wouldn't it?" She glared into her mug, fingers gripping and squeezing it, part of her wishing she could shatter it in her hands.

She shook her head to break away from her thoughts, and looked up at Howl and the small scene unfolding in the middle of the room. A tall woman hugging Boots close to her chest; Howl looking and speaking annoyed; more strange people being around; yes, most of this was rather normal. She couldn't help but chuckle at her thoughts. Mythos... normal. The idea of such a thing was ludicrous.

“Nothing is going to happen to Boots… and I don’ plan on lettin’ shit happen, unless ya’ll decide to be dumb asses.” Howl's words did not help with her short temper. It might have been the alcohol she drink, and lack of a decent night's sleep, but if she felt as if storming out of the building was the right choice, she would have - regardless of how many people she had to push passed to accomplish such a thing.

“We’ll start once our… guest gets here.”

Whoever the damn guest was, he needed to get here faster.

[Lord Tully]

As Hanna watched Holly go to her friend Tiffany and hug her Hanna took the time to look over the young woman. Hanna had been vaugly aware of Tiffany before, having heard Holly talk about her once or twice, but she was pretty sure this was the first time she'd actually met her. Tiffany was certainly pretty, though her black attire didn't quite seem to suit her, and her impatience was definitly noticable, and Hanna had never liked impatient people much. But if nothing else her presence made Holly very happy and that could only ever be a good thing.

When Tiffany came to sit down next to her and indicated that she wanted Holly to sit in her lap a flash of jealousy went through her mind ~Flirty bitch.~ she though, almost letting the thought slip out in her tired state. ~Where the hell did that come from?~ she asked herself as she stood up to give Holly her own seat. What possible reason did she have to be jealous? It wasn't any of her damn business what happened between these two. "I'm Hanna." she said to Tiffany trying to be friendly, "It's good to see Holly smile after what happened last night." She walked to the other side of the small couch and leaned against the wall.

"You do know what's been happening here right?" she asked, hoping that they weren't bringing in someone completely clueless.

[Public_Hazard]

Noah let Katia's agitation bounce off him as she spoke, her sharp words were filled with small hints of venom as she spoke. Though it seemed that she was at least attempting to calm herself she was not doing the best job at it. Especially considering how strongly she was holding her mug he was rather concerned what exactly had happened last night with Apollo and her. The last time he had seen him was in the hallway, instinctively he thought that Apollo would take the young boy to her and then spend the night together until things settled down. However since this did not seem to be the case he felt a slight bit of concern if something had happened that he was unaware of. He almost felt bad for Katia, how she had been left alone to fend for herself after hearing all that had happened over the course of the night, her stench of alcohol added to how she had likely attempted to buzz away any coherent thoughts from her system in order to cope. Sadly it sounded a lot like himself, and he could almost feel a slight tug at his heart for not being able to anything for the girl next to him.

“Nothing is going to happen to Boots… and I don’ plan on lettin’ shit happen, unless ya’ll decide to be dumb asses.” Noah chuckled softly at the statement, Howl would never change a sad truth that Noah has understood since he moved into the complex. “We’ll start once our… guest gets here." The very idea that Howl had someone that was willing to help him despite his natural habit of not caring for any other person aside from Boots was almost laughable. Noah almost started to wonder what could compel a person to help someone like that, or perhaps cash was involved, regardless of what it may be he was unsure if they'd be of any help.

Glancing over at Katia his eyes glanced over her, she seemed rigid and almost ready to snap at a moments notice. Howl's remarks had likely caused her to infuriate further. "Relax." he spoke softly as he kept his eyes on the floor board. "Now is not the time to fight with anyone." he was unsure if she would listen after all he was not that majorly familiar with her but perhaps the very thing that he was Apollo's roommate might add some form of small friendship between them, though he doubted it. Of course if his words caused her to snap at him, he was more than prepared but that was something he hoped wouldn't happen.

[Auki]

"I'm Hanna."

Tiffany gave a small start, not expecting anyone in the room to strike up conversation. It seemed so stark against the tense atmosphere, uncomfortable, but she would not deny friendliness. There was nothing to do but return the offer.

“Tiffany,” she said simply, with a gentle upturn of glossed lips.

"It's good to see Holly smile after what happened last night."

She gave a soft laugh, partially forced, “I’m glad to have such an impact…” Her words were distant, barely thought about. Thoughts seemed more focused on running eyes over the girl as she stepped away. Curvaceous, long hair, good style of clothing…well, good enough that Tiffany didn’t bother judgement. It was a shame about the height; she might be taller than Hanna but it was only just.

To her surprise and amusement, Holly still sat upon her lap, perhaps wishing for comfort amongst the apprehension. The blonde wrapped arms around her friend’s waist, helping her keep balance. It blocked most of what she could see, her sight suddenly dominated by brunette locks yet she could clearly hear Hanna’s question.

"You do know what's been happening here right?"

Perhaps Tiffany was imagining the shadow of curtness; it would not be the first time she had assumed the worst of people. Her tone was kept light-hearted, trying to give the benefit of the doubt towards Holly’s friends.

“Last night? No, but there are enough rumours about this place that I can take a guess.”

[Preach]

Bridget busied herself, arranging her hair, trying her best to ignore the subtle odour of dried blood as she moved through the hall. Noah blocked her view of the worst of it, once again standing between her and something disgusting. She was grateful. Images of the things she had seen last night flitted through her mind as they made their way down the stairs, but she pushed them away. She was determined not to dwell on it, instead focusing on rhythmically untangling knots with her comb.

They made their way to the Landlord's office, where several people were already gathered... Almost everyone from the complex, it seemed. She noticed some new faces, as well - or at least, faces she didn't recognize. Could it be that new people were moving in? Already? With what had happened last night, she found it hard to believe, but the Complex had managed to survive through the years, somehow, regardless of the rumours which surrounded it.

Howl grumbled something as she was taking a seat near a man she didn't recognize, and near Daniel, who she did recognize. Everyone seemed on edge... Understandably. The atmosphere of anxiety made her anxious, too. She began braiding her hair, trying to appear more presentable, the repetitive motions were somewhat soothing. She gazed around, hoping that whoever they were waiting for would arrive soon and at the very least dispel the tension.

[Zatory-Master]

Keito rolled (17)


Keito waited for the door to shut. The man had left and he was,once again, alone in his the room that used to belong to Ellie and him. He studied her bed. Now empty. The room felt colder and more desolate. Keito sat up and looked around, hoping it could somehow all come back to life somehow. "Ellie...hot chocolate please....Ellie...." He walked towards the kitchen. "Ellie?..." He continued towards the bathroom, knocking first, then entering. "Ellie, where are you?" He began to completely make himself believe that everything was fine.

He climbed to his multi-layered bed and layed his blond-haired head on the cold pillow. "Maybe...she's out." He told himself softly and went to sleep with his heart still aching.

Keito,now in his dream world, looked around. It looked exactly like the room he currently slept in. He was unaware that he was dreaming, so all of this was real to him. He got up and caught a glance of what appeared to be a female walking towards the kitchen.It was only a hallucination that he thought was real. He got up and followed her. When he got there, she was gone. On the table, a cup of hot chocolate and a letter were placed. Keito took the drink, and read the hand writtened letter. Two words were written on it. "Protect Snickers".

Keito eyes opened and the next thing he knew, there were people heading down the halls. He looked around, spotted snickers, and got out of bed. He knew people were going somewhere, and he did not want to be left alone on his floor. His weakling expression he always carried on wass gone. Now he carried the face of a kid with no soul. A kid whose purpose in life has been taken away. His eyes were dull, and he was now experiencing what all kid's who saw what he saw experienced, Insanity.

He quickly got dressed. He put on a scarf that covered half his face, and a black jacket that went down to his knees. Then finished the depressing outfit with a black long-rimmed hat that belonged to his father. It covered most of his eyes and made him look like a Demon's child.

"Ellie...I'll return...so don't worry...." He said to the empty bed that used to belong to Ellie.

He closed the door and followed the sounds of footsteps. There was probably a meeting going on somewhere, and Keito wanted to check. He had no buisness going,but now that the incident occurred, Keito has no more self-direction and would get caught up in anything.

Keito hid from everyone as he followed them. His shy and fear-of-everything personallity was still the same. He watched the diffrent grown-ups enter the room that was filled with chairs and other sitting furnitures. The people were discussing something. Keito stood at the doorway, only showing half of his left side to the ones inside. He was afraid. Most of them looked like they could kill him with one punch. Keito shivered and leaned closer to the wall as he listened to their conversations, hoping he would not attract to much attention.

[Ru]

Howl rolled a 17. An outside roll was made. Result received, “secret.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Boots rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Result received, “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Cait rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Result received, “noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Owen rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received, “rumor.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Noah rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Result received, “noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Vince rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Result received, “ghost appearance.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Consul rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received, “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Hanna rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Result received, “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Tiffany rolled a 14. An outside roll was made. Result received, “ghost noise.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Daniel rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Result received, “monster.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Katia rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received, “rumor.” Will be implemented in a later post.
Bridget rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received, “nothing.” Nothing will occur.
Keito rolled a 17. An outside roll was made. Result received, “nothing.” Nothing will occur.


New Dice Rolls

Howl, 4; Boots, 12; Cait, 15.


Landlord’s Office

Despite horrific circumstances a smile still remained etched onto the dark-haired girl’s pale features. Happily she sat in her companion’s lap, resting her back against the woman’s chest comfortably. The warmth and love she felt in this room was quite surprising considering the horror witnessed last night. Boots had become oblivious to it temporarily, but once the meeting started she’d be back to her skittish self.

The door to the building creaked open slowly, causing anticipation and curiosity to rise within some of the residents lingering inside. Maybe the character Howl had mumbled about was finally entering and whatever this meeting was about would finally commence. However, who ended up entering the room was none other than the landlady who owned the establishment making her brief entrance of the day before she avoided it like the plague until the next morning.

With a hunched back and wrinkled, liver-spotted hands she edged the door open until there was enough room for her to make her way inside. Gradually she stepped in, then rose her head slightly to face the residents resting on the old furniture she had bought when she first inherited the place what felt like centuries ago. Obligation is what kept her here, otherwise she was have had the place destroyed the minute her grandmother had passed on. Even so, it was decent pay for what the place was worth due to these curious, desperate, or maybe stupid people who dared to rent here, though never enough to keep her there for long. Not even a million bucks would make her stay one night here.

Black, beady eyes that had grown cold as time wore on gazed around the room, stopping at one edge of crow’s feet to sift to the other. She was well aware of the missing resident, though how she knew without entering the main complex or being called was quite the mystery. Her personal cleaning crew was already upstairs cleaning the mess the monster had left behind and disposing of the possessions belonging to the now deceased resident. Personal belongings of Ellie’s would be sent to the address the girl had provided to her upon applying for residency, probably her parents’ house, while anything else would be burned. The landlord tried her best to ensure privacy and to make sure the living lost no sanity due to her actions, by carefully choosing times when all would be out or sleeping to commence with cleaning and the like. This morning she happened to be lucky they were all in her building.

Again she glanced around the room to examine who all was here. There was one she could tell was seeking residency, simply because he was the only person in the room she had never seen until this day. Tiffany she knew was a friend of Boots and the child had been temporarily under the care of the deceased. Her eyes locked onto Vince’s with no apparent emotion expressed on her aged features. “Room 3015 is open. If you would like to request residency meet in my office and fill out the proper paperwork before I leave, no later than noon.” Then she addressed the entire room, “If no one wishes to claim the boy under their care until his sister can return, then take him to my office before I leave.” With that she dragged her feet as she walked towards her office within the building, then shut the door.

Ellie died…? Boots slumped back against Tiffany, her mood shot down as quickly as it had sprouted up. While she had heard noises last night she was not aware they lost another resident. Then it dawned on her… where was Cait and Consul? Shouldn’t they be at the meeting too? Maybe Consul didn’t know, but she would have heard Howl with how loud he was talking and come out of her room to at least see what was going on, but she hadn’t. And Cait… sure, sometimes she acted selfishly, but she knew deep down the girl would have come here with how dire the situation was becoming. And hadn’t she heard her screaming last night as well? “Howl,” her voice cracked. What could have happened to those girls…? “We—”

Finally the honored guest arrived, slamming the door open so hard it dented more into the hole the knob hit against the wall. Well, to be honest, it was really the wind blowing harshly outside that caused the entrance to become so dramatic, but Nat K. Liel was entering the room nonetheless with a flustered, pink complexion. “Hrm…” he stammered a bit, strolling inside and heading directly for Howl in hopes of drawing less attention to himself — after closing the door, of course. Though entering a bland room wearing a long, bright yellow vest; a vibrant red and orange striped turtleneck; black, tight pants with yellow fabric folded up at his ankles; and matching yellow flats. Oh, the white doctor’s mask over his mouth didn’t do him much good either. As much as he desperately tried to avoid social interactions K had a terrible time getting himself to blend in with the crowd.

Kelp colored hair with orange tips — permanently dyed an odd shade after a freak accident in his lab — flopped about in front of his face in the form of a relatively large bang as he darted over to Howl’s side. In comparison to the tall man Nat was a short individual and rather scrawny; by appearance it was hard to denote how this lad could be of any help. Teal eyes scanned the room until they landed on Boots and Tiffany, whom he smiled and gave a small wave to. The causalities came to an abrupt end when a glare was shot his way by the brute he stood beside.

“I… I guess I should get formalities out of the way…” K muttered to himself, then scratched behind his head nervously. “Good morning, Mythos residents! I am Nat K. Liel, a paranormal expert and comrade of Howl and Holly. I took the liberty of heading to the realm below to gauge what exactly you all are facing in hopes of gaining a better understanding so I can help you. It was why I was tardy, which I apolo—”

“You did what?” Boots blurted out, sitting up. “Kay! I told you how dangerous it was…”

“Boots,” Nat sighed. “I told you, demons refuse to touch me.” He turned his attention back to the group. “I saw several of the creatures residing below you, but providing you with their names would be relatively pointless, as they are usually unpronounceable to the human tongue…”

Howl shot him another glared then slapped the back on his head.

“Ah! … Anyway, um… I can answer any questions about them and provide weaknesses, strengths, and any other information. The shadowed figure a number of you saw last night, for example, preys solely upon women. Its feasting is gruesome and near impossible to prevent, other than to keep the female far away from the creature. From what I have gathered, it is taking orders from a higher ranked entity, so it tends to remain in one of the rooms unless given a direct order. His quest was to kidnap the red-haired girl in Room 3013, though what else is meant to be done to her is unknown. I believe he also kidnapped one of the women who resides in this building, but I was not able to confirm it. The reason he only killed the resident of 3015 and not the girl at the end of the hall was because she was in the open, while other females on the floor had men surrounding them. So, mask the females and it will give you a slight advantage and keep your numbers higher.”

The brawler nodded his head then shifted his position. “Do ya know what we gotta do?”

“My honest opinion is to flee, but if you are all determined to continue residing here… then you will need information concerning every monster here. I can remain in your ranks, but I can only provide information otherwise I disobey my contract. Otherwise, I will answer all questions anyone may have presently and then be on my way.”

[Tune]

[roll0]

The door slammed open after the last resident entered the Landlord's building. Who ever it was, they made a grand entrance, cutting into the chatter and the tension in the room that threatened to choke even the most brazen person here. It wasn't until the guest made its way over to Howl that Katia was able to see the person they were waiting for. A short, crazy haired kid with an outrageous outfit, complete with a medical mask. Katia rolled her eyes, and took a sip of her hot chocolate. It was all she could do not to laugh or make a snide comment. They really waited for someone like this? It was shocking that Howl and Boots would even associate with someone so flamboyant, but who was she to talk? She who had her own strange group of friends before they all turned on her or left for bigger and better things while she slummed out a meager existence, living in some haunted hell hole.

"Good morning, Mythos residents! I am Nat K. Liel, a paranormal expert and comrade of Howl and Holly. I took the liberty of heading to the realm below to gauge what exactly you all are facing in hopes of gaining a better understanding so I can help you. It was why I was tardy, which I apolo—”


“You did what?” exclaimed Boots. "Kay! I told you how dangerous it was…”

Katia sighed, and rubbed the side of her head. These people were stranger than she ever gave them credit for. Demons, he said. Demons were just monsters from stories the elderly told to scare children into obeying their elders and not to stay out late. The boy's next words actually made her laugh.

"A demon kidnapped a girl from the 3rd floor?" Katia shook her head. "Demons only exist in stories told by people in the Old Countries. I thought other Americans would be smarter than this. Believing in ghosts, ghost stories and demons." She had one word for it. Unbelievable.

This boy - Nat K. - suggested fleeing being their best bet. If they did leave, where would they have to go?

She was quiet for a long time, staring down at the floor. She decided to humor him. "If these things do exist, how are we supposed to defeat them?"

[Auki]

As the apartment’s landlady finally departed, a veil of tension left by her coming, Tiffany felt Holly rest back into her arms. Shoulders slumped, her head hung lower; it was easy to tell that her friend felt saddened by the words just passed. All the blonde could really do was hug her tighter, resting a hand on hers and gently stoking her thumb across the girl’s pale skin. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but Tiffany knew that it was to shake off her own personal stress as well.

When the door opened and slammed again, she wondered if the old lady had returned, almost thinking to give the bitch a piece of her mind about tact. Her body tilted to peer from behind her lap’s occupant, eyes darting to catch the room’s new arrival.

“Oh…” she muttered; it wasn’t a tone of disappointment, merely surprise…and then confusion as to why she hadn’t excepted his subsequent appearance. Of course, it’s him. Her thoughts were curt but not unfriendly, Who else did I think Howl would trust to help us?

Some of his information were things she had heard on whim before, albeit it only briefly. Out of courtesy, she still deemed it necessary to listen to his speech and , in the end, politeness benefited her; she learnt about the previous evening, the details that had left the residents shaking. Despite this, her concerns only stretched towards her friends. It was already obvious to her that both Holly and Howl would be unlikely to leave the premises, no matter her attempted persuasion otherwise.

Questions would be better asked by those who had experienced last night’s events and so, she kept quiet, mulling over the new information she had received just moments before.

[Preach]

[1]

Eh? The Landlady? Surely this wasn't who they were waiting for - Bridget subtly glanced at Howl... Judging by his lack of reaction, apparently not. Ellie confirmed for dead - well of course, she had seen her be completely erased from existence just the night before, but hearing about how the room was empty, and how the kid who lived with her would need a new home... These mundane facts made the entire ordeal seem much more... real. She shut her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose, opened them once more and glanced behind her. Noah was there, good.

It was at that moment that the door slammed open, she flinched and suppressed a gasp. Someone who looked like a colourblind mental patient entered the room. Now, was this who they were waiting for? Apparently so. Not comforting in the slightest. She needed sanity right now, normality, and this guy- this Nat Liel- seemed like the physical embodiment of insanity to her.

She listened to his speech. Demons? This gave her pause. She enjoyed reading stories about them, sure, but encountering was an entire different matter. And this building was full of them... Half of her wanted to leave immediately, just pack up and go, but... She didn't want to re-settle with her grandparents, or quit her job. And as much as she hated to admit this to herself... She was mildly curious. And he had said something about a contract? Odd, and slightly worrying. Bridget let it slide, she didn't want to pry, there were other questions which she wanted answered.

Then, another resident - a girl she barely knew, dressed more scandalously than Bridget would have ever allowed- spoke out. She was incredulous... Understandable. The occurrences were absolutely unbelievable and ridiculous, but Bridget was willing to believe. What other explanation did they have? And this man was offering help and advice. There was no harm in taking it.

"Um," she added quietly, fidgeting with her hands, looking down - god, she hated speaking in public- "Is there a way of... warding them off? And... do they have weaknesses we could exploit?" Finished speaking, she looked up again, more confident now, and waited for an answer.

[The Imposter]

Rolls an 11

Daniel had kept silent as more people entered and filled the room up. Still holding his baseball bat, he thought to make a snide remark to the question but it was obvious the man wasn't up to speed with the fact that this wasn't an AlAnon meeting. There was definitely an uncomfortable air in the room as everyone sat awkwardly waiting. On top of that the creepy old landlady entered the fray. The way she talked sent shivers up Dan's spine, she seemed so unfazed by the events. Is that what happens when you see so much of that shit?

When Howl's friend arrived Dan wasn't quite sure how to react. Was that guy for real? His outfit and the way he talked...then the way some of the residents talked. Daniel clenched his teeth as they poised questions and doubted. When there was a break in the conversation Daniel lashed out pointing his bat towards Katia.

'I know it might sound stupid or funny, but you got no place taking the death of someone lightly, let alone a death as grisly as some of us saw. I suggest you best get a little more open minded before you become the next item for that human blender that got Ellie...'

Dan sighed and let the tip of the bat hit the floor. From his seat he looked over at the small guy who seemingly had answers.

"....so you are saying we put masks on the chicks and the will help? What about more distinguishing features?"

His head cocked and he pointed his bat towards Tiffany's chest where Boots was seemingly nestled in quite well.

'....Or did you mean mask as in hide all their features?'

Daniel's cheeks reddened and he leaned back in the couch, tapping the bat against the bill of his cap.

[Public_Hazard]

Having experienced the creature devour Ellie first hand Noah had already realized the extent of the danger they were in, especially the girls within the complex. The part concerning Bridget as the original target had Noah's mind troubled, what had possessed that creature to seek her out? Was she of any major importance to them? Of course it could all be simple coincidence and randomization of choosing their next victim. After all they were beastly creature with one higher power controlling them. Whatever the reason may be he had already begun to realize the extent he would have to go through to protect her and the others. Howl would likely turn his back on them if Boot's safety was at all hindered. Daniel seemed to remain the goofball of the group but Noah could only hope he had a more serious side when the time asked for it. Apollo had continued to remain MIA since the night before and as for the other males of the complex he had no knowledge of them or very little to make any conclusion. Perhaps not the best of terms for the situation they were in. That very fact gave him a headache, and his hand began to rub at his temples to settle the pain.

"A demon kidnapped a girl from the 3rd floor?"

Katia's voice brought Noah out of his relaxed trance that his personal massage had brought him into.

"Demons only exist in stories told by people in the Old Countries. I thought other Americans would be smarter than this. Believing in ghosts, ghost stories and demons."

She was quiet for a long time, before speaking again. "If these things do exist, how are we supposed to defeat them?"

Poor girl, Noah thought to himself as she finished talking. Had she been there to witness what the majority of the complex had seen, she wouldn't be asking these mocking questions to the person who was here to help them. Then again he could not recall how long she had been here. Had she been here as long as he, Howl or Boots had she would've accepted the man's statement at a heartbeat, the complex was a place that would force people to believe in the supernatural. He let out a sigh but continued to listen as other spoke up.

Bridget was the next to ask her question "Um, Is there a way of... warding them off? And... do they have weaknesses we could exploit?" which was followed by Daniel's questions which regarded questions on how to protect the girls. Noah was glad that he had asked that, since the females were the target it was important to learn every way to protect them. "I think he meant to mask them with our presence, though I could be wrong. Last night Bridget was surrounded by me and Apollo which warded the creature from attacking her, or in this case 'masked' her presence." he gave a small smile to Bridget since he had mentioned her in his small speech. "I'd like to also ask for more information on what Bridget asked, Demons or not..." he looked at Katia stoicly before looking back at their visitor "... it's important to take this serious and find a way to rid them from this place. After all they killed someone and that alone should make this something that shouldn't simply be blown off as a joke." his words were slightly more laced with venom than he had hoped but since the incident he had felt himself become more on edge. Anxiety, that's what he labeled it and left it at that as he waited for the K to answer their questions and others to continue asking.

[Tune]

Katia let the words of the others settle in, a frown forming on her lips. Her eyes drifted from the floor to meet Daniel's eyes in a cold stare. She wasn't fond of being scolded for something she didn't know. "First of all, Daniel, some of us weren't there when it happened. Some of us were blocked by a guy in a baseball cap, the same one holding a baseball bat right now." She clenched her teeth, exhaling deeply from her nose, "So please don't snap at me because I didn't know what was going on last night."

"I think he meant to mask them with our presence, though I could be wrong. Last night Bridget was surrounded by me and Apollo which warded the creature from attacking her, or in this case 'masked' her presence." She shifted her eyes to Noah, watching him smile at one of the girls in the room. If everything they said was true, her life was sparred because she was around men.

"I'd like to also ask for more information on what Bridget asked, Demons or not..." She felt the jab of Noah's statement and briefly met his gaze with a glare. "... it's important to take this serious and find a way to rid them from this place. After all they killed someone and that alone should make this something that shouldn't simply be blown off as a joke."

Sighing, she shook her head. Whether it was the anger or the booze, her head was hurting her and she needed a break. Pushing off the wall, she walked by the others in the room, and opened the door to the small little commons area outside. In need of a desperate breather, she let the door close behind her without another word. Wet leaves crunched beneath her feet as she made her way over to a small three-step stair case outside the main Mythos Complex, and took a seat on the top step. Setting her mug beside her, she hung her head, and rested her forehead on her knees.

"Stupid assholes," she sniffled, shaking her head, "Acting like I knew anything that happened last night."

From behind wet veiled eyelashes, she looked up at the stone building of Mythos, wondering where Apollo was right now. She needed his comfort.

[Ru]

While working in this field he ran into quite the number of skeptics, so the disbelief in the room emanating from several of the residents came as no surprise. On the contrary Nat enjoyed hearing it to better understand the opposite perspective and help himself figure out how to help those who did not believe. Maybe earlier on in his life he would have found Katia’s words highly offensive, but it did nothing other than cause an argument to flurry up into the room. Funny how making a statement then standing in silence could do to a room filled with people, though, unlike many in his shoes, he planned on providing valuable input and hoped to relieve the pain.

What managed to change his physical demeanor was Holly’s response to his statement. Should he have phrased it a little more sensitively? He was unaware who his friend was attached to in this building — let alone why she stayed here — but he did know very well how much she cared for everyone around her. That aspect of the young woman’s personality he could not understand and was one of the very few instances he stood by Howl’s side on. Why care for other people without a second thought? Why care for those who did nothing for you? It seemed positively absurd, but, in the same instance, he admired her for it. His heart sank watching her feel so much anguish.

“W-well… there is no specific way to stop them all… They each have their own weak—” the people of the complex certainly wanted to talk. Nervously he glanced up at Howl while scratching the back of his head once more. The residents fighting was far from his intentions when coming here and the more the tension grew the more he wanted to shrink into the background. Avoiding social interaction all these years had their reasons; he was still shocked he had managed to gain any human friends at all growing up.

Then came the explosion. “Miss! Not seeing someone’s gruesome demise is nothing to be upset over—” she already left. Kay slumped where he stood with his head hung low as he relieved a heavy sigh. Then he mumbled, “—but rejoice at keeping sanity…”

The paranormal expert forced himself to regain composure, proceeding with answering the questions at hand. “Each beast has their own individual weaknesses, ways of warding them off, and aspects that make them unique just like any human being would. I merely addressed the creature many of you had witnessed last night to bring light to inquiring eyes.” Nat couldn’t help but clap his hands together as the two lads seemingly got the weakness of the dark shadow with ease. “Precisely! Mask the women and they shall be fine from the shadow’s snare. You see, that specific creature relies entirely on sight, then taste. If it cannot see the girl, then it cannot eat the girl. If it cannot tell it is a girl, then, again, it cannot eat them. To these creatures women are the most delicious, thus they refuse to eat anything but when it comes to devouring human flesh. So, if you can either stay surrounding the females or manage to mask them to appear as though they are male then you can pass by these beasties with ease.” He gave a soft smile, lacing his fingers together.

“They are not the only creature lurking below us, however, so it will only help a tad. There is another creature best described as an ‘armored slug,’ I suppose. These ones I have been informed have attacked one of the… missing residents. The slugs will only go for those of a specific blood type, which varies from slug to slug. Most of them congregate in one area while feasting on nothing, then the first creature to come to them is the only blood they crave. From what I managed to gather, they were starved slugs, so whichever of the girls they attacked first are the blood type they will seek. The rest of you they may prick, as their hardened shells are pointed, but they will only attempt to devour those of whatever blood type she is.” Nat allowed his hands to fall to his sides as he glanced about the room, letting his eyes stop on Boots before he spoke up again. “I have confirmed the two that are missing are the redhead from the third floor and a girl residing in one of the rooms here. So, if anyone can obtain some sort of medical record of either girl you will be able to denote who is safe or unsafe amongst you concerning that creature. The only known deterrent for them, like any slug, is salt, otherwise only a higher beast can make them stop. The slugs cut into the victim’s skin, plunged inside, and suck the blood out until the victim becomes a dry husk.”

Holly smacked her hands against her mouth, resisting the overwhelming urge to vomit. She knew she needed to be in the room and learn more about these creatures, but imagining anyone having to endure them made her sick, even more so because she knew who he was talking about. Cait and Consul were kidnapped and they were below and they were bound to die down there if they didn’t save them soon, if they weren’t already dead. What if that shadow man got to them? Would there be a bloodied mess down there too? She could feel her head spinning.

“I was not able to find out what their reason for being here is, but I do know there has to be some sort of documentation on these grounds. For that many demons to be lurking in one area with a higher beast commanding them to do its bidding there must be some sort of flawed contract, demented history, or a back story of some sort somewhere to explain it. The choices now are either to find that information and go from there; or to plunge deep into the undergrounds now and learn as we go. Either way, two of the residents here have their lives hanging in the balance. I am merely here to provide information, thus the choice is amongst your numbers.” Nat then took a step back, thus allowing Howl to be a bit ahead of him and to duck his head out of the flurry of words bound to come.

Howl grunted and cracked his knuckles.



Two faded figures appeared near Katia, though seemed to have no idea the girl was there. To her they were transparent, white figures with barely any features to speak of, however their voices rang clear as a church bell.

“I heard the land lady made some dumb contract with a demon, but didn’t do her part so now it’s all pissed off and killing people until she does it. What a bitch. I died for that shit?”

“No, no! I heard it happened a long, long time ago when this place was still run by them Indians. They were all RAWR and shit. Bitches came and bitches went then like… like…”

“Like what? That doesn’t make no sense.”

“Like they buried their dead here or somethin’.”

“That don’t make sense either.”

“I guess… Maybe. Uuh… I heard there was a demon portal here!”

“Demon portal?”

“Yeah, like really deep in the ground. Demons come from there and CHOMP! There goes our heads.”

“Ya mean your head.”

“Oh right!” They both chuckled, then disappeared.

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]
As she heard all the information Nat had to give them Hanna thought her head was about to explode. At any other time she'd love to hear all this, but now that she knew it was real and hearing the type of things they'd be up against almost made her sick. And the thought that Bridget was the original target of that thing last night was almost too much, "Ohh god." she muttered as she slumped in her seat a bit, she wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or what. After a few deep breaths Hanna sat up and cleared her throat, "Is there anything that hurts these shadow things?" She asked Nat bluntly, "I can probably pass for a guy if I'm careful, but I need to know if there's a way to kill these things if one of them comes back."

Hanna then took Holly's hand, how the sweet girl managed to endure this shit for as long as she had baffled her. "There's no way in hell I'm letting any of these things even glance at you. I'll stay with you until this is all over with, I promise alright?" she told her in a low voice. With Boot sitting on this girl Tiffany's lap Hanna didn't do anything other then hold her hand, but she then turned back to the Nat, "I intend to see this end, this is the closest thing to a home I've had in nearly a year, I'm not letting these things chase me off. Count me as one of the ones staying."

[Leon G]

Rolled a 11

"Yes I know the way out, I'm just chilling here for shits and giggles," Consul said rolling her eyes. She had no patience for the dumb prostitute, no matter how pitiful she looked shaking. Consul sped up, just wanting to get out and make herself a grilled cheese with chorizo. Mmm, chorizo. Consul loved the spicy meat and put it in most everything she ate. Oh how she just wanted to get out of there! She started jogging, keeping along the damn edge of the shadows as told. Consul gave an impatient and angry sigh. "How long have we been down here. CAN WE GET OUR NEXT CHALLENGE PLEASE?" Honestly, all this walking was ridiculous. She looked behind her to make sure Cait wasn't too far away.

But why should Consul care if Cait stayed near her? Consul hated beautiful girls like Cait. She was always so jealous of them and longed to look remotely attractive, like they. Consul sighed, twirling a piece of her flat hair. "Cait are you coming or what?" Consul said, a little deflated. She started to nibble at her already worn down nails as she walked back to make sure her fellow European was alright.

[Public_Hazard]

[roll0]

Noah remained at his spot as Katia stormed off, he held no position in what she did or acted on, so he said nothing as he heard the door close behind her. He let out a sigh and tuned his ears to their visitor, his advice engraving itself into Noah's memory for future use.

“I have confirmed the two that are missing are the redhead from the third floor and a girl residing in one of the rooms here."

Another? Naoh felt a slight twinge at his beating heart as he heard this. The mere fact that the other person had likely been all alone during this time when she was abducted. The gruesome method of their feeding did not help settle the mood as to how they might be dead or will die soon. "Let them be safe." he spoke to himself as he rubbed his temple softly. This habit had begun to grow on him, the stress of not only the day before but his life in general was catching up with him. The massaging of his fingers allowed him to release some of the tension that had build up on his body. A minor solution, but it was the best he could do for himself at the moment, he was tired and rest was not easy to come by. Taking a moment to close his eyes Noah listened as Hannah spoke up from the chatter, she seemed to be rambling as she spoke, but he was unsure he felt as if his mind was hazy and slow. The alcohol hasn't fully left yet has it.

A contract with a demon, of all the things to do willingly. The very idea of it was not the most pleasing, but what the contract consisted of was what Noah was curious about. "Kay, you told us of ways to ward them away. However, I'm still curious of how to kill them. Also, do you know what the contract consisted of?" He wasn't sure if the man could answer all the questions, but he was here to help. Noah had every intention of getting any piece of information out of him that would save the lives of the people around him.

Do I actually care, or am I just trying to atone for my past actions?

The answer was hazed to him, but for now he couldn't think too much on it, it was a good action either way.

[Tune]

Her skin prickled with the onset of goosebumps the moment the voices appeared.

From the sniffling, throbbing pain in her head, she could have swore the voices she heard was radiating from the land lord's building. Lifting her head, she sniffled and rubbed her eyes, thankful that she had neglected to wear make-up. It wasn't till she regathered her senses that she looked around, squinting from the light. She couldn't see anyone around her, and even with the thin, crappy walls of the building, would they really be that loud?

Katia felt rooted to the spot. Whether it was fear or uncertainty - or even the hangover - she wouldn't wager what kept her where she was. Hanging her head, she buried her head into her knees, hands pressed against her ears to muffle out the voices. Whoever - or whatever - they were, they weren't talking about anything she believed.

“I heard the land lady made some dumb contract with a demon, but didn’t do her part so now it’s all pissed off and killing people until she does it."

Even through her hands, she heard what they were saying. Demonic contracts was outrageous. It had to be that crazy haired person talking, but when the voice mentioned death, that didn't make sense. He was still very much alive, standing and chatting with the others in the land lord's office. Surely if he was dead, she would have known about it, right?

No.

The voices kept talking as if she didn't exist. The talk about Indians and Indian burial grounds was a common thing for directors to use in horror movies, but even she had heard of stories about the dead causing problems from their graves. Not that she believed it, though. As if everything else seemed too far fetched to believe, the voices mentioned a demon portal and demons eating heads.

That's when Katia's head snapped up and in the direction of the voices. Eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. She stared at the floating things next to her. She couldn't tell what they were, and no matter how much she blinked, they didn't go away. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying desperately to have just been seeing things from her hangover. When her eyes opened again, whatever was there was now gone without a trace, and so was the voices.

She scrambled off the stairs, scraping her knee and hands in her haste, and backed up into the light of day. In the shadow of the small stoop, nothing was there. No voices, no people around. Nothing. She could still hear people talking in the land lord's office but it wasn't anything like what she heard. She had to be losing her mind from too much drinking. She vigorously rubbed her arms to rid herself of the goosebumps, repeatedly telling herself that whatever she heard was just in her imagination.

"Just the liquor talking," she assured herself, rubbing her arms like a person with the chills.

Katia crossed the rest of the concrete slabs with such haste that she made it to the door in a matter of moments. Her hand trembled as she reached for the door, and she heaved a heavy sigh, preparing herself before entering the building again.

The opening of the door was a lot quieter than when she had left, and she happened upon hearing Noah asking their guest about a contract. She froze in her tracks, hand still on the door knob. She took a quick look over her shoulder, and back at the short, brightly colored person standing next to Howl light a highlighter on a piece of black paper.

Struggling for words, she swallowed several times, eyes averting to the ground.

"... You said something about ghosts and demons?" she asked, stammering, "I.. might have seen a ghost."

She looked over at Noah, then back at Kay before staring at anything else that wasn't a living, breathing person. She wasn't going to mention was she heard. She still wasn't sure what she heard, but damn did her bleeding hand hurt.

[Preach]

Mask herself? She bristled. That would she would have to change, stop wearing skirts - maybe even cut her hair!? Her hair had always been an important part of her self-image... Letting it go... She felt petty, like she was making a big deal of nothing, but this particular aspect of herself was so important, it was disquieting to think she would have to change it. But, well, she would change it to survive... And hair grew back. It would have to happen.. She would have to spend money on new clothes as well, to avoid that monster. Bridget took a deep breath, let go. It would have to happen.

She focused again. A demonic contract? A 'dark' backstory? Why would anyone build a property, let alone a residential property, where something like that had taken place?! Kay mentioned finding out what the root of the problem was, and her mind filled with folktales where heroes had become too curious for their own good and ended up dead. She reassured herself - they didn't always end up dead- but the fact that those stories had sprung to mind unbidden was disconcerting on its own.

She was starting to freak out now, perhaps triggered by the thought she would have to physically change to live here, she wasn't sure. But she was definitely having a harder time keeping calm. Then some girl re-entered, more meek than when she had exited, seeming... Disturbed. Well, that made two of them. She felt frustrated. So they could avoid that monster which had attacked before, good, at least there was that - and slugs? Well, she hoped she could avoid those, though she didn't exactly know the kidnapped girls' blood type. But what else? What about the other creatures? What could they do about them? Her frustration and fright helped her partially overcome her anxiety.

From her stories, monsters and witches had something they hated, some anathema, something people could use to ward them off. Bridget had to remind herself that this wasn't quite a story, though, since it was actually happening to her. But it seemed like there was no anathema. "No way to ward them off then. What about a way of knowing they're coming? Or will we be always caught by surprise?" She hoped not. There had to be something they could do to get an advantage, and if anyone knew about that it would be this man.

[Ru]

The next couple of posts are dedicated to catching up on rolls which I have neglected to implement. This post contains the following rolls being done:
Clue through Howl, Boots, and Apollo.
Monster via Bridget.

The following still need to be implemented:
Rumox2r, Ghost Noisex6, Noisex3, Ghost Appearancex3, Riddle, Monsterx2, and Monsterx2.


“Unfortunately there is no way to prevent the Shadow Man from taking lives in the human realm,” Nat scratched at the back of his head nervously, again. “I came prepared to investigate, but not to help in executions… Let alone could I predict what sort of monstrosities were down here…” Realizing his anxiety was showing he quickly and awkwardly shoved his hands into the pockets of his vests, attempting to focus elsewhere rather than on his fast paced heartbeat. “Females appearances merely need to be masked. Luckily it seems there is only one presently residing here, as opposed to more. Usually they band together into small packs unless—”

Then Noah spoke and Kay swallowed hard. “Well… I—I haven’t had a chance to investigate the higher grounds, where I presume a contract of some sort may be located… Possibly in the landlord’s files or maybe an abandoned room. I was only below long enough to gather some entail of what lurks there, but not the history concerning their ties to this place. Normally spirits dwell within the living realm, tied to their kindred, but beasts of this nature tend to be summoned.” He rocked a bit on his feet from heel to toe. “Without the contract I cannot judge why they hold such a grudge, though it is clear part of the bargain must not have been met.”

Kay’s eyes met back up with Howl’s pleadingly, as if begging his companions simply leave. While the scrawny man did not fear for his own safety he did of those who had shown him kindness. Seldom did he meet such people who gave him the time of day, but these two—Howl in his own way—cared for him.

“I am certain the salt will destroy the—” Nat stopped mid-sentence. The words of the two girls did register in his mind, but his focus was on what was occurring behind them on the empty wall.


Creeping, crawling through the walls,
Riddle once said can no longer be told,
Find what is the same and life you gain,
Guess wrong and you are the one to blame.

These words appeared upon the large wall where no rooms were connected to in the Landlord’s Office as though etched there ages ago, yet it plainly appeared clear as day before the very eyes of the residents meeting there. Carved into the old, neglected wood stood the riddle, but why or what for had not entered the room that moment. Creeping up from the depths where monsters dwell came forth hungry critters unsatisfied with their previous attempt at a meal. They slithered up onto the first floor inside a room where an old, crazed man lived — if one could call it living — but no one was nearby to hear any faint cry.

Nat K. Liel stared upon the riddle knowing all too well what it entailed. The phrase had changed, but the answer was always the same, however he also knew it was not his to answer. If he spoke it at all it meant certain doom for those the creatures were seeking, so he could only hope and pray the residents were smarter than some were acting. Nervously he clasped his hands together while his eyes darted around the word cautiously, paranoid of the inevitable. Evacuating was fruitless; they would follow. Though, he had warned them. Maybe one of them would remember. Or was finding out a companion died too much? “They have already taken another…” the lanky lad muttered under his breath.

Howl glanced over at his vibrantly colored friend then at the writing on the wall. In their trio he was always the brawns; not to say he had no brains, but he didn’t pursue education past high school. He had street smarts — far superior to Boots and Nat — but he was well aware his strengths could not help in the present situation and with such a small hint. It pretty much told you, “Wait, see who we attack, then conclude. Ha ha to you.” Patiently an impatient man must wait to see what some sort of bizarre fate must hold, or should they run? Surely if running were the answer Kay would have darted out of the room immediately, beckoning them to venture forth. So long as Holly is fine… I’ll be a’right…

As the armored slugs slipped through the aged wooden floorboards it became apparent which creature they were to face, at least Nat hoped it was as apparent to him to others. They darted about their tiny heads as if attempting to sniff out their victims. The ones furthest from the couches they crawled on, but attempted to go inside none until they reached the very two speaking.

The slugs crawled up Nat’s legs and the man’s previously anxious expression subsided to an abnormally calm one. Those whom attempted to latch onto him disintegrated and he was glad to deduce those around him must not have the same blood as his own, though he seemingly matched the original victim. It didn’t become a bother to him until it dawned on him there was someone else in the room they sought out, even more so once they realized death was what they faced when going towards the paranormal expert.

Howl stomped and kicked rapidly, stepping backwards as he did so. Fear was not present upon his mug, though rage was quite apparent as he continued his futile attempt. The battle continued until his back was pressed against the adjacent wall. Stubbornly he continued his efforts, huffing and puffing all the way through. Thanks to his thick boots the nuisances were failing to get farther up to where they could dig into skin, but it was evident his methods were not diverting them nor destroying them.

“HOWL!” Boots let out the blood curdling scream before jumping over the couch with tears streaming down her face. “Nonononononono,” the young school teacher panicked, her heart racing exponentially. Along with her friend she began to kick at the slugs, knocking them across the room and away from him.


Meanwhile in the lower floors Cait’s blood was boiling with rage. People viewing her with those ignorant, judgmental mugs was nothing new to her thanks to her new found profession, nor was it new before then, but it did not make it hurt any less each time it happened. The choice she was left with was either to endure attempting to find a way out with a stranger who clearly thought Cait far lower than herself, or to find her own escape route. An angry woman can do the most insane actions.

“No, Ah’m not comin’. Ah’d rather die,” the woman hissed and proceeded to go into the opposite direction of Consul. “Continue thinkin’ dis is some sort’o game,” the redhead snapped, pressing her nails into her calloused palms and with a scowl upon her face. Her red lipstick had long since been smeared, whether from sleeping with makeup on or from the monster dragging her down here. The hair atop her head was a mangled mess and the right portion of her shirt had slumped to the side revealing her bare shoulder. So, yeah, maybe she did have the appearance of every beaten whore there was in existent. Heck, maybe she was befitting the role of the slut who dies first in the horror flicks on TV, but she didn’t care. None of it mattered.

She rather die with pride than cower beside someone who disrespected her.

Cait pressed on into the darkness until she was met with the same yellow eyes she had bore witness to before; the very same that had dragged her down here. “What do ya want with me?”

“Nothing,” the Shadow Man snickered, revealing the pearly white fangs now clean of Ellie’s intestines. “It is our master who wishes to have you. I would prefer you for dinner.”

The girl’s stomach churned, though her pride kept her firm. “If ya want dinner then try findin’ it.”

“I plan on it,” he said with a smirk than began moving behind her, keeping close to the shadows. “Oh, how I do.”

It was not long after this Cait began to feel faint and soon the world around her, like the borders along the walls, turned to darkness.

[The Imposter]

Rolls a 6

Daniel sure did feel like an idiot as he watched Katia get up and leave. He watched his coffee intently trying to discern whether he should go out and apologize or not. He could hear the conversations continue around him but had gotten lost in his own thoughts so he didn't really hear what was being said just that people were talking. Small bits of the new guys dialogue crept in: Blood types, monsters slugs, salt, two residents, life or death, blah, blah blah.

Daniel had stood up to go apologize when Katia reentered the room speaking of ghosts. Before he could even start to make a joke Nat had gotten nervous and was looking wide eyed at the new text written on the wall. Daniel took a minute to read it over before piping up.

'The hell?'

Events now had already kicked in motion, as the creatures made themselves known. He quickly stepped onto the couch trying to avoid the things, although they didn't make their way near him. His coffee sloshed about before Howl and Boots tried taking care of the armored molluscs.

'Ok! What the hell Nat King Cole?! Is that a joke or riddle on the wall? Do we only get one guess? And...and...and didn't you say something about slugs hate salt right? Boots what the fuck?! Weren't you listening?'

The coffee mug had now hit the ground and the lukewarm coffee spilled out, as he hopped off the couch and looked around the room searching intently. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do.

'uhh...uhhh...Drunk guy from last night!! Yeah! You said you stay here? Salt...shit man get some salt!!!!'

As he hollered out loudly, he began poking at the slugs joining with Howl and Boots to keep them off their apparent target.

[Tune]

Ignored by everyone in the room it seemed, Katia frowned, lowering her gaze to the floor. A simple acknowledgement, maybe even a 'hey, you aren't going crazy' would've been nice. As things suddenly started picking up in the room again, she turned her attention to the small paranormal investigator. He looked as pale and nervous as she felt. Soon, his eyes darted to a wall, her own eyes, as well as others soon following.

She scoffed; if it was life or death the riddle was talking about, whoever was taken would surely die if she had to answer. Riddles of any kind were not her thing. It wasn't long after that all hell broke lose again. This time, she wasn't the cause of it. The floor boards beneath her feet looked like they were moving, and the more she strained her eyes, the more she began to realize what they were. Slugs. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine, and an internal urge to shy away from them triggered the moment they began to crawl on her. Daniel overreacted instantly; crawling on the couch like a little girl, almost spilling whatever was in his mug. She would've laughed till her attention averted to the slugs crawling on her.

Katia began to swat them away, her hands causing her skin to sting through her clothes. They didn't seem to be doing any harm, but still they were disgusting and slimy. The attack on her legs ceased, and as far as she could understand, Nat and Howl - more so Howl - was being attacked next. More brutally than the others. She'd never seen Howl fight so hard against anything - not that she made it her business to, either. Boots and Daniel instantly joined the fray, launching a barrage of counter attacks against the gooey nuisances.

Making no move to help even after Daniel practically begged for salt, she stood in the doorway, wide eyed, hand pressed against her mouth in shock. Her eyes lingered on Nat, her lips making movements as if to talk, but no words came. No doubt he'd know what to do - probably told everyone else - but through her issues with Daniel, the talk about ghosts and demons, she felt an incomprehensible sense of guilt, anger and dread welling up in her chest, threatening to send her over the edge to panic attack.

[Preach]

More ambiguous answers – or rather, less specific than Bridget would have liked. Then, there was a distinct change in his stance. Something was clearly wrong. She followed his gaze, towards the back wall – oh! She gasped audibly. She covered her mouth Then she saw the things –bugs? Some sort of slug, apparently, beyond disgusting. They slithered their way forward, crawling over everyone and everything, and she quickly jumped to stand on her chair, thankfully avoiding the majority of the force, though they did slime over her feet. She was totally focused on the movement of the creatures along the floor, only to be snapped out of it when Boots screamed. Then, Daniel shouted for salt - to kill slugs, of course! Her eyes were trained on Howl who seemed to be trying to stave them off, they were only attacking him and Nate, though the latter seemed unfazed. It wasn’t clear how much longer Howl could hold them off, persistent little buggers.

Bridget turned to look back at the wall as her anxiety built up. Would another person die in front of her eyes? The writing on the wall - The same? What was the same? They were meant to answer the writing, was that how to get rid of them?! Salt – how did that come into this?? Could they even get salt in time?! What was the same?! The two people being attacked here, they were both men, could that be it? She opened her mouth to speak - wait – no, no! Nate said there was a female-stalking monster, not a male one -what had he said about the slugs?! She was having a difficult type remembering, a difficult time thinking clearly as Boots and her friend panicked. She shut her mouth, furrowed her brow. A slug flew at her face punted by someone, she hastily ducked down and managed to avoid it.

“What are they after?!?” Bridget whispered anxiously to herself, now half-crouched as a result of dodging the slug. She suddenly remembered he had mentioned the slugs had attacked someone else, a girl – so sex wasn’t it. Then, what?! What had he said?! Her eyes widened in surprise and she cried out -

“Blood! Blood! It’s blood!!”

[Public_Hazard]

'The hell?'

Daniel's voice brought Noah out of his trance like state of mind; his eyes, which had been fixated on the floor, drifted upwards towards the commotion that had suddenly appeared. An eerie sensation of terror trickled itself up Noah's spine as he read the words that had etched themselves onto the wall, only to be followed by the feeling of soft vibrations snaking their way across the floor. "No, not already." Noah whispered to himself as he noticed the figures swarm the room, their slick bodies making quick work of the distances between them and the people within the room. Their attempts and failures to latch onto supernatural newcomer did not go unnoticed by Noah as he kicked off a few slugs from his legs. As Daniel continued to blurt out orders to those around him, something about salt, Noah made his way next to Katia, blocking a majority of her figure with himself as a shield. "God damn it guys, cover the girls!" he yelled out to all the men within the room. His mind had already begun to set itself into a state of rage as he watched them simply stomp about, or panic for a solution that was not perfectly viable at the moment. They had been told to hide the woman from the slugs in any way physically possible. With little preparation, the best they could possible do was cover them with their own flesh and size, and only hope that they would scare off the creatures or cause them to give up in their attempts.

"Blood! Blood! It's blood!!"

Bridget's voice entered Noah's ears as he turned to her, her exclamation had caught him off guard and he did not fully understand what she meant. "Blood?" he spoke up before swatting a few more slugs with his feet. "What do you mean by blood?" his hazed mind had attempted to connect the meaning behind her words, but it remained blank as he could not make the connection between it and the writing on the wall and focused more on the fact that the woman was alone. His mind which would usually be sharp was beginning to dull, and that did not sit well with Noah. He had noticed this change when he had drifted off into a quick day dream before the commotion, the actions of the night prior had set him on edge with anxiety. He could not fully think straight on certain matters, and even when he attempted to read the writings on the wall, his mind had wondered onto something else. Leaving behind the important information and attaching itself onto protecting the others from the slugs.

How pitiful of me. He commented to himself as he swatted at a few more slugs that attempted to latch onto Katia. How pitiful of all of us. His thoughts spread out to everyone silently, as he surprised himself with his own internal declaration. He had always attempted to stay away from others and not let himself grow attached, but even now he knew he could not fully trust his own traitorous mind. He turned towards Bridget tuning his eyes and ears to her and all the other inhabitants within the room, hoping they would have reacted adequately to the situation.

[Zatory-Master]

(1d20)[7]

Keito heard everything that they were saying, What could of happened to Elli, What happened to the other victims, What could be happening. What the creatures want, and how they can eliminate some of them. Keito didn't know if they knew he was there, but all this information was making his head hurt. He placed his head lower than it already was, and dragged his feet all the way up to his room.

Before stopping at his room, he stood over the spot where Ellie was killed. It gave him shivers and made tears come down his cheek. He walked to his room and left the door wide open. He didn't care anymore. He was scared past the point of death. He was corrupted and disturbed because of that event.

He went to Ellie's bed and gather all the blankets he had. He took them and placed them outside on the hall to attract these creatures, since he heard that they liked to attack women. He took some powder from the bathroom and threw it all over the floor. This way he could see if anyone or anything had gotten in or out of the room. He kept a knife close to him at all time. He also made sure the cat was trapped in the bathroom. He lured it in there with cat treats.

He wrapped himself in his bed shivering in fear and from the cold. He kept his eyes on the floor, but quickly and unexpectedly fell asleep.

[Ru]

The next couple of posts are dedicated to catching up on rolls which I have neglected to implement. This post contains the following rolls being done:
No rolls are being used in this post.

The following still need to be implemented:
Rumorx2, Ghost Noisex6, Noisex3, Ghost Appearancex3, Riddle, Monsterx2, and Monsterx2.

No matter what was done the slugs kept on coming, though the vigorous efforts paid off in none of the them slicing and burrowing themselves into Howl’s skin, though sadly his boots were scuffed. Go figure. Kicking and panicking and rage ensued until daring Bridget blurted at the answer to the riddle. Suddenly the slugs ceased in their attacks, then disappeared into the floorboards beneath the residents’ feet. Howl and Boots stopped in their actions, taking time to breathe as their chests heaved.

Once the brute managed to regain his breath and composure he shot a glare over in Nat’s direction. “When the fuck did we start sharin’ the same blood, twat?!” he hissed, slamming his fist back into the wall behind him. “And how come the ones attackin’ you didn’ even get hurt, eh? Bitch ass… I asked ya here to help, not to make shit worse!” the brawler snarled, taking a step towards the scrawny paranormal expert. He would have made his way straight for him if Holly had not jumped into the way, preventing him from continuing in his stomps.

“Why are ya blockin’ me, huh? Are ya on his side now?!” the man hissed through jagged teeth, chipped through various fights over the years. Dental work was expensive.

“I’m not choosing sides, Howl! But Kay didn’t summon slugs or anything like that.” Boots placed her hands gently on Howl’s chest, though firm enough to get the man to understand he needed to back off. “You don’t have to stay here… You can afford to leave…”

“I ain’t leavin’.” He spat over his shoulder then maneuvered around Boots, returning to Kay, though his malicious intentions had subsided. “Is that it for the slugs?”

“I—I… cannot predict such a thing… though I am certain they are an attempt at the leader scaring us away,” Nat’s eyes remained locked down on his feet as he spoke with his hands clamped together behind him. “However… now we know the slugs seek AB blood type…”

“AB slugs, woman-seekin’ shadow bitch… What the fuck else is in this shithole?” Grinding his teeth together as he slammed one fist into his open palm.

“Um…” the highlighter colored lad gulped. “A Naga…”

“A what?”

Nat sighed and slumped forward. “Does no one read about mythology anymore? It is quite the fascinating subject…” He rubbed his eyes with an index finger and a thumb. “Does anyone else have any other questions or concerns? If you wish to leave, feel free. I would highly advise finding a new place to stay as opposed to remaining in these hellish conditions.” With a straightened spine he gazed upon the frightened group in hopes maybe someone had some sense to leave. What was worth fighting for here?

[Tune]

She was stunned by Noah's sudden chivalrous actions - blocking her from the slugs. She stared up at his back, a painful knot in her chest returning as she imagined Apollo being the one in front of her. Not his room mate. A female voice - someone she hadn't cared to learn their name properly - shouted something about blood. Mentally, she forced herself to ignore Daniel, afraid that she might've chucked something at his head for his past outburst. Her eyes drifted to the floor, catching the slugs retreat from where ever they came from.

Cautiously, Katia reached out and touched Noah's arm, as if suggesting for him to move aside. She wasn't ungrateful for his actions - not in the least, but whatever reason he had, a nagging voice in her head told her it wasn't for any other reason other than what she meant to Apollo. What does she mean to him other than a fuck-buddy? Her grip tightened on his arm, nails digging into his arm as she listened to Howl yell and curse at the paranormal guy, Kay.

Her attention darted up at the mention of a Naga. A naga... is really here? She had read plenty of books in her time and came across the term a few times, enough to know what it was at least.

"A naga," said Katia, even though the conversation drifted away from Howl's question, "is a half-snake half-human monster."

She fell silent to dwell on Kay's last statements. Stay here and possibly die; stay here and try to fight back and possibly die; or move and be able to live - even if it is on the streets? She didn't have anywhere to go. Not even to return home to live with her parents after her previous job.

[Extraordinaire.]

"What the-the fuck is that?" Owen asked the moment squirmish bodies began to bleed from the walls. "The fuck are they doing here? My fucking-are they in my fucking room?" he asked, his voice gradually rising as he realized he was the most caught off-guard.
There were fucking slugs coming from the wall- why weren't they panicking? Why weren't they running?

It was true that this was the man's first real encounter with the usual unexpected happenings, so it made sense that his surprise didn't take into consideration the danger of the pests. Slipping out of one shoe and balancing atop it with the other, Owen hoped to intervene their path but it was evident that they were undisturbed in their journey. What he didn't expect, was for their destination to be a pair of their neighbors.

Both of the men seemed unfazed by the attack, although one was certainly more jittery, dancing in flit-like motions to hold off the swarm. But despite their efforts, the crawlers continued to advance onto them, with neither a quickening not faltering pace.
Owen, once again, was caught up in the disturbance of it all than the potential danger. He wasn't convinced, not could he recall, that slugs could do any real harm unless they were poisonous and eaten, but his curiosity was still nagged by how specific the creatures had been. If not eat him, then what? Simply ride over them and continue out the other end of the apartment? Torn from his televised eyes by a sense of potential usefulness, he was recognized by a very panicky figure.

'uhh...uhhh...Drunk guy from last night!! Yeah! You said you stay here? Salt...shit man get some salt!!!!'
Was that who had found him?

"It's jammed, the knob-" he began, before he was drowned out by a rather gruesome epiphany.
Blood? Who the fuck would even know that slugs hated blood? It didn't matter... but who would be the source, if it were true? How could they extract it? Why was the suctioning noise softening?

"The fuck are they going now?" Owen asked, as the slugs returned to the floorboard in response to the girl's scream. It was no coincidence.
A pang of embarrassment hit him as he took in the words that he'd failed to acknowledge in the outburst. A riddle? Who would- what could-how did this even make an ounce of fucking sense to them?

He watched the targeted pair exchange one-sided verbal spews and insults for a moment, finding humor in his insensitivity towards the whole thing and yet he was the only one to react with an understandable amount of anger. He was already grinning by the time he heard twat a few too many times and the mention of a cult-sounding antagonist, but when mythology was brought up as quite the fascinating subject, he slipped through his grip of self-control. His laugh was sudden and exaggerated, like the kind so frequently heard from men that turn hysterical over their own jokes, whose reaction succeeds any chance at humor.

"This," he began, his voice soon gargled over with chuckles before he could continue, "is the fucking worst trip I've ever had."

"Shit, man," he said softly, his childish laugh sobered by the reality of it all.

"Why don't you?" he asked in response to the 'paranormal expert'. "Why don't you all just leave? Has this really been going on for a while? Why are you all still here? The fuck are you waiting around for?"

[The Imposter]

When all the slugs retreated, Daniel found himself panting. The adrenaline and emotion of the event mixed with the exertion of trying to keep the slugs away had taken a toll. His body slouched back and he haphazardly hit the wall and floor getting into a comfortable resting position. His elbow cracked against the wall and dented it however and he moaned, the pain causing him to drop the bat beside him. Hearing the discussion unfold only caused his moan to become more pronounced. Finally he spoke out in a partial whine:

'Great a friggin' half snake beast man that probably loves the smell of male urine. Not to mention I'm pretty sure although we are all alive that so are all those damned slugs. Looks like the big evil has what two, three, or more on us....at least we know blood is the answer to that riddle. And, hey I can only think of like three other bodily fluids so maybe we will ace all the riddles now. Right Nat King Cole?'

Daniel lifted his cap and began rubbing his head, either out of the need to be doing something or trying to formulate some train of thought. Truth was his brain was dumped out just like his coffee on the floor. Guess my security deposit is going to become of use. Finally he looked to Howl and halfheartedly smiled.

'At least you didn't become slug fodder...so are we going to try to save the two that were taken? What's the plan here?'

ugh...too many questions, shut up Daniel! How the hell am I suppose to shut up when the fuckin' gates of hell open and demon hands slap fuckin' 'rape us monster' signs on all our backs?! Grrrr..

Daniel had begun to trill his lips as he thought, unbeknownst to himself. When he finally realized he stopped and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position. His hand reached for his bat and he rested against his knees which were up by his chin now.

'So...um, general consensus is that none of us are leaving. Fuck, like any of us could really get up and bail and not feel guilty for leaving the group to their deaths.'

[Preach]

Bridget was still and continued to crouch on the chair in a rather awkward manner. She didn't really want to move, even though those around her were already doing so. Though she had heard Noah speak to her she didn't reply, she was still feeling the aftereffects of what could only be described as shock. She finally moved, burying her face in her hands and sitting cross-legged on the chair. She was using her seat as some sort of pseudo-defense mechanism, it seemed, as her motions echoed the subconscious belief of as long as I'm here, I'm safe and nothing is happening. A rather naive thought. She instinctively shut out the world and began breathing deeply - a technique she had nearly perfected through many years of forced practice.

She drifted in and out of awareness, only briefly catching the sounds of an argument from where Howl was. Someone cried out something about why didn't they leave, and she shut her eyes tighter.

"It's... not that easy..." she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else - not that anyone was paying attention to her. Or at least, she hoped not, she wouldn't be able to deal with the attention while simultaneously trying to push back an anxiety attack. Then Daniel spoke - something about a rescue. She barely paid attention. At this point she just wanted to have a normal place to live.

Bridget pulled her jittery hands away from her face, which was abnormally blanched and pale, even for her. "A... n-naga?" She said softly, looking at her hands. She raised her voice a little, enough so she was sure that Kay would hear her, at the very least, though she didn't look up. "Wh-what does that one go after?"

[Public_Hazard]

Slithering into the abyss from which they had come the slugs vanished, leaving their only signs of ever being there on the humans they had swarmed on. Grateful for this positive turn of events Noah let out a soft sigh of content while closing his eyes to let his nerves calm. This moment of self established peace was cut off by small pressure on his arm. A hand lay on it softly nudging him to the side in a non-aggressive manner. Katia, who had remained behind him through out the ordeal, held a grip on his arm asking for him to move in a non verbal manner to which Noah responded to after making sure she was physically unharmed. His motions were cut off with a sudden out burst from across the room; Howl's words enveloped everyone as he spat out his words.

“When the fuck did we start sharin’ the same blood, twat?!” Howl spoke out to the paranormal expert. “And how come the ones attackin’ you didn’ even get hurt, eh? Bitch ass… I asked ya here to help, not to make shit worse!” Feeling a slight tinge of pity towards the shorter man Noah simply watched as Boots held her ground against the brute. However his attention was brought back to the woman behind him as her grip tightened slightly on his arm. Knowing full well what the cause had been Noah softly laid his opposite hand on top of hers in reassurance, and softly rubbed the top her hand to soothe her nerves.

Having tuned out the last parts of the confrontation between Howl and Boots; Noah turned back to them at the mention of the blood type that the slugs were after. Knowing full well that his own blood type was O+, he gained a moment of self relief before pondering over who within the room was at danger due to that information. Waiting for everyone to continue to speak what was on their mind he remained silent and took in all the information they provided. The information regarding the Naga, Owen's statement of leaving the apartment, and Daniels still half humorous response to tense situations; he absorbed it all before suddenly becoming alerted by the voice of Bridget.

"A... n-naga?" Her frail sounding voice cut deeply into Noah's heart as he looked towards her pale exterior. "Wh-what does that one go after?" she finished speaking and remained staring into her own hands, as if reality remained too harsh to face yet and staring into the simpleness of her own palms would allow her state of mind to calm down the storming brewing within. "Bridget..." Noah spoke out softly as his eyes relaxed on the girl sitting on the couch. Knowing that he had left her to alone through out the ordeal Noah felt a growing sense of self hate for his actions. 'I could not protect them both.' he attempted to reassure himself to a slight avail.

Turning towards Katia, he pat her hand once again and firmly held it between both of his own. "If you need anything, just come to me." he said kindly to her before making his way to Bridget and setting himself softly next to her ridged form. Noah remained silent as he gazed at her self enclosed figure, the beauty in which he has seen in the morning only a few hours ago was cold and frightened. Knowing full well that her state was fragile, he attempted nothing except to place his hand on her back and softly massage her with circles. This action had always worked on him during his younger years, his mother had done this to him whenever he had been tensed or stressed, and every time he would simply fall asleep on her lap or arms. He was doubtful that it would cause her to have the same reaction but he hoped it would at least bring her some comfort.

"In addition to the questions, who here holds AB blood type? We need to make a priority of protecting these people." He said firmly without losing his concentration of comforting the woman next to him.

[Ru]

The next couple of posts are dedicated to catching up on rolls which I have neglected to implement. This post contains the following rolls being done:
No rolls are being used in this post.

The following still need to be implemented:
Rumorx2, Ghost Noisex6, Noisex3, Ghost Appearancex3, Riddle, and Monsterx2.
Most of these rolls will be held until the characters reach floor one. Some may be implemented next post.

The next post WILL be a round post and new dice rolls will commence.

I sincerely apologize for how long it takes to make new posts as of late.

Realizing the insanity of it all—or maybe just accepting this place is a shithole—Vince left, leaving the room up for grabs.

Owen’s question made Boots uneasy, which became quite apparent by her posture. One arm bent as its hand clamped onto the opposite bicep, the left limb dangling at her side. The dark appareled woman’s eyes fell low to the ground and her head following along with her gaze. It was a personal question, at least she felt it was, and coming from the resident frequently drunk? Though… under these circumstances… maybe it was best to let the air clear. “I—I have…. nowhere else to go… and I don’t have enough money to afford the better places near my job yet… I can’t leave those kids…” Not once did she meet with the surveyor’s eyes, preferring to make visual contact with the floorboards.

Howl growled and rolled his eyes. His reasoning was none of this ‘nosy bastard’s god damn business.’

“And, Howl, I don’t plan on leaving any time soon,” she added real quick before the conversation could be switched around. At least, before Howl could respond to anyone else. While this was a terrible place with horrid living conditions and it threatened her life it was all she had right now. Even if she had another option… she knew full well she would regret leaving for the rest of her existence if she didn’t try to help the two who were kidnapped. They had to do something.

“Well… nagas don’t really go after anything… They can cast spells and I am under the assumption there is only one located on these grounds and it is under the order of a higher being, though I did not manage to find out who their leader was…” Nat stammered, taking several steps away from Howl. Even without the hostility he would have hated to be so close to anyone, but his bullish tendencies definitely made the squeamish paranormal expert want to be a good distance away. “I can go back down and see if I can gather more information, but only if everyone feels comfortable enough to be a group without me during the time it takes to find it.” The nervous lad ran his fingers across the back of his neck and down his collarbone before replying to Noah’s inquiry. “Well, I know Howl and I both have AB blood… However, it only seemed the slugs were interested in us, so I am under the assumption no one else has a similar type, though it does mean one of the girls who was kidnapped does. The slugs will not touch me due to um… a contract I have, which I rather not delve into… Thus, concerning protecting against them, it would mean Howl should be the one kept watch over. We might want to find a good quantity of salt for him to carry on his person.”

“Great, I get’ta feel lika Imma cook some shit or scare away the demons. Woooo! Do I gotta sprinkle salt ‘round me in a circle?” Howl retorted sarcastically with a sneer, though it was partially out of fear. However, it was not due to the fact he could have died, but the idea of being dead and leaving Holly alone… that was a huge fear, and not something he was willing to risk.

[Tune]

She had half expected Noah to just step aside without much of any interaction. However long the seconds passed, through the aftermath of the slug invasion, the outbursts and terror, she managed to catch a glimpse of a softer, kinder guy then she assumed existed in such an intimidating man. His hand was calloused, by what cause, she could only hazard to guess. Her attention faded away to much else in the room when his hand griped and rubbed hers. Her skin prickled, and her eyes widened ever so slightly before she shifted her eyes to the floor, a bashful blush creeping across her pale cheeks.

Katia's eyes fluttered up to briefly meet Noah's. Her hand held softly between his, her shock for his actions was clearly written all over her face. "If you need anything, just come to me," Noah said, in a softer tone than she imagined - except when he was talking to Bridget. She did not have time to withdraw her hand from his before he left her hand fall to the side, and he withdrew to sitting beside Bridget - the 'traumatized' and 'fragile' girl on the coach. She scoffed, act like that in the city or Russia, and you're just begging to be taken advantage of.

Ignoring the sense of anger and jealousy rising up in her chest, she choked it down and stashed it away to listen to what Nat was saying about Naga's, Noah's question about blood type going unanswered by her. If it wasn't obvious enough by now that her blood type was AB, then the man was dumber than she originally thought. She nodded, absorbing what Nat said. "At least it isn't a baby eating lamia," she mumbled to herself, and sighed.

“Great, I get’ta feel lika Imma cook some shit or scare away the demons. Woooo! Do I gotta sprinkle salt ‘round me in a circle?” Howl's words were funny enough to chuckle at. Even serious, thinking about such a big, loud mouth man acting like a superstitious fool made her smirk.

"Only if you want to guard against demons," said Katia with a nonchalant shrug, "Or maybe ghosts," she teased. Though her words were meant to make herself feel better, her humor failed to take away the chill she still felt.

[Preach]

Bridget inhaled deeply, still trying to calm herself, and succeeded to the point where she stopped hunching over and regained some of her normal composure - though she still couldn’t bring herself to look away from her hands, nor could they fully stop trembling, though she did manage to lower them onto her lap instead of holding them to her face. She tensed immediately as she felt a pressure on her back and her breath instantly became sharp and quick, and it took all of her inner strength just to look away from her palms and glance at the figure sitting beside her- Noah. She let out a deep sigh, relaxed slightly, and shut her eyes. This gesture was… helping slightly. Or, really, a lot. And the knowledge that he was there, next to her, was… awfully comforting. She was focused on keeping calm and barely heard whatever the others were saying, but her attention drifted back once she caught a few mentions of demons.

Half of her wanted to go lie down in a dimly lit room, the other half was terrified at the thought of being alone and wanted nothing but to remain in a crowd like she was currently, next to Noah. Bridget looked at him and smiled lightly but genuinely. She whispered “thank you,” making a motion with her hand as if she was going to touch his chest, but held back. She broke eye contact and looked back to the front of the room, before looking down again. She couldn’t really bring herself to do or ask anything more, not even sit normally in the chair.

[Ru]

Dice Rolls

Boots: 19; Nat: 13.

The next couple of posts are dedicated to catching up on rolls which I have neglected to implement. This post contains the following rolls being done:
Monsterx2, Ghost Appearancex3, Ghost Noisex6, and Noisex1.

The following still need to be implemented:
Rumorx2, Noisex2, and Riddle.
Most of these rolls will be held until the characters reach floor one. Some may be implemented next post.



Red-haired, human flesh, you belong to me until I no longer desire your services. No longer is your will free and nor are you permitted to disobey your master. Bring me the brute; the one who dares to band the fleshlings together.

Dark smoke seeped through the cracks in the old, wooden floorboards beneath the residents feet until half of the room was covered in a black smog.

Howl pushed Holly towards the other side of the room defensively and swatted the air to see if it could be blown back. No matter his efforts the unknown, gaseous clouds continued to enter from below.

Nat retreated back alongside her, perplexed himself. Confusion was apparent upon his pale complexion as his brows furrowed and he ran a hand through his gigantic, green bang, holding his palm there for a couple minutes before letting it drop to his side. This phenomenon wasn’t familiar. What could possibly be going on? Holly clung onto his scrawny arm in fear, glancing over at Howl from beyond Kay’s sleeve to check he was all right; the brawler could handle himself. At least, that is what they both thought.

From the mysterious darkness stepped forward one of the missing residents: Cait Shaw. Her eyes no longer had irises or even pupils, showing an eerie, surreal white as she took another step towards them. The white collared shirt she had tossed on when the ghostly screams had occurred the night before barely hung on her form with her right shoulder being completely revealed. Still nothing else was worn, even on her cold feet. With her head cocked to the side in a jerky motion she lifted her right arm, extending it towards Howl. “Der Meister wünscht Ihre Anwesenheit,” her voice was no longer a soft alto tone with a Scottish accent, but heavy, thick, and much closer to a baritone.

“What kinda fucked up shit are you sayin’, Cait?” the man sneered, then it dawned on him: she had no eyes. Howl stared bewildered, squinting his own as though it may fix what he saw only for her to take more motions closer towards him. No eyes aside, where did she even come from? This woman was kidnapped last night by a shadowy creature with no signs of ever returning; she was gone all morning. And her voice was peculiar. “Kay! What shit is this?!” he yelled, but to no avail.

The woman lunged at him, clamping her arms tightly around his torso as she dug her long, painted nails into his skin. Closely she held him, hissing at the others in the room before falling back and disappearing into the shadows, bringing the dark smoke down with her. In a flash it was as though she never came and the only proof she had been there was the now missing Howl Osborne.

Boots let out a blood curdling scream as she ran towards the direction they had fallen, but tripped on a loose board and landed on her hands and knees with her eyes locked onto the floor. Goosebumps ran up and down her skin as her body trembled uncontrollably. A puddle was forming beneath her of her own tears; her lips quivering faster than her form shook. “No, Howl… Howl…” came soft whimpering. “Without you… I’m alone… all alone…” her voice began to crack and beneath Boots her elbows began to wobble, becoming to unstable to hold herself up. “I can’t… I can’t do this… w—without… you…”



Down Below

Down below in the dark hallways of the first floor spirits fluttered about. “Run, miss, run! You should not be here,” one cried to Consul, pleading for her to leave. “You’ll die! Run, run, run! Get to the stairs. You can’t stay here. Don’t stay here.”

“Where are the stairs? I’m lost… Mom, where are you? Where am I?” another moaned, floating about the halls with her hands extended.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! NO ONE DOES THIS TO ME!” yet another screeched, pounding on the surrounding walls ferociously before being seemingly pulled forcefully into another room. Fierce screaming followed behind them.

“They’ll get you! They’ll get you! Run away, girl. Get outa here! Shit, they’re coming! THEY’RE COMING!”

“Shut up! Shut up! They’ll hear you. I don’t want to die. I can’t die. I’m too young to die. Mama, mama. Mama, where are we?”

“Leave this place!”

“You shouldn’ ‘ave stayed ‘ere. Yer dumb. DUMB DUMB DUMB!”

“He’s coming. He’s coming!”

“They’re coming! No!”

Then came an eerie silence as behind Consul the hallway grew darker, the lights suddenly shutting off. In front of her in the shadows came a faint hissing.

[Preach]

[14]

The dark smoke rose from the floor and Bridget was infinitely glad she hadn’t put her feet down, she immediately brought her knees under her, kneeling instead of sitting cross-legged, as if that would help her stay above the smoke. It didn't really help. Her heart was ready to burst from her chest - what was the meaning of this smog? She nervously glanced at their ‘friendly guide’ Nat, and the confused look on his face did nothing to reassure her.

Then Cait appeared, grisly and shocking, and Bridget gasped and flung her arms around Noah’s chest, not willing to be isolated now. Then the girl spoke and Bridget could feel tears of fear welling up - she choked them down, focused with rapt attention on the scene unfolding before her. Was that German Cait was speaking?! But as Cait grabbed Howl, she buried her face in Noah’s chest, not willing to witness a grisly murder - and then Boots screamed, and Bridget peeked out, noticing that Howl was absolutely gone, and wondering if that was worse than him being slaughtered. She was trembling, she couldn't help it. Her breath still came raggedly and Bridget could not do anything but hold on to Noah.

“Wh- wh-” was all Bridget could say, she couldn’t even scream.

[Public_Hazard]

Noah kept his gaze on the group standing before him, Howl's anger and Boots mild attempts to soothe the man was a norm among the residents of the establishment. After Boots reply to Owen and Howl's scoffs he payed attention to what the pink hair man had to say in regards to the questions.

“....Well, I know Howl and I both have AB blood… However, it only seemed the slugs were interested in us, so I am under the assumption no one else has a similar type, though it does mean one of the girls who was kidnapped does. The slugs will not touch me due to um… a contract I have, which I rather not delve into… Thus, concerning protecting against them, it would mean Howl should be the one kept watch over. We might want to find a good quantity of salt for him to carry on his person.”

"I see" Noah spoke softly to himself as he let it simmer in the back of his mind as he ignored Howl's banter on salt, though Katia's slight chuckle to his display did not go unnoticed. He let his memories drift into his vision as he recalled the actions of the slugs, they seemed to attack everyone in their way and from their sheer numbers it was hard to tell if they were targeting someone in particular other than the two males. His actions to protect Katia did leave the option of her having one since his actions meant that he would be a blockade for a target, though that simple idea could also mean that they were also in search of females. Letting out a sigh Noah listened to Katia's half lively reply to Howl before he felt movement next to him.

Bridget, who had remained quiet through out the entire conversation, began to slowly come out of her internal lock down and even thanked him for his actions. Nodding to her as he felt her hand come near his chest but pulled it back and retreated her eyes to the floor once again. He did not mind her motions and simply remained as he was, letting his hand continue to soothe her back.

Sniffing the air slightly, Noah looked around with a perplexed face trying to find the source of the strange smell when suddenly he noticed the black smog that had begun to seep from the floorboards. It's black form slithering its way across the area, expanding next to Howl as he frantically attempted to blow the gas away from him. "What the hell.." Noah let his words unknowingly slip from his mind as he took in the sudden arrival of a form within the smoke. "Cait?" he said quietly before feeling the sudden pressure of Bridget flinging her arms around his chest, his eyes remained on the new arrival taking in every detail of her new image. His eyes trailed down her arm as it pointed towards their target, Howl.

"Howl...." he said in mild voice so as to not suddenly startle Cait but her sudden change in vocals brought a chill up his spine as she spoke, “Der Meister wünscht Ihre Anwesenheit,” widening his eyes at her statement Noah let out his inner torment "Howl!! Get away from her right now!!" However his voice was useless as Cait lunged at Howl after he had asked his question to Kay. Feeling Bridget's grip tighten around him and her head slamming into his chest to hide herself from the scene, Noah attempted to free himself in an effort to help Howl "Bridget let go!" he screamed out as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face. His eyes took in their forms as they disappeared from existence, the block smog following right behind them.

Boot's screams and pleads echoed through Noah's thoughts as he continued to stare at the place in which Howl had once stood, Bridget who had begun to speak in cut off words was the only audible sound he could pay attention to. Her trembling form brought him back from his dazed shock as his hands tightened into a fist out of rage. "Kay." his deepened voice spoke firmly to the other male, "Grab boots and get her somewhere safe and I'll take Bridget there too, do what ever you think you have to do, just do it." Looking towards Katia he spoke in the same fashion towards her "Katia, I need you to help me once we're done with that." letting his arms relax a bit, he spoke softly to the trembling girl. "Bridget... we're going to take you somewhere safe." not wanting to waste time he quickly took her form into his arms and carried her bridal style, letting her head continue to rest on his chest. He gave a nod to Daniel, willing him to follow them if he wanted to. "Kay, when you're ready lead the way." he continued to hold his firm voice to those around him as he did not want their unit to collapse from the sudden loss of Howl. 'The last thing we need is for everyone to turn on each other.' he thought to himself as he looked at Katia with determination in his eyes. 'I will not sit here and wait for everyone to die.'

[Tune]

[roll0]

Katia had honestly expected a snide comment from Howl about what she had said, but it did not come. No, what happened next was much worse. Dark clouds rose from the floor boards where the slugs had retreated. Howl panicked like a mad man, attempting to swat away the noxious gas that leaked into the room. Her eyes stung, and she closed them, attempting to make sense of the dark gas clouds. Oh how she wished she had cared about chemistry - she might've known the cause. Something in the back of her head told her that whatever it was, it wasn't natural.

Prying her eyes open, she could barely make out the silhouette of a person in the clouds. It couldn't be one of the others, could it? The next thing she heard sent a chill spiraling down her spine. The thing in the clouds - it spoken clear German. While she wasn't the best at German - to her family's dismay, she wasn't that bad. Her lips quivered and her trembling hand reached behind her, desperately trying to find the door knob in the confusion. Her finger nails raked across the chipped paint, but with the angle of her hand, she couldn't turn the knob.

The clouds left as quick as they came, but instead of their group of misfits, the most domineering presence in the room was missing: Howl. "Shit," she whispered, trembling enough to make the door knob rattle. Not that it was the sturdiest thing in the world.

Noah spoke up, instantly rallying everyone around under his control. With one leader out of the way, another person was bound to step up as their new commander. Be strong, she thought, steeling her gaze before meeting Noah's eyes. She was ashamed. Ashamed of herself for being such a coward. She was Russian, she was expected to be strong by her parents. Weakness is not allowed, she thought, repeating a common phrase her father often spoke whenever she showed signs of crumbling under pressure. It was about time that she listened to the man and heeded his warnings.

Katia nodded, "Yes," was her simple response, before she regained her senses long enough to recall what the person had said.

"The thing.. German is not my best, but," she said, contemplating her words, "Whatever it was, spoke of a Master and Howl's presence." Her eyes dropped to the floor instantaneously; what she had translated would not help with everyone's current fear but her Father always said it was best to speak the truth and be prepared.

[Lord Tully]

[roll0]
~Ohh god why the hell is this happening?~ Hanna thought throughout the entire ordeal, the feelings of fear and uselessness were starting to become very familiar. When the strange slug creatures began to come out and began to swarm over them Hanna stood up tried to shake them all off, though they seemed to quickly lose interest in her after the first couple of nips. When Hanna heard Holly shout for Howl she desperately wanted to go and help them but there was too much furniture and human bodies in the way for her to do anything, ~Again I'm useless.~ When she heard her friend Bridget shout out the word blood a number of times and the slugs disappeared Hanna wanted to go over and hug the woman, thinking that maybe, just maybe she'd now get a chance to actually think about the shittiest situation she could have ever imagined.

But that didn't seem to be the way the world operated today, as Howl's friend Kay informed them of a Naga also being present. Hanna knew what Nagas were supposed to be, torso of a woman, snake like lower body, but that was it, and now Howl was uproariously pissed off at Kay over all this. If given even 5 minutes between horror shows to catch her breath, Hanna probably would have been able to deal with this much easier, but with all this coming one right after another made it hard to keep a lid on herself. "You're yelling isn't going to help Howl!" she snapped taking a few steps toward him, she then turned towards Kay, and yelled a little "I don't care if you only came to 'investigate', you're the only one here who knows more then fuck all about these things so you're helping us whether you like it or now!" but before any answer could be heard, the dark fog began billowing into the room. Going back into protective mode Hanna moved to put herself between it and Holly.

"Cait?" Hanna said when the red headed woman finally appeared, though she wasn't sure if anyone could hear her. Greatly concerned about the nature of the woman's disappearance, Hanna stepped forward wanting to ask just what the hell happened to her when Cait barked something in some very unnatural sounding German and zoomed forward to wrap herself around Howl. Hanna began to run towards them but before she could get two steps the pair was gone, "HOWL!" she called, not believing for what felt like the millionth time in about 6 hours that something horrible had happened, and she had been comepltely and utterly useless to stop it. But Hanna's thoughts for Howl were stopped dead when she heard Boots' scream from behind her, it was the type of scream that froze her blood and stopped Hanna directly in her tracks.

Without a second though Hanna hurried to her devastated friend's side and once again wrapped her arms around Holly. "Holly, you listen ok." she said in a soft but firm voice, "You're gonna get through this, you hear me?" She gently put her hand under Holly's chin and brought her face up to look her in the eye, "I'm still here, you are not going to be alone as long as I can say something about it." When Hanna heard Noah giving some orders she looked up to listen to him, She nodded to acknowledge his words, "Kay and I are gonna take you somewhere safe, and then we're going to find Howl. Can you stand up for me?" Hanna tried to smile a little as she asked that last question, but she coud stop herself from looking a bit hopeless as well.

[The Imposter]

Rolls a 7

Daniel's mind struggled to process the unfolded events. Cait's appearance, the German she spoke, the black smoke, and now Howl's vanishing act in the embrace of their fellow tenant. It was when Noah took the reigns of the whole ordeal that Daniel began to stir.

'Safe?! Noah is that a fucking joke!?!'

Dan's tone didn't masquerade the emotions that were dancing around his brain in some strange Irist river dance or some shit. Anger, fear, and even jealousy stomped up and down, and up and down. Would anyone even freak if it had been me??...Aw shit Daniel shut up.

'Have you not been a damn witness to the events unfolding here the last day?! No matter where the fuck we go here shit ends bad. There is no safe! None! Zip! It doesn't matter how any of us feel or desire a fucking safe place there isn't one! Now the only fucking guy that had a good set of balls was taking to undergo some ter...'

Daniel's harsh tone broke as his eyes caught Boots'. He saw her broken and knew that putting some deranged theory of his own in her mind was a malicious thing to do. He couldn't help but think though that Howl's blood was going to serve some purpose. Those slugs wanted it....right? Probably going to be what breaks the seal of some ancient fuckin' evil that destroys the world. He couldn't shake the images of some morbid music video he saw once about some ancient evil shit in a pool. He shuddered trying to shake the thought...

'...I mean he is probably just being held by the big bad guy as he tells Howl his evil plans like in all the movies, or they are just chilling drinkin' tea. Did Howl even drink tea? I always thought he was like a Red Bull guy...ah shit, what I mean is Boots you gotta believe he'll be alright. We will find him. Still in one piece...hopefully. Anyways we gotta go down to the basement and get his ass back. The longer we wait the less of a chance there will be for anyone....Noah, even those you want to protect.'

Standing up and picking up his bat he left the conversation hanging. Howl and Daniel didn't always see in the same shades of perspective but he was damn sure Howl had a better chance of fixing this supernatural shite than anyone else did. Daniel slowly began walking towards the basement...briefly looking back once to see if anyone was going to follow.

[Merry]

Rolled a 17

“Your destination is ahead, on the left” the monotone GPS voice claimed out loud over the blare of the radio. “thank god” she muttered to herself turning the radio down a bit, quelling the roar of Maroon 5’s crooning as she pulled up the curb across the street from the address. The ride from school had taken what seemed like forever, and she had seen enough back roads to last a life time. Longing to stretch her legs, she peered out the window shutting off the quiet purring of her silver Porshe Boxter. A recent graduation gift from Daddy, delivered a few days before her journey, supposedly home.

“Well, it certainly doesn’t look like much” she grimaced tossing her sunglasses onto the seat beside her, as she looked at the brick structure, squinting a bit “But I suppose anywhere is better than home, and certainly better than school” she smirked to herself. Grabbing her purse, and her camera, she shut the car door and clicked the lock button on the remote. “Chirp, Chirp” the car responded as the doors locked shut, the noise seemingly loud on the otherwise empty street.

Quickly crossing the street, she opened the gate and headed to the front doors. Grabbing the handle she pulled stepped inside.

Standing inside the entrance way, she looked along the empty hallway. She was about to head upstairs when she quickly realized she had no clue where she was going. Ellie had never said what her apartment number was. Reaching into her purse, she fished around for her cell phone, finally digging it out of the bottom. “of course” she sighed, “it’s always at the bottom” slinging the purse back to her shoulder, along with the camera, she slide her thumb across the screen, attempting to call her cousin, only to have the red “NO SERVICE” light notification show up. Checking through her text messages, she read through everything from Ellie, no mention of which number. "Great. “How can there be No Service, here?” she muttered, sliding the phone into her front pocket on her jeans.

Casting another glance around, the place still appeared vacant. “What the frigg” she huffed, starting to get pretty annoyed, as she looked around. “This is just perfect. Ten hours of driving, no idea which apartment, no service, and I really have to pee!” she snapped, out loud, her voice tinged with frustration.

Turning slightly and cupping her hand to her cheek, “Hello?” she called out. “Is there anyone that can help me?” she bellowed louder, her voice echoing off the empty hallway. Silence was the response. Looking around some more, she spotted a small tarnished sign on the far wall, almost unnoticeable in the dim lighting of the hallway. Stepping closer she peered at it, seeing the words Office with a small black arrow pointing toward the back doorway. She breathed a small sigh of relief. “Well, hopefully someone is there that can tell me where to go to find Ellie, and a bathroom!” She headed toward what she hoped was someone that could help.

[Public_Hazard]

15

"The thing.. German is not my best, but," Katia said hesitantly as she seemed to contemplating her words, "Whatever it was, spoke of a Master and Howl's presence." she said finishing her thoughts. "Yes." Noah replied as he stepped next to her "My master wishes for your presence." he said calmly. His memories of the language were still fresh from his years in Europe; the cartel within the country had always been one of his "father's" best customers. "That will at least lets us know a piece of what their master's powers are." The notion did not bring him comfort but every detail would help. His arms adjusted Bridget slightly to improve his movement as he watched Hannah get to work on getting Boots up.

'Safe?! Noah is that a fucking joke!?!'

The sudden out burst caught Noah by surprise, forcing him to face the other male. Knowing that he would continue Noah remained silent as he kept his facial features stoic to the man's remarks.

'Have you not been a damn witness to the events unfolding here the last day?! No matter where the fuck we go here shit ends bad. There is no safe! None! Zip! It doesn't matter how any of us feel or desire a fucking safe place there isn't one! Now the only fucking guy that had a good set of balls was taking to undergo some ter...' He cut himself off as he caught Boots eyes '...I mean he is probably just being held by the big bad guy as he tells Howl his evil plans like in all the movies, or they are just chilling drinkin' tea. Did Howl even drink tea? I always thought he was like a Red Bull guy...ah shit, what I mean is Boots you gotta believe he'll be alright. We will find him. Still in one piece...hopefully. Anyways we gotta go down to the basement and get his ass back. The longer we wait the less of a chance there will be for anyone....Noah, even those you want to protect.'

All the accusations and statements Daniel had said settled themselves in Noah's mind as the man took his bat and made his way towards the staircase, waiting with hopeful eyes for the others to follow him. "Daniel." Noah said to him plainly. "Last night I witnessed a scene that will forever be engraved into my memories. I saw Ellie's light extinguished in an instant by the same creature that took Cait away only momemts later. I witnessed her final moments of fear and plead for help that had appeared on her eyes only a few feet from my own. And as a sick joke of fate, there was nothing I could have done to stop it." Baring his teeth to the other man he growled out "So do not doubt my knowledge of how safe everything has been up to this moment."

Gesturing towards Kay, Noah continued "Last night he wasn't here, and this morning he had only appeared to us with information. If there is anyone who can make a room within this place safe from those things it'll be him. Especially now that he can have time to set things up." Taking a step towards Daniel, Noah let his words weigh heavily on on the other man. "Your words are bold, but your mind is clouded with rage and shock right now Daniel." Lifting Bridget slightly Noah continued "Look at her." he rose his voice into a husky tone, willing the other male to obey. "Does she seem ready to face whatever may lurk within the shadows of those steps?" He stepped to the side to let him have a view of Boots. "Does she seem ready to face the creatures that have taken her heart away?" He stepped back to his spot next to Katia. "If you do think that, then let me tell you something, if there is one thing Howl would ask in his absence it'd be to protect Boots. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that, you even witnessed it yourself as he pushed her to safety in those last moments! And god damn it I will not let his noble act fall through the cracks like if it were nothing!"

Raising his voice in anger Noah yelled out, his hands tightening slightly on Bridget. "Going in there alone and unprepared is a mistake; you know it. Don't abandon the people we need to protect right now. Don't let the idea that acting immediately is the only solution. I promise you that we will go down there and get him back. But right now we need to make sure that everything we leave behind once we enter that void is not in jeopardy." Turning his back to Daniel Noah spoke once more before going silent. "I will not act foolishly and let the ones that stand before me fall. Perhaps you should do the same."

His eyes resting on the girl that remained in his arms and the one that stood with him.

[Preach]

What had happened took a while to sink in, it took a few moments for Bridget to register that, firstly, she was now being carried, and secondly, Daniel was actually in the process of heading down towards the basement to rescue Howl… It took another moment for her to realize that she had held Noah back from possibly stopping Howls’ abduction, and she felt a guilty lump forming in her throat, thinking "how selfish of me..." Though her head was still resting on Noah’s chest, Bridget absorbed every word, focusing on keeping her breathing steady, and after Noah's last outburst, she finally gathered enough strength to speak again.

“Please - Noah, please put me down.” She said it quietly, almost timidly. As noble as he was, his words about being put away ‘somewhere safe’ caused countless unwanted memories of being shut in a cupboard to enter her mind, but she fought to block them out - she wasn’t going to have an anxiety attack. Not now.

After she was standing, Bridget intensely stared at the floor, one hand still on Noah’s arm. “I…” she raised one hand to her face, social anxiety taking over- but it quickly fell to her side, clenched tightly. Her face was a pale mask, she was working hard to make sure no one saw how frightened she felt.

“I think Daniel is right. There is no safe place. Not here. And what about what Nat said? A monster that only hunts women… If Boots and I are left somewhere while most of you go down to search for Howl, who’s to say if we’ll be there when you get back?” She paused momentarily. “If Nat can set up a safe zone, then that’s… good." She felt a flicker of hope just at the thought. "But..." she added, "I'm going to guess your contract prevents it.” She recalled his introduction, and was unable to keep some bitterness out of her voice.

“If that's the case- then- then I’ll go down with you.” Her eyes left the floor and gazed restlessly around the room, focusing on Daniel. She had to go - if she hadn’t held Noah back, he might have been able to save Howl. “I know I can help. I’m the one who solved the riddle. I’ll… go with you.” She nodded as a way of showing her confidence, but it was mostly just to make herself feel stronger. It worked - just a little. Her hand dropped from Noah's arm to her side, and she suddenly felt terribly alone.

She took a deep breath. Her mask was cracking as her eyebrows furrowed with worry. “N-none of us are really ready to face whatever’s here, I think. But we have to. It… wouldn’t be right to leave anyone down there.” She had to stop being so weak, the stakes were too high. With another nod, Bridget thus resolved to make herself numb to this horrible situation and cope with her fear, as she had done twice before. Just... fully accept that these things were happening, as irrational as it was, and... and deal with it... It was the only thing she could do for herself at this point.

[Auki]

Roll: [9]

“How could-… What-…?”

Tiffany mumbled a nonsensical string of words, directing them at nobody, almost forgetting that anyone else was in the room. The events she had witnessed turned slowly in her head, Howl’s disappearance an impossible thing to accept. He had always seemed invincible to her; like Hell could spew fire at him, and he’d spit right back at it. Now he was gone in the blink of an eye – she stared at the space he’d last been standing, blank expression. Was the boy still alive? Was it naïve to hope so…? She was German-born and spoke enough of the language to feel chilled by worry.

The screams and whimpers of Boots called out; they pained Tiffany. It was an annoyance that the blonde couldn’t get closer, the girl Hanna finding herself in the way again… as though any of them could really comfort Holly when Howl was missing. Tiffany couldn’t comprehend the anguish the girl must be feeling; that boy was the closest thing she had to… well, to her late brother.

Tiffany guessed what he would want, for Boots’ safety to be their priority. Silently, she promised that she would try her best.

She attempted to smile at Nat, but it must have appeared strained. Her words were soft, not wishing to add to the room’s stress, “If there might be any way of finding him, I want to try.”

She straightened her clothes to distract fidgeting fingers, “Anything sounds better than staying here.”

[Ru]

No New Dice Rolls; Not A New Round.



For Holly Hendrickson time stood still. As those around her flurried about, whether it was soft whispers or loud screaming it did not enter her eardrums. No motions were registered nor were any touches felt as she stared with her eyes glued open at the floorboards where Howl disappeared. Frozen, body refusing to move she sat. Few could even begin to understand the anguish she felt; the overwhelming pain eating at her very soul as the world around her crumbled. Howl was all she had left.

Yes, she had close friends like Nat and Tiffany, but both were well aware Howl was different and what the girl’s past entailed. Neither of them met Boots until long after she escaped the horrors of her own home, however Howl was there through it all. The brute many grew to hate was the one person who showed her any love or compassion and accepted her for who she was for many, many years, aside from her deceased brother, Fred. Even as a child her mother hated her—loathed her very existence—and Holly was well aware of it, but somehow she found a way to love her like any child would love their parent. Abuse was not uncommon to be dealt towards her, especially when she rejected proposals to wear dresses and be more ladylike. Not to say she was a rebellious child, but why her brother got to wear pants and she wasn’t allowed to baffled her. Even so, the beatings were minor until the day Holly came out to her mother as a lesbian.

Howl and Fred knew for a long time, long before Boots had the guts to voice it to anyone. Howl kept it to himself and continued to protect the naïve child, though Fred on the other hand loved to shower her in gifts of rainbow showing her he knew all too well of her true colors. With them she felt accepted, loved, and safe; she knew they were her protectors and friends no matter what choices she made. Her mother… was another story.

Because Fred accepted it and he was the favorite of the Hendrickson children, thus Holly foolishly believed their mother would as well. Before she could utter another word after, “lesbian,” the beatings began. Severely she was “punished for her sins,” despite never acting on her thoughts; though she was fifteen Holly she had yet to have any relationships. Her legs were spared due the thick cloth on her jeans and the leather of her boots, but her back and forearms had several cuts and were beginning to bleed profusely. Curled in a ball with her arms protecting her head Holly cried as her mother lashed out at her with everything she had. Howl tried to get in the house to no avail, resulting in him calling Fred—who was away at college—to come bring some sense to Mrs. Hendrickson.

When her son finally arrived her daughter was already sentenced to her room, cowering in a corner in the dark. Enraged Fred began screaming at his mother, which he had never done before. No matter what she said the bigoted woman refused to change her mind. Afterwards he darted into Holly’s room to see if she was all right and brought her to the hospital. While she was in recovery he asked Howl to protect his sister forever and to always be her guide, then disappeared.

A week later they found his body in his apartment. All his suicide note read was, “I’m not willing to live in a world where people cannot love whomever they want to love.” Immediately Holly blamed herself, and so did her mother. Before her daughter could return home she invaded her bedroom, destroying every rainbow object she managed to find, leaving it in shambles. When Holly returned she locked herself away and refused to speak to anyone, even Howl. She returned to the corner Fred had found her in, hating herself for the loss of her brother. Immensely she feared the dark, but the lights remained off; being alone terrified her, but she secluded herself away. The only gift from him she managed to save were rainbow earrings she was wearing at the hospital, and it was all that remained of Fred.

Though she protested and refused to see him, Howl managed to break inside of her room and drag Holly back outside. Without a word to her mother, he took her to his house. It was Howl who got her to hope again, which is surprising with his pessimistic attitude, but he managed it. He got her out of the slump and out of the house that had been dragging her down all her life. With help from his own mother, they managed to get her emancipated, then Holly left to a dormitory where Howl followed. From then on he remained behind her, not only because the promise he made to Fred, but because of the promise he made to Holly the first time they met when they were little kids. He would always protect her; he would always be by her side.

Now he was gone.

It was Nat’s voice that finally brought her back to reality.

During the dark moments he was in his own form of shock, amazed at the power presented as Cait appeared and disappeared. Though, the reason he did nothing to prevent it was out of pure fear and because he truly had no idea what sort of creature they were up against. If he could investigate the area more he may gain some sort of clue, but it was possibly they did not have time for such a search. But once he was gone and all was registered into the brainiac’s head he finally spoke his own concerns.

First and foremost, a scowl was present on his features, which was rather peculiar even to Boots, as Kay was known as a pacifist; he didn’t even eat meat. “Firstly, I did not have to investigate a damn thing. I am not being paid to provide any of my services, nor did I come here to benefit anyone other than my companions. And with how rudely you are deciding to address me, miss,” his eyes locked onto Hanna, “quite frankly, I could care less for your safety. I did not travel down to this dump to save the entire compound, but to help my friends in need and you are nothing but a very rude stranger whom I have no obligations to. I can choose whether or not I am going to bother helping any of you at all, especially now that my friend is gone, whom I doubt you had any close relations to at all, especially since I speak to both of them on a day-to-day basis and not once have either of them even remotely uttered a syllable of your name.”

With that outburst out of the way he lightly patted his three times vest as though dust were on it, then addressed his attention towards Noah and Daniel. “Daniel is right for us to remain as a group, Noah,” Kay could not recall if he was ever introduced to anyone at this point, but pretending he had no sort of supernatural powers was pointless by now. “While, yes, I could fend off the shadow man quite easily it is still possible he may attempt to play a trick, which may land himself another feast if he plays his cards right. I usually avoid those creatures. They are impossible to get along with unless you have immense power or something to offer them, which I have nothing impressive to those creatures.”

Kay strolled over to Hanna and Boots as Holly stared at him with a perplexed expression, but once he got closer to her it turned from confusion to pleading and needing. Though he normally avoided physical contact, he offered his arms out to her, in which Holly instantly jumped into his arms and buried her face against his scrawny chest. Carefully he placed his palm atop her head and stroked her hair lightly as he continued and she clung onto his tiny frame. “And since your efforts appear valiant, Noah, I will remain with this group and its cause, especially because one of my dear friends is caught in the fray. However, due to my contract I still cannot physically do anything. Think of me as… a healer in a video game. I remain in the background as support, but put me in to deal damage or take it and you are likely to lose your aid.”

As he spoke he slowly made his way towards Tiffany, keeping Holly along with him. Once he managed to reach the female companion he whispered so only she could hear, “While I… I really do care for Holly… I… I feel really uncomfortable with… touching… Would you mind taking her? Surely you would be more of a comfort…” He knew Tiffany and him were the only people, aside from Howl, who knew about what happened to Holly’s brother and how much it hurt her. Tiffany through Boots when they were roommates in the dormitories, while Howl told him in confidence hoping it may ease his conscious; one of the few times Howl ever confided in anyone. Once Holly was transferred over to Tiffany, Nat made his way towards the front door, where he then almost ran into a new face.

“Oh, er… um…” Kay stammered, his face flushing a light shade of pink. Suddenly the confidence that had previously burst out of him subsided as he took a few steps back to let the young woman come inside. “Er… um… bathroom…? I… um… I am not sure where the facilities… are…” his eyes darted over to Noah, whom he for some reason decided to rely on. Maybe because he seemed to be headstrong like Howl, who knows. “Can you,” he took a few steps back towards where Tiffany and Holly were. “direct her to a bathroom…? And I… um… I… Ellie…? Isn’t that um… the… girl?” Whether he was panicky over a new face, the fact he almost ran directly into her, or for another reason was unknown, but it was definitely evident he was embarrassed.

[Lord Tully]

Hanna didn't want to look at Kay during his tirade, but she felt she had to because he was right. If there was anything worse then someone yelling at you for being a total bitch it was you knowing they were right while they did it. "You're right." she told him in a subdued voice, "I have been a bitch to you since you showed up, but how did you expect me to react Mr. Kay?" she kept her voice even, really really not wanting to drive him away or make Holly hate her for how she was speaking to her friend. "You come here, tell us the only really home I've had in over a year's got a portal straight to hell in our celler, and then say you don't want to help get rid of it. Was I supposed to be grateful for you telling me that if some shadow thing so much as glimpses me there's exactly fuck I can do to keep it from tearing me to pieces, and you were only maybe willing to help stop it?" she did not fight when Boots left her arms to go to Nat, she'd obviously needed him comforting her instead of someone she'd known only a few months.

Trying desperately to lose her confrontational tone Hanna took a few deep breaths "I get it, you only want to help your friends, and I've only barely reached the point of calling either Howl or Boots friends, I really, really understand where you're coming from. But you are the only one who can tell us a single thing about these monsters, or what the hell is happening down in the basement." With Holly sat down next to her other friend Hanna stood up and started speaking in a lower voice so that Holly couldn't hear her from where she was, "So without you we have exactly 0 chance of doing anything to stop them, and so exactly 0 chance of saving the friends you claim to love so much." With her own words done, Hanna went to sit next to Bridget, the only full friend she had in this damn place. For now hse could only sit and hope she didn't drive Holly away from her, she really did want to do everything she could to help that girl. Though when another young woman asking for Ellie, it was all she could do to keep from laughing at the universe's cruelty.

[Public_Hazard]

“Please - Noah, please put me down.” Noah's eyes drifted to the woman in his arms. Bridget, who had remained silent through out the ordeal, spoke to him in a timid voice. 'Does she fear me....' Noah thought as he let her stand on her feet. His eyes went soft as an increase in tension circled itself around his stomach, he was uncertain of how to feel to her withdrawal from him. Her single arm, still located on his own, gave him a slight hope that it was simply her resolve returning and mind coming to ease, however her lack of gaze to him still left the knot in his stomach. “I…” her form left him uncomfortable as she seemed to choose or come to terms with her own words. “I think Daniel is right. There is no safe place. Not here. And what about what Nat said? A monster that only hunts women… If Boots and I are left somewhere while most of you go down to search for Howl, who’s to say if we’ll be there when you get back?” She paused momentarily. “If Nat can set up a safe zone, then that’s… good." she poke and continued "But..." she added, "I'm going to guess your contract prevents it.” Noah's eyes began to tremble slightly as he stared directly to the woman in front of him. His current state went unnoticed as he tried his best to compose himself, but the emotions began to rage inside him as she continued. “If that's the case- then- then I’ll go down with you.” she said as she turned towards Daniel “I know I can help. I’m the one who solved the riddle. I’ll… go with you." and finally, as quickly as he had reacted to get her to safety, her hand left his side; falling limply to her own.

Betrayal. That was what he felt at the moment. 'She goes with the one that seeks their doom.' he thought bitterly as he bit his lip softly. "N-none of us are really ready to face whatever’s here, I think. But we have to. It… wouldn’t be right to leave anyone down there.” His unsteady eyes turned away from her as he looked towards the others seeing their input on the matter.

“If there might be any way of finding him, I want to try.”
“Anything sounds better than staying here.”

He heard Bridget and Tiffany speak out, almost as if deciding on the matter in unison. 'How could they be so naive to the situation.' he screamed to himself as each person began to speak up from their daze. Kay's outburst and resolve to go with Daniel's idea "...They are impossible to get along with unless you have immense power or something to offer them, which I have nothing impressive to those creatures.” Noah listened to the man's words, his knuckled turning pale white while his facial expressions turned to marble. 'So you acknowledge that you are weak to the situation.' he voiced internally in anger. “And since your efforts appear valiant, Noah, I will remain with this group and its cause, especially because one of my dear friends is caught in the fray. However, due to my contract I still cannot physically do anything. Think of me as… a healer in a video game. I remain in the background as support, but put me in to deal damage or take it and you are likely to lose your aid.” Noah's eyes remained glued to the man as he transferred Holly over to boots, his rant had come to an end, shattering and merging into a rather different person than the one he had seen moments ago. Noah could only let off a shallow breathe as he took the form of the new visitor, his mind drastically attempting to simmer his bent up rage over the situation everyone was putting themselves into.


“Oh, er… um…” Kay stammered, Noah examined the woman with his eyes connecting the dots instantly as he heard her words. “Er… um… bathroom…? I… um… I am not sure where the facilities… are…” Kay's almost desperate look towards him almost made him chuckle sourly at the man's moment of greatness, and then downfall. “Can you,” he took a few steps back towards where Tiffany and Holly were. “direct her to a bathroom…? And I… um… I… Ellie…? Isn’t that um… the… girl?”

Making his way towards the new comer Noah stopped a few feet from her, his eyes softened to the woman's situation. 'Ellie...' the visitor's appearance reminded him of the woman from the night before. "You look a lot like her." he said softly to the woman, before letting out a sigh. "There are many things that I must inform you Miss, in regards to Ellie." Knowing that the situation of the deceased woman was more important he ignored her previous request for a restroom. "I think it'd be best if we go outside so we can talk. I understand that we have only met, but I have lived her for many years and I knew Ellie." his voice strained the word 'knew' so to at least prepare the woman slowly and not bring it all at once. The new comer didn't deserve to be brought into their situation in the basement, she was innocent on the matter. He opened the door from which she had just come through, urging the woman to step outside with him. "My name is Noah."

He looked back towards the group inside the room, examining their resolve to enter the darkness beneath them. One thing did flow through his mind asides from what he was going to tell the new comer, 'Holly had not once said she was ready to take the steps into the void. And if she is, none of us are ready to save anyone down there.'

[Merry]

Lilly came upon the group, and could tell she had interrupted something, everyone looked so tense. She could feel it, they all had a guilty look, or were surprised that she was there. Something was obviously up with the lot of them. With a smile on her face, she replied “Hi, I’m Lilly” toward Noah letting him herd her out the door.

Turning to face him, “Look, I’m sorry to bother you guys, obviously I interrupted something” she continued on with a smile in his direction, feeling it slip a little. He looked worried about something. Not that it was any of her business, she silently chided herself.

“I don’t mean to bother, whatever, um..you guys were doing. I just came to see my cousin.” She fidgeted nervously with edge of her shirt, “I’m headed home from college and she invited me… “ she trailed off realizing she was sounding like an idiot, and she was babbling.

Taking a deep breath “If you’ll just point me in the direction of her place, I’ll be out of your hair” she finished, glancing at his hair, it was a silvery color with blue tints. Dismissing his hair, she brought her smile back to full wattage. Feeling a little more confident, “can you tell me where she is?” she asked again.

[Public_Hazard]

The wooden door closed with an eeriecreek from rusted hinges that complained over their use. Noah hadstepped outside with Lilly, her purse moved with her own as shestrode in front of him with a positive atmosphere to her own. Almostas if a negative reflection to the girl Noah's strides were slow ashe carried his slouched form behind her his tired features emanatingfrom him. The floor beneath him scraped at his soles as he stoppedand took a moment to think over what his next words would be. Lillywas gleaming with happiness to Noah's eyes; that fact on its own madehim feel disgusted at the actions he would soon be taking.


“Look, I'm sorry to bother youguys...” remaining silent Noah let her continue feeling no need todisrupt her. “I don't mean to bother.....” Noah noticed thedecline in her smile as she continued onward, her words rambled onbut Noah payed it no mind. “I'm headed home from college and sheinvited me...” his own smile grew back for a moment as she seemedto trail off, almost as if she had seemed embarrassed by her ownwords. The day had left him weary with anxiety that had slowly beenbuilding up through out the hours, but the girl's innocent nature hadleft him slightly more at ease. Almost as if it reassured him thatthere was still good in the world that he could look towards.


“... can you tell me where she is?”Feeling his heart skip a beat Noah lost his voice for a few moments,his eyes staring into Lilly's own as he contemplated the words he haddecided on. “I....I am deeply sorry to inform you Lilly.” his voiceremained soft as he stepped a bit closer to her, his instinctspleading him to be on the safe side as he felt that she might need asupport. His hands remained firmly at his side, ready to act if theneed appear. “Ellie... passed away last night.” his voice becamestrained as the images of her body being torn to peaces came to his mind,the white teeth that gleamed at him as it vanished into the darknessremained ingrained in his memories. “S-She was killed by a wildanimal that got loose in the complex.” his eyes began to water asthe pain of guilt reemerged from depths of his heart, blinking awayhis forming tears his sorrowful eyes attempted to strain his nextwords as he took a second to keep his vocals at check. “I am deeplysorry....'For not being able to protect her.” he voiced internallythe last part of his statement. 'I am stronger than this.' clenchinghis fists he repeated that to himself 'I am stronger than this.' hisknuckles turned pale as his fist tightened 'I have to be.'

[Merry]

Lilly felt the bright smile fixed to her lips, rapidly fade away as he told her about Ellie. That toothy, casual grin quickly replaced by a look of disbelief, and then just plain shock. Surely he was joking, right? This was some sort of cruel trick to the visiting cousin. It just had to be. He couldn't be serious, could he?

Repeating what he said, softly back to him "wild, animals" as if somehow saying it aloud, would help it make sense. Sadly it didn't seem to help. She was still in disbelief. "What do you mean?" she asked, barely speaking above a whisper. Her mind telling her, not to believing him, he was lying, he had to be. That is until she saw his eyes. Shiny and bright with unshed tears. His lips, trembling, not to burst out in a scream. He was telling her the truth about Ellie. It was the truth. She felt all her hopes that this was some horrid joke, dashed away in an instant. Shock just took over.

"This, this is just, impossible" she blurted, reaching for his arm. Whether to hold herself up, or shake the truth out of him, she wasn't really sure. But she grabbed onto his arm, and held on for dear life. Her fingers digging into him, willing him to tell her something different. Anything but this. Anything to make this sudden pain in her heart go away. Right now!

"You can't be serious!" she gasped, as it became clearer with each passing second that he had spoken the truth. As her mind permitted her to grasp what he had said. Ellie was, gone. Her life destroyed, by something, awful. Quickly the tears started falling from her eyes, for the most part, unnoticed. They were just there, big wet glimmering drops of water leaking down her face.

"how..." she trailed off, not really wanting to know, as it was obvious he was in pain, just telling her what he had already told her. Realizing she was still squeezing his arm, she removed her hand, hurriedly, mumbling a quick “sorry” as she absently wiped the tears from her face. With a small sob, "what am I going to tell her mom..." she sniffled softly into her hands.

[Ru]

No New Dice Rolls; Not a Round Post



“I never said I did not want to help,” he sneered, then shook his head, placing his palm upon his forehead with his eyes towards the ground. This stranger had no reason to understand his story, though he did despise people twisting his words around. That, among various other reasons, was exactly why he ensured he graduated early and did the rest of his schooling online; anything to avoid social interaction. It was shocking enough he had any friends at all, let alone two. Heck, being in this group presently was enough to get his anxiety high, but he managed to stifle it down. Instead, he choose to ignore the rest of what Hanna said; bickering would benefit no one and it wasn’t his fault if she didn’t listen clearly enough.

“Tiffany, Boots, and…” he looked over at Katia then Bridget. “Katia… Bridget… Stay together, preferably towards the center of the group. If you get lost, then keep to the shadows. At least, if you see one of the Shadow Men. For some peculiar reason they cannot attack you if there is enough darkness around you…” Nat let his sentence trail off as he thought of those who had been lost. There was a slim chance Howl was still alive, but at least it could provide some sort of hope for Boots and himself, but this new maiden? A slight tension could be felt on his heart at the thought of how she must be feeling as Noah explained her cousin was no longer in this world and there was nothing they could do to bring her back. A Shadow Man’s attack is vicious, gruesome, and leaves nothing but bloody remains of what was once human. No spell could possibly reverse its results, no matter how strong willed the individual may be.

In a sense, Kay could relate to her anguish. As a young teenager his own parents met an untimely fate, leaving him with the entirety of the Leil fortune and greedy “family” members who sought to stake claim in its vast wealth. Prior to their end he had chosen a life of seclusion, only going to school and an after school club of outcasts before scurrying back into his room. Even then he seldom saw them, as they were constantly on business trips and their relationship was mostly built on notes his mother left behind. “Going to Hawaii. Left meatloaf in the oven! Love you, see you in a week. Mom,” or something else along those lines. However, once it dawned on his naïve mind whilst their coffins were being lowered into the ground just what this all meant: he could never see them again. The moments where they spoke to each other were brief and few, but they had meant to world to him and kept the bit of light in his heart to remain alive. As he delved into dark magic and intermingled with demons in his club of the occult he was able to remind himself that when he went home there were still people who loved him, despite their infrequencies. After the accident… there was nothing.

When the funeral was over, he returned to an empty home. Though, this was not unusual by any means, what was lacking was enough to make the whole ordeal finally hit Nat in full swing. There were no notes around the house. In some last bit of hope and denial he had swept through the house in search for a note from his mother. Something along the lines of, “We’re out on business! Dinner is in the microwave. Love you, sweetie. See you soon! Love, mom.” The refrigerator only had his latest report card of straight A’s and a calendar indicating when there were meetings, events, doctor appointments… He scavenged the house — every inch — only to be faced with the fact they were gone forever.

Maybe that was his breaking point, where he finally fell far into the occult. Maybe it was the reason he finally agreed to the contract with his demonic companion. Whatever the case, what mattered presently was he could relate to Lilly far more than any of these people cared to realize. Instead of daring to stop and express his condolences he pressed forward, heading into the main building with a slight hope the others would follow.

[Preach]

Bridget was having a hard time dealing with what was going on, and this new girl, this Lily’s, interruption, Bridget was made aware of what she had been trying not to think resurface in her mind. She struggled to keep herself under control, but succeeded for the most part by remaining numb to the gravity and gruesomeness of her situation, and practicing her breathing. Everyone seemed frozen, unsure of what to do - but then Nat moved, headed directly for the main building. Her heart raced - this was it. She hesitated, afraid, and took one step forward, glancing fearfully at Katia, who she was standing near to. She glanced down, slightly embarrassed - she shouldn’t be this weak!- before standing straighter, and striding out the door, following Nat. She was trying to make herself feel more confident, but it wasn’t really working. She wasn’t really sure what she was doing, but she felt that she had to do something.

[Public_Hazard]

'Despite all the measure I have made to distance myself from others the need to guard those that stand behind me has always lingered in my heart. How pitiful.' the thought encircled Noah's mind as he raised his head from its fallen state. Eyes glossed over with un-shed tears slowly loss their tense as his frame straightened into a firm posture. "It's alright." his voice slowly began to soothe itself as he acknowledge her apology. "I do not know the perfect answers to your questions but, perhaps simply telling them what I have told you would suffice." he could almost feel the churning in his abdomen as he let the words slip out of his mouth. 'Tell them a lie. Just like I told you.' his fingers slowly began to rub against the palm of his hand, the small strain somehow relieving some of his tension. The build up of sweat slowly grew too much on his forehead as he wiped it away with a single motion of his arm, his hair moving accordingly to his motion with a few exceptions sticking to his skin. "It seems that I'm needed." his head turned towards the doors as he began to hear the commotion inside. "I know it may not seem viable to you, but I do not suggest staying here, it's still very dangerous." he let a breathe out as if it had taken all of strength out of him. "If you want to see Ellie, I can say that she has already been removed by the Landlord..." his voice seemed at an unease as he recalled the years he had been at the complex. Each time someone's life would diminish within the property their bodies would be hastily removed within a day or so, Noah would rarely catch a glimpse of the person in charge of removing the 'remains'.

"I could offer to escort you out of the property if it would make you feel any better on leaving." he took a step ahead of her, his voice urging her to follow him to the exit. His eyes had seen enough death in his line of work, but watching innocents die held a major impact to his mentality. Through out the years he had killed or watched people who meant him harm come to a sudden stillness. 'They deserved it though. They had stolen, killed, and done deeds beyond what I want to imagine.' that was the consistent ideal that Noah held each time he made a dealing. The markings on his skin leaving a permanent reminder to what was keeping him alive.

[Merry]

Lilly stood there, frozen for the moment as he turned to go back toward the others. It just seemed impossible to her that Ellie was, really gone. She distractedly nodded and murmured a soft acknowledgement of what he had said it’s still very dangerous while she stood there, chewing the edge of her lip trying to think everything through.

Her thoughts were completely lost to memories of the past, shared times with her cousin. All the memories just flooded back instantly. Being kids, hanging out, shared secrets and dreams. All of it, now gone. Lilly, gone. It was almost unbearable.

removed by the landlord sifted into her thoughts, and seemed like an odd thing for him to say. “Removed?” she blurted out a little shocked. It just seemed so quick, so soon. How could that be? Something was seriously not right, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on what, and what did he mean, dangerous? Was there a killer lose in the building or something?

She felt the need to stall her leaving, and attempt to figure things out. “Well… um, who’s going to clean out her stuff and get things.. settled? I’ve never really had to deal… with… ” she said, not expecting him to answer her, and frankly not wanting an answer. She reached out, grabbing at his arm, forcing him to look at her again, “Look, I’m not leaving here until I can figure, some of this stuff out” she said, hesitant to reveal to him that she didn’t really have any where to go. The last she wanted was an escort out of here. Where would she go now?

“Besides, I’ve just driven like, forever, and I can’t, I won’t leave until… “ she stopped herself, feeling like she was going to burst into tears in front of this basically complete stranger. Between the lack of sleep, and now all of this her emotions were running rampant circles around her mind. Looking at his face, she could tell he already felt badly about this situation. She assumed he knew more than he was telling her about Ellie, and just didn't want to burden her any more.

“I just need some time, to think about all of this.” Her hand falling back to its side, feeling a little lost at his mention of getting her off the property. The question of why, still making her wonder. Less than a half hour ago, she had been happy and excited to get here. Now? It was if the world had been turned completely upside down. Definitely not what she had expected.

She adjusted the strap from the bag on her shoulder, and taking a deep breath, “I’m just going to go to her place, and chill out, use the bathroom...” she smiled trying to lighten the mood a little, as she could see that he was still upset too and then wondered how close he had been to Ellie. “Just point me to her place, and I’ll be out of your way, so you can deal with, your friends.” Nodding her head in the group’s direction.

[Public_Hazard]

Noah had only taken a few steps ahead of Lilly before he felt a sudden soft tug at his arms. His motions ceased as he turned towards her, with eyes looking over the girl, who's fragile frame seemed to plead him to listen to her, he let himself take a moment and hear her out. “Look, I’m not leaving here until I can figure, some of this stuff out” was the first thing to leave Lilly's lips once she had caught his attention. Noah pondered over her words as he continued to listen in silence, his breathing became steady as he began to sense every fiber of his usual autonomous actions. He became aware of how dry his throat had gone, a slight pain on the underside of his arms, and even the sensations of his own heart beat rhythmically pulsating through his forehead. These minor sensations added onto everything else he felt at the moment; a slight emptiness from his actions towards the innocent before him, a continuous tingling of fear up his spine of what would happen if he let the group go on their own, and even the long paining regret that still continued to punch him in the chest whenever he would remember the incident of the night before. However, even all these sensations did not stop him from keeping an ear out for what Lilly had to say. Her words on how tired she seemed to be from the drive did leave a slight impression on him. He would obviously need to work harder to get her to leave the premise, a simple 'shoo' wouldn't work on the girl.

Eyeing Lilly's hand as she let it drop Noah thought over her last few words “I just need some time, to think about all of this.” The girl had intentions of staying and look more into what exactly had happened to her cousin. Despite how much Noah urged himself to force her to leave, he could not find it within himself to force another human to do as he wished. He had lived his entire life in that general style, he would not do the same to others. Of course that didn't mean he couldn't attempt to persuade her to leave.

“I’m just going to go to her place, and chill out, use the bathroom...” her radiant smile returned to her face as Noah simply looked away as if internally attempting to keep himself from being tugged away from his intentions. “Just point me to her place, and I’ll be out of your way, so you can deal with, your friends.” her head motioned towards the people he had just been with moments ago. His teeth began to bite into the inner area of his lip as he took a moment to think over his next choice of words. He was fully aware that they were about to descend into the void that had taken Howl. Yet now he found himself once again worrying over the safety of the girl before him. Taking her with him into the darkness was completely out of the question and even he found it doubtful that she would leave if he simply continued to ask her to leave. 'Time is never with me.' he solemnly thought to himself before deciding.

"Can you excuse me for one second." he said politely to Lilly before re-entering the room he had once been in. His steps didn't get far before meeting Kay eye to eye at the door. He took in the images of everyone behind Kay before speaking to him, his eyes illuminating with inner conflict. "Kay." Noah spoke out, making sure to keep his hesitation from revealing itself. "I know that you may have already planned on protecting everyone who is going down with you, but even if you are conflicted with some of them please keep them safe. Not for me, but for your friends." he stepped past the man before acknowledging everyone else. "I'm going to accompany Lilly for the time being to make sure she's safe until she leaves." he hesitantly looked over at Bridget and Katia before saying softly "Stay safe."

Before leaving he took a moment to put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, his eyes boring into him not with anger but with worry. "Keep them safe." he said to him so that only he could hear it. "I'll come down there the moment I can... but If you let them die, I'll kill you myself." he smirked at him with the slightest bit of humor he could muster up from the darkest depths of his mind. Without another words he turned on his heels and left them, making sure he would not turn back and regret his actions.

He softly sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that morning as he took a step towards Lilly, his form standing next to her as he looked over the room. "Alright, let's go to your cousin's room." he looked at her from the side as he began to head towards the main building, his eyes softening slightly to her angelic form but his mind was fully aware of the people he might never see again standing behind him.

[Mozaic]

“I do not understand why you would want to live in such a horrendous neighborhood,” her aunt said, “I mean really dear, you can afford better, a lot better.” She unpinned Sarah’s hair letting the long waves of brown fall over the girl’s shoulders. Mrs. Krause was always one for proper things. She meant well, but she often picked at Sarah’s choices. She thought her niece was capable of so many finer things, and found it extremely strange she would enjoy spending so much time with her uncle in his office as opposed to going out. Well she found the girl all together strange especially with her taste of clothing. When she first arrived to live with them her wardrobe was awful in her taste. So awful in fact that she was able to at least be content (though never satisfied) when Sarah wore men’s suits.

“You have such a delicate face. You should show it off more. Don’t you want to get married someday?”

“Not particularly,” Sarah said. After all what could possibly become of marriage? Alistair used to tease her about how their parents wanted them to get married. She always taunted him back by saying their children would be little demons. Having a family after everything she had known seemed highly unlikely. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted one or didn’t.

“Why ever not? You’d make a fine bride.” She almost pouted.

“Let her be Ellie,” her uncle said from behind a newspaper.

“You stay out of this Tobias.” She picked up a soft bristle brush from her coral colored vanity. Sarah watched from the mirror as she made careful strokes down her hair. Her aunt and uncle were parents of five girls. Aunt Ellie she could see missed having them around so although she hated being dolled she accepted short moments like this. Sometimes she thought of her own mother. The woman would spend hours brushing through Sarah’s hair, singing. She missed these moments often. “Now, look at you, so beautiful. Isn’t she Darling?”

“All grown up,” he said never peaking over his paper. “I wonder if all these rumors are true. Ghost, and such?”

“You’re looking over the apartment aren’t you Uncle?” She got up to move over beside him.

“I don’t imagine the ghost are real, but I believe the grotesque murders are. Really Tobias can we really allow her to go to such a dreadful place?”

“I don’t imagine we could do much to stop her. Right Sarah?”

“I imagine you could hog tie me, and throw me in the cellar, but that wouldn’t be very practical.”

“No,” he laughed, “though I think your aunt would rather enjoy that.”

“Perhaps,” she said.

“Tease all you like.” Aunt Ellie turned up her nose, and pretended to be busy. “But when we have to bury our niece you’ll be the one writing home to your brother about how you let-“

“Relax my Pampered Sweet. Our niece is clever. She’ll manage.”

And manage she intended because there was nothing that would change her mind.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nyx arrived at Mythos Complex sometime in the morning. She came only with a single brown bag. No plans had been made other than to check out the building, and hope there would be an opening. From there it would be decided to where the night would be spent.

Nyx coming out of the taxi looked the part of a modern day witch. She wore a long, black hooded jacket with cross bones at the pocket. Long purple sock came up her long legs, and she wore black platform boots with silver buckles, and chains. To the surprise of her aunt she wore a black frilled dress that formed loosely down her small frame. She put up the hood of the jacket walking towards Mythos. Its grim appearance was already like home.

“You know despite you being an absolute ass, I actually miss you Papa….”

The air here smelled of the grave, dirt, and stone. Inside the first room was big. The landlord’s office had to be just beyond the gap at the end, hopefully, otherwise this would turn into a journey. This wouldn’t be too bad. “In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again….”

[Auki]

“While I… I really do care for Holly… I… I feel really uncomfortable with… touching… Would you mind taking her? Surely you would be more of a comfort…”

Tiffany found herself nodding before the man had finished his sentence, arms extended to cradle the girl, to block away the outside world for those few moments. Deep breaths calmed her trembling fingers; it was not like her to be shaken – at least, not in any way that could be viewed externally.

After all, wasn’t she supposed to be an adult now? Hah. Her own thoughts laughed in mockery.
Sure, she had quit the heavy drinking. Smoking was only a social fling she allowed herself on occasion. Monogamy had even become a valid concept in her mind, if only an unreachable dream. Did all that mean she was grown up?
She had been so confident that she wanted to move away from home. Never did she believe this would be what she was getting into. It was like something out of the fairy tales she’d read when she was young, except no knight in shining armour would come to whisk them from the nightmare. Instead, Tiffany found herself – a nineteen-year-old, no qualifications, heart quivering beneath her ribs – to be the one trying to save another. Heroines had been an uncommon sight in the children’s books she’d read; she wondered now if it was all for good reason.

How on earth could she protect the friend in her embrace? Will alone would not be enough.

Thankfully, the girl did not cry easily. Her face remained stony as the thoughts reeled through her mind. When Nat addressed them again, her attempt at a smile barely touched her expression, a few seconds passing before her staring to the distance was cut short.

“Can you direct her to a bathroom…?”

With a shrug, Tiffany could only mouth ‘Fuck knows. I don’t live here…’, keeping her rhythmic stroking upon Boot’s hair in pace.

People entered the room, milled about with social interaction, but her sole focus remained on keeping steady fingers brushing through the girl’s hair. She could catch up on other people’s problems later; half-an-ear paid concentration on Nat’s words, soaking in his advice but, until they started searching for Howl, that’s all she would allow.

I’ll have to be strong for the both of us, she thought, her absent gaze wandering in the direction Howl had disappeared. It was a cliché concept, perhaps, but it was all she could offer right then. After all, when faced with fight-or-flight, it wasn’t like Tiffany to run.

When Nat began to move from the room, she could only nudge Holly to start following after him, an arm still kept carefully around her. The blonde girl forced a less sombre expression, preparing herself, mentally steeling her mind for the dangers they might soon be advancing upon.

[The Imposter]

Daniel had only taken a few steps when things kept progressing, and with the arrival of the Ellie look a like. Daniel had been fooled for a moment and almost spoke out her name, before he realized it was just a relative. As Nat took charge and began heading out Noah came back in from talking with the newcomer. Daniel true to his habits softly repeated the other male's warning on keeping them all safe.

'...or I'll kill you. Pffft...whatever dude. I'm sure you will get done in separating from the group.'

Daniel reared his head back slightly as he heard himself speak. Surprised he had even said it. His eyes quickly wandered about to see if anyone had even heard him. Realizing he was one of the only males now he waited for everyone else to leave and brought up the rear. When he exited he slightly chuckled to himself as everyone was trying to funnel their way back to the main building. Although they had talked about splitting up right now they were all bunched together. Daniel tried to swing his bat nonchalantly as he filed in with the small group, however his skills weren't as good as he had pretended and the bat flew out of his hands and hit the ground spinning. Daniel froze only for a second as he watched the bat fall to the ground then in a whirl he began to chase after it sidestepping the group. When it had stopped Daniel quickly bent down to pick it up only to notice a pair of feet. Looking up he realized it belonged to Ellie's relative.

'Uhhh...Sorry, didn't quite catch your name. Mine's Daniel, you were looking for Ellie right? Noah told ya what happened? Pretty crazy shit right? Being ripped apart like th....'

Daniel winced slightly as his brain reached the possibility Noah hadn't shared what happened. He tilted his head to try to see past her's and catch any reaction Noah might've been giving however instead his eyes focused on yet another visitor approaching. Her whole witch motif giving him a strange vibe.

'Yo Nat...did you call for backup? 'Cause you know that one only needs a broom and she's all set.'

As he spoke he quickly pointed his bat out past Lily towards the newcomer walking towards them. Secretly he hoped it would draw everyone's attention and the whole blurb he let out to Lily would get swept away by the arrival of this new person.

[Ru]

New Round. All previous dice rolls omitted.


Ru's New Dice Rolls

Nat (7); Boots (19).

The Basement

New faces, new information, and finally a new place as the group descended the staircase down into the basement one way or another. Some were reluctant and others eager to get it all over with, but they all had a common goal. If the group succeeded, then finally there would be peace within the compound.

Led into the dark depths by supernatural expert Nat K. Liel, the residents and visitors of Mythos Complex entered the basement with mixtures of fear, courage, and determination; or maybe just peer pressure. Nat remained at the front of the pack until all were downstairs, in which he took a few steps back to allow Noah or Daniel the front end. As he had expressed earlier in the Landlord’s Lounge, he could not physically help the group due to a contract he had done many years ago. Providing information was the most he could really do in this situation from henceforth, and even that was pushing it when it came to his deal. If he stepped over the fine line even a centimeter his life was at stake, though even his closest friends were unaware. Surely, if Holly had any idea of what risk he was taking she would have sent him home.

With this not being the case, he pressed on with the group, even if it was solely to find Howl and ensure Boots remained safe. For her sake he planned on watching over the others, keeping his guard up and sixth sense opened wide. It was unlikely for any sort of creature to stealthily make their way over to them without him knowing first, unless they had the ability to hide their soul altogether. Those sort of creatures did exist, though he wasn’t sure such beings would waste their time hiding out in a lowly apartment complex in the human realm.

While he remained in the center of the group preparing to do a protection spell, Boots was lingering in the back clinging onto Tiffany for dear life. In all honesty the girl didn’t have the heart to be diving into the deep where evil reigned supreme and was likely to pluck off her companions before her very eyes one by one, but she couldn’t imagine a life without Howl. Even if it was a slim chance he survived being plunged into a mysterious hole she needed to come and see his corpse for herself. With sincere hope she prayed he was alive and well.

The halls in the basement were barely lit and dim, shadows blurring out door numbers from ages ago. Oddly enough the lighting seemed to go directly through the center of the pathways, yet there was no light source to be seen. The darkness outside of it so black it was hard to make out anything beyond it. Within the mysterious beyond a slither could be heard in the distance, gradually getting louder as it made its way towards the group.

[Auki]

Roll: 5

Descending the stairs was difficult while keeping an arm around Holly’s shoulder. Although Tiffany was nothing near short, neither was the other girl. She adjusted, slipping her grip around Boots’ waist instead and keeping her close. Out of irrational instinct, she held an eye on the shadows, not knowing why but feeling safer because of it. Had Nat said something about the darkness? His reels of new information merged hazy in her mind. She vaguely remembered that her femininity might be her downfall – Weren’t the girls supposed to be hanging in the middle of the group? It was all too much for her tired mind to bother with, instead trusting Nat to deal with whatever precautions they needed to take. Tiffany would find some other use within the group…after Holly had been taken care of, of course.

The eerie manner of the basement did little to calm her fluttering nerves. Focused as she was on Boots and watching the shadows, she didn’t even notice the slithering noise until it was clearly audible to all the group.

[Preach]

Roll: 18

Bridget tried to keep her mind solely focused on the task at hand - preventing it from wandering into the subject of what might be in the shadows, just out of sight. She didn't even realize that there were rooms down here, figuring this floor was storage but - the thought that people that lived down here at some point in time seemed so unbelievable! She caught herself, stopping that train of thought before it could get anywhere. There was no point in speculation. She was down here, and was not going to turn back. Lingering near the middle of the group, Bridget tried to remember everything that Nat had said. She regretted wearing a skirt. Honestly she regretted a lot of things right then, but - no! She was not going to let fear or anxiety overcome her. She was going to stay focused.

Bridget obsessively stayed within the light, carefully watching her steps so she wouldn't even graze the shadows. Then, a noise - she heard something sliding around - no, slithering- and her breath caught in her throat. Did the others hear that? She nervously glanced around, hands clenched, trying to see if anyone reacted, but as they were basically in a single-file formation, she couldn't see anyone's face. For once, Bridget hoped that the sound was just in her mind.

[Mozaic]

Nyx-16

By some way or another Nyx had ended up journeying with the group of nervous young people. Most likely she would have asked about the landlord, discovered she was currently not in, and was perhaps told it would not be wise to go wandering off alone. Agreeing to go along would have been protested at first as being with large amounts of people was not her forte. Well whatever happened she was here now. She brought up the rear trying to keep the distance far between.

Her curiosity burned. The fear of her peers was written clear on their faces. Something was up, and they were about to walk into the heart of it. Though there was no way of telling this.

Nyx’s eyes wandered around until her ears caught the sound of slithering in the distance. Everybody by this point had stopped. They were about to discuss something, perhaps their next actions. She was far too distracted to pay attention. Just what it was hiding in the darkness, she wondered. It was coming towards them no doubt, and there was no sense in waiting. Was anyone even noticing?

Nyx rummaged in her bag. From out of it she pulled a flashlight. Her aunt had given it to her before leaving. It was small in size, very compact, you could find it on a keychain. Aunt Ellie would have given a larger one if she didn’t feel silly about doing so. Besides it wasn’t like the woman could predict her crawling through a basement. That would be silly. Though this was the very thing she was about to do.

Easing her way through the crowd she made her way to the front. Up head was darkness. The light did not illuminate more than the center edge. Nyx crept closer getting onto the floor. She didn’t go far from the group, and kept herself steady enough to make a quick leap up if anything came out. “What are you?”

[Ru]

Nat rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Monster." Will be implemented in post.
Boots rolled a 19. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Noise." Will be implemented in the next post.
Tiffany rolled a 5. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Rumor." Will be implemented in the next post.
Bridget rolled an 18. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Nyx rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Noise." Will be implemented in the next post.
New Dice Rolls

Nat, 11; Boots, 15.

Down Below

Whispers and snickers came forth from the shadows with no apparent source. The discussion took place far enough for the speakers to not be visible, though it was evident they made sure to be loud enough for the group to hear. One voice hissed, holding its S’s out like a snake, while the other cackled, its voice deep and raspy.

“Ssssssso… it ssseemsssss the mortalsssss came down….” the serpent sneered.

“Appears so. Not the most intellectual bunch of fleshlings, but those females look delicious…” the cracked voice made a dreamy sigh which sounded more like a monstrous moan followed by a slimy sloshing.

“Refrain from ssssslobbering….”

The supernatural expert stopped in his tracks, looking directly where the voices were coming from. Whether or not the entire group could hear their conversation — let alone understand it — was unknown, but he could make it out as clear as day. Two monsters he had mentioned previously were both within range and were — at the very least — able to see the humans, though he knew none of the group was able to see the beasts so casually speaking of their demise. A chill ran down his spine the more it dawned on him what their presence and the fact they had yet to attack meant. Firstly, they were plotting, which was very unlike the Shadow Man. Secondly, they had a leader; there was no other plausible explanation why those types of creatures would be hanging around each other.

Nat’s eyes darted about the group frantically, stopping in his place as he tried to conclude what must be done to protect this group. Aside from a protection spell there was little he could do to prevent the snake, but the women were completely vulnerable to the Shadow Man. There were three males here, including himself, so maybe he could—

Remember our contract.

Well… technically it doesn’t…

Is this bunch of fleshlings really worth the consequences?

Before responding he glanced over at Boots who clung onto Tiffany for dear life. The poor girl only came down here to seek Howl in hopes he was still alive, though it was not in her favor, then her cling toy companion was down here solely to ensure Holly’s safety as well as be a comforting shoulder to lay on. Bridget and Katia were here to defend their homes — though it was beyond him why anyone would want to fight for this place — and Nyx, for whatever reason, wished reside here. Then poor Lilly. The innocent, young woman was barely notified of her cousin’s passing, then somehow manages to get dragged along to a nightmarish place she knew little about. As the Shadow Man pressed on whispering to his naga accomplice on how much he wanted to devour these innocent women he was reminded how truly horrifying the creature was. Being a man it meant little to be around one of his kind, but for these girls? His stomach churned.

Yes, they are.

After digging through his pocket Nat pulled out a tiny ball and immediately tossed it on the ground, causing a giant, thick puff of smoke to rise. As they were hidden from view and temporarily blinded he quickly began removing articles of clothing from the only men there. He took off his vest and shoved it on backwards onto Tiffany, quickly buttoning up along her back. Due to how tiny his frame is the yellow cloth actually managed to push down her chest, though it looked a bit humorous worn this way due to the tails being in the front now.

Next he tore off his turtleneck, forcing it onto Bridget. It seemed to flatten down her chest a bit more, though the red and orange did seem to clash with her outfit. However, when presented with living or matching he definitely hoped she was desire the former. Purposefully he kept her hair underneath the shirt to hide how long it was. Snagging Daniel’s hat, he wound up Tiffany’s hair and hid it beneath it, choosing her because she had the longest and most wild hair out of the rest of the girls. Luckily Boots was already not wearing formfitting clothes, so he simply zipped up her hoodie and forced her hair back inside it.

He continued this same routine, though he moved on to the other males for the rest of the girls until the men stood in only their pants and shoes with the girls decked out in the less feminine clothing. Luckily the other two wore bigger clothes than he did, the bagginess resulted in a hidden form for those he tossed them on. Any jackets he removed and placed onto another girl he immediately zipped or buttoned up to hide their bodies before the smoke cleared.

Within a matter of minutes he managed to hide their gender enough to where he was certain the Shadow Man wouldn’t realize what they were anymore. As the smoke cleared he felt more at ease, aside from his gums beginning to ache. Immediately he pulled up the doctor’s mask which had previously been resting upon his collar bone and made it so it rest over his mouth.

I pray for your sake these fleshlings are truly worth it, young Nathaniel.

Boots was thrown off as Nat sped around at an inhuman speed merely to toss clothes onto everyone. The concept baffled her, though it wasn’t exactly as though she had been in the right state of mind this entire time. When Kay had been informing them of creatures lurking down here it was hard for her to focus at all, let alone presently. If Howl had been here he would have forced both Nat and Holly to remain upstairs where they were safer, however the tables had turned.

Once the vest was on Tiffany she returned to clinging, though a bit looser.

In the shadows the creatures continued discussing.

“Where did the tasty morsels go?!”

“… You truly are a ssssssssimpleton.”

“Bah! Go have your fun,” he sneered.

[Public_Hazard]

Eyeing the new comer as her steps hit the wooden panels of the floor board Noah examined the black haired figure of the woman that had just entered. A slight unease crept up his frame as the wheels inside his head began to turn once again to understand the full extent of the current situation. 'Another innocent person...' Noah mentally cursed himself as he began to think over what he should do. Lilly alone was already in danger, even with his presence, if they were to go off alone to the main complex. Now with the arrival of another woman his minuscule ability to keep them safe was on it's last thread. 'Why must this happen; today of all days.' letting out his held breathe from his nostrils Noah turned to Lilly who had been standing behind him. "I need you to see something, the reality of what's going on at this complex and what happened to your cousin. The group was about to head downstairs into the basement and we should go there as well to be safe." safety wasn't the best thing to call the basement but it was the safest place to be in regards to their numbers. If he were to go alone with Lilly and the newcomer he wouldn't be able to protect them from whatever female seeking beasts that would make their way past the large group. Noah looked back at the group as they began to step into the darkness taking note that the newcomer had also stepped in with them. "I understand that I may sound cryptic and it may put you at an unease, but trust me when I say that the way Ellie died is something you would not believe me unless if you saw it for yourself." slowly stepping towards the door that lead into the void he turned once more before gesturing with his head for her to follow behind him quickly.

Creek the rotting wooden steps complained as he slowly put his weight on them. His eyes maintained their vision on the person ahead of him as he turned his head a few times to check if Lilly had followed. A slight relief drained over him as he saw her image its way near him, however he would have been more relieved if she had left the area all together. The lightly lit corridors revealed very little as they slowly stepped towards any direction that they would instinctively head towards. Noah remained at the rear of the group, his hands slightly rubbed his eyes as he tried to adjust to the darkness that had enveloped them all. Ahead of him Noah looked at Bridget as he tried to see her current state of mentality from the outside she didn't seem to be trembling from fear, he was unsure if that was just a bold attempt to hide it or perhaps she actually held that kind of courage. "Perhaps we shoul-" Noah cut himself short as his ears adjusted to the sound of slithering. Instinctively his hands met with the handle of his knife as he pulled it out into plain view. Preoccupied with trying to find the source of the noise he didn't notice Nyx leave the center of the group and step ahead of them.

Suddenly the voices of two individuals began to fill the corridor as they talked between each other. One with a distinct hissing sound caused Noah to swallow his saliva as he could easily imagine what it could be, the other with no distinct speaking issue left him with a blank. "Kay, if you have any plans, right now would be great to use it." Noah whispered ahead of him as his eyes scanned over the darkness. A sudden puff of smoke took Noah by surprise as he raised his hands to cover Lilly and Bridget who were ahead of him. However the close arrival of Kay as he began to put his clothing on the girls suddenly brought him back to his senses. 'About time someone else thought about doing that.' seeing as there was little time in the cover Noah took off his shirt and jacket placing his jacket on Bridget while he quickly apologized to Lilly before putting his shirt over her form. "It's to keep you safe." he softly whispered near their ears as he placed his clothing onto each of them. As the smoke began to clear Noah made his way next to Kay. "Do you know what we're dealing with? and if you do please tell me you know how to kill them." with the knife in his right hand and his bare torso revealed to the enemy Noah didn't feel to secure with fighting something he knew nothing about. 'This suck.'

[Merry]

Roll = 12


Lilly wasn't sure what was going on, but Noah's comments about her going with them to see something, had her curiosity peaked. Add to that the odd comment by... hhmm she thought he said his name was Daniel, something about being ripped apart? What had been ripped apart? He hadn't finished his comments, and now was ahead of her, as they were headed down into the basement, of all places so she couldn’t ask him.

She was starting to wonder what the hell she had gotten herself into. Was this some crazy ass new girl initiation? Biting the edge of her lip, she noticed the other new comer was with them, as they trouped down the stairs, or maybe they all knew her? Something was just so off. Everyone in the group had this look about them, and she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She had barely got a glance from anyone they were all completely wrapped up in... what?

She quietly followed along, determined to find out what was going on with these people. Heading down into the basement, she couldn’t help but crinkle her nose at the smell. Murky, moist, and stale all in one sniff. How is it that all basements have that dreadful smell. It was like underlying rot and death? She shivered, wishing that word hadn’t popped into her head, at least not right now anyway.

Stepping down the steps, she focused on trying to adjust her eyes to the gloom, and just putting one foot in front of another till they got to the bottom. She was preoccupied with what Noah had said, something about "keeping her safe." Safe from what exactly? Then it struck her, maybe Ellie's killer was still here! Her heart started racing. Maybe this is why they were all freaked out. That was it! Where they on a hunt for her killer!? But then again, that couldn't be right, she thought. Where were the police? Hadn't they already called them? They must have. Right? She was even more baffled as they reached the bottom hallway.

Standing in the group, she began to look around. Really look at the group, for the first time. Going from face to face, she noticed they all looked resolved. A little bleak, but determined. Determined to do what? She couldn’t even guess. She cast a glance at the girl cradling another, stroking her hair in almost a nervous reaction, or a compulsion. Whatever sense of security she had been feeling in this group of people, was rapidly evaporating. These people were scared, and scared shit. Of what she had no idea, but she was starting to get a bad feeling about following them into the basement.

She opened her mouth to ask what they were doing, when Noah appeared in front of her, and roughly pulled a shirt over her tank top, effectively cutting off any conversation she might have had. With another mention of “her safety” How the hell could putting his shirt on her do that? This was just getting weirder, and weirder.

As she struggled to pull the shirt down over her clothing she heard his voice yet again, “Do you know what we're dealing with? and if you do please tell me you know how to kill them." directed at someone, ahead of them. Had he just said, what? We are dealing with and not who? She was quickly losing her patience with whatever was going on with these people. Whatever bizarre shit they were into, she wasn't getting involved.

“Hey….could someone tell me what the fuck is going on, please? And what is that noise? Who the hell is down here?” she said, her voice a little above a whisper, wondering how quickly she could get back upstairs and out of here.

[Tune]

[roll0]

Katia could not, for the life of her, remember why or how she had been talked into venturing down into the basement of Mythos, in search of several missing people and on a monster hunt. A monster hunt that could get them all killed. She felt chilled to the bone - not from her poor choice in clothing (which didn't help) but more so the fact that every step she took down into the basement with the group of misfits. Somehow, her logic seemed extremely flawed. Then again, seeing, let alone hearing, ghosts speak in the middle of the day, didn't do any justice to her composure.

She nervously chewed her bottom lip, her long fingers latched over her biceps in a non-too-effective comfort mechanism. In the bleak darkness, the only thing she could see was the faint outline of the people in front of her. Somehow she had managed to be stuck behind Daniel and some other girls. With a woman-eating flesh-eating monster lurking around in the darkness, whose bright idea was it to bring a whole group of women with them? It was as if someone had read her mind, before every girl in the group was forced into some sort of odd piece of clothing from one of the male's.

Whoever's shirt she was stuck wearing, did not make her anymore comfortable to be in this situation as is. Once again, she heard Noah talk about safety - and was that Kay's voice she heard, too? With such a large group, in a bizarre area of the complex, she couldn't be sure what she heard, but she was damn well thankful that it wasn't anymore ghost-speak. Once was enough for her. Or was it twice? She groaned, holding her head. The booze she had drunk the other night did little to make her thoughts coherent at times.

“Hey….could someone tell me what the fuck is going on, please? And what is that noise? Who the hell is down here?” she heard an unfamiliar female voice whisper. Katia scoffed, and shrugged her shoulders in the dark.

"We're going on a monster hunt," she said, "Think of us as the new Scooby-Doo gang."

Adults could watch cartoons, too. And if she knew how every episode of Scooby-Doo went, more people would be kidnapped. If they were even more unlucky, the group may be forced to split up. Oh, how she wished they wouldn't be split up. Either way, she had a foreboding feeling that the moment they stepped into the basement, that they'd be picked off one by one - and that was the optimistic view of things.

[Preach]

[roll0]

On edge from holding her anxiety at bay, Bridget nearly fainted when some smoke appeared from nowhere and her vision was obscured even more than it had been already.

"Oh God, this is it, this is how I die," she thought frantically, hands balled into tight fists, and she shut her eyes, not wanting to see whatever was undoubtedly coming out of the darkness to kill her. She felt suffocated, then uncomfortably warm, and as her eyes fluttered open she glanced down to see a foreign turtleneck on her body. It was... really gross.

A jacket was pulled over that, and she felt stifled - not good, being cold had always helped her keep calm for some reason. But she would have to deal with it. Who was doing this? And why?! She glanced around and noticed a couple of shirtless male torsos, and blushed, looking away. She was not accustomed to nudity. Then, it clicked - the girl eating monster.. the men were trying to keep the women safe- to keep her safe. Not wanting to jeopardize their stripping, she pulled down her skirt so it reached her ankles - Noah's jacket was so long on her that in the dim lighting she looked like a shapeless blob. Still - she was wearing a skirt... she hoped whatever was out to get her wouldn't notice.

People were talking - out of nervousness, maybe? Bridget was absolutely silent, even though she was freaking out internally. Keeping quiet was surely the best thing... particularly when you were prey...

[Mozaic]

18

“….but those females look delicious…”

Had she just heard what she thought she heard? If so she had chosen the wrong day to dress like a woman. Oh! I told my aunt there were consequences to wearing frills! She shoved herself up pausing momentarily. She would have to fight her careless nature in order to keep from going further into the darkness. That would be suicide.

Smoke began filling the room all of a sudden. Her immediate instinct was to cover her mouth. She felt her jacket being pulled together. Had she not been preoccupied she might have fought against it before realizing it was to be beneficial. The jacket was thick enough to hide what little figure she had, but only came down to her knees. Her stockings, and boots covered the rest. The hood covered most of her face. Although that probably didn’t matter. Nyx’s face usually gave her away, but it wasn’t like it was unusual for a young man to have feminine qualities. So in all she probably had the look of a very flamboyant boy.

“You know I’ve never heard of Scooby-Doo,” she said. Her accent came out in a very sing song manner because it was mix of harsh, and high pitches. Years in America had done little to effect the mix of Austrian, and English tones. “I have the feeling that I have come in the middle of things, and I do hate not starting from the beginning.” The last comment was a bit of a mumble. It would probably take too much time to have everything explained, and now was not the time at any rate.

What she wanted to do was proceed further. Keeping her from doing this was the knowledge that whatever was down there wasn’t too far down. And it wasn’t like she could strike up a friendly conversation when she met up with it or them. There were two distinct voices she had heard, one crackled while the other hissed.

I have played the fox, now I must play the cat of the fable, she thought to herself remembering the words of Rainsford. They didn't quite fit, but she was determining whether she want to stick around for whatever it was to come to them or if she would go to them just so she could see for herself what they were.

Nyx turned away from the group taking a step forward. “Verfluchte neugier….. What exactly do you guys plan on doing down here anyways?” Since when did she start waiting on others to determine her decisions?

[The Imposter]

-Rolls a 13-

Daniel shivered, either fro the twinge of fear and panic that clung to his chest or the fact he had suddenly been undressed. Unable to quite process what was going on, he was trying to follow the various conversations. Some of the voices were unfamiliar and he wasn't even quite sure he understood it. General consensus led him to believe people really wanted to know what is going on. Sighing heavily he tried to speak up above everyone.

'Nat King Cole...being a little forward don't ya think? Usually you take a guy out before you strip him bare. To answer any questions we are looking for Howl, obviously the most badass and hero-esque guy in our merry band. He was snatched away when we met up to figure out how to deal with the spooky-ass shit storm that blew our way last night. Right now we got a friend of Howl's who pretty much memorized the Necronomicon or something like that. He's kinda like our...oh damn it. What are those dream like guides that give wisdom and shit to the Native Americans. You know like the eagle that talks weird shit when your high....Anyways he is one of those...right Nat? '

Nervously laughing as he finished speaking Daniel tapped his bat against the basement floor. The echo carrying off into the darkness. He had taken point after Nat gave it up but truthfully he had no clue where he was going. I don't even remember ever seeing a map of the basement. Why the hell am I leading? Awww...shit, Howl why did you have to let that freaky ass dead ghost monster chick pull you away. Gah, alright think....think...c'mon keep thinking.

' Scooby Gang? Wait are you talking about like Scooby-doo's crew or Buffy's? I mean I'd opt for the cartoon gang because at least none of them get blended up by shadow creatures....eek. I mean...uhh....so anyone got any idea what the layout is like down here? I mean its dark, and I don't want to bump into one of those...what were they called? Jabbas? Jagas? Yogas?'

[Ru]

GM ANNOUNCEMENT
Sanity Points are hereby removed. Please play your character's sanity realistically to what occurs in the roleplay.

Also, a new Mythos Complex Table will be used henceforth after this post. The table is used to deduce what your roll results are. Due to characters finally being in the basement, this table will be changed to a more severe, horrific one. Happy venturing.
Ghost Noise and Rumor will be implemented in this post.

Nat rolled an 11. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Riddle." Will be implemented in this post.
Boots rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Rumor." Will be same rumor as the one being implemented.
Noah did not roll. GM rolls have been rolled outside for him. Received result, "Nothing." Nothing occurs.
Lilly rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Noise." More ghost noises will be implemented in this post.
Katia rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Kidnap." Will be implemented in this post.
Bridget rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Noise." More ghost noises will be implemented in this post.
Nyx rolled an 18. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Rumor." Will be same rumor as the one being implemented.
Daniel rolled a 13. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
New Dice Rolls

Nat, 1; Boots, 7.

Down Below

Noah presented very important points. Truthfully, he was unaware on how to kill the Shadow Man. Hours had been spent researching in various locations, numerous books, and a plethora of leads, but he could not find anything even hinting any demon of that loathsome kind could be slain — let alone died at all. “A Naga and the Shadow Man… same one who slain the maiden from earlier. If he is the kind of Naga with a man’s upper torso, then any normal vital organs of a human would kill him. The Shadow Man… we have done all we can do.”

Voices speaking in a foreign tongue flooded over the room, blocking out any conversation the monsters may still be having. They sounded like children — maybe four to seven years old — chanting as one little girl screamed in horror. As the voice grew louder silhouettes formed in the hallway directly in front of the group. Seven children all held hands, running in circles around one child who stood in the center with her palms pressed tightly against her ears. They continued their teasing chant as she fell to her knees, yelling at them with all her might.

Nat was certain the language had to be of some sort of Native American descent, though he was certain it was one of the long since extinct ones. As the nursery rhyme grew louder the spirits became more detailed. All of them had dark, unkempt hair and dark skin with little to no clothing on their backs. Once they were no longer transparent shadows the seven dancing children disappeared, leaving the girl who had fallen to the floor. Strands of black hair cascading in front of her face, blocking her features entirely.

As the girl curled into a ball on the broken tiles Holly separated herself from Tiffany, taking careful steps forward. Keeping herself low to the ground, she made her way towards the child with a reassuring hand extended. “Sweetie… are you all right? I won’t hurt you…”

“H—Holly,” came a shocked whispered from the expert’s lips. He took a step towards her, but cowered back to where he was standing in the same instant, reaching his hand up to his covered mouth.

The child’s body trembled, then she disappeared. As Boots darted her gaze around the room, suddenly the spirit appeared directly in front of her face. Wide, chocolate eyes stared directly into hers through the mangled black hair in front of her face. Though she spoke in the same dead dialect somehow all were able to understand the words she whimpered, “Don’t sacrifice me…” Then she disappeared, taking all of the light from the room with her. All was pitch black, even a hand an inch away from your face was invisible in this darkness.

When the dim lights returned the room had changed. No longer was there a hallway, but a wall with three doors and to the far right stood none other than the Naga. His body was entirely scaled and gleamed an emerald green, except for a lighter area around his muscular chest. Using his long tail, he pushed himself up high, gazing down at all of the humans who stood before him. Hazel eyes with slit pupils glowered down at them with arms at either side and his back straight. His face was that of a man with a chiseled jaw and a deep brown, jagged Mohawk.

“Before you sssssstandssssss three roomssssssss,” he began, his thin tongue slithering out with each S he spoke. “The firsssssst issssss full of raging firesssssss. The sssssssecond containssssss murderousssss men prepared to flay you alive. The third housssesss three hungry lionenessesssss who have not eaten in three yearsssss.”

Holly jumped back, accidentally running into Daniel in the process. She blushed lightly and stepped to the side, trembling as she made her way back over to Tiffany and Nat. It was then she realized the way back upstairs was gone. Behind them was only darkness, no indication there was ever a way in here to begin with. All they were left with were these doors, all leading to horrid outcomes. “W—what… n—now…?”

The answer to the riddle here was simple. At least, Kay had no trouble figuring it out, but when he took a step forward the Naga opened his mouth again.

“The notorioussssss Nathaniel? Whatever did we do to be honored with the graccccccce of your pressssenccccce?” the demon sneered and bowed in the direction of the supernatural expert. “I wassssss under the impressssssion flessssshhlingssss in your field were intelligent to avoid ancient, ssssssacrificccccial burial grounds.”


Hold your tongue, Nathaniel. He is merely attempting to bait you.

“Sacrificial…? People were sacrificed here?!” Holly cried, bringing her arms close to her chest with her fists clenched.

“And the flessssshhhlingssss were foolisssshh enough to even fathom they were out of harmssss way merely by your presssssence, Nathaniel, but you had yet to resssssearch thissss placccce? Tsssssk, tsssssk. Many were murdered and offered to deitiessssssss on thissss very location. Presssssently the ritual continuessssss. It hassssss since the dawn of man.”


Nathaniel, keep your head.

In a blink of an eye the Naga slithered over to Katia, tightly wrapping his tail around her form and sweeping back to where he first appeared to them. Softly he twirled his hand back, trailing his claw fingers through her hair and down her neck. “We humbly acccccept your offeringsssss with sssssinccccccere gratitude, young Nathaniel.”

From the darkness the Shadow Man appeared, placing a hand on the Naga’s shoulder with a devious grin engulfing the entirety of his face. “Indeed, young Nathaniel. It is a shame the catch is not a delicious, juicy woman, though.”

“Are you ccccccertain of that?”

Meanwhile Holly was frozen in fear, standing beside Tiffany as she watched the scene in horror. No matter what thoughts swirled around in her mind she could not muster up the courage to get herself to move. She was too terrified to even tremble, her mouth agape.

“No…” the word barely left his mouth at a whisper. “Uhn…” he grunted, cringing as the pain in his mouth intensified. The scrawny lad stomped towards them, “No!” Light eyes a mixture of fear, worry, and desperation. He stormed his way to the front, but no matter how many steps he took he could not make it over to them. A magical barrier…?


A stranger is not worth it.

“Oh?” the Shadow Man cooed in excitement, stepping in front of the Naga so he could get a better look at Katia. The femininity of features was prevalent, especially when only standing a couple inches away from her face. Bringing up both hands on either sides of her cheeks, he traced his fingers down her cheeks, then neck, until he reached her breasts, which he groped more than eagerly. A sharp, toothy grin grew to its pique, lapping his tongue along her neck as he drooled. “Pre-salted from sweat and tears with the lingering taste of booze from the night before… My favorite.”

Nat’s eyes shot back in his head at the sight. Immediately he screamed some sort of incantation and threw himself towards them, only to be thrown viciously back into the crowd by the Naga. Tossed aside like yesterday’s garbage directly into Daniel, as though the guy hadn’t been hit by party members on accident enough today. The two smacked into a wall, Daniel’s back stabbed by a rusted nail as Nat sat against him in a daze, unable to get himself to even lift his head. When it came to intellect Nat far exceeded this creatures, but strength? His toothpick form could not even scrape teeth without snapping.

As he attempted to recollect himself and get off poor Daniel the demons disappeared into the shadows, leaving them with nothing but the three doors.

[Public_Hazard]

(1d20)[13]

Nat's words left Noah unsettled as he took a few steps forward; his eyes attempting to get a glimpse of any signs of movement within the darkness of the room. His movement halted as the voices of multiple people began to surround them with their chanting. "What is this.." he muttered softly as he began to realize they were the vocals of children singing in a language he knew nothing of. His eyes adjusted as the figures slowly began to take shape from the blackness they had emerged from, Noah's legs adjusted as well as they began to step back to Nat's side. "Nat.... What is this.." he spoke again, though it felt more like he thought it instead of actually speaking it. Noah's palm began to sweat as his nervousness of the situation began to settle into his system. He felt utterly useless as everything slowly began to escalate from a simple chant of teasing between children, to the isolated image of a lone crying girl. He felt unsure of what to do next before a slight movement of someone walking past him caught his attention.

Holly stepped passed him with subtle steps towards the small girl in the room. To Noah's eyes it felt as if her movements were in slow motion adjusting slightly as she began to speak. His pulse began to take force on his body as he felt each beat push against his chest. "Holly.." his voice mimicked that of Nat as the man made motions with his hand but stopped himself. "Get away from her!" Noah's voice yelled out before the girl vaporized from their view. His eyes darted from Holly to those behind him as he searched for the girl. "Don't sacrifice me..." Looking towards Bridget he took one more glimpse of her eyes before darkness was all he could see.

A sudden flash of light reappeared as quickly as it had disappeared moments ago but this time it had not returned alone. Noah took quick notice of the person, or rather creature, that had joined them in the basement. Placing a hand on his knife Noah began to take a few breathes in attempt to settle himself and think rationally. With what he could tell the creature had yet to make any movement to suddenly attack them, and with what Nat had told him before this event Noah had no intention of provoking a fight any time soon. However as the creature began to chant on about the doors that had joined them a slight irritation began to boil inside Noah. "Is this a joke to you..." he gritted behind his teeth. "A situation for our lives beyond what most of us have come upon and this is all you can bring to us." he muttered towards them. He was unsure if they had heard him but he cared very little at this point and simply began to feed off the rage that had been kept inside him.

“The notorioussssss Nathaniel?..." These words brought Noah back from his thoughts as he began to question how they knew of Nat. Not knowing what to say he was about to question Nat about this before he heard the screams of Holly and the sudden movement of the Naga. Before he could even react, the creature the held Katia in his vice like grip dangling above them and continuing the chant on sacrifices. "Katia!" he let out before the voice of newcomer had made himself heard. The Shadows emerged into a figure to much of Noah's distress causing his hand to go limp at the base of his knife. How could they possible kill the shadows themselves? Noah remained simply motionless as he simply watched the scenes unfold. Nat's attempts to rescue the girl, the crashing of the two men, and then the disappearance of the demons and Katia.

Limping slightly towards the doors, Noah felt weak at his knees with each step. A million things buzzing through his mind as he sat next the third door, and allowing his head to limp slightly as he took this moment to gather himself. He knew which way they needed to head towards, he had read the riddle long ago when he was a child, but he also knew that they would need a moment to regroup and think about what they should do next. "Nat... you might not want to tell us but can you answer me this." he looked at the man that had gotten off Daniel "How did they know you?" he stood up from his position before heading back towards the group, specifically Bridget to make sure she was safe, as he did not notice that Daniel had been stabbed during the impact. He said nothing else allowing what Nat said be heard for everyone that was listening and not just for himself.

[Preach]

[roll0]

Bridget was confident that, if her nails dug into the palms of her hands any harder, she would draw blood. She violently froze in place and held her breath while the young voices filled the room- child ghost silhouettes - she felt like she was in a living nightmare, more so than when she had seen Ellie get ripped to shreds… this lasted much longer. Or at least, it seemed to her. Seven children - seven, a normally auspicious number, then the eighth girl, the odd one out. Her eyes only darted away from the spectacle at Holly, as she approached, trying to calm the girl - calm the ghost! How stupid! Bridget could bring herself to do nothing but widen her eyes and back away from the children - stagger away would be a better description. When the ghost disappeared, then reappeared, whispering, Bridget shut her eyes, and covered them with her finally unclenched hands. A sacrifice… how truly macabre. She didn’t question how she had been able to understand, since language barriers were not what she was focused on at the moment. What kind of place had she just walked into? She let the breath go, and took a new one in, more out of necessity than feeling relaxed.

She stood like this for a while - eyes closed, hands over them, breathing ragged, and it was only when something particularly snakey began to speak that she peeked through a crack in her fingers, before closing her eyes and covering them again. Nope. Nope nope nope. She wasn’t going to look. Listening was enough. This was probably - no, definitely- the naga that Nat had spoken about. She carefully listened to his words, slightly unwillingly since her first instinct was to blot everything out, but only managed to register the necessities - fire… flaying… lions. Three rooms. Three lions. Auspicious number. The numbers 3 and 7 danced through her mind. She kept repeating them, like a mantra, as the scene between the naga and Nathaniel unfolded. Her eyes and hands opened at the mention of deities. Here? Requiring sacrifices?! Now?! What sort of dieties were these?! Green eyes stared at the buff green snake, and she was more disturbed by his bare chest than his reptilian lower half.

Had her hands not been on her face at the time, Bridget would not have been able to muffle a scream as Katia was taken by the naga, called an offering, then a shadowy man appeared, seemingly hungry… obviously the woman-eater Nathaniel had mentioned before… Nat’s struggles came to nothing, and Katia was taken. Bridget could feel tears welling up - fear tears, surely, as she had never been close to the girl- oh, was she next? She could be next, and that was the most terrifying part.

She fell to the ground, kneeling, and kept her hands over her mouth, trying to muffle any sounds that might come out. She succeeded in controlling her breath, and managed to keep herself under control, preventing herself from succumbing to anxiety and fear and becoming a blubbering teary pile on the floor. “Wh-” her speech was breathy and audibly emotional, “What n-now? We pick a door?” she looked at Nathaniel, though she remained kneeling, “Do we have to pick a door?”

[Ru]

Nat rolled a 1. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Monster." Will be implemented in post.
Boots rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 13. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Monster." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in post.

New Rolls

Nat, 3; Boots, 7.

In the Bellows

Nat opened his mouth to reply to Noah, but no words passed his lips. What could he possibly them that didn’t sound asinine? Oh, I have a contract with one of their kind. Yeah, sure fire way to make allies in this group. Then cam Bridget’s concerns. His gaze went to her, of course they had to pick a door. Not that he considered her less intelligent for inquiring, but there was simply nothing else they could do. The exit was gone and all that was left were these doors. Strolling about the shadows behind them blindly was absurd, but before he could even utter a syllable the aura of the room faltered — changing. His stomach churned, he knew the spiritual energy all too well.

From the shadows behind the group came a high-pitched whirring, as if something was flung through the air at a high velocity. It came down and hard, landing directly on top of Boots and knocking her roughly onto the ground. Sitting atop her was a small reaper boy with red, curly hair peaking out of a tattered, deep grey cloak. Horns protruded out of the hood where holes were specifically made to prevent the restriction. On his tiny torso was a black, stitched and ragged tunic with dark, tight, short shorts underneath. A silver, fluffy tail swayed back and forth behind him slowly, pointed and pierced ears twitching ever so slightly each time the tail turned a new direction.

Originally he had been aiming for a specific aura in the room, though without his twin to guide him he sputtered and veered off track, landing on this girl instead. In his fall he accidentally nicked her shoulder with his horn, causing her to bleed beneath her hoodie. The rolled and tumbled about the floor, him holding onto her until they finally stopped. He sat up and stared down with a wide finally, which immediately became a frown. “Ya aren’ Natty-boo-boo-kins… Oh, dear ar’ ya aright’?!” He jumped up and panicked for a moment, looking around the room. As soon as he saw Nat he smiled bright eyed once again, forgetting all about the girl he injured and left laying on the floor.

“There ya are! Oh, my sweet, adorable, laddie, I can tell ya ‘ave been up at no good! Tha’ shade doesn’ look good on ya. I don’ approve. Stop tha’!” He chuckled as he insinuated and made grandiose arm movements. He walked towards Nat, only to notice the other people standing near him finally, and then clumsily fell on his face.

Only a few seconds after him a dainty redheaded girl with a similar facial structure came somersaulting from the shadows behind him. She flipped up into the air and hovered there, staring down at the group of humans and her clumsy brother. Tattered rags covering her relatively flat, thin form. Long, pointed and pierced ears similar to her brother’s twitched a bit before she opened her mouth. Charcoal black eyes shined a bit, then furrowed in a slight rage. “Ya fell top one o’ da pretty ones!” she whined at her brother, crossing her arms over her chest. The aggravated stance softened, however, at the sight of Nathaniel.

“Oooo, ya really are ‘ere, ain’tcha, Natty?” she snickered. “Guess ya ain’t listenin’ to yer bud much lately, eh? Betcha head honcho would love’ta see yer perrrrrdy face.”

Boots laid there frozen, occasionally blinking in shock, but she was too afraid to move. After watching Katia be stolen and harassed, along with the rest of what had happened, she was too terrified to do much of anything anymore as her wound continued to bleed out. And they all knew Nat? How…?

Nat stared bewildered at the newcomers, glancing back over to the doors momentarily before returning his attention to them. Their presence caused knots to reel up in his stomach, then sink deep into the bellows of his stomach acid. He took a step back, then turned to face Daniel as he held firmly onto the man’s forearms, attempting to pull him up, though without help it was unlikely he’d help much at all. “Your boss… he… he is here? In this rundown location?”

She rolled her eyes and nodded, “Ya ain’t much fer formal’ties, eh? Not gonna intra’duce us’ta yer new buds? Ya got so many perdy ones.” Her eyes trailed over to Bridget, shooting her a soft smile before closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. When the lids opened again they were focused on the supernatural expert instead.

He shot her a glare, managing to pull Daniel up enough so he could lean against the wall without a nail driving into him.

Her twin looked back at Boots who continued to lay on the ground motionless when his sister mentioned a pretty one. “Aw, shoot, sis. I di’n’t mean’ta knock ‘er down.” He offered Boots his hand to help her up, but felt a bit impatient because he had other items on his agenda, so he got down and lifted her up to her feet. “Sorry, miss, was tryin’ta cuddle with tha’ laddie ya’r with.” He didn’t waste anymore time and went to stand next to his sister. Swooning as he stared off at Nat. “Yeah! Not lika ya gots anywhere’ta go. Well, three doors o’ dangers…” His eyes narrowed; he did not like the thought of Nathaniel getting hurt.

“Now, noew. Don’ go givin’ him no hints, Eis,” she laid her head on her brother’s shoulder with a smile, her eyes trailing across the bodies of each female in the room. “Dey can’t get ta far ta fast. Gonna inta’rup da ritual.”

“Ritual…?” Nat’s brows furrowed, though just as the word passed his lips it already dawned on him what she meant. He shook his head, then glanced over his shoulder to the darkness. Again the ghost girl appeared, running straight through the group and into the direction he happened to be staring. Purely coincidental, though it caused him to jump a bit. One would think with the amount of spirits he had seen they would no longer startle him, but there was a lot more going on in his head presently to be keeping his guard up against the soul of a murdered child.

[Mozaic]

11

Nyx held on loosely to the conversations going on around her. The explanation Noah gave was both enticing and confusing. Enticing because this sort of subject interested her. Confusing because it was a lot to wrap around. Ghosts could have their own peculiarity, but monsters-nagas as Nat had said, oh and a thing called the shadow man- was something of a different genre. Aside from the obvious there was a strange feeling about how all these things went together. Then the voices of children came into air.

Chanting and taunting the children danced about like mischievous imps. It didn’t affect her in quite the way she was expecting partly because she was seldom bothered by such teasing, and had little remorse for humanities suffering. However, the little girl screaming in the center of their circle irked her to no end. She found herself covering her ears, and pressed to the nearest wall.

Only when the one known as Boots spoke did she look up to see the Native American looking child. Nyx dropped down her hands, and gazed over at the little girl, she was a pathetic sight crumpled there on the ground. In a matter of blinking she disappeared only to reappear seconds later closer to the one who had tried to comfort her.

“Don’t sacrifice me…” The words made her weary, and it all began to make sense. She bit her lip though refusing to think about it any further. Things would play into themselves here no doubt. Still her stomach was becoming unsettled, and she was beginning to feel the early stages of fear, a feeling unknown to her aside from in the presence of her now-dead-father.

Nyx hadn’t quite realized she had closed her eyes until the light drifted back into the room. Her first thought was, now what, when the great creature, the naga, stood before them. She was more amazed than frightened. Such a being was of the first myths she had took to reading. They were magnificent creatures in legends, here- though he was a beautiful site- she was not so sure.

Three doors he offered, each sounding as horrible as the one before it. There had to be a point in them. Otherwise they could decide to just sit here. Nothing could be worse than a sure, torturous death. She was too baffled to think about it. Especially after her assumptions had come to terms with the word, sacrifice. This place was a place of ritual. What had she gotten herself into?

For a moment her eyes were on Nathaniel. She wondered if out of all the people he would have in fact a positive influence on any of this. As Noah was perhaps trying to explain earlier, he was their sort of spirit guide. Clearly there was something abnormal about him, but on the surface he seemed quite ordinary.

If the wall wasn’t blocking her way out now she would have surely decided to leave. She had expected it to be bad when she came here. She did not expect to be thrown into some in-depth novel worthy horror story. She would be fine with drowning in a bath tub at the hands of some unrestful spirit, not an ancient ceremony gone wacko. This was on the level of disturbing a barrier for a wendigo. Not in her right mind would she be here because things could only get worse.

And it did. The naga had managed to wrap a young woman in its coils, then appeared what she could only assume was the Shadow Man. By the way their conversation went Katia would be made a meal of.

When Nat shouted out with what sounded like an incarnation she expected something miraculous, but instead he was merely swept aside. That was the end of it. The creatures disappeared.

Nyx reached into her bag dragging out a hat. She pulled her hood off, and wrapped her braid up into a bun allowing the hat to fit properly without showing any hair. She listened without saying anything to what was being said.




A high pitch whistle filled the air, and out of the shadows came a very strange boy with horns, and a fluffy tail. She had no idea what mythology he could have popped out of. Whatever it was knew Nat just like the others before him had.

Nyx attention switched to the female version of the boy who came in. She had the same peculiar features as her male counterpart including his red hair. With all the reading Nyx did you would figure she could at least find something similar to these beings. Some sort of demon or fae maybe? She had no idea what category to put them in. It wasn’t until she felt eyes on her did she snap back to their current predicament.

Instead of focusing on the question of the ritual though her mind went elsewhere, and her body only trembled some when the ghost child passed through them again. “You two, Eis and… well…. What exactly are you?” She tried to be as polite as possible, something she was not used to doing. They intrigued her, and to her surprise she found them adorable, and a bit entertaining.

[Preach]

[roll0]

She had tried to catch her breath while waiting for Nat’s answer, but the weird, sudden whirring noise nearly sent her over the anxiety edge and into a dry-mouthed sweaty-palmed panic attack. Seeing Boots get brusquely knocked to the ground forced her to stifle a hysterical, panicky laugh. She did so successfully by stuffing her hands over her mouth and clamping down, some hair coming loose from its confinement in Nat's sweater and Noah's jacket as she bent forward. The weirdness of the situation and the two newcomers went way over her head - she was still freaking out over the semi-naked naga man. When the girl figure smiled at her, she almost smiled back - if not for her hands clamped over her mouth, she would have- but the sniffing did put her off quite a bit. It put her off a lot, actually. It made Bridget remember where she was, what she was doing -she couldn’t slip into hysteria. No. She needed to keep a handle on herself. So she took a deep breath, not wanting to close her eyes with those two things in the room. The appearance of the ghost made her tense up to a point where she would be sore in the morning as if she had worked out, but she didn’t scream - again, because of her hands. She hadn’t regained control of her voice quite yet, which meant she didn’t really feel confident that she could speak without squeaking instead of producing words. Silent, her eyes roved over the doors on the wall, lingering over the one with the reported three lions. She waited for someone to do something.

[Public_Hazard]

[8]

Nat remained silent to his question as Noah had expected. The hesitation that had crossed the man's face did not go unnoticed by Noah. He couldn't blame him for remaining silent to such a personal question; if he had been asked about his occupation and life he would also remain silent to everyone else. Yet, it unnerved him that Nat was hiding something of extreme importance to the situation at hand. How could those creatures possibly know him without some sort of direction affiliation? Sure he knew more about the supernatural than anyone else in the group but there was a huge gap between someone who simply dealt with cases and someone who had come into direct contact with them.

Noah let off a silent sigh as he calmed the many questions that were buzzing in his head. His trust was wavering on Nat; he could feel it in his stomach. Their lives were on the line at this point and he was unsure to what extent Nat would protect them. After all, he would obviously prioritize Boots and Howl over the rest of them without hesitation. He hoped he was wrong on that thought. Daniel and himself were only capable of doing a small amount of protecting at this point. Regardless of how he saw it they were completely outmatched in force and numbers.

"Perhaps we should get going..." he said in the midst of the silence. He glanced over at everyone else that still remained for their approval before he jerked his head to the sudden noise that began to emanate from the shadows. Instinctively his body began to block Bridget from view as he searched for what was making the high pitched screech. It did not take long before an object directly impacted with Boots sending her flat on the floor. "Boots!" Noah let out before standing, he remained there hesitating on what to do. His own actions could cause Boots harm if he automatically retaliated. A few moments passed before Noah got a closer look at the new arrival, it was not was he was expecting. The young boy looked weak, lanky and oddly dressed. Asides from the horns and tail Noah would expect him to be like any other homeless child in the streets.

"Ya aren' Natty-boo-boo-kins... Oh, dear ar' ya aright'?! Noah eyes squinted at the name the boy squealed out. He knew Nat as well. Holding his gaze at the paranormal expert he watched as the young boy began to make his way to Nat. What are you hiding Nat? Noah asked himself before another person suddenly arrived before them. Out of pure reflex his hand tightened its grip on his knife turning his knuckles a pale white. Much like the other her appearance and clothing were the same, perhaps they are siblings.

“Oooo, ya really are ‘ere, ain’tcha, Natty?” she snickered. “Guess ya ain’t listenin’ to yer bud much lately, eh? Betcha head honcho would love’ta see yer perrrrrdy face.” Noah's breathing began to increase as he simply watched the young looking demons go on about Nat. He wasn't listening to his bud? Who could that possible be? and not only that but also who did they mean by "head honcho"? He knew Nat could answer all of his questions and at this point he was considering beating it out of him if he had to. Personal information or not, he was not planning on letting more people die down here in a immoral manner.

Unsure of what to do at the moment Noah remained silent as he listened to the two children talk with Nat over important information with little details. "So many secrets." he said softly with only Bridget close enough to hear him. Upon the mentioning of the ritual Noah took a glance over at the the doors. They had been standing here long enough and the newcomers seemed almost more focused on taking their attention away from progressing than actually helping them with the situation.

“You two, Eis and… well…. What exactly are you?" Noah heard the voice of the new girl that he had yet to be acquainted with. At this point he could give a few guesses but did it really matter in the end? Call them people and let it stay that way. It would only be a waste of time at this point to continue chatting with them. It was very doubtful in his heart that they would take the time to care for them asides from Nat. "Nat, like I said before. Perhaps we should get going. We can't really just stand here anymore and wait for a miracle to happen. The room with the lions should take us to our next location." He extended his hand to Bridget in hopes that he could help her relax and stand on her own. He could only do so much, he could at least try to comfort someone.

[Merry]

8
She was still working every angle to try and understand what was going on. There had to be some reasonable explanation, right? Although, she was beginning to doubt that thought, with every passing second that ticked by. One thing that was starting to unnerve her was how everyone else in the group, was taking this so calmly, as if this happened every day! She knew she was barely keeping her impending panic attack at bay. It was just a matter of time, before it would come crashing down and overwhelm her, she could feel it coiling in her stomach, ready to spring.

“I agree… with.. Noah” she said hesitantly, then with a little more feeling. “Let’s go” before anything else can show up she finished to herself, not willing to say it aloud to the group. She kept watching the two “children” closely. Her mind couldn’t quite grasp that they could be anything else, or it had flat out refused, so she had automatically categorized them as such. In her mind, children were harmless, so it was easy to deceive herself that they wouldn’t hurt them. The previous party guests? Best not to think about them, right now, they would definitely hurt them, all. She knew that as cold hard fact. Besides, thinking about what had left them alone, for now, made her want to scream. A lot. The only thing stopping her, was the knowledge that if she did start to scream, she would not stop. That would be very, very bad, for everyone involved. Herself included. She knew she had to move, do something, anything to keep it at bay.

Nervously chewing the inside of her lip, she took a few small steps, and was easily standing beside Noah. "We need to go" she said, again. Noah seemed to have a plan, and somehow standing beside him, she felt safer? Although just thinking of the word, safe, she could feel the hysterical laughter starting to bubble to her lips. Safe? Was that term even relevant any more? She was pretty sure, it was not.

[The Imposter]

Rolls a 2


Daniel leaned against the wall trying to rub the area that had been punctured by the nail. He watched silently as the group discussed the arrival of the two new creatures. He wanted to speak up earlier but his throat had become dry, and hardly being able to swallow made it harder. His throat always got so dry, and he hadn't reacted or said anything. Finally able to wet his whistle with a swallow Daniel took a deep breath before lifting his shaking hand and pointing the bat at Nat.

'You motherfucker! You've been so knowledgeable because you are in league with these fuckin' monsters! What is the deal? You pretend to give a shit and offer help only to make sure we don't save anyone? Is that it?!?'

The trembling in his arm intensified and his stomach growled incredibly loudly. Daniel shook his head and told his stomach to shut up before continuing on.

'Fuck, we've been stupid. You probably don't even give a shit about Howl or Boots....just some sick twisted thrill. You enjoy the horror flicks too much Nat? You decided to fuck us all over! FUCK!'

Daniel's emotions finally taking over he began slamming the bat against the wall he was leaning against. Three, four, five times and his fear and panic began choking him, causing his eyes to water. Now with blurred vision he looked back at the man that had promised them to help as much as he could. Daniel's stomach growled again....

'Stop that! Tell me I'm wrong Nat...shit, shit...Stuff was always weird hear but this is ritual, demonic, people getting kidnapped and shredded like cheese is...is...is....Why am I the only one fuckin' freaking out! What's wrong with all of you?'

Wiping the tears away, his shaky arm continued to hold the bat but he was now pointing it at everyone else. His stomach growled again, more loudly than before and continued for a few seconds.

'Damnit! I'm sooo sacred and hungry. If I don't eat I'm going to die....that is if I don't get fucking slaughtered by one of these little things....'

[Ru]

Nat rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Boots rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Nyx rolled an 11. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Lilly rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Injuy." Will be implemented in post.
Daniel rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Kidnap." Will be implemented in post.

New Rolls

Nat, 2; Boots, 8.

In the Bellows

The shocked expression on Nat’s face when it dawned on him what she meant by ritual was priceless, at least to Oriel it was. Then she was all the more intrigued when the pretty Lolita looking girl inquired on their species. “Oy, dat’s a new one, ain’t it?” she glanced over at her brother, still resting her head on his shoulder as they floated above the group of humans. Not many people really asked what they were, then again.. Most people were running away too fast to thin about it. “Reapas, sweetie. Ya human, fleshie types call us reapas. Sometimes anywho. Some o’ ya brutes still think dere be only one o’ us. Dunno wha’ da hell we was befo’,” she chuckled and lifted her cheek away from Eis, cocking to the other side. “Ooo! Da lions’ den. Good choice, laddie.”

Oriel’s approval made Nat skeptical of Noah’s choice, but he knew this riddle. The lions’ den — as she chose to call it — was the answer, because the lionesses would have to be dead after so many years had past. Hair raised on end, the scrawny paranormal expert ignored the reapers and followed behind Noah, holding tightly onto Boots’ hand who was in turn clinging onto Tiffany’s arm. Once everyone except Daniel was inside was when his outburst broke through. It was unnerving to know due to his name being thrown about that he was now under inspection, but could he blame him? Skepticism is why they brought up his name so frequently in conversation to begin with; if his group distrusted him… then they’d win. “I—I…”

“Oh, Natty knows us very, very well. Don’tcha, Natty? Eis ‘specially.” Oriel poked her brother’s cheek teasingly.

Eis stared at Nat in a daze while the chatter was going on. When his sister poked his cheek he blushed at the comment and looked away for a moment to recover from the flutter feeling and nodded with a big, toothy grin. “Tha’s righ’, sis. Ah, the mem’ries.”

He shot a glare at Daniel due to what Eis deemed rudeness, which he was directing at his Nathaniel. Slowly this turned into a consumable rage as he insisted to himself something had to be done to remedy this situation. How dare he insult Nat in such a fashion! He nudged his sister and made a few strange hand motions as he wiggled his fingers about, and then wrapped one hand around the other, lifting it away. Eis was certain his sister would understand him, and chuckled; he was correct. “Tha’ Den!” he cheered excitedly while clapping. He really didn’t like the other rooms in his own opinion as he couldn’t have fun in any of them.

Nat’s face whitened and he froze where he stood, clenching tighter to Boots’ hand as she remained silent and practically frozen in fear from the entire scenario. To the group it would appear because the room was filled with the bones left behind from where the lionesses died and decayed, but it was the comments from the twins. Daniel’s disbelief did little to help.

Boots remained close to Nat, flinching at all of the commotion, because, truthfully, she really was afraid to do much else. Without How around she didn’t really know what to do.

Oriel snickered at her brother’s motions, nudging her head a bit to indicate going inside. “Showtime.”

Eis began to twirl his hand around in the direction of the bones, which then started to twitch about on the floor. There was a shrill sound soon after, like nails on a chalkboard only louder — much louder. The bones scarped across the ground as they started to shuffle around, eventually zipping about the ground faster. Eis giggled as his trick put on an entertaining show.

“Now i’s time fer at’ fun part. Tha laddie ove’r thar’, ya will be comin’ with us,” he was gesturing at Daniel. Most of the bones rose up, leaving some to continue grinding against the ground for some background noise during the grand event. Launching through the air as if they were shot through a gun, the vbones started to pass by the group and head straight for Daniel. Some of them grazed against Nat and Lilly, occasionally breaking the skin though the damage done to Lilly was relatively minor in comparison to the paranormal investigator.

“Ya shoul’n a been so rude ta’ my dear Nat. Ya could o’ been one o’ my play things. A shame I mus’ do this.” The flying bones started to form around Daniel like a pillar, wrapping around him tightly to keep him from struggling. “Ya shall be comin’ with us now.” He was unaware he had hurt Nat or Lilly in the process of capturing Daniel as he was too focused on dragging this boy away and making his Head Honcho do something terrible to him.

“Good thinkin’. Tho’ we should go where da uddas went. ‘Nudda sacr’o’fice fer da pot.”

One of the bones managed to stab right through Nat’s right shoulder, the pain causing his vision to blur as he jerked forward with his back curled. “N—no…” he mumbled, but had a hard time getting the words out. Due to his mask it was hard to even tell if Nat was speaking at all.

Oriel floated down towards Boots, trailing a finger along her chin before kissing her cheek playful ling. “Yer awful cute when yer scared.” She turned her head back towards her brother towards her bother, hovering slowly in his direction. “Ya think Head Honcho will let me take’er? She’s a real cutie. All snug as a bug in ‘er ‘ood.”

Boots trembled, then jumped slightly back when Nat began couching. Upon closer examination she realized a red stain was appearing on his white doctor’s mask. “Nat… are you…?”

“Les’ go, Eis.” Oriel poked at her brother’s nose with a grin.

Eis scrunched up his nose and giggled. “I think ya got as much a chance as I do with him lettin’ me keep Nat.” He headed towards the darkness to leave and wacved his arm up. “Catch ya aroun’, sweetie. We gotsta take yer lil friend here to da pot now.” He never looked back at Nat to see why he was coughing, figuring he just got a fuzzy in his throat and started to follow the bone cage that had Daniel trapped inside.

“Yer right,” she pushed out her lips and crossed her arms in a pout. “Maybe one o’ da udda ones… Dey’re all soooo cute. I could eat’em wit’ a side o’ whip creeeeam,” Oriel followed behind her brother as she continued to talk about topping she could put on the girls as though they were all ice cream flavors.

The twin reapers disappeared and in front of the remaining group the exit to the next room appeared, though what lay there was unknown as the entrance to it was as pitch black as any of the other areas lacking lighting. Eerie and with no hope. Boots was beginning to doubt they would ever make it out of here alive and was starting to accept the fate that must have befallen her beloved Howl. Her heart sank into her chest, festering as it attempted to keep pounding, though the will to press on was relatively faint. “Nat,” she spoke softly, placing a hand on his wounded shoulder gently.

You can heal yourself. Merely remove the bone.

I am tired of always being the odd one… he sighed sadly, coughing more blood against the cloth covering his mouth. “I am fine, Holly, certainly… I… I am so sorry… I should have investigated more before I allowed for any of you to enter this place… It had appeared to be nothing more than an abandoned, buried floor with a couple monsters here and there… Not… this…” If he had been wearing his vest and shirt it was unlikely the wound would be so severe, but being entirely exposed definitely made his chances of avoiding major injuries decrease significantly.

The same ghost girl flittered about the room, though was presently only visible to Bridget.


Meanwhile the reapers along with Daniel appeared in a room where the Naga and the Shadow Man had scurried off to. Knocked unconscious and tied against a wall were Katia, Apollo, Consul, and various others who had disappeared without being slaughtered to pieces. In the center of the room was a gigantic cauldron glowing a faint puke green hue which occasionally sparked a lemon yellow.

“How many more ya’ll need?” Oriel hovered about the cauldron with her legs spread into a V formation and her fists pressed against her hips.

“All the males! Leave me the females,” the Shadow Man cackled curling his long, pointed, pink tongue across his shadowed lips.

The Naga rolled his eyes. “Calm yourssssself. Two more, at the leasssst. Four or more for the mosst ssssufficccient resssultssss.”

“Ah alwaysssss hated dat sssss thang ya do,” Oriel sneered, reaching into her pocket for a bag of powder. She sprinkled some of its contents into the brew. “Guess we gotsta look for boyos and lassie elsewhere, Eis. Tis a darn right shame.”

Eis came in behind his sister and frowned at the comment. “Awe, drat, but they er’ right ‘ere fer us too! We wouldn’ ‘ave even ‘ad ‘ta search.” He poutd for a moment until he remembered they already had one with them so that makes one to three more. “ ‘Ere I brought a gift.” Daniel got lowered into the room in his cage. “Ya really gotsta lay off yer slurrin’, iz’ a pain in muh ear holes.” He plugged his ears as he hovered in the air with his legs crossed like a pretzel. Eis swooped himself upside down and turned to his sister. “So, do we gotsta wait out ‘ere or can we go find some laddies and lassies ‘ta play with?”

The Naga shook his head, making no reply to the twins as he walked over to Apollo. The lifelessness of his body made it questionable when the last time he was awake was, let alone if the young man was still alive. He was captured long before the others without anyone in the group even realizing it. The Naga found it rather odd not even his roommate realized he had suspiciously disappeared, but all the better for them. As though the lad weighed nothing more than a feather’s worth he lifted Apollo and tossed him into the bubbling, boiling goop inside the cauldron. His brief, two-second scream was the only indicator he had been unconscious the entire time and it was loud enough to echo throughout the entire first floor.

“I unno. Honcho didn’ say anythin’ else but we gotsta take one befo’ dey finish da rooms. Ya know, tho’… He’d probably wan’ us ‘til da pot be done. Sucks’ta be numba two in command, eh?” she blew out a breath aggravatingly, puffing out her cheeks and blowing up a stray stand of hair up above her hood.

The Shadow Man disappeared and reappeared in front of Katia who had a nasty wound on the back of her head from being slammed against a wall to shut her up. The smell of her blood was utterly intoxicating and it was hard to resist gobbling her up now. “If we just… just take one more… one extra…” he trailed his tongue along his bottom lip to lick up the drool coming out of his mouth, though a couple drops slipped and landed on the girl’s cheek.

“Ah, hush it. If ah can’t get no lass den neither can ya. Wait chur turn,” she hissed.

Eis grabbed the girl from the Shadow Man and patted her head. “Shadow Man can’t have ya, but ya will be goin’ in tha’ hideous pot o’ goo.” He glanced over at his sister for a moment and pondered who else they would even have to be taking from the group. There didn’t seem to be many left to really pick off. He dropped the girl head first into the goo, hoping that it will reduce any agony she may have, then he spun back right side up. “I wonder who else we will be collectin’. Maybe tha’ pretty lass in da hood will be available after all this is over fer ya, sis.” He crossed his fingers for good luck for Oriel. “Ah guess we ought ‘ta go keep a watch on ‘em as they pro-gress in da room.”

[Auki]

[Rolled 12]

It was all above what Tiffany could grasp. Her intelligence – its development long stunted by alcohol, drugs and sleepless nights - fell short of what she needed to comprehend the situation. Instinct ran through nerves, ignoring input from her frightened mind as she reacted to the world around her. Flinching, shifting, silent fear; it was all she dared to do. Without any grasp on what was happening, she was never sure if anything more would hurt or hinder the group. At the very least, she didn’t cry or scream. Her mouth remained unopened, a thin line of pink against her pale skin, clenched jaw unwavering no matter the monster’s torment. Every change in luck she took without complaint, accepting their misfortune with every wave of demon hand. If she could do nothing more, then she would remain confident for Boots. Her horror at the happenings might be real, but it would not be allowed full control of her features. She repressed it down until her expression voiced only that of cold concern.

However, with each chink slashed in their armour, her determination was more difficult to maintain. She was surprised her stomach hadn’t emptied a thousand times, if only to try and purge the memories she had built from resolving in her mind.

She tried not to feel weak every time that Holly left her, but the girl was the only friend she had in their cursed group. The others were little more than strangers, even now. That fact rang clearly through her mind. It kept her sadness distant, as their party dwindled in size, more focused on the ‘now’ of what was occurring.

A sharp grinding in particular caught her attention, diverting her eyes from observing the chamber they had thrown themselves into. The oppressing darkness had been all she noticed until the bones began to shift. On reflex, she half-lifted an arm before her face, stepping forth to try and place herself in front of Boots. No damage fell upon them though, a thing that could not be said for Daniel. She felt a cold dread surfacing as she watched his fate, numbed by forced apathy. For a few moments, her eyes stared blankly at the ground, only her ears keeping note on their surroundings; every thought in her mind reverberated with the wish they had not ventured to this mess.

If she could go back in time, she would have stopped Boots, prevented them both from following this path. No way in hell would Howl ever want her to be in such a place; no fucking way.

She almost broke the silence she’d been maintaining, wishing to make comments that would only have spread blame and ill feelings. Tactfully, she kept silence.

And through it all, she kept a cautious faith in Nat and his intentions… if only because she wished to trust in Holly’s judgement.

[Preach]

[3]

Noah said something about moving along, and Bridget found herself nodding. Waiting around meant spending more time in this place... the quicker they moved, the quicker they could get out. He offered her his hand, and she took it, pulling herself up to a standing position. She didn’t let go. Bridget looked at Daniel freaking out as if he was a character on a TV-show - detached, not a part of her immediate reality. A coping mechanism - becoming emotionally invested in his freak-out would only make her follow suit.

She was still holding on to Noah’s hand as the door to the room was opened, revealing the skeletons of the lions that had once lived there. A small feeling of hope bubbled up - surely, this meant that this was the right room! Finally! Something was going right! Naively, she thought the two reapers were celebrating because the group had made the right choice. Once the bones began to move around with an unearthly amount of noise, she blanched, and the hope was replaced by an all-too-familiar cold dread. The bones shot at them, and she let go of Noah’s hand, and bent down with her arms over her face in an attempt to shield herself. Once the bones had passed by, she peeped out of her fingers once again, standing upright and looking at what had happened. She hadn’t been hurt - neither had Noah, thankfully- but Daniel was royally fucked. Once again, she found herself unable to register that what she was seeing was real and actually happening to him. The reapers and Daniel vanished in an instant, and Bridget let out a breath she hadn't been aware that she was holding.

The frightening ghost was in the room again, moving about erratically. Bridget followed the specter with her eyes, but didn’t make a sound. A disembodied scream rang through the area and Bridget flinched as if she had been hit. A scream - whose scream? Whoever it was, it was as if they were screaming so she wouldn't have to. Slowly, Bridget turned to face the darkness of the new doorway. She was so numb from all of what had happened, she wasn’t sure if she even had the emotional capacity to freak out. It was as if the surreal, unnatural aspects of the situation were cancelling out the fear and panic that were almost tangibly running through her.

Her hands were still on her face as she muttered, "we need to keep moving."

[Public_Hazard]

4

Taking a firm grip on Bridget's hand Noah lifted her up with ease from her previous position. With the current close proximity between them he took the opportunity to subtly scan over her figure and took quick note over her health. From what his eyes could perceive she seemed fine, but that was only limited to what he could physically see. He could only imagine what her mind must have been going through in order to comprehend or even cope with the situation at hand. Even he, a man who dealt with death on a regular basis, was having trouble keeping his mind at ease with the unknown danger they had all stumbled upon. In his career he would always understand what it was he was stepping into, whether it be a small gang making a dealing or a large mob that required his expertise, he would always step out the victor with either body bags behind him or a happy customer at his side. It was a normal experience and it had slowly become a natural instinct in his years of servitude. Yet, even instincts could only get you so far in the real world. If one didn't have the knowledge to act accordingly; instincts would only bring you closer to your own funeral. This was one of those situations. He knew nothing; that lone fact crashed against his sanity as each event continued to push on it harder. He didn't know how much more his mentality could hold nor did he know what his actions would be when it did. He simply didn't know.

Shaking away the unnerving feeling that had begun to form in the pit of his stomach Noah acknowledge Lilly as she stood next to him. Half heartedly he knew her presence here was partially his to blame. Though she held her own will he knew he was more than physically capable of removing her from the property. Knowing fully well that regretting his own actions wouldn't solve anything he internally kept a promise to himself that he would do his best to watch over her as well. Turning towards the doorway he had motioned toward Noah took a few steps into the choice he had made for himself. Upon hearing the approval of the newcomers he gave it a second in his thoughts as to why they would be helping the group but payed them no mind. He didn't trust them in this situation and he felt a slight tapping in the back of his head that he needed to create a distance between himself and those two. The fact that they were one of inhabitants within the basement already had begun to signal red flags to their intentions.

A moment passed before he felt that his hand still held it's grip on the woman he had assisted moments ago; looking at their joined limbs and then towards her he paused in his steps. Perhaps for the first time since he had stumbled into her room the night before. His vision took in the details of her vivid complexion. She was beautiful, her glowing skin and aquatic eyes seemed out of place within the dark abyss they had found themselves in. The male clothing that slightly concealed her gender did little to deter her appearance as a few locks of crimson hair found themselves framing her face. Beautiful, that was the word he chose to stick with as he turned away from her. His eyes had softened during that brief exchange and his resolve had taken a rather uncertain change. He knew deep down that of everyone here his priority would continue to be slightly biased towards the woman behind him. She had been there with him the night before when he had stepped into his lowest point. Perhaps it was as if he felt needed by this girl that he felt slightly more at ease with her. Fleetingly he pondered if she would have left with him if he had chosen to abandon the group while they were upstairs.

Before he could fully enter the next room his ears picked up the panic cries of Daniel as he began to accuse Nat. Much like himself Daniel had grown suspicious of the paranormal expert, except the only difference was that unlike the other man Noah had remained silent on the matter. However, despite their similar thoughts Noah's eyes hardened as Daniel continued to yell out about his current emotional and physical situation. Noah could feel a tugging in his arms as a growing urge to crush Daniel's jaw began to sprout in his.mind. Replaying the memory of Daniel upstairs in his mind Noah felt pity and anger for the man. It had been Daniel's plan to enter this place head on with full force. Pathetic. Noah thought to himself. He couldn't even look at Daniel directly as his mind had already accepted that he would only see a worthless piece of meat that didn't even have the decency to stand with his own decisions. "Get up Daniel." were Noah's only words to the other man as he entered through the door, Bridget and Lilly right behind him.

Almost instantly upon entering the room his feet pressed down on uneven grounds. Hearing a loud snap and a slight loss of footing he moved his eyes towards the floor only to witness countless bones scattered everywhere. Kicking away the broken bone that he had unknowingly put his weight Noah continued to walk forward albeit a bit more cautiously. Despite knowing what the riddle foretold he was slightly surprised of the sheer number of what used to be animals. They remained on the ground motionless since the flesh had fallen from them ages ago. Feeling slightly content with the emptiness of the room Noah relaxed himself and softened his grip on Bridget. Through out the entire situation he had failed to notice that his grip had continuously tightened and loosened depending on how he had felt.

It was only silent for a brief amount of time before the chattering of the two children filled the air. He payed half attention to what it was they were talking about. With their accent he was already having issue understanding pointless words that they spat out to them. "They won't shut up will they." He said humorously to himself a he eyed room. On it's own the room seemed empty and didn't seem to hold any exit that he could make out from a quick glimpse. A slight movement on the floor caught his attention as he witnessed the bones vibrate and regain the life they once held. Looking back towards the group, specifically the two newcomers, he took quick notice the malicious intent behind their faces. "What the hell are you two d-" feeling something impact with his stomach Noah's breath escaped his lungs unwillingly as he bent forward onto his knees gasping for breath. It took him a few moments before he could recompose himself and stand up straight. However, during that brief time lapse the entire room had turned from calm into complete disarray. The two twins had vanished and Noah only caught a quick glimpse of them as they dragged Daniel behind in a makeshift prison. Lilly and Nat seemed to be the only ones that had gained damage from the ordeal. Taking a look at the girl who had let go of his hand right as he had fallen to his knees he felt a slight relief as she seemed uninjured.

“I am fine, Holly, certainly… I… I am so sorry… I should have investigated more before I allowed for any of you to enter this place… It had appeared to be nothing more than an abandoned, buried floor with a couple monsters here and there… Not… this…”

As those words entered the ears of Noah his mind snapped. Within seconds he was standing next to the fallen expert with his hands at the man's throat. Using his strength he lifted the small man off the floor and slammed him against the wall that stood the closest. "You're sorry? You're sorry!?!" Noah reached into his pocket and took out his knife and held it's tip near the man's jaw. "You knew them! You knew what they were and what they're capable of! Yet you said nothing!" He pressured the edge against the man's skin cutting only with the tip but didn't go any further. "If I didn't think you were the only chance we have of surviving in this place I would kill you right now!" He stared into the man's eyes seeing his own reflection of pure hate and anger it only fueled him as every second that passed urged him more and more to end the man's life. Until finally he lifted the knife and slammed down allowing it to impact an inch away from Nat's ear. Leaving the knife stuck on the wall he gripped Nat's mask with his left hand and tore it off before using his right hand, that had been holding Nat's throat, to throw him on the floor roughly and uncaring for the injury he already held. "If you want any trust from us then start talking. Even if you don't care for us your own life must mean something to you unless if you're a spineless rat." Gripping his knife he yanked it out with slight force and pocketed it back into his pants. He stepped past the other man waiting for him to react.

Upon hearing the cries of a male as it resonated from what seemed to be everywhere Noah gained a chill that vibrated against his patience. "Talk!" he yelled out to Nat. Barely hearing Bridget speak his mind calmed a fraction as he began to realize that his actions might be frightening to those around him. However, he knew there wasn't time to simply think about the feelings of others at this point.

I need a drink. Noah thought to himself solemnly.

[Ru]

Nat rolled a 2. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Riddle." Will be implemented in a later post.
Boots rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in post.
Tiffany rolled a 12. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Kidnap." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.

New Rolls

Nat, 4; Boots 8.

Down in the Bellows Where Agony Dwells

Though her concern for Nat grew, Holly remained close to Tiffany as she continued to tremble and barely remain even remotely sane. It was unlikely for her to dodge insanity for much longer and shocking she had made it this far without collapsing under the weight. Ever since she was a child she always had Howl by her side to help guide her and fight off her demons, but he was gone and it was likely he was never coming back. Tiffany and Nat were her last links to reality which kept her going, reminding her there were still people who wanted her to be safe.

When the paranormal expert apologized her heart fell to the floor. In his pleading eyes she knew it was purely genuine, but what she felt he was really apologizing to her for was the worst she feared: Howl was dead. Truthfully she was jumping to conclusions and overanalyzing. Nat was merely apologetic for ever bringing them into this place, especially before analyzing the scenario further, but it was her take on it. The numbness she had felt prior to entering this room disappeared and in its place with utter sorrow. Tears flooded down her face in waves as it dawned on her the sheer amount of horror and despair she had witnessed today and as Noah took Nat away from her she fell down to her knees without a care concerning the bone pieces pricking at her legs. Howl had to be gone… There was no realistic way he couldn’t after seeing what all of these creatures were capable of. Manipulating bones, changing realities, teleporting… this was all too much for her.

Holly’s torso collapsed forward, face palming against her thighs as she cried loudly. Any of the monsters could take her; none of it mattered anymore. They should have taken her in the first place. Howl never would have thought of the asinine idea of facing these horrendous beasts if it hadn’t been for the fact she was afraid. If he wasn’t so obsessed with being her hero he would still be by her side. They could have just moved elsewhere; she could have let her pride go and allow the brawler to pay for the rent for a better place. He had offered time and time again and she kept refusing, insisting to live on her own. The fine line between insanity and remaining sane was cracking beneath her as she mumbled continuously under her breath, “Come back, Howl… please… come back…”

The ghost child hovered above Boots, though she was only visible to this weeping girl. She delicately placed a hand on her back as though to comfort her, however Holly was unable to feel anything.

As Noah’s fingers curled around Nat’s neck he gasped for air, more so when he was slammed against the wall. The sudden jerked movement caused the lion’s rib bone protruding from his shoulder to move, sending a shockwave of pain through his entire body as he cringed. Physical strength was never a strong suit of his nor would it ever be. He attempted to form the words he meant to speak, but all that came out were gasps and grunts and whimpers as he wriggled beneath Noah’s strength. It was when he was tossed to the ground that the impact managed to pop the rib bone out entirely, in which he failed to stifle his scream.

More blood was coughed out of his mouth, dripping onto the floor in a red puddle. Without his surgical mask it was hard to hide the more subtle of changes if he continued on aiding them as he had been. Nat kept his head low to the ground even as he pressed his palms against it to left his upper torso up. His long bang hide what his mask was attempting to conceal the entire time: he grew fangs. Not those minor canines typically seen in vampire flicks with they revealed their true nature and were about to suck blood. No, they were much longer and his front teeth were now pointed as well. Prior to entering the basement his teeth were perfectly straight and his canines were no different than anyone else’s.

Tears dripped onto the floor, mixing with the blood he had just coughed up. A shadow seemingly rose from his back and lunged viciously at Noah, knocking him onto the ground, and then proceeded to wrap around his neck as it slammed his head against the wall. Abruptly it stopped just in front of the lad’s face as Nat rose his hand and managed to speak. “Stop, Xan.” The enraged yellow eyes of the shadowed creature glared into Noah’s then slinked back towards Nat. It wrapped around the paranormal expert and appeared to be lifting him up to his feet. Nat kept his palm over his mouth as he spoke with his eyes focused on the ground.

“What I told you I saw when we were upstairs… was the truth. When I came down here all I saw was the Shadow Man, a Naga, and the slugs… If I saw the twins I never would have let anyone come down here…” his thoughts trailed off. He glanced over at the creature beside him whom he called, “Xan,” and then over at Boots as she continued to have a breakdown. “The only… concern was the Shadow Man… Usually that type of Naga does not inflict harm unless threatened first… Logically if we stuck together and hid the women we could find their source, destroy it, and then send them back to… well… I guess most of you would consider it Hell… It is not an accurate description… More like various dimensions… but,” he realized he was beginning to ramble and stopped.

It was hard to focus on explaining to Noah and the rest of them when Holly was curled in a ball crying so loudly. Physical contact terrified him, but she was the closest he ever had to family ever since his parents were taken from him. He was silent as he knelt down beside her, running a hand down her back in some attempt to comfort her as the shadow spiraled around Nat’s arm to cover his wound. “Yes… they know me… but…” he glanced over at Xan and winced a tad as the shadowy form began to glow. “it… isn’t what you or Daniel think, Noah… Your name was Noah, right?” It probably had not dawned on any of them he had not been properly introduced. Sure, they all knew his name was Nat and he was a paranormal expert, but he had no idea who they really were. “It is… merely what they wanted you to think…”

“You need not explain yourself to any of them, Nathaniel. You have done far more than ask of you,” came a low, baritone voice. Due to Nat glancing over at the shadowy figure it was easy to presume it came from it.

“They are unaware of anything I have done, Xan. To them all I have done is lead them to their death blindly…” Nat sighed and looked over at Noah, forcing himself to lock eyes with him. “They know me… because a long time ago I made a deal with one of them, but… they are not all as terrible as humankind makes them out to be… I have had Xan by my side ever since…” Nat trailed off, his vision blurring. His stomach tied in knots and continuing on with this thought was far too unbearable for him. Quickly he changed the topic, as a history lesson on Nat is not what Noah was seeking in the first place. “Their high prophet… oracle… Whatever you may wish to call them… foretold of a human bonding with the last roaming, purebred spirit of an extinct race. How they would agree to never interfere with inhuman affairs so long as it meant they could be granted magical abilities and to be allowed to live in seclusion without having to abide by human law. This oracle claimed this human would reign supreme as their next king and rightful leader, due to the consequences which came forth from breaking the agreement.”

He paused and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he let out a long sigh, averting his pupils towards the ground before he dared to look back at Noah. “There is a reason so many elders and wise men insist to never roam in the Devil’s playground. Why Ouija boards are so highly frowned upon and summoning rituals are damned. Unless the person is highly trained and knows exactly what they are doing… And I… I…” Nat shook his head, realizing he was going off on a tangent again. He removed his hand from his moved, revealing the massive, sharp teeth which were presently in his mouth. “Each time I interfere with a demon’s plan I start to become one…” his eyes softened and he laid his head on Holly’s back. Her heart rate was increasing rapidly and with the amount of water she was crying it was likely she was going to be dehydrated soon. “Holly—”

Before he could continue the shadows in a corner began to warp as the possessed Cait entered the room just as she had before. Somehow she slipped through the floorboards and stepped towards them with a long, eerie grin. “Oh, Nathaniel, brauchen Sie nicht zu erklären. Du bist ohne Verschulden in meinem Gebiet, aber ich empfehle Ihnen für Ihre heroische Haltung, wie Sie diese Menschen zu retten versuchen. Allerdings sind Ihre Bemühungen fruchtlos,” somehow her speech continued to be in German despite her Scottish heritage. The voice was of a lower tonality than Cait’s, significantly. It also held an otherworldly rasp to it just as it had when it whisked Howl away. Still dawned in nothing but the roughly buttoned collared shirt from the man she slept with last week she approached Tiffany, her head jerked to the side. She snickered before speaking again, “Jetzt bist du dran.”

Nat’s eyes shot back inside his head as he jumped to his feet and lunged himself forward. “No!” he screamed, knocking the possessed Cait to the ground who merely laughed maniacally at him. “Not another one! Let them go. I cannot stand this anymore!” His left eye winced, twitching as he tried to ignore the pain of his ears thinning and elongating into points similar to an elf’s.

“Tsk, tsk…” she shook her head, kneeing Nat in the chest, and then pushing him off her. Cait stabbed her painted nails right through Xan and into the fleshy wound of his shoulder, twisting it about. “Ohne Ihre Befugnisse du bist gegen mich unbrauchbar. Du würdest mehr sparen, wenn Sie Ihr Schicksal zu akzeptieren.” She pulled it out, letting the blood drip onto his scrawny, bare chest before she propelled forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Tiffany. “Auf Wiedersehen!” the voice chimed, disappearing through the floor as it had earlier with Howl.

Nat laid there with his eyes closed as Xan tightly around his arm, attempting to heal him at a faster rate than before. His blood forming a pool beneath him as he focused primarily on breathing. “He is right, Xan… I cannot let him—”

“If you give in then we all lose, Nathaniel. Do not think merely of the small bit of humanity, but as a whole. You are not yet strong enough to hold such power.”

“Nonononononononono,” Holly panicked under her breath, barely able to maintain herself any longer. She peaked through her hair over where Tiffany once stood as her heart pounded abusively against her chest and heaved in her attempts to breathe. “This… no… nonononononononono….” she placed her hands on the area where the two disappeared into, feeling around as though she could somehow open it. “No… nononononono… Nat! No… no… no nonononononononono….”

He let his head fall to the side so he could look in her direction, until Xan finished healing him there wasn’t much moving he could do at this point. His body was too frail to withstand the amount of damage being dealt to him. “Holly… I am so sorry… so sorry…” I hurt… the only person who was ever a friend to me…

[Preach]

[17]

Everything that was happening - it was basically like she was reliving her night terrors. Except, naturally, they were now real. Bridget was making a superhuman effort to ignore that fact. As long as she dissociated herself from the situation as much as possible and convinced herself it was unreal, not happening, fake, she would be fine, she would be able to keep moving. It was a nightmare. Just like before. Just another nightmare. It must be. How could any of this be real? How could she find herself in a weird demonic basement surrounded by strangers and bones and bleeding bodies? She couldn’t, that’s how. Or maybe she could. She pushed that away immediately, keeping herself cocooned by the deep, deep, numb denial she had defensively submerged herself in. Because! Haha! How could any of it be real?!?

She stared at the void. Someone started crying - howling, almost. Bridget shut her eyes, trying to drown out the sound. Seeing or second-handedly experiencing anyone’s fear or sorrow would make her have to deal with her own feelings… and once she did, she knew there would be no turning back. No! She couldn’t think like that. This was just another nightmare, she would deal with this like she had dealt with those. By pulling through, by besting whatever came at her. She found herself shaking her head, trying to shake away the thoughts that would make her succumb to fear. There was no time for that.

Bridget turned slightly, not giving her full back to the darkness of the doorway. She saw Nat, bleeding, and Noah, aggressing. Nat… then a shadow - another shadow?!?- rose up and knocked Noah back, strangling him. She choked back a scream. It was in that moment that a tendril of terror got through her mental fortress, when she realized that Noah was real, and Noah was really getting hurt. She realized that having Noah around was strongly contributing to her grip on the situation. He was her anchor. If he went down, she wasn't sure if she would be able to hold on to herself.

She made her way shakily to where Noah had been slammed against a wall - obviously her body hadn’t caught up with the mental blocks her conscious and unconscious mind had been working so admirably to set up- and went beside him, placing a hand on his forearm in an attempt to be comforting. She had never really been good at inter-personal interactions, but… Noah had saved her life, he was helping her keep herself together, even if he didn’t know it. Surely, if anyone deserved for her to push her reservations aside, it was him. While she listened intently to what Nat was saying, her eyes stayed on Noah, trying to gauge if he was hurt, though she didn’t know the first thing about medicine or physical health.

What Nat was saying… it was very fanciful. She found herself not believing him, and then stifled an inappropriate giggle. How could she not believe him?! Considering where she was, what she’d seen, how could she not believe him?!? Her eyes immediately darted to the shadows moving about in a corner as she caught them in her peripherals, and her breath caught in her throat once again as she saw what was happening. Grip tightening on Noah’s arm, she watched wide-eyed as the ghostly German girl fought with demon-kid Nathaniel, and was honestly more frightened by Nat's increasingly demonic appearance than by another ghostly kidnapping. Mainly because Nathaniel had previously looked so human -eccentric, yes- but human, and seeing him transform further with a shadow suctioned to his body was absolutely jarring. He had the ears, and teeth, what was next? Claws? Skin? Hair? All of the above? She hoped she wouldn't find out. Bridget didn’t understand German, but she thought it was unlikely that whatever was living down here could have picked a more aggressive sounding language if they’d tried.

And the girl was still crying. Hysterically. Bridget took a breath. Then another, bringing herself down from the brink of fear, just like what she did in her nightmares. The girl needed to stop crying, it wasn’t helping anyone - in fact, it was making the situation worse. The crying reminded Bridget of a petulant child, and that made her angry. Bridget was oblivious to the fact that Holly had lost several of her good friends horrifically and in a very short time. She breathed her anger out, determined to stay neutral and numb, as letting one negative emotion in would doubtless lead to many more. Once Nathaniel had finished his monologue, she spoke to Noah, finally lessening her grip, but not letting go.

"Are you alright?" She didn't know what else to say, this whole 'comfort' thing was new to her. "Do you... want your jacket back?" She looked away from him and at the dark passage, then back at him, then glanced uncomfortably at the group. "We really need to keep moving?" It wasn't a question, but her voice inflected at the end unconsciously, showing that even though she wasn't a crying puddle like Holly, she truly had no idea what was going on. In all the folklore she had ever read, nothing good ever came of standing still, so she repeated herself, trying to sound more assertive. She looked directly at Noah, "We need to keep moving."

[Merry]

Lilly gathered her strength and stood up from where she had fallen. After the attack from the bones, she had been knocked back and had just watched the scene unfold, like some awful horror movie. You watch and watch and just know something bad is going to happen, but you’re powerless to stop it. She had stayed still, crouched against the wall, trying to will herself into invisibility, without much success. She couldn’t help but listen to Nat as he spoke, barely breathing so as to not draw attention to herself during his, explanation. The whole scene just felt surreal to her. She couldn’t stop the small gasp that had escaped her lips, when he made the claims about his “deal” with ..well, whatever these things were. The shudder of revulsion she felt was automatic as the information sunk into her conscious thoughts.

Watching him as he spoke, she noticed him attempting to hide his appearance. She was positive he was somehow changing, becoming something or someone else, and that was making her more frightened than anything. Up until now, she had been pushing the thoughts toward some explanation. It had to be this, or could be that. But now, as she really focused her attention on him, this real person in their midst, her photographer’s eye picked up on the slight changes. His ears, his mouth. He was changing. She was sure of it. One thing was certain, that whatever he was becoming she absolutely positive that she did not want to be there to see it.

Hearing Bridget, close to Noah, she moved near to them, still feeling an attachment to Noah. We need to keep moving. “No.” she contradicted the girl, “we need to get the fuck out of here. Now.” Lilly lamented. The spinning bone fragments had scratched her on the back of her hands as she had attempted to protect herself from their activities. Her hands were riddled with scrapes and cuts, mostly small in nature and none too deep. She had however sustained a nasty gash, a few inches long that was bleeding along the edge of her hairline. Her palm came away bright red as she wiped what she could from her face. The blood beginning to mat into her blonde hair, and become more noticeable against her pale skin. Seeing her fingers covered in the blood, she wiped it onto her shorts and pushed the nausea away at the site of it. She silently thanked herself, again, for having not eaten much today, as it surely would have been expelled from her stomach by this point.

“You need to stop crying” she snapped toward the girl Holly. “If you don’t stop they will hear you and then come back….” she left off the rest of the statement, not wanting to voice any more of her feelings aloud to the group, as they all seemed to be disintegrating faster by the minute. “Someone tell me, How do we get the fuck out of here” she pleaded with them.

Feeling the urge to scream at them all in frustration, and knowing it would do no good other than to add to the noise of the girl wailing.

[Public_Hazard]

Stroking his hand through his hair in a calm manner Noah stood with his back facing Nat; a few drops of sweat dripped from his tense back disappearing as they hit the fabric of his pants. With arms crossed against his chest and tense eyes staring at the dark passage Noah was holding his emotions at bay in fear of lashing at the other man again. Having noticed a bone pop out of the other man's shoulder, followed by a scream of pain, Noah had grown a sliver of patience as he waited for Nat to compose himself. However, that time limit was quickly running out as Noah's own heartbeat was beating down like a clock with each heavy thump against his chest. By the end of the tenth beat Noah was done waiting and turned towards Nat, his mind was focused on getting answers and nothing more. "Nat I told you to-" cutting off his own words Noah remained silent as he took in the image of the paranormal expert. Having been the witness of images and corpses far beyond what anyone should lay eyes Noah hesitantly took a step back out of instinct rather than fear. The large protruding fangs revealing themselves from Nat's mouth left a rather uncertain feeling of danger in Noah he didn't understand what was happening but he wasn't going to simply stand there unprotected. Yet even then the events continued to stack onto each other as a dark shadow emerged from behind Nat, gleaming eyes staring darkly at Noah. "Nat behind you!" to his own surprise his words did little as the creatures lunged at him instead of the defenseless man on the floor.

Feeling a large force against his chest Noah could do little as his body shot towards the ground impacting roughly against a few bones that lay scattered around him. Instantly his hand gripped his chest in pain as his body bent forward to ease the pain of bones cutting into the back of his skin, a few cuts already adding onto the large X scare on his back. The next instant Noah felt a tightening around his neck as it lifted him roughly from the floor with ease. Gasping once in desperate need to breathe Noah attempted to grip the creature but found his hands limp to his side as a resonating thump echoed in the air.

Having been the recipient of a quick match between bone and concrete Noah had lost the fight as the creature bashed his head against the wall continuously. Although looking painful Noah did not feel a single impact as his mind shut down from the force and entered a short hibernation "When are you coming home?" his mother's sweet voice filled his ears as it subtly disappeared and his mind rebooted his body. Almost as if static was covering his vision with a black and white image his heavy eyes stared at the creature holding him in place. "Stop, Xan." the white eyes of the creature slowly regained their yellow color as Noah's mind continued to sharpen his senses to their original state. His body could barely even sense the loss of pressure on his throat and lungs as the creature now named Xan slithered away from him. Not having the strength to stand Noah slid down the wall staring blankly ahead as he continued to ask himself; where am I? As if awakening from a nightmare Noah was hesitant on what exactly was the reality of the situation. Was he still in a dream? he asked himself before feeling a pressure against his arm. Placing herself next to him Noah examined the girl for a few seconds before forming a coherent name for the girl "Bridget." his voice came out void of emotions. Slowly drifting his eyes towards another girl, Lilly he told himself, and then towards the other man who had begun to talk to him.

Remaining silent the entire time Noah attempted to understand everything that Nat spoke of while also trying to piece together the fragments of the night before and this morning. "A contract..." he said softly but with more life in each word. Despite his subconscious attempting to acknowledge the past events as a simple dream he fought it off and accepted what the other man was saying. Looking towards Boots Noah watched her as she continued to mourn over the loss of their companions; Howl in particular. He would have attempted to comfort the girl but at the moment he felt incredibly weak and light headed. In fact the entire time since he had awoken his eyes were attempting to send him into another blissful sleep to escape everything.

As if fate had it in for him Noah watched as another being joined them. "Cait..." he said with shock. He attempted to move but his feet were unresponsive lacking the force to stand. Feeling helpless he could only listen and watch as she began to speak in German, his mind analyzing and understanding each word she said with a dulled mentality. In another desperate attempt Noah slowly moved from his place as he witnessed Cait take a hold of Tiffany who had been standing silently the entire time. His body didn't make it far as a massive pain seared through his back and head forcing him back into his previous sitting position. As he looked back up from shutting his eyes and holding in his screams of pain he took in the last image of Cait and Tiffany as they vanished through the floor.

"Are you alright?"

Turning towards Bridget a few tears slipped down his eyes as he simply stared at her out of simple need for comfort.

"We need to keep moving."

Upon hearing those words Noah let his head slip away from the wall letting it hang roughly as he stared at his lap. After moving his head a clear image of a large blood stain became visible as it attached itself to the wall his head had been leaning on. A few drops were already beginning to follow the laws of gravity as they slithered down the wall reflecting the same image that was currently on Noah. His once gray hair had turned a deep red as blood continued to flow slowly from an open wound on the back of his head continuing down and outlining the his scar. Much like his blood Noah's tears continued to drip towards to the earth as he could barely hold onto both the emotional and physical pain he was feeling. He felt defeated. His body didn't want to move anymore.

“We need to get the fuck out of here. Now.”

Noah let out a silent laugh as he listened to Lilly speak her mind about leaving this place. His adrenaline had washed away and currently Noah was feeling every painful movement he took. Lifting his hand he pushed away the tears that lingered on his eyes as he forced himself to stand. His feet shook under his weight as he gripped the wall and Bridget for support. "Xan." Noah looked at the dark entity who had assaulted him moments ago. "You care for Nat in a way I can only strongly assume is more important than your need for the rest of us and our lives." Feeling a slight wave of Nausea flow through him he leaned softly against the wall before continuing. "We're the same in that aspect, I care for these people like you care for Nat... enough to risk my life for them to get out." He looked at the only remaining people in the room. "Tell me what I have to do, I'll do anything that will get them out of here. Just tell me if there is anything I can do." the disparity in his eyes reflected his conviction as he took a few steps towards Nat and Xan. Forcing his body to hold it's footing he stood in front of them. He felt tired and weak. He felt very human, and that felt good to him.

[Mozaic]

8

Reapers…. “Fascinating,” she said. There were so many questions rattling her head none of which were appropriate for their current predicament. They probably wouldn’t be able to answer them anyways as the girl said, they didn’t know their original origin.

She brought out her notebook deciding to make a note of them, and the other events taking place as they went through the lion’s door. This way if anything happened or any more people were lost besides herself she would have something to make sense of. Though it would be a lot more helpful to know the entirety of things.

Bones began zipping about, forming around yet another victim before the twins disappeared with him. It was all starting to be rather random. Why not take them all at once if they were all meant to be sacrificed? Was this the tenderizing portion of their ritual? Did they need a certain amount of erratic emotion to send off to the flame?

Even as she took note of what was going on her mind began to wonder off. Nothing was seeming all that strange anymore after everything that had taken place, and so it made it that much harder to stay in reality especially being one who tried so hard to avoid it.

She peered up at the sound of German words against a foreign accent. The two voices didn’t synchronize well, but the tone altogether didn’t seem to be coming from the right host. At any rate this woman took with her yet another, and their group became even smaller.

Nyx slammed her notebook shut. “Quite the contrary. I think she should continue crying, get it all out now. She has reason,” she said pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. It was a peace of peach silk with purple flowers and a couple buzzing bumble bees. It was a bit tattered, but that made sense since she had it a very long time. “Besides they already know we’re here. They’re already coming back. Or have you not caught on?”

“You however, need to collect yourself. You seem about ready to throw yourself into a fit.” She let out a chuckle after, but not at the girl, at herself. Since when did she give a damn about other people? “You all are right though. We need to get moving though I’m not sure, not many of you seem to be in the shape for going anywhere.”

She found herself moving over to Holly. “Here… will you let me wipe your tears.” She crouched down in front of her holding the handkerchief out.

[Ru]

Nat rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Kidnap." Will be implemented in post.
Boots rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Nothing." Nothing will occur.
Bridget rolled a 17. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Lilly did not provide a roll. Game Master has rolled for Lilly; Lilly rolled a 16. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Riddle." Will be implemented in post as well as previous Riddle roll which has yet to be implemented.
Noah did not provide a roll. Game Master has rolled for Noah; Noah rolled a 14. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Nyx rolled an 8. An outside roll was made. Result received, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.

Dice Rolls

Boots, 3.

Still Down the Rabbit Hole

Xan’s eyes narrowed in speculation as Noah spoke to him; not once did his gaze falter as he listened to the human male. During this time he continued to heal Nat’s shoulder, who was having a hard time keeping his eyes open due to the physical trauma due to his body not being able to withstand much. His healing capabilities were going as fast as his powers would allow, but even then it did not feel like enough. The longevity gave the demon a chance to hear the human’s words as well as watch the reactions of the others in this group now that the truth was revealed and their numbers dwindled. However, it was not his concern.

“Upon death you will keep your consciousness. Your thoughts, feelings, beliefs. The true ones. Those falsely expressed behind a mask of pride or wrath will falter, lest you befall a fate igniting it. Die in hatred and awaken as a spirit filled with vengeful rage. Die in regret and walk the halls until your desire is met. The only true way to remain trapped is to hold on tightly to your mortal longings instead of allowing a reaper to take you to your rightful place in the Spirit World. However, this is these are the results in the death of a fleshed being; one whom still maintains their physical form.” His attention was momentarily diverted to Nat as he checked on the healing progress, which was not reassuring.

The paranormal expert groaned beneath the shadowy figure whose form was similar to a long, thick, black ribbon extending from his back with pointed ears at the very top. Keeping his teal eyes open was becoming far more of a hassle than it should be from the bleeding wound, but combined with growing fangs and elongated ears the pain was tenfold. The more he threw himself at the monsters; and attempted to stop their plans the more he would be thwarted and forced into another transformation. Was remaining in Nat’s shadow and allowing him to boldly make the decisions the best idea? His intentions were true, but was the cost worth it?

The thoughts rolled around in Xan’s mind for only a second, and then his yellow slits were tilted back over to Noah. “Those lacking a physical form merely disappear. Upon the second death is evaporation, lest ye follow your reaper guide.” There was a brief pause. Speaking to a human other than Nat was a tad challenging. Due to his experience, his companion needed less explanation to get the point he wished to portray. On top of this, Xan was not accustomed to the modern ways of man. “A bond formed in the midst of trauma only moments ago cannot compare to one created a decade ago.

I do not protect out of obligation, pride, or duty. My contract does not control my actions. As long as Nathaniel is safe I will accept cease of existence as my fate. He should not have come.

The force keeping you down here is controlled by a higher power — one beyond your own comprehension. Attempting to return now is futile; remaining in this room is futile; and pressing onward does not promise lives kept.

Your physical form is not something to be wasted and offered eagerly. Once it is gone you cannot get it back. You need not play the hero, Noah Harrison.”

Boots gazed up at Nyx, perplexed by her kind gesture. During her moments of tears she had entirely forgotten she was still here and even those around her. After a few blinks she was able to see who was being so nice to her only to see the strange girl she knew nothing of. A part of her heart had wished it was Tiffany or Howl claiming this was all a terrible dream it was time to wake up from. Next she had expected one of her neighbors, but they were caught in their own thoughts and concerns.

The black clothed girl let out a soft sigh as she looked at the Lolita through black, mangled bangs practically plastered to her pale face. She loosened her grip and allowed herself to escape her ball, staring wide-eyed and confused. As Nyx continued to wipe her tears Holly looked over at what was left of her group, causing her heart to sink further. Two strangers, two neighbors she seldom spoke to, and Nat with a bizarre spirit entity she had heard of but never seen prior to today.

Then there was a creaking sound only Bridget and Noah could hear at first as the door to the previous room shut and suddenly the wall from that side began to scoot towards them, forcing them in the direction of the next door. The dark walls ran over the bones with ease, sending splinters of them across the room as they were crushed.

At first Holly sat there frozen, but managed to scramble herself up and stumble out the door. She tripped and somersaulted down the next hallway a bit, causing her brain to feel scrambled. The kindergarten teacher noted the only light present in this damp, sewage like hall was a lit torch protruding from one of the walls. She was in too much of a daze to clue in to jump up and grab it.

Xan’s head jerked over in the direction of the wall closing in on them, to Nathaniel, to the next exit, and then back to Nathaniel. “Your journey ends here, my friend.” His dark form wrapped around the short man and not long after the two of them both disappeared.

No matter how they managed it everyone made it out of the hallway, though Nyx was the last of the pack. She barely made it in the knick of time as the wall slammed against the door’s opening and prevented them from ever making it back out the way they came. As it collided it shot up bone fragments which shot into Nyx’s back, though in no immediately vital areas. Blood did drip down her spine, though the necessary bone was in tact. The pain did manage to knock her down on the ground.

Boots crawled over to Nyx, cringing at the sight of the shards sticking out of her. Carefully she removed each fragment one by one before she dug around in her hoodie pocket and pulled out some large band-aids she had been carrying around. Earlier she would have used them, if anyone injured actually stayed long enough; or, ya know, in the event she wasn’t freaking out over everything. Delicately she unzipped the back of the strange girl’s dress, placing a bandage in each area to prevent further bleeding. After she returned the zipper to the top of the garment it had finally dawned on her: Nat was missing.

Large eyes examined in the room in waves as she looked up and down each person left standing before she reached the blocked exit. “No… no no…” Holly darted over to the wall, pounding against it. “No! No! Nat! Please… no no no no… Not you too! Please! No!” As she pounded dust flaked off, revealing a new riddle beneath it.


”I'm a Queen, and you know I've reign'd,
Yet strange, for I never was seen,
Tho' foreigners all are convinc'd,
That in every country I've been.

But stranger than this it will seem,
When I tell you I never yet stirr'd!
Yet have visited houses at noon,
Tho' the night I've rather preferred.

In desolate ruins I dwell,
I take abode in the graves;
I sometimes reign over the streams,
But seldom am known on the waves.

I never attend at a feast,
I never appear at a ball;
You'll call me unsociable too,
For I'm never at home when you call.

When mirth has subsided I come,
Alone to enjoy my sweet ease;
But, alas! I so sensitive am,
I expire the moment you sneeze.”

Whether it was best to figure out the answer or press on was unknown. What will you do next?

[Merry]

roll ; 7

Lilly took a deep breath and force herself to calm down, after the "You seem about ready to throw yourself into a fit.” comment directed at her, she realized she was starting to panic. The lead feeling in the pit of her stomach was getting worse, and she didn't know how much more of this situation she could take without completely losing it. Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseous all at once she just focused on her breathing, not saying anything to anyone. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. It became like a mantra, helping her focus and not slip into a total melt down. With one last deep breath, in and out, she shoved her hands as deep into her pockets at they would allow, if only to to try and stop them from shaking.

When the wall pushed them forward, she had no choice but to move with the group. With the option of being crushed, or moving along? Was there really wasn't a choice. Self preservation always wins out, so she moved, and quickly.

When Holly started screaming, about someone else, she noticed that there was indeed someone missing, again. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed until the commotion with Holly. She moved over to the girl and grabbed at her arm, trying to stop what she thought was a another episode of screaming. "Hey, hey... " she said, holding one of the girls hands in her own, "Stop! you'll hurt yourself" she said trying to get the girl to stop banging on the wall, coughing a bit due to the dust flying about the space. Noticing the writing for the first time, she paused in trying to stop Holly, letting her arm go as she read the riddle. "What the hell does that mean?" she muttered.

"Now what do we do?" she asked, her eyes locating Noah, biting her lip hard to stop from crying, as the fear came rushing back.

[Preach]

Bridget [19]
Noah [9]

Bridget gave a silent thank you as the other remaining people took the time to stop the cries of the fallen girl. With her ears no longer being strained by unnecessary noise she listened closely to Noah's words, her head nodding with each word he spoke. However, internally she was doubtful- could he really have come to care for this group of people so quickly? Well, it didn’t matter. She was determined to get out of here alive despite all the odds against them. Though, admittedly, as Xan responded to Noah his speech about the finality of death was not comforting or reassuring in the slightest to her resolve. She could almost feel the same effect on Noah as he trembled slightly against her touch. His skin had turned an unhealthy white and his body heat was lacking to some degree.

"If you don't understand even after a decade, then you wouldn't understand now..." Noah whispered silently his words barely even audible to Bridget. Her head tilted slightly almost unsure if she had heard him speak that sentence or if if her mind had begun to imagine things. "What do you mean?" she whispered back but received no reply except a subtle look from the man.

Hero; Noah didn't think himself as the image of a hero, nor did he want to be the bearer of that title in what could be considered a nightmare. After all, a hero would encompass the hope of all those around him and rise them out of the abysmal abyss they had wandered into. From what he could vividly remember he had yet to save anyone from their fates and his own lack of action had been partial reason behind why a few others were there with them at the moment. He could feel the guilt lurking in his heart followed by the a slight panic of what Xan had spoken of the soul. The very thought of dying down here for a pointless reason sent chills across his spine. Yet, despite all these thoughts they weren't the reason behind why he let his tongue slip.

Suddenly, much to the dismay of all those in the room, an unexpected sound began to resonate around them… un-settlingly, the eerie creeks of metal clicked on the memories of what a closing door sounded like. Bridget, who still remained by Noah's side, looked at where the sound was coming from as she realized much like the others that it was in fact a closing door causing the disturbance. Her heart was frozen in place; it's icy beat causing her veins to follow along in it's example as she remained wide-eyed, mind completely blank, and motionless as to what actions she should take. A subtle motion from her arm caused her frozen neck to turn towards Noah as he began to scoot back pulling her along with him. Having noticed the walls begin their sudden motion Noah had made a futile attempt to make quick haste towards the exit. His head injury was still affecting his movement as a surge of pain ran up his back at his quick motions. He could feel his heart begin to race, screaming to his body to move with each thump while his mind did the opposite and began to close his eyes slowly. Feeling his arms being pulled his legs began to pick up their pace unconsciously as Bridget was forced to hustle both of them through the passage before it crushed them. Their bodies jumped into the next room hitting the floor roughly against a few fragmented bones right as Noah lost consciousness once again.

---------------------------
Knock knock knock

"How was school son?" Noah's mother asked in a polite voice as the young boy entered her room. With her back turned towards him she kept quiet waiting for him to respond; her hands tending to a pot of tulips she had set near a window. Her smile grew as she heard him begin to make his way closer to her. "They look beautiful." he said with a slight strain in his voice ignoring her previous question. Noticing the unusual tone that stained his words she turned towards him with her eyebrows already showing her concern; "Are you -" she cut herself off as her body

crash

"Oh my god!" she screamed in shear panic as she instantly got up, a pile of broken glass and dirt laying on the floor behind her. Her eyes were already beginning to water as she took in the image of her son. His once gray hair was tattered in dark crimson blood patches with a few open wounds still flowing with fresh blood. His white shirt held crimson blotches and torn holes that revealed cuts of flesh that no longer hid the bones of his ribs. "Noah what happened! Who did this! We need to get you to the hospital!" her tears now flowed freely down her cheeks as she went to get her keys. Her feet stumbled as she pushed away anything that was in her way.

"Mother... are you safe?"

He spoke once again, his voice lacking in any emotions she would usually expect of her son. Confused with his words but more focused on getting him to see a doctor she answered quickly before motioning him towards the door. "Y-Yes I'm safe! Come on we need to go!" she pulled his arm as they made their way past a few doors and into her car. Making sure she didn't hurt him she settled him into his seat before starting the car. "I'm just happy you're safe..." Noah said softly before his cold eyes shut; his mind barely processed the image of his father standing behind the front window.

---------------------------
Opening his eyes once again, Noah examined the dark room as he caught Bridget doing the same; her eyes opening closing adjusting to the dimmer light. Bridget turned to look at the group and noticed that they were one person short. Nat, where was he? Another kidnapping? Their numbers were already dwindling and the loss of the paranormal expert was in her opinion something they couldn't afford. Feeling Noah next to her she slowly helped him up from their crouched positions.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Simultaneously turning their heads towards Lilly they made their way next to her before reading the words that were on the floor beneath them. Another riddle - Bridget's eyes roved over it, brows furrowed, as she tried to figure out an answer, momentarily distracted from her surroundings as her problem solving instincts kicked in. Doing the same as the girl next to her Noah thought over the riddle; his mind probed into his memories as he thought over the literature books he had read in the past. Silence.

Instantly his hands motioned towards the two standing girls, his right fully covering Lilly's mouth and his left hand's index finger covering Bridget's. "Shhh...." he shushed them as softly as he possibly could before bending over and writing out SILENCE on the dust beneath their feet. Cleaning off the dust on his pants he settled himself next to Holly. Grabbing her by her underarms he pulled her close to him allowing her head to rest on his shoulder effectively muffling some of her cries. He let one hand stroke her head out of comfort but mostly to keep her from moving away. His other wrapped around her tightly. Leaning hisg head closer he whispered softly into her ears. "Shhhh.... Holly please, to the best of your ability please get a hold of yourself. We need to remain quiet." It was subtle enough where only she could hear him as he continued to hold her close offering what little comfort he could muster within him.

Looking up at both the girls that stood close to him he motioned two of his fingers pointing at his eyes and then upwards and in a circle. Hoping they understood that he needed them to look around he continued to hold onto Holly and looking around to what little he could.

Bridget's didn't understand his circular motion, but her eyes darted away from Noah and towards the only light source in the room - the torch. It was instinctual - if they were going to stand around in silence, they might as well avoid standing around in darkness. She moved away from the group, immediately nervous to be distant from them, and approached the dingy wall where the lone torch was suspended. She quickly found that she was too short to reach it, but she was determined not to let that stop her - jumping up, the girl managed to grab it on the first try. It felt foreign and heavy in her hand. She was suddenly intensely aware of how small the passage was, and her breathing quickened nervously - she needed to get out. Her grip tightened on the torch as, warily, Bridget held the torch out in front of her to illuminate the passage. She looked back at where the others were huddled, asking a silent question - should they go forward?

[Mozaic]

Nyx- 18

There was a carefulness taken when wiping the girl’s tears. A carefulness to keep mentally distant while at the same time somewhat affectionate. She sensed a helplessness about her urging her to be kind. It wasn’t like she had ever tried desperately to be cruel, but the small gesture was far out of character. Although these days not so much. Time in her field of work had left her with broken walls. You couldn’t hold complete emotional distance when dealing with cases of murder or disoriented clients. Some mercy had to be given.

Once done Nyx stood up removing her jacket, and lapped it over her bag. Her eyes were just barely settled on Nat being dragged away by the shadowy thing when the walls started to come in. The notion didn’t strike her to move until most had already passed, and even then out of dimwitted politeness she allowed the others to venture ahead. There was time to make it out, however, not before fragments of bone stabbed through the flesh of her back.

Nyx fell over or more so dropped to the ground folding her arms under so she was not completely lying down. Her hat fell off in the process leaving the braided mass of brown hair to dangle over her neck. The rest of her hair fluttered across her face leaving only small crevices for green eyes to peer through. She closed them, and clenched her teeth trying to hold back any amount of whimpering. She slowly slinked her way down to being flat on the floor. All she wanted to do was lie there, and wait for the pain to subside.

What she didn’t expect was to find someone’s hands on her back. It caused tension to swell up. She didn’t quite understand even after she felt the release of the bone fragments, and the adhesive cling to her skin what exactly was going on, and what her reaction should be. She glanced up only a brief moment to see it was Boots. It shouldn’t have been as surprising she knew. After all out of everyone she was about the only person she had any real contact with. She also seemed nice.

She remained laying on the floor. There was really nothing more she could do. Her mind was still fuzzed over with confusion. Her body was also in a state of shock. She wasn’t used to strangers touching her or anyone for that matter especially with such care. It really wasn’t all that big of a deal, but Nyx was used to bandaging her own wounds or carelessly pretending they weren’t there. In this situation she would have gladly lied there until her back felt numb enough to move even if in a chin crawl across the floor. Her childish stubbornness of self-reliance made the situation feel a little embarrassing.

She felt a tad guilty not being the one to try to comfort Boots, but each of their debts had been repaid. It felt unnatural being a stranger who ran to her aide once more. She was glad when she heard Lilly making an attempt at comforting her.

A sudden silence took over the room. She didn’t move to investigated it instead her mind began to wander. The true purpose of why she had come here overwhelmed her so much so that she could feel the wetness under her eyes. Aunt Ellie was right, such foolishness was not fit for a woman of twenty-seven. Being so withdrawn had left her mentally stunted. However it had no bearing on what she felt now. What she sought was something she thought she’d never miss, the thrill of being the daughter of Nicola Bassanelli Jr.

[Ru]

Boots rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Monster." Will be implemented in post.
Lilly rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 19. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 9. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Riddle." Riddles will no longer be implemented. Outside roll has been re-rolled. Received result, "Nothing." Nothing will occur.
Nyx rolled an 18. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in
Dice Roll

Boots; 5.

Further Down They go

Fear immediately shot through her chest when she felt her arm being grabbed, though it subsided a tad when she realized it was Lilly and not another monster. Her features softened as the woman held onto one of her hands in some effort to comfort her. It was such a simple motion which should not have affected her so much, but — in light of the scenario held out towards them — it had become a salvation from the damned. Her comrades were gone, yes, but there were still others alive who seemed to care — maybe.

Even though her cries ceased the tears continued trickling down her cheeks around her nose and near her ears meeting under her chin where they formed into large drops drenching the collar of her shirt. With the amount of wet spots on her tee someone may think she got sprayed by water or was sweating like an out of shape man on a treadmill when it was merely the sheer amount of water that did not seem to cease. She could feel the dehydration from it take its toll as breathing felt heavier, but it came nowhere near to the amount of pain she felt seizing her heart.

Howl had been by her side since she was a toddler when he defended her on the playground against an obnoxious bully. Whenever she cried or was scared he was there within a matter of minutes ready to bash the face in whomever caused her negative emotions to arise. He came rushing to her aid immediately when he found out her brother had taken his life and she had locked herself inside of her room, refusing to eat or sleep. No one else cared, but he was the one who bashed down her door, dragged her out of her hellish house, and had her stay with him and his mom until they moved out on their own. If it wasn’t for her being so stubborn… they could have moved into a nicer place. He would still be alive.

Then Nat who came later in her life, but his loyalty never faltered. He was very attentive, except for those moments he became engorged in a project of his. Even though his methods were peculiar from the first time she laid eyes on him she knew not only was he bearing the burden of his past, but he sought to make due with it and use his abilities to help those around him. Time and time again she had seen others attempt to push him around only to see him smile reassuringly as though he understood they meant nothing personal by it; and instead he attempted to help them. Even to the very end he was sacrificing himself in some false hope to help the strangers he had come to meet and keep his only friend alive. I should have never asked you to come here…

Lastly there was Tiffany. Gosh, she was in love with her since they met in high school. Everything about her was beautiful to Holly from her proud demeanor to the way she wore her hair. She was never afraid to be herself, at least that was how Boots saw her. It was a trait of hers she envied and adored all in one. When she begged her to come here it was not so she would join their group and delve down into the basement, but because she was scared and wanted to be around the only person she had ever fallen in love with. Her presence was comforting even in silence, and because of her neediness… she was gone too.

Again her arms were grabbed, startling her as she was pressed into Noah’s chest. For a moment she was almost convinced Howl had returned until the man’s scent entered her nostrils and she was reminded the brawler was no longer there. She laid her face almost limply against him as he held her, stroking her head. Even if she wanted to make a sound at this point she honestly could not. There was an aching, stinging sensation throughout her esophagus due to her screaming and crying; she was amazed her eyes could even stay open with how much they hurt. She wanted nothing more than to go back in time and tell Howl they needed to leave here. Maybe even burn the place to the ground.

She buried her face against his chest and prayed for it all to be over.


“In silence you sat,
The door was cracked,
No one came to my aid.

Glass shattered,
Clothes tattered,
Do you remember my name?

Body broken,
Dress soakin’,
Nobody ever came.

Here you fight,
Try to survive,
Where were you when I was slain?”

The ghost of Katie appeared with part of her head poking out of the etched stone where the riddle had been engraved. At first she was only visible to Lilly and Nyx, though gradually she was in view to the entire party with her faded eyes locked onto Noah’s. Sorrow was emanate from her expression, though what was new was the underlying hint of betrayal.

She stepped forward, emerging from the stone entirely as she made her way over to him. The spirit moved her legs, the balls of her feet pressing down as though stepping on the floor despite hovering above it. Once she reached Noah she trailed a ghostly, cut up hand down the side of his face with a quivering lip. “You left me…” her soft voice cracked. “And now… I can’t leave…” The floor around them began to crumble, causing the characters to fall into the dark depths below as Katie continued to float in front of Noah. It was not until something shot out of the darkness and grabbed hold of her wrists that she was removed; the web like restraints forcing her down into the black abyss of the unknown without a trace.

Holly could not get herself to move, even when Katie was speaking. She clenched on tightly to Noah and firmed her grip when they began to fall out of pure fear. Then quite abruptly the cascade down into the hole stopped as she landed on top of him in yet another room. The drop was enough to get her body to ache, so she could only imagine the pain he must have felt not only falling, but having someone land on top of you from such a height as well. Immediately she rolled off him, then kicked herself into a corner of the very small room. Holly kept herself in a ball as she stared wide-eyed into the darkness as she attempted to adjust her eyes to it.

It was a pure, perfect black. Without the torch Bridget had grabbed the room would have been impossible to see, though it was no longer in her hands. It had fallen and rolled to the center of this foreign territory revealing just how cramped the space was. It was maybe the size of one of the rooms in Mythos Complex, but quite possibly even smaller. The party was scrunched together in the bottom right corner.

Somehow the only one who sustained any serious injuries was Bridget who managed to landed directly on her elbow with a loud crack. Some of the bones in her arm breaking from a combination of the fall and the weight pushed on it.

In the top left area of the room hovering there appeared to be Katie with her eyes rolled back and no apparent life left in her — even in spirit.

[Public_Hazard]

Noah [5]
Bridget [15]

Bridget's eyes darted around at the group of huddled people - friends? Could she call them friends? No,she realized, she couldn’t - but they were the only things reminding her of the mundane nature of the world outside this labyrinth-hell-dungeon and for that she was extremely grateful. Who would have thought she’d ever be relieved to be around other people, rather than anxious and neurotic? Just the thought of being here alone made her extremely uncomfortable. She looked back at the darkness ahead of them, expecting something to emerge from the void at any moment. While she was glad she was near the light and relative warmth of the torch, she suddenly felt like she would rather be huddled in the imagined safety of Noah’s arms rather than fending off the darkness for this group of people. Like anyone else she longed for the sensation of warmth during a time of panic and disarray. Feeling herself grow weak to her own needs she hesitantly averted her eyes from the shadows and looking towards Noah and Boots;her mind teasing her with images of herself in that position. Making eye contact with Noah she could tell he seemed calm; almost at peace in some way. Was having someone to hold that effective?

Noah averted his eyes from Bridget before allowing them to shut. For once in a very long time Noah could sense his lungs as he inhaled the still air in the room; a scent of burning wood adding to the dullness. Allowing his lungs to expand until he could feel them press against the ribs of his chest he exhaled it's contents. His single heavy breath was the only thing to be heard above the crackling of the torch beyond that it was only silent and to Noah it was somehow eerily comforting. His once edgy nerves slowly began to calmt hemselves as he let the warmth of Boot's body heat envelop him. Even his calloused hands had begun to lose their tension as they continued to softly hold the woman in his arms. The sensation was familiar to him; foreign, yet welcomed by his heart. Internally he knew how long it had been since he had held someone else in this manner. In fact he knew exactly how long it had been; it caused a sudden ache in his chest as he was reminded of the night before. The sudden manifestation of a whimpering girl that had appeared in his room;pleading him and even warning him of the fate she had found herself in.

Katie. His Katie.

He had yet to tell anyone of what had transpired in his apartment; and perhaps for once in a long time since the start of this nightmare he had time to think over his own actions. Closing his eyes he began to relax. Despite his wants and needs to protect the others in this room his motivation were not so simple minded. He held his own internal desires and agenda throughout this entire ordeal. Katie need him; as much as he needed her. Like a match being lit it had sparked him into actions when she had made her appearance before him. Her words had left him uncertain, and her physical form had left the desire to hold her again in his arms;even if only for a moment.

Contrary to what Noah had been doing Bridget held her breath, as always, freezing in place, holding the torch between herself and the specter that had appeared from the exact opposite place she had expected it to. This ghost… was focused on Noah. Was silence required in this situation? Beyond a doubt Noah needed to know of the the sudden arrival, however her voice was lost; frozen like the rest of her body. She had seen this play out multiple times; he would be taken just like the others and just like before no one would be able to do anything about it."N-N--" she let out in a whimper as her hand let loose it's grip on the torch; her word never able to form from her lips.

The silence was disrupted and Noah quickly opened his eyes; focusing them on anything that would be considered out of the ordinary. Instantly he remained still. His eyes did not shake in fear; nor did he feel threatened by the appearance of Katie. He could only feel warmth enter his body and happiness overflowing his chest. A sliver of water trailed down his cheek as he continued to stare directly into her eyes; a smile forming on his face despite her eyes only reflecting the opposite. Slowly making her way towards him he sat in silence until her fingers caressed his cheek; his lungs gasped for air. It was cold and unnatural, but it was still there. His eyes beamed with pure joy as he quickly took his hand onto her own and slightly forced her palm to full envelop his face; if only for a moment he felt the raw emergence of bliss in his body.

"You left me..."her soft voice cracked. "And now... I can't leave..."

Noah's eyes widened to her statement as he felt the floor beneath him vanish; Bridget who had also heard her speak suddenly felt her footing disappear as the force of gravity pulled them further into the darkness. "No! I can't lose you! Not again!" Noah's voice let out in a blood curdling scream; his arm was stretched out pleading to take hold of Katie. Bridget's scream echoed across the walls as a hand stretched out from nothingness; it's grip taking hold of Katie just as Noah's fingers were about to graze her face.Instantly Katie vanished from Noah's sight; his heart beat roughly and pounded hard against his chest before his back and his head took full force the impact of both Boots and Himself. His lungs released his breath as he arched his back in physical pain as his already wounded head seared in agony from yet another dangerous impact.Letting out a soft groan before going limp, his mind went dark.

-----------------------------------------------------
Knock Knock Knock

Noah made his way towards the sound being emanated from his wooden door. Despite the darkness of his room he easily made his way past the furniture without incident. Almost pleased with his expertise he smirked before yelping in pain as he hit his toe against the last of the obstacles. He uttered a few swears and curses before hopping the rest of the way towards his door. Allowing it to crack open he let the subtle light of the hallway expose his figure. He was currently in a pair of sweats and a plain white shirt; his bare toes cringed together in attempt to ease the pain. He continued to stare through the crack not uttering anything to the visitor before he finally chose to speak. "Oh... it's you." he spoke out blankly before shutting the door to add onto the effect. He remained by the door listening quietly for any signs of life. "Noah.Open. This. Door." the female voice held a massive venom of threat behind each enunciated word.

Smirking with a slight chuckle he re-opened the door fully allowing the hinges to rotate to their limit. "Oh, it's you." he repeated with a tender smile this time. Katie narrowed her eyes in irritation, her arms crossed "Oh it's you." she mocked back to him with heavy sarcasm before making her way past him without even asking to enter. Noah let off a quiet chuckle once again before shutting the door behind her, his hand flicking the lights on before the darkness could fully envelop them. "I don't recall saying you could come in. What if Apollo was here?" he mused as he watched her sit on his bed, her rear bouncing on it a few times before settling itself.She remained quiet before smiling warmly at him and opening her arms in a heart felt gesture. "C'mere." her soft voice was almost enchanting to Noah as his feet instantly made their way next to her. Bending over onto his knees next to the bed he entered her embrace his hands circling around her waste while her own pulled his upper body closer. With his head resting against her chest, he let her heart sooth his mind with each beat. They remained this way quietly breathing each other in with each passing second. The only noise to come out between them was Katie as she spoke to man in her arms.

"Happy Birthday Noah... I love you."
-----------------------------------------------------


Bridget could only continue to scream as she fell into the abyss with her skirts, jacket, and hair flailing about behind her. The torch that had landed by her feet not too long ago was now in a spiraling ride next to her as it's bright image left a fiery imprint on Bridget's eyes. The light did not comfort her a sit had when her feet had been safely on the ground. She could only scream; the resonating sound of fear from dark, the fear of falling and, most of all, in fear of never landing.

Though Bridget had feared an endless fall, she should really have been more wary of the landing. She had landed badly - one of her arms had taken the brunt of the fall. The torch she had been so pleased to hold moments before rolled away from her open hand. All she could see in that instant were red and white flashes of blinding pain - her arm - the fall had winded her, too, cutting her screams short. As she lay supine and gasping for breath, she tried to sit up, to make breathing easier,but a nasty squelching sound alerted her to the state of her left arm. She turned her head and stared with widened eyes - it didn’t look like anything was wrong… no bones were sticking out, at least,but… when she tried to lift it again, she yelped, then whimpered. It was broken, no doubt. Broken arm. Would she be able to play the violin with an arm like that? And if not? She felt a deep, helpless despair wash over, her; the despair she had been fighting so, so long to keep at bay. She realized she was crying. Bridget rolled to one side - the non-broken side- feeling bruised and tender from the long fall, but not broken, and gradually found herself in a kneeling position, with her forehead on the floor, cradling her now-useless arm in the undamaged one. It hurt. She hadn’t felt pain like this before - she wasn’t sure how to react. Through sharp intakes of breath she tried to feel where her arm was broken, but poking only made it worse, so she resigned herself to holding it like it was an injured bird. She closed her eyes and stayed on the floor, weeping.That was it. It was over. How could she continue with a broken arm?How could she hope to survive? Then she felt the movement of another;Noah who had remained motionless since his plummet began stir.

Like before, Noah slowly re-opened his eyes to the darkness of the room. It seemed that only a few seconds to a minute had passed since his sudden black out as no one had yet to make any major movements asides from Boots. With shaking arms he cautiously raised himself from the ground; his still lingering pain was making it difficult to think. His vivid memories had re-awoken during his slumber bringing back a cherished moment in his past. Then it hit him; she had been there. "Katie!" he let out in desperation as his eyes took quick notice of all of the remaining Mythos Complex inhabitants. His sight could see them but he paid no attention to their state.


Suddenly he felt cold once again. His lungs felt rigid and unwilling draw air as he took in Katie's form. Her once vibrant eyes were empty; lifeless one again like the day she had been buried. "K-Katie..." he fumbled to get up as his feet had begun to give into their much needed rest. It seemed as though minutes passed before he came close to the floating girl; his shaking calloused hands reaching up to her. Taking firm grip of her legs Noah attempted to pull her down but regardless of his force it was to no avail. "Let her go!” he coughed out “You fucking demons!." he let out in sorrow as his hand clawed against her clothing in his disparity. Pressing his head against her leg he let out a hard shudder of emotional pain as everything he felt emerged from his soul.

"Do you remember my birthday Katie?"he said silently to her empty form; the emptiness within her eyes making his question seem meaningless. "I remember it every day.”the soft trickling of tears hit the floor next to his feet. “I remember how we would tease each other, but most of all I remember it because it was the first time you told me you loved me..." His arms took a firmer grip on the girl as he raised his head "…and I regret never telling you that I loved you too..." he breathed out hoping she could hear his words "...I still do...”he sobbed out before burying his face once again into her skin“Please don't leave me again; not like this.” Noah remained quiet as he held onto her; his heart barely keeping it's connection with the others around him.

At that, Bridget started sobbing. Not because of Noah’s outburst - she had been far too busy with her own thoughts and pain to notice his - but because she finally acknowledged that she was stuck in what was basically a deep, dark,grave, with a broken arm and a bunch of people who would never find away to get themselves out of there alive. The only positive aspect of her breakdown was that she hadn’t taken the time to properly examine her surroundings, else her claustrophobia would have kicked in, and she would have ceased functioning entirely. But, in her semi-fetal position on the floor, Bridget was cocooned in her own hair and too busy crying to notice the size of the hole they were in. Crying in front of others made her extremely uncomfortable, even in these circumstances, so she tried to suppress it, like she did everything else, and moved her face to her lap where her crying could be muffled, but that was all she could bring herself to do, and it wasn't very effective. This time, she cried for herself. She was as good as dead now; this was it.


It felt as if the world was distant;muffled and deluded to Noah. Yet even then he could hear it; cries,someone was crying. His heart felt the sudden burden as it turned away from Katie for the first time since he had fallen.


“Bridget...” he whispered. The mournful shouts of the girl still lingering around him as his body continued to press away from his beloved. Protect them; he had promised himself. You would give up your life for them; he had made his own vows. Beyond all things his heart wanted to be with Katie and nothing more, but even then his mind did not let himself be fully devoured by his grief. “You know how I am Katie; no one knows me like you do.” he said to her as his feet continued to step back his hand being the only remaining contact with her. “If you can hear me understand that I do love you, but they need me as much you do.” Painfully removing himself from her touch and cutting himself off. He couldn't cry anymore; he was completely out of them. “You're still so beautiful.” he said in between his breaths before stretching out his arm and closing her eyes lids.


His heart felt uneasy as he turned his back to her form; his feet slowly stepping towards the crying girl on the floor. His figure slowly hunched over to her protective form as his hands slowly soothed over her shoulder. She tensed as she felt something touching her, and Noah, feeling a sudden jolt come from her body softly spoke to her “Shhhhh; it's okay. It's me.” Bridget's tense eased itself slightly, but continued crying - she couldn't stop. Her muffled sobs continued as Noah let out a sigh. Noticing her broken arm he carefully picked her up by her legs and back before settling them both against the wall and onto the floor, and Bridget didn't resist. She was just too drained to do so. With his legs stretched he let Bridget sit on his lap with her head resting against his chest; his arms carefully holding her and making sure her arm wasn't being hurt. Much like he had to Boots he softly stroked her back; keeping her close and sharing his warmth. Before uttering to her softly:



“Do not be afraid,
and let the darkness consume you.”
“Do not tremble
and shatter your will”
“Do not cry
and delude your hopes.”
“Do not fall.”
“For I am here.”



Bridget found his words soothing, like something out of a folk tale. She pressed into Noah, but turned her face away from his chest, not wanting to slobber-cry all over it, instead finding refuge in the turtleneck sweater that had once belonged to Nat. Her sobbing became less hysterical, though she couldn't stem the tears entirely or bring herself to open her eyes. As Noah held her, Bridget realized she wasn't feeling completely dejected anymore. She sniffed loudly, still crying, then quietly muttered, "but we already fell, Noah," and though the words were inherently depressing, she said them with a smile. Noah could only chuckle at her statement; their humanity wasn't entirely extinguished yet was his only thought before he replied.

"Then we'll just have to get back up and start again."

[Merry]

roll 15

At the appearance of the ghost Katie, Lilly started shaking uncontrollably. She couldn’t stop the violent reaction in her body at the appearance of the girl, and her entire frame was quivering in fear. She was shaking so hard, her teeth were chattering as if she were cold. Seeing the girl, floating, hearing her voice it brought her back to a long hidden memory of when she was a little girl, and she was terrified beyond any rational thought.

She had been tucked into bed, hours ago by her mom. She was supposed to be asleep, and part of her always wondered if she had been, for a while. Before. She was warm and cozy, beneath her soft pink comforter. It was brand new, having just been picked out on a shopping trip earlier that day with her mom and her grandmother. It had been a rare treat to go out with the two of them. A girls day shopping and lunch. The comforter had been a spot of contention between her mother and grandmother. She had asked for it, and her mother had refused, claiming it was too expensive. She didn’t need it had been the response. Only to have her grandmother speak up and demand that it be purchased for her, she deserved it and she was not going to let her granddaughter want for anything. She didn't understand all the comments thrown back and forth between them, but she had noticed her mother’s face, pinched tight in annoyance. Annoyance that had been directed at her, once the events of the day had been concluded, she recalled. But she didn’t care, she had her comforter and it was wonderful. It made her feel like a princess in her soft bed.

She could see her night light across the room. It was glowing softly, as it always did, warm and soothing beside her dresser. She remembered the light clearly in her memory, as if she were tucked in her bed still. The dull glow of a four watt bulb making the little butterflies on the plastic covering seem to almost dance, if she squinted her eyes just right, which she of course did, over and over. The window was open and a breath of breeze was causing the curtains to move in little lazy movements.

Suddenly something blocked the light from the butterflies. She was squinting, making them dance, and the room was now dark. Too dark. She opened her eyes fully to see what had caused the gloom and she was happily surprised to see her grandmother hovering beside her bed. “Grandma” she had called out, but there was no response. “Grandma?” she asked, again there was only silence. Why didn't she speaking to her? Her grandmother moved her hand toward the comforter, as if to pat her knee in assurance. As she moved, Lilly realized that she was not beside the bed, but floating over it.

She had started screaming then, long, wailing terrified child screams. She was only five, after all. As she screamed her grandmothers face changed. It was stretching now. Elongating and becoming more and more transparent, until she had faded completely, almost as if she were made of fog. Her parents of course, had run into the room at her screaming, and while trying to calm her down the phone had begun to ring. Her screaming and hollering about someone in her room had been chalked up to a nightmare, and she had been tucked into bed in her parent’s room. The phone call had been the news that her grandmother had passed away, and the household had been thrown into turmoil. Afterwards she had refused to sleep in her room for months, and the comforter was not seen again. That memory, long secreted away came rushing back to her. Crashing into her thoughts like a brick through a plate glass window. It shattered the last shred of control she had over her emotions and the tears started to fall fast and furious.

She was still shaking, violently and crying as they tumbled into the next room. As she lay there helpless, she curled herself into a ball, hugging her knees, rocking back and forth in a keening motion. She cried and cried, sobbing as silently as she could. Confident in the knowledge that if she were loud, it would be worse. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the memory, or the ghost Katie. She didn’t care. As the sobs racked her frame, over and over, she knew in her heart that they were all going to die.

She heard the soft conversation beside her between Noah and Bridget, "Then we'll just have to get back up and start again." Shaking her head mouthing “no, no, no” she didn’t think she would be able to move.

[Mozaic]

Nyx-14

Looking up she had seen Katie, heard her voice, and then darkness. Falling, falling, falling into a deep abyss her mind continued to fog. She wasn’t sure if she had screamed or had simply allowed it to take her. Get up, she told herself, stop dallying. It was like another voice talking to her. You’re making such a fuss over something so small, it spoke again. She knew it was her own voice, but it felt so disconnected. I know, she said. I’m just hoping that if I keep pretending, I’ll wake up, and be with them. To which the voice replied, aren’t you tired of pretending?

Nyx pawed the ground, and moved her hands about until she came by what she thought was a wall. She could hear a couple of the others crying. With the dim light she could sort of make them out. Before she went too far she felt out her hat, and stuffed it into her bag. In a soft voice she whispered while continuing along, “etwas ist dabei, wieder, aber was zu geschehen? Jeder neue Platz ist etwas anderes. Wo verbergen Sie kluge Katze? Wen sind Sie dabei, zu fangen, und mit Ihnen als nächstes herunterzuziehen?” What really was about to become of them next or was this in fact the end?

“You know, you’re my daughter too Sarah,” he said. “Not just hers.” When she wouldn’t reply he sat down on her bed, and opened a book. He then began reading, “it was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive mo-“ There was a wry smile plastered upon his lips when he realized she was peaking over his shoulder. With no fuss on her part he pulled her into his lap, and began from the beginning. “Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Letter one. St. Petersburgh. December 11th 17-something or another. To Mrs. Saville, England. You will rejoice to hear….”

The only thing she ever really had in common with her father was loving to read. Whenever they weren’t busy trying to ruin someone else’s life they would be reading. She learned quick that pretending was her only escape from her father’s dark world. But right now there was no escape from this one because everything she thought could only be found buried in textbooks, scribbled along walls, and vases, and other such things was becoming real. She had nowhere to run to. But she was tired of waiting, and wallowing. She wanted to go home, and let her aunt dress her in fancy dresses, and maybe call her friend whom she hadn’t seen in a very long time. And then maybe she could say she’d grown up a little.

She wiped her eyes, and then looked over to Lilly who was over crying by herself. Nyx swallowed pressing herself to the wall. After a moment of hesitation she walked over to her, and sat beside her. “It’s frightening isn’t it? I’m afraid too, but you got to keep going otherwise I’m sure it’s just going to get worse.” She twisted her braid into her hand. “I would love it if maybe we could stick together or something. I don’t really know anybody here, and it’s becoming harder to look tough. I’m Sarah by the way.” She ducked her head so she could meet Lilly's gaze if she so chose to open her eyes, and smiled so she wouldn't seem to alarming at first site.

[Ru]

Boots rolled a 5. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 5. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Lilly rolled a 15. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Monster." Will be implemented in post.
Nyx rolled a 14. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Noise." Will be implemented in post.
Dice Roll

Boots, 7.

Die once, shame on me. Die twice, shame on you

At first it was darkness — pure darkness — but as his light eyes adjusted it became apparent he had been tossed into an abandoned room somewhere still within the complex. After such a dramatic event he expected to wake up in another dimension. Thin, almost skeletal fingers rubbed at the nape of his neck as Nat glanced around the peeling paint on the walls revealing the aged wood beneath it. If he imagined hard enough he could envision a time when Mythos Complex wasn’t a horror house and maybe even had a landlord who cared about its upkeep.

In the time it took him to glance over at his shoulder to confirm Xan had healed it and back to facing forward a ghostly figure appeared. This presence was not knew to him, even though he was not a resident here. Truth be told, prior to today he had refused to step anywhere near this place because he could feel the evil emanating from it. However, he was not one to deny the pleading of a friend.

The entity before him was none other than Katie. They had met when he ventured down into the depths of the basement before. There were many spirits whose souls were trapped here, but she was special solely for one reason: she chose to stay. Despite the monsters tormenting her and older ghosts poking their fun Katie remained in Mythos Complex of her own freewill. When she cried night after night it was an attempt to scare the residents away and because of the immense pain she was in by remaining here. Ultimately, when it came down to it, her reason for staying was solely to protect one individual.

“He isn’t safe…” the young woman spoke softly, her voice cracking in the middle of her sentence. The soft red hue of her eyes made it evident she had been crying for sometime. “The tsuchigumo got him… there’s nothing I can do… Why… didn’t he leave…?”


As Noah desperately clung onto the being whom appeared to be Cait there was no movement. Her eyes faded and lifeless while they remained unfocused on anything. It wasn’t until he let go and made his way towards Bridget that she finally stirred. The movement was subtle. A twitch here or a shake there. All of it was minor and unnoticeable without having your focus solely on her. The attention was away from her and she couldn’t have that. After all, this was her grand entrance.

An eerie, toothy grin crept over her features almost unnaturally as her head ever so slowly tilted to the left.


“A tsuchigumo is here? They must have gotten desperate… Surely there was not one before…” Nat mumbled to himself, not fully understanding why it was Katie had been bothered so. He was never very people smart, even if he did genuinely care for them.

“There’s nothing I can do…. There’s nothing I can do…” she slapped her palms over her eyes, shaking her head vigorously.

“Only they can save themselves,” Xan slunk out from behind Nat, revealing himself to Katie. Her fearful reaction as she slunk back was expected due to the fact he had not been visible to her when Nat had ventured down into the basement in the morning. Having him hidden was a tactic to avoid suspicion from the monsters lest they feel the paranormal expert had come down here to cause them any harm. Thus, naturally he expected her to be on edge; certainly she expected him to be no better than any of the other creatures residing here. “It does not amaze me the amount he will do to complete this ritual.”


Her eyes rolled back into focus as the figure of Katie laughed. It was a crescendo laugh as it gradually; and steadily got louder and more bizarre. The longer it went on the more evident the entity had snapped and whatever it was before was no longer. All could hear her skin cracking as it began to expand and rip within a matter of minutes.

“I have to save him… I have to help him… I can’t let him become…” Katie peered down at her open palms, shaking uncontrollably. “…me…” Rivers streamed down her white, translucent skin. She no longer tried to fight off the tears; after being trapped in this form for so long she stopped caring.

Nat’s brows furrowed and then he smiled, “You know… a lot of spirits in your position would actually desire for their loved ones to die so they can stop being alone. You are pretty admirable with how much you want to save him.”

“I need to save him…” she brought her hands tightly to her chest with her head hung low. “He’s saved me… countless times… but I’m so useless… I can’t… do anything…” The slivers of tears expand thickly along her cheeks, gritting her teeth. “If… it wasn’t for him… I never would have made it this far…”


Several years ago when Katie was initially checking out Mythos Complex she had a tall, bulky man beside her. At the time he was her fiancé and they were looking for a place to stay as they bounced between houses. Continuously he insisted he would buy Katie her dream house, though she knew it was unlikely he would; Hector never followed through with any of his promises.

Even as a child Katie was rather frail and it followed her into adulthood. Barely hitting a doorknob on the way out could cause massive swelling wherever it hit. Maybe it was why she didn’t mind the bruises and cuts dawned on her features. She received beatings from him so often it became apart of her appearance. There wasn’t a day where her body was free from the abuse.

No one questioned it. Holly was too nice to bring up her personal affairs, though she worried; this was the attitude of most people she ran into. Others either deemed it not their business or didn’t care, but Noah was different. He didn’t buy into her fake stories and he didn’t ignore Hector’s screaming that occasionally echoed the halls. Numerous times he stopped her in the hall in some attempt to get her to admit it was her fiancé who caused all of her wounds, but she slunk into silence, darted her eyes, and scurried off before he could see her cry.

One night Hector had gotten especially violent, beating her into a corner. She was silently weeping to herself as she kept in her tight ball in some attempt to lessen the blows and imagine herself somewhere else. Because of this she barely made out what happened next, but suddenly the hitting stopped. Was he done for the night?

Even if he was she remained in this position in case he changed his mind and swung. She was startled when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump in fright. Katie stared wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights at none other than Noah and Hector was nowhere to be found.

Though her mouth parted she failed to utter any words to him. The trembling of her body caused her lips to quiver. He wrapped his arms around her as if somehow it may calm her down, but what truly amazed her and always remained in her memory of this day were the words spoken which finally broke the silence.

“Beaten, broken, battered, or bruised. I will always be here to save you.” It was the first and last time he ever spoke those words. Katie figured it was because he sounded like a cheesy super hero and felt a bit embarrassed by it. However, he stuck true to his word and it forever resonated with her.


The beast’s true form was revealed as the outer layering that was the shell of Katie ripped off violently, cascading down to the floor like a reptile’s old skin. In her place was an enormous, black spider; and as the eyes of the party members’ adjusted they could see the webbing behind her and around the room. What they had fallen into was none other than the tsuchigumo’s nest.

Without hesitation the creature lunged forward towards Noah and Bridget. In a fast, swinging motion a leg sped down and separated the two of them, flinging Noah behind the spider creature and into its web. Bridget was sent flying the other direction, smashing her spine against the jagged, concrete wall. The tsuchigumo pressed down hard with her feet against Bridget, though not hard enough to break any of her bones; she just made it evident she could if she wanted to. “You’ll be next…” the creature snickered, then made its way back over to Noah.

The tsuchigumo pressed down with enough force against Noah’s stomach to puncture it, blood seeping down along his waist line. “It never ceases to amaze me how much love truly blinds fleshlings,” she twisted her leg around his wound as she snickered.


“I… I can’t let him die!” Katie announced as she turned and sped through the wall behind her.

“N—No! Wait!” But she was already gone. “Oh… gosh… no! Xan, you have to take me to where she is going. I cannot let her do this.” Nat veered his head around to lock eyes with his companion, pleading to move along.

Xan shook his head. “I cannot let you interfere any further.”

“If I don’t touch the demon it won’t count. I just want to stop her. Please… She…” He begged, swinging himself onto his knees as he clasped his hands together. Nat pressed his forehead against his thumbs. “Please, Xan, please… You know the consequences if she fails…”


The entire time Boots remained frozen in the corner farthest from the monster. All she could manage to do was state as her heart raced and she failed to will her body to move. Was this the end for them? There were no exits and this creature didn’t desire a riddle to be solved. Clearly all it wanted was bloodlust. They had managed to fall right into its trap; this was its domain. “H—Howl…”

Right above her hooded head Katie’s head phased through the wall. The only reaction from Holly was her eyes moved, following wherever the spirit girl went. As she headed towards the creature she only became more and more bewildered. In life she was such a fearful, klutzy girl, yet here Katie was in this claustrophobia inducing room with a gigantic spider bent on destroying them.

She sped into the room, immediately going towards the web where Noah was. In swift motions nearly invisible to the naked eye she managed to cut the webbing which kept him trapped and pulled him down beneath it all away from the tsuchigumo. Gently she set him in the corner underneath the white netting with a soft smile on her face. “Noah…” her eyes welled up as she bit down on her bottom lip. A transparent hand delicately trailed along his cheek, and then she kissed the top of his head. Lastly Katie leaned in beside his ear and whispered, “Beaten, broken, battered, or bruised… This time I’ll save you.”

Behind her the tsuchigumo was growing restless, reaching its legs in to tear apart its own web. Katie turned to face it with no fear apparent upon her expression. Within the blink of an eye the spirit girl flew through creature’s abdomen. A bright light filled the room, blinding all who were in it; and once it subsided she was gone and the creature laid motionless on the floor.

Nat barely phased through the wall when Katie shot herself through the gigantic spider. Beneath him his knees buckled causing him to hit the floor as all he could do was watch.

[Merry]

roll 5

“It’s frightening isn’t it? I’m afraid too, but you got to keep going otherwise I’m sure it’s just going to get worse. I would love it if maybe we could stick together or something. I don’t really know anybody here, and it’s becoming harder to look tough. I’m Sarah by the way.”

She heard the voice, and at first it didn't register that someone was speaking to her. It was just a voice, nearby. She felt as if she was on a delay. Seconds seemed like hours and everything was foggy. Realizing that someone had indeed talked to her. She looked up, slowly, and noticed that Sarah was speaking to her. Her mind tried to process what she had said. Still rocking slowly back and forth, hugging herself, she just nodded at first in the girls direction. "Huhh .. hi.. Saarraahhh" she replied, still sobbing a little, her voice cracking slightly from the attempt to speak. Her throat raw, and her eyes puffy from sobbing, she didn't trust herself to say much more, so she just nodded again, in acknowledgement of what Sarah had said.

Trying to get her self to stop crying, she took a few deep jagged breaths, attempting to calm herself down. She rubbed her hand across her face, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. Knowing her face must look a horrid mess. Crying always made her eyes swell up, and get red and puffy instantly.

Since she had been crying for awhile, she knew her face must be blotchy and red. With her fair complexion, her emotional state would always wreak havoc with her face. Looking at the back of her hand, she could see the streaks of black mascara from her makeup, and knew it was no doubt all over her face by now. It couldn't be helped, as she didn't think she would ever stop crying.

"I... I.. don't think I can.. move" she sniffed, trying to hold back a new jag of crying, and started to rock back and forth once more, hugging her knees. "I.. don't want to die!" she shuddered, sobbing again.

Her eyes widening in horror as the scene unfolded with Noah and Bridget a few feet away. "What... what.. is happening to them!!" she screamed, grabbing onto Sarah in terror.

[Mozaic]

Nyx-1

“That’s right. Sarah,” she said. “Lilly isn’t it?” She was sure at some point she had heard the name floating about. Right now the girl was in a horrible state. Her uncle would know better of what to do; then again he was never one for deep affections. Who could she best demonstrate in this sort of situation, she wondered. It was then that it occurred to her. One very special person came to her mind.

She bit her lip. How could she be genuine about this? She placed her hand over her heart breathing out slow, and praying to some invisible entity. She realized it wasn’t all that hard to pull out of herself an honest concern for the girl. They were all trapped here, and they needed to stick together. She padded the side of Lilly's cheek saying, “There. There. Everything will be fine. We just….” The air was filled with an eerie laughter, and the sound of popping joints. Whatever confidence she felt began to melt away as the scene took place. All she could do was watch. Her body was far to stricken with fear to do much else.

She felt Lilly grab onto her. Nyx looked down at her, and then wrapped her arms around her. “Ssshhh,” she cooed stroking her back. She looked up again at what was happening, just in time to catch the blinding light. She wasn’t sure what had taken place. She had seen many spirits, but she had never seen one die before or cease to exist. All she knew was whatever had happened had saved their lives for now.

She touched her face, her eyes were filled with tears. “I think this part is over,” she whispered.

[Preach]

Bridget [3]
Noah [4]

Noah’s words were encouraging, and Bridget found herself nodding softly against his warm essence. It was the only comfort she held and though her arm was causing her excruciating pain, the pain was not as sharp as it had been before. Surrounding her comfort was the plain reality in her mind that they were all trapped down here now; devolving into a puddle of tears wouldn't help their situation, it wouldn't help their escape. She had yet to open her eyes to look at her surroundings, or explore the possibility of a passage hiding in the darkness, preferring to wait for one of the others to locate it. With nothing else she could only tighten every fiber of her being against Noah as her mind persuaded her not to let a delusion destroy her sanity; almost as if she didn't listen to it it would be her undoing and final moments of breath. And with each passing second Noah took note of this, when his mind was calm and centered it was not usual of him to miss out on the small things around him. Only moments ago his personality was in disarray as it yearned for his beloved to live and speak with him. The very fact that he was even sitting calmly while Katie was hanging limply near him was unnerving even to himself. Something was wrong; during his frantic state he had missed something but his mind couldn't process what had transpired, nor did it seem to want to. It was almost as if a set of barriers had been implemented into his cortex to ensure it's survival and sanity. His eyes refused to motion towards Katie and simply focus on the girl in his arms. She was beaten. Physically to his touch she felt frail and warm. It was comforting in the darkness, as he simply listened to their steady breathing, his ears ignoring the chatter between the other residents currently in the the room. There was nothing he could do right now, he knew it in his gut.

A disgusting, horrifying sound forced Bridget's survival instincts to kick in, and her eyes shot open, despite her initial preference to keep them shut. Noah, despite his state. took quick notice of the noise as well as his arms tightened around her figure instinctively. Looking down at Bridget he was met with only a black stare - her mind had finally registered what was around her and it had frozen her in place.

The space… the space they were in was so small. There were so many of them here, and the space was tiny.

Yet her eyes stayed locked upon the corner from which the sound had come from, and she saw a thing that her eyes registered but her mind could not process. The other creatures they had seen so far had all been so fantastical, some part of her mind had convinced her that they were not real. She had managed to hide behind a mental wall of delusion... But... this? This spider borrowed enough from Bridget's accepted reality for her to realize that, yes, it was real, and yes, it was right there, right in front of her. It was as much of a part of her reality as her broken arm. Noah, having followed her gaze met with the figure of the spider that had sunk itself into the mind of Bridget, the tattered remains of what was once Katie fell off of it's figure in a sadistic fashion. "W-What...." he stuttered out as he witnessed pieces of Katie on the floor beside him.

'WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!' Noah wanted to voice out but his mouth remained motionless. He could only stare ahead not even registering the creature's movements as it came towards them both. Before Bridget was consciously aware of what happening, she and Noah had been ripped away from each other and she was sent crashing into a jagged wall. Her field of vision lit up with a blinding light once again as the rocks made contact with her spine and she found the air knocked out of her lungs. She slid down the wall, dazed, but unfortunately she was still conscious - still able to feel the spiders’ rancid breath as it whispered a threat, and its prickly feet as it pressed down on Bridget, aggravating her already injured arm and back. All she could do was gasp for air as tears slid down her face, and all she could think of was of when she had been locked in the linen cupboard next to the boiler for three hours by her father.

In her dazed state, she thought that maybe she was somehow in the cupboard again, only this time, she was being suffocated by scratchy burlap smelling of death. She felt herself slipping into panic. The pressure was suddenly lifted and she was able to breathe -she was hyperventilating, and though her eyes were open it was clear she wasn't registering anything around her. Her body shook with each breath, and each time her back made contact with the floor it felt like she was being stabbed by a red-hot iron rod. Between her tears and her ragged, desperate breaths,it would be difficult for anyone to tell that she had started laughing - the desperate kind of laughter that only exists when there are no other alternatives. She had allowed herself one glimmer of hope, and it had resulted in a broken arm and possibly fractured spine. She was too weak and hysterical to see what was happening to Noah.

Having received the lighter of the impacts, Noah's body connected with the webbing created by the spider. Instantly his body attempted to move and force his way out of the trap but to no avail. "Damn it!" he stared down at the others that were in the room "Fucking help me!" he let out desperately as they remained motionless. It was only moments later that the creature was upon him again making no hesitation press down with enough force against his stomach to puncture it and let blood seep. “It never ceases to amaze me how much love truly blinds fleshlings,” it hissed at him in amusement, letting out only a grunt Noah remained firm to the pain as he held onto his resolve. "Fuck you!" he stated before letting out a muffled scream as it twisted it's leg around his wound with a snicker. The long hours of torture and beating that he had held as a child was far more painful than this single wound, knowing this he wouldn't give it the satisfaction of breaking him with childish actions. He continued to ingrain his own image into the eyes of the spider as he felt his skin grow colder. He understood the situation. He wouldn't make it.

Suddenly he felt his body loosen up and descend onto the ground. Feeling someone press him against the wall he finally looked up and registered who it was. "Katie..." he spoke in disbelief as a smile graced her face. "Noah..." she stated softly. It was her; he knew it in his heart that it was truly her. As her hand graced his cheek once again unlike before; he finally felt warmth resonate from her as her hand and lips touched him. "It's really you." he said softly in satisfaction, his mind ignoring his predicament. Katie leaned in beside his ear and whispered, “Beaten, broken, battered, or bruised… This time I’ll save you.” Confused with her words he looked up at her seeking answers within her eyes. "No... No!" he let out before pushing himself forward to take a hold of her form. A bright light filled the room, blinding him for a few moments before he could adjust. "Katie!" he groaned out as he got up, his hand pressing against his bleeding wound. "Katie!" he yelled again, his eyes frantically searching for anything that would give her position. "No, no, no no, no!" Losing his strength he fell to the floor his hands pounding against the floor "That's not how it goes, you know that! It was me! It was supposed to be me not you!" the flood gates of pain was unleashing inside him as he screamed out in agony. He had lost her a second time, but this time his soul had disappeared with her. There was nothing left of him worth giving; his mind had accepted death.

No tears flowed down his cheek as he became silent. There was nothing worth crying for. There was no pain in his eyes as he felt the frost envelope his nerves. "Tell me Nat. What do you do when you've lost everything you care for and are facing death face to face." he said softly as he had noticed the man appear seconds before. "Do you treat him as a friend coming to take away your suffering." he sat up, and stared into his hand. "Or as an enemy, who takes away your chance at something greater." he began to chuckle softly at his own statement. "Because right now I don't want to treat him as either!" he forced out cutting off his chuckle. "Death would not appease me, death will not bring her back!" pulling on his hair he groaned in frustration

"But you know what!"

Turning towards Nat, Noah held a teeth bearing grin etched onto his face. "I think I know what might bring her back!" wobbling his way up out of weakness he slowly made his way towards the carcass of the spider. "Maybe she's playing hide and seek like last time and we just have to find her!" he said excitedly as he began to knock against the corpse. "Katie are you in there?! Hellooooo." he continued to knock on it, his contact slowly becoming more rough with each knock until it eventually became punches. "KATIE, ARE YOU IN THERE!?" he grunted as with each forceful blow anger emanated from him. Stopping he slowly encircled himself with his arms as his voice slowly became a mournful whisper "I guess she's not here... maybe she's mad at me for being out so late at night; I know she worries." his hands covered his eyes as he began to let out cries. "But I'm certain she'll forgive me tomorrow! " he smiled again as he turned towards the others.

"Right Nat?" his eyes lost their joy as they stared darkly at the man before him. His hands now playing with the knife that he always held with him, it's tip slowly scraping against the floor. Looking over at Bridget, he let a soft smile flow across his expressions once again, the knife never ceasing it's movements.

Her laughter had turned to ugly sobbing as she was mentally still in the dark place of her childhood. She could hear conversations taking place, she wanted to crawl into a little ball and not let anyone see her - she couldn't let them see her like this, crying, full of emotions and fear. She lifted her good arm, placing her hand on her face in an attempt to wipe her eyes, her body resisting this small movement, but she did it anyway. A small part of her was grateful she could feel anything at all. That small part of her reminded that she was losing control of herself. Startled by this realization, Bridget started taking deep breaths, though each exhale was marked with gross sobbing, and the tears wouldn't stop, but she became less hysterical as the she focused on breath. She wanted to be out - she wanted to close her eyes, open them, and be in her bedroom at her grandparents' house, she wanted this to be another night terror, but the very real pain she was feeling prevented her from withdrawing into her fake mind-scape. She couldn't tell if anyone was talking, but she could hear Noah's voice... Oh, god, the spider had gotten him too...

Her eyes cracked open, she peered through open fingers to a strange sight - Noah punching out the spider. Had he killed it? No... he couldn't have had, someone else must have... the ghost? Noah's ghost... As she realized what he was doing, she started crying again, this time managing to muffle it with her hand. He wasn't making any sense! He wasn't making any sense... She felt a deep despair take hold of her as she saw him smiling, turning towards the group. His smile would have been comforting, normally... but this was not.

She lay still on the floor as he scraped the knife along the floor. A most unsettling sound. Watching him, wide-eyed, she looked at him fearfully, until squeezing her eyes shut, pushing out the tears that had formed there. When she opened them again, he was looking at her, scraping the knife still, smiling - this smile was like his normal smile, but it was still wrong.

But, he was alive.

So, she uncovered her hand and smiled back, somehow managing to delude herself that everything would be fine though all signs indicated otherwise.

[Ru]

Boots rolled a 7. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Nothing." Nothing will occur.
Lilly rolled a 5. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Riddle." No more riddles will occur in the game. Nothing will occur.
Nyx rolled a 1. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Kidnap." Will be implemented in post.
Bridget rolled a 3. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Injury." Will be implemented in post.
Noah rolled a 4. An outside roll was made. Received result, "Ghost Appearance." Will be implemented in post.

Dice Rolls

Boots, 15; Nat, 9.

Nat remained on his knees as Noah went on his psychotic ramble bouncing from one subject to the next. There was no reason to stop him and he had little to reply with. If he wasn’t so socially inept he would have realized Katie’s plans a few minutes earlier and maybe he would have been able to stop her. If he had kept his eyes open wider or let Xan out when he explored the basement the first time or maybe if he had been more forceful about them leaving none of this would have happened. Guilt weighed heavily on his fragile form as he just watched Noah with his lips slightly parted but no words came out.

Through sensing he was able to tell who was still there even though his gaze never left Noah. The group had dwindled down to five with two of them vitally injured. Unless he used his healing ability it was unlikely those two would live through the night, but he doubted Xan would allow it. The only reason he was in this room was because he promised not to interfere with the demons’ plans, but only to stop Katie from sacrificing herself. She was gone, so what was the point in his being here?

Even so, Nat knew what it was like to lose everything. It was how he met Xan and what caused him to dive deeper into dark magic. Then there was that eerie smile. While Noah’s smile to Bridget was soft, and possibly meant to be comforting, in this scenario it sent chills down Nat’s spine.

“There is no saving them, Nathaniel,” Xan placed a firm, but reassuring hand on Nat’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “I know you mean well… but you are too late. Humans are doomed on this land.”

Momentarily the supernatural expert’s gaze feel to the dirty floor scuffing up his knees. Then he swiftly pressed his palms against it, throwing himself up to his feet as he made his way towards Noah. Not a word was uttered from his lips until he reached the taller man. Whether he chose to stab him or not didn’t matter to Nat as he risked it by gripping onto Noah’s shoulder. Beneath him his chest was caving as tears threatened to creep down. He bit his bottom lip hard before he finally spoke, “She won’t… because she never blamed you, Noah. She never would… Before the meeting… before I met any of you… I met her and all she could ever talk about was you. I had no idea whom she was speaking of so fondly… even when I went into meet with Howl I was not aware which man in the room was her beloved, but he was all she talked about. Katie was not afraid because of what happened to her. She was not trapped her like the other spirits who roam these halls. Katie was here… because she loves you. She was afraid for you.”

Gradually the room became lit, though no inherit source was apparent. For now it was just an unnatural spotlight over where Noah and the spider were as Nat had been knocked back a few feet during the shake.

The spider stood up. Its lifeless form seemingly gaining life again as its legs moved. “I will always love you, Noah,” the voice of Katie came from the carcass of the arachnid. “No matter my form. No matter where I am. I will always love you and be there for you.” It moved its legs around, pushing itself up into a standing position.

Nat was frozen where he stood just watching, not letting go of his grip on Noah. Truthfully, he was unaware he still held onto him.

“I am not gone! So, stop punching my body, you heathen.” Then there came a giggle that didn’t fit Katie. The body jerked a bit causing one of the legs to swing over into the direction of Bridget, stabbing her in the lung. “Whoops… Ah don’ know how’ta move all dese parts yet,” came the voice of a tenor male.

Then the whine of a female who was not Katie. “Dis ain’t fun no more. Ah didn’ know dis thang wa’so heavy,” the back end of the spider dropped down to the ground.

“Aw, come on. We was just gettin’ romantic wi’ Noah, too, an’ breakin’ his li’l heart,” the male replied. Then the front half of the carcass fell to the floor. “Fiiiiine. Ah guess we can jus’ get’ta business an’ stop torturin’ da laddie.”

There was a pause. Was there even a point in telling a man who has lost his love and his mind these things? And what could he even say after the spider moving? Was there… anything to say? Nat’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I… I am so sorry…” Nat let go of his grip and took a few steps back, keeping his head hung low. “I will do… everything I can… to fix this… even if it just means trying to find a way to make her exist again…” His face lifted for a moment as tears trickled down his face, “I will save her—”

“Oh… like you did your dear mommy?” from the darkness the Shadow Man stepped forward with a Cheshire grin spread over his silhouetted features. “She was a delicious one.” His tongue trailed along his sharp teeth.

Nat’s stomach churned as his eyes bulged. Xan swirled around the small lad in a protective stance, barring his fangs in the direction of the monster who entered the room.

The blood of a woman filled the Shadow Man’s nostrils as a growling escaped him as though his stomach was crying out for the food. “Oh, did I touch a soft spot? Heh heh…” then he broke out into a ghastly cackling sound with his hands over where his stomach presumably was. “Just like you failed to save her, Nathaniel, you’ll fail at saving the spirit girl too! Oh, the look on your face then… and now… Add some more blood splatters and snot and the it’d be exactly the same.” The monster continued to laugh until he was overwhelmed by the scent of the woman’s blood. He grunted. “Ugh… just… one…” he reached his arm out towards Bridget, which was immediately smacked away by the male reaper.

“No lassies fer ya,” Eis sneered. Neither of the twins much cared for the Shadow Man, but their boss insisted they work with one of his kind so they dealt with it, otherwise who knew what the Head Honcho would do. “We need ‘er fer da goo. Tha lassie an’…” he placed his index finger and thumb under his chin as he mused over who else they would be taking. “Ah!”

Oriel came tumbling in behind him, tackling him with her arms wrapped around his neck. “Leave da pretty one! Leave da pretty one! Ah really hope Honcho will lemme keep ‘er. She’s such a perdy lass,” she embraced her brother tightly, looking up at him with pouting eyes.

He chuckled. “Ah know, ah know. The pretty lass in da hood will be left fer ya, ‘less He says no.” Eis bounced his pointer finger around the group as though he were playing a game of Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe. The end result indicated Nyx was to be following Bridget into whatever the reapers were calling, “the goo.” “Tha a’right? Pretty lass in da hood is saved fer ya an’ Honcho gets one more fer tha pot.”

She nodded eagerly and grinned. The twins looked at each other as though they were speaking telepathically — which is highly probable — then they disappeared. Oriel reappeared over Nyx while Eis over Bridget. Before anyone could do anything they grabbed onto the victim they appeared before, lifting them up into the air. The twins disappeared as quickly as they came, leaving no trace of Bridget or Nyx ever being there.

Boots, who had been frozen in fear this entire time, finally managed to muster out a sound. A loud, banshee like scream escaped her. “NOOOOOOOO!” she threw her arm forward as if to stop them, but the timing was too delayed. Instead she fell onto the ground, laying there flat as she stared up to where Nat was. Her face was wet from the constant stream of tears which was now mixing with the dirt she face-planted into. “Kay… Kay…. We need to… We need to save them, Kay…” she whimpered, then coughed. From the amount of crying she was doing her through was becoming too dry.

Nat’s heart sank so low it amazed him he could still stand. “No…”

The room they were in began to warp. Darkness surrounded them and beneath the group the ground shook, then it was still. Eerie, unnatural lighting gradually revealed the cobblestone floor they now sat or stood on. This one was larger than the last, but only in length. The width of the room remained the same, but it spread out forward revealing what looked to be a throne in the darkness, but with no lighting in that direction it was hard to tell. A few feet away from the throne were the twins holding the presumably dead Bridget and the helpless Nyx. Without words they were dropped into a large cauldron filled with bubbling, boiling, green goop. They didn’t even have a chance to scream.

“Maybe… one more fer good measure?” Oriel looked over to Eis with a grin.

Eis immediately looked over at Noah, then back to his sister only to pout as she shook her head.

“His torture is livin’, Eis.” She half smirked then jerked her head back, indicating Lilly instead. “Buuuut… den we need one more’ta make it real good… Naga said two was a’right, but if we got two more then it’d be real good. Honcho would like it’ta be real good.”

The twins speculated pressing their foreheads together, but it was quite the dilemma. Eis liked Nat and even if he didn’t he couldn’t kill him because of the prophecy. Then Boots Oriel had a little thing for, so she wouldn’t work unless she pushed aside personal gain. Lastly there was Noah, who Eis was holding a grudge against because of how rudely he acted towards Nat throughout their little venture. Instead of just ending it quickly Eis wanted to torture the lad as much as he could and the goo would end it too quickly, so whatever could they do?

Nat stepped away from Noah, and then forced himself to step closer towards the throne. His brows furrowed, what was this mystery goop? Obviously it was meant for a spell… but what spell? The boy’s stomach churned once the smell of it hit him: rotting carcass. The green goop contained so many dead bodies, rotting flesh, and withered bones it was too much for him to take. He pulled his mask back up over his nose and collapsed to the ground, pressing his palms against the cobblestone. Truly, he was such a weakling physically; it baffled him how he could be chosen for anything.

“Sie können dieses schmutzige Form opfern. Ich brauche nicht mehr ihr,” came a deep, harsh voice from atop the throne. The silhouette of a voluptuous woman lifted and then floated forward off of the large, seated pedestal until she was within lit range of the human group revealing none other than Cait. The woman’s eyes were completely black and her veins pulsed as blood trickled down her limbs. Just like when she had awoken this morning she still only donned the night shirt from the man she slept with the week before. “Bringen Howl vorwärts, dann können wir beginnen.”

The demeanor of the twins changed. Suddenly their backs were straight and their expressions changed to blank ones. They bowed their heads without a word spoken. Eis teleported over to Lilly, grabbing her aggressively then poofing over to the cauldron they had dropped the other two girls in. As she plummeted down into the green mess Oriel disappeared into the shadows, revealing a bound and gagged Howl. The bruises on his body made it evident how much he had fought to get away and how much they had tried to avoid harming his body as much as they could.

When he caught a glimpse of Boots he wriggled about harder, but Oriel dug her claws into his skin causing him to writhe in pain. If it wasn’t for the sock they shoved into his mouth he would have screamed.

Holly forced herself to her feet and ran towards them, only to be flung back by an invisible force as Eis swung his hand forward. She hit the wall hard, though not hard enough to do any terrible damage — just enough to stun.

“He is yours, master,” Oriel obediently bowed, presenting Howl to what appeared to be Cait.

An eerie smirk crept over her features as the barely clothed woman trailed a finger along his chin. “Ja, ist dieses perfekt.” A flurry of black smoke bolted out of Cait’s lips, eyes, and ears until her body fell to the floor. Without any order given Oriel grabbed her, tossing her into the goo like they had the rest of them. The smoke then jettisoned into Howl. Once it was all inside the bindings on him and the gag burnt off. Howl stood, holding his hands out in front of him as he examined himself. “Ja ist dieses genau das, was ich brauchte.”

A white aura left Howl’s body. As it ascended into the air its shape became more apparent revealing none other than a dazed and confused Howl. He looked down, seeing his body animated without him and became enraged, but his punches did nothing. Desperately he looked around, seeing Noah, Nat, and Boots below. The group had died down immensely since he last saw them. How long had he been out? And Holly… He tried throwing more punches, but all it did was go through his body. Nothing he did mattered.



Translations
BTW, I just use Google Translate like a lazy fucker.

"Sie können dieses schmutzige Form opfern. Ich brauche nicht mehr ihr."

You can sacrifice this dirty form. I do not need you.
"Bringen Howl vorwärts, dann können wir beginnen."

Bring Howl forward, then we can begin.
"Ja, ist dieses perfekt."

Yes, this is perfect.
"Ja ist dieses genau das, was ich brauchte."

Yes, this is exactly what I needed.

[Public_Hazard]

'It's happening again.'

The continuous thudding of Noah's arms hitting against the silent corpse of the arachnid was all Noah could register. The words that escaped his flesh were but whispers in the air to him; his body was in control while his mind was not present.

'I-I feel so cold. Why do I have to feel this again? Why do I have to go through this a second time!?'

His body shuddered in pain as it began to envelope itself together; it's palms wiping off the non-existent that shed from his eyes. As it turned towards Nat it could only smile with an emptiness that embodied it.

'L-leaveme alone.... Leave. Me. Alone. LEAVE ME ALONE..!'

"RightNat?" The shallow figure asked the paranormal expert. It's eyesroaming the room before landing on Bridget.

'Getthem out of here... fucking get them out of here! Don't let them die,no no no no, don't let them die! N-not another.'

Stoppingit's mechanical motion, Noah's body let the knife settle silently asNat stepped towards it. It's calm demeanor towards Bridget never becoming absent as Nat created contact between them.

'Don't touch me...'

Noah's body raised it's head lightly towards the expert. “She won’t… because she never blamed you, Noah. She never would… Before the meeting… before I met any of you… I met her and all she could ever talk about was you. I had no idea whom she was speaking of so fondly… even when I went into meet with Howl I was not aware which man in the room was her beloved, but he was all she talked about. "

'Don't speak of her... I don't want to hear this'

Staring blankly at the man Noah took in his form; his smile remaining intact."Katie was not afraid because of what happened to her.She was not trapped her like the other spirits who roam these halls.Katie was here… because she loves you. She was afraid for you.”

'Do not speak her name. You have no right. No one does.' his thoughts trembled internally as his memories flowed through him; the sensation was far too familiar to him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The howling wind of the winter night scraped at Noah's face as he crept his way back to his shamble of a home...

Like many nights before, Noah's feet embedded themselves into the layers of snow; each flake capturing his past actions into a shallow image of compressed ice. Buzzing vehicles and laughing pedestrians tuned together into a calming white noise as he made his way through the city streets. Stopping at a brightly lit intersect Noah's body turned towards the flickering of cascading lights; stolen stars from the sky had been placed at the center of a park. Each one intertwining and circling around a white flaked pine tree; a symbol that screamed "Christmas has come". Prodding his white winter coat closer Noah settled himself for a bit as his calmed the shivering that penetrated through him. Barely visible by the lights a warm smile arose to counter act the night; his hands fiddled with an object in his pockets as he attempted to keep the excitement in his body from exploding. Quickly removing his long sleeve from blocking the view of his watch he let out a curse as turned away and began his pace towards his home. Giving the tree a second glance he continued on towards the darkness of the streets. Coming to a stop once again Noah stood silently as next to him a lamp post flickered on and off; each flash cascading his shadow across the pavement as he stared at the dark complex he had come to know.

'How long has it been since I first got here? Three... four years, I can barely even remember.' Noah chuckled lightly finding his own thoughts humorous. 'One to two years of waiting for her; that's all it means to me now.'

Prodding his pockets once more Noah took out a small leather black. It's small form sat warmly against his hand as he simply stared at it; his head nodding subtly; his mind motivating himself to move forward with the possession in his hand. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward onto the road; his feet pressed against the ice that had formed in a puddle; his weight causing it to crack with ease. Like reflection, a window from the second floor of the complex cracked at the same time. As he continued to progress a trail of cracks followed, the window itself mimicked it with each passing second; a resounding thud becoming more prominent. Upon reaching the side walk of the complex the cracking ice had stopped and like before the window did the same. "Welcome home." Noah said to himself as his feet moved towards the entrance.

Shattered glass from above fell upon him before he could enter as his hands instantly covered his head in self preservation. Each piece let out a high pitched ting before a low thud quickly ended the spontaneous orchestra. Breathing heavily out of shock Noah did a full scan of himself before turning towards his surrounding. The dark image of a person in the shadows stood out to him instantly as he simply examined it, his mind taking a moment to grasp the situation as a whole. However, within seconds after noticing his mind took in the figure's details. "Katie...?" he silently spoke out. His beloved o what remained of her was motionless within the black coat he had given her this morning. Her neck was positioned at grotesque angle as streams of blood flowed down her face. Large blood stains marked her torso as gashes on her skin let dirt and snow embed themselves into her flash.

Noah rushed towards her fallen form his hands hesitating to touch her as his voice let out mournful cries. "Oh god! Katie!" he lightly leaned his head towards her searching for any signs of life within her stillness. Yelling out he panicked through his pockets in desperation for his phone; his hands taking out everything he had in his possession; only to come out empty handed. Forcing himself up from his position he busted his way through the entrance searching for any living soul. "Someone call 911! Please! Someone!" heading past the unoccupied doors he swiftly entered his room his actions instantly catching the attention of his roommate Apollo. "What's going on?" the man spoke in a rather groggy tone, having been woken up from his slumber. "Where's my phone! Call 911!" pushing past him quickly he began his desperate search for his cell phone before feeling a hand on his shoulder. "Noah, calm down! What's going?" Snapping back to the force his hands instantly gripped the man by his shirt lifting him up and smashing him against the wall.

Midst the commotion in the room both men failed to notice the arrival of another inhabitant of the complex. Cait, who held a flimsy sleeping attire from a possible late night job, had made her way downstairs to check out the commotion. Having heard the distant yells for 911 and phone, she had brought her own phone in case it was needed. Her startled scream from Noah's sudden physical exertion was the only thing to give her away. Aside from the conflicting emotions surging within Noah it was obvious how distressed he was at the moment. His eyes had already begun to stream with tears as his hands shook uncontrollably as he held Apollo against the wall. His head snapped to Cait, startling the girl to the point where she began to back away from him.

"Please... call 911... Katie; s-she's hurt she's not moving..." he let out a gasp as he tried to explain the situation "Please!" his cracking voice echoed across the hallway before sirens resonated around him and his world went white.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noah awoke from his dazed state; his glazed over eyes regained their color and awareness as his surroundings continued on their course. Nat had remained by his side; his hand still holding onto Noah's resentful and guilt driven body. Before he could speak the sudden movement of the spider corpse caught his attention.

“I will always love you, Noah,” Katie's voice went almost unregistered to Noah as the creature continued to speak; his stoic eyes simply watching it's movements “No matter my form. No matter where I am. I will always love you and be there for you.”

The creature moved about clumsily before finally stopping and releasing it's cargo. The two reapers appeared from within the corpse and continued to mock him of his situation. Noah could only smile at them warmly as his hands still held onto the knife firmly. "

“I… I am so sorry…” Nat let go of his grip and took a few steps back, keeping his head hung low. “I will do… everything I can… to fix this… even if it just means trying to find a way to make her exist again…” His face lifted for a moment as tears trickled down his face, “I will save her—”

Noah looked at him with a slight glee before responding silently "Kill them all Nat. I'd appreciate that." Noah let off a chuckle as he continued his happy demeanor at the two reapers before him. The arrival of the shadow man did not surprise him as there had been more than enough times that he had made a random appearance before them. The continual commotions between all the inhabitants of the room was uninteresting to him so he payed little mind to their words as he continued his silent internal search for his beloved. His eyes scanned the corners of the room; each time coming out empty, but his mind was persistent and cared little for what was happening. Silent screams of others went unheard. The world was dark to him, and no one was there at the moment.

A strong stench enveloped Noah as he turned towards a throne that had suddenly appeared before them. Tilting his head slightly he watched as Cait stepped out and began her speech; listening intently for the first time Noah simply remained silent, his smile never fading from his face. "How scandalous." Noah noted, his voice coming out audibly for the first time. "Don't you think Nat? Going from a woman's body to a man's without hesitation. Makes you wonder what he does with them during his spare time." laughing at this own humor Noah continued to look at Howl's body as the creature examined itself.

"Hey hey big boss!" Noah called out to what was now Howl. "Sie sind nicht machen ihren Job sehr gut." he signaled slightly to the two reapers at the side. "Sie sind sehr unterschiedlich mit ihren Aktionen, an einem bestimmten Punkt der kleine Junge spricht über wie sauer er ist bei Daniel für Schmerzen Nat der nächsten er ist blind nichts von Nat für ihn einmal durch all dies." Letting off a laugh he slowly got up from his slouched position his hand still holding firmly onto his wound it's opening only bleeding slightly but still allowing some flow. "Und der kleine Rotzlöffel ist einfach nur nicht. Sollten sie ihre Kinder wie eine gute Mutter."

Grunting, he leaned against a wall before scowling at him. "Pathetic of both of you to hold resentment on mortals. What a waste that your immortality doesn't bring with it maturity. Then again... what should I expect from kids." He let off a teeth bearing grin at them before pushing himself off the wall. Stumbling slightly towards Nat Noah, leaned his hand on him for support his senses uncaring for Xan's menacing presence. "I'm done Nat I'm out of batteries and can't get a signal." smirking at the smaller man Noah stood firmly by him. "Death will not appease me Nat. Keep your word." Noah finished before staring at the creatures before him. "Fuck all of you." Noah chuckled before adding "Fick euch alleas. For translation." he bared his knife towards them but remained motionless.


I'm lazy too: Google Translate

You're not doing your job very well.

"Sie sind nicht machen ihren Job sehr gut."

They're very inconsistent with their actions, at one point the little boy talks about how angry he is at Daniel for hurting Nat the next he's blindly doesn't care for Nat for letting him even go through all this.

Sie sind sehr unterschiedlich mit ihren Aktionen, an einem bestimmten Punkt der kleine Junge spricht über wie sauer er ist bei Daniel für Schmerzen Nat der nächsten er ist blind nichts von Nat für ihn einmal durch all dies."

And the little brat just isn't doing her job. You should keep your kids in line like a good parent.

"Und der kleine Rotzlöffel ist einfach nur nicht. Sollten sie ihre Kinder wie eine gute Mutter."

[Ru]

He really has lost it… Nat sighed and watched as Howl continued to throwing punches at his body. The new inhabitant made no reaction to his effort as he kept his eyes locked on Noah and Nat. Nothing they did or said mattered anymore. There was nothing they could do. And… I cannot do a thing…

I told you, Nathaniel… No one will be saved. You must accept their fate and your loss.

But… how do I explain that to him…? He desperately looked over at Noah who had been insulting the reapers. If only the reaper twins were there Nat would be worry, but their head was never bothered by such words. Besides, Noah’s statements made it quite evident he had no idea what was going on here. Should I tell him…?

In his current state it would not reach him even if a banshee screamed directly into his ear. No one can reach him now.

Nat’s expression saddened as he looked over at Noah. Xan was right; his sanity was long gone and anything he said would go unheard. If they managed to make it out of here alive he would explain everything to him once he got his mind back, though he was doubtful of such an ending. He turned to face Howl. “Grim Reaper, we did not mean to disturb you. When I had come down here I was under the impression Reaper Society was not a part of the tragedies here and certain a demonic force had wrongly tricked the original owners of this land into a sacrifice they did not comprehend. However, I know someone as highly as yourself would not trick people into a deal. The humans are at fault here for tricking their fellow kind for residing here without knowledge of the contract at hand. If you could please place mercy upon those left… Please let my friends go.”

The Grim Reaper listened intently, rubbing his throat before he spoke. “While your respect is appreciated it is a wasted effort. The ritual shall come to completion. Bid farewell to your companions, young Nathaniel.” He flicked one wrist out, causing Noah to be flung back; and with the other hand he brought it forward, jerking Boots into his arms. “The brew is complete. It is time now for consumption.”

“No!” Nat screamed.

Do not interfere, Natha—!

The paranormal expert sprung forward, wrapping his arms around Holly and jumping away. He landed with his back against the floor and her on top of him, causing him to blush profusely but at least she was away from him. Ignore the touching… ignore the touching… ignore the touching… “You cannot have her, Grim Reaper!” a massive wave of pain seized through him. Nat tightened his grip in an attempt to keep her, though the pain was intense. The skin on his back began to warp as two large bumps began to form on his shoulder blades. The bones beneath the fleshy exterior was reshaping.

The Grim Reaper clenched his fist, drawing Holly towards him as Nat pressed his feet into the ground to push them back. Bones tore the skin on his back open, protruding outwards and jerking about as his bones transformed into wings made of nothing but his pale flesh and the newly shaped bones. He let out a shrill cry, holding onto her tightly.

Holly clung onto him, crying against his chest. “Kay! Don’t let me go, Kay! Don’t let me go!”

Nat’s fingers twitched as his nails grew long and his knuckles curved into claws.

The Grim Reaper turned to the reaper twins, keeping his hand motion going as he did so. “Distract him. Destroy the other one. She is required for completion.”

The twins looked at each other then over at Noah. Their brows furrowed as they looked back at each other and nodded. Eis lifted Noah up into the air by his hair, shaking him about before ripping his tongue right out of his mouth. He tossed it in Nat’s direction, slamming Noah against the wall.

Oriel went over to Nat and Holly, pulling on the girl by her legs. The twins remained in silence, dodging eye contact with those they were attacking.

He held on tighter, accidentally digging his growing claws into her hoodie. The pain on his back intensified as his spine stabbed out; bones shaped like horns going down to his tailbone. None of it mattered. Nat needed to save her even if he lost himself in the process.

Holly shrieked, clinging tightly onto him with her eyes closed. Thoughts swarmed in her mind as they jumped from what could happen if she let go to being somewhere safe and far away from this horrific place. I wish I never came here… I wish I never dragged him into this… Them… any of them… If only Fred hadn’t left… Fred woulda known not to come here…

Nathaniel! Let go. Let her go.

Eis used his telekinetic abilities to wound the spider’s web into a rope, wrapping it around Noah tightly. The blood dripping from his mouth and the wound in his torso causing the dingy grey webbing to stain red, similarly to the crimson caking his hair.

The Grim Reaper smiled as Howl attempted to strangle him, making no motion to stop the angry spirit. Instead he merely watched the twins do their deeds. The brutality of Eis mildly amused him, but he was far more eager to receive Holly. He rose his arms into the air, moving his forearms in small circles mirroring each other. Behind him the green goop spiraled up into the air, making its way over to him. With his head tilted back the Grim Reaper opened his mouth wide, swallowing the boiling gunk — bones, brew, and all.

It was when a sharp pain shot through his forehead that Nat could no longer focus on holding onto Holly. His hands shot up to it as he screamed and Oriel snatched her away in a swift whipping motion. Blood trickled down his face from the new slit on his head, which opened to reveal an eye with a yellow iris. “HOLLY!” Nat blindly reached around him. “HOLLY!” The shrill scream hurt his throat.

“KAY!” Holly cried as she was tossed back over to the Grim Reaper.

“Young Nathaniel…” the Grim Reaper shook his head. He held Boots tightly between his hands as though she were a basketball. “You knew the moment you saw the twins there was no saving them.”

“KAY!”

“Say your farewells, young Nathaniel. In your weak form there is nothing else you can do.”

Oriel’s head hung low as she disappeared into the shadows. Eis let Noah drop to the floor as he chased after her.

“Let her go!” Nat cringed. He pressed his claws to the ground, attempting to crawl over to them only to slip on Noah’s tongue and slam his face against the floor. “Take me! You can have me. You do not need her. Take me! TAKE ME!”

Howl dove at his body, phasing right through it.

“The affection felt towards you is not nearly as high as it is for her. She is the final ingredient.” The Grim Reaper lifted Holly up into the air as she wriggled around in his grip.

“KAY!”

His jaw dislocated, spreading out like a snake when they are about to consume their prey.

“HOLLY!” Nat crawled over to them, stabbing his claw through the Grim Reaper’s foot to no avail. His tail bone shot out into a prehensile tail made of bone; the pain causing him to collapse back to the ground. “TAKE ME! HAVE ME! LET HER GO!” He bit his fangs into the Grim Reaper’s ankle — anything to possibly stop him.

Holly was lifted higher, then plunged head first into the Grim Reaper’s mouth. He chomped down, ripping her head clean off. Her crimson liquid dripping down the body of Howl’s bare chest and onto Nat’s cheeks. Another bite caused the blood to gush down like a waterfall onto his face. This continued until every last bit of her was gone.

Howl attempted to roundhouse kick his head.

“You saved no one, Nathaniel.”

Nat’s body trembled as he turned his head back to Noah’s direction. The man’s body was still, no longer moving, though his ghost remained in the room. He couldn’t fathom as to why. “Noah…” his lips quivered. His gaze slowly went up to the Grim Reaper whom towered over him. “H—Holly…” tears streamed down his face, mixing with her blood.



The world faded to black.



Nat K. Liel stood on the opposite side of the fence in front of Mythos Complex with a thick jacket one of the policemen had tossed onto his scrawny shoulders when they came to investigate the place a week later. There were several cop cars around the small apartment complex after they received a call concerning missing people which led them here. After discovering the dead body of the landlord and the note she left behind backup was called to search the floors below.

Though he had asked they refused to tell Nat what exactly her note said, other than questioning him on what sort of contract she may have had and if he knew anything about the, “killer.” It was such an unusual word considering the circumstances, but there was nothing he could tell them they would actually believe.

Which one did you lose?

“Admiration, but it does not matter… I would lose them all if it meant I could…” Nat’s eyes narrowed as he let out a sad sigh. “Let Noah know he does not need to remain trapped here… though… with the events that took place I doubt he will follow his reaper to his place in the afterlife.”

You can inform him yourself.

Nat’s gaze went up to Katie’s old window where Noah was standing, staring right back at him. “You are more than welcome to join me.” The ghost merely nodded.



When the cops came back up from the empty basement there was no sign of the paranormal expert other than the policeman’s borrowed coat hanging on the fence.