October Horror Event (CONTENT WARNINGS ABOUND)

[kaisoumods]

October Horror Event Log

TRIGGER WARNING: This event features heavy use of psychological manipulation, drugging, isolation, paranoia and violent death. Please proceed with caution.

This side of the plot requires sign-ups to participate. Please head here to sign up. Sign-ups close October 9th and characters must be at least 18 years of age.

We Are Not Who We Are

♪ - The Cabin in the Woods

Perhaps you were taken in your sleep. Perhaps you were wide awake and aware, suddenly finding yourself somewhere else in the blink of an eye. Like an unknown hand had reached for you and scooped you up into the ether. However it happened, on the morning of October 7th, you are no longer where you were. You find yourself inside a log cabin, with no memory of how you got here at all. One small consolation is that you are not alone. A small group of other app users are here with you, all equally confused and clueless as to how they got here. You will also find none of your abilities work. Like the switch in your mind that lets you access these powers has been switched off. You are all as baseline as can be.

You will find a brand on your arm, as have all your companions. None of you have any idea how you got them, but they all have one of five possible designations: The Athlete, The Promiscuous, The Scholar, The Fool and The Virgin. There's no explanation as to what they mean just yet. With nothing else to do, it's time to explore this strange place you've been dumped in. The cabin itself is pretty standard, at first glance. A few animal traps and shotguns on the wall, some trophies- it looks like a regular hunter's cabin. The fridge is fully stocked with food, and the water and electricity are on. Sure, there's a few spooky-ass paintings on the wall, and okay, so the books in the bookshelves are all on monsters and the occult and yeah, the two-way mirror crossing some of the bedrooms is creepy and invasive, but otherwise it's just like any cabin you'd find in the woods. If you venture outside, you will find yourself in the woods- though not any woods you recognize in Kaisou itself. One of the pathways from the cabin leads to a small lake with a little boat deck (sadly without a boat) and another leads to a spooky-looking cave system which leads into what looks like a mine. Large valleys and cliff edges block off most means of wandering too far, and the one road you can find will only take you about a mile away from the cabin. After that, you hit an invisible force field. When touched, it flashes up in a honeycomb pattern. Nothing can come in, nothing can come out. Something - or someone - is keeping you here.

The invisible hand keeping you is also influencing your actions- you might not realize it at first, but it's there, silent and unforgiving. The food you eat, the water you drink, and even the air you breathe will be drugged to override your common sense and make you act more like the roles you have been designated. Athletes become more aggressive, Promiscuous folks become more flirtatious, Scholars retreat into their books, Fools can't take anything seriously, and Virgins become meeker. You'll be more inclined to explore dangerous areas, split up, investigate strange noises, or fall into equally foolhardy horror movie clichés.

As dusk begins to fall, the door to the cellar in the cabin, once locked shut, dramatically opens with a bang. Stepping down into it, you find a veritable treasure trove of knick-knacks. Old music boxes, old-looking jewelry, puzzles and journals galore, all just begging to be touched and looked at. No matter what, the item that gets inevitably picked up and looked at properly first is a wooden totem. Nothing seems to happen when the totem is touched, nothing to suggest that your nightmare has well and truly started. But the knock at the door? Well- that sure does.

Beware the Harbinger

♪- O Death

At the door is an equally tired and nervous-looking man who introduces himself as Marty. He shoulders his way in, explaining that he's your Harbinger. That he was once in your place, and lost almost everyone and everything dear to him, thanks to these fucksticks. He steps in front of one of the animal heads, waving a hand slowly at it, before slowly flipping it the bird.

He explains that they have been brought here by a group known as The Facility - that every year, around the world, they gather a group of people together for ritual sacrifice, to appease The Ancient Ones- the things nightmares come from. If they're not appeased, "well, that's it y'know, end of the world, bye-bye everything." He was part of one such group, and the world nearly did end- it got real hairy there for a while- but the Facility managed to cut a deal- claiming him to have a metaphorical death- trapping him here to give the 411 on any other unlucky bastards they got from now until eternity. They have four days- more than what was once allowed- the Ancient Ones can't be accused of not moving with the times. He does admit that he's never seen The Facility take anyone from off-world before. That's new.

Marty advises that the brands on their arm is how the Facility has judged them - if you were already curious about how you've been acting, he confirms that it's the Facility's work. They're watching and influencing everything. He tells you it used to be that the Promiscuous had to die first, but thankfully, they've moved on from that. "It took me forever to get them to change the name into something less shitty, you guys have NO idea," he'll say. He will warn that only the Virgins have an optional death. Virgins might actually get through this alive - but they have to suffer, and there are some very loose definitions of what "still alive" can mean. The Virgin in his group is a werewolf now, which isn't super fun for her.

Finally, he tells you that you chose The Totem, so congrats, he hates that one. He hopes that you're ready to basically not sleep at night, because those things don't let up once the sun's down. He can't help much - he's not a fighter, after all, and you can't really fight them anyway, but he'll give some helpful hints: don't move, guns will only slow them down, and the only thing that'll kill them is fire. He stresses that you really shouldn't go into the fucking mines, but already, a part of your mind is telling you that you really want to go into the fucking mines. With that, Marty turns to go - the sun is almost gone and he wants to get the holy fuck away and hole up with Dana before the shit hits the fan. He gives you a sad look as he leaves, saying he really is sorry, and he wishes this could be different. Maybe this time it might be? But he doubts it.

...And Which One Will Die

♪- We are Abandoned

Just as Marty had warned, as soon as the sun dips below the horizon and the world is coated in darkness, things kick into high dear. You hear cries, at first- screeching, otherworldly noises that echo through the woods, coming closer and closer. At some point, the things making those noises reach the cabin, and you can hear claws skittering up the walls and along the roof as they circle their prey. They will smash windows to get inside- neither inside nor outside the cabin seems like a safe bet.

The creatures who attack you are gangly, misshapen things. They could have been considered human, once, but they certainly aren't now. Their limbs are too long, with razor-sharp claws and teeth that look like they'd be better suited to a shark than a human skull. They are EXTREMELY fast and strong- they move in quick, jerky movements and certainly have the upper arm strength to rip a person's head clean off if they so desire. If one of them catches you, your chances of survival are minimal at best. Marty's advice does hold firm, though. Their vision is based on movement. If you manage to stay stock still, they will pass you by- but the slightest of movements will bring them down upon you. Hope you were good at playing statues when you were a kid. You can use the guns on the wall to try and protect yourself, but they will only be a temporary solution. Fire really is the only way to kill these things. They will attack relentlessly all night, hunting and chasing anyone unfortunate enough to catch their eye. When dawn finally breaks, however, race off, hissing and screeching into those mines. Anyone they kill, they drag along with them.

As if these things weren't nightmarish enough, they are also smart enough to lay traps for the unwary. They have an uncanny ability to mimic voices. Anyone who managed to survive the first onslaught of these things might find themselves being led off towards the sounds of a fallen friend- the helpful persuasions of the Facility nudging them along- only to find one of the creatures leaping out to attack.

You might even survive an attack with only a bite. However, anyone who's horror genre-savvy enough might find that deeply worrying. What if it turns them into one of those things? They were blatantly human once, after all. If any Scholars are left alive, they might be able to search through the books in the cabin to find that the bite does nothing- but until that information is discovered, you might as well be living with a ticking timebomb, with the Facility upping your anxiety and paranoia all the way. After all, they don't care if it's the monsters or someone else that kills their sacrifices. Only that they die. The group turning on each other is just what they'd want.

This We Offer in Fear and Humility

♪- Run or Hide

And so, that's how it goes. Night after night, for four days. The relentless onslaught of the creatures at night, with the day being the only promise of rest. Even then, you will be pushed and prodded by the Facility as they try to deprive you of sleep and sense. The longer this goes on, the more tense and irritable you become. The harder it is to concentrate, to make smart decisions. You can only run on adrenaline for so long, after all.

Perhaps, though, you decided to finally brave those mines. Sure, Marty said to stay away, and it's where the damn things are nesting, but maybe an answer to survival is down there. If you are brave enough to venture forth, you will be rewarded. The mines provide a treasure trove to get you through this nightmare. Flamethrowers can be found on odd tables or hung up, something you can use to directly attack the things hunting you. Dynamite, too, is in abundance. It will certainly get rid of the creatures, but it will also get rid of you, too, should you be caught in the blast. Use it wisely. You will also find the bodies of your lost friends here, hanging upside down from the ceiling like meat in a cold storage unit- these things seem to be keeping them to eat later. Naturally, the mines are crawling with the creatures. They have less space to move here, but it won't stop them hunting you, and this deep in the earth, the sun's rays can't get to them. They can hunt you any time of the day.

It's the night of the fourth day when things finally change. If there are still non-Virgin survivors, the Ancient Ones are pissed about it, and the whole woods tremble with earthquakes. Even more of those creatures seem to be out than usual, in a last desperate attempt to get the job done before the deadline. Just when it seems like the odds are truly, completely, and unwinnably stacked against you, you hear a voice over a tannoy hidden somewhere in the trees. It's Marty, who's been notably absent since his cryptic warning. Get on the main road north! I got a crazy idea!!!" If you follow this request, you can find him hammering on the... inside of a tree? Wires and cables are spilling out of it, so it's definitely not a real tree. A huge werewolf stands beside him, snarling and beating back any of the creatures trying to take him down as well. He yells over the din, saying he figured out how to hack into the Facility's mainframe - he can bring the forcefield down, just for a few seconds. You need to haul ass out, like, now. He offers you a rueful smile as he flips the switch - maybe this time he can fuck these guys over properly, maybe it's about time this particular world ended. As promised, the honeycomb pattern vanishes, leaving the gate back to Kaisou open. Get the hell out now, as the ground cracks below you- the screaming yells of the Ancient Ones rising up to snuff this world out like a candle. Time to leave.

Aftermath

Once you get through the gate, come out into Brick Alley- the trendy hipster stores with their advertisements for pumpkin-spice-whatevers a far cry from the horrors you've just experienced. The gate TREMBLES with the rage of the Ancient Ones- but as Marty said, it could only hold for a few seconds. As soon as everyone falls out of it, the gate crumples in on itself, gone forever- a slight crack on the pavement the only mark of where it once was. Anyone who died is immediately resurrected on the other side, their injuries healed- or at least, their physical ones. Much like when they visited The Constant, there are no penalties for death this time. It seems whatever keeps Kaisou ticking decided they had suffered enough. Anyone who wasn't dragged into this nightmare will have whatever hold the Facility had on them drop- whatever may have kept some of them from looking for their loved ones will abruptly realize how drastic their absence was. Now it's just a case of figuring out how to heal from this mess.

OOC Notes

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Players who have been designated for death can decide how they want their character to die so long as it's on the right day. Feel free to tag into the day toplevels or make your own!

Comments

DAY ONE - OCTOBER 7TH

[kaisoumods]

blade | honkai: star rail | ota

[unreachableside]

[I. no way back]
[Before the first night falls, one can find Blade testing the honeycomb barrier with a machete he found. He doesn't like this for a few reasons. For one thing, it reminds him of a forcefield in the Xianzhou, which is not something that he ever expected to remember but it irks him anyway. It pisses his demon off, too. For another thing, it's preventing him from taking his friends home, which means it sucks. This place sucks. Whatever is going on, it sucks.

So he hacks at this barrier uselessly, his anger rising and making his eyes flash crimson. His 'Athlete' brand is clearly visible on his scarred wrist.]

Let us out!

[Wham. Wham. Wham. Wham.]

I made a promise, damn you! I PROMISED. I... I promised...

[He clutches his temple. Part of Blade tells him that he should try to calm down before he hurts someone or something, but the other part... the other part. It just wants to take it out on the barrier, or whatever it is he can see.

After a moment, he whirls his head around to stare at whoever is watching him. To say he looks feral is an understatement. His voice pitched low, he snarls:]

They're here. Watching. Waiting. We're next. We're next and they have us locked in here like RATS in a CAGE.

[II. no way forward]
[Blade finds whatever supplies he can so they can try to fend off the enemy with fire. Of the options here, he knows that one ought to work. Most things are flammable if the fire burns hot enough. As the enemy closes in around the cabin, he lights a makeshift torch made of rubbing alcohol, some cloth, and part of a broom handle.

He's terrified somewhere underneath all of the aggro. The 'Blade' of this life is barely a year old, and he has always been possessed by that bastard demon. But somehow, ritual sacrifice is where the line must be drawn, because he—

That thought is cut short when the first monster comes barreling through the window. His red eyes narrow to little dragon-flame dots. He reacts by charging forward and waving the torch at the creature to force it back against the wall. He brings down the machete with his other hand, and hacks away at it, trying to destroy it, but to his frustration it is insanely durable.

In all of this, he hasn't forgotten the others. He barks an order.]

Run!! Get out of here! Find somewhere to hide!

[The gangly limbs of yet more creatures start pouring in through the broken window. Blade realizes his time is running out. He is but one man with a torch, and the flame will only burn for so long.

Maybe he should have grabbed a gun after all, but his pride as a blacksmith won't even let him consider the idea.]

[ooc: Blade is dying in prompt 2!]

2!

[poisontippedcure]

[There was a time, after Krusnik, where Rose was on high alert. Where everything she ate and everything she drank were carefully scrutinized. Where every time she went outside, she scanned for potential threats.]

[But not right now. After all, she’d killed gods before. Sure, they might think they’re going to sacrifice her, but people have tried that before. So she’s going into this with an abundance of confidence. An over-abundance of confidence.]

Don’t worry, we can take them!

[Blade’s warning falls on deaf ears, and before Rose knows it, she’s grabbing a makeshift stick and rushing the monsters. Only, there’s no voidsent to help her this time. No extra training. Just Rose “Noodle Arms” Qeido.]

[Yeah, it goes about as well as expected.]

II

[crisantemo]

[ There's a part of Lapis that wants to listen to Blade - it would be best to hide. What can she do against beasts like this, weak as she is now? It takes her a moment longer than she likes to squash that voice, even as it lurks at the back of her mind.

She can't just leave him like this, she would never forgive herself if she did! She promised she would be there to help, and that isn't changing now! ]

I'm not just leaving you here! [ But it's dangerous, it's terrifying, they'll die -

- She's already had enough of this damn role's influence, but she can at least ignore it for now. Even as she winces despite herself, as more try to claw their way in through the window; her feet unconsciously stepping back. ]

There's too many, you need to run as well! Blade!

2

[venti_late]

[Normally, Venti doesn't mind being protected by someone else. However, he does take issue with someone dying to protect him. At least The Facility has not yet had this part of Venti's personality completely usurped by The Virgin's 'coding.' That probably won't last long.

As it is, the bard takes the opportunity that Blade buys to grab one of the shotguns off the wall. He quickly and with probably alarming skill loads it, taking a box of shells to put into his hoodie's pocket. Like Marty said, this will buy them some time, and Venti will make his shots count, by God.

None of this helps Blade immediately, though. He starts running to where the cellar should be, since that will be a better place to defend themselves for the moment.]

Blade, come on!

[His green eyes are sharp in their defiance, but there's a shadow of fear in them, too. It's taking a lot to keep his courage, especially with the knowledge that things are only going to get worse before they get better.]

2

[gotbadblood]

[Maybe Velvet wasn't as social as Eunie and Lapis, but she did know Blade. She was the one to help him get in contact with the Order, and would come by to his forge to get maintenance of her weapons. He was in her orbit, in other words.

So to watch him try to sacrifice himself? Like this? It reminds her of memories of a Scarlet nights, of watching her brother--]

Like hell I'm leaving you behind to sacrifice yourself!

[She's rushing forward. All she has is her blades and no flames. But she sure as hell is going to use to try to swipe at those gangly limbs coming through the window. Not again. She can't have another Scarlet Night happen again.]

1

[bebest]

[Zulius is here because he's feeling a deep and continually pressing need to find out what the hell is going on here. Deep down he knows that isn't right. He's not one of the thinking-brainy types. He's an excellent support system, but he's not someone who goes wandering around looking for clues, trying to pull apart threads. Normally he's happy to leave those threads the hell alone.

Not now, though. He wants to grab HANDFULS of those threads and tug as hard as he can. He watches Blade slamming against it, watching the honeycomb flash up. Hm.]

Yup. Deffo getting that vibe. [He looks up at the sky.] I wonder how high that thing goes? Or deep? Do you think if we could figure out a way under it we could get out?

Venti | Genshin Impact | OTA

[venti_late]

A: Won't You Spare Me Over Another...?

[Well, waking up in a cabin with no memory of how he got here is... a new one for Venti, actually. Usually this happens when he's had a party, or if he went home with someone and completely forgot about it for a few seconds. The bard is just glad he's currently wearing something a little warm. What actually sets him on edge, though, is that something is... wrong with him. Something integral to his very soul, his very essence as a person, is completely missing. As Venti looks to the others, he tries to keep his voice light and calm like this isn't super creepy already.]

So, anyone else feel like they're... missing something? And I don't just mean weapons and stuff like that.

B: Who'll Have Mercy on Your Soul?

[After Marty leaves the cabin, Venti looks down at the brand of The Virgin on his wrist with open distaste. Who doesn't love suffering along with a heaping helping of the possibility of death?]

Love that for me. Makes me wonder what their criteria for The Virgin even is, 'cause I can tell you upfront that I lost that a very long time ago.

[He crosses his arms. He's feeling a bit nervous as he glances outside to check on the position of the sun.]

So. I know how to use guns. Anyone else got ideas?

B

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose shakes her head.]

I wish I could tell you. I want to have a word with whoever it was that decided I should be the Fool. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not sure I'd count a fool among them.

[Translation: She is an idiot.]

I know how to use a scythe, but I'm sure we'll be fine. It can't be that dangerous.

Diarmuid ua Duibhne | Fate/ (servantswap AU) | ota!!

[twofoldfury]

i. off chain classes

[Right, this is the last thing Diarmuid wanted. To be awoken in some manner of Spirit Realm different from the one that appeared earlier in the week. The realistic side of him knew the prophecy stated would not have been so foreboding if they were just dealing with the lost souls of their loved ones.

Though to say Diarmuid was ready to face that lineage aside was a blatant lie.

But his priorities were as such: See if Waver was here (he was), Find others and gauge their status, gather their group, find the exit.]

You aren't on your own here. Are you alright?

ii. invisible walls!

[He thought nothing initially of The Athlete branded on his arm, just kept it in the back of his mind for what was to come. If he formulated a plan now perhaps this role he was designated wouldn't change things much.

Him being stripped of the very thing that made him Lancer frustrated him. One might find him occasionally entering a fighting stance against the... Bounded Field-esque barrier with an open hand as if something was meant to appear at each noise. When nothing did, he sighed.]

This will take getting used to.

Moxxie | Helluva Boss | OTA

[not_a_possum]

We Are Not Who We Are
[When Moxxie wakes up in a strange place, that should probably have been his biggest concern. Waking up in a strange place with no clue how you got there is rarely promising. Instead, the people waking up around him will hear him commenting on his brand new tattoo.]

Virgin?! I'm not a virgin!

[Because clearly, that's what's important here. He looks around at his surroundings, spotting the shotguns. He'll have to grab one of those in case things go badly. His gaze then shifts to several sets of deer antlers on the wall, and it triggers a memory. A wall, covered in imp horns, succubi wings and hellhound collars, all mounted like trophies. He shudders, but then pushes it out of his mind. He heads over, climbing on a chair to pull one of the guns off the wall.]

This might come in handy later.

...And Which One Will Die (It's Moxxie. It's definitely Moxxie.)
[Moxxie fires off a few rounds into one of the creatures that has just smashed a window to get inside. It retreats, and in the brief moment of respite, Moxxie reloads, complaining the entire time he does so.]

You know, it really is bullshit that we don't keep our powers. I mean, I literally have fire powers. I could deal with these creatures so quick if I could actually use them here.

[Which...is probably why they don't still have them, since them all dying is the point. Right as he finishes reloading, another creature, or perhaps the same one, returning and angry as ever, pops back up in the window.]

Oh, crumbs!

[He raises his gun and fires off another shot.]

((OOC: He'll be dying in prompt two at some point.))

sung jinwoo | solo leveling | ota

[lowestclass]

i. // we are not who we are __

[ ten years he's worked for the order, and this was absolutely not the first time he's been spirited away into some dimension due to a supernatural phenomenon he's been tasked to deal with.

But it's certainly the first one where he's completely lost agency over his powers--weak as they were--and even thought they'd only ever suited him for hiding and subterfuge, it still felt... weird, without them.
Not to mention that he'd arrived in the damn place while taking a nap on his couch, and therefore he arrives as the most under-dressed version of himself; missing that cloak he's always hiding in, the long-necked shirt that he often pulls over the bottom half of his face--he feels naked, truth be told.

Which is why he might be found, partway through the morning standing, just on the edge of the doorway to the outside, a nervous look on his face as he... wonders, quietly. If his powers are turned off--including the vampirism, as his heartbeat is noticeably loud in his ears, as is the hyper-awareness of the heartbeats of others.

...what if he. Could go outside? It was too good to be true, right? ...Maybe if he just reaches a hand out into the sunbeam, he could just pull back inside if it hurt. His hand raising, fingers outstretched--and he slowly finds himself inching furthur and furthur outside onto the cabin porch.

Out into the golden rays just outside, scattered due to the forest around them, but.
He can't help but to laugh. The most joyful sound he's ever made.

Anyone watching gets a show of a goddamn 30 year old man standing outside, his arms outstretched as if he's on top of the world--despite being in a sketchy place, so far from home. ]

ii. // and which one will die __

[ he knew it was too good to be true. There was no way--absolutely no way that this place could be a good one. Not with being here without their powers, cut off from the outside world. He knew he should have known better than to let the elation from being in the sun take control of his emotions for too long.

The moment Marty showed up, he immediately sensed it; the wrongness of the situation. Cornered, like an animal. While Jinwoo's never been the bravest man in the Black Order, he was never a coward--getting injured by throwing himself into things he had no chance of winning; fighting battles he should have known better to take on by himself.
So it's strange that when night falls, his first thoughts are to Run, Hide, Protect Himself. He's here with some of his dearest friends--no, damn near all of them--and he knows, deep down, his first instincts should be to keep them safe.

Weak or not, his priority had always been keep others safe. Maybe a leeched over emotion from his past life, but it was There.
That's not where he is now. Those creatures showed up. They shattered a window and clambered inside, and all of his friends went scattering to different parts of the cabin. Even outside.

And where is Jinwoo? Cowardly, he found a closet, the moment the sound of breaking glass happened, he found himself scampering out of the room and he tucked himself into the small room, sliding himself against the back of it, between some musty-smelling coats--holding his breath in vain hope that whatever the creatures were, they'd leave, they'd just leave--

Which is when he realises, he wasn't the only one to duck and hide inside the little space. No, his back is almost fully pressed up against a second person in the little space, and he's quick to try to hide behind them.

Not his greatest moment. But at the very least, the sound of the creatures has gotten quiet, having chased off whoever had left the cabin in a panic, leaving he and his partner in a tense, terrifying quiet. ]

eizen | tales of berseria | ota.

[rockily]

i. evolution in my veins.

[ there is one thing that eizen knows; they're trapped and there is no way out. how they got there? what they're supposed to do? how the hell they're supposed to get out? unknown, for now. if they can't escape then their best bet is to hunker down and ride out whatever chaos is undoubtedly coming their way. if they're lucky they'll find a way out in the midst of it all, if they aren't lucky they'll have to wait until it all dies down.

a shame that eizen isn't in the mood to be patient.

he breaks off from the rest of the group early, gathering whatever he can that could prove even the slightest bit helpful if they're attacked; guns, blades, heavy enough objects that could be used as clubs, etc. it might look like the beginnings of a hoard if you squint hard enough, luckily eizen isn't jealously guarding the collection of household weaponry. ]

It's not much, but it'll do if we're attacked. [ he almost sounds disappointed. ]

ii. i am not really here.

[ night falls and all hell breaks loose.

the monsters begin to fill the cabin, crashing through unsecured windows with a hungry need to consume flesh. eizen flies into action with one thought and one thought only; holds the creature's attention so the others can run. if they can get somewhere safe, the cellar perhaps, if lapis and velvet and jinwoo can get somewhere safe─

with a roar eizen charges at one of the creatures as it scrambles toward one of the others, putting all his weight into tackling it to the ground. they hit the ground with a heavy thud and an inhuman noise, eizen whips his head around face twisted into a grimace, and barks an order. ]

Run! Get to the cellar!

[ he won't be joining them, he knows that much, but if he can save the others from a similar fate... ]

( ooc; fyi! eizen will be dying in prompt ii! )

Saori Nakagawa | OC | OTA

[needsteaplz]

1. Testing Out the Walls
[Out of habit, Saori normally sleeps with certain items within arm's reach. By some stroke of luck, she woke up with her fire starter but at the moment she wished she had her tanto short sword. She walks along the perimeter as she pulls out her hand wraps to help psych herself. Anyone passing by are sure to see 'The Athlete' on her arm.

Once she feels grounded, she punches the force field with her left hand. No sooner did she do that, pain shot up from her hand and up to her brain. A second later, she clenches her jaw to stifle a high pitched scream and sharply inhales as she tries to shake off the pain.]

Of course whoever put this here wouldn't make it that easy...I guess the sick freaks who did this wants to watch us like bugs in a jar.

2. Little Firestarter
Great. We got ourselves a nocturnal predator on the loose then?

[When Marty the Harbinger is out of earshot, Saori sighs in frustration as she tries to filter through her knowledge of creature both natural and supernatural with his words but they don't help in narrowing down what's coming for them. A few minutes later, she's rummaging through the kitchen for matches and lighters.]

I don't suppose anyone here knows how to make a flame thrower? It would help put some distance between us and whatever's out there.

DAY TWO - OCTOBER 8TH

[kaisoumods]

edward kenway | ota

[jackdawvision]

[After everything goes down the way it did, Edward's quiet for a long moment, clearly in shock and grieving. For now, it's enough to counteract the effects of—whatever is trapping them here, playing with their minds, and he helps out however he can. But at some point during the night, the shock wears off and the effects kick back in, and he says, with a quiet laugh:]

Those things out there have a mean bite, eh? Almost as bad as a shark's.

[Wait. Hang on.

Did he say bite?]

...why are you looking at me like that? I'm not so ugly as those monsters now, am I?

Zulius | Centaurworld | OTA

[bebest]

Do not read the Latin

[Zulius has never really been much of a scholar, so when he'd originally found his brand it had confused the holy heck out of him. Sure, he'll read poetry and he could probably quote the vast majority of Stephen Sondheim's work by heart. But the academic kind of reading? Nah. But the Facility worked their magic and by the time the second day comes around, he has a pile of books he's reading. He really should be sleeping, he's exhausted and now it's daytime it's the perfect time to get rest before another wave of those things hits.

People have died already, in that first horrific slaughter. Moxxie is gone. Again. Having your oldest friend die twice on you is two times too many, honestly, and he doesn't know how to process it. Luckily, he doesn't have to. He just focuses on the books and trying to understand how to get out of this mess because that feels like it's the absolute thing he should be doing right now. He squints at a page, before speaking up to whatever other poor soul isn't taking the change to sleep. ]

...Hey, what does voces mimicae mean?

[He does not say that properly at all. He's not anywhere near in the ballpark of pronouncing it correctly. The Facility might have given him a drive to figure stuff out, but he's still a theatre guy from LA. At least if he's speaking Latin it's nowhere near good enough for demon summoning. Probably. ]

Please don't take me at this stage

[Normally when he has to deal with combat, Zulius relies on his past life's memories of the war. That was a blood, violent thing and his past life had experience fighting dangerous beings far bigger and faster than he was. But he always had his magic to fall back on, and now? Not so much. His past self never had to deal with any minotaurs without his magic, so he's at a loss here. He can't swing a punch and he sure as hell doesn't know how to fire a gun.

So, he'll be standing with a baseball bat he found under his bed, holding it up like it'll protect him from everything happening as those THINGS scuttle through and around the cabin again. His ears are pinned back, trying not to panic. ]

Okay, if it wasn't clear already, I super hate this!!

Leave the body and leave it cold (Closed to Edward, CW: Death)

[Rose was dead. Rose had died trying to save him and now she's gone and he really doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to DO about that. He's thrown himself into danger for his friends plenty of times now. Hell, he's done it for Rose when she got taken by Krusnik. But it rings so, so differently when one of them doesn't come out of this alive.

He stumbles out of a patch to trees and into Edward- letting out a panicked shriek before he realises who it is and it's NOT one of those creatures trying to kill him. He looks a state, worse than his vanity would ever normally allow. His mane is a rumpled mess and there are patches of his zebra body which have been stained pink with blood. Not his, which probably makes it worse. ]

Ed. Oh my Goose, am I glad to see you- those things got-

[There's a sound in the distance. His ears perk up and swivel to listen. The sound comes again and it...very clearly sounds like Rose, screaming for help. He saw her die. Logically, logically he knows she's dead. Those things got her. But that sound is so realistic. Maybe...maybe she got away? Everything in his head is telling him he needs to check it out. He needs to be sure. He turns to look at Edward again, wide-eyed, worried. ]

...That's Rosey. She- she must've got away from them. I've gotta go back and find her.

Nito | OTA

[end_singer]

Bolero

[Being what he is, Nito has not always been terribly mindful of what keeps the living funtioning on a day-to-day basis. His domain is, after all, the moment they stop functioning. Still, the way the first day went down, it turns his thoughts to doing something to doing at least some small thing to help keep their remaining number alive.

Sitting here with a small collection of various plants he'd gathered though, he finds he's run into a conundrum.]

...How does one test if a plant will likely cause sickness? I have heard bitterness and numbness are indicators, but my sense of taste is regulated to clothing at the moment.


Here's a Health to the Company (cw: death)

[Nito lasted through the first night without major incident. His old bones don't let him do athletic things to escape like the other captives, but his ability to remain still as death (pun entirely intended) had served him well the first night.

Looking up into the sky from the bottom of the pit trap he finds himself in, he considers that perhaps the smart thing would have been to remain still instead of attempting to be helpful.]

Ah. I found a hole.

DAY THREE - OCTOBER 9TH

[kaisoumods]

Venti | Genshin Impact | OTA

[venti_late]

Down in the Mines

[Venti hates the idea of going into the dark mines that they were warned specifically not to go into, but everyone else is going and he hates the idea of being alone in that damn cabin even more than being here. In these dark mines. With those things in the shadows. He's shaking like a leaf and jumps at even the slightest sound, especially if it's rocks that are moving or a horrible screech in the reverberating dark. The bard's mouth is dry as he sticks close to whoever happens to be nearby. He hasn't spoken a single word since coming inside. It's taking everything in Venti to keep himself from losing his head to his fear.

When they finally find their daring rewarded, it's... a mixed blessing to his eyes. The flamethrowers and dynamite are excellent finds, but as Venti looks around he has to hold a hand to his mouth to stifle a scream. That doesn't stop the pathetic whimper when he sees the bodies. Hanging like meat at a butcher's, and at least one of them is painfully familiar.]

Bladie...?

[His voice is so small and choked with emotion as he walks towards the hanging corpse. Venti's eyes well with tears as he reaches up to barely touch the cold face of his mutilated friend.

This isn't right. Some part of him wants to scream in defiance and find a way to close off the mine with these horrible things trapped within it, if not destroy them. To take these bodies out of here, give them a proper burial with the dignity they deserve. But this part of him is gagged and bound in his psyche at this point, overwritten by a desire to let others lead and just be in the background, quiet. Meek. Hoping that he'll be passed by, ignored, and allowed to live.]

Damn it, Bladie, why....

[ Closed ]

[crisantemo]

[ These last few days have, in Lapis' humble opinion, been the worst fucking days of their lives. Seeing her friend and cousin die, feeling herself... change because of these drugs, and now the schism between her and Velvet... It's enough. It's more than enough, but she can't even find the energy to be angry about this. She just wants this to stop. She wants to go home and not exist, to hide in the shadows she creates and just stay there.

But they can't sit still. Something in these mines calls out to them and even though the thought of going down there fills her with dread, she follows that call. At least that part of her personality remains untouched. And at least she's not alone either.

The makeshift torch she managed to cobble together is held in a white-knuckle grip, fear gripping at her as she and Jinwoo venture into those mines. She's terrified, exhaustion and the influence of her role playing havoc on her nerves, but it manages to loop around to her appearing almost calm. ]

How're you holding up?

Lapis & Velvet (with guest appearances later)

[crisantemo]

[ Blade is dead. Eizen is dead.

Those two sentences loop around her skull like some horrid, maddening mantra. They're dead and she saw them die and it all hangs heavy above her - above all the surviving Order members. And they're still stuck in this hell with no way out, waiting for night to fall and the attacks to begin again.

It's safe to say that nobody is handling this well. Lapis is quiet, borderline unemotive, and she keeps herself to the shadows as much as possible. But at the very least, she can speak to Jinwoo; even if it's just mindless noise to fill the silence, lest they think about what's happened. Maybe that's why the conversation drifts to missions, ones that still linger.

That's why she talks about a particular one, of a man whose possession caused him to make sacrifices to a monster in the Spirit Realm. ]

- What was his name again... [ Her words trail off, and when the name comes to her, she simply says her thought out loud. There's no real reason behind it. All it was is a simple thought. ] Arthur Collbrande, that was it -

[ And even though Velvet is close enough to overhear, she doesn't give it a second thought. ]

Goro Akechi | Persona 5 | OTA

[bleakdecember]

i. hopeless

[He feels like he should be more shocked to see so many die. To be in... such dire straits. But it feels like the world is finally showing itself for what he knows it is.

...But he still feels miserable.

He's sitting alone in the house, having given up on trying to organize supplies. He's been lucky to get away with only scratches and bruises so far, but he's also been hanging back a lot. And while he's used to managing on very little sleep, the despair of it all is getting to him.]

We're all going to die, aren't we? They might as well get it over with.

ii. an ending ( CW eventual character death. OTA because he has no friends yet )

[He's surrounded by people he doesn't know. This damned role assignment has him shrinking into himself. He can't stand being this dead weight anymore. Watching everyone mourn and knowing he's just intruding. Would they care if he died?

So he's going to do something to prove to them that he's useful. To make them remember his name. And then they'll all tell him how sorry they were for not taking him seriously before.

He's found a spot in the mines right at the edge of a deep mineshaft. Further down, there's noises that make it clear there's some creatures lingering. But he has a box of dynamite.

If anyone approaches, he holds a finger to his lip to shush them. He has a plan. It's simple. It'll take out multiple at once. It can't go wrong.]

Stay back, just in case.

DAY FOUR - OCTOBER 10TH

[kaisoumods]

Waver Velvet | fate/ servantswap au | semi-ota

[fionnuisce]

[i; inscribed like stone and faded by the rain]

[Compound fractures can be accompanied by or lead to complications. The risk of serious complications increases if nerves are damaged-]

[Somewhere, distantly in a more lucid corner of his mind, Waver would hate that his entire thought process sounded like a medical textbook. But it was overcome by the desperate need to understand everything, every single facet and aspect of what was happening, how it was unfolding, every single exacting detail down to the agonizing pain that had intensified by the day without magical treatment.]

[-if two ends of the broken bone are misaligned, the result is a malunion fracture, symptoms of which may include partial or full loss of limb function and pain around the fracture site-]

[All of which led to the end result, which was a weak human body being pushed to its limits. Hiding in closets and dark corners of the cabin, trying to get around without relying on the telltale click of a cane instead carried in one hand, and desperate to keep moving. He had to figure this out. Had to understand how, what, where, why-]

[If he could understand the situation, take it apart down to its most base components, then he could comprehend it. Could solve it and in doing so fix it before any more blood had to be shed.]

[That felt like a necessity worth risking the real chance he would die trying.]

[ii; locked to ritsuka/diarmuid/edward; give up what you love before it does you in (cw: death)]

[Keep it against your shoulder, that way the kickback won't knock you out. Put your left hand forward, right on the trigger.]

[Another litany of information revisited and retraced--in a strange moment of semi-clarity, this was not a carefully recited clinical definition, but recollection of another's words. With it, the smell of burning gunpowder (sulfur, potassium nitrate, charcoal) alongside cigarette smoke (nicotine, tobacco, the flash and burn of lighter fluid), the necromancer's calloused hands guiding his aim to stay level (relax your shoulders or you'll break something, velvet).]

[His entire head felt like it had been thrown into overdrive these past few days. Desperation burned in the form of mad desire to comprehend rather than survive, and while Waver hated to leave thing unanswered, this was unlike him. Something was wrong, more than just the obvious crisis--but there was no time to consider it.]

['Shotgun's not a great option, if you only have one weapon. One like this, you've got about five shots at most.']

[The trigger was pulled, a deafening blast from the shotgun in Waver's hands ringing out and nearly sending him off balance before he took aim again at the monster thrown back by the impact.]

One of you dumb bastards grab a fucking torch, we need to get rid of this thing already-!