Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Hisa Momoi & Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"John said that Inacio had gone with Colt to the pool building... that still leaves him and Jake unaccounted for, right? Since you were down in the basement, I'm guessing Jake wasn't holed up in there after all? Since no one's seen Inacio's body, he probably wasn't killed with Colt. It'd be weird for the melter to melt one body, and not the other. If it was Xylia, she might not have cared about Inacio though if her target was Colt... I'm just hoping that there aren't two more puddles like this in here..."

Mercedes hissed in a half-disgusted, half-horrified way as she stared at the bag that had been handed back to her. Aleen, on the other hand, didn't even bother to disguise her feelings. She went both pale and green on her face (a quite a feat at that) and slapped her hand over her mouth... clearly not just to stop herself from letting out an undignified scream. Immediately she averted her red eyes, letting everyone else to discuss this... rather gruesome development.

"... That little shitstain...? Gawd..." Mercedes muttered, pocketing the small bag again with much reluctance. "But... yeah... like, that thing we saw in the basement melted away after something from it ran away, and then it, like, melted the door too... I doubt it has any problems melting people too. Can't say she didn't deserve it, especially if she... s-she killed that dummy, but still... Jesus... what a way to go..."

Repressing a little gag, Mercedes turned towards the three girl, her eyes dead serious now.

"This is just, like, a theory, but if Inacio witnessed Colt's death, I doubt he stayed here. Like, he probably went straight to the faculty office to call the cops. And if the phonelines were already dead by then..." Mercedes grunted, her eyes shifting towards the door. "... He might have just grabbed, like, one of the bikes and bolted it. Either, like, to run away... or to get the sheriff. That's, at least, one possibility. As for that sloth of a janitor... well, who knows? But I doubt that the 'Melter' would've, like, wanted any possible witnesses. And since they had more time..."

Turning a little green herself, Mercedes looked towards the shower rooms... and the drains in the darkness there.

"... They could've been, like, more thorough."

All in all, it was a rather horrifying scenario.

And if that really was the case, the only way they could be sure was to comb the sewer pipes under the building for... remnants... of Jake.

Not something anyone would have wanted to do on a normal day, much less right now.

Still, while this conversation had been going on, Gradient had been slowly reading the message that Lucille had written for her. Softly the mysterious girl took the notepad and the pen from the blonde's hands and put the tip against the paper, right underneath the first line. Then she started writing, the quiet scratching of the pen filling the silence that had followed Mercedes's words. All eyes were, for now, focused on the mute girl and how she worked with the paper, writing a bit awkwardly as before - like she didn't 100% know how to use the writing implements.

But, when she was finished, she handed the tools back to Lucille.

First the pen, then the notepad.

And let the others read the text, while Lucille was the only one who completely understood it without problems.

And it read...

EN DOOAIN AS GE EMNA T I AG BASAGIME GOHE ADAGITA HISA AR BASADA ADAGITA TBL PI I EN BELIORA

My name was not here. It is none today. Say to Hisa that Glory to her. She has been my comfort.

Honestly... even if one knew what she said, it was as mysterious as ever.

But, even so, or perhaps in preparation for Lucille to do as asked, Gradient beamed a warm, thankful smile towards the scarred girl.

"... Y-you know, while theories and, erm, angelic note-passing and what-not is totes interesting..."

Aleen, who had finally managed to get back her bearings (in no small part thanks to Mercedes putting away the bag) caught everyone's attention after piping up. She was now wearing her jeans and Hisa's hoodie, but seemed still a bit uncomfortable in her clothes. Same could be said of Mercedes, who was still in the tatters that her fashionable, and probably very expensive, clothes had become after being tackled through a wall by the giant from before.

"Is it... is it our top priority now? I mean, it seems there's a super lot going on, and I getcha that we need to solve this stuff... but, erm... I'm starting to be totes hungry. And I wouldn't mind getting some proper clothes from the dorm too... like dry underwear and the like..." Aleen said, seeming a bit unsure if it was her place to say this in front of these three supernatural powerhouses. "Same for Mercedes, I bet. And, well... shouldn't we think about what to do now, or if we should head somewhere or put up a camp somewhere or... I dunno... something? Put the stuff our plate in priority order?"

Hearing that, Mercedes nodded. She rose up from the bench a bit gingerly, still being careful in how much weight she put on her legs and how much she twisted her torso when moving.

"The Heiress is right. Like, supernatural or not, we've still got the deal with Cesarina's death... and the unknown corpse... and the whole rest of this shitshow. I mean, gawd... this is starting to feel like the worst, most desperate detective novel pretty quickly," the actress said and flashed a smirk to the group. "But, like, nobody's gonna go for long on an empty stomach. Or clothes that fall apart any second now. And, like, I'm so not gonna walk around naked, especially with murderer around. I've seen my fair share of slasher films. Been in too many, too. Plus, like, speaking of which, we should stick together when we head out."

Mercedes looked at the group that had gathered and then gave them a surprising wink.

"Let's not go about it like a bunch of movie characters, right? Should thwart any murderers for now," she said, paused, and then continued with slight amusement in her tone. "... Should, like, work on supernatural assassins, too. If some whacko wants to get at our girl Hisa here, she has to go through the lot of us."

The last one was said with a half-of-a-grin directed at the girl in question.

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Right, sorry, sorry,” Lucille apologizes, realizing she was holding everyone up with the sudden development. Still, there was a slight flaw with the plan proposed, she noticed, and that had to be addressed. “We should get moving, you’re right, but there’s something I want to say…”

“The thing is… I’d rather we check the dorm’s kitchen, see if Sakura left any amount of her massive sandwich supplies there. At the cafeteria, there’s something, I don’t know what, that suppresses the supernatural. So Hisa and Elise and I would be just as ordinary as you and Aleen, no offense,” she says to Mercedes, though really, she’s addressing everyone. “Hwan and I spent a while looking for what caused it, but we didn’t find anything. I know the cafeteria seems pretty tempting, but it’s also quite the double-edged sword at the moment.”

Well, if someone contested, it didn’t really bother her. She just needed to stop by her room first, that was all.

“So, I think we stop by our rooms first, and then look for food, since if we do need to go into the cafeteria, it has a chance of not being all that safe. Then we can… well, we’ll figure it out.”

Leave? Hole themselves up and prepare to defend against whatever was attacking the school? Lucille had no idea, but she’d probably have a clearer mind with food in her stomach. Planning for what came after could wait.

“Oh, and Hisa, Gradient says she’s very grateful,” Lucille adds, figuring the message should be delivered as quickly as possible. “There’s plenty I’d like to ask her about too, but we should go.”

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Road to Owl's Nest Phase: Morning Phase Weather: Overcast ---

The opportunity was here. A moment that wouldn't present itself once more. Now or never, Vivienne Bianchi had to run. But she wasn't going to run by herself was she? Seeing the creature stop, seeing the traces of conflict within its mind, and understanding the rage that it carried... once she fathomed all this, it seemed like Vivienne Bianchi's mind changed, or did it, really?

"... go."

Vivienne Bianchi bolted past the beast and ran for the forest, where she could once more seek cover within the shadows and hopefully make the monster lose her trail.

Was she abandoning Rachel Hollaway? No, far from that, she had in fact identified that continuing to carry her on her back would only endanger Rachel more. Not only would she be slower, but she would line Rachel up as a target as well, by sheer coincidence of being next to Vivienne. Indeed, the masked girl had 'identified' the anger that afflicted the beast. It was looking for something alive to vent its anger on, something that could breathe and suffer, like her -- the sleeping bodies of everyone within Owl's Nest were of no concern to it. However, with Lobos slain, and the enchantment of the spear likely to be dispelled soon, it was only a matter of time before the number of casualties would skyrocket.

And so, once more, it was time to run, run as fast as she could.

Lead the calamity away from those that still live.

Status

HP	9
STR	E
END	E
AGI	B
WIL	?
INT	B
EGO	?

Persuasion and Performance Skills boosted to Rank B.
Investigation Skill boosted to Prushka's Rank.

Equipment

Shards of Mjolnir
Rank: E --- AP Cost: Free --- Damage: +2 --- Element: Steel --- Type: Weapon Arc-Relic, Throwing --- Range: Melee - 12.5m
A set of black-metal daggers stored in an elaborate sheath. While not indestructible, they are made of fine dwarven steel, and thus prove to be supernaturally resilient, easily keeping a sharp edge. They double as both thrown and melee weapons.
A set of 10 Daggers.
At the cost of one Attack, they can be called back into the user's hands.

Revealed Abilities

[Persona of the Other Self : Anima - Animus]
Rank: F --- Element: Soul --- Target: Self --- Duration: 1 Hour
A mask crafted to resemble the Colombina masks from the Carnival of Venice, but possessing details in its design that allude to a Roman Theater Mask. It is focused on representing the acting, theatrical part of masks, albeit it also has the ability to channel the Greco-Roman god of Arts’ abilities.
Gives access to the Spells: [Blessings of Eleutherios], ??? & ???.
Grants Persuasion and Performance Skill rank equal to Occult Rank as long as it is worn.

[Blessings of Eleutherios]
Rank: D --- Element: Soul --- Target: Self --- Duration: 20 mins
One of the abilities of the mask to turn the user into what they are pretending to be, rather than what they are… but instead of applying the literal meaning, it affects the metaphysical and gives the wielder skills and traits that they should not bear naturally.
Replicates one desired skill of the person and apply it to one-self.
Vivienne needs to see the skill being used by the person in question before she can replicate it.

[Persona of the Wild Parade : 百鬼夜行]
Rank: F --- Element: Soul --- Target: Self --- Duration: 1 Hour
A mask crafted to resemble the masks of Asia. Its main shape is evocative of the famous Kitsune mask of Japan’s Shinto culture, but upon closer inspection on can discern the presence of many other mask’s details, such as fellow Japanese Tengu masks, Chinese Shigong Masks, and Korean Sandae. While most of the masks featured in here are either decorative or bear a ritual purpose, each mask represents great beasts and beings from East Asian myths. This mask when donned tends to display an overall confident, yet cautious personality that relishes in combat. Out of the masks vivienne has at her disposal, most likely the one best geared towards proper combat. Its spells greatly enhance the offensive power available at her disposal, allowing her to deal with foes in a much swifter and effective manner than if she was using her other masks. A testament perhaps, to the prowess and might of all the beasts embellishing this mask.
Gives access to the Spells: ???, [妖] & [煙々羅 影].
Grants Intimidation and Athletics Skill rank equal to Occult Rank as long as it is worn.

[妖]
Rank: B --- Element: Curse --- Target: Self --- Duration: 5 Turns
Ayakashi, a general portmanteau term that encompasses an extremely wide spectrum of beasts. Even some divine creatures could be lumped in there -- however, this version of the spell is limited due to Vivienne’s lack of knowledge concerning East Asian Folklore, as well as being not too experienced herself yet in crafting of Ceremonial Magic Masks. At the moment, the ‘empowerments’ that this mask can give are limited to the Japanese Youkai: Tengu and ???. Vivienne knows them from a wallpaper scroll that’s been decorating the house’s living room since she was small, showing these two facing off. Since this spell is similar to opening an entire book and searching for a single passage to read, it actually costs more effort to prepare it than required, however, in exchange it offers high versatility. Different from the other mask abilities that would let Vivienne emulate a creature’s ability, here instead she channels them through herself to empower her body.
Tengu ver. increases STR and AGI by one Rank (all stats are upgraded in accord), as well as granting wings, giving her flying mov. spd. (double of normal)

[煙々羅 影]
Rank: E --- Element: Darkness --- Target: Self --- Duration: 10 Mins
Emanates a cloud of mysterious smoke that is closer to solid darkness. This shrouds the user and makes it impossible to discern what is going on. Said cloud of smoke is in fact a crystallization of the Enenra’s smoke, a youkai that is known for being made of pure darkness and an extremely light, surnatural smoke. This can be deployed as a smoke screen or as optical camouflage when moving around at night.
When used during night or in a dark place, grants E-Rank invisibility.
Attacks made against a person shrouded have their Accuracy Score reduced by 1.

[Persona of the Golden Witch Doctor : шаман]
Rank: F --- Element: Soul --- Target: Self --- Duration: 1 Hour
A mask that bears a medley of design evoking all kinds of masks from the Americas, one can find the likes of Iroquoian ‘False Faces’, Yup’ik Masks from the Eskimos, and Navajan-type masks from the Southwest of North America. This mask holds all of the primal connections to Mother Earth, serving as an excellent medium towards all of the many great Spirits and Elementals that deign give their blessings upon the wearer of this Persona. Specializing in Nature, Water and Life, it actually has very little use when it comes to murder-related subjects most of the time, rather, it is better suited to keep people alive than killing them. This mask when donned turns Vivienne into a thoughtful and soft-spoken individual, perhaps to reflect the nature of the Mother Gaia.
Gives access to the Spells: [Wakan Tanka], ??? & ???.
Grants Nature and Survival Skill rank equal to Occult Rank as long as it is worn.

[Wakan Tanka]
Rank: C --- Element: Life --- Target: Single --- Range: ???
Lifts all ailments and curses by calling within the holiness that resides within every single entity by invoking the name of ‘The Great Spirit’. This call expunges all filth and rejuvenates the target
Heals 6 HP and purges negative ailments of D-Rank or lower.

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Road to Town
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast



Human beings love routines.

They claim that routines are boring, that surprises are the “spice of life”, but they seek order and standardization in all aspects of their lives: a stable government; a stable job; a ceiling over their heads; food on the table every morning; no unexpected strangers showing up at their doors. The search for deviations to that routine, then, might be a decadent need to indulge in the taboo; the paradoxical longing for distinction in a normalized world, that pushes the more deviant among humankind to explore truly deplorable fetishes. There is certainly a world of difference between the pedophile and the white-collar worker who abandons his job to go backpacking around the globe, but perhaps, only perhaps, the underlying motivational foundation is the same.

John Dove, too, has a routine in his life: people die whenever he is around.

It is not something he does; John has never even wished for another person’s death—he does not care enough about others to wish them ill. It is just the way it is. Whenever John Dove moves to a new home, sooner or later people start to die, or just plain disappear without a trace. It is something he is fully aware of and, naturally, he is not the only one to see this pattern. The families of the deceased have pointed accusing fingers at him, children have come up with creepy playground songs about him, and the police have sought him out more times than he is willing to count.

John Dove, the “cursed man”. Wherever he goes, death follows.

Most of them time the victims are just “people who happen to live in the vicinity of John Dove”: the newspaper delivery boy, the couple two houses away, the guy who happened to sit next to him on Pyry Leijonamieli’s championship match. From time to time, however, the “curse” strikes a person personally acquainted with John Dove: the jock who bullied him in his freshman year, the policeman who all but stalked him, convinced that he was in fact a teenage serial killer, his cousin Evelyn.

John Dove’s routine is death, and telling himself that these are nothing but deplorable coincidences, to make it easier to relegate them to the bottom of the ocean where he dumps all other things he does not bother to care about. After all, the alternative is admitting that all these deaths and disappearances are in some way his responsibility, and what would that do to a young person’s mind?

When Ramia shoots Elaine two more times, there is only the slightest twitch of his eyebrow where there should have been nothing.

When she brings up one Ubon, who is apparently precious and he should feel irate about, something creaks inside him, like gears gridning to a halt. His mind, his heart, his soul; something.

When she explains the artifact’s workings after shooting, describing it as a harmful object that causes death, the creaking intensifies until he feels like he is going to break apart from the inside out. It is miraculous, superhuman even, how he holds back the simultaneous urge to puke and faint at the same time without even displaying it on his face.

When she disdains and looks down on his entire paradigm of behavior, well, that does not really do anything to him. Ego? Pride? He does not have any of those things. Those things only have context as a social entity; they do not exist in one who is wholly alone in the world. It is not as if he behaves the way he does because he thinks it is “cool” or something like that.

He still cannot comprehend why she did not seek him out and threaten him straight away. She could have gotten her “artifact” on the very first day. After all, the people of the colorless world remain ineffable to him.

Then she says something else; something his mind desperately laps up like manna from the heavens. Something that, at long last, gives meaning and worth to this whole event in his deplorable heart.

Ramia Ramalsaqr is wasting her breath.

John Dove is already broken beyond salvation. He just does not allow himself to become aware of that fact.

It works in exactly the same way as all his other lies.

Yet, at the same time, it does not change the fact that tears run down his cheeks. He does not sob. He does not whine. He makes no gesture that indicates he is even aware he is crying. He only barely registers Elaine’s weak words to her to-be-murderer, but the emotion brimming despite their weakness makes a part of him hope she gets her answers. Perhaps one of those tears he is shedding is for her. There is no way he would know.

John sighs, regarding both himself and Ramia with the same neutrality he has worn this whole time.

“I will not be satisfied unless I get the truth from her, after all. So this is how deplorable I am.”

John Dove, the one who accepts and lets go of everything without effort, simply cannot let go of the goddess he met that night. That might just be the true form of his “curse”.

“Nonetheless, I thank you, Ramia Ramalsaqr. I now know more than I could hope for, even more than I deserve.”

Slowly, never taking his eyes off the lamia, John reaches for the pocket of his pants. He was not joking nor taunting nor making any attempt at trickery when he claimed that pulling out his trinket is not a trivial ordeal. It takes him longer than he would have liked.

“I presume this is what you seek. Am I correct?”

Spoiler:

He could just deposit it on Ramia’s open hand, but he still finds it in himself to say something else, despite his words bearing no weight and no meaning by this point. Why now, of all times?

Well, he remembered an Alex-something to whom he made an empty promise. A promise to a dead person could not be more meaningless, if only for the fact that it was also a promise to himself. The previous evening, with only whatever Lockhart as witness, John Dove chose life over death, in all circumstances.

“I do not need you anymore,” he says to the object around his hand, stopping himself right before thanking it for its companionship all these years. Now that would be a most meaningless thing to do. Instead, he properly regards Ramia’s hard, inhuman gaze before lowering his head in an obvious pleading manner.

“The artifact for Elaine Winters’ life. We, we need to reach the sheriff’s. Do something about…about, everything.”

A deal Ramia has absolutely no need to fulfill. Nevertheless, he says the words.

“I beg of you.”

Because he has chosen life, after all. He does not even need to let go of pride he never had in the first place.

The tears never stop this whole time.

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"... They could've been, like, more thorough."

Elise shuddered at the thought as she followed Mercedes' gaze towards the showers' drains, hidden in the darkness.

"On a more normal day... I might be willing to look around the sewer pipes under here and see if we can't find something, assuming I had a spare change of clothes handy and a lot of soap, but I don't think we've got the time to go looking for Jake down there right now..."

I'm just going to hope that Jake fell asleep in a cupboard somewhere and slept through all of this.

Aleen brought up the subject of food and leaving the pool building. With the bag of goop that might've once been Xylia out of her hands and out of sight, Elise felt her hunger return.

"One thing's for sure... I did not have anything to eat during either of my memory lapses. Getting out of here and getting some breakfast does seem like a good priority right now," agreed Elise.

“The thing is… I’d rather we check the dorm’s kitchen, see if Sakura left any amount of her massive sandwich supplies there. At the cafeteria, there’s something, I don’t know what, that suppresses the supernatural. So Hisa and Elise and I would be just as ordinary as you and Aleen, no offense. Hwan and I spent a while looking for what caused it, but we didn’t find anything. I know the cafeteria seems pretty tempting, but it’s also quite the double-edged sword at the moment.”

“So, I think we stop by our rooms first, and then look for food, since if we do need to go into the cafeteria, it has a chance of not being all that safe. Then we can… well, we’ll figure it out.”

"Huh, I never noticed anything different about being in the cafeteria, but I suppose I was distracted by all that bacon at the time..." said Elise, "We should definitely head for the dorm first though. Food, clothes, and equipment aside, most of our other not-missing classmates were holed up in the kitchen, last I heard, so we really should check up on them too."

The second mention of Sakura by Lucille made Elise feel like someone just drove a rusty nail through her heart.

There's no way around it. The Inquisitor that Elaine fought last night had to have been Sakura... dammit. Why couldn't you just be an ordinary girl who loved making food, overfeeding people to the point at which they'd explode, and had no respect for the personal space of others? Was Alexstrasza the vampire that she and Lucille were supposed to destroy? Makes sense, and that's better than the alternative that Sakura killed her over an omelette but... that's kind of the case, isn't it? That whole morning, from Sakura taking a sample of her blood when she bandaged her after she cut herself to trying to make her eat an entire garlic filled omelette... That was all some kind of vampire test, wasn't it?

Elise quickly glanced around the room, at Lucille and then the others. Hoping that she'd hid her emotions well, but feeling fairly certain that she didn't.

What do I even say about Elaine? I said I'd worry about her later... but that later is now.... Let's just get out of here first... and then we can tell Lucille about it.

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Is...that so?”

I wasn’t sure how to deal with this new revelation about the cafeteria. If we had the time and opportunity, I would have liked to test it more thoroughly, but like this…

“I...tried using my power there once, but rather than getting cancelled it was reflected back at me, which made me think that it was the other person’s doing…”

Maybe it really was just something about Travis, and it wasn’t this “suppression field”? Maybe it only affects magic, or simply by their nature esper powers aren’t close enough to supernatural to be cancelled…

“But without knowing more about it, perhaps it really is for the best to avoid that place right now,” I said as I tried to appear as serious as I could be, but at the same time, Mercedes’, and Gradient’s comments still had me slightly embarrassed, and sort of happy - perhaps I was just too used to being alone, being abandoned, and as such, even something small like this could have such an effect on me.

“Err...especially since I would assume that it definitely doesn’t affect guns and weapons, and honestly, I would rather not want to be shot or stabbed to death without being able to retaliate.”

What would the safest place be, anyways? Even if we set out to the town...We’d still have to go through the forest or around the beach, and out in the open, we’d be easy prey to just about anything...On the other hand, staying here isn’t necessarily safe either, but...at least I should wait for Pyry here anyways. If only he’d be here…

“Anyways, as you’ve said, we should go for now.”

[Verg Avesta]

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast
[BGM]

And so she ran. Ran as fast as her legs could take her.

Vivienne Bianchi bolted out of the building, heading straight through the parking lot and dashing towards the not-so-distant forest. The veil of trees awaited just on the other side of the large asphalt square, lined with cars that had seen better days. Behind her, the large hotel of Owl's Nest grew more and more distant - looking more like a battered skeleton of its former self than ever before. The fall of the beast from the third floor had shattered windows in the first floor corridor, and through them Vivienne saw the hulking form of the monster that had come to a halt.

The steam billowing out of its mouth grew slower and slower, the cloud becoming smaller and smaller, and the crimson glow of its eyes started to flicker like a machine about to run out of gas. At the same time, its posture relaxed ever so slightly for the first time, the unstoppable rampage coming to an end now that anything that might be seen as an enemy had been eliminated. The unconscious people did not threaten it, they did not constitute as possible opponents and thus... the beast had finally had enough.

That's was the hope, at least, for it did not follow Vivienne.

It had no need.

If it could not take it out on the enemies that surrounded it, whether real or imaginary, it would just have to let that monstrous sorrow evaporate, creating a cloud of steam that hissed and coiled around it, turning emotions into pure heat that was evaporated from within the blackened armor. Whatever the thing was, whoever it truly was, the fury that it held within it was a tangible force. And now, it let itself fall into a trance to get rid of it. That made it docile, that made it not a danger to the people around it...

... But if Vivienne had stayed any longer, or if she came back, no doubt the rampage would start again.

Therefore, it was time to run.

It was time to escape into the forest.

And it was time to regroup.

------------- The dark green curtains of pine trees felt like a blessing in disguise as Vivienne ran past them into the shadows.

There was nothing to be done here, not until the spear and the beast were pacified. And undoubtedly, this was not the only tragedy occurring tonight. For even as quiet and unassuming the grey day seemed, for some reason, Vivenne could almost smell a heavy cloak of blood and death draping itself over the whole town of Road's End.

Something was terribly wrong with this day.

It felt... final.

It felt... unfair.

It felt... unavoidable.

Yes. Even if Vivienne didn't know it at that point, the truth would soon come clear to her. Today was the day that this town was wrapped up and warped by a tragedy wherever one went. It was already too late to escape it. Because of course it was. Sure, it was sad and it was miserable and it feels like a punch in the guts.

But hey.

Isn't it fun to watch...?

Haha.

---

Vivienne Bianchi: Battle Abandoned!

---

[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters & John Dove
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

“I beg of you.”

A silence.

A terrible silence.

Then...

"... You don't have to beg. I'm not a monster. I'm just desperate."

Ramia Ramalsaqr says that with a quiet voice as she holsters her gun, finally putting away its deadly sights and its capacity of ending Elaine Winters's life right then and there. Instead, she quietly accepts the transaction proposed, taking the strange "artifact" now, finally, properly, given to her. The lithe metal clinks as it hits her gloved hand and the soldier before the two closes her fingers gently around it. With a sigh, she pulls her hand back and gazes at the "bracelet" with a strange look in those serpent-like eyes of hers. It was equal amounts of hatred and relief, like a gamble that she had taken had finally paid off.

"There. Artifact for life. Exactly as promised," Ramia continued, and as she did, the chains around Elaine flickered in and out of existence. "I'll handle this... thing... going forward. You should be able to reach the Sheriff's much easier without this but, well... I'm not sure how much good it'll do to you. What's going on here, I don't think it's something mundane people can handle."

Having said that coincided with Ramia's spell finally coming to an end. Giving their last struggle, the chains of curses evaporated with a quiet hiss, much like retreating snakes. While the stunning effect of the landmine itself had disappeared moments before, Ramia had also let the rest of the spell disappear at the same time, releasing the blonde girl from her snare. Muttering something in her native tongue under her breath, Ramia watched as Elaine slumped downwards - after all, strength was quickly leaving her body even at this moment.

A difficult expression was reflected by the dusky-skinned girl's eyes.

But she did come to an eventual decision.

"... Now let's patch you up. You're gonna die if your wounds aren't treated right away. And while I do that... we can talk. About him," Ramia said quietly. "I might hate you. I might despise you. But my personal feelings don't matter. John exchanged this thing for your life, so you'll get to keep yours. We can settle our score later. When we're on equal footing. Dirty tactics are fine for a job, but for personal shit... that ain't me."

It was a contradicting way of life, and her words might not have been too reassuring, but that's the explanation she offered. A strange sort of duality, like between a human and a serpent, or somewhere in-between... well, not that it made much difference right now. With a heavy sigh, Ramia started rummaging through her vest, eventually emerging with a pouch of some sort - one made of reptile leather and filled with something heavy. She took a step towards Elaine, kneeling besides her to bring the two of them to the eye level.

"There's bandages in my hidey-hole over there, John," Ramia said, glancing at the boy. "Grab them for me, will you? We need prevent the wounds from getting infected, too. And... don't worry about the 'Sakura' you see there. That's just... eh, it doesn't matter. Just ignore her. She's nothing but dead air."

Bringing the pouch closer, Ramia inhaled as if she was about to prepare for something and the feeling of magical energy, mana, began to coalesce around her. In other words... she was most likely an actual mage. It would make sense with her being a lamia but this was a confirmation of sorts. But that also meant that her spells would be fast and potent... hopefully.

"Watch your eyes a bit. I'll put on the flashlight. It's goddamn dark in here so..." Ramia started, but fo some reason, the words died on her lips. "Dark...? But... it's not night. It's barely... barely noo-"

Ramia cursed heavily and jumped up to her feet.

Behind her goggles, her eyes were scanning the perimeter wildly.

And for a good reason.

There was something terribly wrong with the world around them all.

Instead of an overcast day where the light was grey and without warmth, they all had been - without their knowledge or realization - been wrapped into a night that had taken over the sky. Darkness without stars stretched from horizon to horizon, with nothing but a bloated, pale full moon hanging above them like a some sort of gazing eye of a titan-like god. Just one look at it, and Elaine could feel her blood becoming white-hot and boiling as the madness and bestial fury started taking over her mind. This wasn't simply an apparition of a celestial body, and illusion made by someone's supernatural ability... this was the actual presence of full moon itself.

What had happened?

Why was it night all of a sudden?

And why did the full moon tower at the top of the sky, straight above the trio of Elaine, John and Ramia?

"--- Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit! Not now, not yet! There was no time to prepare!" Ramia cursed as she drew her gun once more. "John! Get the hell out of here before she sees you! Winters won't be in control soon, and she might even try to attack you! And if she deems her as a threat, then---"

Her words were cut off.

Because suddenly.

There was a presence.

A presence that dwarfed the monstrous serpent known as a lamia.

A presence that dwarfed the growing ultimate beast of the Turnside.

A presence that chilled John Dove to his very bone marrow.

--- There came a predator, one that saw all them as a prey.

A terrible, terrible creature of unfathomable proportions, all for the sake of one young man and his desperation in this situation with seemingly in insurmountable enemy before him. But once such a subconscious wish was made, it was impossible to take back anymore. You do not call for a tidal wave and then ask it to leave when it is no longer deemed necessary. A natural disaster cannot be prevented once it has started. John Dove's distress, John Dove's defeat, John Dove's tears...

... They had brought forth

The Pale Lunacy

Apex Predator of Man and Monster

.

"Băiat. What is this company you keep? A monstrous girl and a bestial girl. A Boy such as you should know better, right?"

Her voice resonated like church bells across the clearing, making the trees quiver and shake in the cold night wind. Her footfalls were loud and clear, like a funeral march as she stepped from within the darkness, taking shape some 30 meters from the group that had gathered on top of the small hill. Her shadow stretched long and wide, falling upon them like mourning clothes and dressing them up for inevitable death. Her form, while hard to decipher from within the night - for she was the night itself - was illuminated by those blood-red eyes of hers that shone brilliantly. Bats screamed and flickered in heavy clouds on the sky, thousands upon thousands strong, enough to blacken the moonlight if they so wished. But they did not. For their queen's gaze was synonymous with that very moon.

Ramia screamed something out in her native tongue, took an aim at the approaching figure, trying her best to keep her aim steady despite her whole body shaking out of natural fear. Her breathing was heavy and she was struggling to stay standing and not just bolt immediately. She had even completely forgotten Elaine who was currently undergoing even a further transformation thanks to the presence of full moon.

Of course, it was not a full moon.

But the one who approached them all... her very existence carried the same meaning as a night during the full moon.

She was the very concept of it.

"How insulting... to force you to give up my gift. To make tears stream down your face. These two have no shame, right? How dare they manipulate your emotions like that, Boy," she said coldly, clicking her tongue in disappointment. "You may be my whim, but I take care of my whims. They have hurt you, and thus... I shall hurt them. You may die because of that Child's actions, but... let me prolong your life a bit longer. You will not die here, John Dove. You will survive."

It was a promise. In other words, it was as good as done.

Thanks to the tears of John Dove... the night had already fallen.

And the morning was nowhere to be seen.

"Wait there quietly, Boy," she announced. "This will take but a moment. I am, after all... hungry."

--------- Thus began the nightmare.

---

---

Initiative Check!
Shadow of the Moon: 10 VS Elaine Winters: 5 VS Ramia Ramalsaqr: 3 VS John Dove: 2

BATTLE START!
Round 1, Turn 1: Shadow of the Moon

---

Elaine Winters VS John Dove VS Shadow of the Moon VS Ramia Ramalsaqr (Round 1, Turn 1)
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

It acted too fast. It began before any of them could even react. By the time they noticed that the Predator had even moved, it had already begun its attack.

Letting out a shrilling laughter, the presence advanced some 6 meters towards them, her red eyes shining in the darkness like a couple of vermillion beasts. With a flutter of shadows and night she raised her hand, and for a moment, all those who were present could see five shining, long claws better fit for a monster from one's dreams than anything fitting this reality. Those nimble fingers drew shapes into the air, each line glowing for a moment before burning away in black flames that melted into the moonlight itself. In just a span of few seconds it condensed a complex, complicated spell into just its bare minimums and drive mana into the symbol it had created into the air, making it a reality.

And by the time it had, nobody had managed to even muster up a measly defense.

--- Especially Ramia.

"W-wait, shit, I--------!"

But her scream did nothing to stop the onslaught.

A terrible, powerful wind picked up like a pillar of fury that rose from the ground, right underneath the dusky-skinned girl. Before the snake-eyed soldier could even cry out for help, her body had been picked up by the localized tornado. She gripped her weapons and tried to get away, tried to put some distance between her and the column of pure galeforce that rose towards the heavens, but to no avail. The wind tore her from the ground, overcame the gravity itself for a moment and lifted the girl from the ground. Ramia cursed heavily and tried to fight back, tried to get her feet back onto the ground, but the whirlwind spun her around faster and faster, before final roar of the fury of air resonated within the hilltop.

And, in quick succession, Ramia Ramalsaqr was flung far into the forest, towards the treetops and away from John Dove like she had been but a mere ragdoll.

Like she had been nothing but an ant.

A pebble on the way of the Moonlight Predator.

And, of couse... that left only three.

John Dove himself.

The Night that he had called.

And the beast that was once known as Elaine Winters.

"... Do not think I'll show you mercy, even though you are his kaima, even if in nature only," she announced to Elaine as she continued to walk closer and closer. "You are nothing but a mindless, rabid beast now - and as the Authority over your kind, I shall put and end to you, here and now."

Even the golden monster about to be unleashed could sense the danger.

The Predator was preparing another spell...!

---

[Moon Phase Changed: Set to Full Moon!]

[John Dove: WIL Defense overcome! Frightened!]
[Elaine Winters: WIL Defense overcome! Frightened!]
[Ramia Ramalsaqr: WIL Defense overcome! Frightened!]

[Ramia Ramalsaqr: EGO Defense overcome!]
[Ramia Ramalsaqr: Flung 30 Meters!]
[Ramia Ramalsaqr: 20 / 2 = 10 Falling Damage!]

--> Round 1, Turn 2: Elaine Winters
--> Round 1, Turn 3: Ramia Ramalsaqr
--> Round 1, Turn 4: John Dove

---

New Ability Witnessed!

Shadow of the Moon

STR: ?

END: ?

AGI: ?

WIL: ?

INT: ?

EGO: ?

Perks:

Moonlight Presence
Automatically changes the battlefield to one governed by the [Moon Phase - Full Moon]. In addition, every creature that can see the Shadow of the Moon and who is at least partially human is assaulted by a Fear effect. Those with WIL Defense of 4 or lower suffered Frightened status effect when in the presence of the Shadow of the Moon, though they only have their movement speed halved when moving towards her.

Abilities:

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
Calls down a pillar of extreme winds from the night sky and targets one creature within 40 meters of the caster. Those with EGO Defense of 4 or lower are unable to resist the conjured galeforce that threatens to snatch them up like a localized F5-Class tornado. If the target has their EGO defense overcome, they are flung into the direction of the caster's choosing for up to 50 meters. For each Rank in STR attribute past Rank F, reduce the maximum amount that the target can be flung by 10 meters. As the target is thrown around by winds, they do not suffer full effects of gravity, and any falling damage they take is halved (rounded down down to a minimum of 1). Further information pending...

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Hisa Momoi & Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Anyways, as you’ve said, we should go for now.”

With that, the plan was set. Mercedes, whose clothes had taken the worst hit during the whole fiasco with the supposed giant that they had fought in the basement borrowed a towel to make herself a little more presentable. Meanwhile Aleen helped Lucille and Elise to gather up the first aid kit and bandages that had been used to treat the starlet. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the locker room was almost as if nothing had happened in it... if not counting for the large amount of bloodstains left by the actress. Mercedes, when viewing those splots of darker red against the dimly lit tiles of the room, grimaced quietly.

"Gawd... I guess I really was, like, at death's door..." she muttered to herself, glancing at Hisa and Elise. "... dunno if it's something I can, like, every repay you lot..."

And then, her eyes flickered towards Lucille, and she flashed a smile at her friend.

"--- Or you, Lucy. I mean, without you I'd be, like, nothing but a big splat on that basement wall. Oh, speaking of which..."

The actress leaned in a bit closer to the blonde, an impish grin on her face.

"... Do you think we could, like, come back later to gather up all that gold and platinum you left behind in the basement?" Mercedes asked in a mock whisper. "Or, like, can you create more? I know a few jeweler's who'd be interested in buying..."

Aleen, who had been watching this unfold with a confused look, broke into a giggle. Even Gradient seemed to chuckle, but as always, her laughter was somewhere between bellows, a rumble and a honk. When the first one of those sounds came out of the mysterious girl, the bluehead next to her jumped back in surprise... only to break into even louder giggle-fit when she realized what was going on.

While wiping her eyes, Aleen glanced at Hisa and Elise while still laughing.

"W-what the heck? Is that how she laughs?" the bluehead asked, incredulous. "J-just what the heck is this girl...?"

Gradient answered by an even louder honk, causing Aleen to snort in amusement so loudly snot nearly flew out of her nose - only saved by the girl in question sticking her hands in front of her face.

--- In the end, the atmosphere had grown more light-hearted, despite what had happened.

But still, as the group of girls headed out of the pool building, towards the dormitories, they couldn't help but to feel a nagging sense of danger in the back of their minds.

This day of tragedies... it was far from over.


[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

---

Lucille Faraday: Friendship Rank Raised!

Hisa Momoi: Friendship Rank Raised!

Elise Pelltier: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

I was not born a monster.

I was not set upon by some starving, maddened beast.

This curse was thrust upon me, a cruel joke by someone I thought I loved.

He couched it as freedom, away from the bonds of humanity.

It was a lie, it was just different chains. I am all too aware of what happens during this state, at times, I can steer it, force it to be of use.

But I’m so tired.

And I’m so angry, and hurt and scared.

This curse is supposed to bring power, but all it has given is misfortune.

And as I stare up into the sky, a sudden prisoner in my own mind, I can only laugh mirthlessly.

It was all useless, in the end.

I can’t save anyone.

Not even myself.

That power was taken from me, and in its place is only the ability to take lives.

I wanted to be a hero.

But now, all I am…

Is another monster.

I can only see things dimly, everything is muffled, so loud I can barely hear.

Everything hurts.

I can feel the raking at my innards and finally stop lying to myself.

Elaine Winters is no hero, and she is no great killer.

She was just a girl trying to help people, tried to fight off greater threats.

Magi gone mad and lurking in the shadows, making a better world at what they see as acceptable costs. Espers who lost control, raised as weapons and turned loose. Desperate members of the Holy Church, who, so like herself, just wanted to help but didn't know how, killing what they didn't understand.

Mystics who in their search for knowledge dig too deep and too greedily.

Even the scions of the Promethean flame can go mad with the life they've been given.

Everyone thinks they know how to save the world.

Even me.

I am going to die here.

Elaine Winters will cease thinking in a few moments, replaced by some nightmarish parody of a beast.

"Jhoohnnn..."

The game was rigged from the start, I thought hazily, I showed weakness, and tried to act like a person.

All that got me was three bullets in the gut and not even a mercy to die as myself.

Pathetic, right?

Fuck the church and their disgustingly hypocritical inquisitors.

Fuck Ramia.

Fuck Kean and John and Souma and everyone else.

Fuck this place!

Jus-

"Run..."

Just fuck it all.

I’m so tired.

"I don't want to-"

…

…

…

The Beast
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

The shadow serpents fell from her body like rats, crushed against themselves as the beast emerged from the shell that had barely constrained it.

A golden beast, darkened by blood, twisted and unnatural, with awkward, gangling, too-thin limbs skitter-crawled and came to its feet. The bestial and feral looking but still recognizable features of Elaine Winters had faded completely, the thick fur-hide and fringe of fur over its eyes the only noticeable remnants of the girl who was denied everything she had wanted.

It moved almost confusedly, torn between loping in all fours or standing upright like a horrible parody of a man, ending at a strange loping stride, almost like a toddler learning to walk, or a baby deer.

It’s body bulged and twitched unnaturally, sinews undulating and warping bizarrely as the monster came to its feet.

It was almost like a child’s drawing of a wolf-like beast, from a nightmare mostly forgotten on waking to the morning light.

It was the apex of the turn-side, a curse upon Man’s hubris.

But it wasn't, not really.

The golden beast is something twisted and unnatural, abhorrent to look upon, every moment in its presence is the promise of imminent death, consumed by a predator that knows nothing of mercy.

But still, for a moment, for just a moment, it seems to pause, looking around the wood with almost child-like curiosity, tilting its wide, too-large head and snuffling with interest.

Then it jerks, twitches like a puppet on strings, limbs twisting and torquing and lashing about.

And then it stops, with alien stillness, it seems to evaluate the clearing.

Then the golden beast that had consumed the hunter’s form tilted its head back, letting it loll for a moment, an almost boneless movement, akin to a broken doll.

Then, came an unearthly growling, a wheezing, sobbing grunting sound from within the beast’s chest, crawling out almost physically from the wounds in its belly, the holes seeming to stretch and contort like smaller maws, two, three echoes of what was bubbling in its throat.

The beast opened its mouth, flexed it’s belly, a small splash of too-bright blood flashing out.

[Primal Scream]

Then it screamed.

It was as if the God of the Wild himself had descended, a roaring, gibbering howl of rage and madness and a covetous hunger without beginning or end.

It screamed like a maddened beast.

It screamed like a girl in terror.

It screamed like a hunter without hope.

And then, maddened beyond hope, beyond fear and beyond sanity…

She attacked the presence that stunk of the moon that even now raked at her mind, something about its existence itself infuriating her beyond anything, froth spraying and limbs a whirl, she attacked, charging furiously.

The first movement was the same, clumsy lope that it had adopted upon entering the field, moving swiftly with an ungainly stride, half-dragging its malformed body across the forest floor.

(BGM end)

Then, something shifted, it adjusted its gait, something moving just-so into place and the aura of the blood-starved beast changed, its posture straightened, standing upright in opposition to the bestial half-crawl she'd taken.

Feral, bestial madness jerked, like a jostled hand, and something entered its stride, a strange color, gold tinged with azure.

Discipline, determination, the unwillingness to give up, even in the face of the end.

[Dragon Rush]

Then, without fanfare, it moved again, blurring with the strange, unearthly motions it had been exhibiting for the past few moments, but different, guided, controlled.

With a single blurring, almost elegant movement, the golden beast arrived, that unearthly howling following her, and a twisted, warped, paw-hand lashed out.

[Pocketful of Sunshine]

But not in an attack.

A white handkerchief fluttered into the air, pure and untainted by blood or by beast.

It opened, and the light came out, pure as the dawn and as it washed through the air, bold and unyielding, for a moment, for a single moment in time.

The Beast did not look so monstrous.

Just for a moment.

Even as her mind surrendered to despair and pain, and her body was consumed by wrath, one thing remained.

The spirit of Elaine Winters would not allow herself to die a monster.

Wise Up!

Attributes
STR - A
END - A
AGI - A
INT - C
WIL - ?
EGO - ?

[Lycanthropy] (40 AP)

Touched by something beyond the realms of Men, your interference with a ritual to commune with a spirit of primal savagery has marked you in your very nature, with the rising of the Moon, so does the Hunter grow more powerful, and so does the savage soul within, be wary of that savage soul, lest you become more of a Beast than a Hunter.

On the night of the Full Moon, when Elaine is unable to maintain her vigilance over the Beast within, it begins to scream, dreadful howling that shakes the soul, it tears and rends at the spirit itself, gripping the heart with a ceaseless fear that they are being pursued by a predator that will consume them. It is something primal, from beyond the bounds of the world known.

[Primal Scream] - 10 Meter Radius from Self, all targets within must make WIL Save (WIL + 5) or be Frightened, the following turn, they must make the save again, if they fail again, they are then Paralyzed. Those who succeed the first save are immune for 24 Hours.

Pocketful of Sunshine - A flash bang sort of thing, a silken cloth inscribed with sigils, hung in a window from dusk, til it is folded up precisely at the moment of sunrise. Contains the absorbed sunlight throughout the day in a bundle of cloth, easily able to be flung out of a pocket to distract and disorient an opponent, even damaging those more sensitive to natural sunlight.

[Targets within area w/ INT Defense of 3 or Lower are blinded for 2 turns, Targets weak to Light take 2 Light Damage as well.]

Martial Arts Techniques

Dragon Rush - A blindingly fast charge towards the enemy, designed to quickly reduce distance and close to melee range with sudden and brutal efficiency.

[Move up to 3x Movement Speed, must be done during this action, may be sub’d for physical attack]

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters VS John Dove VS Shadow of the Moon VS Ramia Ramalsaqr (Round 1, Turn 3)
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

The scream of a beast-yet-man echoed in the forest, as powerful as ever, even as sunlight spread like a sphere of pure white against the endless night that had appeared.

For a moment that darkness stepped aside, for a moment the shadows were banished, and the beast known as Elaine Winters found herself staring straight into those red, blazing eyes of her opponent. Her form was not tall nor was it gargantuan, but the way the dark itself veiled her, set itself as her royal cape and how he shadow seemed to stretch everywhere was. Like a Queen of the Night from an old, old aria, standing stall as a empress shorter than the monster before her - arms folded across her chest and a haughty look of royalty in those vermilion orbs.

But she wasn't unaffected.

Though her mind refused to acknowledge the fear, and though the scream of the best did not make her buckle..

--- The light did.

It burned away at her skin, even if only a little.

"Scroafă...! Who do you think you are stepping up to...?"

The first blood was drawn, and not by her hand... and it infuriated this queen.

And thus, underneath the full moon, the midnight sky, and the thousands and thousands of sceaming bats, like dark clouds high up above, the two beasts of the Old Word, often thought as the ultimate expression of supernatural of their region, confronted each other - one blazing gold and one freezing dark.

Perhaps that was why they did not hear it?

The roar of a monstrous snake.

The hiss of its brethren.

And the rumble of something approaching from the distance where Ramia Ramalsaqr had been flung into, tearing at the forest floor as it approached at high speeds...!

---

[Shadow of the Moon: WIL Defense succeeded!]
[Shadow of the Moon: INT Defense succeeded!]
[Shadow of the Moon: 2 x 2 = 4 Light Damage Taken!]

--> Round 1, Turn 4: John Dove

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness



Fear.

Bone-chilling, blood-freezing fear.

It is not that John Dove does not feel fear. When the high school jock threatened to sock him, he felt a tinge of fear, but he immediately reminded himself that the deeds of the greyscale people are just as hollow and insignificant, and thus not worth feeling anything about. Fear, pain, hunger, tiredness—all such things are burdens the grey world uses in its attempts to make him submit. He knows better than to let them control him.

However, this is terrible, yet familiar fear. This is fear sublime and transcendent; the Platonic ideal of fear made manifest in a world unsuitable for its perfection. This is the one fear he cannot just dismiss, because it is real.

This is the fear he felt that night, when his world became reduced to her and only her. The confusion and doubt he felt the previous evening in Alexstrasza Lockhart’s (ah, he remembered) bedroom is no longer present. How could he possibly deny this terror, so unmistakably real?

She is here.

She is here.

SHE IS HERE.

If there was a soundtrack for his life, “Ode to Joy” would resound in all its orchestral magnificence. Does it even make sense, to feel terror and ecstasy, both at the same time? Perhaps John Dove is a step closer to understanding paraphilias. It is no exaggeration: there is no underestimating the significance of this moment. John Dove’s entire life is the search for her.

Yet, he cannot bask in her numinous beauty. It is not only that her form without flaw is hidden within the curtain of absolute darkness. Unlike that night, in which he happened to be facing her when her presence rendered him paralyzed, this time he cannot even find the will to turn in her direction.

Nevertheless, she speaks, and her word is gospel demanding his undivided attention.

“Băiat. What is this company you keep? A monstrous girl and a bestial girl. A Boy such as you should know better, right?”

It is not as if he planned to spend his time with a lamia and a werewolf when he began his day. Indeed, there is no questioning the nature of Elaine Winters’ transformation. He should know better than to doubt his intuition back then when she leapt out of the car.

“How insulting... to force you to give up my gift. To make tears stream down your face. These two have no shame, right? How dare they manipulate your emotions like that, Boy.”

“Huh?”

It is only when he brings a hand to his face that he realizes the tears streaming down his cheeks. They are puzzling, like so many things since he arrived to this town and its unsuitably large school.

“You may be my whim, but I take care of my whims. They have hurt you, and thus...I shall hurt them. You may die because of that Child's actions, but... let me prolong your life a bit longer. You will not die here, John Dove. You will survive.”

She all but confirms Ramia’s words, and a strange feeling of relief swims furtively amidst the deluge of fear. The “whys” of that night are not high among his priorities, but it is nonetheless better to know than to live in ignorance.

After all, he lives because of a whim.

He can accept that.

What to do now? What to say now? That night, he was but a child, unable to do a thing but to bask in beauty wondrous and terrible. However, he has lived so immersed in his urge to find her, that he has no idea what to do now that she is here. The words he wanted to tell her, does she even care to hear them? She, an apparition of fear and power who cares naught for him? She, who came on a whim and will now set her powers upon Ramia and Elaine also on a whim?

What is his role in this scene? What is the script he is meant to perform?

It matters not. She Who is Beautiful and Real makes the first move. Before he can even begin to think of his next action, Ramia Ramalsaqr is blown away.

Well, shit.

John Dove knew she was powerful; it is a thing that can be felt in the soul solely by being in her presence. However, there is a world of difference between “feeling it” and witnessing it with the senses.

And now that power is aiming for Elaine Winters—or rather, what Elaine Winters has become.

That…does not seem right.

His mind suggests that he should help Elaine Winters, but there are too many issues with that idea. For starters, does the current Elaine Winters want help? Is she in any condition to accept help?

Naturally, the beast that is Elaine Winters moves before he can come to an answer. Her roar painted in fury and misery rings in his ears, but it is too distant and too hollow to wipe away and replace the deluge unleashed by the one wearing the shadow of the moon. She again unleashes that light that feels searing and uncomfortable even at a distance. She draws first blood, and John Dove feels only trepidation.

Yet, what can John Dove do?

His mind screams at him that Elaine Winters must not die. It reminds him that he chose life. That, in spite of the hollow nature of the greyscale world that surrounds him and tortures him, the living are by principle more meaningful than the dead. That he also was in no position to make a deal with Ramia Ramalsaqr, yet the lamia spared—or at least intended to spare—Elaine’s life. That Elaine Winters is in general a good person, trying her hardest to do good things with the hand dealt to her. That taking into account his interactions in the past week, she has perhaps been the most honest among the student body and staff at Pinefall High School. That Elaine Winters does not deserve to suffer like this. That a distant rumbling echoes ominously from the direction to which Ramia Ramalsaqr disappeared.

However, what can he trade for Elaine’s life this time? His own? Of course not; that already belongs to her.

No, before he can even think of making deals, he first needs to face her properly. Not solely for Elaine Winters’ sake, but to fulfill his own desire. Even if it is not the time to tell her what he really wants to tell her, but to come to terms with his own thoughts and make himself whole again.

She may own his life…

“Wait!” He finds it in himself to exclaim, all the while gritting his teeth and pushing his body to face the darkness beyond fathom. “Elaine—Elaine Winters has done no harm to me!”

A single step. It is something to be proud of. But it is not enough.

“I made a deal for her life!” John Dove finds it hard to appeal to emotions, so he relies on unquestionable fact. “I earned the right, and the privilege, of allowing Elaine Winters to keep on living!”

A second step. It is two more steps than any human being has any right to take against She Who Is Argent and Black and Beauty and Death. His mind cannot deny the terror, but his body can tell itself that it does not need a conscious mind to move. Because John Dove is a liar.

“Her life is my right! And I wish for her to live!”

She may own his life, but…

“I won’t let anybody render it null and void! Not even you, the one who owns me! Not even you!”

…but his thoughts, his choices and his conviction remain his and his alone. Because she is not the only real thing in his world, after all.

He, John Dove, is most definitely also here.

“NOT EVEN YOU!”

He sets off. At the speed of a completely ordinary human being, John Dove does what he always regretted not doing that night, and sets off towards the deepest darkness that so long ago claimed his soul. She might just kill him for his insolence—it is entirely her right.

But Elaine Winters must live.

Because he chose life, goddammit.

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters VS John Dove VS Shadow of the Moon VS Ramia Ramalsaqr (Round 2, Turn 5)
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

"Right? Right?"

Terrible, terrible cold.

A nightmare-like wind blew across the forest and buffeted the trees, causing John Dove to stumble for just a moment. The red eyes, which had confronted the golden beast that had stepped up to her were now aimed squarely at the boy, and the regal fury in them were truly a terrible thing to behold. It was not the way a human would have looked at another human being, no... it was the way that human would gaze upon a cow or a pig, or perhaps even a deer they were about to hunt. Such arrogance was a disgusting thing to behold, as for there be someone capable of glare like that... they had to be truly, utterly, removed from humanity as a whole.

A pinnacle of supernatural.

An existence completely, wholly, belonging to the Turnside of the World.

"You surrendered your rights when you were left alive, Boy. A crying, mewling whelp such as you lost his privileges as a human being when he was spared by The Night itself," the Shadow answered, cold as northern wind. "Not to speak of your feeble attempts at making demands of me... the one who you belong to, body and soul. Make no mistake, Boy: I am no waif, fey maiden here to protect you because of some misguided sense of infatuation or kindness. I am the Lunar Light Upon This Earth, I am Madness of the Night Itself, I am the Queen Midnight - Terrible and Cruel. And my whims are like the wind."

Danger.

The air itself now reeked of danger.

The coldly grinning moon in the sky was sneering at them all.

For any mercy it would show to mortal was a mere whim, one that would not be repeated upon a request.

In other words - John Dove had, willingly, stuck his hand inside a freezing flame in an attempt of putting it out.

... So was it any wonder that he then burned?

A sudden burst of wind struck John Dove to the side, and suddenly he found himself assaulted by winds so heavy that they were as if a boulder had been set upon his shoulder to crush him. His run was cut short as the galeforce pressed down upon him, called forth by the quickly-made sigil that still left its glow in the air before the terrible She. With the fury of the air still screaming and howling in his ears, pressing him down, he was forced to watch as the red-eyed Predator turned her attention back to the golden beast before her...

... And laughed.

"I have seen your sire, făta - I have met your progenitor once upon a time. And while his attempts at destroying me were commendable, I found him wanting!" The Shadow of the Moon spoke haughtily, raising her long-clawed hand. "As for you however---"

The long, long nails drew shapes into the air.

Red run across her body, coating it in vermillion.

"--- YOU MAKE ME FEEL NAUGHT BUT BOREDOM!"

Magical power rotated, accelerated and took a form upon her extended hand. The red color coalesced into her nails and before Elaine could even properly react to what was happening, that hand was brought down like an executioner's axe. It drew a straight line across her chest, each of those monstrous claws digging deep into her flesh. Even in her current form, she could feel the tremenderous power behind that strike, power that sent a shockwave out and caused the earth to crack as it connected with another physical object.

Blood ran in the night, raining down on earth.

The earth underneath Elaine Winters was turned into a crater from the pressure of the strike.

And most importantly...

... the golden beast saw her left hand cut off and destroyed by that attack, making its mangled remains flop on the forest floor with a pitiful sound.

"Respect your elders, puțoi. I am no mere fledling strigoi or moroi like the ones you may have killed before. I am a nosferat - a source for both," the Shadow quietly, mercilessly, coldly spoke as she watched Elaine's blood drip down from her nails. "To raise your hand against me is an act of attempted regicide. Your punishment is to be harsh and immediate."

The night around the two of them continued to scream.

Her rage was palpable, almost physical to the touch.

And she was just getting started...!

"Right now, to you, the phrase 'dracu' să te ia' has never been more appropriate."

---

[John Dove: STR save failed! Restrained and Prone for 3 Rounds!]

[Hit! Elaine Winters: 2 x 10 - 6 - 3 = 11 Supernatural Damage (PHYS Defense)!]
[Massive Injury! Elaine Winters: Limb Loss: Loss of left arm and any function requiring it!]

--> Round 2, Turn 6: Elaine Winters
--> Round 2, Turn 7: Ramia Ramalsaqr
--> Round 2, Turn 8: John Dove

---

New Ability Witnessed!

Shadow of the Moon

STR: ?

END: ?

AGI: ?

WIL: ?

INT: ?

EGO: ?

Perks:

Moonlight Presence
Automatically changes the battlefield to one governed by the [Moon Phase - Full Moon]. In addition, every creature that can see the Shadow of the Moon and who is at least partially human is assaulted by a Fear effect. Those with WIL Defense of 4 or lower suffered Frightened status effect when in the presence of the Shadow of the Moon, though they only have their movement speed halved when moving towards her.

Abilities:

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
Calls down a pillar of extreme winds from the night sky and targets one creature within 40 meters of the caster. Those with EGO Defense of 4 or lower are unable to resist the conjured galeforce that threatens to snatch them up like a localized F5-Class tornado. If the target has their EGO defense overcome, they are flung into the direction of the caster's choosing for up to 50 meters. For each Rank in STR attribute past Rank F, reduce the maximum amount that the target can be flung by 10 meters. As the target is thrown around by winds, they do not suffer full effects of gravity, and any falling damage they take is halved (rounded down down to a minimum of 1). Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
Conjures a restraining wind that blows down from the heavens, pushing down on a target within 20 meters. The force is equal to that of getting stuck underneath falling rubble from a collapsing building, making it very hard to move without proper strength. When cast, the target makes a STR saving throw with a modifier of +3. If they roll equal or under their own STR Rank, they are capable of moving through the wind as normal. If not, they are both Prone and Restrained for a duration of 3 Rounds. At the end of their own subsequent Turns, they may attempt an athletics skill check with a modifier of +3 in order to escape the effect. Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
A spell that weaves the user's blood into artificial layer of concentrated muscle and sinew around the arm and drives accelerated mana through it, turning it into prana in the process. The physical power of the user skyrockets for an instant, making it possible to strike at tremendous force with a single attack. However, the increase in power makes the arm's dexterity suffer. Upon casting this spell, make a single melee attack while halving your ACC. Upon hit, double the amount of physical damage you would have caused. If the attack would cause an injury in the opponent, automatically roll from the Massive Injury table.

[Mormarth]

The Beast
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

HP: -10/50 (-2 from Bleed) = -12/50
Injuries - Damaged Pelvis (-1 Move), Internal Hemorrhage (-2 HP per turn), Severed Hand (Puns)

Desperation Turn 1

The golden monster howled with pain as it reeled back, cradling its arm in an eerily human gesture, low whimpers of pain and distress running through the air as it held its injured arm, yet another vicious injury dotting a torso which had begun to resemble ground beef.

And yet, even now, the beast refused to fall. Despite its monstrosity, despite the madness and pain, there remained almost a certain dignity in its eyes and posture. It had been there since only moments before its attack, when the ephemeral moon-beast flinched away from the last bit of light it had possessed.

Was it perhaps a bit of low cunning, a remnant of humanity, some lingering intelligence, or the soul of someone too stubborn to know when to quit?

Perhaps all.

Perhaps none at all.

As the nosferat spat haughty words of superiority and sovereignty, the beast cared not, gingerly releasing the remnants of its left paw with grim determination, pants of pain and agony turning to bared teeth in a rictus of hate.

Something beyond the natural anger and savagery it had held, something beyond the natural response to a dealer of pain, something in the thing's words had hit something of a remainder, some spark of inert memory, locked beyond the beast's ability to remember. The words 'sire', or 'father', perhaps? A hint of the girl's filial piety, roused at such disrespect and condescension?

Or maybe the golden wolf-beast, called forth by the false moon, just was supremely irritated by some smug-ass vampire pretending it wasn't some glorified mosquito with delusions of grandeur?

Perhaps all.

Probably at least the last one, though.

If a girl of some reasonable amount of learning and knowledge were here and able to speak, perhaps she would say something pithy, like: "Men are all equal within the Beast's Maw."

Or maybe: "Then may you be a martyr of the people."

Or even: "Jacques de Molay, tu es vengé." If she wanted to be particularly old-fashioned and obscure about it, as was traditional for those of a mystical persuasion.

But she was not here, only echoes, and a soul that guided a beast of immense power.

There was a moment's hesitation, as the golden beast seemed to regard its now-severed hand for a moment, a flickering of something almost annoyed passing over its face before it snorted, and straightened, eyes flashing as once more, it fell into a stance that something of that size and shape should not have been able to.

Yet, curiously, it seemed almost perfectly at ease, the endless shrieking slowing, quietening, then ceasing all-together.

The last, that heralded the rush of extreme power was almost like that of a sprinter's, mixed with tightly leashed, building power, whereas this one...

Green eyes glowed malevolently.

It warned of an almost unstoppable power.

[Mass Destruction]

All at once, the scream rushed back out, louder and bolder and more powerful than ever, a right paw raking at the ground with such unleashed force that a mighty chunk of earth was torn asunder, the beast blitzing forward as the first blow descended.

The first of many.

Wise Up!

Mass Destruction - A series of blows leading into one another designed to be used in quick succession, at the strongest when used with allies of similar ability.
[Attack w/ all physical attacks + 2 additional, damage doubles if acting in concert with an ally with a similar ability, takes all Attack actions, may only be used once per turn.... ]
[???]

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters VS John Dove VS Shadow of the Moon VS Ramia Ramalsaqr (Round 2, Turn 7)
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

The darkess cackled, the night laughed and the entity before the golden monster opened its mouth ridicule her opponent futher as the world around her was covered, filled with the whirlwind approach of Elaine Winters. The claws, the fangs and the muscle created an almost impenetrable net of strikes that closed in on the opponent, ready to rip the haughty queen's spine apart and separate her flesh from her body, much like she had severed the beast's left hand with that single strike.

The crimson eyes... they took that sight in, along with that same sneer.

"Ho? You are attacking me? Instead of fleeing, you are coming right at me?" the Shadow asked, her eyes narrowing cruelly. "Ho ho... Then! Attack me as much as you desire!"

The crimson claws sang.

"But allow me to respond to each strike, făta!"

And thus...

------------ The world became filled with a maelstrom of attacks.

Immediately... even the golden beast realized it.

After all, for a hunter to assess its prey was only natural.

And what she realized was... this being was in utterly different class when it came to speed.

While it had monstrous strength to compare to the beast, while it had magical power on par with the strongest of mages, the shadow's speed was something that left the logic of this world far behind it. The way it moved was like the wind that it controlled, like a galeforce of relentless strength and as graceful as the moonlight in the night sky. Unable to predict this, the golden beast's first attack went far too wide as the nosferat dove underneath it, easily avoiding the monstrous claws.

Then came to second attack and this time she connected... only to realize that the Predator had caught her hand with its own, answering force with force and blocking the attack from truly connecting.

--- But she was far from done!

A sweeping leg-strike from above would have spelled doom if the smaller of the two apex predators hadn't responded in kind, spinning around from the ground by using Elaine's extended hand as a lever and ramming its own knee against Elaine's, parrying the incoming crushing blow. For a moment the two fighters hung in the air, their individual powers holding them aloft for that split-second... but then it was over. They separated, and the shockwaves of their connecting strikes rippled into the forest around them, making trees shiver and bend.

Still, it wasn't the end yet, not in the slightest - for the golden beast's mometum brought her into a leg sweep that the creature of the night stopped by ramming her clawed hand downwards, stopping the leg from moving before it could reach the intended victim. Unfortunately for the Queen of Night, that was just what Elaine had been hoping for, and with a fearsome precision, the remaining golden arm struck forward---!

--- And the claws connected with the face of the nosferat!

... But.

Striking at that beautiful, unblemished skin...

It felt like the golden beast had tried to sink its claws into pure bedrock.

Underneath her own, massive claws, Elaine Wintes saw four lines of pure red... and slow trickles of blood that started to fall down them.

Along with two crimson eyes that now glared at her with all their alien hatred, the fury of a being far further removed from humanity than the golden beast that had struck it. It was the cold, freezing kind of inferno that Elaine could see within the eyes of that monster. And the full brunt of it was now... directed at her on an unprecedent level.

"... What was that, Girl? You will have to strike much harder if you desire to cause anything more than a scratch," the nosferat coldly announced. "For all your efforts, all you have to show is four shallow wounds... this truly is a pitiable state of things. Just who do you think you stepped up to? Do you even understand the situation you are in? Look into my eyes, dog. I will---"

"DON'T LOOK INTO HER EYES!"

Sudden yell, more like a roar, echoed through the forest as something far larger than Ramia Ramalsaqr tore through the undergrowth, speeding its way towards the newly-created clearing where the fight was unfolding. Still, bought John Dove and Elaine Winters (though the latter in a far more vague way) could recognize that the voice belonged to the dusky-skinned girl who had been sent flying away. At the same time, as they saw the massive silhoutte approaching, almost reaching the site of battle, they could also see something strange...

Almost like a swarm of roaring, hissing snakes that followed the shape, all connected to her in the shadows.

Almost like a monster just as inhuman as the other two.

"I figured it out! I now know what she truly is! It all makes sense! John... John is the key! The fact that he sees a colorless world, or rather, that his mind, soul and vision were so utterly ruined! That he is so obsessed with her!" Ramia (perhaps) roared further as she approached. "He looked too long and too deep into her eyes! Even a normal vampire can charm mortals to be their slaves, but not to their very soul, not so utterly and completely!"

A huge tail trashed behind the silhouette as Ramia got closer and closer.

"She isn't just a strigoi or moroi, no... even a nosferat is underestimating her!" Ramia bellowed, and for a moment, in the moonlight, John saw a flash of scales and warped, serpentine eyes. "That thing... she carries the blood of the first vampire itself, all the way from ancient Mesopotamia...! One of the daugters of the House of Drăculești, a Vampire and a Dragon! A nobility among nobility, a vampire among vampires, the purest and the strongest blood that is not undead but immortal---!"

And in response...

The Shadow of the Moon howled in laughter as it was recognized.

"She is the Tyrant of Wallachia, and thus, encroachment of Moon and its Reality upon our own World!"

In other words - The Archetype of All Vampires.

---

[Miss! Hit chance on SotM: -20% + -15% = -35%: Rolled 26!]
[Miss! Hit chance on SotM: -20% + -15% + -20% (Parry) = -55%: Rolled 48!]
[Miss! Hit chance on SotM: -20% + -15% + -20% (Parry) = -55%: Rolled 48!]
[Miss! Hit chance on SotM: -20% + -15% + -20% (Parry) = -55%: Rolled 47!]
[Hit! SotM: 12 - 2 - 4 - 3 = 3 Qi (Supernatural) Damage (Supernatural PHYS Defense)!]

[Ramia Ramalsaqr: Dash Movement!]

--> Round 2, Turn 8: John Dove

---

New Ability Witnessed!

Shadow of the Moon

STR: A

END: B

AGI: S

WIL: ?

INT: ?

EGO: ?

Perks:

Moonlight Presence
Automatically changes the battlefield to one governed by the [Moon Phase - Full Moon]. In addition, every creature that can see the Shadow of the Moon and who is at least partially human is assaulted by a Fear effect. Those with WIL Defense of 4 or lower suffered Frightened status effect when in the presence of the Shadow of the Moon, though they only have their movement speed halved when moving towards her.

Flourish & Parry
Sometimes it is not enough to be able to dodge. Sometimes you also need to be able to parry attacks, deflect them aside with your own weapon or limbs. Exchanging attacks like that leaves much less room for actually punishing the opponent, but at least you are keeping yourself safer. When you take this Perk, you can sacrifice one or more of your attacks on the Turn after your enemy has attacked you. For each attack you sacrifice, the enemy's attack has +20% greater chance of missing. If the enemy makes multiple attacks, you can divide the parry chance (in segments of 10%) to each of them. However, you cannot parry attacks of an enemy who has STR two Ranks higher than yours.

Abilities:

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
Calls down a pillar of extreme winds from the night sky and targets one creature within 40 meters of the caster. Those with EGO Defense of 4 or lower are unable to resist the conjured galeforce that threatens to snatch them up like a localized F5-Class tornado. If the target has their EGO defense overcome, they are flung into the direction of the caster's choosing for up to 50 meters. For each Rank in STR attribute past Rank F, reduce the maximum amount that the target can be flung by 10 meters. As the target is thrown around by winds, they do not suffer full effects of gravity, and any falling damage they take is halved (rounded down down to a minimum of 1). Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
Conjures a restraining wind that blows down from the heavens, pushing down on a target within 20 meters. The force is equal to that of getting stuck underneath falling rubble from a collapsing building, making it very hard to move without proper strength. When cast, the target makes a STR saving throw with a modifier of +3. If they roll equal or under their own STR Rank, they are capable of moving through the wind as normal. If not, they are both Prone and Restrained for a duration of 3 Rounds. At the end of their own subsequent Turns, they may attempt an athletics skill check with a modifier of +3 in order to escape the effect. Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Mana Cost: ???
A spell that weaves the user's blood into artificial layer of concentrated muscle and sinew around the arm and drives accelerated mana through it, turning it into prana in the process. The physical power of the user skyrockets for an instant, making it possible to strike at tremendous force with a single attack. However, the increase in power makes the arm's dexterity suffer. Upon casting this spell, make a single melee attack while halving your ACC. Upon hit, double the amount of physical damage you would have caused. If the attack would cause an injury in the opponent, automatically roll from the Massive Injury table.

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters VS John Dove VS Shadow of the Moon VS Ramia Ramalsaqr (Round 3, Turn 9)
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

"Hah. Such fancy words to use, worm. Truth to be told, I may be all those things... I may be not. What matters naught is my identity - what you should focus on is my intention."

With the declaration of Ramia Ramalsaqr still echoing in the patch of forest, the Shadow of the Moon took one look towards the darkness from where the rumbling sound and the crashing noise came from. Even underneath her own, impenetrable shadow the sadistic grin that rose to the Predator's face was as clear as day to everyone present. At the same time they could see the monstrous fangs present in her mouth, ones that shone akin to silver underneath the moonlight. Crimson eyes switched their target from the golden monster to the approaching new threat, and with a flick of her hand...

"But, feeling those serpentine eyes upon my body irks me."

Again, a sigil was drawn into the air.

This one much faster and containing much less mana driven into it.

And yet---

"RrrRRAAAAaaAAAAaaaagGGGHHHhhHh---!"

Ramia Ramalsaqr's pained roar and curses echoed from the forest after a projectile of pure darkness hit her squarely in the face, shot from the mass of coalescing bats high up above, resembling more of a physical, tangible shadow than anything else. Even in the darkness others could see how that same darkness, that same utter black, clung to the face of the monstrous girl and she clawed at it, trying to remove the magical effect or curse that she had fallen under the moment she had been hit.

And, as if to answer that anguished sound, the Shadow of the Moon simply...

--- Laughed.

"I can sense it, beast. Your strength is fading, fast. Once I am done with you, I shall move onto rip apart the worm responsible for this all," the Predator coldly promised. "This transgression upon my whim shall be paid upon fully by both of you... but, oh, worry not. 'Tis merely your lives that I seek as recompensation."

The moon above laughed in tandem.

"A trifle to pay for ones such as you, are they not?"

---

[Ramia Ramalsaqr: EGO Saving Throw failed! Blinded!]

--> Round 3, Turn 10: Elaine Winters
--> Round 3, Turn 11: Ramia Ramalsaqr
--> Round 3, Turn 12: John Dove

---

New Ability Witnessed!

Shadow of the Moon

STR: A

END: B

AGI: S

WIL: ?

INT: ?

EGO: ?

Perks:

Moonlight Presence
Automatically changes the battlefield to one governed by the [Moon Phase - Full Moon]. In addition, every creature that can see the Shadow of the Moon and who is at least partially human is assaulted by a Fear effect. Those with WIL Defense of 4 or lower suffered Frightened status effect when in the presence of the Shadow of the Moon, though they only have their movement speed halved when moving towards her.

Flourish & Parry
Sometimes it is not enough to be able to dodge. Sometimes you also need to be able to parry attacks, deflect them aside with your own weapon or limbs. Exchanging attacks like that leaves much less room for actually punishing the opponent, but at least you are keeping yourself safer. When you take this Perk, you can sacrifice one or more of your attacks on the Turn after your enemy has attacked you. For each attack you sacrifice, the enemy's attack has +20% greater chance of missing. If the enemy makes multiple attacks, you can divide the parry chance (in segments of 10%) to each of them. However, you cannot parry attacks of an enemy who has STR two Ranks higher than yours.

Abilities:

???
Rank: ???
Element: Air
Mana Cost: ???
Calls down a pillar of extreme winds from the night sky and targets one creature within 40 meters of the caster. Those with EGO Defense of 4 or lower are unable to resist the conjured galeforce that threatens to snatch them up like a localized F5-Class tornado. If the target has their EGO defense overcome, they are flung into the direction of the caster's choosing for up to 50 meters. For each Rank in STR attribute past Rank F, reduce the maximum amount that the target can be flung by 10 meters. As the target is thrown around by winds, they do not suffer full effects of gravity, and any falling damage they take is halved (rounded down down to a minimum of 1). Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Element: Air
Mana Cost: ???
Conjures a restraining wind that blows down from the heavens, pushing down on a target within 20 meters. The force is equal to that of getting stuck underneath falling rubble from a collapsing building, making it very hard to move without proper strength. When cast, the target makes a STR saving throw with a modifier of +3. If they roll equal or under their own STR Rank, they are capable of moving through the wind as normal. If not, they are both Prone and Restrained for a duration of 3 Rounds. At the end of their own subsequent Turns, they may attempt an athletics skill check with a modifier of +3 in order to escape the effect. Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Element: Sanguine
Mana Cost: ???
A spell that weaves the user's blood into artificial layer of concentrated muscle and sinew around the arm and drives accelerated mana through it, turning it into prana in the process. The physical power of the user skyrockets for an instant, making it possible to strike at tremendous force with a single attack. However, the increase in power makes the arm's dexterity suffer. Upon casting this spell, make a single melee attack while halving your ACC. Upon hit, double the amount of physical damage you would have caused. If the attack would cause an injury in the opponent, automatically roll from the Massive Injury table. Further information pending...

???
Rank: ???
Element: Darkness
Mana Cost: ???
Accelerate pure darkness into a physical form and gather it into a singular spot. This spot is held aloft by the natural familiars of the user, and is then launched towards an opponent within 10 meter range. The target must make an EGO Saving Throw with a modifier of +1. Upon failure, they become blinded for 2 Rounds. Further information pending...

[Verg Avesta]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Campus Grounds - Gates
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

In the end... no one showed up.

The campus grounds were silent, as were the buildings there. There was no sight of Subaru Iburi, who had been standing like a guard hound next to Cesarina's body. There was no sight of Elise Pelltier, who had promised to be ready to administer first aid for anyone who needed. Those who had went to investigate the pool building were nowhere to be seen, and the same was true for those who had headed towards the main building. And most importantly...

--- Even though the group waited for good 30 minutes, there was no sign of Elaine Winters and John Dove.

"... I suppose that's it. We need to get going," Caleb finally said, breaking the silence that had lasted during this whole time. "We can't wait here for forever. Her cough... it's already getting worse."

The rose-haired artist gave a meaningful look to the small girl on Travis's back, who had started coughing again. While it was nowhere near as bad as before, it was still quite a worrisome turn of events. Even Anna's potion had no lasting effect on the stubborn ailment, and thus, heading to the town for help and supplies felt more and more pressing with every minute.

Travis, having heard Caleb's words, nodded.

"Yeah. Let's hit the road. Either those two got held up somewhere, or then they just bailed," the delinquent grunted. "Either way, we can't wait here for forever."

Gabi, on the other hand, gave Anna a sideways glance - a rather mysterious one at that. Afterwards, his eyes moved to take in the forest that stretched on the other side of the gates. It was supposed to be their way out of here, a shortcut and a veil to shield them from any dangerous invidiuals that might be lurking about. But from the way that the androgynous boy was looking at the place... there was a certain amount of worry in his eyes. Worry about what they might find in the forest, even if it was just a pale imitation of the deep and endless-looking Ghostwoods on the other side of the town.

But, in the end, even he agreed to the idea.

"... Let's go."

His voice but a tiny whisper in the cold September air.

And thus the very ragtag group of students headed out, determined to get to the town of Road's End to search for help - any sort of help.


[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

---

Anna Vandemeel: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Vier's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

In the end, Vier Wolff's room was as silent as the dormitory itself. There had been some noise from the kitchen, but eventually that was gone as well. Everything became quiet, quiet as a grave, and the only sound Vier could hear was the distant rustle of wind in the sycamore trees outside. Well, that and the hum that came from her room.

The hum that she herself was creating.

And thus, the arduous task of Vier Wolff came to fruition - along with the goal she wanted to accomplish.

She was ready.

Right as the clock hit twelve and announced the passing of noon.

And as the silent girl in the silent room in the silent house opened her eyes, she felt a passing cold wind run through the dormitory's hallway outside... along with the distant sound of a door opening downstairs, in the lobby.


[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

---

Vier Wolff: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Hisa Momoi & Elise Pelltier (+ Vier Wolff)
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

The dormitory was as quiet as a grave when the group of girls entered it.

During the walk back to the building from the pool, people had exchanged what information they had and what theories they had come up with, and thanks to them the atmosphere had grown more and more morose and dark with every passing minute. It didn't help that the sky outside was as grey as always, the sun offering no real warmth to anyone in Road's End - and even if it did, that warmth would have felt sneering, almost mocking considering what the situation was.

It certainly didn't help that they had to pass by Cesarina Feroce's covered on the way to the dormitory.

A grim reminder of just how dire and serious the situation was.

"A-anyways, you said you had a car, Mercedes? Think we should take that if we head out?" Aleen asked as the group entered the lobby of the dormitory. "Honestly, I'd feel totes safer if we had some wheels under us..."

The actress nodded. She was currently checking out the first floor corridor and the doors there, clicking her tongue in annoyance when she realized that nothing had changed... and that the silence of the building most likely meant that they were the only people there. While the absence of people might have been a good thing in some sense - mostly relating to safety, it also meant that the group had no allies to help them out. Instead they had to rely on themselves to get out of this mess.

Then again, they had quite the collection of people. An esper, two agents of the Holy Church, a mysterious being speaking the language of angels... and an actress, along with a blueheaded high school girl.

Truly a fearsome force in their own right.

"It should have enough gas so, like, if we wanna head straight to Seattle we can totally do that," Mercedes replied, glancing towards the distant parking lot through the window. "Though, of course, we we wanna cruise around, that's totally something we can--- Huh?"

Mercedes's words stopped dead on her lips.

Her eyes widened in momentary surprise.

"... The hell?"

The reason for the starlet's confusion was clear. After all, before the group was a sight that none of them had expected - even after experiencing something as harrowing as the events of the pool building. Indeed, it was a sight that was almost polar opposite to those horrible sights, even though its source must have been just as supernatural as the giant or the demon. Only... this sight was much less nightmarish, and in all honesty, somewhat beautiful.

Aleen let out a shocked yelp and jumped out of the staircase she had started ascending, whereas Gradient let out a happy "Muu~!" at the sight. And as for the actress, Mercedes could only stare slackjawed as something flittered across her field of vision, leaving a wisp of cold air behind it. Indeed, all the girls could see their own breaths fog up in the air momentarily.

--- A bird.

A robin, to be precise. A robin bluebreast, bringing with it the snowy air of the north.

The tiny bird sang and chirped chipperly as it flew down from the second floor, making the walls gain a momentary small layer of frost that almost immeaditely melted away. Following its flight the robin rounded each of the girls midflight, chirping in a questioning manner as it did... until it finally reached Hisa. Letting out a triumphant song, the robin landed on top of the scarred girl's head, pecked at her softly, almost as if to get her attention... and then puffed its chest, looking mighty proud of itself and... for finishing whatever task it had been set to.

"Err... a birdie?" Aleen questioned, breaking the silence that followed. "Is... is that yours, Hisa?"

And as if to answer her words, the small blue bird pointed its wing at the glass on the door that led outside. Immediately ice crystals, fleeting things, sprouted across the glass and started drawing words.

A short message.

A meaningful message.

One delivered by this mysterious bird.

A message that read...

I screwed up. Bit more than I could chew. Hurt. Bad.

I'm at the base of the mountain. Road leading up to Owl's Nest.

Bring a first aid kit. Please.

---

New Being Met!

[Mormarth]

The Beast?
Location: Road to Town
Phase: Midnight
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Darkness

Desperation Turn 2

The Beast snarled angrily as its attacks were met, countered and avoided, those damnable spilling from that mouth that profaned the very air it spoke.

This thing had no right to claim anything over anyone, it was a shark, a predator, any professions of aid or assistance are only that it may have an advantage or alleviate its boredom.

Disgusting.

“Rrregici-cide for a Queen of Ffffvanity.”

A rumbling, halting voice, full of wrath and anger.

“Hrrollow. Fitting. Empty as youuur soul.”

Even now, The Beast had its pride, and some smug bitch talking mess would allow it to force past its own blinding rage to answer.

“Shrrink from light, hrr hrr,” It laughed, “Bloodsuh-suckers, all the sa-aaame. No differrrent.”

It’s laughs were barking, forced out, taunts and jeers not something that came from a mouth like that, malformed and strange.

They came from a smaller one, but no less proud, no less fierce.

It staggered, one arm hanging limply, the other still clenched tightly, as if it couldn’t be undone, couldn't be unclenched.

Full force hadn’t worked, wild blows like that were too easily predicted, she was losing strength too quickly, the bloodloss, her pelvis and now her arm…

A wolf pack attack like that…

Was only truly strong if someone was by her side.

Like this, all she could do was fight alone.

How pitiful.

But it was all the same, strength wasn’t going to work, she had no one else to rely on, John was still and motionless, crushed by the weight of a force unseen, Ramia blinded and reeling by the vampire’s assault.

All alone.

Like he said, you were always a miserable liar.

Something in her throat clenched, her heart burned in her chest like it'd been set aflame.

Fine then.

Fine.

Almost without conscious thought, the golden beast, hulking, deformed and monstrous shifted its position, the shorter vampire’s view of the blinded gorgonkin blocked utterly by the hulking lycanthrope.

The message was clear, and even through the hate, through the anger, pain and suffering, the fact that this course had brought her nothing but sorrow and regret…

The Golden Beast, no, Elaine Winters would always choose this way.

It was like they said, no?

Those words, said so casually, but felt so deeply.

Saving people.

Hunting things.

A dream of people who believed in good.

In freedom from fear.

Who believed the world was a fine place, and worth fighting for.

That’s what they did.

“Contracts, deals, recompensh…” The words slurred by fangs, punctuated by a spit of blood, continued, “Meaningless. Protecting Pawn, to be, haah, sacrificed.”

She wasn't sure if the world, and everything about it, was good.

Lips curled back.

“All the same, shadow puppet.”

She flicked her claws, a single, solitary, thimble of ruby liquid flashing in the false moonlight, the sole memoir from her frenzied assault.

Weakness.

People will obey so long as they believe it is right.

So what happens, when they see there is fault?

When the god bleeds? When the king fails?

History had already answered.

“Folly, pride. Dead Kings, Dead Men."

Finally, the Golden Beast, Elaine Winters, settled into one, last stance.

But the world was worth fighting for.

That dream was worth fighting for.

“Let me show you.”

She would not spit on that dream now.

[Heel on Face Maneuver x3]

Father...

Wise up!

Heel on Face Maneuver - A technique meant to take advantage of any momentary weakness in an opponent, exploiting and exacerbating wounds, ailments and debilitations, not the most honorable of techniques, used by those who crave victory over fair play.

[Physical Attack + 2 if Enemy has taken damage, for each status effect the opponent is afflicted with, increase damage by a further +2.]