Elaine Winters
Location: The Lighthouse
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
Joshua frowned.
"Honestly... not even half of what that youn'un said made any sense. Then again, I think we've been dead for different amounts of time, which... complicates things. See, when you become an existence like this, the flow of time becomes 'hazy'. Non-linear. Meaningless. Your consciousness, or if that's even it anymore, kinda forgets to follow the laws of cause-and-effect," the spirit explained, making a vague and slightly annoyed gesture with his hand. "So the thing you might be experiencing first only happens because of what you experience afterwards. To give a very rough example."
Subaru, upon hearing this, tilted her head in confusion.
"But... would that not get terribly confusing?" The girl asked. "To live life in such a way?"
Joshua barked in laughter upon hearing that.
"When you're a being lke us, you rather stop caring! Or perhaps, your common sense deteriorates to the point you don't even mind it. It's not like what those Klallam and their spooky cave paintings were said to do to people. A human can't live in a non-linear time, not without going a bit mad. A spirit on the other hand..." A sour grin appeared on the ghost's face. "... Well, I don't like to toot my own horn, but we've less qualms about stuff like that. The thing is though, that youn'un was a fresh little dybbuk, relatively speaking, so he might have had... trouble adjusting. Maybe he needed to get all his ducks in a row to even think of pulling off what he wanted."
The sailor descended into silence, and his grin disappeared. What it was replaced was a more grim expression.
"... At least that's what I hope it was. Because that's the only explanation I have for all that nonsensical rambling he did."
"Well, Michael aside for now..."
Sakura's voice cut into the conversation, sounding perhaps a bit more harsh and cold than it usually was. It seemed that the memories of the revenant inquisitor still lingered heavily on her mind, and the brunette did not want to dwell to deeply on him.
"What about the other thing Elaine asked about?" She inquired. "Odin, the lighthouse and... other things?"
Joshua grunted, but once again that same sour grin rose to his face - this time seeming more amused than before.
"Odin, huh? Well, I do know some! Mainly because this whole place got started because of those pagan worshippers and their one-eyed All-Father!" Joshua explained with a chuckle, even though Subaru frowned at his words. "See, this place wasn't certainly started by the puritans, and neither theirs nor our ways really caught on. The local church is a proof of that. Still, back in the day, long, loooong ago, a bunch of vikings came ashore here. We're looking for something, as I understand. They set up shop here because there's this... uh, what was the name again? Grove of Fetters? Something like that, nearby. Nowadays we just know it as the Worrywell Grove, where the Ol' Hangman tree used to reside. Naturally, the Klallam didn't take well, and they got into a bit of a spat. Both the people and their supernatural allies."
The old ghost snorted, loudly.
"Why d'ya think the hotel up the hill is plastered with wards against Injun gods and spirits? That's the work of the vikings and their blood, traditions carried to the newer generations from that small war they waged," he continued. "Anyways, the local spirits got their behinds handed to them, which is why they went to hiding. But instead of punishing the losers, the horn-helmets brokered a peace. The klallam and the northerners continued both to live here, while the latter traversed Washington state to look for whatever they were after. Or so I hear, at least. But that's why you see marks they left behind everywhere."
The ghost sweeped the air slowly with his hand, as if gesturing towards Road's End as a whole.
"You only have to look at some of the names of the locals, the names of the places, the traditions we have, how they speak here..." He said. "Hell, there's even those statues, built out of the same spirit-trapping lava rock as this lighthouse. Two ravens, and one old man. I think the old man might still be up at the overlook, though under a disguise. One of the ravens, the one which resided at the McLampet Estate was bought by some outside collector years and years ago, and the last one... well, it used to be at your little school house. But where it was taken, hmm..."
After thinking for a moment, the ghost simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Unfortunately, I haven't the foggiest. Never followed where ravens like to roost."
He then lifted a finger, and smiled somewhat wickedly.
"... I do, however, know of the Kincaids. Anyone local does, even though they keep mostly to themselves. Kincaids are the landowners of Road's End. You want to build here? You'll have to go through them. That made them one of the Three Families of Road's End, alongside McLampets and Halloways. And the reason why they owned all this land? Well..." He paused, retracting his finger and rubbing his chin. "... They happen to be direct descendants of the vikings that landed here. The ones from the biggest boat at least. All on that boat were, well... cursed. They carried with them an aspect of a wolf. And not just any wolf. Just like the old man had two ravens, he also had two wolves - and I suppose the Kincaids are the other wolf. Where the other one is, I've no idea. And speaking of families..."
Joshua cast his eye to the broken things around him.
"There might be a connection between the former light of this light house, and the Kincaids, along with their ancestors. See, while the members of that big boat carried the curse, there were smaller ones too... and their descendants also lived in this town. One of those families was eventually hired to craft the light they used up there once Lady was gone. In a weird way, it was almost a replacement," the ghost explained with a chuckle. "Mitchell was the name of that family, if I remember right. And they built one hell of a beautiful lantern. One that they called..."
A cold wind seemed to somehow sneak it's way in, and brush past the backs of those gathered in the room.
"--- Amber Eye."
Liana Skye
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
"... Kincaids."
Cathie answered immediately, like some sort of revelation had dawned upon her.
"It's gotta be the Kincaids. The big three families of Road's End are McLampets, Halloways and Kincaids, and there's always been rumours about Jack being a runaway son of the..." Realizing suddenly something, Cathie awkwardly turned towards Sierra and hung her head. "Oh, uhm... sorry, Sierra. I didn't mean to say it in a bad way. But... you should know that that's what the rumours are. That your father used to be part of the Kincaid family, until he was either cast out or until he ran away. And that he came back to... well, sort of stick it to them."
Sierra, looking perhaps somewhat calmer than she had been for most of today, shook her head quietly, signalling that she didn't take umbrage with what the redhead had said. Instead the small girl put a finger to her chin, eye gazing at the floor while her mind was clearly working through the new thoughts and possibilities brought forth by what had been revealed.
"No, that's... that's alright. In fact, that would make sense. My p-papa was... always very antagonistic towards the local landowners. That would be Kincaids, of course," the small girl answered. "If he was formerly of their family, it would explain some of the meetings they had, and how he had to use a shell company to secure the land. So it's very likely that my father was part of their family, only to become distant and change his name."
Cathie, upon hearing that, nodded and hit her palm with her fist.
"Right! That's actually it!" She exclaimed. "Now I remember, sorta! See, the rumour mill got those two often confused. The rumour that Jack was a former Kincaid who changed his name... and the fact that there was another Kincaid family member who did the same. 'Stella Kincaid', to be more specific. She changed her name because of something that happened, perhaps another rift in the family, but actually stayed in the town under her new name... her new name..."
The enthusiasm in the redhead's eyes died down slowly, only to be replaced by a frown.
"Dammit... why can't I remember? It was on the tip of my tongue? What... what name is she known by these days? Or did I even know it in the first place...?"
Cathie let her eyes sweep the room, but unfortunately, nobody else had any answers for her either. The only thing she saw was that Sierra, who had been silent for a while, was frowning.
"Um, now that I think about it..."
Sierra looked finally up to Liana, a confused and slightly worried expression on her face.
"If, uhm, if these Kincaids are a pack of... werewolves, and if my papa is part of them, then... am... am I a werewolf too? But I-I didn't transform! No, more than that, I've never had any trouble during full moon," Sierra said, sounding slightly distraught. "While my papa has disappeared during most of them, I... I've never had to do the same. Would I not just remember it? Or... is it something that happens when I get older?"
Out of everybody involved, it was Jayesh who provided answer to that question.
"No."
He shook his head sharply.
"A lycanthrope, at least a typical one, transforms regardless of age. Though, the full manifestation of the bestial side only occurs during teenage years. It is, after all, a symbol of puberty. In a way," the taciturn boy explained. "But still. You would have noticed something. If you didn't, that means... you're not a werewolf."
A look of both relief but also further confusion washed upon the one-eyed girl's face.
"B-but, then... if I'm not a werewolf... but my papa is... d-does that... does that mean that I'm not p-papa's...?"
Before she could even properly finish that sentence, Aleen had wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled her in for a calming hug. The bluehead patted Sierra's head and let out calming noises, hoping to defuse the situation before it went any further. At the same time, her red eyes looked at Liana, hoping to find some sort of answer.
Indeed, lycantrophy was hereditary more often than not. There was a slight chance it might not be passed down, depending on the parents... but such cases were exceedingly rare.
So... what did this mean?
Why wasn't Sierra a werewolf?
And what---
Beep, beep! Beep, beep!
Wait, what was that noise?
"Ah, apologies. Don't mind me..."
Scottie took out a strange machine from his pocket and began to fiddle with it, staring what must have been a screen of some sort. Wait. Did the agent have a pager? And had he just gotten a message into it?
So many things, happening at the same time...
Elise Marie Pelltier
Location: Big Boy's Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
"Wha-gah-I... damn it!"
For some reason Travis' reaction came out as an angry whisper and before Elise even knew what was happening, the boy grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the nearest seat to sit down. He then hastily looked around, as if trying to make sure nobody was paying any attention... and from the looks of it, they weren't. Or perhaps the other customers of the bar simply thought it was best not to get involved in whatever weirdness was occurring there.
Travis' green-haired companion on the other hand...
"Oh, hiya!" The girl greeted Elise with a warm grin. "So, you're the 'chipmunk' that caused Travis over here to almost choke on his drink. I'm Augusta. Augusta Tremolo - Though most just call me Auggie for simplicity's sake. Nice to meet'cha, Elise - Though it almost feels like this isn't the first time we've met, haha..."
Something in the way the girl said it, and her Italian accent... and come to think of it, her hair too... it almost felt familiar. Not quite, but almost. Like the hardware had been the same, but the software used had been different...
... How odd.
"And well, it's a bit of a coincidence we ended up here. I was sent to keep eye out on Travis here..." Augusta nodded towards the boy, who grunted in annoyance. "... After he left the hospital saying he had something to do. I caught up with him in town, and afterwards we decided to take shelter from the rain here. Looks like we weren't the only ones who got the idea though!"
The green-haired girl chuckled and winked her good eye at Elise. Travis, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and groaned, again.
"... Yeah. I had something to take care of, and apparently the Italian Barbershop Quartet over at the hospital didn't think I'd be able to handle it on my own. So they sent one of them after me. Bunch of busybodies..." Travis grumbled under his breath, keeping his voice quiet. "... Didn't expect to see you out here though, Chipmunk. Didn't I tell you to be more careful? Why the hell are you out and about in the storm anyways?"
His eyes gazed Elise's form up and down, and then, he let out a small snort.
"You look like a wet dog, too."
Augusta, upon hearing this, cocked an eyebrow at the boy's words.
"You're not too snappy-looking either, Travis. And why'd you suddenly get so surly?" She asked, looking somewhat smug for some reason. "I didn't know you were this girl's parent or something."
A quiet growl echoed from the boy's throat.
"That's not it. I'm just..... ugh. Fucking whatever."
He shook his head, as if banishing this annoying topic as well, and instead leaned in closer and brought his voice down to a hushed whisper.
"More importantly, Chipmunk. See that guy over there?"
He subtly nodded towards the other table where the local fisherwoman was talking with the scruffy looking older man.
"... I think we hit the jackpot by coming here, actually. See, I regocnize that guy," he explained. "I recognize him from a picture that was shown to me earlier. I think that's..."
He paused, perhaps for a dramatic effect.
"----- I think that's Elaine's brother."
Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Mitchell Residence - Outside
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
"Hmm..."
Ramia let out a thoughtful hum from the tree, narrowing her eyes while she gazed at Alexstrasza. For some reason, an uncomfortable sensation ran through the vampire's body. This was not the way human beings looked at each other. This was more akin to a researcher or a professor appraising a project and trying to see just what made it tick and just what sort of mistakes had happened in its creation. The kind of stare that looked right through you and somehow saw the internal workings no matter how you tried to hide them.
"... I'm not so sure about that. Whoever your sire was, there's this... odd feeling I can't shake. Say, do you have some urges that other vampires don't necessarily have?" The dusky-skinned girl asked. "Perhaps a habit of hoarding? Not necessarily items or treasure, but anything really... knowledge, skills, people, lovers... anything like that? Or, perhaps, do you you find yourself enamored with battle? Of the roar of blood that happens during conflict?"
Before the blonde girl could answer...
Haha. Ha. Hahaha. Ha.
Potemkin's thoughts, finally as more than distant emotions, filled Alexstrasza's mind.
Greed and bloodlust. Aren't those the two things we excel in?
The monochrome creature seemed to sneer in the darkness of the girl's mind.
Even this desire for friends we have, to be ourselves but not let that dictate our path. To use this power we blindly acquired for the sake of ourselves and our desire to save those we wanted to live... isn't that just another form of greed, in the end?
She was laughing.
Really now, my Rotund Self... we're so greedy for friendship and connection that we're desperate, are we not!
"It's just a thought but..." Ramia continued, snapping Alexstrasza away from her thoughts. "The more I look at you, the more I sense something amiss. If you don't mind, I'd like to give your body a closer inspection once we're somewhere warm and with a change of clothes. That's... uh..."
She chuckled a bit awkwardly.
"Sorry, that came out wrong. Slipped into my alchemist mindset there," she admitted. "Don't worry, I didn't mean it in any perverted way. Just a regular health check-up, really."
A silence of sort descended after that hasty explanation, one that was eventually broken by Ramia once more.
"That being said... he's sure taking his sweet time, huh? Did something go amiss...?"
Indeed, the redheaded guy still hadn't come out...
Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Room 305
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
By the time the maid got to the third floor, she was no maid at all. Instead, she had reverted back to the regular old Vivienne Bianchi, who was currently making her way to a certain door.
This week, that door had led into the room of the French reporter who was still very much alive, but who seemed... well, it couldn't be said that her and Vivienne were friends, really. Not yet at least. Not in the way the fake Alex had treated Vivienne until that night when the masks had been cast aside. This Alex Terrot was far more like a machine than the impostor had ever been, so laser-focused on her tasks that she barely had any thought to spare for anything else - even those who claimed they would help her, like Vivienne.
This Alex Terrot was, to put it simply, extremely hard to get along with.
But last week, it hadn't even been to her that this door led to. Instead it had led Vivienne and Prushka into the ruins of Alex's madness and obsession. A hollow grave riddled with signs of just how badly the case was eating her from the inside. Knowing the true personality of the French reporter made it easy to see how she would end up driving herself into such a state, and making sure she wouldn't end up like that would be extremely difficult... especially for someone like Vivienne.
--- As if sensing her thoughts, as the girl was walking through the corridor, a flash of something in the mirror stopped her in her tracks.
For a moment, she had seen herself in that reflective surface, only... only with piercing, red eyes and a sneering smile that seemed to mock her. Mock what she had accomplished so far. Mock the way she kept running in circles.
But as Vivienne gazed at the mirror, it was just her usual reflection there. Quiet. Taciturn. Emotionless. Silent.
Silent as the whole hotel seemed to be. Perhaps James Halloway had made sure not to let any commotion spread after he had found his niece. Otherwise Vivienne would have surely heard a ruckus from downstairs. Though, speaking of hearing, come to think of it...
... As she had ran away from the room just minutes ago as a maid, hadn't she heard that older man call out after her? Like he wanted to say something?
Well, perhaps it wasn't important.
Ka-click.
Sudden sound drew Vivienne from her thoughts, and she found herself looking at the slightly ajar door of the room #305. Through the gap in the wood, she could see Alex Terrot's suspicious glare as she stared into the corridor, piercig Vivienne with those eyes.
"... Why are you sneaking out here?" Alex asked curtly.
“Vier”
Location: Ghostwood National Forest (?)
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
"Mhm. You could say that."
The astronaut's voice was muffled, and it was hard to tell whether they were a man or a woman. However, they did not sound hostile... and while they had been certainly surprised by Vier's appearance, that's all that they were - surprised. Instead of appearing cautious or afraid, they simply shifted their balance on the log a little bit and leaned towards the fire, warming themselves up in its glow. Which was ridiculous, of course, since no one inside an EVA wouldn't need a campfire to...
Wait a minute.
Looking at them closely, or rather, looking at their suit closely, that was... most definitely...
--- American flag?
But, wasn't the design of the suit...
"----!"
Sudden, stinging headache ran through Vier's brain, and for a moment, her eyes saw two sceneries - one looking at each one. There was a Soviet cosmonaut there, sitting on the log. But there was also an American astronaut. And there was someone else with that astronaut, a shadowy figure sitting right next to them. Two images superimposed on each other, like two possibilities that...!
"--- Don't think too hard on it."
The astronaut's voice was calming, and it made the raging confusion inside Vier's mind subside.
"We're in the Forest of the Unconscious. I think you've simply got us mixed up with someone else - a symbolism of your mind, of your side," the astronaut continued, fixing the positioning of the s'mores. "Don't worry about it too much. I'm pretty sure that us and you... well, I doubt we have anything to do with each other. We just happened in this same part of the forest where time doesn't matter. It's frighteningly easy, you know, to slip into unconsciousness. But at the very least, here we're quite safe, around this campfire."
The astronaut pulled one of the s'mores out of the campfire and offered it towards Vier for her to eat.
"Something sweet will make you calm down, I guarantee it. And while you're eating, if you want..."
They adjusted themselves on the log again, to full direct their helmet towards the girl.
"... Want to tell us what brought you here? Usually it's just those who are searching really hard for something that find themselves in this place."
They paused for a moment, and then continued, somewhat sadly.
"Or those who are utterly lost."
John Dove & Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
As the group advanced towards the faculty office, the tense weight on their shoulders seemed to grow heavier. The air was thick with smell of blood, despite only a miniscule amount of it having been spilled. Either it was some sort of trick played by a supernatural effect, or perhaps it was... simply their minds. After all, both John and Lucille had encountered atrocities of the last Sunday, and seen many terrible things.
And now those nightmares convened again, this time inside the main building of Pinefall High.
Finally, the group reached the door to the faculty office itself. One thing that they immediately noticed was that the lock had been broken, and that while the door was not ajar, it was still open. One brisk pull of the handle would open up the way quite easily. Which meant... what? Had someone broken into the faculty office? The victim? Whoever was responsible for the blood? Was there even a victim and a culprit?
All eyes turned towards Kean for a moment, and the silver-haired boy stared deep into his gadget. Finally, he bit his lip and shook his head.
---- No one was around.
But for some reason, that didn't make things feel any less tense. If anything, the fact made the air feel even colder.
"... I'm opening it, then," Hwan said quietly, putting his hand on the handle. "Slowly."
Then, once everyone was ready, the white-haired boy started turning the handle as quiet as he could, slowly sliding the doof forwards and opening an ever-increasing gap into the wall. The teacher's lounge was silently revealed from behind the door, and as it was, the smell of blood in the air got stronger. For a moment, the group thought they would see a sea of crimson on the other side of the door. However...
... It was almost lke nothing was amiss.
Like everything was normal.
The difference between the stench and what they saw was staggering.
Though, as the group started to scan the room for anything out of the ordinary, small details began to crop up - details that were just wrong. A stack of papers that had been disturbed. A single book that had fallen off the table and onto the floor. A computer chair strangely out of place. A cabinet door with a nick or two on it. All signs that would have not been out of the ordinary in any well-used office but... in this silence, there was something strange about them. Just like there was something strange about the sharp cut that someone had made into the surface of one nearby desk.
Had... had a fight of some sort occurred here? Had someone defended themselves?
But who...?
"Guys..."
Kean's voice felt far too loud in the silent room, despite it being nothing but a whisper.
"There. Can... can you see it?"
His finger rose and pointed to one corner of the room. A corner which lay in the shadows, barely visible from the door. It took a moment for the others to see what exactly was bothering Kean about that corner, but as their eyes adjusted into the darkness... they could definitely see it.
Seven droplets of blood.
No more, no less.
Arranged in almost a pattern on the floor.
And tucked into the corner itself, as if hiding it...
--- A bloodied, familiar eyepatch, with its strap cut.
Like someone's last message, left as a gamble as the end approached.
Hisa Momoi & Prushka
Location: McLampet Saw Mill
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm
Pyry gazed up at the rain falling from the heavens and scrunched his nose.
"Mm, you got that right. Plus this doesn't feel like a place to celebrate at all," he replied while steadying himself a bit. "Now, let's see if I can..."
With some effort, the blonde boy finally managed to drag himself into a full upright position. He swayed a bit on his feet, but after taking a few moments to breathe and to center himself, he managed to get steady once more. Then, carefully, he stretched his back to the right and to the left, letting his shoulders pop and allowing his considerable healing powers to take effect. Once he was starting to be once again in a walking condition, Pyry turned to look at the other boy still sitting down on the muddy ground... and flashed a grin.
"... Need some help there, bucko?"
Ahti snorted in response.
"Yeah yeah, screw you too," he said while extending his hand upward. "Once you're done flexing your healing factor, get to it already."
Chuckling to himself, Pyry walked over to the other boy and caught a hold of the extended arm. Two hands wrapped around the wrists of their counterparts, and with slight effor, Pyry managed to heave Ahti back up to his feet. The white-haired boy stumbled forward a few steps, but with the help provided, he too steadied himself once more. And while he wasn't healing like Pyry was, it seemed that some of his strength was returning to Ahti, allowing him to function properly at least.
Thus, there they stood. The two boys. Each one grasping the hand of another. Like two mirror opposites who weren't that different at all in the first place.
Two brothers.
"... There's lot to talk 'bout, y'know?" Ahti grunted. "Just in case you try to gimme the slip."
Pyry laughed and shook his head.
"I'm not going anywhere. But this isn't the time or place," he answered. "Once we've rested and dealt with a whole slew of other problems... that's when we can talk about our stuff."
The white lion nodded.
"I'll hold you onto that... Pyry."
The golden lion returned the gesture.
"You got it, Ahti."
And with that, they finally let go of each other, and turned back to the girls that were waiting. Ahti made his way carefully over to Prushka and leaned downwards so he could get under the umbrella as well. Pyry, on the other hand, marched over to where Hisa was, and put his hands on his hips. For some reason, he looked that girl up and down, as if planning something. Something mischievous, if that slight grin on his face was anything to go by.
... In fact, it was an almost dangerous grin!
"Hmm... guess the fastest way to get back is to jog. Though while Gradient might be able to keep up with me, you can't," Pyry said as he suddenly advanced towards Hisa, arms raised, fingers wiggling and still wearing that dastardly grin. "Which means...!"
Before Hisa could even think of dodging or running away, Pyry's right arm lunged forward and wrapped around the girl, lifting her up. Though, thankfully, not like a rolled up carpet or a piece of luggage. Instead, Pyry positioned the girl so that she was sitting, with his forearm acting as a sort of seat and his elbow working as the backrest. Like that, their faces were right next to each other, and Hisa could now properly hear the goofy chuckles that the boy had been holding back.
"There we go!" Pyry announced, grinning from ear to ear. "Now you won't fall behind!"
Ahti, watching this bit of nonsense happen, snorted.
"That's where I got you beat, Pyry," he announced suddenly. "See, unlike you, I have it this easy."
Then, almost casually, he reached out and caught Prushka by the nape of her neck. Lifting the girl up from her clothes, he deposited her on his shoulder, perching her there like some sort of strange bird. Then he crossed his arms across his chest and flashed a smug smirk towards his brother.
"See? Both hands free."
Pyry cocked an eyebrow at the sight, and then turned to look back at Hisa... and some sort of other devious idea seemed to dawn in his mind.
"I guess that has it's perks, yeah. But then again..." He said, his voice lowering as he leaned a bit closer to Hisa, close enough that their foreheads almost touched. "Having her at this height also has it's good parts. In fact, it's giving me an idea..."
There was something a bit dangerous in those golden, feline eyes.
"An idea of how to thank you further, in fact."
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Originally Posted by Billie Boulders
