It's a bird.
[Ruins] (Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
"Oh, calm down..." Gwenafer said in response to the boys' reaction, waving her arm in a dismissive gesture. She glanced over at Rin for a moment before answering them. Spirits?
"I just... needed a quick chat with Merwon, that's all," she continued, scratching her head a bit. "My god," she added, before the others would ask. "I guess your 'Earth' place has different rites..?"
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Ruins]
"Yeah, we do." Nick said, "Which doesn't include...that. We usually clap our hands together and pray. If you're religious."
"Merown is a god, right?" Jackson asked. "Just curious."
"Well, can we be curious somewhere else? This place is making me feel more and more uneasy." Nick shivered, "It's still making me think of Micheal..." He looked down, "S-Sorry. Didn't mean to get heavy on you."
Jackson now regretted hitting him in the back of his head; both Gwen and Nick gone through something personal, and this place brought back painful reminders. There was no need for him to get violent with him.
"Hey, we'll leave now." Jackson said, his tone gentle, "Everybody else ready?"
edited 5th Nov '16 3:19:32 PM by Masterofchaos
[Ruins] (Rin, Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson)
"I have never heard of Merwon before." the admiral stated. She was beginning to entertain the thought that these three were Otherwolders, based on some of the things they said. Blinking, she turned towards Nick, "Every culture has its own way of worship. Some are more different than others."
Rin looked at Jackson with a calm gaze, "I am ready." Feeling the stone in her pocket, she pointed in the direction of where she found it, towards the forest, "I believe we should go this way."
edited 5th Nov '16 5:16:44 PM by WillDeRegio
[The Eldritch Factory ~ Forest of Bone] (The Midnight Stitcher, Ayako, Ethoya Uvalex, Durnem, Vita Exosso)
Ethoya studied the oversized humanoid skeleton incredulously before deciding to teach the new creature a lesson about momentum and space-folding geometry.
Between Durnem and the creature, a portal opened. The other end of the portal was perpendicular to and several feet above the ground, comfortably distant from any of the the group's members; if the creature couldn't stop its momentum in time, it would charge straight into the ground at full velocity. A shame the portals weren't willing to close when they detecting solid objects within, otherwise things would be too easy.
Ethoya herself made her way over to Ayako, trusting Durnem's abilities to finish the beast off. Her face showed genuine worry and concern as she examined Ayako, ready to apply some measure of first aid for any damage, though she was still inhumanly calm. She was too connected to the Xayu to experience true fear, even in situations where it would be merited.
edited 5th Nov '16 9:40:09 PM by KillerClowns
It's a bird.
[Ruins] (Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
"That way looks as good as any," Gwenafer answered, before heading down the increasingly broken up and overgrown road leading towards the trees. She locked back across her shoulder, shrugging.
"He's pretty well known back home," she said. "Especially in port towns like Landfall, being the patron of sea and air travelers and all that."
As she reached the forest, the path ahead became obscured by a thick mist, making it difficult to see very far.
"Well that's bloody promising... We better stick together in there."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Ruins-Forest]
Great; more fog.
Nick balled his hand into a fist, while Jackson began to fix his glove. A small, blue, electrical light appeared from the glove.
"Looks like the fog decided to wait for us to arrive." Jackson said, "Fascinating."
"For all we know," Nick said, "Something will pop out of nowhere and try to maul us down."
It was then that he heard...crying? Crying in the dream realm? It sounded like a young child, though he wasn't sure if it was some kind of trap, or yet another unfortunate soul who got sent here. Either way, this was the last thing Nick expected, and it made him feel kind of nervous.
"Or," he then said, "That."
[Forest ~ Akamori?] (Rin, Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson)
Rin's hand went to the hilt of her sword when she heard the soft sobs. There could be some threat nearby, something either making the sounds or causing someone distress. The others were likewise on the defensive.
"Is someone there?" The admiral called out into the mist. She was slightly pleased to have the mists around for low effort ice attacks, in case things went south.
Looking around, she noticed that the surroundings were starting to look familiar; the trees were beginning to transition into tall, red barked one that most likely reached to a needle filled canopy of green far above the mist, the ground was a blanket of dead pine needles covering ruddy soil. This place was beginning to look like the pine barrens of Akamori, the Red Forest, located on the outskirts of Yukijou-minato. Rin was close to where she called home.
But first, something would have to be done about the sobbing. She gripped her sword tighter.
edited 8th Nov '16 11:13:15 AM by WillDeRegio
It's a bird.
[Forest ~ Akamori?] (Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer was just planning to ask about Jackson's strange light, but as she heard the sound of someone crying and noticed the others' reactions, she tensed up and unholstered one of her guns.
What was this all about? After finding herself inside that damned tomb again, Gwenafer really had no idea what to expect. Better be ready for anything then...
She moved between the strange red-barked trees, slowly making her way through the fog towards the source of the noise, and gestured for the admiral and the boys to follow behind her.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Forest-Akamori?]
Nick nervously trudged ahead, with Jackson behind him. The more he walked, the louder the crying got. He balled his hand into a fist, ready to fear the worst.
When he finally got to the source, he was thrown aback.
It was another black teenager in fetal position, sobbing his eyes out. He had long red hair, and wore a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes.
"...Adam?" Nick said.
Adam didn't look up; apparently he didn't hear his friend calling to him.
"Christ." Jackson said, "What the hell happened here?" He took off his gloves, walked over to Adam, knelt down, and lightly shook him. "Hey. Hey, Adam, look."
Adam's head shot up, and he began panting. To his shock, he wasn't surrounded by judging eyes or harsh voices. Instead, he was surrounded by his friends in a foggy forest he didn't recognize.
"Wh..." he said, a slight Scottish accent in his voice, "Wh...where am I? How did I get here?"
"We're all lost." Nick said, helping his friend up. It was quickly noticeable that he was the smallest of the two teen boys, "You ok?"
"I...I don't know. I...I'm just...a little confused." Adam wiped his light blue eyes, then noticed Gwen and Rin, "Nick? Jackson? Who are they?"
[Forest ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
Noticing that the person who was crying was a young man, and apparently a friend of Nick and Jackson, Rin took her hand away from her sword. She cupped a hand underneath her chin, things weren't making much sense in this place... unless this was a dreamscape. She wanted to dismiss that notion, however, they had walked from a mysterious ruin to here, her homeland, which in any other case would be impossible.
She sighed, before folding her arms behind her back. "I am Admiral Rin Tachibana." She stared blankly at Adam. For some reason, he was in this forest, her homeland. Thoughts of the boy being a spy entered her head, but she dismissed them. He looked to be too young to be working for the Balamar Empire, much less another country's intelligence division.
Noting Adam's confusion, Rin, as the sole person who knew where they were, indicated towards the forest, "We are in Akamori." She stated it flatly, as if the name alone would be enough to explain where they were.
edited 11th Nov '16 12:16:46 PM by WillDeRegio
Friendly Neighborhood Lich
The Graveyard (Friedrich, Sentinel, Patches, Moreena, Caleb)
Friedrich watched with a combination of surprise and amusement, though he couldn't feel much of either, as the paper emitted agonizing screams, as if responding to the life-draining black mists imbued within his hand. It materialized into something of a bird, or rather, a winged wad of paper with a drawing of a bird, it looked more like.
At the same time, he became aware of the ticking watch becoming deeper and somehow louder and slower, as if becoming the heartbeat of the very earth below him. And interspersed between the ticks was the dripping of water from the porcelain bowl(?) shard he held with his left still-gloved hand. Taking a closer look, he saw how murky the water was, and it reminded him of the water inside the circular river surrounding the Deathly Glade. Looking around, he wondered if said river was present here, but so far didn't see any indication of one.
Then all the sounds silenced at once, and out of the corner of his glass eyes he saw the Sentinel's cocoon open, revealing some sort of sac. A cocoon within a cocoon? Well, so much for his butterfly theory. But just then, he felt something around his ear, resembling very much the black wisps that had briefly appeared around his hand. He heard a voice that seemed to echo throughout every space between the porcelain fragments making up his body, as if whatever spirit this was knew it well.
A broken toy, so easy to destroy, but possible to fix.
He slowly nodded his head, as the words resonated with the very core of his being. It is the problem with porcelain - when not fortified into something like dishware, it is very fragile. Though he did not remember it himself, he thought of the process he saw naughty dolls go through. First they were broken, shattered with a hammer. Then the pieces were tossed into the Deathly Glade, where they would begin to erode away into dust. And yet in his case, pieces had been collected and pieced together, though painstakingly.
He heard chirping, and saw the grey bird at his feet, before it flew off. Then he saw Patches fall limp, looking clearly disturbed - perhaps by all the sounds? Eventually she pulled her mask off, revealing a pale red-eyed form, briefly reminding him of someone he knew save for the white hair. Sure enough, she was complaining about the voices, begging for them to stop.
Showing only the mildest hint of concern, Friedrich walked over to Patches, still holding the porcelain shard that was still dripping dark waters, which this time was flowing in a sort of stream towards the Sentinel. This only confirmed further his suspicions of this place being an extension of the Deathly Glade.
"Do you really wish for them to stop?" he asked her. "I know these voices are not of mundane origin, but I'll see what I can do."
With his right hand still ungloved, he reach out and touched the side of Patches's face, and as he did, the faint black wisps around his hand became more apparent, swirling in a thin fog around her head. They made a soft, almost soothing, humming sound that echoed around in her head, one that dulled all other sensations around her - though if she looked around, she would see the surroundings grow significantly darker.
And then he felt something else familiar, something resembling a spell he had seen used a couple of times. One clearly used to search for something, if it had the same purpose as the one he remembered. He immediately looked over at Misery Manor, but yet, he had a feeling that it didn't come from there. Instead, he looked all around the group, and his eyes settled on Moreena, who very much resembled visually the person he remembered casting that similar spell. Gazing at her with wonder, he came up with many questions to ask her, but knew how rude it was to interrupt a spell.
Misery Manor (Sinistrina, Gabe, Half)
Sinistrina listened to Gabe's brief retelling of his past to Half with a keen interest. The way he worded it now reminded her even more of Lucina, especially the genocide part. Though as opposed to her, he seemed genuinely regretful of the things he had done - or forced to do, so it seemed.
After the lights returned, he heard Gabe ask what was troubling her, and Half announced that they had moved.
"Hmm, yes, I feel as if we are in an entirely different location altogether," she mentioned to the two of them. Closing her eyes for a moment, she focused on the very manor itself, feeling just what it felt. Though it's strange... in a way, it feels like we're in exactly the same place we were in before.
There was definitely something familiar about the surroundings... but something not. Reality seemed a bit more distorted here than before, and there was some other presence here, something clearly not from Necromere. And then there was that spider who had visited her briefly...
"Well Gabe," she said at last to the fallen angelnote , "it seems that my son is here."
Eldritch Factory - Heart Forge (Phoebe, Ashleighnote , Noire)
So that monstrous figure was a wight? Ashleigh had certainly not heard an explanation like what Noire had told her before - but then again, this world was vastly different from the one she knew.
"Perhaps it is true that we humans are unaware of such things," she remarked as they entered the dome. "It seems like you Eldritchs have co-existed in an alternate dimension alongside us since the beginning of time. Although..." and here she paused, reconsidering mentioning that this was a dream, "...I suppose it is possible that some of our myths may have originated from this world." She sounded very unsure of herself in the last part, as she really did not want to believe it herself. To her, there was the mortal plane, there was Heaven, and there was Hell, and maybe some sort of purgatory realm in between. Nothing more.
"Then I guess that would make you a wight as well," Phoebe said to Noire in an awkwardly cheerful tone. "I don't really understand you at all, so... haha, you're a precious wight!"
When they entered the Heart Forge, Geisha recoiled in disgust. "Just as I thought... that's blood, not water. No way am I swimming in that. I don't think I could even breathe in it." Her disapproving tone sounded odd to Ashleigh, as it clashed with her otherwise elegant demeanour.
"Would you like to go back in the Scanner?"
"...Yes, please. ...Sorry." And so Ashleigh took out the strange green electronic device and put the oversized fish back inside of it.
Fooly laughed from atop Phoebe's shoulder. "Geisha is a scaredy fish. To be like her is not my wish. So don't put me back in the Scanner. You know I'm not much of a planner!"
Phoebe put on an awkward smirk. "Well duh. That's why I called you Fooly." It was just then that she noticed a gateway opening up beneath the waterfall, and cringed upon realizing that it was actually a bloodfall. Regardless... "Uh, let's go in there. That place seems less... wet."
Ashleigh nodded. "Sounds good to me."
Eldritch Factory - Forest of Bone (Durnem, Midnight Stitcher, Ayako, Ethoya)
Durnem was fully prepared for the strange figure to attack her (as really, who doesn't like seafood?), but regardless, a portal opened up between her and the creature, which she realized looked kind of like a skeleton, just a little larger than a fylin like herself it seemed. Seeing how it had attacked Ayako first, her first instinct was to attend to her... but Ethoya was already doing that, and she was clearly a better healer than herself.
Meanwhile, the creature fell right in front of her; glancing upward, she saw a similar portal somewhere above. She was puzzled - she had heard something about portals once, but... oh yeah, now was not the time to think about such things, so she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind and focused on the large skeleton. Taking advantage of its momentary disorientation due to the portal, she held Watimari close to her, having time to prepare a more complex spell.
"Zhinga-me wati-na, omnezhra-ya."
Very faint little energy distortions formed around the base of Durnem's staff as she spoke, and then traveled along the fleshy platform as some sort of amorphous wisps. But once they surrounded the creature, they materialized as long rope-like things - snakes? worms? tendrils? - made of something foggy and translucent. Whatever they were, they wrapped themselves around the creature, entwining themselves between its bones. Within moments they had the oversized skeleton all tangled up while remaining anchored to the floor, so that it would have much difficulty moving. And since they were made of something intangible, they couldn't be eaten.
Durnem put on a small smile. Very useful this spell is. Given the time I should teach it to Watimari.
Having slowed the creature down, she had time to glance over at the Midnight Stitcher, who looked quite clearly displeased, if not outright furious - no, perhaps not as far as that, although as usual she couldn't see an aura on him distinguishable from anything else around him. But wait... there was something there, as she looked a bit closer. Something of a crimson glow closer to his body... Disappointment? Regret? She couldn't quite make it out. One thing was clear though...
"If you would like," Durnem offered to him, "I can hold off this creature while you go after Vita. I believe she went down there somewhere..." and she gestured downwards into the supposed abyss. "In the meanwhile, any guesses as to what this creature is, besides 'skeleton'?"
I'm so sorry Will... this is my third time postponing Gon and Ari, isn't it?
edited 12th Nov '16 1:11:20 AM by ladytanuki
Come, my child of the devil. Your mother is calling you. Hear my call in Hell's grand hall, where all our dreams come true.
It's a bird.
[Forest ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer holstered her gun and approached the boy on the ground. Nick and Jackson apparently knew who he was, but both they and the boy himself seemed surprised that he was here. It was also very clear that this was the person who had been crying.
"The name's Gwenafer," she said. "And 'lost' sure is the right word... Are you alright? We heard some sounds earlier."
The Graveyard (Moreena, Patches, Caleb, Sentinel, Friedrich)
Ice. A face. Horns. Silver. A crown that could not be removed.
Moreena retreated back into her body with a loud gasp, nearly dropping the now rather cold crown in her hands. She spun around towards the Sentinel's cocoon, a hint of panic flashing across her black, reflective eyes. There were still no obvious signs of activity from the draconic goddess, but the paper bird and the dark water could hardly be considered good omens.
Friedrich's words to Patches eventually roused her from her thoughts.
"You... heard it too, I'm assuming?" she asked the mortal girl, while doing her best to conceal the concern she felt.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Forest-Akamori]
Adam looked down and twiddled his fingers.
"Um..." he said, "I-I don't know if I'm...ok...there were people shouting at me...and then...I-I'm here. I...I don't understand."
He then slightly lifted his head. "O-oh! I didn't introduce myself. I'm Adam. I'm..." He looked back down at his feet, "I-I'm sorry. I'm not good with talking to strangers."
Jackson patted his back. "Hey, what's more important is that you're not hurt." He looked around, "Wonder if Marie...nah, she's probably having more pleasnt dreams, or ended up somewhere else. I doubt we'll see her here."
"The fuck is an Akamori?" Nick asked rather bluntly, "Dude, what is with you two and expecting us to know what the hell you're talking about?"
[Forest ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
Rin stared blankly at Nick for a moment, blinking periodically. The muscles around her right eye twitched, the admiral growing irate at the rudeness and vulgarity of this young man. She took a deep breath, she shouldn't lash out at him. He was an Otherworlder, someone unfamiliar with her world.
"I must apologize, I am not used to people who are not familiar with where I am from. This is forest is known as Akamori, named for the red pines. Nearby is the town Yukijou-minato, in the Hyōkai Region of the Empire of Senjima." She looked around at the forest, "It is warmer than I expected. It might have something to do with all that is going on, but it will most likely get colder around here. I can provide warmer attire for you all when we get to Yukijou."
Rin looked at Nick before calmly asking, "Any questions?"
It's a bird.
[Forest ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer couldn't help but to smirk a bit at Rin's visible annoyance. Was it the cluelessness or the cursing? She would have expected a navy officer to be more used to the latter.
"Going to crazy-arse dream-places with people from other worlds ain't something I do very often," she commented, before facing the admiral.
"So you think there's a town nearby? Finding some food would be pretty nice, actually."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Forest-Akamori]
"Uh...ooookay." Nick said, "I'm gonna pretend that I know just what all of that is and move on." He looked at Adam, "Are you all better now?"
Adam shrugged.
"Uh...since Ms. Rin knows this area," Adam said, "Maybe she knows where the town is. I-If there is a town..."
"There should be." Jackson said, "She probably thought of place after all." He pulled out his scanner, "This is getting more and more fascinating. It's like some part of our subconscious wants us to go back to a familiar place."
Adam shuddered. Did he really want to remember everyone screaming at him? It was an odd thing to go back to. He hoped that Jackson was somewhat wrong.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
Rin raised an eyebrow at what Jackson had said. This forest seemed real enough. The pine needles crunched underfoot, the air smelled of pine, the trees were tangible enough. The Admiral frowned. The only things off were the mist, which were starting to clear up.
Turning towards the forest, Rin spoke up, "Yes, there is a town nearby." She frowned as her stomach complained at her, she had missed a meal again. "And food, of course."
Sweeping her gaze across the forest, she pointed a finger towards a section less misty than the others, "We should go that way, follow me." She headed in the direction she had indicated, her breath slightly noticeable in the air. As she walked further into the forest, the ground transitioned to one covered in snow, and the air became cool, crisp, and clear.
edited 15th Nov '16 4:42:02 PM by WillDeRegio
It's a bird.
[Forest ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer followed Rin through the forest, noticing how the air got colder and how the pine needles on the ground were gradually covered up with snow. This kind of abruptly changing climate made little sense to her, but with everything else she had seen this day, she didn't think much of it.
"So, this Empire of Sen... - sheema?" Gwenafer asked the admiral, "Is that where you're from, then?"
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Forest-Akamori]
To say Nick was displeased about the sudden change in tempetaure was a huge understatement.
"Oh jesus fuck!" he said, holding his shoulders and shivering, "Why didn't this place warn me before they pulled this shit?!"
Adam and Jackson looked at each other, then laughed. Nick quirked an eyebrow at his friends.
"What's so funny?"
"This is nothing!" Jackson said, "Christ, you wouldn't survive the winters in Oxford!"
"Or California." Adam said, smiling, "This is a warm summer's breeze compared to that."
"Oh, screw you two!" Nick said, playfully shoving Jackson, "Just because you haven't been in the south long enough doesn't mean you get to talk shit!"
Jackson burst out laughing and playfully shoved back, while Adam giggled. After that harrowing experience from earlier, a little levity like this was something he desperately needed. It was nice to be surrounded by his friends again, even under such confusing circumstances.
Adam then playfully jumped on Nick's back. "Admit it; North is better."
Nick only smirked. "Never. Now come on; we got a town to find." He allowed Adam to safley fall off this back, then turned to Rin, "How close are we to a town?"
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
"Senjima," Rin corrected, "yes, that is where I am from." Her attention turned away from Gwenafer and towards the activity of the trio of boys.
A slight smile crept onto the Admiral's face as Nick complained, "You complain more than the commander I assigned to the Narrows." Her frown returned, "This is only the middle of autumn. It gets colder by New Year's." Her gaze fell upon disturbed snow ahead, as well as a small stone lantern. "The road to town is up ahead. I do not think we are any further than a mile from Yukijou."
Arriving shortly at the overlapping tracks of wheeled vehicles, boots, and hooves, Rin turned left. Behind her, the road lead inland, through miles of forest, headed towards snow covered mountains in the distance. The road in front inclined slightly downhill, towards the nearby, unseen ocean. Rin pointed towards the five story Japanese(or rather, Senjimese)-style tower keep that could be seen slightly through the trees, "That, is Yukijou."
edited 17th Nov '16 11:09:38 PM by WillDeRegio
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
Gwenafer trudged along through the snow, throwing a quick glance at the boys and smirking at their discussion. It was getting kind of cold though, and Gwenafer couldn't help but shiver a bit herself.
Eventually, they reached a road running through the forest, and Rin pointed at a large building in the distance. Gwenafer's mechanical eye whirred as she tried to get a better look. Other than a few details here and there, the building style looked very unfamiliar to her, but that was probably to be expected.
Noticing a speck of dust on the lens, Gwenafer gave her eye a quick push with one of her fingers, causing it to jump out into her palm with a sharp click.
"Good," she replied to Rin, wiping her eye on one of the few remaining clean parts of her shirt, "Let's hurry up."
She returned the eye to it's metal socket with another click, and began to follow the road.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Yukijo-minato-Akamori]
Adam watched with interest as Gwen cleaned her eye and put it back in. It was slightly disturbing, though given the things he's seen throughout his adventures, this was rather tamed.
"Whoa..." he said, "That's really cool! How does all of that work?"
Jackson was also fascinated, but decided to let Adam ask all the questions; he was more focused on getting out of the bloody forest.
Nick was still wishing that he had some kind of coat. Alas, none appeared out of thin air.
edited 18th Nov '16 7:04:36 PM by Masterofchaos
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Rin, Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson)
Rin was taken aback slightly by Gwenafer's casually removing her eye and cleaning it as if it were merely a on ordinary pair of eyeglasses. It was definitely the most technologically advanced eye she had ever seen, though it would be interesting how it compared to some of the magical implements some of the various magical practitioners had cooked up over the years.
The Admiral nodded slightly as she increased her pace to match Gwenafer's, "Agreed." She pursed her lips in thought they passed a stone lantern marker indicating a half-mile to town.
It's a bird.
[Yukijou-minato ~ Akamori] (Gwenafer, Adam, Nick, Jackson, Rin)
"It's just some clockwork and an enchantment or two," Gwenafer replied to Adam's question, shrugging. "A friend of mine got some free parts from one of his mage colleagues. It took a while to get used to, but now it's just..." She waved a hand in front of her eye, "sort of just there."
She kept walking for a few moments, before smiling to herself, and removed her eye a second time, holding it up in front of her and pointing it towards her other eye.
"This is still pretty weird though."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[The Eldritch Factory ~ Forest of Bone] (The Midnight Stitcher, Ayako, Ethoya Uvalex, Durnem, Vita Exosso)
A potential prey could see it? No. They could sense it. The element of surprise was beginning to be lost. It leapt from its position on the ceiling, directly over its targeted prey, dropping all forms of stealth.
The ringing in Ayako's ears stopped, allowing for her arms to drop from her head. Inadvertently, she dropped her weapon, the gun thudding to the floor. She looked up towards the ceiling... directly into the gaping skeletal maw bearing down on her head. Foul teeth slammed shut, seeking to sever her head from her body, and bath in a spray of blood.
It didn't go as it expected. The (faux) Gashadokuro, a giant human skeleton, narrowed the fiery orbs that filled its eye sockets. It felt like it had bitten into a steel beam. Grasping the flailing body that dangled from its teeth with one hand, it held the magical girl up in curiosity, before slowly tightening its grip. The sound of dull cracking was accompanied by a pained yelp from Ayako before the skeleton tossed her aside, turning its attention towards the other potential prey, Durnem. It opened its jaws, unleashed an inhuman, almost mechanical, roar, before charging forward.
[Ruins] (Rin, Gwenafer, Nick, Jackson)
As Rin watched Gwenafer's ritual, she raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She noticed how uncomfortable the two boys were. "You're calling upon spirits, aren't you?" Rin asked. She shrugged before continuing, "I presume that was a request for aid of some kind?"