{ Propagation } The Weeping Forest (The END p 3)

[Nio Love]

"You talk about power." Bella finally spoke up, but for once, hesitant and unsure. "And that's all well and good." At least, Murdoch seemed like he was on board. But she still had reservations. "I like power, and trying out new things, and, well, getting the ******** out of here." Her smirk lifted under the half-shield of her mask. "But I've got one question, and this is important. If it ain't the right answer, bro, I'm walking out on you right now."

She stepped up to the reaper, put both of her hands on her hips, and regarded him with disdain. "What's the pay?"

Zoobey

 

[Molten Tigrex]

Here they were, prowling around school buildings, lurking in the shadows, hiding behind trees, and sneaking their way slowly but surely toward the gathering at the gate of the forest. Vanth barely breathed. Every so often she cast a glance back at the others, reassuring herself they were there, they were okay, they were there, and they were hidden. It was in her nature to hide in the shadows, but what of the others?

This wasn't Operation Creepin Shrubbery, bu Vanth and Janus did end up hiding in the bushes to get a better look at what was going on before they made any moves of their own.  

[Nothing Yet]

[enter]

The tactic thus far seemed to be hanging back to get a grasp of the situation. Smart, Taru thought; they weren't really sure what they were heading into here, and Quibble had told them to stay away anyway. Being sent back to the dorms instead of helping wasn't going to be very good for their plan.

She settled down in the bushes near Vanth, keeping a safe distance as she idly scratched Bee behind his many, many ears, hoping to keep him quiet.  

[Zoobey]

"That's fine, we're making good progress here." Despite the fact that the Reaper was talking apparently to noone, everyone at this point did not even seem to care. The song was stronger now, no song even a siren could replicate, one that did not entice the lost-

- But simply made the students forget. Bits and pieces, memories that should have been important slowly drained from each of the students who had stayed. It was not even something startling, simply natural, as if these memories had not mattered at all. Even feelings, regret, remorse, hatred, everything felt numb, quiet, peaceful.

Everything was simply white. No trees, grass, pumpkin sun, sky, nothing. Not even the disjointed pangs of jealousy, loss and hatred. White, without shape or form, without fingers, limbs, or tails, floating in a space that entirely revealed their bare form, their core without shame or revulsion. They belonged here.

And it was at that point that the Reaper noticed the few stray students, still struggling to make the bargain. He was speaking now perhaps. Some soothing words, a promise, words that echoed choices. What were the choices again? What were they searching for? It tickled their memory, of-

- Of.... what?

One by one the students began to drop, it was not even a contest of wills. They simply crumbled, listened and obeyed, their actions blank and still, eyes open but unseeing. They fell like toys to the Reaper, so easily and willingly, toys to be played with and discarded-

- No, this could not be the end. Someone would save these lost victims. The professor was coming soon. He would break them out. He would return the tablet and everything would be okay.... right?

OOC

- All students within range of the ??? figure are now entirely comatose. Any new arriving students out of range can still watch, though if they make noises....

 

[Bittiface]

Who was he before all of this? Did he have ties worth keeping? Remembering? Probably not. If it was important, he'd remember. In fact, Matthew felt as if all things worldly no longer held any semblance of importance. For a short moment, he recalled faces of people he'd known. However, that attachment he'd had, however small, was no longer there. Rather, it was never there at all.

His felt it all slip away. No toes, no fingers, not even the flutter of his eyelashes could be felt or even perceived. He simply existed as something ethereal.

The body of the sloth demon, who'd come seeking easy power, crumpled to the ground as if his power had been turned off. His eyes were open, but nothing seemed to gaze out from inside. It seemed as if he was no longer even there anymore.  

[Pixie Nyxie]

Arcana tote'd Selene like the weightless ghoul she was into the woods, savoring the feel of her cool body to his warm heat. If he could, he would've whisked her away into a moonfilled night where they could talk and be Shy and awkward.

Sadly, Arcana could barely make it to the bushes with his love cradled in his arms. He watched as students fell victim to some comatose....

Putting a finger to his lips, he looked at Selene and motioned for silence. Ducking into the bushes that they were good at hiding in. If anyone could hide ground side, it was Arcana and Selene.

That was...until Arcana's phone buzzed.

"No..." He gasped. "Tarot says it's a trap!" he stared at Selene with horror filled eyes.  

[Enoh Love]

Sophie had continued trailing after Vanth and Taru, crawling quietly into the bushes on all fours, crouched to be able to move at the slightest need. The mirror ghost didn't need to breathe, so she didn't worry too much about that particular noise catching anyone's attention. From her perch she peered out through the shrub to see her classmates and the so-called Reaper; they were talking, trying to bargain, and yet...

Her hands came up to hold her mouth on instinct, watching her classmates suddenly drop. What was---why were they---what was going on?! Sophie's ghostly little heart clenched, a ball of complete despair eagerly growing in her belly; this was wrong. This was wrong! Why was this even happening...?! Where was Quibble? Didn't the professor promise to----

...To what, again?

She couldn't remember, and yet she didn't dare reach back to get her phone, terrified of bringing that...thing's attention to her. The urge to stand up, to demand answers and reasoning, to cry for peace; all these things rose in her as she saw her classmates fall one by one. But it was squashed easily by Arcana's horrified gasp.

Trap? Of course it was a trap. It had to be a trap! They hadn't given power, they hadn't indicated what was actually going on; all that was coming up was more questions, and the Mirror Ghost suddenly stayed very still, refusing to move a single dead muscle.

So she just watched from her hiding place in the bushes, praying and begging to Jack that Quibble would come soon and...do something.  

[Nio Love]

((enter))

There was a goofy smile on Selene's face the entire time Arcana carried her away. Her head rested against his chest, and she heard his heartbeat. Was this what it was like..? All those silly books that tried to describe it? It had to be. It just had to be. This was-

She felt her stomach flip as Arcana ducked into the bushes suddenly with her, and her little moment of happiness flew away in the wind.

"What-" His finger hushed her soft voice, and she tucked in, peeking carefully out through the bushes at the sight of all of the students collapsed on the floor. She heard his voice, and but her eyes remained on the fallen students, and her body trembled in fear.

"Arcie, I'm scared.." She couldn't stop shaking. Were they all going to die?

She'd never felt so certain of it before this moment.  

[Syusaki]

Dabir was in a comatose.

He couldn't move.

[[ Thanks Nyx for writing this glorious post for me. 'v' ]]  

[Chobi_Chocobo]

Bella went for the throat of the issue. The pay. There was a reason that Rowly liked her and now it was clear. She was smart. That was the question after his own heart. Rowly stood firmly beside Bella and even Murdoch. The temptation of power was great and it was no secret that Rowly was attracted to such.

Still, a little slyly, some how he'd managed to clasp his hand over Bella's as she talked. He might have loved the idea of power but he wanted to protect Bella even more. This figure he wasn't sure if he completely trusted after being attacked. But maybe it was just a show of power. That would make sense. A show of what could be. Maybe this reaper was just more cleaver then Rowly gave him credit for. Who knew.

The grip tightened and the penguin mask stayed on his face.  

[Sosiqui]

((REALLYLATEENTERAAAAAAH))

Faysal.... well. He was a simple shadhavar. He liked the idea of something greater, especially if he didn't have to work for it... and he liked this a*****e, pretty much because he'd smacked Defendorks around.

Like called to like, after all.

Still, being lazy, Faysal hadn't come in time to hear the entire speech. Instead, he brushed through the bushes just in time to see a whole bunch of morons keel over. Okay, so some of the morons were also in SCREAM, but... when it came down to it? It was every monster for himself. Not bad, not bad... if this was the kind of thing Cloaked a*****e was offering, he was down with it.

And he was especially down with watching the few fraidy-wusses still up freak the ******** out.  

[Nio Love]

Bella was dissatisfied with the reapers answer on her earnings. And she hadn't even gotten to ask him about health benefits, when she felt Rowly's hand. It made her turn away from the man, and give the were penguin a sly glance. She tilted her mask just slightly up, and her eyes came into view, crinkling with amusement, and maybe something more-

"The ******** she went, collapsing to the ground. She felt a sort of longing for something, but she couldn't quite understand it. Her mind started to wander, but one thing refused to leave her. This was not what she'd wanted. This was not what she'd wanted.

Bella was not getting what she wanted.

And in one final burst of anger, she made her unhappiness known.

"FUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCK-oh, damn, Rowly, I can't-"

Her eyes rolled up behind her head, and she dropped to the floor.  

[Chobi_Chocobo]

Bella was down. Some how Rowly had remained standing just a smidge longer then Bella. But the moment her body hit the floor he felt him self falling to his knees and then to his side on top of Bellas body. Fully masked and cloaked.

His mind was like a white board with an eraser slowly moving across it. With in moments...

He was done and out.  

[Zoobey]

Any second now, Professor Quibble would come with the tablet. He would come, and talk, and negotiate, and if not, he would fight, because he was a professor, because he was the assistant headmaster, because he had promised he would take care of everything.

"I am finished here now." The Reaper spoke again, out loud. "Please have a team to pick up the new weapons candidates." A pause. "Same location as discussed."

None of the students moved, they did not even blink, there was no life to their shell of a body. There was no hesitation or fear or hatred or anger in their eyes, the same eyes that had looked around in panic at the first day of the booth as the their booth was accidentally set on fire, had stared in awe and intrigue, greed and envy at the discovery of the cave, and finally a hope perhaps, a longing thick and deep that had sealed their fate once and for all-

- Any moment now. The professor was coming. He would save them. He would save everyone.

The trees around the figure began to rustle - was it time? Did-

- "I appreciate the quick response." The Reaper was saying smoothly. "There will most likely be more, I will discuss with you later the location."

There were more of them now, cloaked figures, pulling the students away, deeper into the forest, further away from sight, using a strange glowing net to tie them together like baggage.

Any moment now. The professor had to be there. Time had ticked from seconds to minutes. What was he waiting for?

And one by one, each student simply disappeared, devoured into nothingness or perhaps lead away to fulfill their destiny. A dream was a dream and often simply in the eye of the beholder. It could not be shared, nor properly explained: for each student it was different.

The brilliant pumpkin-shaped lights of the Jack-O-Lantern festival.

The bargaining of each student with their peers, the interactions, heated and resilient, within each graduating booth.

The rivalry and disdain between classes.

The anxiety and fear of graduating.

Oh. There was still one more day left of the Jack-O-Lantern festival. It was a pity how little that mattered, now. What would those professors say when they walked into the school grounds and found them wrecked and still abandoned?

Even the Reaper had left now, along with the others, along with the students, along with everything. A strange silence remained, thick and real, filled with only the pangs and promise of what it meant to graduate.

The professor would come....... right?

OOC

- If your student was with SCREAM /not with DETH and still in the forest, they have been spirited away permanently.
- You can still write a small concluding post here/ sleeping post from the last prompt before you proceed to your death solo in this thread HERE.
- If your student was snooping and with DETH... after waiting for this long, they only have one last choice. Perhaps the professor went to confront the students at the cave first... right? (You do not need to roll for trapping mechanics)

 

[Pixie Nyxie]

Arcana shoved the phone to his chest stifling the sound of the message, watching as the students from Scream stop...not move. Petrified, dead? He wasn't sure. He pushed Selene into his chest to stop her from seeing any more as the ones disappeared.

He barely heard the the faint whispers of a song. Something similar before ducking his head into Selene's. And when they were gone. He let out a shaky breath.

Where was Quibble? How was it the students were here before the teacher? How was it he still hadn't showed up in the chaos that was going right now.

Arcana was confused and he was scared. For himself, for Selene and for Tarot.

Syusaki

Text to Tarot: We...Students disappeared. Where are you? Are you safe?

He tucked Selene closer to him and just...."We need to go before they come back or...or...The students, we'll be like them." His breathing was coming in panicked ragged breaths.

Nio Love