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 Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:19 pm
Hanyousblood "... Y-you're not here to take me home!" he declared, or perhaps denied. He wasn't even sure which, but all he could do was go with his gut and try to get his footing back about him... literally and metaphorically. "You can't be. You... you shouldn't even know my name, an-- and you're one of those guys! This isn't right. It can't be right." Okay, now that? That sounded a lot more like denial. Despite the turtle's desperate slapping against his back, he was wavering. He'd even tried to dig that blunt sword hilt from his pocket, but couldn't muster the conviction to withdraw it completely. "I-I don't care, if they don't care..." he told the figure, the apparition, the monstrosity, just like he told himself. "I don't need them... I don't need anyone... so I don't need you, either!..."
The black miasma was gone. The fog returned as well, thick and stifling as ever, moving with a line of its own.
"If you insist." The disembodied voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once, ringing in Elaphe's ears with grating agony. "I was just trying to HELP you, put you out of your misery. I wanted you to go home. ENJOY YOUR LAST BREATH HERE."
There was an even louder whoosh and then nothing, save the ringing in Elaphe's ears, and a strange echoing whisper promising death.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:08 am
Chibizoo
The black miasma was gone. The fog returned as well, thick and stifling as ever, moving with a line of its own.
"If you insist." The disembodied voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once, ringing in Elaphe's ears with grating agony. "I was just trying to HELP you, put you out of your misery. I wanted you to go home. ENJOY YOUR LAST BREATH HERE."
There was an even louder whoosh and then nothing, save the ringing in Elaphe's ears, and a strange echoing whisper promising death.
Suddenly, he was on his knees without remembering when he'd fallen, eyes screwed shut from the overload, and when he forced them open again, the figure was already gone. All he could hear above the ringing was a faint echo and the racing of his own heart.
"W-wha..." Hell, he couldn't even hear himself when he finally spoke again, what felt like hours later, just... shaking and staring, wide-eyed, into the fog.
If only he'd known how close his once abandoned group was on the path behind him, but no; he was none the wiser there. Even the "threat" of Seiji suddenly seemed insignificant.
... He wanted to go home.
He wanted to be home, away from all of this, curled up with Nosi and Lapid and Donner while he slogged through evening studies. He wanted his sleeping tank with the little silk plants, and he wanted to swim in the lake out back, and he just wanted to be anywhere but this stupid, horrible island full of people who didn't care about h-- ... no. No. He wasn't going to let himself think about that anymore.
Just like he wasn't letting himself wonder where the shadow really would have led him.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:08 am
S a l l y S h e e p "Rude" was the first impression Colette got of the ghost ghoul who had just spoken to her. There was a much nicer way of saying "let's go." The Reaper didn't know if the ghoul was bored, in a rush, or just plain scared -- but either was no excuse to talk to her like that. Sheesh! Her words made Colette furrow her brow and frown, and she opened her mouth to say something until Raziel actually replied and stopped her in her tracks.
"I've been.. alright. The fog is terrible and I ended up in a fight against some hooded guy," she said to him. She tried to ignore what the ghost ghoul said hoped there wouldn't be more of that in the future. "And I'd be happy to travel with you." You being him and not her, but she wouldn't and couldn't do anything against refusing Sarias. She did pair with him first! Colette was prepared to grin and bear it. Maybe she really wasn't bad. Yeah.. she had hope.
Colette looked toward the direction Raziel suggested and nodded. "Sounds good." She smile at Raziel and tried to smile at Sarias too, ready to make the best of things. She hoped if there was a store over there it meant food.
Not forgetting the ghost ghoul's command earlier, Colette took a step towards their designated direction. Best to get a move on or get some nagging, she supposed. The Reaper paused for a moment however. "My name's Colette, by the way," she directed at Sarias. Official name introduction thingies made everything better, right? Even if she didn't care, it was worth a try, and Colette started walking again.
(( PRP time, awh yeah! C8 ))
...
....
.....yes.
( HAHA screw you guys I am tagging along!!! You will love me!!!!!! )
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:28 am
Snort and a nod followed Junko's question. It did look as though they could have been wandering down any Halloween Town path, though the addition of murderous, hooded reapers made it pretty much impossible to confuse the two. Appearances yes, but there the similarities ended. "We're definitely not in Amity anymore, Babe."
Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the silence had given way to voices. Some familiar, some not. He could have sworn her heard the unmistakable bray of a certain banshee before sudden cry rose above everything else. A very high, recognizable cry. From their time together on the ship Seiji had been exposed to Elaphe's startled and pained yelping. This was definitely the runt, but he'd never heard that vice sounding so frantic. Something was terribly wrong.
"That's Elaphe." He'd actually come to a stop on the path as their friend's scream had sounded in the distance, fingers tightening on Junko's hand. "Something's wrong, let's go. Watch your step!" No broken ankles here! He pulled the Futakuchi-onna along with him, jogging up the path towards where he'd heard the cry. Flashlight trained on the path in front of them. He did glance over his shoulder numerous times to make sure Momo and Jove didn't get left behind, and adjusted his speed accordingly to account for the height and stamina difference. Seiji was in fitness club, the other's ere not.
"Elaphe! Where are you?" They weren't near enough to see yet, but he called out anyways, hoping the other boil would call back them. Hoping he hadn't gone and gotten himself killed. Ugh, He never should have left the group!
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:04 am
Jove had been in the middle of rooting around in his bag, looking for his own flashlight when his ears perked. That was definitely the voice of that small grumpy one who had been on the same boat as Seiji and himself, and he did not sound good. What was he doing out there in the mist?
The pup might have been small and weak, but when it came to running there was no way Seiji would leave him behind. He dashed ahead of the small group, somehow avoiding or hopping the cracks and potholes in the road with ease. There would be no chance the pup would stumble or fall, not with all his practice in fleeing at breakneck speeds, regardless of the terrain. As he disappeared into the mist ahead, he lifted his nose to try and sniff the other boil out.
Sure enough, they were close! Jove could smell... fish! Hard to tell if that was Elaphe, but it was definitely something to go on! Wrapping his scarf around his neck once more, he determinedly trotted farther into the mist.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:22 pm
Ohhhh how Tomoko wished she knew how to use Fox fire or something. When Junko, Seiji, and Jove had dived into their bags to fish for a flashlight, Tomoko had followed their lead, stroking her hand over the ball of stars that was in there adoringly, before she produced her own flashlight, clicking it on...
....
just for nothing to happen. Tomoko's ears drooped, before she smacked the flashlight against her palm, the object flickering a few times before a stable stream of light came out of it. GOOD. It worked. Tomoko approved of having a working flashlight! She shone it around a bit, taking cautious steps, but being careful to make sure she didn't get seperated during the search for Elaphe.
Unless he'd already gotten eaten by the shadow-men.
Ouuuu ;n;.
Tucking the first aid kit under her free arm (Tomoko was used to having to tote something around by that point in her life), she squinted into the fog. It wasn't as bad now, but none the less....
"Mr. Ellaaaphhhheeeeeee?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:09 pm
The seconds felt like minutes for poor Elaphe by then, and those minutes seemed to stretch across hours as his ears just kept on ringing: an awful and unrelenting grievance. Very slowly-- or at least, so it felt that way-- it did begin to dim, however, and some external sound finally registered amidst his other cluttered thoughts. Were those... those were voices, and several of them-- but whose? He could barely make out the words or tones at all...
To someone completely rational, the sight of flashlights and bodies would have been a thing to celebrate, but to a boy who had just suffered the scare of his life, immediately he thought the worst. There were monsters coming to get him.
"S-stop, STOP!" Needless to say, he panicked, pleading to the shadows he couldn't make out and trying desperately to scramble back to his feet without tripping. The effort, however, was a grand failure. "I-I SAID I DON'T NEED AND OF Y-- ... ou?..."
The shriek fell suddenly silent as he finally seemed to realize the identity of the "aggressors" coming towards him, eyes glazing over in a moment of complete uncertainty. It was like he didn't know WHAT to do in the face of this new company. Sprawled and shaking on his rear, he looked like too much of a wreck to lie about it, and oh, Jack, they'd probably heard his screaming at that thing and... and...
"What... are they doing out here?" was all he finally asked, a desperate attempt to sound level that only came off defeated and meek. Sure, it was obvious something had gone horribly wrong, but he'd be damned if he just came out with it so easily.
Maybe they'd be too wary to ask when they saw, and he could just... pretend it never happened at all.
Yeah, that sounded good.
((OOC note-- I am super sorry guys, but I'm gonna be gone for... probably the majority of the night now, since Critique's tomorrow for Drawing IV and I need to haul serious a**. orz I WILL BE BACK IF I CAN but at this point, I don't know. *WEEPS, BUT SENDS HER LOVE*))
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:18 pm
((hopefully kick starting rage town back up. ))
"Are you really sure you can trust them?" a strange voice whispered into the slightly foggy air. It sounded so familiar but he couldn't place why. "Who cares if there's anyone else here? You don't." it told him as if it was a proven fact. "No matter how much you lie to yourself, you can't lie to me." it hissed against his neck, the words wrapping itself around his throat like a vice before ebbing away. It screamed danger, Damien knew this, that he should ignore it and focus on the ghoul that was in fron-
Where did she go? All that surrounded him was dense fog, He lost everyone again. "See, your all alone again, just me and you, the way it should be." The familiar voice said as the words assaulted his right ear, he could have sworn that whatever it was, brushed past the nape of his neck before speaking into his other ear. "You can't escape me." "Wh-who are you, why are you doing this?" he said back, not sure if he was just barking into the fog or what, but it was better than staying silent. Anything was better than listening to the voice that was taunting him.
"I am everything." it said back. "Stop playing around with me! Now, who are you?" He said back with a twinge of anger in his voice. This joke was getting old fast. Without warning, he whipped himself around, gritting his teeth and darting his eyes back and forth, hoping that the assailant would create a shadow in the fog to be seen. He could have sworn he heard a chuckle from behind him. How was it moving so fast and perfectly out of his sight? it was alarming, it was shocking.
It left him feeling very vulnerable.
"I told you, I am everything, your everything.
your confidant, your soul mate.
Your executioner.'
Its words were dripping with malice like honey before an ear splitting laughter echoed all around him, reverberating with the fog that was around, making it seem like IT was taunting him.
Suddenly,all thoughts of food, answers and understanding went out the window. All he wanted now, was to survive whatever was about to happen.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 7:26 pm
Aurian had only turned away for a moment, to address one of the others, when Damien disappeared. She turned back to him to be faced with fog, rolling back in with unnatural speed. When she glanced over her shoulder to Holly, Saviour and West, fog was mostly obscuring them, too.
"Be careful, we don't want to lose each other in the fog," she called out.
An insidious voice whispered in her ear, Are you sure about that?
Aurian frowned. Why had she just thought that? Of course she was sure. Bad things happened in the fog. Of course it was best to stay together, to face whatever may come as a group. Strength in numbers and all that.
In the distance, she thought she could hear Damien talking to someone. "Damien?" she called. "Is that you? Can you hear me? Walk back towards my voice. It's dangerous by yourself!"
It's dangerous with them, too, the same voice piped up.
The Reaper spin wildly around. That had definitely been someone else speaking, right? She thought she'd felt something brush her ear. But there was no one behind her, and it wasn't the voice of any of the students she'd been with...
Are you sure they're all students?
A second voice chimed in, How do you know they aren't like that tiny fake-Reaper? Something from the island?
"I - I just know," Aurian stammered. "Holly and Saviour were on my boat. And they know West."
And what about the other one? Damien. Has anyone actually seen him before?
There's no proof he's real.
It's a trick. He'll strike once your back is turned...!
He'll kill you!
More and more voices hissed at Aurian from within the mist. Confused and more than a litle scared, she said, "N-no. I don't believe you. He's real... you're the ones tricking me!"
Who's tricking you? all the voices asked at once.
There's no one else here.
Only you.
All alone, poor thing.
We're you. Your mind. Didn't you know?
Deep down, you know he'll try to kill you. Better kill him first!
Aurian spun as each voice spoke, trying to find a source but they echoed from all around her. Her breaths quickened, heartbeats pounding in her ears. Branding her metal pipe in front of her, she forced her Fear back up its length. Her glowing red eyes were a faint beacon in the mist as she waited for something, anything, to appear.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:09 pm
(( Day Three: Insanity Partayyyy ))
Momentary freakout now under control, West stomped forward to rejoin Holly, Aurian and Damien. Savior was... He raised his hand to tap at her leg again, but it was no longer there. She was no longer there. Had he dropped her? He didn't remember dropping her.
"Savior?"
The fog thickened and crept higher and higher, obscuring the boil's feet, his glowing bat, everything.
And then it was gone.
West stood in his room back home. He was clean, his clothes were dry and neat, and he was wearing shoes. Shoes! He hadn't had shoes on since the boat... The demon chuckled. What boat? He brushed his palms against his thighs and turned his head toward the door. Someone was
crying
screaming
laughing.
"Hullo?" He opened the door and stepped into the hall. Dainty fingers lighted on his... cast
When he hit the ground, he felt an uncomfortable pop followed by a sharp pain, then even more pain as the muddy earth below him was forced into his cuts.
...forearm. Each perfect, pale digit was tipped with deep green polish that swirled nauseatingly in the dim light.
"Duerre, where'd'ya..."
"I have something for you."
She broke into a run, dragging him through the cavernous halls, her back the only thing he could see as she turned left-right-left each time they came to a crossroads. He couldn't have said where they were when she stopped, but he had no trouble recognizing the room once she opened the door.
The first time he had seen this place, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Candles everywhere. The distant strains of violins. This time West didn't have to poke fun or chuckle cruelly at her cliched definition of romantic perfection. Someone was doing it for him. The manic giggles were as faint as the music and easily brushed aside. He stepped into the room.
"You never let me do that to you."
"What?" He was smiling, on the verge of laughing himself, when she turned to face him. Beautiful Duerre. Her face dripped in gloppy clumps down the front of her dress.
"That." She turned him around again easily, jabbing a white-hot finger into his upper back, just to the right of his spine. "I'm glad I left when I did. You're even more worthless than I thought." Her laughter joined the rest, thousands of voices merging into a jeering taunt. West snarled, striking Duerre once, twice, too many times to count. At some point, she fell to the floor. He didn't stop.
His fist smacked into the sticky pulp that had been her skull and when he could no longer tell her face from the pocked ground carpet beneath him he ran, the marid's mark burning his back like a fever.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:28 pm
"Leave me alone!" This couldn't be real, this can't be real. he said to himself like a mantra. "You don't exist, its a trick!" he cried out against the fog, his head cradled in his hands. This couldn't be real, it can't be real! But the voice came back whispering gentle words in his ear. "But I am real, I'm real enough to you." it said, its tone soft like a parent soothing its frightened scareling. "It hurts doesn't it, the denial?" The numerous echos of the sentence filled the air. Damien tried to shut his eyes and block out the sound by covering his folded ears with his hands. This couldn't be real, IT CAN'T BE REAL.
"Go away, begone, this is a trick!" He whispered out between shaky breaths, looking around for anyone to help him out of whatever this was. "If you want the pain to stop..." it said in its sickeningly sweet honeyed voice. it had his attention, a way for all this to stop, yes, what was it?
"Kill the reaper."
"Kill the reaper."
"KILL THE REAPER!!!" it howled against him repeatedly. Endlessly.
"Damien? Is that you? Can you hear me? Walk back towards my voice. It's dangerous by yourself!"
"Kill? No! I have no reason to do that! she bears no ill will." he told the ghostly voice that circled him with its endless wish to dispatch Aurian. "She says she isn't one of those figures who attacked you, but a cloak can easily be taken off." it said to him, the background noise to kill, never ceasing. "Says the one who won't show their face, at least I've seen hers, I'd rather trust her than the likes of you!" he growled back to the fog with a scowl on his face.
He decided to make it clear what he thought of this voice and took a deep breath and let it rang out.
"YOU LIE! YOU'RE NOT REAL!"
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 8:40 pm
They were all gone. Gone. Gone.
One moment West and Savior were there, as well as Aurian and that boil hiding behind a barrel. And then nothing.
She stood alone. Wait was it snowing now?
Snow? Why was that familiar. Holly had only seen it that one time in Christmas Town. After she woken up from death. She died. died. died.
There was a feint sound of laughter. Happy. JOYful. A little girl?
Was everything bigger all of a sudden? She looked down. A fox. She was a fox again.
There was burning. Burning and snow? Burning.
Holly grasped her head at the sound of more laughter and collapsed on the ground.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:27 pm
((You're mad, I'm mad, WE'RE ALL MAD!))
Oh jack damnit, "Jove! Come back!" He made one futile grab for the waving tail of the boil's scarf but caught nothing but air. Cursing soundly as he watched the small frame of the whisp bounding ahead of them into the fog and beyond their sight. "JOVE!" Couldn't he hear him?! "Wait Jove, it's not safe!" He had to catch him, had to get him back before anything happened to him. Had to! ""Stay here Junko! Stay with Momo!" No, he did not delight in the idea of splitting up, but what choice did he have? None.
Giving the ghoul a quick squeeze the jikininki released hand, shoving his flashlight back into Momo's arms as he sprinted forward into the dark after the pup. Convinced he would catch the boil easily, bring him back, and be done with this wonderful turn of nerve wrecking events. He didn't notice he was running head long into the fog...
It was not that easy. Despite their extreme difference in size it didn't seem like the ghost was gaining on the whisp in the least. In fact.. it didn't look like he was going anywhere. Everything had gone black, even the ground beneath his feet. There was nothing around him, no lights, no sounds, nothing. "What the hell." He slowed to a quick stop, blinking into the darkness as he caught his breath. Breath he didn't really need, but some habits died hard.
"Jove?" Nothing. He tried again, louder, and was met with more eerie silence. And then..
Seiji..
He knew that voice. Why had Junko followed him? He'd told her not too, now he had to worry about her as well. "J, I told you to st-"
Why Seiji?
He frowned, dark brows creasing above the bridge of his nose. "Why what?" She was getting closer. Hell it sounded like she was right behind him.
He turned, expecting to see her standing there, and found endless darkness. "Oh what the jack!" This was ridiculous. She hadn't followed, had she? And if so, where was she?
Why..
He whipped around at the sound of that woefully soft voice then froze as his claws sank into something solid and warm. Something that shuddered against his hands and stared up at him with wide, startled, green eyes. "Junko.."
Her lips moved, silent at first, then she coughed and a dribble of blood trickled down her chin to linger at her throat. Weak voice coming at last in a whispered why. Why? He didn't know why. He couldn't respond, couldn't even move as she began to fall backward. Warm flesh tugging at his clawed hand as she fell away from him.
Only then could he react, jerking forward to catch her before she hit the ground. Shaking, blood soaked hands curling around her shoulders before she simply vanished altogether. His fingers clutching at air as he fell to his knees on the broken, pockmarked path.
The path.. He blinked, Gasping suddenly as the blackness around him shattered and the dreary, hazed reality returned. He was on the path, still holding his flash light, and..
"Junko!" The ghoul found herself suddenly wrapped in a desperate hold. Seiji murmuring shakily into her warmth of her hair beside her ear. "It wasn't real, it wasn't real, thank jack it wasn't real. I'm sorry.."
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:35 am
Elaphe? So that was Elaphe she heard? Good! She wasn't going crazy. Good..good. Junko smiled a little more and squeezed Seiji's hand, that was until she saw Jove running on ahead. Wait! That was so dangerous what was he doing!? The ghoul gasped and reached out with the hand that still held her flashlight, as if that alone would bring the pup back. "Jove, wait! Come back!" She called out to him, frowning and biting down on her lip with a worried whine. Why did he have to go and do that?! Ugh! The moment he was back she...she...well she didn't know what she'd do but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him leave them again after this! When Seiji told her to stay put with Tomoko the ghoul nodded and returned the hand squeeze, watching as Seiji gave Tomoko his flashlight. "But wait! Don't...you need...it?" He was gone. Junko blinked. "Seiji?" No answer. Junko's heart raced uncomfortably. "SEIJI?" She called out once again, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice better. All she heard was the sound of her own voice echoing off the surrounding buildings...wait...that was her voice, right? She shivered and rubbed at her arms, not exactly cold just uncomfortable. This was weird. Why didn't Seiji answer her? There was no way he didn't hear her. "Maybe he'll follow our lights back to us. Right, Tomoko?"
No answer.
"Tomoko?" Junko turned to look down at where the small kitsune ghoul should be. Would be. Had been. She wasn't there. Tomoko was gone. WAIT! What?! Where had Tomoko gone?! Junko had only looked away for a second and she hadn't even taken any steps away from her! She didn't hear Tomoko leave. Did Tomoko leave? Where was everyone? She felt so..alone. She heard a chuckle, vaguely familiar yet somehow...not. Was that Her? Junko frowned. "This isn't the time, Mistress." A giggle echoed from nearby and Junko squeaked, hugging herself tightly and staring in the direction she thought it came from. What was that? That didn't sound like Tomoko, and besides why would Tomoko be giggling? That was just silly. She'd never heard that ghoul laugh...so... "Hello? Is someone there?"
No answer. Not even the rustling of wind. Junko only heard her shallow breathing and the beat of her heart in her ears, swallowing hard and whimpering a bit. She'd never felt so alone. It even felt like The Mistress wasn't around, but she'd heard Her chuckling earlier. Where was everyone? She heard humming, a disturbingly calm hum that both terrified her and comforted her. She knew that humming for sure. "Mother?" The humming continued, it even sounded closer than before. Why was she hearing her mother? Her mother shouldn't be here! The humming stopped. "...Mother?"
Tap...tap...click...tap...and the sound of metal being dragged along stone. It was coming her way now. What now? "This isn't funny! Whoever's doing this...it's...it's not FUNNY! STOP IT!" Junko cried, backing away from the sound, but as she did the noise came from another direction and she moved opposite of that..and then again! And again! And again! The chuckling sounded again.
"STOP IT! This isn't the time, Mistress!" She reached back to slap Her only to connect with...her head? That wasn't right. Where was She? Junko gasped and frantically raised both hands to check her entire skull for sign of her second mouth, dropping her flashlight in the process. Not there, or there, or here, or there...n-no! No! What?! Where was She!? The one thing that made her a monster...gone! First her hair, now The Mistress?!
Junko lost her breath for all of two seconds before it returned to her in a rush, nearly hyperventilating before letting out a bloodcurdling shriek of agony, despair and horror and falling to her knees with her fingers buried in her hair behind her head. That chuckling! She heard it again! "Go awaaaay..just go AWAY!" She cried, sobbing again and bending down as if curling herself into a ball. Anything to block it all out.
"I told you you'd amount to nothing. This was all a waste of time. But do you ever listen to me? You worthless rat." That was definitely The Mistress' voice. Junko was shaking as she looked up through her bangs, green eyes wide and full of tears as she stared up at the figure speaking to her. She was tall and..beautiful, as a Mistress should be. Her hair curtained her and trailed behind her and around her feet, falling in thick blankets of black and heavy enough to be used to cover her body. She had Junko's face, only older...and much lovelier in her opinion. Clearly it couldn't be Junko's face.
"M-Mistress?" Junko asked in a quiet, shaky voice. The woman sneered.
"Did I say you could speak? You're better off HUMAN than a futakuchi-onna! You are a FAILURE. You let some filthy reaper cut off YOUR HAIR, you ALWAYS DISOBEY ME, you are a SHAME TO YOUR FAMILY!"
"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! It's not true! IT'S NOT! YOU'RE LYING!" She sobbed, bowing her head again. The Mistress growled.
"Pathetic piece of scum. I should have talked you out of this Jackdamned school when I had the chance. All my years of hard work, ruined. You don't deserve happiness."
"YOU'RE WRONG! SHUT UP!"
"Junko!" Another voice, another very pleasantly familiar voice. But Junko couldn't bring herself to look up, too terrified of it being another illusion. Suddenly she found herself being grabbed and held and she felt his breath against her ear, freezing in shock until she was able to convince herself it was okay to look at Seiji. It was Seiji. It was really Seiji. Real. Not...not an illusion. Junko whimpered and tried not to cry again, reaching back behind her head. Lips. She felt them. There was a mouth in the back of her head...it wasn't real...it wasn't real. It was okay. It..it was all an illusion.
Why was Seiji sorry?
"Y-youleft.." Junko blurted out stupidly, knowing she was pointing out the obvious but she honestly had no idea what else to say. But he was back. He was okay. He was still here holding her and caring about her even though they hadn't been together very long. But where was Tomoko? And Jove? And Elaphe? She still didn't know where they were.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 6:56 am
The pup was getting closer, when he realized the scent of Elaphe had petered out. There was no scent at all. His fluffy ears swivelled, trying to catch a sound that would lead him towards the tiny boil, but there were no more shouts. Just muted voices...
Jove stood still to listen. Surely it wasn't Elaphe, these voices were older, male. He couldn't even pinpoint a location, the mutters came from all around him in the fog, faint at first, but clearer the longer he listened.
"... to do with the dog..." "...passed away around midni..." "... adopted real quick..."
They seemed to echo all around him, those bits and pieces of sentences he didn't understand, yet he could feel a sense of dread coming over him. He couldn't hear Seiji, Junko or Tomoko behind him either, was that fear from being alone? No, if he was afraid of being alone he would be afraid of being alone. So what exactly was he afraid of?
His anxious thoughts were cut short by a tickle against his tail. The pup whirled around, but there was nothing there, just a curl of fog disturbed by his sudden movements. It seemed to cling to itself, and hold it's shape in the air rather than dissipating like normal fog would. From the corner of his eye he caught another glimpse of the fog, an unnatural tendril reaching towards him... He whirled again, and the fog swirled around him. There, another wisp, this time forming almost an outstretched hand as it reached for the pup, all the while those unnatural voices echoed around him.
"... wants in that ambulance..." "... away, catch him before..." "... WAIT..."
They were all around him, the misty hands reaching and clawing towards him, and Jove felt that familiar panic wash over him. He bolted.
Unable to see anything in the mist, he just barely dodged the potholes and broken patches of pavement. Except in his mind they were a porch step, a sad little garden, a ditch... places he had never seen in Halloween that resonated so strongly of familiarity and desperation. He ran, until a painfully bright light appeared to his left, and a crushing impact stopped him in his tracks. It was pain unlike anything he had felt before, radiating through his body from the giant, discoloured mark on his side, and knocking the metaphorical breath from his lungs.
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