1st Key ❋ [Video / Action]

[bendthekey]

[The girl on the screen has pale hair and dark skin, save the very pale, near white birthmark beneath her eye. Tilts her head this way and that, then moves the video as if trying to get a better angle, wanting to understand exactly how it works. Her ears flick back and forth before perking straight up, twitchy and excited.]

…Hello? Is this…communication machine working? I heard someone speaking from it before and thought I might try it for myself. This place is…really quite amazing. I have never traveled to a city like this. I’m quite sure this isn’t where I was, but it’s just as strange how I came to be here. And I have never seen machines quite like this before, either. It’s all so curious. I don’t know where to start first! I wonder if Saxa has already found her way out. Hopefully she’s doing better than I am. I may have turned myself around a time or two just trying to find where I am. I would dearly appreciate someone telling me how to go about finding someone here, if it's not much trouble.

[Oh dear, she's been rambling hasn't she?]

I'm sorry for going on that way! It's just this place is nothing like I would have expected. I mean, the clocks only have twelve hours on them. I didn’t know that there were countries that used this kind of time-keeping anymore, but it must be very interesting. Why do you separate day into thirds? And the sun seems to move so quickly, it’s like the day is just flying by.

[Perhaps someone should step in before she continues to ramble about all the new things she's seen since she woke up by the fountain and spent the last hour wandering around looking at the buildings and whatever else she could. Or maybe someone might want to mention that there is something coming up behind her, an extremely pale girl with black hair that looks decidedly decomposed.]

{OOC: Feel free to run into to Toul before she speaks on the network, or after while she tries to deal with the ghoul who wants to kill her.}

Comments

action;

[sangreine]

[Saya was already nearby when she saw the video, and after a quick flash of her knife fells one of the ghouls (temporarily of course, but she can do little about that) she's on her way. At her speed, it's faster to get to the girl than to warn her.]

[A black-and-white blur comes rushing up from Toul's left, going right past her. There's a sickening wet sound and then the ghoul splats to the ground, a heft wound in its chest from the gore-covered butcher knife Saya's wielding. By the state of her clothing, she's been at this for a while.]

[She turns to Toul with concern, but definite urgency.] It's not safe out here. We're being attacked by -- [she gestures at the fallen ghoul, who is already stirring] well, these things.

action;

[bendthekey]

[Toul spins around at the feel of the wind cutting by her from the other girl's speed and stares in shock as she watches her cut the...thing open. And she can't help but stare because with that hair and the tattered blue dress, the ghoul almost reminds her of her former Young Mistress, Karia. But that couldn't possibly be true, Toul's just terrible at faces.]

Attacked? But...I don't understand. Why would they be attacking us? What did we do?

action;

[sangreine]

[Were the situation any less dire, Saya would smile at the innocence of her inquiry. She envies that sort of worldview.]

Nothing. But some weird things happen in this place...

[The blue-clad ghoul is quickly regaining her feet, so Saya hurries forward, reaching for the hand of the girl with the -- cat ears? Well, regardless, the girl who is obviously only just arriving (Saya has no call to judge anyone for being different).] Come with me, we'll find somewhere safe and I'll try to explain.

action;

[bendthekey]

Wait! I can't leave this behind![Toul steps back before she can take her hand to grab her staff from where she had propped it. She turns back to her and reaches for her hand again, keeping an eye on the obviously unnatural...thing on the ground.] This is all very confusing!

action;

[sangreine]

I know. Trust me, I know.

[Though the City is technically all Saya remembers, aside from the odd flash or the two vaguely familiar things she had to kill yesterday, she still senses the strangeness about it. The curses, the deities, and now this. She takes the girl's free and and starts off, moving as fast as she safely can with a passenger in tow.]

[She heads for the nearest multi-floor building and shoulders through the door uninvited. It's dark but at least there's a door to keep these things out for a while.] We should be okay for a bit, in here.

...I'm sorry about all this. [She manages a little smile, not intending or meaning to scare the poor girl.]

Action ho!

[deadmanbusiness]

[Theo's been prowling around moving off ghouls as best he can. He's a necromancer, he might as well do something useful, right? Even if it's a little.

When he spots the ghoul behind the girl there's a gestured and a murmured word from him and it'll stop for a brief moment. The best he can do.]

Hey! You might want to move.

Action

[bendthekey]

[Toul ducks around, in shock at the sight of the person behind her. The brunette girl is staring right at her and she backs up several feet toward the man speaking to her.]

What is this?! She looks ill. And rather dead.

[The ghoul will be trying to fight against whatever is holding it in place.]

Re: Action

[deadmanbusiness]

It is dead.

Undead. A ghoul. They've shown up recently.

[He's scowling trying to hold it, but it's going to break through soon. Thankfully she's moving away!]

They also bite and infect people.

Action

[bendthekey]

They can do that? I didn't know being undead was like giving someone a cold.

[She wants to ask more, but the ghoul isn't going to take being kept from it's target any longer, breaking from his hold and rushing Toul, who immediately brings her staff out to block it.]

How do you stop them?!

audio;

[maoser]

Better get inside quick, little mouse. It's dangerous outside tonight.

audio;

[bendthekey]

Mouse? [Okay that one makes her laugh because she's most certainly not a mouse.] I'm sorry I think you have me mistaken with someone else. But thank you for the warning, just the same. I didn't realize there were creatures out here.

audio;

[maoser]

[Doesn't she understand the concept of a nickname? Mao rolls his eyes in a decidedly un-feline manner. Fortunately she can't see it.]

There aren't usually. You happened to come in during a crisis. Bad luck.

audio;

[bendthekey]

[More than calling a Felinus a "mouse" is an insult in her world and she assumes he couldn't have possibly have meant it that way.]

Or maybe it's good luck disguised as bad luck. I still came to be in such a fascinating place, so my luck can't be all that bad.

Video

[he_who_kills]

You want help?

Video

[bendthekey]

Oh yes! I would truly appreciate more information about this city, if that's all right with you.

video;

[beyourarmy]

[STARE.]

You talk a damn lot. Finding someone here, though? Just use the device. If they have one, they'll probably notice. If not, I'm on the Police Force so you can give me a description and I might see them.

But what do you mean separate day into thirds? That's half!

video;

[bendthekey]

Oh, I'm sorry, I know I tend to let my mouth run away before I can catch it. [she's a bit sheepish about that] But twelve hours is only a third of the day. Do you only count twenty-four of them?

video;

[beyourarmy]

Eh, that's okay. I kinda run my mouth a lot, too.

...yeah, we only count twenty four. That's as long as our days go.

video;

[bendthekey]

[Okay, it's nice to know she's not the only rambler here.] Really? But where did the other twelve go? Is that why everyone is so busy? You have so much to do in so little time.

[ action ]

[byherscore]

[ Diva had been watching the girl for a while, trailing behind her, smiling, curious. After all, it's not every day she sees something so cute. And she did have such a fondness for the young ones...

But, she doesn't hesitate too long. After all, she'd hate for some little nobody ghoul to take her prey. Brushing past Toul, she caressed a strand of hair and whispered. ] Something's creeping up behind you. You might want to run.

[ and that included herself ♥ ]

[ action ]

[bendthekey]

[Having someone come upon her so unexpectedly startles Toul a bit and she has to look at the girl, only to be distracted by the...very disturbing creature that is coming up behind her.]

Oh my goodness!

[And her next thought is to reach for the girl and pull her away from the ghoul.] Come on, it's getting closer! Do you know what it is?

[Maybe why the creature looks like someone Toul knows?]

[ action ]

[byherscore]

[ she allows herself to be grasped, to be touched. After all, this was her goal. ]

Hmmm? It's just a monster.

[ Diva brushed a finger across Toul's lips, shushing her ] Quiet, they like to speak. [ sometimes. What words will this one say? ]

[ action ]

[bendthekey]

[Toul for once is silenced by the finger to her mouth, blinking. Shouldn't they be trying to get away? Why isn't she afraid?

The ghoul on the other hand only cares about getting to its prey.]

Weak. [It hisses and it's teeth are dirty but sharp. Skin peeling and drooping off in some places.] Crybaby. Kill you.

[Toul is very disturbed. Even that voice sounds familiar.] Why does it want to kill me?

[Video]

[brothertragedy]

Welcome to the City. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but please try to find cover, there is an infestation of dangerous monsters who will take on the appearance and mannerisms of loved ones. They will then try to kill you. They cannot be reasoned with, so slay them or avoid them.

[He has gone on a bit himself, hasn't he? It's for a good cause!

Now, resuming formalities.]

Your name, Madame? I am Nobori.

[Video]

[bendthekey]

Thank you for the warning! I've run into one of them already. So they aren't really the people they appear to be, they just take on their forms? [She sighs a bit.] That's quite a relief!

[She doesn't have to worry about hurting people she cares about now.]

I'm Toul, it's nice to meet you Nobori. Have you been in the um...City for long?