RPG: Nightmare Hunt (A Supernatural/Mystery RPG)

[Cross Avantgarde]

(OOC Note: I did not intend to be so verbose here, but Piers's mind forces me to analyze the situation closely; forgive the wordiness, please).

Piers
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Location: Rostov Private Estate (Outside Mansion 1)
Items: Guardian radio, cell phone, pen and paper with notes (both inside jacket)

“Mongrel cur?!” Francis’ face blanched and he waved his arms desperately. “No! Don’t call him a mongrel. He might get offended! Get out of there, Mr. Cross! That’s not a normal dog! That’s a scary, evil, smart dog! Just slowly back away and leave Mr. Snug- I mean, whatever it is behind you!”

“Mr. Adam Cross!” Marianna yelled and both Theo and Francis turned towards her, “Didn’t Master Thomasai instruct you to stay indoors? The grounds are off-limits to guests for a good reason, as you can see. That particular dog of the master’s doesn’t like real estate agents like you!”

First, Piers thought that he could infer enough information from Francis and Marianna to figure out some way to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, that was far from the case. The only additional information he had gleaned from their words was slim.

As Adam Cross, he could reveal knowledge of the following facts:

1) This dog was not normal, and was likely dangerous.
2) The dog belonged to Thomasai.
3) The girl was described as an “it” by Francis.

That was not enough information to warrant a good, decisive action on his part.

Piers the Guardian, however, could know but not reveal the following:

1) The dog had to be a nightmare, but it was unclear who he belonged to. Piers had recently believed that it had to belong to Francis, but if that was the case then Francis must be a Feral, as he had no control over the dog. Whoever this dog belonged to was still a mystery. Could it belong to Thomasai himself? To Marianna?

2) The canine nightmare had revealed to Skitters (who had in turn revealed to Piers) that the “girl” behind him was a nightmare.

3) The nightmare had demanded that Piers return to the mansion, which led to the next inference.

4) The illusory girl behind him was of great importance to the dog and, likely, to Thomasai himself. Piers had no idea what this meant, and why this nightmare was being hunted down or even who it belonged to, but this was of secondary importance at the moment.

5) Lastly, based on the fact that the nightmare did not pounce immediately on Piers as soon as he had mentally communicated to Skitters, “Skitters, under no conditions are you to tell him I’m a—,” it seemed likely that the nightmare could not hear his private communication to Skitters, as he could have easily filled in the blank with the very important noun, “Guardian.” The question remained, however, if the nightmare could hear Skitters’s private communication to Piers. The only thing certain at the moment concerning the nightmare’s ability was that it could communicate with Skitters directly, unheard by humans.

The worst fact of all was that, even if Piers had no need to conceal both a knowledge of these facts and his position as a Guardian, he was still at a loss as to what to do. True, it would be easier if he did not have to keep up his front, but he was still in a harsh imposition. And if he failed to think fast…

Nightmare, Adam Cross is your human, am I right? I do not want a scuffle. Kindly tell him the thing behind him is a Nightmare with the power to make people see their greatest fear. Whatever it is he is seeing is not real. Also please tell him to get out of the way and not to interfere. This is a personal feud. A very personal feud.

Francis and Marianna were speaking to themselves, but Piers could not hear what they were saying. It would be doubtful that he could have paid them much attention anyway, as he was focused only on the dog and the form of the little girl behind him. Suddenly, Skitters began to speak, breaking up the various thoughts that Piers was hopelessly trying to arrange into a haphazard plan.

The doggy says to move. Doesn’t want to fight you. Says the cheetah behind you can make people see what scares them most. Just a personal fight between them, says the doggy.

Piers had earlier betrayed the fact that he could hear Skitters by looking anxiously behind him when Skitters had revealed that the “girl” was a nightmare. Nevertheless, he tried to act as if he did not hear Skitters.

Worst fear? My worst fear isn’t a little girl…could it be that the nightmare only instills an illusion of someone’s worst fear when it desires, but can cast any other illusion it wishes at other times? This sounds like Jace, but I don’t want to think he’s involved here, yet; his main stomping grounds are in the slums, by his own admission. But Skitters…why did he see a cheetah?

There would be time, hopefully, to revisit these questions later. For the moment, Piers had to assess what the nightmare had said. The nightmare said that this was a “personal” conflict between itself and the one behind him. That did not concern Piers. What concerned him is that the nightmare behind him was important to Thomasai, it seemed. And that meant that Piers needed to know why, and had to keep the nightmare away from him, at least long enough to find out.

Suddenly, Piers felt a small tug on the back of his jacket, accompanied by a whimper. Looking back was a mistake, as his heartstrings were tugged much more powerfully than the hem of his jacket. If this was just an illusion, it was doing a great deal to stir Piers’s sympathy. And that stirring was seemingly all he needed.

Skitters. Listen. Have you said anything back to the nightmare? And if you have, have you said anything about me being a Guardian? Even the slightest hint?

I said you were boring. That’s all.

Any other time Piers would have been angered that Skitters had revealed the fact that Piers had a nightmare, but Piers believed that the dog already knew that he had one because of the surprise he showed upon learning that the “girl” was a nightmare. Usually Skitters was quiet and observant, like a child watching a movie; he seemed to enjoy Piers’s missions, but also seemed to think that the “protagonist” of the movie (Piers, in this analogy) was rather unexciting. At least he led to events that Skitters found engrossing.

Fine. Listen, don’t say anything else, Skitters. Now, I know the nightmare behind us looks differently to both you and me, so I can’t judge how much it actually weighs; I’m guessing that’s a variable figure, anyway.

By this time, Skitters knew what Piers was getting at.

I’ll go fast.

No, Skitters; wait. That’s good, but you have to listen. Take the nightmare somewhere where it can decide whether to reenter one of the mansions or stay outside of them. A courtyard, perhaps, out of sight from anyone. I’m pretty sure we’re being watched, so you have to try to do this quickly.

Piers took off his jacket and wrapped it tightly and thickly about his right forearm.

Get behind the nightmare fast, and drag it behind one of the mansions. Then—and this is important, Skitters—you tell it that you can’t stay with it, because you and I have to link back up. Tell it to leave clues as to where it goes, because we can’t travel together; we’ll be watched the whole time. I’ll meet up with it after I find the clues. Tell it to leave the first clue in the first mansion. Also—

That’s too much to remember, Skitters protested.

Okay, fine. Tell it three simple things. Leave clues and be careful doing so because of cameras. Leave the first clue in the first mansion somewhere obvious. Decide on a final place that the clues will lead to where we can talk in privacy. That’s it.

Okay, Skitters replied grudgingly.

And don’t say another word to the dog nightmare.

Another word to the dog nightmare.

That’s not funny, and this isn’t the time. On three, you’re to get behind this nightmare and drag it as quickly as you can behind one of the mansions; make sure no one is around when you choose to stop.

Piers had simply given the instructions to Skitters, but had not explained every aspect of how they were to work. Skitters was to get behind the nightmare behind them because, to many observers, it would be hard to discern what was happening as Skitters would appear to the girl’s shadow. Also, as Piers put clues together in his search for this nightmare (that might lead to Madeleine), it would not appear suspicious to the cameras as he would merely be exploring the mansions. Or, at least, this is what Piers hoped. Very rarely did things go according to plan.

Meet me back in the room we spent the night in as soon as possible. Piers finished wrapping the jacket around his right forearm.

One. Two.

Piers looked at the dog closely. Piers could only lunge to the left or the right about a meter and a half. If the dog got around him, it would be up to Skitters to outrun him. Piers trusted in Skitters’s speed, but Skitters was not strong in the least, and if the nightmare weighed more than he thought, this was going to be a disaster. Piers planned to guard himself the best he could from the dog’s dangerous teeth by having it grip onto his jacket-padded forearm. Yet if it got around him…it would all be up to Skitters.

He hesitated before the final count. He would be defenseless when Skitters left. Yet this was the only way to make it seem like he was just as dumbfounded about the girl’s sudden whisking away as Francis and Marianna would be. He would simply be defending himself against an attack. Unfortunately, the canine nightmare would almost certainly know that this was a self-motivated move on Piers’s part and that Piers had control of his nightmare, but perhaps the chances of him being a Vagrant would not be overshadowed by the chances of him being a Guardian.

Three.

He felt Skitters manifest, and rush behind him. Not knowing what happened behind him, he kept his eyes focused on the dog, hoping to meet its possible charge and buy Skitters some time. If the dog chose to focus on Piers, he hoped that Francis might put the shovel to good use before he was torn to shreds, for once the dog finished with the his jacket-padded arm, his body was next for sure.

[~Shobu~]

Location: The road to St. Birch
OOC: I was going to write more, but I thought I should give you a chance to reply Cross, haha.

Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: n/a

“To the hospital it is, then!”

Alanna was a little shocked when he agreed to going along with her, thinking that even people who weren't afraid of hospitals like her don't feel comfortable in hospitals. She barely heard his comment on something about "luck" and "Irish", but she assumed it was funny so she giggled. Her father said to her after it was confirmed that it was the hospitals that caused her panic attacks as he tried to comfort her, "I don't like hospitals either; you feel all too close to Death." His eyes became distant and she knew at the time, even as young as she was, that he was thinking of his comrades he's lost to war.

Looking up, she realized she had spaced out for a second or so for Yorick was already a little ways ahead of her, waiting for her to walk with him. Blushing a little in embarrassment, she moved to follow him but the toe of her sneaker caught on the sidewalk, causing her to stumble. Biting her lip in frustration, she mentally cursed herself and walked up to him with her head bowed, her mass of red curls falling forward to hid her red cheeks. She was ridiculously clumsy sometimes.

Then, she inwardly chastised herself again. She wasn't acting like herself. With determination to push off the awkward feeling, she threw her head up and laughed. "Oh, damn. Sorry about that, I'm a little clumsy," she said as she knocked herself on the head a little. "My mom used to tell me I would always run into the glass doors as a child."

[.delete]

Location: Augustine's apartment
Role: Guardian
Status: Morning
Item: Cassette tape recorder

"Well, that was one hell of a night," Augustine whispered through the recorder. "Who would have thought that the Nightmare activity here would be three times more dangerous than my former post? The incident occurred at around midnight, as I was on a stroll after I set up my things in my apartment..."

"Hello? Landy? Is anyone there?"

Hmmm. He seemed to have finally awoken. I'll deal with him later, Augustine thought and he continued on with his report.

"Since I'm diagnosed with chronic insomnia, I have better things to do than sleep, which led me to the thought of mindlessly strolling around the park until the sun went up. However, I wasn't the only person in the park... although "strolling" wasn't really part of their agenda."

"Where are we? Where's Landy?"

"Landy. Perhaps he's talking about that Feral he was with. We? He must be either hallucinating... or is a Nightmare host. I will further investigate on this matter after this report. Continuing on... As I was wandering around the bushes, I noticed two persons walking around as well. It seemed odd for them to be at the park at such a time like that so I observed them from afar. Judging by their body language, I can deduce that they're either lovers or really close friends, but I'm not to sure about this. All seemed okay until... another person of interest appeared..."

"My arm.." the kid stuttered, "Why is my arm uninjured while yours is-- is-- like that?"

"Could he be conversing with his nightmare? Hmm... very interesting. Moving on. A woman appeared going towards the two, her outfit resembling some sort of maid outfit. I can only say it could be a uniform of some sort for a coffee shop or something like that. Perhaps I should check the Teaberry Coffee Shop downstairs if they have the same outfits... As the lady moved closer towards the two, the Feral girl's cat-- yes, her cat -- went ballistic and attacked the maid girl. And that's when all hell broke loose--"

"Landy... I hope you're fine.."

"Will you please stop interrupting me?!" Augustine finally said. "I'm trying to do a report here, hello? Or do you think the recorder is just a mere prop to entertain you?"
The kid suddenly stared at Augustine, who seemed to have only noticed his presence just a second ago. He nervously looked at him, as if Augustine was going to eat him for breakfast.

"Oh, great. I think I scared him a little bit," said Augustine as turned off the recorder. He approached the bed as cautiously as he could, knowing perfectly well what a Nightmare host could do.
Augustine raised out his hand to shake.
"The name's Captain Augustine Arrow. Quick question here, kid. Guardian, Feral or Vagrant?

The kid was to shocked to respond. Awkward silence filled the air, as Augustine's attempt to calm the kid down made him more freaked out.
A whistling noise broke the silence.
"Well whatever, kid," Augustine sighed as he went towards the kitchen, that whistling noise signaled that his coffee pot has been brewed. "If you're ready to talk, just go ahead and talk."

Augustine raised the coffee pot and offered the kid some.

"Coffee?"

"..."

"I'll take your silence as a "no" then."

And with that, Augustine drank the whole, steaming pot of coffee straight down his gullet.

[Solsaiden Hel]

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

In the five or so minutes Adam Cross stood there thinking of what to do like a bona fide Athenian, Theo could have calmly walked past him, chewed out Jigsaw, and dragged him back to the second mansion. But a few facts prevented him from doing so. First, if Goldmine had let Adam in, he must be extremely welcome and thus, important. Besides, explaining the mangled remains of an honored guest to Thomasai is not something Theo would willingly put on his agenda.

In a brutish canine form all he could do is bite and speak mentally. Fighting would expend precious energy, and Theo is already close to blacking out. In fact, stars had been twinkling around his vision for a while now. There isn't much time left.

But surprisingly, it doesn't matter. The knowledge that there is no way for them to get out the estate alive allowed Theo to be patient with the dumb blond. The electrical fence proved that. Even though he wouldn't be able to deliver Jigsaw right at the second mansion's doorstep, Theo considered his job done as long as the damned Nightmare was within the grounds of the estate. So instead, he turned to Jigsaw...

... ... ... ... ...

The white cat turned towards Theo's direction, said nothing. If Theo's words had any effect, perhaps it was reflected in the widening of Jigsaw's eyes, or the slight trembling of his pupils.

Adam caught his attention when he took off his jacket. What the hell was the dumb blond stripping for in broad daylight? Then it made sense when he fashioned a makeshift arm guard. To protect himself from his bite, Theo concluded. Adam must still think he's a normal dog, or he'd realize the futility of making such a thing. And he must be, at the least, slightly scared.

I'm not after a fight. I'd rather settle this calmly and sensibly, don't you? That is a lying, cheating, damned Nightmare and it isn't what it seems. What more of an explanation do you want to distrust it? Your Human can't be this stupid, can he?

Suddenly, something black streaked behind Adam towards Jigsaw. That was Adam's Nightmare?! Was he protecting or was he attacking? That was the one thing Theo would not allow. Honored guest or not, Adam would pay if Jigsaw does not make it alive. He lowered his body to the ground, ready to lunge. Still, Theo knew better than to attack a Nightmare he did not know the capabilities of. He growled, but not at Adam.

Let go of him, Nightmare. If you hurt him, I will kill you through your Human.

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

... ... ...

Madeleine... no... I can't...

The dum-dum's Nightmare suddenly pops out, breaking my train of thought. Then it tries to lift me. I weigh as much as Madeleine, so it didn't have a hard time. Now I'm a cheetah. I can't speak, but I can make the Nightmare think I'm speaking. If you ask me how this works, I'm afraid I have no idea.

"What's happening? Where are we going?" Even my voice sounds like a feline growl.

[janajee]

Location: Landy's Apartment
Status: Day
Role: Unrevealed
Items: None

SEAN'S POV

Haaay.

Well this silence here is awkward.

Landy obviously doesn't believe Glaiza, hence the long and boring silence, and Glaiza doesn't know what to tell her without freaking her out.

Ask her if she has a towel, extra clothes, and a lot of toothpaste we could use, I whisper to Glaiza. Because of all the excitement the night before, I forgot to do all of my favorite rituals. I mean I had only had half a mind to brush my teeth twice before falling asleep, which shows just how exhausted I was.

"I'm not going to ask her that! It's going to be so embarrassing," she silently thought back.

Right, I mentally roll my eyes, like waking up in her bathroom uninvited, and unexplained is not embarrassing. If you're going to do something, might as well go all the way, am I right? Just ask her already I feel icky and besides, this way you'll get time to yourself to think things through. Also I promise not to peek.

Contrary to popular belief, not all men have the desire to see naked girls.

I happen to find people and pain in general far more appealing.

GLAIZA'S POV

Well this is awkward.

I have no idea what I should say or do because I can't tell her something I don't know. How am I supposed to know what happen, when the only thing I remember is sleeping in my room at the Teaberry and I wake up in a bathroom of someone I barely know...

"Ask her if she has a towel, extra clothes, and a lot of toothpaste we could use,"

I'm not going to ask her that! It's going to be embarrassing!

"Right," he whispers mockingly at me, "like waking up in her bathroom uninvited, and unexplained is not embarrassing. If you're going to do something, might as well go all the way, am I right? Just ask her already I feel icky and besides, this way you'll get time to yourself to think things through. Also I promise not to peek,"

...

"Um, so shower, huh... do you mind if I borrow a towel, and some extra clothes?"

"Don't forget the toothpaste!"

...

"And some toothpaste?"

[Cross Avantgarde]

Yorick
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Location: Bus Stop near St. Birch Hospital
Items: Guardian radio

"Oh, damn. Sorry about that, I'm a little clumsy," she said as she knocked herself on the head a little. "My mom used to tell me I would always run into the glass doors as a child."

Yorick laughed at her comment as they walked towards the hospital. “Walking into glass doors? It happens to the best of us! It’s really embarrassing when you do it in a library, and everyone turns around to see what the loud noise was. Try it sometime.

He laughed again, and they soon approached the doors of the main entrance.

“So, Alanna…mind if I stick around? I mean, I don’t have to go in the actual room with you when you visit the doc or whatnot, but I guess you’ll need an escort back to the bus stop, right? You see, there are at least five glass doors between the hospital and the bus stop, so I’m thinking you could benefit from my services. Whatdya say?”



Piers
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Location: Rostov Private Estate (Outside Mansion 1)
Items: Guardian radio, cell phone, pen and paper with notes (both inside jacket)

Skitters heard the canine nightmare say something when he darted over to what appeared to him to be a cheetah, but he could not make out what it was. As he got behind the other nightmare, however, the words of the canine nightmare were easily audible, clear, and understood.

Let go of him, Nightmare. If you hurt him, I will kill you through your Human.

Though Skitters was itching to do so, he was under strict command from Piers not to talk. Three appendages grasped the illusory nightmare from behind, coiling around three equidistant portions of the nightmare and lifting it up off the ground. Skitters had to slump low to do so as his body was stretched in order to make the appendages. Four additional appendages manifested themselves in an instant, and soon Skitters was using the three coiled appendages to carry the nightmare and the other four to scurry quickly behind the first mansion, looking for a hiding place. Skitters was surprised that the cheetah seemed to weigh no more than a child; the lack of weight allowed him to escape at a good speed.

While racing away, Skitters heard the cheetah making noises; noises that, strangely enough, he could understand as speech.

"What's happening? Where are we going?"

Skitters was concentrating on getting around the corner of the first mansion as quickly as possible, so all he managed to say back was, “Piers doesn’t like the doggy…told me to take you…away…”

Piers, meanwhile, saw the canine nightmare prep for what appeared to be an inevitable lunge.

I’ve got to buy Skitters some time…but if I allow this dog to stay on me too long, I’m done for…

Skitters was moving as fast as possible, and Piers was waiting for one decisive action from the canine nightmare. Would it chase Skitters, darting around Piers? If so, he had to do his best to jump in front of its way, but he doubted he was fast enough. At best he might be able to catch a hind leg. Would it lunge for him, ignoring Skitters? That was problematic as well, but Piers doubted that Francis and Marianna would just watch him be killed. He could act baffled about the incident later in front of them and hopefully curb some suspicion. Some. Yet Piers believed that Thomasai would see right through it. For now, however, everything came down to the dog.

[i_say_sabotage]

"Will you please stop interrupting me?!" Augustine finally said. "I'm trying to do a report here, hello? Or do you think the recorder is just a mere prop to entertain you?"

"Huh?" Harue stared at the man. Since when did this man get into the room? Harue must have been too engrossed in his conversation with Grauld that he didn't notice anybody near him. And he seemed to be talking in some sort of voice recorder. Harue was still organizing his thoughts when the man spoke again.

"The name's Captain Augustine Arrow. Quick question here, kid. Guardian, Feral or Vagrant?"

Harue stared at him. Captain? Augustine? Arrow? Captain? He sounds like a story book character. Just wrapping his head around that thought took Harue a while to get back to reality. His question on Guardian, Feral and Vagrants hinted that he knew something about the whole ordeal.. But to ask a stranger that kind of a question, Like he was asking which soccer team he preferred -- He's a bit too forward, isn't he?

"Coffee?"

"..."

"I'll take your silence as a "no" then."

And with that, Augustine drank the whole, steaming pot of coffee straight down his gullet.

Harue blinked.

This guy...... is strange.

"Uhm.. Who are you?" Harue asked with a bit of apprehension.

[Talli]

Seda:
Role: Guardian
Location: Residental Area; Northeast side
Status: Day
Items: Guardian Radio, cellphone

After a long talk with the person on the other line, Seda had hammered out most of the details of ‘her’ life. The paperwork that the school and Mr. O’Raely that would be seeing, details like where she lived or what schools she went to.

“How about an alias, Miss Seda?” the tech asked. Seda bit her lip and tapped the pen against the notepad a few times. “Just in case?”

“Hm… Well, I already told the owner my first name… But I think that would be a good idea,” she replied. She thought about what last name she should use for this new ‘Seda,’ going through the names that she had heard when she was in Italy.

“Fabbro,” she told the tech over the phone. “Seda Fabbro. F-A-B-B-R-O.”

There was the sound of someone typing. “Alright, this background is officially formulated. Just out of curiosity, what does the last name mean?”

Seda smirked. “It means ‘blacksmith.’ I’m going to be a PE teacher, right? I’ll be putting these kids through their paces…” She paused and leaned back in her chair. “If all goes well, they should come out of my class stronger.”

The tech chuckled. “Now I feel scared for those kids,” she told her.

“Hey, if all those stories I hear about fights on the streets are true, these kids are going to need it,” she explained, already thinking about how she could include self-defense techniques in her class. “I’d sleep better at night knowing that if they’re ever caught in a bad situation, they have a fighting chance to get out of it.”

“Was that some compassion I detected? Some kind of maternal instinct perhaps? Coming from Miss Seda Salucci?” the tech asked and Seda could practically see the smile on the tech’s face.

“Oh, shut it,” Seda shot back, laughing. “If you tell Johnson, I may kill him and incapacitate you, you hear me?”

Stifling her own giggles, the tech gave her the affirmative. “Very well, ma’am. All the info has been recorded and ‘Seda Fabbro’s’ job application will be sent to the school right away. Will there be anything else?”

“I’ll be putting in an order for some equipment, but I’ll do that later. Thanks,” Seda replied.

“Alrighty then. Have a nice day!” the tech chirped and terminated the call. Seda put away her cellphone and looked at the notepad in front of her, trying to memorize all the details of ‘her’ life.

She let out a breath. “Guess I should go over to the school,” she muttered to herself and pulled on her jacket, tucking the notepad into the inside pocket. She pulled on more comfortable shoes and grabbed a few essentials: cellphone, wallet and of course, the Guardian Radio, putting them into her pockets.

After locking her new apartment, she made her way down to the ground floor, passing a sleeping Huckleberry Finn as she went. “Bye, Mr. O’Raely!” she called out to the old man, who was sitting comfortably in his chair and sipping some tea before going out the door.

She patted her black motorcycle, brushing off some dirt that had fallen on it. “Okay, Oakwood High, get ready to meet Seda Fabbro…”

[-GAZKUL-]

Karl Soldi
Role: Vagrant
Location: Slums
Status: Day
Items:

Karl awoke in his shack on the edge of the slums, hauling himself to his feet he checked the weather through the open widow. "Good" he thought, "no rain". He staggered across the room to the box that he was using to keep his clothes in and pulled on his sleevless shirt and faded and ripped jeans. Pausing as he picked up the ring that his brother had given to him he thought "Today you will be avenged Marko" as he put it on.

There must be Guardians nearby, he could feel it. Climbing onto the roof of his shack he scanned the slums looking for signs of life, a dog scampering across the litter strewn road, a tramp making his way north and a few ferals trying to find a safe refuge. Deciding that the Guardians would be somewhere to the south Karl dropped down from the roof and started running towards where he thought they might be.

[i_say_sabotage]

OOC: Kindly take note of the Weather... (and some other.. hehe)

Nerisa
Role: Feral
Location: Residental Area; Northeast side
Status: Day
Items: Newspaper

It seemed like a long time since she has stepped foot in her apartment. Seeing the familiar sight of it calmed her. It was like taking one giant sigh of relief after what could be the most exhausting saga that is the last two days.

She followed the leads that the man, Piers (I'll deal with him later), have provided her, and they all came up null.

SuraCorp has been doing some under-the-table business with their drugs, but they were more on steroids and painkillers. Nothing on hallucinogens.

Nerisa sighed as she read her "expose" in today's newspaper.



Just another accolade for Ms Megara, Assistant Editor of The Town Tribunal -- Still she felt unaccomplished. She had to work on something that has been bothering her for quite some time.

As she walked towards the brick building she called home, a young woman emerged from the doors, bidding Mr O Raely an amiable goodbye.

The woman stroked her motorcycle lovingly and Nerisa heard her say “Okay, Oakwood High, get ready to meet Seda Fabbro…”

Nerisa giggled. Seda Fabbro, hm? Looks like a new face. She walked up to the main entrance but stopped before going in.

"Hi there Miss Fabbro." she smiled. "Here for a visit?"

[Talli]

Seda:
Role: Guardian
Location: Residental Area; Northeast side
Status: Day
Items: Guardian Radio, cellphone, wallet

"Hi there Miss Fabbro. Here for a visit?"

It took her half a second to respond to her ‘new’ name, but Seda quickly recovered and turned to look at the person greeting her.

“You’re supposed to be Seda FABBRO,” she mentally scolded herself and could hear Vidar ‘groaning’ in the back of her mind. “What? Do you want an alias too?” The question effectively shut up her reptilian nightmare.

“Hey,” she replied with a smile. “Actually, no. I’m in the process of moving in.” She grasped the woman’s hand in a firm handshake and a nod of her head.

“Since you know my name, I think it’s only fair I get to know yours,” Seda told her. “You are…?”

[-GAZKUL-]

Karl
Role: Vagrant
Location: slums
Status: Day

Karl moved swiftly southward, his mind firmly on his objective, he would avenge his brother or die trying. "There must be guardians around here somewhere" he thought as he scanned his surroundings. He could hear movement up ahead and he drew his knife only to discover that it was just a stray dog trying to find something to eat.

He sniffed at the air, "Where are they " the thought desperately, his desire to kill was slowly overcoming his usually rational mind, then an idea came to him.

[~Shobu~]

OOC: Sab, I don't know if the hospitals have white-brick walls or not. If you need me to change it then I will.

Location: In front of the St. Birch
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: N/A

As they approached the hospital, Alanna grew more and more weary. She knew that she had to do this no matter how afraid she was. That's what she told herself before she even set out to come here. But standing in front of the glass double-doors through which the drab white waiting room was visible, she felt her heart race. Her head suddenly began to feel feverish. Her breath hitched as she backed away from the doors.

Suddenly, the presence that she felt before she met Jace, before her mother died, before he father was killed appeared once again. She blinked. A blood-curling scream resonated from her throat, her hands flew up and gripped her head through her mass of red locks. The entire building oozed blood from every possible opening: windows, doors, ventilation shafts. She could hear maniacal giggles echoing from within the bloody walls as well as the voice of her mother and father calling to her.

"Alanna! Alanna! Help us Alanna! Please! Hurry! Alanna...!"

She turned to look at Yorick to as if to confirm that she wasn't going mad. She sobbed and covered her mouth with shaking hands to see his hollow sockets and red-streaked tears.

"No!" She screamed, before pushing him away from her, and running in a random direction away from the hospital which, in reality, stood quiet with its white-brick walls free of everything but dirt.

[Solsaiden Hel]

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

“Piers doesn’t like the doggy…told me to take you…away…”

After all the pain I put him through, the dum-dum is still trying to help me. Man. That right there is a tinge of guilt.

"Tell him he has my thanks. You know, if you’re super duper strong, think you can throw me over the fence? That’s how I got out last time.”

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

With Adam Cross blocking the way, Theo realized the Human already expected him to go after the Nightmares. He also realized Adam knew what he was doing. But he was using his own self as a shield like many brash martyrs before him.

In an already weakened state, Theo already knew he would lose and disappear in a puff of smoke if he receives even a few blows. But Theo was nothing like a normal dog at all. No matter where that black blob took his target, he could still smell Jigsaw and know his exact location. What’s more, he knew the layout of the Rostov mansion like the back of his paw. The black Labrador gave Adam a long hard deadpan look that seemed to say, simply:

… You’re living proof of the reason people enjoy blond jokes.

Theo turned away from Adam Cross, opposite the direction of the path Jigsaw was taken, and bounded away, seeming to escape.

But at about twenty feet away, he stopped, turned, sped like a racing cheetah and leapt right over Adam Cross’ head. He landed on the other side as silently as when he jumped two floors from the hospital before. Then as if nothing happened, the Labrador bounded after Jigsaw, not once looking back.

(Francis and Marianna sighed with relief. It seemed the Retriever was not interested in Adam Cross’ life. Francis continued waving at him, “Get away from there while you still have legs to get away with…!”)

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

Hm?

I’m no longer a cat. But… something else…?

“Oh man he’s after us," I said, looking back. But the dog was quite a long ways away, "And did you see that jump? On second thought, don’t throw me over the fence. He can jump over it too. Quick! The third mansion! There’s no one there. We can lose him in it.”

My friend the blob moved much faster than the mutt. Though the dog moved more quickly than before, the blob ran at the same pace but with much ease. If we move fast enough we could get away. Good thing I sent a whole building crashing down on the mutt, or I’d probably be in shreds like sushi.

“What should I call you, my friend blob?”

[The Rogue Devil]

OOC: I forgot to add that he has a split personality

Location: Route to Guardian HQ
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Items: Two Flint Pistols, Pirate Sword, Boat

Ace was inbound for his new home base, He sighed and sped up until he made it to the new town. People gawked at him but he didn't care, he laughed and went on his way.
" I'm finally here." Ace said grinning, " It's nice place."
The boat stopped at the city limits and he got off. He searched around the area and realized that he was on the right path.
" I'm headin' for the grandest treasure of them all!!!!" Ace said as he jumped back into the boat, " Titan!!!! Ye' know you're fast so speed it up!!!!"
Titan heard him and created a water jet from under the boat and he made his way to the HQ.
He finally made it and was greeted by a few techs.
" Hello Mr. Ace Whitefang." The techs said and waited for a response.
" ........." Ace looked in the other direction and started to watch the sky.
" Mr. Whitefang?" The tech said sounding confused.
" ..........." Ace yawned and scratched his head.
" I'm sorry, Captain Whitefang." The tech said smiling.
" Hello there comrade!!" Ace said shaking the tech's hand, " Where are my living quarters?"
" Right this way Captain." The tech said and motioned him to follow

[-GAZKUL-]

Prometheus burst forth, karl's plan was to use his nightmare to create a disurbace big enough to be spotted from anywhere in the town. A giant slamander burst forth and he shot a jet of flame straight up over his position, it rose hundreds of feet up like a burning tower. Showering the nerby area with sparks, as the first colomn disappered he let out a savage roar and sent another jet, even bigger than the first high over the town.


"Okay Guardians come and get me" he though

OOC-edited as per request

[Rock Gaara]

Location: Library
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: Gray Knapsack, Books

Robyn stretched, his spine popping in protest. He glared balefully at the book in his hands. Reminding himself that he had indeed personally chosen the object in his hands, he returned the book to it's place in the shelf. Task completed, Robyn leaned back in a plastic chair and sighed.

In his search for knowledge, Robyn had come across a book of random facts and figures. Hoping to gain some insight to the interesting things around him, he had picked the book up. It had proven to be yet another useless pile of information bound together by stiff paper and a pretty cover. Robyn was already aware of the most arcane things the book spoke of.

"Well. There went another hour wasted." Robyn spoke aloud, his voice a monotonous murmur. He reached into a gray knapsack resting next to his table and pulled out a large zip-lock bag of Skittles. Munching on a few, Robyn stood up and lifted the knapsack to his shoulders. The part of the library he occupied appeared to be emptying. Robyn periodically moved to different parts of the building, looking for the more crowded areas. Even though no one really talked (it was a library after all) the presence of other people calmed Robyn's nerves. Still chewing on his Skittles, Robyn chose a table close to the children part of the library. There were always children in the library. Dimly, Robyn wondered if anyone ever considered him to be a pedophile, seeing as he was in this area often. He dismissed the idea, and promptly moved over a table. Seated, he chose a random book from the closest shelf and cracked it open.

[i_say_sabotage]

OOC: Guardians, please check the OOC in regards to Gazkul's Fire.

[Cross Avantgarde]

Yorick
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Location: Bus Stop near St. Birch Hospital
Items: Guardian radio

She turned to look at Yorick to as if to confirm that she wasn't going mad. She sobbed and covered her mouth with shaking hands to see his hollow sockets and red-streaked tears.


"No!" She screamed, before pushing him away from her, and running in a random direction away from the hospital which, in reality, stood quiet with its white-brick walls free of everything but dirt.

Yorick had to make sure that he had, in fact, not said anything to evoke this kind of action on Alanna’s behalf. He had received this kind of reaction before, but he was almost certain that he was not to blame for Alanna’s sudden behavior, though she had certainly given him a shocked stare before darting off.

Oh man…usually I have more time to talk with a hottie before I get this kind of treatment! Things were going so well…

“Alanna! Wait!” Yorick called after her, running after her only to keep her in earshot, not to overtake her in his run. Something about her reaction seemed strangely serious, and he resisted treating the situation lightly. “Alanna!” he called again. “Can we just talk about it a bit?”

Talk about it? I’m not even sure what’s going on! But something won’t let me just walk away…

Yorick could see that Alanna was not running towards the hospital, and though he had no idea where she was going, he kept his pace up to keep her in his sight, hoping she heard him.


Piers
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Location: Rostov Private Estate (Outside Mansion 1)
Items: Guardian radio, cell phone, pen and paper with notes (both inside jacket)

"Tell him he has my thanks. You know, if you’re super duper strong, think you can throw me over the fence? That’s how I got out last time.”

Skitters, though well aware of his great physical weakness, preferred to speak instead of his most salient attribute. Yet even now he was intent on his own initiative, for once, on his work, and replied, “Sorry, I don’t think I can do that.” Actually, Skitters was sure he could not accomplish that feat.

Whereas Piers usually gave each command in person, Skitters was now detached from him and trying to follow orders precisely; unfortunately, the plans had suddenly changed as this nightmare had suddenly given him, in a strangely feline-but-amiable voice, news that the canine nightmare was chasing them down.

“Oh man he’s after us," I said, looking back. But the dog was quite a long ways away, "And did you see that jump? On second thought, don’t throw me over the fence. He can jump over it too. Quick! The third mansion! There’s no one there. We can lose him in it.”

Skitters thought he was running full-speed, but now he was sure of it. “Third mansion?” Skitters looked from his left to his right. Would the third one be the correct one?

Skitters darted straight to the supposed third mansion with all the speed he could muster.

“What should I call you, my friend blob?”

The lighthearted conversation (to Skitters, only a sentence or two was enough to deem the dialogue a conversation) this nightmare was providing, even amidst the obvious danger they were in, was welcome, and Skitters did not mind providing his name as he dashed with all his might to the huge set of double doors at the front of the mansion.

“Skitters. My name is Skitters. You?”

The nightmare (that was fortunately proving to be a light burden, weighing very little) had said nothing about the approaching mansion being the incorrect choice, so Skitters extended an appendage to grasp the doorknob, opening the door just as he arrived at the entrance and bursting into a foyer lined with doors and, inbetween the doors, long mirrors that seemed to cast different distorted reflections along three walls.

Speaking quickly to the nightmare he was still holding, he urgently said, “Which door?” The various reflections and number of doors were confusing him quickly.

Piers, meanwhile, was stunned. He knew that there was a chance he might not be able to block Theo, but a jump over his head was not a scenario he would have envisioned, given any amount of time to ponder it. The canine nightmare had been generous with his time, and now it seemed that he was tired of Piers’s antics and was chasing Skitters and the other nightmare relentlessly.

No plan survives first contact…but this is absurd!

Piers turned and chased after the nightmares, losing ground with each passing second. Both Skitters and the dog were much faster than he could ever hope to be, and it was all he could do to pinpoint the likely destination of Skitters’s advance, though he wondered why Skitters had suddenly chosen the inside of another mansion as a good hiding place.

No! It’ll be crawling with Thomasai’s people! What is he thinking?!

Fortunately, Skitters had information that Piers was not privy to, thanks to the nightmare that he was dashing away to precarious “safety.” Try as he might, Piers could not gain ground in his pursuit, and could merely follow the lead of the nightmares as Skitters burst into the mansion, extending an appendage to open the door and using his momentum to fly through the opening.

[Talli]

(OOC: Taking over Chinatsu, her colour is "Cyan" ^^)

Chinatsu
Location: HQ
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Items: Stuffed Dog

“Harue?” Chinatsu echoed and bit her lower lip, trying to remember the image she had just seen. “No… No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I’ve met Harue before. This guy… He’s definitely new.”

She tried to concentrate harder, but her head began to ache a little. “I’m sorry, Miss Cerise,” she apologize with a sheepish smile. “I think I may just be a little tired.” She glanced at the food on the table. “Or hungry…”

Setting her stuffed friend on the chair next to her, Chinatsu propped her elbows up on the table and furrowed her brow. “Harue… Harue… That Guardian that doesn’t like being touched,” she muttered to herself, closing her eyes.

“Harue is…” She pictured the young man in her mind and images of an apartment began to flash through her mind. Then another man wearing glasses… Pouring… Hot coffee down his throat.

Her eyes snapped open. “What was that?” she asked aloud, surprise evident in her voice. “Was that a real vision?” A man drinking scalding hot coffee. It reminded her of that one show with that team leader chugging down hot Starbucks brew like it was cold water and he was a dying man in the desert.

She let out a little giggle at the silly image, before looking up at Cerise and letting out a cough. “Sorry, I thought I saw Harue. But I guess those late-night tv shows back at the hospital had more pull than I thought.”

Rogwel Rueslatten III
Location: Guardian HQ, Computer Room
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: iPod & cellphone

"Baby, baby, baby ohhh... like baby, baby, baby noo..."

Rogs sang along with his headset while playing Mebostream - this totally rad online game on beta. It took him a while to beat all 50 players in town.. There were some persistent guys with level 88 buffs and HP wingers that he had to reform his strategy. It took him a while.. say 9 minutes?

Rogs took his glasses off and wiped them. He had to take a break from playing. Another kingdom had fallen in his online hands, har har. He turned off his ipod and looked around...

"hmm... where did the other techs go?..." he wondered and gave a lazy shrug. "Nap time haha"

He set the alarm on his phone and went to sleep...t to sleep...

Skrape (Rogs' Nightmare)

Skrape appeared as soon as his Feral human's consciousness dropped... He was craving for blood... hungry for battle... He longed to feel the excitement of holding a life in his hands... the screams of pity and the guilt of silence as it witnesses his power over a hapless victim.

"Fall like leaves, in fall! I am free at last!" he licked his dagger, "I've got no time to waste. I must feast on souls before this scallywag loser wakes up!"

Skrape quickly passed through walls... Thoroughly scanning every room for his victim... There were only a few techs left in their rooms, owing to a mid-afternoon break. This left Skrape in a foul mood... But Skrape was patient... His dagger will taste blood soon... Soon...

When he was about to leave the 4th room, he saw a man lying face-down on the floor... It was Karn. With an evil grin on his face, he closed in on Karn's body. Skrape knelt down, unsheathing his dagger...

*poke*

*poke* *poke*

"Hey.. " Skrape repeatedly poking Karn's shoulder. "Hey! Wake up, you mumbling, molly-coddled pigeonfoot!"

and after a few more pokes...

Skrape stood up in disgust thinking that Karn is dead. "He must already be dead! Cuuuurses!"

Skrape left Karn, still unconscious, and passed through the adjacent walls of the building. He continued to search for a victim, preferably alive, to kill. He cannot kill someone who is already dead. Because being dead will ruin the purpose of killing. So he must kill somebody alive, so they may be dead.

After a few more strides, Skrape ended up in the bathroom and his eyes lit up when he saw a tech washing his hands. He was unaware, innocent, naive...

Skrape raised his dagger over his head to strike "BE GONE YE fool-born bladder! TASTE THE BLADE OF MY..."

"Wake up, WAAAAKE UP, Wake up, WAAAAKE UP!!!" (Rogs' extremely loud and annoying alarm tone)

Skrape's eyes twitched...

"NOOOOOOOO!!! Not that sound again!" he dropped his dagger and covered his ears, "CURSE YOU DAMN ROGWEL ROUSLATTEN III!!! Cuuuuurrse YOU... Uuu... UUu... uu... u..."

The tech looked back in the empty cubicle. He thought he heard someone gnash their teeth.

[Valkarma]

Jace/Thanatos
Role: Vagrant
Location: Bus Stop near St. Birch Hospital
Status: Day
Items: N/A

Jace fumbled along at his normal pace. He buzzed with exitement at future prospects. Like he had said he expected nothing bad to come from running around with some random person. After all what was the worst that person could do? No one really cared enough to take notice of them. It however did not seem to pass to Thanatos.
"Your making a mistake again boy." He grumbled, "These attachments will be your downfall. Toy or no Toy."
"Oh be quiet." Jace said with some confidance, "I'm just having fun."
"You say that. But don't forget who supports you through all this. Who is your very body now. Who is the only truth."
"Yea yea." Jace said half heartly,
"Who helped you when your mother died?"
"SHUT UP!" Jace suddenly shouted. Realising he had done it outloud he turned to Arcelia. "Sorry not you." He smield at her and gripped her hand tighter. Thanatos had gone quiet.

Jace kept running along with her before suddenly colliding with someone that had been runnign themselves. They hit the floor but Jace spun himself around, entrapped with Arcelia arm, and came to a stop. He was now behind Arcelia hugging her tightly around the waist. His normal beaming smile on quite enjoying the closeness. His head rested on her shoulder. He looked up.
"Your mistake. I except..." His words trailed off as he gazed at the girl on the floor. It couldn't be. Could it?

[Rock Gaara]

Robyn
Location: Library
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: Gray Knapsack

The library was clearing again. Without looking up, Robyn could feel the emptying of the space around him. Even the kid's section was being cleared. It made Robyn feel edgy. Peering over his current selection of literature, he tapped his fingers on the table, looking for a more crowded part of the library. He was vaguely surprised to find that he was indeed in the most crowded section. If you could call a sleeping teenager and an old woman crowded. His fingers tapped louder, a staccato beat. The old woman glared at him from behind her newspaper and sighed.

Heaving a sigh of his own, Robyn decided to exit the building. He needed to go to the grocery story anyway. He would just take the bus. Stowing the book away in his knapsack, Robyn stood to his full height. Shoving his hair out of his eyes he moved towards the exit. The emptiness of the library was starting to gnaw at him. Shouldering his knapsack, he stepped outside and breathed a second sigh. Robyn walked in careful, measured steps and began to count his strides as he went along. He headed down the street a ways before taking a right to the main road. Engrossed with his counting Robyn began to space out, sharp eyes becoming unfocused as he tripped along the street towards the bus stop near the hospital.

[Solsaiden Hel]

(You have no idea how futile it feels chasing my own character...
Apologies for the odd text. My Firefox feels like being unconventional today.
I am TOTALLY unsure how to portray Arcelia, so I just kinda had fun… and I don’t speak Spanish. All comments for improvement would be much appreciated.
*I have no idea if this is true, but it is likely, isn’t it? )

Location: Bus Stop near St. Birch Hospital
Role: Vagrant
Status: Day
Items: -

Arcelia breathed in deeply the moment they stopped dancing, allowing the feeling to last for just a moment longer. This was nice…

"It is reason you will not understand stupid Child."

It was a different voice from Jace’s. Knowing him, he wouldn’t speak that way towards her. But then they only knew each other for a few hours, so it apparently she still didn’t know him. Taken aback, Arcelia clenched a defiant fist by her side.

“I’m not a child. I’m twenty-four!”

"Well, well that is rude.” He seemed to perk up, “No need to be that rude to her."

Arcelia stamped one foot, “I’m right here! Don’t refer to me in the third person!”

"I'm sorry for dragging you. But time call to a new moment and as the next moment passed we are left without out...or something like that." He grinned, "In simple terms. Time's a wasting."

“Jace, are you even listening…?!” Time was a-wasting, but what exactly are they going to do? Kill people? Actually a nice lunch in a fancy restaurant by the beach didn’t sound so bad. Jace could threaten the people in the restaurant and they wouldn’t have to pay a cent, like the truly Evil Vagrants they are. Then she watched, half in admiration, half mesmerized, as Jace’s black skin turned to normal. Though she could use illusions herself, it was fascinating to see it done on others.

"SHUT UP!" Jace suddenly shouted. "Sorry not you."

That last outburst made Arcelia realize something. Growing silent for a while, she allowed Jace to lead her by the hand and he began running.

“Are you all right, Jace?” She quietly asked with genuine concern, gripping his hand tightly,
“Statistics* show that people who talk to themselves a lot tend to be susceptible to mental illnesses. My mom has a stash of Prozac …”

Before he could answer, Arcelia saw him heading straight for two running people. Jace’s hand held hers too tightly – she couldn’t wrench herself out in time.

“Jace-wait! Stop! Look out…!”

They crashed onto the floor.

“Ow. Ow. Ow.” She muttered, getting up. “I’m so sor- ” She stopped herself. Now the polite thing to do would be to apologize, but that wasn’t the usual protocol for Truly Evil Vagrants.

“How DARE you get in our way, bunch of… of…” Think of an insult! A Truly Evil Insult! She suddenly felt Jace’s arms around her waist. Was hugging someone after they crash onto the floor something normally Evil people did? Something told Arcelia this wasn’t the case. Nonetheless, she played her role and screamed an evil insult in Spanish.

“You bunch of bald monkeys!”

Location: Guardian HQ
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Items: -

Miss Cerise. Miseries. Sounds like an insult he would use on her. Cerise waited quietly as Chinatsu closed her eyes, allowing the vision to run.

“Harue?” Chinatsu echoed and bit her lower lip, trying to remember the image she had just seen.

“No… No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I’ve met Harue before. This guy… He’s definitely new.”

Cerise checked her notes and next to Harue’s name were ??? That was never a good sign.

“New? You sense someone new with Harue? Could you tell if it’s a Vagrant or a Guardian?”

She disdained – no, detested – no, abhorred Vagrants as much as the French disliked the Germans. They even had a nickname for her at Mainland, because she’d stop their heartbeat or burst their lungs without hesitation. One of the insults thrown at her yesterday even came close to it.

“One thing my brothers’ mentors tell him is, never doubt yourself.” Cerise rested her chin on one hand. The fork and spoon on her plate rested on the five o-clock position. “He’s a watcher too. If it was a vision you saw, it must be important. When it becomes clearer, don’t hesitate to tell. But eat first, Chinatsu! It was impulsive of me to ask you for a vision right after you come out of the hospital! I’m sorry, I was just so worried for the others.”

“Sorry, I thought I saw Harue. But I guess those late-night tv shows back at the hospital had more pull than I thought.”

“Oh really? Which TV show was it? House? Grey’s Anatomy?” A light conversation was more welcome than talk about Vagrants and Guardians. Harue would be fine, wouldn’t he?

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

“Skitters. My name is Skitters. You?”

“Jigsaw’s the name. Tricks and treats are my game.”

Yeah. That was cool.

Speaking quickly to the nightmare he was still holding, he urgently said, “Which door?” The various reflections and number of doors were confusing him quickly.

“There! Quick! That mirror is also a door.” As my friend Skitters skittered, I continue hatching a plan, “He knows where I am because he can smell me. But he doesn’t know you yet. So we should set up a trap. I’m the bait. I’ll stand somewhere, and you go hide somewhere. When he comes, he’ll go after me, and then you whack him. Kapish?”

Location: Rostov Estate
Role: Feral
Status: Day
Items: -

Theo heard footfalls behind him and knew Adam Cross was in pursuit. The damned Nightmare and the black blob disappeared into the third mansion, a place of confusing doors and mirrors. But Theo followed by scent and not by sight, so what’s the use of doing this, Jigsaw? Adam’s Nightmare moved amazingly fast, and soon Theo fell behind. Standing on his hind legs, he pushed open the double doors of the mansion.

Scores upon scores of mirrors and doors greeted him, but no Jigsaw nor black blob in sight.

Jigsaw…! He shouted mentally into the silence. The dog raised his nose into the air, found the scent. The problem wasn’t only doors and mirrors he had to get past, but add in hastily placed furniture that looked like it could fall on unknowing guests at any moment. There was also the other black Nightmare that Theo was certain could put up a good fight. So Jigsaw knew what he was doing all along. This could even be a trap like the one in the paper factory.

But if he got rid of the human, he could get rid of the other Nightmare. And then Jigsaw would be easier prey.

With Adam Cross approaching fast, Theo leaped onto the top of a nearby shelf. At the moment the Human burst into the room, Theo silently pounced from above. He landed directly on top of Adam, jaws wide to receive his neck.

(Let's dance, Cross.)

[Talli]

(OOC: To Cross: I apologize in advance for this post. BUT I REGRET NOTHING! 8D)

Chinatsu
Location: HQ
Role: Guardian
Status: Day
Items: Stuffed Dog

“New? You sense someone new with Harue? Could you tell if it’s a Vagrant or a Guardian?”

“Vagrant… Or Guardian? I can’t tell… I think he has a Nightmare. But I can’t make out anything other than the human’s form,” she replied. “It’s a little worrying… What if he’s with a Vagrant? Oh dear… Oh my… Oh, I wish I could tell if someone were evil or good from their appearance alone… Do villains drink coffee?”

“He’s a watcher too. If it was a vision you saw, it must be important. When it becomes clearer, don’t hesitate to tell. But eat first, Chinatsu! It was impulsive of me to ask you for a vision right after you come out of the hospital! I’m sorry, I was just so worried for the others.”

Chinatsu picked up a fork and prodded at the food. “It’s okay, Miss Cerise,” she said with a small, tired smile. “It’s your job. If you weren’t worried for the others, then I’d be suspicious.” She speared a bit of meat on her utensil and stuck it in her mouth, grateful for the tasty meal after bland hospital food.

“Oh really? Which TV show was it? House? Grey’s Anatomy?”

Her eyes lit up. “Ah! Well, I was flipping through the channels and, the only thing I found that wasn’t a medical show was this one… Uhm… I forgot the title… But the main character was this cool old guy, along with his team: a fast-talking smart-aleck, a computer geek and a woman who could probably wipe the floor with men who outweighed her.”

She giggled, remembering the quips that were exchanged on the show. “I found it really cool. It kinda reminded me of the stuff that the Guardians do, and their dynamic. The leader, the old guy, was this former Marine sniper and, in the episode, he took out the suspect who was a kilometer away!” she gushed.

“And the smart-aleck, he looked so cute! And… And…” The girl paused and let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry, Miss Cerise. I’m getting too fangirly. I guess after staring at white walls and doctors, the show was a welcome change.”