Life's no fun without a good scare

[thalassino]

It starts some time around 3am, Tuesday morning. Thin whispers of fog start appearing all throughout Vatheon, creeping through the narrow, winding streets, up the steps, and over the park. It starts in the lower district, but as the night progresses and daylight approaches, it spreads to the other districts as well, growing thicker and thicker as it does. By the morning rolls around, the mist is thick enough that visibility has been compromised greatly, and the temperature seems to have dropped a few degrees, an odd chill filling the air.

And on the walls, there are stains.

They are infrequent at first, just a odd ruddy brown smear and a oddly bright red drop here and there, but the closer to the Plaza, the more numerous they become. There is a large smear across the steps leading up to the Plaza, as if something big was dragged up them. In one place the blood -- for it is blood, there is no deny it at this point -- pools thickly as if whoever was responsible took a casual break there, leaving the poor victim to bleed out on the steps.

On the plaza, the mist is thinner, but that is no relief. Rather, it just functions to make the gruesome scene all the more clearer.

A woman is draped upside down on the coral. Or, well, woman. It was once a woman, certainly, but now it is nothing more than something straight out of a nightmare. The flesh seems to have been torn carelessly from her limbs here and there, showing the white gleam of her bones, her nurse outfit torn as if raked apart by giant claws and her head...

well, it isn't there anymore.

The ground in front of her is smeared with blood as well. But where the previous smears had been accidental, these are deliberate, long lines curving and meeting to spell out



hel pm e


But no help had been forthcoming, clearly. No, it seems that this murder, this brutal murder, was nothing more than a game to whoever did it. The walls of the buildings surrounding the plaza are coated in bloody, spelling out a long string of mocking 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA's and directly in the center, behind the coral.


Who is next?


The notice board seems to have been hit too. The killer did not tear down any of the notices on the board already, but they did cover the entire board with blood-stained sheets of paper, each adorned with the same text over and over and over again.


Chop chop, sweet Charlotte
Chop chop till she's dead
Chop chop, sweet Charlotte
Chop off her hand and head.


For those brave enough to check, no, the poor girl still has both her hands. Was the killer just sloppy, or does this mean this is not Charlotte? So many unanswered questions, more born every passing moment.

Who had done this? Why? Where they going to strike again? And why had nobody heard anything?





[ooc note: Consider this your mingle log. Have fun, go forth, threadjack.

And as a further note, the fog does not seem to be clearing up as the week goes on. ]

Comments

[ashihara]

Thank you, your tea will be ready in a couple of minutes.

[With that said, Chitose quickly started to look around for a cabinet that might have some kind of teapot. There was no way that Chitose was going to be serving Ruca tea by the cup because she's secretly an old lady]

[demonicbookworm]

Thanks.

_{[look around and maybe you'll actually find one.]}

[ashihara]

[And she does, finally! With that said, she quickly stared to look around to boil water.]

You are more than welcomed to sit somewhere while I get the tea ready.

[demonicbookworm]

_{[he does as she told me and then after sitting in silence for a longer moment, he starts to wonder what they should even talk about.]}

Chitose... you know that Ange left some time ago?

[ashihara]

[When she got the water boiling, she heard his words. While she wasn't too surprised, she knows that they were close. A part of her was happy to hear that the priestess was gone, another part of her was a bit sad. If Ruca was sad, then so was she.]

No but I had a feeling she might have, I haven't heard from her in a while.

[She said before giving a cup of jasmine tea for him]

[demonicbookworm]

_{[He sighed a bit.]}

I guess it's better that she's back home now...

_{[considering what just happened that is.]}

[ashihara]

Are you sure you're going to be okay?

[She said as she sat next to him] If there's anything else I can do, please ask.

[demonicbookworm]

_{[he smiles awkwardly.]}

I'll be okay... I'm sorry for worrying you.

[ashihara]

No, it's fine, I do not mind at all. Isn't it what...friends do?

[Although she is trying to resist the urge to say because I am your servant.]

[demonicbookworm]

Yes... you're right.

_{[he wants to be your friend Chitose!]}

[ashihara]

[And there was a small pause]

Mind if I ask you something Ruca? ...What does it mean to be a friend?

[demonicbookworm]

_{[He blinks, surprised by the question, then he smiles awkwardly.]}

That's a really hard question.

_{[especially to him.]}

[ashihara]

What do you mean?

[She does know what kind of environment he grew up in but she doesn't know the exact details. ...Although, she does feel a bit envious of him at times]

[demonicbookworm]

Before I met Iria and the others I didn't really have any friends...

[ashihara]

I see...

[Well, she could relate to that]

It must have been difficult for you growing up then.

[demonicbookworm]

Not really... Other than not having friends, I had a rather peaceful life...

_{[A life where every day is just the same.]}

[ashihara]

[And then, there was a pretty long pause coming from her end]

I must admit, I am rather envious of you that you were able to live such a life.

[demonicbookworm]

_{[he's silent for a moment.]}

...What was your life like?

[ashihara]

You have seen Ashihara, correct? It was complicated but I lived through it.

[Yup, that's all she's saying about it]

[demonicbookworm]

_{[what? you won't say anything else?]}

...Did you have friends there?

[ashihara]

...depends on what you mean by that.

[She was shifting a bit. Nope, not comfortable talking about this one bit]

[demonicbookworm]

_{[he noticed.]}

Ah, i-if you don't want to talk about this...

[ashihara]

[There was a small smile from her.]

I apologize but it's something I rather keep it myself. I'm not comfortable with discussing my past.

[demonicbookworm]

No, it's okay. I understand.

[ashihara]

In the meantime, I apologize if I might have stressed you out some more.