Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

Vincent glanced to Gwen. "...She has a point. We still have to get the poisoned food to Thorgran, and we can't exactly do that if all the staff are dead." He thought for a few moments, before looking to Loque. "...Does Thorgran keep a secondary chef on standby in the event something happens to his head chef? Or does he rely on just the one? We could kill his head chef, and you could step in to fill his shoes. Then once you poison the food and send it out to him, we could kill the staff and make our escape."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"...Does Thorgran keep a secondary chef on standby in the event something happens to his head chef? Or does he rely on just the one? We could kill his head chef, and you could step in to fill his shoes. Then once you poison the food and send it out to him, we could kill the staff and make our escape."

A second chef? Hopefully this wasn't the case even though it doesn't seem likely to Loque. "When I cooked, I cooked alone. The only time he ever had someone else cook was when he sent me to the mortal realm to do errands for him. And they weren't even chefs like I was, just random guards or underlings he brought in that he could trust not to burn down the kitchen." She ponders for a moment on what she's just said. "If there is a backup that he has, they're not going to do much good for him."

 

[Infab]

Vincent nodded. "...I guess we'll have to wing it. We kill the head chef, you step in to cook, poison everything, hand it off to take to Thorgran, and then we kill the staff." He then thought about the path they'd need to take. "...We need a direct line to the kitchen so the garbage chute might be the route we have to take. I just hope Henderson can fit into it." he finally said, before looking back to Henderson. "I hope you all are ready to get a bit dirty."

Kassidy chuckled. "Ya underestimate how nasty life as a succubus can get." she said, though with a less than pleased tone to her voice.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Ya underestimate how nasty life as a succubus can get."

“Fortunately, this isn’t the type of dirty you’re thinking of.”

She then turns back to Vincent. “The chutes are in the back. Follow me.”

 

[Infab]

The group followed Loque around the palace, avoiding patrolling guards or any guards up on the walls or in the towers that they could spot. The stench of something horrid was growing more intense by the minute, until they finally saw the source. A pile of scraps and garbage piled five times Henderson's height, behind the palace. A chute was nearby, which flung refuse out onto the ground where mindless hollows would transport to the large pile to be gathered up by wagon and taken away to be burned. Vincent was already regretting this choice. "...Well, if you ate something before we got here...try your best to hold it in." he said, holding his nose as he started towards the chute. The hollows were easily ignored, as they paid no attention to the group as they neared the chute. Loque and VIncent both peered up into the chute, before looking back at the others. The chute itself was rather steep, and would require a bit of foot and handwork to scale up. Luckily it was wide enough for Henderson to fit into.

Kassidy scratched her chin, looking up at the angle of the chute. "...I can get y'all up it quick enough. I can levitate a bit." she said, glancing to the others before looking at Vincent. "Good idea. That'll save us some time...Alright. Loque, you're first. Henderson, you're after her. One at a time till we're all in." Kassidy nodded, before stepping over and grabbing Loque by the waist. She muttered under her breath, and soon she began to gently lift off the ground. Loque did as well, held in Kassidy's vice like grip, and they floated over to the chute. The inside smelled about as horrid as the pile behind them, and was caked in slime, mold, and refuse. It appeared that it hadn't been cleaned out in several years.

Kassidy swallowed hard. "Well, here we go." she said, and soon they disappeared inside the chute. About five minutes later, they arrived at the top. Kassidy had done her best to avoid getting them covered in gunk, but some things she just couldn't avoid. Mostly the caked up slime and refuse, which was easy to wipe off. They emerged into a dark room, lit by some old hellish looking lanterns. A hollow stood nearby with a shovel at the ready, apparently waiting for whatever needed to be thrown down the chute. He paid them no attention, staring off into space like most of the other hollows seemed to do.

The room was mostly dark stone, with an reinforced door on the opposing wall. Scattered around the room were old buckets, broken shovels, and what appeared to be a dead hollow laying in the corner. Recently deceased from the looks of things. Most likely worked to death. Kassidy set Loque down, before giving her a thumbs-up and disappearing down the chute once more. There was a span of ten minutes between her leaving and returning, pushing Henderson up out of the chute from beneath him. Apparently she couldn't just carry him up and had to push him up the chute, resulting in him coming out far nastier than they had. It was honestly disgusting.

"At least he cleared tha way a bit." remarked Kassidy, before disappearing back down the chute. And one by one, the rest were brought up quickly. Once everyone was inside, Vincent creeped over to the doorway, and pulled the door open just a crack to peer inside. Kassidy whispered behind him. "I sense 'bout two guards in tha kitchen. Head chef too. And I think two staff members." she said, as Vincent peeking through the crack.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Loque carefully sneaks up to the doorway alongside Kassidy and Vincent and takes a look herself inside. Clearly, this is where all the money went with four fancy stone walls, polished and trimmed with steel, looking over a surprisingly clean and spotless stone floor. Carved wooden tables gathered in the center had assortments of various green vegetables, healthy looking herbs, colorful fruits, bags full of sugar and flour, and other ingredients stacked on top of them. The stone ovens and stoves in the back were burning brightly, illuminating the room better than the torches that hung above them. Bottles of fresh wine, oil, and vinegar stood upward on shelves placed around the kitchen just waiting to be used on something. Even the little closet in the back, the one Loque remembers hiding in whenever Thorgran was angry, looks like it's been renovated with a new door. It all looked very sanitary and was a much pleasant break from the bleak rot outside. Though to Loque, it was all... something else. The others can't see what it looks like to her, but she could. She sees the dented pots and pans the guards struck her with for any mistake she had made while cooking. She sees the bloodstains on the floor where she bled after being beaten. She sees the broken bottles she had dropped, the scorch marks around the ovens, the torn apart sacks of flour, the cracks in parts of the wall she'd been tossed against...

Her breathing becomes more distressed the longer she stares at what used to be her personal hell for so many years. Her grip on the door's frame became so tight that it started to crack. She even bumps a few times into Vincent and Kassidy as she barely managed to hold her composure in check. A disgusting sounding grunt briefly takes her out of her trance as she turns to look at what made that noise.

Moving into view from the entrance is this disgusting looking thing flanked by two equally hideous looking people. It's an obese looking humanoid; its skin a puke-tinted orange with dark blotches across it, and covered with a thick covering of greasy black hair. It wore little besides a stained apron and a pair of pants that looked a size too small for it. And then there's its face. Gluttony demons are clearly not a pretty bunch as the past hours have proven, but this thing looks just as hideous as Loque does! It too has a mouth that takes up nearly the entirety of it's face, and it's lined with teeth that were just as sharp and crooked like hers. The only difference is that its face was much fatter and in place of scars were stains of sauces and more hair. It snapped its fingers at the two following it as it cleared a table. The two had been dragging a large sack behind them and together they emptied it's contents onto a now cleared table. Loque already knew what's inside it before it came spilling out. A human adult, bound in ropes and seemingly under the effect of some sleeping drug is laid out on the table by the two while the fat looking thing began looking through drawers under the table.

This has to be him. This has to be the new chef Xager had warned them about. Loque's replacement grabbed a cleaver and started giggling to himself as he lifted an arm to prepare hacking away.

 

[Breadman]

The journey through the land of gluttony was nearing it's close. Much to Henderson's disappointment. He thought that maybe he would see something akin to a kindred spirit here at least. Someone who would appreciate the finer things of consuming flesh. But no, it has been malnourished wretches ruled over by a fat gut. A let down. The gunk had already clung itself to him and gave him another reason to change as soon as possible. He gave Kassidy a look of anger, as the smell worked its way through to his lungs. The urge to bite into her had returned but for completely different reasons now. But he was a sophisticated beast first. A feral one second. The urge was fought back and he focused on the other smells that weren't overpowered by the garbage.

"Someone is cooking something rancid in there."

 

[Doomevil]

The journey into the chute was extremely unpleasant for Senya in the highest form of an understatement possible. Her Warden senses didn't help matters at all, leaving Senya to think other thoughts. She stuck close to Loque and peeked through by the side, seeing several staff. She turned to each of them and whispered, "Do we wish to talk first or get to the killing part? Maybe there's something the staff knows that we don't perhaps?" She wondered.

 

[Damian0358]

With the return to the abandoned shop, Takato helping as much to heal the others as he was healing himself, he found himself thinking on how the fight had gone. He found himself imagining how he could've handled it differently, taking different postures and stances, to deal with the increasingly aggressive clone. Ultimately, he won, but in many ways it could've gone south quickly, and that caused him consternation.

Having taken his shift of that night already, Takato tried to return to sleep as he usually did. However, whilist characteristic for him during the day, his mind uncharacteristically continued to race as he attempted to sleep. Thought of the fight shifted towards thoughts of him fighting off increasingly stronger assassins, and if a mere shadow clone could push against him, how would one intending to kill him have dealt? And from there, his mind raced on towards the topics that were increasingly taking center stage in his mind. And in a moment, Takato found his eyes open.

He found himself back home, atop the mountain where his hermit home once laid. Looking around, it appeared he was in that very home, sitting on his knees. He wondered what it was that had brought him here, when he looked down in front of him.

His eyes widened as he viewed what was a slightly blooded sheet, as it clicked where he was - it was the night of his master's death. In those final moments, after his master spoke to him that final time, he faded into nothingness, into the winds and the mist that protected their home from all but the worthy and bloodthirsty. The moon shone strongly that night, the stars visible clearly despite the clouds. Before he could even move another muscle, however, a voice emerged:

"[A sight to behold... is it not?]" he heard a strangely familiar voice echo in his native tongue, "[...one you've revisited countless times, no, hermit?]"

Takato could feel the world outside of this dream, none had approached him, yet still a presence had reached him. In this place, he can't figure where it is coming from, whether here from afar. As his body seemingly rested, his spirit stood. He looked around, as to find the source of the voice.

"[...if an assassin were to come up and try to take your life in this very moment,]" Takato heard the voice speak, "[for even daring to go on the path of the hermit, would you be able to defeat them...

[...or would your confidence in your abilities be your final downfall?]"

As that final word was spoken, Takato could feel something behind him. Turning to face whomever had entered his mind in this brief moment, he found a visage he hadn't anticipated - it was him, from all those years ago. And yet, in his eyes, he could sense something was different about them. And despite making himself present, he was neither here nor there, he was being contacted remotely.

"[Tell me, hermit, how truly faithful are you to the teachings of your master?]"

"[...]" Takato was still containing himself, unsure what was going on. His younger self gave a twisted half-smile and a chuckle at the sight.

"[...do you not know the answer to that question?]"

"[...the questions of strangers I do not answer,]" Takato responded, earning him a glare from his younger self.

"[...pff, pathetic. You should already know I'm no stranger to you, or your thoughts,]" the other him scoffed, as he began approaching Takato. As he did, the moon shone through, and passing through its light, revealed his form to him. No longer did he appear as the young hermit-to-be, but now walked one-horned, pupil-less, and stoic, dress of a Northern Oni shaman.

"[given you should recognize my aura even from this far away.]"

Takato gritted his teeth, entering a defensive stance as the shadow approached him.

"[...hahaha, worry not. It is not as though I can defeat you within your own mind as such. But still, it means not that I cannot... enlighten you.]"

"[Enlightenment from one such as yourself... there is none to be found!]"

"[Ohoho, then let me show you how wrong you are. In this land, I stand superior to you, hermit,]" the shadow threatened, "[The teachings you follow shine no light on the path you are on. The way you tread, is one of death.]"

"[Superior?]"

"[Just as you would be in your own lands. Not like the kitsune, you are, but within you, there is that feeling, is there not? Defeating countless yokai in combat, for even daring to attempt to consume your holy flesh, unaware that beneath that shine, there is a poison that they believe would kill them... the flesh of the ones that inspired their rise, the descendants of those who damned the lands ages prior. And yet, morally, you allow them to live on, hopeful in their chances to change. But what do you do to those who, in the moments after, forsake your mercy? You slay them in an instant, believing them a threat to the lands. Have you not once considered the thought that they would change their minds after another brutal beating? Surely, some were durable enough to handle one more quick round.]"

Takato glared at the shadow, not for any lies he may have spoken, but for the truths that lie behind that which has been spoken. The shadow knew exactly what he was going through, and he showed it clear as day.

"[...truly this journey you are on will be your doom. The misfortune you face here, will bring an end to your damnable existence. If only your pathetic master could see you now.]"

Takato bore his teeth at the shadow and prepared to charge at the being, before his counterpart slowly vanished into nothingness. He found himself alone, in a prison of the past, panting in frustration. His pupils trembling at what had just occurred. Just what was his shadow planning?

The scenery around him turned dark, before turning into nothingness, as the hermit awoke for the next morning. His eyes revealed to the others that something had occurred, but the hermit kept his mouth shut. This was a struggle he was forced to deal with, and he was going to deal with it without forcing the others to partake. He kept largely quiet that morning, watching the others discuss the plan before they gathered their gear and headed out.

Soon enough, they gathered their info, and had made their way to Tehom, around the fields to the palace that held their target. Breaking into the tunnels and gates leading to the prison, they caused havoc. Takato just did as was asked of him, assisting when needed. Their journey was, ultimately, for the greater good. As they decided their path onward and the plan, Takato just watched and nodded, still consumed in thought. He was about as quiet as his colleague the ninja now.

Takato thought little of the decision to go into the chute - he could levitate in easily, and he's been forced to keep his breath for longer - and the trash only made him consider how much of it was truly wasted, remembering Loque's words from before. With his levitation in mind, and volunteering with his hand raised, he assisted Kassidy in bringing folks up the chute. He closely followed the others, as the others peeked and observed through the doorway the kitchen staff, opting to 'watch' by following the auras within.

 

[Viper Actual]

Following the fight against her Shadow, Seriphine hadn't been able to get much rest. While she did feel a sense of calm and renewed confidence after vanquishing the demon her thoughts, worries and fears lingered.

Specifically she wanted to speak with Vincent, though now was not the time.
During the approach and infiltration of the palace Seriphine remained as silent as ever; she was focused on the task at hand and with a watchful gaze she kept an eye on Loque.

Even though Loque- her friend- tried to conceal it the shudders and mix of emotions were as obvious as air and water itself. For now Seriphine had bestowed upon herself the task of keeping Loque safe while also making sure that the demon would see through her quest with allies standing behind her for support.
Once she was clear of the garbage chute Seriphine grimaced slightly before taking up positions with the others. She finished off the Hollow with the shovel silently, allowing its soul to rest, before moving on.

The kitchen was indees impressive though when considering its purpose Seriphine only felt disgust. This emotion was further amplified as the chef and his henchmen brought forth a slave to be chopped up and served.

Carefully Seriphine prepared one of her many throwing daggers. If given the word she intended to strike the chef or at the very least disarm him of his hatchet.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

No words would be necessary as Loque didn't wait for Vincent to give the order. Flying right out of the door like bullet and baring her teeth, she leaps off of Vincent and Kassidy towards the new chef's head. Too many people have died in this kitchen and she won't let this new chef hack apart anyone else.

 

[Infab]

Before Vincent could say anything, Loque burst through the door like a rabid dog. Gunning straight for the chef. He cut a glance to the others, before rushing in himself. They had to move fast. He drew his massive personal knife, lunging for one of the guards. When he connected, he knocked the guard over, riding it down to the floor of the kitchen before driving his knife deep inside the demon's skull with one hard stab. He stabbed it twice more for good measure, as the rest of the group picked their targets and made their own move

Henderson grabbed the other demon, and quickly took a massive bite out of the demon, his mouth enveloping most of the demon's right shoulder and crunching down. The demon wouldn't get the chance to yell out, as he would grab the demon's head with his massive hand and twist before jerking sharply. The demon's neck snapped like a twig. The two staff members assisting the head chef were dealt with by Kassidy and Senya, each taking down the pair with brutal efficiency. Seriphine let loose a dagger which disarmed the head chef just as Loque collided with him. And within moments, Loque had sank her teeth down into the top of the chef's head. There was a sickening crunch, as the chef collapsed to the floor with Loque glued to his back.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. Vincent climbed off the demon he had slain, wiping the blood off his knife and putting it away before looking to the human that was still lying on the table. "...We'll have to figure out what to do with them before we leave. Anyway, quickly. We need to get started while we still have time. Loque, what do you need?" he said, before looking to Loque as she finished...eating the head of the chef.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"...We'll have to figure out what to do with them before we leave. Anyway, quickly. We need to get started while we still have time. Loque, what do you need?"

Loque rises to her feet after having eaten what little there was of the head chef's grey matter. "I Just need one thing..." she mutters to him, lifting a finger and scanning the room with it; her eyes following. The little storage closet in the back seems to hold something very important as she stumbles towards it, opens it, and begins rummaging through its contents. She takes out bottles of oil and vinegar, jars full of seasoning, sacks of flour and other ingredients until finally, she pulls out a book. It's a very old and faded red leather book; covered in dust and the spine nearly coming apart. The cover looks very simple. All it has on it are a few words in Escarian:

LE PETIT LIVRE DE BONHEUR
-
DU PETIT "L" AU GRAND "Z"​

Loque holds it in her hands very carefully, her thumb slowly wiping the cover until she holds it close to her chest. After a brief moment of silence, she finally turns around to look back at the dead chef on the floor. Flipping through the pages of the book, she opens up to special page that's been bookmarked by a string. It's the page displaying the recipe of her signature dish, the one Thorgran enjoyed the most: the specialty cooked pork chops. That's what she'll cook. That's how she'll put him out of commission while sending a message that she's not forgotten about him. She's going to do more than just accidentally make it spicier than normal.

"Well, I can cook this. We have the pork already." she says, pointing towards the dead chef. "But I think I may need a hand in making it extraordinarily excruciating for Thorgran to eat." She looks over to Kassidy with an idea in her head. "Kassidy, can you lend a hand? You too, Takato."

Not waiting for an answer from the two, Loque gets to cooking right away. She gently lowers the human off the cutting table and plops the chef on it instead. With the same cleaver he was going to use, she uses to hack apart slices of meat off his dead body. She then cooks these slices the same way she did back on the train, with sauces, seasoning, and crust. The now completed dish sat on a table by itself. Loque stands before it, ready to curse it as much as she can to cripple Thorgran whether it be temporary or better yet, permanently. There's one thing left before she does however.

She looks over at Vincent, at Senya, at Seriphine, at Inari, and Henderson. "... You people may want to leave the room for this."

 

[Damian0358]

As quickly as the attack started, it was over, and Takato had mainly helped in keeping everyone's health up, due to having placed himself in the back earlier. As Loque made her way to the storage closet and back, Takato kept his eyes mainly on the sleeping man, having noted his vitalities to be off-feeling. Soon enough, Loque returned, and he noted her as she made her way to the human. He stepped back as she gently lowered him, and as she asked for his and Kassidy's assistance.

Takato merely gave an affirmative nod in response.

 

[Infab]

Vincent nodded towards Loque, before looking to the others. "Help me with him." he said, motioning to the unconscious man before moving over and lifting him up by his arms. The others assisted, as they all ventured back into the room where they had came from. Meanwhile, Kassidy and Takato moved over to where Loque was. Kassidy knew full well what Loque was getting at. She wanted Kassidy to curse the dish with some of her own dark magic. She was a succubus, though, so most of her curses tended to lean towards diseases acquired through hedonistic means. It didn't mean they weren't useful, however. She could certainly give Thorgran something horrible...or a combination of horrible things just by cursing this dish and having him ingest it.

Soon, they got to work, with Loque preparing the dish and Kassidy assisting along with Takato. Obviously Kassidy didn't allow Takato to handle anything he didn't need to. He seemed far too kind for this kind of work, so she simply had him assist with measurements for spices and such. The rest of the group remained in the other room, out of earshot with the door shut. At some points, they could faintly hear strange mumbling coming from both Loque and Kassidy. At other points, they could literally hear Loque screaming her head off at something. Vincent sat there quietly, glancing to Seriphine next to him a few times and smiling as they waited. And soon enough, it was done.

The dish was prepared and ready to go, served on a silver tray with some additional silverware scattered around it. Oddly, it smelled delicious, but they all knew what it was made of. And likely only Henderson would dare eat it. Now they needed to get it out to Thorgran. Easy enough. Kassidy, dressed up in one of the staff's outfits, poked her head out the door. She then exhaled some of her strange succubus magic towards a guard. "Be a sweetheart, and have one of th' staff take this ta our dear lord Thorgran, mkay?" she said, pushing the cart with the meal on it out into the hallway. "And make sure he eats every last bite! We made it extra special."

The charmed, and clueless, guard nodded rapidly, before taking the cart and pushing it down the hallway. Kassidy made sure he was gone, before moving back into the kitchen and giving the group a thumbs-up. "Time ta go. He'll be in pain in a few minutes. At the very least, anyway."

---
​

And she was right. They could hear the screaming from where they were, getting ready to slide down the chute back outside. Thorgran thrashed about the dining room, clutching his stomach and clawing at the rug as he tried to move. His guards were of no help, as he kicked and swatted at them as then neared. And it wasn't long before he was puking everything he had ate back up. The guards flew into a panic, and soon began to kill staff members themselves for attempting to kill their lord. Vincent looked to the others, as the chaos grew outside the kitchen. "We better go before they find us. Down the chute, go go go." he said, motioning each of them into it. One by one, they slipped in and slid down, eventually popping out the bottom onto the soft dirt.

Next game the running. They darted away from the palace, as guards from all over scrambled into it to see what had happened. Even outside, they could hear Thorgran's screams and yelling. He was in probably the most horrific pain of his life. Outside and inside. Kassidy snickered as she ran, glancing to Loque and giving her a big grin.

Soon, they found a ride. A wagon, with healthier looking 'horses' at the lead. They climbed in, with Vincent taking up the reins, and soon darted away, off between two large fields of half harvested wheat.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Loque could hardly contain herself on hearing Thorgran's cries of pain from down the hall. The moment he first screamed, there was only one thing going through her head: the word 'finally'. Finally, after having been his victim for centuries, she's finally hurt him back. Finally, after spending so many days trembling at his feet in fear, she's managed to bring him lower. Finally, after worrying so much about making the mistake of coming back to the Abyss, she's managed to elude him and strike where it hurts him the most: his grease-filled stomach. She simply couldn't believe it! Her joy on hearing her former tormentor scream in agony was so great that she almost ran down the hall just to look at him thrash and wail with her own two eyes. Had it not been for Vincent pulling her away, she likely would've ran to him just to taunt him further and would've gotten herself killed by his men as a result. Hearing it would have to do for now until hopefully later she finds his tombstone so she may vandalize it. Yet hurting him wasn't the only impossible thing done today. Something equally special also took place which she almost didn't notice.

For the first time ever, she had left Thorgran's castle smiling.

Though once on the wagon, her smile fades as she pulls out the recipe book and looks at it a bit more. Looking at the state it's in now and recalling where she found it, she's extremely thankful that the now headless chef not once made any use of it. Slowly, she reads the faded golden letters on its cover again. "The Little Book of Happiness," she titled it. A long compilation of recipes she made or made derivatives from with the intent of presenting it to her father as a gift, hence the subtitle: "From Little 'L' to Big 'Z'". It had recipes using cooking styles from nearly all over Adonia, and a few from Redonia too, but a large amount of them were Escarian styled. Every single one of them were put through years of testing and experimenting to get everything right about them. The right texture, the right flavor, the right kick, just like how her father taught her. With this large list of her life's work, she initially had hoped to impress her father with how much she's learned from him.

But that opportunity never came. It's been used as a general cookbook ever since. She takes a deep breath to hold herself together in front of everyone.

More and more pages flip through her fingers the further the wagon goes down the wheat field until her head's buried within the book. It's a while until she finally raises her head just to see how far away they are from Tehom. Thorgran's palace isn't anywhere visible behind them, and the wheat field around them turned into dead trees flanking them on both sides of the road. They appear to be in what was once a forest now; one enveloped in a thick mist making it hard to see through the grey trunks and withered branches. There's an aura lingering about this dead forest which discomforts Loque greatly. She can't put her finger on it but it makes her feel as if they're not alone here. Perhaps they're being followed? She looks around the wagon to see whether or not they're being trailed by Thorgran's men out to avenge their master. Though as the wagon approaches an intersection in the road, Loque spots something small moving around in the distance off to the left; something only her eyes can see. It looks like a child, wearing a very familiar looking coat as grey as the mist itself and several sizes too big. It waves at her, causing her to nearly fall off the wagon in fright. She knows who it is, and it disappears into the mist before she could say anything. Looking back at the cookbook and rubbing her eyes, she moves up to Vincent and shakes his shoulder. There's one more thing she needs to take care of while she's still here.

"V-Vincent, stop the wagon!" she shouts. "STOP THE WAGON!"

 

[Infab]

Vincent quickly stopped the wagon, jerking back on the reins to slow the demonic 'horses' down. By that point, everyone was looking at Loque with alarm. "What? What is it? Did you see something?" asked Vincent, reaching for his rifle and looking about. Then he noticed Loque disembark from the wagon, running off into the mist to their right. "Loque! LOQUE! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" he shouted, jumping off himself and following after. Kassidy looked to the others, shrugging, before drawing one of her pistols and going with them. "Think we better follow, y'all." she said, as she disappeared into the mist as well.

 

[Breadman]

"Adona's balls, what now?" Henderson yelled from the wagon and jumped off. The mutants stormed into the mists rather angrily.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Down the intersection does Loque run chasing after that child she saw. Rotting wooden fences, dead trees, and decayed lamp posts fly past her as she sprints as fast as she can. The road grew wider and wider until she couldn't see anything on either side through the mist. Eventually the road funneled into a log fence; closed off and barely holding itself together by rusted wire. Quickly, she searched for the fence's door and opened it once she found it. Suddenly, she froze. All movement stopped as she looks at what's on the other side. It's an ordinary looking wooden country house and barn, not unlike those seen in the more rural parts of Escaria, though it looks abandoned. Plywood boards and metal sheets blocked every window, the white paint on the wooden planks forming the house is highly eroded, moss and plant life is creeping upward on one side, the decorative trimming is falling off, the barn in the rear is in the middle of collapsing in on itself, and the windmill off to the side is too rusted to spin. Plainly, no one's lived here in a very, very long time. There aren't any signs of any sort of entry either; no broken windows, no broken boards, no anything. This place has been completely forgotten by everyone except time. The only life there is left in this dead place is the slow stream of water in front of the house coming from a massive body of water in the back. Loque cautiously steps over the stream and moves closer towards the front door. Right beside it is an old wooden board hanging off a support beam. There's painted writing on it with what look like names and a greeting, but the names showing who this house belonged to have long eroded, leaving only two words:

'Welcome home.'​

 

[Damian0358]

Whilst he wasn't much of a cook, Takato was well-suited to dealing with measuring spices and whatever else Kassidy instructed him to do. With the task complete, the gang retreated, and after they went down the chute, offered to carry the unconscious man.

In the wagon, Takato mainly attended to the unconscious man, using it as an excuse to keep to himself for a time. His thoughts rapid still, he was just as caught off-guard when Loque asked for the wagon to be stopped and leapt off into the mist. Knowing he'd probably be help in chasing after her, he quickly turned and asked someone to watch the human, as he leapt into the sky and chased from the air.

 

[Infab]

Most group eventually arrived, gathering with in the front yard as Loque began to venture into the old abandoned farmhouse. Wesley had decided to remain with the wagon, to watch over the unconscious human they had rescued. Vincent looked about the yard, taking in the sights of the old homestead. "...Loque...what is this place?" he finally asked, looking towards where Loque was standing on the porch.

Kassidy glanced to him. "...Probably her home." she said softly, before looking about herself. She started to walk around, moving towards the barn as she wandered. The others also looked about, while Vincent quietly moved towards the porch himself. He pondered what the inside l looked like.

 

[Viper Actual]

Seriphine felt very tense and even worried during the time that Loque, Kassidy and Takato worked their magic on the dish that was to presented to Thorgran.
Vincents smile was somewhat reassuring with Seriphine returning the gesture despite the fact that the entire situation made her feel incredibly uneasy. Loque's irregular screams made it worse and once the others returned to the party Seriphine was more than eager to leave the palace and its foul aura of eternal hunger behind her.

During the ride away from the palace Seriphine relaxed slightly. She kept her eyes on the road behind them rather than ahead, not allowing herself to relax until they could be absolutely sure that no enemy forces were in pursuit.

Loque's sudden and dramatic order followed by her disembarking made Seriphine grab her weapons and follow suit. Surprisingly Loque led the group to a house that looked long-absndoned.
Cautiously Seriphine readied her blades and followed Loque in silence.

The homestead was in a poor condition though Seriphine reckoned that even a pair of novice carpenters would be able to repair it all somewhat efficiently.
Kassidy's and Vincent's chatter was nothing but indistinct background chatter to Seriphine as she approached Loque.

Lowering her weapons, Seri watched the door and worn board with great suspicion.

"Loque," she said. "Who owns this dwelling? Was it yours?"

 

[Damian0358]

As Takato flew through the mist and above the withered woods, he kept his eyes on Loque's aura, Henderson following behind. Soon enough, he could feel the others making their way too, before he flew past the woods and into an area that appeared to be... rural? It seemed reminiscent of the kind of rural farmlands he had seen in Adonia and, to some degree, back home. Realizing there's probably a reason why Loque dashed, Takato flew around the area, observing it to see if there was anything off. Seemingly finding nothing, he landed down close to where the others were, as he looked over to the woman of the hour.

He could see Vincent and Seriphine approaching Loque, the latter deciding to speak up and ask her. Takato tried to keep his guard up, in case something happened.

 

[Breadman]

Henderson did not have anything to say about the homestead or why Loque was so interested in it. He did however wonder if it had an outhouse and began to seach around the peroperty for it.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

Loque shuffles in place awkwardly and nervously as she now notices the rest of the group catching up to her. She should’ve told them where she was going, but the wagon was almost past it. Just one second more and she would've missed it. She had to do something since she might never get the opportunity to come back here again.

“I-I’m s-sorry, I j-j-just...” she mumbles to Seriphine, giving her a very strung out look. "I-I need to do this..."

Her shaky hands reach into one of her coat’s pockets, and she pulls out an elaborate looking key tied to a string. Sweat visibly drips down her neck as she stands in place in front of the door, trembling incessantly. She looks over at Vincent and the others one more time before she finally unlocks the front door; nearly dropping the key multiple times due to how badly she’s trembling. The wooden door opens with a soft push, filling the air with a harsh creak and flooding the bleak inside with light for the first time in centuries. Everything goes dark for Loque as she drifts inward, until she feels around and finds a lamp. Instantly there's a bright flash as she turns it on, and she finds herself within a large living room as it fades away.

​

The first thing that manifested itself in the light is a plain wooden dining table; nothing too fancy but it looked put together with care. On it is a plain brown sheet draped over it, serving as a tablecloth, and several steel utensils here and there. Though as Loque tilts her head upward, she could see she's not alone. Sitting at one end of the table is the child she saw earlier: a little girl still wearing that large coat. She's sitting there by herself at the table, kicking her legs in her seat and humming a lullaby. Loque, without taking her now glistening eyes off the little girl, pulls a chair and sits down next to her. The little girl doesn’t acknowledge Loque’s presence and appears to let her eyes wander just about everywhere around the room. She's waiting for something to come to the table: dinner or her parents to come home, probably. Seemingly endless minutes pass by with Loque listening to the little girl hum to herself until a figure emerges from a doorway nearby. It's a demon woman, clearly one of gluttony judging by the facial features, and it walks towards the table with a bowl of sweet-smelling stew in her hands. The little girl instantly sits up with a wide smile on her face as the bowl is gently set in front of her. The woman speaks to her in a calming voice that soothes even Loque.

"I hope you like it... I know you like carrots, so I added more this time..."

The little girl gleefully picks up her utensils and shoves spoonful upon spoonful of the stew in her mouth until she slows down and stops; frowning as she looks into the bowl. "But mama.. there's only rice and carrots!"

"Oh, I know..." The mother puts her arm around her daughter and gives her a pat on her shoulder. "But it's a special stew! See? No slimy peas, no lumpy beans, just the things I know you like!" she says, with a hint of worry in her voice. Her daughter looks at her with a puzzled look, but her smile comes right back and she continues feasting. Her mother wraps her long arms around her and pulls her in to give her a warm hug. "That's my little one..." Though the front door opens and closes with a loud shut. Someone else walks in from the entrance, causing the two of them to look up and see who it is. A man steps into the light, taking off his dirty coat and putting his hat on a nearby rack. As he comes closer to the table, Loque could see there's a nasty wound seared over his eye, and it looks like he hastily attempted to bandage it with old kitchen rags. Unfortunately, the rags weren't doing much and were now soaked in blood. The mother quickly gets up and runs over to him to try to shield her daughter from this horrible sight. She holds his bruised and battered face in her hands. "Oh, gods! What happened!? Are you alright?!"

Her daughter notices too. "...Papa?"

He tries smiling at the both of them; his forced grin barely masking how painful the wound really is. "It's nothing! Nothing at all!" he waves it off. "Papa had un petite accident at Mr. Thorgran's kitchen again, yes? Papa will be fine..." His daughter's heard these words from him many times before and believed him, though his wife doesn't so she rushes off elsewhere to find cleaner rags and some medicine. Meanwhile, he sits with his daughter at the table and opposite of Loque so the wounded side of his face wasn't in immediate sight. "So, carrots and rice again?" His daughter nods at him happily. "Lucky you! Good thing that we still had some even after those nasty men came this morning. The greenhouse just hasn't been the same-" His wife comes back into the room with two bundles of clean bandages in her hand. She gestures at him to join her in their bedroom upstairs. "Listen, Papa needs to go upstairs for a while but he will return, oui? When you are done with dinner, we'll go over some more cooking lessons." He gives her a smile as he pats her on the head. So the little girl stays at the table while her father goes up into his bedroom so he may have his makeshift bandages changed in a place away from her. A few moments of silence pass until they were suddenly broken by the sound of pained screaming coming from above. Frightened and worried for her father, she scrambles up the stairs and peeks into the room she heard the screams coming from. Inside is her father sitting on her parents bed with her mother applying some sort of tonic to the messy, bloody wounds on his head. As they notice their daughter staring at them, mouth agape, from the doorway, they both quickly try to cover up her father's face. Though it's too late, she's seen enough of the gridiron burns, the bite marks, and the bleeding and empty eye socket. She knows now what happened. This was no accident; he'd been attacked. While her mother frantically tried to push her away and close the door, she's stayed by a move from her father's hand.

His daughter runs toward him and nearly topples him as she wraps her arms around him. "P-PAPA!" Her father gets low and holds her close as she begins to cry. He shifts his eyes over at his wife who looks equally distraught at their daughter finding her father in such a state.

"Loque, listen to me-" he whispers to his daughter.

His wife interjects. "Don't... please..."

He looks back at her and sighs. "She has to know. It's for her safety." He wipes the tears off his daughters face as he tries holding her still by her shoulders. "Loque... In life, you'll meet lots of people. But sometimes, you will meet people that will want to hurt you. These people... they'll take you, and they will hold you over a fire..."

"But, papa... why?" asks young Loque through her crying.

"That's... just what they do. That's what they did to me..." He gestures to the stinging burns around what's left of his missing eye. "But don't be afraid... Just be strong, Loque. Be strong and they can never hurt you like they did to me... I know you are strong, so please, don't be afraid... Don't be afraid..." He gives her one last hug before suddenly, everything begins crumbling away into dust. Anything that withered away soon found itself smeared on the floor, on the walls, over all the furniture. Loque's father disappears into dust in her arms, then her mother, then the room, and then finally her. And then everything fades back to the way it is now: desolate and lifeless.

From the group's perspective if they were to enter through the front door, they'd pass through a small entryway with a coat rack on one side, and a hat rack on the other. The coat rack had nothing on it except a few scarves, but the hat rack had a small variety of hats: a leather hat typical of those in Southern Atraca, a washed out fur cap from Tsavania, and oddly enough, a conical straw hat all the way from Redonia. Of these, the straw hat looks the oldest but also worn the most frequently as there's not as much dust covering it when compared to the other two. Past the entryway is the living room itself. Empty bottles of alcohol littered the entirety of the living room. A massive carpet with stains here and there nearly fills the room from corner to corner. The floor itself is made of thick wooden planks, but parts of it were cracked. It looks like someone struck it in a few spots really hard. Wooden drawers, small tables, and shelves lined themselves along the walls. Some were nicely carved out, while others weren't. They're all equally disheveled however, and covered in dust and grime. Some of the shelves had framed paintings of the surreal and bizarre landscape of the Northern Wastes on them, as did some of the walls. Other paintings on one particular shelf look like they're portraits too. Though, they look... strange, but with the way they look like they've been once carefully arranged, it looks as if the people (if they even look like people) in these portraits are members of Loque's family. One portrait stood out among all the others however, and it's by far the most human looking of them all. It's a painting of a demon woman, and unlike the rest of the portraits, she looks quite pretty. Oddly enough however, her facial features made her resemble far more like a Redonian than anyone from Adonia, but she still looked very human. It's placed on a shelf in a row above two other portraits. Finally, in the center of this dismal looking scene is the table Loque had taken a seat at. It too, is dusty, and has food stains all over the tablecloth it had. She sits there, arms wrapped around herself, slowly rocking back and forth with her head bowed.

Looking at it now, it's a miracle this house is still standing after all these years with no one living in it. When this house was built many centuries ago, Loque's parents had it enchanted so that time could never break it down. Yet they forgot that time wasn't the only thing that could bring rot and decay. If they knew the terrible future their daughter would have, they wouldn't have bothered since there is nothing that can prevent the destructive perish of neglect born from despair.