Fantasy The Case of Lockheed Orphanage for the Supernaturally Gifted

[dontPanic]

“I’m grateful to you. I truly am. But I must say, you do look very odd…”

Like many others, Hank had been unceremoniously expelled from breakfast by Colette. He was now standing in the foyer, looking at the painting. That damn painting. It was there when Hank had arrived in ‘24, but after all those years he still didn’t feel comfortable being alone with it—hence his attempt to break the tension with small talk. Everything he said was true, of course. “If it weren’t for this place,” Hank thought to himself, “I would probably be some nutcase on the street right now, slipping and sliding my way towards my next meal. That I know for sure. Say, this thing is an artistic depiction, right? Who gets themselves drawn like this?”

Suddenly, Hank heard the distinctive sound of feet pounding down the hall. He peered under the staircase just in time to see somebody rush past, seeming very agitated. "I wonder who that was," Hank thought. "Why were they so frantic? Perhaps I will go investigate." A moment later, he changed his mind. It wasn't his business, and there was also a better than even chance that Frida was involved. In that same instant, however, Hank noticed the painting again, and had a second change of heart. "The Owner is starting to creep me out," he remarked. "Gratitude be damned. I shall go investigate."

The instant Hank stepped into the hall, he was met by a second person in clear pursuit of the first. It was Oz. "Ah, so that was Annai," Hank noted, before lunging to grab Oz's wrist. He started to fill his mind with the feeling of sandpaper. "Oz, what's going on? What’s the deal with her?” Hank asked.

Sunsmiter

 

[Sunsmiter]

Ozymandias
Location: Hall
Interactions: Hank
Mentions: dontPanic
​

"Honestly? I don't know...." Oz winced slightly at the sensation of sandpaper, but didn't attempt to struggle free. "She just looked so worried, and I heard some kind of commotion back in the bathroom...." The slightly younger orphan also didn't seem comfortable around the proximity of the Owner, but he had more pressing things on his mind right now.
(Should we move to dms to not clog up the chat?)

 

[housegoat13]

Jasper Cummings
Tags: N/A
Location: Kitchen

​

Jasper lifted his head as he heard the sound of the kitchen doors shutting and peered past the corner to spot none other than Makoto. Jasper dipped his head in acknowledgment at the man; he knew that Makoto must have heard him and probably had a general idea of what was on all of their minds, so he didn’t bother to ask.
Instead, he waited, and as Makoto grabbed the kettle, the notion occurred to Jasper that maybe Mac was avoiding the subject altogether, but that as well didn't make any sense. Something wasn’t right, and the subdued feeling of apprehension he had felt during breakfast quickly resurfaced. A tight knot that refused to be untangled no matter the amount of slathered grease.

Jasper took to busying his hands, finding the soap and scrub, he dipped the plates he had gathered into the hot water. He hoped Mateo would return with the rest soon. He jumped when a loud clang resounded throughout the room behind him, anxiety pulled at his skin. Jasper worried for a second that maybe he had dropped a platter, but when he searchingly looked behind his feet, he only saw Makoto crouching, picking up the knife he was using moments prior. Makoto exerted precision; he was exact in all of his actions. He didn’t just drop things.

They still hadn’t checked up on Abby. The thought was simple, kind, his mind's last attempt at an escape from overwhelming possibilities. However, when he met Makoto’s eyes, the disturbance in them chilled Jasper. Any semblance of speech was caught in his throat, trapped by a ghostly mesh that squeezed him. What happened last night to bring this man here? A question of his, one that he wasn’t sure he wanted the answers to anymore, but his doubts didn’t matter because Makoto spoke anyways.

Everything within Jasper stilled at Makoto’s words, a quiet intrigue that blanketed his fear, but as the man continued to speak the knot twisted, wrenching his gut.

“She was choked, dead”

No-

And really that’s all it took before he felt himself shatter. To feel his face contort and his throat to tear itself. His chest tightened and compressed any remaining air in his lungs. He choked on a cry, a plead, anything, this couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be- bloody hell. The rest of Mac’s words fell on deaf ears, and it was all he could do to keep himself standing, he leaned heavily onto the sink behind him. His heart pounded out of his chest, and he turned away from the others, to look back down at the water. Abigail. Abigail was gone, Abigail- FUCK. FUCKING DAMNIT. His hands clenched into fists around the cool metal of the sink, leaving impressions on his palms. His blood boiled. He wanted to scream, to tear someone’s skin, to cry but there was nothing to be done.

He failed her.

 

[AmberV]

Mateo Solinas
And just like that, Ozymandias was gone, bouncing down the hall. Mateo could only watch him go, remembering a time in his life when he had joints that didn't ache in the cold and the energy to just jog down halls for the hell of it. Those years had long passed, however. Shrugging, he made his way back into the breakfast hall and began to clear any remaining plates, stacking them neatly before pausing by one that was still clean and empty. Abigail. She didn't make it after all. Leaving the plates where they were- he could hear the sink running in the kitchen and assumed someone had already taken up that particular job- Mateo made his way through the back door and down the narrow hall behind the bedrooms. The morning sunlight was trickling in through the windows, reflecting off of the freshly fallen snow outside, and he paused for a moment to run a finger along the windowsill and make a mental note to clean the windows and dust the sills while the children were in lesson.

Taking a right, he walked down the long row of doors, some thrown open in the morning rush and others carefully closed behind the children that had already left. The door to Abigail's room was closed and he rapped his knuckles against the wood, waited a few seconds, then slowly pushed it open.

Her bed was empty. He could see that much from here. Well, that bodes poorly. The covers were disturbed, she had clearly spent some time in her bed the night before. He moved closer, glancing around the room to ensure she simply wasn't in a different bed, perhaps a mix-up late at night. There was no chalk on the floor, the wardrobe was open and empty. There was one final hope and he hesitated for a moment before sighing. Slowly, with a soft grunt as his knees hit the floor, he crouched and peered into the dusty darkness beneath the bed.

It was immediately clear that Abigail wasn't there.

But the underside of the bed wasn't entirely empty. Mateo reached, leaning into the narrow space until his fingers brushed against the rough canvas cover. His nails dug into the spine and, as he sat up slowly, out emerged the book. It was a heavy, fanciful affair, gold filigree stamped into the dark leather. Perhaps a book from the library, the child was known to spend most of her time there. Strange, though, for her to hide it. There was no title on the spine, so he carefully opened it and began to flick through the pages.

The neat, well crafted exterior was a stark contrast to the pages within. The print itself was clear and well-produced, but there were notes written in every margin. His brow furrowed as he flipped page after page, seeing more and more writing. He would have felt it necessary to give Abigail a stern talking to about respecting the library's collection, but it was clear after a few moments of looking that many different hands had written in the book. The pages flicked faster and faster until he came to a halt and ran his fingers along the torn edges of pages that had been roughly ripped free. An entire chapter, from the look of it, was missing. It was the work of a second to flip back to the table of contents and count down through the chapters until he found what was missing. Oh. Oh, this is incredibly bad.

Mateo snapped the book shut and tucked it under his arm. It seemed it was time for a proper meeting with the other caretakers. He took a deep, long breath to force his heartbeat to slow, just a little, put on the calmest expression he could muster, and stepped back out into the hallway and began to slowly make his way back towards the kitchens through the back hall. That was where he had last seen Uriel, as well as Doris and Jasper. Uriel spent most of her time in the library after all. If the book was part of the library's collection, Uriel would be certain to know.

---

Location: Breakfast Hall->Abigail's Room-> Back hallway
Tags:
Mention: Ozymandias, Jasper, Doris

 

[aurivee_]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Annai Mestra

LOCATION: Library Doors

Annai instinctively backed up further, her back pressing into the corner. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was visibly shaking.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, her voice weak and afraid. As she looked around in paranoia, her eyes fell upon that painting. That horrible painting that unsettled her to her core. This only caused her to cower back further.

"I'm not fine- I'm scared - someone please help-" The words were falling out of her mouth before she could stop them. She pulled her knees to her chest as her heart continued to race.

they can't know. don't let them know. i'm not weak i'm fine i don't need them-

"Please help me-" she breathed, making direct eye contact with Ozymandias as she spoke. Tears were beginning to fall alongside her desperate pleas.

Annai was not the type of person to show this level of vulnerability around anyone, let alone other children. It was clear from her behavior that something was truly and deeply wrong. Something had terrified her to the point where her facade of confidence had shattered entirely.

"Bathroom - f-five eyes - attacked Colette - five eyes-" In her hysteria, she was barely able to speak, let alone form proper sentences. The image of that monster was burned into her mind, flashing into her vision, consuming her thoughts.

 

[Coyote]

aurivee_

The Owner's painting creaks, shifting slightly so it rested at a slanted angle...

AmberV

You feel a tug on your hand, causing the book to slip from your grip and fall to the floor... the Owner is watching...

 

[Sybela]

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  Plain dress and signature white gloves

  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
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Gwyneira

The Telepath

Cautiously, Gwyn eyed the avian once more. It hadn’t moved just yet but that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to. Birds startled easily, or at least she thought they did. Was it fair to assume that this even was a bird or, perhaps, it was more sinister; an occult.

She tore her eyes away, focusing again on Colette who was busy scrambling for the papers that ran amuck on the floor. There was something of importance within them, she was sure of it. Why else would her peer try so desperately for the writing without a care in the world towards her attacker.

There was a tender moment that touched the corners of her mind; a colourful display of blush pinks and warming reds, beautiful really. Amongst the two colours, another one penetrated with a solemn blue in hue.

Abigail

The name echoed and Gwyn couldn’t help but feel torn for Colette. She had said the name with such clear resolve that it would have been evident enough for anyone, if they were telepathic, that the two girls meant a lot to one another.
Stubbornly, Gwyn envied that friendship. Not because of who it was between but because she longed to have a friend in this orphanage. The thought caused a downward tug upon her lips.
The strangled noise of distress brought her back from her reverie and Gwyn, one more, felt concern towards Colette.

Should she answer those thoughts? Feed her with innocent lies? Gwyneira didn’t know the truth, she couldn’t offer sweet crumbs just to satiate knowledge when she had none to divulge.

Pondering on her course of action, her body set itself in stone at the purposely fed projection. Of course, Colette was right. In this situation, it was best to stay calm, or at least as calm as they could muster.

Don’t worry,

she replied with a sudden brashness that surprised herself; when did she become so brave that her voice didn’t tremble in her thoughts?

I’m staying right here.

Even if she wanted to move, she wasn’t sure she possibly could at this moment in time. Where exactly would she go anyway? Being on a farm, you learn not to turn your back on animals, she certainly wasn’t about to do it to good ol’ five eyes here.

Her pupils returned back to the raven, not wanting to antagonise it by staring, but Gwyn was also quite curious about how it came to be. In curious thought, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and suckled in contemplation; the taste of copper as strong as it had been before.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ghostiiys]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Frida Wagner

Location: Near the Bathroom

As soon as Cole left the miasma Frida was feeling began to dissipate, but despite Quinn's attempt to cheer her up the verbal tongue-lashing she received from Matoko did not help. Before she could muster up some form of protest, her arm was firmly gripped by the caretaker's hand and she was "escorted" out of the breakfast hall with an empty stomach.

"UGH!" was all Frida could muster up before tugging on her golden locks. She felt like ripping her hair out, how could things already be so wrong when the day had just started?! She sighed before brushing her hair with her fingers in an attempt to soothe herself.

"I swear that man is out to get me.." she muttered before deciding on just going to Morning classes and waiting, she would have to suffer until lunch. It felt like her insides were curdling due to the adrenaline she was feeling. Frida crouched and grasped her stomach, the way her innards were churning and her heart was pounding caused her to clench her eyes shut. "Why me Quinn? It's not like Ozy didn't deserve worse." Frida asked, although not expecting a serious answer from her friend because Frida was out of hand, as she always was.

With Frida being on the ground level she could hear what she could only describe as numerous thumping noises. She cocked her head as if it would help her hear better, before realizing... that the noises were closer than she thought. Her eyes opened wide in worry, despite the chaos that happened this morning , the orphanage rarely had anything serious happen, one thing Frida loved about Lockheed was the safety and security that it offered to the children. She remembered something as well, weren't people looking for Abigail? And now this?

"Do you hear that?" Frida whispered. For some reason, the silent hallway only encapsulated the noises coming from the bathroom. Didn't cole run out of the room earlier? And if so was that her?? A wave of unease rushed through her body before she began to tip-toe to the bathroom.

Frida didn't know why but, she knew she didn't want to be heard. But halfway there she stopped and turned around, ushering her tall companion on taking the lead as it was obvious that Frida was concerned.
Kovacs CeaserXIX Feral

 

[Coyote]

"I'll be honest, all I'm good for are eggs and toast. I'm complete rubbish at the rest," Edgar smiled.

"Don't sell yourself short. You are a great assistant chef," Uriel teased.

"Right well, your assistant chef is going to need help getting the food to all these hungry mouths. You know how cranky the lot of them get this early in the morning," Edgar grabbed a few plates and was joined by Uriel on their way to the Breakfast. However, when they arrived, they found that the morning had already devolved into a complete mess.

"Oh dear," Uriel furrowed brow with worry as the other Caretakers were either chastising or mediating quarrels among the orphans. Before either of them had the chance to get involved, Colette's repulsive aura hit the two of them like stone over porcelain. Suddenly, Uriel didn't feel she ought to have left the kitchen at all and quickly turned back, pale and dizzy.

Edgar took a deep breath, eyes wide at the sudden feeling of introversion he felt as a result of aura but he managed to shake himself out of his stupor upon noticing Uriel had left his side. "Uriel? Are you alright?" he followed her back into the kitchen.

"I'm fine, I just... need a moment," she said weakly.

"You ought to be more careful around that Colette girl, you know her aura affects you greatly," he put a hand on her shoulder. "Let me fetch you some water," Edgar limped over to the sink and filled up the first cup he could find.

By the time Uriel had the opportunity to recover, breakfast felt all but over. They stood beside each other in silence while she sipped on her glass. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that, you can't help the way you react to oddities of the mind," Edgar said.

"I hoped for a more pleasant morning today. Last night came with little rest," she muttered.

"You know if you feel the Professor is pushing you too much, you should tell him. I'm sure he will understand," Edgar offered.

"Nothing comes between him and his work. The Professor has been studying oddities for as long as I can remember," Uriel replied, "But I have half a mind to drop this and simply remain content with my regular duties as Caretaker."

Just then, the door opened once more and the other Caretakers entered. Doris and Jasper filed in with plates and Uriel took them wordlessly to be washed, offering them a gentle nod in greeting. Edgar only sighed with concern but remained quiet as well. When Makoto entered, however, the air in the room changed. It grew heavier... and heavier still when his story was told. The previous night's events came back to Edgar like a wave of molasses, washing over him like an oncoming inevitability. So it was true... Abigail truly was lost to the orphanage.

housegoat13 Kovacs Paperface

 

[aurivee_]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Annai Mestra

LOCATION: Library Doors

According to all known laws of physics, there is no way that a painting should be able to move on its own. It is an inanimate object, and inanimate objects cannot move on their own unless acted upon by a force.

The painting, of course, moves anyway, because it does not care what Annai thinks is impossible.

--

The slightest movement and a quiet creak catch Annai's attention immediately. Her gaze snaps to the painting as it finishes moving, the creaking sound slowly coming to a halt.

Her breathing and movement cease immediately as she stares at the painting, transfixed in her horror.

Her arm slowly raises, as if trying to avoid sudden movements. It stops moving as her pointed finger lands on that painting, her arm shaking like a leaf.

"Painting - Owner - need to go - talk somewhere else - please!-" Her final word comes out as a desperate plea, the volume of her voice slowly rising.

This was no coincidence. The moment she'd finished speaking, the painting had moved. Nothing had touched it, no one was there, but someone was watching, listening, and she knew that they couldn't talk here, and oh, she was jumping to conclusions again, but there was no other explanation, but she couldn't trust herself in this state, but someone was THERE-

"Watching - someone watching - five eyes - raven - watching-" she choked out. Her body was still as a statue, but her arm remained up, pointing at the painting, quivering constantly.

 

[Feral]

Colette.

filler

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Backroom Labyrinth

A breath hitched. Her throat felt as if someone was wrangling it. Her eyes flickered over the words, again and again as if she was looking apon a tragic horror. It was to Cole. Eyes flickering back to the raven. Eyes softening but still sharp. She wouldn't talk, no. That was unwise. She couldn't...

Her eyes twitched over to the girl a sad smile on her face. Lock it, Gwynneira. Her mind hissed sharply. She was waiting for her to lock it before dumping the information gently into her mind.

She hoped it didn't hurt, how she dipped each word out in her mind as if reading aloud to the girl, gently. It hurt Cole to think some moments, let alone hearing others penetrate your inner thoughts like flies in honey.

She met the girl's eyes. Hoping the message would make itself clear, This is a secret between us, oui? Je jure devant Dieu... Dont Scream.

She turned to the bird, her chest tightening. She knew what she had to do. No matter how reluctant she was. For ma chérie...

Clearing her throat, she opened her lips reluctantly. Turning to Gwyn. Our Secret. Cole stared her down until she was satisfied the girl wouldn't tell for the moment.

Her eyes flung back to the bird, a moment of silence before a quiet sentence came out of her mouth, "Are you from this side?" Her words were louder than most of the orphanage had heard from her, euphonious voice that held steady. She had to make sure this was the right bird no matter how the five eyes seemed to say it wasn't.

She paused, knowing she shouldn't trust it but she had to ask. One single thing, even if she knew the answer.

"Is-" She barely kept a nickname from her breath, "Abigail alright?" Her heart ached the moment her name passed her lips, she wasn't but... Cole would still ask.

Elle me manque tellement...

( Je jure devant Dieu = I swear to God | ma chérie = My darling | Elle me manque tellement = I miss her very much )

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Coyote]

aurivee_

Strange as it may be, you blink and the painting is as it was and the ominous feeling that twisted in your stomach fades away, leaving behind a memory of its curdling sensation...

 

[SavannahSmiles]

mood

Concerned

location

Breakfast Hall -> Hallway

outfit

Warm Winter Clothes

mentions

Quinn & Frida

tags

Ghostiiys CeaserXIX

Olivia

Olivia glanced up as Makoto spoke to her, her cherry-colored eyes dropping back to her plate as she regarded her food. As bad as she felt about not being able to eat her breakfast, if she continued to pick at it as she was doing, she wouldn't be finished until lunch and she would miss her classes, which would not be good. A small sigh escaped her as she nodded her agreement.

Slipping from her chair, she took a moment to adjust any clothing that might have become rumpled before she pushed her chair in. Her eyes touched on the plate and she hesitated for a split second, wondering if she should take it to the kitchen, but Makoto was waiting for her by the door with Frida and she didn't want to keep them waiting. She glanced at Quinn as she passed, sending him a pleading glance. 'Please don't leave me alone with her.' It wasn't as if she disliked Frida, she didn't but the older girl did nothing to hide her distain for the younger children and Olivia most definitely fell into that camp, despite Olivia's best efforts to befriend the surly blonde.

However, just because Olivia harbored no ill feelings towards Frida meant that she wanted to be in her presence alone. Feet pattering softly against the floor, Olivia drew up to the door. "I'll see you later Mr. Makoto." Olivia bade him a subdued farewell as she slipped past him and out the door. She paused in the hallway as Frida and Quinn both joined her. The small girl was about to turn and make a beeline for the library when Frida dropped into a crouch. Olivia took a hesitant step forward, one small hand extending out towards the older girl in concern. Was she okay? Did her stomach hurt? Should she go fetch one of the adults? Her mind spun with questions but before she could act on them, Frida was rising from her crouch and asking if they had heard something.

Frida's words gave Olivia pause and she strained her ears to try and hear what Frida had picked up on. It sounded like...thumping noises? Whatever could that be? Was someone in trouble? Hurt? Quite a few people had fled the Breakfast Hall in the wake of Colette's oddity. Her concern growing, Olivia followed after Frida as she headed towards the guest bathroom, though she nearly ran into her when the taller girl stopped out of nowhere; thankfully she managed to veer to the side just in time to avoid a collision.

Olivia tilted her head in confusion; why had she stopped? Someone could be hurt! Slipping around the two older children, Olivia began to make her way towards the bathroom on quiet feet, concern glinting in her eyes.

nine lives

 

[CeaserXIX]

Quinn
- Near the Bathroom, trailing behind Frida
- Ghostiiys SavannahSmiles Feral

As soon as Makoto's grip met Frida's upper arm, a shiver of anger seemed to silther it's path up his spine, his eyes snapping into the direction of the giant behind them, irked by the audacity the man had. 'You think I give a rat's arse wha' ya think', the boy's lupin like eyes seemed to snark as he gazed back at him, though he calmed himself as he was given the nod, a tinge of memory scratching at the very precipice regions of his mind, causing him to take hold of the bottle and followed after then, though not before seeing the pleaing look the young lass Olivia gave him, causing him to softly chuckle. As he walked by them, to give the young girl a bit more comfort of mind, he gently walked besides her, taking sip after sip of his milk, keeping a close eye on Makoto as he left.

"I tried to stop ya, lass, but ya right ignored me, and wen' ahead and tore the limb off of the lad's toy. He shouldn' 'ave opened his mouth and gobbed like he did, but ya shouldn' 'ave retaliated the way ya' did," Quinn softly explained to Frida, his voice as soft as air, though the accent gave it a tinge of gruffness to his speech, leading to him sounding as though he were speaking in an almost wisp like tone, yet he made it quite clear that he wasn't against her, looking over at Olivia, noticing earlier how she longingly looked at her plate of food, reaching into his left pocket, digging out a small loaf of bread he had stolen much earlier in the morning, using his oddity to slip by unnoticed, giving her a brotherly smile and wink. "Don' eat it too fast," he said to her, looking back up a Frida, noticing how her tone quickly changed, and instead he began to listen.

Footsteps, just as everyone else was hearing, and frantic. His first instinct was to hide in the shadows, to slip away undetected, but the two besides him kept him from doing so, looking over at Frida, following softly behind, his footfalls making not even a squeak as he walked, his natural stealth a bonus of his oddity. Even without the aid of darkness, he was like a living ghost. Though, as the drew closer to the door, he noticed Frida freeze and back away, making note of how, despite her aggressive demeanor, she was still able to feel fear, and immediately took notice of this, gently moving his right hand to interlock with Frida's left, giving it a light and delicate squeeze, letting her know she was still safe, before his head snapped towards Olivia, taking her movements in, before he quickly let go of Frida's hand, taking hold of Olivia's right with his left, quickly switching the milk bottle between hands, pulling her back softly. "No, no no, 'ell no. C'mere, ya' don' know what's behind that door, lass. I'll go first, stay behind me," he said quickly to her, though, instead of quickly swing the door open, he took hold of the door handle, something deep within him screamed for him to run, yet instead, he simply lifted his hand up to the door, and gently, though firmly, rapped at the door, waiting to see if anyone answered before he even dared to open it.​

 

[Sybela]

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  Plain dress and signature white gloves

  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
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  Washroom
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
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  Colette
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

Gwyneira

The Telepath

Risky as it was, the young girl complied and, rather than open the door, she locked it. Hopefully this wasn’t going to be a decision that either of them would live to regret.

While she had rested her palms flat against the door momentarily, they both flung up and covered her eyes at the sudden information that skewered itself to her brain. Cold, frantic, jabbing. She hadn’t felt this sensation before and it was almost as if someone had driven an ice-pick right into the socket of her eye. She winced, briefly, and released her lip lest she tear the bloody thing off.

It didn’t matter how gently Cole spoke within her minds constraints, not that the soothingness didn’t help, it really did! But the information dump, on top of her acute headache, knocked the breath out of Gwyn considerably. She barely noticed her lips had parted, primed for a scream— But that was quelled and she suffocated the sound the moment the warning popped up; Don’t scream.

Ok, ok. Breathe, just breatheeee.

She inhaled sharply with whistle like short breaths and pushed the back of her head, that still throbbed with soreness, against the door. The tenderness drove the point home that she was still alive. This wasn’t a dream- Or, more likely, a nightmare.

Oui, oui!

she called back as a response, unsure why her tongue had decided to attempt the French language. Definitely not fluent as Cole was, barely even a novice, and probably with a butchered rendition of the word, she still tested it out.

Once her brain processed the information at hand, and she begged the organ to calm down, her hands moved once more down her face; smudging the blood further that still smeared her pale appearance.

What a mess they both were. Gwyn wouldn’t go as far as saying she was worse off than Cole. In reality, her issues were minuscule compared to the injuries her newfound buddy had. At that thought, Gwyneira’s eyes re-focused on the pinkette, narrowing at the wound that playfully dribbled blood. That, she announced to herself, would need cleaning.

A secret given was a secret kept. Nothing would pass her lips and this was something she would take to her grave. What they both stumbled upon was breaking, it pushed what they all knew into a cloud of doubt. Was everything what it seemed? Probably not.

With bated breath, she held onto the hope that the raven would given a simple “yes,” but no such thing came from the avian. Downcast, that breath she forgot she held suddenly exhaled with increased heart rate and head rush.

The knock on the door gave sound to the suffocating room, distracting even. While it was a relief someone else had happened upon their predicament, what would this sound for both of them? With an increase of panic, and a hitch in her breath, Gwyn attempted to send the tendrils of her mind out and through the door; She needed to find out who was there, what was there.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

'Okay then...' Thought Ethel. She decided to go to the library as planned, to get the writing implements. Quinn had not been helpful in telling her what was going on, so she had been forced to draw her own conclusion. Here were her facts and observations:1)Frida had been mad about something, which was the norm. 2)Maybe Ozy had been trying to save somebody from Frida's wrath. 3)She had been too busy concentrating on her food, which she hadn't finished, to hear what anyone was saying. 4)Quinn seemed a bit annoyed. Thus, Ethel concluded that Frida started it.

Eventually, Ethel arrived at the library, grabbed the needed pencil and paper, and wrote down what she wanted: books to read, a journal and a new writing implement, and some small samples from a butcher. She would read later, she'd deliver her list first.
Ethel hoped the caretakers were still in the eating room where she was running back to, and in any case, she had scribbled down her name just in case they weren't there. She was relieved to find out they were there, as she had been sprinting as fast as she could.
"Do they know the best butcher's "catch"?" Ethel thought, not realizing the Caretakers were dealing with something else more important than the list.
So, Ethel called out "I wrote my list!" quite loudly because the Caretakers might've been somewhere else.

Pings: Makoto ( Kovacs ), Jasper ( housegoat13 ),Doris( Paperface )

 

[Paperface]

Doris Martin
Jasper was not the only one alerted by the sound of shutting doors. Doris turned her attention toward the direction of the noise. Her eyes widened slightly - like a troublesome child caught in the act. The main character of their conversation had unexpectedly entered the stage in the flesh. Talk of the devil, and he is bound to appear. However, the man that stood in front of the mirror was no devil himself. He had seen one.

As the moments ticked by slowly, and the air grew heavier by the second, Doris found she was slowly succumbing to the deafening silence. The question she had asked Jasper was now burning on the tip of her tongue once more, yet her mouth refused to break the curse that kept the room quiet. Desperate for something to happen, anything at all, Doris tore her gaze away from Makoto and hoped turning it on Jasper instead would somehow aid her blanking mind. Her eyes must have burned a hole in the back of Jasper's neck as she watched him distract himself – and, in turn, her as well.

Then, it happened. The sharp cling of metal hitting the floor announced a change in the atmosphere. To Doris, it felt like a drop of water hitting the still well that was her blanking mind. It rippled thoughts across the surface. Questions, comments. Worries. Yet, before she could address any of them, Makoto spoke and changed the ripples into violent waves. She was up. She was there. She was taken. She was... choked, dead.

In an instant, a tsunami of questions fell apart into still waters again. Every voice she had made her own over the years fell silent. As if they were honoring the one that came to the front of her mind. The last echo of a child no more. “Please, do not speak.” She unintentionally pleaded in a hushed tone as a single tear broke the barrier and ran down her paling face. She had meant her words to remain a thought. It was a request to silence the ghost in her head alone. For the first time since five years ago, she thought of her blessing as a curse. Had her gift condemned her to walk the path of the living among the remnants of the dead? How long until her own time ran out and she would join their ranks?

She cast fearful eyes down at her trembling hand. The pack of cigarette in it would help rid her of these thoughts. It always had and always would. She fumbled with the thin paper box, crumpling it more and more before finally releasing two cigarettes from their containment. One to calm her nerves and one for Makoto if he desired. Doris stepped forward towards the man and held out the cigarette. It was shaking in her fingers like a tree branch in a hurricane. “What-” Her voice faltered as her gaze jumped back and forth between Makoto and Jasper. She could not bear seeing those she looked up to stand defeated. She had to regain her composure to some degree. If not for herself, at least for them. She took a deep breath and brought her free hand up to wipe the shimmering tears from her face. “What do we tell the children?”

- - - - - - - - - -
Location: Kitchen
Interaction: Makoto ( Kovacs ), Jasper ( housegoat13 )
Mentions: Abigail

 

[dontPanic]

Hank attempted to comprehend Annai’s crazed chattering, his unease mounting by the second. He relinquished his grip. “Just look at how she pleads… It’s like watching an animal in the slaughterhouse.” Indeed, the girl’s fear was so visceral it seemed to ooze from her like blood from an open wound. It didn’t make any sense, for Hank had never taken Annai for the skittish type. She always seemed sure of herself—a little annoying at times, but never the type to freak out like this. “Gods, what could have caused this? The poor girl. I can just feel her terror…I must do something, but what?” His gaze flitted to Oz for an instant, sending the silent message, “We need to help her”

Hank began to approach the girl. He moved slowly, softly, so as to not spook her. “Though she couldn’t possibly be more spooked than she is now…And what is it that she is saying now? Five eyes? Bathroom? She’s gone quite mad! Though Oz did mention a commotion in the bathroom… Something must have happened there. But truly, what is she on about? The way she speaks makes me shiver… And now, the painting as well! Though I must admit, that cursed thing must be doing no favors for her paranoia…” Hank couldn’t help but turn back to painting, though. He half expected to see something horrible, something to explain Annai’s terror. But there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Nothing more out of the ordinary, that is. Turning back to the girl, Hank opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to say in such a situation.

“I’m going to help you get away from here. Away from… the painting, I mean. Are you fine with that?” Hank asked finally, steeling his nerves.

Location: Hall

aurivee_ Sunsmiter

 

[AmberV]

Mateo Solinas
The book hit the wooden floor with a thud that echoed more loudly in his mind than it did in the deserted hallway. Mateo stood still, heart rising in his throat as the brief sensation, the moment of touch, overtook his every thought. It washed over him like a wave. He had thought he was used to feeling her, he'd been led by her hand often enough after all. If anything, he was more comfortable with her touch than the others.

However, her touch had been on his terms for so long. Mateo was used to asking for her presence. Now here he was, receiving it suddenly and without warning and, though he knew he was far far from her portrait, it was as if he could feel it staring down at him.

He crouched, carefully picking up the book once more before looking around. Perhaps one of the children is in danger. Or perhaps... His hand strayed to the canvas bag hanging from his belt. Perhaps he needed a bit more guidance.

Mateo stepped over to the windowsill and placed the book on it before reaching into the bag and pulling out the lantern. It was a strange mesh contraption, what had once been a collapsible wire birdfeeder, but now, in the center of the bottom plate, there was a small glass oil well and a grey-black wick. Mateo pulled out a lighter as he lifted the lantern, flicking the flint with his thumb, "Light, light. Damnation, light." There was a curl of smoke, a whiff of burning cotton, and the lantern began to flicker awake.

He held it forward, at eye level, and studied the flame for a moment, Alright, my Lady. Lead the way.

---

Location: Back hallway
Tags:
Mention:

 

[Sunsmiter]

Ozymandias
Location: RIght beside Hank
Interactions: Hank, Annai
dontPanic aurivee_
​

"Annai? Are you alright..? There's nothing here. Nothing here anymore. And if there is, I'll drown it in sand." Oz did his best to hide his rising terror, choosing to ignore the way his voice wavered. Impossible... Impossible...
No. Hush. Now is not the time. This isn't the well. This isn't the well. This isn't-
Hank's voice drew him out of his own stupor.
"Is anything broken? I'll fix it." Five eyes? Huh? Last time he checked, the Owner only had two. Goddamn painting. Oz spared it a glance, willing it to return to the way it was before. "Reset to your original position, picture! I command you to!" Maybe an attempt at humor wasn't the best idea right now, but he really could find no other way to cheer them up. He glared at it sternly, as if his will alone could change it. "See? There's nothing there. We'll get out of this in no time."
Falling to a kneel, Oz offered a hand to Annai. "Let's go, Hank, Annai! We don't wanna be late." Even Oz's usually cheery attitude seemed dimmed, a fake smile plastered on to hide his fear.

 

[Feral]

Colette.

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• home (filler tab)
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  Ma raison d'être... Gone?

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  Bathroom ppls

  
  

  
  

  
  

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Backroom Labyrinth

Cole's throat felt sticky from the forced words she had uttered. A noise of discomfort slipped through her lips, as if something was stuck in her throat, clinging to her insides like honey... or the feeling of sickness in her lungs.

She much loathed talking, it could've been the feeling of breathlessness after spilling her soul or the way people looked at her as a monster when she let slip a moment of vulnerability. Frowning as a memory hit her. Flames zipped in her mind and her figure buckled slightly, imperceptibly. Euh...

Colette shoved her emotions down. It wasn't the time for that.

Letting out a breath, it wouldn't do to feel this way. Her eyes flicked to Gwyn, they were both wound up as if they were a new spool of thread.

Making a split decision Cole let the tight leash she constantly held inside of her loosen, a sudden feeling of tingling filled her fingertips, and she fed it with positivity like it was a beast ripping away at her for meat.

It wasn't an assertive aura, no, not like breakfast, but with the small room, it would certainly feel as such to Gwyn. It would likely reach just out of the bathroom door.

Help me to pivot the mirror... and deal with the bird, chère amie. Tout va bien, ça ira, vraiment.

From what cole could tell, Gwyn's oddity at least could partially translate her words, and well... Her words always had a more comforting sound in french. That may have been biased, however.

Cole softly strode up to the mirror, her own ability softening her emotions, though it was substituted with scalding heat and the sound of heartbeats in her ears, ringing. It was a nice feeling that became painful if you weren't used to it.

She met eyes with the raven for a moment before looking away.

It felt wrong to look at the raven, and now herself in the mirror... Though that was mostly because she didn't wish to see her face in the moment.

à la fin, appels de la Mort.

( Chère amie = Dear friend | Tout va bien, ça ira, vraiment. = Everything is alright, we'll be fine, truly. | à la fin, appels de la Mort. = In the end, Death calls. )

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Coyote]

AmberV

As the lantern emerges and ignites, the soft glow does not bring warmth, but rather a cold, crawling sensation. You feel something tickle your brain from within your skull, like fingers caressing your thoughts and your heart beats hard against your ribcage. As you walk, you find yourself moving towards the Breakfast Hall but something told you.. no.. she told you where to go. You find Quinn, Olivia, and Frida outside the bathroom and the lantern brightens for just a moment before extinguishing itself... The Owner's presence recedes slightly and you feel the strange sensation in your mind cease... she watches from afar. You look down and see a bit of oil drip from the lantern onto the floor. Before you thought to clean it, however, it sinks into the floorboards and leaves nary a trace.

Ghostiiys CeaserXIX SavannahSmiles

For a moment... for only a moment, you feel a hand wrap around your ankle but just as quickly as the sensation came to you... it disappeared...

Feral Sybela

Your hearts beat faster... Something is lurking nearby... and approaches fast. The raven croaks loudly and takes flight, evidently in great distress.

 

[Ghostiiys]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

Frida Wagner

Location: In front of bathroom

Frida felt a palpable distress, it started from the soles of her feet and crawled into her throat. It felt as if she had swallowed a fish pill without water and it was now stuck. She wasn't quite sure why she felt so scared. It might have been that the thumping was so subtle but strong, or maybe it had to do with the fact that after all those noises all that remained was silence. A deafening silence that Frida couldn't wrap her head around.
She almost didn't realize that Quinn had interlocked their hands together as she froze until he gave her hand a squeeze. With that however she snapped back to reality and looked back at him, her aqua-blue eyes had been widened in fear. For some reason, she recalled a moment when they were younger, and Frida's fear of the dark made her an easy target for Quinn's midnight pranks. But when push came to shove, he was there to comfort her, both of whom were just small children who needed stability and who found it in each other.

She nodded her head to acknowledge him, but there still was a pressing matter, who was in the bathroom? But most importantly, what was going on?

It was only now that she noticed Olivia, and she didn't know what was worse, that she was here, or that she had a twin. Although Frida didn't have a chance to say anything as Olivia had begun to rush past her. In a way it was commendable, offering one's self as a sacrifice of sorts. Frida shook her head in an attempt to muster up some of her own courage, but when Quinn had decided to be the instigator and touch the doorknob, Frida's anxiety rose yet again.

"Is...Everything... O-okay?" She whispered it but her voice still cracked, her throat dry from the stress.

One step. Then another. Until she was right behind Quinn and Olivia, but back far enough that she wasn't directly in their way. She could tell even Quinn was unsure, as he shook the handle. The silence was killing her, where was everyone else? Why was it SO QUIET?!

A shriek came from behind Quinn and Olivia. Fridas shrills echoed in the hall as she jumped up and fell into the both of them.

"M-MY LEG! MY ANKLE! SOMETHING TOUCHED MY ANKLE!" Her eyes shut so tight she looked like she had formed crow's feet.

Beginning to hyperventilate, Frida had completely forgotten on why she was there to begin with, She was never good with tension or fear-inducing scenarios. And if it wasn't for the two in front of her who broke her fall, she probably would have gotten hurt.

CeaserXIX SavannahSmiles

 

[SavannahSmiles]

mood

Scared

location

Hallway -> Kitchen

outfit

Warm Winter Clothes

mentions

Quinn, Frida and Makoto

tags

Ghostiiys CeaserXIX Kovacs

Olivia

Olivia's charge forward was halted as Quinn swiftly grabbed her arm and tugged her back. She glanced back at him, lips parting to insist they hurry to the bathroom but the tall boy was already tugging her behind him and approaching the door. She waited expectantly while he knocked, her brown furrowing lightly when they did not receive an answer from within. "Hello, is everything okay in there?" She spoke up, her soft, sweet voice most likely muffled by the wood to those inside the bathroom.

She waited with baited breath for an answer, eyes fixed on the door. She was about to reach for the handle to see if the door would open but before her fingers could so much as touch the metal, she was halted as she felt something wrap around her ankle briefly.

It was as if she had dipped her leg into a pool of freezing water, the sensation so cold it hurt; so cold a startled scream tore from her throat, mirrored by Frida's terrified screech. Olivia reflectively jolted, tearing her arm away from Quinns grasp while her leg jerked. However before her brain could even begin to process what had happened, she felt a sudden shove from behind which sent her sprawling to the floor. She tried to catch herself as she collided with the ground, a wince contorting her face as a sharp pain jolted through her right wrist. Fear swept through her and logic and reason fled before its might.

Forgetting why they had approached the bathroom in the first place, Olivia scrambled to her feet and bolted back towards the Breakfast Hall. Seeking comfort from one of the adults over-whelmed any other objective she had and later she would feel terrible for leaving Quinn and Frida behind. The doors to the Breakfast Hall slammed open and Olivia's small form streaked through, the kitchen door quickly slamming open as well.

Distressed eyes darted around the room and Olivia beelined for the first person she spotted. Small fingers latched onto the material of Makoto's coat as Olivia crashed into him, her whole form trembling. Her lips parted to try and explain what had happened but the only noise that tumbled from her throat was a small sob as tears beaded in the corner of her eyes.

nine lives

 

[CeaserXIX]

Quinn
- Preparing to force his way into the bathroom
- Ghostiiys SavannahSmiles Feral Sybela

After waiting for a few moments, and receiving no response to his knocks, he looked back at the two girls behind him, before turning back towards the door, hearing Olivia call out to whomever was on the other side of the door, yet still no response, leading to him preparing to attempt their entry, but before he could even do so, a sudden chill ran up his leg and spine, a chill all too familiar to the young boy, causing him to freeze in place, his eyes widening, his pupils dilating to such a degree that they appeared almost non-existent, a sharp gasp exiting his body as he tried to bring himself to reality once more.

His wish was granted as soon as Frida's shrieks of horror struck his ear drums, causing him to shake his head and look up at the door, tears rolling down his face, though as was his burden, the tears of his left eye were instead that dreadful ink like liquid, his mind raring with dread and fear, not even noticing Olivia had fled until he quick glanced behind him, hearing what Frida screamed out, his body shivering with terror as his gut churned. Something was terribly wrong, and he knew it.

Now with the overwhelming feelings overtaking his rationalization, only one thing came to mind now, whatever was behind this door, it needed to be stopped. Driven by animalistic fear, he moved his arm over Frida, gently pushing her back, stepping in unison with her, before he quickly moved forwards, making sure his aim was true, keeping his eyes focus underneath the doorknob, and just as he quickly moved forwards, he lifted his right foot up, and proceeded to slam it as hard as he physically could against the door, attempting the rip the lock out of it's grove to get inside, no longer feeling the belief of having time to pick a lock or wait for an answer.​