Night 042

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 042 The hours drag by so unnaturally slowly that at first it is almost impossible to realize that time is moving at all. It is as if the sun refuses to move from the sky—and in fact it never truly does. Even as the clock strikes the hour to begin the night, the sky remains abnormally bright. The moons keep the sky bright, and the sun never quite leaves the horizon, bathing everything in orange light. The perpetual twilight is not to be underestimated. Night has arrived. As the sun dips towards the horizon, the houseguests will see and feel a sudden, harsh burst of light and heat. The crackle of lightning fills the halls, and the stench of ozone and burnt hair lingers for hours afterwards. Those who were watching over or near a child will see that child vanish in that same crackle of light, not to be found again for the rest of the night. The clock slows down as the sun starts dragging itself towards the horizon at last, each of the hands eventually coming to a complete stop. The odd, unnatural aging the guests have been experiencing come to a halt along with it, but replacing it is a strange sense of pause: for a short moment when night arrives the very heartbeat and breath of the guests stop as well, and while this doesn't last more than a few seconds something about it still lingers. Because the sun still hangs low in the sky, the night is strangely warm. Too warm—the flooding continues to be intense as the remaining snow and ice melts, and the temperature quickly becomes uncomfortable. The humidity spikes. Mirrors and windows fog over and small drops of condensation form on several surfaces both inside the houses and out making items and handles and anything you grasp for feel just a little slippery and the grip unsure. Clothes cling uncomfortably to sticky, sweaty skin. To many the air starts feeling difficult to breathe and throughout the night it gets increasingly worse, resulting in feelings of numbness and faintness and issues concentrating at the task at hand. There is no escaping the sudden wet heat—except perhaps in the Meat Freezer or Catacombs. Anybody willing to brave the outdoors will soon feel the consequences as the very sunlight seems to have gotten stronger and quickly results in unpleasant burns on exposed skin. Staying out too long makes the skin feel tight and itchy before small blisters start forming, tiny painful bubbles coming up along with the sense of fever and nausea. Even those that are covered from the rays won't fare very well in the heat as it bakes them through their clothes. With the bright sky outside casting light into almost every room, the shadows grow deeper and come to life. Although these masses of darkness and teeth are forced small by their surroundings this only makes them more vicious and they are quick to harm any who venture too far from the light. Birdsong can be clearly heard outside but there's an off quality to it, something screeching and strained that isn't in the least pleasant to listen to. Past the fog, something strange seems to be happening in the mirrors. Houseguests who clear the glass and look at their reflections will find that the person who looks back has changed in some way, perhaps subtly, or overwhelmingly so. Many will find that in their reflections, their bodies have begun to transform, faces reshaping into furry snouts, injuries they do not remember getting appearing on their features, forms shrinking away. There even appear, at times, the shapes of people who should not and cannot be there. Old mentors and former friends, unthought of for years, will be lingering just beyond their shoulders, gesturing frantically as though to impart something of great concern. The forms are never there outside of the mirrors, but they become more frantic as the twilight lingers. It is impossible to tell what they so earnestly wish to communicate. The monsters remain bizarrely aggressive, even more so now that the sun has all but disappeared. As they become increasingly violent, it becomes difficult to avoid them—except where they have begun to take out their aggression on one another. The Hunters have begun to stalk one another. Wallcrawlers have emerged from their hiding places and tear into one another, feasting on the slower of their kind. Chestmouths lumber into hallways and begin to brawl with anyone or anything that comes too close to them. The Feral Deer fly circles around one another, antlers clashing together in struggles for dominance; when they miss, their antlers tear gashes in each other’s sides, leaving trails of blood on the ground below. The Hellhounds are among the monsters who have not turned on their own kind, but instead hunt more actively. It is not just the houseguests that are in danger, but any denizen of the house. The monsters that fall in their personal wars are not free from the bloodlust of the dogs. The Sun Dog remains the exception to the rule, remaining bumbling and passive. It does not fight any who challenge it, but the hounds will fight any that dare. Any pets or creature companions remain agitated and on edge much like the monsters, and guests with animalistic traits continue to feel more feral and aggressive than normal as well. The Infestation of insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many-legged nuisances continues; if anything, it's worsened. While a few of more natural size still linger and can get into safe rooms, the larger part of the infestation seems to have grown, the creatures averaging anywhere from two to four feet in length; the predatory spiders, scorpions, solpugids, centipedes, and insects have grown more aggressive, while the non-predatory are higher strung and more skittish, quick to resort to defence mechanisms at those who approach. They join in the bloody conflicts with the more normal monsters and each other with just as much fervour as the more other creatures about. The larger insects are barred from the safe room and any other protected areas. The paralytic caterpillars remain ignored by everything else, but have grown agitated, behaving panicked, and will seek shelter around anything larger than they, whether it be another creature or a houseguest; anything they can get into contact with has the same risk of their paralyzing fur, and will be easy prey for everything else roaming the house. The lizards that hide in small places have grown less prone to showing themselves, but more aggressive about attacking stray hands put into drawers, cabinets, or anywhere they've found a hiding place; their bites remain little more than a painful nuisance, but the drawn blood swiftly attracts Hellhounds and other predators. Rose stops suddenly, back in the Ballroom, as night arrives in the house, before she doubles over as if in pain, hands clawing at her ears to block out some horrible sound that only she can hear. She starts to scream, crying out in an ear-piercing shriek. Anyone who hears it finds themselves momentarily stunned, vision blacking out and heads spinning. By the time they regain their vision, Rose has disappeared, though the sound of her screams remain in the air for several minutes afterwards. The Drowned Woman remains on the floor of the Pool Room. She claws at her throat, leaving red welts, her fingernails tearing from their beds at the sheer force of it, gasping for air. She seems harmless, not reaching out for those who come near, but even an accidental touch remains deadly. In the Student Bedroom the walls are falling apart, sodden chunks of plaster littering the floor and mould beginning to creep up the walls. In the middle of the floor sits a woman, dressed in a ballerina costume, dark hair pulled in haphazard chunks around her face. Her wane face is nearly invisible beneath the hair, but she seems to be crying, her mouth a brutal line of stitches, forcefully sealing her mouth. The pointe shoes are covered in blood, and the moment the door is opened a tinkling tune begins to play. The moment the music begins, she lurches alarmingly to her feet, movements jerky and artificial, as though pulled by some unseen force. She begins to dance, blood tracing patterns on the floor as she does so, for as long as the door remains open. The Lady In White pauses in her ceaseless wandering, looking at the basket and frowning heavily, though she does little more than pull her scarf around her face, hooding her features from view, and sets off at a brisk pace across the house. Lyhn sighs, setting aside his teacup and taking up his staff. The two meet briefly in the hall, swift words exchanged, before they part ways. Lyhn heads back to the Ballroom while the Lady In White begins to sing softly, hand in front of her. Her cupped hand is suffused with light, as though she carries a candle, but there is no flame. Behind her, her shadow distorts, seeming to move of its own volition. It is broader and taller than she herself is, though nearly invisible unless one is paying close attention. The Priest avoids her, and she seems content to let him. Where she passes, the bugs recede. As the transition passes from day to what should have been night, the Priest shudders and collapses in his investigations; what rises again is not breathing, face pale, with faint traces of water on his lips. The Vampire Hunter roams the houses armed save for the safe rooms, slaughtering the berserk wildlife and monsters that fail to get out of his path. Among the houseguests, anyone non-human or any with any form of powers or magic will also be targeted; he will pursue across houses, although if a target of his hunts can find some kind of safety, he will only linger outside of the protected space until another target catches his attention. He does not speak nor respond to attempts at speech, although a completely normal human character may find an unlikely saviour as he will dispatch monsters attacking them as he passes. The Frozen Woman slowly picks herself up from the floor of the Catacombs. She continues to hug herself, teeth chattering, as she starts to pace back and forth. Slowly and steadily, she starts to make her way back up to the house proper, though it remains a matter of advancing and retreating in turns. The floor frosts beneath her feet and spreads out quickly from under her, heralding her coming long before she ever reaches the top of the stairs. The Burning Man remains as deadly as ever. Anyone approaching the Meat Freezer will quickly hear strange sounds coming from within. Sharp somethings scrape and scratch, and the noise is occasionally punctuated by deep growls. Opening the door easily reveals the source: the room is full of dozens of Glass Dogs, patrolling the room and snarling at one another. They are extremely restless and quick to lunge at anyone who enters. They will not, however, follow anyone out into the heat of the house. The little boy Tyler sits in their midst, shaking slightly and growling under his breath. The Doctor has moved inside, and looks rather unnerved. He sits at one of the tables in the Bar head in his hands, face pale and hands a bit shaky. He doesn't look up if anyone tries to speak to him, though Dave keeps his cup filled through the night, seemingly concerned for him. The Lake stands steaming in the blistering heat, the surface evaporating slowly but steadily throughout the night. The more time that passes the more starts happening with the water; in the end it almost looks like it's boiling, something deep down seemingly violently affected by the loss of water to the air. With Lock and Rei missing from their posts, only the Seedy Bar remains safe, though Lyhn's students remain transient safe spots. || THREAT DOWN First House 1. Front Door 2. Entry Way 3. Coat Closet 4. Parlor 5. Formal Dining Room 6. Blue Kitchen 7. Doll Bathroom 8. East Hallway 9. Library 10. Study 11. Dawn Room 12. Closed Closet 13. Nursery 14. Dollhouse Room 15. Dollhouse 16. The Crack In The Wall 17. Maid Hallway 18. Clean Bedroom 19. Dirty Bedroom 20. Closet Room 21. Smoke Room 22. Yellow Bedroom 23. Vanity Room 24. Ivory Bathroom 25. Door to Basement 26. Supply Closet 27. Ballroom 28. Oak Hallway 30. Theater 31. Backstage 32. Locked Door 33. Music Room 1. Hallway 2. Student Bedroom 3. Student Closet 4. Mirror Bedroom 5. Journey Bedroom 6. Fairy Bedroom 7. Red Bedroom 8. Mask Bedroom 9. Trophy Room 10. Gallery 11. Observatory 12. Sewing Room 13. Glass Bathroom 14. Perfume Bedroom 15. Library 16. Cherry Hallway 17. Thin Bedroom 18. Dark Bedroom 19. Light Bedroom 20. Loft Bedroom 21. Ink Bedroom 22. Mosaic Bedroom 23. Day Room 24. Narrow Hallway 25. Store Room 26. Open Bathroom 27. Blind Bedroom 28. Door To Floating Hallway 29. Corkscrew Stair 1. Main Room 2. Green Room 3. Half Bath 4. Small Kitchen 5. Garden Closet 6. Empty Hall 7. Radio Room 8. Carpenters Room 9. Painter’s Room 10. Shared Bath 11. Glass Blowers Room 12. Tapestry Bedroom 13. Dollmaker's Workshop 14. Pottery Room 1. Basement 2. Dirt Hallway 3. Waiting Room 4. Doctor's Office 5. Supply Closet 6. Recovery Ward 7-11. Examination Rooms 12. Treatment Room 13. Surgery Room 14. Ward 15. Morgue Second House 1. Straight Hall 2. Public Restroom 3. Glass Half Empty 4. Fake Bedroom 5. Model Bedroom 6. Locked Door 7. Viewing Bedroom 8. Memory Bedroom 9. Photography Bedroom 10. Dark Room 11. Shelter Bedroom 1. Stairwell Room 2. Wallpapered Parlor 3. The Open Door 4. Plain Kitchen 5. Pantry 6. Dining Room 7. Hallway 8. Half Sized Bath 9. The Blank Library 10. ??? Room 11. Open Hall 12. Rose Garden 13. Chapel Courtyard 14. Priest's Room 15. Priest's Bedroom 16. Hallway 17. Locked Door 18. Rough Kitchen 19. Junior Dormitory 20. Bell Tower 21. Courtyard Third House 1. Wind Tunnel Hallway 2. The Front Door 3. Sitting Room 4. Leather Study 5. Gentlemen's Lounge 6. Diamond Dining Room 7. Professional Kitchen 8. Stable 9. Locked Door 10. Orchard 11. Hanging Tree 12. Hot Springs 13. Locked Door 1. Red Hallway 2. Herbal Bedroom 3. Costumed Room 4. Bell Bathroom 5. Locked Door 6. Playboy Bedroom 7. Statuary Bedroom 8. Candy Store 9. Stalker Room 10. Satin Room 11. Scented Bathroom 12. Birdcage Room 13. Hedonist Room 14. Carved Parlor 15. Silk Room 16. Get Away Cabin 17. Vanity Bathroom 18. Velvet Bedroom 19. Wax Bedroom 20. Husk Bedroom Fourth House 1. Hanging Hall 2. The Slaughterhouse 3. Meat Freezer 4. Cheese Room 5. Salt Room 6. Preserved Storage 7. Fresh Storage 8. Hallway 9. Distillery 10. Humidor 11. Cramped Stairs 12. Hook Hallway 13. Smoke House 14. Drying Shed 15. Hot House 16. Lift 1. Tea Room 2. Cafeteria 3. Entrance Hall 4. Courtyard 5. Bakery 6. Patisserie 7. Overstuffed Kitchen 8. Ladies' Room 9. Mis-sized Dining Room 10. Men's Room 11. Servant's Kitchen 12. Unidentified Restroom 13. Empty Kitchen 14. Opium Den 15. Seedy Bar 1. Checked Hall 2. Wine Room 3. Green Bedroom 4. Soft Bedroom 5. Carnivore Bedroom 6. Herbivore Bedroom 7. Sweet Bedroom 8. Chamber of Purification 9. Nasty Bathroom 10. Horrific Hotel Room 11. Locked Door Fifth House 1. Outside Door 2. Plastic Hall 3. Bachelor's Kitchen 4. Garage 5. Abandoned Nursery 6. Boarded Room 7. Rough Hall 8. Old Bedroom 9. Bathroom 10. Pillow Room 11. Empty Bedroom 12. Patio 13. Poet's Room 14. Forgotten Storeroom 15. Mildewed Hallway 16. Broom Cupboard 17. Den 18. Unfinished Stairs 19. Workman's Room 20. Guest Bedroom 21. Lily Bedroom 1. Upstairs 2. The Nest 1. Leaky Basement 2. Ruined Apartment 3. Drained Parlour 4. Decaying Bathroom 5. Jammed Door