NIGHT 004

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 004: GENERAL As night falls the kitchen is full of activity, trays of food being prepared and swept away by the maids. Walter will find himself pushed into this group. The guards enter the kitchen as night falls, splitting into two groups. One group locates and surrounds Asch, clapping irons around his wrists and dragging him up the stairs. The gargoyle that had slept through the day by his bed is with them, following behind the procession; it will wait outside the door when they reach their destination. The other group closes in on the Cook and the sleeping child beneath the table. The cook looks at them, scowls, but steps aside. The guards seize the child, dragging him to his feet. The Cook will block Murtagh if he attempts to move forward, hand catching his sleeve and drawing him to a stop. The dragons in the kitchen will find themselves hit with a powerful urge to stop, preventing them from striking against the guards. The boy squeals as he’s dragged to his feet, the sound too high and shrill for the child who is uttering it, but he does not struggle, a stranger sort of defeat in his shoulders as they slump. The guards drag him from the Kitchen and out of the castle entirely. A deep sorrow settles on those Dragon and Dragon bonded in the castle, almost as though they stand at the newly dug grave of someone they dearly love. The sorrow does not leave them through the night. Others will find themselves touched by an odd sense of sadness they cannot place. One of the Grey Maids comes to find Maurice; she is quiet and cautious, indicating that he should follow her up the stairs, and insistent that he bring his guitar. Those who wonder out into the snow will find themselves shadowed by the wings of crows, the black birds filling the air and hopping around the snow. They watch those who wonder out into the deep drifts, but do not approach them. Often, they make a sound that is almost like laughter, a chilling cackle that makes those who hear it uneasy. To add to this already unnerving scene, those who walk alone into the snow will find themselves overcome by the sense that something is following them. The quicker they go to try to escape this feeling, the more certain they become that they are being chased through the snow, until they can almost hear the footfalls of someone running behind them. It is impossible to escape. The birds are not the only creatures taking flight tonight, either; a small group of Feral deer circle high above the castle, keeping a healthy distance between themselves and any arrows that might come their way. Though very wary and unwilling to get close, there’s at least one of these deer keeping watch over the castle grounds during the night. A man sits on the main stairs in the entry way, his body is soaked with blood and in his hands he cradles a bloody knife. He rocks, slowly, shoulders shaking with some unknown emotion, and mutters quietly to himself. The blood that covers him has smeared on the stone steps, and spread around him in a slowly widening pool. Those who approach him will find that he is not as harmless as they think. Some of the Guards who have been keeping watch on the wall have returned inside, and huddle close to the fire in the Barracks, letting the snow and ice melt off of their armor. One has his feet resting on the fire, causing some of it to sputter and hiss. Despite the snow hindering movement and filling everything, there are lights in the town, and the distant sounds of revelry from the square. Passage is difficult, but as anyone intrepid nears the square, the crows will scatter, refusing to go near the town. The square has a somewhat cleared space around a bonfire, the smell of roasting meat drifting from stakes spaced leaning in around it; the shapes dancing around it are long-limbed and distorted, but difficult to see clearly through the falling snow until one has come close. In the Servants Baths a woman is kneeling on the floor, humming to herself. She is scrubbing something in the cold water, and anyone who gets close enough will find that what she scrubs are parts of bodies, limbs and other hacked off bits. Her dress is covered with blood, and her long red hair is tangled into mats, held together in places with frozen blood. She does not look up at anyone who approaches her, and places the limbs to the side once she is "done" with them, though she always seems to return, cycling through the same pile throughout the night. The song she hums is almost a lullaby, though there is something unnerving about it. The skeleton is missing from under Mukuro's Bed. There seems to be no sign of it being taken, save for a few items that have been knocked askew. Anyone in the passage outside of the dorm rooms will occasionally find themselves running into something that plainly isn't there. It will seem as though they have encountered a briefly dense pocket of air. The Steward walks through the basement, a large axe hanging at his side. The tip of it drags in the dirt, leaving a long line behind him. His other arm swings at his side, keeping beat with the cadence of his step. Though obviously blind, as he is headless, the creature seems to 'see' with another sense, turning to face anyone who tries to approach him. Those who linger will find him charging at them, swinging the axe at them - trying to force them to join his headless wandering. The Silver Gentleman roams the halls around the currenty-empty cells in the Basement, a clear agitation to his shattered limbs; the ghost is aggressive towards most, although anyone with a phoenix feather, Sam, and Kaito seem to escape the ghost’s notice and can pass by safely. In the hallways, the Bleeding Child wanders. Small and dirty, she doesn’t seem like she belongs in the mansion, and yet she appears to know it quite well. Her left arm is bleeding from several deep cuts, the blood dripping down her fingers and staining her clothes, leaving small droplets on the floor where she walks. It’s a grim trail that can be easily followed throughout the night, although it might be wiser to avoid it. In her right hand, she holds a bloodied knife in a desperate grip. She appears unresponsive or shy towards adults and turns her head away and keeps her eyes low when approached if she doesn’t outright walk away, but she will communicate with gestures with any other children in her path. It appears she wants to get them somewhere private. She does have the foresight to try to hide the knife from any children that will come with her. In the Throne Room the Jester stands opposite to the Feathered Woman. Both are dressed in their normally colorful fashion, though the lady holds a single long blade in her hands and watches the Jester intensely. He holds two blades in his hands, one slightly shorter than the other, though neither could truthfully be referred to as a knife. They begin to circle, each watching the other, looking for an opening, though it takes them several moments for either to attempt to strike at the other. When they do it is the Jester who makes the first attempt, to the clear amusement of his female companion. What follows seems more like a dance than a battle, two combatants clearly well accustomed to both the weapons they hold and the styles they use. Though pieces of fabric and feathers litter the floor before much time has passed, it seems that neither is able to draw blood on the other, which seems the clear intention of this fight. They move quickly enough that several times one uses their forward momentum to defy the very laws of gravity that hold them earthbound to run up one of the walls, careless of the marks they leave on the hangings or the occasional damage they cause. Both smile, clearly pleased with the continued activity, even as their clothes take further damage and their breathing becomes labored. They do seem aware enough of their surroundings to take note of any audience they have gained, though they will not stop in their display to greet them. On the Throne one of the large crows sits, feathered fluffed up as it watched them. It hops across the thrones from time to time, seemingly obsessed with prying out a few of the smaller jewels set into the armrests. There is an air of malice in the Collector's Library, leaving all those who enter with a sense that they have been wronged--or, perhaps, that they have wronged someone else. It is a sickly feeling that settles in the pits of their stomachs and won't subside until hours after they have left. Anyone who tries to leave with a book tonight will find themselves feeling shameful, as if someone important to them is judging them. Throughout the yards, one can find a number of hellhounds lounging despite the snow. They are fat, content, lazy. Their mouths remain bloodied but anyone stuck outside will find the dogs have little interest in them tonight. Carefully moving through the castle are a few stray Glass Dogs. However they got in, they seem intent to avoid everyone else as much as possible. It is just a few pups, and one limping adult whose quills have been torn out in patches along her haunches. The mangled little boy Tyler follows them, fussing over them and staying close. Mournful howls can be heard from time to time throughout the night, which the few dogs inside the castle don't dare echo. Walter will find himself being a led to a rather opulent room with a wide table covered in all manner of fine food and beautiful plates. Though the room is quite lovely, an odd and unpleasant smell lingers in the air. It is the ripe smell of decay, though no one in the room reacts to it. Seated at the table are several strangers and the Phoenix Girl, dressed in a fine gown with her head bowed and her hands tucked in her lap. Between the girl and the head of the table is a small silver dragon in a cage. The creature has been muzzled, his wings bound to his sides with a thick silver chain. Neither the girl nor the dragon look entirely happy to be where they are, but the girl presents herself better. Surrounding the room are Eyeless Lads, the creatures pale faced, missing their eyes and dressed in rather astonishing finery. Each is armed with a black blade and stands ready to defend their lord. The Lord himself is dressed in purple satin, gem stones hanging from ropes of gold chain around his neck, his pale skin nearly translucent with the veins almost black beneath it. He chews with his mouth open, and speaks without seeming to care that the food he is chewing spews out from him. His hair is a soft gold, haloed around his head, unencumbered by the crown that also rests there. To his right is a young dark skinned woman with soft blond hair, who sips at a glass of wine but does not eat at all. At his feet, bound with a silver chain not unlike the one currently holding the dragon, is a young, dark haired girl. She gives him a look of open hatred, turning her head away when he leans to press a wet, food filled kiss to her cheek. It is to this room that Asch will be taken. || THREAT DOWN 1. The Cells 2. The Carpenter's Room 3. Porcelain Bedroom 4. Glassmaker's Room 5. Tapestry Bedroom 6. The Pottery Room 7. Basement Generator Room 8. Torture Chamber 9. Basement Hallway 10. The Hole 11. Basement 12. Basement Passage 13. Stone Washroom 14. Wine Cellar 15. Women's Quarters 16. Empty Dorm 17. Common Hallway 18-27. Dorms 1. Receiving Room 2. East Hallway 3-8. Small Parlors 9. Collector's Library 10. Grand Hallway 11. Grand Dining Room 12. North Passage 13. Castle Kitchen 14. Pantry 15. Common Room 16. The Steward's Room 17. Steward's Bath 18. Southwest Passage 19. The Musicians' Parlor 20. Throne Room 21. Guard Passage 22. Captain's Quarters 23. Soldiers' Barracks 24. Soldiers' Bathing Area