And What We Found There

[lilbooth]

"I am Teresa Teofila Sobieska. A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mademoiselle Sasha." Said Teresa with very practiced politeness in her voice. It seemed as though all her tenseness and fear had vanished for a moment when she spoke, but it quickly returned. "Shall we proceed then? I don't think standing still is our best option." She said tugging at Sasha slightly. There were a few moments between each of her words as she tried to piece them together. Thankfully English wasn't too foreign to her, but this school was really the first she had to speak the language on the regular.

[Littlemankitten]

Victoria was 'looking' directly at the small girl, curious as to why she heard such a small voice from such a small stature. She could tell the girl had a small stature thanks to the fact she could pinpoint the sounds she made as below her. One perk of being blind is your hearing becomes surprisingly acute. Victoria was of course curious as to why this girl was here, but there had to be a good reason. At first she thought perhaps it was the daughter of a teacher or staff member, but staff family is always kept elsewhere, and even if they do go into this building, they are certainly never in this specific room. Chances are she was indeed a student, and either her looks deceived her actual age, or she was very smart for a child. Regardless, that meant she shouldn't have her intelligence underestimated. After 'looking' for a small while, she turns her attention back in front of her and nods with Madeline's words. "Yes, the teachers lounge should maximize the chances of finding a teacher, if not specifically Ainsworth." Whoever they found, they should be able to help them anyway. Victoria daintily crossed her hands together as she walked with the group, keeping an ear out for any strange sounds.

[exalted]

Adelaide continued to glare emotionlessly at the oath as he continued to ramble loudly. Either he was lying or he was as dumb as he looked, she thought.

"No," she said softly as he moved to stride past her, though she made not effort to stop him, "I must find my Mistress first."

Taking a step forward, she moved to start off again for the study where she had last seen her Mistress, certain this buffoon had just missed some obvious sign where her Mistress had gone. A pang of guilt or fear swirled in her core that she tried to squash that maybe she should follow the Man with what dangers may lurk in these once familiar but now strange halls.... but if her Mistress was here than she was in as much danger, and Adel could not even think what type of punishment she should receive if something happened to Penelope.

[Mark3000]

Margaret was happy to be included in Bridgette's group as they went to contact Professor Ainsworth. "It's nice to meet you too Mister Doggo Borkinson" Margaret said with a sincere smile. "I don't have Professor Ainsworth's class. So the Teacher's Lounge might be the best place to look. We might even find Professor Gray there. I don't know if he'll be able to help. But the more the merrier." She said blushing slightly.

Before they leave, Margaret puts her hands together in prayer. "Our Father in Heaven, please lend us your guidance. That we may escape this dark turmoil and return to the glory of your light. Amen"

[RandomRoninKitten]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"My next class wasn't hers, but I think it may have been for other students." Said one of the redheads to the blind woman when she asked her question. "Did any of you have Professor Ainsworth's class as your —" It was then that the nun had entered in. "THOSE ARE HUGE KNOCKERS." Mister Doggo Borkinson spoke up, interjecting into the conversation and stealing Ninette's attention away from the redheads' responses. "NEVER HAD I KNOWN THAT HUMANS COULD HAVE SUCH MASSIVE LUMPS OF FLESH ON THEIR CHEST, TOTALLY LACKING IN BONE AND SIMPLY HANGING OUT. THIS WOMAN MUST HAVE GREAT POWER TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF SUCH BREASTS... BE CAUTIOUS AROUND HER." Ninette got the impression that he was both amazed and curious. "IT IS WORSE THAT THIS WOMAN RADIATES PURITY... SICKENING. I WISH TO STRIP HER OF HER CLOTHING AND SHOW HER TRUE WICKEDNESS, SO THAT SHE MAY COME TO UNDERSTAND THE BETTER SIDE. YES. IT WOULD BE GLORIOUS." Doggo Borkinson's rant would go on for a few moments longer, until Ninette moved over to Bridgette and practically hugged her. Then, with his close proximity to the Irishwoman, he had more things to perv over.

"Bien sûr, it would be in our best interest to stay close. I will accompany you for as long as you need me." The maid spoke up to answer Bridgette's offer, noticeably just after Ninette told hers. This was something Mister Doggo Borkinson was pleased with. "MORE SACRIFICES FOR THE ASCENSION... THOUGH, THIS ONE WILL BE LAST."

With those replies, Madeline clapped her hands with a smile. "Alright, then it appears that we've all formed our little party! Then, as Victoria was saying, if none of us had Professor Ainsworth's class next, it may be best to find the teacher's lounge first to see if she's there... oh," Madeline turned to the maid, "I don't suppose you'd know her schedule, actually?" She seemed hopeful that maybe they could get a confirmation on their plan, but the maid shook her head. "Most of the staff aren't privy to that sort of knowledge as it doesn't affect our work. I apologize for the disappointment." She bowed her head to Madeline, who waved off the apology in a somewhat sheepish manner. "Well... in any case, it'd still be better to check there first anyway, I'd suppose."

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Despite the situation, Bridgette couldn't help but smile as the small girl huddled up against her. "Of course, we wouldn't leave you and... Mister Doggo Borkinson behind. If you like, just stay close to me and we'll get through this soon." She reassures the girl, giving her a gentle pat on the head. "What's your name though? I'm Bridgette." Even after introducing herself, Bridgette can't help but feel something is odd. Was this childish girl really a student here? Having to look after her and Victoria would make things a little harder but there didn't seem to be much other choice. "The lounge seems as good a place as any. Even if we don't find Professor Ainsworth there, another teacher that could point us in the right direction might be there." Bridgette says in reply to Victoria and Madeline, trying to just get moving. Even the wrong choice was better than no choice at all in her experience, and this increasingly foreboding atmosphere told her nothing good would come of standing around chatting.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Margaret was happy to be included in Bridgette's group as they went to contact Professor Ainsworth. "It's nice to meet you too Mister Doggo Borkinson" Margaret said with a sincere smile. "I don't have Professor Ainsworth's class. So the Teacher's Lounge might be the best place to look. We might even find Professor Gray there. I don't know if he'll be able to help. But the more the merrier." She said blushing slightly.

Before they leave, Margaret puts her hands together in prayer. "Our Father in Heaven, please lend us your guidance. That we may escape this dark turmoil and return to the glory of your light. Amen"

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Victoria was 'looking' directly at the small girl, curious as to why she heard such a small voice from such a small stature. She could tell the girl had a small stature thanks to the fact she could pinpoint the sounds she made as below her. One perk of being blind is your hearing becomes surprisingly acute. Victoria was of course curious as to why this girl was here, but there had to be a good reason. At first she thought perhaps it was the daughter of a teacher or staff member, but staff family is always kept elsewhere, and even if they do go into this building, they are certainly never in this specific room. Chances are she was indeed a student, and either her looks deceived her actual age, or she was very smart for a child. Regardless, that meant she shouldn't have her intelligence underestimated. After 'looking' for a small while, she turns her attention back in front of her and nods with Madeline's words. "Yes, the teachers lounge should maximize the chances of finding a teacher, if not specifically Ainsworth." Whoever they found, they should be able to help them anyway. Victoria daintily crossed her hands together as she walked with the group, keeping an ear out for any strange sounds.

Ninette fully agreed with Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle's assessment, and wanted to voice it, however being so close to the others prevented her from being able to speak with him without being heard, so she nodded with him in agreement, also concluding that she very much wanted to strip the woman with planet-sized boobs naked and show her true wickedness.

When the woman she's hugging tells her to stay close, she wraps her free arm around her lower back and rests her head on her, while holding Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle with her other arm "My name is Ninette... d-did you see the roof fall... b-but not fall?" she asks, trying to sound weirded out and scared by the prospect. While she really was weirded out, she wasn't actually on the verge of tears as she was trying to imply with the way she was asking Bridgette. When they start moving, she'll try to keep her arm around her.

When Margaret starts praying, she'll try to ignore it, thinking to herself that no amount of prayers will prevent their ascension. She also finds it difficult taking her eyes off her giant boobs, wondering to herself if she's somehow making them defy gravity, or if she has the world's strongest spine. This anomaly will continue to bother her for as long as this woman is present.

She notices the blond woman with the blindfold looking in her direction, however she chooses to ignore her. If she doesn't say anything directly to her, she'll just observe her from here to see what she's about. Despite the knowledge that she can't actually see her, she gives her a brief wave with her hand, while holding Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle against her chest with the same arm.

[mrblah]

The hungered seekers have caught the scent of prey.

exalted

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"ADELAIDE FORTUNE?" Questioned Alcott as he noticed Adelaide wasn't following him. He turned around, saw that she was leaving, and followed her. "YOU ARE NOT THINKING STRAIGHT, ADELAIDE FORTUNE. I'VE SAID PENELOPE BEZZENBERGER IS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE STUDY. WE MUST FIRST ENSURE OUR OWN SAFETY BEFORE SEARCHING FOR HER." Despite his words that spoke to the contrary, Alcott could tell that Adelaide wouldn't be deterred. He followed after her and fell silent grumpily after a few more attempts to persuade her otherwise.

They returned back to the study to see a wide open door. Alcott didn't seem surprised—he must've left it open himself. Inside the study was nothing but the same of the same... at first glance. [Craftiness check; hard. Adelaide = 20.]

But with a more inquisitive second look, Adelaide could see a little more to the room. It looked like nothing had changed since she last saw it except for the obvious. Her mistress's chair remained where it was, with the small table next to it. The snacks she brought Penelope were still on the table, as was the tea. The bookshelves were filled with books, the guest tables still had their candles on them along with their small chairs accompanying them, the carpet was clean... these were details she expected. They told her nothing of her mistress's status.

However, Penelope's chair was missing the cape she usually wore with her uniform, and the black book Penelope had been reading last, vanished with her. If those two things were gone, that was likely of Penelope's doing. At the very least it seemed to suggest that she did leave of her own free will.

"HAVE YOU FOUND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? THEN LET US NOT DILLYDALLY AND RETURN TO OUR SEARCH FOR HELP."

MiscChaos and lilbooth

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Well..." The librarian seemed unable to give a good argument to Sasha's words. She looked to the side, then back to the two women. "If you'd rather stay together, I can't stop you. I'll be heading off on my own now to find others and send them in the direction of the courtyard. I'll meet you there later." With little else to say, the young woman turned on her heel and headed down one of the paths. She walked quickly and turned a corner, heading out of their line of sight.

With that, the two were allowed to continue on their way to the teacher's lounge. The walk became somewhat eerie as they headed away from the windows at the side of the building which lit the halls with moonlight, and deeper into the college itself, which wasn't as well lit as all the torches had been blown out. The only thing lighting the halls were the small balls of light that seemed to radiate from the floor... or more accurately; they simply radiated from below.

Sasha and Teresa stopped at the door to the teacher's lounge, their successful arrival to their destination being confirmed by the sign on the wall that labelled the door so. They weren't able to spot anything amiss with the door, until Sasha tried to open it. The door was stuck and wouldn't budge from its placing, no matter how much force the woman applied. It seemed like they'd have to force it open somehow...

OPTIONS
[Key roll; 15. Unlock values; 13, 11, 7. All Options unlocked!]

A Mightier Hand - Get help from ??? to open the door. Condition; you must meet ??? in order to ask them for help.
Odds of Success: Guaranteed | Checks: None | Consumption: None | Consequences of Failure: None

Kick it Down - Repeatedly kick at the door to break it down.
Odds of Success: Unlikely | Checks: 3 (Bravery) | Consumption: -6 Energy per kick | Consequences of Failure: Energy Decreases

Double Shoulder Charge - You and your partner shoulder charge the door together. Two heads are better than one?
Odds of Success: Unlikely | Checks: 1 (Bravery) | Consumption: -10 Energy | Consequences of Failure: Energy Decreases

devilbird

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

[Charisma check; moderate. Josephine = 20.]

The shadows hardly moved as Josephine tiptoed past them. She had done so slowly and carefully, and though there were a few almost missteps, her care helped her keep relatively away from the likely dangerous shadows. She was past them now, and was able to continue to make her way to the library. But that feeling that something was wrong persisted, even after she dodged past the tendrils of darkness.

She finally got to the library, and was just heading through the open arch that functioned as its main doorway... when she realized the state the room was in. All around, the dark tendrils she'd seen outside seemed to come alive and sprout from the surface of the objects they clung to, waving around and dancing in the air. Black slimy ichor dripped from the ceiling above that seemed to be covered in the same inky darkness, and a smell that she couldn't explain was strong in the air. Just ahead of her to the other arch, Josephine could see an even darker shade creeping over the floor past the doorway. The scene filled her with a strange feeling.

But there was another thing. She could hear something... coming from the closest rightmost aisle. It sounded like a slippery, sticky noise, accompanied by a more tired voice that sounded like a woman's.

Blue56 and Mark3000

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Madeline and the maid both seemed to be in agreement with the plan of moving out immediately. With their business done and the party fully formed, the group of 6 left the dining hall, heading to the teacher's lounge where they'd hopefully meet up with other survivors. The teacher's lounge was deeper into the college, so they had to head away from the windows at the side of the building and move further in. Which meant heading deeper into the darker, not as well lit halls of Lacuna. Only the eerie lighting of the almost beautiful faux fireflies allowed them to see.

They were mere minutes away from their destination... but something was off. The party began to feel as if something was... watching, them. Following them. It may have been paranoia, but that feeling was deeply bothering the maid in the group, who was hanging more in the back with Victoria and was sharply glancing left and right at the shadows. She seemed to be whispering something, but neither Margaret nor Bridgette could make out her words.

The ambience of their measured footsteps down the hall was broken by the sound of stumbling, and in their paranoia, the four of them at the front of the group heard it well. They snapped their attention to the back, just in time to see Victoria a little closer to them, with the maid in a pushing position. She was quickly following right after Victoria, but... why would she push her in the first place? "What the bloody hell are those?!" Madeline cried out in shock, calling to attention just what might have prompted the maid's sudden action. Slithering on the ceiling were 5 snake-like shadows coming towards the group. Parts of their body occasionally popped up from the surface of the ceiling as if they were changing between a three-dimensional and two-dimensional form. "Keep backing up! Don't let one out of your sight!" The maid called to them, stepping closer to them quickly with Victoria. This wasn't a good situation.

RandomRoninKitten

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Madeline and the maid both seemed to be in agreement with the plan of moving out immediately. With their business done and the party fully formed, the group of 6 left the dining hall, heading to the teacher's lounge where they'd hopefully meet up with other survivors. The teacher's lounge was deeper into the college, so they had to head away from the windows at the side of the building and move further in. Which meant heading deeper into the darker, not as well lit halls of Lacuna. Only the eerie lighting of the almost beautiful faux fireflies allowed them to see.

They were mere minutes away from their destination... but something was off. The party began to feel as if something was... watching, them. Following them. Mister Doggo Borkinson had become uncharacteristically quiet in Ninette's arms, but every now and again, she could still hear him laughing just a bit. "WELL," Ninette finally heard her friend start, "AN ENTERTAINING SITUATION SEEMS TO COME... WALK FASTER. STAY AHEAD OF THE OTHERS."

Ninette soon found out just what Mister Doggo Borkinson meant, just a minute later. A cry broke out through the air, and she sharply turned around to spot the problem. The maid had just thrown that blind woman forward, just as... something, tried to grab her? Or bite her? It was hard for her to see just what it was in the confusion, but it almost looked like a snake. "What the bloody hell are those?!" The other redhead shouted out as she looked up at the ceiling. Above them, was 5 slithering shadows that seemed to pop from the surface of the ceiling occasionally. They hissed like snakes, and had to have been the size of Ninette's arm. "Keep backing up! Don't let one out of your sight!" The maid had grabbed the blind woman and was leading her away from the shadows.

Littlemankitten

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Madeline and the maid both seemed to be in agreement with the plan of moving out immediately. With their business done and the party fully formed, the group of 6 left the dining hall, heading to the teacher's lounge where they'd hopefully meet up with other survivors. The teacher's lounge was deeper into the college, so they had to head away from the windows at the side of the building and move further in. Which meant heading deeper into the darker, not as well lit halls of Lacuna. Only the eerie lighting of the almost beautiful faux fireflies allowed them to see... well, that is, not for Victoria. She's blind.

Victoria had noticed that something was wrong before the others had. She could hear the sounds of slithering every now and again. She could feel that hungry, tainting gaze in full detail. The subtle increase of humidity in the air, the taste of something salty... she was well aware that something inhuman was pursuing them. What exactly, she couldn't tell. "... 3... no, 5 of them..." Suddenly, a whispering voice spoke up from close by her. Victoria recognized the voice as that maid's. Her voice was trembling slightly, and there was a hint of fear in her tone... but she also sounded focused, and serious. "Behind us... the left hall is no good. All ways are blocked off already... is this a trap?"

[Diligence check; moderate. Victoria = 13. Maid = 23.]

Victoria was suddenly pushed forward by someone she guessed was the maid, almost knocking her off balance. She would have been confused by the push, but then she heard a shout coming from in front of her. It sounded like Madeline. "What the bloody hell are those?!" Definitely Madeline. Victoria heard the maid move over to her quickly, and she felt a hand grab her wrist. "Keep backing up! Don't let one out of your sight!" The maid shouted, likely to everyone.

[devilbird]

Through skill and good fortune, Josephine safely made her way through the shadows. It didn't take her long to make her way toward the library after that. As she was about to step through the door, she noticed more of the tentacles that had impeded her path, and now were manifesting actual appendages out of the shadows they cast. A glob of something fell near Josephine, and hit the ground with a wet slap. Her eyes followed the trail up to the dark substance on the ceiling, coating it like the pitch night sky. Even the smells permeating the room were bizarre, making it difficult for the ambitious young scientist to even form an opinion on them, much less identify them.

Until she could find evidence to the contrary, Josephine believed that she had triggered the very proof that she was hoping to find. This kind of discovery would cement her name in history. However, the situation was also wildly spiraling out of control. It even looked like this was only the start of what was to come, if the shadows were any indicator. Her main objective should be to control and contain the tears in reality that the monsters were coming from, until she could study them with less risk to her. Then she heard it. A wet, squelching noise just off to her right. If she was to gain control of this eldritch outbreak, she would need to gather whatever information she could on these creatures. As quietly as possible, she moved to the edge of the shelves, and peered around the corner.

[Mark3000]

Margaret traveled with group. Her anxiety had started to wane now that she was traveling with other people. It had so far been a simple trip. That was until the nun felt a sharp chill run down her spine. It seemed Victoria and the maid were engaging in a conversation. Perhaps it was on this strange chill in the air. She didn't have much time to think as she heard some one being pushed. Turning she sees the maid having pushed Victoria. "Why did you ..."

Margaret couldn't finish as her eyes shifted to the snake-like shadows coming from the wall. "ah ...AAAAHHH!" Margaret screamed as she took a step back. There is no way the creatures could be real. Where they demons, servants of the devil or something more. Before she even tried anything, Margaret heard the maid's instructions. "Alright, I'll trust you on this" Margaret said reluctantly. Keeping her eyes on the shadow snakes, the nun backed away towards the Teacher's Lounge. In an attempt to calm her nerves, she hummed a hymn quietly to herself.

[exalted]

Adelaide smiled under her mask as the buffoon finally shut up as she hastened to the study. She wondered if this was what Penelope felt when she manipulated or ordered people around.

Reaching the study she took in the details, arranging the scenario in her head. Penelope had been here but left... why? Oh, stupid Adelaide, stupid stupid, she thought. Of course, her Mistress would have sprung into action at the first sign of the emergency, taking command and responsibility of her House while Adelaide had squandered time running around the dark with a Buffoon. But where would her Mistress be now? the Dormitories! She would need to make sure all the students had gotten out, if she hurried she might catch her.

"We are going to the Dormitories," she told the Oath and started walking again quickly.

[lilbooth]

"Merde!" Shouted Teresa under her breath when the door didn't budge. She examined the whole door for several moments trying to figure out a way in but it seemed sealed up tight. "Hello?!" She called out beyond the door hoping someone would open it from the inside. If no one responded she would turn to Sasha and say "Is there a janitor or groundskeeper that may have a key nearby? I'll admit I find this place hard to navigate sometimes..."

[Littlemankitten]

Victoria kept a calm and orderly pace with the rest of the group as they continued down the hallways. She could tell whenever someone was falling behind or going to fast, though they usually rectified that themselves without her needing to say anything. However suddenly she could hear... Something, and she could just feel an oppressive atmosphere suddenly engulf the group, as if something sinister suddenly started stalking them that wanted nothing more than to see them all dead. There were 5 distinct locations that weird sound was coming from. This was confirmed when she heard the maid. She was looking directly at the creatures. Well, she was until something suddenly pushed her back, presumably the maid. Victoria didn't need to be told twice when told to get away from those things. quickly started backing up in pace with the maid, looking directly at the creatures still without actually seeing. "What are those things? Snakes?" She guesses completely due to the fact it sounded like they were slithering over crawling over walking.

[Blue56]

Bridgette would allow Ninette to walk with her if the girl desired, but she maintained a quick pace as the group walked down the halls regardless as she didn't want to waste any time getting to the teacher's lounge. The eerie darkness and silence, save for the sounds of their footsteps and the maid whispering behind them, had her on edge and that feeling only increased as she started to feel like they were being watched. Paranoia didn't fully describe it, everything about this situation told her there was definitely something to be afraid of after all.

Bridgette had been so focused on making her way down the hall that she hadn't noticed what was happening behind her at all. When she turned to see what looked like the maid having just shoved Victoria over, she was simply confused but that swiftly turned to terror when Madeline's scream turned her attention to the 5 shadowy creatures that seemed to be coming out of the ceiling. For a brief moment, Bridgette froze, not knowing how to process this situation and being too shocked by what she was seeing to even scream like Madeline and Margaret. Then her instincts kicked in and her body started moving on it's own, her legs marching her backwards as fast as she could while her eyes remained locked on the snake like beings above. She was suspicious how the maid seemed to know what to do with these creatures, but for now she would follow the instructions of the obviously more experienced one as that was her best chance to survive.

[RandomRoninKitten]

Ninette hears Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle telling her to walk faster, and she does so immediately, keeping her arms around Bridgette, she starts pushing her forward to keep pace with her, as ordered by Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle. This pace is broken when Bridgette turns around to walk backwards, which forces Ninette to turn around with her, causing her to let out a squeak of surprise. She doesn't look at the things chasing them, she's more focused on trying to keep her balance as Bridgette makes her walk backwards, and clinging to her desperately. Under her breath, she whispers to Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle "What are those things?".

[MiscChaos]

Sasha still finds it strange that the librarian is so eager to go off on her own and is still very reluctant to let her do so in this dark time, but the woman takes off before she can continue to convince her of the strength in numbers. With a sigh, she has to let it go. No matter how hard she tries, she cannot save everyone. Especially those who so clearly do not wish to be saved. With the librarian gone, she must continue forth with Teresa by her side. She gives a sigh of relief when they manage to arrive at the Teacher's Lounge without any further oddities. Well, oddities besides the lights seeming to come from under the floor. She wishes powerfully that the torches that lit these corridors were not casualties of the strangest that has engulfed the college, but a wish will not make it so.

Just like wishing that the door to the Teacher's Lounge would open will not make it so. She gathers all the strength she can to make it budge, but it is unyielding! With a sigh of frustration, she stops and ponders their options. They could try to force the door, either with their feet or their weight, but the sound of the door being struck is much more noise than she wants to create with unknown, inhuman forces of darkness all around her. The only alternative is to risk making a little noise to locate assistance. "Excuse me, but if there's someone within the Teacher's Lounge could we please be allowed access? We are two students merely attempting to find shelter in this unusual event." She says, attempting to appeal to anyone within the room. Then she turns to Teresa. "Cleaning and maintenance should have keys, true, but I'm unsure if they came into this world with us. All those boys would were slavering over you did not join us, for instance. Worst case scenario, we can seek out rooms where they may keep such keys but I would much rather not navigate the school as it is." In the meantime, Sasha keeps her eyes peeled for anyone else in the nearby area that may be able to assist them. If they don't look like they serve the forces of evil, then she'll call out to them to see if they are willing to assist them.

[mrblah]

The Outsider comes for its beacon.

devilbird

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Josephine could hear the noises more clearly as she neared the aisle. She could just begin to make out some of the sounds, but... her suspicions couldn't have been true. What sort of situation could she be in for something of THAT sort to be happening? Just as she peered past the corner, she'd come to find that those suspicions were more likely than she thought. A familiar woman was spread out on the ground, with the torn, almost unrecognizable uniform of a nurse draped over her body. The scraps of cloth were no longer capable of keeping her modesty, displaying her voluptuous form for anyone to see. It took Josephine a moment to name the woman she was seeing, but when she had, she was surprised. The woman's name was Regina Baileford, the head nurse at Lacuna. She's rarely ever seen the head nurse outside of her office... but, she looked to be in trouble.

A few of the slimy dark tentacles that had been terrorizing the college were holding her ankles and wrists while a few others worked themselves in and out of her holes... all of them. The woman's mouth, pussy, and ass were filled with smaller tentacles that squirmed around inside of her, leaking copious amounts of purplish slime as they did the unthinkable. She must've been there for some time, because though her eyes were open, they were staring blankly past Josephine without seeming to notice her. Her muffled voice sounded tired, and she wasn't struggling at all... that had to have been from exhaustion, right? There was no way Regina had been enjoying the treatment. Her clothes were all ripped so she had to have resisted, but... wasn't that resistance before she was broken down kind of hot?

[Morality check; Difficult. Josephine = 16. +8 to Arousal.] A rush of arousal affected Josephine at the sudden alien thought, but she didn't have the time to entertain such thinking. There was something more important to think about; namely, her objective and whether or not she could stage a rescue attempt. It would probably be beneficial to have a companion with her, but it's hard to tell if the head nurse would be much useful now... she could just leave her to the whims of these creatures.

OPTIONS
[Key roll; 12. Unlock values; 16, 12, 16, 13. One Option unlocked!]

Locked

Fighting with Knowledge - Grab a few books from a bookcase and... just throw them?
Odds of Success: Impossible | Checks: 1 (Bravery) + Save | Consumption: -2 Energy | Consequences of Failure: ??? State, Arousal Increases, Sanity Decreases

Locked

Locked

RandomRoninKitten

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"BAD OMENS. EVIDENCE OF A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. DO AS THE MAID SAYS, AND SHOW NO WEAKNESS TO THE PREDATORS." Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle responded. He sounded both amused with the situation, and curious. Still, his advice seemed to be to just do what she was doing now, so Ninette kept doing that. The Maid had told everyone to keep at a certain speed with their backwards retreat, saying that one of them could trip if they panicked and went too fast. That in turn could lead to a domino effect and then Ninette would be in a heap of trouble that wouldn't be in her interest. [Diligence Checks; Easy. Bridgette = 12, Ninette = 17, Margaret = 12, Victoria = 7, Maid = 17, Madeline = 11.]

Ninette was too focused on not falling to have noticed the first signs of the Maid's worry coming true, but a loud laugh from Doggo Borkinson alerted her. Victoria had misstepped during their backwards retreat, and the blind woman stumbled to the floor with a rough crash. "ANOTHER SOUL TO THE DOGS. IT IS OF NO LOSS TO US. WE HAD NO USE OF HER." Naturally, he cared little for the impending doom of the woman, unlike the others. "Victoria!" Madeline shouted, as everyone knew the possible consequences of showing weakness to their enemy. She would've gone to help—likely as the others would have—but in the split second it took for them to realize the situation, one of the shadowed snakes was darting at the downed woman with stunning speed. It let out an echoed hiss as its mouth(?) split open to bite down on the woman's neck. [Diligence Save; Hard. Maid = 22.]

It wouldn't get its intended target. "... OH. OH MY, HOW RICH. A SHAME AS I PREFERRED HER, BUT NONETHELESS AMUSING." Doggo Borkinson laughed. The Maid had dashed in front of the prone blind woman's form and took the bite in her place. "Mnn-!" They could hardly hear her pained noise as she was bit. Her eyes were closed shut as she grimaced, and she seemed to be struggling with something as she tried to move her mouth, but all that came from it was her broken gasps. Doggo Borkinson laughed in delight... but strangely enough, Ninette had a harder time sharing his amusement. An alien feeling pervaded her senses at the sight. She could be next, if she wasn't careful. She had to keep moving like the Maid would want. [Bravery check; Hard. Ninette = 3.] It wasn't fear; it was just her survival instinct that pushed her to let the Maid go. This was the right choice— [-10 to Sanity.]

"HA." A particularly loud laugh broke Ninette from those thoughts. "THE DAMNED BLIGHTS COULD EVEN MANAGE THIS FEAT? WE'LL NEED TO BE MORE VIGILANT. WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS CAREFULLY."

... Well, at any rate, the Maid was being pulled away by their dark pursuers. Ninette still had the time to try and do something to help should she choose to.

Littlemankitten

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

[Diligence Checks; Easy. Bridgette = 12, Ninette = 17, Margaret = 12, Victoria = 7, Maid = 17, Madeline = 11.]

It was hard to stay calm as they were pursued by things unexplainable, but the Maid urged everyone to maintain a certain speed. If they all rushed too quickly then it was likely one of them would trip, and one person falling in their formation could be catastrophic for the rest of them, unless you were in the back like Victoria and the Maid were. The group was backtracking quick enough to maintain some distance between them and their shadowed pursuers, and though Victoria couldn't see to confirm this, she could scarcely hear the sounds they made and could hazard the guess that they weren't speeding up. No, if anything, it seemed like they were carefully maintaining their speed too... was this just a game to them? [Diligence Checks; Easy. Bridgette = 12, Ninette = 17, Margaret = 12, Victoria = 7, Maid = 17, Madeline = 11.]

Victoria's concentration slipped, and as she was stepping back for the umpteenth time, her foot got caught on her other foot and she fell down to the ground. [-8 to Energy.] "Victoria!" She heard Madeline shout from her position on the floor. Why was she shouting again? For a brief moment, Victoria had forgotten about the predators who'd been awaiting the very moment an opportunity was present. She never even saw the dark snake darting down to her with its fangs out, ready to land the fatal blow.

"Mnn-!" ... But she did hear it, and she heard the sound of her savior's pained whimper. It sounded like the Maid's voice, and it was coming from right in front of her. Had she... "P-please, take... this moment—to run..." She was struggling to speak. Her voice carried a labored undertone that showed her struggle, but she was still trying to push herself for Victoria's sake. The blind woman then heard the sound of feet dragging on stone. She knew their pursuers were no doubt taking the Maid's unconscious body away. She could do something. She could try to grab hold of the woman's foot and pull her back. [Bravery check; Hard. Victoria = 20.] That's right. She COULD do something.

OPTIONS
[Key roll; 22. Unlock values; 15, 13, 11. All Options unlocked!]

Desperate Grab - Grab the Maid by her ankle and try, with all your might, to pull her away from the snakes.
Odds of Success: Very Likely | Checks: 1 (Bravery) | Consumption: -10 Energy | Consequences of Failure: Unconscious State, Energy Decreases, Sanity Decreases

Throw Doggo - Steal something from the group, throwing the first thing you grab.
Odds of Success: Likely | Checks: 2 (Independence, Bravery) VS 1 (Target's Diligence) | Consumption: -6 Energy | Consequences of Failure: None

Heel Throw - Throw your... shoe, at them?
Odds of Success: Impossible | Checks: 1 (Bravery) | Consumption: -2 Energy | Consequences of Failure: None

exalted

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Alcott didn't seem pleased. He crossed his burly arms with a deep frown. "ADELAIDE FORTUNE, YOU MUST ABANDON THIS FOOLISHNESS SOON. INSURING OUR OWN SAFETY SHOULD BE OUR FIRST PRIORITY, AND THEN WE CAN FIND OTHERS AND EXTEND TO THEM THAT SAFETY. YOU HAVE NO PLAN OF WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU FIND PENELOPE BEZZENBERGER, CORRECT? THEN WE'D BE NO BETTER OFF AFTERWARDS, AND NEITHER WOULD SHE. THE SOONER WE FIND HELP, THE SOONER WE CAN TRULY BE A MEANS TO EXTEND HELP." Despite the speech, Alcott still followed along once more.

The dormitories of every House's buildings took up around 30-40% of it, large enough to afford one room for every two members of the House. The door to the dorms opened out to a circular room at the top floor of the building with room doors all around. At the center of the room was a spiral staircase that lead to its higher levels which also had doors. Gothic bridges reached out to the outer ring platforms that held ground for those coming in and out of those rooms. Moonlight poured into the dark room from the open window above, though it merely added to the eeriness of their current situation. Comfortable seating had been provided in the form of benches here and so, though very few ever used those. The dorms were empty, void of human presence nor sign that there'd ever been anything of the sort. [Diligence check; Easy. Adelaide = 18.]

... Wait, no. As Adelaide roamed the room with her eyes, she noticed several doors left partially ajar. While not totally unusual, perhaps one of those rooms could be a clue of some sort?

MiscChaos and lilbooth

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

No response came from beyond the door as Sasha called out. It seemed possible that no one was inside the teacher's lounge... or maybe, if anyone was, that they couldn't speak. The two were left with the silence to ponder their options. They wouldn't have long to think before something else came up.

The first signs were the sounds of hurried footsteps coming from down the hall, then accompanied by voices. Sasha, vigilant as she'd been, was the first to notice what seemed to be a small party of 6 approaching them... while walking backwards? It was an odd sight, and the speed at which they were doing so made it possible for one of them to so simply trip and fall over one another. Just as Sasha thought that, she heard shouting coming from the group. Sasha couldn't tell what was going on exactly, but it didn't sound good, and it didn't look good. Perhaps they could go over to help, or leave them to their devices?

Blue56 and Mark3000

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

It was hard to stay calm as they were pursued by things unexplainable, but the Maid urged everyone to maintain a certain speed. If they all rushed too quickly then they could slip, and if one person could fail, everyone else could after them. With that in mind, the group backed up just fast enough to maintain a good distance away from their shadowed pursuers, who never moved much faster than a predatory stalk. Bridgette and Margaret were taking turns sneaking glances behind them to make sure they weren't flanked, and during one of those checks, Bridgette noticed two others by what looked like the door to the teacher's lounge. It was hard to make out their features exactly due to the darkness, but... they looked like students too. [Diligence Checks; Easy. Bridgette = 12, Ninette = 17, Margaret = 12, Victoria = 7, Maid = 17, Madeline = 11.]

A stroke of bad luck impacted their plan. Victoria misstepped during their backwards retreat, and the blind woman stumbled to the floor with a rough crash. "Victoria!" Madeline shouted, as everyone knew the possible consequences of showing weakness to their enemy. She would've gone to help—likely as the others would have—but in the split second it took for them to realize the situation, one of the shadowed snakes was darting at the downed woman with stunning speed. It let out an echoed hiss as its mouth(?) split open to bite down on the woman's neck. [Diligence Save; Hard. Maid = 22.]

Just before it could, the maid by Victoria's side had intercepted the attempt. She dashed in the path of the snake, and took its bite to her neck in the blind woman's place. "Mnn-!" They could hardly hear her pained noise as she was bit. Her eyes were closed shut as she grimaced, and she seemed to be struggling with something as she tried to move her mouth, but all that came from it was her broken gasps. Still, they got the sense that she was telling them to go on. Don't stop. If any of them were to, they'd suffer the same fall as the Maid, and her sacrifice would be for naught. [Bravery check; Hard. Margaret = 15. Bridgette = 9.] It most certainly wasn't from a place of cowardly fear that this came from, no. The Maid wanted them to survive. [-10 to Sanity.]

Whatever the shadowed snake had done to her caused the Maid to faint, but her limp body was grabbed and pulled away by the other snakes before she could hit the floor... if they so wished, everyone had enough time to try and do SOMETHING to help the Maid.

They just couldn't think of any Options.

[Littlemankitten]

Victoria maybe had a good sense of hearing and surprisingly good spatial awareness for her lack of sight. But she wasn't magic. She had done pretty well to keep track of where she was going, helped by the fact the maid was guiding her, but eventually sensory overload began to take a hold as she attempted to keep track of where she was going, where the monsters were, and were all her friends were with just hearing alone. So, she temporarily loses focus and trips over her own foot. Well, that was a embarrassing way to fall down at this stage. Can't even the excuse of someone else not telling her there was a rock there. She inhales sharply and tries to catch herself but fails at that to, landing hard on her side with a grunt. Shit shit shit, she barely had time to formulate those three words in her mind before she heard the sound of the maid... Sacrificing herself to her? Why would the maid do something so selfless? Regardless, she didn't have much time to think of what to do, she didn't want to just leave the maid to suffer whatever horrid fate might await her. But running sounded like the only option... No, if the maid acted in such a way to save her, Victoria would act in kind. With a rush of adrenaline, Victoria grabs onto the maid's ankle and yanked back with all her strength, not even thinking if she was making the right choice or not.

[RandomRoninKitten]

Ninette agreed completely when the blind woman went down, she ultimately would be no great loss, she couldn't even see, and apparently was prone to tripping on her own feet, so slowing down the snake things would be a case of her being all she can be.

However, the Maid saved her, unfortunately. she was in full agreement with Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle, he was always right, naturally, the Maid was certainly preferable to the blind woman, and was very cute, she was hoping to keep her as a toy for herself and Avenging Destruction God of Soul-Reaving and Eternal Torment Within the 9th Circle, to play with before or after they had ascended.

Before she could consider the possible ramifications of such an action, Ninette's greed got the better of her, causing her to let go of Bridgette's hand and rush over to help the clumsy, useless blind woman save the Maid, at the very least her added strength would help them save the Maid, and then the blind woman would fulfill her intended role of slowing down the snakes when they attempted to chase them again.

She chose to stay behind the blind woman and reach passed her to try to pull the Maid to safety, so that she could use her as a shield if things got dicey.

[Blue56]

Moving hastily backwards was difficult enough as it was, but the task was made all the more challenging by Ninette keeping her arms firmly around Bridgette as they moved. Not only did she have to manage keeping an eye on the creatures they were running from, but also looking around to ensure they weren't being flanked all while watching to make sure her feet don't get tangled up with the other girl's causing them both to trip. Somehow, they managed to keep this up for a time until she heard a noise and looked forward to see what had happened. Bridgette could only look on sadly as her worst fear came true and Victoria tripped as they all backed away from the terrifying creatures. She had known that this was no situation to bring a blind girl into, but what choice had they had really? And then, just as it seemed they would be witnessing the end of Victoria, the maid jumped in to take the fangs for her at the last minute.

This was perhaps even worse as that maid seemed to have better knowledge of what was going on in this situation than anyone else. But what could be done? If the maid wished to trade herself for Victoria, then there was little any of them could do about it now. Or so she thought, until rather than get away, Victoria seemed to be lunging forward to pull the maid out of the swarm of snake creatures. "V-Victoria?! NO!" She shouted in disbelief, having been fully prepared to leave the maid behind, Bridgette was now unsure if she could just turn her back on two of her companions. Actually, make that three. As she stood dumbfounded, Ninette slipped away and rushed to join Victoria in her effort to save the maid. "W-wait!" She called out fruitlessly after the young girl who seemed to be throwing her life away.

This situation was incredibly frustrating, as well as terrifying. Why were these people rushing so headlong into danger... And why did she feel so compelled to help? Bridgette had never been one to stick her neck out for others, but she felt oddly moved by the sight of these women doing just that. Before she made her move, Bridgette turned down the hall towards the figures she had seen and called out to them. "HELP! WE'VE GOT A WOMAN DOWN OVER HERE AND THERE'S NO TIME TO WASTE!" She shouted loud enough to ensure that they would hear unless they were deaf, before taking a deep breath and running back to help Victoria and Ninette pull the maid to safety against her better judgement.

[exalted]

Adelaide rolled her eyes as she walked to the dorms, wondering if the dullard was indeed voiced by a phonograph with a skipping record by the way he repeated himself verbatim.

"You speak of helping others while whining about your own safety in the same breath," she replied dryly, "No wonder m'Lady would have naught to do with such a little boy as you."

Pausing to examine the dorms as she entered, her stomach churned slightly. Penelope was not here either, the damned fool had slowed her too much with his prattle and had caused her to miss her Mistress again. Noticing several doors ajar, she walked over to inspect them, perhaps a note or clue as to where they had gone may have been left behind.

[Mark3000]

Margaret watched in horror as the blind woman stumbled as they retreated from the shadowy snake like creatures. Just as they were about to pounce, the woman was saved by the maid's actions. Seeing the maid being taken by these vile creatures filled Margaret with a deep abiding shame. The Maid was the only one out of any of them that knew what was going on. If they lost her, they would truly be in the dark. There was Professor Ainsworth. Could she possibly help them save the maid.

Margaret didn't have much time to think as the other girls in her company leap into action to save the two of them. With everyone risking their lives to save the maid. All doubt was erased from her mind. They couldn't leave someone behind, no matter the circumstance. Taking her cross from her neck, Margaret ran to add Ninette, Victoria and Bridgette pull the maid free. She got closer to the shadowy snake creatures then any of the other women and pulled with all her might. If the snakes tried to attack as they did Victoria and the maid, Margaret was prepared to take every single bite.

Whether to draw the creature's attention or in an attempt to banish it, Margaret raised her cross as she pulled on the Maid. " Heavenly Father! Protect us! For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms!" She shouts with mighty conviction