monsters in the dark

[animusmods]

Characters: any
Setting: all around the Tower; please specify the date and location in your subject header!
Format: any/party-style
Summary: A general mingle log for characters to encounter monsters.
Warnings: PG-13; please include any more detailed warnings in your threads if necessary.

PLEASE USE THIS POST FOR NEW THREADS.

Comments

Evening of the 9th | Floor 81

[heavenscorpse]

[Don't sleep in the dorm rooms, well, okay... The lounge is comfortable and if V/V needs to, she can hide in the elevator.

Right now she's curled up on a couch, snuggled comfortably with some pillows.]

[themonsters]

[There's no attempt at subtlety; if being subtle is impossible or if the monster just doesn't want to be, it's hard to tell. It approaches V/V with no fear or hesitance, though it doesn't quite run.

Its mouth is curled up, displaying fangs--it's almost like it's smiling beneath that yellow mask.]

10th June → Floor 40

[wrigurun]

Come out! Wherever you're hiding!

[Wriggle had a number of glowing familiars circling around her for light, as well as a hair trigger to shoot at anything that would jump out at her. If she could beat one of these monsters then that would surely show everyone just how capable she was. Of course she stayed near floor 41, she wouldn't stray too far from where she was strongest. But in order to find a monster she needed to lure one out first]

I'm just a tiny poor firefly, I couldn't possibly put up a fight!

[themonsters]

[There's no warning for it, but any magic that Wriggle has stops the moment she steps onto Floor 40.

The monster lunges at her without warning, snarling with enormous teeth bared.]

10th June; Around Midnight || 75th Floor

[great_king_of_evil]

[ Ganondorf is not really hunting for monsters, no he's just spending time in what he see as his headquarter, base of operation-- Whatever you call it, the second tower in the tower. An actually very appropriate place for him to spend time in, though he suspects that it may be under surveillance by now.

No matter, the King of Evil has his two swords in hand and is ready to defend himself if needed. He is always ready, but given Ruana's note he received the day before, Ganondorf is particularly careful. ]

[culbutiri]

[This is where Nesir heads once they get the note. She guessed Ganondorf would be there and they would have to be prepared for whatever happened.

She had changed in the last week and a bit, she was more focussed, had wasted no time looking for anyone else. She couldn't afford to care about any of the lost souls of this place. She had fashioned a belt for her white suit, so she could hold all her daggers and she had her cloak on around her.]

I did be thinking you would be being here. Have you been seeing any monsters?

June 10th- Floor 99

[colorfulbrilliance]

[Meiling had decided sense it didn't feel safe to sleep in her room anymore, she'd at least attempt to sleep a little bit in whatever floor she could. So she had found a corner that didn't seem like she'd be found all that easily and closed ehr eyes for a nap before a nightmare woke her or something else might wake her.

She's slightly alert for someone who is asleep but..if it doesn't feel like a treat immediately, she might just sleep through it.]

Re: June 10th- Floor 99

[greyerrant]

.... Um. Meiling. What are you doing? [ Asks the immense space warrior ]

June 11th; Evening || Library (19th Floor)

[the_white_rider]

[ If he was to not sleep in his room, Gandalf did not mind spending an entire night in the library, continuing to write certain things in his book-- Book that was starting to become quite thick at the months kept going.

He's sitting at a table and writing, but right within reach there is his staff, and in his left hand he already holds his sword, you can never be too careful. ]

[themonsters]

[You most certainly cannot. Especially not when a low whining can be heard from beyond the book cases. It isn't much longer before a dark, beastly figure skulks into view.

Then, almost before it even so much as lays its masked eyes upon the seated Wizard, its leaping toward him with a scream that could make glass quiver.]

9th; top floor

[mayatama]

[ Maya had come up here to relax, really. Seeing what was left of home; whether it be an illusion or real, made her a little bit happier, yet nostalgic at the same time. Thankfully, for the time being, she's safe. And most importantly, alone.

She can feel the tears already running down her face. She's been brave in front of everyone else, but alone? She can't take it anymore.

Being an acolyte, she knew that the soul was an important thing, and that it could be placed into other peoples' bodies. That's why she was a spirit medium who could channel spirits. But now...

... That no longer mattered. She couldn't do a single thing anymore. ]

Sis... what should I do...?

[ She sniffles a little bit before crouching down, hugging her knees for a moment or two before standing up, wiping her tears and heading towards the closest elevator. ]

[themonsters]

[When the elevator opens, a yellow-masked monster leaps out. Its face is bloody, and the blood is obviously fresh, but it doesn't seem like it's tired yet.]

June 9th, evening | Dorm 3-18

[warriorscribe]

*No, Enoch wasn't ignoring the nagging feeling that he shouldn't sleep here. He was just working on his dolls until dark. The one in his hand is finished but unpainted, the figure of a young boy.

He opens his trunk and puts it beside the other four he's managed to make since he started this eight days ago (having the Arch is a great shortcut), and then yawns, looking at his bed.

"Monsters under the bed," the note had said. He had a feeling of unease, but nothing had jumped out at him yet...keeping his distance, he knelt to try to get a look under his bed.*

[themonsters]

[Luckily for Enoch, there is no monster under his bed.

But there is one in the doorway. It whimpers, then opens its wide, fanged mouth open to make a noise far more akin to a shriek as it lunges toward him.]

june 9th, nighttime; library (3rd floor)

[keepscalm]

[England's sleeping atop one of the tallest bookcases the third floor library has to offer. The ladder designated to this particular bookcase has been pushed off its track onto the floor. By England's hands rest a crossbow and his wand. He's almost curled around the weapons, as if his waking self was prepared to need them at a moment's notice.

Of course, he had no delusions about who that note was from. Best to be prepared.]

[themonsters]

[A magic circle appears in front of him on the bookcase and begins to glow.]

June 9th | Floor 56 (Hospital Ward)

[doctor_dismemberment]

[The elevator took too long.

He would've gone to the infirmary, but this place is emptier. Quieter. The flickering lights and illusions are troublesome, but Richtofen tells himself not to believe that any of it is real. It's all glamour. Just glamour...

He stays huddled on a hospital bed with his MP 40 cradled in his arms, ready to aim and fire at a moment's notice. His eyes are locked on the entrance to the room he chose, one near the staircase. Maybe he'll be able to get some peace here.]

[themonsters]

[Nearby, on another bed, a monster has been sitting on the bed. When it notices him, it lets out a strangled noise that sounds a bit like a sob before it leaps.

It's not a silent jump, though. The force of the leap has forced the cot it had been using as a bed into the wall with a violent crash.]

[forhislegacy]

[June 9th, 9:30 p.m., Floor 38]
Tags may come from Anise, AU!Luke, or both!
[The dormitory levels were in disarray. No one really seemed to be up there, or at least, they weren't in their own rooms - Anise couldn't really blame them after that creepy note. But she couldn't help but wonder if that was part of the plan. If the administrator in charge wanted them out and about so they could be slaughtered...

But she can't stay in her room. She can't stay up there. If her friends are elsewhere in the Tower, she has to find them.

That's why she's wandering around. But by the time she makes it to the thirty-eighth floor, she's more than a little on edge. There's a sound and she ducks down behind a sofa, out of sight; a moment later she peeks out from behind it. It must have been footsteps, because she sees a flash of red hair and familiar clothing, and then -]

Luke!

[...hi, Luke, have a Fon Master Guardian attached to your side.]

[June 10th, 9:00 p.m., Floor 54]
[The night before had been nothing short of crazy. If anything, it's taught her that she needs to be able to defend herself.

That's why she's on this floor. Tokunaga's a little big to be go trampling around a doll shop with, so he's on her back rather than her being on his; but she remembers having dolls back on Auldrant and how some of them had been able to grant her more powers. Right now, that was necessary. She had to have as much power as she could to make sure she could protect Ion...

She's very quiet as she examines the dolls. How will she be able to tell if they work or not, she wonders...?]

Floor 38, of course

[ambassadorasshat]

[It's a bit rude to jump out at people when there are monsters around. Even worse to jump out at people with bladed weapons. Hope Anise doesn't mind Luke's manly shriek when she 'attacks', trying and failing to step out of the way. He's highly on edge, and nearly tries to kick his attachment before realizing who it is.]

A-Anise? Don't do that!

June 9th, 10:00 p.m., Floor 95

[seekinganswers]

[The feeling that she needed to get out of her room was almost overwhelming, to the point that there's some small part of Sheba that wants to stay just to spite whatever is making her feel this way. But - she can't. The urge is too strong, and she almost immediately feels better when she steps out into the hall.

It's not too long before she's heading down the stairs. She doesn't know quite where she's going, but she knows it has to be somewhere.

She finally stops on the ninety-fifth floor, looking out at the balls, trampolines, and mesh nets. Safe? Probably not. Anything could be lurking under the ball pit on the lowest level. But if she can get to the highest point of the highest level... she should be able to see anything that would be coming.

With that in mind, she steps out onto the floor, then backs up so that she can make a running leap for one of the connecting nets. She grabs onto it and hauls herself up. One hand over another, one foot over another...]

[themonsters]

[As she climbed she would begin to see a shadow on the platform above her. It wore a red mask and as Sheba climbed higher it began to move to the front of the platform.]

June 9th, Floor 100

[thelordsage]

[Ah, a note from Ruana, who had already shown her ire over the network not too long ago. This was going to be interesting (wasn't it always?). Sephiran succumbed to the bizarre paranoia that he shouldn't sleep in his bed tonight and began to look for a better place to bed down for the night. If the dorms weren't safe, nowhere was safe (but what else was new?).

He stopped on floor 100, the usual place he'd go to if he couldn't figure out what to do with himself. He considered going up to floor 101 to be with "real" (in so far as anything in the tower could be considered real) plant life, but a quick test of his tome revealed that magic was unusable on that floor. If something came for him, he'd be in trouble. So floor 100 it was, with the illusion of Serenes Forest waiting for him.]

[themonsters]

[It's normal for there to be creatures lurking in a forest's shadowy underbrush, right?

Except, maybe this one isn't quite so welcome, isn't quite so natural a being.

Among some of the farther away illusions of trees and brush crouches a monster. It stares at the sage for a short moment, gaze chilling even through the mask.

It shakes its head briefly, not unlike some sort of canine.

Then it snarls, and blurs into a lunge.]

9th | Floor 100

[yougotthatwrong]

[...He's been spending a bit of the night in this floor, considering this floor took the shape of his old home, which gave him a little bit of comfort after all that mess.

Still, he needs to get going to a general safe area first before doing anything else.]

[themonsters]

[That comfort might be hollow, considering that this black shadow isn't supposed to be part of the floor's glamour.

It paces silently toward Naegi with neither hesitance nor urgency. It'd seem almost uncaring but for the very distinct air of a predator sizing up its prey.]

June 9th | Floor 81

[pinnaculum]

[Sephiroth doesn't need a great deal of sleep, and he usually spends much of the night patrolling, so being outside of his room at night isn't strange for him. Currently he's taking a brief break from his patrols. He's standing out on the glass where the windows bulge, gazing at the stars.

It's strange: something about the stars always draws him. He doesn't know why. He wants to be closer to them, though of course, that's impossible.

As much as the heavens fascinate him, however, he is alert, as always, for any sound or movement in his vicinity. He's been trained to be a soldier, rather than an astronomer. Look for monsters, he was told, and he will do just that. He takes it as a warning, and so he won't drop his guard. His sword isn't drawn, but he's ready to draw it at a moment's notice. His green eyes glow faintly in the dark.]

[notagiraffe]

[In one of the other bulges sat Taiki wrapped in a cloak. Gohran was in wolf form standing guard. Taiki had tried to explain to Gohran and Sashi that they weren't real, but they had just hugged him and told him not to worry.

He sees the figure and watches them, a little scared. He doesn't look like a monster though.] Hello...

Evening of the 9th into the 10th | Wandering the Dorm Floors

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke could feel the hair standing on the back of his neck. He didn't like traversing the Tower at night; it was dangerous, and he rather liked living, even if that living was an illusion. But the message left for them? That was enough to keep him from going to bed; monsters under the bed? Really? He hadn't heard of crap like that since he was a little kid, but he wasn't about to take any chances. He had checked under his bed before leaving the room, on high alert.]

[Last thing they needed was one of Ruana's twisted games, but he was ready. H-he could totally handle it...]

[Luke swallowed hard, trying to tell himself that his confidence was actually true.]

[themonsters]

[A low, thrumming growl resounds throughout the dormitory hallway. It's not under beds Luke should have worried about, apparently. The monster lurking on the floor doesn't seem to be much bothered about being stealthy or trying to hide.

It doesn't move. Instead, it only watches Luke.

Its growl continues to resound throughout the hall.]

9th through the 11th | Meadow on 25th floor

[mysterical]

[She hadn't fully slept since the huge reveal. A few hours here and there, of course, because she couldn't survive without sleep. But she'd been plagued with nightmares of the sort that she hadn't had in a long time. Not since... the academy.

And the letters from Ruana they'd received hadn't helped anything.

So, Tear had decided to spent time in the meadow, practicing her Artes and physical attacks as much as possible. Her powers might be an illusion, but they worked again, so she didn't really care. She'd use them. She just wouldn't rely solely on them.

Her nerves were shot, however. Since splitting from Luke, she'd been unable to stop thinking about the fact that he might have stolen her first kiss but that it didn't matter because they were nothing more than souls stuck in horrible wireframe bodies filled with colored gel. Something she'd wanted for a while and it didn't matter. That just added to her agitation.

So, she'd take whatever that...that...bitch had to throw at them. Tear was tougher than Ruana gave her credit for and she wouldn't give up until everyone could go home or they were all dead.]

[keywrite]

[Tear's going to be joined by an unfamiliar silver-haired kid. He also hasn't fully slept--barring passing out from sheer exhaustion--in the past couple days. Normally, he'd leave whoever's on the 25th floor to whatever they're doing, but he decides to stick around once he's entered.]

I haven't seen you on this floor before.

June 9th || 10th evening | Floor 101

[altitonant_emperor]

[ Hidetoshi had selected one of the safer floors, less populated with monsters and the general hazards of the Tower once he'd gotten the feeling he shouldn't sleep in the dorm rooms. Here, powers were disabled. He preferred that.

The teenager was vigilant, of course. Sleep came fitfully but thankfully, dreamlessly.

From under the shelter of the bench under the trees and plant life, he had a couple of blankets folded neatly next to him, along with a pillow. ]

We can say June 9th! And sorry for the delayed tag!

[themonsters]

[Unfortunately for Hidetoshi, this floor was just as safe from Ruana's game as the rest of them. And eventually, a monster steps off here as well. Its great, black mouth is dropping with blood, and it stinks faintly of the carcass that is still stuck and festering between its teeth.

At first it walks slowly, one may even say tentatively, as if it hasn't quite made up its mind whether or not to stay on the floor. However, the instant it seems to catch sight of Hidetoshi it lets out a horrific, high-pitched scream and breaks out into a loping run toward its new target.

It Hidetoshi was sleeping before, he probably isn't now.]

June 9th || 10th evening | Floor 74

[destructiveprinciple]

[ He rarely spent more time than strictly necessary in the dormitory to begin with, so Avenger pays little attention to the aversion to sleeping in the dorm rooms.

He walked quietly, bathed in the cavernous darkness of the floor and the shimmering blue glow rippling through it, listening to the murmur of clear water running over stone and dripping from stalagmites. The Servant's mood is more chipper than many of the other residents' temperaments are. ]

[themonsters]

[Soon he would hear footsteps getting closer, cutting through the sound of running water. If he looked up he would see a black beast with a red mask prowling towards him.

Evening 9th | Dorm 03-02 -> Hallways Dorm Level 3 to 1 (Also increase Rating to R - just in case)

[neverbeamemory]

"The game starts tonight! Remember to check under the bed for monsters. Have fun! ♥"

[He remembers your last game, Ruana. He imagines you must have a heart-shaped stamp you use lovingly on every note you leave for everyone. He'd quickly set fire to that note and left it's ashes on the bedstand. He's not to be goaded by you.

Monsters hm, he wonders what twist there will be this time. Monsters generally aren't a problem for him on a night to night basis so Sephiroth isn't too concerned. The fact that these are bound to be different monsters is more exciting than terrifying; though that odd notion for him to stay away from his Dormitory tonight raises a few hairs on the back of his neck. He usually monster hunts of an evening regardless, with little thought to the reasons he's driven to do so.

Clearly they are all to be forced from their beds tonight.

Logically then, the dormitory levels, which do not usually harbor much threat on a usual night should be for Sephiroth's attention tonight. At least so that he can get some idea of the nature of this game. There are Hallways, doorways to dodge in, out and around corners of should the need arise so strategically, there are worse floors to stick to. He patrols systematically, the glinting green of his Fire materia at Masamune's hilt.]

[themonsters]

[After a while he may begin to hear footsteps down the hall from him, getting closer every moment. If he went to explore than he would soon see a prowling black beast with a red mask, luckily it doesn't seem to have noticed Sephiroth yet.]

Evening of the 9th | Floor 3

[myblueskies]

[Romeo read the note and frowned. Ruana was being bad again, just as she had said she would be. He grabbed Pinocchio, his knife and his blankets and after checking under the bed to make sure there were no monsters he ran out of the room.

He went to the library and found a corner to put his blankets in before walking around, knife in hand to see if he could find any of his friends.]

[miseris_socios]

[Ken is sitting at a table in the library, looking tired. There's another big book in front of him, but he looks about ready to faceplant into it.]

9th/10th June night | Staircases down the tower | OTA

[savedbyasong]

[The moment Shion got the note he left his room, he didn't look under his bed, just left. Looking for Xion, looking for anyone really but mostly Xion. To make sure she was alright. They were stronger together and if they were to be forced out of their rooms it would be best to stick together.

He walked down the stair case, EMR in hand, staying alert.]

Let's say the 10th? Sorry for the late tag, too!

[themonsters]

[Eventually, Shion will be just in time to see a monster stumble out from one of the floors. For a second, it seems as if it's going to continue downward--but then it double takes, noticing Shion from out of the corner of it's masked eyes, and completely changes its course.

It hardly hesitates before running up to meet Shion, bearing its fangs.]

Evening of the 9th | Floor 99

[the_word_is]

[The dormitories are probably safe, but something tells Maka to stay away. And she hasn't survived this long by ignoring her instincts. So she grabbed a matress and dragged it to the crystal caves that make up the 99th floor of the tower. Hopefully it's isolated enough and she's hidden deep enough that no one will find her. Even if someone comes onto the floor, her soul perception will warn her.

She sleeps in short naps, holding tightly to the metal staff in her hands.]

[themonsters]

[Eventually, late into the night, Maka will be able able to hear the scraping of claws echoing at the mouth of the caves from where they brush against crystal (if she isn't asleep, that is), somewhere near the entrance to the floor.

Steadily, the sound grows louder as the monster it belongs to approaches. And then, all at once, the remaining calm is shattered by the sound of a blood-chilling shriek.]

Evening of the 9th | Floor 6

[alae]

[It had taken a bit for Dark Pit to figure out what the note said, and after looking under his bed, he hadn't found anything. Whatever. So he'd gone around, doing his normal activities, and found himself on the sixth floor in the evening.]

[Sniping some of the animals was a good way to pass the time, even if a few of them kept neutralizing his shots as soon as they got near.]

[themonsters]

[Late into the evening, there comes a point where all the animals seem to scatter and hide, as if frightened for the incoming of some lumbering beast. They're right to be afraid.

Not far from where Dark Pit is passing the time, the distinct crunching of a large animal passing through foliage with little care to be discreet can be heard. It approaches quickly--before an almost-human scream cuts through the quiet forest air like a freshly-sharpened knife.]

June 10th - Dormatory Hallways (Possible R rating)

[servessithis]

[Vicente prefers hunting sapient prey, but this may provide a good distraction. It is like when he went hunting with Alucard.

The vampire stays in the shadows as he makes his way through the hallways. Perhaps he will make his way to one the higher floors he has yet to explore.]

[themonsters]

[He's not the only one in the shadows, a growl is all the warning he has before a monster in a red mask charges at him.]

9th & 10th | Floor 40 (Storage room) & Floor 70 (Factory)

[sicharia]

June 9 - Floor 40
[Claudia has always been the type of person to let her emotions dictate her actions, so it's no surprise that she heeds the warning on the note. Maybe it would be safer to stay with someone else, in a group, but— She doesn't want anyone else protecting her. She doesn't have Assassin here, so she needs to learn to take care of herself on her own.]

[She feels a little ridiculous settling in what appears to be a storehouse, but it has its advantages. With the haphazardly stacked boxes, she can wall herself in, or climb, or use them as an obstacle. When fleeing gives her a much, much greater chance of survival, she'll take what she can get to aid her.]

[Sitting with her back against a crate to sleep is not exactly comfortable, but she doesn't complain. It just ensures that even when she dozes, she wakes easily, which is helpful when she needs to stay alert.]

June 10 - Floor 70
[This floor is even more hazardous and difficult to sleep on, but once again, she doesn't complain. She doesn't trust this one half as much as the other, though, so every time she wakes from another cat nap, she finds a different relatively safe spot, careful of where she steps and very aware of her surroundings. She hardly sleeps more than fifteen or perhaps thirty minutes at a time.]

floor 70

[themonsters]

[As Claudia sleeps, a monster in a red mask stalks down the staircase and emerges onto the floor of machinery.

It sniffs the air and lets out a low growl, slowly advancing away from the staircase.]