Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Torsiedelle]

Torii was scared when the hand grabbed hers, and she quickly tried yanking her arm away. "You don't sound familiar!",, She said loudly. Her breathing picked up again, and her eyes darted around to look for someone.

"Gio? Yoshi!? Mr. Nikanor! Where are we!?", She called.

....

"Well I'll be damned.", The Dunmer sighed. "What in Oblivion is that beast? It doesn't look too happy."

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Startled at the impact, Fortu switched on the torch to see what was in his lap, right now he was comforted by the source of light that quite literally fell into his lap. Now he used it to discover what the other thing was.

Meanwhile, NVE was startled that such a vaguely describable thing had snuck up on him, he was even further startled by the fact that it wanted to eat him. The very thought of being eaten was contradictory to his views, but right now the only thing that ran through his mind was 'RUN! THAT THING THINKS YOU ARE FOOD!' which prompted him to try to run before it was too late. Although it might have been too late, but it was worth a shot as he tried to make for a direction perpendicular to the line between the thing behind him and the tomato-headed monkey-toy he threw in front of him a few moments before. He hoped it wasn't as fast as him (which is pretty fast).

[Primordial Luxa]

Primordial wasted no time and was fleeing as soon as it had begun to laugh. He sprinted away glance back only once to keep and eye on the creature before he regrouped with insidious and Dunmer. "Just Great..." he said sarcastically with heavy breath. Insdious narrowed her eyes at it for a second and then snatched the hook our of Primordials before making a shallow gash on the falt her back that would be covered by her hair, the wound stung for a bit but quickly sealed itself.

The manikin, being a lifeless object, shambled towards them with no real haste. It was an awkward thing.

Primordial still had the slip of paper, however.

Insidious kept her eye on the thing while Primordial read the letter. It seemed clumsy enough to easily subdue, but without knowing its exact strengths she felt ill prepared to destroy it. For all she knew it was made harder than rock. She turned to Dunmer "You think we could take it?"

[New Aksarben]

Fog slowly rolled in around him as he approached the playground. What might be whispered sneers and jeers, or the wind, came from all around him in the fog. He could hear the creek of a swing just off in the distance, coming from the far end of the playground, just out of sight due to the fog.

Octavian stopped as the fog rolled in, his eyes looking around to see what was going on. The noise was not helping his growing paranoia that he was in incredible danger. Well, he knew that the danger was real, seeing as Minerva had been flayed alive from the inside out. He just wanted to outrun whatever was coming after them and get to safety first. He cared nothing for the rest of those who were caught out here with him. If they died, well, he wouldn't care. He'd be glad he was alive.

So Octavian, despite the fact he probably should have tried going the other way at this point, pressed onward, but with much more caution this time. He half-crouched in his stride, and tried to skirt the edges of the park and playground to avoid whatever the hell was making the creeking noise. He had no curiosity at this point, and simply wanted to escape with everything intact.

---

One of Jacob's ears twitched as he picked up the noise of something inside a small room. Probably a closet. He carefully headed for the noise along the wall, and called out, "Hey, is anyone there? Anyone alive?" He hoped whoever it was would recognize his voice, with its subtle Italian-sounding accent due to the fact his native language was Latin. It was tinged with fear and worry, and dread of what might be hiding in the darkness. "Are you in a closet there? I'm trying to find a way out of this place...." He squinted at the outline of a door, but kept a distance away just in case his talking spooked whoever was inside of it.

The buzzing noise worried him, seeing as it could be something dangerous like wasps, or a similar insect, that could be violent if you stumbled into them or their nests. Which in the darkness was a possibility. Bran's voice coming from the direction of the buzzing wasn't reassuring, and he hoped his friend wasn't in too much danger over there. It would be horrible if a friend died and he could do nothing to save them.

[Bone Fort]

A voice spoke up behind Octavian.

"Excuse me, sir?"

It was a surprisingly prim and proper voice, one that had a hint of a French accent.

[Cerillium]

With a roar that was respectable, but not up to the monster's own, Luce got the engine running. He nodded at Chrys, who jumped in the back and zoomed toward NVE and the thing.

"Hey ugly!" she called, hoping to distract it, and swung her hand downwards. The baton in it slid out with a crisp snick!

Startled at the impact, Fortu switched on the torch to see what was in his lap, right now he was comforted by the source of light that quite literally fell into his lap. Now he used it to discover what the other thing was.

Meanwhile, NVE was startled that such a vaguely describable thing had snuck up on him, he was even further startled by the fact that it wanted to eat him. The very thought of being eaten was contradictory to his views, but right now the only thing that ran through his mind was 'RUN! THAT THING THINKS YOU ARE FOOD!' which prompted him to try to run before it was too late. Although it might have been too late, but it was worth a shot as he tried to make for a direction perpendicular to the line between the thing behind him and the tomato-headed monkey-toy he threw in front of him a few moments before. He hoped it wasn't as fast as him (which is pretty fast).

The creature seemed to take up the entire windscreen. It's broad shoulders and posterior were covered in a shag of manky fur. It was focused on the tiny raptor but sharply wheeled around when it heard the engine roar to life.

The truck catapulted forward and NVE had two options: stop or leap onto the vehicle.

---

The object in Fortu's lap was a stale box of thin-mints.

[New Aksarben]

A voice spoke up behind Octavian.

"Excuse me, sir?"

It was a surprisingly prim and proper voice, one that had a hint of a French accent.

The prince kept himself from flinching too much and attacking the source of the voice, but he also kept himself from looking back at it. No other humans seemed to be in the area, so it probably wasn't one. But it was speaking to him, so Octavian thought he might as well respond. "Yes? What?" He still did not turn around, however, and he kept moving forward to find another alley to head down.

[Bone Fort]

"It's rude to speak to people without looking at them, you know."

[New Aksarben]

"It's rude to speak to people without looking at them, you know."

"So? I do not care." Octavian replied frankly. But he really did want to see who was talking to him, so he turned his head slightly to look behind him with his peripheral vision, while continuing to move forward. "What do you want, anyway?"

[Urran]

Yoshi continued to scream and squirm, trying to get out of the creatures grasp. "OH DEAR CHARUMTI HELP MEEEEEEE!!!!" he shrieked. He was determined not to die again. The pain caused by whatever it was pulling on his hair was intense and made his eyes water.

[Giovenith]

The words seemed to form in the air around her, each note formed from a children's innocent voice.

I know how the moon must feel and I can't say I blame him

"Geeee-ooh. Gio-vennnnnith!"

Smiling at the silly things we put ourselves through

"Geee-oooh! Olly olly oxen free!"

Never taking the time, always running in circles

"I see the moon and the moon see's me!"

That's how the moon must feel

"God bless the moon 'cause-"

I'm sure he knows if there is more to life

"But we'll take Torii!"

"Stop it, stop singing my song!" Giovenith snapped in rash reaction to the other voice's singing, fear making her protective of her lifeline to sanity. She stopped on the stairs and clasped her head. The part about Torii made her second-guess. "You're a big meanie liar-liar-pants on fire, that's what you are! I don't believe you! Meanies don't get to sing nice songs, so be quiet!" It was a child's reaction to speak out aggressively toward someone antagonizing them, in the vain hope that the thing would become frightened themselves and back off.

---

Where was the creator? She didn't go outside, did she? Or somewhere... unsure, the golem decided to stay on the ground (the only part of the room it was sure existed), and began to crawl off to her right.

[Bone Fort]

"So? I do not care." Octavian replied frankly. But he really did want to see who was talking to him, so he turned his head slightly to look behind him with his peripheral vision, while continuing to move forward. "What do you want, anyway?"

"You are leaving, monsieur? If you have a reservation, you'll lose it and have to make another."

The figure would not be visible in his peripheral vision, HINT, HINT.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

"Oh it's just cookies....what are they doing here?" Fortu said with a sigh of relief, trying not to think of the peddlers of this distinct variety of cookie. It was safe here, like a fridge, nothing could get to him, he thought to himself not quite beliving it. But it was just him and this small room with a door and the torch he still had on.

---

Meanwhile, NVE jumped on the truck, as once he started moving it was hard to stop. Even if the truck crashed, he would keep moving.

[New Aksarben]

"You are leaving, monsieur? If you have a reservation, you'll lose it and have to make another."

The figure would not be visible in his peripheral vision, HINT, HINT.

Octavian paused for a moment. What was this about a reservation? He did not remember making one to eat any place before all this weird stuff started. So Octavian did something somewhat stupid, probably, and turned around to look at whoever was talking to him.

"A reservation for what? I do not remember making a reservation anywhere...."

[Tiltjuice]

Meanwhile, NVE jumped on the truck, as once he started moving it was hard to stop. Even if the truck crashed, he would keep moving.

"Hi!" Chrys said cheerfully to NVE, without looking at him. Her eyes shone with the same battle madness that Hans had seen in Japan.

Luce bit his tongue. She was a bit mad - and scary - honestly; but who better to face down the monster thing rapidly growing in the windshield? He turned away from it in a sharp curve, throwing Chrys into NVE.

The plan? To head in the direction of the others, wherever they were; yet who knew what lay ahead? Who knew if the monster could outpace them...

[Cerillium]

A voice reached Yoshi's ears from inside the honeycomb.

"Shhh" it said as the juices began to cake his mouth and nostrils. "Shhhh."

Bran and Natiya could hear the sound of bones breaking as Yoshi was pulled deep into the swarming hive. Swith's unmistakable laughter filled the entire Opera House a moment later. Small objects bounced against their cheeks, shoulders and chests - angry scouts patrolling for danger. The swarming sound grew louder in their ears.

More insects peeled off their perches and began to fly towards the siblings as well as towards the lobby floor. They pelted Pippa-Michelle and Jacob and drove Naomi from her hiding spot behind the counter. They began to bounce off Torii, attempting to fly into her mouth.

The child's hand squeezed harder on Torii's and a second hand clasped her wrist. "You know me," the voice teased. "You know me!" It had taken on a sinister edge. A scream ruptured from it, shrill and evil and resounding in Gio's ears.

Fortu, in his closet, could hear all this. More importantly - the light allowed him to see the wasp-like creatures as they crept under the crack beneath the closet door.


The godling Naomi screamed as she crashed into the glass front door. It swung wide and nearly hit Insidious. Naomi was out and panting in terror. From inside, the trio could hear laughter, buzzing and screams.

"Run!" Naomi implored them all. She took off down the street.


DEATH TOLL: 2

[The BranRiech]

"Oh, shit! Oh fuck!" Bran screamed out in terror. The combination of the wasps (His mind assumed instantly, because every bug was a wasp until proven otherwise), Swith's familiar laughter, and Yoshi's screams of agony made him bowl over his sister as Naomi ran for the door. Natiya tumbled down the stairs after her brother and eventually gained her balance, running out after her brother.

In this one instance, both were glad to completely abandon their friends, if only it allowed them to make it outside.

[Bone Fort]

The speaker was pretty much exactly what a person pictures when they think of a maître d, finely dressed with well groomed hair, standing behind a pulpit on which a reservation book was placed. Behind him, finely dressed people sat at tables, enjoying fine dining and champagne as servers darted about with trays loaded with food and drinks. The only odd thing was that they all wore masquerade masks, but considering the fine dress of everyone that wasn't so out of place.

"I'm sorry monsieur, but you need a reservation to go on."

[New Aksarben]

Jacob couldn't wait for whoever was in the closet to respond. He needed to get out of here. The swarming was getting louder and louder, and he definitely felt insects pelting his jacket and jeans. "Oh, dammant! Everyone! Run! Wasps!" He shouted, as a way to try and motivate people even more to escape. The personification ran out the door himself after Naomi, and continuing to follow her down the street. He at least wanted to be near one person. It would probably help keep him sane in the craziness that was occurring all around.

---

Octavian turned around again after hearing the noise, and blinked. "Where did all this come from? That all was definitely not there before...." The prince tried to figure out what was going on here, as a restaurant and apparently just appeared out of nowhere. Octavian then turned back to the person with the Gaulish(as it was to him) accent, and said, "I thought you said I had a reservation or something? And where did the park go?"

[Bone Fort]

"I asked if you had a reservation. Do you have one? What is your name, so I can check?"

They were very clearly still in the park. There were just tables set up, like an outdoor banquet.

[Primordial Luxa]

Primordial and insidious both meet back up with the group as they begin to flee from the opera house. “Look out” Insidious says pointing down the street to her double as primordial reads the note he took “The thing in the road was a changeling.” She lifts up her hair to reveal a scar on the back of her neck she was keeping open, she had carved it to allow them to tell the real from the fake.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii wanted so badly to scream, but she kept her mouth shut tight, and yanked away as hard as she could. She dug her feet in and started working her way towards where Bran and Gio's voices were coming from as well, fighting for her precious life.

Apparently, the Dunmer didn't have much time to fact before they were one the move again. He reluctantly followed Insidious and Primordial again.

[New Aksarben]

"I asked if you had a reservation. Do you have one? What is your name, so I can check?"

They were very clearly still in the park. There were just tables set up, like an outdoor banquet.

"Oh. I probably do not. But my name is Octavian Faeles Aksarben." Octavian responded, looking around again. Why was this here in the park? Who would be eating in an outdoor restaurant? "Do I really need a reservation? I am just heading through this park towards my apartment building, after all. Not staying to eat."

[Bone Fort]

"Let me see... Ah, yes, here you are! Yes, we have a reservation for you. Please, follow me to your seat."

He began to walk off to show Octavian to his seat.

[Cerillium]

Torii wanted so badly to scream, but she kept her mouth shut tight, and yanked away as hard as she could. She dug her feet in and started working her way towards where Bran and Gio's voices were coming from as well, fighting for her precious life.

Apparently, the Dunmer didn't have much time to fact before they were one the move again. He reluctantly followed Insidious and Primordial again.

The tiny hands lost their grasp on Torii's arm. The swarm began to thicken as insects landed on her body. She felt several painful stings along the back of her neck.