Better Left Forgotten

<Oh...well, hopefully, you've all learned your lesson. You could have been hurt much worse, or even killed.>
===========================
*And so a big group arrives hunting for them.*

E"Ready to go?"

*Lilith defers to Tirea & Cameron.*

"Yes, ma'am," Mortal said, feeling a bit silly.

--

And so everyone follows along.

Everyone gets ready to leave. And does so.

*Tirea nods, tears dripping down her face*

*Taiyo hears a knocking at the door. As she is roused, it slowly escalates until it becomes a pounding. Euryale turns the beside lamp on looking at Taiyo, eyes as wide as saucers, when the door flies open. The darkness of the hall washes over them as the lightbulb explodes. When Taiyo next comes to, her ears are ringing, so she can barely hear anything, save for the highly muffled sound of Euryale screaming. The man in the mask approaches her from somewhere in the darkness. Pulling on her hair viciously, he shoves his knife into her mouth. Just as he slices, Taiyo awakens again, her mouth tingling slightly. Euryale has turned on the beside lamp, but looks only vaguely concerned, & there is no pounding at the door. However, there is a harsh cold from the open window, & a square envelope at the foot of their bed. Written on it in big block letters from a red marker is the word "MEOW"*
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*Azuma & Mimiru's sleep fares no better. They find themselves walking through a generic dorm room. Reaching the bedroom, they find a note on the floor, reading "Too late. :P" Whirling around, they notice the Shadow entering the doorway. After experiencing sudden pains in the backs of their heads, they wake up to see the Stalker's assault on Taiyo. Her voice is hoarse as she coughs up globs of blood from her eerily flapping, distended lips. The man turns towards them. He seems more tall & thick-bodied than usual, & wears a dirty trench coat. He speaks in a voice that is a cacophony of male, female, screaming, whispering, laughing, sobbing, calm, childish, seemingly every possible combination under the sun.*

<There will be a purge. Better you hear it from me.>

*They can also see that the shadows of his mouth are forming little claws & reaching out towards them. Next they see a flash of white, & red eyes, at their window, but when they blink, it's gone, & they are unsure of whether or not they're awake yet.*
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*By contrast, Tirea is woken up by a sudden phone call. They only vaguely remember dreams full of darkness & a man's laughter.*
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*Astarte dreams of Noctis crying in the middle of an unidentified dorm room. Everything but Noctis is in deep shadow. As she walks towards her, she hears a knocking behind her. Looking back, she sees Hector, as he looked just as he died, looming out of the darkness of the doorway. He reaches out as if to hug her.*
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*Eduj dreams of the scene that befalls Astarte, as though he is standing in the corner, only Noctis isn't in it. As they embrace, regardless of his actions, the duo melt into a fine red mist that swallows the whole room. In the mist, he thinks that he sees the profile of the Shadow, but it vanishes when he blinks.*
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*Cameron's phone also rings obnoxiously, signaling a picture or video message.*
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*Aroma awakens with a jolt when she hears a distant knocking.*
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*While Gabe is presumably getting up for her morning exercise, she notices that a copy of the newspaper has been pushed under her door. From a distance, she can tell that the headline story is about an upcoming charity event, but also that it has been written on in red marker.*
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*Noctis & Mortal wake up to a phone call.*

*Eve, who was up reading a textbook, shivers in the cold*

<Euryale, Taiyo, are you up?>
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*Cameron checks his message*
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*Tirea answers*

{H-heelllo?}

Sab stirred, and rubbed her eyes, "Is someone at the door?" A few seconds later memories of last night washed over her, and Sab felt a shiver run down her spine, "Should we answer it?"

--

Gabe pushes some hair out of her face, and picks up the newspaper to see what was written on it.

--

Mortal and Noctis, separately, stretch out to grab their phone, and look to see who is calling.

Astarte gasped, woke and shot upwards, slamming her back straight against the head of the bed and holding it there with her hands held protectively in front of her face.

Eduj woke and sat up in bed, looking around the room and sighing.

I DO hate you Gabby

But It says I can finally

do something about it! : D

*There is also a doodle of a man in a porkpie hat.*
=========================
*Aroma puts her arm across Sab like a security blanket, & is about to say something.*

R"Are you awake yet? Or alive...shit, it didn't get you already, did it?!"
=========================
<This is the hospital. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Are you ready to hear it?>
=========================
*Lilith is calling Noctis, & Thiera is calling Mortal.*
=========================
*He has to play it in order to watch it. When he does, it appears to be footage from Tirea while she was in the hospital, shot in security camera style. The masked figure walks into view & creepily runs a finger across her chest before he starts choking her.*
=========================
*Euryale grabs her phone & calls Eve.*

*Monu's mother comes to sit by Tirea, and puts an arm around her*

{Are...they dead?}
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*Cameron gulps and calls Monu's parent's house*
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*Eve puts on her shoes then answers*

{What happened?}

OOC: Fuckin' three hundred pages in and you decide to be scary, goddamn.

Taiyo stares at the envelope, eyes tearing up.

Taiyo: "What'd we do to deserve this?"

===================================

They stumble around trying to get out of bed, Azuma falls out while Mimiru manages to get out and get her phone to give Euryale a call. Or not if they are indeed not awake.

Sab lets out a long sigh, and shuffles out of bed, "We're alright, Roatha. I'm coming." Assuming Sab and Aroma have at least PJs on, Sab opens the door, "Good morning, is everything alright? Relatively speaking."

--

Both answer with a quick, "Hello."

--

Gabe begins to panic, and pulls out her phone to call Mortal. When that fails she tries Noctis, which also fails. Running out of options she tries Senthose's number.

<...I'm afraid that your parents passed away early this morning, yes.>

*And then the land line rings.*
==============================
*Euryale puts a hand over the phone.*

E"Absolutely nothing. They're the ones who are wrong."

*She then uncovers the phone.*

E"I heard that you said something, but I couldn't make out what. Something happened. We're okay, but a message was left to us. Is everything okay out there?"

*As she talks, she reaches for the envelope.*
=================================
*Mimiru gets the busy tone.*
=================================
*The call sounds like they're either running or standing outside in heavy wind.*

L""We were just attacked! We managed to chase it off, but we think it's coming for you!""T

*Then the bedroom window shatters. Looking over, Noctis sees the large, glowing red eyes, & the small, humanoid outline. It quickly runs its hands across the frame, pushing most of the jagged glass out, & then begins to pull itself through. Mortal hears breaking glass, I guess.*
====================================
*Senthose eventually does answer.*

S"Hel...I have to call you back."

*His voice becomes noticeably more rushed & he hangs up.*
====================================
*Roatha looks up & down the hall as he talks. Aroma approaches from behind & gently puts a hand on Sab's shoulder.*

R"Yes. Well, no. I saw the Shadow skulking around. I think it's after you. But the good news is that I learned something that might help. I want to get as many of us as possible together to discuss it. I know it's early, but I think it's important."

Taiyo: "It's....it's ashes."

Taiyo jumps when her phone rings and is quite hesitant to answer it.

Taiyo: "H-hello? No....someone left a message for us. Yes. Okay. Thanks."

She hangs up.

===================================

Mimiru: "Damn it, busy."

So she calls up Taiyo whose phone rings a few times before answering.

Mimiru: "Taiyo, are you okay? Is Euryale there? We're on our way."

She hangs up. The two quickly dress and are out the door.

Eve:<I was just wondering why you opened a window. Everything's fine out here, could I come see what the message is?>
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*Monu's father answers*

{Hello?}

Cameron:{Is Tirea alright?}

{Who is this?}

Cameron:{Cameron.}

{Oh. Well, yes, she's fine but busy at the moment. I'll have her call you back.}

*He puts down the phone and joins his wife next to Tirea, who is now sobbing*

Noctis picked up the lamp on her bedside night table, and chucked it at the monster's head before dashing toward her door, and trying to get out of her room.

At the same time, Mortal slips into a pair of sneakers, and rushes from her room to Noct's.

--

"W-wait, wait, wait!" Gabe quickly stammered out, before cursing as she was hung up on. Panicking a bit more, Gabe dials Sab's number. As she does she flips through the paper to see if there is anything else she may have missed.

--

Sab frowned, "Uh, give us a few minutes to get ready then, I guess. I mean, unless it is too urgent to wait for us to get out of our P-JAYS!" Sab put a hand on her heart, the sudden noise of her phone ringing quickening her pulse.

Sab let out a small sigh, and walked over to where her phone was charging. "Its Gabe. I'll let her know we should meet up," She said, picking up the phone and answering with a, "Hello."

*Roatha pushes his way in, locking the door, snatching the phone from her hand, & turning it off. They can see that he is wearing gloves.*

R"All lines are currently down."

A"Wh--what are you doing? You're acting strange."

*Aroma takes a couple steps back, trying to slide her hand covertly into her pocket. Roatha pockets Sab's phone & points at her with his other hand.*

R"A, touch that phone & I'll break your wrist. B, am I, or do you just not know me as well as you think you do? Do you know where I was on the night you were attacked? Or after I was 'taken' by the Shadow?"
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<I'm sorry, but all we can do now is discuss the...final arrangements. Did they have a will? Or an attorney?>
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E"We didn't, someone snuck in, but we don't see anyone here. Yeah, come in. See you in a sec."

*She hangs up, turning away from Taiyo.*

E"There's something else in here. Something rigid, taking up most of the envelope."

*Shielding it from Taiyo's sight, she pulls it out & dusts the ash off back into the envelope, which she puts on the bedside table. She then turns back, holding a DVD. With the same writing, in the same marker, "ORIGIN STORY" is written in letters circumscribing the top of the disc.*
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*There is nothing else. Senthose calls back soon after Sab hangs up on her with only a "Hello."*
=================================
*The monster bats it aside before it can impact & makes its way across the room. As she's opening the door, & Mortal is nearing the room from the other side, it leaps at her. They can also hear footsteps running down the hall outside the dorm.*

Astarte spent a few moments calming down and then got out of bed to go out into the living room, hesitating and flinching at every turn on the way.

Eduj also got up out of his bed and went to his own living room.

*Eve enters the room, then sits on the corner of the bed*

<Origin Story? This should be good.>
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*Tirea wipes her eyes, trying to clam down a bit*

<Uh...yeah...>

*Tirea gives them the necessary information*
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*Cameron gets dressed then calls Eduj*

Taiyo: "Do we have to watch it?"

Presumably Azuma & Mimiru arrive, knocking on the door.

Sab steps between Aroma and Roatha, putting her hand out to distance the two. "Please, don't hurt her. Just, please leave, you're scaring me," She tried to sound assertive, but her voice began to break as she continued.

--

"S-Sab?" Gabe paced a bit, "Sab are you there?" Fearing the worst, Gabe grabbed her keys, then answered her phone, "Sen-Senthose, I think Sab and Aroma might be in trouble!" She rushed out her door, and began making her way to Sabroma's dorm.

--

Noctis, in such a rush, put her shoulder into the door as she tried to open it. That, along with being tackled, caused Noctis to come tumbling out of her room with a monster on top of her. Reacting solely on muscle memory, she pushed against the monster with her hands. More importantly, she brought her legs up, and planted her feet where she guessed the creature's stomach or chest would be, then used the floor as leverage to push the creature away with her legs.

Her panic, and terror was so absolute she didn't even notice Mortal grabbing and, trying to pull her away by her arm, with one hand, and using her other to try and force the monster off of her.

Both called out in fear, shouting a random assortment of pleas for help, and threats to get off.

R"Oh, I'm gonna do worse than that."

*The Shadow then phases through the door. Roatha turns around & spreads his arms, as if about to hug it. Aroma gapes up at it, frozen in fear.*

R"Hey, ya made it! Glad you decided to help me with this. I didn't get the chance to knock them out from behind, like I planned."

*It holds its hand in Roatha's face, wriggling its shadow fingers. Roatha puts his arms down & turns back to Sabroma.*

R"...Yeah, I don't know what that means. Sometimes, even I don't know why it does the things it does."
================================
*The monster proves to be surprisingly strong. They can't pull it off, but the do keep its flailing claws away from their skin. Just barely. It hisses at Mortal, opening its jaws & jabbing at her with its proboscis.*

T"(How can no one hear that?!)"

L"(Don't!)"

*They hear something collide with their door outside.*

L"(Know!)"

*The door rattles from another collision.*
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S"They aren't the only ones. If you hadn't woken me up, one of those Shadows would have killed me."
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E"I don't see this ending if we don't follow whatever lead we can get. We don't all have to watch it, though."

*Hearing the knock, she hands the DVD to Eve. On her way to check it, she stops by her backpack to pull out the hunting knife.*
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<Thank you. They'll be calling you with the details of their final arrangements. Once again, I'm very sorry.>

Taiyo: "It should be Mimi and Azuma."

Assuming Euryale opens the door, brandishing this knife she should see it is indeed them.

Azuma: "Good morning to you too."

Astarte just sat in the living room all alone, looking out of a window at the neighbour's garden.

Eduj answered while heading into the kitchen to make coffee, "Hello?"

*If there is not a DVD player in the room, Eve goes to grab her laptop and brings it back in, then puts the DVD in*
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{Y-yeah...}

*Tirea hangs up and collapses into her aunt's arms*
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{Morning. Still alive?}