Spooky Pt. 2

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Spooky Pt. 2

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Catt Hatter

Catt Hatter

@catthatter 2 years ago

The sun set on the bustling city of London as a mysterious green fog wafted up from the river and waterways that permeated the streets and alleys. Seeming to bear a subtle sentience, it crept into houses and up drain pipes to reach the unsuspecting that slumbered on higher ground.

All who were met by the mist's infectious embrace were transformed, changed and robbed of their rightful faces.

Most everyone reacted differently, and also had been changed differently.

((Let's get this ball a-rolling shall we?

Gosh, I hope this isn't one story too many for people. :< ))

Land of The Dead (Fan Animated)

https://youtu.be/Ltx-pmjdAAI

Watch part 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsZ2fUXbZg&lc=z22yctwyznnsi3e4004t1aokggamxax3cj2hk5lwxrsjrk0h00410 and part 3 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcy5AUvm7iE Here it is at last: The long awaited sequel to "The Night" in which we get to see what happened to Duke after he died at the last clip. Enjoy ^^ Follow me on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DariaCohenArt/ DeviantArt: https://chibidondc.deviantart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chibi_don_dc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChibiDonDC Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DariaCohen

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Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Catt sat up in the dark of the room, woken by the sounds of groaning and something thumping against the door. She felt under her pillow for the small wind-up flashlight she kept for emergencies and felt her way down the ladder from her bunk. The air felt heavy in her lungs, and when she turned on the flashlight she discovered why.

The green tint to the air, and the strangely behaving Sozo brought back unpleasant memories of a library shrouded in spiderwebs, and a hunger that wouldn't be sated. Ever since, she had made sure to sleep with her Hatt on, despite the awkward shape.

She crept around to her swaying friend's side and peered into his face.

Slack jaw, faded skin, glossed eyes, and he had apparently forgotten how to use a doorknob as he once again, punched at the door and groaned deep in his throat.

Catt considered this for a moment, then elected that it would probably be safer if Sozo stayed in the room, and safer for her if she left rather than be trapped in a small room with a zombie.

Between his attacks on the door, Catt slipped out into the hallway.

Armed with her flashlight, she began to search for a safe place to stay until the fog had cleared.

((Open for encounters~!))

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Frantic footsteps echoed down the hallway, though fear did not cling to them as they might have once had. An odd sort of screeching laughter took the place of that emotion, almost discordant against the confusion lingering in the air.

He was solid. Without even trying. Human as the rest of them!

Hungry, too. That could come later- he needed to find someone, tell someone!

He rounded the corner and all but ran into Catt, skidding to a halt with a wild grin on his face. Though his teeth were still the jagged mess they were the day before, and every day for the past fourteen thousand years before, they were no longer too many for his mouth, which no longer stretched slightly too far past the line of 'normal.'

"Kitt-Catt! Guess what! I betcha can't, but it's fair nifty!"

He was all but bouncing in his excitement, joy glittering in his eyes.

Soup! He could have soup! He could eat and breathe and breathe and sense and feel properly-

It was all a bit much.

It was quite a bit much. The best kind of 'much', though. Too many choices kinds of much- like trying to choose ice cream flavors.

His mind was buzzing with the possibilities, unwilling to question why this was happening or what-slash-who had caused it.

A thought occurred to him in the blink of an eye, and the words all but tripped over each other on their frantic way out of his mouth.

"Can I give ya a hug?"

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Ch-char?" Catt asked with a sniffle, peering up at hm in her flashlight beam.

"Char!" She exclaimed and wrapped her arms around him. "It's-s so dark, and everyone's changed an-and-!"

She clung on tightly and gently sobbed against his chest, glad to finally have found someone who was still themselves, still a friend she knew.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Hey, hey, woah. Easy kid- what's goin' on, exactly? All's I know is I have a beatin' heart and lungs, among other things. Whaddaya mean, changed?"

He wrapped her up in his arms and gently pat her on the back, occasionally rubbing circles as she got her fear out.

A wave of concern and fondness all but swung a baseball bat into his stomach.

Right. Feeling things properly, then. That was new- gods above, how did anyone live with this much emotion?

A question for later, that. There were plenty for the present already.

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

"It-it happened last year too, green fog, then everybody changing into, creatures, monsters? Other things than themselves, most don't even know themselves Char!"

She sniffled again.

"I-I remember being caught by it last time, I didn't want to get changed again, b-but I was all alone!" Sniff. "I'm really g-glad you're here, and still you."

Her shuddering breaths gradually subsided, comforted by her friend's presence. Along with the calm, came a sense of embarrassment as she realised she was still in her nightgown and slippers.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Ah. Well. Buggerin' shite. I dunno what to tell ya, Kitty-Catt. It wears off though, yeah? They'll only have ta worry about it for a bit. An' I'm here now, and.. mostly me. Human me. Human me without the whole 'gotta focus intently and give myself a migraine to give myself a solid form' bit. And the whole. Humanness thing. And a cravin' for soup, oddly. I liked soup a lot when I could still eat it- ah, shite. I'm ramblin'."

With one had he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and chuckled before patting Catt on the back again.

"At any rate, all'll be well, an' I'm here, an' I won't let anythin' happen to you so long as it's in my power to keep shite from happenin'. Dontcha worry."

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

Sniffle. "Thank you."

"You said, you like soup? We can, go down to the kitchen, pass the time with food. 'Might be nice..."

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Yeah, that sounds great. Nice and normal compared to the chaos probably happenin' elsewhere... I have no idea how to make soup though, so we might be a bit stuck. Ah, well. We can figure it out, I'll bet!"

He kept one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders and began to meander down towards the kitchen, whistling cheerily for both of their sakes.

Sounded like a bit of levity would be useful here.

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

Catt kept her flashlight steady as they made their way through the transformed halls of the Society. She hoped they wouldn't run into any unfriendlies on their way.

"Don't worry about the cooking, I can make soup. What kind do you think you'd like?"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Ah.. My mom used to make an autumn harvest soup every fall. I dunno if you have the ingredients on hand though. Pumpkin, some sorta potato I don' think has an equivalent? Sweet potato might work. Some kinda white-ish bean. Ham, too. Cooked from the bone. Butter and milk if we had it. Sage an' rosemary to add flavor as you liked. Can't remember the specifics beyond that."

Charricthran kept an eye out or new arrivals as well. Solid form or no, it was still his body, and he still had thousands of years of experience fighting and killing. He'd just have to remember to not get stabbed. Or shot. Or electrocuted. Or... anything, really.

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

They turned the corner and entered the main hall.

"I think there might be some pumpkin in the cellar, and there'll definitely be potatoes. The ham will take a bit to cook, but we'll have to eyeball the beans." She then mumbled. "Assuming the food hasn't bean transformed too."

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago • edited

"I don' mind waiting a bit, unless the beans are eyeballs. Then we might have ta improvise!" He chuckled loudly, the sound unchanged from its raucous, raven-like form.

He paused after a bit, then smiled sheepishly. "Terrible joke, that, but given everythin' that's been happenin', it fit. Couldn't resist, see?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis stood bracing his back against the Society's new doors, having thrown the bolt for good measure. His hair was mussed, his clothes in less than perfect order. He held his cane with its head to the ground. He'd been breathing heavily, though that was just starting to level out again.

"Morning," he managed as he caught sight of Charricthran and Catt.

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Catt chuckled at the joke, and then blinked in surprise at the rather disheveled doctor.

"Dr. Weir?"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran had been about to spout off another string of humorous nonsense when he and Catt saw Lewis at about the same time.

A different form of the same concern he had towards Catt sliced through his stomach- sharper, no less fond, no less protective, but different to the fierce gentleness.

He could analyze the feeling later, there were questions enough for the present. Namely...

"Everythin' alright, Weirmrith? You look... mildly dead on your feet."

Smooth.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Better that than the walking dead," he retorted, eyes wide as his gaze darted over his shoulder, then back to the two of them. "'Tis madness out there!"

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"It's not much better in here to be honest. We were just heading to hold up in the kitchen and make some soup to pass the time until this fog goes away. Care to join us?"

Catt offered as a clanking footstep some floors above them shifted the attention upwards.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran glanced up just in time to see a bird-like machination towering above them on the balcony.

Instinct told him it was Richard, and a familiar signal hiding in the creature's cordial nod confirmed it.

He'd have to wait until the effects of the fog dissipated before he could let Wer'Vemud deal with the remains.

As it was, he wanted some gods-damned soup while he still had the chance.

He waited until Richard walked out of sight, Elias shambling after him.

Impossible to separate, as always. His heart twisted painfully at the thought, causing him to rub his knuckles against his chest.

He smiled nonetheless, each emotion and experience a vibrant splash of color against the shadows of his life. Chiaroscuro creating music in the hollows of The Other.

Though it was madness for others, it was to be a cherished experience for him.

"Three's company an' all. Unless that's an idiom I'm bleedin' the edges of. Who knows?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis chuckled.

"Soup sounds wonderful. I, for one, could use a bit of relative normalcy. Let's go."

He flipped his cane back the right way and stepped away from the doors.

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Sounds great!"

Catt turned and the three of them started heading towards the kitchen.

"It, it's really good to see you Dr. Weir. Familiar faces have been rare today."

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran slipped into silence, preoccupied with seeing the Society through a fresh pair of eyes and a body that didn't feel as if it were ready to start bleeding watercolors and smoke.

It was wonderful, and he all but buzzed with muted happiness.

Peace and quiet in his skin for just a little while, proper hunger, the proper aches and pains that came with a body constantly exerting itself and on the move. Quiet from the whispers, free from hidden secrets and soft breezes snatching at his fingertips.

His eyes did not stick to shadow- they caught everything the same, took in every stroke of color and watched the play of light on dust. Everything was so much brighter, so sharp and focused. It hurt to look at too terribly much, be he couldn't bring himself to care one bit.

It then occurred to him that he should probably at least pay a little attention to the conversation. He slipped out of his somewhat trance-like state, his cheeks aching with the faint smile that had been on his lips since he first realized the effects of the fog.

He could listen, even if he couldn't really think of what to say.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

They'd reached the kitchen by the time Weir's words reached Charricthran's ears:

"Does either of you have any idea what in the bloody deepest level of Hell is going on? Why there are zombies in the streets? Gargoyles in the sky?"

He looked at Charricthran.

"Are Torke's people invading?"

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Something like this happened last year, but it was strangely only inside the Society building. I'm afraid I have no idea why it's happening though, let alone again."

She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. "Can't say I like thinking about it much either."

Webs in the library, too many legs, Mz. Hyde looking like a snack...

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Torke's name was a distinctly unpleasant twist in his heart, yet less painful than it might once have been.

The word had teeth, but they were dull, old things.

Charricthran rubbed the back of his neck in what was fast becoming a nervous tick, he realized.

"Ah.. no. Don' think so, at any rate. Torke didn't really have 'people'. Jus' me, Richard, and the bastard that took him from us. At any rate, all I've got is that the fog shite makes people monsters, and monsters.. people. Bein' human again is right weird, let me tell ya."

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis got out a large pot for the soup.

"Ah. I see," he said, processing the information from both of them.

"I should imagine so," he said with a faint, good-natured laugh to Charricthran.

He looked to Catt.

"What stopped all this last year? The Society obviously wasn't in such a state when I arrived..."

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"I, don't really know. It just kind of, faded by the next day."

She shuddered again, being in the kitchen again wasn't doing much to help her forget the events from last year.

"I...I'm gonna go find some sweet 'tatoes." She shuffled off towards the cellar door.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Wonder if it dissipates in the sunlight? It's a titch cloudy at the moment, I think." His voice trailed off as his thoughts scattered like silver fish in a different sort of bright light.

Smells of herbs drying, floating in the air. The texture of wood and ceramic under his fingertips. Fascination with every detail, lost in a ceaseless sussurus of sensation.

He always did like alliteration.

And he was distracted again.

Potatoes, right.

Did he need to go help? Indecision kept him rooted, fascination kept him still.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Hm, I suppose that could be the case..." reflected Lewis.

"What other ingredients do we need, by the by?"

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Pumpkin. Ham bone ta boil down, some butter an' milk. Sage an' rosemary, hangin' from the ceiling..."

He frowned, reaching for sprigs of both of the plants he had mentioned, drying in bundles on a spice rack hovering over the countertops.

His voice felt distant where the scent of rosemary and sage was overpowering, drawing memories to the forefront of his mind.

A small, cramped building, with a smaller, cramped fire. Father off to work, he and mother at home. He'd stolen the ham bone and hidden it from his father, who didn't condone such things. His mother knew that a happy heart was just as important as a full stomach, and this would solve both things, all things-

His voice felt distant where the scent of rosemary and sage was comforting, a memory relived behind his eyes.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis didn't know if they had any pumpkin, but he was fairly sure they had at least one ham hock. And butter. And milk.

He located these ingredients without another word, allowing Charricthran, by the look of him, to meander away down memory lane. After all, thought Weir, who was he to interrupt?

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"I think I found the beans." Catt said, returning with a couple sweet potatoes and jars in her arms. "There were a couple 'white-ish' jars of them, so I grabbed one of each."

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

The mention of beans and the scent of earth and sweet potatoes took him by the hand and gently led him back to the present.

He glanced at the various jars of beans and paused in surprise at seeing one almost identical to the ones familiar to his homeland, pointing to them with a finger.

"Those look like the right ones. 'Edarothi', they're called. Closest translation I can think of is earth-teeth, but 's not quite right. But I digress. Best thing about this soup is ya just kinda throw everything together and mix it in- gotta cut the pumpkin finely so it cooks down, then the milk and butter melt and meld, then the rest o' the stuff. An' it simmers for a while, then ya have soup warmth instead o' just body warmth."

The crowded fire dying down, bread baked in the embers. A door opening, met with fear and love alike. A quiet night for once, no teeth in the silent shadows.

Only a knife. Only blood. Only the wrong house and the wrong target, and the wrong people dead in the moonlight.

The soup was thickened by blood, rather than milk in the end.

He'd still eaten it. Hadn't really a choice in the matter- they hadn't eaten for days. He'd mourned later, alone, quiet, cramped. Too small for his skin.

He fell silent again, slightly pale.

Memories were falling off shelves, glass bottles shattering against the floor and walls.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

"Excellent," said Weir.

He'd just picked up a knife for the ham hock when he noticed a shift in the other man's emotional state...and complexion.

"Charricthran..." asked Lewis with sudden concern, "what's the matter?"

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt watched in concern, unsure if she should continue with her plan to return the unneeded jars, or to stay and see if her support was needed.

The hesitation decided for her as she stayed put in the kitchen.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

The wrong people dead in the moonlight, the flash of a knife in the firelight, the flash of a knife-

The flash of a knife.

Lewis.

Sage and rosemary and ham and smoke and embers and-

No.

"I... Ah. Forgot. Didn't meanta. Forgot though. Xsiol. Give me a tick an' a half, would ya?"

Distant. Static. High-pitched whines. He was gritting his teeth, pain in his jaw, creaking in his jaw. Kept the screams and soup down.

If he stayed still, the storm would pass him by. If he stayed still, he'd stay in the eye of it.

If he stayed still, he'd never move forward.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Take as long as you need," replied Lewis, brows raising together in the middle.

He wanted to lay a steadying hand on Charricthran's shoulder, to reassure him somehow...but then he recalled how Alice had reacted when she'd been in a state and he'd approached.

I'll not make that mistake again.

Instead, he simply stayed put, setting the knife aside and looking...anywhere else, really.

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt hesitated a moment longer, before hurriedly returning the jars to their rightful shelves in the cellar and returning.

Concern evident on her own face as well.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

If he stayed still, he'd never move forward.

He'd been running forward, though. Away, at the very least. Was it possible to run away backwards?

Sooner or later everything left or was taken from him, so wasn't it better to leave it first?

He should leave. He should stand still, stay in the eye, stay put where the knife wasn't gleaming and the smell of sage and rosemary was comfort rather than consternation.

H̬̭̼e̢̳͎̤͓ ̛͍͚̙̖̝sho̸uld̴ ̸ lea͙̩̘͔v̱̬̜e.

Sensation snapped back to attention like a wire's retaliation, cut free from tension.

Charricthran came back to himself in stages. He blinked, the joints in his fingers unhinged their frozen selves, he remembered to breathe again (he actually needed to this time).

He flashed a grin again, the gesture not quite meeting his eyes.

"Sorry 'bout that. Hasn't happened in a while. Don't usually forget stuff like this, y'see?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Charricthran..." said Weir, coming toward him in a gentle and nonthreatening manner, "what happened there?"

He ventured a hand upon his friend's shoulder, met his gaze with compassion, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"You can tell me. It's alright."

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Not knowing what she could possibly do to help, Catt watched from her position at the far end of the counter. Her hands worriedly flicking and twitching at each other until she tucked them inside a two-handed fist.

Why was she so useless in these kinds of situations?

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran instinctually broke the eye contact, but just as instinctually leaned ever so slightly in to the touch, seeking a better way of grounding himself than just trying to pull thoughts from threads.

After all, that was also how you unraveled things.

Then again, in unraveling something, you might also find out something.

Flip of the coin.

The coin, however, had two heads.

"I ah, remembered the last time I'd had this soup. Home wasn't peaceful, an' political machinations an' unrest was common. An assassin had been sent to take the fellas next door for a ride in their shoes, 'cept he got the address mixed up."

"I was chuffed 'cos I had stolen the bone we needed to make the soup, and it was a secret 'tween me and my mother. My old man would've gotten right pissed, see, so we got the whole thing set up 'forehand."

"He walked through the door, something peeled itself from the shadows, and then I was havin' my soup with blood instead o' milk."

"All I smelled was sage an' rosemary. Mum hadn't gotten around to addin' the herbs yet."

Distance and perspective. More distance still.

Shrill ringing, still stinging, rhythm that would beat until...

When?

He was sliding again. The crunch of bone lasting weeks, sucking the marrow dry.

Distant, underwater.

He needed to be on ground. Grounded.

He was breathing quickly again. Shaking.

Curious.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Charricthran, I'm..." began Lewis.

A moment's hesitation.

Hell with it.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," he said, wrapping the other in a tight embrace. "So sorry you went through--I lost my mother, too, when I was young; it's--"

Tears filled his eyes as he cut himself off.

"I'm sorry."

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt stared at the two of them, blindsided by Charricthran's tragedy, Dr. Weir's crying, and the unpleasant bitter taste that crept up in the back of her throat.

This was supposed to be something nice, not hurtful. She considered closing herself in the cellar, so she wouldn't be able to interfere with the moment, but then thought that might be taken as a lack of concern.

Torn between too many emotions, she hugged herself tightly, and shut her eyes in silence.

Useless...

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

He blinked owlishly, the breath leaving him in a heavy rush.

Different emotions rained down on him like a torrent of bullets, biting and clawing out chunks of something vital to him on the way down.

Fear, grief, regret, despair, and the lingering guilt that if he had done something, they'd... Well, not be alive today, certainly, but perhaps he might have turned out better than he was.

Perhaps not. Probably not.

In Lewis' arms, he shook softly to pieces.

He held a handful of terror in his breath when he couldn't speak for several long moments, then that too was scattered to the wind. But what could he say? That he was sorry too? For what, then- falling apart in front of him again? For having one more jagged edge in common?

He was both of those, of course, and so many other things without names.

Time passed in minute twitches and tears running rings around his eyes. Only one tear traced its way onto the floor, landing with a muted splash that was so similar to the sound of blood falling from a knife, he couldn't help but flinch.

Eventually, he gently stepped back, wiping the remaining moisture from his eyes with a sniff and a sheepish chuckle.

"Hadn't meant ta throw good mood out the window, sorry. I'd rather focus on havin' good sorts o' memories with this soup anyways. It fits with the taste better."

He rubbed the back of his neck again, feeling the feather-like texture rub against the pads of his fingertips.

Definitely a nervous tic, that.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"If you felt something, you needed to, Charricthran," said Lewis after a moment, pulling out his pocket square to wipe at his own face. The cloth, like the rest of his raiment, was black in color.

"But you're right. Let's get back to cooking, eh?"

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt nodded and move to...to do something with the jar of beans. Open it probably.

Dang it, why wouldn't her hands stop shaking.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran bit down on the more pessimistic thoughts he had regarding that particular matter. After all, people tended to do what they wanted, not what they needed.

Who was he to say he needed anything?

Except... Lewis had been right more often than not, and he wasn't accustomed to all the light, sound, colors, smells, textures- all the potential... flags that could be raised. Red ones that started everything shaking apart, obviously.

The man probably knew what he was talking about.

More things to deal with, then.

"Let's, yeah." He flashed a wobbly grin, still unaccustomed to feeling muscles pull and stretch after so, so long.

It was then that he glanced at Catt, and it was then he recognized her behavior.

Quiet, shaking hands, closing off. His danthe-kornari had done the same when he or Keldra had had a memory slip free like that. The both of them did the same thing when the little one woke up screaming from nightmares that would make even the most jaded of adults flinch and pale.

They had all wanted to help. They had all never known how to. They all learned that sometimes, just being there was enough.

As it was this time.

He crossed the distance between them slowly, hesitantly holding out his hand for the jar of beans.

"Want me to help, danthe?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis busied himself separating the meat from the bone of the ham hock, situating his body strategically to block Charricthran's view of the knife.

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt nodded again, the motion jerked with hesitation as she held out the jar. Her gaze rested between the floor, and somewhere on the far side of the planet as she pulled him into a hug.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran wrapped his free arm around her and squeezed gently, trying his best to convey with actions what he couldn't with words.

It was all right. She didn't need to say anything. She was here, and that was perfect on its own.

After a handful of moments he popped the lid on the jar, setting it aside. He actually got the herbs from their place on the spice rack and began tearing the leaves into fine slices.

He allowed the corners of his lips to turn up as an overwhelming sensation of contentedness slowly began to melt away the chilling numbness.

Were he inclined to sing rather than watch other sing, he would've started humming something. Anything to keep the buzzing silence away for a handful of moments longer.

They were doing a decent jar of it so far.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis finished his task, put the knife away, and placed the bone into the pot.

"What shall I do next?" he asked, a pleasant smile upon his face.

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Catt looked at Charricthran, unsure of what else needed to be done for this soup. Let alone how to do it.

"Should I g-get the dishes ready for eating?"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran smiled and nodded at Catt. "Sure thing. Just set 'em somewhere out o' the way so I don't accidentally knock 'em over 'fore we actually get the soup made. I've already taken out a stand of armor forgettin' I don't pass through things right now."

He chuckled sheepishly at the memory. "Which reminds me, I need ta go back and fix that. I'm pretty sure the knight's head is on backwards."

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, remembering Lewis' question.

"We never found a pumpkin, did we? Hrm. If there's squash in the cellar, that works as a replacement so long as you have extra potatoes. Which also still need to be... c-cut. Ahem."

The memory of light glinting off steel held him captured for half a moment before he managed to pull himself free again, smile still in place.

"You can cut the potatoes if you want, Lewis. I'm gonna duck out an' see if I can't find somethin' ta work with in the pantry."

There was an awkward pause as Charricthran tried to reach towards the Shifting Paths before he remembered his odd circumstance.

"Oop. Right. Need ta walk places now." With that odd sentence, he spun gracefully on his heel and began his search for produce. He resolutely did not keep poking and prodding at the temporarily-healed hurt like a scabbed wound, and he equally as resolutely did not stuff his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking.

He did, however, get distracted from not doing those other two things by realizing he could probably take his jacket and the like off now, rather than just... making it melt away.

He continued looking, far too entertained by the thought.

(The flash of a knife in the moonlight, the flash of a smile in the sunlight)

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"I'll, ah...get to it, then," rejoined Lewis. Making every effort to use his own body to shield it from Charricthran's sight, he took a different blade from the block of knives on the counter.

He prepared the potatoes as Catt laid out the dishware and Charricthran searched for an appropriate squash.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Five minutes slipped through his fingertips. Then ten, then fifteen.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed before Charricthran realized he had been walking in near-circles as he marveled over the simplest of things: The sound of his footsteps on the floor, the sound of his heart beating and his lungs breathing, the texture of the walls and the smell of dust in the air.

The sensation of static electricity pressing down on his neck, passing with an almost-smile.

He was in the pantry now. There was a pumpkin tucked in the corner of the room.

...

He wasn't sure why the pumpkin made him suspicious, but it did. He took it anyways, the smell of the ripe fruit bringing a faint smile to his face.

Time slipped sideways through his fingers, and he was standing near Catt with the pumpkin, not entirely certain of the path he had taken back.

He decided that the iron-copper taste in the back of his tightened throat was probably a bit of fear, and he chuckled.

He was never so terribly human as when he was afraid.

Time started slipping sideways again, static fuzzing at the edge of his vision. He tried to shake it off, rapping his knuckles against the pumpkin in an attempt to get sound and texture to anchor him. It worked, partly. The static abated slightly and he found he could breathe just a bit easier.

He just wanted some damn soup. He was gonna have some soup if he had to go back in time and fight the accursed assassin himself.

He set the pumpkin on the countertop after a moment and began looking for butter and milk without another word.

This time, his hands were the ones shaking. He was still smiling.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Oh, you found a pumpkin," remarked Lewis with a trace of surprise.

It's a New World food.

Then again, so are the potatoes.

He shrugged it off, reasoning this dimension might have taken a different path from his own. Perhaps the pumpkin's popularity had crossed the Atlantic.

It certainly wouldn't be the strangest occurrence today.

"By the by," he asked as the thought occurred to him, "do you know if anyone else in the Society's human? I'm afraid I haven't ventured very far in."

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Catt Hatter  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Not that I've seen." Catt murmured, subconsciously rubbing her arm. All that running away in the dark, it was hardly surprising that she'd run into things. But at least none of them had been alive, and Simon (or at least what she hoped had been Simon,) was okay in his pen.

"Granted, I couldn't actually see much in this dark haze." She waved her hand through the air, sending green spirals drifting after it.

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Jekyll1886  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Do you think that's what's turned people--"

He cut himself off as a wave of primal distress sliced through him like a knife blade.

He dropped everything he was doing, grabbed his walking stick, and bolted from the kitchen without so much as a word.

In a matter of seconds, he'd flown to Hela's room.

He turned the key in the lock, and threw wide the door without a second thought.

((Helen Jekyll ))

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

A few beats after Lewis had vanished from the kitchen, there was a loud, heavy thud of something hitting the floor, followed by muffled yells.

---

Within the room, several pieces of furniture had been toppled over, including one of the bookshelves.

On top of the other bookshelf perched Hela like a cat, rather distraught and clutching a potted plant to her chest.

The fog seemed to have changed her as it had so many others, though the result was not nearly so monstrous.

Soft, loose curls of a rich earth brown framed her face and her eyes, now wide and panicked, had a hue more deep Hyacinth-violet than her usual icy blue.

Her new sleek and lithe form appeared naturally graceful, with the ease at which she balanced atop the shelf.

The source of her distress was a small, ember colored dragon that sat below her, its head cocked to one side and smoke trailing from its nose.

"GO AWAY! YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM, THEY'RE MINE! GO COMMIT ARSON ELSEWHERE!" She cried at the beast, hugging the pot tighter, "THIS PLANT ISN'T FOR YOU!"

Still, the dragon simply watched and listened, tail lazily swishing in the green mist.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago • edited

"What the Hell?" said Weir, stopping short as he crossed the threshold.

He looked up.

"Hela?"

He caught a whiff of dragon-smoke.

"Oh! Bugger! 'Tis a wee dragon!" he exclaimed with a start, raising his cane by reflex.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

At first the small beast peered at Lewis in a quiet, almost hopeful manner, but at the sudden movement of his cane, it jumped back with a surprised puff of smoke.

Lowering its body to the ground, it tried to retreat to beneath Hela's bed, watching him and letting out a noise like a whine.

Hela dropped from the bookshelf, landing easily on her feet, and darted behind Lewis

"Don't hurt it, just don't let it get my plant!" She told him quickly, peeking from around his back.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"All...right..." agreed Lewis, still a bit bewildered. He cautiously lowered his cane.

"Let's...back out slowly, then."

Now that the initial moment of surprise had passed, he was able to get a better read on the little dragon's energy.

"Bloody Hell... Is that...Leo?" he wondered aloud.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Leo?" echoed Hela in surprise, blinking as the dragon disappeared beneath her bed. "I... guess it could be him..."

After a moments hesitation, she stepped out from behind Lewis and returned to her perch on the bookshelf in a burst of motion, setting the plant down where it would (hopefully) be out of harms reach.

Then, after lingering a moment longer to ensure it'd be alright and breathing a few soft words, she jumped back down.

"Here, kitty-kitty..."

She clucked her tongue lightly as she approached the bed.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Lewis approached the bed as well, but not directly.

Instead, he stood to the side, at the ready, just in case something should happen.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Dropping to her knees, Hela tapped the ground twice then held out her hand, palm up.

"It's alright, you can come on out," She said gently, glancing briefly at Lewis, "The big scary man won't hurt you."

After a moment, the dragon crept out of its hiding place and came to sit in front of Hela, resting its head in her upturned palm.

She immediately broke into a grin and stroked his scales with her other hand, murmuring affectionately.

"Aw, that's a good boy... God, you're so warm now... Poor thing, I didn't mean to yell at you... I'm sorry about that.. You were just so fearsome I didn't recognize you..."

Leo the dragon made a rumbling sound in his throat, nuzzling into the touch and breathing happy puffs of smoke.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Lewis chuckled quietly at her description of him.

He beheld Hela and the cuddly dragon with wonder and contentment, the sight rather endearing, for all its strangeness.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Hela kept petting Leo, perfectly happy, only pausing when his tail twitched.

"Had enough already?" She asked softly, with the hint of a laugh.

The dragon fidgeted slightly and made a sound deep in his throat.

"Ah, alright then. You can go," She pressed her forehead to his muzzle, eyes closed, then released him. "I'm sure there's loads of new things you're getting used to."

Leo's tongue flickered out to lap at her skin, then he wandered away to sniff about the room, giving Lewis a wide berth.

Seeming to have only just remembered he was there, Hela stood and faced Lewis with a childish grin.

"Mornin', doctor. I see you're late and you didn't bring breakfast. Hope you have a good excuse."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Not unless you count wading through hordes of monsters to get here and the fact that we currently have no kitchen staff as a valid reason," he rejoined.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Surprise flickered in her violet eyes, but she recovered quickly, giggling as she stepped forward.

"Fair enough..." conceded Hela with a laugh, her voice like warm honey, and she dipped her head to one side.

"I suppose I can let it slide, I'm not hungry anyways, for once," She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair, "Though I might have to try and feed Leo at some point..."

Something between hope and anxiety sparked in her eyes as she fell silent, looking for all the world like she wanted to ask something but simply couldn't work up the nerve.

Instead, she ducked her gaze, watching Leo sniff at the fallen bookshelf, her brow furrowed slightly.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago • edited

"Would you like to come with him to the kitchen, Hela?" asked Lewis. "So long as you don't harm any lodgers, I'd be fine with it. Catt and Charricthran are making soup, and there's some ham you could give to Leo."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

At that, she chuckled.

"You think I'd ever let you take him without me?" answered Hela, though internally she breathed a sigh of relief.

He would let her go.

Don't harm any Lodgers...I wonder if he counts himself as a Lodger.

Her head tilted to the other side.

And if he's still stronger and faster... and if I could take him down...

She certainly felt more than capable, practically drunk on the power in her veins...which couldn't exactly be helping her think rationally.

Curiosity suddenly flared into mischief. Only one way to find out.

Without another thought, she lunged at Lewis, seeking to topple him into the floor.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

He made no move to resist, though he did grab her as he toppled backward.

They landed on the floor in a heap, Hela atop him.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Now what, dearie?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

She let out a squeak of surprise, her eyes widening, then burst into laughter.

"Aha! You've made a mistake, dragging me down with you! Now you can't get up, unless I allow it!"

Her grin stretched from ear to ear, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration.

"You're stuck..."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

A lopsided smile quirked his mouth, his hands still around Hela's midsection.

"So are you."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

She opened her mouth to argue, then paused.

Closed her mouth, brow creasing.

Thought for a long moment.

"...I'll climb off of you, if you let me go?" She offered with a tilt of her head and a grin tinted with obvious pride, arms crossed and resting on his chest.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Certainly," he agreed, releasing his hold.

"And if you feel like it, we can take Leo and go to the kitchen for that ham."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

"Alright, but..."

An impish chuckle as she jumped to her feet and offered him a hand up.

"There's something I want to do first."

Her lips curved into an unguarded grin as she echoed Helen's words from so many months before.

((The words in reference are from here, in what is usually called the Field Trip Rp. ^-^

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

A little surprised, he nonetheless accepted the hand up.

"What is it?" he asked as he rose.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Oh, nothing, just..."

She tightened her grip on his hand and tugged him closer, quickly wrapping him in an embrace, her eyes glittering with triumph as she looked up at him.

"Trapping you again... this time, I'm in charge!"

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Oh, heavens," he remarked with an amused, good-natured smile as he hugged her back. "I've fallen into your snare. Whatever shall I do?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Beg for mercy, doctor," She suggested, puffing out her chest as she spoke, "And I just might let you go..."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Heh," he laughed, giving her a squeeze. "I suppose I have no choice, then, do I?"

She smells of hyacinth, he noted fondly.

Affecting a purposefully melodramatic air, he declared:

"Oh, Hela, keeper of the dread dragon Leo, I do beseech thee, have mercy upon this strange and unwholesome doctor, caught within thy binding snare."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

A grin, dark and satisfied, stretched across her face...yet the youthful sparkle in her eyes held no malice.

"Well, since you've asked so nicely..." chuckled Hela in a near purr, releasing him with a dip of her head.

"Do take care not to be trapped again... Next time I may not be so kind."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"To tempt your wrath a second time would indeed be quite foolish. And yet I do find myself a veritable magnet for trouble. Mayhap I might make amends with provisions for thine fearsome charge," he stated with a brief glance at Leo.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Puzzlement clouded her expression and she furrowed her brows slightly, visibly working to piece together what he had said.

Then, her eyes brightened with comprehension and she was grinning once more.

"Ah, yes... You promised ham, didn't you?" She recalled, following his gaze. "Heh... Alright, I'll accept your offering, provided we can even get him downstairs."

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Very well," he agreed.

He moved to the door, checked that no one was approaching, stepped through, and held it open for Hela...and Leo, if the latter deigned to come.

"After you, milady."

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Ariadne woke in the middle of the night at the sound of beating wings in her ears. Only when she turned on a gas lamp could she see that the wings were her own; attached to her back. They were from a magpie, but had grown from her scapula bones and were flapping rapidly in panic. She screamed.

It was only a few minutes later did she noticed another strange thing; the room's slight misty tinge of green. At first she believed that perhaps one of her containers had leaked; but then she would've felt its effects. But she had felt nothing. Apart from the revelation that she had wings on her back, Ariadne felt pretty fine.

Ariadne went out into the hallway and noticed a flashlight beam coming from down the hallway.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Do you know what's going on?"

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Catt Hatter  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago

Hearing an unfamiliar voice, the light turned and bolted away down the dark corridor, soft footfalls retreating into the gloom. Turning a corner, the light disappeared.

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Hey! Wait!" Ariadne called after the light, running after it. "I just want to talk to you! Something strange has happened to me! I just wanted to see if anything else has happened!"

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Catt Hatter  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago

"It'll be gone by tomorrow! Don't eat me!" A shrill, terrified voice called back, immediately followed by silence, and darkness.

The haze drifted lazily along the floor.

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"I'm not going to eat you! Why would I?!" Ariadne called back after the brief moment. "Hello?"

Her wings had finally calmed down. Gone by tomorrow? Now that I have them, they might be quite useful... Could I? No, they'd have to beat every millisecond to lift me up... I'm not going to find that out to my own cost.

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Dr. H. Griffin  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago

((Catt Hatter ?))

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Catt Hatter  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago

((Yes?))

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

((Are we just leaving it there?))

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Catt Hatter  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago

((I had thought so? Sorry. I've been really busy lately.

On the plus side, now you can see who else you might encounter! If she wanders, she might encounter my zombie-fied Sozo, but he will try to eat her, and, I'd rather not have him end up dead.))

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

((And I'm assuming you write him?))

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Catt Hatter  Dr. H. Griffin • 2 years ago • edited

((Yup.

So, if you were wanting Ariadne to encounter him, I'd need you to promise not to kill him or mess him up too badly. Or just have her "conveniently doge" every attack.

I can promise that any damage Sozo causes would be superficial and easily fixed with a band-aid and an ice pack. I ain't about to mess someone up without two metric tones of permission, and three of encouragement.))

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Dr. H. Griffin  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

((She's a strict pacifist, and she has this thing with her eyes that can knock out a person if they are concentrated too much. Ariadne's only really hit someone once, and that's because Griffin deserved it. I promise that Ariadne will not to kill him, mess him up too badly or even hurt him. She's just confused.))

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Alicia Ghast • 2 years ago

Alicia woke up early morning. Time to start the day! She went to grab the blankets and pull them off and her hand just... went through them. She sat there for a moment, then tried again. Again, nothing happened. "Wh- what the... Nyx?? Help??"

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Nyx Silverfang  Alicia Ghast • 2 years ago • edited

Nyx stirred slightly on her bed, sighing heavily and sitting up

"Alicia, we've talked about this... It's too early..." She murmured, her voice slurred with sleep as she scrubbed at her eyes. "What's wrong...? "

With a yawn, her eyes still half closed, she began to stretch... only to find something was very, very wrong.

"My wings!" The two words came out in a sharp hiss as she scrambled to feel at her back.

They were gone. There wasn't even any nubs, only... smooth skin.

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Alicia Ghast  Nyx Silverfang • 2 years ago

Alicia decided to try to sit up, and she went through the blanket. "Well... that's... weird..." she mumbled. She looked up at Nyx, frowning. "What happened? Are they gone?"

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Nyx Silverfang  Alicia Ghast • 2 years ago

"Y-Y-Yeah..." Her body trembled as badly as her voice, her hands dropping limp at her sides.

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Alicia Ghast  Nyx Silverfang • 2 years ago

She looked around the room. "How could they...? Who could've cut them off, what happened...?"

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Nyx Silverfang  Alicia Ghast • 2 years ago

"I-I d-don't k-" She cut off as she looked up at Alicia for the first time that morning, temporarily forgetting her own worries as her eyes went wide.

"A-Alicia, you're see-through!"

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Alicia Ghast  Nyx Silverfang • 2 years ago

Alicia blinked and looked at her hand.

"Oh. There's probably something funky going on."

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Nyx Silverfang  Alicia Ghast • 2 years ago

"Probably?!"

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep, slow breath.

"It's okay... I'm sure there's... some way to fix this..."

She opened her eyes and looked back to Alicia.

"So you're a... ghost... spirit... thingy... and..." A glance to her hands. "I guess I'm fully human..."

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Alicia Ghast  Nyx Silverfang • 2 years ago

She looked around at the room, and finally noticed the green fog. She suddenly remembered last year, with everyone turning into monsters. "Oh!" She gasped and laughed. "It'll be fine, Nyx. We should already have the cure, this happened last year!"

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Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

In his bed in his flat, Lewis awoke in a bit of a state, but quickly shook it off.

He prepared for the day as usual, and made his way to the Society.

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Mz.Hyde Mod  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

* When Lewis reached the society, Mz. Hyde opened the front door for him, ever cheerful as always.*

Hi Lewis! You ready for another great day at the Society for Arcane Sciences?!

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chatterghosts • 2 years ago

When at first Elias awoke, just before dawn, he'd barely noticed the change - he attributed his sallow skin to dim lighting, a trick of the eyes.

He didn't even realize the fog on the floor was slowing his thought processes. (But, to be fair, it was in direct effect of this he didn't even realize the fog on the floor.)

All he could really tell in his state was that he was hungry - almost irreparably so, with the almost supernatural way his stomach twisted and tugged with near-starving pains... despite the fact that he'd eaten the night before.

But those thoughts were far from his mind now. Now, he began to wander the halls in search of some sort of food. Even though his cognizance was fading fast, he was sure that was one thing he could rely on.

Unfortunately, his lack of awareness meant he didn't fully grasp the deep, metallic clunks behind him.

(( Tairais ;3 ))

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago • edited

Thunk, clank, thunk, clank.

Everything seemed distant yet sharp, as if watching the world from the wrong end of a telescope.

Everything snapped into focus when he rounded the corner and saw Elias. He tilted his head and heard the whirring of gears as his body followed his commands a handful of seconds later.

Slow. Elegant. A ballet dance underwater.

There wasn't enough room in his mind for anything more than one thought at a time.

Mylimasis.

He walked forward and reached out, hesitating when he saw the blade-like appendages that extended instead of his usual hands.

Everything went distant and sharp, calculating.

Fog. The green fog. A similar memory from a year ago, a different form then.

He kept waiting to feel fear or anger. Something other than this detached, almost.. mechanical blankness.

Experience indicated he should find humor at the fact, considering he was mechanical, moreso now than he was when he was human.

He tucked his arms closer to himself, warning bells chiming to tell him he would hurt Elias if he touched him.

Something in his wiring and gears sparked and snapped almost angrily at the thought. Anger wasn't the right word, though. Nor bitterness, nor irritation.

Sadness was more accurate, but not quite.

He focused on following Elias, waiting for his footsteps to reach him, noting the green smoke.

Logic dictated something had happened. There was no protocol for what to do next.

Thunk, clank, thunk, clank.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias turned ever-so-slowly, giving a small, throaty grunt in lieu of the words that were rapidly escaping him.

Glassy eyes widened just barely at the sharp-looking clockwork looming over him - - his sense of danger was dulled, but not gone quite yet. He drew back with another strangled groan, leaning against the wall to try and speed walk away.

(It wasn't working.)

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard tilted his head in confusion, lacking the muscles to frown.

He took another step forward, then hesitated. He didn't have the ability to write anything to Elias, and the glassy state of the man's eyes suggested that his effort might end up worthless even if he did have the ability to.

Which left what?

He froze, gears whirling away as he tried to think, tried to think, tried to think but he was stuck.

Which left what?

He righted his head and began walking after him slowly, as softly as he could manage. He kept his limbs folded in on each other, trying different processes to do something, anything to try and get Elias' attention.

He eventually managed to produce a low, birdlike whistle. Surprise rendered him immobilized but relieved.

It was a start, at least.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

There was nothing inherently familiar about the noise Richard had made, and Elias found it rather... irritating. He snarled and snapped like a distressed animal, slowly covering and clawing at his ears.

Don't like. Don't like.

And so, so hungry.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard would've sighed if he had the ability to.

As it was, he didn't.

Stuck, stuck. Whirring and spinning- what now? What now?

He almost whistled again in frustration, but managed to halt the process before it completed. It hadn't worked the first time, so it likely wouldn't work the second time.

Follow Elias? To what end?

Perhaps persistence would win out. At the very least, he could keep Elias safe. He didn't look too terribly aware of.. anything, really.

He kept following Elias.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias paused there for far too long a moment, before lifting his head to the monstrous figure behind him and letting out an almost pained growl and holding a hand over his stomach. Feral, hazy, and somehow still desperately hungry.

He was begging for food, in his own strange way.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Ah.

That certainly made things simpler. A task he could complete to the best of his ability.

Familiar voices filtered from downstairs. Charricthran-Kothar. Lewis. Catt.

...

Best to avoid them while the pair of them were like this.

He did, however turn to gaze over the balcony overseeing the main hall for a handful of seconds. He nodded a semi-sort-of-greeting, slow, elegant, eerie.

Clockwork.

Righting himself, he jerked his head towards a different direction, indicating that Elias should follow him.

Surely there was someone that wouldn't be missed in this large building of theirs. Even Charricthran didn't know half of the people in it, and that bird made it his business to know as much as possible.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias stood still for a moment, before moaning and muttering and falling into slow, heaving step behind him.

To his mind, the sharp clockwork man was no longer a threat - he'd had his chances, hadn't he?

Hopefully he'd just...lead him in the direction of some damned food.

He wasn't sure what food he was really seeking, but he was bound to figure it out at some point.

Probably.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

He led them down, into the depths of the Society's morgue.

It was as good a place to hide as any, and isolated enough that whatever.. sounds might arise from this excursion would be swallowed by the yards of carpet and wood and tile on their way towards listening ears.

As they rounded the last corner, he thought he could hear footsteps frantically trying to flee their approach with as much silence as they could muster.

Unfortunately for them, that wasn't much. It especially wasn't enough when they crashed into what sounded like one of the metal tables, sending it skittering across the floor.

He continued his slow, measured traipse towards the sound.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Though his pace couldn't get much faster than a shamble, something within Elias visibly shifted as he caught the sound of metal screeching on the floor.

His hunger became almost ravenous and his humanity all but vanished - he was graceless in the way he lurched around the corner.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard allowed himself to hang back as Elias' hunger transformed him and sent him prowling after his prey.

Blood and viscera in the gears that currently made up his body would not be helpful.

...

He couldn't help but get the feeling he should be feeling something other than an eerily pleasant calm.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Several minutes of hunger-fueled savagery, and yet it was gone in an instant. The twisting pains in his gut dwindled and ultimately receded.

He whimpered.

Something was wrong. So, so very wrong. He knew that much, though he couldn't for the life of him place just what.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

There was quite a bit of blood.

Oh dear.

It seemed now that he'd made that first sound of his, he could reach for his hidden voice more easily. A low almost-hoot filled the air as he tilted his head inquisitively.

A thousand questions for which he had no proper voice to ask. That much hadn't changed, at least.

And ever on beat his clockwork heart.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias peered over his shoulder, glassy eyes shining with fear.

Fear for what?

He couldn't tell. Something in him cried that this was wrong, this was so very wrong! and he was only able to listen to the call through metal doors - it was still there, just muffled.

What did I do? he wanted to ask. What have I done?

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The Fox • 2 years ago

( I love the idea of this but if I may ask, where is part 1 of this? Would anyone have a link? :o)

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Catt Hatter  The Fox • 2 years ago

(Part one was the Fandom Art showcase, the story actually starts here. Just mentioned the premise last week so people would have time to brainstorm. ^u^)

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The Fox  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago • edited

( Aah ok! Thank you! I should've been more specific, but I was actually asking about the monster mash one! You mentioned it was from last year, so I went to look for it but couldn't find it.

EDIT: Nevermind, I found it! )

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Catt Hatter  The Fox • 2 years ago

(Yeah, it'd be quite the hunt to go that far back. Maybe try the Wiki archive?)

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The Fox  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

( That's what I ended up doing! XDDD Even then, I was lucky to find it so quickly. I certainly chose the right character profile for sure. )

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Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago • edited

Hela sat in bed, staring at her hands, a lazy grin on her face.

Usually, she'd have been up and her counterpart in control by now, but this morning she felt no rush nor the threat of Lewis's displeasure.

Something's different, She realized, blinking once, twice, grinning wider, Something's changed.

Perhaps this should've alarmed her, but for once, there was no fear in her heart.

With a sudden burst of excitement, she practically lept from her bed, letting out a sound of delight at how effortless the movement was.

She felt positively alive with energy, her form buzzing pleasantly with what seemed to be a boundless reserve of it.

I could do anything, like this, She decided with a thrill, but before she could act on the newfound freedom, a strange feeling began to tug on her awareness, as if someone was calling her name wordlessly.

With a curious tilt of her head, Hela turned and began to follow the sensation... and giggled softly to herself as she discovered Helen's violet torenia to be the source of it.

Hello there, lovely. She thought warmly.

She rubbed one of its leaves affectionately, letting out another giggle as the flower seemed to lean into her touch.

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MillieGriffin • 2 years ago

Millie awoke to the whole building sounding like some sick zoo, groans, growls, and terrified screams surrounded her. In fact everything seemed louder than normal, unbearably so. All her senses felt thrice as sensitive then they usually were which made the world around her a torture to her.

I know I didn't have anything to drink last night... she thought as she got up to look in the mirror.

For some reason she had woken up in her beast form. That wasn't so unusual, but there was still something off, her ears were even longer and her eyes even larger, and rounder than usual. She looked around the room and saw the green mist on the floor that came from the door to the room that was wide open. She wondered where her uncle could be when a sharp yet familiar pain shot across her body and she collapsed to the ground. The first thing that changed was her arms that split long way from in between her middle and ring finger up to her shoulders and became tendril like it their movement. The bottom part of her face stretched into a long snout and several more long dagger like fangs grew out of her jaws, giveing her mouth an angler fish look. Two ivory white horns sprouted out of her forehead and back behind her head. Her hair became like porcupine quills and her neck grew long. Her spine stretched and arched just under the shoulders where a pair of wings sprouted that looked like a mix between insect and bat. A long reptilian tail grew at the base of her spine with a hooked claw at the end, and her toes became long and webbed.

With these changes Millie let out an agonized roar, even after it was all over and she was now this hellish looking monster her pain wouldn't cease. The genome deviant virus that was still in her system was rioting against this new form and relentlessly worked to put everything back to it's previous state. Millie was writhing on the floor roaring, sobbing, and wailing, every fiber of her being felt like it was being shredded by red hot blades and almost every sensation was torture to her.

With an effort Millie forced herself off the floor and staggered her way out of the room. She wandered the halls in desperate search for someone, anyone who could possibly help her. She didn't care who it was just so long as they could make it stop. She stumbled a few times and howled in pain. Finally she approached someone, and when she recognized the scent as her uncle's she charged up to him with hopeful exuberance.

Griffin was having some trouble with his holograms for some reason. Different patches all over his body would switch through different layers of systems, from normal skin, to his muscular system, to a skeleton, and circulatory, and digestive, and so on and so forth. He lad left to see if there was anything that could fix it but of course there everything here was useless to him. The sight of this disheveled unrecognizable beast charging towards gave him cause to draw a revolver out and take aim at the creature.

Millie halted just a yard away from him at the sight of the weapon. All her hope turned to dismay in an instant and she wailed out in a completely inhuman voice, "G-GRRIIIFFIIN...?", she then dropped back to the ground with a quivering breath.

For a time Millie's uncle stood there confused by the beast until realisation hit him and he lowered the gun. "The hell? Millie!?"Griffin stooped down to get a better look at the monster.

Millie looked up at him, the pain visible on her face."I-IT ALL HURTS... IT- IT ALL HUUURRRTS...! UNCLE... I-IS THIS...PERMANENT...?

"I don't know, child...perhaps?" Griffin said legitimately at a lose of what to do about this. What could he do?

"I DON'T WANT... IF THIS IS PERMANENT... I-I DON'T WANT TO LIIIIVE! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS!" the beast howled in anguish.

At first Griffin sat silent... then put a hand against Millie's cheek, the beast tried to nuzzled into the palm as best she could. Then Griffin put the barrel of the gun against her forehead. Millie looked back up at her uncle for a moment then with tears streaming down her face she clenched her eyes shut. She heard him cock the gun.

It will be over quickly... She thought to herself, like getting a small shot...

see more

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Mz.Hyde Mod • 2 years ago

* As if things couldn't get any worse, there was a loud BOOM that rang throughout the buliding that came from upstairs.

And then THEY came.

Chattering and laughing and crying and screaming they flooded the society....HUNDREDS of them.

Or should I say, hundreds of HER.

There were hundreds of Mz. Hydes that flooded the halls, each of them with a distinct emotion. There were happy emotions like cheery, exictied, surprised, and happiness.

There were sad emotions like depression, sorrow, guilt, and sadness.

And so on and so forth.

For years they had been inside of her.

But now.....

NOW THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU.*

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