Main Event Brand of the Hawk

[Ver]

Virginia scowled as she was suddenly confronted with that all too familiar scent of rotting decay as she approached her door. A year traveling through the wastes, exploring supposedly ancient ruins and desecrated villages, had introduced her to it and made her quite intimate with it, and without even thinking, her hand drew one of her ARMs from its holster, ready for whatever laid beyond the door. "Sebastian, Ben, Libra? Could you help me push my door open, seems to be something blocking it," She called out back to the main room of the inn, eyeing up the door that remained stubbornly shut as she thought of bull rushing her way through as Gallows would, "I think it might be the cause for the scent around here... Libra, you've got anything experience dealing with bodies as a priest, right?"​

"I'll be back in a jiffy."

After recieving his answer and exchanging words with Sumia, Ben would come to Virginia's aid. Appearing before the door, he smacked his watch down.

"Fourarms!"

The four-armed red humanoid helped push the door with its immense strength.​

"I suppose a butler's duty is never done." Sebastian chimed as he stood up and approached said door.

Raising his right foot, Sebastian delivered several powerful kicks to it, trying to kick it down. Hopefully, combined with Ben's efforts as Four-Arms, they could take care of this problem rather quickly.​

As the door was forced open with their combined might, the room that awaited within held a rather disturbing sight. All over the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the bed, everywhere, words were written in red. One could only assume it was blood, written all over, as seen:

Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, it's raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and he couldn’t get up in the morning, Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well, there was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do, she gave them some broth without any bread, hen whipped them all soundly and put them to bed, Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, Cradle and all.

And on top of all that, where was the blood coming from? As the mass of words and rhymes ended, there began a trail of blood that led a few feet to the side, before where it led was evident.

A motionless body, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, hanging by a noose tied to the ceiling. Blood continued to drip from his body, but with his back facing the group, there was no telling where he might have had external wounds.

As the body was exposed to everyone, however, it didn't stay motionless for very long. Its head contorted, twisted on its own, as though the man were still alive. His head turned a clean 180 degrees, eyes completely blank white and devoid of features as it stared at the group upstairs, tilting its head as though examining them. Then... his lips contorted into a disgusting grin.

T H E R E

Y O U

A R E

The voice rung in their minds, but his mouth did not move. His arms began to move, reaching for the noose fastened around his neck, slowly beginning to untie it, and--

"Hey."

Suddenly, to the side, Guts was seen standing before them in the hall, looking down at the three with a lightly annoyed expression. That is, lightly more annoyed than he usually looked. He held a key in his hand, implying that he was also on his way into his own room.

"Are you guys... gonna move? You've just been standing there for a few seconds, staring blankly inside. The hell is even inside?" He inquired, peering to the side to peek in Virginia's room, and as the three diverted their attention from Guts back to the inside of the room, they only saw...

Nothing.

Just a completely normal, clean room. No body, no blood, nothing.

Ben would suddenly find himself in his human form, as though he'd never transformed. The door was in perfect condition still, as though it was not just practically smashed open. Could that all have been a hallucination? Couldn't have been if all three of them had it, right? But with nothing to show for it...

He began to move past them, but it was at that moment, just as suddenly, screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction. Now that, Guts certainly heard, as his head jerked over in that direction.

This screaming could be heard from Kokichi's exact position, but it was not Kokichi who was screaming at all.

Rather, the screaming came from his pants.

...

Specifically, his pocket, to be exact.

@Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

 

[Crow]

As the door was forced open with their combined might, the room that awaited within held a rather disturbing sight. All over the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the bed, everywhere, words were written in red. One could only assume it was blood, written all over, as seen:

Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, it's raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and he couldn’t get up in the morning, Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well, there was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do, she gave them some broth without any bread, hen whipped them all soundly and put them to bed, Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, Cradle and all.​

"Yeah, like I'm afraid of a bunch of nursery-"​

And on top of all that, where was the blood coming from? As the mass of words and rhymes ended, there began a trail of blood that led a few feet to the side, before where it led was evident.

A motionless body, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, hanging by a noose tied to the ceiling. Blood continued to drip from his body, but with his back facing the group, there was no telling where he might have had external wounds.

As the body was exposed to everyone, however, it didn't stay motionless for very long. Its head contorted, twisted on its own, as though the man were still alive. His head turned a clean 180 degrees, eyes completely blank white and devoid of features as it stared at the group upstairs, tilting its head as though examining them. Then... his lips contorted into a disgusting grin.

T H E R E

Y O U

A R E​

"AAAAHHH!"

What exactly that was a reaction to was unclear. Likely the entire room.​

The voice rung in their minds, but his mouth did not move. His arms began to move, reaching for the noose fastened around his neck, slowly beginning to untie it, and--

"Hey."

Suddenly, to the side, Guts was seen standing before them in the hall, looking down at the three with a lightly annoyed expression. That is, lightly more annoyed than he usually looked. He held a key in his hand, implying that he was also on his way into his own room.

"Are you guys... gonna move? You've just been standing there for a few seconds, staring blankly inside. The hell is even inside?" He inquired, peering to the side to peek in Virginia's room, and as the three diverted their attention from Guts back to the inside of the room, they only saw...

Nothing.

Just a completely normal, clean room. No body, no blood, nothing.

Ben would suddenly find himself in his human form, as though he'd never transformed. The door was in perfect condition still, as though it was not just practically smashed open. Could that all have been a hallucination? Couldn't have been if all three of them had it, right? But with nothing to show for it...

He began to move past them, but it was at that moment, just as suddenly, screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction. Now that, Guts certainly heard, as his head jerked over in that direction.

This screaming could be heard from Kokichi's exact position, but it was not Kokichi who was screaming at all. Rather, the screaming came from his pants.

...

Specifically, his pocket, to be exact.

@Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"Ah! Guts, you scared us- wait, where'd my other hands go?"

Ben was surprised to find that he was Ben again.

"Any of you heard the Omnitrix time out? It usually beeps a few times, then a light flashes in your eyes," Ben asked. "I could've sworn I was Fourarms... and it looks like I wasn't the only thing that wasn't red and intimidating to begin with."

The room was no longer blood-covered. It was a regular room.

Turning to Guts, he asked, "you saw me with four arms and four eyes just now, right?"

Something was fishy.

Anyways, when a scream was heard from Kokichi's room, Ben pursued. Turning to Virginia, he says, "share that with Constantine later and sleep in someone else's room tonight, preferably with two others."

And so they went to Kokichi.

"Another ghost- oh, must be that fairy guy. What was his name again? Muck? Guck? Succ?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

 

[Hida Tomonatsu]

As the door was forced open with their combined might, the room that awaited within held a rather disturbing sight. All over the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the bed, everywhere, words were written in red. One could only assume it was blood, written all over, as seen:

Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, it's raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and he couldn’t get up in the morning, Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well, there was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do, she gave them some broth without any bread, hen whipped them all soundly and put them to bed, Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, Cradle and all.

And on top of all that, where was the blood coming from? As the mass of words and rhymes ended, there began a trail of blood that led a few feet to the side, before where it led was evident.

A motionless body, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, hanging by a noose tied to the ceiling. Blood continued to drip from his body, but with his back facing the group, there was no telling where he might have had external wounds.

As the body was exposed to everyone, however, it didn't stay motionless for very long. Its head contorted, twisted on its own, as though the man were still alive. His head turned a clean 180 degrees, eyes completely blank white and devoid of features as it stared at the group upstairs, tilting its head as though examining them. Then... his lips contorted into a disgusting grin.

T H E R E

Y O U

A R E

The voice rung in their minds, but his mouth did not move. His arms began to move, reaching for the noose fastened around his neck, slowly beginning to untie it, and--

"Hey."

Suddenly, to the side, Guts was seen standing before them in the hall, looking down at the three with a lightly annoyed expression. That is, lightly more annoyed than he usually looked. He held a key in his hand, implying that he was also on his way into his own room.

"Are you guys... gonna move? You've just been standing there for a few seconds, staring blankly inside. The hell is even inside?" He inquired, peering to the side to peek in Virginia's room, and as the three diverted their attention from Guts back to the inside of the room, they only saw...

Nothing.

Just a completely normal, clean room. No body, no blood, nothing.

Ben would suddenly find himself in his human form, as though he'd never transformed. The door was in perfect condition still, as though it was not just practically smashed open. Could that all have been a hallucination? Couldn't have been if all three of them had it, right? But with nothing to show for it...

He began to move past them, but it was at that moment, just as suddenly, screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction. Now that, Guts certainly heard, as his head jerked over in that direction.

This screaming could be heard from Kokichi's exact position, but it was not Kokichi who was screaming at all.

Rather, the screaming came from his pants.

...

Specifically, his pocket, to be exact.

@Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"N-Nothing, sorry, Guts..." Virginia shook her head with an upset expression, trying to wipe away the caustic imagery from her mind. Even if the evidence was no longer painted onto the walls or hanging from the cieling, the Drifter knew what they had seen. Whatever beast wandered around this town, it knew they were here and were coming after it, and it was going to be just as troublesome as a Metal or Dream Demon in the pursuit, "Just know now that the innkeeper wasn't wrong to call that thing a rhyming demon."

Before she could explain her words or why she had her weapon drawn, the scream was heard and Virginia was on high-alert once again, eyes wide as she turned her head to the source, "Kokichi?!" After a moment, she realized that it couldn't be him screaming, given that his mouth was shut and he didn't seem to be giving his best attempt at busting glass, "What the heck is that?"


@Alex Azure @Crow @Ver @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

 

[Ver]

"Where I come from, there are spells utilized in staffs that can heal ailments, among other things." There was a bit of sinful pride in him now, rather proud of the feat he pulled. Fortunately...or unfortunately, it vanished as Luca admitted her true feelings about the situation. Libra hadn't thought about that...

"I must admit, however...I have no idea when they may fully heal. A spell can only do so much, I'm afraid...especially against a mysterious plague." He would give Luca a small smile, hoping she would catch on. "I would recommend one more day of bedrest...at the very least."

He would need to repent for this lie later, but for now, it certainly felt worth it.​

"Eh? But..." Luca began, blinking in mild puzzlement, before catching on to Libra's coy smile, matching it with her own cheeky smile.

"Ah... Yes, yes, I understand," the woman nodded, seeming to accept the little lie between them far better than Libra himself. It seemed to come rather naturally for someone like her, but perhaps that was to be expected. Clasping her hands together, she looked up at the noble knight once again. "Do forgive me if I have... nothing really to pay you back with. All I can give is my gratitude, sir."

@Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Brothel​

 

[Yun Lee]

To that, Libra would simply smile.

View attachment 2122

"Knowing that these girls are no longer in pain is payment enough, Miss. I wouldn't have asked for anything more."

@Ver​

 

[Ver]

"Wow...thunder to power machines! It makes for really good attack spells, but I never would have thought..." Miriel would LOVE to hear that! Maybe she could tell her when she got home!

But for now, Miki was smiling, meaning this had to be working, at least a little bit! Now, just to make her stay that way...without using negative answers like Ben did. "Let's see...since a girl as pretty as you is sure to find someone, so let's see how many...first love, a few boyfriends, first love, a few boyfriends..." Soon, the rose was plucked. "Tee hee! How wonderful! It looks as if your first love will be the one for you!"​

"Huh..." Miki watched closely and curiously as Sumia did the fortune, trying to predict what the outcome would be between her answers, but before she knew it, the rose was completely plucked, leaving with the answer of her first love being her true love. It was... oddly fitting, Miki thought to herself.

She'd never concerned herself with boys before, even in such a socially stressful place like high school, always burying herself in her studies, and the girl personally never felt insecure about never seeming especially appealing to boys, so honestly, perhaps that answer made the most sense out of all the ones.

"Ah... Ehehe..." Miki couldn't help but giggle lightly after a while. A light giggle, one that even Miki herself realized she hadn't done in a while. Certainly not since the beginning of this horrid event at the very least. Resting her arm on the table, the girl smiled at Sumia. "One true love, huh? Let's hope it's not that way because I had to settle."

A joke.

When was the last time she cracked a joke so freely? When was the last time she laughed so carelessly? On one hand, it felt good to let out positive emotions for once, but on the other... Miki almost felt guilty, like it was inappropriate to laugh here, in a place like this, with circumstances like this. Of course, others seemed to take all this better than her, being more accustomed to such phenomena, such as the eye-patched boy and his butler, as well as Ben, who was... well, Ben. But the whole ordeal weighed her down heavily, on her shoulders which already felt like she was carrying a heavy weight as it were, the size of Yuki Takeya.

Still, if it was wrong to smile in this world, then maybe this wasn't a world she had any business living in. That was why... she was going to come home with her friends. Even if it wasn't a good place, it was still home to her. That was what made it special. Besides, considering the colorful backgrounds these people had, jumping ship to their homes honestly did not seem like a very viable option.

"Phew... Um, thank you, Sumia-san. I... enjoyed that."

@Yun Lee​

 

[pdshwbwwiwwjebdfucxbsa]

"N-Nothing, sorry, Guts..." Virginia shook her head with an upset expression, trying to wipe away the caustic imagery from her mind. Even if the evidence was no longer painted onto the walls or hanging from the cieling, the Drifter knew what they had seen. Whatever beast wandered around this town, it knew they were here and were coming after it, and it was going to be just as troublesome as a Metal or Dream Demon in the pursuit, "Just know now that the innkeeper wasn't wrong to call that thing a rhyming demon."

Before she could explain her words or why she had her weapon drawn, the scream was heard and Virginia was on high-alert once again, eyes wide as she turned her head to the source, "Kokichi?!" After a moment, she realized that it couldn't be him screaming, given that his mouth was shut and he didn't seem to be giving his best attempt at busting glass, "What the heck is that?"


@Alex Azure @Crow @Ver @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"Yeah, like I'm afraid of a bunch of nursery-"​

"AAAAHHH!"

What exactly that was a reaction to was unclear. Likely the entire room.​

"Ah! Guts, you scared us- wait, where'd my other hands go?"

Ben was surprised to find that he was Ben again.

"Any of you heard the Omnitrix time out? It usually beeps a few times, then a light flashes in your eyes," Ben asked. "I could've sworn I was Fourarms... and it looks like I wasn't the only thing that wasn't red and intimidating to begin with."

The room was no longer blood-covered. It was a regular room.

Turning to Guts, he asked, "you saw me with four arms and four eyes just now, right?"

Something was fishy.

Anyways, when a scream was heard from Kokichi's room, Ben pursued. Turning to Virginia, he says, "share that with Constantine later and sleep in someone else's room tonight, preferably with two others."

And so they went to Kokichi.

"Another ghost- oh, must be that fairy guy. What was his name again? Muck? Guck? Succ?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

Soraka didn't bother getting a room and silently thanked the innkeeper for making the offer. Half-immortals like her have no need for food, water or any other basic needs. But that didn't mean she was immortal or anything. She settled on hanging out at the lounge room and watched everyone do their own stuff.

While lazing around in her seat, she spotted a four-armed beast, a black butler, and a young girl trying to break down a door with their combined efforts. She observed them with a curious glint in her, wondering why such power was needed to open a door. After one final push, they finally managed to open the door. The beast spoke but it interrupted itself as it screamed at the room. Soraka raised her brows, she was confused, 'What could elicit such a reaction from a beast?'

Then the beast turned back to its human form, seemingly confused from what it witnessed. Soraka noticed that the young girl was upset from what they saw. Soraka wanted to know why they acted like that, so she tried asking the girl. But before she even started a question, a shrill scream echoed through the hallways.

Soraka noted that the scream came from one of the rooms inside the inn. The black swordsman and Ben seemed to have noticed it too. Curious, she followed Ben as he pursued after the scream.

@Ver @Khan of the Mardu @Crow @Inn​

 

[Raptor Jesus]

As the door was forced open with their combined might, the room that awaited within held a rather disturbing sight. All over the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the bed, everywhere, words were written in red. One could only assume it was blood, written all over, as seen:

Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, it's raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and he couldn’t get up in the morning, Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well, there was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do, she gave them some broth without any bread, hen whipped them all soundly and put them to bed, Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, Cradle and all.

And on top of all that, where was the blood coming from? As the mass of words and rhymes ended, there began a trail of blood that led a few feet to the side, before where it led was evident.

A motionless body, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, hanging by a noose tied to the ceiling. Blood continued to drip from his body, but with his back facing the group, there was no telling where he might have had external wounds.

As the body was exposed to everyone, however, it didn't stay motionless for very long. Its head contorted, twisted on its own, as though the man were still alive. His head turned a clean 180 degrees, eyes completely blank white and devoid of features as it stared at the group upstairs, tilting its head as though examining them. Then... his lips contorted into a disgusting grin.

T H E R E

Y O U

A R E

The voice rung in their minds, but his mouth did not move. His arms began to move, reaching for the noose fastened around his neck, slowly beginning to untie it, and--

"Hey."

Suddenly, to the side, Guts was seen standing before them in the hall, looking down at the three with a lightly annoyed expression. That is, lightly more annoyed than he usually looked. He held a key in his hand, implying that he was also on his way into his own room.

"Are you guys... gonna move? You've just been standing there for a few seconds, staring blankly inside. The hell is even inside?" He inquired, peering to the side to peek in Virginia's room, and as the three diverted their attention from Guts back to the inside of the room, they only saw...

Nothing.

Just a completely normal, clean room. No body, no blood, nothing.

Ben would suddenly find himself in his human form, as though he'd never transformed. The door was in perfect condition still, as though it was not just practically smashed open. Could that all have been a hallucination? Couldn't have been if all three of them had it, right? But with nothing to show for it...

He began to move past them, but it was at that moment, just as suddenly, screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction. Now that, Guts certainly heard, as his head jerked over in that direction.

This screaming could be heard from Kokichi's exact position, but it was not Kokichi who was screaming at all.

Rather, the screaming came from his pants.

...

Specifically, his pocket, to be exact.

@Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn
​

Sebastian didn't seem to react to the goings on in the room, or even when Guts showed up and everything was mysteriously normal. It wasn't out of the ordinary for demon's to toy with their prey like this. Even he enjoyed doing such from time to time, after all.

However, when the screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction, Sebastian approached him, a brow raised in particular when he found that the scream wasn't coming from his mouth, but rather, his pockets.

"Excuse me, Kokichi. If you would be so kind, could you perhaps empty your pockets?" Sebastian asked politely.

@Ver @Crow @Tutski19 @Khan of the Mardu @Alex Azure​

 

[Yun Lee]

Good! This was good! Miki laughing, being happy...Sumia achieved the desired effect. Maybe someday, when she had children of her own...or if, really...she would make a good mother. She'd like to think so, at least.

"I'm glad! It's always good to have a little fun here and there. I remember when I was in the Shepherds, I LOVED reading novels. I still do, but they helped get my mind off the bad things going on from time to time." And so she could pretend she wasn't the plain boring clod she is now, but no one needed to know that part.

@Ver​

 

[Jeremi]

To that, Libra would simply smile.

View attachment 2122

"Knowing that these girls are no longer in pain is payment enough, Miss. I wouldn't have asked for anything more."

@Ver​

"I know for something I would ask for..." Morte mumbled under his breath before speaking up louder. "A real man of the cloth this guy! No wonder Grace wants to hang with ya, you're a real square. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

@Yun Lee @Ver

Sebastian didn't seem to react to the goings on in the room, or even when Guts showed up and everything was mysteriously normal. It wasn't out of the ordinary for demon's to toy with their prey like this. Even he enjoyed doing such from time to time, after all.

However, when the screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction, Sebastian approached him, a brow raised in particular when he found that the scream wasn't coming from his mouth, but rather, his pockets.

"Excuse me, Kokichi. If you would be so kind, could you perhaps empty your pockets?" Sebastian asked politely.

@Ver @Crow @Tutski19 @Khan of the Mardu @Alex Azure​

Grace had been on her own for a moment when she heard the screaming and went to investigate. "Perhaps someone should be ready in case something will emerge from the pockets?" Grace suggested.

@Ver @Crow @Tutski19 @Khan of the Mardu @Alex Azure

 

[Yun Lee]

"A...square?" Libra would give Morte a perplexed look. "I'm afraid I've never heard that term before...but thank you." ...That was a compliment, right?

@Jeremi​

 

[Crunch]

View attachment 2124

Meanwhile, amidst the talking surrounding Hollow Knight, it stood in the center of the room, staring at the dark-skinned, branded girl that was doing much of the same - looking around and staring at things like a child.

According to the big one, her "name" was "Casca".

Hollow Knight went through with what it could "recall."

It stared at her, and waved.

". . ."

@Ver @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Brothel​

 

[Ver]

To that, Libra would simply smile.

View attachment 2122

"Knowing that these girls are no longer in pain is payment enough, Miss. I wouldn't have asked for anything more."​

"I know for something I would ask for..." Morte mumbled under his breath before speaking up louder. "A real man of the cloth this guy! No wonder Grace wants to hang with ya, you're a real square. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

View attachment 2124

Meanwhile, amidst the talking surrounding Hollow Knight, it stood in the center of the room, staring at the dark-skinned, branded girl that was doing much of the same - looking around and staring at things like a child.

According to the big one, her "name" was "Casca".

Hollow Knight went through with what it could "recall."

It stared at her, and waved.

". . ."​

Luca did not want to think about what a floating skull could possibly want her to do to him, so she went ahead and decided to ignore his first statement, which was barely loud enough for her to hear anyway. As for his follow-up, the woman couldn't help but chuckle lightly, especially when Libra was confused on what "square" meant.

...

Though, come to think of it, Luca didn't know what it meant either, so she just pursed her lips and shrugged when Libra pondered what it meant as well. Letting out a breath, Luca sat down in a nearby chair, clasping her hands together. "In any case... Again, thank you for your help. And... whatever scary as Hell adventures you're going on, I wish you good luck. Traveling with a guy like Guts... It's never a pretty journey, but you look like a guy who's used to that kind of stuff anyway."

Meanwhile, as the Hollow Knight waved toward Casca, the infantile woman stared curiously, eyes wide as she blubbered some more. Instead of waving back, she reached out and stuck out her index finger, poking at Hollow Knight's "horns" and rubbing the top if its head, like a baby inspecting a toy.

"Aaaa... Uh... Oh..."

She seemed sufficiently entertained, at least.

@Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Brothel​

 

[Yun Lee]

I've been used to it ever since I was born.

Libra would silently click his tongue as that reply popped into his head. No...no one needed to know about that. Instead, he smiled. "I thank you, and wish you all luck as well, for however how long this plague lasts. Which, Gods willing, will come to an end after our quest."

Libra stood, watching Hollow Knight and Casca a moment. How darling... "Is there any other way I can be of service, Miss? Otherwise it may be best to retire to the inn before tonight."

@Ver @Crow @Jeremi @Brothel​

 

[Macy Moretti]

As the door was forced open with their combined might, the room that awaited within held a rather disturbing sight. All over the walls, the ceiling, the ground, the bed, everywhere, words were written in red. One could only assume it was blood, written all over, as seen:

Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down, it's raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and he couldn’t get up in the morning, Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife and couldn’t keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well, there was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didn’t know what to do, she gave them some broth without any bread, hen whipped them all soundly and put them to bed, Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, Cradle and all.

And on top of all that, where was the blood coming from? As the mass of words and rhymes ended, there began a trail of blood that led a few feet to the side, before where it led was evident.

A motionless body, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, hanging by a noose tied to the ceiling. Blood continued to drip from his body, but with his back facing the group, there was no telling where he might have had external wounds.

As the body was exposed to everyone, however, it didn't stay motionless for very long. Its head contorted, twisted on its own, as though the man were still alive. His head turned a clean 180 degrees, eyes completely blank white and devoid of features as it stared at the group upstairs, tilting its head as though examining them. Then... his lips contorted into a disgusting grin.

T H E R E

Y O U

A R E

The voice rung in their minds, but his mouth did not move. His arms began to move, reaching for the noose fastened around his neck, slowly beginning to untie it, and--

"Hey."

Suddenly, to the side, Guts was seen standing before them in the hall, looking down at the three with a lightly annoyed expression. That is, lightly more annoyed than he usually looked. He held a key in his hand, implying that he was also on his way into his own room.

"Are you guys... gonna move? You've just been standing there for a few seconds, staring blankly inside. The hell is even inside?" He inquired, peering to the side to peek in Virginia's room, and as the three diverted their attention from Guts back to the inside of the room, they only saw...

Nothing.

Just a completely normal, clean room. No body, no blood, nothing.

Ben would suddenly find himself in his human form, as though he'd never transformed. The door was in perfect condition still, as though it was not just practically smashed open. Could that all have been a hallucination? Couldn't have been if all three of them had it, right? But with nothing to show for it...

He began to move past them, but it was at that moment, just as suddenly, screaming was heard from Kokichi's direction. Now that, Guts certainly heard, as his head jerked over in that direction.

This screaming could be heard from Kokichi's exact position, but it was not Kokichi who was screaming at all.

Rather, the screaming came from his pants.

...

Specifically, his pocket, to be exact.

@Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"Yeah, like I'm afraid of a bunch of nursery-"​

"AAAAHHH!"

What exactly that was a reaction to was unclear. Likely the entire room.​

"Ah! Guts, you scared us- wait, where'd my other hands go?"

Ben was surprised to find that he was Ben again.

"Any of you heard the Omnitrix time out? It usually beeps a few times, then a light flashes in your eyes," Ben asked. "I could've sworn I was Fourarms... and it looks like I wasn't the only thing that wasn't red and intimidating to begin with."

The room was no longer blood-covered. It was a regular room.

Turning to Guts, he asked, "you saw me with four arms and four eyes just now, right?"

Something was fishy.

Anyways, when a scream was heard from Kokichi's room, Ben pursued. Turning to Virginia, he says, "share that with Constantine later and sleep in someone else's room tonight, preferably with two others."

And so they went to Kokichi.

"Another ghost- oh, must be that fairy guy. What was his name again? Muck? Guck? Succ?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"N-Nothing, sorry, Guts..." Virginia shook her head with an upset expression, trying to wipe away the caustic imagery from her mind. Even if the evidence was no longer painted onto the walls or hanging from the cieling, the Drifter knew what they had seen. Whatever beast wandered around this town, it knew they were here and were coming after it, and it was going to be just as troublesome as a Metal or Dream Demon in the pursuit, "Just know now that the innkeeper wasn't wrong to call that thing a rhyming demon."

Before she could explain her words or why she had her weapon drawn, the scream was heard and Virginia was on high-alert once again, eyes wide as she turned her head to the source, "Kokichi?!" After a moment, she realized that it couldn't be him screaming, given that his mouth was shut and he didn't seem to be giving his best attempt at busting glass, "What the heck is that?"


@Alex Azure @Crow @Ver @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"Well, seeing as the noise is coming from my pants, it's either this fancy necklace I found in that room or I'm having really bad indigestion."

Kokichi removed the necklace from his pocket and held it in front of his face so that he could get a good look at what it was.

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

 

[Takumi]

Lindel had approached those who went to investigate the screaming coming from Kokichi's pocket, but decided to stay more towards the back of the group. It was no wonder that the people left here when the group entered in such a hurry, cause the screaming was getting old fast.

"I guess it would make sense for it to be left behind if it did this enough to scare of it's original owner." he spoke up with a sigh.

@Ver @Alex Azure @Raptor Jesus @Jeremi @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Inn

 

[Ver]

"Ah! Guts, you scared us- wait, where'd my other hands go?"

Ben was surprised to find that he was Ben again.

"Any of you heard the Omnitrix time out? It usually beeps a few times, then a light flashes in your eyes," Ben asked. "I could've sworn I was Fourarms... and it looks like I wasn't the only thing that wasn't red and intimidating to begin with."

The room was no longer blood-covered. It was a regular room.

Turning to Guts, he asked, "you saw me with four arms and four eyes just now, right?"

Something was fishy.

Anyways, when a scream was heard from Kokichi's room, Ben pursued. Turning to Virginia, he says, "share that with Constantine later and sleep in someone else's room tonight, preferably with two others."

And so they went to Kokichi.

"Another ghost- oh, must be that fairy guy. What was his name again? Muck? Guck? Succ?"​

"N-Nothing, sorry, Guts..." Virginia shook her head with an upset expression, trying to wipe away the caustic imagery from her mind. Even if the evidence was no longer painted onto the walls or hanging from the cieling, the Drifter knew what they had seen. Whatever beast wandered around this town, it knew they were here and were coming after it, and it was going to be just as troublesome as a Metal or Dream Demon in the pursuit, "Just know now that the innkeeper wasn't wrong to call that thing a rhyming demon."

Before she could explain her words or why she had her weapon drawn, the scream was heard and Virginia was on high-alert once again, eyes wide as she turned her head to the source, "Kokichi?!" After a moment, she realized that it couldn't be him screaming, given that his mouth was shut and he didn't seem to be giving his best attempt at busting glass, "What the heck is that?"​

Soraka didn't bother getting a room and silently thanked the innkeeper for making the offer. Half-immortals like her have no need for food, water or any other basic needs. But that didn't mean she was immortal or anything. She settled on hanging out at the lounge room and watched everyone do their own stuff.

While lazing around in her seat, she spotted a four-armed beast, a black butler, and a young girl trying to break down a door with their combined efforts. She observed them with a curious glint in her, wondering why such power was needed to open a door. After one final push, they finally managed to open the door. The beast spoke but it interrupted itself as it screamed at the room. Soraka raised her brows, she was confused, 'What could elicit such a reaction from a beast?'

Then the beast turned back to its human form, seemingly confused from what it witnessed. Soraka noticed that the young girl was upset from what they saw. Soraka wanted to know why they acted like that, so she tried asking the girl. But before she even started a question, a shrill scream echoed through the hallways.

Soraka noted that the scream came from one of the rooms inside the inn. The black swordsman and Ben seemed to have noticed it too. Curious, she followed Ben as he pursued after the scream.​

"Well, seeing as the noise is coming from my pants, it's either this fancy necklace I found in that room or I'm having really bad indigestion."

Kokichi removed the necklace from his pocket and held it in front of his face so that he could get a good look at what it was.​

"Puck. His name was Puck," Guts answered Ben, seeming to ignore his first question about whether or not he'd just seen him as Fourarms. With his lackadaisical response, it was safe to assume the answer was probably "no," or else he'd find the situation a little stranger.

As Kokichi removed the necklace he pocketed, the most eye-catching item would be the red "jewel" that was attached to it.

It was hideous, its finer features looking like a disfigured human face. By itself, it didn't seem all that special, but whatever it was, Guts seemed to have a rather strong reaction to it, menacingly approaching Kokichi and forcefully grabbing him by his collar, his powerful hand dangerously close to the boy's neck.

"Where did you get that?" He asked forcefully, a stronger voice than he'd ever taken with anyone thus far. The swordsman seemed rather irate, angry even. It was anyone's guess what kind of tie the jewel had to his past, but right now, it seemed like something dangerous if he was acting so strongly about it.

Regardless of the boy's answer, Guts would take the necklace from Kokichi and hold it up for everyone to see, his eye narrowed and his arm practically vibrating, as though he were trembling, not from fear, but from enmity. "A Behelit... If you're looking for pure evil, this will tell you that it's not far away," he said, his expression now shifting to a more suspicions one as he took a distasteful look, diverting his gaze to Sebastian, Virginia, and Ben now, "What did you see in that room? Tell me."

@Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu @Jeremi @Takumi @Raptor Jesus @Crow @Upstairs Inn​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Puck. His name was Puck," Guts answered Ben, seeming to ignore his first question about whether or not he'd just seen him as Fourarms. With his lackadaisical response, it was safe to assume the answer was probably "no," or else he'd find the situation a little stranger.

As Kokichi removed the necklace he pocketed, the most eye-catching item would be the red "jewel" that was attached to it.

It was hideous, its finer features looking like a disfigured human face. By itself, it didn't seem all that special, but whatever it was, Guts seemed to have a rather strong reaction to it, menacingly approaching Kokichi and forcefully grabbing him by his collar, his powerful hand dangerously close to the boy's neck.

"Where did you get that?" He asked forcefully, a stronger voice than he'd ever taken with anyone thus far. The swordsman seemed rather irate, angry even. It was anyone's guess what kind of tie the jewel had to his past, but right now, it seemed like something dangerous if he was acting so strongly about it.

Regardless of the boy's answer, Guts would take the necklace from Kokichi and hold it up for everyone to see, his eye narrowed and his arm practically vibrating, as though he were trembling, not from fear, but from enmity. "A Behelit... If you're looking for pure evil, this will tell you that it's not far away," he said, his expression now shifting to a more suspicions one as he took a distasteful look, diverting his gaze to Sebastian, Virginia, and Ben now, "What did you see in that room? Tell me."

@Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu @Jeremi @Takumi @Raptor Jesus @Crow @Upstairs Inn​

"I found it in one of these rooms," Kokichi said, not really in the position to lie, "so somebody must have left it here. Now will you let me go?"

@Ver​

 

[Crunch]

Luca did not want to think about what a floating skull could possibly want her to do to him, so she went ahead and decided to ignore his first statement, which was barely loud enough for her to hear anyway. As for his follow-up, the woman couldn't help but chuckle lightly, especially when Libra was confused on what "square" meant.

...

Though, come to think of it, Luca didn't know what it meant either, so she just pursed her lips and shrugged when Libra pondered what it meant as well. Letting out a breath, Luca sat down in a nearby chair, clasping her hands together. "In any case... Again, thank you for your help. And... whatever scary as Hell adventures you're going on, I wish you good luck. Traveling with a guy like Guts... It's never a pretty journey, but you look like a guy who's used to that kind of stuff anyway."

Meanwhile, as the Hollow Knight waved toward Casca, the infantile woman stared curiously, eyes wide as she blubbered some more. Instead of waving back, she reached out and stuck out her index finger, poking at Hollow Knight's "horns" and rubbing the top if its head, like a baby inspecting a toy.

"Aaaa... Uh... Oh..."

She seemed sufficiently entertained, at least.

@Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Brothel

". . ."

View attachment 2125

Hollow Knight didn't seem to mind the sudden touching of it's horns, as the woman named Casca didn't seem threatening in the slightest. She had no "armor", no "weapons" - she did not "talk". It was like interacting with an animal.It's a question about who's the "animal" in this situation - the girl or the ghost. But this was something else. Something new to "think" about.

They say animals can sense things that humans could not. That they have certain "ticks" that allow sense things that couldn't be seen or heard by a human - like knowing when a storm was coming, or knowing when an earthquake was about to hit. On top of those, a pet could tell when it's owner wasn't acting like themselves. If they were depressed, scared or angry, an animal would just "know" and would do something - perhaps comforting them or steering clear. As the small, diminutive Hollow Knight cast it's empty gaze upon this infantile woman, it "sensed" something that a normal "human" couldn't, at least not without some extensive investigation.

". . . . ."

Broke.

Broken.

No.

Not.

Not. . .

Whole.


View attachment 2126

She was like shattered glass.

Pieces spread out all over the place, empty space in between. Broken by something terrible, and it could never be made whole again. Priceless before, but now a. . .hollow shell of what it once was. Something that was lost. Something that could never be regained. For the knight, her very eyes caused it to. . ."feel". This wasn't - this wasn't something that was regular.

The vessel could not feel pain. It could not feel emotions. No thought to divert it from it's purpose; to contain the Infection. To save Hollownest. Serve the King. To stop the Light that plagues their dreams. Yet, this girl. She created something that could not exist - feeling within the Hollow Knight. A warmth that very briefly built up in it's shell, and then suddenly vanished under a tide of nothingness.

The knight lowered it's head solemnly, staring at the woman's feet. There was many things that the vessel has obtained in such short time - thinking, learning, remembering, listening. . .and now, it learned perhaps the biggest step in becoming whole, and un-hollowed;

Understanding, and relating.

The knight, like anything else, would oblige without anything to say, standing still at first and eventually politely sitting and staring at the girl as she poked and prodded at it's head. It tilted it's head like a dog and leaned it forward, allowing her some ease of access. The surface of it's head and "horns" was smooth but a bit dry, like bone.

And then, the knight did something unexpected. When Libra brought up the word "inn", it prompted the knight to slowly turn it's head to look over at the man. It stared at him for a few moments, and then looked back at Casca. It saw her face once more, and then, it finally turned it's head to Libra.

It moved it's head left. And then it moved it's head right.

It just. . . shook it's head. It just said "No."

Why did it look back at the girl? Could it be that it didn't want to leave her here?

@Yun Lee @Ver @Jeremi @Brothel​

 

[Crow]

"Well, seeing as the noise is coming from my pants, it's either this fancy necklace I found in that room or I'm having really bad indigestion."

Kokichi removed the necklace from his pocket and held it in front of his face so that he could get a good look at what it was.

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Khan of the Mardu @Raptor Jesus @Inn​

"Puck. His name was Puck," Guts answered Ben, seeming to ignore his first question about whether or not he'd just seen him as Fourarms. With his lackadaisical response, it was safe to assume the answer was probably "no," or else he'd find the situation a little stranger.

As Kokichi removed the necklace he pocketed, the most eye-catching item would be the red "jewel" that was attached to it.

It was hideous, its finer features looking like a disfigured human face. By itself, it didn't seem all that special, but whatever it was, Guts seemed to have a rather strong reaction to it, menacingly approaching Kokichi and forcefully grabbing him by his collar, his powerful hand dangerously close to the boy's neck.

"Where did you get that?" He asked forcefully, a stronger voice than he'd ever taken with anyone thus far. The swordsman seemed rather irate, angry even. It was anyone's guess what kind of tie the jewel had to his past, but right now, it seemed like something dangerous if he was acting so strongly about it.

Regardless of the boy's answer, Guts would take the necklace from Kokichi and hold it up for everyone to see, his eye narrowed and his arm practically vibrating, as though he were trembling, not from fear, but from enmity. "A Behelit... If you're looking for pure evil, this will tell you that it's not far away," he said, his expression now shifting to a more suspicions one as he took a distasteful look, diverting his gaze to Sebastian, Virginia, and Ben now, "What did you see in that room? Tell me."

@Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu @Jeremi @Takumi @Raptor Jesus @Crow @Upstairs Inn​

"I found it in one of these rooms," Kokichi said, not really in the position to lie, "so somebody must have left it here. Now will you let me go?"

@Ver​

"That is definitely not Puck, last I checked, he was not that ugly," Ben says, "what is that?"

Guts demanded answers.

"Easy there big guy, I'll tell you."

Ben took a few deep breaths and began to elaborate, his face turning serious, yet his tone sounded like he was telling a ghost story, which in all fairness, he was.

"It was like, out of a horror movie. I couldn't believe my eyes. Virginia had a hard time opening the door, so Sebastian and I helped. I even remember turning into Fourarms... anyways, there were these... words from a nursery rhyme, jumbled up and written in blood coming from some kind of ghost or corpse hanging from a noose.

It twisted its head, then had this creepy smile before it went.

THERE

YOU

ARE

Yeah, something like that, except its mouth didn't move, like at all! It was untying its noose when you popped by."

For those three words in particular, Ben mimicked the voice and expression of the supposed ghost.

"Long story short, it's haunted. I'm guessing this red rock... Behelit thing detected the evil thing that caused that vision we saw?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Khan of the Mardu @Jeremi @Takumi @Raptor Jesus @Crow @Upstairs Inn​