[Open] The Mark of the Herald

[thewatchers]

Mark of the Herald Part I
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Despite certain disruptive events and ominous visions in the preceding month, August is seemingly still free of any problems.

That’s quick to change, however. Starting from the third of the month, strange, circular marks begin to appear on human students around the school - and, indeed, humans around the world. Those affected begin to feel incurably drowsy, something that no magical or mundane solution can seem to cure or relieve; eventually, they’ll fall asleep entirely, whether they want to or not, and enter a state of magical stasis. Not even nonhumans are immune, though whether they’re marked seems to be much more erratic.

Those who remain awake or are otherwise spared by the mark are free to do as they wish - the Academy won’t ask them to do more than keep themselves safe. But where each marked person falls in slumber, a portal will form; a strange tear in reality, offering glimpses of a surreal, nightmarish plane that differs vastly from individual to individual. One thing is certain; the cause of a victim’s seemingly endless sleep and these portals are linked somehow, and the only way to find out exactly how is to go through...and the only ones capable of doing so are those who are still awake.

This log can be used as a catch-all for event-related threads. The information for this event is here.

Comments

[stavros]

[Welcome to a tower with a crumbling staircase spiralling around the sides. Looks like there will be some gaps to jump, but the enemies here are small at least, bat-like creatures that will try to knock her down. If she makes it to the top, it opens out into a large room, dark despite the many stained glass windows, with something in the centre that must be another room... except there aren't any doors into it? Only a small stone with an inscription over it...

Though the cackling of the white-haired girl might distract. She appears out of nowhere and laughs, her features twisting until she turns into a large, monstrous white wolf-bat-thing and shoots fireballs in Coco's direction. Cue endboss music.

(It actually sort of feels like there is some playing. Whoever's mind this is must be some closet nerd.)]

[kept_his_letters]

[That staircase looks more than a little precarious, but she takes a breath, steels herself, and starts upward. She ducks away from the first creature then reaches into her bag. Would a cross work? Maybe not. Maybe distracting them with food would work. But what would be better, the blood or the chicken? She tries holding up each, to see if the creatures will dive for either one and not for her.

Even if it doesn't work on those, she's definitely not against trying it against the white-haired girl. The whole thing would be terrifying if not for the sudden music. For a moment, she's simply bewildered. Then, she finds herself laughing too. She takes up the steps of a dance and spins to dodge the fire that comes for her.]

[stavros]

[The girl-turned-monster screeches. She opens her wings wide and swoops down at Coco, who's doing a great job at dodging the fire.

A voice echoes in the hall, Throw it, and it sounds like it's coming from the blocked-off room. Throw what? At what?]

[kept_his_letters]

[She's definitely asking those questions herself as the monster streaks down. It might be the wrong thing but all the same, she takes up one of the crosses and throws it, wincing as she does for what might happen if it misses, as well as if it hits.]

[stavros]

[It does some damage to the monster, knocking it back, and boomerangs right back to Coco. Looks like she's got the right idea! Everything in the castle seems like it's vulnerable to holy damage.

The creature spins back and falters in the air, disoriented. If Coco's looking to escape, the little stone at the blocked-off room in the centre has an inscription on it, and though it's faded, she might remember from the records in the resting room that sometimes, the castle had doors that would only open with blood from a certain family line.]

[kept_his_letters]

[She wasn't expecting the thing to go boomeranging back. She nearly drops it, only saving it at the last moment. But, she's not eager for a fight. When she's got the creature thrown back, she's moving quick for that stone, reading it over, and then pulling out the vile of blood.

Well. Guess she'll throw this too. She steps back and tosses.]

[stavros]

[You could have just poured it on the stone, Coco, you didn't have to chuck it. Still, it breaks and spills out onto the stone, and a door emerges from the wall and opens up. Coco can run in there in time to get away from the recovering monster.

Inside the formerly sealed-off room, Kokoro appears to be asleep, flopped over on a stone slab. She shivers and rubs her eyes.]

What...?

[kept_his_letters]

[Go hard or go home and she's not going home.

She makes that last dash for the door and stops to see another girl there, asleep. For a moment she stiffens, wondering if this girl will turn into a monster too.]

Um... hi. Sorry to wake you.

[stavros]

I...

[She drags herself to a sitting position and rubs her eyes, then climbs off the slab.]

The portals. I must be asleep on the outside... You came to retrieve me, then? You have my thanks.

[Light is starting to come in from above, and the white bat outside has either disappeared or just stopped bothering them. Looks like we're at the end of the line.]

Are you new...?

[kept_his_letters]

Oh. Yeah. That's what I was doing.

[Not just stumbling in completely unaware. She colors a little.]

De nada. And... something like that. Are you alright?

[stavros]

[Kokoro adjusts her headband and smooths out her hair. Her eyes go to Coco's inventory.]

Well enough. I see the dream supplied you with protection. To tell you the truth, I never fully got the hang of throwing those. I could never get them to come back.

[kept_his_letters]

[She blinks and brightens.]

R-really? [She pulls one out, looking at it with some awe.] I've never done anything like it before.

[She pauses.]

Er, there was also... a chicken. Do you know what that was about?

[stavros]

Hunger, perhaps? I know not.

[Looks like the portal's here, though. Good job, you completed this!]

Greetings, then, and let us make haste. I know not how many around the school were affected, but it seems to be a great deal. My name is Kokoro Belmont. And yourself?

[kept_his_letters]

[She opens her mouth but finds she doesn't have anything to say to it. Dreams were strange.

The greeting immediately has her beaming.]

Socorro Rivera. But everyone calls me Coco. Mucho gusto, Kokoro.

[And with that, she's ready to head through.]

[stavros]

[Kokoro pauses. Hasn't she heard that before...? No, definitely not. Shaking her head, she goes through.]