realmofstories | Nightmare on Index Street

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Nightmare on Index Street

Nightmare on Index Street—

After the final hours of Halloween are coming to an end and everyone is slowly beginning to gather their things and return to their homes to prepare for the clean-up to come in the later days, a strange, eerie silence falls throughout the Index along with a mysterious gray fog. It seeps over the ground like a veil dragged behind an invisible bride and soon engulfs the entire city. The sound of hooves clattering over the cobbled streets echo over every street like an army followed by a chorus of loud, high maniacal laughter. In the next instant everything turns pitch black, as if the light of the world had been shut off.

And then just as suddenly, the light returns. But the sight that greets those who bear witness sends chills down every spine. Pumpkins lay smashed along the streets, cobwebs cover almost every window and doorway, and scarecrows swing from nooses tied to various branches. A cold, black frost covers the ground, steam rising from the thin, icy sheet before a new sound echoes around.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Big, heavy footfalls and then—

VRRRRRMMMMMM WHEEEEEEENNNNN

An ear-splitting roar of motor and metal as sparks fly from a giant chainsaw. The thing wielding it? A giant skeleton several stories tall, its mouth open wide as another shrieking laugh erupts, its eyes glowing fire. As it laughs, those closest to the abomination scream in terror before it suddenly swings its weapon out, cleaving everything and everyone in its path.

YOU THINK YOU CAN DESTROY ME, OUTSIDERS? YOU THINK YOU CAN BECOME HEROES? I'VE EATEN THEM ALL, DEVOURED THEIR SOULS AND TAKEN THEIR POWER. NOW I WILL TAKE YOU AND YOUR WORLDS! I WILL CONSUME EVERYTHING!!

From its open mouth a black vortex appears, growing larger and larger until it hurls outward to smash onto the street in front of it. At first nothing happens—only a gaping, black hole exists. But then the first claw reaches out, the first tendril, wing, tail, head. Black, hellish creatures rise up and locals scream the words,

"Erasers! It's the Story Eater's minions run for your lives!!"

By now the journals of each Aspect will have begun to burn, a loud buzz drumming in their ears as the Storyteller reaches each and every one of them.

Aspects! The Story Eater has sensed of your arrival and has breached the barrier of this world. It must be repelled, but there are only so few of you and it has grown so strong. We fear you will not survive if you face it now. But with the aid of the one known as the Father of Christmas, you may be able to weaken it enough. Quickly, find his gifts, use your powers, and weaken him until I can write a new barrier to expel him.

Please, hurry!

§ prompts.

¶ I. Unwrap Those Presents! So what are our would be heroes to do? The Storyteller is utilizing the essence of—if you haven't guessed already—Santa Claus to create special presents that will help damage and delay the Story Eater. Again, it won't be enough to defeat it, but it will give the Aspects that extra oomph and time to chip away at that giant HP bar for the Storyteller to do its magic to reconstruct the shield and expel the Story Eater.

There are four types of presents:

Big Red. Big red presents will summon giant snowmen that will fall either on top of or around the Story Eater. They can't really attack, but they will create a lot of ice and snow in attempt to freeze the Story Eater place. It will also help make parts of the Story Eater a bit more brittle, so those who do try to do direct attacks can deal some damage and chip away some of that bone structure. Nothing massive, but at least some cuts and small bones can be hacked off.
Polka Dot Blue. Blue, polka dotted presents come in various shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing when unwrapped and opened—create a lot of noise. Technically they're choirs singing various Christmas Carols, but doesn't really sound like it up close. Fortunately, they also come with special ear muffs and a small note saying, "Cover your ears before opening," but if disregarded then those who hear it will find themselves stunned and a little hard of hearing for a good while. Closing the flaps will silence the noise. What needs to be done is to direct the opening of the present towards the Story Eater. The "music" will amplify and stun it, giving a few precious seconds of vulnerability.
Orange Gift Bags. Large gift bags with black ribbons tying them close will unleash an explosion of pumpkins once opened. These pumpkins will rise into the air laughing before raining down in a wide area and explode on impact. So be careful! These will need to be brought over near the Story Eater to deal damage.
Black Envelopes in Black Stockings. These gifts are a bit harder to find, but it's also easy to notice a giant sock hanging from somewhere and a black envelope sticking out of it. They're up high, so some climbing or flying will be required. But once reached, opening the envelope will produce one of two cards. A card that is labeled "TRICK" can be used and thrown at the Story Eater. The card will expand in size and turn into steel to slice at the Story Eater, dealing a lot of damage. A card that is labeled "TREAT" can be used to help heal or boost those fighting, even allowing characters to immediately learn abilities that could help with the fight.

And around all these presents will be Erasers trying to reach and destroy them first. Some will be easy, but some may require a bit of fighting, so be prepared!

¶ II. Erase the Erasers. Erase the Erasers. The Erasers are pouring out of the black vortex and it seems as if there's an endless army of them. They are going after the citizens, so try to intercept them and defend the populace. They come in all shapes and forms, some even looking like creatures straight out of the lost stories themselves. Alternatively, try to see if you can plug up that massive hole. Perhaps a few well placed snowmen and pumpkin bombs? The gifts will also be effective against the Erasers, although it might be a little overkill.

¶ III. Help the Injured.The site where the Story Eater’s avatar landed has been reduced to rubble, and the monster is bent on more destruction as it plows through the city, any citizens caught in its wake bursting into torn pieces of ink and paper. Not everyone’s essence or heart is geared for offense, and there’s more than one way to help save the day. Those who still wish to help can try to save those who haven't been lost, or perhaps heal them if they have the knowledge or power at their disposal. Don't forget there are magical healing potions that everyone received on their first day, and it's not too difficult to find more, possibly buried underneath the rubble. Finally there are the "TREAT" cards that could also be used to help heal the injured.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Especially in regards to the festival, anything can really happen.

[Mod note: Refer to the accompanying Game Notes for more information!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She catches that glare, but Ophilia holds her ground. ] Come, let our comrades handle this beast.

[ Her hand still hasn't left his arm yet, and she's eyeing the blood upon his clothes. Even small wounds add up, and if they are shallow... then that's an even better reason to treat them now before they get worse. ] Believe in them to hold their own, just for a minute. I can heal you.

[But he wants more. He hasn't killed enough of those erasers.] . . .Fine. [There's less resistance coming from him now. If she can tend to him now, he's willing to wait. There were cuts on his arm, and his abdomen, some scorched by stray debris from a pumpkin explosion or two.]

[ She looks around. It seems that with the last Eraser he's cut down they're in a bit of a clearing, but she knows that won't last for long. She'll have to work quickly. ] Let's start with your arm.

[ In her world, she didn't have to lay hands upon someone's wound in order to heal it, even though the contact would help. Here with her essence's version of healing, she's not sure how it works. So she'll begin with the basics of actually placing her palms just over the wound, gentle. ] Mm...

[ She closes her eyes and draws up the magic of her essence, recognizing its light because it's different from her own: Abe no Seimei's was far more refined that hers, partly perhaps because of how wise it was according to his legends. But there is a whimsy to them, and she knows it because of the way the light dances within her mind's eye, clever and with a flair of a trickster. She calls upon it, and within the next moment it's there, right in her hands, and then right from her hands into the Disciple's arm. Although the bloodstains remain and a soreness will linger, the wound itself will magically begin to heal, and rapidly at that. ]

....Ah. It... worked!

[ All that practice paid off! ~~she practiced by giving papercuts to herself and healing them lol~~ ]

[He allows her to work, but still keeping his guard up as he held his sword in his uninjured hand. It was an odd sensation as the healing magic does it's work. It's not painful, just strange and tingly. He takes in some air, then flexes the arm she had healed to check on it. He then raises a brow at her statement.]

It did. [Was she saying there was a chance it wouldn't have?]

...My apologies. [ She says hurriedly, releasing his arm and stepping away. All she needed to do was to see if it would work, and now that she knows it does, she'll try healing the next wound without the need for touch! She extends her palm towards his middle, standing about a foot or two away. ] This is the first time I've actually used this ability here for these sort of injuries.

[ She'll reassure him with a smile as she calls that same energy forth. Like what happened with his arm, he'll find that the wounds of his torso will begin to mend. ]

From your essence? That's a useful ability. [The uncertainty turns into assurance that she's doing fine. He feels fine at least. Once she's finished, he presses a hand where the wound had been and nods.] Thank you.

You're welcome.

[ She replies in kind, nodding as she replaces the hand back to her staff. ] You should not push yourself so... [ Although she has the feeling that he will be doing so, anyway.

So she finishes this with a clever smile, holding up a finger. ] But if you do... know that I will be here to help.

[Yep, he sure will.] And you are...?

Ophilia. [ She says, and she brings up a bit of her skirt to curtsy. ] Ophilia Clement. [ And when she straightens up, she regards him politely. ] In my world, I was a cleric... so I will be at your service, should you ever need it.

I see...it seems like you were given a similar task here as well. [He turns from her, preparing to head back in once more.] Stay out of harm's way.

[ There's only a smile from her as she adjusts her weight, leaning a bit on her staff. ] ...And yourself, sir?

I'm just known as the Disciple. [He tightens his grip on his sword. He thought he heard some movement from their left.]

[ What an... interesting title. A disciple. A disciple of what? Or if whom? So many questions , but now’s not the time to ask them.

She hears it too, and at the corner of her eye she sees a shift in the shadows of the alley. Ophilia’s grip upon her staff tightens, and she takes a step back. Her role is rarely that of the attacker, but her movement shouldn’t be taken as cowardice or retreat. She intends to stay, and to help. ] —It comes!

[ And so it does, emitting a ferocious cry before the Erasers barrels out of the shadows. This one crawls on all fours, hauntingly humanoid, before it whips out a limb at them. ]

[Less questions works for him. He puts himself between the Eraser and Ophilia]

Careful. [There may be more lurking around than this one. As the Eraser makes the first strike, the Disciple deflects it back with his sword. It doesn't clean cut, but it was enough to injure the Eraser, causing it to recoil. This was not the sword he was used to, and the blade was not of the best quality, but it'll have to make do.The Eraser roars in anger as it charges forward again.]

[ Without the need to heal him, she'll focus her skills on supporting him. Which means it's buff time!

It's simple work to cast a spell of protection over him, but he clearly won't need it for now. Instead, she'll give him a boost in another way: he may feel a surge of power course through his muscles, as well as his focused increased. Every detail of the enemy, from its movements to the crooks of its joints, may appear emphasized. She's increased his accuracy and strength, and he'll find that he might want to unleash the extra energy she's given him upon the enemy. Every attack of his will feel as if he's slicing through butter, and not the armored, shadowy flesh of an Eraser. ]

-!! [The effects from her spell were immediate. He was taken aback by the increase in mobility and strength he suddenly felt, nearly losing his footing. Something tickles at him from the back of his mind, a smile peering in the deep darkness. That's it. Don't hold back.

The smile spreads on his face as he rushes down the Eraser as nothing more than a blur. The Eraser stops in it's tracks, deep gashes suddenly forming, creating an x shape wound into the creature. It let's out a horrible screech as it flops onto the ground dead.] Incredible.

[He wants more, more targets to sink his blade in. As if on cue, more Erasers do indeed start to crawl towards their position.] Can you hold this up for a while?

[ His smile doesn't go unnoticed; compared to the careful stoic mask he had been wearing before during their conversation, it's almost a bit... unnerving, her gut wants to say. But she also doesn't want to make too many assumptions since she's only just met the man. ]

Yes--!

[ These next Erasers seemed to have learned from their fallen brethren, and the two of them fan out to either side of the disciple so as to rush him from either side this time. Perhaps it would be a sign of strategy on their end, but will it be enough against the Disciple?

Just in case, Ophilia plants her staff upon the ground, closing her eyes and focusing upon the spell she's cast for him-- it's power that she's sending to him this time, energy he may tap into and burn freely to unleash with the next strikes of his sword. ]

[The assistance was honestly needed, but it was also like an addictive drug, awakening something inside him. It had been lurking there, maybe even before he had arrived in this world. But it had an identity this time. This is what you wanted. Doesn't it feel good to let it all out?

As the Eraser rush in at the same time, the Disciple merely takes a step back.] Too slow. [He stabs one Erasers, managing to even lodge his sword into the ground and pins it down. He then grabs the second Eraser and tosses it into a nearby building like it weigh nothing. He hums to himself, as he turns his attention back to other Eraser. Grabbing it by it's tendrils, he pulls it clean through the sword, cutting it in two, then tossing the remains. The sword was drenched in a weird kind of ooze, with cracks appearing on the cheap blade.] Fu, is that really all...?

[ This time he's no longer covered by his own blood, but the inky dark stains of the Erasers. The way he fights is quite brutal, and she can't help but compare him to a rabid wolf unleashed. Perhaps she had boosted his power a bit too much? Then again, she's not exactly complaining about there being less erasers, and so long as he's only dangerous to the enemy, the way her spells boost his own natural abilities can't be harmful. (Or can it?)

With the battle over for now, Ophilia steps closer towards him, gingerly avoiding the pool of Eraser-innards that have spilled upon the cobblestone ground. ] ...Amazing. [ She says, a bit breathless. ] You defeated those beasts in seconds.

[ Even with the battle over, her compounded spells won't have worn off just yet; typically one might feel restless because of it. ]

[He clenches his fist, feeling the magic start to subside. As he lets out some air and gives her a side glance, his eyes shown more yellow than the dark browns from before.] All thanks to you. [They weren't finished though. An unpleasant howl cuts through the air and a moment later, the Eraser that had been tossed into a building had returned, lunging at the Disciple.

He's ready for it though, as he pushes Ophilia aside and braces for the Eraser. As he's sent skidding along the floor, he grabs the Eraser by the claws and then proceeds to kick it off him. His strength should be returning to normal, but he displays power as if he had barely lost any of it. As he moves to get back on his feet, he starts laughing in a disturbing way, drunk with giddiness.]

Haha...yes, that's it. Fight me! [His voice even sounded more derange. Ophilia had become something in the background, it's just him and this Eraser now, monster against monster. It didn't matter to him that he couldn't use his sword, his inhuman strength was more than enough to fight the Eraser. He tears at it's limbs, breaking them, laughing excitedly as he does so. What else can he do? What can he break? How does he break them? So many questions left unanswered that he must find out. The Eraser was practically dead at this point, even as the Disicple continues to tear it apart, soak in his enemies blood.]

[ --How could she have forgotten about the last one?

She's knocked to the ground with his push, quickly propping herself back up the moment the stars and spots fade frm her whirling vision. Whipping her head up, she looks towards the clamor of battle only to notice that the Disciple is fighting the monster with his bare hands, tearing through it like paper. ] Ah--! [ She's about to call out to him to back away from it, there's no possible way he can take it on without a weapon, but she cuts herself short once she hears him laugh.

A chill travels down her spine at the sound as she clutches her staff when she brings herself up to stand. His behavior is now that of an entirely different person. Orr not even a person but a beast in his own right! Inky blood sprays over their small battlefield like high tide upon rocky cliffs with each of his strikes, and it splashes across the white of Ophilia's skirt. ] Sir.... Sir D--..Disciple!

[ Should she--... stop him? He's stomping on those Erasers as if they were nothing but ants beneath his boots. ] Sir Disciple, that's enough!

[He turns his head to glare at her. How dare she tell him to stop?! He tosses aside what was left of that Eraser's arm and starts to approach her. His eyes shone a golden yellow, slit pupils staring her down.

She's still whole, ripe for the killing. He grins devilishly, revealing sharp canines.

She helped me. He had only take a few steps when he suddenly stops. There was a sharp intake of breath and then he was hunched over, going quiet.]

[ She recoils when he turns to glare at her, his gaze piercing enough that he might as well have thrown knives. Those aren't the eyes of any human man, much less those belonging to someone who bears the title of disciple.

Ophilia takes a step away from him, heel dipping into the pool of blood beneath her. She should run-- run now--

But then he stops and stoops over, and she looks on at him wearily. He isn't alright, she realizes. He needs help. Yet still cautious and uncertain, she won't approach him. ] Sir... Disciple? Are you... alright?

. . . [He remains quiet, gears turning in his head. The stories of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two of the same person, one is a monster that sleeps within. It seems like he had a taste of what to expect.] You should leave. [He finally speaks up, quiet, but to the point.]

[ Telling her to leave when it seems like someone might be in trouble is probably the worst thing to say to her at this point. ] Wh... but-- [ Did she do something wrong?

Did she cause this-- did her magic somehow effect him in this way? ]

...Will you be alright?

Nightmare on Index Street

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