Chapter 06: Act III

[storyevents]

Frankenhyde: ACT III—

---

With such an unpleasant ending to the last act, the mood in Londeva has changed further. The weariness and silence felt in the evenings continues and the bright splashes of color from before have taken on a more garish contrast, no longer seeming quite as cheery as they had before. Still, life and the story must go on, so the quill is once again put to paper in order to deliver the events of the scenes to the Aspects once more.

Some time after we last saw Hyde and the illustrious Dr. Jekyll, Hyde approaches the doctor to demand some sort of recompense for being the doctor's experiment; after all, Hyde pointed out, they can't get good data on an "unhinged man" if Hyde's limited in what he can actually do. Though Hyde threatens him, Jekyll is able to keep calm and compromise with his test subject on the matter of pay. He once again warns Hyde to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. Hyde assures him that he knows what he's doing.

A few days later, Mister Utterson is called to Jekyll's house to discuss some personal matters. The old friends take a few moments to clear the air between them, to allow Utterson a moment to vent to his old friend, before the settle down to the business Jekyll called his solicitor for in the first place: adjusting his will to leave everything to one Mister Hyde. Utterson is appalled at the very idea, but Jekyll eventually confesses that he and Victor Frankenstein were working on creating life and that Hyde is a vital part of these experiments. It only makes sense to leave all of his money and property to a known criminal who would probably kill you as soon as look at you.

Perfect sense.

That night, as the young Danvers is out walking, Hyde decides it would be a wonderful idea to kill an innocent man in cold blood. A few hours later, Stixen finds Hyde in an alleyway covered in Danvers's blood. Tired of trying to play nice with the "normal" humans, Hyde points out that the two of them will never be accepted for what they are, so he and Stixen should just kill them all. Stixen admits it's a solution, but is not entirely convinced. The two part ways.

As Hyde returns home to Jekyll, Jekyll has had enough. He realizes what happened last night when he sees Hyde covered in blood, and that is a line too far. Jekyll demands Hyde stop. Hyde decides that he doesn't want to stop, but instead take over Jekyll's life. The two fight, and Jekyll is locked in his cellar, leaving Hyde free to do whatever it is he wants.

The next day, Stixen is wandering around and thinking about what Hyde suggested. He runs into the young Agatha de Lacy, who is trying to get her cat down from a tree and is very clearly annoyed. Stixen, still wanting to help people, climbs up the tree in an impressive display of acrobatics and rescues the girl's cat. Agatha is impressed and the two start to form a very tentative friendship before parting ways. Unfortunately for them both, Hyde was watching.

As Stixen was saving kittens from trees, Utterson rushes to Jekyll's house to report Danvers's murder and ask him to come look over the body. He's distraught to find the poor man having a panic attack in his cellar and hurriedly gets him out of there. Jekyll hates what science has become since his younger days, though Utterson does point out that it was always a little unsettling, and things are about to get a lot worse. Upon inspecting the body, Jekyll realizes that this was the man Hyde had killed.

That night, disgusted at what he had seen earlier that day, Hyde tracks down the de Lacy house and sets it on fire. Agatha flees the scene; Hyde gives chase. Eventually, the poor girl is torn limb from limb by the now monstrous Edward Hyde. When the girl's body is discovered, a mob forms outside of Victor's lab, demanding that Stixen face justice. Victor knows that the girl's death was not Stixen's fault, and so the two try to calm the people down to no avail. Eventually, they resort to looking around the lab for something to use to force them to calm down, allowing Victor to escape and get help.

Victor eventually finds Jekyll and begs him for help. Jekyll, of course, agrees, but he first insists that Victor join him at his home and all but forces Victor to follow. As they get closer to Jekyll's home, Victor realizes that it is not Jekyll at all but Hyde and tries to get away. He fails and, realizing that there is no hope for him, is gentle and almost calm about it all. Hyde, in one more act of brutal violence, stabs Victor through the heart.

Unlike before, when everyone awakens they will not feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Instead, there's a feeling of lethargy and unpleasantness, as if they experienced a restless night with unpleasant dreams. That feeling of past and possible potential dread will be hard to shake given that the city still seems as dreary as before. Still, life goes on as the citizens of Londeva continue to go about their daily routines. If anything, the city seems livelier than it was before, almost as if people are trying their best to make it a better brighter place in defiance of recent events.

But all is definitely not well in Londeva. With all the residents being busier and livelier, that means the blots and Erasers are more active as well. And as the Act goes on, the city itself seems to become more active with entire blocks disappearing and transforming seemingly at random. Additionally, cracks begin to appear in the city, ground, and sky as well as if the story itself is having trouble holding itself together. Hopefully everything will work out in the end, but it looks like getting there may be a bit of a challenge.

Still, the Storyteller has faith that the Aspects will be able to see things through, even if some of their behavior during this story gives room for pause.

---

§ instructions.

The third Act is underway! This is the designated log for all Main Scenes. Others are free to create their own toplevels for the Sub Quests, which are detailed below. Each Main Scene has their own unique toplevel and those cast into the roles are to thread their scene under each. All scene instructions are provided in the toplevels.

As stated in the flavor text above, all sorts of craziness is happening this act. There’s some additional information in the game notes, but things to keep in mind and possibly play with are as follows:

• there’s a pervasive feeling that something bad is going to happen
  
• cracks will begin to appear in the city and sky as the act progresses
  
• the amount of Erasers and rogue blots in the city will increase as the act progresses
  
• the city’s layout will appear and disappear, and change throughout the act (see the book repair subquest for more information)
  
• Aspects could be susceptible to behavioral changes (see the pick a side subquest for more information)
  
• During scenes where Victor's body is involved, the body will appear as his plant creation from before. Will it be dead, alive, friendly or hostile is up the players.

Costumes are also provided for this Act, although there's something...odd about the choices this time around:

• Henry Jekyll
  
• Edward Hyde
  
• Frankenstein's Monster (Stixen)
  
• Gabriel Utterson
  
• Henry Clerval.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into their location and will have to go through specially marked doors and then return. Characters will also be aware of their roles and partner prior to entering the scene, so it's possible for them to meet and coordinate beforehand or meet within the scene for the first time. Threading all of that isn't necessary, but it's to help give a better idea that characters can take a break between scenes or wait a bit to help with other things like the Sub Quests.

Feel free to refer to the Game Notes for more detailed info as well as ask questions or clarifications.

---

§ sub quests.

Everyone is free to participate in the Sub Quests. There are no specific top levels, so you're free to incorporate them however you wish in your own top level.

¶ I. Pick a side, any side. Early on, everyone will start feeling not quite themselves throughout most of the act. It can range from mild to severe and last for varying lengths of time, but the effects will always be temporary. Characters will either take on a "Hyde" personality or a "Stixen" (Frankenstein's Monster) personality.

• "Hyde" side. Will have erratic, immoral, and violent tendencies. Those who have non-human Essences can become more monstrous and transform at will, even capable of hiding their transformed self while still able to use some of those powers.
  
• "Stixen" side. Will be the opposite with a more curious, polite, and generous disposition. Those who have non-human Essences will more often be stuck in their transformation; alternatively they will only transform when enraged and become more violent in this time.

Should any of the two meet each other, they will be immediately hostile with "Hyde" personalities taunting and trying to coax the "Stixens" to be more like them. It is possible for a "Stixen" to switch to a "Hyde." It is also possible for anyone not affected to try and snap the other out of it, or at least convince those who are under "Hyde" influence to focus their violence on other problems instead of each other. A solid hit to the head will work wonders.

¶ II. Creepy Crawlers. There is an abundance of abominations roaming through the city—failed creations that will attack anyone on sight. The robotic reindeer are still around and will try to aid in clearing them out, but some will actually be consumed and mutate instead.

• There's another reason to destroy the abominations: any not killed will be captured by an Eraser and loaded into one of the many airships to fly towards a darkened space in the sky. For what reason is unclear, but it's best not to wait and find out. Stopping the Erasers and destroying the airships will be paramount.

¶ III. Emergency Book Repair. The very book itself is starting to tear apart and it worsens after the final battle scene. Buildings starting to crumble, Blots disintegrating, even the very ground ripping open. If this keeps up the story will be destroyed. Fortunately, the Aspects aren't left helpless. Ribbons made of white light and runic symbols appear here and there as if trying to help "stitch" things together. Using their Essences, Aspects can find these "ribbons" and gather them to spread over other places. Use of Essence abilities will also help with patching things up, as if the use of them is reaffirming the story’s existence itself. Buildings will start to be repaired, cracks in the earth sealed over, and possibly blots restored, though some of the construction work may be a little patchy. That building wasn’t always partially made of straw or gingerbread, but it might be now!


¶ IV. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

Comments

SCENE #1: Frankenstein’s Monster and Clerval - Makoto and Adachi

[storyevents]

When Victor doesn't return, a sudden fear grips them and he manages to create the rest of the knockout powder to subdue the remaining mob and sneak out. However there are still people after him and it's only pure luck that Clerval runs into him to help. The two must avoid notice from the people as they sneak through town to Jekyll's home, only to find him dead. How will Stixen react to seeing his "father" dead?. NOTE: When Victor's body is discovered, it will appear as his plant creation from before. Will it be dead, alive, friendly or hostile is up the players.

[afoolshope]

Well, Makoto couldn't exactly say he was thrilled with being in yet another role. But this time, he wasn't exactly going to be killing anyone at least. The long, hooded leather coat was pretty spiffy too. Comfortable, too. Still, he was wondering about this Victor. He was supposed to return, right? Makoto meandered around the lab, finishing up the knockout powder and looking at the clock. Hm, no, this wasn't right.

Victor should have returned by now. He jumped at the sound of the mob outside and quickly gathered the powder and pocketed it for now. He needed to get away and find Victor. He pulled up the hood, obscuring his face as he snuck out through the back and towards the nearby forest. This was the way to town, right? Maybe he could get that friend of Victor's, Jekyll was it? He should know where Victor was.

SCENE #2: Utterson and Jekyll - Luca and Naomi

[storyevents]

Having been informed of these tragic events by Clerval, Utterson races off in search of Jekyll and after finding him, brings him back home just in time to see Stixen take Victor's body away. The scientist breaks down and immediately runs into the building down to his lab to destroy everything. Utterson must either try to stop him or aid him in the destruction, but he should also try to calm his friend. What can they do to stop Hyde?

[allegedprisoner]

Alright, you're playing Utterson. You're to go find "Jekyll," bring them back to see "Sixen" carrying "Victor"... And prevent Jekyll from destroying their work and calm them down.

[ He nods and snaps his journal shut. After getting disoriented in the last scene and waking up with a feeling of unease, he decided to make a quick outline of the scene in the notes section of his journal and take it with him. Should prove handy if he gets confused again... Especially since he doesn't remember why Utterson would wear a cow print suit.

It's fine. Things are totally fine. He just has to find where Jekyll lives. Should be around here somewhere. ]

Jekyll? [ He calls out, glancing about at any nearby buildings. ] Jekyll, where are you?

SCENE #3: Frankenstein’s Monster and Jekyll - Steelbeak and Master Crane

[storyevents]

Eventually Jekyll goes to Victor's home to find that Stixen had taken Victor's body to the lab with research scattered all over the floor. Seeing Jekyll, Stixen begs the scientist to try and revive his "father." [Note: there are multiple ways this scene can go, from Jekyll refusing to him trying but failing. If an attempt is made, the end result will either be a failure or an abomination is formed instead. If going to attempt creation, the two will need to find materials to use and there will be notes from Victor's research on creating the original monster and the plant that can be used. Whoever is playing Jekyll will also have some knowledge on how to use everything to fit the role.]

[itsasteel]

Steelbeak has only played out a scene once before, back in Wonderland. It was a fun one which had involved booze. When he agreed to be the monster this time around, he had pictured a whole lot more badass fighting and a whole lot less... pathetic begging. He should've read the script before agreeing. And what is up with that weird plant? Is that supposed to be Victor Frankenstein's corpse? Lame!

Oh well, at least the outfit is cool. Who doesn't like a big old black trenchcoat? That hood is definitely staying up over his face, even if it can't entirely hide his big metal beak.

He supposes all he can do now is sit around in this mess of research papers and tools, waiting for 'Jekyll' to come across him.

SCENE #4: Clerval and Utterson - Ren and Rosalia

[storyevents]

Meanwhile, Clerval and Utterson meet in the town square to try and help by searching for Hyde. The monster must be stopped before there's another victim. However… Instead of searching for Hyde, Aspects will notice something strange occurring around them and will be preoccupied with that instead. Chunks of buildings missing, Blots suddenly disappearing or even killed without any visible sign of a culprit, strange abomination monsters prowling the streets. There's even a surprise appearance of the plant monster. At times they might see a shadow of Hyde—like a literal shadowy figure with a creepy face—flitting about here and there to lead them into traps, sometimes multiple shadows at once. But this shadow and any form of Hyde cannot be caught.

[schrodingers_joker]

Of all the kinds of costumes Ren would be expecting to wear, a pope costume wasn't one of them. Which is rather ironic considering that he isn't christian.

He adjusts the hat and waits for his scene partner at the town square. Sometimes playing with the staff he was given. He wonders how well it would work as a weapon if he needed to defend himself with.

"At least it's pretty light to carry."

SCENE #5: Hyde and Jekyll - Mabel and Junpei

[storyevents]

Hyde confronts Jekyll with the intent to kill his creator. However, for some reason all attempts to do so end up...strange. [Note: Something weird is going on in this scene. Every attempt Hyde makes to kill Jekyll is thwarted by some strange occurrence. From weapons turning to harmless objects to random interference like objects or animals suddenly appearing. Even the environment seems to change. If Hyde takes a swipe, a hole might suddenly form for Jekyll to fall in and appear behind Hyde instead. Although it's possible for Hyde to actually kill Jekyll, it'll be far more difficult and easier for Jekyll to escape. Although not required, please let us know if Jekyll will live or die.]

[blazeoflife]

--The HELL is this outfit?!

[ Annd Junpei's immediately tossing the dumb hat off somewhere. This didn't make any sense, why was he dressed like -this-?! ]

[ He made a face as he looked down at what he was wearing. Wasn't he supposed to be some sort of upperclass English dude? Why was he dressed up like a clown? ]

[ ... Not to mention, wearing this while 'talking' to Hyde, right? Who was his scene partner... Mabel had been the name, right? But he knew that apparently people who got the Hyde part could be wrong in the head-- ]

[ Standing in the middle of a stuffy mansion hall, Junpei kicked off his shoes and started to try and pull off any bells on his outfit.

Best to make a quiet get away if he had to, right? ]

Wonder when they're gonna show up--

SCENE #6: Frankenstein’s Monster and Hyde - Shizuo and Kazuma

[storyevents]

Outside of town as a blistering blizzard rolls in, Stixen hunts down Hyde who is patiently waiting for them. The two fight for their own reasons, but who will be the victor?

[chippedsoul]

[It was probably inevitable, orchestrated by the Storyteller that things would come down to this. He stands outside the community place, gripping his journal, having not gone through his destination to begin the scene just yet. His sense of self was fading in and out, only fixated on doing one thing.

Destroy everything.

He takes in some air, opening his journal, mustering what little awareness he had left to leave a message for Shizuo.]

You won't listen, but I must insist, should your life be under threat. Run.

Survive.

(frozen comment) ---- INDIVIDUAL TOP LEVELS SEPARATOR ----

[storyevents]

Everything below this comment are individual top levels players may want to create.

[schrodingers_joker]

(Pick a side, any side)

[Ren is not having a good morning. As soon as he wakes up, he feels like he pulled an all nighter or fought too hard or long in the Metaverse. It didn't help that he felt off.

However it wasn't long before a shift in his mind happens and his eyes start glowing yellow.

His shadow has taken over again.]

Well, well. How nice of them to let me have full control again. And not just influence with the punch.

[The shadow makes a chuckle.] Time to have some fun.

[Shadow Ren goes around, either breaking or kicking things, or getting into fights like in the bar at that party a while back.

While he won't attack anyone that approaches him right away, he will not hestate to defend himself and might even try to kill. Either way, the shadow is in the driver's seat now.]


(Emergency Book Repair)

[Once Ren's snapped out of it and back in control of his body for good, he will make up for the chaos he caused by helping out with patching up the city. He even finds that using his arrow to reach higher places works really well.

So you'll see Ren run around, firing arrows with those ribbons attached to get to the high places. As well as patching things up by hand for the places he can reach by hand.]

Emergency Book Repair

[whatsamada]

[In the midst of all the chaos, Ken was definitely not feeling like himself. Or rather, he was in rather positive mood as he felt himself overjoyed with such a rush of emotion he never thought he would experience. The feeling of having control of this body made it all the more perfect to create havoc in this strange place.

When he spot a familiar person attempting to patch things up, he couldn't help up strike up a conversation. He didn't care if his shadow self was making him open to Ren, he just simply wanted to talk.]

Well, look who we have here, if it isn't mister hot shot who wants to be a good doer. What a pleasant surprise to see you. [He said with a smirk and a distorted voice.]

Zidane Tribal | OTA

[tantailizing]

II. Creepy Crawlers

[Something's wrong.]

[He hasn't seen anything yet when he gets up, but his tail was already frizzed on him. Even when he goes outside, it's way busier than the Act before, but the unease feels worse - the lively nature is totally being forced.]

[Hell yeah he called it when the first blot just seems to snap out of nowhere, but then it's a chain reaction almost. Blots to Erasers, eventually he has to nick a new pair of daggers - and if that wasn't the worst of it, the failed experiments decided to show up.]

[Calling it now, he's gonna assume this ain't normal - at least, he doesn't think the reindeer are supposed to be mutated like that??]

Bring it!

[OOC: This prompt can be affected by "Pick a Side" where he's affected by Stixen's personality. His essence doesn't have a transformation so he'll look himself trying to save unaffected blots, robo-deer, and other aspects.]

II-2. Creepy Crawlers (Ace Combat)

[When the failed experiments started showing up, he didn't think it might get any weirder, but of course it did. He'd been on the hunt for one only to turn a corner and see an airship capture it.]

What the heck...?

[It's not even the only one in the air. That can't be good. Guess it had been a good idea to get that airship in the first Act then. Time to man cannons or board enemy ships - at this rate, as many as they can will have to do.]

III. Emergency Book Repair

[Okay the story should not be falling apart like this!]

[Leaving whoever wanted to say on the airship to it, Zidane could be seeing on the ground again, racing over shaking ground and uneven terrain, dodging some buildings as they came down, searching for a shine he'd seen from overhead.]

[It's a ribbon of light with symbols he can't read (thank Gods), and it looked like it was trying to patch things up on its own? Not in an ideal place though; it looks like some other places could us it first.]

[He would be found rushing around with a green rabbit creature at his side, seeing to various building and road restorations when he came across them, even occasionally leaving it to the rabbit while fending off any creatures attempting to interrupt.]

[OOC: This can also be affected by "Pick a Side" as Stixen still.]

IV. Wildcard

[OOC: I think he's got a good spread, but if there's something else people wanna do that doesn't fall into their categories, cool, let's play.]

Repair

[whatsamada]

[Meanwhile, Ken was simply taking his time watching the destruction unfold all around him. With everyone busy trying to repair everything, he was waiting to see what kind of chaos he could do next.

That being said, he was attempting to destroy a lamppost mostly out of boredom and to see who would be willing to talk to him in the midst of everything.

He just wanted so badly to fight somebody.]

Roxas || The Little Mermaid || OTA

[twilightskey]

Emergency Book Repair
[Roxas has been here since the beginning, and he's never seen a story begin to fall apart like this. It actually makes him a little scared, staring at all this decay and destruction. But he's not about to give up, not after working so hard to repair the drafts until now.]

[Anyone collecting those runic light ribbons will no doubt see Roxas doing the same, either using his magic voice or a nearby water source to help reinforce the ribbons as they bind the story elements together. If he's struggling and sees another Aspect, he'll take some time to call out to them.]

Hey! I could use some help here!

[Any scene pieces he helps repair will have some coral and undersea rock designs to them, but at least they'll be repaired!]

Pick A Side - A: Hyde
[Roxas feels the strange tension in the air as much as everyone else does, and he does his best to fight through it. But as time goes on, the strange feeling overwhelms Roxas, causing changes both physical and psychological within him.]

[Those who see him in the streets will notice something very strange about his appearance, specifically his eyes and hair looking very different. What's more, he seems to practically skip down the streets, hopping over tears in the road and grinning at crumbling buildings. He even begins to provoke people he sees into starting fights with him, or use his magic voice to subtly instigate bar fights, street brawls, and other acts of vandalism, all while he watches on in glee.]

[If anyone tries to stop him, he just turns to them and flashes a very unsettling grin their way.]

Oh? Is something wrong? I was just having a little fun.

Pick A Side - B: What Lurks Beneath
[It's one thing to encounter Roxas with his white hair and yellow eyes, but what's worse are the times where he straight up vanishes into the night, when his Hyde transformation takes an even more monstrous change. He won't be seen in the streets at first, but his voice could be heard calling out through the streets.]

You there... yes, you there. Come closer, please? Come closer... Just a little closer...

[His voice is melodious, almost sing-song in its cadence, and laced with his siren magic; those who hear it will be very tempted to follow it. And if you do end up following it, whether it be due to magic influence or out of a desire to find where Roxas is, it will lead you to a nearby sewer grate or manhole cover. And if you decide to brave going into the sewers themselves, you'll be met with a cruel chuckle from the darkness.]

You really are an idiot, aren't you?

[And out from the sewers will lunge Roxas, fully transformed into his merman form, but twisted into a monstrous version of it by his Hyde transformation. He's not looking to negotiate or play in this form; he's looking for prey, and looking to hunt.]

Wildcard
[Got an idea you wanna play out with Roxas? Feel free to come up with a starter of your own!]

Pick a Side A

[replicakey]

[Xion has been fortunate enough to stay in sane, without either of the sides affecting her. Maybe it was the essence she had, maybe it wasn't, but she was glad for it. It meant she could approach people to try and make them see sense.

People like Roxas. His essence power was affecting her a little, but she refused to give in to whatever desire he was trying to implant into her.]

Roxas! Stop, you're not acting like yourself!

Kazuma Asougi | Dr. Jekyll&Mr. Hyde [CW: Murder, Violence, Body Horror]

[chippedsoul]

2-A. Creepy Crawlies
[The story's progress has not been kind to Kazuma, and only to Kazuma. By the start of Act 3, he has already descended into madness, Hyde now able to fully wrestle control from him and causing death and destruction where ever he went, laughing madly at his newfound abilities this story has given him.] Weak! You are all so weak!

[He smashes through a home just by walking through it. His newfound powers have caused him to grow almost as tall as a single story home, his features more demonic as he lost his own humanity. His hands and feet were now large proper claws, bone growing from his heel and elbow into new sharp talons. His face had protruded forward to hold his newly grown sharp fangs, and he could be seen moving upright or on all fours like some beast. One wouldn't recognize the monster to be Kazuma as there was nothing left of him to be seen visibly, other than his weapon of choice happen to be whatever he could use like a blade. Right now, it's a street lamp.] Hahahaha! Was that suppose to hurt?!

[Several failed creations try to ram, bite and tear into him. They were met with being teared into pieces themselves, or smashed over and over by the street lamp until it was bent out of shape. Ink and parchment spilled everywhere. In the chaos, he doesn't notice the townsfolk trying to get out the way and are trampled by him amidst the chaos. No blob, aspect or erasers were safe, all were equal targets to him.]

3-B. Emergency Book Repair?

[Despite the destruction he was causing, it still applied as him using his essence. Thus the strange ribbons of light were constantly attracted to him. A shame he doesn't care to repair the damage. Instead, he would tear into the ribbons, or destroy whatever they try to repair or revive around him. Rather than be annoyed by the repeated cycle, it just gives him an opportunity to experiment with different killing and destroying methods.]

Hm, how shall I kill you this time? Roast you? Rip you limb from limb? [He held a helpless villager that had revived once more in his claws, pleading to let the cycle end.]

C. Wildcard
Feel free to poke me at noletters or discord if you like something else! Or make your own starter.

3-B, death result is fine if it goes to that

[replicakey]

[Guess who didn't listen to the post Kazuma made? This girl. She wouldn't be a Keyblade user if she wasn't trying to save everyone. No matter how risky it seemed.

Xion saw him holding onto a villager and cast a blinding light towards him.]

STOP!

Makoto Yuki | Thanatos

[afoolshope]

Pick a Side - Hyde

A roar was heard, followed by sounds of fighting. Anyone approach will see quite the monstrous figure slicing at the blots and erasers. Any people he encountered were met with a hard stare through the metal mask, sword at the ready.

The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his date

Of course, those people ran away. Thanatos did not go after them. Everyone would meet their end on day, after all. Besides, it was the blots and erasers that needed to learn the meaning of death.

Entrusting his future into the cards, Man clings to a dim hope

The eye sockets of the mask glowed, the shadows around the monster rippled and roiling.

Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed

Of course, that didn't mean there wouldn't be collateral.

Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are. Death awaits you.

Thanatos struck down hard with his sword, debris and blots and ink and paper flying everywhere. Shadows shot out, the darkness spearing and stabbing anything it their paths as the Essence went wild.

Emergency Book Repair

Makoto used all that he could to get the ribbons of light to patch up this suddenly shattering world. Wings beat hard, shadows at his command giving him strength hold the ribbons until they were in place, boosting him when he needed it, anything. Sometimes, a blue butterfly would land on his shoulder and Makoto was off in another direction, headed toward a part of town that was worse than this one, having been told by the butterfly.

He couldn't help but feel partially responsible, after all. He had caused destruction in the city. Both in the story and out. He hated this place and what it represented, but it wasn't fair to the people who lived here.

"Look out!" A shadowy tendril moved to pull you away, or to block some debris that would have fallen on you, anything to keep you safe. Or perhaps, in his flight he saw you fall and went to catch you. As best he could with what strength he possessed. "Nngh, you okay?"

Wildcard

[Or, yanno, we can do something else. Let me know.]

Pick a side

[schrodingers_joker]

Ren was trying to fix up the place after he had been snapped out of his shadow's possession when he spots Thanatos up ahead, and his eyes widen.

"A persona?" He's sure if he still had his, they would be screaming in his head right now.

Wait a minute... This persona feels familiar. And the talks about death, while he hasn't heard of those words before, it gave him a clue as to what this persona and therefore who it is.

His heart hurt when realization hit. He moves towards it, dodging any debris headed his way.

"Makoto! Makoto, please stop!"

He tries to get closer. "I know you can hear me in there. I know this is one of your personas, but this isn't all of you."

He keeps trying to get closer. Aiming to try to hug Thanatos.

(CW: Serious memory lapses, head trauma, violence)

[allegedprisoner]

Side Hyde:
[ Ah, wonderful... Not only is Luca still nervous about everything, he's waking up with a migraine.

Now, he's no stranger to headaches. Every so often, he'd feel a throbbing pain in his skull, mostly where he must have been struck on the day of that horrible accident, but this one feels worse... Much worse... It's so bad, he can barely think of anything...

... Maybe... He might actually sleep... Just a bit...

....

....

He wakes up in an apartment. Judging by the notes in his handwriting scattered about, he probably lived there for some time. But why? Who put him here? How dare they put him there! He will have someone's head for-

Wait, what's that outside? Those black things? Foul beasts have come after him before, haven't they?

They'll regret this...

On that thought, he takes to the streets with his sword in hand. The mutated blots are easy enough to deal with- A few slices of his sword and there's nothing but spattered ink on the pavement. The abominations are a bit trickier, seeing as he has to subdue them with that negative energy trick he has... But oh, does he have a lot of that right now. Black sparks fly as he lunges at the things, cackling like a madman as he slices them open.

Observers might notice a few things about this man's killing spree... He only seems to be going after blots and abominations (he hasn't found any erasers yet), and he seems to be taking them on randomly, one by one... He's pretty good with the sword, but his fighting's ametur at best... And those eyes... They weren't always red, were they...?

Maybe he's not in his right mind at the moment. ]

Side Sixten:
[ At some point, the migraine returns. Damnit! And there's still so much to be done...! He can't stop now, even though he's worn himself out from all the fighting and his nice clothes are covered in ink... He can't just... He can't think... He has to... Rest...

He wakes up on the side of the street. How did he get there? What is there? What's this stuff on his sleeve, can he eat it? He's gonna lick it- ]

Bleh! Nasty... [ Ink. That tastes like ink. Weird.

What else is around here? This place is fascinating! He wanders down the street, all wide eyed at the dreary surroundings and- Hey, is that a street lamp? He can't remember the last time he's seen one of those! How does it work? Maybe he'll find out by taking it apart! He just needs... Uh... This sword doesn't make a good screwdriver... Maybe he'll go flag down one of these other people? ]

Excuse me! [ A man with blank white irises hurries to your side. ] Do you know where I can find a toolkit? For building?

Side... What did I do last night???
Urgh... [ He wakes up after another migraine induced coma feeling less rested than before... God, he feels like he ran laps around the city just now... Where was he again...

Oh. That's right. This is that Jekyll and Frankenstein story... His name is Luca, Luca Balsa... And his clothes are covered in... Ink?! ]

What the?! [ Yep, he is covered in ink and other strange stains. So is his sword, which he brought with him for some reason. He probably left the journal in his apartment, then... Guess he'll use that weapon to pull himself to his feet and stumble out of the alley... ]

Huh? Was that building there before...? [ Or maybe it was a different building? What part of this setting is he even in right now? ] Oh no...

[ He's lost. Completely lost, and he looks like a serial killer... Though he thinks you're supposed to kill the hostile things running around? Is that what he saw running around from the corner of his eye? This is bad. He needs to get to his room and clean himself off...

Oh, is that? He picks up his pace, trying to catch the attention of the first aspect he sees. Maybe they'll be understanding? ]

Pardon... Which way to the apartment building we're staying in?

Emergency Repair.
[ Eventually the story begins to look like what Luca imagines his memory bank to be. He's played roles in all three parts, which is how they're supposed to fix the story, so what on earth is going on here?

Whatever's happening right now, he's beginning to pick up on some sort of treasures all around him... Treasures taking the form of strange ribbons... ]

What? Not again... [ Proper construction materials are being discarded in favor of magical nonsense. Not what he expected to find, but if this storybook world has taught him anything, it's that he shouldn't dismiss the practicality of fantasy elements.

So you might find him stitching together any broken thing he comes across. Walls, doors, streetlamps... Even the ground, if he can. He's trying to be a little more alert, considering how dangerous things are, but he can't help but get so focused on his work here... The sudden presence of someone else might just give him a start. ]

WILDCARD.
[ As you can see, Luca will be a hot mess. If you wanna plot something special with Hyde!Luca, Sixten!Luca, or just normal Luca, all you have to do is hit me up. ]

Repair

[meowbel]

[Meanwhile, Mabel didn’t even know what was going on. Between all the destruction and chaos, the only thing she wanted to do was go and do something. After her attempt at being Hyde, the last thing she wanted was to be remembered by what kind of horrible thing she did to someone.

While he was thankfully okay, it was another matter to just see everything and everyone trying to destroy and even kill one another!

So when she stopped a familiar person, she just hoped he wouldn’t go berserk on her]

Hey there, Luca, you doing okay there...?

Steelbeak | Don Quixote | OTA

[itsasteel]

II A. Creepy Crawlies (ground level)

[Boring fairytales and tea parties aren't exactly Steelbeak's cup of, well, tea. But this? This is exactly the reason why he accepted the Storyteller's invitation. Now he gets to kick ass and not drink cups of tea.

It may be chaos out in the streets of Londeva, but Steelbeak is working hard to clear out the enemies. Erasers, rogue blots, horrible abominations... He punches most of them, but every so often he'll resort to a good kick or a peck of the metal beak. Which is not to say he's all heroics. Whenever an innocent villager ends up within reach, he'll toss them aside with a loud "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

It isn't until he sees a group of Erasers carting off a twisting abomination like it's a couch on moving day that he stops in his tracks to watch.]

What the- Hey! Get back here with that!


II B. Creepy Crawlies (now with extra vandalism)

[By now, Steelbeak's figured out just where the Erasers are taking any abominations they catch. He's been in the villain- sorry, secret agent business long enough to know that this is trouble. No bad guy ever wants to get their hands on monsters or magical creatures unless it's to use them for their own selfish goals.

The way he sees it, the solution is simple: Destroy the airships.

So now he's running around the place where these things are docked, causing as much damage as he can. If at all possible, he'll wreck the 'balloon' to let all the air out. Good luck patching that up, Erasers. Piercing something as big as that is a tall order, though. The more exhausting option is to infiltrate a ship, get to the bridge and destroy the controls. A few of the ships do end up getting that treatment.

And honestly, if one of the good guys wanted to use an airship, that's their problem. The way he sees it, they can't risk these things falling into the wrong hands- or claws.]

airship time

[replicakey]

[Xion agrees that the fastest way to solve the airship problem is to get rid of the airships. Otherwise it would get too hectic and the erasers would likely try and capture the airships anyway.

She looks over to Steelbeak who is also destroying things and gets an idea.]

Hey, do you want to help? If you can run to the other side of the airship with my light rope we can pull it together and destroy more stuff with it.

Tohru Adachi | The Evil Queen

[foggydetective]

Pick a side, Stixen side

[For some reason Adachi felt curious about what was going on outside the scene he finished. He usually wasn't this curious, or curious at all, but now he wanted to get to the bottom of this situation.

He approached someone who seemed like an aspect (or at least someone who could answer his questions).]

Excuse me. What seems to be going on? Is there anything I can do to help with these cracks in the sky?

[He sounds... oddly polite. If he was himself he'd be gagging at how he sounded, but instead he looked genuinely like he wanted to help.]


Creepy Crawlers

[He had actually been helping people to go inside to avoid being attacked by the erasers. But the a few erasers started carrying a giant mutation towards an airship. That doesn't seem good.

He starts running after them to see what's going on. He looks to anyone around and calls out to them.]

Hey! These erasers things are up to something. A little help?

[... yeah, he's still not quite himself.]

Pick a side

[schrodingers_joker]

[While Shadow Ren feels disgust at first since he could sense this is a "Stixen", there's also amusement.]

You, trying to be a hero? How hilarious.

[The shadow pushes his glasses up with a finger much like the real Ren sometimes does.]

Isn't it obvious? This story is falling apart. Unless the heroes do the repairs, everyone from this world will die. Maybe we might too.

[Granted he might be wrong since the Storyteller might be able to save them.]

Jean Kirstein | The Beast

[rustyhonesty]

Pick a side, Hyde side

[Jean's change didn't quite shine through. He was mostly normal, if you didn't count the annoyed twitching of his tail and ears. The real change is shown when a random villager bumps into him.]

What do you think your doing?

[As the villager tries to explain, stuttering as he does, Jean sighs in frustration and then transforms into a Beast form, roaring at the villager who falls on the ground, frozen in fear.

However mad he is, his violent tendencies don't seem to make him want to hurt the villager, but rather destroy the things around him to scare him more. Perhaps even make the debris fall on him as he destroys the place.]


Creepy crawlers

[At least it's useful that he's a beast when he can fight off the mutations by smacking them with his claws or biting them with his pointy canines. Not that they taste very good, so he doesn't do that unless he has to. He doesn't do this to save others, he's doing this for his own entertainment. So anyone asking for help is very much ignored.

He also ends up damaging one of the airships when he gets close enough to them on his mutation killing rampage. So he's being accidentally useful even if he has no intention to be. ]


After a certain fight

[After running into the actual Hyde and fighting him, Jean suffers quite a lot of injuries. He's no longer in his Beast form, his clothes are rather torn from several places.

He had quite a few broken bones and a dislocated right shoulder. He was also bleeding from several places, some wounds deeper than the others. It wasn't life threatening but he did need medical attention.

It was hard to move, but he tried to get to somewhere safe to lay down and rest. He was still under Hyde influence, but that was fading as his injuries made it impossible to focus on anything.

He growled at a villager watching him.]

What are you... looking at?

Creepy Crawlers

[chippedsoul]

[Hyde must look convincingly like these abomination, cause Jean claws have found Hyde's back while he was busily destroying someone's home.]

Huh? [The wound stings, but it was already healing itself, faster than before thanks to his connection to the story. He starts to turn, arm swinging to swat at whatever beast had decided to attack him.]

[detectiveforhierophant]

A: Pick a Side: ...Hyde?

[ Dojima, despite the chaos outside, hadn't seemed to have left his room in some time. One could hear pacing on the floorboards, something banging against the walls, and odd mutterings. Maybe if you listened in through the door...? ]

You can't just ignore me forever, you piece of shit.

[ That's odd, who's Dojima talking to...? Especially like that? ]

Eventually, your resolve'll break. You'll give into your worst urges, just like you always do. We both know that.

[ Silence for a moment, before... Dojima spoke again. Only, his voice sounded... tired. Worn down. But still-- ]

Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean... I have to make shit easier for you, though-

[ A heavy CRACK of wood thudded against the wall, and Dojima groaned from pain- ]

Are you still trying to play the hero?! You think hiding away in here like a scared dog'll save anyone?!

[ Dojima spoke again, but listening to it, you could hear a difference- an angry distortion layered over Dojima's normal voice, dark and mocking- ]

You're just a pathetic coward. [ The words were spoken like a curse, disgust dripping from every syllable ] You're scared of what we could do--what I could do--

Of course, I am.

[ Dojima's regular voice returned, pain now obvious on the edges of his words. ]

I... you... We literally, blasted a forest apart. We almost killed Adachi--

You say it like he didn't deserve it. Like you didn't want to kill him--

[ You can choose to listen in further, or break down the locked door-- if you do, you'd find Dojima standing infront of the water basin, blood dripping from his right knuckle and down his face and staring at his reflection in a shattered mirror--

With glowing yellow eyes flicking, staring back at him, and you-- ]


B: Journal Entry

Anyone out there still sane?

[ The message would come after a time, while things were starting to fall apart- ]

Got a Theory that we're experiencing a full on attack from the Story Eater.

Why not take us out while we're stuck fixing a book?

Potentially could be also Attacking the Index, or the Library. Be prepared for a rough ride and keep repairing anything you can.

Also try to avoid Kazuma if you can; I don't know if anyone other than Shizuo could manage to take him out right now.

[ Not to say Dojima would avoid fighting the giant if he had to, but that was him. He didn't want the younger kids involved in that mess-- ]


C: Wildcard! Feel free to request Dojima fighting creepy crawlies/repairing stuff!

Journal

[allegedprisoner]

I seem to be fine now, but I apologize for anything I may have done while I was out of it.

[ Because he sure doesn't remember anything about his time as Hyde or whatever! ]

This sort of thing doesn't happen too often, does it? The whole story tearing itself apart thing?

Rokurou Rangetsu | The Huntsman

[rokubro]

» i. daemons among us «
[In all his time being in the Realm, not once did Rokurou ever really "lose" his control. Granted, he's always been a rather chill guy, only getting excitable when it came to fighting. It's easy to forget that the easygoing, laidback swordsman is actually a daemon—specifically, a war daemon.

And he has the Huntsman as his essence.

So when he's suddenly affected by Hyde, well... It just basically becomes a slaughterhouse.]

[ a. clearing out the side mobs ]
[More than once he can be found cutting down large groups and later standing in the middle of a mutilated Blot, abominations, and even Eraser corpse pile, the black stains splattered around him and dripping from his blades painting a grisly picture as he looks bored.]

Aaah, damn, not even a decent warm-up. Guess the Aspects are really the only ones worth my time.

[Some may even notice a strange black aura flickering from his shoulders and arms. Normally this would be a problem for others, but fortunately for whatever reason, his malevolence can't affect anyone so it's more of a reflection of his current state as a daemon.

Better turn back before he notices...although if it's someone without a Hyde essence or seems harmless they should be safe. As much as he enjoys fighting and killing at the moment, he doesn't want to waste his time. However, if anyone gets in his way of a fight...then he won't hold back and attack without a second thought.]

[ b. hunting hydes ]
[As for fellow Hydes, Rokurou is actually going to try and hunt them. Following trails, probably hearing their own chaotic actions or even catching a whiff of blood. He might even be able to sense their presence nearby, and similarly they might be able to notice him. And when he does find someone?]

Hah! Finally, a worthy opponent.

[The grin he bears is disturbing, the red daemon eye hidden beneath his bangs glowing. And he won't waste another second with pleasantries—he sees red, and as they say if it's red, it's dead.]

[ooc: There are a few ways to bring Rokurou back to his senses, although ironically fighting is a good way. Give him a good fight and he'll forget about being crazy as he's mostly just feeling dissatisfied about not having a good challenge lately. Fill the quota and he'll become more rational. Of course there is the risk of just fueling that need to fight, so alternative is to make him focus on the other abominations and Erasers. Another way is alcohol. Seriously, offer him a drink, lure him into a bar, or chuck bottles at him and that'll snap him out real quick. This one is probably more of a random chance discovery for most who don't know him, but random chance works for me!

Also if anyone wants a character death, he's an option. He'll apologize to them later after they're alive again (or in the Index if he's still being war daemon).]

ohai Rokurou

[mooglebow]

[See, after the teasing and silly from her arrival and all, this is a different side of this guy than she had seen before. Seeing that he was being affected by... something? She's not too sure. With the blots, both good and bad, around him... mmm she wasn't going to stick around to see what's going on with him if it meant that people would get hurt, blots or not.

So, with a little more practice with her powers here, she flies down to hover over the ground, between Rokurou and the blots.]

You need to stop. [and with a mogsword brandish,] I'll fight you if you want a fight.

Eugene Fitzherbert | Magic Mirror

[smolders]

☸ i-1. reflect on yourself
[Eugene has seen his fair share of...crazy, but the whole "personality" changing going on, especially switching to potentially murderous ones, is starting to rank high up there. CAN PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD STAY NORMAL FOR LONGER THAN A DAY PLEASE. Fortunately for him he's been taking to the "Stixen" side more often than not when he is affected, and he's also figured something out.

The reflections from his mirrors actually helps by occasionally reflecting his true self. Since he's still new at this it's not always reliable, but hey—a roughly 40%-60% chance is better than none, right? Plus he can get a lot of practice with this.

So Eugene can be found in one of the following places:]

[ a. at the plaza. ]
Step right up, step right up! Be it going off to cause evil or doing good, you've got to look your best! So come on over and take a nice, good look at yourself and leave it to me to make sure you look the part.

[With a bunch of full and half length mirrors set up around him (a few of them even floating), Eugene merrily waves over anyone he can to get their attention. And if he's feeling more devious he'll even casually turn a mirror to catch the light and aim the reflection right into the person's eyes. Look, this is a matter of life and death for some people, he'll do whatever it takes.

Although, he may be less keen on attracting the more...volatile looking ones, but no, he must steel himself!

If his "Stixen" side is in play, he'll be more amiable and coaxing for those affected to come over. He may even try to recruit others who are fellow "Stixens" or still sane.]

[ b. you get a mirror and you get a mirror— ]
[When not staying at the plaza, Eugene will dart around the town to see if he can find others to use his mirrors on. And when he does spot someone behaving strangely (most likely a "Hyde,") he'll first try to grab their attention—]

Hey! You're looking a little...wow, that's rough. Have you checked yourself in a mirror lately?

[—and hold up a mirror right in front of them.]


[ooc: HOW THE MIRRORS WORK: basically if someone looks at their reflection in the mirror, it should reflect their original selves (whether it be their Story Realm version or original world version). It could be static or even a brief memory of sorts that reflects something key to their character. The intention is for it to create enough to make affected characters start to question their current selves and help them snap out of it. Of course, whether it works immediately is random chance. It eventually will, especially the longer someone is exposed to the mirror or if Eugene is able to conjure a few more to up the chances, but it's still variable on how long it takes for someone's original appearance to reflect on the mirror as well as actually register it.

It is possible for Eugene to "loan" out mirrors, but it's a very small range. Go too far and the mirror will just poof.]

B

[schrodingers_joker]

[Despite Ren's best efforts, he ended up possessed by his shadow again. It seems helping save Ken from his own shadow had only delayed things. So Shadow Ren had continued to cause more chaos, as well as get into fights.

As Shadow Ren had throw a rock at a window to smash, he heard Eugene talk to him.]

What are you--?

[And is greeted by his own reflection. Which not only shows the real him without the glowing yellow eyes, but his original appearance.]

The hell?