realmofstories | Chapter 06: Act III

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Chapter 06: Act III

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:

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[THAT'S ILLEGAL. How dare he!! The surprise to his flaming sword is obvious on her face, and she would need to disengage to change any elements or to change Mog's form again. But so far, she hadn't tried to use all of her abilities... maybe she could Steelguard against some of his attacks? They would be striking as she tried to get away, so she might as well try to minimize damage taken.]

What's gotten into you?!

[He wasn't like this before, but was it this story that was doing it? That had to be it, but she hadn't felt anything different... weird.]

[HE'S GOT A LOT OF SWORDS NOW... Although it's not a true fire sword and just the edge of the blade that burns, the flame dancing off the darkened steel as each swing is heavy but surprisingly fast and accurate.]

I'm a war daemon, remember? [Another powerful slash before the blade disappears and he returns to the shorter blades.] Just hunting for a good fight!

[He's relentless in his onslaught as he continues to chase and strike at her, seeking whatever opening and opportunity he can find.]

[TOO MANY SWORDS, he'd be a sword dragon if he was one-- wait, that's his best friend.

Serah blocks as many of his strikes as possible, though some graze her skin and glance off some of the armour that she donned now. That he wanted to hunt for a fight made sense, but if he had wanted to fight her when he tracked her down, why hadn't he? Something wasn't right.]

You're not acting like how you did before-- something's wrong, Rokurou!

[With that, she chances flying straight up to try to get away from his swords. He can't fly... can he?]

[Alas no, he cannot fly. He could certainly jump high enough, but he just looks up at her instead. The grin he wears is...certainly chaotic and definitely not like any of his usual ones. Although Serah might not be able to see it or be affected by it, she might be able to sense something like an "evil force" swelling within and around him. That force would be his malevolence, but due to being in this world it's fortunately being self-contained within Rokurou so it won't spread.

Doesn't mean it doesn't stop it from affecting him. And along with the whole personality switch, well. Cocktail for disaster.

For now not only does his daemon eye glow red, but the red vein-like lines on the rest of the markings seem to pulse. Nothing about him makes him feel like the "friendly if weird guy" from before. Instead his bloodlust is cranked up to the max, and it's clear he doesn't just want to fight—he's intending to kill Serah.]

Hmmmm, you're right.

[He points a blade up towards her.]

You keep flying away, and it's getting a little annoying.

[The sword shimmers, seeming to disappear and reappear in his hands, and at first glance it doesn't look that different aside from style and design. But then there's a slight shift of his fingers from the hilt and a bullet whizzes past Serah's face and into her wing before bursting into flames.]

[That red eye glowing was ominous... and it was making her glad she was trying to fly back up.

When he replies that there is indeed something wrong, she smiles a little, relieved to hear that he agrees with that... but it's short-lived when he tells her that her flying away is annoying. Her smiles falls, and while she tries to scramble away in the air, it's futile: once his sword turns and is closer to something like her sister's weapon and it shoots through her wing, she falters in the air. When it bursts into flames, she drops, but it's in a tumble of screams of pain before she hits the ground.

Once there, Serah tries to get the fire to stop burning her, but it's between her writhing in pain and looking up at him with pleading, questioning eyes of 'why'.]

[Rokurou just watches with strange satisfaction before he walks over, a blade twirling in his hand. Even after seeing her gaze he seems unmoved.]

Have to say, I am a little disappointed. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of battle angel or something?

[Standing next to her, he reaches down to grab the burning wing, pulling it up...before ruthlessly slicing it clean off with his blade.]

[Okay, his approach is actually kind of scary now, what else is he going to do?!

That's answered by his grabbing her hurt wing and severing it from her body. Is that even going to grow back?! Not something to really think about right now, but the shock is enough to make her black out after a good, bloodcurdling scream of pain.

WHAT WILL HE DO?]

[The wing discarded, he stares down at her prone, unconscious form. Her scream...does little to affect him in any meaningful way. Instead he just feels this weird sense of disappointment and dissatisfaction. What he wanted was a good fight, and although things had started interesting enough, in the end it he's left desiring more.

Now, he could just finish her off, and were this a normal opponent on the field he would do so without hesitation. In fact his sword hovers over as if to deliver the finishing blow. Yet for some reasons her words echo through his mind, this pleading eyes almost haunting him, and his hand hesitates.

He's not acting like he did before? Something was wrong with him? ...What would she know, they barely knew each other. He's a daemon—a war daemon. Fighting and killing was in his blood even before he became one, and he's done far worse since.

Yet somehow those words grate at him and in the end he just clicks his tongue and steps away.]

...Not worth my time.

[He could be looking—hunting—for stronger foes instead of dawdling around here.]

[Serah's weapon transforms back into Mog as Rokurou turns to walk away, and when he sees Serah on the ground? He goes into a little moogle rage. He's not really strong on his own-- he can't just turn into a sword and launch himself at Rokurou's back or something-- but he can fling himself at the back of Rokurou's head!]

Kuuuuuuuuuuuuu-- PO!

[If you've ever wondered what a marshmallow as big as Mog feels like being thrown at you, Roku, now you know. His clock staff is flailed around wildly, trying to hit him.]

How dare you hurt Serah, kupo! You should be lucky her sister isn't here!

[He's... not wrong on that account.

However, in this time, Serah's body seems to have disappeared. HMM.]

[And suddenly attacked by a flying marshmallow!?

The hit from behind comes as a surprise, in part due to him being preoccupied, but he actually stumbles forward before turning around to find himself having to quickly dodge a flailing staff instead!]

What the— Hey!

[He's already feeling a bit irritated from not having a satisfactory fight (is that really all there is to it?) and now he has to deal with this thing. After a duck and then getting bonked on the nose, he finally reaches up to try and grab Mog.]

[Mog is a little better at the flying and dodging thing than Serah is, on account of him always flying. He's also slippery, and when Rokurou tries to grab him, he dodges— barely— and up he goes...

...to get out of the way of a fireball coming toward Rokurou. From nowhere...?!

Mog is gone now too, no longer in the air.

You wanted a challenge, Rokurou. You'll have it.]

[He had a feeling Mog would be annoying. For some reason he's reminded of Bienfu, but that moment vanishes when there's a sudden fireball heading right at him. Immediately he dives out of the way, rolling along the ground before hopping back up to his feet to glance at first where the fireball scorched the earth on impact and then towards the direction it came from. In the process he notices that not only Mog had disappeared, but so had Serah. And since he's certain she hadn't died...

...

A wild smirk forms.]

So you got some fight left in you!

[But where is she... His eyes dart around, senses high alert.]

[Oh, she's... around... :)

More magic comes flying at him, and scattered around her to try to hide her movements so he won't see where she's actually moving to— she is missing from view, after all. It wouldn't be wise to give away her movements.

Magic comes every so often from different places, still scattering around but also flying at him. She will eventually hit him, maybe... but this seems to be doing well for the time being.]

Edited 2021-01-21 09:43 (UTC)

[Although he's able to deflect and dodge a few, some graze him before one hits his leg. But it doesn't matter much to him. The whole time he tries to follow the movement, but it's clear she's on the move, making it impossible to pinpoint her location.

Nice.

Very nice.

However, this one skill he's gained and developed upon entering this world: tracking. It's not precise, of course, but he can pick up trails of someone's presence, especially through blood. So after the hit, he decides it's time to try to make a move of his own—and that's to suddenly dart near where Serah is. Not exactly, but perhaps about a foot or two in range.]

[When he darts suddenly, Serah nearly runs into him, and while she's invisible, so is Mog... so a sword will be swishing toward him to keep a distance from him.]

Stay away!

[Gotcha.

His sword will parry hers, but in that moment he disappears and will reappear behind her. Of course he still can't see her and it's not like he can always keep track of her, but he now at least roughly knows where she is until she moves away again.

Anyway, swing slash goes his blades.]

[Too close! ...but where did he go? It's not until she feels his blades slice into her back that she finds just where he is. Serah stumbles forward, reappearing from her invisibility for the moment. Now that she knows she can do it though... maybe she can use it later?

Serah spins, sword in hand, to face him again. She looks pretty beaten up, but her eyes flash, and what looks like a symbol flashes there. There's death around her, she can sense it. Can she use them, she wonders? For now, she's got to try to keep his attention to keep the rest of them safe.]

Why are you doing this?

[He doesn't advance, but his blades are still poised as if ready to lunge forward at any second. That earlier sense of disappointment has disappeared as the excitement of a challenging battle returns. In fact he's starting to admire and respect her determination and persistence, a reflection of her own kind of strength. So he doesn't mind this little interruption and indulges her with an answer.]

I told you already—I'm a daemon and I like fighting. That's all there is to it.

Edited 2021-01-21 10:46 (UTC)

You didn't want to fight me before! You weren't trying to kill me! [Or anyone else, for that matter.] That's why something is wrong. Please, you have to snap out of it!

[Her mogsword is in front of her, ready to deflect strikes. She knows he's strong and fast like this now, so she's ready to fight against him again.]

[There's just a slight arch of his brow. That again? What does any of that matter... That carefree grin lowers to a hard line as he shifts into a more definitive stance.]

It just means I've been slacking and lost focus.

[Though even that sounds...strange to his ears. Focus on what? His need to get stronger?

For a moment it might seem like he's considering her words more, but then there's that weird feeling of need to fight, an itch to get rid of the woman standing in his way and wasting his time to find someone else. Normally he would just call it and leave, but the bloodlust that had slightly cooled (ironically from the excitement of the fight) flares up again.

Rather than just fight now he wants to just kill, and he hasn't fully realized that that has been his true motivation.]

Guess I should have finished you off earlier.

[That's her only "warning" before he darts forward, his killing intent stronger than before.]

I won't go down so easily this time.

[Just because she can't fly doesn't mean she can't fight.]

If I fight, will you go back to normal?

[She won't get an answer to that as he's darting forward. Mog turns into a bow for her to fire off arrows as a distraction, before Mog shifts forms again and she goes to meet him with a sword in hand.]

[He swipes away the arrows before his sword swings out to strike against hers. Compared to before, there's more brute strength behind it and he immediately follows up with his second blade.

Again his daemon eye pulses red and that ominous, heavy pressure seems to grow around him.]

[He's stronger this time, but she won't die or fall here again. His second blade she sees and dodges out of the way so it doesn't swipe her. This close distance though is good for a magical attack to the face, this time she's using a Thunder spell. Hopefully that's enough to catch him off guard before she pushes against his blade with her own, hoping to knock him down.]

[He actually is surprised since he's not used to magic being cast so quickly and at close range. That and combined with the push back does indeed knock him down, momentarily stunning him.]

[She doesn't want to hurt him, but right now there's really no choice, is there? She levels her blade at him, and goes to kick his blades away from him if she can.]

Have you calmed down now? Or do I have to go further?

:3c

♥~

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cue emp!Roku screaming that he'll kick his own ass

SOBBING

omg ROKUNOU

C R Y I N G

MOOGLE PUNCH

D8

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