[Day 2, Night - A House South of Town]

[direstnews]

[Written into the ground alongside one of the houses to the south of town tonight are a series of strange letters, forming a rough circle near the wall. A figure of approximately Loki's build, not there during the day's exploration, leans against the wall at the corner. The door to the house is open.]

[Some hours after the sudden switch from day to night, Loki stands in front of the door, a candle before him, a kitchen knife in one hand and a spoon in the other. He checks the mirror set carefully in the darkness, nothing yet visible in its surface. Then he strikes the knife with the spoon's handle, and he holds his breath - and he waits.]

Comments

[overclocking]

Unfortunately, no.

[Glancing at her gun...]

How many rounds did you fire?

[soul_sister]

Two Gospel bullets, one magazine of Sacred.

[overclocking]

[Can't... even scold you because GIANT DARKNESS MONSTER.

He just sighs instead, surveying the supplies in the box.]

I used one of the grenades, too.

... We're going to have to be more careful.

[soul_sister]

I've used more on weaker demons than that.

[overclocking]

When you had a steady supply stream.

A few more days like this one, and we'll be in bad shape.

[soul_sister]

[That would require me acknowledging we're trapped. Instead, she looks at the scattered doll parts.]

Hey.. Chrono. That isn't something that's IN all of the dolls, is it? [Picking through the rubble.]

[overclocking]

No, it's not... I'm sure I would have sensed it before now.

This was something new.

[soul_sister]

I thought so.

Lets take a look around.

[overclocking]

[He hesitates for a moment, then pulls the ammo box back on.]

... Let me take the lead.

[soul_sister]

[It looks for a moment like she's going to protest. Instead, she nods and goes to pick up the emptied gun from where she dropped it.]

All right. I'm ready.

[overclocking]

[There's a flicker of relief when she doesn't protest, but he doesn't say anything more.

Instead he just starts picking his way towards where he thought he saw the beast fall, footsteps measured and careful. He keeps his attention divided between the rubble and any remaining traces of that creature's presence.]

[soul_sister]

[That's the odd thing, perhaps, that there doesn't seem to be ANY traces, neither physical nor ones you can sense. The ground is clear and free of any splatter.

Now there's only turned up dirt in the garden, rubble, debris ... and a mirror?]

[overclocking]

[... Huuuh. He pauses and frowns, picking up the mirror. How did it not break after all of that?]

It looks like we escaped some bad luck with this one.

[soul_sister]

I'm not sure that exactly fits the situation.

[overclocking]

Still... How did this even get out here?

[Glances around at the buildings and the rubble...]

--We didn't collapse one of the inns, did we?

[soul_sister]

IT COULDN'T HAVE! [STILL FRANTICALLY LOOKING BACK because distance and improbability would state they couldn't damage the Statue of Liberty either...

She slumps a bit, hand over her hear at the confirmation that the large structure of the nearest inn is still intact.]

[soul_sister]

[KICKS IN THE FACE]

DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!

[overclocking]

[And in a tragic twist of fate, the mirror flies out of his hand and bounces across the ground, shattering.

He follows not long after.

Well done Rosette Christopher.]

[soul_sister]

AHHHH! The mirror!

[overclocking]

[Really? REALLY

You know what.

He's just gonna stay down here for a while.]

[soul_sister]

[There are questions, honestly, a lot of questions. What's it doing out over here? Who put it here? Is it related to just what happened?

All of them things to worry about.

So clearly the right thing to say, right now, of all of those questions in her head.]

I'll only accept three years. You get the rest.

[overclocking]

[...


SITS UP]

It's your fault it fell!

[soul_sister]

YOU made me do it!

[overclocking]

Stop blaming me just because you screwed up!

[STANDS UP IN A HUFF]

[soul_sister]

How did I screw up? It's nice of me to volunteer for any time at all! You're the one who broke it.