[nothing is in the snow! just that one shiny knife. they can all go into the classroom - all of them can hear the clicking sounds, which are more like footsteps, now that they're closer. someone is just wandering around close by. the classroom is similar in function to all the other furniture in past rooms they've gotten through - about twice their size, and very rusty.
but first, before that: harrow hands jingle the knife, and for takeru, there's a second where the world stops.
it's a gutpunch of sad. lost, terrified despair, the sense of being out in the snow and running with only the sound your own ragged breath to accompany you. you run and run and you can hear a horse behind you and you're crying, the tears freezing to your face, your mother won't come to see you anymore and you don't understand why, and you don't even know what your father looks like, or if he's alive, and you trip because you're so exhausted that you can't keep running --
the baby drops the knife, and it thuds into the ground.]
[Sheila, oblivious to Takeru having an existential crisis:]
Whoa. Guess the kid does not like knives.
[Following the others into the classroom. She will glance around to catalogue what furniture is in here. Maybe someone else should pick up the knife, because she will not. Oops.]
But how about [presenting Monobear to Jingle, wiggling it a bit and imitating a showman:] a teddy bear? Huh? Huh?
[ he freezes in place, only making it a few steps into the room.
there isn't much of an outwardly reaction otherwise, other than his eyes widening in surprise as the foreign feeling hits him. when the knife drops and it stops, he continues to remain in place. it isn't until sheila offers the to jingle that sasazuka takes a reflexive step back, almost protective. ]
What the hell was that?
[ his tone is bewildered, and he's looking down at the knife and then at the baby. ]
[ she narrows her eyes in the direction of the noise. is the person closeby? can they see who it is? otherwise she's just going to take a look around the room before she glances over at takeru, hearing the echo of the knife clattering against the ground. ]
[She's concerned, but also, the footsteps are worrying, given the other people they saw. She'll pick up the knife off the floor, hopefully not triggering more trauma, and try to hide behind some furniture.]
Come quickly. We ought to make sure we aren't seen before we see them.
jingle looks at the bear, and then at sheila, and then at takeru - the bag on their head is... damp? around the eyes. they don't say anything, as usual, but they're holding onto takeru pretty tightly.
across the room, a door opens, and slowly, a grotesque face peers out from behind it. it's distorted and baggy in places, but it's easy to tell that there are something like stitching marks, or scars? across the face. it slides out from behind the door sideways, eyes wide and unblinking, followed by a heavy length of white-blue hair, and then... keeps peeking, keeps going, a long, long neck that just keeps extending further and further. it whips around like a snake, looking for the source of the noise.
harrow is hiding behind some furniture... what are the rest of you doing?]
Between the background noise stopping and Harrow offering some sensible advise, Sheila will follow her lead and move behind whatever piece of furniture is closest to where they entered the room. She opens her mouth as if to say something to the others — but quickly thinks better of it when the other door opens. Hm. Time to stay, uh, very still?]
[ he was going to answer harrow's question, except now the worst thing ever just steps into the room.
he'll also follow behind the others, although admittedly probably slower than the rest since he's still kind of distracted by whatever the fuck that knife thing was. it's fine. ]
[ whatever vira was going to say can wait for later, because she's going wide-eyed and quickly ducking behind some of the rooms furniture. she digs in her pocket for the bone that harrow had given her—it may have to be used to serve as distraction.
but for now, she waits to make sure they all find cover. ]
[Is the baby still clinging to Sasazuka? I'm assuming so, but even though she's already hidden, when she sees this creepy head come through the door she's - not grossed out, because necromancer. She's seen so much grosser. But she suspects something dangerous. So rather than staying in her hiding place, she'll creep back to the edge of it and reach out her hand to try to pull Sasazuka and the baby behind the furniture as well.]
harrow, sasazuka and jingle are hidden behind a desk. sheila and vira end up behind a bookshelf, quiet. there's a long moment as the creature turns its head to the left... and then the right... and then twists upside down to look under a desk directly to the right of sasazuka and harrow.
but it doesn't find anything, so it slowly pulls its head back into the other room with a disgusting slurping sort of sound.
now that you guys are properly in the room, you can see that this room too is very rusty, and metallic. there's a chalkboard on the far wall, or at least, there's half of one. the other half is on the floor. there are eight desks in the room, some bookshelves, some large toys and a toybox pushed into the corner of the room, and a piano in the other corner. above the piano is a vent.
the clicking footsteps resume in the room next door.]
Sheila doesn't move for several seconds after the creature retreats, holding her breath — and then she finally exhales. Vira is the one closest to her, so it is to her that she whispers:]
What the fuck was that?
[Everyone okay? Is our baby still crying...? Very important questions. While the others presumably start checking other shit out, she will look at the bookshelves. Is there anything on interest in them? Above, on the shelves, or behind them? Or are there only saucy novels in here?]
[ is that shit going to try to eat them too?? he hates it here.
but he gives harrow a look that basically just says "what" but yeah. they can't just stay here forever, so he'll adjust his hold on jingle and will go to check out the chalkboards. first, the piece that's on the floor to see if there's anything written on it, and then he will try to read what's on the other half.
[ she goes very tense and very still as the monster swings to close to comfort, before it disappears again. she doesn't have an answer for sheila—she has no idea what's happening here, or how they'll escape. ]
I'm not sure, and I'm in no hurry to find out.
[ which really goes without saying, but she probably can't hear sasazuka.
with sheila checking out the bookshelf, she'll look over some of the desks on their side. anything sticking out that they could use or might be interesting? ]
[Giving a look right back at Sasazuka. Be careful, idiot. She's answer him in an equally quiet voice - ]
We ought to figure out how to get up there, quickly.
[There's still other areas to check out, but she wants to secure a route for a quick escape first. So she's going to creep over to the piano, to see if there's an obvious way to climb it. If they stood on top of the piano, would they be able to reach the vent?]
[baby seems to not be crying anymore, at least! they also cling to sasazuka as he very quietly makes his way over to the chalkboards - they seem exhausted. there's nothing written on the chalkboards, but there are long claw marks through both halves.
the bookshelves are sparse. there are a few books, but they seem to be children's books, ones specifically meant to help kids learn how to read. next to one of these books is a delicate looking fan, made of jade. it seems like it's glued to the bookshelf, unfortunately.
there's a piece of paper sticking out of one of the desks. another desk has a bunch of arrows carved into the metal. they don't point in any particular direction, it just seems like maybe someone liked to draw the arrows part of a bow and arrow.
the piano has a bench! it seems like the easiest way to climb up. the vent is in fact reachable from the piano.
and also, as you're exploring, a sharp pang of hunger hits you.]
Sheila is just going to casually bite at her index finger. There is probably still leftover salsa on her hands, going into her mouth? It's fine. If the jade fan can't be removed and there is nothing poking out of any of the books or hidden around them, she will quietly shimmy over to check out the toys and toybox. Is there anything interesting over here?]
[ she grips her stomach, taking a deep breath to steady herself before she takes the paper, trying to remember that she is completely covered in gore still and this is an unnatural hunger.
is there anything by the toys of note? otherwise, she'll go regroup with the others at the piano. ]
[She's hungry. But she also hates having something unnatural fuck with her brain. Her body, those base needs, even the pain of her broken bones - she is the one Emperor's fists and gestures and she's above such things.]
Help me onto the bench.
[She certainly can't climb it on her own in this state, but she can bear it if she's boosted.]
[the claw marks are Big. you can assume that yeah, they're probably from the tall creature.
they gather by the piano, and jingle rattles quietly, trying to slide down to the floor, if sasazuka will let them. they are... going to try and boost harrow up? which is funny because again they're like two feet tall, but they are stubborn and trying.
the toybox is destroyed by the same clawmarks as the chalkboard. except for one of the toys in the front. sheila comes close, and that toy box clicks... and the handle on the outside of the box starts to slowly turn. hm.]
Backing away from the box, inching closer to the piano. If something springs out of the box and it makes any kind of sound, she is absolutely going to fucking book it for a hiding spot.]
[ oh, bad. she can hear the winding of the box, whipping her head towards it before quickly scurrying over to the others at the piano. if anything happens, she is going to help their tiny baby up to where harrow is. ]
[The box is. Bad. Her head whips around and looks at it, and then she'll grab onto the piano bench, broken arm be damned. They need to find a way out now.]
Hide. I'm going to get the vent.
[The piano seems like a way to be very exposed. If she and baby are both boosted, she will hurry towards the piano, rather than try to pull Sasazuka and Vira up - it just seems more important to try and open an exit as soon as possible. It seems like getting up there without touching the keys will require being on the side of the bench, right? So she will try to head to the side.
This would be a lot easier if she had bone constructs. She hisses in frustration, wishing she could just turn her outside bones into a construct that would lift them up to the vent, just in case that does anything.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
but first, before that: harrow hands jingle the knife, and for takeru, there's a second where the world stops.
it's a gutpunch of sad. lost, terrified despair, the sense of being out in the snow and running with only the sound your own ragged breath to accompany you. you run and run and you can hear a horse behind you and you're crying, the tears freezing to your face, your mother won't come to see you anymore and you don't understand why, and you don't even know what your father looks like, or if he's alive, and you trip because you're so exhausted that you can't keep running --
the baby drops the knife, and it thuds into the ground.]
no subject
Whoa. Guess the kid does not like knives.
[Following the others into the classroom. She will glance around to catalogue what furniture is in here. Maybe someone else should pick up the knife, because she will not. Oops.]
But how about [presenting Monobear to Jingle, wiggling it a bit and imitating a showman:] a teddy bear? Huh? Huh?
[Sorry, Takeru.]
no subject
there isn't much of an outwardly reaction otherwise, other than his eyes widening in surprise as the foreign feeling hits him. when the knife drops and it stops, he continues to remain in place. it isn't until sheila offers the to jingle that sasazuka takes a reflexive step back, almost protective. ]
What the hell was that?
[ his tone is bewildered, and he's looking down at the knife and then at the baby. ]
no subject
—Are you all right?
no subject
[She's concerned, but also, the footsteps are worrying, given the other people they saw. She'll pick up the knife off the floor, hopefully not triggering more trauma, and try to hide behind some furniture.]
Come quickly. We ought to make sure we aren't seen before we see them.
no subject
jingle looks at the bear, and then at sheila, and then at takeru - the bag on their head is... damp? around the eyes. they don't say anything, as usual, but they're holding onto takeru pretty tightly.
across the room, a door opens, and slowly, a grotesque face peers out from behind it. it's distorted and baggy in places, but it's easy to tell that there are something like stitching marks, or scars? across the face. it slides out from behind the door sideways, eyes wide and unblinking, followed by a heavy length of white-blue hair, and then... keeps peeking, keeps going, a long, long neck that just keeps extending further and further. it whips around like a snake, looking for the source of the noise.
harrow is hiding behind some furniture... what are the rest of you doing?]
no subject
Between the background noise stopping and Harrow offering some sensible advise, Sheila will follow her lead and move behind whatever piece of furniture is closest to where they entered the room. She opens her mouth as if to say something to the others — but quickly thinks better of it when the other door opens. Hm. Time to stay, uh, very still?]
no subject
he'll also follow behind the others, although admittedly probably slower than the rest since he's still kind of distracted by whatever the fuck that knife thing was. it's fine. ]
no subject
but for now, she waits to make sure they all find cover. ]
no subject
no subject
harrow, sasazuka and jingle are hidden behind a desk. sheila and vira end up behind a bookshelf, quiet. there's a long moment as the creature turns its head to the left... and then the right... and then twists upside down to look under a desk directly to the right of sasazuka and harrow.
but it doesn't find anything, so it slowly pulls its head back into the other room with a disgusting slurping sort of sound.
now that you guys are properly in the room, you can see that this room too is very rusty, and metallic. there's a chalkboard on the far wall, or at least, there's half of one. the other half is on the floor. there are eight desks in the room, some bookshelves, some large toys and a toybox pushed into the corner of the room, and a piano in the other corner. above the piano is a vent.
the clicking footsteps resume in the room next door.]
no subject
Well, that was horrifying.
Sheila doesn't move for several seconds after the creature retreats, holding her breath — and then she finally exhales. Vira is the one closest to her, so it is to her that she whispers:]
What the fuck was that?
[Everyone okay? Is our baby still crying...? Very important questions. While the others presumably start checking other shit out, she will look at the bookshelves. Is there anything on interest in them? Above, on the shelves, or behind them? Or are there only saucy novels in here?]
no subject
but he gives harrow a look that basically just says "what" but yeah. they can't just stay here forever, so he'll adjust his hold on jingle and will go to check out the chalkboards. first, the piece that's on the floor to see if there's anything written on it, and then he will try to read what's on the other half.
he talks veeery softly. ]
Do we need to escape through the vent again?
no subject
I'm not sure, and I'm in no hurry to find out.
[ which really goes without saying, but she probably can't hear sasazuka.
with sheila checking out the bookshelf, she'll look over some of the desks on their side. anything sticking out that they could use or might be interesting? ]
no subject
We ought to figure out how to get up there, quickly.
[There's still other areas to check out, but she wants to secure a route for a quick escape first. So she's going to creep over to the piano, to see if there's an obvious way to climb it. If they stood on top of the piano, would they be able to reach the vent?]
no subject
the bookshelves are sparse. there are a few books, but they seem to be children's books, ones specifically meant to help kids learn how to read. next to one of these books is a delicate looking fan, made of jade. it seems like it's glued to the bookshelf, unfortunately.
there's a piece of paper sticking out of one of the desks. another desk has a bunch of arrows carved into the metal. they don't point in any particular direction, it just seems like maybe someone liked to draw the arrows part of a bow and arrow.
the piano has a bench! it seems like the easiest way to climb up. the vent is in fact reachable from the piano.
and also, as you're exploring, a sharp pang of hunger hits you.]
no subject
Sheila is just going to casually bite at her index finger. There is probably still leftover salsa on her hands, going into her mouth? It's fine. If the jade fan can't be removed and there is nothing poking out of any of the books or hidden around them, she will quietly shimmy over to check out the toys and toybox. Is there anything interesting over here?]
no subject
but if there's nothing else to find here, he will wander over to the piano. ]
no subject
is there anything by the toys of note? otherwise, she'll go regroup with the others at the piano. ]
no subject
Help me onto the bench.
[She certainly can't climb it on her own in this state, but she can bear it if she's boosted.]
no subject
they gather by the piano, and jingle rattles quietly, trying to slide down to the floor, if sasazuka will let them. they are... going to try and boost harrow up? which is funny because again they're like two feet tall, but they are stubborn and trying.
the toybox is destroyed by the same clawmarks as the chalkboard. except for one of the toys in the front. sheila comes close, and that toy box clicks... and the handle on the outside of the box starts to slowly turn. hm.]
no subject
Backing away from the box, inching closer to the piano. If something springs out of the box and it makes any kind of sound, she is absolutely going to fucking book it for a hiding spot.]
Guys...?
[WHAT IS THE BOX DOING.]
no subject
[ he says, despite knowing this tiny child is stronger than all of them, but he has Concerns about the power use.
he steps forward to try to also help harrow, and while this is happening, the toy box clicks and starts doing its thing. he looks over at sheila. ]
Did you do that?
no subject
We need to get moving.
no subject
Hide. I'm going to get the vent.
[The piano seems like a way to be very exposed. If she and baby are both boosted, she will hurry towards the piano, rather than try to pull Sasazuka and Vira up - it just seems more important to try and open an exit as soon as possible. It seems like getting up there without touching the keys will require being on the side of the bench, right? So she will try to head to the side.
This would be a lot easier if she had bone constructs. She hisses in frustration, wishing she could just turn her outside bones into a construct that would lift them up to the vent, just in case that does anything.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)