starsand | 【WINDCHIMES EVENT】

【WINDCHIMES EVENT】

damn windchimes

GENERAL INFO KAMI & SHRINES LOCATIONS LORE DROP FAQ CLAIMS LIST OPEN MINGLES NPC CONTACT

The Bonds That Tie Us

It’s the later end of June now and the summer heat is getting pretty stupid. Though Wind and Water spirits still bring cool breezes and rain showers, most of civilians hang around the pools or in their homes with wide open windows. There’s been a burst of curiosity regarding a new shrine that is being built for the Kami of Sin, especially with exciting talk of an upcoming festival. Whether intended or not, this eager gossip has led to the ghost stories falling in popularity. And now, the Fallen Stars are here to put those nasty Rumors to rest once and for all.

This event is split into a few parts and forward dated for convenience. It will end right before the Watanagashi Festival.

The Windchimes Rumor

The main Rumor for this event is the Windchimes Rumor. Though the scam operation will be successful in restoring the Love Kami's faith and discouraging the sale of more windchimes, the lingering effects of the curse will remain.

On the night of June 17th, a sudden meteor shower will be announced over the news. Everyone in the city gathers outside that night for the chance to see shooting stars and the civilians encourage their Fallen Star neighbors to participate. It's a peaceful night and nothing will seem out of the ordinary.

On the morning of June 18th, this will prove to have been misleading. Characters whose names were written thoughtfully on windchimes will have vanished overnight. Their beds are empty and there is no sign of a struggle. A quick investigation will find that the windchime hung in their honor has turned pitch black and somehow negates light rather than reflecting it. It's quite plain to see that the windchimes are involved in the disappearances.

Fortunately, there will be methods to find the missing characters. But the missing aren't helpless either.

Missing characters will wake up in a strange facility, lightly bound and sore from travel. They will be able to band together and not only escape the facility, but finally investigate the group that is causing Rumors.

In other words, there will be two groups for the event. Group A with be focused on action and fighting, while Group B will be focused on investigating a clue gathering.

This part of the event will not immediately go live, giving players some time to plan which group they want to be in. If you want to be in Group B but did not have your characters' name hung up, there will still be ways to get in Group B!

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Organization Rules:

Please limit yourself to 2 characters max for Group B.

Please understand that Group B is in a disadvantageous position power-wise.

The event is split into pieces so that I (the mod) can keep the timeline in order.

Table of Contents

PLANNING

Group A - The Rescue Group
Group B - The Investigation Group
Questions - Ask here!
OOC Plotting - For plotting!

JUNE 17TH
Meteor Shower Watching: A peaceful start to the event.

JUNE 18TH - GROUP A
Reactions: A section for reacting to missing people & realizing you did this.
Shrine of Love Meeting: Gathering to discuss the windchimes & get the tools to find friends.
Arriving at the Nightmare
Battle Rooms

JUNE 18TH - GROUP B
Arrival: A general reaction to arriving somewhere bad.
It Got Worse
【Trial Group 1】 YOR, MIZUKI, SORAWO
【Trial Group 2】 NOE, KEVIN, SOMA, JEANNE
【Trial Group 3】 Velda, Kokichi, Rui
【Trial Group 4】 AKUTAGAWA, TAU, LEO
【Trial Group 5】 Dazai, Inaba, Ryoma
Groups Begin to Merge

JUNE 18th - REUNION

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Okay that wasn't the amazing escape she had hoped for. She was in so much trouble wasn't she? She really should've just listened and-]

[And then she was wearing two cloaks. She made sure her face was hidden, and hid behind Leo a bit.]

Tau is uninjured, but...

[She was pretty sure this cloak would do nothing to actually conceal her identity.]

[ The vast blackness around him reminds him of the more pocket demension-like abilities he's run across in the past, which doesn't particularly bode well for them.

As gravity shifts, Akutagawa twists to accomodate, landing on his feet easily, though he appreciate the Jabberwock's effort to save him. ]

I'm fine.

[ It's clipped and simple. He's not sure if they caught his coughing from earlier, but he's not going to let it make him seem weak. ]

... We should keep moving. It will be harder to track us that way. Stay close. We don't want to get separated out here.

[Leo nods towards Tau. As long as her colour palette is different, he hopes that she won't be as easily recognizable. With her pitiful disguise in place, he offers her his hand.]

Right. Anything is better than staying still.

[Which means taking proper stock of their surroundings:

They are in a dark and empty 'room,' with the strongest light source being that of the far off ceiling. The darkness goes on for a disturbingly long time, before they reach a suspicious metal door. There is an exit sign lit above it.

Seems legit.]

[Tau stayed as close as she could to the other two without actually getting in the way, looking around nervously as they went. Her anxiety was increasing with each step they took. Maybe she should've fought them seriously. She was going to be in so much trouble. She looked at the exit sign for a moment, before asking timidly.]

What are the chances...that this is an actual exit?

[Yeah, her anxiety was through the roof.]

Little to none.

[ Again, he's not going to lie to her, but he's clearly not about to back down from a fight should it be coming. ]

Remember, we said we would get you out. I don't intend to go back on my word.

[ He looks to Leo as he walks up to the door ]

... If this is a trap, I want you to make sure she's safe.

I don't need to be told that. [Leo affirms Akutagawa's request, holding Tau's hand tightly in his own. Elliot and him do owe Tau a small debt. Even if it means sharing pain between them, Leo knows that saving Tau would be a priority for Elliot too.

He steps forward, keeping himself partially in front of Tau as he tries to reassure her verbally;] If it wasn't an exit before, then it's about to become one. I've got you.

[The door swings inward, revealing a room full of light. It's blinding at first, but a discerning eye may notice how it seems to come into focus like a camera's lens.

It looks like a hospital hallway. The walls and floor are white, clean, and lit by artificial ceiling lights. The lights flicker and suddenly someone is standing in the hallway. His back is turned and he doesn't immediately notice the door. His belt is limp and his pale hair falls flat on his head.

The account is on purpose.]

[She nods.]

[The room made Tau even more uncomfortable, maybe they should go back to the void and find another convinient exit. She's hiding behind Leo, peeking out just enough to see what's happening. At least, until she spots a familiar figure. Then she gasps, lets go of Leo's hand, and tries to get to the front of the group.]

Yuuto-nii! You are here! You found Tau!

[Her exclaimations weren't very loud, but she was clearly excited none the less.]

Weretiger?

[ Akutagawa is shocked still for a moment- Had Atsushi really come to help him over Dazai? What had happened for him to have just flickered into the hallway like that? Was he okay? Why was he alone? Thoughts buzzed around in his head but for a moment he was... happy to see someone who was familiar. Someone he knew would help them. As much as Atsushi detested him, he would absolutely help if it meant saving Tau.

Something in his heart shattered when Tau ran forward, calling an unfamiliar name towards the person he thought he knew. Of course Atsushi wouldn't come help him. He probably hoped that he died in here. Dazai probably would as well if he weren't bound to him through pain. He balled his hands into fists, his coat rippling briefly as he fought himself from lashing out in pain fueled anger. It would get them nowhere, and Tau hadn't done anything to deserve that.

There's murder in his eyes as he stalks in behind Tau, but he doesn't lift a finger to harm either of them. He has no reason to think that this man would hurt her if she was so excited to see him, but he was nothing if not cautious. And at the moment he'd gladly take the opportunity to thrash someone if it meant numbing his emotions. His voice was notably cold as he addressed "Yuuto". ]

You're her brother? Do you know the way out of here then?

[Leo has a moment of confusion. First Akutagawa seems to recognize the young man and then it's Tau rushing towards him. When Akutagawa resigns to Tau's announcement, Leo realizes that this is Tau's brother... But who was Akutagawa hoping to see?

Well. Now isn't the time for that. He chases after Tau, standing behind her. Like Akutagawa, he's cautious. He taps Akutagawa's hand and whispers to remind them both;]

That was the name under the black canvas. ["Yuuto." It feels too convenient for the person Tau wants to protect to also show up right as they escape.]

Tau!

[The stranger turns around, his eyes lighting up when he recognizes Tau. He walks towards her and holds out his arms for a hug. His feet don't make a sound as they touch the floor.

But he has his hands on her shoulders soon enough. Yuuto kneels slightly to her level and glances up at Akutagawa.]

Yes, I'm her big brother. Thank you for looking after her... I'm so glad that I found you, Tau.

[He frowns slightly and shakes his head.]

Sorry... I've never been here before.

[Tau hugs him back. She was too excited to pay any mind to him calling her by her name, instead of "oneechan" like he usually does. It probably wasn't anything to worry about anyway.]

Can we not just pop out of here, Yuuto-nii?

[Tau turns to the other two, without letting go.]

Yuuto-nii can go anywhere he wants like "pop". He will be able to get all of us out.

[She turns back to Yuuto.]

Right?

[ So the lookalike could teleport. Still he doesn't trust this. If they were siblings would they not have ended up here together at some point? why would he not know his way around this facility? And furthermore how did he manage to get here without that knowledge? ]

Perhaps it is disabled within these walls. They seemed capable of preventing us from using our powers before.

[ An intentional wrong answer to see if the suspicious individual would agree. He'd very plainly seen him teleport in or something of the like. ]

[Akutagawa isn't the only one who is becoming suspicious. How did this person arrive? Where was he before? If he's part of the rescue party, then why can't Leo hear Elliot's yelling filling the halls?

That is, sadly, a real point that Leo considers. But also with the consideration that "If one of them came here, they wouldn't split up."

He glances at Akutagawa while reaching casually for the metal pen in his breast pocket.]

[The 'Yuuto' that has come to Tau's aid holds onto Tau tightly at first, responding to her love with his own. He is made of Yuuto's love for Tau, after all. But without other emotions or knowledge to inform him, the manifestation of love is failing to play the part.

He looks at Akutagawa with a smile.]

You're right. I can't leave. [And then, back at Tau.] We can't leave, Tau.

Terrel would kill us both.

[Mu stands down the hallway behind a corner, just out of sight. She can't get the Yuuto to say such things on his own, so she has to influence him with other emotions. The result is a voice that sounds distorted. The Yuuto stands up suddenly and spins Tau around, pulling her against him as he faces the two dark haired boys.

She knows Yuuto's power. Mu concentrates and begins turning bits of the Love for Tau into a psychic force that tries to force Akutagawa and Leo back against a wall.]

Let's stay together, Tau.

But...

[Something was wrong. He was right, but something was wrong. They really were stuck here forever, weren't they? She looked up at Yuuto after he attacked Leo and Akutagawa. She whines. This was all very. Wrong.]

...H-he really would...kill Tau before we could leave...

[She sighes, and continues.]

...Yuuto-nii...would be fine though, would he not? Because Yuuto is not here...

[She sounded resigned about that. Their escape attempt failed, and the person who created Faketo is probably not too far away. She tries to wiggle out of his grasp, but doesn't bother to move far away.]

I would...rather talk to the person who is really here...

[She's looking around, so clearly not talking to either of the boys.]

[ It doesn't surprise him, even a little bit when this fake revealed its true colors. His response is immediate. ]

Tenma Tengai!

[ The phrase is spat out as his coat proceeds to wrap around him, forming armor that covers him almost completely. The psychic wave comes but Rashomon eats right through the force, a visible distortion being the only indication of its power. He presses through and once Tau is free of the fake's grasp, the wrappings around his arm morph into a giant set of jaws. ]

Tenma Agito.

[ And the jaws clamp down hard on the fake, eating at whatever it is holding the fake together as he tosses it aside and moves into a defensive position beside Tau. If she's going to talk to the one responsible, he's going to flush them into the open by removing the puppet from play. He looks at the girl, a considering look in his eyes though the pain is still present. ]

Are you alright?

[Call him crazy, but Leo is pretty certain his metal pen won't even hold a candle's light compared to Akutagawa's killer fashion. He stumbles back from the psychic blast, but is quick to regain his balance and rush back to Tau. There's not much that he can do, but he does cover Tau's eyes from behind so that she doesn't have to see her brother die.]

You're still safe. We won't leave you, Ms Tau.

[The Fake Yuuto is just that... 'Fake.' It is made of the real Yuuto's love for Tau, true, but it is still incomplete. Without any nuances, no restraints, and none of her real brother's empathy or kindness. It really is yandere siscon Yuuto.

'He' doesn't know that he is being destroyed by Rashomon. As lovingly as ever, the illusion keeps speaking:]

Do you not... love me... enough to stay?

[The illusion is split in half by Rashomon's shadowy jaws. As the lower half of the body falls, both pieces break apart into glowing orbs. But Mu recollections the broken emotion and tries to reform the illusion. This time, he's missing pieces like a broken puzzle and has a more concerning appearance.

Mu continues to use Yuuto as her mouthpiece. She doesn't pretend to be someone else this time and her own soft voice mixes with Yuuto's:]

Stay or I'll rip your real brother to shreds. I'll tear his heart to pieces and leave none of them for you to cry over.

Stay with me. Tau.

[Tau whimpered at her fake brother's last words. She figured whatever Akutagawa was doing with his clothes would destroy the fake. She was really glad that Leo hid her view, but his hand was most definitely wet now. What she wasn't expecting was for Leo to keep that hand there.]

[Tau was trembling at the threat. She knew that any of the experiments here could cause some real damage, if not make good on their threats, even to her big brother. She was willing to trust these two almost strangers once with her and potentially her big brother's safety once. But between being reminded of what Terrel could and would be willing to do, and the direct threat to her brother by someone she knew could probably make good on it, she wasn't willing to try again.]

T-Tau...Tau will stay...Tau will stay...so please...do not...

[ As soon as the illusion attempts to reform itself with pieces missing, Akutagawa hisses under his breath and moves in front of Tau so she doesn't have to look at it. The words its speaking are bad enough, she doesn't need the visual too. ]

You're not going to take her or harm her brother, I'll see to that. Now stop being a coward and show yourself.

[ The jaws snap at the copy a few more times now that Tau can't see it, hoping to reduce the amount that the copy could be rebuilt to a point that it wouldn't be worth doing anymore.

Tau's assertion was... well, he knew that she didn't trust them, but he was willing to fight both her and this new enemy at once if he had to. He wasn't leaving her here. ]

[She can feel the last of her illusion being ripped into pieces. Soon, there is nothing left for her to roll into a new copy. The copy of Yuuto fades one last, repeating his love for Tau in an increasingly broken voice.

Coward? Mu considers this. Maybe she is. She doesn't want for her body to be damaged. So rather than come out of hiding on her own, Mu reaches out for a new layer of protection.

Her power begins to drain Akutagawa and Leo of their own love, leaving them to briefly feel very (extra) alone and empty. She collects enough to create some copies of their loved ones, then lets their love naturally refill the gaps that she had created.

The illusions are weak: Samples of what she can do, rather than being a finished product. As she comes out of hiding, Mu is counting on these smiling illusions to be her shields.]

... I am here. Hello.

[Leo, who has kept Elliot in his mind during this entire exchange, notices when his adoration is taken away. For those few instants, he does not care about any of them. He lowers his hands from Tau's face and slips the pen from his pocket. He's angry. Angry, alone, and tired of being there.

But before that anger can lash out, Mu has stopped draining his love. Leo gasps, shocked by the sudden difference and pulling his emotions under a lid again... At least, until he sees that Mu has created an illusion of Elliot as her bodyguard.

And then he's seeing red again.]

... Don't you dare.

[She was glad when Faketo wasn't there by the time Leo droped his hand from over her eyes. But enough damage had been done just from what she was able to hear, and she was still crying hard. But not only was she sad and scared, she was angry too. Why wasn't agreeing enough? Why did she even have to be here in the first place? Why did any of them?]

[She started trying to wipe at her tears and stop crying, but she wouldn't move. She said she would stay after all. Not her fault the boys were in the perfect place to defend her from the stranger.]

[ Similarly to Leo, Mu's siphoning of his love decided to prey on his weak spots, but what was surprising about that was the fact that... this love extended to not one, but three people. Two were recognizable, though perhaps not for themselves. Dazai and Atsushi stood there, smiling at him. ~~Mocking him with affection they would never really show him.~~

However from behind them one stood out, one none of the other three would recognize. A beautiful young woman with long black hair and grey eyes just like his own.
His younger sister, Gin.

Naturally with his love numbed, the pain he felt in response to the crushing loneliness that resulted was amplified with nothing to soften it. His breathing hitched, his anger flared, and perhaps it looked as though he'd murder her on the spot with his affection for the people holding his temper back now gone. It didn't last for long enough for him to act on it, though even with the love returned his anger remained. ]

... You will regret doing that. But you will answer me first.

[ He stalked forward, malice clear in his tone ]

I take it you are another "experiment". Who are you, and why are you after Tau?

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Organization Rules: