un: xx_heartoffire_xx

[stavros]

A number of days ago, some frankly unsettling things happened around campus, things which must be dealt with posthaste. While I've reported what happened, I have no choice but to deal with it as best I can beyond that, and so I would entreat anyone who knows anything to tell me. Even if you believe it unrelated. Any clue will suffice.

Alternatively, if anyone knows how one might deal with waking up to discover that an unconfirmed enemy knows where you live, I would appreciate that as well. Or how one might possibly concentrate on schoolwork whilst being terrorized by such a person.

Or how to apologize when you have no idea what you did. That one is unrelated, but remains pressing.

Comments

[escardos]

1. if it’s about prof moriarty and sherlock, tobias and mister hector have some clues. i also saw some things

2. change your name and move away!

3. just say you’re sorry! as long as its honest, then im sure you’ll be ok!

[ flat has no idea that the third one is about him..... ]

[notbornguilty]

I've been targeted by assassins more than once in my life, so I recommend keeping your skills sharp and a healthy amount of paranoia. After all, just because you're paranoid that doesn't mean there isn't anything out to get you.

[stavros]

Are you certain? I know I must have hurt you, though what it was I did... regardless, I will attempt not to broach the topic again. Although the recent events are my fate catching up to me, so that may be easier said.

Wait, Professor Moriarty and whom?

[stavros]

Understandable. I know not how much this person knows, but I discovered something targeted specifically at me outside my door the morning after that storm. It may relate to the other thing that happened that night, I know not.

[escardos]

????????????? what do you mean? but alright! don't worry about it. whatever you did is fine.

and

i mean bell

arthur bell

haha my bad, sorry i was watching a movie on sherlock holmes! he's my fave detective. a true hero of england!

[stavros]

Sometimes I worry about you.

Regardless, I do believe the incidents may be related. And if so, their captor is the one who's after me, so I must answer him in turn. Did you find any indication of where he is?

[hattersgonnahat]

[Puella had no other information to give than what she already had or researched. So instead...]

[She eventually wandered up to Kokoro's floor with a plate of...well...it's shaped and still kind of smell like cookies, but it is more on the browner side. She's still trying to get it right!]

[But maybe it'll help makes things better. It sometimes does the trick for her. Or maybe it won't.]

[stavros]

[Kokoro hasn't been in her room much since the incident, but Puella will find her in her floor's common area. She waves and smiles a little.]

Cookies? My thanks. You've worked hard.

[hattersgonnahat]

I wanna get better at it... [It is a convenient thing to know, and it can make other people happier too.]

You haven't found anything else yet?

[stavros]

Mr. Bell and Professor Moriarty disappeared on the same night under suspicious circumstances. A few people seem to have dug something up about that. It's likely related.

[unpocoloco]

Okay, so I see some advice in here that is uh...[Bad. Unhelpful. Deeply unhelpful.] perhaps difficult to apply.

But if you're in danger, the last thing you want to do is isolate. Gather around whoever you can, people to check in with, people to check in on you, people who can defend you if that's what you need. Tracking and warning runes may feel silly but I can't express to you how helpful they really are. You've got a school of powerful people and teachers who can look out for you. There are devices and runes and spells that can help you so long as you let people know you need it.

As for concentration, that might be tricky, but making sure you're safe and with others is a good start. Perhaps some music.

Finally, as Flat said, we may have found some things regarding those two.

[stavros]

I must admit my instinct is to face it alone; unrelated people have already been dragged in. But I welcome your support. He's bound to expect me alone regardless, and warriors greater than I have perished in this scenario.

[He?]

The person who took them. Do you know where he is now?

[hattersgonnahat]

They did..? But why would they want to go outside? It was raining so hard!

[Unless....Oh. Kokoro probably meant they might've been kidnapped for something. Whoops.]

How might it be related?

[stavros]

Precisely. They disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Ms. Cromwell told us that we had to be able to find and examine any clue, right? That's why she gave the entire school reading homework when she only teaches magic.

[unpocoloco]

No. Not exactly. We have an idea where he might be headed though based on the trains that were taken that night.

[And the pine needles, but that was less promising of a lead.]

Perdóname, do you know who took them?

[stavros]

I have only a theory, but one that becomes ever likelier. Someone came that night to challenge me, and the number of people it could be is slight. I must tell you the Professor is far from the only person the outside world believes to exist only in fiction.

Are you familiar with a man known as Dracula?

1/??

[unpocoloco]

[...]

2/??

[unpocoloco]

No. This is a joke. You're joking, right? This is definitely a joke.

[unpocoloco]

Ah, you kidder, you got me for a second. That's a good one. Real funny.

[unpocoloco]

NO? NO. NO.

Done

[unpocoloco]

Dracula? Are you sure? DRACULA?!?!





[Yeah, he's familiar.]

[stavros]

Why would I make something up about an issue of grave importance? Dracula is the reason my family are Hunters in the first place! He's plagued this world for centuries, consistently reviving to plunge humanity into the despair he suffered at their hands long ago. If it's anyone, it's he, and likelier by the minute.

[unpocoloco]

I

I don't know, doesn't it just seem a touch, maybe a little, say, completely insane???

We're talking about, actually fictionally infamous in book and film and more, Dracula




Also the friends I kept in the outlands and probably now would work me up just like this as a joke.

[stavros]

I assure you, I would not deceive you about this. He is real, extremely dangerous, and has a history of refusing to stay dead. Someone attempted to prevent his resurrection a decade ago and was never heard from again, and now this.

I'm sorry....

[unpocoloco]

LIKE ON THAT SHOW! I REMEMBER THIS! It was that American show, SuperblyUnnatual, with those two guys Bran and Jean!

Are they real too? Do you think we could call them?

[stavros]

This is a serious matter! This place is here to train and protect those who would fight agents of ill. If you need someone with expertise, I've studied this all my life!

I understand you probably don't take me seriously, but this is a fate I cannot run from. I'm reluctant to involve you all, but that ship has long sailed, and as I said, those stronger than I have fallen alone. I need whatever information you have and whatever support can be mustered. I am finding where his castle has manifested and I am going even if it is a trap, because you do not want to know what will happen if I don't.

un: ornithology

[hawkwardness]

Surely they'll understand if you need to take a break from homework, come on.

Anyway. I'll help out however I can. Actual real life Dracula or not.

[stavros]

You have my thanks. It will be dangerous, I warn you, but I'd gladly accept the help. I "should" be able to do this alone, but I'll admit I know I cannot.

[unpocoloco]

Okay! Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm serious. I'm taking this seriously. This is just, you know, it's a lot. It's wierd and it's a lot and one of my friend's has been kidnapped and I'm really worried.

I'm coming along to help. Ah. I only know fiction stuff. And there's a lot. Do you have more factual things I can work off?

[hawkwardness]

I wouldn't still be here at Daybreak if danger scared me off. Just tell yourself you're giving me the once in a lifetime chance to fight Dracula.

[What a trip. Actual! Real life! Dracula!]

[stavros]

I can tell you stories going back nearly a thousand years, but that may not help much. What may is that he's extremely powerful. They say he became who he is first to spite God, and then to spite humanity. His powers are tied to his castle, so it appears, moves, and changes over time. However, it should not take long to find where he is with the clues you have. After all, he wants to be found.

[stavros]

I fear the seriousness of this matter has been drilled into me a few too many times to find amusement in it. On the other hand, I do applaud your resilience. I hear you have clues as to where he might be.

[unpocoloco]

[He's extremely powerful. He's... not actually sure that is helpful. Mostly it's just worrying.]

His powers are tied to his castle? Like, he can only use them there or it's the source of his power?

[stavros]

It's the other way around. He's the source of its power. Essentially, anyway -- the stories are somewhat unclear on that, since some of them I hear it appears when he's going to revive, and others when he already has.

[unpocoloco]

Oh.

[An enchanted castle... but in a real bad way.]

Would that put a drain on him, do you think? Revivals and the castle itself?

[stavros]

From what I've heard, not enough. His power is not to be underestimated. In my family, our power grows with each generation, but I have great reason to believe that that may not be enough. I would not burden you all with it, but the fact that he's taken two of our faculty suggests that one side of this dispute has no qualm with involving outsiders regardless.

[unpocoloco]

Things don't usually tend to work out when taken on alone.

So, what do his powers entail, exactly? Besides having a lot of them.

[stavros]

Much of what you'd expect from a regular vampire. Very fast, very strong, and he turns into bats. From the records, he has some manner of fire and darkness or chaos magic, so it would be helpful for any who join to know how to defend against those.

[unpocoloco]

I'm... partially inflammable. I suppose that's something.

[stavros]

Certainly helpful, but be aware regardless. And you have my thanks. I wish not to lead you all into danger, but your help is appreciated.

[unpocoloco]

It's fine. I'm getting used to danger at this point. The important thing is getting back our friends.

[stavros]

On that, we are agreed. Once we track him down and enter the castle, the rest should be straightforward.