※ thirty five

[likethetragedy.livejournal.com]

[Filtered away from Slenderman and children]

[There's some silence. She's trying to figure out how to put this so people would actually believe her. Most people didn't even know she had "powers" much less what they were. Eventually she just decides on an introduction.]

My name is Elektra. I have an ability that lets me see into the future. I've been trying to use it to see where this was all going for a while. I haven't come up with anything concrete until now. [She exhales slowly, shutting her eyes to focus on every detail so she could report it accurately.] 

I saw the kids running through a dead forest. They were passing blood trees along the way. The ground they were running on was covered in mud and dirty water. Something was chasing them. I never got the chance to see what. The vision ended there.

[a beat]  It's important that you all know that this can be changed. If we could find the children before whatever is chasing them appears, a different future will take place. Speaking from experience, that future will probably be a better one.

I'm going to keep working on this. If I see anything else about the kids, I'll say so again here. 

written in later;

Two other people had dreams exactly like the same vision I had.

.03 ccs of counteragent

[invisphilospher.livejournal.com]

[Some dude once said- "The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer."  Darien's decided to take a walk around the castle and see if there's anything he can do to help. As he's walking, an idea hits him. Why the hell hadn't he thought of this before?! He slips on his shades as he quicksilvers his eyes. The hallway is suddenly silvery, everything slightly warped as he looks around. Everything looks normal until...]

GYAAAH!

[he flails and falls backwards against a nearby door]

Uh... guys? GUYS?! I can see him. I mean, Not see him see him but I can see him.

((ooc: MOD APPROOOOOOOOOVED. Completely and totally open))

008

[painhumbles.livejournal.com]

[Filtered to Hunters (begrudgingly), anyone with knowledge of the Occult, and all supernatural beings, except you, Slenderman, you team-killing fucktard.]

Okay, gang. Let's talk shop for a second. Me? I probably hate half of you for one reason or another and you probably hate me, because I look at children getting kidnapped and bleeding trees like it's just another Thursday. Leave your complaints at the door, folks. I'm actually helping.

You can leave your shock and awe at the door too. Part of the cover charge of making it into the cool kid's club.

So. Here's the thing. We got a bunch of suspiciously obtained info, one badass motherfucker of a tree- by the way, Az? 10 for style, but -40 for execution- and a buncha kids gone missing... Oh, and half the castle's in a damn coma, but that could be unrelated. Who the hell knows anymore?

What I'm getting at here is... I want you to gimme your tired, your poor, your Latin-chanting masses, and we'll go out and take down this friggin' tree like the crazy murdering psychopaths half of us are. If you've got something better than cheap information and fairy tales, come on down. I've got some elaborate Enochian spellwork that I'm really hoping ain't  the sigils to summon the pizza guy, a genuine holy sword, and the attitude of an archangel who gets off on taking charge in a situation.

Who's with me?

[[OOC: Ffff. I'm exhausted and need to head to bed, but I wanted to get this up first before it was too late. <33]]

11- just a man and his will to survive

[centiflora-x.livejournal.com]

<sub>[As more and more children disappeared, Anna was starting to grow slightly frustrated, as well as more and more on guard; she was thirteen, after all, young enough to still be at risk of being abducted. At the same time, Anna was someone who was dedicated through and through, and if this Slenderman or whatever came for her, she wouldn't go down without a fight. With all the commotion going on, she had slipped away from the other children and adults, having decided to work on training more. She wasn't going to just... wait around with someone to scare away the bad guys for her; that wasn't like Anna to do. She was stubbornly dedicated, and preferred working solo.

After all, this was a girl who had been admitted into a school that normally admitted people at sixteen when she was twelve.

As she practices her sword techniques, her journal picks up the occasional muttering, as she left it open while she practiced. At some point, there's an abrupt pause, and something like a startled gasp, before Anna manages to find her voice again.]</sub>

-- No, I cannot... you cannot...

_{[ If you happen to have been watching her at this point, should you come across Anna, you might have seen her summon this cute little creature, who seemingly merges with Anna, who definitely no longer appears thirteen afterward, and sounds older, as well]}

... So, it worked. <sub>[Though she's not sure if she's safe, she's at least now discovered that appearing older prevented another abduction... at least for her, and at least for now.]

(ooc: So per word of mod, Anna making use of her pact with the Mana of Illusion to appear older has the same effect as the age-up potions; Slenderman is tricked into not taking her. This is modly approved of course, and totally open over the journals or in person, if anyone wants to come across Anna before or after the encounter.
And so sorry for the edits, sobb.)</sub>

007 Points

[tomatoandbasil.livejournal.com]

[Having heard of Elektra's visions, Alleyne felt a bit more at ease. She was actually able to get some decent sleep and a better breakfast in. She went up to the library to have lunch after patrolling a bit and decided to do some reading of her own, journal open next to her just in case.

She found a file cabinet containing old documents on supernatural stuff and pulled a few folders out, taking them back to her table and flipping through them. It's then a certain page catches her eye. This look very familiar, well, for the most part. The unknown bit matches the description of what Elektra and the others saw and what all the evidence they've found indicates.

So let's take a look at that folder name. It's a mixture of numbers and letters, but if she squints at it, it looks like it says 'Slenderman'. Cue her coffee being spat out audibly. She sounds shocked as she speaks into her journal.]

[Filtered away from Slenderman or anyone that would use this information in a harmful manner]

I found a map. Maybe. It's a crude drawing. It has the tree and the castle and...something below. This...this may be where the kids are. I may have just found them, so to speak. Give me a second to tape this in.

[Click here for the pic, it's a big one]

[Under the photo she writes ' Found in a file folder labeled "513N03RM4N ']

We were right to go for the tree after all. Looks like we might be going in and under.

[ooc: mod approved early evidence find. Forward dated a bit - this post should happen between Eucliwood's and Lavi's finds and is evidence piece #4 for the day. I'm out completely from now until late tomorrow afternoon or early evening. Open post - mingle, placehold, go for it forever. I will tag the second I return.]

Older and Younger -- Part One

[thirteenth.livejournal.com]

Who: Ukitake and Draco
When: Friday night
What: A mad plan
Rating: PG-13

( Older or Younger )

[062] Older and Younger -- Part Two

[thirteenth.livejournal.com]

[After speaking with Draco and getting the two potions mixed, Ukitake carefully scooped some of the ageing down potion into a flask and drank it without pause.

...A few moments later, there was a ten year old where the Shinigami had been before.

Sighing in mild relief that it had worked, he opened his journal and began to dictate.]

This is Ukitake Jyuushiro. I'm in the library with Draco Malfoy, and we have just mixed two potions. One to age up any child left guarded here, and one to age adults down.

The aim in ageing down would be to draw the creature out and be taken as prey. All adults wanting to do this must be aware this is high risk, and must all carry the ageing up potion on them as well.

If all went to plan, once Slenderman captured the aged down adults, we would be able to give out the ageing up potion to the trapped children and then take it ourselves to escape.

Once the children were safe, then methods to destroy the creature could be found. [No mercy, not for a monster.]

[ooc: Open in person or over the journals. Draco is also there so may be replying. EDIT: I am off to bed, but if you wish to make posts with older/youngerfied characters then please feel free to leave a comment here and then handwave the rest and we can backtag it in!]

(no subject)

[payback.livejournal.com]

[Perturbed, upset, feeling increasingly helpless and overwhelmed? Maybe it's time to talk to people, even if she can't be much of a help. There's got to be others out there feeling the same way, right? (At least she's collected her Pokémon; Tad and Certain are always and forever her comforts). But first.]

( Zexion; )

I guess I have to admit that I kind of think this is either something outside the castle's influence and we're getting help from it now because it doesn't want us gone, or just a giant fake-out from the place designed to shake us around hard. Paradisa isn't boarding us for free. We pay -

[There's a soft thump as her face hits the journal, and then a pause before there's the quiet noise of someone drawing a deep, slow breath. Tad growls in the background and in a moment a wet nose-print presses onto the page as he comes to inspect his trainer.

There's nothing to worry about though. She's just asleep.

And Rin is benched for the rest of the plot.]

☆ twelve.

[blasthigh.livejournal.com]

(  [ Filtered to Cessily ] )

. 11 . dictated;

[sparkplasma.livejournal.com]

[Finding out that the children are alive is only a mild comfort. He's still not sure what can be done to find them, or what he personally can do to help. All he's done so far is flip through inconsequencial books, drag a robot up three flights of stairs, and have a weird prophetic dream... none of which have gotten him any closer to feeling useful. So when he does find something, even though he doubts its merit, he goes ahead and posts it. He feels bad harming a book, though, so he tears the page out as neatly as he can before pressing it into his journal.]

[Filtered away from Slenderman]

Uhm... I've found another picture of him. I don't know if it helps, but maybe there's something in there that we can use. It was in a book entitled "Weird Photographs." [he pronounces the last word kind of oddly since he isn't sure what it means.]

( Not cut IC - photo of a teenager in a gas mask peering up at a graffitied fence. )

I didn't see him at first. He's on the left, in the mist. [pause] Come to think of it, wasn't there a mist like that around the blood tree the other day?

[he leans in, a little more enthusiastic.]

Actually, this could be something. Can anybody read what's written on the right there? "Land..." something. Or what that canister is behind him, or what that is on his head? He looks grown up, but the adults are getting put to sleep, aren't they? Maybe he ... maybe ...

[a long pause, followed by a frustrated sigh. HE'S GOT NOTHIN'.]

✹ 002

[hellscythes.livejournal.com]

[Filtered away from Slenderman]
[written!]

I am not entirely sure how helpful it may be, as it does not detail any methods for returning the children, but I have found another picture relating to "Slender Man".

[and she'll be taping this picture into the journal]

It was inside a book titled "Weird Drawings By Children".

105.0

[encryptedlock]

( Filtered to the Pope )

( Filtered to kidnapped kids )

( Filtered to Washington and Noble-Two )

∂ nineteenth found object

[aint-quiteright.livejournal.com]

[when she wakes up she knocks her journal over.

How did it get there?

Close. Not where she left it. Tucked away, hidden from their fears. Thoughts. Panic. Anger... hurting, everything hurts.

Everything needs to stop.

Block it out.

Blot it out.


Out.


It rushes to her and the words spill from her abrasively]

Can't just expect anyone to do anything in this gogdamn place. They don't tell you any-- [her hands go to her temples, pulling herself inward, trying to stop it]

Everyone bleeds the same... did you think my color wasn't the same?

Every... each...

All of them...

[her voice softens as her head tilts to the side, a slight tremble to her words] Pull it apart in the end.

[but just like that she's back to snapping angry vile words] You think the pieces will just stay in their places. Can't keep them still. Won't stand for it.

[her hand balls up into a tiny fist striking to the wall beside her]

Lit'le bits looking for lit'le doors.

Can't catch me... but we're already caught.

[her tolerance for whatever this is has pushed her to the edges and her brow knits with worry and concern that she might not be able to stop this]

Trapped and looking out.

[her arm shakes with the tension she feels along it, trying to pull herself together]

Look out.

[she takes in a sharp breath, wincing from the struggle that's in her own mind, the frustration overwhelms her and then she cries out:] Kaylee!!

12th rhyme without reason// sacrificial?

[rhymebell.livejournal.com]

[Rhyme, terrified for all of the children who have been kidnapped, decided to try and do something for the situation at hand. She realizes if she went out, she could be kidnapped (she's 13, still kind of a kid) and she really isn't all that powerful, and she's not psychic. So, what can she do?

She can read. She first gathers all the information she can possible gather from what has been written already, and then heads to the library. The books that talk about the Slenderman/Boogeyman are all on a very high shelf, and Rhyme has a hard enough time getting one down, but when she does, she starts writing what she finds in the journal for all to see.]

Excerpt From We Must Exorcise Slenderman!

Exorcism is a temporary solution to the problem. Not only did various communities who resorted to exorcism (Henderson, Stirling) later see Slenderman's return years later, but they lost more lives in the process. Who, in your community, is willing to lose daughters and sons for generations, instead of once committing a ritual sacrifice towards the Slenderman?

And worse yet, who, in your community, is willing to anger Slenderman further, by offering a false sacrifice of horses or cows? Slenderman himself has shown he cares little for livestock and will use them to water his forest; the only sacrifice he will accept is that of adult humans, or children. If he is not given appeasement, he will take as he pleases.

Think of what he could take next -- he has already decimated our livestock, and our forests. The trees drip with blood, the ground is stained, and his wretched "wood" saps the life of our farms. While the loss of our children is regrettable, what of our livelihoods? The whole community could be struck with poverty and famine, for the sake of protecting a few small children.

A proper sacrifice is the only method.

End Excerpt

[Then, Rhyme begins to speak.]

I know this may not be the best information as of now, but it's something. If we exorcise him [she circles the first two sentences] it says here we won't get rid of him for good, only for a little while. And, it says nothing about what could happen to the kidnapped children if we exorcise him. But the thing it does say is that a fake sacrifice doesn't work either. He'll just keep snatching children up until there are no children left. Now, I don't want to sacrifice anyone. That's apalling. But, if we want to get rid of him for good, we might have to.

And that's why I'm offering myself if it comes down to needing a sacrifice. I'm technically dead, so I wouldn't mind giving up my life for saving the children that were captured. I don't even know if I have a future at home, either, or if my death here will send me back home. I guess this sounds a bit melodramatic and all, but the lives of those children are more important than just my life. I may come back, who knows? I'm throwing that idea out there to save the children.

fifth sunrise;

[lastisocorn.livejournal.com]

[Quorra speaks into the journal from a desk she's commandeered at the library, where she's surrounded by mountains of photobooks, article clippings, old journals, and various encyclopedias about folklore and urban myths.  Her fingers tap against the paper as she talks.]

Based on the other data that I've seen coming through the journals, I think I've found something relevant.

( OOC cut for photo. )

I noticed from the other photos posted that this creature seems to lurk in lonely, quiet places, but the room depicted doesn't look abandoned or disused at all--though the photo is quite dark.  It was from a book of 'creepy' photographs--a resource that seemed a natural candidate for evidence.

I'm not sure what this adds to our body of knowledge, though it is one of the clearer images I've come across.  It certainly reinforces the idea that this entity is not of your average system; he does not even appear to have a proper face.

Even if the picture doesn't help anyone, I thought I should note it, just in case.  And ... I wanted to tell everyone who feels powerless, who feels frustrated and angry--I wanted to tell you all that we will solve this.  I know what it's like to feel completely disabled in the face of a seemingly unstoppable power.  Remember that there's strength even in what seems to be doing nothing--in waiting, in considering, in thinking.  And we're all doing as much as we possibly can, I think.  Even if positive thoughts won't defeat this creature directly, they'll bolster our personal strength--which is just as important. 

[sheepishly ...]

Well, that's all.  Good luck, everyone

⨳ 7

[guidance.livejournal.com]

[Out by the creepy ass tree, Miria stands a bit away as she flips through a book she randomly picked up from the library. Her journal's open in her hands beneath the other text. It picks up the page flipping as well as a thoughtful noise from the blonde as she makes a filter and dictates in her official leaderish voice. This demands attention, after all.]

[Filtered from kids, kidnappers and true evil doers alike.]

The mind can be a dangerous weapon, sometimes to the point of self-damage. This is a truism that applies to almost everything, but it specifically pertains to how we "create" our own enemies.

As children, many are so convinced of the existence of certain evil creatures that they are inconsolable. Many suffer nightmares, insomnia, extreme paranoia, often only calmed by being removed from the room or allowed to sleep with parents, a light, or any number of things. As adults, we are often vexed by their inability to "get over it" and ignore it, but children cannot be blamed: adults are guilty of perpetuating the stories that create this atmosphere of fear.

The best way to remove a child's belief is to refrain from stories, and purge oneself of lingering childhood fears about strangers and monsters in the closet. It is difficult in practice, but it is best for the child's well-being.

An excerpt from Destroying the Boogeyman, Literal and Figurative.

[Miria makes a slight 'hmm' sound before she snaps the book shut and dictates again, tone a little more casual]

So, Paradisa, what do we think? Truth be told, mind games were never a favorite of mine. It's obvious to everyone that the sooner we end this, the better.

( Clare )

twenty-six » dictated

[arakhnes.livejournal.com]

( IRRELEVANT TO KIDNAPPING )

Didn't need to do fuck all. We got this covered. [aaand he looks up. after an abbreviated silence, he laughs.]

We-ell. Lookie the fuck here. Looks like someone likes the sound of my voice, and it ain't me. Got fans all up in this shit.

[ she's immediately jerking her head up towads where he's looking and of course... sees nothing, doesn't change the fact that she's instincitvely grabbing Dave by the shoulders and clinging with all her spider-cling ]

Just like the pictures, right?

Yeah. [the only tell that dave is giving off is his breathing; he's hyperventilating badly. he swallows quietly to keep that in check.]

… Fucking pedo dickbite. Feel me up, why don't you. [… projects his voice.] For the record, the only reason I'm not kicking its ass right now is 'cause I can't… move…

Dave, what's he doing -- what's happening?

[ just digging her fingers into his shoulders just as instinctively, as if that'll keep him from being snatched away. ]

[… he doesn't see how saying would help anything. he tightens his grip on his sword instead.]

One thing we're right about, guys. It is one ugly son of a mother-

[A tug, as though something took him by the shoulders and pulled - and he's gone. the video game clatters onto the ground.]

[ and alll that's heard are the noises from the video game and a shaky breath from Jess before she speaks up ]

Dave's been taken too.

☮ three detention slips

[delincuente.livejournal.com]

 [Alex doesn't read. It's a personal rule of hers. Even at restaurants, she just points at the pictures. But after four days of being cooped up in the castle, listening to all the doom and gloom, cabin fever is starting to get the best of her. Nothing like this ever happens at home, so she has no idea how to react other than skulk around and hope that none of the people she's met get hurt trying to stop this thing.

That's what she'd doing in the library – skulking and trying to pretend that things are normal. She actually went in looking for a magazine or maybe a comic book, but when she sees the old book laying out on the table, with the words “The Ethics of Stealing Children”, something tells her that she should take a look. A page about halfway through is marked with a scrap of paper, so she turns there first.]

… Um, you know that whole freaky soul-stealing thing that people've been talking about?

Well I think they're right.

[Since Alex has no respect for library property, she rips out the page and sticks it in the journal, using a quiet spell to glue it in place. The following paragraphs have been marked with a penciled asterisk by a previous reader: ]

“Child-snatching beings, by their nature, need souls to survive, in hopes that it, too, might become real. Would we begrudge a lion for killing its prey to survive, or a man for killing those who make attempts on his life? No. This is survival, and for the survival of the child-snatcher, sacrifices must be made.

The soul must be able to fully experience all the hatred and pain that it wants to feel, or else its own growth is stunted. Some souls also need to learn and feel what it's like to be abused and tormented. It's a sad experience but understand that the being needs this. The being needs the souls prepared, as necessary, to craft itself its own soul...”

TEXT ;; FIVE

[tunafanatic.livejournal.com]

( Filtered to Kasanoda and Honey. )

3rd Seal Broken

[shadow-immortal.livejournal.com]

[As much as Dainn wanted to take off with Django's body, he knew that people may notice if the Solar Boy suddenly disappeared. So, with that in mind, the Shadow Immortal has been looking through different books to find some information. This Slenderman actually did interest him to a degree and he wanted to know a bit more about it.

He stops when he finds something. Ripping the picture out of the book, Dainn presses it into the journal.]


[/Filtered away from Slenderman, children, and people who use this information for negitive reasons]



( Not cut ICy -- Photo of Slenderman from a security camara )

I found this in a book called "Weird Things Caught On Camara" in the libary. It looks like it's off a security tape.


[Filter/]


[Filter: People Django trusts]

[it's a bit of a broad filter, but Dainn wanted those names.]

Hey, I think I'm under a Loss....can you guys help me? I'm worried Dainn might take advantage of it.

[Filter/]


[ooc: check here for why "Django" is posting Dainn's information. Edit: and pretend that filter was always like that. fail self -_-]

Entry Located: Evidence Acquired

[end-0f-line.livejournal.com]

[Despite everything that's happened, Clu's voice as he speaks through the journal is casual, confident and calm as usual. Hey, all this fuss about the kids has helped keep his mind off of Kevin Flynn's arrival, anyway, and with what he found today? Well, he feels like there's a damn good reason to be content.]

Not what I expected to uncover, and not what I'm after, but...

[He shrugs and taps one finger idly against the pages of his journal.] 


It's common knowledge the former residents struggled with this...thing quite some time ago, but I thought I should inform you Users that they bested it. [Clu pauses, making a slightly amused noise in the base of his throat.] And from what it looks like their kids were just fine. 

[The text that usually appears on the pages of the journal as the Admin program speaks scrolls down and adds one last unspoken section:]

0028

Deema and I spent the entire day playing checkers and reading to each other and going horseback riding.

It's going to take a while to feel back to normal, but things are okay now.

Thank god.




[ooc: I got called in to work early today, so responses will be slow for a few hours, but I will return! <3 ;3; Sorry!]

Nineteenth Sip

[mal-addict.livejournal.com]

[Following Darkwing's plan, Mal has gone to posting this all around the castle. It's on every door, on every wall, there's not a place in the castle without one. Each journal entry, it will appear]

The talking duck man is right. If we're going to be afraid of this thing, we're only going to give it more power. All those images you see, you're building up your mental image of a creature that's unstoppable. Think of it like this, take some of that fear away weaken the damned thing. If we can't wish it out of existence, let's at least make it less of a threat.

And whatever they're planning to do to attack it? Will that to work, don't just hope it will, believe it will. I know it sounds insane, but what will it hurt to try? If it doesn't work, at least we know we gave this route a chance. It's better than missing out on something that could very well help us.

Episode 61

[spongetastic.livejournal.com]

[everything that Peter has heard tells him that the tree is the best place to go if he wants answers. He gets as close as he can to the thing and concentrates, straining to hear a thought-- any thought.

And then he gets something, and he grits his teeth trying to relay what he's hearing without losing the thought]

They're still okay... Someone's there.

"Create a weapon... stuff lying around". He's determined. He's been through something back in his world. And... something about "Jonesy"? [he feels like he's losing the thought, and fights to keep it]

There's... another tree. A duplicate? They found it. They... [and he lost it. Shakily he sits down; he needs a break after that]


[ooc: idk if anyone's around the blood tree, but open for that or over the journal]

♈ Aradia: Do something reckless.

[psych0p0mps]

[She's alone now. All of her friends have been taken by the shadowy figure. For all she knows, she may be the only one left alive. She saw it, even, and could do nothing to stop it.

And she is so very not ok with that.

Still, how do you defeat something that even you, with all the powers of time at your disposal, can't touch? Something that you can see only in the moments before everything disappears? The blood tree has to be the key, the only tangible thing the Slender Man has left behind. And for that, well... it has to go.

The first thing to go are the animals, their ropes severed cleanly with a telekinetic sweep of her hand. They don't fall to the ground, but are instead flung mercilessly out over the heads of the people assembled, landing messily at various distances from the tree. A proper troll burial, left out for wild animals to eat, if they'd still have the tainted flesh.

Her next target is the tree itself, but try as she might, her power can't get a grip on it. No amount of force will help her when all her blows slide harmlessly off and away, as if the slick blood gives it some kind of psychic grease. She keeps at this effort for only a few moments before giving up... at that, anyway. If she can't remove the tree from the ground, then she'll just remove the ground from the tree.

Dirt and blood explode in equal parts from the ground at the tree's base, fortunately only on a side where no one is standing at the moment. It falls to the sides of the blast, unheeded. She doesn't care where it goes, only that it goes.

The torrent of smelly, deep red muck will continue until morale improves. Aradia can be found hovering in the midst of it, glowing, untouched by the huge mess she's making.]

(( ooc: Mod-approved and OH SO OPEN! ))

028 ♕ [voice] Attention Psychics and Exorcists / Holy people

[loisfuckinglane.livejournal.com]

[Filtered away from Slenderman & the castle]

We're drawing closer to trying to figure out where these kids might be and how to help them, so we can't stop now.  Some of us are still researching exorcisms, and we can start narrowing down which rituals might work now, so we need anyone with knowledge of this kind of thing to contact either me, Batgirl, or Batman asap.  This would only be done after the kids are taken to safety, as a way to drive him off, and only if we can't succeed in taking him down somehow first.  But we still need plan B on hold.

Meanwhile, if there are any psychics or spiritualists out there, we're hoping we can convince one or more of you to make an attempt to talk to the castle itself.  Previously found entries suggest it's been done before, and that the castle wasn't involved in Slenderman's appearance.  For all we know, he's been pulled here just like any other resident, or he's a product of this world.  The way evidence keeps turning up, it's almost as if the castle is trying to help us, which is probably for its own purposes - to keep us all here, so it can do what it wants with us - but for the moment, we might be able to use that to our own advantage.  You can see where Batman and I were talking about this here. [#]  Maybe it can help us get inside the underground cave somehow.

Believe me, I'm no big fan of asking the castle for anything after the things it's done, but there are children at stake.  

[ooc; talk amongst yourselves if you want, I will bbl ;; sorry to post and run AGAIN]

Case File 16

[gunneroffortune.livejournal.com]

[Ever since the previous night, Naoto has been awake. She refuses to sleep, she refuses to do anything outside of looking for more clues and studying evidence. The kidnappings alone had Naoto working hard - not to mention the adults that had been collapsing and falling into a deep sleep, one of which she witnessed as it happened. It was a huge concern, and had her desperately trying to find answers... but in one moment, all in one single moment last night... it all changed. She was put into overdrive, and now she refused to do anything that wasn't relevant to her search. She refused to even do a simple wish for a small meal. In the library, her head would be in books, digging through paperwork, anything. There had to be something to help them. Nanako-chan was gone, and she - and the other children - desperately needed their help. And Naoto wasn't going to stop until she found something.

And it was at this moment that she seemed to have had a stroke of luck. A sheet in the folder she was looking through, marked with that red sticker. Someone had mentioned that sticker before, hadn't they? Naoto stopped to read it, and sure enough, it held relevance to the case. More importantly, it was numbered the same as those previous diary entries that had already been shown.

She'll then read it aloud, and when she's done, she'll place the sheet on the journal to assure that it was copied.]

[As with others, filtered away from the Slenderman, children, and anyone who may use this information for no good.]

0023

Pythia's been begging the castle to just send it away, because so far nothing is working. She says the castle won't, that it can't do anything about things that originate from beyond its borders. That it, the Slenderman, got too powerful, and it's all our fault.

It can't be reasoned with, so all we can do is offer up a sacrifice. No one here knows how to exorcise anything... if we sacrifice people to the creature, they might still come back in two weeks. If we don't, the kids are gone... and we don't know if they'll come back at all. If we tried to exorcise it and something went wrong, the kids would be gone, and we'd just anger it.

Not everyone agrees, though. Some people think an exorcism is the only route.

I hope this is worth it. I don't think we can handle losing the kids for good.


[She'll hesitate, and then give a sigh.]

Another one of those diary entries, marked with a red sticker. This... creature wasn't created by the castle? [She pauses, trying her hardest not to sound irritated.]

This entry brings up concerns. It was 'their fault', exorcism has its risks... Of course, the one who wrote this said they had no one who could perform exorcism... yet we do, do we not?

Perhaps that increases our chances of success.

[She'll give another sigh, this time very blatantly irritated and now it's creeping into her tone of voice. She almost wished Rise were here, there may have been a chance her Persona could have tracked this monster somehow...]

There has to be something that can work. The children - and the people who suddenly fell to sleep - need our solution, immediately.

( Souji-senpai )

[ooc: s-such tl;dr I'M SO SORRY AHHH]

.051

[my-six-hearts.livejournal.com]

[with all of the frantic fear looming, filters flying back and forth, ideas trading, everyone hustling children around from one caretaker to another... something gets overlooked. One quiet--and usually cube-shaped--little being. It has watched its friends disappear one by one over the past few days, uncomprehending and feeling crushingly useless. It has seen, and heard, and felt it all happening around it, without being able to lend a hand in any way... and this leaves it curled in an armchair in some hallway now, listening to its open journal and looking distantly heartbroken.]

[Making his way around the halls on one more sweep before he'll scan the journal one last time for information, York is a little surprised to see a naggingly familiar kid in one of the overstuffed chairs. He gets the feeling he should recognize the--was it a boy or a girl? He can't really tell.] Hey, what are you doing out here? Aren't you with anybody else? [Didn't kids know it wasn't safe to go wandering alone?]

[the kid glances up at the voice, visibly perking up at the sight of York. A friend! One that hasn't disappeared yet! The kid doesn't exactly smile, but there is at least a look of recognition lighting in those vacant eyes]

[Oh. That's why York hadn't recognized the kid right away--Delta had. The little green hologram pops on and "runs" through the air to hover in front of his humanized friend.]

You are the Weighted Companion Cube. [He'd met Cubie in human form during High School, he remembers.] You are on a loss?

[York holds out one gloved hand and gently but firmly grasps one of the Cube's hands in his own. It was pretty tiny--well, he supposed the Cube was pretty young. All the more reason to get it to the TARDIS and at least relative safety.] Kinda surprised nobody ended up telling us you were human, you know? There's all sorts of things I can teach you about, if you don't know already--pizza, bubble baths, chopsticks....

[the Cube follows along obediently, totally absorbed in every word out of York's mouth, as usual, as it gazes up at him... until something manages to distract it. Stopping, it glances back down the hallway, as if hearing something. Hang on, dudes. It's actually looking a little concerned]

Cubie? [No. No no no no, fuck you Slenderman, you're not getting any more of York's friends. Without warning aside from a muttered curse, he scoops up the Cube's small frame into his arms and starts sprinting for the elevator.]

[the Weighted Companion Cube doesn't react to being swept off its feet, gaze fixated over York's shoulder. Those big gray eyes get wider and wider, an uncommon amount of emotion pulling a perfect picture of fear across its face. The Weighted Companion Cube wishes that it could warn its friends. The Weighted Companion Cube wishes that it could do anything at all to protect them, save them, help them. In a last mindless attempt, its mouth opens]

--Ah!  [...and then it is simply gone]

No! Hang on, Cube, we'll get you back--!

[But he's speaking to thin air. Slenderman has claimed one of the last "kids" in the castle.]


((ooc: sorry for the tl;dr! York, Delta, Cubie))

(no subject)

[custodismundi.livejournal.com]

[filtered away from children kidnapped or otherwise, Slenderman, and anyone exploiting the situation]

[two pages are highlighted: #, and then #; the priest's voice is quiet and gentle]

...The entries currently unearthed skip from 23 to 28 with nothing yet in between. The last known plan the previous victims of 'Slenderman' had were to offer up a human... sacrifice. The end result was the safe return of at least one child -- Deema. There's also-- this.

[he shifts, where he's staring at the blood-soaked tree whose line creeps higher and higher every time he blinks -- or maybe it's his imagination. his mind playing tricks on him, at this point, is not at all beyond the scope of the realistic]

Time is... running out.

[ooc: open for journal or the CREEPY BLOOD TREE if you're lurking]

♉ 009

[rocketchair.livejournal.com]

( Playing Trollopoly to ease the tension... )

[LOL ARADIA, you're the best. Tavros seems cheerful!] I guess, uhh, that means I can make it out of the bank, then, heheh .... [and he goes to take some more money, but .... freezes halfway there, because GUESS WHO JUST POPPED UP IN THE ROOM?]

[Is facing the other way, whoops! But she's got an idea, and her face goes grim.] What is it?

Uh, uhh, i-it's, uh ... [yeah, he can't really form words, because this guy is terrifying, and he's coming for him ... yeah tavros is kind of shaking in fear now ;;]

[No worries, that answers her question. She whirls around, knocking the board from the table with a clatter, already firing up the time engine.] So it's you. I was wondering when we'd see you.

[There's no sound from tavros or the slender man, tavros because he's scared and unable to move, and slender man because he's just looming over them like a creep!]

[All right then let's make this happen. Aradia used TIME STOP!
.... But it had no effect on SLENDERMAN!

Although a little boggled at that, she recovers quickly. TK strangle - no effect. So she starts just throwing shit at him - the game board, the table, the door, Tavros's recuperacoon, the other door, anything she can find. Nothing works - all it accomplishes is to make a huge mess behind the creepy son of a hoofbeast, all the noise being recorded into the journal.]

[In a matter of seconds, she's exhausted most of the stuff in the room as well as her patience, and spreads her arms wide, keeping herself defiantly between Slendy and Tavros.]

Fine. I'll kill you on your own ground.

[Slenderman just stares down at her with its creepy blank face, before simply raising his arms and making tavros and himself disappear. And then just ...silence.]

025 years late

[hulloeverything.livejournal.com]

[written]

Wednesday
Gosalyn- Taken from the Danger Room, was with Darkwing Duck.
Vriska - Taken from the hallway in front of the game room, was with Nancy
Karkat - Taken from the ninth floor hallway, was with John
Emil- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Chiyo- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Luna- Taken from room 610, was with Mode.
Sora- Taken from the basement, was with Jilly

Thursday
Wybie- Taken from Coraline's room, was with Coraline
Tobias- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Carl- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Gash- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Damien Wayne - Taken from dinner, with a number of people
Zelkova- Taken from his room, was talking to Kite
Kanaya- Taken from an unknown location, was alone

Friday
Coraline Jones- Taken from Crowley's room, was with Crowley
Pharos- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Nanako- Taken from Abel's room, was with Abel and Tomoe
Justina- Taken from  an unknown location, was with Julian, Laura and Buffy.
John- Taken from the [#]th floor hallway, was with an unknown person
Jade- Taken from the [#]th floor hallway, was with an unknown person
Nico- Taken from an unknown location, was with Percy
Unknown girl- Taken from an unknown location, was alone
Sabah- Taken from an unknown location, was alone.

Saturday
Weighted Companion Cube- taken from the Lobby, was with York and Delta
Dave- Taken from the lobby, was with Jessica.
Tavros- Taken from his room, was with Aradia

[Dictated. He sounds very old and very stressed]

This has to stop. We've discovered that we can see him, whether it's through the cameras or through someone's invisibility, we can see him. If we can see him, we can stop him. No one. I repeat: NO ONE is being sacrificed. We've found another way and we're working towards it. We will get them back.

((ooc: Open over the journal. He's at the blood tree getting his dig on.))

(no subject)

[jack-maid.livejournal.com]

( private )

[usually, Sakuya doesn't spend much time in libraries, but Patchouli's been holed up in there so much that she feels responsible for lightening her research load. It wouldn't do to have her mistress' close friend keel over from overwork and illness, after all.

It is entirely by chance a sheet of paper is dislodged as she pulls out a book, and...wait, wasn't there mention of information being marked with red stickers? Hmm. She sticks this into the journal:]

0020

Fights are breaking out. Not over who the culprit is, now, but what to do: exorcise or make a sacrifice.

There are only four children under age thirteen left. Then what? Does it leave? They keep talking about how they can see it, sometimes, but none of the adults have even glimpsed it. We're scared of something we haven't even seen. It feels crazy.

[dictated:] Well then. This seems to have become a one-or-the-other situation.

I suppose there isn't much I can say, other than to keep reminding everyone: fear is unnecessary. A being like this "Slenderman" senses the fear in your mind, and makes use of it to his advantage. That's the kind of thing [we] predators do.

$5 -- voice;

[exdemon]

[Anya is muttering to herself as she flips through books in the library. She opened her journal to write something, but then she forgot to actually follow through, and now it's just sitting there, open.]

Stupid research. Why couldn't the castle kidnap Giles or something? "Stirling City's Great Dilemma." I'm sure you'll be more helpful than the last eight books.

[She sulks, but she picks up the book anyway and starts flipping through it. After a few moments of silence, she makes an excited noise.]

Oh! Oh!

[She goes over to the journal and starts speaking excitedly into it.]

This Mary Worthington woman says we shouldn't sacrifice people! We should think about the children because apparently they can't just make more, which is funny because I find that part a lot more enjoyable than actually attempting to handle screaming babies, though I have considered--

Anyway, she says that "those who would sacrifice more children to send a threat away are no better than this Slenderman they speak against! Shame, shame on you all."

So... that doesn't actually help, but it sounded relevant.

(no subject)

[fightfurther.livejournal.com]

[Filtered to everyone Laura "warned" about Logan:]
...I was mistaken. Wolverine is not a threat.