June 17th, 1999 - Evening

[independent_dollmaker]

[Well, that happened.

As promised, Alice took Nui out tonight - specifically, to a nice restaurant in the next town over. If nothing else, it was nice to get out of Izamizuki for a while. She could almost forget about the increasingly frightening occurrences of the past week.

Unfortunately, she was pretty much too nervous around Nui to get any sort of functional conversation in edgewise. Way too much awkward stammering, uncomfortable silences, and failing to think of anything interesting to say to do anything as complicated as acting like herself.

Regardless, the night is coming to an end now. The path back to Nui's home is lit warmly by the setting sun, village on one side, woods on the other. Alice walks in silence for a while before speaking up suddenly.]

L-Listen, I'm sorry I was such a mess tonight. It's just, I've never been on any sort of date before, and...

Comments

[flatview]

Hee hee hee, are you actually still worrying about that? [ if anything, getting out of the city calmed her down, too. Or, well, as calm as someone like Nui can get.

She twirls around in an aimless circle, giggling. ]

Maybe conversation cards would've helped! But whatever, it was nice just to get out of town.

[independent_dollmaker]

Yes, I wanted to get out for a little while, at least.

You... had a good time, then? [Oh god maybe this wasn't a total disaster after all???]

[flatview]

[ a shrug ] I guess! The food was good. And you haven't completely lost your mind and turned into a horror movie character, so.

[ a roundabout way of saying 'spending time with you was not unpleasant' ]

[independent_dollmaker]

[ A roundabout sentence being largely interpreted as "You just barely met minimum standards of decent human interaction". Alice looks down. ]

Seta-kun, Yamane-kun, and now Aino-san... what do you think is happening around here?

[flatview]

[ she doesn't seem to realize it's being construed that way, alas ]

I dunno! But I wouldn't be surprised if we went into Minako-chan's house only to find a bunch of bodies and creepy medical equipment. [ SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR ] It's like everything out of a slasher flick--creepy occult rituals, immediately-following disappearances, people acting totally weird. I'm just waiting for Ghostface to trap us in a garage at this rate.

[independent_dollmaker]

You don't really think that's going to happen, do you? I mean, sure, Hiroshi's been acting strange, but... that kind of thing doesn't happen in real life! Especially in a small, peaceful town like Izumizaki... right?

[flatview]

[ another shrug, and some more twirling ]

I'd sure hope not! But you gotta admit, this weird stuff happening after the Shigetsuna-sama thing is waaaaaaay too coincidental.

[independent_dollmaker]

[Your twirling is too cute Nui Alice is trying to FOCUS]

Well... if that's true, it could mean two things, right? I don't think Shigetsuna-sama is real, so the other explanation is that it's somebody trying to act like it's Shigetsuna-sama's will.

But... the only people who knew we were out there are...

[flatview]

Us. And if that was true, we'd have to suspect one of us as being reaaaaaaaaally suspicious!

You probably don't want to do that, do you?

[independent_dollmaker]

...Are you saying that it would be better to just say that Shigetsuna-sama is responsible?

[flatview]

Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on what you want to believe--there's a witch out there and she's cursing us, or our friends are doing dangerous things.

[all_onis_are_true]

[Did you just hear a rustle from woods? Probably just the wind.]

[independent_dollmaker]

[Alice jumps slightly at the combination of tense conversation and sudden noise.]

Did you hear that?

[flatview]

[ For the first time in a very, very long time, Nui sincerely frowns. There isn't any trace of facetiousness left on her face. ]

Yuh-huh. [ she stops spinning and backs up, standing closer to Alice ]

[all_onis_are_true]

[Nothing seems to happen. For a moment.

Then suddenly, there's a blur of black and white leaping out of the bushes, swinging some sort of large object right at Alice's head.]

[independent_dollmaker]

Wha--

[It's funny how fragile human beings seem to be sometimes, isn't it?

There's a painful-sounding thud, and Alice drops, like a puppet with its strings cut.]

[flatview]

[ For a simple seamstress, Nui has some impressive reaction time skills. She whirls around quick enough to catch Alice, looking around hurriedly at the source of the conflict. She could barely parse together what had happened--a blur, and a crack, and Alice was hurt? she's falling--but her instincts are practically screaming at this point. ]

...

[ She says nothing, keeping her guard up. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

Ha... ha ha ha ha ha... I did it... I got her... I GOT HER!

[Compared to the clean, tidy, and stone-faced Hiroshi, this Hiroshi looks almost feral -- his hair a mess and specked with red, his scarf tips soaked in red. There's a mad look in his eyes, and a pretty distinctly nasty-looking gash on his cheek. He looks like he's literally been camping out in the woods, too.

In his hands is a huge stick; almost a log. He's cackling. The man never laughs. It's disturbing.]

No more deaths... I got the mastermind... I've saved this town! No more deaths...

[flatview]

[ ...no way. No goddamn way.

She was...she was right? What the hell? Hiroshi, he was--

Gently, she sets Alice down on the ground, and rises back to her feet, violently wringing the hem of her dress, arms shaking. ]

Hiroshi-kun...what the hell? What are you doing?

[all_onis_are_true]

You didn't see it... see the looks, the way she plotted, and schemed... she was insane! She sent me death threats, tried to kill me, turned my own parents against me... even Minako! But now... but now! I've done it! Fuck your Shigetsuna!

[Nope. Still the crazy one here.]

[flatview]

[ For a moment, she says nothing. Was he talking about Alice? Did he seriously just attack her, with intent to kill? It had only been a week, so what had happened in the span of seven days? Unless-- ]

Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of fucking joke? [ she turns for a split second, looking at Alice's unconscious form ] Are the two of you trying to trick me for all of the alien babble, is that what this is?

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi looks shaken, stepping back.]

Wha... don't tell me, you didn't see? The dead look in her eyes, the hollow voice? She's insane! Unless...

[His look hardens.]

Of course. That's why you two were together. You were conspiring with her, weren't you?!

[flatview]

[ This can't be happening. It was a joke. It was a damn joke, but he's really gone nuts, hasn't he? Alice isn't waking up or responding--she wouldn't take a prank that far, would she?

Nui steps in front of Alice, shifting into a defensive stance ]

The only one conspiring here is you, you goddamn maniac! You've lost your fucking mind!

[ what could she fight with? what could she grab? she'd left her parasol at home for once, the one damn time she wasn't carrying it around and it could've come in handy ]

[all_onis_are_true]

SHUT UP! You don't understand! I'm the only one who sees the truth around here! And I'm going to preserve that truth!

[Annnd now he's advancing on her. This might be a good time to book it.]

[flatview]

[ but this wouldn't be nui if she wasn't taunting the advancing, dangerous combatant ]

Jeez, maybe you are cursed. If preserving the truth means killing the people you call your friends, they really oughta lock you up in the loony bin!

[ She does start retreating backwards, to the glow of the Harime house's porchlight. It's--what, 40 feet? If she could just get her keys out, and then run in, it might be easier, her aunt would definitely be home by now. And she could always try fighting with her keys as a dagger, but that would be getting much too close to that log he's got. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

And. I'm. Telling you. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CURSES!!

[He lunges at her, swinging the makeshift club.]

[flatview]

[ Fuck. She wasn't going to make it to the door at this rate. Her head was gonna get clobbered either way, so she figures she may as well attempt to fight back. She just barely manages to duck out of the way, tripping over her heels and flinging her keyring out of her pocket.

One shot. She'd have one shot, here, to throw him off of her track and buy herself a few feet to the house. Without even fully processing it, Nui slips the keys through her fingers, pointed out like a particularly crude brass knuckle.

The second he gets within swinging range, she moves in for a swing, aiming for his face. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

[The good news? She connects. That's the SECOND nasty gash on his face, and it gets worryingly close to his eye, dislodging his glasses.

The bad news? He seems to be almost possessed, barely acknowledging the injury as he brings the club down on her.]

[flatview]

[ oh

well

isn't that funny

she doesn't even get the time to see her key tactic worked before she hears the sickening crack of the club connecting with her skull

she crumples to the ground almost instantly, her vision fading blacker and blacker by the second

ah. was she.....going to die? was the really going to die? it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair--

goodnight, Alice. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

Ha... ha... ha...

[He pants over the body, the club in his hands...

and for a brief moment, has a moment of lucidity

he

did this]

What... But it was for the better good... right...? What have I...

[independent_dollmaker]

[Suddenly, a sharp pain in Hiroshi's side.

Embedded a couple inches into him is a pair of fabric scissors, gripped tightly in the hands of Alice Margatroid. Her head is screaming at her to stop moving, but she'll deal with the pain a little longer.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[A screaming, burning sensation in his side, now

along with the other wounds

everything hurts

His head turns, slowly, making out his attacker.]

Y...you're...

[independent_dollmaker]

There wasn't a conspiracy! We never did anything wrong! IT WAS YOU! YOU DID THIS!

[She's seeing red. Nui's dead. Minako's dead. Souji's dead. She has to do something.

The second stab is aimed at his neck.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[blood

so much blood, so much pain

he can't think that's all he's good at why can't he think

why is everything getting

cold

why does he have... to... die... for this stupid... g...a...m...e...

Blood spurting from the wound, he slumps to the ground, the life flowing out of him. Shigetsuna has finally claimed her sacrifice.]

[independent_dollmaker]

[So that's it. It's over. He's dead. So many people are dead.

With that, Alice's strength leaves her. She drops to her knees, then collapses on top of Nui's body, crying.]