[2-5] The Carnival

[Karl Jak]

Gin
Remilia

“Quiet,” Remilia remarked as she dragged an unwilling Gin across the beach, through the fog-laced treeline, and about twenty feet into the forest.  It took a hard bump against a rock of some sort to jostle the redhead free from the little vampire with the surprisingly strong grip.
 
“We were building lean-tos!”  Gin declared as he glanced back in the direction they’d come from and then back to the small girl.
 
“We should be searching for things of value,” Remilia retorted as she pointed into the interior of the island.  “Surely there has to be some sort of mystery here.”
 
“I need to go help the others,” Gin apologized as he jogged back toward the beach.  Remilia followed him for a few moments before he came to an abrupt stop.
 
“What is it?”  The vampire inquired as she glanced around her kidnapped acquaintance and tried to see what had caused him to stop.
 
“It’s not…” Gin stepped off to the side and glanced down at the bare floor of the forest.  “It’s not there anymore.”
 
Remilia frowned.  “What isn’t?”
 
“The beach!  The plane wreck!”  Gin shouted as he stabbed at the ground.  Remilia looked down and saw that he was pointing to a strip of disturbed earth that formed a line from their present location all the way back to the rock.  It was the little trail that Gin had left behind as he struggled against her pseudo-abduction.  “This should be the edge of the forest.”  Gin mumbled as he took a few steps forward and tried to peer through what seemed to be a deepening fog around them.
 
“Perhaps we’ve just been turned around.”
 
Gin wasn’t buying it.  The man ran his hands through his hair and started to fret as a hundred thousand horrible scenarios made their way through his brain.

Well that's bizarre.

[Remilia Scarlet]

The scarlet devil and her unwilling companion looked across the clearing what was once the beach they had stepped off of not a moment ago, now just another part of the labyrinthine jungle they had stepped/ been dragged into.  Gin, ever a survivalist and do-gooder, was already beginning to fidget with worry as through about their own safety as well as what would happen to the others while they were trapped here. Remilia, by comparison, was much more intrigued in the mystery that had presented itself with the sudden shift of the island. She thought back to Gensokyo and it's odd, shifting nature and how that might help the two of them. Or not, as she wasn't interesting in going back to the beach just yet.

"Maybe if I climb a tree I could see where the beach went" the redhead thought aloud, but as he turned to the  largest tree in the immediate area he felt Remilia poke him in the chest with a branch she had picked up and now brandished it like a dashing explorer with a sword.

"Don't bother. By the time you climb down, it could have already shifted again. If this is anything like the Forest of Magic," and Remilia got a particularly annoyed look from Gin as the one who put him in this dilemma tried to lecture him, "then either something that lives on this island is playing tricks on us, or some sort of wild magic is causing," She then shrugged, "or both, or something else entirely! Either way, no point trying to go anywhere specific, you'll just get more lost."

Left with not a whole lot of anything else to do, Remilia began to walk further into the forest underbrush, and Gin followed to avoid both of them losing each other. So long as didn't stay still, he couldn't lead them elsewhere. And she was okay with that.

"So, how did you get out of the Forest of Magic, then?" The fighter asked, most of his attention kept to the surroundings. Perhaps he thought that they could luckily stumble through back to where they started.

"You flew. Which doesn't work here or I'd have left already." Gin stiffened a bit, but Remilia laughed. She seemed to notice his reaction without seeing it "Don't worry, I would have taken you with me. I need to eat sometime, after all" More childish laughter spread out across the emerald landscape of the unknown island, the scarlet devil and her luckless partner in search for safety. Or adventure. With the strange events that has happened so far, perhaps the exploration could lead to their way out.

And hopefully, Gin won't learn when Remilia joke will turn to a deadly truth.

[Gin Yatreg]

"I really hope she's joking right now." Gin thought. He took another look around; the fog had grown thicker in the short time since they started walking. Their line of sight had been reduced to what appeared to be at least a few yards. He looked back at the trail they had unintentionally made, and to his surprise, the trail had vanished. The dirt of the forest floor looked untouched, as if it had always been that way. No upturned leaves, no foot prints, not a speck of disturbed dirt. HE stopped once more and observed his surroundings, listing intently with his ears. Hoping he could hear at least SOMETHING in the distance, some sign of life near them. At any moment, he expected whatever presence that was watching them with its invisible eyes to make itself known to the world.  Turning his head, he came face to face wi-

“BLEH” Remilia shouted, brandishing her fangs in Gin’s face.

Gin let out a yelp and fell back onto his rear, startled by Remilia’s sudden act. “Don’t do that!” He yelled.

Remilia giggled, “What? Did I scare you?”  She asked, already knowing the answer.

“I-I was not scared! Just…Just surprised is all.” He trailed off, his face bright red with embarrassment.

“Oh? Is that why you screamed in such a girly way,” she laughed, “Now come on, we won’t find our way out by sitting here all day.” She finished, turning to continue their walk.

Gin stood up and followed after her, “Aren’t you worried about what might be waiting for us in this mist?” he asked.

“Nope.” Remilia said.

“Wha-Why not?” Gin asked, taken aback by her calmness.

“Because we’re more than capable of taking on anything that’s in here, it’s as simple as that. So lighten up will yah? Have some fun, think of this as an adventure!” She said.

Gin considered her words, what she said did make sense. Gin felt pretty powerful at this point, and no doubt the girl could handle herself, otherwise she wouldn’t be here. He DID also come here for another adventure. His mood changed, and he started to get excited at the idea of exploring what this island had to offer. “Hey, come to think of it, we never exchanged names. I’m Gin Yatreg, what’s your name?” Gin said in a cheerful tone.

“Remilia. Remilia Scarlet.” The girl replied.

With the exchanging of names complete, the two adventurers soldiered on in search of a way out, and any interesting secrets this island held from them. 

423/2400 words according to Microsoft Word. Site says 563 though. 

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 2

Gin and Remilia continued through the forest.  They'd both fallen silent fifteen minutes earlier, and while Gin couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched through the fog, he kept his thoughts to himself.

"I think there's a clearing or something up ahead," Remilia whispered as she started to move a little quicker through the brush.  Gin, not wanting to get separated from the girl, moved to match her pace.  When he reached where she was standing, he found himself just as dumbstruck as his new companion.

There wasn't a simple clearing in front of them.  They were staring at the aged remains of a traveling carnival, complete with rusted, beaten-down rides, weathered tents, and various concession stands filled with expired food.  Never one to get too caught up in the moment, Remilia stepped out of the forest and onto the cobblestone, her eyes scanning the decrepit rides that made up the carnival's little skyline.

Gin looked back into the pseudo-safety of the forest before turning to watch the girl continue into the carnival.  When he swung his focus back into the trees, he swore he caught a smiling face half-concealed behind some shrubs, but when he jerked his gaze to the spot, there was nothing but fog.

"Carnival it is," the boy whispered as he stepped out from the bushes and went to catch up with Remilia.

[Remilia Scarlet]

The walk through the virid foliage of the mysterious forest was mostly in silence, as the two miscreants kept their senses open, with the  only major sound the hum of some waltz from Remilia that Gin was unlikely to know and the snare drum sound of rain on the jungle's broad leaves and the sheet metal Remilia still held over her head. In fact, it was the general lack of noise that made both of them so silent, as the tell tale signal of something about to happen put the two of them on edge, though the scarlet devil was less scared as she was intrigued. It did not help that a persistent fog that refused to be rained out made what might have otherwise been a beautiful stroll through untouched nature into a stumble through the unknown. Any path they might have seen was hidden, but as the vampire herself said that any path might be useless regardless. But it was because, rather then in spite of, of this under tide of dread that Remilia felt more at home here than her noble lineage would have given (although it would make her insufferable once basic needs became apparent), and let her enjoy otherwise harrowing experience.

That is until the two reach the clearing and saw the dilapidated buildings inside. The faded and chipped paint of the stalls and once cheerful decorations turned depressing from time and weather. It raised a lot of red flags with the vampire that gave her some real unease, who's own experience with the various spooks and demons of the world and a few horror movies to know that something might lurked there (even if it's just a freed circus animal). That said, it would be against her nature to shrink back from anything, so she soldiered on the same as always with her make-do sword to clear out some of the tall grass that forced its way through the cobblestone.

What was there to offer? Not much. Any food would have liked gone off even without the question of how long they have gone and the rides would be death traps. The games might have been alright, but the prizes that once hung proudly from their corners were now as ratty and moth eaten as everything else here. Maybe the scarlet devil could find a umbrella, or at least a brief distraction here. But who knew what undisturbed evil she would disturbed or blood contract she would find herself trapped in?

Or maybe she was overthinking this. She was still a powerful and clever vampire. Any funny business would result in getting Gungnir rammed through their heart. And she would REALLY like to get out of the rain.

"Remilia, did you see that?" She heard Gin ask, and she quickly glanced behind her to see the redhead rush to her.

"Noooooooooo..." Remilia answered, and now both of them had their backs a little straighter "Just keep close, and we'll be fine. We'll..." the scarlet vampire scanned around the many tents, none of them looked all that promising, " let's head to wherever the staff would be. There'll probably be something useful there" And a lot less creepiness.

[Gin Yatreg]

The carnival seemed to be moderately large, about the size of a mall parking lot from Gin’s estimate. With how large it was, the staff area would prove difficult to find, especially with how run down the carnival was. “Maybe we outta find a map, it would be easier to find our way around with one,” he said to his companion.

“We’ll probably find one while we walk around, let’s go.” Remilia said as she resumed her walk, with Gin close behind her.

The cobblestone road they were on led straight to the center of the carnival. During the walk, Gin glanced at all the booths and stands that lined the street as they passed by. Vines and ivy had begun ensnaring the small booths, covering the bright sun bleached colors with their vivid green. As they passed a shooting game, he noticed the stuffed animal prizes on the shelves inside. Their stitches had begun to un-mend, with their white stuffing leaking out through the cracks like an open wound. They then passed an octopus ride, covered in rust from the years of neglect. The only parts left relatively untouched were the happy face of the octopus mascot, which looked surprisingly new, and the plastic cars where the passengers sat. 

Gin looked down to the end of the road, and saw it open up into what looked to be a small clearing, somewhat like the town square of the carnival. A Merry-Go-Round in the middle seemed to mark the dead center of the carnival, although time was still not kind to it. From this distance, the horses appeared to be warped and misshaped.  Like they all had something stuck inside them protruding from their skin.

“Hey, there’s a map.” Remilia said, pointing to a plastic sign on the side of the road.

The two walked up to the map to finally get some directions. From what Gin could see, there were five big top tents, all evenly spaced apart around the entire area in the same way the corners of a pentagon would be.  The concession stands and booths filled the areas in between, with most of the rides towards the center of the ‘pentagon’ in a circle. On the sign was also the name of the carnival, ‘Bergen’s Traveling Carnival’, it said in bold letters.

“Great, we got a map. Grab it and take it with us.” Remilia ordered Gin.

“Wait, what? It’s a sign, how am I going to take it with us?” Gin asked.

“Don’t question me; just take the map with us.” Remilia said as she began to walk away again.

“Wha-Hey, wait for me!” Gin shouted. He looked at the sign wondering how he was going to even get it out of the ground. “Oh fuck it.” He said before breaking the sign off its pole with a punch of his Shield Fist. He tucked the map under his arm and caught up with Remilia.

[Remilia Scarlet]

So that was something finally done right. Map acquired, everyone pat yourself on the back. There wasn’t much to the carnival in terms of specialness other than the fact that it came to end its journey on this godforsaken island (which really only made it as special as everything else on it, take that how you will), even the name sounded generic. The life Remilia had lived had seen many a grand traveling entertainers that this seemed rather mundane once the initial dread started to wear out its novelty. Not that it lost any of the creepiness as they passed by the ruins of the pride and joy of the fair. As they got closer to the center with the help of the map Gin manhandled, a ferris wheel in the back looked like a rotten tree with poison fruit that hung from its branches when framed by the growing storm. The two had, in silenced, decided that cover was more important than exploration at the moment and hurried to their destination.

But in a moment of idle curiosity, as she gave one last look to her flanks, Remilia saw something that peaked her interest, a chance to sate boredom, and when no dangers had immediately presented themselves she grew exponentially bold.

A game stall still left set up after whatever previous occupants had abandoned it, six pins stocked on each other in a triangle and a baseball left slightly brown and torn from the elements. When she stopped, Gin ran into her back as he groped the sign he was using as a map and rather than ask what happen and get more sass he just took it as a chance to path their route.

The pins stood proud, left to stand even after what it has survived when all else had fallen apart. They were the bastion of order in this hive of chaos and decay, high and proud as they weathered through the assaults against them. They were the what was right in the world and they dared any to question their pride.

And the scarlet devil would not let such a challenge go unanswered.

She glanced back to Gin, who still wrestled with the map between what light there was left and not getting rained on any more than he already had, and she slipped a coin purse from her ballroom dress. Useless anywhere else, but perhaps it would still appease whatever still haunted here. She wiped the sign of the stall with her handkerchief to see what they expected. That wasn’t a currency she knew. What was the exchange rate for that and yen anyway? Eventually she decided to be simply generous and left a decent amount on the stall’s broken desk.

She poked the baseball with her finger and immediately withdrew it as if it might explode. Nothing happened. She then swiped it, like a hungry child to a unchecked morsel. It was soggy and soft in her hands, but no other effect. A little smile grew wide on the vampire’s face as she was another point closer to her goal.

“Hey Remilia, how do you think the carnival got here?” the redhead asked, probably half to pass time and half to make sure she was still there.

“Oh, probably the same as us, although why bother to set up?” Remilia answered as she hid the ball in front of her


“Maybe it was already was set up when it was brought in? I heard that when you summon something big you can accidentally bring other stuff in too.”

“Yeah, yeah, maybe. Could you check over there for a second?” Remilia pointed her head in a random direction “I thought I saw some movement”

One last look to Gin as he turned his back gave her the opening she wanted.

With a long wind up and fire in her eyes, she set her sight on just off the center, where the would knock two of the base pins to be thrown into oblivion and the last one to have its brethren to collapse on top of it. She brought back the pitch, raised a powerful step forward, and launched the ball with tremendous force.

The pens all fell, their last moments was struck down by their pride as much as it was by the vampire’s strike. A crack filled the air, followed by a stunned silence as Gin stared with disbelief as he whipped back to where he heard it and realized what happened.

Remilia, on the other hand, began to pump her fists in excitement as she found that her victory would not be taken from her. She reached up towards one of the teddy bears among the prizes, no value to her other than as a trophy of their achievement and a memento to her soon fleeting elation.

But the twine that wrapped around the bear’s neck still held some strength in it, and as the vampire pulled it down the fabric gave way first. A gruesome scene of bear decapitation  took place, white fluff inside spilled readily from the massive hole where its head once was. The grin on Remilia’s face dropped and left her jaw to hang as she saw the bear’s new state. It bode ill for their future expedition and shortened the gap between her and her sister’s genocide of children’s toys.

Eventually the sound of Gin sucking air through his teeth as he remembered to breath knocked both of them out of their silence.

“Could we...PLEASE go now?” And Remilia nodded as she gingerly placed the headless bear onto the desk and both of them bolted from there with a frightened pace.

[Gin Yatreg]

They soon passed the merry-go-round, which was just as dilapidated as the rest of the carnival rides. Although now that Gin was closer, he could see some of the finer details of the machine. The horses really were warped, most likely thanks to the weather, and looked as if they were hanging from their poles instead of the normal trotting in the air. Stranger still, most of the rust was only on the bottom part of the poles and the grated floor, as if it were leaking from the horses. Everywhere else seemed to just be mildew, mold, and moss growing over the plastic. Deciding not to mess with it, they continued onwards towards one of the big tops, or more specifically; a set of large interconnected trailers located nearby. 

~~~

“Where’s a flashlight when you need one?” Gin thought, squinting through the dimming light at his improvised map.

Remilia lightly bumped Gin on the head with her makeshift umbrella before speaking up, “Hey, how much further?” she asked impatiently.

Gin looked back at Remilia, “Well if my eyesight hasn’t gone bad yet, then it should be after this set of booths,” He said.

“Good, my arms are getting tired holding this thing up. Especially since no kind gentleman has offered to hold it for me.” Remilia said with annoyance in her voice.

“Hey, I’m holding the map! You’re just going to have to tough it out.” Gin said as he looked back at the map.

“You can hold both.” Remilia said in a huff as the annoyance in her voice grew stronger.

“No.” He bluntly replied.

“YES.” She said sternly.

“I said no damn it!” Gin yelled before stopping and turning to face Remilia, “So just wait would…” Gin paused, “…ya?” he finished. In the dim light, Gin could make out the quite angry face of Remilia glaring at him. “…Please?” he whined. Before he could react, Remilia’s hand made contact with his face, which slapped him with a tremendous force.  The sound of which, could be heard all over the verse.

~~~

Gin, now with a large red hand print on his left cheek, trailed behind Remilia holding the sheet of metal above her head with one hand. “I’ve become a pack-mule.” He thought.

“Ah, this must be it!” Remilia said with a cheery tone. “Thank you so much for holding that Gin, you’re a true Gentleman!” she said.

“No problem, Miss.” Gin said, his face still throbbing from the slap.

“Oh, you’re so nice. Now let’s head in shall we?” Remilia said before walking inside the large trailer.

Gin followed her inside, and set the map and metal sheet down next to the door. From the look he got outside, the trailers were all linked via accordion connectors, which meant they wouldn’t have to go back outside any time soon. At least, not until they’ve looked through the place for clues that is. There had to be something that explained where everyone went, a journal, an audio log, or maybe even a quickly written note. "Hell, I'd settle for just finding a couple umbrellas. At least then I wouldn't have to worry about someone's arms getting tired," He thought. 

Taking a look out the window, he saw that the rain had started to get worse. "We should probably wait this out, I don't think anybody would want to be out in that storm." He said to Remilia, who had already started digging through a closet. Looking back out the window one last time, Gin thought he saw someone walking past the merry-go-round. He blinked and darted his eyes back and forth around the area, but saw nothing. "I'm seeing things again," he thought before going over to help Remilia search around.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 3

The first trailer was nothing special.  It was almost empty, save a weathered couch and a television set that wouldn’t work.  After a quick look under the cushions that yielded a few pennies and nothing else, Gin was volunteered to lead the twosome into the adjacent trailer.
 
With a scowl on his face, the redhead opened the door, stepped into the connecting passageway, and clasped a hand around the handle for the next hatch.  Before he could yank it open, something heavy crashed into the passageway and knocked Gin into the padded material.  A beat later, he heard something start to claw viciously at the outside wall of the trailer, but by the time he made it to his feet, Remilia was already moving toward the exit.  As the vampire slipped back out into the rain, the scraping fell silent, and amid the rain bombarding the trailers, Gin swore he heard a high-pitched giggle.
 
“Nothing!”  Remilia shouted after re-entering the trailer.  “Whatever it was, they move quickly.”
 
Gin, who was still lying against the wall of the accordion passage, nodded his head and tried to get that disturbing laugh out of his head.  “Let’s… let’s move on,” he muttered as he turned to the next hatch and pulled it open.
 
Almost immediately, he was assaulted by the stench of shit, dried blood, and bad meat.  The second trailer was a little larger than the first, and that extra space was filled with the butchered corpses of about a half dozen men, woman, and children.  As if the smell wasn’t bad enough, the dead people weren’t just corpses—they were victims of some terrible, god awful thing with an imagination that seemed to know no rival.  Almost all the bodies were disfigured in some manner, and a few of them had been hacked apart and sewn together with black cable.
 
On the far end of the trailer, a message had been written in smeared shit above the exit.
 
Who Laugh Now?
 
[spoiler]
PM Inbound[/spoiler]

[Gin Yatreg]

"Oh god..." Gin said aloud.  He pulled the collar of his shirt over his nose in an attempt to block out the smell. He begrudgingly stepped into the trailer and made his way across the body filled floor, taking great care to avoid stepping on a corpse, and arrived at the door to the next trailer. Gin motioned for Remilia to follow, however she shook her head in refusal, plugging her nose and signalling that she would wait in the first trailer. Gin rolled his eyes and opened the door, feeling a rush of fresh air hit him. 

Gin slowly walked through the accordion connector, expecting to be thrown off his feet again just like the first time. Thankfully, nothing happened this time around. Though still cautious, Gin put his ear to the door to listen for anything that may be on the other side. He held his breath, trying to be as quiet as possible so he could hear the slightest noise on the other side. Still nothing. He reached for the handle, and began to open the door.  Once it was half open, Gin laid himself flat against the accordion wall, trying to get a peek around the corner. After he saw that the half of the trailer he cold see was free of life, he kicked the door open and dived inside facing the other half of the trailer intent on being ready for a fight. But alas, the rest of the trailer was empty as well. Gin's muscles relaxed, and he let out a huge sigh of relief as he righted himself. 

The third trailer, unlike the first two bedroom trailers, was furnished to be a mobile office. A large desk sat at the end of the trailer, which was decorated with file cabinets, bookcases, and some furniture for guests. On the desk was a lone and tattered journal, its binding beginning to tear. Gin picked it up, "This might tell us a few things," he thought. He braved the second trailer once more and re-entered the original trailer, thankful that he didn't have to walk through that again. He looked to his right and saw Remilia resting in a leather recliner chair. 

"So, you find anything?" she asked.

"Yup, a journal. It should tell us what happened," he said. 

"Well let's hear it," Remilia said, sitting upright in her chair. 

Gin sat down in a chair across from her and opened the journal in his lap, flipping through pages until he found an entry worth reading. "Ah, here's something..." he said as he began to read the passage out loud.

"July 2, 20XX. 

I don't believe this! My carnival suddenly found itself in a completely different location than it was before! Just after we opened for the day and guests had trickled in, a huge storm suddenly hit us. However it only lasted for a few minutes! MINUTES! By the time it was over, we noticed a lot more trees around us than before. It had to be something in the storm, its the only thing I can think of! However we're stuck here now, and we have guests to take care of. I'll see if our chefs can cook up something for everyone to eat."

Flipping further ahead, Gin stopped at an entry three months later.

"October 2, 20XX.

Our supplies are starting to run thin, the midget suggested we eat the clowns for food. "No one would care if we ate the clowns, they scare people anyways!" he told me.  Of course I berated him for even saying such a thing, but he was adamant about us finding a new source of nutrition. Thankfully this forest has no shortage of animals, and I have arranged some hunting parties to head into the forest and bring us back food. I pray we can survive without going after each other throats."

"October 15, 20XX.

While prepping on of the hunting parties, some rude person was laughing at me the whole time. No one would admit it, nor acknowledge the laughter, but I know it was one of them. How dare they, it was me who led us this far without much conflict. I DESERVE more respect than that."

"Laughter? Like what I heard before the attack?" Gin thought.

"October 20, 20XX.

I hear that damn laugh everywhere I go, it won't stop. Others have assured me there is no laughter, but they LIE. They're laughing with whomever it is behind my back, I know they are. I am the leader of this group of misfits, it was ME who has kept them alive, and this is how they treat me?! Perhaps I'll just give them smaller portions of food from now on..."

"October 23, 20XX.

It's strange, I've felt stronger than I usually do. I've also found myself to be more athletic. Is it from all this time in the wilderness? It usually takes more effort to be fit does it not? Whatever caused this, I can't complain. Now I can intimidate the others more. That god damn laugh is still happening, even as I write this I hear it. I'm going to find that person, and that laughter is going to stop. I even snuck a knife from the kitchen trailers to get it done."

"October 27, 20XX.

IT. WON'T. STOP."

"October 30, 20XX.

IT ENDS TONIGHT."

"October 31, 20XX.

Everyone is dead. The laughter won't stop. But now, I think I'm beginning to understand it. It tells me things. 

It tells me it will stop if I do what it says. I want to be free. I'll do anything."

Gin turned the page, and found it to be blank. Skimming through the rest of the journal, he found it to be empty as well. "Guess that was the last entry..." he said. 

"Well, we know what we're dealing with now," Remilia said.

"Yeah... But now we gotta take care of him or he'll kill us too." Gin asked.

Remilia stood up and grabbed an umbrella she found in the closet. "Let's get this over with." she said.

~~~

"Well, this is a surprise," Remilia said.

"No way this guy did it all himself," Gin yelled.

Once they had exited the trailers and ventured back into the carnival, the duo found that the entire place had received a dramatic makeover. Bodies were strewn up in awkward positions, some taking places behind booths, while others posed in ways attendees would be. In one booth close by, Gin saw the corpse of a popcorn vendor handing a bucket full of bloody teeth to a patron sewed together with mismatched parts. It was worse than the inside of the trailer, albeit the open atmosphere meant it didn't smell as bad.

"Well, we should at least get moving. Whatever's helping him has probably told him we're in the open," Remilia said as she rested the handle of her umbrella against her shoulder. 

Gin nodded, and looked down at his map to decide the best destination for their inevitable fight. 

"The Ferris Wheel, let's go there." Remilia said, already walking off. 

Gin shrugged and dropped the map, they didn't exactly need it to find their way to the Ferris Wheel. The finale of this nightmare was coming.

~~~

As the two walked through the rain, the feeling of isolation slowly took hold on them. Posed bodies littered the area everywhere they went, no matter how obscure the route was. Nothing was alive here, they knew that. Still, they never let their guard down, knowing that if they did it could be the end of them. Shadows danced in the corner of their ever dimming vision, noises with no source, and a laugh that even Remilia could hear now.  Finally, they arrived at the Ferris Wheel in all its rusted glory. 

"Now what?" Gin asked.

As if on cue, the sound of metal scraping metal filled the air. The lights turned on, music began to play through what speakers would still receive a signal, and a shadow stepped into the light. The figure stopped just before the light could illuminate him, and fell to the floor. The light above revealed it to be one of the many corpse puppets, much to the confusion of the duo. Before either of them could say anything, a blur flew out of the shadows, which struck Gin in the arm and tore a piece off of Remilia's dress. Gin gripped his arm in pain, blood mixed with the rain trickled down his arm and dripped to the ground. 

"Dammit!" he cried out.

"Focus! Here he comes again!" Remilia shouted.

The two jumped out of the way as the man charged them once more, thankfully missing this time. Remilia attempts a swipe at the man, narrowly missing as he quickly flees back into the shadows. 

"No way we can hit him like this, we gotta slow him down." Gin said.

"Tell me something I haven't figured out yet. " Remilia replied, waiting for her chance to use another card.

The man charged from the shadows behind them, aiming for Remilia. Without thinking, Gin pushed Remilia out of the way, and felt something sharp penetrate his gut. It felt as if time had come to a stop, Gin looked down and saw the knife from the journal embedded deep in his chest. He felt angry, not at the man, but at himself for letting this happen. He was going to die and leave Remilia to fight the man by herself. He felt the rage build within himself, higher and higher until it overflowed from his body. His eyes turned pure yellow, skin grew hard as rock, claws formed over his fingers, and an orange shield fist formed over his right hand. 

Using Tier 1 Transformation: Mutation -  1 SP - Remaining SP:  1/2

Gin grabbed hold of the man, keeping his grip tight so the man couldn't get away, "If whoever is fucking with us is watching, you'd better pay close attention to what happens next; because when we find the others, we're coming for you to do the same thing." Gin said. He then punches the man with his Reversal Fist, letting go as it connects. Gin staggered back and fell to the ground, as he sat back up, he yelled to Remilia, "I screwed up his senses, finish him off now Remilia!"

As his compatriot took reigns of the fight, Gin pulled the knife from his chest and revealed the medi-gel he bought from the vendor before the flight. 

Using Medi-Gel on stab wound to stop bleeding. x1

[Remilia Scarlet]

When the duo first arrived at the train of trailers, Remilia had let out a great sigh of relief as as it had been the first sign of something good on this island since they arrived on it. Sure, there was no food or warmth inside its cobweb and dust laden rooms, but there was still a moment when she felt she could untangle herself and maybe dry out her soggy clothes.

But now here she was, battling body and wits against a deranged man in his twisted wonderland of meat puppets.

Remilia couldn’t say she cared about this man’s blight. Besides the fact that he destroyed a portion of her dress and was trying to kill them to add to his already thorough collection, the descent into something less human in a more than metaphorical way through internal demons and torturous thoughts had been the backstory of so many monsters and youkai that it had lost all value to the scarlet devil. Nor was it an excuse to act so ungracious to your guests! If nothing else, Remilia would not leave before she would teach a real lesson to this babbling slasher.

She tumbled through the macabre diorama as she tried get back to her feet from the push given by her traveling companion and rolled through one of manys puddle that formed in the depressed cobblestone, and when she raised up she saw the murderous man take a blow from a very different Gin. If she had any thought of the redhead fighters as boring or average then it disappeared into the void. It would be something to mill over later when they weren’t in mortal danger.

Now soaked completely, Remilia threw the umbrella to the side, anything that could throw off her aim to be removed. She raced through the stood up bodies as the psychopath staggered from the strange blow of the redhead. She lined up everything perfectly, her sight into fate gave her the path to victory and as she raised her spell card up she readied to seize it.

“Certain Kill” Remilia shouted the card in her hand turned to light as the magic within was unleashed, and the power locked away now in her hands “Heart break!” Red magic formed in her hands, the area around her bathed in crimson light like a beacon in the dark and raining background, before it elongated into a spear. It crackled with power and rain evaporated as it touched. She leveled the spear down at her now frightened target. “Now know your true place as underneath the foot of the Scarlet Devil!”

The killer saw this and attempted to flee back into the shadows as he had before. But with his twisted mind addled his dodge instead barreled him straight into one of his creations, a butchered woman at the helm of a stroller with a dissected baby. It was as Remilia had seen and planed, there could be no doubt in her mind as she let loose her attack.

Like a scarlet lightning bolt the spear stuck the monster in the chest, a scream of pain drowned out the distorted music for a moment as he was sent twirling through the air until he crashed into one of the poles that held the speakers and left to sit where he landed.

“You killed it!” Gin shouted in glee, his stab wound would not be in vain. Remilia laughed as she watched the body slump down and glanced back to her ally.

“And it looks like I’ve found dinner, you’ll be safe for the night” the vampire chuckled as she reached down for the umbrella under her feet. Not that it was any help now.

“Uh...thanks?” Unsure whether to be sarcastic or genuinely thankfully for her help, he decided to go half and half. He tried to raise from his kneeled position, but almost fell back down as the medical salve did not completely remove the pain “damn it…” But he soon found his vampire companion wrap her arm around his back and held him up with the two side to side.

“Come on, let go drag that body back to the trailer so I can eat out of the tain”

“I can do more than just carry things, you know”

“But you do it so well” Remilia teased as they moved closer to their bounty with only the rain and the horrible music to accompany them.

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 4

Gin takes 4 points of Accumulated Damage
Remilia takes 6 points of Accumulated Damage

Expect a PM hopefully today.

Congrats to Gin for 'winning' Round 4

[Gin Yatreg]

Remilia and Gin made their way back to the trailers, corpse in tow. Instead of taking shelter in the set of trailers the killer lived in, the duo decided it best to use a different set next door. This set was much cleaner than the previous one, albeit still covered in dust. Gin made sure to check the entire thing this time, he preferred to not have any more surprises after the last time they went inside one of these. His stab wound was still sore after that battle, but thanks to the quick use of the Medi-Gel his wound had closed up. He'd have to remember to get some more of that stuff later.

From the look of how the trailers had been furnished, this set appeared to be a general living quarters for part of the group that had been here before. Thankfully, the beds were still in good condition, which meant they could sleep here for a couple hours. As he reentered the front trailer, Gin found Remilia already prepared for her meal. "Hey, we outta check his pockets first." Gin suggested to his vampire companion.

"Don't worry, I emptied them already. It's all on the bed right here," She said as she pointed to the bed behind her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to eat now." Remilia said.

Gin nodded and picked the man's belongings up as he walked into the next trailer, as he preferred not to see what she did to the man. He sat down on one of the beds and began going through their bounty. Most of it was standard fare for any person; however the main thing that stood out was a scroll of paper. Gin opened it up and found it to be a rather crude drawing of the carnival and the area around it. "Did this guy seriously not having anything else to draw this with other than crayon?" Gin thought. "Ugh, I'm getting distracted. What's on this anyway?" He said out loud.

On the map, several locations had been marked with a large X and a label just underneath each one. Going clockwise around the carnival, they read; 'Town, Lake, Building, Beach Cottages' all in opposite directions from each other. All four locations appeared to be the same distance from the carnival, meaning they could use this place as a rest stop should they try going for the other places.

~~~

Remilia skipped into the room, content with her meal. "So, anything interesting in his stuff?" She asked.

"Yup, we have a map of the area around the carnival now," Gin said before handing Remilia the map.

Remilia examined the map closely for a moment, and then handed it back to Gin. "That town sounds like an interesting place to head next. Let's go there," She said.

"I was thinking that too, wanna head out now?" He said, standing up.

"Of course," Remilia answered, heading towards the exit.

Gin folded the map and put it in his pocket, following after his vampiric companion. 

[Remilia Scarlet]

Remilia was more than happy to leave the circus behind them now that the two good thing to come of it was in her hands and had been drained of its life to sustain her. And slightly stain the front of her dress if Gin was attentive enough to notice, but it was expected that the red haired fighter would rather leave the vampire’s feeding habits a mystery for the sake of his sanity. While the rain has lighten up and the hateful sun had not yet raised on the mysterious island quite yet, she still held firmly onto her new umbrella with excitement as a wide grin went from ear to ear on her face. Her mind spun with wonderful visions of what they could find within an entire town abandoned to the jungle. Sure, she had similar thoughts when they had first found the circus as well and that nearly lead to disaster, disembowelment, and a new career as meat mannequins.

But she didn’t HATE what has happened so far, the whirlwind of action did sate her boredom as she had hoped and even danger was merely a part of that. Although there were enough low point that her original ecstatic willingness to be here had died and if this was all some plot by Karl as she had first thought then she’d ram her little girl fist through his balls the next time she saw him. 

“Which way is it?” the scarlet devil asked as she stood in the door frame of the trailer, one last unsavory look across the dead statues would be the last thing she’d see of this place. She looked back to see Gin attempt to decipher the ex-madman’s scribbles with some degree of difficulty, she could tell that he was at least grate it wasn’t the giant sign nor did he have to read this AND carry a piece of metal over his traveling companion’s head.

“It’s over-” He couldn’t finish as he was interrupted by his own body as he rapidly sucked in a great deal of air through his teeth. Although he had tried to hide it, Remilia knew a yawn when she heard one. The tiredness was not something she had thought of, her own nocturnal nature and the long nap she had before the plane crashed had done her well where Gin was beginning to crash.

“You’re tired” That sounded more like an order than a observation, and the vampire places her hands on the ginger and pushed him closer to one of the beds in the trailer.

“No, no, it’s no big deal. You wanted to leave now” Gin lied, then once again ousted by himself as another yawn escaped him. At that point Remilia knocked him over on to the bed and threw the blanket over him.

“Even I can be wrong sometimes, and I’d rather not see you hurt yourself because you feel asleep in the middle of a fight”

“What if there was something else out there and it comes back?” He pointed and tried to untangle himself from the bundles of cloth over him, but only sunk lower into the warm embrace.

“I can take a shift. You’ll just have to piggyback me if I need to sleep when we’re walking”

“You’re not the boss of me” Gin gave one last bit of resistance, but soon sleep overtook him and he fell into dreams.

“It’s cute that you think that” Remilia gave a devilish smile and chuckled. She slipped the map from the sleeping redhead’s hand and look over it, a little better at reading bad crayon than most. And when she found the broken crayons litter along the other remains of the butcher’s item, she found what was going to distract her for the next few hours.

-----

“I can’t believe you did that” Gin scowled as he flipped back and forth between the two sides of their map. The time passed between his sleep was uneventful, other than a moment of nausea that Remilia had assumed was her body recovering from being in the middle of a lot of moving water in the night. When the light started to peek through the window enough that they could see she had to explain why her body had looked so bruised and red. Vampire weaknesses were not something Gin took too much stock in, but it was something he noted for later use if needed. The other thing he found out, and what he was still sore about, was what Remilia had done to the map. Not only did she decide to “add a little” by filling in some of the blanks with crayon plants and animals (which took out the room for some actual information), she decided to draw on the back with something he could not figure out. Was that a stick figure in a maid outfit, or a chicken?

“Did you expect me to do nothing when you were snoring loud enough to alert everyone on the island?” Of course she wasn’t going to apologize. Even if her pride wouldn’t let her, she didn’t think made it worse. She improved it!

“I don’t snore” And he didn’t, but the little imp liked to seem him get flustered and her smile only kept getting wider as they headed back into the forest towards the town. Oh, what visions she had...

[Karl Jak]

End of Round 5