[WEEK 3: Tuesday evening, the library; Jay, Yukina]

[nowyouseeit]

[he can still feel it. the sting from yesterday's sacrifice lingers in his index finger, a tiny ghost that can't be exorcised. the memory of his stomach dropping and turning inside out at the news of Dave's death is as fresh as the memory he's making now, as he walks up to the locked library with Yukina and Jay in tow. but even clearer than any of that, and what Kaito had decided to hold onto, because fuck it if he would ever let this place get to him, are Craftly's words]

["The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. That... that is what you must contend with. Your contract is binding and thus, until the very end... you must face the unknown."]

[he never thought this job would be easy. not from the very beginning, when it was obvious he was going to have the point a gun at a living being and pull the trigger in order to end this farce of a game with as many survivors as possible. so even with the pain from yesterday-- physical, and emotional-- still lingering in his mind, Kaito manages to hold his head up high. he promised he would, and he is if nothing a man of his word]

All right.

[a head that he tilts towards Jay and Yukina once they're standing in front of their target building, of course]

According to Jay's map, this is the library. Are you guys ready?

Comments

[ninjay]

[ finding out about dave was definitely not the best way to end last night, especially after having to regrow a finger. dirk has more or less moved into jay and jake's room, so it's been... a thing. until now, everyone who died didn't know anyone from back home, so you didn't really see true grief over a death.

it's also a little unnerving that dave probably died at the same time they were talking about him. ]

Of course. Oh, and Yukina. [ he pulls out the knife he promised her, holding it out for her to take. he's making sure that the way he's gripping the knife isn't in a position you can really stab someone with, just so yukina won't feel like he won't suddenly shank her. ]

[thawedheart]

[There is no doubt in Yukina's mind that Craftly knew what had happened - or what was happening - to Dave, even as he assured them that they were safe. It's the only real explanation she has for why he tried to... reassure them.

It doesn't help. Not really. Knowing that they were safe, while he was suffering, or had already suffered...

Well, Yukina is more determined than ever that this rebellion of theirs must succeed.

When Jay offers her the knife, she takes it by the handle and faces the library with a level expression.]

Thank you. ...I'm ready when the two of you are.

[abhoth]

[As they all face the library, the first thing they'll notice is how wrong the feels. The kind of wrong that sends shivers up their spines, worsening their paranoia and the fear that something will immediately go wrong. It's a bit as if the building itself were telling them to leave.

Sigils are carved onto the boards and front door, as well as spray painted into the ground surrounding the building. All of these look pretty old, like they've seen years upon years of dust, grime and rain. Should they inspect the building, they'll notice two of the windows have been unblocked. Broken pieces of wood lay on the ground next to them, implying someone removed them to take a look inside.]

[nowyouseeit]

[. . . the wrongness kind of puts a damper on his determination to keep his head high, and his steps hesitate the closer they get to the building. his gaze washes over the sigils and an involuntary shiver runs down his shoulders]

[ugh. he doesn't like this. he doesn't like this at all. he doesn't like Jay and Yukina standing behind him, both of them armed with sharp weapons. he knows he has a handgun, but-- ah, wait]

[no. he shakes his head, and banishes those thoughts from his mind]

Let's try'n look through the windows before we enter, yeah? Just in case.

[looks like someone beat them to it, which is fine because it makes their job easier. he hops over the broken pieces of wood, leans forward to press his hands against the glass, and peer inside. can he see anything?]

[ninjay]

[ he is really, really starting to think they chose the wrong week to do this. they could always back out and come back later, but jay can be extremely stubborn about some things and he doesn't want the paranoia to win because he's spiteful.

he will go over to the other window and look into there, too. ]

This is cheerful.

[thawedheart]

[Joining them at the window! There's so much dust and grime, though... she's not sure how much of it is on the inside and how much of it is on the outside, but she shifts the knife into one hand and uses her sleeve to try and wipe off the window before peering in along with them.]

...I almost feel like we're going to regret this. [She sighs.] But I think we'd regret it more if we walked away.

[abhoth]

[The windows are pretty darn dirty inside and outside, alas. But Yukina's sleeve will not be sacrificed in vain, for it makes it easier for them to see inside. As Jay's map said, this building is a Library. Rows upon rows of bookshelves will be in view of the window, though most of them will be tipped over or broken in half. The front desk area is also visible from here, but not much beyond that.

With their faces so close to the window, though, they might hear something that sounds like... rumbling? Rhythmically, it clearly follows a pattern. With what happened to everyone who's broken into a building so far, it's not difficult to come to conclusions here.]

[nowyouseeit]

[UH, YEAH. it's super not hard to draw conclusions, and the hair on the back of Kaito's neck stands on end]

. . . sooooo there's definitely a monster living inside of here.

Think those symbols are meant to keep it locked away?

[ninjay]

They kind of remind me of the symbol that was drawn in blood at the lounge.

[ he glances at kaito when he says this, considering the two of them..... played catch with a pencil.... while surrounded by blood and a cryptic message from the ghost.... at least yukina wasn't there to see that. ]

Whatever it is, hopefully we can kill it. Kaito, you can only use one of your bullets, since the rest are for the Prophets. But that should be a last resort in case Yukina and I can't kill whatever it is.

[thawedheart]

[what the heck, why are you getting up to shenanigans without her

...it's probably a good thing she doesn't know about that, because this week, it sure would make her wonder if they're planning to turn on her!]

They remind me of that, too. Maybe... they're some kind of ward?

[And if that's the case, do they really want to risk unleashing whatever is in there? Her grip on the knife's handle tightens.]

Maybe we can avoid whatever it is... if we're very quiet.

[nowyouseeit]

[taps his foot against the ground, trying to think up the safest infiltration method: door, or windows]

Whatever it is might be expecting us to go through the front door, so if we enter that way, we've gotta be careful. If we can open the windows quietly, without breaking 'em. . .

[ACTUALLY]

[HE'S GOING TO TRY THAT]

[is there a way to open the windows from the outside, as dusty and dirty as they are?]

[abhoth]

[The windows are rude as heckie and not budging. Try something else, buddy.]

I FELL ASLEEP

[ninjay]

[ jay sighs when the windows do not work. there's always the option of breaking them except that might attract too much noise. ]

I'll check.

[ CHECK WHAT JAY but no he goes to walk around the building in case there's another possible entrance besides the front door ]

[thawedheart]

...I'll check the other side.

[When Jay goes to one side of the building, she heads for the other! Teamwork.]

[nowyouseeit]

[and while they do that, Kaito will check the front door to see if it's still locked! just in case it is their only way in]

[abhoth]

[Try as they might to find another way in, it doesn't seem like the library was designed with any back doors or side exits. Their only two options are the glass windows and front door — which, of course, is still locked.

Kind of sad Dave took his key with him to the grave, huh?

The Scooby Gang has three options right now:

1. Break in through the windows.
2. Attempt to break down the door.
3. Try picking the lock.

Good luck, kids.]

[ninjay]

[ TIME TO MEET UP AGAIN after that failed attempt. ]

It's either those windows or the door. What do you guys think?

[thawedheart]

...why not both?

[She eyes the door and the windows a little suspiciously.]

The windows are too small for us to get out quickly, if we need to, but I don't trust that the door won't shut behind us even if we get it open. Trying to break them from the inside would just waste time.

[So, break the windows, then go through the door.]

[nowyouseeit]

[as they talk, Kaito tugs a homemade lockpick from his pocket, one fashioned out of ink pens and other wires collected around the motel. he sets to work in trying to pick that lock, tongue pinched between his teeth]

If we break the windows, we're definitely abandoning our stealth plan.

[he nods at Yukina, though]

But if we really are about to face a monster, I think it's much better if we have more than one escape option.

[so yeah. break those windows, pals]

[ninjay]

[ he nods his head, and then immediately goes to walk back to the windows they were at. they can leave the door to kaito. he has his cleaver in his hand, ready to break the glass at any moment.

from his position, he calls out, ] We should break the glass as soon as you figure out the door. If the noise alerts anyone, then we'll want to be inside the building as soon as possible so we don't want too much of a delay between the two. Say when you're ready.

[thawedheart]

[She heads back to the windows with Jay - the knife may not do a lot, but she's holding it so that she can slam it down to... try and break the glass.]

I'm ready when you are. Just say the word.

[abhoth]

[Unlike the doors within the motel, Kaito will find the Library's front door to be quite easy. It doesn't take much for him to pick the lock, fortunately.

Inside, the three of them will still be able to hear the rhythmic growling. The longer it goes on, the more it feels like... snoring?]

[nowyouseeit]

[satisfied, Kaito pushes the door open slightly and lifts a hand to give the signal to Jay and Yukina--]

[but then the noise registers, the slow rhythmic hum of snoring, and he immediately changes his mind]

-- wait!

[he hisses at them]

I think. . . it's asleep.

[this might require a change of plans]

[ninjay]

[ he lowers his hand at kaito's warning, and hurries back to the front door. that... sure does sound like snoring. hmm.

when he talks, it's in a whisper. ]

Good thing we didn't immediately break anything.

[thawedheart]

...oh...

[Well. That's fine, then. As long as they stay very, very quiet...

She joins them at the door, and when she speaks, her voice is also a whisper. That's probably going to be the norm until they start getting attacked.]

No turning back now.

[She exchanges glances with them, and will very cautiously step over the threshold to look around.]