Forum Thread

Yukimore laughed when she saw Rei running away. "Awwwh~! Running away when the fun is just about to begin! You people are boring." She whined angerly before slipping her gas mask over her face. "Well then, lets begin~" She hummed before running out the door, chasing Rei at full speed. Once Yukimore has found her prey, she won't stop chasing until either the prey is dead, or she is dead. All the time, it seems like Yukimore has never lost, and it seemed that way for years now. She hummed a tune as she chased after Rei, with no care in the world. Yukimore remembers every person she killed, and how she did it. All those moments are so precious to her. She cherishes them. Oh, and she will never forget the looks in the victims eyes before she killed every single one of them. No mercy must be shown. With or without the purge, killing was her motive, and always was. Every person that tried hiding from Yukimore, was found. "Come out come out wherever you are~" She hummed.

Andrea’s smile was nothing short of taunting, paired with a cheery wave. In her hand, she held a vial— the very vial that was the key to Azrael’s freedom. Whoever that was had promised to give him freedom if he helped them get the cure? Well, this was one of them. She slips past Azrael, whispering in a husky voice. “You want your freedom? Well, I'm sick of playing nice. Let’s play another game of catch instead.” She giggles, before whipping her hood on and disappearing from the hospital. She ducks into an alleyway, swiftly putting on a wig that concealed her black and white hair. She put on brown contacts and dots freckles on her cheeks, putting on square black glasses and stripping her original clothes in replacement of a simple black summer dress. She picks up a book bag and heads out, assuming a demeanour of a frantic college girl, fumbling with her books, apparently looking for her house. She accidentally-on-purpose enters Gordon’s house, seemingly absorbed in her book. When she bumps into Cassandra, however, she fumbles, promptly dropping everything in her hand. “S..S..Sorry Miss.” She stammers out, furiously apologising as her face turns a vivid red. She scrambles to pick up her books, then straightens up, staring at the house in false realisation that this was in fact, not her house. She nervously pushes her square framed glasses, pressing them to perch firmly on her nose, a loose strand of hair visible as she stares apologetically at the trio, seemingly embarrassed at interrupting. “I—I’m not very good with d-d-ddirections. Could you p-p-perhaps tell me where this p-p-lace is?” Her face flushes again, stammering badly as she looks at Cassandra. She has a location pinned on the map in her hands, a simple sketch of the town, a house not too far off from Gordon’s place.

---

The sound of a door opening makes Cassandra visibly tense up. She turns towards the door, expecting danger. Crap, did someone sneak up on us while we were talking? She wonders. She was more or less frozen in shock, but was aware of Aster, who was beginning to walk towards her to block her with his body.

Imagine their surprise when a woman carrying a book walks in. Cassandra was equally startled when the girl ran into her. She relaxes as she watches the poor girl try to explain herself. "Hey it's okay" she assures. "What are you doing out at this time? Don't you know the Purge started? And what are you doing walking into random people's houses? Don't you know that, that's dangerous!?" She scolds. She sighs, turning to both Aster and Gordon to peg their reactions.

Aster remained close to Cassandra's side. Muscles tense and prepared to attack if necessary. The girl was suspicious, but she didn't seem dangerous. "Gordon, I'm certain that you know this area better than us. Maybe you could give her correct directions?" She turns to look at the girl with a sympathetic gaze. "If it's not too much trouble, maybe she could stay until the Purge ends? It feels wrong to send her away..."

He'd just been about to respond to Cassandra when the sound of an opening door cut his thought process clean in two. His reaction was instinctive - he reached for the glock strapped on his hip, aiming it directly at the intruder's face. His breathing was very suddenly uneven, coming in quick, anxious bursts. One would expect his body to be tremouring, for fear to be visible in his working eye, but his hand was so unmoving you'd think he were a statue. His expression was mean, one that certainly made his already intimidating appearance almost terrifying.

Aa he watched them run towards Cassandra, he very nearly fired. Lucky he didn't - Cassandra seemed to have this handled. Christ... He allowed himself a moment to breathe, putting the glock away with hands that no longer tried to look menacing. They trembled now, with the aftershock of the threat and... something unplaceable in his eye. He ran a hand over his face, taking in another steadying breath.

He heard his name and forced himself to tune back into the world around him, turning to face Cassandra with the remnants of a thousand-yard stare in his gaze. He thought long and hard about the stranger, weighing up his options. He didn't want to give Cassandra and Aster a reason to dislike him, since they were sort of in his house, and this girl didn't seem like much of a threat. He swore to himself internally, before making himself promise that this was the last person, dammit.

"...Yeah, yeah, she can stay." He muttered, trying not to sound too jittery. He offered a handshake with a scarred, rather worn hand. "I'm Gordon. You can stay here for shelter if you need. I'm not gonna have any problems protecting you, and I have enough food to feed you if you want."

He'd forgotten what they'd been talking about entirely now. Great...

---

Footsteps. Menacing, quick footsteps. That brat was chasing her, dammit... She sighed in annoyance once again, picking up the pace and started to run. Would she finally get the hint that Rei wanted nothing to do with her? Sure, Rei made a mistake, but this... Agh, why was she so annoying... But Rei knew she was just the same, she annoyed herself a lot of the time, and she also knew that if things were different, they could've made a great team. She could've finally had someone who meant something to her, but she had to screw it up, didn't she. Besides, people like her wouldn't be able to maintain those feelings anyways. She was a horrible person through and through, she knew that, but it wasn't like she wanted to change her ways any time soon. She was at a full sprint now, slightly faster than Yukimore due to carrying less weight. Hey wait a minute... How could she run this fast anyways, with a bloody chainsaw? Those things were heavy, which made her speed all the more impressive. She didn't look back once, only went by ear and small glimpses of reflections in nearby cars and windows.

As Rei was running, she momentarily saw a glimpse of a strange woman darting into the alleyway. She was far away, which allowed Rei to keep her sights on Andrea for a little longer while she watched her walk out of the small space completely different. What the hell... She didn't have time to contemplate on what had happened, ahe was more focused on getting away from the one chasing her. She decided that she would watch where she went, and even slowly move closer to her to male sure she didn't lose her. She seemed to be going to that small house, far off from the city, which was an odd choice. She didn't really go there, but she hung out nearby from time to time to relax. Well, relax wouldn't exactly be the eight word, but to her it was. Maybe she could finally check it out after all this. Who knows, it might be fun. She needed fun after this.

Rei kept on running, not slowing down once over the course of this entire chase. She ignored the tune and taunts that came out of her mouth, instead focusing on the screams of whoever was making them. They were incredibly loud, which would normally annoy her but it did well to drown out the sounds she didn't want to hear. That was one problem about herself she hated more than any other, she always had to be fixated on something. She did well on being able to hide it, but in reality, she was always cursed to zone in on one singular thing whether she liked it or not.

She continued onwards, her stamina not yet running out. She was excellent at long distance chases, even if she hated them. She had been making tight turns in hopes of losing the maniac, but none of her efforts seemed to work. She was closing in on her destination, which worried her a bit, but she could always take a detour. Perhaps she could even go to that house and let her... Nah, she at least had some dignity. She was gonna deal with this lady, she started it and she was going to finish it.

---

Yukimore kept chasing after Rei. "Alas, she is STILL running. Fairly interesting and impressive." Yukimore thought to herself as she continued chasing after Rei. "Still going'? HAH! Impressive. I can go for miles. Can you too~?" She hummed once more as hoping she would soon catch up with Rei and cut the heck out of her. After Rei made sharp turns, Yukimore still targeted her. "Trying to lose me, huh? Keep trying, this just makes this even better~!" She teased. As stated before, Yukimore will NOT let down on her pray. "Serial killers like me how humans act. So, do whatever, for all I care. It just helps me get better at killing! Thank you for that, by the way." Yukimore didn't even care if Rei ignored her taunts or not, Yukimore still tried tormenting her. The sounds of her bloody chainsaw echoed throughout the area, striking fear into the souls who heard the chaotic song. Yukimore was eventually going to have to wrap this up in some way, as she was getting quite tired, but she never slowed down. "HURRY UP AND MAKE THIS MORE ENOYABLE FOR ME! I HATE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU RUIN THE GAME OF FUN! Cmon... please look back... I want to see your life leave your precious eyes... but I can't have that until you slow down~! Just slow down a bit, please~?" Yukimore said, getting slightly annoying of this game of cat-and-mouse that has been going on for a few minutes now. Yukimore was slowly getting closer to Rei as she put more efforts in every step she took, getting ready to swing her chainsaw about.

“T-the Purge, miss? O-oh thank you, sir, Gordon.” She flushes again, pushing her spectacles so it duh into flesh. She bowed apologetically “I- I finished my studies at the l-local library.” She mumbles quietly “I’m sorry, I’m so clumsy and careless I never realised this wasn’t my house. I know it’s dangerous..my mama told me so..but I was a bit blur, you see. I’ve never been good with directions” She replies. “Mama used to help me…before she went to the special flower fields in the sky.” She added quietly, as she wiped a false tear from her cheek. “By the way…what’s the Purge?” She asks curiously

---

Cassandra's gaze softens. She knew what it was like to lose somebody you loved. She opens her mouth, about to console the girl until she hears the last part. A shocked look crosses over her face. She glances over at Aster, now a bit worried. How could she not know what the Purge was? People living in America are haunted by it, and other Countries are forced to watch America slice each other's throats open and they aren't able to do a thing about it. As far as she knew, everyone is aware of the Purge! Is she living under a rock or something?

The girl didn't seem to be armed. But for some reason, she was still making Cassandra nervous. Living alone for the past few years and fending for herself at a young age; it honed her instincts. She may seem like an air head, but Cassandra was sharper than she often showed. Right now, her gut was screaming danger. How did I miss this before? That's right, I was too focused on her looks and voice. She is a deceptive one.

Cassandra tried to shuffle a step away from the girl. She did her best to make it discreet, but she had a feeling the girl would notice anyway. Danger, caution, why aren't you doing anything yet!

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss" Cassandra responds. Despite her sudden suspicions about this girl, she managed to keep her voice gentle and kind "The Purge? You seriously never heard about it? It's a day where the government allows any crime to be legal for twenty-four hours." She explains.

She clenches her shaky fists and puts them in her pockets to hide them. The realization that this girl was likely dangerous was terrifying to her. Oddly enough, it wasn't her own life she was worried about. There were two people in the room that she cared for- even though Gordon was still basically a stranger she didn't want to see him get injured, or worse. Maybe I should've made Gordon send her away. She wouldn't forgive herself if Aster and Gordon got hurt due to her showing mercy towards the strange girl.

Andrea shakes her head firmly in confirmation. I’m almost always in the library. I never leave, and my…other parent was quite fond of calling me ignorant and stupid, as it takes something close to a nuclear explosion for me to realise that something was wrong. I don’t read the news or anything. But that sounds scary. The Purge? Where crimes are legal? Why would someone do something like that” She shakes her head, grabbing her book bag tighter, accidentally letting out the soft clinking of vials and metal bits. “If-If you don’t want be here, y-you can just say so. I know you’re probably trying to be nice. I’ll leave if you want me too..” she offers, though sounding very forlorn about leaving, perhaps a tad sarcastic if you listened properly.

---

Title: i.) as though I had wings. || Draft

Unlike most, Cyrus kept to himself during Purge hours. With little to no activity in his stretch of the neighborhood, and a general wide berth around his house, he found himself enjoying the relative silence that came with it. Alone in the backrooms of a bakery that showed the toil and whether of time gone by, the black haired boy adjusted his raven-like mask, his unusually bright golden hues watching the owner and his young assistant pack. Shion was not quite young, but not what he would call old or middle-aged either. His dexterous movements were sprightly with skill, but precise and purposeful, with a grace that the younger male respected. Flour was already mopped up, but parts of the table and countertop were still stained white where Amanda had not been able to reach it. He had tried to lend a hand earlier, but the experienced baker gently shooed him away each time. Thank you, but we got it covered here, Amanda reassured him briskly, bustling from one heavy load to the next. She said that it was merely because she wanted to remember where she put everything, but Cyrus suspected she was just trying not to encumber her guest. It wasn't worth the trouble.

"It's more important that you get home safe. I'd rather this all wait til tomorrow." Shion reminded him gently, but not without the usual undercurrent of worry in his voice.
His humor fell flat. A somber look was reflected in those magenta hues, the fretting of one who knew the dangers that lurked outside as only a father could. Cyrus remembered pondering before whether the green-haired baker had always been this stressed, or if this yearly tradition had set upon him this grim onset of anxiety. For the past half-hour, he watched them fuss over security, triple-check their alarms, and very thoroughly buttress the doors. All a frantic flurry of activity, like birds trapped against their cages, fluttering frantically to escape beyond the bars that held them. Knowing the shop was old, they left no valuables behind. Surpassing even his own expectations, the two were finished in less than an hour and he followed them outside into the brisk night beyond. The fragrant warmth leeched from his skin as if they were, too, afraid of what the darkness would bring. Outside, the air felt thick and heavy. Was it heavy with dread, the summer, or merely with rain.

"...gonna rain soon."
He turned to his left as Amanda's soft voice rippled into the shadows, disappearing as soon as it came. He watched her weary, lithe form snuggle close to her father's side, nearly disappearing altogether as darkness encompassed the sky above. And it pained him to remember her coarse palms, never nursed back to the rich smoothness of a newborn babe, nor the phantom smudges of dirt upon her cheeks. It would not be the first time, or the last, that he remembered she, too, had lost family to the Purge. Which was scheduled to happen tonight, also. Secretly, Cyrus entertained the notion that Amanda knew nothing of The Purge, despite its fallacies, and he inclined his head to Shion. "Well, then I hope the weather holds up. I have somewhere to be, actually, but I'll walk you home as far as Lichen street." The moon was rising, a crescent disk and the stars winked into attendance, one by one.

[WIP]

- Cyrus receives the mission and goes to find Az
- Few run-ins(?) no? snatches necessary supplies from empty store. no regrets
- Accidentally overhears Andrea's convo with Gordon, Aster and Cassandra. [suspicion is high] he accidentally makes his presence known by stepping backwards into a puddle. Immediately leaves.
- Weaves around a few times, puts on his mask to avoid being seen. Checks to see if he is being followed. (Gordon follows? please?)
- Finally sees Az, gay bois reunite <3

He's not convinced, to say the least.

Gordon's not one to let a liar fly under his radar. She's being too cocky, not careful enough with her words. It's clear to him, right in front of his face. No way this girl can be trusted. The guilt tripping? The slight, barely catchable sarcastic tone lacing her words? Yeah, no.

He draws his glock with no warning, returning to the furiously, untouchably intimidating stance from moments before. His gun was trained right on her head, weapon clearly already cocked and ready to fire.

"Any sudden moves, and I'll blow your face off. I'm not afraid to clean your brains off these walls." Gordon's voice is sturdy, unwavering, lacking both hesitation and any of the prior warmth or fear. His face is cold, eye drained of all emotion it had displayed.

"Drop the bag in front of you and take a step back. Empty your pockets while you're at it. Now." He waved the gun in her direction, not letting her head leave his line of fire.

He doesn't look at Cassandra or Aster, but he wishes he could apologise for how... straightforward his methods were. The phrases he was using couldn't have been pleasant to hear, and regardless of their place in the situation, this wasn't something particularly fun to witness. He knew that. He knew that far, far too well.

He just hoped he wouldn't have to shoot her in front of the others. He knew what that did to a person. He couldn't let someone else go through it, especially not because of him.

---

Rei couldn't stand it any longer, she had to figure out something. "Cmon... please look back..." There it was, words she could latch onto. It had finally clicked in her head, the fact that Yukimore was only interested in the joys of killing. That only lead to carelessness, mistakes, and finally, failure. She took one last glance at the house Andrea had just walked into, slapped on a devilish grin, and slowed to a stop, turning around in the process. She allowed Yukimore to catch up and threw her arms out to her side, as if she was saying, "Come and get me!" "This is what you wanted, right? Come on, do it, do whatever it is you made me do this stupid chase for! End my miserable existence, end your chance of being unstoppable!" She yelled at her, that stupid grin plastered on her face the entire time. She didn't even know what she was saying, she was just blurting things out. The more she listened to herself, though, the more it made sense. She really was miserable, wasn't she? She didn't want to admit it, she wanted to believe her own lies, pretend being happy so she might actually be happy. Oh whatever, now wasn't the time to think about something as stupid as this. She couldn't start caring about herself now, that was just pathetic. She just needed to think about getting out of here.

She knew she couldn't keep running from her, she most likely couldn't out-smart her, and Rei knew she wouldn't be able to survive an attack from a chainsaw. Yukimore probably knew these things too, which meant ending this wouldn't be easy. Rei could just let her get what she wants, but her pride didn't allow that. She didn't want to give her the satisfaction, and as mentioned before, she had unfinished business. Out of all the people she encountered, why did it have to be an annoying brat with a chainsaw? First she ruined her mood, probably for the entire purge, and now she was trying to kill her? If her mood hadn't been ruined, she could probably piss this psycho off enough that she would just leave, but Rei just couldn't do it. She was tired, she was unamused, and really, she was just bored. She wanted to mess with someone else, not be stuck playing some sick game. Karma really is a b****, wasn't it...

---

𝕬𝖟𝖗𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕷𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓
» Nightmare (English cover) «
0:58 ─〇───── 2:50
╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗
"Oh, where has that little boy gone?
Trampled over by the cruelness of the world,
With no one to go to,
He shook hands with the devil.
╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝

As Andrea finally left Azrael alone, he let out a relived sigh. Sure, his oppurtunity to freedom had been shattered, but at least he had more time to find another chance before he starts succumbing to insanity.

Well, hopefully.

He made his way to the hospital entrance, the destruction doubled from the explosions until most of the glass of the automatic door was shattered and the walls were reduced to nothing but rubble. While he could hear the faint footsteps and hushed breathing of the people hiding behind the hospital pillars, their eyes probably fixed on the boy, Azrael didn't mind them. They didn't make a move for him so he really had no reason to go berserk on them. He left the hospital after climbing the fallen rocks of the roof and returned to the center of the city streets.

The new location was further away and would definitely take days on foot, making him pinch the bridge of his nose in grimace. Now he had to resort to stealing a car if he actually wanted to get there without breaking his legs from exhaustion, and even if he did manage to get one, who would expect a person who spent their whole life penned up to even know how to start a vehicle, let alone drive one. It was a better option to walking on foot, though, so Azrael thought he might as well scour the area for working cars.

Oh god, if only he had wings.

As if by coincidence, a caw echoed through the rubble of a city and the next thing he knew, a majestic hawk had swopped down and rested on his shoulder, a note in it's beak. It looked at Azrael deep in the eye before he dropped the paper directly on his palm. The boy suddenly did an unexpected thing, as under the layers of bandages covering his face, he let out a small smile as he stroked the bird's feathers. It quickly dissapeared, though, as he unfolded the note to read it's content.

Azrael

Forgive me for not sending a better equipment such as a drone, but I'm afraid it will raise any suspicion to spies littering the area and it will most likely be shot down by the criminals wandering the streets. This hawk has been slightly modified to have almost the same attirbutes as you, so it would be slightly harder to kill. You are free to keep the bird with you or command it to leave after this letter is delivered.

Sadly, as you know, our plans of deactivating the chip has failed as the Switch file was activated by your boss. However, we did manage to temporarily shut it down and you'll be free for now until they manage to rerun the system. We are still offering to permanently remove it and I have sent a trustworthy agent to see you to it. Do make your decision as soon as possible.

I do hope you reconsider your choice regarding the cure. Though, it is all up to you. A picture is attached here of the agent I sent so you can find him in the city. We hope to see you soon.

The letter was ended off with a seal, not even offering the name of the man. Azrael wasn't even sure if the letter was legit so he decided to wait for this 'agent' before he decided.

He was more than happy to keep the bird, though, and he let it sit on his shoulder while he walks along the chaotic streets, with sounds of torture and murder echoing from every alley. He swore he heard the sound of the chainsaw somewhere nearby, but he ignored it and walked on, reaching a seemingly empty grocery store. He suddenly stopped and saw the stuff through the smashed windows.

He tried to recall when his last meal was, and it was probably days ago and wondered if he should grab himself something before he moves on. As if it decided for him, the hawk dashed into the store through the huge cracks on the walls and returned with a bottle of water and later on with a can of chips. Used to eating nothing but bland oatmeal or, worse case scenario, remains of meat and bones, he ate the food gratefully while stroking his new friend again, the extreme saltiness stinging his tongue, yet making him crave for more. With his newly found favorite food, he continued his way down the streets, oblivious to the havoc around him as his mood was suddenly uplifted by the bird.

He decided to see the picture of the person he'd be expecting. While he probably never met this person, something about the black hair and the golden tip tugged at him, but his head never brought up a clear image. The quick flashbacks of needles, scalpels and moniters were what sped through his mind and he stashed the picture away.

But until he has to continue on his excruciating journey, he decided to sit quietly on one of the benches, surprisingly intact in the midst of destruction, munching on the potato chips while the hawk on his shoulder pecked at his hair for any insects or dirt stuck in between the strands.


pft- gay bois reunite lmao xDDD

---

Yukimore laughed. "Wow, I didn't expect you to turn back~" Yukimore teased once again as she slowly approached Rei as she revved her chainsaw, hoping to strike fear into Rei. "Well, you called ME a scum of the world, but be honest with yourself, YOU, yes you, are the scum of the world, really. I'm pre-tty sure you were, and still are hated. I mean, who wants dumb idiots on this world? I plan on making this world better. I'm fixing it, you know. I'm SAVING people from this terrible world of torture. I am their salvation. And yet you decline such an offer that none would refuse? How pathetic~" She hummed cheerfully as her pupils dilated, her gazing fixing even more on Rei.

"I know you don't want to die, seriously, but let me do you a quick favor." She said crazily as she quickly sprinted towards Rei, grabbing her by the neck with much force as she could use, possibly chocking her, with the spinning blades of Yukimore's chainsaw below her, so if Rei tried escaping, she would fall in the chainsaw and die. Yukimore was smart and always new how to murder even the most toughest opponents.

Andrea coos softly to Gordon “Quite smart for a boy like you, aren’t you?” Uncoiling Juliana from her neck, she proceeds to partially empty her satchel, before swiftly stomping on the glass vials, slipping past Gordon and bolting for the door. Her once sweet, innocent face was now far more sinister and cruel, lips curving into a smirk. A thick black smoke appeared, smelling sweet and intoxicating. It was in fact, perfectly harmless, and was only a means for distraction. She leaves behind a singular vial outside Gordon’s door, with hearts and smileys drawn on it. Hopefully Gordon tried to shoot at her through the smoke, she would love to see their organs splattered all over the place like Gordon promised to do to her. She grins manically, rolls her eyes, shaking her stupid wig off and leaping off from the rooftops, smiling as she dances gracefully through the narrow alleyways and buildings, landing neatly next to Azrael, and handing over a scroll of yellowing paper. On it, with loopy letters was a sort of invitation, which read. “Come play a game with me, I have the key to end your misery. The vaccine is what you need? The cure? Well, I have it, but you won’t get it easily.” With that, she leaps off again, moving skilfully through the streets. Her laugh resonates through the alleyway, as she admires her handiwork. Bloody streaks on a pure white canvas, a beautiful artwork deserving of a place in the museum. She should sell it. The very thought made her bend over laughing even harder. She proudly placed the head on top of the dustbin, tearing up the once white clothing and hanging them around whatever was left of the liquified body like decorations. She could use the bones later. The organs too. They would be pretty perfect for storage of items

---

Cassandra's methods of dealing with potential killers were far different than Gordon's. She was already working on plan A, B, C- and so on. It all seemed to happen at once. First, was a clean method. Run. No, too many problems with running. She was unsure of Andrea's speed, or if she would even follow her. Worst of all, it meant leaving Aster and Gordon alone. They could likely take care of themselves but what if they couldn't? Never again would she leave her loved ones alone in the hands of a killer...

-Cripes, not now...

The girl had been continuing her act up until now. If she could just keep her guard lowered maybe she could... No, fighting also wasn't an option. If her instincts were right, this girl was dangerous. Who knows what she had under her sleeve.

Cassandra takes a calming breath and snaps into attention when Gordon speaks. Her face was unreadable as she watches him aim his gun at the girl's head. She relaxes slightly, letting out a relieved breath. Planning a course of action was one thing, but acting on it was something else. Someone has to do it. So why can't it be you? Coward.

Her steady gaze falters as she watches the girl's mask fall. Cassandra knew she should be alarmed by the sudden reveal, but instead she felt relief. I was right! So what does that small victory mean for us?

Aster had never once moved from her side. His own gun was resting on the table, far away from his reach. Still, he was prepared to fight the girl if she dared take a step towards their direction. Both of them silently watch her drop her bag onto the floor. For a calming second, they all wonder if that's the end. Is she seriously going to surrender just like that?

That's when black smoke fills the room. Cassandra lets out a startled yelp when she feels arms wrap around her. She feels someone spin her around, so that their back would be facing towards where Andrea stood just moments ago. "It's me, don't worry" Aster whispers. "Gordon!" He shouts. "We're okay! What about you!?" It was hard to see through the smoke, but Aster was trying his damn hardest to look for the dark silhouettes that would likely be Gordon and Andrea's bodies. One was uncounted for. "Where did she go?" Aster asks while furiously blinking his now stinging eyes.

Rei almost bursted out laughing on the spot. This girl really was delusional, wasn't she? She chuckled and let her arms fall to her side, continuing to listen to Yukimore's nonsense. Her words didn't hurt her, and the chainsaw didn't bother her a bit other than hurt her sensitive ears. Did she really think Rei was scared? She had definitely seen worse BS than this... Did she think she was dumb or something? Rei would've been offended if it didn't sound so ridiculous, and she made sure to show the other killer she saw the situation that way. She let out yet another chuckle at every sentence, which eventually built up into laughter. By the end of Yukimore's dumb speech, she was cackling like a witch, laughing maniacally. "What offer? What the hell are you talkin' about, you braindead or somethin'?" She said in between her laughs. "I know you don't want to die..." Oh if only she knew how wrong she was. Didn't Rei literally just say she was miserable? In what world would someone think that a person like her wanted to live? "You don't know me at all, do you? Your mouth only knows nonsense, and your ego is about as big as my longing for death..." She grinned and simply stood there, waiting for Yukimore to something, which was probably a mistake.

In an instant, her neck had been grabbed and squeezed hard enough to choke her. Rei immediately knew what was going on, but didn't struggle. At this point, she just wanted this situation done and over with, regardless of the outcome. It wasn't like it mattered if she got killed by some dumbass anyways, right? All Rei did was stare right into her eyes and grinned, barely coughing out the words, "Go ahead, do it... I'll see you in hell...", hoping to taunt her. She tried to laugh but it came out as a barely audible exhale. She would've just completely went off on her if she could, but her mouth wouldn't let her. The adrenaline she felt though, it wasn't something she had felt in years. She could laugh for hours if she wasn't, y'know, being choked to death. This rush though, was just what she needed. She still had her knife, many knives in fact, hidden under her shirt and belt. She pulled the sharpest, as well as biggest, one out discreetly so Yukimore wouldn't realize what she was doing, and quickly jabbed it into her stomach. The blow wasn't fatal of course, but it would've hurt like hell, probably enough for the girl's grip on Rei's throat to loosen. She was completely aware of the chainsaw below, but it was really easy to avoid, honestly. She just had to be careful to not be dropped directly on it, but instead swing her weight to the side a bit. That would work, right?

---

Yukimore looked down at the knife Rei jabbed in her, and laughed. "Fell right into my trap again? Huh?" She said, a bit fainter this time. "You have no interest in loosing, do you? I know you want to die to live. You take taunts so seriously you just want to kill someone. Pathetic. You are someone not worth my time." She scolded before dropping Rei, and cut her by the torso, leaving a huge cut across Rei's torso, hoping that would bleed her to death, then yanking out the knife like it was nothing. "I'll make your death quick, unless..." She paused for a moment, thinking about what she was going to say next. "You help me kill people, then I will leave you alone, but if you want to die so badly, then I'll happy grant your wish. I'm too bored anyway, so why not make the game even better? The purge is just a game." She said, keeping the chainsaw insanely close to Rei, so if Rei moved an INCH, she would be cut again.

This lady didn't get it, did she... Her ego was bigger than she thought, and somehow dumber than she thought. Rei didn't take anything as seriously as Yukimore made it seem, as shown by her hysteric laughing. She didn't really care about the big gash in her leg, since she somehow didn't feel the pain, but instead looked at the one who didn't even flinch at being stabbed in a weak area and laughed even more. Gasping for breaths, but still laughing. "You're so desperate it's hilarious..." She grinned and stood up straight after picking up her knife and stuffing it back in her belt. She completely ignored Yukimore's ramblings, and simply shrugged at her offer. She could care less, but hey, this offer wouldn't hurt. "Oh hell, why not." She cocked her head to the side, made eye contact with her, then held out her hand childishly while giggling. Well, it sounded more like a chuckle due to her injuries, but it was obvious she had put on that mask again.

While it wouldn't be hard to maintain this act, right now it was with the pain slowly creeping into her leg. The warm blood seeping into her socks annoyed her, and the pain pissed her off, but she didn't feel all that weak just yet. She wasn't going to fall that easily, and once she was out of here, she could easily treat the wound. There was a hospital just a few yards away after all, and she didn't doubt that there was still the necessary materials to do so. The question was, could she actually make it? She wasn't dumb, this wound could be fatal, but she had walked off worse, she had the scars to prove it

---

dang school >:(
She didn't say anything as Rei and Yuki left, just watched them leave. Her breath was shaky after that experience. But was this better than traversing the streets during this deadly holiday? She couldn't think of an answer, as her thoughts were racing in her head. Looking at the broken door, she sighed. "Get a grip, Amber . ." She muttered to herself. As if she'd ever recover from that. Her shaky hands went down to her side and her fists were both closed, but one was closed around the kitchen knife. "Get a grip, get a grip, get a grip. . ." She grumbled to herself. She glanced back at the broken door, taking her mind off of what had happened (and locking that memory away, hopefully never to see it again). And outside. She was restarting her paranoia loop. Her paranoia loop had started back up, like a song you put on loop and listened to for the millionth time. Just checking the window, and hiding if anyone was passing by. Her breath was shaky as she tried listening to footsteps. Whenever she had heard an echoing scream, she had frozen. Stop being such a scaredy-cat, Amber. Stop being so childish.

Trying to break her unending cycle, she had decided to go into her mess of a room and try to find some tools to fix her door. She picked up a bunch of supplies off of her floor and set them back on the shelf, trying to calm herself and her shaky hands.

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