An Rp that is a mix of Umineko when they cry and Classic World of Darkness. Mostly Mage: The Ascension.

There is something to be said about living in the other side of the world. I'm not talking about any place in particular, no, the place I'm referring to looks normal, it looks like something you see everyday, like a van parked outside an important building, or a run down shop no one seems to visit...and yet it stays open. The kind of place I'm talking about is right beside you, you just can't see it, perceive it, understand it. It's beyond your comprehension, you think that small part of the world you understand is all there is? but in truth the world is filled with things that would drive a lesser person mad. You've stumbled through your life with the belief that this is an orderly, rational world, that science can explain everything and that myths and fairy tales are for children. You've worn blinders put on you by a hundred years of engineered history. Everybody buys into it and if you don't, you're a crank, a psycho or a crystal-waver. The problem is, that's just the world people buy because it's safe. It's orderly and mundane and everything's explainable. Everyone can get fast food and a boring job without worrying about crazy things like demons or magic spells. Now, you're eyes are opened to the truth, there's a world out there beyond sight, it's a bleak world filled with all kinds of evil, it is a World of Darkness.

Tranquility Thinking to yourself

That's the kinda stuff Killian heard growing up, the long walks he normally had to take to get anywhere weird normally gave him a lot of time to think. He often though back to his early days as an apprentice. Killian put his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the sky. Grey clouds hung overhead like a sword of damocles, he had no real protection against the rain save his Trench coat. "I should have looked into the news" he said in English. But he always heard, summer rains, you can never predict them. Killian was sure there was a Japanese version of that but he certainly didn't take the time to look it up. The Order sent him to Japan to look for potential Nephandi activity as a penance, he rationalized it as a seeking. Of course, the magi in Japan are very tight lipped on the whole deal because they last thing they need is a outsider coming in a cleaning up a mess they couldn't deal with. They'd lose face if he did the work so all he could do was odd jobs while he investigated himself. Apparently, there had been some strange activity in Nijima lately and the Akashic Brotherhood had threw him a bone and told him the source was the Northern Forested region. There wasn't any kind of transportation to this area, or atleast there wasn't anyone willing to go this far. Apparently the forest is cursed or something, Killian didn't think that was the case.

The Forest certainly felt different from the small city he was just in, it had a certain...heavy feel to it. Killian couldn't quite place it. It was as if the world was about to dump a ton of bricks on him for no reason other than to watch him suffer.

It was that very feeling that bothered one Kurofuji Soh thought to himself as he idely stood alone in the forest, the very same forest he's used to visiting whenever he felt like getting away from the city he grew up in under the care and watch of his adopted mother. "Something is wrong..." he mutters to himself as a cold wind blew through his hair and his eyes scanned around him. His brown leather jacket kept him warm in the nipping air.

"Ugh...agh..." A strained voice called out from somewhere, moving to investigate there was a trail of blood at the end of this trail was a man seemingly crawling for his life, though no sign of danger was around. From the look of it the man was spending a great effort trying to drag himself deeper into the forest. From the looks of it, the man was young, handsome, and doomed. The man rolled over to his back, breathing heavily, "haah haah!"

Immediately Soh dashes over to the struggling soul "Sir! Hang on you clearly lost a lot of blood, tell me what happened while I try to stop the bleeding!" He panicks while he removed his jacket to press on the wound. "I'm gonna try to get you out of here!

"th-thank you kind sir..." the man said weakly.

Killian appeared with a distraught look on his face, he wasn't expecting to run into such a grisly sight, "oh no..." he whispered in English. Upon a closer look at the location of the wound, he realized what the man must have. Once he was near the man he knelt down and looked toward Soh, "Kid...it's already too late." Killian said in surprisingly good Japanese, he's seen that kind of wound before, he was shot in the gut, execution style. Probably abandoned in the forest far from the hospital to die slowly for his crimes, probably some kind of mafia. That kind of thing was universal, organized crime had it's ways of sending messages. "He was shot in the gut..." he looked toward the trail of dried blood on the grass, "...his crawling probably dislodged the bullet, which led to the bleeding everywhere..."

Killian was dressed as if he were some kind of detective, though he was clearly a foreigner. Killian shook his head with a defeated look on his face, "Tell me your name sir..."

"G-gustav Munakata...I'm a dead man, I've accepted that...I wasn't expecting the kindness of a stranger and a foreigner...If you would do me...one more kindness stranger..." Gustav looked toward Soh, "My family home is on the north end of the forest, I couldn't quite make it..." he used what little strength he had to take his ring off, upon the ring was an embossed insignia of an axe with a snake wrapped around it, on the axe head was the Kanji for Munakata, he handed it to Soh, who was closest to him, "this ring will make your words the truth, Tell my family...let them grieve."

Killian sighed, he wasn't about to ignore a dying man's wish.

Soh had to pause and comprehend this, to suddenly be requested to honor a dying man's wish on the spot is sudden, even if he was told before hand "...Alright...Il do it." he nods then takes the ring "...Ill...tell them."

Gustav smiled, "I don't know if I was fortunate...or you were unfortunate to run into me...thank you...." he slump backward and breathed his last.

Killian shook his head, "what a shame..." he took two fingers and closed the man's eyes, the oppressive, grey sky above wasn't the type of sky he wanted to see at his last moment. Killian looked toward Soh, "uh..." he wasn't quite sure how to approach this, "...I'm uh...going in that direction. I could take the ring in your stead...or at least help you get there." he wasn't sure why but he felt responsible for the dead man, like, if he'd been a better mage he could have saved him...no, best not to think that way, magic made more problems than fixed them.

"...." Soh considered the offer to give this guy the ring, but soon he quickly decided "Actually Ill take it with me...If we're going the same way then...Alright I guess." he shrugs uncertainly.

Killian nodded, the man did ask Soh to deliver the ring. "I don't want to just call you 'kid' the whole time...you got a name kid?" thunder cracked from the sky, a boom overhead as if the bells of the gods were tolling. The wind around the area began to pick up as if a massive storm was going to break out.

"Oh, Im...Kurofuji Soh" He introduces himself in the usual polite Japanese manner, telling his surname first then Personal name "Whats yours? And what were you doing out here?"

Killian looked around, "Hello Mr. Soh...I'm Killian Darkly...oh wait..." he had to think about it for second, "uh...Kurofuji-san...I'm Darkly, Killian...though most people can't pronounce my name very well so you can just call me Kira" he was still trying to get used to how people actually used honorifics, despite knowing several languages, practicing them was different. Killian started leading the way, though it seemed like the storm was going to fall before they got there, "I'm came out here looking for something specific, I hear people have been disappearing around here so I decided to check it out, you know like some kind of real live curse...never expected to find something like this"

"I Uh...well...Kind of visit this place often actually." Soh began while rubbingbthe back of his head, that nagging feeling never left. Something is setting his senses on alert for danger...But problem felt like it was coming from...all around "Didn't always have that rumor actually...Not that I'm connected to it, I swear."

Killian chuckled, "Yeah no...you don't look the type, plus I don't see any gunpowder on your hand from handling a gun so I already ruled you out" he smiled trying to make a joke but he wasn't sure if it translated. Killian wanted to lighten the mood at least, seeing a dead body, seeing someone die, wasn't something a kid should see. Sure, he's seen all kinds of things since becoming a mage, people dying in horrible, disfiguring ways, pattern rips, torn apart by monsters, Paradox, the list went on but the thought returned, one could get used to taking life but never gets used to seeing life slip away. Or maybe that was just him. Killian walked with his hands in his pockets, "This storm is getting hefty...did you hear anything about a hurricane or something coming this way?" he asked. Somehow, Killian seemed to know where he was going.

"No...just a storm." Soh answered "Nothing as severe as a Hurricane..."

"huh..." Killian exhaled sharply, he guessed he wasn't quite there with his ability to speak yet. Another hurdle to deal with in his penance. The Storm continued to forebode its coming with thunder and soon water droplets began to fall. Killian sighed, "so it begins..."

The sky seemed to open the floods within two minutes of the first drop. The rain became a deluge, winds began to pick up, threatening to rip trees from the ground and send them into a frenzy. Killian though, despite the rain and the wind, kept walking through the rain. Sure he was getting wet but that wasn't about to stop him. "..." Though the howling winds did hide something, Killian spoke to Soh but the words were practically inaudible.

Though lucky enough, the blood on Soh's jacket seemed to wash off, upon looking forward, it seemed the house was in sight. It was impossible to figure out exactly what time it was but it was apparently late in the Evening by the time the two reached the Munakata house, The house is in the old western-style of mansion but outhouses and wings have been added over the decades, creating a confusing jumble of styles piled up against the walls of the old house. Two lanterns light the main door, like a port in the storm.

"This is it!" Killian shouted, the howling winds and rain made it hard to see but it was difficult to miss the mansion in front of them.

Soh gave his best to reply, but the howling winds made his reply inaudible. He wished he had a hat because while his body was mostly warm, his head was still getting cold..."Let's get inside!!!" He yells as loud as he could.

Killian walked up to the door and hesitated a bit, delivering bad news was something that happened when you lived a double life and have to tell friends and family of a dead colleague that they died despite doing nothing dangerous in their normal lives. He grabbed the lever on the center and knocked, hopefully loud enough that someone would come to their aid.

That's when a woman, getting on in years, opened the door. She eyed Soh and then Killian's clothing and realized he was a foreigner, "H-hello...are you with the police?"

Killian sighed as he shook his head, "no ma'am...um...I regret to say but a dying man told us to deliver news of his death to this home."

The woman's eyes widened as she looked at the two men, "this...man...he didn't happen to tell you his name did he? what was it?"

"Gustav Munakata." Killian looked the woman in the eye then he looked down, "I'm sorry"

The woman backed away and fell to her knees, "n-no..." she started quietly sobbing.

That is when a man strided from the center stairs to the door, "what has happened?" The man looked old but in fine health, with long greying hair and a barrel chest. His stern face softens as he consoles his wife with a small hug, he turns to the two and says, "I sorry, please come inside. My name is Hirotaka Munakata, this is my wife Sanne."

Killian walked inside, he bowed and said, "My name is Killian Darkly, thank you for letting us come inside"

Hirotaka sighed, "I take it you two are here to tell me my son will not be returning to his birthplace" he motions for Soh to come inside and introduce himself.

Soh had the most awkward feeling. Gustav told Soh to find his family and tell them, not Killian. Yet he let him basically tell the mother himself "..."

Once he was invited inside, he steps out of the rain "Umm, yes" he answers with a respectable bow "We found him out in the forest...and he told me to give you guys this. " he held up the ring "...Hope you accept my apologies as well."

Hirotaka took the ring and examined it, he closed his eyes and sighed once he confirmed what it was. He turned to the manservant who was not far from his master's side, "Shinji, summon the children...they must hear the news" he looked at Soh and nodded, "since you bore the ring I assume you must know more about it"

"yes Master" Shinji turned toward the stairs and walked at a brisk pace. Shinji was of average height with a strong build, he seemed more suited to manual labor than servant work, however, he moved with a grace and agility that betrayed his looks.

Hirotaka watched the manservant walk away, "I...knew this day would come...the world is harsh and Gustav fell in with the wrong kind of people..." he led the two into the main hall "come...it's only right if I provide shelter for the night...also..." he didn't want to say deliver the news but he had to be strong.

Inside was very reminiscent of old western-style mansions, Dark wood paneling worked into elegant Gothic, stone floors smooth with age, and an air of antiquity and fading wealth. That house seemed large and drafty with the howling winds banging outside

Shinji returns with three people in tow.

Sanne is silent as Hirotaka introduces the family, "This is my son Sothelin" he said indicating the tall, dark-haired youth, who nods briefly in greeting. "Sothelin is Gustav's younger brother" explains the older man

Next he indicates a petite blonde girl, barely into her late teens, who would be pretty we're she not so pale and drawn. Next to her stands an older girl, beautiful with dark lustrous hair and full lips--she is holding the hand of a third girl, who only looked about 5 or 6 years old.

"This is Anya" Hirotaka said, indicating the pallid girl, "and Wilhelmina here is my eldest. her child is my granddaughter Elena" he named off the girls in the order they appeared.

The girls curtsy.

Killian felt like he just stepped into a different country, was this still Japan?

Hirotaka sighed looking at the floor and then at Soh, "I don't believe I caught your name...would you please" he had a grim look on his face.

Everyone in the room stared at Soh, waiting for him to speak.

"Oh, I'm uh, Kurofuji Soh. It's nice to meet you all." Soh speaks to introduce himself to everyone then respectfully bows to everyone. He stands up straight before continuing "Unfortunately, I don't know much. Just that I was the first to find him in the forest, dying." He clears his throat before going into further detail "He had a gun shot wound in his stomach...and he bled out. It was impossible to find the bullet so...it would be difficult for the authorities to find out who did it."

The girls, save Elena, looked shocked and started crying.

Wilhelmina turned to hide her tears however Anya just let the tears fall from her cheeks.

Hirotaka nodded, "so...even after distancing himself from us...in his final moments he thought of home...that is comforting in and of itself" Silence and soft sobbing slowing permeated the main hall with the sound of rain and winds battering outside. The moment of silence seemed to drag on as if time had stopped but then Shinji walked over to the two, "shall I take your coat sirs?"

Killian shook his head, "n-no thank you...I'm not to damp and my coat stopped dripping a while ago"

Hirotaka chuckled, "yes, your coat dried rather quickly. Come Kurofuji-san and Killian-san, Dinner was about to be served...we shall toast to Gustav's life" amazingly enough Hirotaka said Killian's name perfectly, a rarity.

Killian nodded, "uh...sure, Munakata-san, thank you. you can call me Kira by the way" The family started toward the dinning room and Killian followed. Inside the dining room was a beautiful looking, if antique, wooden dining table set for the family.

The moment he arrived in the dining hall, Soh paused. Such a fancy dining hall, he's only seen the likes of in movies or heard about in books. An overwhelmed feeling overcame him, causing him to break into a cold sweat "..." Every time he saw something like this there was always a seating order. The head of the house, or family in this case, would sit at the head of the table, his or her spouse sitting to the left or right, and the oldest would sit opposite to the spouse. Followed by the next down the offspring line 'Where do guests sit again?'

Hirotaka walked over to the head of the table and said, "Shinji...please set the table for our guest."

Shinji nodded, "yes master." he pulled out two plates from the cupboard and placed a plate setting at the ends of the table next to the Children.

Everyone except Elena sat at the table, apparently she had already eaten. Hirotaka took his place at the head of the table, Sanne sat at his left and Sothelin to his right, Wilhelmina sat next to her mother and Anya sat across from her. Killian looked a little uncomfortable but he sat next to Wilhelmina, leaving the seat next to Anya empty. Was it just his imagination or was she staring at him? or Soh? he was having a hard time reading this girl.

The meal was simple, hearty and plentiful. Steak and Sausage, boiled potatoes, and cabbage. Shinji walks around the table offering wine and soft drinks. Killian takes a glass a red wine, funny enough he was old enough to drink in Japan.

Tarant--an atmosphere of decay

There wasn't any malice at the table at all, just a strange, almost strict, family dynamic and grief.

Hirotaka had a distant, sad, smile on his face as he took a swig of wine and toasted to his son, though a bit later he decided to ask questions, "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves Killan-san, Kurofuji-san?"

Wilhelmina spoke up first, "yes I am interested in our guests" she fluttered her eyes.

Anya nodded her head, "what kind of adventures have you had?" she asked, it was an almost innocent question.

Killian felt a cold sweat, normal people certainly didn't get up to the kind of trouble he was used to but he did have a few sleeper appropriate stories ready, "well...I'm a university student. I want to study law but I'm not quite there yet. I'm traveling abroad because I wanted to experience other countries and maybe learn about law in other countries."

"ah you are at that age. Sothelin is of a similar mindset, learning of more than one culture is one of the pillars of expanding one's knowledge I just wish all my children believed so" Hirotaka said, it seemed he always spoke first in the family.

Sothelin seemed he couldn't give less of a shit if he tried, and he was trying.

Wilhelmina giggled, "oh the scholarly type, I wouldn't have know by the look at you. You look more like a detective from those novels" she said almost suggestively.

Anya's face brightened, "w-where are you from? Europe? Italy or France?"

Killian chuckled nervously, "ah no...I'm from the US...Seattle."

Anya got a little excited, "is that where the space needle is?"

Killian nodded, "actually yeah" when he did visit the Space Needle it wasn't to take in the view...it was to stop an insane Marauder from summoning a massive lightning storm that would sunder the power grid. "The city seems...small from up there"

Anya sighed with a smile, "I wish I could travel." she seemed enamored with the idea of seeing new places.

Wilhelmina giggled, "Nee-san get your head out of the clouds, you're too young and naive to travel"

Anya sighed.

Wilhelmina turned her gaze to Soh.

"what of you Kurofuji-san?" Hirotaka asked.

"...I Uh...actually live nearby." Soh didn't have the advantage of being a traveler like Killian. That and he didn't really think highly of himself enough to boast. But that doesn't mean he can't tell the close minded version of what he does with his mother for a living "Outside of finishing up high school, I intend to go to college, what for I'm not sure, but writing seems like a viable option for me. I also help out my mother with her special store. Many people arrive seeking her advice or any, 'magic' trinket she can give that maybe will help them with their problems. You know like a Daruma Doll. I get to meet a lot of people by helping her out."

"ah I see. A sort of hobby shop with fortune telling I bet." Hirotaka seemed interested, "that sort of 'magic' has certainly taken off with the public sphere, especially among young females."

Killian felt as if he's heard that before, his Master said as much when he taught him Tarot magic, but he was a sleeper right? he had no way to tell, and if he wasn't he'd figure his weaving out right away. Killian also started wondering, was that shop he heard rumors about the same shop that Soh was talking about? no way...probably not.

Wilhelmina giggled, "given how cute you are, I wouldn't be surprised if you are popular with the ladies at school." she kept up her suggestive smile, "running a store with your mother certainly has a romantic, home built kind of sound to it"

Anya nodded, "It must be nice..." she sighed, she didn't actually get to go to school, though she was quite close to her mother it wasn't as close as she'd like.

At Wilhelma's suggestive notion, Soh couldn't help but gain a tinge if Pink to his cheeks as he shyly twisted strands of his hair between his fingers "N-Nahh... I'm not that popular. I'm just you're average nerd in school! Heh heh heh heh...and I don't know about Romantic but it's certainly Homey."

"Don't sound so modest" Wilhelmina said with a giggle.

It took everything Anya had not to let out an exasperated sigh.

Killian chuckled at Soh, it was a little funny to watch but he had serious things to ponder, "...of my time here in Japan...I've noticed that you have very interesting names"

"You look a little young but I was in The second great war. My life was saved by a solider who was trapped underneath the burnt wreckage of a tank. He was European, some kind of Scandinavian/Slavic mix. Interesting fellow and I will miss him dearly. He taught me to look for knowledge beyond my own culture, only then could you ascend beyond barriers." Hirotaka said looking toward the past, "I wanted to honor that by giving my children names of various cultures...with my first born named after that very solider who was once my enemy and became my dear friend in the years after that terrible war ended" Hirotaka chuckled, "you have a interesting name yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if you have a hard time with certain people pronouncing it. I can see why you took the name 'Kira' it's a sensible shortening of your misspoken name"

Killian chuckled sheepishly, "what an interesting story. One I hope to match one day. I knew I was going to have a few problems when I got to the airport and realized my name was a little difficult to say" though he was smiling on the outside, inside he was starting to think perhaps the forest really was cursed.

Anya chuckled, she always thought she had trouble with her name but Killian seemed to some how overcome it, "how about a story of yours to close out dinner"

Hirotaka glared at Anya but then nodded to agree.

Killian didn't like being put on the spot, "uh...s-sure." Every lie has a seed of tree, but for every branch the tree gets brittle, "I was with my Ex at the time...My friends and I decided to drive to a particular spot on the border of Washington and Oregon, It's a bit mountainous but there is green forest around it and the trails were treacherous. The car was my friend's beat up junker of a handmedown. on our way, the car's breaks stop working and we veer off the path into a tree. We were miles from civilization and we only had one signal flare. So we decided to camp out until morning. While we slept a bear trudged through our camp and raided our car of all our food. I tried to scare it away but all it did was roar loudly and took a swipe at me. It managed to cleave through my clothes and left a nasty cut but it did little else. We ended up having to trek back on foot. I ended up going to a hospital afterward."

Anya looked amazed, "so what happened!?"

"I learned a valuable lesson...not to mess with bears" Killian chuckled. The truth of that story was a werewolf attack, that was one experience he'd rather not have again.

Hirotaka laughed heartily, "truly a lesson to be learned by the young...You must excuse me..." he stood up, signaling dinner was finished, "Shinji see to their needs and rooms...I must avail myself to the Study" he bowed, "please accept my hospitality"