Hosenka House of Horrors (Event w/ Vincent)

Elvira certainly had an interesting choice in attire for this mission of ours. Contrary to his demeanor, the white haired mage was not above donning a disguise during this particular time of year. He wore a mask in the shape of a fox and had a pair of corresponding ears popping out of his head. While from afar one may believe the ears to simply be a cheaply made prop, in reality they were quite real and served as an exercise for the young mage to improve his control of the transformative powers of the artifact which never left his neck.

Vincent had never seen his partner more excited than she was now, though he strongly doubted that her enthusiasm had anything to do with the job they were assigned. Instead, he believed that it had something to do with the structure that she was leading him to and for which Hosenka was famed: a haunted house with ingenious marketing behind it. "Yes yes I know Elvira, but are you certain that this is a good idea? The effects of this so-called 'Moon Pollen' are still disconcertingly unknown. This most recent report on the personality phenomenon are concerning - who knows what other effects this darkness could cause? I feel as though my talents are better spent trying to come up with an explanation or a solution to what has happened." Truthfully, the only reason Vincent was even allowing for the possibility of Elvira dragging him off to do something other than investigate precisely what has happened to the sky and the moon was because he didn't even know where to begin with such a massive scale issue - an issue that didn't even seem to phase his partner that seemed more chipper than ever. Wait... I really cannot recall the last time Elvira has been so excited - could it be that she has fallen prey to the personality altering effects of the darkened sky? It was something the mage would keep in the back of his mind.

When the two arrived at the back of the haunted house's line Vincent's eyes gazed upon the structure - it was massive! It was constructed like a decrepit château only with many more wings and other structures appended onto it. This would certainly take a lot longer to get through than he was expecting, only adding to his doubt about entering. Still, his doubt did not exceed his unwillingness to challenge Elvira's decision to visit the place, for assuming that she wasn't under the influence of the moon magic would mean that she was truly genuinely looking forward to visiting it. Vincent certainly did not want to deny her in her rare instance of excitement if that was the case. The line moved slowly as more and more of Hosenka's residents made their way into the structure until it was finally him and his partner queued up to be next. "Let's try and at least stick close to the exits. It would reflect quite poorly on us should anything happen and we were too deep into the mansion to quickly and effectively respond."

WC: 522

"Sort of like that?" he whispered back upon hearing the spooky butler essentially cut off the rest of Elvira's recounting of her last experience within the haunted house. They were surrounded by the same decor as well. Despite his better judgement telling him that such a coincidence should be regarded seriously due to the rather ominous state of the sky and Fiore in general he simply decided to write it off due to Elvira's weak reaction. If she doesn't think anything of this then I suppose we should just continue with the tour. Following an uncanny introduction, Elvira led the two of them onward through a path that had just opened below a set of staircases. As they progressed through the new hallway, suits of armor lost their grip on rather realistic looking weaponry which caused Vincent to let out equally girlish screams. Those weapons... hm. They couldn't be...? he thought as Elvira led him through various rooms with a shocking level of care put into the exhibits. Torture chambers, murder scenes, and other such rooms awaited the pair as they progressed deeper and deeper into the haunted house. A feeling of dread was growing in the pit of Vincent's stomach which he didn't know how to attribute. Either the haunted house was doing exactly what it was designed to do or there was something... off about this attraction. If a mage wasn't at least a little paranoid then they were as good as dead, so Vincent opted to lean towards the latter concern. His partner spoke up when they made it to a painting which added to the mood of the chateau before being interrupted by a scream. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was about to ask given what prompted her to speak. Before he could think any more on the matter, the two were inside the next room - a dining room, and staring at death.

"Truthfully this is my first time in such an attraction, so I'm not sure if this is part of the experience." he began, grabbing Elvira's hand as she reached for her cards out of fear of her harming members of the haunted house staff. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that these wolves were some form of takeover mage or otherwise magi capable of transformation. This question was answered when the fire on one of the wolf's candles turned a diseased green before it opened its mouth and a bright green flame slowly began to twist in the air towards him. He could feel that this was dangerous. "This is genuinely dangerous!" he shouted before quickly letting go of her hand and tearing out one of the axes that had nearly decapitated him on his way to the dining room. Let's test another idea. The ax flew from the hallway leading up to the room he and Elvira were in before flying over the green fire from which Vincent was currently running and embedded itself in the back of the wolf. "Those weapons would have done some real damage Elvira! I think this haunted house was replaced with a death trap. he said as he continued to move around the room. The green fire moved slowly through the air, but it relentlessly tracked his movements. As he was thinking about how to deal with an enemy which presumably had ferocious physical strength as well as magical abilities which seemed to be quite problematic, one of the two other wolves perched itself atop the dining table. It knocked plates to the ground which was the only reason Vincent even noticed that it had set its sights on him. The candle atop its head burned a blinding white before it opened its mouth.

Vincent was too late in looking away from the attack that was about to hit him and thus his eyesight gave out. I don't think this next attack is going to be as slow as the last one... were his only thoughts before he was knocked back against the hard wall of the room with light burns on his chest. The white fire burns quickly and brilliantly. I need to make sure to look away and dodge quickly when it tries to attack again. That's when he had a thought. I can still control that ax I embedded into that hound. Could I...? he thought as he tried to raise the ax ever so slightly. When he noticed that the candle wolf rose with the weapon he smiled. In an instant he moved such that the green flames were in between him and the beast that created it and then he controlled the ax so that it would get caught in the green flames. His idea was a success and, as he thought, the beast attached to the receiving end of the weapon flew into its own flames along with the weapon sticking out of it. With a hellish whimper the green flames ate through the monster until it was half dead, its bones and muscles being clearly visible now that its skin had been partly melted off. Despite his better judgement Vincent couldn't help to look towards his partner to see if she how she was dealing with the last of the three oddly durable candle wolves. And, of course, he found himself once again on the receiving end of a blinding blast of white flames. When Vincent had tried to move out of the way, he found himself unable to move from his current spot. The green flames still slowly floated towards him and he was incapable of moving evasively.

HP: 540
MP: 780

WC: 1460

It seems she's doing okay. Good. he thought once he saw Elvira and Virgo holding their own against the third wolf. While in most situations being stiff as a board would lead to some unpleasant situations, Vincent was specifically adept at dealing with effects such as this paralysis. The wizard managed to move himself out of the way of a third blast by the wolf with a small white flame burning on its head by translating himself in space. Despite looking ridiculous, Vincent was just glad that he was still able to move. In addition, he was still able to use his magic. That being the case, he decided it was as good a time as any to test out a new weapon that he had recently commissioned from a famed blacksmith. A pair of complementary weapons whose blades were slightly longer than those of daggers formed in the air in front of him. Due to his ability to control objects in space so long a they weren't magically bound to another, he had no issue in using his weapons offensively. The two blades were launched forward at the half dead wolf which still had an ax lodged within its back. Both quickly left deep cuts on either side of its body while Vincent removed the ax from its current position just so that it could attack in the same place again. Shockingly it still seemed as though it was charging up another attack, a stronger attack. Before it could finish this action, Vincent removed the ax one last time and used it to separate the beast's head from its body. This final strike was finally enough to end the monster whose candle light flickered and eventually faded as the killing blow was made. The moment the head of the monster made contact with the rotting wooden floor the wolf's body liquefied into a puddle of a pitch black... substance. Vincent had no idea what it could be but made a mental note to try and avoid it.

His attention quickly shifted to the wolf with the white fire who was similarly in the middle of charging a more powerful fire attack than the ones which he had bit hurt by before. Unlike the situation with the wolf with the green fire, however, he knew that he didn't have the time to destroy it considering it was currently completely healthy. So, believing his control of his two blades to be sufficiently precise, Vincent quickly manipulated them in such a way so that one of them stabbed through the top of the beast's maw and the other stabbed through the bottom, essentially forcing its mouth closed. Rather mindlessly, what Vincent could only describe as an undead hound continued with its attack which did enough damage to cause the jaw to come off. The scholar, knowing this meant that he was no longer able to keep the mouth of the monster closed, decided it would be best to retract his blades to either side of his body which he felt was regaining its motor movement. Looks like I'm finally recovering from whatever it was that getting hit by that thing's attack did to me. Very soon I'll be able to mount an effective counterattack.

HP: 540
MP: 712.5

WC: 2003

Candle Wolf 1: 0/6 Hits Remaining
Candle Wolf 2: 3/6 Hits Remaining

Vincent was about as surprised as his foe when a pink haired beast erupted from the damp wood on which the dining room was built. A violent dance was performed by the wolf which was currently bound by Virgo - the zodiac summon most renowned for its physical strength. As such, it was increasingly apparent that the wolf in question would not be freed any time soon, allowing for the white haired mage to take a breath. With a long exhale, the white haired mage pressed his back against one of the walls and sat down while making subtle gestures with his hand. Both of his weapons left their previous position and shot to either side of what remained of the monster's skull before doing what it is that sharp blades do best. "Thank you Virgo. The injury I sustained at the beginning of this little skirmish left something to be desired from my fighting ability." he said, recalling his blades into their sheathes after a quick motion to clean them off. It would be a while before they dissipated, so he had no qualms with taking a short breather after what had just happened. "You know Elvira, I'm no expert in the matters of putting off one's duties, but I figured that doing so would involve not getting any work done." As Vincent voiced his attitude towards his expectations of a good time being undermined by second degree burns, he held up his palm and created a familiar sphere of perfectly clear water before slowly applying it to his chest. His wounds healed almost instantaneously upon contact from the magical liquid. He stood up and, while he didn't feel like he was at his own personal best, he was still feeling good enough to operate normally.

He stood up and looked over to Elvira now who smelled of decay. Now that the adrenaline was fading he was beginning to pick up on the scents around him, the very grotesque scents. "I think we ought to have this attraction shut down for the time being and after that it would probably be best if he tracked down that 'butler' who greeted us and essentially put us in this death trap when we first walked in." Vincent wasn't about to admit it, but until the actual dead bodies he was actually enjoying his journey through the grim house with Elvira and, as such, was a bit disappointed that they had to get back to work. The wizard was no stranger to corpses - he had seen plenty of skeletons before, but he was careful to avert his eyes from the mangled body that he had first seen before the fight. There was a stark difference between a skeleton whose story was unknown and whose scent was absent and a twisted and rotting pile of flesh. It was clear what had happened and the imagery disturbed him when he thought about it. With a gesture from his hand Vincent began his exit back the way the two came and, upon finally exiting, saw that the line had moved quite a bit since he and Elvira went in. A pit formed in his stomach as he had not noticed anyone on the way out. This question was pushed to the back of his head as he raised his arms up to address the crowd. "The haunted house has been closed by order of the Magic Council until further notice. My apologies for the inconvenience." Confused groans among the crowd were raised, but they recognized his authority and dispersed soon enough leaving only the one who was letting people in. "Magic Council, huh? That's pretty serious. But you don't have to tell me twice that work's done early." The black robed woman left without much more than a shrug. "Alright Elvira, you should lead the way. I don't have the schematics of this place etched into my mind like some of us."

WC: 2661

MP: 712.5
HP: 640

Sir Gauss Vincent tried to hold back a wince as best he could. He wasn't sure if he should voice his disdain for the title which he had left behind in his homeland or if he should try his best to disregard it. He could never get a good read on Virgo; the answer to whether the zodiac was a mischievous master of deadpan or if she was completely serious in absurd ways would always elude him.

As requested, Elvira took the lead and the two headed up the staircase on which the butler had greeted them earlier in the night. During the trio's trip through the hallway that should lead to the exit they noticed more exhibits that, in any other situation, would be regarded as cheesy. Now, however, the scenes were twisted into something Vincent couldn't help but look away from. Unfortunately, in some cases, he wasn't able to avert his gaze quickly enough and wound up meeting eyes with some of the fresh corpses in whatever position they happened to be placed. He felt as though he was going to be too sick to continue, for this was Vincent's first real encounter with what he would consider evil just for the sake of it. There could be no reason for so much death. At least when they were cursed it was to pursue some end - there was a sensible reason for the misdeeds. This, though. We need to hurry up and find out who did this. Vincent took the lead when the two entered the maintenance hallway, as there was really only one way to go: the way of the blood. Vincent was also much more slippery, by his own estimates, meaning that if there were any traps on the way to the suspect then he would have a much better chance of evading them then his two partners. Thankfully there were no more rooms filled with bodies that they had to pass by while making their way through the service corridor. Vincent made sure to keep an eye out for traps, but given that there really hadn't been any on the way here he was less worried about the possibility. Eventually the blood and claw marks led to a door that was suspiciously left ajar. The white haired wizard cautiously pushed through and noticed that the room was dark. Before he could pull out one of his many scrolls to remedy the problem, a couple spotlights turned on - one on the trio and one on a well dressed figure that stood at the center of what could now be recognized as a ballroom.

Not a few moments later, more spotlights turned on to reveal elegantly dressed figures in ballroom dresses and regal suits. These figures all seemed to be frozen in various positions of dance. There had to be at least fifty pairs in the giant room which were all placed a fixed distance out from the butler who had greeted them upon first entering. "I'm impressed! It's not often that my pets are turned to prey." The butler clapped twice and the room was flooded by light from the rest of the spotlights. A classical waltz began to echo around the walls. "Year after year I genuinely try to impress those who come here, but all I do is disappoint. This year, though, I think I managed to figure out how to really scare the guests of the chateau. No one believed their friends were disappearing in the haunted house - in fact, it just encouraged more people to come and see what the fuss was about. I can guarantee you that this year, no one left disappointed." Vincent was speechless. This must be the effects of the pitch black sky. I refuse to believe otherwise. Assuming that's the case, though... Before Vincent could think about how one could punish someone for acts they committed while under the complete control of a malevolent force over which they had no control, the butler leaped from his position and towards the three.

MP: 712.5
HP: 640

WC: 3339

Collapse thought the white haired mage who wanted to get out of this death trap as uninjured as possible. A small black mass appeared in the air above the center of the ballroom. Soon, the black mass would attract only the three pumpkin hound amalgamations that reminded him of the beasts he had encountered when fighting alongside the guild's gardener. Once the "pupkins" were off of the ground and hovering around his miniature black hold, Vincent would control his twin blades to leave their sheathes and travel to where the monsters were floating. Taking advantage of their temporarily immobilization, he would have his blades slice through their weak flesh as many times as he could before having to activate the second part of his spell. As it turned out this number happened to be two each. After the initial injuries were inflicted, the wizard's blades returned to his hands the the small black hole violently exploded. A pile of three half wolf half pumpkins could be seen at the center of the room. "Alright, our wo-" before he could finish, he noticed the kinpups getting up off of the ground and assuming an aggressive stance. Vincent's eyes widened considering that he had used two of his most powerful spells in his attack. "These creatures are more durable than expected. It's almost as if I didn't just attack them with spells I considered to be quite potent." His previous feelings of sickness now took a backseat to intrigue. He considered the possibility of bringing one back to his home for a dissection. "I'd like to ask you to please try to avoid turning these monsters to paste, Virgo. That request extends to you as well, Elvira. These little things have a durability that, I would say, is quite remarkable and I would like to take at least one back with us for study."

MP: 670.5
HP: 640

WC: 3652

Well, two subjects is better than one. His twin blades began to emanate some light before Vincent completely vanished in the blink of an eye. He reappeared over the last of the wounded monsters and quickly drove both of his weapons into the top of its pumpkin skull. It soon collapsed, concluding the rather awful experience that befell the trio. The white haired wizard dispelled his blades and got off of the kinpup. "Thank you again, Virgo." With his hands over the lifeless body of the creature, Vincent whispered a small incantation which caused the target of his magic to vanish into thin air. The mage stood and walked over to the pink haired woman and made the same incantation directed at the half dog resting peacefully in her arms. Once again, the subject of his spell disappeared. "This is much more effective than carrying them around. Let's finally get out of here and take a stop at a medical facility of some kind." he said, pointing to the nasty looking wound that Elvira had sustained. It didn't appear to be a critical injury, but still bad enough for their next destination to be a doctor. Unfortunately Vincent used up his only effective means of healing injuries earlier. The white haired wizard took a breath now that all of the action had subsided and decided to lead the way back through the service corridor to the entrance of the haunted house, for he had made it a point to remember. All three of them would make it out of the attraction without much issue, but Vincent wasn't exactly familiar with the layout of Hosenka. "Well now that we're free, what do you think is the best course of action Elvira? And what do you think Virgo? How serious are her injuries, if you have any insight into such a thing? We can either go and report to the Magic Council what we've... stumbled upon in our investigation, or we can put that off to deal with the wounds you've sustained." There was a third option which was that he could report to the Magic Council alone while Elvira tended to her own injuries, but that possibility hadn't occurred to him.

WC: 4022