Moonstruck_44

There's something wrong in the town of Kagumo-cho. mobile links

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY || END OF CURSED DAYS

♪♪♪

Everyone who valiantly joined the group investigating the dolls and the factory eventually take their leave from the latter. If anyone were to look behind them as they walk away, they would notice that the building would've disappeared. As if it never was there in the first place. You can trust Tiny Town on this one. Your days continue normally. There is no mention of PLOOP ™️ on the news, at any shops or from the gossiping ladies of the town. It's as if it never actually existed.

What is very true however, is that you lost one of you. Sute Mori's death does not go unnoticed, and she's mourned by those who were close to her. She is gone, but she left a clear reminder that all of this is very real.

ALL PLAYERS AFFECTED WITH CURSE WILL EXPERIENCE ITS EFFECTS FOR THE NEXT DAYS UNTIL THEY WEAR OFF AT THEIR OWN PACE.

Keep enjoying your lovely life or stay at Kagumo-cho! It won't last forever.

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY || CURSED DAYS: DAY 3

With every doll found, what's left to do? The day passes, the night comes. So eventually, the clock strikes twelve. All of you are awake, and thanks to our faithful unknown force you also feel the need to gather around at COD ROW.

Those of you who did not touch the gift given to you two days ago experience nothing.

Nothing except maybe horror as you witness those who did use PLOOP ™️ on their faces have their facial features fade away.

This means CHIRIKO, KURINO, SATURN, HIBIKI and MIU all have had their facial traits get smoothed out into a low opacity. The effect is ghostly. Their voice sounds muffled. They're fading away like Asuka Ai did.

CHIRIKO, KURINO, SATURN, HIBIKI and MIU get +2 CURSE

And yes, if you look at the dolls, you'll notice their faces are now clearer on their lifeless heads.

What should you do next? You've got the dolls, but not the solution.

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY || CURSED DAYS: DAY 2 SUMMARY

The gang gathers up at the Swim Bladder, which is mysteriously closed. They found a doll that very faintly has Chiriko's face on it.

The entrance to the tavern was actually blocked from inside. But with the power of friendship... REN, MIU, YOSHIKO, HANAMI and BUNJI managed to get in. The place was a mess. Not to mention...

(( CW: face horror/gore descriptions ))

...The lifeless body of SUTE MORI was laying on the floor. Her face had been ripped off.

After some minutes of investigation, an entity showed herself. It was SUTE? No, it was the killer wearing her face as a mask. The GANG! fought the vile murderer bravely and not so bravely. After landing some hits from both sides, BUNJI decided to take the shot and...shoot the attacker right on the head. Victory!

The killer revealed herself to be Asuka Ai, the famous influencer. Except she was faceless. She warned the GANG! that they should look for dolls that resembled them or else their faces would get taken away as well, before passing away.

And so, everyone was tasked to find these dolls around Kagumo-cho. They were all eventually found, and were the following:

1. Chiriko (face faintly visible) - THE SWIM BLADDER

2. Calvin (no face) - THE FOREST

3. Kurino (face faintly visible) - SUBURBS

4. Saturn (face faintly visible) - PRINCESS INN

5. Hibiki (face faintly visible) - TOURIST KIOSK

6. Hanami's aunt (face faintly visible) - USALAND

7. Miu (face faintly visible) - LUCKY MALLET CONVENIENCE STORE

8. Ren (no face, wrinkly.) - KIRA KIRA CAFE

9. Nagare's aunt (face faintly visible) - BEACH

...Now what.

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY || CURSED DAYS: DAY 2

It's been a day since the chosen ones have received their beauty product basket. Not much has happened in town, and yet there is this nagging feeling creeping up like something is about to go down, just like when the bunnyman case arose. Those of you who decided to try PLOOP ™️ on their skin will feel that wherever it was put on...

Actually feels very nice to the touch now. Wow! Super smooth skin. This thing really works, huh. No wonder it's been talked about this much on the radio.

Speaking of the radio, if any of you were interested in how the journey of the influencer Asuka Ai @ailovefaces was going, you'll find that she has mysteriously stopped posting for two days. Odd from her, who usually keeps her fans updated daily.

It's probably nothing.

Or perhaps there's something else brewing behind the scenes.

...

Ah, there's that feeling again. You have the urge to look around. And if you had that urge to drown those worries with alcohol, your legs bring you to The Swim Bladder. Too bad it seems to be closed. There's no way inside but...there is something...someone? Waiting for you outside. It's a doll!

Will you look closer? ◯◯◯ INVESTIGATION START! ◯◯◯

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY || CURSED DAYS: DAY 1

What a beautiful morning. The sun shines, the birds sing, and there’s something at your doorstep. It looks like a gift basket with beauty products. One of them stands out, of course, since you’ve heard of it before.

It’s PLOOP ™️ ! With a little note that reads:

> Congratulations on being one of the chosen ones and winners of the Kagumo-cho PLOOP ™️ raffle! Enjoy our products! Make sure to apply our PLOOP ™️ Body Cream daily for three days in a row. If you’re satisfied with the results, feel free to approach us. You will know where we are!

Great, free stuff. So what are you waiting for? Get that smooth skin you’ve always wanted. Or maybe you’ve always wanted wings? Who knows what you’ll get! Anything is possible with PLOOP ™️!

Will you try it out? Of course you will. Why wouldn't you? Why would that spot on your skin ache at the thought? Huh. Must be a food allergy. Ignore it.

[moonstruck44]

The Moon Sees Inside You || Event Period || Ordinary Days

And so, the meteorite hits...

The top of the mountain, thankfully. No casualties or much other than a bright light that beckons you closer to it. You're lured in to the hit spot by a mysterious force that you are already too familiar with.

It's Her, isn't it?

Once all of you reach the top of the mountain, you are welcomed by the sight of an iridescence slab stuck into the earth and shining under the moonlight.

Greetings, my chosen delights.

Did the slab just speak? Nah, it must be in your mind. Wait, it is. And it is speaking to you.

Each of you has the basic human essence that is fulfilling enough for us. Yet, I would like to have a glimpse of what your souls will offer. For that, I've put together a little test for all of you. Something that will let us learn what your true self's essence is.

The forest seems to grow around the crowd. You know there is no escape.

Each of you will receive someone else's true essence. The same person will have yours. Your soul will decide if the public should know of these secrets. It is a simple choice: To reveal, or not to reveal. If the former is chosen, then this slab will showcase their essence to the world.

Now here is what might make this deal more complicated for your so called 'morals'. If both of you choose not to reveal, nothing shall happen. If both of you choose to reveal, you'll both be hit by a simple CURSE. If one of you reveals and the other does not, the former will be blessed by a BOON while the latter will suffer DOUBLE.

In your mind, you hear it. Maybe you see it. This someone else is right here with you, and now you know something you shouldn't about them.

Good luck, chosen ones.

[moonstruck44]

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like || Event Period || Ordinary Days

As the days go by, you start to feel more at home in Kagumo-cho. Or maybe it's your coping mechanism telling you to adapt and accept the fact that you can't leave. Oh well, nothing too important, right? The beach is nice, the grass is green, the starry sky is beautiful.

Actually, is that a shooting star? How nice! Make a wish. Think very hard about it and ignore the fact this shooting star is getting dangerously closer to the town. Uh. That's way too close. The blazing meteorite is going to crash down near you at any moment. A prayer might be better than a wish right now.

[moonstruck44]

BLOOD-CURDLING BALLAD OF A BEASTLY BEAUTY | Ordinary Days

The police eventually get on the case of these mysterious disappearances and human remains left behind. You do not hear much about it on the news, the investigation is not that in depth. The Curator is found as the culprit and such is left at that.

So with the streets clean (ish), you can go about your day as usual again. Except for that nagging feeling on that one spot on your skin, which seems to be itching as time goes by.

Oh well, go and do some shopping, have some seafood, pet a cat, buy some new beauty products. Be a little self indulgent, you've earned it.

Still, something feels strange...

ALL PLAYERS' CURSE HAS HEALED BY HALF.

NORMAL DAYS START!

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE !COMPLETE! | END OF CURSED DAYS

Kagome Kagome

♪♪♪

Whatever happened to those missing students and the puddle of gore you found a few days ago seemed to have been part of something greater than just a bloody crime. That's what every killer will tell you, of course. Except the culprits usually don't decapitate themselves by peacefully taking off their own heads as if it were a simple costume. And usually there are no secret bunny meetings or urban legends of a chant that tag along.

Wether or not you believe in the moon sending signals back to earth being a message from Her who has chosen you, that's up to each. Nevertheless, the odd rabbit sightings are over. And so you can go back to rest peacefully.

For now. ◯◯◯ MYSTERY 1 !COMPLETE! ◯◯◯

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE | CURSED DAYS | DAY 2

It's strange.

♪♪♪

That so much can happen over the course of twenty-four hours doesn't feel real.

Three students are missing. One of your comrades may be a murderer. And even though you were forced to run yourselves ragged searching for answers, the truth still feels as if it's out of reach.

But a new day dawns once more— along with a second chance. The air is buzzing with a strange sort of energy...

ALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN AFFLICTED WITH +1 CURSE.

...It may be time to follow up on a few loose threads.

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE | CURSED DAYS: DAY 1 | calvin; a bunny has been discovered

So it’s come to this, has it? You’ve tracked the notorious “Bunny Man” to his likely hiding place, found him with a bloody hatchet in hand, and subdued him - for now, at least. But what comes next? If it really is just a costume he’s wearing, then you could just take it off, right? It sounds so simple. But with one pending answer comes a whole lot more questions. You’d best be prepared for who, or what, is underneath the costume.

You could also just leave him here and forget about this whole thing, of course. Incapacitate him permanently, perhaps. Dispose of him. But that wouldn’t really be satisfying, would it? Even if you think you’d rather not know… you do know, somehow, that there’s no avoiding this.

One of your number prepares to remove the big bunny head from this disgusting old costume. Like it or not, underneath the mask, you find…

Calvin.

Yes, there’s no doubt in your mind that it’s the same shady old man who joined you at the shrine the other night. The man who has been suspiciously absent all day, even though this whole creepy investigation would seem to be precisely in his wheelhouse. Well, apparently he’s also the Bunny Man. A brutal, merciless killer. Considering what you know about him, you suppose that information checks out.

Doesn’t it? The Calvin you know is cheerful, and lively, but something was off about him today. You get the sinking feeling that something is still missing from this picture.

In any case, a new question now lingers. What do you do with this information? You can feel the sky over Usaland grow dark, though, so maybe further answers will have to wait until you next wake. Assuming you can get any sleep tonight, of course.

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE | CURSED DAYS | DAY 1

When you wake again, you're exactly where you were when you last fell asleep. No midnight excursions to the woods this time.

Good. Good.

♪♪♪

What is decidedly less good is the throbbing pain threading throughout your skin— right where you first discovered that funny-looking mark.

What did they call it...? Someone-or-other's signature?

...Say. It hasn't gotten bigger over night, has it?

ALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN AFFLICTED WITH +1 CURSE.

Hrm. In any case, a much more pressing matter's reared its head in the group chat.

An urgent notification's appeared.

> Your first trial's begun. We don't believe in hand-holding here, so I can only recommend visiting downtown at your earliest convenience. Thanks!

Will you follow these instructions? Will you follow that uneasy sensation the new white flesh mark is warning you about?

One thing is for sure. Something is wrong...er than usual in Kagumo-cho.

◯◯◯ INVESTIGATION START! ◯◯◯

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE - DREAM

And once again, you're pulled back into that dream.

♪♪♪

Pulled into a body that isn't yours. A weak, broken body. And when you breathe, you breathe in salt.

Last you recall, you were falling— falling from your mother's arms, and into the pull of someone else's cruel gravity. You protested with clicks and hisses, but you fell into its crushing embrace all the same.

384,400 km.

And now that falling has become fallen, your carapace has cracked in twelve places. Your legs have shattered. And you don't know where you are.

Dimly, you feel only the distant presence of your mother filtering through...

[moonstruck44]

SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE | ORDINARY DAYS - END

♪♪♪

Though the horrors of your week are fresh in your mind, they all soon fade into the rhythm of your daily life. Life, unfortunately, goes on— and there's no rest for the wicked. No respite for the weary.

And who would listen to your troubles without writing you off as a loon, anyways? The residents of Kagumo-cho seem curiously ignorant of the dangers running amuck in their quaint little town. It's as if you, and you alone, have had a thick fog finally lifted from your mind.

But ultimately, it all really doesn't matter. Finding yourself with more questions than answers, you fall back into the comfort of your old routines.

You wake. You work. You sleep.

[moonstruck44]

Lights Out || Event Period || Ordinary Days

Undead fish? A cursed doll? Walking pants? Speaking about this with the locals only gave you snarky remarks and shrugs. This can’t be a normal occurrence here, can it? Even for a town as odd as Kagumo-cho, things had started to turn way too bizarre. But what can you do? If people tell you not to worry, why stress over it? And so you go about your day without trouble. Nothing eventful happens, until you get a text message from Saturn.

> HEY! COME TO THE BEACH IN AN HOUR FROM NOW! We set up a party for everyone on the shore! There’s gonna be games, drinks and telescopes for stargazing! It’ll be fun! OH YEAH AND FOOD I BROUGHT FOOD! SEE YOU SOON :D

Oh? An event to get to meet each other. Sounds fun for some, and maybe a pain for others. Whether you decide to go or miss it, the stargazing party has been set up at Kagumo-cho’s beach.

Lights are strung across tree branches. Tables are adorned with various drinks and food for an ideal beach party. Pitchers of juice and spirits, barbecue and watermelons are all lined up. (Well, lots of melons. Someone made an effort to bring a lot of them. Are those sticks?) Off to the side are an array of flashlights, presumably for something fun later in the evening.

And of course, there are telescopes set up in the sand. Ren, Saturn and Hibiki greet you all from the shore. Saturn in particular waves enthusiastically.

“Welcome, welcome! There’s plenty of stuff to do — and to eat! I mentioned that, right?”

[moonstruck44]

The First Mystery: SINISTER SAGA OF THE SEASIDE SHORTWAVE || Ordinary Days

Well. Shit.

That wasn't exactly instructional, was it? And while you might have noticed the unusual white rash creeping across your skin, it could've easily been chalked up to any number of things. Say, walking through the woods at night with nothing to shield you from the number of toxic plants there. (Though an explanation for how a perfect stranger came to know your phone number comes less easily.) ...Still. When you step outside your home in the morning, greeted by the smell of ocean salt—nothing's changed. Kagumo-cho is distinctly the same as it always was. Your world-in-a-bottle moves forward in all its banality.

Under the cold light of the new sun, it strikes you that this could all be a juvenile prank.

[moonstruck44]

Prologue END || Part 2 || From Inside the House

♪♪♪

Your notifications are abuzz with activity, but you don't recognize these phone numbers beyond their area codes. A handful could be local, some international... but it's hard to say with any certainty.

Any concern about your phone plan needs to take a backseat at the moment, however. It seems that one among your number looped you in for the express purpose of spreading a message.

Congratulations on your remarkable condition! I'm writing to inform you that as of tonight, you've been marked to receive Her blessing. It is a great privilege to be counted among those chosen to be in communion with Her— one that we know you will come to appreciate in time. You cannot leave, now, so it would be to your benefit to make the best of your circumstances. After all— you've noticed it, haven't you? That unusual scrawling etched into your very skin. You see, every contract has a dotted line, and that mark is Her signature. Three trials await you in the coming weeks. Your cooperation is appreciated, and we look forward to your survival.

Ah. And they even couldn't bother to sign off with a name, either.