Headphones

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

??? said "Rory dances for honey." She stated in an informative tone, as if she were speaking to a child who didn't know that dogs barked and that cats meowed.

'. . . She got stuck on the bear part?' Hakuren thought.

The young man stared blankly at the unknown woman, with whom he had spoken. Her reply made nearly as much sense as his own sentences when thrown at an individual with little inclination to metaphorical thinking or speaking. Judging by this action, it could be said that she was perhaps one of those people, yet a hastily done job brought shame upon the craftsman, thus he did not jump to any conclusions. Instead, he awaited a continuation to her answer, although the slight chuckle she had given prior to speaking indicated how she viewed his suggestion. It was not surprising, in fact, it would have been natural to laugh your head off in their position. Someone you have kidnapped, someone whom you hit and who was mean to be afraid of you had offered to make a deal with you, not giving a single shiver or hint that he considered you as dominant over him, despite the fact that you were currently in possession of something potentially dangerous and had the said person cornered. This was arrogance at one of it's higher levels.

With his attention directed towards his pipe-wielding attacker, once more he did not notice when another object was swung at him, this time at his head. It landed rather roughly, the impact being greater than the first experience, yet there was a certain amount of restrain hidden within it. However, regardless of how much the attack was intentionally softened, it left a much more noticeable mark on the lad. Blood dripped quickly downwards and tainted his hair, creating a beautiful, striking contrast. The light, which came from the opening on the ceiling, was reflected by the bright crimson drops, as they glided or stood still on the dark blue surface that was his hair, it also glimmering under the dim rays of the unknown sun. Like tulip petals floating in the sea on a clear cloudless night, whilst the full moon gently shines above them.
It was instinct that caused his reaction of reaching for the wound with his right hand, yet he did not scream. Not a yell, not a whimper, not even a curse was uttered by the human. He simply covered the patch, clinging tightly to the hair he could grasp, before slowly allowing his grip to loosen. Once the boy had retracted his hand, he looked at his palm only to discover the obvious. Painted completely in the colour of war.

Gary said “Gee, Mr. Philosophy Pants, was that thing about the bear really necessary?”

'The bear again . . . What is this? India? Or should it be Canada in this case?'

Both girls' attentions were diverted from him, as the first proceeded in inquiring the rest of the group of prisoners, whilst the latter protested against her beloved pole, with which she had hit Hakuren, being taken away by a hooded figure named Sacchin. The second mentioned was evidently an energetic lass. Her long pink hair waving like a flag of victory, she jumped left and right, enthusiasm emitted from her aura. Giving off the impression of a little child, the student was reminded of the saying "The smaller they are, the louder they bark", yet he refrained from mentioning it, albeit he continued smiling in amusement at the scene in front of him, where Pinky, as he had dubbed her, was throwing a tantrum over her item. He knew all too well that one more strike and it would be 'strikeout' for him.

music

Ripples formed on the water's surface.
Lightly came down the Nowhereian rain.
Drop by drop, it fell with the purpose
of relieving the world from all its pain.

The lake, a crystal mirror of the abyss, which dwelt within it, became distorted as a shower came upon the land of Yonder. Raindrops pitter-pattered in, much like the little feet of children on a wooden floor, as they sneakily attempt to steal a biscuit from the pantry. Curiously enough, it was water which fell and not something along the colourful lines of this world. It was neither ginger, nor green or any unusual colour for that matter. Simple transparent blue or white, depending on how one viewed it. The same as in the human realm. Tap, tap, tap, on the round cold stones stepped louder drops. They had accumulated in volume in the cracks inside the ceiling and fell in equal intervals from one another in different parts of the cave. Not long after the orchestra had begun this musical piece of nature, the low tuba echoed in the distance. Thunder. No lightning was visible from the position the group was in, yet it was apparent that the storm or at least its more intensive side was still far far away.

??? said "It's all a game."

"Couldn't agree more." Hakuren sighed with a smile, albeit he was tempted to at least whisper 'Copyright'.
How unfortunate it was that the first person, who he met in Nowhere to have reached the same conclusion as him, had to be a law-breaking rogue.

The space around them darkened as the rain continued pouring down. Clouds tumbled over each other in the welkin above, unseen for the most part, with the exception of that one light-providing crack. Tension no longer resided in the atmosphere. All was calm, almost peaceful. For a moment, no one moved and no one spoke. For that single heartbeat, everything seemed engulfed by serenity.

"True enough, the Living List holds great importance. It holds the key to the human world. A ticket out of Nowhere." the young man spoke in agreement towards the grinning man. Still sitting in his comfortable position on the rocks, the youngster had only turned his bloodstained head slightly towards the addressee's direction. "This being said, why, oh, why would we ever give it to you? By no means have you given a good reason for us to do so. If you intend to bring death to the table, believe me, it won't work. Killing us only provides a good warning to whoever currently has the List." he told him and continued, although he already felt a bit lightheaded from the blood-loss "Congratulations on the warm welcome, though. You really made it clear you're on our side." he added that pinch of sarcasm "The Living List is a human-only item. If you're all truly humans, then you should all just run along and complete your own. Then again, if you still had yours, you wouldn't be going around stealing other people's list, now, would you?"

[Please, don't hit him on the head again! Or anywhere else for that matter! =< For this chapter, at least.]

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

...Why do I have the feeling the purpose of this mission was to give Haku brain damage? o.O
Next time, things won't roll this way. Mark my words. Haku shall have his revenge XD

Music Mornoonight? with Headphones presents:

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

Heheheheeee, everything is possible if Haku's around =3

By the way, I'm going to post this up here, seeing as it's been sleeping in a notebook of mine for quite some time.

That day I had nothing better to do at school

‘‘Ah, how strange, how strange indeed.
It seems that I have been deceived.
My battery, which was full last night,
now has only 5% left in sight.

Left alone with no music at all,
I wonder if the teacher down the stairs will fall.
Not having a single tune in my ears to cheer,
I wonder what made my phone's life disappear.

It's true this week has been quite strange.
My shadow had grown slightly in range.
Things at home have been very tense.
It feels like I'm staring at a fence,
as I'm sitting here,
watching society at a distance, so clear.
With my earphones on,
life seems so much brighter on its own.

Up and down, up and down.
Everybody wants to wear the crown.

Demo nande? Nande? Nande?
They just want to have a life le grande.
Going forward, step by step, oh, step by step.
The blood and sweat have not even been swept.

Still sitting on my desk.
People are hovering without a rest.
I see the point and yet,
Why is it so hard for expectations to be met?
Outside the trees are slightly shifting.
And so my thought seems to be drifting.

Life is filled with so many unnecessary things.
Even I, right now...what addition does my existence bring?

Ah, but who cares, who would care?
To notice, no one would take the dare.
This world is so odd, yes, quite odd,
Why is fate so hard to unfold?

Even at this time, I'm sitting in my place.
Waiting patiently, teacher's late in this case.
What nobody knows is that there was a tragedy.
For the illness there, it seems there's no remedy.

My phone is nearly at its end.
No music to my ears is sent.
Ah, what I would do
to hear a song I barely knew.”

Written on 19th May 2013
11:11
by Headphones

Not my best piece of poetry, but it still has a tune going for it.

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

My reaction to the recent event in Group Two:

uno

dos

tress

AkiBlue said
We made it in the new you guys- we're "Tough Mudders"

I was wondering when we would make it in the news =D It's great to see some recognition.

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

It was strange. So very strange.

A soundless swing cut the air. The metal pipe, which had created it, collided with Hakuren's jaw. It was an unpredictable action, one which could not be avoided, and signaled the beginning of the enemy's attack. Fortunately, the item's surface was smooth, without any sharp edges, which could cut the flesh, however, the power carried in its movement broke the young man's balance upon impact. The hit was hard and cold, like a kiss from the depths of the sea. Losing his footing, a sudden misstep sent the youngster directly to the ground, where rocks both big and small awaited to give him a warm embrace. His head slammed against the boulders and he lay there, motionless, whilst unknown figures approached his comrades.

It was not black, the view in front of his eyes, yet it was hazy, as if unrealistic. There was noise coming into the ears. Something strange, quite strange indeed. A couple of spots flickered here and there, much like the city lights back in the human world. Sounds of a familiar kind rushed in. First the rain came pouring in, a wonderful orchestra of nature. It hushed and swept away reality for that short moment. Then the horns and engines of cars roared past and the third violin was played by the loud murmuring of the masses, along with the buzzing of their devices. The same noisy place, as always. And then it played, that little tune he'd heard some time ago. Or was it a long time ago? There was no way one could tell for sure. After all, time did not exist in Nowhere. Not to mention that it wasn't all that clear when the last occasion of hearing it was.

‘‘Left alone with no music at all,
I wonder when the teacher down the stairs will fall.
Not having a single tune in my ears to cheer,
I wonder what made my phone's life disappear.”

The lad's eyes did not comprehend much of what he saw in front of himself whilst resting atop the floor of the cave, only his breathing indicating that he was alive. The hit he had taken had not been hard enough to knock him out unconscious, yet his collision with what existed below their feet was another matter. He heard his attacker's question, yet did not reply. The need to respond to the outside world had suddenly been lost. He couldn't explain why, but there was no need to, now, was there? Something was picking at his memory, something of an unknown origin, foreign, unseen. The noise in his ears was growing louder, the sound of clattering mouths in particular. Gossip. It was an enjoyable activity, as long as the topic was not you yourself. The pounding of his heart resonated within his cranium, increasing the volume even more. Beat after beat, it was unending, which was comforting, seeing as it indicated that life within the body was continuing its existence. Two eyelids slowly descended downwards. No sooner had they come to a standstill than all was engulfed by darkness.
The unclear chitter-chatter of folk soon became faint and more of an echo than anything else, yet the song followed in the same manner it had started. There were ups and there were downs as the voice changed its pitch several times. It was a recognizable musical piece, yet its name and creator eluded the student's mind. The arrangement was splendid, providing both a playful and a spooky essence to it. Words kept piling up it continued line by line. Still, it did not feel complete, as if some of the lyrics were cut off at some point. He did not try to remember. He did not even attempt to recall who was it that gave it to him or where he had heard it. Instead, the boy simply listened for the end, the only part of the song he knew at that point.

‘‘Even at this time, I'm sitting in my place.
Waiting patiently, teacher's late in this case.
What nobody knows is that there was a tragedy.
For the illness there, it seems there's no remedy.”

Instead of the last verse came gunshots. Like the waves created by a leaf, as it touches the still waters of a lake, screams were spread. Regardless of how tearful, saddened or shocked those individuals were, they were not enough to deafen the thundering caused by the bullets. It was bizarre. There was nothing plain in sight. Only a canvas of the pure black abyss that is one's inner self. No light. No hope. Only a memory, which grew distant each and every time he blinked. But instead of feeling despair or terror, Hakuren just grinned, both outward and inward.

"What a foolish thing." he snickered.

Pushing himself upwards to a sitting position, the young man was a peculiar sight. Blood slowly dripped from his mouth and from the side of his head, its crimson colour contrasting well with the blue in both his eyes and messy hair. His gaze staring sharply at the woman before him, there was something playful in those two bright flames, as well as in the small grin he wore as an expression. Now wide awake and completely conscious, his entire being devoted itself to 'the game' once more.

"Asking for information like that, it's unmannerly of a young lady. A hungry bear does not dance. How about we have a proper introduction, hmm?"
They were captives. A blind man could see that. Trapped under nets, which possessed some sort of magical ability, there was no evident escape route. This being said, it was not wise to struggle and get on their interrogator's bad side. Yet Hakuren continued as per usual. The identity of the person in front of him did not matter. She wished for information and he could grant it, at a reasonable price of course.
"My name's Hakuren Zabluda. I'm sure we can create a decent deal if we base it on informational exchange."

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

It took the group awhile to reach the caves. In the process of doing so, they were forced into a playful game of slippery hopscotch, where failing to land properly could send you to a muddy demise.
Such was Mado's fate. The lass had desperately attempted tackling an enemy only her eyes could see. Whether or not she emerged victorious was a fact only the Loco Coco herself knew, yet Lady Luck's thumb certainly went down when the human was sent tumbling down over herself into what was a pit of uncategorized slimy filth. By tripping over several times and eventually greeting the questionable substance with her body, the jacket, which had hidden the girl's indecent attire, had flapped in various directions, revealing everything that couldn't be seen otherwise. It wasn't a pleasant sight for Hakuren's eyes, seeing as she wasn't his size, let alone his type, but it wasn't harrowing or entirely unpleasant either. No doubt, it was hilarious.
The young grasshopper in the merry band for four, on the other hand, had handled their journey rather well. Graceful were his steps, as he skipped from stone to stone with the elegance of a gazelle. Albeit there were one or two occasions when he escaped misfortune by a hair, Leon carried himself with poise and did not allow himself to be fooled by nature's trickery. At first, he had stood at the back of the pack, humming a suitable tune, unlike any true mountaineer, who would have suggested singing together in a timbre similar to that of a ferocious bear. Once they neared their destination, the lad went ahead of their leader, catching up to the murderer-wanna-be, possibly due to the fact that the covering cloth over her shoulders was his. This left the young man in the midnight green coat third in the row, yet he did not mind and patiently waited for the forth member to catch up.
Leila, unlike the others, had not the slightest amount of eagerness to conquer the rocky path and had preferred taking it slowly, one step at a time. As a true lady, she gently placed her delicate feet on the unsteady surface, making sure she would take the right position, in order to minimize the chances of descending against her will. Measuring the surface of each platform and calculating whether or not it was a suitable base for her mass made the girl rather sluggish. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say. Thus, her position as last in the assembly was as concrete as Nowhere's illogical logic.
The one who made himself halt a couple of times for the sake of the aforementioned sheltered snail was Hakuren. He was the head of this little operation, after all. If anything happened, it was on his head. Not that there wasn't an excuse for everything in this guy's head, yet that was another song for another time. When not standing in one place, he was as swift as a mountain goat. The youngster did not see a problem in getting himself dirty, but avoided it if unnecessary. Leaping left and right, making swift turns, some of which were even a full clockwise, he was not as refined as the other male, yet kept himself out of harm's way just as proficiently. With a small grin on his face, in his eyes this was a challenge, a warm-up test for what was to come in the unknown caverns that were their new target. Thus he did his best to exercise by climbing up higher stones and stepping only with the front part of his feet. Everything was just that - a game.

Before the entrance of the cave there were four beings. One was a young man with black-blue hair, the second was a boy with feather earrings, the third - a silent composed Miss and the fourth - a barefoot knife-wielding girl with a killing intent. An odd team they were, even for the likes of the crazy world they had somehow found themselves in. Proceeding into the mysterious maze, not one of them quivered or hesitated. In each was a confidence of a different kind, yet the source of their willpower was irrelevant in their situation. What was important was the result and not fearing the unknown was one of the many requirements for reaching their objective quickly without a hassle.
Allowing Leon and Mado to take the front lead, Hakuren walked closely behind them, yet not as much as to cause discomfort. Nature's artwork was a delight for his playful green-blue eyes. Tall stone walls stood like giant soldiers giving a salute, whilst different kinds of flora honored them with their presence, like laurel wreaths on the heads of champions. The ceiling gradually rose higher and higher, until one could not tell where it went, yet it was there, for there was no light to come from above. Drops of water could be heard from time to time as they made impact with the solid surface of the ground. The air had a salty essence to it, resembling that of the sea. The darkness grew larger and larger, to a point where they could only make out silhouettes.

Leon said “Hakuren-san, how much farther?”

"A bit more." he responded. The dark never bothered him. Nightlife was where his youthful years were spent up until the very eve he boarded the train.
Everything slowly began turning brighter after some sort of line was crossed. Little by little, they passed through what was most likely an entrance tunnel and entered what was their first open space within the cave.
A large opening, with a rocky floor where grass could be seen growing here and there, it was a desolate place, one which had most likely not seen a living being's foot for quite awhile. Or perhaps it was correct to say "a human foot". There was a wide hole above them, a part of the top which had collapsed at some point of Nowhere's existence, allowing those with ear night vision to witness the disastrous appearance of the surroundings. Statues lay scattered and dismembered across the cave. Limbs and heads of animal-like stone creatures, which had once been whole, now rested atop the very same ground they had once symbolically protected, covered by pink and purple moss, red fungi and orange spotted mushrooms. This was a saddening sight to behold. No wonder that there had been so many pieces of cloth tied to the trees outside. There had even been a festival in the past. This was most likely a place of worship and honor, bearing such a great importance that stone statues were created as guardians. It was indeed a bit depressing to see how time, even though it was nonexistent in this dimension, affected culture. The old must be forgotten, in order to for new to take its place.
What caught the young man's attention was the moldy statue of a being he barely recognized, yet, upon looking closer, it did not seem he could be mistaken. It was the figure of the mayor, sir Spicy Tuna. This was definitely unexpected and, under close examination, it confirmed the individual's identity and the fact that it had been in this state for more than a day. It puzzled the youngster. If a statue were to be created of the mayor, this had either been part of the village or the mayor was not what he appeared to be. This reminded the human of an anime he had once watched, where the guardian chief of the village was actually the scale of a god and had supernatural powers. Not to mention that the said character was scaly and fish-like. It was a theory he would have not considered possible if he had not seen the statue. This enlightened him a bit and he made a mental note to broaden his horizon. This was a world where everything was possible, after all, so everything, even the most ridiculous of ideas and assumptions, had to be taken into consideration.
Taking his gaze off the statue, Hakuren spotted five tunnels ahead, each with numerous rocks either standing tall or lying down. Ah, the classics never ended. They had to make a decision on the route they had to follow. Chose wrong and you could meet your demise. Now he remembered it would have been a good idea to take a stick from the forest. It would have been a great tool to test the ground for traps and holes, if it got too dark to see. The paths were located beyond the small lake, which was located in the center of the clearing. Clear, blue and apparently deep, it was a marvelous sight, a sapphire among beads.
Yet something did not entirely make sense. Some of the rocks were smooth. Some were rough. Some were big and some were small. If they were all located in layers around the lake, it would have been logical, yet they were scattered, just like the statues. If the water had once filled up the clearing inside the gave, all of them would have been smooth. It was an oddity, yet Nowhere was full of them, thus the lad made remarked it, but didn't pay it much mind.
Just as he was about to make a suggestion that they head into the third tunnel from left to right, the found of feet against the moist ground became audible and none of them were moving. The humans ceased whatever they were doing immediately and listened closely to the sound. It came from the second tunnel, yet nothing cloud be seen. This made Hakuren's relaxed expression become serious. Pulling all his concentration towards the direction from whence the sound came from, he could still not make out neither shape, nor weight of the subject. It was bothersome. For a heartbeat he summed up all the possibilities of escape. They were midway, at an equal distance between the five tunnels and the one they came from. His current position was steady and offered a good jumping base for a quick sprint. Mado was close in front of him, yet the other two were now behind him, as he had changed places with Leo unconsciously while they were still exploring the cave. Depending on the incoming being, it could either be an advantage or disadvantage. He would have to weight it once the creature became visible. The group had nothing to protect themselves with other than the items at the lunatic's disposal. It was quite fortunate she was in the very front. Seeing as she was near enough, Hakuren grabbed her arm as quickly as possible, in order to divert her attention from what was approaching, which he did not doubt she wished to chop into pieces, and signaled to everyone in the group to keep quiet by placing a finger in front of his lips. Their first quest had proven to the humans that this world held dangers as great as its wonders. It was wise to lie and wait for whatever was to come, instead of jumping head first. Once he had made sure they had seen his signal, he let go of Mado's arm. Truth be told, if she were to lash out at the incoming existence, it would provide a nifty distraction, yet he made sure to have warned her just in case. The girl was useful and he would hate to lose such an asset now, but if the circumstances required it, he wouldn't mind either. It didn't truly concern him whether or not she would listen to his advise. In fact, it was more likely that she now wished to attack even more. Regardless, they all would face whatever was there sooner or later.

The lost souls strained their ears, and listened. There was a faint whisper.

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

The path to the caves was just what one would expect from a shortcut. Muddy, rocky and completely desolate, it involved going up and down steep slippery hills. Puddles of murky water could be seen littering the ground like fallen leaves in an autumn forest. Unknown creatures called out, their voices harsh or high, making it hard to tell if they were meant to be bird-like or not. The forest surrounding the road was composed of dark purple trees, bare of any kind of coverage, twisting and curving in peculiar ways, as if they were alive. Wooden branches spread out, sometimes in the walkers' way, as if they were trying to reach them with their dead hallow hands. It was not rare for mushrooms to be spotted growing on the same sides of the trees. Shining in different colours, such as pink, blue and green, they offered the much needed guidance, seeing as the silent giants blocked most of the dim light offered by the welkin. Mist crept sneakily around. Low to the forest floor, it was like a mouse searching for prey in the tall grass. A buzzing sound could be heard once or twice and there were a couple of moments when shadows ran in the distance between the trees and above, in the canopy. The bizarre chirping was every present, only halting for several intervals before continuing anew. An eery place it was.

"The beauty of the great outdoors wouldn't you say?" Hakuren commented sarcastically as he jumped from rock to rock.

The further they went, the weirder it got. The quantity of rocks increased as they traveled, until they completely dominated the path. It would have been dangerous for anyone unsteady on their feet, since the surface was slippery. It was as if rain had poured down on them only moments ago. Along with this change, another could be noticed. On the branches of the trees along the road pieces of cloth were tied. They were simple rags, torn from somewhere or someone, yet it was apparent that they were intentionally placed there. At first, they were a few, yet their concentration doubled and tripled the more the humans walked. The hikers soon found themselves surrounded by a parade of colour. Ribbons and laces could be seen among the common scraps. Old paper lanterns hung at a long equal distance from each other. It looked more and more like a sacred path. Combined with the current damp and dreadful atmosphere, a spooky essence was created, along with a pinch of astonishment and unease.

"Need I remind you all we're on an investigation? This is work, so don't get side-tracked by personal needs." the young man in the midnight green coat told his companions, whilst standing on his toes on a high rock, looking at the distance. The caves were visible and not too far away. It certainly explained the decorations and stones littered all over. "Watch your step and I do mean it. It's slippery."

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

The very moment Mado cuffed his hand, Hakuren couldn't help himself from shaking with laughter. Albeit he refrained from allowing the eruption within his throat to escape, Leon, the newest member of their group, did it in his stead. The boy laughed like a drain, loud and clear, so hard one would presume he would fall over himself. The young man in the midnight green coat did not take this to heart at all. In fact, he was pleased with this reaction. It hinted that the two of them had a similar taste for jokes.
Indeed, this was a laughable situation, one so ridiculous that the best of comedians would die on sight from lung exhaustion. A half naked murderer-to-be, who wore a playful mistress suit and held a knife in her hand, had just handcuffed a male from her group, whilst an eccentric youngster shuck like a volcano and a silent puppy girl wordlessly watched in the background. If not hilarious, it was certainly odd, weird in fact, and perhaps one of those scenes people would nervously walk past, pretending not to see or hear anything for the direction of the quatro.
Yet, as delightful and as indecent this play was, it had to be noted how innocent the lunatic was. Truth it was that her mental state was unbalanced and it could not be denied that she had ofttimes had murderous intentions, but in this case scenario Hakuren could not detect the slightest hint or indication of her having dirty thoughts. It was questionable if she was at all aware of what she was wearing, let alone what she was doing. Then again, an unstable mind was a peculiar puzzle, one not easily deciphered as it was a complicated code of mixed up digits and contradictions, which only made sense to whoever was thinking it. This being said, it would not be ludicrous to call insanity a form of genius. Only the most elaborate of minds could think up the world's greatest inventions and the method they used to assemble the pieces needed for their creation in their thought was one only they themselves could comprehend entirely, not to mention many thinkers and inventors had one or two lose screws, just like Mado herself. If one were to view the world in this sense, it could very well be that she was the sanest of them all.

"Thank you very much for your concern~" the green-blue-eyed lad appreciated the gift. Fortunately, its other end was not tied to another's wrist and, having dealt with this sort of restrain, he would have no problem taking it off a bit later, once they got moving and his companion no longer payed attention to him.

Leon said
“Well, I don’t know how much protection a vibrating carrot would give you but the whips could surely be counted as a weapon.”

'...Were they at...Lucky dog...'

The greenhorn nudged the lass' bag with his foot as a method of pointing towards what he was referring to and, for good or for worse, the power of that motion was fat too great and an item leaped out from the contents. Making impact with the ground, not a split second later did it begin buzzing and slowly creeping forwards in a similar fashion to a ringing phone with the sound turned off. For a short moment, all remained quiet as every gaze in that short circle of four was directed towards what appeared to be a vibrating carrot. A vibrating carrot. This was the final straw, pardon, vegetable. Hakuren burst out laughing, not as a drain, yet still enough to make a few winged pancakes fly off a nearby rooftop. He attempted to place a hand over his mouth, but his own shaking was far too intense to subdue, thus he opened the doors of his heart and let the bells of joviality ring with his voice.
"Where'd you get that?" the university student finally asked, a smile still gracing his face "A cathouse? Who would have thought our newest member had it in him."
Of course, he was looking at Leon. It was more unlikely that he forced the girl to take those items and dress in that fashion, than her doing it by herself, yet this was quite the favorable situation. It could serve as ammunition in case the newbie ever decided to turn on him or if an appropriate time were to come to create a pun out of it. There were so many possibilities, too many to count. After all, a good taste of vegetable stew was never bad for the heart. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. It was round, red and juicy, albeit a fruit, but weren't all feminine things sweet like that? A carrot now, that was another matter. It was lean and steady, a fine sword to win the battle for health. The two, despite belonging to quite the different systems, were close in more than one occasion, however, this...Was pure loveliness.

[More might be added, depending on Oblivion]

After this amusing episode, the group proceeded with exchanging information. Feather, a befitting nickname for their amber-eyed member, took the microphone first and explained what they had found during the course of their search. Overall, nothing new was mentioned, with the exception of the witch having followers, yet even that had been jotted down in Mr. Mathema's diary. Once the explanation was completed, it was time for Hakuren to steal the spotlight.
"On our side, we have an old lady crock's tale and a square root man's diary." he introduced the two sides of the coin they had earned in their search. "From the first, we learned a few tasty bits of information. It seems the town's residents couldn't give the downed woman the benefit of the doubt. They were dead sure she was a witch." both metaphorically and literally speaking "Apparently, she caused plenty of mayhem in these parts and had the power to shape-shift and call out spirits. However, none of the numerous examples the gator gave us of the witch's misdeeds can be counted as evidence, since there wasn't any solid proof to back them up. Still, it doesn't matter in the first place, now, does it? If a lie were to be repeated three times, it becomes truth, thus whether she was a witch or not isn't the point. The villagers believed she was and drowned her. Just your everyday example of words changing somebody's destiny." the youngster remarked and continued "We should make sure to stay on their good side. Just like "the witch", they aren't fond of our kind. Who knows, maybe we'll be the next "witches"." a smirk escaped "There wasn't a single piece regarding the whereabouts of the witch's home, but we did receive some info about the caves. In the past, festivals used to be held nearby it and in it, yet the knowledge about its background and purpose has been lost. It was most likely to either honor a deity or to prevent evil beings from coming to destroy the village, so we shouldn't be surprised if the place appears haunted." Not that Yonder itself didn't appear possessed. "The good thing is we were told of a shortcut, so we'll be able to spare some time." Mrs Anaisiuol had been helpful in many ways. "As for the square root's diary, it didn't provide us with much, other than a portrayal of some of Yonder's brighter days, town tales and a brief depiction of the hunt. What can be told from it is that the siren's singing began immediately after the witch was drowned in the lake, making it all that more plausible for the two to be the same person." He had not ignored the possibility of the witch and the siren being two different people, the first being an innocent victim of the latter's doings, who later devised this tactic of sending Nowhereians to their watery death, once her land-dwelling puppet had been broken. Now that he was given the chance to sum up and revise the acquired intell, the young man understood that they had made little progress. Of course, little could be expected from raiding houses and asking locals. Not a single flicker of light was shown upon the Siren's song, the mysterious elusive entity they were meant to find. The only thing they had received in exchange for their investigation was a more detailed view of the witch hunt, which was more or less of no importance as an even, seeing as the most important person, the one who most likely held the information they needed, had been murdered. "Well, enough fooling around." he sighed, the pinch of disappointment detectable in his voice "Lets head to our second destination." Hopefully, it would hold a greater treasure inside than the moldy timeless village. "Oh, and Mado-chan~ Do keep onto that bag of items. They might come in handy." he told her with a cheerful smile as he put the diary of Mr. Mathema in his wooden cupcake mailbox. The boy already had a notebook of his own.

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

What Hakuren found on the first floor was a complete mess, only slightly different from how he had last seen it. Leila, his quiet partner in crime, was engulfed in a book, the title of which he could read on the cover as "ALGO Rhythms", and did not give out any signs that she had heard his call until she muttered a low "Ah, um...".
There was no need for an explanation, as the young man could clearly tell what the girl had been doing in his absence. Numerous pieces of literature were resting atop the table and floor, their pages freshly flipped and contrasting well with the others, whose pages were stained and yellow, due to being open long before the humans had come to pay the house a visit. The air had been stirred and there was far more empty space of the bookshelves than awhile ago. Miss Noelle had done a throughout research, yet the lack of a proper answer indicated that nothing concerning the case they were working on had been found. It was indeed unfortunate, considering what a marvelous home it was. There was a grand veranda towards the back yard, which offered a wonderful view of the lake. The windows with their yellow frames stood tall and allowed light to enter through the dirty glass and into a world where it was as if a tornado had passed through a library. All stood still as the two living beings silently remained in the room, only the breathing audible. It truly felt as though time did not exist there.
Whilst the lass gathered her thoughts, the green-blue-eyed individual took a few steps closer to the pink polka dot piano. It was grand, the top still held open by a big candy cane, revealing the rainbow strings within. Lifting the fall board, the youngster couldn't resist playing a couple of light gentle keys. He had always loved music, it was something most children of the modern age could not live without. His preferences always varied and he never stayed on one genre for too long, but there was a soft spot for the classical piano and violin somewhere in that complex heart of his.

music

Randomly tapping on the keys, creating a gentle pleasant tune, the lad turned his gaze towards Leila, who was looking at the window. Tall, lean, almost doll-like, her figure was well-composed and not too thin. Having scanned all of the girls in the group until now, Hakuren couldn't put her as his number one choice when it came to looks, albeit she was by no means unworthy of the adjectives "pretty" and "beautiful". In fact, she stood out as the one whose body had been tended to the most and the least messy of them all. A sheltered snail with a polished shell. How befitting.
With a somewhat guilty expression on her face, which was notably adorable, the puppy, as Dissonance had dubbed her, placed the book in her possession back in its rightful place and gestured at her companion. Turning to look outside, the young man noticed that Leon and Mado were waiting for them outside. This was very fortunate, since it meant they would not go around in circles searching for each other. However, before a word could escape his mouth, the young lady waltzed past him and towards the exit, like a queen with an iron fist through a hallway of soldiers who gave her a salute. Smirking to himself, he followed suit and was soon outside.

It felt nice to be out of the house, as the atmosphere was not as stale as it was inside. Smiling as always, the black-blue-haired boy greeted the other duo in a friendly manner.
"Hi everyone. Hope the two of you had a good time sniffing around. We found a few measly scraps, but if we have the energy for it, we can come back and do some more questioning later. Right now, the wind's blowing in our favor. Lets head for the caves and..." he held to a stop the moment he noticed a peculiar sight, which in turn increased his smile by a little bit. "What do we have here~?"
The wind was indeed blowing. Blowing through two tin tall brown mountains of leather. Mado, the Loco Coco as Hakuren had named her in his mind, had an oddly interesting attire on herself, which Leon had most likely attempted to hide by making her wear his long jacket. Styling a finely tailored leather mistress suit, the belts and chains of which gave it a nice rough appeal, it was as if she was a skinny amazon, knife in hand and ready to tackle everything face to face and skin to skin. Everyone knew there were a few lost screws in the girl's head, but this was perhaps the top of the ice-cream. The garment suited her well, but it was quite unfortunate that she wasn't his type at all. Perhaps if she were to put on a collar and cat ears she could be counted as a cute devil, yet the only label he could currently place of her was 'ferocious jackal".
"Mado-chan, that's quite the interesting armor you have there. And what might be in the bag~?" he had noticed that something was making it stick out. Maybe the collar was inside?

[Will definitely edit. It's half past twelve at night x-x]

The Midnight Train to Nowhere

Fox of Spades said
Awesome post Oblivon (^w^) and don't worry, Pach and Anon. It's just, we have a three day rule and I want to keep it. @Four - Okay, that makes sense, but it isn't foolproof since it could be a quirk ^^ but for now it's okay since Phones PMed me and told me about the specific info you guys got. Get well soon, Four :/ hope all is well and I'll look forward to your post. Also, I'm fine with you guys being busy and stuff :/ but one post a week all the time is something I won't accept....especially not for a long period of time. Do you have time for this or not? Like I said, short posts are perfectly fine as long as the ball keeps rolling, I'm sorry. If you're that busy you can squeeze in a paragraph or two once in three days and that'd be good enough :/ better than one post in one week. Just restating the rules and expectations that have been set, I hope this is okay.Kimchi, Aki, terribly sorry for the wait. You'll get your surprise tomorrow. ^^ After school for now I gotta work on papers. Hope you all have a nice day and what's up? :D

Sorry, Fox-chan, but I just have to react to this. Hope you don't take it personally.
Four stated that they have a wound in their throat. I can not speak from personal experience, since I have never had such an injury, yet I can imagine how hard that must be on him. Knowing quite the bit about anatomy and biology in general, I know very well that that is a serious problem, which may lead to very serious complications, which, if not treated properly and quickly, may result in dire circumstances. With the thought of that wound causing great damage to their body, not to mention the pain he is surely going through, I doubt Four can even sit and think properly about writing just one measly little post. Why, there have been times when I have been sick and simply rested atop my bed with my mind completely blank, because it hurt to do much thinking. You can't help it when you're head is hazy during an injury or illness. It has to pass on its own. And Four isn't the type of person to just write two sentences and call it a day. He likes writing just as much as we do and I believe he wants to post and make proper paragraphs, but he's just not feeling well enough to do so. I think we should all be a little considerate about Four's situation.

Once more, excuse me, Fox-chan, but I think you were a little harsh.
Have some music. It never hurts anyone (except your feels XD)

Music Night with Headphones presents: A little piece