Like any other society, there are guys dressed up as girls for what ever the reason, and they are flat. Is Ariel a guy in a dress?

Quote from Fernando on Dec 24^th, 2016, 11:12pm:

Would you prefer Ariel to be gender neutral? It has been established that Ariel is a mutant; what those mutations are has not been stated.

Jeanette Isabelle

Quote from Fernando on Dec 24^th, 2016, 11:12pm:

That was one of four possible directions I considered for Ariel. Another of the four possible directions is Ariel is gender neutral. Keeping it open was the plan.

I introduced Ariel because Jeanette needs a reason to accept immortality. The previous reason is illegal so that had to be changed. Jeanette needs immortality because she decided to return to her time when the mission is over. It's too late to undo that.

If you don't like any of my reasons for Jeanette to accept immortality, then you come up with a reason.

Jeanette Isabelle

As the two of them are having tea, Reki says, "Everyone feels depressed when the weather is like this or become obsessed with the idea something bad is going to happen."

"I'm not sure."

"You can keep the guest room for a while longer if you are not ready to move out yet."

"No, it's not that. Listen. Why is this town surrounded by walls?"

"Why is it? I don't know for sure. It's probably because this is a protected place."

"Protected? Protected from what?"

"From everything that's not good."

The first lightning strikes followed by a power failure.

Reki stands up. "Stay put. There's a flashlight somewhere in here."

Chihiro goes to the windows.

Even with the rain there's still some light coming through.

A crow lands by the windows. "Caw! Caw!" The crow quickly flies away, heading north.

Chihiro does not speak Avian but she detects a sense of urgency in crow's tone. Chihiro runs out of the lunchroom and to another window to see where the crow is going. She opens the window to get a better look.

As Chihiro is getting wet, the crow heads into the Western Woods.

In the Western Woods, near the wall, crows were squawking fervently.

Reki approaches with a flashlight. "Chihiro."

"In the Western Woods, the crows."

"They must have been surprised as well."

"It seemed like they were trying to tell me something."

Reki closes the window. "Why don't you go back in and dry yourself? You'll catch a cold. I'll go check on the kids. Stay in the lunchroom."


With no power, Nemu, Chihiro and Hikari had gathered in the lunchroom lit by a single candle.

Reki returns to the lunchroom. "Oh, boy. Some were crying. The others were excited. It was a big mess." She looks around. "Where are Kana and Kuu?"

"Kana went to check on the generator. Kuu is." Hikari starts to say.

"Not here." Nemu finishes. "And she's usually the first one to come down when things get like this."

"I thought she may have gone into town but."

"I hope she found some shelter from the rain." Reki says. "She must be miserable if she's on the road."

Chihiro stands up. "I'll go look for her."

"Look for her where?"

Chihiro walks out.

"What's with Chihiro?" Nemu asks.

"I have no idea." Reki answers. "She's been as gloomy as today's weather since morning."

"I kind of know how just Chihiro feels." Hikari says. "If you look at today's sky, it makes you feel restless."

"Yeah, it's nasty weather, all right but it's always like this when summer turns into winter." Nemu says. "It's only natural to feel a little worried when the seasons start to change."

"That's right. That must be it."

"I'll go out and look for Chihiro." Reki says. "Tell Kana to stay here when she gets back. Things could get way out of hand if everyone goes off on their own." Reki finds Chihiro outside under the archway. Reki has an umbrella but it's useless. The rain is coming down heavy.

"Maybe Kuu did not go into town." Chihiro says. "This morning she asked you to pack her a lunch, right? And she had a water bottle. To me it looked like she was getting ready to go."

"To go?" Reki asks. "To go where?"

"Probably the Western Woods."

"It can't be. She wouldn't have done that. Kuu knows how dangerous it is to go. There's no way!"

Kana heads to the clock tower when she overhears Reki and Chihiro outside under the archway. "Kuu's gone into the Western Woods?" She asks. "I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop but the generator's fuse blew so I trying to use the one in the clock tower and I heard you say."

"Well, we were just saying she might have because she's late to come back here." Reki answers.

"But what if she really did go there? Then that means."

"Kana! We don't know anything for sure."

"What's that? What do you mean?" Chihiro asks.

"Chihiro," Kana says, "I know you have never been to the Western Woods. So what makes you think she went there?"

"When the rain started the crows went crazy in the Western Woods as if they were trying to tell me something."

"That was because of the Rain." Reki says.

"But they were by the wall." Chihiro continues.

"You saw them, by the wall?" Reki puts her hands on Chihiro's shoulders. "Are you sure? You really saw them?"

"You're lying! I refuse to believe that happened! It just can't!" Kana runs inside.

"I did not want to believe it either," Reki says, "but it seems that Kuu might have really left all of us, the time when a mutant leaves this world on their Day of Flight."


Kana ran back under the archway and meets up with Reki and Chihiro. "I'm going."

Nemu and Hikari are still inside but by the door.

"You can't." Reki says. "It's too dangerous after sunset."

"All the more reason why we can't leave Kuu all by herself." Kana continues.

"A guiding hand is given to a mutant on their Day of Flight."

Kana walks up to Reki. "You may know things that we don't but until I see it, it's nothing but a myth."

"Kana, even if you go, there is nothing you can do."

"I know that. I just want to see her one more time, to see her face. Don't you even care that you are never going to say goodbye to her?"

Nemu steps under the archway. "Reki, is it true about Kuu?"

Hikari joins the rest of them. "If there is still time, I want to see her too."

"We all want to see her but think." Reki continues. "If you go into those woods without knowing where you are, you will never come out again."

"We need to have a point of reference." Chihiro says.

"What's that?"

Chihiro turns to Kana. "Kana, the bell in the clock tower."

"What?" Kana asks.

"Start the bell. The tower's generator works, right? You can keep the bell ringing, can't you?"

"That's right." Kana runs inside.

Reki turns to Chihiro. "Chihiro."

"Please, Reki," Chihiro says, "I know that I will regret it forever if I don't do anything right now."

"So bring three more rain coats," Nemu asks, "or four more?"

"All right, then." Reki answers. "We will all go together." The bell begins to ring. "But promise you will not go near the wall no matter what."


The five of them go into the woods. It had stopped raining by the time they arrive at the church ruins.

Some crows were in the trees, others on the ground, they bow their heads in silence.

Kana removes the hood of her raincoat and calls out for Kuu. "Kuu!"

Chihiro runs to the steps of the church where she finds Kuu's hat and some black feathers. She picks up Kuu's hat and starts crying. Kuu's last words replay in her mind:

And that's because you gave me some of those drops. Chihiro, thank you.

Chihiro walks back to Old School. She goes to the hooks on the wall and was about to turn her nametag over then looked at the blank space where Kuu's nametag used to be. She hears a crow outside. She walks back out and sees a couple of crows, perched on a tree, looking at her. The crows nod their heads and fly away.

The administration of this forum would prefer to leave the victimization of underaged individuals to a minimum and preferable down to zero if possible.

Other than forcing Jeanette to make a choice about immortality, it serves no purpose in the RPG.

No one can grant immortality except for god and time itself.

What they offer is a shadow existence among the living.

Note: Only one thing needed to be edited.

Quote from Fernando on Dec 27^th, 2016, 9:12pm:

Penny steps into Hondo and Valentine's Camper.

Once Penny is no longer within hearing range, Jeanette explains to Valentine what's happening. "Wilbur Robinson, the man whom the Texas Spirits hired to take care of Penny for the past seven years, has been sexually abusing Penny. Moro and Fernando are gone. And though the abuse took place in this town, I don't know what the local law enforcement can do. Wilbur is in Charlton. The crows are suddenly quiet as if someone's cat died. At this moment, I don't know who to go to." Jeanette relays to Valentine what Penny said.

Jeanette Isabelle