Author: Ciara, Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 1:48 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

With all three of them on stage, everybody's minds and hearts were captured by their music. Lanying's jade lute began the performance to be joined by Mingyi and finally joined by Ciara's violin. The entire performance was a carefully planned dance where each part combined together to make an excellent song. It was exciting, thrilling, and somehow hopeful for the future. The audience roared with approval as they felt the music beat in tune to their hearts. The story behind the song could reach anybody, regardless of class or wealth. Everybody knew the feeling of a wedding, of hope, and of love. 

The people had never heard such unique and fantastic music before. But the second they heard the first note, they were all hitched. They clamored for more as the music continued. Soon they drew to the end of the song and had one final powerful ending to symbolize all the happiness of a new future. Appropriate for both the concert hall and for Lanying and Mingyi. With one big smile, Ciara cast a small spell to show an illusion of flower petals falling from the ceiling. Each petal was fake and couldn't even be touch but it fit as they finished the song with an excellent note. 

Soon they were done and the curtain fell. When they went out for their bow, the ground cheered the second Lanying and Mingyi stepped onto stage for their bows. And with that, the concert hall's mystery was all wrapped up. 

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 1:26 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

When Lanying and Mingyi met Ciara on the day of their grand performance, they were both surprised by the gifts. The exorcist's eyes lit up as she saw the repair equipment. She didn't do a lot of maintenance on her instrument collection, but seeing this made her very happy. It didn't take much to make her smile; any gift of goodwill would do. Mingyi raised an eyebrow when he received the book, finding the pages blank. As Ciara explained, he took the book with gratitude. "Thank you, Miss Ciara." Whether it was intentional or not, this book resolved feelings of inadequacy he had since the day he left his family. He relied on Lanying's knowledge to assist in exorcism, but with this book he could finally contribute in a lasting way. It would be a record of their personal experiences, as well as a guide for future generations. 

When the time came, the two stepped onto the stage in their own chosen costumes. Lanying was dressed in a loose robe of silk brocade embroidered with flowers and swallows, while Mingyi was adorned in a garment with rolling clouds and cuffed sleeves. Both wore matching beaded tassels and decorative knots like the ones they had given to the employees of the concert hall days ago. With Mingyi's help, Lanying had red rouge and painted highlights at the corners of her eyes. When the fairy woman greeted them, Lanying twirled her lute with a grin. "We're ready! Let's give them one last show!" She winked at Mingyi, signaling to him which instrument he would play for their first song of the night.

The exorcist pulled out all the stops: the fastest and boldest songs in their repertoire would be put on display tonight. The audience would experience the full force of Lanying's unique style, amplified by the theater's acoustics. With her white jade lute, she opened with a striking set of notes that echoed through the hall before picking up in speed. Mingyi joined in with the flute, bright notes highlighting points in his partner's rapid strumming. Lanying moved as she played, let out shouts in time with the music. There was a frenzied fervor in their sound, one with a strong tempo that pulsed through one's body and soul.

It was a common folk song, one about the people who worked the land and were looking forward to a coming wedding The song swelled with the anticipation of the people in the story, expectations of young children, and the joy of the parents of the bride-to-be. The villagers shouted aloud as they carried the bride's palanquin, announcing the good news far and wide. It was a song of new beginnings, very much like the future for the Celeste Concert Hall. To add to the theatrics, Lanying threw out a handful of confetti to simulate the ritual performed while the bride was carried to the groom's house. It was bold, it was brazen–and it was a song everyone could understand.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sat Aug 7, 2021 2:50 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

The day of the performance was finally here. The entire concert hall had been cleaned up and decorated with such an event, even having arrows and people to guide guests to their seats. Ciara had done some advertising around town while Lanying and Mingyi had been investigating which led to crowds of people from all over entering the concert hall and buying up the tickets. As for Lilith, Candice had her buried in one of the town's graveyards long before the performance. Ciara had one more thing to give to Mingyi and Lanying before the final performance. A gift for both of them, plus the silver they had earned for both the exorcism and the performance.

"Candice sent you both five hundred silver each." Ciara explained handing them their silver, "And I have a gift for you both to congratulate your first official performance with the guild."

She handed them the silver and each a package tied up in string and brown paper. Lanying had an extra set of strings and repair equipment in a box for her instruments. Mingyi received a blue leatherbound book with a silver title on the front that read -The Encyclopedia of the Supernatural- in fancy cursive. But oddly enough, the pages were entirely blank. The fae woman gave them both a smile.

"I know how amazing you both are at exorcism. But it doesn't hurt to have something to reference in case you forget anything. Besides, it'll become useful if are able to record down all the information you know for future generations. So much knowledge can get lost over time when people don't write down their findings." Ciara commented.

She was aware that Lanying couldn't write or read hence why she handed the book to Mingyi instead, as he was the only one in that team who could handle such a thing. Besides, if they later decided to make copies and sell them, such a thing could bring them lots of money. The lights of the theater suddenly went down and Ciara ran off to go get changed for their later performance. Meanwhile, Candice was in a pretty blue dress standing on the stage and giving the welcome speech to the audience. The first performance was an opera singer, the second was a folksong, the third was a harp, the fourth was a piano, the sixth was a love ballad, and so on. Their performance was to be the last performance of the evening.

Ciara stepped out of the changing room in a purple outfit with a flowing cape behind her. The entire outfit was decorated with gold while a sparkling amethyst choker circled her neck. Her hair was down and combed and she wore dark purple boots to finish the outfit off. Her makeup was on point, as always with some black lipstick to add to the dramatic nature of her look. She walked over to Lanying and Mingyi then smiled when she saw how amazing they looked.

"Wonderful appearance darlings! I hope you're both ready for tonight?"

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sat Aug 7, 2021 12:01 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

In all the commotion during the exorcism, Lanying didn't notice the minor damage to her outfit. She wasn't against getting new clothes, after all looking your best for a performance was natural. Before she spent the next hours going back and forth with Mingyi over what was 'appropriate', Ciara's suggestion gave her an idea. "Let's do it!" She replied, grinning. "I know you can keep up with a violin for sure! I'll pick one of my fastest songs and we'll make sparks fly!" The exorcist was still on an adrenaline high from the battle in the underground chamber. If Candice said they were going to perform right now, she was ready. "Alright, we need to start choosing your outfit." Mingyi fussed, leading the dark-haired woman away to the dressing rooms. Normally he wouldn't be so forward in taking her hand, but he had been sulking somewhat after the demon had been expelled. 

It wasn't that he was angry, Mingyi had been upset that Lanying had chosen to send him away without warning while she herself was in danger. Perhaps he wasn't actually angry at all–but more frustrated and disappointed in himself. If he told her how he felt, he knew she would tell him that his contributions were equally significant, if not more so. While he was the one who ultimately destroyed the demon's link to the mortal world, it was due to the guild master's instructions. He had been sent to safety while she handled things alone. Even if the exorcist never treated him like he was of no help, Mingyi couldn't help but feel that way. In the years they had traveled together, he wanted to become someone Lanying could rely on. His spiritual power was weaker than hers, and he was still slowly learning about exorcism through her. His combat skills and literary knowledge came in handy when not dealing with spirits.

The least he could do now is make sure she had an excellent performance tomorrow. "Ohh~ This looks good!" Lanying pulled out a bright paisley scarf, draping it around her shoulders. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "That won't match the rest of your outfit. Here, we can try to improvise with this cloth as a sash and ask Miss Candice if we can borrow some fabric. You need to look presentable." The exorcist groaned, and sat down. "Aww, is it really that bad? It's not like I'm gonna sing before a king or queen. Besides, the theater's so big that the people in the back probably won't even be able to see me clearly." As he picked out some jewelry, she leaned her head on an arm as Mingyi began to talk about how dressing the part made half the difference. She let him choose and didn't resist, noticing his mood was better after he made some complaints. 

The next day, they would help with cleaning up the rest of the salt and cords left behind now that they were no longer necessary. She left the last rites for Lilith up to Candice, since it was family business. Her job was exorcism, not handling burials. As evening came closer, Lanying couldn't wait for the duet. She'd go all out this time! 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Tue Aug 3, 2021 4:17 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

"Yes. We'll need to get everything cleaned up before the performance." Ciara said with a smile, "But I'll let you go tell the good news. I'll be up with you both in a moment."

The guild master placed the letter back in the skeleton's hands then looked towards the rest of the room. Having the performers or crew cleaning up this room was a poor idea. Although most of what Lilith had gathered was either broken or harmless, there were some real artifacts. In the hands of somebody who didn't know how to use it properly, it could become dangerous. She raised her hands towards the rest of the room. Little portals opened up beneath the bookshelf and the piles of artifacts. All of these items would be stored in a locked room in the guildhall until she could figure out how to properly dispose of them. As for the body, she left it where it was out of respect for the dead. Once that was done, she went back up to the theater and out of the room. They could always remodel the underground room like a wine cellar or something.

Meanwhile, the performers and crew were ecstatic at the news that their supernatural problem was solved. The happiest out of all of them was Candice who was thrilled that the Celeste Concert Hall would be able to perform and it would no longer have to worry about ghosts or demons. Their nightmare was finally over! When Lanying and Mingyi told her about the singing, she didn't seem to mind in the least.

"I always hated singing. I much prefer the business side of running a theater." Candice admitted, "Now the real question is what you both are gonna wear for your performance. Fighting that demon burned a bit of your outfit. Go to our changing rooms and pick your costumes for tomorrow night!"

The theater had more than enough costumes of all different shapes and sizes and styles. Ciara knew that it wouldn't be hard for the two to find their costumes and to be ready. But before they ran off, Ciara tapped Lanying on the shoulder and whispered an idea of hers.

"Let's give them a performance they won't forget. How about a duet?" Ciara offered, "I've been dying to see if I can keep up with your speed."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Tue Aug 3, 2021 3:18 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Mingyi was exhausted from the stress, while Lanying was more hyped than ever. This was the first time she had banished a demon this powerful! Man, she felt great! There was nothing like the satisfaction of a job well done. Ciara thoroughly enjoyed the show, fireworks and all–but more importantly, the curse of the Celeste Concert Hall was over. The exorcist let out a chuckle at the fairy woman's praise, while Mingyi grimaced that Ciara meant it literally. The oppressive source of evil energy was now gone, and the air felt clearer. With nothing left to look at but the glass casket, the two stood near as their guild master read aloud the letter that had been in the skeleton's hands. 

Lanying and Mingyi were somber after Ciara finisihed. "Poor Lilith… She'll finally be able to be put to rest." It was just too sad, even if it was a contract. Thinking back on what Ciara said about Edward and Lilith's marriage, it all made sense now. She wondered if the lady had made the contract out of desperation for someone–anyone to love her. But in the end, it wasn't right. What she did ended up hurting her children and descendants. In the end they were the ones who had to shoulder the burden. "Candice will be able to sing freely from now on. It won't bring in people like before, but this time she can say with confidence that she's relying on her talents alone." Mingyi agreed. Things were better this way. Relying on an otherworldly power would diminish one's individual efforts.

"Let's go share the good news!" The exorcist said, perking up. "We won't need the cords and talismans upstairs anymore! But we can reuse them to clean up the rest of the junk down here." It was the beginning of a new era for the concert hall, one that would lead towards a brighter, better future. 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Mon Aug 2, 2021 1:56 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

The demon grimaced at the young woman's so-called singing and tried to send a few more fireballs towards her. The fire blazed and burned but completely missed its mark due to her dodging magic. The incubus was completely distracted as Mingyi broke through his force field and destroyed the contract. His eyes opened wide as he felt the connection between himself and the contract severed. He screamed in rage as flames completely surrounded his body as he sent a blast of fire directly towards Lanying in a desperate attempt to kill her before she could finish her solo. But the sheer awesomeness, and spiritual power, deflected every single attack.

Ciara casually summoned a pair of sunglasses and put them on as she sipped from her pina colada with a curly straw. A powerful blast of light erupted from Lanying as the seal began to form, trapping the demon before it could try to make an escape. With an ear-splitting blast of sound, the demon was banished with a bright flash of light. As it was banished it let out a desperate NOOOOOOOOO before being sent back into the demon world for good.

Once the song was done, Ciara gave them both applause fit for such an amazing performance. Mingyi had played his part perfectly to defeat the demon long-term and Lanying's performance was breathtaking. Literally. The only issue she found was the massive amounts of salt that would have to be cleaned up later. Ciara stood up and walked towards the both of them with a thumbs up, while the other hand was still holding onto the pina colada.

"Wonderful performance! It's a shame we didn't get that on stage." Ciara said with a smile, "It would have blown them all away. And I'm serious about that. There would have been no survivors."

There wasn't any trace of the demon left in the room. The pedestal had crumbled and the scroll had been destroyed. The only thing of interest left in the room was the girl in the glass casket. Ciara carefully stepped over the fallen over offerings and casually opened the casket. She reached for the envelope that the skeleton Lilith had been holding and opened it.

"This will probably give us the rest of the answers." She explained, "Lets see. It says To my demon lover,"

Ciara quickly read out loud the contents of the letter to them. It read,

-To my demon lover,

I and any future lady of the hall will become your sirens to bring in your prey. Even if my descendants don't realize it, they shall sing and bring in thousands. But I am willing to sacrifice them and myself. Just please, don't leave me behind. I know you are only taking advantage of me and will never love me. I knew that the moment I figured out how to summon you. Just please pretend. Pretend you love me. Pretend I am worthy of love. For once in my life, I want someone who will show me affection, even if it's all a lie. So please be my lover. And let me be yours.

From your dearest love,
Lilith-

"Well, that explains why Candice and all the others never mentioned the demon." Ciara said, "The contract was made with Lilith but involved them, whether they liked it or not."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Mon Aug 2, 2021 1:31 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Mingyi was worried for Lanying. She was a capable exorcist, but handling a powerful enemy alone was still dangerous. As he brought Ciara to rejoin the fight, he heaved a sigh of relief knowing the exorcist was alright. The fairy woman then blurted out a very indecent remark, but it managed to distract the incubus enough that he stopped focusing on his spell. And that was just the opening Lanying had been waiting for. Swapping out her instrument, the shrill screech of the erhu pierced the air as she began to pull the bow back and forth in a frenzy. Taking in a deep breath, she shouted lyrics at the top of her lungs as the magical stringed instrument cast rippling shock waves of light and sound. "ON A COLD WINTER MORNING, IN THE TIME BEFORE THE LIIIIGHT–IN THE FLAMES OF DEATH'S ETERNAL REIGN WE RIDE TOWARDS THE NIIIIGHT~" 

 All the while the exorcist was screaming and dodging using magic, Ciara brought the pedestal to Mingyi's attention. Her instructions were clear, and he gave her a short bow in thanks before breaking into a sprint. If there was one thing Lanying was good at, it was being as eye-catching and loud as possible. Not only did her 'singing' and music hurt the ears, they were actually imbued with damaging power too. She needed more time to cast the final spell that would send this foul fiend packing, but right now she needed to keep chipping away at him. Mingyi reached the pedestal and grabbed a handful of the purified salt, throwing it onto the barrier protecting the contract scroll. When a single handful wasn't enough, he simply upended the entire contents remaining in the sack, showering it with a rain of coarse grains. The sheer quantity finally wore the barrier thin, and being a supernatural being himself he was able to force his way in to snatch the scroll up. 

Immediately he started to rip it up, shredding it as much as possible. He then shoved the pieces into the salt mound on the floor, for good measure. There was a faint sizzle as the purifying properties of the salt actually did their work. Lanying was now holding her lute again, and she pointed at the demon in an act of showmanship. "And now, for the final act of this farewell concert–'Over the River of Three Crossings'!" Her fingers began to fly up and down the instrument's strings in a way that didn't seem humanly possible. If she had been an ordinary human, her fingertips would've been shredded by now. In an intimidating lute solo, she poured her heart and soul into it–her spiritual power rising in a crescendo.

"The Black Tortoise guards the North, the Azure Dragon rules the East! The Phoenix flies over the South, the Tiger faces West! By the Mountains and the Seas, I pray to the Heavens once! By the Skies and the Land, I worship the Earth twice! By the stars above and the abyss below; I ring the bell thrice–Evil, Begone!"

A powerful blast of light erupted from the chamber as a great seal began to shimmer beneath the demon's feet. Lines began to connect and symbols were made manifest as an overwhelming force was exerting itself on the incubus, shunting him out of the mortal plane. As the contract was now null and void, the magic that granted passage into this world was no longer in effect. Raising her arm up high, Lanying swung it down letting out an ear-splitting blast of sound. "OH YEAHHH!!!!" 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Mon Aug 2, 2021 12:39 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

The incubus roared with frustration as he heard the annoying music. He sent out two more fireballs in her direction then placed his hands together. He muttered something under his breath as a massive ball of fire tried to engulf and surround Lanying. The fire would chase Lanying around the room even if she dodged it. The incubus kept his hands together as he continued muttering some sort of ancient spell.

Meanwhile, Ciara was busy chatting up a storm with Candice when Mingyi suddenly ran into the theater and explained everything that had just occurred. She told Candice to stay put then followed Mingyi into the main office where she could hear the pipa lute fiercely playing. The fae woman jumped down into the underground room, not even bothering with the stairs, and landed at the bottom. She stood up and spotted the demon, her own magic ready. Then she stopped when she actually saw the incubus.

"Damn." She smirked, "Tall and spikey? I know a thing or two that we could do with those spikes~"

Ciara then lifted her hands and called out to the demon.

"Hey! Once my girl beats you, we should fuck!" She shouted out.

That was enough to distract the incubus from his spell and the fireball stopped for a moment from its chase. He then looked back at Lanying, trying to stop her next attack. Meanwhile, Ciara did a quick scan of the room and noticed the pedestal and its little forcefield. Fascinating. She knew very little of the situation but that scroll itself looked like a contract. A contract and a demon was always a bad mix as it allowed passage back into the mortal world. The fae woman gave Minying a little nudge and pointed towards the pedestal.

"Try breaking the forcefield." She instructed him, "Lanying is keeping him distracted so he won't have as much energy for the forcefields. Tear up the contract so he won't be able to return after he's banished."

Then she took a seat on the spiral stairs and summoned a pina colada to drink as she watched the performance.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Mon Aug 2, 2021 12:10 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Mingyi had been anxious the entire time Lanying began smacking things around disrespecting the dead. They somewhat vandalized an office, entered without explicit permission, and now this. So when a giant hand suddenly sent her flying, his heart nearly sank into his stomach. "Ack!" She said, quickly tucking herself into a roll. Mingyi was backing up, already beside her. His gaze was upward at something–or in this case, someone. The exorcist looked up and had a calm look on her face. That was a demon alright. A very, very big demon. With an exaggerated gasp, she said: "Mingyi, cover your eyes! He's indecently dressed!" Was that necessary? No. Did it break the tension? Absolutely. She got to her feet and moved into a defensive stance. She was quite satisfied that her attempts to get the demon's attention worked.

Now when the demon said he couldn't be banished due to a contract, most people would take that as a threat. Lanying however, took that as a challenge. If someone told her she couldn't achieve something, she would become even more motivated to do it. As the hulking infernal monstrosity tried to kill them, Lanying quickly teleported Mingyi to a safe place using safe passage, then whipped out a pristine white lute. With the strum of a chord, she disappeared only to reappear behind the demon. "Show's over buddy! It's closing time for you!" Yes, all that brainpower she had mustered in those hectic moments was used to make the cheesiest remarks with performance-themed puns. Spinning the instrument in her hands for a bit of flair, she then grasped it firmly and began to channel power through it. Rapidly plucking the strings, wind and light began swirling around her as the music increased in tempo. 

She would have to hold the demon off until Mingyi alerted Ciara on the situation, or until he came in with more wards. Mingyi was dropped onto the floor outside of the main office, panicking when he realized Lanying was still down in the secret room. He ran as fast as he could to find Ciara and Candice, nearly out of breath. "–We found him! He–he said he's trying to target one of the visitors here! Lanying's still down in the underground room!" Out of the open door of the Main Office, the echoes of a pipa lute began to drift out.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 11:39 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

After the third or fourth flowers and items were knocked away, a massive hand slammed against Lanying's chest and sent her flying. The hand came from a portal as the rest of the creature stepped through. He was an 8'7" foot tall man with brown hair and snarling teeth. His eyes were black and he had two goat-like horns on his head. On his back were a series of spikes and his sharp claws were out on display. He had a six-pack and a tight pair of pants, making it clear he was an incubus. A high level incubus that had been prowling the theater for generations. His eyes glanced at the two before he looked at the offerings. Carefully he put them back in their positions, even putting each flower back where it had been.

Then he turned back to the two of them with a furious look in his eyes. He held out his left hand and shot a blazing ball of fire at the both of them in retaliation for the damage they did. Luckily, the room was underground and made of stone. The ceiling was too high up to get caught on fire. The demonic creature noticed the salt and the red cords, realizing that the two idiots in front of him were exorcists.

"It doesn't matter how much salt you put down, children." He stated, "As long as the contract exists, I shall stay forever."

The incubus considered the two little more than annoying pests to be ignored. He had been busy trying to corrupt and kill one of the visitors to the theater. These little idiots had gotten in his way and now he had to deal with them. Instead of throwing out more fire, he changed his tactic to just trying to strangle one of them. He raced towards Lanying with his claws out, ready to catch her throat in his hands.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 10:49 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Her suspicions were right. The circle revealed the entrance to the underground room that cost so much to make, and frankly the contents were what you expected from a mad cultist's den. While Mingyi was getting chills from the eerie and unnatural ambiance, Lanying simply let out a sigh. "Someone has been playing with supernatural forces again. I should be surprised, but after everything that's happened–I'm not." Haphazard rituals, ominous items left behind without proper containment. The unholy supernatural energies were rampant. For those who were no longer fully human like Lanying and Mingyi, this was much stronger than it would be to the average spiritually sensitive person. She waved her hand as if to fan off invisible fumes, making a face. "This place is a mess. What else is down here?" 

Mingyi shrugged his shoulders as he wandered around, then saw a sight that made him freeze in his tracks. He nearly tripped over some of the occultist junk that was left lying around, causing the exorcist to come over to see what was up. Raising a hand, he pointed a shaking finger at the glass casket and its occupant. "Is…is that–" Lanying let out a whistle, putting her hands on her hips. "Looks like we found Mrs. Lilith." "WAIT, YOU MEAN–" "Yup." "SO THAT'S–?!" She gave a knowing nod, to which Mingyi began to have a minor meltdown. In all his years of his life, he had never seen a corpse–let alone one that was practically a pile of bones. Lanying was simply disappointed. "Sometimes I wish I were wrong more often when I suspect an unburied body."

Walking over to inspect the glass casket, she noted that the flowers and items directly around it were new. There was a scroll on a pedestal here as well, but when she tried to touch it she felt something block her way. "Warding spells… Interesting. Better not mess with it until we secure the place first. Mingyi–let's get salting!" There was still some salt left and some cords. The chamber was very large, so she had to be careful with how much she spread. She decided to at least protect the staircase leading up and to apply proper containment on the evil artifacts. They could clean the rest up once the main problem was resolved. "Alright, let's start checking if our culprit is home. Now what's the best way to get someone's attention?" Her eyes lit up and immediately Mingyi knew this wouldn't be good.

"Oh, I know!" She went over to the casket and looked at the offerings, then batted the flowers away like a cat. Mingyi was panicking as she was sending the carefully placed items to the floor, making a mess.  

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 9:52 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

The second the amulet was placed in the eye, a click could be heard from underneath the floor. The circle moved downwards the slide to the side underneath the floor, revealing a spiral staircase going downwards into the darkness of the room below. Every step they made was echoing and the moment they reached the bottom of the stairs, the torches along the walls of the room lit up automatically, as if by some unseen magic. The room was the size of the entire theater without a single wall or door to make any smaller rooms. It was just one giant room. Around the edges of the left wall was an enormous bookshelf filled with books over succubus, demons, summoning, black magic, and a series of other books related to the subject.

On the right side was a series of chests and materials. There were candles, old vials of blood, voodoo dolls, knives, chains, red paint to draw pentagrams, and everything that one would think of when trying to summon a demon. There were even piles of cursed and black magic artifacts, all having to do with summoning in some form. The walls were covered in six six six and a variety of other unlucky or satanic related phrases. It almost looked like somebody was desperately trying anything they could think of summoning. But everything in the room was covered in dust, showing the lack of usage over the years. Some of the artifacts were broken while the books in the bookshelf were rotting away.

In the back of the room was a glass casket with a skeleton inside. The skeleton wore a black gown and clutched an envelope in its skeleton hands. The glass casket was surrounded by fresh flowers and little chocolate treats. These had no dust on them and were placed recently. In the center of the room was a pedestal with a scroll tied in a red ribbon. But there was also a demonic protection spell cast on both the pedestal and the casket.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 9:33 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

With that dynamic entrance, they were greeted by–nothing. Well nothing alive, that was for sure. The main office was well-kept, and not out of place considering how the rest of the concert hall was decorated. It was nice, fancy, even cozy. Except for the rather ominous looking painting hanging above the fireplace. Before they went too far into examining the furnishings, Lanying finished up salting the interior. Mingyi couldn't help but imagine the late Mister Edward turning in his grave upon their act of desecration, ironically with purified salt. They had to be thorough with their barrier placement lest they unleash something upon the unsuspecting patrons and employees. Ciara was powerful, but she could only handle protecting so many people at once. 

After a 'friendly' reminder from Mingyi not to touch anything, Lanying walked around the office with her hands behind her back to resist the urge to pick up the nearest thing that caught her eye. She studied the personal belongings of the first owner of the Celeste Concert Hall, eyes glossing over the spines of books. Reading aside, it was a good way to get a feel for what the late Lilith was like. "Nobody's sat on the couch since it was locked up. Nobody's used the place, but they could have just hung around without moving stuff." Then it was time to address the magic circle in the room. You couldn't miss it–unless you were blind. It stuck out like a sore thumb in an otherwise artistic and fashionable office. And boy did it look incredibly suspicious…

Mingyi was observing the painting of Lilith, noting the strange obscured figure behind her. He averted his eyes, feeling goosebumps on his skin. Something about that figure didn't sit right with him. Lanying noticed the painting too, and wondered if that person was the reason for the divorce. "There's a necklace of some sort here. Do you think it's significant?" The young man asked. The exorcist came over and then looked at the circle of bejeweled masks on the floor. "Huh. I think you're right. What's weird is it almost looks like it matches the whole theme going on. You don't just leave convenient clues lying around." Six masks, with only one that didn't have all of its eyes. The yellow amulet was similar to the gem in the incomplete face.

Pulling up her sleeves, she carefully picked up the amulet and brought it over to the circle. "I bet this goes here. And I bet two plates of pork chive dumplings that we'll figure out where the secret underground room is very soon." She used the amulet in place of the missing eye and stepped back to see if anything would happen. 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 8:21 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Ciara chose to let the both of them handle the demon and whatever it was. She trusted the both of them to be able to handle whatever came their way. They had shown remarkable talent in their music and she trusted they would succeed with this supernatural issue. Besides, somebody needed to guard the rest of the theater and investigate any strange happenings in case they came around. So she chose to stay in the main theater with Candice and the rest of the workers to keep an eye on them. If they left her sight for even a moment, she would know.

The main office was incredibly clean and pretty. A brown desk rested near the windows with a sparkling yellow amulet that somebody had left a long time ago. There was a lit fireplace with a painting above showing an image of Lilith and a mysterious man half in shadows behind her, only revealing his smile. In the right corner of the room was a bookshelf with old books containing topics of singing, architecture, fairytales, and a variety of other topics. There was a blue sofa on the left side of the room that looked old but seemed to have been untouched for a very long time.

The strangest thing was a circle in the center of the room on the floor. It was a part of the floor's design apparently. The circle was in gold and had little masks carved in the wood. Each mask had two little gems in its eyes. The first mask had red eyes, the second blue, the third green, the fourth purple, the fifth orange, and the sixth had one eye missing. The other eye that remained was a yellow gem. The entire circle looked like it could be moved but seemed to be locked in some strange way.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 8:00 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Sometimes those who are desperate or ambitious turn to making deals with beings beyond their understanding to obtain what they want. But these 'gifts' always come with a great price. Lanying had been lucky that the enchanted instrument which possessed her wasn't like that, but mutual relationships like hers were an exception. She let Ciara do the talking this time, and now the exorcist could smell the blood too. It was impossible to strain your throat so much to the point it would bleed after one performance. Maybe after several long years of abuse. Knowing that all of Lilith's female descendants who owned the concert hall shared the same condition basically confirmed their suspicions. Lanying regretted asking Candice to sing. If she knew it would lead to this, she would have tried a different way to test things out.

Giving the fairy woman a nod, the exorcist and her companion left to gather the rest of the purified salt and cords that hadn't been used. It was time to open the main office. There was no time to waste–salt was poured before the threshold and cords lined the hallway walls. After plastering the door with warding talismans, Lanying held her breath as she inserted the key Ciara had swiped earlier. It turned easily in the lock, and she was hesitant to push the door open. For six generations the women of this family suffered because of one woman's actions; she would make sure that this 'family tradition' would be discontinued. "On the count of three, get ready." She said to Mingyi. She began to count down. "One…two…" She turned the knob and swiftly kicked the door, making it swing wide open.

The thick line of coarse salt was completely undisturbed as the two stepped over into the Main Office that Edward had sealed off all these years. It was showtime.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 7:04 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Ciara saw her suggestion had opened up Lanying's mind to new possibilities. After all, there was never a guarantee this place was just haunted. All they knew was that mysterious things were occurring. Mingyi returned with the news that there was the smell of fresh blood near Miss Candice after the performance, confirming one of the suspicions in Ciara's mind.

Miss Candice could hear Mingyi but coughed before she could respond properly. After her coughing fit finished, she opened the changing room door and stepped out towards Mingyi, Lanying, and Ciara. She had cleaned off any blood and any sign that she was coughing but she obviously looked drained. She sat on a chair and smiled at the both of them in an apologetic manner.

"Sorry for scaring you both. I always go into a coughing fit after singing. My doctor said I was straining my throat too much." Candice explained.

"I assume that your mother had the same issue. And her mother before her?" Ciara asked.

"Why yes. But how-"

"I'm very good at guessing," Ciara explained.

The fae woman still had questions in her mind but she chose against asking them. She turned to Minying and Lanying with a confident smile and moved them a little bit away from Candice. Then she said in a hushed whisper,

"I would say to go into the office and see if you can find anything. Bring everything you have to prepare for this thing in case it happens to be in there." She suggested.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 6:17 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Mingyi went to check on Candice while Lanying and Ciara continued the conversation. Unfortunately, Ciara had a point. "The singing was beautiful, but it was almost…what's the word? 'Bewitching'." The enchanted jade lute that possessed her as a child had been kept suppressed under seals due to having a similar ability. Laying all the facts on the table, it was clear that the owners of the Celeste Concert Hall had some sort of supernatural ability tied with their singing. But was this trait inherited, or had it been obtained through other means? When the young man found Candice, his heightened senses detected the scent of fresh blood. Alarmed, he knocked on the changing room's door with concern. "Miss Candice, are you alright?" He didn't want to enter uninvited, but since the matter was related to her family he was worried for her sake.

Lanying's face went pale after Ciara reinterpreted what they found. "If what you're saying is true, then we've got an even bigger problem. This isn't a haunting anymore; this is a case of supernatural solicitation." She recalled stories of families in more superstitious areas performing yearly rituals to invite supernatural entities into their homes to act as spiritual guardians. It was a transaction, leaning heavily in the entity's favor. Generation after generation, individuals from the family or village would perform the same rites to appease the being in exchange for blessings. And if those demands weren't fulfilled…well let's just say that supernatural entities have a reputation for punishing those who reneged on their deals. "That explains why none of the wards were disturbed. Either its movements are restricted, or it's in a place where we didn't touch yet." That left two places: the Main Office and the secret underground room. Mingyi returned in a hurry and it was clear there was bad news. "Something's wrong with Miss Candice! When I went to check on her as you requested, I could smell fresh blood." 

"An injury after singing on stage? That's not a good sign." The exorcist muttered. "The charm I gave her isn't that powerful, it's only designed to repel things from getting too close to the person." This couldn't be a coincidence. It made her uneasy, but Lanying had a feeling she could make an educated guess on why there was a demon here. "…I think I know what that underground room Lilith had built was for. Somebody might have summoned something and made a deal." She honestly hoped she'd be proven wrong.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 1:51 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Ciara waited until the performance was over then motioned for both Lanying and Mingyi to head to one of the rooms privately to speak with her.

"I'm not an expert on demons. But there is something strange about that performance." She admitted, "Mingyi, you should go check up on Candice. If she seemed to be feeling uncomfortable, uneasy, queasy, or any health issues you need to tell us immediately. We will wait for you and go over what we know so far."

Ciara decided to send Mingyi over Lanying because he'd proven to have more tact in these kinds of situations. While he went to check up on Candice, she decided to go over the information with Lanying.

"First we need to throw out all our previous assumptions." Ciara stated, "What we do know is this. Lilith built the theater with my money and made a hidden underground room that isn't on any maps. She was a singer at the hall and she had a loveless marriage with Edward. They later split up due to her having an affair. Then after her death, Edward locked up her office and never allowed anybody inside. No one has been in there since. From then on the concert hall has been profitable and every Lady of the Hall has performed on stage, with the exception of Candice until today. With the exception of today, there have been nightmares and disasters."

She summarized the information than thought deeply about what it might mean. Then another idea hit her.

"What if…..what if the supernatural entity wasn't bound to this place?" Ciara suggested, "What if it could go outside the theater? What if the theater was less like confinement and more like a home?"

Meanwhile, Candice had retreated to one of the changing rooms. She had a napkin out and was roughly coughing up blood. This was why she always hated singing so much. The moment on stage was beautiful and she felt like she was the center of the world. But afterwards, she felt sick to her stomach and extremely drained. She never understood how her mother dealt with such conditions or tolerated the stupid stage. It was fine when other performers were shining but when she was on it, the whole thing felt like hell. The only reason she stepped on that damned stage was to get rid of the stupid supernatural creature that had been plaguing her theater for so long. She had to get this place fixed if she was ever going to run it properly.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 1:34 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

With bated breath, Lanying and Mingyi waited until it was the day for Candice to perform. As the two and Ciara watched the concert hall owner's performance, even the exorcist couldn't deny she was a one-of-a-kind talent in the world. Candice made it look effortless while Mingyi knew the best singers toiled for years just to reach a similar level of aptitude. But instead of enjoying the performance, Lanying knitted her eyebrows. She couldn't put her finger on it, but her intuition was screaming that something was very wrong. She began to worry. "I think…I may have made a mistake." Normally the exorcist was the type to laugh it off, but the fact she was looking on edge was significant. Was there something she had overlooked? "Ciara, nothing strange has happened in the past few days right?" Now that was the strange part. 

"Maybe I should've taken a look at the broken chandelier when we first arrived here." Once the performance was over, she needed to discuss things with Ciara and Mingyi. All this time she had thought the culprit had been trying to drive the concert hall to ruin by harassing the performers. What if their objective was something else? If so, then that would mean she might've played right into their hands. They still haven't investigated the office. Now was a good time as any for all three of them to have a look. Ciara was older and wiser than both of them put together–if there was something going on, she'd notice too. There was no telling who or what they were dealing with. 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 1:20 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

"No idea! I assumed it was for wine." Ciara admitted.

Some of the performers and workers were confused by Lanying's red cords and depictions of monkeys but they accepted it as part of getting rid of the supernatural creatures. Though, Mrs Goldie had been sent home in fear the supernatural entity might hurt the elderly. Candice happened to walk towards Lanying and Mingyi. She stared at the red cords and monkies with confusion. But she decided against saying anything.

"I heard you needed to speak with me?" Candice asked.

She listened to their explanation and request then let out a small sigh.

"Do you think this will defeat whatever is causing this?" Candice asked, "Fine. Then I'll perform tomorrow night. The actual performance is in three days but I don't want to involve myself in their performance. That is for the actual musicians. If it's as you say, then whoever or whatever is causing us mayhem will be there as long as I perform sometime, right?"

Once she got her answer from the two of them, she turned to talk to Ciara about a mini-performance for tomorrow. They both talked it through and decided to use this extra performance as a form of advertisement. On the night of the performance, they had announced Candice's performance to the rest of the theater but did little else in advertisements. Candice, dressed in a simple blue gown and with her hair up in a fancy braid, stood on stage and began singing. To Ciara's surprise, her voice was strong and heavenly. There was a warmth in her voice as she sang that would bring people from outside the theater in. Ciara's eyes narrowed as she listened to the song and as people poured into the seats of the theater. Ciara left the balcony seat she had been provided and went to find Lanying and Mingyi. Once she found them, she pointed back towards the stage.

"She isn't singing from her diaphragm." The fae woman pointed out, "Even basic singers understand that rule."

The other thing that drew her suspicion was the fact that the previously empty seats had filled with people. These people were wealthy-looking merchants, nobles, famous painters, knights, officers but not a single farmer or commoner. Every single person's eyes were drawn to the stage as if they were physically unable to look away. Yet the performance continued without being disturbed. There were no disturbances, nightmares, strange sights, or even the oddest of sounds. The ropes and the salts remained undisturbed. Now Ciara's own interest had been increased.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sun Aug 1, 2021 12:19 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Lanying's enthusiasm suddenly stopped when Ciara mentioned that Edward wouldn't have cared if she cheated on him–like he didn't love her at all. She was shocked. "Wait, what?" Then Ciara mentioned there was a room that wasn't on the map, a room that was underground. "What kind of room was it–the one that was underground?" While Mingyi wasn't sure what was going on, he could tell the exorcist was feeling uneasy. They received the key to the office, and neither of them said a word. Lanying regained her composure, then turned to her companion as she hastily stuffed the key into her clothes. "There's no time to lose! Let's get the cords and salt. We need to hurry!" Now that she knew there was an underground room, this changed everything. Forget the chandelier and supernatural harassment, this was definitely bad news! "I don't know why somebody would need a room underground, but unless it's for storing wine–it can't be for anything good." 

The two began to enter the rooms that they had access to without needing a key, starting with the rooms where the phenomena was sighted. Lanying shoved her hand into the sack of coarse salt and began to sprinkle a thick border around the perimeter of each room. Once the salt was laid out, she would then mutter a series of chants to imbue it with spiritual energy. By transforming the ordinary salt using this ritual, she essentially laid down a physical barrier that would impede malicious supernatural beings from passing through. Next, the red cords. Lanying and Mingyi began to string up several lines of cord along the sides of the halls. The rooms were lined with salt, but hallway foot traffic might cause the salt barriers to disturbed. It was a very time-consuming task, as once the cords were hung up–they needed to add warding talismans. 

She had a stack of paper and ink ready, and the exorcist began to painstakingly draw out the pattern. When she was done, she showed the example to her companion. "Alright Mingyi, this is very important. I need you to copy what I've drawn here exactly down to the letter. Draw as many as you can, and then start attaching them to the cords." Mingyi nodded out of habit, then stopped when he saw what she had drawn. "…Are you sure these are the right symbols?" Her head bobbed up and down with a straight face. "Yep. Why? What's wrong?" The more he stared at it, the more he found himself doubting it. "No, no…it's just I was expecting something a little more–well, mystical?" The design he was told to copy was a picture of four monkeys. One covered its eyes, the next covered its ears, the third covered its mouth, and the last one had its arms in an X-shape as if saying no.

With a sigh, he took a pen and empty slip of paper. "Why monkeys?" Lanying replied as she took out a fresh piece of paper with the quill tucked behind her ear. "Ancient exorcist tradition." Once they had enough of the monkey drawings, they were attacked to the cords hanging along the hallway walls. They were exhausted, but they knew their work had just begun. "Let's go find Candice. I need to ask for a favor from her." She had a sneaking suspicion about what was going on, and hopefully her guess was on the mark. For the past generations the owner of the concert hall would perform in the theater. Candice was the only exception. The strange happenings had to be connected somehow, along with the significance of the number six. If she could have Candice pretend that she was going to perform or at least give out an announcement, maybe that might lure out whoever was behind all of this.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:48 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Meanwhile, Ciara had been busy with getting the decorations set on the stage for each act and running the rehearsals while Candice worked with the custodians on cleaning the theater. When Lanying and Mingyi approached her with news on what they had learned, she shook her head with a smile, indicating that they shouldn't speak here. She swiftly took them both outside near the ticket stand, knowing there would be fewer eyes and ears listening to their conversation.

"Now let's speak. You had something you wanted to tell me?" Ciara asked.

The fae woman listened silently as Lanying told her what they had learned. The information about the breakup between Lilith and Edward visibly surprised her.

"Edward was the type of person who wouldn't care if his wife was cheating. They were never in love, that much I could see." Ciara commented.

There was something else in the back of her mind that was bothering her about the old map she had taken a peek at. Her memory wasn't the best. Suddenly, she widened her eyes in realization and slapped her forehead.

"Oh, I'm an idiot!" She exclaimed before turning to Lanying and Mingyi with a smile, "That old map, the problem with it was the fact there were no underground rooms. I remember talking with Lilith about the price of the concert hall. There was one room that would've been more expensive than the rest. I asked why it would be more expensive and she explained that it would be made underground."

Ciara pulled a key out from her pocket and handed it to Lanying with a smirk.

"While I was doing my work I managed to swipe the key to the office. It was in a glass box with a do not touch sign. Technically I used my magic and never touched the case." The fae woman shrugged, "If anybody asks, Candice said it was okay. I have a feeling she won't object to that. Go have a look in that office. Something tells me it'll tell you what you need to know before the performance. And carefully look at the floor."

She had a sneaking suspicion of something but she didn't want to say anything too soon. Instead, Ciara gave them both a smile and walked back indoors to continue the rehearsals.

The Office was old, practically ancient, and had a clean desk near the freshly dusted windows with an amulet with one yellow gem in the center. The curtains were a bright shade of red and the floors never creaked. The books on the shelf were organized while the fireplace had an evergoing fire. Above the fireplace was a painting of Lilith, and somebody behind her. A man half-hidden in the shadows with only his smile revealed. In the center of the room was a circle on the floor. The circle had six masks with little gems in their eyes. Except for one mask towards the top that had a frowning, almost terrified face. It had one yellow gem in one eye while missing a gem in the other.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 10:49 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Mrs. Goldie and her fur baby were resting comfortably in the break room, fortunately in good health. The young woman wasted no time in presenting the decorative knot bracelet to her, when the lady requested they close the door behind them out of courtesy. "Oh!" As Lanying looked over her shoulder, Mingyi went to close it. The exorcist explained she wanted to hear what she knew about the Celeste Concert Hall and most importantly, about Lilith. Upon revealing a rather saucy pamphlet hidden in the innocent-looking family book, Lanying was completely clueless as to what it was about since she couldn't read. Her companion on the other hand was not so lucky. For once he envied the fact she didn't know what it said. There was an awkward moment as he tried to not think about Mrs. Goldie's justifications about why that sort of reading material was in her possession, and he was eager to move on.

Both of them listened attentively as the elderly lady gave them some interesting bits of information. First of all, she was adopted into the family. But more importantly, the Mister and Missus of the concert hall had a marital falling out. Having told her side of the facts, the old lady then implied that the two should tie the knot themselves, making Minygi's face flush red for a moment. "Oh, you! Have a good one Mrs. Goldie! Thanks for chatting with us!" She waved at the lady as she left the room, and at the cat too. Afterwards she paced the break room with a thoughtful look. "I wonder why he locked the office after her death." Lanying mused aloud. "Seems a bit strange to do so after that divorce." 

"Maybe Mr. Edward still held feelings for his late ex-wife?" Mingyi said. "Maybe… But it's still pretty weird, especially after he accused her of cheating. Normally when people believe they were cheated on, they wouldn't want anything to do with the ex-lover. Sometimes they'd even throw all of their things out in anger." Lanying pointed out. "That office is looking more suspicious by the minute." Now that they had some personal information about the first owners, it was time to meet with Ciara. As the exorcist turned on her heel, her companion quickly followed. "Wait–where are you going? I know it might seem strange, but we can't just barge in and violate the late Mr. Edward's final wishes!" The dark-haired woman turned around with a puzzled expression. "Mingyi, what are you talking about? We're going to see Ciara of course! She might have some stuff for us to do before it's our turn to perform!" Though she didn't enjoy teasing him like this, she understood what he was getting at. Their last and final source of information was none other than their guild master herself.

Once they found the fairy woman, Lanying waved as she rushed over. "Miss Ciara–you won't believe what we just heard!" She wasn't sure if Ciara knew about what happened between the first owners of the concert hall, but it was a good way to start off on what they had found out.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:45 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Candice took the bracelet with an uneasy smile then nodded to Lanying. Then she was handed more copies and a look of stress appeared on her face.

"Will everybody need protection? Is it that serious?" She asked with a concerned look as she quickly placed the extras on the nearby table to sort out later.

Once Lanying told her it was to be handed out to all of the singers and workers, she nodded diligently. When they left her, she raced off as quickly as possible to bring everybody to get one of the bracelets.

Meanwhile, in the break room, an old woman with curly white hair and brown eyes looked up from her knitting. The break room was simple, a medium-sized room with some tables and a counter in the right side corner for food or water whenever the performers needed it. On the old woman' lap was a sleeping brown tabby cat who was purring and occasionally pawing at the orange knitted sock the old woman was making.

"Eh? A gift? Well, come on in dear!" The old woman insisted, "And close the door behind you. I don't want a draft in here. Now, what did you two dears need?"

She listened and more importantly received the gift then paused for a moment. Then she gently placed her work down and her cat as well, who complained loudly at the removal.

"Oh hush up Dixie! These young folks want to learn some history and I'm not about to deprive them of knowledge!" Mrs. Goldie insisted as she went through her large bag next to her chair.

She managed to pull out an old family book that was covered in a leather binding with decorated flowers. As she opened the book, a pamphlet that read -Strong elderly men in YOUR area-. Mrs. Goldie quickly picked up the pamphlet and shoved it in her bag.

"Oh that's something me and the girls are going to later. Don't tell Candice, she says I'm too old to ogle men. Bah! What does she know?" Mrs. Goldie declared as she went through the pages of the book, "You know it's funny. I know more about this bloodline more than my own. I was adopted you see. Ah, here it is. The golden days of the concert hall. People from all over the city would come and see our performances. Not the same now. Though I have to admit it was always the concert hall owners who drew in the people. They would stay for everyone else of course but they always came to see the lady of the hall. We never had complaints back then, not like the way we do today."

Mrs Goldie paused for a moment as if remembering something.

"Well, there were the occasional complaints of the hall bringing nightmares or misfortune after people left but those complaints were always from the rich or powerful folk. I think they were just trying to find a way to sue us. Most people never were bothered after visiting. Anyways the oldest creator was Lilith, as you know, and then it went down the line until Candice. Lilith was married to a man named Edward and they were married happily. Until the divorce that is. It's the same old story as most divorces. Edward accused Lilith of having an affair and then the couple split. Like a banana split!"

The thought of a banana split had entered Goldie's mind and completely distracted her from what they were talking about. She sighed and placed the book down on her chair as she stood up.

"Well Dixie. Lets go get a banana split." She said before looking back to the two youngsters, "Thanks for paying a visit and giving the gift. Oh and you two should get married already! Youngsters these days. When I was young we got married at first sight. Or whenever our fathers arranged it."

The old Mrs. Goldie walked off with the brown tabby cat following her as she muttered about marriages and youngsters these days.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:57 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Lanying and Mingyi studied the map carefully, albeit for different reasons. There was an interesting pattern on which rooms had the sightings and their location. "So the only places where nobody saw anything were the main office, storage room, and the minor theater."  The exorcist muttered to herself, rubbing her chin. All of the previous owners of the Celeste Concert Hall had taken an active role in performing, save for Candice. Lanying didn't feel it was a coincidence that the strange happenings didn't start until now. Fortunately they could ask someone about the first owner, Candice's great great great grandmother. Mentioning Ciara also reminded Lanying she needed to ask her a few things too. "Perfect! Looks like we've go a lot of work to do. Oh, before you go–please wear this!" Lanying fished out a lovely decorative knot bracelet and handed it to Candice. "Fasten it to your wrist, and keep it on for the rest of the night."

She then took out more copies of the trinket and pushed the handful at Candice. "It's not much, but think of it as a goodwill present from me to everybody here! Hand this to all of the singers and people who work here, and make sure they wear them. I read somewhere that these bring good luck." Mingyi raised an eyebrow at that. Anyone who knew the exorcist personally would note that Lanying reading anything was a rarity in of itself. "Alright, let's go see Mrs. Goldie! We should pay our respects to the elders and hand them a gift too." She winked at her companion. It took him a few seconds to catch on, but Mingyi played along with her act. "Hm–oh! Yes, you're right. Thank you for showing us the map and telling us more about the history of your family and the hall Miss Candice." With a polite bow, the young man was then pulled away by his friend towards the break room.

There must be some reason why Lanying was intentionally hiding the fact the corded knots were warding charms. When it was just the two of them, he leaned over to whisper. "When did you make all of these?" Lanying continued to walk briskly, a smile on her face. "A little here, a little there. Sometimes I get bored in between studying and practice." When the arrived at the break room, Lanying knocked loudly before opening the door. "Hello~ Is a Mrs. Goldie here? Your grand niece told us you were here today. We brought you a gift!" 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:20 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

"Well, I can get us the map. Then I can tell you everything I know!" Candice agreed.

She left for a moment then returned with a worn and withered map of the concert hall. The concert had a large reception room, a major theater/performance area with two minor theaters and a practice room, a changing room, a storage room, the main office, and the break room. Every place that showed signs had been circled. The practice room, changing rooms, break room, reception, and the major theater had the most visible reactions. But the storage room and the other minor theater had no interactions. Each 4 rooms circled around the major theater.

"The main office is locked. It's been locked ever since Lilith, the first owner, died." Candice explained, "Her husband locked it after she died, out of grief I suppose. Her daughter never felt like opening it up apparently and it's kind of been a tradition to leave it alone ever since."

Candice then gave them a short description of the family that she knew of. She described her grandmother, mother, great grandmother and that was as far as she could go from personal memory or the stories they told. Every single one of them was a wealthy owner of the hall and always had the hall packed with people. Each one of them could perform with some enchanting song and bring in famous or powerful people from around the world. In fact, it was a tradition for the head of the hall to be a singer as well. It was only Candice who changed up that tradition by refusing to perform. As for any strange occurrences, it only happened recently.

"I don't know as much about Lilith but you might want to ask my great aunt Goldie. She's known the hall for the longest and knows more about its history. You also might want to ask Miss Ciara, since she was the one who helped fund the place when it was first made." Candice suggested, "You'll find her knitting in the break room."

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:26 AM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Lanying nodded her head as she listened to the concert hall owner. "I see, I see. Having the number six present three times in a row is considered an extremely inauspicious omen in other lands." While her street urchin background meant she was practically illiterate, when it came to subjects related to exorcism–she was quite knowledgeable. Mingyi and the exorcist followed Candice into the main entrance room, their attention immediately drawn to the chandelier. The young man marveled at the sheer size and the cost that must've been paid in order to commission it, while Lanying was noting the fresco on the ceiling. The fact something so heavy was staying aloft so high up was a miracle in of itself. The following account of the hall's string of strange phenomena began to form an unsettling pattern, almost ending with someone getting killed by one of the sparkling chandeliers.

The theater was lovely, and it was clear there was a celestial theme going on. The architecture of the room and the arrangement of the seats would ensure everyone could have the same experience no matter where they sat. The exorcist and her companion naturally were interested in the large box containing the remains of the chandelier that nearly took the life of a performer. It was an instrument of attempted murder and might have some traces left from the perpetrator, hopefully. As Candice finished her summary of the Celeste Concert Hall's events, Lanying made a face at the mention of apparitions and mirrors. "I might not be an expert on foreign supernatural entities, but I'm pretty sure an 'angel of music' wouldn't try and commit murder." 

An important detail Candice mentioned was that this concert hall had a very long history, so very long that the exorcist had lost count after the second 'great' before 'grandmother'. She began counting on her fingers in an attempt to keep track of how many generations they were talking about. Her eyes lit up as if she had an epiphany, taking a few moments to rein in all the thoughts running around in her head at once. "Six! The key is the number six!" Lanying began to make wild gestures. Mingyi was completely lost. "Six, what about it?" The dark-haired woman grabbed her companion by the shoulders, causing him to stiffen and his ears to go slightly red.

"It's a sign–a clue to what's causing this! Numerology is a very obscure and ancient practice of divination that correlates number with coinciding events. It's present in almost every culture, though typically in the form of superstitions like lucky numbers and unlucky ones. But more importantly–the repeated use of this number means this is no coincidence. Candice is the sixth generation to own this hall, and the timing of these strange events happen to fall on that number too. There's something fishy going on here, and it's no accident."

Letting go of her friend, Lanying went over to Candice with beaming eyes. "Miss Candice, I need you to tell me everything you know about your family and this concert hall. Also I need a map of this entire building marked with the places where people saw or experienced something supernatural." Looking the hall owner straight in the eyes, she said: "This is something that only you can do. I'll do everything I can to save this concert hall, I promise!" Once they had a floor plan of the Celeste Concert Hall and some background information on Candice's ancestors, it was time to investigate those places and the broken chandelier. 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:51 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

"Yes of course!" Candice said, regaining her composure, "It started about six months ago on the sixth day at six pm. Or at least that's when we first noticed something was wrong." 

She showed them through the main entrance room. It was a grand room with a painted ceiling to replicate the sun and clouds during a partially sunny day. In the center was a golden chandelier with tiny little crystals attached to the bottom of the light. The floor was covered in decorated tiles while the edge of the room had red pillars holding up a balcony that looked over the entrance room. There was plenty of space for a crowd of people to spend time talking and buying tickets before entering the main theater. 

"We realized Alice, one of our performers, had received several scratches on her back after performing." Candice explained, "Her performance only involved piano but we wondered if she received it beforehand so we did nothing. And then a few of our performers began having nightmares about dying in the concert hall. Then one of our chandeliers almost dropped on a singer while she was performing. It missed her luckily." 

As she was speaking, Candice showed them to the main theater. It was massive with a fancy rug as a floor. The walls were decorated to look like the night sky with a thousand dazzling stars and two beautiful moons. The doors to the theater were grand and the area before the stage was covered in chairs for an audience. The stage itself was made to let everyone hear the music and had more than enough embellishments surrounding the edge. A large box was shoved in the back of the stage with the mentioned broken chandelier. 

"People have also been seeing things in mirrors and on the stage. Some say its an angel of music while others claim it was some sort of monster. So, can you help us?" Candice asked turning to the both of them, "I'd hate to have this theater shut down. We aren't doing as well as we'd like, financially speaking. The theater has been in my family for generations but over time the building has worn down. If people hear we have supernatural problems, well I think that just might shut us down for good." 

A deep sadness showed in Candice's eyes as she spoke about the concert hall. The hall owner knew that everything would come to an end eventually but she wanted to keep the hall going for as long as possible.

"I could remember when I pretended to dance through these rooms and sing on the stage as a little girl." She mentioned in passing, "The hall used to be filled to the brim with music, people laughing and crowding around to hear whatever new song was made by the best of the best. The costumes, the lights, and the music. It really made this place seem so magical." 

She placed her hand on one of the walls, as if she was remembering how they felt when she was little. 

"I knew Ciara wouldn't want to see this place go to waste either, considering she helped my great great great grandmother when the hall was first being built. Practically funded the entire construction project." Candice said, "Sorry, I'm getting off track. Did you need to know anything else?" 

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:03 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Naturally most people would have questions as to why she needed two seemingly unrelated items. Lanying saw Ciara's confusion and quickly explained. "No no, it's to make spiritual barriers to restrict movements. I'll need to purify the salt and consecrate the cords before they can be used. Purified salt is harder to come by in large amounts, however I can make it with the right procedures. The cords will have wards hanging off of them in case it's a demon we're dealing with. The salt will be used to restrict access and create safe areas if the cause is an earthbound spirit." As Ciara arranged for the salt and cords to be brought over, Lanying and Mingyi packed up their instruments and additional materials needed for the exorcism. Most of it was paper and ink, to create the warding talismans. When everything was ready, the fairy woman activated a strange device which led them directly to the concert hall. Lanying watched the portal open with great interest, taking note at what Ciara said about how it could be used.   

The concert hall was incredible, just as luxurious and upscale as the guild itself! She could feel the creative atmosphere looking at the almost life-like statues decorating the perimeter. Mingyi noted the hall had seen better days, as the statues were damaged and noticeable wear was present. Utmost care had been spent to ensure the interior was maintained however. As they trailed after Ciara, they were met by a rather flustered woman who the fairy had to stop before she got too carried away. Lanying and Mingyi exchanged glances as they were welcomed by Candice, and Lanying shook her hand. "I'm Lanying and this is my assistant, Mingyi. It's great to be here! This is the first time we've performed in a real high-class establishment." Mingyi gave a polite bow in turn. The fancy tea houses were just country inns compared to this.

While they walked, Lanying took the lead in asking a few questions. Mingyi was observing their surroundings for anything his companion might overlook to bring up later. "So I heard you've been having some unusual phenomena around here. Do you know when they started? It'll help if we can work backwards to see what caused this." The exorcist assumed Candice would mention details on the strange happenings as they talked. 

Author: Ciara, Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:56 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

"I haven't responded yet so I'll send them a letter back saying we'll try to deal with the issue." Ciara said agreeing with Lanying's caution.

Then her artist mentioned salt and several yards of red cord. She already stated that seducing and having fun times with any apparent supernatural creature was not what they wanted to do. Besides, Lanying wasn't that type of person. In her mind, there was only one other explanation for all that salt and that made her even more confused.

"Are you going to eat the supernatural entity if we find any?" The fae woman asked with confusion.

Then Lanying explained what they might use it for. That made more sense to Ciara since she knew eating a ghost would be difficult and eating a demon was just a bad idea. Demons tasted like rotten meat and no amount of salt would help with that. Ciara waved over one of the musician rookies and asked them to bring some salt from the kitchen and some red cords from the material rooms.

"Since we are bringing these materials, I would suggest we use a portal for travel." Ciara stated.

She then gave them some time to themselves to prepare for the journey. A half hour later, the salt and cords were in a bag in the courtyard. Ciara had changed into a dazzling red gown with black heels and a black choker. Her hair was down and wavy while her makeup was on point. Once Lanying and Mingyi arrived in the courtyard, she held her hand over a stone circle on the ground with a golden orb in the stone. The orb glowed for a moment then suddenly a golden portal opened up, leading them to Iria and the concert hall.

"Recently installed portal." She explained, "Anybody can use it, even if they don't have magic."

With that, Ciara stepped through the protal and arrived in front of the concert hall. The Celeste Concert Hall was a grande building made up of marble and stone. Surrounding the entire building were monuments to bards and musicians of legend along with a few heroes. The stones were cracked and worn. The statues that once shined in its perfection were missing its hands, limbs, and sometimes even its head. Yet the building was clean and upkept as much as possible. New paint covered the walls while fresh carpet covered the floor. Ciara barely got through the doorways when a young pretty woman with brown hair and green eyes approached her.

"You must be Ciara. Oh its a wonder to meet you miss! I'm Candice and I'm so glad you're here. We've been having-" The young woman began before Ciara held up her hand to stop her.

"I know of your supernatural issue. I've brought two of my best musicians and exorcists to investigate the problem." She explained, "I would like you to answer all of their questions and do anything they ask. While you work with them, I'll help organize the rest of the musicians and ensure the performance goes well."

Candice's eyes were practically shining as she began thanking Ciara over and over again. Then the music hall owner turned to Lanying and Mingyi with admiration in her eyes.

"It's an honor to be working with you. Please follow me!" Candice practically exclaimed.

The young woman then lead the two further into the hall.

Author: Kinnara, Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:31 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

Things had been peaceful for the exorcist and her friend. The guild had become their home, and Lanying's unique musical style was appreciated here. When the guild master called for them, she was ecstatic. First, they were personally chosen to take part in a concert. The fact Ciara recommended them meant a lot to Lanying and Mingyi; and this was an opportunity for them to make a debut. Mingyi was a bit nervous, but he had a few compositions ready if they were going to perform together as a singular performance. The second reason they had been chosen then put things into perspective. Apparently the concert hall they would be visiting was plagued by peculiar problem of the supernatural variety. The female singers were being targeted, and the details implied some sort of malicious interference. 

Putting a hand to her chin, Lanying looked thoughtful. " I see, so that's the problem huh? I'll see what I can do, though I can't guarantee anything. Once we get there, we'll need to ask around to learn as much as we can about the supernatural phenomena. Sometimes people mistake the mundane for magic. But until we have a look, there's no way to be sure." The nightmares had her guess that it might be a vengeful spirit or a demon. Both were capable of disturbing people in their sleep, though ghosts normally weren't able to physically harm people unless under very specific circumstances. 

"Count us in!" Since Ciara was coming along, they had more hands to help in case of an emergency. "Before we go, I'll need some things: several yards of red cord and salt–a lot of it." As strange as it sounded, the exorcist had a reason for her odd request.

Author: Ciara, Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:12 PM, Post Subject: Curse of the Concert Hall [P][R]

A fascinating letter appeared on her desk that morning, delivered by some of the servants at the guild. The letter was from the Celeste Concert Hall in Iria. The letter was directed towards her and was from a woman she knew. Or from the family she knew. Generations of humans passed so quickly that she hardly noticed when a person's lifetime ought to be over. She opened the letter and read it. A grin formed on her face as she threw the letter aside and looked to the unfortunate person that had been assigned as her secretary. 

"Cancel all my appointments. I'll be busy for the rest of the day." Ciara explained as she jumped from her desk towards the door. 

"Mam you have no appointments." The secretary reminded her. 

"Oh. Well thats disappointing. I've never canceled appointments. Well I suppose we'll have to arrange that some other time darling. Maybe you'll be my next appointment?" She whispered in the man's ear before leaving. 

The man's face was a bright shade of red. Ciara loved having a secretary or two, they were so easy to tease. Her black heels clacked against the floor as she made her way down the hall to the living spaces. She stopped at one of the doors and gave it a quick but firm knock. Soon enough her favorite two artists Lan Ying and Mingyi answered the door. Ciara wasted no time in her explanation. 

"Darlings I think I've found the perfect job for you." The fae woman began, "There's a massive concert in Iria that will draw in many people. They have saved three spots for musicians of my choice. And… they've got a bit of a spiritual problem. All they know is some supernatural events are happening to their singers, specifically the women. The women singers have experienced nightmares, scratches on their bodies, and especially strange occurrences during their performances. If we don't solve this issue by the time of the concert, they'll likely have to shut down the hall."

She let out a small sigh as she remembered the rest of the letter. 

"Technically they asked for me to get rid of it. But I only know how to seduce supernatural. Not how to get rid of one." She explained, "But I figured you both will want a shot at it. I'll be coming along just to fill that third spot and to help out. The main supernatural issue will have to be handled by you two. So? What do you say?"