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 Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:46 am
[BLESSING OF THE GIFTED, THE WOODS]
A forest of gray awaited her. Solliette threw herself into the thicket. For a moment, their heavy boughs and branches offered temporary relief, but a glance behind her confirmed her fears: the girl was still following her.
"You killed me, Liselotte." She wailed. "You killed me and stole my Heart. You're such a terrible big sister. Do you know what happens to bad sisters?"
She didn't want to know. She kept running.
"Let's play a game, Lisel! We're going to play hide and seek!"
Solliette ran until the forest thinned, giving way to a long chasm, broken only by a bridge that was so unsteady it swayed in the wind. It clearly wasn't safe. But as she turned, she saw that the girl was peeking out from the trees, the scissors held up in one small hand. They snapped at the air while she smiled at the noise she made.
Solliette reared back, then turned to run. The bridge creaked in protest. It dipped precariously, and as she ran, it was shrieking in protest, but those screams were trampled by heavy thuds and the unmistakable snip-snip-snip of the scissors.
She suddenly felt cold air on her back. Something sharp pierced her waist.
"Found you."
It sank within her, plunging deep and deeper still, until it twisted, cutting away at the shadows that held her body together.
She wanted to scream, but a hand covered her mouth, small and little and digging knife-like nails into her face until it was twisted down to look the little girl in the eyes. Dead, glassy eyes, as white as the too-clean room. Looking at them seemed to paralyze her. She couldn't move. The girl smiled.
"Don't worry," She giggled. "It only hurts once."
Snip. Snip. Solliette felt pain. There was a sound ringing in her ears, fluttering like tiny wings beating to escape her head, and it rose to an unbearable pitch that made her sob against the tiny hand keeping her still. But then the second snip came, and the noise was gone.
It had taken more than that. Solliette felt empty. She hit the ground like a dead weight. The last thing she saw was the little girl, scissors in one hand, a bright red heart in the other. She turned to Solliette, smiled, and lifted it up to her mouth.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 8:47 am
[BLESSING OF THE GIFTED, THE SACRIFICE]
Solliette awoke gasping, her hands clawing at her chest. There it was again, that fluttering in her ears. For once, she was glad to hear it.
Impossibly, the dagger was still in her hand. She looked at the pedestals before her and knew immediately which one she had to offer it to. Solliette dropped the dagger on the prey pedestal.
Unfortunately, this time, the memories didn't quite go away.
"I know I didn't do very well last time." Solliette said, one hand pressed protectively over her chest. "I'm sorry. I'll make up for it, though, I promise."
The Blessing reached her like a comforting hand on her shoulder. A voice drifted past her ear, warm and indistinct. "Thank you." She sighed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 11:59 am
[DAY 3 TASK: BLESSING OF THE HOPEFUL]THIS IS JUST A PLACEHOLDER since Solliette didn't actually complete the task!Effects With this Blessing, you become aware of your own existence. Things begin to crack at the surface now, sometimes whole words and memories. It begins to shape a little more of who you are.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:00 pm
[BLESSING OF THE HOPEFUL, THE DISCOVERY]... but if she HAD, she would have chosen this:
You drink from the colourful tea pot, and the memory you immediately evoke is one of love. You feel cared for and ultimately at peace. You feel a warm, bubbling emotion that you almost can't describe, that makes your Heart beat a little too quickly, and wonderfully. You know, or some part of you, some part of you that clicks and connects, that this memory was, once, yours.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:06 pm
[THE FINAL TASK]Her whole body was empty. How was it that the emptiness ached? She had known what it felt like to have her Heart ripped from her -- but this, somehow, felt far worse. She had survived the last time. This, as her Heart fell from her grasp, was irrevocable.
That was alright. She was tired of it. In that moment, it would have been her greatest wish to see the world go up in red.
Final Task completed!
Zone obtained: Zone 1
Link to blessing: Sacrifice
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:13 pm
 [THE FINAL TASK, THE SACRIFICE]The moon was getting larger. She kept meaning to ask about that. Even now, as she entered the shrine not entirely sure what she had done the day before, she knew that she had yet to mention it. "Have you seen the moon lately?" She inquired as she neared the goddesses. No answer. Because these weren't quite the goddesses, not really; just statues. It had been awhile since she last saw them all together like this.
Though they didn't answer her, they spoke through the plaques below them. She bent down to get a better look. "So... this is it, huh?" She said. Her fingers lingered over the Goddess of Longing's words. We love you most. She smiled. "Love you too."
She stood, expecting to feel comforted, but there was a lingering feeling in her Heart that pulsed, white-hot, like a warning. Soon, she realized why. A door loomed not far from her, drawing her close. Etched into it were the words: Offer to us your Heart.
Her Heart raced faster, fearing for its existence. No! She thought frantically, remembering the pain, and worse, the emptiness that took its place. It was the only sacrifice she could remember. No. She had lost it once. She would not lose it again.
Solliette turned, looking for a way out. Her path had been utterly eroded by fog. The goddesses' words came back to her; this was the final task. There was no turning back...
Do not falter. You will not be forgotten.
She summoned up her courage and hoped that would be enough.
The next room was the same, yet not. The goddesses were much more colorful, but in different shades than she remembered. Solliette searched for their plaques, hoping to find more reassurance there, but they all said the same thing: Sacrifice yourself for us.
No. Solliette thought. No, I don't want to. I want to stay here. I want to stay here with all of these people and their pretty Hearts. I want to learn what they saw, I want to talk to them, I want to get to know them... I don't want to lose anymore.
It was as if the goddesses heard her. All at once, they returned the memories they had stolen. A smile, a giggle, candy, the smell of bread and butter, and a name: a name that slipped out of her grasp as soon as she reached for it. These things should not be hers, and yet they felt as if they belonged to her and always had.
The ground shook and Solliette raised her eyes to the moon. It was coming closer, much too close, like she knew it would. Its ghastly smile painted the world in red, that bright red that made up her eyes and the biggest part of her heart, and red -- shouldn't look like that --
Colors cut through the sky in streams of gold and green. Solliette gasped, clutching at her chest. The world was changing, building anew, and there were structures she had never known in that land of seemingly endless gray.
Solliette staggered to her feet. The further she walked, the more those buildings faded, and she was once again surrounded by ruins. As if it had destroyed them all. The gray was broken only by red.
"Fine. Just take it." She whispered. "It doesn't matter anymore, does it? Even if I fight... there's nothing left to fight for. I'm done." She thought knowing what it felt like would be enough preparation. But it hurt, every ounce of her body resisting until her Heart pulsed in her hands.
It fell on the altar of Destruction. For once, Solliette's near exhaustible supply of energy wasted away. She felt so very, very tired.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:16 pm
[THE FINAL TASK, FADING]
It had been Solliette's choice to sacrifice her Heart. Except it hadn't. Not really. It was the final task required of her. Was this what she was needed for? Why had the goddesses given her this existence, only to take it away, tearing it apart bit by bit until there was nothing else but this fathomless emptiness?
One final surge of feeling -- an all encompassing anger -- consumed the last of her. Echoes of regret lingered in her place. Then, there was nothing.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:16 pm
[THE FINAL TASK, REMEMBERING NANABEY]
"Do you want to find her?" **** had never heard this voice before. She looked up, blurting out, "Who's there?" seconds before she realized there was a pair of red eyes staring at her through the darkness.
She knocked over her bag in surprise. The contents -- food, Fear candy, a faceball bat, and some extra clothes -- tumbled out onto the floor. She'd spent so long trying to fit all of it in the bag. The faceball bat had been the hardest. Since she hadn't been able to summon her weapon or a familiar yet, it was the best thing she had.
The creature jumped down from its place on the windowsill, circling the bag. "This isn't going to be enough, you know." It -- she, maybe, the voice sounded vaguely female -- said. "You're going to need some help."
**** straightened, leaning closer. "W... wh-what are you talking about? Who are you?"
"I'm Nanabey! I heard about what happened to your sister. I thought I could help you."
****'s eyes grew wide. She was too overcome with hope to wonder how or why this stranger knew about Alicia. "Really?! You'd really help me?"
"Yes. I can give you the magic you need to find her. All you have to do is make a contract with me!"
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:54 pm
[ZONE 3: RECEIVED FIFTH BLESSING]She had done something terrible to Alicia, she remembered that much, but not what it was. Scissors. And... Lots of red. That was all.
The specters of those dark memories hung over her. She shuddered. Maybe it wasn't that she couldn't remember, but more that she didn't want to.
Alicia has been through enough...
Main Blessing obtained: Blessing of the Voice
Zone obtained: Zone 3
Link to blessing: JourneyEffects Your character remembers at the end of their TRAVEL thread if they are successful, a memory of someone who has been very close to them in the past.
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:17 pm
[ZONE 3: THE JOURNEY]
"So, you definitely are a voice. But what makes you The Voice? Are you the King of All Voices? The King who helped me out? How does that work?" Liselotte mused, a grin on her face. Sure, she was grateful to the Great King for saving her life, and for giving her a purpose -- a vague purpose, but a purpose nonetheless. But it was hard to stay serious when she felt like this -- not yet whole, perhaps, yet full of more color and life than she had ever felt. She felt solid. With her feet firmly on the ground, she could walk, skip, jump, and run the rest of the way without fear of losing hold on what tenuous existence she had. It was enough to make her forget about the terrible things she saw in that gray world.
For now, at least. There was a more important task to worry about.
Besides, how could she stay sad when there were such cute animals waiting for her? She cooed and gave a pat to each one, but ended up gravitating to the fluffiest of them all. She was pretty sure it was called an alpaca. It reminded her of the white creature in one of the memories the Great King had returned to her -- Nanabey, she said her name was. Her familiar.
"Maybe I'll call you Nanabey, huh? Or how about Nana?" She said, stroking the alpaca's soft head. "Come on, Nana. Let's go explore!"
After ransacking the old shack for supplies, Liselotte saddled up her new mount and sent it galloping off towards adventure.
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:18 pm
[ZONE 3: THE MEMORY]
Finally, Liselotte stopped at the gates of the castle. "This is it!" She cried. She wrapped her arms around her alpaca's fluffy head. "Aw, Nana, you did such a good job. I don't want to say goodbye here, but... I guess we have to. I dunno if the Great King wants to see an alpaca, even if it's an awesome one like you. You can keep all the food, okay?"
Nana's fur was soft and warm. It reminded her not only of Nanabey, but of something else... a memory drifted back to her. She was wrapped up in soft, woolly blankets, with a cup of pumpkin spice tea in her hands. A smaller figure leaned against her side, dozing off.
There was a voice, singing... Liselotte couldn't make out the words. The other person's voice was much more distinct.
"You have such a pretty voice, Liselotte..."
She opened her eyes. "Alicia," She murmured. The name came out without a second thought. Alicia, her little sister...
The memory should have filled her with happiness, but instead, she felt dread. She was forgetting something else about her. Something terrible. Shaking her head, Liselotte tried to put her mind to the task awaiting her. Still, without knowing why, her hand wandered to her chest. The next thing she remembered was a pair of scissors.
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:19 pm
[ZONE 4: THE VIOLET TOWER]
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:20 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:21 pm
[THE FINALE, PART TWO]
The door was waiting for her. Home was waiting. No matter how good it felt to stay here, Liselotte loved her home too much to give it up. She had fought hard to get this far, and for every terrible thing she'd done, she remembered something better: a reason why she fought so hard to save her world. The reasons, her memories -- each one of them was precious. But she had greater responsibilities, entrusted to her ever since she had made that contract with Nanabey, to protect her world and the worlds connected to it. She had given up those precious memories to help Excalibur. Now that she had them back, she wouldn't lose them again.
Her body ached. But Liselotte walked without hesitation through the door, leaving nothing behind.
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