“Who…are YOU?” It was such a rude question. He stared open mouth in shock at it. “Find out!”
He might have said something furious in reply, but he was too busy trying to wave away the great lung fulls of smoke. “Gah…”He wheezed and coughed.” When the smoke cleared he was in a room, but he wasn’t a mouse, he was himself. He gazed down at his hands, stretched his tail feathers, spread his wings before he glanced up and stared at the neon sign.
“Alright.” He said softly, and padded across the room “Why not.” He let his hand rest on the door for a brief moment before he pushed it open and stepped forward.
--
He was back in the nest, the ness that he grew up in that had been destroyed years before to build a fresh one for the newest clutch. He crouched down and curled for a moment into the downy feathers and soft bower of leaves. It smelled like his mother, that dry sand smell of her with the curious sent that was just ‘her’, that something he had never smelled or tasted when it was away from her. He didn’t want to leave; he almost hadn’t wanted to leave when he had come back to the school because so often he felt like there was nothing to draw him back. He had friends but at the same time… hadn’t they moved on? Didn’t they have better friends? He could see the far door, but the nest was so inviting, when he started to even consider setting up he realized that there was one of his mother’s beautiful feathers tucked into the edge of the nest. He pulled free the long teal feather and ran fingers down the edge of it, reveling in the softness. She always took such good care of her feathers.
He clutched it to his chest and realized then that the butt of it was snagged hopelessly into the twig framework. He’d only be able to pull it free by doing damage to the feather. He could stay with the feather, with the memories of his home and his family, or he could move forward.
He rubbed his nose against the feather and exhaled before letting go of it and staring for a long and regretful moment.
“I’ll see you again.” He whispered. But he couldn’t live in the past, and move forward. He kept looking back, wishing so much that he could do both, but he knew where to find his mother, and while the nest was no longer there, all the most important parts of his home were.
He hesitated for a breath on the door before pushing it open fast and hard so he wouldn’t take the chance to look back again.
--
The next door opened and he was… taller, his shoulders broader and he could feel the wind press against his wings, they were grand, glorious, he could take flight and block out the sun, stranger still he wore his leopard skin not at his waist, but over his shoulder. He had a headdress that blended with his own crown of plumes, making it richer and complimenting his own colors, he was wearing signs of rank for his tribe. Tattoos climbed all the way up to his shoulders and crawled down his sides, soft echo’s under his scales that told stories of rainclouds and the many colors of the feathered serpents. He stared at the stonewalls, they were engraved with new stories, stories about his own prowess. How he had fought many enemies, how he brought home his new Ghoul and raised with her clutch of his own, he’d contributed to the communal clutch and the egg he shared was as opalescent as him.
It was so much…more than he ever dreamed he could be. It was so…alluring, he wanted to read the walls closely, and there were tantalizing hints about how the events had happened scrawled over the wall. But…
He swayed from side to side anxiously, how many books were there in the world that warned that views like this of the future were traps. But…he wanted so dreadfully to know. His stomach twisted. He wanted to be… big, he wanted to be grand, powerful and respected. But… this was a dream, there was nothing he could gather from these walls, no matter how tempting, no matter how much he wanted to cling to hints on the wall that displayed ghosts and kitsune and stranger things… he had to move on… no temple in the world would have a sign of neon.
He pushed forward to the door and didn’t even hesitate before he pushed through, there was too much temptation and longing to stay to give himself time to stay.
--
He was not expecting a mini skirt. He was not expecting to be a GIRL, there were pigtails, long ones that were brushing the tops of his shoulders, and he was armed with two obsidian daggers that, for some reason had clock hands pinned down the blade with wire.
“Contract!” said a strange creature, it was…oddly cute, the ring of fangs around its back were really efficient looking. He stooped, wobbling on his heels and offered a hand when the beady red eyes narrowed and it hissed. “SssssssUFFERING.”
He stumbled backwards as the small paw swung at him with long claws.
“NO…nono… DOWN… minipet!” HE told it. “DOWN!” He ordered, the wing-like ear fans reached for him and he stood sharply and stumbled backwards brandishing the daggers to defend him self.
The creature seemed determined to keep him from reaching the door, which appeared to be some city rooftop door, but he’d have taken the door to an airplane after a handful of minutes trying to dodge the thing, worse trying to dodge it, and to do so in heels, He kicked off his shoes, one of them struck it in the face, and the other it smacked it on the back, where it started to make a terrible chewing sound. He leaped wildly, stumbling on the landing and lunged for the door and ripped it open to the sound of pattering feet. And turned just to see it leaping into the air, he pulled it closed behind him and could swear that he heard claws scrape down the door behind him.
--
He stood now in a room, a room with a mirror. Just a mirror… but it could never just be a mirror could it? Nothing had been remotely normal… He saw… himself, step free of the mirror, the other he, who looked far less stressed, far less frazzled and confused. So much more confidant than he walked confidently forward and shoved hard.
Two students, face to face till the better him pushed him down. He made a sound of protest and flapped his wings to catch himself but landed hard, he made an awful sound of pain at the bending of his tail feathers.
“My GOD you’re pathetic.” He told himself, lip curling. “Really? This is as far as you’ve come? Hey…guess what, this is as far as you’re going to make it if all you do is blame others for not being your friend, for judging your size or the fact you can’t scare s**t.”
“SHUT …UP” He snapped back to the imperious self. “Shut up! This is a dream!”
“Is it? Can you even TELL? You can’t even answer the basic question from the caterpillar!” the imperious-him shouted. “WHO…ARE…YOU.” He demanded.
“I don’t KNOW!” he yelled back to the mirror self. “I don’t know… I’m ME… I’m ME and that has to count for something!”
“It means s**t unless you know what that means.” Mirror-self said back grabbing a handful of feathers and ripping at them. “You don’t deserve these…you don’t deserve these at all.”
“DESCIDE” Mirror-He snarled. “Decide, or Die, there is no place in the world for a weak serpent. We are creature of air, and water. We are birds and scales, but what are YOU? WHO are you…who…are…you.” He turned into a serpent, grand and coiling and wrapped tight around the student him who had struggled through past, future and mini skirts only to be crushed in his mirror-self coils.
“STOP!” He wheezed. He was not going to be eaten by himself; he could not be eaten this way. He wouldn’t die bipedal and weak. He’d grow strong like he’d seen himself…he could; he should have been able to, but he was defeated. He was defeated because he’d even chosen a class that other people would need. He hadn’t chosen something to challenge himself… he’d become a healer, which was weak. He could have taken risks and been strong.
The coils vanished and he fell, his wings hurt, his tail feathers hurt, his ribs BURNED but it was fading, the world closing in around him now rather than coils and he was terrified and confused.
And…then he realized, there was nothing wrong with choosing a healer, there was nothing wrong with –wanting- to be needed, it wasn’t like he’d be the only one. He… could be stronger by working with the limits of his class, and trying, and learning to work with others. He could learn to trust, and then, really then he’d learn to fly in a whole new way.
He stood, and smoothed a hand over the soft coat and took a step, feeling something curious stuck to his shoe.
Huh… well. That was something.
[Exit Caterpillar]
MY STATS
My character's username: Ouroboros-Tea My character's level: 2 Character's HP: 30 Character's Job Class: Door Mouse Current party: N/A Current Guild: N/A Location: Tulgey Wood Small IC description of character:Image Linked - Slender build, average height, bright blue hair and eyes, miriad of tattoos and Colorful wings. Tail feathers frame a mouse tail. Character journal:X
After all the walking getting to here from there, Byakko was more then willing to try the cake that he found in front of him some time after leaving the sign and the trees. Oh don't get him wrong, he would have tried the cake anyway even if he wasn't hungry just because he could, being hungry just made him try it quicker. Once he took some of the cake and shrunk down he looked around himself with interest.
Said interest turned into annoyance when a rude caterpillar started to ask him just who he was. Normally he wouldn't have been so annoyed at the rudeness but the question ticked him off. And then the caterpillar told him to find out the answer to the question and that ticked him off even more. It wasn't easy finding that out! But he walked over and entered the door that appeared without fuss. After all, as annoyed as he was, he was still curious as to who he was.
When he stepped through the door he saw the door ahead of him, the exit, right away and started to make his way over to it just in case he needed a quick escape. Halfway there a sound caught his attention and he turned to look. One of the walls had become transparent and was showing a doorway into the past so to speak. He saw a little him sitting at a desk with his arms crossed while other kids around him were busy working away coloring paper. The teacher saw this and walked up to him, asking little him why he wasn't working. Tiny him's response was simply, "I have no dad so I'm not making a Father's Day card!". Byakko shook his head and turned back tot he door, quickly exiting and leaving the memory behind.
It was clear however when he stepped through the doorway that it wasn't a full exit. There was another room with a door on the other side and this time shadowy figures were in side. They all stood in a row with a shadowy him standing with another shadowy figure that looked familiar but he couldn't quite make her out. "Do you take her as your lawfully wedded wife?" Another shadow figure asked and Byakko watched as shadow him smiled and said "I do." He found it had to tear himself away from the wedding but managed it. He made it to the door just in time for shadow him and his bride kissed.
The next room held tv's that were playing many different channels that all blurred together at first. As Byakko stepped farther into the room, one tv caught his attention in particular. It was him and Souji curled up in a bed talking about dad taking them hunting earlier that day and how mom made them cake to celebrate success. Byakko stood there watching longer then he had in the previous rooms with a longing look on his face. Sure in the tv version he wasn't human but the same species as his partner but he also had a family that wanted him. It took a little while but he finally pulled himself away and exited through the door as fast as he could, wanting this to be over as soon as possible.
At first the next room seemed empty and plain but then he saw the mirror and out stepped another him. They stood there staring at one another before as one they moved closer. "Only one way to decide." The other him said and he nodded. As one they darted forward and lashed out. In the end it didn't matter who struck a fatal point and who didn't and one faded away and the other stayed.
The one who stayed eyed the cake that appeared then tried some, shrinking down and coming to the realization he was just the way he was supposed to be for now. The card he found was just a bonus.
[Level +1, Card +1]
MY STATS
My character's username: Byakko My character's level: 3 Character's HP: 30 Character's Job Class: Cheshire Current party: ... Current Guild: ... Location: Zone 1 Small IC description of character: Tan skin, red eyes, and green hair. He wears clothes of white with yellow accents, and has white cat ears and a white and gray striped cat tail. Character journal:{X}
In another world, perhaps one not this one, perhaps the REAL world, he would have never accepted strange delicacies placed on a table, seeming to invite nothing but trouble. But that was neither here nor there, and he WAS feeling rather peckish.
And so he consumed it... and immediately regretted it. Everything around him seemed to grow (or was it he was getting smaller?) What was IN that cake?
The smoke was fairly unsettling, and he swatted at it, watching it dissipate, and with a sniff, he found it had some sort of strange order. Not the dense bitter smoke of a fire, but... lighter? He turned to see where it came from, catching sight of a large mushroom, with an even stranger figure on top. A... giant caterpillar?
"Who are YOU?"
... who... was he? Sombra frowned. "I'm-"
"Find OUT."
-----------------------------
Suddenly, he found himself in a room, feeling rather strange. The question swirled in his head, making him dizzy. Who WAS he? He didn't know, but he wanted to find out.
Spotting a door, he began to make his way towards it, only to end up being stopped by someone. "Wait." He turned, giving the figure who stopped him a curious look. "Stay with me."
She continued tugging on his arm, a shy, playful smile on her face. "Play with me a little longer." Part of him wanted to say no. He had to find out who he was, but she continued to insist, eyes pleading. "Stay. Don't you want to be with me Don't you like me?"
Her words were tinted with sadness as she looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "I thought you said you'd stay by my side forever." He bit his lips, a strange pang in his heart. But...
"...no." It hurt to see her expression, the pain and sorrow affecting him also. "I have to find out... who I am..."
His mind made up, he pulled his arm away, freeing it from her grasp as he turned. She made no motion to stop him, but with each step, it felt as if it were getting heavier and heavier, his reluctance to leave growing the farther he went. He paused at the door, hesitating, wondering if he really should leave. But then... he would never find out.
With a heavy heart, he stepped forward, leaving the room behind.
---------------
The second one he stepped into had another woman, similar yet different to the one before. Upon seeing him, she ran up to him and embraced him, telling him how long she had waited for him. He found it just as hard, if not harder to leave her behind, her pained tears and cries seeming to break him from the inside out.
----------------
The third room, was a different scene. A young girl, bubbly and playful, and an older woman, serious, yet reliable. They both saw him, and smiled, beckoning. It was something that had once been, or something that could have been, but it was something that hadn't been. This was not him. Not the past he had experienced. Not the future he could ask for. And so he left this one behind also, finally leaving behind the rooms and entering one more.
-------------------------------------------
There were no more figures smiling at him. Beckoning him. Instead, this time... it was... himself. Or, so it seemed. He had the same facial features, but different clothes, and body marred by marks not found on his own. The figure grinned, weapons raised. A fight? It wasn't what he had asked for, but if he had to do this to determine who he was, then so be it.
They had started off as equals, claws against blades, but as the battle prolonged, he began to waver. What if the other figure was the true him? What if the one he was now was just a fake? It made no sense. None of this did. So didn't that mean this was just all a dream, and none of it real? He had thought this, and hesitated, finding himself struggling to maintain his composure.
But... that was just a thought. He was who he was right now. Even if this was just a hallucination, he was, who he was. Fake or not, he would not deny the fact that he was himself. And so with this renewed confidence, he fought back, pushed back, and finally, he brought the other down, watching as they dissipated into smoke, reforming as... cake?
It made no sense to eat it, as it was... essentially, himself. But as it was, nothing ever did made sense in such a world, and he found himself the way he was before. This was the him he was right now. FOR now, and it was something he would accept.
And with that, he started to leave, only to feel something shift at the bottom of his foot, and looking down, he sighed, noting the card. Nothing ever made sense in such a make-believe land.
MY STATS
My character's username: sombra_mueca My character's level: 3 Character's HP: 30/30 Character's Job Class: Cheshire cat Current party: N/A Current Guild: N/A Location: Tugley Woods Character journal:[x]
Dreamwatcher curse to herself the whole time the world around her grew larger before her red eyes. She stood there, just waiting until finally her shrinking seem to stop before she glance around. The flowers her chatting all around, but what caught her attention more then anything seem to be the smoke bellowing not to far from her. Glancing towards the flowers, she didn't see a point in disrupting them. Turning on her heels, the Cheshire bats at the smoke as she follows it.
As the smoke clears only for a moment, she finds herself staring at a large mushroom with a Caterpillar on top of it. It didn't seem to notice or even care for her at first as it smoked from the hookah.
"Who are you?"
Her ears flicked backwards at the rudeness that came from it. Narrowing her eyes, she open her mouth to shout at it when it spoke again until she suddenly had smoke blown into her face. Coughing, she stumbles backwards a couple inches as she growls. Batting at the smoke, she crossed her arms for a moment "I'm me...aren't I?" what a stupid question to ask, she knew who she was.
As the smoke cleared, and she found herself in a room. The Caterpillar was gone, and it was just herself in this room. Scanning the room, she glance towards the other door completely on the other side. Okay, this didn't make much sense to her. With a small shrug she continues on, making her way towards the door. At first, it seem like nothing, she was going to get out of this room without any trouble. But with each step she took, she heard whispers, which turned to scream.She finally had to stop as she saw her own brother come into focus backed into a corner, with their mother looming over them.
"STOP IT!! LEAVE HIM ALONE! HE DIDN"T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" she saw herself lunge towards her mother, trying to get her to leave Darren alone as she advance on him. As she saw her other self bite down onto her mother's shoulder, she was throw off and turned on. The older night hag was glaring at the younger night hag "You impudent witch!" she attacked her, tearing into the pale green flesh of her face.
The scream that erupted from her ran through the Cheshire body as she swallowed hard. There she was, curled up on the ground as she held onto the side of her face. Nothing would ever hear that properly, just like all the rest. The older night hag spat at her before her she turn back towards the Hag Spawn "You will stand there, do not move. That is an order." turning away, she didn't have to see this part again, she knew what happen. To this day, the eye still sat in a jar.
Moving as fast as she could towards the door, she broke down at the last second as she dropped to her knees. She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to rid herself of that day. Trying to rid herself of the guilt she felt since then. He got in trouble because she was in trouble.
Reaching the the doorknob, she pulls herself back up before she slips into the next room. She shut her eyes, just hoping that she wouldn't be faced with that again. taking a couple steps, she actually stopped as she heard laughing that wasn't her own. It made no sense to her, this was suppose to be about her right? As she opened her eyes slowly, she allowed them to focus on what was two small scarelings. One a demon with pale blue skin, sharp red eyes like herself, and blue black hair. She was laughing as she was being chased by the other scareling who was pale in color with even paler skin and eyes. Only he was floating off the ground, which seem to be giving him an advantage over his sibling.
"Alright you two, your father is home. Come on in..." she felt her jaw just drop as she saw herself, not much older then she was now. At least that what she thought, though she could see that she seem to aged herself to match the older man that stopped just next to her. The tail wrapped around her leg as he wrapped his arm around her waist "Did you have a good day?" his voice teased her cheek as his lips brushed against her ear. She saw herself turn in his arms, her arms snaking around his neck just like they did from the time she met him "I did, though I have to say I do miss going into the human world with you." she brushed a simple kiss to his lips before she finally pulls away "We're having your favorite tonight, also your mother called. She wanted to know about your journey into the human world this evening. I told her you would call as soon as you could," she gave him a wink before she glance at the scarelings who came up running to them.
"PICK ME UP DADDY!" the little ghoul screamed as she held her hands out towards him. With a low laugh, she bent down to pick up the little demon and hugged her close just as she herself picked up the little boy.
Placing her hands together, she smiles to herself. She was slowly coming to terms with the act that she herself was falling in love with Spinar. Before it was just lust, but now. She wanted to be everything to him, she wanted this future to honestly become real.
The Cheshire move backwards and made her way to the door. The whole time a smile was on her lips. Not that she get rid of it even if she tried at this point.Glancing back, she shakes her head "That only apart of who I want to be..." turning her eyes back to the door, she turns the handle as she slips through.
She wasn't greeted by a mirror.
Curious, she steps towards the mirror. her hand reaching out to touch the glass only to screech as a figure slips out of it. before her stood herself, the real one. hair flowing down the back just like her own, only red glowing eyes that stared at herself.
"You know your not real, I am...He belongs with me, and I belong to him. You don't even have the mark to prove it. Your feelings, those are mine. Your just a sad excuse of me." The real one crossed her arms, daring her to actually debate with her over this matter. The cheshire just stood there, looking very much confused, she knew what she said was true...
"I am you...everything about you is me. I want those dreams, but I also want to be rid of my own past. By you saying I'm not real....is you actually proving that your not real. I would never say that." she shrugs as she gives her a smirk.
A laugh was the only thing the real one gave her before she vanished, slowly turning into a cake. Glancing down at the cake, she arched a brow. wasn't this what got her in trouble in the first place?
"I may never eat cake again after this is over." she carefully bent down to pick up the cake. taking a small bite, she closed her eyes as she chews it. She knew something was happening, she just didn't know with she was growing smaller or bigger.
Popping one eye open, she was glad to see she was back to her own size. Taking a step forward, she pauses as her heel slips across something on the bottom of it. Reaching for the card, she felt a familiar surge rush through her.
With a smile, she continues on with card in her hand.
OOC
My character's username: DreamWatcher My character's level: 4 Character's HP: 30 Current party: Current Guild: Location: Small IC description of character: Petite, tan skin and red eyes, DreamWatcher wears blue and black Cheshire Cat armor. She has long curly red hair that flows down her back at the moment. She very bubbly and very easy to amuse. But watch out for her claws, they are rather sharp.
Now. He had to say that he was disappointed. This was not a spooky. Worse yet. It was not a spooky that was made by a certain ghoul he knew. Thus. Molan was displeased with this notion. Also there was a bit of an issue with the fact it was probably some weird obscure dream cake. Which meant it might have no flavor at all, despite looking well... nice. Also this was a game. A dream game. Whatever. Fake cake wasn't really worth caring about. Sadly though, he was curious, just enough that he dared a bite. Not because he thought it would taste good, but because Frostpaw wanted to see if it had a taste. It did actually, and it wasn't too shabby.
...maybe a little too much frosting. But he was just judging it at that point.
He wasn't exactly expecting the results of it. As he was reading for a second bite, because even if it wasn't perfect it was delicious, he found that the cake and everything else had grown perhaps more than three sizes that day. Greaaat. He was just getting around to admiring the glory of the world, and by admiring he was scowling and trying to find a way out of this, when he found that he was now in a rather smokey room. Being stared at by someone who looked as displeased with his predicament as he was himself.
Well at least he wasn't alone on that matter anymore.
'Whooo are youuuu?' Mental note. Squish the bug if you get full size later. He was even more condescending than he had EVER been. And that was just full on bad taste. "Someone with better social skills." The bug wasn't any more amused with him trying to be witty than he had been with his appearance in general. Instead he blew a puff of smoke in his general direction before seeming to stare down at him bored as he took a few deep breaths on the pipe. Meanwhile, Frostpaw was waving the smoke out of the air. Adding to the list of insults was certainly not the way to win any points in his book. Caterpillar man could go be friends with Andrew... or something.
Somewhere other than here.
'FIND OUT.' And then their stare down ended as the thing blew a bunch more of the wispy smoke down at him, seeming to make up his mind to be rid of the Cheshire at that point. Because soon after he found himself standing in a room not unlike his own. Rather peaceful really. A group of shions perking up as they spotted him wandering around. He knelt down to pet each one lightly before pauses as he noticed paper on his desk. Had he left that there? He stood again to walk over toward it before freezing up as he spotted the information written on the desk. Ask for the neon exit sign? Nope. He hadn't noticed it. There was something more important, more pressing to handle.
He apparently had a report due tomorrow. HOW HAD HE NOT STARTED THIS YE-
Wait... wait... waaaaaaait.
Now, he was mentally panicking how he could get all of the research done and whatnot, yes. But something else was bothering him. Hadn't he been in a dream? Yes, yes... yes this had to be a dream. His ears, which had pinned back at the thought of his forgetting slowly relaxed as he coaxed the internal panic down, slowly setting the sheet against his desk again.
Dream. This was a very... bad... dream. Yes. He smoothed it against the table, willing himself to back up at that point. "Not real. Not real..." It was finally, at this point, he noticed the neon sign over his door. Blaring, obvious, painfully obvious, letters there. Right. Exit door left.
Good bye report. Jack he hoped his head wasn't trying to remind him he actually had forgotten to do one of his reports for class.
As he walked through the door he instead found himself out in a field of snow, endless crystal flakes in every direction. Minus the door. That was out of place. And... magical neon letters. The plus side was that no one else was around to see what nonsense his subconscious was coming up with. No one to judge this ridiculous display. Which... also meant he didn't have anyone to worry about seeing him.
And no one would see him for a good ten minutes as he flopped down under the nearest tree, basking in the scenery. It was pure bliss for a while, just until he realized that... no matter how it looked he wasn't properly cooled down by it. And then the magic of the display was lost with a long sigh. And so on through the door he went, because if he wasn't being a proper popsicle where was the fun and happiness in it? Silly dream, you couldn't fool him. For long.
The third room was a bit more interesting. And was likely going to end in a proper cleansing with fire(he'd get a certain flame demon to help later) of his brother's room later. Somehow, some way, the world had decided he was in a pick your own adventure book. Literally. Text at the bottom and all. He walked along the strange display, poking at the still paper briefly as he froze at noticing it had come off on his hands. And no amount of trying to brush it back on helped at all. Rather, he was spreading the mess and seemed to have covered himself in a smear of the colors before he huffed a bit to look for the exit.
It would go away if he left, right? So after a bit of scouring, and managing to fall in a pool of ink on his way, he did finally locate the next neon sign and walk through. And thankfully, the ink dissolved as he did. OH GLORIOUS CLEANLINESS HE WAS NOT A RAINBOW ANYMORE! ...that had been traumatizing enough the first time.
Still, maybe being covered in ink was better than what he found through the door. He walked into a plain white room, accompanied by only the sound of the bell and his steps as he did. Strange, this one was rather boring? It wasn't until he noticed the mirror, and the figure walking out of it that he realized this... was perhaps the weirdest room yet. The other him wasn't the game version though, there was a severe lack of stripes and a major addition of ice and horns. And better clothes. "Well I have that much to look forward to." The other him didn't seem surprised by the statement, sighing a it. 'And a proper failing grade if you keep this up.' Apparently someone else knew what he'd did in room number one. "It's not real, we- I wouldn't forget." He quickly countered, crossing his arms as the half materialized tail flicked annoyed behind him. 'Well, your actions are proof enough you aren't real either. I'd never take a rest after disregarding my duties.' He grimaced at the other version of himself at that point. "There's something wrong with relaxing?"
'Relaxing too much, yes! You just give up and want to have fun!' It was obvious at that point the demon form of himself before him was rather displeased with his actions, even he felt shame at it. He took a step back, shrugging as he shook his head. "No, I just want to see another path." The other him was now drawing closer, not looking to back down. 'That path is wrong, father wouldn't approve of it!' Which was true, anything short of perfection was wrong. But... "Father's path could lead to that though..." It was then the other him stopped, if only briefly and it's pure sense of righteous confidence fell away. It knew what he meant by that, it knew what foreboding feeling was left with it. 'Might... not.' But it was already too late at that point. His self, so trapped in monotony had lost to the other side, wanting a bit of an escape from it. It faded away slowly into a cake that was only a stone throw away from the long scarf ends trailing on the floor.
His other self wasn't wrong. There was definitely a need to watch oneself to not go too far. But... at least in his dreams, perhaps, he could have a bit of fun? So with that he knelt down, picking up the tiny cake that was left behind and eating it. After all. He didn't want to forget those other things. They were a part of him too. "But it could." He added, noticing then that as he opened his eyes the world was back to... normal.
If a dream was normal. He was what he was. Even if it meant a bit of finding dead ends and mistakes. Even if it wasn't quite perfect. Yet. Yet was a key word there. And so with that he started on his way, only pausing as he noticed a small card stuck to his shoe. Huh.. when had he gotten that?
OOC
My character's username: Frostpaw My character's level: 3 Character's HP: 30/30 Character's Job Class: Cheshire Current party: None Currently Current Guild: None Currently Location: Tulgey Woods - Lake Small IC description of character: (See image on the left) 5'7" male, a tad on the femenine side with appearances. Pale blue eyes, white hair that is long in the front and short in the back, and often accompanied by the sound of a bell. He does have some stripe markings on his face, and arms if you can see them at any point. He's usually wearing a rather bland, or unimpressed expression. Character journal:Here
The question stumps him. It shouldn't. He's known since he was sixteen exactly who he is, what he was put on this earth for. He knows the answer. He just needs a minute. The smoke makes him light-headed, but he knows the answer is there, just out of reach... Time's up though.
"Find out," the Caterpillar says.
He chokes on the smoke. It finally clears and he sees an EXIT sign. It sounds like a good idea, who wants to stand around having philosophical discussions, anyway? He walks through the door.
- - - - - -
"Get away from that door, Davey, dinner's almost ready," a voice thunders through the house.
Davey jumps - dear God, the volumes his mum could reach - and then stares at his surroundings. He's in a cramped hallway, narrow stairs on one side, 'old lady' trinkets on a small table, familiar photographs on the wall. The only light is from a window next to the front door. At the other end of the hall, shadows lurk, but beyond that is the dining room and past that, the kitchen. How does his mum always know he's heading for the door from that far away?
Sarah appears at the end of the hall. He blinks, then rubs his eyes. She's approaching thirty, which means Davey shouldn't be here - he hasn't been home since he was nineteen.
"Go wash up," Sarah orders, as though she's still the boss of him, like none of their fights over the years have ever happened.
"This isn't right," he says.
She rolls her eyes and it's like he never left. "Shut up and do it. Mum'll have a fit if everything isn't perfect when dad gets home."
His stomach lurches. He backs away, stumbles and his back hits the wall.
"What are you shaking your head for? Davey, I swear to God, if you ruin this--"
"I'm not playing this game," Davey snaps. Sarah yells familiar threats as he bolts for the door. Alternate realities and dreamworlds, whatever, but you do not mess with his father. He fumbles the door open and bolts through.
- - - - - -
"Come back to bed," a soft voice murmurs.
The room is dark and it takes a minute for his eyes to adjust. He sees outlines before anything else and even that is enough for him to know where he is. He runs a hand across his face. He'd been having the strangest dream... For some reason, the bedroom door is calling him, like there's something he forgot to do.
"What're you doing?" The sheets rustle.
Davey turns, can make out Jo's shapely silhouette under the sheets. "Don't get up," he says quietly when he sees her rising. "I'm fine, I just need to--"
"You need to get back in here." There's enough light to catch the white flash of teeth before her grin melts into a sultry smile. "I'm loooonely, Davey~" she purrs. He can see the sheet edging back from her curves.
"I just need to check something..." He'll be right back once he figures out what's nagging at him. Kettle still on? Food on the bench instead of in the fridge?
"Don't!" All trace of teasing is gone from Jo's voice. A hand grasps his arm but he doesn't turn around this time. "Stay here with me. It can be just like it used to. Better, even!"
He wonders if he should believe her. He loves her. She loves him - surely she just wants the best for him. He stops. But when he's about to turn around, he hears a small voice in his head:
~Liar, liar, liar, liar!~
He pulls his arm free. He doesn't know what's wrong, exactly, but he trusts that voice.
(He probably shouldn't. But it's not wrong this time.)
- - - - - -
"Get me one, too, while you're up."
"Lazy p***k," Davey laughs as he walks from the couch to the fridge - it's an open plan lounge-kitchen, so there's no doorway to pass through. It's a fancy place. He wonders how Ben affords it on his own when he's out of the country every time Davey is.
"Thanks," Ben says, accepting the bottle before clinking it against Davey's.
Davey resettles himself on the couch, takes a swig of beer, then swaps it for the controller. He shakes his head as Ben, as Player 1, starts the action again. "I cannot believe we are playing this."
"It's this or Call of Duty, and I dunno about you, but I'd like to not be shooting things during my downtime."
Davey agrees. It's just... "Mario Kart, really? Why do you even own this?" Or a Wii as well as an Xbox, and only one game for each.
"Presents," Ben replies.
"Ah," Davey says. Hard to return but not always useful. He knows how that goes. "And here I thought you fell in love with Peach during the month we had a working ******** Peterson," Ben hisses before having Peach launch a blue shell at Davey's King Boo. "Also, shut up, Peach has great stats."
Davey snorts like he hasn't met Ben's "close friend" Matt and retaliates with a elbow to Ben's ribs before launching a thunderbolt. The distractions are getting violent, insults flying when the doorbell rings.
"You expecting someone?" Davey asks. He thought it was just them today, but if Ben invited other guys from the unit, Davey's fine with that, too. Or Matt, as long as no one starts making out on the couch.
"No, why?"
It rings again. "You don't hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Your stupid doorbell."
"Nope," Ben says while knocking Davey's character off the track. "But you should probably get it."
Davey turns his attention from the screen to Ben. Something strange is happening here. It feels like this day already happened maybe, but it was only the two of them, no interruptions and also no Ben making Davey answer Ben's own door. When he turns back to the screen, King Boo is drowning and Peach just crossed the finish line.
"Ugh, sure, whatever." He finishes the last of his beer before dragging himself to his feet.
When he reaches the door, Davey pauses and looks back at the couch. It would be easy to sit back down and play stupid games, joking with his best friend, drinking beer. Whoever was at the door would surely give up and leave.
"Hey, Davey," Ben turns to meet his eyes. He looks oddly serious, mouth downturned like someone just died. "Fight the good fight, yeah?"
"Ooh rah," Davey says automatically before he opens the door. No one's there but he walks through anyway.
- - - - - -
The new room is full of mirrors and Davey wastes a moment trying to think of any memories that took place in a funhouse when he realises he's back in his Hunter garb. He looks down to his left side - no, back to normal there again. He sighs. It was nice being able use a two-handed controller while it lasted.
He looks up at the mirror, expecting to see the self that went to sleep tonight, before the strange dream-game began. He doesn't.
In the mirror is a man more bulked-up than Davey. His pale hair is shorn close to his head. While dogtags swing from the reflection's neck as well, he's one tag short of the three on Davey's own chain. Davey's past self stares back at him, combat-ready in his fatigues. Davey's no sooner had the thought than the reflection steps forward -- out of the mirror.
Lieutenant Brant raises his arms, curls his hands into fists, assuming a wide stance. Not too long ago Davey would have mimicked it immediately (minus one arm, of course), desperate to prove he could match or beat his past self, that he was worthy of standing beside his new comrades and not being a burden to them. He would have given in to the voice in his head that urges, ~Do it, fight, summon me, we can take him.~
The Lieutenant starts to circle Davey, closing in. Davey shakes his head. "I don't need to fight you," he says. His double halts. "You aren't needed here, no matter how good you are at fighting. You're a good solider... but I'm the better Hunter."
Davey's past self melts into smoke, leaving behind a small cake on the ground. He makes a face - what it is with this world and food - but picks it up and eats it. Afterwards, he is his piratey dreamself again. He works his left arm gingerly as he scoops up a card with his right. Time to get out of here before even stranger things happened.
[[ +1 level, +1 loot card ]]
OOC
My character's username: Dreadpirate My character's level: 4 -> 5 Character's HP: 30 Current party: - Current Guild: - Location: Small IC description of character: Dreadpirate is tall, and neither bulky or slender. He wears the default black, gold and red of the Gryphon class, with hat pulled over his face a little further than most. His pale hair is in a ponytail over one shoulder, with a large gold hoop earring in the opposite ear - all in keeping with his obvious theme. For a pirate he seems overly serious, though occasionally a roguish grin can be seen. Has periods of appearing fascinated by his left hand for some reason... Character journal:here
It was a good question, he thought, as the stared around the little place, smoke billowing around him like multicolored clouds. He waved a hand in front of him, coughing slightly, and shifted his feet nervously, casting a glance in the creature's direction.
attemptedmurder opened his mouth and then promptly shut it again.
He had no idea how to answer the question.
There was another gust of smoke blown his way, and he threw his hands over his head almost automatically as though to protect himself (a fat lot of good it would do him) - and when he lowered them again, he was in an entirely different place, it seemed.
Maybe he was hallucinating.
The exit sign flashed dully at him, faded red and flickering on and off, and it reminded him of eyes, blinking eyes that were watching him. This was only half of what he noticed, however, since the room was not just a room, but a wide expanse of space, of thick green grass that led into a pleasant looking thicket of trees all clustered together. There were figures seated at the base of one, silhouetted and dark against a red sun half hidden by the gnarled branches. attemptedmurder took a curious step towards them, and then backtracked, and then moved forward again when he saw the door. He wanted to get out of here, to go back to...well, not the game, but back to Amityville, back to anywhere but here.
It made him nervous for reasons he couldn't quite understand.
As he drew nearer, the figures became clearer - and he saw, to his astonishment, a slight ghoul with dark eyes and a taller boil with a tail that flicked back and forth as he stood, hands on his hips. In spite of all of his attempts at silence, attemptedmurder hadn't accounted for the hearing of this particular boil.
"Come on," said Eldrid, waving a hand. His teeth were white, very white, against his tanned skin. "X, let's go, we're waiting on you!"
"Time to eat!" Helmut yelled, throwing her hands in the air. In front of them both was a red and white checked tablecloth that was spread across the grass, and on top of it, more food than he could have ever imagined possible (though when Helmut was involved, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised).
He tried not to show his nervousness. "W-what are you guys doing here?" attemptedmurder said, his voice barely above a whisper, and the pair of them smiled.
"It's time to have lunch, silly bird." Eldrid waved a hand. He looked strangely distorted somehow. attemptedmurder slid a little bit away, trying to be discrete, but Helmut had wrapped her fingers around his arm and had started tugging him in the direction of the picnic on the ground.
"Come on, come on!" she chirped happily. "Let's eat!"
He dragged his feet. "N-no," said attemptedmurder weakly. "T-that's okay, I don't need to be here..."
Her grip was insistent. "We've got all sorts of tasty things for you to try."
He still lagged behind, feeling uncertain. His eyes drifted towards the exit sign again, still dull and red and blinking in and out of view. "T-that's okay," he said quickly. "I-I'm not actually h-hungry..."
Helmut had stopped walking. He nearly ran into her, and for a moment, he was bemused, until she turned towards him, and he'd never seen that expression before, had never seen the hungry look in her eyes - well he had, he supposed, but it had never been directed towards him, and suddenly he was afraid, suddenly he was terrified -
"Well, I am," she shrieked, and her jaws were massive, teeth flashing, and AM scrambled away, yanking his arm free, his heart pounding in his chest. Beside her, Eldrid was standing serenely by, though his tongue had darted out to lick his lips.
"Dogs eat birds sometimes, y'know," he said cheerily, and then he lunged, and AM was screaming louder than he'd ever screamed before, frantic to get away, frantic for them to leave him alone, and in desperation he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he wouldn't feel them -
- and then he was opening his eyes and he was in the room again, but a different room this time, a bright white room with red piping along the walls and a red desk, cheerful and friendly and opening. This room was devoid of any figures, for which he was very grateful, but he knew what it was - just not why he was here.
He turned his head and sure enough - there was the exit sign, flashing above a door that normally hadn't existed in his childhood bedroom. AM made his way across the room, trying to reach the door, but just before he could, the chair at his desk shot out, slamming into his side. He toppled to the ground gasping, and the chair had come alive and was wrapping its legs around his ankles, twisting so tightly he was gasping in pain -
- and if he could just reach the door, he could see it -
- he stretched out a hand towards it - his fingers grazed the wood -
- and then he was in yet another room, this one darker, a little more threadbare, with hardly any decorations at all to indicate who lived her. But AM recognized it immediately, since it was his dorm at Amityville, and he gave it a desperate sort of stare, willing it to be true, that he had made it back to the school in one piece (almost).
The exit sign seemed to grin at him.
This time it wasn't the chair that attacked him, but the heavy burgundy drapes at his windows reached out and grabbed him, wrapping around his neck as though trying to strangle him, and all he wanted was to get out and to go back to that strange place if he had to -
He was looking at himself. He was looking at himself, and He was standing there silently, arms at his sides, feathers floating down from his hair like little spindles of leaves during autumn. He tried to figure out whether He was real, but there was no such thing as a ghost, just a reflection.
Who are you?
He tried to fight back, tried to show that he could handle himself, but it was no use. AM found himself on the ground, staring up at this twisted, alternate version of himself, and he shouldn't have been surprised that he hadn't won, shouldn't have been at all curious to know what it would be like.
Maybe he shouldn't have tried to be something he wasn't.
When he saw the cake, he took it and ran and didn't look back.
OOC
My character's username: attemptedmurder My character's level: 5 Character's HP: 30 / 30 Current party: Current Guild: Location: Character journal:x
There was free food, and weather or not it was dangerous Jack_Blue had confidence that her stomach could take it. Besides, it was free food.
Taking the little cake she gulped it down with relish. It felt like she was developing a taste for the sugary stuff, though it still wouldn't beat a good slab of meat. As soon as she was done though she had the distinct impression that everything had just become a hole lot bigger. Though she chalked it up to the fact she was shrinking -
-Oy, wait a sec, She actually WAS shrinking.
Within seconds she was staring up at a very tall blade of grass, and nearby she could hear the sounds of flowers talking to each other. It was all strange as heck but she was quickly realizing strangeness was the norm for this place. None the less it was annoying, especially for someone who was used to being larger then everything else and not the opposite.
Walking through the forest of bladed grass she then became aware of a haze of smoke drifting around her. The source of it was lounging about on a gigantic mushroom, a fat caterpillar smoking a pipe and staring at her rather intently.
Who are YOU?"
She was tempted to answer 'A friggin midget dragon, what the ******** does it look like?', but she sensed that the question had more to it then her current physical state. And as she thought about it she found herself becoming even more confused. Just...who the heck was she anyway? A gryphon, a student, a halloweener, a dragon?
Before she could answer, she was engulfed in smoke. Coughing and spluttering she waved her hands to clear it before finding herself somewhere else.
The room she was in now was a ordinary classroom, complete with chairs, desk, and a chalkboard at the front of the class. Though it wasn't one she knew from Amityville...
She then realized that the room was from her previous school. She shook her head. No, this wasn't her. She had moved on from this place, she was no longer the dragon who attended this school. She moved to the door and opened it-
Into a dark cavern. With barely any light to see she took a step forwards and her boot met nothing but air, sending her into a dark chasm of water. And when she saw those glowing eyes and the sinister smile she realized she was at her aunts, and oh hell no this was not her at all, all her nopes. With a scramble she clawed herself out and ran towards another entranceway, everything going black as she ran through the dark tunnel.
Soon she felt her boots meet metal, and saw the blinking screens and high tech corridors that was the ship Feirg. And while a part of her longed to return to here, this place didn't hold her true self either, and so she moved on through another door.
Finally she was in a much plainer room with only a mirror at one end. Raising an eyebrow she stepped closer to the mirror, and her reflection stepped back. Stepping out of the mirror, the other Jack_Blue stared in mirrored confusion.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm you. I'm the real you."
"No, I'm the real me, how could you be me?"
"Because I just am you. And you're me. But not the real me."
"That makes no sense what so ever I know I'm ******** real and you're just the fake."
"No, YOU'RE the fake."
"NO U."
They stared at each other, growling and flexing their claws.
"K, lets just fight. The one who wins is the real one."
"Sounds good to me."
They jumped at each other, both fists pulled back and launching to land squarely on each others face. They stood there, training blows, biting, kicking, scratching, and whatever else came to mind in order to prove their real existence. They kept going after each other until they stood there, tired, beaten up, and about to fall over.
It was then the reflection took a step back, and Jack threw another punch with all she had left, leaving her mirror self to disappear into a puff of smoke, the smoke condensing and turning into another cake.
Although the first cake had gotten her into this mess...perhaps this one would get her out of it? Gulping it down, she was pleased to know she was right and had her original height restored, along with a card and a nice little level boost.
MY STATS
My character's username: Jack_Blue My character's level: 5 Character's HP: 30 Character's Job Class: Gryphon Current party: - Current Guild: - Location: Tulgey forest Small IC description of character: A brown haired girl wearing gryphon attire and sporting a tail, ear fins, and ram horns. Appears very excited. Character journal:Here!
Cake? Blech... sweets were not SANDSHARK's favored food. In fact, they were his least favorite. Yet, unfortunately, the laws of this world dictated that the cake was there for some purpose, and he'd have to end up eating it. Throwing it down his maw and shuddering from the instant tooth ache, he soon found himself being surrounded by a giant room - or he was shrinking. Either way, flowers and greenery encompassed his line of sigh now, along with a very heavy mushroom that almost seemed to radiate arrogance. He approached, only to hear the rudest question of his life.
"And whoooooooo are yooooooooooooou?" The arrogance was thick, the rudeness of the question tangible. The caterpillar obviously didn't quite care enough to ignore his hookah, continually puffing away. SS nearly shot back with a "and who the ******** are you, huh?" but was cut off quickly by the plump b*****d.
"Find OUT." It puffed, the hookah smoke engulfing him in hot and heavy perfume, stinging his eyes and nostrils until it finally cleared. Coughing, he began to cross the room automatically, not noticing the neon green exit sign at first. He stumbled around to till about the middle of the room, when he literally hit a wall. A wall of his old tomes, vast deposits of knowledge, philosophy, and even some fiction. His fingers listed on the dusty old leather for a few moments as he sighed, longing to pull one out and begin reading. He could not, however - for he knew they were fake. Those ******** humans had killed their writings along with their families - censoring their cultural richness. They would pay.
He moved to the exit, lungs cleared of the perfumed smoke and ready to tackle... yet another room, just as singular as the last with white walls and an exit sign in neon green. SANDSHARK strode to the middle, arms crossed. This wasn't exactly a hard pattern to figure out, after all. His old commander showed up, barking orders at him as per usual. Stop slacking off, get some actual work done, blah blah blah blah. SS patted the illusion's cheek, and continued to walk.
The third room; he smirked. What were they going to throw at him next, some sick puppy? He only took a step before his stomach lurched, a near crippling tidal wave of emotions crashing down all around him in a cacaphony of mind breaking chaos. Murral, the nephew he'd grown so incredibly close to, was standing there; taller than him, smiling his cocky grin, and winking. "Uncle!" He cried, waving the older man over. "Uncle, what stories do you bring from the Human world? Have you squashed the parasites yet?" He pestered with eagerness, taking his uncle's hand and sitting down with him, legs crossed, and still jibber-jabbering like a little bird that had drunk from the strongest of coffees. "Uncle Uttam, did you know? Mother is saying I can be a soldier! I won't have to scavenge or grow plants! I'll be just like you, Unlce!"
His words were bombs, deafening and disastrous. This wasn't real, he had to remind himself. Murral was killed by the filthy Hunters, along with his mother and other aunts and uncles. Murral would never be a soldier, though he'd trained so hard for it. The spark of life and fire the boy's eyes caught whenever Uttam would speak a story of war to him, the way he practiced with a wooden sword like it was his religion.
Make them pay, SANDSHARK's head rung. Make them all pay - for all the would be soldiers, for all the aspirations of children. Make the ******** pay.
He ripped himself from the apparition of Murral, and stormed to the exit. That was his goal now - to make everyone involved, even guilty by association, pay dearly for the crimes against their culture and their future. A reflection of him popped out suddenly, a selfish version fighting only for its own pride and valor. A fist went to the reflection's face, followed by a knee in the stomach, and a barrage of kicks to the head. SANDSHARK hadn't the time for selfish fighting anymore. He ate the cake again, peeled the card off his boots, and continued in a steadfast march.
MY STATS
My character’s username: SANDSHARK My character’s level: 5 Character’s HP: 30 Character’s Job Class: Gryphon Current party: n / a Current Guild: n / a Location: Tulgey Woods Small IC description of character: A tall and bony man with a gold trimmed coat and long auburn hair covering his eyepatch. Tends to have a sneer on his face and looks down his nose at people. Character journal:Here!
That was the girl's first question when she encountered the giant caterpillar. The lazy BIG caterpillar laid lazily on a BIG mushroom. She was amazed and O mouthed. "What kind of butterfly would you turn into?" Question after question from the curious excited rabbit. It didn't reply but asked her seem-to-be- rudely of her identity. "Me? Oh I-I am S-wait! Er- Waiting2Bloom, a white rabbit girl, you can call me B.B I guess." She greeted with a bow, simply girl thinks simply. Mr. Caterpillar was not impressed by such an answer, it kept staring at her lazily and creepily with the eerie yellow eyes.
Z was definitely not a smoker.
It seemed like a reaction to Z, the caterpillar took a deep inhalation and then the room was full of smoke, as if they were within the mist.
The reply this time was a languid and terse "Find OUT." intonation.
B.B chocked from breathing too much smoke into her body, the obscured vision lowered the image of the giant caterpillar and all other things. When it faded away, she met with a pair of unbending eyes. "Who are you?" The young girl with bruises stared at B.B. She had a long messy hair, pretty much like a long black silky cloth ruined by snags. The girl stared at her with a pair of amber yellow eyes, like an alarmed stray cat in black. She was crouching lower in a sense that if you approached, she would scratch or bite you promptly. She looked so familiar yet B.B didn't want to admit that. B.B moved a step forward, who knew how much struggles she went through for such a small step. The little Asian girl on the alert startled and bounced like she was shocked by electricity. "Easy easy. I won't hurt you." B.B stopped to get closer and softened her voice. There was an awkward moment of silence before she heard a feeble determined voice. "You won't?" She asked with distrust. B.B smiled and nodded her bunny head. "I promise!" The little girl lunged to her bosom all of a sudden right after she finished, sobbing like a breached dam. "Please don't leave me alone." The shaking girl grasped onto B.B's apron firmly. B.B wanted to stay forever, just to hold this poor little girl, comforting her scared heart and told her she didn't need to be afraid. However - < Silly, you can't look back.> - Yes, it was just the past and it was over, she couldn't do anything to change it. So she crouched down to give the girl a final hug. "It's okay, one day you will grow stronger. All the things you are experiencing will become the nutrients to give you the energy you want. Soon. Soon you will be able to protect not only yourself, but even the one you loves. I have to move on, sorry dear. Like you, I have to become stronger and I am still on my way, so I have to move on....I believe you can do it -" The rabbit girl stood up, finding it hard to step out and not crying. She held her hands in fists, took a deep breathe and walked towards the door marked with the exit. "Because you are me." Before she closed the door, she gave her the most confident and encouraging smile.
She opened the door, and saw a room of happy laughter that made she dropped a tear immediately. It was what she wished for, the people that she wanted to meet again. There was a young girl standing in front of a mirror, her hair was lustering in a beautiful tint of black, and she was smiling with a beam of delight. There were two women surrounding her, one putting a lovely lolita dress onto her while another was brushing her hair so tenderly. "Sis-" B.B covered her mouth, thinking her cry may destroy this heartwarming moment, but she couldn't stop the tears dropping down from her face. "I-It can't be true...." She wanted to step closer but was afraid it would burst like a fragile bubble, she felt like a tree planted there, couldn't do anything but just watching. The lighthearted princess turned her head and smiled to her sister, commenting on how lovely this polka dot scarf she made for her while another woman was tidying her cape. It was an area that did not allowed to be disturbed. "Do you know I miss you? I miss you so much..." B.B implored sadly and feebly, but the three of them couldn't hear, they just continued to discuss the cosplay the lucky maiden was gonna be on the con. Z's icy words brought she back to reality. Yes, they shouldn't be there, they were dead.....from protecting her. They always love her so much, so much that it's like a glass of water overflown, yet she no longer able to return. Never. The warm laughter continued, but she began to step backward, slowly but determined. Tears dropped onto the floor to mark her footprints and her lingering, her desire to stay in such a warm place. Before she left, she looked back and wiped away her tears with her fluffy rabbit scarf. "See you, sisters." She waved slowly towards the distant warm corner, heat dragged gradually from her body. "One day. One day we will meet again. For now, I will learn and grow. So that next time - next time we meet, I can be a little sister that you will proud of." She blocked the laughter with the door, lying against it to brace herself. Thank you Z.
"Don't move! Who are you?" Followed by the voice was a big claw cracking the ground and a loud roar. "Easy. Zai Tai, don't hurt her." A girl jumped down from the beast. B.B heard a whistle from Z. < Hey silly girl, is that you? I can't believe it! She's so ******** hot! > The girl they met was dressing in exotic clothing, wearing pieces of protective armor here and there. On her hand rested a big silver scythe. The beast took back its paw but still making low roars as a warning. The mature girl petted gently the beast, and scanned B.B from top to bottom. "Are you a lepus creature? It's dangerous, what are you doing here?" She asked with alert, holding her weapon in ready position in case she was an enemy. "I-I am finding the exit...." B.B replied honestly while eyes rolling around for the exit door. However, she was not in a room, but somewhere like a countryside. There were only she, the girl and the beast. Ok, Z also. The maiden frowned, questioning the credibility of it. "There is no door nearby, unfortunately. Maybe you can come with me?" She invited B.B, thinking she couldn't leave a young girl in danger. Also she couldn't bear the consequences of allowing a suspected spy lurking near their territory. < I know how this beast thinks. If I were him, I won't mind to be ridden by a sexy pretty lady like this. >Following the direction that the maiden was looking was a delicate enormous exotic building that she would only see in MMORPG games or adventure type of anime. "Zai Tai." The maiden called the beast but received another reluctant roar. "Zai Tai, no more than once." The rabbit girl then saw the beast squat down unwillingly his body while the maiden hopped onto him. "Get on, we will take you to the our base." She lent B.B a hand. It was probably the first time she rode on such a big animal, the scenes flashed by as the beast ran in a high speed, she could only grasped onto its fur tightly. The tiny rabbit girl was buried by the dense furcoat. "There we are, follow me." The maiden landed with no difficulty and helped B.B got down. Then, she witnessed how the beast changed into the size of a big cat when she cast a spell. "We will meet the leader to explain your situation. This way." The calm maiden looked at her and then started walking at a steady pace, her boot tack, tack, tack. After seeing the leader, the maiden lowered her defense over the girl and helped her to search for an exit. "EMERGNECY!" Someone shouted. "A monster breaks the shell!" The maiden quickly turned her head over where the sound was, asking for information and got back to her. "It seems I can't help you right now, I'd rush to help my comrade. Stay here until I come back." B.B shook her head, she would prefer to follow a person she knew rather than being left with a group of strangers who glared her in distrust, even if it mans danger. "Ok, but hide well behind us." She dashed in a fast speed after she finished, with the minified beast catching her up, luckily as a white rabbit, B.B found not much difficulty to follow the two. "Zai Tai." She called when she was outside and the beast changed its size again. Quickly jumped onto the beast, they arrived at the scene where several people already laid down, status unknown. The maiden summoned her scythe and got off the beast, "Hide well." and joined the rest into the battle. She was a decent fighter as B.B could see, excellent dodging skill and assistant technique. She watched as the maiden rescued several who were under the giant monster's claws and mouths. The creature was like a big chimera, roaring like a furious lion. "Zai Tai." As the maiden retreated, she beckoned the beast forward to assault the monster as to create weak points for the others. The monster gradually exhausted under their flawless cooperation, bleeding to its death. B.B's blood was boiling, and asked if she could join them. Seeing the monster's threat was minimal, the maiden agreed but under her supervision. The rabbit girl helped distracting the monster's attention with her nimble nature while the others attacked with spells. Soon, the monster was killed. The maiden waved away the blood on her weapon with a disgusted expressin while petting B.B's head and smiled. "Good job rabbit girl, now we can go back and search for your exit." When they were about to leave, someone yelled out. "Fleur! Come and have a look!" The maiden gestured to B.B for a wait and got closer to the big corpse of the monster and then waved to her. "I think we found the door you are looking for." The maiden said and showed her what was under the extreme thick fur of the monster. It required ten adults to push it away to reveal it. "Yes, I guess that's it. Thank you so much for your help!" The rabbit girl bowed while opening it and disappeared.
What was waiting for B.B was a bit unexpected after going through all the surprises. It was a room of white, with a full-length mirror centered to draw the attention of whoever walked into the room. She saw her rabbit self inside it when she got closer, the B.B inside the mirror smiled. The rabbit girl blinked and blinked, just to see that another B.B reached out her hand as if there was another world inside the mirror. She couldn't help but stepped backward, but the B.B in the mirror was getting closer and closer and finally got out from it. "Surprise?" The girl in an oversize hunter coat smile, holding a big hammer at her back. "Who are you?" B.B asked. "You are not me, but you are me at the same time...." The rabbit girl was confused, standing in front of her was herself in reality, the hunter self. "Of course I am ______." The hunter girl smiled. "Then, who am I?" The rabbit girl blinked at her reply. "If I am the real one - then I think you are the fake one!" The innocent hunter girl smiled politely and said. She was unreal? Oh yes, it was a dream, so the hunter girl in front of her shouldn't be real, even herself shouldn't be real because she was sleeping. Grabbing the important clue, B.B was relieved. "The answer should be both of us are not real." B.B beamed with confidence. This time the hunter girl was confused, she should be the only one existed, the real _____. "I have seen many me, and each has their own life, the me who's sleeping now is one, the one wearing this rabbit attire is one, you, the mirror me is one. Each of us is real to their world and people from that world, so what's the meaning to argue which one is real?" She hugged the hunter self. "From your view, you are real, from my view, I am real; from Fleur's view, she's real. Different me holds different opinion and believes they are real." She closed her eyes while wording out her feeling. B.B finally knew the answer of the caterpillar's question and felt a puzzle inside her completed. "I am I. I am myself standing here. I am you because you comes from my dream. I am part of everything because I exist in every single universe I don't know."
The hunter girl gently pushed her away, smiled one last time before vanished into a mess of smokes and re-condensed into a delicious mushroom cake the next second. Thinking that it was a gift from the mirror self, she gratefully ate the dessert with delight.
B.B was just B.B, a white rabbit living in the wonderland.
She pulled out a card stuck in her left boot and bounced happily off.
OOC
My character's username: Waiting2Bloom My character's level: 2 Character's HP: 30 Current party: - Current Guild: - Location: Tulgey Woods Small IC description of character:
Petite, pale skinned with amber colored eyes. The black hair bunny girl is wearing a red and white standard attire, long hair tied into twin tail style. Her big pair of eyes are hidden under the gold trimmed round glasses. The rabbit is always seen wearing a curious and happy smile on her face, with a pair of little pink wings on her back.
Quest Complete Reward: The lesser you turns to smoke which swirls and condenses into a small cake with a tiny sugared mushroom set on top. It looks much more delectable than any cake made of smoke and failure really ought to, but perhaps it will set things to right once again.
The world shrinks around you, but not too much, and looking down you find that you are very much the you that is needed right now.
A you that is exactly correct.
For now.
You feel something stuck to the bottom of your shoe and are relieved to find that is not some embarrassing sort of tissue, but rather a card.
A little cake sits prettily atop a table. The invitation is clear, but will you take it?
If you are a true adventurer (or perhaps just a bit peckish at the moment or particularly inclined toward cakes in general) you most assuredly do. If the world happens to suddenly grow large, larger, massive around you (which it most assuredly does) then you can at least say it was a very good cake, indeed. A forest of grass now towers above you and merry flowers gossip well overhead. It is a bit of a predicament.
Smoke drifts around you, but in a most fortunate turn events, you find you are not on fire. The source instead comes from a great mushroom, fat with importance as it looms on high. A large figure, also fairly weighty in both form and manner, sits upon it. It is a caterpillar of sorts, and it gazes down on you with eyes that glow thoughtfully as it exhales great snaking wisps of smoke.
"Hello giant Caterpie. What's your quest for me?"
Silence reigns as it continues to stare, rather rudely I'm afraid to admit, until it abruptly asks in a slow, lazy voice, "Who are YOU?" (Also rather rudely, it must be said.)
And that is such a very provoking question, now isn't it? Here you are on a perfectly good adventure, and along comes some fellow (and not a very pleasant one, at that) asking existential questions. A difficult one, because who are you, indeed? You are very small at the moment, but bigger you has so much more of you to offer. You are a dream you right now, does that make you less you or more you than waking you? Is the you today more than the you tomorrow? Was the you long ago more purely you, or is the you far in the future refined to the ultimate you? And how many yous are there, anyway? You have a distinct feeling that you are a number beyond counting and that this question might be extremely unfair.
Having had enough of your presence, minor though it may be, the caterpillar inhales deeply from its hookah and then exhales many great lungfuls until the world is obscured in smoke. Through it, you hear him intone, voice both languid and terse, "Find OUT."
The smoke clears are you find yourself in a room. Yourself is not the you who stood before the mushroom moments ago. You study the room and yourself before deciding that no, this is not the you who you are. You see a door across the room, a neon 'EXIT' sign flashing above it.
"I'm kinda getting used to this, but..." He looked around.
Somehow, somewhat. This room is the Goddess' Room. Their Temple.
But without the Goddesses and their statues, this is only a room with checkered flooring.
In there, a pedestal with something offered into it stays. The offering was something held in a leather bag...which occasionally twitched.
He walked to the exit after spending some time reminiscing about the adventure...yet he can't remember what EXACTLY was in that bag.
The next room... He looked around once more.
This room is the Silver Kingdom's Castlegrounds. He has been invited here once, when the Queen held her birthday party.
Foods of all kind, still warm and with aroma purely tempting, almost made him stop to taste.
No, not the time, he reminded himself. He looked for a neon-green 'EXIT' sign, and found a small barrack door bearing that.
The moment he opened the door...
Night befalls him, and he found himself alone in the midst of a pumpkin patch.
NO. NOT THIS ONE. NONONONOONONONOONO.
NOT THIS!
This is supposed to be Rei the Information Broker's memory, not his. And that Rei is not him, of course.
But the horror stays.
Snip.
He looked around and found someone has snipped something, something that was red and bloody and spurting red liquid...
And from the very ground, a pair of hands held his legs like a vice.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"
He bolted to the gate made of pumpkin vines, and ran through it.
You exit into a plain room with a single mirror, and who steps out of it but you. The Real You.
It's quite unnerving to see your physical form walking out of a mirror like that, thought Borg to himself.
It's...him. The real him. Rei before death. Rei before being a Tsukumonogami. Rei before Eir or even the Info Breaker persona.
Just Rei.
Who are you?
The Caterpillar's question again booms from who-knows-where in that room.
Who are you, really?
"I'm Rei. The post-houmous Ghost of a person that lives inside this thing." He tapped his trademark headphones.
Meanwhile, the REAL Rei (pre-humous version) makes a small gesture of putting his hand atop his chest...
-and draws forth a large, yellow-colored greatsword he instantly recognizes. -for he was once the user of that very weapon. The sword that promises its user not to let another drop of tear ot of sadness.
This looks bad. How bad? VERY.
As in, the Pre-Humous Rei was now charging straight to him. "Waitwaitwait can't we just talk about this-" CRASH!
Nope. The other him just plowed the floor using that weapon, creating a rather eerie-looking crater in the middle of the room. The shockwaves from that attack smashed the mirror and the walls alike.
"I said wait, you darned-"
And I just cursed myself, noted Borg.
Was this is the true me? The one with too much intellect that rejects any conversation with anyone? The one who shuts the world around him from any entry? The hikkomori-me which will jump at anything fun and not real?
Sadly, yes.
But not anymore. You see, by looking from 3rd person view like this, you can point the flaws of yourself. Everything, which makes yourself embarrassed why you didn't realize that sooner.
The Pre-Rei again lifted the gigantic golden sword, ready to strike.
And Borg does nothing.
Except calling something from inside his memory. The other him.
"FROM MY SHATTERED MEMORIES THAT HAS BEEN SACRIFICED FOR THE GOOD OF THIS WORLD." He called something inside himself.
"LEND ME YOUR POWER ONCE MORE TO RIGHT WHAT IS WRONG."
"FEED ON MY IGNORANCE AND SELFISHNESS."
And he draws out a blue scythe out from nothingness. "-FOR THE MEMORY THAT HAS LOST IS THE PROOF OF WHO I AM."
And then he proceeds to stab himself.
...the OTHER him, of course. Which shatters like glass mirror.
The lesser you turns to smoke which swirls and condenses into a small cake with a tiny sugared mushroom set on top. It looks much more delectable than any cake made of smoke and failure really ought to, but perhaps it will set things to right once again.
The world shrinks around you, but not too much, and looking down you find that you are very much the you that is needed right now.
A you that is exactly correct.
For now.
You feel something stuck to the bottom of your shoe and are relieved to find that is not some embarrassing sort of tissue, but rather a card.
"Huh. So much for my otaku-self." Borg said, looking at the scythe in his hand, which is slowly turning into smoke. "As for you...glad too see that you're still there, mate."
Borg wandered again, now completely convinced that being a ghost is NOT that bad, particularly when you have a magical artifact as a core and ability to summon weapons anytime you want...
(-or not. How much he tried afterwards he can't summon those weapons again, for better or worse.)
Battle Calculator My character's username: Undying=Borg My character's level: 6 Character's HP: 30 Current party: Current Guild: Location: Woods Small IC description of character: A Mad Hatter with Headphones instead of tall hat... Character journal:Battle Entry Log
ShadowStalker didn't like the caterpillar at all, which was funny given she chosen the class. As the smoke finally clears, she stood by herself in an empty room. Her blue eyes glance around for a moment as she found herself confused on how she would find out who she was.
Turning her eyes towards the door that appears on the other side of the room, she push her long black hair from her face as she moves towards it. At first it was easy for her to ignore the whispers, but as she drew closer it was a voice she hadn't heard in a long time.
It cause her to freeze in her steps as she looks up.
Those green eyes staring at her, or so she thought. Stepping towards him, she was in shock when herself came into view. Taking a quick step back, her hoodie feel off her head as she watch them. They were happy, he was holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. It was something she honestly wanted a long time go.
Turning her eyes away, she shut them as she shook her head.
"Kas, you have been working yourself to hard. Please...just stay with me...for the evening." she turns her head to see herself brush a kiss against his lips. pulling back, she gave a chuckle "You know I will stay with you, do you even have to ask?" she shakes her head at the War Stallion. She heard his playful growl as she move away from them.
This is how she picture them to be, playful and caring.
Shaking her head, she covers her ears as she ran tot he door. The worse thing about that future was it could never happen. She knew this, and yet she still held onto the thought that just maybe....
Pulling the door open, she slides into the next room so she didn't have to think about that one before. She was shaking, trying to keep her own emotions in check as she look around. It was another empty room with yet another door on the other end. Balling her fist up, she narrows her eyes.
Taking a small step at first, she kept herself alert. Eyes glancing all around for a moment. The sound of weapons clashing caused her to jump to the side as she turns in that direction. Before her was herself and another guardian, sparring. She wasn't in her full guardian attire, as her cloak was tossed aside for the match. She watched as they moved in on one another, her own weapon clashing against his own. Falling back, she pants as she stares at the stallion.
"Come on Kasja, just give it up. Neither of us can barely stand anymore. Why are you pushing yourself so hard." the stallion frunts as she charges forward again.
It wasn't something he would ever understand. It was the need to push herself, to become better then even himself. As the kick to the stomach sent her flying across the dirt, she lays there for a moment just trying to breathe. The other Guardian walks over, he him unable to fully breathe as he holds his hand out towards her "Your one of us now Kasja, you don't have to prove yourself anymore."
She understand even now what he meant by that, that she didn't have to prove herself. Often she felt out of place among the other Guardians of the Death Clan. She had so much against her in her own eyes, that becoming on was the biggest thing ever to her. So she wanted to prove every day that it wasn't the wrong choice for her to become one.
Turning away from the visions, she nods to herself as she moves on. She wasn't about to give up, when this was done she would give that Caterpillar her answer.
She stood there holding the handle still as she glance at what stood before her.
A mirror.....?
Pulling her hand away from the door handle, she stepped closer into the room as the reflection started to waver before her. It was that moment an actual emotions of shock forms across her face as she saw herself step out of the mirror. The real moved into a actual fighting stance as it mock glares at her "Your think your me? Prove it, fight me, or leave."
ShadowStalker stares as herself for a moment, honestly unsure if she should even fight. It was that smirk that formed across her lips that made the Caterpillar remove her fur cloak and toss it aside. She lunged at Kasja, throwing a fist to the side of her jaw as she tackles her down. Kasja didn't stay down long, as she kicked her away from her own body "Is that all you got? Fight me for real!" this time she the one that attacked ShadowStalker.
The battle went on for a good amount of time, each one of them tearing at the other. Punches were thrown, they were both to the point of being unable to do much more.
ShadowStalker stood there watching Kasja, before she finally realize this was pointless "You know what, I've already won. I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone else ever again." she spat at kasja as she bent down to pick up her fur cloak.
Turning her eyes, she stop whens he realized her other self was gone. Only to be replaced by a cake. bending down, she picks up the cake for a moment. It was how she got small in the first place.
Taking a bite, she felt herself shoot up rather quickly. It was good to be her normal size again. Brushing off her cloak, she pulls it back up just as she heard the familiar DING. It made her smile, knowing that she managed to get through that and leveled up because of it. Glancing around, she was looking for the chest that normally popped up.
When she didn't see it, she thought nothing of it. Taking a few steps forward, she had to pause as she felt something odd at the bottom of her foot. Lifting it, she couldn't help but laugh as she pulls the card free.
With it in hand, she moves on.
OOC
My character's username: ShadowStalker My character's level: 4 Character's HP: 30 Current party: Current Guild: Location: Small IC description of character: A rather small young lass, she has long straight black hair with a pink underlay to it. Light skinned and light blue eyes. She adore the Caterpillar Armor in maroon, dark gray, red and white. She quiet, and very hard to read.
She wasn't sure if she should have eaten the cake now, as she stared into the eyes of the giant caterpillar before her. A puff of smoke was blown into her face, to which she turned away and waved it off as politely as she could.
<I must apologize...> she began.
“Who are YOU?”
<Why, I am E- FrozenFlower, pleased to meet you>
The answer didn't seem to register well with the caterpillar, and she was left wondering if she should have been a bit more honest. But it was clear that with the barrage of questions that came, he seemed to be asking for more.
The smoke cleared and she was standing in a room.
There was a function of sorts going on, and the guests were particularly distinguished, or at least she could tell so from their lavish dressing. The chime of a spoon tapped against a champagne glass rang through the room, demanding for everyone's attention. An unfamiliar man with dark skin and pale hair began to speak.
“Thank you one and all for gathering with us today.” He turned to smile at the lady beside him, taking her hand in his. She looked very familiar -
“We are pleased to announce our engagement, and hope you will celebrate this wonderful occasion with us.”
The crowd clapped and cheered, and a toast was held in the air. Meanwhile, she was headed for the exit, disbelieving. This was not her future... this wasn't her … could it?
The next room was a quiet setting for two enjoying an afternoon tea. She watched herself and the man from earlier chat leisurely, and they seemed … happy. She was happy with someone else. Was that a bad thing?
That room began to fade and she found herself in another room, the floor covered in checkered tiles. She began to freeze up on the spot, afraid to look at what was there.
Who, rather.
The ghoul slowly raised her head, leveling her glance at the person in front of her. And sure enough, she was staring face to face at the runner. She could see her pendant dangling from his hand. Memories with him, no matter how few, started flooding back to her.
But it felt like so long ago. There was now a huge distance between them.
She didn't know what to say; what could she say?
I'm sorry.
She ran.
Away from the runner. Away from her first love.
Goodbye.
- - -
She stared into the Looking Glass. The future self before her was smiling back, hand outstretched.
No looking back.
She'd leave it all behind and start a new chapter. Taking her hand, she stepped through the Looking Glass...
And found herself back outside. This was the real her now.
[Quest complete] [+1 level] [+1 loot card]
MY STATS
My character's username: FrozenFlower My character's level: 6 Character's HP: 30 Character's Job Class: Gryphon Current party: - Current Guild: - Location: Caterpillar's Den Small IC description of character: Towering at 190cm, she emits a cold blue aura as she stares down her opponent. Wields an icy polearm and carries a calm expression.
He’s always had a sweet tooth. He can remember gorging on his aunt’s baked goods even when his mother scolds him and warns him if he doesn’t cut back soon he’ll grow up fat and he’ll grow up dying of a heart attack, but like all good children he lets his instincts take over every time he sees a colored confection. Before he realizes it, there is a cupcake in his grubby hands, which are stuffing the sweet into his tiny, waiting mouth.
Perhaps it’s just his mind playing tricks on him, but the cupcake back then looks exactly like the one placed innocently before him. And like a child he is drawn to the sweet, but he wants to believe he grabs it more for the adventure and less for the sugary taste. Yet as the world around him grows larger he wonders if the cupcake was really that good. Rabbit ears twitch as he reaches toward one of the tall blades of grass. He hums thoughtfully, trying to figure out what he’ll do now that he’s the size of what seems to be an ant, but then he picks up the smell of smoke. It’s a light smell, but enough to draw his attention toward a large mushroom.
And on top of the mushroom is a big, fat caterpillar. Who are you? Who was he, indeed? Perhaps he should find out. So he does, and when the smoke clears he finds himself in a room wearing a body he wore once upon a time.
The white coat is familiar, but it’s nothing like his hunter coat. It lacks the gold embellishments and familiar tatters. Everything about it feels pure white.
But the coat is nothing compared to the crown hanging by his waist. Memories that are his and not his resurface suddenly—the black of space, the swirling galaxies, the colored splatters of other kings. He takes a moment before finally stepping forward toward the neon exit sign.
The first few steps are straightforward, but then movement on the periphery catches his attention and now he’s staring straight at a familiar face. He knows it’s his mind fooling him when Elliot’s face glitches between a grin and scowl. On one hand he wants to smile and wave, walk forward and wrap his arm around the older man’s broad shoulder like an old friend, but on the other he cannot ignore the visceral reaction in his gut—the need to recoil away with shame and anger and cowardice. He was once king, but before his once-dear friend he is nothing more than an underclassman struggling to find himself, failing to correct every little flaw.
Because he knows and Elliot knows Emmaline is never coming back.
“Is this—“ Elliot gestures, swinging his arm toward the upgraded interior of the ship with disdain. “—really important to you? So important you abaondoned—“ He panics, arm stretching out because he wants to cover the man’s mouth. “—the love of your life?”
Or maybe she wasn’t, and you let her die believing she was. The unspoken words are written plainly across his upturned face, and he cannot decide what hurts more—the accusation itself or the possibility it could be true.
“Don’t say it like I chose one over the other.” A quiet, meek voice. He tries to step forward, but Elliot blocks his path. Each time the king sidesteps, his crewmember mimics with ease. “They’re both important to me. Equally important.”
Elliot looks at him like he’s just thrown a bullshitted answer. “Don’t give me that kind of crap. The world doesn’t work that way.” A hand grabs his shoulder in a tight hold. He winces, feeling Elliot’s nails dig into his skin. “You’re always like that, so stupidly naïve and blind to reality. Always like a spoiled brat.” He shoots his king a mockingly sympathetic look, reaching up to tuck a lock behind his old friend’s ear before violently taking a fistful of hair and tugging the king forward. “And that’s always disgusted me. What did she ever see in you?”
The corners of his eyes fill with tears before he roughly pushes the man away. “Something you clearly couldn’t see,” he hisses. He tries to walk toward the exit with dignity, but Elliot’s laughter echoes in his ears.
“Because it was never there to begin with.”
Who are you?
Nothing.
He steps through the exit, but now he’s in another room. Rather, he finds himself in a pizza parlor.
A mixture of strangers and familiar faces fill the room, but nothing seems more familiar than the trashy king standing before him. “King?” he echoes, and he knows the other kings stand taller, raise their heads coolly as their titles are challenged. You are no king, he murmurs within his mind as someone steps forward to make the first blow.
Have you seen the stars up close? Have you watched galaxies collide? Seen the creation of black holes?
Have you seen what the seven kings have wrought?
So the story continues, and weapons clash against scales and armor and whatever else they can find. The weight of his sword is easier to grip than the weight of her death, and for a moment it is alright when he strides forward with a cold, sharp expression splayed across his face. His eyes are bright red when he lifts his weapon. “That’s no good, Aymet. That’s not how you do it,” he murmurs as he steps forward. “You do it like this.” And his sword gleams red.
Who are you?
A king.
He steps over the fallen corpse to stride through the second exit, another room.
A gloved hand presses against the glass’s surface. His gaze turns sad when he realizes he is peering through his alternate self’s eyes. He is staring at himself, his true self. His eyes are closed in a restful slumber, and he can hear his voice-not-voice wondering what this version is like. Is he happy? (He isn’t.) Does he regret anything? (He does.) Was everything worth it? (He can’t decide.)
Who was he, really? Was he an alien like himself, living on a planet and spending his life as poisonous gas? Did he enjoy mechanics and did he enjoy company? Did he love someone as deeply as he and was he a leader like himself, a king? Who was he?
His sleeping self opens his eyes, staring past his alternate self. His fist bangs against the glass once, twice, three times. He sees now that there are bags beneath his eyes and his shoulders sag the way his does and he sees now, ah, he’s—
Who are you?
Human.
He cannot remember stepping into the final room, but he has. There is a mirror now, nothing like the glass case from before, but his self is still there. “Why don’t we play a game?” The king asks with a weak smile. He holds out his palm to reveal a coin. “A game of chance.”
His brows furrow with confusion, but he agrees. “Sure, why not?”
The coin flies into the air. A voice calls out, “Heads.”
And when the weighted coin falls exactly as he guesses, the dream fades away to reveal a cupcake.
MY STATS
My character's username: R0GU3R4BB1T My character's level: 4 Character's HP: 30 Character's Job Class: White Rabbit Current party: n/a Current Guild: n/a Location: n/a Small IC description of character: A rather tall lad with black hair and red streaks. Donned in red and white. Although he seems a bit confused, he takes it all in stride and comes across as rather amiable. Character journal:link
![[A.V.]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/8d/f2/221070ca3ff28d_flip.png?t=1546143856_6.00_11&pl=15)
My character's username: sombra_mueca 
