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 Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:48 pm
He opened his eyes calmly. What was his nature? Linswo thought he had known. There had been no bitterness when he admitted it to himself, but apparently he hadn’t truly known himself after all. It seemed that when it really came down to the wire, he would do anything to survive. Who was he really?
Eyebrows furrowed, he returned the dagger to the predator podium.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:58 pm
Eat or be eaten.
Rise or Fall.
Beat or be beaten.
Walk or Crawl.
There was only one answer to these words, only one he was allowed.
He approached the podium, not given a chance at all.
He had fallen victim to the first room,
no matter how much he saw himself as the predator.
Mire was the Prey, not the victor.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:37 pm
Dagger in hand, knuckles still white from holding it, Scree returned to the shrine and eyed the pedestals. A choice, just like her last. She had not failed to show the creature that she was no ones prey, she was not a victim.
She was a Predator.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:00 pm
She awoke with a jolt, her body trembling violently. Instinctively, she lifted a hand to her chest, patting at it wildly. Did she still--yes. Yes, her heart was still there. Oh god. Thank god.
Standing up, Vae looked down at the dagger in her hand, regretful that she hadn't been able to use it. Perhaps if she had taken that thing down, it would have gone smoothly, but...
And those memories. Who...? Why?
She moved forward to read the plaques, and then looked between the two podiums. The answer seemed clear enough for her. Without a word, she dropped the dagger onto the Prey podium, whirled around, and walked out.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:06 pm
He came to, clenching his chest breathing frantically. Searching around he too found others there, some doing something similar...others seemingly not.
Without thinking he moved and placed the blade on the Prey podium, the memories willingly leaving him.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:27 pm
Why?
Ideih stared ahead of her, a hand slowly rising to her chest. Her Heart was still there.
It wasn't..real?
Rising to her feet, Ideih slowly stumbled her way to the pedestal. The dagger was dropped carelessly on the one labeled Prey.
She was no predator.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:42 pm
His eyes opened. A quick gasp of air. Alive. He was alive?
Instinctively he grasped at his chest, finding his still beating heart firm within his body. Ah... how he had taken such a thing for granted. It was painful, but it was real.
Itoto slowly wandered to the pedestals, still clutching the fabric of his shirt over his chest; as if afraid someone might rip out his heart once more. Prey. He was prey. The thought made him feel sick. Weak. Was he just not strong enough, or was that simply his destiny?
With a troubled groan, he set down the dagger over the Prey pedestal.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:46 pm
The dagger in hand, Kage approached silently, eyes downcast. Though he had succeeded, had proved himself worthy of being the hunter, he still felt... this wasn't... right. That figure... he knew them somehow... and even though they had tried to kill him... there was still this bittersweet feeling.
With a sigh, he pushed the thought aside, approaching the predator pedestal, placing the dagger on top. He had completed the goddess' request. That was all that mattered.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:48 pm
Naiad awakes with a gasp and quickly reaches for her chest and looks closely. She pants slightly as she realizes her heart is still there and that she had not had it taken like she had thought. Sitting up she looks around and see that in the center of the temple is the goddess in statue form accompanied by the other two. Walking up she reads the plaque below the goddess that had sent her on this task.
The Task is complete. Eat or be eaten, predator or prey. Return your Dagger to where it belongs.
Nodding to herself she sighs. She knew which she was and so she walked up to the plaque for Prey and quickly skimmed over the words.
Sacrifice for the greater good. This is the law of those who are eaten.
Nodding to herself she places the dagger on the pedestal and turns with a sigh as the memories of her encounter fades from her mind. Still though, she can feel her heart being torn. Shivering she figures it must have been worth it.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 5:09 pm
Waking with a start, Ruse clutched at her chest, clawing desperately at what she thought would be a gaping hole filled with blood. She was relived to feel her heart was still in it's place. So she wasn't dead after all...
A few minutes passed, before she got to her feet. The goddess had returned to being a statue along with the other two, leaving two blank podiums. After reading Ruin's plague, Ruse sighed. So she was prey. It angered as well as mortified her to have been defeated, her pride and ego taking a blow.
With a grimance, she walked over to the prey podium, taking a moment to read the plaque. Sacrifice for the greater good, huh?
This was one law she would be happy to break.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 5:11 pm
Reheats awoke, fairly startled at what just happened to her. She was just killed, her heart ripped out, yet...
She looked around then noticed the podiums. Prey and predator. The greater good.
She knew what she had to do and gladly did it. She threw the knife at the prey podium, hoping to never see it again.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 5:49 pm
Yiro returned to the shrine, her eyes lacking the usual vigor.
She had become the predator. She neither felt proud or guilty for what she did. It was simply... What had to be done. The dagger dropped to the correct pedestal.
"I won't be the victim anymore."
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:38 pm
She shook her head, looking down at her chest for a moment, her hands wandering over the thick wool fabric that made her sweater and realized that her Heart was not actually taken. her breath hitched ash she began to cry, pent up fear being released all at once. She cried for what seemed like an eternity before she was able to calm herself, hiccuping and chocking on sobs.
She wiped her face on her sleeve and looked towards the Goddess' statue. She carefully read the inscription. She was no predator, she knew that for a fact now. She wandered cautiously to the pedestal for the Prey and laid her dagger on it, feeling a sharp pang of guilt. She felt as if, by becoming the hunted, she had let the Goddesses down.
As soon as the dagger was placed on the pedestal her mind flashed and she felt as if something was missing. As she wracked her brain her mind wandered back to her heart being torn and bleeding out on the pristine floor. She choked back more sobs before leaving the room, her hands covering her face.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:39 pm
Marati's eyes flew open as she sat up, both hands coming up to grasp her chest. The space where the gaping hole should have been was solid. Her heart was still in her chest. She sat there for a moment, a chilled feeling washing through her: She had died. Her heart had been cut out, her life taken from her. In another life...was she a failure?
No.
No that couldn't be right. She was strong. Powerful. Determined. A Predator.
When she had calmed down she stood, walking silently to the plaque of the Goddess, reading it quickly. Put the dagger where it belonged? If they were talking about the them from a previous time...well, she was ashamed to say she knew where it belonged. She trudged grudgingly up to the Prey plaque.
Sacrifice for the greater good. This is the law of those who are eaten.
The greater good, huh? Marati pressed her lips together and tossed her dagger on the pile, quick to turn her back on it and leave.
Greater good was well and fine, but what about her greater good?
As she walked away from the plaque her bitterness faded, but the ache in her chest remained ever-present, a dull thud to keep her from forgetting her place.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:57 pm
Amati didn't know how much time had passed between getting her heart ripped out and waking up back at the shrine, or even how she had managed to return. It was quiet enough that she could hear the rhythmic thump of her heart beating in her chest, right where it belonged. Not total failure, then, but only barely. She picked herself up, still shaken and unsteady on her feet, before making her way towards the podiums. Reluctantly, she deposited her dagger on the podium marked Prey. As she did so, the how and why of her quest faded from memory, leaving behind the simple what.
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