Welcome to Gaia! ::

After having urged the other girls on to fight, Tara knew that was the path she had to take herself. She drew her throwing stars again, turning to face the new monster. With a cry she threw them both, and she let out a whoop as they scored a major hit. As soon as the sound left her mouth, though, she suddenly heard a roaring in her ears again - different, somehow, this time - and for an instant the room around her disappeared.

She looked around, a grin so wide on her face that it almost hurt. She saw people all around her, people that she knew she knew... but she somehow couldn't actually make out anything about them. Except one. There was one who... glowed wasn't the right word, but something about her stood out from the others. Tara knew she was important as soon as she spotted the other girl, who ran up and gave her a big hug. "Oh, thanks so much! It's the best gift ever!" Tara could feel her chest swelling with pride as she hugged her friend - her best friend - her b.f.f.a.e.a.e.u.e.

And then the stars were back in her hand, and Tara was gasping. It had felt so real. Was that part of her hidden memories? What was going on? There wasn't time to worry about it, though, she thought as she steadied herself, and threw the stars again.

This time, she just grazed the thing, two long but shallow cuts along what seemed to be its back. But the next memory hit no less hard for her attack causing so little damage.

"What? No! It can't be!" she heard herself yelling into some device, tears already beginning to stream down her face. She felt like she couldn't breathe, like something was tight around her chest, cutting off her air. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. But the voice coming out of the device was telling her that it was sorry, but it was true. Her friend (the name somehow didn't come through the memory) had been in an accident. She'd been rushed to the hospital, but the doctors weren't sure she would make it. Not that Tara could respond anymore, though. She'd collapsed to her knees, barely able to hang on to the device as she silently cried. No. No. This couldn't be happening.

This time, only the sharp bite of the stars in her hands brought her back to reality, her hands squeezing them just as tightly as she had been squeezing the device in her memory. It took a moment for her to realize that she was back in the room with all the other girls, that whatever vision of the past she had been in was just that - the past. She looked down, and was a little surprised that the stars hadn't cut her hands, as hard as she was squeezing them. Must be part of their magic.

A drop fell off her chin, and she quickly wiped her tears away and stood up again. The memory had left a painful ache, like she still couldn't get enough air, but she knew staying still just made her an easier target. So she jumped to the side, and then threw her weapons one more time, shouting as she did, just like before. "Shining stars!" Once again the stars glowed blindingly bright, and although this time her aim wasn't as good as against their first opponent, it was still a reasonable hit.

And once again a memory enveloped her.

"You want to ....?" she heard the cat-goblin-thing ask her, but somehow she couldn't quite make out the words. It was something to do with her friend, though. Her b.f.f.a.e.a.e.u.e. They'd promised they would be there for each other. Forever and ever and ever until eternity, that was the agreement. She needed her friend. "Yes, yes, that's what I want. I'll do anything for it." "Then if you agree to my terms, we have a deal." But what had she been asking for? Was her friend even still alive? And what had she promised to do in return? Why couldn't she remember?!

With a groan Tara woke up again, finding herself still standing this time. The fragmented nature of this last memory left her almost as upset as the previous one had. She knew it was important, but she couldn't quite put it all together.

As she tried to recover from the vivid memories, she let her attention waver from the creature they were all fighting - a mistake she thought she had learned the first time, but clearly not well enough. As she looked around, reorienting herself, she suddenly noticed one of the creature's claws flying right towards her. She tried to dodge, but there simply wasn't time before it knocked her to the floor. Everything shimmered for a moment, and she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye...

“’Atta girl.” Alvar ruffled Adelaide’s hair affectionately before standing up to give the surroundings another look. It was still horrible and full of the other girls either falling like flies, leaving or barely alive like they are now. This isn’t going to end well…

Taking in a deep breath as if having decided on something, she turned to the other girl once more. “Make sure to tell me if you’re not feeling well, alright?”

The ensuing conversation between the Thing and the ex-creature was met with disguised boredom as Calliope shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her skirt ruffling in the process. A glimmer of interest appeared in her eyes at the mention of fake bodies and fake gods, but it did little to stir the girl into doing anything more. She kept herself rooted to her spot. The uncomfortable sense of doubt the creature had instilled in her was plain as day on her face, no matter how hard she attempted to veil it with a cool façade. She tilted her head slightly as she watched some of them follow while others stayed. Perhaps she too, would have followed those who chose to walk away, but adrenaline coursed through her suddenly at the appearance of the next creature.

Eyes widened and she pulled back her sleeves to fully reveal her weapon, gleaming with anticipation as she dashed forward. Screw philosophy. Screw existential crises. She was here in the now and the now screamed for her to fight, so she did. Calliope found a certain pleasure in drowning herself in mindless combat, even as the Thing’s demand echoed in the back of her brain. Remember your wish? Her brows furrowed together as she felt the blade of her weapon strike the first time. Her wish…?

One moment she had been fighting a monster, and the next it was as if everything had faded to white to reveal a completely different scene altogether.

Her entire being was cold, but not freezing cold. It’s a pleasing cold, more cool than freezing. She saw the flickering reflections of the water’s surface dancing on her bare skin. Tiny bubbles escaped her mouth as she looked up, her long hair lazily weaving aimless pathways. Calliope blinked, but could still see the fuzzy outlines of tropical fish scurrying above her. She angled her gaze downward so she could run her hand over rough coral that could’ve easily pricked her if she wasn’t careful enough. A tug on her elbow, but she didn’t panic. Instead she rushed for the surface and took in gulps of air while children’s laughter surrounded her. “Did you catch anything?” she managed between giggles as she sent a wave of foamy water toward a brunette, who squealed.

She still felt the cool sensation of ocean water on her skin when she swung her pistol sword for a second hit. Calliope gritted her teeth, confusion swimming in her warm eyes while she attempted to make sense of the images.

As she blinked, she found herself surrounded by white again, but the memory wasn’t as pleasant. Laughter had been replaced with a mixture of murmuring and screaming and wailing. The water had turned freezing, and the bright sky had morphed into dark gray. Calliope tasted salt as she consumed ocean water. “Guys…!” she sputtered, struggling to keep her head above the waves. “Stay calm, stay…!” But someone had disappeared beneath the waves. She spat out water while skulling toward them, waiting for his tiny brunette head to pop up. Her brother never came up. She began shouting, her shrieks joining the other children’s. “Sammy? Sammy? Sammy?!”

Calliope was glad the name died on her lips when she returned to reality. This was reality, right? She wobbled uneasily for a moment as she pointed her weapon at the creature and chose to fire off a shot instead. She pressed her lips together, this time bracing for the next memory.

She’s at a funeral home this time. Calliope felt a lump in her chest, and she almost couldn’t tell if it was for now or for then. She stood on her own, away from the crowd gathered at the front. The quiet sobs and sniffling fell upon dead ears, but somehow she stepped forward. Calliope lifted an arm as she reached for another boy, his hair that same shade of brown and somehow she knew his face was just like Sammy's. She couldn't see his eyes, but she wanted to say they were so much colder than his and more like her own. Her lips moved. “Don’t worry. I’ll fight—to protect—because—and then…” Her words drifted off, but she managed to smile as something caused sudden warmth to rush in. “Then—“

She wanted to hold back a frustrated cry as she strained to recall the rest, to grab for the missing pieces to the puzzle, but they fluttered out of her fingertips. Calliope gritted her teeth together and screamed.

“I’m here to help.” Alvar replied before taking hold of Adelaide’s waist with one hand. She stared at the shield lodging on the other’s arm before resting her pollaxe against her body to free her other hand, and made a “give-me-that” motion at the shield. That shield has to weight more than her pollaxe…

chain of memories

"T-thank y-"
The scream made her flinch, leaning more into Alvar as the motion made her hurt all over.
If only... there was another crystal... but would it restore her like it had Tatiana? It didn't seem like any of the girls had a crystal on them, or... maybe... was the crystal ineffective against this? Was there no way to cure them?

She looked down, and let out a gasp as she saw black cracks trailing up Alvar's legs also, though it seemed the rest of her was still intact.
"A-Alvar... your legs..."
Looking back up at the girl, she blinked when she saw her eyeing her shield, and stared at her hand as it made a sort of waving motion towards herself.
She wanted... the shield?

Tugging at the shield, she slowly pulled it off, finding it heavier than normal, and handed it over to her.
Maybe it was best she kept it. She could barely defend herself in the state she was. If Alvar had both her weapon and a shield, then maybe... maybe she could at least protect herself.

Rocking back on her heels, Claire stared hazily at nothing in particular, her breath coming in slow, labored breathes. The first crack that spreads across her skin starts her heart pounding. The second makes her eyes widen, fear etched in pale blue.

And the third shatters her completely, until she's nothing but dust.