It had been powerful enough, what was needed to release the life of the puppet that housed Milo Hale. His grip loosened and he simply let the lifeless form hit the ground with no remorse, didn't even try to help guide it. It was what needed to be done and he imagined that one would have understood. Though, maybe a hero would have given it a little more proper respects.
But that wasn't what he was supposed to be doing here. He had a great purpose and would know that Milo Hale could respect that; he was a man who liked having one along with a happy smile. He had learned that, he contained those memories and those hopes. Those possible futures and those dreams. And he could manage at least one of those, he could have a purpose.
He felt himself eerily calm, despite everything. Maybe he too was going with the flow, accepting. Because enough weird stuff had happened anyways through that life, had witnessed countless adventure not of his own and so many stories with twists and turns that perhaps it was expected. Especially after he had stepped out of the pod at Deus and down into that room to retrieve a sentient weapon. Because. Really.
And he had been born, no less, in a sort of game in a backroom that was supposed to be locked. By a creature that had taken likeness from a story. Really. It was enough to laugh at. Milo probably would have, he could see it in the memories that flashed by him; more prominent in the recent ones grafted on the island. Those smiles, even when awkward as he sparred, trained, fought along side those he found to be friends and comrades. Even after the countless times he had been eaten or smashed by some large creature. It wasn't only there even, traces of that attitude could be found in his previous life before that particular island. With his home, his family and friends yet along with so many more open emotions.
This didn't seem too bad, if he really thought about it. Even if he was going to die, to go out and join the others to contain Grief. It's what heroes did sometimes. (They got much better send offs though, usually with explosions and several people screaming his name into the sky... but he'd deal without it). So, maybe he could manage both. He could smile knowing that this was his purpose. Fighting against the bad guy, doing what was right even if it meant a sacrifice. Sometimes that just came with the line of work. He could be okay with that.
Green's lips tugged into a thin smile as he watched the last of the memories get torn from him, putting an end to the clips he had collected into the one short recap episode that would be his existence.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:20 pm
Funny. He hadn’t even been in Halloween for long, and now he was, dying again. To be completely honest, Lutz was a little tired of it all. All this uncertainty about the future, and the fear, and the loneliness—maybe it was time to let it all go. Sagging in defeat, he made no move to struggle as the cage closed around him. Maybe now he’s actually die instead of being brought back to some new and foreign place.
Maybe it was finally his time to rest.
He had only just closed his eyes when he sensed his cage abruptly shattering around him. Eyes fluttering back open, the boil glanced left and right in confusion, feeling that haze of negativity lift slightly from his mind as he slowly pushed himself up to his feet. Had he really been willing to give up so easily? A part of him couldn’t deny that he had wished many times that he hadn’t been brought back as an undead in Halloween, but at the same time…he had always been grateful too, for this second chance.
Lutz suddenly found himself distracted as figures rushed past him, eyes widening in recognition as he spotted Erebus and Lock among the group. He took a step forward in their direction, only to let out a protest when someone grabbed him first. Whirling around, he opened his mouth to snap at them, only to freeze when he realized he was looking at himself.
It—his replica—told him that it knew everything about him and that it was his container, and then it smiled wryly. ”You’re still such a newbie to Halloween,” He noted, ”So compared to everyone else, you hardly have any memories at all. I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing though—you’ll just have to go out and make some. I mean, you made a pretty solid foundation here, I think.”
The replica glanced to the side, and Lutz turned to see Erebus and Lock talking to their own mirror images. Just as he was about to look back to his other self, the boil was suddenly aware that something was wrong. He didn’t feel any pain, but all of a sudden, he didn’t feel anything. When he finally struggled to turn back to look at his replica, he realized he had been sliced through with a weapon.
”Y…you…”
”Shhh,” It hushed him, its expression suddenly so painfully lonely, ”It’s time for you to go.”
Kaiyumi
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Kaiyumi
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:20 pm
[ REPLICA VERSION: ]
Well, that was that. As he watched the remnants of his original self fade away, Lutz’s replica smiled bitterly. In a way, they were both new—he and his original self both—and yet while Lutz would have the privilege to live out his life and make new memories, he would not. He had been made just for this purpose of dying (if one could even really call it a real death), and as much as he wished he could resist, the fact of the matter was that he couldn’t.
Staring at down at his hands, he let out a short laugh. He didn’t even really have many happy memories to pretend with. The most he had to work off with was the genuine warmth and happiness that Lutz had felt upon making two new friends in this dumb place, but besides that, there was nothing.
But maybe that was enough. Closing his eyes, he focused on this feeling of surprise, of genuine affection for others, clinging on to it even as he sensed himself being closed in the Queen’s cage. He could hear her speaking, but he drowned it out, body relaxing as he lost himself to memories that were not his.
But he could pretend.
The corners of his lips turned upwards ever so slightly as he faded away.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:22 pm
[DEATH SOLO - 00zingTea]
Horror had taken hold of Tea as player after player fell to the ground, killed by their own. She cringed at every crash of glass, another mirror gone, another player down.
Slowly though, they rose again. It was cruel to call them back to this. The Queen progressively looses bits of herself, Tea could relate, Unlike the Queen, Tea couldn't recover. The White Queen is still not gone, no, she grows. Sharp harsh white vines creep around the room, cutting through the black. Flowers and thorns create the cage, beautiful and terrible. Tea was inside of it.
She wanted to move, to yell, do something, but she was almost tired of fighting. Her body was heavy, her limbs didn't want to move and she didn't want to extend the effort to try. Gradually the grief fell, penetrating her like little needles, settling in the skin. She was weighed down further by it.
Then the Queen started to take her, little pieces gone. Tea couldn't get the Queen's voice out of her head as she just kept taking. But the panic began to fade in time too. Calm, a welcomed calm, settled over her. Yes, she will stay here.....
Suddenly, like a whoosh, like breaking the surface of water begging for air, Tea was back. She was panicked, watching the cage splinter. She wasn't then she was. Footsteps pound in her head now, marching. The puppets, they were awake, alive. She only half watched, part of her still confused.
A hand found it's way to her shoulder, firm but not weighing her down. "I know everything," She says to herself, the voice liquid sugar, her voice "All your memories, everything you've gained in this dream. I am your container."
00zingTea didn't know what to say, but she knew what was happening, she could tell. She looked at her replica, probably much brighter and lively then she was. The replica grabbed her hands, her face offering an encouraging smile.
"Please trust me, I want to save you." Her puppet replica soothed.
"Thank you," Tea finally managed to say. She knew she couldn't argue with herself, not really. She was so sad though, to say goodbye. She didn't have to, her replica saved her from it, both of them. The replica's brass knuckles appeared and she smashed booth metal-clad fists into Tea's torso.
There was no pain, there never was, except perhaps the sharp pain of loss. Not for herself, but for the herself that didn't really get a chance to be. Tea wanted to rest now, to let go. She wished her replica a thousand goodbyes, smiling in her mind as her body found the dark floor.
He didn't care anymore. He just wanted the deep numb of nothingness. He didn't want to be here, feel these things. He wanted to be gone, to sleep and pretend that nothing happened at all. That it was all some really weird nightmare. He didn't move an inch as he felt himself being trapped, fading away bit by bit. He simply longed for the nothingness. He wanted to stop thinking.
I will stay. I will stay in this cage. My existence, my memories, will contain her Grief.
He stirred a bit. A little panic crept into his conscious. He really didn't want to stay. He wanted to cease to exist. He wanted to be gone. But what mattered really. There was nothing for him to do at this point. He was fading. He let himself fade.
The cage shattered.
Ryou blinked. He had almost ceased to exist. His new found panic brought with it a dread that he really might have been better off fading when he should have. He still could see no way in getting out of this situation and it was worse now that he had his head on straight with the knowledge that he really didn't want to actually die.
He turned towards the open door. There were footsteps. They were the clones. Familiar faces passed by him. He heard a clearing of the throat to his right. It was his replica, smiling strangely with a hand extended out. Ryou took it without a word and his replica pulled him up into a standing position. He hadn't noticed that he had been still slumped against the shattered mirror frame.
"I know everything." His voice said. "All your memories, everything you've gained in this dream. I am your container."
"You are me." There was a strange clarity about it all. There was no way that he could pinpoint it what exactly made sense and he knew all too well that danger was still close, but he felt at peace for the first time in the last couple hours. "This is a dream."
The replica nodded.
"Is this the end?" Ryou asked. Now that it was here, he didn't want to leave. Sure, the queen had been full on terrifying, but everything else had been incredible. There were quests and dungeons and battles. He was more than himself. He had adventures.
"In my dreams the world comes alive--" It was words from a book that his sister had once read to him long long ago world away where the most interesting thing he had done was send the house's koi fish up into the sky in great balloons of water. His replica was reciting the words now. "It becomes so captivatingly majestic, free and ethereal--" Ryou felt a sinking in his stomach. "--that afterwards it would be oppressive to breathe the dust of this painted life."
He gave a small sigh and smiled gruffly, "So--off with my head?"
His replica smiled that strange smile as he took out his identical clock staff and beheaded the original Ryou Kurosawa.
"Thank you...and good bye."
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:24 pm
[ Post 2 - Replica JabberWhut ]
Jabber was still smiling that same strange smile as he withdrew his clock staff. The original's blood dripped from the clock hands. Invitation to a beheading indeed. This was mad, but he was quite sure with him smiling strangely like this after beheading the original made himself quite mad and since he was a replica of the original, the original must have had quite a few screws loose in his head as well.
He straightened himself. He was the sacrifice. This was his purpose. His mind wandered back thoughtfully to his original. Back to breathing the dust of a painted life huh. Jabber grinned. Replica or not, he was here. Here at the end of his legacy.
He felt himself fade bit by bit as he was consumed by Grief. He had never really existed so it didn't really matter. His original would live on. He would stay here. A sudden bolt of panic shook him for the first and last time. He had wanted to see the places and meet the people who had dwelt in the memories he contained. He had wanted to breath the air of a fresh summer rain. But no, that was for the original to do now. He had one last thought before Jabber ceased to exist: That dumb brat better not waste his time now.
Then the cage formed itself complete. His purpose was done.
Replica!Tea watched, her sadness probably mirroring the original. No it was mirroring, because she felt what the original had felt. Did feel. She was just memories, memories she'd borrowed from the original.
Replica!Tea tightened her grip on the brass knuckles and faced the White Queen. Memories tickled at her mind flowing freely now. She remembered a voice first. Then more memories, she was filled with them. She felt everything the memories triggered. She was prepared to do what she had to. Purpose, so hard for the original to find, was something she had. It was hers.
As the memories flowed so did the vines, until once again the cage rose, just as twisted as before.
Replica!Tea listened to the Queen, allowed herself to be taken, she was just holding the memories after all. The panic was the worst, her own memory now. It settled on her. She tried to fight it, this is what she was made for. It overwhelmed her, but not for long, because soon that was taken too. The cage grew smaller, as did the replica. Finally the last bit of her consumed by the Queen. Finally. She had completed her only purpose.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:47 pm
[ POST 1 ] [ DEATH SOLO - HAREBRAINED ]
The shattering sounds of the many mirrors continued to ring in Harebrained's ears as she was taken in by the tendril-like arms of the monstrous queen. Her mind screamed for her to wake up, the command louder and more overwhelming with each desperate plea, but she was powerless.
The cage was more than a trap. It meant more than losing her freedom. It meant and end--the end of her.
"This is the end of your legacy." NO!
She'd come to far! This couldn't be the end. It couldn't, it couldn't, it couldn't, no, no, no--
Distracted, her eyes fell to her arms--fading. She was being taken in. She was becoming something else. She was ceasing to be entirely.
"I will take your essence, your memories, and make them mind."
Wracked with frightened shivering, she gazed into the faceless mass of the queen, searching, begging for some sign of life, some form of mercy, but she found none. And she continued to fade.
The queen's arms curled and clutched at her flesh, and she felt her feet slide against the floor as she moved towards her end.
It's a nightmare, she wanted to scream, it isn't real. I'll wake up! I'll wake up!
But no. She knew better. She knew better.
An overwhelming sense of loss and grief filled her heart and spread through every inch of her body. The shadows of the cage bars--she could almost feel their coldness against her skin. She moved forward and forward, pieces fading, heavy...
There was no way out of this...
She knew better...
She knew better...
I don't want to...
But she could not control it.
Eyes closing, she let the last surge of life's desperation rip through her before submitting. She would fade. It wouldn't hurt...she would just fade.
Fade...
...
...
...
Snap.
Eyes opening wide, she gasped and let her mind free once again. Her sense of self returned, and all else came with it. The cage floated away in white fragments, and Harebrained watched them go, mesmerized only briefly before her eyes settled on something behind the queen--a door. The light that shone from within fell on her and she didn't even dare to squint. No sooner had it opened than an army of puppets came rushing through. So many faces--some recognizable--rushing around, and then there she was--there SHE was.
She stared up from her place on the floor and felt her lips part. It was her--it was her--but not her...it was her, but not her.
The copy of herself grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted, "Snap out of it, ya barmy girl!" Harebrained blinked several times in shock. Her replica knelt down in front of her and tightened her grip on her shoulders, gentle but firmly, and told her what she was--told her what she knew. And then tears filled the replica's eyes as she smiled, and Harebrained felt her eyes grow moist in response. "Everything's going to be all right," her replica said. And after that, she knew it would be. Harebrained hadn't even noticed her replica's hand pull her flametongue sword from her side.
She felt the blade slice through her abdomen. There was no force, no pain...
Clara had become weary of approaching any more mirrors – so far, she’d managed to stab the same ghoul twice somehow, and she had huge doubts that the ghoul was the White Queen. However, it was no longer an option because one by one, each of the mirrors shattered around her. The White Queen appeared, and although she was fading, she was still struggling to survive because Clara could feel the White Queen pulling her closer and closer until she was caged by vines. She was going to use Clara’s and the others’ memories to continue thriving.
She was being flooded with grief. Part of it had a source – the odds of being stuck in Wonderland forever and never returning to Halloween, how they couldn't stop the White Queen, being stuck in this cage, helpless and unable to do anything, and worst of all – the possibility, no, likelihood of death. She couldn't identify the source of the rest of her anguish – probably from the overwhelming presence of the Queen who was dragging her closer and closer. Part of her wanted to fight against the Queen and this feeling, but as seconds passed, she lost the will to.
And then suddenly, the cage opened and Clara didn't waste this opportunity to step out. Just as she did, it shattered into a million pieces and faded away. Clara watched in shock as a door she hadn't noticed before that was behind the Queen opened and in came a surge of puppets that looked familiar. No, she knew them - not very well, but she vaguely remembered seeing them - they were fellow players in this game. Clara felt a sharp pain in her stomach and put her hand there only to find blood and a peculiar sword she recognized right away, and holding this sword was none other than her puppet replica! She had many questions for the replica, many questions she wouldn't be able to ask because her vision was quickly going away.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:55 pm
[ POST 1 ] [ DEATH SOLO - CADENCE/RHYTHM ]
Rhythm stood shakily as the last of the mirrors shattered; unfortunately that was not the end of the battle. The White Queen was still standing, she had lived. Rhythm growled and brandished her axes; she was going to fight back, except she could not. White thorny vines grew all around her and the strikes from her axes bounced off them ineffectively. She tried again, over and over again throwing more power into the strikes and becoming more desperate each time. She would escape this she would fight and beat the queen and then the queen of grief showed up. She could hear the others voice, strong powerful commanding. It was commanding her to stay. “No!” She could fight this and get out she would not die here not like this. “No!” She cried out as the voice started to speak again, but this time it was overwhelming. Her frantic and panicked thoughts slowed down and the vines crept closer as she gave up her futile struggles. She could not escape, there was no escaping the white queen, she felt tears pricking her eyes, in the end everything she had done had been useless a futile effort. Her memories where drawn out of her and floated around as the where drawn into the queen, she was fading, slowly losing herself to the overwhelming sadness she felt, she was becoming one with the queen and she could not fight it, she did not want to. The suddenly there was a sudden snapping noise and the cage fell away shattering into fragments. The control the white queen once had on her was broken and rhythm darted out as fast as she could. Her chest tightened as she realized how close she had been to not just giving up but fading away entirely, not existing. She turns around to face the queen and there behind said queen she sees a door. The door if familiar, it is black and covered with roots or dark tendrils and there is an eye on it. it is the door that she had wandered though and where the others had faced Alice. The door opened and an army of people flooded out Rhythm was shocked and opened her mouth to say something. Only to be cut off when someone grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
“You!...” She managed to say once the other turned around and Rhythm found herself face to face with her own replica. The Replica had a curious look on her face. It was neither happy nor sad, it was almost blank, expressionless but with a hint of curiosity a spark of intelligence. “I am you, but you are not me. Strange isn’t it?” The replica spoke her voice sounding identical to rhythms own, even the way she talked was the same, Rhythm did not like it, what was going on, why where the replicas here, why where they awake now? They had not completed the game yet, it made no sense. From what she had gathered Alice wanted them to complete the game to beat the queens and then the replicas would replace them so why now. “What do you want… What is going on” Rhythm growled her grip tightening on her axes. “Nothing that you need to be worried about.” The replica responded softly, for a moment Rhythm thought she saw a flash of feeling, possibly sadness in the eyes that stared back at her. “Thank you.” The words form the replica confused Rhythm “huh?” “And goodbye” the replica spoke again as she swung her axes towards the Rhythm.
Shock spread over Rhythms features as she saw the axes coming down, light reflecting of their gleaming blades. She was not sure if the pain was real or just imaged because she was used to feeling pain when she got hit. This was not what she had expected; she had not expected her death to go like this. Staring stupidly at herself as the other her, her replacement as Alice had called it killed her. She had expected to go down fighting, fighting the queen or Alice not be chopped down by a fake version of herself. Although she should have seen this coming she supposed, Alice did say that they were going to die and they would be replaced, so this was it then? This was how she was going to die, she would have cried, or screamed if she could but any attempt at noise was cut off by the swishing of the blades. This was how it was going to end. She had not helped them take down the queen; they had not managed to escape after all. She supposed that was the plan though, for the replicas, no the Replacements to catch them off guard and finish them while their guard was down. She was furious, angry that she had let herself get killed so easily, that she had not run form the other. She wanted to struggle and to scream and to yell and hit the other but also she felt tired, it didn’t matter how much she tried to struggle her body refused to move. She knew, it was time to sleep, to let go, she did not want to but she had to, there was nothing else she could do. She had tried her best, fought her hardest. That had to count for something right? All she could do was hope and pray that her brother would have a better reaction and defend himself from his replica than she had. That he at least would make it out of wonderland. The world did not have a chance to fade, it was just there once second and then an empty abyss of darkness the next. In wonderland there was a soft plash as twin axes fell and buried themselves in the blood soaked ground. The hands that had been holding then where limp, as was the rest of the body which was only held up by the pair of identical axes that were buried in its flesh.
Dotdotdot along with all the other puppet replicas marched through the door and like the other replicas, she walked up to their originals. She knew what she had to do and she’d done it as quickly as possible – as soon as the door had opened, she dashed into the room and stabbed her original in the neck with her sword made of shadows. There was no need to talk or anything because if she knew Clara like the back of her hand (and she did since she had all her memories and everything), there wouldn't be much chatter anyways. Plus, if they’d stood in front of each other for some time, the original would definitely try to do something, and dotdotdot had to make sure she was far, far away from this world and would never return.
A sigh of relief came when Clara disappeared. Now the difficult part was over. A cage enveloped the replica, and now she was the one experiencing all the grief and sorrow her original experienced. After all, she (the replica) was her (the original).
Everything as it was meant to be – the original was to escape and she was to die in her place as planned. She had no other purposes in her life – she had been created just for this moment, and now that moment has passed. A complete ending. A happy ending.
Except the replica felt a smidgen of regret – what if it didn't have to end like this? What if she could live a life like the one her original lived?
But the feeling soon disappeared as the scene faded to black, and she would never have to experience that feeling ever again.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:58 pm
[ POST 1 ] [ DEATH SOLO - REPLICA RHYTHM ]
The door swung open and she along with the others marched forward, she moved swiftly her eyes on only one person, her original. It did not take ReplicaRythm long to find the real Rhythm, and she grabbed the other girl by the arm and dragged her a bit farther away from the White Queen and her cage. She did not want to take any chances with the other being dragged back in before she was able to save her. The other watched her warily confusion was clear on her face and ReplicaRhythm avoided the question the other threw at her easily. It would serve no purpose for the other to worry, she would be safe soon enough. “Thank you.” For giving me a reason to exist. She did not say the last part out loud for she did not want to confuse Rhythm more than she already had. She heard a sound of confusion from the other before she managed speak again. “And goodbye.” She quickly brought the axes up and buried them in Rhythm’s shoulders. She could see it, that the other wanted to keep fighting but after a short moment, seconds really she gave in. her eyes slipped closed and the axes the other was holding fell into the ground. ReplicaRhythm stood like that for a moment, with her axes holding up the other’s body, their limp head resting against their chest. Once she was sure the other was gone, she removed the axes and watched as the body faded away.
ReplicaRhythm had not been expecting the flood of memories or emotions that followed. She felt a few tears slid down her face from the fear and angry that the other had felt a few moments before. “I’m sorry, but your safe now.” She whispered softly to herself as the other Rhythm was gone. She could see them, the memories that where suddenly taking over her mind. A younger version of Rhythm was grinning and then stuck her tongue out at her brother before running away laughing. a few where of friendly, sibling competing and rivalry between Rhythm and her twin, some she had won others lost, but overall one thing they shared in common, fun. She could see them, so many moment filled with emotions. Fun and laughter brought happiness. Arguments while some where fun mostly brought anger and sadness. She was learning, she was starting to understand what the things she had scene before, the things she was made of meant, what they were truly about. The more she saw and felt the more she understood of the worlds and also the more confused she felt about herself. What is life? Why do things exist, why does this world exist, why does grief exist? Why do rhythm and her world exist? She knew why she existed, to die in rhythms place, so that the other could be free. She wondered for a moment, if she too could have been something, if she could have been great if given the chance. ReplicaRhythm shook her head; there was no using thinking of that, she knew what her future was, and very soon she would face it. She was not entirely sure what life was or what it meant or even if she was truly alive. She did know that life was at least worth protecting. That in turn meant that hers had some meaning right? She could dwell on this no longer as the white queen had appeared, and her cage of vines had trapped her while she had been lost in thoughts and memories. She heard the queen speak, of both of them staying. ReplicaRhythm looked straight up at the queen, whose massive form toward over her. “I will stay.” She stated, agreed firmly.
As the white vines wrapped themselves around her and started to tighten themselves ReplicaRhythm realized that she understood very little about the world, and these emotions she had just started to learn. She wanted to learn more to understand them better but there was not enough time, she did not have enough time left. She could feel the memories she had been crated to contain fade away, and the emotions she had just started to feel slip away. It was all right though; this is what she had be3n created for. This was the reason she existed. The meaning of her life was to die. That was what it meant to be a sacrifice. She doubted that anyone would even remember her; it would be like she had never existed at all. While the real Rhythm might, chances are she would want to forget all about wonder and push the memories away. From the emotions she clung to it seemed like that was the best thing to do with the pain this world had caused, to just defeat the memories. Why keep them, this was just a dream to her after all, and who clung to their dreams? From the memories it seemed that most dreams where forgotten soon after waking and those things that people called dreams but where thing that they wanted to do and not thing that they had scene while dreaming, those also tended to be forgotten and thrown away. While this processes felt strange and weird she was glad that it was not painful. If she closed her eyes maybe she could pretend that she was not dying. She was becoming one with the Queen of Grief, so maybe this wasn’t truly dying; maybe she could live on inside the queen. She clung to that impossible hope as the last of her started to fade away. Perhaps the future the Rhythm had scene in the future was not her future, but her , the replica’s future. Maybe that would be what it’s like to exist as part of the white queen. She was happy though, the real one was safe, and that was all that mattered in the end wasn’t it? Even if she could be called Rhythm, and even if she had managed to fight her orders and switch, take the real Rhythms place, she would never truly be Cadence. She sighed softly and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Please, live for both of us Cadence.” And then she was nothing, not a bit of data, not a fragment of a dream, she was nothing but memories inside the queen of grief.
shadica
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chirigami
Swashbuckling Sentai
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:11 pm
[ Death Solo - Olivia ]
Despite some reservations she had earlier about the whole them constantly protecting her thing, she might have been content to just stay in Andrew's arms. It was safer, it was nicer and it didn't hurt as much. It was protection from the things that made her nonexistent heart hurt. She could have stayed there forever as Grief consumed them. It didn't get to last long though. And from the moment her eyes lifted to see the source of the sound even she could guess that things were going to change.
The last of the mirrors were breaking, which really didn't seem all too bad at first. Less of them to look at, to see bad glimpses into futures she didn't want to see (there were some good ones she was sure, but she barely got those. Mean Queen). And in a small sense of fleeting hope, the bodies around them were once again finding some form of life. Molan could be back, she realized. But what had shattered and disappeared was replaced with the thin vines of a cage and the ominous words.
"This is the end of your legacy."
And a pout returned, her shoulders slumped and she dared to sag into Andrew once more as the prison they had found themselves in got smaller and smaller. She could stay here, she resigned. Where it felt safe...
"....your existence, your memories, will contain my Grief."
Until that just didn't seem so either. Olivia turned her head to the new sound that echoed and the spray of white that engulfed a portion of the room. It was that door, she recognized and out came more that were familiar. Those same faces she had crossed paths with, seen slumbering even now brought to life. They marched past her, set on a destination and a purpose and then she was greeted by the one that wore her same face. It was smiling as well, as she ever did and tilted her head simply to the side.
"I know everything," the other Olivia said; she imagined they others had heard this as well, all in their own unique tone, implying so much more to those words because even she could grasp exactly what that meant. Anything and everything, ever detail. Andrew had said they were save points. And Olivia could understand that. She pulled away from her small bit of protection and stood up to face her copy.
This was where the silent conversation seemed to start, no other words spoken between the two in so many words. She watched as her copy glanced down at Andrew, turned her head and seemed to spot Molan, then Ruth, then Teddy and a few others she knew in life and had come to meet in this one. All precious to her, all precious to the both of them. What they needed to both protect and love. Those other eyes gave a nod back to that particular boil, as if to tell her in so many words to talk to him when they returned home.
And at first all Olivia did was nod sadly, that she would. She would hope she could. No, she would. Yes, she would. Because he had wanted to talk before and now they would most definitely do it. She nodded again, more confidently this time. Then with another look, another soft gaze of those ice blue eyes, Olivia seemed to be told what the purpose of the copy was and frowned. It was really sad to realize but the other shook her head, telling her not to. But she wanted to be sad, she didn't like the idea. It was mean and cruel and horrible. Having to do that. If only she could cry, if only she could express things to that capacity. Tears would probably be rolling down her cheeks, probably paving over already dried ones. So the ghoul did as best she could in the situation, she dared to take a step forward, then another until her arms were around that other self in a hug. Embracing her like she did all the others. She might be leaving her behind, like a few that had to be but she would remember this experience like she tried all the others. That was what the hug said in so many words and the arms that returned the embrace simply said 'thank you' before they extinguished that light.
"Goodbye." Her copy whispered.
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:12 pm
[ Replica Version - OuO ]
It actually pained her to do it, having to take that life. Knowing and having those same memories and feelings inside her. But she also knew deep down that Olivia could make that choice, come down to that decision when it really came down to it. Despite orders. If it needed to be done. It's how she would protect her.. self, set her free. The other Olivia would understand. Like she did. As she was a perfect copy.
She would understand what this all meant and the look she was given told her as much. She understood the sacrifice, so she could smile. It was alright. Sad, but alright.
OuO spared a glance at the others once more, each face that had been burned into memory and kept there. Olivia collected people as she did objects but treated them no less than precious things. She would have wanted to see where everyone was until the very end, like she did now. Seeing Andrew where he stood, and Molan where he was most likely scrutinizing himself. Ruth having a silent conversation as she had. And the rest, new and old. Where everyone was. Those precious people.
Now her's. Even as they were pulled and ripped away from her. Bit by bit, memories and emotions and feelings, pulled away. She wanted to be sad, so sad that this life would be fleeting and ending - just like her Silver Kingdom self - but she knew that other Olivia would remember her. Would remember what she had done even if she hadn't seen it. She did with all the others. She knew that promise could be kept.
So, the girl stood her ground, allowing one single tear fall down her cheek. Because she was capable even while the other was not. They were puppets and pawns as well, but capable of so much. Capable of holding all those memories and feelings and being able to express them so much more. It was sad. But she could still find a smile.
Because she knew what must be done, her purpose and how she was fulfilling it but also because she knew another promise had been kept. One made by ALICE herself. One that seemed jeering, but as she looked around she knew it were true. They would all be together, everyone precious to her. They would stay forever in this cage of Grief.
chirigami
Swashbuckling Sentai
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Roxy_roxanna2
Tricky Treater
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:20 pm
[Post 1/2 - Real] Ping!
Just like that Unmentionable_Tamer re-spawned, she rose on her strings as the last mirrors shattered around her. She blinked at the white queen staring at her form as everything dimmed. All she could do was move closer, drawn into the beautiful circle of thorny vines, drawn into her cage. She realized then that she was being trapped, but there wasn’t much she could do.
The end of your legacy
What? No! No this was a dream! She couldn’t wake though, why couldn’t she wake? She was being consumed and her struggled slowed as the queen spoke of rebirth and essence.
You will stay
I will stay
Stay
Stay…
STAY!
NO!
She didn’t want to stay, she couldn’t escape, but she had to! She felt the panic rise as her existence faded eating away at her and all that made her.
Snap!
The cage shattered into fragments all around her and she darted backwards quickly. That was close, too close for comfort; she’s trying to consume us! Horrified she looked for something, anything that might help her escape. She saw a door behind the queen, it was familiar and she took a single step forward only to stop as it slowly opened. The ground quivered under her feet as an army of puppets came through the door surging forward some familiar and some unknown.
She gazed wide-eyed and then suddenly she thought she was looking into a mirror because a puppet had her hands in it’s own. The puppet however was her and she was it, her fingers squeezed to assure herself of what she was seeing.
"I know everything. All your memories, everything you've gained in this dream. I am your container."
“How is this possible…”
"Thank you, and goodbye."
Her replica pulled out the whip of thorns; it was an exact replica of her own whip of thorns. She gasped and tried to reach out to stop…herself.
“No!” She wasn’t certain if she was screaming to save herself or to save her replica, but her confusion was suddenly cut when the whip sliced into her sending her away for good.
MY STATS
[9 of Clubs] My character's username: Unmentionable_Tamer My character's level: 56 Character's HP: 40 Character's Job Class: Insane Mad Hatter Current party: Current Guild:[Temptation] Location: Small IC description of character: Voluptuous with golden eyes and black hair streaked with pink, this mad hatter is always grinning. Her coat and hat are black with gold trimming, she wears a red top and navy bottoms. Character journal:[X]
![[Eskimo]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/ea/2c/53920899312cea_flip.png?t=1541710050_6.00_00)
My character's username: Unmentionable_Tamer