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 Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:27 pm
Despite being a shadow, Skaaal could feel her face twisting with disbelief as the goddess handed her a bag that turned out to be empty. Really? she thought to herself as narrowed eyes stared into the empty cloth. She could already feel her patience wearing thin as the woman talked on and on about fixing things and gathering a heart. To be honest she didn’t really want to, but did she have much of a choice in this? Probably not. Holding back a sigh, she reluctantly opened her palm to receive the scissors. “Very well.”
An unamused Skaaal twirled around on the balls of her feet and strolled through the small opening. She planned to keep walking, but instead encountered a set of doors. Her eyebrows furrowed. “What is up with this?” she mumbled and on instinct, chose a door at random.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:41 pm
She couldn’t understand why she heard cheering, much less people cheering for her. Skaaal couldn’t even find a legitimate reason, but for the briefest of seconds it felt familiar, almost nostalgic. Images began to fill her vision, but she held her chin high and continued to walk. They clouded her gaze with faces and photos, each one moving their lips to form a single word over and over in a low chant. For a moment, it was as if she would fall over from the sudden overload of pictures, but it seemed she had made it at last, because she remembered a flash of still bodies while the door closed. She felt cold.
Teeth grit together when she found herself encased in darkness. Was there a light switch somewhere? Would torches suddenly flare up and light a path for her? She waited in vain, but still found herself trapped in black. Cursing and mumbling, she trudged forward. Her steps were soft yet quick when she felt something press into her stomach.
Actually, it was the corner of a crate, and it was painful. “Ow!” she hissed.
Thud.
She tried maneuvering around, but to no avail.
Thud.
She tried examining the other parts; she discovered that the top was open and the crate wasn’t as empty as her bag. It contained a something, but what? Skaaal couldn’t explain why she suddenly reached for that something, but she felt fabric shifting between her bare hands. She let it fall back with a gentle thud. She reached back inside to hold onto it again. Curious, Skaaal fiddled with the something, pulling away at cloth to reveal a gentle glow. A heart.
Skaaal held up her scissors and playfully snip-snipped. It was dark, so while the task was easy there was no sense of attachment toward the something. The shadow cocked her head when she encountered complicated strings, but carefully cut them away too. Heart in hand, she put it away.
”—Kira Avens and Alaska Burns.” She looks around. She knows everyone’s face in this room. Everyone except one because he is the transfer student.
He too, searches the classroom and their eyes meet. Bright green clashes with golden amber. She holds her gaze for a few seconds before he casts his eyes downward, shy.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:52 pm
And now all she had to do was walk. Anyone could walk, couldn’t they? It was easy as one, two, three. Right foot, left foot. Repeat. So she walked through nowhere, heading toward nowhere because she didn’t know how to escape and she had no means of finding the exit. Skaaal didn’t even have anyone she could ask for assistance if she so deigned. Her grip on the bag never loosened even when she began to realize that her steps were becoming heavier, slower. It was like walking on a floor covered in glue.
She felt an eye twitch when she heard sloshing and footsteps that clearly didn’t belong to her. Skaaal angled her head back, but saw nothing. Warily, she looked forward again.
“Please give it back.” The voice is soft, but undeniably masculine. When she turns around there’s no one.
Suddenly, Skaaal found herself walking through water that quickly rose to her neck. She gritted her teeth.
“Please give me back my—“
There were no sounds. No hesitation as she felt a pair of hands and she immediately pushed back. “No!” she hissed, plunging deep into dark waters. Somewhere in her blurry vision, Skaaal could make out a pair of hands, pale eyes and teeth.
It’s just the two of them in the art room. Everyone is already gone. She can hear the steady strokes of his charcoal rubbing against paper while she paints broad streaks across her canvas. She stands still, but her eyes are constantly drawn toward him. Somewhere along the way, she finds herself painting his blond hair and crystal blue eyes.
When he looks up, he laughs. With heated cheeks he reveals a perfect depiction of her etched into his sketchbook.
She can feel the heat rising from her neck to her face. Suddenly she walks forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “I love you.”
But not enough to take you to hell with me.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:55 pm
I loved you. I loved you so much. My first love. Are you okay? How are you? Are you happy? Do you still think of me?
She wondered if tears were brimming in her eyes when she pushed the scissors into an opening. But now she could feel the salty liquid streaking down her cheeks when he screamed, and then faded away.
Skaaal placed a hand over her heart as she coughed up tiny pools of water before walking toward the door. She paused, dared herself to look back. Her hard gaze softened as she whispered three words and left.
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Syusaki rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:39 pm
When she opened her eyes, Skaaal felt cold. Then she immediately narrowed them—both out of suspicion and to block out the bright light as she sat up. Opened her eyes? She couldn’t even remember closing them in the first place. Something was wrong. Her brows furrowed when she noticed a buzzing from the lights. Her patience was beginning to wear as she slid off the table. One hand held her forehead while the other grabbed the door. It opened easily enough, so she stepped outside into hallway also filled white.
But as she walked through the hallway, she heard the door snap shut. So why was it the door was still open when she turned around? Skaaal shook her head and walked forward. Despite the hallway’s length, she could see a way out at the very end.
Thud.
When she looked around there was nothing, so she kept walking.
Thud.
She expected nothing again, but instead she saw a figure. Skaaal stiffened. The figure stayed still at first, but then took a step toward her.
She began running. The shadow glanced at the wall to stare at the letters. Letters? Okay then.
Distance: 45
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Syusaki rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:40 pm
She spotted another paper, but this time it had what appeared to be a cipher. Putting the two together, Skaaal grinned before putting in the passcode.
Distance: 40
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Syusaki rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:42 pm
She ran out of the hallway and kept running pas the trees. As the trees faded out to reveal a bridge, Skaaal rolled her eyes and kept running. While her pace noticeably decreased as she crossed the precarious bridge, she didn’t hear the footsteps of the figure growing louder as she moved. There were no problems as she successfully ran across and continued to run.
She heard a sudden crack behind her, and she didn’t need to look back to realize some of the floorboards have fallen. The figure would be dragged down by this. She could hear his voice calling out to her.
“I’ll take your Heart! I’ll take just like you took mine…!”
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Syusaki rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:42 pm
A dead end. Skaaal stared up at the large monument towering in front of her. A haunted house. There was no running away now. She only had one option left—face the figure. She looked down at the building’s shadow before looking behind.
They were still following behind her.
In her hand, she found the dagger glowing bright red. She stared at the weapon long and hard. The steps grew louder with each passing second. She turned around—
It’s dark when she slowly draws away the covers and slips on her beaten sneakers. She slings the meager backpack over her shoulders before sliding out the window. A note flutters, nearly flying away before she closes it quietly. The descent to the ground is easy. She’s the star player of the basketball team. Jumping and heights isn’t too much of a problem for her.
When she walks away from the house, she finds herself standing in front of his place instead. Her hands grip the straps of her pack. She knows his room is on the second floor, and conveniently enough there’s a tree. Heart pounding, she grabs the branches and makes her way toward his bedroom window. She peers inside, intending to knock on the glass, but catches herself when she sees his sleeping figure and notices the contents of his room.
They’re filled with drawings. Books. Photos of family and friends. Especially family. Her eyes flutter as she brings a hand to press against the window. It isn’t much, but she can see the love he has for his family. Could she really ask him to leave with her? There was always the possibility he would agree, but…
Her hand smears against the glass as she jumps down and walks away. Words aren’t needed. She loves him, but not enough to rip him away from a family he loves and a bright future ahead of him. This road had to be walked alone.
—and was too late.
She shrieked when the scissors plunged into her. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she looked into the figure’s face. It was darkened, disfigured, but still the boy she had fallen in love with at the time. The shock softened into nostalgia as a hand tried to reach out and cup his face one more time. One last bitter memory.
“Don’t worry.” It’s his voice, but at the same time it wasn’t. “It only hurts once.”
“I see.”
Resigned, she closed her eyes and let the scissors quickly snip away at her chest until her body collapsed to the ground. A smile played on his lips as he held her Heart and strolled away.
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Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:52 pm
This was probably the Goddess she liked the least. She’s happy and bubbly, and as nice as it is, it’s probably the type that Skaaal hates the most. She makes a face as she half turns away. “No thank you,” she declines, warily eyeing the cookies. “I wouldn’t call them meanies really. I think that depends on the person.”
“Does it look like I have a choice?” she asks with a quirked eyebrow. Skaaal steps toward the gate and into a land of white. But instead of drifting through fog, everything is more solid. She holds out a hand to catch a flake. It turns to water and she cocks her head. Huh. Tuning the stupid ambient music playing in the background, she strides toward the table and instinctively reaches for the blue jar. Pink wasn’t exactly her favorite color. Her face contorts. “Ugh.” The uncertainty and concern is distasteful. She tries to wash it down with a candy, displeasing as it looks. But the sweet only worsens, lacing her emotions with guilt. “Ugh.” Now she’s frustrated. This time she takes a deep red tea cup and takes a sip.
The babysitter is downstairs with Nevada. She doesn’t mind this. She actually prefers it this way. Even as a little girl, she prefers being alone. Only her twin can dare to trespass on her alone time without facing her high-pitched screams and tantrums filled with kicking and punching. Being alone makes it easier for her to draw. The dead silence is calming. Pudgy fingers grip her pencil as she attempts to draw the outline of a rose. Roses are her favorite flower because she absolutely loves ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ She even knows that different colors mean different things, but her favorite will always be red.
She’s still just a child in elementary, but she’s growing up. She knows that her parents won’t believe her when she sees there’s something living under the bed. They don’t believe when she says the shadows move at night. The only one she can believe in is herself and her sister.
So the rose she draws is for Nevada.
But she can’t get it right. She’s still just a child. She hasn’t acquired the skills to perfectly draw what’s in her mind. It frustrates her. Creases fill her forehead as she tears up another paper and tosses the remnants to the ground. She tries again. She keeps trying as the sun sets.
The sun sets and everything is dark. She’s not afraid. Not at all. She just needs to stand up and reach for the light. Any light will work—the one on the nightstand, the switch by the door, the nightlight by the bed.
Bright green eyes search through the darkness for a light. Her chair slides against the wooden floor. She walks slowly.
Something moves.
Her body freezes; her hand curls into tiny fists. She can hear her heat thrumming rapidly against her small chest when she watches her own shadow move across the room. It dances on the floor at first, but crawls its way up the wall. The corner of her lips twitch because she wants to say something, to scream for the babysitter, but she’s become mute.
It’s when she hears echoing laughter as it disappears out the room that she screams. “DON’T TOUCH MY SISTER.” Her heart is beating too fast as she runs toward the door and swings it open. She’s still screaming. “GET AWAY FROM HER RIGHT NOW.”
She’s the only thing I have left. Don’t take her!
--
Her cup nearly drops. Jaws are clenched when she uses both hands to set it down and lightly push it away from her. She turns her head. "Pardon me."
Tasted Teas
Reap
Shasa
Nush
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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:06 am
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Burgandy Description: Sweet, then turns to wariness...To fear. Your commentary on its flavour: The sip of tea draws her in for a moment, focusing on a single girl in her room hard at work on a picture. She feels an immense amount of love for the girl but she doesn't know why. So she let's it go. But then she see's the flicker in the dark. She knows this feeling. Her heart races. She wants to scream too. Anything to get the girl move. And the shadow disappears. /For a brief moment she reverts to a night, when she was downstairs reading a book while her sister was away. The baby sitter is on the phone with her friend, talking and chattering and talking. The night is setting in...It's the worst time for her. She's the weaker of the two and so the shadows pick on her the most. She hates it, how they dance around her and how they taunt her. If it wasn't for Alaska...She hears screaming....She hears her twin and she see's the shadow coming for her again. Her own voice raises, alarming the baby sitter.../ And the memory fades as quickly as it comes. Vaneda breathes in, looking at the tea pot before stepping away. Fear, She wouldn't underestimate it this time.
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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:03 am
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Maroon. Description: Poignant, Lonely, Desperate Your commentary on its flavour: She felt tears forming at her eyes as she sipped the tea. The brewer must of loved her twin very much. Zurie clutched at her chest tightly. She feels as if she knows exactly how it feels to lose someone close to her. The flavour of this tea was delicious-- but the memory was too bitter for her to enjoy. The painful memories it brought back was horrible. She hoped the brewer did not lose their loved one.
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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 3:45 pm
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Dark Red Description: Comfort. Dedication. Admiration. Calm. Terror. Panic. Your commentary on its flavour: At first, she thought it was going to be a good, simple memory...boy was she ever wrong. The sense of dread that filled her upon seeing something in the dark seized her heart, and she found herself leaning forward as well, trying to see what was just beyond the shadows. When the screaming started, Marati gasped, whispering a plea of her own: Give her back please give her back to that little--- The vision ended, and she let out a very loud screech. HOW DID THIS STORY END?!
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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:38 pm
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Maroon Description: sweet, frustration, with a fearful finish. Your commentary on its flavour: She smiles at the fist part of the memory. The feelings of one so young fresh in her mind as she studies the child drawing. It was obvious that she did not trust an adult to listen when it came to her fears of the shadows and yet the child was happy to draw the rose for her sister. Then there was the moment of fear for her sister when she knew that the shadow was going for the sister. It was a sharp contrast to the feelings from a mere moment before. It also struck a cord in her. She could understand being afraid for someone so close to her. Although she also wondered if the girl ever managed to get to her sister before the shadow. It was an odd feeling to experience, and yet she was grateful. Fear could lead to other feelings after all.
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Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:26 am
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Maroon Description: It's heavy with emotion, with sweet and then a terrifying cry of desperation mixed with love and frustration. Your commentary on its flavour: Mel'ae mulled over the flavor for some time, feeling close to the memory of a sibling and their closeness. Fear of not being able to give her something perfect turned into frustration and she could feel it shaking down into her core. It was sweet and thoughtful, something kind and real. Then the darkness came and her own core began to react as she could feel the rapid heartbeats of the girl. It was still dark, she was still alone and it was there, going after a person so dear to her. Mel'ae clenched her chest as the scream filled her ears. It was overwhelming fear of losing someone near and dear. She could barely break away from it and moved back, her heart taking time to calm itself. The power of family does seem to have that effect.
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Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:58 am
Tea Guest Log Colour of Tea Tasted: Deep Red Description: cute and then the suspense takes over. Your commentary on its flavour: Liom stared at the cup of tea in his hands, not noticing his hands were shaking from what he had just seen. It hard started out harmless enough, cute imagery of a little girl simply drawing in the comfort of her lonesome. But then it switched up on him, like the last tea. The suspense building, the terror of the shadows and the laughter; something tells him he knows of these too but had never found it this bad. Was she okay? He wondered, she must have, he had to hope, if she ended up here. Unless... he frowned, putting down the teacup.
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