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 Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:56 am
Bag in one hand and scissors in the other, Vae tried not to think too hard about the task that the goddess had given her. Sure, she had asked for a heart and given her a pointy, dangerous object, but surely that didn't mean that she had to do something like...that, right?
No, no. She was just being too paranoid, too morbid. Considering the situation, no one could really blame her for being wary. She didn't even really know who she was, after all.
After making it through the opening, she eyed the three doors with apprehension, moving up to the pumpkin-marked door first. Reaching out, she brushed her fingers against its surface, noting that she didn't sense anything particularly off about it--it felt..normal, really. It gave no indication of what was within.
Neither did the next door, but unlike the former, Vae could definitely tell that something was different here. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably as she drew close to it, her heart fluttering. Still, it wasn't too overpowering. It just made her feel a little uneasy, was all...
...Which couldn't even cover the feeling that rushed through her when she reached the final door. The yellow core in her chest pulsed wildly, her hands growing clammy as she lifted them to clutch at her chest. What was this malicious feeling coming from this door? And why was it that, despite the fact that every fiber of her being told her not to do it, she found herself reaching out for the tree-marked door?
Breathing shallowly, she jerked forward and pushed the door open, forcing herself through.
It'd be fine. It was okay.
She'd be fine.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:45 am
Her first thought was that this place wasn't as bad as she had expected. The unsettling aura still lingered in the air, and her stomach was still doing flip flops, but she didn't see anything immediately terrifying.
Of course, that was probably because it was pitch black.
That, and the eerie whisper that she heard upon entering, should have been enough to alarm her, but she forced herself to relax--to breathe. It's okay, She told herself, taking slow, careful steps forward into the darkness, Take it slow, there's no need to rush. Breathe.
Despite her attempts to calm herself, she was still struggling to do so, unable to shake the feeling of dread that had enveloped her. She didn't even notice the fact that she was wandering through the darkness without any trouble (after all, one would expect her to hit something) until she reached the end, her foot kicking something that made a hollow thud.
She jumped, the hairs on her back of her neck standing on end.
Slowly, Vae crouched down, patting at the object blindly. What was it? Large and rectangular in shape...was it a box? A crate? She ran her hands along the sides, noting that it appeared to be blocking her off from continuing onwards. Then her hand slipped up, fingers brushing against something.
The girl jerked back sharply, losing her balance and hitting the ground with a thud. Her breathing picking up again, she stared at the shape that was sticking out of the crate, trying to make out what it was from the faint red glow. Slowly, she reached out again, faltering for a moment before she forced herself to close her fingers around the shape.
It was an arm. It was really an arm.
Something that sounded like a choked whimper escaped her lips, but rather than let go and try and retreat, she found herself using the arm as a guide, following it with her hands until she reached a shoulder, and then a neck.
It was a body. But whose? Judging by the cold, rubbery skin, they must have been dead for some time.
When she leaned further over the box, she finally saw it--and heard it. She watched the red heart pulse, feeling as if her own heart was slowing down to match the red one as she mentally counted each beat. One, two, three...
She wasn't sure how long she sat there staring, but at some point, she realized what she had to do. The bag slipped from her fingers as she pushed herself up on her knees, clutching the scissors tightly in her right hand. With a deep breathe, she slid the scissor blades apart and plunged them into the object in the crate.
Eva had been confused, disoriented, and honestly rather terrified upon waking up in this place. As if suddenly emerging from the pod after god-knows-how-long wasn't bad enough, she had just witnessed that man shoot his assistant in the head.
Of course, it turned out that that had merely been a demonstration--and that the "assistant"'s body in question was not a real human body--but who the hell did that kind of thing?
When they were given an opportunity to converse with the others present, Eva turned to look on either side of her at the two people she was sitting beside. The first was the blond boy, Otto, who had been--at the time--a farcry from the definition of "friendly". And on her other side...
The girl, who had introduced herself as Reine, seemed like a pretty sweet girl. She was friendly, and surprisingly cheerful despite the situation they had found themselves in. Eva felt herself relax as in the other girl's presence, more than happy to join in with her as they playfully teased Otto and eased the tension in the air...
Her hands were quivering as she guided the scissors into the object, trying her best to cut out a rough opening before setting them in her lap replacing the tool with her hands instead. She was vaguely aware of wetness on her hands as she put them against the hole she had made, fingers grasping either side of the cavity as she pulled, the sound of tearing flesh and muscle as she struggled for her prize.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Hands slippery, she picked up the scissors again when she met a wall, cutting away the whatever it was that was keeping the heart from her. She stuck her hand back in and grasped the heart again, feeling a hint of frustration when she realized that it was still caught. Setting the scissors aside again, she grabbed onto the cavity again and pulled, hearing things snap, rip, and squelch beneath her fingers...
And then it was done. Breathing heavily, she hastily reached down and grabbed the heart, sliding it into the bag with shaking hands.
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:01 am
When she turned to leave, it was with rushed steps, desperate and frightened. The bag was clutched tightly in both hands as she made her way forward, nearly slipping as the floor beneath her shifted and changed. What was going on? Her mind whispered to her that it didn't matter, that she just had to get out of there--
--Something was behind her.
She whirled around to check, but there was nothing there but silence and darkness. Hesitantly, Vae turned back and continued onwards, only to hear the noise once more, followed by a voice. She froze.
Give it back. It was obvious what it wanted. Even if she could hardly see it in the darkness, she looked down at the bag in her hands, swallowing thickly. No, no she couldn't give it up. The goddess said--she needed this. She had to go.
Vae quickened her pace, starting at a fast walk, then a jog, and then a run as she tried to escape it--her. However, before long, she realized that there was nowhere to run. Tilting her head back as she was submerged her, she struggled to keep her nose and mouth above the water level. She needed to turn back, she needed to--
She gasped sharply when she felt something grab her, and that was the last breathe of air that she took before she was suddenly plunged down into the water. Writhing violently, she clawed at her hands that were clutching her, trying desperately to pry them off. However, as the seconds ticked by, she felt her movements grow weaker, and then stop altogether, a stream of bubbles escaping her lips as she looked into the face of her captor...
They hadn't been at Deus Ex for long--just a month or two, really--but there were still already plenty of people that they both had Christmas presents to buy for. Otto, Robert, Gale...and, of course, each other.
It had been so long since Eva had gone shopping, and it was the first time she had gone Christmas shopping with someone who was not her moth. As they went from store to store to browse and chatter, the girl mused over how lucky--and how happy--she was to have someone like Reine. She didn't look at her like she was some sick person, like she was delusional. No, at Deus Ex, they were all the same, and that went for the both of them too. They were Hunters, they were generally-normal girls, and most of all, they were friends.
My first friend here...
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 1:11 am
And then she knows. She knows that she can't die here, that she has to fight back. She can feel the scissors in her hand, cold and reassuring, as if urging her to use them. Go on, they seemed to say, Do it. Or would you rather just give up here? She had two choices: either she used the scissors, or she opened her mouth, breathed in, and resigned herself to the water.
Of course, that wasn't really a choice at all. Dying here wasn't an option--not really. Her fingers tightened around the scissors as she tilting them upwards, angling them carefully.
Forgive me.
And then she swung her hand back, plunging the blades into her captor. The screech that followed made her ears ring, her head spinning as she staggered to her feet and stumbled away on the suddenly dry ground, her hands clutched over her ears.
After a moment passed, she dropped her hands, falling to her knees as she hacked and coughed up the substance that had managed to get into her lungs. Cringing and eager to get away, she lifted herself back up and made her way towards the exit, pausing only when she felt eyes on the back of her head.
She turned around briefly to stare back at the figure behind her, heart thudding in her chest. Vae could only look at her for a second before guiltily dropping her gaze, whirling around and running through the exit.
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:05 pm
A groan escaped her girl's lips as she shifted on the table, shivering as her bare hand brushed against the cold metal. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, she had take the dagger from the Goddess and walked through the opening, and then...
And then this happened. Holding an arm over her head to shield herself from the light, she half-rolled off of the table, letting out a little "oof" as her feet hit the ground. She rest the weight of her upper half on the table, using it to support herself as she tried to get her feet beneath her and stabilize herself. God, this place burned her eyes! Squinting, she began to make her way towards the door, giving the handle a jiggle.
"Hm." It swung open without resistance, and she warily peeked out. Upon noting nothing of immediately concern, she stepped out, her eyes still narrowed as she struggled to have her eyes adjust to the light.
Was that a door? Vae started towards it without much hesitation, but she didn't get far when she heard something behind her. A surprised glance over her shoulder revealed nothing, and after staring for a moment, she turned back. Took another step.
Thud.
This time, when she turned around, she did see something--a shadowy figure that was approaching her, one step at a time. Vae immediately began to back up, and when she saw noticed a glint of light reflecting off of the metal tool in the figure's hands, she immediately turned and made a run for it.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:06 pm
She knew how this was. Before she even reached the door, she had a feeling that it was locked--it was never that easy, after all.
That, and she had seen the number pad while running.
She made a half-whimper, half-growl as she struggled with the door latch. When it became clear that she wouldn't be getting it open with brute force, she began to glance around--the walls, the ceiling, the floor. There had to be something! Panicked, she threw a look over her shoulder at the approaching figure. A brief memory flickered in her head.
They hardly knew each other. They knew each other's names, but beyond that...nothing else. Not their pasts, their likes and dislikes, or even their hobbies. They had known one another for all of a few days, and yet Eva already considered her a close friend.
The two girls were laughing as they pulled the blond along, bonding over the one thing that they immediately knew they had in common: their love of playfully teasing the poor boy.
Never did Eva think she could feel so lighthearted in a place like this.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:07 pm
Just as she snapped out of the memory, another flooded in in its place.
They were on a mission together, their first mission! Or, well, not their first per se, but their sour-faced superior had given it to them after Eva went to speak to him personally.
And she wasn't going to lie--she was excited, especially since she and Reine would be getting through this together. With them to watch one another's backs, there was no way nothing would go wrong, right?
As they head towards the portals, Eva mused how awesome this was going to be.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:08 pm
Even when she snapped out of it again, Vae knew that she had no time to dwell on the memory, returning to her search. Come on, come on, there had to be something that would hel--
Aah, a note! Eyes widening, she crouched down and snatched it up, staring at the contents intently.
...
Shoot. Shoot! This wasn't going to be any help--not when she didn't had the actual code! However, since this was here, she was sure that the other half couldn't be too far behind. The only question was where.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:17 pm
She turned to look at the floor behind her, but found her eyes accidentally meeting the shadow's instead.
Someone had hurt their puppy.
And by "puppy", they really meant Otto. It seemed as if the boy had been doing some intense sparring, and by the time Reine had found him, he had been pretty beat up.
The moment Eva had received her text, the woman had dropped everything and sprinted over, completely aghast to learn that the boy had been injured. Who did it? How dare they?! And more importantly: were they ready to pay?
After she arrived, some questions were answered, plans were made, and...lots of doting happened.
Lots.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:18 pm
Ugh, why did that keep...?! Clutching at her head, Vae turned and stared at the keypad intently, biting down on her bottom lip. Maybe she could guess it. Maybe there wasn't another clue, but the answer was somewhere on this sheet she was holding.
No matter what buttons she pressed or how hard she tried to shake the door, ti wouldn't open.
This was bad.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:19 pm
It was getting closer now--she could hear it snipping away with those rusted scissors.
As she struggled with the door, yet another memory flickered to mind--a very short one, this time.
It was the Christmas Gala, and everyone was decked out in formal wear. Little contests and games were being held, and everyone seemed to be having a grand time.
One of the many activities that had been prepared was a photoshoot. Although it had been advertised as a "couple" shoot, most people were simply grabbing friends and dragging them over. Reine was one such person, and when Eva felt her take her arm, the woman laughed and willingly went along with it.
When she saw the picture much, much later on, she mused over how bright and happy they both looked.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:20 pm
And then she saw it--something red sticking out from beneath her foot. Was that...? It was! Goddamnit--curse her for being so dumb this whole time! Crouching down, she freed it, careful not to accidentally tear the thing. She eyed the note quickly, did some counting on her fingers, and then...
Got it.
Standing back up, she grabbed the door handle, punched in the numbers, and pushed down. Her heart leaped at the the sound of the door unlocking, but rather than stick around and celebrate, she practically threw her weight against the door as she burst out and made a run for it.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:21 pm
She didn't think about where she was running, she just ran, jumping over rocks and weaving around trees as she tried to distance herself from her pursuer. How far until she got away? ...Could she even get away? She wasn't sure if such a thing was possible, considering how it always seemed to have her in its sights. It was as if it knew where she was headed...
When she reached the bridge, Vae didn't even hesitate--she would rather fall than get caught by that thing. She didn't even bother grabbing onto the rope railing, staring intently at the bridge as she ran across, leaping from one board to the other.
Just as she reached the other side, she heard the sound of splintering wood. A quick glance determined that the bridge had broken, temporarily buying her some time. Grateful, she turned back and dashed onwards.
There had to be an exit somewhere.
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Kaiyumi rolled 1 6-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-6)
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Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:22 pm
The girl cursed under her breathe when she arrived at the Haunted House, eyes wide as she glanced around, seeking out a way out. This was a dead end! Maybe if she was fast enough, she could turn back and--
--no, too late. It was already behind her...but something else made itself known as well. The dagger, that she had forgotten she was even holding, began to glow a steady red in her hand. Her gaze flickered down to it briefly before she looked back up, watching as the figure shambled towards her.
She didn't have a choice, did she? It was either fight now, or die--
Too slow again. Vae glanced away for a second--just a second--and in those brief moments, the figure somehow caught up. Stunned, she felt her heart stop as she found herself face to face with the blackened creature, unable to move--to wrench herself free--when it reached up and grabbed her head.
She could hear her blood rushing through her ears, heart pounding wildly in her chest. She heard its whisper, but found herself unable to focus, aware only of the sudden, sharp pain and the sound of the scissors cutting through her.
The last thing she remembered seeing was watching the figure walk away with her still-beating heart in hand.
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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 3:48 pm
This Goddess was certainly...chipper, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Vae found herself smiling in amusement as she went on to explain the task, lifting a hand to rub at her chin thoughtfully at the mention of emotions and a tea party. Now how exactly was that going to work?
Well, rather than ask questions, it was probably best to see for herself. With a polite nod in the Goddess' direction, she moved though the gates. The first thing that caught her attention was, of course, the way the icy, crisp substance on the ground crunched beneath her feet, along with the cold flakes that fell from the sky.
How strange...yet there was a hint of nostalgia that hit her upon seeing this as well.
Shaking her head, she pushed onwards until she arrived at the table, humming thoughtfully as she looked between the two jars. The pink one seemed so happy, so warm, while the blue, in contrast, was...longing. For one reason or another, she found herself reaching for the latter, eying the "drink me" tag before casually obeying.
The feeling surrounded her, overwhelmed her. There was something nagging at her mind, an impatience that was telling her that she was forgetting something very, very important...but what? Her frown only deepened as the table began to spin, shifting before her eyes, but it eased slightly when she realized that food had just appeared. Nothing to worry about, really.
Besides the fact that tables usually didn't do that, but there were other things on her mind now. She absently reached out to pick up a piece of candy, only to grimace as the sudden rush of guilt that flowed over her. Dropping it like it had scalded her, she turned to look at the tea cups instead, reaching for the dark red cup and taking a sip.
(( OTL OOC warning for this being kind of gruesome, just in case. ))
They were at the mercy of a monster, their arms and legs bound by rope as they sat there in the damp dimness of what had once been a tavern. The creatures watch them--her friends and companions on this particular mission--with maliciousness glinting in their eyes. Despite the hint of amusement in the speaker's hissing voice, it is clear that he holds great resentment for what they are.
They watch as a thing yanks a figure forward--an innocent bystander who had simply gotten caught up in this mess. Eva already has an idea of what is going to happen. She shifts and strains against her bindings as she feels her heart beating wildly in her chest, her throat going dry. No, She wants to plead, He doesn't have anything to do with this. Let go!
But of course they don't listen, don't even stop to consider it--why would they? They wanted vengeance, after all. The creature doesn't even bother to look at them as it pulls a wriggling insect out of its cloak, snatching the man by the hair, and dropping it into his ear.
For a few, horrible seconds, Eva is forced to watch the innocent man writhe on the ground in obvious pain, eyes wide as he claws against the floor. As the moments pass, she realizes that there is suddenly blood trickling from his nose, his mouth, his ears. And then he goes still--
--and explodes in a shower of gore. Eva tries to jerk back and duck her head down, but she is unable to escape the blood, the warm, metallic-tasting substance spraying her face. She's going to be sick. When all is quiet, she tentatively looks up, and is promptly met with the sight of blood and bits of flesh, bone, and viscera scattered on the floors, the walls, the ceiling...
She wants to throw up, but then she feels the figure's fingers roughly snatch her hair, another wiggling parasite--oh god, oh god no, where did it get that--in its other hand. Eva struggles to break free, but its grasp on her is tight, too tight. Unable to resist, she can only sit there in horror as her head is sharply jerked to the side, the squirming parasite hovering directly over her ear...
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