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 Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:51 am
Quote: It starts off quietly at first. A single, tinkling sound that starts at the back of mind. You think it’s nothing. Ringing in the ears isn’t anything new. But soon enough it rings and rings and rings, to the point where you simply know it’s something more than simple tinnitus. It grows so loudly, developing into a sound beyond the confines of your home. A mighty urge overtakes you, forcing you out of wherever you are and filling you with a desperate need to locate that awful ringing. For some, it feels like you walk for hours and hours, for others, mere moments, but either way, you find yourself before a shimmering, frosted archway blocking your path into what seems to be the woods.It seems almost like fogged glass fills it, but you can clearly feel a breeze through it, and when you push your hand through, it gives no resistance. It was a cold night, and Sadie had had nearly her fill of this strange winter weather that went from warm to frigid to sending her through thin ice into magical underground lakes. She was more than ready to just stay inside, curled up under her blankets with a mug of tea and a little bit of Netflix, but it seemed that was not to be the case. She could hear something. She could hear it in her mind, which made her think it was magic. She tried to snuggle deeper into her bed and just ignore it, but gave up on that after just a few minutes. It was getting loud as loud, and there was something about it that made her think it was some sort of call. Well. She could answer a call. It didn't seem ominous, and she thought that she was getting better at telling these things. She powered up as soon as she left her apartment, because that somehow seemed only proper, and then she started following the music the way she might follow an aura. The thing was, it wasn't quite the same. It was much less of a direct thing. She lost track of time or direction as she closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint a direction. When she opened them, things seemed a little different. For one thing, there was a gate in front of her made of ice and snow. "Oh, this is lovely," she whispered. This clearly was magic, some kind of Wonder here on Earth. It was still mysterious and maybe dangerous, but so was anything in this city. Pendour smiled and chose to walk through the arch.
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Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 10:15 am
Quote: As you brave your way through the arch, a blinding light catches your eye, and you squeeze them shut for just a moment. When you open them once again, your skin is shimmering, touched by frost and glistening with what rings in your mind as ‘winter’s blessing’ You feel neither warm or cold, a perfect balance of temperature touches you, where you cannot tell where the air ends and your skin begins. It’s strange and unsettling, but you do not feel unsafe. A pair of voices ring out at the same time within your head. “You’re just in time, Welcome!” Though you look around, you find no one. No matter how you arrived there, you see a path before you cleared of snow and made of crystalline bricks, all paved out neat and tidy. Along the path are bright lanterns, alternating with cool blue and warm red colors. Between each lantern is a garland of icy white and fiery orange ranunculus flowers, draping downward but still just barely out of reach. You’re sensing a pattern here, but you only have a moment to focus on it before a building begins to glow in the distance. A more focused look reveals what seems to be a cathedral, glowing with an unnatural light. Even from here you can see its massive stained glass windows with images of a dancing flames, icicles dangling off a wintery landscape, and a single star between them surround an intricate gate, covered in those same ranunculus blooms. And again, the bells ring. Loud and clear and echoing throughout the iced woods that surrounds you and your path. Whether or not you are soaked, melting, or feeling quite comfortable, you have a choice. As she stepped through the gate, Pendour found herself coated in a shimmering layer of something. It reminded her a little of the Aspect magic she was learning, but it wasn't quite the same. It did make her feel pleasantly warm, even after trudging through a frozen city for hours. She wasn't expecting the voices to come out of thin air, but they seemed sweet as sweet, not malicious at all, and she smiled softly up at whatever invisible creatures might be waiting in the air, not wanting to be impolite. That was when she noticed the flowers. Even with all of the gardening research she'd been doing for her wonder, it took her a long moment to remember the name. Ranunculus. It was a cultivated form of buttercup, and it was a unique choice that stood out in gardens among roses and daises. It stood out even more right now, with the white and orange coloration looking truly, truly, magical. There were lanterns, too. The decor in general was lovely as could be, and when she looked further ahead, towards a cathedral in the distance, it seemed like it was absolutely what should have been here. She chose to head towards the cathedral.
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Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:02 pm
Quote: Despite the ominous feeling of being in this strange place, you do not feel unwelcome… And despite that your entrance may not have been so peaceful, you head forward. If you were hot or cold earlier, you began to even out to that same, blissful balance between the air and your skin. Every step seems to be in time with a bell chime, and somewhere along the line you look down to find that your clothing has changed. Powered or no, your outfit reflects something far more formal, and in your grasp you find a small coin: an invitation token. It appears out of nowhere, but you feel very comfortable with your new appearance. It feels… Natural. Right. Simply made for you. A pleased sound could be heard from the woods around you as you go about your way. The closer you get to the looming cathedral, the heavier the flowers’ scent becomes. The garlands soon become wreaths, then become rows and rows of woven treillage, finally meeting at a point right before a pair of great mahogany doors. In front of these massive doors stands a man draped in red and blue robes, embroidered with fine golden trim. The most striking thing about him is his hat, rising nearly a foot off his head and covered in jewels that you aren’t quite sure are real. It is magnificent, nonetheless. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, simply a man with a long list that runs onto the floor. Nothing out of the ordinary at all, except there feels to be something magical about him. If you are powered, you feel the energy from him, though it is neither Chaos nor Order. He is simply there and feels powerful. Eventually, he looks away from his list, and looks down at you over a pair of frameless glasses. “Hmm… Are you here for the flames, or the ice?” His voice is monotone, as if he’s asked this time and time again, and the longer you wait, the more annoyed he seems to become. After careful consideration, you answer that you’re here for… The stones made a pleasant sound under her heels, mirroring the chiming of the bells up ahead, and there were more and more flowers with every few feet that she moved. She walked slowly and with stars in her eyes. This had to be one of the most beautiful places that existed, even out of all the worlds that stretched to the edges of the universe. As she walked through this strangely serene environment, she noticed right away as the weight of her outfit shifted. The little bits of armor faded, and she found herself swathed in even more jewels, with a few extra layers to her skirts as well. She was used to walking around in formalwear and didn't pay it too much mind other than giving a soft smile to the sky. Somehow, a bit of bright metal stood out among all the other nearby sights. She leaned down to pick it up and saw it to be an invitation. It didn't say what it was an invitation to, but Pendour did have a few guesses, especially as she thought she heard some happy voices from the trees. At the door of the cathedral was a man in the most magnificent hat that she had ever seen. It shimmered bright as bright, and it took quite a bit of effort to pull her gaze from it, which was necessary as he seemed to be talking to her. "Are you here for the flames, or the ice?" he asked. She wasn't sure that she had even heard right, but he was looking at her very seriously, and again, she wasn't about to upset anyone who lived in this lovely world. It didn't take her long to think it over. She was still all blues and seas and Neptune. She was water to the core. She didn't know if she could represent fire very well. "Um, for the ice?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:39 am
Quote: He nods, scratching something on his list, before offering you a ranunculus bloom, the colors of an autumn sunset, the edges of it seemingly scorched by flames. You take it, and immediately your hands feel as if they are being burned by fire. The touch of it feels hotter and hotter, and yet you do not burn, your flesh does not sear, and you cannot drop it.. The man seems unconcerned, and ushers you inside those doors. It’s clear that to the right are a bunch of other shadowy figures, all with the same reddish flower as you. The guests here seem to not mind your presence, and there’s a seat right at the end of the last row for you. You take your seat, then the burning sensation in your hands dull down into the cool feeling of being doused in water. Those bells begin to ring again, and soon enough, all heads turn towards the doors behind you. When the bells began to ring before, it was short and brief, loud enough to echo throughout the land as a sign and a summoned. Now they ring lightly, a happy cheery sound that announced the coming of the couple. Somehow you now know exactly why you are here. It pops into your mind like you’ve known this for months that you had an invite. The joining of the fire and the ice, the marriage of two spirits who had been fluttering around with their romance and their teasing for nearly a millennium. A story long told about how dearly they loved one another but could never be with one another. They were far too different, too likely to hurt one another. And yet through everything they made their love work, and decided to share that love with all who could hear their sweet summons with a bell ring. The Flower you once held suddenly rises from your cupped hands and joins all the others that reach high above your heads, joining in a dance of swirls and dips before coming together in a single giant flower, then bursts into a rain of petals. The moment the petals rain down upon the guest, the doors come open, and two bright lights, one a bluish white, another an orangish red, float in slowly. They dance around one another, entranced, as if any other glimmer or soul in the room never existed. And you feel that. You feel the love and the warmth and sweetness all wrapped up into one. No matter who you are, what side of the War you find yourself on, in this moment, a pure, kind, and genuine happiness comes over you. Eventually the light comes to the front of this cathedral, twisting around until two beings come forth from the light. Draped in beautiful robes and gleaming gems, they come forth, speaking in a language that no one can really understand, not even the other guests. One thing is for certain though, they are happy. And you can feel that as well. Even the Officiator who allowed you in can be seen smiling and enjoying the playful words between the couple. And you… You can’t help but feel moved. You… Pendour reached for the flower eagerly, ready to get a closer look, but it turned out to be hot as hot. Hotter than hot, really, hot as fire or lava or something she didn't even understand. She looked up at the man, wincing hard and gritting her teeth because it didn't seem right to scream, not here. "Um, are you sure-" she started, but was cut off by the man was just waving her inside. With her brows still knit tight as could be against the fire in her hands, she nodded and walked through the door. She did notice that the cathedral was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. She tried to focus on that, and she took a seat as quickly as she could in the back row, near others whose flowers matched hers. Her hands started to feel a little better after that. It seemed that she really was right on time. The bells began to ring again, and that was when she realized where she was. A wedding. Of course. She was grateful enough to witness any expression of love, and this beautiful world that she'd gotten a glimpse of was the lovliest of bonuses. The ceremony was beautiful, too. She watched in awe as her petal began to float with the others, and smiled big when petals rained down from the ceiling. Something went soft in her chest as she watched the two spirits exchange their vows. She enjoyed the wedding and scooped up more flower petals, adding them to endless shower of them.
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Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2020 11:28 am
Quote: The wedding is beautiful. Every moment is glorious and you dance and sing and enjoy every single moment of it. After the Officiant says that they are wed, the two beautiful beings snap their fingers. All the guests stand up, and the pews disappear, only to reveal beautifully decorated tables, and a giant feast on a table that stretches all the way to the door. And you, decide to indulge. The food is glorious, the dancing, singing, merriment, all of it is a spectacular display that your imagination could hardly come up with on your own. Whatever tales that tell you not to give into such suspicious activities escapes you, and you allow yourself to be swept away by everything. But as with all good times, it must end. The party winds down after hours and hours of entertainment, and the couple finally says their goodbyes to all of their guests. They approach you specifically, and bow, thanking you for coming, and send you on your way. You walk in a daze back down the cleared pathway where, right over the horizon, you see the sun begin to rise. And there it is, the arch once again, glowing before you. When all is said and done, you find yourself at that very same arch you first came through. No matter how you feel towards the end, you know that the night is over, and that it was finally time to leave (or you were finally allowed to leave). The moment you pass through the arch again, you feel yourself start to fall. You are surrounded completely by an endless blizzard, the same you may have encountered had you wandered off the pathway earlier. Only this time, there are no ribbons to save you. You black out, and when you next open your eyes, you’re near where you first arrived in the park, face down in the snow. Your body aches as you drag yourself up, a hard night of partying (or not) has taken its toll, but as you head back home, you learn that no time has passed at all. Whether or not this was real, or a strange hallucination caused by stress from just living in this city, you do not know… But you head home all the same, exhausted and pondering just what was it that you saw. When you wake up the next morning, you find something on or near you that most certainly wasn’t there when you went to bed. Pendour might have been a soft-spoken, absent-eyed, strange sort of being, but that didn't mean she wasn't the kind of woman who didn't enjoy a good party from time to time. She did, admittedly, get the slightest bit distracted from the actual ceremony as she watched the continuous rain of flowers and swirled petals around her fingers. She did hear the declaration or marriage, and she did join in the applause, and it did catch her attention, sure as sure, when the benches were turned into tables and the food was revealed. It was perfect timing, really. She'd just been getting a little hungry, and it looked like there was an entire corner of the table dedicated to juicy, delicious fruits. It all became a bit of a blur after that. She danced, she knew that. She danced with more confidence than she'd had in years. It was a little easier, when she was among spirits and shadows that she knew she'd never see again, to forget the things, like her eye, that usually made her self conscious. She danced. She ate cherries and chocolates. Minutes stretched into hours. Pendour didn't mind parties, but she wasn't really the last to leave them, either, and when the couple came to make their goodbye rounds, she was gracious and brief and then found her way back to the arch. She stepped through and everything crumbled. She did scream, then. She couldn't help it. She fell and fell, like with the puddle but with no one to catch her, and then everything faded to black. She might have thought it was all a dream if she hadn't woken up in the middle of the park with a smile on her lips.
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