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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.
You choose to...
Option 1: 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.
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.
You choose to...
- Walk through the arch
Option 1: 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.
The night started out normally enough for Nix. He set out for a nice stretch of his legs. A run around town, have a look around for anything untoward going on, and then head back home. Nobody was up for training tonight, and that was just fine by him. Sometimes a little bit of extra rest was good...especially if it wasn't all in art class.
But then a weird ringing got louder and louder, until he found himself making his way toward the source. Maybe punch it into stopping...
...But instead, he found a weird shimmering gateway.
He paused for a moment, and then, with only the smallest of shrugs and doubts, he simply walked up to it...and went through.
"Woah." He muttered, as he passed through. It wasn't as if this whole magic thing was new to him at this point, but Nix hadn't seen something quite like this before...
Voices greeted him within, and though he couldn't find them, he was mostly glad that the ringing had stopped.
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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.
You choose to...
Option 3: As pretty as the pathway is, your eyes wander to the surrounding woods. It seems the snow ends exactly where the garlands lie, and stepping under them to the snow beyond hits you with immense cold.
So cold, you fall forward. So frigid that you fall to your knees, sinking deeper into the snowbank that seems endless.
Further and further you slip, the surrounding winds blurring your vision, covering you in sheet upon sheet of whipping ice and sleet, until a pair of red ribbons wrap snugly around your waist, and hoist you free from the snow.
It takes a moment, but eventually you are sat down gently on your feet. As long as you don’t struggle, the ribbons brush off the snowflakes that cling to you, before fading away.
You are warm, dry, and seem to be clean as well, though your clothes remain the same. Now that you’ve learned from your mistakes, you head towards the cathedral.
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.
You choose to...
- Wander off the Pathway to explore the area further.
Option 3: As pretty as the pathway is, your eyes wander to the surrounding woods. It seems the snow ends exactly where the garlands lie, and stepping under them to the snow beyond hits you with immense cold.
So cold, you fall forward. So frigid that you fall to your knees, sinking deeper into the snowbank that seems endless.
Further and further you slip, the surrounding winds blurring your vision, covering you in sheet upon sheet of whipping ice and sleet, until a pair of red ribbons wrap snugly around your waist, and hoist you free from the snow.
It takes a moment, but eventually you are sat down gently on your feet. As long as you don’t struggle, the ribbons brush off the snowflakes that cling to you, before fading away.
You are warm, dry, and seem to be clean as well, though your clothes remain the same. Now that you’ve learned from your mistakes, you head towards the cathedral.
The place he'd arrived in was like out of a story book. The cathedral in the distance, the lightly glowing path. It was all so very pretty.
So, naturally, he decided he wanted to see the woods around. See how far this went. Was it an illusion?
Soon, though, it seemed like a great big mistake for Nix to do that. It was getting unbearably cold...and his bodysuit was never very good at keeping the cold out. And then he slipped, and was sliding. "Gah, crap!" he sputtered, sliding along.
Before he had a chance to figure out what to do to stop this (specifically, where to shoot his tongue), a red ribbon wrapped around him, sliding along his snug outfit, and gently pulled him back. He wriggled in the ribbons' grasp, but let it pull him for the moment. It beat sliding in the sleet and snow...
And soon enough, that turned out to be a good idea. The ribbons brushed him off, and then were gone.
"Man, this is odd." He muttered, but decided to press on to the building this place obviously wanted him to go.
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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…
Option 2: 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.
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 Ice
Option 2: 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.
A gathering! Well...that figured. He had no idea what it was about, but arbitrarily picked "ice." He saw plenty of it, after all.
Soon enough, it was clear this was a wedding of some sort, with lots of shadowy audience. It was...quite the scene. Not having any idea of what else to do, he just sat himself down and waited.
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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…
Option 1: 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.
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…
- Enjoy the wedding and scoop up more flower petals, adding them to endless shower of them.
Option 1: 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.
The ceremony itself was fascinating. And Nix couldn't help but get a little into it. There were flowers to throw! And it was pretty! Of course he had to participate in that...
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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.
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.
"Man, this place is so weird," Nix muttered once he was safely back in Destiny City, and looking around for the gate. He had no idea what all that was about, but...it was quite interesting all the same.
He decided he'd had enough festivities for the night, though, and went home for a good, proper sleep (for once).
