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 Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:08 pm
 The tome before you belongs to Baniru and Nen. There is a seal surrounding the book, one that allows you to leaf through the pages but prevents you from adding anything. The enchantment is strong and cannot be broken so easily, if at all. So just sit back and enjoy the Tall Tale that is unfolding before you. You can visit the Stationery Store to find out how you can write your own Tall Tale.
About Nen
Written on: 05-25-06
Author: Baniru
Gender: Male
Age: Simple Truth
Favorite Tale: Unknown
Least Favorite Tale: Unknown
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:25 pm
.: Uneditable Text :.
.: Contents :.
.: Entrance to the Underworld :.
.: The Slate :.
.: The Stairs :.
.: The Ceiling :.
.: The Floor :.
.: The Walls :.
.: The River :.
.: The Offering :.
.: The Boat :.
.: The Teddybear :.
.: The Souls :.
.: The Victims :.
.: Exit from the Underworld :.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:29 pm
.: Entrance to the Underworld :. There is a picture of questionable origins beside you, one with a smiling boy of questionable origins as well. He seems to be leaning on something to his side- but you can't tell what, or who it is past the large acidic hole.
This picture lies solemnly on the carpet to this strange room you came upon, no windows, no light, just the walls and dark rug to guide. It seems to be the only thing in the room, but there are marks left from where other things once stood...Updates 6-17-06 ~ Journal is set up.5-25-06 ~ Nen arrives. one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:30 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:31 pm
.: The Stairs :.
Gaze shifting, so does the wall, simply melting away as if it were never there.
The space beyond is hazy, and pitch black- it seems to be a tunnel carved from the same stone as the slate, with sketchy stairs that lead down, down, down... into infiniti and nothing, all at once.
Dare you go in? Underworld An 'underworld' is a generic, general term used to describe where souls go when they die. Each mythology, race, and culture has it's own underworld; and while such a word commonly conjures up pictures of Greek lore, there are in fact thousands of other underworlds.
Here in gaia, I would daresay that wherever you believe you will go when you die, is where you go. The magic and unique blendings of many faces has made this apparent.
Some of the most commonly known underworlds are things such as: Heaven, Hell, Hades, Mictlan, Di Yu, Mag Mell, Elysium, ect...
Nen himself is one of the many 'servants' which transports souls to and from these underworlds- mostly known as a Grim Reaper, a Charon, or a Shinigami. He's the man in the 'white suit'- or more apparent by the fact that his skin is so white, it's the suit itself.
Nen primarily works the Greek Underworld, Hades. Though wherever you would like to go, he can, in theory, take you. There is one condition, however: in order to take a being from a land of the living to a land of the dead, it must in fact... be dead.
The boy has the ability to rip a soul from a body and store it in his teddybear, which he uses as a sort of soul package. There is no guarantee that once your soul is transported to a place, that he will be able to (or want to) gather it back.
All he asks if for payment in return for a safe passage. Usually a Greek coin, called an Ouroboros coin, is needed; though if it's anywhere else, you must pay him with something from that culture. one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:33 pm
.: The Ceiling :.
The long tunnel ends abruptly at a nearby ledge, the rest of the stairs unreachable and unconnected, floating down what seems to be millions of feet to no end. It must be a sad fate for those who have to walk those stairs, the stairs of death.
The ledge seems to be some sort of rough mineral, grey, and unkempt. But stepping onto it one cannot help but look above...
The ceiling of such a place is shrouded in clouds, the bellies of ivory boats coming and going through them. It's as if you're looking up at the surface of some sort of water, though there is none where there is air.Nen  Nen
Race: Tale
Gender: Male
Height: Waist High
Weight: 30 earth pounds
Current Age: Simple Truth [5 earth years]
General Appearence: Unkept white hair, Pinkish eyes, near white skin. His ears are long and tufted, and his hands are clawed. A halo made from black bones floats above his head, and a thin tail made of black bones is always behind him- hopefully attatched. wink The boy commonly wears white pinstriped clothing, and carries a raggedy white teddybear.
General Personality: Nen is something of a spiritual person, tending to be laid back about most things. He is constantly balancing the weight of his job with the weight of his priorities, so that will, on occassion, make him reclusive and bitter. Nen is mainly easy to talk to, so long as you don't upset him, for he's one to hold a grudge far past it's expiration date.
The boy loves ghost stories or anything commonly about murder, death, and mythology for obvious reasons. He's a bit frightening if you catch him in the dark, and he especially likes scaring people.
Most importantly, there lies the factor that above all else- the boy must do his 'job'. Friends, Family, and love are all put second before it.
Nen can't be seperated from his teddybear. One of the reasons why he weighs so little is because his soul is actually seperate from his body. In order to attract souls and keep them stored within the teddybear for transportation, he had to give his own soul up for a sort of 'magnet'. Souls do wander, after all, if they aren't kept.
The actual place his own soul is kept is in the Teddybear's eyes, which is why they glimmer, tear, and mainly show the emotion that the boy is feeling at the moment.
Every reaper has some sort of container such as this.
The boy can come off as snarky and ocassionally depressed, and there are times of extreme emotion where he loses sight of what is real and what is not. He has a morbid fascination with crosses, and lotus flowers, as well as anything remotely spiritual. It's better to leave him alone most of the time, though Nen doesn't mind company. It's just more prone to making him act strange.one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:35 pm
.: The Floor :.
The respite of the ceiling has left you breathless, but that is understandable. There rarely is a place around with such a sight of the sky.
Looking down leads to another sight, however. The floor is littered with a sort of transparent grey matter, so that you can see the icy darkness that goes on forever below. To either side of the supposed pathway you should take, there are closed lotus flowers, fireflies fading in and out inside of them. They lead in intricate rows ahead, until the landscape is no longer visible...The guardian
Fico
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4
Weight: A real woman never tells. heart
Current Age: 26
General Appearence: Medium length black hair, curly and thick, large lilac eyes, caucasian complexion. Fico's got all the gear for a model, though she'd prefer shooting bullets into them. She likes to wear whatever is expensive and fashionable.
General Personality: Fico's something of a pushy woman. She's very beautiful- long legs, full lips, large chest- near stereotypical, and prides herself on that fact. She's a heavy Catholic, and an even heavier one for tradition.
The woman has a thick Greek accent, and barely has enough understanding to speak English. She tends to be a feminist, bull headed, stubborn, and very aggressive.
This also may be due in part that Fico is part of the Greek Mafiya, a clan known simply as the sinister 'Heart's Deuce'- infamous for the amount of shootings and killings they have committed over the years. Though she's slowed her activities a bit, she still participates in them.
The woman is also quite obsessed with guns. She has a vast collection which she hides in her large home above a 'modest' cafe, run in downtown Durem. She also takes care of one other boy, but Nen never sees him much.
If Fico wants something, she'll more than tell you. With a gun to your face, or not.one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 7:59 pm
.: The Walls :. There is a slight flickering to your left, and then to your right, like a flame dancing upon the wind. But looking over, there is no such thing.
Walls, you realize, near unseeable walls seem to hum as lost souls drift trapped within them, stuck in some sort of ethereal fishtank...
There are markings, but they are impossible to make out.Nen's Room
As you can see, Nen's room isn't particularly well furnished. Or well lived in. Or cozy, for another matter.
But the boy simply won't have it any other way. As much as Fico would like to give him some carpet and new walls, the boy refuses to let a finger to touch it.
'The room is a portal', he says. But no one but Nen really understands.
He has a bed, but it rarely looks slept in.
He has lots of books too- mostly bibles of some sort or another, and lots of very spiritual things as well.one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:21 pm
.: The River :. Walking forward, each wavering step leads you closer to a giant river, illuminated in the dark of this musty world. There are many boats going to and fro with lanterns tied to their bow, lazily cutting the fog as if no one is steering them.
And no one is.
The condensed smoke from the river twirls and descends, writhing with apathy around the cries of the many beneath it...Getting Nen Baniru There was a clinking of the door opening and closing, and the faint smell of hyacinths as a rather tall woman entered the stationary shop. She seemed to be preocupied at looking for good paper, fumbling with thick black curls behind one ear.
She had heard of the shop from many a talkative lady at the benches or streetcorners, and even had to ask a few disgruntled strangers where she could get good stationary supplies. Eventually the sources led her here, to this inquisitive little place.
The woman sheepishly looked up to a rather pink girl sitting in the chair, before letting out a greeting:
"S'cusi." Huni Pi Paestri blinked at the scent of flowers and upon seeing the woman she smiled. "Hello, what do you want?" she chirped, not even getting up from her seat. The Legend radiated nothing but friendliness and a perkiness that was anything but normal.
The Intangible hissed at the arrival of another person and hid behind Paestri, promptly indicating to the Legend that it wanted nothing to do with the woman. Baniru Fico grinned casually, her scarlet lips parting for a smile. She was used to talking to strangers, but none so friendly.
Or pink.
"I'mma lookin' fore some paper," she started strongly, waving her arms in large gestures, "you gots some good stuff? Need it for my baby boy backa' home."
She pushed more thick, lazy curls behind her ears, her eyes wandering around the shop with curiousity. It was quite a quaint little place; looked as if it held a lifetime of memories, shelves of display items sagging invisibly with the weight of it. Huni Pi "Yeah, we've got lots of pretty paper. They come in different colors and sizes and designs too! Wait, I'll get mama or Linny, they know where they are." Paestri smiles, putting the receipts to one side of the chair before hopping off. "You can look around at the ones we got on display while I'm not here." she adds.
Malady opted to stay behind, glaring its red eyes at the woman. If she tried anything, it wouldn't think twice about ratting her out to Paestri. Baniru "O-kay," she replied back with a little more bounce than normal, noticing the blazing rays of Paestri shine were beginning to wear on her own personality. What a cute kid. It was the kind of cute that made you want to go hug a kitten, or run around laughing for no particular reason.
But this happy moment seemed to melt away to a sudden chill; if Fico didn't know any better, she could have sworn there was something trying to glare venemous holes into her skull.
Now would be a good time to look at the paper.
The woman eagerly turned to the various parcels on display, glad to get her mind away from whatever it was that was making her feel uncomfortable. Her eyes seemed to settle upon one that had delicate pawprints scrawling at the edges, making it appear authentic... Huni Pi While Paestri was off fetching her guardian or older brother, what should occur but the door to the Study creaking open? It barely made a sound, however it would not go unnoticed.
Malady's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the door opening. It knew the Study was empty, and that the shop wasn't electronically advanced enough to open through unconventional means. What was happening!? Baniru Tearing her eyes away from the very pretty things on display, Fico couldn't help but notice that the door was open to another room. Now how did that happen? It scarcely made a noise... perhaps someone was already inside before hand?
Nevertheless, Fico decided she should go over and close the door out of common courtesy. She was sure whoever came out wouldn't want people peeking in and being nosy...
But as soon as the woman walked up to the door, she herself couldn't help but peer inside out of sheer curiosity. After a moment, that curiosity turned into merely stepping inside to take a look around, and soon that too turned into walking about to explore what the Study held. Huni Pi The Study was dark and poorly lit, a sharp contrast to the shop's bright and cheerful atmosphere. It was old, with the smell of stale air permeating the room. As silently as it had opened, the door creaked shut, effectively trapping its latest victim.
Paestri had gone into the kitchen, knowing that her guardian would be there washing dishes. It turns out her brother had gone to the park with her niece Arya, and they took the little Feien. Much to Paestri's relief.
"Mama, there's a lady outside who wants to look at our pretty papers." She declared, trying to hoist herself onto the counter. Baniru Fico had begun to squint more and more, wandering aimlessly about the room before a sneeze- and it was a horrid one- forced her past some dust floating about and to a very large tome. It was old looking, and leather bound. Quite charming, if you had to say something about it.
The woman naturally walked up to the thing, wondering if she was really nosy enough to open it, when her eyes flashed back to the door.
Huh.
Now when had that closed?
Must have been the wind... ? Perhaps that was what chilled her earlier. Huni Pi The solitary bulb that burned at the other end of the Study began to immitate a strobe light, casting shadows and throwing sporadic shafts of light around the room. Oddly enough, the Tome that lay atop the table was... glowing? Baniru Fico recoiled immediately. Light bulbs were not supposed to rave. Large books were not supposed to glow. But there was a wonderful weirdness to it that drew her back in, against her wishes, and at this point- if it was her own delirium or just magic was anyone's guess.
She gently opened the Tome as if someone was willing her to do so, her shaking fingers fumbling with the old, musty pages.
There was nothing on them.
Fico was a bit dissapointed. All this, for a blank book? It must have been a dream. Just one very strange, exciting, eccentric dream. Huni Pi The lights continued to flicker on and off, and each lapse of light words would appear. When the bulb finally gave out (possibly out of exhaustion), a question was shining in the darkness.
"Why can't I see the right path?"
Lying in the spine of the book was a pen. Baniru Fico thought she was seeing things, but perhaps words actually were appearing on the pages of the book as the light continued its awkward dance. The spots before her eyes mingled with what was actually happening, so when the room plunged into complete and utter darkness, she nearly screamed.
But there was indeed something written in the book, silver and cutting through the black of the room like an impatient knife. Her immediate vision was drawn to the only source of light in the room.
Fico couldn't help but pick up the pen that was in the spine of the book to write an answer, her tidy scrawl nestled beneath the words that illuminated her features like a flickering candle.
"Because you're blind." Huni Pi The Tome slammed shut, causing a large dustcloud to rise. But this dust was different from regular housedust that one finds whenever the person assigned to do chores decided he or she couldn't be bothered. This dust was far more potent. It stung, it burned, it hurt. It may even cause hallucinations.
The woman would eventually find herself on the Study floor. There will come a touch, cool not cold, soothing, and almost peaceful. It will run from her forehead to her eyes, to her neck. The pain will subside, and she will be able to see and smell properly. Before her, however, would be no hallucination. But a real child, with a halo and tail made completely out of ebony bones.
In his arms was a ratty teddy that was practically falling apart. And just behind him was an off-white Tome. Embossed on its cover was his name. Baniru Fico, of course, was taken by surpise. Gasping, however, was not the brightest option. She choked, coughed, writhed until she hit the floor hard, envisioning the faces of demons swirling among the motes of dust. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire, and curling into the fetal position seemed to only make it worse.
Okay, this is the part where you were supposed to wake up.
But no such thing happened.
It took what seemed to be hours upon eternity until there came a soft and light touch, cool, a seemingly foreign remedy to this nightmare. After a few moments, it spread along her face and down through her spine, almost pleasantly numbing what the woman had felt before.
Confusion ensued, as the woman sat up, rubbing her head.
What had just happened?
She couldn't quite remember properly. Had she fallen? The only real memory was when the study door seemed so inviting...
but there was something else in her vision that almost made it hazy and weak. A deathly pale boy, hair and clothing white, greying teddybear clutched firmly underneath the epitaph of a swirling bones and gleaming ebony...
The first thought was that this apparition was nothing short of something evil. The tome beside him, however, whispered out an inaudible calm before the storm.
Suprisingly, Fico simply dragged herself up and picked up the child in front of her, mildly dazed. The boy flinched away at first touch, but reached eager hands for the book that still lie on the floor.
And in a few moments, the two had slipped out the shop door with book, boy, and teddy in hand, not saying a word to each other. They never exchanged glances, or mutters.
They simply left without the paper, or talking to Paestri, or her mother. one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:23 pm
.: The Offering :.
There seems to be some invisible force that stops you from wading into the River's waters, and rightfully so, as ghastly hands reach up for things that do not exist.
If you squint, you could almost make out a pedestal on the other side of the river, demanding an offering in return for safe passage across...
Does this mean you're already across, then?one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:25 pm
.: The Boat :.
There is, however, a boat which comes drifting up onto shore, regardless of what you have to pay. It is a delicate thing, carved of ivory with swirls from worlds long gone, an old lantern hung sturdily on the bow.
On the inside there lies a pile of strange gems, almost like knobbly marbles, with stars, worlds, galaxies- even universes inside.
Something beckons you, and pushes you in...Scrapbook (Click on the tags for bigger pictures) 5-25-06He's around five in this picture, and isn't he a sly one? Look at all that hair... it never ceases to get tangled in the bones... one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:26 pm
.: The Teddybear :.
The boat drifts off from the shore the same way it came, leaving behind where you once were through the hazing fog. But besides the knobby marbles, there is also something else sitting quietly against them- a teddybear, white and run ragged, stares at you with incredibly life like eyes.
Stuffing is popping out in various places, some already sloppily stitched back up.
It stares, and you stare back.Mag Mell Nen's teddybear, or the container from which he keeps souls in, is almost like another person. Since Nen had to place his own soul inside the bear, the two can't be more than an armslength apart for very long. It is his greatest weakness- you could readily kill the boy, if you wanted, simply by stealing his bear and hiding it.
Besides the obvious disadvanteges the bear seems to bring, it also has a personality, and a name. It's commonly called Mag Mell, or simply Mag, and Nen usually refers to it as a male.
Mag Mell seems very knowledgible on many aspects, and will readily speak to Nen about them when it feels it should. Just as a living being, the bear can show emotion through it's eyes- and of course, Nen and Mag are connected. When Nen feels pain, Mag feels pain. When Nen is sobbing, so is Mag Mell, and visa versa.
Though the bear seems incredibly worn, the stuffing never quite falls out. The stitches never quite snap. And nothing ever quite comes undone. This is because, while Nen does his best to repair Mag, their wounds are the same.
Perhaps Nen's aren't quite so visible, but they are there.
Mag Mell is a reflection of Nen, plain and simple. one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:35 pm
.: The Souls :.
Drifting along the way, you notice familiar faces, though they aren't quite faces at all.
Swirling epitaphs, glittering comets... almost as ethereal as the stars themselves, souls litter the foggy area, swaggering two and fro.
If you touched one, would you remember them? one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 8:40 pm
.: The Victims :.
The teddy bear seems to grin then, and as the boat barely touched land- you are violently thrown from it, landing upon the other side. Dazed, you look around expectantly to figure out what has just happened...
but you feel lighter, somehow. A piece of you is missing, but this doesn't make you upset. In fact, it's as if you can't feel anything at all, no anger, sadness, fear, or regret; it is gone. Those who have been reaped Those who have had their souls stored inside Mag Mell at one point or another shall go here, on this list.
- Nen -
is the only name so far. one two three four five six seven. . . all good children go to heaven
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 9:05 pm
.: Leaving from the Underworld :. There is an exit not far away from here, the same staircase you seemed to have come from when you entered. Light peeks through the way in an ominous fashion near the top.
'Come again, my friend'
each letter is etched neatly on each stair, until at last the entry way leads back into the same room from whence you came.Links out To be filled out in a bit.
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