[Ragnarok]

What’s this? Another victim! Arsene decided to listen in, because he is a spoiled overgrown child who must know everything.

“Who are you?” Awe~ young love. Brandishing the bow, Alessio kept it aimed on the new victim.

Leana jumped a little, making Arsene think she might hit him with the club.

Alessio whispered something to Leana. No fair, how was he supposed to eavesdrop if he couldn’t hear them?

“My name is Ohel.”  As in tent? “I… don’t know…”

Cautiously, Ohel stood up, “What is this place? Who are you?”

Before Arsene could introduce himself, Female Deer came up. “What’s going on?”

John sent the Ohel a look, a sign he wanted an answer.

You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien

[Kimmi]

A third man stepped near, “What’s going on?” His tone was hard, and the mask didn’t help the façade.

Ohel took a small step back, holding his hands higher, away from the dagger. His heart pounded as the masked man stepped nearer. Am I drunk? No. This… No. Dreaming? May it be so. “I don’t know.” Ohel whispered. His eyes flashed to the girl, wondering if she was a vixen like his mother, or kind like his youngest sister. Am I going to die? Are they going to kill me?

Leana glanced at Alessio and John, then back to Ohel. “Guys. Relax.” Give him a moment to breathe. If he’s one of us? Do you remember how it felt to fall here? Leana spoke firmly, but her tone stayed gentle. She didn’t go near the stranger or leave Alessio’s side, “Tent, I am Leana daughter of Nithel.”

Alright. Ohel didn’t relax, looking from her, to the others again. The girl might help. But how much sway does she really have with the men? Too much? Nothing at all? Heh… if they treat her badly, it might be easier to get her to come with me… 

——-

@ragnarok @this-is-not-an-alien

Jominkreesa

'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'

[Cathy]

Alessio relaxed slightly when Leana nodded.

“It just startled me.” She said softly.

“That’s ok, you were alert,” He said gently, trying to do that “reassurance” thing Nithel was really good at… Not to mention Alessio would’ve been on even more pins and needles if he didn’t know she’d make a noise if there was any trouble.

“My name is Ohel.” Alessio darted a glance back at the man. “I…don’t know…”

He didn’t quite get to his feet but he did push himself up a little, carefully.

“What is this place? Who are you?” Ohel asked bewilderedly. Alessio narrowed his eyes at him. Maybe he was just being rash, but he hadn’t missed how Ohel had been checking out Leana and he didn’t miss the slow, calculating sort of manner behind his baffled words.

Leana moved a little closer to him, she hadn’t missed it either, so he must not have been just paranoid.

“What’s going on?” Sir Sc – John asked, giving Ohel a look.

Well Alessio couldn’t rightly aim an arrow at him for the rest of their existence together. He’d just have to make it crystal clear no member of their group would to be trifled with.

“I don’t know.” Ohel whispered, his eyes from Alessio to Leana, genuinely scared. But he still didn’t tru –

“Guys. Relax.” Leana said, glancing up at them. Fine, Ohel was just lost right now, he wasn’t a threat right now. Alessio compliantly lowered his bow, just a little sullenly, the way he’d been staring at her…

“Tent, I am Leana daughter of Nithel.” She addressed the stranger kindly. Make friends, Nithel said, he was supposed to be doing this stupid make friends thing.

It was a lot to take in. No wonder the man was so anxious. It wouldn’t hurt to be more understanding or compassionate or whatever…

“I’m Alessio,” He attempted, adding in a somewhat reassuring way. “I won’t shoot you unless you try to harm someone.”

He glanced at Leana for approval or guidance since she was way better at…basic human interaction…He tried addressing Ohel again…politely?

“As for where we are, your guess is as good as mine. You’re welcome to join us looking for a way back, as long as you’re willing to work with a group.”

Hopefully that’d be fine with everyone – they couldn’t exactly turn him away that wouldn’t do anything. He’s just have to keep an eye on Ohel. That much he could do. He couldn’t be nice but he could protect his friends, right?

 

@kimlikesart @ragnarok

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Kimmi]

“I’m Alessio,” The man closest to the girl spoke. Is he her’s? Perhaps. She seems to trust him. “I won’t shoot you unless you try to harm someone.”

Ohel’s shoulders relaxed the smallest bit, though he cast the masked man a worried glance. “It sounds reasonable. Unless you’re a threat, I don’t want to fight you, either.”

“As for where we are, your guess is as good as mine.” Alessio continued. “You’re welcome to join us, looking for a way back, as long as you’re willing to work with a group.”

Are you the leader? Ohel nodded slowly. “I can be willing.” His brows furrowed, dark eyes curious, and not necessarily trusting. He looked at the girl, then Alessio, and on to the other two. “But… if you don’t know where you are, how do you plan on finding your way ‘back’?” Perhaps I was knocked upside the head. Ohel felt along his scalp, but nothing stung.

———–

@ragnarok @this-is-not-an-alien

Jominkreesa

'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'

[Cathy]

Ohel nodded, still wary. He was looking at Leana and then him as if… Oh not you too!! Seriously everyone, everyone assumed they were a couple!?! It was one thing for Arsene to have to tease him mercilessly that was his job, but he wasn’t really giving that impression, was he??

She was just a really cool person that’s all!!

“I can be willing.” He said, still assessing them.

Maybe he should talk to Leana then…if everyone was thinking that…He should say something to her before this got out of hand…

“But…” Alessio darted a glance to Ohel, flushing (he’d been staring at Leana). “if you don’t know where you are, how do you plan on finding your way ‘back’”

Devils. Logic his old nemesis. Fair question though, regrettably.

“Right now we’re pooling all our resources into survival in the hopes we’ll find something or someone that can provide some direction.” He said, watching Ohel closing to read how much he should tell all at once. Maybe give him some time to get used to this first before mentioning how abominably hopeless their whole situation was anyway. “All of us more or less found ourselves here for no explicable reason and likely we’re all being watched at this very moment by whatever person or force brought us here.”

Our best chance is to wait for it to reveal a weakness and exploit it, forcing this place to give in and return us.

But the best way to do that was to pretend to comply and pretend to be so absorbed with survival to have no time for revolt.

“Seeing as we’re all in the same situation, any suggestions you might have would be welcome.”

Better leave out their search for Nithel. If Ohel was already interested in Leana, knowing she may not have a father to defend her would put her in a more precarious position.

Alessio glanced at Leana, he should say something to her if they ever got a minute alone. He couldn’t keep avoiding the fact that…they all thought…Alessio reddened slightly.

 

@kimlikesart @ragnarok

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Kimmi]

Alessio didn’t say anything a moment, but at least he didn’t sputter… “Right now we’re pooling all our resources into survival in the hopes we’ll find something, or someone, that can provide some direction.”

Ohel brows lifted. *thoughts* He risked a glance toward the man behind the counter. *more thoughts* Ohel bit his tongue, waiting for Alessio to speak more.

Alessio continued, thinking as he spoke. “All of us more or less found ourselves here for no explicable reason and likely we’re all being watched at this very moment by whatever person or force brought us here. Seeing as we’re all in the same situation, any suggestions you might have would be welcome.”

Leana nibbled on her lip, surveying the new man before them. Honestly, with the way he kept glancing at her… and everyone really… We should ditch him and go. She breathed in and out softly, before glancing at Alessio. You offered to let him join. I’ll follow you. She offered a reluctant smile, through the worry, while grabbing the top of her bag.

Ohel’s brows somehow went a bit higher, and he pulled back his shoulders, at the speech. “Have you tried asking the people who live here, where we are? Who their Lord is? Where we can find him?” *thoughts* “Surely he could tell us how to get back to our own places. How far it is.”

*Leana pressed her lips together, guilt pricking her* He’s lost. Alone. More clueless, than I am. 

————

@ragnarok @this-is-not-an-alien

Jominkreesa

'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'

[Cathy]

She didn’t look comfortable with Ohel. Why did he even say he could be a part of the group? Nobody even wanted him to be. Alessio should’ve asked them first, or made a better decision. Why was he even making that decision in the first place, who was supposed to be the leader of this group?

Leana glanced up at him, but not reproachfully. She trusted his judgement? Nobody did that, she just didn’t have a choice in the matter and was making the best of it…

“Have you tried asking the people who live here, where we are? Who their Lord is? Where we can find him?” Someone has to tell him… “Surely he could tell us how to get back to our own places. How far it is.”

You have no idea how inconceivably, blissfully ignorant that idea is…

Somebody had to tell him, but Alessio didn’t want that job (Arsene, on the other hand, would probably love it) Alessio coughed. Just wait until he figured out they weren’t even on the same planet.

“Based off the information we’ve gathered, we are not within any traveling distance of our own places in the near foreseeable future, and apt communication with the average populous is tenuous at best.” Arsene please take over, Alessio mental pleaded.

He did not want the job of breaking it to him that he was no inexplicably and impossibly lost in an absolutely hopeless venture with no end in sight. He also didn’t want to give away information to anyone but here they were…

 

@ragnarok @kimlikesart

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Kimmi]

Ohel’s brows lifted, while his forehead crinkled. So… you do know where we are..?

“How… long might the trip be, in that case?” He straightened a bit more, trying to keep his hand away from his dagger, but habit made him long for the feel of it. Several months? A year? More? *honestly isn’t sure if home is worth that* *thoughts* Ohel’s face doured and his stomach tightened. But determination, instead of panic, touched his eyes. (Worry still rimmed their edges, though.)

———

@ragnarok @this-is-not-an-alien

Jominkreesa

'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'

[Ragnarok]

“Go on,” Mother said, “What happened next?”

The mirror had shattered. Why exactly, Sherlock didn’t know. He could still see a few memories. Should he try to get up?

Before he could entertain that idea, a flash of images entered his mind. The person he believed to be his mother, strangling the life out of him. It was all so sudden he almost thought it was actually happening.

Was this person his mother? Or was this just a trick?

No, stop. This was Mother. It had to be. How could it not be? These were her gestures, it had to be her. Right?

Just continue with the memories. Even if this was Mother, he was still in a trial.

“I intended to go on with my plan, when I met Arsene Lupin. I encountered him during a bank robbery completely by accident. I thought he was dead. Turns out, he was working for a man named Kage, basically robbing his competitors in the criminal underworld.”

The mirror fragments started to glow, changing the place. They were now in the middle of a heist. More specifically, below where the robbery took place. Under the vault of the Mistral Bank, which had a hole in the floor from Arsene’s explosion. The clever little fox planned it just right so that the bank was not only closed, but so that a passing subway would muffle the sound of the bomb. Sherlock had chased him and found the subway train he was using. It was like meeting a ghost.

“I imagine that didn’t go well.” Mother said.

“No,” Sherlock answered, “We ended up holding guns at each other before we recognized each other. Naturally, Arsene ran when I figured out who he was, but we ended up meeting later.”

Sherlock had been given one of Arsene’s cards to be specific, telling him where to go if he wanted to meet him. Following the instructions given, Sherlock tracked down Arsene to an apartment complex. The showoff was on the roof.

They had rejoiced in that moment. Brothers, finally reunited.

“After we caught up, I made a mistake. I told Arsene about my plans. Unfortunately, he was more elf than dragon.”

Arsene and Sherlock came to a disagreement. They did not see eye to eye in this case. Arsene wanted to control the city and its evils as a criminal, while Sherlock just wanted to destroy it all. It drove them further and further apart. Until, on the night Sherlock planned to released the Grand Dragons, Arsene intervened. He sabotaged it all, setting his attack back for at least a year.

“And then what?”

More images came.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>NOT REAL! NOT REAL! NOT REAL! NOT REAL!</p>
Something wasn’t right here. Mother had always been a rather cold person, but not like this. This seemed fake. Combined with the images. This was a clear warning. He’d need to figure out what was telling the truth. His eyes or these visions.

“Mother,” Sherlock changed the topic, “Can you shift your hand please?”

… She didn’t answer. Just blinked.

Caught. “Also, you never once commented about how I’ve called my brother by the name Arsene Lupin.”

He had seen and heard enough. “Meaning you’re just a fake, using my Mother’s face.”

Standing up, Sherlock grabbed the fraud by the throat. “How. Dare. You.”

Shifting his arm, Sherlock tossed the fake across the room. Then, everything changed. All he felt in that moment was pure rage. “I think you know what happened next, you freak.”

His whole body started to changed. His legs had fused together and he now had claws. Pure white scales, with black flakes like dark stars, replaced his skin. “And for the crime of impersonating someone very dear to me, I will kill you!”

The metamorphosis accelerated. “I’ll kill you. I swear it! I’ll kill you, Amnesia!”

Now, it was complete. He had changed into a full Eastern dragon.

 

“Have you tried asking the people who live here, where we are? Who their Lord is? Where we can find him?” Yes, yes, pure innocence… “Surely he could tell us how to get back to our own places. How far it is.”

He seriously didn’t know. He genuinely knew nothing.

“Based off the information we’ve gathered, we are not within any traveling distance of our own places in the near foreseeable future, and apt communication with the average populous is tenuous at best.”

Alessio looked at Arsene for help. Smiling, Arsene took up the wonderful task of explaining the situation. “He means we’re all stuck.”

Like a sudden screech, a loud noise sounded in Arsene’s ears. He reacted by clasping his ears. But when he looked around, everyone else looked fine. Only he heard it. Something felt wrong. His arms were numbing. He hardly knew they were there anymore.

He was feeling nauseous.

“Excuse me,” Get out. Get out. Now, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Oh, he shouldn’t have taken all that chocolate from the kitchen. His voice sounded desperate, almost broken. Everyone appeared concerned. Ignoring Ohel and everyone else, Arsene went outside, turning to an alleyway. Hiding himself, Arsene took off his gloves.

They were black scales. Like a dragon’s.

“No, no,” Arsene muttered, “Not here. Not here of all places!”

He was turning. In a matter of seconds, he’d be a wyvern. And he’d have no control over his actions.

You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien

[Cathy]

“How…long might the trip be, in that case?” Ohel asked, so blithely optimistic.

I’m not sure you understood the ‘not within any traveling distance’ part of ‘not with any traveling distance’…

“He means we’re all stuck.” Arsene chirped, so helpfully. And Alessio glanced at him anticipating the theatrical version of their adventures, but instead he suddenly flinched, clapping his hands over his ears.

“Arse-“

“Excuse me,” Arsene interrupted in a voice crawling with panic “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Had something triggered him, something in his past? How had Nithel calmed him down when – Arsene dashed outside out of view. He couldn’t run away he was part of the group Alessio couldn’t lose him. Alessio squeezed Leana’s hand for a second, not wanting to get separated from anyone for even a second in this place.

“John, take care of Leana and don’t let Ohel out of your sight!” Alessio said, and sprinted after Arsene. Outside was a busy, loud street, not many available places to hide – he couldn’t lose him now! Everyone he ever gets attached to leaves.

Alessio turned and bolted down an alleyway, hoping he made the right call.

“Not here. Not here of all places!”

“Arsene!” Alessio grabbed his shoulder and pinned him to the wall so he couldn’t escape. “You’re part of the group now, you won’t do this alone. Talk to me.”

Black scales… Arsene had torn of his gloves and Alessio could see draekon scales forming over his skin. Hadn’t he done that casually whenever Alessio attacked him before they were friends? But then, he’d also used his powers on Alessio while he still didn’t know how to use them…

Alessio leapt back as his friend shifted completely. Devils.

“That could be problematic…”

 

@ragnarok @kimlikesart

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Kimmi]

Ohel’s eyes widened as first one man, then Alessio, darted from the building, like the gods were after them.

“John, take care of Leana and don’t let Ohel out of your sight!”

John? The masked man.

Leana’s eyes widened, looking from the door to John. She scooped up her bag and staff, and took a step toward the door.

Ohel hurried forward and grabbed the top of bag, brushing Leana’s hand. “Let me take this for you.” He offered a hesitant smile, but the woman didn’t let go.

“Thanks.” Leana cocked her head, and almost smiled at him too sweetly, before jerking her bag from his loose grip. “But I got it.” Leana pivoted toward the door and shoved it open, heart pounding.

Ohel cast John a worried glance, then hurried through the door after them. His hand now hovered near the hilt of his dagger.

“Alessio?” Leana called. Her cheeks flushed. “Arsene?” Don’t vanish on me. Please.

There was a cry. Gutteral. As if in pain, or rage, or something more. Not quite human, not quite animal, and something seeming different.

Ohel stumbled to a stop at the sound, almost fleeing in the opposite direction, almost falling over. But Leana rushed forward, eyes dancing with fear. Arsene? Alessio?

She looked down the alley and screamed, her hands flying to her face. The pack and staff fell to the ground.

———-

@ragnarok @this-is-not-an-alien 🦭

Jominkreesa

'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'

[Catholic Creed]

@this-is-not-an-alien, @ethan-leonard, @rusted-knight, @ragnarok, @kimlikesart

[@this-is-not-an-alien – The entire character castle is going to regret your choice.]

[You do nothing, save crossing your arms and smirking at the blinking, glowing buttons. For you are stubborn.]

[Stubborn as the foundations of this castle.]

[Stubborn as a mountain and violent as a storm.]

[And your decision will be met with equal violence.]

 

[The foxfire blazes up suddenly. The buttons melt, dripping onto the floor around you.]

[One splash of molten lands an inch over your eye, stopped by an invisible wall. It drips down slowly as it solidifies just an inch before your nose.]

[The ground trembles violently. Marble tiles crack apart, leaking out the thorns and roses within them.]

[You hear the boom boom boom boom boom echoing louder and louder and louder either somewhere in the far reaches of the room or outside of the room entirely. You cannot tell.]

[Then, all is still.]

[All is dark.]

[All is as silent as the grave.]

 

.

.

.

 

[@ragnarok]
[So you have seen the truth.]

[But you have seen it too late.]

[As you shift forms – become the monster you were made into and rejoiced in becoming, the castle around you trembles in agony. Something has changed – you don’t know what.]

[The vines tremble – they retract away from the splintered fragments of the mirror.]

[Then – as suddenly as it started – the world stills again]

[The vines resume their feast.]

[And]

[Then]

[All is still.]

[All is dark.]

[All is as silent as the grave.]

 

.

.

.

 

[@everybody! 😊]

[Amnesia feels the pull against his power – the yin to his yang. The darkness to his light.]

[She is almost here.]

[She is as destructive as ever.]

[And she is hungry.]

[Amnesia grins.]

 

.

.

.

 

[You remember exactly where you were an instant ago – or so it seems to you.]

[You remember exactly what you had last seen.]

[You remember exactly what you had last done – or were doing.]

[And then]

[All became still.]

[All became dark.]

[All became as silent as the grave.]

 

.

.

.

 

[You have no memory of the trembling violence. The dramatic upheaval as two rooms-filled-with-worlds disintegrated from at the whim of the {redacted}.]

[No, the next thing you are aware of – after the silence and darkness and stillness – is water.]

[Water everywhere – or at least, it moves like water and tastes like water and you hope it is water…]

[As you jerk hopefully upward, you find glass.]

[You feel around yourself – glass everywhere.]

[You are running out of air.]

[And these are not your clothes – they are simple draw-string shorts and a hospital gown tied at the back. Foreign to you as the place you are in.]

[In the darkness, you can see nothing.]

[Nothing save a faint, faint, faint glow on your arm.]

[You hold your arm inches from your face – you see three shimmering, disturbingly anatomical hearts written in your skin.]

[Something tells you that these are not random images – but rather an exact view of your heart in your chest.]

[Or at least, you hope it is still in your chest – when you rub your breastbone, you feel a long, thin scar.]

[You need air urgently and dismiss this problem for later, instead exploring your trap for an exit.]

[But everywhere you touch is glass and water glass and water glass and water.]

[Then you go down – it is narrow, and your elbows and knees meet glass frequently.]

[But when you hit the bottom, you feel … metal and plastic. Probably.]

[And you find a switch.]

 

[Do you flip the switch?]

{Yes} or {No}

{If yes – flip the switch.}

{If no – bang on the glass as loud as you can and hope someone hears.}

 

{I’d hurry if I were you.}

{Or you might find out why you’re here…}

 

.

.

.

 

Okay, in all seriousness, the IRL reason you’re here is because I … I’m bored waiting for my group to do anything with your group and since we have several inactive characters, this was a good way to stasis them until their authors are ready to return to them.

I! Asked! Ragnarok’s! Permission! Before taking over his castle and this is the only real takeover I mean to do!

Also, shout-out to @ragnarok for leaving that little teaser updates and updates ago. I didn’t pull ‘she’ out of thin air people!

 

Funnily enough, the entire reason this ‘game’ started because I was desperately trying to figure out how Search’s psychometry works!!!!! Why didn’t I think of that earlier?!?!?!

When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.

[Cathy]

Nathair blinks as the foxfire snaps up. Slowly the buttons melt. Well. Something happened. He knew waiting was a great idea!

Liquid blue pools on the floor around him. And suddenly something splashes in front of him. Uh, ok, invisible walls. That’s nice…

As everything trembles, Nathair tries smacking the invisible wall just to see if it’ll give – he didn’t think it would anyway. Booming screams across the hall, howling with rage and terror. Maybe he’ll die. The noise is overpowering.

But then. Silence.

Silence like he’d never heard before.

And all is dark as his own sins.

 

‘I didn’t cheat, I just know how to play the game.’

He touched Yasha’s bloody, confident face before the image disseminated into the blackness. Then everything was absorbed in liquid. He couldn’t breathe and apparently there wasn’t any opening in the pitch dark. His hands knocked against glass but he couldn’t see an outside.

Cloths were different. Something glowed on his arm. A heart, heh.

The bottom had a switch.

But Nathair didn’t push it. He could break through the glass he was sure.

 

 

 

A dragon.

Arsene turned into an unstable dragon.

At the start of this crazy adventure in another world, Alessio would’ve been scared of fighting a dragon. But now it was laughable.

I can do this.

This was fighting something he actually knew about. He’d been trained to be a weapon all his life, this was way easier than social skills! All he’d have to do was stay alive and keep in sight of Arsene until he calmed down and shifted back. Also, it was an excuse to beat Arsene and that made it very worthwhile.

“Alessio? Arsene?” Wait.

Alessio darted a look back at Leana and Ohel chasing after her. Nono, he couldn’t keep them all alive and fight off a dragon without killing or seriously injuring said dragon??

Arsene shifted entirely with an almost, but not human roar.

With a scream Leana covered her face, dropping the supplies and her weapon. Unbidden, fire rushed behind them in a wall between the rest of the group and Arsene. He wouldn’t have time to reach her really, and it would draw too much attention to them anyway. So he stared at her, trying to will reassurance.

“It’s ok,” He said, and smiled a little. “I got this.”

He was sure.

Fighting a dragon was nothing compared to eldritch horrors and social interaction. That at least was something he was trained for from childhood. Dragon-fighting. He could fight a thrice accursed dragon.

Then everything went black.

Every decibel of “got this” evaporated. ‘This’ was no longer something anybody ‘got’, unless what they got was murdered. Alessio would’ve had words for this if he wasn’t unconscious.

 

Everything was black, still black.

Every sound was muted, gone from existence. And he was choking.

Seriously, now I’m going to die…

That wasn’t fair! His lungs burned and that was bad he was already trying not to hyperventilate.

Leana.

Alessio jerked around, swimming for an opening but his arm made contact with glass. Every end. Glass. He grabbed for the knife at his side but it’s not there. Those aren’t his cloths, he doesn’t have anything to break the glass with. He’s going to die.

Arsene!

Where were they, where was everyone?! There was no way out going up, he’d have to go down. Was this just another experiment, had he just imagined his friends?

Air filtering out of his lungs made it hard to think. Everything was burning slush.

Nithel? John?

He couldn’t lose everyone. Maybe they weren’t even real. It wouldn’t be a stretch if he’d entirely lost touch with reality after all.

Everything was numb, everything weas cold. Glass, water, a pretty little glass cage.

If he stopped fighting, no one could hurt him anymore…

Alessio gritted his teeth and swam lower, just in case it was possible for some sort of escape. Everything was hazy, but if there was any chance Leana or Nithel or Arsene or any of his friends were still alive, he needed to make it out. He needed to make sure they got out of this alive.

There’s a switch.

It’s a trap, but it’s his only chance. Alessio tugged at the switch until it have, praying that was the right choice.

 

@hannahrenner @kimlikesart @ragnarok

To be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.

[Catholic Creed]

BURN

[Do I have to be alone right now?]

[But I guess it’s fitting.]

 

Isn’t it funny though? When you think about it? My entire life – well, everything I remember about my life – has been spent worrying about number one.

Yeah.

This doesn’t change the fact that I am my own worst enemy. It’s me, myself, and I that beats me up. Me, myself, and I that makes the monsters. Me, myself, and I that kills my confidence.

I’m the one who lies to myself. I’m the one that gets myself in trouble. And in the end, I’m the only one to blame.

Yeah.

Yeah. That’s the dirty secret.

I spent so much time looking out for number one. And did I ever really need to?

 

[My fingers fumble over the switch – I studiously ignore the glowing magic. I shouldn’t be able to see that punk. Not at all why? Why is that my life?]

 

There’s a door that Oscar put in my bedroom. I can lock it. And I do. I keep it locked all the time. But if I ever want to, if I ever need to, I can just … open it. And then he’ll wake up. Just for me. No matter what – he said. “No matter how late or how silly no matter what, I’ll be there for you.”

But I have to be in my bedroom to use that door. I have to stay in his little safe bubble to even need him. And why would I need anyone when I’m in a safe little bubble?

I don’t want to be safe. I want to live.

And if I crash and burn before I turn thirty, so what?

 

[It’s cold. So cold in this water. I can hold my breath longer than the average person. A useful talent punk. But I’m not sure where I got it. It was probably before Grimme and Oscar.]

[Still, I’m running out of air. I kick upwards – hopefully – and pray that the rumbling I hear is the water draining from this … tank. I guess.]

 

You know. I don’t know what I stand for?

Yeah. That’s a bitter thing to admit. I spent so long looking out after number one that I never cared to think about anything else.

What do I stand for? What is important enough for me to not run?

Look, even the things that people say I’m “doing for others,” I still can run. Be a scout, a ranger, a Runner – find big bad Shads, run from big bad Shads. Lead them away to paths “seldom trodden.” Just run.

Can’t lead them away? Run to the nearest towns, fast as I can. Warn people that they’re coming. Don’t stay long enough to help out because you need to warn the next town. And keep going even if they probably won’t need it. Five towns. By the fifth town you can stop running. Usually. Unless they are super far away from each other. Or super close together.

Still. I. Run. Away.

What would I stand for?

 

[Where’s Search? Where’s Umberuin? We were just talking. Trying to figure out what is going on here. How to get out. Is that why this happened? We weren’t playing the game?]

[Pff. Of course. Reminds me of Willow. She’s all the scary parts of Oscar times 100.]

 

Grimme always managed to have a mission near me. She does something similar – a Warrior though. She’ll stand and fight the Shads. So I warn a town and run and she warns a town and stays. That about sums it all up, punk.

I ran from them too. They raised me for five years and then I ran. Just ‘cause I kept bumping into them didn’t change the fact that I ran.

 

[The water’s draining away. But … how do I get out of the tank? Is there something that will open up? Or … will I just be stuck here?]

 

What do I stand for? Because I feel like I’m taking a stand now. I am still. I can’t run. And as long as Search is here, I won’t. I’ve got the be a Warrior not a Runner. And I don’t know how.

All this time I only looked out for number one and now that I don’t want to, I can’t find her. Preposterous.

[Wait until you’re free before giving up hope.]

Still.

What do I stand for?

And if I look out for others, do… they become my worst enemy?

 

[The water’s gone. But I’m still stuck in this tank. Of course.]

 

.

.

.

 

SEARCH

[Where’s Burn?]

[Where am I?]

[What’s going on!? How do I escape?]

 

Why did I take the time to make friends with Burn?

I mean. It was objectively stupid. He had orders to hunt me. He was tangled in the cult that had just kidnapped me. He literally tried to leave me to die. As bait. For Colds.

I should have run as soon as it was safe to do so.

But I was never good at running.

 

[Maybe I can break the glass. I’m skittish of that switch.]

[No. that’s stupid. I was never strong. I’ll have to risk it.]

 

Knowledge. It’s power. And people can’t take it from you.

Now. They can keep you from getting it in the first place. Okay. There’s something to that. But once you have it? They can’t take it. That’s where the fun stuff begins.

Knowledge. The immortal lodestone – attracts anything and everything.

Burn showed me a lodestone once. it wasn’t very strong, but all the metal we were wearing pulled toward it. He said that’s why metals look like trees – branching out in the rock all pretty. Because they were being slowly dragged to the lodestone while they were growing. That’s why miners mark where lodestones are. In a few generations, you might fine another metal or ore vein there.

 

 

When did I first decide that Burn would be my friend?

Well. I guess we’re more committed to each other than normal friends. Well. He’s practically my brother. Whitely helped us figure that out.

But really, even at his worst, Burn makes time to call me and check in. and he listens to me. He doesn’t tell me to hurry up. He doesn’t tell me to talk about something else. I mean, I know me. So I’m not surprised when eventually he stops paying attention. But the think is, he’ll catch himself most of the time. And start listening again.

Mom doesn’t do that. Never did. I guess it’s cause she’s a Consul and running This Place is more important than one person. Which kinda makes sense. I shouldn’t be so bitter about that!

Yeah. That’s why I became friends with Burn. He listened to me.

 

[Air! Just a little bit, right at the tippy-top. But it’s air!]

 

You know he does that with everyone? Listen. And ask questions.

And he’s not afraid to not know something. He’ll be the idiot in the room and proud of it. Just let him know! Things!

And people are so amused at the idiot they don’t realize the power they’re giving him.

He isn’t smart. He’s cunning. And impulsive migraine. But cunning.

 

[Okay. Can I break the glass now?]

[Wait. What’s that?]

 

[Bang.]

[Bang.]

[Bang.]

[Bang.]

 

[Someone’s out there.]

When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.

[Catholic Creed]

@this-is-not-an-alien

 

[Nathair chooses to break the glass.]

[It trembles with each hit. But the water sloshes around you, slowing each blow, muting each hit.]

[This won’t do.]

[You urgently need air.]

[Play it smart.]

[Look for a weak point.]

[You try attacking where the glass meets the base.]

[In the process, you accidentally hit the switch.]

[A shriek fills the water and you cover your ears.]

[The glass cracks though – right at the seam. Because you are strong. Strong. Strong.]

[You put your fist through it. Pull it back bloody.]

[The screaming alarm is still going.]

[You float to the top for air.]

[You keep your hands over your ears.]

 

[Eventually, the water drains.]

[You finish breaking the glass and flee the alarm.]

[But you cut your bare feet and fall forward, coughing up water. Again, you hope it is water. But it seems a bit thick now that it doesn’t surround you.]

[You lay on your side as the alarm finally dies. You close your eyes.]

 

[The hearts on your arm pulse pulse pulse pulse. Like – ironically – a heartbeat.]

[As the pain strangely fades away, you see a quarter of a heart dim and wink out. Flickering like foxfire.]

[You decide to take a look around.]

 

[You are in a room. Around you are other tanks. Each has a person in them.]

[Several of those people are awake, water leaking from their tanks onto the floor around you, spilling into a labyrinth trench that pulses the same color of the hearts on your arm.]

[At the center is a door – bolted shut. It is round and metal. The labyrinth as four points that open to this door, equidistant from each other. These points spill the water-not-water into round keyholes. They overflow , pooling over the door.]

 

[Do you attempt to open the door?] {Yes} or {No}

[Do you see if you recognize anybody in the tanks?] {Yes} or {No}

 

.

.

.

 

[Alessio chooses to flip the switch]

[As the water slowly drains away, and you breath air, you realize that you are still stuck.]

[Not in danger of drowning. But stuck.]

[Then a piercing alarm rips through your eardrums.]

[You cover your ears, try to block the pain.]

[The alarm dies as the last of the water trickles away.]

[With only air in the tank, you can now see a little better beyond the glass.]

[There is someone out there.]

[And you are still stuck.]

 

[Do you call for help?]

{Yes} or {No}

{If yes – scream.}

{If no – be silent and still.}

 

When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.

[Author]

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