Writing passages that you're most proud of, RP VERSION
Originally Posted by Leftovers
As the title says, post segments of things you've written where everything clicked just right. Preferably not thousands of words each but if you're just that good then by all means, don't be modest.
For now, let's just go with my first Reclamation post. Everything I wanted to convey was there and nothing felt dragged out needlessly or pushed forward hastily.
Alexandra Chimeragenos
15th of December, 2004
Morning (Phase 1-1)
The silence in the Sagittarius Hall came to an abrupt end.
Words did not cast off the veil of quiet hanging over the lecture hall. Nor did the footsteps of the imposingly tall woman, who strode with a silence close to unnatural for her size. Even the act of opening the double doors was performed with a strange sense of discretion; the doors swinging open without a squeak.
It was the clink of metal chains lightly swaying in the air that broke the silence over the Sagittarius Hall.
Pale red eyes stared directly ahead, not moving in the slightest. From the way she carried herself one might assume that Lord Chimeragenos was blind. She did not turn to affix her gaze onto anything in particular. The giantess merely stared straight ahead, as if the act of looking upon the world was meaningless for her, just as a blind woman might. Yet, all in her presence undoubtedly felt that, despite her gaze being somewhere else, she was without question, seeing them. Staring directly at them.
Long white hair fell down her back, ending at her hips where the white darkened slightly. Matching her hair, Lord Chimeragenos wore only a plain white dress that fell just above her ankles. Her sleeves ended halfway down her forearms, past her elbows. On her neck, and at each wrist, latched tightly a black cloth-like material, with chains fixed onto them. Each chain ended after less than a handful of loops, as if they had been severed or shattered in an escape from confinement.
Dressed in chains and only a white dress, her appearance did not radiate “nobility” in the same way that the young noble-woman dressed in her azure dress adorned with ornate patterns did.
Yet nonetheless, the woman who could pass for a prisoner was every bit the noble.
"Ah, hello and excuse me"
At last, someone spoke, and as the man approached the suited woman, Chimeragenos began to speak in a low voice. Quiet enough not to interrupt, though she didn’t care whether she did such a thing or not, but loud enough that she would still be heard, though she didn’t care whether she was or not.
“Edelfelt, McRemitz, Velvet, Blackmore, Kanzaki…”
A voice holding nothing close to enthusiasm listed the names of those already standing in the hall, the latter two having arrived nearly simultaneously along with she herself. The voice that was as deep as the woman was tall was not addressing those named. She was merely making an observation, and thus no courtesy was due.
It was only a matter of course that the lord knew those in attendance. She kept herself well informed, and her eyes were vast, her ears keen. Even without having met them Alexandra knew a name to place to each face.
“Lord Animusphere, would you like to explain why you have called all of us here?”
Of course there was one here she had certainly met. Although her eyes still stared firmly ahead the giantess addressed her fellow lord directly, only observing etiquette to call him by his title, which was equal to hers.
Even if she did not consider him at all her equal.
I cringed a little, but it's fine. I'm still proud of them. Actually, most Jacques posts have a little bit of cringe in them. Maybe cause he's a scummy dude.
These are the Ga Rei posts I'm most proud of:
Awakening Eclipse Diver
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault
Original Aoyama, Hell
Time: ???
This is bad.
This is so bad it's laughable. So much for taking her alive.
Springing back to earth, I can only watch as the blade of Gisela moves so fast it becomes an arc of light propelling her off of Joan. She stays on the ground, the two of us each facing her as she slips into a stance. Her blue eyes close and open red, and that's when I know we are well and truly fucked. Her previous speed is like a joke in comparison to the monster fighting us now - I thought we had a chance before, but Gisela outclasses Joan so badly I can't even move to aid her before it's over. The knight slams into her sword and with a single kick that cracks like thunder sends Joan flying into a nearby pile of rubble.
Fuck.
Fuck.
I scramble backwards as Gisela overpowers Joan like she isn't even worth mentioning. Suspended in midair, her read eyes meet my own, and...
I'm going to die?
She spins in the air, every muscle tensing as she moves to swing at me from so far away.
I'm going to die.
Her blade leaves her hands and begins to spin, burning into a blood-red scythe.
Mina, Tom, Arya, I'm sorry.
It's unavoidable, I just...
I'm not going to die without something to remember me by.
It's only seconds left now, as time seems to slow. I think I can see ghostly faces on - no, in - the blade, each more hateful than the last, each of them clamoring for vengeance.
Vengeance?
That's it!
Time begins to speed up again, and as the reaper's scythe comes to claim my life I feel a buzz in my chest. Energy surges through me, and the shadows grab me and throw me so hard I swear a rib is broken. But, hell, I can hardly feel it, so it doesn't matter. In a minute, it won't matter ever again.
Arya taught me about spirits when we had free time - he taught me about how monsters are formed, a bit about the killing stones, possession giving people power at the cost of sanity, but hey, I've run out of choices.
It really is only seconds now, so...
"HEY!"
I point at Gisela.
"LISTEN UP! I WANT POWER! I WANT SO MUCH GODDAMN POWER THAT MY SOUL ROTS OUT OF MY BODY! ANY SPIRIT HERE, ANY WILLING GHOST OR DEMON, I'M UP FOR GRABS! GIVE ME THE POWER TO KILL THIS BITCH AND JACQUES DUSSAULT IS YOURS!"
I'm past the point of caring, if I ever gave thought to the future. Well, if this works or if this fails I won't exist anymore, so...
I really stop caring.
"COME ON!"
Breaking the Bane Stone after Arya's death
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault
'In The Depths of Despair There Is...'
My first thought is that I have it, I've got it, that no matter what happens that thing won't be moving again.
My second thought is the doubt that maybe, just maybe, as I skid across the ground to land with Bane stone in hand, is that it was too easy.
A surge of saliva builds in my mouth, like I'm going to vomit, but it tastes like bile and burns my tongue. The second before it happens, I realize what it means.
"Ah, ah, ah ah ahhhh..."
A girl is smirking, dark hair pushed out of her eyes. Something sinister hides behind her fire; no, it isn't fire at all-
The man swings his sword of dawn, burning away the night around him. For a second, there is hope-
A demon descends - his fists are heavy but he brings them up again and again until his father rests in peace-
There was a girl, taken, and there is no amount of force that will stop his flood from seeking her out again-
She takes a shot, and another, and another, looking for her chance to plunge the mistletoe straight into its heart-
Each of them fail; and you are-
Drowning-
Crushed-
Burning-
Consumed-
You are always at a loss; this is, in fact, your loss. Every time, in every world, no matter how far you make it this is the end.
The finality.
Your last train.
There is nothing here for you, Jacques Dussault.
There is nothing for you anywhere.
Give up.
Submit, and forget your sorrow and fear.
Don't do it.
Just as they deserve their perpetual loss, so do you deserve your rest-
Fate does not change.
You think you can give up?
Your nature, Dussault, does not change.
And what's gonna stop him from trying again!?
You have never won this fight, in hundreds of thousands of worlds
Jacques, you can-
Dussault, you cannot-
The body is still screaming, the stone is still burning, but-
Two men are walking together. They are friends, of a sort, both former stowaways, both given newfound powers.
You must take things more seriously, Jacques. These sorts of things aren't laughing matters.
I don't know about you...
A white-haired man gives a fleeting grin.
You can carry my hope into the new world
"One more time, I will move an obstacle from your path."
...But I always thought it was cool if someone could still smile, even when things are at their worst.
"Ah... ah..."
His hand tightens, their hands tighten.
A small split etches its way across the stone.
"Grahhhhhhhh!!!"
His teeth bared in a grin, blood steaming from bleeding gums-
Jacques Dussault puts his might behind it.
Convincing people not to run to their deaths
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault Warehouse
"Hey, hey, enough already."
Even if this is kind of what I expected, it's a little disheartening. Watching people trample over each other in fear and self-preservation isn't any prettier then it sounds on paper.
Good thing I didn't come along for the party favors and bright confetti.
"Enough."
The ground cracks under my feet as shadows burst from every corner of the warehouse, winding around waists, feet, hands, pulling people apart and locking them into place. Every single one.
Damn.
I guess I've been getting stronger after all, huh? It feels good.
"Listen up," and shadows wind around their mouths for a second, insubstantial enough to breath through but heavy enough to muffle sound.
"I gotta be honest, I'm no cop or anything. I'm not even really a hero, sorry. But I don't want to stay in this stupid fucking warehouse until something too big for its britches puts its foot through this place. I don't want to force anybody, so if you don't want to come, you don't have to. Just promise me you won't trample over your neighbors in the meantime."
The shadows recede, and I place them down gently, making sure everyone has at least a bit of space. Everyone who was fighting, at least. Gonna need you to be ready to summon him then, as long as you're not too badly hurt.
"I don't honestly care too much if you stay here or not. I wish I was a better person, but I'm not. Sorry."
I look around the room. Have I seen some of them? Probably some. Some probably not. It doesn't really matter.
"Lot of people here have lost at least one person today, or through this week. My best friend shot himself a few hours ago, for instance," Maybe my voice is a little hollow, maybe it isn't, but it doesn't matter. "I knew him for eight years, and now he's gone. And that's just how it is right now. Nothing new for anyone this past week. But here's the thing... I figure getting over to the airship, or at least finishing getting you guys there, is better than sitting around waiting for people to play Russian roulette. And if you wanna sit here, and do that, then fine. I won't stop you, and I'm not in the mood. If you don't wanna do that... then will you please, at least, consider coming along with me?"
And that's how it is.
Coming back from the darkness
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault Magatsu Aoyama
As soon as he opens his eyes, the world disappears.
Typical.
He floats.
Jacques Dussault has still not truly come back to himself, not yet. He sees himself in the center of the darkness, but not part of it. Not anymore.
Still, he participates only as an observer.
There isn't a 'proper' Jacques yet, just pieces reforming himself - but they are pieces of himself, and not the darkness.
That's how he can tell he isn't dead, even though he can't experience anything outside of himself.
He can't tell anything beyond the darkness, so he isn't the darkness anymore, but the fact that he is, at least, aware of that means he still has his consciousness. And he can do something with that.
And then...
Something begins to burn, at the edges of his mind.
Something casts a faint glow in the darkness, casting a small circle of light.
Huh.
He moves towards it, this sensation inside of his mind, but he can't explain how. He's not moving physically; it feels almost spiritual, like he's out of his own body, and yet he isn't.
He arrives before he knows it, and looks down.
It's not a fire, but the idea of one.
That's not so weird, he thinks to himself, and crouches down. The light doesn't hurt his eyes, or whatever is standing in for them, and so he finds himself able to see what lies at its heart.
It's a crystal, he says.
Yes.
It looks like a Bane stone, but purified.
It shines out with light, dazzling, but not sharp.
The longer he looks at it, the more he begins to feel. Memories are patched into the gaps of his mind, the pieces of himself scattered into the darkness gently moved into place.
And Jacques Dussault-
And I-
I reach out to it.
And I wake up.
---
I feel good.
I feel better than good.
I barely even have to think about getting up, and all of a sudden I'm staggering to my feet. My mind still feels a little foggy, and maybe that's why I accept the giant of light standing behind me at face value.
Gotta shuffle it away and deal with it later, not while that monster is still standing.
"Wow."
I look back at the audience, and on every face I see the same determination I saw in Arya's face.
"I'm proud of you guys. Looks you really did a number on it."
I crack my neck, back on forth. For some reason, the beast doesn't looks nearly as threatening anymore. Maybe because it realizes how outnumbered it is, maybe because it's about to get fucked up.
Maybe because I'm just not scared of it anymore.
"Let's do it together."
The giant of light swings its sword - somehow I know it comes from the mind of every person behind me - and where am I?
Hey, I'm Jacques Dussault-
Holding onto its fist after a hasty teleport.
-and this is Jackass.
The monster begins to dodge, and I'm so close that I can see the burning in its eyes, and I hold on for dear life as the giant's sword moves at ungodly speed, and I'm only gonna get once chance.
I teleport again, behind the monster.
Before I can fall, I'm going to have to move again, and I do, thrusting a hand out to tag its surface. Just the tip of my finger touches it, but that's enough to-
Got it!
-And I teleport it right into the path of the sword.
Breaking open a route to the Soul Sea to save everyone he's with
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault ???
He sinks through the ocean. It can never be described as a fall, more like a graceful descent into the darkness.
The monster sinks with him.
The people of the world above have spent so much, tried so hard, to submerge it within this world. As one of them pushes off and swims upwards, back into the other place, he can't help but feel a little proud.
The monster roars, and, just like everything else here, it sounds flat and muted, lost in the world that surrounds them.
He drifts down further, actively seeking out the depths. This time, however, he sees something more, something beyond the darkness that once swallowed him whole. The dim light awaits, and as he tumbles for eternity he understands what must be done.
The monster roars again, and again, gathering its power.
He reaches down.
The person who is, and is not, Jacques Dussault lands at the bottom, and underneath him is a river of golden light. It seems distant, separated by something that he cannot see, but he understands that even so -
All he has to do is reach out.
A hand descends, and the resistance fades almost immediately as he reaches into the light. For the first time, he - the bitter, the weary, the displaced - feels welcomed. Something reaches back, and Jacques Dussault;
He takes hold of it.
Power floods the shadow world, dim light echoing up from the depths, dying it in shades of dusk. The monster looks down, roars - but it is too late, as light issues forth, dusk fading into dawn into a bright, golden light that banishes shadows and hate and surges forth, overwhelming everything in its path.
Jacques rides it all, laughter coming freely.
After all, somehow...
With this, even though they may lose, even though they may fall, hope never feels too far away.
The world burns gold.
Facing the Great Devourer for the first time (can't be in quotes because it has quotes in it)
---
Jacques Dussault
Alone
Space - Overlooking Earth
Final Battle
I breath in.
Hmm.
And breath out.
Hoh.
Everyone is gone. It's just me, and her - it - standing across the void of space. Stars slowly pass overhead, and with the Earth behind me, it almost feels peaceful.
"Not a bad date spot, huh?"
The Shackles of Fate tighten...
Jacques Dussault: 32 -> 31
Ghrk.
My hand goes to my throat instinctively, grabbing at the noose that's tightened around it - but there's nothing there. My fingers scrabble at empty air, and a moment later, the feeling relaxes a little.
I breath out.
Hoh.
I need to keep my composure, or I'll lose it. We're not that close to each other, but I can feel the ice cold aura of death, of finality, that surrounds the Great Devourer.
If I hadn't been briefed on this beforehand, maybe I'd be freaking out a lot worse right now.
I probably would be, come to think of it, if I was the same Jacques Dussault that I was at the start of this.
"Even so, I'm afraid I cannot agree to any marriage proposals," shifting her hands to her sides, the woman's smile remains gentle, "I am not human, so pursuing me is somewhat unwise, I'm afraid, but I can certainly be your ally." letting you down gently, the woman turns her attention to the rest of your story, as if wanting to make it clear she had listened to every part of your last statement, "Nevertheless, what led you to this place was pure curiosity then?"
Originally Posted by ???
"Hahahaha, yeah, Duh-racula! Hahahahaha!"
Mina Harker had a very distinct laugh, clear and happy, but with the sense that she was somehow unable to control it, the woman always got very into her laughing fits, not only in sound, but in body as well, doing the classical "slapping her leg with her hand," movement as her body rocked back and forth. Of course, while most people here thought it was endearing, the woman herself considered it to be a very embarrassing thing...
I'm not the same.
Originally Posted by ???
Caught off guard, the young man is dragged off by a blonde haired woman on a motorcycle without any real show of a struggle, her aura was like that of Liane, but not entirely the same... A sibling perhaps...
"Hi. Name's Joan. Provoking it wasn't the best move. Can't kill it, trust me we tried. We gotta go."
Originally Posted by ???
"Hey, it's been awhile, huh?"
Remarkably casual, just like always, the figure of your mother, sitting outside at a table, cigarette clenched lightly between two fingers, is one that draws your attention in a way that nothing else tonight really has...
Originally Posted by ???
"Maiya's on patrol," listing it off as if it was just a fact, the young man coughs for a second, "She's had a rough few days... But she'll get through it, always does," recovering from his brief lapse, the sound of a watch (or at least what seemed to be a wrist-watch) sliding across the table diverts your attention from his posture, "Go ahead and put that on. Made it myself. Not really what it looks like."
Originally Posted by ???
"...Human?"
You find what looks like a young woman staring straight into your eyes.
So close that she was violating most rules of personal space...
"Struggle brilliantly, and then, at the end, accept the reality of your death."
And, most importantly...
Originally Posted by Arya Mishra
"Honestly..."
Closing his eyes, the young man that has been hesitating up till now simply seems to laugh it all off as your words are replaced by the distant sound of pained screams and energetic war cries.
"But, you're still hopeless it seems; idealistic in your own special way."
Eyes open again, and for an instant, another single moment.
They've gone back to how they used to be, but-
"But here, for old time's sake..."
So saying, the young man smiles a small rare smile; a sincere one that shines through even as he feels the cloud of humanity's hatred resettling over his thoughts.
"One more time, I will move an obstacle from your path."
Blood sprays.
"Quite bold isn't it? An ambush is inconvenient, but don't panic. The ship's systems are still online, stealing the factors should remain possible."
Originally Posted by ???
I don't know about you...
"Ah... ah..."
His hand tightens, their hands tighten.
A small split etches its way across the stone.
...But I always thought it was cool if someone could still smile, even when things are at their worst.
"Grahhhhhhhh!!!"
His teeth bared in a grin, blood steaming from bleeding gums-
Jacques Dussault puts his might behind it.
"...I'm not alone."
My eyes open.
"We're not playing your game any more. From here on out, we're going to decide our own fate, for ourselves. You hear me, you chuckle-headed fuck?"
I point across the space at my enemy, our enemy, and somehow I know, in my heart, that I'm not the only one doing it.
"I'm not going to take you down."
Shadows begin to wind out of my clothes, covering my body in a defensive layer of darkness. It won't make much of a difference, maybe, but we do what we can with what we have, right? And... I'm not going to let my friends down.
Kenji, I'm gonna need your help.
"We are."
---
Jacques's speech to the souls of 46 billion years worth of souls that the Devourer has defeated (the one I monologued into a recorder IRL and then transcribed, with some embarrassment after the fact)
Originally Posted by Mooncake
Jacques Dussault
Shadow Vortex (?)
Final Battle
We won't be able to help you. So you should just leave us. There's no point to it.
"Yes. Perhaps you'll be useless, but you are coming along anyway. And asking why? Shouldn't it be obvious?"
"Why... yeah, Hel is right. Why shouldn't I take you with us? Do you think that you don't deserve to be saved? Is that it? Are you guys scared, and in despair, and just so forlorn and without hope that you don't think you deserve to be saved? Follow me. We're getting out of here. Just because you guys failed doesn't mean you can't try again. Just because you did not succeed doesn't mean that you're no longer allowed to fight, and that doesn't mean, even if you don't fight, that you're not allowed to come with us."
I flick open my lighter, sparking the end of my cigarette, and as I breath in I feel the eyes of every person here watching me.
No pressure.
I breathe out.
"You guys aren't useless. You've just given up. And that's the thing, it's like voting. Sure, one, or two of us, maybe we don't make that much of a difference. But three, or four, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a million, or however many of us there are right now, right here - we do make a difference."
A drag.
"But we're just convinced that we're powerless. Unable to change anything. And so we just wind up here, stuck, in a fucking cycle, in perpetuity, of uselessness. That's just... not right."
I breath in the smoke again, feeling it on my lungs that never change, never give up healing no matter how much I damage them. Maybe I'll quit, after this.
"So... 'Devourer'. Appropriately named. It devoured your homes, your livelihood, your friends, your willpower, and left you all down here. But that's the thing - 'cause the Devourer isn't alone, per se, cause it's fighting for itself, with itself, by itself. We're not alone either, and that's the problem that all of you made, when you were fighting. More importantly, that's the problem - the mistake - that you've all made right now, right here, because you're not alone. There's me,"
I gesture to the Queen of the Dead, standing by my side.
"There's Hel, but, more importantly, there's everyone here. Look around."
I snort.
"I know what you think's gonna happen, but... useless? Against this? Are you kidding me?"
I laugh, and the sound echoes in the dark - but it's not unpleasant to hear.
"Ain't nothing wrong with this. Put so many people here... it's not just a sea of corpses, it's a sea of souls. Yeah... I like the ring of that."
I point to the shadows that are moving around as we speak.
"Here's the thing... we're gonna build this fucking ship, and we're gonna march out of the dark, and we're gonna ram it right up that thing's ass. And... I know you all wanna give up. I know you all think you're useless. But you're not. You're not alone."
My eyes pan over them as my cigarette burns.
"Because we are human, we are free to choose our own destiny, and I will notallow some goddamn, wannabe dictator to trample over our future, our world, and the memories we've built together. If you think that sounds like a joke... then you're the real joke, because what the hell were you fighting for in the first place?"
I toss my cigarette to the side, on a roll now, the words pouring out of me from somewhere deep within my heart.
"Do you think this is a game? Don't make me laugh. No... no, it's no joke. It's no joke at all. Because we are not fighting just for our friends, for ourselves, for our bonds and memories, for our precious companions. We are fighting for this world, we're fighting for each other's worlds, and we are fighting for the future of every other world the Devourer is going to do this to... and that's that. We're going to march out, and get on this gigantic fucking ship, and we're gonna nail her - gonna nail it - with everything we've got. So let's go. Let's hoist the flag of revolution, and wave the colors high."
Let's do this.
- - - Updated - - -
And that's that.
Last edited by Mooncake; December 16th, 2018 at 08:53 PM.
[12:37] <I3uster> if playing overwatch would save my mother from the deathbed [12:37] <I3uster> id probably flip a coin [12:38] <I3uster> to see if i play or not
[18:23] <frantic> spinach is like a caffeine zombie [18:23] <frantic> in AX he would like [18:23] <frantic> drink 8 shots of espresso [18:23] <frantic> then he'd turn to me an hour later [18:23] <frantic> 'frantic', he'd say, his eyes wild and his lips smug [18:23] <frantic> 'i need coffee'
It doesn't work, as something that contains a lie (Like Spin saying "I'm straight") within a quote cancels out, and fiction is a big lie.
I will spoiler everything though, since it's a lot bigger than I thought it was >.>
[12:37] <I3uster> if playing overwatch would save my mother from the deathbed [12:37] <I3uster> id probably flip a coin [12:38] <I3uster> to see if i play or not
[18:23] <frantic> spinach is like a caffeine zombie [18:23] <frantic> in AX he would like [18:23] <frantic> drink 8 shots of espresso [18:23] <frantic> then he'd turn to me an hour later [18:23] <frantic> 'frantic', he'd say, his eyes wild and his lips smug [18:23] <frantic> 'i need coffee'
It kind of still has a bit of a shitty horror LN translation charm to it but god it reads cringey now. Still, I liked that one a lot. I was a bit on a timer for that because the way Sei threw her pitch it was pretty clear fucked up killer was gonna be what a lot of people were doing, so if this was still gonna look in any way Cool And Fresh it had to happen at the earliest possible moment.
[12:37] <I3uster> if playing overwatch would save my mother from the deathbed [12:37] <I3uster> id probably flip a coin [12:38] <I3uster> to see if i play or not
[18:23] <frantic> spinach is like a caffeine zombie [18:23] <frantic> in AX he would like [18:23] <frantic> drink 8 shots of espresso [18:23] <frantic> then he'd turn to me an hour later [18:23] <frantic> 'frantic', he'd say, his eyes wild and his lips smug [18:23] <frantic> 'i need coffee'
Super long and Super Chuuni/Cheesy, but my Fort PC finally taking the last step towards being actually fort!jesus. In a way it was similar to the last friendship moments of the persona games, where you punch the last boss with your UNBREAKABLE BONDS.
And hell I like cheesy shonen ideals, edge is for the others, let me save everyone
Heroism ftw
Nakamura Akio
Truly... He had lived up to his namesake.
Thinking he could save even a single person, let alone a group of them, was the first of the many mistakes that had ultimately led to the beginning of a nightmare.
The second... Was thinking...
That even for an instant...
"Raku?"
His family would let him leave them behind to be protected.
A hand reaching out for his amidst black flames, the reality of death closing in from all sides, the question that emerges from his lips in spite of the choking black flames, is one that carries with it the sudden fatal understanding, and with it, the terror of realizing that the borrowed flames, the borrowed ideals, had failed, and that without a doubt, a single, solitary doubt...
She intended to stay by his side right until the end, even if that meant she would become little more than ash.
The understanding, the instinctive revelation, puts a desperation in his footsteps as he rushes further into the darkness, forcing legs to move as fast as the fire will allow, muscle incapable of obeying the orders he held for it. She is trying to protect him, burning away her own life twice as fast for the sake of preserving his own by even a few extra seconds, the young man realizes that he must end all of this now.
This nightmare.
This horrible, escalating nightmare.
Two more people appear in the shadows, a teacher and his soul partner, clear the way forward as best they can, whirling shadows, an ever increasing pain, flashes of a distant memory, of a time before all of this, when the most he had been worried about was a false city of blue, and a magical tournament, flash across the surface of his thoughts, but...
He has nothing to say, can think of nothing to say, to the two whose actions he cannot understand, so he continues to walk, to jog, to close the distance as much as he can, even as his labored breathing invites the black fire inside of his form, as the two inevitably collapse, bodies succumbing to the flame even as...
The pain stops...
And...
"Go!"
"Rei?"
The nightmare gets worse.
"I guess no matter how much time passes, we'll just keep butting into each other's fights..."
"Rei! Fight it! Don't you... Don't you dare die on me-! FIGHT IT DAMN YOU!"
Even as his composure begins to crack, his best friend is still smiling at him through the flame. Body half consumed, but eyes still locked on him, that spark of old rivalry telling him to move on ahead without looking back, the young man that is too far away for him to help, that he is reaching towards but will never be able to reach, just collapses back with that same smile, his figure consumed by the merciless flames.
"Rei...?"
Disbelief follows his descent into the darkness.
---
Years later, they had both agreed that it was simply Rei's fault for being stubborn.
Being the new kid on the block, and a foreigner who was still struggling to learn the native language wasn't easy, especially when the bullies wouldn't let you live in peace. They had always found him after school, pushing him around, slamming him into walls, being cruel for the sake of being cruel, a bunch of kids picking on someone weaker than them.
Unable to stand it, he had stepped in that day.
He was tough, even as a kid, determined and reckless, it hadn't been very hard to save his fellow classmate from the others...
Even if it had turned out to be half Rei's fault in the first place...
It hadn't been hard.
Not that first day.
Or even the second.
The third, the fourth, the fifth...
Becoming something akin to routine, the boy continued to save his blonde haired classmate, but it didn't make the young man any happier.
"Stop it," he had said, "It's annoying," he had said, "why are you like this?" he had said.
And one day, rather than rescuing him, he found himself on the end of that other boy's fist.
Ah... It had been frustrating then...
A sort of irony, the youth that had been protecting him for so long being the one in the fight with him now.
Countless punches.
Countless kicks.
Two kids laughing on the ground after it was all over... Because it was such a stupid thing to fight about.
Yeah...
That's right...
It was like that... Wasn't it...?
The story of how he had met his best friend, one of the toughest people he had ever known... Even if he had never been able to say it to him out-loud.
---
His brother was gone.
Desperately reaching out for him in the darkness, the youth that was shaking in disbelief, that would have been crying if the endless flames had allowed an undevoured sorrow, grips Raku's hand ever the harder as he acknowledges that determination, that impossible resolve, and keeps running forward, forward even as the girl collapses and he has to carry her, determined to not let it all go to waste, to stop it, to stop it before...
Before...
His legs give out at around the same time that his eyes disappear.
Dropping to a knee, keeping his treasured one higher up, on his shoulders, as far from the black flame as he can manage, the impossibility of the task tries to break it's way into his mind again as it succumbs to pain.
Everything hurts.
The sensation of being devoured alive is different from any other possible pain. Feeling it leave you, your body, your blood, your thoughts, devoured by flame, by your own inability to handle the pain...
It's... Far more than he had expected, far more than his body can handle.
It's slipping.
Slowly, the attempt to stand back up just leads to him slipping further down, they're falling, falling together into the flame, into a merciless, horrific end, but-
"You are a dummy, you know? Leaving me behind just like that."
-Choking, choking on fire-
"But that's part of what I like about you. Fearless, charging forward... Your heart is one that beats not just for you but for those that surround you. Just like a knight from a fairy tale... Don't you think? I know I still have to grasp plenty of things about Magic in general, but if you ask me... I think finding someone like you has been the most magical thing of it all."
-He nevertheless finds his footing again.
The limbs that are little more than bone find the strength to stand.
Step by step... Bit by bit...
Because...
Because he has to... Because if he does not...
"That's why I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. The days I've spent alongside you have been the happiest memory I have. The most valuable treasure! It hurts to say goodbye, but I can't say I have any regrets. I'm just so glad I got to meet you."
This voice... This person...
"Wait-!"
Aomori Mana.
Someone he cares about... Another person he cares about...
Will...
"Mana... Don't..."
A hand reaches out into the darkness.
"See ya. Let's meet again sometime. In another lifetime, same place, same time."
But it seems like it couldn't reach anyone.
Disappear...
---
"So... Let's do this. My name is Aomori Mana, and you must be the guy who sent me this letter, yes?"
"You got a letter too? I found a letter just like this in my locker today, asking me to meet someone here..."
"My name is Nakamura Akio."
"Do you have any preferences when it comes to girls, Akio-san?"
"I mean, I've never been in a relationship before, so I am not sure what is expected of me..."
"What does a girlfriend do for her boyfriend? What does a boyfriend do for his girlfriend?"
"When you love someone, you want to be with them and support them, no matter what, right?"
"Sorry... That must have sounded kinda lame, right?"
...
...
...
"Akio-!"
"I can fight now."
"But I want to get stronger! So fight with me, Akio. Spar with me like you do with the others!"
"Alright!"
"Let's test that new strength then-!"
---
"Da... DAMN IT!"
The hand that closes on nothing, becomes a fist that smashes uselessly against the ground, against immaterial flames.
"I'm... I'm not..."
Choking on fire, it's become an almost impossible task to speak.
But it's not hard to understand what he's trying to say.
'I'm not that great a person.'
Brave, sure, reckless, sure, protective, sure...
But fearless...?
No...
Right here... Right now...
The thing that Nakamura Akio was most afraid of in this world... That fear that he would wind up all alone, that in the end, he would have to go on by himself, was...
"It can't end... Not like this...!"
Very...
Very...
"ROGE-!"
Clear.
There is no strength left in this body.
Even so, rage, the desperation that the enemy had spotted from the start...
Fuels one last, desperate sprint into the darkness.
But he doesn't make it.
Two steps in...
Everything goes dark.
There is no endless black fire.
There is no desperate dash into the darkness, a Fool struggling to save what he had sworn to protect.
There is only this, something that can only be called a Sea of Magic.
Different from the mental space he shared with his Magical Weapon, the sight that lies before his eyes is a manifestation of his soul, a clear place full of light, connected to countless other lights, a sea that has yet to be tainted by the corrosive black flames that exist outside the container that was the human form. It is a place that is both familiar and unfamiliar, while he recognizes it as someplace he has been before, he cannot recall when or where it was, only that this place is his, and that he has been here a "single time before this."
Ah, but...
His being here is not a solace.
While this sea is certainly warm, his sinking body, this fading consciousness, the black flames flickering at the edges of the light, all speak of the same, undeniable reality.
He had lost.
Without even being able to reach his opponent... He had collapsed within the sea of black flames.
Betting everything he had left, the others betting everything they had left...
This was the result... Reality overcoming everything...
Falling down into that endless sea known as despair, the warmth of his own soul is surprisingly comforting; it is a warmth he doesn't remember from his first death, something remarkably different from that cold, dark, distant place...
The flames that have appeared at the surface, that will soon begin to make their way down here, to consume him and his remaining light, are troublesome, but...
It's... Tiring...
Body hitting the ground, the bottom of this deep, deep sea, the only thing he can think about is how heavy his eyes are, how exhausting keeping this light going was...
It would be... Easier... To sleep in the dark.
To just go where everyone else was going... Into that soft, dark place.
Rendered powerless by that despair, by the realization that desperation had led him nowhere, the fight to stay true to his convictions, to keep his eyes open and try to stand, try to swim back up, up to the flickering light, is a losing one.
If he closes his eyes now, it will probably be painless.
It only ever hurt because he had struggled against it so hard.
But...
Even as his vision starts to fade...
"Master."
Someone grips his collar, yanking him to his feet.
"You requested this from me last time this happened, so I will follow that order now."
So saying, she sets him on his feet.
"Please excuse me."
And slaps him across the face.
It's a solid hit.
A single strike from the partner of his soul, so powerful as to knock him back onto the ground.
"What are you doing?"
Her voice is incredulous.
Resonating in the space all around, the sheer power in it is something that causes even the black flames to quake.
"Get up. You are not someone that is allowed to fall here."
Throwing a sword his way, a crimson blade of promise, the stunned youth can only stare in confusion, before grabbing ahold of it's hilt.
It is his Aunt's sword.
No...
More specifically, it is his memory of his Aunt's sword. Why it is here now is beyond him, but, trusting his weapon implicitly, he holds it before his eyes, and-
"You'll understand when you hear it... Just listen..."
Invisible strings flow out from the sea of his soul, following paths and connections that had been here from the moment he had first taken his dive, the formerly silent sea, lit only by the sound of distant flames, becomes filled with dozens of voices, not just that of his family, but everyone he had ever met, Fukami, Sawai, Johnie, Sensei, Echidna, Katsurimi, Yamada... his classmates...
People he still wanted to know better...
"If you're a magus than you already know... Use that magic of yours to make everyone smile again!"
Others who he still wasn't so sure about...
"Wow, since when did you become this much of a loser? Aren't you supposed to be that girl's knight? Everyone around you had an annoying belief in you... So stand the hell up and quit taking it like a bitch from this guy, a hero has to stay standing no matter what."
People he had just been reunited with, after an impossible time apart.
"...Just a bit more Akio. Isn't it a bit too soon to give up?"
Even someone he would have rather never seen again...
"It is not yet your time to sleep... I know it is exhausting, but... Is now really the time to close your eyes?"
"Ha..."
Everyone...
They had... Been here all along...?
No...
Of course they had been...
A 'contract' of the heart...
That was what friendship was, that was what rivalry was, that was...
What a 'bond' was, being connected with each other even if you were far apart. Meeting someone, and changing because of them, carrying that change around, that was the same as carrying that person around with you...
Memories... Bonds...
To be together even if you were alone, this...
"That's not all... Look... Look harder."
It extends further.
"..."
There's the face of someone he has never seen, but someone who had...?
"Everyone... I leave the rest to you..."
Left this world entrusting her wish, the shards of her hope to him... To others...
This world...
To protect this flawed, but beautiful world...
The strings stretch out, no, his heart reaches out further, out of the sea and into the root of the universe through Mugen, where a light other than his own shone brilliantly in spite of the terrible darkness.
There were so many people here, each connected to him, each refusing to give into the restless dark.
"Haha...Hahahaha..."
Why was this... So surprising...?
When he had fought Mihou... Hadn't he realized this exact thing...?
While the dark was vast, it wasn't the only thing that was there, in spite of it's eternal hunger it had never managed to become the only thing in existence.
That's right...
Looking out of the world and into the universe...
What Nakamura Akio sees is not an endless dark, but...
A canopy of stars.
And it's only when he sees it...
When he sees it, and understands just how many pinpricks of light there are in the dark...
That he understands that he himself has been one of those lights this whole time. It was a light people had gathered around, people continued to gather around, had been willing to sacrifice themselves for, because...
They had seen something that he hadn't...
Had believed in something that he couldn't...
And he had... Almost let it go out...?
Slowly...
Ever so slowly...
The laughing young man climbs to his feet, even as the darkness comes down from above.
How dumb... Why couldn't he see it...?
Those other lights... Shining out there in the dark...
So many wishes, the lights that shone not to oppose the dark, but simply to prove that they were still here, that they would continue to shine in spite of everything.
...He cannot reach into the dark and find the light that lies inside of it.
He's sure it exists... But that path was not for him...
He was a light himself, a beacon, something that shone so that others would know it was there.
That it was okay... To leave the dark... Because...
There was certainly...
Many lights already waiting for them out here.
Those who had emerged from the dark, believing in a future beyond the infinite darkness.
They couldn't see each other.
They had no reason to believe that anyone other than themselves existed in the night sky, yet they continued to shine, shine because they wanted someone to know that they still existed, that even in the "endless darkness" there was "someone here."
Reaching out to them, he verifies that belief, that wish, and they reach back in return, seeing someone else, being able and willing to reach out to someone else...
The moment he had made himself known, they had been willing to help.
"Hey, come on now."
"Just a bit further son, we're not going down without a fight."
Reaching out to his flickering light, offering their own to stabilize it.
"I'm not sure what's going on... But... Please hang in there mister! If you need magic, then I can let you have my birthday wish-! Oh... But God would have to know about it, right? Hmm... You can tell him Amaya gave you her wish for free! So please, don't give up!"
"...Alright, alright... One Birthday Wish should be enough... Thanks, kid."
Reaching him and seeing still others out there...
Reaching out further and finding those beyond his sight... Everyone was linked to someone...
Even reaching out to one person made it possible for them to reach out to someone else, and for them to reach out to someone else, a chain of tiny sparks that could go on forever.
Even if each light was only a single spark, a single person, the light of a single person was strong, the light of a single person could serve as a spark...
The light of a single person, the dreams of a single person, the belief of a single person...
Could even relight the stars.
Bursting into existence around him, here, at the heart of his soul, the cards that had been ever stagnant undergo a sudden change. It is nothing so abrupt as the change from a card to a human, no, it is far more subtle than that, ultimately, it is a change that few would notice, that perhaps no one ever would, but...
The images of those cards, the tarot of the Arcana...
Had been replaced with the images of his family and friends.
Around them, the sea burns brighter.
There is no way for the light of a single soul to repel the darkness.
By himself, he would have succumbed to it many times over. He was not someone that synchronized well with the dark, falling into it, being consumed by it, those were very real dangers for a person like him...
But he wasn't alone.
He had never been alone, and he would continue to not be alone in the future.
Everyone was here, linked at the heart, by their Sea of Souls, by the "belief" that they would never be apart, that they were there even if they couldn't be seen, even if the darkness tried to convince them there was no one else around, even if Death itself tried to tear them away from each other.
It wasn't possible, not for Death, not even for God.
If they wanted to cover everything in darkness, swallow it all up in shadows.
Then humanity would go to that end together, kicking and screaming, making complete fools of themselves, tearing at the Gods as much as they could, dragging them along with them as far as they could manage.
Regretting nothing along the way.
Resisting because they believed they must, because they could definitely win, because there was no such thing as an "impossible" opponent.
That was just...
"Now then... Snapped out of it?"
"Yeah, sorry partner. Bad habit."
How humans...
Lived their lives.
---
The youth and his lover had fallen into shadows long ago, and his weapon had followed after him moments later, as if she meant to rescue him, a puppet following it's master to the grave. They had not emerged after falling down, the descent had been followed by silence, the crackling of flames, and thus, the only result could be that they were consumed, but...
Yes.
Those black flames that would eat everything, even the future...
To withstand them even that far, to get even that close to his enemy...
That was enough.
That was more than many would have managed.
Getting any closer, existing for any longer...
Those would have been the impossibilities, and yet... And yet...
A brilliant blue light erupting from the darkness declares their defiance of the curse of Death.
And standing amidst nothing, the black flames shaking, withdrawing, from the youth that had reemerged from hell, still carrying Raku, a healed Raku on his back.
While his body should lack energy of any sort, the one that emerges from the dark is practically shaking with a silver light...
The light of the distant stars...
The light of endlessly scattered hopes, drawn together from around existence, beyond life and death, a power that came from one person reaching their hands out... Taking the hands of others into their own...
And running forward into the future together.
An endlessly building power, one that was growing stronger even now.
The "bonds" that connected the universe together.
The sword that had first showed him the path... Is not in his hand...
But that crimson sword, the sword of humanity...
Was certainly... Still intact in his heart.
Far from where the flames could ever hope to reach it.
...The black fire is not amused at the resistance. Sweeping back in from all sides, attempting to pierce through the starlight, the youth, his weapon, and his neighbor are once more swarmed by flames.
...But his expression does not change.
Standing right there... Is the enemy.
The cause of all of this... The one thing left that threatened the happiness of the world.
And pulling back his fist, the youth that stands over the weapon sitting at his back, beneath the girl on his shoulders...
...Draws back his fist.
There was no need to get any closer.
Carrying this many wishes, distance was irrelevant, and basing it on Raku's technique... He could 'fight' the enemy from here.
There was no need to feel afraid...
In fact, here, with everyone's voices singing in his heart, the youth feels far safer than he has in a long time.
It might not be enough.
It still might not be enough, but...
If there was a person that could make the impossible possible...!
"Alright Roge, you've gone far enough-!"
Screaming his feelings at his opponent, there is no desperation in his voice...
Just a clear, firm resolve.
One that knew that... No matter how this ended...
Everyone had...
Stayed true to themselves-!
"We'll fight you until the very end! You can keep your damn ultimate despair for yourself! The world is going to run strongly into the future, not the void you're trying so hard to lead it into!"
"Arcana Zero - Second Access: STARLIT DREAMS!"
---
Wise Up
-Starlit Dreams-
The brilliant "light," that Nakamura Akio found over the course of his life, and a manifestation of his "Answer." While it is called out as an arcana ability due to the first step in it's realization only being possible through manifesting Rosettia Everheart's "Chain of Hearts" through "Arcana Zero: Phantom Memories," the attack itself is a united ability, only possible through the magic of many different people, not just Nakamura Akio himself. Realizing that his friends and family are his "light," as well as the fact that he serves as a "light," for others, he utilized this nature as a beacon to reach out through Mugen to connect himself with not just his family and friends, but everyone willing to defy the fated end; and through connecting himself to them, reaching out through them to countless others as well, the cycle of joined hands continuing on without fail.
An idea that perpetuates endlessly, the desire to live to see tomorrow, the belief that is is possible to do so, becomes a single spark that turns a lone star into a canopy of stars. Even if it is overpowered once, by it's very nature, each repeated use would become stronger than the last, simply because the "spark," that connects everyone's "belief" has had more time to spread.
The Fool's journey is the realization of a miracle, and with everyone's help...
Nothing in this world is impossible.
Exodus (Complete)
Even if the author is silenced, the performance is stilled and the actors leave the stage, the story will never truly end.
Regardless of the form it takes, as long as there are memories of it's existence, the story will continue on.
In a small ward in the heart of a once devastated town, life carries on as it always has...
Because of you.
Please, remember it warmly.
We'll continue to walk down this path for eternity.
Two of the posts I think worked exactly how I wanted them to were introductory ones, one modeled after the other. Writing in a vacuum is gr8
MWR
When it finally came, detaching itself from the darkness to step onto the dusty hardwood flooring of the room, she was already waiting for it. In fact, she was leisurely working her way through her second drink.
"Ah, you're here just in time. Please, grab a seat and make yourself comfortable." At the sound of her voice, a single light came alive, illuminating the room from its hanging perch directly over her chair.
To its credit, the faceless shadow did not flinch, nor show any other indication of surprise, but it did not acquiesce to her request either.
"I'm afraid this is entirely unavoidable; surely you can sense that much," she said with an airy gesture, and the ice cubes in her glass clinked against their container softly. "Besides, have you ever seen a movie where the final confrontation —the climax— is cancelled because the villain ran away?"
Without a motion of protest to its unconsented casting, the shadow slunk to a chair at the far corner of the room, where it sat, silent. Pleased with its cooperativeness, she briefly returned her attention back to the drink she was nursing. For a while, the air hang motionless, soundless, with even the dust having settled on the lacquered planks.
She was the first to speak, again. Blindly fishing a lighter and a slightly crumbled pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her trenchcoat, which was draped over the back of her seat, its tails brushing against the floor despite being folded twice, she flashed the room's other occupant the universally understood gesture of requesting tolerance to their vaporous vices. Its lack of response was gladly interpreted as permission, and she swiftly lit a Chesterfield, taking in its strong and vaguely sweet flavour with relish.
"You've been very obliging to someone as accosting as myself. That's a rare thing these days — it's something I really can appreciate." Shifting from her laid-back pose, almost sprawled on the chair as she were, she propped herself up for a better view at the shadow occupying the corner of the room, in all its formed formlessness. A thing that existed to be not known.
"As I said before, you are here just in time. To be a bit more specific, that time belongs to you. Of course, that does not refer to your lifespan, or something equally trite. It's the time you've been counting since you can remember counting it, from the moment that you first became aware that there is, somewhere, a great ticking clock keeping time for something, and that this something has to do with you."
She leaned forward from her chair, and the ashes of her cigarette crumbled from its tip, spiraling to the floor.
"Its gears creak in a low grind as they turn, and the cycling of its hands ticks away at the edge of your consciousness, ever-slowly inching towards a definite point in the future. It's as vague as the whisper of a coming storm in clear skies, but you are certain it will come; you do not know what it is, but you can feel it lurking at the end of the line. Your line." A long drag from the cigarette punctuated the foreboding statement, but the shadow did not as much as twitch. From afar, beyond this windowless room of long shadows and smoke hanging in the impossibly still air, a rumble echoed like distant thunder.
"To end this detour, and return to the original statement, the punctuality of your arrival pertains to the fact that time —your time— is up. It's all used up. And at the end of the line, in the final chapter, we must now play out our preordained roles."
The rumble came again, closer than before, and its tremors made the empty glass resting on the counter shift precariously.
"The build-up of a thousand pages is behind us, but that, too, is finished. Inconsequential. Who I am, who you are, why I am the hero and you are the villain; all these things are as distant to the 'us' in this room as the sun and the moon."
The rumble was now right outside the room, a violent storm besieging this closed world from all sides. The light over her was flickering wildly, from the faintest glimmer to a shine much brighter than it should have been able to produce. The light swam on the floor, driving the shadows back with its every pulse into the darkest point of the room, the corner, and its seat.
"The endgame has already been carried out. This is merely the victor claiming the prize. Truth."
If she could trust her eyes to not play tricks on her, she'd say that she saw the shadow tauntingly incline its 'head'.
Then, three great pulses, three flashes of light, a deep roar to herald the revelation--!
In the first flash, she saw the green-clad woman, her mocking red eyes gleaming like finely cut gems, and behind her was a golden halo that wreathed her form.
In the second flash, she saw Death, perched on her mighty castle, and behind her was a stone with inscriptions as old as the forests and the hills of her homeland.
In the third flash, she saw a distant form in the heart of a howling blizzard, silently challenging her to follow him beyond the veil, and behind him she saw looming an immense, impossibly beautiful overhanging moon.
And she......
.
.
.
.
Astrid Hildebrandt
Location: HAL Flight 29
Phase: Day 2/3
Time: 14:02
Day: January 12th
She had fallen asleep. Her legs tucked under her own seat, head resting against a wholly uncomfortable window pane, with a newspaper folded in half and resting on her lap. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she picks the newspaper up with one hand, the other blindly groping for her hat, evidently misplaced during her slumber. An awkward stretch did net her the hat, but also an unsettling creaking of her joints, and she plops the wayward habiliment on her head with a resigned tiredness only a long flight can produce.
The page she had been reading before she fell asleep was the article on the murder of the clergyman, but she had already wringed all she could out of the newspaper long before she had settled for rereading it. Still, if one were to consider this murder to have been committed in order to agitate the Church, at this point in time...
Cloudy, with a chance of murder. Now where have I put my coat...
The rumble of the plane as it gradually descends to the winter wonderland of Tengetsu feels to her like an echo from an old, half-forgotten dream.
F/R
In her sleep with no awakening, she dreams of eternity.
She grasps at sunlight from the bed of a primeval sea. She counts the days in grains of sand on a nameless shore. She watches time grind down the bones of the earth and wonders if what she sees is real, or had once been, or is yet to be. And when she realises that it is all of those and none, and that a moment captured like an insect in amber becomes eternity, and that the grains of sand she gathers will always spill through her fingers before long, it is then that she is truly afraid.
Where the things she once knew have vanished, when the names and faces of those she held dear have faded, after she has lost sight even of her own self, her heart endures. Not knowing who "she" is, she knows that these emotions are her own. The fear and the longing that accompany her in the time beyond time are the last untarnished fragments of who she once was.
She wanders into the dark unknown and finds her footsteps in the sand leading her to the place from which she began or which she never left and understands that infinity can be found in a vast expanse as much as in the palm of a hand so long as she is forced to tread it. And she will walk that endless path in every moment that was and will be, chasing after what she cannot find, and her tears will become an ocean, and she will sink to the bottom---
---and she will reach out,
-----and grasp at sunlight from the depths,
-------and wonder if those faint wisps of light will ever cross infinity to reach her.
Did they ever reach her? Did she ever reach them? She struggles to remember but her mind has eroded, grinding against the whetstone of eternity, and all she has is this black-and-white dream and a desperate wish for something she can no longer recall.
She piles up stones for what was lost, and the cairns become mountains, and what was lost does not return.
Because she longs for it, it shall never be. But in truth, even if it did, she would not recognise it.
Small prayers sink to the abyss of her despair. The hope that she holds onto is not one of salvation. An illusion that can only be seen in the far distance, a light to which the moth flitters, and no matter how far she blindly strides towards it they will never meet. Ever she seeks the answer to a question without purpose. After all, that which it signifies cannot exist in this world.
Dust will raise mountains and mountains will become dust and she will still count in the grains of sand on a nameless shore the time until this dream ends and she sees that light again.
Once, her prayers that lay scattered in the depths began to rise and float to the surface like so many ephemeral bubbles, and her body had felt weightless as air, and she had poured out all of herself and reached towards the light, and she had broken the surface and felt its warmth in her fingertips. As she held it in her hands she had recalled who she was, and what she sought, and the nature of her endless dream. But then eternity rewound itself, and the waves washed over her footsteps in the sand, and she could not remember anything at all.
The dream is true—the only thing that's true, so long as someone dreams it. And she can not awaken.
.
.
.
.
Berserker of Blue
15th of December, 2004
Afternoon (Phase 1-2)
The whirlwind of ether died down as abruptly as it had stirred. With a soft sound, bare feet touched the solid rock at the middle of the summoning circle. Hair still afloat about her as though she had just completed her descent from some distant heaven, the woman in white closed her eyes, arms stretched out to her sides even as she held a spear longer than she was tall in one hand, and took her first breath in a very long time.
She had done it. She had really done it. This vessel - and how strange it felt to occupy it! - was proof enough. Even as the Holy Grail filled her mind with information she knew that she had achieved a miracle. Her chest swelled with much more than the air she did not truly need: the sweetest taste of hope.
Thus elated, the Servant opened her eyes, and almost lost it all there and then.
"Oh heavenly father---!"
Nearly dropping her weapon in shock, Berserker gaped at her surroundings with wide blue eyes, not trusting her mouth to speak while she slowly scanned the chamber she was in. When her gaze fell on the immense gateway and the three obsidian pillars before it she couldn't contain a less-than-heroic whimper that squeaked past her lips. By the time she had turned a half circle and her scrutiny fell upon the white-clad figure standing behind her, she had not yet blinked.
But then she did. And then she looked up.
And up.
"...ah?"
Not a second after her involuntary exclamation she brought a hand over her mouth as embarrassment overrode her previous apprehension. The stern eyes of who could only be her Master stared her down without a single trace of amusement in them. Some impression she must have made!
"Ahem."
Composing herself before the woman that had summoned her, Berserker hoisted her spear to her side and with what she hoped was proper decorum recited the words of the contract that came naturally to her lips:
"Declare, O magus. Are you my Master?"
And this one was where the experiment on situational immersion worked best.
AnW
Private Galatea
The sound of the children recedes farther and farther, shouting and laughing as they go. Soon they will finish their ascent of the stone-hewn stairs and reach the bridge, where they will finally break up and spill into the town across. They will return to renew their play in the afternoon, but now they head home to a much-needed meal and rest.
It is the height of midday, and the only sound that simmers under the rolling heat waves is the soft gurgle of the river that runs its course under the bridge.
The river is small, but persistent - as it is with all of nature - running over the same course while humanity came and went around it. Flowing down the ravine sculpted by water and time that separates the town of Knighton from the rock on which Fort Jacobson now stands, it eventually reaches a small basin nestled between steep bluffs, where it settles to form a deep, tranquil pool. To accommodate the retrieval of water from the natural reservoir, a long stairway was carved from the sheer stones of the cliffs to grant access to the spot, and it is by that path that the children of the town come down to the small lake to swim and hold stone-skipping contests. But now they are gone, and only the sound of the sky reverberates and sends the faintest of ripples across the surface of the lake as one is mirrored into the other.
Sky in water, water in sky. In the uncertain border between there is only suspended warmth and silence.
And this spring idyll...
...ends as suddenly as rain from cloudless skies.
The mirror of tranquil water shatters into countless ripples, scattering the reflection of the sky in it to indistinctness as it sways to and fro to regain its balance. Droplets rise to the air, only to fall back to the disturbed surface with a pattering splash. The faint ridge of a wave marks the expanding ripple in all directions. Most places it does not reach - towards the far ends of the pool, the wave dissolves to nothing long before it touches the smooth rock of the cliffside. But one small bank it reaches before it dissipates, crashing into the silty soil with a faint whoosh, to be absorbed back into the earth.
And there, arm still extended, is where you stand.
The surface of the water has settled into calmness by the time you lower it to pick up another rock, hefting it experimentally in your palm. Your power is certainly not lacking, but that only seems to serve for huge splashes without the appropriate technique behind it. The town kids had made it look easy, but they are the ones that have been honing their skills every day, after all.
With a sigh, you let the stone fall from your palm. Soon after you too join it on the ground, lying down on your back with a hand brought to your brow, set against the sun's glare as you absently stare into the vast blue sea in the sky, spotted sporadically by faint clouds at a great height. Water lightly laps at your bare feet, and a coolness spreads from them through your body even as it soaks in the warmth of noon and the sun-baked ground.
You never got to swim in that river, back then. It had been so enticing with the sun beating on your brow and the sweat of marching all the way to Tershire soaking your uniform, but no one had their mind on it by the time the mission had ended. Some were in no condition to, others were not even there anymore.
Idly, you reminisce. It comes unbidden, but it not the first time you have thought about it.
What has stayed with you most is the frailty of it all. Lying here at the peaceful junction of water and air, and yet all you can think about is that. The frailty of bodies, beaten and bleeding by fist, bullet and claw. The frailty of spirits, in trembling hands and frenzied eyes. The frailty of bonds, trailing a retreating back that will never turn to look behind again. How very frail humans are. From those that put on the toughest front to the ones that were broken from the beginning.
And that is why you have decided to stay with them. Because you are strong, strong enough to hold that which is frail together when it's about to break.
You stretch your body gingerly, and are rewarded with a series of dry cracks as your body protests its sleeping position during your impromptu nap. You don't think too much time has passed, but the lightness of your head is such that you feel like you had lain under the sun for hours. Still slightly woozy, it takes you a while to put on and lace your boots securely.
With slow, trudging steps you begin to ascend the path that leads back to Fort Jacobson. Someone will surely have some or other use for your strength there.
And, uh, wasn't there something else that was happening today?
this reminds me im proud of the part where i wrote a presummoning scene that was just floating in nothingness in f/r because i couldnt think of an intro and then everyone else did it too
There are plenty of posts I've enjoyed writing. In Fort, most of them are interludes, because they show how far NPCs have come thanks to the actions of the PCs. This isn't my favorite, which comes shortly after, but it marks a turning point in one of my favorite NPCs, and by far the most representative in the RP, acting as a prequel protagonist of sorts.
I'll put a little bit of a synopsis so you can get a small gist of what's happening and then quote the post in spoiler.
Shonen ahead.
-------
Sawai Mihou, a survivor from a magical conflict that took place in secret sixteen years ago, returns to the island of Tsukiyo to gather the souls of sixteen Magi so that she can strengthen the seal that's keeping the world-ending threat that was released back them in check. A lone swordsman scarred by a tragic past, she has given up on hope and believes that taking the lives of those Magi is the only option left to 'save the world'. Through her interactions with the PCs, which are amongst the 16, she is reminded of the meaning of friendship, trust, and belief, and eventually joins them to stop the ritual that she herself kickstarted.
At some point, Spinach's PC comes along, and given her special affinity towards the place where this 'great evil' was being held, undoes the remainder of the seal, unleashing the final boss ahead of time. At least one pc and several NPCs go against it at once, but the man, Odin/Rogue Flame, proves to be too strong for them to handle.
By the time, Sawai Mihou arrives, they've all been defeated.
Now faced with the choice to take the life of one to save the rest, she...
-------
Great Revival
Originally Posted by hero
Sawai Mihou
'Great Revival'
"...?!"
A fire spreads all over the shopping district. Its flames, alongside those that burn in the skies above, are the only source of illumination left in the entire world. But that's not what draws Sawai Mihou's attention the most. What manages to take her breath away is the bizarre setting that surrounds this inferno. What she sees are the weakened bodies of her friends and allies, hung up in crosses, in a way that resembles crucifixion. Just a few minutes ago, she was able to easily sense their Magical Energy, but now the presence each radiates is so faint, it wouldn't be hard to mistake them for corpses. Accompanying them are Shinzou Kamui and Echidna, whose powers apparently were not enough to make a difference.
"..."
Even though the swordswoman is well aware that the one standing in the middle of it all is not her old friend, the sight of that body is enough to leave her speechless, as if a knot hat tied itself in her throat. There are so many things she wants to share with that person, and a lot to say to the one who brought about his demise. Yet... Even though she has prepared herself for this moment ever since the last war ended sixteen years ago, She strangely finds herself unable to utter a single word.
"I was beginning to worry you would not show up. Have you come to witness the end of this world alongside your 'friends'? No, that face tells me you are here to put a premature end to your life. Instead of having to bear the burden of watching so many people die again, you'd rather be the first one to go, is that not right... Sawai Mihou?"
Saying all that with a straight face, it makes it even more painful. The God is not provoking her... Odin is merely sharing the truth out loud. Before the girl can even draw her sword, he has already delivered a powerful blow to the heart. There is not a pinch of deceit in what he says. There is actually a part of her that would rather sacrifice herself if it meant not having to walk through hell a second time. The Magi of the current generation can't possibly understand the anguish she experienced when, one after the other, her friends were murdered, in some cases because of her own powerlessness. It was not as if all of them died one fateful day, no, it was like the Fimbulwinter war had been part of a sick game divided in rounds, and every round one or two would perish.
Every time a shard of hope was obtained, it would violently shatter the following week, leaving nothing but despair in its place.
"... Are you done?"
It's true.
Her biggest fear is losing those she holds dear. Friends, family, comrades, it makes little difference. After the tragic events that took place on this very island sixteen years ago, she made the choice to live a life of solitude devoted to preventing the same thing from occurring ever again. In reality, she was just running away from life. She was reluctant to forge new bonds simply because she was afraid of losing them again. She trained herself everyday to escape from her weakness, ignoring that her one true flaw did never lay on her physical or magical abilities.
She punished herself with immensurable guilt, because she rather admit it was pointless to try than move forward, and she did her best to enforce that view on everyone else.
---But so what?
So what if some of those things have not changed even now?
She's not the only one who's suffering. She's not the only one who is in pain.
If she wishes to atone for the bad choices she's made in the past, she has no right to give up and lament her own lack of resolve, much less surrender her life.
"I'm here to kick your butt, you big dumbass."
"Then let us find out... Just how far that foolish resolution can take you. Siegfried-!"
If Die Walkuere is the pillar that rules over the absolute known as 'Space', then Siegfried is the will that creates and manipulates 'rules'. Through it, Odin has already become immune to any sort of attack. No matter how strong or what concept is imbued in it, it will never be able to break through the defense erected by one of the four absolutes. However, in Sawai Mihou's case, she might just be able to, if she channels the one absolute she has gained mastery over. With this in mind, has Odin thought it would be wise to generate a second layer of conceptual protection?
No, that's not the case.
She gently taps her chest, feeling a connection that was formerly not there. This is...
"Now their lives are linked to yours. Perish and so will everyone you consider a comrade. But, if you kill one of them yourself, the effects will end, and the rest will be spared. Every two minutes, if you choose not to act, I'll finish one of them off myself. Now then, what will you do... Sawai Mihou?"
... Her darkness.
The thoughts that gave birth to the Ragnarok War. A desperate race against time where sacrificing innocent people seemed to be the only solution to save the world from certain destruction. Even now, there is a part of her that believes that sacrificing one to save many more is a sound, logical decision. After all, there appears to be no other answer to the riddle that is the current situation. If she fights and loses, not just her, but everyone else will lose their lives. The lives they've fought so hard to keep, alongside the path to the future that they've paved with their own hands. On the other hand, If she doesn't muster the courage to end it all right now, she'll watch her friends fade away one by one once more, a repetition of her most traumatic experience.
"..."
The clock has already begun ticking. Before she even realizes it, fifteen seconds have passed by.
"I will be the sacrifice. Please, Sawai-san, you have to put an end to this!"
The swordswoman looks up, tracking the voice back to its owner. It belongs to Nakamura Hitomi, Akio's older sister. For a moment, she smirks, in an effort to hold back her laugher. Those in the Nakamura family are certainly all the same. But... She won't take her life. In doing so, she would be destroying something much greater than a single life. Besides... She never had any intention of seriously pointing her blade at one of her allies, like she would have done in the past.
"..."
Therefore she ignores it.
The urge to finish things off the simple and easy way.
"I guess that just means I've got a little over a minute to beat the crap out of you."
Hah... Certainly, this crazy approach makes no sense.
But, at the same time, it is strange. Even though the future she is determined to grasp undoubtedly appears to be impossible, not a single part of her believes she can lose this battle.
"Sorry, Rogue. But I'll be taking everyone back home with me!"
Whenever she needed the strength to surpass an obstacle, she would be unable to find it.
But no matter what, they were always there. Regardless of victory or defeat, she was never alone.
Her friends have fought and protected her when she couldn't, and some have even given up their lives for her own survival.
They are the reason why she has been able to move forward. They are what have made her who she is today.
It was stupid to seclude herself in a life of solitude. From the very beginning, that was actually a lie.
Sawai Mihou never had a wish of her own.
Raised on the streets, and fighting in a war she needed not to get involved...
Unlike those who surrounded her, who had a future to look forward to, she only saw a veil of mist ahead. But she found the wishes of her partners to be admirable, and so she made it her personal mission to see them come true. Even if, in the end, things did not work as planned, it doesn't change the fact that she is a person who's ultimately defined by others.
'What will you do when this is all over?'
She's certain some of those she knows already have something in mind. Like going on a journey, becoming a teacher, things like that. But she doesn't. Nothing comes to mind. But that is okay... She is not afraid of that kind of future. One friend once told her... That if she keeps being herself, there is nothing to worry about. That if she keeps moving forward, that answer she is looking for will eventually come to her.
---The body of that friend is still within her field of vision.
So, for now, she'll protect that future. Even if it is uncertain, like darkness, even if she's not strong enough to fight against this kind of enemy, she'll advance. Because she knows that the future that is in everyone's dreams is worth it, and if they can find happiness then so can she.
"I believe in them."
It's not escapism. She's not handing the responsibility to anyone else, nor is she willing to sacrifice herself here.
It takes a moment to notice, but it eventually becomes clear of who exactly Mihou is talking about. Behind her, surrounding her in a semi-circle, are the spirits of those she lost. Within her blade, within Fragarach, are the wishes of those she saw perish. This is Sawai Mihou's 'Heroic Legacy', the ability to become stronger with every mate that falls. She's not fighting Rogue Flame alone. She has over a dozen people there to support her.
"... And in their potential."
She has no idea how to defeat the God in front of her. The power it has gathered is far greater than it was sixteen years ago, and there is hardly anything in her arsenal that can oppose such strong Conceptual Magic. However, her friends have always been with her. So she believes in them. If they are together, there is no way something like this would be enough to stop them.
She finally understands, why it had to be those two, and smiles.
She bets that right now, they must be fighting as well.
With a few faces in mind, she finally leaps forward, sword in hand, accompanied by a surge of energy and a trail of familiar spirits.
Sawai Mihou's Mugen.
It has changed.
It no longer represents 'resentment', 'guilt' or even 'jealousy'.
Her aura burns brighter than the dark sun above.
An aura of 'Gratitude' that surpasses all else.
To oppose it...
"Come. I'll shall crush that image with my own hands."
The greatest God readies his fists.
Interlude Out
Or what the hell, if you are interested, read the continuation (although some pc posts happened in between). This is the favorite interlude I've written for Fort.
Threefold Miracle
Originally Posted by hero
Sawai Mihou
Threefold Miracle
It's a duel with the fate of the world at stake.
With each step and with each blow, the two combatants break the barrier of sound, their surroundings being torn apart with each exchange. The speed at which Sawai Mihou moves has long since surpassed that of a Magus who specializes in speed and become something else, and the same can be said about her physical strength. As she is right now, a single attack would be enough to cut through another Magus' body. This might that she kept suppressed within her is the reason why she was feared in the conflict that took place more than a decade ago, the Fimbulwinter War. In terms of brute force, there is nothing similar that can hope to match it. The 'Warp Spasm'... A double edged sword that trades an incredible amount of stamina for an equally impressive boost in the user's physical attributes. Only someone as stubborn as this swordswoman, who has proven capable of fighting even after being left unconscious, can master it.
And yet...
All that sacrifice means nothing in the face of the ultimate god. To oppose speeds that rival the art of teleportation, Odin does the opposite and remains completely still. To oppose might which would surely blow away mountains, Odin merely raises his hand to block. Looking at it from a viewers perspective, his defensive capabilities make no sense at all. In effect, he's not using Magic to protect himself, or to dull the strength behind Sawai's attacks. No, his technique is so vastly superior to hers that he doesn't need to rely on his arcane arsenal to ridicule his opponent. And that is what makes it all the more ridiculous. After all, Sawai Mihou is the wielder of Fragarach, the sword with the ability to grant its wielder the title of the strongest swordsmaster in the entire world and across all ages. Now that its power has been unlocked to the fullest... How come it is being mocked by an empty-handed style?
"Kuh!"
Odin said that he would claim his first victim after two minutes go by... At this rate, the fight between this two will end way before that. Even with Heroic Legacy backing her up, Sawai Mihou is no match for him. To snatch victory away from the hands of destiny, she'd need a miracle to occur. No, that alone would not be enough. She'd need several miracles, hence why her chances of winning are barely above zero. She had sixteen years to prepare for this battle. How frustrating is it to realize all that effort has been a waste? That, after countless hours of training, nothing has changed? There is one riddle here, and the answer to it is simple. If she wants to buy them two more minutes of life, she must choose one sacrifice. For two more minutes, she must bask herself in darkness and return to the point she was before she began this journey.
"Don't think I am done yet...!"
Her figure appears above the god, her body spinning to make full use of the momentum gained to cleave her enemy in half. An arm is enough to stop that movement. She disappears, avoiding the immediate counter-attack by a hair's breath. She attacks again, this time from behind, catching her foe with a stance that is slightly off and a completely open back. The blade bounces off it and she is forced to jump back to retreat. An instant later she charges in. It is pointless, in the end. Even when he isn't even close to fighting at full strength, she can't even hope to hurt him. The outcome is predictable, and she knows it. But she is also aware that if she stops now, she won't be able to move after that. So she puts whatever hope she has left in her blade and attacks relentlessly, as if to deny the absolute future in front of her.
And, as if to respond to those feelings, something incredible happens in the blink of an eye.
For the first time since the start of the fight, the two of them trade blows. Both are hit by their opponent's attacks and both draw blood. Granted, Odin is just grazed, while Sawai takes a powerful blow to her stomach which deals critical damage to her internal organs. Far from throwing the towel, the swordswoman resumes the offensive, this time making actual progress. For a moment, the god looks genuinely surprised. Just what caused this sudden growth in power? No, could it be that perhaps, it is him the one who has gotten weaker in some way? Impossible, there is no Magic that can affect him directly without being aware of it. Pouring some Magical Energy into his fist, he thrusts it forward, a tool as deadly as a Magical Weapon itself.
The moment he does...
"What...?!"
His punch is parried... But not by Sawai Mihou's Magical Weapon, Fragarach. In the blink of an eye, yet with flawless reaction time, his opponent has thrown aside his fist with her own arm, without taking any damage to boot. But that's not what is surprising. Being the current 'owner' of the Ultimate Arts, someone like Odin would be able to tell instantly. The woman standing in front of him... Just used a technique 'Ultimate Arts' against him. Being a style that requires more than a decade and a half to reach that level, it is virtually impossible for Sawai to have mastered it without a teacher, even if she started training the moment the war ended. From the start, it is supposed to be a self-taught style. With Yoshino Sousei's 'death', truly developing it to the fullest should be impossible.
And yet...
That opening. Sawai Mihou won't let it go to waste.
If skill is meaningless, technique bears no importance. If skill is pointless, both of them are equal. Now that the one thing that granted him the advantage has been 'voided', it is Mihou the one who holds the upper hand. No matter how much Magical Energy he possesses, if he does not put it into use, he'll simply be overwhelmed by Sawai's. In other words, thanks to Kurokami Hotaru's Magic, this duel has advanced to the next stage, where it is not skill what matters, but rather the application of Runes and Magical Abilities. If that is the case...
"Nirvana"
By uttering a single word, the outcome of the exchange is decided. If skills are equal, then there is a 50/50 chance either fighter will emerge victorious, but because Sawai's enchantments were so strong, the scales were tipped in her favor. All that Odin had to to was to blow those enchantments away, and in the blink of an eye Sawai Mihou is back to being the powerless girl she has always been. Not quite a spell of his own creation, Nirvana was one of the signature spell of Earth's strongest, Rena S. Highwing. After her defeat at the hands of the ultimate God, this appears to be just another way to ridicule humanity. To crush their hope with its own symbol...
"Ah..."
After taking another hit, Sawai retreats. All her stamina is suddenly gone... And now that she has stopped, exhaustion is already taking a toll in her body. Furthermore, it's almost been two minutes. Five more seconds, and she has no doubt Odin will keep his promise to obliterate her friends one by one in the most despair-inducing way possible.
It is as it was foretold... One Miracle would never be enough to slay a god.
"You...!"
That's right.
She doesn't deserve the easy way out.
And, she's no longer alone. She needs to stop thinking that this is an obstacle she must overcome alone.
And more importantly, within the next five seconds, she needs to create, alongside everyone else... A miracle-!
"Farewell, Sawai. No, Cu Chulainn."
She silently asks everyone to lend her strength. For her next strike will be one charged with all the emotions and burdens she has carries on her shoulders. Sawai Mihou kicks off the ground. Compared to how she was moments ago, she is so much weaker. Without her transformation, her power just does not match. Even so, she bets it all on one last attack.
And, to answer that courage, a second miracle occurs. A miracle more outstanding than the first.
Thud.
In the middle of it all, a body crashes against the ground. Though lifeless at first sight, it soon begins to move. Despite bruises all over her body, Chisana Risu is alive. But that's not really impressive. Despite her chances of surviving were scarce, Magi have always been known for their absurd tenacity. No, what's incredible is what's happening above, in the sky. The immense sphere of Magical Energy Odin shaped has begun to quickly shrink in size. Minutes ago, countless souls gathered in one place, melding together as a result of their negative emotions. Now, those very same souls scatter, released, having heard the voice of a girl who never gave up on them. No matter what, no matter where, we are never alone. There is someone always there to support us. Even those who have leave us... If one recalls the memories spent together, the strength to push onwards will eventually surface.
Such feat leaves the ultimate God speechless. By all means, what Chisana Risu achieved is impossible. Something not even humanity's 'symbol of hope' was capable of achieving. For a moment in time, his expression freezes, unable to grasp the situation at hand. At that moment, Sawai Mihou strikes.
However...
Her enemy is quick to react. He quickly dismisses his promise to kill someone else on the two minute mark and moves to address the real threat directly. Though he has in no way been pushed against the wall, he has finally decided to fight a little more seriously. They clash once, twice, thrice in a couple of instants. His superiority is easily cemented, yet somehow The Answerer manages to swiftly stand back after each fall. Her body is breaking, simply shattering apart, and her attacks do not manage to inflict any sort of damage on him now. Even when they are evenly matched due to skill being pointless in the area, she has no hopes of winning. The moment they separate, she'll collapse and probably faint due to all the internal wounds she has been inflicted with. After all, each strike from Odin's fists is capable of shattering a Magical Weapon. To think that Mihou had to endure dozens of them... It's ridiculous that she still has the energy to stand.
But, while harmless, there is one thing the swordswoman's strikes have that they lacked a minutes before.
Clang Clang.
With each swing, she calls forth a memory.
Clang Clang.
The moments they've spent together. The good and the bad.
Clang Clang.
The words that were spoken, and those that were left unsaid.
All in all, through their story ended with a tragedy, it is not one she truly regrets.
For without it, she'd have never been able to meet such a good friend.
And to respond to those feelings, a third miracle occurs.
"My body... Won't respond...?"
At the very last moment, right about Odin's fist was about to collide against Mihou's skull, it was frozen in its tracks. It suddenly stopped for no apparent reason whatsoever, making it look like the god had been the one who chose to stop his own attack. It is a pause that lasts no more than an instant, but that instant is enough. Although it is still impossible for her to hit him without trading blows in her condition, that alone is fine. It's more than what she could have asked for.
"Heh... You're so late, you idiot."
Her feelings were true and intense. And those feelings appear to have reached the last remains of the true owner of that body, who couldn't help but respond. The once powerless fool who'd always show up at the worst time imaginable, Yoshino Sousei, creates one last chance to turn the tide of the battle.
But, in the end...
The attack is blocked.
Mihou is sent flying backwards, until she crashes against a building, her consciousness on the verge of fading, and her body unable to do any more. And yet, the one who is surprised is the ultimate God. Because it was not him who blocked the attack... It was his opponent that blocked his. Right then, when it was all or nothing, Sawai Mihou chose to put everything she had into defense. In exchange, her life has not been immediately stripped away from her. Granted, at the cost of everything else.
Or is it not that way?
"... Why?"
The God who governs the four absolutes asks with true curiosity. Why was it that when she was given the chance, she chose not to attack? Compared to sixteen years ago, that is not what she would have done. Was it because she still saw Yoshino Sousei in him? Perhaps his appearance worked as a double-edged sword and prevented her from counter-attacking?
No.
"Who... Knows? Maybe I simply realized beating you was not my destiny... But theirs."
A second swordswoman leaps across the eternally dark sky.
Now aware of a new presence, the God immediately reacts. In the blink of an eye, he uses his dominion of space to create an infinite space between them both. In other words, Aesop attack will never reach him. Ah, he gets it now. She was betting it all on someone else's finishing move. Using her ability to communicate through Mugen, she has long been stalling for time for this very moment to come. She tossed the artifact Mitsuo developed for Aesop to catch, knowing that she'd be able to both equip it and attack with it within the same motion. However since there were only three miracles, she was unable to reach her goal.
"W...h...a...t...?"
That is right.
There was no forth miracle.
What happened was truly inevitable. A response for one's sin.
The moment Odin forgot he wasn't just fighting against Sawai Mihou he sealed his own fate.
Because, what good is an infinite portion of space, if distance itself is rendered meaningless?
Amidst the endless night created by the god of darkness, the former body of Yoshino Sousei collapses, crashing against the ground without resistance.
And, together with his fall comes a long, very long, silence.
[18:30] RacingeR: Max S.Link with hero is when you promise your daughter to him
[18:31] RacingeR: Which means Airen and me are the only ones that maxed it (I promised Spin to him, and Spin is my daughter)
[18:32] hero: oh shit
[18:32] hero: spincess get
[18:32] hero: suck it fuckers
At some point, Spinach's PC comes along, and given her special affinity towards the place where this 'great evil' was being held, undoes the remainder of the seal, unleashing the final boss ahead of time. At least one pc and several NPCs go against it at once, but the man, Odin/Rogue Flame, proves to be too strong for them to handle.
By the time, Sawai Mihou arrives, they've all been defeated.
This is yet another introduction post, which left an impression on me because Erl was clearly setting it up for me to do whatever the hell I want. And when the PCs are god-like beings in comparison to the natives, and mine hates humanity...
This is the result. From Ain Soph Aur:
Spoiler:
Asteris the Goddess Location: Border of the Kingdom of Ainus and the Republics of Nywell, Village of St. Rieza Time: Night
Originally Posted by Cina
"Yes, Master."
Ah.
So that was it.
Of course it is. How could it not? Humans are cruel, wicked things, only capable of destruction and enslavement. No matter what world, what universe she's in, that single fact had never changed. More than that, this human - who wield an eternity sword of substantial power - are even worse than most humans, if the dark light in his eyes were of any indication.
It would be her duty to judge him, just like she always had...
'Do not be afraid.' The gentle voice of Divine resounded in her mind, feeling the slightest doubt and hesitation in her heart. 'The Eternity Sword that the human wield, although strong, are no match for us. He may not fell in one blow, but he is powerless to stop your judgment.'
Asteris smiled, thanking her Eternity Sword as the presence of divinity, of one so holy and pure that the mere thought of harming her would be considered a sin, immediately flooded the area. Any lesser beings would surely bow and prostate themselves before the Goddess, but the human held on. It doesn't really matter, because that was only an announcement of her power and divinity, of the astronomical gap between her abilities and the human before her.
"I am Asteris The Goddess." She spoke to the human before her, her voice carrying divine authority as her face was set to that of arrogant indifference before she said her next sentence with absolute certainty.
The Goddess merely raised her hand and the sky, as if obeying her command, opened up. Night was momentarily replaced by heavenly light, but that beautiful sight didn't last long; Asteris brought her hand down, and an instant later a spear of light shot down at impossible speed, crackling with electricity as it hit the human who wield the Eternity Sword with enough power that any lesser beings would immediately be vaporized into mana.
The attack had hit its target instantly, but the explosive sound of thunder was only heard two seconds later, for sound are much slower than the speed of her smite.
Asteris didn't worry about the girl called Cina; her smite was accurate, fast, and would never harm more than its intended target. Besides, she had no desire to judge a girl who had no will on her own; Even as she saw the man survived her smite, heavily wounded and burned but alive nonetheless, Asteris merely raised her hand again to smite him a second time and killed him for good.
There is no pity, no sadness and no compassion in her eyes as she locked on her target and bring her hand down.
There is only a sense of duty and purpose.
============================
Wise Up!
Name: Asteris The Goddess Age: 216 Faction: Law
Domain Abilities Sacred Privilege: The representation of divine sacredness, one who is so holy and pure that the mere thought of harming them would be considered a sin. As the wielder of Divine, Asteris is naturally considered the most sacred of all. ?? ?? [Awe of She: Emanates an aura of absolute worship that lesser beings cannot resist. Those unprotected by the instincts of an Eternity Sword cannot help but see Asteris as a divine force of ultimate good, and will not act against her unless given an enormous reason to do so. Those who possess Eternity Swords of Rank 5 cannot even raise their blades against her, and those of Rank 4 will still be partially charmed by her aura. ??]
Heavenly Authority: The representation of divine wrath, the very proof that divine beings are beyond the reach of mortals. This allows Asteris to turn Aura Photons into lightning or spears of light, ?? ??
[Wrath of the Heavens: Can instantly smite anyone within sight by causing light and thunder to strike them, reducing them to Mana. Those who do not possess an Eternity Sword of Rank 5 or higher will instantly be killed by such power, while those of 4 or lower will suffer heavy damage. ??]
Regalia Hijinks
<Erlkonig|Phone> Why get a gf, when Airen is your waifu?
<Airen|Phone> I'll save everyone, it's fine
<Snaxies> Airen is totally Jesus again
<frantic> I actually hate reading your post because you're so fucking anime
<Reiu> Regalia is a scary place desu...
<Mellon> He who lives by the oneshot, dies by the oneshot
Personal Compliments
<@RacingeR> Pally would be a perfect shoujo lead
<Erlkonig> I would fall for Pally if he was a qt shoujo manga lead girl
Originally Posted by Airen
Only pala is pure, the rest of ya are twisted
Originally Posted by Cheetose
I'm not sure if it's like this generally, but Pala seems to be very good at making naive and innocent, but also strangely bulliable characters.
Oddly the post I'm the most proud of is from the first RP I joined on this forum. On Frantic Author's suggestion, I applied to Beautiful Days, the TWEWY RP that Kirby ran a while back.
I was just about to post my third post, trying to catch up to Bloble and Sanx's fast posting when Race, who was my partner in the RP, made his post. I think I had to ask them in irc to slow down and let me finish my post. I was a pretty slow writer back then, still kinda am now, but having to finish writing while knowing I was the one holding things up induced a feeling of panic that carried over into the post.
Which I think enhanced it.
Beautiful Days
Haruto Suzunashi Underground - Bic Camera - Back Alleys
2:30 PM - Mission Phase
After I went to help the glasses girl up, she rudely almost head-butted me, rudely looked at her phone instead of apologizing, rudely grabbed my arm and shouted something selfish like “you’re coming with me,” and then rudely started dragging me toward the two blonde girls without even introducing herself.
At least she’s gung ho about all of this. I thought she was going to be the quiet and shy glasses character who would be forced to be paired up with me, lower her guard due to the unexpected situation, and slowly come out of her shell. Oh well.
Before I could object in protest, a pillar of bright, blue light engulfed us.
Is this also part of the game? A sign of our now established (if not necessarily mutual) partnership perhaps?
A howl snapped me out of my thoughts. A series of disturbing sounds followed: crashes, shouts, and growls. Me and the rude glasses girl stopped to look at each other and then doubled our pace.
In a few moments we caught up with the two blonde girls. They weren’t alone. A pack of wolves with strange markings were engaged with the pair.
The loli had dual rapiers, one of which was buried in a wolf, instead of the wooden sword I saw before. A grin was stretched across her face while her eyes seemed to gleam at the excitement of battle. She seemed to have a handle on things. The other one with the glasses seemed to have less of a handle on it and was cradling her arm sobbing. Ice and craters littered the ground.
The last wolf disintegrated into smoke and the air shimmered. The ice and holes in the ground disappeared, as if the battle never happened. The crowd reappeared and the streets returned to normal.
Well almost normal.
The sword-wielding loli still remained standing over the wounded bespectacled girl. Truly it was quite the sight to behold. Had I not known better, I would have ran and notified the police that a chuuni middle-schooler was going on a rampage, menacing the strangers with blades. But I thought better of it. These people were meant to be our comrades in arms. Turning them into the police wouldn’t make a good impression for me and my partner.
I sagely nodded at myself in self-satisfaction. I was being quite the team player.
So combat is among the challenges in this game. But in what capacity? The loli obviously had her swords to fight with. But what about the blonde glasses girl? Could she be the source of the ice? An innate supernatural power or bestowed to all the participants of the game? Or were the wolves the ones responsible? And the street…did the battle take place in an instanced space unique to the combatants?
I sighed. This was all too much to think about. Besides I’ve been keeping them waiting by thinking to myself too much. I suppose I should set the tone and introduce myself properly. But I should first help the wounded girl. She must have had a rough day. Hopefully she isn’t as rude as my partner in the out of place school uniform.
At this moment, the aforementioned wounded girl seemed to have thrown a pin at her partner and was hysterically accusing her of something. The sword-totting loli skillfully caught the thrown pin, de-transformed her sword back into the wooden one, kneeled down, and violently grabbed the other girl.
Ah, no. Bullying is bad.
But couldn’t this be a good thing? Could it be that this delinquent middle school girl is the rough type that is easily misunderstood and could simply be trying to communicate while trying to not show any weaknesses? Could this be the kind of development where she and her partner come to an understanding through a clumsy, tsundere-like pep talk that really shows how much she cares about her?
Ah, she stuck out her hand in a gesture of goodwill. It seems this cliché development is paying off.
Suddenly my rude partner reaffirmed my initial feelings about her.
Originally Posted by RacingeR
"Hey! You!" I declared imperiously, stepping in-betwen the wounded girl and the crazy actual loli!Guts. In my hand, I had unconsciously drawn out the computer mouse that was in my pocket, which in this moment was ominously crackling with electricity.
"Stop raping her!"
….
Time stood still. I could do nothing but stare at this glasses girl who was not only rude but could not read the atmosphere. Perhaps she still hadn’t recovered from the initial shock and was in a constant state of panic.
This was bad. At this point, I had to do something—ANYTHING—to dispel this awkward situation. Public relations with the other players would break down and we would be outcasted and my social undead life would be ruined until I finally disappeared. All because of this girl.
There was only one way to fix this. I, Haruto Suzunashi, will sacrifice my role as the sensitive, introspective character and do something so ridiculous, so over the top, and so silly that the mood will plummet back into something bearable.
I have to become the comic relief.
But what do I say? What do I do? I could make a joke, but at whose expense? I could try to make fun of myself, but they’ve known me all of a minute at most and probably won’t get it. I couldn’t pick on the crying girl. It would look like an older man is picking on a fragile highschool girl and they would have no respect for me left. I can’t do my partner, my relationship with her is paramount to my survival and it would make the rest of this game extremely awkward. The loli’s too scary to make fun of to even think about it. But doesn’t that mean that she would probably be the most durable and the least affected? Whatever kind rebuttal comes, I’ll have to take it for the sake of the mood!
Alright, let’s hope this works.
At this point I was so flustered I didn’t think about simply playing the straight man and executing a sharp jab at my partner’s rudeness. Things would have been a lot simpler if that had happened.
Instead I did the dumbest, most irresponsible, and weirdest thing possible.
I walked over to the small delinquent girl, bowed low, and shouted at the top of my lungs.
“PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!”
I’m sorry big sis, your younger brother has become a criminal.
Sadly the RP was canned for various reasons but I was hoping for future romcom shenanigans. Both Mooncake and I coincidentally chose the same FC and Kirby allowed it on the condition that my character was shorter since my picture was smaller. This opened the possibility for mistaken identity plotlines which would have been fun.
<Airen> I play hetero every once in awhile
Spoiler:
<~Katie> dude who gives a fuck about girls being gay, sometimes girls aren't gay and that decision should be respected
Spoiler:
[12:21.40] that might be a top tier post[12:21.45] frantic[12:21.47] post of the month, even[12:21.48] this right here[12:21.49] is MC [12:21.56] johnny has nothing on this dude[12:22.00] he's the MC of the nisio half[12:22.12] so wait[12:22.15] [ ] is, after all, my rival character[12:22.16] am i the gag heroine[12:22.20] yes
[12:37] <I3uster> if playing overwatch would save my mother from the deathbed [12:37] <I3uster> id probably flip a coin [12:38] <I3uster> to see if i play or not
[18:23] <frantic> spinach is like a caffeine zombie [18:23] <frantic> in AX he would like [18:23] <frantic> drink 8 shots of espresso [18:23] <frantic> then he'd turn to me an hour later [18:23] <frantic> 'frantic', he'd say, his eyes wild and his lips smug [18:23] <frantic> 'i need coffee'
Originally Posted by Leftovers
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