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Post by DataNinja on Jan 22, 2018 7:12:14 GMT
All is silent. All is still. All, that is, except for the four people waking up, lying on the purple ground. Well, presumably it's ground. Pressing up against it brings a sensation of pressure, but neither it nor the air around actually feel like anything. There is no sensation of heat, nor of cool. Smoothness nor roughness. It's the strangest sensation, unlike anything that you've felt before.
The ground, while at first glance seems to be a fairly solid purple, is actually a swirling agglomerate of brighter and darker shades. Putting pressure on it leaves a bright spot, almost blue, which quickly fades. The sky, as much as it can be called that, is a black backdrop, stretching off to meet the ground an infinite distance away. A soft glow seems to permeate the entire area, coming from everywhere, yet seemingly having no source. It doesn't seem to be coming from the ground, for it isn't purple, and it certainly doesn't illuminate the sky. But, regardless, there are no shadows to be found anywhere, giving everything a stark feel.
Those on the ground begin to get their bearings, with nothing in sight for as far as anyone can see, except for the others. While it seems like not much has changed, there is an odd book lying next to each, similar yet distinct.
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Jan 22, 2018 18:59:46 GMT
The golden eyes of a skinny teenage boy drowsily flutter open, framed by a black-and-gold-trim mask upon his face. A feeling of lightheadedness shoots through him briefly as he shifts from lying on his side to his back. Strange, why is the sky so dark? Was he passed out for so long that the sun has already gone down? After pushing himself to sit up despite sore muscles, the masked child becomes keenly aware that everything is wrong. Finally looking at the "ground", he immediately likens it to a dusk stone or charoite, yet it is unquestionably unearthly as he tries and fails to gain any semblance of sensation with a touch of his hand. A chill runs down the boy's spine as he realizes that there is little else in this somehow massive but empty space, only the three other figures nearby him. Then, he doesn't know whether to call them people or not, at least for two of them. The third figure looks normal enough, the only odd thing the foreign clothes, but they could all be monsters. The masked teenager's mind freezes up on him. He doesn't process his own scream as he shakes in confusion.
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Prologue
Jan 22, 2018 21:39:22 GMT
via mobile
Post by Robot on Jan 22, 2018 21:39:22 GMT
Iga Ieyasu woke with the scream of a young man, breath drawn in sharply as his eyes opened as they would on any other day. The reed mat which he shared with his wife did not greet his nose with the scent of the dried greenery. The scent of fish and tea did not come from their kitchen. Instead, he found himself nestled into a purple mass, given to blue with his weight. It lacked texture, and temperature, existing merely as a pressure.
The outcry at his back continued, and he chose to ignore it, moving with great caution. He found his footing on the land, if it could be called that, and then considered how the color changed with this shift in his weight. Iga felt no pain, the only sounds that greeted him were his own steadied breathing, and the frantic recovery of the younger one nearby. They were four at a glance, in a place alien and unknown to him and the other which had stirred.
A book sat at his feet, and warily he stooped to collect it. Yokai often lurked in the most innocuous of things, but if something with enough power to bring about this strange place had taken interest in him, indulging it even slightly was perhaps in Iga's best interests. He opened the book to the first page.
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Post by oddeyes on Jan 22, 2018 23:26:26 GMT
Ritsuko lets out a groan as she finally wakes up. She's familiar with sleeping on the floor, but she didn't remember sleeping there in the first place. As her eyes opened, her blurry vision soon clears up to reveal the strange void. This was most definitely not her forest shack. She tried to quickly stand up, but slumped to the ground from sudden dizziness. Now this had to be a nightmare. 'It'...would occasionally give Ritsuko a nightmare to ruin her sleep, and this seemed like one...Ritsuko checked her arms, and her bandages still covered her grotesque malformations. Feeling her head, she was always horrified, and saddened that these cursed horns were still there. She always seemed to be living a nightmare. She then happened to spot a book in front of her, she was about to grab it when a scream rang out. Ritsuko scrambled to get into a defensive stance. She spotted some people nearby. Perhaps they had come looking for her, but in a place like this? She decided to keep low, quiet, and watch these strangers.
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Post by Breakthelevee on Jan 23, 2018 1:28:35 GMT
At first the screaming only causes the final figure to shift a little in his sleep, but after a moment he calls out in a deep baritone "Damnit Ira, I thought we had discussed this. No torturing anyone before noon" He lazily pushed himself up before sniffing for a moment and slowly opening his eyes.
It took him a moment to process his surroundings, thinking it must be a trick, or that Invidia had found him and used some sort of foul magic to trap him. But wait....Three other figures were here, ones he didn't recognize. His nose twitched for a moment and he sniffed in their direction "Humans? Three of you? No wait, you there" He gestures to the horned woman with a hand covered in steel "You smell of a human but look like a fellow Demon Lord"
He stood up completely, standing sure even on the lack of real ground "Nevertheless, Humans, you are in the company of Superbia Dein Nomos, Heir to the Throne of the Nine Hells." He was quiet for a moment before continuing "Ah yes, being in awe is a regular reaction. But, Awed or not, it would do you well to tell me where exactly you've taken me"
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 23, 2018 1:38:24 GMT
The screams and the speech seem oddly stifled, the noise quickly fading away once the source is once more quiet.
Iga, upon opening the book, sees that the book is impeccable, with the only blemish on the clean white parchment being the words that he understands to be "Property of:" and then a scrawl that he recognizes as belonging to himself. He certainly doesn't recall ever writing it.
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Post by Robot on Jan 23, 2018 2:27:02 GMT
With the fourth's speech, inhuman traits about two of the others became immediately more obvious. They seemed just as confused and bewildered as himself and the other (apparent) human were. "We awoke here as you did." The small man replied in a thick accent, holding two fingers in a pinched position against the book. Delicate movements were visible in his forearm as he replicated what would have been the brush strokes for his mark. There was no doubt it was in his writing.
'Hell' was not a word he understood, but the authoritarian tone translated easily and sat poorly with him. Again Iga cast a glance far and wide to take in the strangeness that was this apparently limitless space. Then, he turned the page.
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Post by Pandora on Jan 23, 2018 6:26:11 GMT
The trembling boy quickly clamps a hand over his mouth at the realization of his mistake. He should have been careful to not wake the others - no, one of them had already started moving before then, so it wouldn't have mattered what he did. After one of the horned individuals stood up and introduced himself, as a demon lord no less, and the older man confirmed what the teenager was thinking, it feels like hours before he can force himself to respond with just a slow nod of agreement. It feels even longer for him to swallow down his fear and whisper, "I don't know. I thought maybe you did."
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Post by Breakthelevee on Jan 24, 2018 5:01:54 GMT
Superbia frowned and placed a hand on his temple "Right, so none of us know where we are or why. Glorious" He looked between the other three and shook his head "Well, since I don't know your names, I guess I shall refer to you as Humans 1, 2, and 3 from now on"
He turned to Iga and watched as he made a motion with his hand over a book "Human 1, what do you have there?" However before Iga has a chance to answer, Superbia notices the book at his own feet and reaches down to pick it up "Hmmm curious, is it some sort of Grimoire?" He says as he leafs through the pages
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Post by oddeyes on Jan 24, 2018 5:15:04 GMT
Ritsuko is not keen on speaking with strangers in a strange place. The other horned person spoke with pompous dignity, and how anyone who looked like that could act that way, didn't sit right with Ritsuko. He referred to himself as a demon lord, so staying away should be priority. Although, questioning him might come later to see if he knows about her own situation. The fearful boy, and quiet man seemed less threatening. She also notices the others have their own books. Ritsuko takes the book by her feet, and looks at it. In a place like this, what was this doing here?
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2018 5:19:51 GMT
Ritsuko and Superbia both notice the same thing that Iga did at first; the words "Property of:" and a scrawl that matches their signatures. The following pages are blank, blank, blankblankblank... that goes on for a little bit, before each reaches a page with a creature on it, and that's it. Each of theirs is different, but they all share a striking realism, and almost give the sensation that they're about to pop out of the page (though they don't actually. Nor even move). Beyond that, the rest of the pages are yet again blank.
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Post by Pandora on Jan 24, 2018 6:24:12 GMT
The way that the arrogant-sounding demon didn't bother to ask for their names and instead assigned the rest of them numbers irks the masked boy a little. The degradation was uncalled for, even if it was their fault for not introducing themselves as well. Still, he holds back from potentially causing any more trouble by picking an argument not worth pursuing and simply murmurs, "It's Lucas. Lucas Albin."
By now, he sees that everyone else has picked up a book and realizes that there is one more left on the 'ground' next to him. Though Lucas is hesitant to even touch it, the fact that he is the only one who isn't looking at one unnerves him more, and the teenager scoops up the last book, cradling it with gentle hands as he cautiously turns open the cover to find out what has caught everyone's attention.
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Post by Robot on Jan 24, 2018 12:57:37 GMT
"Iga is how I am known." He offered softly, adjusting his hat and traveling cloak after folding the book closed and tucking it under his arm. The book claimed to be his property, in his own handwriting no less, it depicted some form of Okami-inu, a dog with bright orange fur and black stripes. The image had a striking quality, as though it lived, and this unsettled him slightly. The page held no indication as to the animal's purpose, nor did any other page in the volume. "I wish to leave this place."
Slow and surefooted, Iga started off in a direction away from the other three, watching the ground change color with each stride.
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Post by oddeyes on Jan 24, 2018 23:46:30 GMT
Ritsuko didn't know what to make of the book. She had never written in it, but her name was there. Maybe it was a wizard's tome, but it had many blank pages, and a few strange pictures. She decided to hold onto it for some reason. It wouldn't hurt to. The others had given names, but giving her own name to these strangers didn't seem necessary. But...she didn't have many opportunities to nowadays. "....Ritsuko..." That Iga(?) person had an idea. Walk, and see if where it takes you. Ritsuko started walking in her own separate direction.
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Post by Breakthelevee on Jan 25, 2018 2:38:50 GMT
Superbia frowned at his name scrawled into the book, in his own handwriting at that. This had to be some kind of trick, magical or no. However before he could think too much on it, Humans 1, 2, and 3 all introduced themselves before 1 and 3 both left in different directions.
With a larger frown, he turned to Human 2....er Lucas and spoke again "Well, Sir Albin, it looks like you're the only one smart enough to not just walk into nothingness." He holds his book up before pointing at the one in Lucas's hand "Did you find anything of note in yours? Mine has nothing but my own name and a picture of some sort of humanoid...thing. Probably some sort of lesser Daemon"
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Post by Pandora on Jan 25, 2018 3:11:03 GMT
"Ah! W-wait..." Lucas scrambles onto his feet, wobbling slightly as he tries to hide his uneasiness of being left behind by the others, even if he isn't sure if he can trust them yet. Unfortunately, the one person whom the boy is currently most uncomfortable with seems intent on staying and questioning him about the books, and Lucas doesn't want to see what happens if he gets on the demon lord's bad side. "Um... It looks like this one has my name, too. I haven't looked at the rest of it yet," the masked child quietly admits as he flips through the rest of the book in his hands, searching for a picture like what Superbia claims to have found.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2018 3:17:21 GMT
After pages of blankness, Lucas finds a picture of his own, though it doesn't seem to match Superbia's description.
Iga and Ritsuko begin to go their separate ways, muffled footfalls the only noise as they proceed into the infinite unknown. Besides the other figures they just met, there seems to be nothing of note around, anywhere, from their current position until the black sky meets the purple ground seemingly an eternity away. The only unusual things that they can see are those footprints that they leave as they step, briefly glowing, before quickly fading away, not even leaving a trail back to where they began.
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Prologue
Jan 25, 2018 22:41:42 GMT
via mobile
Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2018 22:41:42 GMT
Iga had only gone a few dozen paces when he glanced back along his trail. Sure enough, there was no trace of his passage. Delicate fingers again opened his book, and he began to pace back towards the others. "A foreign place that does not follow the rules we are used to. Three strangers, each with a book they do not recognize, signed in their own hand. An image of some form of astranged creature in each..." He pushed his palm against the image as though to hold it at bay, again standing by the other two. "No reason to any of it..."
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Post by Pandora on Jan 26, 2018 0:30:30 GMT
Lucas pauses on the page of what looks to be a tawny owl decorated with vibrant green leaves on its chest and wings. It could be possible that it's a pokemon, but this one doesn't look familiar to him (not that he knows every pokemon in the world, he reminds himself; in fact, there are plenty still being discovered on a regular basis). Deciding it would be better to get a second opinion, even if that opinion is from a potentially dangerous person, the masked boy shows the current page to Superbia. "This is the only picture I found in my book. Do you recognize it any better than yours?"
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Post by oddeyes on Jan 26, 2018 0:41:18 GMT
After walking into the never ending void, Ritsuko soon makes her way back to the other strangers who stayed put. She was obviously getting nowhere fast. Perhaps they had an idea. She could here them talking about books. Probably about the mysterious books that lay at their sides when they awoke. "...Nothing. Walk in any direction, and it leads to nowhere."
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