middleofsomewhere | So Familiar a Gleam: Finale

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So Familiar a Gleam: Finale

YOU R̴̨̬̗̞̺̖̣̱͌̋̅͊͒̃͘Ų̴̨̨̦͎̭̥̰͍̞͙̲̰̞̭̎̆̓͂́͒̑͌̆̉̕͝Î̶̲͖͙͍̮̮̯̭͘͝N̵̡̢̢̛̛͔̳̲͚̙͕̘̠̞̈͊̂̋̆ͅÉ̸͖̟̻̯̪̭͉̭͖̱̙̠̺͎̥̿D̸̥́͒̈́̔̓̅̋͛̉̀͒̇̚̚ MY WORLD

A TL;DR notes version of days/prompts: (click to show)

EVENT BASICS:

DAYS 8-9 (M11-M12):

Buildings had begun to disappear during days 7&8, facilities and even whole streets begin vanishing. There are signs of crumbling infrastructure everywhere they look.
In the early morning of Day 9 (M12), the cracks in the city - in this illusionary world - finally spread. The void sky above shines brightly in its colours. Chaos - also referred to as the Entity, or That Guy - is heard screaming of vengeance against the Voidtreckers, blaming all that has happened onto them. It shows what happened to the original Diagad: It was destroyed by blocky shapes in the sky that came down and destroyed it, while Chaos itself fell into the void.

There is also some light mind torture, as a treat, to really wake people up. Memories, visions of their past assail them. This is the sort of stuff the voidtreckers have been training against and it's a good time for them to put all that work to the test.
Anan's group then takes over any electrical device still left. She explains that they have a way to get the non voidtreckers (4th wall characters and npcs) home and also a way to temporarily seal the world. The entity takes offence at this and the screens smash. The entity appears as a cyclone of crackling colourful energy.
Illusionary creatures are sent around to find and attack Voidtreckers, but they're also going after 4th wallers/NPCS. There's also monsters from other worlds leaking through, real monsters. People will have to move around more carefully, as going out on the streets is dangerous.
However, there's word that buildings are disintegrating/disappearing farther out from the centre sector. People see where the city limits are as the illusion of there being more to the city has completely faded.
Their SCA's begin to work fully, including comms. Of course not everyone was wearing their SCA when they got pulled and the 4th wallers don't have one so it will be up to those who do to make sure everyone is kept in the loop.
The main tasks are as follows.

"YOU. YOU WISH TO RUIN MY WORLD. TO TEAR IT ASUNDER, BREAK AND CRUMBLE AND INCINERATE ITS EXISTENCE AGAIN. AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. I WATCHED IT. THE END OF DIAGAD, PURPLE SKIES, THE CHILDREN WHO LAUGHED IN JOY, THE SMILES I BROUGHT TO LIFE. THE REASON I WORKED AND WOKE AND WHAT KEPT ME GOING EACH AND EVERY DAY. MY EXISTENCE. MY BEING.

FALLING. FALLING. FALLING. I FELL AS IT CAME, BLACK TERROR WITH A HUNGER. HOW DID THE CHILDREN CRY? DID THEY SUFFER? I CAN HEAR THEM ALL, I CAN IMAGINE THEM. SEE IT. THE POSSIBILITIES, THE MAYBES, THE TRUTH. THE WORLD-- MY BEAUTIFUL DIAGAD, OH! THE VOID HAS BLESSED AND CURSED AND DAMNED AND DESTROYED AND BROUGHT TO ME A CHANCE TO SAVE IT THIS TIME, I WILL SAVE DIAGAD, I WILL HEAR THE CHILDREN LAUGH AGAIN, NO ONE WILL DESTROY MY CITY AGAIN. NO ONE, NO THING, IT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL AND SAVED AND IT WILL PROSPER FOREVER.

ALL WHO HARM US! ALL WHO STOP OUR RETURN! I WILL FIX WHAT HAS BEEN BROKEN. NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU YOU VOIDTRECKERS HARM MY WORLD AGAIN. TWISTING AND RUINING OUR HOME NO MORE NO MORE I WILL END YOU."

The spiel comes in the early morning of Merriment 12, their ninth day on this strange world, though morning and night are indistinguishable now with the void-scarred sky burning above Jinnjar. Little exists of the sectors but the education and political district, and everyone has had to take shelter in its buildings, on cold tiled floors and with few blankets. There is no waking comfortable, feeling at ease. The city continues to crumble, and the citizens turned into the Entity's Heroes never quit their search and harassing of people who may be secret Voidtreckers, regardless of the ruinous world around them.

And then it speaks. The Entity's voices wakes everyone, enters into dreams, reality and the fake undefinable between one another. Scenes switch from one to another. A sky. Purple, serene and calm. A feeling of great contentment. But then come the shadows. Dark clouds filling the sky, blotting out that most perfect sky. A scream. No, a thousand screams. A world of screams echoes in every ear. A shadowed figure falling into the void. Pain erupts through the body, the mind, madness and grief suffocating every sense, every fibre of the being, and more attempts to fill and drown each and every person in Diagad. There is grief, there is love, there is despair. A longing and desperation that can never be fulfilled that cries out.

Once it's over, many have collapsed from the experience, and there are screams of those scared for their lives. Go out into the streets if you haven't already, and you will see the streets breaking, buildings being pulled like cubes, splitting people and trapping them. And there is a surge that hits people - Voidtreckers, others - with a brainwashing that makes them think of only one thing:

NO MORE. END. WE WILL END THE VOIDTRECKERS.

In amongst all of this chaos screens switch on. Any screens left working in buildings, on buildings, peoples phones. All show a young woman, a droid sat on her hair, metal legs curled around her head.

"Malin?"

A woman's voice. "Yes, go Anan. Now."

"LISTEN UP!" Anan isn't as loud as the booming voice echoing through the city, but she makes herself clear. "We need to evacuate and seal this world. It is falling apart." Stating the obvious, perhaps.

"We can temporarily seal it and we think there is a way to get the others back to their worlds. I know you Voidtreckers have had no training and this is advanced and really dangerous but everyone who is not a void traveller is in a lot of danger."

In truth, even the void travellers were in danger, but she doesn't want morale to be too low.

"Anyone willing to help meet me in the big park. You'll know it, it's the only park left!"

'HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU THWART ME. NO. NO. YOU DON'T. THIS IS MY CITY. MINE NOT YOURS. NOT YOURS TO DESTROY.' There's a huge crack as the sky itself seems to crack apart as colours twist and turn, a cyclone that forms at the edgez of the city, slowly beginning to devour it.

Over the camera Anan looks visibly shocked, terrified even, lost for words. An older man with reddish greying hair steps towards her, putting a big hand on her shoulder.

"Focus Anan. Voidtreckers. We do not ask it lightly. Please those that can, fight. Buy us time to set the seals. Buy time for those with no void craft to evacuate."

The screens flicker in colour before it cracks into static.

'NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE.'

A DISJOINTED REALITY

[ FALLING CITY. ] The city has been torn apart, fragments of roads, buildings and structures floating in a horrible mess. Friends and comrades split apart, some trapped in rooms that once had exits, or with no way out than to fall to nowhere. Pieces may stitch back together again at random, but with the same unpredictably, tear apart.

And if it couldn't get any worse, those core lights buzz around the environment, searching for individuals. They will do anything to hinder our heroes: turn into monsters from their minds, attempt to encase them inside illusions of their fears; even try to make them see pathways that don't exist, to make them fall into nothingness.

But for those who honed their resistances against illusions, this time may be different from the last. And with some experimenting, or just some lucky wishful thinking at the right time - some will find they can bend the illusions to do as they want, if just for a while. Stitch back together pathways so they can be crossed over, or make a weapon appear where it's needed.

It requires concentration, will be exhausting with too much use, but still - when isn't an axe or road on call handy?

[ HINDRANCE OR HELP. ] But it isn't only the core lights and environment they need to worry about. There are monsters coming out of the void - monsters they may recognise, monsters they may not. But unlike those of illusions, these are real, monsters - mechanical, ghostly, flesh and blood, something else entirely - slipping through from other worlds to rampage here.

There are also civilians, those who remain brainwashed, going after the Voidtreckers with powers of their own: telekinesis, pyromancy, superstrength and endurance, and so forth. Their skill levels vary, but the strongest of all are those who features have become twisted, chaotic. Streaks of colours dance under the skin, and they listen to no reason but their own. The entity - no their god, Chaos, is remaking the world. Remaking it the way it should have always been.

Strangely, but luckily, not everyone is harmful. Amongst those out there are a peculiar sight: a short hybrid between child and woodland-creature. They're keen to help, particularly anyone young or good of heart. They will help to lead them to safe shelters - the safe-houses made by Voidtreckers, the protected rooms all that are left. They may even interrupt the core lights from harming youngsters, knocking and shattering them, and then staying close to the youngster.

[ THE EVACUATION. ] For those who manage to make their way to the park, Anan is there, looking grim. One good thing though, as voidtreckers rush towards the entity or get ready to protect those helping evacuate this world- those with SCA's will see them burst into life, comms online.

The evacuation area needs protecting. Those acting as beacons aren't able to fight for themselves and the evacuation process is intense, slow and there are many many people in this city. The main entity is distracted but the monsters are drawn towards this gathering of people. Holding them back is vital to this plan working.

It's going to take everything the voidtreckers and their new friends have, to pull this plan off.

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"I guess that could work.." She's seen Romeo's borderlines before, after all. They're really impressive, especially when done by someone his age! Surely he'll be able to keep it up and keep them from attacking them.

She glances around them, before pointing.

"Maybe we should use that alleyway over there? It's kind of a hard angle to shoot from, but at least it's the place that would be the easiest for you to protect."

"As long as you think you can shoot from there!" Even if it was tricky, he was sure Madoka was good enough! She was very talented with her bow!

"Let's go there then!" He looked around and reached out for her hand, so they could run together.

Honestly, she's not 100% sure she can pull it off. Which makes it a bit of a risk - since if those lights see the arrows coming from there without actually getting hit by them, it'll give away their hiding spot right away, no matter how much Romeo would be trying to protect it.

But she at least has to try. She's the older one here, so Madoka knows she has to show at least a little bit of confidence. Romeo is always helping her so much.. The least she could do in return is to protect the boy too, for once.

So she runs right along with him, all the way until they're over there. Madoka moves to grab an arrow out of her quiver, while still looking at Romeo.

"Do you think you're okay with setting up a borderline here..?" Does this spot feel good for it to him?

"Yes!" He nodded at her, looking at the alley. He could do a borderline here! That would work.

He could stay hidden as well though Madoka would have to be further out to shoot...

He had an idea! "Madoka! Your name is Madoka... Kaname right?" He thought he remembered that right!

".. huh?"

It's a question that seems to surprise her a little in the middle of a situation like this. But Madoka takes her friend too seriously to question what he's asking her. Surely Romeo would have a good reason for asking that right now of all times, so she nods.

"Yeah, it is!"

See, she's good. Not even asking 'why'. It's better to just get to the action right away, in case those lights might spot them early after all!

He was glad she trusted him, because they haven't got too much time to explain. He can explain later and apologise for not asking her permission first.

He drew himself up. He was Romeo. He and Madoka were great friends and the very best team. Together they were so much better than this illusion making power. They had a great plan and it was going to work.

It was going to work because Madoka trusted him and he believed in her. He believed in himself. She was going to shoot the balls of light and he was going to help her.

He drew that confidence around him like armour and then dramatically, but quietly considering they were hiding, he pointed at her. "Madoka Kaname. Umbra!"

Even though she's curious about what's about to happen, Madoka is still trying to do her best. Trying to stay still, to not fiddle or move around too much, in case that might have some sort of negative effect on what he's about to do.

But then Romeo is pointing at her, and Madoka is looking right back at her, her eyes wide. She only manages to surpress a startled yelp by moving her hands in front of her face when he speaks up.

Ah, wait, there's a faint memory in her head. Hadn't he done something like this too, back when they were fighting in that super cold place..

"W-What did you do?" She asks, making sure to keep her voice down to a whisper.

"Made you invisible!" He grinned at her. "So now you can shoot it and run back here without it seeing you."

It was still the same plan, but it would make it easier for Madoka and mean that she wouldn't be targeted as she shot them!

He hoped. He really hope this was going to work!

Romeo's powers are always a surprise. But a good kind of surprise, considering they sure are turning out helpful in this situation.

It means Madoka looks surprised for another moment, glancing down at herself, before looking back at Romeo with a smile.

"Alright! I'll go and shoot them then. Are you ready too?"

Because Madoka figures that Romeo's spell should work, but in case the lights do notice somehow, he needs to be prepared to try and stop them!

"I'm ready!" He grinned at her. He raised his finger up, ready to do the borderline very quickly.

But first Madoka had to shoot them, he watched, having every confidence in her and ready to throw more borderlines if they did spot her after all!

But they won't! He has to be confident or the spell won't work!

Madoka gives the boy a quick nod, but then she runs out. Even though it's a fairly tense situation, for once the girl doesn't look too nervous. After all, she has all faith in Romeo's abilities - and that includes the ability to perform this sort of magic in the first place. If he really says she'll be invisible, then surely she will be.

So she runs out into plain view. The lights don't seem to notice her thanks to the spell, which is why she's able to fire her arrow at one of them - and then quickly another one at the other light. It hits and damages them, but doesn't manage to fully get rid of them just yet, which is why the lights start heading in the direction they saw the arrows coming from.

And Madoka - in turn - quickly ducks back into the alleyway, pulling an arrow out to put on her bow once more. She whispers to Romeo, unsure if the lights would hear them otherwise: "I'll try firing at them again when they pass us!"

He watches tensly as Madoka shoots them and runs back. The moment she is far enough down the alley he brings his hand across.

"Line!"

It's a lot quieter than he normally shouts it but the borderline springs up, strong and steady. He focuses on it, so that Madoka will be able to shoot through it without the lights getting to them both in return.

It's a pretty tense moment, right?

Because it's one thing to just run out there into danger. It's scary, sure, but it feels like you at least have control over it. You're willingly choosing to head into it.

But this is different. This is just the two of them - just two kids - waiting in an alleyway, hoping for something dangerous to not find them, to not spot them and just move past. It makes seconds stretch out into agonizing minutes.

All the way until the lights slowly pass them. They don't seem to notice Madoka - as invisible as she was - headed in here, so she quickly fires at one of them again-- this time managing to scatter the light.

But that leaves the second light to fly right at them, and Madoka definitely needs time to grab another arrow again. Can the borderline hold it?!

It was a very tense moment! Romeo felt like his heart would beat right out of his mouth. Which was silly because technically his heart didn't even beat! He feels at least a bit better knowing that Madoka was invisible, so she would be safer if his borderline failed.

But it wouldn't! His spell would hold as well. He has to believe it! Belief was the most important part. Madoka shoots again, her arrow flying out of the borderline to hit light, scattering it.

But the other flies at them. Romeo focused all his mind, all his spirit into keeping that borderline up. Madoka needs time to get another arrow. The light hits the borderline, making Romeo stumble slightly but it holds. It holds and he focuses everything he had...

Madoka tries to not think too much about whether or not the borderline will hold. She tries to not even look at it. Leaving it entirely up to Romeo, trusting her friend to keep them both safe while Madoka needs a moment, just another moment..

The arrow is on her bow, and a moment later it's shot at the second light, shattering that one too as it's still caught up against the borderline protecting them.

The girl stands there with her bow held up for yet another moment. As if she doesn't trust it, or is waiting for the lights to return after all.

But nothing reappears. It seems that they got rid of these two after all, and it's then that Madoka finally dares to slowly exhale.

"I.. think we did it."

He trusts her too. She will get her arrow and then shoot the light. And she does! His borderline lets her arrow through whilst keeping the bad light orb out.

It shatters and there's a moment, Romeo keeps the borderline up as well as the invisibility spell and they wait. One second, five seconds. All is quiet.

They've done it. He lets out a big breath and grins at Madoka.

"You were amazing!"

"N-- I-- Um!"

See that attempt to try and accept the compliment? It's not going perfectly just yet, but look, she's trying! She didn't fully get out that 'no', instead just saying: "Thank you, you were too..!"

She'll get it down perfectly one day, but this is already a pretty solid attempt for someone like Madoka. She smiles, dropping her bow on the floor for a moment so she can instead wrap both of her arms around the boy, squeezing him into a hug.

"We only managed to do it because we were working together!"

She is trying! Romeo knows that it's sometimes very tricky for Madoka to accept praise and so he's proud of her! He smiles at her and then returned that hug, squeezing her tight back.

"We did! We made a great team!"

He drew back slightly but only to raise his hands. Great teamwork deserved high fives!

The end of a hug is totally acceptable when it's all for the sake of a high five.

Which is to say that Madoka totally smiles when she sees his hands up like that, already knowing where he's going with this. Now her hands are empty, it's super easy to just reach over and slap her hands against his own in a high five.

"Come on..! We should see if we can find more of them to take care of! Then everyone else who's working so hard won't have to be afraid of the illusions anymore!"

It was a great high five and he grinned at her happily before nodding. "Yes! Let's go take care of more of them, and stop these bad illusions for good!"

He was glad they had something they could do to help, now that they knew a good way to work together!

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So Familiar a Gleam: Finale

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