middleofsomewhere | Into the Unknown Part Two

Entry tags:

Into the Unknown Part Two

On day twenty-five of the month of Symphony, everyone is gathered together, at least everyone who follows the request for a meeting to be held.

One of the head scientists - named Till - stands before the group, a look of excitement on their face.

"We have found something, an anomaly in the void. We are not sure what it is exactly, but there is a lot of activity coming from its coordinates. More penitently, initial investigations have picked up readings that are constant with a void storm.

I believe from your own reports you have experienced void storms before, and you know they can be dangerous, but always fleeting, never lasting more than a few days. However, this storm seems to be static. It has not moved or changed since we first detected it.

We understand there may be people who do not want to venture into this storm, and we understand. The loops we have added to your tethers will allow you to stay on the base long enough for those investigating to return. You may experience some discomfort and disorientation during the time your craft is away, but it should only be mild and temporary.

For those investigating, we know little of what you will face. Every storm is different, and this one is already stranger than anything we have come across before."

The scientists stick around to reassure people and help them make their decisions. Those going to investigate are told to report to their craft in the morning.

INTO THE UNKNOWN: PART 2

SYMPHONY 26-29 ~ OOC POST ~ QUESTIONS ~ FIRST PART

JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN

Those willing to go will leave on the Voidtrecker Express first thing the next day, with only warnings and well-wishes to be careful to go with them. There is an estimate for how long it'll take them to reach the anomaly, about half a day's travel by the train's clock, give or take. But there's no telling the true time it'll take, nor the effects of the void that will be waiting for them. Keeping away from the windows or putting up blinds is advised as a precaution, just in case, and to monitor each other's health.

"Warning: Approaching Voidstorm, please take precautions." The train warns as they arrive on the edges, all the usual train precautions have been taken, the lab cart has been shut down, the ovens in the kitchen are disconnected. The train begins to shake as it enters the first layer.

LAYER ONE: CHANGING SHADES
They first experience changes by sight - literally. Around them, objects start emitting an aura that's unique to each passenger, colouring it to match their mood towards that particular thing. Coffee machines? Amazing, paint that gold. A boring book? Ugh, the entire thing is turning grey.

It's a small effect at the start, yet objects aren't the only things being affected - so are the people on board. Their own moods are changing their hair colour, eyes, and skin, shifting more rapidly than the furniture's paint job. And as time goes on, passengers will be able to affect one another's colouration and aura, giving away how they may feel about that person at that moment, if their feelings are strong enough. Never noticed how fondly one feels about you? Now you do.

LAYER TWO: LOOSE LIPS
Going into the next layer, there's an itch that starts to gnaw at everyone - an itch to talk. To friends, to strangers, to anyone; you have a need to chatter, and it has to get out. Attempting to isolate yourself only makes the need worse, and you won't be able to sleep it away. It doesn't matter if you don't know what to talk about - you'll find something.

A good chat will subdue the need for a while, but it will eventually return. So while listening to others talk might help keep it at bay, it won't forever.

LAYER THREE: CONFESSION - I THINK YOU'RE OK
The changes become stronger, and with them the urges. Passengers will feel compelled to tell those they know their feelings for them, whether it's as simple as finding them okay, to having stronger inclinations of friendship, dislike, or even love.

These urges can be held back on for a time, but it's easy for it to slip out; and many may still be suffering from the previous layer, where they get the sudden need to talk.

LAYER FOUR: A CAKE FOR MY BELOVED
Talking is simply not good enough in this layer: actions speak louder than words. You want to create ways of expressing your desires, regardless of how creative you actually are. Building a shrine to your loved ones, challenging rivals to duels. You can't stay idle, and your hands and brain need to be at work! What can you manage on this train?

EYE OF THE STORM

Finally, all of it stops. The colours, the emotions, the compulsion of dramatics; their minds go from being caught in the storm to completely calm (or, as calm as they ever are). It is much like waking from a dream, or going from one very noisy overwhelming place to complete silence.

A second passes, and then another, and then... there's a feeling. Fear, terror - even those who normally have no ability to feel the emotions of others can feel it, emanating from the train itself.

With it comes an invitation. Hard to describe, but a tugging at their mind. They can push it away no problem, but if they accept...

They are looking out. The familiar colours of the Void are all around them, but they can't turn to look. Ahead is a hole where space should be, nothingness curving and spiralling out from a point deep within that wound in reality, tearing and tugging at the unfortunate observer. The chaotic nimbus at the edge of their vision spins inwards to meet it, and vanishes at the edge of the hole. A void within the Void. And within that terrifying chaotic darkness there are shapes.

The train rocks as energy rushes past it, tossing the craft from side to side. It spins, lurching out of control, the connection snapping as everyone is thrown back into their own awareness as the train starts vibrating to at full speed.

But the tell-tale signs of movement isn't there, and a creaking of metal can be heard. The train shakes more as the view outside the windows shows them inching forward towards where the hole had been, and parts of the roof start to bend inward, water pipes burst and the electricity fails in multiple carriages.

Until there's a rush, a shaking and twisting, and the void flashes violently in the windows. The ever distant choral singing becomes a roar as a kaleidoscope of colours fills the interior of the train itself.

Then there is stillness. It calms, and there is no storm, no terrifying darkness. Just the void, as it ever is, ever changing.

OOC NOTES

NOTES: They will be in the storm for three days, each layer takes about half a day.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Layer Four

Here's a sentence you likely never expected to read: Cassie Cage has spent the last hour or so hunched over a block of cheese. She works her carving and paring knives with fury and passion, spreading soft cheese behind for coloring.

By this point, it should be vaguely apparent to those who know her that she is attempting a likeness of her fiance. It should be incredibly apparent to ALL that she is not a sculptor.

She's giving it her best shot regardless.

Eye of the Storm

Cassie has a smart remark for most occasions. This isn't one of them. She'll gather herself in a moment, ready to shield and comfort the younger or more easily panicked passengers who had nonetheless come along.

But for a moment, she'll be attempting to break the world record for the longest unbroken string of repetitions of the phrase "Aw, FUCK."

Edited 2022-08-21 19:58 (UTC)

layer one

Kaiba had prepared himself for ghosts. Disaster. Screams. But these swirling colors were definitely not expected. Everything he gravitated toward initially gave off a cool blue aura, but as time went on...the aura consumed him. His normal dark brown hair became a frosty blue as he tried to steel himself against the tide of emotional interference.

"...if I didn't have to observe what was going on, I'd want to sleep," he groused, a slight grey pallor falling over him. But the thing about grey was that it was so easy to color over.

layer four

By this time, he'd been ravaged by quite the emotional storm, but one shining thought rose above the others: his love for his husband. Kaiba retreated to the gaming car, working off his virtual projectors to create a holographic statue of...Yugi Mutou, with that playful and knowing expression on his face. All of Yugi's favorite cards were at his side, a card deck in his hand, a glowing game board behind him.

There weren't quite hearts in the display, but soft lighting and white and purple sparkles indicated that this flashy exhibition was made to be seen. His husband's kindness and brilliant mind needed to be made known.

the eye

It happened in a moment. His heart lurched, his vocal cords were frozen to prevent a scream...and the World Eaters extended their grip for a terrifying moment. He was thrown off his feet in the chaos, rolling roughly into a row of seats as the lights flickered.

Turbulence, then calm. He grunts as he pulls himself upright. "Ugh. Do you think we were structurally compromised?"

1. Layer Two

[Ryou is trying very hard to keep his mouth shut against the urge to talk. But of course, he can't do that forever, and eventually he turns to whoever's nearby and just says what's on his mind.]

I wonder why I'm so bad with girls...

[He's...not quite on the right track with that thought.]

2. Eye of the Storm

[Even with the overwhelming fear from the train, Ryou still manages to push the tugging at his mind away with a muttered "Get out of my head", not wanting anyone inviting themselves in there. For a moment, he thinks that's all, but then chaos hits, the train shaking and rattling in the storm. As the roof starts to buckle, he dives under a table, grabbing onto one of the legs like in an earthquake drill and screams at anyone nearby.]

Take cover! [He's going to stay there until the rattling stops.]

..::|| Journey Into The Unknown ||::..

Daia made his decision with zero hesitation: he was going! He has to help. He's been gone for six months, and he has to make up for everyone else having to do things with less and less of a crew. A lessening he contributed to, even if it wasn't willingly. He can't help but feel guilty. He's quick to make it back to the train and make sure he's settled as quick as he can.

|| A. Loose Lips ||
The colours were interesting, seeing everything that turned into colours he liked or didn't like. It definitely put some things that Daia never really thought about into perspective. But it's gone, and now Daia's having a hard struggle with the need to talk. To someone, to anyone.

And eventually, he just plops into the seat nearest to you. He gives a smile, as he mentally wonders for a second what he's even doing. Not that talking is weird, but he's never felt this compelled to want even a stranger's company before.

Well...

Hello, new friends. Or old. Either way.

"Hello. How are you liking the trip so far?"

Really? That's what he came up with to talk about? He feels like he could have said something better. Well, it's out now. Hopefully it's as good a place as any to start.

|| B. Confession - Closed to the males of the Train ||

What is going on? Daia feels more flustered than usual. He's pretty sure he almost told someone he likes them. Even if it's just a little. He ran away before he could say it, though. He hopes they didn't see him before he ran off. That would be even more awkward. And this is already really awkward. He's so flustered. How does he make it stop?

He's only confessed to two people before, and he remembers being very hesitant to do so again. So why...

Why does he want to tell people now? They're not even that close (....even if he would like to be).

Ugh! Why is everyone on this train so cute?!

But still, he can't resist. He approaches you, clearly fidgeting. His cheeks clearly red. He's avoiding eye contact. His heart is pounding. Can he do this? Why is he doing this?

"U-uhm... E-excuse me...?"

((OOC: Any boy who wants to be told that Daia thinks they're cute, feel free to come on by. If you've been nice to him, you get extra crush points. You might also win those points by being nice to Daia in this post. If you even give him a cookie, he'll like you. If you need any plotting to get crush points, feel free to hmu at

Tseil or PM this account.))

..::|| Eye of the Storm ||::..

Daia wants to hide, to scream, to do something. He latches as hard as he can onto the nearest thing and prays it keeps him steady as much as possible through this whole thing. He can't help but start to cry. Is everyone on here going to die? Is this the end of everything? Did he come back after six months just for this to be the end? A water pipe nearby bursts, and he yells, shocked by the cold on top of everything else going on. He rattles to the other side of the train, unable to keep his grip on whatever-it-was from before. And he falls into you.

He clings to you now, instead, shaking like a leaf. The wetness you feel might be the water from the pipe that drenched him before, or maybe you feel the warmth of tears. But he's certain that this is absolutely terrifying, and he just wants to be safe.

"...Daia?"

Kaiba's still disoriented from being thrown and nearly drawn into the emptiness himself, but he recognizes the head of hair in the dim light. He holds onto his friend tightly, breathing deep. Important to stay as calm as he can, as hard as that is right now.

"I think we escaped. We're not being ripped apart anymore."

Layer Two

Layer Three

Layer Four

Eye of the Storm

hard

look

knows

will

Wildcard

ooc: Anything else? Hit him up, or get in touch with me for a specific starter.

[That's a sentiment Daia can relate to. Even if it's misinterpreted. He gives a sympathetic sigh.]

Yea, me too. I've never had a boyfriend.

[Though he supposes running away from a hunter all the time would contribute to that. But even being on the train as long as he had before disappearing for six months didn't produce any results. And he confessed. Twice.

Oh, well.]

Maybe it's just bad luck?

Kaiba's voice is calming, and the rattling seems to have stopped.

Daia opens one eye slowly, then the other, the tears still flowing. And everything seems to be still. Even the thing he felt tearing at his mind is gone now. Daia's breathing is shaky, as he tries to steady himself from a sob.

They're safe, right?

"It... it's over?"

He leans up a little bit, but not enough to pull out of the hug; just enough to look up at Kaiba.

Kaiba's always helping him. He's grateful, but there's a small pang of guilt. But right now, he'll take the familiarity and warmth of his friend. He's just happy that he came back to the Train with Kaiba still here, too. He doesn't know what he would do without his closest friend.

Layer Two

[He knows something is weird, feeling the urge to just be - chatty. Okay, maybe he's chatty with certain subjects but now he feels like he just wants to ramble babble, just because. He does try to isolate himself, except that only seems to make the itch - worse.

In evidently, he finds himself going into a monologue. The Doctor starts this off by being highly confident]

I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I am 903 years old - a long time ago, I stole a Type 40 Tardis and run away with my granddaughter Susan to see the universe.

I had humans travel with me, and we explored worlds, fought monsters, right-ed wrongs, and thought-out my many lives.

[The Doctor’s tone slowly becomes serious]

Then the Time War came a fight between my people and The Daleks.

[His tone changes to distress.]

I didn’t want to fight but ended up having to.I don’t know how long I fought but at one point all of space and time was going to burn. And I had to fight in the Time War. There came a point, where my choices were getting less and less. And the only choice to end The War, was –

[The Doctor inhales deeply, a clear look of pain on his face and in loud whisper]

To destroy my own planet. My own home… And I did. Both the Time Lords and Daleks burned.

[There seems to be an undertone of shame in his voice and a clear look on his face that he hates himself]

And I was the On-Coming Storm, Destroyer of Worlds, Bringer of Darkness.

[Then a short pause and continues in a worn loud whisper.]

I traveled a long time, trying to help others, proving to myself that I was The Doctor again. I met Rose Tyler and she showed me that I had become too much like a Dalek. How willing I was to kill. She made that old soldier me better, as did Jack.

[Then a brief excitement of]

I got to have a moment when I finally felt I was The Doctor again!

[Another pause and look of dread on his face]

Somehow, a fleet of Daleks got lost from the Time War and we found them… And Rose saved us all. She brought Jack alive forever, making life the last act of The Time War.

And I died, saving her. I wanted to be able to express the affection she had shown me, so I hoped that her influence would create most of the new me.

I had to prove to her and myself that I was, The Doctor.
[A big boost of enthusiasm]

And I did!
We traveled to many more worlds and times together, helping out and having fun. And seeing impossible things!
[Another pause and another look of dread. Ten continues in a whisper and looks like he’s holding back pain again.]
....

Until...

I lost her.

In another universe.

... I never got to tell her how I felt about her...Though I said it when I went into the pit with The Beast, she does know.

[A short pause and less a bit less sad]
Martha and I had adventures together too but I didn’t see her and I don’t blame her at all for wanting to walk.

[Another boost of enthusiasm]

But she was impressive! Oh yes!

The year that never happened, happened and kept the worst from happening my mates and I. They are quite a clever lot!

[The Doctor pauses and seems to be asking himself.]

I wonder if Jack changed his mind about my offer.
I don’t know why The Master had to die… Maybe this is my punishment for what I did.

[Ending with a big burst of enthusiasm and ‘lets’ go team’!]

Got to save the Earth again before ending up here and we’re all going to save the multiverse!
Does anyone have a problem with that?

Eye of The Storm

[What is this? What is this - terror? He should fend it off but he's also curious about what is trying to tug at his mind. The Doctor finds his hearts pounding in excitement, wonderment and terror.]

What was that? It's coming for us, whatever it is? Why does it want us?

[The sounds of interior popping. The Doctor dashes thought-out the carts with his sonic screwdriver in hand. A determined look on his face that The Train isn't going down if he can help it!]

Wildcard

Something else? Hit me up or get in touch for a starter.

Layer 1 - Blue Priest

Rezo has only experienced voidstorms once in his time aboard the Voidtrecker Express, but he’d known from both that and word of mouth what to expect. So it isn’t a real surprise to him when people start remarking on the colors and auras, and he braces himself for his own audio hallucinations.

Except, as the morning goes on, he keeps overhearing people mention the color phenomenon and yet for him… Everything’s the same as normal.

It’s not that he wants to be hallucinating, but if he hears another remark about what color something is, he’ll… Well. There isn’t really anything he can do except stew in his own awkwardness, is there?

(Unbeknownst to Rezo, he is steadily turning a darker and darker shade of grey-blue as the morning goes on.)

Layer 2 - Library Loudmouth

Ah, socialization. Truly Rezo’s worst nemesis. In a bid to escape his suddenly chatty fellow passengers and to distract from his own alarming urge to open up, Rezo has headed to the library. Surely a book will keep him occupied, and surely nobody will be rude enough to interrupt somebody who is reading!

…Or at least, that was the plan. He’s only a few pages into a random novel when he hears somebody moving nearby, and before he knows it he’s lowered the book and opened his mouth.

“Have you read this one?” he asks. “The style is very odd.”

Layer 4 - Furor Scribendi/Furor Consuendi

It’s the second day of this very chaotic trip and Rezo has once again retreated to the library. This time he’s not trying to hide from anything however- this time he is a man on a mission. You see, Lioriley is the most wonderful, sweetest, lovable woman to exist in any world, and Rezo simply has to get down all the ways I love thee or else he feels as though he might burst from all the emotions.

So he’s claimed a table, normally meant for studying, and is trying to express his feelings through the time honored medium of the love letter. Or maybe three love letters. Or six. Or twelve. Or…

His hand is terribly stained with ink, there’s an increasingly large stack of letters piled next to him, and he shows no sign of stopping writing anytime soon.

But later, he will have stopped writing… Only to be struck with the inspiration for another project. And so Rezo is seated in one of the few free corners of the art car, surrounded by scraps of fabric, wads of cotton, yarn, boxes of buttons, spools of thread, etc. And he is hand-stitching together… something, at an almost alarming pace.

And if you’re someone who Rezo has been even remotely friendly with in the past? Prepare yourself for Rezo suddenly holding out one of his little creations in front of you. It’s probably a doll, or a stuffed animal, but it’s made from the most random assortment of fabric and lumpy body parts, so it looks vaguely reminiscent of the voidblobs some of you may remember from Ciyesia.

“Here!” he says cheerfully. “This is for you.”

Some Mild Turbulence

Rezo may not be able to see it, but he feels that chaotic nothingness prickling up his spine, and his ears ring with the sounds of the horrific chorus of the void.

And then- the thread snaps and Rezo stumbles as the train begins its violent rocketing about. Rezo swears, loud but easy to miss in the chaos, and tries his damndest to keep his balance even as it feels like everything is falling apart.

If you’re significantly smaller than Rezo you may find him suddenly grabbing and leaning over you, operating on instinct to protect from any objects that may go flying during all the shaking- let alone anything that may drop out of the ceiling once it starts buckling.

Some time later, when everything has calmed down, Rezo will be making his way through the train cars, stopping to check on each and every person he comes across. He’ll ask “Is anyone hurt?” as well as distribute blankets and towels to anyone who seems to need them.

Wildcard

[[HMU if you want a custom starter, or feel free to throw one of your own at me. Maybe you want to confess your UNDYING HATRED for this man!]]

"We'll be all right," Kaiba gives him a reassuring squeeze. It's okay. He reaches up to gently ruffle his friend's hair, taking a moment to ground them.

"We can fix the damage to the train. Go back and make a report. It'll be fine."

The reassuring squeeze and the hair-ruffling all help to calm Daia down a bit. The damage to the train, though... That seems to snap him out of his fear a little.

"But... the water."

He looks over at the broken pipe, as it continues to flow into the car. Isn't water damage bad? Though it is a Void train. Can it handle water damage?

But then...

"Who do I report it to?"

"That's a person right?" Ple Two is pretty sure it is, but her own perception of colors is a daunting challenge to figuring out what other people are seeing - it could just as easily be abstract art or a happy little forest.

Meanwhile, Ple Two is also attempting to make tea and getting distracted by the colors making it hard to tell what is and isn't even tea.

Zelgadis and Rezo have generally worked out ways to avoid each other on the train, despite the size. It often means knowing the other's routine pretty well. Zelgadis has spent the last few hours stewing because he has a strong feeling that he needs to tell Rezo how much he dislikes him. Despite knowing the last time, they both got yelled at for making too much noise.

He holds out until his annoyed wanderings of the train actually bring him to the same car as Rezo. "Rezo!"

"I don't think I caught the question," Thomas said. "Can you repeat it?"

[OOC: I'm not sure what of Thomas might have caught interest, but I can make something up if need be.]

Rezo is in the greenhouse car when Zelgadis finds him, tending to the flower that Zelgadis may remember from a few platforms ago. But hearing Zelgadis speak- and calling his name in that specific tone- immediately makes him tense up, and he nearly drops the watering can he’s holding.

As it is, he sets it very deliberately down and forces himself to impassivity when he turns around.

“Zelgadis,” he says. “Is- Is something the matter?”

Because maybe the reason Zelgadis is here is because there’s some sort of mazoku-related reason that he wants Rezo to do something about. Or someone is injured enough that he’s willing to go to Rezo about it. Maybe.

But Rezo realizes that this is not very likely. Not with the way things have been lately.

I can't throw stones. I was raised by the Covenant of Saint George, who had decided it was God's mission to them to eradicate anything 'unnatural', which included a lot of people who happened to not be born as humans, and animals that weren't particularly dangerous. In the past, it might have come from a need to protect human communities, but... we'd wiped out dragons, and thylacines, and who knows what else, because they didn't fit with what our ancestors considered 'God's creatures'.

I might never have realized how wrong that was. I was sworn to the pen and the page so was meant to spend my life in the archives, collecting information from field teams to better understand how to track and kill monsters. Except I had started to develop sorcery as a teenager, and would have been considered suspect if that had been found out. I started asking the kind of uncomfortable questions of my teachers that suggested I was not buying the propaganda and was sent into the field to gather information to be scared back on the path. Only I realized how arbitrary the lists of natural versus unnatural were, and that every note I took would be used against the 'unnatural' regardless of how little threat they were to humanity.

It took until my notes on Australia for my superiors to catch on that I was either dangerously incompetent or dangerously close to going rogue.

[that gets a smile; even conventional biologists find islands to be reservoirs of weird species, let alone crypto-biologists.]

I don't know if any of my actions while with the Covenant led to any deaths, let alone genocides, but does it make a difference if an organization diffuses the blame so that no one person is the cause?

"Yeah. Someone beautiful."

She halts. The glowing, sparkling pink aura around the attempted cheese sculpture vanishes. It begins to turn a grey, curdled brown.

"Well, it's, um...supposed to be."

The aura returns as she resumes her carving.

"...it's hard to make sure things are things right now." Is this what drugs are like? ...certain drugs?

"I wish he'd come around and either knock this over or eat it so I can stop," Cassie says.

"But I just can't stop slavering over this. I'd destroy it myself but I've gotta make sure he sees this for some reason."

Layer 1-OTA

"OK, this is really trippy," Lea said. Everything in the kitchen had developed auras of color. Ingredients he liked and equipment he used frequently were covered in an overlay of warm reds and golds. Things he was less keen on were in purples and greens, and a few things he actively disliked were dull gray. And it wasn't just in the kitchen; everything in every car was like that, but in the kitchen it was more noticeable due to the sheer number and variety of objects.

"I wonder if we're all seeing the same colors for the same things?" he asked. "What color does that pot look like to you?"

Layer 3-Roxas and Xion and maybe later Vexen

Talking with Roxas and Xion- and some other people- had been easy. He did that all the time anyway. But this new urge welling up in him? This was something else. He hadn't quite know how to express all of it. Still didn't, really. But now? The urge to try anyway wouldn't be denied. "There's... something I really need to tell you guys..."

Layer 3-Taiki

And Xion and Roxas weren't the only ones he felt the need to talk to. He also sought out Taiki, because there were some things his kirin friend needed to hear. And likely a few hugs he needed to be given. Fortunately, he wasn't too hard to locate. "Taiki?", Lea said as he approached. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"

Layer 4- OTA

It felt... weirdly good to get those feelings he'd confessed out, but it wasn't quite enough. He needed to make something for his friends, for everyone, to show how much he cared. So Lea could be found in the kitchens, busily cooking. Currently he was simultaneously making a big pot of vegetable stew, while also monitoring some grilled fruit skewers. "C'mon in," he said cheerfully. "I already made some ice cream; it's in the freezer in the next car and should be all set by now, and the fruit skewers'll be done in a minute."

Eye of the Storm- OTA

That pull... Lea'd felt it before. Or something like it anyway. That stark empty terror that only some form of Nothingness could produce. But there was no time to think about that. He could freak out and be terrified later. Right now the train was in bad shape and the same was likely true for some of those aboard. They needed to act. Panic could wait.

"Everyone still in one piece?", Lea called out to anyone within hearing range as he clambered to his feet. The only light in the car was the swirling glow of the Void, but he could make out a burst pipe near the ceiling. If he could climb up on something he could probably weld it shut with his hand. But checking on people took priority.

"And I just wanna make tea for everyone, except I'm trying to... figure out what's water and what's tea now, and it's confusing, and that's... annoying..." she mutters.

Lioriley could not sing. This was a fact she knew and accepted about herself long ago. But something in her told her she had to sing - had to write a song about her beloved priest and sing it as loudly as she could to him so he knew the depths of her feelings. She had managed the lyrics (quite good, actually, because written words were her forte), and all she had to do now was to find him and sing her heart out.

The library seemed as good a place to start as any, and it was with her leylines bright and pulsing, oddly enough, pink instead of their usual blue, she came across him, smiling bright with her song clutched to her chest.

"Rezo, my love. Do you have a moment?"

[Cassie dashes up to the Doctor, grabs him by the shoulders and responds with a speed and ferocity that could win her an audition for a Micro Machines commercial.]

Wow, that's a really amazing story that explains a lot about what your whole deal has been these past two weeks. I think you have a good heart but you have numerous emotional issues caused mostly by trauma that will likely require professional therapy and a robust support network that one person can't provide, and even if they could I'm not really that person and that's always kinda gonna be a thing about you I'm a little uncomfortable with even if I want you to get the help you need since I'm overall cool with you.

[She breathes deeply, sharply, and quickly before continuing.]

I've had a complicated relationship with my mother for my whole life - she's a Special Forces general and is also my commanding officer. My dad is a martial arts movie star and descendant of a Mediterranean war cult that was bred to fight Elder Gods, who had a one-night stand with my mom after they saved the world and apparently forgot to wear a condom because I was born nine months later. They got married but the fact that her military life kept her from being around most of the time strained their relationship and made me think I hated her for a while.

I joined the Army instead of going into show business for a lot of reasons but the main one that I'll never admit to anyone was that I wanted my mom's approval. It started badly when I went AWOL from basic training and got kidnapped by a cult run by a kleric of Chaosrealm who brainwashed me and tried to destroy Outworld. Wasn't until that whole fuckin' thing got cleared up that I started to appreciate the sacrifices she'd made and how serious the commitment to service was.

A few years later I was given my own international inter-service command that I didn't feel ready for and probably wasn't ready for. Then the fallen Elder God Shinnok escaped from the amulet he was imprisoned in and started trying to merge Earthrealm with the Netherrealm to make Hell on Earth. But I got my team there and used my war cult powers to save the world by kicking Shinnok in the nuts real fuckin' hard.

I tried to say a cool one-liner after I won the fight but the only thing I could think of was "You got Caged" which in retrospect I think was pretty laaaaaaaaaaaame -

[She practically gasps out the last word and finally takes another breath, leaning over and panting.]

Edited 2022-08-22 07:52 (UTC)

"Well, this soft cheese is supposed to be purple," Cassie says. "But I'm pretty sure it's actually blue."

Trunks with blue hair - one could scarcely imagine such a thing.

"I dunno, maybe go by taste?"

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 28

Into the Unknown Part Two

Cassie Cage | OTA

seto kaiba | orange | ota

Ryou Bakura | Blue | OTA

Daia | Orange | OTA

no subject

Hythlodaeus | Red

1.

no subject

The Doctor | OTA : CW for genocide

Rezo Greywords | Red Team | OTA

no subject

no subject

Four

Layer 3

Layer Two

no subject

Layer Two

Re: Four

no subject

no subject

Lea | OTA/Closed prompts

no subject

U know I'm here for layer 4

Layer Two

no subject