On Earth, it is a cold morning and the remnants of winter are still clinging onto the city due to a recent snowfall. The buildings and streets covered in an uneven blanket of white. Even Lake Erie seems colder than usual as the small ice blocks that pepper it's surface bob up and down with the waves. A fall into the lake could cause hypothermia at best and cardiac arrest at worst due to the frigid temperature of the water. Many have found themselves unable to even move as their body enters a state of shock that sinks them below the surface to become another statistic.
Yet, disregarding the very obvious danger, there are several new sheep braving the trek as they take Charon to Asphodel for the first time. Anchor on their person, they’ve no idea what awaits them through the mist. What none of them could have expected was the warmer shores of another world. Without seasons, the water near the kingdom is a pleasant temperature year-round. No snow has ever come to this part of Asphodel; though harsh storms are known to roll in from time to time. Today it is bright and pleasant. A gentle breeze and the early hours makes it slightly cool, but things are bound to heat up as the day marches on. Unlike back on Earth, a small jacket would be enough to keep one warm until the afternoon.
For all with an anchor, this day is special. Not only because of the recent arrivals, but because it is the start of a new cycle. A fresh start for old, bad endings. Once again, it is time for them to go through Hell in their attempt to find Elysium. . .
But, unlike the cycles before; this is the beginning of the end in one way or another.
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:52 pm
Parvaiz knew today was going to be a great day. The sun was bright, and the skies were clear aside from a few dreamy clouds that lazily rolled along. The type that were perfect for those who enjoyed playing with their own pareidolia. Unfortunately, Parvaiz never enjoyed the exercise in creativity, but he could appreciate those who did. He was almost envious of those that could create something from nothing. While he enjoyed fashion and decorating, it always felt as though he was simply moving around items rather than creating something entirely new. He was an organizer. Not an artist.
Humming to the tune of the single headphone in his ear, he gave a playful bump to the companion at his side.
“Are you doing alright today, my darling? I know going on a walk outside of the city isn’t the most exciting thing compared to running around Earth, but I think it’s the perfect mix of casual exercise and meditation. Enjoying the green and blue serenity, but with the possibility of a monster sneaking up and pouncing on us.” He gave a big grin with his final sentence. “Relaxation with the chance of surprise. My favorite.”
While he was mostly just teasing her, they both knew his reputation for jumping into things on a whim. Even this walk was something he had sprung on her with no prior planning. It just felt right, and so far he was quite pleased with the results. Pausing his music and replacing his device and headphones in the pocket of his jacket, he slowed slightly in an attempt to make sure his long legs didn’t make her have to quicken her much shorter stride.
“I did have some things I wanted to discuss with you, though.” He gave a small sigh and played with the soft white hair that fell over his right eye. “I’ve been thinking . . . Perhaps the two of us could start . . . Oh. It’s a fairly silly idea, but perhaps when we go out hunting next time we find a building to keep our catch in and . . . don’t bring them to Cepheus. Of course, his fountain is great for complacency, but I feel as though we could have a much more efficiently equipped group if they weren’t subjected to his aquatic lobotomy.” He offered a shrug, trying to play off the small spike of nervousness. He wasn’t sure how receptive A would be, but he didn’t want to risk asking Evelyn or the others just yet. “Think of how much more one person could do if they weren’t shambling around. They could even hold a conversation! The ones we send to Cepheus come back so boring, don’t you agree?”
┈┈┈┈ ▲ ┈┈┈┈┈
▲Company: A ▲Location : Shoreline about a mile out of the Kingdom : Asphodel ▲Feeling : Good, slightly nervous. ▲Speaking Color : FF951C ▲ Outfit Extra : N/A
Blackout Blue Captain
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Saccharine Sappho
Anxious Shapeshifter
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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:28 pm
They squinted against the bright light, vampiristic in their dismay towards the sun, finding the counterpart they walked with to be a good enough surrogate for that brightness, the way he walked, talked, and even looked screamed sunshine for some reason. Parvaiz bumped into them, their shaggy black hair casting over their eyes as they whipped their head towards him to playfully scowl. He was a great friend, kind every time they had the opportunity to see him… although honestly, they didn’t really remember a time when Parvaiz wasn’t sweet, with a honeyed tongue that pleased the ears with every word.
“Are you doing alright today, my darling?” He asked, and they couldn’t help but roll their eyes. Parvaiz knew better than anyone that ‘A’ would have preferred to prance around restaurants on earth, stuffing their face hole with grease and carbs and cheese and egg and-
“I did have some things I wanted to discuss with you, though.” oh, they were slowing, ‘A’ wiping a bit of drool from the corner of their mouth.
“Hit me.”
“I’ve been thinking…Perhaps the two of us could start...” for a brief moment, A’s face went a few shades pinker, only to calm as soon as he continued, presenting his idea for more responsive hostages.
“Eh. I mean that sounds fun, but I’m not really sure they’d keep talking for very long. Or say anythin’ interesting. Prolly just a mess of ‘Noooo! Please, lemme goooo!’...I'd probably take ‘em with their fountain lobotomy over that.” A shrugged, noticing a tinge of uneasiness in the taller saint, and quickly amending the end of their response.
“Oooof course, we could always try it first. I mean someone had to be the first person to discover burritos, and they’re honestly incredible so, who knows! If you want to try it I guess…… we can?”
🍔 Feeling :: ...Hungry. 🍔 With :: Parvaiz 🍔 Speaking Color :: #3a9c66
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:35 am
X X X Where : The docks of Asophodel X X With : No One X X Group : B X X Alex trod on the fallen snow down to the edge of the lake. It was late, or maybe early? She hadn’t slept; she spent the whole night getting up the nerve to leave her house. Dark, but getting lighter, and definitely a time when people shouldn’t be out by the water. Alex wanted to be sure of that. As she wandered down the hill, that same gut wrenching feeling of dread or excitement or fear or hope or whatever it was sat like a bag of worms in her stomach, making her chest flutter. She thought back to Juniper, who she had hoped would be with her tonight. She hadn’t been specific but she had said she was going to do some “witchy s**t” and invited her roommate along. She was surprised to be rejected, but apparently Juniper had something important going on, and so Alex stood in the chill of the morning air alone by the lake. We wished her roommate was here. It was so much easier to believe that all this could be real when she was around. Alex couldn’t help but feel there was no proof, and as much as her gut and heart begged her to believe, her brain kept butting in, explaining why it couldn’t; asking for proof. For Juniper, believing was easy; Alex wished it could be the same for her.
She stood, toes inches from the frigid water, as she reached into her bag and pulled out the weighty crystal that had taken up most of the bag's space. She stood under the moon, holding the crystal with both palms cradling it, resting in front of her. She closed her eyes, the sounds of the early morning were nonexistent. With her eyes closed and the fresh snow acting as a muffler, she could believe she was the last person on the earth. She took a deep breath, ice cold, into her lungs, and whispered.
“Please, why have I been guided here?”
She kept her eyes closed, waiting in the silence for something, anything, to answer her. After a couple of minutes, she breathed out a sigh. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath.
“This was so stupid.” She uttered as she opened her eyes. With a shout she landed down on her butt, her eyes wide as they landed on a large hooded… something, on an oversized rowboat. It reached out her hand to her. Was this it? Was this...proof? She boarded the boat.
Her eyes watched in wonder, as the world seemed to pass by in a blur. What was once the pink of sunrise, melted into a sky bluer than the summers she enjoyed as a kid. She looked to her reddened hands, frozen from falling in the snow, as they burned in the warmth of the sun. A thunk brought her attention to the front of the boat. It seemed they were docked in, wherever they are. She gently found footing on the small pier before trekking onto land. She couldn’t breathe. It was so beautiful: so alien. Her eyes landed on a flying city on the horizon and she couldn’t help but audibly gasp, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she fell to her knees.
“I knew it. I knew it was real.” The smile on her face was so wide that the tears that fell landed in the corners of her mouth, cool and salty. She could already feel the warmth of this alien sun drying them where they fell. “I knew there was more.”
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llewynthal
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Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:36 am
LOCATION█ asphodeltabWITH█ no one atmtabFEELING█ overwhelmed, but determined
Wiping a hand down her face, Tabitha sat crouched in unfamiliar underbrush, in an unfamiliar world, with a host of unfamiliar powers slowly fading from their assault on her senses. Touching one side of her nose with a thumb, palm spread across her face, breath exhaled out of one nostril. Forefinger to the other side, an inhale. Back and forth Tabitha practiced the breathing exercise in an attempt to calm her nerves.
Once she felt a hair more centred, Tabitha's hand dropped and blue eye followed the action to stare at the amethyst ring. Just imagine, not only was she treated to a wave of grief (unfortunate, expected) but also being thrust into a strange new world (fortune to be determined, and certainly not expected) by the act of finally going through the safety deposit box of her parent's things. While later Tabby would have time to wonder on it's history, and how it found it's way into her mother's family, she wasn't exactly flush with that at the moment now was she?
Sitting on her winter coat that was far too warm, Tabitha had absconded to hide in the foliage and attempt to sort out what she planned to do. After encountering a group of... locals... she supposed, on the road, Tabitha had stared like a rabbit as they stared back. She understood, innately, what was happening: the emotions swirling around them she could read like a book. And what she read was horrible. They felt empty, like something had been torn out them, a yawning chasm. The glassy look in their eyes, and the seeming shrug of their shoulders as they watched her flee from them without wondering spoke to their indifference to the world.
"Land on your feet, Tabby cat." She murmured to herself, a silly mantra her parents would tell her growing up. Since the accident, it was an adage she oft repeated to herself to keep herself going.
Well, the people were gone now and Tabby would learn nothing sitting around here (as much as she wanted to). Standing up, collecting jacket and dusting it off, she began to creep through her hiding spot back towards the road.
The first rule in a horror movie is: Don’t have sex.
Easy enough as that was the last thing on Sage’s mind. Tended not to be when running for one’s life in the middle of a twisted wonderland. Instead, his thoughts were on keeping up the pace he ran at. Speed was one thing, but he needed dexterity to avoid the fallen trees or rabbit holes that threatened to cause some kind of sprain or break in his ankle. Yet another trope he was not about to succumb to.
Taking cover behind the weathered back of a large tree, he took several deep breaths before holding it to try and hear the monster that had been on him moments before. He hadn’t gotten the best look at it, but he had seen the glowing circle on the ground before it started squirming it’s way out. A colorful and writhing mass of tentacles and feathers. Instinct had driven him to run before it had fully emerged, but he’d been so focused on running that he hadn’t seen where he was going.
Why had he stepped off the damned boat? He should have turned around the moment he felt the shift in the air or noticed that the strange mist had surrounded him. But, being the genius that he was, he thought exploring the magical island he landed on would be fine. Mentally cursing himself for being so foolish, he managed to catch his breath and listened for any noise. The only one was the rustling of the trees when the wind caught their leaves and branches.
Was it safe?
No! Never assume you’re safe because the moment you do is the moment the monster - He didn’t get to finish his train of thought as the colors in front of him popped and shimmered until the monster that had been camouflaged was revealed. s**t! ********! s**t!
He expected the monster to lunge at him or stab his eyes with the barbed tentacles it had, but it seemed to be studying him. Like an old friend might try to pick a familiar face out of a crowd, the thing shifted slightly before hovering closer.
“Um. . . Hello?” Sage blinked, utterly confused.
“Hello?” The thing repeated in his voice. It held one of its appendages out as though going for a handshake. Completely confused, Sage accepted the gesture in what was the weirdest moment of his life. . . so far.
xxxx𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 ❖ 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩 xxxx
According to his pocket watch, Sage and his new companion had spent the last forty minutes trying to navigate back to the shoreline. Instead, the two had managed to find a road. Maybe this place wasn’t as abandoned as he thought. If that was a good or bad thing was yet to be seen. Just as he thought about diverging from the path, a shock of bright orange hair left him frozen in place.
“Ximena,” He whispered, referring to the monster by the name she had given him. “Hide.” On command, the creature disappeared from sight while remaining close to her human. She floated closely behind him - a bit too close for Sage’s liking - but he did his best to act casual as he approached.
“Excuse me,” Sage prepared for hostility. “Do . . We. . . Is this place your home or. . . not?” She certainly looked like she belonged to the modern era, but he still had no reference on what the denizens of this world looked or dressed like. Hopefully, by some miracle, this girl knew the way back to the strange boat that had taken him here.
Fletcher was beginning to grow bored with things. The novelty of being a ‘super powered defender of the people’ had lost its luster long ago, and things always turned out the same. No matter how many times he came back, fought hard, and trained, it was never enough. There was always a new zombie added to the horde. He swore that the number of people in the damned city had doubled in the past year alone, and constantly fighting his way up a hill was wearing on him.
He tried not to think about all of the s**t that was wrong with both worlds, but thoughts crept in whenever he had a moment to himself. For the most part, he’d stopped allowing himself the opportunity to rest, but today he hadn’t managed the willpower to stay away from his favorite ‘thinking rock’. Usually it was so much easier to avoid the thing. He would occupy himself with work, fighting, and finally the addition of a dog in an attempt to avoid this exact situation. He needed something that relied on him for survival and perhaps that was a mutual thing.
He had tried to be positive and hopeful; to keep up the good fight. After all, without him, there would be no one to fight the saints aside from Eamon or Lee. . . Then again, he wasn’t doing well with that either, was he?
It all felt so ******** tedious, and there really was no end in sight. Just do this until you die. And then die again. And then die again. And then die again. And then, one day it’s the real one. The one where people start missing you. The one you can’t come back from. The thought was a sobering one that caught him off guard as he stared up at the blue sky. What kind of animal even spent their time on a rock anyways? Snakes? Lizards? Something else looking for warmth, he supposed, but Fletcher wouldn’t find it here.
Time to stop moping and get up. Get to work. The grind never stops, as the kids say.
Forcing himself to his feet, the late hour of the early morning hit him all at once. There was a slight stagger in his step as he started off towards the water, but he still had no idea what he planned to do now that he was mobile again. He’d spent most of his morning sneaking around the city in search of something he couldn’t quite place. He wasn’t in a good state to fight one of the saints, and he certainly wasn’t looking to save anyone. He was just lost.
He set his sight on the water, debating going home to spend some time cuddling up with his fluffy companion on the couch, but that plan was quickly dashed when he noticed a girl. Distinct enough that Fletcher knew that if he’d seen her before he would have recognized her. He thought she might be a new addition to the Zombie Crew, but the tears that still ran down her face let him know that she was at least somewhat functional. That left two options: she was new or she was a Saint. There were enough of *those* running around, and they wouldn’t be off on their own right after joining up.
Throwing caution to the wind, Fletcher purposefully kicked some rocks away from her as he walked. The idea was to make noise on his approach so that he didn’t startle her when he was too close. It also allowed for him to think of his introduction as he neared
“It’s really not that great. Kind of a let down once you get past the outer walls.” His tone and mask hid any hint of the real Fletcher who had spent the last twenty minutes stewing on a rock. Just a casual and playful mixture in his demeanor. “You were looking at the city right? You’ve got to be new, so I’ll give you your first lesson for free: In Asphodel, anything pretty is going to get you killed or worse.” He smirked with his last word. “Expelled.”
▬▬▬▬ ☼ | ☽ ▬▬▬▬
△Company: Alex △Location : Asphodel ▽Speaking Color : Black ▽Extra Outfit : mask
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2021 12:18 pm
Eve hummed, a sweet sound, just under her breath. A Good Man is Hard to Find, a song she learned long ago, Eddie Green, was it? Funny how much she could resonate with that, considering how much searching she had been doing for the past few months. She was sure the time was about up, the sapphire must have returned and grown at least a little already, but she hadn’t caught scent of them at all. She’d have to go back to earth today to keep looking, making her way to the docks down the road she always did, kicking stones with the pointed tip of her heeled boots.
From the corner of her eye she spotted a few stragglers on the path, unfamiliar with the terrain. The search had come to her today, a few tasty morsels to convert most likely, as she often found her little sapphy on earth and lured him back. It was a song and dance she had performed almost as many times as the song she had been humming. Pretend to be a sheep, or some other friendly sort, lure them to the boat, bring them to the fountain, and if they refuse, ambush them. She assumed it wouldn’t be too different with these two, approaching casually, carrying that maternal air she always did, a guiding hand to sweep them into Cepheus’ reign.
“Are you guys lost?” she asked softly, turning her head and tucking her hair behind her ear, earring dangling. “I’m from around here! I can help.
𝄞 Feeling :: Confident 𝄞 With :: Stupid Sheep (Tabby, Sage) 𝄞 Speaking Color :: darkred
location::shores of Asphodelxxxxxwith::Alex and Redxxxxxoutfit::[ top ] [ pants][ hat ][ shoes[ coat ] hair color::dark sage greenxxeye color::natural brown
After her morning run with her pitbull, Auburn, Juniper Villin had come home to her new roommate, Alex, asking if she could come with her somewhere. The where was vague, but Juniper knew. She made up an excuse about needing to meet up with a client that morning, even though she could tell Alex really wanted her to tag along. She swore she would come next time, of course, before slinking away with Auburn to shower.
The plan had been to curl up with Auburn in front of their little personal heater while reading one of her favorite graphic novels, but instead she found herself shivering on a boat not an hour later, the frigid Eerie air nipping at her pinkening cheeks and nose. She hated being cold.
Warmer shores were on the horizon, but she still felt the sinking stones in her stomach grow larger. Who was Alexis anyway? They had only been roommates for a week or so at best. Did that make them friends?
Juniper bit her lower lip, while fingers fidgetied with the edge of her coat. Not that I can claim to be close with anyone.
Her body lurched forward a bit as the boat docked in warmer waters. She stood, taking in a deep breath as she scanned the shoreline. A heavy feeling lingered in the air as she stepped onto the wooden pier. People moved lazily along the buildings of the sleepy town bordering the distant city, as if in a trance. She had learned quickly that talking to any of them was pointless.
While the land was something of nightmares, Juniper couldn’t help the shiver of excitement she always felt, too. This was magic and it existed. Not only here, but in her as well. She had always known it was true, but seeing it still mesmerized her.
Once her feet were on solid ground, she began her search. She had come all the way here, it was time to follow through before she thought running away was a better idea.
It wasn’t long before she spotted Alex on the beach along the lake. Her body seemed frozen, and Juniper could see that her gaze seemed to be locked onto Asphodel in the distance. June had nearly screamed in excitement when she had first seen it herself. It was ******** magic! Who would have thought in this dark world, that magic was as real as she had always thought?
As Juniper made her approach, another figure approached Alex first. Juniper froze, unsure if she should still approach. Not out of fear, but guilt. Fletcher was the reason she was even in Asphodel at that moment. A few months ago, she had accidentally read into his future. In her vision, he was wearing a mask and talking to a woman she had never seen before. It was an invasion of his privacy that she had never brought up. This was a place she was sure he didn’t want to discuss with anyone. She didn’t either. Still, she knew if she didn’t approach, a Saint was going to show up sooner or later. It wasn’t one she recognized, but her visions didn’t lie.
She forced herself to move again, taking a deep breath as she got closer.
“A-Alex,” she stuttered, feigning surprise in a possibly believable way. “Is that you, roomie?” She wanted to cringe at her own words, but put on a smile. “Are you okay? What are you doing here?”
She purposely avoided eye contact with Fletcher, not wanting to give away any possibility of showing familiarity.
Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2021 11:02 am
xx
Thin fingers found their way tracing from the front of Noah's scalp to the nape of his neck for what felt like the billionth time today. His brows furrowed and his eye's darting left to right as he made his way through what appeared to be a bustling street of some sorts. Confusion obviously written over his face as he'd appeared to stumble into a place he'd never seen before, his jacket draped over his arm as he found it completely overbearing in this setting; the yellow hoodie he wore proving to be more than enough to keep him warm for the time being. A change in weather was never this dramatic. What was up with that?
Eventually he would leave this area, finding his money and gathering information a completely useless task. He knew Sage was somewhere close, they'd ridden on the boat together, but he lost his blue haired roommate soon after they'd boarded the boat. A spell of drowsiness had taken over him and Noah was never one to escape the chance for a quick nap.
His steps would eventually lead him back to the shoreline. The boat he'd ridden on was nowhere to be seen at the time, but he was in no hurry at this time. Unless Sage had left him behind, which he doubted, he had no need to rush back. Since the red-head had come back home, the feeling of uneasiness had settled within him.
Scratch that.
Noah had felt this way the morning of his flight back to Eerie. Since he'd been back, there were constant reminders of the places his family had ventured before their separation. Lurking and jumping around every corner was something to reflect back to. Simple trips to the grocery with his mother, the park his brother and himself use to play in, the car rides his father would take them on as they played with their gameboys in the back seat. A pang of sadness wrapping itself around the smiles that came with the memories of his past. He'd grown use to his family no-longer being a complete unit, but this was his first time visiting since...
Noah nestled himself into a spot not far from the shoreline. He could see others close by, but decided not to engage. Though he was a social creature, his brain was asking for some alone time to decompress. The whirlwind it had been sent through between visiting this new place he'd wandered off to randomly and escaping the exciting life he'd grown use to in his professional life was a bit much. His fingers fiddled with the grass beneath him as he pulled his knees to his chest, blue eye's staring off into the only familiar territory he'd seen in the last hour or so. He didn't know how much time had passed as his watch seemed to go haywire.
'Maybe this was the twilight zone.' Or maybe he'd read too much manga and his watch was broken. Whatever was going on, he just hoped this boat and Sage would return soon so they could go home. It was time for another nap.
xxxx xxxx↪xxxxtake one step after another. it'll take you far, i promise !! xxxxxx!!!ː ː ː ___▲mood⊰tired | confused!!!ː ː ː ___▲location⊰ shoreline!!!ː ː ː ___▲company⊰self
°°▅ ;a bunch of fluff▼`」
DeFehrenheit
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dream savagery
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:54 pm
"You know, some say that will-o'-the-wisps can lead you to your fate."xxx
"So, follow me to the waters of Asphodel."xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------
Was she being punished for some crime she didn't remember committing? Guard duty? With Lucian of all Saints? Someone had to be pissed at her, though for what reason she had no idea. Not that he was completely useless, when it came to fighting monsters. With the sheep, well, he wouldn't be her first choice for backup. He did manage to make guard duty a bit more bearable, which was a thought she kept to herself. He was always smiling and behaving more like she would expect a sheep to behave, than a Saint. Too innocent and pure.
The patrol thus far had been mostly silent, save for some banter between the two. It was when they were nearing a cluster of homes that the mood in the air changed. A still silence filled the air before a screech ripped through. Something was attacking.
Angélique looked to Lucian, her brown eyes narrowing as indigo flames surrounded her body. "Let's sneak in. See what we are up against," she ordered.
Chaos followed shortly after. Screams erupted and crashes echoed. Her pace quickened as she neared the turmoil before she pressed against a brick house, peering around to get a view of the destruction.
The citizens didn't seem to pay much mind, until they were in the line of fire. That was no surprise. The creature holding people in four of his eight hands was surprising, though. The humanoid had flesh that seemed to be made of rawhide with a cracked face resembling a split tree trunk. The glowing, ethereal arms and hands holding the citizens seemed to outstretch from its back, much longer than the two arms naturally connected at the exposed shoulders. One beady, glowing red eye was present on its wooden face, which caught sight of her almost instantly. She didn't have time to react. In a flurry of movements, the creature had flung the citizens into buildings before nearly appearing in thin air before Angel. Her flames suddenly intensified, searing the natural hand that reached for her. The hands sprouting from his back were not affected, however, and ended up connecting with her stomach, sending her sliding back in the grass with a yelp.
"Oh là là," she murmured as she sat up. Her stomach throbbed in pain. This b*****d was fast and strong. A combination they didn't encounter all that often in monsters. "Be careful of those arms, Lucy!" she called. A smile lifted one side of her pink lips as she stood. This would be a challenge.
with::Lucian and monster where::outer limits of Asphodel outfit::[ no purse ]
tab◥ ＬＯＣＡＴＩＯＮ┋ outskirts of Asphodeltab ◥ ＷＨＯ┋group Dtab ◥ ＭＯＯＤ┋cautious
▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂
Maybe some people would find a beauty in the escape to Asphodel; a certain release from the burdens they had acquired in the ‘real’ world and an excuse to distance themselves. To Prim, it was all the same s**t in a different package.
She had shed some problems, yes, but gained new ones in their place. Instead of worrying about being found by a sadistic ex-lover for a majority of her day she now had to worry about a lobotomy à la island kool-aid. When she had run into a handful of other ‘sheep’ as they were called, she took what information she could get and promised nothing in exchange. The only thing that had stopped Prim from walking right up to that water to be done with the damned thing was the thought of someone else controlling her completely. She had had a taste of that and would not allow herself to fall into that pit once more. Yet sticking with her fellow sheep had also been a non-option. She didn’t ‘do’ groups and spending the majority of her time with those who were also new seemed to run as much risk as venturing out solo. Despite that, her first death had been jarring all the same. One moment she had a weapon deep in her abdomen and then next she was waking up on Charon.
She had learned since then. Not much, but with enough deaths and time under her belt to begin her search for a solution or a clue to it with some level of adequacy. Staying on the fringe of Asphodel presented risk in the form of monsters. Monsters that didn’t try to drag you into a cult-like organization. They either left you alone or they killed you.
So it was no surprise that she had taken to exploring the fringes, and today had been no different.
Prim had come equipped today, though the knife tucked into the leather sheath on her belt was less for monsters and more for personal mercy. Combing the area had turned up little in the way of clues. A few new landmarks to commit to memory and some potential places to branch off into but nothing that screamed anything meaningful. She had been near giving up and returning to Charon when she had scoped out a section that looked busy enough to blend in from a distance. The thought of checking in with some of the Asphodel zombies to try and discern what she could and could not get away with had crossed her mind. That and the absence of mirrors or glass in the more natural landscape of the outskirts had been a disadvantage to her for too long.
It turned out to be a stupid decision. Prim couldn’t be too hard on herself, as a monster attack of this magnitude was not something she had ever experienced in her short time here. The zombies had scattered, playing out a fear for their lives as the monster had grabbed them. Prim had been lucky, avoiding the attention of the thing for a moment before something caught her own. Unnatural fire and a pair who looked more. . .present then any zombie, even from a distance. There was the wavering wonder if this was another pair of sheep she had yet to meet or one of those Saints she had been warned about. It had been lucky she hadn’t had a run-in before, but she’d rather take what information she could get while she was here. Moving back towards the remnants of a building broken from the thing’s assault she kept her eyes trained on it and the woman. If she was lucky they’d resolve this themselves, but until then she was content to observe. Death meant very little aside from pain and lost time here so she felt no need to intervene to try and eliminate this thing until she knew more.
". . .can take a hit."
Observing the brief interaction already had gained her some insight. It seemed the woman had been able to repel the physical arms, but the ones that looked more made of light or energy hit hard and without fail. Interesting. Ultimately it wasn’t enough, though the fact it’s opponent had withstood that blow was in itself fairly impressive to see.
X X X Where : Shore >>> Shadow Realm >>> Shore X X With : Fletch and June >>> None >>> Fletch and June X X Context : Non-colored, quotated text is only heard by Alex. Spoiler for fluff. X X
The sound of stones tumbling across the grass pulled Alex’s attention away from the flying city. Hey eyes landed on a tall redhead who seemed almost as punk rock as she was. Chains adorned his black and red attire in various places with limited sense of purpose. He was attractive, coming across a bit cocky as he spoke to her. Oh god. He was attractive and she was here blubbering in the grass. A thin hand rose to wipe the water from her face as she stumbled back to her feet.
“It’s really not that great. Kind of a let down once you get past the outer walls.” Her eyes flicked back to the city as the man spoke to her.
“It’s less what it is, and more what it stands for: what it means.” She said, her eyes unable to look back from the city that sat airborn with no jets or pillars to hold it aloft.
“You were looking at the city right? You’ve got to be new, so I’ll give you your first lesson for free: In Asphodel, anything pretty is going to get you killed or worse. Expelled” His emphasis made her snort, raising a hand to cover her nose and smile.
“Did you just quote the great Hermione Granger at me?” She said looking back at him, A smirk on her face and lightness in her eyes that quickly grew to a wildfire, lighting the emerald green of her eyes from behind. “Anyways… It sounds like an adventure.”
She turned to him fully, a wide smile on her face. She couldn’t help it. Nothing this man said would be able to keep her from feeling as giddy as a kid at 5 am on Christmas morning. She reached out her hand to shake his, the weight of the large crystal in her bag causing it to swing wildly against her hip before settling back down. “I’m~”
“A-Alex, Is that you, roomie?” The voice was familiar enough for Alex to drop her arm back to her side in surprise. Her head turned to see none other than Juniper striding up to her as if this was the most normal coincidence in the world. “Are you okay? What are you doing here?”
“I.. Wait..” She was having trouble processing this. “This was the important thing you had to do?” She shook her head, somehow this was harder to wrap her head around then the flying city. “No wonder you believe in magic so hard…. You had proof.” If she were someone else she might have been mad that she wasn’t let in on this giant secret, but they were just roommates… hardly friends… at least that was how it seemed now. Was Alex just too fast to trust people?
“Wow.. So… We.. wait…”
Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A shadow seemed to move by her shoulder. “We’ve missed you.”
“What was that?!” She screamed, turning a full 180 to see who had just whispered in her ear. “Did you hear that?!” She said, turning back to them. But her eyes met three figures instead of 2. There was Juniper, The Redhead, and… A shadow? She looked down. It stretched from her own feet. Her shadow.
“They’re coming for you.” It said. Her eyes rose back up to the shadow. It stood maybe a foot away from her and yet it sounded like it was whispering directly into her head. “I’ll try to protect you.”
As it said it, it sank down back into the ground, encircling her feet. Her eyes widened in panic as she watched black tendrils rise from the puddle of darkness at her feet, slowly entangling her legs like an inky octopus crawling across a coral reef. She looked back to the man, then to Juniper.
“What the Hell?”
It was the last thing she said, her voice panicked, before her entire body was yanked into nothingness in front of them, the puddle of shadow disappearing with her.
She landed on her butt, her eyes wide as they looked too the sky. Where the sun had been was the black hole she had fallen out of. She looked around. The Man and Juniper stood in front of her as if she hadn’t just fallen through the ground… But this was different. It was like she woke up in the beginning of the movie The Wizard of Oz. Everything from the grass under her hands to the bright red hair of the man she had just met, was in grey scale. She looked to her hand, she seemed to be the only thing of color in the entire world. The rest was covered in inky blacks and sullen greys. Her shadow stood beside her.
“They’re coming. They aren’t happy.”
“Who? Who are coming?”
“The Boogeymen.”
She turned her head to see a long, black shadow of a man jump from seemingly nowhere. His long torso hunched like an angry cats, his hands and feet touching the ground so close it was almost comical, if not absolutely horrifying. His eyes and mouth where starkly white against his black face, like three empty holes.
“What the ******** is that?!” She said, stepping back as it smiled at her.
“That’s the creature that jumps from shadow to shadow outside children's car windows.” Her shadow replied, it’s dark, featureless shape twisting in the creatures direction. The creatures head rotated until it was upside down. It cracked as if bones existed in it’s form.
“You broke the pact. You owe me.” It said, it’s voice like garbled glass marbles scratching against each other in its throat.
“I don’t owe you s**t.” She replied, her heart was beating in her throat. She looked to her shadow. It’s attention was on the creature. “How do I get out of here.”
“You need to use your crystal. Harness your inner light. I don’t think you can do much else.” Her shadow sounded almost disappointed with her, but she did as she was told. She fumbled with the bag, pulling the crystal out. The creature shivered, audible and visual vibrations rippling through its spine. “You made a pact with this boogeyman, and when you died you broke that pact. He isn’t the strongest, but any boogeyman is worth watching out for.”
“I ******** what?! I never died, what are you talking about?!” The shadow moved, and she knew without it speaking that now was not a time when it would be answering questions.
“Hold the crystal to your heart and pray that you can save yourself.”
“Wow, very inspiring, I feel so confident now,” she said, as she looked back at the creature. It seemed like it had been waiting all this time, for what she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was just as confused as her, or maybe it was just taking it’s time to savor the moment.
Then, in a flash, it leapt forward, it’s long body doubling in size now that it wasn’t folded over itself. It would close the gap in one leap. She closed her eyes with a yelp, her crystal clutched to her chest. Even with eyes closed she could see the jagged white gap of it’s smile behind her lids. She could feel its presence overtop of her. As her back hit the black, inky grass, she gasped. The backs of her eyelids lit bright red, as if she were looking directly into the sun. She laid there as it subsided, her eyes remaining closed, scared to know what the creature had done to her.
“Wow.. You actually survived.” The whisper was growing ever more familiar in her mind. She risked opening an eye, squinted as it peered into the darkness. The creature was gone. “You didn’t kill it, so don’t get excited, but you definitely scared it off. Might even be able to use it in the future. Good work. Welcome to the Shadow Realm.”
“Wait. I want answers.” She said, her voice getting cut off by the shadow engulfing her.
“Not yet, there are more pertinent questions. The redhead will answer them for you.” And with that, the shadow wrapped around her waist, pulling her down into the darkness.
She felt something like her stomach dropping, but when the shadows removed themselves from her, she was no longer on her back, but standing. She was back in the world of color, and her mind was racing. She had been spit out slightly off from where she disappeared. Silently arriving back into the world where she had landed while fighting the boogyman. Not far to the side stood the redhead and Juniper.
“Hey!” She yelled, her eyes on the two as she began her short walk back to them. “What the actual ********. Please, answers, now?”
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 12:17 am
Eamon Castor // Stray Sheep
≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎
As he made his way towards the shore Eamon passively gathered energy from the buildings around him. Most of the time this action was almost entirely subconscious, he had been doing it for decades to increase the amount of electricity he could store within his body without burning up, but right then he concentrating on absorbing as much as he could without shutting down the power grid for blocks. He always made sure to absorb a little extra before taking that dreaded boat trip.
He was also thinking about his most recent case and how it might be related to Asphodel. He knew that normal people sometimes found their way to that cursed place, he had his suspicions about how but no concrete evidence, and the disappearance he was looking into had all the hallmarks of previous cases. The young woman was simply around one day and gone the next. Vanished. Like sugar into water.
There was a nagging voice in the back of his mind reminding him that he should be using his time on Asphodel to solve his own case but in the eighty years since he first set foot on that damn lake all he knew was that there was something he was supposed to find. A temple of some sort if his suspicions were right. But, in true Asphodel fashion, he had never seen anything even remotely resembling a temple in the city. Better to focus on questions that he had a chance of solving than beating that same old dead horse.
He heard a loud crack and turned to see a nearby transformer sparking and smoking. "Oops." He had managed to aggravate himself enough to lose control of his power for a moment. He started walking a little faster as a crowd gathered to observe the smoking powerline.
The trip had been as instantaneous as always and he was no longer surprised by the difference in temperature here in hell. He had decided earlier in the day that he was just going to hug the shore today in an attempt to avoid the Saints who, he hoped, would be somewhere further in trying to hunt down more poor souls for their mad king's little army. He felt a brief pang of guilt at that but he couldn't be responsible for all of the cursed souls all of the time. He always did what he could whenever he could and that was almost never enough in the end. He was, as far as he knew, the oldest of the so-called 'Sheep' and it felt like the Saints only ever got stronger. Honestly Eamon felt that his strength hadn't been enough for a while.
It was in the midst of that humbling thought that Eamon caught sight of someone sitting down not far from the shore. He didn't recognize them which he took as a good sign. It was unlikely that a new Saint would be out here alone and, on the off chance that they actually were a new Saint, he was fully charged and ready to rock. He hesitated for a brief moment, he had decided to try and avoid trouble after all, but eventually he gave up on pretending that he could just stand by and approached. He stopped a few feet away from the young man and cleared his throat. "First time?" He let the question linger in the air for a moment before speaking again. "It's always a bit disorienting the first time. You..." His voice trailed off as he spotted two figures approaching at a leisurely pace. He knew that hair.
"Get used to it." He finished as he focused his power on the air around them, expending more than usual to darken the sky rapidly. He could feel the hair on his arms standing on end as the air around them became charged with electricity and the first hints of lightning flashed in the darkening clouds above. "You're gonna wanna stand up kid."
Finn was very seldom baffled to the point of silence. If anything, when he was confused, anger was soon to follow. It was more often than not that the unknown was met with a defensive position. The only issue this time was that there was not a single ******** explanation that could justify the unmanned boat that idled - no sailed- toward him. With a distinct purpose, the vessel slowed as though guided by invisible hands as it reached the wooden dock.
The only thing that clued Finn into the fact that he was holding his breath was the lack of puffs in the cold air. Taking a big gulp of the chilled air, he stepped onto the dock and stared at the boat in awe. There was nothing there aside from a place big enough to lay and two wooden planks across either end that served as seats. In the faint light of a nearby lantern, Finn could see the name of the vessel carved into the side: Charon. His mind flipped, turned, and tail spun as he considered the two paths that lay before him. Finally regaining himself, his usual mechanisms began to set in.
He could take his a** back to bed before another long day of posting, commissions, and rubbing elbows with a few nex contacts. . . Or he could get on the mysterious boat that sailed up to him with a distinct lack of a captain aboard, hope the damned thing didn’t decide that today would be the perfect day to drown him, and go. . . where, exactly? Was he supposed to take the ******** ghost ferry around the lake on a frostbitten tour? That was stupid.
This was some kind of trap or prank. For all he knew this thing would lead him to some weird human trafficking ring that used mysterious boats as bait. No. No! He wasn’t some idiot that just got onto things without a second thought. People just thought he was. He wasn’t a newbie to the underground workings of terrible people, but he still nudged the boat with his foot to make sure it wasn’t some kind of mirage or delusion. Solid.
“What the ******** are you looking at? Huh?” He yelled at the boat fully expect some Wind Waker s**t. If it could talk it wasn’t saying jack s**t to him. “I’m not getting on, a*****e. Because I’m going to get on and then I’m going to be like, ‘wow that was a ******** stupid choice’ and then I’m going to be pissed off at myself for the rest of the day.” The boat did nothing more than condescend him as it bobbed stupidly in the water.
“This is ******** stupid!” He practically screamed into the darkened shoreline. Just like the boat, it gave nothing but silence back. Crossing his arms, he huffed and stepped off of the dock and into the center of the vessel.
“Happy now?” No sooner than the words had escaped his lips did the boat lurch back in the direction that it came from.
Finn stumbled slightly at the sudden movement, forced to sit on one side and silently dread whatever he’d just signed up for.
Luckily, the trip was short and the destination was much brighter and warmer than the shores of Erie. Though the fog obscured everything but the change in temperature,it slowly drifted away from Finn and Charon to reveal a tall city. The buildings looked far less than modern and several others were ******** floating. As the boat came to a stop on the tan rocks, Finn hopped off. He’d come this far, and not exploring the city would be a crime.
In no time, his quick pace had carried him from the outskirts of the odd place to the opposite side of the outer walls. Seeing people shambling around, it seemed as though they did not see him as they ran past. There was something that they were all running from, and it didn’t take long for Finn to see exactly what had caused the people to flee. Only a few houses down, there were people who seemed to be trying to fight the thing back. . . and one of them was on fire? Holy ********. He pressed himself against the wall to try and get a better read on the situation as well as some possible routes of escape if he needed them. He was so distracted spying on the others that he failed to notice the odd sensation of a split tail that flicked back and forth behind him or the two cat ears that had been flattened under his hat.
“What in the Wizard of Oz ******** is this?”
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◇ xxx Company xxx || Angel, Lucian, Prim, Monster ◇ xxx Location xxx || Kingdom of Asphodel ◇ xxx Outfit xxx || Click ◇ xxx Other xxx || Got his cat Ears and Tail out
