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[stigmateyes]

[ If you had paid visit before, you might notice that where you start seems fairly familiar. But since most of you haven't… the first thing you'll notice is red. Dark red all around you. The sky, the ground—everything is red. It's impossible to make out anything among the color. But if you attempt to stare at any particular space for too long, you'll discover it pulses, flows.

And then there is a laugh that you are probably very acquainted with by now, only this time it’s LOUDER, wracking inside your skull. ]

FOOLISH WORMS! THIS IS MY DOMAIN NOW. YOU SHALL ALL PERISH. TORN ASUNDER. NOTHING LEFT.

[ Well then. ]


((Join #eyesontheprize if you can for coordination and easy communication.

Also, I futzed up by not putting up a mingle header. If you show up late and want to talk to Alpha in addition to/instead of the second NPC, let me know. I doubt many people really want to talk to Alpha though... ))

Comments

[antreegonist]

*puts a hand to his head . . . ugh*

Oh no, it's you again.

[stigmateyes]

I remember you. The HELPER. Still so foolish.

[crimsonjewel]

Do you have much experience with... whatever or whoever this is? [you may have seen this girl around, and she's wearing an Amethyst uniform]

[unionoftheheart]

[whoa hey surprise Ven]

Mithos...you've dealt with this before?

[floorcandy]

How dramatic.

[stigmateyes]

It shall be QUICK.

[crimsonjewel]

We'll see.

[stigmateyes]

YES. YOU WILL.

[shednotearsformagic]

[Sighs.]

So dramatic.

[stigmateyes]

[ Laughs~ ]

Your new plan, witch?

[crimsonjewel]

[quiet] Is there anything in particular I should try and do in here?

[stigmateyes]

[ With your powers combined... Kira and Sunset are freed from Alpha's clutches. For now.

Also, those of you with magical senses are probably finding them going a bit haywire right now. The rest of you might just feel an odd sensation, like an ice cube rolling down your back, as a voice speaks directly into your mind, leaving no register on your ears.

The voice seems a tad similar to Ryner’s but not quite. This is more manic, giddy and with a touch of something very much not-human: ]

"Hohhhhhhhhhhh, you guys are pretty good! I think with you, he'll really be able to do it this time. Maybe. It can't hurt to find out! Let's try it!"

[crimsonjewel]

[first part out loud] Who are- [then switching to thought] [Who are you? You don't sound like the other voice.]

[shednotearsformagic]

[Ugh, my poor clothes.]

[....]

[So would it be better to keep it in thought, or does it not matter if we talk to you aloud? Can you even hear our thoughts?]

[stigmateyes]

[ Some of the red lightens to a softer pink that forms a path to something glowing with white light. ]

[crimsonjewel]

[keeps holding her key out toward that light]

THE PATHS

[stigmateyes]

[When the light clears, you’ll note that dark red still rules the day or heart, as it were. The ground also feels more comfortably solid. You might also notice that you are on an incredibly high cliff. There appear two options to your predicament.

A.) A smooth, slick path that seems to be leading to some sort of thunderstorm.

B.) A more treacherous rocky, thorny path that seems to be leading to a dark forest.

Both involve going down. ]

Re: THE PATHS

[shednotearsformagic]

We should probably stick together.

AATHER

[stigmateyes]

[ After what will probably be at least few tumbles and spills (more if you’re less agile) on the less than forgiving path, you’ll notice your surroundings growing more wooded. Snatches of sound hint at birds in flight, animals scurrying about and various fauna communicating with each other. It’s hard to see much of them though, as the forest is very thick. It seems an odd cross between Beauty’s realm (for those who were there) and Camelot’s wilder areas. Sharp branches scratch at you and try to block your path as you move along. Something about this area seems oddly detached… Looking around, you can spot a path toward a dark pulsing light, a path deeper into the forest, a path leading up a gray hill and a path that seems to be blanketed in white and sounds especially windy. ]

Re: AATHER

[unionoftheheart]

[w-wow nostalgia whump]

[also being a helper along the rocky path for whoever needs it]

...been a while since I've seen these trees.

[does the dark pulsing light seem to be any particular color or is it just...dark...]

MENORIS

[stigmateyes]

[That pack looked smooth right? Well, unfortunately, it was too smooth because no matter what you do, you slip and tumble down it, probably rolling over some especially sharp rocks. But hey, when you land, you’re in a nice, green open field. Aww, isn’t that pleasant? You’ll see two buildings further off: a tiny one on a hill and a massive castle that looks heavily fortified. Or you could follow the sounds of the storm... ]

Re: MENORIS

[floorcandy]

Ow ow owwwww ow OW why

KUNZITE

[stigmateyes]

[ Once you fight your way up the super annoying climb, you see Kunzite’s cabin, mostly recognizable by the tiny fluffy dog hopping about its front yard. ]

Re: KUNZITE

[shednotearsformagic]

[Oh.]

[....]

[Well, now I an FULL OF DERE.]

AMETHYST

[stigmateyes]

[ By the time you escape the storm, you’re probably half-frozen but you’re also at Amethyst’s cabin. A clutch of rockziles watch warily from the roof, most sporting eyes similar to Haruki or Jill’s color, but you might even catch one with peacock-colored eyes darting about and hissing from time to time. ]

Re: AMETHYST

[idkmybffnirvash]

Come inside.

[and opening the door for everyone]

DANGO SHOP

[stigmateyes]

[ The tiny building is actually a cute shop with tattered fabric awnings, missing patches of straw and an unkempt front. It appears old and unsteady. Possibly unsafe. But there are still the faintest traces of fresh cooking around it. ]

Re: DANGO SHOP

[floorcandy]

Knock knock!

DEEP FOREST

[stigmateyes]

[ You walk through the forest for what seems forever. Occasionally, you might spy one of Aather’s trademark animals from haunches and incests to bread-and-butterflies and envies and sloths to snow seals to lantern owls. You get the idea. Depending how interested you are in observing the local wildlife, you might miss the huge, floppy-eared brown dog that races out of nowhere and leaps on you. ]

Re: DEEP FOREST

[ihulk]

--Whoa!

[GOES DOWN i guess that's a dog]

???

[stigmateyes]

[ Once those of you that possess crystal keys, lift them toward the dark sky, you'll find yourselves (and other heartsplorers) transported to a realm of darkness, where red clouds drift across the sky. Oddly enough, aside from the overall surreal atmosphere, nothing feels particularly sinister about the area...

Oh and this dude is watching you. And probably upside down. Yep. ]

"I guess you're as ready as you're going to get."

[ Yes, that is the same voice you've heard every now and then in the heart. ]

Re: ???

[antreegonist]

*...squints at him*

Why are you upside down?

THE RING

[stigmateyes]

[ As you're transported by Ryner's magic, you see an area that looks like the Ring. Only it’s surrounded in columns. And that it’s also actually a swollen lake of blood, thick and viscous and about up to your waist or higher depending on your height. You catch ragged pieces of team uniforms floating around in the bloody lake. Though worse by far is the bodies that sometimes follow, usually with broken necks, but a few that were obviously electrocuted or seared in half. Illegible black-scripted words swirl endlessly around the area, emitting frightening levels of power. Something tells you that coming into contact with any of them would be extremely hazardous to your health. The sky is very DARK to the point of seeming unnatural.

And in its center, Night and whatever the fuck this is are locked in fierce magical combat. It doesn't look like Night has been fairing too well, as he's showing a fair bit of nasty injuries and looks exhausted. He's also dressed in this.

But before you can intervene, Eclipse's giant purple paint circle forms around the Ring, glowing brightly. The lake of blood freezes in place, trapping Alpha just as purple crystals appear beneath Ryner and thrust him backwards before the lake can freeze him as well. There's now a good few yards between him and Alpha. A second later, you and the rest of the group drop down behind him.

Alpha roars in outrage, but it's clear Eclipse's circle won't last forever. ]

Re: THE RING

[detectivewonder]

[Drawing his bow, dipping an arrow in the paint can, nocking... and firing at Alpha. No hesitation.]

FINALE

[stigmateyes]

[ As everyone gets ready to pass back through the massive doors and return to the waking door, the woman from Amethyst's kitchen appears before them again. Lafra sits on her shoulder, casting her purple glowing light over the woman, who appears strangely transparent and seems to be getting her only light from Lafra. When she reaches up to stroke the bird, her hand passes through Lafra and she gives a small smile. ]

"The power you all brought here is something truly special, even more special than I could have hoped for. It should give me just enough time... "

Re: FINALE

[floorcandy]

[who the heck are you]


[...fingerwaves at his birdwife]