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Post by Tayl on Aug 24, 2019 10:25:36 GMT -6
[Roz]
The masked woman gritted her teeth at 2lack's backhanded compliment. Perhaps she would have addressed it, but something else stuck out to her.
"... Invitation? I never sent out any..."
Ah.
So that's what it was.
This was not deliberate on her part. She had accounted for the fact that any Dicro would have found his way to this place eventually, but the last person she had wanted to see in this peaceful realm was this Black Yoshi and his accursed sword. The conflict between the two was fated, to be sure. They had stood on opposing sides of a war far beyond what most could even dare to comprehend.
But now they were here. In the presence of a God of Cycles, one of the few with the knowledge and the innate power to understand the depth of what was transpiring. But the masked woman knew not why Garbanzio had chosen to antagonize Dicro. Perhaps the revelation of what was to come had driven him mad. And here she was, bearing the brunt of the responsibility for it.
But it was nothing new. She knew she had always been responsible for her own actions, even when she had no part in them. Even when she wanted to be considered the victim. And no matter how much she wanted to atone, how much she wanted to offer the person before her another option, she had failed.
This was a trap for her as much as it was for Dicro and Black.
"Heh, that's the spirit, kid!" Garbanzio shouted jovially as 2cro finished his tantrum. "Now ya really fit in down here with the trash and filth! Ya have a bright future ahead of ya, ya know? All ya had to do was stop actin' like a poor little sad slop and own it! Now, if ya really put yer mind to it, maybe ya can make everyone in Entirety suffer like you do! That'll make ya feel better, right?"
The masked woman had found herself on the floor in the wake of 2cro's aggression, the mask that covered her face thrown to the side, its purpose as meaningless as her own.
"That is enough, rat."
A specter of the past. Sure. That's all she was. She wouldn't argue with that.
"I said there was no need to further provoke him."
She took to her feet, without looking up from the ground. She was just a creature fated to bring ruin to others. But she had always wished to defy that fate. And so she did. Over and over, like an unending curse.
"And now here we are, on the precipice of ruin, woefully unprepared for what is to come. I do hope you're satisfied."
Garbanzio chuckled in response and threw his arms into the air. "I sure am! If we're all doomed anyway, I might as well rip the bandage off, eh? No need for this sucker to masquerade around as something he's not for any longer than he already has. Now, if you'll all excuse me, Ol' Garbanzio has a show to catch. Ya know there won't be a lotta time for levity once all of creation goes to hell."
And with that, the Trashlord took his leave, dissolving into the same golden light that had underscored his dramatic entrance just moments ago.
The unmasked woman raised her head, and looked her assailant in the eye.
"I understand that you've sacrificed much to cross the rift, Dicro," she sighed halfheartedly.
Although she was different -- her hair had faded to a ghostly silver, and her eyes contained only a fraction of the bright fuchsia light characteristic of her kind -- there was no doubt that her face bore more than a passing resemblance to the girl at the carnival that 2cro had passed on his way into the alley.
"But you don't have to do this anymore. You really don't."
The alternate Solana did not know whether she was trying to convince him or herself.
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Post by Tayl on Aug 24, 2019 10:26:03 GMT -6
[Picc]
As the pair of lacertians approached the circus tent, Hetzl noticed the congregation of a few of the less ethereal attendees of this carnival who seemed to be headed in the same direction. Still unable to shake his unease concerning this place, he spoke up.
"Hey Lusai, those people don't look as... dreamlike as the others. Maybe we should go inside together with them?" Hetzl asked, feeling that traveling in a crowd would be safer in this strange place.
"That's not a bad idea honestly. They seem friendly enough" Lusai replied, watching the exchange between them. And so the two picked up their pace and approached the group.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt you. My name is Lusai, and this is my friend Hetzl. Do you mind if we tag along with you all as well?"
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Post by Tayl on Aug 24, 2019 10:26:27 GMT -6
[Exuro]
"Ah there it is. The petulance, the rage, the feigned indignity; always letting yourself be a tool for despair and cruelty," coldly responded, maintaining his slow advance towards the literal and metaphorical center stage. In doing so, he brought his Bunny-brand greatsword back down off of his shoulder, the flat of the blade hissing ominously with the same TV static energy that it had displayed just a short time before in Maple's basement. By this point, 2cro would possibly have some inkling of what he was being faced with, considering their... similar origins.
Speaking of similar origins, 2lack didn't seem all too fazed by the unmasking of the other stranger present in the room. He casually turned her way for just a moment before continuing his implacable stride.
"Honestly, Solana. Did you think this would end any other way?" 2lack questioned, his tone of voice just stopping short of disappointment, "You know as well as I that there's no saving someone as cowardly and unwilling to change as him."
"Isn't that right, Dicro?" he once again asked, his expression changing from until-now unchanging stoicism to one that was equal parts disgust and anger as he locked eyes with the now-maskless 'cro, "O' death knell of Entirety. Right hand of the greatest monster to ever grace our humble home. The final victor, ever willing to prostrate yourself out as Ignis' doormat to conquest. An inescapable event horizon of misery and self-loathing so great that you find yourself dissatisfied with damning one Entirety, spreading like a plague with a mindless drive to spread your suffering beyond all mortal limits."
For a brief moment, he was utterly silent once more, the contempt in his eyes building to a boiling point as he tightened his grip on his blade.
"So. When is he going to get here? I can't imagine you'll wait any longer, knowing that we know now. Be a good lapdog and get on with it!" 2lack hissed, his cool facade entirely giving way to righteous fury.
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Post by Tayl on Aug 24, 2019 10:26:47 GMT -6
[Iso] The Alley Despite the confidence in that flick of his wrist, once 2olana's mask came off 2cro froze up again. Despite the unfamiliar changes her appearance had undergone since he'd last seen her - a long time since, by his own will, by his hand - the face was unmistakable. She was always so serious, her eyes always straddling weariness and determination. Her tone, collected, delivered in a voice that was hard to ignore. Her words were still optimistic in spite of their graveness. That had always annoyed him. It grated on him, the way she always believed in the future. The way she'd always believed in him. How she never gave up, refused to be broken. Up until she had no choice, anyway. And yet, here she stood, the familiarity dissolving any doubt in his mind that this was some cosmic prank. How she and 2lack got here he couldn't begin to comprehend, but he couldn't trick himself into believing otherwise any longer. In retrospect, wasn't it perfect? Wasn't this the perfect punishment? Everything he gave up, only to find it was a needless effort. "I understand that you've sacrificed much to cross the rift, Dicro." What did she know? How did she know? Of all people, she shouldn't have been able to know anything. "But you don't have to do this anymore. You really don't."His expression was akin to a wounded animal. "I..."I'm not. I'm not- Whatever he intended to voice, it was cut off by 2lack. He remained in place for the first few sentences, expression gradually darkening. He furrowed his brow, each word vivid in his blood. That was more like it. Solana almost had him feeling an emotion for a second there, her pretty words cooing in his ears. Could've been embarrassing, tearing up in the middle of a dramatic confrontation! Could've made things much harder if his regrets had time to swell up. He'd need another few days of playing make-believe before he'd remember who he was! And he'd waited long enough, hadn't he? 2lack was right, on every count. Midway through 2lack's speech, about when he started listing off titles, 2cro turned to face him. Gone was the vulnerability, the fear, the doubt. His eyes were half-lidded, a small smile on his face. He put a hand on his hip as 2lack continued, as if taking pleasure in each new word. He scoffed. "That's quite a list you've got there, Black! Big fan of mine, huh? I'm flattered, really, that you spend so much of your time thinking about me. Is that what you've been wasting your time on all these years? You've been stewing on that hate boner of yours for ages, huh? Careful, though, keep insulting me like that and I'll start blushing," he said, fluttering his eyelashes as he put a hand to his chest. "But, good thing I'm here now to validate those years of toil, huh? Yep, you're right on all counts!" he said cheerfully. "Well, all but one," he continued, putting his hand down. "Don't call me Dicro. That man's long dead. And, really, wouldn't be fair to saddle poor little Dicro with the weight of my sins, though I'm sure you've done that already. You always did love doing that kind of thing. Ah, but I digress. Trashlord really had a point. Feels good to drop the facade. It's a new world, a fresh start! So why not take a look at the new me?"2cro snapped his fingers, and in an instant he was surrounded by a pillar of violet flame. The intensity of the blaze whipped the wind into a frenzy, only dying down once the fire did. Standing where the man once known as "2cro" stood was a nearly unrecognizable figure. He had the same face, the same eyes, the same texture and color of hair, but the rest may as well have belonged to a different person. Gone was the timid, reserved figure who was on the verge of tears a few moments prior. Now it was all glitz and glamour, loud and proud. The change would almost be ridiculous, absurd, were it not for the sheer aura of malice and power radiating from this new form. "From now on, it's Orchid to you."While he'd restrained himself earlier, keeping his vibe virtually undetectable, Orchid had clearly devoted himself to the idea of no longer hiding. It was now the complete opposite: overwhelming, oppressive, so immense in power and radiance that it was like a tangible light, a visible darkness flooding throughout the alley. No matter their position, no matter their direction, it was as though Orchid was staring directly down at them, his mere presence pervading their sense of being. If they'd had any doubts of who he was, of what he'd done, they would be gone now. "Or your highness, your majesty, my liege, master, Bitch King of Fuck City... hell, why not cut the chase and just call me your God? Doesn't it just make you want to [get on your knees?]"The moment he spoke those words, 2lack and 2olana would find themselves forced to their knees. In spite of their experiences, their training, the connections they'd forged, the equipment they'd gathered, it had taken him not an ounce of effort to force his command. "But really, take your pick! Like Black was saying, I'm an idiot baby doormat bitch and all, so what do I care?" he laughed. With another snap of his fingers, the control he'd exerted over them was lifted, sending their consciousnesses spinning, trying to rebound from the weight of his vibe. "Don't worry, I won't be doing too much of that. Just when it's funny. I'm a real stickler for consent, you know," he assured them, his voice causing an uncanny shuddering in the air despite the levity of his words. "Anyway, FYI, it's not about when he gets here, it's about when I let him in. I know it's easy to get confused, considering-"His expression changed on a dime, suddenly furious. He clenched his fists, widened his eyes, his hair stood on end, and the air itself around them seemed to burn with contempt. "-Apparently any fucking person can just hop Entireties now! That's real cool, glad I got the memo! Real proud of you guys! Bet you had a nice trip! Anyway, I'll pry that info out of your skulls whenever I fucking feel like it but if I do it now it'll be real messy, and that wouldn't be much fun to clean up."The hatred in the air cooled down, now a mournful smouldering. "See, that's the difference between Ignis and I. I have a little something called patience. I'm sure you guys have heard about it, you've always had good heads on your shoulders. Anyway, you're right that now I better get on with it, which is a real shame! Don't know how happy the folks here will feel about being rushed to their end! But it's like Trashlord said, ripping off bandage, right? So maybe they'll thank you after all, I don't fucking know," he said with a half-shrug. "But I'm not starting this party yet, oh no. Still have a few guests to round up for the big show! Big public announcement to make and all. No way you'll be able to miss it. It'll be everywhere: guess what, guys! You've got a matter of days before the fabric of Entirety is torn asunder to invite the forces of evil to claim their dominion! There'll be balloons, a cake, maybe two cakes! You still like cake, don't you?" he asked, looking 2olana in the eye. "Now, that's not a solid date or anything, it's really just whenever the fuck I feel the timing's right, so if you beg maybe I'll be nice and add on a couple more days to the countdown. What do you say? Anyone wanna get down on their knees again? Doesn't have to be about that, either! Maybe if you just get me wet enough in general I'll think about looking the other way while you two run around pretending to live normal lives, see what I can do for you when Ignis comes in to do his boring kill-burn-conquer BS all over again. I've got a great ass for kissing, if you haven't noticed."The grin he wore was alien to the face he had yesterday. He could feel it in his jaw, in his throat, screaming throughout his body. This was his true identity: agony and torment all wrapped up in a smile. It felt good to smile again. It felt good to smother the cries in the back of his mind. It felt good to be Orchid.
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Post by Tayl on Aug 25, 2019 21:58:20 GMT -6
[Roz] The Alley Did you think this would end any other way?From now on, it’s Orchid to you. The force of Orchid’s malefic transformation blew back 2olana’s hood. She didn’t care. The disguise was never for him, anyway. Even as she was thrown to her knees by her own body buckling to his will, the force of the words echoing in her head had wounded her far more than anything else. The pointless hatred and antagonizing had hastened the coming of the end. It had rendered her powerless to seek another path at the most critical opportunity she would ever get. If only Dicro... no, Orchid. If only he had come sooner. If only Black Yoshi had not arrived when he did. If only that rat had never interfered. Perhaps it could all have been avoided. But now, who could tell how many would perish in the crossfire? She could only hope that Orchid’s theatrics were born from spite more than anything else. She wasn’t ready to face Ignis again. Entirety wasn’t ready. Even as Orchid’s inexorable command lost its sway over her body, she remained kneeling on the floor. She fell forward on to her hands. Tears splashed on to the filthy ground. She had only two words for him. “ I’m sorry.” After all, what was the point in trying to bargain further? 2lack and Garbanzio had made sure that it wouldn’t be possible now. Maybe not ever. Her part in this was limited. Her desires were irrelevant. She was to play her part. She was not to ask questions or project her desires on to the world. She was merely a means to and end, as she always had been. An animal. An object. A slave. Even so, she wanted to get through to him. She wanted to let him know there was another way, that even his sins were not beyond redemption. But they wanted him to suffer. To lean into what made him a villain in their eyes. To shed any remaining humanity he had left and become the monster he felt he deserved to be, so there was no longer any doubt as to what had to be done. And perhaps they wanted the same of her. The Circus And this is my girlfriend, Solana.Solana gasped and blushed a little with embarrassment as Venith introduced them... and their relationship! Perhaps she still wasn’t used to being regarded so warmly in public. She had a certain image in her world. People had expected her to act in certain ways for her entire life. Always to be distant. Always to be strong. But here, even if she did have a mission and a purpose in this place, she was just another girl. And none of the others seemed to be hostile or scary, anyway. She quickly found herself warming to the antics of the furry-eared pair, and the two reptilian people who had just approached seemed rather friendly as well. She looked up to Venith once again, before facing the others with a grin on her face. “ Well, I suppose some company couldn’t hurt. This place is a lot to take in. It’s nice to meet you all!” Estera. Rakel. Lusai. Hetzl. Although they had just met, she would remember those names. Outside of a number of Venith’s allies in Hadris’s empire, she had little contact with the outside world so far. And it seemed so vast, so diverse. To her, this little revelation was as breathtaking as the atmosphere of the carnival. “ But,” she motioned to the crowd of shades, “ I wonder if it’s okay to just... try and go past them?” As if on cue, a rat-headed man with a cane, dressed as you’d expect a carny to be dressed – a red and white pin-stripe jacket, a hat with a ribbon around it, pants and boots... the whole works – materialized in a flash of immaculate golden light and hovered above the guests. Solana gasped in shock this time. “Whooooooo bibity bopity how the hell are ya et cetera et cetera. Hey, you lucid dreamers here for a good time? Well ya’ve come to the right place! Our performers have got one hell of a show for ya today! Don’t be shy, and don’t worry about the shades, none of em’ can see ya or feel ya anyway so ya might as well push right through em! Step right up and have a good time!” With that, the shades around the group began to move into the tent, as did the two figures in the entryway and the crowd around them. The rat-carnie, too, floated along with them, twirling around the cane in his one hand and beckoning the six corporeal guests with the other. Solana blinked twice, and shrugged. That probably wouldn’t even be the strangest thing she’d see today. “ Shall we?” she asked the group expectantly, before turning her attention back to the massive tent before them. The Plaza The clown behind the desk of the ball and target game watched with great enthusiasm as the two ladies approached, as they met. Was that... a hint of familiarty between the two? “ Ah,” a voice began to echo in each of their heads. “ The wonders of this place. The lovely connections that take place. Though this is a place of rehabilitation, the sheer potential that it offers to mortals brings a tear to Our eye. How very beautiful it is to see. We thank you for participating in Our game.” ... What? The clown’s mouth never moved. Their gaze merely moved between Mila, Mayda, and the ball. And as the ball left Mila’s hand, the voice continued. “ Even this, this game of ‘ball’, serves a purpose. A test of skill. A test of luck. What one gets out of it is not often what one puts in. For a mortal, your preconceptions may bring you to believe that this is... ‘rigged’. Tampered with. To offer Us an unfair advantage over you.” The ball moved, slowly. Time moved slowly. Or did it? Was it merely illusion? It was hard to tell. Nevertheless, the clown continued. “ As the ‘ball’ approaches the target, one of many possibilities can take place. Perhaps the target is propped up by another object. Perhaps it is bolted into place. Perhaps your throw will fall short. Or perhaps you will hit the right one, in the right spot, and foil whatever mechanism would prevent your success. What possibility will your throw have, I wonder?” The flow of time returned. The ball sailed forward to its destination, slamming into the center of a target... and hanging there for a moment. The clown’s eyes widened in anticipation. A bead of sweat. It hung. The clown leaned in. Scratched their head. It hung. The clown leaned back. Crossed their arms. The air around the ball rippled. Each and every one of the targets – a grid of nine – fell simultaneously. The clown gasped. “ How very curious. This realm does not often react in such a way...” They reached under a desk, producing what appeared to be a woven plush bear. The material was indiscernible, iridescent, but it radiated a soft glow, a soft power. They placed it before Mila. “ A boon. For you. We thank you once again for participating. For listening. For experiencing what you know as ‘ball’. Feel free to take part in one of Our other attractions, or that of one of Our contemporaries. Or perhaps... you would enjoy a try? Perhaps a different game?” The clown looked to Mayda expectantly. It seemed that there were many boons yet to be given. Many possibilities left unexplored. The Cafe The knife lady stayed glued to her seat behind the counter, face down on the counter, Halvar continued to dust the tables, and Bjorn slunk away to a room in the back, likely the kitchen. A few minutes passed, before the hulking, ginger viking returned with a lovely-looking strawberry tart and a glass of opaque pink liquid – strawberry-flavored milk, most likely – and set them down before Cel. “Please excuse our lady’s behavior!!”, he squeaked out, at least to the extent that someone of his heft and stature could squeak. “She is not quite accustomed to the ways of this realm. Please, enjoy this on the house! If it is not to your liking, perhaps I can prepare something more to your tastes!” He turned his head to the woman at the counter again, and sighed. Clearly this act was nothing new for her. “We would be happy to share her story, after you and her have had a moment to calm down. That is... a purpose of this place, after all. Many apologies, once again!!" He bowed and left the table, returning to the dejected woman, speaking to her quietly. She seemed to respond, Although she refused to move, she still responded, somewhat. She was clearly quite the handful.
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Post by Tayl on Aug 25, 2019 21:59:06 GMT -6
[Exuro]
2lack had full well intended on provoking this sort of reaction from Orchid, though even he was not fully prepared for exactly what followed. He attempted to steady himself with his sword, albeit without success until Orchid let up on his influence. He remained silent through the subsequent villainous breakdown and rant, maintaining a straight face and only speaking once the gloating had died down.
"And there you have it, everything all out in the open. Feeling a little better now?" 2lack snarked, apparently just as full of piss and vinegar as he was before the Big Reveal. "Now that you've deigned to pass judgement on this poor defenseless Entirety, I suppose I should go wrap up what else needs finished before it all goes to purple. Until next time, then?"
With that, 2lack sprung into action, tearing a hole through the fabric of reality with a stroke of his Bunsword™, leaving an equally-starry tear in its wake. For the briefest of moments, before he disappeared through the shimmering rift, he cast a mournful glance over at 2olana. There was much left unsaid that he sorely wished to explain; things he could explain that he hoped would lift some of her burden down the road. Despite everything, she deserved better, but that would have to wait for a better day. For now, he could do little but step through the void portal to prepare for what came next.
---
Altuun, having noticed the rest of the furry-scaly alliance funneling into the big top, hurried that way as well, unconsciously making efforts to scoot by the shades even after it became apparent that they weren't there to be interacted with. She was admittedly taken aback somewhat by the rat-man's appearance and the peculiar sales pitch that followed, though it didn't prevent her from approaching the others.
"Beg your pardons, but I can't help but notice that you're all furries not shades like the rest of the visitors here. Mind if I tag along? Shows like like these tend to be more enjoyable with company."
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Post by Tayl on Aug 25, 2019 21:59:25 GMT -6
[Iso] The Alley "I'm sorry."That wasn't the response he was expecting. That wasn't what she was supposed to say. She was supposed to call him a monster, curse his name, or maybe at least beg for him to stop. It... hurt. Seeing her on the ground, crying. He thought he was past seeing that. And it was funny, after having not seen her for so long the first thing he did was leave her a sobbing heap. "..."Good. What right did she have to apologize? What the fuck was wrong with her? He was the reason she had suffered so long. He turned a blind eye every time she screamed. He had every opportunity to be there for her. He had every opportunity to listen to her, to give up and show some common decency. And how long had it been? Years. Decades. Centuries, maybe. He didn't even know. He refused to know. That was the kind of person he was. And she was apologizing to him. It was disgusting. It made him want to throw up. He hated it. He hated her. He hated watching how pitiful she was. He hated watching her drag her sad corpse around. He hated the way she looked at him. How did she get here. What did she do, how desperate was she, to spite him like this? Why. Why. He hated her. He hated her. Yet, he took a step forward, almost reaching a hand, as though his body knew better than his mind. Then 2lack spoke up. He snapped out of his momentary trance, his silent burning, to turn and glare at him. Trying to readjust, trying to quickly put back that smug face that 2olana hated hated hated wiped off, but he didn't have enough time to get the last word, and he hated him, and he hated her, and it left a bitterness in his blood. Once 2lack vanished, he returned his attention to 2olana, hesitating for a moment before walking toward her. 2olana would find her head jerked upward, forcing every tear on her face to be exposed, forcing her to see every sign of anger, loathing, and sorrow on Orchid's face. He stared at her, narrowing his eyes, just as unsure of what he was going to say as she was. As he assumed she was, because I guess she just knew him better than he knew himself, right? She knew what was good for him? She was better than him? Could just fucking cross over without Stop. In the end, he didn't say anything at all. He thought of a thousand different things to say. To tell her not to pity him, to demand answers, to tell her to save her apologies for someone who deserved it, to give up, to do whatever the fuck she wanted, to that he hated her, to that he... Stop. He released his control over her again, turning his back to her and walking back to where he was before. "Well, guess I'm done here. Good to know that everything I've ever done was a fucking waste. Maybe I don't even need to rip open Entirety, huh? Maybe the whole gang will figure it out and throw me a party, huh? Wouldn't that be fun! Can't wait!" he finally spoke up, seething. "But I'm glad it worked out for you, really. Have fun with your happy ending while it lasts. And, hey, when it all goes south, I guess you can just find a new Entirety to play carnival games in since it's so fucking easy for you."He almost looked back, to see if maybe he made her cry some more because she didn't know what the fuck was good for her, because apparently his life was so fucking sad that she had to break the laws of existence just to haunt him and pity him and ruin his plans and waste his sacrifices and fuck did he hate her! Hated. Hated. Stop. "I'm sure we'll see each other again, though, since apparently you can't wake up in the morning without finding a new way to be miserable."With that, he was gone. No fanfare, no special effects. Just gone. The Circus Tent Venith couldn't help but giggle at the crowd that had formed. The antics, the warmth of everyone's interest, the shift in Solana's mood... it made her happy. Solana's smile only further solidified her own, giving her the extra boost of confidence she needed to know that everything would be alright. "Of course, the more the merrier!"Distracted by her own happiness, she actually jumped a bit at the rat man's sudden appearance, placing a hand over her chest and edging in front of Solana. Once it was apparent that there was no threat to the group, her typical air returned as though it had never left. "My, my, what a character! But, yes, let's see what this circus has in store! I'm sure it will be all the more enjoyable now that we've got a lucid crowd, hm?"Venith took the lead, following the carnie along. While her expression seemed unperturbed, she kept a close eye on the two figures, wondering why they stood out so much and yet seemed immune to the apparent charm of their little group... The Cafe Fear. Despite the best efforts of the vikings, Cel couldn't ease into the newfound atmosphere of the place. She looked down at her meal. It looked so good, but... could she dare eat it? Was she going to die? Was the tart going to pull out a knife?! But... it looked good. But... she didn't like the way Bjorn said "purpose." What purpose could a cafe have other than serving food?! Death?! That One Cafe didn't have the best reputation, she supposed. "W-What is... that. Means. T-That," she stuttered, daring to take a tentative sip of the mysterious mystery liquid that was probably just milk or maybe death
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Post by Tayl on Sept 2, 2019 17:27:27 GMT -6
[Picc]
Both Hetzl and Lusai were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the rat man, with Hetzl in particular stepping back defensively. However, the man's jovial demeanor helped calm down Lusai.
"This is pretty exciting already. I can't imagine what the actual show will be like!" he exclaimed, clearly eager to head inside. Hetzl, on the other hand, had still yet to fully recover from the shock.
"Come on, relax," he thought to himself. "You're here to have fun, stop worrying over nothing." Yet despite his self-reassurance, Hetzl couldn't shake that vague sense of unease he had since he had arrived here. He shifted his pace so that he was walking slightly behind Lusai, and the pair followed after Venith's lead. Surely nothing would happen. Surely.
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Post by Tayl on Sept 2, 2019 17:27:52 GMT -6
[Roz] Alley Orchid's petty insults bounced off of 2olana. She was prepared for that. Not so soon, but regardless. What hurt her most was the look on his face. Not the disdain. Not the disgust. The sorrow was overwhelming to her. But it did not last long. Soon, it was just her in the alley. Just her and Black Yoshi. The other one. His presence had not gone unnoticed; even if she were not aware of him throught the whole Orchid ordeal, she had seen him walk in around the same time as his... counterpart. She slowly rose from the ground, recovering from what had transpired in the last few minutes. A few minutes that had felt like an eternity. But Entirety did not have another eternity to spare. She turned her head towards Black's hiding spot. "It's awfully rude to evesdrop, you know..."The rest of her body swung around, and she stood tall, assuming an almost regal stance - a far cry from the curled up, kneeling ball she had been moments before. An immense wave of energy burst forth from her as she spoke. { Step out from the shadows, God of Secrets, } she commanded, { If you're so curious, then I would have words with you. }
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Post by Tayl on Sept 2, 2019 17:28:09 GMT -6
[Gwen]
Estera and Rakel watched in awe of the rat man. And Estera smiled at the two new additions to the group, greeting them and introducing herself and Rakel. Who sighed and waved grumpily.
They then followed along behind Venith and Solana, walking just alongside Hetzl and Lusai at first. But Estera couldn't exactly contain her excitement for the circus for very long.
"Come on Rakel! Let's goooooooo!" She exclaimed out of nowhere.
She grabbed ahold of her partner's hand, her grip once again inescapable. And unfortunately for him, he was not expecting it either. So he yelped out as he was suddenly jerked forward, and the two rushed out in front of Venith and Solana, headed right into the circus, most likely to find a seat. Hopefully their companions would find them... Estera wasn't really thinking that far ahead, though.
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Post by Tayl on Sept 2, 2019 17:28:24 GMT -6
[Exuro]
Up until this point, the more familiar Black had remained utterly silent, having slipped through the barrier when his counterpart cleaved his way through them. Having watched the entire fiasco go up in flames, it wasn't at all difficult to see why he had preferred to stay camouflaged while the Ent2rety Friends™ went about their business being terrifying. Ordinarily, he might have made a point of resisting the compulsion to come out of hiding, he was in no state of mind to do so.
"I can't help but think that I have some sort of right to do so," Black finally began, warily approaching 2olana half of his own volition and half due to her... royal compulsion. He'd have to look into whether or not the more-familiar Solana possessed that particular ability later, but that was not exactly his current high priority.
"I'd been tracking an unusually high amount of anomalies at the edges of Entirety, where things begin to break down, but I chalked that up to the boundary being destabilized by the spat of dragon activity in Tyria. Looks like I couldn't have been farther from the truth."
Black dragged the closest piece of carnival equipment over to take a seat. If there was ever a time that he had wished he hadn't given up drinking, you can bet that this was the time.
"So, let's have the full story. I daresay I am a captive audience at this point."
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Post by Tayl on Sept 2, 2019 17:29:01 GMT -6
[Roz] Alley Black would find himself using a beautiful, miniature replica of Garbanzio's immaculate vessel (a golden trash can) as a makeshift seat. 2olana eyed him warily as he dragged it over, before relaxing her stance and breathing a heavy sigh. " ... So you are," she murmured, almost surprised at his compliance. " It is unfortunate that I needed to resort to such methods, but after that shameful display... I needed to be sure you wouldn't just slink away and try to solve Entirety's problems on your own, like a certain other Black Yoshi seems to be doing. Truly, I understand that secrets are his... your domain, but must he be so... cryptic, and distant, and outright brazen now of all times?" The sorrow on her face had fully given way to frustration, now. But venting those frustrations at someone who was effectively a stranger would hardly do anything to explain what was going on. " But I digress - yes, this situation is far more grave than one of your 'elder dragons' throwing a temper tantrum. And I am at least somewhat aware of how devastating even that can be, in an indirect sense, so I do not speak lightly." She took a deep breath, unable to truly calm herself, but continued nonetheless. " The long and short of it is that Orchid -- the Dicro Corrune of our Entirety -- has found a way to do the impossible and shatter the boundary between our closed existence and yours. As have we, of course, and thankfully not to our enemy's knowledge until this point, as Orchid was more than unhappy to point out. But in no small part due to your counterpart and that belligerent old rat hastening the process, that enemy may soon be gracing us with -- as he so poetically put it -- that 'boring kill-burn-conquer BS again'." The frustration twisted into disgust -- perhaps a bit of mockery -- upon parroting Orchid's words. She clearly had not been entertained by his performance. " But of course, I'm clearly getting ahead of myself. Before we get into our Ignis's little league of pointlessly destructive evil, tell me -- you do have a basic grasp on Entirety theory, do you not? That would save a great amount of time, and we have little to spare if we are to prepare everyone who doesn't think themselves as a self-sufficient chess-master for what is to come. And perhaps then I can do something positive for someone for once in my accursed life." She gave way for Black to speak, almost as if asking permission to continue in her own little condescending way. Speaking her mind had always been a one-way road to trouble for her, and it always would be, so why bother to feign respect for someone who would likely punish her in the future, too? But such punishment was a risk she was willing to take, if it meant ensuring that the worst could be averted.
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