![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
GRAVEYARD 2.0
GRAVEYARD Well, that sucked. But no matter what your death was like—whether it was something peaceful or traumatic, you'll find yourself waking in a completely white room on the floor. Small and empty, there isn't anything else there besides an open door to walk through. But before you do that, you'll probably notice that whatever injuries you may have had, including whatever may have been the death blow, are now gone. That's exciting. Stepping out of the room, it seems that you're in a large... house? with three different floors. Everything from floor, ceiling to furniture is completely white, except for the drawings that are plastered to the walls in each room. These are all colorful, drawn in colored pencils and crayon, and resemble a child's drawing. The other notable thing are the windows. While they're present all around the building, looking out of them only shows TV static. Besides that, everything is furnished with the absolute bare minimum of each room. The first floor is all typical common areas one would find in a house. There's a kitchen, living room area, laundry room, dining room, and a main hallway where the stairs are. There are also helpful drawings in these rooms that show the rooms much more lavishly decorated than they actually are. There's a door that appears to be the way to exit the building, it's locked. The second floor consists of nothing but twenty bedrooms. Each room has one queen sized bed, an empty dresser, and an attached bathroom with only a sink, toilet, and shower. Like the first floor, each bedroom has drawn pictures that show it looking much more lavish than it actually does. Thanks for nothing, artist! The third floor only has two rooms. One appears to be a home office with nothing but a desk and two chairs, one behind it and one in front of it. While there's blank pieces of paper and crayons on the desk, the note that was previously there is gone. The other room is much larger, and it's completely empty save for the many drawings lining its walls— in fact, the walls are covered in them, much more than in any other room. On closer inspection, though, it seems like these aren't actually drawings? The papers seem to be showing scenes from the living area. Everything from inside the hotel to the areas beyond the bridge are visible here. However, when curfew hits on Thursday nights, they revert to being normal drawings! Except for the fact that they're all drawings of stick figures being murdered in various ways. Well. At least there's plenty of things to draw with, if you get bored. Also, a handy link to the previous post. |
NAVIGATION locations ₓ˚. statuses *+:｡ ic profiles :ₓo ic rules ･ﾟﾟ･｡ audience requests murder proposals ｡✧o private conversations ･ﾟo｡ curfew ･ﾟ✧ memories |
no subject
Seeing the rocks does not scare him; it would hurt like hell, he imagines, but from this height and at this speed, it would be over quickly. He got to see his family again, too, one last time.
Really, he's so lucky.
He closes his eyes, and falls. ]
no subject
He is dumped onto a cliffside. What grass remains is struggling to keep its color, to stretch up to a sun that barely shines. He looks up at the sky, sees cracks like glass flickering in and out, like a broken window.
Kido is to his left, Seto to his right. Beyond them lies an expanse of a crumbling land, of a forest whose trees have died or crumbled underneath a land that seems to be barely holding together. There are no other people. But even the fallen trees seem to be emitting some color, their leaves trying to reach up towards the sky.
Trying. Something is trying.
In the distance lies a building, shrouded in static, flickering in and out. Kano will feel that unfamiliar warmth in his blood start to flare, like a calling for action. From how Kido and Seto react, they feel the same, in varying degrees of confusion.]
no subject
Mission objectives, Leader?
[ Kido pulls her hood up, obscuring her face. "...Reconnaissance. We stick together. Now, let's move out!" ]
no subject
Time blurs. There's flashes of de-ja-vu, of the same landscape in much brighter tones, of three children all younger than him being taken away on the back of an unfamiliar beast, pursued by someone with every intent to kill them. For a flicker of a moment, he is one child, and his siblings are the others, and he finds himself standing, of raising an arm to the sky, of that warmth billowing in kind at the simple wish to protect them--
And just like that, it's gone. They've made progress, over endless amounts of fallen trees and the corpses of both animals and monsters alike. There's the ruined remains of a house in front of them, where a small, marshmallow-like creature sits with a dejected, tired little wheeze of a "puuuu". It sees Kano and immediately brightens.
Here comes the boing machine.]
no subject
He catches Mokona this time, and immediately shoves it into Kido's arms, who would no doubt be ecstatic over something so squishy and cute, even if she refuses to show it. ]
no subject
The warmth pulls. Something is in the rubble.
A voice echoes, not in their minds, but almost from the depths of their chests, directly to their hearts, in a voice unrecognizable.]
You cannot return to the life you knew with your will alone.
Magic Knights. Mekakushi Dan. There is a legend that must be fulfilled, or what is left of this world will crumble.
Find us. Don us. Save this dying world. Belief is your power.
Do not lose your faith in one another. Do not lose your faith in yourselves.
[The voice dies. Mokona is still flapping happily, unaware. There is a lot of rubble to look through.
What will they do?]
no subject
But he can tell by the way Kido straightens up and hugs Mokona a bit tighter that her eyes are probably shining at the idea of being a Magic Knight, how cool that sounds and how much she always wants to step into the role of the hero. Seto knows this too, and claps Kano on the back hard enough to hurt, laughing and saying "There's no helping it!" and there really isn't when Kido's set her mind on something.
There is a lot of rubble to look though. Seto, ever the hard worker, starts from one end of the room and searches as carefully and thoroughly as he can, moving everything stone by stone. Kido starts from the other end, mostly looking with her eyes, poking around here and there and moving the rubble aside in places where she thinks she's spotted something interesting. Her hood is pulled back and she's set Mokona there to carry around like a basket.
Kano stands where he was left, watching the two of them. Really. This might be the last time he'll ever see either of them, and he hesitates in helping end it all too soon. But then Kido yells at him to move his lazy bum and he does, stepping forward towards the center of the rubble where he imagines the front door would be, and proceeds to climb to the top of the pile. ]
no subject
Someone must have lived here. As Kano approaches the room, he can easily imagine a kitchen to one side, a well-kept office to the other.
It doesn't take long to find the remains of tools, of a broken anvil, a forge with a power source that has long burned out, and the remains of hundreds upon hundreds of shattered weapons...
Save for three.
Seto is the first to find something whole. Whatever he pulls out it is a mess of static at first, the sound of hissing, before the static snaps into place in Seto's hands as a weapon of choice, emblazoned with both the image of a dragon and a snake. The same will happen with Kido, finding a weapon of choice, emblazoned with the image of a lion and that of a snake.
Does Kano help with the rubble? It looks like whatever the third static Thing is, neither Seto or Kido can pick it up without it disintegrating out of their hands like sand, before reforming on the ground.]
no subject
Seto calls out his finding: a great sword heavy enough to require two hands but he holds it easily with just one, resting over his shoulder as if it were nothing more than a wooden baseball bat. His attention turns to Kido who excitedly pulls out a smaller sword, the hilt golden with red jewels, just the sort of sword one would imagine a hero would wield.
Kano, in his search, uncovers a bow and sets of arrows. A weapon that must be drawn and fired deliberately instead of wildly swung like a sword, one that cannot hack off a head or deal a mortal blow as easily as a sword, but can pierce one's heart, grabbing it like a barb and slowly bleeding one out unless it's wrenched from the chest.
He can barely stand to hold it. ]
no subject
As he draws it up from where it's been buried, the voice echoes in their chests once more.]
The weapon is a key to reviving your Rune Gods, to awakening the Mashin that lie beyond.
Only you can use them.
[Time blurs. There's a memory that isn't his, of jumping into an impossible body of water, of being separated from those he was with only to face a figure he loved, one that attacked him relentlessly. He feels a crushing weight against his neck, agony in his heart.
Magic Knights. Gather your courage and think. Would your beloved ones seek to harm you in this way?
...
They're standing at the base of what used to be a temple, what might have been the floor of the sea, now completely dried out. Something has happened, and they are all covered in fresh wounds, blood vibrant in his mouth. He knows now that the other two have openly used magic - Seto having found his calling for water, while Kido wields a crackling mass of fire. The warmth in his own chest settles right where it is.
But they are all alive, and Seto reaches out to the form of a massive dragon, one that meets his hand with an aura of respect. Whatever is going on between the dragon and Seto is something Kano cannot hear... but after a moment, the dragon turns to nothing but light, reforming into an enormous robot, before flickering, a flash of blue light that rests against Seto's chest before vanishing entirely.
Seto mumbles something about "not being worthy yet????" But they are all wounded, and they all know the longer they stand there, the more danger they will be in. The longer he looks at their wounds, the more the warmth in him aches. Can't he do something?? It's on the tip of his tongue.]
no subject
He looks from the dragon on Seto's sword to the massive one standing in front of him, overbearingly large and impressive but so gentle in the way it meets Seto's hand. Really is just like his brother. Kido urges them to move, to get somewhere safe- or at least not out in the open. Everything hurts and his head spins, and he hesitates to reach for Kido's hand and in that hesitation she grabs his wrist instead, the warmth of her hand almost searing against his skin.
But where can they run? Where can they hide? What can they do, when they're in the state that they're in? Bow strapped on his back, Kano takes Kido's hand in his and Seto's in the other and steps towards the temple. Like this, they cannot fight, but he doesn't want them to- they shouldn't have to fight anymore, get hurt anymore, he just needs them to stay safe. ]
no subject
To him, and only him, he hears Hikaru's voice, very quiet.
You really do wanna help, huh, Shuuya?
Belief is the source of your power, you know. Magic chooses its user, not the other way around. I know you don't want to fight. But there's other things you can do, you know?
To mend their wounds. To shield them. To bind their enemies, even for a moment. It's like a breeze under his fingertips, the kiss of fresh air in a temple that now rots with decay.
All he needs to do is speak.]
no subject
Again there's a voice, but this time he doesn't hate it. He wants to deny it, almost on principle, but all he does is for the sakes of his siblings and belief...
Belief is fleeting and it's scary. The harder he holds onto it, the more painful when it gets torn to shreds in front of his face. But he believes, at the very very least, that he can still protect these two by his side, that he could give his life for them so that they will live and his life would finally be worth it.
He opens his mouth and says whatever words does the healing thing, a cool breeze pressing against their backs and guiding them through the temple, the wind gently brushing his bangs off his forehead as if saying it will be okay. ]
no subject
It falls out of his lips as easily as anything, and the three of them will feel the wind respond in turn, the sting of their wounds settling as they are completely healed.
You can't do it forever. Magic will bounce back and destroy you if you use it without reason. But please hold onto your belief, Shuuya, even if it's fleeting. I wouldn't have called on you if I didn't have faith in you to do whatever you could.
Find your reason. Make sure it's your own.
Time warps again.
The smoke of an open volcano leaks into the sky, magma spilling out onto the broken rocks. Shuuya will briefly remember a fight, of having no control of his body as both he and Seto were forced to attack Kido, who had to defend and make her own choices through a trial against her own heart, under the impassive and fiery supervision of the same beast that had been resting with Hikaru.
But it seems she conquered. Their wounds have been healed, and just like the dragon, the creature before Kido morphs with a blinding red light into another robot, before the light settles into Kido's chest.
Seto is probably blabbing about how nice Seles was in comparison to the fiery demeanor of Kido's Mashin, who she corrects him in calling "Rayearth." She shares what Rayearth had spoken to her heart, that their goal was to save this land called Cefiro, and that they had to rescue someone called "The Pillar." Something went horribly wrong, it seems, and the Pillar could no longer support the land with their prayers. Seto wonders aloud if a monster of some kind captured this Pillar.
Kano feels de-ja-vu again. Uneasy. Sickening. Like he's watching a train-wreck in slow motion.]
no subject
The fight is painful, but the pain is fond. He thinks of their petty fights as children, Seto in tears because he can't choose who to defend or what to do, but more often than not he goes to Kano's aid only because Kido would have beat Kano to a bloody pulp if somebody did not stop her and try to calm her down. He could never win. They were always crying back then, but less now- they fought less now, too, and Kido's grown up so much... Seto too. It's only Kano without a robot, but he doesn't need one.
He doesn't care about saving the world. But he cares about saving his siblings who would undoubtedly throw their lives away trying to save this Pillar, so really, he has no choice!!! He feels for the wind once more; where is the Pillar? Where do they need to go? ]
no subject
Too bad Seto can't speak to animals right this second, that might be nice. But the longer Kano looks towards the castle, the more he fills with a sense of dread - that if he were to step foot in it now, he would be killed instantly, just like many before him.
Kido looks confusedly at Mokona, then at Kano. The fuck did you do to anger the marshmallow, dude?]
no subject
He's no friend to animals; he doesn't care what that thing thinks. He knows where the Pillar is, and instead of saying as much, he simply asks the other two to follow him. ]
no subject
They're close now, though. And though his siblings are filled with confidence, Kano's dread will increase.
Hikaru's voice is even quieter now.
I don't want you to die here, Shuuya. Please.
The Mashin are there for the Magic Knights for a reason. Mokona is there for a reason. Please don't ignore them, or...
Or... what? She seems to drift, as though she can't remember, falling silent again.
His siblings move forward, following his direction. What does he do?]
no subject
It's not like he's ignoring the people around him on purpose. But he can't stand to look them in the face with how he is, and that by keeping them behind him he might be able to... he doesn't know. Protect them? As if he could, when they're so much stronger. Really, why is he here, when he's no good for anything?
He turns to face Seto and Kido. ]
Time out, be right back. Gotta pee!
[ He snatches Mokona out of Kido's hoodie and stalks off to the side wherever there's some sort of cover he can hide behind for some semblance of privacy. ]
no subject
Instead, his eyes open, and he's somewhere unfamiliar, like he's in floating in the middle of the sea. A beat, and something solidifies under his feet, and with quiet footsteps, Hikaru approaches him in an unfamiliar outfit, the back of her dress trailing on the floor, her skin covered in scars. She'll stop a short distance away, as though she can't move any further. But she'll meet his eyes with a tired smile.]
You really do feel like a burden to them, don't you?
no subject
Kano would probably have that same reaction, but he's momentarily distracted by the thought that Mokona had straight up murdered him back there, though it's been so many times that he's died and come back that he doesn't know what counts anymore.
He lets his shoulders drop, and his hands unclench. ]
...Yeah. I'm doing what I can.
[ But all the same, yeah. ]
no subject
Her hand reaches out, as though she wants to offer it. But something stops her, and she flinches, before carefully pulling her hand a way with a firm inhale. Something's off. It's hard for Kano to put his finger on it right this second.]
...Windom isn't something you should feel you have to ignore, Shuuya. Even if you don't know if you deserve it, or you think that you can be fine... This is a world of belief. But the Pillar has protections that you can't just walk into, no matter how hard you want to. That's how important their role is. Your weapons are the key to the Mashin, and the Mashin themselves are a key to saving the world. They were the same when I was a knight.
[Her eyes cloud for a moment, anguished despite her smile, before she folds her hands together for a moment. In front of Kano will appear a crystal ball of sorts.]
Please. Take a moment to have courage, Shuuya, and look.
no subject
For Kano, his courage isn't the lack of fear. It's being willing to do whatever it takes to do what he needs despite that fear, and if he needs to take a leap of faith and touch weird crystal balls because some stranger Hikaru says so in order to not lead his family straight to death, so be it.
What does he see? ]
no subject
He will see his siblings moving on, in anguish, in anger, attacking a force he can't quite make out, trying their best, grieving heavily.
He will watch them try, and try, and try, but with their hearts taken up by grief, they are quickly torn apart and slaughtered.]
no subject
Kano gives it a shake like he's handling a snow globe and then stares at it again. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
cw: suicidal ideation and the like probably for a little bit
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)