The sound of sustained gunfire had Onyx on edge, even when Marionette agreed to work with them. They both knew what they were rushing towards but it was inevitable. Whether they liked it or not, it was their only option. But at least this time around they'd be able to fight back. While he had never considered it before, the realization that the Blackbird could have very well been like them actually intrigued him. As they ran, he mulled over the creature's ability.

'Duplicate.' He echoed the creature's word of power in his head, but his gaze shifted to Marionette? How had she been able to pull a Contender from her dress only a few night's prior? What all was she really capable of? How did she even know so much? So many questions, but it wasn't the time for answers.

Eventually, they came upon Alina. The girl had been running towards them, having accepted the fact she wouldn't be any good in a fight. He didn't blame her - he couldn't, considering the fact he had spent so much time running away and hesitating. With a quick exchange of words, they headed back to where the Blackbird and Heidemarie had last been, only to find a mixture of blood staining the ground. When he had stabbed the Blackbird, had its blood been silver? The memory was hazy, but perhaps...

"Splitting up again may be our best option." His gaze was on the fire in the distance. "We don't know if Heidemarie killed the Blackbird and the fact remains we still have a giant hole consuming everything. If she didn't, it could be wounded. There's a chance we could finish it off, but we'd have to make a choice and stick to it. At least one of us with a power would have to go with whoever decides to head back if we do split up. I'm personally fine with checking out the area some more to see if there's something we may be missing, but I'll go with whatever you guys decide."
 
Alina shook her head. "I don't think we can be sure about that."
She was silent for a moment, glancing around the mockery of a skyline.
The blackbird really was nowhere to be seen. Heidemarie wasn't here either, even as a corpse. Perhaps their battle had moved elsewhere, but to move so far in such a short time...? The gunfire had slowly faded as they had come closer, but it seemed absurd.

Unless, of course, one considers prior observations.

That's right, the blackbird was superhuman, wasn't she?
The silver stains on the ground had seemed like water in Alina's mind at first, but it stood out, unwilling to be ignored, a stark reminder of the absurdity of that woman who had thrown her into the air like a pebble the last time they had met.
It was only right that a woman like that would be able to move much faster than them, so much so that the cracking of firearms had set far away.
So the reason it had seemed ridiculous wasn't her, but her opponent.
Wouldn't that mean that Heidemarie is also...?
It seemed unlikely, borderline impossible, but it was a phenomenon had already been shown to her.
How? Why? Other factors to consider. Inhuman physical ability was something that was practically necessitated fighting that kind of opponent, it would have been remarkably valuable. If Heidemarie had obtained it, then was it something that could be achieved in this world? No, perhaps it was even a byproduct of her ability?

"...You're right," she nodded to Onyx. "We'll reassign groups of three this time. We'll have a better chance that way if she does come back."
Not to mention it's better for the many if she picks off a few at a time.
"But first, I'm going to head back to the obelisk to see what that Caelan guy wants," she announced. "He might have spotted something that can help us put together the rest."
Not to mention, Marionette at least seemed to have prior knowledge of this whole eldritch, nightmare-like scenario... If the two of them put their heads together, there was a chance that they could come up with something to solve this mess.

"Any objections?" asked Alina.
 
@Izurich
Borrowed shoes pattered against the moon-gray as Eva fought the dark temptations broiling within her, rushing further into the array of intact buildings and the promise of illumination it must have held. Even as the ruin behind her grew continuously, each tick, each heartbeat, causing the maw to grow further. Her own madness shielded her from the malicious intent of the destructed world, the murderer finding herself soon at the threshold of the unreasonably tall buildings. Upon further inspection, there were few windows, and yet, plenty of doors on higher levels, placed haphazardly upon the walls with no patio for individuals to step on.

It was imposing, to be certain, but she had determined her path, and pressed herself into the outer boundary.

The moonlight that had been so benign earlier now cast heavy shadows in every which direction, the darkness of a starlit night truly making itself known once the young woman strode in between the disorderly collection of buildings. Within moments, Eva couldn’t even see herself, so elbow-deep in the shadows that all she could do was feel around, hope that it was a good enough cloak that others could not see her.

And, for a period of time, her hopes were answered with tranquil silence. She knew not what the others were doing, if they had found the Rabbit’s Heart or Yohan’s body or had simply began killing each other, but here, it should be all but impossible to find he-

She felt it this time. Her shadow squirming, a thousand goosebumps rising up her arm, as something moved behind her.

“Evangeline?”

An all too familiar voice.

“Goodness gracious, finally gave up on that ridiculous goal of yours, haven’t you?”

An all too familiar tone.

“Well, did always say that you’d still have a place back home after your flight of fancy leaves you, so come on in, Eva.”

An all too familiar face.

Within a world of tall shadows, Evangeline’s mother looked back at her expectantly.

@Random @RedArmyShogun @Jageroux
As the others spoke up, once again bringing up the idea of splitting up, reorganizing groups and all that, Marionette instead knelt by one of the silver splattered adorning the area. Placing the tip of her finger onto it, the white-haired lady brought it to her mouth. Her pink tongue flicked out, tasting the substance tentatively, before she wiped the surplus onto her dress. Rising once again, Marionette said in the same cute, unaffected tone she always used, “Eh, I doubt Caelan and Madelon actually found anything, you know? Wouldn’t it make more sense that they simply heard…you know, gunfire? And then decided to gather everyone else over by using his power as a bonfire?”

“Still…” The puppeteer placed that stained finger on her cheek. “Searching really isn’t all that effective, is it? If Heidemarie’s still alive, she’d be able to see the fire too. If the gunslinger’s still alive, perhaps they’d be drawn to it. For now, it’d be best to convene, at least.”

Xi Feng narrowed her eyes, disappointed almost at the lack of any sort of combat, but trudged back first, unwilling, or perhaps incapable, of speaking.

With Alina also having plans to converge upon the obelisk, the group began to move back, leaving behind the battlefield, all while still searching for answers.

The bonfire had only grown stronger when they arrived, waves of heat felt even at a distance. Wreathed in fire, Caelan periodically reduced the surrounding rubble to ash while the strawberry blonde Madelon sat at a safe distance away. Burn marks on the obelisk implied that the avatar of fire had attempted to destroy the grand structure itself, but to no avail. Both perked up as Marionette waved them down, the white-haired girl eloquently explaining the situation regarding the Blackbird and Heidemarie, before leaving the stage to allow Onyx to speak of his own discovery in regards to the abyss that grew in the ‘center’ of the world.

Caelan and Madelon reported, from their end, that outside of the flight of the shadow-crows, nothing notable was seen, leaving just a single pair unaccounted for.

Yohan, and the strange girl who had tagged along with him.

“Well,” Caelan said, unbothered by the stone-incinerating flames that danced on his skin, “That’s a lot of missing people.”

Still wordless, Xi Feng snorted.



@Jakers
Click clack.

His shoes slapped against cobblestone, the sound echoing through the empty street as white arrows guided him up stairways, under bridges, through alleys, and to a streetcar stop.

Ring ding.

The brass-and-wood streetcar arrived before he noticed it, a pneumatic hiss sounding as the doors parted. There was no conductor, nor anyone else aboard, but a white arrow hung from the doorframe, guiding him in. As he stepped in, the PA system squawked to life once more.

“Ticket confirmed,” an adrongynous voice sounded. “Mister Yohan Rye, please enjoy the ride.”

With that, the doors closed shut, the steam engine within the car beginning its revolutions, carrying the car down its predetermined route. It passed by three stops within the Student District. It glided by the ornate houses of Scholar Street. It offered a brief glimpse of Central Ward. It slowed briefly by the Union Arch Plaza, before chugging on. Irresponsive no matter how many times he chose to ring the ‘stop’ bell, the streetcar continued until it reached the Council Tower.

“Last stop. Please disembark here.”

Once again, Ringrange’s announcement system sparked to life, before dying as soon as the message was delivered. The car’s doors parted, and before Yohan stood the tallest building in Ringrange, a veritable skyscraper that towered over all other buildings within the Offshore Academy City. There were no windows, and at a distance, it was impossible to tell where the door was. All around, in uniformed lines, were clockwork soldiers, metal surfaces painted black and white, mimicking that of a police man’s uniform. Normally, they would be walking around slowly, circling the Council Tower, but this time, they stood still, as if at attention.

There were no longer any white arrows, only two rows of those curious creations, forming a one way path to the black spire.
 
4StHGrz.jpg

Finally, she arrived at the next town, far away from the growing hole that whispered suicidal whispers into her head, away from those other people who were most likely killing each other by now. Here between the buildings, she'd be sheltered from the cruel ruined world, no crows, no flaming obelisks, no gunshots, just her and the buildings with doors as windows. Now, let's see if she cold enter one of them... she just had to find one that had a door near ground level, one that looked just right.

"Heee...?" The student whipped around, long golden locks animating with her head movements as she found out that the moon, her only source of light, was now lusterless. Its light ceased, leaving the blonde in the darkness. Her blue-golden eyes squinted as her pupils dilated, taking in as much light as they could to no avail. Alone in the streets, she had to press herself against one of the structures, groping around much like a blind woman. However, she wasn't afraid... she had made the right choice, she'd be safe here, no one els-...

"...!?" In a matter of a split second, her illusion of security was shattered as the girl heard something rustling behind her. Neck hair rising in panic, she quickly turned around, lips already stammering, "Evis-?!"

"Evangeline?"

"-ce-... ah..." No... no way! "Mom...?" Impossible. What... why was her mother here of all places?! Was she a victim too? But all of the 'participants' so far looked around her age, all of them likely students, so why...

“Well, did always say that you’d still have a place back home after your flight of fancy leaves you, so come on in, Eva.”

"Oh... The blonde blinked, somehow, what her mother said all made sense! She must have missed home and decided to return for the time being. Everything that had happened so far was just a horrible nightmare, like due to stress and over-exertion. Eva's mind was incredibly persuasive indeed. In her search for some semblance of a sanctuary, she'd take any kind offer, especially if it was her own mother, inviting her to come home. Her father would likely chide her on her seemingly impossible mission but heh, she couldn't care less, she just wanted to be with her family again.

"Right, uh... I'm sorry, mom... I just uh..." Rubbing one arm with the other, the blonde walked forward, not even caring about her bizarre fashion sense, black nightee and underwear paired with leather shoes and shocks. "I just... I'm just so tired, Mom." The girl sighed heavily, limping towards her mother then slumped forward, giving into the warm embrace, "So... tired..."
 
By the time the vehicle arrived, it almost seemed like it had been there from the start, yet at the same time, it had appeared from nowhere into this empty world. An automated voice broke the silence as the car came to a stop; though he was beside himself with confusion and curiosity of what 'someone' wanted from him, Yohan didn't question anything. He simply sat in the car, listening to the loud whirrs and hisses of the contraptions engine. His pale face blankly watched the streets pass by, counting illuminated clouds hanging in the sky.

...The world was strangely beautiful like this, he thought.

By the time the car stopped, that feeling of delirious dizziness the student had attained upon waking up was still... there. It almost felt as if he'd caught some sort of illness, but he couldn't describe what his symptoms even were. Grabbing the rails of the car to get up to his feet, Yohan squinted and looked up towards the destination he'd been dropped off to.

The council tower. A shard of concrete; elaborately crafted in its every being, that nearly pierced a topping of blended of clouds and fumes. He'd never been so close before... but he could recall seeing just the top of the thing from a distance away, multiple times. Now that he was here... for some reason, he felt oddly overwhelmed. Each step he was about to take felt indescribably heavy.

Eyes drifting around the mass of automated security, even in his tired state, Yohan could sit all day and examine the remarkable craftsmanship upon the rows and rows of automated 'people'. As he was reminded of the true geniuses that roamed Ringrange, an air that was a mixture of inspiration and insignificance came over him. Compared to the creations here, the device within the briefcase in his right hand almost felt like a joke.

But still... seeing something as revolutionary as these soldiers reminded Yohan of his purpose. Or... at least, what remained of his purpose. Who he should trust; what he should believe in... what he was even destined to do... he wasn't fully sure about any of those things, now.

Regardless, he wasn't so naive - or blind in hope - to think he'd find the answers to any of those things here.

Slowly; carefully, Yohan began to walk through the rows of soldiers; blonde hair flickering under his hat in the gentle winds.

To the shard that cracked the sky.
 
<Everything Said, Nothing Done>
“You seem to be having a whale of a time over here,” Alina raised an eyebrow in Xi Feng’s direction.

She glanced around, double-checking her headcount, but…

No Yohan.

Perhaps the pair just hadn’t returned yet, but more likely, they weren’t going to.

So something quiet is capable of taking out pairs? she speculated.

“The others haven’t been and gone already, have they?” she inquired in the general direction of the two who had been here when they arrived.

“Makes no sense for them to come and then leave so quickly,” Caelan said, “Far as I know, they haven’t shown yet.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she nodded. “The blackbird’s not our only enemy here then.”

Marionette giggled. “Wasn’t that obvious from the get-go?”

Beneath a veil of flame, Caelan almost looked exasperated, before he turned to Alina. “Only problem is that the ‘blackbird’ isn’t a native of this world. It’s like us, an intruder. The crows, on the other hand, are neither violent nor dangerous.”

“Ominous, though,” remarked Madelon, more to herself.

“Whatever the case is, it’s that silver blood that’s bothering me,” frowned Alina. “Is it the cause of superhuman condition, or just a symptom? Is it possible to have more than one ability? The issue with you empowered folk is that I, for lack of a finer point to place, can’t test shit here.”

She was getting frustrated, borderline argumentative, and she knew it. Catching the roots of a problem before a bud made headway was as important now as it would ever be, but she was becoming well aware that she wasn’t working at her best in this environment. The reasons for that were a little more tricky to put a finger on.

She pointed at Caelan’s handiwork.

“I want to say we wait until our hunters here decide to come find this,” she said, “but at the same time I’m not convinced we can afford to let any more of our people get put out of commission. Besides that woman in the cloak, we can guess that the other threat is either similar, but probably armed with a blade, or has some kind of property that doesn’t let us observe from afar. It’s unlikely that it has more than a tenuous link with these birds either. I’m sure there’s a trigger here to get them to do something, mind you…”

She began to trail off.

“Oh.”

She looked around at the group.

“Who else noticed the crows get smaller in concentration the further out we went?” she asked.

Listening to the ongoing conversation, Alice was more or less happy to be left out of the loop, so to speak. She was tired from all the running back and forth, seemingly to no gain, so a breather was much appreciated. Though a couple of things the talkative pair had said stood out to her and were worthy of mention.

“I wouldn’t be so sure those birds are harmless.. Maybe in the area’s they seem thicker at it’s not the case.. Just like with real animals the further into it’s territory the more violent they get. Nor would I be so sure that the silver blood is the result of more powers. You very well may be limited to the one on rules we don’t understand..” Eying Xi Feng, she could easily answer that question, she had killed several of them from what she gathered after all. “..everyone here has lost an eye to this..place, who is to say that in death it stops there when it comes to body parts, why not the heart or liver as well? She may not be all powerful, but rather something no longer...human?”

Then there was the mention of the Crows. “Yes, where we went there were none at all, which if what Onyx seen was true, the center of this world is a large gaping hole, that is expanding.. I believe that ties in exactly with the time limit. Otherwise all of this seems to have confirmed a couple of points… well maybe.”

Pointing at the Obelisk and giving a shrug of a mechanical arm, the young girl continues. “Death alone is not enough to win this game and not everyone, if anyone here is qualified as a heart of the rabbit.. Or else a physical heart must be brought here, in which case we could ambush the attacker.. Or they are the Rabbit.. Otherwise it may be a concept, white traditionally is known for innocence..”

Something I doubt anyone here still has. she thinks, but dares to not add aloud.

The questions in Onyx’s mind were just piling up. How did Caelan know the blackbird was an intruder? How could he say with certainty that it was like them? And to casually refer to everyone as an ‘intruder’ only served to further his paranoia. How did they know so much more than them?

Arms folded, Onyx merely stood off to the side, having remained silent for the duration of most of the conversation. He was content with keeping his thoughts to himself, deciding it wouldn’t be best to make it known he was suspicious and untrusting of pretty much everyone that wasn’t Alina, Alice and Yohan. As far as he was concerned, everyone else was a potential threat no matter how friendly they appeared.

He had been screwed over far too many times to just blindly trust others. A voice in the back of his head told him that his paranoia was perhaps getting the best of him, but at the same time he couldn’t help but note that Yohan and that Eva-girl were both still gone. Shouldn’t the flames have been visible even from their position? Yohan would have had enough sense to head back… Unless something had happened that prevented him from doing so, but Onyx could only hope that wasn’t the case.

He had slowly watched his ‘friend’ slowly change and he could only fear what another death would do to him.

“If the Rabbits heart is supposed to be some form of symbolism, then maybe that’s what all of this is. Alice and I went north, and things were dense. Like a forest. The cables we climbed up could be likened to vines. The crows replace your average birds… If we’re all ‘intruders’, then the Blackbird is the only real oddity out of all of us. Maybe we’re supposed to hunt it and bring it back here.” Onyx shrugged, just throwing out a random idea before a sigh escaped him. Very soon he was sitting on the ground, his screwdriver spinning between his fingers. “The fact of the matter is we can sit here all day and spitball ideas until we get swallowed up by the abyss. Our lack of doing anything is possibly our greatest offense, right now. We were given the vaguest instructions and now we’re just sitting here waiting for something to happen, despite the fact we know what’s coming.” His gaze shifted between everyone as he spoke before settling on Alina.

“Yohan isn’t here. Neither is that girl. Everyone else is present and accounted for, minus the chick with the briefcase.” Onyx said, gripping the screwdriver before standing. “We have two variables right now. One being the bitch with the gun with the other being the fact Yohan, of all people, didn’t immediately come back when he saw the fire.” Out of everyone, with the way Yohan was, it didn’t make sense for him to not return.

“I’ll go after Yohan while you all sit here trying to figure out what the ‘Rabbit’ is or discuss symbolism or whatever bullshit you want to. I’d much rather die trying to do something than sit around and die because I didn’t do anything.”

“As expected of Onyx,” Marionette clapped, “Always so eager to run off!”

The white-haired girl stood up, patting the dust off her dress coquettishly, before continuing, “Well, there really is no point in spending too much time talking. The gunslinger girl may totally still be a threat, our dear lost friends may be hiding from another threat, and hey, maybe we’re ultimately just supposed to beat each other up like Heide said!”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I, for one, am sick of just running around though, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll even find Yohan. How bout that splitting up idea, Alina?”

“Makes it too easy to get picked off,” Caelan interrupted. “Safety in numbers works best, especially when we don’t any enough combat-ready powers to deal with a sniper.”

He paused them, red-and-gold eyes glazing over the contours of the puppeteer’s, before a lop-sided grin emerged.

“Looks like you could do with exercise anyways.”

“Exercise,” Alina scoffed. “Look, stamina aside, we really don’t have enough manpower to cover nearly the amount of ground we’re meant to as it is. I mean, there’s only so much you can tell from out here anyway.”

She glanced out at the obelisk’s surroundings, as if to prove a point, gesturing subtly to Onyx to stay put. “Symbolism is important. If crows are flying to where Yohan was, then there’s death that just happened there. I wouldn’t head out unless you really want to join him.”

She stopped, as if something had caught her eye, stepping over to the edge of the makeshift hub.

“Oh, I see now. That’s the edge.”

Those buildings were a fence, a wall in pieces in the distance. A material reality separated the daydream of the Far Side.

“Well, not that that’s much help. You can get an idea of a layout, but that’s basically it. No help unless we send people down to look directly at stuff. Either way, whether we look at stuff or not, there’s only so much time before this entire area falls into a bottomless pit, and I don’t know about you, but I think we’ve fallen far enough down the proverbial rabbit-hole for one… day…”

She trailed off, slowly turning her head to the expanding sinkhole in the distance. Her expression went just slack enough to easily bend into a glare of displeasure.

For fuck’s sake.

Do something or die, no mention of a plan, well he was clearly leadership material.. Alice thinks to herself, remembering the mention of Marionette’s claim this was to pick an Empress for the world, she rather doubt they and all their armies would roll over for one of the assorted strange personalities and ignoble birth all because they had golden eyes and power. More likely than not they would scream it was a witch and to burn her, or build a bridge out of her..

“Are you sure it’s wise to go alone? What if it’s a trap or they are just avoiding us? I mean yeah if you die you come back..or do we.. This place’s rules always change..”

Speaking up at much the same time if not slightly before, Alina brought up a point much like her own, though far more direct. But she did bring up an interesting point besides that ultimately. “..I think we should do something, at least to kill that silver blood.. If we leave them be and they aren’t the heart they are trying to kill us. If they are the rabbit and we stay in a group, they just have to avoid us..” What was their rule to this game in the first place, clicking her metallic claw hand Alice was tempted to just try ambushing her, or if time was an issue one of them, if only the infernal obelisk would give them a hint.. Well that was unlikely to happen, turning to the silent group among them, maybe they had ideas or suggestions, though on that note, shouldn’t the fireboy have went off with someone else when they split? Unclenching her hand she was curious what the story to that was..

“No, no, no, I just got it,” Alina grumbled. “The Rabbit’s not out here. It’s down there. Screw the Rabbit, that silver-blooded woman is more like a Lorna, trying to wake us up by force.”

She stood up straight and looked about, making yet another mental headcount. “I don’t know what’s down there, so it might be good for a couple of us to stay behind up here, but frankly the strongest of us probably have a better chance down there than us weaklings. You two saw it start, right? Anything of note?” she asked the Terminator and his clockwork companion.

“I didn’t see the pit myself… This arms and legs aren’t exactly made for climbing rough terrain.” She says while holding her arms up as an example. “Unless one of you can build me some upgrades at anyrate.. I only seen things leading up to it, those cables in the sky are rather large, metal of some sort, several buildings are knocked over or partly collapsed in the area, those cables were fallen from the sky draped across them like some sort of net or vines.. Seemingly it all went into a deep hole on the other side, but that is all I know.” Alice says while sighing, just how much time did the have left?

“If you want to jump down that rabbit hole by all means, but will it be a rabbit there? Maybe we should divide our efforts into three.. Either way I suspect time is running out for us whatever we want to do.. Well do either of you have ideas?” She says looking towards the other two women in the group who have yet to say anything, though she doubted Xi Feng would willingly speak, all things considered…

“Down the rabbit hole I’ll go.” Onyx said while stretching, ignoring Marionette’s comment about him being eager to run off. “Honestly, all I really saw was just a big hole that kept getting bigger. Didn’t really notice anything particularly about it.” He shrugged, arms folding. He looked around at everyone present, uncertain if anyone else actually intended to go with him. If not it didn’t really bother him.

He just wanted to do something. Anything would have been better than standing around. He didn’t know what was spurring his arguably reckless behavior, but he was just tired of reacting to everything that happened.

“I’m fine with going alone, regardless of what may be down there. I’ll probably be more useful down there in comparison to up here - I’m not sure I’d be able to Terminate a bullet in time. And if there’s an actual rabbit down there, it won’t be much of a chase at the very least.” He pointed out.

In the end, it was decided for the group to split up regardless of the dangers of being picked off by the myserious blackbird. Their numbers and variety of usable 'power words' were too small to create a safe balance, and in the end, the expedition team got the motherlode of offensive abilities, while Marionette and Xi Feng, joined by Alice, stayed behind.

For all the words that were spoken, all the theories exchanged, it appeared that this mishappen group of outsiders still couldn't get anything done without divine insight.
 
@Izurich
“There there,” her mother crooned, gently stroking Evangeline’s head, “It’s been tough for you, hasn’t it? Trying so hard, only to get no results in the end. Being surrounded by people whose genius surpassed yours many times over. Always dying and dying, with no real way to prevent it.”

All those nights spent alone in her room with nothing but her thoughts. All those days spent pouring over thick, complicated texts that cost more than her monthly rent. Her stomach, constantly empty and growling. A whole week had passed, and yet already it felt as if other students had secured favour with her professors, while she remained alone. Independence without companionship was merely isolation, and the laughter and conversation that spilled out through the thin walls of her neighbors’ suites only served to exemplify the difference between those that had a bright university life ahead of them and those that were destined to fall off the side, nothing special even after getting a degree from the illustrious academy city.

But, in her mother’s embrace, so warm and genuine, Evangeline felt like she could forget all that. Her dreams didn’t really matter. Her fantasies of success didn’t really matter. No matter how pathetic she was, her parents would still be there, waiting for her, the ultimate, saintly safety net.

“It’s alright to give up,” her mother, her escape from reality, said, “You don’t have to grow up, my dearest.”

And slowly, she began to shrink. Smaller and smaller. More and more childlike. This was, ultimately, her reality, where neither success nor failure mattered, for her parents never saw her in such light. A daughter, after all, was happiest not as a professional, but as a wife.

@Random @Jageroux
Paths a members decided once more, Onyx, Alina, Caelan, and Madelon set off northwards, towards the abyss that grew more and more as time went on. There was still no clear way for the quartet to descend, though the blue-haired flame-dancer was confident in his ability to remain unharmed even if he simply jumped down, and it was him that took the vanguard, indiscriminately melting through any obstacle that stood in their way. Each “Immolate” reduced another pole or piece of rubble into cinders, and they made progress at a much faster rate than Onyx originally did.

In what seemed like no time at all, they found themselves inching away slowly from the edge of the great pit that had formed. Around them, wires, poles, and broken down buildings seemed to slide down into the fathomless trench, as if they were drawn down by some mysterious force. It was a near vertical drop, and yet, rubble and debris from the surface didn’t plummet downwards, instead clinging onto the wall and slowly descending. It was unknown what would happen if extra weight was applied to the wall-bound objects, but Caelan, at least, had no intention of finding out.

Turning to the others, the blue-haired man said, “I’ll go on ahead first. Madelon, stay safe.”

Madelon blinked, her expression twisting into confusion as she opened her mouth to respond, before, just like he claimed he could do, Caelan jumped off, blazing hands slamming into the wall and melting into it. His descent into the abyss was marked by two glowing hot trails, before, abruptly, the bonfire was snuffed out by the blackness of the pit.

The strawberry blonde woman sighed, before turning helplessly towards Onyx and Alina.

“I…suppose we’ll just have to do this?”

@RedArmyShogun
Left behind to ‘hold the fort’, Marionette, Alice, and a clearly irritated Xi Feng sat or stood at various locations around the obelisk, a trio of women who were tasked with the simple job of…waiting. Without even a path to travel down or any task to perform, boredom set in easily enough as the white-haired puppeteer swung her legs backwards and forwards, humming a song quietly as the moon remained affixed above them, no other gunshots ringing from the distance. If not for the impending ‘doom’ that took the form of an ever-expanding pit, or for the expedition that more or less depended on the strengths of others, it was almost a tranquil experience.

Tranquil enough that they could clearly spend some time just chitchatting.

Out of the blue, Marionette said, turning her gaze to Alice, “So, I’m curious, Alice, are you friends with them or something? The whole Yohan, Alina, Onyx trio and all. Feels like you’d round out the group pretty well and all, but hey, also didn’t look like you were raring to follow after them. I’m pretty sure all they have are horror stories of me and Xi Feng here!”

@Jakers
Click. Click. Click.

Each clockwork automaton he passed knelt, as if acknowledging his presence. There they remained, rooted in place as he reached the front of the Council Tower. Still, there was no door, no knob to twist and no handle to push or pull. Which made it all the stranger when the entrance appeared before him in the blink of an eye, leading to a dimmed spiral staircase. At the bottom stood a more human-looking automaton than the guards outside. Silver face-plates removed any capability of thinking of it as ‘human’, but its range of movements were much more natural as the automatic maid curtsied, before gesturing for him to ascend.

Behind him, the entrance was gone, daylight blocked, as Yohan was compelled to continue on, up the spiralling staircase. A bluish hue shone from the steps itself while he climbed, showing the path before abruptly ending at another entrance. The top? No, he surely hadn’t climbed high enough to be even close to the skytower’s peak.

What awaited for him past the threshold was…a white room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were so utterly devoid of color that it was hard to tell where anything was. Behind him, once more, the entrance back to the staircase was gone, leaving Yohan in what appeared to be an alternate dimension.

Within that indistinct place, there sat a lady on a black, wooden chair, the black lace of her dress melting into the wood as she turned her head towards Yohan. Another chair was placed before her, left empty, while a small table separated the two chairs, holding up a fine set of china and a kettle that held an undefined liquid.

Ashen eyes regarded the shadow of the man known as Yohan, before the indistinct motioned him to take a seat. As he did so, she poured tea-flavored water from the kettle, a brew so thin that there was barely a tinge of color in it, before leaving the teacup where it sat.

“There’s not much left.”

A statement, one of pity and disappointment, filled the space between the two.
 
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Reactions: Izurich
Alina, crouching, watched Caelan seem to just vanish into the dark. It stood to reason that a pit this large should at least have been much deeper if it didn't have a visible bottom, at least from where she was standing, so it was little wonder that her eyes widened with fascination as the trails of fire simply ceased burning on before long.
"Looks like that hunch didn't go to waste," she muttered, half to herself, looking the walls' protrusions up and down as if weighing up whether it was worth it to just jump.
Well, if she had made the suggestion, it was only right that she followed through too. After all, she didn't think she was wrong, but if she was, at least the duo would have a chance to feed her some payback later, seeing as they'd be enemies again.
Alina found her gaze moving to Madelon about ten seconds or so after she spoke, standing up straight.

"So, you two met in the, uh, real world? Or did you just screw here and hope nobody murdered you in the middle?" she asked.
A joke, of course, but it got the pale jestress thinking almost immediately.
"You know, if someone did get pregnant here," she pondered, "I wonder if the child would disappear when they went back? Normally the only thing that gets preserved is the non-physical; memories, powers, such like... A child is a living thing, but our bodies, at least, revert to as they were, so would it vanish?"
She kicked a pebble down into the abyss, watching it bounce off a wall-turned-roof as she thought aloud.
"Then again, I suppose the point might well be moot. For all we know, the time limit expiring might just cause us all to immediately regress into some foul puddle of menses and semen."

She sighed, shaking her brain free from her stimulatingly grotesque train of thought. She was stalling for time at this point, and she was beginning to realise that she, on second thought, did not want to jump down a bottomless pit.
"Down the rabbit-hole and Alice isn't even here to go first. Ironic."
Taking a step back, she weighed up how far she'd need to jump to fall cleanly.
"Je suis prems on the tarts," she declared, and then sprinted off the edge into the abyss.
 
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Listening to Marionette, Alice seen what the woman was capable of, though to what limits it expanded she could not say, though in this case being honest, or near enough to it couldn't hurt. Though that did not ease her mind in some regards..

"You and Xi Feng? Hmm.. Well I don't know if they are my friends or not, given the circumstance are we friends past a point? This all is a game we have no choice but to play but even sports teams hold grudges.. I am sure that Alina has some plans in mind to deal with us all.. And with the two who went missing, we didn't bring up that one may have killed the other to test the theory on the heart.. But in this case it's more... practical.. I really don't care to risk myself going down there, up here I can fight.. well I hope so."

Settling her eyes on Xi Feng the girl sighs a bit. "They fear her.. but given what, no, who she is I can't say I blame her for acting how she has. Many of these games have been kill or be killed.. If I could be more direct.. I would likely do the same." She also expected she was afraid, but wasn't about to bring that up with the present company and the Eastern Warrior's pride.

"Unlike us, she can carry that sword of hers around and very well could kill some of us on the street. And I cannot forget the fact she came to my assistance twice.. The others seem to forget that they have powers that can kill as well as she, she's doing what is most sensible.. When I have, or if I have such powers, or even use this claw of a hand to spill blood, they will likely come to hate and fear me already. The two males don't as they want to study me or improve me for their own designs. I've seen that look in their eyes among many here...I..."


Not bothering with the rest of that thought she switches her gaze to Marionette. "You they also fear, for your power and your mindset.. I questions some of what was told to them by you.. But you likely had seen that with how Alina arrived in to threaten you. Where as study or space would have done.. All powers have limits or rules I would like to think, but on a factor I both fear and need some of you." Holding up her clawed left hand, the girl's one human eye narrows as the mechanical one shutters as if to blink.

"You would force it out of me, and the other here may seeks to kill me later or even respect me, who can say. I have watched, waited, pondering to just stab one of you and remove your heart to test the obelisk.. But I don't think that is correct, on the way up with Onyx, I had considered stabbing him, but he was an ally I needed alive. My only goal is the learn the mysteries of this world and it's tests.. I don't believe it's to select an Empress as you do, so much as a science project. But either way, a means to survive with some honor and knowledge is what I want from this...if possible friend..or at least those who understand I'm only doing this for the game, it's not personal and alliances can be made. Maybe I'm wrong and will see more later... So now are we friend? I don't think so but I would like it to be, otherwise I'll need to take a page out of her book."


She says pointing back and Xi, letting her collapse under her, she lets out a soft sigh. "You both are powerful and you both are in the same trap.. until I have answers or a power all I can do is watch and look for my own chances."
 
There was no 'navigating corridors'. There was no 'following paths'. No 'opening doors'. The way forward merely presented itself, surrounded by clockwork contraptions that bowed to him out of a sign of apparent respect. There was little Yohan questioned, and little he did to delay him reaching his 'destination'. All there was to do was walk this path, forged from the hands of the unknown.

Why they knelt for him was probably out of common courtesy; not even a small part of himself felt like he'd done anything to earn any sort of respect. Failure, rather than making him learn, had only made him forget. And when it came to his failures, by now, he couldn't even bring to mind any sort of figure or number. All he knew was that he was growing accustomed to it.

Soon, his guided wandering bought him to another mechanical maiden, waiting for him at the base of an endless tower of steps. Glancing upwards, there was no hesitation, only observation, before Yohan began to make his way upwards. Though the way back was blocked off, he didn't even notice, for the man didn't take the time to look back.

Before Yohan even began to grow weary from the stairs he presumed would be nearly endless, it seemed he'd already reached his 'destination'. A new room, a figure visible. A figure that was still, but seemed human, vaguely in the distance of what seemed like an endless, colorless room.

...This was it, then.

Without further ado, strands of faded blonde hair trailed behind him as Yohan entered a world of whiteness.

His eyes quickly grew used to the sensation of being able to stand without a visible floor. Or being able to get a feel for his surroundings, despite there being no visible walls or ceiling. He merely kept walking - his steps making no sounds - his eyes looking down towards the back of the free chair. He glanced briefly at the stranger, expecting some sort of aura to come from her - or expecting to feel some sort of feeling as he looked into her eyes, but neither of which sensations came.

With his free hand, he pulled back the chair, laying the suitcase on the ground next to him. His eyes drifted off into the endless distance for a moment, before he turned his gaze back and took a seat, hands gently placed atop his lap.

Quietly, the lost inventor observed the stranger opposite of him, watching as she poured the lukewarm substance - a liquid not too far away from being crystal clear - into his mug. He glanced into the ashen eyes of the sitting woman for a moment - a look of unsure gratitude - before taking a short moment to reflect on the presented statement.

"...No," Yohan echoed in quiet agreement. He looked into the cup's contents; a tinge of some sort of colour swirled, lost within a mix of emptiness. Faint enough to be noticeable, but it wouldn't need much more of that emptiness for that colour to be lost completely. He tugged the cup softly across the table, keeping it to his chest, but not making a movement to take a sip. "There isn't."

The light brown and pale gold eyes of the youth pointed down, avoiding the monochromatic gaze of the stranger. The longer silence fell, the deeper and deeper he swam in his thoughts. A mixture of feelings that all blended into one incoherent mixture. Regret / relief. Fear / calm. Confusion / acceptance.

And in this silence, though he didn't fully understand why, silent tears began to stream down his pale face. Tears that he didn't stir or wail for out of pain. Simple tears that fell from an expressionless face and an unmoving body.

Plip.

A droplet landed within his cup, causing a faint ripple to reverberate across the thin liquid. He closed his eyes; face calm and still, but the tears weren't stopping. Water very faintly scattered across the small table, before a simple question broke the silence.

"...Is it my fault?"
 
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"Haa... haha..." The blonde chuckled dryly as her mother held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ears. As expected of her mom, she would always her no matter what... even if she was a fool, even if her boasts turned out empty, even if she was such a failure of a daughter. "This world... it's just too tough. I can't... I'm tired, I just... I just want it all... to end."

She tried with all her might, she studied hard, managing to enlist in the best university in the world even though she wasn't considered a savant, nor did she have the backing of wealth. She went in through sheer hard work and tenacity. Yet, even then wasn't enough and in a way, it made sense, if she barely got through the entrance exam, let alone keeping up with the curriculum. All the part-time work she did just to purchase books in which half the content went over her head, the envy burning in her heart upon seeing the geniuses being praised. In an academy where almost everyone qualified to be the teacher's pet, she was the class' pariah instead, too stupid to converse with the savants, too poor to mingle with the elites.

"It's... alright?"" Her mother's explicit acceptance of failure was all that it took for the shambling remains of her determination to shatter. "I... I can give up?" She giggled, truly giggled in happiness after what seemed like years, a load taken off her shoulders. She didn't have to try anymore, she didn't have to worry about anything, if... if she could live her life like a child, blissfully ignorant to the world, she would be happy, the world wasn't worth it anyway. If she didn't try, then she wouldn't fail.

The shrunken Eva, now barely half her previous height, nuzzled into her mother's belly then looked up, mismatched eyes coupled with a happy smile. "I want to go home, Mom..."
 
@Random @Jageroux
About to take a step down the rudimentary ‘ladder’ herself, Madelon sputtered suddenly at the bold and vulgar proclamations that flew out of Alice’s mouth. For someone as intelligent as the white-haired lady appeared to be, such crass vocabulary was shocking, even though she made her home within the Dropout District. And the musings that were spoken afterwards? Even more disturbing! To imagine copulation in a place that threatened one’s life and identity, as well as the aftermath once they returned to reality was simply…mind-boggling. Far from a smile or a response, the strawberry blonde just looked at her colorless counterpart, flabbergasted.

Cheeks coloring, Madelon shook her head vigorously, before promptly hopping off onto the first ‘step’. “I don’t know what’s going on in that perverted mind of yours,” she said, “But Caelan and I worked together before, and that built up enough trust between the two of us. There is nothing deviant about our relationship, miss.”

With a bit of an indignant ‘hmph’, she descended, wondering whether or not such abominable thoughts were a contagion born within the land, or if Onyx and Alina were both just a couple of uncouth, perverted gutter rats.

The rest of the trip down was done in relative silence, Madelon no longer keen on conversing with her new companions. Though there were certain parts that caused one’s stomach to churn, such as when they were forced to shimmy down the black wires that hung like vines, even slips did not lead to catastrophe. The lower they got, the denser the concentration of objects were, meaning that even the farthest plummet was merely a foot or two. Enough to knock the wind out of an unfortunate individual, but not enough to be fatal.

With Caelan’s molten trail as a guide, the three delvers continued down the rabbit-hole, until finally, they were met with the impermeable darkness that the flaming trail lead down into. Far from just shadow or stone, the darkness was more of that as tar. Touching it caused sticky strands to cling onto you, while staring at it gave one the sense that it would swallow them up entirely. There was also the other factor, of course, that Caelan had yet to send any signal upwards through the abyss that had consumed him.

Was he still searching for the Rabbit? Was he unable to leave? Or…

Madelon let out a breath, her gaze hardening at what stood before her. There were worse abysses out there. Darker shadows that she had faced. A foot tentatively dipped into the mud-like surface, before she turned to the others.

A nod, brave and hesitant, before the woman stepped off her platform and was swallowed in an instant.



Bright flame blinded and terrible heat singed, hot updrafts tearing at clothing and hair, as a bestial roar resounded through the hellish world. Pastoral landscapes were reduced to ruin, a forest set ablaze by the power of a God. The sunny day was marred with black smoke, green grass withered and ruined. Craters sported the corpses of woodland critters, while more were made with every echoing explosion. Within the center of the destructive maelstrom, a grotesque creature towered above all else, standing three stories tall. A white carapace shielded itself from the bursts of flame that struck it, six insectoid eyes glowing green on its angular head as it tracked the movement of the comet that looked so small in comparison. Two long antennae drifted from the back of its skull to its knees, while volcano-esque formations burst out of its hunched back, launching out balls of cosmic energy that continued to destroy the landscape. Its limbs, like battering rams, hammered away at the pest that continued to harry it, each earth-trembling strike only barely evaded.

And yet, even in the face of a monstrosity that could not even be considered a ‘rabbit’, the scarlet comet continued to dance about, accelerating with propelling jets as primordial flame continued to smash against the resplendent exoskeleton.

Wonderland was burning, and they were caught in the crossfire.

@RedArmyShogun
“Oh?” Marionette smirked at the mention of the two males, “They’d like to improve you? Are you sure they aren’t just seeking more raunchy favours, my dear? I won’t say much about how you’d look au naturel, but your brass limbs certainly do give off a rather exotic flavor. Definitely eye-catching, now that heterochromia is but a cheap diversion.”

“Still…” She paused then, tilting her head to the side. “Your only goal is to solve this ‘mystery’? Sounds mighty humble when you see others capable of controlling the unwashed masses with a single word, or to set themselves ablaze without actually dying. Honestly, Alice, what exactly are you?”

Her eyes glittered, a symphony of bemusement and understanding.

“Why on earth would you be so interested in learning about the Destructed World that you’d be fine with killing others? Is ‘knowledge’ all that you 'love'?”

@Izurich
“Alright, dear,” her mother whispered, “We can go home together. No more silly fantasies, no more goofy goals, ok? You don’t have to be yourself anymore, Eva. You can just be a princess.”

Defined only by her husband, drowning in decadence and useful only for frivolities and child-bearing.

The regression continued. Smaller and smaller. From a child to a toddler. From a toddler to a baby. From a baby to a fetus. From a fetus to an egg. Continuously, continuously, continuously, Reality stripped away her individuality, her thoughts, her personality. Her lack of strength was forgiven, her great sins were absolved. Her ego and superego vanquished, all that was left was her id, and soon, even that disappeared. She wanted and needed nothing.

Without desires and needs of her own, Evangeline, physically and mentally, ceased to exist.



@Jakers
Tears pattered against the small table, but made no audible sound as they did so. The monochrome girl watched as twin streams continued trickling down an impassive face, her expression mirroring his own. A lost soul, unsuited for what the Destructed World demanded. So different from the one that the President thought of as a worthy successor, wasn’t he?

Too kind, even when there was nothing left. Too self-deprecating, even when there was little to nothing but the imprint of guilt.

She took a sip of the flavorless tea.

Too weak.

“It is your fault.” Pale eyes centered onto his mismatched own. “You give without gain. You bond without vulnerability. You forgive others in order to forgive yourself. But you can’t forgive what you have forgotten.”

The cup was emptied. She set it down, and poured another.

“What do you LOVE?”
 
For a while, it was only silence that followed the girl's question. It was a question of greyness, yet it was a question that caused him to delve as deep as he could into the mists; the confusing streams and conflicting pathways of the remnants of himself; his own messy, scrambled existence.

Above all, though... there was something familiar about the question. He could visualize a flash of dull yet passionate red. A swirl of oily black, mixed with running crimson. A sudden pain swiped itself across his chest - one that was invisible - and for a sudden moment, he wanted his answer to be: ' Redemption. '

But in this empty room; in all of this whiteness, having that be the very 'love' he sought; having that be the very reason he pushed himself to do the things he did, there was something about it that didn't seem right at all. It was true he often felt filled with 'regret', but... no. That was not his 'true answer'.

It was...

[glow=orange]...!![/glow]

And out of nowhere, just like that, the young man's eyes suddenly widened as he believed he'd found what was his 'true answer'.

His brow suddenly furrowed slightly. His lip perked up with some sort of emotion. And as if they had never been there, no more signs of the man's empty, confused tears were present. Slowly, he looked up at the pale - yet oddly, so familiar - stranger, and raised a finger, slowly tapping the side of his head as his words shone true.

"...The freedom of choosing[glow=orange]〘 my own path. 〙[/glow]"

He lowered his finger slowly, the statement gently flowing through the white silence, before the lost man spoke once more.

"Because with each decision I make, I believe I am finding myself."

By now, there were no more signs of empty tears. Whilst the young man still looked weary, his look was no longer distant.

"...I recall being asked that same question before. And now... whilst I cannot be sure... I'm almost certain my answer has changed." The young man slowly reached up, his palm gripping the wide leather cap atop his head, allowing strands of faded gold to fall around him as he put the cap beside himself. "...Let me explain."

"Taking things away from others, who deserve no such retribution, for my personal gain. Or to 'impress' some form of... greater force, that I know nearly nothing about. Doing either of such things will cause my existence to flicker... and in my last true breath, I will fade away, knowing that I was never able to find who I truly was."

A tone - one that was faintly warm, faintly passionate, yet still ultimately lost - had began to take over Yohan's quiet voice.

"...Do you understand? I will continue to give without gain. I will continue to 'forgive'. Because every time I do, I feel something [glow=orange]〘 new 〙[/glow]. I feel some form of [glow=orange]〘 purpose 〙[/glow] beginning to manifest itself, even whilst knowing how little and miniscule the impact of my actions ultimately are."

...

"I may be fading... but, in a way, I am also growing." A slight pause came, before a very slight smile was visible on the young man's face. "So, actually... I'm glad it's my fault. I do not feel shame for disappointing you, or whomever controls this method of 'judgement'. I will not feel fear as I await the next test."

Blonde strands swished in the hollow air as Yohan Rye suddenly glanced directly into the pale eyes of the stranger.

"Now, I have a question for you."

His hands clenched around the lukewarm glow of his mug slightly.

"What is the path you want all of us to take? Or, rather..."

His gold eye flickered.

"Is there something you want us to 'love'?"
 
"I didn't ask for the new eye color. I still don't know how I'll explain that." Alice says in regards to Marionette's prodding, before chuckling softly.

"I'm sure neither wants that of me. I've seen that gaze often enough, and I've seen how people act and look at one another. Onyx seems to be firmly wrapped around Alina's will, and the other rushed to the creepy girl's assistance at once. Judging by how she looked if he did take an interest in someone else, it would not end well... While it might be flattering..nice even to be wanted, I doubt they see me as a girl."

Was knowledge all that she loved, were these powers really all that special? This time she does laugh as her personality shows a darker aspect than that of a simple girl who feared being harmed, maybe something a bit unhinged, wise, or as much a monster as she seemed to be, or maybe the worst monster of all as she seen it, the heart of a human.

"Yes, you have Xi Feng on a pretty good leash, but what happens when you finally have to sleep? What if we took fire boy and threw him into the Ocean? What if you are faced with a mob? Or when you are dead of human frailties and history judges your legacy? These powers, they are something else, but they do not make us gods. Humans have always feared and hated what was different, I remember tails from my father on witch hunts from long ago. Given all we have seen who can say those tales are fake? The powers make a nice crutch, but to count on and flaunt them...?"

Shrugging she continues her monologue staring at the girl who was named after a type of puppet and yet now controlled others as one. "You can make me do anything you want to some extent I am sure, but people are always better when they move of their own accord and wills. Countless Men and Women do as much every day to others that willingly throw themselves away, and how could I not be interested in this world? It breaks all rules, logic, beliefs and foundations. While you have told others it was to select the next ruler of the World, is it? You have cause to believe as such, but I think we are nothing more than puppets for someone's game. Maybe I should fear you for your power, but why should I fear what I cannot stop? So, I don't know what I am to answer you."

Shrugging her mechanical limbs, the Machine Girl seems to die down in her speech. "And what if it were? What of the Silver blood and what we lose? With all those having such powers surely it would be better to bring them to heel than to wipe them out or keep them as pets. Then again this all may be to prepare us for something else or something else may be waiting to kill us once this game has came to a close... I doubt anything good can come of what we've seen in our death's.. So yes, I want to learn more of this place and what is happening. Knowledge is power, is that really such a strange thing that between it and self preservation I've been thinking of killing some of you?"

"Though that is an interesting point.. What one Love's.. To Prove one's love.. That still does not explain the heart.."

Clenching her jaw, it did at least give her some ideas on how to view the riddle. The problem was to voice that idea with Marionette or not.. "How to prove your love.. Fundamentally what is Love? I do not believe it is the romance in books and exchanges of kisses. My Grandfather turned me into this at the wills of madness as he could not bare to see his whole line vanish, so at the core what are we and what do we want? More so how do we prove it.. Love is the obsession and the madness that drives us, things we want past rationality and would give anything for in a manner.."

In part it might be worth tearing her own heart out to see the source of this world to prove her love, but that did not make her the rabbit and thus may ultimately be a pointless endeavor, but she had no logic or reason to decide that for sure, turning her gaze to Xi Fing they could easily test the theory from before, but the girl had treated her well enough twice now all things considered.. Then there was that shooter... "You seem to know a bit on this or have ideas at least, what do you have in mind? I rather doubt our comrades will return in one piece much less solve the problem down there.. The source of the ticking and the voice, is as always right here in front of us.. And the Silver Blood is still out there."
 
4StHGrz.jpg

"Nnnmm..." Comfortable in her mother's embrace, the young girl closed her eyes as she let her exhaustion steadily took over her mind. She should have never tried, she should have obeyed the social status quo. Females were never meant for greatness, their duty was to pass on their husband's lineage and support her family from behind the curtains, how silly of her to dream of glory, what could she do to achieve even a fraction of men such as Socrates, Aristoteles, and Plato? She must learn to obey, do that and everything would be alright.

In an ironic twist, this death was the one she welcomed, a painless demise in the bosom of her mother, free from pain and suffering. If she wouldn't ever wake up after this, it would be alright. She was just so tired of everything...

---

"Ngah...?" Of course, as always, fate was never so kind. Evangeline's eyelids fluttered open as she found herself in the middle of nowhere, in a world of gray. She was laying on the ground, made of marble-like material and possessing the same color as everything else, in fact, her own form was bleached gray with the exception of her golden left iris. "Nnn..." She instinctively tried to move but her limbs felt so heavy, turning her head to the side, there were disembodied marble hands clutching on her wrists, elbow, neck, and pretty much every joint in her body. They were curiously examining her as if they were scientists and she was their experiment.

"..." After a few weak struggles, Eva's lay her head back down, already panting after a minor exertion. One of the hands then went to her chin, tipping it left, right, down, and up, perusing her as if she's some kind of goods.

"Defective. Inferior. Subpar."

"Ah..." She gasped at the voice echoing in the air, drilling deep into her soul. She could just feel the disappointment dripping from it, she was no good, huh? Even after everything she did, she just couldn't keep up. Why should she waste her time chasing after things she couldn't even achieve? "Then..." She whispered, the only colored part of her body, her golden eye, slowly losing its luster to despair, "What am I good for? "

"..."

The voice went silent but the hand on her chin kept holding her gaze up. "There must be something..." Eva sobbed, gritting her teeth, trying to turn her head away but unable to do so, "Please..."

"Concubinage."

What... was there all there is to it? She wasn't even good enough to be someone's wife, there was nothing of value to her aside from her biological role as a female to bear children. Of course, everything made sense now, that's why she failed at everything she did... that's why she couldn't even use her power where it mattered. She wasn't worthy... "I see..." Eva sighed in acceptance, closing her eyes, "I understand." As if accepting her answer, the hands released her as the space around her dissolved into nothingness.
 
"Hey, the Caterpillar is smoking."

Blazing light seared the very air, sweltering and blinding. In a way, it was almost therapeutic to see this harsh-skied psuedoparadise burn.
Of course, it wasn't going to make it any less fatal, and neither was sarcasm, but perhaps the two were her only shield from having to consider what was in front of her.
As it stood, the lethality of this... creature hadn't really sunk in. All that she saw was this hilariously oversized, almost childish abomination that looked so absurdly out of place in reality that even after trying to adapt her mindset to this insanity, all she could do was laugh at this unparalleled embodiment of destruction in front of her as if it were something out of a picture book.

That was why she knew that she had to go back.
She was very aware that it was near impossible of her own will, but she needed to detach this confused mess from herself and analyse this for what it was.
She was not Caelan. She could not fight like he could. To sear away this creature's armour to nothing was short of impossible for her, and she wasn't going to be able to deflect those unholy orbs of chaos.
A disappointed click of the tongue was directed at the uselessness of humanity.
She would definitely have to use that, whatever it was.
But even that was useless without a target.
She had some ideas, but for now... Yes, the outside was the only acceptable target.
Staying outside of this thing's range was paramount for now, although Alina doubted that was even possible at this stage... Nonetheless, she crouched down, trying to both make herself a smaller target and get a better look at the underside.
With preparation would come war.
 
@RedArmyShogun
Another exchange, another speech. It was clear now, that, with Alina gone, Alice was definitely intent on spewing out all the thoughts boiling inside her head. Wasn’t her mouth getting dry now? After all that running and movement, and now one speech after another, it was a wonder why the artificial girl could continue on further. Still, it was fascinating, listening to her own justifications. Did that factory accident in the past shear off her ability to care about what couldn’t be changed? Was she so willing to just bend over when faced with something she had no influence over?

It was definitely interesting, seeing how unhinged she was. No wonder her ‘friends’ kept their distance. A late addition, perhaps, one abnormal enough that no one else really wanted to get involved with. Such audacity too, to throw out what-if statements without considering the breadth of their power! The Primordial Destruction, extinguished merely with an ocean? Mesmerology, incapable of taming the rabble? And to assume that she even cared about a future in which she no longer existed?

Marionette laughed. An honest one, from the depths of her heart. “My my, Alice, you really do sell yourself short! Your assumptions are off and you veer towards negativity, but it’s been some time since I’ve had such a fun conversation!” A smile still on her face, she wiped the tears out of her eyes, no longer caring about what went on with the world they were in. “Honestly, with some polish, you really could rival some of the Academy’s gems. Onyx is such a brute and Alina is almost bullheadedly obstinate, while Yohan’s obviously lost all his marbles at this point, so I had no hope for anyone that saw themselves as their companions, but…it’s just such a wonderful surprise!”

Leaning forward, her magenta eye glimmered as she spoke in a conspiratorial manner. “Now, you definitely are getting close, but you aren’t there yet,” Marionette nodded, leading her along, “The ‘how’, after all, has already been answered, yes? The Offering of the Rabbit’s Heart. The completion of the objective. If you want to truly obtain knowledge of this world that you believe has no logics or truths, however, then expand on your thoughts!”

“If we are pawns in another’s game, why do they want us to prove anything? Why were the first games devoid of clear objectives?”
That smile was no longer a smile. “Why does it not guide us more clearly, instead of letting us run circles around the playing field?”

“Hey now, Alice, instead of ‘how’, what about ‘why’?”

@Random @Jageroux
Observe. Observe. Observe.

Onyx wasn’t coming. He hadn’t appeared beside the two girls yet, both who were enraptured but fearstruck by the madness before them. Or perhaps his own spawning point was different, and the clockmaker had the misfortune of being struck by one of the cosmic meteors immediately after arrival. Regardless, the world-changing ability of Terminate was not available, and the frenzy of combat only continued, thunderclaps of violent force vibrating their internal organs.

The White Rabbit continued its rampage, working itself into a greater fury as time passed, its pale shell somehow resistant to the hellfire that wrapped around Caelan’s form. A clear roar could be heard with each heavy impact the human comet made with the anomaly, an ‘Immolate’ that caused a brief sputtering of incandescent flame that died out moments later. An explosion of force that staggered, and yet without the conflagration that would consume. It was a grindfest, one that Caelan may be able to win eventually, but…

“He’s running out,”
Madelon said, eyes wide, “If that’s not working, he’s going to run out of things to burn!”

In firelight, the fear and desperation that lined the student’s face served to make her only more beautiful, hot updrafts causing her hair to billow as she stared. Clenched her fists. Coil her legs. She had to do something. Even if she hadn’t managed to do so before.

She wasn’t going to let him kill himself for her this time.

And with those words, that piercing, supernatural clarity rang through Alina’s mind once more, an epiphany brought forth by a flash of lightning. Time slowed, a blue light cast over a scenery that had become monochrome. Those words from Madelon, that resolution.

An impossible certainty, an impossible serenity.

The woman beside her had a power too, one that could change the course of the battle. Caelan had talked about ‘everyone’ being necessary to solve this encounter, but within that tranquil state of absolute focus, Alina could trace it all. The path of the falling stars, their landing points, their impact zones. The movements of both Caelan and the White Rabbit. The fact that his power grew with each Immolation, each new object put to the pyre. The fact that the White Rabbit could Negate that. She understood the future from a glimpse of the present, and from there, she could Extrapolate it.

A safe, untouched path through the depths of Hell.

@Jakers
So that was his choice.

So very different from the girl, who proudly announced her own desires, unbothered by how immature and impossible it sounded. This was so very possible, so very attainable. And yet, so very hard to maintain. A different sort of bravery, perhaps, one that could not do anything to others for the sake of ‘love’, but would do anything to oneself for that ‘love’. Self-contained.

Strange, how a ghetto rat that cheated his way into Ringrange would turn out to be a Saint. Or, perhaps, that was his essence as an individual, but it had been warped beyond recognition by the vices of the world.

The pale woman lifted her cup once more, so full of than translucent, nigh-colorless liquid.

And, without hesitation, she emptied it, every drop of that lukewarm tea splattering onto the table. It was set down once more, a smile on her face. That man would surely disapprove, but the Fraternity and Sorority weren’t a cohesive unit to begin with.

“There is one thing you are mistaken about,” she spoke, “I am not the Bell you address, Yohan Rye, nor can I answer a question addressed to it. But...”

She stood up, walking away from the table, no longer facing him.

“If you claim to be the cup instead of its contents, you are still much too fragile. If you’re searching for your true self, you won’t receive it by offering your life to others. No matter the nobility of your intentions, answers aren’t found past the boundary.”

And with that, the Lady of Nightingale disappeared into the blankness of the page.

@Izurich
The light of day broke through the shutters, and Eva woke up.

It was Monday morning.

It was time for her classes once more.

The Offshore Academy of Ringrange, after all, cared not for the otherworldly plights of its students. Already, in neighboring suites, others were getting ready to head out, a clattering of shoes as they made their way through the aging building.
 
Narrowing her eye in annoyance of being mocked, there was something.. understanding in the laughter, that Alice could not just place.. Then she went on to chastise her choice in friends, truthfully she had barely gotten to know them, much less to depend on or count on them. "I just know their thoughts on you, but given your foresight I assume you already know the answers to those. And while our opinions differ, I'm of no more mind to spite you anymore than a servant on the few times my limbs have been removed. Such helplessness is Alien to them.. I wish I could say the same. To put it simply I have no cause to not converse with you, when you could force it, and as you said in regards to me, it is a fun conversation. Most people look down on me or flee me, short of those who wish to study me at least.."

Listening to the rest of what Marionette had to say, there was something discomforting with her sureness of the situation.. Perhaps there was some truth to her tail after all, regardless as an old saying held, in regards to her friends judgement on the woman; It's better to stand at the side of the devil than in his way, or in this case hers. Unless a situation forced it..

Though the fellow students last bit slightly caught her off guard... What did Marionette actually know about this test. "Maybe it is a bet or a test as you say.. As to the why in this how.. It is likely a form of test, for ones logic or one's beliefs as you say. I believe the hart is Literally. But it would not show how to prove one's love.. To put in simply, I don't know. If I did I would have solved it long ago. I do not wish to die again, that is for sure."

Alice sighs, holding her clipper hand up, she might as well state what was on her mind from the start. "I still say the shooter should be tracked down and killed, Xi Feng has shown me kindness in a manner twice now.. So while I have thought this some time, a test would be possible...though..." Reflecting on an old Children's Tale she laughs bitterly.

"Maybe Alice should have went down the Rabbit Hole after all. You clearly seem to have answers of your own... If you wanted me dead you have a puppet to do it and wouldn't be enjoying your conversation so.. I might not be as weak as I pretend but I very well couldn't stop the Oriental Girl. I think we should kill the one with Silver Blood, If Xi Feng can be trusted, If you rather be rid of her..." Shrugging, there wasn't much more she could do.

"We all very well could go down that hole as well, I am at a loss I must admit. Baring you having a suggestion, this is only my second time in one of these games after all..."
 
The man didn't flinch as the colourless liquid fell, drops spreading across the small coffee table. Globules gently dripping down the sides and onto the pure and empty white floor, but leaving no stain. He listened to the girl's words, a slow nod surfacing in response to most of her words.

By the time she had finished talking, her form turning away, Yohan was no longer smiling. But his expression certainly wasn't one of sadness, fear, or misery. It was preparation. Determination, as if the following hours & days were going to be the most important ones of his whole life. Determination to be that 'person' so close within his grasp.

Two words surfaced.

"I understand."

Although those two, simple words sounded genuine, and the twinkle in his eye after discovering his 'love' had not yet faded... did he understand?

His lips moved to say one more word, but faltered in realization.

The girl devoid of colour had already disappeared.

[glow=orange]~ ~ ~[/glow]
When Yohan 'woke up', it hadn't even felt like he'd been asleep. There was no slow opening of his eyes, or a tired upwards-tilt of his head. Though the scene had completely changed, it had happened instantly. Instantly, yet subtly.

He was still seated, but instead of being atop that small, grey wooden chair, he was instead comfortable on one of the cushioned seats within one of the Ringrange trams. A brief look outside the window showed people - many people - just like he was used to. The sky no longer shone unusually bright, and the hearty sounds of machinery, footsteps, and heated conversation aurally coloured the campus once more. No more silence.

Reality had simply shifted, from one state to the next, as if he hadn't been in a dream at all. Though that 'sinking' feeling of tiredness was still at his core, he still felt refreshed; invigorated the encounter. Getting his bearings, listening to the tram's whistle and the grind of steel cables, mismatching eyes glaring out through the dusty windows.

All these people. These buildings. These fumes; those footsteps...

[glow=orange]...Are you all real?[/glow]

Whilst it was a question, he didn't seek an answer. It was merely a thought that floated through his head, that would be satisfied by whatever 'truth' that answered it. Things weren't just about trying to 'succeed' in what he'd thought was the 'real world' anymore. He just needed to follow that feeling; that feeling of finding himself, no matter the world he wandered.

"Excuse me," Yohan spoke up, trying to get the attention of the tram's conductor. "How long have I... been on this tram?"

The conductor didn't look back, too focused on his work to do so, but Yohan didn't need to see his face to see a bout of confusion come over the tram's driver.

"...Since yer' got on at the Student District? Sure must've fallen asleep quickly to forget!" The conductor deduced, a short but hearty laugh following. "If yer' stop was the Council Tower, you just missed it, I'm afraid. Tram's headin' back-ways now." He paused in thought, before considerately adding, "I might be able to make the next stop a lil' earlier if you're lookin' to get off. Barely a soul on this thing right now, anyways."

"No, it's fine." Yohan responded quickly. "...Thank you, though." He gave a slight, somewhat tired smile, despite the man it was aimed for not being able to see it.

Shrugging, the tram's conductor murmured something unintelligible in his rough tone, before continuing to drive.

[glow=orange]~ ~ ~[/glow]​

Eventually picking his stop, the sound of Yohan's boots joined many others, just like how he was used to. There were many things he'd decided he had to do today, before it was too late. Many things that'd been left unexplained, and he didn't want to 'slip away' without knowing he at least tried to find some form of answer.

When it came to what he thought was his 'real life'... he knew he didn't have much left. He knew his own design and how it worked within his leather briefcase, sure, but... there was something else he felt like he needed to do. One thing before, for all he knew, everything ended.

For now, though, one destination was clear. That... 'carnival' he'd visited with the others. While there was still daylight, his heart was telling him to go there. It was the first thing to visit, because by now, he imagined the place had been nearly packed up.

By the time he arrived at the remains of that wondrous event last night, he was correct. The final tents were being dismantled; objects of all sorts being retrieved and packed away. Little fragments of magic and wonder, built for sheer entertainment, littering the place. All that were left were cleaners, now, but that was close enough. Any associate of the Carnival would do, for now.

"Excuse me?"

Yohan picked out one of the cleaners closest to him, knowing how guarded magicians were of their 'secrets'. When the cleaner noticed him, his eyes seemed tired but genuine as he gave a brief smile to the cleaner, before explaining the interruption.
"Morning. Erm, sorry, I know you probably aren't the right person to ask, but..." despite a brief hesitation, Yohan remained eye contact, very serious in his request. "How would one go about meeting some of your magicians? Particularly, your boss, if possible."

He looked at the ground for a moment, giving the smallest of smiles to himself at how ridiculous his tired voice must've sounded.
"I've found myself recently able to do... something beyond explanation. An act of 'magic', if you will. And of all the people to talk to about it, they seem like the ones." He paused, feeling a few butterflies in his stomach for a moment, before carrying on.

"If you're confused, I can show it to you, if you like. It's just like a magic act, only... I can't explain how I'm able to do it."
 
It was as if the world had been bathed instantly in ice. That blue that had covered the sky now spread in the space of a moment to incorporate all of time and space.
In between a heartbeat, inside a blink of her eye, there was everything.
Once again, just like before the entirety of the world around Alina dissolved into information just as it always had.
No, it was different now.
Before had been an artificial world synthesised by observation and deduction. The world beyond her eyes, her ears, her skin had never existed until she addressed it.
And now, here, in the time it took for a candlelight to vanish into a hollow void, that same void was filled to the brim with meaning once again.
Tangible became incoherence unto causality, asymmetry unto sequence, chaos unto consistency.
The cacophony was a choir, drawing infinite fractals from equivalence.
What was before a hypothesised simulation was extracted screaming from homogeneity, a curtain of oblivion cast away to reveal unparalleled sympathy resulting in unbreakable harmony.
This thing in front of them... Simultaneously "Rabbit" and "non-Rabbit", spewing hellfire like raindrops.
Their trajectory was regular, coherent. The impact zones were clear to see before they even formed.
It wasn't a hypothesis or theory anymore. What was being extracted was not educated estimates or careful predictions, it was unadulterated objective truth.
And it hurt.
It was as if the air had been dragged out of her every blood vessel. Her veins strained against her head so hard that it felt like she was going to burst.
She was going to scream.
And screaming would pass into the aether, unheard, irrelevant at best, a waste of time and oxygen and a chance to survive.
So she didn't.
Countless endless eternities of probability and possibility flashed through her head at once.
There. That was the path.
A road carved out by sheer entropy, so perfectly sculpted by chaos and chance.

"Madelon!" she cried. "It's not that it's not working. Immolate is working perfectly. That thing can't possibly be immune. Caelan's powers are being dismantled halfway through the attacks, before any damage is received. It's using a power almost identical to our own to cancel out his. But yours can turn this around. I haven't seen how yet, but..."
Alina glanced over the rain yet to come.
"You know, don't you?"
It was not rhetorical. It was not even a question. A subtle shift in tone, a little implied punctuation was all that was necessary.
With a tiny adjustment to the sentence, Alina's begging for the woman to light the way was wrapped up in false encouragement.