The intoxicating neon lights dazzle and fascinate, melting into a wall of colors as the night wears on. The heady night air, the new environment, the gaze of the crowd, it all twists and turns and spins and distorts into…

…a sweet and meaty texture. Strange sauces and ingredients, cooked in a foreign fashion, melt together in the lone girl's mouth as she watched the night wear on, couples happily passing by. The night air was enjoyable, and so too were the mellisonant voices carried by the wind. And yet, that bittersweet sensation, that dark, heavy feeling remained. Her vision blurred. Dust in the wind. Not tears. With a finger, she wiped them away…

…to watch his new acquaintance walk off to his doom. Young love was folly, and though that courage was admirable, it was still stupid. From a distance, it was easy to see that his initial efforts would bear no fruit, from the stiffness of his gait to the tone of his voice. Too painful to bear. The clouded night sky would be better. The night sky that was as…

…blue as the glass eyes of that exquisite doll, so meticulously crafted and carefully maintained that its delicate beauty drew the eyes of even its long-term owner. A dark dress to accentuate its porcelain skin. Embroidered frills that caught the fantasies of the beholder when they moved. A mannequin that beckoned others into a phantasmal world of words and ideas as they spun their…

…segmented staff. It danced in figure-eights, before stopped by its master. The two engaged in discourse of weaponry and of regulations, time momentarily forgotten. The crowds began to disappear. The din began to silence itself. The lights began to clear. In that frozen period, they were alone in the world, eyes locking…

…before he broke eye contact. Jumping off really was becoming tempting. Her silence, her dead-eyed expression, her complete lack of reaction were all indications of something amiss. The follow-up died on the tips of his lips. Ah, it really felt bad, didn't it? Under her gaze, muddled only slightly by the weak beer she drank, he could feel the ground beneath him crumble. Could feel gravity pull at him. Could feel everything falling…

A
P
A
R
T
Falls
The World
The Bell selects
The cogs spin
The scales shift
The pendulums swing

.
.
.

<World Degeneration Initialize>
<World Degeneration Complete>

Debris floats up towards the gray sun.

Clear water trickles down from the sky in silky streams.

Turquoise pools of water form on the cracked, marble earth.

Jade vegetation creeps up, rising to grasp the sky.

Destitute buildings stand, dilapidating in baleful light.

A white world under a blue sky.

<Destructed World Manifested>
<Destructed World Stabilized>

In the center of the flat world, an obelisk erupts from the marble. An obelisk much too tall, towering above all those tasteless, rectangular slabs called 'buildings'. There are no entrances. No windows. No cracks. Merely a peerless, magnificent, impossible obselisk.

An obelisk from which a tick could be heard. The tick of cogs, of pendulums, of the ornate hands of a clock.

An obelisk, a clocktower without a face.

<Destroy the Targets Within The Time Limit>
<Prove Your Love Is True>


Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
 
Onyx Norwyn
He felt sick. The twisting in his stomach as his world became muted and he felt a lump in his throat. But, he was confused. Was this feeling of sickness and defeat, borderline disgust, all from a silent rejection? Onyx was perplexed; he knew the line was terrible and he knew his delivery atrocious, but the swirl of things he was feeling didn't add up. Hell, he was expecting Madoline to either ignore him or just dismiss his presence altogether, so why did he feel the way he did?

Stepping away from the railing, Onyx blinked as his head swam. He could feel his vision shudder as he watched the ground rise. No, it was more than that. It was almost as if everything around him was rising. He felt frozen as the ground beneath his feet seemed to slowly crumble into the sky. His eyes following the streams of debris, he opened his mouth to speak though no words came out.

The sky was... blue?

What the hell?

'Oh. This must be it, huh? I must have jumped. Yeah, I'm... I'm dead. Have to be, right?' He thought as the surface he stood on continued to crumble and fall upwards. That was when he heard it - or rather, 'acknowledged' it. The ticking. It was familiar - he'd worked alongside clocks for what felt like forever, but this familiarity was odd. It was unnatural - as if there was something wrong with it. Clutching his head, he attempted to focus and drown out the sound of the clock by covering his ears but it didn't seem to matter.

Then, he felt himself begin to fall. Looking around, he noticed the debris seemed to falling downwards all of a sudden. Shifting his gaze to his feet, Onyx realized he was falling. Towards the blue sky. He could feel panic slowly beginning to sink in as he frantically looked around before reaching outwards to grab the railing, hoping to tether himself to something. Though, seemingly just to spite him, even the railing broke free and began to fall towards the sky as Onyx let out a dry laugh.

"This shit-ass afterlife fucking sucks. I want my money back!" He yelled as he began to fall towards the sky.

'How the fuck do I even deal with this?!'
 
It was as if the mind of an abstract artist had warped the world into their own fantasy. As the building shot up and the grey light in the sky flashed and hummed, Yohan's stomach turned queasy as he bolted upright from his cringing position when he observed the worst pickup line ever. Blue sky, hurting his eyes... so high up... air scraping against his skin, it all felt weird in an oddly rejuvenating sort of way, but whatever was going on, he still fucking hated every second of it. Onyx and the ground around him was starting to crumble. Things were starting to float.

It was all going to shit.

...Why does this bullshit always happen to me? I just got here. I just. Fucking! Got here!

There was no other explanation for it: he'd been drugged. Some bastard must've injected him with hallucinogens, or gassed him somehow. But even if that was the case, he couldn't picture his brain being able to dream up such a random world like this. He was abstract, but... not this abstract. Did that mean there was a chance that this was actually real?

Reality or not, he needed to get a grip. The throbbing in his foot stopped him from having a meltdown of cursing and sobbing from his bad luck; a meltdown he'd had many times in his gambling days. If he'd learnt one thing, it was to deal with the hand you were given even if the scenario had been totally flipped.

Right now, it'd be easy to just cower, ask 'what's going on?', and act confused. If this was happening to everyone in the district, 90% of people would be doing that. He wouldn't be like everyone else. He wouldn't. He refused to be helpless. He was going to adapt, and he was going to survive. Either that, or he was going to wake up. The clock was ticking in more ways than one.

Breathe in, breathe out. Get a good hold of that suitcase.

Ok. You're fucking fine.

Now get up. Not done fighting yet after all. Our new opponent: this world.



Suitcase in hand, Yohan rushed against the warped flooring of the elevated building, heading towards the two he shared the space with. What he had to do first in this place was clear.

Onyx was starting to slowly float upwards, as if gravity had been flipped upside down for him, and the white-haired guy was laughing, probably at the sheer absurdity of it all, saying something about the afterlife. Skidding to a halt a close but good distance away from the rising boy, Yohan cracked open the buckles of his suitcase. It was his lucky day he'd kept this close to him.
"You - Onyx - your situation may seem dire, but stop fucking dilly-dallying and listen to me!" Yohan yelled. "You need to stay calm, I'm coming up. Remember how I said I worked with water pressure? Well, let's just say the thing in my suitcase will let me get up to you. I'll use my coat like a tether to give you something to grab, and I'll try and pull you down. Got it?!"

Slamming down his bulky suitcase on the floor, Yohan cracked the case open. Good, it was still in there. The sounds of valves turning and the gushes of water came as Yohan strapped something to his back - a heavy piece of equipment of what looked like thin, cylindrical water tanks made of cheap metal. The tanks were connected to another piece of equipment he pulled out - what looked like a smooth, brass board, with various intricate hoses, spouts, and pipes attached to the bottom of it. This was his invention. Experimental. About only 5 minutes worth of pressurized water in there at the moment. Even after some practice, he still wasn't fully confident using it, and it was meant to be used above water.

He was probably going to break a leg or worse trying to do this, but fuck it. There was no time to work together with the girl and tie a long rope out of clothes and throw that up; Onyx would probably be a dot in the sky by then. Setting up his pressure board and shooting upwards would be a much quicker solution.

Onyx was beginning to accelerate in his upwards descent; Yohan needed to act fast before he shot off even out of his reach. Setting the board on the floor, Yohan twisted a few valves on the harness that connected the small water tanks, before standing on the board, taking a deep breath. Twisting his head, he looked to the poor victim of Onyx's pickup line before the world had suddenly turned into an acid trip.
"You there. Don't know who you fucking are, but me or the guy falling into the sky will likely hit the ground. Hard. So I'd appreciate it if you tried to make us have a softer landing or something, because I don't have the bloody time to figure out how." Yohan said quickly, before taking a deep breath. "God. ...What am I fucking doing...?"

Suddenly, an explosion of water came from under the board, shooting the inventor slowly but surely upwards as mist and residue emitted from the tanks at his back, wetting his whole body. Turning valves, it seemed that Yohan could adjust the velocity of the water coming underneath him, essentially allowing him to change the speed he was going upwards at. He looked a little wobbly on the board, but every time he looked like he was going to topple over, the turning of a valve sent an angled blast of water that put him back upright again.

Keeping his distance from Onyx's 'reverse gravity zone', Yohan was eventually just below Onyx's level of height. As he shrugged his coat off, he could barely breathe from the rush of adrenaline. One major slip up in his balance would send him either plummeting to the ground, or plummeting towards the reverse gravity zone, the latter probably turning out worse.
"I CAN'T GET TOO CLOSE, OR I'LL GET DONE IN AS WELL! REACH AS FAR AS YOU CAN AND GRAB THIS! THEN I'LL PULL YOU IN, AND..." Yohan had to shout over the sound of the humming and gushing water of his device, though he paused. "...WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HIT THE GROUND. HARD. BUT IT'S BETTER THAN GOING WHEREVER YOU'RE GOING."

With that, Yohan held his long trenchcoat by the sleeves, throwing it like a rope into the reverse gravity zone. When one end fell into this 'reverse gravity' zone, as expected, it curved upwards towards Onyx. His hand ready over a valve on his harness, Yohan looked up at him, waiting for him to grab the makeshift rope before his next action to get him out of there.

Risking so much for some stranger. Fuck. Maybe he really was going mad.
 
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―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Alina was not fine.

――――――――――――――――――blue―――――

On the outside, she was perfectly composed, staring out through a hole in a wall as if deep in thought.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――fragments――

On the inside, this was inaccurate.

――――――――――inverted gravity――――――――――――――――――――

On the inside, she was far from calm.

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――obelisk―――

On the inside, she was screaming.

―――――――――――――――――――――endless―endless―ticking――――――――

Because on the outside, the world was gone.

――――――――too high――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Outside, the world had been replaced.

――――――――――――astronomical cycles violated―――――――――

And everything about it was

―wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong―enough

Alina took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out.

―all thought processes terminated―――
―――reconvene――――
―panic attack averted―――
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Okay。
――――――beginning situational analysis――

She looked around the room, immediately noting Marionette.
Whatever phenomenon had manifested, it had done so in a small localised area, but without tables and chairs with them?
She glanced down at the half-full wooden mug that was still in her hand.
Perhaps the phenomenon only affected that with high water content.
Whether it had done so without injury was another matter entirely.

Recalling her own shock, she gently made her way over to Marionette.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
 
[fieldbox=Marionette Socke, yellow, solid, 10, Times New Roman]949420.jpg
Marionette Socke, Location Unknown, Suffering

Before she could elaborate, the world suddenly distorted around the pair.
The table and chairs now gone, it was all she could do to quickly grab the case as awkwardly as she could.
Her hands hurried to close the case before her attention was robbed of her.
All around them, debris was rising upward, as though gravity had inverted itself.
It wasn't something she could handle, being so out of control; in a single moment, all power was stripped of her.


Beyond the walls that no longer existed, the puppeteer could see water flowing towards the ground like a stream.
The onset of all of this abnormal phenomena was beyond her...


Then came the ticking.

Tick.
Tick.

Tick.

Each repetition sounded as the last, but the impact it had on the girl seemed to grow with each sounding.
Looking to Alina at last, her peer seemed to have averted a panic attack.

"Are you alright?" the female inquired.

"Fine," the self-proclaimed goddess replied, hands clutching bulky wood.

"I'm not sure we should stay here, nor how to get out."
She observed that the door seemed a dangerous choice, as they might be swept up just as the debris.
Looking towards the continuous stream, she pointed.
"Maybe we can find a way down. At least the water flows...somewhat naturally."


Her suggestion given, she carefully approached the flowing water - a peek over the edge stolen.
Below them, the damaged remains of concrete resisting the thieving grasp of the sky and pooling water.
Above them was a blue sky and an unnaturally grey sun - perhaps distorted by the dust and debris.

Marionette was unsure of where they should head; to the watery floor below, or the swallowing sky above?

"Any ideas?" she asked of Alina, hoping she might've read a book about such situations.
[/fieldbox]
 
Onyx Norwyn
"Dilly-dallying?! Oh fuck off, man!" Onyx shouted back, attempting to focus and heed Yohan's words. "Just... Try and be fast? I'm falling... Uh... Ascending faster by the second!" He said, feeling the reversed gravity like a vacuum. How did he get caught up in this shit? Why was this even a thing?

He really wasn't expecting his life to go to shit so fast.

Blinking, Onyx attempted to focus as Yohan spoke.

"I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT, YOU'RE THE BEST FRIEND I'VE EVER HAD!" Onyx shouted with the dumbest smile to ever grace his face. "NO ONE HAS EVER DONE THIS FOR ME BEFORE!" The Horologist added as he reached forward, grabbing the coat. Bracing himself, Onyx began to twist the sleeve around his hand, tightening his grip on the fabric.

"LET'S DO THIS!" Onyx yelled, slowly growing more and more excited by the second. While it was strange, Onyx was kind of curious as to what would happen if he was sucked up into the blue sky. Would he die? Wasn't he already dead? He didn't know, but his fear and confusion had been replaced by an almost insane curiosity.
 
Alina took a single panoramic glance around the room.
One second passed.
―too slow――
She would address that later.

"For now," she concluded, "we'll need to find a way up."
She looked knowingly at the puppet case.
"I'll see if I can get up there myself. It'll be easier for me to climb than you without any baggage to worry about."
She was very aware of what it was like to be weighed down by something important--

―――Oh crap――――――
 
Wen Xifeng

The world broke around them. Reality changed, and Xifeng staggered for a moment as she tried to process these new changes.

Blue. Why was the sky blue? She knew from her readings that in ancient times before the advent of modern technology, the sky had indeed been that shade. But industrialization and smog had ended that. Why had it suddenly cleared?

And that strange black tower in the center of the area. Was that the source of whatever sorcery was occuring here? Xifeng frowned, one hand falling to the hilt of her sword.

"You..." She murmured softly to Caelum as she tightened her grip on the hilt of her weapon. "What is going on here? And who is that?" Xifeng tilted her head at what seemed to be some girl that had appeared near them. Considering she was the only other living person in sight where before there had been many, it was suspicious.
 
[fieldbox= Caelan Lughr / The Not-Dark Hour, royalblue, solid]He stilled as water splashed upwards from his footstep, taking in and analyzing the changes that revealed his new surroundings. The dull buzz that had settled over his mind as he enjoyed the peaceful evening disappeared as he sharpened his focus. The time for relaxation was apparently, and unfortunately, over.

A sharp slap echoed through the empty street, interrupting the splash of water as it trickled from the clear sky above. Wincing in pain after the blow, Caelan knelt for a moment and dipped his hand into the clear, cool water. He did not understand how or why they had been dragged into this otherworldly situation, but the sensations were undeniably real. No mere hallucination induced by drugs… barring a completely new invention of course.

"Believe me princess, I'd love to know too," he murmured as he reached behind him and pulled the utility knife from its sheath. Twisting the top section of his staff caused it to unlock and open, allowing him to insert the knife before retightening it to lock the makeshift speartip in point. Twirling it experimentally, Caelan sighed as he let the weapon rest on his shoulder and raised a hand towards the other individual present. "Yoh. Feel like travelling towards that nice landmark together?" He gestured at the ominous obelisk in the distance with his spear; its ticking clear to hear even from here. To Xifeng he muttered, "I think her name is Alice? Not sure, her prosthetics just caught my interest."
[/fieldbox]
 
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VhkoLdS.png

=============
Madelon Vallois

Madelon was halfway into raising her glass for another drink when a nouveau pick-up line darted its way right into her ear. She nearly hit her chin with the edge of her glass, but stopped just short of making a fool of herself as well. She set the bottom of the glass, still in hand, upon the railing, and turned her head towards the source of the genuine but blatant attempt at woo'ing.

"I am tempted to pick apart your line, but 'zat would be in poor fun 'zis night," she smiled devilishly. "'Eizer you 'ave found little success in using it weeth' 'ozer women tonight, or I am 'ze first to fail." Despite her words, she didn't appear disinterested in continuing to converse with the man. She turned herself to face Onyx, still leaning on the railing with a hand upon the crystal glass. Before she could slip a leg over the other and lean on one, the ground shook, wresting her from the briefly imbalanced stance. She staggered forward, completely letting go of the glass and extending outwards to catch herself.

As the glass shattered, so to did the world.

At first she had assumed a simple, quick, and merely annoying quake had shaken the isle. As she lifted herself up, brushing aside her hair to cover one eye as normal, she gasped. Beyond the blue sky and rising debris, they were in a wholly different location... as if translocated instantaneously. The novelty, the eldritch shift in reality...

Madelon was catatonic for a moment as a variety of thoughts unrelated wrested for control of her conscious self.

To learn.
To understand.
To test.
To overcome.
To remember.

She shook free of the mental storm, blinking as words not her own called out. "You there. Don't know who you fucking are, but me or the guy falling into the sky will likely hit the ground," Yohan said. She didn't even need to listen to the rest to know what was needed of her. Still, a bit of panic set in once more, and Madelon set to pacing in place, tapping a finger on her lip in agitated but streamlined thought.

There was nothing of noteworthiness atop the featureless 'building'. The only things that could be seen as 'soft' were bodies. Their bodies... or rather, in this particular case, her body. If she was going to soften their landing, the best she could put together was a well-timed and well-performed catch, hopefully without hurting herself in the process.

Analyzing what Yohan had, however, offered a glimpse of salvation. She put two hands at the side of her mouth and shouted up.

"'Zat contraption you 'ave surely must be capable of use even while slowing down, yes? Use some burst of it to slow down! I will catch you as best I can!"
 
As Onyx screamed thanks at him and even went so far as to call him a 'best friend', Yohan cringed internally as he tried to focus. He wasn't doing this for friendship or because he was a saint, it just... well, he had all the tools to rescue him, so there wouldn't be any point in not rescuing him.
"Tch...! Dammit, don't go licking my boots yet! We've still got to get to the ground without breaking our spines; this board is fucking wobbly enough with one person!" Yohan wheezed. He probably only had about 10 seconds or so of water left; he needed to speed up. How was he going to approach this?

Whilst the gestures of help from the girl below were appreciated, Yohan still felt somewhat doubtful. She wasn't exactly built like a brick shithouse, would she really be able to catch them or slow their fall without hurting herself in the process? Ugh. Fuck it. There weren't many other options, and he could hear some sphurts from the bottom of his board; a sign the water tanks were getting low.
"I'll try, but... no bloody promises...! The added weight of another person is really going to fuck me over no matter what I do, so you'd better stand firm; anything could fucking happen at this point...!" Yohan replied as he began to tug on the coat rope Onyx was holding onto, taking the woman's advice and going for some slow bursts as Onyx got closer and closer.

By the time he'd pulled Onyx out of the reverse gravity zone, however, the situation got as fucked as Yohan presumed it would be.

"AGH, SHIT-"
The sudden change of holding virtually no weight to a ton of weight bought Yohan to his knees on the board, his arm howling with strain as he was virtually dangling Onyx from the flying object.
"Oh, bollocks... listen: I've got to let you go, but... I'll bring you as low as I can...!" The added weight was causing the board to seriously veer off, tilt, and dip down in height, and now that Yohan was on his knees, there was no way in hell he could control it properly. Teeth gritted as hard as they could against each other, Yohan did what little bursts he could to bring Onyx as low to the ground as possible before his hand gave out, letting go of the rope.

* P h u t *

Great. Just what I needed.

As the board ran out of water, the board inevitably flipped over, tumbled away, and the inventor began to plummet towards the ground, back-first. He always liked to think that in a situation like this, he'd remain calm, close his eyes, and accept the situation he knew he'd got himself into. Unfortunately for his ego, he was actually screaming in fear, his eyes facing the blue sky, his body falling within a cloud of mist and dice, blinded by grey light.

Even a fall as low as this could paralyze him if he was unlucky. He'd taken the gamble of trying to save someone and was paying for it: his life was in the hands of some random woman.
 
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Alison Engels

~~

Walking along and heading for her dorm, not much seemed amiss, at least to start with..

Suddenly as if struck by that event years ago, Alison falls to a knee, panting, her shoulders begin the shake, her eyes bulged in terror. Helplessly she kneeled there, taking deep breaths, fighting the panic that was overwhelming her.

Come on, think, look up.. Open your eyes.

Doing so, the young woman almost immediately regrets her decision. Running over what she could observe, first and most obviously, the Sky was clear, craning her neck up, the sun was grey. Thinking back to the records and stories of her Grandfather, she knew according to Science the Sky likely was blue once upon a time. And the prisims of visible colors, the Sun was yellow or white.. But this one was Grey..

Then there was the pooling water and floating debris, an ominous sleek black tower.. It was then that it hit her, everyone was just gone. The shop keep, the students, the committee, everyone, just gone.

Is this purgatory? Did I finally die?

Standing to her feet, the girl grips tightly to her food supplies, at least whatever cruel gods there were smiled upon her with this. It was then she made note of the repetitious ticking.

Tick
Tick
Tick.

Truthfully Alison found the sound comforting, it reminded her of Grandfather's workshop, the machines, the gears, hiding within, this sound was like a spring breeze, rather than a source of trouble.

Taking note of the water, had she not opened her eyes, or heard it, she likely never would have known. Most oddly was how it seemed to come from the sky, running up steps, down walls, as if to a have a mind of its own. Though considering the other anomalies that had taken place this one, well it was more amusing than frightening. For now at least.

"So this isn't death..." Shaking her head, she had to think of this from a scientific viewpoint, and that tower had to hold the answers.. Or rather it didn't, simply put she had no other answers, ideas, notions, or clues.

Collecting her barring's Alison decides to at least take a look around before heading off. Turning around slowly to take in the situation, it was then she noticed other humans behind her, nearly dropping her groceries the girl stares wide eyed. Wishing she had her Rapier, or pruning hands. There was little to do, but wait and see what they would do. Though, given her appearance, it couldn't hurt to call out to them.

"H-Hello!.. Are, you.." Pausing to consider what to ask, what to say, the girl pauses. In truth she did wonder if they were here to harm her, but given everything else, the intentions didn't matter so much as the existence of them. So far everything else was just, gone.

"Real?!"

Looking at her food with a grimace to her face, she would have to feed them too if they were, it wasn't in her nature to just be selfish with it... On the Brightside, unless it was poisoned, water was in no shortage.
 
Onyx Norwyn
Clinging to the jacket like a lifeline, Onyx's anxiety had completely shifted into pure curiosity. How was this possible? Where were they? Onyx had, over time, developed an obsession with anything related to time. And that included old, fictitious books that theorized and romanticized the concept of 'time travel'. While he had always dismissed it as the result of an overactive imagination, now he could only consider the possibilities.

Though, said possibilities were shoved to the back of his mind when he realized Yohan was trying to save his life. Maybe he should just let go and go into whatever the sky had turned into? It'd certainly be interesting to see what he'd find - maybe some eldritch abomination would be waiting for him. Wouldn't that be some shit?

Though, before Onyx could act on his insane thoughts Yohan pulled him out of the reverse gravity zone.

"If I die from this fall, you can have my goldfish. Well, I don't have a goldfish, but you know what I'm saying." Onyx blurted out just before Yohan was forced to release the jacket. The sensation of falling instantly registered in Onyx's mind and he let out a short laugh, finding a strange amusement in the fact that gravity wasn't being retarded anymore.

Then he hit the ground and there wasn't anymore amusement.

"Fuck. Me." He wheezed out, coughing as his back ached and his vision clouded. Furrowing his brows, he rolled over onto his side before reaching behind his head. Gingerly touching around, he hissed when he felt his finger graze the cut and he pulled his hand away, glaring at the blood on his finger. "Dammit..." He cursed as he clasped the back of his head, his mind instantly wandering.

"If this is the future, I want my money back."
 
Tock.

Tock.

Tick.

A single drip of water pierced the sudden silence.

In just a moment, reality fell apart… or so it seemed. It was difficult to reason such when the foreign taste of takoyaki was still in your mouth, grounding you to reality despite the world melting, fading away around her. Was this what hard drugs felt like? Heidemarie was sure the student council district was not a front for an illegal operation.

She blinked.

Her legs wobbled, as if the very land itself spun around her, but it was not the ground that was spinning, but her mind. Where was she? The blond-haired girl looked around her, messy box of octopus balls still in hand. Odd, monolithic buildings surrounded her, destroyed; the frightening mass of blue rushed at her eyes. And as she looked, the tick of a massive clock was unyielding. Heidemarie developed a cold sweat. With her free hand, she looped her fingers around the chain at her skirt, pulling up a golden pocketwatch. A winch and a click, and the face was open; small Roman numerals stared back at concerned blue eyes. But nothing was out of place. What was this place?

Another click, and the chronometer was away. Immediately around her were the remains of a collapsed building; cracked and uneven, the Krupp girl felt uncomfortable standing atop it. Finding her strength to stand, she found moderate grip on the broken surface despite its angle. Unconsciously clutching the cooling food, Heidemarie found her way, peering down the open rectangular holes as she made for ground level.
 
@Jakers @Asuras @Jageroux
As valiant as his efforts were, the difference between what he needed and what his hydroboard provided was simply too large a gap to bridge with skill alone. The sputtering of his board as the last spurts of water was expelled from the tank was all that Yohan needed to learn that his gambit had been only partially successful. The two boys, two stories above the roof, fell down, inertia and gravity tearing them apart.

Tumbling through the sky, Onyx instinctively curled into a fetal position, striking the concrete roof on his side before bouncing once and landing on his back. A hot lance of pain resounded across the left side of his body, but no horribly unpleasant crack sounded, and the impact on his head numbed more than anything else. White flashed beneath his eyes from the impact, before he could feel a warm stickiness behind that head. He had survived, but his left shoulder ached enough that it made him slightly nauseous to even move it, while a cut adorned the back of his head. It will scab over soon, but…considering the state of his friend, he had definitely come out of it worse.

Indeed, though Onyx had to deal with falling and landing by himself, Yohan was blessed with the assistance of the angelic Madelon. Despite the horrible screams coming from his mouth, his fall was broken by the pink-haired lady's rather slim arms, which provided enough deceleration that he fell back-first without breaking anything. A nice bruise was no doubt going to be developing tomorrow morning, but for now…he could sigh and relax. He wasn't going to become a cripple after all.

Above him, the blue sky stretched out, the loathsome sky that almost devoured the two of them.

Farther off was that tower of debris, his own hydroboard now amongst the objects that floated upwards. Unfortunate, but a worthy trade for a life.

And finally, closest to him…a flash of black lace inbetween two supple thighs.

@Random
For all her physical ineptitude, Alina's ascent was easier than expected. Though an occasional wind would blow past, sending dust in her face and pebbles down onto her, her arm strength held through and she was able to slowly but steadily climb up to the next floor. But nothing changed. Nothing changed at all as she ascended. Each new floor was a mimic of the one they were at before. Broken rubble, a room without any ornaments, and a doorway from which debris floated. There were two more stories before the top of the building could be reached, and the futility of these actions began to sink in.

She had reached the floor above, yes. She had only two more floors to go, yes. But what was she looking for? Why was she climbing? Already, she could feel the strain on her limbs, the acceleration of her heartbeat. And yet, the scenery in front of her and behind her did not change.

White buildings. Towers of detritus. And a central obelisk.

That was all she saw.

@Click This
A Thompson Contender.

Looking down from one window to the next as she made her way down the side of the building, Heidemarie found herself gazing downwards into the black gaze of a single-shot pistol. The abyss of the barrel looked back at her.

It was a rarity of a steam-powered pistol, utilizing ammunition that combined the bullet with the pressurized gas canister. A luxury item, more than anything else, considering how heavy each individual bullet was, and how slow it was to reload compared to modern steam-powered guns. It had been phased out of production thirty years ago, nothing more than an interesting novelty.

But, nevertheless, she found that antique staring at her within the shadows of the slanted room.

Two golden eyes shone in the darkness, a finger curling against the trigger.

A shot rang, resounding across the destructed world.
 
[fieldbox= Caelan Lughr / Student District, royalblue, solid] "No, we're figments of your imagi- Yes, we're real!" He called out towards the girl before beginning to approach her, his spear resting casually over a shoulder. "So I figure if we're trapped wherever the hell this is, we should probably sta-"

Whatever else Caelan might have wanted to say was cut off as the rather jarring sound of a gunshot rang out from nearby. Stopping in place as the echoes faded away, his expression turned fierce and calculating as he processed this new information and how it basically turned the situation on its head. Based off the sound, the firearm was not one that would be allowed on any random passerby in Ringrange. That meant there was either someone who had managed to smuggle such a weapon on their person for whatever reason, the weapon was part of this strange world, or some other possibility he had yet to consider. Regardless, there was danger to be confronted at the moment.

"I'd suggest we stay together! So follow me." A quick call to both Alison and Xifeng, and then Caelan was off at a quick run. The rising water failed to slow him, and he ran with a sense of certainty and balance despite the environment. Sliding on the slippery cobblestone, he plunged his spear downwards into the ground to help bring him to a complete stop. From there, he could see it when he looked up, just a bit further off. A figure descending the side of a slanted building. The faint traces of steam dispersing from one of the countless rectangular slots that covered the side, and the faint gleam from within as something caught the light.
[/fieldbox]
 
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Hyperventilating a little in relief as he was caught, Yohan closed his eyes for a moment, mumbling something incoherent under his breath. Opening his eyes, he stared at the legs in front of him for a moment, pretending he was observing something else, before getting to his feet. Slipping his coat back on, Yohan began dusting himself off.

"Hmph. The catch was adequate, I suppose, for someone of your stature. Thanks. I guess..." Yohan said begrudgingly, before quickly adding, "...I was only screaming to make sure you caught me. Let me make that clear. I wasn't scared. Just mildly distressed. Keeping you on your toes, that's all. Are we clear?" That was a complete lie, but was smooth in his opinion, before he turned to see where his beloved creation went.

"...Oh, bloody typical," Yohan murmured with a hint of sadness as he realised where his invention had went. Straight into the reverse-gravity zone. Putting his cap back on and hanging his head in a dejected manner, Yohan sighed painfully. "Bloody fucking typical." Making that had took a lot of effort, a lot of haggling for materials... and so much painful testing. To see it get sucked up, never to be seen again in the blink of an eye was hard. It wasn't like he was going to get to show it off at the nonexistent conventions in this new world anyway, he supposed. Still a damn shame.

"Bah, fuck it. ...Now then." Yohan straightened his cap, before his narrow eyes squinted into the horizon. Fucking hell. Travelling around this place wasn't going to be easy, especially after losing his board. "Before anything else, Onyx, here's my handkerchief. Get that head wound patched up; I'm not doing it for you." Yohan called over, throwing the thing. He lacked a knife for cutting rags from clothes, let alone proper bandages, so it'd have to do. Turning, he went back looking into the broken view.

"What a shitshow. God knows what we're supposed to do now." Yohan grumbled. "I suppose we're forced to think about how we're going to eat and actually survive here in the long-term. I certainly didn't bring a picnic." Yohan mumbled as he looked into this distance. The idea of surviving here like a scavenger sounded like a steaming pile of wank, but there wasn't much choice. "My suitcase didn't disappear, so perhaps the goods in grocery stores didn't either. Might be an idea t--"

* B A M ! *

"Oh piss off. Actually piss off and give me a break. Are we being sniped at now?" Yohan instantly retorted at the sound of a gunshot. Turning around, he squinted in one of the buildings, before his eyes widened. "...Jesus Christ."

The figure of a woman was what he saw, and by her posture, she'd certainly been shot. Instead of being scared, concerned, or cautious, for some reason, Yohan felt furious.
"Why the bloody hell are people shooting each other?! Have they lost their minds? Are they just plain demented? I need a year-long vacation from this bullshit." Yohan hissed, clenching his fists and giving a huff. He couldn't spot the shooter.

Whirling around, Yohan grabbed his now empty suitcase.
"That's it. I'm going to see if that shot woman is still alive. I don't care if someone's got a gun: I've got a lost temper and nothing to lose. Besides, it's better than pissing about up here. Who's coming with me?"
 
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[fieldbox=Marionette Socke, yellow, solid, 10, Times New Roman][fieldbox=Information, purple, solid, 10, Times New Roman]949420.jpg
Marionette Socke, Location Unknown, Climbing[/fieldbox]

Once Alina was up, it was simply a matter of holding up her treasured case for her climbing companion to grab.
Up her marionettes went before her, she with less ease.
Though Alina was a great help, it still wasn't easy for someone of Marionette's stature to climb.
Looking around, their scenery no different, Marionette pondered the futility of it all.


"I wonder if climbing was the right idea..." she doubted, audibly so as to initiate a discussion of their continued progress.
"Is there even anything to do once we reach the top? Even though nothing seems to be supporting this building anyway..."
Her voice broken, a single piercing shot shattering the relative silence that surrounded them.
The only other audible noise was the cacophony of an unseen clock.


Though she wasn't so well traveled, that noise was of no mystery to her - a single gunshot.
It wasn't near, from what their ears could gather, but it was still loud enough to reach them.
"I don't like this," Marionette mumbled. "I don't like this at all."
It was true - anyone knows a self-proclaimed goddess doesn't like for things to be beyond her control.


This destructed world, the ticking clock, a single gunshot...
She'd be all the better off if only she knew what it all meant.
She shook her head, relieving her mind of such troubling thoughts.
There was only one thing a goddess would and should do in such a situation - regain control.


"We have to keep climbing," she told Alina, motioning towards the floor above.
"I'm sure we'll eventually reach the top, even in this type of world.
Once we get there, we can have a better look around."

Her resolve made, she gazed at Alina with sheer determination.

Losing control now would only mean a farewell to the world she knew.
[/fieldbox]
 
Onyx Norwyn
Laying on the ground motionless, Onyx took a moment to rest. Yes, his shoulder was killing him. Yes, his head hurt. But he was alive nevertheless. Though, even he couldn't be sure how long that'd be true. He didn't know where or possibly when he was, but considering the fact gravity could randomly fuck itself, he wasn't exactly sure he was out of danger.

Forcing himself to sit up, Onyx groaned when he realized just how queasy he was. Yeah, he really wasn't feeling too great. Physically, at least; he was doing pretty great mentally. Even as he considered the fact there was a chance he could die in whatever fucked up world he was in, he just wanted to know. Was this another world? Or perhaps this was the future?

So caught up in his own thoughts, he wasn't paying attention when Yohan tossed him the handkerchief. Blinking when the fabric hit his face, Onyx looked down at it when it fell in his lap.

"Huh?" He questioned dumbly, not sure why Yohan gave him the handerchief. Oh. His head. "Thanks, Yo." Onyx said as he stared at the handkerchief. Reaching into his pocket, he was happy to find he still had a few of his tools in his pockets from earlier. Pulling everything from his pocket, he sat the items on the roof.

The stopwatch, a few screwdrivers and some gum.

"Perfect." He mumbled, as he picked up one of the small flathead screwdrivers and grabbed the sleeve of the jacket. Tearing through the fabric with the screwdriver, he tore away a strip of the jacket. Leaning forward, he put the handkerchief on the back of his head before pulling the rag across his forehead he used it to tie the cloth to his head.

Grabbing the stopwatch, he narrowed his eyes when he saw that the watch had stopped.

Was it damaged? Or...?

Before he could he could properly inspect the watch, a shot rang out and Onyx almost jumped. Looking around, Onyx grabbed the gum and stood, staggering slightly.

"W-Was that a gunshot?" Onyx questioned, making his way over to Yohan before peeking over his shoulder.

'Why the bloody hell are people shooting each other?! Have they lost their minds? Are they just plain demented? I need a year-long vacation from this bullshit.'

"The fact you're more annoyed than anything is amusing as fuck." Onyx commented before stepping to the side when Yohan whirled around to grab his suitcase. Looking over to Madelon, Onyx raised a hand in greeting. "So, how's it goin'?" He questioned with a lopsided smile that he was very aware of, though he wasn't sure if it was from the head wound or just his sudden awkward nature.

"That's it. I'm going to see if that shot woman is still alive. I don't care if someone's got a gun: I've got a lost temper and nothing to lose. Besides, it's better than pissing about up here. Who's coming with me?"

Glancing over his shoulder in response to Yohan, Onyx gave him a thumbs up.

"Fuck it, I vote we jump across." Onyx suggested, slightly curious as to whether or not death was even possible.
 
――gunshot――――
―――distance too far to gauge accurately――
―pursuing sound is futile―running speed insufficient―

Alina grimaced as the noise rang out. By the time they got there, the scene would likely be over.
There was no point doing anything but continuing to climb.

She nodded to the small girl in reassurance.
―mutual intention confirmed――
"At least once we're up there, we should be able to figure out the best way to get down," she assessed. "I'm thinking that tower in the middle is the centre of all this."
Besides the sky and the sun, which were unreachable anyway, that obelisk was the primary focus of the visions she'd had during the transition.
Not to mention, she was fairly certain that it was the cause of the ticking, but the chances of her hallucinating that was fairly high, so she dared not mention it.
"It's not far now. Two floors left," she told Marionette.

―god knows if we'll even find anything――