Recollé Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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recolle2019-02-05 05:06 pm
recollecters) wrote in recolle2019-02-05 05:06 pm
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EVENT
PREMISE • RULES • FAQ • TAKEN • RESERVES • APPLICATIONS
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
REGAINS • HIATUS/DROPS • PLOT SUBMISSIONS • CALENDAR • MOD CONTACT • NAV
Re:Configure
Prologue.
It's on February 5th that every single Retrospec users receives a message from the liaison known as Zee Carlisle. Several of you have visited and expressed concerns already, but none of that mattered in the grande scheme of what needs to be said.
The thing about the city and the layers below is that the metaphysical can easily become the physical with the power you all possess. It's just a "handy" little trick that comes with intermingling soul essence. Thanks to my field agent, we've received some data that'll help advance our research to help track Vanderweele, stabilize the layers and figure out our next step.
The next step, of course, is going beyond.
You're not ready though. I know that, you're not, but I think I've figured out some workarounds. Just be careful and try to control yourselves. You'll need to embrace who you are and take the next step to protect yourselves.
It's not about finding keys anymore. It's about becoming them, generating the doors yourself and getting ready for things out there that're bound to be bad.
Keep balance in mind. And don't try to hide from what's happening. I'm not sure how this is going to manifest but this is all still you.
Well. That's not ominous, is it?
It's on February 5th that every single Retrospec users receives a message from the liaison known as Zee Carlisle. Several of you have visited and expressed concerns already, but none of that mattered in the grande scheme of what needs to be said.
The thing about the city and the layers below is that the metaphysical can easily become the physical with the power you all possess. It's just a "handy" little trick that comes with intermingling soul essence. Thanks to my field agent, we've received some data that'll help advance our research to help track Vanderweele, stabilize the layers and figure out our next step.
The next step, of course, is going beyond.
You're not ready though. I know that, you're not, but I think I've figured out some workarounds. Just be careful and try to control yourselves. You'll need to embrace who you are and take the next step to protect yourselves.
It's not about finding keys anymore. It's about becoming them, generating the doors yourself and getting ready for things out there that're bound to be bad.
Keep balance in mind. And don't try to hide from what's happening. I'm not sure how this is going to manifest but this is all still you.
Well. That's not ominous, is it?
I.
Not long after the announcement, anyone looking in the sky will soon notice something strange happening. While the moon hangs peacefully in the night sky, the second moon that had appeared some months ago begins moving on its own, slowly beginning to eclipse the regular moon. As the two of them overlap one another, a soft blue light emits over the whole city and in your head you'll hear a faint animalistic cry. Some of you may hear the roar of a tiger while others hear the whinny of a horse and others hear the shrieking of a monkey. These sounds only last for a moment…and then there's silence. The moons split apart again and everything seems to go on as normal.
The next day on the morning of the sixth, you wake up and find yourself feeling incredibly chipper and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world and all things in it. Nothing can bring you down today and even those who are usually fussy or angry will find it hard to stay that way for long. Positivity is key here, and as you go about your day you'll find your thoughts are often drawn to capitalizing on positive qualities that you may not even know you have.
This doesn't always mean it's a good thing, however. Just because a trait is positive doesn't mean that it's only meant to do good. Being overzealous and foolhardy can cause a clash and several of you may find yourselves being too caught up in your own traits to notice they'll imbalance the people around you. A person who finds themselves in strong possession of being charming may wind up over-promising several things to several people in order to win favor. Someone who's suddenly lucky at love will have to fend off admirers that come from all sorts of directions. Goal-oriented minds will find that they're creating several to-do lists and pushing themselves too hard to finish all of the tasks at hand. Each trait manifests itself differently for each person, but it's the year you were born that seems to determine which set of traits are being amplified. It's a pattern that will take time to recognize, but talking to one another may help bring this comparison to light.
In addition to the consequences of your actions, the traits you exude will be capable of giving themselves a physical existence in the form of small, ordinary objects. Creation of these objects is for the most part involuntary and users will not always know how these will manifest. Do be careful, however. An overabundance of each trait may get you in trouble and the objects themselves will backfire in ways you may not expect. Those who are popular can wind up generating several friendship bracelets that physically bind them to too many people. Those whose sense of humor has been amplified could bring a laugh-track to life, a small object that cannot be paused and will chuckle at everything that's said no matter how serious it is. It's possible to resist giving in to these traits and avoid generating these objects, but the longer you resist the harder it will be to concentrate on anything else until the creation is expelled. You'll find your resolve weakening and compelled to give in as the days march on, but the longer you wait the more likely the objects will appear unstable. Perhaps it's best to continually create instead. You never know what you might get.
Not long after the announcement, anyone looking in the sky will soon notice something strange happening. While the moon hangs peacefully in the night sky, the second moon that had appeared some months ago begins moving on its own, slowly beginning to eclipse the regular moon. As the two of them overlap one another, a soft blue light emits over the whole city and in your head you'll hear a faint animalistic cry. Some of you may hear the roar of a tiger while others hear the whinny of a horse and others hear the shrieking of a monkey. These sounds only last for a moment…and then there's silence. The moons split apart again and everything seems to go on as normal.
The next day on the morning of the sixth, you wake up and find yourself feeling incredibly chipper and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world and all things in it. Nothing can bring you down today and even those who are usually fussy or angry will find it hard to stay that way for long. Positivity is key here, and as you go about your day you'll find your thoughts are often drawn to capitalizing on positive qualities that you may not even know you have.
This doesn't always mean it's a good thing, however. Just because a trait is positive doesn't mean that it's only meant to do good. Being overzealous and foolhardy can cause a clash and several of you may find yourselves being too caught up in your own traits to notice they'll imbalance the people around you. A person who finds themselves in strong possession of being charming may wind up over-promising several things to several people in order to win favor. Someone who's suddenly lucky at love will have to fend off admirers that come from all sorts of directions. Goal-oriented minds will find that they're creating several to-do lists and pushing themselves too hard to finish all of the tasks at hand. Each trait manifests itself differently for each person, but it's the year you were born that seems to determine which set of traits are being amplified. It's a pattern that will take time to recognize, but talking to one another may help bring this comparison to light.
In addition to the consequences of your actions, the traits you exude will be capable of giving themselves a physical existence in the form of small, ordinary objects. Creation of these objects is for the most part involuntary and users will not always know how these will manifest. Do be careful, however. An overabundance of each trait may get you in trouble and the objects themselves will backfire in ways you may not expect. Those who are popular can wind up generating several friendship bracelets that physically bind them to too many people. Those whose sense of humor has been amplified could bring a laugh-track to life, a small object that cannot be paused and will chuckle at everything that's said no matter how serious it is. It's possible to resist giving in to these traits and avoid generating these objects, but the longer you resist the harder it will be to concentrate on anything else until the creation is expelled. You'll find your resolve weakening and compelled to give in as the days march on, but the longer you wait the more likely the objects will appear unstable. Perhaps it's best to continually create instead. You never know what you might get.
II.
When the night falls, things change and suddenly everything you may have understood about what's happening doesn't make much sense at all. As the sun sinks below the horizon and the two moons rise again, something in your personality shifts and all of your positive feelings fade away. These emotions are soon replaced by something darker and more negative, altering thoughts and ideas to the point that you may feel like you're a completely different person. Moodswings may run rampant, and insecurities will be heightened the longer the night draws on. Some of you may find greed threatening to overwhelm you, or impatience clouding your judgment and causing reckless decisions to be made. While these may not be traits you possess normally, it all comes back to when you were born and what traits the stars seem to have determined to be yours.
While you can still display independent thought and will when you possess your positive traits in the daylight, the amplification of your more negative qualities begin to overshadow all else. Giving in to your darker side is much easier than fighting it off and indulging in these traits never hurt anyone…except for perhaps yourself. While positive manifestation creates objects in abundance to the point of annoyance, negative manifestation seems to generate the metaphysical into a physical being that causes harm. The creation of elements bound to your negative side allows these objects to slowly drain away your energy, zapping the goodness out of you and leaving you as a pale, empty shell. This can be remedied by finding someone who's managed to hold onto some form of positivity, or even going to a place with plenty of lighting to drive back the shadows. Exposing yourself to either of these will help you recognize what traits have possessed you this time.
But what about your "normal" personality? Where has it gone? It's still there buried deep beneath the surface but it's much harder to reach when your less-than-stellar qualities are amped up to the point of consuming you. You may need to find people to remind you of who you once were and allow them to convince you to try and focus on your positive sides again. An imbalance is the likely outcome without someone to check on you. Being alone isn't really an option now, but can you convince others to stay? That's something only you can answer.
Additionally, you'll have to do something about the object you've brought forth in the dark hours. Leaving objects out in the open without binding them to some form of light will allow the creations to begin reaching out and draining anyone nearby. Of course, you can try to destroy these objects as well...but you may wish to remember that time is a factor here.
When the night falls, things change and suddenly everything you may have understood about what's happening doesn't make much sense at all. As the sun sinks below the horizon and the two moons rise again, something in your personality shifts and all of your positive feelings fade away. These emotions are soon replaced by something darker and more negative, altering thoughts and ideas to the point that you may feel like you're a completely different person. Moodswings may run rampant, and insecurities will be heightened the longer the night draws on. Some of you may find greed threatening to overwhelm you, or impatience clouding your judgment and causing reckless decisions to be made. While these may not be traits you possess normally, it all comes back to when you were born and what traits the stars seem to have determined to be yours.
While you can still display independent thought and will when you possess your positive traits in the daylight, the amplification of your more negative qualities begin to overshadow all else. Giving in to your darker side is much easier than fighting it off and indulging in these traits never hurt anyone…except for perhaps yourself. While positive manifestation creates objects in abundance to the point of annoyance, negative manifestation seems to generate the metaphysical into a physical being that causes harm. The creation of elements bound to your negative side allows these objects to slowly drain away your energy, zapping the goodness out of you and leaving you as a pale, empty shell. This can be remedied by finding someone who's managed to hold onto some form of positivity, or even going to a place with plenty of lighting to drive back the shadows. Exposing yourself to either of these will help you recognize what traits have possessed you this time.
But what about your "normal" personality? Where has it gone? It's still there buried deep beneath the surface but it's much harder to reach when your less-than-stellar qualities are amped up to the point of consuming you. You may need to find people to remind you of who you once were and allow them to convince you to try and focus on your positive sides again. An imbalance is the likely outcome without someone to check on you. Being alone isn't really an option now, but can you convince others to stay? That's something only you can answer.
Additionally, you'll have to do something about the object you've brought forth in the dark hours. Leaving objects out in the open without binding them to some form of light will allow the creations to begin reaching out and draining anyone nearby. Of course, you can try to destroy these objects as well...but you may wish to remember that time is a factor here.
III.
There are two moments in each day in which your personalities will come into alignment and you'll have perfect clarity of the situation and who you are. During the hour of sunrise and the hour of sunset, an eclipse-like effect appears in the sky and allows users to grapple with both sets of traits. At the end of the day, you're still you, but these hours will give you the advantage to learn how to cope with veering too far in either direction and learn the sense of balance.
Working together, users will be able to generate items from both positive and negative traits during these hours. They must then learn how to fuse them together and create a balanced concept. Where there's light there must be darkness and while the answer may not be obvious at first, the overlayering of the sun and the moon(s) serves as a hint that perhaps the combination is the key you seek. Strangely, users are able to stare straight at this eclipse without worrying about damage to their eyes. Perhaps it's not as real as you think.
As objects come into being, willed into existence by embracing your positive and negative traits in performing some sort of action or skill encompassing the idea, they will begin to multiply and it will soon be up to users to find what items may match with someone else's items. An item created from love may go well with something created by indulgence. An item manifested from insecurity may react just as well with an item drawn from kindness. Should a user try to form an item created from two positive traits, it will explode into a shower of fireworks that rise up and spark above the city. For those who attempt to shove two negative traits together, a large smoke bomb will go off instead and the items will be destroyed, forcing users to start all over again.
Should users finally get it right and create an acceptable object, something unusual occurs. The object begins to glow and duplicates itself, hovering in front of both creators before they soon dissolve into black and white sparks that wash over you and add a thin, iridescent sheen to your skin. Your phone will beep loudly, announcing that a new feature has been unlocked on your Retrospec app and drawing your attention to a brand new map and a QR code to be scanned. The map will lead to a randomized location somewhere in the city of Recollé, and should a user choose to follow it they will come face to face with another silver door, QR scanner firmly affixed in the center.
Try all you'd like, citizens. These doors will not budge just yet, but the QR code will be accepted. A new message will appear once you've been scanned.
Make some preparations. The doors will open on the 17th and a group will be led down to undo what's been done. You in?
…time to make some decisions, it seems. What will your choose? At least there's a moment's reprieve to decide.
There are two moments in each day in which your personalities will come into alignment and you'll have perfect clarity of the situation and who you are. During the hour of sunrise and the hour of sunset, an eclipse-like effect appears in the sky and allows users to grapple with both sets of traits. At the end of the day, you're still you, but these hours will give you the advantage to learn how to cope with veering too far in either direction and learn the sense of balance.
Working together, users will be able to generate items from both positive and negative traits during these hours. They must then learn how to fuse them together and create a balanced concept. Where there's light there must be darkness and while the answer may not be obvious at first, the overlayering of the sun and the moon(s) serves as a hint that perhaps the combination is the key you seek. Strangely, users are able to stare straight at this eclipse without worrying about damage to their eyes. Perhaps it's not as real as you think.
As objects come into being, willed into existence by embracing your positive and negative traits in performing some sort of action or skill encompassing the idea, they will begin to multiply and it will soon be up to users to find what items may match with someone else's items. An item created from love may go well with something created by indulgence. An item manifested from insecurity may react just as well with an item drawn from kindness. Should a user try to form an item created from two positive traits, it will explode into a shower of fireworks that rise up and spark above the city. For those who attempt to shove two negative traits together, a large smoke bomb will go off instead and the items will be destroyed, forcing users to start all over again.
Should users finally get it right and create an acceptable object, something unusual occurs. The object begins to glow and duplicates itself, hovering in front of both creators before they soon dissolve into black and white sparks that wash over you and add a thin, iridescent sheen to your skin. Your phone will beep loudly, announcing that a new feature has been unlocked on your Retrospec app and drawing your attention to a brand new map and a QR code to be scanned. The map will lead to a randomized location somewhere in the city of Recollé, and should a user choose to follow it they will come face to face with another silver door, QR scanner firmly affixed in the center.
Try all you'd like, citizens. These doors will not budge just yet, but the QR code will be accepted. A new message will appear once you've been scanned.
Make some preparations. The doors will open on the 17th and a group will be led down to undo what's been done. You in?
…time to make some decisions, it seems. What will your choose? At least there's a moment's reprieve to decide.
IV.
For the most part, this is actually fairly tame in comparison to usual Retrospec nonsense. It seems as though this storm can be weathered together and as users seek out one another it's easier to combat these effects with minimal damage. Create objects to manifest doors? That seems fairly simple and though the mysterious preparation message may leave some of you uneasy, it's the right direction to go.
Naturally, of course, there's someone who isn't too happy that light and darkness are becoming balanced and in sync.
On the morning of the fourteenth, positive traits are amplified as usual during the sunlight hours. It's a beautiful Valentine's Day in the city of Recollé. Sweet coffees are on special at both Expressive and A Good Bean. Romantic comedy marathons are queued to air all day long at Flix. Sweet Stems has a discount on flowers by the dozen, and oh look, there are black wispy hearts floating right past you through the air.
Wait, what?
Perhaps you're an overly curious type who will follow the hearts, or you may just be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These hearts are slow to move, floating aimlessly until they spot a target upon which they zip forward straight into your own heart. A tattoo manifests somewhere on your person, heart-shaped and black, and you feel an icy chill run through your veins as all kindness, love, and "goodness" are washed away to be replaced by the traits you've combatted in the evenings. Overwhelmed by the effects of the heart, the power within you begins to churn and give life and form to your personal darkness. A musician will be able to play notes that come to life, stabbing their victims and putting them into a deep sleep. An actor will be able to give in to their overly dramatic side and create set pieces around them, manipulating people nearby into "performing" for them. A hair stylist will have the power to create scissors out of their hands and grow out their own hair to use as a lasso to trap those they wish to punish.
The darkness in your heart will generate something different for every single individual, and no "villain" will be alike. Chaos will run rampant during the light hours and those uninfected will have to find a way to reverse this curse. The infected will recognize this as a "kissing disease", and through trial and error the uninfected will have to seek out the new tattooed marks and kiss them away, freeing the characters from their binds and bringing light back to the surface.
Good luck getting to each mark though. It will take teamwork and some clever thinking to outsmart the infected and hold them down. With a little skill, you might just be able to create your own objects to pin down the problem and save the day.
For the most part, this is actually fairly tame in comparison to usual Retrospec nonsense. It seems as though this storm can be weathered together and as users seek out one another it's easier to combat these effects with minimal damage. Create objects to manifest doors? That seems fairly simple and though the mysterious preparation message may leave some of you uneasy, it's the right direction to go.
Naturally, of course, there's someone who isn't too happy that light and darkness are becoming balanced and in sync.
On the morning of the fourteenth, positive traits are amplified as usual during the sunlight hours. It's a beautiful Valentine's Day in the city of Recollé. Sweet coffees are on special at both Expressive and A Good Bean. Romantic comedy marathons are queued to air all day long at Flix. Sweet Stems has a discount on flowers by the dozen, and oh look, there are black wispy hearts floating right past you through the air.
Wait, what?
Perhaps you're an overly curious type who will follow the hearts, or you may just be unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These hearts are slow to move, floating aimlessly until they spot a target upon which they zip forward straight into your own heart. A tattoo manifests somewhere on your person, heart-shaped and black, and you feel an icy chill run through your veins as all kindness, love, and "goodness" are washed away to be replaced by the traits you've combatted in the evenings. Overwhelmed by the effects of the heart, the power within you begins to churn and give life and form to your personal darkness. A musician will be able to play notes that come to life, stabbing their victims and putting them into a deep sleep. An actor will be able to give in to their overly dramatic side and create set pieces around them, manipulating people nearby into "performing" for them. A hair stylist will have the power to create scissors out of their hands and grow out their own hair to use as a lasso to trap those they wish to punish.
The darkness in your heart will generate something different for every single individual, and no "villain" will be alike. Chaos will run rampant during the light hours and those uninfected will have to find a way to reverse this curse. The infected will recognize this as a "kissing disease", and through trial and error the uninfected will have to seek out the new tattooed marks and kiss them away, freeing the characters from their binds and bringing light back to the surface.
Good luck getting to each mark though. It will take teamwork and some clever thinking to outsmart the infected and hold them down. With a little skill, you might just be able to create your own objects to pin down the problem and save the day.
BONUS.
Beginning on the fifth, a few things will happen. For one thing, anyone who visits the liaison's office any time after this point will find that the door is locked and the office is empty. That's probably nothing to worry about. However, messages will be sent to each user's phone over the course of the next few weeks with status updates.
Users will find themselves in possession of what looks like a digital map of Recollé with several black dots scattered around. As each user successfully fuses an object that manifests a door, a black dot turns white and flashes on the screen. Over time, all of these doors will begin to appear to show users locations that may grant them access to the next layer.
Users will also find themselves in possession of a short biography about themselves. Featuring information such as their height, weight, level of combat and other key notable traits (three best qualities and three worst qualities), these biographies also appear to have notes added about regains you've recovered or events that have happened in the city.
Too bad these biographies aren't just meant for you. The moment you read over them, the biography forwards itself to just about anyone on the Retrospec app and you'll receive someone else's biography to read over instead. Not long after, a video call will connect you to this new person and cannot be disconnected for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
This gives "getting to know each other" a whole new meaning, doesn't it? Maybe you'll learn something useful today.
Beginning on the fifth, a few things will happen. For one thing, anyone who visits the liaison's office any time after this point will find that the door is locked and the office is empty. That's probably nothing to worry about. However, messages will be sent to each user's phone over the course of the next few weeks with status updates.
Users will find themselves in possession of what looks like a digital map of Recollé with several black dots scattered around. As each user successfully fuses an object that manifests a door, a black dot turns white and flashes on the screen. Over time, all of these doors will begin to appear to show users locations that may grant them access to the next layer.
Users will also find themselves in possession of a short biography about themselves. Featuring information such as their height, weight, level of combat and other key notable traits (three best qualities and three worst qualities), these biographies also appear to have notes added about regains you've recovered or events that have happened in the city.
Too bad these biographies aren't just meant for you. The moment you read over them, the biography forwards itself to just about anyone on the Retrospec app and you'll receive someone else's biography to read over instead. Not long after, a video call will connect you to this new person and cannot be disconnected for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
This gives "getting to know each other" a whole new meaning, doesn't it? Maybe you'll learn something useful today.
NOTES.
Welcome torecolle's February event part one!
You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for manifesting an item and dealing with the consequences. This item may be a positive or negative trait, and this thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by fusing one of their objects with someone else's and creating a door. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by healing someone from the kissing disease. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Please keep in mind that the bonus is a bonus prompt! If you do not want your character's biography floating around for other users to see, you do not have to be affected by this prompt.
-While the Chinese zodiac traits are linked, these are merely suggestions that you can build off of. These traits will be what's most prevalent and attached to characters, but you're free to have others in a similar vein show up. Objects manifested from these ideas into real life may also vary and the above in the log are simply examples.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
Welcome to
recolle's February event part one!You can claim three freebies on this log!
-Players may claim one freebie for manifesting an item and dealing with the consequences. This item may be a positive or negative trait, and this thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by fusing one of their objects with someone else's and creating a door. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Players may claim one freebie by healing someone from the kissing disease. This thread must be at least five comments from you.
-Please keep in mind that the bonus is a bonus prompt! If you do not want your character's biography floating around for other users to see, you do not have to be affected by this prompt.
-While the Chinese zodiac traits are linked, these are merely suggestions that you can build off of. These traits will be what's most prevalent and attached to characters, but you're free to have others in a similar vein show up. Objects manifested from these ideas into real life may also vary and the above in the log are simply examples.
Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for additional information as well!
no subject
A sadistic side was growing in him, he wanted to use JUST the right amount of power here to feed his greedy impulses to fill his heart with cruel revenge on life, since this girl would dare try to be a hero, like those cop pigs that ruined his life and cheered over it.
He may appear sickly and indeed his body is weaker than usual, unfortunately for her, his method of dodging involves him using his whole body so he doesn't stay in one place so he can strike while he is on his opponent's side. He refrains from striking, other than a tap with the back of his knife, hoping to egg her on with sheer arrogance, to see her try to give it her all and just fail miserably without making a single difference and be powerless to do anything but barely survive, just like he did.
All the while, he could kill her on a whim, this was exciting! How far can this power trip go? How long can it fill his heart?! He felt utterly alive, thankful now, that this foolish girl decided to play this sick game of his.]
Oh please...you're going to have to try harder than that
after all, I'm the villain that needs to be stopped...
so stop me, hero.
[Every word was condescending and bitter, there was anger in his eyes at the same time a few tears came out of it too, as his inner conscious was trying to scream for him to stop, the words apply as much to himself as he is sneering at her.]
no subject
She finds herself cursing inwardly at just how useless she is and will continue to be - after all, if she's right about her memories, she doesn't have any powers, any abilities.
The girl in her past life known as Inaba is just an ordinary teenage girl who was thrown into these sorts of things. And again, she's being launched head first into it and she hates it. Maybe she and her past self aren't so different, even if she doesn't know much about Inaba outside of two short memory snippets. But their mindsets are definitely similar, that much she knows for sure.
That tactic didn't work, but she should have expected it to be a possibility. She can't help but get frustrated; why didn't she make the decision to take some sort of self defense class?
I'm not going to let him win, she thinks to herself, before actually paying attention to his expression, the way it irritates her. He's not going to let him egg her on any further. It won't work on her because she can't show weakness. And he's not poking at the right spots that will actually get to her, so she just finds herself laughing, in a way that only a villain can. ]
You don't know shit about me. I can never be a real hero.
But by the way you talk? I can probably take a good guess at what you're really like. You're no villain. You're just a greedy little child who thinks he has all the power in the world just because he can play with magic.
[ She smirks, reaching behind her - to her other pocket this time as Raina decides to go at him again; she knows how he dodges now, and as someone with a picture perfect memory, she knows what to do.
This time, it has to work.
This time, she has to win, to be on top.
Otherwise, she's nothing.
So Raina takes a deep breath holds it in, and goes for another kick in the same area right between the legs.
If he moves over to dodge it, however, she has the perfect second of opportunity to chose her eyes, breath held in to take out the pepper spray and let it loose. Sure is good that they're trapped in a ring of fire for that, now isn't it? ]
Holy crap, sorry this one is long as hell.
There is a clear annoyance in his face about that dark hole as if that is the actual issue here, a hint as he glares back at her that there is more to this then the little game he is forcing her to play.
She, isn't reacting like he thought she would, she did have some spicy bravado that he liked but, something was OFF about it all...but patience, this will be worth it when she is suffering and all pathetic, then maybe that black hole will leave him in peace!
He can't help but smile, like a snake anticipating that soon it will get its fill. She might be trying to hide it, but, he can tell this is frustrating for her, how can it not? He is stringing her along for his amusement, after all.
She comes to him, he dodges the exact same way, the pepper spray is loose and a massive bit of flame explodes consuming his person]
AMON!
[The fire coming out of the can flows directly into the knife, and Al is starting to look healthier the more fire goes into the knife
Other than a cough because of the freaking pepper and a case of watery eyes, she didn't really do much, he was immune to fire after all. He does take some steps back while he is rubbing his eyes, as if that was just part of the game to him, starting over for another round. But he keeps looking at the black hole nearby, it's getting bigger, about the size of a plate, steadily growing and for a moment he looks like he is in pain as he clutches to his heart that suddenly hurt dramatically more making him practically hiss in fury while the war in his mind just grows more intense.
]
(coughs) You're only alive...because...(coughs, wheeze) you might be of use to me...I can kill you whenever I want, but that would be (coughs) boring.
(laughs bitterly while coughing) then what are you doing here? Failing to do your good deed for the day? Trying to make yourself less pathetic?
Or maybe YOU are just broken deep down and hope doing the right thing might make you a little more whole.
NEWS FLASH, it doesn't. People way worse then me get their fill, so right, wrong...that stuff doesn't matter, no matter what anyone says.
[The last sentence, was...odd, to say the least, his voice got softer in the middle as if he was saying it out of concern when he intended it to be hurtful, hell even before that, what he said, was just as much to himself than it was for her, so, the tone is just completely off and at parts his face gives away there is a conflict of conscious inside him.]
it's fine :>
And being stubborn means that she won't show any weakness.
There's only one person that's ever allowed to see her weakness. Only one, and even then, she never wanted that person to actually see it. But he's already seen it. Even so, she won't make that mistake twice.
She won't allow it.
If he wants her to suffer, she's not going to let him have the satisfaction. She does still have a hand gripped onto her pepper spray and the other covering her lips for breath before she finally speaks up. ]
"Be of use"? "Boring"? What are people to you?
[ She doesn't let up any of her emotions in her voice; there's no fury, no anger. Just something emotionless that settles there because she won't let him get what he wants. ]
People aren't your puppets. They aren't your toys. This isn't a game.
[ And then she hears those words, closing her eyes yet again and shaking her head.
Raina's broken, sure, but she knows that full well already.
She knows.
She's not worth anything, she's garbage, she's unlovable after all--
But she doesn't need to be whole. She can't ever make herself whole, no matter how much she pretends to be patched up together. ]
Don't project on me. Isn't that you? Being the one broken and doing all this... but in that case, I can just simply throw my words back at your words in the end. If 'right' and 'wrong' doesn't matter? Then what you've been doing from the start never mattered to begin with. All of this is pointless, so just stop it already.
Kylo Ren much?
Her being so emotionless now...WHY!?
The hole just gets bigger, hurting him more, he is on fire, not because he wanted it to, just his emotions are getting out of control and his fire is now reflecting that. The heat is varied between just, hot, or hot as hell and everything in between.]
WHY NOT!?
People are thrown away like they are NOTHING all the time!
[He punches himself hard to try to numb the pain a bit, just trying so hard to just keep himself together and not show how broken he has been all of this time.
He would normally be far better at it, or at the least not act this extreme about it, but this black hole makes everything more intense
He also noticed her non-verbal denial and a thought occurred to him, what if she is broken too? Like he was?
Another few punches to try to squash that empathetic sentiment out]
It's hard being broken...
[Despite trying to suppress it, that sentence, was spoken with complete empathy. It was meant more for himself than her, but the suspicion that she MIGHT be broken like him is what allowed that bit of empathy to shine.
The fire around them drastically cools down, toasty warm considering how it was a bit chilly outside.
It's obvious, this is why he was acting out, especially looking at the black hole, and growing a bit pale again.]
shrugs
She just mentally curse but she's very much aware that if she does, the satisfaction will settle and that's not something that she wants.
And Raina isn't the type of person that would just simply allow people to go through the cracks of her facade; the serious mask that she constantly puts on every day. While his emotions might be out of control, Raina's are cool, calm, and collected.
The heat is a bit much, but if she has the higher moral ground, all of this will be worth it.
Her voice strains a bit from the heat, but otherwise there isn't much pushing there. Not in her expression or even her tone of voice. ]
So? Just because other people do that means that you have to?
[ ... ]
You're truly an idiot, in that case.
no subject
"Don't make other people desperate, just because you are"
He wants to throw fire at her to spite her or hug her for helping with this mental battle of his.
He couldn't make up his mind about it.
But, just her being cold and rational, gave him nothing to read.
Even with his emotions in turmoil, he can see she is hiding something...that amount of stone facing doesn't just happen. It was either developed or caused by something
He just laughs at how stupid this entire situation is, when he speaks it's warm, like talking to an old friend.]
People are irrational you know. Everyone is more broken then we let on...
I've just UGHHH!
[He clenches his chest again, agonizing pain, he gets paler, the black hole gets bigger demanding tribute to feed the greed. The fire dies down more somewhat.
Instead of trying to extend empathy to her, his mind screams at him to take...wealth is power, power is security, security is...is SOMETHING!]
no subject
[ It's honestly so easy to dip back into analyzing things and rattling out her thoughts. After all, that's just a specialty of hers.
One she's worked on for years to the point where it just simply is natural to her. ]
But don't lump "everyone" into that thing of yours. If all people were broken, there's no way that they could have friends, or get along with their family, their relatives. Not everyone is like you. Myself included.
[ It's fine if she lies for a little bit, isn't it? Lying to a stranger who barely knows her is easy, especially when she says the words so smoothly and without much issue.
And lying to herself is even easier. ]
no subject
Little unnecessary to add to counter a starting premise.
This was something he picked up from someone who tried to mentor him very briefly and now he is making it his own.]
People are like broken glass, varying degrees of cracks or breaks.
Take heat and you can mould glass, paint it up, make it look pretty.
All this magic, all this fire, and I can't put myself together
All I want...
[Al suddenly yelps in pain again as the black hole seems to protest to him trying to be more gentle, his better traits are starting to break through and trying to have a firm hold. Hence why he isn't threatening her and is talking to her with sympathy, trying to give, to get something in return...there were, times when that worked.
His mind gets assaulted...money, power, security, these are the things that will fill the void, not some sentimental bullshit his better self is trying to extend, to a random girl of all things.]
no subject
[ In spite of the heat, Raina manages to speak those words rather cooly without a single hint of hesitation before she manages to smile; a crack through her proverbial porcelain mask slipping through.
Although... it's kind of hypocritical of her to say that when she has issues trusting people to begin with that she keeps so much to herself. ]
Material things can't get you lasting happiness. That's just common sense. Sure, money's important and all, but that's just capitalism.
However, taking away something that never belonged to you in the first place to make yourself happy is simply a kind of selfishness I can't forgive. Because it won't get you what you truly want in the end.
no subject
Greed is a distraction...not that I had much of a choice when I started or now.
Sides, that so far fits the people I've come across...even angels, the best of people, bleed and break, they just somehow get...
FUCCKK!
[The fires around them are just dim, not that bright but still warm. Al gets paler, the flames in his knife go out. Al's mind and heart are completely at war now. Tearing him apart from the inside, holding his head and clutching his chest.
Shaking his head, trying to sort through all of these feelings and thoughts, some he knows now aren't his. The black hole, about as big as a giant flat screen seems to audibly protest fiercely to him trying to escape his mental prison. The struggle evident from tears and sudden jerk movements as if dismissing an idea of sorts.]
no subject
[ Not like she can compare her life with his. She's lived a rather easy life, back home. Her family wasn't exactly 'poor', and she didn't have any major issues.
She can still feel her analytical mind's gears whirring as she shifts to something a little more casual yet distant, like none of it really involves her. ]
Doing something like that means you've stopped thinking and given up. People can get hurt, but that's because that's the nature of being human. But that doesn't mean that they're broken. Because people are actually stronger than you might expect.
Plz call me out if this makes no sense.
[He said with annoyance, he knows that she isn't going to understand. She, after all, had time for a hobby that included dress up, yeah, choices are there but not exactly the kind Al is referring to.]
But I do agree, being hurt and squishy...is part of human nature...
[Al starts to look at the black hole with contempt and determination...her pissing him off and mentioning suffering, reminded him about his own.]
So is being strong...
I didn't survive this long...
work so hard...
[He slowly gets up with what looks like a herculean effort, his limbs and body shaking with agony, the black hole looks like it's big enough to devour a person.
The fires suddenly intensify, Al coughs, looks almost deathly pale. This black hole, was soo annoying...if it wanted something, then it was going to have to fight Al for it.]
to be stopped now!
AMON-ZEL-SIAKA!
[The ground in front of him cracks violently, opening a small fissure going toward the black hole, while a blast of flame, which could probably consume a decent sized wall, follows suit.
The black hole starts to shrink when it absorbs the flame and debris, not because of the spell. But because Al had gathered the resolve to control greed, him literally trying to fight is greed, was him metaphorically taking charge of it. Living with the hole in his heart, feeling the pain, but resisting the urge to stuff it with whatever he can get his hands on.]