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disappear_npc (disappear_npc) wrote in disappear_plot,
@ 2011-04-08 19:49:00

Endgame Dungeon 2
The group arrives at the planned location on Friday, and are herded onto a bus with little ceremony. They reach their destination soon enough...

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	0. THE FOOL disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:50 pm UTC (link)
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Re: 0. THE FOOL

disappear_npc
2011-04-09 02:06 am UTC (link)

Sato appears in the foyer at Nanakamado, though the room is completely white and not entirely tangible. Before him stands the shadow, but it looks at him with piercing blue eyes, rather than yellow. He gets to his feet and does not speak, instead approaching it slowly, hand outstretched.

The Fool resides in all of you, marking the start of your journey, and your infinite potential to fail or succeed.

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	I. THE MAGICIAN disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:50 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: I. THE MAGICIAN apathyisboring 2011-04-09 02:43 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/kirikoendgame.htm (Reply to this) (Parent)

	II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:50 pm UTC (link)
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Re: II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS

anthesphoria
2011-04-09 02:18 am UTC (link)

Kozue awakes in a large room, with a high, vaulted ceiling, and vaguely Grecian pillars. It looks like the lobby of a swanky, swanky hotel. The space is expansive and lavishly decorated; there’s a huge chandelier at the apex of the room, and gold balloons everywhere. The room even has a few tropical plants here and there; ferns and short palm trees and hibiscus in bloom. There are, however, no doors, and in the centre of the room stands a human-shaped shadow, indistinct save for its piercing yellow eyes.

Kozue's head is still ringing; she climbs to her feet, slowly, admiring the beautiful space, looking around––wondering if she's in the afterlife or something--until her eyes hit the shadow. It's a lot less admirable all of a sudden. She freezes, deer in the headlights, waiting for it to attack her.

The shadow does no such thing. It doesn't even move - simply watches, waits. And, eventually, speaks, in a voice neither male nor female, one and many: What is thy purpose?

".... what?" Strangely, it is when the Shadow speaks that Kozue finds the courage to move again, and she totters forward a step or two. "My purpose? I don't want to die, I want to go home."

People in ballroom dresses fade in and out of existence around the perimeter of the room. Kozue hears the ghost of laughter, and the familiarity of the place strikes her suddenly. What will become of thee?

She starts, head whipping to the side, trying to figure out if she's been here before, why it feels like she's been here before--sure, she's been to places like it, hundreds of them, but this… feels, she doesn't know, she might just be dead. The laughter strikes a chord; a shiver runs down her spine, she's heard this before, this must have happened before.

But she can't remember when. She turns back to the indistinct form, with those sharp yellow eyes, and, shivering, considers it. The sense of familiarity seems to have given her a speck of courage, just a small speck, "I guess either you'll kill me, or something else will. Not that I want to die, but…" She eyes the scenery again, the ghosts of dancers fading in and out, "I don't know what I can do about it."

The shadow's voice changes to something that sounds far more similar to Kozue's own: Do you think we could actually make a life for ourselves and not fail utterly? Without having someone hold our hand and do it for us, or tell us what we need to do?

“Who said you could wear your hair like that?” "Can't you pour tea without spilling?"

"Never have I ever aced a test."

“Are you having fun yet?”
What will become of thee? The shadow repeats. What is thy worth?

She startles, for a moment terrified, hearing herself talking, "I never said--" except that it's familiar, these are her grandmother's words, and her own, and her thoughts even if she's never spoken them aloud. "My worth? Is…" she falters. For a brief moment, there is a flicker of a sense that she has wrestled with this before, and emerged battered but victorious with something the fight was all worth. "I'm me," and then she falters again, and it's gone like the dancers around the edges of the room and Kozue is left hollow without it.

The plants in the lobby twist and grow out from their pots, crawling along the walls, floors, winding around the pillars, but never passing the shadow that stands between Kozue and them. Speak my name.

"What's happening?" But her attention only flicks to the wild plants for a moment; the shadow has her riveted. Her name? (How did Kozue even know this was a her? But she did. She was certain.)

Slowly, the shadow advances, bringing with it the lashing vines and plant tendrils it holds back only by the virtue of its presence. SPEAKMYNAME.

Her heart was racing; her pulse was thumping loud in her head and for some mad, mad reason she did not retreat, but held her ground, staring, as the shadow closed the space between them. The terror she had felt throughout this whole ordeal still gripped her––but there, for one moment again she saw with clarity, that she did not need to be afraid, that she could be fearsome instead. Her face relaxed--open, in wonder, "I know you."

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Re: II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS

anthesphoria
2011-04-09 02:19 am UTC (link)

The shadow's eyes flash as it halts its approach. Again, it speaks, but this time in a woman's voice, smooth and cold as steel but somehow comfortingly familiar. Speak, she commands.

It's like a sigh, almost. A relief. A return at the end of winter. "Persephone."

The word has barely left Kozue's mouth before she's blindsided with a flood of memories, flashes of sights and snippets of sound that have somehow been forgotten. The room fades to white and she can feel her strength fading, but the voice, once again myriad, continues in her head loud and strong:

The Priestess knows the heart of herself and her companions. Through her, they may know themselves.

With that, Kozue blacks out again...

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	III. THE EMPRESS disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:51 pm UTC (link)
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	giantfruitbyday 2011-04-09 04:19 am UTC (link)
	http://www.kettledragon.net/disappear/empress.html (Reply to this) (Parent)

	IV. THE EMPEROR disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:51 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: IV. THE EMPEROR keiito 2011-04-09 02:00 am UTC (link)
	http://www.kettledragon.net/disappear/EmperorAwakening.rtf (Reply to this) (Parent)

	V. THE HIEROPHANT disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:51 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: V. THE HIEROPHANT the_nadeshiko 2011-04-09 02:27 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/KaiEndgameLog.rtf (Reply to this) (Parent)

	VI. THE LOVERS disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:52 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: VI. THE LOVERS disappear_npc 2011-04-09 02:06 am UTC (link)
	A path not taken. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	VII. THE CHARIOT disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:52 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: VII. THE CHARIOT sakurabamasami 2011-04-09 02:30 am UTC (link)
	http://www.kettledragon.net/disappear/MasamiLog.doc (Reply to this) (Parent)

	VIII. STRENGTH disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:52 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: VIII. STRENGTH disappear_npc 2011-04-09 02:07 am UTC (link)
	A challenge not endured. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	IX. THE HERMIT disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:52 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: IX. THE HERMIT 2dbeauty 2011-04-09 05:19 am UTC (link)
	http://www.kettledragon.net/disappear/toruadventures.html (Reply to this) (Parent)

	X. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:52 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: X. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE thrown_to_winds 2011-04-09 04:23 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/toshiawakening.html (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: X. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE disappear_npc 2011-04-09 05:37 am UTC (link)
	The turning Wheel is neither fortune nor fate, but opportunity. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XI. JUSTICE disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:53 pm UTC (link)
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Re: XI. JUSTICE

ofmanydevices
2011-04-09 02:26 am UTC (link)

Tom Dungeon
[21:41] Bel: Tom awakes in a dimly lit room, lined with computer consoles, gadgetry and glass cases full of mannequins with bright and colourful costumes. The central console provides the majority of the room's light, though the screen, at present, is nothing but white noise. There are no doors, and in the centre of the room stands a human-shaped shadow, indistinct save for its piercing yellow eyes.
[21:41] Tom: Tom steps into a fighting stance
[21:43] Bel: The shadow stares impassively as it does so. There are many things in the room to arm himself with, but the shadow does not budge.
[21:44] Tom: "Where am I?"
[21:44] Bel: It speaks in myriad voices at once: Such questions are thine to answer.
[21:44] Tom: "Who are you?"
[21:46] Tom: "What are you?"
[21:46] Bel: Such questions are thine to answer, it repeats.
[21:46] Bel: What is thy purpose?
[21:49] Tom: "I punish the guilty. I defend the innocent... and..I.. defend my friends?" That last part comes out slightly more confused
[21:51] Bel: Tom's vision swims and the costume cases standing arbitrarily around the room are no longer cases, but people, though he only gets the faintest glimpse of them before once again they are gone.
[21:51] Bel: Why dost thou persist? For whom?
[21:52] Bel: "His eyes. Cold and dead, like a fish.”
[21:52] Bel: "I warned you time and again that they don’t care!"
[21:54] Tom: Tom looks around breathing.
[21:55] Tom: "But... they do..."
[21:56] Tom: He looks back toward the shadow
[21:57] Tom: "What is this?! This... everything.. it never happened!"
[21:57] Tom: "Why do I remember it?!
[21:57] Tom: I need to understand!"
[21:57] Bel: "When you put you’re faith in others... "

"Justice is balance, the *right* choice may not always be obvious."
"Two parts of a whole."
"... I wanna be on the team."
[21:57] Bel: The shadow floats, silent, for a few moments. Why dost thou fightÉ
[21:59] Tom: "I fight to protect the people...I fight to defend my friends...Seiko.... and Kozue... and...Max..."
[22:01] Tom: "I... have friends."
[22:01] Tom: "I'm on the team."
[22:03] Bel: As tom speaks the names of his friends, their pictures flicker onto the screen behind him. Speak my name.
[22:04] Tom: Tom lowers his head
[22:05] Tom: and then looks at the shadow
[22:05] Tom: "Odysseus."
[22:06] Bel: Visions, voices and memories flood Tom's mind as the room floods with light and washes out, and over it all the voices of the shadow boom:

Justice's sword cuts with reason and shows the way to move forward.
[22:06] Bel: The world spins, and Tom is out cold again...

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	XII. THE HANGED MAN disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:53 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: XII. THE HANGED MAN disappear_npc 2011-04-09 05:44 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/RenjuEndgame.htm (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XIII. DEATH disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:54 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: XIII. DEATH daioujou 2011-04-09 04:19 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/Kouendgame.rtf (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: XIII. DEATH disappear_npc 2011-04-09 05:37 am UTC (link)
	Death sweeps the past away, despite its sting, and allows us to begin once more. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XIV. TEMPERANCE disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:54 pm UTC (link)
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	XV. THE DEVIL disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:54 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: XV. THE DEVIL disappear_npc 2011-04-09 02:07 am UTC (link)
	A chain unremoved. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XVI. THE TOWER disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:54 pm UTC (link)
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	XVII. THE STAR disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:54 pm UTC (link)
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Re: XVII. THE STAR

omgboyskissing
2012-10-28 03:25 am UTC (link)

The sky above the carnival is dark and moonless, and the starry canopy of a clear summer night serves as a striking backdrop to the massive ferris wheel shining in the distance.

When Yoshimi comes to, she's standing in the main arena. It's incredibly crowded by Shadows, with long lines snaking out from what seem to be the biggest attractions: the tilt-a-whirl and the funhouse. The crowds make it difficult to move any further into the park right now. None of the other visitors have faces, aside from a young couple in line for the tilt-a-whirl. Yoshimi knows them, but some disquieting fragment of a memory keeps her from taking even a step in their direction.

There are about half a dozen staff members hanging around, all of them dressed in wild, glittering costumes that seem to fit right in with the overall theme. Their masks do something to compensate for the fact that none of them have faces, either. A few try to direct her towards one attraction or another: Try your luck at the lollipop tower, miss? The petting zoo's worth a go, you know. Let's take your picture – it'll last longer. Say, ever been on a tilt-a-whirl? Cheshire over there seems to be having a good time.

Standing in the midst of it all is a humanoid figure, pitch-black except for its piercing yellow eyes.

Yoshimi tries to look everywhere at once, tries to take it all in so that she can get her bearings. Where is this place...? She remembers white, endless white, and things spinning out of control... she makes a move to flag down one of the employees, hoping for an answer that she can use to orient herself.

They ignore her. The carnival and its people mill and whirl around her. The black figure is the only constant. Voices rise up out of the din, collide, merge, join together: What will become of thee?

It's a good question. She locks eyes with the silhouette in the center of it all. “H-hello?” Even without other features, it strikes her as incredibly familiar, like someone she met in a dream once. “You know who I am, don't you?”

The myriad voices rise up again, more urgent: What will become of thee? The figure's yellow eyes stare, spear, pin.

"I - I don't know!" A beat. She considers the pieces of the puzzle before her. Memories of a battle, nonsensical visions. Maybe her life's flashing before her eyes while she bleeds out in prison. "Am I dying? Is this...”

A voice lifts up out of the din of the crowd. "Living scared, that's not really living. I'm done with that."

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Re: XVII. THE STAR

omgboyskissing
2012-10-28 03:28 am UTC (link)

"What?" The voice triggers another half-memory, another strange certainty that she can't explain. “That's me, isn't it? That's my voice. But when did I...”

She doesn't know when she said it. Her reality's shifting, two sets of memories warring for dominance. This quiet life in a tranquil city – it hadn't really been hers, had it? There was something else, something alternately beautiful and terrifying that she now sees reflected in the strange intensity of the Shadow's golden eyes. She'd been someone else, once.

The figure speaks again. Millions of voices join together, and demand an answer: What will become of thee?

"There's no telling,” she counters. She knows that much about this half-remembered version of herself from the other side of the looking glass – Tachibana Yoshimi did not pretend to know what the future held. The rules kept changing, anyway: Furukawa Shingo had died in a car accident, until he hadn't; Sato Kei had been tragically deceased, until he wasn't; the past had been immutable, until she'd fallen down yet another rabbit hole and ended up in an alternate reality. Magic and monsters and miracles had all proven themselves real, and she was so far beyond placing bets about what was going to happen next.

“All I know is that I'll get some living in, and then I'll die, same as everyone. Maybe to you, or maybe to the angels, or maybe I'll just get old.”

The crowd's noise dies, the lights die, the world darkens for a brief second. There's a flash. The anti-bullying club gathered around a table, eating pizza, and then the lights and crowd have switched back on: What fear lies in thy heart?

"Letting–" Yoshi takes a deep breath; the memory rings true, and suddenly she's sure of who she is, sure which life she actually lived. "Letting everything slip through my fingers - people and places and times that I can't hold on to. Not reaching out and taking every chance I've got, or wasting whatever time I get before my number comes up."

She thinks, as always, of the little black cat Shadow that haunted her carnival, the cautionary tale calling out I need more time, I need more time, the echoing voice that terrified her into perpetual action.

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Re: XVII. THE STAR

omgboyskissing
2012-10-28 03:30 am UTC (link)

Another voice from the crowd rises up, a girl's voice, familiar, determined: "Living scared, that's not really living! I'm done with that."

The shadow thing speaks again, a legion of voices as one: What must thou do?

The girl's voice is right, she realizes – she's been running for a long time. But not tonight.

“I want to fight for my future, even if it's a bust.” She gestures over at the tilt-a-whirl. “People's lives are hanging by a thread right now. Maybe I die trying to do something about it. Maybe I lose everything. Maybe this, maybe that.” It sounds like she's finally sick of contemplating maybes. “I don't know if I can change the future, but I know what is going to happen. I'm going to give everything I have to find out.”

She and the Shadow are silent, and for a moment, it's just the buzz of the carnival. Yoshi tilts her head back, drinking in the skyline. She understands how she got lost in this place.

“Fight with me, Gullveig.”

The Shadow steps forward, eyes glittering in the light of the ferris wheel. “All this city will be your enemy, Seeress of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you.”

Yoshi smiles. Maybe this, maybe that – it doesn't matter. Come what may, she's ready to go hard.

“But first they must catch me.”

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	Re: XVII. THE STAR allthatshimmers 2012-10-28 06:04 am UTC (link)
	The Star guides us gently to answers and, in time, ventures to hope. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XVIII. THE MOON disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:55 pm UTC (link)
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	whenitsleeps 2011-04-09 02:18 am UTC (link)
	http://www.kettledragon.net/disappear/moonstuffs.rtf (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XIX. THE SUN disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:55 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: XIX. THE SUN disappear_npc 2011-04-09 05:42 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/misakiendgame.htm (Reply to this) (Parent)

	XX. JUDGEMENT disappearedmods 2011-04-08 11:55 pm UTC (link)
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	Re: XX. JUDGEMENT disappear_npc 2011-04-09 04:35 am UTC (link)
	http://kettledragon.net/disappear/EndgameDungeon2.htm (Reply to this) (Parent)