etrayamods: (Default)
∎ ETRAYA MODS ∎ ([personal profile] etrayamods) wrote in [community profile] etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
Entry tags:

TDM 007

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy

⏵ arrival⏴



Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem.

Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it.


⏵ aphaia ⏴


Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well.

Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero?

They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence.

This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind.

"Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks!

The possible rankings are:

100: PARAGON
99-80: LUMINARY
79-70: CHAMPION
69-50: CONTENDER
49-30: UNDERLING
30-0: SHADE

Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it!

Aphaia is broken up into four districts.

The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance.

The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye.

The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments.

And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there.


⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴


Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance.

Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course!

The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below.

Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory?

The rules are simple:
  • You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times.
  • The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run.
  • You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long.
  • The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win.
The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up.


⏵ casino royale ⏴


Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt.

There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee.

The wheel's effects are as follows:

1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound.
3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily.
5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories.
7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze.
9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one.
11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured.
13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you.
15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard.
17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all.
19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary.


The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off.

The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission.

You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden.

⏵ NOTES ⏴


This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads.

This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem.

Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game!

Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ.

FULL NAVIGATION

dreamsofearth: (All Smiles)

[personal profile] dreamsofearth 2025-03-29 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[A hand reached out to grab hers and help steady her. Maria wobbled and steadied, breathing a little hard with all the stress and unknowns and well...everything.]

It's o-okay...I'm sorry too. I wasn't looking where I was going either. [She admitted a little breathlessly, flushing a little as she smiled at the....cat woman?] Are you from here? Or....or Etraya? I just got kind of...sent here....so I'm a bit disoriented.
levelshift: (eyeroll)

can Aphaia handle this much edge

[personal profile] levelshift 2025-03-29 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Meanwhile, Accelerator can't shake the idea that if Last Order was here she'd be over the moon. She loves all things mascot and all things cute, and he's fairly sure this guy would at least qualify for the first one. He's keeping a straight face while picturing her flailing her arms, trying to hug him, all MisakaMisakaMisakaMISAKA.

Oh, he misses her.

Outwardly, he rolls his eyes, taking the offered clothing. He's caught snippets of rumours about employees knowing more about this fabled flash drive, so this might not be a terrible idea.]


Fuck off. You think this'll actually work? [He's taking a few steps towards a washroom to change, anyways.]
devota: (⚖ i’m not in it for the fun of it)

[personal profile] devota 2025-03-29 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Claudia doesn't react much. Truly, if anyone were to watch them, Heather might be the one to come across as the aggressor, though Claudia's overly cool and calm behavior certainly has its own antagonistic element to it.

She does, however, finally react to something when Heather brings a hand up to her, flinching like the small, frightened child she was. That she still is, in many ways. She holds at her head like she'd honestly been anticipating being struck, and doesn't look at Heather.]


I don't expect your forgiveness.

[She doesn't, not at all.]
waxen_wings: (025)

[personal profile] waxen_wings 2025-03-29 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He's not feeling an urge to go jump in the mousse lake, so apparently there's some solidarity there. Jay didn't really think that she'd do that to him anyway - like he said, it wouldn't really make sense. ]

Yeah, you would, but I'm going to deny I ever said that if more classmates turn up. I can't pick sides.

[ He's teasing, but she's gorgeous and knows it. No harm in a little compliment. ]

You got a plan for when the gravity goes sideways again?
badfengshui: (14)

casino royale;

[personal profile] badfengshui 2025-03-29 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ If I make a decision, a thread will be pulled from me?

Henry supposes that means that he shouldn't move until this game is over. He can't be certain if that's also a decision or not. However, since nothing appears to be happening to him, he guesses that he chose correctly.

Someone stumbles into him, he lets his body be pushed in the direction that it would go with the collision rather than fight against it. At least, it wasn't so hard that he would have ended up on the floor. Even he isn't sure if he'd just remain lying on the floor until someone told him to move. ]


Yeah. [ He chimes that he's fine. However, he frowns at the question that he's given. His eyes roll up as he mulls over the wording. That's making a decision if I can or can't, isn't it? I guess I can't answer.

Helplessly, Henry stares at the man. ]
fireboost: (pic#17677812)

[personal profile] fireboost 2025-03-29 10:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ blaze can't let it lie like that. she may be escorted out of the casino, swallowing down an unladylike hiss in her throat, but that doesn't mean that she's giving up.

instead, she finds that her body returns to how she remembers it—to how it should be, the moment she's off the premises. looking at her hands, clenched into fists, she zips through the perimeter, searching for a certain red and black hedgehog. it takes some time, but blaze is relentless in her search, and before long she catches him in her sights: ]


Shadow the Hedgehog!

[ a bullet of perfectly controlled fire is speeding right at him. ]
fireboost: (pic#17677815)

[personal profile] fireboost 2025-03-29 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's good that she seems to be gathering her bearings, but blaze didn't expect the flurry of questions that follows. the questions themselves are answers of a sort, however—they definitely clue blaze into just why she may be acting so flustered. ]

I am from neither, though I did come here at the request someone called Aurora. I imagine your situation is the same?
fireboost: (pic#17745805)

[personal profile] fireboost 2025-03-29 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I see. That sounds like quite the predicament.

[ she says that, but doesn't really elaborate on helping or anything. that's rough, buddy. ]

At least now you can communicate with others and find your way.
venatoris: @righteously (pic#14718275)

soiree- yelling!!

[personal profile] venatoris 2025-03-29 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Lucky for him, he's set his drink down and both of his hands are currently free for the taking. His smile is wide, mischievous, teeth a flash of white between parted lips. ]

Hey, you. You're back.

[ He goes willingly to the dance floor with her, music slow, easier than some of the other numbers he's had to monkey dance to. ]

Lookin' good.
rudelanguage: (pic#17730078)

[personal profile] rudelanguage 2025-03-29 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Others... [they frown.] Where is here? Do you know?
heavensnight: (Tantric yoga baby)

Maria | Silent Hill 2 | Current Character!

[personal profile] heavensnight 2025-03-29 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[closed starters. let me know if you want to do something!]
waxen_wings: (062)

[personal profile] waxen_wings 2025-03-29 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
It wasn't so bad. The farmhouse isn't that small, but it doesn't have 11 bedrooms.

[ Yes, yes, he's heard all about how huge his family is. Thanks for skipping the part about asking if they're a blended family, or if there's a lot of multiples, or if they're in some sort of cult. ]

About a month. Long enough enough that novelty of living off the good ramen and fake-Combos from the convenience store's worn off.
shadowsincryo: (pic#15176052)

[personal profile] shadowsincryo 2025-03-29 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
We are. The largest scoreboard is on the main thoroughfare. [He takes a turn and slaps the edge of the stone. A faint pale blue snowflake glows and fades away. A little cryo trace to guide his way.

He straightens from his slouch, moving with elegance and like a prince on a leisurely stroll. Step by Step the persona he's using for this world is placed on like a coat.]
sophielicious: (nyx_014)

[personal profile] sophielicious 2025-03-29 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Too late, it's recorded. It'll come out in the school newspaper and everything.

(Not really, and she teases right back as she offers him her hand to take into the next song.

Though, great question.)


I'm assuming you'll pick me up.
sortie: (tell)

I-b

[personal profile] sortie 2025-03-29 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Fio isn't the only one whose time and place, original and otherwise, has never been quite so loud or colorful. Lars has the luxury of retreating into his provided housing, but that isn't any assurance that he's got any semblance of privacy. It's for that reason he's stalking through the backalleys, taking a breather from the unending eyes of some alien audience, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket.

When something barrels right into him while he's off in his own little world, Lars hardly stumbles. One of his gloved hands snaps out to brace a slim arm before he can register anything save that the other person is small. ]


Watch where you're— [ The words jam in his throat then, as he recognizes her as familiar. After all they'd been through in a short period that felt so long, Lars wouldn't easily forget one of the others from the Cage. ] Fio?

[ When did she get here? ]
heavensnight: (That only I feel that way)

— CLOSED <3 Ardyn

[personal profile] heavensnight 2025-03-29 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[so far her only dance partner has been James and well, that's a shame. he wasn't good for it and it hadn't been much of a dance instead of them swirling around, her quietly letting him have a piece of her mind. but it had been a show. still, she's worried this might negatively affect her score so this is the last time she is letting James Sunderland get the better of her.

she makes a quick sweep around the room and when her eyes catch Ardyn's, she knows he'll be her next partner. it's perfect, really. he knows how to make a scene surely? someone to make a show with certainly. without a second thought, she makes her way to him.]


Be my partner? You don't even have to get me a drink.
floresco: (pic#16074304)

catsino royale

[personal profile] floresco 2025-03-29 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Maybe she should have considered all the things she'd seen written on the wheel, as it might have prevented her from jumping to conclusions, or, perhaps the business of trying to rhyme everything and not die is distracting enough that she wouldn't have ever gotten there.

Regardless, when Aerith spots the grumpy looking green-tinged cat skulking around one of the casino's outer room, she takes it as face value. Everything else has been completely unfathomable, why shouldn't a stray cat sneak into this place? His grizzled, matted appearance does nothing to dissuade her from approaching, glittering in pink sequins but obviously out of place despite being forced into dressing up.

When she hunkers down about a yard away from the cat, Aerith's mindful not to get too close just yet, offering the sweet little green kitty a hand to sniff and inspect as she would with any cat back home.
]

Poor little thing, you must be lost. [ It's ridiculous that a word as simple as lost gives her pause while her brain scrambles to find a rhyme for it, but she's doing her best to go along with the wheel's result and not get killed. ] This casino has a doorway you should not have crossed! [ Oh, she's very obviously proud of that one, delivering it with a cheerful finger pointing up towards the ceiling and a smile. ]

Well, I guess you're coming with me, and wherever we end up, that's what it will be. [ And, because he's a cat, she moves closer and scoops him up with no problem, mindful to support his hind legs while she hugs him to her chest. ]

You don't know anything about a zip drive, do you? [ She asks, while skirting the edge of the room and trying to figure out what's next for her and her new pet, which she'll definitely carry through the promised exit and keep forever if she can swing it. ] Maybe a green cat isn't the best place to look for a breakthrough.
banworthy: (pic#17599695)

[personal profile] banworthy 2025-03-29 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He holds his hand out to indicate that he's acknowledging her calling to him and yes, she's correct that is, indeed, his name.

His expression sours at the question that follows because there is a lot wrong. People are going to think he's as insane as she is when she starts spouting out about their religion. He's been doing a great job at being seen as a normal person, and in association, they'll think he's equally psychotic.

The concern he has about her killing him is minor, honestly. Whatever - it was his miscalculation. His fear of death is renewed and flourishing well, but her killing him is another matter entirely. Her faith didn't pay off for her, either. He's more upset that she remained delusional until the end.

But apparently, she's dead, too. So, it seems an eternal Hell awaits them both.

Jerking his finger in her direction, he mimes out the word "you." Then he snaps his finger to his forehead. "Think." It's attempted to ask the simple question: "What do you think?" ]
lastofthearmlizards: (Default)

[personal profile] lastofthearmlizards 2025-03-29 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Baylene nods her head in confirmation.]

Yes I am. And quite frankly, I'm probably the only one brought here by Aurora.
sortie: (aside)

arrival

[personal profile] sortie 2025-03-29 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Lars had just been passing by. Minding his business, really. The loud complaining, however, gives him pause. So it is that Harry is greeted with the presence of a teenager, observing him in speculative silence for a collection of moments before he has much of anything to contribute to the conversation. Is it a conversation? Well, it is now.

"Can't say Mankind did much better where I'm from. But they sort of just..." Dwindled out. Limped their way into extinction. He wobbles a hand, illustrating nothing of his point save a resounding eh. Maybe the rest of them will get another shot like Fio did, someday. Maybe not. "Doesn't seem to matter where you go. People commit to a path and get caught up in the momentum like they're running down some kind of hill."

And it is all downhill, isn't it? These people are just distracting themselves from some foregone conclusion.
lastofthearmlizards: (7)

[personal profile] lastofthearmlizards 2025-03-29 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[Baylene doesn’t blame Maria for being surprised and cautious of her. After all, there seems to be a huge size difference between them.]

I'm a dinosaur, a brachiosaur to be more specific.
rudelanguage: (pic#17713223)

[personal profile] rudelanguage 2025-03-29 11:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[Knife looks up when they clear the last corner of the alleyway, grimacing.]

Looks...ugly. [big jumble of unreadables.] No better use of magic?
devota: (⚖ but for the pain)

[personal profile] devota 2025-03-29 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[She fixes him with a flat stare, approaching him a bit closer. She isn't brandishing a knife, so at least, he doesn't need to worry about being stabbed. For the time being anyway.]

It's related to the roulette machine.

[It's not a question. She's not nearly as worldly as Vincent, but she's not completely naive.

She looks at the back of her hand, unable to hide the expression of muted horror that a tear has appeared on her skin. It doesn't bleed, but it gapes open, like a dress snagging on a loose nail. She doesn't touch the thread, a little worried about what might happen should it continue.]


I don't want to make it worse for you.
limiterrings: (pic#17708980)

wildcard

[personal profile] limiterrings 2025-03-29 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's like distant memories, words are like the whispers in his nightmares, a budding reminder of his failures. even if he covers his ears to block out the sound outside, the earpiece assists with a robotic voice:

"And here we have Maria Robotnik!"

those words echo in his ears, again he shakes his head, no... it's those thoughts of his, selfish desires, and his own failures presenting to him scenarios that can't be true.

"A young human girl from the planet Earth, afflicted with a terminal illness!"

in his chest, sometimes something inside trembles, it feels like it may crack in two. there are days he doesn't believe he has a heart, if he does, it must be hiding behind that inky black substance within the core of him. the dna of an alien constricting his weakness so tightly that nothing can penetrate it, but something thumps with fear or is it relief? he doesn't know, it's something he wants and rejects at the same time, but what is this place if not something to toy with him.

a brand new world that takes pleasure at using him for their amusement, something he realized at the start. that's why he can't trust what's being said to him, only a fool would allow such words to have control over their actions. she can't be here, she's gone, she's out of his reach to a place where he can only dream of being. death is an option that's not available to him, no matter how many times he throws himself into danger out of his own anger... his body regenerates, fixes itself, takes him away from the chance of ever seeing her again.

"Will a cure be found to save her life?"

the outside world means nothing to him, he ignores it as his eyes widen staring at the ground. his failures audible in his ears, that was what he was meant to be. that's what this place is playing at, it's going this to punish him. he wonders has he lost enough points to warrant this, maybe he did, this could be what he deserves. he's getting to the point where he's blocking out the sound of the earbud, the automated voice growing distance as shadow slowly separates himself from the reality around him.

"Only ████ will te██!"

his hand has tightly gripped the machine in his hand, wanting to crush it to keep it from speaking. he shakes his head, his eyes looks up, and at the billboards is a young woman with bright, blue unsure eyes as she looks left and right.

stop it.

stop it.

stop it.

it can't be her, he knows it's not her. she can't be here, not in a place like this. he hasn't realized that he's already started dashing off, his speed zipping past those with ease, some individuals knocking into one another as he's familiar with the backdrop. if he knows she's not here then why does he move forward? it doesn't make sense, but memories, desires, the need to confirm what he's lost... he needs to know that he's lost again, just knowing that she doesn't exist, that this is a ploy.

when it's about maria, he can't help but go to her. no matter the situation, even in his dreams he chases when he knows that he'll wake up in a world without her. he has to see this for himself, he'll make those pay who dare use her image in vain. that young girl is like an angel from heaven, shadow has never been religious, but if praying were an option to have her then he would learn. as a creation of science by man, those who played the role of god. to shadow, that means nothing, he was born, brought into the world with a purpose, but then he made the mistake of being unable to complete his reason for existence.

he doesn't hear anything but his own thoughts, his "heart" thumping loudly in his chest, reverberating in his ears as he runs, and runs and runs. there's people in the way, he can see the crowd, the cameras that hover above taking in something at the center. he jumps, his body hits against each camera to skip over the plethora of people below. each machine falls to the ground with a small explosion, the video feed emitting from the billboards starts to disappear and turn to static.

shadow's points lower, and lower, and lower.

...

he drops down to his knees, pushing himself up, his eyes scanning the area as he notices the group growing thicker. those in the way won't move, and his reprieve of whether this is all a ploy hidden from him only irritates him. ]


Move.

[ shadow doesn't ask again as a loud growl comes from his muzzle, fangs visible as the sound of electricity crackles by his hand, chaos energy turning into a spear that he uses to move those out of his way. he doesn't care how his arms move, he doesn't care how the splash of a warm substance coats his body when moving people out of the way. sometimes it penetrates, another time it slices through, but the bodies that drop down against the ground are something he walks over until he makes it to the center. screams of mercy, fear rushes through those that back away.

they yell run, they cry out their last breath, but the one offense that causes his anger to rise is the moment one of the creature's reaches for a familiar person. whether this is a dream, she is an illusion, or just a figment of his imagination.

he can't handle it, his quills standing up as he dashes forward, using his chaos spear to quickly slice at the arm of whatever is holding onto her. blood splatters from the body disconnecting from the source which spurs out onto him, and probably onto anyone else nearby. intimidating those around, on the billboard there's an image of shadow that appears with his points visible until the final number falls onto three.

anyone who dares come close is met with a snarl, the energy in his hand growing brighter, sparking as though ready to lose control. because when he turns his head to look at who he saw only moments ago, it really is that same girl, and at this point he wonders when the dream will be over. when the audience will back away. his expression never dulls, it remains wild and irritable like a monster ready to strike if one wrong move is made. ]
heavensnight: (Oh I'll be laughin' when you say)

[personal profile] heavensnight 2025-03-29 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Maria didn't know who he had talked to already and really, to her credit; she had tried to keep her promise to James true. not once had she told anybody what James had done. simply, though, she had told her story. you couldn't leave James out because her life revolved around him.

at least it had. coming to Etraya had shown her she could have people who liked her. Maria had made friends, people who cared about her. James wasn't part of that group, she doubted he ever would be even if he returned.]


Don't you think I should be asking you that? And come on. We're supposed to be putting on a show. At least pretend you don't mind touching me for once. [she moves closer to him as a point, her hands on his shoulders.

Maria had thought she would be okay but knowing how he'd withheld the truth from her made her remember how angry she was at him.]