??? Explora

[idolpro]

[ You go, onward and upward. ]

Comments

MINGLE

[idolpro]

[ As you come closer to Honmachi Sakura Park, you can see that the stream isn't just light, but rather, a chain of light, and at the very center of the dead zone's crater is an anchor, larger than any of you. Both the chain and anchor are very physical, very real to the touch, though there's an undoubtable sense of wrong that sharpens if you have any corruptions—sharpens, to the point of burning.

The chain itself, mariner links pulled taut, almost looks like a ladder or a staircase—and indeed, you could take it all the way up to the cracks if you wanted to. From here, you can see the beginnings of what appears to be filigreed bars of gates at the cracks, where the chain ends.

In your thread or as a toplevel, please comment with a 1d6 when your character climbs up the chain:

1: You receive severe burns from touching the chain, and you won't be able to move that bodypart well.
2-3: You receive mild to moderate burns from touching the chain.
4-6: You manage to climb the chain without burning yourself.

If you have abilities that allow you to climb up the chain, you may forego rolling. ]

Re: MINGLE

[sancrimony]

[ for the most part lucifel has been pensive on the way here, inscrutable in his expression; notably, he doesn't have his wings anymore, though if asked he's certainly insisted he didn't hurt himself to get rid of them this time (and if pressed, coming here was his response); he also doesn't seem to have any bandages on his wrists or ankles, though his neck is still bandaged. ]

. . . Ah, this chain—it will burn to the touch. Please be careful on your way up.

Re: MINGLE

[avestan]

[doodle is extremely unsure about it and only gets more unsure as they approach the chain]

...You sure it's okay for me to go up there? It's a different religion and all, but...

[that said he will just float up without actually touching the chain,]

Re: MINGLE

[nihilmancy]

[ Sekhmet was quietly concerned about the wings, and the bandages, and does ask about them, but doesn't press the point too far. Mostly she has been quiet, projecting a sudden stern determination. She's brought her sword, even if she was told it wasn't necessary. ]

I will. Is there anything we should watch out for?

Re: MINGLE

[nihilmancy]

[ Sekhmet manages to make the climb without any burns (4). ]

Re: MINGLE

[idolpro]

[ Onward and upward. ]

Re: MINGLE

[sancrimony]

[ lucifel is climbing up with no burns (4) ]

Re: MINGLE

[idolpro]

[ Onward and upward. ]

THE GATES

[idolpro]

[ You reach the top, though perhaps not without injury, to find yourself presented with two gates. The first of the pair is filigreed, pearlescent and raised open, inviting you in.

The second gate has been reeled open, silvery chains wrapped around the winch. At your feet, there's a broken stone within the masonry, just in front of where the second gate would be.

As you enter there is a sense of wrongness, that you with your corruptions, you with your uncleanliness, should leave this place. You shouldn't be here. ]

Re: THE GATES

[sancrimony]

[ actually pre-emptively going to grab doodle's and sekhmet's hands if they start balking though ]

Re: THE GATES

[nihilmancy]

[ She does not in fact, though she does flinch. But there is a deep reservoir of Fuck Your Rules energy for her to draw in, and she proceeds forward. ]

This is Heaven?

Re: THE GATES

[avestan]

[good because did you know it is actually very hard to ignore that feeling when you're Actual Zoroastrian Satan*

*fake]

Is this... really okay...?

THE COURTYARD

[idolpro]

[ You advance into the courtyard and immediately, you're made keenly aware of how silent it is: it might remind you of when Tokyo-F was plastic, if you were around then, for there are no ambient sounds, nothing that would indicate that this place has any life—though unlike Tokyo-F, there are plenty of signs that people were here before.

Trees line the marbled square, stone slabs jutting out from the walls that the previous occupants evidently used as tables, for silver platters sit on the slabs along with trinkets, glistening in the sunlight brightly—perhaps even too brightly. On the platters are various fruits, as well as pitchers; unrelatedly, there are various trinkets too.

The food isn't just localized to the stone tables; cloth is spread on the ground near a few trees with those silver platters as though one were having a picnic before abruptly leaving. Some slabs have what looks like game pieces, markings etched into the stone. There are also, it seems, various sticks and balls and little nets set up, as though this courtyard was for people to play games in.

Everything here is bright, and you can almost see the motes of light settling, as if only just stirred. The air itself is palpable, and breathing it in feels sharp—like your throat is dry, or like you're drinking a carbonated beverage. It doesn't last, the pain is hardly mentionable, but the weight clings to your throat, heavy.

From here, there are a number of entrances, though most gates are completely sealed shut. However, there's one gate that's open for you, leading down a hallway.

You may also turn back to the gate, if you really wanted to. . . ]

Re: THE COURTYARD

[avestan]

[frowning as he looks around at the stuff scattered about, picking up a ball]

Is this the kinda stuff people do in heaven? Or did?

Re: THE COURTYARD

[idolpro]

[ How heavy is it? How light is it? . . . It's a little hard to tell. What do you feel like playing, with this ball? ]

Re: THE COURTYARD

[nihilmancy]

Hmm. So the people here still did things like this. Food, games... I wonder if this was just for humans, or for angels as well.

THE FOUNTAINS

[idolpro]

[ You enter what seems to be another courtyard of sorts, though this one seems to be less for playing and eating; here, there are flower-shaped fountains that depress into the marble like so, only rose-shaped. Each outer petal has a lining of water running through, and every inner petal is another step deeper into the fountain; by the third step, one would be deep enough that they could take a bath in this fountain. All told, there seem to be five of these fountain-baths in this room.

And perhaps bathing is what this place is for; etched into the marble in front of you is some sort of scripture, difficult to read, but if you concentrate you can see the shapes move to become readable:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Given where you are, is it wise to take a bath right now. . . ? ]

Re: THE FOUNTAINS

[idolpro]

[ and for, specifically, doodle—though lucifel was definitely going down the hall with you, somewhere along the way, he disappeared. . . ?

you're alone at the fountains, for now. ]

Re: THE FOUNTAINS

[sancrimony]

[ crouching near the scripture, more waiting for everyone else than intent on exploring the room again himself ]

Re: THE FOUNTAINS

[nihilmancy]

[ Bending down, and poking a finger into the water. She should have more self-preservation, but. ]

THE GARDENS

[idolpro]

[ You’re in a garden. It’s lush, beautiful, and almost too wild with growth to quite merit the term "garden." There are fruit trees here, their trunks twisted and knobbled with age, their branches still low enough to easily reach. The ground is carpeted with colorful wildflowers, and flowering vines and wild roses twine around trees and golden trellises alike.

In the center of this roughly circular area is a broken-down stone fountain. The water sits stagnant, and nothing remains of the fountain’s design except a basin and the shattered base of a once-golden sculpture.

The light here is twilit—or just kind of dim, if you want to be less romantic about it. Looking overhead, it’s easy to see why: actually, the sky isn’t visible from this place at all. Instead, there’s a dense canopy of branches forming an almost perfect dome.

Perhaps this place is familiar to you.

Or… perhaps you aren’t truly here at all? Each step you take, the ground beneath your feet seems to shift and then dissipate, like fine mist. ]

Re: THE GARDENS

[nihilmancy]

[ Heading towards the basin, and hesitantly but inexorably, putting a finger in the water to test it. ]

Re: THE GARDENS

[sancrimony]

[ without fanfare, touching the nearest tree to dispel the illusion ]

END

[idolpro]

[ The gates are open for you, ready to send you off your way with the expectation that you'll be back again. There's the crack you all came through along with the chain, both emitting a bright light that makes it difficult to see what's beyond.

If you manage to peer beyond that light though, you can see there is nothing there. It's a quick drop to a sheer abyss. ]

Re: END

[avestan]

[oh hey fuck that actually doodle's just climbing down]