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??? Explora
[ You go, onward and upward. ]
[ 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:
If you have abilities that allow you to climb up the chain, you may forego rolling. ]
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. ]
[ 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. ]
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. ]
[ 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. . . ]
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. . . ]
[ 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:
Given where you are, is it wise to take a bath right now. . . ? ]
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. . . ? ]
[ 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. ]
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. ]
[ 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.
. . . Ah, this chain—it will burn to the touch. Please be careful on your way up.
[ pleasantly, but also with a bitterness that wells up so thick it's like. this passive aggression isn't directed toward doodle but also, ]
Oh, no one will mind if you go there. Don't worry.
Oh, no one will mind if you go there. Don't worry.
[ 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?
I will. Is there anything we should watch out for?
[ Sekhmet manages to make the climb without any burns (4). ]
. . . What, exactly . . .
[ with some thought ]
Perhaps, you may lose a part of yourself. Perhaps you may not.
[ with some thought ]
Perhaps, you may lose a part of yourself. Perhaps you may not.
. . .
This is where . . . This is how those things of mine disappeared from me. But, I cannot promise the same for you.
This is where . . . This is how those things of mine disappeared from me. But, I cannot promise the same for you.
[ actually pre-emptively going to grab doodle's and sekhmet's hands if they start balking though ]
[ 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?
This is Heaven?
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