The air around you seems to shimmer like glass. An image begins to form in the floating shards, growing sharper and brighter as each reflection finds its place. They're... remembering.
The statue, the platform, the darkness is drowned out by the illusion - whole, and seamless. It's like you're there.
The sun is high and the streets are busy with hooded figures, dressed in archaic clothes. Not too unlike the city itself, which boasts architecture easily dating back to the Renaissance. A massive church looms in the distance, but where you find yourself is outside a covenant orphanage. The building is old, less maintained than the gleaming houses of military and faith.
Children, not that old themselves - but just old enough to develop a sense of superiority to people lesser than them - jeer and throw rocks at you. Nearby adults pretend not to notice, preferring to talk among themselves in hushed tones instead.
"Ha ha!! What's wrong? Why don't you go crying to your mom and dad?"
The apparent leader of this group of bullies seems to interpret that as Cosmo can't fight back - and with a glance at his friends, steps forward to kick the man as hard as he can in the shins, to show off.
As he puts up no resistance, it emboldens them even more. Laughing, mocking, they poke and kick at him, delighting in their power over him - one even pulls down his pants.
They stare, starting to get weirded out - and not all that big on introspection, as children... like, they're supposed to self-reflect on what 'fun' is??
[He dusts himself off and pulls up his pants if he can.]
This? Is this particularly entertaining? Well, I suppose this is how cruelty begins. The innocent callousness of mortal youth. If Nero were to cry I suppose that would be hilarious. After all, what you see before you does not register to your limited scope of empathy as another human.
Naturally you could be taught better, taught to love, but it seems you will not be.
They stare at you - half of them just look confused that you're trying to talk to them, and the other half look bored.
After a moment, the head of this child pecking order rolls his eyes. “Whatever. This is boring now.”
As soon as he loses interest, several of the other children follow suit - though as he goes to leave, he still purposefully kicks your shin as he brushes past, just so you remember who was in charge here.
They disperse, and despite finding a moment of peace, you realize this feeling of being unwanted and looked down on will linger for the rest of your life. All the same, it’s still life - and you have places to be.
Without warning, the illusion around you shatters like glass - the world around you now nothing more than images reflected in each broken shard. They fall away into the abyss, and you are returned to the floating platform.
Kyrie’s statue dissolves into blue energy, which your weapon once again absorbs. The base becomes another pillar of light, spilling out from a portal to the next level.
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Re: LEVEL 1
The statue, the platform, the darkness is drowned out by the illusion - whole, and seamless. It's like you're there.
The sun is high and the streets are busy with hooded figures, dressed in archaic clothes. Not too unlike the city itself, which boasts architecture easily dating back to the Renaissance. A massive church looms in the distance, but where you find yourself is outside a covenant orphanage. The building is old, less maintained than the gleaming houses of military and faith.
Children, not that old themselves - but just old enough to develop a sense of superiority to people lesser than them - jeer and throw rocks at you. Nearby adults pretend not to notice, preferring to talk among themselves in hushed tones instead.
"Ha ha!! What's wrong? Why don't you go crying to your mom and dad?"
"Oh wait - you don't have none!"
Re: LEVEL 1
[He ignores the illusions if possible, to talk to well, himself, the air.]
Re: LEVEL 1
"What's wrong with him?"
"Duh, he's crazy."
Re: LEVEL 1
[He considers the jeering children.]
I can hardly fight with you.
Re: LEVEL 1
Re: LEVEL 1
...He's really not going to fight against a group of kids in Nero's heart. Even if he is cosplaying as tiny Nero or whatever.]
Re: LEVEL 1
Re: LEVEL 1
Is this really all that fun?
Re: LEVEL 1
They stare, starting to get weirded out - and not all that big on introspection, as children... like, they're supposed to self-reflect on what 'fun' is??
Huh???
Re: LEVEL 1
This? Is this particularly entertaining? Well, I suppose this is how cruelty begins. The innocent callousness of mortal youth. If Nero were to cry I suppose that would be hilarious. After all, what you see before you does not register to your limited scope of empathy as another human.
Naturally you could be taught better, taught to love, but it seems you will not be.
Re: LEVEL 1
They stare at you - half of them just look confused that you're trying to talk to them, and the other half look bored.
After a moment, the head of this child pecking order rolls his eyes. “Whatever. This is boring now.”
As soon as he loses interest, several of the other children follow suit - though as he goes to leave, he still purposefully kicks your shin as he brushes past, just so you remember who was in charge here.
They disperse, and despite finding a moment of peace, you realize this feeling of being unwanted and looked down on will linger for the rest of your life. All the same, it’s still life - and you have places to be.
Without warning, the illusion around you shatters like glass - the world around you now nothing more than images reflected in each broken shard. They fall away into the abyss, and you are returned to the floating platform.
Kyrie’s statue dissolves into blue energy, which your weapon once again absorbs. The base becomes another pillar of light, spilling out from a portal to the next level.
Time to go