Nemesis and Hurricane's Ideal World: Session 3

[idolpro]

[The sky above is a deep, unnatural crimson, filled with roiling clouds and creatures that are a sickly oil-slick black. They writhe and wriggle like something out of a Lovecraftian nightmare; they have entirely too many eyes, and entirely too many wings, and when they open their mouths, they have entirely too many teeth]

[Below them, the city of Tokyo is half-shattered; above the rooftops, mechanized suits the size of people hover in the air, darting in out of the chaos, laser blasts and explosions and wickedly sharp blades fighting tirelessly against the endless onslaught]

[Until finally, the last creature falls]

[All at once, civilians flood the streets of the city; the lights come on in all the buildings, which somehow have become whole again, safe and unharmed. A cheer goes up from the crowd. Overhead, a stunning fireworks display paints the night with light and color]

[And they all lived happily ever after]

[The end]

Comments

THE HOUSE

[idolpro]

[When you open your eyes again, you find yourself standing before a house]

[It's small but welcoming, and warm yellow light spills from the windows, seeming to promise somewhere safe and warm against the oncoming twilight. The smell of something savory cooking drifts on the breeze]

[A rope ladder leads up to the rooftop; surely from there, you'll get a good view of the surrounding area. But more importantly still, when it's dark, doubtless it will be the perfect spot for stargazing]

[In the front yard, a gaggle of small children squeal with laughter, engaged in an elaborate game of tag with two very excited dogs]

[Buried safely in your pocket, your phone beeps. If you chance to look at it, you will discover that a simple objective is displayed:]

[Find Hurricane and Nemesis, and convince them to return to the place where they belong.]

[From here, you can ENTER THE HOUSE, ENTER THE WOODS, GO TO THE RESCUE, or CLIMB UP ON THE ROOF]

Re: THE HOUSE

[thisismagrave]

[Well, that start just feels like Tuesday, thanks Boiling Isles.]

[He will look at his phone if it beeps because communication can be Important, okay.]

...ominous.

[Well, the most obvious place to look for them is in the house???]

Re: THE HOUSE

[offontherightfoot]

[in you go]

Re: THE HOUSE

[worthathousand]

—Ah. Hello, there.

[ have a woman in avante clothing, dipping her head in a shallow bow of greeting ]

I'm sorry; if we've spoken before, I don't clearly recall it. But you're from pep!, aren't you.

Re: THE HOUSE

[worthathousand]

[ First of all:

What the FUCK was that THAT.
It wasn't the battle with the monsters that has left her looking still slightly shell-shocked (that much is easy to grasp, even without recognizing their ilk), but the sheer extent of the tech involved in that fight.

So, for the first minute or so, she's just processing the sight, not even checking her phone yet. ]

Re: THE HOUSE

[onemoreknight]

[ SHE'S GOING TO FLY ALL OF THOSE MECHS

or just like go harass Amaranth. either way she's instantly forgotten the objective because obviously mechs are more important than dragging Hurricane and Nemesis back to hell ]

THE GENKAN

[offontherightfoot]

[The genkan is warm and brightly lit, with shelves to house your outdoor shoes]

[There are plenty of slippers out and available for use, as though a lot of guests are expected]

[From here, you can GO TO THE KITCHEN, GO TO THE CRAFT ROOM, GO TO THE TROPHY ROOM, or GO TO THE LAB]

Re: THE GENKAN

[thisismagrave]

[On one hand, he can see the shoes.]

[Oh other hand, he is a Rude Boy who will not hinder his ability to MOVE by wearing proper shoes.]

[Maybe...trophy room???]

Re: THE GENKAN

[thisismagrave]

[Rufous stands here and he isn't worried.]

[But he's distant from the feelings. He knows its supposed to exist. He was worried. That's why he used Cloud Nine in the first place.]

[He should also be afraid of being terrible and worthless, that's why he always tries so hard to please. Was that why he was worried? It seems like such a silly thing to worry about. Either he pleased someone or he didn't, and hopefully he did the offer, but if he didn't, well....]

[Meh]

[Was that why he used Cloud Nine? For that fear of failure? That would make sense. That pretty girl was fine. It was funny, actually, he usually didn't care about pretty.]

[It was fine.]

[Oh, there was the one thing though. She HAD asked for information and that part still seemed relevant. It had hid the pretty girl and everything.]

Re: THE GENKAN

[thisismagrave]

Well.

That's an interesting response.

[TO THE CRAFT ROOM]

THE TROPHY ROOM

[lefthandedcomplimentarian]

[Double doors open to a long hall filled with treasures–official-looking awards and gleaming medals commemorating valor in battle, or distinguished service on the field, or commitment to the safety of one’s squad. Prominent places on the walls are given to shadowboxes of the keys to the cities of Tokyo, and Mito, and San Francisco, way out overseas.

The far wall has larger trophies–the taxidermied heads of imps, and massive maws with too many teeth and too many eyes that look to be formed of snarls of hardened tar, and a ⅛-scale model of a bulky red power suit cutting down a mountain of dark tentacled monsters. A button on the jet pack makes the eyes and massive axe glow a bright green. It’s pretty rad, and surely you are duly impressed.]

[Looking upon them, it is difficult not to feel a hesitant flutter of accomplishment, especially with this physical proof of what all you’ve achieved.]

[There are plenty more trophies in the room, surely as impressive as this, or you can RETURN TO THE GENKAN.]

Re: THE TROPHY ROOM

[thisismagrave]

[I know none of these places so cannot appreciate Distance.]

[The model is pretty cool. The taxidermied heads are also Tuesday.]

[...that is a feeling. A feeling he knows, but knows he should not be feeling. These aren't his accomplishments and while some things are Familiar Enough, plenty isn't in the least.]

[Hmm.]

[He will look through the trophies. See if he can find....counterproof? Something wrong?]

Re: THE TROPHY ROOM

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Looking over that key]

This it?

THE RESCUE

[offontherightfoot]

[Not far from the main house is a long, low building with dogs and chickens and a few young children chasing each other around in front. Songbirds flit in the eaves, while a flock of crows perch on the roof, cawing jovially at passers-by.]

[Looking around more closely, you may notice that many of the animals and children are living with scars or burns or missing limbs, not that it slows their play any. Regardless, it feels like perhaps those assembled here had nowhere else to go.]

[It feels like perhaps they could belong here, if no place else–like perhaps you could, as well.]

[From here, you can RETURN TO THE HOUSE, or GO INSIDE THE BARN(?)]

Re: THE RESCUE

[worthathousand]

[ ...Ah.
It's serene, and familiar in a way that is extraordinarily welcome after the vision of that unnatural war.

She'd still like to talk to the children, if they haven't scattered.
Otherwise, she's go inside the barn. ]

Re: THE RESCUE

[onemoreknight]

[ wow these sure are some nice looking slums? there's not even anyone starving to death in the middle of the road.

she's headed inside the barn. ]

THE LONG-TERM WARD

[offontherightfoot]

[The doors lead to a dimly lit hallway reeking of antiseptic and far too familiar anxiety.]

[Metal plaques next to each door list names such as Yosano or Eze or Johnson. ]

[Save for the dull beep of machines, it is extremely, unnervingly quiet.]

[You don’t belong here yet. You should just TURN BACK.]

Re: THE LONG-TERM WARD

[onemoreknight]

[ um

okay?

turning back. she reads enough books to be genre savvy, ]

Re: THE LONG-TERM WARD

[worthathousand]

[ ...And we're back. Or Valumi's back, rather. Amaranth is here for the first time, though she already has a living forge-generated naginata readied in her hands.

Time to head into the danger zone. ]

SOME TEXTS

[offontherightfoot]

To Amaranth

[thisismagrave]

Golden Child: By the way, I think we're dealing with a Puppeteer Demon of sorts. It alters how you perceive the world, usually with a fantasy until it can trap you and eat you.
Golden Child: Or keep you from important things. So be careful~!

THE LAB

[offontherightfoot]

[The room here is decidedly at odds with the aesthetic of the rest of the house; all around you are the sleek, futuristic white lines of what is undeniably a lab. A minimalistic black chair faces an array of holo-screens, and a long metal workbench has been taken over by tools and blueprints and intricate robotic parts.]

[A tall, blond woman in a lab coat and glasses, hair pulled back into a bun, is bent over a robotic arm, making adjustments with a screwdriver.]

[From here, you can RETURN TO THE GENKAN]

Re: THE LAB

[thisismagrave]

[Oh hey]

Are you Hurricane's mom? [Since, you know, blonde.]

[But...ooooh]

[He's gonna look at these blueprints.]

THE PARTY

[offontherightfoot]

[The sun has set. Up above, visible through the branches of the trees, the stars are out, the wash of the milky way stunning this far from the lights of the city.]

[Every table is bedecked with candles, and colored fairy lights are twined between the trees. The buffet table is laden with chicken soup and riceballs and yakisoba and mini hotdogs. There are steaming mugs of hot toddies and tall, cool bottles of ramune. For dessert, there is a dark chocolate cake that someone has plainly put a lot of care into making.]

[In addition to all the food, there are plenty of familiar faces. You recognize some of them: the current roster of Avante and Heart Soldier, plus many more long since graduated or transferred. There is a tall gangly girl in Zrael clothing, and a stocky older man in superhero fashion. D.Va is here, and Intensity, and Angel. So are B, and C, and Mori, and Mars, and Gold, and all the children from the rescue, and countless others besides. Nemesis and Hurricane are seated at the center table, bright-eyed and laughing.]

[Amid the lively chatter and the warmth of all the people you care about, it's hard to want to leave any of this behind.]

[By far, this is the best place you've ever been.]

Re: THE PARTY

[thisismagrave]

[......]

[There is so much here and I don't know what I can eat.]

Maybe the soup and cake....?

[I also know like....almost none of these people.]