Descent into Darkness

[bravenewmods]

As the characters arrive, they will find what appears to be a rather deep cavern. Upon entering, the caverns are quite narrow, with twists and turns everywhere and different tunnels that all seem to be interconnected. As characters travel deeper within the caverns, reality around them will start to warp, they will start to see and hear things that aren’t necessarily there - images of old enemies, past failures, voices of condemnation, visions that strike at the soul and core of the characters. Once this begins, it will only increase in power and volume, demanding it be confronted, lest they be trapped within these caves forever.

[OOC: This event will run for a week. All characters who enter the caves will be subject to some of their deepest fears, darkest demons, and most abject failures. To overcome them, characters must help each other out, finding their purpose through strength of character and resolve to move forward. In general, these visions should require characters to come to grips with themselves. Illusory images and voices can and will appear and can take any number of forms, depending on what is most appropriate to a character. Additionally, characters may thread with each other and are encouraged to help each other out to overcome these personal demons. For those who wish to take part, they are able and encouraged to narrate their own personal demons, which will be on display for everyone who enters their thread. IC threads may be made in this post.]

Comments

[ofpromisedvictory]

I don't know what I'll find there, or whether it will be as unpleasant as the rest of this. I won't refuse, though.

[celebrity_commentator]

Rise looks around, and toward the "stage" opening.

"I don't...well, I guess I do know. For all that being famous is great, there's just so much pressure," she says. "If you do good, everyone watches your every move, and if you do bad, they forget you in a second, and that's if you're lucky."

She takes a deep breath and sighs. "And what happens if you quit, then decide you really love it and want to go back? I don't know whether I'm more scared that no one cares, or that some people do."

[celebrity_commentator]

We're not gonna look around?

[Rise follows quickly. Even on foot Haruka can be hard to keep up with when she's in a hurry.]

[celebrity_commentator]

He figured out what he wanted it to mean to him.

[victimlessdetails]

Banzu...speaking as probably an alcoholic myself, no one "sets" someone else to drinking. That's a decision all of us make on our own, and taking the blame for it is taking way too much credit for someone else's choices.

[ofpromisedvictory]

I don't even know how to feel about this...I don't recognize it.

[She looks around, and bites her lip for a moment.]

...maybe it's not knowing that worries me.

it's okay, we're breaking things

[untalented]

[With Waver's forceful declaration, the illusion started to disintegrate into the very same dust that covered every surface of the library-- but, not without a few parting words:]

"You'll see that it does matter one day, you ungrateful whelp. And, upon that day, you'll come crawling back to Sanctuary and you'll find that nothing has changed..."

[And with that he was gone. Adrenaline spent, Waver sagged onto the ground and buried his head in his hands.]

....Sorry, [he murmured, voice cracking,] you didn't need to see that.

[untalented]

Waver heaved a frustrated sigh before nodding in reply to Sinbad's words.

"Alright-- you have any ideas?"

While he could teleport them away for a quick escape, he didn't relish the idea of teleporting in unknown territory. Odds were high that they would end up someplace equally unsafe, and that they would all regret it.

[rainsrespite]

[Her hands do not let go. And a Burn Heal appears in her palm, a shadowy tendril of Spiritomb depositing it there. With a jerk, she uncaps it and the tendril floats out to spray his arm with the tincture.]

Thank you Kintsu. Takeshi, what's gotten into you?

[Yuuna freezes at the sound of the voices though, the lecture dying as her eyes harden into points.]

Did you hear that?

[rainsrespite]

Pleasant or not, you're my friend.

[Nominally. She did fight you.]

Let's go.

[untalented]

[He nodded in return, grateful for the offer.]

We can keep going further in. I think I'll be okay...and, we did come down here to gather data for the researchers back in Union. We can't just leave now.

[ofpromisedvictory]

[We're talking Pokémon here. That's basically how friendships are supposed to start.]

[She nods, and heads up the hill.]

[The dead and dying thin out somewhat on the hillside, not that it is any more pleasant. Blood and fallen weapons are still everywhere, testimony to the ferocity of the battle that must have taken place.]

[At the top of the hill, there are only two people visible. One is a a dead Bisharp, and the other is a bloodied, dirty, ragged human woman who doesn't appear to be in much better shape, her body covered in stabs likely inflicted by said Pokémon. Nonetheless, the woman is cradling the Pokémon's body and, though the illusion is a still instant and her face is covered by her hair, she appears to be sobbing. A discarded sword has been stuck in the ground nearby.]

[rainsrespite]

[Yuuna's used to blood, she has to be, but the stench of death is heavy in this place, a pall over the whole of it that reminds her rather starkly of just how bad a battle can be. A real battle, anyway.

Slowly she follows, almost hesitant about it but she's not backing down after saying she would.]

Gods...this...

[It's all she can think to say, but she has an uncomfortable feeling about that Bisharp and that woman. Like she should know them?]

[frozenflame]

"I'm sorry, Rise. I really had no idea."

How could she? She's simply the daughter of a spa-owner, not a famous idol. Her hands clench though, and she steps towards Rise, her own shadow all but forgotten. It raises a voice in protest, but no sound comes out. Yukiko spares it one last glance.

"I'm not going to listen to you. You're being ridiculous, and you're telling me a lot of shit that's not true. Or is only half true. So go, just...go."

As Yukiko's hand drops onto Rise's shoulder, her own problem fades out, much like always. She can ignore her troubles for other people, and it's said it's piece anyway.

[frozenflame]

They were friends. And that was what was important...really the most important thing.

"Yeah, exactly. We can't just let everything these things want us to think hold us back. Your day in the sun will come though, I just know it." Hah and she laughs gently because sun jokes from the Sun Girl.

"But I think it's the Gods. Like Suicune..."

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Saber looks on the scene, almost impassively. She's quite sure she should know these people, because she recognizes her own human form when she sees it. Even if her flesh is less gray and her hair less permanently coifed outside of the one lock, that's who this was.]

[But she doesn't. She doesn't know them. She just has one single idea that surfaces from this.]

She died trying to protect them, but...

She couldn't understand them, nor could they forgive her. This is the result.

[She lifts her head up, studiously looking away from everything.]

That's what the Cataclysm was, wasn't it?

[punchesyu]

Don't sweat it, dude. [He doesn't seem upset, smiling down at Waver. He can tell how badly this affected the other man, and if Yosuke can be anything, it's a fount of support.]

He totally had a stick up his ass! Who the hell did he think he was anyway?

[celebrity_commentator]

Rise smiles shakily. "Hey...like I said, I've been through this nightmare. I'm working on it, it's just a pain."

She does appreciate it, but she feels like something's been missed here. "I mean, the point I was trying to make before I got all maudlin is that nightmares aren't meaningless, but we've all got them, you know?"

[untalented]

[Waver looked up at Yosuke, uncertain about what to make about the show of support.]

He's only an Archmagus in Sanctuary, and one of the senior lecturers in the academy. He has plenty of reasons to act as he does.

[rainsrespite]

Yes.

[Yuuna bends down to the figure, gently closing the dead woman's eyes with her fingertips before doing the same for the Bisharp.]

This is what the Cataclysm was. When humans were so foolish as to think that gods could be controlled by technology. [She looks over at a Pokeball laying in the blood-soaked muck and crushes it underneath her bootheel.] They...could, so they did. But they were so arrogant that they didn't stop to think if they should.

And that was what caused this.

[cyborghands]

[Takeshi does yank away when the Spiritomb makes to pull his sleeve back, using all of his strength in a brief flare of panic. Predictably the movement hurt, and he winced. Shit, he needed to calm down, he was acting irrational. He didn't know what she'd heard, but he needed to smooth this over and get out of here.]

I said I'll take care of it. Let's just go.

Don't look.

He doesn't want you to see.

You can't help him.

[His expression shifts minutely, brow just barely furrowing. Of course she shouldn't be able to hear it, but why did it sound like they were talking to Yuuna?]

[frozenflame]

"Right. We all do, I know that. I just..."

She shrugs.

"I wish we didn't. I just hate feeling like a burden, y'know?"

[rainsrespite]

Takeshi.

[Yuuna's voice gets clipped, almost angry, and Kintsu's color shifts from purple to an unsettling shade of green as he smacks the Burn Heal into Takeshi's palm.]

Whoever you are, get the hell out of my head.

[With the medicine delivered, Yuuna pulls back, glaring all around the room.]

I can help him. I always have, just like he helps me. I know this game, asshole.

[cyborghands]

[Sorry Kintsu. He has the burn heal now, but he doesn't make any move to use it. He's too busy staring at Yuuna in some mixture of confusion and growing horror.]

You can... hear it?

She'll find out.

You should have run.

What will she think of you?

There's nowhere for you to hide now, Takeshi Hongo.

[The bottle drops from his hand, and he takes an unsteady step back.]

Why...

[rainsrespite]

I can hear it.

[Yuuna's fists tighten, leather creaking as she angrily glares around.]

And I don't like what it's saying.

[A sound fills the air, an odd thrumming, almost like an electrical current. It fades quickly, but the scent of ozone lingers.]

What will I think of Takeshi Hongo? The man who just took a potentially lethal Thunder Punch for me? Gee, I don't fucking know what I'd think of that guy.

[Heady with scorn and voice dripping sarcasm, she looks everywhere but at Hongo, lips twisted in a sneer.]

That guy just saved my life. That guy's one of the most reliable people I know. And that guy? Is my friend. And you know what happens to people who badmouth my friends, voice?