bravenewworld | Descent into Darkness

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ They're being played with. No, she's being played with. If this were targeted at Rise, it'd have a slightly different cast. The absolute cheek of their unseen puppetmaster has Haruka's teeth clenching, her hands fisting at her sides. She's not scared or nervous any more.

She's pissed, and fighting to keep that under control. So her voice is oddly level. And rather cold. ]

Now they've done it.

{{ It hurts, doesn't it? That's what talking yielded. }}

[ The voice reverberates everywhere. It's got shades of Darkrai in it, but also a deep, more primal resonance. It sounds like someone crossed Darkrai with the roaring sounds of the creature that'd attacked the Citadel - heat to Haruka's cold. ] {{ Who's next? Her? }}

[ The wind picks up suddenly, out of nowhere. And it whirls itself right at Rise, attempting to knock her off her feet. ]

[It's tough not to be bowled over when you're light enough to be an actress who doesn't even have to lie about her weight for a magazine interview. Still, she's learned to cover her face and drop flat instead of just allowing herself to be pushed over. She shouts over the wind.]

It's trying to make you mad, Haruka! Don't lose focus, okay?

I know. [ It's even using wind against them. Wind is Haruka's thing.

Yet the wind that Haruka wants to become doesn't let itself be ruffled. The wind flows through everything. Over everything. ~~Until it blows itself out and comes to rest over the ocean.~~ Rise can take care of herself - look at how well she'd handled that. The rest of this is all just scare tactics. She knows that. ]

{{ Scare tactics? Is that what you're calling it? Then - you won't let yourself look because you're afraid? }}

There must be something really important at the end of this cave. [ She looks over at Rise, making sure that last attack hadn't hurt her. It's starting to resort to rhetoric, which Haruka knows isn't her forte.

It can laugh at her all it wants for choosing not to play to her strengths. She picks her battles. That's how she rolls. ] Can you run?

[Rise rises up into a low crouch against the wind, covering her eyes. This is not what she'd call ideal sprinting conditions, but it's Haruka. The less reasonable the thing she's asking for, the more important it probably is.]

...I can give it my best shot.

[ Haruka nods: that's all she can ask anybody for at the end of the day, isn't it? Even herself. And if their mysterious assailant intends to keep attacking the people she's with in an attempt to provoke her, she sees no reason to stick around. ] Let's go.

[ So onto World Shaking she climbs, thundering away from the statue collection as quickly as a giant rock (albeit a giant rock bred and trained for racing) can manage. The voice laughs, saying something about how all she knows how to do is run, but that's a cheap shot and Haruka knows it. A moment when she accuses herself of that is a moment of weakness she needs to correct.

But from the way the ground starts to shake beneath World Shaking's feet....well, she has a feeling it isn't his footfalls causing that.

If Rise looks like she needs the ride, they'll swing on by and offer a hand. ]

[Rise does in fact do her best, but in this kind of environment, she really can't physically do much, and makes a grateful telepathically-assisted grab for Haruka's hand as she passes by, clambering up behind her and giving her best analysis of the situation based on what she'd seen earlier.]

Whatever this is wants something from you! It wants you to face something before it lets you go! Or admit something, I don't know!

[ Haruka snorts. Far from being "silent", there's a roaring sound behind them. ] Isn't that benevolent.

[ A check ahead of them reveals that the landscape is actually crumbling, falling away into an abyss - so that they're running right towards nothingness. ] D'you think I have to tell you?

[ Or is this just something she has to admit to herself? Haruka isn't sure she likes the idea of self-actualization under duress. What's it want from her? An admission she's dooming everyone? That's not happening. They won't know the future until it comes to pass. Worrying about it until then is just stupid.

....but she's been doing a lot of that worrying, hasn't she. Haruka laughs and rears World Shaking up as the abyss crumbles closer, reaching to keep a hold on Rise's hand. She can't control the future, but she can control the present.

And nothing's happening to Rise - to either of them - if she has anything to say about it. ]

Descent into Darkness

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