| Her Darkness; [Open - Closed to Nonsequitur, CDYoung, and Czernobog] | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 2 2014, 07:47 PM (705 Views) | |
| The One True Nobody | Jan 24 2014, 09:08 PM Post #31 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"I--" But suddenly, the thought of that thing alone in a room with her boyfriend and a complete stranger didn't seem appealing at all to June. The Volatile Doppelganger retreated further back into the room--an old cafeteria for the employees in this place, apparently, full of broken tables, a counter behind which the cook and servers served whoever got in line, trays caked and stained with various things that might have been appetizing a decade ago. June remained where she was, fidgeting with her fingers as Noburu and Sio pursued the yellow-eyed clone into the cafeteria. Shadow June sprinted across the room, hopping over some wrecked chair debris and then vaulting over the countertop to take refuge behind cover. "Ha! 'She's lying!' That's rich, coming from a girl who lies about her feelings with every breath! Unless she's alone with her handsome prince. Then she can let her hair down and pretend to be what she always dreamed..." Noburu came to a halt in the room, summoning Kohryu into being--the cafeteria was sufficiently spread-out that the yellow dragon could coil its body about and stare the Shadow down with room to spare, room enough for Sio to enter behind him and summon her own Persona if she so chose. "But that's all it is, isn't it?" the Shadow asked rhetorically. "Pretend. Make believe. Because you aren't a prince, you aren't some dashing samurai legend, and you'll never get anywhere in life, with or without your pretty little princess. That's the knowledge I pretend to ignore, because it's so much easier to close my eyes and dream of seeing the stars..." Noburu's hand had extended, but he wasn't firing. A wince crossed his face beneath the mask. He would never get anywhere in life. She believed that. He couldn't blame her; he believed it, too... "Don't listen to that lying whore!" he heard June call from beyond the doorway. "Just kill it!" But there was a tinge of desperation in June's voice now... |
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| Prince Arjuna | Jan 24 2014, 11:59 PM Post #32 |
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-insert something witty here-
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After making sure that June would stay, Sio rushed to follow Noburu and summoned Mnemosyne. Apparently, the Shadow was a manifestation of June's hidden self, telling the things that she would never admit were true. Sio had no right to get involved into this, but when she heard the words from the doppelganger, she couldn't help but to feel a little sad. "So... this is what this place actually is..." Mnemosyne remained hovering above Sio as she stayed behind Noburu, observing both the boy and the doppelganger. "Things that are usually hidden are laid bare..." she clenched her wooden stick. "This place is getting much scarier and scarier..." Sio didn't attack the doppelganger and waited for its next move. |
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| The One True Nobody | Jan 25 2014, 12:37 AM Post #33 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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June edged closer to the door, stopping just to the side of it, pressing her hands to the fall--and then withdrawing them as she felt a faint wetness. But there was nothing on the wall--the wetness had come from her own sweaty palms. From inside the room, she could hear it pick up where it left off... and she couldn't hear Noburu or Sio making any moves to kill it! They were listening, listening to everything, they were they were--no, but it was lies, it was--but how could it know about-- "So, d'ya wanna know what June-baby's dirty little secret is?" the Shadow jeered, peeking over the countertop, looking directly at Noburu with narrow, conspiratorial eyes. "...You do, don't you? I can see the suspicion in your eyes..." "If you think I care if she keeps hentai manga under the futon, you're wrong," Noburu said flatly, his hand still outstretched. "I don't want to hear June's secrets." The orbs that Kohryu clutched in its claws radiated a faint light. "Not from a thing like you." They aren't my--these aren't my--no--damn you, damn you, don't believe it, don't-- A spike of stone solidified in mid-air and hurled itself at Shadow June's face, but she ducked under the counter too quickly; it ricocheted off the edge of the counter, smacked into the wall, and bounced off to the side with a clatter. The Shadow popped its head out the moment the Magna spell passed it by. "Ha. It's not porn, stupid. I'm not a guy, I don't think with my clitoris. No, no, it's something... way more embarrassing than that. Like, super embarrassing. Super girly super embarrassing. But some of it is manga! Guess again." Noburu's expression flickered with puzzlement, a guilty curiousity, and the Shadow's eyebrows rose in amusement. "It's..." "NO! SHUT UP--!" As June burst into the room behind Sio, shoving the girl out of the way with enough force to knock her off her feet, the Shadow stood to its full height and declared with a grin of victory: "Stories about princes and princesses! Naturally. I am a girl, right? Girls should love girl things..." June, who'd been sprinting into the room with her bat in hand, slid to a stop just in front of Noburu, who twisted around in surprise, almost reacting in time to catch her and prevent her from charging the Shadow. But June no longer had any intention of charging the Shadow. Now she was afraid, she was terrified, even. How could it know? How could this thing know? No one know, no one-- |
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| Prince Arjuna | Jan 25 2014, 04:31 AM Post #34 |
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-insert something witty here-
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Sio thought that she shouldn't wait any longer as she picked herself up after being shoved by June. She didn't have any intention to get involved in their businesses, but she'd rather not let this thing happened right in front of her eyes. More secrets were uncovered, and that mohawk girl was in shame as her doppelganger continued to reveal more of her secrets that she didn't want others to know. "..." she remained silent as she walked closer to the mohawk girl's doppelganger. She had many things to say about this event, but considering the circumstances, it was inappropriate to state them now. |
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| The One True Nobody | Jan 28 2014, 10:32 AM Post #35 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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"Are you going somewhere with this?" Noburu asked, now visibly irate. He took a step forward, eyes fixed on the Shadow. He knew that he should cast another spell, but it would just take cover if he did, and these ruins were horribly confined for such a large Persona as Kohryu... The Shadow tilted its head to one side, its smirked growing wider. "Think about it, Noburu-kun. A young maiden trapped, practically alone, in a hostile realm, a prisoner in the darkest corner of society... it's the oldest story in the universe, and it's the story of my life!" it said, putting its hands together, clasping them and looking up as if in prayer. "It's not like I can just get up and leave. Like it or not, I'm stuck here, have been all my life. But oh, if only some handsome knight were to swoop in and sweep me off my feet... off my feet and right on out of this place..." June took a step back, and glanced at Noburu. It was a worried glance, as if she was afraid of how he'd react. "Don't listen--" she said. "She's not--" "Oh, I am you!" Shadow June cut in gleefully, standing up a bit more so that its shoulders and chest were above the countertop--only to immediately duck as Kohryu blew a fireball at it, charring the counters and trays at the back of the server's area. When it popped its head back out, it was smiling. "But there's no prince for a poor little foreign girl, not in this 'magical' kingdom. You had to grow a spine and fight your own battles. It's merciless out there... but you couldn't do that, could you? No, you couldn't. You always needed him to win your battles for you--" Shadow June's eyes flashed in Noburu's direction. "...And it burns you up, knowing that. You needed a prince after all. Pity he'll never be able to take you anywhere, except to another dirty room in some emptied-out old shop building..." Noburu grimaced. June gritted her teeth, closing her eyes. And the Shadow stood up, clasping her hands together again, looking up with almost glittery eyes. "Oh, if only we could have a really romantic night together for a change," she said in an overdramatic swooning voice. "Dinner by the candlelight... champagne, a warm fireplace in a nice house... and you know, sex in a bed, that'd be a new thing, wouldn't it? I'm so tired of the dingy, dirty stuff. Life plays out like page after page of the Anarchist's Cookbook around here. I hate it! Maybe I should try to find someone new. Someone who can give me those things--" "No! Shut up!" June snapped, stomping forward, bringing her bat to bear. Noburu's eyes had closed. He wasn't making any moves to attack anymore. So, these were June's true feelings, huh... "--someone dashing and suave, cultured, and ooh, the scandal when that man chooses the pauper's daughter. He could do so much better, but he'd choose you anyway--" "I said shut your face! I don't want any of that!" "Oh, but I do!" the Shadow insisted gleefully, turning its eyes down toward June. "What's the matter? Don't want me saying it with Noburu listening? But last night you were so enthusiastic--" Last night-- "...And you know, this whole Persona-user thing," Shadow June added dubiously, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head with disdain, a motion that looked a bit ridiculously with the massive mohawk. "It's all more trouble than it's worth. I should wash my hands of it... get away from Noburu the Freak. I'd thank myself in the long run, I bet!" And then she snapped, but it wasn't the words that did it. June felt a thrill of fear in her heart, and looked to Noburu, who'd opened his eyes again. There was hurt on his face. She couldn't bear it, couldn't bear looking at it, and it was her, it was all her--no-- She whirled around, and pointed wildly backward with her bat. "Noburu, don't give me that look, dammit!" she snapped. "You aren't going to take her word over mine, are you?!" "I am you, though!" the Shadow said matter-of-factly. "My word is your word." "No it isn't! No you're not!" screamed June, turning eyes full of hate on her Shadow, spit flying from her mouth with every other word. "You're not me and you don't know what the fuck you're talking about, so shut up and just DIE!" Noburu knew almost at once that something must have gone wrong. The instant June voiced her denial of the Shadow's claims, her yellow-eyed copy fell silent. And then, it put its hands to its mouth and began to giggle. "My my, doth the lady protest too much~?" it chuckled. Flames of dark-red energy began to blaze up around its feet, rising to envelope its body. "That's all I needed to hear. Everything I wanted to hear. And now you're going to die--" The flames swallowed Shadow June's body whole. June, pale-faced and terrified, backpedeled, holding her bat out toward the flames, tripped--arms caught her. It was Noburu. Noburu had caught her. And suddenly she felt so weak. Weak... "No..." she managed to force out. Even her voice seemed to have lost its energy. "She's not..." "--just like the lying whore you are!" The flames burst outward, filling the space behind the counter, and out stepped an oversized creature that resembled June Hollyfield not at all. It was large--tall enough to fill the space between floor and ceiling, but hunched over. It was almost humanoid, but it was hunchbacked, and its musclebound arms were weighed down by large iron balls on chains... its legs were likewise bound, but it seemed to have no trouble dragging them forward as it walked. It was gargantuan and muscled to the point of rivaling hardcore bodybuilders, but it was also wearing a flowing white princess gown and tiara. The face was similar to June's, but wider, bonier, uglier by far. It lifted its arm and began swinging the ball and chain like a flail, preparing to fling it at one of them. |
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| Prince Arjuna | Jan 28 2014, 10:46 AM Post #36 |
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-insert something witty here-
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Using her wooden stick and her right hand, Sio covered her face when the doppelganger transformed into a monstrous version of June. So, it was clear that the doppelganger was June's suppressed, hidden feelings, something that she would rather hide from the world itself. A person who would rather live in a world of story books and fairy tales, Sio couldn't help but to feel sorry for her. Even as a person who considered herself to be a mere reader of other people's 'stories', she thought that she's really miserable. "Wishing for such thing is not wrong..." Sio thought to herself. "But to have such desire as her deepest shame, it's just so sad..." she looked up at the abomination before them. Seeing such thing, Sio wasn't sure whether they could even stand against it or not. While she kept her calm face, actually she was afraid of this thing. She just managed to keep herself composed despite her fear. If she was alone, she might have been shaking uncontrollably, and might end up emptying her bladder due to fear. Sio tried to shake off that mental image and tried to focus herself on the enemy before them. There's no time to think about 'what-ifs' in the face of terror. After all, they had no choice but to face this Shadow. Sio stepped up and held her bo with both hands. She summoned Mnemosyne and electricity flickered around her body. With electricity coursing through her body, she felt confident again, the fear that she felt a while ago was put aside for the time being. "Have no choice," Sio said to Noburu. "Let's fight this thing." Despite the toneless voice, her expression was determined and grim. She glanced at June for a moment before she turned to look at the massive blob of muscle before them, the twisted princess that seemed to be the mockery of what most fairy tales actually were. After that, Sio launched a Zio towards the abomination. She knew that she was still weak, but this time, she couldn't allow herself to fall back. She had put herself into someone's 'story', and she had to act accordingly to her new role. Edited by Prince Arjuna, Jan 28 2014, 03:28 PM.
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| The One True Nobody | Feb 1 2014, 08:04 PM Post #37 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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Sio's lightning bolt struck the monster dead-on--it was far too bulky and far too laden by its chains to move quickly at all. The lightning spell caused it to falter, twitch a bit, but it also shifted the monster's attack to Sio. The iron ball sailed through the air toward Sio. If she didn't get out of the way, it was liable to smash through her elbow on the way through its swinging arc. Noburu gritted his teeth and quickly pulled June along with him back toward the door, the first priority on his mind being to get her out of the room and out of this monster's range. Her baseball bat fell from her fingers and rolled across the floor. "I've got you," he said. "Don't worry. I've got you..." The Shadow's voice snarled as if in response: "I don't need you! Why would I need someone like you?! I said I need a prince, not a fucking pauper, dumbass!" Noburu's eyes flashed behind his metal mask and he glared at the Shadow. Kohryu roared in his mind, and the great dragon's tail flicked through the air, whipping Shadow June across the face. Again, it didn't dodge--but this time the force of the blow sent it staggering to the side, stumbling, almost overbalancing, a deep gash appearing on one side of its jaw. |
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| Prince Arjuna | Feb 1 2014, 08:19 PM Post #38 |
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-insert something witty here-
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Seeing the iron ball sailing towards her, Sio immediately ducked. She could feel the iron ball that was inches away from her head above her. Then she immediately moved back in a rather frantic manner before she got back on her feet, using her weapon to support herself. She couldn't imagine what would happen if that iron ball hit her right on her body. She might broke a couple of bones inside her frail body if it managed to hit her. Sio listened to the Shadow that was responding to Noburu's words. Denial. Bitterness. This twisted princess was very miserable no matter how you looked at it. Sio couldn't help but to feel sorry. Preparing herself to launch another attack, Sio decided to quip. "Heh... if I were you, I'd rather choose a pauper," she said, summoning Mnemosyne. "You know what? Princes are overrated." Electricity flickered around the young author. "Zio." Right after that, Mnemosyne released another Zio towards the Shadow. After shooting the electricity spell, Sio stepped back, preparing herself for another attack. From what she could see, they seemed to be able to stand a chance against this abomination. Just continue attacking it. Unless there were a few elements of surprise, they should be alright. |
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| The One True Nobody | Feb 1 2014, 08:28 PM Post #39 |
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"...does this clockwork hand follow you... or guide you?"
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The iron ball slammed to the ground. Noburu managed to drag June out of the room at that moment, but she heard Sio's smartass remark, and chuckled. "Yeah, I know..." she murmured. "Overrated..." Noburu pulled her around the doorframe, and knelt down, setting her back against the wall. "Hang on," he said. "Just hang on. I'll get you out of here alive. I promise." Her mohawk was a bad haircut for laying against things; she had to turn her head to the side, and down a bit. She nodded to let Noburu know she'd heard him, but there was a look on her face that was half-cringe, half-grimace. Noburu stood up, and turned to re-enter the cafeteria. Shadow June glared at Kohryu, grasping the chain on its right arm with its left hand. A flash of magic emitted from its eyes, and flickered over Kohryu--a Rakunda spell, softening it and its summoner against damage. Then the Zio spell struck, and it twitched back again, its attention shifting back to Sio. "Is that right?" it jeered. "What's a pauper got that I need, eh? Love? Love doesn't put food on the table, or pay for insurance, or do any of the other things the world gouges you for, it's not going to make up for my shitty school, and it's sure as hell not going to get this poor little white girl through any job interviews with snooty Japanese H.R. managers who don't like the shape of my eyes, either. Fuck..." The Shadow's eyes went back to Kohryu as Noburu stepped through the door. The dragon's tail whipped out to smack the musclebound princess again. This time it managed to raise an arm to defend itself, but a gash appeared on its arm where the tail hit, causing the the monster to grunt in pain. It seemed to be more effective than the lightning, somehow... |
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| Prince Arjuna | Feb 1 2014, 09:12 PM Post #40 |
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-insert something witty here-
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Yeah, reality. There's no way Sio could argue against that. She was lucky that she was able to support herself in life with her career, but there were people in this world who were less fortunate. Still, while the Shadow might have a point, there had to be some way. There's no way a person could be that hopeless. "Maybe you're right..." Sio said, electricity flickering around her. The surge of energy kept her mind awake and her senses sharp. "Still, are you gonna wait for your prince to save you, even if you have to wait forever?" she asked. "If I were you, I'm gonna get bored to death! I won't wait for a prince that won't come! If I want to live, I'm gonna live without depending too much on anyone!" the electricity intensify before she shot another Zio. Perhaps she was being naive, being childishly idealistic, but she really wished that she was right. |
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