Mokley

Echo

@Tojin Holy crap that sounds like a nightmare. @.@

Lantern

Working on it! Trying to make sure everyone's got a decision to make that will change the course of history!!! (or something)

Ideas/preferences/dislikes are always welcome! Spam the OOC, 's all cool. xD

Unquiet

Soul didn't verbally respond, but he bowed to Rain and immediately clambered up the gears and pulleys to the nearest broken catwalk. The walkways themselves were broken and twisted, but the lights attached to their railings appeared to be mostly intact. He rapidly turned a crank with a buzzing whirr, and yellow lights flickered to life. They wouldn't provide a terribly great illumination, but once he was finished winding up each section there would be enough light to work by.

In the dim cloudy dusk, the catwalk-lights cast an eerie yellow glow on the broken copper machinery.

By the time he was finished, Rain and Vin had successfully crafted a makeshift ramp that stretched up to the place where Nor was stranded. Nor picked her way down, slowly but surely -- she was pale and thin, dirty and dusty, as if she'd just been dragged underground and had never eaten in her life.

Her bare feet touched the catwalk where Rain and Vin were standing, and she lifted her head to thank them -- but she stopped, transfixed, when she caught sight of Vin's dark eye. Nor reached up to touch the symbols around his eye.

Vin knew, instinctively, that this girl could harm him -- could take his power away.

Nor stopped just before she might have touched him, and her eyes widened in hopelessness and fear. "You have an Old God inside you," she said, mostly for Rain's benefit. She took a step back away from him. "It is not benevolent."

From above came the echo of a panther's yowl and a flash of firelight; the enormous, fiery bearcat -- which Rain had only a short time ago narrowly escaped -- snarled down at them from the edge of the pit. It surveyed its potential victims, then took a running leap off the edge: A huge sprocket groaned and shifted under the bearcat's landing, but the fire god leaped again to swing up onto a lit catwalk, getting a little closer each time.

Soul raced across the beams and ropes, back to the elevator that Rain had been trying to repair, and set to work getting it running again as fast as he possibly could.

Nor stepped back again, equally frightened of Vin and of the flaming bearcat that descended toward them with long teeth and sharp claws.

Unquiet

Sorry guys, rl has been killing me. X.x I am totally here and totally posting, and I totally won't fall behind. Again. >>

Connection is Key |Mokley & SinfulSkills|

Hey, so sorry for the enormous wait, and then to back out so early in the RP -- but I'm so thoroughly distracted elsewhere that I really can't do this RP right now. Thanks for the cool idea, though, and good luck in the future!

Moonfiend

While it was still occupied with licking up the fresh blood, Vincent thrust into its spine fiercely, and then quickly retreated away from it. If problems arose he knew of a servant's corridor he could quickly escape through.

"What is that?!" Randy's voice hissed in an alarmed whisper, and this time the only sound was in Vincent's mind. He didn't want to alert the thing to their presence, though Randy was now technically immune to whatever physical harm it might cause. "What happened? Why is there blood? Vincent! Don't you dare --"

Vincent thrust the spear at the serpentine Grit, but the Grit's body swerved out of the way just in time -- though Vincent would have the distinct feeling that Randy's fear and hesitance had been just as much the cause of their failure. For a split-second, there was a tense and dreadful silence.

The Grit coiled and bared its fangs with a poisonous hiss.

"Run, run, run!" Randy roared throughout the room, and Vincent would feel a tremendous, adrenaline-pumped energy that would speed him away faster than ever before. "Move, for once in your miserable life!"

The Grit gave chase, speeding around every obstacle with fluid ease, snapping at Vincent's heels.

---

"I'm fine, my lady, and I thank you for asking, but I think the real question is: are you all right? I thought I may have heard you crying just now, and..." Maria took a step forwards, placed her hand on the Queen's shoulder, and looked her in the eyes, smiling. "I know we've only just met, and we're just about utter strangers to each other, but please, tell me everything. It doesn't do to keep your emotions all bottled up like that, you know."

The queen stared in quiet surprise at Maria for her words, and for a moment she didn't answer. Her own expression grew distant and serene, a small smile, the same expression she wore whenever she addressed the public -- but the more she looked at Maria, the harder it was to lie to her. Her smile wavered, and she let out a slow breath. She laughed quietly. "You have a way with words as well as sweets, don't you?"

She bowed her head, thoughtful. When she looked up again, it was with an air of determination. "There is a secret I'm honor-bound to take to my grave -- but given the circumstances I feel keeping it may do more harm than good. I feel you can be trusted, Maria, but it isn't something you should hear unless you are willing to bear it."

She waited, patient and calm, for Maria's answer. At length she nodded slowly and gestured to the robot-guards around them. "Please stand guard here. Maria, come walk with me."

The cavern was vast and quiet, filled with curious rock formations, glistening stalagtites, the floating stones that cast a dim pink glow that illuminated their path.

"I was born with half a heart," the queen said quietly -- and this much was known to all in the city. "My parents, I think, became so desperate for my survival that they took the most drastic measures. My mother became pregnant again, with a child whose sole purpose was to save my life."

As far as the city of Periphery knew, after the princess was born the king and queen had become recluse for two years following. Never had there been even a whisper of a second child.

"The mages secretly collected the dreams of the people of Periphery, through hidden sigils. They forced all these dreams into my unborn brother, so that he might have the strength and power to survive while at once saving me. But he was born . . . as something not quite human." She struggled with what he actually was, for she'd been far too young at the time to have known.

"He was . . . cut open . . . and his powerful heart was given to me, but he did not die. He would not die. Our parents were frightened of him, so my father ordered him smuggled out of the city and left in the woods near the diamond mine, hoping the miners' families would find him and raise him."

She stopped at the edge of a still pool of water, where the glowing reflections glimmered at their feet.

"After that, I was presented to the city as a miracle, and the king and queen ruled happily again. The diamond mine suddenly began producing great riches, and the city prospered. And then my brother returned." She looked to Maria with a sad smile.

"He was so young, but so intelligent. He snuck his way into the castle and confronted my father. I don't know what was said, but my brother was forced out again and told never to return. After that, we began receiving reports of monsters in the woods, that had no hearts and were made of dreams."

The queen bowed her head. "The Grit were relentless, and instead of talking with my brother, my father built the wall instead. After my parents died, I sent my own envoys to the mine, to find him and plead with him. Only one of my scouts ever returned, with the single message that he planned to take his heart back from me.

"I'm sorry to burden you with this, Maria." She held Maria's hand between hers. "It's an awful business that has cost so many innocent lives, and I don't know how to repair it. All we can do is hide ourselves from the demons my brother has created; I'm not sure he's capable anymore of listening to reason, if he ever was." She looked back toward the transport sigil, where the robots were standing guard. "The others' mission now may preserve some lives, but we can't hide forever. I fear we've lost."

Echo

The others have woken up in mechanical pods in a room underneath an old stone monastery. There is a slightly eccentric doctor, Kelodie, who has explained that they have been brought back from the dead but has skirted the reason why.

There are simple robes and sandals as clothing, and a stairwell that leads up to the prayer room and the doors to the outside, through which one might see the scene detailed in the most recent mod post.

Moonfiend

Post incoming tomorrow! Or tonight. Anyone still lurking make a shout! ;)

The Tales of Winding

Sorry to say I'm gonna close the door on this one. Thanks you guys for some charming writing! We managed to create something unique for awhile -- I'm only sorry I couldn't keep up with it or keep the plot moving as quickly or as interestingly as it could have.

Maybe another time! For now, see ya around! Good luck on future adventures! :)

Echo

@Oliver Oh hi, hello there, welcome! :D

Ciel seems absolutely charming! Approved! Are you comfortable posting an introductory response with what's here now? :)