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Post by ryocker on Oct 3, 2015 2:18:32 GMT -5
(for the purpose of mood)
Unkown to you, you've been drifting alone for a very long time. Several sessions that've all been collapsed in various ways, not unlike your own, were the pathway this lone floating box took as it barrelled along its course. You'd think you were locked in there for too long, except that the box itself stopped the time of whatever entered it. You're completely unaware you've traveled for many a century.
Given the option, you'd probably be okay with being centuries old if you still looked as good as you did.
With a powerful thud, the Lotus Time Capsule you were within landed upon yet another incarnation of Skaia- one that would no doubt need your unique skills in seeing the hearts and souls of countless others in order to be conquered. The capsule stood among enemies, enemies frozen in time and space, unable to be moved, and each trapped in a greyscale coloration. If you could see these enemies and their particular prototyped designs, you'd say they looked remarkably similar to the designs of your old session...
Regardless. The stone box lies motionless for now, a single timer on the front ticking down the seconds. Based upon the large number on the box, somewhere in the quadruple digits, you believe it's possible you could be here for a very long time.
Or would, if you were aware of it.
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 12, 2016 1:04:31 GMT -5
.........
It had been a month or so since the pod landed in the frozen battlefields of Skaia. November 30th showed itself like a bad rash, as December fast approached... But really for all of the things going on on the frozen battlefield, none rung even more apparently then the void portal that had appeared, or the being that had appeared from it...
It had taken 2 days to break free of Horror Terror control and to get his emotions back under control, and once he did, Alex pretty much knew he had screwed up past any really forgivable point. The horror terrors didn't kill anyone, but they did steal Swift... Then they stole Evan's key, simply because they did not trust such a powerful relic in the hands of someone who used it just to win an argument-
Okay a LOT OF THAT WERE HIS FEELINGS TOO...
Stealing the key would've been one thing, but stealing Swift had been another thing entirely.
The horror terrors had been quick to assure him that there was not much else they could do. 'Swift had gotten angry', they told him. 'She would have killed them all' the said... In the end, imprisoning her into the void until she cooled off seemed like the smartest option...
.......
Regardless however, he felt like he was right back at square one... Only this time it was worse...
He didn't have Lizzie there to keep him company.
..........................
It didn't matter how many times he looked at the colorless and paused Skaia, he was in no mental condition to figure out what was going on and how everything had become like this......
"Ugh...." ... He looked into a portal-
AND SWIFT'S ENRAGED SCREAMING AND SPITTING ECHOED OUT OF IT, prompting him to close it again. "Jesus Christ, that woman doesn't know when to quit...." ...... Still, someone shouting at him was better then nothing, it allowed him to wake up and take in this horrible nightmare before him... "Drained of color, frozen in place... Things have definitely been better...."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 12, 2016 1:20:37 GMT -5
"They've definitely been worse as well..."
A lone figure meekly approached Alex from behind, hands behind his back, smile calm and warm, white, feathery wings unfolded to their full size.
"Interesting, isn't it?" he asked as he looked around the battlefield in reserved fascination. "By definition, the Scratch was meant to completely restart the game... and yet here it remains, the progress merely paused rather than undone. I believe there's something to be said about such persistence, don't you?"
As he took a stance next to Alex, the angel laughed slightly and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. At this point in time, I haven't even introduced myself to you! That said... hello, Aaron. My name is-"
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 12, 2016 1:26:56 GMT -5
"Don't bother. I saw you before. Heard your name." Alex turned to look at the angel, pulling out a racket. "Kendal right? Aren't you dead? Or is this some kind of Time nonsense going on here? ... Cause I'll be frank, I am NOT up for MORE Sburb related bullshit right now." Well... That was fair. Alex already had enough to figure out looking at the warzone Skaia once was...
Then of course there was the matter of the monster that attacked him and his friends... And the damage he caused during it.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 12, 2016 1:38:41 GMT -5
Kendall paused only briefly, shrugging and casting a bashful smile at the checkerboard ground. "Yes, I uh... I suppose it makes sense that my name has been mentioned many times now by Evan alone..."
But... dead? That was slightly disconcerting. His own deaths had always been blind spots in his vision, and those seemed to be growing in number at an alarming rate lately...
"But yes, that is me!" He beamed up at Alex again, the thief's attitude having virtually no affect on his. "I'm the Angel of Time. So... I'm sort of eternal, whether I like it or not. Heheh..." A small laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Ahem... Anyway, I understand that what you've been through has been emotionally jarring, to put it VERY lightly. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is forcibly shove you down the path of life..."
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 12, 2016 1:45:41 GMT -5
"Let me guess again."
Alex had once more cut off Kendall, glaring around and gritting his teeth. "You're the ignoramous that's trying to get us to get this game going again. You want us to find out what's stopping it, unpause the session and see it the rest of the way through." ....... Kendall felt a small build-up of temper. "Do you want to know what the INFURIATING PART OF ALL OF THIS IS? We no longer have MUCH OF A FUCKING CHOICE IN THE MATTER NOW DO WE? Whether we restart the game again or not that.... THING will be out there, continuously trying to kill us."
.... Thing-?
"The thing that killed that other version of you. The monster that tried to kill Evan and everyone else. The monster that likely won't stop until WE'RE ALL FUCKING DEAD." ................. He huffs bitterly as he floats ahead. "Honestly, I wonder why that even surprises me anymore... NEARLY FUCKING EVERYTHING HAS TRIED TO KILL ME AT THIS POINT."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 12, 2016 2:01:07 GMT -5
Kendall didn't move as Alex spoke; though he kept calm, he dropped the smile and took on a more serious yet still inherently innocent expression. He knew too well that Alex wouldn't react favorably to these events, and he understood why. Just because it didn't bother him didn't mean he lacked empathy.
But... what was Alex talking about? What was trying to kill them??
He hid it well, but his lack of insight was utterly horrifying to the Angel of Time.
Taking this new information with a grain of salt, Kendall casually followed Alex, walking in a steady pace. "Well, I suppose there's no real point in prolonging the truth, so... yes. I am working to see this game through, and for good reason. I'm sure you understand by now that I have been involved behind the scenes from the very beginning. I've been in close contact with Evan... BOTH iterations of Evan before they even knew of the game's existence. I have ensured that certain events have fallen into place to allow the culmination of a new alpha timeline. Nonetheless, I am not here to force you into anything you don't want to do. I am an arbitrator, not an instigator."
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 12, 2016 19:59:02 GMT -5
"SNRK~. HAH, ARBITRATOR. THAT'S A FUCKING LAUGH." Alex stopped and looked back to Kendall, a scowl prominent on his face. "This isn't some kind of diplomatic affair. This is our goddamned LIVES. It's AAAALWAYS BEEN ABOUT OUR GODDAMNED LIVES..." He threw his hands up in the air. "I'll bet you have it so easy. You could just view the ENTIRE THING FROM A DISTANCE, and never ONCE have to put your life on the line. But you never really know Sburb until you're right in there, feeling that fear and that uncertainty with us."
... He continued floating along with Kendall following... "I remember when I first felt that way. When I first realized my life was in danger... The meteors should've been a no brainer... But they just didn't feel real, even watching the news reports about the meteors that obliterated Evan's home town didn't really feel real until later on down the line... Back with my first death."
Kendall, with his knowledge, likely understood... His God-Tiering... While Alex was looking over his quest bed, he was confronted and then killed by the Raven. Brendan had to be there just to make sure Alex breathed his last on the bed..... The Aaron before that had always been fun, genre savvy, smart, easy going...
But after that first death... He changed...
He was more serious. More aware. More straight forward...
"After we lost... OUR GAME APPARENTLY... I... wanted that to be it. Playing anymore, even after the game makes it abundantly clear that we're destined to lose and it would MAKE SURE WE LOST NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRIED.... Just made any notion of it seem... STUPID. I mean... WHO WANT'S TO PLAY A 'NO-WIN SCENARIO' WHERE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU WILL DIE IF YOU FUCK UP ONCE??"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 12, 2016 23:33:08 GMT -5
Once again, Kendall seemed hardly fazed by Alex's outburst, listening to him calmly and with an air of kindness. When given the opportunity to speak again, Kendall cleared his throat and decided to get something off his shoulder first and foremost. "Alright... I understand your plight. However, I would... appreciate it... if... you didn't speak my Lord's name in vain."
With that on the table, he cleared his throat and got back on track. "More to the point, I'm not going to argue against your logic. My simultaneous perception of every instance of every timeline does give me an advantage in that regard, and while my involvement has created a vast multitude of scenarios that put me at risk, I am fully capable of acting in a manner that would prevent such events from occurring. But with that said, I would never dare to use my powers for such petty and self-serving purposes. I ensure my own survival so that I may ensure the timeline carries out as it should. The intent of my involvement has always been to provide the most beneficial outcome."
He shrugged a little and stared at his feet. "Unfortunately... even the single most beneficial outcome has its low points. Trials and tribulations are not only constants, but they are necessary events that ensure certain events follow suit and those involved learn and grow so that they may progress as that timeline demands."
Kendall then looked up at Alex again and smiled. "If there's one thing I can absolutely assure you, it's that this game IS winnable. In fact, you can, will, and already have triumphed over it! But in order to see this game through to its completion, you must understand that the person that Sburb shapes you into has nothing to do with your victories or failures... but what you chose to do with them."
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 13, 2016 0:09:29 GMT -5
"Oh don't give me that stuff about 'what you choose to do with the experience'. That can apply to LITERALLY EVERYTHING. That's probably... THE BASEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO ANYONE. DOES ANYONE EVEN TAKE THAT LINE SERIOUSLY ANYMORE???" He growls and continues floating along. "Besides, that usually only applies to life experiences, work, growing up, what the fuck do you do with that with trauma??" Grumbling expletives under his breath, he continued on his path, passing by a group of black and white soldiers. Obviously Prospitans and Dersians frozen in the middle of heated combat...
It probably made Kendall smile to see that sad face. Alex obviously didn't like being in the middle of this warzone.
Changed or not, he would always have a good heart.
..............
"So... Uh....... How much... Do you know about what happened at Mt. Bonsai where we found Evan's quest bed?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 13, 2016 0:23:45 GMT -5
"What do you do with it?" Kendall smiled meekly and tilted his head. "You keep moving forward."
As the duo took a good look around at the frozen battle, in response to Alex's next question, Kendall answered, "I know... the basic gist of it."
Well, the basic gist excluding this supposed encounter with a monster, but he wouldn't DARE let the nature of his blindness be known. Not just yet, anyway.
"I am aware that things became... very heated amongst the group. Evan tried his best to speak his case, but you were much too frustrated to accept it, justifiably so. Swift's latent rage took over in the form of her yokai transformation, and you were overcome by the power of the horrorterrors. And now, if I'm not mistaken, you have both Swift and the Paramount Key sealed away within the void. I suppose releasing Swift now without her ring to restore balance to her blood would serve little purpose. However... if it's not too much to ask... I, um... I need the key."
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 13, 2016 0:27:23 GMT -5
So eloquently was his answer made that squires could take heart from it and write songs about it. They would be known far and wide famous even.
"No."
..... Okay they wouldn't be very LONG songs but they would still be good ones... Good... BLUNT ONES anyway.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 13, 2016 0:32:12 GMT -5
"Uh-huh..."
With a beat of his wings, Kendall swooped ahead of Alex, then dropped back down and continued walking, staring at the thief over his shoulder with that same calm, innocent expression.
"Any reason in particular why you're so insistent on keeping it? You realize that as immensely powerful and vital to your group's success as that key is, there is only a select number of people who can wield it. Even I don't know how to use it."
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Post by gantzgun74 on Jan 13, 2016 0:40:51 GMT -5
"Oh gee, I dunno. How about we review for a second?" He smiled in a smarmy fashion, arms crossed. "I make my insecurities about this entire fucked up situation plain, I make it clear that I hate this game and every instance of it. I make it plain that I want no part in this game, and don't believe ANY OF OUR CURRENT PARTY, god-tiers aside, are actually READY FOR IT...." The smile vanished and the flat face become one DRIPPING with irritation. "And after I do, the only person I know of that CAN use this fucking key uses it. On me. To WIN AN ARGUMENT."
..............
"Chosen user my ass. That decision nearly got us ALL KILLED... Well, more like nearly got HIM KILLED, but the horrorterrors understood halfway through that we had a common enemy in mr. Keysword." He huffs and floats past Kendall. "Plus. Have you EVER had that key used on you? Cause let me tell you this much. I would rather eat 30 servings OF ARTI'S PASTA then go through that shit again. It wasn't fun. It was terrifying. For the first half of that fight, all I could do was lay back and struggle to BREATHE as I watched that monster try to kill my friends."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jan 13, 2016 0:50:11 GMT -5
"Oh come now, I'm sure Evan didn't mean it like that," Kendall gently insisted. "You made your point known. He simply wanted to make his known as well and acted on impulse when you tried to ignore it. And to answer your question, yes, I have been locked before. It's by no means a pleasant experience, but Evan would never lock someone out of malicious intent. I'm positive Carter would not allow that." He added a little chuckle after that last comment. "But seriously, he didn't mean to hurt anyone. He genuinely wants to help. I know you're not particularly keen to continue the game, but the Evan I know would understand if you simply talked about it rather than scorn his offering."
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