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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 10:48:14 GMT -5
10:48 AM... and Toby was still not ready to get out of bed.
Last night had been exhausting, physically and emotionally, and the things he had learned in that timeframe haunted his subconscious. He had barely slept, but he didn't want to face the waking world. He knew he couldn't ignore the problem, but he felt too helpless to do anything about it. The worst-case scenario had arisen. Everything about the situation made him miserable.
As much as he hated what was happening... what was to come... the people had to know.
Halfheartedly, Toby trudged out of bed and threw his clothes on before stepping out into the living room. Jen and Darien were sitting on the couch, watching TV and drinking coffee, looking up and smiling when they saw him.
"Morning!" Jen chimed.
"Heh... You sure slept in, huh?" Darien chuckled.
Toby couldn't muster any kind of response. He just sadly hung his head and retreated into the kitchen.
"Toby?" Instantly worried, Jen set her mug aside and walked up to him. "Toby, what's wrong?"
With his eyes trained on the various cereals in the pantry, Toby let out a sigh and mumbled, "I've been... sleepwalking..."
"Oh no, again?"
"Yeah..." He turned slightly to stare at Jen out of the corner of his eye. "W-Where are Evan and the others?"
Jen was getting nervous. "Well, Andy and Aether are in their room. Everyone else is just out and about in the city right now. Why?"
"The Præt'nos."
Darien and Jen were both staring at him now in outright fear.
"Last night, I... I sleepwalked to the cemetery. Sanguine and Melancholic were there... discussing plans..." Toby gulped, looking apologetic for what he was about to say. "The Præt'nos are trying to absorb the island."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 12:24:39 GMT -5
As if on cue, Andromeda and Aether stepped out just in time to hear Toby announce this. Andromeda did a double-take, eyes wide with panic. Aether instantly froze on the spot, stammering out, "W-What?? They're...? O-Oh my goodness! How do we...?!"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 13:16:20 GMT -5
"Bloody hell, as if we didn't have enough to worry about!" Darien griped, sinking into the couch and covering his face with his hand.
"Oh my God..." Jen stumbled back a few steps, staring at the floor and grabbing her head. "I-I knew we couldn't shake those guys off for long, but... The whole island?!"
"Yes..." Toby mumbled, head low with shame.
"God... Y-You're alright, at least? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Not really. I'm... fine." Needless to say, Toby didn't exactly believe that anymore.
"Okay. I-I'm gonna call Evan and see if we can get everyone together. We need to figure out a plan."
With nods all around, Jen grabbed her phone and called her brother. In the meantime, Toby grabbed his own phone, unlocked it and stared at his contact list for an awkwardly long time.
Should he tell her? How would she respond? Did he really have the right to be this concerned based on the events of a single day? Granted, he was worried about everyone on the island, but... which was better? Warning her of the approaching danger or distancing her from the danger that he posed?
OH SCREW IT, HE HAD TO.
Throwing caution to the wind, Toby opened up his latest contact and started a new text message.
>> Chrys...?
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 13:57:41 GMT -5
Chrys looked to her phone aas it played a snippet of 'Sound of Silence'.
>> Hey Toby! You okay?
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 14:02:32 GMT -5
For about three minutes, Chrys's phone would simply register the fact that Toby was typing as he struggled to find the right words. Eventually, the message was sent...
>> No.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 14:22:35 GMT -5
>> Want me to come over so we can talk? Or do you want to keep with text?
Chrys sighed and started walking towards the apartment building Toby lived in.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 14:34:40 GMT -5
>> That might be a good idea, actually... We're getting the rest of the gang together so we can all talk.
>> And prepare.
"Okay, everyone's on their way," Jen stated as she and Darien sat down at the table.
"G-Good..." Toby nodded. "I've got another friend coming over. Chrys."
"Oh. That... the girl you were hanging out with yesterday?"
"...Y-Yeah..."
"Wait, what's this now??" Darien whispered, prompting Jen to smirk and whisper back an explanation.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 14:46:28 GMT -5
>> I'll be over shortly. And quicker than you could say "Triple berry banana split".
Chrys smiled as she pulled the emerald token out once more and put it in her belt. "HENSHIN!" rang through the air before a green blur was seen flying for the building.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 14:59:46 GMT -5
>> Thank you.
In a matter of minutes, the remaining residents of the Summer Snow apartment had returned. Evan and Carter were the first to rush in, the former asking, "Hey! Toby! Præt'nos! What's going on?"
"Uhh..."
"Whoa, Evan, slow down," Jen gently insisted. "Everyone sit down. This may take a while."
"No kidding..." Carter muttered, sitting on the floor while the others each took a chair.
"Yeah! Apparently now we have a Præt'nos problem on top of everything else!" Patrick groaned, flopping into his seat between Evan and Ace.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 15:02:43 GMT -5
Swift frowned anxiously as she sat down next to Evan. "Wishful thinking that those guys would leave us alone long enough to play this game..."
"Okay, so... Præt'nos." Ace was trying to mentally sort out what she knew thus far. "Those demon things that were hanging out in the cemetery during the fog?"
"Yeah." Swift's ears flattened with annoyance. "We have a LONG AND ARDUOUS history with them, so whadya say we start from the beginning?"
"Seems appropriate." Aether nodded first to Evan and Swift, then to Toby.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 15:08:31 GMT -5
Chrys quietly touched down and powered down before knocking on the door. I hope I'm not late... she thought as she waited outside.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 15:26:03 GMT -5
Toby swallowed hard as pretty much everyone in the room stared at him. "Uhhh..."
Then came the knock. "O-Oh, hold on..." He rushed over to answer it, relieved yet even more anxious to find Chrys on the other side. "H-Hey. Come on in..."
Everyone looked up as Toby ushered Chrys inside, smiling, waving or otherwise giving her a casual greeting. The loudest to speak up was Patrick with a cheery "Hiya!" even though he didn't exactly recognize her.
"Morning." Jen grinned warmly, standing to meet Chrys. "You're Toby's friend?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Feb 20, 2016 15:32:11 GMT -5
"How many people we got in on this?" Swift whispered to Evan. Not that she was complaining. If what she had been led to believe was true, the more people who knew, the better.
Ace grinned a little and waved once. "Hi." Aether smiled wide. Andromeda meekly waved.
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Post by DMis on Feb 20, 2016 15:38:37 GMT -5
"Hi everyone," she offered with a meek smile. "And yes. I am. I'm Chrys Bennet."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 20, 2016 16:00:53 GMT -5
"Nice to meet you." Jen nodded and sat back down, offering Chrys a seat. "I guess you know that something's come up. We were just getting started talking about it."
"R-Right... So, uh..." Toby was left standing, awkwardly rubbing his neck and quickly dreading his position. "E-Evan, why don't you explain w-what they are?"
"Oh. Yeah, no problem." Evan shrugged and politely took the floor...
"The Præt'nos are inter-dimensional shadow demons created when departed souls who refuse to pass on to the afterlife bond with an ancient, eldritch darkness that lingers in the void. Their only purpose in existing is to spread this darkness, claiming new territory and stealing souls to make more of their own kind. Now... in regards to the latter, they've been after me and numerous keymasters before me for centuries, hoping to steal the Paramount Key so they can lock the gates of Heaven and Hell and prevent all souls from reaching the afterlife."
"But that's not why they're here now," Jen picked up.
"Right. I've never witnessed this firsthand, but from what I understand... the Præt'nos' leader, Desire, is fully bonded with the darkness, as well as the city where they reside, Ten'dom. She can spread her darkness to other dimensions, latching it onto other worlds and pulling them into their dimension to expand the city. With that said... Toby?"
Toby nodded and obliged, "Last night... I sleepwalked to the cemetery, where I found two of the Præt'nos generals, Sanguine and Melancholic, discussing plans to absorb the island, assimilating it and the souls of its inhabitants into their darkness."
"YOU SAY WHAT NOW?!" Patrick yelped.
Carter swore for only Evan's ears to hear. "Should've seen this coming! A whole world this small with Evan already here... Why wouldn't they target it?!"
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