The first thing that hits you, upon walking into the cavern, is the smell--blood, old and fresh, layers upon layers of it, metallic and cloying. As dry as the command room was, there is suddenly dark liquid sloshing around your feet, up to mid-calf. In the dim lighting, it looks black, but you know with a deep, unpleasant certainty that it is blood.
The smell seems cumulative, too; it starts out as tolerable, but the longer you stay, the more and more overwhelming it becomes. You can hear whispers all around you, fierce angry hurting snatches of conversation, though it is impossible to make out actual words. It feels like there are thousands upon thousands of eyes watching you, and every single one of them wants you worse than dead.
[Eesh. Saturn thumbs over the ring on his finger, wincing, and closes his eyes for a moment to gather himself. He's probably going to have to pull on some willpower here, huh. Crobat, keeping close to his side, seems happy as a clam, though.]
Don't drink any of this.
[She gives him a disappointed trill.
But he presses onward with her, head held high, walking forward.]
The sensation of being stared at only gets worse as he continues on, and as he walks, it feels like there are hands in the blood lapping at his feet, pulling like they mean to drag him down or pull him back... possibly both. The smell also intensifies, as noted, strong enough to burn with each breath.
[Ugh, the smell is terrible. He refuses to look either around to catch any staring eyes or down at anything dragging at his feet, walking, but this is beginning to make him nauseated. He has to catch his breath and swallow thickly before he finally calls out, still walking:]
There is no answer, only the smell getting worse and worse.
A few more seconds after he calls out, though, something else cuts through the smell of old blood--a sharper ozone smell, like something burning through the worst of it and providing, at least for the moment, some cleaner air.
Off to the side, there is a man approaching. The blood around him crackles and hisses and burns away when in contact with the electricity that sparks around him, and he looks... actually pretty annoyed.
[IT'S HIM IT'S THE MAN IT'S THAT GUY. HE'S HERE?! IT'S THAT GUY
Saturn stands up a little straighter, taking a breath of the air as it clears up and then instantly realizing he doesn't need to breathe if he doesn't want to and he's a fucking moron who forgot he could have been holding it all along aaauuugghh.
It doesn't do him any good now, because he does still need to breathe to speak, so he'll continue to enjoy this fresh air while it lasts.]
There's no real path forward illuminated, but holding onto the ring does seem to mitigate the worst of the sensation of things staring. Not a lot, but there is the sense that it could be much, much worse.
When he puts it on, some more of that feeling fades, though it still continues to get stronger as he moves deeper into the muck and blood.
After a few more seconds, though, something else cuts through the smell of old blood--a sharper ozone smell, like something burning through the worst of it and providing, at least for the moment, some cleaner air.
Off to the side, there is a man approaching. The blood around him crackles and hisses and burns away when in contact with the electricity that sparks around him, and he looks... actually pretty annoyed.
The closer he gets, the more clear it is that he is deeply annoyed.
"You should turn back," he says. "This is no place for the living, nor the dead. The way forward is only struggle and suffering. To go forward is folly, and worse. Do you wish to die? Or worse than that?"
[wow! hateful. even just starting out, he puts a hand over his mouth and nose to try and block out the scent as he looks around the cavern. the feeling he gets is even worse, and though he can't make out anyone to connect to these whispers just yet... slightly muffled:]
The only answer he gets is the sound of those whispers getting louder, fiercer, angrier--they're not pleased by the sound of him calling out, whatever they are.
The most notable thing is that everything intensifies--the smell, and the sense of resentment. The smell is the most immediately taxing thing, though; it's powerful, and there's the scent of rotting meat along with the old, cursed blood.
[he pauses immediately as the smell intensifies, trying to breathe in spite of that, but:]
...Someone told me I need to go among the living. I can't imagine that's here. I'm trying to help the person you're a part of, so - can you show me where to go?
There's a long pause, though nothing around him seems to respond--and then, behind him, there is the sound of a match being struck, and something finally, thankfully cuts through the scent: sharp ozone, and the thicker smell of cigarette smoke.
"Among the living, is it? How far astray you've gone."
There is no answer, but at the sound of her name, those whispers grow louder, fiercer, angrier--but still not enough to make out any distinct words just yet. Just a sense of fiercely angry resentment at his presence here.
His expression grows grim for a moment. "The King of Mages has already had his way in this heart. To find him, you will have to walk through this road of damnation with your head held high, without turning back. Are you so prepared to do that?"
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The smell seems cumulative, too; it starts out as tolerable, but the longer you stay, the more and more overwhelming it becomes. You can hear whispers all around you, fierce angry hurting snatches of conversation, though it is impossible to make out actual words. It feels like there are thousands upon thousands of eyes watching you, and every single one of them wants you worse than dead.
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Don't drink any of this.
[She gives him a disappointed trill.
But he presses onward with her, head held high, walking forward.]
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Ritsuka!
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A few more seconds after he calls out, though, something else cuts through the smell of old blood--a sharper ozone smell, like something burning through the worst of it and providing, at least for the moment, some cleaner air.
Off to the side, there is a man approaching. The blood around him crackles and hisses and burns away when in contact with the electricity that sparks around him, and he looks... actually pretty annoyed.
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Saturn stands up a little straighter, taking a breath of the air as it clears up and then instantly realizing he doesn't need to breathe if he doesn't want to and he's a fucking moron who forgot he could have been holding it all along aaauuugghh.
It doesn't do him any good now, because he does still need to breathe to speak, so he'll continue to enjoy this fresh air while it lasts.]
—You.
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He raises an eyebrow at that, which does not do much to disguise how deeply annoyed he is.
"I've not had the pleasure of your acquaintance," he says. "Though if you've made it this far, I assume you are acquainted with my fellow sinner."
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the sounds are a lot too, ears flattening as he starts forward, deeper in
looks through the ring again, hoping for more guidance]
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Ritz? RITTTZZZ?
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After a few more seconds, though, something else cuts through the smell of old blood--a sharper ozone smell, like something burning through the worst of it and providing, at least for the moment, some cleaner air.
Off to the side, there is a man approaching. The blood around him crackles and hisses and burns away when in contact with the electricity that sparks around him, and he looks... actually pretty annoyed.
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stops walking, holding firm]
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"You should turn back," he says. "This is no place for the living, nor the dead. The way forward is only struggle and suffering. To go forward is folly, and worse. Do you wish to die? Or worse than that?"
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Hello? Is anyone there?
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...Someone told me I need to go among the living. I can't imagine that's here. I'm trying to help the person you're a part of, so - can you show me where to go?
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"Among the living, is it? How far astray you've gone."
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he stops for a good ten seconds before forcing himself onward]
Ri—
Ritsuka?
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Ahead, though, there is a firefly spark of light.
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heading for the light]
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"You should not be here," he says. "There is only despair in this place."
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