Palace Game 6/3

[fujimaru]

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Comments

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

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?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Skip all that. Where is she?

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that who you seek? My fellow sinner in all of this?"

Without actually waiting for the answer, he puts a hand to his face and bursts into laughter. It is not exactly what we could call hinged. "Kuhahahahahahaha!! Fool! Would you throw yourself into the sea of a thousand curses, a world built higher and more terrible than the accursed Château d'If? Is that what you wish?!"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

[................idk what any of that shit means so

just gonna start walking pass him]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"You'll drown."

His voice is calmer now, coldly matter-of-fact.

"Continuing forward is certain death, fool. My fellow sinner is many things, including soft-hearted. Would you add your curse to the others she has accumulated?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Won't curse her.

Someone has to go to her. She wants t'be rescued, right? Sinner whatever, she's my friend and she said she'd protect me. So I'd be a real piece of garbage if I left her hanging.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"Did she?" There's a sharper note in the man's voice, and then, without waiting for an answer, almost amused: "Of course she did. And of course she does. She is an ordinary girl, no matter what extraordinary things she accomplishes. She was not meant for any of this. Of course she wishes to be rescued from it."

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

M'gonna find her, mister.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

There's a long pause, and then the man starts to laugh--quietly at first, and then with growing volume and intensity.

"Kuhahahahahaha! Very well! I shall acknowledge your desire, interloper! If you wish to dive into the very pits of hell to retrieve a single sinner's soul, then I shall loan you the strength you need!"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

How's that?

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"Do you think you could make it easily through his ocean? This is not some simple nighttime walk. This is Hell itself! The very worst that the dying and the resentful may throw at the living who outlasts them--"

There's a flicker, and he is suddenly in front of Ruggie now, standing in his path.

"--and if you have the courage to move forward, then I shall walk with you!"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

You're so dramatic. This is why Ritz is how she is, ain't it.

Yer all terminally dramatic.

Sure, let's go together then.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

Unfortunately, being part of the "Extra" classes means you are also Extra, and therefore in the best edgelord fashion, impervious to being called out even to your face about it. If anything, he seems amused at being called out. He only bows low, sweeping an arm out, an after-you sort of gesture.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Yeah yeah.

[moving on ahead]

Weirdo.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

The man falls into step behind him, saying nothing.

In the silence after all of his dramatic monologues, Ruggie's ears are sensitive enough to pick up the sounds of more voices in the darkness: they don't appear to be whispers, but normal tones up to shouting, some louder than others--but all at some great, muffled distance, like maybe he's hearing fighting from a safe(?) distance. On a whole, though, they're all aggressive, angry.

At some point--it may have been a minute, it may have been an hour, time is strange here--something in the blood and worse sloshing around his feet makes a grab at his ankle.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

[TRIES TO STOMP IT]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

He succeeds, but it screams in a very human voice, a man's voice, which cuts off in a wet gurgle. Whatever it is under his heel, it's still thrashing, and in the glow that is cast by Mr. Edgelord, he can see what looks very much like a human hand break the surface for a second.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

[gonna try something--his puppeting magic]

HANDS UP.

[lifts hands into the air and seeing how far and how many his magic reaches, if any at all]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

There are

so many

so many.

He can lift the one that was under him, the hand and the arm and the start of a man's head, but if he tries to reach further and deeper, there are thousands of them, all just under the surface of the blood, which seems to be far, far deeper than the path he is standing on indicates. Not all of them are necessarily human, either; there are more who appear to be beastial in shape, and when he reaches out, it's like the distance between him and then is ripped away. They're all screaming, a cacophony of voices all at once.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

[drops the magic]

THIS IS SO DRAMATIC HAVE SOME SENSE OF SCALE RITZ

[stomping ahead!!!]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

Behind him, Mr. Edgelord starts to laugh.

"Did you think my warnings were exaggerated? Hardly! After so many years, how many curses did you think would accumulate?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

SHE IS A TEENAGED GIRL

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"She is."

Abruptly, the humor is gone out of his voice.

"And she is the only one who was left to take up the mantle that was intended to be spread out among many. Here is where her burdens have been brought to rest."

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

And all you lil' memories and bits and bobs can't pull yer weight around here?! Just go wow she sure is struggling and sit back and watch?

Ya oughta feel some sorta shame.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"You don't think we don't?" His voice is colder now, sharp through the screaming.

"What do you think, then, if we left a place like this alone? If it was allowed to fester, and to grow? Did you not feel the way it reached for you? It would consume everything in its path and grow until it consumed her in her entirety. Would that be preferable? Would you wish to see that fall?"