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 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?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Tch. I guess it is locked away but I dunno, guess I thought ya could get rid of this kinda stuff at least a little.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"There is no way to root out the rot in its entirety, when she continues on this path," says Mr. Edgelord. "As long as she continues, she will accumulate these resentments, these curses--the stones 'round her neck. Her choices are twofold: to continue, and to gather these, or to stop, and be pulled down as one of their number."

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Gotta be some way t'win....

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"Victory is the only way to win," he says, very philosophically.

The ground under their feet is starting to slant upwards--gradually at first, and more steeply; somehow, though, the blood levels around his ankles don't seem to be going down.

"If she wishes to save her world, her only choice is to move forward. Would you ask her otherwise?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Ain't for me t'even ask. Ugh....

[wish i had a broom to fly

fucked up]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

"It is not for either of us to ask," he says. He sounds almost--almost--sympathetic, though the sound of his own footsteps is beginning to slow. "That choice is hers alone. So long as she continues to make it, this place will continue to exist."

And then he stops entirely.

"And here is where you must also make that choice. Do you continue on? Or do you give up, and return to safety, to wait out the rest of your time here?"

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

M'gonna find Ritz.

[pushing onwards]

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

The remaining walk seems to take an inordinate amount of time--hours? months? It's hard to say. The air is still cleaner than it was, but there are the sounds of voices again--louder now, more openly hostile. He can make out words now, in the mess:

"--no! Stop! No, no, no, no, no... I haven't even accomplished anything yet--!"

"--I can't stand it. I spent every one of those thousand and one nights wishing for nothing more than to not die. Every fiber of my being is terrified of death!"

"This... This can't be how I die! I was... I was going to destroy...this entire world...!!!"

They're getting louder. There are so many of them.

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[rugpull]

Hakuna matata, whatta wonderful phrase. Hakuna matata, ain't no passin' craze~

It means no worries for the rest of yer days~

It's a problem free~ philosophy~

Hakuna Matata~....

Re: the delights of a human's heart

[fujimaru]

It gets louder, and louder, and more frantic--

And then it stops.