Field Mission 5: Il Prigioniero, Part 2

[balancemod]

Once you sacrifice something here, you don't get it back. NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! 1. THE MANAGER'S CHALLENGE A. MEET THE BOSS Once upon a time, there was a man, a woman, and a little boy. They were a family. They loved each other very much. Once upon a time, there was a monster, a protector, and a dreamer. They never asked to be a family. One by one, they fell under the pressures of each other. There are always layers to any story. There are at least two sides to any reality. When a man kills his wife with no consequences, what is the end of the story? Will the universe allow such an unhappy ending? Or are there forces that drag it on long past its natural span? With a single act of resistance, four Reclaimers have Remembered and thereby broken the cycle of the Night Show. But this isn't the end. This is barely the middle. Because the Wonderland you've seen so far is a layer of new pink skin over an ugly infection, one that goes deeper than anything the Bureau has seen so far. You can see what's underneath, now, as the theme park is whipped away in an implosion of void-space to show you . . . Emptiness. A space that is no space, blank and white in all directions. Free of gravity, every Reclaimer in the park — and, shockingly, Angus McDonald — is held in place with hands cupped and outstretched in front of them, all facing the same way. They cannot move. They cannot speak. They are the audience. Before them stands a man. Slim, tall, nondescript. He wears a bow-tie with a pattern of Rolands on it. And he is smiling. "Welcome to my Wonderland! My name is Adrian Morgenstern, and I am the Manager. It's a pleasure to meet you. Each and every one of you have had a very interesting effect on my Wonderland in my absence. Some more than others, and at greater cost to yourselves — but I encourage individual choice in Wonderland, and ownership of personal consequences. Suffering is a part of life. It builds character. "So, I am proud of you. So proud, in fact, that I've decided to bring you all backstage. You kept trying to see behind the curtain, didn't you? You'll really enjoy it. There is a great deal to do, so much to explore, and so many games to play. Every second you breathe in Wonderland is a game with stratospheric stakes. You're very brave to take the risk. "And to make things more interesting, I have set up a very special game for you little detectives, who so love to stick their noses into strange secret corners. I challenge you to a Scavenger Hunt. You accept, because you have no choice. Here is what you must gather: "The vacant bodies of Leonardo da Vinci, Minato Arisato, and Henrik Merryweather. The people who have been lured here after your carelessness shattered their livelihood. Have you located them all already? Or did you miss a few? Ten lost little elves, misled and apprehended. And, lastly— "My son. Bring me my son. Bring Niel to me, and I will give you the Compact." There's a crack in the facade. A literal crack; something in the structure of his face is off suddenly, like something has fractured and slid. One cheekbone higher than the other, a hairline fracture underneath his eye. You blink, and it's fixed. His smile is wide, but his face is whole. Suddenly, in each Reclaimer's outstretched hands (and in Angus's), there is a single three-sided die. On each side is written a word: BODY, MIND, or SPIRIT. "Don't lose these, now! These are your cheat codes. If you find yourself struggling with the scavenger hunt and in need of a little help, you can play a little game of chance to give Wonderland something of yours. It won't take anything that will kill you, don't worry. But it will take things that matter, and it won't give them back. "One more thing, and then I'll let you go. I've given you some cheats, but in order to keep you from finishing the game too quickly, I'm taking something away, too. Everyone, please take good care of yourselves while you're here. You're all precious cargo. And there's no healing in Wonderland." He winks. And blinks out of existence. And suddenly, the nonspace you occupied is gone, and you are Somewhere Else. Back to top 2. WONDERLAND, UNDER THE SKIN B. THE ILLUSION COMES DOWN CW: Emetophobia, body horror, reality caving in on itself For a short time after Adrian leaves, everything is as it should be. Wonderland is Wonderland, but quiet and still aside from the background music. After a few breaths, heartbeats slowing, the music warps and bends like rotting wood, going further and further off key until it grinds. Clangs once, loudly, down to your bones, and halts. The world freezes in absolute silence. Then. A sizzling noise. Burning paper. The illusion starts to die. To your left, the floor peels up like it's made of paper, mist, waving like a mirage before your eyes. Colorful red velvet floors reveal dark green and glowing violet moss and fungus. Gold tile floors give way to ebony wood, gone rock solid in atrophy. Disease. A small black vine reaches from the floor towards you, towards Life, but withers and hardens before your eyes. You need to leave. To your right, a wall bleeds. Is it actually blood? Sap? The color seems to run away from your eyes - goldredwhiteyellowblackblackblack - covered with an iridescent sheen, an oil slick, pouring out and up and towards in ways that burn your eyes and soul. You need to leave. All around you, the Wonderland you've come to know burns like shadows in sunlight, or sunlight to shadow. The ceiling and walls and everything morphs to the inside of some unfathomably large tree. Roots and branches and gouged out holes, forming paths of the most non-ecludian sort. Some... things out of sight climb up and down in the darkness, looking for purchase, escape, travel. Far too many limbs, or none at all. You need to LEAVE. Not yet. You want to help. You need to help. You grab the nearest non-reclaimer - an elf, a visitor, someone - and they are both far too light and far too heavy. Stiff like wood in your hands. Their skin is gray, ashen, black veins in porcelain skin. Eyes gone solid black, they try to say something, but all that comes out is a spew of thick black tar - leaking from their eyes, ears, nose, vomit, cracks in their joints and once-flesh. The amorphous Black they just expelled pulses, then skitters down between the wood at your feet. You look at your skin. Your veins are too dark. Visible. Present. A weight builds in your heart, The Reclaimers (and Angus) can still move, bolt for what was once a cascade of colors, lights and joy. Now it's a gaping maw, jagged edges like splintered teeth around a hole like a cavity, sap like pus seeping out of the edges. The once-elevator now-branches bring you back to Shadowdale, covered in a charcoal smog that seems to smile at you from every angle. C. THE CAVALRY ARRIVES Lucretia, after receiving Sans' text about the current state of affairs within Wonderland, is faced with a decision that only she could make. Years ago, she came upon this place and lost decades of her life, all in an attempt to stop the mechanations of this horrific landscape. Her biggest failure, a thorn in her pride, she assembled the Bureau of Balance not long after her visit in order to take down places like this. People or things who obtain a power they should not have. She doesn't know why Wonderland is the way that it is, she can only guess that the Grand Relic has corrupted the World Tree down to its core. But more than that, more than the years she put onto her life for a wager of chess, more than the meticulous, maddening obsession she has with destroying every single one of these objects that threaten the world- her Reclaimers are here. Her Reclaimers. Against the judgment of most of her advisers and Moon Base employees, she grits her teeth and holds tight to her staff. Carey, Killian, and Lucretia descend upon the forests of the Cormanthor region. It takes them far, far too long to make it through the wilds. The forest can sense when someone is coming to destroy it, and thus, sends everything it can against them. Enchantment after enchantment gets flung their way, but she knows better. She's seen Wonderland before and she reckons that no one has ever visited this place twice. Arriving in Shadowdale, she looks up to see Yggdrasil in its sad, sorry state. Clasping her staff in place, finally here, she is resplendent in her detestation of this unholy place. A few of you might be there at the base of the tree when Wonderland transforms into its hellscape, and you might see her approaching, purposeful, as if every step is one of reclamation and poise. Angus McDonald looks upon her and tilts his head, trying to figure out what exactly it is that's going on. Lucretia warmly smiles at him. "Hello, Angus. I've heard much about you." "Ma'am?" But her attention is turned to another little boy, terrified otherwise. His face is darkened, sickly colors rooting through his veins and showing up against a pale skin. Niel. Ah, she remembers him, too. Her face gives no sign of anger, of fear, or resentment. "Don't worry, Niel. We'll free you from that monster." She doesn't renege on her promises. Lucretia slams her white oak staff on the ground and in an instant, a flash of brilliant luminescence fills all of Shadowdale, expelling the darkness that lingers around the corners of the sleeping town. She erects a magic dome from the center of her origin, expanding out from her as she concentrates on her magic. Lucretia's gifted in the arcane herself, you see, and a giant Globe of Invulnerability spell now blocks entrance nor exit from this zone. And for the first time in centuries, Shadowdale sees sunlight. Carey and Killian flank her. She needs to concentrate on this spell in order to keep it active, and they're there to stop anyone who thinks about getting in her way. D. NEW RULES OF WONDERLAND It's a zero-sum game here that Adrian is wagering. Lucretia didn't bring Dr. Tank down to Shadowdale for a very specific reason; an expert chess player herself, she always thinks in terms of move by move encounters. She figures that the rules would change quickly once the Reclaimers had figured out what was behind the curtain, so to speak. There's no way that Wonderland would allow healing or restoration of a body within its confines. She aims to cut this place off from the outside world. To quarantine it away from escape and cage it inward like an animal. No, Dr. Tank would be useless here, and if anything... dangerous, to put their chief of medical staff here in the middle of the mission. And thus, no one can come in or out of the area once she's erected the barrier. Returning to base is no longer an option for the remainder of the mission, including any and all facilities provided by its administration: Bender's food, Fantasy Costco, items you may have left behind, etc. Those of you who have opted out of the horror plot for the month will most likely be spending your time in Shadowdale for the next two weeks, providing back up and support to Lucretia. The work you do out here is equally as important as the work that needs to be done on the inside. Whereas the forest was quiet and still before, it seems to have taken on a new life of its own, now that it senses the Source of its life deeply threatened. Killian takes command from here on out. Anyone not willing to go up to Wonderland needs to stay down here and stop the encroaching darkness from attacking. And she means that, literally. As you look around the outskirts of town, the dome extending well beyond the vantage point you can see, there are creatures, made of darkness, dripping a deeply red sap that sparkles in the newfound texture of light Lucretia's spell provides. One bounds forward from the edge of a building, four legs crawling and made of pure shadow, and attempts to make an attack towards the Director. Carey cuts it down as it splits into two and vanquishes into a dark dust. "What the hell are these ugly gods-damned things?!" Some of you might've noticed it before in your rolls, but in the light provided by Lucretia's spell, there's no denying it. Negativity forms a dark cloud straight from Carey's mouth, as her eyes go wide at the sight of it. The monster at her feet, now a cloud of dust, seems to feed on it as it reassembles back into its form. What the actual fuck. Back to top 3. A TASTE OF GOOD SUFFERING E. REEDS GROWING OUT OF MY FINGERTIPS The Wonderland the Reclaimers and Angus find themselves in now looks nothing like the Wonderland they left behind. The feel of it is similar, except that the creeping dread has officially crept. It's here now, fully-formed and breathing down the back of every single neck. What was whispered before is screamed now: Wonderland is here to hurt you. The fun it seeks is not for you, but fuel for something else, something you haven't found yet. Nonetheless, you're here to feed it. And so, you begin to realize, is Yggdrasil. The naturally-minded among you begin to realize it with sickening certainty: the roots, the veins, the stiffness and the ever-present tarlike substance stem from the sickness of the World Tree. Wonderland, and all of you, are within Yggdrasil's rot now — and as much as it tries to reject this magic, the insidious power of the Compact has taken over too far. The tree is dying. Inside of it as you are, you can practically feel it. The entire place is a warren, structured like the tree it's draining the life out of. From the central trunk, the central locations that used to be Squares slide off from the main body in long, twisting branches that turn in nonsensical directions before abruptly coming to a halt. Each Square exists in uncomfortable parody here — or maybe the original was the cruel joke, because the purpose of Wonderland is suffering. At any turn in your path through the channels of Wonderland, you'll be swimming through darkness creeping in on all sides. No light can penetrate past your periphery, with very few exceptions; you are a moving lantern in this blackness, functioning on faith that whatever comes at you, a mystery until the last moment, will be something you can handle. Stumble into Battle Square and find yourself face-to-face with a monster of vicious intelligence and amorphous shape, delighted to cut you to ribbons over a period of hours while telling you every secret shame you've ever harbored. In Event Square, a knot midway up the endless trunk, time goes taffy-sticky as you trip through loops of memory blasted on every wall, loud and confusing and overwhelming, going on for what seems like forever. There's more, of course — more discrete spaces than you could even see in Wonderland. Any manner of horror you can consider can be found here, as vast as Yggdrasil itself. One or two places, though, will be particularly easy to recognize — and difficult to escape. F. THIS IS NOT FOR YOU Sometimes, investigation gives us little tips and tricks for solving the next stage of the puzzle. For example: Michael found a map to the mirror maze, back in the first iteration of Wonderland. But unfortunately, sometimes the setting also cheats. Ghost Square is still here — but maps aren't going to do you any good. Enter this section of Wonderland and the door behind you doesn't exist anymore. It doesn't pop out of existence; it just isn't, like it never was, like maybe you imagined it in the first place. A hallway, apparently manmade, stretches out in front of you, dark and cold. It appears to be approximately 60 feet long. The walls are black. When you reach out to touch them, they are freezing to the touch and too smooth to be natural, not shiny enough to be polished, too hard to be plant matter. You have no idea what they are, but touching them saps the warmth out of you, so you stop. You keep walking, a halo of light around you but stretching no further than a few feet in any direction. You walk for 60 feet. The hallway keeps going. It hasn't gotten longer, but it hasn't gotten shorter, either. It keeps going. It keeps going. You continue until your feet hurt or you get sick of this bullshit, whichever comes first, and then you turn back the way you came. Maybe you think you'll see a door, or maybe you're not thinking very clearly anymore. Back the way you came, there is a staircase. It wasn't there before. You certainly didn't pass it. It spirals down into the depths. It could be a story deep or a hundred. You have no way to know. You turn back towards the direction you originally walked, and there is only a wall. It's the spiral staircase or it's nothing. You go down. As you descend, it gets colder. Colder and darker, and the darkness and cold press against you, creep under your skin and make you shake. The halo of light around you begins to dim the deeper you go. If you go deep enough, it will be hard to tell what's light and what's your imagination. Because really, honestly? The longer you stay in this place, the more you begin to think you're hearing things. Whispers just beyond your ability to decipher. A soft laugh, like that of a child or someone trying to stay quiet. And if you stop, or rest, or feel something negative — anger, frustration, sorrow, despair, it doesn't matter, because a black fog drifts out from between your lips. And in the distance, something roars. Just a little bit closer every time. Every once in a while, as you descend the staircase, you will pass a mirror with a red X taped near the top. Sometimes you'll see yourself in it. Sometimes you'll see something worse. When you get right down to it, what you get out of the world has a lot to do with what you put in — so we hope you're staying positive, or you might see something really nasty. G. THE SONG BEYOND THE SONG The aftermath of MARIA's destruction, the Area That Was Once The Night Show is a blasted husk. More than anywhere else, the walls ooze Yggdrasil's lifeblood from where something... was. Something large used to be chained here. Open gashes and empty sockets line the walls and floor. A large root knotted like a spine shoots through the very center of the room, a support pillar, entwined into the ceiling and floor and Everything of this cavern. Growths like tumors rise from the floor - what was once gambling tables look more like grasping hands. A few curl into themselves, knocked over, shattered to splinters in the wake of what was once there. Maria is gone. She is free. There is a sob. Small. Weak. Mortal. At the base of the pillar, half-absorbed into the plant matter of Yggdrasil is Stylosa. Black roots creep up through her arms, chest, face. Her tears are tinged black, but the eyes are still hers. One arm reaches out. She whispers 'please help, it hurt̷̟͂s̶͕̓ ̵̻͂ĩ̸̺t̸͔͐ ̴͙̍ḧ̷̜́ù̸̘r̶̢̓t̶́͜s̸̫͒ ̸͑ͅî̶̺Ṱ̴̿ ̵̠̃H̷̙͊U̸̻̒R̶̯͛T̸͓͠S̸̢͌`- The world goes static, right then wrong then right again, and the original Wonderland surrounds you. Silent - for a second. An explosion of color and canned applause comes from behind you. What was once a stage opens once more. There is the Henrik some of you were searching for, skin plaster, eyes matte black, a rigor mortis smile across his face. His voice booms out of speakers that aren't there. "Welcome, one and all, as we embark on this, our first night! To the new and improved Night Show, with one hundred percent more audience participation!!! Guaranteed to keep you rooted to your seats, haha!" Confetti falls from nowhere, more false cheers from an invisible audience. He bows, stiff and chipped as a wind-up toy. It gives you a chance to angle your gaze to where there used to be an exit. It is there no longer. Doors appear and disappear in wrong places. Chandeliers swap between designs. The new Show is still trying to acclimate itself. "Now, I know some of you have had a bad time here before, but please romaine calm. We-" And then Da Vinci's Body, appearing from nowhere, the same black eyes and battered smile, smacks him upside the head. A slapstick comedy in all the worst ways. "That one doesn't work! We're in an ash tree!" "No, we're in a cactus!" "Ahahaha! Oh, Henrik, you know I'm a succa for your jokes!" Both them and the invisible audience crack out into raucous laughter, doing matching poses like they're both on the cover of Vogue magazine. They whisper something to each other and 'Da Vinci' runs off stage to prepare. "Tonight, in celebration, we'll be holding our first ever... talent show!!! Our main acts are just boooring now. You know what I mean? Look at this mess-" A hand waves out, and Minato unfolds up from the floor, harp welded into his hands, painted and decorated and held in place with pipes and wire. 'Da Vinci' waves her arms, unveiling the elaborate music box. His hands play against his will, plinking out the sad notes to a certain Velvet Room theme. He gets left alone in tired silence for a bit before a note goes off key. 'Da Vinci' yanks his face into the same smile, freezing it in place. TODAY IS A JOYOUS DAY, we are all so very HAPPY, and the eyes of 'Minato' go black. The room is filled with cheers and rainbows, an excited irish jig played out by their wind-up stage musician. 'Henrik' doesn't wander the room, choosing instead to make sure the background music keeps going. The statues and paintings once lining the walls bend before your eyes - reforming into memories from your home, replays of your failures, but all done up in catchy pop-art style and played for hilarity. Rather than Marias, all newcomers are visited by a black-eyed ghoul wearing a human skin. They hand out drinks and paperwork, what would you like to participate with in our talent show? The winner not only gets a job but- One wish from the Compact. Surely that's way more interesting than trying to get out, right? Back to top 4. OOC In order to keep to our goal of providing the most personalized Wonderland experience for all of you, we're setting a limit of 1 RNG attempt per character this log. Additionally, please be aware that while some mundane rolls will have standard-level DCs, many rolls, including those with the potential to uncover plot information, will be high-risk high-reward and will have a very high DC along with steep penalties for failure. As always, we will let you know of this before we roll, and you have the option to decline any roll at any time. If you would like to gain a bonus of +2 on any given roll, those who have opted in to horror content may make the choice to sacrifice something of body, mind, or spirit. We will determine your sacrifice based on your horror homework. It is up to you whether this sacrifice is for the duration of the mission or a permanent sacrifice. As an additional reminder, there is no healing in Wonderland. To a few of you, this will be even more detrimental than usual. To those of you who went too far with your debts or your choices, who have lost your very Selves to Wonderland. A list: ○ Michael ○ Kaede Akamatsu ○ Minato Arisato ○ Akira Kurusu ○ Guido Mista ○ Ryuji Sakamoto ○ Leonardo da Vinci ○ Willard H. Wright Despite Lucretia's spell, the Light won't effect you guys. Over the course of part 2 you'll find you're slowly falling prey to what hit everyone else in wonderland. Your skin will turn pale, your veins will turn dark, you'll start vomiting viscous Abyss that occasionally comes to life, and eventually your eyes will turn black and you will Petrify. Should you as a player not want to play out the vomiting part, it can be exchanged with breathing out black mist. Whichever's cool with your school guys. The speed/intensity of this change and all of its symptoms is also up to you. There are two exceptions. Da Vinci, while she is still a Roland, will simply start going rotten, seams growing old and fur collapsing away. Constant Mending will mitigate this, but she's on a timer to get her body back now. Willard will find that as the hardening of the glass continues, it will start to lose all color and begin to crack in places. These cracks will leak the same tar infecting the other players. Minato, despite being a Music Box right now, is still in his physical body and is not an exception. On a more general note, we encourage you to make your own mini-horrorscapes in this setting! The entirety of Wonderland is available to dark-side, with the exception of what we've already laid out for Ghost & Wonder Squares. Improvise and make a mess. Just make sure to tag anything warning-worthy. Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. Should you have any questions, please direct them to the OOC post linked above. Back to top blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

[feytality]

[ damn he's onto her!!! ]

[ just kidding. she takes half a step forward, slowly, but puts her hands up in a placating gesture. it's worked out in the past. ]

What, they'd say they're Maya? [ this is no time to be cheeky, maya. ] Well, I guess it makes sense... I am pretty cute, after all.

[ this is not helping. her expression sobers. ]

You can keep your guard up as high as you want. But, I'm not leaving you down here, Ferran.

[noblegarnet]

[It doesn't work too well this time, unfortunately. The vulture screeches at her when she approaches, and Ferran nearly takes a step back but decides instead on further intimidation. He can't show weakness. Not any more than he already has.]

I said get away!

[The sound of a thunderclap booms as if lightning had struck between them, and the ground shakes accordingly for a brief moment.]

1/2

[feytality]

[ maya does jump at that, but doesn't dodge, instead bracing herself for it (like an idiot)]

Eek!

[ it takes her a moment to realize she hasn't actually been hit by lightning ]

[feytality]

[ she takes a breath to regain her composure as voices echo in the background. it's not like she's any stranger to betrayal and abandonment, and all the voices whispering are people that have betrayed and/or abandoned her. but she has to focus. her eyes flicker between the vulture and ferran, but a gritty kind of resolve takes hold of her. he's not himself - wonderland is messing with him like it's messing with everyone, there's a possibility he's hearing voices crooning about betrayal too. it dawns on her that there's a possibility he might attack her for real. ]

[ .... but that's fine. as long as she can help him. ]

Okay... listen, I won't come any closer if you don't want me to, but I'm serious about not leaving you here. Can't you see what this place is? And your arm.... [ he can't see his own face, but that's a huge cause for concern, too. ] ... you're chained down. Literally.

[noblegarnet]

Of course I'm chained down!

[He doesn't sound surprised, although he does sound appropriately distressed about it. As if on cue, a metallic screeching and clinking is audible as another one of those glassy chains wraps around his throat. It doesn't seem to have any effect on his speech, but it keeps him from moving much when he leans forward to emphasize what he's saying.]

I don't want to be here! Not in this forest, not in this world! We were all stolen away and told we could either risk everything over and over again for these relics—or survive in a world we know nothing about that has no sympathy for us!

[Something dark hovers above them, millions of eyes each containing an entire universe, and the scene around them starts to crackle and melt, cast in black and red like the reflection from a blood moon. Out of the corner of her eye, there's a familiar hand (come with me), and a smile that doesn't seem quite right.]

There's no escaping any of that. Even if there was, none of you would make it easy!

[feytality]

[ there's a lot going on, all of which is extremely alarming, and it's hard not to immediately contradict what she said about not moving and shove ferran far away from eyes and hands.... even if the hand is reaching for her. ]

[ she instead focuses on ferran. there's a lot of things she could say here. mostly, her first instinct is to reassure him -- comfort him, cheer him up, give him some optimism, insist he can break free, and that they run right now from whatever it is forming above them. she pulls out her spear and grips it, ready to fend it off if it goes for ferran. ]

[ but what she offers him... is the truth. it probably means more, right now. ]

You're right.

[ this might sound odd coming from maya, one member of the gen-ki crew, to be saying so plainly, but there it is. no mist escapes her, but she does seem.... resigned, at least a little. ]

There's no escaping it. We're stuck like this, mission after mission... they keep getting worse, and we didn't ask for any of it. We're just... a bunch of teenagers with nowhere else left to go. Way in over our heads. Getting hurt, facing death, over and over again....

[ .... ]

But you can escape this. These chains, right here... holding you down. And.... you're not alone. You don't have to face this alone.

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran tenses at the sight of Maya drawing her weapon, but her admission—her agreement—keeps him from doing anything drastic just yet.

He'd thought he was in that kind of situation before—given a power he didn't ask for, tasked to fight things out of his depth, forced to struggle and claw his way through until he learned how to use his magic. Now he wonders if he was actually in danger at all back home, when it would have been so easy for Onyx and his monsters to kill him in his sleep if that was what he really wanted.

This world? It's so much more dangerous. There is no such thing as a normal life. Feral monsters, sinister magic, gods that take control of whoever they want. Their souls are bound regardless of what they do. They never had a choice. They were given user manuals on how to kill things, and almost nothing else. He barely knows anything about these people.]

You don't get it. All I want is to be left alone!

[The eyes—those both above them and those of the undefined faces—turn judgmental, suspicious, hateful. The last time he tried to be a part of a team, the trust that was built between them was immediately shattered, and it will just be the same here. But honestly, it's not like he can trust himself, either. Black fog continues to seep out of his mouth, drifting up towards the unfathomable shadow overhead. It starts reaching down in the edges of the space, as if to consume it whole from the outside.]

I should have known better than try to get close to anyone. I know how that ends.

[feytality]

[ if it's any comfort to him at all, she keeps the spear trained up, definitely -- at the creature. she doesn't like the way it's hovering over him, and she definitely doesn't like how it's absorbing the mist coming from him. it's probably a metaphysical thing -- he might have to fight it off himself like she suspects he'll have to break free of his own chains, but she's prepared to fend it off if she needs to. ]

[ she lets out a very quiet laugh, herself, and a trace of black mist escapes from her mouth as well. it's faint, but it's there. ]

I don't think anyone really wants to be left alone. But it's hard.... not to be scared, if you've been hurt by people before. People you trusted. People who should have been protecting you.

[ her smile is a little sad, and it's clear that she might be talking about her own experiences here instead of his. there's a note of empathy. ]

[ and maya takes a deep breath, centering heself. gotta stay on track, here, this isn't about her. ]

You know what, though? I don't think you should have known better. I think you did know, and you tried anyway. And I think that's very brave. In fact.....

[ ... ]

I don't think that's wrong at all. To think things might end differently. To want to be able to be close to people. I think you deserve that.

[ she sounds completely sincere, for whatever that's worth. ]

[noblegarnet]

[Despite the paranoia and the selfishness that Wonderland is doing its best to draw out of him, there's a part of him that wonders about Maya, what she's been through, how well she knows what that's like. And frankly, he is scared—he's terrified that he'll have his whole world shattered all over again, for the fourth or fifth time, that he'll never be able to tell the difference between friend and foe, that he won't ever have a place or people he can call home. She says he deserves it, and he grits his teeth in the futile hope of holding back tears.

His response is almost choked out as a result, his throat threatening to close around the words as he lowers his weapon. It's a realization that was forced onto him when he wasn't ready for it, and he hates it:]

People don't get what they deserve. Me being here... all of us being here proves that.

[And him trying to fix that, trying to help others with their problems, reaching out and trying to be part of a team—that was always a mistake, as much as he craves the company and can't stop himself from caring. And more than even the fear of what others will do to him, which is no small matter, what about the other side of the equation? A shadow takes the form of a caped man on the broken husk of a building, gleaming yellow eyes beneath a mask and a wicked smile. The deep voice returns through that form.

Of course they don't. But we're going to fix that, my dear.

Ferran has wondered for months now what would have happened if his universe hadn't been destroyed at that pivotal moment. Knowing that he was taken in by the same man he'd been trying to fight... Onyx must have had a reason. The ends of those ethereal chains appear in the clawed metal gloves of the shadow figure, and he pulls at them with clear delight as Ferran moves accordingly. The young man looks stricken, but as if his emotions were frozen in a moment before any true realization could happen.

Show me just how well I've trained you.

Maya will have to worry about the shadow monster later. For now, she has a Ray of Frost to avoid.]

[feytality]

[ oh, wow, she didn't mean to make him choke up. she can't help but feel bad, even though there's no time to linger on those feelings. ]

.... I know. You don't deserve this. Look, I'm not going to tell you to trust me, but---

[ he doesn't deserve to be here, none of them do. that's really what it boils down to. she wants to say more, to try to assure him, to try to encourage him to trust in himself, however little it may actually help, but they're rudely interrupted. she sees movement happening in the corner of her eye, and can guess that it's shadow-related, but the man formed is unfamiliar to her. he kind of looks like an anime villain. ]

[ kind of acts like one, too, frankly!!! luckily for maya, she rolled a 17, her reflexes are pretty quick and she's practiced teleporting on the fly pretty extensively-- so she manages to disappear and reappear several feet away, out of the ray's trajectory. she glares and points at onyx, puffing her cheeks out. ]

I don't know who the heck you think you are, but you better leave Ferran alone!

[ or face the wrath of the pufferfish. ]

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran's limited experience with Onyx doesn't stop the image from seeming and acting like a whole person with his own personality, and Ferran knows like it's carved into his soul that the man likes to gloat.

I am the only reason Ferran still lives.

Onyx teleports as well, though instead of mist, he leaves behind a dark crack in the world that closes itself slowly. He reappears just behind Ferran, who's already pivoted to face Maya's new location, and places a hand on his shoulder after his familiar has taken to the air. Despite the apparent hypnosis Ferran is under, his hand is shaking.

Whatever you think you know of the boy, discard it. He is nothing more than my tool, and more ruthless than you might expect. But—I know it's easy to dismiss mere words. Why don't I show you?

A gentle push to Ferran's shoulder, and the young man darts towards her, an intent expression on his face. The knife in his hand is pointed forward, but with a simple button it becomes more than just that: the blade shoots towards her for a surprise ranged attack, connected to its hilt by a metal cord. From another direction, Agate dives towards her.]

[feytality]

[ she looks around for him when he disappears -- she doesn't like being ont he other end of teleporting -- but her eyes narrow when he puts his hand on the boy's shoulder. ]

[ the shaking hands don't go unnoticed, either. ] I don't know who you are, exactly, or what your history is with Ferran..... but....

[ there's a lot she doesn't know about ferran, actually. ]

[ at this point, she stops addressing onyx entirely and focuses on ferran. this is intentional. she knows he isn't real -- he's a projection borne from ferran's nightmares or something, probably, so there's no point in talking to him. ferran is who's important here, ferran is who she needs to reach. ]

You're not a pawn, and you're definitely not ruthless. You wouldn't be trying your best, even in this horrible place, if you were, and---

[ there it goes. maya's reflexes are sharp, but there are two factors here she didn't take into account. one, agate, and two, surprise knife ninja chain action. she throws herself off to the side, but not quite in time -- the knife gets her at an angle, cutting her across her shoulder. she bites her lip hard to keep from screaming, immediately clutching at it and bunching her clothing to stop the bleeding. thanks, first aid lessons!!!! ]

[ ow. ]

I..... ah....

[ it hurts, she wavers on her feet, her eyes water a little reflectively, but it didn't hit anything vital, and it's not very deep. she re-focuses, hand clutching at her shoulder. ]

I know you.... y-you don't want to hurt anyone... Ferran..... he's making you do it.... don't let him.

[noblegarnet]

[Satisfied with the hit, Onyx-Ferran slings the blade away and retracts it to the hilt where it snaps back into place, her blood leaving a light splatter across his robes. Agate swoops back up and circles over Maya like the vulture she is, watching and waiting for the next opportunity to attack.

Ferran is struggling enough to pause before continuing any assault, but—]

Hurting people is all I'm good for.

[He's just proven that. Another tear slides down his face, although it seems like his expression is forcefully being held in place.

That's why there's no point trying to connect to anyone, says Onyx, watching with interest in his eyes. Trust is such a mistake when you can't even trust yourself—isn't that right, my dear?

Ferran doesn't respond. But Maya will hear those background whispers become different, unfamiliar voices, hissing insistently: run. go. save yourself.]

[feytality]

[ this sure would be a convenient time for nick junior to come in. he's around somewhere, actually, warbling in distress, but she knows ferran doesn't like fire. so, nick junior stays away. for now, anyway. ]

[ maya hears them all -- onyx, the unfamiliar voices, but she only cares about one: ferran's. so yeah, this idiot isn't going anywhere. ]

Y-You know that's not true! You rescued the Director! You helped me in Maru!

[ she has to stop to suck a pained breath through her teeth in for a second in her flurry of shounen shouting. ]

Do you think I'd still be here if you really such a monster? Do you think Mista and Blake and Sayori would be friends with you if you were really that bad?

[ .... ]

Wonderland hurt me, not you. And.... it's hurting you too. [ she uses her free hand to gesture to his tears. ] Don't listen to him. T... Trust yourself.

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran just wants her to leave and escape from this, from him. Of course he knows what all this is—knows Onyx isn't here, that these chains aren't real. Knowing isn't enough to break through it. And besides that, it's taking everything from him, and he doesn't think it's without basis. Wonderland may be manifesting it right now, but he's still a danger.]

They don't know enough yet. They—you hardly know anything about me. [He admits an honest, dark thought he's had for a while, if just to prove it to her:] If I could go back, I don't know that I would save Lucretia again.

[The illusion of Onyx has been watching, but that last remark seems to both satisfy him and spur him into action again, pulling Ferran's metal strings to make him ready another spell. Maya won't stop him, and she won't run away. She tells him to trust himself.]

I can't!

[He wrestles just enough control back to change the target of the spell. The white-gold of his Ray of Frost doesn't streak towards Maya—it explodes at his feet, encasing his lower half in a decent coating of ice, along with some of his hands. It might not be enough to stop him for good, but it's going to slow him down. If he gets frostbite, he'll deserve it.]

[feytality]

We know enough to know you're better than you think you are. If you were really so bad, you wouldn't even be pointing it out.

[ yeah, that's a dark thought, but right now he's at one of his lowest points, and she knows not a lot of people trust lucretia. heck, it hurts her to know that lulu knew what was waiting for them here and didn't better prepare them -- that she's still probably making decisions behind their back. ]

[ maybe he'd choose not to save her if he could go back. but maya thinks he would, no matter what he says. that optimism life. ]

I think you wou---

[ he fights back, wresting control from onyx, even just a little. ]

See! You don't want to hurt me! You're fighting him! Keep going! Y... You can!

[ believe in the maya who believes in you, ferran! ]

[noblegarnet]

[Damn it, Maya.]

Don't be stupid!

[He's berating himself over this, still stuck with the idea that he and everyone else are better off separate, but it's out of concern—and focusing on that is enough to help him pull against Onyx's influence. Frost has built up on some of those chains, making them more visible, but they're not frozen enough to be brittle. Not yet.]

Get out of here while I'm trapped!

[Onyx isn't pleased, but he hasn't lost confidence yet, his voice echoing against the dark, corroded walls as he forces Ferran to try to break free.

Even now you can't escape me—I've controlled everything about you since I burned your life to a crisp.

Ferran still believes this, even though the man has been dead for months—whether the influence was supernatural or just psychological, he's there, and Ferran can't forget him. But even with the power of that belief, the spell he's cast on himself was more powerful, and he stays where he is. The ice doesn't even crack.]

[feytality]

[ what's that, ferran? be even more stupid?? ]

There's nothing stupid about believing in a friend!

[ what's a little papercut between friends. ]

[ she wavers - not sure whether to move forward or stay in place -- there's a big part of her that wants to go and try to bust him out herself -- and she considers taking action against the phantom itself. how much would that even help? he's driving her crazy, though, she hates to see him hurt ferran like this -- to manipulate him like a puppet. literally. ]

And I'm not abandoning you. You and I are going to leave here together, once you've shaken off this creep and broken the chains around your heart!

[ stop with this shounen nonsense, maya. ] He's not real... he's not here. It's just you and me. So, come on, please.... have a little faith. You're already defeating him.

[noblegarnet]

[NO!!!!!!]

You don't get it!

[He has no faith. That's been true practically since he was brought here—he's just waiting to die in an unfamiliar world, and recovering the relics won't do anything to destroy the hunger or restore their own worlds. Hope is a concept that's utterly foreign to him, at this point.]

Aside from taking my parents from me, aside from getting me to trust him... he did something to me. Even if he's dead and gone forever, I can't get him out of my head.

[... but Maya isn't leaving. If actively attacking and hurting her hasn't made her go, then... she's not going to later. Onyx can hurt him all he wants, illusion or not, but he can't stand the thought of letting this hurt anybody else.

That's what he's thinking when he tries to break free of those chains again. But with a fucking critical fail the fake takes control again despite his best efforts, and he goes silent. Ferran himself may not be able to move, but his familiar can, and Agate flies in to attack Maya with her beak and talons.]

[feytality]

[ she might get it more than he thinks, honestly -- unless the doing something is literal, like a spell, or something. it's hard to say. ]

You're stronger than he is, Ferran. No matter what he says. I know you are. You just need to know it, too!

[ she's still pleading with him, but firmly. he can redo his roll with a lower dc now, and fortunately this time she's prepared. agate divebombs but maya disappears in a flash and reappears several feet away. ]

[ she casts hideous laughter on agate. if it lands, it won't hurt her, but it'll be very distracting. ]

we can still move towards a conclusion despite ferran being a failure ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

[noblegarnet]

[A little from column A, a little from column B. They'll get into the details when they're out of here.

Maya's spell is enough to break the illusion's control of the familiar, and she flaps wildly before falling to the ground and writhing in confusion, struggling with the same suggestions her master is. Their telepathic connection causes him to be knocked out of sorts as well, but just enough to bring him back to the surface. Even with Onyx's control, though, it's not like he can do anything but struggle at this point. The ice around his legs and hands cracks, but doesn't break.

Onyx's voice, deliberate, echoes at the same time as Ferran speaks regretfully. There's not much to be done now. His tools have become useless.]

You... you're such an idiot. How did you even survive this far, acting like that...?
You... you're such a fool. How many times have you been hurt, trusting this blindly?

just give him another 10 rolls he's good to go, but yes!!!

[feytality]

[ well, that's one attacker taken care of. maya was more concerned about the effect agate hurting her would have on ferran -- but that's looking less and less likely. ferran himself is still struggling, and she genuinely believes he can break through. he just needs a little more of a push. ]

[ it's not the first time she's been called an idiot, and it probably won't be the last. they're probably right. but she doesn't really care. ]

I'd rather be an idiot than turn my back on a friend.

[ (it's a fair question, ferran... and onyx). then, for the first time in a bit, she addresses onyx. kind of. ]

But lemme just correct one little thing for you, 'cause you're a little turned around, evil creepy guy. I don't trust blindly. I know exactly who I'm trusting... [ back to ferran! ] Ferran.

[ onyx is right, she's been hurt before by doing this. and she'll be hurt again. she knows that, too. ]

[ it doesn't stop her, though. ]

[noblegarnet]

[Onyx laughs in a low chuckle, and Ferran's expression turns pained. They speak again, in unison this time.]

You don't know anything.

[The illusion starts to fracture around them, spreading out from Onyx himself. The caped figure holds the chains out in front of him, as if to display them—]

You'll regret it, eventually.

[—and he drops them just as the last of it breaks with the noise of shattering glass, leaving the two Reclaimers and familiar in an empty, dark space inside Yggdrasil. Ferran finally breaks free from the ice and falls to his knees. Wonderland may be done with him for now, but... he'll never be free.]

[feytality]

I won't, though.

[ she says that with utter confidence. she's known way worse people than ferran, no matter what he or his hallucinations say. ]

[ then onyx disappears and ferran's finally free of the chains. it's.... not quite what she was hoping for, but she'll take it. she rushes over and falls down to her knees, too. she wants to hug him, but after being cut that would be a bad idea. ]

Ferran! Are you hurt?

[ says the moron who got cut ]

[noblegarnet]

[It takes Ferran a few moments to respond, covering his face with a shaky hand, but now that the illusion is gone, he can freely suppress everything again. This isn't the place to think about his issues, even if he wanted to. Which he doesn't, thanks.]

Be quiet and hold still.

[He sounds tired, but puts a (very, very cold) hand on Maya's shoulder next to the wound. Gauze and bandages appear in his lap with the usual glittering.]