Field Mission 5: Il Prigioniero, Part 2

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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

wildcard | IDENTITY HORRORSCAPE ft. Dahlia

[doubledsofjustice]

[Leave it to Mia and Maya not to ignore an X marked room.

It'd probably feel like an unfortunate decision if, for the first few moments, it felt like anything at all. Rather, even the air feels like it's floaty-- Maya may recognise it, as she comes to, as the floaty feeling between being asleep and being awake, just before awareness kicks in, much like a channelling.

And then there's a mirror in front of her. In the mirror is Maya-- but that makes sense, doesn't it? Whoever is in this room is Maya. ]

I am, aren't I?

[The Maya in the mirror looks herself over, smiling.]

No. I can't be Maya. [Says the Mirror-Maya, kind and affectionate.] I love you, but I'm not you, am I? Who could I be?

[But Maya isn't in the mirror anymore. Instead, it's a young Misty Fey- not as pale-haired as Elise Deauxnym, with a soft smile.]

Was it Misty? Master of the Kurain technique. In 2001, I successfully channelled Gregory Edgeworth to aid the Los Angeles criminal court in the implication of Yanni Yogi for his murder.

[The mirror person changes again, but it's still Misty. She's twenty-some years older, pale, and dead with a hole in her chest, hair loose and stringy and stiff, face frozen cold.]

I abandoned my daughters, though my innocence was proven in 2016. I can't be. I can't be... This isn't me.

[Misty raises a hand to her face, starting to shake that cold and frozen head, until she's--

Diego?]

Godot.

[A rougher voice corrects.] What are you even thinking? That man is long dead... That Armando. I'm just a ghost, kitten.


A ghost? [But just as quickly, it's not Godot's reflection anymore.] He doesn't know a thing about ghosts. Not like you and me.

[The figure in the mirror sighs, pulling her long red hair off her shoulder and letting it fall like a curtain.]

Or, well, I guess it's finally just me, now, isn't it? About time. [Dahlia looks straight ahead, finally, bemused look still on her face.] With that one out of the picture, I can finally have my revenge.

[Just like that, the mirror really is just a mirror, and Maya will find herself able to clearly identify that she's in front of a mirror-- with someone quite obviously behind her.

It's Mia, smiling a smile unlike she ever has, head tilted just slightly, demure.]

Let's start.... by getting rid of you.

this is just the plot to t & t

[feytality]

[ even though maya has been making the rounds around the increasingly creepy hall of mirrors, she's loath to come here. it's a good spot to tour, because there are bound to be be people here who need help, and her own trepidation doesn't matter now. she's got a job to do. and she's here to do it. ]

[ and right now, she's with mia. mia needs her help -- something seems off, has felt off since mia came back from the night show that maya has zero recollection off, and she's determined to get to the bottom of it while the sisters are together again. ]

[ imagine her surprise when she sees her own reflection staring back -- but not at her, at mia ]

Sis? What's going on?

[ but the other people are unfamiliar to her. the woman, especially --- for a brief moment, but when mia says the word "misty", maya's breath catches in her throat, and she forgets to breathe. ]

[ is that..... what her mother looked like? is that her mother's face? and why doesn't she know that already? to her, that was the face of a complete stranger. only the robes looked at all familiar. ]

[ the man, too, is an enigma. recollection eventually comes trickling back -- mia's mentioned him before, but at that point, her body has started moving on her own. protectively, towards mia. ]

Leave my sis alone!

[ she yells, at the mirror, rushing towards mia. or well, the place she was sure mia was, two seconds ago. ]

[ but there's nothing there. just a woman with red hair, once she definitely hasn't seen before. there's only one logical explanation, at this point -- the mirror has taken mia, and maya has to get her back. she slams her hands against it as the red-headed woman croons about revenge, but it does nothing. ]

Give her back!

[ maya gets her wish. the woman disappears, she sees herself, again, panicked and angry and afraid and pale, and someone else. ]

[ it's mia! she whirls around at once, her eyes lighting up. ]

Sis! You... you really scared.....

[ but it dies on her lips, just like the look on relief on her face. this is still wrong. ]

Who are you? Where's my sister?

[ probably the worst thing she could have said. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[The person that isn't Ghost or Mia rolls her eyes. Wonderland has finally found a way to bend Ghost's lack of identity into something wicked through the remaining memories of others.]

What sister? Maya Fey doesn't have a sister.

[Mia's never spoken like this before, flippant and high up in her nose and annoyed. There's a pause, though; why does she want this revenge, then? Is it.... a connection to Diego? Why does Dahlia hate Maya Fey? Sure, Morgan had contracted her for this stupid plan, but- but no, it doesn't matter, nothing matters but this need for revenge.]

You're alone now. So do me a favor... and don't make this too difficult.

[Does??? She have a knife? Where did she even get that? Mia doesn't even carry knives. It's Wonderland, again, focusing on the most real fear Mia still has: endangering Maya.]

[feytality]

[ well, it is wonderland. of course it would pervert the person maya loves most -- use mia's own loss of identity to try to make her into a monster. but maya's not buying it. she hasn't realized what exactly mia lost in the night show just yet, but she feels the warmth coming off of mia's body. this isn't a hallucination. it's not a theater replay. so.... what is it, exactly? where is her sister? ]

Yes, I do! And if you have her.... you need to give her back, right now, or I'm going to make this really difficult!

[ she sees the knife forming -- and her eyes widen --- illusion or fake or not, her sister's body coming at her with a knife is too horrifying of an image to ignore --- but then her gaze hardens into determination. ]

So, where is she?

[doubledsofjustice]

[Mia's fingers wrap tight around that knife's handle, and she looks Maya and rolls her very real eyes.]

Why would I know where your stupid imaginary sister is?

[For all that Maya is stressing and yelling at her, Mia seems just... ice cold, unaffected. She settles with admiring the knife, and with an almost nasal quality remarks--]

Are you done yet? This isn't exactly glamorous for me, either.

[Really, poison's more her style... but it's not like anyone else is going to get this done, after all.]

[feytality]

Maybe 'cause you're pretending to be her, weirdo?

[ she clenches her fists at her side, eyes flicking between "mia" and the knife, and back again. honestly, her acting so detached does unsettle maya -- it makes her want to yell more, but she holds herself back, a little. ]

No! I'm not done until you tell me where Mia is!

[ maybe the name will spark something. maybe it won't. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[But Mia doesn't even flinch. She doesn't react, doesn't even breathe differently. She hears the name, sure, but it means nothing to her, passes through her ears like any other word. She huffs a sigh, lowering her head but raising her eyes, giving an imitation of a condescending look that Mia's certainly never made herself before.]

Okay, clearly you're not getting it.

[Crossing her arms and raising one to point the knife at Maya with a lazy movement of her wrist, Mia talks loud, clear, annoyed.]

I don't know any "Mia" Feys.

[feytality]

[ yeah, she's not. but something starts to dawn on her --- she changes her tactics. it's frankly, still disturbing to see on her sister's face. she's not making any offensive moves just yet, but maya is tensed and ready to teleport or dodge if she does. ]

[ ... ]

So, what Feys do you know? Aside from me, obviously.

[doubledsofjustice]

[A sigh, like she's annoyed by this. And yet, for some reason, 'Dahlia' can't not respond to the question. It's like the person she really is is made for this kind of interaction.]

Morgan Fey, and Misty Fey.

[A pause.]

My mother, and yours.

[But her brows remain knit. Something's wrong with that. Why is something wrong with that? The negativity pools and Wonderland fights against Mia's confusion.]

What does this have to do with anything? It's not going to save you.

[Impatient. Mia steps forward, readying that knife. The illusion of Wonderland shocks her hair red. There are mirrors surrounding herself and Maya-- were they always there? Did they leave and come back again? They're here now-- and in those mirrors it's Dahlia, white-faced, dead, but still angry.]

[feytality]

You.....

[ finally, it dawns on her. ]

Dahlia... Hawthorne, right? She told me all about you.

[ it's hard not to notice all the images -- the red hair, dead, half a reflection of the woman standing in front of her, who looks just like mia -- ]

[ and she finally fuckin gets it. ]

[ dahmia doesn't have to lunge, because maya makes the first move. she disappears and reappears in front of her, trying to grab the knifehand and force it out of her hand. then, she glares up at her with glassy eyes. ]

Get out of my sister's body, right now!

[doubledsofjustice]

[Maya's got the advantage here. Dahmia's not expecting Maya to move at all, and freezes up when Maya grabs her. There's a gasp-- and in her surprise, her grip on the knife loosens. It drops, clatters to the ground, disappears.]

What are you-- get off of me-

[Mia's voice doesn't sound like it's mimicked, or even like her own-- it's a sharp panic, like she doesn't even understand what's happening moment to moment like this.

Everything flickers, dark, like a stage light, and then off. Pitch black. Mia doesn't move, and Maya isn't forced to, but it feels less and less like they're on solid ground and more like they're floating. The air around them flashes with heat, and tongues of blue-white flames surround them, spaced out like stars; their reflections in the mirror make them look even starrier. And in those reflections, scattered among the stars, are still the corpses of people Mia knew; Several of Dahlia, some of Morgan, of Misty, of Godot and Lana and Phoenix and Jake and Terry Fawles and witnesses, witnesses, killers, defendants.

But in the middle of the circle, among the real flames, Mia and Maya are still alone. Several of the flames scatter out, like a circle, and familiar-looking chains shoot out from them to meet each other, crossing between Mia and Maya.

Behind Mia, a word begins to burn in the white space: MA (実), in kanji. Truth. From those flames, two more chains shoot through Mia, crossing in a way to avoid Maya's body altogether. They don't seem to pierce her, but blood begins to drip from her temple regardless. She looks into Maya's eyes, powerless and afraid, and croaks out a--]

Who am I?

[That echoes out into the space around them.]

[feytality]

Let her go! Let her go right now! She's not yours!

[ maya keeps shrieking, squeezing mia's wrists like that will squeeze the dahlia out of her, before, well --- before, she's not standing on anything anymore.and it's getting harder to hang onto her --- in fact, she almost feels like she's forcibly pushed away. ]

M..... Aunt Morgan!

[ unfortunately, that's the only face she immediately recognizes. the rest are an enigma, but she can probably guess. and it just gets worse. the chains shoot through mia, and maya immediately makes a grab for them, but it's too late. whatever they did, they did. ]

[ and she's bleeding. ]

You're my sister! Mia Fey! You're strong, and beautiful, and brave, you always know what to do, you're always guiding Nick and taking care of me, you're so smart, you--- you're my big sister, don't leave me again! Please!

[ she almost pleads, as if mia is going to die right before her eyes. again.

[doubledsofjustice]

[Mia stares ahead at Maya, brows together in- what is it, confusion? Terror?-- as she speaks.]

Mia? [She's able to say, but the reality around them distorts her word into something echoed and reverberating, and it zips out of her mind once again. But what stays there, what seems to work, is the desperation in Maya's voice.

"I don't want to lose you"

"I don't want you to leave, either... and I would do anything to protect you"

Echoes of memories start to try and connect, in Maya's voice and in one Mia can't recognize.

One of the chains between them shatters.]

Your sister...?

[what Maya's doing is working. It returns some of the life to Mia's eyes as she searches Maya for answers, and some of the corpses in the mirrors disappear.]

[feytality]

[ maya hasn't actually seen nick do his psychelock thing -- but chains shattering is good, it means she's making progress. ]

[ she just has to keep reminding her. ]

My sister that's always taken care me and always known what to do, even beyond death! My sister... the only reason I'm alive and I made it this far! My sister, who would never give up on me...

.... So I'll never give up on you, too! Mia! Mia Fey!

[doubledsofjustice]

[More of the chains separating them burst away, until only the ones passing through Mia remain. She looks into Maya's eyes in alarm-- and her eyes are visible again too, dark-irised and wide in her terror and confusion.]

Mia... Fey.

[She can hear the name. She can hear it! It's just out of her grasp, but-- but she can hear it. Who is she?

A protector... of Justice. Of her family. Or at least, nowadays, of one particular person.]

Your sister... Maya! You're my sister!

[The blood drips away from Mia's face, clearing to reveal a much healthier looking expression. Around them the spiritual fires flicker, that TRUTH behind them raging. It starts to burn so bright that the darkness they're surrounded by begins to catch fire, and the wind from the flames begins to blow at them, and still Mia stares at Maya as though she's the only light there. She reaches out for Maya's shoulders, a more sure grip this time, trying to ground herself as she slowly finds the strength to pull herself out of this wonderland nightmare.]

I-- remember?

[It's a bit confused, sure, but there's a clear sign that Mia is at least present in her own person now, and not anyone else. As if she's awakened suddenly, Mia looks around them, taking in the situation, assessing. Being herself, even in spite of not remembering herself.]

Maya-- We need more to get out of here. I need your memory! One of us, I need--

[Another light in her eyes.]

Testimony! Evidence!

That will break the lock!

[feytality]

[ the second mia's gripping her shoulders, maya brings up her own hands to squeeze mia's, tears still glistening in her eyes. she's got mia back. she's not letting go. ]

That's right! My sister! Mia!

[ it's working? it's working. she sees that look in her eyes, she's not bleeding. ]

E-Evidence... um.....

[ there is one thing. one she shouldn't in particular have, but..... here it is. ]

[ she lets go of mia with one hand momentarily, and reaches into her pocket, pulling out the magatama. ]

Take.... take that! You know what this is, isn't it? It's all we have of our mother!

[ their mother. mia will remember that. she has to. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[When Mia's eyes first meet the magatama, things don't go quite the way Maya may wish them to. Black smoke starts to leak from Mia's mouth as she stares at it.

But Mia remembers. Mia remembers abandonment, pride and hope and a dream, and a heavy loneliness. She remembers anger. For a moment those feelings bubble and boil up inside of her, threatening to consume her-- but she breathes in. She accepts them.

Yes, she is angry. She is hurt. And that's alright for her to be. But there's something more important, something that always has been.

Mia remembers in blurred tones the way the magatama used to nestle itself in the fabric crossed over her mother's chest. She hears the sound of a toddler crying, sees a smile on a woman's face, a camera flash. She hears giggling, whispered "I love you"s, affirmations that don't seem to amount to words anymore but still sound warm, still process in the mind as affirmations.

She sees Maya's face, years younger, as Maya sniffles and Mia wipes her teary face. She notices the way the magatama, the same size as their mother's, almost seems too big to make a little girl wear.

I'll always be here for you. I won't let you down.

She's not sure if she says these things aloud in the memory, or if she simply feels them.

One of the chains through Mia bursts the same way the others did.]

Maya.

[She remembers how being a sister felt. The locks all break.

But Mia looks alarmed at first, reaching out for her sister protectively as the fires around them start to burn the very fabric of the reality around them.]

Maya... I'm sorry! I'm sorry I ever kept this a secret from you,

I gambled myself away in that casino. I don't know how long I'll have this! But I remember! I remember you, and I remember being your sister!

[As the fires grow brighter and brighter around them, Mia takes her sister's face in her hands to make Maya keep her eyes on her and not on their surroundings. They have to fight this all with positivity, don't they?]

And being your sister-- it's the most important thing I could be in my life! I'm sorry I ever let you down. But I'm so happy to remember you.

[She smiles, still a bit terrified, but all the same genuine.]

You are one of the best things I could ever remember.

[feytality]

[ maybe the black smoke is proof that mia really does remember. maya can't help but let a wisp of black smoke escape her mouth in turn as mia's face contorts with pain and anger -- as some part of maya could feel the same, if maya didn't blame herself from her own abandonment. ]

[ maya's already reaching out for mia in turn -- gripping her as tightly as she can manage. she lets mia take her face, staring at her. ]

[ her heart swells and almost feels like it could burst -- she stares at mia, a smile spreading across her face. ]

I knew you were in there! Nothing could take you away.... not even this place. You would never let me down! And you still haven't!

[ she knew things went wrong in the night show. she didn't know the details -- her mind hadn't been able to withstand it, but she knew something horrible had happened to mia. ]

[ and now she knows what. but the thing is? nothing can really defeat mia. not even this. so it's not a surprise that mia regained herself. ]

[ maya doesn't deserve her kind words, but she hears them. her eyes well up -- tears of joy, not pain. ]

[ then, she's throwing herself at the other woman, to embrace her, as everything goes to flames around them. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[Mia holds Maya tight, only really sure of one thing-- they will survive this. That's all she has to believe in. So she holds Maya tight as the flames engulf them, but there is no heat.

The flames do not burn them, but everything else in sight, until there is nothing left-- and then all is quiet. Purified.

Hesitant, Mia lifts her head to look around them-- and all is as it was before they got lost in this maze, still dark and quiet and wrong, but no longer the fantasy built from Mia and Maya's pain.]

Is it... over?

[feytality]

It is over.

[ she lets herself settle in mia's arms, leaning into the embrace. does mia remember her own identity? well, if she doesn't, she will soon. wonderland can't keep it from her. no one can. ]

You did it!

[ she doesn't want to let go. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[There's a pause from Mia as she holds Maya there, petting her hair. Even if she doesn't remember everything, she remembers this-- and she remembers things about other people.]

I couldn't have done anything without you, Maya.

Not when I wasn't myself.

Thank you.

[feytality]

I'll always have your back, sis... you know that.

[ they'll stay like this for a while -- then, maybe, maya will ask her more about what happened in the night show. ]

[ but this? this is good. ]