New World New You

[holographica]

-> (1)

It begins with a bang; then, disorientation, darkness, dismayed voices, and spells that weigh down your limbs like heavy shackles...

The people keeping you captive seem as unsure as you are of what just happened, and argue and mutter amongst themselves, though they don't hesitate to restrain you, chain you to a pipe in the wall of this bottom floor of an underground parking garage, or lock you alone into a smaller room of the abandoned building where the summoning was held. You seem to unnerve them; they don't want to look you in the eye, and if they have to touch you to lock you up, they do so gingerly, nervously.

But maybe, once they leave you to yourself to go and argue and regroup in private, you're not quite alone? You weren't the only person to come out of the array. You have at least one companion in your confusion, one person restrained like you and not wearing the cultists' strange masks. Take comfort, take inventory, and prepare for anything.


-> (2)

The Joyous were prepared for you to attempt escape. Their preparations don't quite match what they got, but even poorly calibrated spells will do something, and the effects of knockout darts and magically reinforced walls don't discriminate. It's time to blow this popsicle stand...

...But you may want to take a moment to comb the area - once the Joyous have had enough time and reason to weigh their options, they'll run, leaving behind the incriminating results of their "botched" summoning. Those less able to escape confinement under their own power may need a hand, or to band together, or, at worst, to wait quite a while for locals to stumble across them...


-> (3)

You step outside into an unfamiliar town; small, sparse, just off a major highway running through the Neloi Flats. A perfect place for a cult looking for an unoccupied building, because there are a lot of those here, as though the town's peak has come and gone, leaving behind rusty signs for roadside attractions and a main street retinue of shops made of sheer stubbornness and spite.

There's not much direction here. There are locals, who will be confused by you, possibly wary and disbelieving. There's a temple, small like the village but likely to have charity you need right now. There's a highway, and following it in either direction will take you to one of two very different cities.

There's a whole country of possibilities before you, in fact. What ones will you chase, and will you do it alone?



[[As of this mingle: go forth and RP! You can treat this post like a game intro, or like a meme post; follow the prompt/s exactly, or alter the details to suit your tastes, or pitch a completely different scene in your own top-level. Let's get some stories started.]]

Comments

[planetary_bonds]

[There's nothing to look at, is it?]

If there truly is nothing to look at, you wouldn't be favoring it so.

[Jeez, that stare's getting kinda intense, isn't it? It might be hard to meet those eyes.

..And if you do end up looking away, one of his own cards that dropped nearby seems to somehow grab at the attention, too. It's face down, but...somehow, it feels special.]

[soft_focus]

[Maybe so-but she has no words for that, instead chewing her lip and looking away again. And...

...Something is catching her attention. One of the cards, face down-she stares at it, and it seems to whisper back, prodding at her mind the same way some of the monsters would in her world. There is something about it...it's strange.]

[planetary_bonds]

[Sigh. Yuusei doesn't usually argue with stubborn kids, he tends to let them have their own way. And right now, pressing this little one doesn't seem like it'll get Yuusei an answer. He'll let go, reluctantly, and start picking up cards.

Looks like you're free to help out if you want, lass.]

[soft_focus]

[Well, she'll reach for that one at least. With her good hand, naturally. And when she touches it she pauses.

...There is... ....a very good heart in this card. But worse-she flinches, nearly dropping it, but clutching it tight.

She can hear it-

WHAT DO YOU KNOW? YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YOU WEREN'T THERE..! YOU WEREN'T THERE!] Kghk-sfff-

[Mental arguments aren't fun.]

[planetary_bonds]

[While Reira's stalled on that one card, Yuusei's gone and picked up the others, arranging them neatly. It's when he turns to her again that he catches her expression. What's gotten into her?]

Oi. [Hand on shoulder.] What's wrong?

[soft_focus]

[They're LOUD is what- or at least one of them is, Stardust in her opinion is honestly being pretty reasonable. But the point is they're LOUD, LOUD, LOUD-]

KKNHAHHHHNN-! [She can't take it. She drops the card and clutches her head with both hands, gasping for breath as the internal screeching continues. It's like being boiled from the inside out, a massive pain and pressure not unlike when she had been present at Yuuya's duel, and the hand with claws digs into her scalp.

It hurts.]

[planetary_bonds]

Hey!

[Yuusei's other hand goes to her free shoulder too, trying to steady her.]

What's happening?

[The card she dropped is right-side up, now, and it easily catches his eye. Slowly, he picks it up.]

Stardust...?

[Did she...sense something from this card...?]

[soft_focus]

Nnghhkk... [Nothing happening now-just holding her head with one draconid hand and one normal one, breathing heavily and trying to make SOMEONE calm down...The dragon should be fine at least.

But it's herself that's the issue. It's not you, it's her.]

[planetary_bonds]

[Well...let's put that aside, just in case. Stardust goes back in his deck so he can look her over properly. That other hand...was that what she needed to hide? Let's just steady her and let her calm down, first...]

...

[soft_focus]

[It takes a few moments-quite a few, actually, and Yuusei might want to ready a chair so she can sit, as she seems to automatically try to do while calming down. Deep breaths as she brings her hands down-she's managed to cut into her scalp on the one side, sadly, and the blood trickles a bit along the claws and head. But with deep breaths, she manages to reel herself back in.

...And there's no hiding the sort of breakdown she just had, now is there. All she can really do is open her eyes a crack, and then look down, ashamed. There aren't really any words one can say, in this kind of situation.

None at all.]

[planetary_bonds]

[A chair is indeed gotten-the one Yuusei was sitting on before. Hey, it was right there. At least he looks slightly chagrined. He can understand, wanting to keep that hidden.]

Sorry. I shouldn't have been so intrusive.

[He was worried, you know. But now it seems he's caused more problems for you.]

[soft_focus]

...You didn't do it, [she says quietly, chewing her lip and looking down.]

...He didn't either, [She adds, glancing to where the cards have gone. It feels important that Stardust realize that too, after all.]

[planetary_bonds]

...I see. So you could sense that guy's power...

[Such a rough introduction. But it's clear he cares for his cards well, so maybe that's just Yuusei.]

...Were you just surprised?

[He doesn't expect that to be the answer at all, but it's an out the girl can take, if she wants.]

[soft_focus]

[She shakes her head rather violently this time.] ...He's nice.

...but... [There is no avoiding, at the least, an unanswered question. Such things are matters she wants to avoid, and so despite her discomfort, she answers.] ...he asked Zarc something. ..And Zarc got mad. ...and when he's mad, he feels 'darker'.

[planetary_bonds]

Zarc...?

[He tilts his head slightly, confused. He doesn't see anyone else, but...]

Another Duel Monster spirit...?

[Oh, if only.]

[soft_focus]

[There is a very slow, slow headshake.] ...I was supposed to seal him away and then disappear...but...

...Instead I came here. ...So now he's stuck.

[Which is good except, y'know, the part where he's now causing her EXCRUCIATING PAIN]

[planetary_bonds]

...A self-sacrifice, is it.

[He doesn't sound disapproving, but more...pitying? Sympathetic? Huh.]

[soft_focus]

....

[It sounds wrong when he says it like that-Zarc latches onto such thoughts hungrily, and it forces her to look on the bright side.] ...If Ray did it again, then Yuzu, and Serena, and Ruri and Rin wouldn't be able to exist any more. If Zarc just split again, then Yuuya, Yuuto, and Yuugo wouldn't either...Yuuri too, [she adds, as much as she'd rather not.]

...Everyone needs those people. And they needed each other, so I didn't let things happen like they did last time.

[planetary_bonds]

[Gentle voice.]

And you think they wouldn't need you, as well?

[soft_focus]

.... [It isn't quite that. And she winces as Zarc tries to say otherwise, but...it was more...]

...There were a lot of people that they knew, that I didn't. ...People that got hurt, and died, and would have stayed dead otherwise.

...I... ...if Ray did it, she would have been reborn as a new Ray, instead of becoming Yuzu and the others again. ...and if Zarc cut into pieces with Yuuya and the others again, then Zarc would have just done the same thing again.

...even if they did need me, [she says carefully, her fists balling tight,] I wanted the world to be okay more than that.

[planetary_bonds]

[...He doesn't quite understand all those details (all these names of people he doesn't know, but are clearly important to this child).]

...I see.

[He seems like he's weighing his options-should he really tell someone as young as this girl something like this?]

You know there will always be people who think differently of your choice, right?

[soft_focus]

[She is reminded of when she faced Reiji. 'Even though Ray is your real sister?' she had said, facing him down. ] ...Everyone else didn't want to let Ray fight Zarc.

...no matter what, that meant those were the choices. ...Either everything happened all over again... [Or...

She frowns, hand twitching as another series of spits and hisses echoes in her mind.] ...Or someone else brought Zarc in. ...Only me and Ray had the cards to do that though.

So it had to be one of us.

[planetary_bonds]

[Hm. Special cards, huh.]

So you were burdened with an outrageous destiny...

[He can't help but chuckle. What is he doing, using his own father's words? Ridiculous.]

You know...I wonder. Somehow, I think even though you were meant to disappear...you won't be forgotten.

[soft_focus]

Um-! [Not forgotten? but-] ...But...since I took her place, that means I should have been the baby..! ...Even if they remember, I was supposed to forget, so that Zarc could sleep..! [And more than that, that means...

...Well. She quiets, staring at the gems in her arm.] ...That's what was supposed to happen, but instead we're stuff, I guess...

[planetary_bonds]

You'd be surprised at what can change fate.

[He follows her vision, looking at the bracelets melted into the scaly arm. It's not a pretty sight, no wonder she'd wanted to hide it.]

Your bonds with everyone. It'll lead them to you again, regardless. And after that, who knows what could happen? It might surprise you both.

[...i...is he talking to zarc, too? ridiculous. no way mcfucking zarc could be moved by smiles and friendship.]