[IC] Mayu's Room

[Ashifili]

First Floor

Heartmoon Lullaby

A sky of pitch black, and a ground of ash white.

The wasteland stretches out endlessly, a flat plain with no irregularities outside of the skeleton trees that try in vain to grasp the full moon, a beautiful disc so large, so close, that it felt like one could take it just by stretching out with their hand. And yet, it was a dim moon, only faint illumination giving off the celestial body. The main source of light appeared to be coming from the ground itself, the fine white sands giving off an ethereal glow.

It was a starless world with an all too large moon.

And it was the beginning of the journey for these six motley individuals.

[Eklispe]

Ryneld surveyed the barren landscape his face betraying a mild hint of disgust. "It seems I am the first." he said quietly as he waited, leaning against one of the lifeless trees and staring at the moon.

[Scarifar]

Leander suddenly found himself in an unknown world, with other individuals who seemed likewise confused with the current situation. As he turned to examine the landscape and individuals, he said, "Well, this is unexpected. Where are we and what are we doing here?" Leander readied himself for battle, tightening his grip on his staff just in case the situation called for it.

[PhoenixWhite]

The small girl known as Sarah looked around quietly. She wasn't certain where she was, or who these people were, but the key information was that she was alive. She appeared, very much so, so be a simple working girl from the fields, but the way she carried herself was more that of a wanderer than a worker; her back was straight and eyes cast upward rather than down, and curiosity overpowered confusion and fear on her face.

After these few precious moments of studying her surroundings, the girl clasped her hands together behind her back and stretched her shoulders.

"Since I'm not dead yet I take it you people are friendly!" She said cheerily. "I admit I wasn't paying much attention till now."

[OwO]

Rei was still. She stood motionless with her blade in front. The blade's tip was embedded within the lifeless floor of ashen ground. Her head was lowered as she mumbled to herself. The words spoken would have been barely noticeable, but reverberated in her helmet. Not a single word managed to escape from the confines of the metal helm. The quiet mumbles stopped, but Rei continued to stay completely still. She had heard the voice of a young woman, but chose to ignore each word spoken by the voice.

[Yorutenchi]

A creepy looking man in his mid twenties flails around in confusion for a moment as he realizes that he has been transported somewhere. Mostly confusion but some horror crosses his face. Getting two fistfulls of hair he falls to his knees.
"Nooooo!" He cries with literal tears beginning to well into his eyes. "I was so close! Why kami why?" he shouts to the sky. Pulling himself together he notices that there are other individuals here. Many of them look impressive or beautiful. Then there is Ai. He stands at an unimpressive height with an average, if not below average, build. "Oh....nice to meet you all."

[Ashifili]

The world is a silent one, its soundless vigil broken only by the words of the five individuals that found themselves in these wastelands. In the horizon, something can be seen, standing above the trees on the undulating plains. It was an enigma, but, ultimately, the only real landmark that existed in this world. As far as the eye can see, there were no signs of life. And as far as their sixth sense can extend, there were no signs of spirits.

It was a truly dead world, bathed in a moonlight splendour that grew only stronger and stronger as the minutes ticked away.

[Eklispe]

Ryneld glanced at those present evaluating them. Shrugging he simply began walking towards the only barely visible object in this wasteland that wasn't a tree. Though he watched the others out of the corner of his eye.

[Scarifar]

Seeing nothing but dead trees and zero signs of life, Leander sighed. There was a bit of noise from the others, but Leander ignored that. Instead, he continued his scan of the landscape, and finally noticed the only landmark that was different from everywhere else. Seeing no other reason to stay, Leander began following Reyneld to it. "So," Leander began, trying to make some small talk to Reyneld. "Things certainly don't seem very lively around here."

[PhoenixWhite]

Sarah, being of a much simpler sort than those she finds herself surrounded by, seems to withdraw back a bit after her initial cheeriness. Her face contorts into one of struggling curiosity, combatted by confusion and the most-likely-familiar glow of 'where the hell am I?'. She hesitates a moment, as if weighing her options, before heaving a deep breath and giving a generally disconnected air off, as if she was immensely uncomfortable...and why wouldn't she be?

The small girl ran a hand through her hair and licked her tongue across her teeth; a gritty expression of distaste at the situation.

"Well...If we're all headed the same way, then I don't see a problem with going in a group. I won't hassle no-one who don't hassle me, deal?" She said, a bit of a country inflection leaking into her otherwise controlled and even words. Regardless, the girl's hands curl up as she steps away from the others a bit and begins to cautiously keep her distance from those who bear weapons and armor and the general likeness of someone who kills people.

[Eklispe]

Ryneld responded without looking back, "True, somehow I doubt it will remain this way for long. Desserts are notoriously filled with danger, and it seems nothing lives long here." then louder to the distressed girl in the back, "Deal." he said simply and kept walking.

[OwO]

Rei, after everyone began to leave, raised her head. Her entire body turned to see what was near. She saw nothing of interest in terms of landscape. Nearby, there were 4 others. A man who wore a strange amount of blue, an old man, a single girl who wore simple things, and someone who looked rather pathetic. As everyone began to walk towards a singular direction, Rei pulled her blade out from the ashen ground. She held it still with her right hand on the hilt.

Rei began to walk towards everyone else. Each step was slow. She dragged her feet along the ground, as if the weight from her armour was forcing her down. Her pace was steady, though. She would take every step and drag the hefty weight of her armour with her.

[Ashifili]

The four individuals, not even aware that the fifth had abruptly disappeared, began to march towards the only landmark present, on guard for any sort of dastardly trap or monstrous ambush. And yet nothing happened on their journey, and they continued onwards for three hours in relative silence. Conversations may have been exchanged, but as the white ash shifted beneath their feet and the dry air stole away moisture from their skin. Travel fatigue settled in slowly, an invisible predator that gnawed until their stomachs were empty and their throats were dry, making every step harder and harder to take.

There was no food, no water, no respite.

And above, the moon grew larger, brighter.

[Eklispe]

Ryneld gave a barely audible sigh and continued walking eyes constantly darting around. He began clenching and unclenching his hands as he walked.

[PhoenixWhite]

Sarah turned her gaze upwards as the group ambled onwards for hours and hours, shifting between looking upwards to the moon and sky, and back at those she was with. Every so often she'd just stop and breathe with her eyes shut for a moment before catching back up to her semi-distant position from the others.

"That's getting bright." She chipped in in hoarse tone. It was a lackluster statement, but the girl licked her lips dryly and had nothing more to offer.

[Scarifar]

Leander walked for what seemed to be a long time, always on the lookout for anything waiting to ambush them, whether it be animal or trap. However, there proved to be nothing of the sort. Instead, it was merely a long walk to who knows where in this dead land. There was nothing. Leander was used to traveling long distances, but even this was getting wearisome, if not on his body then at least on his mind. Leander looked up, then stared quizzingly at the moon. He then looked back down onto the path he and the others were taking, wherever it may lead them

[OwO]

Rei stood walking on the path with the others. Her slow pace was steady, but lagged behind the others in due time. She remained perfectly silent until now. She stopped walking and looked around briefly. She then let out an audible groan and banged her hand in front of her helmet. She stood motionless for a few more brief seconds, then continued to walk on her path behind the others.

[Ashifili]

The moon continued to enlarge and brighten, at a pace that the four could not see whilst staring at it, but could definitely notice as they continued to walk on and on. Thirst and hunger were becoming a real problem now, the lack of calories and hydration increasing the perceived weight on their limbs. Fatigue grew stronger, like iron shackles attached to large stones, and the effect of that was most prominent on the older member of the group, Leander. Was he to die in this white desert, not at the hands of a powerful monster, but at his own physical inadequacies? The white ash, too, appeared to be getting less and less sturdy, the travellers' feet sinking or sliding over the surface. And whilst progress had been made in reaching the tower in the distance, it was an arduous, inglorious task.

But the most astute member of the group would notice a single thing.

Though Sarah body was growing heavy with exhaustion, she felt that her mass was decreasing.

[PhoenixWhite]

Sarah stopped at the realization of decreased mass. She felt lighter, steadily lighter, as she stood there watching her travelling 'companions' advance ahead of her. She slowly tilted her head, which had been bowed under her exhaustion, to peer up at the ever enlarging moon once again. She mouthed something strange to herself, and lifted her hands up high. She coughed, ash sputtering from her lips due to her having fallen a few times in the long hours of their trekking. She licked her lips, dryly, and sucked in a deep breath.

Then she crouched down low. She was lighter, and could feel it. It was unnatural, that it was, but she could make use of it. Starting low, in this crouched position, the girl began to spin; steadily rising up to her full height, the girl seemed to dance atop the shifting ash beneath her feet. She regained solid footing by virtue of ever-increasing movement. Her body started sluggish, but then began to move more fluidly. She was a writhing, gyrating, figure- and she was soon moving quite fast indeed.

Then she broke her twirling routine and took off at an immediate sprint back towards the tower [and thus those she appeared with] and leapt monstrously high into the air- sailing upwards, twisting her body to look up at the moon as she rose and spread her arms as if flying, then kept twisting until she glided forward as if carried like a leaf on the wind, slowly descending back down to the ground. This was...considerably faster than walking, to say the least.

Upon nearing the ground the girl would twist and plant her hands on the ground, carrying her momentum and swinging herself down to plant her feet and throw herself further and higher into the air at a much faster rate. Every time she rose into the air she would twist up to the moon and outstretch her arms as if frantically reaching for it, but then twist back to the tower in the distance and throw herself further forward towards it.

After two more jumps, she'd roll onto the ground and drop to her hands and knees, before sluggishly rising up and standing there weakly in a daze, her body heavier than even before unless something rather drastic occurred during this transit time.

[Eklispe]

Ryneld turned at the feeling of the ash brushing against his skin and the sound of a cough to see the redhead beginning some sort of acrobatic maneuver and soar over them in an impressive leap. It certainly was faster than walking. Ryneld took out a flask and turned facing the two slower members, "If either of you have need of water you can have a drink." He looked at the leaping girl and simply shook his head before continuing after her, albeit more slowly at a reasonable walking pace. The water flask was held loosely in his right hand.