CriticalHit

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Orochi/Ryuu Takahashi

Name: Ryuu Takahashi

Aliases: Orochi

Theme: None for the moment

Gender: Male

Species: Fanged Lizard

Appearance:

The General Idea

Physically Ryuu's body is much like that of other Fanged Lizards, small, lithe and coated in scales. One notable deviation is that Ryuu possesses a slightly longer tail than other fanged lizards. Aesthetically speaking, Ryuu's coat is made up of dull jade coloured scales on all sides, save for his underbelly which is a charcoal grey. A pair of circular yellow markings around his crimson snake-like eyes trail down towards the lizard's neck where they fade into thin streaks. The yellowed scales re-emerge periodically down his body as small thin markings, with the ones near his tail resembling slash marks. His build is average if compared to others of the species.

Goals:
- Survival is obviously priority number one.
- Gain more experience and carve out a reputation for himself in this new world. Perhaps the Demon King would know how best to start...

Past Life: Born as the only child of a middle class family living in Kyoto, Ryuu had by all standards, an average childhood. So long as he kept his grades up, he was allowed to do whatever he so pleased. Most of his free time was spent in the realms of swords and sorcery, through books and video games. What was originally a way for him to escape the monotony of his daily life swiftly turned into what some would call a passion. The boy managed to attract a small, yet-tightly knit group of friends throughout his early school years, due to his outgoing personality.

His parents split right as Ryuu was set to enter High School, though he did manage to keep up a good standing with both of them. In his first year Ryuu discovered that his true talent for writing. As such he devoted himself to becoming an author of fantasy novels, the very same stories that he had loved since childhood inspiring him to write of demons and legendary heroes. Much to the chagrin of his parents Ryuu was dead-set on his aspirations.

It was in his third year of high school that Ryuu met a girl named Saiki, who turned out to be his first and last love. The two shared many interests and things went well up until they were roughly a month from graduation. Walking home from school one night Ryuu found himself attacked by members of the local Yakuza clan. He tried his hardest to run, but within seconds the men had him on the ground and drugged Ryuu into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, the first thing Ryuu noticed was that his arms were now bound by ropes that were tied off onto pillars on opposite sides of him. Secondly, he was now shirtless and he was not alone in the room. The two men who had attacked him both now wielding knives, a man he did not recognize, and Saiki were all present. He heard the unknown man ask his daughter if she knew the boy in front of him, to which Saiki denied having knowledge of him. In the next instant Ryuu felt a searing pain tear through his exposed left arm, one of the kidnappers had cut him. This process repeated itself for nearly an hour, every refusal being met with yet another slash until finally Saiki caved. She told the man whom she addressed as father everything about the pair's recent relationship. The look of raw fury on the mans face at this revelation was enough to send chills of fear throughout Ryuu's whole body. He was terrified of what could come next.

And that's when he felt the knife tear open his throat. In that instant Ryuu knew that it was all over, he was as good as dead. These men were truly monsters, and yet there was no hero. All he could do was weakly look upon the faces of his mortified love and furious father as he swiftly succumbed to death.

What felt like years to Ryuu passed before a figure who called himself the Demon King appeared to him promising rebirth. With no other option, Ryuu made his choice of creature and was reborn...

Abilities:

Stun Fang I - Injects a target with a paralytic agent delivered via a bite attack. The afflicted is unable to move until either the duration expires or they are cured. - (Starter Skill for Fanged Lizard)

Poison Spit I - Launch a small, caustic blob of venom at a target. - (Starter Skill for Fanged Lizard)

Scribe I - Your past life as a writer has given you the gift of transforming emotion, sight, sound, and so many others into words. And words have power all their own. This skill's current rank allows the user to take any spell that they know, and inscribe it upon an object. That item can be used to release the spell at any time and by anyone. The same MP cost of the spell, plus the MP cost of this skill, is used up when enchanting the item.

Transformations: Fanged Lizard

Inventory: Nothing yet... Probably unlikely that this will be filled, y'know he's kind of a lizard... nowhere to put things...

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

@Zeroth

...And here he is. Took a smidge longer than anticipated to get together though lol.

Ryuu Takahashi

Name: Ryuu Takahashi

Theme: None for the moment

Gender: Male

Species: Fanged Lizard

Appearance:

The General Idea

Physically Ryuu's body is much like that of other Fanged Lizards, small, lithe and coated in scales. One notable deviation is that Ryuu possesses a slightly longer tail than other fanged lizards. Aesthetically speaking, Ryuu's coat is made up of dull jade coloured scales on all sides, save for his underbelly which is a charcoal grey. A pair of circular yellow markings around his crimson snake-like eyes trail down towards the lizard's neck where they fade into thin streaks. The yellowed scales re-emerge periodically down his body as small thin markings, with the ones near his tail resembling slash marks. His build is average if compared to others of the species.

Goals:
- Survival is obviously priority number one.
- Gain more experience and carve out a reputation for himself in this new world. Perhaps the Demon King would know how best to start...

Past Life: Born as the only child of a middle class family living in Kyoto, Ryuu had by all standards, an average childhood. So long as he kept his grades up, he was allowed to do whatever he so pleased. Most of his free time was spent in the realms of swords and sorcery, through books and video games. What was originally a way for him to escape the monotony of his daily life swiftly turned into what some would call a passion. The boy managed to attract a small, yet-tightly knit group of friends throughout his early school years, due to his outgoing personality.

His parents split right as Ryuu was set to enter High School, though he did manage to keep up a good standing with both of them. In his first year Ryuu discovered that his true talent for writing. As such he devoted himself to becoming an author of fantasy novels, the very same stories that he had loved since childhood inspiring him to write of demons and legendary heroes. Much to the chagrin of his parents Ryuu was dead-set on his aspirations.

It was in his third year of high school that Ryuu met a girl named Saiki, who turned out to be his first and last love. The two shared many interests and things went well up until they were roughly a month from graduation. Walking home from school one night Ryuu found himself attacked by members of the local Yakuza clan. He tried his hardest to run, but within seconds the men had him on the ground and drugged Ryuu into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, the first thing Ryuu noticed was that his arms were now bound by ropes that were tied off onto pillars on opposite sides of him. Secondly, he was now shirtless and he was not alone in the room. The two men who had attacked him both now wielding knives, a man he did not recognize, and Saiki were all present. He heard the unknown man ask his daughter if she knew the boy in front of him, to which Saiki denied having knowledge of him. In the next instant Ryuu felt a searing pain tear through his exposed left arm, one of the kidnappers had cut him. This process repeated itself for nearly an hour, every refusal being met with yet another slash until finally Saiki caved. She told the man whom she addressed as father everything about the pair's recent relationship. The look of raw fury on the mans face at this revelation was enough to send chills of fear throughout Ryuu's whole body. He was terrified of what could come next.

And that's when he felt the knife tear open his throat. In that instant Ryuu knew that it was all over, he was as good as dead. These men were truly monsters, and yet there was no hero. All he could do was weakly look upon the faces of his mortified love and furious father as he swiftly succumbed to death.

What felt like years to Ryuu passed before a figure who called himself the Demon King appeared to him promising rebirth. With no other option, Ryuu made his choice of creature and was reborn...

Abilities:

Stun Fang I - Injects a target with a paralytic agent delivered via a bite attack. The afflicted is unable to move until either the
duration expires or they are cured. - (Starter Skill for Fanged Lizard)

Poison Spit I - Launch a small, caustic blob of venom at a target. - (Starter Skill for Fanged Lizard)

Transformations: Fanged Lizard

Inventory: Nothing yet... Probably unlikely that this will be filled, y'know he's kind of a lizard... nowhere to put things...

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Alright enough lurking, I'll throw my hat into this ring. Planning on rocking a Fanged Lizard, might have it up as soon as tonight.

The Promise of Adventure & Family --- [CLOSED]

Stats

HP: 300 / 300
MP: 200 / 200
Strength: 15, Rank: I
Endurance: 15, Rank: I
Dexterity: 25, Rank: I
Agility: 25, Rank: I
Magic: 20, Rank: I

Fueled by excitement and determination, the boy took his first steps into the stony labyrinth. With his courage reforged by the Winter Maiden, Noctis's advance was nigh unstoppable. The strangely warm air of the dungeon now seemed enticing where once it exuded an aura of menace. Priscilla at his side, Noctis took the lead as he followed the incandescent white orbs embedded in the ceiling, their glow painting a path to his very own adventure. One that he'd gladly undertake to prove his worth. The journey went smoothly for a time, until suddenly his companion notified him that there were monsters nearby.

"Monsters nearby? Where!?" the boy said in a semi-hushed tone as he slightly hurried his pace. No sooner did he turn the corner and was suddenly faced with a trio of creatures. A pair of greenskins, goblins more than likely as well as a kobold who seemed to have noticed his presence. Not ten minutes in and I've already clumsily given myself away... Idiot! Though ecstatic, Noctis was no fool, he knew just how pivotal such an advantage could be in the dungeon, one that he'd just squandered in his haste.

"So much for having the element of surprise..." Noctis said to himself as he drew his daggers and rushed to engage the leading kobold. Even if they are just mooks, three one one won't end well for me! I've got to isolate them somehow... Swiftly, he switched his leading hand to a reverse grip before raking the blade across the miniature monster's chest and attempting to plunge the dagger into its neck. His next move was a strong thrust of his off-hand dagger into the gnashing beast's torso. Ideally he'd be able to quickly dispatch the first challenger and get himself into a better position to deal with the other two short greenskins that were about to assail him.

@Ithradine

The Promise of Adventure & Family --- [CLOSED]

Stats

HP: 300 / 300
MP: 200 / 200
Strength: 15, Rank: I
Endurance: 15, Rank: I
Dexterity: 25, Rank: I
Agility: 25, Rank: I
Magic: 20, Rank: I

Most adventurers feel like this when they started out? Even her?

Noctis thought to himself as he and Priscilla advanced upon the spire. As they advanced, the boy took note of other level one adventurers standing outside the dungeon. A short glance at them revealed that the same sort of apprehension and ecstatic excitement was common to them all. Yet still, Noctis could not manage to bury his doubts. The dungeon was a very real threat, and could easily annihilate him if he was careless. Did the anxiety he felt mark him as a coward? He'd not even so much as entered the tower and already he felt doubts preparing to prey on his psyche as muscles involuntarily tensed.

Do I even stand a chance?!

Shaking himself from the self destructive train of thought he'd embarked upon, the werewolf removed one of the iron daggers from its place at his side and looked it over in his hand. A razor sharp blade that would define the bounds between survival and cataclysmic failure once he crossed the threshold. Gazing upon the weapon reminded him of the preparations he'd taken care to make for today. When he went to purchase equipment he'd made certain to pick up a hooded cloak in addition to the armor and weapons he'd doubtlessly need. It took a bit of silver tongued haggling to get his hands on it, but in his eyes it was just as essential as the blade that lay in his palm. The cloak's sole purpose was to hide his identity once in the dungeon, though he doubted that anyone would waste their time attempting to recognize him, it was better that nobody saw who he was at all.

Noctis turned his focus back to Priscilla as she spoke once more, her words striking a chord and resonating with him. The legendary Winter Maiden had confidence that he'd do just fine in the dungeon? An adventurer he'd idolized had faith in trash like him? It was unbelievable, inconceivable even! Yet she had said it herself. He looked up to Priscilla, managing to finally meet her gaze as a genuine smile broke out across his face. "You know what... Yeah! You're right, I'll be just fine, I'm sure of it!" He proclaimed as his doubts faded. Within the werewolf a fire was lit, one that burned with determination. He took a deep breath as the tension was consumed by his own willpower, while he sheathed the dagger he'd been idly looking at moments ago. Noctis looked to the tower which seemed far less intimidating now, before looking back to Priscilla. "Alright then... Let's do this!" He said as he threw the hood over his head and strode towards the tower and into the dungeon. This was it, this was his trial to prove that he belonged.

And he would conquer it.

@Ithradine

The Promise of Adventure & Family --- [CLOSED]

Stats

HP: 300 / 300
MP: 200 / 200
Strength: 15, Rank: I
Endurance: 15, Rank: I
Dexterity: 25, Rank: I
Agility: 25, Rank: I
Magic: 20, Rank: I

Today was the day, his first time tackling the dungeon that slept below Rezion.

It's... far more intimidating up close, that's for sure.

Noctis Haeshi stood before the tower of Rezion, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swelling within the boy. Today he would need to prove himself against the monstrosities within. His golden opportunity to prove that he belonged with his Familia, not just to Anubis or Priscilla, but to himself as well. Anubis's words stuck to the forefront of his mind yet as he prepared himself to enter. The God seemed to have high expectations of Noctis, so he could not afford to let the deity down. He already had an unwanted reputation with a certain few Familia members simply because of his name, it would be disastrous if he proved their precognitions of him being useless and discarded to be true. Needless to say, the pressure was on for the young werewolf, he felt not unlike an ant as he gazed upon the obelisk. Though at the same time, he could feel a rising excitement building with every step he took, as he was standing right next to The Winter Maiden herself. She was legendary, her appearance giving off an almost angelic and otherworldly aura of majesty and expertise. Noctis felt honored to even be in her presence, nevermind venturing into the dungeon alongside her! Even if she was only intent on ensuring that he'd be able to handle himself before setting off, it felt almost wrong to have such strength and weakness entering the dungeon together.

The cool voice of the Winter Maiden brought Noctis's attention back to the situation at hand, he listened intently yet found himself unable to willingly make eye contact with her. At first she seemed almost impersonal, yet moments later she showed a much more friendly question to the young werewolf.

"I-is it that obvious? Yeah... I'm pretty nervous, but I'm also kind of excited to head in if that makes any sense." The dungeon had destroyed people much greater than him, but it had also forged others into legendary heroes. Noctis could only hope that his time in the dungeon lead him to the latter path...

Persona in Wonderland: A Persona RP.

As the White Rabbit tended to the inquiries of the others, Rhys was busy contemplating the possible motivations of the malicious monarch.

If this queen supposedly rules over Wonderland with nigh-absolute authority, why would she bother abducting children from the 'real' world? What reward does she reap for reaching across reality for the minds of kids? I sincerely doubt that these abductions are a mere show of power to the other shadows... So what pray tell, is her scheme?

With no real conclusions to show for his pondering, Rhys shoved thoughts of the Queen's machinations onto the back-burner of his subconscious. Perhaps this was a mystery that he would unravel in time, especially seeing as there was currently no feasible means of escape from this strange and outlandish world. Once he'd turned his focus back to the group, Rhys's gaze was met by a much more... caricatured version of the White Rabbit asking. No, pleading for the groups assistance. This admittedly confused the boy for a short moment prior to the Rabbit discarding the childish charade and getting on with his explanations once again.

It wasn't long before Rhys was handed a pocketwatch by the shadow, much like everyone else in the sanctuary. He almost immediately began examining the exterior of the watch as the Rabbit carried on, running his fingers over every ornate detail and intricacy of the object. It was not unlike one he owned back in the UK, albeit his was silver rather than gold. His father had entrusted it to his only promising son that he had left... Rhys shook himself as he discarded that memory for the time being, for now was not the time to allow his thoughts to be so easily hijacked. These... Chronovokers, the Rabbit called them, were evidently the method by which they were meant to utilize their supposed potential. All the device required was the resolve of it's wielder, in all honesty it sounded far too good to be true. Though a device operated solely on willpower was certainly not the most absurd thing he'd borne witness to today.

...And finally the naysayers start to come around. He thought to himself as the other members in the group of humans began to side with the Rabbit. Perhaps this group would be able to overcome their divisions for the sake of survival. Yet tragedy had other things planned. Without warning, the child of the group was suddenly enveloped by a maelstrom of writhing black, and just as quickly as the child was swallowed did the pair vanish. The sudden disappearance left Rhys with a grim thought gnawing at the back of his mind.

Please tell me that he's not...

Much to his dismay the White Rabbit broke his hopes once more, though this Rabbit was far less... refined than he was before. The child couldn't control his emotions and so they utterly devoured him. So long as he kept his composure, he'd be fine. It certainly was not easy though, as that made it twice today that Rhys had witnessed meaningless death, deaths that they were all powerless to stop. All of it was so bitterly unfair.

As Rhys warred with himself as to not allow his emotions to boil over, the ringleader of the shadow rebellion made his entrance. His explanations were thankfully far less cryptic than Peter's had been, and the Hatter seemed almost amicable at that. Though a certain vocal member of the group utterly failed to reciprocate said amicability, and was swiftly angering the surrounding shadows. Rhys was about to step in and attempt to remedy the situation, yet the Hatter beat him to it and wordlessly pacified the shadows. The Hatter went on and explained all manner of things, including their first task before handing out strange orbs to the group.

Rhys pocketed the Chronovoker swiftly and looked over the orb before obediently shattering it in his hands. The crystalline shards and powder swirling around him for a brief moment before settling and materializing into a reflex bow and quiver that slung itself over his shoulder without any effort on his part. In his mind it made perfect sense to Rhys why he'd receive a bow, and so he was quite pleased. The limbs of the weapon were made of an ebony wood that had silver trappings, and the string itself donned a white colour. Examining the quiver and arrows for a moment, Rhys found that they shared a similar colour scheme to his bow, the majority of the quiver and the arrows haft's were black whilst the arrowheads and plumage along with minor parts of the quiver were argent in colour. Most notably, one of the silvered bindings on the quiver had the numeral VIII engraved into it, a questionable detail to be sure.

Only one thing to do now I suppose... Rhys thought to himself as he almost unconsciously walked back towards the rabbit hole that had brought him here. Swallowing his courage once more, Rhys plunged himself into the cavernous maw and emerged in the forest with the others, managing to not clumsily fall on his face this time. He reached for one of the arrows in his quiver and nocked it as he spoke in a hushed voice. "The more time we spend out here, the more likely it is that we'll find ourselves outmatched or surrounded. Or both perhaps. So let us be quick about this."

@The Jest@Avant@EchoicChamber@CronicCrystalis@Crimmy@Petulant@Duoya@rebthewriter@Etranger@Suku@Windstormugly

The Promise of Adventure & Family --- [CLOSED]

Noctis

Name: Noctis Haeshi

Age: 16

Race: Werewolf

Background: The name Haeshi is well known throughout Rezion by both adventurer and entrepreneur, with the wealthy family holding a sizable portion of the city's estate and land in the palm of their hand. Preferring not to sully their hands with the arduous task of clearing dungeon floors in order to garner both Valis and influence, they instead do business with aspiring craftsmen and women from the various Familias, buying and selling product to Rezion's starry-eyed adventurers. As such, the Haeshis do a great deal of business with the Kagu-Tsuchi and Isis Familias, sometimes outright investing in up and coming smiths and alchemists.

It was unto this wealthy and powerful name that Noctis was born, as the youngest of 6 children. His family ensured that neither he nor his siblings ever went without. However, his parents brought up so many children in order to find the next heir to their fortune. As such, Noctis was constantly forced to compete against his siblings for superiority in all manner of things. The heir to the Haeshi name had to be perfect, and so Noctis strove for greatness, though time and time again he would always fall short of his competing siblings. Every time he would acomplish a feat of his own, his brothers and sisters made certain to steal his thunder by outdoing him. Worse yet, they knew that they were better than him, and so he was mocked and taunted upon each and every failure, with the ever increasing pressure of his parents constantly looming over the young Noctis's head.

One day, his eldest brother made a choice quite questionable, he left to join a Familia and explore the depths of Rezion's dungeon. It wasn't long before he'd built himself a reputation there as well as a great and fearless adventurer. In truth, Noctis was quite jealous of his brother always being good at whatever he attempted. Why couldn't he for once meet with failure instead of automatic success?

Noctis would swiftly come to regret his own thoughts, as soon news spread of his brother's demise in the dungeon. At the funeral, all he could think of was the dungeon itself. How did it's nefarious inhabitants so easily bring down his nigh-perfect brother? What sorts of horrid monstrosities dwelled inside? Even after the memorial service had concluded and weeks passed by, thoughts of the dungeon still invaded Noctis's focus. Something deep inside him desired to adventure, and at this point Noctis would do anything to prove his worth. His parents however... were not pleased whatsoever with his sudden resolve. The dungeon had already taken one of their nearly-perfect children, and now the weakest amongst the rest dared to challenge it? They declared that he was no son of theirs, and that Noctis was unworthy of even his name, he was summarily disowned and kicked out of his own home in an instant.

Stripped of his family and with no place to go, Noctis went off to join Anubis's Familia. He'd heard that they were second only to Athena, and he thought he might be able to fit in with them, he knew quite alot about having to play second fiddle... Who knows? Maybe he would be good at something after all...

Personality: Noctis is what one would describe as seemingly reserved at first, appearing quite shy and almost passive. Once he's competing with somebody else though, the shy demeanor disappears and the hot-headed show-off underneath is revealed, as he desperately tries to prove his worth. Noctis is a person controlled by his emotions most of the time, though that is not to say the he is incapable of planning out a situation. He has developed an inferiority complex due to his treatment by his parents and siblings, and as such he is incredibly harsh on himself. Failure is not something that the boy takes lightly, and he will beat himself up over such errors for quite some time. As his upbringing suggests,Noctis is obsessed with perfection in all things. Leading him to frequently attempt "No-hit" runs of the dungeons labyrinthine floors.

Despite the fact that he was disowned by his parents, Noctis is still a Haeshi through and through, and thus he is very quick witted. He is not above using manipulation to get what he wants, and he does possess a small degree of charisma to assist him in doing so. He prefers to let others make the first move, before attempting to seize the advantage for himself, whether dealing with combat, conversation, or trading.

His trust is very difficult to gain, though once someone has earned it, he'll back them up til the very end. He won't hesitate to speak his mind if given the chance, and he occasionally gets overzealous about his positions on certain matters.

Familia: Anubis

Alias/Title: None... yet

Valis : 5000

Equipment:

- Pair of Iron Daggers
- Tattered Cloak
- Leather Arm Guards
- Leather Boots
- Leather Cuirass
-Leather Greaves

Item Bag(S):
-2 Potions

Abilities(Stats)

HP: 300

MP: 200

Strength: 15, Rank: I
Endurance: 15, Rank: I
Dexterity: 25, Rank: I
Agility: 25, Rank: I
Magic: 20, Rank: I

Racial Trait: Beastification - Allows the beast human to unleash their wild instincts and power. The trigger for werewolves is a full moon.

Unique Spell: Doom Call: Restricts a single target's movement and speed by 40% for a few seconds.

Development Abiities: None Yet!

Skills: Nope!

Persona in Wonderland: A Persona RP.

Rhys looked on in silent satisfaction as the group's guide finally began to disclose the answers they had been promised, despite the shows of boorish behaviour from some of the others. Though the answers the Rabbit disclosed were anything but what he, and likely the others wanted to hear. First and foremost, escape was apparently impossible as this "looking glass " was a one way trip for human beings. Rhys expected as such, but his expectations made the grim truth no easier to bear. They were locked in this world of nightmarish madness for the foreseeable future, yet for what cause?

Of course there's no way for us to leave, why would the White Rabbit bother bringing us to Wonderland if we could simply leave of our own volition?

The Rabbit's assailant from earlier seemed to be compelled to interject yet again, donning an insufferably arrogant look all the while. Rhys simply glared at him once more as he continued his childish tirade. The Rabbit's confession to summoning the group did not surprise Rhys in the slightest, what did catch his attention however, was the revelation that the group assembled before him was not deliberately picked. They were randomly summoned due to their collective possession of potential? There had to be some form of mistake in that case...
Sudden words of praise from the Rabbit pulled Rhys from his pondering as he bowed his head in order to show his respect. He lost himself in his thoughts for a moment as he questioned the supposed "potential" he possessed. Potential? Of what sort, I wonder? If we all have it, it cannot possibly be physical... Perhaps intellectual? But what purpose would that serve? What's the missing link in all this?

A question from one of the ladies in the group piqued Rhys's interest as well. If this truly was a dream world, the group would logically wake up at some point. The answer the Rabbit gave was simply put, a horrifying reality. The word "comatose" caused a chill colder than the grave to shoot through the boy's body as he realized that he and everyone else here had suddenly become prisoners of their own minds. Could this mean... No... Impossible... it has to be.... Out of sheer shock, Rhys struggled to formulate a clear train of thought, terrifying possibilities barraging him from all angles.

In the next instant, a deafening blast banished all of those imaginary insurgents, though what Rhys saw next was not much easier on his psyche. The man standing next to him now had a gaping hole where his forehead once was... and the one wielding the fatal instrument was none other than the White Rabbit. The man's form seemed to crack as if he were made of glass, and much like glass, the man shattered. Curiously though, a boy with similar features was left standing where the man he was conversing with was shot. A yet greater oddity was his seemingly nonchalant attitude regarding this event.

What in the name of all that is holy just happened?!

Rhys attempted to process this strange course of events as the Rabbit revealed that death was just as unforgiving in Wonderland, and that if they perished here, they would truly be cast into the eternal slumber. In that instant Rhys's thoughts drifted back to the other boy from earlier... He didn't realize it then, but now it was made clear. He had witnessed murder. The boy unknowingly marched to his death by the all-consuming blaze... A true tragedy.

Finally the Rabbit got around to what Rhys had wanted to know since landing in the forest, the reason that they were brought here. They were to assist in freeing the children stolen away by P3. A noble cause indeed, yet it was not as simple as that. There was a mastermind behind the abductions as well, something Rhys did not expect. As the White Rabbit spoke of this Queen and her multitude of misdeeds which included the kidnapping of the children, Rhys felt something deep down.

A rising righteous fury directed at the fell tyrant who would dare to abduct children. The Rabbit needed to say nothing more to convince Rhys to joining their rebellion, his mind was made up. He waited for the Shadow to finish as he internally tempered the anger he felt into a cold and ironclad resolve.

"Such a grand injustice demands retribution... I for one, would be more than happy to help you dethrone this despicable despot. Though that begs the question, just how are we able to help you? I highly doubt that anything we could currently do would be of much use. Does it perchance have anything to do with the potential you mentioned moments ago?"

@The Jest@Avant@EchoicChamber@CronicCrystalis@Crimmy@Petulant@Letter Bee@Duoya@rebthewriter@Etranger@Suku@Windstormugly

Persona in Wonderland: A Persona RP.

The intensity of the moment threatened to overwhelm Rhys as he ran with the group away from the pursuing pyromaniac. Though he had not been running for very long, he could feel each breath becoming shorter and his legs crying out in pain. Physical endurance was not something Rhys possessed in the slightest. Much to his delight the White Rabbit pointed out their escape method, a rabbit hole in the ground. How appropriate. We are being chased in Wonderland and the only way out is leaping deeper into the madness. The boy paused at the edge of the gaping black maw for a moment, instincts forbidding him from going any further. Out of breath, Rhys cast his gaze back towards the grove that the group fled.

The wrath of the titan had nigh annihilated the landscape, trees rendered cracked and charred, the grass, blackened and marred. Its blazing scorn still having yet to fully sputter out, as small flames hungrily gnawed at the scattered and splintered wood. It became clear to Rhys that his only choice was to do as the rabbit instructed or risk his life running. Needless to say, continuing to run would be foolish, so he buried his doubts and advanced upon the gaping hole. Taking one last deep breath of hot, somewhat smoky air, Rhys plunged himself into the darkness.

The sudden inversion of gravity caught Rhys off guard, and before he could even attempt to correct his sudden descent, he found himself slammed into the ground and subsequently winded. As the boy sluggishly sat up and rose to his feet, he took in his new surroundings. The strange intermingling of flora and machine into a sort of garden was peculiar at the absolute least. The large table nearest the center caught his attention and gave Rhys an inkling of just where the group had landed, and the White Rabbit thankfully confirmed his suspicion.

The Hatter's Garden... I never in my wildest dreams expected to find myself here.

Rhys looked on as the White Rabbit began pulling ornate gold pocket watches from seemingly nowhere, and as one of the other boys in the group so unceremoniously grappled their guide. What did he do to deserve that? He ju- Just before Rhys could finish his thought, his gaze was met by the demonic deformation of the White Rabbit. Involuntarily, he flinched, and his expression briefly shifted to one of shock. Where there was once white fur, a black abyss stared back at him. Worse yet, one of the White Rabbit's formerly blue eyes had become a shade of yellow that was quite reminiscent of the Black Rabbit's eyes. The whole image was outright disturbing at the very least. Apparently, he and the Black Rabbit were both 'Shadows', a name that quite befit the White Rabbit's current appearance. Even stranger was the White Rabbit quite literally molding himself back to his previous form, as if his entire body was fluid.

We're all mad here after all...

As Rhys attempted to bury his doubts and comprehend just what had occurred, he couldn't help but overhear some of the group's words with the reformed White Rabbit. The way they were acting? Absolute rubbish. One of them even had the gall to mock the one who had just saved their lives! Granted, the Rabbit was the cause of them being brought here against their will, other than that though, the White Rabbit had done nothing to deserve this. Composing himself, he addressed the mimic and the one who had gotten aggressive with the Rabbit earlier.

"Is it possible for you two to show even a shred of tact? Respect perhaps? He just saved our lives and this is how you treat him? Petty mockery and violence? Quit acting like children." a tone of annoyance ringing out as he shot the pair an icy glare.

With that said, Rhys turned his attention to someone he didn't recall from the clearing escape, he'd been consoling the blonde boy who tried to play the part of leader. Perhaps Rhys had just not seen him after the groups landing? Carrying as much persuasive poise as he could muster, Rhys walked over to the unfamiliar gentleman and spoke.

"I agree wholeheartedly, save for him being guilty of the boy's... death. Pray tell, why would he bother saving the rest of us? Isn't he the one responsible for bringing us here? Now if he wanted us dead, he could've left us to be immolated. Yet here we are, untouched for the most part. Thus I believe the giant from earlier is truly the one with his blood on his hands."

He turned to face the White Rabbit as he finished. "Nevertheless... I believe you stated earlier that we'd be told whatever information you could provide once we were safe, we seem to be quite safe in this sanctuary. Now would be as good a time as any for an explanation if you would be so kind."

@The Jest@Avant@EchoicChamber@CronicCrystalis@Crimmy@Petulant@Letter Bee@Duoya@rebthewriter@Etranger@Suku@Windstormugly