Hero

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

A plain of fire as far as the eye could see, and yet nothing burned. In the back of his mind, he knew he should have wondered why nothing did. Whatever fear he would have had was long gone as he stepped forward. The flames grew ever closer until they surrounded him. He was tempted to draw back but continued forward, eyes searching the flames. Several shapes revealed themselves to him: a red, jagged tooth, a sword whose shape betrayed its origin, and what looked to be a city of smiling people with shackles around their necks. He knew not what they meant but largely ignored them as he had more pressing matters to attend to.

As quickly as they came, the flames died down. The brightness of the fire had tricked him into believing it had been day, but it was now the dead of night. The stars blinked down at him alongside a full moon and illuminated a grassy plain once again. Again? Yes, before the fire, it was nothing but green grass, wasn't it? And sitting before him once again was a large pile of ashes.

For whatever reason, the sight caused him to run forward and dig through them for something. He hadn't the slightest idea why, only that it gave him a sense of urgency so great that it overrode any other thought in his mind. Despite the heat, he kept digging, ignoring the stinging on his skin and hastily clawing his way deeper and deeper until--

"Beg your pardon, Highness?"

The carriage shifted and collided with the side of Vaeron's head, shocking him enough to fully wake him. His hand flew to his head as he sat up properly, lilac eyes blinking repeatedly as his vision cleared. The carriage was foreign to him, one borrowed after the Lord of Winterfell had graciously offered to better prepare him for the cold waiting for him. Yohn Royce, a knight clad in the gold armor of the Kingsguard, sat across from him with great concern on his face. He was little more than a face Vaeron had seen maybe a handful of times, but the same could be said for Brynden Tully, his primary guard for his grand adventure.

"Remnants of a dream, pay no mind to it," Vaeron uttered as he stole a glance out the window. "How far is the Wall?"

Yohn mirrored Vaeron. "Castle Black lies just ahead, Your Highness. We met a few of Lord Flint's men on their ride to Winterfell while you slept," He said.

"You didn't think to wake me?" Vaeron asked.

"The queen gave explicit instruction not to disturb you unless absolutely necessary when you slept. She expressed some concern over making sure you had adequate rest," He replied. "Brynden handled them, you needn't worry."

That sounded like his mother, all right. Fortunately for him, any protest was swept away with the wind as he noticed the few structures against blue--that must have been the Wall! It was strange, he had heard it repeatedly referred to as Castle Black, but there weren't any castles so to speak. There were several towers and keeps, sure, but there wasn't any true castle. Even so, it was a sight to behold as the Wall towered over everything. The awe he felt at finally laying eyes on just one small part was great, and he had practically jumped out of the carriage on his own as it finally came to a halt.

Vaeron's eyes and head looked up, and up, and up until he realized he couldn't crane his neck anymore to see the Wall touch the sky. He righted himself to look around at the men of the Night's Watch walk around, few giving them the time of day aside from a few passing glances. Whatever stares lingered were either on him or on Yohn, who was less than pleased at the quality of the men around them. He must have possessed the same worry his own mother did; the Night's Watch was filled with only two types of men, those who sought glory as the famed Jon Snow once did, or those who were criminals.

Considering the massive entourage that his father absolutely insisted on accompanying him, it was safe to say that the Crown Prince felt like he had little to worry about.

Brynden Tully entered his view, scarcely taking a look around. Either he was unimpressed by Castle Black or he did not care--Vaeron wasn't sure which one it was. Eventually, he did turn back to Vaeron to address him. "Stay here, Lord Flint will want to greet the Prince of Dragonstone personally," Brynden stated, motioning for Yohn to remain as well as he walked towards the closest men.

"How many would come to greet Vaeron Targaryen without the title, I wonder," He mused out loud, though did as he was told as he looked back up at the Wall.

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

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Next on the Itinerary

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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Tsubasa's initial joy at her acceptance quickly turned to confusion. He did what to his shirt? Looking down at himself, he supposed she had reason to make her comment. Then again, he was so used to it that he didn't even bother noticing until it was pointed out. That wouldn't do at all, especially since Keiko was already clean and dressed and ready to go. Maybe they could continue the conversation as well, and he could get to the bottom of her sidestepping his other comment.

"You're right, it'll be on me, then. I promise I'll put on something clean, too, of course," He laughed, wiping his brow again. He was about to ask if she was willing to give him a few minutes to clean up before someone else approached the forge.

The arrival of Fumiko was a surprise--he was visited by two people today!--and straightened up a touch as she spoke. It was nice to hear Hayashi was going to be performing again this year, though he was a little surprised to hear that Fumiko was helping her out. Then again, Fumiko did like to do things around the village, same as he whenever he had the time. It was also nice to see the community come together to help one another, so maybe he shouldn't be too surprised.

Before he could respond, Keiko replied to Fumiko. Ah, she called him Tsu, that's so cute! Did she finally accept his own nickname for her? It did make him a little happy, though he was confused as she looped her arm around his. Wasn't she just complaining about how sweaty he was?

As she gazed up at him, he shrugged. "We could go help them out, then come back here and get ready before we enjoy ourselves?" He asked her. "If it's okay with you, Kei-chan."

@Asura@JessieTargaryen

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The creature didn't take too kindly to getting set on fire, an unholy shriek emanating from within the well. It writhed and desperately tried to pull back from Noriaki to no avail, the flames burning through the darkness. At some point, it began to decay, its stringy tendrils pulling and yanking until it broke off, the hand pinned by Noriaki reduced to ashes.

Mira swung her sword as a hand made a bold attempt, though she heard both Genki and Yori's comments. "You're doing fine so far, though, aren't you?" She cheerfully pointed out.

As Khepri pulled on the hand, it resisted greatly and used the other hands to prevent itself from getting dragged out. The action did at least cause it to stop attacking the others as it used the rest of its arms to cling to the well. Despite its numerous appendages, however, it was clearly struggling to stay inside. Khepri's efforts would pay off as a massive black blob was pulled out, though it made every effort possible to get back into the well.

"Like pulling a hermit crab from its shell," Mira mused, twirling her sword. "Alright, then! Here I go!"

Dashing forward, Mira chose to dive right in, leaping forward and into the well. After a few seconds, however, she met something solid. It was a lot more shallow than she thought, the exit just above her. Changing her grip, she knelt down as she held her sword with both hands, plunging it into the darkness below her. No sound was made, though she noticed that her sword was slowly starting to sink in.

"Uh oh," She gasped, letting go of her weapon as the creature shook. She let out a yell as it surged upwards, stretching itself up and out of the well entirely. Its form was nothing solid and resembled a soft putty, oozing on the ground like toothpaste out of a tube. Falling to her knees from the movement, Mira realized she needed to get away, only to find herself stuck.

"Ah...hm, this isn't good," She muttered, though she raised her voice as she continued. "Well, it's out now, but don't let it get you or you'll get stuck!" She called as it sprouted more hands. She was surprised to see Khepri unaffected by it, although she wasn't sure why that was the case.

---

@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Midnight Sun: Last Song Over the Horizon

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This one wasn't much of a talker, was he? Or at least, he didn't seem the type to enjoy a conversation with anyone. Still, he hadn't dismissed Aurora entirely--not yet, anyway--and actually continued said conversation. She was, however, just a touch surprised that he didn't seem to recognize her. Unless he did recognize her and was still being dismissive? Could that be it? No, there was absolutely no reason for her to doubt that her status had gone unawares even by the rabble. Aha, maybe that was it! She would love to put a name to his face, after all, so an introduction was definitely in order.

His next question did put a halt to that line of thinking, however. She thought the reason she was here was obvious, but he must have missed it. Perhaps she should be more straightforward. And less...aware of her chest, since for whatever reason, it didn't seem to please him. That was definitely a first, too, but she wasn't going to dwell on that for long, either.

Aurora gave him a small smile as she placed her hands on her lap. "I think most people don't aim to irritate you," She let out a small, girlish giggle. "But you should look at it from their perspective! You keep to yourself and give off this air of mystery...I would very much like to unravel you if you know what I mean." She concluded, giving him a wink.

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Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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Huh, now that Keiko mentioned it, Tsubasa supposed he never did see her around whenever the festivities popped up. He always assumed that she was busy or that there was work to be done; he remembered the many, many times that Tetsu would suddenly unload a bunch of last-minute orders on him, and sometimes that resulted in him missing out on a majority of the fun. She seemed entirely indifferent to it, the complete opposite of his own lament anytime he'd been so caught up in his work that it was too late to do anything meaningful.

At the very least she didn't linger on the subject for too long, though he wasn't expecting her next comment. The barrage of questions caught him a little off guard, eyes widening just a touch as she even went so far as to approach him. Wait, why didn't he consider asking her? Clearly that was the way to go! It was a good idea, he could wrap up what he was doing and they'd be on their way in no time!

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he scratched the back of his head with a small frown on his face. "Um, no, that wasn't why, but--well, actually, I would like to go with you. If you'll have me, of course," He dropped his hand as he spoke, deciding he would get that out of the way. "We can go see everyone's hard work, get something to eat, enjoy the shows that get put on, and of course the main attraction."

He paused for a moment. "...But I mean, even if I wasn't around, there's nothing wrong with going on your own, too. I've had to do it a few times myself. You're still a part of the village, and that means you get to have as much fun as everyone else, too, you know."

@Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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"I don't know if threatening it is gonna be--eh, never mind," Mira sighed, albeit she turned towards the still-ordinary duo. "Stay behind us, okay? We don't know what's going to happen. The three of us can handle it. Probably."

Not the most convincing vote of confidence, but admittedly she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. There should have been something here waiting for them, and to see nothing was just jarring. Maybe it was because the dungeon hadn't fully formed yet? She could theorize all day, but she snapped out of her thoughts as Noriaki decided to approach the well. She had to hold back a sigh at his comment, wanting to say something along the lines of Shadows not really having the same forms as humans did, but she decided it was better to have him point his wrath at something that wasn't her.

She was about to say something to Daigo before every hair stood on the back of her neck, the chill in the air returning. So Shadows could just mask their presence until they wanted to now, could they? Once the thought crossed her mind, she knew what was gonna happen. Rushing forward, she took a hold of the back of Noriaki's jacket and pulled him back as a blob slowly rose from the well. It stopped as it rose about ten feet into the air, though it split into four different large hands.

"I guess it was hoping one of us would stick their head in there or something," She mused, watching as each hand moved this way and that. She raised her sword as the hands all stopped, shooting towards them.

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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"That's the way!" Mira cheered Noriaki on, though she stopped to dig her sword into the shadow closest to her. The feeling was familiar, her body all too used to the movements. It was exhilarating, the urge to charge forth and throw caution to the wind overwhelming, but she knew better than to ditch three vulnerable people. She remained close, ready to deal with anything that decided to mess with them.

The loss of two shadows didn't seem to deter the rest as they swarmed and surrounded the group. Once the flames consumed Daigo, however, they backed away from the source. Mira winced slightly, her hand covering her golden eye as she turned to him. After seeing his Awakening, however, she ignored her eye as she let out a yell of excitement, practically bouncing in place.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see my Sun!" She practically squealed in delight, completely overjoyed. "See? I told you, you had the potential!"

As she said that, however, her expression fell as she heard something in the distance. Was the big guy coming to them? No, it was something else, wasn't it? Had it been Daigo's Awakening that caused the feeling? She couldn't really tell, but it made her a little nervous. They hadn't finished with all the small fry just yet, but she felt like they couldn't stay here for too long. At the very least,

"Let's cut our way through and keep going," She told the crew, motioning for them to follow suit.

Once they managed to cross into the room, the doors closed behind them, blocking the shadows from following. Surprisingly, the room made it seem like they had gone outside. Grass and stone were now beneath their feet, a myriad of vines snaking up the stone walls and fading into a pitch-black ceiling. A well sat in the middle of the room.

Mira frowned as she looked around, scratching her head. "Weird, I can't sense him anywhere," She said, her eyes landing on the well. "...unless it's in there."

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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"Yes. We'll check in with Nakano periodically, so I suggest you stay on your best behavior," Taniguchi said, albeit he didn't bother sticking around as he decided to rejoin the other teachers.

Suzuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes, focusing instead on Maki. "How about you and Asakura head on over together? Nakano-san will answer any questions you might have," She suggested.

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@WXer@psych0pomp

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Sakuya was relieved that at the very least Ueno was on her side. That said, she was a little confused by her line of questioning. Delinquency was usually the result of some bored people, she couldn't really say there was any particular source. Well, they had a ringleader and a few idiots running around, but that wasn't really out of the ordinary.

Still, there was that conversation yesterday, wasn't there? "There's the accident in the gym that happened, but I don't think Yamamoto would've cared much about that. It's also off-limits," She would divulge that much. "By what I saw and experienced, I'd chalk it up to male frustration."

Sora blinked slowly, looking at her curiously. "Male...frustration?" He repeated. "What do you mean?"

Letting out a sigh, Sakuya shrugged. "He came onto me yesterday and I rejected him. By his words, I assume the same thing happened with Mina. The string of rejections led to frustration, thus he lashed out."

Sora shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. "O-Oh..."

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@Obscene Symphony@Entityx

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Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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Tsubasa couldn't help but frown at Keiko's statement. She said it so nonchalantly, too. He supposed it was something she had gotten used to long ago; unfortunately, their village didn't look kindly to outsiders. He remembered being more curious than anything, never really understanding the hesitation coming from the adults. But it wasn't any of his business. Her statement on considering selling did bring a smile to his face as the thought danced around his mind. Moriyama was pretty competitive.

At the mention of the fence, he had fruit in his mouth as he looked at it. He chewed faster, licking his lips as he moved over to the already finished pieces. "Tetsu says there's always work to be done. Though this time, some animals have been getting into the crops and that can't really wait," He explained. "I guess the wooden fences kept getting knocked down, so reinforcing them should do the trick!"

He dropped his gaze to what he was working on when she came in, wondering if she wanted to know about that, too. "This one's a table, though," He said. "Takamori said he needed something sturdier than others, so there that is."

Taking the chance to gobble up the rest of the orange, he let out a sigh of happiness. "Delicious," He commented happily, pushing himself away from the bench. "How about you, Kei-chan? Are you looking forward to the festival?"

@Asura

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

ewrf

@Cybermaxx