Sᴏʟ Rᴀᴠᴇʜ TᴇSᴛ DƦɪᴠᴇ #2: Beyond the Idol Doors

[solravehmods]

As before, new arrivals begin to show up in the Altar Room, disoriented and confused after their conversation with the strange spirit known as Ozuma.

Unlike before, though, there are further places to go, to explore than there were at the beginning of all of this. The Storage Room beyond the Altar Room, the Tower of Winds with it's broken cage and spiraling walk way up to a balcony over looking the sea. And even more than that, through the opened idol doors and past another set of raised walls, there is a door way out to a bridge stretching high, high over the churning ocean below.

Unfortunately not even our new arrivals can go much further than that right now. Certainly there is more to see, but beyond that bridge the next area is as dark as those places before have been.

Of course, you could try defeating the darkness within... if you're really that brave.

Comments

Chloe Price | Life is Strange

[papiliocaeruleo]

This is total bullshit...

[An odd scent drifts through the air, coming from the open window leading to the Tower of Winds. Acrid, bitter, smoke but not the kind that comes from simply fire.

Chloe Price had always wanted to get the hell out of Arcadia Bay, but this was not how she had intended it to happen.

She was staring dull-eyed in to the dimly lit tower, a cigarette between two fingers and her legs dangling over the ledge of the window with thin bare shoulders hunched and a perpetual scowl on her features.]

"Fight darkness"... what the hell does that even mean?!

[And yes, she was talking to herself.

Mostly because Max wasn't around to talk to.

Neither was anyone else that was supposedly here, either.]

[scary_music]

...

Oh man... that's... a good question!

[Ibuki was just wandering around, because hey she likes to explore places. She just hoped none of this darkness actually popped up nearby...]

Ibuki thinks this Ozuma-chan dude has no clue what he's doing if he's grabbing random people to fight dorkness!!

[papiliocaeruleo]

[Nope. None. The tower that Chloe was dangling her feet in to was quiet. And dusty. And smelled kind of bad. But no signs of any darkness outside of the normal shadows cast by flickering lamps.

The sudden voice behind her does make the skinny girl jump a bit, but she only really turns her head to look at the one speaking, giving a snort at what was being said.]

"Dorkness"? Nicknaming the forces of evil are you?

Awesome hair, by the way. Totally Seattle punk.

Marshal Trahearne | Guild Wars 2

[marshalofthepact]

[ This is a race that the castle has yet to see, but sure enough here he is.

Marshal of the Pact, Firstborne of the Sylvari, and Cleanser of Orr. Trehearne.

Fighting was not something he was unaccustomed to, after all it was sort of part of his job. Still, there was a difference between dragon minions and....beings of pure darkness? This, was not going to end well.

So instead he just stood there, looking around. Great sword strapped to his back as he seemed to watch the people around him. He was ready to draw his weapon the moment anyone moved with the intent to attack, one hand hovering over his shoulder and the hilt of Caladbolg. ]

[arrowroot]

[No, it won't end well. For the moment, though, it's actually pretty quiet save for the quiet chattering among the confused arrival. Eventually some one will cry out through the crowd, though it might be hard to see where it came from given that the person it belongs to is tiny, even with her shockingly bright red hair.] Marshal Traherane?!

[marshalofthepact]

[ Looking up towards the voice he heard, Trahearne was admittedly surprised.

He hadn't expected to see anyone he knew here. But sure enough, a familiar face. ]

Lightbringer Ackerman is that you? Well if it isn't a surprise and a pleasure to see a familiar face.

[papiliocaeruleo]

[Standing there is totally a good way to get run in to, right?

Right.

Chloe has removed herself from the storage room where she was hanging out now that the voices of other arrivals have gotten her attention, but of course she's not really paying attention to many of them because she's looking for a certain familiar face.

One that is obviously not leafy and green.

The skinny teen bumps right in to Trahearne, stumbling backwards with every intent to tear him to him verbally for being "in her way" (he wasn't), but she stops and instead stares.

A lot.]

... what the hell--

[marshalofthepact]

M-my apologies! I hadn't seen you.

[ Trahearne may have tried to catch the small human as she nearly fell. Her clothing seemed strange but it wasn't like he was one to talk. He didn't really know much of human clothes and customs after all.

Alright he knew more than some sylvari but still. ]

Are you alright miss?

Caithe | Guild Wars 2

[notyourdearheart]

[ This is not her day. She had listened, of course, because when you wake up after being knocked down by a nightmare, you have to figure out what is going on.

Darkness? She had her Wyld Hunt taken from her, she needed to get back to it.

So there is yet another plant in the altar room, but this one isn't standing there ready to fight. Caithe skirts the edges of the room, hands on the daggers at her side. ]

[arrowroot]

Hello, Caithe.

[That was not a face Ana had expected to see in the small gathering of new arrivals, but there she was, trying to go unnoticed and for the moment failing.

Mostly because bright green and white tends to stick out among sandy colored stone and gray sarcophagi.

Unfortunately Ana's last memory of home was basically Caithe stealing the egg, and the ships going down because of Mordremoth. So.

She's not happy.

Sorry, Caithe. Angry tiny red head is staring at you with her arms crossed looking rather perturbed.]

[notyourdearheart]

[ Deeper shadows need to be found, or she should actually go invisible.

It's probably a sign that Ana will read as guilt, that the firstborn twitches and half-draws a dagger at her name being called. It.. wasn't that great when she had been last addressed.

She does straighten and try to look not as rattled as she feels. ]

Oh. It's you. [ She was the redhead that Logan had brought along and boasted about for a while.

... and the one who had been caught up in the events with the egg. Caithe's eyes go over Ana's back, but ... things aren't matching up.

So she leaves it at that. ]

[marshalofthepact]

[ Something is familiar, the familiar pull of another Dreamer? Wait, no not just any dreamer. ]

Caithe?

[ Trahearne seems surprised as he looks around, finally finding her lurking in the shadows.

She may be a master at hiding but there wasn't much of a place to hide in a place like this. ]

By the Pale Tree, Caithe!

[notyourdearheart]

[ It doesn't help that she's suited for forest shadows, not stone ones.

She does give a tiny start, but.. this time its a familiar voice, and a familiar tie. That had been missing last time.... but sorry Trahearne, Caithe is going to circle a little - to make sure there's nothing behind him - before she leaves the shadows. ]

Trahearne! [ He's safe, and being near the firstborn and his greatsword just feel a little more like home, and.. it's good. She kind of needs it. ]

Ferin Solanum | Guild Wars 2

[muffledwords]

[ Man why are all these plant people showing up? Well here's another one, only this one isn't alone. Beside her a large dragon like creature is walking, it's large head swaying as it looks around before scampering ahead of the woman to test the air, small flames licking from it's snout. ]

Not too far, alright Adeas?

[ The beast wiggled, it's long tail lashing from side to side as it looked back playfully. It was obvious to most that this reptile was in fact quite young. Especially if the exaggerated size of it's head was anything to go by.

Still, Ferin walked, staff that looked more like a broken tree branch at the ready. She wasn't where she had started, and so of course she wasn't too happy about her situation. She worried for her traveling companions more than anything. ]

[satanslash]

[Oh goodie, more newbies...

Ixie's gift of the more modern kitchen has already helped a great deal and is going to help even more now that there's another influx of new arrivals, but that doesn't mean Rin is happy about it. How many "heroes" does Ozuma need, anyway?!

Still, it's a chance to see if there are any other familiar faces in the crowd. Hands stuffed in the pockets of his slacks, Rin traveled quietly through the crowd, sword in it's case on his back and tail swaying slowly. So far no one caught his eye, but a certain large-headed creature moving in front of him was enough to make him stumble back with a surprised yelp.

Demon-- ?! ... no. It didn't feel like a demon.

Sure was big, though. Rin made a thoughtful face at Adeas, looking up to see...

Well.

A plant.

Person.

... okay, seriously? What the hell?!]

[eldindragon]

[ He'd been... probably finding a good place to put his hoard, lets be real, when he caught the scent of hatchling. It was a little faint - like the hatchling was just out of that stage, but it was still hatchling, dragonkin of some kind, and never let it be said Volga was a bad ruler of his kin.

So he does stomp into the altar room, ready to scoop up the hatchling and see whatever it needs, when he catches a voice commanding near where the scent was strongest.

There might already be sparks about his mouth as he stops near, and half-snarls. ]

What the fuck is this. [ Whether he's asking the fledgling, or the odd green thing, that is not clear. ]

Chiaki Nanami | Danganronpa

[8_bit_gamer]

[Chiaki still had no idea how to feel about her current situation. First she was saying goodbye to Hinata as the forced shut down was taking place, then she was in a strange castle, being greeted by an odd spirit. Now she was standing on a balcony, overlooking the sea. Sensations and feelings she has never experienced before flooding her now human body.]

[Human... Chiaki had become many things in her games, but to now be human... this was something foreign to her. Even the act of feeling the air enter her lungs and salt in it tickling her nose. This was all so new. She was lost in her thoughts, oblivious to anyone who may try to confront her.]

[scary_music]

[Ibuki was starting to freak out a bit... where were the others from the Bastion? Ikuri, Ippo, Colin, Zuko... anybody... except Rob screw that guy... why couldn't she find just one person she knew...?]

[Why had Ozuma even brought her here? How could she be expected to fight anything...?]

[Ibuki's thoughts screeched to a halt as she saw a familiar shape... that hair, the backpack, the sweater...]

[... could it... really be...? Ibuki couldn't help but let out a strangled noise as she stared at the gamer's back]

Ch... Chiaki-chan...?!

[The last she'd seen her alive... the night when Nekomaru had been... taken away in an ambulance.]

[... the last she'd seen her, period... Chiaki's ash statue, out on the skyway, hours before Ibuki had found her way to the Bastion... could it really be her?]

Re: Chiaki Nanami | Danganronpa

[lovelyscissors]

[Well, that was clearly a newcomer! Hajime put on her best 'hi, new person' smile, and stepped towards Chiaki with purposeful haste.]

Hello! I'm Hajime, nice to meet you. Are you fine?

[A strange question, perhaps, but Chiaki seemed quite lost and confused, so Hajime made it her, well, purpose to help out. And that would start with familiarity!]

[arrowroot]

[Freeing the Tower of Winds and the connected balcony had been a boon in more ways than just one. Sure, access to the rest of the castle was needed if they were ever going to succeed in Ozuma's request, but having the height of that balcony as well as some semblance of "outside" with the blue sky above and the cool sea breezes was keeping Ana from going completely stir crazy. She hated being cooped up as they were, and though they were hardly imprisoned it still felt like it to some one who spent her days in open air, exploring every nook and cranny of Tyria while doing her job.

She came up there often once it was open to them, usually with her two birds in tow near her. It was peaceful, quiet and normally unoccupied. Today was clearly different, as a small girl caught Ana's attention seconds after climbing through one of the open windows and dropping down on the balcony. A young eagle cried out and circled around her, landing carefully and perching on her shining shoulder armor.]

Oh--! I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone else was up here...

Yukio Okumura | Blue Exorcist (let's try this again)

[tinyprotector]

[Curled up in a ball nearest the altar is a very small child, likely far too young to be much of the hero Ozuma was expecting to bring in. Indeed, he looks absolutely terrified, jumping at any sudden sound and wide eyes darting around the room. He's silent, but he does let out quiet sniffles occasionally, too frightened to keep them under control.

Eventually, he does at least realize that he can't stay sitting in one place forever. So if he's not at the altar, he can be found marching around the area, little hands clenched into fists, lip wobbling even as he calls out.]

Father! Rin! Where are you?

[He's so determined to track down his family that he doesn't realize he's straying too far from the main room... and when he does realize, it's too late. Shadows are moving in closer, and he stares at them, a sob echoing in the darkness.]

D-Don't come any closer! Get away!

[And suddenly, he's lifting a gun, hands shaking. He's barely started training, but he has to do something!]

((Feel free to corner him wherever!))

[scarybarrellove]

[Normally, Ashton would have a quip for this. Something in an attempt to look dashing and heroic.]

[This time, there's a kid in danger. Acting heroic can wait, instead, it's just time to act.]

Take one more step towards the child, and I'm going to burn your shadows into the wall!

[Looks like Ashton is coming out of the Darkness, and the Dragons on his back look downright angry, licks of flame leaping from the mouth of the red one, and wisps of frost rising from the mouth of the blue one.]

[They're wasting no time in getting closer to Yukio, and they won't hesitate to attack if the shadows continue.]

[satanslash]

[Hearing a familiar voice cry out was more than enough to spur Rin in to action. So much so that his instinctual reaction overrode the fact that the one crying for him was, in fact, his brother at seven years old and not the fifteen year old he should have been. Unfortunately this also meant Rin was acting without thinking, and didn't realize that showing his tail and flames to a Yukio who had never seen him in such a way was... probably not a good thing. But there he was, sword out, flames ready, slashing at every shadow that tried to get to Yukio through him.] Back off! You ain't touchin' him!

Maka Albarn | Soul Eater

[soundmind]

[A hero to fight the darkness, right?

Apparently one has come in the form of a high school-aged girl, left with nothing but the clothes on her back and a satchel of books when she was brought to the meeting with Ozuma.

Maka's not panicked or angry, rather she's curious about this new part of time and space she's been brought to, and she was specifically brought to help? Ozuma could have called on someone stronger than her, but then Kid had important Lord Death things to do and Black*Star...might have made it worse. So it's with a oddly calm acceptance that Maka stands and brushes herself off in the beginning room.]

[Okay. So this is her next mission.

Well. This isn't going to be terribly easy without Soul around, but if it's specifically darkness that they're fighting Maka can learn to adapt. At present she's chosen to explore first, lighting any dark ways with a curious winged orb emitting from her back. There are people here. Many different types of people, Maka can sense their souls humming their individual tunes. If the Meister can find just one...maybe she can ask them if there's a library here.]

[satanslash]

[No library yet, but a fully stocked kitchen that seems to have become a second home to one (1) half-demon teenager, complete with tail, sharp eye teeth and pointed ears. Rin has spent most of his time there since arriving. He's still not completely comfortable with the rest of the new arrivals and those he showed up with, really only knowing Ryuji.

And even that is an issue in and of itself.

But that's not what we're here to talk about, is it?

Should Maka make her way down the elevator to the lower floors, she may eventually stumble upon delicious aromas wafting through the air, much different than the lingering scent of dust and stone that the rest of the castle has.

Clearly this should be cause for investigation, right? That, and spotting the tailed teen through the serving window that connects the dining hall to the kitchen.]