Heart Game

[digitalemperor]

You have the sensation of falling--no, drowning. Your lungs burn, you can’t breathe, you try to struggle but the current drags you down down down and just as you’re losing consciousness you know you’re dying...

You jerk, abruptly, the landing a little rough as you stand. Your clothes are dry and there’s no water in your lungs. You can breathe.

You find a bluetooth headset on your head, it crackles with static then goes silent.

((Join #sharkbait. Go ahead and start right here. Unless you're Nezumi in which case start here. If you're late check with me on IRC where to start.))

((POWERS: all combat and non-healing powers are ON in this heart. Status removing powers and items are off. Healing powers and items are almost completely ineffective at the start, I'll tell you if it changes. You have all your equipment.))

Comments

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

... Anri!?

[ I KNOW WHO SHE IS THOUGH, AND I KNOW THAT I NEED TO FIND HER, I DON'T CARE IF IT FEELS HOPELESS. ]

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[digitalemperor]

There's rust on the sword. That wasn't there before.

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

[ TRYING TO RUB THE RUST OFF, WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DO ]

Anri, I'm here! I'm here, okay!

[ Oh right I also have a headset. Calling out to Lloyd!? ]

Hey! I really think Anri is in trouble!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[digitalemperor]

The rust flakes off but the sword still feels dull and... Lifeless.

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

Kazuki? Where is she? Where are you?!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

[ Man, it is SUCH A RELIEF TO TALK TO SOMEONE. And that they're saying my name, it's me!! ]

I dunno, still in the mirror maze! But Anri... her sword, it feels wrong!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

Why do you have her sword?!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

It came out of my hand! There's... a ton of complicated reasons why I have it too, which I really don't feel like getting into!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

I heard her voice earlier... and you yelling "let go—"

I think she's lost. I am, too. But I've got a lot of stuff to maybe blow mirrors up?

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

Blowing shit up's a start... but there's a problem. She doesn't feel lost, she feels dead.

[ YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND MY EMPATHIC LINK OKAY I JUST KNOW THIS ]

There's gotta be a way we can bring her back!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

Maybe if I kept going I could hear her voice again?

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

Maybe. Where did you hear her before?

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

It was just that wa— I HATE MIRRORS

Okay, so the mirrors all just changed around again, so I can't tell and I can't see Mikage any more! But I think I remember which direction it was!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

Right. I'll keep going then too!

Ah, and really, definitely, don't touch the mirrors!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

I won't! Don't cut yourself up till you die either!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

[ lol who's to say I didn't already? ]

I still have the ring...

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

--that's right! I still have the ring!

[ WHAT IF I AM PRESSING IT TO THE SWORD. ]

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[digitalemperor]

The sword and ring glow with a faint pink aura... The rust disappears and the sword feels... faintly warm. The rust is gone, and the ring disappears. But the sword instead carries seams of black corruption over it...

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

What?! What about the ring?

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

It fixed the sword! ... kind of. It's still weak... there's this weird black corruption thing.

Maybe it's best if I got out of here. Especially if you guys are going to blow it all up to kingdom come.

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[brotagonist]

I think I have to find more stuff first, this doesn't even look like a bomb part. Can you get out, or find anyone else—?!

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

Yeah, I'll try! Maybe one of the other NPCs can do something... like Masaomi! And I don't exactly have anything left on me that'd destroy mirrors anyway!

Talk to you later, alright?

[ KAZUKI OUT. ]

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[digitalemperor]

So what are you doing Kazuki?

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[virtuallyroyalty]

[ I guess I'm talking to the katana. ]

It's okay. I'm safe now, you can go back to how it was before! Rest up! Lloyd's looking for another part of you too, if you'll be around that way.

Re: Hall of Mirrors

[digitalemperor]

Your arm feels warm but at the same time it kind of hurts.