[popdrop] H3: Touko and Raijuu

[warpweft]

[The first thing you notice is how dark it is. It’s really, really stinkin’ dark. You can’t see anything. Even if you naturally have the ability to see in the dark, well, not anymore. Which may be the second thing you notice - any powers you have, any magic is gone. Silenced. You can’t feel it, similarly to when you’re in the theme park, with an additional sense of anxiety and loss surrounding the inability to tap into it. Even a heightened sense of emotion won’t bring them back, like it might in the theme park. If you have other powers of some kind, enhanced physical capabilities or the like, they’re either gone or significantly reduced as well. You feel extremely normal and it doesn’t feel good.]

[Whether you stay still or stumble along in the dark, at least it’s not too long. You eventually catch notice of something illuminating the darkness. You find yourself drawn to it. It's a small spherical glass object. Near the edges, it's black, but bits of purple and violet appear, gradually brightening and swirling together in a spiral shape at the center. The spiral at the center is bright enough to bathe you and the surroundings in a soft violet light. As you get closer, you can feel voices coming from the sphere. You can’t tell what they’re saying, but maybe if you were closer. You feel a deep desire in your stomach to just…reach out….]

What are you doing?

[The voice, a woman’s voice, comes from behind you. You didn’t hear anybody approaching, but you’re immediately filled with an intense sense of foreboding. You turn and look, but you can’t see anything. The darkness is once again overpowering, the violet glow from the object next to you being the only thing that isn’t swallowed up by it. All you can make out in the darkness is what may be someone’s face and…two eyes. With nothing in them. Pitch-black.]

You touched the Heart…

You touched MY Heart!?

[There’s a lot of anger and it’s not making that sense of foreboding go away. The darkness and the person(?) inside it advance towards you, slowly engulfing the violet glow around you. Just when you’re thinking you’re gonna have to decide between fight or flight, here — something moves.

Towards you.

You feel something punch into your chest and before you know it, you’re on the ground, searing pain running through your upper body. A few things briefly pass through your senses. You hear a loud scream. If you tilt your head up, you can see a long black spike…embedded in your own chest. And you can taste… …yup. That’s your own blood.

That’s about as far as you get before consciousness leaves you.]

Comments

HEARTHSIDE

[voidhearts]

Oh, good morning! You might want to park yourself over there or you’re going to get a ticket.

[The mid-day sun is shining down on you. It’s a beautiful Spring day and your craft has come to a stop in the middle of the street. Somebody very helpfully points out a parking spot on the side. Hope you know how to parallel park this thing.]

[A look around shows that you’ve landed in what appears to be a small village in the English countryside. It’s kinda hilly. At the bottom of the hill (where you are currently), there’s a number of shops and businesses and whatnot. Then a bridge over a small lake that leads into the hills, where most of the houses seem to be. It’s a pretty cute little place.]

Very good, then, let’s move it along, here, you’re blocking traffic.

[A police officer gives your craft a couple light taps. Luckily, if you get out, the craft will just disappear until you need it again anyway. Fortunately enough…nobody seems that bothered by you just showing up or whatever strange appearance you may or may not have.]

[ugly_split_ends]

Oh, thank God, some fucking light for a change.

[She flinches at the taps.]

H-Hey! D-Don't rush me...

[She'll climb out.]

[voidhearts]

Well, if y'don't wanna be rushed, don't be blockin' traffic!

[The craft immediately disappears, clearing up the road. Somebody waves at you as they drive by.]

You don't look like you're from around here, Miss. You got business, here?

[ugly_split_ends]

B-Brilliant deduction.

I'm looking for a woman... not in that way, perv.

[voidhearts]

Is that right? Who might she be?

[ugly_split_ends]

Um... isn't that enough?

[voidhearts]

There's a lot of women here, ma'am. Little Dunwick has a population of over a thousand.

[A couple people approach you and the officer.]

"Oh, She's probably looking for Aggy and her family. Just look, they’re...unique, like her!" [They gesture at you and, apparently, your...uniqueness.] They’re at the top of the hill, dearie!”

[ugly_split_ends]

'Aggy' huh? ...Hehehehehe.

[Fukawa will remember that.]

Riiight. Thanks. I'll just go... see... Aggy.

[She walks off, hunched over all uniquely.]

[voidhearts]

[At the top of the hill, away from the rest of the houses is a simple little one-story cottage. Despite it being a beautiful day, all the windows are closed and the curtains are drawn, so you can’t see inside at all.]

[ugly_split_ends]

... [Shit, she doesn't know how to deal with this on a good day.]

...

[she'll go up to the front door and cough.]

A-hem! Aaaack-hem!!

[it slowly turns into a coughing fit]

[voidhearts]

[After a few seconds of that, the door opens a crack. A woman(?) is standing in the doorway, with a hood up over her head and sunglasses and a mask covering her face.]

Yes?

[ugly_split_ends]

Whoa, deja vu.

[...think, Fukawa!]

Are you the one with the relatives in town?

[voidhearts]

...I live here with my family, yes.

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[thedarkdragon]

[He. Doesn’t know how to drive a car. It’s fine.]

Uh. Right. Where is this place?

[Far away from crazy grandma at least.]

/?

[voidhearts]

[-- bout that.]

"Get back here!"

[Crazy grandma lands right behind you, one of her hands still a large black claw. She angrily stalks towards you. The officer immediately walks towards her, hands on his hips.]

Well, well, well, what's all this, then?

[She reaches an arm back and backhands him. He goes fffflllyyyyying into the distance. She's about to lunge for Raijuu again.]

[voidhearts]

[When someone else appears in a burst of flame and catches her arm. It's a woman, wearing a hood, mask and sunglasses so her face is totally covered. The villagers seem happy to see her.]

"Oh, hello, Aggy! Are these friends of yours?"

Kind of. Sorry for the noise, Mrs. Travis. And sorry about Officer Windham.

"Oh, he's fine, he's gotten worse from his wife for staying out too late."

[The woman, Aggy, draws a hand back and socks Lillith in the head, knocking her back. Lillith's power definitely seems lessened outside of that Vault. It's bright and sunny in this place. She can't use the darkness as a tool of fear anymore.]

I'll warn you once. Leave. [Flames gather in her hand.] Or I'll force you to.

[voidhearts]

"You...misbegotten rejected child....!"

[Lillith seems apocalyptically pissed off. But she also seems to know when she's out of her element. She looks at Raijuu.]

"This isn't over!"

[...and she vanishes in a cloud of darkness.]

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[voidhearts]

[...and the woman turns her had back to look at Raijuu.]

[Then, she turns and walks away, back across the bridge and up the hill.]

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[thedarkdragon]

[What just happened???? He runs to catch up to the woman.]

Wait! Uh- thank you for the help!

[He wants to know more, or at least figure this place out.]

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[voidhearts]

You're welcome.

[She's walking up the hill, towards a house at the top. It's a small, one-story cottage. Despite it being a beautiful day, all the windows are closed and the curtains are drawn, so you can’t see inside at all.]

You should try and avoid her in the future, if you can. She's very dangerous.

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[thedarkdragon]

[He follows, the house catching his interest. He'll try to see if he can look around there for a weapon once he's done talking to her.]

Is she going to keep trying to hunt me down?

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[voidhearts]

No. She'll slink back into her Vault, now. [She opens the door.]

Just avoid going there while you explore and you should be fine. Goodbye.

[She's about to close the door. You can:
> Present her the Old Witch Doll]

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[thedarkdragon]

Oh. I think I can do that.

[Holding out the doll to her.]

Wait. Can you tell me about this? I don't really need it, though.

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[voidhearts]

[The woman looks at it and suddenly goes very quiet.]

... ...

Where'd you get this?

Re: HEARTHSIDE

[thedarkdragon]

[He studies her carefully.]

Some locked room she didn't want me to go in. I found it there.