The Longest Thread (Misadventures)

[TwinStorm He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Arbiter said:

"Me? It depends. Are they focused on you? Are they willing to fight me? How many are going to fight me at once? Are they trying to capture or kill you? Can we surprise them? All in all, I could take several. Probably wouldn't even be as hard as fighting Feanor was."

"Feanor?" Cricket frowned. "I've heard that name before. Besides," he said, getting back to the point. "They threatened to either sever my soul, or train me. Neither of those are going to happen. So, unless we can compromise, it'll be a fight."

[xinoehp512 he/him]

24 minutes ago, Ookla the nostealnamepls said:

The traveler gave the insects a wide berth, eyeing them warily.

 

One insect fluttered towards the traveler curiously.

24 minutes ago, Ookla the nostealnamepls said:

“Indeed!” … put the papers down with a flourish. “Quite a bad look for those arguing the Great Wizard should’ve trusted the organization.”

“How am I-oh, yeah. I’m fine. I figured something out.”

"Perfect! So we just reveal this, and they'll have to let the Great Wizard go!"

17 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"Ask the Narrators." he said. "Bacon. Subversion. Do you have any ideas?"

@Ookla the Bacon @Ookla the nostealnamepls

"I'd like to not get on the Ennullers' bad side, if at all possible."

[TwinStorm He/Him]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Bacon said:

One insect fluttered towards the traveler curiously.

"Perfect! So we just reveal this, and they'll have to let the Great Wizard go!"

"I'd like to not get on the Ennullers' bad side, if at all possible."

"They don't have to know it's you. Somebody else can actually help me, I just need advice from you."

[Immortal Platypus]

15 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"Feanor?" Cricket frowned. "I've heard that name before. Besides," he said, getting back to the point. "They threatened to either sever my soul, or train me. Neither of those are going to happen. So, unless we can compromise, it'll be a fight."

"He was a powerful Narrator. But why can't they train you? Or sever your soul?"

13 minutes ago, Ookla the Bacon said:

One insect fluttered towards the traveler curiously.

"Perfect! So we just reveal this, and they'll have to let the Great Wizard go!"

"I'd like to not get on the Ennullers' bad side, if at all possible."

"I agree with Bacon. Bad idea to get on the bad side of the Beings that run the Wall."

[TwinStorm He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Arbiter said:

"He was a powerful Narrator. But why can't they train you? Or sever your soul?"

"I agree with Bacon. Bad idea to get on the bad side of the Beings that run the Wall."

"I'm not leaving them." he said defiantly, gesturing towards Tam, Shoe, Beosta and the others. "And... when my soul was merged with an Enuller's, neither of our souls had enough left of their original soul to be able to survive being separated."

[ThroughTheLivingSequence she/her/they/them]

(Warnings for: long, and also a lil sad )
Just in case anybody was wondering what happened right after the 3,000th page party,

Sequence's World was typically open to all who sought it with intentions of peace, safety, and other such positive intentions. However, since the party, it was enshrouded in darkness, and closed off to those who searched for it. On the surface, a confrontation took place.

Spoiler

Circa Page ~3068

 

Sequence sat on an uncharacteristically dark throne in an uncharacteristically dark castle, tapping her foot in worry as Fuzzy read words off a scroll in an indecipherable language to her. Together, they waited. Neither of them looked well, with dark bags under their eyes and slight black splotches on their cheeks and arms, and presumably the rest of their skin. Fuzzy's reading was interrupted by a fit of coughing as she doubled over. Sequence placed a worried hand on her back. The castle seemed to be in the same monstrous crystalline mountains that Sequence's personal cabin was located in. This stretch was near the large valley where the party had been, and the lake was in sight.

Fuzzy continued to cough for some time. Finally, with the floor beneath her stained in black goop that she'd coughed up, she stopped. Sequence handed her a rag, which she accepted gratefully.  
"Are they here yet?" She asked softly. Fuzzy nodded. With that, Everyone appeared with a flourishing puff of black smoke, accompanied by their signature red lightning.

"Ah, Sequence! Lovely to see you again. How are you faring? How's Cardinal?" They asked, a wry smile on their lips and a strange twinkle in their eyes.

"He's dead." Sequence said bitterly, glaring at Everyone. There was a coffin near one of the extravagant stained glass windows that lined either side of the castle's throne room. A small bouquet of blue flowers sat atop it, and black mist poured from every crack and seam in the wood.

"And I'm dying too," Sequence continued. "This world is dying. Thanks to you. All for the better, right?" Sequence said sarcastically, standing up and taking a step towards Everyone, who stood several paces away from the throne. "All for your glorious desires... What even motivates you? Why do you do what you do? I suppose nobody will ever know, because I doubt even you know anymore." Sequence's voice was laced with malice, and Everyone watched silently. "You hated Unintelligible because you had an irrational fear of Ooklas, for the Elephant's sake!" She exclaimed.

"I've always tried my hardest to be good to you, to give you purpose, opportunity, second chance after second chance after second chance! But it's never enough, is it? All you want is to see the Thread BURN!!!" With that last, distorted word, Sequence summoned Conflict in her right hand. The blade held a wickedly curved form, the edge sharp as ever and the other side studded with monstrous teeth-like spines. It hummed in anticipation. Everyone still didn't speak. "So why? " Sequence asked, the rage in her voice momentarily replaced with pleading. "Why must you destroy, Everyone?"

Everyone examined their nails, humming softly to themself before looking up at Sequence. "... Oh, finally done with your monologue? Finally, that was getting boring." Everyone laughed, a sound that hurt your very soul to listen to. Slightly shrill, filled with twisted mirth, and oh so spiteful. They wiped a few tears from their eyes as their laughter died down. "For the record, I'd prefer you didn't call me 'Everyone'. What an awful name. I believe that from now on..." They held out their hand, and their blade formed in their hand from the black mist around them. Inversion, it was called. Jagged and twisted and radiating with an energy one might describe as eager to consume. Forged by the Dreamsmith for Everyone specifically, designed to harness their power and their darkness. It was black, tinged and accented with crimson, and the mere sight of it was off-putting. Everyone examined it fondly for a moment, then continued speaking.

"From now on, I believe I will be called Ivisyre. Yes... That feels right." Ivisyre grinned and flipped Inversion in their hands.

Sequence watched, heart pounding in her chest. She held Conflict at her side, the tip touching the dark marble of the castle's floor. 

The two forces stared each other down. Not moving. Not speaking. Not until the silence was broken by a massive fit of coughing. Sequence spun around, dropping Conflict which vanished in a puff of dust. The coughing came from Fuzzy, who was doubled over hacking and wheezing as black liquid dribbled from her lips. She fell to her knees on the dark stone, and Sequence let out a cry and dashed towards her. She dropped to her knees beside Fuzzy, putting an arm over her shoulder.

"Fuzzy, oh my darling..." Sequence looked at Fuzzy's distraught, weak form in distress, mind racing to come up with a solution. "Please, please..." Fuzzy's coughing slowly came to a stop, and she struggled to catch her breath, down on the stone on her hands and knees with Sequence's arm around her. Ivisyre watched dispassionately. Fuzzy's breathing was ragged and weak.

"Just breathe," Sequence said softly. "Breathe... In... Out... Deep breaths, my sweet..." She said with a caringly, motherly tone. Sequence gently stroked Fuzzy's hair as she sat down on the stone with her legs out, gently guiding Fuzzy to lay in her lap. Exhaustion plagued Fuzzy's face, and her lips were covered in the black, oil-like substance. 

"I-I'm... So t-tired..." Fuzzy said weakly, looking up at Sequence with her usually bright eyes. Now, they were dull and devoid of hope. "I know, I know, dearest. Rest now. Close your eyes and rest. You've earned it, time and time again." Tears welled up in Sequence's eyes, and her voice broke. "J-Just rest..." 

Fuzzy murmured something Sequence didn't hear, gently closing her eyes. For the first time in days, she looked at peace. And then, she went still. With one final exhale, Fuzzy's ragged breathing slowed to a stop. Sequence bit back a sob, still stroking Fuzzy's head.

"Ugh, finally!" Ivisyre said with an exasperated tone. "She was always so annoying! I've dreamed of her death for a loooong time, Sequence." Ivisyre doubled over laughing. "Seriously! I've always hated that storming girl!" Ivisyre continued to laugh as Sequence gently moved Fuzzy's frozen form off her lap and onto the cold floor of the castle. She leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, then slowly stood up.

"Y̸̡͊ǒ̵̩̠u̵͎͎͆ ̸̺͊̍j̸̛͇ṳ̸̻̆s̴̿͜t̷̛͍̜̅ ̴̛̪m̷̛̤͉͊â̴̻͕̑ḏ̵͔͗̓é̵̝ ̸͓͗̈å̷͍͝ ̷̖̗̚m̸̮̜̿͠i̷͙̿s̶̰̏t̷̩̣̉̚a̴̜̪̓̀k̷͖̾ë̵͍́.̷̺̔͐" Sequence spat, her voice distorted and tinged with darkness. Conflict appeared in her hand once more, taking the same curved shape. Sequence's Narrationblade appeared in the other, its form mirroring Conflict. Both blades morphed to increase in length and thin out a bit as Sequence turned to face Ivisyre.

Ivisyre just continued to cackle. "Are you going to fight me? Sequence the wise, outstanding pacifist?" They just laughed and laughed and laughed.

"T̶̳̭͖̆h̸̼̅̑e̵̞̓̒n̴̮̠̒ ̸̩̾͊͠F̴̙̽Į̴͊Ǵ̵̖̀H̶͉͉͓͂͗T̸̲́͘ ̴͚̌͘M̶̙̝̲͒̒͘Ë̴͈͝!̴͖͖͋̈́́͜" They shouted, their voice laced with the same distortion and darkness as Sequence. Ivisyre was technically a piece of her, after all. With that, they brandished Inversion and lunged at Sequence. Sequence was quick to parry, raising Conflict to block Ivisyre's strike. Conflict swelled with dark energy, and Inversion was deflected violently the second it contacted the powerful Plotblade. Ivisyre stumbled backward, nearly losing their grip on their sword as they looked up at Sequence with a surprised expression. Sequence glared back stoically. Ivisyre let out a growl of anger and lunged again, swinging for Sequence. This time, Sequence attacked in turn, deflecting Inversion with Conflict and jabbing at Ivisyre's midsection with her Narrationblade. A dagger coalesced in Ivisyre's free hand, and they used it to strike at Sequence's blade in defense. 

The two fought like this for a while, neither able to gain an upper hand with their matched strength, and equal cold rage. Sequence's anger, despite her best efforts, began to rise. She struck again and again, dismissing her Narrationblade to wield Conflict in both hands. Ivisyre was forced into a defensive stance as Inversion was repeatedly repelled backwards by Conflict's strikes, and in Sequence's blind rage, she let her guard slip. Ivisyre snarled and poured their power into Inversion within an instant. Before their newfound lack of darkness induced too much empathy, they swung at Conflict with all their might. The blade was torn from Sequence's hands, and she screamed as it took a couple of her fingers with it. Conflict flew through a stained glass window at speeds untraceable by the naked eye, and vanished. Sequence stumbled backwards, bleeding profusely from her hand as Ivisyre swiftly retracted their power from Inversion and struck again. Sequence narrowly managed to block by summoning her Narrationblade in her undamaged hand, and with a roar of anger, Ivisyre poured power into their blade once more and struck. Sequence's Narrationblade, no longer twisted and dark to mirror Conflict, was a beautiful white blade, ornamented with purple and black patterns along the hilt and flat of the blade. Upon contact with Inversion, it shattered, shards of Narrative god-metal flying in all directions. A particularly large chunk tore through Sequence's midsection at terrifying speeds. Her eyes widened and she let out a quiet choking sound, falling down onto her rear and clutching her stomach. She slowly began to heal the wound as Ivisyre pulled their power from their blade, panting and simmering with rage.

Ivisyre leveled their blade at Sequence's throat, who looked up at Ivisyre with grim determination. 

"Ď̴̯͍̅o̷̝̅̎ ̷͖̫̇͋y̷͍͍̅̎o̵̺̎ŭ̷̬ ̶̝̹͂h̴̥͑á̵͙̔v̵̛̭ē̴̥̞̇ ̸̫̍å̸̙̌n̵͆͌͜ȳ̴̜t̵͎̐̑͜h̴̺͜͝i̶͂ͅn̶̺͕͊͒g̶̖͊ ̶̩̳͗t̴̜́o̴͙͒ ̶͚̐̊s̸͎͆ȁ̴̧̚y̵̬͗̄,̵̹̜̈́̈ ̵̩̹̆̆d̶̗̅̕e̴̖̎̊ạ̵̪̑ř̷̛͍ ̸̲̇Ṣ̸̲̏ë̴̳q̶̹̱͛ù̵͍̱̅e̴̺͌͝ṅ̵͔̺č̶͖e̷͓̜̾̍?̴̻̪͌̕ ̶̥̦̓À̴̯̻n̶͉̲̈y̷̤̚ ̶̩̕f̴̧͉̒î̵̜̥͒n̵̗̾͝á̸͇̈́l̶̗̊ ̶̭͐̐ẅ̷̤́o̷̒͐͜r̷̗͂d̴̙͔́ṡ̷̠̋ ̶̛͍̏ő̴̲̦f̵͈̾ͅ ̶̧̥̽ẘ̶̯̤i̵̟̓s̶̨̆͆d̶͍͗̾o̴̖͈͒͠m̵̢̒͜ ̶͚̽b̵̮͙̀e̸̛̬f̶͚̆ͅo̶̰̎͘r̶͉̀̍e̷̮̱̒ ̴̡͖͛ỳ̵̛̱̙o̶̱͚͘u̶͋͘͜ ̶͈̠̍̕a̸̝̿̍r̴͓̈́̈́e̸̫̾͝ ̶̹̈́ẗ̶̗ǫ̷̧̀̐r̷̳̿ň̸̯̇ ̵̦̓̓͜f̸̨͠r̶̬͔̀̕ö̶̳̣́͌m̵̖͍̌ ̶͇͒ṱ̴͘͝h̷̢̺̀ȉ̶̡s̵̖͕͝ ̶̳̏͠T̶̝͓́h̸̲̄͊r̸͙͋́ế̵̹͉â̴̗̰͝d̴̨̤̅ ̴̛̝o̴̧̢͐̓n̸̩̹͑̾c̷̟͝ḙ̴̂ ̸̯̬̌̔a̴̜͇͑n̵̤̬͆̌d̸̪̾̒ ̵̗̉f̸͎̬̍o̸͕̼͘r̶̡̥͆̐ ̵̝̔͐ä̷͍̫́ĺ̷̼͠ḷ̷͕̉͊?̷̙̌͠"

Sequence glared into Ivisyre's eyes, not speaking. Ivisyre slowly exhaled, darkness leaving their eyes and voice.

"Thank you, Sequence. If it weren't for your attempt to corrupt me to your... Peaceful, disgusting ways, perhaps I would have never realized my true potential." With that, they raised Inversion and swung for Sequence's neck. Her eyes were closed. Not in defeat, but in thought. She seemed to view her surroundings in slow motion, thinking. Remembering. Waiting. She opened her eyes and watched Inversion. The anger on Everyone's face. Her Everyone, her splinter, one whom she once thought of as her friend. But that could never be. This... Ivisyre. It was Everyone, as much as Sequence didn't want to think so. This is what they've always been. Sequence exhaled, and a white knife appeared. It floated above Inversion.

I was wondering when you'd show up.

Good thing you're patient.

The knife, another one of the Dreamsmith's creations, was similar to Sequence's Narrationblade. White, with floral accents and patterns, which were a neon cyan color. It was the same knife that worked security for the party, and the same knife that had spoken with a select few. A knife on an invisible chain with a mind of its own.

The knife, Willow was its name, struck downwards at Inversion, knocking it down off path. It then flew towards Sequence, stabbing into her collarbone firmly.

Sorry.

With its momentum and force, it quickly jerked Sequence back away from Ivisyre's blade. Despite moving at incredible speeds, it wasn't fast enough, and Inversion's point sliced into Sequence's midsection shallowly. She gasped, face wrenching up in pain. It wasn't much, but from a blade like this, it could be deadly.

With the force of Ivisyre's swing largely missing its target, they lost their balance, stumbling and nearly toppling over with how much power and rage had been behind their strike. She looked up at Sequence, bewildered. 

She gave a triumphant smile, slightly creased with pain, and Conflict appeared once more. It thrust towards Ivisyre, Willow's invisible chain wrapped around it and carrying it towards Ivisyre. Unable to react in time, Conflict tore straight through Ivisyre's chest, spraying the black stone with black blood. They let out a blood-curdling scream, falling onto their back as Conflict continued on completely through Ivisyre, vanishing into mist as it cleared them.

Sequence stood up shakily, clutching the dark wound in her midsection and limping towards Ivisyre. They laid on their back on the cold stone, looking up at the ceiling with shocked eyes. They attempted to breathe, struggling to do so with the gaping hole in their chest.

Sequence looked down at Ivisyre, pity flashing in her eyes. 

"Oh, Everyone..." She said softly.

"D̴̹̳̈̎̅͜Ó̶̮̘̦Ň̵ͅ'̴̮̪̤͋̈́T̵̫̦̚ ̶̫͎̹͛̎c̸͕͙̓̄̉a̴̺̳͝l̷̛̻̀l̴̗̖̒̋ ̵̨̠̲̅̐͐m̸̜͌͑̓e̸̪̋̔ ̴̢̩̑͛͘ṯ̴̥͖̈́̚h̶̛̳͙̄̔a̶̢̲̯̽̐͗t̶͓̆.̴̗̀́͆" Ivisyre spat, voice pained. J̴̗̭̗̎u̴̧͂̈́͊ͅs̵̛̩̜̭͘ṱ̸͒̍̔ ̶̜̪̉̿̑D̴̖͐̀̃O̶͓̓ ̴͎̭̥͐̾i̶̝͑t̷̹̮͐!̶̬͈̀̈́ ̸̝̬͉̒F̷̩̹̟̀̈ī̷͖̺ͅn̴̨͈̹͒ỉ̶̞͚̚s̶͎͔̫̑̆h̶̥̙̿̃̑ ̴̛͚̏m̵͙̊͂ḛ̸͐́̚ ̷̝̪͛̽ỏ̵͍͎f̶̡̗͂̓f̸̢̞̠̀.̵͖̟̊ͅ ̷̺̫͋̒̓K̸̼̫̬͊i̸̠͔͉͝l̶͎̞͇̀̿l̷̬͛̽͜͝ ̸̡̻̰̀̆́m̴̡̩̠̍̈́̈́ĕ̸̛͈͠!̵̮͐͛̏!̵̧̫̱̅́!̸̘̟̭͊

Sequence frowned. "Leave." She said simply. "Leave, and never show your face to anybody ever again."

Ivisyre managed to shakily get to their feet, the wound in their chest refusing to heal. They glared at Sequence, the darkness slowly fading from their eyes.

"You know I won't listen to you. You know I won't stay away." They said.

Sequence nodded. "I know."

Ivisyre searched Sequence's gaze. They took a long, shaky bow, and turned around, taking a few hobbling, limping steps away from the throne. Then, they vanished into black mist.

Sequence watched them go, then grunted and fell to the floor, barely sitting up and still clutching her wound. The darkness in the sky of Sequence's formerly bright world slowly began to ebb, and the black clouds slowly began to dissipate. The shroud of fog surrounding the planet lifted, and it was bright once more. Mostly. Something was different, and likely always would be.

Sequence barely managed to get to her feet, looking up at the sun through one of the castle's stained glass windows.

"... I ought to get ready for that trial soon."
 

 

[Immortal Platypus]

29 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"I'm not leaving them." he said defiantly, gesturing towards Tam, Shoe, Beosta and the others. "And... when my soul was merged with an Enuller's, neither of our souls had enough left of their original soul to be able to survive being separated."

"They could probably come with you when you were trained. And if the Ennuller couldn't be split, the other Ennullers wouldn't kill it. Besides, you probably won't be able to avoid the Ennullers."

[TwinStorm He/Him]

Just now, Ookla the Arbiter said:

"They could probably come with you when you were trained. And if the Ennuller couldn't be split, the other Ennullers wouldn't kill it. Besides, you probably won't be able to avoid the Ennullers."

"I... don't know. I don't want to become an Enuller. I've already been trained."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

3 hours ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

Cricket smiled. At least these weren't tormenting him. In one world he had been to, the spirits had terrorized him so much he had left two hours after arriving.

The spirit floated closer, sending images of wind whistling through many, many leaves like a little song, of dew on the bright, shining surface of the apple. 

3 hours ago, Ookla the Inconclusive said:

Shoe sneezed. For no reason.

"That's awfully kind of you, Bat," Tam said, appearing behind him and resting her elbow on his shoulder.

Beosta took his hand. That had been a very cute sneeze. 

Bat jumped and almost fell over. "No!" He yelped. "That's not what I meant! I meant my people. The ones Gaioh's gonna kill! But... but I don't want you guys to get hurt either." He angled himself in such a way that the bird was as far from her as possible. 

2 hours ago, Ookla the Bacon said:

"Oh, right- you have that prejudice against Narrators." Bacon sighed. "So much for giving advice, then!"

"It's not a prejudice," he muttered. 

2 hours ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

okay thanks.

Cricket cursed. "How? How? What are we supposed to do now? We can't fight them, and we can't run!" he looked to the others helplessly.

@Ookla the Inconclusive @oOklA thE shInyYyy

"I can fight them," Beosta said. "My powers have nothing to do with Narration." 

2 hours ago, Ookla the nostealnamepls said:

Subversion popped up, having recovered very well from her emotional crisis earlier. "Maybe you should just let them train you. I know they might be somewhat ominous, but Enullers in general seem like pretty good people. Aside from the whole 'trap all the Narrators in TLT' thing."

"Yeah," Beosta agreed. 

Bat eyed Subversion distrustfully. 

32 minutes ago, Ookla the Inarticulate said:

(Warnings for: long, and also a lil sad )
Just in case anybody was wondering what happened right after the 3,000th page party,

Sequence's World was typically open to all who sought it with intentions of peace, safety, and other such positive intentions. However, since the party, it was enshrouded in darkness, and closed off to those who searched for it. On the surface, a confrontation took place.

  Reveal hidden contents

Circa Page ~3068

 

Sequence sat on an uncharacteristically dark throne in an uncharacteristically dark castle, tapping her foot in worry as Fuzzy read words off a scroll in an indecipherable language to her. Together, they waited. Neither of them looked well, with dark bags under their eyes and slight black splotches on their cheeks and arms, and presumably the rest of their skin. Fuzzy's reading was interrupted by a fit of coughing as she doubled over. Sequence placed a worried hand on her back. The castle seemed to be in the same monstrous crystalline mountains that Sequence's personal cabin was located in. This stretch was near the large valley where the party had been, and the lake was in sight.

Fuzzy continued to cough for some time. Finally, with the floor beneath her stained in black goop that she'd coughed up, she stopped. Sequence handed her a rag, which she accepted gratefully.  
"Are they here yet?" She asked softly. Fuzzy nodded. With that, Everyone appeared with a flourishing puff of black smoke, accompanied by their signature red lightning.

"Ah, Sequence! Lovely to see you again. How are you faring? How's Cardinal?" They asked, a wry smile on their lips and a strange twinkle in their eyes.

"He's dead." Sequence said bitterly, glaring at Everyone. There was a coffin near one of the extravagant stained glass windows that lined either side of the castle's throne room. A small bouquet of blue flowers sat atop it, and black mist poured from every crack and seam in the wood.

"And I'm dying too," Sequence continued. "This world is dying. Thanks to you. All for the better, right?" Sequence said sarcastically, standing up and taking a step towards Everyone, who stood several paces away from the throne. "All for your glorious desires... What even motivates you? Why do you do what you do? I suppose nobody will ever know, because I doubt even you know anymore." Sequence's voice was laced with malice, and Everyone watched silently. "You hated Unintelligible because you had an irrational fear of Ooklas, for the Elephant's sake!" She exclaimed.

"I've always tried my hardest to be good to you, to give you purpose, opportunity, second chance after second chance after second chance! But it's never enough, is it? All you want is to see the Thread BURN!!!" With that last, distorted word, Sequence summoned Conflict in her right hand. The blade held a wickedly curved form, the edge sharp as ever and the other side studded with monstrous teeth-like spines. It hummed in anticipation. Everyone still didn't speak. "So why? " Sequence asked, the rage in her voice momentarily replaced with pleading. "Why must you destroy, Everyone?"

Everyone examined their nails, humming softly to themself before looking up at Sequence. "... Oh, finally done with your monologue? Finally, that was getting boring." Everyone laughed, a sound that hurt your very soul to listen to. Slightly shrill, filled with twisted mirth, and oh so spiteful. They wiped a few tears from their eyes as their laughter died down. "For the record, I'd prefer you didn't call me 'Everyone'. What an awful name. I believe that from now on..." They held out their hand, and their blade formed in their hand from the black mist around them. Inversion, it was called. Jagged and twisted and radiating with an energy one might describe as eager to consume. Forged by the Dreamsmith for Everyone specifically, designed to harness their power and their darkness. It was black, tinged and accented with crimson, and the mere sight of it was off-putting. Everyone examined it fondly for a moment, then continued speaking.

"From now on, I believe I will be called Ivisyre. Yes... That feels right." Ivisyre grinned and flipped Inversion in their hands.

Sequence watched, heart pounding in her chest. She held Conflict at her side, the tip touching the dark marble of the castle's floor. 

The two forces stared each other down. Not moving. Not speaking. Not until the silence was broken by a massive fit of coughing. Sequence spun around, dropping Conflict which vanished in a puff of dust. The coughing came from Fuzzy, who was doubled over hacking and wheezing as black liquid dribbled from her lips. She fell to her knees on the dark stone, and Sequence let out a cry and dashed towards her. She dropped to her knees beside Fuzzy, putting an arm over her shoulder.

"Fuzzy, oh my darling..." Sequence looked at Fuzzy's distraught, weak form in distress, mind racing to come up with a solution. "Please, please..." Fuzzy's coughing slowly came to a stop, and she struggled to catch her breath, down on the stone on her hands and knees with Sequence's arm around her. Ivisyre watched dispassionately. Fuzzy's breathing was ragged and weak.

"Just breathe," Sequence said softly. "Breathe... In... Out... Deep breaths, my sweet..." She said with a caringly, motherly tone. Sequence gently stroked Fuzzy's hair as she sat down on the stone with her legs out, gently guiding Fuzzy to lay in her lap. Exhaustion plagued Fuzzy's face, and her lips were covered in the black, oil-like substance. 

"I-I'm... So t-tired..." Fuzzy said weakly, looking up at Sequence with her usually bright eyes. Now, they were dull and devoid of hope. "I know, I know, dearest. Rest now. Close your eyes and rest. You've earned it, time and time again." Tears welled up in Sequence's eyes, and her voice broke. "J-Just rest..." 

Fuzzy murmured something Sequence didn't hear, gently closing her eyes. For the first time in days, she looked at peace. And then, she went still. With one final exhale, Fuzzy's ragged breathing slowed to a stop. Sequence bit back a sob, still stroking Fuzzy's head.

"Ugh, finally!" Ivisyre said with an exasperated tone. "She was always so annoying! I've dreamed of her death for a loooong time, Sequence." Ivisyre doubled over laughing. "Seriously! I've always hated that storming girl!" Ivisyre continued to laugh as Sequence gently moved Fuzzy's frozen form off her lap and onto the cold floor of the castle. She leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, then slowly stood up.

"Y̸̡͊ǒ̵̩̠u̵͎͎͆ ̸̺͊̍j̸̛͇ṳ̸̻̆s̴̿͜t̷̛͍̜̅ ̴̛̪m̷̛̤͉͊â̴̻͕̑ḏ̵͔͗̓é̵̝ ̸͓͗̈å̷͍͝ ̷̖̗̚m̸̮̜̿͠i̷͙̿s̶̰̏t̷̩̣̉̚a̴̜̪̓̀k̷͖̾ë̵͍́.̷̺̔͐" Sequence spat, her voice distorted and tinged with darkness. Conflict appeared in her hand once more, taking the same curved shape. Sequence's Narrationblade appeared in the other, its form mirroring Conflict. Both blades morphed to increase in length and thin out a bit as Sequence turned to face Ivisyre.

Ivisyre just continued to cackle. "Are you going to fight me? Sequence the wise, outstanding pacifist?" They just laughed and laughed and laughed.

"T̶̳̭͖̆h̸̼̅̑e̵̞̓̒n̴̮̠̒ ̸̩̾͊͠F̴̙̽Į̴͊Ǵ̵̖̀H̶͉͉͓͂͗T̸̲́͘ ̴͚̌͘M̶̙̝̲͒̒͘Ë̴͈͝!̴͖͖͋̈́́͜" They shouted, their voice laced with the same distortion and darkness as Sequence. Ivisyre was technically a piece of her, after all. With that, they brandished Inversion and lunged at Sequence. Sequence was quick to parry, raising Conflict to block Ivisyre's strike. Conflict swelled with dark energy, and Inversion was deflected violently the second it contacted the powerful Plotblade. Ivisyre stumbled backward, nearly losing their grip on their sword as they looked up at Sequence with a surprised expression. Sequence glared back stoically. Ivisyre let out a growl of anger and lunged again, swinging for Sequence. This time, Sequence attacked in turn, deflecting Inversion with Conflict and jabbing at Ivisyre's midsection with her Narrationblade. A dagger coalesced in Ivisyre's free hand, and they used it to strike at Sequence's blade in defense. 

The two fought like this for a while, neither able to gain an upper hand with their matched strength, and equal cold rage. Sequence's anger, despite her best efforts, began to rise. She struck again and again, dismissing her Narrationblade to wield Conflict in both hands. Ivisyre was forced into a defensive stance as Inversion was repeatedly repelled backwards by Conflict's strikes, and in Sequence's blind rage, she let her guard slip. Ivisyre snarled and poured their power into Inversion within an instant. Before their newfound lack of darkness induced too much empathy, they swung at Conflict with all their might. The blade was torn from Sequence's hands, and she screamed as it took a couple of her fingers with it. Conflict flew through a stained glass window at speeds untraceable by the naked eye, and vanished. Sequence stumbled backwards, bleeding profusely from her hand as Ivisyre swiftly retracted their power from Inversion and struck again. Sequence narrowly managed to block by summoning her Narrationblade in her undamaged hand, and with a roar of anger, Ivisyre poured power into their blade once more and struck. Sequence's Narrationblade, no longer twisted and dark to mirror Conflict, was a beautiful white blade, ornamented with purple and black patterns along the hilt and flat of the blade. Upon contact with Inversion, it shattered, shards of Narrative god-metal flying in all directions. A particularly large chunk tore through Sequence's midsection at terrifying speeds. Her eyes widened and she let out a quiet choking sound, falling down onto her rear and clutching her stomach. She slowly began to heal the wound as Ivisyre pulled their power from their blade, panting and simmering with rage.

Ivisyre leveled their blade at Sequence's throat, who looked up at Ivisyre with grim determination. 

"Ď̴̯͍̅o̷̝̅̎ ̷͖̫̇͋y̷͍͍̅̎o̵̺̎ŭ̷̬ ̶̝̹͂h̴̥͑á̵͙̔v̵̛̭ē̴̥̞̇ ̸̫̍å̸̙̌n̵͆͌͜ȳ̴̜t̵͎̐̑͜h̴̺͜͝i̶͂ͅn̶̺͕͊͒g̶̖͊ ̶̩̳͗t̴̜́o̴͙͒ ̶͚̐̊s̸͎͆ȁ̴̧̚y̵̬͗̄,̵̹̜̈́̈ ̵̩̹̆̆d̶̗̅̕e̴̖̎̊ạ̵̪̑ř̷̛͍ ̸̲̇Ṣ̸̲̏ë̴̳q̶̹̱͛ù̵͍̱̅e̴̺͌͝ṅ̵͔̺č̶͖e̷͓̜̾̍?̴̻̪͌̕ ̶̥̦̓À̴̯̻n̶͉̲̈y̷̤̚ ̶̩̕f̴̧͉̒î̵̜̥͒n̵̗̾͝á̸͇̈́l̶̗̊ ̶̭͐̐ẅ̷̤́o̷̒͐͜r̷̗͂d̴̙͔́ṡ̷̠̋ ̶̛͍̏ő̴̲̦f̵͈̾ͅ ̶̧̥̽ẘ̶̯̤i̵̟̓s̶̨̆͆d̶͍͗̾o̴̖͈͒͠m̵̢̒͜ ̶͚̽b̵̮͙̀e̸̛̬f̶͚̆ͅo̶̰̎͘r̶͉̀̍e̷̮̱̒ ̴̡͖͛ỳ̵̛̱̙o̶̱͚͘u̶͋͘͜ ̶͈̠̍̕a̸̝̿̍r̴͓̈́̈́e̸̫̾͝ ̶̹̈́ẗ̶̗ǫ̷̧̀̐r̷̳̿ň̸̯̇ ̵̦̓̓͜f̸̨͠r̶̬͔̀̕ö̶̳̣́͌m̵̖͍̌ ̶͇͒ṱ̴͘͝h̷̢̺̀ȉ̶̡s̵̖͕͝ ̶̳̏͠T̶̝͓́h̸̲̄͊r̸͙͋́ế̵̹͉â̴̗̰͝d̴̨̤̅ ̴̛̝o̴̧̢͐̓n̸̩̹͑̾c̷̟͝ḙ̴̂ ̸̯̬̌̔a̴̜͇͑n̵̤̬͆̌d̸̪̾̒ ̵̗̉f̸͎̬̍o̸͕̼͘r̶̡̥͆̐ ̵̝̔͐ä̷͍̫́ĺ̷̼͠ḷ̷͕̉͊?̷̙̌͠"

Sequence glared into Ivisyre's eyes, not speaking. Ivisyre slowly exhaled, darkness leaving their eyes and voice.

"Thank you, Sequence. If it weren't for your attempt to corrupt me to your... Peaceful, disgusting ways, perhaps I would have never realized my true potential." With that, they raised Inversion and swung for Sequence's neck. Her eyes were closed. Not in defeat, but in thought. She seemed to view her surroundings in slow motion, thinking. Remembering. Waiting. She opened her eyes and watched Inversion. The anger on Everyone's face. Her Everyone, her splinter, one whom she once thought of as her friend. But that could never be. This... Ivisyre. It was Everyone, as much as Sequence didn't want to think so. This is what they've always been. Sequence exhaled, and a white knife appeared. It floated above Inversion.

I was wondering when you'd show up.

Good thing you're patient.

The knife, another one of the Dreamsmith's creations, was similar to Sequence's Narrationblade. White, with floral accents and patterns, which were a neon cyan color. It was the same knife that worked security for the party, and the same knife that had spoken with a select few. A knife on an invisible chain with a mind of its own.

The knife, Willow was its name, struck downwards at Inversion, knocking it down off path. It then flew towards Sequence, stabbing into her collarbone firmly.

Sorry.

With its momentum and force, it quickly jerked Sequence back away from Ivisyre's blade. Despite moving at incredible speeds, it wasn't fast enough, and Inversion's point sliced into Sequence's midsection shallowly. She gasped, face wrenching up in pain. It wasn't much, but from a blade like this, it could be deadly.

With the force of Ivisyre's swing largely missing its target, they lost their balance, stumbling and nearly toppling over with how much power and rage had been behind their strike. She looked up at Sequence, bewildered. 

She gave a triumphant smile, slightly creased with pain, and Conflict appeared once more. It thrust towards Ivisyre, Willow's invisible chain wrapped around it and carrying it towards Ivisyre. Unable to react in time, Conflict tore straight through Ivisyre's chest, spraying the black stone with black blood. They let out a blood-curdling scream, falling onto their back as Conflict continued on completely through Ivisyre, vanishing into mist as it cleared them.

Sequence stood up shakily, clutching the dark wound in her midsection and limping towards Ivisyre. They laid on their back on the cold stone, looking up at the ceiling with shocked eyes. They attempted to breathe, struggling to do so with the gaping hole in their chest.

Sequence looked down at Ivisyre, pity flashing in her eyes. 

"Oh, Everyone..." She said softly.

"D̴̹̳̈̎̅͜Ó̶̮̘̦Ň̵ͅ'̴̮̪̤͋̈́T̵̫̦̚ ̶̫͎̹͛̎c̸͕͙̓̄̉a̴̺̳͝l̷̛̻̀l̴̗̖̒̋ ̵̨̠̲̅̐͐m̸̜͌͑̓e̸̪̋̔ ̴̢̩̑͛͘ṯ̴̥͖̈́̚h̶̛̳͙̄̔a̶̢̲̯̽̐͗t̶͓̆.̴̗̀́͆" Ivisyre spat, voice pained. J̴̗̭̗̎u̴̧͂̈́͊ͅs̵̛̩̜̭͘ṱ̸͒̍̔ ̶̜̪̉̿̑D̴̖͐̀̃O̶͓̓ ̴͎̭̥͐̾i̶̝͑t̷̹̮͐!̶̬͈̀̈́ ̸̝̬͉̒F̷̩̹̟̀̈ī̷͖̺ͅn̴̨͈̹͒ỉ̶̞͚̚s̶͎͔̫̑̆h̶̥̙̿̃̑ ̴̛͚̏m̵͙̊͂ḛ̸͐́̚ ̷̝̪͛̽ỏ̵͍͎f̶̡̗͂̓f̸̢̞̠̀.̵͖̟̊ͅ ̷̺̫͋̒̓K̸̼̫̬͊i̸̠͔͉͝l̶͎̞͇̀̿l̷̬͛̽͜͝ ̸̡̻̰̀̆́m̴̡̩̠̍̈́̈́ĕ̸̛͈͠!̵̮͐͛̏!̵̧̫̱̅́!̸̘̟̭͊

Sequence frowned. "Leave." She said simply. "Leave, and never show your face to anybody ever again."

Ivisyre managed to shakily get to their feet, the wound in their chest refusing to heal. They glared at Sequence, the darkness slowly fading from their eyes.

"You know I won't listen to you. You know I won't stay away." They said.

Sequence nodded. "I know."

Ivisyre searched Sequence's gaze. They took a long, shaky bow, and turned around, taking a few hobbling, limping steps away from the throne. Then, they vanished into black mist.

Sequence watched them go, then grunted and fell to the floor, barely sitting up and still clutching her wound. The darkness in the sky of Sequence's formerly bright world slowly began to ebb, and the black clouds slowly began to dissipate. The shroud of fog surrounding the planet lifted, and it was bright once more. Mostly. Something was different, and likely always would be.

Sequence barely managed to get to her feet, looking up at the sun through one of the castle's stained glass windows.

"... I ought to get ready for that trial soon."
 

 

Dang...

T~T

[TwinStorm He/Him]

1 minute ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

The spirit floated closer, sending images of wind whistling through many, many leaves like a little song, of dew on the bright, shining surface of the apple. 

Beosta took his hand. That had been a very cute sneeze. 

Bat jumped and almost fell over. "No!" He yelped. "That's not what I meant! I meant my people. The ones Gaioh's gonna kill! But... but I don't want you guys to get hurt either." He angled himself in such a way that the bird was as far from her as possible. 

"It's not a prejudice," he muttered. 

"I can fight them," Beosta said. "My powers have nothing to do with Narration." 

"Yeah," Beosta agreed. 

Bat eyed Subversion distrustfully. 

Dang...

T~T

Cricket smiled at the spirit, turning back to the group. "Thanks, Beosta." he said sarcastically.

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

Cricket smiled at the spirit, turning back to the group. "Thanks, Beosta." he said sarcastically.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious. Once they train you, you won't be dangerous to the people I care about. It's not like your'e signing a contract or anything. You seriously should think about it." 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

1 minute ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious. Once they train you, you won't be dangerous to the people I care about. It's not like your'e signing a contract or anything. You seriously should think about it." 

"For the last time, I've already been trained!" he practically shouted. "When have I ever lashed out at Shoe or you or even Bat, for heaven's sake?"

Edited December 2, 2024 by Ookla the Irreplaceable

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"For the last time, I've already been trained!" he practically shouted. "When have I ever lashed out at Shoe or you or even Bat, for heaven's sake?"

"You haven't. But you have lost control before," she reminded him. "If there's more for them to teach you, what's wrong with that?" 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

3 minutes ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

"You haven't. But you have lost control before," she reminded him. "If there's more for them to teach you, what's wrong with that?" 

Cricket sighed. Memories flashed through his head, of him as a young boy, only twelve, and an Enuller. "You don't know what they've done to me." he said quietly. "These aren't the first Enullers who've approached me about my powers. I won't be training with Enullers ever again. Natsu was an exception."

Edited December 2, 2024 by Ookla the Irreplaceable

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

3 hours ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"Don't know yet." Around them were massive stone trees, with hanging branches that almost blotted out the gemstones that served as a sun.

Kion stares at the landscape, having never seen anything like it. “I’ll be on alert; if something attacks I can kill or stop it before it does. Other than the standard focuses - teleportation, obstruction, protection, construction, and the like - are there any sorts of words that would work well here?” 

2 hours ago, Ookla the nostealnamepls said:

"I'm Moniker, Avatar-well, ex-avatar-actually, maybe still the Avatar and he's an ex-Narrator... whatever. I was Nameless's avatar, but then he died." She avoided looking at the mangled Redmaw bits beneath the wheels of the train.

16 hours ago, Ookla the Dylsxic said:

“We’re here because Kion, a Mage, would like to help people before his Render kills him. And you two were first on our list of non-made up people we could help.” Faunus said, inspecting the situation.

"His Render?" Moni inspected Faunus quizzically. "Also, I haven't heard of any Narrators called Faunus. Are you new?"

Kion sticks out his hand to shake. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, even in such a strange place. I am a mage, which means - at least where I am from - that a collection of magic called a Render is strengthened by the spells I cast and attempts to kill me.” He isn’t sure what an Avatar is, but decides the answer is likely not important to the present moment. 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Inquisitive said:

Kion stares at the landscape, having never seen anything like it. “I’ll be on alert; if something attacks I can kill or stop it before it does. Other than the standard focuses - teleportation, obstruction, protection, construction, and the like - are there any sorts of words that would work well here?” 

Kion sticks out his hand to shake. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, even in such a strange place. I am a mage, which means - at least where I am from - that a collection of magic called a Render is strengthened by the spells I cast and attempts to kill me.” He isn’t sure what an Avatar is, but decides the answer is likely not important to the present moment. 

"Swear words." Perseus said, mostly as a joke.

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"Swear words." Perseus said, mostly as a joke.

Kion thinks for a second. “So profanetion? That’s not a word - let’s see… desecration, perhaps? Although I cannot think of anything anyone would want to do with such a focus. The reverse, consecration, may have an effect if demons are effected by religion…” 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

Just now, Ookla the Inquisitive said:

Kion thinks for a second. “So profanetion? That’s not a word - let’s see… desecration, perhaps? Although I cannot think of anything anyone would want to do with such a focus. The reverse, consecration, may have an effect if demons are effected by religion…” 

Perseus waved him to the side, ignoring him. He was not one for random magic mumbo-jumbo.

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

Perseus waved him to the side, ignoring him. He was not one for random magic mumbo-jumbo.

Kion tries to get his attention. “The demons you mentioned; are they affected by religion? Because I have a focus that I think can radiate some sort of holiness.” 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Inquisitive said:

Kion tries to get his attention. “The demons you mentioned; are they affected by religion? Because I have a focus that I think can radiate some sort of holiness.” 

"I doubt it. They're not those kinda demons. Demons is just a Skavi nickname. Nothing else better to call them."

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

Just now, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"I doubt it. They're not those kinda demons. Demons is just a Skavi nickname. Nothing else better to call them."

“That is probably for the best. Trying out focuses, especially metaphysical ones, can result in some unpredictable effects.” 

[TwinStorm He/Him]

1 minute ago, Ookla the Inquisitive said:

“That is probably for the best. Trying out focuses, especially metaphysical ones, can result in some unpredictable effects.” 

"I don't care. Just get your magics ready, okay?"

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

54 minutes ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

Bat jumped and almost fell over. "No!" He yelped. "That's not what I meant! I meant my people. The ones Gaioh's gonna kill! But... but I don't want you guys to get hurt either." He angled himself in such a way that the bird was as far from her as possible. 

"I know. That's what I meant."

54 minutes ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

Beosta took his hand. That had been a very cute sneeze. 

It wasn't cute. Shush.

55 minutes ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

"It's not a prejudice," he muttered. 

"It is a little."

51 minutes ago, oOklA thE shInyYyy said:

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious. Once they train you, you won't be dangerous to the people I care about. It's not like your'e signing a contract or anything. You seriously should think about it." 

This line of conversation made Shoe very uncomfortable.

He was glad that none of his Ennuller powers had manifested yet. Hopefully.

45 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

Cricket sighed. Memories flashed through his head, of him as a young boy, only twelve, and an Enuller. "You don't know what they've done to me." he said quietly. "These aren't the first Enullers who've approached me about my powers. I won't be training with Enullers ever again. Natsu was an exception."

 

[Through the Living Heir he/him]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

"I don't care. Just get your magics ready, okay?"

Kion bristles, then realizes Perseus has no way to knowing the consequences of magic - other than potentially hearing his brief explanation to Moniker. “I will do as you ask, but I will only use magic if it is necessary - spells hasten my death and perhaps that of those around me. Thus, I had hoped for a spell with the highest impact for the least magic.” 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

55 minutes ago, Ookla the Irreplaceable said:

Cricket sighed. Memories flashed through his head, of him as a young boy, only twelve, and an Enuller. "You don't know what they've done to me." he said quietly. "These aren't the first Enullers who've approached me about my powers. I won't be training with Enullers ever again. Natsu was an exception."

She sighed. "Well, don't expect me to die to save you from your trauma."

9 minutes ago, Ookla the Inconclusive said:

"I know. That's what I meant."

It wasn't cute. Shush.

"It is a little."

This line of conversation made Shoe very uncomfortable.

He was glad that none of his Ennuller powers had manifested yet. Hopefully.

 

Bat hesitated. "...oh." 

"It was too cute." 

"No! Narrators are dangerous. You create and destroy things at will. That's dangerous. Everyone else is severely underreacting."

Beosta squeezed his hand. You'll be okay.