♥ v2

[screwthatnoise]

A cold, delicate hand grabs yours and pulls. It pulls, and it pulls... there's a sense of urgency in this icy grasp, as well as a trace of reluctance. Abruptly the hand let's go, right as your vision fades to black, and for a brief moment, only a brief moment, your senses disappear. There's only the eerie sensation of weightlessness before your feet are settled back on solid ground again.

(please join #echolife! ♪)

Comments

library

[screwthatnoise]

Tall, wooden bookshelves line the walls. Some of the shelves are broken, or unhinged and hanging at drastic angles, but they hold the books as they should... for the most part. Thankfully there is a fairly wide collection of books; as a matter of fact, there are fourteen in Aather’s team colors! To add to that, there are many thin books that have relatively bold numbers printed on the spine.

Towards the middle of this large room is a single table, holding many blank papers and a few pencils. There may have once been a chair used to seat yourself at the table to enjoy a good(?) read, but that chair is clearly broken apart and lying on the floor now, next to a large, red stain on the carpeted floor.

Re: library

[phantompass]

[ browses along the shelves, taking in the titles of the books. he stops in front of the team books, curious ]

They're our colors...

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

Janta nods.

"That's right!! They're the great perceptions of anyone Hail has met!!"

Re: library

[phantompass]

That's quite kind of her...

[ his finger runs along the spine of Citrine's, remembering that she had taken notes on him when they first met ]

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

Janta gushes.

"That's just how she is."

—something grabs your ankle.

Re: library

[phantompass]

Ah—! [ pulls his ankle back before he even registers what it could be ]

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

It's gone. Nothing's there.

Janta tilts his head.

"A... are you okay? Is it Zwei?!"

Re: library

[phantompass]

I... I thought something grabbed me.

[ looking around, but there's nothing to be seen... ]

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

"Um... um, um, it was probably Zwei! Just ignore her. This room is a little creepy..."

Re: library

[phantompass]

[ thinks it's a real shame that it's so messed up... ]

A library should be a peaceful place.

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

"Right. But this one isn't peaceful. It can't be peaceful, not as long as Zwei is here."

Re: library

[phantompass]

You said there were others here helping, right?

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

He says, as though this is all very normal.

Re: library

[antreegonist]

*gonna...go take a look at that broken chair and bloodstain, yep*

Re: library

[brotagonist]

[pauses by the door for a moment]

Hail? We got here. You want to come back out?

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

The bloodstain is actually damp... And the broken chair looks like someone just threw it to the ground. It's snapped in various places, splintered pieces of wood laying about.

Suddenly, almost instantaneously, that same cloaked figure from before is leaning against one of the tall bookshelves. Her expression is grim, and this time she's holding a black skull in her hands.

"You listened after all."

Re: library

[antreegonist]

Of course we did.

Hey.

Re: library

[brotagonist]

You wanted to show us something, right? ...is that it?

[gestures at the skull]

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

"Yes, and no. This skull is very precious to me. This is what the tree spouted from... but in this room are memories. And if you need me to prove to you why Hail's life is the way it is, I could plainly show you. Unless you believe me by now..."

Re: library

[antreegonist]

...you can't get us to believe that what you deserve has to mean you live a bad life being hurt for the rest of your life.

But, we'd see what you'd show us.

Re: library

[brotagonist]

[nods, but adds:]

What happens to you doesn't have anything to do with what you deserve. It's just what happens.

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

She clutches the skull tightly, like one would a doll. Janta just shudders.

"And what 'just happens' is enough to prove this is how it should be. What kind of memory would you like to see? Death? Heartbreak? Immense disappointment? I have numerous of these types."

Again, she sounds dead serious.

Re: library

[antreegonist]

. . . and yet, the hopes and dreams keep existing, don't they? And you do have good things happen too, amidst the bad memories.

Re: library

[brotagonist]

You know a lot of people who've lived hard lives, don't you? Do you really think they deserve unhappiness too?

Re: library

[screwthatnoise]

"When good things happened to Hail, I made sure to remind the rest of the heart that good things don't belong here. And those people probably do deserve the unhappiness, if it keeps happening to them."