While your conversation with Shadow may have shed light on a few things... it's obvious he doesn't think you all are up to the task of saving the universe from Eggman. Which also means that now you're dealing with his test, starting immediately. Some of you may be whisked away with no time to even blink, while others may find themselves wandering the Void aimlessly. Regardless, it seems this week won't be a particularly easy one.
THE VOID
Nothing has changed in the Void. Nothing ever changes in the Void. It's impossible to track the passage of time in here, and your only escape are the rings... though you should be careful with them, as there's far fewer this week. You're free to travel between worlds as you see fit - Shadow won't stop you - but you can be snatched up from wherever you are at any given moment and pulled back into the Void. Maybe don't plan on spending to long anywhere else, because it won't end well for you if you do.
The hexagonal shards will still show you visions of other worlds... but this time they all show the same thing. You'll see worlds - maybe even your own - taken over by robots and Eggman's chroma, reduced to smoldering ashes or being rebuilt in Eggman's image. Your friends, allies, and enemies may even be going about their lives just as listlessly and dutifully, heedless of their surroundings. You may even see alternate versions of yourself among them. Regardless, it seems all these shards have to show you this week are all the possibilities of failure - that other versions of shardbearers in other timelines have already lost.
MINDSCAPES
Shadow's usage of the Phantom Ruby and his own fake Chaos Emerald shard have caused quite the problem for you all - namely, you'll find yourselves traversing each other's innermost thoughts and dreams. Exactly how this mindscape manifests depends on the individual, but one thing will always remain true: you won't be able to find the owner of the mindscape easily.
As a reflection of these inner thoughts, mindscapes can be any sort of place. Perhaps they are a reflection of the owner's inner demons and fear, or perhaps they showcase a bright future they want to work towards. Regardless, this is a dream and one the owner must be awoken from... which means finding them and bringing them back to reality. That's easier said than done when traversing through this dream-like state, where the rules are made up by the owner and you're a foreign being that the dream recognizes as a threat (even if you aren't).
You may encounter familiar places or people within these mindscapes. You may not. You may end up fighting for your life in here... or you may not. Each one is individual, and the experience can vary wildly from person to person. No matter what you face, you must find the owner of the mindscape and bring them back. You must ensure you're strong enough to support them... and protect yourself.
Curiously, you can activate your shared shard power with the owner of the mindscape at any time - or bolster your own power if you share shard colors - even without them being present. Will this make it easier or harder to help bring them back? It depends on the person, your bond, and the mindscape itself...
Waking them up is as simple as convincing them that they're dreaming - that this isn't real and that they still have things to return to - but that may be easier said than done depending on the person... or the mindscape itself. There's no telling what you'll encounter, after all.
SHARDS
You'll find you're capable of more now than you were before. You're really adapting to using your shard powers and fighting with others. Those of you who share shard colors will feel the strength of your shards increasing even more when working together.
As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.
It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.
TAILS' TASKS
Given that your allies are being pulled into mindscapes and are unable to break free of their own, your task this week is to help your friends. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are off dealing with their own mindscapes, but whenever they are around, they're adamant about the importance of making sure everyone is freed and prepared for whatever comes next.
ENEMIES
Like last week, you will not encounter any of Eggman's robots. The Void is still free of enemies, though other worlds may possess their own threats. Mindscapes are a bit of a different beast; each one varies, and you may or may not encounter threats of any sort in them. Best be on your guard.
[It's a good thing that Raven has a vague of idea of modern cities at this point thanks to Chicago, or he'd been even more lost in this shattered hellscape. Not that his surroundings are his biggest concern right now.
He gapes in a comical fashion as his limbs begin to separate from his body.]
[Raven feels a sharp pang in his chest as whatever that thing calls out to him in his mind. Even the blastia buried within the hole where his heart used to be reaches back, as if it wants to make itself one with the alien technology. With the Hexcore, Raven wouldn't need his blastia to live anymore. He'd be free of this object that makes him feel nothing but despair.
...
And that's exactly why he fires an arrow straight at the Hexcore.]
Sorry, but ya can't touch this.
[For as much pain and sorrow as it harbors, it's also a memento- one that he'll never let go of.]
[Wow, isn't this place grand and magnificent? Raven can't help but feel a little insignificant in the presence of that huge statue.
After doing a bit of poking around in an attempt to figure out who this room belongs to, he makes his way up to the second floor and observes the stained-glass window. Huh. Wonder who this pretty lady is?]
More is going to continue limping after Turo, but a lot more vigilant of outside attacks now. Maybe... maybe he could try and see if their combined shard power is of any use, should something approach again? ]
[There was no sound or force of impact, though the shot itself did not miss; the instant the arrow made contact the Hexcore erupted in a burst of stars in a deep purple cosmos, then it and the surrounding laboratory collapsed in a burst of violet light and energy. For a second, there was nothing but an infinite void--]
[-and then, surroundings that were just a little less real than any other illusion to date. More identifiable as a dream by the way it felt floaty and indistinct in places...as if it was a memory of a memory. Secondhand experiences, cobbled together like rusted scrap metal to serve the function of granting a simple desire.]
[The surroundings are that of a bar, largely empty but no less warm and welcoming for it. Illuminated by yellowish chemlights, a little girl--possibly a familiar one--with blue hair darted out from behind the bar and disappeared through a back door with a laugh.]
[Remaining behind it is of course the bartender himself, a towering but affable-looking man with graying hair that looked to Raven as if expecting someone else, then shrugged.]
[Luckily, the doors are open already! There's a hexagonal room inside, mostly bare with only a small and dusty cot, a computer terminal, and some papers.]
[Turo's something of an academic himself, or at least a recreation of one. His first instinct is to go inspect the documents on the desk, and he does take several steps in that direction...before getting entirely sidetracked by the presence of an animal he has not seen before!]
Oh, hello! I didn't see you there. [He hasn't fully realized the futility of talking to animals.]
[Turo doesn't sound surprised in the least by this line of inquiry. How could he be?]
I thought you had been out before this? Out of...well, whatever. [She's another machine. Of course she'd been in something or another at one point. No one builds a machine without purpose.]
[Turo has, reasonably, been pretty distracted since everything started happening! But he does make a point of stopping when he sees Infinite floating around.]
[The inconsistencies seem...right, for the mind of a person and not a machine. Turo isn't terribly surprised by them. He remembers what it felt like to be Turo, the human: hardly a stable or consistent experience at all.
He's quick to approach the first group of people he sees, peering at them to study their faces and dress as well as he can. He's trying to ascertain whose mindscape this even is.]
[Turo's quick to give chase after the retreating figure! He doesn't stop to pick up any of the lanterns. His night vision is better than human standard, and even if it weren't...after a moment, his eyes start to glow blue in the darkness.]
[ Plateau the cat blinks twice, yawns, stretches and jumps off his chair.
Hi, Turo. This is More's mindspace, which means the Plateau in More's heart likes you quite a bit. Hes rubbing his little head against your legs, purring.
It's not an answer, exactly, but it is a greeting! ]
[Well, Raven certainly won't complain about a dream sending him to a bar, even if it's an unfamiliar one. It looks nice enough- exactly the sort of place he'd happily rest his weary bones at the end of a long day.
He approaches the counter and slides into an open seat in front of the bartender, passing a glance at the girl as she scampers off before giving the man his full attention.]
Evenin'. Got any recommendations fer a newcomer?
[At least Raven doesn't look out of place in a Zaun bar.]
[Not him, particularly, though at least the hard metal of his hands is padded with fake flesh; the animal probably won't hurt its teeth. Still, he doesn't want his skin too damaged, so he'll pull his hand away.]
He's right, V. Besides--your design, my metalwork, our calculations--it's going to work. Even if it's not perfect, they're going to see everything that makes it worthwhile.
[A strange look flickered across Viktor's face before whatever thought sparked it was quickly dismissed.]
I...yes. Even if we fail, it will still be known to both cities that people are trying. That is...significant. Merit to imperfections. [He shook his head in an attempt to clear frantic thoughts, huffing out a sharp breath.] You go on ahead with the filter, Jayce. I will meet you behind the stage shortly, I just...need a minute.
Sure thing, V. [He laid a hand briefly on his partner's shoulder with a brilliant smile Viktor could only bring himself to shakily return, before the taller of the two picked the crate of metal up and carried it towards the courtyard.]
[He seemed to think that over before reaching over to a shelf; after a moment, a glass of whiskey and ice was set down in front of Raven. Just like the bar itself--decent quality, made better by welcoming surroundings.]
Hard to go wrong with the basics. You new to the city?
[ wolfwood doesn’t stop himself from eyerolling at void archives’ detachment from what he tells them. one part because they’re basically agreeing with him on some basic level and in another part because of their detachment of what wolfwood tells them. again, should he really be too surprised with how things are lining up given their previous conversations? he knew this—it was what pushed wolfwood off the edge to realize feelings that he can’t do anything with.
nevertheless, wolfwood continues down this path of familiar ground that he is, quite frankly, not fit to do. …or, maybe, it was his job to do this as one of his most devout followers. a shitty priest who has lost his way only to find himself walking with a god who wants nothing but to be among the people. the irony of the two of them. wolfwood looks to another shard before responding—this time neither he or vash are in it. ]
It’s one of the things that Blondie loved to preach. He believes in a world made up of love and peace—that everyone can come to an understanding if we just try.
[ void archives is certainly free to scoff at all of that; wolfwood sure did—sure has. ]
I’ve told ya before, haven’t I? That idiot would rather let himself get killed than kill someone else. [ that’s why wolfwood does it for him. ] He has seen the worse of humanity and still hasn’t changed his tune. My entire planet wants him dead and that’s how he responds to it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Page 14 of 31