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Post by Young Grimwold on Dec 24, 2009 15:57:45 GMT
[OOC: Continued from 'Brick or Treat?'] *Young Grimwold can see a rainbow void. He can't feel his body. When he tries to move, the colours undulate. When he looks down, he cannot see himself, just infinite colour. He thinks: This isn't death, because it didn't hurt. After that vile battle in the forest [OOC: KMBR in 2004], I think I died, and this is nothing like that. Tom... He tries to call out. The colours in front of him ripple for a moment. He hardly heard his own voice. But he believes he can hear others'...* [OOC: if anyone has seen Star Trek IV, where they slingshoot around the Sun and have a time-travel-induced hallucination before they arrive, you could think of this as something similar. Be as surreal, or as profound, as you like!] |
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Ed Kenji
Traveller
In there like swimwear
Posts: 38
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Post by Ed Kenji on Jan 8, 2010 1:29:00 GMT
Well, thought Ed. Now I know what the inside of a lightbulb looks like. Admittedly, a lightbulb that had just enjoyed a hearty soak in a bath of LSD and was now wrapped in a swathe of insidiously sweet confections.
The sensation of trying to close his eyes was curious, the light seemed brighter with them closed than open. He swung his arms and legs idly, swooshing through the soupy nothing. So, he thought. Here's another fine mess...
He looked around for the others but couldn't see them. That they were behind him was a distinct possibility, so he began the arduous task of wheeling himself around. As he did so, he cleared his throat then attempted a noise as close as possible to speech as the blanket of light would allow for.
"I say, Jules? I'm inside a lava lamp, and I don't like it."
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Julian Lapin
Inhabitant
Transdimensional academic extraordinaire
Posts: 114
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Post by Julian Lapin on Jan 8, 2010 2:39:23 GMT
Falling through a cosmic expanse, cradled by the universe itself, witnessing the very fabric of creation drift casually by... there was something very familiar about this...
Julian felt serene, almost peaceful. He allowed the colours to phase over him, through him, as though he had become the void and the void had become him. He was conscious of not being alone, and although he could not see him, he recognised the voice he heard as belonging to Edward.
"You'll get used to it," sighed Julian, as he adjusted his movements to accomodate the lack of obvious momentum. He thought back to his fall through the Star Fissure all those years ago, felt the instinctive release of his conventional sense of direction. No up, no down, no east or west. Just you, and infinity. Yes, it was all coming back to him now...
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Post by Young Grimwold on Jan 19, 2010 19:18:13 GMT
*YG sees something taking shape above him. A stone, translucent in patches, is falling through the void. A concave simian face forms in the stone, and a soft voice emerges.*
Stone: Salve, Grimwold Iuvenis.
*YG asks himself a question that he hasn't asked since that time when Merlin threw a surprise party for Mug the Gargoyle and accidentally cast-locked the entire chamber under a PICKMEUP spell: did that stone face just say my name in Latin? This occasion feels only marginally less bizarre. The only answer YG can produce is a reply in kind.*
Salve, lapis loquans.
*As the stone tumbles, it blurs and shimmers: feet form; rainbow smoke condenses into a head; ears grow like craning candle flames; then a bobtail. The rabbit turns a sparkling pair of eyes toward YG, and addresses him again.*
Rabbit: Bonjour, Monsieur.
*This isn't Latin. YG struggles to recognise the words. He has vague memories of an anecdote Ridolfo once shared with him. Then he finds himself saying,*
Bonjour... lapin.
*The creature gives a lilting chuckle. Then a huge pair of jaws hurtle out of the void and crush the rabbit, leaving only frightened wisps that skirt away. YG stares at the jaws, and the identical pair solidifying to its right. He knows them.*
Festus.
*The hellhound heads float in front of YG. They seem to be grinning.*
You're mocking me.
*One of the heads starts panting. The other is drooling jet-black saliva.*
I'll find you when I am ready. Go away.
*YG tries to back away. The heads move with him. Then they start barking. That wretched barking. Keeping him awake. If he'd been able to sleep, if he hadn't been so bloody tired when he was sitting with Melly that day, then maybe he wouldn't have-*
I WON'T ASK AGAIN!
*YG is overwhelmed by a gigantic sneeze. He opens his eyes to see a stream of fire snaking from one of his nostrils; and a stream of ice from the other. The elemental whips strike at Festus' heads, shredding them into oblivion, before dispersing themselves.
As the tickling in YG's nose subsides, he notices the image of a neck stump before him. This was all that remained of Festus' third head after his father bit it off. The stump begins to expand like a balloon. Features form. Soon YG is facing another Festus head, but this one is much bigger than its predecessors. YG cannot move, cannot think, as the jaws close around him...*
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Post by PhoenixFlame on Mar 3, 2010 22:05:42 GMT
*Phoenixflame heard the words she uttered just prior to the light bee stinging her just seem to float off into the distance*
"Mor? What do you make of this? Seems magical, but I don;t want to risk a spell, just in case. Any ideas?"
*From Morwena, there is no sound, however, in the distance, Phoenixflame thinks she hears sobbing, and the fact that nothing seems real disturbs her greatly*
"Mor? Are you OK?! Answer me, dammit!!"
*She runs towards the sound of the crying, although she's running blind, her hearing leads her onward, and she continues calling out to the person crying*
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Post by Young Grimwold on May 5, 2010 18:05:38 GMT
*YG is falling through the void. Did Festus swallow him or let him go? He can't seem to remember. As he stops trying to understand, his descent slows.
His feet touch ground. Clumps of fog recede as if combed back by an invisible hand. YG can see a room that looks like the Crazed Heifer. The furniture is arranged differently: there are benches that remind him of a glimpse he once had of Wolfenden's church interior. In place of the roof is night sky, where a puzzling red orb lurks among the light dots. On the far side of the room is a silvery shimmer. YG walks towards it, almost floating. He passes two seafarers having a brawl with miniature clubs. They do not distract him.
As YG gets closer to the argent glow, he sees that it is coming from a giant mirror. Its swirls flail and jostle, telling a story that YG cannot interpret. Only then does he notice someone sitting in front of the mirror with their back, her back, to him. She is leaning forward, focused on the movement. She must have a better idea of its meaning, a clearer view, than YG has. He hears a sound that halts him.*
*Zyssa stares. These are miserable images, tedious even. Reflected memories being played out by semi-hearted silver silhouettes. Her parents bellowing, a lost friend... there is nothing new to see, and surely nothing new to feel. So why is she sobbing?*
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Post by Young Grimwold on Jan 2, 2011 12:38:08 GMT
[ModNote: Tom, this thread needs you and we've been waiting a very, very long time. Please get in touch with me so we can discuss and decide how to proceed, or I will have to make the decision alone.
To all those with characters stuck in limbo, I apologise, and thank you for your patience. This forum and its members will continue to matter to me in 2011, but there's a limit to what one Mod can do.]
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Post by Young Grimwold on Jan 17, 2011 19:16:03 GMT
*Just as Young Grimwold thinks he recognises the woman and considers approaching her, he feels himself rising. As the room blurs below him, he sees a long-sleeved man laying roof tiles, with a duck standing on one of them. Soon the tiler and the drake too are out of sight.
YG looks at the stars, savouring a most unfamiliar feeling of relaxation. As he rises, he tries shaking his feet, bringing about a tingling sensation. He twists his hands and gets the same tingling, only colder. YG tries turning to look behind, and his body is gently swivelled so that he is looking ahead. He catches sight again of the red orb. It's bigger now. Closer. Is it pulling him towards itself? Or is it the location of life that is reaching out to him? [OOC: The musical reference is perhaps a bit obvious now. But I haven't finished!]
The coldness in YG's hand is stronger, and when he looks at it, he sees that another hand, white and soft, is holding it. Not just a hand, but an entire person, rotund and made of snow, skywalking with him. There are dents in his face to represent eyes and a mouth, but no expression. As YG stares, the man begins to sing.*
Snowman:
Cool, Aesandre! Aesandre cools the naves,
She won't ever ever stop 'til Treguard shaves!
*With each repetition, the snowman's mouth widens, until it is a broad grin. YG is disarmed. Despite exposure to drinking songs night after night at the Crazed Heifer, it takes the oddest of circumstances to get him singing. But finally, when certain he knows the tune, he joins in.*
Cool, Aesandre! Aesandre cools the naves,
She won't ever ever stop 'til Treguard shaves!
*YG is enjoying himself. This is weird, but it is precious. He can't think of anything to worry about. He feels he might laugh. He closes his eyes. The snowman stops singing. YG opens his eyes. His mother is floating in front of them.*
Mrs. Grimwold: Not allowed, dearie.
*She lunges at the snowman. Her nose is making a kind of buzzing sound. It slices through the snowman's arm, cutting him off from YG. The snowman yelps. Mrs. Grimwold vanishes. YG is horrified.*
Come on, sing, sing again! Cool, Aesandre! Aesandre cools the naves...
*One of Festus' heads has appeared before them. It shakes from side to side. A low growl gives away to a gruff, pitying voice.*
Festus: Oh No no no no.
*YG chokes as he tries to reply. Festus has attacked. The snowman is beheaded. Festus disappears with a mouthful of snow. YG turns and with trembling heads, tries to craft a new head out of what remains.*
C... c... cool...Aesandre... Melli...s...andre...
*YG's nausea surges as he hears jingling. He twists his head and is staring into the face of Motley. Memories. YG doesn't want them. He can't handle them.*
Motley: No, matey. Not your song to sing. Strictly out of bounds.
*YG sobs an apology. Tears blur his vision. His stomach lurches again. He is falling, fast, faster, towards the red orb. The snow leaves his hands like the scattering of ashes. He wants his club. He is terrified.*
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Post by Tom Troughton on Feb 16, 2011 18:36:59 GMT
*Meanwhile Zyssa was still sat in front of the mirror still watching the events of her past play out in front of her eyes. She wanted to turn away, to leave or just simple to close her eyes. But something was compelling her to keep watching, even though the images were painful to watch and were bringing tears to her eyes.*
*What she didn’t notice however was the small shimmering ring of light that was forming around the edge of the mirrors glass surface. It started at the top of the mirror and then spread out till it had completely encircled the glass. It then began to creep outwards.*
*The images finally became too much for Zyssa and she covered her face with her hands and began to sob. As she did so the new tendrils of white light seeped further out of the mirror, some of them crept over her and gently brushed her hands, hair and cheeks almost as if trying to comfort her. As they did so Zyssa began seemingly to glow white herself and fade from sight. The other tendrils meanwhile crept out towards PhoniexFlame, Robin and Jules & Kenji.*
*As this was going on the image of Festus head that had been tormenting Young Grimwold, who had drifted slightly further away from the mirror then the others, also began to glow white and its fur turned into white tendrils which reached out towards Young Grimwold.*
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Post by Young Grimwold on Feb 16, 2011 20:54:02 GMT
*As YG continues falling, he sees a white shape spinning past his face. It evokes a grievous memory of his mother's sister, drunk on Etruscan liqueurs one Halloween, dancing around the room with her broom until she was so dizzy she retched into the wellway. YG was as lost for words that night as Mistress Goody was for dignity; yet now, somehow, he knows exactly what he would have said.*
Oh my giddy aunt.
*The red orb's surface is closer. YG can make out huge plains, mountains and canyons. The shadows and patterns appear to suggest letters and numbers.
[glow=red,2,300]COP FOR 115[/glow]
No. It must be something else. YG fumbles to wipe his eyes and clear his vision.
[glow=red,2,300]COR FOR115[/glow]
No. YG must look again. Those last three numbers, could they be...
[glow=red,2,300]COR FORTIS[/glow]*
Oh my. Tom.
YG closes his eyes. He finally has an image from this nightmare place that he wants to preserve. He can feel the tendrils brushing him now but they do not trouble him. He lets air rush into his lungs. Dum spiro, spero. There is hope on Mars.
Brave heart.*
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Post by Young Grimwold on Apr 24, 2011 20:32:52 GMT
[ModNote: Please note that any member who wishes to withdraw their character from this thread is free to do so. Your character can rematerialise at any location in or around Wolfenden that you choose; and as a form of 'travel sickness' will have temporarily lost one of his or her senses, but which sense and for how long is up to you. The explanation will be that Tom's magic is unstable and he couldn't keep hold of everyone, but your character may not be aware of that. If you have any specific queries, please PM me and/or Tom Troughton.]
I don't think any of us brought characters to Surrounds to have them waiting in limbo for 15 months and counting. These situations can't always be helped, but it's still regrettable, which is why I want members to be able to reclaim their characters if they don't want to continue the wait.]
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Post by Robin on Apr 28, 2011 10:33:50 GMT
[OOC: Robin is embarking on a side quest. I'm keen to continue on this storyline, so if anyone wants to reclaim him, let me know and I can return Robin to Light Headed (or wherever this one goes) at any point.] *Robin is totally disoriented. He is floating, albeit in the most chaotic way possible, through a massive whirl of colour and sound. Without any body control, he should be scared, but is instead vaguely confused. His sword having been drawn as the light bee hit him, it still hangs loosely from his right hand. His left hand is making random snatching movements at the multitude of arrows that are spilling from his quiver as his own voice comes from anywhere but his own mouth.* ...fire arrow sticky arrow cloth arrow exploding arrow net arrow rope arrow heavy arrow food arrow knock-out arrow metal arrow... *A voice calls out to him.* "You wanna be a hero, don'tcha? Well... here's something for you... why don'tcha come find us, hero-boy? Come get us, if ya can. We're waitin' for ya. We're all waitin'..." *He tries to scream, still randomly grabbing at larger-than-life arrows swimming in his field of vision.* ...normal arrow - sharp arrow - very sharp arrow - sharp normal arrow - steel-tipped very sharp normal arrow... *He has grabbed the shaft of the arrow. A tendril of white sneaks up behind him like a snake of light that has sensed its prey. He does not notice, and it envelops him without Robin even having time to turn around. His mouth is still open in the silent scream, and he begins to feel suffocated...* Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! *...as lungfuls of cool air burst into his face, he realises that his yell is now audible, and for the first time since the bead of light hit him, he realises a solid surface is present, and its impact winds him almost completely, as he rolls down the rough edge of a thatched roof, the arrow still clutched in his hand.* [OOC: Continued in "The Horrors of Holmgarth".] [ModNote: Link to next thread added.] |
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Post by Young Grimwold on Jul 14, 2011 17:32:58 GMT
[OOC: With no information coming my way from Tom as to when or even whether this storyline will conclude, I cannot leave my character stuck here any longer. I hope he can somehow be drawn back in if this storyline does get moving properly again one day.] *For a moment, YG cannot feel the tendrils. There's something brushing his mind instead. A sadness, an apology, but for once it isn't his. He is slowing down. Like the end of a rollercoaster ride, there is relief jostling with disappointment, but he doesn't want to face either. He keeps his eyes closed. The tendrils seem to have returned, but they are scratchier... leafier...* [OOC: Continued in Ogre under, under Dunn.] |
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Post by Young Grimwold on Feb 9, 2012 18:11:56 GMT
[ModNote: Weeks turn into months turn into years, and I've heard nothing from Tom to convince me that this thread will ever be properly concluded. So I'm going to make the following suggestion to draw things to a close: Tom's powers are too unstable to hold the remaining characters safely together in the light void - so with one last series of magical pushes, he points them in a homeward direction and sets them free. PhoenixFlame, Julian Lapi[n/s] and Ed Kenji, who are not natives of the Knightmare realm, end up back in their respective home dimensions, as does Tom Troughton himself if he survives. They are therefore out of play but are welcome to return at some point in the future, subject to a bit of discussion with me beforehand.  Zyssa is deposited somewhere in the Knightmare realm as Robin and YG were, and I'll narrate that in due course. I regret that this storyline couldn't be concluded in the way that was originally planned, but if you'd like to know more about what that was, feel free to PM me.] |
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Zyssa is deposited somewhere in the Knightmare realm as Robin and YG were, and I'll narrate that in due course.