(Skylar looks around and notices a door. She opens it, but while the door does indeed open, there is no entryway on the other side. Looking at the door and briefly testing how well she fits behind it, she sighs.) Skylar: ... Alright, gimme a sec. (In an instant Skylar vanishes next to the open door, and the gray hoodie and sweatpants she had been wearing fall in a heap on the ground. Twenty seconds later, a hand reaches out from the space between the wall and the door and grabs the hoodie and sweatpants. Skylar steps out from behind the door and slips her feet back into the pink flip-flops. She looks... quite surprised.) Skylar: Uh... you guys aren't going to believe this, but... there's literally nothing outside this room. It's just... a room. Floating in some kind of white void. I'd test how far it goes, but... I can't go too far or you'll forget me, and that's just gonna get awkward at this point. Especially if I just suddenly step back out from behind a useless door.
Haruka: *to Skylar* Seattle?! You’re from Earth too?! You wouldn’t know any way for me to return there from here, do you?! Hayate: *folding his arms over his chest* I’m much more conserved about this place possibly being located within the Void. But on Chouwa, it is represented by the color black, not white… That aside… *to Jaxx and Lorenzo* Hello. Unfortunately, we know just as much about this place as you do. But since Skylar could leave, there seems to be a way for us to return to where we came from somehow. Haruka: Come to think of it, could this place be dangerous if all that exists is just this room and a big void? Hayate: I don’t think so… But let’s all be careful, just in case.
The girls look around, bewildered at these new people. Sapphire: Are people actually talking again? Katsumi: I believe they are. Well, hello, new people! We are from an Earth as well, though we have no land called Seattle, so it must be a different Earth. Nithara: We’re currently in a bit of a limbo. Our author scrapped most of our plot, and rather than writing a new plot, she switched to a different story. Ayana: Lucky for us, that different story is, in her words, “technically fanfiction,” and I don’t know what that is but apparently it means that story doesn’t belong in this space. So we’re here, but we haven’t got much of a story. Sapphire: We have a world and personalities, though. I suppose introductions are in order once again. My name is Sapphire Rathani. Katsumi: I am Princess Katsumi Yoshimura. Nithara: Must you mention that you’re a princess every time? Katsumi: Yes, because it is my title! You are lucky I don’t introduce myself with my full name. Nithara: …fair enough. Well, I am Nithara Saleth. Ayana: And I’m Ayana Volkov. A pleasure to meet you all.
Amber: Well that's a bit...sad. Isn't there a way for that 'forgetting about you' thing to stop? Amber: Heya! My name's Amber. *to Lorenzo, Jaxxelle, Haruka, and Hayate* Nice to meet you guys!
Amber: Wait...what? So that means we don't have an exit? I'd try dropping to the void but I seriously don't want to fall to my death.
Skylar: Sorry, I'm as clueless as you are. Only reason I could see outside is because of my ghost powers, and there doesn't seem to be a way back home in sight. On the plus side though... was anyone else hungry before you got here? Because... I'm not anymore. And if that holds true for everyone, I guess we're not in danger of starving to death. Skylar: I've... tried... everything. But it's been like this for five years, since... I think my 16th birthday. It's a bit fuzzy. I uh... I don't have any visual memories before then. It's not that I was blind or anything, I just... lost the entire visual portion of my memory. Along with some other stuff. Like what happened the last time I was still human. Last thing I remember was... being terrified, and wishing I could just disappear, wishing they couldn't find me. ...Beats the hell out of me who the "they" in that sentence was. But... I got my wish, I guess. They didn't find me. And neither did anyone else. (Skylar pauses) Skylar: I... don't know why I'm opening up about all of this. I never do. It usually feels pointless and a waste of time. But... I guess maybe there's just nothing else to do here.
Amber: *laughes awkwardly* You sure about that? ...I hope there's a kitchen around here. Has anyone brought any snacks? (Amber looks around for a kitchen or a snack, pulling each one of the books for something that would open a door to a kitchen...no luck though.)
Amber: Sooo, how did you guys get here? Any ideas on how to get out of here and back to our own places? I...uhm, forgot how I got out of this room last time.
Trailblazer: W-What the hell is this place? *Lights up a cigarette and takes a quick drag, scanning around the area and overhears some people talking* Trailblazer: Hey there nice to meet you, I don't know why we have been brought here but you seem to be the friendly type. I overheard your conversation you must be Amber yes? The name is Trailbalzer. *He then extends his hand for a handshake* Compared to how the others looked, He almost looked like a beggar. His blue fatigues have faded from frequent abuse. It's hard to believe this man is young despite looking like a thirty-year-old with greying hair, crow's feet, and faint eye bags from sleepless nights.
Haruka: Hello, Amber, Trailblazer. *to Trailblazer* My name is Mamoru Haruka and this here is Hayate Uta. Hayate: Greetings. Haruka: *to Trailblazer* So... What was going on in your life before you ended up here? This is sort of the second time I've found myself in a new and strange place, so guess I am a little accustomed to the whole weirdness of this situation. Hayate: *to Amber* By the way, you’re saying that you have been here before and left but can’t remember how? *thinks for a moment* That at least means that there is a way. Haruka: *thinks for a moment, but a door appears behind him. He turns around* I wonder… *He steps through the door and comes back a few seconds later* Okay, I think I might have it figured out. Just think of wanting to go home and then you can. Unfortunately for me this place apparently thinks Chouwa is my home so I can’t go back to Earth from here. Hayate: I’m sorry about that. I’m sure we will figure out how to get you back to Earth sooner or later. Haruka: I hope so… I and some friends were going to check out a place to rent for our art gallery so I hope to be back in time for that meeting or we have to start looking for another locale. *to Skylar* From the sounds of it you have it pretty tough. Are supernatural powers common where you come from? The Earth I know doesn’t have such things, but everyone on Chouwa has magic. Hayate: We can manipulate the elements, although only one per individual. My element is air. *he holds out his hand and wind form a sphere in his palm*
Skylar: ...Huh. Well that was easy. Where did you show up? Was it where you last remembered being? That would make sense. Skylar: Hm... Are you sure they don't exist where you come from? Because that's what the humans in my world think too. At least most of them. As for "common"... well, we haven't done any official censuses, but I've heard some numbers flying around like "1 in 1000" at the most-... (Skylar looks at the display of magic) Skylar: ...Huh. Well whatddya know? That's... different. Wait, so you're all like that? And you're normal humans otherwise? That's... I've... no, shit, what am I talking about, I've heard of that sort of thing all the time. ...On TV. But uh... we don't actually have traditional "magic users" like that. Oh, we have people who can shoot fire and call lightning and freeze people solid... but it's never just that. Shit, how do I explain this... Skylar: ...Okay, so, where I come from, all humans are magical, but most of them aren't using that magic for anything. They can't. First off, their magic's in a raw form that's... not good for much other than being lunch for vampires and wendigos and... well I guess technically me too. ...But I only eat people's memories of me, and I can't control it anyway. ...But second, even if their magic were in a usable form... their bodies just don't know how to use it. They don't have any MANA. ...Think DNA, but for magical stuff. It's what tells your body what to do with its magic. Skylar: But some of the most magical of humans... we call them cambions, they're about 1% of the population... sometimes, we're not sure how, if it's the stars aligning or ley lines or extreme emotional distress... but their body generates a set of MANA. They stop being human and... become something else. Vampires, werewolves, elves, dwarves, wendigo, deer women, reapers, goblins, merfolk... all those species are real, or at least used to be, and they all started because at one point, some human mutated into the first of them and managed to live long enough to start a family. Where I come from they're called immortals. ...And that's what I am. I wasn't born like this, I just... became like this one day. Skylar: ...We do have mages... y'know, witches and warlocks... but they can't actually "cast spells". If they make a pact with one of the great old ones... think gods or demons and you'll be pretty on the mark... well then their magic gets turned from raw magic into usable magic... but they still don't have their own MANA to tell their magic what to actually do. They need to use enchanted rings and wands and the like, made out of the soul gems left behind when you kill immortals. And then they can copy some of their powers. Immortals can use them too, but uh... I don't like to. I can't bring them with me when I ghost. I can't bring... anything with me when I ghost. So it makes it way harder to just cut and run if things get hairy. Which is often. (She gestures to her hoodie, sweatpants and cheap pink flip-flops) Skylar: ...As you can see, I don't like carrying things I can't afford to leave behind.
Trailblazer: *To Haruka* Thank you, It's comforting to know that you have been here before and with the calm demeanor of this place...I figure everyone here is alright. As for where I am from. I will only answer if you tell me first. *Trailblazer follows the group at the door, trailing behind skeptical of them, He listens to them explain about magic when suddenly Haruka demonstrates her wind magic, snuffing out the cigarette from his mouth* Trailblazer: Huh....*He pockets the cigarette bewildered and curious* *His demeanor starts to grow even more concerned when hears Skylar explains where she is from and how her world works* She does look like she doesn't belong alright, It's easy to think this is some fever dream, But I believe her. This is one of the few times I have seen someone with a complete set of teeth and look clean. Almost untouched by the Radiation she seems almost dream-like, And Magic? What?! No! They might be more powerful. Perhaps...Controlling anomalies? I cannot take her kindness for weakness.
Haruka: I did end up in the same place I last was before coming here. And I guess if it is kept secret from the general public I wouldn’t know if things like vampires and werewolves really exist on the Earth I’m from, so I guess they might... Hayate: So in your world magic is mostly dormant? As we said everyone has magic on Chouwa. We are born with it. But it isn’t something we instinctively know how to use. We start learning at a early age, though. Are there ways to prevent people from misusing their powers? On Chouwa we have Star Metal, it render us unable to use our magic if it makes contact with our skin. It falls from the skies like meteroites so I don’t know where it comes from or what its made off. But you say that you are on the run? From what exactly? Are they after you because of your power? Anyway, I can see why you travel with little belongings. In your situation I would do the same thing. Haruka: Oh, I’m sorry. I’m from Earth. Or to be more exact, I am from Tokyo in Japan. One day however I just fall asleep back in my apartment and wakes up on Chouwa. I have no idea where that is though but everyone have magic, there are pegasi and unicorns... Hayate: And Youkai. Haruka: Yeah... The Chouwans first thought I might be a disguised Youkai. Hayate: Hence why I’m here. I am a member of the guards serving Lord Suzaku and it is my job to make sure Haruka isn’t a threat to our world.
Skylar: ...No. And that's actually a pretty major problem. We... have a central government... sort of... but they're literally only interested in keeping us a secret from the humans. One crime, one punishment: "Expose us, and cease to exist". Beyond that? We're all on our own. Call it... "Covert Anarchy". Nothing's illegal unless you get caught by the humans or enough immortals hate it enough to kill you for it, cuz we don't have any prisons. It's a bunch of nomadic clans struggling for territory and power, and only a few places have managed to get anything permanent set up. I don't know how the veilkeepers keep humans from noticing most of it. Skylar: I'm not really on the run... anymore. Whatever I was on the run from, I can't remember, and I doubt it'll find me in my current condition. Probably can't even remember there's anyone to look for. And there are people after my power, but... they kinda just pay me for it. I use my ghost powers to help this immortal company protect and retrieve its assets. ...But I still have to be ready to vanish at the drop of a hat, because I can't fight worth a damn, and... well, maybe this'll help demonstrate. I normally wouldn't do this, because it's killer on my magic reserves, but this place seems to keep topping me off for some reason, so... (Skylar takes a large, heavy book off one of the shelves, then walks over to let Hayate feel her hand.) Skylar: Feels normal, right? Flesh and blood. And yet... (Skylar puts her hand against the wall and slams the heavy book down on it. Hard. It shatters like porcelain, and the shattered pieces start to break down into dust and drift away. A white smoke emanates from her now open and hollow wrist, but inside is pure blackness, like down a lightless tunnel.) Skylar: ...Yeah. I'm invincible when I disappear... but I can't take too many hits when I'm like this. So I have to be ready to vanish at any time, because it's my only real option if one of the 99% of immortals who are stronger than me decide they want to pick a fight. (She repeats the trick of using the door as cover to ghost again. When she's put her clothes back on and re-emerged from behind the door, her hand is back to normal.) Skylar: ...Ghosting heals me right back up. If I have enough magic. And I do not want to know what happens if I don't. Skylar: It's... kind of amazing to think that would be a problem somewhere. You don't have ways of sniffing them out? Or weaknesses you can test on them? I don't think my bosses have a single building that doesn't staff werewolves to sniff out what species someone is. So what is the plan to figure out if Haruka's a Youkai? (Something occurs to Skylar) Skylar: Hang on... are you speaking English right now? Or is this some Doctor Who shit and we all sound to you like we're speaking Japanese? Skylar: Seattle, Washington. You?
Trailblazer: Uhhhh.... *He scratches his head* Is this a place in the zones I'm not familiar with? uhhm. No. Not ringing any bells. I never heard of this place...Japan? Earth yes. But Japan. Trailblazer: Pegasi? Is that some sort of...Mutant? I saw what powers you can wield so I believe in that. *He is left confused and sticks around for a moment. Seattle, Washington...Hmmm...Wait...I heard of that..Washington, Capital...Yes! I got it! America! *Trailblazer points at Skylar* Trailblazer: I-I am from Ukraine! So wait, Hold on now. America was untouched by the nuclear war years ago? I was born too early to known what that life is like. But compared to me. You seem to be doing way better than we are. Why hasn't anyone come for us? We haven't done anything wrong. And with your people's magical powers alongside Hayate, you can help us!
Amber: Yep, that's my name. *she accepts the handshake* Nice to meet you Trailbalzer! How did you get here?
Amber: Wait really? *to Haruka* If going back home is that easy, how come I forgot the last time I got here? Amber: *to Hayate* HUH?! Wait...how? Uh, is that normal? Usually back in my home, powers were normal..not until it suddenly disappeared and time-traveling and teleportation with devices got banned from using, so powers are really a rare thing to find.
Hayate: *to Skylar* Sounds like your world has its own share of problems. Is everyone okay with it being like that or is there anyone fighting to change the system? But it's not my world so I guess I have no right to speak against it... Haruka: *to Skylar* Do you know if there is a way to restore your memories? Hayate: *watches Skylar's magic demonstration and listens to her explanation* That's pretty handy. On Chouwa some have healing abilities but they can be limited depending on how strong the person is. That goes for all the elements. Our magic is tied to our stamina so if I were to keep a strong wind blowing for too long I would pass out. Hayate: Oh, Youkai looks nothing like Chouwans. or humans, as Haruka would say. But they can make themselves look like us by drinking a herbal potion. That wears off eventually, though, and there is our way of discovering them in some cases. Haruka: Yeah, they locked me up in a room for almost 24 hours to see if I would change form. But of course, nothing happened so they do not believe I am a Youkai anymore. And the room was big and comfortable so it wasn't that hard to stay there. And I'm not sure how language works here. But you can all understand Hayate, so I guess this place helps us all communicate. I am fluent in English, however, because I lived a lot in other countries growing up because of my father's work. Haruka: Pegasi aren't mutants. They are horses with wings. Haruka: Nuclear war?! I'm sorry, Trailblazer, but I have never heard of such a thing. There have been times when it nearly happened but it was always averted. As of why no one has come to help... I don't know and I'm sorry that life has been tough on you. As for us here going with you to help... I'm not sure we can go to each other's world even if we want to. Haruka: *just shrugs* I don't know... Maybe this place did something with your memory? But I don't see why it should do that. excuse me for asking this but, you don't happen to have a bad memory? That could explain how you've forgotten. Hayate: On Chouwa having powers is very normal. Everyone has magic, although not everyone has equally strong magic. Weird that magic has disappeared from your world. Those devices you talk about might be interfering with whatever was the source of magic and thus it went away? Have anyone looked into why it disappeared?
Skylar: ...Sorry to get your hopes up, but... what Haruka said. It looks like we all come from different versions of Earth. Ukraine's fine where I come from. ...Though come to think of it... (Turns to face the others too) Skylar: For everyone here who came from Earth... what year is it where you guys are? It's 1998 for me. Skylar: I don't get myself too worked up about politics. No sense worrying about something you have almost literally no power to change. But everyone I've heard talk about it feels this is the best option we've got. It's way more peaceful for us overall if humans don't have to deal with the reality of not being the dominant species... let alone not being at the top of the food chain. I've never heard of anyone crazy enough to try to pick a fight with the veilkeepers though. From what I've seen that would be nuts. Skylar: I wish. And it's the craziest stuff I've forgotten, too. Not just visuals, but also weird shit like... I can't remember a single person's last name from before becoming an immortal. Not my friends', not my own, nothing. And there's a bunch of little things like that with my memory loss. Skylar: Huh. Funny, cuz healing's actually the only power the immortals all have in common. All of us can heal from any injury that doesn't kill us, and it's also why we don't age past our twenties. ...Or get frozen at the age we died in the case of the undead. But healing others is absurdly rare. Skylar: What are Youkai like, anyway? I've heard that term before but here it's just a category of immortals that came from ancient Japan. They sound... different where you're from. And Hayate, why's it so important to know for certain that Haruka isn't one? Do they eat people? Are they from another country you're at war with? ...Or I guess you could just be racist. Goodness knows I get plenty of that where I come from. Skylar: Wait, magic just vanished? That... Christ, that sounds horrible. Immortals wouldn't be able to function without magic. Everything magical would just... die.
Amber: (offended) Oh really? A bad memory? How do explain that just some months ago I was here, I somehow got knocked out then boom I'm back to my place. Anyways this place is really weird, many unexpected things could happen. Amber: Maybe. Those teleporting and time traveling devices do have magic in them...not really sure how our magic have gone, and I don't seem to get the connection between the two leading to that 'magic is gone' event. (Amber pauses) ..Some people tried to find the cause but they couldn't find out why. Amber: It's not that horrible. Just made things a bit.. just how life was before magic. Aaand--nobody died here, luckily, they just have magic then poof it's gone. As if it got drained from us. Amber: Wait what? Ookay, so I think this room can time travel us to this 'present time'. You see, I'm from the year 2050.
Hayate: I doubt years work the same for you as they do for me. In Chouwa it's 500, with year zero being the year four mortals Ascended and became the Gods that still lead my people. Haruka: Well, if time still passes the same on Earth and Chouwa then I'm from the year 2018. And last thing I heard Ukraine was okay, as was the rest of Earth. Hayate: Oh, Youkai are definitely our enemies. We have been at war for a very long time now. They used to live at the core of our planet and we very rarely interacted with each other. But then the climate at the core changed. The Youkai decided to invade us and take our land for themselves. Haruka: As for how the Youkai look... I haven't met that many myself but the ones I have seen looked like anthropomorphic animals. Hayate: It's the same deal for us. Without our magic, we die. That goes for the Youkai as well. But luckily there is no way to erase magic, only block it. Haruka: Oh, I'm so sorry. I promise I meant no offense. I was just thinking that maybe we shouldn't be too quick to just dismiss everything as being because of this place, you know? I mean,.. It is very unlikely that this room was what brought me to Chouwa. Hayate: Well, maybe you do figure it out someday. To me it sounds like it might be something that should be investiagted. But I might be partial since magic in our world is one of the things keeping us alive.
Katsumi: In our world, magic is everywhere. Not everyone is necessarily a mage, but anyone can find ways to channel it. Nithara: I’m not a mage in that I have no innate magical ability of my own—I can’t light something ablaze like Sapphire, or electrify something like Katsumi, or give you reason to doubt your own senses like Ayana. But if I had any desire to work with magic, I could go into the business of enchanting. Anyone can do that, if they’ve the patience to learn. Sapphire: As for language, I’m speaking Common, as far as I can tell. (Addressing the other girls) Does the same go for you? (They all nod) Sapphire: It’s not my first language—that would be Sylannian Elvish—but I do speak it fluently, as do the majority of people on our world. It would make for a poor common tongue if only a minority spoke it.
Amber: Nah it's alright. Anyways, could you tell me about Chouwa? You kept on mentioning it. Amber: *to all* Since I'm bored, do you guys live in a different planet, or just Earth. And can you tell me about your place?
Ayana: We call our world Earth, the same as you, but it seems it’s different from yours. As we’ve established, our world’s permeated by magic. Sapphire: There are two races in our known world—humans, like Katsumi, Ayana, and most of you all, and elves, like Nithara and myself. Katsumi: Honestly, we could tell you everything there is to tell, but that seems wildly inefficient. What in particular did you want to know?
