10th l o s t s o u l ~ [Action]

[illusional]

[Cheyenne was hungry.]

[It had only been a few moments since she awoke, resting in the snow and shivering, and she was already on her feet and walking. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized where she was. This wasn't the desert anymore. No, this place was still familiar... Luceti. But the name held no significance for her yet. Her mind was racing. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could actually think. The hunger was still unbearable, but the shift into the barrier was enough to give her some control.]

[She needed to figure out what to do before she froze to death or gave in to temptation. She didn't know why, perhaps her mind wasn't clear enough to understand, but she knew she couldn't go into the village yet. She needed to wait... but for what? Waiting wasn't going to make things better. Perhaps, if she could find just one person, she could pull herself together long enough to feed without putting them in danger?]

[But did she have the self-control to do so?]

[She was so hungry...]

--

[Much later in the evening, Cheyenne will make her way around the village in an attempt to refamiliarize herself with the setting, this time wearing her blindfold. It hasn't changed too much since she was last here, thankfully. She'll grab a few things from the item shop to bring back to her apartment before finally stopping by Seventh Heaven for dinner. Her memories of Luceti place are still coming back in bits and pieces, but at the very least, she remembers she ate here often.]

[Feel free to run into her at any point, though she'll probably be a little unresponsive until after she's eaten actual food.]

--

((ooc: Okay, so! Cheyenne here is an illusionist. Normally she's much more in control of her powers, but after a month and a half of not feeding at all, she doesn't have a very strong hold on mind right now. The powercap brought back some of her sanity, but until she can manage enough to go into the village without eating every soul in sight, she'll be wandering around the forest just outside the village. Unfortunately, she's doing so without her blindfold on, which means anyone who happens to see her is at risk for being fed on.

If you want your character to run into her in the first part, please fill this out! And keep in mind she might avoid your character in the future if they didn't already know each other from her last stay here. Basically, when someone looks into her eyes, they will be trapped in an illusion of whatever it is they fear the most. Only your character will see the illusion, and they won't be able to move until freed. If your character wears sunglasses/goggles/anything that obscures vision, or is blind, they won't be affected by illusions. And don't worry, she won't feed long enough to leave any damage to your character's soul.

And of course, she'll be completely sane for the second part!))

Comments

[goldenglasses]

No, I do want to be your friend. I want to find the exit so that we can get out together, but we may run out of time if we stop to play a game.

We can play games as long as we want if we can get out of here together.

[illusional]

[She folds her arms and continues to pout, tilting her head from side to side with a small whine.] You're too serious, mister! You're just like her. She didn't want to play any games either and started crying. And then she stayed here until sun rise. And now she doesn't cry anymore.

But you know, I can still cry! It doesn't mean anything. But I can do it. She can't. She stayed here too long.

[goldenglasses]

Who's she? And don't you want to get out of here? Out to where you can have more friends?

[illusional]

I can't get out of here!!

[It's screamed. Very suddenly. Hope that didn't make you jump or anything, Vash.]

[She takes a deep breath and her voice goes back to normal.]

But you know, if I left, she wouldn't be able to do anything. Because I'm the only part of her that was left. They took the rest of her away. That's why she's so cold.

[A pause.] If I left, she wouldn't have anything left. And there'd be no one to find the exit. Because if I left, there'd be no exit.

[goldenglasses]

[It does, but instead of jumping back he just takes a step.]

There must be some better way that you don't have be here alone, because I can't stay forever. I have something I have to do back home or a lot of people are going to be hurt.

[illusional]

Ehh? But mister! I'm not alone!

[From the corner of his eye something is moving. If he looks it'll disappear, and seem to reappear somewhere else. Strange, that it seems to be coming from inside the glass of the strange twisted trees.]

Neither of us are alone here. We're just the only ones still alive. But that doesn't mean we're alone. And by sun rise, you won't be alive either!

[She giggles. The sun, still low in the sky, appears to have stopped moving quite so quickly.]

So, mister. Do you wanna play a game?

[goldenglasses]

[Vash tries to keep track of the creature moving within the trees, but it always eludes him. It's very rare that the gunman can't keep track of things and it doesn't help his growing nerves. He decides to hide his nerves in a friendly laugh.]

I'd actually like to finish playing the find the exit game first. Dying here isn't exactly something I'm looking forward too. I have someone waiting for me at home. She'd be very disappointed with me if I don't make it home tonight. And she'd be sad and alone too.

[illusional]

...someone waiting for you?

[Her demeanor seems to change a little with that. Up until now, her voice had been rather cheerful sounding, even when talking about such disturbing things.]

[But somehow, that gives her pause. She might even seem a bit sad.]

I wonder if that means she was sad when she didn't make it home. She couldn't come home because she was stuck here. And then I was stuck here...

[The shadows in the tree seem to be moving more. Vash might be able to catch a glance at what they are, but somehow, whenever he looks, they'll disappear. They look like shadows being cast by the setting sun, somehow moving around on their own, but never outside of the glass trees.]

...I know where the exit is, mister.

[goldenglasses]

Would you show it to me? I'll stay and talk to you until I have to go when we get there, because I'm sorry, but I can't stay forever.

But isn't there something I can do on the outside to help you here?

[illusional]

I can't show you the exit unless you play with me. As soon as you find the exit, you'll leave.

[For a little girl selfishly demanding he waste his precious time to play with her, she sounds pretty serious right now. There's a pause, and then her voice returns to it's cutesy former self.]

It'll only take a minute! It's a really quick game! We can even find the exit at the same time!

[goldenglasses]

[He takes a moment to think it over. He really doesn't have a lot of time, but he doesn't have much choice either.]

Alright, if we can find the exit at the same time. What's the game?

[illusional]

It's really easy! Really, really! There aren't any rules to explain or follow or anything. You just gotta answer my questions!

[She skips around a bit, though somehow... even though Vash should be able to catch glimpses of her face, it's as though something in the illusion won't let him focus on it. It's suddenly impossible to see her eyes.]

[She stops. Then turns to face him. Her eyes are still somehow invisible.]

What color are my eyes right now, mister?

[goldenglasses]

[Vash squints, why couldn't he see? He had perfect vision, except where her eyes should be.]

I can't see your eyes. Unless they change colors, they should be blue.

[illusional]

Ehh? You can't see them? That's silly, mister!

[She giggles again. She doesn't say whether the answer is right or wrong, though.]

You know who I am, right? What color are my eyes?

[goldenglasses]

Well, your eyes were blue, but Cheyenne's eyes were some of the most interesting colored eyes I've ever seen. Silver, but they had a bit shine to them that could have been pink or even blue at times.

[illusional]

[As the girl starts to smile, her eyes suddenly come back into focus. They look different from how they were before; silver instead of blue, but still normal eyes all the same.]

[Cheyenne can't see her own eyes, after all. Even with a description, she doesn't know what they look like.]

[She reaches out to take Vash's hand.]

It's time for you to go now, mister.

[goldenglasses]

Will you be alright? [He knows he has to go, but he finds it hard to leave this girl here on her own.]

[illusional]

[No answer.]

[But the voice that comes out this time sounds much more like a certain soul eater than the little girl from before.]

Take my hand, Vash.

[goldenglasses]

[He looks up at the sky one more time. He really didn't want to leave her here but he knew so little about Cheyenne and what she was. If only he had more time to think of something!

Meryl.

He knew he couldn't stay. The sun was already getting so low, so with a heavy heart he tentatively reaches out to take the girl's hand.]

I'll think of something. There must be some way to help you and I won't stop until I find a way. [And he MEANS it.]

[illusional]

[The moment he touches her hand, there's a short, sudden scream, and suddenly Vash is back in reality.]

[He'll still be in the same spot he was before he took off his glasses, perhaps feeling rather dizzy, but otherwise fine.]

[Cheyenne, on the other hand, had been suddenly knocked backwards when the illusion was cut off, her hands now clamped tightly over her eyes. Though she managed to take control of the illusion and target her own memories instead of his fears, she hadn't been able to end it entirely. Were Vash not Vash and in possession of such a powerful and potent soul, what might have happened? Would she had killed him? Or worse...?]

[She doesn't need to speak to him to know he's all right. She can see it in his soul. He'll recover. She didn't take more than 10%... but she was close. She was dangerously close. She had lost control, she lost herself...]

[And now she was back.]

[She doesn't move from where she's laying in the snow, her back thankfully protected from the brunt of the cold by the coat Vash had put over her.]

...Vash?

[goldenglasses]

[Vash gasps in surprise from the scream and the sudden change in scenery. He was back. With a slight shake to his hand he reaches into his pocket and brings out his sunglasses.]

I'm alright. Don't worry. Are you okay?

[He slides his glasses back onto his head. He's not ready to go through all of that right away again.]

[illusional]

I don't know. I--

[A pause. She doesn't sit up, but she moves a hand over to one of her wings, both of which had folded down closer to her back and an attempt to stay warm. Her eyes stay shut.]

...I'm back in Luceti.

[goldenglasses]

[Back. She said back.] Are you starting to remember?

[illusional]

I remember Luceti. But I do not... fully remember where I have been up until this moment.

[A pause. She considers sitting up, bit she doesn't have the strength to.]

That is to say, while I realize what it is that must have happened, I am unable to remember it. Or at least, remember it in detail.

[goldenglasses]

[Funnily enough, Vash also has the passing thought to stand up, but the dizziness keeps him down.]

That's alright, it might come back to you in time.