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

[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.

[illusional]

I am not in the state of mind to be able to explain why, but I feel inclined to hope that doesn't. I don't want to remember.

[Not that she's capable of controlling something like that. Even now, her mind is starting to pick up bits and pieces, while at the same time struggling to process the flood of incoming Luceti memories. She might sound a little distant right now.]

...how much did you see? Of how I was. Of how I must have seemed... I can't imagine it was at all pleasant.

[goldenglasses]

Well, it wasn't all bad. I mean, I don't think I saw too much really! But, I did see you as a young girl in a desert with glass trees.

[illusional]

[If Cheyenne were capable of giving a what-are-you-even-talking-about face right now, she'd be giving one. Vash will have to settle for brief silence instead.]

...a desert. With glass trees.

[Thiiiinking.]

I suppose the desert was the last place I had been. But there were never any trees there. [...] Not that I would have been able to see them. To be quite honest, I had very little control over whatever illusion it is you saw.

[goldenglasses]

I've never seen glass trees either, so I'm not sure where they came from.

Although, the small girl who looked like you said she couldn't leave that place. That someone was sad when another girl had been taken away. I wasn't sure if she was talking about herself, or another part of yourself.

[illusional]

My illusions aren't real. That is what makes them illusions. Certainly whatever it is you saw was simply a part of that illusion and nothing more.

[...] Though I do not believe it is the sort of fact you would find comforting, souls that are consumed by illusionists are not aware of their continued existence. They are not considered living. They cannot function without their mind.

[She seems to be doing a pretty good job of side-stepping the points he's actually trying to bring up.]

[goldenglasses]

The girl said if I stayed in that world til after the sun went down that I'd be trapped there forever. Is that what would happen to a soul if it's completely eaten? [Don't mind the questions, he's just trying to learn more. He has a little vision girl he needs to help.]

[illusional]

I am not capable of seeing my own illusions, Vash. Nor was I in the right state of mind to design an illusion in a particular way.

I don't know what you saw, but I suppose it is possible the sun setting was simply meant to reflect the amount of time it takes for an entire soul to be consumed when done at a steady rate. Had your soul been entirely consumed, you would have either been released from the illusion or died. Though without a soul, I can't imagine you'd live very long. Most creatures who survive the process will attempt to end their own life due to the intense pain of being entirely separated from their soul.

[...not the kind of thing Cheyenne usually talks about, but she's still not exactly in her right mind. Not insane anymore, no, but very disconnected from her usual limited emotions.]

[goldenglasses]

What about Illusionists? How do their souls work if that's what they feed off of?

[illusional]

Illusionists have no more than 5% of their original soul left. The process of turning a creature into an illusionist involves tearing it out, fracturing it, and replacing it, so that only a section of Power remains. It is our body's desire for a full soul that drives an illusionist's hunger.

Though my kind knows it is impossible to regain our original souls, feeding is the only way to placate that hunger.

[goldenglasses]

Isn't there some way it can be healed?

[illusional]

I imagine if there was a way, only the one who created illusionists would know. However, even if I were to assume that the remaining 95% of my soul still exists and has not been fractured beyond repair, I am almost certain my body would no longer be able to host it after existing for over 200 years without it.