9th l o s t s o u l ~ [Action]

[illusional]

[Are you the sort of person who would approach a strange wingless little girl who looks to be in need of assistance? Then you might be unfortunate enough to come across an illusionist.]

[Appearing to be no older than 6 or 7 with her hands over her eyes, at a glance it might almost seem like she's crying. But for those villagers who aren't very powerful, the closer they get to the girl, the more anxious they may start to feel. Should anyone attempt to touch her, her body will feel cold as ice. And every horrible memory and thought will fill the mind of the one who approached her, amplifying all the negative emotions associated with them.]

[Of course, this is assuming you even make it this far before she opens her eyes and tries to steal your soul.]

--

[And for those who don't want to be affected by an illusionist but still want to see what a "true" illusionist is like, they'll still have the chance. After learning the hard way that killing it only makes it reappear somewhere else, Cheyenne will have captured and blinded the illusionist to keep an eye on it until the experiment ends.]

[Which basically means Cheyenne will be sitting on her usual bridge, holding onto a leash attached to a strange little girl. She's wearing a blindfold too, but seeing as her eyes have been damaged, it's really just for show at this point.]

[And for sake of those who might want to cross the bridge without feeling the illusionist's negative effects, the little girl is instead standing in the water below, occassionally calling out nonsensically at Cheyenne.]



[[ooc note: The only thing the illusionist can do is trap people in illusions 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. It can't actually feed on their soul. If your character wears sunglasses/goggles/anything that obscures vision, or is blind, they won't be affected by illusions.

Cheyenne will be busting in to end the illusion after a post or two, so feel free to assume the illusionist looks up at them right away if you want to go that route. It can also regenerate against anything except fire attacks and decapitation, so sensing it is evil and attacking it right away is also fine. |Db]]

Comments

[consultmybooks]

[Giles is...precisely the sort of person who would approach a strange, wingless little girl who looks to be in need of assistance.

Especially because said strange, wingless little girl could very well be a vampire, and it wouldn't be the first time he had to stake a child vampire.

She lets him get right up close before lowering her eyes and looking right at him.

...and at that point, it's all over but the mental torture.]

[illusional]

[Mental torture is a good way of describing it. At their strongest, sometimes the illusions don't even seem to be illusions. This illusion in particular takes the form of a graveyard, filled with tombs bearing the names of everyone Giles has ever known and cared about. Their unanswered cries for help still resound through the night air. There's blood on his hands...]

[But terrible though the illusions may be, they won't last long. This illusionist may be somewhat more powerful than Cheyenne is since it doesn't need to adhere to the powercap, but that doesn't change the fact that illusions are in real-time. Giles only suffers a minute or so before he'll be suddenly jolted back to reality.]

[The reason, of course, was that the little girl was now being held against the ground with Cheyenne kneeling over her, pinning her arms down with her knees and covering her eyes. Strange powers aside, illusionists weren't very strong physically. Cheyenne had the advantage here.]

[Despite the illusionist's struggling and screaming, Cheyenne's voice remains calm. She's covering the illusionist's eyes. She knows Giles should be freed of the illusion by now, though she can't be sure of his emotional state.]

Are you at your wits to assist me or shall I deal with this monster myself?

[lina-revolution.livejournal.com]

AAAAAGGGGHHHH!

Sluuuuuuugs! Get them off of me!

[Lina is on her knees, whimpering and sobbing and trembling like a leaf, utterly oblivious to the small child standing before her and its lack of eyes.]

No, sis, no more slugs, I'm sorry....

[illusional]

[Cheyenne wasn't sure what she noticed first: the familiar presence of a nearby illusionist or Lina's screaming.]

[...slugs, huh.]

[Cheyenne doesn't think much of it, knowing full well the different sorts of things creatures could find fearful. But there was something... upsetting about seeing Lina like that. She couldn't explain why, though she didn't really have the time to process it either.]

[The other illusionist doesn't react to Cheyenne at first, but once it notices she isn't being affected by the illusion, it starts to back away. As Cheyenne rushes forward to push it to the ground, the illusion ends.]

[Without any element of surprise in this case, it takes a few moments for Cheyenne to wrestle the other girl down, eventually pinning her down with her face angled into the ground. She doesn't say anything yet, still trying to think of how to deal with this. Whether it was just part of the experiment or not, it was still dangerous to have a wild illusionist running around...]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Tiny!Dhaos is exactly the type to approach a little girl with her hands over her eyes. He's the prince, and while the girl is not an angel, it's his job to cheer people up. Right?

And then of course, well. What does tiny!Dhaos fear the most? He doesn't quite understand why-- he was never like this before-- but the lightning here in the strange world frightens him.

He would dearly love to close his eyes, but obviously that's not possible at the moment.]

[illusional]

[The lightning within the illusion crashes loudly overhead, each flash reaching closer and closer to Dhaos until they are mere inches away. The thunder booms louder, echoing as if it came roaring from every direction.]

[It doesn't even last a full minute before it it suddenly disappears. Though what appears in it's place may be just as disturbing for Dhaos as the lightning.]

[The little girl from before was now being pinned by a girl much older than her. Paying no mind to Dhaos, Cheyenne holds the other illusionist down by her neck, her other hand covering her eyes. If this simulated illusionist is anything like the real thing, it shouldn't be able to die this way...]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos is... feeling extremely ill and about ready to cry. He really, really, really doesn't want to get hit by lightning-- somehow the thought fills him with a stomach-dropping fear, as though it's happened before--

But then it vanishes.

Dhaos' knees buckle underneath him, and he spends several minutes simply watching Cheyenne work. It isn't until he's fully recovered that he starts actually seeing what's going on.

...That's really mean, miss.]

A-ah...

[illusional]

[Once it's clear she has the illusionist pinned, Cheyenne finally pays some notice to Dhaos. A child... she's more curious that he didn't run away out of fear than she is feeling pity for his situation. Perhaps he was simply too scared to move...]

Are you all right?

[whatdeheckisdat]

[LEAP. SHE'S TALKING TO HIM.]

E-er. Yes, I... think I will be okay...

[...No, he's not going to make the connection yet.]

Hooopefully okay? D:

[semper_cogitans]

[Hello, little girl. Robert is exactly the sort of person who would help a little girl who appears to be crying - it evokes strong memories of the one day with Vivi.

He approaches slowly, feeling the familiar anxiety of dealing with new people bubble to the surface. He doesn't realize there's anything odd about it, after all. He's used to being anxious around strangers.]

D-Do... do you need help...?

(OOC: Unsure if the simulation would be able to affect Robert due to his lack of soul... I guess it depends on how accurate the simulation is. I'll go either way, or Cheyenne can stop the illusionist before anything could happen...)

Yep! I just kind of worked around it for now... xD;

[illusional]

[There's good news and bad news for Robert. The good news is Cheyenne has spotted the illusionist before it had a chance to open it's eyes. She starts running over as soon as she sees it and assumes it's alone.]

[The bad news is, well, she's assuming it's alone. There's something in her vision... an animal of some sort perhaps? Maybe another simulation. She can't tell. But she needs to get to the illusionist quickly, therefore pay no mind to the fact that she's about to brush past Robert, knocking into his arm for a moment. But that's not the big deal, here. The big deal is that she just touched him. Soul or not, intentional or not, the touch of an illusionist can be rather terrible. It makes a person feel cold and can drain them of every positive emotion in an instant... and then bring them all bad in the next. Hope he doesn't mind a bit of emotional whiplash to go alongside that aura of anxiety.]

[And because clearly this scene isn't horrible enough enough to watch as it is, Cheyenne will just go ahead and slam the illusionist against the ground, the head colliding to the ground with a loud crack. It wasn't enough to truly harm it since they regenerated so quickly, but it would give her time to restrain her.]

[Cheyenne didn't seem to care much for those of her own kind.]

Works for me \o/

[semper_cogitans]

[That sudden touch of shocking cold when Cheyenne brushes past him causes Robert to cry out a moment, more from surprise than anything - and then it turns to outright, blinding terror for a moment as his emotions are essentially ripped from him. The coldness wouldn't have bothered him - after all, he's comfortable with Helios - but it's that sudden despair that grips him in icy fingers, like he should give up and throw himself at the mercy of whatever will inevitably kill him, that really hurts.

It feels much like he felt when he stared down Kusanagi's blades, and he actually sobs before his emotional state lashes back towards neutral. But his rationality keeps him from completely breaking down, and in the meantime he watches just long enough to watch Cheyenne smash the little girl to the ground.

... Yeah, that's horrifying-looking. As is the snap of bone breaking. It's enough that Robert would've vomited if he didn't realize that the figure lacked wings.]

... Wh-what...?!

[illusional]

[The voice throws her off. Cheyenne's head whips around to where Robert is standing, her mouth slightly agape as if she were about to gasp. The illusionist beneath her starts trying to move again, but Cheyenne manages to feel for it's eyes and hold it down. Though the arms, still free, began to scratch and claw at her arms.]

[Cheyenne paid it not mind. Her voice was calm, cold, and steady.]

Who or what is standing there? I cannot see you.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash should know better. He really should. For all the wingless bandits who had tried to claim his bounty and had vanished when knocked out seeing a wingless girl should have clued him in.

But she looked so upset. Those warnings flew out of his mind.] Are you alright? Kid, are you h-

[But as she looks up, the hand he had out to touch her shoulder suddenly his gun in it. The top pops open and a bright light starts to spill out of it. He can hear his brother's laughter echoing in his ears.] No! Not the light! Please not the light!

[He can see his house. The one where all his friends - his family - are. He can see Rem coming out the door. She looks so disappointed in him as he can feel his arm beginning to transform.]

Not again! No please! Not again! [He can't watch her die again, but oh god, he can't control it!]

[illusional]

[Not Vash.]

[In that moment, all rational thought is gone. She knows, knows, his soul isn't being touched. She can see it herself; his emotions are changing, but his soul isn't passing to the illusionist at all. She knows this... and yet there's a feeling creeping up in the back of her mind that she had to stop this, now, and make sure it couldn't happen again. Make sure it could never happen again.]

[Vash was in pain. Vash was suffering. And it was that monster's fault.]

[The illusionist looks at her. It's eyes don't move, but Cheyenne knows it can see her. Can it sense her? ...no. If it could sense her, it would run. It would know what she was about to do.]

[It only takes one punch for the illusion to end. The illusionist falls to the ground with a cry, holding one of its eyes in pain. But something in Cheyenne drove her down to the ground to do it again. She held the illusionist down, not a hard task considering their size difference, and punched her face again. And again and again. The skin was regenerating with every swing, but not nearly fast enough.]

[She's angry. She's never been this angry before. She can't understand it; she can't control it. And it might be a good idea to stop her before things get too messy.]

[goldenglasses]

[A shaking hand grabs at Cheyenne's wrist, trying to stop her from landing anymore blows. He holds tight with his left, mechanical arm. Maybe a little tighter than he means to as he's still not exactly over what he had just seen, but he's never needed much wits about him to try to stop people from hurting each other.]

Enough Cheyenne, it's enough. [He's pale, but he's remembering what he's been told as he slips his sunglasses on.]

[illusional]

[Cheyenne doesn't fight it when she feels Vash grab her wrist. This illusionist was hurting Vash. But if Vash is touching Cheyenne's wrist, he should be feeling the same cold, chilling effect caused by touching any illusionist. That on top of what he had just been forced to see...]

Release my hand, Vash.

[Below her, the illusionist's face quickly begins to heal, the girl's eyes staying open and staring blankly at the two of them. With her free hand, Cheyenne gently covers her eyes, still unaware that Vash had his sunglasses on.]

...please.

[action] how did I overlook this? anyway, feel free to screw with him.

[purpledemoneyes.livejournal.com]

[Tsuzuki can't ignore a cry for help. It's just not something he's good at, especially in a disaster-stricken situation like this. Anxiety is normal in panics, so he doesn't stop to question it. Something feels wrong, but he can't put his finger on what.]

Are you oka--

[He reaches out to touch the little girl, realizing belatedly what bothered him. She doesn't have any wings. By then it's too late.]

[action] /starts up the evil music

[illusional]

[The illusionist's eyes are upon his instantly, and suddenly the village is gone. Tsuzuki is in a hospital bed, strapped in and unable to move. The beds around him are filled with people, each someone he knows and cares about, both from home and Luceti. And they're dying. The halls are dark and the only light seems to be coming off of a single man, dressed in white and holding a bouquet of roses. Blood is dripping from the stems.]

[He calls Tsuzuki's name, taking one of the roses and throwing it onto his bed, over his chest. The petals splatter the white linens with blood. Somewhere in the room, one of the patients flatlines.]

[The man grins. He does it again. Another patient, another friend, dies. He continues, again and again, throwing each rose down and filling the room with the stench of death. His lips whisper, "You killed them, Tsuzuki."]

[The last rose is Hisoka. He's screaming, begging for Tsuzuki to save him. But Tsuzuki can do nothing. He's powerless, and somehow this situation is his fault. Somehow the man, Muraki, is right.]

[At least, that's what the illusion wants him to think.]

[action] oh, that is so mean. :O I approve.

[purpledemoneyes.livejournal.com]

[It's too much. He can't breathe. Small whimpering sounds is the only thing leaving his mouth, even if his mind is screaming and tears are building in his eyes. It is all his fault, he knows that. Tsuzuki selfishly couldn't keep from befriending them, knowing how dangerous it could become if Muraki found them. It doesn't matter if he tried to keep them away from him. Their deaths, their blood is entirely on his hands. It would always be. He couldn't even lift a hand to prevent it.]

[It's more than his worst fear. It's destroying his grip on his sanity. A sob tears out of his throat as Tsuzuki crumbles, the grief and despair building quickly. When he's really hurt, he doesn't cry out in fury or despair. Tsuzuki pushes it inwards, lashing out at the one person to blame for it all.]

[action]

[illusional]

[The rose is falling. Hisoka is screaming. And Muraki only laughs as the rose splatters it's bloody petals across the white sheets, everything else falling silent as the echoing buzz of the machines flatlining fills the room...]

[And then all at once, the room is gone. Tsuzuki is once more in the village, the little girl who had been sitting there now pinned to the ground as another girl, with wings, holds her down. She has a hand covering her eyes.]

[Despite the fact that she's wearing a blindfold, she turns her face in Tsuzuki's direction. His soul didn't appear to have been fed upon, but she couldn't be too sure about his emotional state after something like that. She doesn't know how long he was trapped in that illusion, after all...]

...are you all right?

[mydearapple.livejournal.com]

[A girl sitting on a bridge holding onto another girl with a leash.

Another day in Luceti??

It's an unusual sight, but after getting lost yet again because of Luceti's constantly shifting environment, Caesar is a bit glad to see someone and somewhere he recognizes. He ignores the nervous feelings (he can already guess what that thing on the leash is), and approaches Cheyenne.]

Not a new pet, I take it?

[illusional]

[Hey, this is totally normal, okay.]

[Cheyenne can feel Caesar approach, but seeing as she had normal sight the last time they met, she can't be sure who he is right away. Though the voice is familiar. She doesn't bother to turn towards him, since she can see him just as fine regardless.]

I suppose that is an interesting way of putting it. However, I do hope this is not the sort who will continue to exist once the experiment is over.

[The illusionist angles her face up and looks in Caesar's direction. She smiles widely and lets out a strange laugh... at least, it sounds like a laugh. It's as forced as the smile on her face. With a quick jerk of the leash, her breath hitches as she nearly trips, causing her to stop.]

[mydearapple.livejournal.com]

[Caesar glances at the illusionist when she seems to start laughing and makes a face that neither of them will be able to see. What a weird little creature. And yet this girl was very different from the one on the leash. It was hard to believe that they were supposed to be the same thing.]

That certainly seems like it'd be troublesome. She doesn't look very well-adjusted.

[illusional]

I suppose that is one way of putting it. Most illusionists are incapable of possessing and understanding emotions. They know only hunger, and are often driven mad by it.

[A pause. She turns to look over at Caesar, looking right at him despite the blindfold.]

You are the one who became an illusionist during the experiment where everyone changed, yes?