07-14-2018, 10:01 AM
[font=trebuchet ms]November 7th, 2015.
Basic training gets more and more difficult by the day. The others don’t seem bothered by it, but then they’re all gunning to be squad leader, I think. Rundown especially wants the spot. Black-Backed Leader Undertaker doesn’t even realize he’s on her hit list...
I don’t even know if I’ll get on the Side-Striped Squad. Rundown could probably get all five of us on the team, but if she decides to stick with the normal number... there’s no reason for her to pick the youngest one.
I’m going for it anyway, though. No harm in trying.
Miragelight had told Paper stories about her sister Rundown when he was a child. Tales of foolhardy dares, reckless attacks on rival packs, and frequent trips to their mother abounded; that she would be so intent on becoming their squad leader, and beating Undertaker when their Pack Leader died and the next challenge arrived, fit perfectly with what Paper had heard about her.
Miragelight’s intention behind giving him the book wasn’t entirely clear to him as he lay on a dry patch of sand, staring at the pages. Still, this was only the first entry, of what were probably many- he would find the answer soon enough. Turning the page, he yawned, a strange sense of exhaustion covering him like a blanket.
To be fair, he had been walking around a lot recently, and a lot of his nights had been spent with relatively little sleep. Maybe a brief nap would do him some good, if only so he could help out with reconstruction more effectively later. With a sigh, he closed the book, and rested his head on his paws.
Sleep...
[font=trebuchet ms]Good.
Paper woke up in an expanse of nothingness.
Hastily reaching out to find a foothold, he found to his dismay that there was none- he was floating, at the mercy of whatever substance he was floating in. ”Hey, what is this?!” he snarled, whipping his head around in search of anyone or anything he could demand answers from.
I’m right here.
Lifting his head, he could see a falcon floating directly above him, its wings spread wide. ”Who are you?” he growled, lashing his tail.
The falcon flickered in a flash of crimson mist, then returned to normal- with a pink-and-purple-striped icosahedron gem embedded in its chest. In spite of himself, Paper gasped. ”The ruby... how did you-”
My name is Rubydelusions. I am the spirit within this ruby, the falcon spoke, its deep baritone vibrating through the abyss. Papercutter. Why did you leave me to die?
Paper gaped at the falcon. ”I had no idea that there was an actual person inside that thing,” he said defensively, narrowing his eyes. ”How could I have? You never saw a reason to do this before.”
The falcon chuckled. Perhaps. Even so, you knew there was hidden power within the gem. Narrowing scarlet eyes honed in on him. You are, if nothing else, a fool for giving that up.
What was with this world and its constant repetition of messages that it knew he wouldn’t listen to? ”Look, you’re not the only magical artifact out here,” Paper said, with a shake of his head. ”It’s a much bigger deal to almost lose a crewmate than it is to pass up one of many chances at power.”
Raising its brows, the falcon nodded. Curious. Were this a test of loyalty, you would certainly have passed, it said, but for someone whose goal is to get stronger, you’re remarkably casual about it. Before he could retort, the falcon teleported to a few feet away, remaining in the spread-eagled position.
Perhaps, though, I can offer you a head start.
Paper raised a brow. He had a feeling this was going to involve some sort of deal, but what was he about to be asked to give up? ”Keep talking,” he said, flicking his good ear.
In the blink of an eye, the falcon exploded in a shower of amethyst prisms. Paper recoiled at the sudden flash, only to feel a paw on his back. Turning his head, he came face to face with Daphne- Daphne? he thought- staring him right in the eyes. Out of the bengal’s mouth slithered Valentin, her eyes flickering violet as she reared up to strike.
Paper swung a paw at the snake, the impact causing the other two to shatter in a fountain of glass. An interesting show, hmm? he heard the falcon echo behind him. Not real, of course- but it fooled you, if only just for a moment.
Narrowing his eyes, he turned to face the falcon. ”Hallucinations?” he asked, tilting his head. ”You can do this to others at will?”
Precisely. The falcon smirked, a wide split across its beak that elicited a shudder from Paper. I may still be willing to grant this same power to you... perhaps even more, if you prove yourself worthy.
Paper’s eyes widened. The thought of entrapping a foe in their own fears and failures... it was tempting. Yet, there was one more thing he had to ensure.
”What’s the catch?” Fixing his gaze on the falcon, he frowned. ”And if you tell me ‘nothing,’ or something vague, the deal is off.”
Another chuckle escaped the falcon’s beak. Clever boy. You’re correct- there is a catch. Fear not, you’ll have ample time to think about it before you accept. Its eyes lifted to the skies above- in so much as there were skies, or even an “above,” in the abyss. It’s a life for a life. Out of ignorance, you permitted me to be washed out to sea, to be drowned in darkness. If you desire my help, I wish for you to make things right.
When the time comes for you to die, your body will survive- but I will be the one in control of it from then on. Your life will become mine.
Before Paper could respond, the abyss began to crumble around him, the darkness giving way to blinding light on all sides. Shapes and colors flashed across his vision relentlessly, and through the static growing in his left ear, he could hear one last statement from the falcon- from Rubydelusions.
Return to the Crystal Caves. You will know what you are looking for once you see it.
[font=trebuchet ms]He woke up on solid ground again, sand clinging to his fur. Groaning, he got to his feet and shook himself, removing the last few grains. The sun was still up, so he must not have slept that long.
He had been offered power again, this time at the price of having to eventually give up his body. Admittedly, that wasn’t a bad deal, so long as he lived for a reasonable amount of time after that- and so long as he could secure one other condition, one that he thought was reasonable enough. The thing he’d always heard about making deals with the proverbial devil was that it had to abide by the terms set out, but you had to be careful to read and adjust the fine print before you signed the bottom line.
With a nod, he put the book in his bag, and headed over to the Crystal Caves. Upon arriving at the entrance, he could see the slickness of the stone floors, so he entered with caution. As he traversed the darkness, he kept an eye out for anything that seemed out of place.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a minecart tipped over on its side, its metallic surfaces tarnished by rust and brine. Detritus spilled out of its interior, forming a chaotic whirlpool across the ground.
In the center of that whirlpool lay the ruby, its violet glow flickering in apparent excitement as he approached. ”As I thought. You’re the devil, alright,” Paper muttered, bemused. Sure, it was theoretically possible that the ruby had been swept back in here by random chance, but practically? There was no way.
Take it.
”Hold on.” Staring directly at the gem, he narrowed his eyes. ”I’ve got one more condition I want to add to the deal.”
At its silence, he proceeded, ”You can take over my body when I die. But the moment you start trying to hurt the Typhoon or any of its members, the deal is off, and you leave my body and never return.”
Rubydelusions did not speak at first, its silence deafening in Paper’s ear. If this was a deal-breaker for the ruby, then so be it. He may not have been the sharpest spine on the cactus, but he wasn’t fool enough to throw everyone’s lives away.
...Deal.
With a smirk, Paper took the ruby. Finding the string attached to it, he hung it around his neck. The ruby’s flickering light dimmed down to a soft glow, just as it had when he found it the first time. With that, he returned to the entrance of the cave, passing by a large feline sitting in the shade.
Show them something, why don’t you.
After thinking for a moment, Paper reached out to the feline’s mind and attempted to cast an image of a butterfly, basking in the sun a few feet away. The feline stared at the spot where Paper had intended to make the butterfly appear, and cautiously approached it. Blinking, Paper dismissed the illusion, watching the feline stare incredulously at the now-empty patch of sand.
”It works,” he mouthed to himself, removing the now-brightly glowing ruby from around his neck and shoving it in his satchel. With that, he briskly left the cave, headed over towards the Tempest.
Rubydelusions had kept up its end of the deal- he could indeed cast illusions now- but now his fate was sealed. He had to be careful from now on; even if his life seemed a relatively small loss now that he knew Rubydelusions would not betray the Typhoon, he still wasn’t especially eager to have his body taken.
Even now, returning to the ship, he could still hear delighted laughter echoing in the back of his mind.
/tl;dr: Paper makes a deal with someone he probably shouldn’t have made a deal with, so now he has telepathic illusion powers
/he’s walking back to the Tempest now looking kind of nervous
/don’t feel the need to match muse
Basic training gets more and more difficult by the day. The others don’t seem bothered by it, but then they’re all gunning to be squad leader, I think. Rundown especially wants the spot. Black-Backed Leader Undertaker doesn’t even realize he’s on her hit list...
I don’t even know if I’ll get on the Side-Striped Squad. Rundown could probably get all five of us on the team, but if she decides to stick with the normal number... there’s no reason for her to pick the youngest one.
I’m going for it anyway, though. No harm in trying.
Miragelight had told Paper stories about her sister Rundown when he was a child. Tales of foolhardy dares, reckless attacks on rival packs, and frequent trips to their mother abounded; that she would be so intent on becoming their squad leader, and beating Undertaker when their Pack Leader died and the next challenge arrived, fit perfectly with what Paper had heard about her.
Miragelight’s intention behind giving him the book wasn’t entirely clear to him as he lay on a dry patch of sand, staring at the pages. Still, this was only the first entry, of what were probably many- he would find the answer soon enough. Turning the page, he yawned, a strange sense of exhaustion covering him like a blanket.
To be fair, he had been walking around a lot recently, and a lot of his nights had been spent with relatively little sleep. Maybe a brief nap would do him some good, if only so he could help out with reconstruction more effectively later. With a sigh, he closed the book, and rested his head on his paws.
Sleep...
[font=trebuchet ms]Good.
Paper woke up in an expanse of nothingness.
Hastily reaching out to find a foothold, he found to his dismay that there was none- he was floating, at the mercy of whatever substance he was floating in. ”Hey, what is this?!” he snarled, whipping his head around in search of anyone or anything he could demand answers from.
I’m right here.
Lifting his head, he could see a falcon floating directly above him, its wings spread wide. ”Who are you?” he growled, lashing his tail.
The falcon flickered in a flash of crimson mist, then returned to normal- with a pink-and-purple-striped icosahedron gem embedded in its chest. In spite of himself, Paper gasped. ”The ruby... how did you-”
My name is Rubydelusions. I am the spirit within this ruby, the falcon spoke, its deep baritone vibrating through the abyss. Papercutter. Why did you leave me to die?
Paper gaped at the falcon. ”I had no idea that there was an actual person inside that thing,” he said defensively, narrowing his eyes. ”How could I have? You never saw a reason to do this before.”
The falcon chuckled. Perhaps. Even so, you knew there was hidden power within the gem. Narrowing scarlet eyes honed in on him. You are, if nothing else, a fool for giving that up.
What was with this world and its constant repetition of messages that it knew he wouldn’t listen to? ”Look, you’re not the only magical artifact out here,” Paper said, with a shake of his head. ”It’s a much bigger deal to almost lose a crewmate than it is to pass up one of many chances at power.”
Raising its brows, the falcon nodded. Curious. Were this a test of loyalty, you would certainly have passed, it said, but for someone whose goal is to get stronger, you’re remarkably casual about it. Before he could retort, the falcon teleported to a few feet away, remaining in the spread-eagled position.
Perhaps, though, I can offer you a head start.
Paper raised a brow. He had a feeling this was going to involve some sort of deal, but what was he about to be asked to give up? ”Keep talking,” he said, flicking his good ear.
In the blink of an eye, the falcon exploded in a shower of amethyst prisms. Paper recoiled at the sudden flash, only to feel a paw on his back. Turning his head, he came face to face with Daphne- Daphne? he thought- staring him right in the eyes. Out of the bengal’s mouth slithered Valentin, her eyes flickering violet as she reared up to strike.
Paper swung a paw at the snake, the impact causing the other two to shatter in a fountain of glass. An interesting show, hmm? he heard the falcon echo behind him. Not real, of course- but it fooled you, if only just for a moment.
Narrowing his eyes, he turned to face the falcon. ”Hallucinations?” he asked, tilting his head. ”You can do this to others at will?”
Precisely. The falcon smirked, a wide split across its beak that elicited a shudder from Paper. I may still be willing to grant this same power to you... perhaps even more, if you prove yourself worthy.
Paper’s eyes widened. The thought of entrapping a foe in their own fears and failures... it was tempting. Yet, there was one more thing he had to ensure.
”What’s the catch?” Fixing his gaze on the falcon, he frowned. ”And if you tell me ‘nothing,’ or something vague, the deal is off.”
Another chuckle escaped the falcon’s beak. Clever boy. You’re correct- there is a catch. Fear not, you’ll have ample time to think about it before you accept. Its eyes lifted to the skies above- in so much as there were skies, or even an “above,” in the abyss. It’s a life for a life. Out of ignorance, you permitted me to be washed out to sea, to be drowned in darkness. If you desire my help, I wish for you to make things right.
When the time comes for you to die, your body will survive- but I will be the one in control of it from then on. Your life will become mine.
Before Paper could respond, the abyss began to crumble around him, the darkness giving way to blinding light on all sides. Shapes and colors flashed across his vision relentlessly, and through the static growing in his left ear, he could hear one last statement from the falcon- from Rubydelusions.
Return to the Crystal Caves. You will know what you are looking for once you see it.
[font=trebuchet ms]He woke up on solid ground again, sand clinging to his fur. Groaning, he got to his feet and shook himself, removing the last few grains. The sun was still up, so he must not have slept that long.
He had been offered power again, this time at the price of having to eventually give up his body. Admittedly, that wasn’t a bad deal, so long as he lived for a reasonable amount of time after that- and so long as he could secure one other condition, one that he thought was reasonable enough. The thing he’d always heard about making deals with the proverbial devil was that it had to abide by the terms set out, but you had to be careful to read and adjust the fine print before you signed the bottom line.
With a nod, he put the book in his bag, and headed over to the Crystal Caves. Upon arriving at the entrance, he could see the slickness of the stone floors, so he entered with caution. As he traversed the darkness, he kept an eye out for anything that seemed out of place.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a minecart tipped over on its side, its metallic surfaces tarnished by rust and brine. Detritus spilled out of its interior, forming a chaotic whirlpool across the ground.
In the center of that whirlpool lay the ruby, its violet glow flickering in apparent excitement as he approached. ”As I thought. You’re the devil, alright,” Paper muttered, bemused. Sure, it was theoretically possible that the ruby had been swept back in here by random chance, but practically? There was no way.
Take it.
”Hold on.” Staring directly at the gem, he narrowed his eyes. ”I’ve got one more condition I want to add to the deal.”
At its silence, he proceeded, ”You can take over my body when I die. But the moment you start trying to hurt the Typhoon or any of its members, the deal is off, and you leave my body and never return.”
Rubydelusions did not speak at first, its silence deafening in Paper’s ear. If this was a deal-breaker for the ruby, then so be it. He may not have been the sharpest spine on the cactus, but he wasn’t fool enough to throw everyone’s lives away.
...Deal.
With a smirk, Paper took the ruby. Finding the string attached to it, he hung it around his neck. The ruby’s flickering light dimmed down to a soft glow, just as it had when he found it the first time. With that, he returned to the entrance of the cave, passing by a large feline sitting in the shade.
Show them something, why don’t you.
After thinking for a moment, Paper reached out to the feline’s mind and attempted to cast an image of a butterfly, basking in the sun a few feet away. The feline stared at the spot where Paper had intended to make the butterfly appear, and cautiously approached it. Blinking, Paper dismissed the illusion, watching the feline stare incredulously at the now-empty patch of sand.
”It works,” he mouthed to himself, removing the now-brightly glowing ruby from around his neck and shoving it in his satchel. With that, he briskly left the cave, headed over towards the Tempest.
Rubydelusions had kept up its end of the deal- he could indeed cast illusions now- but now his fate was sealed. He had to be careful from now on; even if his life seemed a relatively small loss now that he knew Rubydelusions would not betray the Typhoon, he still wasn’t especially eager to have his body taken.
Even now, returning to the ship, he could still hear delighted laughter echoing in the back of his mind.
/tl;dr: Paper makes a deal with someone he probably shouldn’t have made a deal with, so now he has telepathic illusion powers
/he’s walking back to the Tempest now looking kind of nervous
/don’t feel the need to match muse
[font=trebuchet ms]some weirdo
