[Heart Game - Ed, Maya, Roxy]

[carptricks]

[It's dark. You're trying to move forward, but it feels like your limbs are weighed down by chains and shackles. Still, you push. You push and you pull and those chains are pulled taut and strained until suddenly--]

[Something snaps]

[You tumble forward, wind blowing past your face, until you lose awareness of anything around you. . .]

((another run ran concurrent to this one here))

Comments

[soulping]

✤ All powers are on, and you get to keep any items your character would have on them when they enter the heart. RULE OF FUNNY means that sometimes these powers + items won't work or will be interfered with in hilarious ways.

✤ Backtracking through areas is a-okay. Ain't nothin' stopping ya.

✤ You guys aren't running solo! So feel free to interact with each other.

✤ idk what else to say GO FORTH AND HAVE FUN ♥

THE THEATER

[soulping]

[The sound of deafening applause reverberates throughout the room]

[You open your eyes to find yourself sitting in a squishy, comfortable red theater seat. You're in the very front row, with dozens of other rows stretching behind you all the way into darkness. That area is pitch black, but in front of you. . .]

[A grand stage framed with Tiamat purple curtains is illuminated for all to see. It isn't empty, as Kaito is standing right in the center, staring at all of you in utter bewilderment]

. . .

Again?!

Re: THE THEATER

[fuhrinkaed]

Yep. Again... apparently.

You're not secretly an evil deep crow or whatever this time, right?

[MAGIC SIGHTING AS WELL FOR POSSIBLE MAGIC AURAS.]

Re: THE THEATER

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

...man, your luck is kinda terrible.

[feytality]

...Eh?

CITY HUB

[soulping]

[You're momentarily blinded by a flash of bright, white light as you step outside the door. When it fades away and your vision returns, you find yourself standing smack dab in the center of a bustling city. A. . . very strange city]

[Tall skyscrapers stretch towards the blue sky above, but vibrant green vines curl and cling to the sides of these buildings. Street lamps line the roadways, but their poles are made of warped and aged tree trunks instead of metal. Colorful jungle flora sprouts from the cracks in the sidewalks, and there's a noticeable lack of the scent of ozone and asphalt in the air. The entire city looks as though it is in the process of being reclaimed by the elements]

[. . . and yet, despite that, life moves on. Crowds of nondescript people with no unique characteristics hurry down the sidewalks. Some are talking on their cell phones, some carrying briefcases, and some skateboarding towards the nearest cafe. Cars cruise down the streets, though traffic is slow and congested. It suuuure is busy out here, and no one seems to notice or care about the plant-life at all]

[Most of the buildings you see are extremely general with no defining features whatsoever (other than the sturdy-looking vines that decorate their walls), but there are three that stand out spectacularly against the landscape: a casino to the northwest, a neighborhood house to the northeast, and a museum to the southwest. In addition to that, you spy some docks to the southeast. A large, majestic clocktower lies right in front of you, straight ahead. And then, of course, behind you is the theater you just exited from]

[The city is your oyster, and you unfortunately do not see any signs of the dark thief anywhere. So. . . where do you go?]

Re: CITY HUB

[fuhrinkaed]

[...Darn it! Okay so let's, try touching one of the nondescript people to see if they have some kind of mass.]

[And if they don't he's launching a mirror pulse to see if he can get a general direction of the thief, since you can't run from magic!! If they do, though,not much point. Getting the location of everyone in this city won't help in locating one thief. :\]

Re: CITY HUB

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[This is such a pretty city though! And so many people and wow, kind of creepy they're nondescript, but STILL. It's new and different and not just a memory. *_*]

[No, focus Roxy, FOCUS.]

All right....the clocktower is where they go, so probs not there if he's being all shy. Maybe.... [A house? Hide out at home?]

[To the Neighborhood house!]

Re: CITY HUB

[feytality]

[WHERE WOULD A THIEF GO????]

[TO THE CASINO]

THE DOCKS

[soulping]

Heave! Ho! Hoist the crates! Careful with the goods, they're fragile! ♥

[The docks are situated right next to a sparkling blue ocean. A wooden pier extends out into the water, and a single ship is moored right next to it. Those familiar with the dragon dorm will recognize it easily: it's Tiamat's boat. And for those not familiar with it, well, then the Tiamat purple flag that flies from the mast is pretty telling]

[There are a tooooon of wooden crates and barrels situated on the docks, and some featureless figures are loading the cargo onto the ship at the command of a not-so-featureless person. It's hard to tell who they are from this distance. . . but it sounds like a woman? A woman with a voice you don't recognize. Hmmmm]

[Other than the crates, you have easy access to the water from here! It looks so beautiful and sparkly. . . and there are ripples in it. Wait, ripples? Why is the water rippling???]

[From here, you can see the house, the museum, and the city hub. to your right, the docks eventually give way to a rocky, cove-like area that's probably free for exploration, too]

Re: THE DOCKS

[fuhrinkaed]

[That...is odd.]

[Well, step one is the lady.]

Ma'am! I'm looking for clock hands that a shady guy stole! Also hi my name is Ed!

Re: THE DOCKS

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Oooooh, Tiamat ship, but whose the lady?]

[Let's go say hi.]

Hello there~!

THE CASINO

[soulping]

[The outside of the casino is, naturally, bright and colorful. The walls are painted red and blue (although they're covered in vines, naturally), and multicolored Christmas tree lights are strung across the edges of the roof. A large, flashy sign hangs above the entrance, reading:]

CLOVER CASINO

[In white, illuminated letters. Cheery music drifts from the front door, almost hypnotizing to your ears. The more you listen, the more you think I should stick around and play for a little bit, it'll be fun, just for a few minutes, right? Right?]

[. . .]

[Wait, are your eyes playing tricks on you, or did you just see a dark figure slip into the casino from one of the side windows?]

[From here, you can enter the building, go to the museum, or head back to the city hub.]

Re: CASINO

[fuhrinkaed]

[!!!]

[Following him through the side window.]

Re: THE CASINO

[feytality]

[JUMPS IN THROUGH THE WINDOW]

THE HOUSE

[soulping]

[The house you approach is surrounded by a wooden fence with a gate, and there are even some plants growing around the front door. Rose bushes, mostly. As with the other buildings, there are vines creeping up the sides. But other than that, it is a completely, totally, and utterly normal house]

[Except for one thing]

[It doesn't have a front door. It does, however, have a welcome mat where the front door would be]

[From here, you can access the docks and the city hub. Or you can look around a bit more]

Re: THE HOUSE

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Huh, that is odd.]

[Let us investigate the welcome mat!]

THE ISLAND

[soulping]

[You step outside onto an island-- and island is covered in a lush tropical jungle. A very odd jungle, because a blanket of white snow layers the entire area. The cold nips harshly at your nose and ears. A gust of wind caresses your cheek like a hand, sending a series of shivers down your spine. You think you can hear a voice, a soft voice, a feminine voice, giggle and whisper a breathy welcome in your ear]

[Everything is so eerily silent and stagnant. You feel uneasy. You feel alone]

[You are not safe here]

[A path of footprints in the snow leads further into the jungle]

Re: THE ISLAND

[fuhrinkaed]

[...]

Nyssa, if you're here just come on out already.

[Walking on into the jungle, holding the cape bandage over his wound.]

THE MORGUE

[soulping]

[You step into the cabin only to be greeted by a much welcomed gust of warmth that thaws out your frozen extremities. Maybe you're so focused on this blessed reprieve that it distracts you from the fact that you just stepped into a morgue]

[. . . it's a cozy morgue, at least! The walls are made of brick and the floor of wood paneling. A light hanging from the ceiling casts a dim glow on the area, and there's a small kitchen table with a vase of lilies and a monocle on top of it located to your left. There are a couple of wooden crates stacked up against the wall next to the table, too. There's even a fireplace to your right, which is currently nursing a blazing flame. It looks like someone might live here?]

[But despite the cozy accommodations, you feel a sense of solemn reverence curl in the pit of your stomach. The back wall is definitely lined with stainless steel body drawers, after all, each one labeled with a different name. You'd have to look closer to see what those names are, though]

[There's a small trap door underneath the kitchen table, should you be perceptive enough to notice it. There's also a large vault door locked with onyx chains here.]

[soulping]

[. . . Ed wakes up sprawled out on a mat on the floor, a blanket cover his body. his wounds have been properly bandaged, though Kaito wasn't able to do much for the blood staining his clothing]

THE CLOCKTOWER

[soulping]

[You're standing on top of of the large clocktower in the center of the city. Its the very same one you saw when you first entered the heart. It's night out now, and the sky above is clear, which affords you a beautiful view of the stars twinkling in the sky. The moon hangs on the horizon, bright and full, casting a dim light on every building below. You can see everything from here, every building in the city along with a snowy-looking island waaaay out in the ocean]

[You can feel the vibrations of the clock ticking underneath your feet-- tick tock tick tock tick tock-- but the rhythm makes it feel more like the pulsating of a heart than anything else. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.]

[Kaito stands on the edge of the rooftop, his toes hanging over the side. He's now wearing a cozy looking Tiamat scarf as he stares off into the distance, a small smile playing upon his features]

[. . . from here, everything in the city, every problem, every issue, every frustration, seems oh-so small.]

Re: THE CLOCKTOWER

[fuhrinkaed]

[He flips one clocktower hand in his hand, catching it after a half-flip and then a second.]

Delivery. I just put these on the front, right?

THE LAIR

[soulping]

[You wander away from the docks towards the rocky area. The weather seems to get warmer and more inviting as you go. The sun is pleasant, the water is pleasant. . . why would you ever want to go anywhere else but here?

[As you get closer, you notice that there's a rather large cave cut into the rocks. A low, rumbling noise comes from within. Investigate?]

Re: THE LAIR

[thevoidsdarkhorse]

[Rumbling noise, huh? Yeah, let's go check it out.]

THE MUSEUM

[soulping]

[The museum is made of white brick, and its is entrance flanked with tall ionic columns. As with all buildings in this city, vines weave around the columns and the sides of the building. Huge banners hang from the museum's rooftop. One reads "LIVE SHOWING FOR TODAY ONLY: THE GREATEST MAGICIAN WHO EVER LIVED!" The other reads "SPECIAL DRAGON EGG EXHIBITION, FROM THE DRACONIAN COLLECTION. LIMITED TIME ONLY!"]

[A series of steps lead to the museum's entrance. It's locked with a sterling silver padlock and a series of chains woven around the door. No amount of jiggling will open this, that's for certain]

[From here, you can access the casino, the docks, or the city hub.]

[. . . or, wait. Is that a small concrete building hanging off a little to the right, partially obscured by the vast museum itself? It's difficult to tell what that building might be from here]

[soulping]

[it should be noted that the silver lock on the front door of the museum has been removed! FREE ENTRY FOR THOSE WHO ARRIVE]