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Takesh

(( OOC: Ah, questions questions! ^^.
@Fieryfly: We will not be in our Psyche-Forms yet because we haven't unlocked our Psyche-Locks yet. The Psyche-Locks didn't break after we "altered" the past, the only thing we accomplished was that we gained the trait to see the Psyche-Locks. Once everyone is done with their pasts, we can move on to breaking the Psyche-Locks.

Good you posted Befram ^^. I understand that you couldn't include all of us in your post, it's all right.

@Moratorium & all: It really is something quite extraordinary ^^. You are all dedicated and I appreciate it. Thanks to you this RP has evolved more than I could've ever imagined!
On a side note, the more is revealed about Jack's past, the more shocked I become. In a good way of course ^^. ))

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lokuri

((OOC: Moratorium, my name is Lokuri, not Iokuri. I forgot to make the "l" a capital letter.
Okay, the first "dream within a dream" was written when I was in a poetic mood. xD The rest of the post started off the top of my head, but then I started listening to this one song over and over again, and...a LOT of twists happened.
This was the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_U6i...eature=related ))


What was happening to her? Standing next to her, already dwelling in the realm of the past that Joachim lured them into, was Jansen's motionless body that stiffened to the point where he didn't budge an inch. He was still near her, the distance between them still the intolerable space that should have sent her head on an aggressive roller coaster ride. Oddly, Natalie's mind was a tranquil abyss that felt as if part of her was residing within it, while the other half was still in the present. Why hadn't she collapsed from the overwhelming flood of memories like everyone else? Ethan had succumbed as well, waves like those gathered around a grill on a hot day encircling him. Was that the effect of lingering in one's past? What about Liam? She too didn't put up a fight, unable to resist the temptation that Joachim left before them. A numbing sensation was threatening to take her away, just like the others, but...could she leave Lia? If she spirited away into a world that could overlap this one, would Lia...would she disappear?

"Natalie...please, d-don't worry...about me. I'll...wait for you, so p-please...promise...promise that y-you won't...f-forget, and...when we meet again, you'll...be stronger, and...stop Joachim! Promise...and I'll...I'll h-help you...keep everyone's hearts a-away from...Joachim! We...won't lose, o-okay?"

"Promise? ...Promise...I...pr-prom...ise..."


************ Revisiting the Past ************


*** The Terrors of Birth ***

Wordless notes beckoned to all that were near, a ceaseless wail struggling to communicate in some way with the world. However, a miniscule throat organized the measly composition, so no one understood what truly wanted to be said. All they could offer to such gibberish were frightening smiles that held no attachment to the one sobbing in denial. This wasn't what she wanted, but no matter how much she flailed her tiny fists in disproval, the painted masks continued to hover above her, their chilling fingers holding no comfort. Even when her frosty blue orbs widened and shrunk in an attempt to blink away the scary strangers, they kept pouring into the room of white, gapping and pointing at her. Someone, please...but how do you beg for a friendly hand to reach out to you when you cannot speak with your mouth? Then, with all her will and all her heart, the small being would call for a companion that could share her feelings of lonliness.

"You must be Natalie. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Natalie settled within her mother's arms, but her attention was aimed at the corner to her far left. Waving in utter delight to be seen by such woeful eyes was a young lad of twelve. He stood around four feet, with yellow snow boots made from a slippery substance providing little assistance to his height. Light gray, padded pants could barely be seen underneath an oversized, dark gray jacket that puffed out and made him look rounder than he truly was. It was clear that he was quite skinny, for the half buttoned jacket revealed a yellow shirt over a thin stomach, as if he hadn't eaten for quite some time. Concealing most of his face was a large hood in faux fur that resembled that of a wolf. At first, he would have seemed a tad suspicious, lurking in the corner like a creeper hunting his prey, but as he wobbled over -- there was a lot hindering his ability to walk -- his hood tumbled backwards a bit. Heneydew irises of a light quality similar to Natalie's eyes gazed down at her, filled with a wamth that any shade of green could provide. His locks of brown tousled in every direction gave him a wild apparance, only tamed by his almond shaped eyes. Why was it that despite how rough and patched up he appeared, Natalie found herself soothed by his reassuring eyes? Was this the form of communication she had been longing for?

"I am Raphael. Please allow me to protect you from all that may cause you harm. In exchange, let us promise to meet another time in the age of new beginnings. I shall once again be reborn, and you shall encounter those who shant exist. Do not submit to the fear of what may not be understood by those who cannot transcend realities like you and I. If you do, you may lose sight of...important friends."

*** A Familiar Time and Place ***

Tears swelled from Natalie's eyes, trickling across her face as they split into narrow trails of liquid. How could she have forgotten such a special memory? Granted, her mind sealed them in the back of her head as more memories rushed inside to fill any vacancy, just like the minds of many others. Still, it marked an important moment in her life, a time when someone could read her heart as if it were right in front of their eyes. The question that lingered in her head, though, was why no one else took notice of him? Amongst the crowd of noisy souls, only Raphael stepped forward with such a peculiar aura that he could have easily drawn the eyes of the most uncaring beings upon him. His words were just as strange, spoken in a cryptic manner as if she was suppose to comprehend it once her mind could process it. Sadly, even as everything he said played in her head in a loop, Natalie could only gather that he had been waiting for her, and that they would encounter one another later in life. When would that be, though? Soon, or in the distant future? He also mentioned protection, but what--

"Ah- auouch!"

Moaning at her clumsiness, Natalie whacked at the soft sheets of white, only to find herself ensnarled by a brown comforter with patterns of white flowers dotting its surface. Pausing for a second, her hands brought the material closer so that she could examine it, a unique shade compared to all the white hindering her. That's when she recalled the fustrating chains around her,which she tried to kick her way through. Amazingly, the process took more effort than usual to remove what was the result of all the tossing she did in her sleep. How the sheets managed to wrap around one of her legs like a snake and threaten to suffocate her was beyond Natalie, but it proved to be a good exercise that woke her up in the morning. The only problem this time was the fact that it was early morning, so early that not a single ray of light besides the moon and stars lit up the sky. In other words, she would have to crawl back into her bed and...

"My...bed? This is...my bed! So that's why...my comforter...! I'm not...I'm no longer in 'Happy Home'! Timothy! Julie! I can...I can see them again! After being away for so long, not seeing their faces...so long, and yet...I've missed them so much! I can...be by their sides! Not just in mind, but right next to them! Timothy, Julie...and I can tell them about Liam and--"

Suddenly, it dawned on her as to where she was exactly, given by how her hands were now that of a tween's. Glancing passed the maroon curtains that wavered against the night air, Natalie stumbled over to her wooden dresser, which was a lot wider than the end table holding up a decorative lamp next to her twin sized bed. There wasn't much on top, since its main purpose was to keep her clothes neatly folded within its three, wide compartments. The top held her shirts and under garments, while the other two held pants and night clothes. Since there wasn't much money supporting their family, Natalie held objects of importance scattered within all of the drawers, one of which happened to be a mirror. The reason the mirror was important to Natalie was the angelic design of its frame, from the cozy clouds supporting the mirror when placed on a steady surface to the beautiful angel resting on top. Just looking at the loving smile upon its lips, followed by its brilliant eyes that shined brighter than Natalie's eyes made her treasure the token even more. After all, it was a gift from Timothy that she couldn't take with her because it could be used as a weapon. Not that she would have shattered something so precious just to harm herself--

"Ah, focus! If what shouldn't have happened...happened, then...I didn't return home. I returned...to..."

Grasping the mirror at an angle that reflected her face, Natalie peered down at it. Her curly locks formed fine spirals that were parted down the far left of her forehead, causing her bangs to cascade away from her left eye and nearly hide her right eye. It was a popular hairstyle for both genders, but more in favor of girls. Of course, the way her curls looped tightly amongst each other instead of the loose waves common of most girls made it difficult to pull off. Luckily, her face was oval shaped, making even the craziest of hairstyles work. The main problem of her features, though, was her tanned skin, shockingly darker than she remembered. Was it summertime? Compared to her skin complexion, Natalie's eyes were pale, so pale she really could have passed as blind if someone saw a picture of her. She even stepped back in surprise, but not because of subtle changes. No, Natalie was taken aback at how much younger she looked. Two years younger, to be exact. Shakily taken her eyes off of what was revealed in the mirror, Natalie noticed that she was wearing a white nightgown, an eerie reminder of what brought her back to her past.

"I...I'm i-in...the past! This is...no, this shouldn't -- no, it should! I'll still...I'll go back to 'Happy Home' -- especially if I help them! I won't...I won't run away this time! I'll be...stronger, so that I can help Ethan, and...Liam, and...Lia! And...I still need to know...about Jansen...and Basil, too. That's why...I'm here, ...right? I won't...I won't give in to Mi -- Joachim! But...how can...I...prove myself?"

While Natalie pondered over matters out of her hands, something rustled within the room, startling her for a second. Turning her head, a familiar sight nearly made her run across the room in utter happiness, but she prevented herself from doing so. Instead, she crept over to her sleeping brother, his face even more child-like than her sleeping sibling cuddling in his arms. Just like Natalie, Julie had nightmares at times, at which she would sneak from the matching set to Natalie's bed over to the queen sized bed given to Timothy. It was a birthday present as well as a comfortable adjustment to the small bed that now belonged to Julie. Timothy often complained that it took up too much space, but it allowed Julie and Natalie to sleep under protected arms. Of course, being the middle child meant that Julie deserved more compassion than Natalie, which was one of the reasons why she tried her best to not speak of the spirits that visited her. Could that have been another reason why Natalie felt she had to be independent, to not bring harm to those above and below her? That also was the reason she felt so weak, unable to tug those who were dear to her close enough to keep them from harm.

"I...was afraid...to return, but...I'm glad. I'm not afraid now. I know you'll keep Julie safe, Timothy. I'll do my best, too. I won't run away!"

Growls alerted that Natalie that something devilish was lurking somewhere nearby, but it didn't shock her. This had happened before, but she had been unprepared then. Raising from her crouched position, Natalie spun around to face a nearly transparent wolf, its bluish white fur ruffling in an unsettling wind. One of its large paws were tearing into the surface of her mattress, an assault that should have harmed her. Would he reveal himself soon? Shaking her head, Natalie kept her eyes locked on the menacing wolf, patches of darkness ever so faint that they were hardly noticeable were left wherever it stepped. Soon, its piercing, white flames for eyes targeted Natalie, at which she sprinted at it. If it got too close, it would slash its way to Julie and Timothy, something that was unforgiveable to her. Still, how would she fight it? Without thinking, she gripped at its side, hugging the wolf with all her strength. Snarling told Natalie that the wolf wasn't one to be tempted by acts of compassion, but she wouldn't give up. That's when she felt herself lunging forward, hurdling into the mattress.

"N-Natalie? Wh-what's...wrong? Ah, you're...b-bleed...ing..."

Glancing up at Julie's tear-stained face, Natalie tried her best by calming her by raising a finger to her lips and patting her on the head. Unfortunately, the split second that she ignored the wolf was enough for it to pounce on her, knocking the wind out of her. Julie's dark brown eyes became those of an owl's, curious at what was causing blood to seep from Natalie's stomach, as well as what left its marks on her arms. Her left arm had bite marks, while her right arm held several scratches that formed purplish blue bruises around the areas where her skin had been shredded off. How it hurt, but nothing was more painful than the expression on Julie's face. Everytime she had encountered a spirit -- be they genuinely kind or impeccably cruel -- they had disappeared the moment Julie or Timothy tried to view the situation with their own eyes. Did she already change the past so much? Again, it charged at her, making it difficult to even kneel without getting dizzy.

"W-weak...why am I...so...weak?!"

"Because you are still blind! Awaken and see the world as it is!"

"R-Raphael! I'm...sorry--"

"Natalie, who are you talking too?"

"You have those who you wish to protect, correct? Then, escape this illusion and return to where you belong!"

"H-how?!"

"Natalie..."

"If you have to ask, you may never see those dear to you again."

"I do, but...Julie, Timothy, I..."

"...Don't leave us...again..."

"I can't lea -- ...again? How do you know...I left?"

"You still have yet to realize it, have you? Timothy and Julie are--"

Raphael was yanked to the ground, his sentence left unfinished. Gasping in surprise, Natalie stared at Timothy with glossy eyes, a sharp sting bringing forth foaming liquids. He had sprung from his bed, a false state of sleep having had made Natalie unaware of him until he had forced Raphael onto the ground. Why was he being so violent? No, more importantly, how could he...how was he able to even touch or be remotely aware of Raphael's presence? Why...why did her heart feel as if it was sinking, drifting into a frigid void depleted of the joyful atmosphere that had supported it until now? Was it all...a lie? Fingers devoid of warmth clung to her, belonging to her beloved sister. Her too? Biting her lip, Natalie lowered her head upon her knees, trying to stop the tears, but...they kept coming, dripping in a relentless downpour upon her skin. Everything...made sense, but it only hurt her more by knowing the truth.

"...That's right. Timothy and Julie...are dead."

"Nat...you don't have to remember! We can...still be together, just the three of us. You don't have to go back--"

"It isn't fair! Timothy...you were delivering newspapers--"

"I can still protect you, Nat!"

"--it was winter, but you still had to work--"

"Just forget it!"

"--you went missing, so I went looking for you--"

"I told you! We'll always be together!"

"--while I was searching, I met Raphael--"

"Forever!"

"--he told me where to look, but it was too late--"

"I don't wanna leave you!"

"--You were dead, but I wouldn't listen! I brought you back, and--"

"Please...stop..."

"--Julie was with you. The both of you...froze to death, exactly where Raphael died. I cherished both of you, so I...ran away, and kept running...and running...but I can't run anymore! I won't be lonely, so please...let's all move on."

"You've...changed a lot, Nat. We all said we'd do everything together, but...I'm happy...you've become so strong! Don't lose sight of this path you've chosen, okay?"

"Natalie, we'll still be together, right? You'll still think about us, right? I'll...miss you...a lot!"

"I'll miss you too, Julie, but I can't hold on to the past. When it is my turn to die, I promise I'll come running for you again, and you too, Timothy. Until then, I won't forget either of you, and I'll remember to never hesitate again!"

"Congratulations, Natalie! You've escaped the webs of your past. Oh, and I apologize for the Guardian attacking you. He only wanted to free their souls, and he saw you as a threat. I should have kept a better eye on him, ha ha. Now, we have to part ways. Please guard your important friends with your new strength. You'll face much harsher challanges from now on."


************ Returning to the Present ************


Another voice had beckoned to her, following right after Raphael finished his farewell speech to her. After existing within a vivid scenerio that had stolen her reality for what felt like an eternity, hearing Jansen's voice sounded like a far off dream. She had to regain her senses for a bit, but she heard everything he said. Should she stand back like before? What did that accomplished? Then again, when she tried to assault the Guardian in her past, she ended up...injured? Tracing the spots where her wounds used to be, Natalie discovered that nothing was there. Was it because it was a different "world", a dimension isolated from the reality she now was in? So much was unanswered, but there was something else that was bothering her as she looked towards Joachim and crew with renewed eyes.

"Hey, Jansen...are those the locks you and Ethan can see?"

"Natalie? You're...back! Welcome back!"

"Lia...Yeah, I'm back! Nothing changed, thank goodness. Ah, except...Joachim."


((OOC: EPIC POST!~ Phew, it took me long enough to write, though. Enjoy! I doubt it can beat the twist in Moratorium's post, but I hope you find/found it interesting.
EDIT: Since my post is very long, I'll summarize what happened. The first part is a dream of when Natalie was an infant. Obviously, she was terrified of all the family members and what-not hovering over her, like any baby (well, in my opinion, anyway). That's when she met Raphael, who somehow sensed Natalie's presense.
Flash forward to twelve year old Natalie, who basically observes her room and remembers that she isn't in "Happy Home". That's when she spots Timothy and Julie, resulting in a wolf spirit to show up. Originally, Natalie was suppose to be attacked while she slept (see History), but this time she tried to counter the attack...and failed. xD The wolf spirit turned out to be a Guardian who takes souls trapped on Earth and lead them to Heaven or Hell. Raphael, who couldn't move on until he helped the Guardian (Timothy and Julie died where Raphael had died, thus making him a middle man of sorts), tries to get Natalie to remember the deaths of her siblings and thus everyone "moves on".
Also, Natalie was sent to "Happy Home" because she claimed to see Timothy and Julie. The wounds she got from spirits that were drawn to her contributed to her going to "Happy Home" as well. I'll update my History...later. xD ))

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Fieryfly

Revisiting the past

‘Liam, Liam, wake up!’

Slowly Liam opened her eyes and found herself looking in the happy face of a young girl with black hair. Her eyes widened and she sat up straight immediately before hugging the girl.

‘Mana! I’m so glad to see you! I thought I would never see you again…’ Her voice trailed off.

Slowly the other girl released herself from Liam grip and looked confused to her. ‘Did you have a nightmare or something? Anyway,’ her grey eyes lit up, ‘you have to get up, we are going to the lake remember?’ She jumped up, laughed and then ran away from Liam’s room, leaving a afraid Lima behind. This was the day she had to lose it all again? No… she was sure that she couldn’t live through that again. But what if she prevailed it?

Breakfast was like breakfast had always been when everything was still good. Dad read the morning paper while she and Mana ate their slices of bread with cheese. Her mother was already up and was making the lunch for at the lake. Liam casted a glance to Mana. They didn’t really look alike very much even though they were twins. Mana had the dark hair from her father which flowed down over her shoulders and next to her face where it was tied up with two red ribbons, while Liam had the strange brown color from her mother (Mana always said that she was jealous of that). They both had the green eyes from their father. Liam always thought that Mana was the beautiful one, the one on normal length, not small like her, but Mana always disagreed. ‘You have something only you have and I have something only I have. That makes us both special.’ She used to say when Liam said something like that again.

Quietly Liam moved in her chair, her eyes fixed on her bread which she hadn’t touched. ‘I don’t want to go.’

The rest of the people stopped moving. Mana stared to her. ‘He? Why not, yesterday you loved the idea? Aren’t we going to swim and I would teach you how to dive and we would make a castle of sand.’

‘I don’t want to go.’ Liam repeated.

‘Honey are you feeling alright?’ This time it was her mother who came standing next to her. Her cold hand moved through Liam’s hair and rested on her forehead. ‘You don’t feel warm or anything.’

Ill, that was an idea. Maybe if she pretended to be ill, they wouldn’t go and nothing would happen and they would live happily ever after. Natalie… Suddenly a pain of guild hit her when she remember her friend (that word sounded so good) in the Happy Home. Could she just forget her?

‘Liam? He, earth to Liam!’

She blinked. Mana laughed and continued eating while her mother stocked her again over her head.

‘Pay attention Liam, we are talking about you here.’ She said smiling slightly.

‘I’m sorry,’ Liam muttered.

----

Twenty minutes later they were in the car. Nothing what Liam had said had changed anything. She wasn’t sick so she couldn’t really pretend to be sick and there was nothing else that could stop her family from going to the lake.

‘You are going to love it, Liam.’ Her mother said before closing her door. Liam only stared with eyes that saw nothing but the thing that were going to happen to the back of her father seat. She didn’t want this. But wait, there was still a chance that they wouldn’t be hit by the car. If she just didn’t argue with Mana than nothing would happen. She promised herself to be quiet the whole way. Soon she found out that this was pretty hard, because Mana talked about anything and everything and Liam wanted to talk to her so badly, she had missed her so much. But she didn’t. Eventually Mana gave up and turned her attention to her father. Her mother was sleeping. Liam stared outside until she got sight of the faithful crossroad. Finally she spoke:

‘Dad, there is a car coming from the right.’ The car couldn’t be seen yet, but Liam knew it was there.

‘Hm? I don’t see a car Liam, where is it?’

‘Just watch out.’

‘Sure don’t be afraid of that.’

Almost there now the car would appear from the right and – Why did Mana just kept on distracting her father? Didn’t she know that this was her death if she didn’t watch out. Of course she doesn’t.. Liam cursed herself. How could she.

‘Ne, dad, is there really a monster in the lake?’

Liam’s father turned slightly so that he could face Mana for a moment.

No! ‘Dad, watch out!’ Liam shouted suddenly making her father’s head yank towards her before it turned back to the road. Just in time he saw the red car from the right, just as Liam had said before. He frowned, but hadn’t time to think about it. He yanked the wheel to the left, the car spun around itself but nothing could prevail the red car from bumping slightly into theirs. Liam felt the shock of the impact resonate through her body and her eyes shot to Mana. Then suddenly the whole car turned and everything turned black. (They ended up in a ditch)

--

When she woke up again everything was white. The hospital. Liam immediately realized. Suddenly she yanked up and looked around. Mana wasn’t here. She couldn’t be… No, this time the impact had been less worse so she wasn’t… was she?

A doctor entered, dressed in white as usual, and he smiled when he saw her awake. ‘Good morning,’ he said with a warm voice. ‘How do you feel?’ But Liam didn’t care how she felt, she wanted to know if Mana… if Mana was alright.

‘Where is my sister? ‘ She asked urgently. ‘How is my sister doing?’

She saw the doctor’s pained face and knew that she again had failed to protect her, again she had failed, again, again, again. ‘She is… sleeping.’ The doctor replied hesitating.

‘Shut up!’ Liam shouted, tears streaming over her face. ‘Don’t lie! She is dead. Dead again. Again!’ She wanted to get up, but the doctor pushed her down. In blind fury she yanked her arm up and smashed against the right side of the doctor’s face, but still he didn’t let go. Her hand stung from the hit, but she lifted it again and hit the doctor on his arm this time. He shouted something, but the words didn’t reach her ears properly. Suddenly there was a small sting and then everything turned black again.
--

Name: Linford, Liam.
Parents: None alive. Mother died of depression, her father committed suicide.
Siblings: None alive. Sister, died in a car accident
Reason for accepting in Happy Home: Depression which takes form in no speaking or responding on anything we do.
Cause: Painful experiences in the past. A rapport from Doctor Roberson, her arts in the time she was hospitalized, states that she kept repeating that her sister had died again. Future predicting?
--
Present

Liam woke up, or at least it felt like waking up. She sat on the ground, her legs next to her and drops of water before her. She realized that she was crying, but didn’t swipe the tears away. She hadn’t been able to prevail that Mana died, but suddenly she realized something. It wasn’t her fault, at least not completely. Her father had always blamed himself, that was why he had committed suicide. Could she have done something else to prevent both things? Slowly she looked up. She was still here, in the same room with the same people. Her vision was blurred and she blinked to get the tears out of her eyes then she looked to Natalie. She frowned. There were strange things floating around her. She shivered and wanted to get up, but her legs were too weak to stand up alone, yet her voice could carry her to Natalie no matter what.

‘Natalie? Could you… maybe help me for a second?’ Her voice was shaky, but clear. She wanted to get up and stand next to Natalie. ‘I.. I can’t really get up.’

((So ehm not as epic as Lokuri or Moratorium’s posts, but it will do. Tomorrow I’m leaving for my summer vacation. I’ll be away for two weeks probably without any internet possibilities. ))

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Takesh

(( OOC: In no way am I ignoring you Befram by posting ^^. By posting I'm giving you more material to post about if you're having difficulties. Anyway, let's move on ^^.

Ah, and Ethan is the last one who came back from his past just to let you know. ))

Seeing as Ethan was the last one who arrived, Joachim was more than pleased of everyone's efforts. He observed as each and every one of them, one by one, left this existence to join one from their pasts. Joachim knew that what he had said was a lie, there was no way they could change their past. It was simply not possible, however morphing one's future was something which was entirely possible. So, all of them hate their pasts. I can see it through their eyes.. hate, anguish, regret, depression.. such wonderful specimens, Joachim thought with a wide smile.

However Ethan was the only who seemed to change outside from his visit in the past. For what purpose or why, Joachim couldn't say. He hadn't seen it in Thomas before, the only change which occurred was in his grotesque appearance in the Psyche-Form. Ethan's left eye had became a mere blank, just like his right eye. Was he now blind? Ethan looked like he wasn't exactly sure where he was. It could be that the darkness that clouded the room was shrouding Ethan's vision, however that was only a guess.

"Ethan.. your left eye has become white too. I wonder what it means.. has your vision changed?", Joachim asked.
Ethan looked at Joachim and gasped, now he could see something hovering over Joachim which he hadn't seen before. The figure resembled Ethan himself, but something was different. It's hair was grayish and longer than Ethan's, plus it held a katana in it's hand. Also, the figure had a keyhole embedded in it's right eye. What the hell.. why.. is that supposed to be a Psyche-Lock?!, Ethan thought.

"It would appear that you haven't gone blind. How wonderful for you Ethan! Now you all most likely see my.. Psyche-Lock", Joachim kept a brief pause and then continued: "However my Psyche-Lock is different than yours. My Psyche-Lock has as many forms as there are humans on this planet, meaning that every human sees a different Psyche-Lock above me. From what I've gathered, the form resembles your own Psyche-Form! However that is a matter we do not need to delve into now. Now we must break your Psyche-Locks! My assistant shall do the deed, you only need to.. wait", a wide smile formed on Joachim's lips as he finished his speech.

Ethan's eyes expanded and he began looking for this "assistant" of Joachim's. No one was inside the room besides Joachim, Ethan, Natalie, Jansen, Basil and Liam. Who could possibly be the assistant? Is it the pale Reassurer Ethan had seen earlier, the one who took Katrina away?
Suddenly a blow was dealt to Ethan, yet it was not a physical blow. There was no pain and yet Ethan could feel it. What had happened? Then Ethan froze as he heard a *click*, a similar sound when a lock is opened. One by one, everyone experienced this "blow" and sound.

As if on instinct, Ethan turned into his Psyche-Form. His, and everyone else's, Psyche-Locks had just been broken by.. Thomas Bolgart. Thomas's disfigured appearance had only gone worse. Besides his bulky red arm, now a horn was growing out of the side of Thomas's head. It was a very sharp looking horn, one that could easily impale a human. The left side of Thomas's face was so deformed that it was impossible to make any facial traits out of it. His right face still beared the look of a human though. Blue eyes and some bits of brown hair caught Ethan's attention the most.

Ethan looked at himself and noticed that something was different. His body had changed, it felt stronger and faster than before. Somehow, Ethan felt a lot calmer now. Perhaps it was overconfidence? Ethan noticed how his hair had gone grayish and it was shoulder-length now. Also, something that Ethan himself couldn't see, was a light blue flame which was coming out of Ethan's right eye. Both his eyes were still white. He was holding onto a katana with his left hand, Ethan was left-handed so that's why.

"This.. is my Psyche-Form?", Ethan said out loud and quickly turned to face the others. However, the others couldn't see him, not yet. Only after they would turn into their Psyche-Forms would they see Ethan. Joachim was smiling as he noticed Ethan disappear from his vision. Ah, so Ethan was the first one, Joachim thought and waited for the others to go through with the same process. Thomas was patiently waiting by Joachim's side, although he did look quite eager.

"A-a-a-angel.."

(( OOC: Time to unleash your Psyche-Forms ^^.

Now here are some explanations & tips:
1) Joachim's Psyche-Lock is called an X-Lock. I chose X since it means infinite possibilities ^^(and that's what it basically is). I will explain more about the X-Locks once the time is right. For all you need to know now is that the X-Lock is the spitting image of your character's Psyche-Form. In order to break an X-Lock.. well, that's a long story which I won't reveal yet ^^.

2) You can't attack Joachim in your Psyche-Form, it's as if he's just a hologram for you. However you can attack the X-Lock, you'll be facing yourself then. Remember that if you fight the X-Lock, you're basically fighting something extremely strong. Fighting yourself is basically impossible since both opponents know each other's powers and weaknesses, however there are always ways around that ^^.. I'll leave that up to you. Also remember that there is a keyhole somewhere in the X-Lock opponent(with Ethan it's in the eye). Thomas is also an opponent, the fights will properly commence in my next post ^^.

3) Read over the Psyche-Form explanation in the opening post ^^. I'm sure you can't remember everything, even I had to check up on few things ^^. Especially with Mind Links, that's something I forgot.

4) I've finally completed all the chapters in Happy Home ^^(for the plot). Now I'll just have to see how many times I have to change things ^^. If someone wishes to know how many chapters there are, ask away.

5) The Psyche-Form works with instinct, you know everything about it but you don't know how to properly use everything yet. It's like driving a bike the first time ^^.

Okay, that's it I think. I'm looking forward to your posts everyone ^^. ))

__________________

Befram

(Sorry but I think I have to quit happy home. I just can't quite get the writing right and I got my own projects at the moment, one of which the I need to start getting done as the deadline is coming up. So sorry but I will take a break from any rp activities from now on. This was a really great rp anyway and hope you guys have fun^^.)

Takesh

(( OOC: I'm sad to hear that you're quitting Befram. Although I completely understand. I'm already neck deep in projects of sort.

Everyone else: Time to post! ^^. ))

__________________

Moratorium

((OOC: The reason why i switched the format to a script was because i found it to flow faster. And thank you everyone for your comment on my post. Also, Lokuri, very sorry about name. I should of noticed as because I've seen it in a previous post. But now, i'll remember for sure.

Also, this isn't done yet, but i'm planning to update it in chucks as the RP go. We can just move on to the next post, and if you are ever interested in Jack's backstory, you can just check this post every once in a while, and it will be updated. This way, the momentum of the RP does come to a halt.))

Jack Rabbit sat across from Katrina in the Reassurer’s lounge, a smoke barely dangling from his fingers. The woman didn’t speak, only stared. So Jack took a sip of water a nearby fountain and prepared himself. “What is loyalty?” Jack Rabbit spoke, as he took blew the smoke out. Thought it, he can clearly seen Katrina’s eyes flaring with a mixture of rage and fear, and her mouth moved slightly, wanting to cut in, but he didn’t let her. “What does it mean to be loyal?” he asked the question more to himself then for Katrina to answer. How long as he wandered back into this journey, he didn’t know, but he guessed it was time to do it again.

------------------
There a moments in a person’s life, where one will find themselves stare into the blank space beyond, and ask the question, “What now?” Such was the case for Jack when he stood before Gregory’s tombstone. There were no clues in sight of the murder, well, except one that made himself the suspect. So to take up time, he is now mourning for Gregory. He was not alone in the cemetery, as a woman was weeping beside him, but Jack didn’t gave a second thought about it. It’s Gregory’s personal business, and he was not much of a comforter. Besides, he’s here think, the next step. So after standing half an hour before the grave, Jack left the cemetery, a fresh lead in his head.

He hasn’t contacted majority of the family members, but the first name that ran to his head for help was Larry Bat. Larry Bat was a walking library. Most resourceful of the members, and is responsible to keep all kinds of records. Just like a bat, Larry lived in a isolated place, with minimum lighting, the one reason his eyesight got so horribly damaged. Jack and Larry wasn’t the best of friends, but Jack trusted him the most and is just hoping Larry thinks the same.

He knocked the plywood door of a house, which was sandwiched between a nuclear reactor, and a chemical production plant. Simply put, horrible locations for a house. It took a while for the chubby man to make his way to the door. Jack saw him look through the peephole, and a moment later, the door was open with a shrill creek.

Larry: Jack?
Jack: We need to talk.
Larry: Well I’m bored anyway, so coming in and find a seat yourself.

Larry stepped back from the door, and Jack squeezed through between his belly and the door frame.

Jack: Thanks for letting me in.
Larry: Why wouldn’t I?
Jack: Because of this.

Jack took out his blade, and showed it to Larry, he stared at it briefly and shrugged.

Larry: You mean it looked similar to the murder weapon?
Jack: I think that’s enough incentive for you to keep the door shut shouldn’t it.
Larry snorted, and shook his head.
Larry: I don’t think it’s you.
Jack: Why not?
Larry: Because of this.

Larry pulled from his pant pocket a knife which looked like a carbon copy of Jack’s. And flipped the blade out, waving it in front of Jack, as he grinned.

Jack: How did you…
Larry: This is the one from the murder scene. Which means, if you did kill pa, you wouldn’t be able to show me your knife. Of course, you could have just bought another one. However, if I know anything about you, it’s that you can’t part with your knife, it’s one of those quirks people have. There are other clues too. I understand I’m relying on faith a lot, but in a time like this, what can you rely on?

Larry walked past Jack Rabbit and toward the kitchen.

Larry: Now let’s stop scaring each other with the murder weapon and let me get you something to drink? Since I’m generous, your choice. Stale tea, or stale coffee.

Jack put his knife back, and took a seat on top of a book stack.

Jack: Whichever one doesn’t kill me.

Larry nodded, and poured the tea into a mug and brought it to Jack while taking a seat across from him. The back sank slightly under the weight, and whined as it is trying to hold.

Larry: I think you are here to ask me for help?
Jack: I guess so.
Larry: You know, over the years, you never helped me with anything, not even to buy me a hot dog during the Olympic Games.
Jack: Well, I think in your case, that’s a good thing.
Larry: So why should I help you?
Jack: I don’t know.
Larry: Wrong answer Jack, it’s because we are a family. I don’t know why people stopped using the word “family” after Pa died. It’s like taboo.
Jack: Maybe because everyone’s almost gone from here.
Larry: My mother’s in Germany right now, and you are telling me that we are not a family, just because she can’t be here with me?
Jack: No….

Larry attempted to stand up, but couldn’t, so he stayed seated. He sighed, either at his failure, or at Jacks’ reply.

Larry: I’ll help you, but that means I’m going to interrogate you a bit.
Jack: Great, I was expecting it to be sooner.
Larry: First of all, we all know one thing, and that’s the knife. So the question is, where did you get your knife Jack?

Jack stopped and thought, it seemed so long ago, he can’t recall, a time in his childhood.

Jack: A friend gave it to me when I was young.
Jack tries to piece the fragments together.
Jack: A gift bought….
Jack took out the blade and rotated it around, until he found the words inscribed deep in the handle, “Made in Thailand.”
Jack: …from Thailand.

Larry nodded thoughtfully, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He tried to stand up but failed once again.

Larry: Can you help me?
Jack nodded and pulled him up, it broke a bead sweat.
Larry: If that friend of yours is within the organization, then I’m sure his business travels will be recorded in a log somewhere. Let me get to my computer.

Larry wobbled to a room and Jack followed after him into his studies. With horrible ventilation, the room was filled with the smell of unwashed clothes. Larry took a seat behind a monitor, and pulled the keyboard up. He pulled up series of logs, and searched for “Thailand”. Several name came up. Jack scanned the names as he went down the year, and suddenly stopped.

Jack: It’s him.
Jack pointed to the monitor, at the name, “Mike van Dyke”.
Larry: He’s a gardener at Pa’s place, and senior almost the same age as Pa. He gave you the knife. What is the old guy doing giving you a knife? Shaving?

Jack stood up.

Jack: At first I thought it might be someone my own age, but yeah, now I’m sure of it, it must have been him.

Images flashed in Jack’s mind. It was when Jack was the in the orphanage. Mike visited him like he always does after a business trip, at the time, he was still in his early forties. Jack always thought of him as an uncle, and would always grab onto Mike’s sleeve to beg him to play a game with him. During the time when he came back from Thailand, he called Jack to him, and handed him that knife. Then he pulled another knife from his pocket and handed it to…to who? Jack squeezed his forehead in frustration; he only remembered a smile, spread across a thin lip.

Jack’s thought was soon disturbed by Larry.
Larry: You want to check out the crime scene? Or have you seen it already.
Jack: No I didn’t, I was just in time to go to the funeral.
Larry: Well, doesn’t hurt to show you. Besides, there’s something you need to see.
Moment later, Jack was standing beside Larry in Papa Bear’s house. Nothing was moved, not even the kitchenware in the sink which is now giving off a putrid smell which Jack deemed to be unhealthy.
Larry: Follow me, it’s upstairs.

Larry led Jack up the creaking staircase and into the narrow hallway of the second floor. There were no windows here, the only light source is a light hanging in the middle, which is dead, since no electricity ran in the house anymore. Larry took out a small flashlight, and turned it on, guiding Jack into a far door on the right. When Larry pushed the door open, Jack saw what he expected to see.

The stains of blood stayed on the bed, now dried to a brown crust. The walls stay untouched, no sighs of struggle. A large clear window took its place behind the bed, granting a view into the garden below. Nothing was touched after the crime, the smell of the senior stayed within the room, casting a haunting feeling on Jack. To say the least, the old man’s passing came as a surprise. Larry waved for Jack to come to the bedside, lifting the cover sheet to review several blood stained letter, spelling out the word “forge”.

Larry: We found it after we moved Pa. At first, I didn’t know what it meant. But after a while I realized. Pa loved you the most, and after seeing the murder weapons he must of realized that we might suspect you, and tried to tell us it was a forgery.

Jack: If Pa saw the murder weapon, that must of meant he saw who murdered him, why didn’t he gave clues to that instead.

Larry: As I said, Pa loved you the most, he’d rather declare your innocence then worrying about revenge.

Jack didn’t spoke for a moment, as his mind drift into a thought. He broke out of it a moment later.

Jack: Gregory told me something before he died. He gave me a list of names of the people in the house. It was you, Philip, Brown, and Jamie. I believe he suspect one of you is the murder.

Larry held a disturbed look, and stared at Jack.

Larry: He lied.
Jack: About?
Larry: There was another person in the house he didn’t mention.
Jack: Who?
Larry: Mother Goose.
Jack: Mother Goose?
Larry: The next head to the family in the case that something happened to Pa.
Jack: How come I never knew her?
Larry: She was appointed only a few years ago, and you were rarely at home anyway, so you probably just never heard.
Jack: Why would Gregory lie about it? From the benefit point of view, Mother Goose could be a suspect.

Larry shook his head at Jack’s words.

Larry: No, I don’t think so. Besides there are other reason Gregory might leave her out.

Larry spotted a glimmer in jack’s eyes behind the mask, and knew something was on his mind.

Larry: If you want to, I can set up an appointment for you with Mother Goose.
Jack: She’s still in the Central?
Larry: Yes, you have to understand, she has a personality similar to Pa’s. She wouldn’t leave the place.
Jack: When can you set it up?
Larry: Tomorrow afternoon.
Jack: I can’t just see her directly.
Larry: Sorry, procedures.
Jack: Who set these procedures.
Larry: Mother Goose’s.
Jack: I’ll wait for the news then.

Jack left Larry standing in the room, as he made his way down the hall.

Larry: Where are you going?
Jack: I want to check my room.
Larry: Nostalgia?

Jack pushed open the door labeled “Jack” and stopped as he did so.

Jack: Do you know anyone who’ve might have been to the house before us?
Larry: Maybe why?
Jack: I used to be pretty paranoid when it comes to people sneaking around, so I often spray ash on the door matt, so if anyone were to come in, there’d be prints. And look at this.

Jack pointed on the floor, revealing a set of foot prints that slowly fades as it goes into the middle of the room. Jack followed the prints into the room, and looked around for anything that might be of interest to the intruder. He pulled open the cabinet and pulled out the books from the shelf.

Jack: Help me check.

Jack handed Larry half the stack, then Jack flipped through his half, checking for markings or any signs of handling. He stopped as he reached the middle of one book, and closed the book to look at the cover, “Photo Album”. He flipped back to the page he was on before, and slipped out a group photo from the thin protective film. Nothing was out of ordinary except for one thing. A person was cut out from the group. Jack flipped to the back to check the name, and found everyone’s name was wiped out with a dark permanent marker. He tried to lift it to the light from the window, hoping to catch a glimpse, but the layer was too thick. Instead, on top of the black ink, written in white out was the words, “Bang! Who shot the rabbit in the dark?”

__________________

lokuri

How long had all of them been away from the time that was now? It didn't take a genius to realize that what they all experienced was separate from the matter currently at hand, a scenerio that occured in a time and space unlrelated to the one they occupied in this life. Still, Natalie couldn't pretend that seeing Timothy's loving eyes, Julie's worried expression, Raphael's guidance to the truth -- everything that she had encountered was preparation for releasing her siblings into the next life. There was no way that what Natalie had experienced for that short amount of time was all a lie, but part of it was indeed an illusion. An illusion...yes, it was the same illusion she had manipulated her mind into believing ever since she found the frosty remains of her beloved siblings. Since she was the one originally responsible, there was no way she would blame Joachim for what happened. Instead, she would treat the alternate reality that she had drifted into as a stepping stone to prevent anymore mistakes from happening. Anger, hatred, regret -- Natalie would toss all of that aside in order to not only protect those she held close to her heart, but to also carry on their wills if they ever walked down different paths or moved on.

Natalie hadn't realized that she stared as if she were in a trance while contemplating the actions of Joachim. The way she boldly stated his first name as if he were no longer superior to them contrasted with how withdrawn she became soon after. Wasn't it because of Jansen that she decided to challange the very man who threatened to report them if they didn't accept his offer? Glimpsing at the bitter expression and negative vibes coming from him, Natalie couldn't help but feel he would succomb to the very darkness Joachim desired. At the same time, some of that might have been directed at her, the toxic waves that plagued his heart erupting into a dangerous aura around him, to the point where Natalie subconsciously took a few steps away. Had she been half asleep until now, or were her senses numb up until a few seconds ago? Whatever the case, both Natalie and Elizabeth backed away cautiously, with the latter being more unsteady than the first.

"Nothing changed. Sorry... Even Jansen...he still is hiding a dark secret. I don't know if we'll find out what he did to seem so...ominous, but...we have to try our best to trust him. Joachim is becoming more and more frightening. What--"

'Natalie? Could you... maybe help me for a second? I.. I can't really get up.'

Wondering where Liam's voice was coming from, Natalie skimmed her surroundings until she saw the outline of someone sitting in an awkward position on the floor. Upon better examination, she discovered that the form belonged to Liam, her cheeks glossy from whatever she had just experienced. Hoping to not dwell on matters other than what was at hand, Natalie hurriedly jogged over to Liam before offering her hands for assistance. Once Liam was firmly standing in place -- a task that proved harder than she had imagined -- Natalie smiled reassuringly at her. Something had obviously troubled her deeply about her past, and Natalie wanted to show she had the same capacity to listen to all that ailed and will ail Liam as she did for her. After all, they were friends, right?

"Liam, if you have something on your mind, please tell me. It helps to have others listen to your problems, instead of keeping everything a secret. I...I learned that from talking with you."

In the meantime, Ethan and Joachim seemed to be discussing an unusual trait that Ethan now possessed. Natalie was too distracted by Liam's condition, but Elizabeth freely eavesdropped on the conversation. Hearing what Joachim spoke about, Elizabeth couldn't help but peer into Ethan's eyes. Sure enough, not a single sign of an iris and pupil could be found on the surfaces of both his eyes, as if they were both whited out. Gasping at what seemed worse than simply being blind, Elizaeth had to contain herself from waving her hands in front of Ethan to find out what was wrong with him. Instead, she tilted her head questionably at Joachim, unable to witness what he claimed to be his own Psyche-Lock. Was it really so special? Apparently, if someone were to see his Psyche-Lock, a mirror effect would occur. The only problem was whether the person had the ability to see the mystical Psyche-Lock. Elizabeth decided not to worry about the details and instead tried to warn Natalie of Joachim's suspicious plan.

"Natalie, be careful! Joachim -- he wants to break eveyone's Psyche Locks! I don't know what will happen, so --"

The warning came too late. Coursing like a sickening wave of nauseousness across every fiber of her body, a sensation like the swelling of the sea before the storm raced through Natalie. Before she could even prepare herself for the shock, a blast of energy flashed from all the core parts of her being straight into her mind. The piercing bomb that exploded like a supernova in her mind made the unease she felt around Joachim like a tremor in comparison. Natalie never knew what it was like to be in so much pain not a sound came from your lips, but no matter how much she wished to announce the torment she was feeling, not a squeak came from her mouth. Three seconds. That's how short the whole process must have been for Elizabeth, but an eternity of sorrow and darkness couldn't amount to what she felt. How she was still standing was beyond her. She did, however, feel herself being supported by someone. Blinking away the shakiness of her eyes, Natalie couldn't believe the sight of who held her upright.

"L...Lia, y- you --"

"N- Natalie, wh-what-t h-happ-ened? Y-your hair...its longer and a bright as gold! Your dress and skin...you're like an--"

"--angel." Startled that Natalie repeated the same word as hers, Elizabeth took a few seconds to overcome her shock. At the same time, someone else uttered the same thing, causing her to whirl around in fear. Eventually, her eyes locked onto Thomas, who was beside Joachim, lingering like a lackey ready to be ordered around. Part of her wished to scurry behind Natalie, while another part of her wanted to question his reason for siding with Joachim. Was he tricked? Did he have a goal in mind that would be fulfilled if he did what he was told? Or did the madness of "demons" drive him to accepting whoever could make them "go away"? There was so much to ask, but nothing could be gained if she couldn't form her thoughts into words.

As for Natalie, she still couldn't believe the changes in Elizabeth. Her hair was light and buoyant, sandy feathers fluttering around her reddened cheeks and thin neck. Silver irises bearing dark rings could be seen behind her prominent eyes, which foretold of innocence and sincerity found often in untainted children. Peachy skin added to her soft features, no longer hindered by the brute slashes that consumed her face and dotted the rest of her body. A simple sundress of pure white would have made anyone assume she was a lost patient within the walls of "Happy Home", only two factors countered such a claim. One was her slightly transparent features, as if she were a ghost who just barely obtained a physical form, the rest of her still trapped within the reality of being dead. Secondly and lastly, Elizabeth had six wings that rivalled the moonlight outside jetting out her back and curling around her like that of a seraphim. If Natalie looked like an angel, Elizabeth was definately, without a doubt, a true angel.

((OOC: I didn't have time to explain (or felt like doing so) how Elizabeth was "purified", but the pain Natalie went through was both the blow she felt as well as her unknowingly "purifying" Elizabeth. Essentially, Natalie restored Elizabeth to her previous (...ly living) self, making her visible to everyone as well as solid enough to catch Natalie. Even so, since she is a spirit, there is the possibility of "disappearing" (to everyone but Natalie -- well, unless other elements take place) at times, since Natalie can't maintain Elizabeth's "solid" form for too long. Her wings represent her pure soul (and the reason why she didn't vanish or become corrupted). ))

__________________

Takesh

The struggle of one's real identity took place on that cursed night. Ethan, Natalie, Liam, Basil and Jansen all experienced things no kid of their age should go through. Truths revealed themselves and brought only more pain. Yet, through all these hardships they had prevailed. They had rejected the thought of giving up and kept pushing on. The idea of friendship was strong within them. With these thoughts, they had found themselves in the mastermind's office. By breaking into the room of the mastermind, they had found the truth about the lingering evil that haunted some of them.

The mastermind was none other than Joachim von Weiss, manager of Happy Home. He had orchestrated a devious plan in order to grasp the whole world into his palm. He had found the world to.. lack guidance. He wished to create an everlasting paradise, Garden of Eden, once again. However he's plan did not go as wanted for Ethan and the rest.. failed. The X-Lock Joachim possessed proved too strong for the group. Once they had all been knocked out, Joachim had only one word to say to them..

.. Disappointing

Joachim had expected Ethan's group to unlock the one thing that bound him to earth, the X-Lock. Those who had an X-Lock possessed powers beyond one's wildest dreams, and thus those powers were sealed away with a strong lock. The owner himself wouldn't be able to break the lock, only an outsider would be able to do that. That was Joachim's plan from the start. Using Thomas Bolgart, the demon-ranter, was the first thing he had tried to break his X-Lock. However Thomas had proven too weak against the lock and thus he was consumed by his own inner demons. The change in Thomas's appearance was all because of von Weiss.

By shattering Thomas's mind, Joachim controlled his body and soul. There was nothing Thomas could do to stop himself. His mind was beyond repair. No one but Joachim of course knew this, it was one of those secrets he would never reveal. This all lead to Thomas being held in the 3rd floor, behind a tightly locked cell. The damage the X-Lock had done to Thomas was much greater than Joachim had expected. His mind was shattered, that much Joachim was sure of, however he had also lost the ability to fully transform into his Psyche-Form.

Now that Ethan and all the rest were lying unconscious in Joachim's office, Thomas lingered away. He had done what he had been ordered to. The fate of Katrina Buttons would be decided later. Jack would receive orders from Joachim soon enough. Joachim summoned Saints disguised as Reassurers to take Ethan and Jansen away. They proved themselves worthy of becoming Saints for Joachim. As for Natalie, Basil and Liam.. Joachim had planned something else.
(( OOC: Important note! I put Natalie and Liam there as "?" since I don't know what you'll come up with. Let me know if you decide to join Ethan and Jansen ^^. Otherwise I'll keep it like that. ))

There lies a secret passageway in the 3rd floor of Happy Home. Only Joachim and his Saints know the location of the passageway. Also, since the Saints are most of the time kept inside their cells in the underground prison, the only who knows the location of the passageway is Joachim himself. He ordered the two Saints to take Ethan and Jansen through the passageway into the underground prison under Happy Home. While they were taking Ethan and Jansen into the prison, Joachim would inform Jack what to do with Katrina.

Katrina would be forced to supervise Ethan and Jansen as they go through the brainwash. At no given circumstances would she be allowed to reveal her identity to them. That is why she was given a disguise: a rabbit mask. Her mouth would be covered with duct tape, and the only thing she would be able to do is.. watch. This was her punishment for betrayal. Even though Joachim considered himself above everyone else, and thought of guiding people to the right path, he himself used methods this cruel to bring order.

Ethan and Jansen were placed into the 8th floor of the underground prison. There they would spent the next 10 years going through a hellish cycle of brainwashing and slight rest. The future seemed more than grim to them.. and for everyone.
Yet there was a slight sign of hope, Joachim had not succeeded in his plan. He would not be able to succeed in it anytime soon..

.. hopefully.

(( OOC: Well, that's it ^^(did it offer any nice surprises?). Hmm.. I thought it would be longer. Oh well, can't have everything. I'm actually happy that the RP ended at this point. From here on, it is quite easy to continue with the to-be sequel. Of course we all missed the fight, but that's only a slight set back. Anyway, I want to thank you all for sticking with this RP. It was a great RP ^^.

And now of course I would like for you to post your endings ^^. ))

__________________

Moratorium

It seemed to have become a habit for Nichelle that every morning she would walk down the dirt road running across the wide grass plains, which stretched across the front of her home. It was a nice walk, with all its fresh airs, and sceneries, and today was a particularly good day as the sky stretched across in gradient of blue, slightly stroked with wisp of cloud. It also seemed to have become a habit for Nichelle to stop her trip at the mail box resting in the intersection as the dirt path collides with the side of a local highway. Though, it was hardly a highway at all, with its unrepaired road, and no cars ever in sight.

She opened the cover and glanced inside, several mails stacked on top of another. She took them out and sifted through them, separating bills and ads from the clump, putting them under her arms to throw out later. There wasn’t much left after the initial filtration. Only one postcard remained, which Nichelle thinks to be slightly scented in tobacco. Like most other postcard she had received, this one had no return address, and she had stopped thinking of tracking the sender down, and accepts things as the way it is. She flipped it back and looked through its content, smiling slightly as she did so.

“How are you? Are you eating well? The summer heat is rather extreme this year, so watch out for yourself alright?”

She tucked the postcard along with the rest, and closed the lid of the mail box, and began her usual walk back to her house.

However, today was slightly unusual. As a black BMW made its way down the road and stopped at the intersection, a few meters away from the mail box. Curious Nichelle stopped and looked back at the car, as two men stepped out, both sporting a slightly long trench coat with a felt hat placed slightly tilted on their head.

“Ms. Amber?” the man on the left asked, standing slightly slouched, with his lips drooping slightly to his right. His eyes looked tired, half closed as his pupil stared out from the bottom half. Wrinkles marked his face, and announced his age around 50. Well shaven, and groomed. He reminded Nichelle of an uncle.

“Yes, anything the matter?” She looked at both, with slight interest, it isn’t often that she get visitors.

It was the man on the right who replied this time. He had a dead look about him. He’s younger of the two, but holds about the same amount of energy as his partner. His lips are thin, which moved nimbly as he spoke, “I’m detective John Morrison, and this is my partner Sam Pitch,” John pulled out his identification as introduced himself, and walked up to Nichelle extending his hand, “We are very glad to meet you.”

“I guess you already know my name,” she took his hand, a rough cold feeling, not the hand of man who spent his entire life in a office cubicle, “Detective Morrison, nice to meet you,” she then shook the other man’s head, “Detective Pitch, nice to meet you too. So, what did I do to acquire the company of two gentlemen such as yourself?”

“Nothing,” John spoke, “We are just here to ask you a few questions about the Von Weiss Case.”
“I see,” Nichelle spoke simply.
“If it is at all possible, could we do this at the comfort of your home?”
“Sure, but it’s a bit of a far walk.”
“My partner and I could drive you back, if you prefer.”
“No, I think I’ll walk.” She hoped it would deter them, but it didn’t.
“No problem, it’s rare for us to take a nice hike anyway.”

Nichelle tried not to talk too much on the way, but it was made difficult as Detective John would throw questions at her every few second. About her birthplace, relatives, associations, and also…

“How well do you know a man by the name of Jack?”
“There are many Jacks, I know some, I don’t know many.”
“Jack Rabbit.”

Nichelle tried to form the most intimidating smile she could muster, “Does he have to do with the Von Weiss case also?”
“Well, he was present, so I would say he is.”
“I know him, yes.”
“Communicate with him often?”
“Not really, I haven’t seen him since everything ended.” It was the truth.
“I see,” John paused, and muttered a few words to his partner, and jotted in a handbook some notes. “Ms. Amber, another question…”
“Detective John, not to be rude. But I haven’t eaten, and I’m in a hurry to get back, so can we save the question, until I got something things to eat?”
“Perfect, I haven’t eaten either, can we join you?”
“Sure,” Nichelle replied, a look of agitation clearly on his face, and the two detectives seemed to have ignored it.

A few minutes later, Nichelle settled down at her kitchen table with a cup of hot coco in her hand. Having something to eat calmed her down a little, and she think she’s ready to whatever John would throw at her. “Detectives, the Von Weiss case was closed five years ago, and technically I don’t have to answer anything you ask regarding it, neither do you have the right to ask me anything about it. If your superior knows this, you will get penalties. Why the risk?”

“Risk is nothing in the lines of passion. When the case was under investigation, we small timers were left on the side and the Feds did everything, and slipped nothing. And for our line of work, that’s torturous, to know nothing.”

“Can’t you check the documentations; you must be able to search that out right?”

“That’s what we spent the five years doing. We even got our hands on the diaries the patients kept in their room. However, the problem is the diaries are blank after the night Ethane’s group rebelled. After that, it’s just rumors. Even the story to what happened to that kid Basil. There were witnesses, but nothing solid. It was known that the kid had a bit of multi-personality. And, whatever happened that night, drove the kid enough to go through the windows. Some say it looked like he was trying to reach for the moon or something, but we thought he just lost it. Curious thing is, no one found the body. Even Von Weiss claimed he didn’t know. Some say he was carried off, buried under an unmarked grave, Some say his body was burnt in a furnace. Some others even claimed that it was all planned. That his alter ego never wanted to rebel against Von Weiss, and simply tagged along with Ethan’s group to find an escape path, and chose the window instead.”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s crazy. It’s a four storey building, and he got a missing hand. Sure there’s a tree below, but trying to grab hold of it with that acceleration is going to snap your wrist. So who’s going to save him eh? An angel?”

“Why don’t you talk to some of the patients?”

John and Sam stared at each other then back at Nichelle, “Well…”

“It’s hard to trust someone who was declared insane isn’t it?”
“Please don’t misunderstand; it’s just that a lot of things that happened were pretty…to say the least. Abnormal.”
“How is questioning me going to help? I was a patient too wasn’t I?”
“Please don’t take this personally; we are just trying to get as much information as we can.”
“You know, I could just kick you guys out right now, because from what I’ve heard so far, you are just reopening old wounds to satisfy your passion. And to be honest, I don’t care.”
“What if we have something to offer?”
Nichelle raised her eyebrow, curious. “And what is that?”
“We can help you find Jack.”
A soft laugh slipped through Nichelle’s lips, as she shook her head.

“Don’t believe it?”
“You must know that I asked people to find him before.”
“Yes, I do, some of which are my acquaintances.”
“Then you must also know, the only person who knows where Mr. Rabbit is is Mr. Rabbit himself.”
“How can you be so sure?”

Nichelle went over to the closet and lifted, and bent down to lift up a cardboard box from the corner. She brought the box over, and opened the cover. Inside are layers after layers of cards, different sizes, texture, and image, but all carried the same style of writing.

“Jack Rabbit send these every week, since he went missing, and this is the only thing that verifies his existence. Over the past years, many people looked through these to try and find clues, and got nothing. By now, he must of traveled the world, so you think got the clues to locate him?”

Detective Morrison exchanged glances with detective Pitch, and then looked back at Nichelle in silence.

Nichelle sat back down, and sipped her coco. Brown eyes in a subtle calm. “If you really want to know what happened, I can tell you. But there’s one thing I want to know. What will you do after?”

“Not too sure. You are right, we are just nosy,” John replied, “We want to know the end, the wrap.”

“Can’t you accept the way things are? As a tragedy? It isn’t uncommon to have tragedies in life. Like the war which made Von Weiss the way he is, or the society that made us the way we are.”

“But we are childish, we don’t want a bedtime story with a cliffhanger.”
“Well, I can’t promise you’ll like the whole story.”
“At least it’s something,” John smiled for the first time of his conversation with Nichelle, who returned with a smile of her own.

“Could I get you gentlemen anything to drink?”
“Coffee is good,” Sam, the elder detective finally spoke after a long while.
“Just water,” John answered.

It took a few moments for Nichelle to prepare the drink. After she’s done, she set it down on the table, in front of the two men. She took a seat across from the two, her arms folded in front of her, in a relaxed posture.

“So after the rebellion…”

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