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Mannequins in a Mall



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Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:07 pm
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Teddybear says...



Bobby was struggling to breathe. A horrible, all-consuming panic gripped his throat and filled his insides with lead. Even if he couldn't be seen, he felt watched, and he couldn't slip away. Bo was behind him, he'd see.

He memorized every potential exit. The little windows high up where he couldn't be followed, the doorways that lead to places that lined up with the windows on the outside, and any real exits.

This place was creepy, too creepy, and if his body was here, he didn't want to know what this place was for.
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Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:26 pm
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Mageheart says...



They got only a few feet down the hallway before Aquarius started to hear footsteps coming from behind them.

His breath caught in his throat. It made sense that there would be people walking around in a place like this, but there was something off about them. The short moments of silence between them varied, and occasionally they went silent for longer periods of time - almost as if their owner was abruptly stopping and starting.

Aquarius stopped.

When Télos noticed his brother had fallen behind, he turned to see what Aquarius was hesitating for. Then his gaze drifted and his skin went pale; he was looking somewhere beyond Aquarius.

Somewhere behind him.

Aquarius slowly turned around. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before, but the air was suddenly hot and heavy. It felt nearly impossible to move. But when he finally pushed against the heat, he found that Télos had been staring at a guard who didn't look right. His limbs were loose, almost like he was a puppet being controlled by an invisible puppeteer. His eyes were softly glowing.

And most terrifyingly of all, he was looking right at them.
mage

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roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 10:39 am
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soundofmind says...



Bo was getting a strange feeling. He didn't know what was up, but he had a gut feeling that this place and the disembodied voice were connected. The voice had wanted them to follow their souls and find their bodies... but what if it was a trap? What if all of this was a set-up? What if Robin was right, and they were already dead and this was just some kind of... well, he didn't know.

Then the guy appeared from around the corner, eyes glowing, looking like his body had been possessed by something. His movements were stiff and a little unnatural.

Was this guy in the same boat as them? Or was this something worse?

The air felt strange - like it was filled with a warm, thick presence. Like humid x100, and magical. He put a hand on Bobby's head and pushed to stand beside him, ready to defend. He took a calculated risk and waved his hand a little to see if the glowing-eyed fellow would respond.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:59 pm
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Teddybear says...



Bobby flinched when Bo touched him but obediently shuffled behind him, if only to get out of the way of the...thing down the hallway. Those glowing eyes gave him the creeps.

Bobby glanced behind him. He could run away. No one would notice for at least a few seconds.
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Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:43 pm
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Mageheart says...



The guard suddenly disappeared in a flurry of purple particles, but the air felt just as impossible to move through when Aquarius turned to see where the guard had gone. He had seen things like that happen before when the endermen teleported. If the guard was teleporting away, he was either going to warn the others in the facility...

...or he was going to another section of the hallway.

Aquarius got his answer when he looked over at Bobby.

The guard was right behind him and Bo.

The guard held his hands up above his head in surrender, but the movements were just as jerky as before. Télos gave a surprised yelp. Robin readied her slingshot again, but faltered when she looked at the guard's chest for reasons Aquarius didn't understand.

"Please don't be afraid," he said. His voice didn't sound like a single voice speaking. There was one primary voice; he could clearly hear it. But there were other voices, too, saying the words in the background. It was impossible to figure out just how many; it sounded like more people than Aquarius could ever imagine. "I...won't hurt you."

Aquarius made a strand of water in front of him; a few feet away, Télos was holding his golden sword in shaking hands.

The guard closed his glowing eyes and thought for a moment.

A second later, the water fell apart and disappeared as it hit the ground. Télos's sword and Robin's slingshot suffered a similar fate.

"Please," the guard said, "don't...hurt this body."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Jul 06, 2020 4:59 pm
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Teddybear says...



Bobby made a high-pitched noise at the back of his throat and stumbled back a few steps, away from the thing. Puppet?

This body...

Was it like their bodies? The ones they were looking for? Were their bodies being used as puppets like that too?

The thought made him nauseous.
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Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:43 am
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soundofmind says...



Okay. That was disturbing. Bo stared wide-eyed at the body that disintegrated in front of them infinity-war style, only to realize it had popped up behind him and Bobby a moment later. This was some next-level creepy magical stuff.

Bo turned around, pushing against the thickness in the air. It was like there was a whole presence filling the hall.

"We won't," he said slowly, staring at the glowing-eyed body that was begging for mercy. "As long as you don't hurt us. Can you tell us what's going on?"
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:33 am
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Mageheart says...



A look of shock - though slightly delayed - appeared on the guard's face. Télos had the terrifying, sinking feeling in his gut that this was what a ghost was really supposed to be like. He didn't feel like a ghost himself. Aquarius, Bobby and Bo didn't seem like ghosts, either. But this? This felt like a ghost possessing a person, and that terrified him. He didn't realize how close he was clinging to Aquarius until he felt Aquarius take a nervous step back and bump into him.

"I wouldn't harm you," the body promised - Télos wasn't sure he could trust the sincerity behind the statement. The voice was too slow and each word too carefully said to really determine if the body was telling the truth.

"You took away my sword," Télos whispered.

"And my water," Aquarius helpfully added.

"And my slingshot," Robin said. She was shaking. Télos could see her shaking. Wasn't it a bad thing when a grim reaper was terrified?

"This body is...human," the body - the puppet - said, gesturing down at itself with uncertain movements. "If you cut it with a sword or hurt it with water, it would take a long time to heal. I can't let you do that."

The puppet narrowed its eyes and pursed its lips, almost as if it was contemplating what it had just said. Télos hoped it wasn't thinking of going back on its promise.

"What about my slingshot?" Robin demanded. She faltered when the puppet suddenly looked over at her. "You took my slingshot-"

"You can see it," the puppet said. Télos didn't know why, but Robin suddenly went pale and stiff. "There's only one soul in this body right now. If you remove it, you're only going to kill the person that it actually belongs to - I can't let you use your reaping weapon, Belisk-I mean, Robin."

Robin stumbled back into the wall behind her. "How-How do you know that name?"

"Because you're mine," the puppet said, giving a sad, hesitant little smile. Télos grabbed onto his brother and held him tight; that was something straight out of a ghost story. "Or I'm yours. I'm not really sure how to say it best right now. It's so hard to think right now. I forgot how hard it was to focus when everything is rushing in."

The puppet looked over at the others in the group.

"That's how I know all of your names," the puppet said. "I know Télos and Aquarius because they're mine, too." Télos whimpered; Aquarius started shivering as he returned Télos's embrace. "Bobby and Bo aren't mine, but their souls have some lingering bits here and there."

The puppet paused, almost looking sheepish.

"...And I looked at the data here," the puppet admitted.

"What do you want with me?" Robin whispered. "What do you want with us?"

"I'm here to help," the puppet said.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:06 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo didn't feel like the ghost's explanations were providing any more clarity, but he stuck close to Bobby for support. As he watched Robin, Telos, and Aquarius all devolve into panic, he found that it helped him in not panicking. Someone had to not panic. Someone had to keep it together.

If there was no fighting this thing - whatever it was - with weapons, that probably wasn't how they were going to get out of this anyway. Clearly the ghost-being knew stuff about them, but if it wanted to help, he wanted to believe that was true.

He stood tall and looked down at the man with the glowing eyes.

"How do you want to help?" he asked. "All you're saying has been very cryptic. We'd appreciate it if you explained more clearly what's going on."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:22 pm
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Mageheart says...



"I'm sorry," the puppet apologized. The eyes glowed brighter for a moment, and its hold on the body became even looser than before. Télos was torn between feeling grateful and worried when it turned its attention to Bo - taking a jerky step forward and looking right up at him. "It's hard to focus when so much is rushing into my head. Everything's so connected. I...I'm trying to focus-"

The puppet slumped to the floor; the pressure in the hallway grew stronger. Télos was struggling to breath. Then the pressure lightened. Télos took in a large gulp of air, relief flooding him as air rushed through his ghostly lungs. The body stood up, its movements unsteady and uncertain, and tried to give them all a smile that probably was meant to come off as comforting.

"I know where your bodies are," the puppet finally said. Its voice was clearer now. It still sounded like multiple voices, but Télos could pick out only two: the guard and a vaguely familiar one. "I can help you get there."

"I can do that, too," Robin pointed out.

"But I can help you avoid the people here," the puppet added. "I know where we are. You...were here for the mall, weren't you? You might have seen the facility from a distance, but you only became involved when you saw them in the mannequins."

Aquarius stiffened.

Télos stared.

And Robin just looked confused.

"How did you know that?" Aquarius whispered. "We-We never mentioned the mannequins-"

Télos's eyes widened in understanding.

"You're the voice!" he realized.

"That's me," the puppet confirmed.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:35 am
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soundofmind says...



Clearly this voice - the person talking to them and possessing the guard - was in on everything from the start. Bo had a sneaking suspicion that whoever they were, they were going against orders or behind someone's back to be helping them. He could've been wrong, but it sort of seemed like that. He thought about how the voice had been suddenly and mysteriously cut off, and how the voice was concerned about them running into other people in this facility.

He really, really hoped this wasn't all a trick.

He watched as the body fell to the ground. He tried to move to pick it up, but the air was suffocating, and moving became so hard. He'd barely begun to bend over when the body popped back up.

"Okay," he breathed. "You told us to come here and follow our souls," Bo said, looking the guy in the eyes. He didn't even know if he had any powere here - but if the guy tried anything funny, Bo would not hesitate to intervene.

"Just do it. Lead us there."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:45 am
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Teddybear says...



Bobby's heart pounded in his chest. It made him sick, nausea creeping over him with every horrible beat. He hated this. He hated it. All of it. All he wanted was to be home. Home. Safe. Somewhere safe. Anywhere safe. Anywhere else.
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Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:06 am
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Mageheart says...



The puppet looked to Robin, Télos and Aquarius for confirmation. When none of them objected to the idea - all of them having come to the exact same conclusion that Bo had come to - the puppet gave a delayed grin and spun around with a new, still noticeably jerky skip to its step.

It got about five feet down the hallway before it fell to the floor again. The suffocating feeling returned in all of its intensity, but Télos still tried to push through it to get to the puppet's side. They weren't ever going to get back to their bodies if the puppet kept falling down.

The puppet unsteadily got back to its feet, leaning up against the wall for support.

"Sorry," it apologized, giving a shaky smile. Despite the stumbling, the voices were growing steadier. It wasn't taking as long for the puppet to get the words out. "I'm not used to doing this. I usually keep things more contained, and I'm not trying to use someone else's body."

"...You have a body?" Aquarius hesitantly asked.

The puppet gave a slow nod. "I do. I'm not always like...this."

It gestured down at itself.

"...But I got caught when I was trying to help you," the puppet admitted, rubbing the back of its neck as it started walking again. "I wanted to do more than be a voice in your ear. But there's rules, and I'm not supposed to break them. If I do..."

"You end up like this?" Télos guessed.

It gave a little nod. Even though Télos had been terrified at first and was wary now, he found himself feeling sad for the person controlling the puppet. When he glanced over, he saw Aquarius and Robin had similar looks of pity on their faces. The puppet didn't seem to notice. If it did, it didn't say anything about it.

"And it was convenient for them," the puppet added. "Now they have my body here, and I really don't want to think about what they're going to be doing to it right now."

The puppet visibly shuddered at the thought it was trying - and failing - not to have.

"Who's 'they'?" Robin asked, finally joining in on the conversation again.

"Philosophorum Laboratories," the puppet replied. Télos didn't understand why, but Robin got a look of distaste on her face at the name. "They're trying to find the key to immortality."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:36 am
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soundofmind says...



Bo kept and eye on Bobby as they walked. He could tell the poor kid was immeasurably nervous, but he didn't know how to help in this situation. They needed to follow the only guy who was willing to help them find their bodies.

But when the guy stopped and started explaining more of what was going on, Bo got nervous.

It sounded like this guy was immortal, and that's why the Phil... phil something laboratories would experiment on it. But why did the laboratories want their bodies? He wanted to ask more questions, but he was worried. It sounded like this guy was on borrowed time for how long he could keep this up, and Bo was anxious to get to their bodies before they ran into any trouble.

"Look. Nameless, guy. Can I carry you? Maybe you can focus more on staying present if I take care of the walking for you."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:55 am
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Mageheart says...



The guide faltered.

"That, uh, wouldn't really work," they admitted, rubbing the back of their neck again. "I know it's easy to forget because you look like yourself right now, but you're not exactly..."

The guide turned around and gave Bo a little poke; their finger went through his wrist.

"...solid," they finished, giving him an awkward smile.

The puppet paused again. Robin was starting to get an idea - it wasn't an idea that she didn't like all that much, but she was also realizing how much of a liability it was to have their apparent guide repeatedly falling over. And if their guide was currently controlling the guard out of desperation and not necessity...

...Anyone else would do, too.

"Oh," the guide said, eyes growing just a bit brighter as they glanced back at the group. "I've been so focused on walking and explaining things that I forgot to introduce myself - I'm-"

Their guide was so busy talking to them that they didn't notice the wall right in front of them.

"Ow," the guide said, pausing a moment before rubbing their forehead. "That hurt. Maybe I should keep my eyes ahead of me instead of behind."

The guide looked ahead, narrowly avoiding the wall again as they turned the corner.

"I'm the Personification of Magic," the guide said. "I go by Magic for short, but a few people have called me Pom before. I'm, uh, not as fond of that one."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.








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