[The Official RPN Character Challenge 2015]The Lobby!

[SkyGinge]

Welcome to the Lobby! The Lobby is the main entrance of Staff-Chan Enterprises, the building in which all competition participants mysteriously find themselves in. It looks a lot like the building pictured down below, although instead of grounded on a planet, it floats ethereally in a void of perfect whiteness. Nevertheless, don't let yourselves be distracted by the strange scenery, for inside, it's got a ton of different facilities to cater for all aspiring challengers!

Though nothing makes sense at all (and your character might not even be accustomed to the sight of an apartment block), there is a sign just outside the cubicle that explains all of the different features the building offers. Just round the corner on the left is 'Snappy Snacks', a cafe in which you can enjoy a calming coffee and a cosy chat with your fellow participants. And just round the corner on the right, a winding staircase leading up to the higher floors, where you're informed there are numerous different training rooms.


And yet the lobby itself, which you find yourself in, is remarkably modern and comforting, and you may also elect to stay here and interact with the other competitors!

This thread is for playing out generic lobby interactions! If you've joined us and want to interact but don't know how to start, this is the perfect place to meet other players and perhaps move on to interactions elsewhere! The Gods have protected the area with a mystical aura which inhibits violent abilities - if you wish to fight, please head to the training rooms.

~All Credit for 'Staff-Chan Enterprises' goes to @DamagedGlasses , as it was derived from an idea of his~

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

A cold sting awoke Vex as the blanket he'd covered himself in slipped off his half-naked body and slid down onto the floor. His eyebrow twitched and he slowly leaned his head to look into the room. A very dim purple light spread from his eyes as he looked through the darkness of the room to make sure nothing was there, then he sat up on the bedside. Behind lay the naked body of a woman, wrapped in the other sheet the Tavern had supplied. He leaned forward on his knees, but let a moment to pass to give her a glimpse. Ruffled red hair, freckles. You never saw features like that among elves, and Vex had always been a little curious as to why humans had it.


After a moment on the bedside he sighed quietly and stood up without making any sound. He gathered his things, put his gauntlets on, stepped into his boots and hung his sword behind his back before he left his temporary lover to head onwards on his Journey for the holy capital, Iserirothe. He was to meet up with Alkalev on the way, then accompany him on the way over. This inquisition business worried him, but he didn't let simple worries go before his duty to Alkarev. Besides, he hadn't trained for all these years to flee at the opportunity of finding a place of power. An adventure across the lands would surely bring that.


He stumbled his way through dark rooms, his eyes still emanating the dim light that gave him the ability to see through darkness. Even the large room at the front of the Tavern was barely lit, and the Owner stood at the bar. When he caught sight of Vex, he started impatiently tapping the bar with his fingers. Vex came up to the bar and dropped a small bag of coins on the counter, then headed straight for the door instead of bothering to wait for his change. He was already behind on schedule, after all.


As soon as he opened the door the piercing light of the sun flooded his already enhanced eyes, and he held up his arm for a moment to shield himself from it. He rubbed his eyes, but when he opened them again it was not a street that awaited him. It was complete whiteness. He blinked a couple of times to establish the fact, but wherever he looked, nothing stood out from the white. Did I blind myself? He thought for a moment, but then realized that he could still see himself. The white and blue clothing, the black metal, the large heavy necklace upon his chest. He grabbed ahold of the necklace and held it up in front of himself. What have you gotten yourself into now?


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!' The sudden voice exploding from nowhere made Vex's hand instinctively move to the hilt of his sword, but the words caused his fingers to leave it one by one. He looked around himself and narrowed his eyes. These... these aren't my gods, are they? He quietly wondered. No, they can not be. This isn't... this isn't that aura. No matter in which way he felt with his internal power, this didn't feel anything like Cledoria. It didn't feel anything like anywhere he'd ever been.


Suddenly, a building seemed to almost form around him. Out of the white nothing there had appeared a building of architecture he did not recognize, and without giving him an opportunity to choose it had engulfed him. He looked towards the glass doors and out into the nothingness. Anywhere's better than nothing, I suppose. He certainly didn't feel dead, and if the message earlier was anything to go off of, he had a feeling that the Arena over there was more likely his destination than hell or heaven. No, there was no need to waste any time on being confused. Instead, this snack area sounded promising.

 

[Queen Rai]

Spoiler

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There was nothing but...white. As far as she could see, there was absolutely nothing but bright, pure...white.

What the hell?

Louise looked around, puzzled by the fact that she was no longer in her quarters. She couldn't describe where she was as a room, because it wasn't. It was just whiteness, pure and never ending, as far as the eye could see. The captain raised her eyebrows as she surveyed her surroundings, not yet daring to take a step forward. Everything was...still. Too still. So still that the captain couldn't help but shift uncomfortably beneath her dress.

...dress?

Looking down, Louise noticed that she was no longer wearing the shorts and undershirt she'd gone to sleep in. Instead, she was in a plain, white dress. The back was too open for her liking, and the front was too loose. The dress, overall, didn't fit in the slightest. Louise hugged her arms almost reflexively when she noticed they were bare, sucking in her cheeks as a wave of goosebumps surged over her entire body. The woman stayed like that for a few second, and then let out a small sigh before swinging her foot out and taking a step forward. Louise gasped as her foot fell through the whiteness in front of her and she started to fall.

Her first instinct, of course, was to swing both arms down to keep the dress from whipping over her face. The woman squeezed her eyes shut as she fell through the whiteness, praying to wake up from what she hoped was just a really bizarre dream. Wind whipped against her ears, filling them with a deafening "whooshing" sound as she continued to fall. And fall. And fall. And fall.

And fall.

'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'

Louise's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself standing upright once again. The white around her began to crack and peel away at an alarming speed, quickly piecing together some sort of room around the captain. Once the white was completely gone, Louise was able to get a complete look of where exactly she was. Not on the Poison anymore, that was for sure. The captain stared blankly into space, taking a moment to process what the hell had just happened. The white dress had disintegrated along with the rest of the whiteness, leaving her clad in her usual outfit, complete with rapier and hat.

"...to participate in an almighty set of...trials..." she muttered under her breath, recalling what the voice had told her. She paused again, bringing a hand up to her face as she plunged deeper into thought. After a few seconds, the woman slowly reached down to her belt, unsheathing her sword. She stared down at it for a moment...

...and then plunged it down into her foot.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she wailed, dropping her rapier and sprawling onto the floor. The woman quickly pressed her hands over the whole in her boot, gritting her teeth as she felt the wetness of her own blood touch her hands. The girl whimpered slightly, biting down on her lip. Okay, so she wasn't dreaming. Good to know.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Sssss~


Familiar was the sound of a blade being unsheathed, and familiar still was the handle in Vex's hand as he turned 180 degrees to face whoever had appeared where he was just standing. There was a woman, dressed like a nobleman ready for a duel. Strange was her looks, elvish features and colors but with body ultimately human. Purple eyes, white hair. She definitely wasn't a regular human with those clothes nor those features, and would most likely regularly be confused for an elf. Her aura was nothing short of human though, and from an Elf's perspective it didn't take long to notice the physical differences either. Ears too small, legs too wide. He didn't have an idea where she could be from though. She was not magically altered, he'd be able to feel that, so the tan-skinned pirates on the east sea was out of question. From her attire he'd have to assume she was a very important pirate, and one such as that should have developed more pigmentation by this point. What are you? Vex quietly pondered.


Stranger than her looks was still was her actions though. After piercing her own foot with her rapier she let out a loud shriek and fell onto the floor. Vex's initial reaction to fight was replaced with an impulse to help, so he took a couple of quick steps over the white floor and kneeled down at her side, his eyebrows furrowing at the smell of blood. "Collect yourself." He stated in his neutral voice, and grabbed onto her shoulder, gently trying to push her back from her foot. He was almost immediately met with a fist, but managed to slide back and get out of range from her before it connected. "Get your damn hands of me!" She exclaimed. He made a bothered face, and said "We'll want to stop the bleeding, yes? Allow me to he-" Vex's voice cut out as he felt a strange reaction in the energy around him. His eyes jumped over to her foot, and he just stared at it for a moment. "... or that." He stated, again monotonously, but this with a lingering thoughtfulness. The wound had closed almost instantaneously, a feat only the best of healers could perform. Yet somehow, nothing but a sort of magic in the air had healed her like that. Perhaps this was truly some higher power, and not just a very elaborate trick.


"... Are you feeling alright?" He asked the girl, and had an expression of genuine perplexion on his face. There was more than a few completely new things to him here, and he wasn't afraid to show that he really didn't get the situation.


(In light co-operation with @Queen Rai)

 

[Queen Rai]

"Collect yourself."


Louise felt a firm hand latch onto her shoulder, and out of pure instinct, the woman swung her fist at the idiot who thought it was okay to touch her. The captain snarled as the stranger easily dodged her punch, hissing, "Get your damn hands off me!"


"We'll want to stop the bleeding, yes? Allow me to he-"


Louise was about to swing at the man again, but she was interrupted by the sudden lack of pain in her foot. The captain couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief as the pain seemingly drained from her wound, but the relief was soon replaced by confusion. The blood that had begun to pour from the hole in her boot had seemingly been sucked back into her wound before closing itself up. Louise blinked at her foot, her eyes wide with amazement.


"... Are you feeling alright?"


Louise looked up, her face void of the anger that had been present only moments before. She raised her eyebrows at the man, only now getting a good look at him. Pointed ears, small features...he looked like something right out of a fairytale. Or at least that's what Louise thought. The woman blinked at the man, and then grunted, "I feel fine, though this is by far the most vivid dream I have ever had."


@Prizzy Kriyze

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Vex kneeled down again, a little farther away from her this time in case she should attack him again. He curiously looked at her foot, but didn't dare approach her unannounced again. "I don't think this is a dream." He calmly stated. Everything was too perfect to be a dream, the intricate workings of energy behind reality was still there. The weight on his chest from the necklace felt very real, this girl's way of talking... too different from his own. "Did you hear a voice coming in here? Mentioning a challenge presented by some god?" He looked up to meet her eyes again, and let out a low sigh. "I have a feeling we've been presented with some sort of scenario by a higher power. Higher even than our own gods." He shook his head. "It's all just theory, but judging from your looks, we may not even be from the same world."


He made a motion towards her foot and asked "Would you mind if I took a look at that?" He also raised his hand, and attempted to activate his psychic abilities. The sword that the woman had dropped flew up from the ground and landed in his hand. Hm, nothing's interfering with my magic... Vex offered the woman her sword back with a VEXED (Hahaha I'm so funny) expression grazing his features. "I don't think there's a lot we can do as of now, but we're surely in a precarious situation."

 

[The Wizard]

The festival was in full bloom. The people from the highest parts of society to the lowest had all put out for the celebration of peace. The aroma of the food stalls and restaurants left many of the citizens licking their lips as the sound of laughter and clacking feet drowned the streets. Fredrick had already arrived from the shipyard and finished his private meeting with the families of nobles. With the night sky rising it was time for him to begin his performance the crowds already gathering in anticipation. The stage was setup near a grand fountain within the central of the city with every form of decoration and lights available. A single pedestal stood within the central part of the stage lined in sea roses and coral. With the last of the preparations completed it was time for him to step up to the event of his life.​

Fredrick walked out as the stage hands followed. With a nod to the pianist he removed from his case the deep crimson colored violin taking only a moment to tighten a few strings. With a bright smile and a wink to the crowd he began to



slowly at first. The keys of the piano echoing behind each of his toned pulls of the bow. As the crowds eyes drew in his vibrant music began to weave its magic. The fountain began to flow high as the waters took shape to his desires. The stage was enveloped in a wall of clear vibrant water swirling faster and faster. The crowds cheered with each change of the tone made the streams and drops dance bending the lights around like gems a treasure for any sight. Was than suddenly his eyes became blinded and the world around him went silent. Worried he had possibly screwed up in his performance he quickly tried to catch back up with his strings but no sound echoed from his tugging of the violin. "What..." before he could finish his thought a bellowing voice echoed from the voided white.

'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win' date=' and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'[/b']

No sooner did the voice break free did the environment surrounding poor Fredrick swallowed him up. Like white shells and blessed gleaming jewels the once white void was now a building of unimaginable size and luxury. Holding his violin careful the young man's heart raced trying hard to figure what had happen. His eyes glared to the doors and windows where the white void still remained, no scenery but a vast arena bellow. Thoughts of perhaps a bad fermented fig or spiked drink had left him delirious Fredrick worried if he was dreaming or worse. Looking around the room he was surprised to see how comfortable and pleasant the environment felt as if welcoming and assuring him it was okay. Carefully Fredrick took a breath steadying his heart as he attempted to gauge his reality.


The floor felt solid, the air crisp with no sign of stagnant or dust, his hand touching one of the pillars feeling the smooth texture of the stone. Though cold it was solid and for all he could muster it didn't seem like any dream. Looking to his violin he plucked one of the strings the sound now vibrant once more and echoing into the lobby. A sigh of relief escaped him as the familiar tone calmed his nerves. Unsure of what to make of it he felt perhaps this was some form of game mustered up by the court to tease him during the festival. Seeking answers wouldn't be easy still it was better to amuse the idea than to panic further.


Was than he noticed that though the lobby was large it was not empty. Carefully Fredrick looked to the company keeping his distance as both appeared armed. Believing them to be like peace officers he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it as their attire did not match what the knights normally wore. Approaching them both but not wanting to alarm he stood across from them "...excuse me officers...but by chance could you tell me where the fountain is at? I seemed to have a lapse of memory on how I arrived here...?" as he bowed slowly in respect to the officers. Was than that his eyes caught the sight of the woman's foot and the slow red velvet flow from the cut. A bit taken from the sight of blood he quickly looked back up to her fearing she was attacked or had been in a recent scruff with the criminals that had plagued Vequan's alleys.


"Are you okay madam?" his worried child like face began to go lightly pale as he tried to be of use. The stoutly man near her seemingly muscular appeared already seeking aid furthering if he was on patrol with her. Still their attire did not match and their latent design was not familiar to Fredrick's knowledge of the countries. "...possibly mercenaries? oh what have you gotten yourself into Fredrick..." his thoughts raced as he waited quietly for a response.

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Kevin sat in a grocery store, stuck for the time being because of the shelves piled in front of the doors. It was a very good idea, he had to admit, sure kept the zombies out, but it meant he was stuck in this room, unable to sleep, with two other people, one a small child who he really hoped didn't wake up any time soon and the other a crazy woman, the only one that could move the shelves. Sometimes he really wished he had more upper body strength. He was surprised, then, when the soft pitter-patter of rain was silenced and the dark of night was replaced by white. Just white. Noiseless white. Definitely not foreboding at all. He sat cross- legged on the... ground? How was he not falling, this made no sense whatsoever.


He was pretty comfy, but then a voice decided to speak.


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'


Kevin was pretty sure he didn't believe in gods, or god, or any greater deity that was still hanging around. But, hey, if it said it was a god and could take him here, best to just go with it, right? He was just as suddenly and disorientingly on a couch in a... lobby? There was no reason for a lobby in the middle of a white void. How did he know it was a white void? Well, it could always just be paper on the windows, but he found that unlikely. Challenges, the voice mentioned challenges, he thought to himself, What type of challenges, though? Probably zombies. Zombies were a challenge, right? Yeah, totally. He was gonna die. Oh well.


Having an idea of what was in store for him, Kevin stood up, smoothing down his grey shirt, set to go exploring. However, a quick look around revealed he wasn't alone. Apparently, in this lobby in the void, there were LARPers, or something. He probably shouldn't approach them, given his most recent encounters with others. No thank you. Instead he just sat on the floor, watching them from a distance in a not completely conspicuous manner.

 

[noname]

Ryou Hayashi


The spirit yawned as he awoke from his slumber, stretching his arms into the air after he had sat up from the cold stone ground of his-


Ryou blinked and rubbed his eyes before focusing them again.


...Cave.


Where was it? His tails slightly swished from left to right as only a blank canvas of white filled his vision. He patted the ground with his hands, only getting more confused when they ended up grabbing air instead of actually making contact with solid ground. Ryou scratched the back of his head and stood up, not exactly sure if he was floating or standing on land. His senses told him nothing. Literally nothing. His ears heard not a sound besides his only breathing and heartbeat, he smelled no other than his own, he felt nothing, he saw nothing.


Was he finally dead? Had he died in his sleep? He had lived in a cave underground that was centuries old, perhaps it had gave away and collapsed on him. But that was impossible, the Mora forest had such rich features...why would his cave break apart just like that?


As if they were...or whoever was bored watching his quite dull but confused reaction, a voice he couldn't identify filled the space of nothingness, making him yelp out in surprise, "You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!"





Right after the voice disappeared, a solid glass floor and matching walls surrounded him, trapping him inside a transparent room that had been made. With that, something seemed to click in his mind as a fiery wave of anger engulfed his being. His eyes flashed with annoyance as his blank mind was filled with his own thoughts once more.


What the fuck?





Sure, he could deal with not knowing where he was and assuming that he had came to the end of his life. (He had been burned to death before.) But not knowing of his whereabouts AND being trapped in a room he could barely walk around?


Oh, he wasn't going to put up with this. Not even if a voice referred to themselves of the 'Gods'.


....


Gods?


The anger in his eyes melted and was replaced with confusion as the room seemed to fade away, letting the blank nothingness turn into...a surrounding. He started to panic, not believing that he would ever want to return to that void of nothingness. His plead of the word 'wait!' seemed to die out in his throat along with his other questions as the scents of other souls wavered in the air.





An oddly familiar scent hit him first. The being smelled like one of the species he had seen before in the Mora forest..what did they call themselves again? He couldn't quite recall. Other than that, the rest were all seemingly humans. Speaking of the humans, his left ear twitched with interest as one of them smelled like the ocean, another faintly reminded him of the wooden sound maker (of which humans called the piano, but that word never seemed to stick in Ryou's mind) that he enjoyed to listen to, and the other of...it wasn't that strong but he recognized the smell with no mistake..death.


Ryou blinked as he looked around the new environment, scanning at the other souls in the area that his eyes could find. Again, a flicker of annoyance took over his mind when he remembered the voice.


He lived for what, five centuries and all of a sudden he has to participate in trials set up by 'Gods'? Since when did he wish for 'ultimate glory'? And what? He's going to disappoint them if he fails? He didn't even know these so called Gods. If anything, no such 'God' spoke to him ever since he was a little fox cub. Not once. Not even by the Forest. The Forest merely...protected him as long as he did his part.


He sat down on the floor, crossing his arms as his tails swished left and right. Had he failed to protect the Forest? Was that why he was here? What had happened while he was asleep? He couldn't have missed anything, he always made sure to stroll around the forest in a timely manner.


Ryou scowled as his mind overflowed with more questions but not one answer.

 

[Sunbather]

~Catherine Isabelle Ribbet


Catherine prepared her bags. She wasn't too keen on packing a whole lot of stuff as she prefered to travel lightly, but she'd hate to forget anything. Since she was blessed enough to have someone else carry everything for her anyways, she figured one more bag couldn't hurt. As she dragged the last avaible trolley out of her gigantic closet, a strange feeling fulfilled her, almost like a saturated vibration. The hell is wrong with me... She started to breath a little heavy and focused on calming herself, as the feeling started to feel like someone was talking to her, both from around and inside of her.


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'


I... what? Gods? Bullshit... But the feeling was no b.s., no, it was very real and it almost drove her insane. Fine she thought. I'll go whereever, just... ugh... stop this. She felt like she disappeared into herself... into nothingness. As she felt blinded by a burning brightness, she held her arms up to protect her face. She soon felt that the pressure started to subside into a more... normal state of perception. The bright white remained but it was less bottomless, less hopeless. It was like a surgeon's wet dream. "Where am I?" she said out loud. As she slowly took in her surroundings she noticed that the windows seemed to show her the same depressing, vast, white space she felt herself trapped in before. But in here... it was normal. Or so she thought. She soon noticed the distinct creatures around her. Or were they citizens? Ranging from normal looking humans, to elf-like creatures with the brightest haircolors, odd builds and mutations she could only imagine in her wildest of dreams. Are all these... things like me? Challengers? A little shakey and wobbly, she decided to go into the spaceious building and explore it further, hoping someone would explain to her what exactly she was doing here.

 

[Lioness075]

Luness was just walking away fron her pack's campsite with her knapsack on her back and her guitar slung across her chest and resting on top of her knapsack. She had just recovered her gear from her personal tent in the campsite and was now heading back to the city of Branbern, intent on visiting the castle's gardens once more.


If she remembered correctly, she'd caught a glimpse of Kallin out there earlier. She really wanted some alone time...but he'd seemed about as off as she had felt when Ashley, a human, had given birth to her child not but a few minutes ago.


While Luness was more focused on the recent memory that had been triggered upon seeing the newborn child and hearing it crying, she still felt like she should...what? Now that she thought about it, she had no idea what to say to Kallin and for all she knew, he was wanting some alone time as well.


Well, that was a good enough excuse for Luness to decide to have some alone time herself. After all, she hadn't played her guitar in weeks and it was probably in desperate need of a tuning.


Walking through the city, Luness was reminded of how peaceful it was at night. A few candles let out candlelight from inside a few homes and torches were set agaisnt the sides of the streets to light the way for passerbys. Though, with Luness' eyesight, as both a werecat and an Alpha, she had no problem seeing with or without lighting. She didn't activate her Alpha state though, as it'd only be helpful if she were trying to find a person by seeing their heat signature.


She had just arrived at the edge of the gardens when she felt a sudden sensation of floating in water. Surprised and immediately terrified by the feeling, she doesn't know how to swim since she's part cat and all, Luness let out a yowl, but heard nothing coming from her mouth. What the hell?





Suddenly, a voice boomed all around Luness and she couldn't ignore it, as it said, 'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'





Baffled by this loud voice, and by what it announced to her, Luness snarled in response, instantly feeling defensive.


Within mere seconds though, Luness found herself blinking at her new surroundings. What in the world?


She looked around in complete confusion, as she didn't recognize the style of this room, nor did she recognize any of the beings, who she was just now noticing.


Deciding that trying to understand her surroundings would only further confuse her, Luness began looking carefully at everyone in the room. Moving to a more discreet location, with her claws clicking against the smooth floor the whole way, Luness found a wall to lean on, which was away from the other beings in the area.


Looking over the beings though, Luness was confused by their style of clothing and by some of their appearances. Nothing was making any sense and Luness was beginning to feel the aching feeling of loneliness kicking in yet again.


Where was Branbern? Where were her friends? Had something happened to them? Where was her pack?


Luness was becoming increasingly aggitated, as her one good ear flickered in annoyance and she continued to warily eye those around her while she crossed her arms over her chest and hopefully gave off a vibe for nobody to come near her. She didn't know anyone here and so she didn't trust them.


She could smell the scent of fresh blood off of one of the beings on the ground nearby, but she didn't know anyone so she felt no need to look out for them.

 

[Dawnsx]

Humming a little tune to himself, Euli leaned over the counter and watched with his sharp, cat-like eyes as the woman in the clothing shop wandered aimlessly. In the short amount of time that she has been in here, he had already came up with a dozen different combinations of clothings that would make her look absolutely dazzling. Interacting with the customers, however, wasn't part of his job as a cashier, and so he wished in his head that someone would just go and help the poor lady. Eventually, the woman picked up a mini-skirt from the rack and went to up Euli.


"Excuse me, but do you have this in a smaller size?"


Euli smiled brightly at her, overjoyed that she had picked something right for herself. "Of course. I'll look in the back right away. By the way, sweetheart, I think that T-shirt right over there would look absolutely gorgeous with this skirt."





Without waiting for the woman to reply, Euli headed to the back room and opened up a closet. He shoved aside clothes after clothes, struggling to look for the right size for that young lady. Occupied with the task at hand, he didn't notice a stray piece of clothing by his foot until he found himself tumbling head first into the closet, barely catching himself with his natural reflexes.


Euli made a move to straighten himself, but stopped when he felt that something was off. Has it always been this bright inside a closet? And he didn't exactly remember the closet to be white. His ears twitched under the baseball cap on his head, and his entire body stiffened as he slowly looked up to see nothing. White. Blank. Literally nothing around him.


Just as he was about to have a mini-panic session, he heard a voice that was seemingly right next to his ears.


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'


Euli's brows furrowed. Gods? Trials? Challenger? Was he finally losing his mind and hearing things?


Before he could fully comprehend the situation at hand, his surroundings started to change. Windows and walls started to form around him, and he soon found himself in a room... Or rather, something more like a lobby. He blinked rapidly as he tried to take in the new environment that was certainly not unfamiliar, but absolutely terrifying to him. That terror, however, was quickly replaced with a small sense of agitation when he spotted other people nearby. He quickly made sure the baseball cap was still on his head, and the cardigan still tied around his waist. The last thing he wanted was to be chased by Hunters in this unfamiliar place.


After he gathered himself, he took a better look at those people. Many of them wore clothing that he had never seen before, and all logical reasoning flew out the window as he sped up to the small group of people. After giving them each a quick look-through, he nearly couldn't suppress a small squeal from escaping him.





"Oh. My. Goodness. You guys look absolutely stunning. Where in the world did you get that outfit? And- Whoa, what happened?" Euli ceased his babbling only when he noticed the red liquid that seeped out from the white-haired woman's foot. Alert seemed to have found its way back in Euli's head, as he took a small, cautious step back.

 

[Aldur]

There were footsteps. Slow footsteps, but loud and there was a third thump on the floor at the end of the cycle. The hulking figure was pacing towards the Lobby to greet the challengers. Half of his face was concealed by a dark gray cowl revealing only his greenish skin and tusks protruding the corners of his mouth. His body was covered in a ceremonial armor. The attire was barbaric in its own right, something you'd see on perhaps a respected member from a clan of savages. On his right shoulder rested the skull of a horned beast with wicked fangs while his left one was bound in leather. His armbraces had jagged edges and his gloves had hooks made of bones and teeth. The orc's torso was bare save for his abdomen, which was covered by a giant belt adorned by trophies. He wore dark brown trouser with faulds over them. His feet were covered in crude looking greaves. The massive orc was resting his right hand on a battle-axe decorated with feathers and small skulls.


He stopped once he reached the Lobby. The expression on his face emanated anger, disgust. "And I am to be told that you, whelps, were hand-picked by Them? Hmpf! They insult me." the orc scoffed letting the whole room know of his arrival. "A bunch of pups..." he said under his breath. "You better pray you don't make it into the First Round. You're not even worth killing..."


Aldur turned to leave the room when he opened his mouth once more. "You'll be watched and judged. Disappoint and die!" He walked out of the lobby, evidently displeased with what he had seen so far.

 

[Penance]

Dilan was walking home and dragging the carcass of a wasp in one hand and a head of a beetle in the other. He had just killed the two for saying he looked stupid in leather so like someone who's reasonable he punched a hole in one and decapitated the other. It was mostly because he was bored though so it didn't really matter to him. His motto was that whatever someone does out of boredom is justifiable.


He munched on the head while walked "mm crunchy..." He said grinning happily. After a while of walking he arrived at his house with no more dead bodies in his hands. He looked at his home and sighed. It looked like the house that would be in a haunted house. Worn down and old. He kicked open his door and walked in but something was a bit.....different. Everything was white and there was no furniture. 'I dont remember remodeling....' He thought as he looked around curiously and once he did everything was gone and he was in a white room which seemed to go on forever.


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'


Dilan scratched his skull confused until finally a grin grew on his face "excellent....looks like i found my entertainment for a long time...." He laughed amused and cracked his knuckles while looking at everyone else "who should be the first vitcim...?" He mumbled as he thought about it eying everyone down and felt his stomach rumble a bit

 

[noname]

Ryou Hayashi





Ryou sat, staring at some random spot in the distance he didn't really care for, with questions and possible explanation for his current situation floating around his mind. It was then a loud and excited voice burst through his sphere of concentration, making him narrow his eyes as he looked towards the voice for the culprit.


But wait. Ryou blinked stared at the figure who wore red framed glasses and was dressed in the colors similar to the exploding lights that hurt his ears whenever they crackled and exploded in the sky.


It can't be.


Just to make sure, he stood up and made his way to the figure, his feet slightly stomping for he was quite irritated by the confusion that was bottled inside him. He raised an eyebrow as the familiar scent grew stronger and stopped right next to the figure.


He didn't care if everyone else heard him. He just wanted to avoid getting any more pissed off at the lad not hearing him and made sure his voice was loud and clear.


"Hey, Castille."





Not waiting for any response or even for the being to turn to look at him, Ryou reached out and grabbed at the lad's shirt collar. His grip was firm and his knuckles turned pale at the amount of force he put in from his anger, despite their height difference (not that he cared..too much). With his eyes glowering at the lad's.





"Listen, we're both from the same place and I don't think you'll like it if I pick on you when we get a chance to return so I want answers about this ridiculous situation, right now."





( @Dawnsx with granted permission)

 

[StoneWolf18]

Slowly moving through the dense foliage of the Forest Kingdom, Feleana had been stalking this young buck for quite awhile. One usually never finds a ripe one due to all the dragons about. Unstringing her bow from her back, she slowly knocked an arrow, and took aim. Yet, as soon as she did, something spooked the deer. Startled it turned and attempted to flee. Giving a quiet snarl, Fel returned her bow to her back and gave chase. She dodged trees and vaulted over fallen logs with ease, all while staying silent. This wasn't the first time her prey had gotten away, and she hopped it would be that last as well.


A while later, as she neared a clearing where the buck had finally calmed, Fel halted. Once more she knocked an arrow and slowly took aim. Twisting her muzzle into a grin, she loosed the arrow. Miss. As it stuck in a nearby tree with a hard thwack, the buck ran once more. Fel rarely missed a shot, especially on still targets. Her eyes narrowing, she slipped her bow on once more and continued to chase. Yet as she was running, she somehow tripped on a hidden branch. Rolling to a stop on the forest floor, Fel quickly checked her bow, Sang, Oz, and cloak for any damage. Thankfully none. She was about to stand, when a voice sounded:


'You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!'


She immediately took her bow, and flipped her hood up. Standing with her back to the tree, she asked herself 'Gods? Peh, why kind of games are they playing...' Yet before she could contemplate it any further, a blinding light was shown. Shielding her sensitive eyes to the harsh light, it soon faded to what seemed to be a...building? She pulled her cloak tight, concealing mostly everything. Her hood hid her face, yet she could easily see the others dotting the room. Tightening her grip on her bow, she remained silent. Everything in this room was...strange. Fel obviously didn't know what she was doing, so she just stayed put, hopping it would soon become clear.

 

[spectro]

Alec


Great Devils Above

Alec sat at Count Dracula's table, wiping his mouth with his napkin that was spread across his knee, and looked up. Before he could compliment the chef, or rather, the victim, Alec felt a great whiteness surround him, as he was entrapped in some strange middle world. Startling him, a voice spoke from this cloudless sky, and he looked up and around, searching for a source. He wasn't exactly concentrating on this voice until he had let the words soak in. "Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger." He tuned in. What did he have to do? He wasn't quite sure. Should he ask, or would that sound impossibly rude? "Excuse me, could you repeat that?" He spoke, his voice shaking. No one replied. Oh well, Alec thought. It wouldn't be too harsh a punishment if he lost; not that he fully understood what he was doing, but he was certain to lose. Unless these tasks were to create the next revolutionary invention made from horses hair and frogs eyeballs, then of course he would win!


Before Alec could gather these new strange surrounding, he was tossed into yet another unfamiliar landscape. He fell straight onto his back onto a hard floor that caused pain to shoot through his body. "Bloody hell!" He yelled, jolting upright and pressing his hands into the lower half of his spine. He jumped to his feet and let his eyes roll over the things that were before him. It was sort of like a print works, but a whole lot more terrifying. Things buzzed and beeped and there were people falling around next to him. In front of him, there was an alien machine; blue in colour and filled with a sort of liquid. It seemed that someone was depositing this liquid into a cup and; by God! He's drinking it. Alec began to feel quite faint. He moved to the left; to escape, but found himself faced with a large man with an even larger sword ( @Prizzy Kriyze ). He made a dreadful squealing noise, before turning around and making a run for it once more.


Before he had got far, he was faced with a cat man; with yellow eyes and ears poking from his head ( @Aiakaos ). It was then that he began to regret being an unreligious man all of his life. "Back demon!" He yelped and held his hands out in the formation of a cross. He backed up and bumped into something, he turned and saw that it was the alien liquid dispenser. He felt something stick to his leg, and he realised that the liquid must have leaked onto his skin. "It burns!" He yelled, and began to remove his dress pants. Before he knew it, he was stood in the middle of this hellish room with his pants around his ankles and his hands around him, hugging himself. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted.
​

 

[noname]

Ryou Hayashi





Ryou blinked when a word rang into his ears.





He looked towards the new voice, his eyes still flickering with the same glowering annoyance. It only took the suited man's action of forming some sort of...defense stance against him that helped Ryou not to lash out. If he wasn't angered about how he was practically forced into this unknown location, he would've let out a laugh at the man's tactic, but his negative emotions remained while curiosity was only added to them.


The spirit stared as the man cried out again as drinks from a dispenser spilled on him. Ryou's ear twitched as his nose caught the liquid's scent.


Was that...food?





Almost immediately, he let go of the Castille lad's shirt collar muttering, "I'll get back to you later."


Taking one step then another away from the lad he had held onto, Ryou blinked as he smelled the oddly yet familiar scent again. He stared down at the man as he stood next to where he collapsed and crouched down, slightly tilting his head as he studied the new lad.





Again, he smelled just faintly similar to the species he had seen before at Mora...only this time he could barely grasp what their kind was called.


"Oh, a bloodsucker. Vampires, were they called?"


Ryou couldn't help but give a small smirk as he recalled what the being had referred him as. It had been years since he had heard being called such a term. He didn't mind, he quite liked such a title. It gave off a feeling of...power and significance.


He waved a hand over the lad's face. "Wake up buddy, you aren't going to make it very far if you have a habit of fainting everywhere."





( @SpectroVector )

 

[StoneWolf18]

With a roll of her eyes, Fel muttered "Am I really fighting these morons?" Though still tense, she walked around a bit, the floor made of of an odd material felling odd on her paws. After studying her surroundings a bit, she turned to the people in the room. First the guy that fainted. More of an embarrassment then a challenge really, Fel would make quick work of him. Then the one above him who had ears poking from he's head and reeked of fox. Stuck up, thinks to highly of himself. She made sure to never lick his boots. Then, her eyes turned to at first what she thought to be a mekett. Once again, another who thinks to highly of themself while killing unarmed people most likely. Simple. Then there was a guy with pink hair...yeah... He had a feline scent to him yet Fel could see him playing with a ball of yarn, not fighting. Not wanting to disgust herself anymore with the so called "foes" Feleana made her way over the nearest wall. Leaning against it, she continued to amuse herself watching the other, clumsy beings. She knew not to get too lax with them, they were still a threat.


@Penance @Dawnsx @Aiakos @SpectroVector


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Wizard]

Fredrick was taken back as more individuals came from the white void like a flowing river it didn't show signs of stopping as the lobby became crowded. While it wasn't uncommon to see species other than humans it was still a sight to see creatures he had never seen before. What form of country did they come from and why now did they suddenly appear? Questions ran through his head as Fredrick still held that he was in Vequan, but with each new arrival a tug in his chest left him worried. Recalling the voice and ominous white void the young man couldn't help but start to have doubts.


Before Fredrick could think further though a splash of vibrant colors and a curious voice broke him from his concentration. The red framed individual looked young and exceptionally curious. Unsure how to react Fredrick simply bowed his head slightly when the individual inquired about their attire. Looking over the strangers attire he couldn't help but wonder if the question should be reversed. "Its my families colors...was made by the tailor on one of our islands." trying hard to hold a conversation among the confusion. Gazing at the woman once more briefly he assured himself she would be okay unknown to her silence. Another figured had approached the pink haired individual almost agitated and direct they had pulled for questions that everyone was wondering. Before Fredrick could inquire as well then individual left seeking another who had passed from the void. "Guess this isn't Vequan after all...and it sure can't be a dream with such unique individuals..." gripping his violin as he attempted to gauge the situation further now worried for his mother and where exactly he was dragged into.

 

[Dawnsx]

Euli's eyes lit up at the bespectacled man's reply. Perhaps he should find a tailor as well who can make clothes as wondrous as that of these people. Just as he was about to inquire more about his outfit, he felt a harsh tug at his collar and staggered when he was pulled backwards. Euli craned his neck to look at whoever had decided to treat him as roughly as this, and was met with the sight of a small man with fox ears atop of his head.


A fox spirit? What could he possibly be thinking, exposing himself like this?


He blinked in confusion at the sudden demand for answers. To what? What situation? When they get a chance to get back? He recalled the voice that he had heard, saying something about being chosen. Could it be that... They weren't in Castille?


Suddenly, the grip at his collar loosened, and the fox spirit left him to speak to another man. Euli looked at the green-haired man, then glanced around the building. Almost immediately, he realized that he indeed wasn't in Castille anymore. There were those that he has never encountered before, and foreign scents lingered about in the air. Euli hesitantly turned back to the bespectacled man.


"I'm guessing we'll be stuck here for a while then..." Euli sighed, before smiling wearily. "I'm Euli, by the way. Might as well get acquainted while we're here."

 

[The Wizard]

Fredrick took to the individual's earnest greeting at the very least it was someone willing to communicate which based on the current atmosphere was better than nothing. Putting his bow between his fingers he let it rest gently upon his violin. Extending his hand out the young man smiled back "Salutations Euli, I am Fredrick Reiss son of the Duke of Isles."


He tried his best to be formal as his parents had taught him but the words did feel out of place leaving him to turn red in the cheek from the embarrassment. Old habits like this where hard to break but at least it broke the ice between strangers if nothing more. "By chance where you part of an entertainment act for the Festival?" fishing for answers on who or possible what was going on in this unique environment.


Still concerned for his mother's where about it was safe to say at least that it wasn't a targeted kidnapping and with that luminous voice before it seemed whatever was pulling the strings was seeking entertainment from those selected. Part of Fredrick's thoughts recalled the arena but surely it was nothing more than a sport like the jousts held in court...right?

 

[Nenma Takashi]

Haru woke up he was face down on the floor of a strange room he wasn't the only one in the room. "Hmmm." The last thing he remembered was trainning on the ship, then he saw a white light, then here he was. "Now where is here?" He asked aloud scratching the back of his head. "It looks fancy." He didn't really have a grasp of the word fancy butmit was better then his room. Then again that wasn't really hard to top. "Maybe I should ask around?" He figured he should know where and what he was doing here first.

 

[Rambi]

Darkness in a dream, it was her nightmare; thus her fear was just that, that of the black. For this was her faith, every night without a dream was a horror, not a wraith, nor the death of a mate, but of the oil which coated her vision and face. Alice now laid there for what she remembered, on a makeshift bed. Plastic bags stuffed with cloth to let cushion her body from a hard surface of concrete upon a roof, which entrance was locked with a hatch and padlock. Struggling to sleep underneath a rectangular tent of rebar and tarpaulin, she writhed back and forth as usual, knowing she did by how it normally looked in the mornings.


However this night was different, she saw a light. And the light, it was sure as heck very bright. Even though it was tiny, the asleep scavenger from an unpleasant world saw it as hope. Shining as it was, she walked towards it squinted, and stretched out an arm to reach it. Amazed, or rather hypnotised; Alice made contact with the strange feature in the darkness of her dream, or atleast that was she thought it still was. When the skin of her palm met the light, it exploded.


From the singularity of light came the white, so quickly that the girl's eyes could not adjust. Taking her wrist of the arm previously reaching forth, to cover her eyes whilst she shut them; what was odd to her was that, she has never had that reaction in a dream. Light and dark would not affect her senses, but here, it did. The surreal feeling came over her, and only was pushed to the side when something else caught her attention, with the same influence as of a thunder.


"You have been chosen by the Gods to participate in an almighty set of trials.


Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us.


Good luck, challenger!"


Disoriented, Alice looked left and right in a void of white, whilst the supposed 'Gods' or a representative for them spoke to her. Shocked both the visual and auditory senses, she listened closely to the message. As soon as it ended, she saw the white fade away around her. Instead now, a cage made of glass with not a single scratch, or mud spot surrounded her. Walking up to its vertical surface, she let each hand land onto this.


The cold touch of the smooth contact felt unreal, much like the view she was looking out through the glass to see. An apartment, clean as the sky was bright with the white surfaces more polished than that of a zone soldier's shoe. The glass soon disappeared, and the girl found herself by the side of an entrance. Looking around the apartment lobby, not so much confused as amazed. Alice spotted a few strange creatures, like that of a werecat, amongst humans like herself. Awkwardly, she looked behind herself before sitting down onto a clean bench, rather unused to the spotless environment.

 

[SilverBlack]

Unclear faces, unclear surroundings, unclear voices.


He found himself in the center of somewhere, somewhere completely blurry. He felt confused, with no idea of what's going on. Yet, a thought seemed firm in his mind, and it's something...Something about competing.....


Competing?


Leo Cainez blinked his eyes open, discovering himself laying on a soft white bed inside a warm little room. He remained there for a moment, his mind still confused on what just happened. It's a type of dream he has never had before--strange and unfamiliar, a dream in which he seemed to know what he's doing, yet at the same time he has no idea of what's going on. Pieces of the dream still wandered around in his mind, and he tried to collect them all, to recall what exactly happened. Yet, not much of anything came across his mind, except the strong sense that he's aiming for something, and a weird thought that the dream is trying to send him a message, as if to foretell that something is going to happen soon.


Such ideas caused him to frown, and a light sigh slightly escaping his mouth. It's just a dream, maybe it's nothing important. People do have...Unique dreams sometimes, don't they? He nodded to himself, persuaded, deciding to not think about it anymore. With that, he sat up from his bed, rubbing his eyes gently, letting the sunshine shone into the room from the several numbers of window, shining against his short, silver white hair, making his yellow eyes glow.


He's in a new town that he found himself stepping into just one day ago. With enough money, he purchased to spend a night at a cheap little inn within the town. Despite being cheap, the rooms are nice. Just small enough for Leo, and his dear little fox Eldo. Everyday has been the same--the routine never changed. To explore new places, to earn money, and to find somewhere to sleep at night. Perhaps Leo is beginning to get tired from this lifestyle, perhaps he wants to try something new. Maybe that's why he has that strange, mysterious dream.


Wondering, his hand reached down to pet his tiny pet fox as a habit, which would always sleeps next to him. Yet, he found himself only touching the empty bed. With a frown, he looked to his side, discovering that Eldo is not there.


"...Eldo?" He called out, with no response. Immediately looking around his room, he found nothing particularly eye-catchy, nor could he find his tiny accompany. A sense of panic kicked him, for it is unusual, way too unusual, for this to happen. Eldo is always with him, not leaving on his own without his permission. He crawled out of bed, standing up with his bare feet, scanning around the room. "Eldo, where are you?"


Where exactly could he have gone?


Then, as if answering his question, a loud voice suddenly resounded in his mind. A voice that is not his own, a voice he has never heard before.


"You've been chosen by the Gods to participate in an Almighty set of trials. Win, and you will earn the ultimate glory. Lose, and you will disappoint us. Good luck, challenger!"


Leo's eyes widened slightly, not knowing who the source of the voice is. He found himself unable to move by the words, as if some sort of magical power has caused him to be frozen in place.


And then, from all the windows, and all the little gaps between the walls and dooe, a strong, white light kicked in, so bright it blinded him, and so powerful it not only enveloped him, but he found his consciousness wavering. He tried to fight back, but he couldn't, this light is too strong and too powerful, and before he knew it...His vision turned black.


By the time he woke up again, he found himself standing in a place completely unfamiliar. What surrounded him are people in weird clothes, and building structured in a ridiculous way. Leo stood there, completely at lost, until a familiar yelp called out from behind him. He turned around to find his little fox staring up at him, its eyes almost watery.


"Eldo," he muttered immediately, lifting up the fox and letting it cuddled itself against his neck as he let out a sigh of relief. At least he found his fox.


So this is the place the fox has been brought to...Did it accidentally reached here in the same way he did? Who's that voice? What's going on...


Leo has never been in such a strange place before, people with weird fashion senses and different forms. He found himself already wearing his outdoor clothes, his face mask and daggers just within reach as usual. How exactly did he get here, he has no idea. Perhaps he should do some exploring first, perhaps this is just another...Unique town.


Thinking so, he's about to step one step out when suddenly, his fox looked straight in a direction and let out its little sharp yelp.


Leo halted, then glanced at his fox. "What is it?"


Eldo called out again, louder this time, and its tail began to wave in excitement. The lad looked in its direction to discover a young man standing there, with seemingly another few people around him. He blinked, wondering how it got Eldo's attention so much, before his eyebrows rose.


Who is that unexpectedly short person with fox ears and tail?


Before Leo could stop it, Eldo jumped off from his shoulder and ran toward the lad. With a mighty jump, it found its way up to the young man's face and snuggled its head against his cheek, not caring if he's in the middle of a conversation or whatsoever. Seeing it, Leo hurried over, and grabbed the fox down. His expression remained blank, slough it did show a sign of apology.


"Excuse me," he said in his light, soft voice, studying at the mysterious being in front of him at the same time. He has never seen someone like him before, whose fox ears and tail don't seem fake at all as it twitched. Does that mean...Its's natural? The legendary fox spirit he has never seen before, but read about it in books? But why so short? He could almost call him...a fox dwarf.


Well, Felonia, his guardian in his forest, has always called short people dwarves, so it won't be weird, plus the fact that he's a fox spirit. Fox Dwarf would be a nice combination, a wonderful nickname, right?


Perhaps this is why Eldo is so interested in him--a fox spirit. A little too short, but still a fox spirit. As if to prove his point, Eldo let out a happy little yelp, which somehow delighted Leo as well.