paradisa | Duel 01 [Written -> Dictated]

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utena tenjou

Duel 01 [Written -> Dictated]

So, we're supposed to write in these if we want to talk to someone, right? Just like a real journal. Or...

[Wait, no eraser. She quickly scribbles out the “Or...”. ~~Or...~~. Good enough. Soon, she begins to talk]

Or I guess we can just talk to them. It's weird, I don't see a microphone, or anything like that-anyway, that's not important. The important thing is...

[breathes in]

What is this place? And how on earth did we get here? Look, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the help and all, but waking up in some fairy tale castle? Just a little bit creepy, if you ask me. If anyone can tell me what's going on, or anything at all... I'd owe you one.

[OOC: I'll be heading to bed at around 12:30 AM EST. If I can't get to tags tonight, I'll get to them tomorrow evening]

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You've had a part of your soul eaten, and the castle is just waiting to slowly gobble the rest up.

Very funny. Seriously, what's really going on around here?

You don't believe me? There are stranger things.

I was telling you the truth, as you'll soon find out. Then you'll have to remember that you now owe me.

Hrk-

[On the one hand, after talking to Jane... well, he's right. Sort of. She's not sure about the "soul eating" part, but the castle does feed on people. On the other hand, he's just so smug that she can't stand it! "You owe me"? Just who does he think he is?!]

Okay, fine. I've been talking to some people, and - they didn't call it soul eating, but they told me all about this place. So... I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously. But if you're waiting for some kind of payback, well, sorry, but you've got another thing coming.

[There. Credit where credit is due, but she's not going to feed his ego]

You said it yourself. "I'd owe you one." Or does it not qualify anymore if others agree with you?

So, is that the only reason you answered me? To squeeze a favor out?

[Though, he does have a point: she did say that. But she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction right now.]

Of course not. You shouldn't make such negative assumptions. The castle feeds on that, after all...

...

[He's toying with her, she just knows it. But... the castle feeds on emotions, right? Maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt. Or, at the very least, she can try to be civil. Key word being: try]

...alright, fine. But, why did you drop by, anyway? Do you give every newcomer that warning?

No. But I'm not doing anything else right now.

I remember wondering about microphones when I got here, too! But no, there aren't any. The popular consensus is that it's all done by magic.

Oh, gosh, I'm sorry! I rambled. This place is called Paradisa.

Magic? But that...

[Can't be? Really? Honestly, is a magic book really any weirder than anything else she's been through? She sighs, collecting her thoughts]

...that's not exactly what I expected. Anyway, you don't have to apologize - like I said, anything helps. But...Paradisa's this entire castle, right? Do you know anything else about this place?

I know some things. I would like to know everything, though.

When you get to the brass tacks, Paradisa is a castle with a mind of its own. It takes people from other worlds and makes them live here, feeding off of their emotions and tossing them into crazy situations.

[A pause.] Geez, you live here for nearly a year and you get so used to saying such things...

So, nobody's in charge, it's the castle that's running the show. That's... geeze, it sounds nuts even just thinking about it. But-

[pauses, steeling herself]

This...okay, I guess it won't sound any weirder than a magic castle, but some other guy was telling me some pretty out there stuff. Something about how the castle stole a part of our souls, and was just waiting to suck out more. Do you... do you think he was talking about emotions?

[As for the other worlds...well, all of this is a lot to take in, and she hasn't fully processed that part yet. She'll get back to it, just give her a minute]

Pretty sure that's it. And it is crazy.

I know it's not really what someone wants to hear when they find themselves in a strange place, but it's as much truth as we have. If there's a man behind a curtain somewhere, nobody's found him.

Edited 2013-04-09 00:26 (UTC)

Still... even if they aren't around anymore, somebody must be responsible for this place. I mean, even if it's magic, castles just don't pop out of nowhere, right?

[Huffs to herself]

But, I guess if we don't know anything... well, then we don't know anything. Though- hey, what kind of people do they bring here, exactly? You said they all come from different worl...

[Pause]

[Wait for it]

[Waaait for it]

-wait, what do you mean, different worlds?! Like... different planets, and things like that?

[Is...is this some kind of weird sci-fi story? Geeze, this really is too much...!]

Edited (html fail) 2013-04-09 00:34 (UTC)

I certainly don't doubt that there may have been a somebody involved in putting it here.

Hoo hoo! I meant exactly what I said, other worlds! There are oodles of people from Earth, but there seem to be many different Earths with just as many differences as similarities! Not to mention all the folks from places I've never heard of altogether. As for the type of people, the castle can pretty much bring anyone here. At least, I think so.

This is...god, I don't even know what to say! All of this- it just sounds like some kind of messed up storybook, or movie, or-or something. Like something you read about, or watch on TV, but don't actually...live through, you know? It's...how do you even get used to something like this, anyway?

You don't really get used to it! Not entirely, anyway. But I've been here a while, it's had more than enough time to sink in.

I'm really sorry to dump it all on you on your first day, Miss...?

No, no, it's fine. I mean, I'm going to find out about all this sooner or later, right? So, I might as well find out everything I can now. It's not easy, but- well, it's a lot better than going around knowing nothing, if you ask me.

Anyway, sorry for going on like that. My name's Utena Tenjou. What's yours?

Edited 2013-04-09 01:53 (UTC)

I still feel sort of bad. I need to find a better way to tell all this to people.

It's alright! My name is Jane Crocker. It's nice to meet you, Utena!

It's nice to meet you, too. And, well, I'm not sure if there really is a nice way to tell someone about this. I mean, no matter how much you try to sugarcoat it, you're still stuck here. But... thanks for explaining things to me. Like I said, it really is better than knowing nothing. So! Is there anything else I should know about Fort Paradisa?

Hm, let me think...well, you can make wishes here, and the castle grants them. I don't think it can give people very big things or destructive things, though.

There are also losses. The castle takes something from you when you arrive, like an item or a memory, or in my case a skill, and it keeps it. If it decides to send you home, though, you get it back, and you don't remember your time in Paradisa at all.

[Memories...? That explains, well, almost everything. Utena hesitates to express her thoughts out loud, though. What she does still remember from home is too much to share with anyone]

So...these losses, is there any way to get them back? Any way at all? Like, I don't know, maybe wish for them back or something.

[She expects that the answer is "no". But, even if she only has a one-in-a-million chance to get back what she lost, she can't give up hope completely.]

[That's completely understandable. Losses and home baggage are't fun at all.]

...Not to make light of it by being particularly punny, but gosh, do I wish.

I've heard the castle can change them, but it doesn't happen to everybody, nor does it happen regularly.

So, it can be changed, but only if the castle feels like it. Do you know if they did anything to change Paradisa's mind, or is it all just chance?

[Granted, trading one memory for another isn't exactly the best deal. But, it doesn't hurt to know your options, right?]

I am almost completely certain it is up to the will of the castle. If anything, it hinders us more than helps us.

That sounds like a running theme around here. [not even going to bother asking about how to get home - she gets the feeling that the answer will be more of the same]

There's just one more thing. Is there an actual world outside of this castle, or are we stuck here for good?

Oh, yes! There is an awful lot to explore out there - a town, for starters, and then so much more beyond it! Nobody here has even seen all there is to see yet!

Huh! [Now that cheers her up a bit!] And the town, what's that like? Is it full of people like us? Or have they always been there?

[She can tell!] There are some people there who moved out of the castle to live there, but as far as I know everyone else has always been there, and it's sort of a quaint place. It's not too long a walk from the castle, actually.

I'll have to check it out later, then. But first, I think I want to poke around the castle a bit more. Anyway, thanks for telling me about that place. Is there anything I need to watch out for, though? The last thing I need is to make a bad first impression on the locals.

Hmm...nothing that comes to mind. I'm sure if you just be yourself, you should be fine!

Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I think I'm okay now, and- well, I'm not sure how much help I'll be right now, but if you need anything, anything at all, feel free to ask. It's the least I can do for putting up with all my questions.

You don't have to worry about that! I didn't mind answering them at all. If anything, you should ask me if you need help with anything.

I'm fine right now, but if anything comes up, I'll get in touch. Anyway, I should get going now - this castle's not going to explore itself, you know. Take care, alright?

Okay! Have fun, and thanks! You take care, too.

Nobody here but us chickens. Buck buck buck. In our chicken pen called Paradisa.

[She knows he's just joking around, but that doesn't really help her mood. The way he's talking makes it seem like they're stuck here.]

Yeah, it sounds like a real great place. [not] But if we're the chickens, then who's the farmer? I mean, someone's gotta be running this place, right?

Oh, it's grand. Apparently the Easter Bunny was here and everything.

Vague mysterious forces. Or magic. Yeah, I don't really like it, either. That's my explanation for everything that happened- wizard did it.

So it's all a bunch of mysterious mumbo-jumbo, huh? You're the second person to say that - though, according to her, there isn't even a wizard to blame for this mess. Apparently the castle's got a mind of its own, and it's invited us all to dinner. But, hey, you said the Easter Bunny dropped by, right? Maybe this means we'll get a visit from jolly old St. Nick. A nice breakout would be the perfect Christmas present, don't you think?

[Joking, joking. Everyone knows that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus aren't real, right? Right.]

Edited 2013-04-09 22:57 (UTC)

I haven't seen Santa yet, but it really wouldn't surprise me. And I'm not sure if it was the actual bunny's doing, but we had eggs on Easter all the same. See, the castle likes to do things for us in exchange for kidnapping us. How kind of it, eh?

Yeah, yeah, it's very generous. Though, stuff doesn't really come free around here, does it? I mean... you know about the losses, right? How the castle takes something from you? Like memories, or skills, or things like that.

Oh, do I ever. I lost my ability to drink coffee. So there's a lot of give and take on both sides.

It... [she tries to hold back a laugh, and succeeds, mostly.]

I guess the castle takes away something important from everyone, huh? I hope it hasn't been too hard on you.

[Utena does feel bad for almost laughing at him, really. It wasn't even that funny! But after the kidnapping and memory loss and finding out that she's trapped in the middle of the sci-fi/fantasy adventure from hell... well, the stress had to break somehow. And as it turned out, it was courtesy of a man who had to make the greatest sacrifice of all: his morning coffee.]

I've grown to quite like tea as a substitute. It's just not the same, though. Kinda ridiculous thing to take away when you think about it, on the other hand- I coulda got off a lot worse.

[And hey, he's learned to laugh about it by now, too.]

So, no complaints there, I guess. But you're right, it is kind of silly. If I didn't know better, I'd say the castle was playing a joke on you, or something like that.

I've heard that's its nature, yes. It likes to play with its toys.

Ugh, you didn't have to put it like that. It makes the whole place sound like one big, demented dollhouse. Though... [shakes her head] I guess, depending on who you ask, that's what the castle is. It doesn't make it any easier to swallow, though.

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Duel 01 [Written -> Dictated]

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