001

[azuredemonic]

[At first, there's nothing but the sound of a book being quietly opened, and the light flipping of pages. Flip. Flip. Flip. Far too close to one another for any page to be properly read.

And then stops. And after a period of silence, a tired, mirthless couple of chuckles are quickly transcribed and transmitted through the pages]

To think, the denizens of Hell would go to such lengths to receive me. Such lavish furnishings do not fit the Demon Realm. And that does not even broach the subject of this book, the inane little gimmick it is. [Despite his words, there is absolutely no humor in his tone.]

I demand an explanation. If not from the scum that chose to snatch me away, then from those that fill this book with utter nonsense and idiocy. And I will only say this once, and you should be thankful for it.

I am in no mood for games. Think to play one with me, and I will see to it you do not live to regret it.

Don't keep me waiting.

[And the book snaps shut]

Comments

[heloise]

But this is not Hell. It is paradise.

FINALLY

[heal_theworld]

...Vergil?! [She looked for him when she came back from Paris, and eventually figured out that he must have gone home. But now...he's back again?]

[azuredemonic]

So far, it is a sham of both. And that does little to explain anything.

SORRY FOOD WAS LATE

[azuredemonic]

[...Okay, what? He's just gonna look at the book for a moment. Yup. That's definitely his name. Spoken by a voice he does not recognize.]

And you are?

RIIIIGHT.

[heal_theworld]

Oh! [A part of her figured he'd just ignore her.] I'm Martel Yggdrasill.

[heloise]

Some things are beyond explanation.

[azuredemonic]

Let us both hope this is not one such thing.

/sob

[azuredemonic]

I do not recognize that name.

[heal_theworld]

You probably don't. See...I knew you when you were here before. [He probably has no idea where here is, though.] You're in Paradisa.

[azuredemonic]

You knew me from when I was here...last?

I believe I had talked about the matter of games, and my feelings towards them.

[heal_theworld]

You were. It's rather hard to explain. [But she knows she has to explain it.] This Castle is alive and it takes people from their worlds and drops them here. Sometimes they stay for a long time and sometimes they don't. Then it returns them from where they came from. But sometimes it brings them back without their memories of what happened before in Paradisa. Sometimes... they come back with their memories, too. But that's only happened a few times.

So...I knew you when you were here before.

[azuredemonic]

You realize how absurd that sounds, yes? [Give him a second. Just one. He's going to try and decide whether or not he feels like he's being led about like a fool.]

And if I were to show what you just said to another person, they would be able to vouch for what you claim?

[heal_theworld]

Yes, completely. I'm actually one of the people who came back with my memories. The Castle made me live in a Earth city called Paris for three years, and I forgot everything about myself and thought I had lived there my entire life. Until just a few weeks ago. [She is using her best sincere voice, Vergil. Believe her.]

[azuredemonic]

[This is hands down the stupidest thing he's ever heard. Of all time]

This place, this...Paradisa. If it can do that, surely it is capable of much more. Describe this place to me. [At the least, he'll see if you are of any use before deciding what to think]

[heal_theworld]

Well, when you get here it takes something from you on arrival. I'm not quite sure what it's taken from you. You might not even know. The journals are how people communicate with each other, just like how we're doing right now. It does things to people, temporary things, like turn people into cats and other stuff. Sometimes it's harmless. Sometimes it's...not.

...It also didn't let the sun rise on Friday and made all the lights go out.

[azuredemonic]

It...takes something?

[That is news to him, and he is going to be rather thorough in checking his person to ensure he has everything on him. He hears the rest of what she is talking about, filing it away under the same nonsense as this Paris business.]

I am not lacking anything.

[heal_theworld]

It doesn't have to be something physical. It can be memories, or a behavior.

[ino]

[YOU AGAIN ...... 8(

this is. well. sufficiently awkward, shall we say! she's not really in the mood to get tossed around, even if the journal did wipe so he'll have a far more difficult time reading back. but just in case, she's going to write instead of speak. less easy to be tracked that way, since she rarely writes in the journal]

There's an explanation for it, but the question is whether or not you'll actually believe it.

[azuredemonic]

[Skeptical...skeptical]

As of yet, you have told me nothing that I can properly prove for myself. Am I to believe everything without question?

[azuredemonic]

[...Seeing as everyone else has been dictating up until this point, he almost misses this one as something he had already heard at some junction. But now... that he reads it]

Should I assume it is as outlandish and foolhardy as the one I've already received. Of curses, and taken things, of past trips before remembered and forgotten, and places like Paris and the such?

[heal_theworld]

Well, you either believe me, or you don't, Vergil. I can't make you believe anything you don't want to. ...But if you don't believe anything I've said, then how do I know your name?

[ino]

That's the one. Tried and true for a little over five years, now.

[azuredemonic]

[Hm. Now that's an interesting point]

There is another way. Does the name Dante mean anything to you?

[azuredemonic]

Then it is not hard to imagine why one would have such difficulty believing as much.

[heal_theworld]

...Dante? No. [If Vergil mentioned a Dante to her, she doesn't remember.]