[ Arya knew they were to cross into the Dead Zone today. Remembering how it felt last time, she was determined to not let it affect her now. She'd mounted Aemon (the unicorn she had found, named and subsequently claimed for herself) and set off at a light pace. Nymeria still eyed the unicorn as prey, but she had not tried to eat him yet. Arya was grateful. The direwolf followed after them, panting happily for once.
When Aemon brings them into the Dead Zone, it feels like having a part of her abruptly severed. A limb perhaps. Her heart. There is no pain yet the feeling cuts deeper than even pain. Arya gasps. She stumbles, but her dancing master taught her balance in another world, so she manages to grab Aemon's neck and stays on.
Still outside the Dead Zone, Nymeria yelps. The wolf circles desperately, ears flat against her head and eyes wild. Her tail is tucked under. Righting herself on the saddle, Arya calls to her. ]
Nymeria, to me. To me!
[ The direwolf doesn't come. Too distressed. She looks in pain. Arya jumps off and runs to her before Nymeria hurts herself or someone else. The moment she is out as well both relax. The direwolf bounds to her and hides her face against Arya's stomach. ]
It's fine. It's all right, Nymeria. There's nothing to be scared of. You've been in there before.
[Okay after he finished his own happy moment, he'll notice Arya on the other side of the group. He's fast approaching because MISSY WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE B( ]
[oh no, Colette can't help but see Nymeria having a bad time of it from the corner of her eye. And while direwolfs aren't really puppies... well, they're close enough in Colette's eyes. When Arya comforts her Colette chimes in to check...]
[the border itself isn't that strange. it reminds him a little of the Grid, before he and Flynn started building. he glances around, then starts across with everyone else.
then it starts. a strange, slow, crawling feeling. anyone nearby will find it pretty hard to miss.... the black pixels that make up CLU's body armor, gloves, and boots start to fade and flake away, like dried paint crackling and falling off of an old board. his golden circuits gutter, then fade entirely, the ghosts of theory tracks sliding out of sight like a disappearing watermark. and in their place, veins start to thread their way through his skin. sensation starts to replace simple data input, and he's aware of the heat of the sun, the smell of the grass...
and yes, he's too busy studying the veins on the underside of his wrist to realize one important detail:
he's stark naked. yeah, have fun reacting to this one.]
[Zelos's eyes also widen at that. Because okay what the frick just happened. WHo heard of magical clothes that disappeared like that? After a second, he finally comes up with what to say.]
...Man, I hope you packed spares, 'cause you're gonna get cold.
yeah Aradia's a ways off, but she notices anyway. come to think of it, she'd never found out what happened to program people when they went into the Dead Zone, and it's... good that he didn't de-rezz or whatever they call it?
but yeah she doesn't want to stare at jeff bridges' ass any more than the next thirteen-year-old girl so just gonna let other people help him with that skafjls]
[Yeah, while all you guys are having shock and awe moments- once Zelos gets over the momentary shock of losing your powers and enhanced senses? So being filled with elation and pumping his fist in the air and shouts very happily.]
[Have one dazed ninja astride her mare, wide-eyed with shock as she feels the effects of the DZ on her abilities. Unfortunately, for Zelos, it does nothing to dull her reaction to his outburst.]
What the hell are you so cheerful about?
[She hasn't quite realized she's like the others in her village who shunned her yet...]
[Yuan grimaces sourly as they cross the border into the Dead Zone, instantly feeling his connection to mana torn away. He wishes the feeling wasn't so familiar, but he knows all too well how it is. He'll be off-balance for the next couple of hours, grouchy and snappish for the next couple of days, and then adjust entirely for the duration, except for the occasional twinges of absence when he tries to reach for a sense or a power that simply isn't there.
Surely the first-timers have it worse, but that knowledge doesn't make sudden mana-blindness any less unpleasant.]
[Danny blanches and stumbles as he steps into the dead zone. One step he was normal.
...Okay, normal for him.
The next? He nearly tripped over his own feet as he felt the familiar cold chill in his center vanish. Suddenly he felt heavy and clumsy, like he had those few times when his powers had been shorted out. But this was worse. Much worse.
[For Aradia it's not so bad, partly in that she already knows what to expect, and partly from the line ahead of her at which most everyone seems to stumble. On reaching it herself, she feels that slight dropping sensation, the weak yank backwards, the brief disorientation as her powers and levels and inventory all fall away and she no longer knows exactly what time it is.
But she's braced herself for it, and recovers almost seamlessly this time. From the corner of her eye, she spots Danny stumbling nearby and scampers over to him through the grass to help.]
It's weird at first, but you get used to it. You okay there?
[ Well things seemed fine at first, just a nice leisurely stroll into this place everyone was calling the Dead Zone. It wasn't nearly as bad as the name seemed to imply it was going to be. James almost has to wonder how it even got that name in the first place.
And then he takes a step across the invisible border line, and then another. and suddenly his body is stretching out, his feet and hands are getting sharper, he hunches over as his bag slips off his shoulder and onto the ground. In a matter of seconds a full grown stag is standing where James was, looking slightly bewildered. This is the second time something like this has happened to him, and the fact that his transformations seem to be going rogue on him isn't becoming any more amusing the second time around. ]
[Well, gosh, this is one of those times to be glad you are an utterly average human with no magical sparkly powers at all, isn't it? Especially when it puts you on even ground with everyone else.
The Once-ler is nothing if not stubborn and determined. He'll be using this time of confusion to subtly try to steer his wagon in the opposite direction and head back to the castle. Or anywhere, really. Anywhere that isn't HERE or with PEOPLE
[Martel is still fuzzy because she's just hit the Dead Zone barrier and is now feeling the effects of not being an angel or having any sorts of magic whatsoever. But she can still tell which direction they're supposed to be going in.] Once-ler. You are not going back to the Castle.
[ Crossing the threshold into the Dead Zone was no treat for Daenerys. A sharp pain spreads within her chest and her dragons, who had been fairly quiet for most of the trip, begin to cry loudly in distress. The horse, unused to ferrying dragons, also begins to panic and pulls on the reins still clutched tightly in Dany's hand.
She gasps, trying to calm the horse and mumbling words in Dothraki. Her silver, she thinks, she misses her silver greatly. But calming this horse is no easy feat when her children do not silence. ]
Drogon. [ He must not hear her over the panicked noises of the horse and his brothers. Yet she dare not let go of the reins in fear the beast will bolt. So she tries, desperately, to calm the mare with an uncomfortable and unyielding pain in her chest. ]
Hush, hush. It is alright. [ Not it is not. Something just happened and she cannot for the life of her understand what it was. ]
[Tsuna notices the jittery horse (not to mention the screeching little beasts) and immediately comes over to help, his uneasiness around large animals be damned.]
A-are you alright? Easy, easy!
[He uncertainly hovers his hands in front of the horse, hoping to calm it. He's still a fair enough distance away so a kick won't strike him, and he can dodge to the side if the horse decides to fuck it all and take off on him anyway.]
[When your body is overflowing with augments, you notice when they're taken away.
The second Noble Five steps over the border, he grunts, his shoulders sagging slightly under the sudden weight and he stops, right where he is, blinking.]
You alright there, big guy? [Says the small blond as he passes next to the taller man, trying not to let the weight on his back to slow him down as he guides a chocobo by the reins. Please, by all means, take no notice of the very tense semblance he's trying to hide.]
[This kid right here? He's been trekking along on foot the entire time. When he's in his regular form, he might not be able to use any powers, but regardless, his body has learned to endure a lot, and his stamina is nothing to be sneezed at. He hadn't wanted to bother anyone with the extra weight, figuring that if he was going to go, at least he was going to pull some of his own weight.
When they get to the border, he slows down, watching the others' reactions, and frowns. He feels only a little different himself, but knowing that if the moment arised, he couldn't go into hyper will mode-- that was a little scary. He furrows his brow and chews at his lip a little, then shifts his bag and keeps on trekking.]
[Crossing the border was never a pleasant experience for Kat, given the disconcerting loss of her augmentations and neural implant, but thankfully now with the crystal set up to power her robotic arm, she didn't have to worry about losing a limb.]
[But this time, she had other obstacles to tackle on the de-powered side. Such as, riding a horse. Or rather, getting up on it in the first place.]
[Zuko had been quiet and grouchy-looking before they'd crossed the border, so... there really isn't much of a change once they're over. Having his abilities stolen from him is something he's felt many times by now, after all.
But, that pull... that one is new, for him.
It's trying to convince him to come back.
For once, he doesn't make a loud display. He can hear some of the others having a much more audible time of things (and he's pretty sure someone just lost their clothes). All he does, this time, is turn and look back in the direction of the castle for a while. Maybe glaring at it.]
[and there at the border, obediently waiting for them to come to him and refraining from crossing back into powered territory--even though it's so terribly close--is Legato.
Because, he's coming with. Single neatly-packed bag in hand, he'll stand by and watch the reactions of the others as they cross the border, with no small amount of amusement, and then approach one of the wagons when it gets near.
[Ever since she had first learned about its anti-magic properties, Dairine had made it a point to avoid the Dead Zone at all costs. Coming from a time when losing her wizardry was far more than a remote possibility, any loss of power was extremely unsettling for the young wizard. But after a few world changes, she had slowly gotten used to the feeling of going without magic. She still hated it, but at least with the Dead Zone she would have some control over when (or whether) she took that step.
Still, nothing could have prepared Dairine for the sudden rush of emptiness that overtook her once she crossed the border. It hit her hard, so hard that she had to stop just to catch her breath. Suddenly she couldn’t hear Spot talking through their mental connection. She couldn’t understand what animals and other life forms were saying. And the magical words she remembered seemed dull and full of nonsense. The world was no longer listening, and that felt much worst than Dairine remembered. It was like one of her senses had being completely stripped away.
That and the castle’s pull almost make her turn back. But that would be admitting defeat, not just to the castle but to the other travelers. So instead Dairine squares her jaw and takes another step. Breathe. Step. Breathe. Step.
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When Aemon brings them into the Dead Zone, it feels like having a part of her abruptly severed. A limb perhaps. Her heart. There is no pain yet the feeling cuts deeper than even pain. Arya gasps. She stumbles, but her dancing master taught her balance in another world, so she manages to grab Aemon's neck and stays on.
Still outside the Dead Zone, Nymeria yelps. The wolf circles desperately, ears flat against her head and eyes wild. Her tail is tucked under. Righting herself on the saddle, Arya calls to her. ]
Nymeria, to me. To me!
[ The direwolf doesn't come. Too distressed. She looks in pain. Arya jumps off and runs to her before Nymeria hurts herself or someone else. The moment she is out as well both relax. The direwolf bounds to her and hides her face against Arya's stomach. ]
It's fine. It's all right, Nymeria. There's nothing to be scared of. You've been in there before.
[ Last time did not feel like this. ]
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Arya?!
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Is she hurt?
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I'm sorry this is so late alsdghasgh
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sorry folks, no icon for this....
then it starts. a strange, slow, crawling feeling. anyone nearby will find it pretty hard to miss.... the black pixels that make up CLU's body armor, gloves, and boots start to fade and flake away, like dried paint crackling and falling off of an old board. his golden circuits gutter, then fade entirely, the ghosts of theory tracks sliding out of sight like a disappearing watermark. and in their place, veins start to thread their way through his skin. sensation starts to replace simple data input, and he's aware of the heat of the sun, the smell of the grass...
and yes, he's too busy studying the veins on the underside of his wrist to realize one important detail:
he's stark naked. yeah, have fun reacting to this one.]
Heh. Stark.
CLU?
shdjdgjgffff
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Re: sorry folks, no icon for this....
...Man, I hope you packed spares, 'cause you're gonna get cold.
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I guess that answers that question.
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Placeholder
[Flynn stares for a second.] huh. Well I wasn't expecting that. [He tugs open his bag and starts rummaging.]
Hold on a second.
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Re: sorry folks, no icon for this....
Clint looks up from watching the circuits on one of his trick shots fizzle out to see this happen. He frowns, before calling out.]
You wanna borrow some pants?
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Re: sorry folks, no icon for this....
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yeah Aradia's a ways off, but she notices anyway. come to think of it, she'd never found out what happened to program people when they went into the Dead Zone, and it's... good that he didn't de-rezz or whatever they call it?
but yeah she doesn't want to stare at jeff bridges' ass any more than the next thirteen-year-old girl so just gonna let other people help him with that skafjls]
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OH YEAH! Finally on our way! ♪
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What the hell are you so cheerful about?
[She hasn't quite realized she's like the others in her village who shunned her yet...]
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Surely the first-timers have it worse, but that knowledge doesn't make sudden mana-blindness any less unpleasant.]
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...Okay, normal for him.
The next? He nearly tripped over his own feet as he felt the familiar cold chill in his center vanish. Suddenly he felt heavy and clumsy, like he had those few times when his powers had been shorted out. But this was worse. Much worse.
He was human again.]
...Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
o hai denny
But she's braced herself for it, and recovers almost seamlessly this time. From the corner of her eye, she spots Danny stumbling nearby and scampers over to him through the grass to help.]
It's weird at first, but you get used to it. You okay there?
hi there
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And then he takes a step across the invisible border line, and then another. and suddenly his body is stretching out, his feet and hands are getting sharper, he hunches over as his bag slips off his shoulder and onto the ground. In a matter of seconds a full grown stag is standing where James was, looking slightly bewildered. This is the second time something like this has happened to him, and the fact that his transformations seem to be going rogue on him isn't becoming any more amusing the second time around. ]
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[Tsuna is... rather alarmed when the person next to him is suddenly a deer. And is just kind of.... staring... very unhelpfully.]
What the...?
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The Once-ler is nothing if not stubborn and determined. He'll be using this time of confusion to subtly try to steer his wagon in the opposite direction and head back to the castle. Or anywhere, really. Anywhere that isn't HERE or with PEOPLE
LATER SUCKERS]
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She gasps, trying to calm the horse and mumbling words in Dothraki. Her silver, she thinks, she misses her silver greatly. But calming this horse is no easy feat when her children do not silence. ]
Drogon. [ He must not hear her over the panicked noises of the horse and his brothers. Yet she dare not let go of the reins in fear the beast will bolt. So she tries, desperately, to calm the mare with an uncomfortable and unyielding pain in her chest. ]
Hush, hush. It is alright. [ Not it is not. Something just happened and she cannot for the life of her understand what it was. ]
Please, you must calm.
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A-are you alright? Easy, easy!
[He uncertainly hovers his hands in front of the horse, hoping to calm it. He's still a fair enough distance away so a kick won't strike him, and he can dodge to the side if the horse decides to fuck it all and take off on him anyway.]
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The second Noble Five steps over the border, he grunts, his shoulders sagging slightly under the sudden weight and he stops, right where he is, blinking.]
Ugh. Its like someone's tried to smother me....
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When they get to the border, he slows down, watching the others' reactions, and frowns. He feels only a little different himself, but knowing that if the moment arised, he couldn't go into hyper will mode-- that was a little scary. He furrows his brow and chews at his lip a little, then shifts his bag and keeps on trekking.]
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Are you feeling alright?
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[But this time, she had other obstacles to tackle on the de-powered side. Such as, riding a horse. Or rather, getting up on it in the first place.]
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Returning the Kidnappee
I've brought back your kidnapping victim.
[Yup, definitely not amused.]
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But yep, going to let Yuan do the talking]
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But, that pull... that one is new, for him.
It's trying to convince him to come back.
For once, he doesn't make a loud display. He can hear some of the others having a much more audible time of things (and he's pretty sure someone just lost their clothes). All he does, this time, is turn and look back in the direction of the castle for a while. Maybe glaring at it.]
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Ever been this far out?
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/returns from the dead
Woot!
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Because, he's coming with. Single neatly-packed bag in hand, he'll stand by and watch the reactions of the others as they cross the border, with no small amount of amusement, and then approach one of the wagons when it gets near.
You guys do pick up hitchhikers, right?]
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If you act up, I'll let him eat you.
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Still, nothing could have prepared Dairine for the sudden rush of emptiness that overtook her once she crossed the border. It hit her hard, so hard that she had to stop just to catch her breath. Suddenly she couldn’t hear Spot talking through their mental connection. She couldn’t understand what animals and other life forms were saying. And the magical words she remembered seemed dull and full of nonsense. The world was no longer listening, and that felt much worst than Dairine remembered. It was like one of her senses had being completely stripped away.
That and the castle’s pull almost make her turn back. But that would be admitting defeat, not just to the castle but to the other travelers. So instead Dairine squares her jaw and takes another step. Breathe. Step. Breathe. Step.
Just ignore how pale she looks right now.]