When you look into the water, its stained glass will reveal places beyond you, inviting their residents into your home. Are you looking for something? Or someone? A desire is all that will make manifest the people and beasts within. All you need is to ask.
But be wary and choose carefully, for not all of them abide by the rules of your home.
This is a roleplay blog that (mostly) has a focus on my original ocs, especially ones not attached to any projects in doing. Crossovers abound since these characters are meant to be versatile unless they're explicitly bound to the setting they're in
Characters below will be tagged respectively
The Glasspoint
The center of the water, surrounded by mirrors that reflect the worlds beyond. It is where all residents come to visit the outside world and where visitors go to first.
-Astra; the only seen inhabitant who lies at the center of the glass. Her reflections pull her in many directions. (FC: Highmore from Arknights)
The Forgotten Keep
The once coveted spire of a long lost coven, now left to be cleaned up by the last two witches of the world it was built in. Its books are never to be read by any, not even those who still remain.
-The "Witch-Beast"; a peculiar witch of the Keep. Very eccentric and curious about the world beyond.
-The "Keeper"; the overseer of the Keep. Strict and stiff. No nonsense allowed near her.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
A realm ravaged by war. Flesh decays in the air and only spirits trapped in this plane remain. Regret, sorrow and anger abound, they may never get to see their ancestors.
-Morose; a dragon whose hatred of other beings runs root deep. A beast with an undying spirit.
The Carnivorous Castle
A castle eternally blanketed in bloody night, it belongs to a vampire queen whose servants follow her every word with enthusiasm. Though nowadays secluded, she is still more than willing to go out on a hunt.
-Reyana; the queen of the vampires who hides a draconic form. In contrast to her noble wear, she's more of a shut-in than an actual ruler.
-Epoch and Era; Reyana's butler and maid respectively. They dutifully protect the queen but are rather disgruntled with how little hunts have been done recently.
-Castle Carnis; the castle itself. It moves brick by brick to Reyana's word and is as voracious as it appears.
The Black Bird's Forest
A hellish forest ruled by a bird god whose word is spoken for by the trees and soil. A merry menagerie of spirits lie in wait for visitors, hoping to bring them into the fold.
-Altair; the forest's prince. Left behind by her kin to be the god's new heir, she watches the forests with a diligent eye and will not tolerate any who disrespect it.
-Hraesvelgr; the god of the forest. Death is Her life, the plagues Her gospel. Always teetering in the border between life and death, She defies any and all conceptions of what is and isn't.
The NULLSPACE
A reflection in the glass that has been shattered and put back together to nothing. There is only what is left and what will never be again.
-NULL; the First Revenant at the End of Time. An eternal force whose existence thrives on the very concept of despair and nothingness, the only manifestation you'll see of it is a great empty eye.
-Estelle; the creation of what once was the reflection's fractured remains. Always wondering of the world beyond her, she seeks for what it means to exist, to be alone, and to be loved.
Painted eyes manifest upon a surface, focusing on the seraph.
"HOW STRANGE. YOU ARE NOT THAT ONE. THE ONE WHO EFFECTIVELY DISSOLVED. YOU PLAY ANOTHER ROLE, ONE OF BIBLICAL SCALE. TO WHAT END DO YOU SERVE YOUR GOD?"
"Have you ever considered nice and polite introduction and conversation before jumping right to the intrusive questioning?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, staring back at the weird....eyes. This is a new one, not just to her but to all of the memories in her head.
"I don't know. I'm sure there's a Sayaka who dissolved in here somewhere." She tapped the side of her head, frowning. "I serve whatever ends there is to serve. I'm not sure how this is the business of a presence I don't recognize though."
"HOW INTRIGUING. HERE, DEATH HAS ITS VISSICITUDES. A LIFE IN ETERNITY MADE WORTHWHILE." A life of nothingness is left behind in unlife, and thus new purpose forms in the the beyond. Afterlife is a strange thing. "YOU ARE WHOLE AGAIN, FILLED WITH PURPOSE AND SERVITUDE. YOU ARE PAST A WAR BETWEEN DISSOLUTION AND HUMAN WHOLENESS, AND HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION OF UNLIFE. AN ENDING UNEXPECTED, BUT PERHAPS BEFITTING."
"You have got to work on your people skills. But at least nothing in that sounded insulting...I think. You're right though. I have things to do. Duties to do. We don't all have to be like that--I just wanted to, myself. Magical girls who end up like me are normally just put to proper rest, as they should be, since the alternative is...unpleasant."
"I AM CURIOUS OF THE ENDING WHAT YOUR PEOPLE DISSOLVE AND REACH THE END OF THEIR LIVES, WITH NONE CUTTING IT SHORT. ALAS I HOLD NO DOMINION OVER THIS WORLD. YOUR WARRIORS ARE PAINTED DIFFERENTLY BY ANOTHER FORCE." NULL blinks, then looks up to the sky. "I HAVE NO MORE WORDS FOR YOU. I MUST RETURN TO THE SOURCE. THE NOTHINGNESS OF THE HUMAN MIND. BUT I SHALL RETURN IN DUE TIME."
Painted eyes manifest upon a surface, focusing on the seraph.
"HOW STRANGE. YOU ARE NOT THAT ONE. THE ONE WHO EFFECTIVELY DISSOLVED. YOU PLAY ANOTHER ROLE, ONE OF BIBLICAL SCALE. TO WHAT END DO YOU SERVE YOUR GOD?"
"Have you ever considered nice and polite introduction and conversation before jumping right to the intrusive questioning?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, staring back at the weird....eyes. This is a new one, not just to her but to all of the memories in her head.
"I don't know. I'm sure there's a Sayaka who dissolved in here somewhere." She tapped the side of her head, frowning. "I serve whatever ends there is to serve. I'm not sure how this is the business of a presence I don't recognize though."
"STORIED HISTORY, FROM NOTHINGNESS TO HUMAN WHOLENESS." A familiar story it has heard, over and over. A familiar story it has written and deconstructed by the other. A grander scale than what it has witnessed, while less grandiose than some it has seen. "DISSOLUTION HAS ALREADY OCCURRED. WHAT AN INTERESTING RESOLUTION."
The eyes steadily shift from the surface to the girl's shadow, looking at her from where it stands. "ARE YOU REGRETFUL? DO YOU LOOK BACK AT YOUR DISSOLUTION WITH CONTEMPT?"
"I mean. Sometimes." She isn't gonna try to parse the rest of what this thing just said. Sayaka eyes her shadow with a small frown.
"I'm always a little regretful of something. I try not to let that slow me down too much though. I don't think I feel...too much contempt anymore. I used to feel a lot of it, but once you've been dead for a while, I think it becomes a little easier to focus on other stuff instead."
"HOW INTRIGUING. HERE, DEATH HAS ITS VISSICITUDES. A LIFE IN ETERNITY MADE WORTHWHILE." A life of nothingness is left behind in unlife, and thus new purpose forms in the the beyond. Afterlife is a strange thing. "YOU ARE WHOLE AGAIN, FILLED WITH PURPOSE AND SERVITUDE. YOU ARE PAST A WAR BETWEEN DISSOLUTION AND HUMAN WHOLENESS, AND HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION OF UNLIFE. AN ENDING UNEXPECTED, BUT PERHAPS BEFITTING."
Painted eyes manifest upon a surface, focusing on the seraph.
"HOW STRANGE. YOU ARE NOT THAT ONE. THE ONE WHO EFFECTIVELY DISSOLVED. YOU PLAY ANOTHER ROLE, ONE OF BIBLICAL SCALE. TO WHAT END DO YOU SERVE YOUR GOD?"
"Have you ever considered nice and polite introduction and conversation before jumping right to the intrusive questioning?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, staring back at the weird....eyes. This is a new one, not just to her but to all of the memories in her head.
"I don't know. I'm sure there's a Sayaka who dissolved in here somewhere." She tapped the side of her head, frowning. "I serve whatever ends there is to serve. I'm not sure how this is the business of a presence I don't recognize though."
"SHE WHO HAS TURNED INTO NOTHING MADE MANIFEST. NOW CONDEMNED, OR PERHAPS ASCENDED TO A LIFE OF SERVITUDE TOWARDS HIGHER POWER. DOES THIS GIVE PURPOSE TO YOU? OR ARE YOU LOST IN THE HEAVEN YOU'RE IN?"
The eyes stare with a dispassionate inquisitiveness. Barely any expression outside of curiosity, with nary an eagerness to explore. "ODD THING THAT YOU ARE TO EXIST AS YOU MAY."
"Has anyone ever told you that a lot of the stuff you say comes out sounding like insults?" Sayaka frowned, shaking her head. "And anyway, you shouldn't even be here. This isn't even my house you know." She could grab Kanade, but she decides otherwise with a sigh.
"First and foremost I serve someone really dear to me. Yeah, I guess it does give me a purpose, but regardless of if she did or not, I made my decision. The Goddess I serve originally is also my best friend, and has been since we were both still alive. I wouldn't have it any other way than this."
"STORIED HISTORY, FROM NOTHINGNESS TO HUMAN WHOLENESS." A familiar story it has heard, over and over. A familiar story it has written and deconstructed by the other. A grander scale than what it has witnessed, while less grandiose than some it has seen. "DISSOLUTION HAS ALREADY OCCURRED. WHAT AN INTERESTING RESOLUTION."
The eyes steadily shift from the surface to the girl's shadow, looking at her from where it stands. "ARE YOU REGRETFUL? DO YOU LOOK BACK AT YOUR DISSOLUTION WITH CONTEMPT?"
Painted eyes manifest upon a surface, focusing on the seraph.
"HOW STRANGE. YOU ARE NOT THAT ONE. THE ONE WHO EFFECTIVELY DISSOLVED. YOU PLAY ANOTHER ROLE, ONE OF BIBLICAL SCALE. TO WHAT END DO YOU SERVE YOUR GOD?"
"Have you ever considered nice and polite introduction and conversation before jumping right to the intrusive questioning?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, staring back at the weird....eyes. This is a new one, not just to her but to all of the memories in her head.
"I don't know. I'm sure there's a Sayaka who dissolved in here somewhere." She tapped the side of her head, frowning. "I serve whatever ends there is to serve. I'm not sure how this is the business of a presence I don't recognize though."
"SHE WHO HAS TURNED INTO NOTHING MADE MANIFEST. NOW CONDEMNED, OR PERHAPS ASCENDED TO A LIFE OF SERVITUDE TOWARDS HIGHER POWER. DOES THIS GIVE PURPOSE TO YOU? OR ARE YOU LOST IN THE HEAVEN YOU'RE IN?"
The eyes stare with a dispassionate inquisitiveness. Barely any expression outside of curiosity, with nary an eagerness to explore. "ODD THING THAT YOU ARE TO EXIST AS YOU MAY."
"Ah, of course." Astra nods. "Yes that would be good... I must return to the waters anyhow. But this has been wonderful... thank you for taking the time to explain." Astra gives Kokoro a smile before it fades into a weary frown. "If you spot ant waters that look as though they have been cracked, please do not enter by yourself. Just call my name and I'll answer."
“Cracked water..?” Kokoro pauses to think about that for a second, before she realizes- She meant ice, right? She’d have to be careful not to step on any cracked ice without Astra around!
"Alright! I'll make sure to do that! It's been nice meeting you, Astra! You should come back again sometime soon! And make sure you bring that smile back with you, okay?"
"Oh, um..." Astra runs through a myriad of responses to wave the girl off, but decides that a simple smile and a parting will do. "Of course. Thank you for your time."
She does raise a good point. With such a large place where visitors of any reflection may enter, there is bound to be a warrior here and there, some of which should certainly be amicable. Still, she can't help but worry about the residents of the glass water entering such a place. But that is something one must find out in the future.
"I... see..." Astra nods along. "Perhaps you could show me this... mansion of yours sometime? I doubt that should I ever come to this reflection again, I'll come out of the water to there."
“Oh, it’s not my mansion! My house is in this world!” Safe to say, she doesn’t quite get what Astra means by ‘mansion of yours’. “I could show you around there, though! I’ll just let Evangeline know, and then I can call Asami to bring us there!”
She pauses for a second after saying that, though, thinking. “Mmm… I think Asami said she has plans with May and Ciaran tonight, though… So we can schedule that for next time! Would that work for you, Astra?”
"Ah, of course." Astra nods. "Yes that would be good... I must return to the waters anyhow. But this has been wonderful... thank you for taking the time to explain." Astra gives Kokoro a smile before it fades into a weary frown. "If you spot ant waters that look as though they have been cracked, please do not enter by yourself. Just call my name and I'll answer."
They have the equivalent of the glass waters here? How? Something like that shouldn't be possible for the average human to encounter, much less even make one. And she certainly heavily doubts that everyone Kokoro knows is friendly, if at all apptoachable. Astra's certainly not one to trust the spirits of the valley for a party.
"And you just... have that?" Astra question. "For people from any reflection to enter? By any means? Even if it means potentially jeopardizing your safety?"
“Yeah! They just have it!” She nods twice, before pausing. “Well, I think they have some defenses! And Evangeline’s there! She could deal with anything that showed up! She’s the final boss, after all!!” Her smile is wide still, even as she’s saying something patently absurd. Such is the life of Tsurumaki Kokoro. “I think they’ve had a lot of people come in, though! I mean, what’s the point of a big mansion like that without lots of people, right? What would you smile about?”
“Besides, I think most of the people there can handle themselves! Mizuki said they’ve tried to save a lot of people!”
She does raise a good point. With such a large place where visitors of any reflection may enter, there is bound to be a warrior here and there, some of which should certainly be amicable. Still, she can't help but worry about the residents of the glass water entering such a place. But that is something one must find out in the future.
"I... see..." Astra nods along. "Perhaps you could show me this... mansion of yours sometime? I doubt that should I ever come to this reflection again, I'll come out of the water to there."
"Um, no, only the residents do..." This is starting to get close to the truth of the glass. Any more and they may very well become aware of this reflection's existence. "Perhaps it's not the best idea to ask... they might know about you if you know..."
Wait. What mansion? "Huh? Who are you talking about?" she asks. Are there other residents here too?
"Who? The residents? But wait, only the residents know..." Oh no, she's getting confused. That can't be good for anyone.
Luckily for God and everyone, she's very easily distracted! "Oh! It's called the HQ™! It's this world with a mini-golf course, and an amusement park, and a big mansion with enough room for lots and lots of people!! Mizuki called it a 'pocket dimension', but I don't really get what that means... Oh, but I know her mom made it! And Evangeline works there now!"
"All the people there get together for Christmas dinner and stuff all the time! I bet they're all really good friends! They must smile together a lot!!"
They have the equivalent of the glass waters here? How? Something like that shouldn't be possible for the average human to encounter, much less even make one. And she certainly heavily doubts that everyone Kokoro knows is friendly, if at all apptoachable. Astra's certainly not one to trust the spirits of the valley for a party.
"And you just... have that?" Astra question. "For people from any reflection to enter? By any means? Even if it means potentially jeopardizing your safety?"
A foundation? How far reaching. Perhaps that would explain why she's so adamant about this.
Oh, she's being archaic is she? She thought Kokoro got it by now but not everyone is gonna catch on to what she's saying. Perhaps she should've seen this coming. "It's what we call a world back where I'm from..." she explains. "The residents always call them reflections. I merely follow their terms..."
“Oh! Okay then!” She’s accepting that remarkably quickly. Though that isn’t a surprise, really, is it, when it’s Tsurumaki Kokoro we’re talking about? “So where you’re from, does everyone know about these reflections? That’s super interesting! I’ve never heard of somewhere like that before!”
“Everywhere I’ve been, not many people have known about them— Even here! Oh, but not that mansion! But that’s different! If people know about it, how come?”
"Um, no, only the residents do..." This is starting to get close to the truth of the glass. Any more and they may very well become aware of this reflection's existence. "Perhaps it's not the best idea to ask... they might know about you if you know..."
Wait. What mansion? "Huh? Who are you talking about?" she asks. Are there other residents here too?
The multiverse? How does she know of the other reflections? Is she a resident too? Or did the other residents already reach her before Astra did? Or perhaps there were other visitors? Regardless, she can't help but worry. She's seen far too much in the reflections, enough to know that there many kinds of residents and visitors. "I-I wouldn't necessarily say that about some others per se..." she interjects but figures it wouldn't do much to persuade her otherwise.
"That... is a rather noble goal to have." she comments, the intent giving Astra a small smile. "Perhaps something of an impossibility, but if you aspire that much, then surely you must have done much for the good of this reflection." In a way, Astra can't help but envy Kokoro's optimism. To hold that much hope for the future. But that's besides the point.
“I don’t think anything’s impossible! If you try your hardest and keep a smile on your face, you can achieve any goal!” Kokoro tilts her head slightly to one side, as if in thought, before she continues, “I probably can’t make everyone smile directly. The world’s a super big place, after all. But I can help people smile wherever I go, and we can share our music, and the Tsurumaki Foundation can help people all across the world! That way, the smiles will spread all across the world, right!? I don’t expect to see every smile! As long as I can make a world where everyone can smile, I’ll be happy!”
“What did you mean by reflection, though? I don’t see any mirrors anywhere around here?” It was a strange thing to say, but Kaoru said strange things all the time, so that wasn’t that strange— Was it something from where she came from, maybe?
A foundation? How far reaching. Perhaps that would explain why she's so adamant about this.
Oh, she's being archaic is she? She thought Kokoro got it by now but not everyone is gonna catch on to what she's saying. Perhaps she should've seen this coming. "It's what we call a world back where I'm from..." she explains. "The residents always call them reflections. I merely follow their terms..."
