“I know what I want now more than anything else, and I’m ready to trade my soul for it. With no regrets.” ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ Rumor's Suavium is a 18+ rp group containing a Puella Magi Madoka Magica-inspired magic system mixed with a Danganronpa-styled Killing Game format. The group will be hosted on Discord with game posts, updates, and summaries appearing on the game blog. ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ Game Status: Chapter One (Trial) Story from the Start: [Here]
With the truth of “Alice”s murder and true identity laid bare and your unfortunate ends averted, the question of why you all were brought here could finally be addressed. While the hour hand was missing, by what remained of the Clocktower face: you can assume it’s a little past one or two o’clock in the morning.
“I’m sure you’re all very tired, so! I’ll keep this simple. You all want to know why we’ve brought you here, and I’m finally able to answer!”
Or, more accurately, they were finally done toying with the lot of you.
“Really, it’s quite simple! You all have burning questions in your hearts, and we’re here to answer them! But! We can’t do so for free.”
Märzhase adjusts their jacket, content to be back in their typical attire.
“I screened countless magi, and found your curiosity was the strongest of those I investigated; whether you’re consciously aware of such a thing or not.”
Standing beside Chuubey and Haselmaus, The March Hare studies you all with a glowing smile ill-fitting of his words.
“So the way to get the answers to your question is simple: die, or kill another person, and my sister and I will impart our knowledge onto you.”
Their cheerfulness rings hollow as the city seems to stand still in these moments. Perhaps this was something members of your group had speculated, but it was different hearing this proclamation spoken so bluntly.
“Of course, this isn’t the only reason we need you to kill each other: but the particulars of that are best left to the Incubators and ourselves. After all, Chuubey has been instrumental in this process! Hasel and I would hate to disappoint them now.”
The Moon Rabbit says nothing, instead watching you all with that typical neutrality. Though, you can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction rolling off of them. Märzhase continues steadily.
“Before you whine that “you would NEVER do such a thing” or how “the power of friendship ” will power you through: for magi, to take life is a trivial matter, especially when you only serve to gain from it. I expect we’ll need to give you some more concrete motivation from time to time, but we here in the City of Rumors believe in letting you choose your own destinies! So, we’ll give you time to consider our offer. It’s not like you’ll be going anywhere.”
That last line - maybe it was a shock to you, maybe it confirms what you already knew. Either way, your hosts give that time to sink in.
“With all the…. excitement out of the way, um. This is all a lot to digest, sooooo… did anyone have any additional questions…?”
Haselmaus’s voice trails off towards the end as she looks to the group of Magi.
Naturally, there would be many. Panic, bargaining, threats, and arguing would overtake the group, though all of it would fall on deaf and unfeeling ears.
No matter what was said or done, the Magi were now firmly in the clutches of these mysterious siblings and their former mentor.
Life in The City of Rumors was proving to be a deadly one. Unfortunately, this would only serve to be the beginning.
“Well! I’m sure you’re curious to see just how right, or wrong, your theories were: yes? Chuubey, you can do that misty thing yeah?”
The Mayor coos to the Incubator, who has been sitting stock still and silent since Märzhase’s entrance.
“…Of course. One moment.”
With little ceremony, the Moon Rabbit rises up onto their tail and raises their head into the air. Quickly, that iridescent fog that sleeps in the corners of the city begins to flood the floor of the trial room.
In the center of the circle, the mists turn a rich purple before a vision begins to play out to you all.
As the clouded curtains rise on this scene, ”Alice” and the The Killer are having what appears to be a tense conversation. While you know who should be under that mask of shadows, it appears their identity is being obscured at first. Regardless, the two stand in the Trial Room of the Clocktower silently arguing, before “Alice” splits a grin and says a few choice words.
“I know you’re mad now, buuut~! If you play along, I can make it up to you.”
“Y-You-! Ugh!” The indistinct voice stutters back, hands on hips, “Fine! But you’re still the worst, Märzie.”
The two enter calmer talks, and shortly after will the vision shift to the two in Chuubucks. Alice sits at the counter, kicking their feet idly as the killer makes an ungodly complicated drink. They seem displeased by the request, but The Mayor’s word wasn’t one they could defy. So, The Killer slides over the drink with crossed arms and watches as Alice takes a hearty sip…
The impish smile on their face grows as they pull the mug from their lips… and throw it with impossible strength and speed into the wall. They stick out their tongue with displeasure.
“This is all wrong! Bleh!” Alice squints at their killer, a sadistic smile decorating their lips. “You’ve gotta do it again-”
And this, rightfully, seems to be the final straw. With little warning, The Killer launches over the counter of Chuubucks effortlessly: knocking Alice to the floor as both hands connect to their shirt. The rest of what comes plays out much like a Looney Toons skit of The Killer tossing Alice through the window and summoning a lantern staff, though not without the small magus catching a fistful of their glittering cloak before being defenestrated.
The Mayor in disguise is smart enough to begin sprinting through the streets, taking paths away from where any potential Magus were relaxing. The culprit follows in close pursuit, snapping their fingers to switch the Chuubucks sign to close as they go.
With little other place to run, Alice takes a desperate break for the stairs: but not before being propelled forward by the force of a grand fireball slamming into the plaza. Their leg and a grazed cheek seems to take most of the blow as they fall forward, but continue scrambling up the stairs while they dodge more arcs of enraged fire.
Finally reaching the Clocktower Balcony, the victim falls winded to their knee. The Killer wastes little time in jumping up to grasp the large hour hand and pull it down to their level.
In one swift movement, you’re forced to watch as Alice is impaled through the stomach and lifted high into the air by their killer’s jump: only to be mounted up on the face of the Clocktower itself. As they let out a dramatic, bone-chilling cry, Haselmaus steps back with a roll of the eyes and a scowl.
He owes her for this! Dispelling any splatters of blood from her cloak, The Deputy disappears in a puff of smoke only shortly before the group emerges at the summit of the stairs: discovering “Alice”s body.
The vision fades…
“…I see.”
Chuubey sounds vaguely displeased as they turn their head to the other hosts.
“I will need to speak to you both later. But, for now-”
The rabbit turns back to the citizens,
“There you have it.”
Haselmaus looks sheepishly between her brother and the Incubator, but nods her head.
“Now, now! You can’t go ruining the WHOLE surprise on them! I was even sooooo nice as to let you use unlimited force ❤️“
It’s then that a new voice enters the discussion. The melodic sound of twinkling stars and rhythmic clocks approaches steadily from the stairs, and as the group turns to look: a familiar figure appears.
The person you knew as Alice stands at the top of the stairs with hands on hips. Despite the now dried blood covering their midsection and chest, the person before you looks little worse for wear. They grin at the group.
“Surprised? Maybe a few’ve you are! Though it’s nice to see that some of you are sharper than you look!”
The boy’s meeker utterances and uncertainty have all but evaporated since the last you saw them. Those brown eyes widen to study the group with curiosity.
“Ah… But I guess a couple people still need their hand held. No matter! Allow me to finally make my entrance.”
In a glittering flash of pink and gold, Alice’s entire body is engulfed in light. With a few showy twirls, he slides over to the empty seat and turns back towards you all. Once the light subsides, all of you are now able to see them in their full glory.
Looking a few inches taller, the strange individual stands bowed, adorned in an elegant but whimsical suit and cape. In their hand they hold a top hat and move to put it on once they stand to their full height; but not without snapping their fingers to cause their bunny ears to appear back on their head.
“As The Mayor of this fine city, I’m excited to finally welcome you: my dear citizens! My real name is Märzhase, so do call me that instead.”
He pauses to let this new information sink in. That pathetic boy you all had rushed to save… the one who had been making friendly with you this entire day… was the suspiciously absent Mayor this whole time? The rabbit boy who had visited you all in your dreams was “Alice”?
They had put you through all of this for-?
“I hope you can forgive some deception! After all, if you couldn’t solve something as simple as this: there was never any hope for you here in the first place.”
Haselmaus rolls her eyes as Märzhase talks, already over his theatrics. But when he pauses, she takes a moment to butt in.
“S-sorry that I fooled you, everyone!”
She glances out of the corner of her eye at Chuubey apprehensively, but carries on from her seat.
“You see, the Mayor roped me into this plan of his - introducing you to trials was part of their special welcome for you. But they got a little…. um. Carried away with it.”
“Hope you enjoyed your little undercover act, Märzie,” she says to them pointedly. She was still mad about the sudden change in schedule. “I don’t even know where you got that weird shirt from…”
Then, she rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed.
“And then I got a liiiiiiittle carried away with it. But, um. All’s well that ends well! Alice is perfectly fine, you see! So, um…… surpriiiiiise! No one’s dead.”
“I did, thank you!" Märzhase chirps, ignoring the other's sarcasm. "And you played your part well~ Though-”
He grimaces.
“I know I said you could be as rough as you wanted, but that HURT. Really! You’re such a mean older sister.”
He pouts, much to his sibling's growing irritation.
“Did you really have to throw the coffee cup against the wall,” she says, exasperated. “Honestly…!”
“In any case-! I’m sure you all have a few questions for us. So before we move on to reveal how this all went down: is there anything super pressing on your minds? Your purpose here will be answered shortly, but we can field a few questions, or whiny complaints, first!”
Though delving through all of the evidence would take some time, the profile of who killed "Alice" would gradually form with clarity.
From what the group could ascertain, Alice must have ordered a drink in Chuubucks shortly before their untimely death. Though the drink order you all found was monstrous and illogical in its complexity, the brutal path of destruction trailed all the way from the Outdoor Patio to the Clocktower Plaza where a fireball was detonated; leading Alice and their killer to arrive at the Clocktower's Balcony .
Given the location of the murder and the magical prowess of whoever had laid the amnesiac low, the most obvious choice would be....
Haselmaus. While the mouse-eared woman had been nothing but sweet to the group as she rushed around attending to chores; nobody else seemed so capable. While the thought of the cute barista land-blasting poor Alice with fire magics was almost impossible to imagine, the Deputy found no need to argue.
In fact, she would encourage the group right up until the votes were finalized.
...
Haselmaus claps her hands together, looking at your little group proudly.
“Good job, everyone! You got me! Thank g-goodness - I was getting really tired of going along with this silly little game.”
She doesn’t seem upset about being found out. If anything, she’s relieved. And looks kinda worn out by all this.
“You were right, right, right! You see, ‘Alice’-“ the name is said politely enough, but there’s an undercurrent of annoyance there. “-he came into my little shop and ordered that super complicated drink. It was hard, but… I made it! Just as he wanted it.”
She frowns, tssking.
“….but then that bully had the nerve to say I made it all wrong! And I don’t make drinks wrong, so I knew he was doing it to make me mad! Even worse - he yelled at me and threw his coffee against the wall, m-making a big ol’ mess! And I just mopped, you see, and that made me really mad, so I…”
Haselmaus summons her weapon - a gnarled wooden staff with a golden lantern at the top. Purple gems and golden stars hang from the metal, twinkling in the light. Abruptly, she swings it like a baseball bat with supernatural strength. Sparks and white flames erupt from it in an arc, flying over the assembled Magi.
“….boom! Right through the glass. Then one thing led to another. Eheh….”
Haselmaus rubs the back of her neck, smiling like she’s embarrassed by her slip in composure.
“So it’d be really sad! What happened to Alice. At least it would be…. um, if he didn’t play a little trick on you all. Because Alice is——“
With the gruesome task assigned, the group quickly get to work investigating the final fate of Alice. While none in the group would call themselves professional sleuths, there's at least a bevy of evidence to be found in the following hours.
It's as midnight approaches that a notification from Chuubey summons everyone back to the very same Clocktower. You're exhausted, but it seems the night is still young.
"Hiii, everyone." Haselmaus lacks much of her usual enthusiasm, but gives the group a wave regardless as they approach.
Chuubey speaks up shortly after, unbothered as always.
"Before the trial to find Alice's killer commences, there are a few ground rules we have to go over. Your goal is to find whoever killed Alice by talking through the evidence as a group. This will require you to link evidence together to figure out a timeline and a motive. After a set amount of time, you will be asked to vote for who you believe the correct killer is. Get it correct, and the culprit will be held accountable. Get it incorrect… and you will reap the consequences."
The Moon Rabbit's threat comes off more as a passive warning then a declaration of your peril.
"I would recommend looking at the body first and going from there, should you need a place to start your conversation."
They turn, leaping onto Haselmaus's shoulder.
"Haselmaus and I will be in attendance, should you have any questions of us. Any final questions?"
Yvonne speaks up harshly at the invitation, arms crossed and glaring.
"You told us there would be consequences, but I believe that for the sake of as little confusion as possible, we should be informed of the cost of failure. It wouldn't be beneficial if people slacked off or didn't take this seriously because they didn't have the full picture."
The incubator pauses for a moment to consider, but answers her question easily enough.
"The consequences: to put it bluntly, someone will die at the end of trial."
The group falls silent at that.
"If you are correct in finding the killer, the correct person will be executed. If not… someone will take their place. So, think long and hard about your decision at the end of trial."
The expressions on the faces of those gathered at the base of the clock tower are a mix of uncertainty and determination. They enter with cautious steps, descending the winding staircase that reverberates with the sound of their footfalls.
...
Each turn brings them closer to the bottom, and as they push through the final set of doors, they are suddenly transported to the top.
A strange sight unfolds in front of them: a circle of podiums, their glossy surfaces reflecting the ambient light. The podiums, which are facing each other, invite those in attendance to stand at them. An unspoken invitation hangs in the air, encouraging people to interact in whatever order they want.
A window adjacent to the podiums draws their attention with its rose-tinted glass. They once came across Magus Alice, who was pinned up on the balcony, through its transparent barrier. But now, Alice's presence has faded from the glass, leaving a somber trace on the floor beneath it. The glass is stained with a vivid shape, a poignant reminder of the body's final moments, etched in dried blood. A visible crack fractures the glass still alongside the bloodstain.
Victim: Alice "Jerma" Zero Null Pinkie Kirby Pie (...seriously?)
Time of Death: 10:15 PM
Time of Discovery: 10:20PM
Location: Clocktower Balcony
Cause of Death: Exsanguination
Body Discoverers: All of you!
A notification appears on your Heart Lockets
(Sketch & Shading by reidiantdawn, Lineart & Flats by puringeist)
The group is forced to take great care scaling the steps that were now more perilous than before. Even with a Magus's enhanced abilities, most of you are impeded trying to climb up the spiral staircase. Hopefully you’re not afraid of heights as some stairs crumble into ash and fall stories below as your weight shifts off of them.
But eventually, some of you will reach the top. And in the sickly pall of moonlight, you see it…
The scene up here is quiet but tense. From the face of the clocktower a long, lifeless shadow is cast over your faces as each of you arrive at the summit. At first, the only sound to fill this deafening silence is the drip, drip, drip of the fresh crimson oozing from painfully fresh wounds.
Before you hangs a body. A corpse of one of your own.
For as much as you all were strangers, you all seemed to have the benefit of maintaining your memories. A privilege that was ill-afforded to the nameless boy you had rescued from The Faceless Demon. Perhaps there was some irony in that? The Faceless capturing the one without an identity of their own?
“Alice” was the name you all had commonly settled on for this individual, though many of you had your own nicknames for them. Whatever the case, the cowering boy now hangs limp over your group; stapled to the face of the clock tower by the hour hand.
Whoever Alice must have once been, it seems neither you or them will ever find those answers now.
. . .
As everyone takes in the sight of Alice’s body on the clocktower, a jingling noise rapidly approaches from the north part of the currently accessible area. Chuubey pads towards your group, followed by a very upset looking Haselmaus.
“Strange. This wasn’t planned for….”
Chuubey comments, staring as Shun and Quang work to gingerly bring Alice's corpse to the ground.
“It’s not on the schedule at all!!!” the barista squeaks, staring up at the clocktower. “I’m really working my hardest to make sure your dorms are all spick-n’-span, but now….!”
Haselmaus shakes her head disapprovingly, looking down at Chuubey. The Incubator hops onto her hat to get more height, staring at the group of Magi gathered by that explosion earlier.
“To get to the bottom of what exactly happened here, you all will investigate this body and search for clues. Once you have gathered all important information, you will reconvene at this clocktower.”
Chuubey’s tail swishes. Despite their palpable annoyance at this unforeseen circumstance, their expression (or lack thereof) is as calm as ever.
Haselmaus clears her throat, trying to keep her hat (and Chuubey) balanced.
As the hours come and go, you all make as much use of the available facilities as you can. While not all of the doors here seem to open, the ones that do host some interesting surprises at least. Though, as the morning turns to the afternoon and crawls to the evening: none of you have heard much word from Chuubey or the whereabouts of The Mayor. While Haselmaus would arrive to serve you when called, she also was noticeably absent from other areas.
Alone with each other, or simply with your thoughts, you wonder when things will change…
That is until you hear a deafening explosion that rocks the ground and ricochets through your ribcage coming from the Clocktower Plaza.
As the arrives, they're met with a disaster starting back in the area where they all first awoke.
Currently, parts of the plaza appear to be on fire. Soot and scorch marks mar the pink and purple bricks of the ground and Clocktower itself. Despite the rampant destruction, both Chuubey and Haselmaus are noticeably absent.
What on earth happened here!?
It doesn't take long for the group to start giving theories and throwing around accusations as to who could be responsible for the explosion. But, the discussion is inevitably cut short by yet another scream.
This time, the source seems to ring out from the looming, central Clocktower of the city. Despite parts of the stairs being melted or set ablaze, the group of Magi waste little time in scaling the fire escape towards the newest burst of chaos.
As you're all catching your breath, some of you tend to the strange boy you rescued. It becomes evident quickly that his memories appear to have been scrambled thanks to combat. Whether that's because of his cracked soul gem or something else, you can't discern for right now.
A little bit of debate leads you all to dub the newcomer "Alice" for the time being, which he doesn't seem to mind!
But it's shortly after that when a figure clad in pink, purple, and cream rushes out of a building - a cafe, maybe? - next to the clock tower and its plaza. She rushes over to your little group, her large pink witch’s hat bobbing up and down comically as she runs. In her hands is… a pan of cupcakes?
“Aw, beans! What’s all this, then?”
She assesses the damage caused by the Witch Fight, scanning the group of Magi with a mixture of worry and utter bafflement. Seemingly at a loss for words, her mouth opens, closes, and opens again as she decides on what exactly to say to the sight in front of her.
“You are…” she says, slowly. “...NOT supposed to be here yet!!!”
She pouts, shifting in place nervously before saying several different things quickly in succession.
“I haven’t even set up the welcoming ceremony! I’m only half done baking the cupcakes! Who let you in? How’d you get here? WHAT HAPPENED OVER HERE?”
She takes a head count, pointing to each member of your little group in turn. Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one…? The final number confuses her before she looks at a member of your little group more closely. Her left eye twitches, and she holds eye contact with Alice for five seconds too long.
"....I don't recall you being given an invitation."
"ᵉᵉᵏ!"
They flinch a little and just hide a little more into Shun, who has opted to carry them. Haselmaus stares a few seconds more before shaking her head to hide her annoyance.
“....aaaaaanyway! Early or not, um. Welcome to the City of Rumors, everyone! My name is Haselmaus!”
Surprise all but shaken off at this point, she smiles pleasantly at the group in front of her.
“I’m super sorry for not meeting you here sooner, but I’m glad you all made it to our city safely! Thank you for defeating that nasty Witch! I won’t forget your kindness to our City.”
Imperceptibly, she sighs.
“Um. The Mayor of the city was… supposed to meet you here while I made sure your welcoming party was all set and ready to go. But… something seems to have gone awry. But d-don’t worry! I’ll go find them and tell them you’ve all arrived! You can count onnnnnn me!”
With a snap of her fingers, each of you watch as a crystal, heart-shaped locket floats in the air before you.
“For now, take these! They should help you navigate this area in the meantime! The Mayor can explain it a biiiit better, so I’ll hurry up and look!”
Haselmaus turns on her heel with her cupcakes carefully balanced in one hand, then turns back just as fast.
“Um! If any of you need me for anything, I’ll be around the city looking for our most esteemed Mayor. Simply track me down if you need anything! Or, if you cannot find me… ring the bell in the cafe over there-” she gestures towards the brick building she came from earlier “-and I’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail! Promise!”
With that, Haselmaus skedaddles off to find “The Mayor,” whoever that was. You’re left alone with the others in this strange City of Rumors. Everything would be fine, probably. What could go wrong?
With Yvonne’s stern and quick advice about the swords being a weakness; Tomomi, Ai, Shun, and Tomoe pull the blades out in quick succession. Inky ooze and viscera splatter the dolls that many of you begin to crush under foot.
As Tomoe charges in, screaming and carving into the crumbling witch; Ai at the same time jumps up and pushes her foot onto its back as she raises one of the last brands high into the air.
At the same time, Mimosa winds up and throws their cross with an angry, almost unhinged cackle.
Sori, too, comes running in and with ribbon claws bared tears through the form of the dying witch.
The Faceless Demon screeches in pain, clawing at mannequins and your peers alike as it's pressured into the ground. With the swords once holding its figure together now torn out, the Witch’s cacophony of voices cry out in what feels like countless emotions.
Rage, indignation, excitement, relief… But eventually, its calls are finally quieted.
It isn’t long after this point that the beast’s body and its many limbs fall still. Black ooze seeps from its various wounds left by your group into the graveyard of marionettes beneath it.
Slowly, purple smoke will begin to rise off of its form as it, and the labyrinth around it, begin to dissipate. You find yourselves now standing in the streets of The City.
For now, it seems like the danger has passed.
In The Faceless’s place, a pile of 20 black, pointed gems greets you. Their color and texture reminds you of the more familiar Grief Cubes, but you can tell just by holding it that there is far more powerful magic in this package.
. . .
From one of the many tired bodies on the floor, a soft, whimpering voice speaks up
“W-Where..?”
Hoarsely, the pink-haired boy on the ground speaks up. From the looks of things, they’re finally starting to come to.
The Faceless is the Shapeshifter Witch, with an unknowable nature. A demon with no true name or shape. It takes the form of a tall figure in a black trench coat that almost seems humanoid if not for the three pairs of arms and the head, reminiscent of an ill-defined drawing, that seems to shift between vulpine and demonic. One can almost see what appears to be countless eyes within the shadows, constantly changing in shape. Two extra puppet heads sit on either side, adorned with theatre masks.
Four swords are stabbed into its back, the darkness contrasted against shining gold with clubs-shaped gems. Yellow caution tape inscribed with an alien language wraps around the Witch and the swords, with more tape spiraling behind it as though like a fox's tail. Sitting upon a mountain of broken dolls, chains bind its limbs to the faceless multitude, mutilated mannequins that seemingly crawl on their own. Black ooze reminiscent of blood stains the puppets and the silver bladesーa monster failing at a human pretense. Perfect for a shapeshifter for whom the world is a stage, the Faceless resides in a twisted imitation of a theatre, curtains and caution tape hanging down, strangling dolls and people alike. It seeks nothing but to consume. A show for the puppets, put on by a puppet.
With neither its former identity nor its humanity left, all that remains is an empty, nameless monster, strangled by the role it plays.
(Design, Art, & Description by Rei!)
Fight Introduction
As you press beyond the veil you feel a sense of finality as you enter into this new space. There’s no going back now.
At first, in the darkness, all you can see are glowing white eyesーakin to that of a beast at first glance, but refusing to settle on one shape. Finally, the stage lights up with a dim glow as the curtains part. As your eyes adjust, you see countless humanoid figures dangling from the ceiling, and a veritable mountain of hundreds of more. Much to your relief, you finally are able to tell that they are what appear to be marionettes rather than humans. For whatever reason, they're wrapped in yellow tape resembling the sort you would find around a crime scene, although with a language you don't recognize trailing down their ends.
Although if they're nothing more than lifeless marionettes, why are they moving…?
You’re only given so much time to process this as one body within the desecrated mass appears to move independently. The figure flashes and catches your eye, as they seem to fall unconscious into their civilian form before being thrown carelessly at your feet.
Ahead of you lies a boy with pink hair and a sweatshirt to match; a rather normal sight in the wave of insanity that consumes this area. While their chest still draws breath, a cracked, star-shaped soul gem lays clutched in their hand.
It seems their energy has been all but spent judging by the dark clouds swirling in its interior. They still live, and for now they can’t be your main concern.
Swaying limbs beckon to you. The heads of puppets destroyed for perhaps nothing more than amusement roll beside your feet. You swear you can hear voices, whispers too faint to make out coming from all around you.
The featureless audience is alive, and upon them sits the Faceless Demon, the Shapeshifting Witch with no name.
It growlsーcriesーshrieksーcacklesーspeaks to you in a legion of voices.
Its face warps between animalistic mimicries, and for a split second you almost think you see something resembling a human in there.
The stage has been set, and the actors have filled their roles.
The pink brick-and-mortar pavement is charming in its own right. However, as much as you may want to stop and examine them, the slow but steady approach of a wave of iridescent fog urges you to keep heading towards the source of the cries for help.
And it isn’t long until you come closer to the source: a pair of impossibly massive but nearly transparent curtains that ripple in space-time ahead of your group. They seem to reach into the strange, pink sky.
Chuubey skids to a halt in front of them and gives a few cautionary sniffs. Again, their head tilts and their fur raises.
“. . . I see.”
There’s the barest hint of concern entering their unfeeling voice as they turn towards the group. It wasn’t often that you saw Chuubey looking so confused- or, as close to confused as something like them could be.
“I have seen this before, though very long ago. What you’re about to see-”
The Incubator’s start of an explanation is cut short by the same blood-curdling scream now echoing from beyond the veil. They flinch, and shake their head.
“It seems there is no time. I am certain this is something twenty of you should be able to handle, but you will have to fight.”
The moon rabbit raises up on its long tail to watch you all more closely.
“Once this threat is dealt with, I can impart a better explanation onto you. But for now, I can simply tell you this. You are about to encounter a creature known as a Witch, and you are best to prepare for combat. For the sake of yourselves and whoever is struggling on the other side.”
A Witch!?
While some of you had heard whispers of the mighty creatures during long nights of hunting down the ever-prevalent Wraiths: it was generally agreed they were myths.
Everybody had a different explanation as to what a Witch was.
Some said it was a Wraith more powerful than even some of the mightiest of them, while others speculated they were born of particularly twisted and powerful Magi's magics to lay their foes low.
Whatever the case and whatever you may or may not know, it seems you had little other choice than to engage. With each member of the rag-tag team transforming, you all push into the unknown...
Though the group of you badgers the Incubator for clear instructions or, more importantly, answers: the Moon Rabbit plays coy. Even with some of your number's kinder efforts to get them to speak, you receive little. Though, they do impart one important piece of information...
Each and every person here was a fellow Magus. More importantly, you were all Magi who had made a contract with the Incubator before you.
Surely, there must be some greater connection?
"You want to know why you all are here. The Mayor of this city can answer that question better. Why not wait for them to make their grand appearance to settle your human worries?"
Though you all understandably want answers, it doesn’t seem that the familiar face is going to be much more help than any of your number is.
But all comes to a standstill when a piercing, pained scream tears through the conversation.
“N-No-! DON’T-!”
It’s faint, but you hear a thud and the distant sound of something crashing into the ground, followed by another agonized cry.
“P-Please someone! Anyone!!”
Chuubey’s head whips in the direction of the noise, their fur raising on end as their eyes open to piercing, ruby irises. They tilt their head slowly to the side.
“...Strange. It appears one of you split off from the rest.”
They shake out their fur, taking a few steps forward.
“Whatever the case, this seems to be a lead. Also, one of you is in trouble.”
The rabbit turns back, looking through each and every one of you.
“Surely this is something twenty of you can handle, hm..? Safety in numbers, and it is surely better than staying here alone and potentially being ambushed yourself.”
“I don’t see you in much position to argue. Shall we?”
With little other choice than to investigate the commotion, your group of twenty go sprinting through the ephemeral streets.
As the twenty Magi all begin to rouse, plenty of questions and suspicions begin to fill the air. The world of magic was cruel at times, and many were rightfully reluctant to trust complete strangers; Magi or not. Though, some were more amenable to trying to get introductions going.
But still, it isn't long until a voice interrupts your chatter.
“I see that you are all finally awake.”
The sound of wind chimes accompanies a familiar Incubator padding up to your group of confused 20-somethings. It’s Chuubey, face impassive as the last time you saw them as part of your Magi duties.
They look around the group, giving the impression that they’re somehow staring into your soul.
“Good morning, young Magi. How wonderful it is that you could join us.”
The days leading up to falling down the rabbit hole had passed in a haze.
You’d been feeling distracted lately. Maybe you’d noticed how much your head had been in the clouds lately, or maybe someone you knew had pointed it out.
It was strange how your mind seemed to revolve around one thing: a question you’d been seeking the answer.
Whether it was a passing thought before or a goal you were working towards answering, this Question of the Heart was all-consuming as of late. Almost supernaturally so…
It had started when you began having those strange dreams. The ones with the rabbit - or was it an individual wearing rabbit ears? Whoever he was, he invited you to tea and asked such strange questions.
That last one, he’d mentioned something about seeing you soon.
The day after the final dream, you’d wandered off. Whether you were the type to do that often or not, you got the strangest sensation that the answer to that all-consuming question in your heart was just around the corner. Whether natural curiosity or magical compulsion, the questions had to be just over there, in–
–in a hole that you’d fallen into without noticing.
When you awake, the last thing you remember is falling down that rabbit hole. With an ache in your head, and a feeling like you’d just awoken from a deep slumber, you look up, up into the sky above. Tall buildings in pink and purple tower above you… the most prominent of which is a very distinct clock tower. Around you are 19 of your peers, all in similar states of waking from their dreaming in what looks like a plaza.
While your Question of the Heart still takes your attention, new questions take form there.
How did you get here? And just where is here, anyway?
