Truth is hard to swallow [Vertigo Visions Week 2]
WHO: ANYONE! -- Add your own entry tags!
WHAT: Vertigo Visions Responses
WHERE: Specific Threads identify your location
WHEN: Night of Day 249 (Monday 12/1) and Day 250 (12/2) through the night of Day 256 (Monday 12/8)
( So you pray to God // To justify the way you // Live a lie, live a lie, live a lie ---- Reply here with vision responses as your character sees the Mysterious Haze. )
WHAT: Vertigo Visions Responses
WHERE: Specific Threads identify your location
WHEN: Night of Day 249 (Monday 12/1) and Day 250 (12/2) through the night of Day 256 (Monday 12/8)
( So you pray to God // To justify the way you // Live a lie, live a lie, live a lie ---- Reply here with vision responses as your character sees the Mysterious Haze. )
A minute later his eye opened. Still no Maka.
Ugh. There was no way he was getting back to sleep, was there? He poked his head out from under his blankets. Maybe if he actually thought about getting up he'd fall back asleep... No such luck.
Groaning, probably more than he really needed (after all he was tired) his feet were on the floor and the boy managed to move off his bed into some semblance of a standing position. He stumbled over to the closet and yanked out loose pants to wear over his shorts until he found his way to the bathroom.
For once, Soul managed to get out of bed before Maka woke him up. He was rather proud of himself. He scratched his head and walked over to the window, some cloud catching his eye. His red eyes narrowed at the blurry cloud in the sky. What was it?
Suddenly he was falling into it all over again.
--
We’re standing in front of a black door with spider webs. There’s stone beneath our feet, and a sense of tension. The child in black walks up to the door. “It seems all the barriers have been dispelled.” She tells us without looking back.
“So Arachne… is in here.” I say.
“Chrona…” Maka says, closing her eyes. I know she’s sensing for the other. Suddenly, an aura begins closing over us, Maka’s gaping.
“Shit!” Child-Medusa yells, “A magic attack?!”
I feel myself becoming weaker. I’m growing helpless by the second. Already, I’m tumbling to the ground unable to resist gravity.
All the strength in my body is fading away… I’m sinking… Falling…
My face is pressed into the ground, which is neither stone nor any substance at all. I glance up at the clicking of movement. The imp stands there. For once, he looks down on me, on the ground, unable to move.
“How unsightful,” He sneers at me. My arm is awkwardly contorted into a position no one can attain normally, but my joints are a doll’s. “That is you. Try to stand up… Come on…” He leans over my further, proving he can move and I can’t.
I’m weak.
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I want to move. I can’t.
The imp seems to grow in height, in power. How can he walk around, but not me? He leers, “Try to cut off this darkness.” I try to move, all the effort in the world. All I get in a little shaking. The gravity around me seems magnified to keep me on the ground. I’m weak. I can’t move.
He’s still there, watching me. The arm that was up falls down. I can’t even keep one limb up anymore. I’m trying to stand, trying to move. He just watches.
Finally, “This is you. Faking and trying to act cool. How laughable… Who are you? Take a good look at yourself… This is who you are.” I’m trying to stand, but I’m weak.
I can’t even move my fingers.
Unbidden, memories of the past flood me. Back before Shibusen, before everything. Back when I discovered the blood of the weapon inside myself.
The imp’s voice brings me back to the present; I see his almost pitying face. “You are calm and composed.” I can only look at him as he talks, completely at the imp’s - the demon’s - mercy. “You’re outstanding,” He whispers. Unable to bear the silence, he continues, “And… always being able to make the correct judgments, not falling into darkness.” His analysis continues with sarcasm, “Outstanding.”
I’m growing weaker, simply listening to him.
“’That won’t do’,” He mocks my voice, “’This is wrong’. You reject any number of paths… choosing your path with cynicism.” He leers over me again, continuing to torment me. “What do you want to do? How are you going to do it? What is your motive? Where do you want to move forward? Say it.”
I try to speak, but it’s like my mouth is dry. I want to tell him to screw it, I can handle this. “Hmm?” He asks, not quite interested in the conversation.
I open my mouth. It clacks empty. I can’t speak. I can’t.
“Fine. Then stick to the ground forever to move forward, you creep.” He tells me, a wicked glint in his eyes. He’s looking down on me. “You little coward who can only move forward using the method of elimination.” I see him. I hate him. I want to give into the words he’s saying. “Until you find something to reject, you shall just lie on the ground helplessly…” His form lengthens and disappears from view.
I’m left alone on the ground.
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If I can stand, what can I do? If I can stand, what can I do?
A realization hits me: If I can stand, I can surpass God!
Haha, yeah, right. I’m too much of an idiot for that kind of thing…
But… I can’t go on like this forever. This is pathetic…
Pathetic.
It’s just perfect for me, don’t you think?
Damn it…
I’m all alone. Not even the imp to grate on my nerves.
I’m sinking… Falling…Groveling…
DAMN IT!
Strings fall from heaven, touching my joints. Please, help me… Help me! I feel my joints lifting, Help me!
I don’t want to lie on the ground… I want to stand up. I can’t do anything, but I’m rising. I’m standing up. I can do this. I can get up.
Help me… My face turns up to the black figure above me. Help me! I plead with her. Out of my shadow, she looms above me, helping me stand. The strings attached to her fingers, I ignore.
Help me stand up, help me, I plead with her silently. Her kind face looks on with a mixture of beauty and pity.
“Let me guide you,” Her silky voice whispers, “I’ll show you the path to walk on, Soul. You can relax.” I look up to her; obey her. She’ll help me. “This darkness binds both of us, Soul. So, you mustn’t cut it.” I agree. She’ll help me. If I have to keep it to stand, I will. “Alright,” Her smile is not genuine, but I ignore it.
She’ll help. I’m saved!
A voice cuts through the reverie of my savior. “MAKAAAAA CHOP!” My “savior” is surprised.
Maka cuts the strings with the book, sending me to the ground once more. I realize I’m no longer a martinet puppet. “Ugh…?!” I’m surprised. What just happened…?
I moan, holding my head. A pair of familiar shoes is in my eyesight. I look up when Maka speaks, “Hey. What are you doing?” She asks, holding out a hand to help me up.
I stare at it stupidly for a second, “Oh… ah ahhh…” I take it and stand.
Maka’s music always helped to cut through the darkness, I remember. I want to be stronger for her sake. So burn, my soul.
“What was that magic just now?” Maka asks.
The child Medusa replies evenly, “It was trying to take advantage on our weaknesses through our heart.”
I’m quiet, listening to the two speaking. “So this is Arachne’s magic…” Maka thinks aloud.
“Yes, Arachne and I are different. She’s not specialized in direct magic attacks,” the childish voice explains.
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Medusa nods. “Yes, that is why your ‘Soul Perception’ and ‘Demonslayer wavelength’ are necessary.” She begins walking toward the door, “Are you ready? We’re going.”
--
He looked up from the ground where he was kneeling, the symbol in the sky no more than an annoyance anymore. What the hell? Sould wondered.
But he was shaken. His composure, the one the imp mocked him for, was broken. He sunk to the ground, palms pressed into his eyes. He wasn't weak. He wouldn't be that weak. No Arachne was going to convince him to give up on himself.
Soul knew he could stand when he felt like giving up. But Maka had saved him, in that vision. It was himself he was seeing things from, not her viewpoint. What did that mean? He pressed harder, stars erupting over his vision.
Dammit, what did it mean?! Was it like that Sora kid who apparently saw the future? His future? He wasn't going to fall like that, pathetic. It disgusted him to see -to feel- himself so helpless. He wasn't going to do that, no. Even if it was the future, it wasn't set in stone.
He'd be stronger here. This place was just a test of strength. He wasn't going to fall to his dark soul.
Soul struggled to his feet. He gritted his teeth as the stars vanished. Screw it. He wasn't going to let that idiotic imp control him and tell him what he could and couldn't do. He wasn't in this city, not yet.
He waited a bit longer to collect himself before walking to the bathroom and locking himself in to take a bath and think.
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