towerofanimus | Glamour Failure

I still can't help wanting to think that I just haven't woken up yet. It doesn't feel like it can be anything but a nightmare, even if I know that's just me trying to shield myself from what I didn't - don't, really - want to look at directly.

[Yukiko holds her left hand up, inspecting it. There's a little bit of yellow fluid pooled between what would be her thumb and pointer finger. It would be a small bruise forming from where she'd pinched herself, if this were anything but a wire frame. Nothing to worry about, and it would go away in a day or two, but a sign nonetheless.]

I guess I really knew when it hurt when I gave myself a pinch. It's not supposed to hurt in a dream. I still didn't really want to believe something like this.

But you're right, Yu-kun. I can't - even if it's true, that doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't have to say that I'm not scared of what it means, because, well, I am. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't.

But I'm not alone. I don't have to face that fear by myself, and none of this means we can't change it, right?

[Lancer sits on Waver's other side and throws an arm over his free shoulder.]

Don't worry. We'll help you adjust. If you've got any questions or concerns about being a soul, just ask us.

[A pause.]

Unless it has to do with survival. You need to ask my brother that.

Yotsuba laughed as the creature jumped at her, and she moved Juralumin to one hand and tried to catch it with her free one. However, that information made her smile fade a little.

"But..we're good people! Most of us are! Can't we stop them somehow?"

[Ordinarily, Sokka would be fast asleep by now, preferring to spend his nights away from any potential monsters and prone to getting cranky without a full seven hours in bed. It had been difficult, at first, for him to sleep at all, memories of his world keeping him up too late - his dead world, he'd been told, gone. But lately he'd gotten into an almost comfortable rhythm, spending his days in the library, the cafeteria, and various other floors he knew were safe, always coming back to his dorm to sleep before it got too late.

Tonight though, from the moment the lights had gone out and the screeching, a screeching he had been hearing for a while now, had turned up an octave, Sokka had decided to stay up. Something was different. He hadn't strayed far from dorm 4-12 where he slept, lest he come across a monster, or else fall down the stairs (which was surely a possibility in this pitch blackness). He had his sword with him, and his boomerang ready in his shoulder bag, in case anything did decide to sneak up unexpectedly.

But nothing sneaks up on him except the computerised voice coming through the speakers and disturbing the silence. He stills where he stands, listening, trying to comprehend what it means. When the light finally returns, glowing red and strange, the first thing Sokka sees is the sword he's holding up in front of him. Or rather, what he thought was his sword. He reacts as though it's burning him, dropping it to the floor and falling away with wide eyes.

How? What happened?

Then he looks down. He sees his hands, his own "body", and all he can do is stare down at the orange liquid inside this wire frame that can't be him. He remembers, vaguely, being told that these bodies are only copies. That only his soul is real. He hadn't wanted to believe it, though. That couldn't be how this worked. It shouldn't be how this worked. It hadn't made sense. Yet here is the cold, hard evidence of it. This isn't his body.

It takes Sokka a few minutes to finally stand up on shaking legs. He checks his bag and his boomerang - both now made of the same film as his space sword. He hesitates, but ultimately decides to pick them both up anyway, before going over to retrieve his sword. They might still be useful. They might still work.

Slowly, he makes his way through the tower, not sure where he's going anymore, not sure what to do anymore. It's terrifying.]

[Forty-eighth day of the thirteenth month... Yep, neither of those are Earth calendar things.]

Honestly, I doubt it will come up unless someone decides they want to throw me a party.

[Because ha. Luckily, this is the first time it's even come up with someone who isn't a castmate.]

[It's painful not to see familiar bright blue eyes when he looks into America's face, but England forces himself to keep eye contact. Or, what he's fairly certain is eye contact.

America is too young to understand it, but England knows what he's feeling — what most nations would be feeling right now. What England himself is feeling. But America can't feel that way. It's— it's not right. And it's so confusing for a child; it's confusing and unfair, but even still, England hopes it remains that way, if only because coming to understand it is irreversible and America isn't equipped to cope with that.

(Truly, England isn't equipped to cope with it either. The previous night was proof enough of that.)

So, as much as it twists his stomach to do so, as much as he knows that the case is completely the opposite, England lies.] It's all right— you'll be all right.

"They got lots of power, but the best way we can stop them is by being brave and making sure no one is too sad. Because they like making people cry and if we make sure everyone's not too scared then they lose." Romeo reached out a wiry hand for hers as the foil copy of Piccolo moved to sit on the girls head.

[His mouth drops open in surprise.]

Are you serious? Does this have anything to do with the glamour failure? What the hell is going on?

"Well usually they don't hurt everyone at once... maybe they got really mad." He was confused at that second part, did Yu think some people had helped the bad people make everyone sad?

[He catches the implication - and don't worry, his hearing is still good enough to catch the difference. He's been called "Ash" by mistake enough times to deal.]

A pleasure.

[Trustworthy people are hard to find.]

There's going to be consequences.

[You don't need his hearing to have heard that howl echoing through the halls, after all. His smiles shifts to something more serious. Ruana. So far he'd been lucky enough to avoid her touch on the place, but who knew how long that would last.

Who knew what was coming. All they can do is prepare however they're able, even if that preparation is with things that don't really exist. It makes the things that have happened easier to swallow, in a way -

As far as Asch is concerned, so much of that was never real, either. The only thing that feels real to him is the memory of his body moving on its own, under someone else's will.]

A year. That's all the longer this will last.

[A year, and whether they destroy everything and win their freedom, or disappear trying - they'll be free.

He squeezes her shoulder. That ending hardly matters to him, as long as he doesn't have to do it alone.]

Unfortunately. ...But maybe word of mouth would be best. just to give the others time to come to terms with reality.

[Wait fucks exist????]

Funny. I was thinking the same thing. ...How long do you think it'll be before someone leaves a request to look like a not!naked C-3P0 in the suggestion box? [Poooood boooooots....]

Do they have any other plans now that they've exposed the truth. I can help if they ever need to fight.

[It doesn't show, but she has something of a bitter smile.]

Well, not as well as I can in my real body, but I'm sure I can do something.

[Seems like a pretty sweet calendar, to be honest.]

Good luck with that.

[Yu Narukami: THROWS ALL THE PARTIES FOR HIS FRIENDS... doesn't always like to celebrate his own. Besides, what'd they do, make a food bar cake?]

[This... wasn't what she was expecting in the slightest.

She stares down at the bowing man, surprise evident in what features can be distinguished in the filmy mold of her face. For the first time that day, she's honestly struck speechless - only a few stuttered monosyllables making it off of her tongue - and she's quite tempted to ask if Asch is entirely sure of what he's doing.

But... with all illusions stripped away, this wouldn't be the time to do things one was doubtful of, right? All she sees is reality, truth, and that means Asch is honestly swearing his loyalty to her.]

... Forgive me, it has been so long since I have seen the ceremony for this sort of thing...

[At first, her voice is little more than a whisper, quiet and apologetic, as she honestly can't remember the protocol for oaths of fealty. But damn it all if she isn't going to try, at least, and so she draws herself up to her full height, placing her hand over the hilt of the sword-shaped film, gripping lightly.]

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, accepts your sword, and all the privileges and responsibilities therein. I swear to use it wisely.

Me?

[Lancer turns to the familiar voice. Well, this saves him the trouble of looking for Kariya.]

I feel fine. And you?

[Is it just him, or is Kariya standing just a little straighter?]

"Yeah...I think Zelda was worried about the same thing." She didn't say it in nearly as many words, but the implication was sort of obvious. He didn't exactly pick up on the fact that she was worried they would do something to HER but he could at least tell she was worried about what people might do in this state.

"Fortunately, I haven't seen anything stupid happen yet, but then again I have hardly been everywhere yet so...but I will do what I can if I happen to come across anything like that!"

[Lancer freezes when he hears the screaming. It sound familiar, but also very foreign.]

Who's there?

[He has no weapons with which he can defend himself now that Gae Bolg is gone, but he's still a hero. He needs to protect his friends from anything that might attack them during this time of mass chaos.]

I never said you would! Hell, I know you wouldn't! But would Ayaka know? Especially if she were to look at us now! She can't tell one from the other!

[Considering the very person at the center of the mess last year is currently less than pleased in her general direction down there--]

It certainly explains a few things, though. Perhaps not in full, but... it is better than living a lie, or constantly questioning the things that otherwise seem impossible.

At least, that is what I think.

[That's what she has to think, being at the center of it all.]

Yotsuba took Romeo's hand, smiling a little as the animal crawled onto her head. She didn't know what kind of animal it was, but Yotsuba loved them, so the questions would be coming out in a moment.

"Okay..but it's hard to not cry sometimes! Yotsuba would have cried..if my eyes were normal. And what sort of animal is Pinocchio?"

You! Ka-Karumi?

[Lancer finds himself tripping over the girl's name.]

It's me! Lancer!

"Heeeey~!"

Rei waves at the person who greeted her, a little too cheerful.

"Do I know you?"

I hope so... and everyone else as well.

Eh? Lancer...

[Wow she really can't tell who anyone is just by looking]

Are... are you alright?

Glamour Failure

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