Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
The hours faded into one another as they passed at the Lorsette Library. Warnings of uncertain weather conditions had been posted earlier in the day though there were no expectations of anything serious happening. The Library was understaffed for the day and Myrcella had been asked to come in to work with her mother to assist with organizing the shelves for part of the day. Her shift was shorter than her mothers but as usual, whenever not having anything else strictly planned or having finished her responsibilities beforehand, she would stay to either study or read for pleasure until her mother was ready to head home.
Myrcella was a dutiful worker whom rarely was distracted away from her tasks. She efficiently placed returned books in their proper Alphabetical location on their shelves, tidied anything that a visitor had carelessly left a mess after their textbook rummaging, and found herself already being more or less done earlier than her shift was supposed to end. To make use of her time and not appear as a useless oaf, she asked for more work before nothing else was left for her to do. Though, with lessening activity, this further amplified her running out of chores. The snow outside the grand Library's windows had first begun falling peacefully.... Myrcella had enjoyed glimpsing through the glass every now and again, finding comfort in the silence of winter's snowfall. Unnaturally and suspiciously so, however, the snow increased in its pace.
A harsh and violent blizzard had manifested in a matter of minutes, worsening faster than what could be comprehensible. It was evening by now and apprehension stirred within Myrcella's lean frame. This wasn't normal.... something was terribly wrong. Her mother had checked on her briefly, having found an escape from her Administrative duties, and questioned if it'd been the doing of Nephilims. Their exchange was kept short as important matters summoned her mother away once more, though Mrs. Dior wasn't comfortable enough with leaving Myrcella entirely independent within the main floor of the Library, where glass windows towered heavily and threatened shattering glass if the blizzard thrashed harshly enough.
"You've already done enough work today, love... why don't you find somewhere warm, and safe to read until I'm finished?" Her mother's soft voice sounded calm, albeit Myrcella knew well enough that she was worried.
"Have you seen what it looks like outside?" Myrcella answered with eyes narrowing, "I doubt we'll be able to get home at all if we don't leave soon..."
"Now, Myrcella, you know I can't simply waltz out. This job is important to me, and I must say, staying here is better than freezing to the bone trying to get home," Her mother answered and lightly smiled at Myrcella, who silently returned a discontent frown. "Please, just.... go find the corridors to read, and wait until I'm finished," She reiterated.
As her mother departed, Myrcella quietly exhaled a breath through her nose, a look of worry breaking through the vaguely frustrated yet composed demeanor surrounding her whilst glancing out the Library's main floor windows. She wasn't surprised her mother's shift was extended, but disappointed by it when the reality of being stuck inside seemed like an increasing likelihood. Waiting around... was not something she wished to do, and she could intuitively feel that something wasn't right about the conditions outside. Nonetheless, she begrudgingly felt she had no other choice but to find something to busy herself with for the time being.
Myrcella did not go where her mother had asked her to. There was nothing in the back corridors of the Library shelves that interested her, and she felt annoyed by the idea of waiting around for what she knew would be more than an hour in a section of a Library she didn't particularly like. She, instead, chose to venture into her favorite enclosure that journeyed up a narrow, spiraling staircase and onto a platform where classical stories and historic novels awaited. Two small tables nestled in the Antique nook of her findings, with an arched window of a scenic view. Wind tapped at its glass, at times rattling and thrashing from the wind's pace, as Myrcella grabbed a small stack of books and neatly set them beside her. Sitting in one of the chairs, the girl's reddish brown hair framed her shoulders as she opened a novel called 'Prometheus Bound'. Its cover was beautifully designed, but worn with age.
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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776 words
[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Over the radio, the weather man’s voice informed citizens of the impending blizzard which could potentially lead to power outages across Lorsette. During these extreme and dangerous weather conditions, Preston enjoyed reading his worries away. School cancellations allotted plenty of time to delve into his favourite task, however, the blond was gradually running low of literary material. There would be a limited amount of activities to entertain the young teen throughout the blizzard, thus he hesitantly risked leaving home prior to borrow more books from the local library. The wind had picked up since morning, Preston carefully dressing and assuring both his phone and library card remained in his pockets. Prior to leaving, he notified Zachary that he would be heading to the library. While Preston believed he could arrive there and return without incident, the blond refused to worry his foster father. They were not biologically related, but Zachary had offered him a location to stay. The walk down the windy sidewalks was frigid, Preston hugging himself and hiding his face as he steadily weaved down the snow-covered streets. Silently, he prayed his mother would be kept safe through this dastardly weather; the young angel was clueless what he would do without her.
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There was haste to Preston's steps as he pushed himself to walk faster, refusing to remain out in the cold. Each step was greeted with steam flowing from his mouth, drifting into the air as he hurried towards the library. Buildings gradually passed until the magnificent Lorsette Public Library appeared through the quickly increasing snow. For a brief moment, Preston sprinted, ignoring the sharp feeling of snow colliding with his reddish cheeks in favouring of reaching the front door. The young boy burst through the door, wind whistling through until he wrestled to close the door. Extensive breaths were taken, the blond angel enjoying every second he remained inside the warm building. There was a mild stinging to their cheeks from the sudden warmth, but the sensation was easily welcomed. A few moments were spent breathing, Preston appreciating the warm embrace of the library, his shivers gradually dissipating. Slowly, the young blond began walking forward, waving at the front desk librarian to be polite. A quick tense was sent to Zachary, informing his foster father that he arrived at the library to keep him from worrying; even adding the possibility he may not be home until the blizzard cleared.
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The isles of books were a marvel to Preston, his eyes scanning the signs above to properly navigate the library. While he wandered the labyrinth, the blond kept his phone close, watching for the lighting of the screen. On the radio, the weatherman stated there would be a text notification when the blizzard reached dangerous levels, warning citizens to remain indoors for their safety. Carefully, Preston navigated to the sci-fi section, brushing his finger against the spines on the books while the other kept his phone in hand. Eventually, he paused on a book with the title "LEVIATHAN", a thick book with a dark cover written by Scott Westerfeld. In a smooth motion, Preston plucked the book from the shelf, reading through the summary about the book. A brief grin graced Preston's face after reading the information before providing a nod of approval. The angel's eyes soon flitted towards his phone, clicking the button and sighing as he saw the blizzard notice on his screen, meaning that returning home would be beyond dangerous. Another text was sent to his foster father, stating he would be forced to remain at the library for his safety.
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Instead of checking out the book, Preston began weaving through the library shelves, heading to the further inside. The back of the library was incredibly quiet and serene, the angel enjoying the calmness of the farther reaches. There was a special area within the library up a spiralled staircase, the blond heading upwards to the quiet nook. There was a quiet creak as Preston headed up to where two tables were stationed. At the top of the staircase, Preston stopped, noticing a young girl with reddish brown hair reading a worn book. There was a surprise evident on the male angel's face as he raised a brow, however, he promptly dismissed it, heading to the furthest area from the girl's chair. Once settled, he placed the book on the desk, his phone returning to his pocket and began carefully reading over the words in the starting chapter. The subtle creaks of the library were ignored as Preston's mind fixated on the words, a scene manifesting in his head, the illustrations assisting in properly forging the scenes of the book.
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now, i wait for day i could run home to you
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From where Myrcella sat in isolation, she could here a vague whistling from the powerful winds beginning to arise louder. Occasionally, she lifted her eyes from the gold tinted pages of her book to see the blur of snowfall whipping about, thrashing in spontaneous swirls. The sight didn't unnerve Myrcella, but it did cause her to grow all the more tense about not being able to leave.... by now, she was almost certain that one of the radio broadcasts would be airing any moment within the Library speakers, proclaiming the Library to be shut down with guests encouraged to stay until the winds calmed. She couldn't fathom it being safe for any species to venture out at this point...
And, lo and behold, Myrcella's timing with presuming such things wasn't far off. The voice of an employee urged visitors to stay where they were at until further notified, from the speaker nestled in a distant corner from the discrete hide out the girl resided in. With the book laying flat upon the tables surface, hands underneath the covers and keeping it open, she paused in her readings as she listened to both the voice recording announcement and the whistling gusts tapping at the window. Upon the announcement reaching its end, Myrcella's eyes narrowed in thought... wondering how bad this blizzard would become. She highly doubted it naturally happened, but the question was, what could be behind something that quickly took over the town?
A creaking sound abruptly reached her ears, causing her Topaz eyes to promptly avert in the direction of the secretive Library nook's entrance. A small boy appeared with blonde hair, orange eyes, and a look of surprise that caused Myrcella's own eyebrow to raise in response. It... perhaps wasn't the friendliest of silent reactions to being greeted with another individual, though Myrcella wasn't one to filter her facial expressions all that successfully. As he ventured further into the section it become apparent how small he was. The boy was likely no older than thirteen, and that was being generous. Her eyes fastened on him for but a brief moment as to quickly scope over whom the new presence in the room was and when concluding that he was probably harmless and thankfully was keeping to himself, Myrcella was perfectly fine with staying where she was and continuing her readings.
She hoped that no one else would be finding refuge here, though. One quiet, reserved boy was as much as she'd be able to tolerate before getting up to find somewhere else. She liked being in peace.... and alone, but thankfully, the boy seemed to be the same way as he found his own spot at the opposite side of the section to read with nothing but the small cracks and sound of violent wind to weave through the silence. Myrcella's eyes buried into her novel, slowly turning the page as she moved on to to next part of the story. A few minutes passed before the antique lighted glass attached to the wall flickered, causing the room to dim. In suspicion, her gaze panned towards the side without lifting her head away from 'Prometheus Bound', her attention subtly falling upon the light fixture. The flickering once more happened, dimming more than before, until once more lighting up the room.
The flickering seemed to have stopped.... but a haunting whisper of moaning wind scraped just beyond the window frame, being loud enough to draw Myrcella's face up to look in its direction and see the glass fogging up. No longer was the view of the blizzard decipherable, and the girl felt her grip firming on her book as her gaze albeit composed hardened on the window. A seriousness captured her gaze, speculating and suspiciously wondering. What in Akari's name was going on out there...?
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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647 words
[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Isolation was preferred under most circumstances for soothing hours of reading, however, Preston could handle a single intruder in his usual reading location. Silently, the blond settled into his seat, comfortable as he hunched over his own book, opening the first page. The pleasant smell of paper vaguely wafted up to the male angel's nose as he took a deep breath, finding the scent soothing. When Preston exhaled, the breath was long, the pleasure of being surrounded by the shelves filled with books allowing him to feel calm while he waited until he could head home. There were hopes that Zachary would not be too worried about his absence; there was, unfortunately, no choice. While he quietly read the words as wind battered the library, resulting in creaks and snow hitting the window. The quiet noises suggested the possibility of the blizzard gradually worsening as time proceeded. People were already stuck in the library, but it would not stop the blizzard from raging on throughout the evening. As time proceeded, Preston kept flipping through the pages, enjoying the introduction to the book alongside the artistry displayed in the black and white pictures.
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Little attention given to the girl in the room, Preston acting as though he remained the only individual in the room. The blond angel had never been the overly social sort, thus he decided to remain quiet. Expressions remained neutral from Preston once he settled to read, no longer concerned with the presence of another individual. Their unexpected company appeared to be quiet, allowing him to steadily read through the text and admire the artwork of his own piece of literature. Rarely, his eyes flitted towards her with evident curiosity, but she appeared more fixating on her own book; which he found pleasant. Promptly, his eyes returned to his own reading material as he began getting closer to the completion of chapter one. Suddenly, there were vague changes in the lighting as the bulbs above started flickering, dimming the light briefly before shining bright. It warranted Preston's attention as he glanced up towards the lighting affixture, mildly concerned about the possibility of being left in the darkness. The current distance between himself and the reception area was far, resulting in concerns he may be forced to navigate to the front of the building.
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Outside, the wind wailed, forcing nearby trees to scratch the exterior, creating an eerie atmosphere to the location. Windows were fogged up, the world beyond the room impossible to see through the arching window; the increase in wind and snow created a whiteout effect. A flinch graced Preston's face before he bunkered down in his chair, reaching to pick his precious book up and bring it closer to his chest. The flickering stopped briefly but began to pick up again, the lights getting dimmer with each change until a slight buzz hummed into the air, the lights turning off completely. There was no longer a provided light source, Preston pausing in hopes the light would return. The fog over the window provided an insignificant amount of light, making it impossible to comprehend what the various items in the room were. There was silence from Preston as he listened to the creepy scratching and wailing wind. Only a minute into being left in the darkness, the male angel closed his book, tucking it under his arm before summoning his energy to manifest a small, glowing orb. While his phone could provide light, he wanted to maintain the battery in case of emergencies.
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Carefully, Preston glanced around, noticing the long shadows casted by his light source. There were dark corners, the moaning of the wind and endless scratching sparking his imagination to life. The notion of creatures hiding amidst the darkness, waiting for an unsuspecting victim was a frightening idea which could be easily fed by the creative thinking of a mere child.
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now, i wait for day i could run home to you
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The world beyond the safe isolation of the Antique Library Section was entirely shrouded away behind a thick fog, leaving no possible of the blizzard in a short time frame since Myrcella's gaze had warily fixated on the window. The lights begun flickering once more, struggling much more than before. Shadows leering from the shelving begun to cast over the tables, igniting Myrcella's greater presumptions that an outage was underway. Every warning sign was evident. Her head turned to glance up at the glass fixture on the wall, watching as it sparked its last attempt to stay ignited, before a bellowing hum cast over the nook. Darkness took over without a shred of decipherable view to the naked eye. Myrcella snapped her book shut, a feeling of reluctant dread overcoming her as she was met with sitting in the pitch black exterior of the Library. Hope of the power turning back on seemed imprudent.... it was obvious to her that the blizzard knocked out the power, and it was likely to stay that way with the state of the surrounding territory was in.
She nonetheless sat, still and silent, Topaz eyes slowly lifting and changing where they looked as though waiting to see if something would defeat her butter judgement of the situation she was now landed in. Of course, nothing happened... and a deep sigh left her with no attempts of concealing it. "Seriously?" She grumbled in a quiet voice dripping in irritation. The girl wasn't spooked by what'd happened-- quite the contrary, she was personally glad to have found her own private territory away from the ruckus of loud and panicking groups of people. People who didn't know how to handle themselves in a crisis... she didn't need the added stress of it. She highly doubted that it was dangerous to be in a discreet nook of the Library. This was the official Lorsette City Library after all, where the structure was secured for the most part.
Immediately, though, Myrcella was reminded that she wasn't alone here. That's right, the boy who'd come in just a handful of minutes ago....
Turning her head in the direction she remembered him sitting at, the girl soon after turned herself to be sitting while facing in that general direction. Eyes winced slightly at the sudden spawning of a glowing orb that illuminated his small frame, along only the part of his table nearest to him. Well.... it looked like he certainly wasn't an average human by being able to use his own source of light magic in such a manner. That also meant he was unlikely to be a species descendant of Hell, which prompted Myrcella to not be as likely to just.... ditch the area faster than one could walk. There was no way on Earth that she was going to allow herself to be locked in during a power-outtage with an unpredictable Hell born. Now that.... seemed very unsafe.
She still didn't know the kid or recognize him in the least. In a way, she would have preferred.... sitting quietly with her own orb of light until the power went on, as personal conversations weren't her forte. Now, she felt like she had to say something.... but first, Myrcella stood up on her feet. The wind continued its eerie whistling rampage at the exterior of the window and its surrounding walls, being much louder than the sound of her chair pushing across the floor. With a soft whisper to herself, a blurring white light manifested at the heart of a risen palm, growing until swaying like an enlarged candle light. Her face and attire became illuminated brightly from it, though everything else remained dark and dreary. She stepped away from the table, coming up to the wall where the fixture was as though examining it. She rose her palm, allowing the summoned light to spiral its way up to the fixture, seeing if she could get the circuits to temporarily function.... but there was no existent electrical source to work with. The power was, indeed, completely cut off and the fixture was once more absent in light as her magic returned back to her grasp. "Not surprised," Myrcella, finally, spoke aloud in a shared open thought. Her social awkwardness prevented her from a more so upfront conversation initiation with him, but.... at least by speaking he knew she wasn't ignoring him.... yes, that's it.
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Darkness consumed the unlit areas beyond the shining ball of light levitating above Preston’s left hand. Slowly, the blond’s eyes adjusted to newly formed light, his amber eyes flirting around the space filled with antiques. The subtle scratching against the building’s exterior kept the male angel wary as he slowly stood, legs pushing back the old wooden chair. A wail echoed through the room as the chair’s leg scrapped across the old wooden floor of the library. There was a flinch which briefly crossed Preston’s face as his eyes gazed towards the old chair, now motionless waiting for an occupant. As the male student slowly skirted his way out the space between the table and chair, he paid little mind to his companion. Cautiously, his eyes scanned the area around them, only flitting back towards the female when suddenly light sparked from that section of the room. The light displayed her features, the reddish brown hair, fair skin and topaz eyes. For a few moments, Preston’s eyes remained on her figure as she departed from her seat. It appeared her fixation was smartly on the nearby lighting affixture rather than the inky blackness beyond the light source. His light source had a small radius, his immediate area only be provided a brilliant light. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he slowly walked around the table, watching the girl check the light source while he moved to the window.
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Throughout the movement, he maintained his light, easily finding comfort in being capable of viewing the area around him. As he approached the window, he paused, noticing the fog over the glass alongside evident signs of freezing. In small designs, a thin layer of ice covered the outside of the window, making it difficult to see. Carefully, Preston tucked his book under his arm holding the light before pressing his bare hand against the window. The blond flinched briefly as cold embraced his fingers, however, he rubbed his hand against the window to clear the fog. Once cleared, he glanced through the insufficient layer of ice, noticing as snowflakes swirled wildly. In the distance, a large creature moved, Preston unable to decipher what exactly the monstrous sized beast was.
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“There is something out there,” he murmured quietly, squinting through the window.
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The creature was large, suggesting it could be a brute classed terror, however, it merely stomped through the snowy streets. The inaudible sounds of its footsteps narrowly reaching Preston’s ears. There was a paling to the male angel's face at the possibility of the creature beyond being a terror. After handling a frightening one during the horde in the coastal area. During that scary day, his foster father was injured alongside his unexpectant boyfriend. The blond kept gazing through the window the best he could, but it proved to be rather difficult on account of the forming ice. When the girl stated there was no surprise, Preston glanced towards her, noticing the floating orb. A frown remained graced on Preston's face as he took a few steps from the window, grabbing his book and setting it onto the table. The wind kept wailing, the increase of snow blowing around made it obvious the power would remain out for an extensive amount of time. Another sigh left his lips as he slowly moved towards the stairs, glancing down at the darkness below.
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"... Should we head to the front?" Preston inquired, procrastinating the descent.
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Part of him wondered if the front was the correct location to meet with everybody else wandering the labyrinth of shelves. There were few other locations Preston could think of unless they were escorted to the cafe inside the library. The effort was taken into increasing the range of the light, however, it remained rather limited nonetheless.
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now, i wait for day i could run home to you
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While Myrcella resided near the wall's light fixture, the boy dwelt his body near the singular glass window. It wasn't until he spoke aloud, of something that was apparently lurking outside the window, when Myrcella had finished her investigation of testing whatever remnants of a light source were available to work with in the electrical circuits. Moving her chin over her shoulder, her face had tilted in his direction. The window on the inside exterior had fogged up from the creeping cold but a visible smear from the boy's hand managed to allow more insight into the outside property. At first Myrcella saw nothing of particular oddity, though primarily due to where she'd stood, but beneath her feet she could feel the flooring shaking... loud thuds following each shake, as though something monstrous and larger than a Giant awaited outside.
The thuds were distant enough as not to ignite a surge of frantic turmoil within her, but powerful enough to spark a startled gleam in her eyes that flicked down towards the slight shaking of the surrounding interior. Her chest squeezed in arising nerves, though she tried to keep a strong front as she turned to once more look towards the boy with a face hinted in what she was actually feeling in her gut. The feeling of impending doom by the fact that a giant monster was just beyond the Library's walls. Terrors destroyed what was in their wake.... a-and in Heaven's name, she prayed that whatever creepy monster was out there.... stayed away. Far, far, away. If a swarm of smaller terrors practically crumbled one of the vacation estates down during their festive gala a year ago, she could predict the absolute horrors of what a ginormous terror was capable of.
The swaying wisp-like light in her palm had danced and flickered wildly from the fear that jolted through her composure, but soon resumed its previous swaying float. She forced a gulp and stubbornly kept herself together. The boy stepped away from the window with his book, setting it upon the table with a sigh. He inquired if they should head to the front... after his observation of seeing something outside and the echoing rumble of thuds, she believed they should. "That would be what's best..." She admitted in a serious tone, having now turned to face him while her gaze roamed towards the spiraling, narrow stairway. It was eerily quiet.... so quiet, as to enhance and amplify the movements of the likely dangerous creature.
With caution she stepped towards the stairway but had yet to embark downwards. Myrcella stopped to face the boy once more. Her light radiated, having yet to dim away in its energy. "If you can...." She began, lifting her hand and extended it outwards more, "Continue manifesting your Light magic. Together, we should be fine.... just don't use too much energy..." If either of them ran out of enough energy to keep their Lights powered, they'd be met with a far worse situation.
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] The loud crunches of giant feet stepping across the frozen ground resulted in the library trembling in response. There was a slight quickness to Preston’s breath, his heart beating faster due to the frightening situation he was trapped in with a complete stranger. Terrors were fierce, monstrous creatures who preyed on anybody they could find, killing them in the name of Zeredah. The young boy wished he remained home, safely among his foster family or even in the hospital with his true mother. Each step held an air of caution, the blond’s memories of the first terror he witnessed the attack of still fresh in his mind. The creature possessed excellent hearing and was a mixture of animal flesh and metal pieces. Fortunately, this particular one was a large, hulking creature which blended in with the distant whiteout. There would only be mild ease when the tremors ceased, but Preston feared there would be more of those mysterious fiends. The hairs on the back of the male angel’s neck stood on end, a slight queasy sensation entering his stomach as he remained nervous. Had he truly required another book? The price of being trapped in the library while a blizzard raged on outside was becoming mildly frightening. While he remained familiarized with the maze of shelved books, Preston had never traveled in the dark through the large structure.
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The scratching outside alongside the howling wind continued, the young blond gazing down into the dark depth below. There was power to Preston’s imagination thought about the clicking claws of that medium risk terror back during the horde near the hospital. Those scratches of the outside trees reminded the blond of the dreadful claws. Could a terror have secretly invaded the library’s interior? There were no screams from distraught people, thus Preston held his doubts, but his fears provided his gluttonous nerves with a feast. A breath was sucked in and held, one of his hands clenching the cold, metal railing hard enough to make his knuckles white. While the male angel remained quiet about his fears, it became evident in his slightly paler face and nervous attitude. Perched in his hand, the ball of light continued to glow, illuminating the girl’s face as she drew closer. There was a nod when the girl stated their best chance of safety would be heading to the front of the library. Gradually, he walked towards the edge of the stairwell, pausing to glance at the stranger.
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"Maybe you should save your energy for now... If we stay close, I can keep my light up and then if I run out, you can use yours. I have a phone with a flashlight too," Preston suggested.
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Light coated the area around them as the blond slowly walked down the stairs, steps creaking beneath Preston's feet as he gradually made his way down. The male angel's hand remained extended, palm open to manifest light while the other slid down the metal railing. There was a pause when Preston reached the bottom of the stairs, his amber eyes glancing around nervously the shelves which the light of his orb just managed to reach. The thought of a terror infiltrating the inner sanction of the library frightened the young boy.
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"Do... you um... think a terror may be inside?" Preston inquired hesitantly.
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Slowly, Preston moved away from the stairs, allowing for the girl to exit the stairwell when she was prepared. Another deep breath was taken, an extensive exhale following in hopes of managing to calm his rapidly beating heart. The situation was akin to a horror movie, however, the reality was terrifying and paranoia-inducing.
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now, i wait for day i could run home to you
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She waited for the young boy, before both of them joined together at the entrance of the long spiraling stairway just before them. It was surprising to see how much darkness and shadows could cast an illusion.... the stairway hadn't appeared nearly as maze-like in daylight, or with the electricity turned on. Now that they only had their own magic to illuminate a path for themselves, the journey down appeared much longer and eerie than the way up.
She could feel every nerve in her body become alert and tense at the echoing, thudding steps of a giant outside. Her survival instincts threatened to push her over the edge into paranoia at the creaks and groans within the walls and floorboards, but she kept herself composed, which had yet to be too difficult for her to manage. Only because of how she was taught, and exposed to things. She may have been born into a household of luxury but she had not been allowed to live innocently as a child. Innocence.... was weakness in a cold, dark world like this.
Her eyes glanced towards the blonde boy's knuckles, clutching the railing of the stairway so tightly that she could see a slight tremble to his hand from the applied pressure. He kept his light radiating with the other hand, while suggesting that she saved her energy for now. A slight narrow came to the exterior of her eyes in response, vaguely expressing disagreement. His idea sounded sensible but she wasn't keen on putting her entire trust into him. Attention momentarily befalling the flickering orb she'd summoned, a soft sigh left her after giving it another thought. Perhaps it would be better for her that she conserved her magic energy for now, and if the other boy ran out of his or for whatever reason they got separated, she'd still have her own Light source to get by with.
"That is fine," She agreed, allowing for her light to dim and fade, significantly ridding of what illuminated her facial features and leaving the boy's magic their one resource to rely on. "I have a phone as well. We can use it if we end up in dire need of it," She offered, following the boy down the stairs with light steps. She kept a slight distance between them as they journeyed down the spiraling weave of steps, her foot steps barely audible with the echo of small taps from the heels of her shoes. A groaning of distant wind filtered its way through the isolated staircase, sounding deep and solemn... no other voices of people had accompanied the cold air. It was admittedly haunting and Myrcella ensured that while she kept a slight distance, that she didn't fall far from him.
When they reached the bottom, Myrcella uplifted her gaze to see a transparent expression of fear and nervousness in the boy's face. There was no question about how he was feeling about the situation they landed themselves in. When he moved away from the stairs, she was able to fully enter the more so expansive area of looming book shelves that appeared terribly obscure in the midst of what darkness consumed them beyond the illumination of the boy's light. "I don't know," She openly admitted out loud, honest and not thinking of trying to ease his tension, "I would hope not... but the sounds we have been hearing are concerning. We are also very alone in here, as though everyone else has evacuated elsewhere," Her gaze scanned the nearest exterior of what she could see, wondering and trying to see if she could catch sight of anyone, or anything... she stepped ahead of him a little, but then stopped. "Let's walk through the back of the shelves. There's a passage behind one of them that we can use,"
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Throughout the early moments of the power outage, Preston found his pulse elevated as his proceeded imagination manifested frightful beliefs. Fear became an endless spiral, the blond's breaths being forced into slow, extensive ones to maintain an air of calmness. There was more fixation on fear rather than the disapproving expression provided by his companion, although, there would be no uttered complaints. If his companion desired to waste her magical energy, Preston would not proceed into a verbal argument; bickering would be useless. Unfortunately, the objective remained to navigate through the bookshelves and arrive at the front desks where there would be safety. Possessing the energy to fuel their light magic would be crucial, thus when the older angel decided to agree, Preston felt relaxed. Gradually, her light had diminished, allowing the darkness to encroach on more of their space. Alas, the male angel knew the light was significant in managing through the labyrinth of books. Admittedly, the young boy remained uncertain as he hopelessly stared into the endless darkness. There were fewer windows on the ground floor, a majority of space being used for endless books, making it difficult to see.
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A small frown touched Preston's face as he squinted, attempting to peer through the darkness. There were a few hesitant steps across the carpeted floor, the blond listening to the eerie sounds which remained prominent; the usual noises associated with blizzards. The male angel stepped quietly, attempting to remain optimistic about the current situation, however, trepidation made accomplishing the hope-inspiring endeavour difficult. Sounds were limited, wind proceeding to howl outside while the inside of the library continued to maintain a haunted atmosphere. There remained no other footsteps in their section of the library, nor other voices from distressed citizens trapped inside the warm building; they were alone. The single light emanating from Preston's hand created long shadows, the small orb unable to chase away the darkness around them. Gradually, the blond's eyes managed to catch a glimpse of one of the hanging signs which would provide them directions to the front desk, although, each step held hesitance. The uncertainty about terrors entering the building shared between himself and his mysterious companion increased the anxieties plaguing younger angel.
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"I hope they stay far away," Preston murmured. "Those things can be pretty strong..."
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Images of his foster father's abhorrent injuries after being pounced on by a feline-like terror flashed into the blond's mind, a brief tremble breaking his futile attempt at a tranquil facade. The quiet shuffle of the girl's footsteps resulted in Preston's amber eyes flitting towards her, fixating on her as she mentioned a passage. A skeptical countenance touched the boy's face, his lack of familiarity with the other youth making him hesitant.
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"Wouldn't sticking to the signs be better?" He countered quietly.
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There was a stubborn sheen which managed to grace his amber eyes despite the evident fear which surrounded him. Plenty of anxiety was manifested from the situation, Preston concerned over following a stranger down an unknown corridor. The male angel preferred sticking to the more open areas, only hiding should there be evident signs of terror activity. Terrors could hide anywhere and Preston was plenty aware of the notion. After his foster father was attacked, the blond began reading endless books on terrors in hopes of discovering ways to assist the wounded man, thus he stumbled upon many facts which sparked an acute concern.
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now, i wait for day i could run home to you
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The boy didn't seem fond of her suggestion. It wasn't in his question, but more so the expression in his face that visibly shown in skepticism and stubbornness. She was able to read his body language without difficulty, given how expressively the quiet boy presented himself.
Myrcella didn't appreciate his immediate disagreement with her suggestion, having found it frustrating that not only had he ordered her to summon away her own light of which she complied with, but had metaphorically put his foot down regarding her offering of assistance with a passageway leading them out. Even if he didn't flat-out object she could easily read beneath the line what he was thinking. Sometimes words were unnecessary to get one's point across.
"The Lorsette Library is a historic monument in this city. It has plenty of passages hidden from the public that are beneficial in cases of emergency," Myrcella explained, her voice smooth in tone as her Topaz eyes lightly narrowed at the blonde youth in front of her, "It will be faster, and safer. There's less of a chance that a Terror will be lurking within the passages... they are closed off and secured, unlike the open hallways,"
A continuous whistling of wind tapped against the windows, becoming repetitive and endless in commotion. "I know of it because I work here. It's not common knowledge to others," She emphasized a little flatly, not being in the mood for trying to convince someone else that she knew her way around the Library. Her gaze panned over yonder, near the sea of shelves that had blended into one another due to the shadows consuming them.
However collected and calm she may have seemed, Myrcella was worried about the situation. She was worried of where her mother was, and fearful of what truly was happening outside.... or what possibly threatened coming into their one sanctuary. But she couldn't afford to show such emotions that if she allowed to consume her, would render her without a clear mind to be prepared.
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Certain situations could manifest concern in anybody, especially a mere child trapped in a dark and frightening place. There was nobody to protect Preston, but himself, thus he feared travelling into these mysterious corridors with a girl he hardly knew. Those spaces were unknown to the youthful angel, creating hesitance to agree following the russet-haired teen somewhere sacred. After managing to catch a glimpse of a hulking monster outside, the blond felt a tad paranoid and worried for his own well-being. Somebody needed to be around for his ailing mother, and Preston was determined to remain beside her until she fully recovered from her illness. Carefully, the male angel settled an arm around his stomach, hand filled with light inching closer to his chest to display a more guarded demeanour While information reminded him she could not potentially be a disguiser (her earlier light magic proving it), the abnormalities found in certain terrors made him wary to completely trust her. There could potentially be Assembly of Phantoms members in the area and moving to an unknown corridor resulted in endless concerns over the notion.
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Logic and reasoning of a horde survivor could differ depending on the circumstances, and these situations manifested an endless concern for Preston. Shaking the notion of anybody potentially being associated with the Assembly of Phantoms could be complicated, especially after returning to a similar scenario. During the horde near the coastal area, the hospital's lights had flickered out, leaving the blond in the darkness while a terror secretly lurked the hallways; he would have perished should his foster father not defended him. While the young girl explained herself, Preston inched back a few steps, disliking the notion of entering a closed off passageway with another individual he just met, even with her explanation of working here.
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"I don't even know you and you're telling me to enter a closed-off passageway, alone with you?" Preston countered stubbornly, attempting to make his perspective understood. "It's hard to trust you when I have only known you for a few minutes! Even if it is faster, I am sticking to staying out here. Besides, if one terror manages to find that corridor... where will we go?"
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Without listening further to the girl's words, the young blond stepped around her, moving to investigate the sign by sending his light upwards. Carefully, he read the letters, evidently unwilling to obey the young girl's plan from his inner fears of the entire situation. At least in an open area, he could potentially evade terrors by running or perhaps flying to hide on the upper areas. In a closed-off corridor, a single threat could easily become a large problem, especially since magic needed usage to navigate.
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Her explanation and reasoning behind why she felt the passageway would be a desirable choice of rounding out into safety resolved nothing. The boy was firm on his stance of following the signs and had seemed to ultimately already have decided from the get-go where he wanted to go, not showing much openness to work as a team in analyzing their options. She supposed it was expected of a child. She did, however, find herself bothered by how adamant he was. It seemed hypocritical to expect her to place sole trust upon him while he refused to place any trust in her.
Myrcella didn't hold negative feelings towards him, as a person, but was left frustrated by the circumstances and feeling as though he wasn't willing to listen to her. She observed as he backed away from her, light source shielded towards himself, and inching his body closer to where he had clearly desired to follow. If it was so difficult for him to trust her.... then maybe he was better fending for himself, and watching out for his own back.
The thought was one she restrained from retorting with, her jaw instead tightening as she watched the boy speeding off without offering her a chance to respond anyway. She allowed for his words to settle in, analyzing them as to give them a chance for her to understand or sympathize with. While she could, indeed, sympathize with his reasoning it didn't change her mind on what she felt more comfortable with doing. Myrcella wouldn't chase the boy down and allow him to go freely as he desired. He had his reasons and she had hers. Perhaps a part of her own stubbornness was pride, and refusal to let someone else have their win over her.... but more greatly than anything, she feared the image of a vast open space with Terrors breaking through the windows and decorative walls. The exact vision of the Gala some time ago flashed in her mind, confirming her reservations.
Without a word, Myrcella turned to face the now almost pitch black rows of shelves in front of her. Only when she summoned back her flickering source of light did they illuminate again whilst she browsed along their exteriors, fingers carefully prying the books to find the opening before coming across the exact location she'd previously spoke of, nestled not far from the fogged arch window. The light swaying in her palm doubled, then tripled in size, before growing into a large flame-like wisp that used the leverage of gravity to lure the shelf in a float motion forwards. The passage, dark and hallow in entrance, appeared before her... and Myrcella carefully squeezed herself between the shelf and the one beside it to enter.
On the other side of a large wall-hanging portrait, Myrcella had found the end of the passage, and used a small burst of light to get the heavy framework of the painting to tilt so that she may enter through. With a slight hop, she landed on her feet, finding herself in the region of the Library where almost all hallways met. It was likely the same exact hallway the boy would have found himself in, using his own choice of route....
The sound of footsteps, light and seemingly harmless, sounded from a very short distance behind her. Unfortunately, at the same exact time, a loud booming crackle of a falling tree outside rumbled the walls ferociously. A startled shout left Myrcella as she whirled around, a defensive swaying light in her palms as she positioned herself to fight. "Wh-who is there?!" She shouted out, her composure broke with a look of fear and large eyes.
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i told them I wanted to go home[break] but they bound me with their chains
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[attr=class,punkisavelighttext] Hypocritical was the best word to describe the current situation, Preston refusing to provide his companion with trust after she proved her faith through extinguishing her light. The action should have warranted an ounce of trust, but the angel was terrified about being confined to a small corridor with a terror. While the situation was merely a possibility, the notion made the blond quiver in fright. Undoubtedly, Preston was being stubborn, but the entire situation held intense stress and concern about what could potentially unfold. There was a blizzard outside trapping everybody inside the Lorsette Public Library while terrors lurked around outside and only the God's knew what else. The library could possibly transform into a death trap considering there were few places people could evacuate to without risking their lives. However, the blond refused to be trapped inside a tiny corridor. The small stairwell himself and his foster father ended up inside had proved to be a nearly detrimental choice, the younger angel remembering how Zachary insisted he proceeded faster up the stairs to avoid the menacing beast below. Memories flashed of the quiet scuffle as his foster father slipped on stairs, only to rise and be attacked by that creature.
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They had toppled down the stairs while tears accumulated in his own eyes, fear to grasp him, tightening his chest and manifesting shallow breaths as he screamed out words of worry. Another tremble overcame Preston as he shook the thought away, focusing on those memories now would not assist in his escape. Briefly, he glanced over his shoulder, watching as the russet-haired girl separated, recreating her light to follow her chosen path. A soft sigh escaped Preston's mouth as he turned his head to face forward into the inky darkness beyond him. While they only interacted momentarily, the blond genuinely hoped she would survive her endeavour and be alright. He wondered if the mysterious girl had ever encountered a terror, and admittedly, he believed she lacked experience considering the decision she made. Although, these thoughts were bias because of Preston's first encounter being in the confinements of the stairwell where his foster father nearly met his demise; a single trip could potentially lead to death. Silently, the blond proceeded through the endless hallways of bookshelves, eyes searching the endless shadows.
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A small frown remained evident as fear crept into the male angel's heart, making it beat slightly faster as he nervously wandered the library. Stillness consumed the area, the only noise being the occasional eerie creak of the building settling and the floor beneath his creak; each making him jump. Gradually, the young boy continued forward, using the orb of light as guidance. Everything was proceeding as expected until the building suddenly shook and a thunderous sound echoed through the library. Immediately, Preston jump, a gasp of fright escaping his mouth as he backpedalled away, back smacking into one of the shelving units. Another jolt of surprise arrived, a quiet scream leaving the blond mouth as he hurried forward, heart racing, turning around to investigate the threat. A relieved sigh escaped his pale lips as he realized it was merely one of the shelves. A few books were knocked from their places because of the sudden shaking accompanied by Preston bumping into the bookcase. There was a brief pause as the young boy gave himself the opportunity to calm himself, ears listening to the howling wind outside as his eyes searched the darkness.
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A mild tremble remained in the blond's steps as he stabilized, taking a few hesitant steps back towards the shelf he bumped into. Slowly, his amber eyes flitted towards the sign, sending his light to read the words while his mind provided a variety of worrisome thoughts. Could that sound had been a terror breaking into the library? The thought made Preston shutter, the male angel navigating the hallways in hopes of avoiding the direct entrance into the library since he desired a vantage point. After a few moments, Preston nervously clenched his open hand, his small light source unable to vanquish all the shadows, which meant a terror could appear from any direction. Perhaps he was foolish to not entrust the young girl's idea, but he feared the notion of one of those horrible creatures chasing him down a cramped hallway, only for him to trip and become its next victim.
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When faced with what was behind her, Myrcella realized.... nothing was behind her at all. No terrors, no people, and certainly nothing that was intrusive. Emptiness of the hall, consumed simply by shadows and a very dull spotting of light that seared through the fog of the glass window was all she was met with. This didn't immediate soothe her as she remained still, listening carefully and eyes flicking about the scene to find if anything were possibly hiding from clear sight. Slowly, her hand lowered from its defensive stance of which would have indicated an immediate readiness to fight.
A pounding resonated within her chest from the sudden jerk of fear that'd befallen her. Even while seeing that nothing was clearly looming around her with malicious intentions, Myrcella didn't feel at all relieved. What if something was, actually, still within the building that she was nonetheless missing? What if... she should have just stayed, sitting within the hidden passageway, until peering out from behind the painting to see if the power was back on? N-nothing could have reached her back there... she was safe.... unless if of course the whole building came falling down. Then there might be an issue, but it was still more comforting for her... than to be out in the open, where anything could jump at her.
Her fingers held a tremble to them, one hand brushing a few straight locks of hair that'd strung over her shoulders and face from her sudden movements. When her mind somewhat settled, her thoughts returned to the young boy from before, whom she had departed ways from. She wondered if he heard, or felt the same exact rattling commotion... or if he may have even been closer to it than she was. The creative paranoia of her subconscious painted the vision of the rumbling cracking thud being ignited by the break-in of a terror somewhere within the building. What if the boy happened to be right where it happened?
Her eyes contemplatively narrowed at the hall, one arm hugging around herself whilst the other kept an illuminating light within its palm. She sent the light floating away from her, traveling down the hall to illuminate more of the exterior up ahead that she had yet to see, making sure.... nothing truly creepy resided in the short distance. When confirming this wasn't the case, at least by the looks of it, Myrella let out a shaking sigh and begun traveling in the direction she had a feeling the boy may have gone.... where the signs lead.
The light returned to her hand as she walked, finding herself among the maze of bookshelves once more, before rounding a corner and seeing the distinctive appearance of the blonde youth. His demeanor shrouded in hesitancy and fright, Myrcella admittedly felt guilty having left him alone... but just for a moment. After all, they did both have differentiating view points on where they wanted to go. A few creaks followed her footsteps, echoing around the shelved area where the boy had tried to navigate through, with Myrcella out of clear view merely due to the height of all the obstacles within the area. A couple more creaks followed her steps before, from right beside the boy, she appeared through the shelving. Her intentions weren't to sneak up on him but due to the spooky environment, that was unfortunately ended up happening. "There you are..." She suddenly, and without warning, broke through the eerie whistling silence, "I heard a loud noise and tried finding you, to ensure you were all right,"
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