[House of Broken Mirrors] What Makes a Monster? (Sei & Yan)

[Fallacy]

oocNote: This is my FIRST ever modded thread. So, be nice and try to have fun. Ill do my best to entertain you (and myself). Oh, and don’t forget to timestamp!



Timestamp: TBA by Player

The House of Broken Mirrors was a lonely place, a house that held nobody, one that was abandoned and only used for the sheer entertainment of upholding the rumors about the place. Its loneliness though seemed to call out to others muttering sweet and enticing words, trying to get them to enter. The place, as empty as it might be, or seem to be, needed some special attention that day. It needed and longed for company, someone that it could play with, something to warp and to twist the perspective of. The building called and dared anyone to enter, for in its confidence it was sure to give anyone a good time, though a good time is defined differently from person to person, place to place.

In their rush to escape the crowd Seidaku and Yanessavhanet would find themselves traversing the streets of Alvadas, and as if the city itself saw their desperation to escape prying eyes, and therefore the judgment of the people the streets started to get emptier and emptier. With this emptiness came silence and within the empty silence dwelled the house and in all its loneliness it looked inviting. The place stood there strong and unwavering. The sign on the house made it even clearer how welcome the pair were. The perfect place to hide. No one was around, why not go in?

The wind blew playing with the sign that hung there removed the dust from it so the plaque could be better read.

[Seidaku]

Timestamp: 10th day of summer, 511 AV

Fleeing the scene of the his display of Voiding to ward off the Kelvic girl and the angry mob that had gathered as a direct result, Seidaku took twists and turns through the streets of Alvadas at random, not caring where they ended up as long as it was not where they had started. Before long he was breathing hard, both from the exertion of his flight, and from an overwhelming sense of panic that gripped him still.

Is this what over giving feels like?, he asked himself, wide eyes darting about but not really seeing his surroundings, I felt the portal. Felt its pull, the emptiness of it. But it was not there. There was nothing there but a ball of ink. Am I losing my mind? Were the doubters right about Djed? Or did I just use too much too fast?

His breathing came now in wheezing, panicked whimpers and his distress grew by degrees, greater as the crowd thinned rather than less. He needed to stop, needed to think.

There. To their left. It was as good a place to stop as any. Better than most, likely. No one around, and an open door leading into a shadow shrouded interior. No one would look for him - for them, he suddenly realized, since he had implicated Vhanet with his display of power - within a random building, blocks from scene of the incident.

As soon as they had crossed the threshold, he knew that his choice had been a mistake. One of a long string of them, his mind jabbered at him in a shrill voice. He could feel a palpable aura of menace inside of the building, an irrational terror that pulsed in counterpoint to the more logical, to his mind anyway, panic of unexpectedly overgiving. The shadows inside of the building felt like cobwebs on his face, tickling and itching and pulling at his skin. In his mind, he was ten years old again.

He could hear them outside, even though he could no longer see or even feel the doorway back out into the mid day sun. Could hear their shouts and gibes, calling him a coward. A sissy. A baby for being so scared of the House of Broken Mirrors. They had all been inside, what was there to be afraid of? But he had seen them when they first came out. Some of them laughing hysterically, some of them screaming until they were carried away. Little Willie Smits had not come out at all. But they had never mentioned that again, an unspoken agreement.

Just through pure observation, he knew there was something to be afraid of. And now, he was locked here, in the dark, with it.

"Oh no," he said in a voice breathless with fear, "Nonononono... This is bad. This is very, very bad."

Releasing his hold on Vhanet, he spun around toward the doorway they had come through, already knowing what he would find. Regardless, the fact that the doorway out was gone only served to heighten his fear.

[Yanessavhanet]

Normally the sight of a man running in a blind panic, especially from something she had done, would delight Vhanet, but this was a different than normal situation. Not only was Seidaku someone she hoped to use in the long term, at least for his home and possibly his knowledge, but he was also a mage with command over the Void, something she found a bit frightening.

She had to think of some way to calm him down. Maybe she should trip and pretend to hurt her ankle? It might be hard to keep up such a game though. Maybe just a trip and a stumble, followed by some soothing words? Before she could think much longer on what to do Seidaku was pulling her into a vaguely familiar building.

Inside the building seemed plain enough, but there was a delicious feeling to the air. This was not a normal building in Alvadas, and it seemed by Seidaku's reaction that it was somewhere he knew and didn't want to be. Turning to face him she noticed the lack of the door they had just entered, much like what she had seen in the Garden of No Return, and she could practically feel Seidaku's panic oozing from him.

"Seidaku, calm yourself," she used her Illusionism to mask her accent, doubting that now would be the best time to provide another surprise to the man, "What is wrong? It's just a simple house, there's nothing to fear," as she spoke she approached him and placed one hand upon his cheek, the other on his chest, while she gazed up into his eyes with a soft smile, "There's nothing more here to threaten us. No more Kelvic, and no more crowd," she pressed a little closer to him, "You were very brave in defending me, but now you're starting to worry me."

[Fallacy]

When the two crossed the threshold of the House of Broken Mirrors their fate was sealed and left to the vices and the will of the house. Door vanishing, and with the mage freaking out the darkness that soon enclosed then couldn’t have been much of a comfort either. The dark, welcoming as though it may seem, held secrets that it did not want anyone to know about. The dark, how it loves to play mind games and to augment fear that is already present. How it has that power, almost of a Gods. Though is it borrowed or genuine? Or perhaps the power is only perceived by those who are willing to see it. Maybe the darkness is nothing, and holds nothing, but all too often that thought is negated and replaced with what might be, and slowly the human mind conditions itself into seeing, hearing and feeling what is not there and what cannot possibly be there. That all without illusions help proving that man’s worst enemy isn’t others but himself and his mind.

The dark, the great manipulator, also was in the presence of a snake, a manipulator herself, one that thrives off the thrill and the game of control, much like darkness does, but as with darkness they both have a common enemy and that is the light, and with light comes the truth and the ability to see things clearly. No manipulation is perfect, and neither is the darkness of this house for shining through down the long entrance hall was a light, one that beckoned them to come, one that seemed almost warm and comforting compared to the darkness that they were in now. The light shone down the entrance hall as the building started to wake up, for it had not had visitors in quite a long time.

Soon the light was bright enough to expose the hall and to reveal just how long the hallway they stood in was and to say there was another room at the end of the passageway. It also showed one unique feature of the house, and that was the walls were lined with mirror after mirror after mirror, all of them reflecting into the endlessness of perception. Though just as the light appeared it began to dim and soon vanished leaving the pair in darks company once more. A moment passed then there came a faint light, but it did not seem to come from one source but all around. With a little observation one could conclude that the mirrors themselves were gently glowing, providing just enough light for the average human to make their way around with some caution and no more.

The House of Broken Mirrors was starting to revive again, and that promised much, much more than just a light show.

[Seidaku]

"Just a simple house?," Seidaku asked with a shrill giggle. Vhanet's presence and the simple act of physical contact had begun to calm him, though. His breathing was still thin and frantic, and he was staring about wildly with wide eyes, trying to keep as much of the House in his field of vision as possible.

When the light swelled at the end of the hallway, he leaped backward defensively, arms raised over his head, "This is not a, ah, simple house. It's, umm, the House," he lowered his arms when it became apparent that the light was not a herald of attack, "The House of, umm, Broken Mirrors."

Like iron filings to a lodestone, his gaze was drawn down the mirrors of the hallway. This was different than the last time.

Stumbling in the darkness, his feet caught on protrusions on the floor, keeping him moving at a careful walk every time he tried to run. He was not alone. He could feel eyes on him, following him, not encumbered by the inky blackness.

In the distance, he could hear a dry rustling, like paper fluttering and rubbing together. Robbed of his sight, the sound took on a menacing quality. Closer, he could hear the scrabbling of claws on stone. He swallowed loudly, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat.

Walking with increasingly rapid steps, Seidaku held his arms out in front of him, feeling for a wall or anything else that had some hope of leading him to an exit. This time, when his foot struck the obstruction in his path, it let out an angry hiss and wrapped around his ankle.

With a shriek that was high pitched and terrified, he lost his balance and toppled over, falling to the ground and landing heavily on one hip. The creature that had grabbed hold of his ankle curled its way around and up his leg, dozens of clawed appendages slicing through the fabric of his pants to gain purchase on his leg.

Screaming and blind in the dark, Seidaku beat at his leg, and then his stomach and chest as the creature writhed its way up his body, leaving a trail of bleeding pin pricks in its wake. With a strength and dexterity borne of abject terror, he grabbed the creature and hurled it into the darkness before scrambling to his hands and knees and crawling away, leaving a thin trail of blood in his wake.

"There is, ah, there is plenty to threaten us," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "And we need to leave. We, ah, need to leave now."

[Yanessavhanet]

"Oh," Vhanet gasped softly in surprise at the revelation of their location, dropping the illusion from her voice in case she needed it for something else, and then turned at the growing light down the hall while backing up against Seidaku, "The one we walked by on the day we met?" a shiver of excitement passed through her body as she pressed back more firmly against Seidaku, reveling in his terrified state for a moment.

After a moment of joy she forced herself to calm down though. It wouldn't do to terrify Seidaku too much. She'd hate to lose her toy, especially if he dragged her into the Void with him in a panic, and with the initial delight fading her curiosity rose. She vaguely remembered what Seidaku had said about the house, about what it was like, and she was curious what it would do to her. Could it show her something she found horrifying? Perhaps, she was no fool who thought herself fearless, but the few fears she did have she knew and accepted. It would be interesting to see what it showed her, and also what it showed Seidaku.

"Then," she replied to Seidaku's insistence that they leave with a whisper of her own, "It would be better to walk ahead than wait here, no?" turning a nervous smile up to Seidaku she took firm hold of both of his hands, giving them a firm squeeze, "We'll go together, and make it through not matter what, right?" giving Seidaku's hands another squeeze she turned and started to lead the way into the hall, gently tugging Seidaku along as needed, and turned her curious dark eyes to the mirrors to see what they held.

[Fallacy]

The house seemed to sigh as the mirrors continued to glow in a soft light, the lights diming for a brief second before coming back a little bit brighter than before. The house stirring and the shadows seemed to shift a little as the house woke up. The mirrors themselves seeming to take on a life of their own as images could be seen scattered across them, disoriented as if the house couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to show them, what their fears were, or more darkly how it wanted to mess with them.

For Seidaku, if he bothered to look in the mirrors he would himself in his house. His reflection would don a concentrated look as he painted on some more glyphs on his floor. If he would take a closer look then he would see the glyphs that the house were using looked oddly familiar, it was the same design that he used to increase his potential in Voiding, that black art where nothingness ruled over something and the mind was always more than matter. Seeming continent with the work the mage would step back and begin to focus on the void, the concept of nothingness, and soon one will manifest in front of him. A triumphant smile would spread across his face and he would make the void a little bigger, and then bigger still. Gaining confidence in his abilities, and having total faith in his glyphs, the mage made the void even bigger still- now Seidaku would see himself making the biggest void he had manifested ever before. Though the glyphs would start to disappear and the void start to waver. The Voider would see himself lose control of the portal and him being sucked into it; the first of the series of images to come.

Yanessavhanet would see an unusual sight. She would find herself in a dessert, but not alone. She would be in the company of a man and seemingly enjoying his company. The dunes went as far as the eye can see, but then the image could change as Vhanet would reach for the mans hands. The deserts sands would darken and the sky turned a tribal red, the sun painting the sky hues of golden orange. The man, another Dhani would shift into his Dhani form and being a constrictor would pull her closer and look into her eyes. With a soft smile the user would become the victim the Dhani male wrapping his hands around her neck and soon others would appear. Vhanet would hear a soft chanting as she saw herself being choked by the man, but there was not a look of fear on her face though rather one of endless pleasure. She was enjoying being choked adhering to her own sadistic ways. The soft chant would grow more intense, louder and louder, demanding and even more accusing. More people gathering around the man and Vhanet watching the life being choked out of her. Fingers pointed at the snake they would chant, “Liar, Cheat, Fraud, Fake, User, Murderer, Manipulator,” But last of all, the one that was said with the most conviction would be, “Monster!” Though as the chant continued one could hear an exhausted laugh escaping from the womans lips.

[Seidaku]

"Yes," he muttered, returning Vhanet's squeeze of his hands with a smile that was mostly grimace, and then following her down the hallway, deeper into the House of Broken Mirrors, "Yes, better to, ah, go forward and, umm, get it over with than to stay here and, ah, wait for something to come to us."

After all, the worst that could happen would be something awful would climb out of the dark - or the mirrors, or the floor, or from within them - and tear them apart and eat the remains.

Seidaku barked a nervous giggle at that train of thought, high and shrill and still bordering on panic. But, at least he was no longer incoherent.

Down the hallway, moving at a hurried walk toward a light that pulsed, brighter after each dimming, with the eerie regularity of a beating heart, Seidaku felt his gaze drawn, almost against his will, toward the mirrors flanking their path. Each mirror he passed showed a portion of the tale, progressing further the deeper they moved toward the heart of the House. The beginnings were benign enough, the drawing of familiar runes and Glyphs, a swell of energy that he could feel as though he himself were the one channeling Djed, which in a way he was. Confidence at his success and elation at the power he wielded. Knowledge that he could do more, could do better.

Then, without warning, panic. His vision twinned, he was in the mirror, inhabiting the scene that he was watching. The pull of the portal, a strange gravity rippling his clothes and hair. With a strangely echoing scream, he tried to close the portal, forcing the world through the bore to save himself. It was too much though, he had reached too far. With a nightmarish slowness, he felt himself lifted off his feet, feet that even now marched with uneven, faltering steps toward a light that pulsed wildly in time with his heartbeat. He watched the portal come closer, seeming to swell in his vision until there was nothing but darkness.

Then cold. Cold so intense that it burned. Pain in his eyes, his joints, his skin, his lungs. He tried to scream, but he could not hear his own voice. He screamed himself empty, and tried to draw in breath to scream more, but there was no air. There was nothing. The pain in his eyes peaked, he thought the orbs had ruptured. Every second was an agony, but then after seconds or seasons, he could not tell which, it began to fade. He felt a comforting warmth and the burning agony receded.

And then he was dead, and none of that mattered any more.

In the hallway, Seidaku staggered forward blindly, gasping and choking. Weeping at the memory of pain. He had died. He had felt himself die. His own arrogance and folly had drawn him into the Void, and it had destroyed him.

[Yanessavhanet]

Vhanet moved with Seidaku down the hall, her gaze wandering about in a curiosity that she thinly veiled as nervousness. Seidaku was still panicky, if a bit calmer than before, and so she stayed close to the man as they moved. Men always were stronger, in act at least, when they had a "helpless" woman to protect.

The first of the images presented to her by the house caused a faint downward curve of her lips at the sight. Did the house intend to bore her? That would certainly be unpleasant, but as the images unfolded she realized just how untrue that thought was. First a brutish Constrictor, and then others attacking her for the horrible things she had done. Now that was something much more interesting, and Vhanet gave a faint shiver at the thrill of watching the scene. It was certainly an interesting show, but she wished it had been more violent. At least some blood would have been nice; she'd always imagined she'd die in a bloody fight with some "noble" avenger, maybe one of the famed Syliran Knights even.

Whatever Seidaku had seen apparently had upset him much more though, and Vhanet found herself jerked out of the pleasant contemplation of her own images as he staggered forward. After a moment to gather herself Vhanet called out to him, Ionu's gift still masking her words, "Seidaku, wait! What's wrong?" she quickly moved close and threw her arms around his waist as she called out, "There's nothing to fear Seidaku. I'm here with you, and we're both safe. Please, try to calm down," even as she tried to calm him the back of her mind itched with the desire to see what he had seen.

[Fallacy]

The house was just beginning to have its fun destroying the relationship between the two. It would feed off their reaction and come up with even more shadows, fears, for them to see, to witness firsthand for themselves. It was how the place worked after all. The House was playing a sick game indeed, but it was a game nevertheless, and as with all games once you have started you must play to the end.

The mirrors was not done with them yet, they had so much more that they wanted to show them, so much more that they wanted to play with. Once again in his panic the mirrors would capture Seidakus attention, though it would seemingly reflect what was happening now, showing Vhanets arms around the mage. Though the mirrors would go beyond that and show a devilish grin on the Dhani’s face, and with that Seidaku would see a knife banished, dripping with poison, in one of the snakes hands. The surfaces would show the mage that the snake intended to kill him, but slowly with her infective poison…

Vhanet would see the same thing in the mirrors, but this time it would be Seidaku who was attacking her, and not the other way around. She would see herself throw her arms around him, but then it would show the mage opening a void inside her, and sucking her up into it from the inside out. The black hole growing bigger and bigger as it sucked her in, showing her the power that the mage truly had, a power that could get rid of any threat within just a couple moments, a power that should both be feared and respect, but it would also show her the power that she wished to control was now killing her. Was the house warning her to be even more careful with mage? Or was it just trying to scare her? That was for her to decide.