rakuen | New Arrivals (All new characters)

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

Ah, I remember now. It's... a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her. The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess. No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep. Mechanical, monotonous.

"Next stop: Rakuen City. This train terminates here. The next stop is Rakuen. All change." The train rocks steadily. The sun shines through the window cheerfully and if you look out the window you will see rolling meadows full of spring flowers. Steam drifts past the window, it is warm. A mixture of sunlight and the heating of the seats, it adds to the dreamlike atmosphere.

It's strangely difficult to shake off the sleep; the rhythm of the train seems to lull you back into slumber and the air is warm and heavy, making it hard to keep hold of a thought. Finally, though, the nausea settles, the last of the dream fades and you can take in your surroundings. And, perhaps more importantly, those around you in a similar state. The train judders to a stop, through the rain lined windows there is a building and people gathered on the platform.

"We have arrived at Rakuen City. All passengers must leave the train. This train is terminating here. This is Rakuen."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Asagi shrugged, putting away his pack and frowning at the empty matchbook. "Some city called Rakuen. I doubt it is part of the normal world, but something seems to be blocking my senses." Most of the time he's talking he stares at his lighter, looking somewhat puzzled. It seemed like he'd need to find somewhere to get more matches.

"Not part of the normal world... What do you mean by that?" How could it not be part of the world, they were here weren't they. But... there was no city called Rakuen, it didn't exist...

Yuka's head perked up at this comment, and she turned away from the window.

"My home is a place like that. A barrier blocks it off from the outside world, and only people with special abilities can even tell it's there, let alone enter or leave." She looked out the window again. "I don't think this is my home... but maybe there are other hidden lands like it."

Shion looked over at the other girl. A barrier? A little like No. 6's wall? Which city was she from... "What kind of special abilities?"

Yuka shrugged. "'Manipulation of Boundaries' is what it's usually called, but I don't really know much about it." Her face reddened a little. "That perennial mostly seems to use it to pull pranks on everyone..."

Shion blinked, "Sorry... I don't understand what you just said."

Nothing made any sense, Shion wondered if this was some strange dream.

Yuka tried to remember how it had once been explained to her.

"Well... the whole thing is pretty metaphorical, except for the part where it works. You could say that there's a boundary between where you're standing and where I'm standing. A boundary manipulator could change that boundary to make those places closer or further apart, or make a barrier in between..."

Yuka blushed some more. "... But she's a lot more likely to do something like make the location of her hand and the location inside my skirt equivalent."

Shion nodded, still not fully understanding. How could something metephorical be real? But something to change the distance of things, or create barriers, he could see how that could work.

At her final comment he blushed as well, when he realised what she was saying. "Oh..."

"Let me guess, there is no city named Rakuen in your world?" Asagi's smug smile indicated that he was sure that there wasn't one. There wasn't one in his world, and the look in Shion's face, he could tell there wasn't one in his.

"Well, it can happen. Certain beings are capable of creating a seal around a place so that the inside doesn't change, out the normal world will project what you want it to, but to make something that would cross into different realities would take a great deal of power." He frowned. It would mean he was not on top of the food chain, and that was where he liked to be.

Shion nodded, "My world? Surely that is the same world as you..." There was only one world... But a seal created by power? What kind of power? Some kind of electronic or magnetic field?

Asagi shrugs slightly, "I thought there to be only one world, but looking at some of the people here, it is clear that they are not from a place contained within the confines of the world I know. Thus, it seems sensible that there are other worlds. This place must link to many different worlds."

He took an exceptionally long drag from his cigarette, clearly enjoying it greatly. "Of course, my sense seems to be off, so I could be wrong."

"Your sense?" Shion blinked at him. He was amazed actually at the conclusion the other man had came to, and how quick he had come to it. Shion had seen the differences in people but he had not been able to make the leap to assume different worlds and a connecter between.

It made him feel a little bit stupid, which was an entirely new feeling for Shion.

"Humans in my world call it a sixth sense." He sniffs the air, "Typically, I could sense exactly what kind of place this is, or at least sense how we got here. And quite a few other things, but that sense is dulled here, at best."

Shion shouldn't feel too bad, Asagi is an investigator. A paranormal investigator, to be precise, but still an investigator. Considering that he himself could actually be considered by humans as Paranormal, it made him a lot more qualified than most ghost hunting groups.

A sixth sense? Surely there was no such thing... But Shion's knowledge of the world was beginning to stretch and he knew that more things were possible than he was aware of. "Has it ever been dulled before?"

"Have you ever had trouble smelling something?" For him it was much the same. Of course it had been dulled, but to be cut off like this? It was troubling.

"Trouble smelling something? Do you mean like when you are ill with a cold?" Is that what this place felt like to him.

"Close, but even worse. Right now I can't tell if it is just dulled or completely useless. I'll have to meet a freak or ghost, or something in order to tell." It really was frustrating. He did not like having any of his abilities dampened, but things could be worse.

"Oh..." That was really strange, and ghosts didn't exist. But Shion tried not to judge as it was obvious something strange was going on... "I guess we will find out when we arrive at this Rakuen place..."

New Arrivals (All new characters)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject