[the light coming off him shifts to something warmer as he glances out, surprised. it's clear from his expression that he has never seen anything remotely steampunk in his life.]
Is this your home...?
[politely doesn't comment on the demons because everything else is really cool]
[ Upon closer look to these fancy demons, Rupert can see they also have horns! Joonghyuk frowns as they pass by. While steampunk, it does have normal things like bars which they can see, but tied to theme a clockwork shop called "Etika Clock Store." ]
It's the 73rd Demon Realm. [ ... ] There's nothing to see at home.
[the curiosity and fascination stays until yjh mentions that last part, and then he turns away from the illusion to face him with a mixture of concern and confusion. the light he's giving off grows a little dimmer, almost buzzing uncertainly.]
[ His wordy form melts off to show himself as normal, but now with wolf ears and tail. He matches with Niah who is sniffing around thinking he'll pick up demon scent. ]
It suffered since the apocalypse, so it is undergoing restoration. It's difficult for me to think back to what it used to be.
[little blue sparks fly off of him as his eyes widen, a bit shocked. he gets the sense that maybe he shouldn't pry, but that doesn't stop him from looking curious as he nods and places his hand on the panel. suddenly, they're in a seaside village, the chatter of locals around them and the cries of seagulls not too far off.]
Does that mean - will it be alright, if it's getting restored?
... Yeah. It won't be the same, but it will be fine.
[ He is confident about that, at least? In general, he thinks talking in a nice and peaceful place is better than in a post-apocalyptic city. His new wolf ears perk at the sights. ]
[ So it’s a yes? He looks at this fake ocean. Hm. ]
It’s a decent replica, but seeing and feeling the real thing will be better. [ They can enjoy the sights, though Joonghyuk frowns at any gulls. ] Your trip. How was it?
I don't think I saw any of us get something like that when we left... Like I said, all I got as far as items go is the locket. It could be worth checking with the other three just to make sure, though.
[a beat]
Once you find the answer, can you let me know if it's something important?
[he pauses for a moment, the colors shifting to a variety of different shades. blue, red, green, before they stabilize back to something bright yellow.]
...Do you want a play by play, or are you just looking for a short description?
[the light coming off him buzzes uncertainly, almost akin to static, before he continues on.]
We had to go to this masquerade ball, and we were all competing for a prize. There were pretty strict rules to the ball, and we saw... For me, it was an illusion of someone I love. They were pushed into breaking the rules and killed. [little flames dance across his arms and face for just a moment.] After that, the other rules were revealed; instead of a masquerade ball, it was like a hunt, kind of. They set these dogs on us, not normal dogs, monsters... And they told us we would only win if we survived the night. That's when I started feeling - strange. For some reason, I hadn't found it easy to trust anyone through the beginning of the party, but after we ran from the monsters together... It was some kind of magic, I think, and I was the only one affected, but I couldn't stop thinking about hurting the other three, killing them somehow. It just got stronger and stronger, and in the end, I fought them. That's why they're all so injured.
[ His own form shifts into static as he listens to this, then the lines of noise return to Korean characters again, shaking and repeating illegible words before he returns to himself. ]
What happened there stays there. Here, you are yourself.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[the light coming off him shifts to something warmer as he glances out, surprised. it's clear from his expression that he has never seen anything remotely steampunk in his life.]
Is this your home...?
[politely doesn't comment on the demons because everything else is really cool]
no subject
[ Upon closer look to these fancy demons, Rupert can see they also have horns! Joonghyuk frowns as they pass by. While steampunk, it does have normal things like bars which they can see, but tied to theme a clockwork shop called "Etika Clock Store." ]
It's the 73rd Demon Realm. [ ... ] There's nothing to see at home.
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Nothing to see? What do you mean?
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It suffered since the apocalypse, so it is undergoing restoration. It's difficult for me to think back to what it used to be.
[ But this sounds sad, right? To add on: ]
You can pick a nice place.
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[little blue sparks fly off of him as his eyes widen, a bit shocked. he gets the sense that maybe he shouldn't pry, but that doesn't stop him from looking curious as he nods and places his hand on the panel. suddenly, they're in a seaside village, the chatter of locals around them and the cries of seagulls not too far off.]
Does that mean - will it be alright, if it's getting restored?
no subject
[ He is confident about that, at least? In general, he thinks talking in a nice and peaceful place is better than in a post-apocalyptic city. His new wolf ears perk at the sights. ]
Where is this?
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[some of the concern stays, but he's mostly curious. he glances around at the new location.]
Oh... It's not somewhere I've ever seen before. I just thought it might be calming. I've never been to the ocean, so.
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[ So it’s a yes? He looks at this fake ocean. Hm. ]
It’s a decent replica, but seeing and feeling the real thing will be better. [ They can enjoy the sights, though Joonghyuk frowns at any gulls. ] Your trip. How was it?
Did you receive a strange sticker?
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So... You left before it changed during the apocalypse, but they're still there. Did they get stuck there somehow?
[a beat.]
A sticker? No, I didn't... I got a locket and some extra tickets, but nothing else. What kind of sticker do you mean?
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[ He hopes that clears it up? The demon realm was some time ago.
He shows Rupert his “You Tried” sticker! ]
This was on my person when we were spat out, but it wasn’t related to my trip in the slightest.
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[squinting at the sticker, though.]
...No, I didn't get anything like that. Is it supposed to do something?
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[ Yeah. It’s fine. Survivors are rebuilding the city! A sigh as he puts it away. ]
I’m not sure yet. I thought it might and I intend to ask a staff employee, but I wanted to cross reference with your group first.
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[a beat]
Once you find the answer, can you let me know if it's something important?
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[ He continues to watch the horizon… thinking about this “you tried” sticker. His wolf tail lashes cause it makes him annoyed. ]
What happened on your trip?
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...Do you want a play by play, or are you just looking for a short description?
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[ However Rupert finds comfortable. He isn't going to press him into spilling every detail... He knows how the trips usually are. ]
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[the light coming off him buzzes uncertainly, almost akin to static, before he continues on.]
We had to go to this masquerade ball, and we were all competing for a prize. There were pretty strict rules to the ball, and we saw... For me, it was an illusion of someone I love. They were pushed into breaking the rules and killed. [little flames dance across his arms and face for just a moment.] After that, the other rules were revealed; instead of a masquerade ball, it was like a hunt, kind of. They set these dogs on us, not normal dogs, monsters... And they told us we would only win if we survived the night. That's when I started feeling - strange. For some reason, I hadn't found it easy to trust anyone through the beginning of the party, but after we ran from the monsters together... It was some kind of magic, I think, and I was the only one affected, but I couldn't stop thinking about hurting the other three, killing them somehow. It just got stronger and stronger, and in the end, I fought them. That's why they're all so injured.
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What happened there stays there. Here, you are yourself.
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...Thank you. It's kind of you to say.
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[ He isn't doing it to be kind. Stop. ]
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[he will never stop, unfortunately.]