Luceti Land!!

[lucetimods]

Who: luceti
What: Amusement Parking!
When: Today til the end of the month
Where: A veritable pleasure island, east of the Beach Fort.
Summary: An amusement park has popped up in Luceti. It's all over here.
Rating: F is for friends who do stuff together!

Just some notes here not in the mod post -
1) The weather will be bright and partly cloudy for the rest of the month on the beach side of things. A nice cool sea breeze will keep people from melting out there.
2) All the old Luceti Land rides are still available. However, feel free to make up your own attractions and rides as well.
3) Since this is around for two weeks, we may put up another mass log if this one gets too full. So keep an eye on that!
4) Don't forget to tag your character's name on to the log! If you don't have one yet, just let us know and we'll get you hooked up.

As way of explanation for all this, Bil will have written a message on the first page of the journals. It cannot be replied to, it simply states:

"My condolences for all the trouble. You were due for an experiment today, but I thought you might enjoy an amusement park instead. It seemed like the sort of thing the Great One would do."

Comments

3/3

[whatdeheckisdat]

"Don't know how to show it sometimes?" Ha! There is nothing to show, only gestures and lies. Such foolish words crumble in the face of all I have witnessed. Do not lecture me on the nature of the hearts of men!

[lostinmyway]

[Grune listens silently, without moving or flinching away. When he finishes, she lets go of Dhaos' hand, closes the distance between herself and the mirror, and lays a hand on its surface.]

I'm sorry. You must have had a very difficult time. But you mustn't give up, even when it hurts.

[She smiles, completely unafraid. Instead, the expression holds nothing but love.] I believe in you.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos, unable to speak or move this whole time, finally snaps back to reality. Grune's show of pure, innocent love strikes a painful chord in him, but more urgent if the knowledge of how his persona will react. Because Grune is not the first person to take pity on the mad Demon King.

He reaches out for Grune's arm, but freezes as the persona's words reach her first:]

Had I given up in the beginning none of this tragedy would have ever come to pass! Do not be so arrogant as to assume you know who I am, or what I have seen! How I feel... You dare to know it?!

[...It isn't just a persona. Those are words that straight from Dhaos' memories, things he himself remembers saying. Things he still believes.

The phantom in the mirror is the true reflection of all that 'Dhaos' is.]

[lostinmyway]

[She shakes her head, still not intimidated by his raving.] Oh, no. What everyone feels is different, because everyone is unique. But that's all right. It's good that everyone is different.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[The persona laughs-- a high, twisted laugh.]

You idiotic thing! The differences between people only cause conflict between those who cannot accept them. And so the cycle of destruction continues!

[Dhaos forces himself to move again, grabbing Grune's arm. He can't listen to this anymore.]

Grune, now.

[lostinmyway]

[Now, Grune will consent to leave. But before she does, she gives the persona one last look of compassion and--sorrow.]

I'm sorry you think that way. I hope you can be happy someday soon.

[And then she turns to leave.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[The persona, unfortunately, has one last jibe.]

So be it. I will not stop until all of humanity has perished at my hand.

[It is at this point that Dhaos tugs Grune and resolutely leads her away from the mirror. If she is paying attention, she may notice that he is shaking a little.]

[lostinmyway]

[With Dhaos' hand on her arm, it's impossible for her to miss how upset he is, and she turns a worried face up to him.]

Dhaos? Are you all right?

[whatdeheckisdat]

[...Only a persona. Even in his worst, lowest moments, Dhaos would never have descended to such madness...

'Break MY heart...?'

Except he had. And he knew it. But because he had been so caught up in his own feelings, he had never realized just how far he had gone...

Dhaos eventually comes to a stop somewhere between the last mirror and the next. It's almost an unconscious decision.]

...I need to rest.

[lostinmyway]

[She looks up at him for a little while longer, then nods.]

All right. Let's go home.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos nods back, too shaken to feel guilty about not staying as long as Grune might have hoped. He turns to head in the direction they came from, making sure to give the previous mirror a wide berth.]

Thank you.

[lostinmyway]

[She slips her hand into his and gives him a reassuring smile.]

You're welcome.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[...Grune, at least, would never turn on him if she knew. The persona never received any reaction other than sympathy and love, so surely she would act the same way for the true Dhaos.

...He wouldn't deserve it. He would probably reject her and throw her away, if it ever came to that again. But at least there would be someone still waiting for him...

...

He can't let this get to him. It's just an attraction in a theme park. It doesn't mean anything. Grune will forget about it before long: so should he. He would put it out of his mind, as soon as his hand stopped shaking with the stress.]

...Mm.

[lostinmyway]

[Before they go too far, however, Grune stops. Once again, she looks up at him for a long moment. Then, she hugs him close.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos starts in mild surprise. Grune...

He doesn't return the embrace, but he does lay a hand on her arm, accepting it.]

[lostinmyway]

[For just a moment, she rests her head against his shoulder. Then she pulls back a bit without letting go.]

He made you sad, didn't he?

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Under any other circumstances this would be awkward, but at the moment it only feels natural and comforting.

...Even Grune couldn't fail to notice. There's no use denying it to her.]

...He reminds me of myself.

[lostinmyway]

Why?

[They aren't anything alike. Dhaos isn't sad like that at all.]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Possibly because they are physically identical, Grune. But no, it isn't that simple.]

...I used to act much the same way, before coming here.

[lostinmyway]

[She doesn't so much as flinch. Her gaze remains steady on his face, and her arms stay around him.]

You must have been very unhappy.

[whatdeheckisdat]

[He was. But that has absolutely nothing to do with it. Dhaos had not cared what happened to him or his emotional well-being, so it does not matter.]

...I believe I made other people far unhappier than I.

[lostinmyway]

Did you say you were sorry?

[whatdeheckisdat]

...No.

[Aselia will never accept his apologies, and Derris-Kharlan will never hear them. Even if he had the chance, it would be pointless.]

[lostinmyway]

Why not?

[Did he forget?]

[whatdeheckisdat]

...

[His first thought is to answer, "I wasn't sorry." But he had never wanted to cause so much pain to so many people. Even if it was no excuse, he had that, at least...

The only true reason is because apologizing would have been useless. No matter what Grune thought, no one could possibly have forgiven Dhaos, and he didn't need to hear that they might have.]

...There is... no way to apologize for the pain I have caused.