selfpreservationist | [RAVEN'S HEART GAME

The first thing you hear is the sound of rain faintly hitting the exterior of the house. The soft pitter-patter is almost soothing, in a way, but it’s quickly followed up by rumbling thunder in the distance. You open your eyes, and for a second all you see is a flash of light--at first it seems like it’s lightning, but then you see something. A vision of a man dressed in rags, hunched over, waves of demonic power rolling over him. He howls, and something terrible starts to grow out of him: the bloody roots of a massive tree. An immense wave of panic hits you, and you can’t move, you can’t speak, you can’t breathe--

And then it’s over. It’s over. You’re fine.

The sound of rain returns. (This time it’s definitely soothing, compared to what you just saw.) You’re standing in the foyer of a mansion, a wide open living room in front of you. The door behind you is faintly ajar, leading outside.

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Well, this is interesting

[Hm.

Is there a curtain around the tub or any towels nearby?]

He gives her a small grateful smile, and then pinches his brow like he's concentrating.

"It feels like... things got... shuffled around. Probably when people arrived in the heart. Things aren't all where they're supposed to be."

There's a towel you can use. It's big enough you could take a bath in here, if you wanted.

The swords downstairs looked like they were missing something... Yours, I'd guess.

....

Ah, to heck with it.

[She's going to strip and get in the tub and also check to see if there's anything on the bottom of it.]

The only thing you find is the plug for the tub. But! There’s soap, and the water is nice and warm. However, no matter how hard you dry yourself off later, there’s a thin sheen of glitter plastered to your skin.

"That's a fair guess. I... don't know where everything got moved to, though. It's hard to focus like this..."

[Let's drain the water.]

That sounds great right now, thank you!

I can look around. Do you want to come along? ...Can you come along?

You drain the water, but you're still sparkling.

Guess I'll just have to live with being fabulous~!

[Lily will look at the rest of the portraits, looking to see if there's anything on or behind them, first. Who's all here?]

"Whatever you say! I gotcher back, so don't leave me hanging!"

The bird flaps into the air and for a second you smell a whiff of ozone and then--BOOM, lightning strikes the ground in multiple spots, paralyzing the tendrils that are wrapped around you, allowing you to move freely. More rise up to try and grab you, but so long as you keep moving, you can dodge them.

The large, hulking figure makes a displeased noise.

"I'm not sure I can. And to be frank, I probably shouldn't... this place is safe, but not everywhere in my heart is."

He reaches for your sleeve.

"Be careful, Glory. It isn't just that it's dangerous, it's... there's something else..."

The collages are all focused on a different member of ☆Zrael, past and present and princess: Annabel, Aradia, Doodleman, Glory, Lance, Man Eater, Requiem, Sabre, and Wataru. Each one has a poem amidst their photos.

[ she forges ahead, not stopping—she's going for the sword cane, since—that's Raven's, isn't it? shouldn't it be hanging in the living room? ]

[she runs a hand through his hair again]

Something else?

[Let's look at Lance, Aradia and Doodles.]

You manage to dive towards the sword, but abruptly you're blocked in your path by a spinning crystal. The crystal shoves you back right when you're about to reach the sword, and you hear the bird behind you.

"That thing...! What a headache! It's there ta protect this old bastard and keep us from layin' a finger on him."

The large, hulking figure just laughs.

“SUCH FOOLISHNESS.”

How do I get rid of it—

He's quiet for a few moments.

"I'm telling you this in confidence. There's a way to Vergil's heart from here. I... don't know how, but I strongly suspect it won't be easy or painless. You can help my heart, and if you figure out how, I beg you to... but... if you end up on his side, please... help him, too. He's the one I'm worried about."

Lance's collage is a tad smaller than the others, but the pictures it shows are very tender. Many of them, like Aradia’s, show Raven’s perspective from laying with his head in Lance’s lap, or on his shoulder. There’s a close-up of his newly-obtained horns, and several more pictures of Lance smiling.

Lance's poem.

Aradia’s collage is filled with pictures of her reading or preparing tea and sweets. There’s a few pictures from the perspective of someone with their head in her lap, looking up at her. In addition to pictures, there’s also several book covers and framed passages from books--20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Around the World in Eighty Days, and other adventure novels.

Aradia's poem.

Doodle’s collage has a bunch of pictures of him making big goofy smiles while Raven’s hand is in his hair, petting him. There’s also a leather collar and leash among the pictures, for some reason, as well as a blindfold. Finally, there’s also a book on Zoroastrian mythology, with a few pages bookmarked.

Doodle's poem.

[she considers that quietly for a moment herself]

...Of course. I'll help both of you.

"We gotta get to the sword! I'll try distracting him! HEY, BIRDBRAIN! Wait, that's not a good insult coming from me, is it--"

[FOR SOME REASON, HUH.

What about Man Eater?]

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[RAVEN'S HEART GAME - SESSION THREE]

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