Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen

>Viss: Use the Match cheat.
>Alice:Use Tidal Wave, nothing beats tidal wave.

> Alice, rock, rock, cherry bomb
> Viss, cheat match, cheat match, oh my God just throw paper already.

They shook their fists up and down.

One.

Two...
Viss' eyes focused just a little bit-at the end of two. Alice was already forming paper. She would just throw rock and-

Three!

Viss stared. Both of them threw rock. Was she so tired that her eyes were not working well?

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"Again?"

"Yeah, I guess so!"

One.

Two...
Okay, she was definitely throwing paper this time! RrRRrrrRrrrr---

THREE!

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"H- How. . ."

"Again?"

Viss stared into Alice's eyes. There it was. The coldness. The disappointment. Alice stood there and held her fist out. Rock. She somehow threw rock again. Viss wondered what strange magic Alice had learned from Empty that allowed her to do this.

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". . .Viss, Again? You won't be satisfied with a tie, right?"

For a brief moment, Viss felt something inside her falter. She could just- open her mouth, and take the tie. She could just walk away. Apologize to Qhen. Tell Qhen the truth. Tell Qhen who killed the Captain. Tell Qhen who did it- Tell Qhen-

Tell them that you were so terrified of losing them that you killed just to keep them forever. You killed so many times- at first, just to make sure that Qhen would never have to fight in the Pits. You became infamous. If you wanted to taste the bite of the Death Drake, you need only set your sights on that aberration that she followed. Then they got out. She didn't need to fight anymore. They just did their job on the airship.

But the Captain just had to like Qhen and Viss. They reminded him of when he was young. Said that Qhen had the eyes of an explorer and the heart of a wanderer, Viss had the eyes of a beast, but the heart of a warrior. She wondered what he saw that night. Was it warrior, or beast. . .?

Viss' eyes began to burn. Feelings began to rise up in her chest again. Her eyes squeezed shut and she brought her arm back. . .

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"TO TELL WITH IT ALL! IF YOU'RE SO INTENT ON LOSING, THEN JUST LET ME WIN ALREADY!"

Her fist sailed straight for Alice's face- Rock. A punch. Her fist. Her feelings. She did not hate Alice because she did anything wrong. She hated Alice because Alice didn't hate her back.

WHOCK.

Viss opened her eyes.

Blood. . . . Blood?

Alice's hand was bleeding. She met Viss' punch dead on with her own fist, with such intensity that her knuckles had split open. Viss could smell her blood. Just like Alice's personality, it was sickeningly sweet smelling.

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"Alice. . .?"

"Yes?"

". . .Why is your thumb sticking up? You know, if you throw something that isn't Rock Paper or Scissors, this is still a tie. . ."

"Oh! I thought we were settling this like children. So I threw Cherry Bomb."

". . . Ch-Cherry... Bomb...?"

Alice's thumb began to slowly descend- Oh. Like the fuse on a-

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". . .I guess I lose, huh?"

"Yeah. You do, Viss."

"It's not fair. You're so much better than me- I can't even beat you in cheating."

Alice brought her thumb down, and pulled her fist back. Viss dropped her arm. She closed her eyes. Just do it. End this farce. Break her illusion of power, of control. Ruin everything because you're just TOO GOOD TO LET THINGS BE-

Viss felt the breeze pass by the side of her head. The next thing she knew-

She was being kissed.

. . .

That moment lasted for an uncomfortable, infinite second- before Alice put Viss back down.

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". . . What the hell was that?"

"The practice of this exercise was to hurt the other person, right? Punching you would have just told you what your heart wanted to hear. So I tried to think of what would hurt you the most."

". . . WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Viss jumped at Alice. Alice swung again, and this time, it connected. The two of them began to strike each other. Alice couldn't tell if Viss was crying with anger, sadness, or laughter.

Meanwhile, Empty and ENVIOUS faced each other.

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". . ."

". . .Who are you?"

"I am Empty."

"No- Who are you?"

"I am no one and nothing. I am a void. I am someone and everything. I am a void."

". . .Hearts are fragile things. Empty. Wounds do not heal overnight."

"Wounds never heal. There is always a scar, even if it's only in our memories."

"I suppose it would be too much to hope that you planned on finishing me off, to save her?"

"The people here have a saying. Pay for your sins with your own two hands."

"Well, we shall see. She may still come back to me."

"Oh, She will return. Not as your host, but as an equal."

ENVIOUS's hood tilted down. It's flames were little more than a cloud of smoke now. It's heart had calmed. It's tattered appearance even resembled flames now, twisted and random holes, frayed edges. . . It reminded itself of Viss. They glanced back to Empty.

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"Thank you."

ENVIOUS extended an arm of smoke, with veins of fire running through it, like burning coals made out of clouds. . . Empty stared at the extended hand, then reached out with a limb of fog-

ENVIOUS suddenly was all alone. They were alone, in an endless expanse of stars- No- They were just looking at-

Empty let go. ENVIOUS retracted it's arm quickly, and warmed itself on it's own flames.

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"You're right. Who is meaningless."

". . ."

"What are you?"

Alice and Viss lay on the floor, panting, and crying, and laughing, and coughing. They were truly out of energy now, they had expended everything they had in that last fight, and it was little more than a brawl.

Viss was impressed. Alice could certainly hold her own. She was trained. So why did she live here, by herself? She could have left at any time. She could have explored the world. Was it because- this was her world? This little, insignificant island? The Imperial Sphere was massive these days. She may not even know how big it truly is anymore. Her island probably housed a thousand people. A small farm. A forest with wild animals. Some caves. . . and like the speck of sand, it was nothing.

Alice watched Viss. Viss had gone silent, and was thinking. Alice looked away. She wondered, if Viss told Qhen the truth, would they still be friends? Would Qhen leave? If Qhen left, would Viss leave too? All that fighting, all that struggling to try and learn who these two were, and she realized there was a non-zero chance that she might never see them again.

Viss got up, and walked for the exit- stumbled for the exit. When she opened the door, Qhen was there. Waiting. Viss looked up at Qhen. Qhen stepped away, and Viss walked out and closed the door behind her.

Alice laid there on the floor, in a mingling pool of her and viss' blood, sweat and tears. Alice rolled out of it and flopped on the floor again. She was so tired. She would close her eyes. Just for a moment. Not sleep. Just- A nap. No dreams necessary. No dreams. . .

She woke up:

( ) On the floor of the voidspace where she collapsed.
( ) In bed.
( ) In grass.
( ) In space.
( ) In the arms of (Qhen/Viss)
( ) Alone.
( ) [?]

she's with Viss of course
the yuri gods demand it

>In bed. Viss and Qhen are there too. You're all tangled together, same as last time, only now it's worse since there are three of you. Alice, with the two of them piled on top of you, your EVERYTHING is asleep. Qhen's morning breath is actually worse this time, and Viss, oh great, Viss grinds her teeth while she sleeps. Really, really, REALLY loudly. She also snores. Why does this keep happening? Is every morning for the rest of your life going to be like this? Probably.

> in the grass. It's clear out, the wind is nice if not a little chilly, blowing the clouds around above Alice. If she looks up and to the left and right, Viss and Qhen are both sleeping nearby. The trio form a triangle in the grass. It's almost an anime ending sequence up in here.

A cool breeze drifted across Alice's cheek. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself in a grassy field. Sitting up, she looked around, and saw that the grass stretched out in all directions. A dream then. Oh well. At least she wasn't alone. Qhen and Viss were nearby. In fact, the way she was laying down, the three of them had been making a triangle with their bodies.

She got up as quietly as she could, when she heard a sound.

Viss let out another small sound. It was like she was crying. Alice leaned down and pat her on the top of the head, and she stopped. Alice looked at Qhen, and patted them as well, and Qhen looked a little more relaxed. She would let them sleep. Hopefully they were having dreams within their dreams, and thus would not have to wake up here.

That way, by the time they next woke up, she would be long gone.

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"Empty."

"I'm here, Alice."

"Come with me."

". . ."

Alice walked a distance away. In her mind, she was forming the land, and found the spot she wanted.

She had created a cliff. She walked out to the furthest point, and looked down into the void of clouds. She sat. Empty floated up behind her, and went no further.

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"You know, before I met you, I never considered what would happen... if something happened to me."

". . ."

"Now- It's only been a few days... has it been only days?"

"I do not perceive time the same way you do, Alice."

"I know- That was a question for myself really. Rhetorical."

". . ."

"It's only been what feels like a few days- but. . . I'm still not concerned about myself. I'm concerned for Viss. For Qhen. I do not know how to deal with these feelings I am having. Especially-"

"I-"

"The fight against Viss' ENVY."

"I could feel it. It's- it's just natural for you, isn't it? You didn't try to stop me. You didn't try to warn me."

". . ."

"For a brief moment, I touched the darkness, and I felt a surge of power, and for a moment, a second- I knew what my darkness was."

". . ."

"Emotions are terrible things. They make monsters of us all. So I thought- what if we didn't have emotions? Well then. How do we do that? As long as we have free will, we will have emotions. I do not have the power to take that away from them. So the answer was obvious."

". . ."

"ENVIOUS was coming right at me. If I had fired, her death would have been instantaneous. She wouldn't have felt a thing, and she would be free from her darkness. And you...

". . ."

"You were going to swallow me. You were going to let me drown in the darkness of my own heart, and you were going to let me kill Viss. Because you don't care about her."

". . .You are correct. I do not. Or rather- I do, but only because you do. The moment you came to the crossroads, my ability to care became a superposition. Either you were going to take one path, and save her, regardless of your feelings, or you were going to take the other path, and release her from her suffering."

"And that's why we can't stay. But- What do I do? Jumping off this won't solve anything. I'll probably just wake up. Or fall forever into those beautiful clouds until I got bored of it. What if I woke up and jumped off the island?"

"I would not stop you, but I suspect Viss and Qhen would have some things to say about that- and the moment you wake up, they would wake as well, being inside your dreamspace."

"Right. So- I had been thinking. This is my dreamspace- and when we were one, I had a much larger understanding of our powers."

". . ."

"Including the illusory powers you gave me as a child."

". . ."

"Don't worry. I'm not mad you didn't say anything. I'm still not sure how long we've been together. I'm not sure that matters anymore. What matters is... It would work, the way I want it to, right? They're in my dreamspace, which means our hearts are currently connected."

". . .Yes.'

"I could disconnect our hearts- remove their memories of me?

"I can do that for you, if it is what you want."

". . .Can you make it so I can do it? If it's going to be done, I want to be the one to do it. The responsibility is mine."

"I can."

Alice slowly stood up. She looked down into the endless void. Then she looked to Empty. They extended a limb to Alice. She took it's hand- and her hands began to glow.

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"All you need to do is place your hands on their heads, and command them to forget us."

"H-Huh. All of that power- I was expecting something a little more... impressive looking."

"The most terrifying, is that which you do not suspect."

". . .So what does that make you?"

"I believe you will find that you suspect me quite often, in the depths of your heart."

"Haa. . .I guess you're right. You know, now that I have this power. . ."

". . ."

She walked slowly. She thought about what she was doing. She actually thought pretty hard on it- and every time, she came to the same conclusion.

She was too dangerous. Qhen and Viss- In standard on on one combat, they could both easily beat her. After getting a good look at their bone structure, she's not even sure if she would do any serious damage with anything less than an anti-armor shell- and she would never use something like that on Qhen. Even if they were trying to kill her. . . . Why did she think that?

Viss could, and possibly might just kill her one day. Alice thought on that. The thought didn't even worry her for a moment. Hm. A normal person would probably talk about that. She decided to just forget it instead. No, worse than that- If it was Viss. . . Would she mind dying? . . . Where- what are these thoughts?

But if she allowed these feelings to take her over- these dark feelings that Empty can't even take away from her. . . What she saw while she was Empty Alice. . . She could kill them. She would kill them. She would kill them, to spare them the suffering of living. Then what? She would probably kill the crew of the Brasstack too. Then what?

. . .Alice looked at her hands again. She looked down at her feet, at Qhen and Viss. The colder breeze had caused Viss to roll closer to Qhen, and snuggle up against them. Qhen had put an arm over them. What then?

What if- What if she had to die? No- that's not the answer. That probably would just be giving in to the darkness. She probably wouldn't even get her gun drawn before the mere intent to carry that out caused her to change.

So what was left? Her hands. She could place them on Qhen and Viss, and command them to forget. Or...

. . .A person is a collection of memories. Their name is something that they learn from others. If a person spent no time around other people, what would they even know? Her hands. The power Empty gave her. Empty could already understand her intentions. They wouldn't stop her. That's not what they do. That's what makes Empty so insidious.

Empty just watched Alice. Alice looked at Empty. She brought her hands up, just a little bit. Empty didn't respond. She brought them up to her cheeks. Nothing. Her hands fell onto the top of her head. Empty just stared. Yes. This is why Empty, and by association, why SHE was dangerous.

Empty believed in allowing Alice to choose whatever she wanted in life.

Even if that choice was something akin to death. She took in a deep breath.

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". . .I command. . ."

"The name of the person, the command, in this case 'I command you to forget'. Then the content of what you wish them to forget."

"Ha-Ha. . . Ha. . . At first, I thought you might have tried to stop me. I guess it doesn't matter who I am, as long as you can watch over me, right?"

Empty- Did they twitch just now? Alice searched their face- their hood, for anything. Some sort of abnormality that would indicate that what Alice said was incorrect. But she saw nothing. Just the same Empty.

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". . .Goodbye, Viss. Qhen. I'll- ... I guess I won't miss you, will I? I won't even- Ha..."

". . ."

"Alice van Vaugen, I command you to forget everything."

. . .

Qhen and Viss were holding onto Alice's hands tightly. They looked into her eyes. They were searching. For recognition. For anything. Anything that would indicate that they had somehow stopped her in time. She stared at them blankly. Viss' jaw slackened a little, and she made a small, high pitched hissing whine.

. . .

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". . .You were listening."

"Alice! - Alice. . ."

"OF COURSE WE WERE LISTENING, ALISS! Do not scare Viss like that!"

". . .Viss, a little while ago, you were trying to kill me. You hate me."

"That- Viss was not trying to kill you- That was ENVIOUS!"

"I'm certain you know that's not how that works, now that you are aware of it."

". . . Yes- But- Maybe Viss does hate Aliss, but Viss does not wish to see Aliss stop being. Qhen would cry. A lot. It would be a huge mess that Viss would have to clean up, all those tears."

"You're the one that's about to cry- and at least my tears do not set things on fire!"

"At least Viss' tears don't make everything look like a crime scene!"

"YOUR TEARS ARE ALSO LITERALLY YOUR BLOOD."

Alice began to laugh to herself. Qhen and Viss looked at her, and each other, and started to laugh as well.

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"Thank goodness I'm a light sleeper inside a dream, I guess."

"And that Viss could hear Aliss leave and return."

"Qhen. . . Viss."

Alice placed her hands on their foreheads.

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"I command you to forget everything about me."

They stared blankly at Alice. Viss raised a ridge over an eye.

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"Viss is pretty stupid sometimes- But even Viss understood Empty's directions. Aliss places hands on heads, THEN says names, THEN instructions."

"Wh-"

"At least get it right if you're going to do something insidious like steal our memories. Besides, Empty said names, but just our first name hardly seems accurate. Bet you need our full names. I'm Qhen Fenrose."

"Wai-"

"Viss Durrah."

". . .Why would you tell me that, if you know what my plans are?"

"Um- Because... Viss does not mind?"

"what"

"I do not know why you want to do this, Alice- But you must have a reason. So far, every reason you've had to do something has been... usually sound. I mean, you did save us, literally from ourselves- and in doing so, you saved our friendship."

"But- Viss- She..."

". . .I will never forgive Viss for what she has done. But it she told me. She was honest. We spoke for a long time. We cried. We fought. We cried some more- and in the end, we decided that we were happier being friends than enemies. And that's why we're alright with letting you do this, Alice."

"I don't understand. . ."

"Of course not! Aliss does not understand people, right? Of course Aliss would fail to understand Qhen and Viss' motivations. It's because we love you, right?"

"huh"

". . .I don't know what that really means, still. But yeah. We love you, Alice. No matter what form that love takes, now and in the future, we trust you with our lives. You've already saved them at least a couple times at this point. Besides, It's not like you'll be leaving your home, right?."

". . ."

"It will be like making friends with us, all over again! A do over! Aliss can dress nicely, and present herself with confidence, and we will be surely impressed, and she can say all sorts of things she knows about Qhen and Viss, and we will suspect you are a mind reader and-"

". . .I love you too."

"Well- Yeah. That's why Aliss is doing this, right? Some misguided attempt to protect us from something?"

"If- If I love you- and you love me- then why are you letting me do this?"

"Aliss needs to LISTEN to her friends! Viss is letting you do this, because Viss knows that whatever Aliss chooses to do. . . It's because Aliss has no capacity to worry about herself. Right? Aliss is choosing to be alone, rather than let us come to harm. It's misguided, but it's still love- And-"

"If anybody is unqualified to tell you how to express your love, it's us. So just get it over with. We forgive you already- and if it bothers you that much, you can tell us why afterwards!"

Damnit. Damnit- Damnit- Damnit- Damnit DAMNIT-

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"Qhen Fenrose! Viss Durrah! I command you to forget . . ."

Alice laid in bed, wide awake. Qhen was on one side of her, holding tightly onto her arm. Viss was doing the same, on the other side. Qhen's breath was actually pretty alright right now. It smelled minty. Viss on the other hand- Viss apparently whipped her tail around when she was sleeping. Also she flicked her tongue a lot. At least she didn't grind her teeth or something annoying like that.

But still- . . . Alice thought about what she had done to these two that had trusted her- seemingly unconditionally. How does that happen? WHY does that happen? How could they even do that?! She- She wasn't sure what she expected. Maybe she actually expected Empty to have been testing her. That it would all just be fake.

But it wasn't. She did what she did- and now she had to live with it.

Except- . . . She could already feel the tears, and she couldn't stop them, not with her arms pinned. So she cried. She could not remember the last time she cried so hard- But she couldn't stop- Until Qhen leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

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"Hhh!? Q-Qhen!?"

". . .I'm sorry. . . You just- Woke me up with your crying, and you seemed so sad- I- Jeeze. I'm sorry. It's something I used to do when Viss was crying in her sleep. I- uh."

Qhen quickly sat up and turned away, coughing to themselves.

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"Qhen? . . .How- How do you- . . . What do you think?"

". . .That's a pretty broad question. What do I think about what?"

"What do you think about me- Do you think- I mean- I-I-I..."

" 'I wuv whoo, qhem! Keesss me!' "

"AAAaHA-HA- VISS?

"Please, Aliss. This is why we fought, remember? It's pretty obvious you have feelings for Qhen."

"O-Oh. Y-yeah. SO I guess- Do you think- You might feel that way about me too?"

". . .Maybe? Maybe- in time. It's- It's pretty- Uh- I mean- We barely know each other, right?"

Right. Alice just pulled her blanket over her head, and began to cry again. Damnit. Why didn't she just- Why didn't she just wipe her own memories? She curled up into a ball. Why didn't she just wipe their memories? Why did she tell them-

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"Aliss? Aliss."

". . .Y-Yea-HHmnHN!?"

Viss' face pressed tightly to Alice's- and- oh my god- was that her tongue?! HOLD ON- Hold on HOLD- WAIT- WAIT-

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"WAIT! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, VISS?!"

"Mmm..Hmm.. Hmm? What does it look like, Qhen? You were going to let her carry on like that- crying her eyes out. Viss comforted her. How was it, Aliss? Do you feel better?"

"I- Wh-"

"Did you really think that stupid voodoo of yours was going to work? Did you really think it would be so easy that you could command us to stop loving you?"

"I- WAIT- No- BUT- QHEN-"

". . .For the record, this was all Viss' idea. I didn't know she was going to make out with you. Would you like me to get you a mint drop to get the taste out of your mouth?"

"REPEAT THAT! Repeat that and see what happens, Qhen!"

"please- wait- what's-"

"I'm just saying, Viss- When you used to kiss me, when we were younger. . . For some reason, your mouth tasted like you've always eaten something spicy! I just thought maybe Alice would want some relief from that violent attack on her tastebuds?"

"I will eviscerate you."

"That's probably my cue to run. Alice?"

"huh-wha-hnnh?!"

Qhen tipped a hand under Alice's chin, and kissed her on the lips. Just for a moment, before they were at the door. Viss was already climbing out of bed, her dagger in hand.

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"We love you, Alice. Nothing can change that. Maybe we love you for different reasons. Maybe it's not romantic love. We don't know, and we won't know, until we explore our feelings. Just like Viss was clearly exploring your face with her tongue. Isn't that right, Viss?"

"This has gone beyond the realm of a simple insult. You have injured my innocent, maidenly heart, and for that, you will beg for death."

". . . Bye."

. . . Everything was a mess. Her room was a mess. Her bed was a mess. She could hear a mess taking place downstairs- then out the door, then on her front lawn, then down into town. Her hair was a mess. Her clothes were- not a mess. SPEAKING OF- Who keeps changing her into her Pajamas?! If the answer is anything but "Empty" or "Herself, sleep walking", Alice was going to have some words for those two and-

And her heart was a mess. What just happened? She tried to go over it all in her head. It was hard to concentrate.

. . . She just had her first real kiss. That was always an important moment in her romance novels. It was always something that they would never forget. She was- Pretty sure she wouldn't forget either. Mainly because-

. . . Viss' tongue really is kinda spicy. Not in a bad way though. Sigh.

No- you know what? She's going back to bed. She will deal with this all when she's had time to sort out her thoughts and- her mind- and- her heart and-

. . . That means get out, Universe. Go bug Qhen and Viss or something.

Good night, Everyone.

= = = Chapter 1 End = = =

---

I think, it is time that we took a tiny break. Just a tiny one. Long enough for Alice to rest. Long enough for you to get over that emotional train wreck of a post.

(BEAR WAS BADMOUTHING HIS WRITING AGAIN BUT HE REMOVED THAT PART SO PEOPLE WOULD STOP FIGHTING HIM. SORRY. ` -`)

For now, you can interrogate Empty some more. How does that sound? Ask them more questions, now that you have more information, and after a round of that, I'll bring you back into the world of CloudSea. Empty?

" Would you all care to join me for a drink? "

(Honestly, you're writing isn't terrible!! It's one of the things I look forward to seeing pretty often! :D)

> Hi Empty!! Again. Do you think you can make a milkshake for me?
> Also, here's two questions.
> Did you let Envy live? I might have misinterpreted what I saw, but..
> Secondly, why on earth would you give Alice that power?

(I agreeee!)

> Sweet dreams, Alice

> Would I ever, Empty! Wow.. That was, quite the roller coaster. Oh, strawberry soda please.
> So, were you actually testing Alice? They didn't forget. Or is that something that only works in the dreamscape?
> How long HAVE you been watching her?

>Nighty-night, Alice. May your dreams be filled with out of date comedians.
>A drink? The usual, please. A barbecue sauce with a grapefruit wedge, shaken, not stirred.
>Say Empty, have we been helpful? Us voices, I mean? Always a bit of a wildcard trusting wayward voices from the ether. I approve of wildcards in all forms, naturally, but do you?
>I think I see what you did there, "To truly test the mettle of a man, give him power." Do you have an endgame? Like how you're hoping these events play out? You don't need to answer if you don't want to. Act like you don't have a plan when you do and do when you don't, am I right?
(Don't be so hard on yourself. Your writing style is swell.)

I mean, I could ask about your background or waht ramifications you think this'll have or even aout the origins of the world.
But, I have a much, Much more important question that needs answering

How much do you ship VissxAlicexQhen? One being "I am an idiot with no taste in good romance" Ten Being "The One True OT3"

and if you can rustle up something that's mildly alcoholic and tastes of blueberries then Hot diggedy dang

> Vodka/orange juice mix out of a very pink high heel shoe. Definitely gotta have that crushed cucumber, too.
> So I assume you know more of your combined void powers than Alice does, correct? Please explain what you can.
> What was Alice talking about, with the illusory powers she had as a child? I assume it caused some confusion.

> What was Alice talking about, with the illusory powers she had as a child? I assume it caused some confusion.

Secoo'nding this question.

Anyway, I'm down for a bellini and a sneak peak into the CloudSea Official Universe Guide, if you can slide some character profiles my way? I need to know Alice's blood type.

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Hey guys. I just really wanted to step in again, not as the weird invisible narrator that sometimes sasses on you guys, but as the writer behind the sassy invisible narrator.

I've been having fun doing this, and I hope I continue to have fun, and also here are the stats for CloudSea up to the end of Chapter 1.

(POSTS): 49
(WORDS): ~50,500
(CHARACTERS): ~290,500

So basically,- I mean, there are a lot of 'Quote' and 'spoiler' words in there, but I ESSENTIALLY have written a Nanowrimo Goal in the course of a week.

One week, three ridiculous characters, a bunch of fighting, emotional whiplash, and now I'm sitting down to write the first Q&A with EMPTY post.

First, because I figured I can do a second round afterwards in case I raise more questions than I answered.

So- Yeah. Thanks for reading? I don't know what I'm supposed to say here. No matter how much I complain about not liking my own stuff, I've stuck with this long enough to finish a chunk of it. So- Meh. ` -`

Back to writing.

-NotABear / MrQBear

(While I work on the post, please, enjoy the piece of music I found for the setting feel.)

(I hope you like modern Jazz?)

What was the deal with Empty turning into the red dude (who was supposed to be dead) and then possessing Qhen but somehow not possessing them forever? I thought that if it came back, it would have taken control completely, and then killed Alice.

The waiter came up to the table, a faceless, featureless blob of color in a nice shirt, vest and slacks. They sat down drinks in front of everyone.

A plain ol vanilla milkshake, in lieu of anything specific.
A glass of strawberry soda.
A bottle of barbecue sauce, shaken at the table for the drinker's verification, and a plate of grapefruit wedges.
A blueberry daiquiri.
A. . . screwdriver, served in a high heel shoe that is so pink that the color being described cannot be displayed on your screen. This one actually really confused the barman. They were not sure where you wanted the drink, so it's in a highball glass, is then gently and carefully wedged into the shoe. Whatever you do from here is on you. Oh and some crushed cucumber in a much smaller glass, which is wedged in the shoe with the other glass.
I had to look up what a bellini is. This sounds pretty dang tasty.

Empty already had a glass of coffee, which they stirred with a tiny spoon, being held my one of the ghostly arms that comes off of it's back from time to time. They also followed through with what they said they would do last time, and brought you each a robe. They're all grey, but they have your names sewn into them so if you wear them properly, your name is just below your shoulder. Like a nice little name tag. Isn't that- swell.

The cafe was pretty nice. It would probably feel like a real setting from the story, if it wasn't for the fact that all the people milling around were featureless blobs of colors in clothes. Except for the barman, who was clearly so short that in order to look over the bar, he was up on a stool. Cross-legged.

Honestly, he could barely reach any of the bottles and things- not that he needed to. He seemed to be mildly psychic- and by mildly, I mean that he appears to be constantly angry, and is poltergeist-ing things around himself at all times. Glass. Ice. Drink. Serve. Shaker. Ice. Liquid, Liquid, Liquid. Shake. Strain. Serve. It was pretty fascinating to watch really.

Also he had a fantastic hat. It was a large, wide brimmed hat. . . A galero? Yeah. A grey galero, with two long tassels that hung down the sides of the hat and over his shoulders. At the end of each tassel was a tiny bottle.

Empty tapped their coffee cup with their spoon, to bring everyone's attention back towards the table. In the background, there was a formless band playing music. Still jazz, although the content had changed slightly. It might sound familiar.

( I hope you all appreciate the ambience. It took some time to set this all up. I had to borrow another voidspace to build all this, even. Welcome to tonight's Q and A event. I am your host, Empty. Let's get started, shall we? )

---

"Did you let Envy live? I might have misinterpreted what I saw, but.."

( I did not not kill Envy, if that is what you are asking. That is not for me to decide. I am concerned only with Alice's well being. To be more direct, they continue to exist, as they are a part of Viss, and one does not shed something like a muse so easily. )

---

"How much do you ship VissxAlicexQhen? One being 'I am an idiot with no taste in good romance' Ten Being 'The One True OT3'"

( . . . I could never place a value on Alice's happiness. Whatever she chooses to do with her life is her decision and hers alone. I support any and all decisions she makes. That is my job, as her muse. )

---

"So I assume you know more of your combined void powers than Alice does, correct? Please explain what you can."

( That is a fairly. . . broad question. Also one that is hard to answer. I know more than Alice does, but she knows more than I do, as well. Our combined void powers are just that. Combined. They do not properly function unless we are properly aligned, two sides of the same edge-less coin. Can you be a bit more specific, please? )

---

"What was Alice talking about, with the illusory powers she had as a child? I assume it caused some confusion."

( Oh, yes. It hasn't really been brought up at all, except at the beginning of her adventure, but Alice does have mild magical ability, naturally. I merely gave her a facet of my powers- like the lens of an eyepiece- that allowed her to view the world how she wanted to see it, and thus make her imagination manifest itself. Who knows if she even retains that power now. Perhaps not, now that she is aware of me. )

---

"How long HAVE you been watching her? "

( That- is a difficult question to answer. Not only do I, once again, view time differently than the rest of you, but I also cannot honestly be sure. I am aware of things I did before Alice was aware of me- but. . . Only the details that directly pertain to interacting with her. Have I always been there? Did I only exist when she could see me? I apologize, but I do not have an answer for this. )

---

"WHAT WAS UP WITH THE MIND ERASER THING?"

. . . Empty had lifted their coffee cup up. They paused, and then brought it up to their hood. There was a quiet, gentle sip, to test the temperature, and then they began to drink. They put the half empty cup back down, and began to stir it again.
( If you really want to hear the answer to that particular little riddle, I can tell you. I do not think you will find the answer satisfying, but I have one. )

---

"What was the deal with Empty turning into the red dude (who was supposed to be dead) and then possessing Qhen but somehow not possessing them forever? I thought that if it came back, it would have taken control completely, and then killed Alice."

( Ah- That is- an interesting interpretation of events. And- Not at all incorrect. As I mentioned earlier, a muse is not so easy to kill. But in this case, due to Qhen's unique mentality, and also a desire not to summon Free on their own again, I had to- lead them to the correct answer. What you saw was not me turning into Free, but me invoking Free in Qhen's mind, during which time I vanished, as I was no longer needed. Also, if ANTI-HEROES had come back, it probably would have tried to kill Alice, yes. It was very lucky then, that Qhen identified their desires, rather than their darkness. )

---

"Say Empty, have we been helpful? Us voices, I mean? Always a bit of a wildcard trusting wayward voices from the ether. I approve of wildcards in all forms, naturally, but do you?"

( Well, Alice is still alive, she has not succumbed to her darkness once, and she has managed to save two others from their own darkness, in a manner of speaking. It is not in me to make an assessment of you. If Alice continues to listen to your words, then you must be doing a good job. It does not matter what your motivation is, as long as Alice approves, I see no reason to do anything about it. )

---

"(. . .) I need to know Alice's blood type."

( . . . Alice is blood type AB. Do you also want to know her height, weight, and three sizes as well? I swear, some people. )

---

Empty placed their empty cup back down on their platter. A waiter came over and snatched it up, and took it over to the bar, where that angry little barman was levitating a coffee making apparatus at present.

( Thank you for your questions. I am aware that we still have some more time before it is time for Alice to awaken. Do you have any more or new questions? Also, I have a couple questions of my own. )

( What do you think Alice should do from here on out? Should she follow her own dreams? What if her dreams are to just stay on the island and live peacefully? We all know that is not going to happen, but do her best to live peacefully. Do you think she should pursue a goal? Explore? Go out into the CloudSea? )

( Additionally, take a look around you. Tell me, do any of these people stand out in particular to you? If they do, please, feel free to describe them. One a piece, please, so pick your favorite. )

---

Meanwhile, Alice tossed and turned. Her mind was a tumultuous mess, swimming with emotions, thoughts, likes, hates, wants, needs, desires. . . All sorts of things she's never really felt before. Her dreams and nightmares were inseparable. Also, completely incomprehensible.

Was this what her life was going to be like now? Hanging out with those two, getting confused at how they acted, then sleeping restlessly while overthinking every little thing she said and did while around them?

. . . Alice was starting to come back around on this whole friendship thing. Was it too late to go back to being standoffish and distrusting?

> I am now putting on this robe and flapping the sleeves. Flap flap.

> You're certainley standing out, Empty.

> I think she should go beyond her limits, and see the world. If she wants to stay on the island, it would be alright, but if anything, she might focus on keeping it 'peaceful'. That might.. be unwell.

> Alice, if anything, there's a greater chance if you turn distrusitng and end your friendship, you will end up missing them. Your life is yours to make, but you can't get a friendship back when you've already ended it. Unless you try really really hard.

>Ask away.

>If left her her own devices, it sounds like Alice would prefer to stay in her island home. That's fine and all, but methinks events are conspiring to take her down a different path. Personally, I think she'd benefit by making her home a base or hub that she returns to between trips.

>One person stands out to me. He's a wild-eyed man frantically glancing around in all directions, mumbling profusely about something. He has a strange white hat on his head, dark glasses that obscure his eyes, and a fancy cigarette holder in his mouth. He is also wearing a gaudy, flowery shirt and casual walking shoes. He appears to be a writer, he has a small notepad which he constantly scribbles in. Perhaps he is writing a story about the many specters only he can see. He seems to be clutching onto his drink for dear life, glass in one hand and pen in the other.

>To Alice if she can actually hear us right now and is asking for advice: Too late to go back? Probably not, but why waste this new opportunity? Try going with the flow and see where this new path takes you. If you don't like it, you can always go back to being standoffish and distrusting later. Perhaps, maybe.

> I wiggle into the robe and flip the hood over my head. I like it! Thanks Empty.

> Dreams.. I think she would take the safer route of staying put. I like Typeandkey's idea of a main hub. If they really work at it, the island would be a nice home-hub. I mean, if the brasstacks are cool with that it could be a mini base for them too? Always nice to have a place to rest at.
> Is there a way for Alice to say, connect a doorway to the voidspace that'd lead to the ship AND have one that leads to her pantry? That way she could go home when she wants!
> I think Alice should try and go out with the others, at least to broaden her horizons. Experience a bit more. They can always come back.

> I point and the hood flops a bit as I try to look under it, the sleeve jutting out in a direction. Oh, over there near a group of blobs, I can see white and orange! Oh, Ok. It's a white.. um, bird lady. Tengu I think is the name of the species? A white Tengu with orange tipped feathers. She's not wearing much outside of a wispy sarong and a lot of jingly, shiny, jewelry. Feathers, man, wonderful. She's chit chatting and laughing with a group of the other color masses around her. Looks like she's the life of the party, lil flirty? Very pretty bird. Likes mixed drinks from the look of it.

> Alice, give it time. If anything, maybe ask them to tone it down a little. Or at least let them know how you're feeling. It's not good to be shut away on your own so much..

Barman, can I have some ice water, mixed with MiracleGro? Ta.

So Free and ANTI-HEROES are actually seperate entities? Or is Free more like a state of mind than a full Muse?

And who cares about everyone else here? What do I look like, that's my question. I hope it's like, a suave, skinny plant person in a snappy leather vest and pinstriped shirt, with big brass goggles, and you look at them and think "Oh, what a handsome, perfectly ordinary if slightly androgynous human being" and then notice the green face and the leaves sticking out of the collar. I wonder if there's a mirror in here anywhere?

I don that Robe. Would have prefered it in Magenta But it is rude to refuse a gift. And to be honest, Grey is much less eyesearing so I guess I'm sparing the eyes of anyone who ISN'T fond of what is, objectively, the best colour. The Daiquiri is excellent, by the by.

I think Alice'd probably be well off going forth and expanding her Horizons. Books are an excellent way to learn about the world, but the best is to see it with your own two eyes. However, It's really Alice's Call here, don't you think?

As for interesting people, One of the waiters stands out to me. Mainly because of the streak in his Hair. He has good taste in Colour. Or maybe his genetics do. It might be natural for all I know. Either way it's an eyecatch. He's also got studs in the left side of his nose, Right side of his eyebrow and one of those ones that's under the bottom lip. It think they're called Labret piercings? They look like they have some kind of gemstone in them. Carbuncles, maybe? The gem, not the gross boil thing. He looks as though he should be disheveled. To the point where It's a bit of a kick to the brainstem every time I spot him and he isn't

Honestly, he doesn't seem like the sorta guy who'd typically be employed at a swanky place like this. but then. Dream Logic, yes? Not because of how he looks or dresses. It's just thatmHe looks like the sort of guy who's used to having other people get him what HE wants, instead of vice versa. Also the fact that he looks ind of like he dearly wants to punch someone.

Also don't think I didn't notice how you dodged my question. C'mon Empty, Number between One through Ten, inclusive.

> For example, the Coldflare pistol you and Alice combined had equipped. What exactly does it entail? And what is the difference between the rifle of thought and the rifle of will?

>With regards to Alice's three sizes: um, yes? Of course?? Absolutely??? 'Some people' enjoy our supplementary material, thank you kindly! If I don't get my hands on a mint condition CloudSea Official Guide I'm gonna cry.

>Damn tho, this is one good bellini. Coupled with the robe, I'm tempted to leave this place a 5 star review on DreamYelp. (I flash the barman a thumbs-up.)

>Searching for interesting faces... ah. What about Ms. Tall, Drunk, and Brawny over there? Dark skin, unkempt ponytail? I'd be intimidated if she wasn't utterly failing at impressing that waitress.

Ayy, what? Looks like her right arm's a pimped-out hydraulic prosthetic! I think it complements the tribal tattoos covering her left, what with the aesthetic contrast. That poor waitress. She's flexing now, showing off her sweet ink. Charming, visibly fanged grin she's got, but the waitress is walking away...

People like this make me feel less pathetic. But don't tell her I said that--I don't wanna get beaten up.

>Anyway! Alice should totally go asploring, though I suspect she'd rather stay on her island.

The music quiets down. The band shifts around. They move stuff around, change seating, instruments, in some cases. Then they begin to play, and once again, the entire tone of the music has changed.

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"You're certainley standing out, Empty."

( I'm standing out? I am not the one flapping their arms about willy nilly. )

"I think she should go beyond her limits, and see the world. If she wants to stay on the island, it would be alright, but if anything, she might focus on keeping it 'peaceful'. That might.. be unwell."

( . . .Are you saying it is unwise to pursue a quiet and uneventful life? Or just unwise to hide on the island and ignore the outside world? Hm. Interesting either way, if that is what you meant. )

---

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"If left her her own devices, it sounds like Alice would prefer to stay in her island home. That's fine and all, but methinks events are conspiring to take her down a different path. Personally, I think she'd benefit by making her home a base or hub that she returns to between trips."

( Events do not conspire. They are inanimate and immaterial things, concepts. But I know what you mean. Yes, the world changes around her, and everything she is doing is being watched, whether she knows it or not. )

Empty followed their gaze. The man at the bar was indeed clearly in some form of panic. His eyes were going everywhere, one could tell by the way his facial muscles moved, even with those dark, obscuring glasses. His hands never stopped moving. Writing. Taking a drink. More writing. His shirt was odd indeed, pattered oddly, in a style not very common to the Imperial Sphere. He took another drink. The glass was empty. He put it down, and grabbed someone's drink. They went to say something, but the barman stopped them. There was just no reasoning with this literary madman.

---

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( You are welcome, 'A-cha'. )

"Dreams.. I think she would take the safer route of staying put. I like Typeandkey's idea of a main hub. If they really work at it, the island would be a nice home-hub. I mean, if the brasstacks are cool with that it could be a mini base for them too? Always nice to have a place to rest at."

( I. . . thought she might just decide, once the work of cleaning the island is done, decide to stay. Now? I am not so sure anymore. )

"Is there a way for Alice to say, connect a doorway to the voidspace that'd lead to the ship AND have one that leads to her pantry? That way she could go home when she wants!"

( Probably. Her powers are for her to discover, and she will not know her limits until she tries. )

"I think Alice should try and go out with the others, at least to broaden her horizons. Experience a bit more. They can always come back."

( . . . )

The 'bird-lady', henceforth known as a tengu (at least for now) was indeed, looking quite popular. The laughter and chatter coming from that corner of the cafe was only really being beaten out by the occasional sounds of. . . cheering? They were clustered around a table, actually. . . and one of the blobs of color just slumped away- and the tengu has picked up a necklace off the table, shown it off to their companions, and slipped it onto her neck. Curious. Then she picked up a set of dice from the table in her claw, and threw them down. Ah. That makes sense now.

---

The grumpy looking barman opens an eye for a second, and pans it over to a52. There is a noncommittal grunt, and a glass, some ice, and a pitcher of water swirl around him for a moment, before the three combine into a frosty glass of ice water.

A waiter sporting some... very unusual piercings for someone who supposedly exists in a place within the Imperial Sphere tries to grab the glass, but they step back when the barman gives them a grunt. The waiter puts his hands up, then runs one through his smooth hair, the colored part bouncing back into shape quicker than everything else. Fine, whatever. He picks up a tray and walks past the group, muttering something about 'just a few more weeks'.

He passes by someone who snatches a glass off the tray- a rather snappily dressed androgynous person. Vest. Pinstriped shirt. Brass goggles... A pilot perhaps? Or just someone who appreciates eye-wear. They take a drink, and turn better into a nearby light source. Hm! Green skin, and those ruffles around the collar appear to be leaves. Curious. They finish the drink and put the glass down, before heading over to what is presumably the exit? A door of some kind, and disappear somewhere else.

Sadly, it only takes a moment of examining for a52 to realize they look like everybody else sitting at the table. Grey robe, name written on a tag at the shoulder, and- nothing else. They are invisible. Or not there? A ghost? That's weird. They also lack the 'fog' and 'spooky shadow arms' that Empty has.

. . .On the upside, a52's glass of ice cold water has arrived! It's slightly fizzy though, and slowly clouding. The culprit appears to be a tablet at the bottom of the glass, made of what can only be assumed is miracle gro, or this world's interpretation of that.

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"So Free and ANTI-HEROES are actually seperate entities? Or is Free more like a state of mind than a full Muse?"

( . . .A muse is- it's complicated. . . That is a terrible answer, I'm sorry. Let me try that again. Both Free and ANTI-HEROES are 'The Muse'. As Alice understands it, the muse is a 'rationalization' of one's darkest thoughts, but is also a 'realization' of one's true nature. Both of these are true, yet only one of them can exist at any time. When one is aware of their muse, assuming they understand the implications, their life becomes a see-saw that they must constantly keep balanced, lest they fall one direction or the other. )

( . . .Most are not aware of what a muse is. Most quickly fall to the side of 'rationalization'. They give into. . . not a baser nature. That implies that something's basic nature could be intrinsically bad. . . but they give into a power that nurtures their darkness through the most basic of actions. This inevitably leads to death. )

---

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"Would have prefered it in Magenta But it is rude to refuse a gift. And to be honest, Grey is much less eyesearing so I guess I'm sparing the eyes of anyone who ISN'T fond of what is, objectively, the best colour. The Daiquiri is excellent, by the by."

( Well, we do not get everything we want out of life, now do we? Even if I WANTED to give you a Magenta robe, but I'm afraid it is not within my power to do so. Magenta just isn't my color, in more ways than one. I'm glad you appreciate the robe all the same. You do not need to thank ME for the drink. Thank our barman. )

The barman, being mentioned in such a way, only nods their head and continues to endlessly float objects around themselves, mixing, merging, pouring, splashing and otherwise manipulating them.

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"I think Alice'd probably be well off going forth and expanding her Horizons. Books are an excellent way to learn about the world, but the best is to see it with your own two eyes. However, It's really Alice's Call here, don't you think?"

( Mmm. Of course. Do not take my curiosity for your opinions as a desire to affect Alice's decision in any way. I was told to make you all comfortable, and answer your questions as best as I could. I thought it would be fair if I could learn more about your thought processes. That is all- )

"Also don't think I didn't notice how you dodged my question. C'mon Empty, Number between One through Ten, inclusive."

( . . . Five point Five repeating. We're done talking about this. I do not need to ponder Alice's. . . Romantic inclinations. )

---

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"For example, the Coldflare pistol you and Alice combined had equipped. What exactly does it entail? And what is the difference between the rifle of thought and the rifle of will? "

( Ah. You were inquiring about her weapons. That is easier to answer. First off, its the 'Artillery Rifle of Thought'. )

( The ART allows her to- in the most basic way of explaining it: It allows her to inflict mental and physical effects on others by firing a 'thought' at them. Like in the battle against ENVY, where she used it to send 'Become Blind'. )

( The 'Rifle of Will' is just a weapon, however it's attack power is in constant flux, and based on- well, her Will. But it's more complicated than that. Her emotions factor in, and can have an effect on the bullet fired from the rifle. It's not a very easy weapon to use, nor is it easy to explain. She was correct however. The amount of Will she had put into the rifle, with the intent of 'stopping Viss from hurting herself Qhen' would have been undoubtedly fatal to Viss. Using the force of the blast to propel herself was quite clever. )

( The 'Coldflare Pistol' is just a copy of her strange flare-gun like weapon. It only fires flares, in this case, but instead of fire, they burn with intense cold. )

---

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"With regards to Alice's three sizes: um, yes? Of course?? Absolutely??? 'Some people' enjoy our supplementary material, thank you kindly! If I don't get my hands on a mint condition CloudSea Official Guide I'm gonna cry."

( . . .I think I can live with that. )

"Damn tho, this is one good bellini. Coupled with the robe, I'm tempted to leave this place a 5 star review on DreamYelp."

The barman nods in Tuesday's general direction.

"Searching for interesting faces... ah. What about Ms. Tall, Drunk, and Brawny over there? Dark skin, unkempt ponytail? I'd be intimidated if she wasn't utterly failing at impressing that waitress.

Ayy, what? Looks like her right arm's a pimped-out hydraulic prosthetic! I think it complements the tribal tattoos covering her left, what with the aesthetic contrast. That poor waitress. She's flexing now, showing off her sweet ink. Charming, visibly fanged grin she's got, but the waitress is walking away...

People like this make me feel less pathetic. But don't tell her I said that--I don't wanna get beaten up."

She certainly cut an impressive figure. . . The right arm is built quite well, it barely looks much larger than her left- although she is also quite sturdy in stature already. Interestingly enough, her left arm resembles the right- it takes a moment to realize that the lighting is wrong. . . Those are tattoos! Incredibly detailed, the amount of time required must have been. . . Well, a lot, really. The tattoos even covered her hand, and might have even gone past the shoulder- but she was wearing a heavy sleeveless top and heavy rough-cloth pants. . .

There are stories of 'airship tribals', essentially entire families, an entire village that lives on a single massive airship. . . Or perhaps a series of airships that can all connect together easily? The stories are hardly clear, and while you will occasionally see people that resemble those from the stories, the airships themselves are never seen by the general populace. It's suspected they actually live IN the CloudSea. . .

Oop, oop. Now she's flexing both of her arms at that waitress-shaped blob. It's... pretty clear that this lady wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the four or five large empty glasses next to her. Even these drunken attempts at pigeon-like posturing seem bashful at heart.

Aaaaand the waitress just reached out and patted her on the shoulder. Her face visibly droops for a split second before she laughs and bows a little. Clearly trying to pass it off as a joke. The waitress leaves a moment later and. . . her face droops again. She sighs visibly, pushes her hair back, readjusting her poorly contained hair, licking a fang idly. She then looks back at her table. . . And sits down. She didn't even get that drink. Sad.

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"Anyway! Alice should totally go asploring, though I suspect she'd rather stay on her island. "

( Well. We'll see, won't we? I wonder, how much time we have left- )

---

The music starts to grow faint, and the lights start to dim.

( . . . Ah. Alas, my friends, it appears it is time for us to go our separate ways. Thank you for coming. Thank you for spending your time with me. The time would have otherwise been fairly lonely. Not much for me to do with my host asleep. We shall have to do this again sometime. )

And then the lights are gone.

---

Alice mumbles a little bit to herself. She rubs her eyes and yawns. . .

And immediately reaches for her gun. Which isn't there. She's still in her pajamas, and in a small room. The noise and vibrations tells her it's an airship. What happened while she was sleeping? Sitting up, she quickly looks around. . . Not a bad room. The bed is probably the fanciest thing in here. She heard that most airships didn't have much room for things like an actual mattress.

Locating her clothes, she crawled out of bed and started to change. Hm. Nice of her kidnappers to leave her a change of clothes. . . and all her things.

Wait a minute. Kidnappers? Did the Brasstacks kidnap her? Did Qhen and Viss do this? She thought about that some more- before she was immediately interrupted. Her head turned a little, halfway through putting her undershirt on. Viss was nuzzling her side, and noticing the lack of movement, opened up a single eye and looked up at Alice. Viss was clearly aware of the fact that Alice was going to be angry about this. She looked like she was 'sorry, but not sorry'.

"Goodmorning, Aliss. Did you sleep well?"

. . .

( ) Stare blankly at Viss.
( ) Start shouting.
( ) Start screaming.
( ) Start SHOOTING.
( ) Do SOMETHING.
( ) Wonder where your life went wrong, immediately realize that it was probably when you died.

- = [ Welcome to Cloudsea - Chapter Two: ] = -

[ Welcome to your life. . .There's no turning back! ]

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( I finished this at 9 AM, my time. I hope I didn't mess anything up in your posts, I hope you enjoyed it! If you have a complaint or just wanna point out my poor spelling, please drop a message in the discussion thread! Now I'm off to write down all those character submissions. )

[x] Blank, hollow-eyed stare at Viss. How could this happen to you? You made your mistakes!

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Bear this was incredibly enjoyable, thank you for sharing your talents with us. Now I can rest happily