1; action/text

[revenge_guac]

WHO: Shadow the Hedgehog and you
WHERE: A Labyrinth first, then the Libra Network
WHEN: slightly forward-dated to 1/20
WHAT: The world's worst first impression on multiple fronts (it's his intro)
WARNINGS: Full Sonic Movie 3 Spoilers, but nothing major beyond that

i. wish i may wish i might be someone else tonight (labyrinth)

[One more chance to do the right thing, he told Robotnik. Those last words of his blending into his last moments with Maria.

Shadow the Hedgehog moved the Eclipse Cannon away from the Earth’s atmosphere. Then there was nothing.

Or so he expected.

What he woke up to was worse than nothing. With a start he opened his eyes and found himself on grounds so familiar under his hands it made him sick. In shock he leapt to his feet to find his worst fears confirmed, that he was back in that nightmare repeated for 50 years. In his quick, horrified movements he kicked a standard-issue GUN blaster across the ground. Was that… was that in his hands?

It’s all but a habit that he called the first name that came to mind in the midst of him regaining his senses.]

Maria…?!

[She wasn’t anywhere to be found, only debris and a burning GUN base behind him. No presence, not even the Professor.

Was this hell? Was this where he was destined to go after it all…?

He tried running ahead for a sign of either life he cared about, be it Maria… or Professor Gerald…

Or Sonic the Hedgehog, even.

But it even felt like this gruesome nightmare cut his speed down considerably. Even if this was some endlessly looping hellscape, Shadow had to find someone. Something deep in his heart wished for this to be real just for a chance for Maria to have lived.

But if she didn’t… Did that pistol by him have something to do with it? No, it didn’t matter, someone he knew had to be here.

If someone he did not know came here, however… he would not hesitate to knock them into submission for information. In fact any who he senses or who approaches him will be glared down with a fist wound back, cracking with some sort of energy.]

ii. sometimes i wish i had never goT A PHONE–! (text: un; ultimatelifeform)

I have two questions.

1. Why was I brought to this city?

2. How can I leave?

Answer them quickly and don’t waste my time.

Comments

OBLIGATORY NOT HERE

[ampersand_me]

Hhhoonnk shooooo

Hhhoonnk shooooo

i because look I have to tag you with SOMEONE

[prunedworlds]

Ritsuka was definitely not one of the people who specifically set out to look for the labyrinths of new arrivals. There were a few reasons for this, but one of them was that, quite frankly, she wasn't a roof cryptid. Still, that didn't preclude occasionally being in the right area at the right time, and being so, she wasn't one to simply ignore that there might be someone who needed a hand.

Not everyone had the wherewithal to recognize the labyrinth for what it was an escape it on their own, after all.

She can't say who or what she expected to see, but... Well, what the small black and red figure was didn't really matter. What did matter was that he probably could use a hand.

"It's okay, I'm not here to fight you!" She stopped a fair distance away, as soon as she saw that hostility really, holding her hands up in front of her to show she wasn't holding any weapons, at least. She definitely didn't look aggressive, though neither was she intimidated. "You just found yourself here out of nowhere, right?"

[revenge_guac]

[Whether this person had weapons or not, Shadow still stood on edge. While the energy around his fist diminished a little at the observation she was unarmed, he did not put his arm down.]

How do you know that?

[prunedworlds]

Ritsuka continued to keep her distance. Just because she wasn't intimidated didn't mean she was stupid.

"Because the same thing's happened to a lot of people here. Including me."

i

[jackdawvision]

[Oh, thank god, it's not so fucking cold Edward wants to curl up into a little ball and not move for weeks anymore. The labyrinth's weird, a burning base and debris scattered about, but the Spirit Realm's thrown weirder at Edward. He checks his guns, his hidden blades, and opens his second sight.

There—a flash of gold. Edward lets go of the eagle's gift, then saunters over, making no effort to sneak up on this person. They're new, he's sure. They're likely confused. They are not going to take it well if some random arsehole pops up out of nowhere right next to their head and says boo.]

Put that fist down, mate. [So he says, raising his own arms so the new guy can see he means no harm. Yes, he has hidden blades strapped to his arms, but they're currently not engaged. Yes, he knows he looks bizarre, dressed in sturdy leathers with an MCR beanie on his head. He's friendly, really!] I mean you no harm. Did you just wake up here...?

[...is that a hedgehog? A child-sized hedgehog?

You know what, he's seen weirder, this is fine.]

[revenge_guac]

[Being jumpscared should be the least of Edward's worries given he's approaching a very stressed and volatile hedgehog who clearly had some sort of powerful magic. And a hat that he didn't recognize but for all Shadow knew could be a subsidiary of GUN.]

You say you mean no harm in those clothes while you've got weapons on you. Are you with GUN? One of their covert divisions? [The energy around his fist grew stronger. Answer carefully, pirate man.]

[jackdawvision]

GUN? What are you talking about? [Who calls themselves GUN? He despairs of the modern era's naming sense, he truly does.] Aye, I have guns, but somehow I don't think you mean these.

[He makes no move toward the weapons he has, and instead stays where he is. Twitchy fellow, but he seems reasonable enough. And he'd really like to get home without getting into a fight, it would cause such a fuss with his little menagerie.]

My name's Edward Kenway. Believe it or not, I'm here to help you get out of here. The weapons are to make sure that if there's anything else besides the two of us around here, I can handle myself up against it. [A pause. Then, with some reluctance:] If you don't believe me, I'll hand over the guns, if that'll make you feel any safer.

i

[ruoyel]

[Xie Lian has seen the report of a new Labyrinth opening up and he decides to join in on the rescue attempt. As much as it's probably dangerous for him to enter those places with how his luck tends to go, he just can't leave someone alone in places like those. He has to help, no matter what happens to himself in the process.

So he goes in.

It's a scene that brings a sorrow to his heart the moment he takes it in. He can tell that this isn't a place that's been kind to the person arriving here. In fact, it reminds him too strongly of how the siege on Xianle went. His chest tightens and he turns away from those memories in order to focus on the rescue mission.

When he comes upon Shadow, who is very clearly a bipedal hedgehog (?) that isn't about to hesitate in attacking him, Xie Lian instantly puts up both of his hands.]

Wait wait wait! I'm unarmed! I just want to help, I swear!

[Xie Lian probably looks extremely out of place. His plain, white Daoist robes tied by a light blue string, and the white silk bandages around his neck, ankles, and wrists are striking in the burning ruins of this facility.]

[revenge_guac]

[Given the immediate aftermath of the accident as Shadow remembered it, equating this place to a siege would be apt. A never ending nightmare, a torture burned into the soul.

Indeed, Shadow was ready and willing to attack on sight with a warning given only because he decided on a whim to do so. But the sight of a man dressed in all white in this miserable, hellish setting was such a wide contrast that he took a moment to assess the situation more.

Those weren't the robes of one of the many scientists here. Those weren't the robes a biblical angel would wear. The Chaos Energy around his hand faded, but he did not drop his arm.]

Who are you? And what are you doing in this place? This is-- [...] was a place of science.

[ruoyel]

[At least the energy around his fist has ebbed. Xie Lian let out a sigh of relief.]

My name is Xie Lian, Eastern order. I'm a Guardian of The Black Order, an organization dedicated to protecting people from supernatural threats.

[He glances around this place with an expression of sadness and regret.]

I'm... here to rescue you from this Labyrinth. It's a realm created from your worst memories. This place has taken you from where you were and is something of a passageway into a different world.

2 | un: wilder | voice

[wilder]

Oh, of course of course! We definitely value your time! Just hold on one sec-

[And then he puts the speaker of his phone near his computer's speakers so it starts playing this]

[revenge_guac]

[local hedgehog from the 70's doesn't know this is hold music and thus doesn't know the degree at which he's being fucked with.

not that it matters.]

For someone who claims to value my time you're already wasting it.

[wilder]

[Zelos will wait ten minutes before the music cuts off and he picks up the phone]

Sorry about that! Thanks for holding.

Anyway, there's no satisfactory answer. People fall into this world by chance, something about tears in the spirit realm dimensional barriers. And so far, no one's really found a clear way back either.

text: UN:idontcare

[jaxoff]

1. Destiny.

2. Okay so first you've gotta find a witch. And then you gotta drop a house on her. Then you've gotta steal her shoes. Put the shoes on. Tap your heels together three times saying "there's no place like home" and bam! You're outta here.

[revenge_guac]

That's a movie reference. What did I just say about wasting my time?

text; un: badnews

[whitestonelives]

Right. Well. Never have I been more aware of my username's bitter irony.

1. The Spirit Realm brought you here. No one's certain what its reasons are, if it even has any of the sort that can be easily understood.
2. You can certainly try!

[revenge_guac]

Then choose one that doesn't bring irony upon you.

I will try. The Spirit Realm sounds like something out of a fantasy movie. I said blatantly not to waste my time. Don't talk nonsense.

i. action, hellow shadow c:

[playtag]

[It has been quite a while since Eve last went into one of these labyrinths. Even longer since she left her own.]

[Yet given the app's efforts to combat the sudden freezing tempuratures outside city limits, she wants to help. At the very least give a heads up about the cold outdoors to their newest arrival.]

[It is definitely NOT cold in here. Yet she's still grateful for her enchanted earmuffs, protecting her from the smoke. Looking completely out of place, a blond girl in winter gear, Eve carefully makes her way through the rubble.]

[She can hear a distant voice further into the complex.]

Hello?

hewwo owo

[revenge_guac]

[The voice wasn't one Shadow recognized, but he still chased after the source. For a moment, all he saw was a teenage young lady with blonde hair and the spark of home in his heart nearly found some kindling to burn again.]

Maria...?

[Said to himself, but as he got closer. He realized this person looked nothing like Maria. It was someone different entirely. And it hurt more to have that hope taken away from him than being somewhere he didn't know.

Either way, he approached the young lady. This wasn't a place someone like her ought to be.]

Who are you?

i

[blessed_bonds]

[It hadn't strictly been Arceus's intention to enter a labyrinth to rescue anyone. It was more... an old habit of wandering resurfacing, and if that benefited someone else this time, well, that would be a nice bonus.

Having some funny-looking little guy point an unknown energy at them isn't- ...Well, okay, it sort of is their idea of a good time, but that's only in circumstances where everyone's agreed not to kill and/or maim each other. Which is not this.]

< Calm yourself. I mean you no harm. However, I will defend myself if need be. >

[It absolutely does not occur to Arceus that communicating telepathically in this situation might not be the most comforting thing.]

[revenge_guac]

[No, telepathy is an extremely terrible idea for the already emotionally distraught hedgehog who will answer with violence first then demands for answers.

In fact, Shadow very nearly did just that in an instant. Then he realized.]

... I can't teleport...?!

[What was going on?! Is this really some kind of nightmare where even his power is stripped away from him?!]

What are you? Are you the one speaking into my head? [The energy was surging now. He couldn't teleport, sure, but he was still quick and he would use that the moment an opportunity struck.]

text: un: ♡☮STAMPEDE

[doubledollar]

1. its a mystery!!! i remember some1 saying its bc this world is a refugee-place 4 souls who come from worlds that have ended, but thats abt ppl who were born here!!! for ppl displaced like us? bad luck. womp womp.

2. idk man sometimes ppl who came here from diff worlds stay a long time (like me hehe) and some ppl disappear an go home randomly idk if its like
we can just do it by choice?

oops the answer 2 both ur questions r 'its a mystery' haha

ok my turn whats ur name :D

[revenge_guac]

[????????????????

What in the absolute hell is this??????]

Your answers don't help at all if they're completely indecipherable.

un: luciferskylight

[scourgingstars]

1. No idea.

2. No idea.

[revenge_guac]

[bruh.]

Then why bother responding?