Post by THE MASTER on May 1, 2013 21:14:47 GMT -5
Where… Where am I?
The question barely drifts through your mind as your hazy eyes blink open. You find yourself easing past a squint. Why is it so bright? Gradually your sight adjusts enough to make you aware of your surroundings. Everything is… White. You look at your feet, only to realize that they are levitating off of an undefined ground. It is as if you are suspended in a pure aura. Wait… You can’t be dead. You just completed your mission and obtained the benefits for your efforts. Your enemy was gone and you were just allowed peace of mind. The more you ponder about your situation, the more frustrated you become. As you continue to brainstorm something from the corner of your eye catches your attention. Naturally yet bizarrely your body gravitates to the obtrusion and you find yourself facing… A letter? A cream colored envelope rotates on a corner, revealing a delicately sealed wax stamp. Your hand shakily reaches out to grab it and in a flick up the wrist it is being held in front of your face. Your hand traces over the beautiful piece of stationary as a sense of reluctance fills you. Despite this you find yourself chipping off the seal and opening the flap, revealing the parchment inside. Delicately you pull out the ivory colored note, your hands unfurling the trifold. You lift it to your eyes so that you can begin reading.
“Dearest Hero,” As you begin to read mentally a voice starts in your mind, causing you to become startled. It isn’t yours, but somehow you feel as if it has its place. You shrug it off as you continue to read.
“You may not know me, but my knowledge of you stretches far beyond your comprehension. I have watched your adventures with admiration and awe. Truly, your bravery is the composition of legend… Surely, you must be exhausted. Do you not want a place where you can always be safe? Would you like to be protected from the harm of uncontrollable forces? Hero, it is my honor to bestow my gift of serenity to you. I have created a place for you to be yourself without the world pressuring you to be the chosen one. My home, Chateau Sakurai, is now yours.”
You pause for a moment to take this in. Was this some kind of odd dream? Why would some stranger give you something like this? And again, why are you here anyway?! Everything is highly suspicious, if not totally unbelievable. With a huff you pinch your arm to test if- ow. Wait a minute that hurt! This isn’t a dream… This is really happening! You quickly return your attention back to the letter for some well-deserved answers. You HAVE to get to the bottom of this.
“My beloved home has everything your heart can desire. The finest facilities, the most delicate cuisine, and the most loyal staff created to serve you. You will never have to worry of the end of the world, the demise of your civilization, or the kidnapping of your beloved. I will keep you safe here and live to serve your every whim… You will never have to return to your discord ridden civilization ever again.”
You gulp. Why does your ‘heaven’ all the sudden sound like a prison? Adventure is who you are! Getting what you want isn’t fun at all…
“This isn’t to say you will not. You see, I want to make you feel comfortable. I enjoy seeing you save the world but… Your actions are just so risky. It would be a shame if something were to ever happen to you, correct? On any case, I can guarantee that you will never be alone. You see, you will be sharing my chateau with heroes just like you. They’re here on a private vacation as well… Whether or not you interact with them on a daily basis is up to you, with the exception of meals. I assure you, if there is anything you do not enjoy about the mansion or its residents I will take care of it immediately. Your happiness and mental ease is my priority.
You will be arriving to your destination shortly. There are a few suitcases waiting for you, filled with all your favorites and necessities. My staff members, the friendly and eager-to-serve R.O.B.s will be waiting to get you all set up. I eagerly await your arrival, and I do bestow upon you the warmest welcome to our family.
The voice fades from your cranium as you gingerly fold the letter closed. As you place it back into the envelope you notice a few other sheets of paper in there. You can see that one blatantly states ‘CODE OF CONDUCT’ but you decide to get to that later. You look at your feet again to notice that you are lowering towards the ground, the white now dissolving into lush green grass. The realm you were previously in had disappeared completely. You loom up from your feet and- Whoa. Your head slowly tilts back as you look from the base of a luxurious edifice all the way up its five stories into the magnificent blue sky. A refreshing breeze rustles the grass and kisses your face, the sensational feeling distracting you from the fact that one of the sheets from your envelope had blown out. You are lost in awe at the sheer beauty of this place. Acres upon acres of rolling green stretch out behind you as various heroes run through it with glee. You turn back to the grand-oak white doors and proceed to travel down the cobblestone pathway, taking note of a marvelous fountain featuring a hand pointing to the sky. As you step up the marble stairs the doors creak open, revealing a child-sized robot peering from within. It buzzes happily as two more join it with luggage in their claws. They allow you to take your first steps inside, closing the door behind you. As you enter a group of other people and creatures rush to your side, their genuine welcome as large as the variety of appearances they carry. You feel a small smile stretching across your face as their excitement for a new friend shows. They lead you forward, towards an aromatic room full of people. They say something about dinner time and a welcoming party held just in your honor. This… This is fantastic! This place truly was going to be a paradise! Without a care in the world you walk with your new posse, towards a promising future. Could nothing go wrong?
Well, remember that letter that flew out of your hand? It sort of had some important information on it. It had something that could completely change your outlook on the situation…
“There is just one last aspect I do want to mention. I promise whole-heartedly that I will protect you from outside and true danger, however… As much as I love to see you rested and at ease, that can get, oh how to I say this, boring after a while. You see, this chateau is a symbiotic relationship so to say. You get relaxed and pampered to your heart’s content while I get occasional amusement. By this, I mean I love to see games of sport. Simulated fear, treacherous risks, and fierce competition… Always in good fun, correct? I want to see this. Your adventures are great and all but… It is just you against the world. It is never you against like-minded people. I want to see you versus other heroes… I want a real conflict. My vision is to create a fight-until-you drop battle royale… With you as the star.
Do not worry! I have promised you my protection through the mansion, have I not? All I desire is a weekly tournament between you and the other heroes residing here. Winners will receive the benefits, while the losers… Well, they’ll get nothing except for a few ‘minor’ injuries. Again, do not worry. You will be sent to the infirmary immediately where you will be patched up using exclusive methods that will only take but an hour or so. Afterwards you will return back to the mansion as if nothing ever happened.
I expect you to act that way as well.
Do not feel fear. It happens by random, and the pain is only temporary. It is just a little game I want to play.
I am just so lonely… Will you play with me?”
The question barely drifts through your mind as your hazy eyes blink open. You find yourself easing past a squint. Why is it so bright? Gradually your sight adjusts enough to make you aware of your surroundings. Everything is… White. You look at your feet, only to realize that they are levitating off of an undefined ground. It is as if you are suspended in a pure aura. Wait… You can’t be dead. You just completed your mission and obtained the benefits for your efforts. Your enemy was gone and you were just allowed peace of mind. The more you ponder about your situation, the more frustrated you become. As you continue to brainstorm something from the corner of your eye catches your attention. Naturally yet bizarrely your body gravitates to the obtrusion and you find yourself facing… A letter? A cream colored envelope rotates on a corner, revealing a delicately sealed wax stamp. Your hand shakily reaches out to grab it and in a flick up the wrist it is being held in front of your face. Your hand traces over the beautiful piece of stationary as a sense of reluctance fills you. Despite this you find yourself chipping off the seal and opening the flap, revealing the parchment inside. Delicately you pull out the ivory colored note, your hands unfurling the trifold. You lift it to your eyes so that you can begin reading.
“Dearest Hero,” As you begin to read mentally a voice starts in your mind, causing you to become startled. It isn’t yours, but somehow you feel as if it has its place. You shrug it off as you continue to read.
“You may not know me, but my knowledge of you stretches far beyond your comprehension. I have watched your adventures with admiration and awe. Truly, your bravery is the composition of legend… Surely, you must be exhausted. Do you not want a place where you can always be safe? Would you like to be protected from the harm of uncontrollable forces? Hero, it is my honor to bestow my gift of serenity to you. I have created a place for you to be yourself without the world pressuring you to be the chosen one. My home, Chateau Sakurai, is now yours.”
You pause for a moment to take this in. Was this some kind of odd dream? Why would some stranger give you something like this? And again, why are you here anyway?! Everything is highly suspicious, if not totally unbelievable. With a huff you pinch your arm to test if- ow. Wait a minute that hurt! This isn’t a dream… This is really happening! You quickly return your attention back to the letter for some well-deserved answers. You HAVE to get to the bottom of this.
“My beloved home has everything your heart can desire. The finest facilities, the most delicate cuisine, and the most loyal staff created to serve you. You will never have to worry of the end of the world, the demise of your civilization, or the kidnapping of your beloved. I will keep you safe here and live to serve your every whim… You will never have to return to your discord ridden civilization ever again.”
You gulp. Why does your ‘heaven’ all the sudden sound like a prison? Adventure is who you are! Getting what you want isn’t fun at all…
“This isn’t to say you will not. You see, I want to make you feel comfortable. I enjoy seeing you save the world but… Your actions are just so risky. It would be a shame if something were to ever happen to you, correct? On any case, I can guarantee that you will never be alone. You see, you will be sharing my chateau with heroes just like you. They’re here on a private vacation as well… Whether or not you interact with them on a daily basis is up to you, with the exception of meals. I assure you, if there is anything you do not enjoy about the mansion or its residents I will take care of it immediately. Your happiness and mental ease is my priority.
You will be arriving to your destination shortly. There are a few suitcases waiting for you, filled with all your favorites and necessities. My staff members, the friendly and eager-to-serve R.O.B.s will be waiting to get you all set up. I eagerly await your arrival, and I do bestow upon you the warmest welcome to our family.
Best Regards,
M.H.”
M.H.”
The voice fades from your cranium as you gingerly fold the letter closed. As you place it back into the envelope you notice a few other sheets of paper in there. You can see that one blatantly states ‘CODE OF CONDUCT’ but you decide to get to that later. You look at your feet again to notice that you are lowering towards the ground, the white now dissolving into lush green grass. The realm you were previously in had disappeared completely. You loom up from your feet and- Whoa. Your head slowly tilts back as you look from the base of a luxurious edifice all the way up its five stories into the magnificent blue sky. A refreshing breeze rustles the grass and kisses your face, the sensational feeling distracting you from the fact that one of the sheets from your envelope had blown out. You are lost in awe at the sheer beauty of this place. Acres upon acres of rolling green stretch out behind you as various heroes run through it with glee. You turn back to the grand-oak white doors and proceed to travel down the cobblestone pathway, taking note of a marvelous fountain featuring a hand pointing to the sky. As you step up the marble stairs the doors creak open, revealing a child-sized robot peering from within. It buzzes happily as two more join it with luggage in their claws. They allow you to take your first steps inside, closing the door behind you. As you enter a group of other people and creatures rush to your side, their genuine welcome as large as the variety of appearances they carry. You feel a small smile stretching across your face as their excitement for a new friend shows. They lead you forward, towards an aromatic room full of people. They say something about dinner time and a welcoming party held just in your honor. This… This is fantastic! This place truly was going to be a paradise! Without a care in the world you walk with your new posse, towards a promising future. Could nothing go wrong?
Well, remember that letter that flew out of your hand? It sort of had some important information on it. It had something that could completely change your outlook on the situation…
“There is just one last aspect I do want to mention. I promise whole-heartedly that I will protect you from outside and true danger, however… As much as I love to see you rested and at ease, that can get, oh how to I say this, boring after a while. You see, this chateau is a symbiotic relationship so to say. You get relaxed and pampered to your heart’s content while I get occasional amusement. By this, I mean I love to see games of sport. Simulated fear, treacherous risks, and fierce competition… Always in good fun, correct? I want to see this. Your adventures are great and all but… It is just you against the world. It is never you against like-minded people. I want to see you versus other heroes… I want a real conflict. My vision is to create a fight-until-you drop battle royale… With you as the star.
Do not worry! I have promised you my protection through the mansion, have I not? All I desire is a weekly tournament between you and the other heroes residing here. Winners will receive the benefits, while the losers… Well, they’ll get nothing except for a few ‘minor’ injuries. Again, do not worry. You will be sent to the infirmary immediately where you will be patched up using exclusive methods that will only take but an hour or so. Afterwards you will return back to the mansion as if nothing ever happened.
I expect you to act that way as well.
Do not feel fear. It happens by random, and the pain is only temporary. It is just a little game I want to play.
I am just so lonely… Will you play with me?”