[Voice, Public]

[halfdarkened]

[There's a snapshot picture of a strange place. To Riku, it's a picture of a mishmash of the Wonderland he knew and a twisted, slightly eerie version. It's possible not everyone sees what he does, however...]

Got good news and bad news. The bad news is I didn't find a way out yet. The good news is I did find a new floor. Wonderland. ...But this isn't exactly how I remember it. Parts of it seem messed up for some reason. ...This could be a bad sign regarding the darkness outside Castle oblivion, not sure.

Comments

[halfdarkened]

Well, we've got a floor most people would call an island paradise... One's a physical incarnation of Halloween and Christmas, one that's sort of spiritual and huge, another's a savannah that'll turn you into an animal while you're there, there's the Netherworld and Wonderland.

[trademark_skull]

Sounds like there's really an interesting variety of them.

[Ponders a little bit more] ... But you mentioned something being messed up with the newest one?

[halfdarkened]

You talk like it's a gift set.

Yeah. Big parts of it aren't like I remember. It's like two worlds stuck together, almost.

[trademark_skull]

I guess that's one way of looking at it.

Maybe it did try to make two of them at once? Although if you got that far you probably know what's going on better than I would. [Definitely more experience and all]

... You've been to that world before?

[halfdarkened]

I don't think so. It should only take people's memories of the same place. Both Sora and I went to Neverland, and back then it formed two different floors, each to our memories. But the floors were identical. I checked Sora's later, trying to find clues to things. So maybe it combined our memories for both floors. But this seems to be two memories of very different places. Why?

Yeah, briefly. [Mumbles.] For all the wrong reasons.

[trademark_skull]

Ahhh, so there's really two floors that are exactly the same? [GETTING SO SO CONFUSED]

I guess it doesn't matter too much anyway as long as there's just a way to get through it.

[Kinda curious what the reason was, but probably not gonna pressure it.]

[halfdarkened]

...There were. The floors I'm sure have changed now.

That's a good point. But I'd still like to know why.

[trademark_skull]

[Still so very confused. But then something from the last statement stood out, back then.] How long ago was that?

[halfdarkened]

[He sighs in thought.] ...Maybe a year and a half. But the castle isn't behaving the way it was then, either. Used to be you used cards to get from place to place or to even attack. Glad that part's different at least.

[trademark_skull]

[Doesn't really have much else to say to that, so instead]... I really should spend more time outside the city, but-

[Then again, he had already looked everywhere else by this point.]

[.... Probably should be a little more careful too, if that one post had taught him anything.]

[halfdarkened]

...But what? What's holding you back?

[trademark_skull]

... I-it's not quite..

I just have some things to take care of. [Being vague probably was the best way to talk about it in public]

[halfdarkened]

...

Whatever you need to do.

Just remember, you're not going to get out staying in the city.

[trademark_skull]

... I know that.

[halfdarkened]

[There's a slight pause as Riku's about to say something, but the transmission just stops. He's not going to pry.]

[offline]

[trademark_skull]

[Realized it ended and clicked the transmission off on his side a few seconds later. Emizel suddenly felt overwhelmed with a variety of emotions.]

.... What should I be.... [Curled up on top of the lonely hotel bed. Demons weren't even supposed to be rescuing people, why was he doing all this? What would Val say if he knew? Hell, what would his father say?]

[... He had to be the lamest excuse for a demon if there ever was one. More so if he was too helpless to think for himself.]