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OPEN PSL ❖ fragment space
"Welcome to the S.S Phoenix! We hope you enjoy your stay!"
- You open your eyes feeling a little stiff. The last thing you recall is seeing your planet get destroyed before a hand reached out to you--Captain's hand. You were then greeted with the same introductory phrase before receiving the keys to their brand new dorm, a device--you're told it's called the Babelfish, something that allows you to interact with others through the interdimensional network--and perhaps an extra thing or two.
You are then ushered into the onboarding area, where you can see your fellow passengers. Some foreign faces, perhaps even some familiar ones. Before you are given any time to think, however, Captain, at the head of the room, speaks up.
"Once again, welcome new guests, to the S.S. Phoenix! You may call me Captain. Today is your first day of onboarding, where you can get to learn more about us and your fellow passengers.
We are part of the Interdimensional Galactic Coalition, a system that was created to keep order and peace amongst the multiverse. This ship that you're currently in is now your new home. Consider the card that you have obtained your citizenship. However, staying here comes with a price.
As you already know, your worlds were destroyed. And we are here to help restore those worlds into proper order. But in order to do that, you must obtain Fragments. These mysterious Fragments will then power our ship's Revival Program. Those can be found in various worlds.
Now, if you have any further questions, now is the time to ask."
And she opens up the floor for questions--any questions.
[ OOC: Welcome, everyone, to a long form PSL in the form of Fragment Space! The premise of this is that your character's universes have been destroyed -- player's choice on the how -- and they have been rescued by the Captain to adventure to various worlds.
This PSL will very much be an exploration/mystery setup, with various types of settings that I will work with players on.
Locations for the S.S. Phoenix can be found here, and current NPC information can be found here.
In terms of moving things along, I will try to make sure that things move smoothly at least once a month. If you need to contact me for any questions/comments/concerns, please ping me either on plurk (
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Fwah...! Ichigo-san! It's really you!
[ Fortunately(?) for Ichigo's sanity, when she picks her up off the floor, she immediately starts talking again, waving her little arms, and... can you really blame her? She's happy, excited, and relieved all at once... ]
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Laughs and laughs and laughs, like that's all she can do, like a broken record.]
What kind of sick joke is this...
[She can feel her shoulders shaking - the start of something pricking at the edges of her eyes.]
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[ It… keeps happening. Everyone keeps reacting so… strangely whenever they see her. She doesn’t understand why… they all just insist that it’s just surprise, but… ]
I-Ichigo-san…? What’s wrong…?
[ What is it that nobody is telling her…? That question burns in her mind, but right now she’s more worried about Ichigo. ]
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[Ichigo snaps, frustration in every word. But none of that is directed at Aoi.
She can't help but think that maybe she's lost it, maybe she's seeing this because she's completely wrecked with grief, and the words bubbling in her chest finally come out:]
You're dead! You died, you know?!
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[ Despite the state she's in, Aoi's eyes widen, and she falls silent. ]
I... died...?
[ Things start falling into place. It makes sense, after all, especially since she can perfectly recall the way they all reacted. Ruka's pale face, the others' disbelief... ]
B-But... that can't... I...
[ But... but that can't be the case. The world was destroyed during the fight with Vertex Crimson, wasn't it...? But this doesn't look like a lie. Ichigo's messed with her a lot, but never like this. ]
W... we were fighting... I had to protect you all, and then...
[ She remembers everything going dark, hazy... blood running out of her nose, someone's hand gripping hers... something else happened then, but she wasn't conscious enough to remember it. She figured it must've been when the world ended, but... thinking about it now, with the state she'd been in, would it have even been possible to save her?
And as soon as she asks herself that question, her small plush body starts to tremble softly in Ichigo's hands. She realizes... that she'd been unconsciously avoiding asking herself that question this whole time. ]
I... Ichigo-san, I...
[ Aoi's voice shakes. ]
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She can feel the patched up pieces of her heart cracking again, especially as she hears the way Aoi's voice shakes.
Is this her punishment?
For not being honest, for not saying what she wanted...]
You did. [Her voice is hollow, now. None of that fight and bluster that she had just moments prior.] We even went to your funeral.
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[ Questions flood her mind... does everyone know? Were they keeping it from her? Why? Well, she can imagine why, but... but if she died, then how is she here after the world was destroyed? How could she have had a funeral if that happened? So, so many questions... a lot of them might even be really good questions too.
But at the moment, all it does is serve to overwhelm her thoughts even further... especially since, even if she has so many questions about how this could possibly make sense, all of that is secondary.
Because Ichigo isn't lying, she can't be. The grief and pain in her eyes is real, Aoi would know.
Erika Aoi died that day. How she's here is a question that must be answered, but that's not what's important right now.
She died... and she left all of them behind. ]
I... died.
[ It all makes sense. Of course Ruka reacted that way, she'd have reacted the same way if someone dead suddenly walked into the room as if nothing had ever happened. She ran up to Ichigo now in much the same way, and now... ]
...I'm sorry.
[ She can't cry, water doesn't come out of her soft woven eyes... but her voice cracks all the same. ]
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[There's something bitter in her words, but it's all directed inwards. She can feel the sobs trying to get out, her shoulders shaking.]
You dying... it's not...
[Her words die out, but the implications are there.
It's not your fault.]
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[ They were supposed to always be together... they were just starting to make strides as a squad, weren't they? Even Ichigo, who was always so harsh and belligerent to her... she started to feel like she was finally beginning to understand her.
...What does this mean for her? She, who is now alive when she should have died? Was she saved, or is she just on borrowed time? She doesn't know, but... ]
Was I... at least able to protect... all of you...?
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[ She almost apologizes again out of pure habit before stopping herself. It seems to be the last thing Ichigo wants right now, even if Aoi... can't think of anything else to say.
Still... she also can't help the sigh of relief. ]
Ah... good... thank goodness...
[ She may not have been the leader Ichigo wanted, but... at least she was able to do that much. ]
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[She doesn't have any words, now -- sure, she's thought many times that she'd have many things to say but now that she's come face to face with Aoi here, even in plush form, as odd as that is, it all just dies in her throat.
All she can give is an anguished look.]
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[ Ah... it hurts to see her like that. It's a little surprising, even... isn't this why she was always so harsh on her? Because this might've happened? It's not surprising that Ichigo would be upset, but... she looks so pained...
Aoi can hardly regret her decision. Maybe that's just because the idea that she died... or at the very least, was going to die, hasn't quite settled in yet, but... ]
Ichigo-san... please, don't cry...
[ She finds herself lifting her stubby arms up, reaching for her... not that she can reach, but she still tries anyway. ]
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[It's true, even with the pained expression she makes, no tears seem to fall from her eyes.]
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[ She's not... she's not crying, even if it looks like she's about to.
...What does she say? What can she possibly say? If she saw her friends again after so long, as if nothing ever happened... what would she want to hear? ]
Ichigo-san... I'm here. I don't know how, but... I'm here.
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It feels like a fucking joke, though - to see you again, like this.
[You know, being a plushie.]