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| [ Beneath the strange light of this world's two moons - one round and white, the other small, misshapen, and red - the steel lines of twin train tracks glisten, running parallel over the horizon. The land in all directions around is all high, rolling hills, grassy and dotted with thick, clustered shrubs but sparse of trees. The peace here is absolute - but for barely a handful of seconds.
On those tracks, a train is rumbling along at breakneck speed, bright light spilling from the windows and thick, black smoke issuing from the stack. Inside, the soft, classical decor is awash in a warm, yellow glow that seems not to emit just from the sconces on the walls, the lamps on tables, but from the very substance of the train, itself.
In spite of the rather cheery effect this luminescence lends to the bigger picture, however, if one were to poke around behind the doors of the luxurious private cars, here, they might find the place a shambles. Lamps broken, furniture scattered about, glass from the windows littering the floor, and perhaps even a few droplets of something that looks suspiciously like blood dried into the carpets - it's total chaos everywhere. Or, everywhere except the dining car, which remains mysteriously intact.
In fact, the train's sole other occupant is currently holed up, there, in the midst of an exorbitant meal. He's a young-looking man with long, silver hair and thick, round spectacles, dressed in what appears to be some odd cut of cassock. He seems unfazed by the speed of the train (though in reality he is almost perpetually stricken with motion sickness), let alone the tacky, white tiger-print wallpaper plastered to the interior of this particular car. On the contrary, he's just terribly engrossed in his present bit of business-- ]
Oh yes, I think I'd like to try this one, next! [ He says, holding up his menu with a free hand, making some vague indication toward an item from the desserts section.
He's mistaken the sound of strange footsteps for those of his waitress (or waiter), it seems. Oops. ] |
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| [You find yourself in a castle: a large, impressive one, with a moat made out of lava. The inside is just as impressive, if not for the occasional penguin-like creature running through the place.
And one of them is being kicked straight out of one room in particular.]
And don't come back until you get me that pudding from Etna, got it?!
[The penguin replies with a stammered-out "Y-Yes, sir, dood!" and runs off. If you choose to enter the room, you'll find a young boy with two hair antenna sticking up lounging around, watching something while eating popcorn. Whatever it is isn't important, though.
It's the boy, who'll only register your presence after a minute or so. And, even then, it seems as if he's mistaken you for the penguin. And who wouldn't, when their attention is focused on the TV?]
Didn't I tell you not to come back until you got me that pudding?! |
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| [Tonight you will find yourself in a place that somewhat resembles a forest clearing, along with the ruins of something that used to be a research facility. If you have been to the Unova region before, you might recognize it as the Dreamyard. But that's not the important part.
There's also a blond teenage girl in said Dreamyard, playing with a pink, tapir-like creature floating in midair - or at least one would assume they're playing, even though the odd little monster is curled up around itself, eyes closed as though asleep. Nonetheless, they're both very happy together, and if you approach the girl, it might take her a second or two to give you any attention - she's a bit of an airhead and easily distracted, you see. Again. that's not the really important part.
The one thing that you should actually notice first hand is that, behind the two, there are even more of those creatures - a variety of Munna and Musharna, just waiting for someone to come nearby. If you dare to peak into the smoke coming out of them, you might catch a glimpse of dreams they have previously eaten and, who knows, you might even re-live one of those dreams you had before in the world of Passing. Just be careful that they won't feel threatened, otherwise they might materialize a vision you wouldn't like to see. Dream within dreams tend to be tricky things, after all.
But look back at the teenage girl and how content she looks. Surely it can't be that bad... right?]
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