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TAG WITH @kyle

POSTED ON Sept 2, 2024 2:05:42 GMT

a path breaks off into a fork in the road.

one option is to continue the cliched narrative. appeal to emotion is one of the better directions to follow during this kind of interaction, and ironically what works best in the real world as well.

the other option is his way. to be pragmatic and present facts. it presents more problems than solutions, but it keeps the conversation short.

however, this is a fictional story. there is no room for realism unless someone aims to be an opposition to be defied, proving a main character that hard work and determination trumps everything else and paving the way to hope, attaining the good ending.

"it will come with a cost," he tells the being defiantly. "you wouldn't mind paying the toll, but would she?"

kyle forgoes both options. shoulders fall to his side as he slumps to his commander's chair by the ship, twiddling a pen he magically found.

"my task is to stop you at all costs. we share the same stakes, but i know i don't have the same standing as you to offer a compromise."

"that's why i offer instead is a suggestion: go to her instead of forcing her to come to you. what you are doing might accidentally be counterproductive with your goal."

he stops clears his throat before reciting the same fairy tale told to him.

"though our lives may end one day, it merely means that we reach a brand new beginning. in time, we will all be reunited. we may not know when that time will be… but one day, we will meet again as stars."

¤ chrom - full metal body - sunsteel strike / teleport / cosmic power / metal burst / heat crash / crunch / springtide storm

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played by

Blue Star

Hideo

he/him

October 18th

slateport

undecided

Gym Leader

Ace Trainer

smol height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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2,754 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @hideo

POSTED ON Sept 10, 2024 18:41:01 GMT

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[attr="class","puppycat"]kyle lopez

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[attr="class","puppycat"]How Calm

[attr="class","monody"]

Radiant yet Exhausted

The Explorer had as many ways to handle this as they could imagine - but the most important path was the one they took.

And they took to a suggestion: that instead of actively searching through the many stars of the cosmos, it could join the stars, using the words of the construct it'd seemed attached to.

The Being's answer was delayed, but it soon came.

"Those were her final words to me. That we'd one day meet again. And I have tried so hard to find her since, for even a speck of her."

"My quest has gone for so long, and yet I keep searching. I…am tired."

The Being paused again, the brilliance of the stars it'd consumed shining around its body - as if that radiance threatened to escape at a moment's notice.

"...you're the first being I've spoken to about this. I can feel myself fraying at the seams simply stopping like this, and yet…I do not fear it, if it would mean I have a chance of reuniting with Psyche."

For one day, they could meet again as stars.

Even if they couldn't recognize each other, even if they were something completely different.

"...tell me; when your time comes, will you be content merely rejoining the stars? Or would you desire to live a new fate, live a new life?"

Prompt

Answer the question

MADE BY MIZO

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played by

aero

dog boy

he/him

october 24

verdanturf

asexual

private investigator

champion

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part of

TAG WITH @kyle

POSTED ON Sept 15, 2024 18:26:14 GMT

"normally, i'd say a new life would sound nice."

a clean slate for someone like him is desirable. he wasted so much of his time and potential if he was to maximize the most ideal self he can attain.

"but if were to meet someone who can convince me otherwise, i may change my mind."

he cannot afford it even if it was an option available to him, however. his network may be limited, but they all compound themselves in value. kyle had always been sentimental at the end of the day.

"relationships are troublesome, right?"

he feels sympathy with the being before him. it was evident that he doesn't want this ending, but he deluded himself into thinking of a better conclusion for the story when the answer was simple and already provided to him from the start.

but clarity hits him with his faithful encounter with the explorer. he shows the forgotten angle that had been hidden by greed. hope is the ending that had been brought to light.

"go for the option you won't regret. i'm hoping that that our priorities align with your choice."

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played by

Blue Star

Hideo

he/him

October 18th

slateport

undecided

Gym Leader

Ace Trainer

smol height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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2,754 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @hideo

POSTED ON Sept 20, 2024 0:06:17 GMT

[player]https://file.garden/Ze-SbFmahEcRvg_Y/HeartToHeart.mp3[/player]

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[attr="class","puppycat"]Well Done

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Night Restored

And so, the Explorer gave their answer: unless someone could convince them otherwise, they would be content with a new life, starting from scratch. They may not have the same relationships as they did before - for they could be a troublesome thing - but they still held value.

The Being was quiet, deliberating a response as its body seemed ready to break at a moment's notice.

"I think…I will try what you suggested. Rather than take all into myself, I could spread my reach across the stars…perhaps then, I could find her again."

There was no dramatic explosion, no loud noise heralding what was to come. Its body merely began to let go of what it held.

Stardust spread from its body, a litany of colors swirling around them; ruby reds flew out until they were mere specks in the distance, and the bluest blues slowly moved out of view. The Explorer's Spaceship could detect solar radiation all around it - but none of it posed a risk to the Explorer.

And in the distance, through the chaotic swirl, new lights began to form - there were more stars then there were before.

The Being's size became more defined - and it was shrinking. Its iridescence dulled, and it gradually looked more and more organic.

"...Ah," the Being said, "so this is how it feels to let go. It's…relaxing. I think…I think I can hear her voice. I can hear her song."

The shine from its body was completely gone.

"Thank you for granting me a moment of clarity, Explorer, but I believe these will be our last words."

Its true form was revealed - it was no more than a small, furry creature, not unlike something the Explorer may have seen in their travels.

"In time, once you are ready…"

"Let us meet again as stars."

With that, the Being's form dissipated, spreading out just as the stardust.

The threat was gone - it would devour no more stars.

And if the Explorer dared to count - it would look as if there were twice as many stars as there were before.

All that was left now, was for the Explorer to report their success.

Prompt

Report your success
Note: The dream will end on the next post

MADE BY MIZO

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aero

dog boy

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october 24

verdanturf

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TAG WITH @kyle

POSTED ON Sept 22, 2024 17:11:13 GMT

he smiles as the last words were exchanged. kyle offers his part before he was left alone in the darkness of space.

"one day," he tells the being.

he hadn't be the type to judge based on appearances, backgrounds, or any other superficial matters. what he values are qualities that he sees himself, and what the being showed him was instability.

the answer was direction. kyle simply provided them with the option that they have forgotten about. it was clarity, as what was mentioned.

...

the trip home was melancholic.

he did succeed with the objective, but the story wasn't wrought with action as the name suggested. still, it was an adventure, just not in the way he expected.

on hindsight, he supposed that was a plus. subverting expectations was one thing he liked about stories like these, even if it meant he has to experience the ending of the story.

kyle dreads the ending, but when he learns that he was to be welcomed like a hero once he'd reach the space station, he heaves a sigh and smiles. it was a simple denouement, but it's satisfying.

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played by

Blue Star

Hideo

he/him

October 18th

slateport

undecided

Gym Leader

Ace Trainer

smol height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

awards

2,754 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @hideo

POSTED ON Sept 24, 2024 15:15:26 GMT

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[attr="class","puppycat"]How I Wonder What You Are

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

One day.

One day, they would meet again.

Would they recognize each other when that promised day came?

Nobody could be certain.

The Explorer's duty was done, and they returned to the civilization they were born from. They were hailed as a hero, the one who stopped the monster that consumed stars. Few would know the motivation behind the monster's actions, content to know that it would never visit their own star, and no other civilizations would fall victim to the lifeless cold it brought.

But the Explorer knew. The Explorer knew why Eros had searched through the stars.

And when they looked upon the cosmos,

They would see there were twice as many stars as there were before.

MADE BY MIZO

"Well done on finding your way through this ordeal."

Kyle's exit from the dream was just as abrupt as it had started, sitting just as he'd been as he started, once more within the Gym room. The Dream Mist the two Musharna had let out was being filtered away by a Galarian Weezing, reality becoming clear once more. A small *thump* could be heard as Hideo closed the book.

"Did you enjoy your Journey Amongst The Stars?" he asked, the smile on his face contrasted with his solemn tone. "You did a good job. You were able to confront the creature that was devouring all the stars, and you were able to talk it down without firing a single shot."

Hideo lifted his book up, a Beheeyem psychically lifting it up and placing it aside. An Eevee took the chance to hop its way onto the boy's lap, the boy placing a hand on its back.

"Now then: do you have any questions about your journey? Was there anything you would've done differently if given the chance?"

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aero

dog boy

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october 24

verdanturf

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TAG WITH @kyle

POSTED ON Sept 28, 2024 11:20:11 GMT

he doesn't mean to rub his eyes after waking up, but he does so out of habit. he turns to hideo, then his pokemon, before resting his eyes on the ceiling, leaning back on his seat.

"there's definitely a lot of context that don't get explained in the story," he starts, "but i think it's better that way. it leaves much to the reader's interpretation so they're forced to fill in the blanks with imagination."

it was his answer: no questions for him.

"stories like that are fun. if i ask things like the true ending, i would just end up regretting not following the script."

interactive stories differ that way compared to narratives that let you delve into a character's journey. the way hideo has his gym challenge structured leans to immersion.

it wasn't much different to standard roleplaying games.

"i definitely would have tried other approaches, like what happens if i fight it head on, or if i purposely led it to the worst ending, but for my first playthrough, i don't think i have any regrets."

the first run should always be untainted, pure-- taking choices you would have taken naturally.

"have you tried going through the story?" he asks hideo.

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played by

Blue Star

Hideo

he/him

October 18th

slateport

undecided

Gym Leader

Ace Trainer

smol height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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2,754 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @hideo

POSTED ON Sept 29, 2024 18:40:50 GMT

shiv likes this

[player]https://file.garden/Ze-SbFmahEcRvg_Y/Nontrad%20Complete.mp3[/player]

Hideo nodded along as Kyle gave his answer.

"There's always different things to explore," he said, "but you only have so much time to explore them. And in some ways, your mind and actions do fill in the blanks; it helps make the challenge feel personal to each challenger."

A story could go the same way if someone matched the same exact steps - but unless they were literal clones, there would always be differences in execution. A step slightly to the left, a single word different, a more idealistic perception of a character - all ripples that could become waves.

"And to say there's a single ideal ending…well, everyone's got different ideas what's 'ideal'. The route you took was a pretty optimistic one; you talked the creature down peacefully, and it restored much of what it consumed before it went away. But others may think it would be better to harness that power for their own needs, or they could have destroyed it before it got close to them."

"There are always different ways to approach something. But what's most important was how you solved it, and the consequences that follow."

There was always rooms for "what ifs" when it came to improving oneself in the future - but you still had to live with what was done.

"'The decisions you make, and the actions that follow, are a reflection of who you are. You cannot hide from yourself.' And you chose to go for a more peaceful option, which is what's important."

As for himself?

"Well, I do have a pretty good idea how these things could go. I chose them for a reason, and I do know what people do within them…but no, I haven't really challenged myself with them yet."

Too much going on - and he'd have to take someone else's time to do it.

"Aaaaanyways, what's most important is you found your way through this ordeal, and hopefully learned something about yourself along the way."

Hideo reached into his pocket, producing an Ordeal Badge.

"That's why you've earned the Ordeal Badge today, if you'll accept it."

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aero

dog boy

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october 24

verdanturf

asexual

private investigator

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TAG WITH @kyle

POSTED ON Oct 7, 2024 17:31:22 GMT

shiv and Hideo Kino like this

a reflection of who he is, hideo says.

deep down, there's denial that he would have gone the route for optimistic reasoning. he could argue that he just follows a pattern for these kinds of stories and that his solution was merely him following an optimized path for a good narrative.

kyle smiles. he supposed, in a way, the gym leader was right.

"of course."

he receives the badge from hideo, raising it high up to where it can refract the light filtering from a nearby window. it was the first badge he had in a while, and probably one that he has had a reason to personally pursue.

he does like stories.

"thanks for accepting my challenge by the way. it's really difficult to get into queues nowadays " a combination of complications prohibit him. there was no need to clarify given that hideo was also part of the scene. "feel free to reach out if you need help with your gym."

a vague offer, but a sincere one nevertheless.