Carthrat-World Savior: An adventure in misplaced optimism

[Bean Bandit]

Depending on who one asks, it is entirely possible that the universe, as we know it is once of many. Layers upon layers of reality, extending on into infinity. Some only slightly different from our own little slice, and others dramatically so, extending into all the possible variances, from the most heavenly utopia into the dankest, most frightening nightmare, where hope is a concept mythical to all.

Some of these are self aware, for one reason or another, and us? Well, to them, we are either a shining example, or a people to be pitied.

Or, in some cases, raw materials.

Oh well. TO each his own.

----

Carthrat woke. Among the chief things he noticed upon returning to consciousness? Utter darkness. Sounds of city, faint, but noticable. Breathing? Problematic, as he seemed to be choking on water inhaled through his nose.

[Carthrat]

Oh, god! I sleepwalked into a river! Wait, I'm not surrounded by anything.. what the..

Carthrat flails about, pulling up his face and looking about.

[Bean Bandit]

Carthrat looked around, and saw...pretty nice digs, actually. Coughing a little, the puddle he'd been attempting to inhale reflect himself, mostly intact. Thank god an anime character wasn't looking back, huh?

Anyway. The puddle was in the middle of a nice lawn. Really nice, Kept well...the grass was almost a putting green. There was a path, cutting through the lawn, and Statues were placed in attractive locations here and there. about 200 yards away, a stately looking building that resembled a modern Parthenon sat, the path leading to it.

All of this was immediately apparent, but strangely, naught else. Beyond the grounds, all was black to the point of sucking in all available light. It was, frankly, a mystery how everything was lit. Though grey and overcast, everything on the small grounds was clearly visible.

However, before Carthrat was something that took up the entirety of his attention. A woman, tall, slim and elegant, stopping just shy of being awkard looking, stood before him. Her form was clad in a dress, an evening gown of black, adhering to her form attractively, and displaying a surprisingly ample bust for so sleder a woman, though not freakishly large, and of skin nearly alabaster in hue. Her cleavage was decorated by a simple pendant, in the shape of the crescent moon. Above that, a face too shrewd and intelligent to be classically beautiful, but definitely qualified as striking looked impassively at him, with two large, and distinctly eerie eyes peering at him, lazily hooded, giving the impression of disinterest, almost. The entire picture was topped off my her impossibly long, jet black hair, tied in a bun at the back of her head, and the rest of it plunging nearly to her knees.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat blinks at the incongruous woman, just before looking around at his surroundings.

This feels like a dream.. and if it's anything like a dream, I'm probably going to find out I'm not wearing pants halfway through.

Shaking off such horrible thoughts, Carthrat turns to address the woman.

"Hey! Can you tell me where I am?" he says, brightly.

[Bean Bandit]

She smiles at you, bemused. "I could, but the answer would do you...no good whatsoever, actually."

[Carthrat]

"Oh. Gotcha," replies Carthrat. "Tell me anyway. I'm a sucker for useless stuff."

[Bean Bandit]

She actually smiles at that, but it's not the sort of smile that coaxes an answering smile in return, rather, it's the kind that makes one burn with the urge to wipe it off the offender's face by any means necessary.

"You are here." She replies simply.

[Carthrat]

Ah, the living embodiment of dry wit. Charming.

"Aha. I suppose you told me so. Any idea why I'm here?"

[Bean Bandit]

She nods, peering at you closely, frowning. "Yes. You're the results of a fishing expedition between planes. Though, I'd hoped for more of you, to increase the possibilty of getting a volunteer." she admits, tapping her chin with a long, slender fingernail.

[Carthrat]

"Uh-huh. Riiiiiiiiiight," replies Carthrat, staring at the woman. "You must now appreciate my total lack of responses, so I'll just stare at you for a while. Feel free to explain things, or whatever."

Carthrat continues to stare at the woman.

[Bean Bandit]

Unconcerned, she gestures to a small animal standing near her dress. Wow, It's black enough to melt right in, isn't it? The animal, about the size of a Kaiser roll with feet, opens its mouth. However, unaquanted with the laws of anatomy and/or physics, the mouth of the tiny beast keeps opening...and keeps opening...until it's grown to nearly five times it's normal size...no, ten! Air swirls visibly around the mouth, before a set of golden armour, big enough for a man, is belched out, and onto the grass. Wow. It has it all. Sword, sheild and armour, sturdy looking and gleaming with Ethereal golden light.

"This was my payment. For services rendered. Find a hero, and send him to the old wizard. My question now must be...are you that hero?" she asks, frowning.

[Carthrat]

"Should the answer to that question be obvious?" replies Carthrat, scratching his head. "I mean, I've never done anything heroic, or anything.. then again, there's like nobody else here.. but isn't that armour and sword and stuff supposed to be picked up by someone who, like, knows how to use it?

Hell, that online test I did said I was an 'outlaw hero', but I've never broken the law, except for the way I never buy a train ticket if I can get away with it, but everyone does that, so that doesn't really count."

[Bean Bandit]

"Don't misunderstand." She informs you dryly. "The armour is mine. He wanted a hero to save his world. He paid me with Gilgamesh's armour. You can't have it, unless you're willing to give up something in return."

"What I want to know is...According to my casting, you have the best odds of accompishing what's needed. But frankly, you leave me underwhelmed, and strike me as the sort who would run away, given the option."

"So. Are you willing to become a hero? I'm not going to leave the job unfinished after I've been paid, so I'd like to know if I still have work to do."

[Carthrat]

"Hah! Run away? I've never run away from anything! Well, not in the last year, anyway.

Well, whatever. I've got a week or two to kill before I've gotta go back to uni. This won't take that long, right?"

[Bean Bandit]

"A curious thing to be concerned about." She observes. "Especially since heroes tend to die violent deaths, Disney movies notwithstanding."