CYOA week 1: cloud, kaeya, lup, rupert

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PART ONE: THERE WERE VOICES DOWN THE CORRIDOR

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[ no matter where you were in the hotel on this fine thursday, you take a step forward, blink, and find yourself somewhere dark.

it's maybe not a completely unusual occurrence, in the starlight hotel, but there's something about this that feels different. there's fabric brushing up against your shoulders, and the closest wall nearby feels like it might be made of wood, instead of the surface of the hotel's endless hallways. it's dark, and smells a little musty, and...

you aren't alone, either. actually, as it turns out, there are four of you in this small, dark room. it's cramped and crowded, but you can see there's light coming from a crack near your feet, and just on the other side, you can hear footsteps, and muffled chatter, too.

hey guys. it turns out you're trapped in a closet.

maybe you should find out what's going on - and who's in the closet with you.

happy pride month! ]

[callalilies]

[ happy pride indeed! wow we're in a closet. kaeya's just going to blink fastly and immediately try to sink back into the wall slightly to assess who is? in here with him? there are definitely other bodies— ]

Where... [ his voice is soft as he starts pushing aside some sort of fabric that flops over his face briefly ] And why?

[ ugh! well he doesn't have dark vision and also has. one eye so. quickly: ]

Who else is here?

[evocationary]

[well, you see, dark, cramped and crowded places are not lup's favored terrain.

so she immediately thuds into a wall with a loud OW, FUCK. and doesn't even answer because she's looking for a doorknob or handle or something, let her out let her out.]

[agleam]

[i refuse to make an in the closet joke but happy pride anyways

anyways, he similarly does not really enjoy being in dark spaces, but what he enjoys even less is hearing someone make a pained noise when he can't actually see what's causing that noise. so, immediately, and concerned:]

—Are you okay?!

[skyagain]

[ i think the funniest thing about this group is that two of them are technically claustrophobic. happy pride!

anyway, there's a disgruntled noise and a lot of shuffling from cloud too! isn't that neat! LET HIM OUT ]

Where--

[ he's touching people and tries to touch his sword but has NO SWORD THIS SUCKS LET HIM OUT ]

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[ there is a long, tense, moment, where it seems like nothing's going to happen. lup starts yelling, and everyone starts shuffling and moving, rattling the fabric and anything else in their closet. it's

very noisy. wouldn't it be terrible if i was doing this to see if you guys could be stealthy?

outside of the closet door, the murmuring stops. and then, the sound of footsteps gets closer, closer, and closer ...

and then the door opens, and all four of you get to stumble almost face first down into the wooden floor of some kind of room. whoever opened the door gasps, surprised, and takes a stumbling step backwards: as it turns out, it's an old man in simple clothing, clutching his heart, because you clearly scared the absolute shit out of him.

the old man says: ] My lords and lady, you... is everything alright? Why were you all stuffed in there...? Did you get locked in?

[ wow. as it turns out, you've found yourself in some kind of storage room! the closet was just a part of it, and a single moth flies out over your heads: the storage room itself is full of crates and boxes, and lit by candle sconces on the wall. there's a nice wooden armoire, a set of drawers, and a set of shelves visible in the immediate area.

the elderly man does a bit of a bow, and asks: ] Did you all find what you were looking for?

[callalilies]

[ well thanks for the roll call everyone. lup, rupert, and some other guy who keeps grabbing around for something? wow. and then they all come tumbling outwards, hello thank you freedom!!! light!!! floor almost!!

he hears the old man speak and already hates this he hates all of it. lords and lady? really? what is this? he glances around the pile and thinks for about the time it takes for him to blink twice and then smile easily. the does the only thing he can do, which is open his mouth. i'm sorry!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

We really need to make certain to get that fixed, don't we? And... as for your second question... we've been stuck in the closet. So no.

PART TWO: HOW THEY DANCE IN THE COURTYARD

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[ tunes

the carriage travels for a little over thirty minutes, and the old servant does not attempt to make conversation with the group again, allowing them to prepare themselves or simply get settled. the misty hills make it difficult to see any scenery, but as night starts to fall, the carriage turns down a road and begins to come up a hill, and the group can see the shape of a castle.

the keep itself is made of grayish white stone and seems to rise up, up, up, spiraling off into gorgeous blue spires in the clouds. the carriage is welcomed through a beautiful ironwork gate by two masked servants in waistcoats, who nod to the carriage's driver, and bring the group to the front of the castle's drive, a circular road smoother than cobblestone.

the old servant steps down from the carriage first, throwing you all a small smile as they put on a plain blue and gold mask, then calls out: ] Presenting Jackdaw, Phoenix, Sky, and Wolf.

[ as the group steps out into the castle yard, they'll find a short walk up three stairs, and two oak doors. something in them encourages them to go forward, to walk - the anticipation and excitement for what's to come, whether organic or something else entirely, flutters nervously in your chests. if you happen to turn around, the carriage is already leaving, and the gate doors swing shut behind it. your elderly servant is gone, as well.

the doors open back in front of you, welcoming, inviting, to a ballroom.

there are crowds of people here already - beautifully dressed individuals, their faces hidden halfway by masks. dancing, laughing, talking, socializing - the mood is buoyant and resplendent, and beautiful orchestral music plays from a quartet in a corner. the glittering ballroom is lit by thousands of floating candles that seem to carry on for eternity; masked servants wearing golden, simple masks disappear through the crowd like whispers, carrying plates of hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne, and even approach the group to offer the same. it's the hubbub and bustle of a party in full swing, and it seems the four of you are the last to arrive, though no one turns to stare.

instead, just as you're about to get your party on, or socialize, there's the sound of a metal utensil clinking against glass.

whispers start to fill the hallway, as everyone's attention is drawn to a grand staircase that ends at the center of the ballroom. two figures have appeared rather suddenly at the bottom of them, in a shimmer of sparkling silver light.

these two are beautifully dressed; the woman has her hand resting on the man's arm, daintily, as he guides her down the stairs in her high heeled shoes. her voice is smooth and lovely, like a songbird, as she address the crowd. ]

A blessed evening to you all. Welcome, guests... to our Reverie.

[ the room is filled with polite applause; she bows her head, before she continues. ]

Please, please. We are so very welcome to see many unfamiliar faces. [ there's a ripple of laughter, and the woman sounds amused as she continues. ] I am Lady Casseiopeia. Lord Cephus and I host this reverie each year, in hopes that you will all take this chance to forget the dull, daily humdrum of your life, and escape into a world of magic and mystery.

And, just to make things interesting, as usual, we will of course be playing the Reverie's Delight.

[ a noise of suprise and delight ripples through the crowd.

the woman waves her hand, and a long scroll appears before her. she offers it to the lord cephus, who begins to read in a smooth, rich baritone. ]

❛❛The rules of the Reverie's Delight are quite simple. Someone will be crowned our Guest of Honor, tonight. That honor can be split among groups, if you would like, of up to four people - or else, you may compete on your own.

The Guest of Honor will be rewarded lavishly. Should you impress the Lord and Lady, upon the end of the evening, we will grant you a power most wondrous - the chance to revive someone dear to you when you leave these walls and resume your normal identity. There are no strings attached: there are even victors among you, perhaps, who have been honored before. Alternatively, the Lord and Lady offer the unique ability to break a contract - perhaps you have found yourself bound down by society, and you need someone to set you free. The reward of the Guest of Honor - now... that could set you free.

You have been chosen to participate in this competition by your invitation, as a part of the Reverie. Here, we are all unknown to each other. It is only your actions tonight that will help you stand out among the crowd. Here, there are no lies. There is no context. There is merely you and your Alibi, and everything you could make of it.

Some of the participants mixed among you are our servants, here merely to observe and report to us. Some are our guests. Some are competing. It is a mystery for you to explore. Form teams, or take on the challenge of impressing us alone. Dance. Eat. Sing. Curry favors, curry results. Do as you like; but whatever you do, we hope your sparkling stories and experiences will help you shine.

There is one rule: you cannot, under any circumstances, allow anyone to know who you are beneath your Alibi. Here, you are only the mask that you wear. Punishment will be severe, should you ruin the Reverie's golden rule.

And, finally: You only have until the sun rises: that is when we will make our choice of the Guest of Honor.

Good luck, our sparkling, beautiful guests. We cannot wait to see how you dazzle.❜❜

[ the man turns his face back towards the crowd, and thunderous applause breaks out.

the orchestra strikes back up, and the party resumes, with people now seeming to move through the party itself with a certain kind of intent. a performance.

what to do? ]

[evocationary]

[the mask goes on, and - well, they didn't have masks, at the station, so this is a little different, but. it still has a certain amount of weight to it, and she takes a second to close her eyes and breathe in before she attaches it. she's quiet as they make their way to the castle, and doesn't say much or do anything other than fuss with her sleeves even as they're making their way up.

when they're announced, though, she can't resist a little royal wave. hello, yes, that is her.

after the rules are explained, she immediately turns to the other three.]

Convenient, that it can be split in four. We're teaming up, right?

I'm like, pretty okay at this? I'm good at parties. So we should figure out who we need to suck up to.

[she's glancing around the place, trying to see anything that stands out. any guests that might be trying to catch attention, places that seem interesting to investigate. are they confined to this room?]

[callalilies]

Oh? Then this should be fun if anything. And considering how radiant you all look, I'm sure we'll be able to catch the eyes of many people here tonight.

[ you know what they say about the story of the jackdaw playing at a peacock? a bird in borrowed feathers. the mask sits on his face, and while he's no stranger to subterfuge, or even masquerades at this point, it still feels so odd, like once it's over his eye(s) he must become someone completely new. but isn't that always the way?

still, he gives lup a firm nod, clocking rupert and cloud as well. ]

As for teaming up, I think that's precisely what we should do. This is our adventure, isn't it? We could spend a bit of time schmoozing with the upper crust and see who in particular seems to bear the favor of the Lord and Lady of the house already. Take some time to observe as well, who speaks to them the most tonight, who they might draw the most trust from...

[agleam]

[as they walk into the party, he's taking in the crowd, the ballroom, and all the decor here - but he practically freezes in place as he hears those offers, taking a sharp breath in surprise. as lup and kaeya start talking about teaming up, he pauses for a moment.]

...You're sure teaming up is a good idea?

[uncertain, but he nods anyways.]

If their servants are supposed to be the ones reporting back to them, we should be making a good impression with them, too, right?

[skyagain]

[ cloud does not have the trauma of putting the mask back on, because this hotel keeps throwing the mask back at him and it didn't come with a terrible robe, at least. stepping into the party makes it obvious immediately how uncomfortable he is with this generic scenario, though-- he's carrying himself stiffly, trying to not bump into anyone, and looking for the world like maybe he could become the world's greatest wallflower if anyone would let him.

fucking rich people.

the offer is met with skepticism, from him, because it seems a little too good to be true, and also generally rich people doing a party for insane favors like that sounds like some kind of dystopian nightmare he'd have seen the shinra execs participate in. he would like to get out of this place please. but he doesn't object out loud, just looks at the other three from behind his mask. ]

... What do these people consider a good impression is what I'm wondering. [ he's not going to object to a majority rule of playing along, though in his case playing along to make a good impression is. keeping himself far away from people, he is aware, thank you, so he's drifting to rupert's idea. ] Maybe if we listen in, we can find out how the previous winners got it.

[ considering cloud found a dagger in his pocket, he expects this might be a little less schmoozing than they think. anyway he will be the first to break off to go stand and be pretty near the buffet table so he can listen to groups as a wallflower? sure? let him run away from this ]

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[ this is in fact a party full of rich people.

in terms of their surroundings, while lup is looking, she can see that there are a set of glass doors that are open in the back of the room - they lead to a courtyard, lit by torches, where masked party guests seem to be gossiping and chatting. a fountain burbles in the center of the courtyard, and a few paths seem to wind off of the main courtyard behind hedges, creating a couple of charming walkways underneath large archways of white and dark blue flowers, glimmering like stars. it's not immediately visible where they end up, but people seem to be walking down them every now and then, looking around to admire the view. there's a white gazebo visible in the distance, as well.

inside of the party themselves, the lord and lady have joined the festivities - they're chatting with a group of guests in the room. they're not near enough to the buffet to be heard, but other guests are trying their best to get their attention somehow, though not all clamoring in a crowd. that wouldn't be very classy of them!

however, closest to the buffet area, there are a couple of masked folks talking to each other, quietly. if cloud leans in, he can hear:

"... a brilliant scientist. Is that right? You participate in..."

"She's a source of so many creatures," - the crowd gets a bit too loud, here, for cloud to really hear anything, and the rest of the conversation comes it pieces. "Almost human, really...just so much better...excellent soldiers...."

there is a group of people dancing elegantly near the orchestra quartet, who are continuing to play. two people have taken up dancing, an elegant, gallant dance; one lifts the other by the waist, and the lord and lady glance over at this, and clap. a few others stand nearby; a young woman decides to sing an operatic aria along with the music, haunting and sweet.

the guests continue to mingle and chat through all these locations. what would you like to do? ]

PART THREE: AND STILL THOSE VOICES WERE CALLING, FROM FAR AWAY.

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[ as the group returns to the ballroom, it's as if nothing happened. the masked guests are still cavorting around, though they've moved from one side of the room to the other, splitting off into pairs. the four of you, careful to try and look normal as you've promised, choose one side of the room and join the rest of the guests in the reverie.

as the music begins, the guests gasp in awe and delight. it seems the star dance is one of the most popular events of the reverie - murmurs and chatters flicker through the crowd. the four of you watch, joining in the line as one by one, guests in front of you meet in the center of the ballroom and take each other's hands to dance in a waltz.

even if you don't know how to dance, it doesn't seem to matter. you get plenty of time to observe the people in front of you, as they move across the room, paired together - a cotillion of intertwining circles and swishing fabric, of glittering gold and silver, as the candlelight in the room dims to provide the atmosphere. when it reaches your turn, each of you is faced with a partner.

LUP. you're at the front of the line. our glittering phoenix dressed in white is met by a man. dressed in elegant black clothing, a flower pinned to his lapel, his long hair is pulled back by some sort of pin. there's a faint flash of some purple design on his palm as he brings his hand up to touch hers, and when she looks at his face, she'll find he's wearing an intricate structure with a crystal lens over his right eye, though the gold and filigree stretches over a simpler, black mask underneath. he smiles at lup, and there's a glimmer of amusement in his voice, like he's got his own little inside joke.

"Blossom." he says, with a hum. "And you are?"

KAEYA. your partner is next. she's... small, actually. much shorter than you are, enough that you'll have to lean quite a bit down to touch your hand to hers. her dress is red, though hiked up a bit to allow for easy movement, and her hair accessories are red - she's a child, but she looks really, really excited for her chance to dance. her mask is red and white, tied nicely behind her head. she beams up at kaeya, a ball of energy, and tugs on his hand.

"Trifolium!" she chirps, "Our turn, our turn! Who're you?"

RUPERT. your partner is dressed in all black; dark skinned with dark hair, his mask is dragonlike, but his voice is unmistakable. he touches your hand together, and you feel like it takes your breath away. he seems like he has to hold back a smile for a moment, when you first touch, but he takes a deep breath and rolls his shoulders back.

"...Draco.", he says, eventually, just enough to be heard. his first step into the dance is a little awkward, but you forgive him, right? "You?"

CLOUD. you're last, maybe because of your bodyguard act, but that's okay. up to cloud steps a woman - she's wearing a purple dress that cuts down to show her cleavage, and her dark hair falls down her back. the mask on her face matches her dress, and as the light glimmers of of it, he can catch the glimmers of purple and red shine that make it seem almost iridescent. she looks up at you and smiles, as you touch your hand to hers, and then shakes her head.

"Heaven. IIi feel like you're not much of a dancer. What's your name?"

each one of these participants is masked, a part of the reverie. but.

aren't these faces familiar?

the line behind you moves, so you've got to move.

are you ready to start your dance? ]

[evocationary]

[lup is going to try her best to act normal as promised, but.

there's no way she doesn't immediately recognize him. even with the mask, there's no mistaking his smile, or the way his voice dances with amusement, and her step falters a little when she moves up to her partner. it hasn't even been that long since she's seen him last. a couple of weeks, maybe.

her expression is hard to see under the mask, but the people around them aren't going to miss the little frown that's on her lips when she approaches.]

... Wr -- Phoenix. [she corrects, hastily, ear flicking. a pause, and she offers a hand. it's an illusion, she reminds herself. it can't be real. whatever is going to happen here isn't really happening.

... it's easy to get lost in the fiction of it, though.

okay. dance with her.]

[callalilies]

[ oh this.

this is not what he expected at all as he looks down at the little one tugging on his hand, chirruping in such a sweet voice that kaeya swears he’s hallucinating it. as he looks down, he sees it, bounding energy, like a spark, ignition. trifolium. clover. his eye shuts a moment before he laughs and takes her hand completely in his own now. ]

You may call me Jackdaw.

[ this isn't real, he tries to remind himself, but oh he can't treat it as anything but for the time being.

(it's not real, it cannot be real.) ]

Let's blow them all away, shall we? [ he smiles and lifts her hand a little, giving her a proper bow and resting his forehead very lightly on her knuckles. pwincess. before he fixes her with one sparkling blue eye. ] Are you ready to fly?

[ let's go dancing. ]

[agleam]

[oh.

just a glance makes him freeze in place for a moment, and when he speaks, of course he knows that voice. he doesn't want to ruin this, he can't ruin this, but... there's a thick feeling in his throat that he has to talk around, heart pounding as he takes his hand.]

I... Sky. My name's Sky.

[there's so much he wants to say to him, things he never had the chance to say back home. still, he knows, even though the knowledge feels distant, that this isn't really him. this isn't the first time he's seen a version of him in one of these places that seems convincing, but everything from the slightly awkward movement to the smile that he pulls back is...

he forces himself to stop thinking about it and takes a breath, moving into the right posture for this dance.]

If we're being honest, I've got two left feet, but I'll at least make sure not to step on yours.

[his hand is maybe a little too tight in its grip, his visible expression too tight, but he moves forward.

(happy pride)]

[skyagain]

[ not to steal from everyone else, but yeah.

oh.

he's tense when he's approached and touched, and tenser yet when he recognizes who should be behind the mask. he wants to think he'd recognize her every time, but there's a good chunk of time he'd forgotten her, back in the realm. but even then-- the church and the bar both in the castle-- maybe part of him had always remembered.

but it's not her. for so many reasons, all of them having to do with how cloud was in a murder hotel and woke up in some kind of insane party where tsurumaru died offscreen and he's playing pretend right now. but also... that name, heaven...

after what happened to sector seven, he doesn't think she'd use it again so soon. ]

... I'm not. [ he answers belatedly, because it's taking everything he can not to blurt out her name but something inside of him says don't even if he can't quite remember why beyond the stupid rules of the game. ] A dancer. And it's...

[ me, he wants to say. you know me. we're all that's left. ]

Wolf. But I'll dance if you want to. [ he. pauses. ] Or we can go somewhere else to talk.

[ if this was really tifa and she was infiltrating this place she'd say yes, but it's not, so he expects to have to dance. ]

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[ and so, the star cotillion begins.

for all of you, the steps feel like you've done them a hundred times before. maybe it's that your partners are just well trained. maybe you just know how to dance with them. you walk step by step for a moment - one, two, three - and then touch again. face to face... unless you're kaeya. but they're just so familiar, it's easy. the world feels glittery and bright, effervescent. familiar, familiar, familiar.

with lup, blossom's smile stays in place, as he takes her hand. there's no flicker of reaction at the misstep, no immediate callout as had happened with other dancers earlier in the night. instead, he just chuckles softly, watching her from behind the mask, dark eyes warm. ]

A pleasure. [ as they step close, and his hand comes near her face and down in a sweeping motion, as normal in the dance - there's a blink and you'll miss it gesture, where he tweaks the very tip of her ear, and then resumes the dance. ] A twitch here, but a frown on your face. Are you alright, Phoenix? You don't strike me as someone to be nervous.

✵✵

[ with kaeya: the little girl's expression, blatantly brightens even further, obvious even with the mask. her hands are so tiny, his engulf them - but they fit so perfectly in his, like they were meant to be there. like you know how to hold them.

she giggles, when he bows, when his forehead touches her hand. silly. why that reaction, because she's a princess? trifolium's laughter sounds like bells, maybe a little too gleeful, as she takes big, prancing steps to keep up with the big kids. ]

Do you know how to fly? I want to fly, I want to!

✵✵

[ with rupert: draco chuckles a little, his head ducking, and nods. they take the required steps of the cotillion like royalty, together. hand in hand, turning to face each other as is customary at the end of the first four steps, and draco's gaze, eyen behind the ornate beauty of his mask, is so, so loving.

he seems to get embarrassed, somehow, just for a second, looking around them, but says, ] Try not to do that, Sky, and I won't step on yours. [ his gaze, drawn to rupert, to sky's, like a magnet. like he wants to say something. ]

Are you... [ draco pauses, ] ... is this your first time? To the Reverie.

✵✵

[ and finally, to cloud.

the belated, slow response gets heaven's mouth to quirk upwards in a smile, like she's trying very badly to resist the urge to bully him. she follows with the steps, nudging him a bit so they don't lose their step in line, but not saying anything else right away. can she? should she? what would she say?

...however, at the second, just imperceptibly, her hand squeezes in cloud's, gaze flicking from left to right. observing. watching the room. softly: ] ...Much as I'd like that, I've been looking forward to the cotillion, so.

[ her expression just briefly, seems pleading. maybe later. play along. ] So, tell me, why are you wolf? Are you a loner?

✵✵✵

[ for the moment, the music simply continues to play, and the dance continues. ]

PART FOUR: A LITTLE PARTY NEVER KILLED NOBODY.

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[ a wind blows through the ballroom. a chill, like frost, making the hairs on the back of you necks stand on end, if you even notice - as the withered bodies of your four companions turn to dust in your hands, you might find yourself infuriated. ready to kill, to destroy, to perhaps do to the lord and lady as was done to your loved ones.

you do. kaeya cocks the gun and turns and cloud leaps to his feet, snarling -

and there's a fierce crackle of magic, but not one that came from rupert, and all of you are once more frozen in place.

lord cephus watches you impassively for a moment, lowering his raised hand, before he turns to the crowd at large. the bullet kaeya shot hangs in midair, and then clatters to the marble floor.

lord cephus's attention falls on the crowd at large, now that the entire room seems to be hanging in frozen balance, once more. ]

Now then. Let's continue, shall we?

[ he begins to explain, his deep voice reverberating through the halls. ]

You already know the stakes, and the rewards. [ as the lord speaks, the great curtains covering large, arched windows on the outer walls open, revealing the outdoors to be a pitch black night. the stars that twinkle outside are visible, and the moon is massive and full, casting an eerie light on the now near dark ballroom.

lord cephus smiles. in the moonlight - well, no. his teeth seem a little sharper than they should be, don't they? ]

The Guest of Honor will, of course, be whoever survives the night.

Be it one, or be it four. If you can make it to sunrise, we'll provide you with every reward we've promised, no matter how many of you there are.

The first blood has already been shed this evening. We wonder, who will be next?

Be clever. Be quick. But most of all - [ and here, the lady speaks up - her voice is fierce and sharp. ] - do not be boring.

[ the lights go out again, plunging the entire ballroom into pitch black darkness. there's a loud thud, as all of the windows slam open. the only source of light remaining is the moon outside - it lights up the way out. leading out into the courtyard, into the garden, into paths of hedges and trees, but there is no escaping. you know you cannot, no matter how hard you try, escape this game.

as that thought settles in, you notice a second thing - the lord and lady are gone.

and just like that, everyone in the room is unfrozen.

the room breaks out into a panic - screams fill the grand ballroom, and the group can hear the sound of barking. a quick look reveals that the lord and lady are gone, but perhaps of more import? great, massive hounds come running down the stairs of the beautiful ballroom, hulking, massive shapes that snap and snarl at the heels of party guests as they attempt to flee. one leaps at a guest and pins them to the ground - you're treated to their shriek as the hound rips out their throat in cold blood, leaving it splattered across the floor.

for a moment, it's complete, utter chaos. the dogs race at the four of you, at every guest, howling, snarling, jaws foaming, as they mow down and tear apart anything and everyone who stands still for just a second too long. anyone who's not quick enough. anyone who can't make it in the scramble out of the ballroom.

now, it's time to start the reverie. ]

[evocationary]

[magnus, you landed on skull in the last round, didn't you?

yes.

bad luck.

she hears the echo of it in her head. the hint of the taunt as the wheel spun, the brightly flashing colors, the way the world around them froze as she screamed from the inside of the umbrella, as she struggled to break free, show them a sign, let her out. the whisper of something asking for her to accept. you can save them. you can save them. but she can't. she can't save anybody. it's always a carrot and a stick. your brother will be safe, until he isn't, the memories keeping you stable will be there until they're not, you will lose, again, and again, and again. you will watch gu yun die. if not now, someday. everybody you ever loved, slipping between your fingers like sand, because you were stupid enough to want to cheat death.

stay alive, he says, and she curses at him violently, ears flicking back and pressed against her skull like a cat's, and she's going to say more, something, anything, but. he turns to dust. of course he does. the last thing he hears from her is that, of course it is.

for a long moment, she stays where she is, staring at the spot where he used to be, until the lady speaks. she hears it. rage curls up into her chest, an anger she hasn't felt in weeks.

the room erupts, and she looks up at the dogs rushing through the ballroom. she watches, silently, as the hound rips out a guest's throat.

and then, sharply, lup stands, putting the healing potion back in her pocket, and moving forward to grab kaeya and cloud by the backs of their outfits.]

Come on, you two. [pulling them, again. over her shoulder:] Rupert! We need to go, start moving!

[they need to run. no time to think. she's responsible for all three of them, now.

she will try, again, and again, and again.]

[agleam]

[the smile, those last whispered words—

he can't breathe for a long second, his breath hitching as more tears spill out, as he responds, desperate.]

Don't—

[but he does. of course he does. what was it he'd said once? the both of them are like lightning rods for disaster. even back home, for months, he's felt like he was always running from the next problem, the next thing that could separate them - until it finally did, in a decisive way. the dust shifts through his hands as he bites back a sob - but he doesn't have too much time for grief, as the atmosphere shifts and changes.

wiping the tears off his face, he stands as the speech goes on, as the dogs come out - and as he runs towards lup, he pulls the vial out of his pocket. he didn't open it before, but he does now, trying desperately to see if he can tell what it might do as he runs. glancing at kaeya and cloud:]

We have to stay together!

[callalilies]

[ his mind is trying to register somehow that klee is gone, committing the last look she held in her eyes to memory. the sensation of firing the gun itself is high in his chest, ringing in his bones. he barely hears the dogs until some unlucky guest's throat is torn into, the sound of chaos filtering through the air. lup is tugging him and cloud and rupert is getting to his feet, he's coming—

he just is giving a nod, pocketing the gun quickly and moving forward with all of them. an beastly rage inside of him says to fire the other bullet, begs him, like it's going to make him feel better, but he knows it's not going to do anything of the sort, even if he'd wished that bullet had found its home. a breath. ]

Not going anywhere, don't worry. [ we ended up in this mess together, we'll just have to get out of it. that's one way to wave yr middle fingers to whatever asshole made this kind of hell. no choice but to survive.

he'll look around for somewhere to throw the dogs off. is there any way to maybe go somewhere they can't? climb something? idk........... help... dogs.... ]

Shit... there has to be somewhere to lose them, to buy some time...

[skyagain]

[ the good news even if cloud isn't entirely present in the moment after everything, even with the speech, he's very used to mourning being interrupted by shit going down pretty much immediately and then being shot at and chased by people with bullets. or, in this case, dogs.

i hate ff7.

anyway, lup tugs and he goes, easy, falling into party on a mission survival mode like it's as easy as breathing. just don't think about it. ("they took everything again" "don't you guys have somewhere to be? it's not polite to stare, you know" "not a fan of kids? but you have so much in common" "even if you think you have, it's not real.") there are dogs and they are running and cloud has a knife, and even that part is familiar if a little disgruntling that it's only a dagger.

still, uh, unfortunately for everyone he has no actual qualms in attacking a dog coming after them, so that will be the first thing he does, holding out his left forearm when one of them jumps for him and immediately using the dagger in his other hand to stab the dog in the eye. the arm bite will hurt, but the dagger will hurt the dog more. one down! yay! ]

Get to higher ground, or get fast. Either way, we keep going.

[ the four of them are a group and maybe the faces are blurring a little, and maybe cloud is still seeing fire where there is not, but a rpg party is a rpg party and he is ready for combat. he's ex-SOLDIER before he's anything else. ]

Rupert and Lup need weapons, too.

[ he thinks they should just murder actually ]

[guestservices]

[ those rolls were for you all! wow

it's absolutely fucking pandemonium in the ballroom.

as for your observations: there's not really anywhere to climb! it seems there are two ways out right now - the massive, open windows, and the courtyard door. the party isn't terribly far from either one, and could likely make it (if they weren't being attacked by dogs, it would be a very short walk!)

people are streaming out that way, running to try and get some desperate cover, to get away from the assault. the dogs might not even be their biggest issue, as panicky, terrified people are nearly stampeding trying to get away; if the group stays down for too long, they'll be crushed. however, they may notice just briefly that the dogs stop at the windows and don't immediately give chase.

everywhere - everywhere, people are screaming and shouting and running, desperately clawing over each other trying to get away from the hounds. upon further inspection, as you flee, you may notice that these dogs are a little strange.

how will you notice them on closer inspection? well! one of them manages to grab the back of lup's dress. it snarls, its massive jaws opening, and yanks her backwards. the resulting yank is enough force to send all three of them stumbling back and away from the window - its tail lashes out and slashes across kaeya and rupert's backs alike, too, suddenly straightening, and then stabbing into kaeya's hip. the hit doesn't hit as hard, as its focus is on lup, but the pressure is enough leave a ferociously painful stab that seems to hurt more than it probably should. and the wolf snaps its teeth and snarls, pouncing forward. its jaws close around lup's calf with a crunch, aiming to drag her down to the ground, along with the boys.

thankfully, its hold doesn't take her leg clean off, if only because another one of these monstrous hounds decides to launch itself at cloud and sink its teeth into his arm. his stab in the eye is successful, but not before it tears away a hunk of flesh and hits the other dog that attacked lup and kaeya in its escape to get back. the hounds are momentarily pushed back, but as the group takes a brief second to look up, they'll see more of these dogs coming down the stairs.

all around them, beautifully dressed patrons are being torn asunder. blood splatters the marble floors - the orchestra music is replaced with the sounds of screams.

as a side note: rupert, with a eight INT roll... can tell before he gets attacked that the vial itself doesn't

smell like anything actually. is this just water? he thinks it might just be water.]