CYOA week 2: bucky, estelle, sylvain, kazunari

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PART 0

[aono]

[It's Thursday, the day of curfews and murder, but long before either of those things can happen it's just a normal day in the Starlight Hotel. Whatever your character might be doing that day, they will suddenly feel themselves drawn towards a door in the hallway. It's closed at first, but once your character opens it, they will find themselves stepping through into a large classroom that none of them would have seen before.

Though there are plenty of desks for students, but currently the four of you are the only ones in here. All four of you are wearing a uniform (pants or skirt version, your choice), and you get the impression that you are all supposed to be high schoolers. You still look like how you normally do, and your memories from before here are intact, but you get the feeling that to everyone else you will be a teenager.

On the front desk there are four cards. They read as followed:]

Knight
The master of melee weapons, this exorcist specializes in fighting up close and striking deadly blows to their enemies. This specialization focuses on using one’s physical strength to turn the tide of battles. Favors STR, DEX, and CON.


Dragoon
Traditionally the wielder of bows and slingshots, but in modern times this has been upgraded to firearms. This exorcist focuses on long-ranged attacks and picking off enemies before they get too close. Favors DEX, INT, and WIS.


Aria
Prayers have been used for centuries to keep the mind and body pure, but this branch of exorcism takes the idea a bit further. By chanting various prayers, this exorcist can provide support (barriers, healing) and also exorcize demons via their ‘fatal verse’. Favors CON, INT, and CHA.


Tamer
The summoners of the exorcist world. These exorcists forge contracts with allied demons and summon them to do fighting for them. The stronger the demon, the stronger the willpower needed to command it in battle. Favors STR, WIS, and CHA.

[Once someone touches a card, that card will disappear. Choose wisely.]

[frostythehitman]

[ He looks around, utterly confused, at the environment around them. This is...school? Oh god, what the hell went wrong in the universe that he's a student? In school? He is immediately uncomfortable--both emotionally and physically, as he tugs at the collar of his uniform shirt.

He approaches the desk and reads over the cards. Well, at least some of these sound more familiar. Especially the 'firearms' bit. He reaches out to take the Dragoon card, but it vanishes as soon as he touches it. ]

[mustbepurged]

[Estelle finds herself in a school uniform, complete with a vest and skirt. This is a school? She's in school.]

Is this a dream...?

[She looks around at the others, but their presence only makes this all even more dreamlike.

At just a glance, she feels drawn to the Aria card, and reaches out to touch it. It vanishes.]

[dms]

[ the universal truth that we all know is that kazunari is sixteen so he doesn't look that out of place in the school uniform. ]

...Not a dream. But, um... what are we choosing for, exactly?

[ he's confused!! but after sylvain makes his choice, only one is left, so kazunari hesitantly reaches for the Tamer card. he's not the gamer of mankai what does this mean!! ]

[philandery]

[ school again?? uniforms?? he feels like he hasn't been a student in forever...

anyway he picked the knight card earlier, because hey, he's actually a knight... ]

It's... not a dream? This is real?

Part 1: the empty train car

[aono]

If you wait at a certain station, then an empty train car will stop by at midnight. Anyone who gets on is never seen again.

[You'll need to be at the correct train station at midnight, which fortunately will be easy to do since it's right on campus near the dorms. So take a bit of time to come up with any plans you might have or any ways you might want to tackle this challenge with what you already know about the situation.]

Planning/questions

[aono]

[Respond here to talk it out/ask questions/sort out anything you need beforehand. Feel free to ICly thread out preparations too.]

[frostythehitman]

[ Bucky has never prepared for anything in his life, and he's not about to start now. He's here and ready to go, guns holstered for ACTION, arms crossed. ]

So? It's simple. Just go to the train station, wait for the midnight train, find whatever spooks are on it, kick their asses. Done.

[ He thinks congregating here on campus early to make a plan is stupid. ]

[mustbepurged]

I think that's our only choice, with the information we have... We might be attacked while in a narrow space, so please be careful, everyone.

[... also]

... I've never been on a train before. [She's a little excited? Even though it's probably a horrible haunted murder-train.]

[dms]

[ kazunari, pointedly not saying that it's never that simple with these things, nods slowly. compared to estelle, he looks very nervous at being asked to go on a train, but maybe he's just scared of ghosts. ]

I think... Stella and I should probably stay in the back? We aren't really armed the way you guys are, so...

[ they might get in the way? ]

Go time!

[aono]

[Respond here once you're ready to start the mission.]

[frostythehitman]

[ Bucky does not wait for anything and takes no precautions whatsoever. He just walks right up to the train platform and looks over the tracks to see if the train is approaching yet.

And if anything else wants to get the jump on them in the meantime, well... His hands are close enough to his holsters to draw his guns out quickly. ]

[mustbepurged]

[Estelle's just waiting somewhere in the middle of this group, prayer beads in hand, staring out in the distance with curiosity. She's going to see a train for the first time! That's... neat, right?]

PART 2: murder portraits

[aono]

[The next evening at demon school classes, everyone will find the board says the following:]

1: If you wait at a certain station, then an empty train car will stop by at midnight. Anyone who gets on is never seen again.

2: The ghost of a bride who never saw her wedding day roams the chapel at night, attacking any man that comes close.

3: A strange apparition can be found on the sixth floor girls' bathroom, and will only show itself to any girl brave enough to sit in the last toilet stall.

4: Strange explosions can be heard coming from the science lab in one of the school buildings, but when anyone investigates nothing can be found out of place.

5: The statue of the school's founder, Johann Faust, moves at night.

6: There is a strange mansion on the school grounds that can only be found by someone pure of heart. Anyone else who tries to find it will get lost forever.

7: If you look at the many portraits in the main stairwell of the high school building, you will find one that shows how you will die.

[It looks like all three groups successfully completed a mission! So the race to get the most cleared missions is still on. The teacher does give a long lecture on how everyone is doing good work, but please be careful to cause minimal amounts of damage while solving these mysteries because the Order of exorcists is responsible for property damage caused during an exorcism. Luckily the headmaster has graciously decided to cover the costs for last night's damages, but he might not be so gracious next time.

Anyway after some classes on fighting demons and a chance for everyone to restock their supplies/get seen by a doctor, it's time for the next mission!]

If you look at the many portraits in the main stairwell of the high school building, you will find one that shows how you will die.

Planning/questions

[aono]

[Need to plan anything? Got questions? Ask here!]

[frostythehitman]

Show of hands, how many of us have died already? These portraits can't threaten us with our own deaths if we've already experienced them.

[ and he raises his hand in demonstration ]

[mustbepurged]

Huh? Um...

[Estelle raises her hand, like, just a little. It would be easy to miss if not for the very nervous look on her face.]

Go time!

[aono]

[Respond here once you're ready to start the mission. Also be sure to specify what day/time you will be starting this mission. The comment above happens on 'Tuesday evening' within the CYOA, but you can do this part on any day at any part of the day.]

[frostythehitman]

[ TUESDAY NIGHT, LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--

Bucky enters the main stairwell first, one gun in hand just in case. He peers around for anything that might put them in immediate danger, but if there isn't...then he will enter further, keeping an eye out in general, but especially focusing on those portraits that the mission mentioned.

Show him his own death, you cowards. ]

[mustbepurged]

[Estelle's following close behind, holding her prayer beads close to her chest and keeping an eye out for demons... but also trying not to look at the paintings? Good luck, Bucky.

She looks to Kazunari, looking concerned.]

How are you feeling? Are you sure you're okay for this...?

[Things they probably should've asked earlier. Oops.]

PART 3: WHAT NOW?

[aono]

[Did you guys think you would get another day to rest? Ha!

You get one hour to regroup at the nurse's office and get your wounds bandaged up before a distress call goes out. You need to get to the central plaza in front of the amusement park. Now.

All of you will remember the stone statue of the school's headmaster that can be found there. But what's unusual is that it is not on its pedestal as it normally is! Instead, it's standing above a bench threateningly while two students cower underneath said bench and scream.

Hm. That's concerning.]

[frostythehitman]

[ Well. Bucky is intently ignoring the others and keeping his distance as much as possible, especially in the nurse's office. But he has never been one to think before he moves, so when he hears alarm coming from the central plaza, he runs. ]

[mustbepurged]

Ah... wait! Some of us are still injured!

[Some of us = Sylvain and Kazunari, mostly. She looks at them, worried.]

Don't feel like you have to push yourselves...

[dms]

[ rest would be nice, but alas. being sort of dazed while being looked over by the nurse will have to do. that vision is still clear in his mind, leaving him shaken and distracted, even as he glances worriedly at the other three. to estelle, he simply nods. ]

What can we do about that, though? [ looking over at the statue and fidgeting nervously. ] I can try summoning the frog again, unless you guys have any better ideas?

[ statue big. frog also big. maybe frog can help? ]

CYOA - GOOD END

[aono]

[You did it! Though you may feel like small cogs in a bigger wheel of destiny right about now, you somehow survived! Here is a list of what you get:

- Two tickets for the Starlight Hotel each
- Your mysterious note you found
- a rubber stamp keychain of either the green man, a broken down tram, a burned portrait of a young woman, or the statue's head. (your choice which, it has no special properties beyond being a cute keychain).
- the outfits you wore during the CYOA (you will be wearing these when you go back, and yes they're damaged and bloody)

You will still remember your fake lives from the CYOA, but those memories will feel dreamlike once you return to the hotel.

In addition to that, you will have all of the injuries you've received, all fresh like you just got them (even if they were bandaged already). Also, all of you will also be down a pint of blood and feel fatigued from that. It looks like the frog took its payment after all.

And that's it! Thanks for participating everyone!]