[ He doesn't know. He struggles, but the water washes over his head and --
It's familiar. Maybe. The burning is a bit different, now in his lungs instead of corrosion washing over his head, already staring into nothing. But his body, dying alone, head in the running waters. When did that happen? What does he do with all these 'memories' that he doesn't remember?
'It's not me.' Then who? Who is he, if not that?
At this point, the struggles his body is making is out of natural instinct, synapses of his brain firing off every latent signal to struggle and survive. His heart isn't really in it though, distracted by the dreadful familiarity.
'I don't know what you mean,' exists merely as a desperate, possibly dying thought. Why is he here... what kind of question is that?
[the flames lick along dokja's arms, burning his coat, burning his face, smoke stinging his eyes and into his lungs. the walls of his display case grow smaller and hotter, blocking him in. throwing himself against the invisible barrier simply causes him to run into something solid, bruising up his side and smashing his head into said-barrier as he crumples to the ground.
the flames engulf him completely.]
[aikawa finds himself struggling less, accepting this fate as he sinks further into the water. his existence will soon be nothing more than an unfortunate memory, arms bending to the point of one of them snapping as he finally plunges fully into the river.
there's no point in pulling himself up. the ghost settles comfortably, not at all bothered as it gently exits the body and shakes its head in disappointment.]
[and mikazuki finds that the barrier crashes and pierces his abdomen, enough to start bleeding but not enough to stop him. step by step, he continues to walk despite the cracking of his bones, the blood running from him, and the sway in his steps. the odd light hovers right at the landing of the stairs before the split between the wings, radio crackling cheerfully.
one last footstep settles on the stairs before the wood crackles, snaps and breaks. jiji plummets through the stair, leg caught as the sound of shattering glass is heard and a roar of flames barrels out of the hall and toward him.
was there ever a hope in stopping this? perhaps not.]
[with their loot and now with at least one of the radios tuned to 102.3, the three of them will begin wandering out of the post office and hear the crackle of the radio.]
”The island is famously sought out by those seeking a higher purpose, and those who would prefer to relax in pleasure and luxury. Famously named after the lotus flower, Lotus Island calls to those who wish to fix their past and secure their future.”
[the radio glitches, wavering as they walk toward the stairs before the signal continues.]
”The art of regret is a time-honored tradition. You will be a part of that heritage, dear listener. Do not resist, it will be over soon. Your participation will ensure clear communication with Biyoo, Aruji, and Nikaido.
Be sure to tune in for more information.”
[there are the stairs. they can take those! they seem to lead up into the cliffsides but it's difficult to see what might beyond the rocks. or they can attempt to get to the radio tower traveling up a different path onward.
though...they get the feeling that perhaps the stairs are not a wise option. kdj and mikazuki both smell like smoke, phantom pains running through their bodies. kdj will find he has trouble breathing. aikawa, for some reason, is wet?
Dokja is dealing with that trouble breathing, coughing, wheezing as he tries to clear open his lungs. to rid of what... smoke? what smoke? it sure smells like it. that tingling sensation as if he's still burning, but looking at his body he seems... fine? ]
What just... [ he shakes his head, trying to ignore the phantom pains. it wasn't just his imagination. he still remembers what happened. which means... ] Time reversed then?
[ looks at their paths and um... yeah let's. not do the stairs. well, if anyone is familiar with the story of regression, it's Kim Dokja here. regressed to an earlier point in time. a start over. he tries to collect himself, looking over to the other two with his voice a bit raspy. ]
[when mikazuki lands upon his own two feet again - there is the slightest shift in his weight as he immediately moves to compensate for one of his legs when he almost did not expect the ache. though it's not long before he rights himself, closing his eyes as he breathes in clean air through his lungs.
he doesn't immediately answer kim dokja]
... Aikawa, did you provide some critique upon someone maneuvering your body when we were separated?
[and a glance to kdj]
... I received notice when tuning the dials that your body was found burnt in an estate - which is why I had intended to retrieve you, though it appears as though I had failed. [a beat] For that, I am sorry.
[and there is an emotion in his voice that's hard to place - but he'll move on to procuring the radio from wherever it's stashed in his sleeves]
When you turn the dial upon this device, it will alter the blue lights we had seen upon the cave - I believe it will cause some type of shift in our area, whether it be splitting us up or otherwise.
[ Sorry but he is not in a state to answer that immediately because he is here, apparently wet, and trembling like something mad. ]
Ah --
[ And then with a particularly violent shake, he seems to kind of...? It's hard to really tell with how dark things are, and his mask, and being dressed in all-black as he is and whatever, but it seems a spurt of something black just kind of bursts from under his mask and he starts coughing violently, curling in on himself and clutching his neck.
Wheezing. He'll need a minute to collect himself after that, his stress levels are off the charts. ]
[ a hand reaches out to lightly touch Aikawa's back, mostly to steady him so he isn't crumbling into himself. though, not putting too much pressure onto the touch- he doesn't want to make it any worse than what the man is going through. he focuses mostly on Mikazuki's words as he listens.
which he gives a look of understanding in the man's direction. ]
No need to apologize. I was the one that got myself in such a predicament so there is no one to blame but myself. I should have been more aware.
[ if Kim Dokja wasn't already used to the aspect of dying, maybe he would be more shaken up. he is, a bit. he's not entirely invincible to the sensation and the way his body feels as if it is still recovering from it. but, he can't let that distract him too much. ]
We should avoid doing exactly as we did the time before. Everything took a turn for the worse when we entered that hole in the cliffside so. [ NO MORE HOLE. ] Instead, we can try taking that fence route. Unless there's another way you can think of?
[ his throat and lungs hurt as he talks but he pushes through. it isn't as if they can just sit here all day and return back that way. unless..? (no) ]
We may take the fence. There is also a path along the beach, though in some part it simply leads back to the mansion. Though that was the closest point to the radio tower...
It may be best to avoid pursuing it again, if we can find another path.
[though after he is done explaining, mikazuki will simply move to lower himself closer to where aikawa is crouched - keeping most of his weight on one leg. when he speaks, it's slow and calm]
My friend.
You are here, with myself, Mikazuki Munechika, and Kim Dokja. How may we best serve you?
[ He will smack Dokja's hand off of him -- sorry, it's not particularly hard but he is anti-tooch right now. ]
Don't touch me.
[ It is not aggressive. It's more like when a scared dog snaps its teeth but it's barely even a real bite, kinda garbled as it is from whatever black nonsense he just coughed up.
He would really... just love... to run off in a different direction from the other two, actually, but the hole was terrible and there's just the fence... and I fear derailing Ty's CYOA further if I run back the way back to the port town, hence. He will simply stay put here for a hot minute to just try... and ground himself.
[NO MORE HOLE. weirdly, by the time they get to the top of the stairs and arrive at the other houses and the hole, they will see that the lock on the gate has been busted already. one half of the gate has been pushed open, and three sets of footsteps appear in the dirt.
as they begin to walk, the fog continues to linger around them and they find themselves walking through an open area. there are a few small buildings ahead, little watch stations, but there's still no sign of life. there is also a bridge ahead.
do they bother with the buildings? keep going? something else?]
well, the lock being busted makes sense but the footsteps.... hm. have they already done this before? is this route also going to end up in failure? i'm sorry but this is where Dokja is just going to be a bit too busy mulling their options over in concentrated silence.
their destination is still the radio tower, most likely. he will fiddle with his radio to the proper station- is it saying anything new now that they're here? .. do those footsteps go in a particular direction from this point on?
he eyes the bridge for a moment. he can only imagine what might happen there if it ends up being another failed timeline. regressions just be on his mind now. ]
On the beach, I witnessed three footsteps in the sand and the sound of laughter - following both led me to a campfire that had recently been put out... but I did not find who did it.
[he will otherwise keep walking forward, curiously listening if there are any such voices that could be made out - or other distinct noises. jiji will peer into the watch stations as they walk by, but won't loot unless they hold anything that the three of them haven't already raided from the town
though he will also occasionally glance at aikawa, just checking in on him. buddy :( ]
[ He will not say anything. He will simply move towards the bridge. :)
No I'm sorry he won't just walk right onto the bridge, he still has some level of self-preservation that he's just seeing if this bridge is maybe-stable enough to hold... his... weight. Does it seem wobbly or is it pretty structured? ]
[as they begin making their way across the bridge, or toward it, rather, they will see that the radio tower is to their left and still a good amount of distance away. at least they're getting somewhat closer though? the footsteps appear to head over the bridge and toward a cluster of trees and pathways.
there are no other voices, but they will hear certain noises like owls hooting, the rustling of the wind, the distant wails of the dead. you know. nice, ambient noises. there's nothing in the buildings just from glancing at them, but there are a pair of binoculars if he wants to grab those.
aikawa is perhaps dead inside, but at least the bridge is sturdy enough to hold his weight!
kdj continues meddling with the radio, and as it tunes in a message comes through.]
[ good amount of distance away.. that's fine. the radio tower is at least. there.
staring at the footsteps leading onto the bridge and over. it just doesn't seem right. it would be too obvious if it was the expected way to go. "sometimes it could be that obvious" no, kdj refuses.
hm. ]
We should probably head to our left. [ y'know, towards the tower. rather than stick with this bridge. but that's just his suggestion! he'll see what the other two think.
He is just kind of staring off down the bridge but he just barely apparently has enough wit to not just kind of start meandering down that way, reeling himself in with difficulty to turn around. ]
...
[ And then down the path towards the tower instead without another word. ]
they can start to go left? it just means they're immediately thrown into a thicket of trees and a bunch of rocks they will have to climb. the path is not as clearcut as anticipated, but just beyond the pines they can see the radio tower.
the forest seems to pulsate around them for a moment, trees closing in and blocking off their path as they walk. there are dips, inclines and crevices in the rocks. maybe they should have taken the bridge?
however, they can either drop down into a valley and walk the long way around, or they can climb up a few rocky inclines to take a shortcut.]
[ maybe bridge was the way to go....... i stand by the decision
still, they can at least see the radio tower more. maybe they should've taken the bridge but... worse case scenario, they regress again and have a redo. ..maybe. but he would prefer to get this done without too many regressions happening to them all.
valley or climb. he glances to Aikawa and Mikazuki both, are they all in a good position to do some climbing? probably not. ]
Either we drop down or climb. [ he won't force the choice on them. decide ye fates my friends... ]
Hmm… might you be able to lead the way, my friend? We can fasten ourselves to you in case of any chance of slipping, but I believe the sturdiest ought lead.
And if we have anything that might act as a stake, we can drive it against the cliff side in order to mark our place or slow a descent.
[he’s guessing how this works I need to clarify this aikawa drop your murder Boy Scouts knowledge please thanks]
No offense but I don't think I can carry you both at the same time.
[ He's a big guy but he's maybe average strength for a dude his size, surprisingly enough, since all his points are in dexterity. That being said, he'll toss the bone he's got to Dokja then, and you may sharpen it into a stake as suggested. We will use Jiji's. ]
It'd be something to loop the rope around and it catches, so we don't fall all the way back to the bottom and kill ourselves. [ Safety stake! Using his own knife to start... shaping this bone... I wish I could say he wouldn't know how to work a bone. ] Just in case.
[ Anyway that is our climbing plan, KDJ on his own while we tie Jiji and Aikawa, and Aikawa will use his dexterity parkour proficiency that he has amassed throughout all the times he has jumped crazy places just for the sake of stealing food... among other things.
Doxxing himself for being actually kind of useful and not a burger fool at all hours of the day... ]
[okay. so kdj has a bone, aikawa and jiji are tying themselves together to stay as a unit, and they all begin to climb.
scaling the side of this cliff isn't exactly the smartest idea, but they're all still making it work. there are enough hand and footholds for them to work with, easing their way up the rocks. their radios are silent. the fog rolls in around them. the night ambiance settles in and a chill rolls off of the three of them. the air's damp, almost like it's going to rain.
the higher they climb, the more into the fog they go though.
the amount of weight on one stack of rocks though causes it to shift, and the air wavers around all of them in fuzzy blue light, causing the three of them to backslide.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guestservices) wrote2022-06-20 10:17 am
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It's familiar. Maybe. The burning is a bit different, now in his lungs instead of corrosion washing over his head, already staring into nothing. But his body, dying alone, head in the running waters. When did that happen? What does he do with all these 'memories' that he doesn't remember?
'It's not me.' Then who? Who is he, if not that?
At this point, the struggles his body is making is out of natural instinct, synapses of his brain firing off every latent signal to struggle and survive. His heart isn't really in it though, distracted by the dreadful familiarity.
'I don't know what you mean,' exists merely as a desperate, possibly dying thought. Why is he here... what kind of question is that?
He doesn't know anything. ]
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the flames engulf him completely.]
[aikawa finds himself struggling less, accepting this fate as he sinks further into the water. his existence will soon be nothing more than an unfortunate memory, arms bending to the point of one of them snapping as he finally plunges fully into the river.
there's no point in pulling himself up. the ghost settles comfortably, not at all bothered as it gently exits the body and shakes its head in disappointment.]
[and mikazuki finds that the barrier crashes and pierces his abdomen, enough to start bleeding but not enough to stop him. step by step, he continues to walk despite the cracking of his bones, the blood running from him, and the sway in his steps. the odd light hovers right at the landing of the stairs before the split between the wings, radio crackling cheerfully.
one last footstep settles on the stairs before the wood crackles, snaps and breaks. jiji plummets through the stair, leg caught as the sound of shattering glass is heard and a roar of flames barrels out of the hall and toward him.
was there ever a hope in stopping this? perhaps not.]
2/2
[the radio glitches, wavering as they walk toward the stairs before the signal continues.]
[there are the stairs. they can take those! they seem to lead up into the cliffsides but it's difficult to see what might beyond the rocks. or they can attempt to get to the radio tower traveling up a different path onward.
though...they get the feeling that perhaps the stairs are not a wise option. kdj and mikazuki both smell like smoke, phantom pains running through their bodies. kdj will find he has trouble breathing. aikawa, for some reason, is wet?
where will they go next?]
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Dokja is dealing with that trouble breathing, coughing, wheezing as he tries to clear open his lungs. to rid of what... smoke? what smoke? it sure smells like it. that tingling sensation as if he's still burning, but looking at his body he seems... fine? ]
What just... [ he shakes his head, trying to ignore the phantom pains. it wasn't just his imagination. he still remembers what happened. which means... ] Time reversed then?
[ looks at their paths and um... yeah let's. not do the stairs. well, if anyone is familiar with the story of regression, it's Kim Dokja here. regressed to an earlier point in time. a start over. he tries to collect himself, looking over to the other two with his voice a bit raspy. ]
You both alright?
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he doesn't immediately answer kim dokja]
... Aikawa, did you provide some critique upon someone maneuvering your body when we were separated?
[and a glance to kdj]
... I received notice when tuning the dials that your body was found burnt in an estate - which is why I had intended to retrieve you, though it appears as though I had failed. [a beat] For that, I am sorry.
[and there is an emotion in his voice that's hard to place - but he'll move on to procuring the radio from wherever it's stashed in his sleeves]
When you turn the dial upon this device, it will alter the blue lights we had seen upon the cave - I believe it will cause some type of shift in our area, whether it be splitting us up or otherwise.
no subject
Ah --
[ And then with a particularly violent shake, he seems to kind of...? It's hard to really tell with how dark things are, and his mask, and being dressed in all-black as he is and whatever, but it seems a spurt of something black just kind of bursts from under his mask and he starts coughing violently, curling in on himself and clutching his neck.
Wheezing. He'll need a minute to collect himself after that, his stress levels are off the charts. ]
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which he gives a look of understanding in the man's direction. ]
No need to apologize. I was the one that got myself in such a predicament so there is no one to blame but myself. I should have been more aware.
[ if Kim Dokja wasn't already used to the aspect of dying, maybe he would be more shaken up. he is, a bit. he's not entirely invincible to the sensation and the way his body feels as if it is still recovering from it. but, he can't let that distract him too much. ]
We should avoid doing exactly as we did the time before. Everything took a turn for the worse when we entered that hole in the cliffside so. [ NO MORE HOLE. ] Instead, we can try taking that fence route. Unless there's another way you can think of?
[ his throat and lungs hurt as he talks but he pushes through. it isn't as if they can just sit here all day and return back that way. unless..? (no) ]
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It may be best to avoid pursuing it again, if we can find another path.
[though after he is done explaining, mikazuki will simply move to lower himself closer to where aikawa is crouched - keeping most of his weight on one leg. when he speaks, it's slow and calm]
My friend.
You are here, with myself, Mikazuki Munechika, and Kim Dokja. How may we best serve you?
no subject
Don't touch me.
[ It is not aggressive. It's more like when a scared dog snaps its teeth but it's barely even a real bite, kinda garbled as it is from whatever black nonsense he just coughed up.
He would really... just love... to run off in a different direction from the other two, actually, but the hole was terrible and there's just the fence... and I fear derailing Ty's CYOA further if I run back the way back to the port town, hence. He will simply stay put here for a hot minute to just try... and ground himself.
Don't worry about him, proceed! ]
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as they begin to walk, the fog continues to linger around them and they find themselves walking through an open area. there are a few small buildings ahead, little watch stations, but there's still no sign of life. there is also a bridge ahead.
do they bother with the buildings? keep going? something else?]
no subject
well, the lock being busted makes sense but the footsteps.... hm. have they already done this before? is this route also going to end up in failure? i'm sorry but this is where Dokja is just going to be a bit too busy mulling their options over in concentrated silence.
their destination is still the radio tower, most likely. he will fiddle with his radio to the proper station- is it saying anything new now that they're here? .. do those footsteps go in a particular direction from this point on?
he eyes the bridge for a moment. he can only imagine what might happen there if it ends up being another failed timeline. regressions just be on his mind now. ]
no subject
On the beach, I witnessed three footsteps in the sand and the sound of laughter - following both led me to a campfire that had recently been put out... but I did not find who did it.
[he will otherwise keep walking forward, curiously listening if there are any such voices that could be made out - or other distinct noises. jiji will peer into the watch stations as they walk by, but won't loot unless they hold anything that the three of them haven't already raided from the town
though he will also occasionally glance at aikawa, just checking in on him. buddy :( ]
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No I'm sorry he won't just walk right onto the bridge, he still has some level of self-preservation that he's just seeing if this bridge is maybe-stable enough to hold... his... weight. Does it seem wobbly or is it pretty structured? ]
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there are no other voices, but they will hear certain noises like owls hooting, the rustling of the wind, the distant wails of the dead. you know. nice, ambient noises. there's nothing in the buildings just from glancing at them, but there are a pair of binoculars if he wants to grab those.
aikawa is perhaps dead inside, but at least the bridge is sturdy enough to hold his weight!
kdj continues meddling with the radio, and as it tunes in a message comes through.]
[there's still time to turn around though if they want.]
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staring at the footsteps leading onto the bridge and over. it just doesn't seem right. it would be too obvious if it was the expected way to go. "sometimes it could be that obvious" no, kdj refuses.
hm. ]
We should probably head to our left. [ y'know, towards the tower. rather than stick with this bridge. but that's just his suggestion! he'll see what the other two think.
the radio message meanwhile can quietly hush. ]
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He is just kind of staring off down the bridge but he just barely apparently has enough wit to not just kind of start meandering down that way, reeling himself in with difficulty to turn around. ]
...
[ And then down the path towards the tower instead without another word. ]
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they can start to go left? it just means they're immediately thrown into a thicket of trees and a bunch of rocks they will have to climb. the path is not as clearcut as anticipated, but just beyond the pines they can see the radio tower.
the forest seems to pulsate around them for a moment, trees closing in and blocking off their path as they walk. there are dips, inclines and crevices in the rocks. maybe they should have taken the bridge?
however, they can either drop down into a valley and walk the long way around, or they can climb up a few rocky inclines to take a shortcut.]
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still, they can at least see the radio tower more. maybe they should've taken the bridge but... worse case scenario, they regress again and have a redo. ..maybe. but he would prefer to get this done without too many regressions happening to them all.
valley or climb. he glances to Aikawa and Mikazuki both, are they all in a good position to do some climbing? probably not. ]
Either we drop down or climb. [ he won't force the choice on them. decide ye fates my friends... ]
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A sword climbing? My, what an interesting request... but even so, it would be rather fun to see, wouldn't it?
[he doesn't mind. "jiji's leg is busted" yes but if he doesn't acknowledge it the it isn't real]
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It wouldn't be hard...
[ Honestly speaking. ]
I just... want to get this over with. If you need to grab on or something, whatever, we have rope -- let's just go.
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i mean, they each have rope. and mikazuki and aikawa have B O N E S so maybe... if we combine.....
i don't know. help. ]
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Hmm… might you be able to lead the way, my friend? We can fasten ourselves to you in case of any chance of slipping, but I believe the sturdiest ought lead.
And if we have anything that might act as a stake, we can drive it against the cliff side in order to mark our place or slow a descent.
[he’s guessing how this works I need to clarify this aikawa drop your murder Boy Scouts knowledge please thanks]
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[ He's a big guy but he's maybe average strength for a dude his size, surprisingly enough, since all his points are in dexterity. That being said, he'll toss the bone he's got to Dokja then, and you may sharpen it into a stake as suggested. We will use Jiji's. ]
It'd be something to loop the rope around and it catches, so we don't fall all the way back to the bottom and kill ourselves. [ Safety stake! Using his own knife to start... shaping this bone... I wish I could say he wouldn't know how to work a bone. ] Just in case.
[ Anyway that is our climbing plan, KDJ on his own while we tie Jiji and Aikawa, and Aikawa will use his dexterity parkour proficiency that he has amassed throughout all the times he has jumped crazy places just for the sake of stealing food... among other things.
Doxxing himself for being actually kind of useful and not a burger fool at all hours of the day... ]
1/2
scaling the side of this cliff isn't exactly the smartest idea, but they're all still making it work. there are enough hand and footholds for them to work with, easing their way up the rocks. their radios are silent. the fog rolls in around them. the night ambiance settles in and a chill rolls off of the three of them. the air's damp, almost like it's going to rain.
the higher they climb, the more into the fog they go though.
the amount of weight on one stack of rocks though causes it to shift, and the air wavers around all of them in fuzzy blue light, causing the three of them to backslide.]
2/2
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EXECURSION COMPLETE.