[but actually...kdj doesn't get a choice in what he tries.
whatever the hell jiji just did...really, truly just did something.
when everything flickers back into view, there's a few things they should all take note of.
1.) the mansion is now on fire and kdj is still trapped in a box 2.) portions of the mansion have fallen thanks to the flames, crushing one of jiji's legs as bobchansan bolts 3.) aikawa's arms are bloody and scratched up, blood droplets forming phrases such as "who am i" and "who are you"
[ the sound of laughter before the mansion suddenly combusted in fire? very nice (no)
and all he has is items that can make the fire worse, a rope that will just burn up, and a canteen with small amounts of water. cool. is he unable to cover his mouth still? otherwise i guess he'll just breathe in smoke it's probably fine.
he does at least shout when the fire seems to be a thing. this is not a box he wants to be in, now for fiery reasons. ]
You've gotta be kidding-- [ RAT TRAP? RAT TRAP. HE IS A TRAPPED RAT. does the wing lok any different from when he first walked down here? maybe something that stands out? a sign? a HINT? ]
[wE JUST LEFT KDJ IN A BOX AND JIJI DOESN'T KNOW HE'S IN THERE I'M LOSING MY SHIT HELP ME
anyway bobchansan can bolt, weirdly enough jiji trusts that animals have decent instincts about fire. i remember he set the village on fire in subd but only after he let all the animals go first.
his leg gets crushed - a distinctly new type of pain, he realizes. yet even then, he drags himself up to standing - and shifts so that his sword no longer rests at his hip but almost acts as support. he's truly an old man with a makeshift cane now.]
Hah.... hah... Hmm... I see...
[DO YOU? DO YOU, GRANDPA?
anyway he will look back for the radio again. he won't mess with the lights again just yet (why only yet), but he's curious if there's a new message to be found. someone please tell him kdj is inside so he can help i'm shaking]
[ There goes Bolly. Aikawa is pretty much frozen in place, a prisoner to the will of this ghost as he’s forced to walk towards it, flinching as it switches to someone else’s face. This is literally exactly what how nightmares are like, and he thinks it’s hateful, thanks.
He can barely say anything. He doesn’t want to face it, but being asked so direct-on, the pressure is suffocating.
He can only mouth ’I don’t know —‘ even as their world wavers, the petals close like arms. It’s like having a panic attack, this sensory overload, and when his vision clears, he’s just trying his best to breathe. His arms can bleed, that’s fine. It’s like he’s barely even noticed.
Does he have control over his body yet?
Also the way he has NO FUCKING CLUE what is GOING ON ALL THE WAY OVER THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. ]
[probably the worst part about all of this is that even despite the inside of this box being on fire and half of the mansion burning, there are still flashbulbs going off because this is incredibly entertaining to watch. kdj has room to move his arms now, so he can cover his mouth if he wants! he should maybe figure out how to get out of the box though. the walls appear to be closer though, flames beginning to run up his pant legs and over his arms.
bobchansan has disappeared very smartly. jiji stands up, using himself as a can as he stands in front of this burning building. the radio, meanwhile, goes off.]
"Yesterday, the remains of a body were discovered in the ashes of the Adler estate. Kim Dokja, age -"
[debris falls from the house, splashing into the lake nearby as it continues to burn. aikawa is on the other end of the island going through trauma i did not realize he had. the ghost, however, does not give up control and begins to march him toward the river. it forces him down to his knees, face close to the water to look at his reflection.]
[ are those earlier portraits still there? maybe there's a hidden path hidden behind one... if he can try and remove them from the walls that is.
i'm gonna look so stupid when the way out is so obvious and i'm over here squinting at 2am like How.
well, he was covering his mouth as he coughs, but now the flames are ratJAMMING on his legs and arms so he's gonna take a moment to try and just. smack these flames. be GONE. he won't focus to heavily on it though, instead looking for another way out if those invisible walls are still gonna trap him from each side of the hall. help ]
time-honored tradition. regret. past. secure. future. four bodies in the ocean. these bright flashes of light, and - if this all truly feels familiar to mikazuki munechika, a body about to be burnt. about to be, but not yet.
with what remains of his rucksack, mikazuki makes play at humanity - the straightest item to be found, even if it's just a bone, then tied to his crushed leg like a splint. it is all the security he cares to muster, just enough to make sure that he won't fall over - before he rushes to the manor itself, even as this body protests against it. but what use is it if he is always the only one left?
perhaps aikawa's voice, too, was not a faraway memory or glimpse into the past. then he may also be in need of help.]
Just wait. [he says to no one in particular.] I'll be there soon.
[is it not time for this old man to earn his pay?]
—Kim Dokja! [he calls out once he's in the mansion, more to get his attention than anything else, even as he hobbles hurriedly into the flames] Announce your location!
[ Well, he’s here now, being made to stare down at his wobbly river reflection. Just a mask, there — not even a face. Why does he wear the mask all the time, anyways? Where’d he get this thing to start with? Did it ever even have any kind of sentimental value?
Silence, first. He doesn’t remember which one of them said that first, or who said that last. But he does remember the answer, which never changed with every promise they made.
’Yeah.’
Didn't he say something like that?
'Keep being my friend, no matter what.'
Funny how things shake out. Wasn't him, he doesn't know that guy. ]
[those portraits are up! but they appear to be bleeding ink, paint running into the tiled flooring. as the portraits begin to fade, so too do some of dokja's memories. he will find himself beginning to lose pieces of his story, pieces of yoo joonghyuk, pieces of his accomplishments in reaching the End. for every bit of history displayed on those walls, the memories begin to burn and wither away.
you know. as he burns. the crowd begins to disperse, attention drawn elsewhere, but no one comes to help him. he's left alone.
jiji splints his leg with a bone, and while that won't hold up for long it's enough for him to persist. with each heavy movement, he will feel his body begin to wear down, smoke drifting from the upstairs left wing. it begins to fill his nose and his mouth if he isn't careful, and as he gets closer to the stairs, he will find himself glitching back to the entrance of the mansion. dokja awaits.
at the river by the woods, aikawa is having a crisis. the ghost, now that they've said their piece, lingers inside of him. his body bows forward, pushing to the point of almost painfully bending his spine.]
"Who...?"
[it's a whisper. or maybe it's an owl. it's hard to say when the word is so fleeting, but this close to the ground aikawa will feel his face begin to sink under the water. the pressure will keep him there, but the question lingers.]
[ oh, okay. nevermind, that is not a good idea to mess with them then. not that it matters now as they burn as he does. the combination of the fire burning, the smoke in his lungs, the fading of memories. his End... his.. End? he's certainly reached his End, hasn't he? why is he here? has he not accomplished what he's meant to?
he staggers, trying to find some part of the hall not crumbling with fire but damn is it just everywhere? i guess this is fine. he coughs to clear his throat, removing his outer jacket to try and rid some of the fire clinging to his limbs but that's when he hears a voice.
assuming it's not part of his frazzled imagination, that is. but it's worth a try. ]
Up here! [ cough cough wheeze ] In the left wing!
[ he shouts as loudly as he can before his breath sputters into more coughing. from being buried alive to burning alive, he really should have a checklist of events to happen to him tbh. ]
mikazuki blinks away his own memories of a different place - osaka castle, the summer of 1615 - and presses forward. that particular past is of no use to him right now, he thinks. he will not lose another in his care to the flames. his sleeve was being used to cover his nose, at the very least, from the smoke - but now he remains entirely focused on reaching kim dokja.
even as he glitches back to the entrance - it is merely making do with what he has in the moment. back to the left wing. though he does bring up his radio, tuning it again as if that'll bring him any new information or grasp of what's happening around them.
either way he has to go retrieve a (yjh voice) ugly squid man]
[ Owie, his back. He struggles, his body, bending painfully as it comes closer. ]
I don't fucking know, leave me alone -- !!
[ Blrblrbugbgbgfgh. Now he's just yelling in water. It's survival instincts at that point as he tries to flail and resist, panic welling in his body. ]
["up here in the left wing", dokja says, and it's hard to say if jiji can hear him above the roar of the flames and with dojka being inside a burning box. it's hard to say if the flames will get him first, or if the smoke inhalation will.
jiji persists, glitching back to the entrance and making his way forward once more. the radio is tuned, and it takes a few moments before another message comes through.]
"You asked me about trust, and taking a risk? Well, here you go. How much do you trust me?"
[the high-pitched whine begins again, radio static whirring as the flames begin to creep down the stairs toward jiji. a piece of the staircase's railing crackles, splintering and falling toward him.
aikawa struggles with the river, yelling into the water and inviting it into his mouth and his nose, filling his lungs, weighing him down. there's little air that can come through, and his body dips even further, his own hands behind his head pushing him down.]
[ well Kim Dokja is every bit of persistent and determined. he will push on, even as the smoke feels overwhelming, even if the flames and fire lick at him and tries to engulf him entirely. he needs to push on. he needs to keep moving.
he cannot give up here. not now, not like this. ]
Gotta find.. a way out.
[ maybe he's trying to motivate himself by talking to himself. keep himself focused on what needs to be obviously done. otherwise he really will just die in a burning box. fun. he'll throw himself against one invisible barrier now, thanks. ]
[not this WHINE again. mikazuki would normally be able to dodge against a staircase railing with relative ease - but with his leg as badly injured as it is, it's considerably harder. he dodges slightly out of the way - but the railing itself bends, breaks, partially crashing into his abdomen at an odd angle because i want a gut wound
- and yet he keeps going. his eyes narrow when the radio static crackles, but now he starts to look again for the odd light. is there any?
otherwise it's still keeping on toward where kim dokja is - even if he doesn't make it, then at least may he go down in flames trying]
[ 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?]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guestservices) wrote2022-06-20 10:17 am
2/2
whatever the hell jiji just did...really, truly just did something.
when everything flickers back into view, there's a few things they should all take note of.
1.) the mansion is now on fire and kdj is still trapped in a box
2.) portions of the mansion have fallen thanks to the flames, crushing one of jiji's legs as bobchansan bolts
3.) aikawa's arms are bloody and scratched up, blood droplets forming phrases such as "who am i" and "who are you"
so. now what?]
no subject
and all he has is items that can make the fire worse, a rope that will just burn up, and a canteen with small amounts of water. cool. is he unable to cover his mouth still? otherwise i guess he'll just breathe in smoke it's probably fine.
he does at least shout when the fire seems to be a thing. this is not a box he wants to be in, now for fiery reasons. ]
You've gotta be kidding-- [ RAT TRAP? RAT TRAP. HE IS A TRAPPED RAT. does the wing lok any different from when he first walked down here? maybe something that stands out? a sign? a HINT? ]
no subject
anyway bobchansan can bolt, weirdly enough jiji trusts that animals have decent instincts about fire. i remember he set the village on fire in subd but only after he let all the animals go first.
his leg gets crushed - a distinctly new type of pain, he realizes. yet even then, he drags himself up to standing - and shifts so that his sword no longer rests at his hip but almost acts as support. he's truly an old man with a makeshift cane now.]
Hah.... hah... Hmm... I see...
[DO YOU? DO YOU, GRANDPA?
anyway he will look back for the radio again. he won't mess with the lights again just yet (why only yet), but he's curious if there's a new message to be found. someone please tell him kdj is inside so he can help i'm shaking]
no subject
He can barely say anything. He doesn’t want to face it, but being asked so direct-on, the pressure is suffocating.
He can only mouth ’I don’t know —‘ even as their world wavers, the petals close like arms. It’s like having a panic attack, this sensory overload, and when his vision clears, he’s just trying his best to breathe. His arms can bleed, that’s fine. It’s like he’s barely even noticed.
Does he have control over his body yet?
Also the way he has NO FUCKING CLUE what is GOING ON ALL THE WAY OVER THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. ]
no subject
bobchansan has disappeared very smartly. jiji stands up, using himself as a can as he stands in front of this burning building. the radio, meanwhile, goes off.]
[debris falls from the house, splashing into the lake nearby as it continues to burn. aikawa is on the other end of the island going through trauma i did not realize he had. the ghost, however, does not give up control and begins to march him toward the river. it forces him down to his knees, face close to the water to look at his reflection.]
"We're friends, aren't we?"
no subject
i'm gonna look so stupid when the way out is so obvious and i'm over here squinting at 2am like How.
well, he was covering his mouth as he coughs, but now the flames are ratJAMMING on his legs and arms so he's gonna take a moment to try and just. smack these flames. be GONE. he won't focus to heavily on it though, instead looking for another way out if those invisible walls are still gonna trap him from each side of the hall. help ]
no subject
how quickly it all clicks.
time-honored tradition. regret. past. secure. future. four bodies in the ocean. these bright flashes of light, and - if this all truly feels familiar to mikazuki munechika, a body about to be burnt. about to be, but not yet.
with what remains of his rucksack, mikazuki makes play at humanity - the straightest item to be found, even if it's just a bone, then tied to his crushed leg like a splint. it is all the security he cares to muster, just enough to make sure that he won't fall over - before he rushes to the manor itself, even as this body protests against it. but what use is it if he is always the only one left?
perhaps aikawa's voice, too, was not a faraway memory or glimpse into the past. then he may also be in need of help.]
Just wait. [he says to no one in particular.] I'll be there soon.
[is it not time for this old man to earn his pay?]
—Kim Dokja! [he calls out once he's in the mansion, more to get his attention than anything else, even as he hobbles hurriedly into the flames] Announce your location!
no subject
Silence, first. He doesn’t remember which one of them said that first, or who said that last. But he does remember the answer, which never changed with every promise they made.
’Yeah.’
Didn't he say something like that?
'Keep being my friend, no matter what.'
Funny how things shake out. Wasn't him, he doesn't know that guy. ]
...
Stop it...
no subject
you know. as he burns. the crowd begins to disperse, attention drawn elsewhere, but no one comes to help him. he's left alone.
jiji splints his leg with a bone, and while that won't hold up for long it's enough for him to persist. with each heavy movement, he will feel his body begin to wear down, smoke drifting from the upstairs left wing. it begins to fill his nose and his mouth if he isn't careful, and as he gets closer to the stairs, he will find himself glitching back to the entrance of the mansion. dokja awaits.
at the river by the woods, aikawa is having a crisis. the ghost, now that they've said their piece, lingers inside of him. his body bows forward, pushing to the point of almost painfully bending his spine.]
"Who...?"
[it's a whisper. or maybe it's an owl. it's hard to say when the word is so fleeting, but this close to the ground aikawa will feel his face begin to sink under the water. the pressure will keep him there, but the question lingers.]
no subject
he staggers, trying to find some part of the hall not crumbling with fire but damn is it just everywhere? i guess this is fine. he coughs to clear his throat, removing his outer jacket to try and rid some of the fire clinging to his limbs but that's when he hears a voice.
assuming it's not part of his frazzled imagination, that is. but it's worth a try. ]
Up here! [ cough cough wheeze ] In the left wing!
[ he shouts as loudly as he can before his breath sputters into more coughing. from being buried alive to burning alive, he really should have a checklist of events to happen to him tbh. ]
no subject
mikazuki blinks away his own memories of a different place - osaka castle, the summer of 1615 - and presses forward. that particular past is of no use to him right now, he thinks. he will not lose another in his care to the flames. his sleeve was being used to cover his nose, at the very least, from the smoke - but now he remains entirely focused on reaching kim dokja.
even as he glitches back to the entrance - it is merely making do with what he has in the moment. back to the left wing. though he does bring up his radio, tuning it again as if that'll bring him any new information or grasp of what's happening around them.
either way he has to go retrieve a (yjh voice) ugly squid man]
no subject
[ Owie, his back. He struggles, his body, bending painfully as it comes closer. ]
I don't fucking know, leave me alone -- !!
[ Blrblrbugbgbgfgh. Now he's just yelling in water. It's survival instincts at that point as he tries to flail and resist, panic welling in his body. ]
no subject
jiji persists, glitching back to the entrance and making his way forward once more. the radio is tuned, and it takes a few moments before another message comes through.]
[the high-pitched whine begins again, radio static whirring as the flames begin to creep down the stairs toward jiji. a piece of the staircase's railing crackles, splintering and falling toward him.
aikawa struggles with the river, yelling into the water and inviting it into his mouth and his nose, filling his lungs, weighing him down. there's little air that can come through, and his body dips even further, his own hands behind his head pushing him down.]
"Why are you even here?"
no subject
he cannot give up here. not now, not like this. ]
Gotta find.. a way out.
[ maybe he's trying to motivate himself by talking to himself. keep himself focused on what needs to be obviously done. otherwise he really will just die in a burning box. fun. he'll throw himself against one invisible barrier now, thanks. ]
no subject
- and yet he keeps going. his eyes narrow when the radio static crackles, but now he starts to look again for the odd light. is there any?
otherwise it's still keeping on toward where kim dokja is - even if he doesn't make it, then at least may he go down in flames trying]
no subject
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. ]
1/2
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?]
no subject
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?
no subject
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.
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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?
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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?]
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EXECURSION COMPLETE.