[ Molly, who's looking a bit like he regrets this course of action because he just murdered someone after making such a big fuss about not murdering, but. You know. You can't die for every random in an adventure. He's so caught up in this and also trying to gently ease a girl off of his sword here that he doesn't notice the other two approach at all, so Tsuru will easily run smack into him and send them both crashing into a heap on the ground. Four's knife is most definitely still in his arm though, so that probably isn't helping that situation. ]
There sure is a lot of violence happening while Maya stares, still bleeding from her leg. Then, she's going to speak up.]
F-Four... Um, I'm sorry about all of this. I know I can't really say anything after what Four and I tried to do—b-but now's probably not the time for fighting! I'm going to 《Escape》 now, so you can keep the loot. And please, make it to the end of the labyrinth so that you can save everyone...
[With that, Maya activates her Escape spell and disappears, her body dissolving into particles of light. It's just the four of you now... and Four's corpse. That's still here.
[ He's sitting up, reaching for the knife in his arm and then pulling it out. Which is a terrible idea and he hisses in pain and blood immediately floods down his arm, but it's not like you can put it back in after. Cursing to himself as it soaks the sleeve of his coat.]
[ He doesn't know what a simp is, or what is going on with Marie's attitude, but she seems to be okay(?), so he just ignores her. Claude is also bleeding, but it wasn't a stab wound so it's fine.
He'll slice the sash he has wrapped around his waste and offer it to Molly. Then, glances into the darkness. ]
[ tsuru continues to bleed from getting shot from an arrow but it's fine. he is vibing by ignoring all of his wounds, except for when he wipes at his face to get rid of the blood that's dripping from it. ]
... seems like it. We are on a time limit, correct? We need to keep going.
[ he seems so much more distressed about his coat than anything else, holding the sleeve up where it’s ripped. ]
S’alright, I do this all the time. [ looking over at Four’s corpse, frowning deeply. ] Not … that— You get what I mean. Fuck.
[ He’ll tie off over the wound in his arm with a bit of his shirt reluctantly, and with a pretty big wince - but hauling himself to his feet and going over to offer (the good arm) a hand up to Marie. ]
Void seems as good a choice as any? Assuming you two are … [ real? ]
[molly's coat................ wait is this The Coat
anyway
Are Tsuru and Claude real? Are any of you real? Or truly, is everything a dream cooked up by a child on their deathbed actually this gets a little close to Marie's lore doesn't it wow never mind.
They can start heading into the void path if they're all in agreement. Once they step through, they'll find that their surroundings are... odd? One moment, it's a European city street lined with skeletons. Then, it flickers and it's a Japanese school setting. Then, a tomb. A temple. And so on and so forth.
There are various turns to take, but I'm not mean enough to make you actually navigate a maze. Y'all can assume you're momentarily lost before I give you your destination.]
[ Marie, please appreciate the audacity of Claude being mad about your attitude when he's the one who bonked you with a sword out of no where. :(
In any case, Claude is going to wander over to Tsuru to make sure he seems mentally stable as they head into the void, but there isn't much time for h/c when their surroundings... keep changing. ]
It's going to be difficult to keep track of where we're headed like this. I suppose we'll need to stay focused.
[ Foraging onward.
Have a joke to lighten the atmosphere, ] Maybe we should hold hands so as not to lose each other.
[These settings probably mean nothing at all. It's fine.
But eventually, while possibly holding hands which someone out there personally approves of, they reach their destination: a spacious room, if it can even be called that, when it's an unholy mishmash of various settings.
In one corner is what resembles a tomb, with bones lined into the walls and floor. In another corner is what looks to be a Japanese shrine, sakura petals gently fluttering in as moonlight shines in through the open spaces. In the third corner is a homely living room, a cozy fire started in the hearth. In the last corner is what looks to be the inside of a military academy, but despite the purpose of the room, something about it still feels warm.
And in each corner is its master, strings attached to their limbs from the ceiling as though they were puppets: Harrow, in the first corner. Mikazuki, in the second. Annie, in the third. And Crow, in the last. Granted, they don't look quite themselves. Not unlike the effects of last week, body horror infects their being—they're still distinctly recognizable, but it's amidst bits and pieces of monsterification. The Powers That Be got lazy at this part, unfortunately, so you will just have to use your imagination but you can assume it's definitely very aesthetic and cool-looking in a terrible way.
They don't make a move just yet, but their heads turn to face the newcomers, almost eerily in sync.
Remember your mission? What you came here for? You must defeat the bosses of the labyrinth to dispel it, or else everything and everyone swallowed up by it will be lost forever.
[ Claude did hold Tsuru's hand because he thinks they could all use the moral support right now.
When they reach the final rooms, he's a little light headed from bleeding, and laying his eyes upon these four people, all of whom he unfortunately recognizes, he just tightens his jaw and draws the giant sword. ]
We don't have time to hesitate, but do any of you want to try negotiation?
[ their baby chain..... their hand holding is so short lived.
tsuru doesn't draw his blade yet, but he does place a hand on its hilt in preparation. ]
We may as well try. [ he does not sound convinced it would work though, but he does redirect his next sentence to the four, ] We do not want to fight you. Let us pass peacefully.
[ The visual image of three dudes holding hands and a girl clinging to her dad (she has claimed him now) is so funny. ]
What are you guys talking about?
[ Sounding exhausted, her eyes narrow at the only face she seems familiar; hatred, for seeing him here of all places. At least she gets to kill him this time? Maybe? Hopefully. ]
Still got to try it. So you can know later, at least you gave it a shot.
[ molly’s irresistible sway over angry women continues unabated. Pure catnip to a girl with emotional problems. Maybe Tsuru didn’t stab him because he sensed with his honorary lesbian spider sense the forcefield around him.
Anyway, he only recognizes two of these people (though I guess it’s memshare with your other self week so maybe he knows the other two from a dream?) - hand going over the hilt on the sword. He isn’t exactly enthused about having to fight, but he tried negotiation the last time and got so many lectures about being a big moron for it. ]
[It's Mikazuki who speaks, voice as smooth as ever. Whether he even recognizes Tsuru or not is unclear, as nothing changes in his gaze when it flickers to him over the other three.]
There is nowhere to pass to.
[Then, Annie speaks. Again, there's no particular recognition in her expression, when she looks to Claude.]
This is our domain.
[Then, Harrow.]
You will die here.
[With a flourish of her arm, corpses suddenly rise from the ground. For all of the four—Molly, Tsuru, Marie, Claude—it's hard to make out their identities. One moment, they're unfamiliar. They blink, and the corpses wear the faces of people they know, friends, loved ones. This recognition comes and goes.
Crow speaks.]
There's no escape for any of you.
[One of the corpses lurches at Marie, aiming to grab her neck with their bare hands.
Mikazuki, likely realizing that Claude is not exactly a swordsman, lunges for him with his own blade withdrawn.
If I'm completely wrong about Annie's powers it's fine don't worry about it they're fudged for this CYOA—Annie lifts her hand, and Tsuru will find an invisible force attempting to yank his sword out of his hands.
Crow whips out a double saber, before jumping to slash at Molly.]
[ That's about what he expected. Presumably Mikazuki decides to kill him for holding hands with Tsuru, which is valid. ]
Looks like negotiations are breaking down...
[ Unfortunately, Claude is unwilling to die. He lifts the giant sword to block the attack (17) before kicking out his foot at his feet to try and trip Mikazuki (17), using the momentum of his sister to swing around to drive the sword into his back (8). ]
but tsuru is... extremely offended at something(???) trying to steal his sword, so he's going to try to hold onto it more tightly. as always i put my fate in jan's rolling hands on whether or not this succeeds. ]
But it also just frustrates her; the familiar faces, the not-so-familiar ones, the fact of the matter is that it feels like someone is clawing into her head to expose a weakness. It makes her feel like a trapped animal.
Wicked pivots to her side (3) before firing a shot at the corpse’s chest (10). ]
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There sure is a lot of violence happening while Maya stares, still bleeding from her leg. Then, she's going to speak up.]
F-Four... Um, I'm sorry about all of this. I know I can't really say anything after what Four and I tried to do—b-but now's probably not the time for fighting! I'm going to 《Escape》 now, so you can keep the loot. And please, make it to the end of the labyrinth so that you can save everyone...
[With that, Maya activates her Escape spell and disappears, her body dissolving into particles of light. It's just the four of you now... and Four's corpse. That's still here.
What now?]
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He's going to give Marie a confused look before heading over to the Loot. He would like some.
He's also still holding the sword like a baseball bat in case Marie decides to get revenge. ]
... Why were you attacking them?
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but he is going back to his feet. he does not help molly up, just because he stabbed four and tsuru's being rude right now as revenge.
... instead he's going to ignore the Loot and go check out four's corpse. ): his poor republican friend. ]
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[ She points to the wound in her shoulder, just as she begins to get back on her feet. ]
They attacked first.
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[ He's sitting up, reaching for the knife in his arm and then pulling it out. Which is a terrible idea and he hisses in pain and blood immediately floods down his arm, but it's not like you can put it back in after. Cursing to himself as it soaks the sleeve of his coat.]
Sorry.
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Anyway, Four's corpse is there. There's nothing of note about it, beyond the familiar face and that she is super dead. Claude grabs the Loot.
Where would you like to go from here?]
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[ He doesn't know what a simp is, or what is going on with Marie's attitude, but she seems to be okay(?), so he just ignores her. Claude is also bleeding, but it wasn't a stab wound so it's fine.
He'll slice the sash he has wrapped around his waste and offer it to Molly. Then, glances into the darkness. ]
My guess is that the void is our path ahead.
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... seems like it. We are on a time limit, correct? We need to keep going.
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Wicked will just tear into her skirt and make a makeshift bandage for her shoulder in silence. ]
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S’alright, I do this all the time. [ looking over at Four’s corpse, frowning deeply. ] Not … that— You get what I mean. Fuck.
[ He’ll tie off over the wound in his arm with a bit of his shirt reluctantly, and with a pretty big wince - but hauling himself to his feet and going over to offer (the good arm) a hand up to Marie. ]
Void seems as good a choice as any? Assuming you two are … [ real? ]
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anyway
Are Tsuru and Claude real? Are any of you real? Or truly, is everything a dream cooked up by a child on their deathbed actually this gets a little close to Marie's lore doesn't it wow never mind.
They can start heading into the void path if they're all in agreement. Once they step through, they'll find that their surroundings are... odd? One moment, it's a European city street lined with skeletons. Then, it flickers and it's a Japanese school setting. Then, a tomb. A temple. And so on and so forth.
There are various turns to take, but I'm not mean enough to make you actually navigate a maze. Y'all can assume you're momentarily lost before I give you your destination.]
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In any case, Claude is going to wander over to Tsuru to make sure he seems mentally stable as they head into the void, but there isn't much time for h/c when their surroundings... keep changing. ]
It's going to be difficult to keep track of where we're headed like this. I suppose we'll need to stay focused.
[ Foraging onward.
Have a joke to lighten the atmosphere, ] Maybe we should hold hands so as not to lose each other.
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Do any of you recognize any of these settings? Even if it's only a little.
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[ SO CLAUDE CAN HEAR? Didn’t even give her an apology smh.
So picture Wicked clinging to Molly like an angry Pomeranian; she is very much just huddled up behind him before she mutters an answer: ]
The school… duh.
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Erm, only the fact that skeletons are here? 'Course I've seen a street, and a tomb but ... not these ones exactly, I don't think?
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But eventually, while possibly holding hands which someone out there personally approves of, they reach their destination: a spacious room, if it can even be called that, when it's an unholy mishmash of various settings.
In one corner is what resembles a tomb, with bones lined into the walls and floor. In another corner is what looks to be a Japanese shrine, sakura petals gently fluttering in as moonlight shines in through the open spaces. In the third corner is a homely living room, a cozy fire started in the hearth. In the last corner is what looks to be the inside of a military academy, but despite the purpose of the room, something about it still feels warm.
And in each corner is its master, strings attached to their limbs from the ceiling as though they were puppets: Harrow, in the first corner. Mikazuki, in the second. Annie, in the third. And Crow, in the last. Granted, they don't look quite themselves. Not unlike the effects of last week, body horror infects their being—they're still distinctly recognizable, but it's amidst bits and pieces of monsterification. The Powers That Be got lazy at this part, unfortunately, so you will just have to use your imagination but you can assume it's definitely very aesthetic and cool-looking in a terrible way.
They don't make a move just yet, but their heads turn to face the newcomers, almost eerily in sync.
Remember your mission? What you came here for? You must defeat the bosses of the labyrinth to dispel it, or else everything and everyone swallowed up by it will be lost forever.
So, what choice do you make?]
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When they reach the final rooms, he's a little light headed from bleeding, and laying his eyes upon these four people, all of whom he unfortunately recognizes, he just tightens his jaw and draws the giant sword. ]
We don't have time to hesitate, but do any of you want to try negotiation?
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tsuru doesn't draw his blade yet, but he does place a hand on its hilt in preparation. ]
We may as well try. [ he does not sound convinced it would work though, but he does redirect his next sentence to the four, ] We do not want to fight you. Let us pass peacefully.
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What are you guys talking about?
[ Sounding exhausted, her eyes narrow at the only face she seems familiar; hatred, for seeing him here of all places. At least she gets to kill him this time? Maybe? Hopefully. ]
We might as well kill ‘em and get this over with!
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[ molly’s irresistible sway over angry women continues unabated. Pure catnip to a girl with emotional problems. Maybe Tsuru didn’t stab him because he sensed with his honorary lesbian spider sense the forcefield around him.
Anyway, he only recognizes two of these people (though I guess it’s memshare with your other self week so maybe he knows the other two from a dream?) - hand going over the hilt on the sword. He isn’t exactly enthused about having to fight, but he tried negotiation the last time and got so many lectures about being a big moron for it. ]
We just want to leave. That’s all.
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[It's Mikazuki who speaks, voice as smooth as ever. Whether he even recognizes Tsuru or not is unclear, as nothing changes in his gaze when it flickers to him over the other three.]
There is nowhere to pass to.
[Then, Annie speaks. Again, there's no particular recognition in her expression, when she looks to Claude.]
This is our domain.
[Then, Harrow.]
You will die here.
[With a flourish of her arm, corpses suddenly rise from the ground. For all of the four—Molly, Tsuru, Marie, Claude—it's hard to make out their identities. One moment, they're unfamiliar. They blink, and the corpses wear the faces of people they know, friends, loved ones. This recognition comes and goes.
Crow speaks.]
There's no escape for any of you.
[One of the corpses lurches at Marie, aiming to grab her neck with their bare hands.
Mikazuki, likely realizing that Claude is not exactly a swordsman, lunges for him with his own blade withdrawn.
If I'm completely wrong about Annie's powers it's fine don't worry about it they're fudged for this CYOA—Annie lifts her hand, and Tsuru will find an invisible force attempting to yank his sword out of his hands.
Crow whips out a double saber, before jumping to slash at Molly.]
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Looks like negotiations are breaking down...
[ Unfortunately, Claude is unwilling to die. He lifts the giant sword to block the attack (17) before kicking out his foot at his feet to try and trip Mikazuki (17), using the momentum of his sister to swing around to drive the sword into his back (8). ]
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but tsuru is... extremely offended at something(???) trying to steal his sword, so he's going to try to hold onto it more tightly. as always i put my fate in jan's rolling hands on whether or not this succeeds. ]
Oi. Which of you know this one?
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[ Well Harrow is familiar so this kinda blows.
But it also just frustrates her; the familiar faces, the not-so-familiar ones, the fact of the matter is that it feels like someone is clawing into her head to expose a weakness. It makes her feel like a trapped animal.
Wicked pivots to her side (3) before firing a shot at the corpse’s chest (10). ]
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