[Regardless of whatever Tsuru, Molly, Claude, and Marie were doing earlier, they will find themselves elsewhere. The events of the hotel will seem distant, still real enough that they remember the people they met and the things that happened—but now, they are safe.
For Tsuru:
He will dream of a dance. It was a while ago, wasn't it? Lune—Mikazuki, his beloved—wandering to Tsuru's champagne tower, so fond and so dear. Once the two of them get bored of the drinks, they find an empty spot. Tsuru waits to see what Mikazuki's next move will be.
Neither of them quite understands the ways of humans, but they mimic them anyway, in this gesture of romance. It's not the grandest dance or the most impressive—in fact, quite the opposite, when they end up collapsing—but their hearts are light as they enjoy themselves nevertheless. It's their dance, and that's what matters.
"I'll give you the biggest surprise you'll ever have. So just wait for it, I won't disappoint you."
"I have grown accustomed to waiting. I am sure that this will be a surprise worth waiting for."
When Tsuru wakes up, he's in the Citadel. The faces there are many and familiar, as his friends, family, comrades go about their day. It's home.
For Molly:
He will dream of a tattoo. Harrow tells him what she wants: the jawless skull, the sigil of the Ninth House. He couches her on how to do a blunt, while he's at it. Like an occasionally frustrating younger sibling, she is.
As Molly focuses on his work, the two of them talk. Trivial, mundane matters. About Harrow's love life. About morality, and respect for life. His and Harrow's beliefs don't always align, but perhaps that balance is important.
"I think the point is to enjoy the things you can while you can."
When Molly wakes up, he's in Hupperdook. He and the other Nein are out partying, happy to be with friends, or with strangers they may never meet again—but isn't that fine as long as they can enjoy the present? These memories now mean as much as the future. No matter what happens from here, right now is a time of warmth.
For Claude:
He will dream of wishes. He talks with Annie about where they'll go after this, now that all is said and done. She asks Claude what he wants, and he admits the truth: that he wants to stop fighting. That he's tired of war. That he wants to travel, to enjoy peace, to do things that grant him simple happiness.
Annie then shocks him with what she says next. She tells him that she'll use her wish for him, so that he can finally have everything he wants. The kindness is so shocking, Claude doesn't know how to handle it.
"You must have something you want for yourself?"
"... I'd rather give you a chance at having a life. A proper, happy one. That'll make me happy, too."
"I... I don't know how I could ever repay that."
When Claude wakes up, he's in the Leicester Alliance. It's the land he's made a home for himself in; a land he has obligations to. Not all of it is great, and it's far from perfect, but he must protect it to the end.
For Marie:
She will dream of love. It's something that was denied to a part of her (Wicked) for so long. Unlike Wicked, however, Marie won't shy away from people's kindness, affection. Crow offers to take her to the carnival, and she's delighted to accept.
The two of them play carnival games, so peaceful and so normal and so precious because of those things. Of course, the booths are rigged, but that doesn't stop either of them. Marie hops to grab a prize, asking Crow which he wants.
He picks the duck, which Marie holds up. She asks a question, pretending to be the duck, but maybe—as her cheeks grow warm—she really means herself.
"Will you take care of me, Crow-san?"
When Marie wakes up, she's in Redo. In this world, she's able to live the life she never had (the life Wicked never had). It may be a lie, but in a way, it's the first real home she's ever had.
Peace always comes to an end, though. Their happiness is interrupted by flashes of lights, of the people in the distance crying in distress. Each of them—Tsuru, Molly, Claude, Marie, in their respective locations—runs in the opposite direction, with the people around them, in an attempt to flee from the disaster that befalls this place.
They succeed, just barely, and alone. As they look back, they'll see not the place they've come to care about, but an expansive labyrinth that stands in its place. They'll know, intuitively, that everything—everyone else—has been swallowed up by this labyrinth, and should it remain, then everything caught within will perish.
They have to protect them—the things important to them. That, they understand well. And so, it's time to go.]
[IT'S COACHES HER I'M SORRY ALLI IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME TO EDIT
Using 《Magic》, you dive into the labyrinth at a designated spot. You know what your objective is.
In order to dispel the labyrinth and save everyone who was swallowed within—whether it be your friends and family, or countless innocent lives—you must defeat the 《Bosses》 at the end of the labyrinth. Furthermore, you must do so within the time limit, or else you too will be swallowed up by the labyrinth. Once the labyrinth becomes permanent at the end of the time limit, everything within its grasp will disappear/die for good.
Molly and Marie will find that they're not alone—they have each other! You can fit so many identity issues into this pair. Anyway, that's not important. The point is, it's probably safe to assume they have the same objective of clearing this labyrinth and saving everyone, but the Powers That Be take no responsibility if one of them suddenly feels like stabbing each other. Labyrinths can be dangerous business, after all; sometimes, you've got people fighting for the loot that can be found within.
But, like, these two are probably on the same side.
On the bright side, neither of them is defenceless! They each come equipped with more 《Magic》.
- 《Escape》— this will allow them to (individually) escape from the labyrinth. Note, however, that they will not be able to re-infiltrate the labyrinth if they escape, so this should only be used if they're either about to die or if they're about to reach the time limit and don't think they'll be able to defeat the bosses in time. Of course, if they Escape and no one ends up defeating the bosses, then... well. Sometimes, you have to put your own life first!
- 《Elemental/Weapon》— this will allow them to summon either a minor elemental spell or a weapon of their choice. (Note that this may be their game weapon, as they have nothing on their person right now. Dang.) To clarify, it must be one or the other—so if you pick Elemental Spell, you can't have the Weapon, and vice versa—though if you wanted to combine the two, the Powers That Be are fine with that. This is flexible, since it's to ensure your character has a fighting chance; just note that it should be nothing OP.
- 《???》 — if you happen to have obtained any room service powers or notable items from the gift shop, you may assume those are also loaded as powers you may use here (it will count as an official usage).
Got all that? Once Molly and Marie are ready, they'll see a corridor before them. It looks a bit like a school hallway, if schools had bones embedded into their walls.]
[Using 《Magic》, you dive into the labyrinth at a designated spot. You know what your objective is.
In order to dispel the labyrinth and save everyone who was swallowed within—whether it be your friends and family, or countless innocent lives—you must defeat the 《Bosses》 at the end of the labyrinth. Furthermore, you must do so within the time limit, or else you too will be swallowed up by the labyrinth. Once the labyrinth becomes permanent at the end of the time limit, everything within its grasp will disappear/die for good.
Tsuru and Claude will find that they're not alone—they have each other! Good thing they are so used to each other's company by now, maybe. It's probably safe to assume they have the same objective of clearing this labyrinth and saving everyone, but the Powers That Be take no responsibility if one of them suddenly feels like stabbing each other. Labyrinths can be dangerous business, after all; sometimes, you've got people fighting for the loot that can be found within.
But, like, these two are probably on the same side.
On the bright side, neither of them is defenceless! They each come equipped with more 《Magic》.
- 《Escape》— this will allow them to (individually) escape from the labyrinth. Note, however, that they will not be able to re-infiltrate the labyrinth if they escape, so this should only be used if they're either about to die or if they're about to reach the time limit and don't think they'll be able to defeat the bosses in time. Of course, if they Escape and no one ends up defeating the bosses, then... well. Sometimes, you have to put your own life first!
- 《Elemental/Weapon》— this will allow them to summon either a minor elemental spell or a weapon of their choice. (Note that this may be their game weapon, as they have nothing on their person right now. Dang.) To clarify, it must be one or the other—so if you pick Elemental Spell, you can't have the Weapon, and vice versa—though if you wanted to combine the two, the Powers That Be are fine with that. This is flexible, since it's to ensure your character has a fighting chance; just note that it should be nothing OP.
- 《???》 — if you happen to have obtained any room service powers or notable items from the gift shop, you may assume those are also loaded as powers you may use here (it will count as an official usage).
Got all that? Once Tsuru and Claude are ready, they'll see a path before them. It looks a bit like a a modern European city street, with flowering cherry blossom trees.]
the first thing he does is reach for his sword, and-- of course it's not there. he lets his hand fall back to his side, and he turns to look at claude. ]
Well! Shall we go then?
[ there's no point in dawdling, if there's a time limit. the location doesn't appear familiar to him, but the trees at least are. ]
[ This isn't unfamiliar by now. After years of war, it seems like there's always something lurking in the corners, ready to steal the feet from underneath him and tear down what little safety he's managed to squirrel away for the Alliance.
At least he's got the steady weight of Failnaught in his hand, instead of just a measly dagger.
He nods. ]
Let's hope this isn't as deadly as the last maze I found myself in.
[ He's going to look around to see if their surroundings in the path are notable, or if it all looks the same to make it harder to track where they are and where they've been. ]
[Sure, they can have landmarks to tell where they are. For now, they should just head forward. Time is ticking, after all!
Their surroundings continue to be along the veins of a European city, as the two of them weave through alleyways. Sakura petals flutter in from above the walls, riding on a gentle wind. Everything is quiet, save for Tsuru and Claude's own chatter and footsteps.
For a time, anyway.
Eventually, as they head down an alleyway just wide enough for them to walk side-by-side, if they choose to do so—
They'll spot twofigures in the distance. Maybe... they're friendly...?]
[ Jan really picked the two people with identity issues and was like go out there and have fun, kids!
But she’s seemingly both bewildered and notably calm — a world twisting into something much sinister isn’t very much of a surprise. But she can say with confidence that her last time inside a labyrinth wasn’t a good one, so…
She’ll turn to Molly, blinking twice. ]
… Do you think the wall hand trick will work here?
[ He's holding his shoulder for a second, one hand crossed over his chest and squeezing it - where the matching tattoo from the dream is. But he seems to concentrate after a second, blinking over as well. He doesn't seem too concerned either, at least externally. It is what it be! It is what it be. Reaching over absently to touch the wall as soon as she says that, as if it might do anything. ]
Really went with the bones, huh ... Oh, sorry. The what now?
[As the two of the move onwards, hand trick involved or not, they'll see that they appear to be in some sort of bone-ridden school. Their path will take them a square courtyard, surroundings by walls and buildings, including the one they came out of.
There's another exit/entrance across the courtyard, past which they can see the glimpses of a city. There's another exit/entrance in the wall to their right, though what lies past can't be seen clearly. To the left is what looks to be a treasure chest.
[ Neither of those look particularly friendly, and Claude draws an arrow from his quiver, keeping an eye on them but also looking around. ]
A demonic beast. The Empire would often employ them back in Fódlan.
[ Is there a path that they could take to avoid them? Or is the path wide enough they could try to sneak past. ]
We have to fight bosses at the end of the labyrinth, and I doubt we'd encounter them this early in. So I'd suggest trying to avoid unnecessary battles if we can. [ ... ] You don't have a weapon, do you?
[The two figures are slowly approaching Tsuru and Claude, but there's no room in the alleyway to move around them and no other path to take! What now.]
As Marie and Molly ponder their choices, shots ring out, bullets flying at them from the right entrance. From there steps out twogirls, the first of whom holds the gun pointed at them.]
Other raiders, is it...? Maya, get the loot.
[The other girl moves to run towards the chest, while the first one still keeps her gun aimed at Marie and Molly.]
I can be pretty fast when I'm trying to avoid bodily harm, but my bow is best suited to be used as a distance, so I'd rather not rush at them unless there's a path through.
Can that creature of yours be blinded, or is it more of a supernatural, "sensing with an aura", type thing?
[ For now, he's going to lift his bow and fire off a couple arrows toward the demonic beast's eyes, ready to move back to keep his distance if they charge at them. ]
[Hope Tsuru and Claude are enjoying their nice chat, because those monsters sure are charging at them, especially spurned on by Claude shooting a few arrows. Unfortunately, I rolled a 2 and a 4 for him AND THEN OUT OF PITY I DECIDED TO GIVE HIM A THIRD ARROW WHICH AT LEAST GOT A 14 so the first two arrows miss the beast very pitifully, but the third at least strikes it. Not in the eye, unfortunately, so it's more annoyed than incapacitated, but at least it's an injury!
I already forgot what type of kebiishi this is furiously googles OKAY it swings its oodachi at Tsuru, aiming to cleave him half. Meanwhile, the demonic beast charges in an attempt to tackle Claude to the ground.]
He wishes so badly he was airborne right now. He has to run? On his own two feet? (breaks bow)
Since the demonic beast can evade in this narrow alley, Claude is going to attempt to do the same, away from Tsuru so that they don't all end up on top of each other, probably further back in the direction they came from so he doesn't end up pinned against the wall.
While doing that, he'll fire off more arrows, aiming at the throat and the chest this time. ]
If you want to turn tail and run, just let me know!
[Tsuru blocks, but the force of the blades clashing against each other might send him stumbling. The kebiishi swings against, slashing across Tsuru's face with a roll of 17.
The arrow that Claude fires at the demonic beast's chest misses, but the one aimed at its throat strikes true. It gurgles monstrously, though while dying perhaps, it's not quite dead yet as it claws at Claude's chest with a roll of 18.]
[ He doesn't recognize these people either. Molly, who does really not seem as nervous as he should be for being shot at, just looks between all this happening for a second and immediately settles into trying to be a Face. He continually is not a Face. Hopefully Marie's charisma is higher ... ? Holding his hands up too, looking over at the treasure chest where Maya is headed? ]
Raiders seems a bit strong. Tourists! Tourists at most. We've really got no interest in the treasure - it's all yours!
[Maya is heading to the treasure, looking a little uncertain, but she's also holding up a glock and pointing it at Marie and Molly just in case.
Meanwhile, Four squints at Molly first.]
What sort of monster are you?
[i, personally, am sorry. but i'm making four racist. granted that might not be horribly ooc. i hope ara never sees this.
Then, she looks towards Marie.]
Don't try to trick us! Innocent-looking girls like you? Hmph! That's nothing but an act you use to deceive men, I bet. You'll strike at us as soon as our backs are turned.
[With that, she's going to fire two shots, one aimed at Marie's chest with a roll of 18 and the other at Molly's with a roll of 20 PLEASE DON'T DIE YIKES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET SHOT DIRECTLY DESPITE WHAT THESE ROLLS SAY. Peaceful negotiations failed...]
he backs away, and uses his free hand to use his sleeve to wipe away some of the blood. it's fine? at the very least, he's used to continuing fighting while injured, so even though it hurts he'll keep going. ]
You okay?
[ meanwhile, tsuru is going to charge forward in an attempt to just stab the binch in the face. ]
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