CYOA week 3: souji, clementine, alphinaud

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[ercnerd]

[They limp through the void when, eventually, they come across Clementine with a bloodied sword in her possession and a gaping wound in her side.]

[stillnot]

[ uh? well she comes over and hugs each of them!

this is how she's used to greeting people in near-death situations. you gotta get hugs in when you're dying. ]

Hey. You two don't look so great.

[ neither does? she? ]

[illomened]

[SWEET CLEM. Souji is very tactile so this hug in the face of death works well enough for him, and he'll hug back.]

Clem—! [THEIR MISSING THIRD MUSKETEER...] Thank goodness... Ah - but what happened? You're bleeding - do you need help wrapping it?

[They're all doing so well.]

[sageguidance]

—Clementine!

[ THERE YOU ARE. He'll accept the hug! But don't mind the mild wince. It's fine. ]

We... are all battered. [ The both of you most of all?! ] If we must, let us tend to our wounds ere we proceed on.

[ercnerd]

[Suddenly, two familiar faces warp into the space beside the reunited party. Estinien speaks first, echoing Alphinaud.]

Proceed? Where is there to go for one who has failed to save anyone, even himself?

[Hijikata follows.]

This is the place for one who has accepted the Creator's gift. Didn't I say? Sit back and wait quietly.

[stillnot]

[ well. even though she's in bad shape, clementine immediately tries to stand between the newcomers and her party, sword at the ready. ]

There's always a way out of this, you know there is.

[ don't listen to the taunting of illusions. ]

[illomened]

[NOOO HE REALLY GETS GOT BY THIS FCKIN ILLUSION OF HIJIKATA EVERY SINGLE TIME. He immediately starts, and there's a little, reflexive:]

Hijikata-san—

[--Even though he knows it isn't, because of course it isn't. He hasn't seen the real Hijikata in months and months and months.

Fortunately for his dumb ass, Clementine immediately moving forward is enough to shake him out of his stupor, and he's less likely to make idiotass decisions with other people around to potentially get wrapped up in his bad life choices. He's stepping forward just as quickly to stand slightly before her, even though he's UNARMED AND INJURED, because protecting people is his nature.

Still, quietly, even though he knows he shouldn't address this too-familiar face:]

You know that I can't.

[sageguidance]

[ This isn't his first venture, and he's heard the stories of so many more, so he knows how these work and what they try to do. It still doesn't make using the familiar face of a friend against them any easier, and Alphinaud feels his anger growing because of it. ]

I have already told you... I am not falling for your trickery!

[stillnot]

[ well she's not going to step in front of souji again because it does feel a little silly to just do back and forth into eternity.

but she does give him a look. ]

You're unarmed and still talking to the illusions. You shouldn't be in front.

[ercnerd]

[Once again, Souji is struck by the feeling that he need just reach out if he wishes to take point . . .

Estinien scoffs while Hijikata smirks.]

Whether you can or can't is irrelevant. The choice has been made. Now watch as the new creation comes to light . . .

[They warp away, leaving the party alone with no one but each other.]

[illomened]

[SWEET FAKE HIJIKATA... He is blind suddenly he can't see actually, he doesn't notice Clem's Look™ which she should very much be giving him because she is RIGHT!!

But after they warp away, it's easier to think more clearly, at least.]

--Sitting back and waiting isn't an option, so. Shall we continue moving?

[Time to just start attempting to punch holes in the fabric of reality!!

He's also going to reach out, finally taking note of that feeling, to at long last see what his ridiculous rng weapon will be.]

[sageguidance]

[ You two can fight over who takes front, Alphinaud knows he has no business being there anyway. ]

... We are left with little choice but to press on.

[stillnot]

There are other options.

I don't think wandering around like this is going to get us anywhere. There's another way out.

[illomened]

[HELP Souji's weapon that manifests is a huge fuckoff sword which is as heavy as it looks. Oh my god. It's a good thing he's not tuberculosis joe right now but he is absolutely going to bust a gut literally in his attempts to wield this.

IT'S FINE THOUGH. After a moment in which he closes his eyes due to the sheer exhaustion of suffering through this tomfoolery, he glances over toward Clem.]

What would you suggest, then?

[sageguidance]

[ help your huge sword... none of this helps anybody.

Anyway. Alphinaud looks at Clementine. ]

...

You think we would only journey endlessly through this vast space were we to keep walking?

[stillnot]

[ ohh, cool sword. and she gives a little nod to alphinaud because yeah. that's exactly what she thinks would happen.

so anyway: ]

Kill me.

[illomened]

[WELL.

Souji's first reaction is about what you would expect re: being startled that someone would just say that out of the blue.

Unfortunately Souji is not normal though, so after like a second, he seems to be?? Thinking it over???]

...Do you think we may end up elsewhere if we die again? The way we got here, and to the hallways before that?

[sageguidance]

[ Meanwhile, Alphinaud: ]

—What?

[ WHAT. ]

You—you cannot mean that!

[stillnot]

[ look, she doesn't love it, but clementine tends to default to playing tough... so she's downplaying this. don't worry about it! ]

It's not that big a deal. This stuff - the things that happen here. They don't all stick.

[illomened]

[ALPHINAUD CONTINUES TO BE THE MOST NORMAL PERSON HERE.

Souji's brow is furrowing a little, like he can pick up on the Reluctant About Death vibes. Which are entirely valid vibes.]

Even so...

[Souji's primary dilemma: does he let someone else risk dying first and not coming back, or does he let someone else deal with the hell of having to self-terminate if they're lms? Why can he not die twice, damb.]

--You wouldn't want to try looking for something else first? I can kill quickly if it's a necessary thing, but the risk of something going wrong...

[sageguidance]

N- no, but...

[ He looks at Souji, horrified. If? "If"?!? ]

[stillnot]

[ poor alphinaud, they are both just Like This. ]

I wouldn't say it if I thought there was another way. Or if I thought it would be... Permanent.

[illomened]

[THEY'RE JUST LIKE THIS. It's what happens when you come from times of apocalypse, war and samurai culture. He still shoots Alphinaud a mildly apologetic look... before being Incredibly Pragmatic About Death.]

I understand. But shall I go first? On the off chance that something does go wrong, it would be enough to warn the two of you. But then, if it turns out that's the answer, that would mean...

[Glancing at sweet normal Alphinaud who he imagines doesn't want to do any murdering or self-terminating...]

[sageguidance]

[ Alphinaud doesn't miss the look.

He looks down, a little shamefully, hands balling into tight fists at his sides—out of a sudden, rising anxiousness, more than anything. ]

It... it is sound logic. [ As sound as the logic can get in this bs. ] I will not stop you if you believe it shall work.

[ Seems like they all just died to get here in the first place, anyway. ]

[stillnot]

[ ... ]

You're not listening.

I didn't say anything about either of you needing to die.