[ The only thing they can do is really watch from this wall they're tightly strapped to. He witnesses the scene, blood going cold unlike before where it boiled while his anger festered. Why do these murder games force them to suffer in front of an audience...? Can't they have the peace of solitude, where they can nurse their own wounds before they are ready to reach out to others?
Is this interesting to whoever's watching?
Closing his eyes, he takes in a deep breath. They have to stay strong and move forward. ]
[lup pulls the trigger, and the revolver goes off with a bang.
it isn't only taako that feels the pain of the gun. lup, too, feels the wound rip into her chest. it's not exactly a bullet wound, but it tears and it hurts and it bleeds sluggishly as the binds are undone for shinobu and joonghyuk, grooves dug into their skin. the room goes dark. harrow calls out for lup from the incinerator as the door opens, but when the lights come up everyone's gone.
it's the three of them, and a door of light against the opposite wall. outside, they hear the sound of a song playing. the music increases in volume as the door opens wider to reveal a stage.
a CONGRATULATIONS banner hangs above, and an audience cheers and claps for the new graduates. as they make their way onto the stage, a spotlight shines on them. looking out into the crowd, they see the rest of the teams, slowly clapping for them.
team dokja, burnt to a crisp, nothing more than ash and bones. team starblaster, broken and bent at terrifyingly unreal angles. team demon corps, blistered, bruised, and shriveled.
at the other end of the stage is a swirling portal, opening to the galaxy once more.
take a look at your alma mater, and gather anything else you may need...even if it is simply your wits and emotions.]
lup staggers onto the stage, and then sees the crowd, and then staggers off the stage to go throw up in the bushes. gross! sorry.
and then she just sits at the edge of the stage and bleeds, staring at the ground. i am sorry it's her turn to be useless this round. just throw her into the portal if you need to, do whatever, steal her coins. she did cocaine for that, can you believe it.]
[ lessons learned today: (don't) do drugs and drop out of school
shinobu rubs the grooves where she was bound, and her anger builds and builds the longer they are on the stage. how abominable they are to put them in the spotlight like this after what lup had to go through. how dare they consider this entertainment.
it makes her seethe.
she throws her shield at the spotlight, wherever it is if she can see it. they need to move on, but lup can have some time. she doesn't think it's right to make lup move so soon. she doesn't have any words to say because there are no right ones to say, especially since she doesn't remember the shared trauma. ]
[ Shinobu's slow descent to becoming Sasuke. Joonghyuk can't say much either, considering what they saw there is nothing to say. Nothing can heal a wound like that except time and acceptance. Even then, it will haunt the person to their grave.
First, he cuts down the Congratulations banner. Second, he's going to see if he can... Ugh. He wanted to have Lup drink some of the healing potion, but she now is vomit-y. The banner will be used to wipe her a bit before forcing her to sip. ]
We can have another break. Outside.
[ Because maybe lingering on the graduation stage will further deteriorate Lup's sanity. He can corral them through the swirling portal, then they can rest before heading to the last ring. ]
[shinobu throws her shield, and it boomerangs around into the spotlight and causes it to shatter like stars before returning to her. joonghyuk grabs for the banner, an oily-slick sort of texture but he's able to use it to wipe lup's face and give her a sip of the potion. it heals her burns a bit, and it slows down the bleeding on her chest.
outside they go.
into the swirling portal, they find themselves floating in that starry galaxy high above with the white ring looming in the distance. they have all of the items they bought in the red ring, along with additional coins and a few healing and magic items left.
they have time to vibe. but as they do, all three of them hear a voice again.]
"Once dreams take you, you must let them guide you. Power sleeps within you. You must awaken it."
[but is this a dream? it unfortunately feels very real in the moment, doesn't it? take your time to regroup. the ring isn't going anywhere.]
[she doesn't argue being fussed at, and now she's just like, kind of oily i guess. she holds onto her bigger staff, and glances between the two of them. her gaze is a little flat, but she's... functioning. somehow.]
Lead the way. [she says to joonghyuk. whenever he's ready she'll follow.]
[ this isn't sasuke. shinobu has always been this angry. her anger has run deep for years.
the spotlight shattering didn't give her as much satisfaction as she'd like, but it'll do. she holds onto whatever she can as she goes through the portal. she adjusts her grip on the newer shield and looks to joonghyuk. ]
... It's your turn.
[ time to see if he'll manage to come out of this without being a potato. ]
[ Lup is oiled up… He looks at both of them, assessing their state, and wondering what will happen to him at the end of the last ring. Shinobu seems… Fine, but strange. Lup is just going through it.
The voice speaks into their head and he can only frown, eyebrows furrowing more intensely. All of this is hateful.
He sighs before scribbling something on the greeting cards (“Team Fan Favorite’s Happy Ending”), then pocketing it.
it's dark in here. dark, and silence, and as they fall it's almost a slow and steady dive as the sound of a clock ticking echoes around them. stars pierce the sky, little pinpoints of light that surround them as they seemingly float down to the ground.
below them, they see what looks like a busy city, people bustling along the sidewalk and neon lights of restaurants, bars and other entertainment establishments.
however, as they go, they will soon find themselves being shot at by lightning bolts, small fists of fury swinging in as they dive and swipe at the trio.
just like before, several billboards and fluorescent signs fly up straight at them, white-hot and glass-shattering if they don't dodge. time to dive.]
[shinobu like i'm not like sasuke while he was being emo i studied the blade
god she's so tired that this third dive is almost too much. she watches the city rise up on them, staring out at the stars, the lights.
and when the lightning bolts start coming, instead of trying to fight them, she's going to try and shield her and her companions the best she can with a bubble-shield spell, allowing for the others to slash and fight at the bolts. i also want her to get hit by a fluorescent sign while she's trying to go for a ring to go through (if there are those) because i think it's funny.]
into the portal they go. the amount of stars there are isn't lost on shinobu, and she is more angry now than anything else, so it is easier for her to try to dodge now than when entering lup's rings. she throws her shield like a boomerang to try and deflect what lightning bolts she can.
she dives for the fastest and smoothest trajectory she can. ]
[ The small solace in this murder hotel is that he doesn't need to see the sky full of twinkling stars, each one looking down upon them... Laughing at their suffering like they're toys. It's back, but he focuses on diving. With Lup's bubble-shield, he slashes through the billboards and lights, but there's only so many he can cover. The path he's cutting isn't wide enough for all three, but it's still more than nothing. Stray broken glass break apart and hot wires ascend, wooden and metal pieces, too.
What are they even supposed to do about lightning bolts?? He can only avoid them, the hands he will stab them and hope that the feel of a very sharp toothpick has them recoil so they can keep descending. ]
[the bubble shield helps, as does shinobu's actual shield. they deflect a lot of the bolts, sending them careening around the area and breaking off more signs and lights that shatter at the speed of sound.
infuriatingly, they are still falling slower in comparison to their previous dives, even as they go through the rings. the rings, however, do help even just a little.]
298/600
[the hustle and bustle of a city below grows louder, and soon there's the scent of...very delicious food. they can't descend fast enough, and they have to find a way to drop faster if they wish to avoid the wrath of the bolts.]
[ how long has it been since they've been here? when was the last time any of them have eaten?
if the accelerating rings can only do so much speed, can... can shinobu use the gloves to try and grab hold of the lighting bolts and fling them back at other lightning? will she get electrocuted?
how does that help them move faster, ara? i don't know i'm flinging spaghetti at the wall ]
[ Can they get momentum off of landing on some billboards and pushing themselves further down? Joonghyuk will try that, trying to get enough distance. He might even do that to a hand that may try to grapple them.
When he watches Shinobu TRY TO GRAB LIGHTNING, he makes a face? ]
[i mean. yes? shinobu can grab lightning but what is she going to do with that? by some combo of the gust of wind and jumping off of the billboards, they're able to springboard themselves forward.
the scent of food continues to waft. spicy, sweet, hot and fresh. it's tantalizing, and eventually they land on the ground with their various cuts and bruises. ]
489/600
[theyre on a sidewalk. the crowd jostles them, people going about their daily lives. they appear to be in front of a restaurant.
[i hope she just tosses the lightning into a crowd. anyway.
they land! she squints at the score with a little frown, but whatever. it's fine. the people jostling her get her to ram them back, though, she's not in the mood. anyway.
they're... in front of a restaurant, and she looks at joonghyuk questioningly.]
[ incredible. she is still holding onto this lightning that isn't electrocuting her somehow. she can't use magic, so potato girls have to make do. she'll unleash it for whatever inevitable thing needs to be fucked up.
[heading into the restaurant...they find it's packed with people at tables. the loud chatter and camaraderie of a peaceful world echos around the room. the smell is more powerful here, spicy and sweet and smoky. the tables are scattered around, small burners on the tabletop and grilling meats and bubbling dishes across the room.
the kitchen is in the back, and there's a bar in front of it for seating along with a wall of booze.
when's the last time you've eaten, again...? you can pick a table if you'd like. or you can look around.]
[lup is actually starving, and - a mess? like, all three of them are bleeding i think so this is very funny. she wanders in after joonghyuk, watching as people eat, and then:]
Can we grab something to go? Just uh, real fast. And then we can go back to the torture gauntlet. [she says, a little woozily.]
[ adrenaline and trauma keeps the hunger at bay, but shinobu nods cautiously. (what if the food is poisoned, though?) they should eat before they get beat up again (physically or emotionally). ]
That's fine.
[ she looks at the kitchen... she said it was fine, but she's inching towards the kitchen anyway. the food smells almost too good. ]
[ Can he order for Lup? He’ll order something easy to eat on the go but also filling (not food coma filling), but instead of… Taking a seat, he also wants to go to the kitchen.
To make sure it isn’t poison, not that he’s hungry, even if everyone inside this restaurant is eating. Hm. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guestservices) wrote2022-07-17 07:06 pm
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Is this interesting to whoever's watching?
Closing his eyes, he takes in a deep breath. They have to stay strong and move forward. ]
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it isn't only taako that feels the pain of the gun. lup, too, feels the wound rip into her chest. it's not exactly a bullet wound, but it tears and it hurts and it bleeds sluggishly as the binds are undone for shinobu and joonghyuk, grooves dug into their skin. the room goes dark. harrow calls out for lup from the incinerator as the door opens, but when the lights come up everyone's gone.
it's the three of them, and a door of light against the opposite wall. outside, they hear the sound of a song playing. the music increases in volume as the door opens wider to reveal a stage.
a CONGRATULATIONS banner hangs above, and an audience cheers and claps for the new graduates. as they make their way onto the stage, a spotlight shines on them. looking out into the crowd, they see the rest of the teams, slowly clapping for them.
team dokja, burnt to a crisp, nothing more than ash and bones.
team starblaster, broken and bent at terrifyingly unreal angles.
team demon corps, blistered, bruised, and shriveled.
at the other end of the stage is a swirling portal, opening to the galaxy once more.
take a look at your alma mater, and gather anything else you may need...even if it is simply your wits and emotions.]
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lup staggers onto the stage, and then sees the crowd, and then staggers off the stage to go throw up in the bushes. gross! sorry.
and then she just sits at the edge of the stage and bleeds, staring at the ground. i am sorry it's her turn to be useless this round. just throw her into the portal if you need to, do whatever, steal her coins. she did cocaine for that, can you believe it.]
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shinobu rubs the grooves where she was bound, and her anger builds and builds the longer they are on the stage. how abominable they are to put them in the spotlight like this after what lup had to go through. how dare they consider this entertainment.
it makes her seethe.
she throws her shield at the spotlight, wherever it is if she can see it. they need to move on, but lup can have some time. she doesn't think it's right to make lup move so soon. she doesn't have any words to say because there are no right ones to say, especially since she doesn't remember the shared trauma. ]
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First, he cuts down the Congratulations banner. Second, he's going to see if he can... Ugh. He wanted to have Lup drink some of the healing potion, but she now is vomit-y. The banner will be used to wipe her a bit before forcing her to sip. ]
We can have another break. Outside.
[ Because maybe lingering on the graduation stage will further deteriorate Lup's sanity. He can corral them through the swirling portal, then they can rest before heading to the last ring. ]
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outside they go.
into the swirling portal, they find themselves floating in that starry galaxy high above with the white ring looming in the distance. they have all of the items they bought in the red ring, along with additional coins and a few healing and magic items left.
they have time to vibe. but as they do, all three of them hear a voice again.]
"Once dreams take you, you must let them guide you. Power sleeps within you. You must awaken it."
[but is this a dream? it unfortunately feels very real in the moment, doesn't it? take your time to regroup. the ring isn't going anywhere.]
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Lead the way. [she says to joonghyuk. whenever he's ready she'll follow.]
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the spotlight shattering didn't give her as much satisfaction as she'd like, but it'll do. she holds onto whatever she can as she goes through the portal. she adjusts her grip on the newer shield and looks to joonghyuk. ]
... It's your turn.
[ time to see if he'll manage to come out of this without being a potato. ]
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The voice speaks into their head and he can only frown, eyebrows furrowing more intensely. All of this is hateful.
He sighs before scribbling something on the greeting cards (“Team Fan Favorite’s Happy Ending”), then pocketing it.
Into the ring…? ]
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it's dark in here. dark, and silence, and as they fall it's almost a slow and steady dive as the sound of a clock ticking echoes around them. stars pierce the sky, little pinpoints of light that surround them as they seemingly float down to the ground.
below them, they see what looks like a busy city, people bustling along the sidewalk and neon lights of restaurants, bars and other entertainment establishments.
however, as they go, they will soon find themselves being shot at by lightning bolts, small fists of fury swinging in as they dive and swipe at the trio.
just like before, several billboards and fluorescent signs fly up straight at them, white-hot and glass-shattering if they don't dodge. time to dive.]
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god she's so tired that this third dive is almost too much. she watches the city rise up on them, staring out at the stars, the lights.
and when the lightning bolts start coming, instead of trying to fight them, she's going to try and shield her and her companions the best she can with a bubble-shield spell, allowing for the others to slash and fight at the bolts. i also want her to get hit by a fluorescent sign while she's trying to go for a ring to go through (if there are those) because i think it's funny.]
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into the portal they go. the amount of stars there are isn't lost on shinobu, and she is more angry now than anything else, so it is easier for her to try to dodge now than when entering lup's rings. she throws her shield like a boomerang to try and deflect what lightning bolts she can.
she dives for the fastest and smoothest trajectory she can. ]
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What are they even supposed to do about lightning bolts?? He can only avoid them, the hands he will stab them and hope that the feel of a very sharp toothpick has them recoil so they can keep descending. ]
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infuriatingly, they are still falling slower in comparison to their previous dives, even as they go through the rings. the rings, however, do help even just a little.]
[the hustle and bustle of a city below grows louder, and soon there's the scent of...very delicious food. they can't descend fast enough, and they have to find a way to drop faster if they wish to avoid the wrath of the bolts.]
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actually, can she use like a gust spell to fwoosh them down further and faster? food unfortunately sounds very good, actually.]
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if the accelerating rings can only do so much speed, can... can shinobu use the gloves to try and grab hold of the lighting bolts and fling them back at other lightning? will she get electrocuted?
how does that help them move faster, ara? i don't know i'm flinging spaghetti at the wall ]
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When he watches Shinobu TRY TO GRAB LIGHTNING, he makes a face? ]
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the scent of food continues to waft. spicy, sweet, hot and fresh. it's tantalizing, and eventually they land on the ground with their various cuts and bruises. ]
[theyre on a sidewalk. the crowd jostles them, people going about their daily lives. they appear to be in front of a restaurant.
go inside? or explore?]
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they land! she squints at the score with a little frown, but whatever. it's fine. the people jostling her get her to ram them back, though, she's not in the mood. anyway.
they're... in front of a restaurant, and she looks at joonghyuk questioningly.]
... This yours?
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she looks at restaurant, then at joonghyuk. ]
In or around?
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… No, it’s not.
[ He crosses his arms and thinks on it. ]
The aroma—it was strong enough that we noticed it while falling. [ Which should be? A sign? He isn’t sure. ] We can go in.
[ He leads, cautiously, cause he only knows danger from his world. Peace is temporary. ]
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the kitchen is in the back, and there's a bar in front of it for seating along with a wall of booze.
when's the last time you've eaten, again...? you can pick a table if you'd like. or you can look around.]
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Can we grab something to go? Just uh, real fast. And then we can go back to the torture gauntlet. [she says, a little woozily.]
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That's fine.
[ she looks at the kitchen... she said it was fine, but she's inching towards the kitchen anyway. the food smells almost too good. ]
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[ Can he order for Lup? He’ll order something easy to eat on the go but also filling (not food coma filling), but instead of… Taking a seat, he also wants to go to the kitchen.
To make sure it isn’t poison, not that he’s hungry, even if everyone inside this restaurant is eating. Hm. ]
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