W2 PLAYER CYOA: rondo, lavi, mathis, ashlyn (flurry & alli)

[mygod]

Comments

[cumulative]

[that grip on his shoulder helps steady him, and lavi gets a grateful look before he keeps moving ahead of them--

but both the sound he hears and rondo's sharp inhale catch his attention, shooting rondo a brief look of concern before his gaze flicks back toward the hall.

he knows ashlyn said to shush, but he still speaks up, though he keeps it to a whisper.]

S-someone is hurt...

[shouldn't we go check that out,]

[killies]

[ she lowers her hand, moving it instead to absently rub over her heart. SPEAK FREELY. (she is not in charge. speak freely all the time. please. please.) ]

I don't hear anything. Just people talking... Who's hurt?

[ IT'S NOT ONE OF US, IS IT. and let's just compartmentalize the flickering food. you can't appetize me, illusions. i'm too paranoid! ]

[bookpapers]

[ISN'T IT ONE OF US? Lavi is granted the only 20 he'll roll on this cyoa, which means he catches so much. so much stuff. he can hear the moaned pains he assumes Mathis is talking about, and Rondo's sharp inhale that he hopes doesn't mean anything bad (audience laughter)

and more importantly, the flash of something at the corner of his eye. he turns away from the skeleton, temporarily abandoning their bony friend,]

Someone down the hall. I can hear it too.

[but, he frowns, looking again at the corner, and moves towards that direction to see around it? will he roll another 20 and See what the Light is?]

[ablazement]

[the talking continues. you might get the sense, all of you, that the talking is like multiple people but there's no cohesion. it's just maybe a couple of people talking to themselves.

that's not important just yet though. what is important is lavi walks down the hall, and finds... a lady! she's short. dwarf sized, or halfling. i think she's a dwarf. anyway it isn't important, just know that she's glowing slightly, and she looks startled when lavi walks up to her.]

You... [she starts.] Ohhh, no. You shouldn't be here, CURIOSITY KILLED THE CATS IT WON'T BE SO KIND TO YOU - shhhhh.

[there's the rattle of chains, distantly. she stares up at lavi with big eyes.]

Shhh, the jailor will hear, I shouldn't be talking to you...

[flameguard]

[ okay. okay he's fine now! that was weird. familiar! but weird. cool.

rondo's on edge as hell now, and he super does not love not having his weapon, but he gives the others a quick, reassuring smile and tunes back in, looking at the little lady and down the hall.

with someone being hurt, too... quietly, to the others: ] Let's stay together. [ but he'll move to join lavi, too, going for more reassuring support behind him with a smile. ]

Jailor...?

[cumulative]

[wait where the fuck is lavi going

mathis is following down the hall like, immediately, because please let's not be separated he does NOT want to get lost here. oh god. he lingers behind them slightly, though; if ashlyn is following as well, then he's going to try to remain either with her or just at the rear. just in case.

he may not have a knife but he Does know he'd rather get backstabbed or something than have it happen to her in front of him, so!!

i'm sorry that's all he's got the social ones can handle the questioning because he's just going to keep an eye out as they speak with this lady.]

[killies]

[ where the fuck are those rattling chains. sorry, she's so distracted by every single distant sound. her attention keeps getting pulled away, trying to isolate bits of what people are saying but probably not getting anything because it's just the spooky ambience.

she'll follow along with the others - sticking close to mathis to protect the baby. (he's older than her and also tried to knife someone the other day.)

and she is... not one of the social ones... so she's just covering her ears to dampen this lady's occasional unpredictable yelling. ]

[bookpapers]

[hmmm, this is a lot! judging by her surprise -- she's apparently not whatever was watching them back in the room? doubly bad. but Lavi will swing an arm around Rondo's shoulder, the picture of calm (though he keeps his arm light, in case he and Rondo have to move to intercept --). y'know, just a casual friend group that just left whatever party(?) is happening in the distance, haha, for sure.]

Sorry -- didn't mean to disturb. We all kinda got lost on our way here.

[that's not a lie because they really did get lost and wander here damn]

Can you show us which way's out?

[ablazement]

[oh, no, she was what was watching them. she just seems surprised that he's here, or perhaps, that he can see her. she stares up at them both, eyes flicking a little frantically between rondo and lavi. and then she looks behind them at mathis and ashlyn, frowning.]

I have to go, it'll hear... [she flickers in and out.] I should go, YOU should go, you should turn around and leave, it'll HURT, HEADS WILL ROLL.

[she looks over her shoulder, and then back at them, fidgeting in a frenetic, sharp way.]

Go back through the portal?

[flameguard]

[ oh, boy. rondo goes along with that easily, letting lavi pull him in (and feeling that lightness with a sense of gratitude, though he doesn't show it.) when the woman yells, rondo doesn't flinch, but he almost steps a little backwards like he could try and block some of the sound for ashlyn....poor ashlyn. ]

...The portal, miss? [ this behavior isn't that an unusual for a hell denizen, so rondo is patient and polite as always, and he looks back behind them, briefly. before returning his attention immediately to the woman, just in case. ]

[cumulative]

[OUR ASHLYN...

after this woman mentions the portal, mathis blinks, turning to look behind them too as if they just. missed a fucking portal when they came in. MAYBE THEY DID, EVEN WITH LAVI'S 20, you never know... it's more a reflex than anything.

in the meantime he's just gonna help. cover her ears for her. listen, if he takes one side and she takes the other one then Both of them have a hand free, right? right.]

[killies]

[ s. sure. this is an insane way of doing this mathis but okay. he can cover one ear and she'll cover the other. ]

Wait, what will hear?

[ this thing that is going to hurt them sounds more important than the portal guys. GUYS. ]

[bookpapers]

[okay listen something that will hurt them DOES SOUND IMPORTANT but if going through whatever portal this is means they'll also avoid "heads rolling" then Lavi will take it, he does move his arm off Rondo's shoulder though, because clearly the 'oh no haha we're just lost' schtick isn't really working when this lady is clearly so anxious?]

Point us in the direction and we'll get outta your hair.

[is it really behind them, damn. so much for 0/20 vision]

[ablazement]

The portal? The big, straight-lined, fancy pentagram? You came through it? Behind you? You did come through it.

[a beat.]

You don't even know where you are. That's worse! That's very funny! As funny as ALL OF OUR FLESH GETTING BURNED TO A CRISP BY THE FLAMES OF AVERNUS oh no. Oh! Shhh. The jailor again, it's going to start the torture...

I've got to go, please, I'm going to hurt again. Everyone hates this. Hates me...

[she's starting to flicker in and out like a ghost, like - a projection, maybe? you get the sense that you can probably get answers out of her if you can calm her down a little though. or you can just say fuck her if you want i'm not your mom.]

[flameguard]

[ oh - avernus. rondo's eyes widen, briefly in realization, and. hmm. he's just going to forget about the (perfect, straight-lined) pentagram for now with that name and this poor lady's hysteria. someone else can handle that, if they want to... this poor projection/lady is clearly struggling...? ]

Oh... ma'am, no - it's alright, please. [ immediate, sincere, and warm, with that Pure Hearted Rondo TM face. look at him. he's just a sweet baby. ] I certainly don't hate you. In fact - we're very grateful, for your assistance. All of us are. If we could help to protect you, could you stay with us for a little longer? Just for a few more questions.

[ shines warmly and pure-maiden-heartedly ]

[cumulative]

[yeah he has seen this name once and he's just internally like

oh no oh no oh what?? oh n

okay. breathing. he is breathing.]

...right. R-right, we could, um... even if we can't help, we can... stay a little longer.

[killies]

[ haha. hahahaha. this is fine. anyway ashlyn just gives rondo the most ????? look. ]

Protect her? How?

[ we don't have weapons! and the 'jailor' doesn't sound promising when it's an it. ]

[bookpapers]

With our super fancy magic that's also super strong!

[brightly, as Lavi nods like he's not full of shit. yeah!!!! he is turning to look at how far away the pentagram is, trying to gauge the distance and do the mental math of if rondo picks up ashlyn and lavi picks up mathis and they both run at xx miles per hour then how fast can they reach the pentagram without getting any heads chopped off]

[ablazement]

[lavi can see the pentagram it's literally the one they came in on. it's in the room you started in! you're like, at the edge of the dining hall, near a hallway that leads to, presumably, the rest of the place. you could probably make it in like five seconds if you ran really fast?

you can certainly try to run and get into the pentagram. i ain't gonna stop you.

anyway. fortunately for rondo, the pure hearted baby face helps. so you get lore. by god.]

Protect... me? Little old me. [a little smile.] I hope so. But it is a faint hope. Just like me.

[her eyes go a little distant.]

I can't leave, I can only suffer. But I'm supposed to do that in silence. Everybody hates me for what I am. [her voice gets a little louder.] I'm the thing that kills you, and the only reason you're alive. Made by a promise, undone by the truth. A handshake! A hug! The first beat of a newborn's heart. I am...

[she clenches her fists.]

I am Hope. What little is left of her. [...] You - you can help me? I can be a friend. I can help you, help ME.

[flameguard]

[ of course the baby face works on this you can sense a protag a mile away.

anyway. hope. forget the dull pain in his chest. for a moment, it feels as bright and warm, imagined as it is, as the sacred flame. the flameguard is the one who keeps the light on in the darkness. so - ]

Of course. [ rondo says, and there's nothing behind it but sheer sincerity and conviction. he matches the gesture, clenching his fists, too. ] Hope, after all, is the thing you must hold on to, no matter how dire the situation gets. Right?

[ two seconds before he turns around and the others are fucking booking it ]

[cumulative]

[the thing that kills you, and the only reason you're alive.

(a hope is what he was supposed to be, isn't he? in a sense. but he isn't a real one.)

still, enough of what she says resonates with him that he's drawing a little closer to rondo, albeit hesitantly. the thing is that if what she's saying is real, he doesn't think there's anything that someone like him can (or deserves to) do. but.

he's not ready to book it and that's halfway to protag right]

[killies]

[ i'm glad you all resonate so much with the concept of hope. ashlyn doesn't.

but she also doesn't think running sounds viably realistic, with what she knows about the last group on thursday. and presumably they've already seen the new locations when this takes place, so she knows it's not that either.

she is the unwilling protag. the protag by lack of any other options. ]

...

[ thank god there are better protags here. let's just let lavi and rondo keep doing the talking... ]

[bookpapers]

[well. it's not like he hadn't expected this in some way, Rondo doing his best to help instead of somehow raising his gaze at the exact right moment to meet Lavi's and then somehow telepathically communicating the ole scoop up and run maneuver that's actually really never worked out for Lavi in the past, so why would it be any different now? he can discard that plan (for now) then.

He's not as compelled to want to help this stranger, because he can't afford to try and protect an extra on top of the three already with him, but he can use this moment between them. He can commit to something on paper just fine, as long as that's all it is.]

You've already helped us a bit, so we can help ya too.

['made by a promise, undone by the truth.']

So let's be friends, yeah?

[ablazement]

[hope gives them all a little smile, snapping her fingers.

you're now in brand new clothes! or brand old clothes, as it were. ratty old things. you have shoes too, just as ratty as the rest of these.]

Then - yes. Let's be friends. FRIENDS DON'T STAB EACH OTHER IN THE BACK! [ok] Everyone here is mad - even you, especially me - and that makes them dangerous. But it also makes them stupid! Now you look as ruined as the rest of them.

You find the hammer. The Hammer. You'll find it in THE SAME PLACE YOU'LL FIND YOUR RATTY LITTLE SOUL WHEN RAPHAEL RIPS IT OUT! Down the hallway. Past the debtors, oh, the debtors. They won't look at you in those rags.

[she giggles. and her form starts to shake and shiver.]

Find the hammer and you can break me out! And I'll break you out! And WE'LL BE BROKEN TOGETHER!

[aaaaaaaaand she's gone! she vanishes, in a shudder of hot, smoking air.

well! that was something. what do all of you think?]

[flameguard]

[ for some reason i expected Outfit Of Many Belts so when i clicked this i was very surprised. okay, ratty is - fine. it's being conspicious! rondo can do that! (he's not good at it). uneasily, his hand comes over his heart and settles there as she talks. for as wild as this is, it's a little bit bolstering to be talking to hope. the idea of saving hope. it's as warm as that dull pain, as warm as the room around them, and rondo nods.

his... gaze...slides to lavi.... about the hammer... and he raises both of his eyebrows. like. hammer? your hammer's gonna save us out of this??? before he looks to the rest of the group and nods, keeping his voice low as he addresses everyone (for once) ]

I have a feeling we won't be able to go back so easily, anyhow. [ to the pentagram. ] ...I'd like to find a sword, so... let's keep our eyes peeled for any equipment, and stay vigilant. But it...sounds as if we need to get moving quickly, right?

[ reassuring smile...? ]