w5 cyoa: astarion, caelus, laudna, marina

[mygod]

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TODAY'S THE DAY!

[mygod]

[ you are backstage.

all around you is the hustle and bustle of people running around, shouting at each other as they hurry to do their tasks. a few of them glance at you, or excuse themselves as they avoid running into you, but for the most part you're ignored. a large curtain is in front of you, blocking your view of whatever lies beyond it, but around you is what is generally the norm for this type of atmosphere-- equipment for lights and cameras, props, instruments in their cases. further back are some hallways, doors, and also what looks like a table full of tasty treats! yummy.

you are confused, for a moment, before you remember that you are finalists for the pageant. you have all worked very hard to reach this point, defeating other participants on stage until you got here. you know if you win here, you will win it all. it's exciting! what does all mean? no one knows. but that's the thrill, isn't it?

the show won't start for another hour, so everyone is free to go around and mingle. perhaps introduce yourselves to each other? after all, this is the first time the four of you have ever met.

please mingle amongst each other. for this cyoa purpose, you are encourage to come up with an au of your character for them participating in this pageant and what their lives were like before this. you are free to be as ridiculous with it as you'd like, just make sure you note it. ]

[undread]

[opens my pinterest she's wearing this.

laudna is backstage looking very nervous, despite smiling so widely it probably strains her cheeks. undead women seldom make it in the pageant world, after all. yes, her skin is a little mottled and rotting, her hair falls out sometimes, and her neck is at an odd angle, but she's here to prove that dead girls can be beautiful, too. there are so many little zombie girls who are out there depending on her.

she isn't quite sure how she got roped into this, to be honest. she doesn't really feel beautiful. but her necromancer convinced her that it was important to enter this competition and prove herself, so she simply has to do her best, doesn't see. she nervously waves at the other competitors backstage.]

Hello. Congratulations! You look absolutely stunning.

[engraven]

[ rifles through pinterest and pulls out this. ]

You're quite the beauty yourself!

[ sometimes, your father is overbearing and says that you are wasting all of your talent on things like these pageant shows! instead of listening to a word that bug-eating, envious misanthrope megachurch pastor of a father has to say, marina has no plans on quitting anytime soon. at this point, she's doing it out of sheer spite, turning beautiful dresses and simple pageantry into an intellectual affair.

marina is a scholar, but by no means mousy, and at the top of her grade with a prowess for the magical and macabre. through feats of sacred geometry and magical manipulation, marina creates beautiful displays of blood and belief CHRIS ANGEL MIND FREAK her father only wishes he could conjure up himself. popular amongst her peers and practically a witchy icon, she feels both immensely confident in herself and the most immense pressure hammering down on her skull.

because if she doesn't win it all, then she has to go back home empty handed, right?

and that's not an option. ]

We'll have to pull off quite the show tonight.

ROUND ONE

[mygod]

[ after you all made your small talk and have acknowledged you are contestants, it will be about another twenty or so minutes before you hear a booming voice coming out of speakers. ]

Weeeelcome everyone to our 100th Pageant! As always, we search for the most beautiful and skilled contestant to... win it all! [ the crowd cheers. oohs. aaahs. ] It has been a fierce competition so far, and we are down to our final few hopefuls for the crown! We will introduce all of them to you shortly!

[ the crowd cheers again.

backstage, a woman hurries over to you all and starts to give you instructions. you will all walk onto the stage, and will await for the announcer to explain what the rules for each round is. there are a few other contestants besides you, but at the moment, you seem to be the only ones standing here. mostly, this is your last chance to make sure your clothes are in orderly condition and that you're not having any hair mishaps, ruh roh.

the announcer continues, ]

Alright, alright! We'll introduce you to them now. Welcome... █████, Laudna, Marina, ██████, Caelus, ████, Astarion, and ███ ████!

[ the woman ushers you all on stage, and you will all find yourselves walking single file onto it, just like you have definitely done before in the previous rounds that definitely happened. the room in front of you is completely packed, filled with thousands in the audience who are eager to meet you and watch you aim for the crown. the air is simply buzzing!

you all are directed to stand in a line facing the crowd, each with your own spotlight on you. for some reason, the other four contestants are still not here, but that doesn't seem too strange.

there is no one else on stage, but the announcer's voice rings out, ]

Here we are! Welcome! Now, let's start this off simply! Please introduce yourselves briefly, and also tell us how you would bring world peace!

[ wowie. ]

[undread]

[she's first? at least, after █████? or maybe the first altogether? oh no. she's practiced so much for this moment, but the moment she's asked to step forward, the nerves hit her. everyone looking up at her, staring, the judges, the crowd...

she knows she's here because she's done well in earlier rounds and other competitions, but it's still hard not to feel that she doesn't belong here. it's hard not to imagine that the crowd is privately laughing at her, that the judges are angry at her for daring to be here. she doesn't want this, she wants to go hide backstage.

but she can't disappoint anyone. she can't have anyone so angry at her, call her a failure, a disappointment. so she steps forward, unable to hide the nerves behind her broad smile.]

H- hello. So nice to meet you. I'm Laudna.

[wait, what was the question? oh right... world peace. um. hmm. she practiced an answer to this.]

I think it's so important that everyone in the world tries to truly understand one another. Look beyond surface differences and try to find commonalities! [was there anything else?] Oh, yes! And prayer. I am lucky enough to have been raised to know the blessings of the Whispered One, our lord Vecna. I truly do believe one day we will be fortunate enough to witness his return, and he will bring about peace for all of us.

[engraven]

[ ah. an adoring crowd. they have to be adoring, marina won't accept anything less. the people who hate her don't matter, and her father especially doesn't matter, the man who likes to tune into these things and criticize her where she can't see his cowardly face. while perhaps she'd do better within the confines of a higher education solely, she's sought to juggle both with a well-practiced finesse that only strict discipline and an on-persona off-persona can allow her. ]

What a delight it is to come before you all tonight — my name in Marina.

[ she gathers her dress with care between the tips of her fingers and gives a very elegant dip, unwavering. a question like how to bring about world peace is quite frankly, bullshit. but part of the deal is to believe it with your whole chest even if it's a notion that is heinously silly to even consider for something with some pageantry. what, are they generating ideas for world leaders or some shit?

cut the crap.

she sounds like she means this next part with her Whole Chest though: ]

One must consider restructuring of the system at the roots. As such, a changing of the guard is in due order - the shaking of hands between the past and the present to allow inter-generational relations to heal at last.

That is not to say to sweep out the old completely. Many an ancient tome bears the truth to peace, to achieving growth and stability, but only through duress. One might truly take to heart the teachings of the dear god of Fear and Hunger, and how a gathering of everyone, from the highest to the lowest, would make a true world of a difference. A union to push through even the most painful of times. Pain shared is knowledge gained.

[ why are we pedaling horrific gods to these people. ]

It is in knowing and understanding shared trials and tribulations that we'll find the true light of understanding and peace.

ROUND TWO

[mygod]

[ once the ten minutes are up and your nice chat finishes up, with astarion mysteriously broodingly silent the whole time, a staff member will walk up to your group. ]

The next round is about to start! It's the trivia section [ FOR A BEAUTY PAGEANT? OK. this is normal, you all think. ] and we'll be splitting you into groups for it. At the end, we'll tally your scores between this round and the last to see who gets eliminated first.

[ █████, ██████, ████, and ███ ████ are all told this information too, as they are all also here, somehow. that is also normal.

but it seems like groups will be called onto stage one at a time for their quiz rounds. this is exciting! when it's each group's turn, and they return to the stage, they will see that podiums have been set up for each contestant to stand behind. the audience watches them excitedly. ]

GROUP ONE

[mygod]

[ while the threads will be happening oocly simultaneously, icly this group will be playing the game first. ]

[undread]

[waits politely and nervously for trivia.]

GROUP TWO

[mygod]

[ while the threads will be happening oocly simultaneously, icly this group will be playing the game second.

during the first group's round, they will be lead in one of the rooms in the back so that they won't know what type of questions are being asked. ]

[engraven]

[ are you smarter than a (redacted)-grader? we'll see. she's just waiting here after laudna and astarion's turn with her fingers laced and chin resting on them. mr. stellaroooon come out and playyyyyyy. ]

BACKSTAGE

[mygod]

[ the contestants will be able to head back here again to freshen up for the next round! there are a few things they may do

> eat snacks
> go to the bathroom
> take a nap
> talk to staff
> change clothes
> go down the hallway
> chat with each other

you may choose what they decide to do. ]

[undread]

[well. i think she's feeling quite bad. but she will probably go down the hallway or go to the bathroom and freshen up her hair and makeup?

...though she gives a concerned glance at astarion as she goes, like she's worried if he's alright.]

[haematocritical]

[ he's peachy (he's not). are the bathrooms unisex? who knows. maybe they're going to the same bathroom to freshen up. ]

That was more violent than I remembered.

ROUND THREE

[mygod]

[ after a short break, the group of you are ushered back onto the stage.

the crowd is there as always, but it is eerily silent as everyone stares at you while you return. there is not a single rustle of movement, or breath, as if everyone had simply... stopped. but the moment the contestants all return to they spotlight positions, the audience erupts into loud applause.

the announcer speaks, as always. ]

Welcome back! We are now entering the third round... but first, before anything else, we must eliminate one of our contestants! [ jeering. ] Now, we have all grown quite attached to one another, but the point of competition is to only have one left! Now, let's see who had the lowest score...

[ a larger, brighter spotlight lands on someone who is now suddenly visible to you all. ]

Dan Heng! Sorry, pal, you just didn't give the right answers this time around. Looks like you... lost it all!

[ it happens quickly.

there's the sound of wings, soft fluttering, before it turns into a loud torrent. a bird flies by. and then another. until, finally, the air is full of a flock of hundreds, thousands, of birds, circling above dan heng. he looks up, clearly alarmed, but he stays where he is.

a bird dives down and pecks at him, and it's followed by another. more and mor shoot at him, and it doesn't take too long to realize that they are also leaving with something-- pieces of skin, pieces of flesh. each time a bird strikes him, they rip him apart, and astarion may have a sense of deja vu as he watches this occur. the birds eat at dan heng, piece by piece, until all anyone can see is a large, fleshy mound of what is left of a person as they are picked away by vultures.

the birds stop when there is no more meat to consume, and they fly away. the spotlight fades.

caelus will feel like something was just taken from him, horrifically, before the feeling fades away into a dull ache. ]

And that's it for Dan Heng! The next round will be acting! We'll see your skills. We need everyone to pick a slip of paper out of that box.

[ one appears as as soon as they say it. a box with a hole big enough to fit a hand in. they will each need to go and grab something from it. i will need you all to roll a d7 for this and post your result in your comment. ]

[undread]

[laudna watches, still smiling hugely and nervously, as the birds descend and pick that person apart. acting...!

siz siz hprses 🧵 pâté de rolo Request: [1d7] Roll: [6] Result: 6]

[haematocritical]

[ ... well!

that's not concerning and possibly going to give someone here a meltdown!

bfïrt 🍷 ǝʇɐɓɹǝʇɐʍ ɟo ʇɐɔʎɹɓuɐ Request: [1d7] Roll: [4] Result: 4 ]

ROUND FOUR

[mygod]

[ they will all eventually return backstage, where they will mingle for a bit. but like always they will hear the announcer's voice from the stage-- ]

The final round will commence! We will call forth each contestant, one by one, to the stage.

[ icly, they will all go onto the stage for solo acts, but oocly these threads will happen simultaneously.

once on stage, they will be met with an empty auditorium, and the spotlight glaring at them. they will be told to do one thing: ]

Explain why your competition should fail.

LAUDNA

[mygod]

[undread]

[she's a little too stunned to answer right away. she doesn't want to be here. she doesn't want to do this.]

ASTARION

[mygod]

[haematocritical]

[ so walking is tough, but I guess he's? doing that?

he's not quite as shell shocked as someone might've been watching someone dear to them get their head cut off. or get shot to death. but he's had just a little more time-- a tiny bit, to pull himself together and not think about bodies, losses. too many of them. he's tired of this.

there's no audience and it's so silence it makes his skin crawl with discomfort. (If you pray, no one would hear you anyway.) ]

...

Because I want to win, more than they do. I want to live.

[ so much. ]

MARINA

[mygod]

CAELUS

[mygod]

IT ALL

[mygod]

[ the four of them are in the crowd, watching the show on stage.

even though each performance was done individually, they can see them sharing the floor. it's a beautiful sight, seeing themselves crowned and winning everything that they ever wanted.

was it everything they ever wanted?

no, it is not enough. they could do better. they could win even more, if only they try. after all, there's more pageants out there! if they keep trying, surely they will eventually find what they're looking for. right?

all four of them will keep their injuries that they received here. marina in particular will have hair head back on, with a haircut (yay), but she would probably get that checked out, considering there is a gigantic gash and heavy flow of blood coming from the area. yuikes. laudna's neck will be even more broken than it already was, twisted into an even worse angle, while the injuries that caelus and astarion received will be as is.

the four of them will be able to leave through the emergency exit, and when they do, they will stop by somewhere first. a few other things:

- again, they keep all of their injuries
- you keep your outfits, crowns, sashes, and bouqets
- they may all also get one, non-weapon item from home
- they will all be plagued with a need to be praised and adored, and that they must win no matter what, even if they aren't sure what they need to win
- their memories will be erratic, and they will constantly forget who other people are before remembering them again
- both of the two above effects last until trial starts

woo ]