[ For some reason (bad design, maybe; clearly, one of Kaiza's first decisions in his future career should be to redesign the village), there's no clear path from the school to the residential area. There are various ways one can take, winding through the alleyways between houses and the like.
Despite that, the two groups will run into each other! Wow, it's been forever. Hope you didn't forget the other still exists.
Meanwhile, not to interrupt this happy reunion, but there might be the sounds of a struggle coming from somewhere... ]
Oh, it's you guys. [ apparently, hilda has not really wondered about them at all. they're two grown men, surely they've been fine. ] What are you doing out here?
[ she has an axe out and at her side, so. let's figure out what that noise is. ]
Oh yeah, that's right, you guys had to raise a kid, too.
[ unlike the other three, alyssa can't fight for shit, so she's not going to be the one leading the pack... but she will very strongly urge them to move! ]
[ I truly don't know how long you've all been in this CYOA anymore.
Anyhow, off they go! Following the noise will take them to a dark and secluded alleyway, where there are several shady-looking figures about to leave—and Kaiza and Hishi, struggling in the grip of two of them, further back. They both look like they've seen better days; Kaiza, in particular, seems to have a broken arm, which he certainly didn't have when he left home that day.
... But congrats, you found your kids!
One of the figures closest to the group reacts first, brandishing a knife. "Who are you?" ]
People you will shortly regret meeting, I am sure.
[is this a dead end alley, are we blocking these guys in or do they have an escape route? either way, emet-selch has his bow at the ready which he definitely brought with him before.]
I would ask the same of you, should you live long enough to answer.
[he assumes Girl With Axe and Local Feral Man will have the whole, you know, possibly rushing in angle covered, so he is not doing that.]
[ indeed, girl with axe is none too pleased to see her kid in trouble. she leaves the talking to the others, her axe gleaming menacingly as she steps in to disarm this first chump, quicker than she looks.
she's not charging in more than that, but good luck not losing your hand, guy. ]
Oh, I'm just a regular concerned citizen looking for his kid.
[And Emet-Selch is right on the money - Hansa doesn't even hesitate, rushing forward to grasp one of the men by the cuff of his collar and send him smashing down into the ground.]
[ I'm also crying for Alyssa. On the other hand, it is an alleyway, so it's probably better that not all four of them are rushing in and making it too crowded.
But honestly, these guys are just a bunch of, like, kidnappers, so they're really no match against Hilda and Hansa go down pretty easily.
Meanwhile, Kaiza continues to struggle against the one holding onto him. As for the person with Hishi in his group, he... pulls out a knife! And holds it against Hishi's throat. Oh dear. Y'all might want to stop there for a moment before a kid dies in this CYOA and you bad end.
"Hey! Make one more move, and I'll—"
He doesn't get to finish that sentence, though. Hishi pulls out a serum, filled with a strange liquid, before she jams it into the closest vein she can reach with her limited mobility. Hey, remember how Alyssa and Hilda decided their daughter should go into poisons? The man gives a jolt, before his hand lets go of the knife and collapses onto the ground, which is maybe not how poisons work but shhhh. Anyway, it's not clear whether he's unconscious or dead, so I'll leave it ambiguous as to whether Hishi just murdered a man.
The one holding onto Kaiza, shocked by this new development, loosens his grip; Kaiza takes that opportunity to slam a fist into the guy's crotch and free himself.
In any case, once the kids are no longer viable hostages, Hilda and Hansa can make quick work of them. ]
[your local shady grandpa fucking approves? why didn't he get this kid, instead of the one that occasionally gives him hints of what might be uncomfortable emotions.
anyway, he's helping by putting an arrow in one of these guys' shoulders for good measure.]
Both of you, see to it that you leave at least one living... though really, we will only need the one.
[maybe he's just trying to scare the rest of them. maybe. if you feel generous in your estimations of emet-selch.]
[ hilda cheers aloud when hishi manages to down a man, all by herself! she's so proud! ]
That's our girl!
[ anyway she does not hesitate to beat these goons up, only careful enough to avoid hitting any friendlies. she beats one guy back with the broad, flat side of her axe as well.
because emet's right—they should probably question where the other kids that have been vanishing have gone? ]
[These fighting kids...he's happy. Anyways, he's definitely making quick work of the others, though at Emet-Selch' exclamation, he definitely stops where he is in the middle of bashing in the nose of the guy he's currently beating up, just holding him up by the collar.]
[ alyssa almost screams when the man draws a knife on hishi, but the noise very quickly turns into one of joy as he drops to the ground, and cheers for kaiza too! once the men are completely incapacitated, she rushes in to hug hishi and oh NO she accidentally stabs herself with the needle still in the girl's hand—
no i know jan won't let me so she just squishes her daughter and ruffles her hair and then turns to hilda to gloat. ]
[ Sometimes I try to imagine what this CYOA would've been like if it'd been literally anyone else but these four. Also, Andie is right. Hishi appreciates the hug, though.
Given that y'all are terrifying, give or take one or two exceptions, the goon confesses easily enough.
The people they've been taking? They throw them at the beast that dwells in the northern ruins, where the treasure of a lost civilization is said to be hidden. Mainly, they're hoping that the beast will be distracted or appeased by the offering (or meal, rather) so that they can enter the ruins. Unfortunately, the fucking puzzles stop them from getting too far into the ruins, so their attempts always end in failure and dead people they gotta replace.
He is quite right. How long have you been repeating these same methods with nothing but failure to show for it? You may as well simply throw yourselves at this beast, and it would be far more useful.
[he sounds. so unimpressed with these people as well. if you can't defeat the puzzles what is the POINT.
[ before she can coo about how great their kids are, hilda frowns at this incredibly awful reason to be stealing children from their home. emet has the intimidation angle covered, so she just steps on one of the downed guys to make sure he's not going anywhere, her expression turning concerned. ]
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RESULTS
Despite that, the two groups will run into each other! Wow, it's been forever. Hope you didn't forget the other still exists.
Meanwhile, not to interrupt this happy reunion, but there might be the sounds of a struggle coming from somewhere... ]
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[nice reunion greeting there. anyway, he's frowning in the direction of that noise.]
But such niceties are mayhap best saved for later.
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[ she has an axe out and at her side, so. let's figure out what that noise is. ]
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[THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE?? no, no, he kids. it feels like it's been years, though. has it been?]
We're looking for our kid.
[And it sounds like THERE'S A FIGHT. FIGHT SENSES ACTIVATE]
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[ unlike the other three, alyssa can't fight for shit, so she's not going to be the one leading the pack... but she will very strongly urge them to move! ]
Anyway—what are you guys waiting for, let's go!
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Anyhow, off they go! Following the noise will take them to a dark and secluded alleyway, where there are several shady-looking figures about to leave—and Kaiza and Hishi, struggling in the grip of two of them, further back. They both look like they've seen better days; Kaiza, in particular, seems to have a broken arm, which he certainly didn't have when he left home that day.
... But congrats, you found your kids!
One of the figures closest to the group reacts first, brandishing a knife. "Who are you?" ]
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[is this a dead end alley, are we blocking these guys in or do they have an escape route? either way, emet-selch has his bow at the ready which he definitely brought with him before.]
I would ask the same of you, should you live long enough to answer.
[he assumes Girl With Axe and Local Feral Man will have the whole, you know, possibly rushing in angle covered, so he is not doing that.]
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she's not charging in more than that, but good luck not losing your hand, guy. ]
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[And Emet-Selch is right on the money - Hansa doesn't even hesitate, rushing forward to grasp one of the men by the cuff of his collar and send him smashing down into the ground.]
[Feral dad is coming for you, son!]
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But honestly, these guys are just a bunch of, like, kidnappers, so they're really no match against Hilda and Hansa go down pretty easily.
Meanwhile, Kaiza continues to struggle against the one holding onto him. As for the person with Hishi in his group, he... pulls out a knife! And holds it against Hishi's throat. Oh dear. Y'all might want to stop there for a moment before a kid dies in this CYOA and you bad end.
"Hey! Make one more move, and I'll—"
He doesn't get to finish that sentence, though. Hishi pulls out a serum, filled with a strange liquid, before she jams it into the closest vein she can reach with her limited mobility. Hey, remember how Alyssa and Hilda decided their daughter should go into poisons? The man gives a jolt, before his hand lets go of the knife and collapses onto the ground, which is maybe not how poisons work but shhhh. Anyway, it's not clear whether he's unconscious or dead, so I'll leave it ambiguous as to whether Hishi just murdered a man.
The one holding onto Kaiza, shocked by this new development, loosens his grip; Kaiza takes that opportunity to slam a fist into the guy's crotch and free himself.
In any case, once the kids are no longer viable hostages, Hilda and Hansa can make quick work of them. ]
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[your local shady grandpa fucking approves? why didn't he get this kid, instead of the one that occasionally gives him hints of what might be uncomfortable emotions.
anyway, he's helping by putting an arrow in one of these guys' shoulders for good measure.]
Both of you, see to it that you leave at least one living... though really, we will only need the one.
[maybe he's just trying to scare the rest of them. maybe. if you feel generous in your estimations of emet-selch.]
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That's our girl!
[ anyway she does not hesitate to beat these goons up, only careful enough to avoid hitting any friendlies. she beats one guy back with the broad, flat side of her axe as well.
because emet's right—they should probably question where the other kids that have been vanishing have gone? ]
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[These fighting kids...he's happy. Anyways, he's definitely making quick work of the others, though at Emet-Selch' exclamation, he definitely stops where he is in the middle of bashing in the nose of the guy he's currently beating up, just holding him up by the collar.]
Why not this one? He doesn't look like an idiot.
[Hansa, please.]
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no i know jan won't let me so she just squishes her daughter and ruffles her hair and then turns to hilda to gloat. ]
I told you it would come in handy!
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Given that y'all are terrifying, give or take one or two exceptions, the goon confesses easily enough.
The people they've been taking? They throw them at the beast that dwells in the northern ruins, where the treasure of a lost civilization is said to be hidden. Mainly, they're hoping that the beast will be distracted or appeased by the offering (or meal, rather) so that they can enter the ruins. Unfortunately, the fucking puzzles stop them from getting too far into the ruins, so their attempts always end in failure and dead people they gotta replace.
Distinctly unimpressed, Kaiza, who's nursing a broken arm, blurts out— ]
That's your reason? You're a bunch of dumbasses!
[ And, like, horrible people in general. Wow. ]
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[he sounds. so unimpressed with these people as well. if you can't defeat the puzzles what is the POINT.
'also people were dying' and what about it?]
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The ruins...?
[ isn't that where hishi's parents went... ]