WEEK 3: CYOA (Rufus, Sumire, Taako, Dorothy)

[retellers]

Comments

[siblingless]

[oh my god.

As horrified as she was at the head cheerleader, that can't compare to the horror she feels now, as she realizes what he's setting out to do.]

Taako-san? [A little wobbly.] Taako-san, you can't. You don't have to do this.

[Though, she won't get in the way of the knife if he decides to just go for it. Oof.]

[retellers]

[ Claire just smiles brightly at them. ]

Two, four, six, eight! Go and make me asphyxiate! Gooooo team!

[ The other cheerleaders cheer and clap loudly. ]

[uhhhmagic]

Weird—- Weird rhyme, Claire. I’m not choking you, I’m stabbing you. Dumb idiot. Anyway, calm down for half a second.

[Stalling, at this point, but it’s fine.]

It’s fine, right? They—- aren’t real. It’s supposed to be fucked up, and I’ve done plenty of fucked up things, soooooo . . .

[Don’t cry, small child. Twirling the knife around his fingers for a second - just staring at it while he thinks it over, idly pacing a little, circling poor Claire.

But it’s mostly to get closer to the head cheerleader. Then he just fucking stabs her. He’s aiming for the neck, sure. Sure!]

[siblingless]

[







SCREAMING.]

Wait—!

[It's fine? It's fine. Just another day in her life, watching a friend try to merc an asshole.

For all her screaming, though, she will immediately go to bat if anyone tries to grab or hit him. Gooooooooo, team!]

[retellers]

[ I can't believe she just has a bat now.

But Taako did it! He kills the evil cheerleader! Who transforms into his sister right when he digs the blade in. She grabs onto Taako, gasping for breath, as blood slides down her neck. She falls over.

The other cheerleaders just watch her hit the ground before cheering. ]

Good job, team! You did do better than Lup! Yaaaaay!

[uhhhmagic]

[I can’t say I didn’t expect this.

Taako, despite himself, does start a bit at the vision - instinctively reaching to try and grab after “Lup” before he steels himself to it. Snatching his hand back, still holding the knife tightly. Knuckles turning white around the handle. Cold, instead.]

Weak. You think this is the first time I’ve seen her die? Fuck off.

[Don’t goad the evil dungeon master (francy), please,]

Can we just get on with this already.

[siblingless]

[She squeezes her eyes shut when the knife makes contact with the cheerleader's throat, so she misses the transformation until she opens her eyes, and — ah. There's Lup. Cool. Cool, cool, cool. She slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes flickering over to Taako to make sure he's okay first and foremost. Apparently... yes? Hm.

Sibling trauma to discuss later, probably.

For now, she drops her hand to her chest, balling it into a fist. Okay. This isn't real. The real Lup is fine. Everything is fine! Time to goad the evil dungeon master.]

... Is this all you wanted from us? May we leave now?

[retellers]

Um, no? It's time for the pep rally! Let's introduce our team!

[ The cheerleaders all yell excitedly along with the crowd. And right on cue, a group of people in football uniforms will run onto the field towards them. The only difference is that they're not Gap models this time? They all stare at the two of them. ]

It's almost time for the biiiig game!

[ Claire has become alpha blonde. Alas. ]

[uhhhmagic]

[ is he okay? probably going that cold and dead inside that quickly can’t be healthy coping, but, who knows. He’s just trying very, very hard not to look at that body if it’s still there. Pushing his hair behind his ears and shaking it off.

He certainly doesn’t recognize this group, but it isn’t a huge leap to assume they mean something to Yoshizawa. Like they definitely don’t look like a football team. Just tapping her on the shoulder. ]

Just— don’t give this place the satisfaction, okay?

[siblingless]

[Ah.

Staring right back at them.]

Akira-senpai? And...

[It's a good thing Taako is tapping Sumire on the shoulder because, well, it's kind of hard to remember that when you're 15 and the friends you miss like hell are right in front of you. She's obviously uneasy, but she nods... and gently shifts her position so she can block Taako's view of Lup's corpse a little.]

... If there's a big game, who are they competing against?

[retellers]

[ Lup is just bleeding down there. It's cool.

But Akira waves at Sumire, smiling. The others also acknowledge her, laughing happily as they spot their friend. Ryuji makes a badly timed joke about cheerleaders.

Claire waves her pom poms. ]

Awww, are you worried about our team? Don't worry! We will kick B-U-T-T!

[ Confetti cannons shoot out at them. Where do these keep coming from. ]

[uhhhmagic]

You can say A-S-S, Claire, you fucking dipshit.

[ really wish he’d stabbed her instead. ]

[siblingless]

[While Taako tries to teach a cheerleader how to curse, Sumire catches herself smiling back at her not-senpai and not-friends — and forces herself to look away.

Wow... This football field is so interesting... What else is here if she finally looks around?]

[retellers]

[ Sumire will get to see the marching band playing another nice tune. Even more, it's no longer manned by invisible people? there are more Gap models! Where did they come from.

Claire perkily rolls her eyes. ]

Shut the fuck up, Taako! This is why no one tells you anything. Oh, I think our opponents are coming, you two should give a little cheer. Yay!

[uhhhmagic]

[ I hate this but Taako actually does seem offended enough by the “this is why no one tells you anything” snipe to shut his mouth for half a second, choosing an anime boy style tch! instead. Fuck off, Claire.

He stubbornly won’t cheer, but he half waves a pom. ]

Whatever! W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R!

[siblingless]

[i can't believe taako is now takakin, damn.]

Um.

[Does this team have a name? Do either of the teams have a name? She lifts her pompoms in the air and reminds herself that these are not, in fact, her senpais watching her do this shit.]

... Gooooo, team!

[Shakes her pom poms? Shake, shake, shake.]

[retellers]

[ Shake, shake, shake.

The other cheerleaders cheer approvingly. ]

Good job! Look, our opponents are coming, so make sure they know we're going to kick their [ Claire looks straight at Taako. ] B-U-T-T!

[ And right on cue, the other team arrives. It's, uh. Much smaller than the home team, for some reason. ]

[uhhhmagic]

[ cool cool cool no doubt no doubt no doubt

His hands kinda sink some, just watching. He did just warn Yoshizawa about not believing these people are real and are definitely illusions to torment them but also the emotion of Miss Friends. Bad. ]

Just fake. Just bullshit.

[...] And shut the absolute fuck up, Claire, I still have a knife.

[siblingless]

[Oh. She does not like this at all.

It seems Sumire is going to spend 90% of this CYOA looking at Taako in concern, given the fact that she's once again watching his reaction to this turn of events.]

Isn't two against eight, ah... unfair?

[But little did she know, Team Persona may or may not regret not having their two endgame DPS in the lineup. Unfortunate.]

[retellers]

We play! To! Win!

[ The crowd goes wild!

Claire looks at Taako and Sumire. ]

So, are you going to play, or are you going to watch?

[ Two football helmets appear in front of them. It looks like they have a choice. ]

[uhhhmagic]

[ Giving Yoshizawa a sideways glance. Um. ]

Without powers . . . ?

[siblingless]

... On the home team?

[Returning that glance, uhhhh...]

[retellers]

Powers? Why would you have powers, silly. This is a normal high school!

[ Lup continues to bleed behind them.

The two teams seem to be getting a little restless. ]

If you don't pick, then we assume you're going to watch!

[uhhhmagic]

[Crossing his arms.]

Not to beat a catchphrase into the ground, but: Taako’s good out here.

[Though, he does take a step towards the helmet.]

[siblingless]

[These aren't her friends. Remember, these aren't her friends.

There is absolutely nothing good that could come out of this. No verdict yet on whether staying here is worse than playing but, uh... There is one person she knows for sure is real here, so. Still standing in a spot where she can block Lup's body.]

... I'll stay with you, Taako-san.

[Whether he yeets or does not yeet.]