WEEK 5: CYOA (Ange, Mob, Izumo, Hua Cheng)

[retellers]

Comments

[lecarre]

[Extremely relatable!! Ange does not seem to know why he is here. Why is someone crashing her perfect white house in Casablanca with Princess???

Just.

She blinks, tilting her head.]

What are you doing here?

[She does not seem to want to let go of the other girl's hand!! At all!!]

[exercisms]

Nice to meet you. I’m Kageyama Shigeo. I’m friends with Ange-san from the Realm.

[Of course he’s going to introduce himself to Ange’s girlfriend?]

Ange-san is pretty amazing! She helped me a lot back there with that worm.

[Anyway.]

Unfortunately, I think we probably have to go back there now. I think it’s some kind of dream trapping us. I didn’t ask the winged lady very many questions but that’s the feeling I’m getting.

[lecarre]

[Wow Mob is a great wingman.

idk if I'm supposed to be NPCing Princess or not so I'll leave it alone but!!

Ange's brows draw together at that, and she looks... kind of petulantly disgruntled?]

I don't know what you're talking about... dream? Winged lady? How did you even find us here?

I--do not wish to go back anywhere.

[retellers]

[ you absolutely can npc princess, I meant to say, but it's fine. While they are having this super fun discussion, either of them is free to notice the sky... fracturing, almost? There's a light down the middle, shining pink as bits of the sky seem to be crumbling down. Of course, that depends on either of them looking up, so maybe they won't notice straight away. Either way! It's fine, they're near a house. We all know the sky falling means you are safe near a house. ]

[exercisms]

[As Ange asks these questions he just calmly points at the sky.]

I’m not really sure, but that seems bad, right?

[. . .]

Sorry. She seems really nice. But I’m sure she’ll like you just as much out there.

[lecarre]

[Ange stares up at the sky when he points it out to her. Her expression does something complicated--from confusion, to something a bit more flat, to finally a flustered, horrified expression, before she finally snaps her head back to Mob.

Skies don't do that sort of thing. Everything here feels incredibly real, from Princess's hand tucked into her palm to the beautiful house that she longs for, but--

... Perhaps surprisingly quickly, she nods and accepts that. Weird.]

I see. So that is how it is. I-- [She clears her throat, looking a flash frustrated briefly, before she smooths out her expression again.]

I mean, um... I do not understand what is happening, but... we need to get out of here, don't we?

[She can't help one last wistful look the other girl's way, though, before she finally stands up and slowly lets go of her hand.]

[retellers]

[ The expression of sadness and abandonment on Princess's face is probably very real, too, but perhaps more real than that is how Ange steps away none too quickly, as part of the ground crumbles and splinters through the middle, like a sudden earthquake located entirely on places close to them. There's thunder cracking through the splinter as well, and the wind picks up.

Off in the distance, on the beach, the woman awaits and turns towards them. Her features a little more visible, now, her long hair pink and the idea of a face there. ]

This has happened before. And yet it hasn't. [ she smiles, sadly, as she looks at the sky. this means nothing to either of them. ]

[exercisms]

[He’ll grab onto Ange’s hand instead. Het wins!!

No, just kidding, it’s just cute and sweet. They’ll start heading towards the woman on the beach?]

How do we get out of here!

[lecarre]

[Ange will hold his hand! The world is falling apart, this seems important.

Anyway.

They head that way, and Ange frowns and adds on:]

Who are you?

[retellers]

You're still missing what you need. But you're running out of time.

[ she smiles, mysteriously, after not at all answering their questions, and then gestures at the sea. time to get wet? ]

[exercisms]

[Oh, she forgot him because he’s so unremarkable. He considers that explanation instead of the fact that maybe her memories are screwed up by this world.]

K - Kageyama Shigeo. We talked a couple times before. We fought that worm? You probably don’t recognize me with these muscles, but -

[He’s saying this as they run into the sea?]

[lecarre]

[omg Mob. Ange blinks at him blankly, and then manages a small giggle as they splash into the water.]

I remember you! I was hoping that lady would tell us who she is, but...

[NO QUESTIONS ANSWERED...

At least the water is warm and so is the sun but. how far in do they have to go...]

[retellers]

[ Only once they are fully submerged will they find themselves somewhere else! Ange will also find that there seems to be an additional weight in her pocket? Odd. Mob still has his tracker tablet, though it continues to be on the fritz.

Even though they're completely soaked when they take a further step, they'll find themselves nowhere near actual water. In fact, both of them seem to have wound up on a mountain, in front of a shrine. They look ridiculously out of place on this bright sunny day.

Hm, though the crack in the sky is still present and seems to be growing bigger. Pieces of off white fall down from time to time, almost like snow. It's out of place, but everywhere they fall, it creates a small, empty white space on the ground. Like that part of it has completely disappeared. This is fine.

As they walk in, they'll recognize both people involved this time, as Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are apparently... oh my god, are they finally kissing. Cuddling? Living together in peace and harmony? Truly, this is an impossible world.

I made myself sad. Anyway, Xie Lian will be the one to notice both of them when they show up, and his face will go ? at the fact that they are soaked. Neither Hua Cheng nor probably not real Xie Lian seem to notice the fault in the sky right away. ]

[exercisms]

[Turning red again.]

Everyone is kissing. . .

[But okay. Just going to cautiously approach, still holding hands with Ange.]

. . . Hua Cheng-san?

[lecarre]

[Ugh they're soaked... Ange doesn't seem to react to the kissing, but that's mostly because Mob has it covered and also has reaching out to Hua Cheng covered. Also because she heard they were in true love or something during the girls spa episode. This is no surprise!!!!

So she follows Mob, hands still held, but takes a moment to peek into her pocket instead of saying anything because ???.]

[supremity]

[ Already annoyed by the interruption - gege isn't paying attention to him, when someone shows up - the static he hears annoys him more. Where does that even come from? Of course Xie Lian, probably not real or not, will offer them something to dry up with, because he's kind and considerate. A little "San Lang, ah," is his response when Hua Cheng tightens his grip on his waist and turns his face into his neck. ]

They can come back later, if they're here for the shrine. If they're just lost, they can go to the elder's house, he can help them.

[ go away ]

[retellers]

[ Ange will find in her pocket ... a pearl! It feels imbued with a strange power. She gets the feeling that if she were to use it, she could possibly control water...?

It's very convenient that none of the falling sky bits seem to hit anywhere close to Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. Of course, Mob and Ange might not be so lucky, so they should be careful of any of the snow-like substance touches them. At least there doesn't seem to be any earthquakes or earth fissures here....... yet. ]

[exercisms]

[What happens if some of them touches them? Because maybe that does happen. Maybe some falls on them.

Anyway, he’ll hurry over closer to the two of them.]

Hmm. . . Sorry, I don’t know your name, I guess. Is it San Lang-san?

[lecarre]

[Some probably does fall on them.

Anyway Ange follows naturally since they are hand-linked, a faint furrowed brow to show she is Concerned.]

I'm sorry, it is just... you are the one we want to talk to right now. Is that all right?

[supremity]

[ Be more concerned, children?

Mob calling him that has him lifting his head, and he looks - even more annoyed at that. His tone is irritated and short, at first. ]

Who told you you can call me that? At the very least, you should be - [ And then it stops. Because he hits a gap, freezes, and his brow pinches in a different way. The kind that comes with realization.

He looks at Ange with her request, then back at Mob, then at the both of them as he leans back. ]

... how did you get here. [ He doesn't look at Xie Lian, and almost dreads that. ]

[retellers]

[ Well, if they get touched with it, it'll burn through their clothes to their skin. But it's just little snowflake sizes! So it's fine? But also, you know, ow. 2nd degree burns. And also, maybe, the snowflakes are kind of getting bigger, but no pressure. ]

[exercisms]

[Ow! The kids are getting burned, dummy. Be nice.]

We're here to help. [Are they. Are they.] But. . . the real Xie Lian-san is waiting for you out there.

[lecarre]

[Ow the burns?? Ange does not like this and is now very carefully keeping an eye on the sky. They're getting bigger... she definitely nudges Mob out of the way of some of the larger flakes, but this is not sustainable.]

Yes...! He is! He will be waiting for you, so we... we need to get out of here. Before things get worse.

[supremity]

[ It's about then that Hua Cheng notices the weird snowfall, and lifts his gaze up. We'll hazard a guess and say that it's starting to fall in the china gays' general area now, too, and the sizzle on his skin once it eats through clothes reminds him very abruptly that his left arm is bandaged. That he's already ignoring the dull throb of an injury there, in his side, in his abdomen.

He doesn't want to leave. But this was not a happy ending that was earned, and it isn't one that was given to Xie Lian in reality.

Fuck. He disengages from him, moving to stand properly - metatext, where's his sword, is the red crystal still on his person. ]

[retellers]

[ His sword and red crystal are still on his person! He simply didn't notice until he realized how wrong this entire scenario was. Of course, the snow flecks continuing to fall are not great for the soul, and while fake Xie Lian isn't real, his quiet, worried "San Lang?" as he disengages sure is.

But there's no time for that, considering if they look around they'll notice that the world around them has slowly... vanished. Anything down from the mountain has been replaced with a white, glowing space. The only place to go is up.

Sitting regally on top of the shrine, looking in concern at the sky, is their angel-winged woman. Her face is almost completely visible, now. She turns to them. ]

You're still missing the key. You won't be able to leave until you find it. I only wish there were more I could do for you.

[ It's almost like she is talking through them, more than at them. ]