[ At least he doesn't do the stupid thing of just continuing to hold onto it! But his left arm is taking some damage, here, and he yoinks his hand back with a quiet hiss of surprise.
As he shakes it out, he glances at Ange. Nods, then shakes his head before his gaze sweeps over in Izumo's direction, then back to her.
[ izumo can hear mob loud and clear but she's still stubbornly going to ignore him (them). to emphasize her response, she'll bring try to hide herself away from view with the use of alphinaud. for a moment, though, she'll look at her splintered arm before quickly lowering it to her side.
all the while the fox will look back over towards the older woman who is clearly chittering away gleefully at the table (maybe patting izumo on the head as she fusses something here and there) and then back to mob. ]
I'm not sure what help you think she can offer. [ he tilts his head to a side. ] ...and that brat still has a long way to go before she can help anyone.
[ storm's raging, sword's glowing, and, more importantly
they'll see one of those shiny cracks make its way through the floor of the shrine, quite literally dividing the three from izumo. it's glowing, but it isn't gaping yet or doing anything too scary.
[ Shaking his hand out still and staying near the sword, because, well. If the world falls apart, he'll try to rip the damn thing off the wall if he has to.
... but maybe the realization that made him leave will work on her. ]
No matter how happy you are here, it isn't real - if it all falls apart, then you'll lose it all for good.
And you won't be able to return to the real Alphinaud. What was the last thing you said to him, in the Realm? Do you want it to truly be the last thing?
[ TIME TO DI—no, izumo will hear what they're all saying and she can't ignore any of this anymore. the fox is about to chime in again, but this time izumo cuts him off as she very slowly removes herself from alphinaud—one version of him—and gives a kiss on the cheek. ]
Mike—! ...it's okay.
[ she'll carefully get off of the floor with a sniffle. ]
No, I have so much more I want to tell him. Years worth of things.
[ she'll wipe her eyes with the back of her good hand before marching over towards the sword and grabbing at the handle without any more hesitation with every intention to rip it off of the wall. did you know how much more she hates the realm now?
[ Izumo rips the sword out of the wall, and everything changes once again. Right in time, too, as the rip on the floor suddenly grew and probably one of them would have fallen in and it would've been bad. Boo.
Sword in hand, when they next blink, the group now find themselves... in a castle. This is just the WEEK of castles, isn't it? The aesthetic of this one seems to match a little the worm chamber they found in the cavern, with gold lined doors, colorful marble floors and purple tinted walls. There, at the end of the hallway is the angelic looking lady. She stands at the end of the hallway, facing nothingness before turning to them. She's got a full face now! Her eyes are pink like her hair and her skin is tinted purple. She's also very tall. ]
This has all happened before, and yet it hasn't. [ she's said this line before, wow. repetitive npc much? ] But it won't happen again. I'm afraid you're running out of time. [ she touches the walls of the hall, looking almost nostalgic? ] Take care of—
[ And before she can finish that, they'll find themselves back in the forest where they found the sword which Izumo is still holding. Now that that's done, she'll feel also that this sword could let her... heal? That's a weird sentiment. Also Mob is no longer jacked, we're free. He does have something in his pocket, though!
Of course, when they found the sword, it wasn't also in direct path with what looks like an industrial complex, and yet here they are. To be fair, the sky is also still falling apart with a storm around and the ground is shaking in earthquakes, so, uh.
Looks like they didn't leave trouble behind, just their dreams.
Careful about those fissures, because they are sudden and massive and completely in the way of them going anywhere safely! Wuh-woh. ]
Well, [ a pause, as he stares ahead at the industrial complex, then slowly looks at the storm while the earth shakes ] Whether we are or not, we need to get moving. Before the ground falls out from under us.
[ It'd be great if the mobmap told them they could actually just take a left and suddenly be back in the Realm, but he knows that's not happening.
[ yeah, they definitely need to get going because if they were just going to fall through these cracks now then at least she should have done so back when she was inside of the dream and now outside of it. though there's something to what that lady said that izumo will definitely not forget. ]
I'm in no mood to stick around here any longer than we need to.
[ The tablet map is working! And it is pointing directly at the sword still. So that's useful. There is a notification for a message on it now, though...
Of course, that doesn't quite matter, because the ground is getting destroyed and there are still burning balls of fake snow falling from the sky, so like, yikes? Let's go with yikes. They will have to parkour a lot on the way to the creepy industrial complex with odd looking buildings. They'll also notice there seems to be round robots with spindly legs patrolling the streets as they do so, so they can feel free to try and dodge those, too. It is dodging city all up in here.
Most building doors are locked when they walk around, and the storm rages on. Lightning strikes at random. This is a terrible day for a walk. ]
Anyway, Mob is parkouring along, but I rolled a 2 so he just trips over a crevice right into a robot while being pelted by burning snowballs. Someone help him?]
[ tgcf canon: hc rolls dice really really well until things are about to go really badly for him. CYOA d20, finally: 2
Ange goes to kick the robot. Hua Cheng goes to take advantage of that, to grab for Mob, to try and get him out of range of the robot and to make sure he doesn't fall down into a crevice. Not much he can do about the reality eating acid snow. ]
[ it is not dodging over here as izumo is going to attempt to dodge out of the way of the things but clearly she's going to eat it. fake snow? ground being getting destroyed? you know, bad things all around. though it's not like it's all bad... just. casually rolled a 4.
so, forget her being able to help hc or mob. ange it's your turn to save us. ]
[ the notification says he has a new message! But there's no message app on this thing? Hmmm.
And then a comedy of errors happened, which seems about appropriate. First it's Mob tripping on a suddenly forming crevice as he goes along, saved from falling in by the gentle loving arms of a robot. Except they don't have arms, so. The rounded shape? Of a robot? The robot also protects him from the worst of potential snowball burns, so, a net win. Mob bounces off and lays on the ground for a precious few seconds, and the win turns into a problem when the robot aims a laser at mob, going straight for his head. Ange leaps into action and saves Mob from possible certain death by kicking the robot away in a rather impressive move, though not without the robot attempting to steady itself and planting one of its pointed limbs in Mob's left thigh, piercing through it. Ow. Ange may need to think of a follow up plan for when it rights itself.
Less lucky than Ange is HC who follows right after to try and help as well... but he has to leap away when the laser the robot nearly took Mob's head with ends up firing in his and Izumo's direction in Ange's desperation to move it away from Mob, which is right when the ground splits underneath him in a quite frankly unfair move from the universe. It's the crevice Mob tripped on, growing bigger as the floor sinks into an odd abyss. It's hard to pick where to catch yourself when dodging, so HC kind of catches himself in the void with his left arm. He should make sure not to fall the rest of himself in, probably.
Izumo isn't even thinking about the mess in front of her, concentrating on dodging while holding a broad sword in one hand and having a broken arm for the other. Unfortunately no one can tell "timber" at robot lasers when two out of three people eat shit, so Izumo is on her own there. And her own rolled a 4, so, she takes it right in the side. She didn't need all her flesh, right? Right. Rib flesh is overrated.
The sword is glowing and so is a big compound in the distance. I mean. If they make it out of this one encounter and wanna move on. Rip. ]
Okay, I mean, Mob is useless here? He'll let Ange help him, only crying a little when his leg is pierced. He'll get to his feet, even though it's bleeding a lot, because the one D&D stat this kid has is endurance.
I rolled a 14 this time so instead of even trying to deal with that robot, he's going to grab Ange by the arm and try to run towards HC. If both kids reach out and grab his arm, they can probably pull him back up, right? Hopefully in time not to be blasted with lasers.]
[Listen... Ange is deeply lucky that Mob pulled her away from that robot, because her roll to deal with it properly was going to be real shitty. But instead he yanks her away and they stumble towards HC!
She picks up on Mob's plan pretty quickly, reaching for HC to try to help haul him up and out of the crevice of doom.]
Because of the two of them coming for him, Hua Cheng finds himself stopping short before the rest of him goes into the void that's swallowed up his left arm. As he gets his balance and leans back into the two of them, long enough to get stable again, he sees...
His arm is pitch black, his sleeve gone, all the way up to his shoulder. The edges of it at his shoulder are luminescent white, jagged like the fissures around them. But with a nat 20 for tenacity, he's. Going to get up. ]
[ izumo sure isn't going to be thinking about the mess in front of her! nor is she going to be doing a lot of thinking for the moment other than getting to move after being blasted by the lazer. honestly, who needs skin to cover their ribs? rufus was just fine without skin on his arm. yeah?
(though are we talking like instantly cauterized or will she be bleeding from this wound?)
either way, dice gave me a 12 in terms of her tenacity, so she's going to lean heavily on the sword for stability before getting back up and getting a move on out of this place. ]
I, I'm fine. [ she'll look over the others and...well. ange looks great. mob though...hmm. though more "hmm" is how the sword is glowing. is it...also hot when it glows or just blinky glowy? ] We need to keep going and get a move on.
[ cue her pressing forward towards the compound because where else are they going to go at this point? ]
[ Izumo's wound is pretty much instantly cauterized, though that does not make it feel any better? It may, in fact, feel worse. The sword is glowing in a "the blade is glowing and only the blade" fashion, so the handle feels fine to her. Mob and Ange successfully dodge more robots and stuff to help HC and his completely normal arm up, though for the sake of remembering ange's one terrible roll, she can have that one next time something happens.
Everyone's fine enough to keep going and, while the robot is, uh, still attempting to lazer them, it does have to take aim and fire, so they have time to dodge. If they go fast enough, they'll reach the compound, a large metal building with many hallways with twists and turns. There's people on patrol here? Or, well, at least their armored suits. They don't immediately notice the foursome as an intruder alert alarm is already ringing, lights flashing red as they seem to be running around like headless chickens. The bots are the same as those outside, though, and will be harder to dodge in hallways. There's fewer of them, however, maybe one every other time.
The sword at least seems to be playing a game of hot and cold with how much it glows in a certain direction, and they're free from the burning snowballs when they're inside. All they have to do is somehow fight their way forward while not lingering because the world is breaking and vanishing behind them!
[Okay, well, fighting his way through a compound is something he's done before, though usually with telekinesis. But there's a better way to do this, right? They're all kids.
(I know the H**** doesn't care about that but it's still not a terrible idea, right?)]
Hua Cheng-san. . . stay behind us. If we seem lost, they might not bother us too much or attack right away.
[At least not the humans. So that's his plan - try to sneak through and if caught, distract with the cute kids?
In the meantime he'll also keep trying to load that message on the tablet, messing with the tablet to see if there's anywhere it could be.]
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Ange would like to help Mob with this but she just watched HC get electrocuted for touching the sword and she's a bit preoccupied with that.
She just mouths at him:
Are you all right?
Mob's totally got this covered though, right?]
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As he shakes it out, he glances at Ange. Nods, then shakes his head before his gaze sweeps over in Izumo's direction, then back to her.
He's pretty sure they need her, first. ]
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all the while the fox will look back over towards the older woman who is clearly chittering away gleefully at the table (maybe patting izumo on the head as she fusses something here and there) and then back to mob. ]
I'm not sure what help you think she can offer. [ he tilts his head to a side. ] ...and that brat still has a long way to go before she can help anyone.
[ this is, uh, the kamiki household, after all? ]
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they'll see one of those shiny cracks make its way through the floor of the shrine, quite literally dividing the three from izumo. it's glowing, but it isn't gaping yet or doing anything too scary.
i mean.
besides existing. ]
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[He sounds very sure of himself. He's just going to stay where he is and not move, whatever the cracks are doing.]
And she's a very reliable person, so I know that she's going to help us.
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Ange looks between HC and the sword and Izumo and the crack in the floor aaaand:]
Miss Izumo...! Miss Izumo, I'm certain you can hear us. Please... please grab the sword! We need you!
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... but maybe the realization that made him leave will work on her. ]
No matter how happy you are here, it isn't real - if it all falls apart, then you'll lose it all for good.
And you won't be able to return to the real Alphinaud. What was the last thing you said to him, in the Realm? Do you want it to truly be the last thing?
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Mike—! ...it's okay.
[ she'll carefully get off of the floor with a sniffle. ]
No, I have so much more I want to tell him. Years worth of things.
[ she'll wipe her eyes with the back of her good hand before marching over towards the sword and grabbing at the handle without any more hesitation with every intention to rip it off of the wall. did you know how much more she hates the realm now?
a lot. ]
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Sword in hand, when they next blink, the group now find themselves... in a castle. This is just the WEEK of castles, isn't it? The aesthetic of this one seems to match a little the worm chamber they found in the cavern, with gold lined doors, colorful marble floors and purple tinted walls. There, at the end of the hallway is the angelic looking lady. She stands at the end of the hallway, facing nothingness before turning to them. She's got a full face now! Her eyes are pink like her hair and her skin is tinted purple. She's also very tall. ]
This has all happened before, and yet it hasn't. [ she's said this line before, wow. repetitive npc much? ] But it won't happen again. I'm afraid you're running out of time. [ she touches the walls of the hall, looking almost nostalgic? ] Take care of—
[ And before she can finish that, they'll find themselves back in the forest where they found the sword which Izumo is still holding. Now that that's done, she'll feel also that this sword could let her... heal? That's a weird sentiment. Also Mob is no longer jacked, we're free. He does have something in his pocket, though!
Of course, when they found the sword, it wasn't also in direct path with what looks like an industrial complex, and yet here they are. To be fair, the sky is also still falling apart with a storm around and the ground is shaking in earthquakes, so, uh.
Looks like they didn't leave trouble behind, just their dreams.
Careful about those fissures, because they are sudden and massive and completely in the way of them going anywhere safely! Wuh-woh. ]
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But after doing that, looking towards the industrial complex. Then looking at his map? Is that even still working?]
Is that where we should go?
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She presses her lips together tightly.]
Most likely, if only because it will be the most difficult way to go.
Is everyone ready...?
[She'll of course be thrilled if Mob's map is like "actually don't go that way at all", but like... wouldn't that be too easy?]
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[ It'd be great if the mobmap told them they could actually just take a left and suddenly be back in the Realm, but he knows that's not happening.
Let's go? ]
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I'm in no mood to stick around here any longer than we need to.
[ it's time to mosey. ]
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Of course, that doesn't quite matter, because the ground is getting destroyed and there are still burning balls of fake snow falling from the sky, so like, yikes? Let's go with yikes. They will have to parkour a lot on the way to the creepy industrial complex with odd looking buildings. They'll also notice there seems to be round robots with spindly legs patrolling the streets as they do so, so they can feel free to try and dodge those, too. It is dodging city all up in here.
Most building doors are locked when they walk around, and the storm rages on. Lightning strikes at random. This is a terrible day for a walk. ]
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Anyway, Mob is parkouring along, but I rolled a 2 so he just trips over a crevice right into a robot while being pelted by burning snowballs. Someone help him?]
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I hoped to join the rolled badly crew but Ange continues to somehow not be that with another 15 so instead she's going to... try to kick the robot!
That seems like a bad idea but Mob already has it off balance with his face so now seems like the time.]
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CYOA d20, finally: 2
Ange goes to kick the robot. Hua Cheng goes to take advantage of that, to grab for Mob, to try and get him out of range of the robot and to make sure he doesn't fall down into a crevice. Not much he can do about the reality eating acid snow. ]
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so, forget her being able to help hc or mob. ange it's your turn to save us. ]
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And then a comedy of errors happened, which seems about appropriate. First it's Mob tripping on a suddenly forming crevice as he goes along, saved from falling in by the gentle loving arms of a robot. Except they don't have arms, so. The rounded shape? Of a robot? The robot also protects him from the worst of potential snowball burns, so, a net win. Mob bounces off and lays on the ground for a precious few seconds, and the win turns into a problem when the robot aims a laser at mob, going straight for his head. Ange leaps into action and saves Mob from possible certain death by kicking the robot away in a rather impressive move, though not without the robot attempting to steady itself and planting one of its pointed limbs in Mob's left thigh, piercing through it. Ow. Ange may need to think of a follow up plan for when it rights itself.
Less lucky than Ange is HC who follows right after to try and help as well... but he has to leap away when the laser the robot nearly took Mob's head with ends up firing in his and Izumo's direction in Ange's desperation to move it away from Mob, which is right when the ground splits underneath him in a quite frankly unfair move from the universe. It's the crevice Mob tripped on, growing bigger as the floor sinks into an odd abyss. It's hard to pick where to catch yourself when dodging, so HC kind of catches himself in the void with his left arm. He should make sure not to fall the rest of himself in, probably.
Izumo isn't even thinking about the mess in front of her, concentrating on dodging while holding a broad sword in one hand and having a broken arm for the other. Unfortunately no one can tell "timber" at robot lasers when two out of three people eat shit, so Izumo is on her own there. And her own rolled a 4, so, she takes it right in the side. She didn't need all her flesh, right? Right. Rib flesh is overrated.
The sword is glowing and so is a big compound in the distance. I mean. If they make it out of this one encounter and wanna move on. Rip. ]
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Okay, I mean, Mob is useless here? He'll let Ange help him, only crying a little when his leg is pierced. He'll get to his feet, even though it's bleeding a lot, because the one D&D stat this kid has is endurance.
I rolled a 14 this time so instead of even trying to deal with that robot, he's going to grab Ange by the arm and try to run towards HC. If both kids reach out and grab his arm, they can probably pull him back up, right? Hopefully in time not to be blasted with lasers.]
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She picks up on Mob's plan pretty quickly, reaching for HC to try to help haul him up and out of the crevice of doom.]
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Because of the two of them coming for him, Hua Cheng finds himself stopping short before the rest of him goes into the void that's swallowed up his left arm. As he gets his balance and leans back into the two of them, long enough to get stable again, he sees...
His arm is pitch black, his sleeve gone, all the way up to his shoulder. The edges of it at his shoulder are luminescent white, jagged like the fissures around them. But with a nat 20 for tenacity, he's. Going to get up. ]
Izumo!
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(though are we talking like instantly cauterized or will she be bleeding from this wound?)
either way, dice gave me a 12 in terms of her tenacity, so she's going to lean heavily on the sword for stability before getting back up and getting a move on out of this place. ]
I, I'm fine. [ she'll look over the others and...well. ange looks great. mob though...hmm. though more "hmm" is how the sword is glowing. is it...also hot when it glows or just blinky glowy? ] We need to keep going and get a move on.
[ cue her pressing forward towards the compound because where else are they going to go at this point? ]
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Everyone's fine enough to keep going and, while the robot is, uh, still attempting to lazer them, it does have to take aim and fire, so they have time to dodge. If they go fast enough, they'll reach the compound, a large metal building with many hallways with twists and turns. There's people on patrol here? Or, well, at least their armored suits. They don't immediately notice the foursome as an intruder alert alarm is already ringing, lights flashing red as they seem to be running around like headless chickens. The bots are the same as those outside, though, and will be harder to dodge in hallways. There's fewer of them, however, maybe one every other time.
The sword at least seems to be playing a game of hot and cold with how much it glows in a certain direction, and they're free from the burning snowballs when they're inside. All they have to do is somehow fight their way forward while not lingering because the world is breaking and vanishing behind them!
That's totally doable. ]
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(I know the H**** doesn't care about that but it's still not a terrible idea, right?)]
Hua Cheng-san. . . stay behind us. If we seem lost, they might not bother us too much or attack right away.
[At least not the humans. So that's his plan - try to sneak through and if caught, distract with the cute kids?
In the meantime he'll also keep trying to load that message on the tablet, messing with the tablet to see if there's anywhere it could be.]
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