WEEK 1 CYOA: Alphinaud, Kon, Manwol, Bradley

[dormheads]

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DAY 1

[dormheads]

[ You may all be minding your own business, enjoying the day, and then you step through a door. Maybe to go to class, or return to your dorm, but-- you're somewhere else now.

Looking around, you'll find yourselves in a quiet little neighborhood, right at the front door of a quaint two-story house. In your hand in a singular house key that you know will unlock this building and, after a moment, you'll realize there are three other people in the same position as you.

Something tells you that you have to step inside this house. But you're free to wonder what the fuck is going on with each other. ]

[refate]

[ since i've been volunteered as first blood, here we go.

unfortunately for kon, this isn't the first time he's had to reorient himself after finding that his location abruptly changed. fortunately, that means that he doesn't startle as badly as he could - though he pivots once he realizes, looking around. house, neighborhood, manwol, alphinaud, bradley - ]

Alright, what the fuck. [ - and him standing there with a key in his hand, with the peripheral urging to go inside. ]

[lifeless]

[manwol's familiar with Sudden Teleportation, but only when she wants it to happen?? which means she absolutely startles badly, enough to like spin on her heel to check out what the fck is going on.

she doesn't hit anyone at least, small mercies.]

Excuse me, I was in the middle of something!

[she does scream though,]

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud, like the others, is not prone to experiencing Sudden Teleportation, so he likewise freezes in place and stares.

He glances around, spots the others close by—

and quickly slaps both hands over his ears. ]

Must you?

[battling]

[He steps in the dorms, or at least he thought he did. Oh what the fuck is this nonsense? He looks back, doesn't see a door and is immediately so much grumpier than he was a minute ago.

Just gonna ignore that screaming for now.

He looks around, the key in his hand only gives him more questions. And then he starts walking to explore the place. Only to end up not going nearly as far as he wants.]

Ain't a fan.

[refate]

[ a little grimace at manwol's screaming, but otherwise not too big of a reaction. he does watch bradley try his hand at exploration, and then blows out a pfffb. ]

So, unexpected field trip that none of us asked for. Great. [ kon holds up the key. ] Everybody got one?

[lifeless]

[manwol watches Brad try to explore, and that's enough to get her to stop her next scream,

She lifts up her key.]

Unfortunately.

[arcsplainist]

[ He raises the hand also holding a key. ]

... I presume we must use these? As much as I would prefer to find a way back...

[ Alphinaud trails off, then frowns. ]

I feel inclined to see what may lie inside.

[ for some reason? huh! ]

[battling]

[He holds up the key.]

Fuck.

Feelin' a pull to go in too?

Doesn't seem there's a choice.

[Which means a part of him really wants to stay out here to spite whatever brought him. But that need to go in is very annoyingly persuasive.

He tried to explore and it didn't let him. So whatever is in there is what they need to deal with.]

DAY 2

[dormheads]

[ That was a good sleep.

As they wake up, they'll remember that today's the day of their neighbor's barbecue! Great people, they invited all the houses on their street. You're so excited for it. So much to do.

Better get going, right? ]

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud is eventually roused from his slumber—in the dining room chair? Oh, right he was so tired...

Tired enough to dream, even. He recalls it being pleasant, somehow (wasn't that Alisaie? ... Wait, who?), in spite of what he's done in it. And yet, for some reason, he can't shake the feeling it's what he would have wanted.

Did he despise who that was so much?

Well... it was only a dream. Alphinaud yawns, blinks awake, and—oh. ]

... Right. We had plans today, did we not?

[lifeless]

[Manwol's harder to rouse, and she'd really like to sleep in a little longer -- but she feels all pleasant and comfortable from the apparently perfect night's sleep she had. She even had a nice dream too, which usually never happens. The fire was so bright and red -- she should choose a matching nail polish color today to commemorate it. Today...]

The barbecue! [she claps her hands together] What time is it? I need to change!

[she has to spend a GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME picking out the PERFECT OUTFIT, she'll start hustling from the room to do just that, she'll call over her shoulder]

Wear something nice! And don't let Bradley wear that weird tie.

[the one he always wears, which is weird because why would he wear a tie every day. anyway, she's running to her room to change, brb]

[battling]

[Bradley takes a very long time to wake up, and left to his own devices he does not get up until at least noon. That beautiful blue haired man, why did he- why would he. Has he ever hated him that much?

Was it a good dream? It was a good dream.

Red, fresh blood, even if it didn't splatter over snow.]

[refate]

[ being so used to pulling all nighters, kon takes a little longer to wake up, too. he doesn't really remember when he fell asleep, but he knows that if he rolls over that manwol will probably send someone to either nag or yank him out of bed forcibly if he takes too much longer.

he'll get up, stretching both of his arms up over his head - weird? - before grabbing his phone from where he left it charging.

he feels pretty rested, actually. it's nice. what a nice dream.

making his way to the door, he leans out to call to the room across from his: ] Bradley, don't stay in bed too long. You know Manwol'll get on your ass if you do.

[ and then he'll go to change. if he's going to remake the cake, he'd better hurry. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ He should freshen up a little and get ready, too. Seems like they all slept in longer than they should've.

Alphinaud makes his way upstairs, to his room. Without warning, he walks in. ]

You better be awake, Bradley. We've got somewhere to be.

[ He goes across the room in search of something nice to wear, then: ]

I've been told to warn you against wearing that tie, as well.

[lifeless]

[while the rest of her family finally gets ready, Manwol's probably changing into her fifth outfit. It's nice. Very chic -- for last year, maybe. God. What happened to that dress she bought back in Myeong-dong? Did she lose it? No, maybe she's thinking of another dress.

Anyway, she grabs another one from her closet and makes straight to where Kon is, possibly in the kitchen.]

Which one looks better? The red or the black? [she's already wearing the red, and she holds out the black one next to her. i would link outfits but aint nobody got time for that,

kon should probably choose the outfit she's already wearing to save everyone else's time tbh,]

[battling]

[He's still face down on the bed, and honestly slighty confused about it? It's... fine. It's all fine, probably. He gets up and scowls.]

If she hates it she can rip it off me with her own hands.

[He's very aware the drawers are empty so he just stretches and heads down.]

DAY 3

[dormheads]

[ They all wake up in their beds, and something is wrong.

The first thing is that they will all have the feeling that they shouldn't be here. A long moment of clarity, the first time in days-- is it days? hours? what?-- where they can look at the ceiling and wonder: what the fuck.

They will remember every person they killed here. Their faces, the screams, the blood. And there's a part of them that's aware that it can't be true, they haven't been here that long for all that carnage to actually be their doing, it won't matter. And yet, knowing this, they will accept that they are killers who enjoyed every second of it. Even now, the memories of it all will bring a smile to their faces.

So. Here they are. In a house that they know isn't their house, but at the same time it is. And with people they haven't even known for two weeks yet, but at the same time they're family. Nothing is more important than them.

And, most importantly, they will remember something. The voice on the phone said they'll meet today.

There's something in the house. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ Alphinaud wakes up, yet the most he can do is sit at the edge of his bed, gaze fixated on the floor.

That couldn't have been real. It wasn't—that's not possible. He doesn't know what, but something has been messing with them from the moment they arrived—

Oh, but it's all very real, and his hands are stained with blood. All of theirs are.

He should get up, but it's as if the world around him is falling. ]

[battling]

[ It's sickening. The feeling of being manipulated, of being under some illusion, some spell. Doing things you would never do of your own volition. Cruel to finally break it once they've already committed crimes that cannot be undone.

They killed Nier. They killed him together.

It's been a long time since he's felt this violated.

And yet, he smiles.

Every sane part of him hates this. ]

[lifeless]

[This is not her bed. This is not her room. This is not her house. She doesn't have a house anymore. She shouldn't feel warm and safe here, knowing that she killed so many while surrounded by the people she loves. She doesn't love them -- that should be impossible.

She wants to push back these feelings, but they're already starting to overwhelm her. Instead, she tries to focus on something else. Anything. She gets up from bed and moves to the bathroom to turn on the faucet, tries not to feel giddy at the memories of all the blood she's spilled here too.]

[refate]

[ reason and logic return. everything reorients itself, clicking into place in a horrifying kind of way. kon has never - he's never killed anyone before. the people that are trapped, they're his fault, and he's sure that people have died because of it, but there's never been blood on his hands.

here, his memories are stained with blood. god - fuck! fuck, he ran kuchiha over and he doesn't even know if that was just a dream or a fond memory. he reveled in doing it, and tsuyukusa, lila... nier. mandricardo left injured. so many others, every person killed and injured in the house fire yesterday -

kon wakes up, after what was meant to be a restful and rewarding night of sleep. they would start all over again today. it would be fine.

instead, he jerks upright, folding over to the side and dry heaving. ]

[arcsplainist]

[ How long has passed since he awoke? Alphinaud doesn't know, but eventually he hears the faucet running faintly in the distance, and thinks maybe cold water is what he needs too. This wasn't real, this wasn't real, this wasn't real. Yet he remembers it so clearly, every moment vivid in his mind.

He gets up to his feet, despite how sick to his stomach he feels, wanders out of the room, and then realizes something. ]

Wait...

[ His stomach drops; it isn't over yet. ]

We... who is coming?

[battling]

[ He doesn't want to get up, he doesn't want to face this. He doesn't want to exit in a reality where he would dream about killing Nero and wake up happy about it.

What kinda Northern wizard would he be if he didn't face whatever the fuck is coming at them head on? It takes a moment, but he slowly gets up and leaves the room.

He'll be fine. If he can just... pretend that this was all some kind of illusion. ]

... Didn't get a name for that voice.

[lifeless]

[Manwol takes a moment to stare at the now overflowing sink, the water sloshing over the side and onto the bathroom carpet. Messy. Always messy. She can hear Chansung's voice admonishing her even now.

He's dead, but he's not. And if he's not dead, then maybe the others aren't too. She thinks about Nier's hand in hers, purses her lips. She leaves the bathroom and slams her bedroom door open, not caring if it nicks the now dingy looking wallpaper of this place that's not their home.]

Whoever it is, we'll meet them soon enough.

[she says tersely, eyes instinctively flicking towards Kon's bedroom -- not his bedroom ]