[ up you go, pal. also nimona help i suck at reading and underestimated how injured you are so i guess he did too and now is suddenly like OH when he notices how much blood is happening, how are you still being such a badass right now ]
Y-yeah, I got both o' mine still, too...
[ he gets his own magic health fruits out and offers ponta a plum and nimona a grape... and then he'll swap them the other way around once he finds ponta's in his bag. ]
Here, take 'em!
[ and then i guess he's gonna use his dagger to rip his cool scarf in half so he can make bandages for each of them, god damn ]
One of us really shoulda picked a statue of a magic person, huh?
[that actually makes her laugh a little, in a very loopy way.]
Probably.
[she's just going to sit down. she will not eat the grape but she puts it in her pocket for later. this is not the worst injury she has ever had - her pain tolerance is pretty high - she's just woozy from the darkness. she also is not getting closer to either of them and will scoot away if they linger.]
... What happened to you guys, did talk to the shadow lady too?
[ Ponta is absolutely eating both the grape and the plum. He has the sinking feeling that they cannot do that much for him, if Remedies are anything to go by, but anything is better than this pain that is threatening to make him pass out. ]
... yeah. There was... it was a woman I once knew, for me.
[ He assumes the others didn't hear Eri Hocari or else this would be really weird. ]
he stumbles his way in, looking more startled than expected. that sure was a twisty ride.
he might flop to his haunches for a moment after clawing his way through metaphorical muck for about 30 rounds but it's fine, probably. he's still breathing. give him a mo and he'll crawl over to join them ]
If you require....mine as well?
[ he's just gonna tiredly eyeball everyone while he pulls out his own share of fruits. pls take ]
I had a rather philosophical argument with a rather stubborn spirit it seemed.
[ Meanwhile Ponta, now feeling slightly less like he's dying, is finally picking up the experiment notes and that just makes him want to punch something. People are the same everywhere, in the absolute worst ways. To think he came this close to submitting to something like that... Ugh. ]
... no idea about the bow, but these monsters? Man-made to prey on us. Just in case we were in doubt about how much this sucks.
[ it does have a certain tang of not quite yokai qualities, doesn't it?but what does he know, that's not his specialty.
anyway. that's not important. now that he's rested for a moment, kogi finally realizes that he too has been granted a.... boon as well. actually wait..... the gold detailing on this is highly familiar actually. ]
[ kogi definitely had that the entire time and i didnt just send it to ari in the dms.
the group is kind of healed, and things seem to be quiet for now, but from deep within the temple, there's a very soft rumbling noise. your lanterns flicker simultaneously - four blue flames, then yellow again.
glory says, quietly, to nimona. There's still something in there. It's... I think it's trapped.
she looks very nervous for an owl and sticks very close. you all will get the sense you need to keep moving. ]
M...aybe...? I mean, you weren't using it anyway, right? So I guess it wouldn't hurt anything if we did.
[ in before it's made of manchineel wood or something and they throw it into the fire and have huge regrets. also he makes kind of a "that's fucked up, man" face at the experiment note.
[ He... absolutely needs the help up. Datz's shawl bandage combined with the healing grape is doing an okay job keeping the bleeding at bay, but that leg is neither looking nor feeling good. He doesn't like feeling so vulnerable, but he gives Nimona a thin smile as he rises to his feet.
Or more like. His foot, while trying to not put weight on the other leg. ]
Then we should get going. The sooner we make it back, the better.
[ watching ponta reminds him he should probably check on the state of his leg but like, there really isn't much they can do about it right now, is there? it'll be fine probably. he can still put weight on it (for now.) ]
the temple itself is fairly large. the good news is that the purple fog seems to have dissipated entirely - the monster made of shadow seems to have been the source of it. cavernous stone walls and rickety bridges cover a lot of ground, and the sound of water flowing can be heard somewhere within the temple. there's an upper floor and a lower floor. the altar where nimona found herself landing with the bow is to the left.
to the right, there is a cave painting. there's also a treasure chest! in the distance, there is a soft, pained noise that sounds like a whine, though its hard to tell if it's animal or human, somewhere down that path.
once again my octopaths, you will have to pick a...path.
kogi. actually, i lied. your leg really fucking hurts. and nimona? the bow on your back feels heavy, but not in weight. you actually feel pretty great - as light as a feather, like you could run a mile or twelve despite any injuries you have.
occasionally, your lanterns flicker - regular light, then blue. feel free to chat as you make your way through the dungeon. it's quiet, but you can hear crickets chirping, so it's less oppressive than it was before. ]
[ he watches ponta take his first few steps with a wince, then stops him before they actually set off. ]
Oof, buddy. C'mon, get on, you're taking the Datz Express 'til we get those legs fixed up.
[ squats down so he can climb onto his shoulders!! if he doesn't he's getting scooped up and bridal carried. no escape. (unfortunately he can't carry him and kogi at the same time, though, probably, so please let's stop with the leg pain.)
anyway. now they're in here, looking at the path options. hm. ]
Might be worth checking out that painting on the wall over there, ya think?
[ maybe it'll have the secret to the final boss fight or whatever's about to happen in here. ]
...Probably oughtta just leave that chest alone, though.
[ that thing's got mimic vibes. also he already has 185 gold leaves that he has no idea what he's gonna do with. ]
[she's probably still bleeding, but it's fine, it doesn't look like it bothers her at all as she makes her way down the path. she pauses, when they come to the fork in the road. she glances at datz, when they hear the pained noise.]
Yeah. And maybe check out the noise.
[she will take the bow off her back and just hold it.]
Let's do that first, and then the altar.
[and because she's not holding someone or horribly injured, she bounces off towards the right. she wants to see what the whining sound is...]
[ Ponta hesitates before actually taking the offer. Being carried on someone's back is... well, it's really uncool. His whole performance here was uncool. But as he tries to put a little more weight on his injured leg, he is forced to realize that if he has to walk for more than 20 steps, he might literally pass out from the pain. And that's... not ideal.
So onto Datz's back he goes. Which means he's strapped in to also go look at the painting. ]
[ as you approach the cave painting, datz and ponta, you'll notice it looks like this! neat.
the treasure chest is left alone :(
once you've regarded the painting, it feels like something reverberates in the temple. the world around you feels like it shifts, a little - your lanterns flare blue, one more time, and out of the blue fire come figures. familiar figures, based around one important person in your life, one scene that you so clearly remember.
these memories play in snippets. small pieces, reenacted by the sacred flame, like reminders. they are characterized by loss, and regret: they are ghosts of things that you've already lived. one by one, these short memories play out as you make your way through the dungeon, towards those whimpering, whining noises.
each of you can see each other's - they play out unstoppably, warding off the darkness of the temple through the sacred flame's guidance.
kogitsunemaru: what was a time you sought companionship? who gave it to you? who walks beside you, in your search for your way back to the city?
ponta: what was a time you sought a heartbeat? what moment or person in your life made you seek it? who walks beside you, in your search for your way back to the city?
datz: who led you to seek justice and freedom? what is your cause, your internal creed? who walks beside you, in your search for your way back to the city?
the only person who doesn't get a memory is nimona. for some reason, the blue flame in her lantern stays put, and it seems to flicker - blue, then purple. blue, then purple.
nimona - as you walk, you can see the others memories, these moments in their lives of bitterness or joy, sweetness or pain. something in you roils unhappily, and you have this sense of pressure that echoes in the back of your mind. let go. be free. let go. be free. let go. be free. chaos is all we seek. let go. be free. ]
[ datz's memory shows the figure of a man with long hair and an eyepatch on the witness stand in a courtroom, with an intimidating presence but a kind smile, his voice firm and commanding: ]
A dragon never yields. Even when wounded, a dragon bites down hard, and never lets go till its dying breath. It glares, it roars, and it latches its jaws firmly onto its prey till the bitter end. That's what lawyers do to get to the truth!
[ then the scene shifts slightly to show that same man seated on a worn-out old sofa in the dark, speaking out to the kingdom with conviction as datz stands at his side.
"at his side" is where he was always meant to be — dhurke's closest friend and right-hand man. and he's going to make it back to his side to help him see the revolution through.
a dragon never yields, nor will he rest until his revolution is complete. ]
[ (please look at the url youtube assigned that video btw i'm losing my shit) ]
[ Ponta's memory begins with just himself, standing, speaking.
"But then I met Cota. And something started to move in me again. Thanks to him I got another chance to bottle battle in a way that made my heart beat. And I think it's possible when I'm with Cota."
While the Ponta made of blue flame speaks, he stops being lonely. Behind him, various scenes take shape and melt into each other. Ponta, still in his hapless act, with a preteen boy who has the brightest smile.
"Cota isn't like other bottle battlers. He sincerely enjoys bottle battling, nothing more. Because of that he's filled with infinite possibilities. Just like I thought..."
The Ponta of memories raises his head and a gentle smile plays at his lips.
"I have to see him."
And where the Ponta of reality is confined to Datz' back, unable to move on his own, the Ponta made of flame can go and run, towards the person he has designated his personal saviour.
In the memory, this will end in disaster. But this time, this time... This time Ponta has more than one person to run to, and he doesn't want to give up. ]
[ to little surprise, kogitsunemaru's memory is a simple one, nothing more than the gentle calmness of practice in the morning. there's a presence, of course, one that takes its time to settle behind him, yet still, he continues under its gaze.
"I don't agree with your methods." he says, fondly because after the end of the day, they are the closest of friends "but I can't say you were wrong"
Companionship isn't easy for a sword, especially one who has seen the centuries come and go. But the Sanjous are the closest of the eldest for a reason and even despite it all, they have each other's back.
Even if Mikazuki thinks he can use it as a get out of chores card. ]
[she watches the memories with a sort of uneasiness that she can't figure out. it feels like last week, a little, when she was missing her ability, when she couldn't shift. something in her feels wrong, and she's having a hard time with it, pausing where she stands. she's ahead of them a little, eager to get to the noise, to find out what it is, to... try and help, despite herself. she's always tried to help.
let go. just let go.
she holds her lantern to her chest, hugging it. and she watches the memories of everybody else, watches their reasons for living, the people closest to them holding their hands out, and feels... lonely.
[ for three of you, the light of the sacred flame shines true and bright as it takes the shapes of your memories. it inspires. it brightens - it casts light through the dim dungeon in brilliance. your steps ahead are assured. the truth lies in the flame - the undeniable feeling of the fact that you’re almost there. you’ve nearly found your way back to the city, back to your friends, back to the life you want to have. you just have to hope a little longer, and move forward further in the dark.
all four of you press through the shrine towards the sound of the whimpering. and, as the ghosts of your inspiration and lights melt away, back into your lanterns, you find something curled up in a deep, dark corner of the shrine, at the very, very back. at first, it’s hard to see. but as you approach, you realize what’s facing you is... a monster.
it is huge - the creature’s protruding vertebrae nearly touch the ceiling of the temple, but unlike in the sprite, the monster is collapsed in a heap on the ground, breathing heavily. it looks badly wounded - arrows stick out of its torso, in the space between its protruding ribcage bones, and the fabric of whatever torn asunder thing it wore at some point is dirtied and bloodied, though it’s hard to tell if its human blood or something else. black shadow pours off of its figure, and it stares at you with its eerily glowing, pinkish purple eyes, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. its head is flat on the ground, and each breath it takes comes on a wheeze.
all of you, just by looking, can tell whatever this thing is - it’s miserable. dust sprinkles off of it in pieces, as if it is very slowly disintegrating, but it is so, so slow.
the creature lolls its head to stare at the group when they arrive, but it doesn’t attack. its voice is garbled, but its definitely male, and speaks the common language that you all do. ]
No longer…. trust… cannot be allowed… to exist… no longer…
[ for a moment, you swear you hear it say something else. you swear you hear its voices whisper in your ears, now more familiar, garbled, known. ]
Well done… Citrus…
Such a… pure… Kogitsunemaru…
Dragon… never yields…
[ and then, finally. the monster shudders, a full body motion that rattles the temple, shakes the ground. ]
Kill… me…
–
[ nimona. though you started ahead of the rest of the group, by the time you all reach the monster, you are a few steps behind, still holding the black bow. your injuries aren’t bothering you. your body doesn’t hurt. but something is wrong.
and you see the monster, at first, too. you hear its first phrase - you hear it beg for death - and nothing else. you hear no special voices. no friend or home guides your way. you are lost, nimona. and something whispers in the back of your mind:
what could you possibly do to help? he’s already dead.
unbeknownst to the other three, a black shadow is beginning to curl off of nimona’s body.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Y-yeah, I got both o' mine still, too...
[ he gets his own magic health fruits out and offers ponta a plum and nimona a grape... and then he'll swap them the other way around once he finds ponta's in his bag. ]
Here, take 'em!
[ and then i guess he's gonna use his dagger to rip his cool scarf in half so he can make bandages for each of them, god damn ]
One of us really shoulda picked a statue of a magic person, huh?
no subject
Probably.
[she's just going to sit down. she will not eat the grape but she puts it in her pocket for later. this is not the worst injury she has ever had - her pain tolerance is pretty high - she's just woozy from the darkness. she also is not getting closer to either of them and will scoot away if they linger.]
... What happened to you guys, did talk to the shadow lady too?
no subject
... yeah. There was... it was a woman I once knew, for me.
[ He assumes the others didn't hear Eri Hocari or else this would be really weird. ]
no subject
he stumbles his way in, looking more startled than expected. that sure was a twisty ride.
he might flop to his haunches for a moment after clawing his way through metaphorical muck for about 30 rounds but it's fine, probably. he's still breathing. give him a mo and he'll crawl over to join them ]
If you require....mine as well?
[ he's just gonna tiredly eyeball everyone while he pulls out his own share of fruits. pls take ]
I had a rather philosophical argument with a rather stubborn spirit it seemed.
no subject
the plums are
actually magic healing items.
but i will take pity on you and let you use them as a minor heal also. ♥ ]
no subject
Hey, I was wondering where you ended up!!
[ why are the old guys the least damaged!! TYING THESE SCARF SCRAPS AROUND PONTA'S LEGS I GUESS 'CAUSE WHAT ELSE ARE THEY GONNA DO...
he nods at those reports. ]
Mm... heard one of my comrades from back home in there.
[ ... ]
Oh, I got— some kinda paper too? Hang on.
[ reaches into his pocket and also takes out this! which anyone can look at if they feel alive enough to grab it from him. ]
A letter someone wrote to Temenos, I think?
no subject
anyway, oh. she will actually finally scoot over to read this letter that datz has, and then just... takes the bow off her back and looks at it.]
Um.
[is this the bow he was talking about...]
Do we have to destroy this?
no subject
... no idea about the bow, but these monsters? Man-made to prey on us. Just in case we were in doubt about how much this sucks.
no subject
[ it does have a certain tang of not quite yokai qualities, doesn't it?but what does he know, that's not his specialty.
anyway. that's not important. now that he's rested for a moment, kogi finally realizes that he too has been granted a.... boon as well. actually wait..... the gold detailing on this is highly familiar actually. ]
Ah....? Is this?
no subject
the group is kind of healed, and things seem to be quiet for now, but from deep within the temple, there's a very soft rumbling noise. your lanterns flicker simultaneously - four blue flames, then yellow again.
glory says, quietly, to nimona. There's still something in there. It's... I think it's trapped.
she looks very nervous for an owl and sticks very close. you all will get the sense you need to keep moving. ]
no subject
M...aybe...? I mean, you weren't using it anyway, right? So I guess it wouldn't hurt anything if we did.
[ in before it's made of manchineel wood or something and they throw it into the fire and have huge regrets. also he makes kind of a "that's fucked up, man" face at the experiment note.
anyway... looking to the temple with a frown. ]
Guess we oughtta head in there, huh...?
no subject
... Glory said there's something in the temple. Trapped.
[she glances over at the temple as well, and then pulls herself up to her feet.
a pause, and then she holds out her hand to ponta? if he needs help up.]
no subject
Or more like. His foot, while trying to not put weight on the other leg. ]
Then we should get going. The sooner we make it back, the better.
no subject
Aye. If we are all ready then...
[ OFF WE GOO........ ]
no subject
into the temple we go. did you want more mood music? you can have it.
the temple itself is fairly large. the good news is that the purple fog seems to have dissipated entirely - the monster made of shadow seems to have been the source of it. cavernous stone walls and rickety bridges cover a lot of ground, and the sound of water flowing can be heard somewhere within the temple. there's an upper floor and a lower floor. the altar where nimona found herself landing with the bow is to the left.
to the right, there is a cave painting. there's also a treasure chest! in the distance, there is a soft, pained noise that sounds like a whine, though its hard to tell if it's animal or human, somewhere down that path.
once again my octopaths, you will have to pick a...path.
kogi. actually, i lied. your leg really fucking hurts. and nimona? the bow on your back feels heavy, but not in weight. you actually feel pretty great - as light as a feather, like you could run a mile or twelve despite any injuries you have.
occasionally, your lanterns flicker - regular light, then blue. feel free to chat as you make your way through the dungeon. it's quiet, but you can hear crickets chirping, so it's less oppressive than it was before. ]
no subject
Oof, buddy. C'mon, get on, you're taking the Datz Express 'til we get those legs fixed up.
[ squats down so he can climb onto his shoulders!! if he doesn't he's getting scooped up and bridal carried. no escape. (unfortunately he can't carry him and kogi at the same time, though, probably, so please let's stop with the leg pain.)
anyway. now they're in here, looking at the path options. hm. ]
Might be worth checking out that painting on the wall over there, ya think?
[ maybe it'll have the secret to the final boss fight or whatever's about to happen in here. ]
...Probably oughtta just leave that chest alone, though.
[ that thing's got mimic vibes. also he already has 185 gold leaves that he has no idea what he's gonna do with. ]
no subject
Yeah. And maybe check out the noise.
[she will take the bow off her back and just hold it.]
Let's do that first, and then the altar.
[and because she's not holding someone or horribly injured, she bounces off towards the right. she wants to see what the whining sound is...]
no subject
[ Ponta hesitates before actually taking the offer. Being carried on someone's back is... well, it's really uncool. His whole performance here was uncool. But as he tries to put a little more weight on his injured leg, he is forced to realize that if he has to walk for more than 20 steps, he might literally pass out from the pain. And that's... not ideal.
So onto Datz's back he goes. Which means he's strapped in to also go look at the painting. ]
no subject
he follows after the others rather quietly, because lbr he's probably mentally tired from verbally sparring not-jiji. ]
Painting and then the noise. After you all.
no subject
the treasure chest is left alone :(
once you've regarded the painting, it feels like something reverberates in the temple. the world around you feels like it shifts, a little - your lanterns flare blue, one more time, and out of the blue fire come figures. familiar figures, based around one important person in your life, one scene that you so clearly remember.
these memories play in snippets. small pieces, reenacted by the sacred flame, like reminders. they are characterized by loss, and regret: they are ghosts of things that you've already lived. one by one, these short memories play out as you make your way through the dungeon, towards those whimpering, whining noises.
each of you can see each other's - they play out unstoppably, warding off the darkness of the temple through the sacred flame's guidance.
the only person who doesn't get a memory is nimona. for some reason, the blue flame in her lantern stays put, and it seems to flicker - blue, then purple. blue, then purple.
nimona - as you walk, you can see the others memories, these moments in their lives of bitterness or joy, sweetness or pain. something in you roils unhappily, and you have this sense of pressure that echoes in the back of your mind. let go. be free. let go. be free. let go. be free. chaos is all we seek. let go. be free. ]
no subject
A dragon never yields. Even when wounded, a dragon bites down hard, and never lets go till its dying breath. It glares, it roars, and it latches its jaws firmly onto its prey till the bitter end. That's what lawyers do to get to the truth!
[ then the scene shifts slightly to show that same man seated on a worn-out old sofa in the dark, speaking out to the kingdom with conviction as datz stands at his side.
"at his side" is where he was always meant to be — dhurke's closest friend and right-hand man. and he's going to make it back to his side to help him see the revolution through.
a dragon never yields, nor will he rest until his revolution is complete. ]
[ (please look at the url youtube assigned that video btw i'm losing my shit) ]
no subject
"But then I met Cota. And something started to move in me again. Thanks to him I got another chance to bottle battle in a way that made my heart beat. And I think it's possible when I'm with Cota."
While the Ponta made of blue flame speaks, he stops being lonely. Behind him, various scenes take shape and melt into each other. Ponta, still in his hapless act, with a preteen boy who has the brightest smile.
"Cota isn't like other bottle battlers. He sincerely enjoys bottle battling, nothing more. Because of that he's filled with infinite possibilities. Just like I thought..."
The Ponta of memories raises his head and a gentle smile plays at his lips.
"I have to see him."
And where the Ponta of reality is confined to Datz' back, unable to move on his own, the Ponta made of flame can go and run, towards the person he has designated his personal saviour.
In the memory, this will end in disaster. But this time, this time... This time Ponta has more than one person to run to, and he doesn't want to give up. ]
no subject
"I don't agree with your methods." he says, fondly because after the end of the day, they are the closest of friends "but I can't say you were wrong"
Companionship isn't easy for a sword, especially one who has seen the centuries come and go. But the Sanjous are the closest of the eldest for a reason and even despite it all, they have each other's back.
Even if Mikazuki thinks he can use it as a get out of chores card. ]
no subject
let go. just let go.
she holds her lantern to her chest, hugging it. and she watches the memories of everybody else, watches their reasons for living, the people closest to them holding their hands out, and feels... lonely.
... she keeps moving.]
no subject
all four of you press through the shrine towards the sound of the whimpering. and, as the ghosts of your inspiration and lights melt away, back into your lanterns, you find something curled up in a deep, dark corner of the shrine, at the very, very back. at first, it’s hard to see. but as you approach, you realize what’s facing you is... a monster.
it is huge - the creature’s protruding vertebrae nearly touch the ceiling of the temple, but unlike in the sprite, the monster is collapsed in a heap on the ground, breathing heavily. it looks badly wounded - arrows stick out of its torso, in the space between its protruding ribcage bones, and the fabric of whatever torn asunder thing it wore at some point is dirtied and bloodied, though it’s hard to tell if its human blood or something else. black shadow pours off of its figure, and it stares at you with its eerily glowing, pinkish purple eyes, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. its head is flat on the ground, and each breath it takes comes on a wheeze.
all of you, just by looking, can tell whatever this thing is - it’s miserable. dust sprinkles off of it in pieces, as if it is very slowly disintegrating, but it is so, so slow.
the creature lolls its head to stare at the group when they arrive, but it doesn’t attack. its voice is garbled, but its definitely male, and speaks the common language that you all do. ]
No longer…. trust… cannot be allowed… to exist… no longer…
[ for a moment, you swear you hear it say something else. you swear you hear its voices whisper in your ears, now more familiar, garbled, known. ]
Well done… Citrus…
Such a… pure… Kogitsunemaru…
Dragon… never yields…
[ and then, finally. the monster shudders, a full body motion that rattles the temple, shakes the ground. ]
Kill… me…
–
[ nimona. though you started ahead of the rest of the group, by the time you all reach the monster, you are a few steps behind, still holding the black bow. your injuries aren’t bothering you. your body doesn’t hurt. but something is wrong.
and you see the monster, at first, too. you hear its first phrase - you hear it beg for death - and nothing else. you hear no special voices. no friend or home guides your way. you are lost, nimona. and something whispers in the back of your mind:
what could you possibly do to help? he’s already dead.
unbeknownst to the other three, a black shadow is beginning to curl off of nimona’s body.
who’s already dead, nimona?
is it roi mistral?
or is it someone else? ]
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1/2
CYOA COMPLETE ⭐️ REWARDS