holyspirits | W5 CYOA - Zhongli, Akihiko, Laurence, Ali Zoph

[ zhongli doesn't want to hurt anyone if there's another choice. especially not someone that he cares for and misses, on the other side, and who has really done nothing to earn his wrath. but he has to find laurence, and he has to make sure that the four of them can all get out of this as safely as possible, with as little issue as possible.

for a second, he just looks a bit sadly at lucas - but just a second. trying to figure out if this is really him, or if this is a figment to be used against him, or what, exactly, this scenario has done in this moment.

and he sighs, softly. like he is resigning himself to being detained.

but then he just rears back to slug lucas, following through with the momentum of the punch to push, shove, so that he can lock him in the cell. ]

[ With your strong, powerful 18 against my weak baby 4, this very much works for Zhongli. He punches Lucas who is so completely unprepared for that to happen that he can't dodge. He's still reeling from shock more than pain when Zhongli shoves him into the cell and slams it shut. It locks automatically. ]

So this is how it is?

It'll be some time before I forget this betrayal.

[ So. There aren't really any other prisoners but there are still two problems here.

1. There is that sleepy guard you passed, and the sound of the cell slamming definitely woke her up! She starts firing at you with good accuracy. But this is Blue Archive so these bullets don't quite... penetrate the way they should? They hurt, and they even break skin. When they graze you it's still like a slice, but when they hit you head on it feels more like getting punched real hard.

2. Lucas ALSO still has his gun. He is ALSO shooting at you between the prison cell bars. His aim is worse, though being pelted from two directions probably isn't great regardless.

What do? ]

I hoped to see you again in better circumstances, but I'm afraid that I can't stay here - especially in a fair fight. [ he's seen what lucas can do when he's dying, he's not exactly keen on fighting him on equal ground. ] Forgive me, my dear friend.

[ HOPEFULLY HE'S NOT REALLY LUCAS (he isn't, but this is going to linger with him in regret for a hot minute)

he spins on his heel to make it back towards the entrance they passed through, knowing that there's unfortunately a guard here still and also. lucas shooting his gun a whole lot at him. but his priority is getting out, so the guard is his priority. bringing one gun around, he continues his march towards her despite the hail of bullets that keeps raining down on him, and he fires on her in return. lucas can fire at him that's fine he's in gay baby jail.

terminator walks at you what do you do ]

[ SHE KEEPS SHOOTING????

But then actually stops for a second because this is terrifying. she makes a grab for the walkie talkie at her hip! ]

[ WELL WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!

idk how this 13 is going to work out but he is going to lunge at her. no talkie! no backup! ]

[ NO SHE IS VERY MUCH NAT 20 CALLING FOR BACKUP ]

Trouble in the prison cell! I need backup! We've got a troublemaker—Help! HELP!!!!

[ However that nat 20 was just for making the call. Zhongli did still lunge at her! She gets her message out, but he knocks the walkie away right after. It slides across the floor and you hear voices on the other side going WHAT?? WHAT?????? GIRL I'M ON LUNCH

but probably they will still show up eventually.

You've got her pinned and she can't shoot anymore! Now what?

Oh also your phone is ringing. ]

Edited 2025-03-19 17:40 (UTC)

[ stares into the void

he's going to grab the walkie talkie and whack her in the temple with the butt of it. goodnight, hopefully.

and then he's going to fucking LEAAAAAVE. is there a lock on the door to the dungeon that he can shoot to maybe jam it? he'll do that if there is but either way he's going to make his way back the way he came, brisk but not running in case he comes across anyone, while turning down the volume on the walkie talkie. mine now.

everything happens so much ANSWERS HIS PHONE? ] Hello?

Edited 2025-03-19 17:44 (UTC)

[ SHE'S WEARING A HELMET but I rolled a 2 so somehow this works anyway. Just because you're immune to bullets doesn't mean a good smack to the side of the head won't put you down for the count. Also she's still freaked from him terminator walking at her, so maybe she's just playing dead.

It's not her fault everyone else left her alone to go get lunch! He turns the volume down but still hears some very annoyed sounding teenage girl voices going UGHHH OKAYYYYYYYY... We'll be there in a sec. Who're we looking out for? What does she look like?

But yes his phone is ringing also. He's heading down the hall, past rows of crew rooms. I will be kind and not have him take his call right outside of Security. ]

[ GIRL I WOULD BE AFRAID ALSO IN THIS SITUATION

do any of the crew rooms look empty? can he duck into an empty one to answer his phone and maybe change into the maid fit to be slightly harder to re-identify maybe? ]

[ Zhongli opens a door and it's empty. Why is it unlocked. Because that's more fun. All the crew are busy working since it's business hours!

He may answer his phone and change. ]

[ sorry to say that as soon as zhongli answers he's getting yelled at ]

Where the hell'd you go?!

[ holds the phone slightly away from his ear, when he yells, before nestling it in his shoulder as he works on getting changed and cleaned up from getting PELTED WITH BULLETS. ]

Chrono managed to get away from me and hit an alarm, I believe, and Lucas collected me as part of the security staff. Fortunately, I was able to get away and I'm now in the lowest level, where the crew quarters are, and changing into the maid uniform.

Are you safe? Are you still upstairs at the casino?

Why would he do that? [ what the fuck, chrono. also - ] And Lucas is here, too?

[ why are you changing help help ]

I'm fine. Just by the elevators. That Director Hu said... [ hesitates, and drops his voice a little so no one can overhear. ] ...She wants us to do a job for her.

I do not think that he was in his right mind, to be honest with you, especially if he's been here for a long time. Long enough to forget that there's anything outside of this ship. Lucas said that we are meant to stay here forever, when we were speaking in the casino.

[ which he does not! want to be doing! ]

... I see. Director Hu always has very interesting jobs, back home, but I suspect this will not be a good one if she has also been assimilated into this domain.

[ rustle rustle ]

...Then we need to find him get him out, too, somehow.

[ god. ]

Does that mean Lucas was assimilated, too?

I can tell you what she asked when you get back here, just... [ pleading. ] Hurry up, please.

... it seems to be the case, if it is truly them. [ he does not say that he left lucas in gay baby jail, and if he gets out he's not going to be too happy to see zhongli again.

especially when laurence pleads like that. he pauses, before hurrying to finish changing and stash his original clothes and the bag in some corner of the room he's in. goodbye. ]

I am on the way. Stay where you are. [ tucking the walkie talkie into his apron and just gonna. exit the room like he belongs here! yeah! ]

[ Zhongli is successfully a beautiful maid! Lucas is still in gay baby jail. And Laurence is sad and alone. YIPPEE.

He exits the room and the walkie goes off again: ]

WHO. ARE. WE LOOKING FOR!!!! Oh my God. This is why no one wants to bring you when we go grab lunch!

[ Gonna deal with that? Also, where are you headed? ]

[ pauses. thinks about it.

pulls the walkie talkie up and clears his throat before turning it on and speaking in a falsetto. ]

Grey hair, teal eyes, and green halo. She might be trying to impersonate the new high roller.

[ OK THEY BELIEVE YOU!!! ]

Woah, that sounds bad! Okay, we're on our way. Also we forgot to grab you anything so I hope you weren't hungry.

[ They go quiet and you continue on. It's just more staterooms, the Security Room that you're coming up on, more rooms after that, and then the elevators! Which you see open up with a ding and a bunch of girls who look identical to the girl back in the dungeon come rushing through.

They give you a little nod because you are clearly just a maid, and continue their rush to the prison to see what's happened. ]

[ walkie talkie volume turned off again, now that apparently they just BELIEVE HIM? he puts it in his apron with his phone and folds his hands in front of himself like a demure, diligent maid. he gives the girls a nod in return, smile mild, and steps out of the way of them so that they can make their way down the hall by him.

if he peeks into the security room while he does this, what's in there? ]

[ Listen that's a big spender! And the gossip on the ship is that some broke bitch girls were trying to use The Idol's name to get free food earlier, so there's precedent!!!

The girls rush past him and are gone for now. farewell.

He peeks into the security room. There are... Two more girls who look identical to all the other helmet girls. They're watching the screens as countless viewpoints of the ship flicker. Wow, you could probably find anything you want from in here!!! Neato!!!!

One of them glances up. ]

Oh, hey. What up?

[ hm, interesting. ]

I just wanted to check in and make sure there wasn't anything you all needed, while I was down here. [ pleasant, looking at the girls and not the screens even if he wants to. ] Any trash needing taken out, or any food you would like me to bring down to you, here in a bit.

Woah, we get delivery and cleaning services? I thought that was reserved for the guests!

I could really go for a burger. There's this clique of girls that work down the hall and they never want to pick up lunch for anyone else even though they're going back and forth anyway.

[ ok.

ANYWAY TWO SECONDS LATER, MULTIPLE GIRLS COME CROWDING IN THROUGH THE DOORWAY. THEY ALL LOOK IDENTICAL. ]

There's a delinquent on the loose! We got called to the prison cell but she's already gone. Move aside, we need to find out where she is!

Word is she's impersonating The Idol. Let us see the screens!

[ these girls just RUDELY shove aside the poor hungry girl and start flipping through camera feeds themselves. ]

[ ok. he'd be more sympathetic towards this poor girl if not for the fact he has shit to be doing. but he startles a little and steps out of the way of the brigade of girls.

... actually this might work out in his advantage? he just can't stick around long in case there are cameras in the prison that caught what happened. ]

Oh, dear. Where was The Idol last? I hope that such a terrible delinquent hasn't already reached her...

[ OK THEY BELIEVE YOU ]

Think they were in the casino. No, wait. Havin' lunch? They've got so much money to spread around that they've been hittin' everywhere up!

I thought The Idol was exaggerating when they said someone was after 'em... But maybe not. I mean, who'd go around impersonating another person?!

[ They flick through the feeds... And seem to hone in on someone. ]

There! Probably going to their room to get changed for the show later... If that's really them. How do we know if that's them or the impersonator? Oh God, we'd better keep looking.

[ Yippee. YOU, unlike these helpless idiots, know that there IS no impersonator.

You can make out the shape of their halo on the screen as the girls point and jab, annoyingly covering up most of the other visual details about The Idol. But you can tell that they are currently on the Promenade deck, about to take an elevator down. According to these girls, probably to a stateroom? Either way, they're on the move. ]

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