W5 CYOA - Zhongli, Akihiko, Laurence, Ali Zoph

[holyspirits]

aaaaaaaaaaaa

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EPISODE THREE

[holyspirits]

[ So! Zhongli and Laurence drag The Idol up to the top deck, and head towards the theater, where it looks like some random bunny girl is just being very rude to Ali and Akihiko. That's. Well. Okay! ]

Aaaand there's our real star! Come on down!

[ As you approach, a few things happen.

First: It's nighttime now! Like a switch being flipped, the sun is gone and the moon is out.

Second: More helicopter spotlights. One is shining down on each of you. Including: Chase, who steps back outside the restaurant, and Iris, who is still standing next to the restaurant VERY confused.

Third: The crowd and random girls in the audience disappears.

In fact, everyone else disappears and you are each isolated. Behind you, each others threads play out on the projector screen. But you might not want to get too distracted. ]

ZHONGLI

[holyspirits]

So you were going to leave me there, were you? You saw what this place did to Chrono, and you locked me in a cell. Was this always the kind of person you were?

[ As Lucas says this, stepping onto the stage from side, Zhongli: you find yourself at the other side before you know what happened.

He doesn't even sound accusatory. More curious. Like he doesn't know what kind of person you are. Is that because you've changed? Because he's forgotten?

He's aiming his gun at you. ]

[dijun]

[ oh.

zhongli goes very still - not like prey, caught in the headlights, but instead like a predator gauging the threat in front of it. his instinct is to pull on elemental energy, to summon his polearm and ready himself for a fight, but there isn't either of those available. his hands touch his guns, instead, bringing them around and letting the chain fall away, pooling on the ground behind him and his maid dress skirts. ]

... perhaps it is, in some ways. [ regret. so, so much regret. an old friend given sight but eroding into a fragment of himself, lashing out at allies as if they were foes, locked away to continue eroding into nothing. ] But by completing things, here, we could put an end to what's happened on this ship. What had taken you, and Chrono.

[holyspirits]

An end for who? What do you think happens to the apparitions you leave behind? You think they rest in peace the moment you leave?

[dijun]

[ great questions!

he doesn't like the possible answers to any of them! he wants to believe that by ending this scenario, they would be freed - if they were truly here, they would be able to fetch them so that they could return with laurence back to the living as the three of them that had died limped back to the other side. if they're apparitions... they would simply fade.

wouldn't they? ]

Would you have had me sit in the cell and wait for my own self to be overtaken by the powers in play, here? Unable to help free anyone from whatever thrall that befell you?

There are no apologies that I can offer that would appease you, Lucas. I doubt even saying that I would return for you, when all was said and done, would convince you.

[holyspirits]

[ if they're apparitions... they would simply fade. wouldn't they?

I don't know. Wouldn't they? ]

So little faith in your friends to rescue you. You have allies on your side, Zhongli. Not all of us do.

[ And he looks at you for a moment. Not even you are his ally.

He stops hesitating and begins to fire as he approaches. It's time for a shootout. ]

[dijun]

[ WOULD THEY?????

well. he can't say he's surprised by this. but, much like the dungeon in the bottom of this stupid ship, zhongli will power through the bullets as they're fired upon him. it hurts, yes. but he will use it to get closer to lucas as he returns fire. i did not roll well even with advantage on this. it is probably slow going especially since he has to raise his voice to call back to him. ]

You do, Lucas - you have everyone still living, and those that watch over you from the other side. You have your sister waiting for you to make it through judgement day.

ALI

[holyspirits]

Your kids a murderer, but maybe life doesn't mean as much to someone like you. Come on. You can't be part of the show from up there. Lets stop playing on the sidelines now and actually get involved. Don't you want to play Slay the Dragon? Let's treat your life with as much care as he treated Majima's.

[ She says this, and Ali: you find yourself on stage in the blink of an eye.

Also on stage: Chase! He still has his gun strapped to his back, because why wouldn't he. The bunny girl's words have him very on edge, and he pulls the gun out. Time to go on the offensive!

He's lining up a shot. What do you do? ]

[smokeandglasses]

[Wow this is a thousand kinds of unfair and rude and he has a bone to pick with this girl.]

Oh come on, how can it be 'slay the dragon' if I can't even turn into a dragon?

[Chance might have a gun pulled but Ali is just looking directly at him.]

I know I don't look like it right now, but I actually am your father. This isn't about you versus me, it's us versus the problem. And the problem is over there right now, so let's work together.

[holyspirits]

You are still you, aren't you? Or do you think your form negates what you are? Is it the form or the memories that matter? Do you think that this isn't Chase just because he doesn't know you?

[ Because... He doesn't!

I'm not embedding icons for Chase anymore because I only had the two and those are no longer the vibe. But a complete stranger giving the I Am Your Father speech shockingly doesn't... sway him... ]

I think the problem is a cheapskate who tried to dine and dash, then climbed on the roof and started shooting the entertainment.

[smokeandglasses]

[Somehow this, after weeks of living like a pleb in heaven, is what sets off a rant.]

I make a good income working for the government! And I invest it wisely so that you and your sister never have to worry about not having food or being homeless! I worked my ass off raising my kids right! And then this shitty place fucks up one of the few good things I've ever done in my life!

[He's turning on the announcer and shooting at her now.]

And I don't care if he can't remember me or if this is some alternate version of Chance! He's still my son!

[holyspirits]

[ The bullet hits her in the shoulder and blood starts to trickle down her arm. She doesn't say anything!

Chance believes you've just shot his coworker though, and so he opens fire! You're going to need to fight back or run. Unless you've got a third option in mind. ]

[smokeandglasses]

[Yeah, he just lets the bullets hit them. And even as he flinches from the pain, he smiles.]

I already died twice. You can't kill me in any way that matters.

[He is only this calm about it because he already saw that getting shot isn't that big of a deal in this world.

And he just. Starts walking towards the announcer. Or shuffling, as it may be, depending on how badly he gets shot up by Chance.]

LAURENCE

[holyspirits]

It's pretty bad form to accept a deal and not deliver. Sorry about this.

[ Hu Tao speaks up from the lone occupied seat in the audience. Why do you have the Hu Tao cr here. Okay. It's fine. Zhongli's kind of got the Chrono cr so I guess it balances out somehow.

Anyway, Laurence finds himself on stage! Predictably, he's not alone.

Iris is here too. He's holding his gun but looks unsure. He isn't aiming it at you. ]

[outdistanced]

[ laurence freezes the second the spotlight lands on him, and then startles again upon suddenly finding himself on stage. ]

...Huh? What?

[ then his eyes settle on iris, and he takes a step back. ]

No. No! [ turning viciously on hu tao. ] I'm not doing this. You said it didn't even need to be me!

[holyspirits]

[ Hu Tao is gone now!!!!! It's just you and Iris on the stage. ]

What was she talking about? What deal?

[outdistanced]

[ hhhh ]

...Nothing. We've got to find a way out of here. Help me look.

[ is there a curtain he's going to try to find a way out backstage ]

[holyspirits]

No. You owe me an explanation. What is going on? What deal? Why did you ghost us?

[ Iris is still pissed about their BOAT that you guys absconded with!!!!

He is not following Laurence's lead on this one and is starting to look antsy with his gun. Gun fights... are not a big deal, after all. It's how you resolve a lot of arguments.

But Laurence can look behind the stage. It's not really curtained because it's a big projector, but he can just walk off stage and circle around. There's a little bit of empty space... Wires... A little bit of storage... A privacy curtain so the entertainment can do quick costume changes. ]

[outdistanced]

What do you mean, ghost you? We were going to bring the boat back right after we finished here. We only just got here today.

[ sir did not pay attention to the texts because he was roughhousing the idol. whoopsie.

anyway if there's no one here what's stopping him from leaving. can they just hit da bricks. ]

AKIHIKO

[holyspirits]

And you've already put on your show, haven't you? So let's just watch. Is that what it feels like when you make horrible, cruel choices? Like you're just watching someone else do it? Is that why you tried to pretend that you were afflicted?

[ The bunny girl asks this from where she is very suddenly seated in the otherwise empty audience. And Akihiko, you are sitting next to her. Watching the others scenarios play out with no distractions. ]

[ziosar]

[Akihiko suddenly finds himself at the audience, seated like he's here to watch a show. Oh hell no, is his immediate thought! Glancing at this girl, Akihiko bolts up to try to run towards the stage! He has no idea yet what he'll do, but sitting to a side isn't it!

Can he even do that?

Probably not!]

[holyspirits]

[ Sure, he can run up onto the stage!

He's on the stage now!

... Welp!!!! ]

[ziosar]

[I have to be honest I didn't think that'd work]

[ziosar]

[But he's here! Wow! Almost as if by instinct, he draws his pistol, watching between everyone. Ray has Iris, and Ali has Chance, Zhongli has Lucas...but if he got here in time to catch what's being said, what Lucas says is the closest to what that girl was doing to Akihiko, he thinks, trying to get under his skin -- and going to be successful at it the longer it goes

So he decides to try to get closer to that one]

[holyspirits]

[ These are images on a projector so he can get as close as he wants! Close enough to touch the cloth, even. ]