[And then, after presumably bleeding all over the stairs, they find themselves standing on the sixth floor landing. There is a large, wooden door in front of them. Oppressive stone walls to the left and right. Behind them, they hear the crackling of fire and see the orange hues of the flames on the floor below.
The fire will, unfortunately, continue to spread. All they can do is hope that the castle will not cave in on itself until they've finished the job.
[ aw nothing says home like oppressive stone walls!!!
taair makes sure everyone's rushing to the door - moving them carefully, making sure no one is immediately in danger of passing out just in case, unable to stop being Like This at any time, but once we're up the landing, he leans against the door to listen for sounds over the fire...?
or maybe he just leans against it because he is also poisoned probably and lacking blood in his body and is so exhausted that he just needs to lean against the door for a second.
okay. is it open. is there a doorknob. can we just like. open it. ]
[ Adolphe has calmed down drastically after whatever the fuck that was before, though he's still in a daze. His walk up the stairs helped with that probably. Walkies? Actually helping mental health? Hateful.
He still helps Hawke up the stairs because stairs are a grueling task no matter what universe you're in. When Taair leans against the door, Adolphe just. Scruffs him. And then tosses him onto his own shoulder. ]
[ you're a pal, adolphe. some part of him feels weird about it but it's fine! it's absolutely not important.
he's probably a little roasted on top of literally everything else so wowee, is he feeling it now. may this whole place simply blow up so he doesn't have to think about trying to get down, amen 🙏
taair getting potato sacked at least gets a tired snort out of him but now it's turn to lean against the wall before he falls over and rolls right back down the stairs. ]
[sort of an exasperated glance at Adolphe the extremely injured taking Taair the also injured but significantly less bloodlossed over his shoulder. He'll assume Hawke-helping duty then. Ladies and gentleman the room is in shambles.
Richie will hobble them both to the door. What is the situation. please don't be locked. He does not wish to have to grenade this.]
It opens easily with a simple push, and the group will find themselves entering a dimly lit room.
But before their eyes can adjust to the change in lighting enough to pick out any significant details, I am throwing you into the fray once more. A shadowy figure suddenly comes running at them with a blade, fully intent on stabbing Richie since he's the one who opened the door. Think fast!]
[ Well. Okay. Taair is allowed to be freed, because Adolphe takes out a flint stone and pitches it at the target's sword to try and knock it off course. (15) do not stab the healthiest man in the room rn ]
[ he might be down an eye, full of arrows, and still somewhat hallucinating, but hawke's reflexes are still sharp as ever. he immediately yanks richie back with a nat 20, babey ]
Adolphe flings one of the flint stones at the figure, knocking what they can now see is a kitchen knife off course. Then Hawke yanks Richie out of the way, Richie slashes across the figure's chest with his wakizashi, and the figure is totally unable to stop themselves before they take a tumble down the stairs face first, knife and hands pinned under their chest when they hit the ground.
There's a pained gasp and a wet gurgle as they slide down a couple of steps, before coming to a stop. Twitching and gasping, with is a bloody smear left on the stairs in their wake.
Now that they're out of the room, the crew can plainly see that their assailant is a black haired woman dressed in a plain white kimono. Oops.]
well... she had a kitchen knife... but can you even blame them at this point? it makes taair's already hurting heart lurch as he gets his footing, and he watches the body of the woman twitching and gasping -
... there's a moment where it looks like he's going to run down the stairs to her, actually, if she's still moving, but one of the others can stop what is absolutely dumbass behavior if they want to. ]
[ Adolphe looks down at the fallen person, grabs Taair by the arm, and just walks into the room with his katana out and ready. Yes, he's dragging him. Don't do that. ]
Okay you three can hobble on in, Richie will unwind himself from Hawke for the moment.]
Give me a sec.
[And he'll hop on down to check who the fuck this lone woman armed with only a kitchen knife is? As well as if she is alive or dead. Doing so from outside arm's reach.]
[The woman is still moving, yes. Though her movements grow weaker by the second. Perhaps Taair could have saved her if rushed to her side, but it seems like that won't be happening. Richie can check up on her with his zero medical skills, and I guess he's flipping her over with his foot and skittering back.
First thing's first: There is a knife lodged in her chest. Red is rapidly spreading across the front of her previously white kimono. The woman makes no moves to attack him, her brown eyes simply swiveling to the left to stare at him — before she lets out one, last rattling breath and goes limp.
He doesn't recognize this woman. But there is something vaguely familiar about her features. In the contours of her face, perhaps. High cheekbones and gaunt faced. Her brown eyes stare up at him, unseeing, pupils blown wide with the shock of death.
Back in the room, Taair, Adolphe and Hawke's eyes adjust enough for them to take in their surroundings. They find themselves in what appears to be a bedroom with large, glass windows overlooking the sea. Furniture lines the walls, with two rolled up futons in one corner and a random... thing. Next to the rolled up mats, about waist height with Hawke and covered in a white linen sheet. Those last three things are situated in the far left corner of the room.
But before they can investigate, they hear a muffled startled gasp and a whimper from somewhere to their right, its source obscured by the furniture.]
it's fine. wracked with guilt as richie goes rushing down and he's pulled into the room, taair swallows hard - adolphe is valid to have his katana out, but the second he hears the whimper, taair immediately holds out his arm.
if this is a monster, it's fine. it doesn't sound like one, it sounds like a child, and he pushes forward. ]
...Little one? [ he calls out, soft, stepping out from in front of the other two. he looks like a mess, covered in viscera and blood and burns and everything, but his voice is as soft and gentle as it always is, as he starts to move, slowly, towards the sound. ]
It's alright. We mean you no harm...
[ AS IF WE HAVE NOT HURT SO MANY PEOPLE ON ACCIDENT..... maybe this time it will be different... ]
[ well that's not good. so much for his nat 20 doing them a favor???
hawke avoids the Thing like the black plague and simply eyeballs it while taair plays animal (...child....?) whisperer. there better not be another nother body hiding so help him ]
[This face is pulling at him. Never met the woman, he's sure of it, but...something about it. Richie's watched plenty of people die by now but once in a while there's a death that gets you. Seeing that last gasp for breath puts his ragged lungs in a bitter squeeze.
Maybe Sandy was right. He isn't worth shit at all.
His head snaps up at the sound though. Not coming to him as clean as it does the other three, but alarming enough.
He thinks, suddenly, of the skeletons below. Richie wets his lips. Looks back to the dead woman one last time and slowly ascends the steps, feeling a mounting dread.]
[Very funny of Taair to assume it's a child, especially once he catches a glimpse of the person tucked behind a dresser. This is a grown ass woman, sir. Though no one they recognize. Is it so strange for her to whimper after watching three armed men take another woman down right in front of her? Mind you, the gang is still covered in blood and viscera. They are one hell of a terrifying sight.
She scrambles back, holding an arm out protectively over face.]
Please, spare me! I'm just a maid! A maid! I have nothing to do with this!
[ AH WELL LISTEN ONCE HE SAW HER HE WASN'T GONNA THINK IT WAS A BABY but
okay he feels a little relieved that she is not a child, but the moment that she scrambles back, taair draws back a bit, just as startled, and sincerely, immediately apologizes. ]
Oh --! Oh, miss, I am so sorry - I did not mean to give you such a fright! [ he also immediately reels back a little (wobbles because man is he dizzy) and holds up both hands. ] Please, do not fret, we mean you no harm... I know how this looks, but, ah...
... there is, a fire, however! So... it would be best to evacuate quickly.
[ While Taair does that, Adolphe looks around the room. Is there anything that stands out here that could clue him in? This doesn't feel like a room that "belongs to a demon". He wipes blood from his good eye and tries to think despite being severely mentally damaged right now. ]
[ honestly, the chances of hawke just slowly sinking to the floor is raising by the minute despite the fact the bottom floor(s) are now on fire and they're probably on a bit of a time crunch. it's fine.
besides it feels weird to loot the room while the poor lady is already losing it over the four of them? he's got some manners, maybe ]
[Richie ascends the stairs. Takes in the sight, the sound of her pleas. Glances over to the other three and sees Hawke is on very borrowed time. Strolling closer, keeping his voice low for calm.]
We were sent here to take care of a demon. That's all we came for. Can you point us to it? We won't hurt you.
[Unlike your mistress back there.
His gut twists again. Something's off about all this.]
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holyspirits) wrote2025-03-23 03:12 pm
> SIXTH FLOOR
The fire will, unfortunately, continue to spread. All they can do is hope that the castle will not cave in on itself until they've finished the job.
How will they approach this door?]
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taair makes sure everyone's rushing to the door - moving them carefully, making sure no one is immediately in danger of passing out just in case, unable to stop being Like This at any time, but once we're up the landing, he leans against the door to listen for sounds over the fire...?
or maybe he just leans against it because he is also poisoned probably and lacking blood in his body and is so exhausted that he just needs to lean against the door for a second.
okay. is it open. is there a doorknob. can we just like. open it. ]
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He still helps Hawke up the stairs because stairs are a grueling task no matter what universe you're in. When Taair leans against the door, Adolphe just. Scruffs him. And then tosses him onto his own shoulder. ]
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he's probably a little roasted on top of literally everything else so wowee, is he feeling it now. may this whole place simply blow up so he doesn't have to think about trying to get down, amen 🙏
taair getting potato sacked at least gets a tired snort out of him but now it's turn to lean against the wall before he falls over and rolls right back down the stairs. ]
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Richie will hobble them both to the door. What is the situation. please don't be locked. He does not wish to have to grenade this.]
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It opens easily with a simple push, and the group will find themselves entering a dimly lit room.
But before their eyes can adjust to the change in lighting enough to pick out any significant details, I am throwing you into the fray once more. A shadowy figure suddenly comes running at them with a blade, fully intent on stabbing Richie since he's the one who opened the door. Think fast!]
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STARTS TRYING TO GET FREE ]
Richie!
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Adolphe flings one of the flint stones at the figure, knocking what they can now see is a kitchen knife off course. Then Hawke yanks Richie out of the way, Richie slashes across the figure's chest with his wakizashi, and the figure is totally unable to stop themselves before they take a tumble down the stairs face first, knife and hands pinned under their chest when they hit the ground.
There's a pained gasp and a wet gurgle as they slide down a couple of steps, before coming to a stop. Twitching and gasping, with is a bloody smear left on the stairs in their wake.
Now that they're out of the room, the crew can plainly see that their assailant is a black haired woman dressed in a plain white kimono. Oops.]
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well... she had a kitchen knife... but can you even blame them at this point? it makes taair's already hurting heart lurch as he gets his footing, and he watches the body of the woman twitching and gasping -
... there's a moment where it looks like he's going to run down the stairs to her, actually, if she's still moving, but one of the others can stop what is absolutely dumbass behavior if they want to. ]
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he'd have to go through hawke anyway and the chances of that are high but not zero. uses his bulk to simply waddle everyone into the room ]
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Okay you three can hobble on in, Richie will unwind himself from Hawke for the moment.]
Give me a sec.
[And he'll hop on down to check who the fuck this lone woman armed with only a kitchen knife is? As well as if she is alive or dead. Doing so from outside arm's reach.]
Hello, hello?
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First thing's first: There is a knife lodged in her chest. Red is rapidly spreading across the front of her previously white kimono. The woman makes no moves to attack him, her brown eyes simply swiveling to the left to stare at him — before she lets out one, last rattling breath and goes limp.
He doesn't recognize this woman. But there is something vaguely familiar about her features. In the contours of her face, perhaps. High cheekbones and gaunt faced. Her brown eyes stare up at him, unseeing, pupils blown wide with the shock of death.
Back in the room, Taair, Adolphe and Hawke's eyes adjust enough for them to take in their surroundings. They find themselves in what appears to be a bedroom with large, glass windows overlooking the sea. Furniture lines the walls, with two rolled up futons in one corner and a random... thing. Next to the rolled up mats, about waist height with Hawke and covered in a white linen sheet. Those last three things are situated in the far left corner of the room.
But before they can investigate, they hear a muffled startled gasp and a whimper from somewhere to their right, its source obscured by the furniture.]
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it's fine. wracked with guilt as richie goes rushing down and he's pulled into the room, taair swallows hard - adolphe is valid to have his katana out, but the second he hears the whimper, taair immediately holds out his arm.
if this is a monster, it's fine. it doesn't sound like one, it sounds like a child, and he pushes forward. ]
...Little one? [ he calls out, soft, stepping out from in front of the other two. he looks like a mess, covered in viscera and blood and burns and everything, but his voice is as soft and gentle as it always is, as he starts to move, slowly, towards the sound. ]
It's alright. We mean you no harm...
[ AS IF WE HAVE NOT HURT SO MANY PEOPLE ON ACCIDENT..... maybe this time it will be different... ]
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..............
He really doesn't like the implications set in here. ]
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hawke avoids the Thing like the black plague and simply eyeballs it while taair plays animal (...child....?) whisperer. there better not be another nother body hiding so help him ]
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Maybe Sandy was right. He isn't worth shit at all.
His head snaps up at the sound though. Not coming to him as clean as it does the other three, but alarming enough.
He thinks, suddenly, of the skeletons below. Richie wets his lips. Looks back to the dead woman one last time and slowly ascends the steps, feeling a mounting dread.]
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She scrambles back, holding an arm out protectively over face.]
Please, spare me! I'm just a maid! A maid! I have nothing to do with this!
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okay he feels a little relieved that she is not a child, but the moment that she scrambles back, taair draws back a bit, just as startled, and sincerely, immediately apologizes. ]
Oh --! Oh, miss, I am so sorry - I did not mean to give you such a fright! [ he also immediately reels back a little (wobbles because man is he dizzy) and holds up both hands. ] Please, do not fret, we mean you no harm... I know how this looks, but, ah...
... there is, a fire, however! So... it would be best to evacuate quickly.
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besides it feels weird to loot the room while the poor lady is already losing it over the four of them? he's got some manners, maybe ]
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We were sent here to take care of a demon. That's all we came for. Can you point us to it? We won't hurt you.
[Unlike your mistress back there.
His gut twists again. Something's off about all this.]
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cw RACISM......................
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