[With all of them inside, the door closes behind them and they're thrown into darkness. Dimitri won't find a light switch, but perhaps that's alright. Almost instantly, three spotlights shine down from the ceiling, their soft golden glow encompassing the area around them.
It appears to be a stage, and if they look behind them there's something similar to a void there. The music grows a bit louder, and with the extra light they'll see a large field of flowers before them. Petals float in the wind, surrounding the three of them and giving them a sense of calm peace. The floor beneath them as they step sounds a bit hollow, however, as if it's wood. But the room seems to stretch ahead of them and there's the sound of two young children laughing that can be heard from above the music.
There seems to be two paths they can choose as well. They may go to the left, or they may go to the right. Likewise, they could ignore them both and venture ahead into the flower fields.]
[ What an unusual space... Even if he's surprised by the noise behind them, the petals swirl comfortingly around them. It'd be easy to let their guard down, if they're not careful.
also please do not leave decisions up to dimitri's rng oh my god ]
We have three paths, but I think we should stick together for now. [ he and asch take a different tack to these things, apparently. ] Perhaps we start from the left path and work our way from there? Or we could follow the voices...
[ He's concerned why he hears children here and would ordinarily rush that way, but these places play tricks on the senses. ]
[Dimitri begins to walk toward the left, but as they go the flowers swirl around them, swaddling them in their warmth and lovely scent. They spiral, corralling them closer together and as the lights shift the field opens up wider to reveal two figures in the distance. A young girl with fair-colored hair sits with her back toward them beside her is a young boy with long red hair. They seem oblivious to the three of them, working on something together with their heads bowed and close to one another. The petals in the wind around them are a soft pink color, and the sound of the girl's laughter echoes across the field.]
he was never good at it. she'd tried to teach him, but for all his tutelage, it didn't seem to stick. but every time, every broken chain, she'd reach in, and like magic, fix it for him.
maybe he'd never learned on purposeājust to keep her doing it.
like a moth to a flame, his feet move unconsciously, stepping away from the others, moving closer.]
[don't split up, she'd said - but with dimitri heading for the left, and asch heading for the field, she's not sure what to do. she reaches out - one hand going to catch dimitri's sleeve, the other heading for asch's.
they'll both be treated to a healthy dose of intense worry, there.]
[ The flowers are intent to grab their attention, and Dimitri can't help but frown slightly as the petals flutter around them, insistent. It's not threatening, but it's not right, either.
Both the tug on his sleeve and Flayn's worries bleeding into his have him turning, casting her a concerned look before stepping after Asch too, reaching for his other arm. Between him and Flayn both, there's enough apprehension to go around, caution rising through him.
[Strangely, the hollow sounds beneath their feet continues to echo, and there's a light swell of violins kicking in as Asch begins to walk and their worry begins to seep through to him. The petals seem to push them ahead, nudging them forward as if to encourage them to walk into the field. The lights shift, casting a glow on the two children ahead and singling out Asch. A path is lit before him to allow him to walk ahead, and soon he'll hear a voice that's not quite his own respond.]
"You do it then." [A small, clumsily-made chain of flowers is pushed into the girl's hands as the boy folds his arms over his chest, glaring at the flowers themselves. The grass beneath Asch, Flayn and Dimitri begins to gently brush over their shoes, swaying in the wind and the light focuses on the girl and on Asch. She scowls at the boy, hands quickly fixing the mess he's made to create a solid chain of flowers.]
[he can hear them. feel their concern, worry, soaking into him as they try to pull him backāeven knowing it's not real, knowing in his heart it can't be--
a backsurge of lonliness, longing, yearning for a simpler time rushes into Dimitri and Flayn, drowning the worry with the memory of a love so simple, straightforward, and pure, that he just can't look away, even with the knowledge it's a trick, a trap laid just for him.
he's never been good at avoiding his feelings.
Asch steps forward again, towards the duo in the soft grass, knowing just what she'll do with the chain next. his voice, a strained whisper, says her name like a prayer.]
All of them know it's a trap, but - aren't they already ensnared in it? She lets go of his sleeve, but the longing lingers for a few seconds, and despite herself, she takes a few steps after him.
She should grab his arm and pull him away, she knows -
[ The music rises with them, as does the strange hollow to their steps, and he knows something is wrong. That acknowledgment, the sense of dread, it moves through them too—but so does Asch's love for this simpler time when he still owned his life. Or maybe it's for the girl he's with.
Maybe both. It's enough that his heart aches after it, his hand tightening on Asch's forearm. He knows he has to let go—there's no way he can run them all off while Asch's feelings bleed into him—but for a moment his heart sways for longer than his mind does.
He at least tries to dig his heels in, but he's not stepping back. His voice loses some of its conviction. ]
[There's a slow addition of wind instruments mixed into the sound playing around them, and if they look back the darkness seems to have followed them so the only light shed is from the spotlights. Asch approaches, and when he says her name Natalia turns to tilt her head and look up at him. The flower chain rests in her hands and she gives him a wide-eyed stare. The boy next to her, that replica, frowns in thought but doesn't speak again. The light around her has a soft red hue to it, glowing like the sunset and she holds the chain up for Asch to take.]
"Ready to try again?" [There's kindness in her eyes and her expression, attention focused on Asch for the moment as the chain rests against her palms, almost swaying tantalizingly in the breeze.] "Don't get frustrated."
[with one hand free, he's balanced enough to lean, then kneel down in the grass beside the minute Natalia, all attention focused on her. he can barely breath, as he reaches out to carefully, so carefully, take the chain from her hands.
it's happiness. it's contentment. it's everything he wants, ever wanted, everything he can never have. he can't look away.
[...it's no use, is it? Flayn's voice is low and urgent. There is something terribly wrong here - this memory, because it has to be a memory (or at least be born from one), seems so pleasant, but she remembers the last time she was in a place she thought she remembered.
She grips her staff tightly. If this does turn nasty - she's just going to do her best to defend them, if she can't snap him out of it.]
[ Dimitri's alarmed, but the absolute breadth of Asch's contentment drowns it out, aching fondness and happiness swelling in his chest, a sort of peace settling in over him joined with all the flowers and... music?
It's the flutes and the sound of Flayn's voice that reminds him of the strangeness of the situation. He pulls Asch back, even just a little, before he finally manages to let go. He grabs for the spear at his back, but the lingering haze of gentle emotion saps at any urgency.
Why was he worried about someone like Natalia, again...? ]
[Asch is here and content with the situation, why aren't the rest of you? Gosh! But as he kneels beside her, the chain of flowers begins to lovingly wind around his wrists as Natalia begins to make a new one to show him. There's nothing but happiness in her expression, and she takes Asch's hands in her own to begin creating another chain of flowers.
The blossoms take on a more-pinkish hue as they begin to gather into little strands, winding their way around Asch's waist and soon around his throat.
Perhaps...perhaps, maybe, Dimitri should have continued to hold on. Perhaps Flayn should have tried to steer them in another direction. But as Dimitri grabs his spear and Flayn holds her staff, the lights flood a dusty shade of red to wash over the scene and the piano and wind instruments give way to something else.
Asch is yanked by the neck up, up, and up above them as the edges of the field grow darker. Looking up, they may even spot what appears to be a set of rafters, like what one would find on a stage. The flowers begin to bind Asch tightly as the boy, Luke, takes Natalia's hand and begins to pull her away.
There's no need for them to stay when they have each other, after all.
As the chains of flowers hoist Asch higher, he'll find himself dangling above what appears to be a large, flat violin as the field splits apart and begins to crumble. The strings rise and snap, and as they escape their confines of the violin's body they whip straight for Flayn and Dimitri, sharp metal wires aiming for a strike.]
[there's no time to react. or maybe he doesn't want to. even if it's a trap, just another minute, another second, another moment... wasn't it worth it?
wasn't it?
but as he's pulled up, the chain tightening, the scent all but choking him, he sees his mistake. it hadn't been a memory. the one running with her, pulling her away from him isn't his childhood self.
it's the replica.
he screams, struggling against his restraints, the fury, betrayal, and aching loss of his cry carrying throughout.]
NATALIA!
[he grapples wildly, strength surging with adrenaline, for his sword to cut himself free, even as the flowers pull him in. he can't stop. not here. not now.]
[There's no time. Poised as she is to smack something - or someone. Natalia? Luke? - with her staff as she is, she isn't quick enough to let go with one of her hands to try and grab him - and before she can do anything about it, the chain of flowers is pulling him up and away, out of their reach.
Oh, hell.
He's suspended from - something. Rafters. There must be a way up. She surges forward, intent on seeking it out, and catches the glint of violin strings just in time to throw herself out of their way. It's surprisingly graceful - she's able to use the momentum as she lands to pivot on her foot and continue moving onward, and it almost looks like a dance move.
(Maybe winning the White Heron Cup was good for something after all. She's felt lighter on her feet since then.)]
[ His eyes widen as he grabs at Asch again, but only ends up with a handful of bruised petals, already too late as he's hoisted up towards the rafters and there's the sound of twanging, snapping strings behind him.
His mind fills with curses as he swings around at the noise and Flayn's voice; the ground crumbles under his foot, and the wire clips his shoulder before he corrects himself and rolls out of its path, crouched with his spear drawn at his side.
What the hell was that? ]
Run! I'm right behind you!
[ He can try to cover her, but first, they need to figure out where they're even going. He scans his eyes over the rafters, looking for anything—a catwalk, ropes, a ladder, anything. ]
[The strings lash out again, angry like a cobra's strike as they attempt to slash and cut the two on the ground. Asch dangles from the rafters by the chains of flowers, a loop tightening around his throat as the flowers in his peripheral vision open wide. The petals spread and several eyes, Natalia's and Luke's, stare straight into his own as the wind begins to whisper.]
"Leave. We found a better one. You're no longer needed here."
[As Dimitri and Flayn scour the ground, the grass begins to twist at their feet to try and hold them in place. The strings writhe and snap, and the bow of a violin falls from the side like a loose wooden beam. If they think to check, there's a catwalk, and a few bags of sand tied to ropes used to change the backdrops of the stage. They may have to look for a ladder, but they'll have to dodge and fight their way past the instrument and the grass first.
Oh. And do mind the petals that begin to whirl past them quickly. They're sharp enough to sting now, a glint of red on each one.]
[he's barely breathed in again when the eyes assault him, the susurrus of the wind's words snaking around his neck, slowly choking the life out of him. it's not until he feels the liquid on his cheeks, hot and angry, that Asch realizes he's crying, screaming out in physical and emotional pain. he can barely hear his own voice, scraping raw and hoarse against his restraints.]
NO! NO!
[struggling is getting harder, the vines wrap him tighter, petals cutting against his cheeks, blood and tears mixing together and stinging the wounds.]
She's trying to run - trying to make her way forward, past the instrument and its strings, to the catwalk - but the grass is twisting under their feet, and she nearly stumbles as it winds itself around her ankles.
With a hiss, she reaches into the pack she's brought with her, grips a knife, and slices the grass to free herself. She's off again in an instant, her eyes on the instrument's strings, and as she gets within range she looks up at Asch and the chains of flowers suspending him.
Gritting her teeth, she tries to position herself at an angle where they flowers are as aligned as she can get them, grips her knife just the way she's been taught to, and hurls it upward, aiming to sever the flowers with the blade to free him.
(Niji rolled a natural 20 for me, so at the very least she won't stab him in the gut or something.)]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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...be careful. And no matter what happens or what we hear, we probably should not split up.
[that went badly last time she did that.]
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Right, don't go too far without us, Asch. It didn't seem dangerous last time either.
[ He's the last one through, and he feels around the door for a light switch. ]
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It appears to be a stage, and if they look behind them there's something similar to a void there. The music grows a bit louder, and with the extra light they'll see a large field of flowers before them. Petals float in the wind, surrounding the three of them and giving them a sense of calm peace. The floor beneath them as they step sounds a bit hollow, however, as if it's wood. But the room seems to stretch ahead of them and there's the sound of two young children laughing that can be heard from above the music.
There seems to be two paths they can choose as well. They may go to the left, or they may go to the right. Likewise, they could ignore them both and venture ahead into the flower fields.]
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and the door CLOSES, and even he jumps, regardless of the lights.
two paths. and a field of flowers ahead.]
...What now?
[THIS SEEMS LIKE AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO SPLIT UP IN HIS HUMBLE OPINION?]
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she looks from one path, to the other, and then toward the field of flowers.
then she looks to dimitri.
in the absence of the professor, a house leader should call the shots!]
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also please do not leave decisions up to dimitri's rng oh my god ]
We have three paths, but I think we should stick together for now. [ he and asch take a different tack to these things, apparently. ] Perhaps we start from the left path and work our way from there? Or we could follow the voices...
[ He's concerned why he hears children here and would ordinarily rush that way, but these places play tricks on the senses. ]
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"Not like that. Do it like this."
[...hm.]
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he was never good at it. she'd tried to teach him, but for all his tutelage, it didn't seem to stick. but every time, every broken chain, she'd reach in, and like magic, fix it for him.
maybe he'd never learned on purposeājust to keep her doing it.
like a moth to a flame, his feet move unconsciously, stepping away from the others, moving closer.]
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Aschā
[don't split up, she'd said - but with dimitri heading for the left, and asch heading for the field, she's not sure what to do. she reaches out - one hand going to catch dimitri's sleeve, the other heading for asch's.
they'll both be treated to a healthy dose of intense worry, there.]
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Both the tug on his sleeve and Flayn's worries bleeding into his have him turning, casting her a concerned look before stepping after Asch too, reaching for his other arm. Between him and Flayn both, there's enough apprehension to go around, caution rising through him.
He's seen this before. It has to be a lie. ]
Asch... don't.
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"You do it then." [A small, clumsily-made chain of flowers is pushed into the girl's hands as the boy folds his arms over his chest, glaring at the flowers themselves. The grass beneath Asch, Flayn and Dimitri begins to gently brush over their shoes, swaying in the wind and the light focuses on the girl and on Asch. She scowls at the boy, hands quickly fixing the mess he's made to create a solid chain of flowers.]
"See? Like this. They have to be strong."
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a backsurge of lonliness, longing, yearning for a simpler time rushes into Dimitri and Flayn, drowning the worry with the memory of a love so simple, straightforward, and pure, that he just can't look away, even with the knowledge it's a trick, a trap laid just for him.
he's never been good at avoiding his feelings.
Asch steps forward again, towards the duo in the soft grass, knowing just what she'll do with the chain next. his voice, a strained whisper, says her name like a prayer.]
Natalia.
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All of them know it's a trap, but - aren't they already ensnared in it? She lets go of his sleeve, but the longing lingers for a few seconds, and despite herself, she takes a few steps after him.
She should grab his arm and pull him away, she knows -
But she can't.]
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Maybe both. It's enough that his heart aches after it, his hand tightening on Asch's forearm. He knows he has to let go—there's no way he can run them all off while Asch's feelings bleed into him—but for a moment his heart sways for longer than his mind does.
He at least tries to dig his heels in, but he's not stepping back. His voice loses some of its conviction. ]
...We can't stay, Asch.
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"Ready to try again?" [There's kindness in her eyes and her expression, attention focused on Asch for the moment as the chain rests against her palms, almost swaying tantalizingly in the breeze.] "Don't get frustrated."
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it's happiness. it's contentment. it's everything he wants, ever wanted, everything he can never have. he can't look away.
Asch nods, completely fixatedāand smiles.]
Yes.
Show me.
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[...it's no use, is it? Flayn's voice is low and urgent. There is something terribly wrong here - this memory, because it has to be a memory (or at least be born from one), seems so pleasant, but she remembers the last time she was in a place she thought she remembered.
She grips her staff tightly. If this does turn nasty - she's just going to do her best to defend them, if she can't snap him out of it.]
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It's the flutes and the sound of Flayn's voice that reminds him of the strangeness of the situation. He pulls Asch back, even just a little, before he finally manages to let go. He grabs for the spear at his back, but the lingering haze of gentle emotion saps at any urgency.
Why was he worried about someone like Natalia, again...? ]
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The blossoms take on a more-pinkish hue as they begin to gather into little strands, winding their way around Asch's waist and soon around his throat.
Perhaps...perhaps, maybe, Dimitri should have continued to hold on. Perhaps Flayn should have tried to steer them in another direction. But as Dimitri grabs his spear and Flayn holds her staff, the lights flood a dusty shade of red to wash over the scene and the piano and wind instruments give way to something else.
Asch is yanked by the neck up, up, and up above them as the edges of the field grow darker. Looking up, they may even spot what appears to be a set of rafters, like what one would find on a stage. The flowers begin to bind Asch tightly as the boy, Luke, takes Natalia's hand and begins to pull her away.
There's no need for them to stay when they have each other, after all.
As the chains of flowers hoist Asch higher, he'll find himself dangling above what appears to be a large, flat violin as the field splits apart and begins to crumble. The strings rise and snap, and as they escape their confines of the violin's body they whip straight for Flayn and Dimitri, sharp metal wires aiming for a strike.]
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wasn't it?
but as he's pulled up, the chain tightening, the scent all but choking him, he sees his mistake. it hadn't been a memory. the one running with her, pulling her away from him isn't his childhood self.
it's the replica.
he screams, struggling against his restraints, the fury, betrayal, and aching loss of his cry carrying throughout.]
NATALIA!
[he grapples wildly, strength surging with adrenaline, for his sword to cut himself free, even as the flowers pull him in. he can't stop. not here. not now.]
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[There's no time. Poised as she is to smack something - or someone. Natalia? Luke? - with her staff as she is, she isn't quick enough to let go with one of her hands to try and grab him - and before she can do anything about it, the chain of flowers is pulling him up and away, out of their reach.
Oh, hell.
He's suspended from - something. Rafters. There must be a way up. She surges forward, intent on seeking it out, and catches the glint of violin strings just in time to throw herself out of their way. It's surprisingly graceful - she's able to use the momentum as she lands to pivot on her foot and continue moving onward, and it almost looks like a dance move.
(Maybe winning the White Heron Cup was good for something after all. She's felt lighter on her feet since then.)]
Dimitri - we need to get him down from there!
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His mind fills with curses as he swings around at the noise and Flayn's voice; the ground crumbles under his foot, and the wire clips his shoulder before he corrects himself and rolls out of its path, crouched with his spear drawn at his side.
What the hell was that? ]
Run! I'm right behind you!
[ He can try to cover her, but first, they need to figure out where they're even going. He scans his eyes over the rafters, looking for anything—a catwalk, ropes, a ladder, anything. ]
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"Leave. We found a better one. You're no longer needed here."
[As Dimitri and Flayn scour the ground, the grass begins to twist at their feet to try and hold them in place. The strings writhe and snap, and the bow of a violin falls from the side like a loose wooden beam. If they think to check, there's a catwalk, and a few bags of sand tied to ropes used to change the backdrops of the stage. They may have to look for a ladder, but they'll have to dodge and fight their way past the instrument and the grass first.
Oh. And do mind the petals that begin to whirl past them quickly. They're sharp enough to sting now, a glint of red on each one.]
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NO! NO!
[struggling is getting harder, the vines wrap him tighter, petals cutting against his cheeks, blood and tears mixing together and stinging the wounds.]
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She's trying to run - trying to make her way forward, past the instrument and its strings, to the catwalk - but the grass is twisting under their feet, and she nearly stumbles as it winds itself around her ankles.
With a hiss, she reaches into the pack she's brought with her, grips a knife, and slices the grass to free herself. She's off again in an instant, her eyes on the instrument's strings, and as she gets within range she looks up at Asch and the chains of flowers suspending him.
Gritting her teeth, she tries to position herself at an angle where they flowers are as aligned as she can get them, grips her knife just the way she's been taught to, and hurls it upward, aiming to sever the flowers with the blade to free him.
(Niji rolled a natural 20 for me, so at the very least she won't stab him in the gut or something.)]
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