Week 6 cyoa: hei, jiuqing, vin, and kashuu

[saturations]

spoiler warnings: ff14 heavensward and some light endwalker elements
content warnings: violence, death, war, terrorism (short), brief mentions/references for eyegore, brief mention/reference for decapitation, depression, suicidal ideation (nihilist flavor), suicide, dragons and monsters eating people

Comments

[allomantic]

[she looks so incredibly uncomfortable as she sees this happen but kashuu deserves a nice coat so it's fINE

more importantly, daggers!! hers now!! but she's just fast walking towards him so they can leave before anyone senses her crimes.]

I think we need to go to the crystal here, too, so we can come back easily if anything happens.

[fast travel fast travel]

[slashay]

[me: tracks the thread
notif: doesn't show up in my inbox anyway

THIS ICON IS KILLING ME THOUGH HELP. Anyway yeah please suffer because Kashuu is absolutely flirting back since he's a terrible attention-hungry sword who will never turn down free jackets or compliments even from fake fancy nobles. Like damb keep the parlor warm and he'll gladly visit, KA-WINK.

But with his nice cute jacket obtained, he'll mosey off with her before anyone can sense her crimes.]

Yeah, let's head over.

[TO THE CRYSTAL.]

✔️ THE CONGREGATION OF OUR KNIGHTS MOST HEAVENLY

[disestablishment]

[ DAmn! To the crystal! Where they attune their aether to it. It's an odd type of channeling, but it's... Warm.

Anyway, since those are 2/3 locations they were interested in before, they can head to the congregation, which is not too far from the aetheryte. It lies ahead with two knights standing beside the doors, but they do not stop Kashuu or Vin from entering.


There are a handful of knights, listening to someone who seems to be addressing them while pointing at the map on the board. However, conversation stops when they see the two! It doesn't seem awkward since the knights nod before exiting. Looks like they've gotten their orders.

Me, laughing, there will be sublevels below this comment. ]

SPEAK WITH LORD COMMANDER

[disestablishment]

[ And the one standing by the board is... Well, Aymeric! Beside him is his a woman, most likely second in command. ]

How may I help you two?

[allomantic]

Oh - Aymeric!

[she says this despite not knowing whether this aymeric is Their Aymeric, but it's fine.]

A man in Falcon's Nest told us to come here to see what we may do to help.

[disestablishment]

[ kashuu and vin: VAX IS OUR THIRD
vin: wait maybe aymeric is our FOURTH

He assumes that they know him because. He's Lord Commander, so he doesn't seem surprised. ]

Haurchefant Greystone, I imagine. He recently contacted me via linkpearl about your visit. Before I answer any questions, may I ask whom I owe this pleasure? He did not tell me your names.

[allomantic]

[aymeric confirmed for npc........ she doesn't seem that surprised, though, as she nods.]

My name is Vin. It is good to meet you.

[slashay]

[WELL. At least that confirms that Aymeric is not their fourth so they don't immediately think sweet Jiuqing is a fake on sight. Anyway he'll just introduce himself here but i aki will put it in a new thread for organization's sake.]

Ah - I'm Kashuu Kiyomitsu. [Should he come up with a fake name?? he wonders AFTER IT'S TOO LATE but it's fine he doesn't know enough about fake Europe to come up with a good one anyway. It'd be that shitpost of Japanese people coming up with names that sound like they're from American footballers.]

We're here for reinforcements - or whatever else you need, I guess.

[disestablishment]

[ Aymeric frowns when he hears this name because it's unfamiliar and yet... He forces a smile. ]

I suppose talk of how this war is not yours to shoulder would fall on deaf ears. [ Anyway: ] Aye, to keep the city-state fortified and to pursue Nidhogg. Both must be done, simultaneously.

[slashay]

[FIGHT HIM ABOUT HIS NAME BINCH IT'S PRETTIER THAN AYMERIC.]

More or less. [Though he wishes it could... Damn... He wants to be free of battles that aren't even his to fight hello. Anyway he'll glance over toward Vin at that since there's a potential party-splitting option here and he's not sure if he likes it.]

What would the fortifications need?

??? - DIFFERENCES WILL TEAR US APART

[disestablishment]

[ Well, as Vin and Kashuu leave to meet the escort at the Aetheryte, they will watch Aymeric get stabbed by a stealthy (and familiar) figure.

HAHA!!! ]

[slashay]

[BINCH THEY LEFT YOU ALONE FOR LITERALLY 2 SECONDS.]

—Aymeric!!

[HOLY SHIT. EXCUSE HIM. since sweet eli is taking a shower kashuu will go first in order this time but he's immediately setting off toward their totally real fourth cyoa member who just got stabbed by a stealthy figure???? if this is vax i swear]

[disestablishment]

[ WHO KNOWS, let us wait for Eli as knights quickly swarm the plaza and circle the perpetrator. It seems that they haven't left yet... It's hard to see their face, with half of it covered with a hood, but this person is smiling. Aymeric's second in command is already by his side with kashuu, making sure she's between him and his assailant.

There is laugh, then more laughs. It seems that they're very confident despite the numbers. ]

You lot believe dragons to be the enemy... No. The enemy is around you. While you all put your lives down for this war, the nobility exploit you. They force you into complacency.

[allomantic]

Aymeric!

[something about the way this person speaks seems - terrifyingly familiar to her, and she approaches, wary. if this is who she thinks it is she's going to scream internally but it's fine.

since kashuu is heading for their definitely real elf, she'll address the other figure.]

Take off your hood.

DECISION...!

[disestablishment]

[ you guys: there are other options here? maybe. let's see. ]

[slashay]

[we are going to trust that vax and aymeric our totally real cyoa partners can look out for each other and we are going to go fight a wyrm.]

[disestablishment]

[ ... Well... Estinien has been waiting here in Falcon's Nest for them, but they're busy doing things, I guess. ]

[disestablishment]

[ Someone rolled a 17! So Estinien waits this tag round with crossed arms, frowning deeply. ]

[disestablishment]

I don't need support, anyway. [ With a 3, he leaves to go to fight Nidhogg by himself. Damn. ]

🤷 REROUTED DESTINATION

[disestablishment]

[ So...! They did not make it to Falcon's Nest and instead find themselves in the dungeon under the basilica. They've had their weapons confiscated! They're also bound by the ankles and wrists, metal shackles and all. But fortunately they're put into the same cell!

Kelsier... Well. Kelsier is taken by the inquisitors to be questioned as one of the lesser leaders of the heretics. He is not in the same gaol as them. I am going to be driving home for maybe 30 minutes or an hour longest, so you may use the discussion subtoplevel to talk about

how you guys got here. repent. Based on your rolls, Kashuu will have some minor to moderate wounds of them trying to apprehend him, Vin a bit less. They did their best to keep them both alive.

Decision sub-comment will be edited to continue. ]

DISCUSSION

[disestablishment]

[ jesus ]

[slashay]

[WELL.

That sure went a way. He's still pissed but now he's mild to moderately injured about it and of course being me it will be moderately. But that's fine because he's used to pushing through even Very Severe Injuries, so this doesn't do much for him except actually give him a moment to calm down from his hysteria.

Seeing someone turn into a wholeass Lisa Frank creature again definitely helped, too. If he can reach Vin from where he is, he'll try to give her a lil reassuring touch because he knows that must have been horrific and painful to watch even knowing it wasn't the real Kelsier.]

...Sorry. [That she's here, that she had to witness that. That none of them can do anything to stop these horrible things.] Are your injuries okay? Think we might be able to make a break for it?

CONTINUATION

[disestablishment]

[ So, as Kashuu and Vin try to lockpick their way out, some familiar faces have come down to see them! They both speak in low voices. ]

We meet again, but in less bright places. [ Haurchefant, now that Aymeric named him earlier, opens your cell! ]

---

Wow. Still in here, Sneaky? Thought you would have been out by now. [ And a nod to Kashuu. Vax will take off their shackles only to put on new shackles. They aren't locked, of course. It's the Look. ]

HELP ME HEL ME HH

[slashay]

[Oh look it's their definitely real CYOA partner, Vax! Kashuu looks relieved to see familiar faces and he just fckin. SIGHS. And gives these shackles a little rattle, as if expressing his petulance.]

Things got out of hand...

[TO SAY THE LEAST.]

STOP

[allomantic]

[she's perking up as soon as she sees them both, and pauses in her fruitless quest to unlock kashuu's shackles when the shackles are taken off! and then... put right back on. she frowns at vax, but it's clear she's happy to see her very real third cyoa partner.]

I thought you were supposed to be staying put! Are you alright? Nothing happened since we left?

[she says, clearly grateful, as she stands up. haurchefant gets a nod of thanks.]