Week 6 cyoa - Crystal - Kumon + Nogiku + Itsuki + Kazu

[saturations]

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GROUP A - TAKE ME TO CHURCH

[fleshedout]

[Good evening, travelers! Itsuki and Nogiku come to, sirring on top of horses that are quietly trotting through a field. In the near distance, set against a darkening sky, is a small town.]

[Upon awakening, you automatically have knowledge in your heads - you know, that while this whole place is strange and unfamiliar to you, you also have sudden understanding that you happen to be two racers in a grand race called The Steel Ball Run - a cross-country horse race from San Diego to New York City with a fifty million dollar prize. You are only about halfway through this treacherous, dangerous journey, but you have made good progress so far. There's something strange about this race, though, but you can't put your finger on it. Something...bizarre, perhaps?]

[You both realize that you're also tired, and your poor horses are also trudging along, perhaps after a long day or riding. Maybe its time to get some rest in that town up ahead, you two?]

[Also just assume that you now both have BUILT-IN HORSE-RIDING SKILLS, congrats! Mahari become as jockey.]

[nightchild]

[i have an awful itsuki canon outfit that's like cowboy adjacent but i will link that later, for now, Itsuki blinks as he takes in their surroundings and their new Knowledge, and turns in his seat a little so he can take a look at his Comrade,]

-- Oh, Nogiku-san... [he looks around??? but he's also too tired to really scope out his surroundings... wow they've been riding for so long....] Is it just us this time?

[pura]

[Yeehaw, partner. Nogiku does not have a canon cowgirl outfit, but here is her fit anyway. Her eyebrows furrow while she takes in her surroundings, holding steadfast onto her horse's reigns as they trudge along.]

... It seems like it. [She blearily blinks at her house... looking a little amazed by the fact she's riding one? But also, not.] And once again, I know things I shouldn't. Is it the same for you?

[Do these horses have names? This is the most important question of this entire CYOA, Crystal.]

[fleshedout]

[Amazing fit, Nogiku! And since you asked, I'll say Itsuki's horse is called What is Love and Nogiku's horse is called Hozier. You're welcome.]

[The town is coming closer, with warm, twinkling lights. One of many stops on this long road, beckoning for rest.]

[Their horses trot along. The night is quiet.]

[But hey, you know that weird feeling you get when something is watching you? Yeah. You both got it.]

[nightchild]

Yeah. It's still just as weird this time, but maybe it won't be as bad?

[Nogiku... your Bogiku... Itsuki leans over to pat his beloved horse, What Is Love, before pausing. there is... a feeling in the air?]

...Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

[DID HE JINX IT? he twists around a little to peer behind them to see if he can somehow spot... whatever it is]

[pura]

...

[She closes her eyes briefly, and lowers her tone.]

The only reason it wouldn't be as bad is because it will actually be worse. [She pretends to stretch a little, twisting her head as if getting a knot out in order to look around.] ... Don't be too obvious. Do you see anything?

[Could they even make their horses pick up the pace, with how tired they are?]

[fleshedout]

[The horses can be made to pick up the pace, but they'll be grumpy about it. You two are about...don't make me do distances, but probably about ten minutes away from the town at this rate.]

[Itsuki and Nogiku peering behind will let him see that there's a lone rider, cast in shadow, in the near distance.]

[They are not trotting gently, though. They're galloping at full speed towards these two.]

[nightchild]

[this is the scariest tag ive ever read

Itsuki doesn't answer Nogiku's question because he's pretty sure she's also seeing what he is -- this rider coming up behind them at full speed!! Normally, he'd move out of the way and not assume the worst, but well --

this is another adventure, and also they're in a race, aren't they? he'll immediately try to urge What Is Love into a gallop, aiming for the town ahead of them. even though he's practically at his limit, and he's pretty sure his horse and Nogiku is too,]

-- Let's go!

[pura]

[Oh. Well. This is probably fine?

Itsuki doesn't have to tell her twice. Though they're both at their limit, Nogiku will not waste any time urging Hozier to pick up the pace. Come on, buddy, they have an ominous rider to outrun.]

Come on, girl... Come on!

[Hozier has been assigned Girl Horse now.]

GROUP B - I AM A PALEONTOLOGIST

[fleshedout]

[Good evening, travelers! Kumon and Kazunari come to, stirring on top of horses that are quietly trotting up through a mountain pathway. In the near distance, set against a darkening sky, is a small town.]

[Upon awakening, you automatically have knowledge in your heads - you know, that while this whole place is strange and unfamiliar to you, you also have sudden understanding that you happen to be two racers in a grand race called The Steel Ball Run - a cross-country horse race from San Diego to New York City with a fifty million dollar prize. You are only about halfway through this treacherous, dangerous journey, but you have made good progress so far. There's something strange about this race, though, but you can't put your finger on it. Something...bizarre, perhaps?]

[You both realize that you're also tired, and your poor horses are also trudging along, perhaps after a long day of riding. Up ahead are a couple of other riders, probably fatigued after a long day. They look vaguely familiar, but they're a little too far at the current moment. Maybe say hello and get some rest, you guys?]

[Also just assume that you now both have BUILT-IN HORSE-RIDING SKILLS, congrats! Mahari become as jockey.]

[9mon]

[Waking up on top of a horse is an experience. Considering how much of An Experience the Prism tends to be with these little field trips, Kumon's immediately awake and aware.

At least it came with inherent animal handling, because this could've gone poorly otherwise.]

Kazu?

[Where's everybody else? These outings are usually three or more, aren't they?]

[dms]

[ who knew you could sleep on a horse? as soon as he hears kumon's voice, though, kazu snaps awake, trying to shake the tiredness from his eyes. ]

Kumopi? Where...?

[ another adventure...... he glances around for others, spots the two ahead of them, and squints. it's hard to tell who they are from here, but maybe it's someone else from the prism?

but first: ] You okay, Kumopi? We've probs got to catch up with them.

[fleshedout]

[You both continue to ride up to the town, where several townspeople are coming out of their houses to greet the riders. They're gracious hosts, and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of his historical event in the making. A nice young couple is coming up to one of the riders, who has a shock of blonde hair under a cowboy hat.]

[You can hear the man talking with the couple - his voice is familiar, to Kazunari especially.]

Oh, you want me to come down so you can show me where to put my horse? Yeah. Um. Sure thing.

[He starts to get down from his horse. The other rider, with dark hair, is stopped by an elderly man, but isn't saying anything yet.]

[9mon]

Yeah, I'm okay.

[For now anyway. Who knows what's about to happen from here.]

We're just riding up, right?

[To the couple and the two other people on the horses? They've stopped so it's not too bad to catch up?]

[dms]

Right. Catching up should be no big!

[ riding a horse is easy apparently? wow why didn't he try this sooner? do they have names, crystal? i want to know if we're going to church like the other two... also the fit that nogiku is putting to shame lmao.

anyway he's distracted by that voice? whozzat. ]

[fleshedout]

[The couple, having finished with this rider, are coming up to the anime actors, smiling gently as they gesture for them to come down from their horses.]

You really have come a long way, huh? Yes, we'll help you. We have stables nearby where the lodgings are. It isn't too far.

[Kumon's horse is called Maroon 5, and Kazunari's horse is called Moves Like Jagger. You're welcome.]

[The blonde guy from before turns around, revealing its...Prompto! He grins automatically when he sees the other two.]

Oh! Hey, Kazu and company! A sight for sore eyes! Though....guess not great circumstances, huh...

[The elderly man is gesturing for the black-haired rider to come down - and he does, only to trip at the last second, and with a WHOAHWHOAHWHOAHHHHH-! he falls flat on his face in the dirt. Ouch. Poor guy.]

[9mon]

[He does as suggested, and gets off of poor tired Maroon 5, they just keep cranking out music.

Kumon waves at Prompto and then hustles over this other poor guy to help him up.]

You okay?

[... Wait, what did he mean not good circumstances?]

FINALE: FILTHY ACTS AT A REASONABLE PRICE

[fleshedout]

[Hello, all of you! What a crazy set of sequences its been, huh? Crazy, weird, some would even call it...bizarre?]

[All four of you awaken on a train. The car you're in is well-furnished, with furniture, shelves, a place for drinks. There is no one else here. The train seems to move fast to its unknown destination, fields and woods speeding past the windows.]

[The corpse parts you have are nowhere in your pockets, but it feels as if they're a part of you, somewhere - Itsuki and Nogiku might feel one of their ears is stiff, almost wooden, while for Kumon and Kazunari, one of their eyes has TURBO written around the iris. You all feel invigorated - although you all may have wounds, for now, they have been stabilized. For Itsuki and Nogiku, their bullet wounds are healed. Thanks, strange nun.]

[As they stand, a voice comes over a nearby intercom:]

Suppose that you were sitting on a table. There are two napkins in front of you: which napkin would you take? The left, or the right?

[There's something within you all that seems to pull at you - there's something at the head of this train, and you feel drawn to it, like a magnet. But there are still several cars to go. What do you do?]

[nightchild]

[what the fck? what the fck

Itsuki's glad that he's not bleeding, but his ear? hello? also]

-- Kumon-kun? Kazu-kun!

[SO THIS IS WHERE YOU GUYS ARE.... he's distracted by the intercom, and wow this is so much to take in but if he has to answer the question....]

Uh.... the right?

[9mon]

[He blinks awake to completely new scenery. It's Itsuki and Nogiku?

So then... Prompto and Danny weren't real? Were the dinosaurs real? They sure felt real.]

Um... Did you just get here too?

... Left?

[dms]

...Nogi? Suki?

[ the scene change is disorienting to say the least. he blinks rapidly at the other two as the realization sets in that - prompto and danny weren't real at all? they were the illusions?

it makes sense, and he should be relieved, but now he's just more worried about what's to come. what did that voice say, right before they fell asleep? something about another version of themselves? and another world? what the heck does that even mean?

...and the question from the intercom. hmmm. ]

Do we have to answer?

[ a napkin should just be a napkin, right? ]

[pura]

[Of course, she frowns in response to the nickname— though that's not the only reason why she's frowning. It would be okay if it were just herself and Itsuki here, but to think that these two are in danger as well... Bad.

She squints, looking around for the intercom as well as anything else of interest.]

... More stupid questions. It's going to be the one closest to your dominant hand, isn't it?

[In her case, the right hand.

She looks at Kazu and Kumon in concern.]

We were someplace else at first. Are you feeling okay enough to move?

[They probably shouldn't linger.]

[fleshedout]

Ha. Well, it would be the one on your left, actually. But in the larger sense of "society", that's wrong. Perhaps I should substitute "society" with the "universe".

[The voice continues. The train speeds on.]

The correct answer is that "it is determined by the one who takes his or her napkin first", yes? At a dinner party, if the first one takes the napkin to the right, then there's no choice but for the others to also take the right napkin. The same goes for the left. Because the rest have no other option.

[Again, that feeling pulls. It calls to you, as if it needs to be completed. The car is ahead. Nothing is amiss, yet, except for that voice. That singular proud voice.]

There must have been someone who determined the value of money, first. The size of the rails on a train track. The magnitude of electricity. And so on. Did we all do it, because this is a republic? Or was it arbitrary? Hm? What is the answer?

[nightchild]

...Let's go. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we don't have to listen.

[Itsuki like i don't understand anything of what's being said right now, but if the group decides on walking, then he will walk with them to the car ahead]

[9mon]

[Kumon is too dumb to understand what this voice is saying, so the best choice is to ignore it. He will get up and start moving.]

Yeah, I'm okay for now. We should get going.

There were dinosaurs where we were.