a winter labyrinth

[townmusician]

断ち切るしかないんだろ
注いだ冬は心のラビリンス
後戻りなんて出来ないから
やりきるしかないんだろ
黒い気持ちと手を繋いだって構わない
抱きしめたっていいh

I have to break free
This pouring winter is my heart's labyrinth
I can't go back anymore, so
I have to finish this
I don't care if you took my hand with dark motives
I want you to hold me close

Comments

[metagame]

So they followed me.

[Well shit.

Richard is clearly not in fighting condition...

Time to focus up and think this through. They need to protect Richard. Two of those enemies resist Atem's element. Sunrise is Wind... Eli should be Ice...

Wait, Ice!]

Eli! Can you cast an Ice spell on the Cereburus and Orthos? They should be weak to Ice!

[fullmoonmutt]

Oh, wow, splitting up was a bad idea, after all? Who would have thought?

[ "We can all defend ourselves" his ass! At least Atem had enough sense to throw a Media out. This means Eli can focus on the incoming shadows with a Mabufudyne (14 - Cerberus, 18 - Unicorn, 15 - Orthus) to deal heavy ice damage to all three. ]

[townmusician]

[FAFO.

The Cerberus and Orthus recoil from the hit, but they both manage to shake it off while the Unicorn doesn't seem too bothered.

The Cerberus attempts to retaliate with Maragion, but only manages to hit Eli (15) and Atem (12), the flames not reaching Richard and Sunrise (3,3).

The Unicorn's attack goes wide, hitting the wall with a devastating Kougaon (8), and the Orthus' dive manages nothing (3). RIP.]

[metagame]

[Ugh! He tanks the hit but that hurt like hell... He casts Diarama on Eli to be safe...

Sunrise! How's Richard?

[fullmoonmutt]

Shit!

[ Fire bad, fire bad! While his ice is strong against the fire-attuned, their attacks are just as powerful against him. He has to drop to the floor and roll, quashing the flames before they can eat up clothing and flesh alike. ]

...fucking... pieces of shit... I'll tear you all apart!

[ The Diarama is greatly appreciated, Atem... It also means he's springing back to his feet to launch another Mabufudyne (14 - Cerberus, 19 - Unicorn, 17 - Orthus) at the trio. That will likely be his last big spell for a while, though. He should really conserve SP??? ]

[ledbythewind]

[Richard is...

... well. The arrows didn't hit anything vital, so on the physical front (when combined with Eli's Media) he'll be just fine.

The wild, slightly unhinged smile curling at the edge of his lips says anything but, however...]

[metagame]

[notto this shitto again

Are there any other secret madmen Atem needs to know about?He narrows his eyes at Richard but says nothing.]

[townmusician]

[Well, nobody appreciated that, but the Unicorn and Orthus continue to whiff their attacks (4, 4).

The Cerberus is a bit more effective, going for another Maragion that hits Eli (11), Sunrise (16), Atem (11), and Richard (13). More fire!

The Orthus and Cerberus seem to be on their last legs, though, with those two heavy hits of their weakness.]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ look i'm just treating every fire attack as double damage here, so that's like a 21, yo ]

Rrgh!

[ Eli collapses to one knee, slapping a hand over the fire catching at his jacket again. Uh, hey Haruka, fuck you? Fuck youuuuu! Anyway, he needs that Cerebus to die really fast, so it's going to be dog-on-dog violence here...

Or would be if he didn't MISS (6).

Well, look, your aim sucks when you're really hurt. ]

[ledbythewind]

[Richard could do something to heal all of that damage going out. He is a Utility, after all, and he does have Media and Diarahan.

Too bad he doesn't seem interested in that right now, choosing instead to yank those arrows out of himself and tossing them onto the ground with an accompanying spatter of blood before turning on those three shadows. He hasn't even realized that they weren't actually the source of said arrows, but details.]

How dare you...

[That's the only signal he gives before launching himself straight at the Cerberus for a rapier strike (6). Unfortunately, his aim also sucks, and he'll be missing that blow.

It's (probably) fine?]

[metagame]

[The damn things are on their last legs...]

Re-Horakhty!

[He casts Mafrei, missing both Cerberus and Orthus, but he lands a crit (20) on the Unicorn!]

[townmusician]

[The Unicorn continues to be useless (2), but that critical hit has nearly wiped out what health it has left.

The Cerberus manages to hit Eli with an Assault Dive (19) so it's at least not fire damage this time... and the Orthus hits Richard with an Assault Dive (19) of its own.

(Do they hear laughter? Maybe that's just a figment of their imaginations...)]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ It may not be fire, but with those fire attacks whittling him down, the Assault Dive runs him over like a goddamn truck. He won't be attacking this turn. Instead, he's frantically casting a Media from where he's ended up collapsed against a wall. It's a puny heal, but it hits everyone and, better yet, Eli isn't dead! ]

[metagame]

[Another Diarama for Eli!]

We've almost got them now!

[ledbythewind]

[Ow, that hurts. It staggers Richard for a moment, but in his current state the pain is little more than a minor annoyance.

That Cerberus truly is a nuisance... perhaps a Tiger's Prowl (2) will take care of it.

(Or not, because Avrae said no rights for Richard)]

[townmusician]

[Okay, they're definitely hearing laughter now. Familiar laughter, even though Haruka has never sounded so cruel before.]

This is kind of painful to watch. You all look suuu~uuper pathetic right now.

[There's no sign of the idol anywhere, though. Maybe there's a hidden speaker?]

As much as I'd love to watch you fail, it's no fun to let other people take care of you for me. Hurry up.

[The three shadows stare at them, the Unicorn stamping the ground... and then they begin to crumble away, howling in pain and leaving behind nothing but dust.

It's probably not a good thing to have a shadow taking pity on you, but at least there's a moment to breathe.]

[fullmoonmutt]

[ Hey, Yoon, Eli's having second thoughts about actually rescuing this bitch. ]

Shut the fuck up! The only pathetic one here is you! You're just some wimpy little singer that no one here actually likes!

[ Someone's losing his cool. RIP. Admittedly, it's hard to keep one's cool when they're repeatedly set on fire. ]

[townmusician]

[Just try to kill him, coward.]

Are you trying to hurt my feelings?

[There's a faint feeling of hands on his shoulders, as if someone is leaning onto him from behind, but there's no one there.]

Do you think I need anyone to like me? That I'm trying to protect a delicate heart? Silly, stupid dog. You have to try harder than this.

[yeah he's a werewolf but same difference, really.]

[cleansewithfire]

[ Everything has happened so fast and Sunrise is slightly charred, and...

...Well if she was being honest she's somewhat distressed between all that and more yelling and whatever's going on with Richard.

She casts a Media on everyone to try and help out with the healing, then approaches Richard. She reaches out to try taking his hand. ]

Richard? Can you hear me?

[ledbythewind]

[Richard takes a couple of wobbly steps backwards, one hand pressed to his forehead, his breath coming hard.

... someone is saying his name. Someone is...

He doesn't pull his hand away, but at the same time, he doesn't make any move to grip it back, either. He just stands frozen as though his mind is somewhere else, eyes seeing another set of scenery entirely.]

[cleansewithfire]

[ Oh...

Sunrise doesn't pull her hand away either. She is fairly certain making any sudden moves will only have him react badly, so she keeps talking in that quiet voice of hers. ]

Richard. I am here. Please take deep breaths.

[ledbythewind]

[That voice. He knows that voice. Though his mind is still fuzzy, he associates it with warmth, with someone whose presence brings him comfort.

If he can focus on that... if he can just remember who the voice belongs to...

Slowly, hesitantly, he gives that hand a tiny, gentle squeeze of thanks.]

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise's squeezes Richard's hand back gently, as if to reassure him she's there. Then, she tiptoes and reaches up to brush her free hand against the top of his head.

...She wishes she could do more to help. ]

[ledbythewind]

[Honestly, this is helping far more than she knows. The gentle contact grounds him, helps pull him back to reality, and when that hand brushes his hair, he starts for a moment before a faint whisper escapes his lips:]

... Sunrise?

[townmusician]

[skill issue]