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

[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?

[cleansewithfire]

It is me. ...Welcome back, Richard.

[ledbythewind]

Thank you.

[The squeeze now is stronger, more deliberate, though still a far cry from his usual solid grip.]

... thank you.

[cleansewithfire]

[ She wonders what it was that Richard saw that even now he is still making his way back to earth.

And...perhaps she has been spoiled lately, with how this is the most she's ever been hugged, but she wants Richard to understand, too. ]

...Can I hug you, Richard?

[ Though she also would not be surprised if he said no. ]

[ledbythewind]

[There's a quiet, surprised intake of breath at the question. No one has ever asked him that before-- no one has hugged him ever since his mother died years ago, and it's almost as though he's forgotten that it's even a thing that people do.

He realizes suddenly just how much he wants to be hugged again, even as the mistrusting part of his mind screams at him to say "no."]

... please.

1/2

[cleansewithfire]

[ ...Oh. For some reason, she had expected for Richard to decline the offer, even now, but... ]

[cleansewithfire]

[ After a moment, she tiptoes to reach up and gently pull Richard into a hug.

There's no body warmth from Sunrise, so it's more like hugging something cold. But she hugs him close, like how Mafuyu and Rutile have done for her. ]

[ledbythewind]

[The way Richard wraps his arms around her slowly is awkward, but not because he doesn't want the hug. Rather, it's the action of someone who doesn't really seem to remember just how hugs work, who is trying to go through the motions that he does remember in the hopes of jogging his memory.

He holds her gently, almost as though he's afraid that she'll break if he squeezes too tightly, or perhaps that she'll vanish and this will all turn out to be little more than a dream.]

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise isn't bothered by this, considering she reacted the same as Richard just recently. She gently strokes the back of Richard's head with one hand, willing to keep this hug up for as long as Richard wants. ]