[Dopal manages to manifest a giant net that drops over the Beast. It roars, struggling against it. Unfortunately, unlike Luke previously, this Beast has claws, and thus it begins to use those to tear through the net.
But before it gets quite that far, Arthur stares.]
Ah.
What - was that you said about things becoming strange...?
[WHY CAN'T IT JUST BE LUKE!! Dopal turns to look at Arthur again, both baffled and harried. IS HE EVEN STANDING.]
...That one was me! [Pointing at the net that is fastly being shredded.] The thingy isn't!
[Presumably he is referring to the wolf... Anyway he'll try to summon a bow and quiver of arrows because he can't fight in close range?? So he'll just try to fire off some arrows instead. Dahut has now decided that his tactic is to make things as strange as possible to force Arthur into waking up, so a giant cake also drops from the sky following the net.]
[Dopal's arrows strike the beast, as it roars again in pain. It hasn't been stopped yet, though, as it continues to tear through the net.
Arthur has elected to ignore the cake, stabbing at the Beast. Perhaps his next response isn't surprising, knowing the kind of man he is, as he glances at Dopal.]
Please - please go. You don't have to be here.
[And then, finally, the Beast breaks free, before moving to swipe its claws at the nearest person, aka Arthur.]
[Dahut can do all of these things! Dopal is now on the ground with Arthur, with a giant chasm between them and the Beast.
The first thing Arthur does on instinct is pull Dopal away from the edge, so that she doesn't fall in.
Except then—as mist rises, more monsters fly out from the chasm. Various kinds, like the types you'd find in myths or storybooks. Certainly more than Arthur should be forced to handle alone, but Dahut will understand that Arthur has fought alone for a long, long time now. At this point, it seems that he doesn't know how to do anything but carry it all by himself.]
[He doesn't get paid enough to deal with all of this, goddamn.
Well. It really will start raining cakes now!! EAT CAKE, MONSTERS. Giant flaming cakes and also bowling balls, though none of them will fall around Dopal or Arthur. While this insanity is happening, he idiot sandwiches Arthur's face between his hands.]
I'm not Opal, so don't worry about me, okay? I can fight, but we don't have to! You don't have to. Stop tormenting yourself, Arthur Starling. If you have regrets, wake up and carry them, even if they're heavy. Don't you still have unfinished business?
[Dahut's words strike true, even though Arthur is very, very confused right now. Even though Arthur's heart is heavy, the truth that remains is that he'll always choose others before himself, if it comes to that. Dahut is right, and he must return.
He has unfinished business, after all. Just as Dahut does, even if theirs might be of a different nature. The road to get here has been painful, so utterly painful, and they might both long for a time when things were simpler. When their family was still alive, and they were unburdened by those they failed to save. That doesn't change what the present is, though, so all they can do is keep shouldering this weight.
Should Dahut peer into the chasm, he will see that past the monsters trying to come at them (still battered by flaming cakes and bowling balls), a blue flame flickers. Despite any instincts he might have against this, he intuitively understands that he should take Arthur's hand and jump into the fire.]
[imagine i just say he doesn't peer into the chasm because he's too busy idiot sandwiching arthur's face
No, he'll look, and fortunately (or unfortunately??) he doesn't have any such instincts that would tell him to not just jump into a fucking monster chasm fire. With the monsters on their way up, he doesn't want to delay things any more than necessary...
All the same, he wants to make sure that Arthur is the one to make this most important step. He moves to the edge, holding a hand out.]
I'm sorry. I know that it hurts and it's really hard and lonely... But I'll hold your hand, okay? I won't let go until you're wide awake. Are you ready?
[Into the fire they go! As Dahut will feel, the flames only lick gently at Arthur's (and Opal's) skin, warming him like an embrace rather than burning him.
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Woah—!!
[Can. Can he drop a really big net on it.]
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But before it gets quite that far, Arthur stares.]
Ah.
What - was that you said about things becoming strange...?
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[WHY CAN'T IT JUST BE LUKE!! Dopal turns to look at Arthur again, both baffled and harried. IS HE EVEN STANDING.]
...That one was me! [Pointing at the net that is fastly being shredded.] The thingy isn't!
[Presumably he is referring to the wolf... Anyway he'll try to summon a bow and quiver of arrows because he can't fight in close range?? So he'll just try to fire off some arrows instead. Dahut has now decided that his tactic is to make things as strange as possible to force Arthur into waking up, so a giant cake also drops from the sky following the net.]
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Arthur has elected to ignore the cake, stabbing at the Beast. Perhaps his next response isn't surprising, knowing the kind of man he is, as he glances at Dopal.]
Please - please go. You don't have to be here.
[And then, finally, the Beast breaks free, before moving to swipe its claws at the nearest person, aka Arthur.]
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Ah—!!
[What if he tries to will a giant fucking hole into the ground between these two. What if he also tackles Arthur over at the same time.]
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The first thing Arthur does on instinct is pull Dopal away from the edge, so that she doesn't fall in.
Except then—as mist rises, more monsters fly out from the chasm. Various kinds, like the types you'd find in myths or storybooks. Certainly more than Arthur should be forced to handle alone, but Dahut will understand that Arthur has fought alone for a long, long time now. At this point, it seems that he doesn't know how to do anything but carry it all by himself.]
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Well. It really will start raining cakes now!! EAT CAKE, MONSTERS. Giant flaming cakes and also bowling balls, though none of them will fall around Dopal or Arthur. While this insanity is happening, he idiot sandwiches Arthur's face between his hands.]
I'm not Opal, so don't worry about me, okay? I can fight, but we don't have to! You don't have to. Stop tormenting yourself, Arthur Starling. If you have regrets, wake up and carry them, even if they're heavy. Don't you still have unfinished business?
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He has unfinished business, after all. Just as Dahut does, even if theirs might be of a different nature. The road to get here has been painful, so utterly painful, and they might both long for a time when things were simpler. When their family was still alive, and they were unburdened by those they failed to save. That doesn't change what the present is, though, so all they can do is keep shouldering this weight.
Should Dahut peer into the chasm, he will see that past the monsters trying to come at them (still battered by flaming cakes and bowling balls), a blue flame flickers. Despite any instincts he might have against this, he intuitively understands that he should take Arthur's hand and jump into the fire.]
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No, he'll look, and fortunately (or unfortunately??) he doesn't have any such instincts that would tell him to not just jump into a fucking monster chasm fire. With the monsters on their way up, he doesn't want to delay things any more than necessary...
All the same, he wants to make sure that Arthur is the one to make this most important step. He moves to the edge, holding a hand out.]
I'm sorry. I know that it hurts and it's really hard and lonely... But I'll hold your hand, okay? I won't let go until you're wide awake. Are you ready?
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Yay! Wake-up time!
[JUMPING IN.]
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Finally, Arthur wakes up.]