dropoffs | W5 🛸 MOD CYOA : DARK OF THE TOWER 🚀 ANISE, BLADE, MIZUKI

[ Metis says something but his voice is drowned out by everything else, the girl in the middle crumbles from where she's crouched. Voice fragile, empty, desperate, "Mizuki, Mizuki, Mizuki... ... Why are you here?"

The staggering figure stops, a heart stricken expression showing, a little light to his eyes, "What's wrong, little miss-?" Before Blade's sword connects, it cuts deep, blood spilling in a spray as he staggers and collapses onto his knees before completely over.

The membrane beneath starts to loosen almost immediately with an audible hiss, snaking flesh to begin reaching up to Charles's body, even as he weakly starts to reach out. Blood coughs out past lips, struggling to try and stand. ]

[ Oh, there is so much happening at once.

At least it's distracting; Mizuki hears her name called out by an all too familiar voice, and it takes everything and more to ignore it, drown it out, all while telling herself it isn't really her. Something here is trying to fuck with them, and she isn't going to fall for it.

Instead, Mizuki barks out to Metis, ]

—Hey! We're going, now!

[ Fortunately, Blade has already made his way forward. Mizuki quickly bolts ahead, ignoring—whatever the hell is happening to apparently-zombie-Charles, and this poor imitation of Iris. ]

[ Well, this creature has been adequately dispatched. Those words that reach out, naturally, mean nothing to him, even if he too cannot hear Metis for a moment.

Well, he pulls away from the fake impersonation of Charles easily enough. ]

No need to linger.

[ He keeps going forward, assuming the others will follow, as Mizuki has done as much. So too will Anise, he imagines, though he casts one gaze back to ensure she isn't wrapped up...perhaps recalling the 'favor'? But it doesn't last long, hot on the heels of the other man who has gone forward as well.

Blade more or less is making an effort to catch up, after all. ]

[ she flinches, hearing his words cut short. and then, without thinking, she runs toward the fallen body. ]

Wait...!

[ she doesn't get too close, not within arm's reach. but she can't just look away.

is he fucking. getting eaten by the floor. what. ]

[ Everything is happening everywhere all at once.

That familiar voice wails in Mizuki's head, louder and clearer than before, a tug at the back of her mind - don't go, don't go, don't leave don't leave don't leave. A sound echoes within the spire, the sound distant and faint but to Mizuki it sounds familiar. They sound like distant screams.

A crumbled body means nothing, certainly, not when a face and man stands so vividly in Blade's mind. Hot on the heels and there's a tug at the back of his mind as he leads forward, aiming for that path ahead that coils upwards into a mini tower section within the spiral. Up and up it seems to go. A familiar voice that tugs at his senses, clearer, "What you seek I am unable to provide." But there's an itch that runs along your need to go after.

Metis is already on the move, but he does not press ahead despite Mizuki's words, sorry he needs to ensure no one is left behind. Which is where he comes to Anise's side, hand gently touching her shoulder and trying to guide her along. Even as Charles reaches to grasp at anything, blood pooling beneath him, but the floor takes the rest of him little by little until the only thing left peeking out the membrane is a hand. Anise's thoughts are a little clearer, but there's still a tug at the back of her mind, how cruel, how cruel but it had to be done, didn't it? ]

Are you alright, Lady Anise? Here, let's move on together..

[ His voice is gentle, trying to guide her way from the spot as the group wants to push forward and away from here. Leaving behind the girl who also helplessly surrenders to the sickly purple flesh that comes up to wrap itself around her. ]

[ The begging continues as Mizuki chases after Blade; she hisses, and almost falters, but after a moment, manages to look ahead and press on. ]

You can keep going—keep talking. [ Mizuki mutters to herself as she moves. ] Could use the distraction.

[ She does look over her shoulder, spotting Metis with Anise. They'll catch up quick, she figures; she trusts Anise meant it when she said she wouldn't be far behind. ]

[ Blade is insistent on giving chase, feet pounding against the ground, hearing the words spoken so familiarly in his mind giving him completely into distraction.

Clearer. This is the way to go. ]

You won't get away...not this time!

[ He is in persistent pursuit. The others voices dim; Mizuki some number behind. Metis and Anise still a bit further, perhaps to the point where he cannot hear. But it matters little. They'll be able to catch up, won't they? ]

[ she watches until there's almost nothing left. but then she feels metis's hand on her shoulder, and it pulls her back to the present. ]

I'm fine.

[ her tone is a bit forced. she'll turn away from the gruesome sights and start walking, up to a brisk pace to try to catch up with the others. ]

[ The screams begin to fade in the background, the wails of Iris fading into complete silence as Mizuki moves on. But that tugging at the back of her mind is more insistent. More sharper as she makes her way forward to catching up, close behind Blade. A heaviness that starts to blanket a little on her senses.

They breach into another clearing, in the distance Blade sees that same figure barely turn and disappear up a set of stairs. But before he can go any further there seems to be a small mass of three humanoids gathering in the middle. However, everything about them is wrong, their bodies are contorted in ways that are not normal. Their arms are replaced with tendrils of tentacles, hunched over as their heads hang near the ground with their overly slouched postures. They mutter to themselves, like a prayer, a mantra, "for the cause, for the cause" and "must protect the core, the core", voices warbled and sounding like multiple people speaking at once. Their faces turn to face him, expressions akin to melting off their face as they hiss and lunge at Blade.

Metis and Anise are close behind Mizuki, her mind is still mostly her own, the voice of Charles fading to the back of her mind until it's quiet. As the trio come up to the clearing, they witness the same distorted figures that just then lunge at Blade.

Time for everyone to roll! ]

[ God, she hates this already. Just what the hell is this place?! The more she treks on, the heavier the sinking feeling in Mizuki's stomach feels; it's like a weight being pressed upon her entire being that she can't see, yet in spite of it all, she has to keep moving. ]

Wha—?!

[ And then, she sees what they've come upon next. There's barely any time to register what they are before all three of them descend upon Blade. ]

—Watch out!

[ Mizuki rushes in, pole at the ready. She violently swings at one of them with all the strength she can muster. ]

[ Do they really think he is afraid of them? Blade isn't afraid of anything! Not how wrong they look, how they move, how they are.

They're nothing but obstacles. Ones he will gladly tear down. ]

Hmph. You're in the way...disappear!

[ Blade swings wide towards the ones closing in on him, angling towards the majority beyond the one Mizuki is tackling on, intending to catch as many as he can with that maneuver, and especially with so many coming at him. ]

[ anise picks up the pace when she hears noise ahead, and runs into this clearing just as the humanlike creatures start to attack. ]

Whoa...!

[ anise reaches for her doll and clutches it in front of herself, but with blade swinging wide and mizuki jumping into the fray, she stays back where she won't get caught in the chaos. hopefully. ]

[ The platform starts to tremble suddenly, the sensation close to a mini earthquake and a nearby roar causes the cavern ceiling of this clearing drop a few ridged pillars. Ridges that just barely miss some of the group. However, not entirely, just as Mizuki goes in to bat one with her pole, the disfigured humanoid has its tendrils latch onto it with one set of arms, its other set of tendrils arching in a heavy lash as sharp dagger-like ends cut right into that helmet with a shattering noise. The ends of that tendril cutting over that golden eye of hers. Leaving a direct cut from her brow down to her cheek over eyelid and eye both.

A ridge pillar sinks itself right behind Mizuki, her back colliding into it if she so much takes a step back. And while Blade's swing hits wide and slices one of them instantly in half, tendrils grow from both sliced ends to latch onto his legs into a tangled mess, their dagger-like ends piercing right into his legs to cling. Their mantras echo in the room, desperate and wailing.

Another ridge collides into the ground and breaks into scattered debris, splintering rocks that cut and pierce at Anise as they fly out. There's still one humanoid figure left that turns its eyes on Anise and lunges at her next instead. But Metis has both a shield and sword that look to be made of pure concentrated white light that puts himself between her and it. His shield slams into the figurine, knocking it back, but tendrils latch on as its other set shoots in Anise's direction with one wrapping itself around one of her arms.

The ground shakes, a hulking figure appearing from an opening to the right, struggling to squeeze into the clearing for now. A look at it sending a sickening nausea through all of you. ]

I'll try and provoke them to me, you all focus on taking them down!

Edited 2024-04-01 21:41 (UTC)

[ Well, so much for that.

The monstrous figure catches her swing, and before she could react, it comes slashing down on her. Suddenly, she feels a horrible impact on her head, followed by an audible crack as her helmet is crushed open, and then—a searing pain down her face.

Mizuki hisses again, this time more distressed as she falls back only enough to avoid any more of her getting slashed down, but a pillar of stone blocks her way.

No time to think about it. Adrenaline helps to ignore the pain temporarily; Mizuki pushes off the stone and swoops down to swing a hard kick at the monster's feet, aiming to tumble it down. ]

[ Blade isn't distracted by the sounds of creatures' wailing, considering it a nuisance at best. The sharp throb of pain from two hits (charge stack x2 per damage...?! Sadly not at five, just yet) is something familiar. Yes, he remembers being pierced by something just as sharp before, but he can definitely deal.

He angles his sword to try execute another slash so it cuts through the middle of those dagger-like extensions to make it difficult for them to cling, as well as potentially anything he can hit of the creature. Hopefully dispatching it, but hey, let's leave it up to fate.

Either way, he's hearing Metis' words, and not looking anywhere else except for the enemies in front of him (though, he certainly feels the foreboding shaking of the ground.) ]

Edited 2024-04-01 21:47 (UTC)

[ debris flies at anise, and while a few bits embed themselves in her suit, the damage unclear, one piece thunks against her helmet before she can bring her arms in front of her face to block it. and then, suddenly, something has her arm. she cries out in surprise.

and then, there's a crackle of energy in the air, and the doll in her arms grows.

inexplicably, the suit it's wearing grows with it. it balloons into a two meter tall construct, and it immediately swings a massive arm down on the humanoid creature like it's trying to swat a cockroach. the force behind it is similar to that of a bear. ]

[ The swoop down catches the creature off guard, head tilting at the notion until her hard kick sweeps it entirely off its feet and it goes falling down with a piercing shriek. It flails from where its laying on the ground, tendrils whipping wildly around with frantic yelling now, but Mizuki's senses warp a little and she hears Iris's voice again from it, "Mizuki please! Help me! Help me!"

Blade's sword makes quick work and cuts directly through the extensions and they slacken immediately. It backpedals and wails in pain, lashing out to slash and cut at him with whatever is leftover of its tendrils until the sword connects and dispatches the rest of it in a heavy heap.

The tendrils wrapping around Anise's embed into with its dagger-like ends, gripping tight and sinking in before Metis quickly slides up his sword right through and loosens them. The creature wails, Metis being quick to back up as there's that crackle of energy and makes enough distance as the creature meets with the doll's arm. It sends the figure crashing into the wall nearest because of that swat with a nasty crunch.

At that same moment, the hulking large monstrosity slams against the opening, breaking through the wall after two hits as an ear-shattering roar emits from it. It's body ripples with bloated muscles, pulsing as it looks around. It makes direct eye contact with the group and immediately starts hulk running at them. Time for another roll. ]

[ Mizuki winces, gripping at the bloodied side her head. ]

—Shut up!

[ It's not her, it's not her it's not her.

Yet there's no time to knock it out for good. A crash comes, then a roar, and—oh, shit. That isn't good.

The only option now is to leap the hell out of the way. ]

[ Well, before that annoying creature dies, it does manage to slash him at least one more time for its trouble (x3) on one of his arms, but Blade isn't too surprised to see that it's essentially gone down after he's attacked it viciously.

All the same, he isn't keeping himself too still. In fact, Blade has his eyes on the battlefield. The monster is huge and honest to goodness looking like a difficult enemy to fight.

As Mizuki goes to leap out of the way, Blade decides he should engage that towering monstrosity for obvious reasons. He sees it coming, and decides to try to get behind the monster and execute a quick, strong slash towards the back of its legs, in an attempt to slow it down. As well as debilitate it. ]

Edited 2024-04-01 23:36 (UTC)

[ Tokunaga's taken on plenty of enemies this big, and Anise doesn't know she just rolled a 1, so she hops up onto the back of Tokunaga's head and charges this hulking thing. The doll's surprisingly quick on its weird feet that are too small for its body.

While Blade slashes it from behind, she tries a quick leap to its flank, and then swings with a heavy uppercut from the side. ]

[ Fortunate that Mizuki is quick to leap out of the way, dice rolling just high enough that she goes unscathed as the hulking monstrosity storms past her, but as it does it stomps onto that earlier creature Mizuki had knocked down earlier. It shrieks in pain, Iris voice crying from it, "It hurts, it hu--!" Until it is crushed entirely by that foot with a sickening crack.

Blade moves quickly behind it, though its size is large and muscles pulsing in its upper torso, it is incredibly slow. Allowing him more than enough time to get behind it. Its head turns, distracted and a roar rumbles out of it, the slash doing notable damage to the back of its leg and it lashes out with one arm with elongated curving scythes at its ends striking at Blade.

The doll's swift lightness makes it quick to the hulk's side, swinging a an uppercut that does connect and it reacts by swinging its other arm not slamming at Blade at her instead. The two scythes dig itself straight through the doll with one diving right into Anise's stomach in a hot flash of pain. YOUR NAT 1. ]

Lady Anise!

[ Yikes, yikes! Fortunate for Anise, a gold tether suddenly connects from her to Metis, the pain seeming to halt for now as Metis coughs up some blood but it wavers from it connects. A clear sign this won't last for long. ]

Pray focus on the enemy, I can heal and stabilize as soon as we get rid of it-!

[ UH OH SISTERS THIS ISN'T LOOKING GOOD. ]

[ GOOD FUCKIN RIDDANCE she really did not need more of you, Iris imposter.

Now to focus on the big guy; she hears Metis, and she's one step ahead of him. Rather than attempt to beat the thing down...

Mizuki barrels forth, slamming herself into the side of the big, hulking thing, using both momentum and strength to attempt forcibly shoving it off the ledge of the platform. ]

[ Well, Blade is going to actually actively move to try to maneuver around that strike heading his way, sword coming up again afterwards for a strike at its legs again to further cripple its movement. After all, given where he's positioned, he can't quite see Mizuki coming.

But, timing-wise her maneuver definitely came after his strike considering his own speed, which means he wouldn't be impeding it any, keeping clear by default when she comes ramming straight into the monster. Which, well, is pretty huge, though...

Hopefully the following adage is also true:

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. ]

[ Tokunaga's head is pierced by the bladed arm. Anise lets out a scream of pain when one pierces all the way through, and into her stomach!

... And the pain suddenly stops. There's a bewildered look at Metis, but she's back to focusing. Despite the pain, she doesn't let go. She keeps her hold on the doll with a white-knuckled grip...

But Mizuki comes to charge at the brute, and Anise realizes what she's trying to do. Tokunaga slams another fist at the creature and tries to slip free from the scythes impaling it before Anise can get taken down with it. ]

[ There's a combination of things happening here. Mizuki barrels right into the hulking monstrosity with a full momentum of strength and shoves it in direction of the ledge. The crippling attack to its legs has it loses its footing further as it dangerously topples backwards with the platform trembling with its loud cry. Tokunaga further adds onto it with fist slamming right into it, and its the final push to topple the beast over the ledge.

Its grip loosens and it's enough for Tokunaga and Anise both to be removed from its grasp, the monstrosity trying desperately to grasp at the platform but loses that hold and tumbles into the endless abyss below. The impending fall never comes through, instead leaving a silence behind.

Metis makes his way over to Anise first, that tether dimming as he draws closer and holds a hand out for her. ]

Is everyone alright? How do your injuries fare? [ To Anise directly: ] Come, allow me to heal you first, Lady Anise.

[ Take a quick breather for now, everything becoming eerie quiet. However, a look to the leftover disfigured humanoids show that like the bodies before also begin to get absorbed into the ground. ]

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