- Location
- United States
That's assuming they'll be fighting in a Labyrinth tonight. I'll edit in a clarification real quick, in any case.
Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover
- Thread starter SVS
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- Around here
I too wish to know where this overwhelming desire to have Homura tell her deepest secret to people that aren't Madoka comes from.
I will be addressing the reason for why it seems like there's been no progress made on this front, just as soon as we get more votes.
And speaking of votes, that's exactly what we could use more of right now.
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I wouldn't call it an overwhelming desire so much as I'm just bad at coming up with things to talk about.
- Location
- Around here
We could always get in a huge
- Location
- United States
We all know that Kirika's going to start that fight, and Homura's going to finish it.
- Location
- Around here
We'll leave that to the judges to decide who actually gets to finish that fight. For all we know, Sayaka could make a surprise upset over both of her competitors. She may not be as busty and ojou-san as Oriko, nor as short and sweet as Madoka, but Sayaka has a cute boyish charm all her own, and we shouldn't count Kyouko's judgement out of this fight just because we think Homura would finish it.
[x] enetious
She's like dating a boy, without actually dating a boy!
Day 40 Chapter 18
- Location
- Around here
[X] Plan Divine Realm of the Round Table II: Electric Boogaloo
Your team of four has been wandering this part of Shirome for what feels like an eternity; and if that weren't enough, you'd swear you ere going in circles. "Are you sure you know your way around this part of Shirome?" you ask Kirika. You had hoped that, having lived with Mikuni Oriko for the past few months, she would have a better idea of the lay of the land than you do; but you're wondering if you should call your earlier judgement into question.
"'Course I do!" Kirika responds. "Oriko and I used to take walks in this part of the city all the time back when we started dating. I know this place like the back of my hand." For emphasis, Kirika turns her hand over, taking a quick look at it before exclaiming "What? How'd that get there?" The two of you laugh her joke off, and when your laughter subsides Kirika say "But no, seriously; I know what I'm doing."
"Then, perhaps you'll tell me?"
"I've got a really good feeling about this part of town. I'm just trying to figure out what the best way in would be." You leave it at that, and allow Kirika to get back to leading the way, content in the knowledge that she does, contrary to your doubts, know what she's doing.
"Listen, I'm sorry for what my mom said to you earlier today," Kirika says, breaking from her leading of the pack to address Assassin. "I should have figured she'd be a little weirded out by you, but..." She shakes her head. "She's really not that kinda rude normally, I mean. What she said to you, that was just mean."
"I am used to being considered a 'thing', master of Berserker." Assassin speaks with a chill in her voice, as if the progress you've made with her had vanished in Kure Minako's one sentence to her. "One more person saying so does not bother me."
She says that, but it's clear enough from her change in demeanour that it has bothered her. "Even still, please accept our apology for her earlier behaviour," you say. "I hope you found dinner to be enjoyable in spite of Kure Minako's rudeness."
"I did."
"That's good to hear."
You try to stay silent after that, try to take in your surroundings so that next time you won't need a guide; Shirome is almost the inverse of Mitakihara, in a way. While Mitakihara spent its money rebuilding the city into one of Japan's modern paradises, Shirome was quite content to put its wealth to use in places other than in modern architecture. All of the houses are simpler designs than what you would find in Mitakihara - and certainly in comparison to the Kaname residence in particular - with an even mixture of Eastern and Western in their inspiration. Where Mitakihara strives for uniqueness in its architecture, Shirome appears to pride itself on its grandeur, as even the more modest residences you pass by are large and spacious; the Mikuni mansion is hardly the outlier you first thought it was. In the distance you can see the skyscrapers of the city's business center as they penetrate up into the night sky, illuminating the city over which they loom. Kyouko and Nagatsuki Miyuki are patrolling there right now.
You wonder if they've found anything yet.
"Do you think you'll want to stay in Shirome when you and Mikuni Oriko get married?" you ask. "Or would you prefer somewhere smaller and cozier, like the cabin in Hakone?"
"I don't really care," Kirika responds. "As long as Oriko's there with me, I couldn't care less where we lived. I guess it'd depend on whether her uncle lets her keep the mansion after we're married, or if he'll sell it out of spite and we'll have to find our own place."
"You think her uncle would do that?"
"Her uncle hates me. Like, seriously hates me." Kirika shakes her head, muttering something you'll pretend you didn't hear. "He thinks I'm responsible for corrupting her; like it's my fault she's a lesbian or something; and if that weren't enough, since I'm poor, he thinks being with me is beneath Oriko's stature as a member of the illustrious Mikuni family. So yeah, I could definitely see him doing everything in his power to spite our relationship when we get married." Kirika puffs up her chest, and proudly states "But like hell that's gonna stop me! Oriko and I are gonna get married no matter what her stupid uncle thinks! If he wants to sell the mansion then, so be it! We'll find our own place, and live happily ever after without him!"
Then, as if a switch flipped in Kirika's head, she changes course and asks you "So hey, speaking of the mansion, when's the next time we're gonna go shooting, huh? I'd have asked earlier but my mom had to go and make me live with her for half the week and throw everything out of whack."
"I suppose any time you wanted would be fine," you respond. "Actually, I was going to ask you when you wanted to go shooting right before you asked me."
"Tomorrow," Kirika says. "If you don't have anything else planned, I wanna go shooting again tomorrow after school." This time, whether you pretend not to hear it or not, there's no way you can avoid hearing her mutter "maybe we can use my schoolwork as targets so I don't have to do any of it."
Anything to avoid distractions to her precious time spent with Mikuni Oriko. You nod, before turning your attention to the last member of your party. "I brought this up with your master earlier, back when her legs were finally healed all the way," you say to Berserker. "I said she should seek help from you or Lancer in honing her combat skills so she isn't merely swinging like a wild animal all the time."
"Hey!" Oh dear; you've been heard. "Even if it's not as flashy as any of the stuff you or Oriko can do, I'm perfectly capable of fighting just fine on my own! Remember, I was doing this for months before Oriko made her contract, and when she did I was still mostly the one going out and getting Seeds for her."
"Yes, master, and that is the problem." Kirika huffs and puffs, not taking kindly at all to her servant's comment. Berserker turns his attention to you, responding to your earlier question with "The truth is, in those earliest months my master learned many bad habits, and her fighting technique suffers considerably for it. I have tried to offer instruction, when I can, but the truth is that I must first break her habits and make her unlearn everything she had learned previously, before I can give her effective training. That is why it seems like no progress has been made so far."
"But you can teacher her how to properly fight, if given enough time; yes?"
"Of course. Taking on one such as my master and teaching her to fight would be an easy task." Berserker gives a sidelong glance towards his master as he says "Were she not so preoccupied spending time with her lover that all else is dull to her."
Yes, you imagine that would pose the biggest challenge to trying to teach Kirika anything. "I don't believe we've had the chance to talk like this before," you say to Berserker. "I've been reading about your king and the other knights for a project I'm doing in one of my classes, but you're quite different from the way the book describes you." For one, the Lancelot standing beside your stepsister-to-be isn't someone you would describe as 'ill-made.' Quite the contrary; Berserker's features are well-sculpted, and despite his age his body is quite fit.
"One must remember that not everything one reads will always be accurate. Stories change and are warped as they pass from one hand to the next."
"Perhaps you could tell us a little about yourself, then?" you ask, knowing that Kirika probably never bothered to. "In life, did you ever encounter creatures like the witches we fight; or perhaps something comparable in power?"
"I have slain dragons before, but they are not quite the same as slaying a witch. For one, with a dragon you know what to expect- They are strong, their breath is fierce, and their magic varied; but one always knows to expect strength of claw and magic when fighting a dragon. But when fighting a witch, one never seems to know what to expect. Dragons are, at once, both stronger and weaker than witches, because their greatest strengths are also those things which can most easily be planned around when a dragon one must slay."
"But certainly, that must be no problem for you," you say. "You were the strongest of King Arthur's knights." Actually, now that you think about it... "If you don't mind me asking, just how strong were you in life compared to you as a servant?"
"Weaker, certainly, by both ability and by circumstance. As a living knight, my ability was tied to a body which could age, atrophy, and be wounded; but as a servant I am forever frozen as a knight in my prime, with skills that cannot atrophy no matter how much time passes or how great the harm to my body is. In addition, while my mastery of the weapons of the time was unparalleled, my choices were certainly limited; not so now. Even in the last War which I fought as a servant, I had access to modern firearms and fighter jets, things which would have been unfathomable to all but Merlin in those days. I as a living knight would have never known what to do with a firearm if I had been handed one, but as a servant I can instantly master any weapon in my grasp, even those weapons which would have left the living me completely confused."
"Found it!" The party comes to a halt as Kirika says "While you two were busy yakking, I found us the way in." The entrance to the labyrinth lies just ahead, nestled in an alley you know you would have missed without a better grasp of the local terrain. "So, what's the plan sis?"
"You and Berserker will take point, while Assassin and I will cover you. We'll clear a path to the witch for you, while you two take it out."
"Leaving a lot of the hard stuff to me, aren't ya?"
"You've got the stronger servant; I'm better at ranged support than close quarters. It's just good planning."
"Whatever," Kirika says, changing into her battle costume in a violent flash of light. "Let's just get this over with so I can go home and snuggle up with Oriko."
One by one the four of you enter, but as you take your first steps into the labyrinth you notice something strange about it. There are no familiars; there is no witch; there isn't even much of a labyrinth at all, that you can see. All there is is a darkened room with curtains drawn, and a circular table before you on which is scattered "Tarot cards?"
[ ] Wat do?
Your team of four has been wandering this part of Shirome for what feels like an eternity; and if that weren't enough, you'd swear you ere going in circles. "Are you sure you know your way around this part of Shirome?" you ask Kirika. You had hoped that, having lived with Mikuni Oriko for the past few months, she would have a better idea of the lay of the land than you do; but you're wondering if you should call your earlier judgement into question.
"'Course I do!" Kirika responds. "Oriko and I used to take walks in this part of the city all the time back when we started dating. I know this place like the back of my hand." For emphasis, Kirika turns her hand over, taking a quick look at it before exclaiming "What? How'd that get there?" The two of you laugh her joke off, and when your laughter subsides Kirika say "But no, seriously; I know what I'm doing."
"Then, perhaps you'll tell me?"
"I've got a really good feeling about this part of town. I'm just trying to figure out what the best way in would be." You leave it at that, and allow Kirika to get back to leading the way, content in the knowledge that she does, contrary to your doubts, know what she's doing.
"Listen, I'm sorry for what my mom said to you earlier today," Kirika says, breaking from her leading of the pack to address Assassin. "I should have figured she'd be a little weirded out by you, but..." She shakes her head. "She's really not that kinda rude normally, I mean. What she said to you, that was just mean."
"I am used to being considered a 'thing', master of Berserker." Assassin speaks with a chill in her voice, as if the progress you've made with her had vanished in Kure Minako's one sentence to her. "One more person saying so does not bother me."
She says that, but it's clear enough from her change in demeanour that it has bothered her. "Even still, please accept our apology for her earlier behaviour," you say. "I hope you found dinner to be enjoyable in spite of Kure Minako's rudeness."
"I did."
"That's good to hear."
You try to stay silent after that, try to take in your surroundings so that next time you won't need a guide; Shirome is almost the inverse of Mitakihara, in a way. While Mitakihara spent its money rebuilding the city into one of Japan's modern paradises, Shirome was quite content to put its wealth to use in places other than in modern architecture. All of the houses are simpler designs than what you would find in Mitakihara - and certainly in comparison to the Kaname residence in particular - with an even mixture of Eastern and Western in their inspiration. Where Mitakihara strives for uniqueness in its architecture, Shirome appears to pride itself on its grandeur, as even the more modest residences you pass by are large and spacious; the Mikuni mansion is hardly the outlier you first thought it was. In the distance you can see the skyscrapers of the city's business center as they penetrate up into the night sky, illuminating the city over which they loom. Kyouko and Nagatsuki Miyuki are patrolling there right now.
You wonder if they've found anything yet.
"Do you think you'll want to stay in Shirome when you and Mikuni Oriko get married?" you ask. "Or would you prefer somewhere smaller and cozier, like the cabin in Hakone?"
"I don't really care," Kirika responds. "As long as Oriko's there with me, I couldn't care less where we lived. I guess it'd depend on whether her uncle lets her keep the mansion after we're married, or if he'll sell it out of spite and we'll have to find our own place."
"You think her uncle would do that?"
"Her uncle hates me. Like, seriously hates me." Kirika shakes her head, muttering something you'll pretend you didn't hear. "He thinks I'm responsible for corrupting her; like it's my fault she's a lesbian or something; and if that weren't enough, since I'm poor, he thinks being with me is beneath Oriko's stature as a member of the illustrious Mikuni family. So yeah, I could definitely see him doing everything in his power to spite our relationship when we get married." Kirika puffs up her chest, and proudly states "But like hell that's gonna stop me! Oriko and I are gonna get married no matter what her stupid uncle thinks! If he wants to sell the mansion then, so be it! We'll find our own place, and live happily ever after without him!"
Then, as if a switch flipped in Kirika's head, she changes course and asks you "So hey, speaking of the mansion, when's the next time we're gonna go shooting, huh? I'd have asked earlier but my mom had to go and make me live with her for half the week and throw everything out of whack."
"I suppose any time you wanted would be fine," you respond. "Actually, I was going to ask you when you wanted to go shooting right before you asked me."
"Tomorrow," Kirika says. "If you don't have anything else planned, I wanna go shooting again tomorrow after school." This time, whether you pretend not to hear it or not, there's no way you can avoid hearing her mutter "maybe we can use my schoolwork as targets so I don't have to do any of it."
Anything to avoid distractions to her precious time spent with Mikuni Oriko. You nod, before turning your attention to the last member of your party. "I brought this up with your master earlier, back when her legs were finally healed all the way," you say to Berserker. "I said she should seek help from you or Lancer in honing her combat skills so she isn't merely swinging like a wild animal all the time."
"Hey!" Oh dear; you've been heard. "Even if it's not as flashy as any of the stuff you or Oriko can do, I'm perfectly capable of fighting just fine on my own! Remember, I was doing this for months before Oriko made her contract, and when she did I was still mostly the one going out and getting Seeds for her."
"Yes, master, and that is the problem." Kirika huffs and puffs, not taking kindly at all to her servant's comment. Berserker turns his attention to you, responding to your earlier question with "The truth is, in those earliest months my master learned many bad habits, and her fighting technique suffers considerably for it. I have tried to offer instruction, when I can, but the truth is that I must first break her habits and make her unlearn everything she had learned previously, before I can give her effective training. That is why it seems like no progress has been made so far."
"But you can teacher her how to properly fight, if given enough time; yes?"
"Of course. Taking on one such as my master and teaching her to fight would be an easy task." Berserker gives a sidelong glance towards his master as he says "Were she not so preoccupied spending time with her lover that all else is dull to her."
Yes, you imagine that would pose the biggest challenge to trying to teach Kirika anything. "I don't believe we've had the chance to talk like this before," you say to Berserker. "I've been reading about your king and the other knights for a project I'm doing in one of my classes, but you're quite different from the way the book describes you." For one, the Lancelot standing beside your stepsister-to-be isn't someone you would describe as 'ill-made.' Quite the contrary; Berserker's features are well-sculpted, and despite his age his body is quite fit.
"One must remember that not everything one reads will always be accurate. Stories change and are warped as they pass from one hand to the next."
"Perhaps you could tell us a little about yourself, then?" you ask, knowing that Kirika probably never bothered to. "In life, did you ever encounter creatures like the witches we fight; or perhaps something comparable in power?"
"I have slain dragons before, but they are not quite the same as slaying a witch. For one, with a dragon you know what to expect- They are strong, their breath is fierce, and their magic varied; but one always knows to expect strength of claw and magic when fighting a dragon. But when fighting a witch, one never seems to know what to expect. Dragons are, at once, both stronger and weaker than witches, because their greatest strengths are also those things which can most easily be planned around when a dragon one must slay."
"But certainly, that must be no problem for you," you say. "You were the strongest of King Arthur's knights." Actually, now that you think about it... "If you don't mind me asking, just how strong were you in life compared to you as a servant?"
"Weaker, certainly, by both ability and by circumstance. As a living knight, my ability was tied to a body which could age, atrophy, and be wounded; but as a servant I am forever frozen as a knight in my prime, with skills that cannot atrophy no matter how much time passes or how great the harm to my body is. In addition, while my mastery of the weapons of the time was unparalleled, my choices were certainly limited; not so now. Even in the last War which I fought as a servant, I had access to modern firearms and fighter jets, things which would have been unfathomable to all but Merlin in those days. I as a living knight would have never known what to do with a firearm if I had been handed one, but as a servant I can instantly master any weapon in my grasp, even those weapons which would have left the living me completely confused."
"Found it!" The party comes to a halt as Kirika says "While you two were busy yakking, I found us the way in." The entrance to the labyrinth lies just ahead, nestled in an alley you know you would have missed without a better grasp of the local terrain. "So, what's the plan sis?"
"You and Berserker will take point, while Assassin and I will cover you. We'll clear a path to the witch for you, while you two take it out."
"Leaving a lot of the hard stuff to me, aren't ya?"
"You've got the stronger servant; I'm better at ranged support than close quarters. It's just good planning."
"Whatever," Kirika says, changing into her battle costume in a violent flash of light. "Let's just get this over with so I can go home and snuggle up with Oriko."
One by one the four of you enter, but as you take your first steps into the labyrinth you notice something strange about it. There are no familiars; there is no witch; there isn't even much of a labyrinth at all, that you can see. All there is is a darkened room with curtains drawn, and a circular table before you on which is scattered "Tarot cards?"
[ ] Wat do?
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- Location
- United States
[X] Time-stop, take a peek under one of the tarot cards, plan from there depending on what happens (if anything)
So, they're almost certainly boobytrapped in some way, even if they're just a way to call the Witch or something like that. Hopefully whatever their deal is will give us a hint as to whatever it is this Witch's schtick is (assuming they aren't blank or something).
So yeah, basically NMS' vote, but with time-stop to prevent any traps from going off.
So, they're almost certainly boobytrapped in some way, even if they're just a way to call the Witch or something like that. Hopefully whatever their deal is will give us a hint as to whatever it is this Witch's schtick is (assuming they aren't blank or something).
So yeah, basically NMS' vote, but with time-stop to prevent any traps from going off.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Time stop, flip the cards, and gain some measure of distance while paying attention to all 6 directions before unstopping time.
*Don't physically flip the tarot cards as they may be trapped, and have some connecting force that lets the trap occur even during time stop.
*Even if the trap is visually triggered by us flipping it during time stop, remain on guard due to the possibility of said trap not being complete.
I̶t̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶n̶y̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶p̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶y̶ p̶a̶r̶a̶n̶o̶i̶a̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶u̶e̶
*Don't physically flip the tarot cards as they may be trapped, and have some connecting force that lets the trap occur even during time stop.
*Even if the trap is visually triggered by us flipping it during time stop, remain on guard due to the possibility of said trap not being complete.
I̶t̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶n̶y̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶p̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶y̶ p̶a̶r̶a̶n̶o̶i̶a̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶u̶e̶
- Location
- Around here
If this is meant to be a vote, you've formatted it wrong and the vote tally won't be able to read it. It should look like this:
[X] Time stop, flip the cards, and gain some measure of distance while paying attention to all 6 directions before unstopping time.
-[X] Don't physically flip the tarot cards as they may be trapped, and have some connecting force that lets the trap occur even during time stop.
-[X] Even if the trap is visually triggered by us flipping it during time stop, remain on guard due to the possibility of said trap not being complete
-[X] Don't physically flip the tarot cards as they may be trapped, and have some connecting force that lets the trap occur even during time stop.
-[X] Even if the trap is visually triggered by us flipping it during time stop, remain on guard due to the possibility of said trap not being complete
- Location
- Florida
[X] Enetious
- Location
- United States
[X] Enetious
I would have voted sooner, but I had a bit of a backlog to read through. I've been busy with the FGO event and let my reading lapse.
I would have voted sooner, but I had a bit of a backlog to read through. I've been busy with the FGO event and let my reading lapse.
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Day 40 Chapter 19
- Location
- Around here
[X] Enetious
One by one the four members of your team enter the rippling portal that divides this world from the one beyond, but as you take your first steps into the labyrinth you notice something strange about it. There are no familiars; there is no witch; there isn't even much of a labyrinth at all, that you can see. All there is is a darkened room with curtains drawn, and a circular table before you on which is scattered "Tarot cards?"
You stop as Kirika ponders out loud about the sight you've just walked into. "What the heck is going on here?" she asks, looking around the small and darkened room for any sign of the night's quarry, but neither she nor you are able to find anything that isn't already within your sight. "So... What do we do now?"
"I don't know," you say. There's clearly no sign of the witch, but you doubt that it's already been defeated. "If someone else had taken out the witch before us, then th elabyrinth should have vanished with it. There must be something we're missing, that we aren't seeing."
"It is obvious that the witch wishes to divine our fortunes to some end," Berserker says. "But, to do so would undoubtedly draw us into its trap. We must be on our guard to only take the initiative when the advantage is ours."
"Agreed," you say. "Then let's make the advantage ours." A hand to turn your shield is all it takes to stop time in its tracks. Inside the frozen time, you and Kirika should be the only ones able to move, able to act with impunity. Now, there should be nothing the witch can do to you; the advantage is now yours. Fighting back against your body's hesitation - is it fear which wishes to stop you before you draw your card, or unsensed intuition? - you reach your hand out, letting Fate guide your hand as you choose a card.
You stare at the image on the card you've drawn. Lightning strikes a tall, imposing grey building to set the roof ablaze, as men leap from the building to their doom below. "The Tower..." you say. You wish you knew the meaning behind the Tarot; if you did, it might give you some insight into what the nature of this witch is or how to defeat it. But as you are now, you have no idea of the meaning behind the card you've drawn.
"Oh! Oh! Let me try next!" Kirika says, eagerly grabbing for a card of her own. Your eyes dart to her hand as she too lets Fate decide for her, her fingers too nimble for you to stop.
"SREVOL EHT?" Kirika struggless to read the writing at the top of her card, but her poor grasp of English leads to her being unable to understand her mistake. "What the hell does that mean?"
"You drew it upside-down," you say, flipping the card right-side up in her hands. "It's supposed to read 'The Lovers'." The now-rightside-up card depicts two nude figures, a male and female, likely meant to represent Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, while above them an angel, or perhaps God, rests above the clouds. "I don't know if the meaning changes because you drew it upside-down, though."
"Maybe it means that whatever it usually stands for is reversed?" Kirika suggests, scratching her head as she stares at the cards in her hand and yours. "But... I don't know what it normally means, so..."
"I'm afraid I don't know the meaning either."
Your venture into the labyrinth with Kirika has yielded results that are well outside your usual retinue. An otherwise empty labyrinth that invites the entrant to draw from the pile of Tarot cards cluttering the circular table, which comprises the only ornament of any kind to be seen in the small and darkened space. You've drawn The Tower, while Kirika drew an upside-down The Lovers; and you wish you knew enough about the Tarot to know what either of those things mean for you.
"So... What do we do now?"
You try to think of a plan. While time is frozen inside the labyrinth, your team has the advantage; but what good does that advantage do you when you don't even know what you're trying to fight against? "I... We..." You sigh, and say to Kirika "I really don't know. This is so unlike anything I'm used to dealing with in a witch, and I'm completely out of my element here."
"So then maybe try something out of your element?" Kirika suggests. "What do you think would happen if we took these cards out with us? Do you think the witch would come after us?"
"I don't know," you say. "But I'll know if I give it a try." Doing your best to avoid looking at any of the other cards still on the table, you bundle all the cards up into a single pile. "Alright, let's see what happens when we try to bring these outside with us."
The world around you is still grey as you and Kirika exit the labyrinth; so far, nothing has happened. "Alright, it looks like we're in the clear." For now. "I'm going to freeze these before I let time resume," you say, setting the deck of cards on the ground, before tracing an Isa rune and encasing the deck in a block of ice. With everything in place, you turn your shield; and now, time resumes.
Instantly, the deck of cards is engulfed in flames. Kirika leaps back several meters in shock, and you try to douse the flames, but no matter how much ice you apply to the cards it isn't enough to douse the flames. "I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not," you say as you stare at the flaming mess you've just made on the sidewalk.
"Hey Berserker, can you tell us if there's anything strange going on inside?" With time frozen as you and Kirika left, your servants would still be inside the labyrinth, possibly wondering where you've gone off to.
"You too, Assassin. Is there anything strange going on inside, or is everything still normal?"
"Master? Where did you go?"
"Kirika and I took a walk outside to see what would happen if we took the cards with us. They burst into flames as soon as I unfroze time, but I'm nto sure if that's a good thing or not."
"Nothing has changed, I am relieved to say. But, the cards are still on the table. You say you took them with you?"
"I did." Something strange is afoot; did you actually take the cards out with you; or are the cards Assassin is seeing just illusions? Are the cards you took just illusions? You wish you understood what this witch was doing. "We're going back inside," you say to Kirika. "Assassin says that the cards are still there on the table, so I need to re-confirm the situation inside."
Kirika nods her head. "Berserker told me the same thing," she says, following your lead as you and she rejoin your servants inside the labyrinth.
This time, when you step inside the labyrinth, things aren't quite the same as they were before. The curtains have been raised, and a thick fog blankets the floor. You feel as though you've been here before. On either side of you, a procession of familiars marches past; they don't belong to the witch, and you know it. Because you've seen these familiars before.
But, that should be impossible. That witch isn't due to arrive for another week; and even if it were early, why would it appear here, inside a labyrinth you've never seen it in before?
And yet, it's unmistakable. You've fought that witch too many times.
"Wait!" Kirika's anguished screams tear your mind away from the fight that stands before you. "Don't go!" What? "Please, don't leave me Oriko! I'll be good! I'll behave! Promise! Just please... Don't leave me like this..."
[ ] Wat do?
One by one the four members of your team enter the rippling portal that divides this world from the one beyond, but as you take your first steps into the labyrinth you notice something strange about it. There are no familiars; there is no witch; there isn't even much of a labyrinth at all, that you can see. All there is is a darkened room with curtains drawn, and a circular table before you on which is scattered "Tarot cards?"
You stop as Kirika ponders out loud about the sight you've just walked into. "What the heck is going on here?" she asks, looking around the small and darkened room for any sign of the night's quarry, but neither she nor you are able to find anything that isn't already within your sight. "So... What do we do now?"
"I don't know," you say. There's clearly no sign of the witch, but you doubt that it's already been defeated. "If someone else had taken out the witch before us, then th elabyrinth should have vanished with it. There must be something we're missing, that we aren't seeing."
"It is obvious that the witch wishes to divine our fortunes to some end," Berserker says. "But, to do so would undoubtedly draw us into its trap. We must be on our guard to only take the initiative when the advantage is ours."
"Agreed," you say. "Then let's make the advantage ours." A hand to turn your shield is all it takes to stop time in its tracks. Inside the frozen time, you and Kirika should be the only ones able to move, able to act with impunity. Now, there should be nothing the witch can do to you; the advantage is now yours. Fighting back against your body's hesitation - is it fear which wishes to stop you before you draw your card, or unsensed intuition? - you reach your hand out, letting Fate guide your hand as you choose a card.
You stare at the image on the card you've drawn. Lightning strikes a tall, imposing grey building to set the roof ablaze, as men leap from the building to their doom below. "The Tower..." you say. You wish you knew the meaning behind the Tarot; if you did, it might give you some insight into what the nature of this witch is or how to defeat it. But as you are now, you have no idea of the meaning behind the card you've drawn.
"Oh! Oh! Let me try next!" Kirika says, eagerly grabbing for a card of her own. Your eyes dart to her hand as she too lets Fate decide for her, her fingers too nimble for you to stop.
"SREVOL EHT?" Kirika struggless to read the writing at the top of her card, but her poor grasp of English leads to her being unable to understand her mistake. "What the hell does that mean?"
"You drew it upside-down," you say, flipping the card right-side up in her hands. "It's supposed to read 'The Lovers'." The now-rightside-up card depicts two nude figures, a male and female, likely meant to represent Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, while above them an angel, or perhaps God, rests above the clouds. "I don't know if the meaning changes because you drew it upside-down, though."
"Maybe it means that whatever it usually stands for is reversed?" Kirika suggests, scratching her head as she stares at the cards in her hand and yours. "But... I don't know what it normally means, so..."
"I'm afraid I don't know the meaning either."
Your venture into the labyrinth with Kirika has yielded results that are well outside your usual retinue. An otherwise empty labyrinth that invites the entrant to draw from the pile of Tarot cards cluttering the circular table, which comprises the only ornament of any kind to be seen in the small and darkened space. You've drawn The Tower, while Kirika drew an upside-down The Lovers; and you wish you knew enough about the Tarot to know what either of those things mean for you.
"So... What do we do now?"
You try to think of a plan. While time is frozen inside the labyrinth, your team has the advantage; but what good does that advantage do you when you don't even know what you're trying to fight against? "I... We..." You sigh, and say to Kirika "I really don't know. This is so unlike anything I'm used to dealing with in a witch, and I'm completely out of my element here."
"So then maybe try something out of your element?" Kirika suggests. "What do you think would happen if we took these cards out with us? Do you think the witch would come after us?"
"I don't know," you say. "But I'll know if I give it a try." Doing your best to avoid looking at any of the other cards still on the table, you bundle all the cards up into a single pile. "Alright, let's see what happens when we try to bring these outside with us."
The world around you is still grey as you and Kirika exit the labyrinth; so far, nothing has happened. "Alright, it looks like we're in the clear." For now. "I'm going to freeze these before I let time resume," you say, setting the deck of cards on the ground, before tracing an Isa rune and encasing the deck in a block of ice. With everything in place, you turn your shield; and now, time resumes.
Instantly, the deck of cards is engulfed in flames. Kirika leaps back several meters in shock, and you try to douse the flames, but no matter how much ice you apply to the cards it isn't enough to douse the flames. "I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not," you say as you stare at the flaming mess you've just made on the sidewalk.
"Hey Berserker, can you tell us if there's anything strange going on inside?" With time frozen as you and Kirika left, your servants would still be inside the labyrinth, possibly wondering where you've gone off to.
"You too, Assassin. Is there anything strange going on inside, or is everything still normal?"
"Master? Where did you go?"
"Kirika and I took a walk outside to see what would happen if we took the cards with us. They burst into flames as soon as I unfroze time, but I'm nto sure if that's a good thing or not."
"Nothing has changed, I am relieved to say. But, the cards are still on the table. You say you took them with you?"
"I did." Something strange is afoot; did you actually take the cards out with you; or are the cards Assassin is seeing just illusions? Are the cards you took just illusions? You wish you understood what this witch was doing. "We're going back inside," you say to Kirika. "Assassin says that the cards are still there on the table, so I need to re-confirm the situation inside."
Kirika nods her head. "Berserker told me the same thing," she says, following your lead as you and she rejoin your servants inside the labyrinth.
This time, when you step inside the labyrinth, things aren't quite the same as they were before. The curtains have been raised, and a thick fog blankets the floor. You feel as though you've been here before. On either side of you, a procession of familiars marches past; they don't belong to the witch, and you know it. Because you've seen these familiars before.
But, that should be impossible. That witch isn't due to arrive for another week; and even if it were early, why would it appear here, inside a labyrinth you've never seen it in before?
And yet, it's unmistakable. You've fought that witch too many times.
~(5)~
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Walpurgisnacht.~(4)~
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"Wait!" Kirika's anguished screams tear your mind away from the fight that stands before you. "Don't go!" What? "Please, don't leave me Oriko! I'll be good! I'll behave! Promise! Just please... Don't leave me like this..."
[ ] Wat do?
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Very short one today, since the winning vote didn't leave me much to go off of on account of us stopping time.
In other news, the entirety of the story thus far clocks in at 850k words. With 7 days remaining in the quest, that leaves me having to average 21k words per day if I want to make it to a million before we're done. Do you think I can do it?
In other news, the entirety of the story thus far clocks in at 850k words. With 7 days remaining in the quest, that leaves me having to average 21k words per day if I want to make it to a million before we're done. Do you think I can do it?
- Location
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I mean, if you want me to make unrestricted, lengthy plans then I won't stop you. But the question remains... should you?
(But seriously though, don't; that violates labor laws or something. Just write at whatever rate you're comfortable with, as it wouldn't do for you to become burnt out just for some meaningless goal that would probably be met in the sequel anyways.)
And hey, NMS being the MVP saving us all a Google search.
[X] Plan Cardshark
-[X] Collect all the cards into a deck, bring them outside the Labyrinth to see what happens
--[X] If they made it outside, freeze them in a block of ice; if they didn't, send them through your brand new KirikashredderTM
---[X] Unfreeze time outside the Labyrinth to see what happens; give it a minute or three, then have Berserker poke his head through to see what's happening inside
----[X] Use your best judgement, and proceed in or out of time-stop depending on circumstances (if it's just like before, don't time-stop, but be prepared to as per usual); use the predetermined formation that you made earlier
-----[X] If it seems like the Witch or it's familiars are reading your actions/tactics somehow (as Berserker kinda predicted), resume the hunt in time-stop
Also welcome to
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I dunno; should I? The only time writing burns me out is when I'm forced to write some stupid shit and I don't want to write some stupid shit. Writing because I actually want to has never burned me out. To put this in perspective, I'm more likely to burn myself out forcing myself to write papers for school than I am churning out updates that are twice as long, because while I actually want to do the latter, I'd rather have my teeth pulled out through my asshole than do the former.I mean, if you want me to make unrestricted, lengthy plans then I won't stop you. But the question remains... should you?
(But seriously though, don't; that violates labor laws or something. Just write at whatever rate you're comfortable with, as it wouldn't do for you to become burnt out just for some meaningless goal that would probably be met in the sequel anyways.)
He clearly didn't save you enough, since you weren't able to come out of the gate with an over-long explanation of what each card means for the girl that drew it.
WanderingTwix
Posting something good once in a full moon
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[x] enetious
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[X] Plan Yeah, Just Spell It Out For Us Strange Witch
-[X] Time-stop with Kirika, then collect Assassin and Berserker into time-stop as well
--[X] With Kirika's outburst, it's fairly obvious that this Witch shows some kind of illusion to each of them individually based on either their fears or something negative that has happened in their lives, so make it plainly clear to Kirika, Assassin, and Berserker when you drag them into time-stop
---[X] If asked about what you are/were experiencing, answer truthfully
----[X] Exfiltrate for now before coming up with another plan; it would be wise to either figure out how to bypass whatever illusions that exist within this Witch's Labyrinth, or to only send in those who aren't susceptible to being shown their fears/bad experiences
-----[X] Now that you're aware of this Witch's schick, at the very least you should be fine; what about the others?
-[X] Time-stop with Kirika, then collect Assassin and Berserker into time-stop as well
--[X] With Kirika's outburst, it's fairly obvious that this Witch shows some kind of illusion to each of them individually based on either their fears or something negative that has happened in their lives, so make it plainly clear to Kirika, Assassin, and Berserker when you drag them into time-stop
---[X] If asked about what you are/were experiencing, answer truthfully
----[X] Exfiltrate for now before coming up with another plan; it would be wise to either figure out how to bypass whatever illusions that exist within this Witch's Labyrinth, or to only send in those who aren't susceptible to being shown their fears/bad experiences
-----[X] Now that you're aware of this Witch's schick, at the very least you should be fine; what about the others?