overflow.

[coastal]

EVENT 25
no top-level ➝ overflow

EVENT 26
original top-level ➝ overflow

EVENT 27
no top-level ➝ overflow

FESTIVAL
original top-level ➝ overflow

Comments

EVENT 26

[coastal]

The paintrain stops for no one.

Original top-level:

[ phase i : nobody ever said it was easy ]

[Lili wasn't here when Yona's dragons were - but there's no denying the fragments of them that are left at the altar. A long ribbon with strands of green hair, the broken pieces of a mask, the shreds of white cloth. Distantly, she recalls those who helped her back home and wonders if this is why they aren't present here now.

Her hands find her own face as the tears sting at her eyes, her legs weak and shaking before she falls to her knees, stunned and shaking.]

This is... too much...

[ phase ii : no one ever said it would be this hard ]

[It's painful to know that even now, she's useless. Yet as the screeching metal comes clamoring closer, she refuses to stay still. There's shame to be found in running because she doesn't care if it means that'll keep her alive.

When the creatures approaches, she's immediately taking the arm of the person next to her and pulling (apologies if you're injured) with a yell of -]

Move, are you an idiot?!

[ phase iii : take me back to the start ]

[note: akayona spoilers for 117

Everything about this place has been too familiar to Lili. It only seems fitting then that what they show her is the exact moments before she arrived in this place. The memories come flooding back, along with the feeling of pain shocking through her dry throat and the wounds she sustained. The final moments of the memories are of nothing but dirt, her faced pushed into the ground as the soldiers words attack her ears with the precision of arrows.

We'll take her to the execution grounds.

It nearly knocks her off her feet again, leaving her bracing against the nearest wall as if that'll put some distance between herself and the memory. Failing that, she might end up bumping into the closest possible person and clutching onto them with shaky hands before she catches herself, trying to pull away even as she looks up with wide, tearful eyes.]

I'm sorry, I didn't--

[She's not sure what she's apologizing for. Either way, she just knows that she wants to find the nearest exit.]

atsushi.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . BUT HE DIDN'T AGREE?

Even if it's embarrassing, Lili can tell when someone is skipping out on her so she doesn't remove her hand from his - not until he agrees.]

No, a promise...!

We're even doing the ritual!

[she's embarrassing herself, isn't she]

genos.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Meanwhile Lili, from Fantasy Old-Timey Korea as she is, has absolutely no idea what the powerpoint was saying. Still though, she shakes her head.]

I don't believe it either!

But where do we even start to get answers.... this place isn't telling me anything either, it's just - horrid!

jaune.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

Of course it would be the worst idea - it's our only lead!

[And that pretty much overrides Lili's safety every time?! Oh. That's worrying. Still though she stares down the hole in the wall before looking back to Jaune and fixing him with a glare.]

If something goes wrong, I trust your judgment.

[If you can fight a monster, cool. If you have to leave her, also cool.

.... what a bad idea.]

mutsu.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . it's patronizing is what it is. It leaves Lili annoyed and simmering but as he moves forward, so does she. Very well then, she's not going to be stopped by this.

Bending down, she picks up the scraps of mask, the orange hair ribbon, the remains of ceremonial white robes.]

.... All it is are the possessions of my former comrades.

Or are you looking for an answer less cruel?

catman.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . . dammit.

He asked it point blank and even though Lili's tsun af, she's not a liar. So there's a moment of surprise on her face before some disgruntled, frustration expression. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of her answer though, she turns away with a slight huff.]

Who said that?

[No...

No, it's not a bad thing.]

rhys.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . she hadn't expected that.

The simple compliance, the agreement to her demand manages to get her to stop and she takes a moment to just breathe. Even out her breaths. Get the tears to stop. Her hands come up to her face to try to hide her eyes since she knows this is embarrassing.

It occurs to her for a moment to turn away, but she doesn't. She wants to walk away, but she doesn't. Because no matter what she said, the idea of being completely left alone now.... it scares her.

She doesn't want to be alone anymore.

When she finally speaks, it's in a raspy whisper:]

... I'm sorry.

okuni.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Well, it's true.

Immediately, Lili shakes her head.]

No, of course not - it's not like you can do anything against that beast either...!

[So it would be rather impossible to talk Lili into allowing her to do all the work again.]

namazuo.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . such simple instruction. Lili takes a moment to be surprised, to marvel quietly:] You sound like Kashuu.

[Which... in a rare moment, she doesn't mean it as a bad thing. Kashuu's her primary instructor an so when she takes the metal bar, she doesn't feel as though it's something too heavy for her. No, she's fought with things far more crude and still managed to hold her own at least fairly.... so this is acceptable to her.

A small nod.]

This is fine.

hijikata.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . well. In all honesty:]

I don't have friends. [But that sounds pathetic, so she adds-] It all sounds troublesome to me.

However if you're obviously looking for people, it would be cruel to just brush that off. They're other Shinsengumi, presumably, yes? As such, I also assume that they aren't bad people. This place could use more people who aren't incompetent idiots.

[ . . . there.]

mutsu again?

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

There's... nothing to thank me for.

[It's distracted almost and despite herself, she stops in front of the mirror shard that shows a sword being presented to someone so young, so unsure. In spite of her words earlier, she slows and squeezes Mutsu's hand once. She makes sure that the shard is in front of him - that one and no other.]

Mutsu... open your eyes for just a moment.

I need you to see something.

sad sword.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Lili is reckless. Lili is reckless and unabashed and the words "Then I'll love you!" almost leave her lips. Almost

But she's still too weak for something like that. Would those be the words that would soothe him? Or is she entirely off-mark again? Either way, she's left stunned for a moment at his questioning because it's something that she'd never considered before.

The idea of loving and being loved - it's foreign to her. Interpersonal relationships are so rare, there was no one in that room in the manor except for her after all. Her father was never so warm and her attendants, caring as they were, could never cross that boundary. Perhaps it's easy to say that she's never been loved a day in her life.]

Why would you justify that to anyone...?

[She shakes her head.]

You couldn't have done anything then - you didn't have a choice.... it would speak ill of anyone who would hold those against you. But you have your own body now, you're your own person - [she had this conversation with Kashuu, didn't she?] - it's the actions that you take now that will determine whether or not you are loved, whether you are treasured.

[By merit, not by birth. That's something she's always believed in.]

I don't know you, you haven't even given me or your name but--

But anyone can be deserving of love.... I have to believe that!

stranger danger.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . well. That's true.

So Lili struggles for a moment before she goes for her tried and true:]

Do you swear upon your honor?

hak.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[There's plenty that she has to say.

When she gathers herself, wiping the tears pooling at the edges of her eyes with her sleeves, she looks to Hak and is surprised to notice him. Why isn't he upset? Why is he standing all the way over there? Why isn't he being useful? Where's Yona? How can he let her be alone in this place? Why is he managing to fail the one thing that Lili actually entrusted him to do? What's even the point of him being here?

Instead, only one thing leaves her mouth:]

Hak?

[An acknowledgment.]

mary.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[The tsun life is hard and difficult.

But Lili is just bristling a little bit at that, fussed as she is.]

I-I'm not--

You shouldn't speak for--

[gguuuhhhh]

Really, you speak your mind far too easily!

naoki.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . o-oh?]

That's... that's enough? Really?

[Well - she already knows in her head that it's not enough. She'll be in his debt but... still. If she can do anything at all...]

smol sword.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Despite everything, Lili stiffens up at that. Her head jolts up as she looks up at Imano with teary eyes, fearful as they are. Protect her...?

Hasn't that what everyone's been doing? And is this how they're paying for it?]

No, I - .... please... anything but that.

rock lee.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

No--

[Immediately, she struggles.

It's too soon. It's too familiar to being held by those guards who would surely be willing to take her to her demise. These hands are too strong and too constricting and it takes her a moment before she even comes back to reality, blinking in surprise and confusion and fear as she looks up at Rock Lee.

Tears prick at the edges of her eyes even as she stops struggling, even as her heart appears to be caught in her throat.]

L-Lee...

[Though she can't really offer much more than that.

Instead, the tears start to spill over against her will.

How far has this place scarred her if she found herself afraid of him?]

merlin.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Well, he's not wrong. Lili is still default bossy and arrogant - however that's likely just a personality flaw at this point. The idea of holding her rank over someone here when it doesn't even matter makes absolutely zero sense to her.

But still.

There's just a huff.]

Perhaps for you to not pass out on me.

[T b h.]

william.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Here it is: the moment that Lili sincerely considers making a deal with the devil.

Or at least a total stranger.

So she'll leave that thought in the back of her mind, nodding now.]

-- Ah. Yes, if you don't mind....

[Then she'd like to head elsewhere.]

hiro.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Hi Hiro, sorry about your ankle.

Still though, she looks back at him and is bemused entirely by what he's holding. That he's still looking back at that monster. That he's not focused entirely on just getting away?!]

-- Away from here, obviously!

[Yes.

Simple.]

saitou.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[The steps get Lili to look over, stunned for a moment even still. The tears prick at the corners of her eyes, still threatening to spill over when she looks at him. Why does it feel like it goes like this too often? Just like when they first met, she's so close to tears....

When the hand is extended, she looks surprised.

But it's Saitou - and it's really awful that she's already come to appreciate one person so much because it makes her reckless and naive and blind - and so she opts to take his hand, just as she tries to find her footing, wobbly as it is.

She's still a little unbalanced.]

You...

I apologize.

haru.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[ . . . . a bird?

Admittedly she's a little amazed by the display first, taking a moment to snap out of it when he asks and then she moves to encourage him to run ahead of her. It'll let her make sure that he stays safe since the groaning of machinery is coming directly from the monster that was after them - ideally they won't run into any other obstacles.]

Down this way - and then a left when you make it to the next street.

[Right? God, she hopes she's right.

But any uncertainty she may have doesn't show on her face, not when she's given herself a mission like she has now. The most important thing is to make sure that Haru gets to safety, ideally making it to one of his swords so that they can protect him. For that, she collects all of her calm and her self-assuredness. His look of fright is met with one of determination.]

yona.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[When Lili calms down, it's not exactly in the best way.

She can feels every inch of her injuries, the ache that reaches deep into her bones, and the feeling of Yona's arms around her. It's familiar. It's too familiar and it aggravates her - here she is, being protected by Yona yet again.

How pitiful.

When she calms down, she pulls away and speaks honestly:]

We need to find Hak.

souji. aka not-nameless-anymore butthead.

[coastal]

[FROM HERE.]

[Specific question if she wants specific answers.

Does she want that?

In truth, in the vagueness of it, she wanted him to feel free to tell her whatever he wanted. He'd already seen her memory, an unfair showing that she hadn't agreed to but this place forced her into. Then it had forced yet another exchange and she still doesn't understand - it's not the first time that she would've encountered something here that frightened her.

It just so happens that the person in front of her can also become that creature, whatever it was-

She draws in a breath and reminds herself of what she was so certain before: this man won't hurt her. This man had already promised that he wouldn't kill her. This man bandaged her arm.]

... No, that is enough. ["You are enough" is what she can't quite bring herself to say - he as he is, as opposed to who he may be if pushed too far and turned into something so similar to a monster.] You answered my question, after all.

[And that's really all she wanted. To know who he was and where he stood with his own opinion. When she finds her voice again to continue, it's quieter but it doesn't lose its determination. If anything, the tendrils of her anger begin to creep forward.]

Whatever I have seen, it's not information that you volunteered willingly and so - even if it's the truth - I don't deserve to know it. It's not within my right to ask after it. You are.... as you are.

[A captain. A monster. Souji.

Whoever he is, she'll accept it.]