[ At some point Monday, Molly will be exploring the new floor - waving Sylvain over if he sees him. He's scoping out doors, trying to test the Vibes on the other side by pressing his ear against them. This doesn't work super well because he's got horns on the side of his head. He can only get so close to the door.
For us I rolled
16. You open the door and find yourself inside a confessional booth - one of you in the position to confess, one in the position to listen to the confession. The door will not open to let you out no matter how hard you try. You must confess at least one sin - and honestly, at that - in order to be let out. Once you do, you will find yourself back out in the hallway. No matter how long it took you to confess your sin, only four minutes will have passed.
[ Molly, who isn't particularly familiar with the trappings of Fantasy Catholicism, just slides open the thing to open up to screen between the confessional booth, trying to peer through it. ]
Oh. Right. I've done this before actually - there was a cake? Is there not normally cake? Well, point is, said everything I did. And I'm still not sure I need forgiveness for it, it was all perfectly reasonable.
What? I definitely didn't get any cake. [ ...why does he feel disappointed all of a sudden. anyway. ]
Yeah yeah, I'm sure you're a spotless lamb.
[ he doesn't wanna go first?? ...but he sort of owes molly for the booze. ...and maybe this will destroy molly's opinion of him, if he has any at all, but sylvain is used to his reputation being in tatters. (also, the GUESTBOOK has already called him out from the very start) ]
Fine. This probably won't come as a surprise, but I've cheated on more girls than I can count on both hands.
Haha, well... [ there's fooling around for fun, and then there's sylvain's brand of fooling around... which is fun for neither party, not even himself. ] I made no promises, but didn't stop them from jumping to false conclusions, either.
And if they got their feelings bruised for it... Let's just say I didn't take very much responsibility for my actions.
7. You open the door and find yourself inside ... well, no. You find yourselves outside, in a thicket of trees. There is a faint buzzing noise in the air, but it's hard to tell where precisely it's coming from. As you walk along, the buzzing gets louder. Suddenly, there are bees! You can try to outrun them, or kill them, or just submit to being stung. If you successfully lose the bees or destroy them all, you will find yourself out in the hallway, winded. If you get stung, you will find yourself out in the hallway with a handful of bee stings (much less than you actually got), which is probably painful. Either way, only four minutes have passed.
[ what can else can he really say to all this, except ] Why!
[ he looks over at molly with an expression that is both exasperated and grimly determined. they have to protect their handsome mugs from these insect savages. ]
I say we run, and don't stop running?
[ he's already starting to pick up the pace, but he has no idea if there's actually an exit for them to get to, or if they're fated to be stung to death by a swarm of bees... ]
[ sylvain is in good shape, but something about being chased by bees really knocks the wind outta you... he scrambles for the exit, thankful molly had spotted it ]
Go go go!
[ they tumble out from the thicket back into the hallway. sylvain nearly trips and wipes in his haste, and basically seats himself on the ground in a partly-controlled stumble. ]
You've been sent with your classmates to apprehend your disowned brother, who has stolen and fled with the relic of House Gautier. The chase leads you up the spiraling steps of Conand Tower, a grueling path through no small number of hostile bandits and brigands.
What awaits you at the top is a (CW: mild body horror/transformation) living nightmare. You watch as your brother is consumed by the power of the relic, his body twisted into that of a monster. The Lance of Ruin was never his to bear, and despite everything he's done to you, every hell he has put you through, you can only watch in horror.
And then you take his life. And you don't feel relief, or even vindication—just self-loathing.
[ Hm. Well. Yikes! After watching all of that, feeling a bit nauseated by the thought of it all - but then he blinks and shakes his head. Holding his hands up. ]
I know every time this happens-- It's always the most private things, yeah? I don't have to have seen it. I can just say I didn't, if you want.
[ sylvain rubs at the back of his neck. it's horrific, but also... sort of embarrassing at this point? ]
It's all right. Hardly a secret by now, here or back home.
[ he shakes his head and laughs wryly, though his expression is a tad sheepish ] Feel free to forget, though. Doesn't exactly make for a pretty picture.
Really, it's not-- It's my whole thing. I'd be full of shit if I didn't think so. Judge you on the actions I see you do, not anything else, right? And really, you've just been going around being nice to emotionally constipated arses who don't quite realize what's happening.
Oh. I mean. I suppose I was ... [ just being nice about THAT bit. It was pretty gross! ] I used to work at a circus!
[ What does that have to do with anything. ]
But turns out one of my fellow carnies was actually a devil in disguise. Shite happens.
[ okay, now he looks really surprised. to sylvain he's just been carrying on business as usual, nothing that particularly stands out in his mind... ]
Uh. You mean Jason? [ sorry jason ur the first person he thinks of ]
A circus... A performing troupe of sorts, yeah?
[ he frowns at the 'fellow carnie' bit ] I hope they're no longer a thorn in your side. Nevermind this whole business. [ vaguely gestures to hotel they are in ]
[ handshakes in Unhealthy Avoidance. sylvain's not looking super great himself—it's a bad time for everyone during affection week. ]
A few of us went to check out housekeeping—there's gotta be something going on there. Nothing seemed to be out of place, except it kept getting hotter and hotter in the room, the further we went in.
[ hi, i'm government assigning us the HOWLING ROSE pirate ship in redacted, where molly is slightly dejectedly sitting on the plank, feet dangling off over the ocean. ]
[ molly too, which is why he's very fascinated with this ship. ]
Isn't that what a crew is for? All forced together in close quarters with very salty food, getting sick of one another? Just seems a very romantic lifestyle. Great hats.
Haha... I dunno. I'd rather not end up overboard, which is exactly what would happen if I were stuck on a boat with my friends.
[ sylvain is also thinking about how the sea... is a metaphor for space... and such. ]
You didn't get sick of being in the station? [ he murmurs this next observation more to himself, ] I guess if you're able to go back on land from time to time, sailing isn't as bad...
[ no it's probably exactly true of molly too. just being cramped in a small space at sea with your friends is a good way to prove how Annoying you are. ]
I definitely got sick of the station. But that was one place! And you were always indoors, stuck. At least on a ship you can go somewhere else, see something new. Besides, the thing I got sick of on the station wasn't the people as much as all the murder.
That's fair. Come to think of it, the hotel's not so different... We go to other places [ e.g. this ship right here ] but we never actually get to leave...
Company's not half bad, though. [ he offers a friendly grin ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
W0, MONDAY
For us I rolled
He's got his hand on the knob. ]
Want to see if there's anything good in there?
no subject
[ he gestures at molly to go ahead...
...aaaaaaaand he's here. AGAIN. WHY DOES CHURCH WANT HIM SO BADLY. is this because he avoided confession during his previous stint... ]
...This has got to be a joke.
[ IS HE A JOKE TO U HOTEL (he is, he is) ]
no subject
You got any idea what this is?
no subject
Yeah. Confession. [ (derogatory) ] You're supposed to divulge your dirty deeds here. Something about forgiveness and absolution, blah blah.
Last time I was here, it wouldn't let us out until we both stated our piece.
no subject
Anyway. You first, then?
[ rude, molly. ]
no subject
Yeah yeah, I'm sure you're a spotless lamb.
[ he doesn't wanna go first?? ...but he sort of owes molly for the booze. ...and maybe this will destroy molly's opinion of him, if he has any at all, but sylvain is used to his reputation being in tatters. (also, the GUESTBOOK has already called him out from the very start) ]
Fine. This probably won't come as a surprise, but I've cheated on more girls than I can count on both hands.
no subject
[ Sorry, but he snorts a laugh, sharp and sudden. It doesn't seem particularly judgmental or anything, just amused. ]
Cheated on ... ? You know you don't have to make promises of commitment to fool around a little.
no subject
And if they got their feelings bruised for it... Let's just say I didn't take very much responsibility for my actions.
no subject
You sound as if you consider yourself reformed then.
no subject
[ he's not completely cured of infidelity, alas... ]
And yourself?
no subject
[ Blinking a bit, snorting. ]
Oh, I have to as well?
no subject
What, are you a man of the cloth, now?
[ he then grins through the screen ]
That's how it works.
[ IT'S POSSIBLE THE DOORS ARE ALREADY UNLOCKED but even so, sylvain isn't checking... he wants to hear the dirt on molly... ]
W1 / Monday / Doors
[ he looks over at molly with an expression that is both exasperated and grimly determined. they have to protect their handsome mugs from these insect savages. ]
I say we run, and don't stop running?
[ he's already starting to pick up the pace, but he has no idea if there's actually an exit for them to get to, or if they're fated to be stung to death by a swarm of bees... ]
no subject
[ Already running. Flat out! Goodbye, bud, it's every man for himself out here. ]
no subject
he tries to weave between the trees, completely losing any sense of direction in his desperation to avoid getting stung.
he rounds a corner, and nearly runs smack into molly again. ]
Whoa!!
no subject
everyone is on the ground now
for some reason molly finds this hilarious even though bees are Happening, laughing with loud bark. ]
I hate these damned doors!
no subject
No time for laughing! We gotta get going!!
[ he's gonna be the one to take off without molly and leave him as the bee sacrifice this time, if molly doesn't get up... i am sorry... 😔 ]
no subject
You really are nice, you know that? I'd have just left me!
no subject
he wheezes out as they sprint away, ]
I know! You left me just earlier!
[ sylvain doesn't think he's being nice right now so much as, incredibly stupid. he is an idiot sandwich. ]
no subject
Because it's bees! If it was an owlbear, I'd have come right back! Fuck-- there! Door!
[ Yanking him by the arm to dash for it, escape in sight.]
no subject
Go go go!
[ they tumble out from the thicket back into the hallway. sylvain nearly trips and wipes in his haste, and basically seats himself on the ground in a partly-controlled stumble. ]
Ugh... [ they made it... ] ...What's an owlbear?
no subject
It's an owlbear? [ thinking. ] Big guy, big claws, bad attitude.
no subject
...Kidding. I don't think he's that bad.
no subject
Yeah. Like Joonghyuk exactly.
W3 / Tuesday
... ]
no subject
I know every time this happens-- It's always the most private things, yeah? I don't have to have seen it. I can just say I didn't, if you want.
no subject
It's all right. Hardly a secret by now, here or back home.
[ he shakes his head and laughs wryly, though his expression is a tad sheepish ] Feel free to forget, though. Doesn't exactly make for a pretty picture.
no subject
no subject
Though, I guess I should be offering condolences if that's the case. [ the "i've seen worse" bit... miklan was already pretty bad... ]
no subject
Oh. I mean. I suppose I was ... [ just being nice about THAT bit. It was pretty gross! ] I used to work at a circus!
[ What does that have to do with anything. ]
But turns out one of my fellow carnies was actually a devil in disguise. Shite happens.
no subject
Uh. You mean Jason? [ sorry jason ur the first person he thinks of ]
A circus... A performing troupe of sorts, yeah?
[ he frowns at the 'fellow carnie' bit ] I hope they're no longer a thorn in your side. Nevermind this whole business. [ vaguely gestures to hotel they are in ]
W4 / Friday
(also, hoping if he gets the word in first, he won't have to. talk about feelings.) ]
—Hey, you got a minute?
no subject
Ah-- Yeah?
no subject
A few of us went to check out housekeeping—there's gotta be something going on there. Nothing seemed to be out of place, except it kept getting hotter and hotter in the room, the further we went in.
no subject
Another fire, maybe?
no subject
[ so, it's possible that's involved. great. ]
W5, MONDAY
I should have been a pirate ...
no subject
Wouldn't you get lonely out at sea?
[ molly seems like a very sociable person, is what sylvain means. (not so different from himself.) ]
no subject
Isn't that what a crew is for? All forced together in close quarters with very salty food, getting sick of one another? Just seems a very romantic lifestyle. Great hats.
no subject
[ sylvain is also thinking about how the sea... is a metaphor for space... and such. ]
You didn't get sick of being in the station? [ he murmurs this next observation more to himself, ] I guess if you're able to go back on land from time to time, sailing isn't as bad...
no subject
[ no it's probably exactly true of molly too. just being cramped in a small space at sea with your friends is a good way to prove how Annoying you are. ]
I definitely got sick of the station. But that was one place! And you were always indoors, stuck. At least on a ship you can go somewhere else, see something new. Besides, the thing I got sick of on the station wasn't the people as much as all the murder.
no subject
[ beloved by all in faerghus...... ]
That's fair. Come to think of it, the hotel's not so different... We go to other places [ e.g. this ship right here ] but we never actually get to leave...
Company's not half bad, though. [ he offers a friendly grin ]