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guillotineroom) wrote2022-06-16 12:05 am
guillotineroom) wrote2022-06-16 12:05 am
Tarot memory share turn-in
Please comment to each memory with the arcana your team believe it represents.
Your team may, as a bonus, guess the team/individual the memory belongs to if they so choose. This is not mandatory to answer and you will not be penalised for not knowing the backstory of every person in reverie, 'I don't know' is a fine response.
Your team may, as a bonus, guess the team/individual the memory belongs to if they so choose. This is not mandatory to answer and you will not be penalised for not knowing the backstory of every person in reverie, 'I don't know' is a fine response.
Reading 4
???
Snow falls in soft, pale flakes. The dark earth of the well-trod parade ground is already starting to gather flecks of white. Ranks of legionnaires stand at attention, their gazes fixed upon the authoritative man who stands on a raised dais before them, clad heavily in ornate armour. The man thrusts a hand out, gesturing to the frozen expanse that isolates their small yet growing empire. The words he speaks are strong, commanding, uplifting. The soldiers salute as one, a closed fist raised above their left shoulder, hailing their emperor's name. The man lowers his own hand, smiling as he watches them march out flanked by dozens of mechanical soldiers.
But as the last legion's clanking footsteps fade into the glacial air, a heavy silence descends upon the grounds. The emperor's smile fades. As the empty ground is gradually reclaimed by snow, he shifts his gaze to the city slowly growing out of stone and metal. Warm lights, faint laughter, the anthem of their people ringing low across the radio.
They can only smile now because of their conquest of others.
A questioning voice behind him tears him out of his thoughts. He steps down and follows a much smaller procession of guards back into the imperial palace. Yet his thoughts remains with that of his people, past and present. Not for the first time, he wonders: was this the right thing to do?
He shakes the doubt away, and with it several flakes of snow accumulated upon his helmet. No, he is committed to his course. To stray from it now would be an insult to the memory of those who gave their lives for a brighter future.
The heavy doors of the palace seal with a thunderous boom behind him, shutting out the cold - and with it, he hopes, the last of his regrets.
???
ANGRY BOY: Hmph. It didn't even take five seconds.
And you thought to challenge me with that level of ability. Are you not embarrassed?
This just proves that rule violators are useless in everything they do. It's just as mother said.
BOY 2: Grh... You're right, rules should be followed. But enforcing absurd rules just makes you a tyrant!
ANGRY BOY: Excuse me? If one breaks the rules, they are then punished. And in this dorm, I am the rules. That is why those who refuse to obey have no right to complain when I take off their heads!
NORMAL PERSON: That's completely wrong!
ANGRY BOY: I am the one who decides what is wrong here! If you can't even follow a simple rule, just what was your education like? You were probably born from parents that can barely use magic and didn't receive much in terms of schooling before coming here. How pitiful.
BOY 2: You asshole…!
BOY 1: SHUT THE HELL UP!
[BOY 1 punches ANGRY BOY in the FACE]
ANGRY BOY: Guuhh...?
BOY 4 & BOY 3: [ANGRY BOY]!?
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Mr. [ANGRY BOY]!?
THE CROWD: Eeh...! He punched the dorm leader!?
MASCOT ANIMAL: He hit him right in the face with a beautiful right hook!
BOY 2: BOY 1!?
BOY 1: Man, I don't care anymore. This duel? Becoming the dorm leader? Really couldn't give a toss about any of it.
ANGRY BOY: Ow... He hit me...?
BOY 1: Kids aren't their parents' trophies, and kids' achievements don't determine their parents' worth. The reason you're such a bastard isn't your parents' fault, I finally understand that! It's your own damn fault for never making a single friend who had the balls to tell you off for being a controlling tyrant!
ANGRY BOY: What... are you saying?
BOY 1: Yeah, okay, growing up under an obsessive mother was probably some kind of hell. But is all you have to say "mama this" and "mama that"? Try thinking for yourself!
You're no "Crimson Ruler"! You're just a baby that's good at magic!
ANGRY BOY: A... baby? Me…? You don't know anything... You don't know anything about me!
BOY 1: You’re right, I've got no idea. There's no way I would! What the hell do you think I'm supposed to understand when you keep up this kind of attitude? Don't be stupid.
ANGRY BOY: Enough, enough, enough!! Shut up!! My mother was correct! That means I'm correct!!
BOY 3: ANGRY BOY, calm down. The duel is already over!
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): It's as Mr. [BOY 3] says. The challengers are disqualified due to attacking physically! Continuing to escalate goes against school regulations!
SPECTATOR: The new kid’s right! I can't handle this anymore!
[the SPECTATOR throws something at the ANGRY BOY. it splatters against th side of his head]
ANGRY BOY: Huh!?
BOY 3: !? Is this...an egg? Did… Did one of the students throw it?
ANGRY BOY: Who did it?! Who threw this egg?
CROWD: …
ANGRY BOY: Hmm... hahaha, A HA HA!! You can't handle it? I'm the one who can't handle it anymore!! No matter how many times I take off your heads, no matter how strict I become, you all keep breaking the rules! Each and every one of you are just selfish idiots! Fine, have it your way. If you won't come forward, I'll just punish all of you! Then it's off with all your heads!
OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!
CROWD: Waaahhh!! Get outta here! Guwah!! The collar...!
ANGRY BOY: Ahahaha! How's that? None of you can touch me! Strictly enforcing the rules does make me the most correct!
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Stop this at once, Mr. [ANGRY BOY]! This isn't like you at all!
BOY 4: BOY 3, this is bad... If he keeps casting magic like that...
BOY 3: Ngh! ANGRY BOY, that's enough!
BOY 1: Hey, you! Not everything is going to go the way you want! Throwing a tantrum when things don't is what makes you a baby!
ANGRY BOY: Take that back this instant! Do you want to be run through!?
BOY 1: No way! Absolutely not.
ANGRY BOY: Ugiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!
BOY 4: This is bad! Everyone, get out of here, now!
MASCOT ANIMAL: Waahh... The rose trees are all starting to float around the garden...!
BOY 2: This is a huge amount of magic! Is he really going to come after us with all that!?
ANGRY BOY: Rose trees, heed my call! To pieces with them all!!!
[ HE LAUNCHES THORNBUSHES AT BOY 1 WITH THE CLEAR INTENT TO SHRED HIM.
BOY 1 covers his face and braces because it's really too late to dodge, only for the bushes to turn into playing cards and paff harmlessly against his face. BOY 3 explains that he's overwritten the magic for a short period of time. ]
ANGRY BOY: Keh... Off with their heads! I said off with their heads! Why won't anything but cards suits appear!?
BOY 3: ANGRY BOY, stop this. If you keep going like this, you’re just going to isolate yourself further! Look at everyone's faces!
[The crowd is horrified.]
Student A: H-He was being serious…?
Student B: He went way too far…
Student C: A m-monster…
ANGRY BOY: Huh...? BOY 3 overwrote my magic...? Does that mean your magic surpasses mine?
BOY 3: There's no way that's the case. ANGRY BOY, calm down a bit and let's talk this out.
ANGRY BOY: So you want to tell me I'm wrong, too? Even though we've been upholding these strict rules this whole time?! I've been enduring and enduring and enduring this whole time! I... I...don't believe you!
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Mr. ANGRY BOY, you mustn't! If you keep using magic, your magic crystal is going to be covered in "⬛⬛⬛⬛"!
ANGRY BOY: I am... I AM!!! Absolutely, definitely CORRECT!!!!
[ANGRY BOY IS COVERED WITH WEIRD BLACK ENERGY]
[ANGRY BOY, BOSSFIGHT VER.]: Hnhnhn... HAHAHAHAHA!!
Those foolish enough to disobey me, I have no need of them in my world.
I am the law in my world. I am the rules!
No other response than "Yes, Lord ANGRY BOY" is acceptable!!
It's off with the heads of any who disobey me! Ahahahahaha!!
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Ahh, look at this mess! A student has gone into ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ right in front of me!
MASCOT ANIMAL: What the hell is ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!? He suddenly looks super evil!
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ is a state that mages must avoid at all cost.
He's being caught up in a storm of negative energy that has made him lose control of his emotions and magic.
MASCOT ANIMAL: I don’t really get it.
BOY 2: Me, neither!
BOY 4: Oh, for goodness' sake! In plain terms: he's fallen into a dark berserker state!
BOY 3: His life is in danger if he keeps releasing magic like this.
MASCOT ANIMAL: His life!?
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Right now, the safety of the other students is the top priority. I shall evacuate the other residents.
Mr. ANGRY BOY must be brought back to his senses before he runs out of magic.
Losing his life would be terrible, but what would be even worse than that is…
Anyway, I need all of you to find the other dorm leaders and teachers and ask for their assistance—
[BOY 1, BOY 2, AND MASCOT ANIMAL JUST START FIGHTING IMMEDIATELY]
ANGRY BOY, BOSSFIGHT VER.: What are you fools doing?
BOY 4: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you guys think you're doing?!
MASCOT ANIMAL: He's only in danger like this!!
BOY 2: I won't be able to sleep at night if he reaches that stage. And besides…
BOY 1: I haven’t gotten him to say, "I was wrong. I'm so sorry," yet!
BOY 3: You guys… All right! It won't be for very long, but I can continue to overwrite his magic with my own for a bit. Please, you have to defeat him while I can keep this up! Headmaster, please work on evacuating the residents.
AUTHORITY FIGURE (ALLEGED): Hold on just a second all of you! It's too dangerous!
BOY 4: Yeah! Why are even you encouraging this, BOY 3? You know you can't beat ANGRY BOY!
BOY 1: Only challenging guys you know you can beat is a way too lame way to live!
MASCOT ANIMAL: That isn't cool at all!
BOY 2: I can't think of anything else that can bring him back to his senses quickly.
BOY 3: Yeah. I can't lose him here. There's… There's still something I have to say to him.
ANGRY BOY, BOSSFIGHT VER.: This guy, that guy, you all have some nerve... I'll take all your heads off at once!
BOY 3: ANGRY BOY's body can't keep this up. We have to stop him before it's too late...
[ they FIGHT HIM and WIN]
ANGRY BOY, BOSSFIGHT VER.: Was...I wrong...? That can't be right… Mo...ther…
[HE COLLAPSES.]
???
There's a lantern approaching the tree, carried by said girl, who looks a little tired and untidy, dressed in layered pale robes that make her look like a wandering spirit of some kind. She's not much older than the boy. The boy huddles, like he's trying not to be seen, but she calls again.
"Is it ██████? What are you doing up there? I can see you...you've left your shoe under the tree."
The boy startles. "My shoe!"
"Please, come down. Let's go back," the girl coaxes.
“I... I’m not going down. There are dogs.”
She shakes her head, voice soft and kind and worried. "███████ was making things up; there are no dogs. You don't have anywhere to sit on comfortably up there. Your arms will get sore soon, and you might fall down."
He hesitates, clearly unable to make himself unpeel from the branch and start climbing down. But the girl is right: his arms tremble, and after a while, his grip gives out. She's been waiting with her arms extended and the lantern set down so she can catch him, but even so he lands hard, wailing as he rolls on the ground and clutches his leg.
"It's broken!"
The girl does her best to comfort him. “It’s not broken. It shouldn’t be fractured either. Does it hurt a lot? It’s fine. Don’t move. I’ll carry you back.”
“Are...are the dogs there...?”
“No. If any dogs come, I’ll chase them away for you.” She picks up the shoe he left under the tree. “Why did this fall off? Do they not fit?”
“No," he sniffs, though it's not hard to tell he's fibbing. "They fit.”
She helps him back into the shoe, checks how much room there is at the toe, and shakes her head a little. "It is a little big, isn't it? I'll fix it for you when we get back.”
He looks uneasy, like he expects to be scolded, but he stays quiet as she pulls him onto her back, carrying him piggyback and turning towards home. It's clear she's not very strong, though; her steps wobble, and she's a little breathless as she talks.
“██████, no matter what ███████ said to you, don’t be bothered by it. He doesn’t have a good temper, so he usually plays at home by himself. Those puppies were his favorites. Father sent them away, and so he’s feeling upset, but he’s actually really happy that somebody’s here to be with him. You ran out here and didn’t come back for a long time...I knew to come find you because he’s worried that something happened to you and went to wake me up.”
They're quiet for a little bit -- the girl saving her strength to walk, the boy chewing over her words -- but they both flinch as the breeze carries a strange sobbing noise towards them.
“What was that sound? Did you hear it?”
The boy points. “I heard it. It came from inside that pit!”
The two approach and carefully peer down. There's a small body at the bottom, which sits up when they make noise. It's another boy, his face muddied by the fall, the clear track of tears on his cheeks in the lantern-light.
“... Sister!” the muddy boy cries.
The girl sighs in relief. “███████, didn’t I tell you to gather a bigger search party?"
The muddy boy just shakes his head, distressed.
The girl sets the boy from the tree down, then helps her brother out of the pit, dabbing at his bleeding forehead with a handkerchief. “Is there something you didn’t tell ██████?” she asks.
The muddy boy takes the handkerchief from her, pressing it to the cut on his own. His voice is low. “... I’m sorry.”
She smiles, just a little. “Help ██████ bring the sheets and blanket back to your room later, okay?”
He sniffs. “I brought them back already...”
Both of the boys have injured their legs and can't walk well. It's not long before she's carrying them both, one on her back and the other in her arms, and it's clearly wearing her out, but she laughs when they both cling to her.
“Just what am I supposed to do with you two?” she asks, fond.