DUNGEON ♛ LIEFSTE CARNAVAL

[boardmaster]

LIEFSTE CARNAVAL
20 JULY (DELPHINE) 2016

The Heroes chosen for this dungeon may reach Petrosian by any means they choose (by Airy with passports, by foot, by train, etc.) but they must travel to the area under suspicion by a smaller train, sponsored by VIPs; from there, they will take the fifteen mile, bumpy ride from the quaint town station to an open valley downstream. As you’re jostled around in your seat, a cheery announcement informs you that this train ride was sponsored by the illustrious Ryder, who felt it was necessary to express his gratitude to the Heroes and their admirable efforts that just barely saved his life last month. How thoughtful of him.

As the train chugs to a stop, beyond the forest and behind our Heroes, endless fields of gold seem to stretch out as far as the eye can see. What was once rich green grass has been painted yellow by the sweltering heat and clear summer sky. Few trees offer shelter from the sun, but most Heroes will have to provide their own shade as they wait for Secretary Verdoni and Ryder’s quick debriefing.

	Verdoni [ he looks so done with Ryder, but he has a job to do ] Every year, this field serves as the site of the famous Liefste Carnaval. For obvious reasons, we do not usually spend money to send our forces here, and if anyone would like to convince me otherwise, I shall have them entertain their fellow rapscallions at St. Amant.
	Ryder [ coughs ]
	Verdoni [ shut up ] However, due to financial constraints and missing people reports in the area, the carnival was canceled. And yet it is here. We have reason to believe that the reports of missing individuals tie into this carnival. Furthermore, our researchers say there is an abnormal amount of mana activity in the area. Given your previous experience with those, I don’t believe I need to elaborate any further. Your job is to investigate the carnival, find the truth behind it, and retrieve the dungeon core. As for your transportation, we’ve arranged a—
	Ryder Thank you, Secretary. Heroes. Out of gratitude for your heroic rescue, the least I could do was provide some incentive to fetch me a souvenir. This train, the Big Red, was built by one of Gammon’s finest mechanics. I had it shipped here under great expense so that you could enjoy the luxury of Gammon. I hope you Heroes are fortunate enough to visit my land soon. [ and as an afterthought: ] Ah, and rescue those people. Of course. By the way, this weather is absolutely dreadful. My skin was never this dry back in Cochrane. Guard A, Guard B, set up camp. We don’t want to faint from the heat later, do we?
	Verdoni [ why is this guy even here ] To answer the question on everyone’s minds: yes, there is a point to collecting these dungeon cores. Apart from restoring natural order to the land, we have reason to believe the dungeon cores may hold the key to finding a way home for you Heroes... Once we have proper confirmation, I will soon be able to make a formal announcement. Secondly, yes, Commander Lisbrand is still recovering from the Noir attack. We are hoping that she’ll be well enough to join us soon. For now, we do what we can.

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
Welcome to the Liefste Carnaval! Don’t be shy, come on in!

There’s nothing of note when you approach the carnival’s entrance. The hustle and bustle of any other fun-filled festival can be heard from the outside, complete with excited shouts and distant music. The smell of popcorn and other saccharine treats waft over and make your mouth water…

Before you satisfy your cravings, you should get a ticket. You’ll be greeted by a vaguely humanoid ticket seller entirely covered in confetti and pieces of torn tickets, with a rattling breath as if it caught a cold. It doesn’t speak and merely points to a sign that says 500 colle per person! What? Not everything comes for free. An item of similar value will also suffice.

If you refuse to pay and shoulder your way past it, you’ll find yourself shoved onto your back, face to face with the ticket seller himself. The bits of paper on its face rustle before it shuffles back over to the stand. Try again and you’ll find yourself getting further and further away from the entrance as a minor curse begins to settle upon you. You may come up with your own curse (e.g. loss of voice, speaking in gibberish). Thankfully, the curse doesn’t last long, but the message should be clear: pay for your ticket.

Once you have acquired your ticket, you are free to enter the carnival at your leisure. Should you turn around to ask the ticket seller for more information, it will vanish into thin air, leaving nothing but a small heap of confetti.

Walk past the first booth; a gaggle of happy children with balloons approach you with boxes of welcoming gifts. Though you might want to remember what all children are taught: don’t take candy from strangers.

MONSTER ♟ Wicht
Weak against Fire, Holy	Strong against None	Immune to Dark
A demon possessing a wooden puppet painted and carved in the form of a happy child with rosy cheeks. It offers BOXES OF CHOCOLATE to unsuspecting victims. Be warned: the chocolate will give you CHILLS AND MALAISE, and eating it will prompt fellow Wichts to link their hands together and circle around you as they chant RING AROUND THE ROSIE. This is not an innocent game, but a spell that accelerates the progression of the disease inside you, manifesting in RASHES, FEVER, SNEEZING AND COUGHING. The Wichts have no sympathy to spare; they’ll keep chanting ‘til you all fall down! Don’t feel like chocolate today? Oh, the Wichts insist. As they shove their boxes at you, their giggles turn into maniacal laughter. Their cherubic features melt into something sharper, harder, and you barely have time to react before they try to rip your heart out with their SHARP CLAWS. Catching Wichts is not easy. They use the wind magic of their BALLOONS to fly out of harm’s way, and the more mischievous ones will inhale the helium inside to release BANSHEE-LIKE SCREAMS that will stun and knock your party back. You can eliminate these demons by any means, but defeating these wooden puppets with HOLY MAGIC will banish the demonic spirit inside them, rendering them lifeless with the angelic features they originally had. These Petrosian-style puppets show really good craftsmanship! DROPS: Colorful Balloons, Gift Boxes, Petrosian Puppets, Wicht Claws, Mana-infused Wood

Suddenly, the cheerful and festive atmosphere vanishes. A flag flutters against a strong, abrupt gust of wind. Shadows seem to whisper and point and watch with gleaming, uncountable eyes. The paths are deserted and what was a vibrant place full of life is now anything but.


TWO ♙
In the chocolate box of the first Wicht you defeat, you will find a hand-drawn map of the carnival. It is extremely detailed and meticulously labeled with every ride, shop, and sideshow. Does this cartographer have a perfectionist streak? There’s a crudely-painted red heart circling one attraction in particular: the tunnel of love. But from the way the color dried, you’re starting to think that’s not paint…

Before you reach the tunnel of love, you have to pass through game stalls and the haunted house. Move quickly; those familiar Wicht giggles are approaching and they will not take no for an answer. Hide behind stalls or large crates to avoid them. Perhaps Rooks or Illusion Queens can cover the party’s tracks!

If you choose to hide behind stalls and crates, a cold draft might hit your back, send a shiver down your spine and make you whirl around to confront—no one. But you could have sworn you saw a shadow in the corner of your eye… Before you can think, something too close for comfort bursts into hysterical laughter, attracting the attention of the Wichts and forcing you to abandon your shelter.

However, Wichts can’t touch you if you join in the fun, and the carnival offers a variety of games to play, from dime pitch games to shooting galleries. A man next to a strongman game might even holler at you to step right up and test your strength. Neither firearms, ammo or hammers will be provided, but you’re Heroes, right? Improvise! Win, and you’ll be greeted by...

MONSTER ♟ Steun
Weak against Holy	Strong against Dark	Immune to None
Carnival staff manning the stalls with smiles that will haunt your nightmares. People who win their games infuriate them! Their weapon of choice depends on where you find them. Food vendors will be eager to hurl BOILING OIL or throw an entire GRILL at your face, while those at the shooting galleries might come at you with FIREARMS—real ones! But sometimes, a bullet won’t kill you. Instead, it will make you smell like cotton candy. It will also cast CHARM MAGIC on you, making your party members fall in love with you. Only strong willpower can break the spell… or you know, a good, old-fashioned kiss. Staff members may also toss stuffed toys at you, but these cute and cuddly things aren’t a gift of goodwill. They’re enchanted grenades that explode into heart-shaped confetti and release a gas that will make you LAUGH UNCONTROLLABLY for a good five minutes. DROPS: Assorted Guns and Bullets, Carnival Food Items, Stuffed Toys, Carnival Staff Jacket

Glad that’s over! Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the last area you needed to traverse. Checking the map again reveals that the haunted house is up next. But that shouldn’t be a big deal; you can usually avoid those by simply walking past, right?

Wrong. As you enter the area, you’ll soon realize that the roads around the house are clogged up by cotton candy and popcorn which might serve as convenient snacks to replenish your mana. The only free path leads to the front door.


THREE ♙
The floorboards creak as your party enters the haunted house. A flash of lightning preceding a crack of thunder reveals a large, arachnid leg. Clicking noises of pincers are the only warnings Heroes get before your party is grabbed and hauled upwards, one by one. Tough strings like silk trap your bodies in a tight cocoon that dangles from the ceiling. Resistance is futile, as struggling will damage your clothes. Don’t worry about flashing anyone; the spider is more than happy to cover your bare areas with more form-hugging strings. The spider silk seems to be enchanted, since captured Heroes cannot escape on their own. You must help them to proceed!

As the spider works on hauling its prey upwards, the others must rescue their comrade before it’s too late! Unfortunately, your entrance has awoken a sudden rush of monsters, and the blood and drool they’re spewing make it hard to believe they’re in costume. Hobbling and groaning zombies, scarecrows and half molten blobs or something in between are eager to have you for dinner themselves. The enemies themselves are not particularly dangerous; it’s their sheer number and the furniture they’ve knocked over which make this fight a pain in the neck. Kick and bat and suplex your way through the enemy ranks until you reach the rickety stairs.

Climbing with care, you finally make your way to the second floor. There is a spider lurking in a corner...

MONSTER ♟ Heer Spinnekop
Weak against Water	Strong against Earth, Wind	Immune to Lightning
“I must say, that was very rude of you. No one has ever turned down an invitation to my tea parties.” A calm and chipper tea-sipping, monocle-wearing SPIDER too big to fit through the front door. The wealthy Lord Spinnekop studied in Gammon for a time and the accent has stuck with him ever since. Despite his manners, he isn’t too pleased to have his snack stolen from under its nose. What’s he going to dunk in his tea cup now? So he’ll try to trap the Heroes once more with his SILK THREADS, please and thank you. His threads will wrap around you in patterns that bind and appeal to the senses. “Ooh, could you do that again? It makes my spinneret tingle!” For some reason, LIGHTNING MAGIC doesn’t work against the monstrous spider. But continue to refuse him and he’ll splash piping hot Gammonian Breakfast tea at your face… or shirt. Let’s hope you didn’t wear something thin and white. As the battle goes on, he’ll crawl from corner to corner, and soon, you’ll notice a method to his madness: he’s been weaving a HUGE, STICKY WEB for you all! “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’ll wash you down—after I chew and swallow!” Heroes he likes, he’ll trap in his web and eat. Heroes he doesn’t? He’ll toss them in a giant KETTLE of water he’s been boiling in the kitchen! How does Heroic tea sound? However, chatting with the spider (and boy, does he love to chat) will reveal that despite growing up in the lowlands of Petrosian and living in rainy Gammon, he detests water. WATER MAGIC might just wash the spider out! DROPS: Fancy Tea Set, Top Hat, Monocle, Gentleman’s Gloves, Silk Threads

You’ve had it with this @#$%ing spider in this @#%$ing haunted house! Goodbye and good riddance. The doors upstairs seem to lead to nowhere so you’ll have to climb through the open hatch in the ceiling to exit. On the roof, you can finally survey the entire dungeon, but don’t linger for too long. Otherwise, you’ll be compelled to jump off the roof!

Hope you’re not afraid of heights, because the only way to advance to the tunnel of love is by jumping from roof to roof.


FOUR ♙
Finally, the infamous tunnel of love rests before you in all its glittery, pink glory. Rose petals coat the sign and flower chains hang from the tunnel ceiling. Echoes of sensual moans can be heard from the outside, but there’s no turning back. Once you’ve secured yourself a swan boat, you’re in for quite the joyride. The dulcet tones of a romantic serenade give you something else to focus on other than the disturbingly intimate shadows on the walls, but even the music stops every now and then to amplify the voices further in.

Then all of a sudden, the water of the tunnel starts flowing in the other direction. Due to the shape of the boat, Heroes get doused in cold water, and that’s the least of your problems. More Steuns will come out of the woodwork and take potshots at the Heroes with their guns. Talk about wet and wild! The tunnel’s heart-shaped props might also come to life and attempt to drown Heroes. Why not? It’s not like couples ever want to leave.

After several merry minutes, the water will be drained out completely. Who doesn’t enjoy being stranded in the middle of enemy territory? As you walk down the tunnel, there’s a point that diverges into several paths. Following the path that smells like roses will appear to put you on the right track, but leads to a dead end. Looking around, you’ll find a raised, heart-shaped platform with graffiti that says, NOW DO IT! ❤

That’s awfully specific. Considering where you are, you probably meet the riddle with mild surprise. Maybe if you try to kiss someone, you’ll be able to advance! But actually, if you wait long enough, a simple hug might yet suffice.

Once the riddle has been satisfied, the wall opens to reveal the inside of a circus tent. Vacant bleachers surround the stage, and though they are empty, deafening cheers seem to come from people filling the seats. Without warning, all the lights go out, save for a single spotlight...

BOSS ♟ Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his Circus
Weak against None	Strong against Fire	Immune to Dark, Status Effects
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome to the best show in the world! I’ve travelled the seven seas, so I should know.” An outstanding and prolific RINGMASTER who recently fell out of the limelight. After some soul searching, Ser Lyon’s back with a bigger and better show that’ll knock everyone’s socks off! Eat your heart out, Cirque du Etoile. As the leader of this circus, he has the fully loyalty of his performers—and pets. With a crack of his whip, he summons large, maned LIONS that growl as they bare their sharp, white fangs. They attack the Heroes on his orders. Don’t let the large felines jump through those flaming hoops, as these will ENGULF THEM IN FIRE, too! Use WATER to put the flames out. ”Such teamwork… Geluk and I were the same. Why am I thinking about him at a time like this? For our next act…!” Should you defeat his precious lions, he will send out his beloved CIRCUS PERFORMERS: acrobats that can kick your butt, contortionists that can bend themselves twice over as they lock you in a CHOKEHOLD, unicycle-riding jugglers waiting for the right moment to toss you a KNIFE or MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, and tightrope walkers ready to DROP DEADLY SPEARS onto unsuspecting Heroes. You might even get tackled by the occasional cannonball man and GET LAUNCHED OUT OF THE TENT with him! Circus performers of all kinds will try to steal the show, and your imagination’s the limit. Unlike the ringmaster, these people are WEAK TO STATUS EFFECTS. ”He told me to meet him during the Festivale de la Ceinturonne, but I had a show that night. I couldn’t abandon my circus! That was years ago… I haven’t heard from him since. I wonder what would have happened… if I had gone to see him… If I had gone to see him…!” Although his stars are gone, the show must go on. As the drum rolls, the lone Ser Lyon reaches inside his mouth to pull out a sharp SWORD with a flourish. How long has that been in there? Not important. Forget about admiring his top-notch swordsmanship, too—he’s here to kill! Even as you keep your distance, you can’t escape him when he strikes you with his WHIP and singes your skin with his FIRE-BREATHING SKILLS. From time to time, he pulls MAGICAL BIRDS out of his coat to distract Heroes. They will disappear the moment you strike them. ”Bravo, bravo. The circus is my life, but… your teamwork has reminded me of something far more important. Still… we put on a good show, didn’t we?” Before his last breath, he pulls a lovespur out of thin air. It was his closest friend’s favorite magic trick. A DUNGEON CORE rises from his chest, and he ends the show with an elegant bow and a smile. DROPS: Ringmaster Staff, Ringmaster Coat, Lion Mane, Juggling Balls, Sword, Hoop, Balance Pole, Torches

Once Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his lackeys have been defeated, the phantom cheering cuts off. The bleachers are suddenly occupied by the missing Petrosians, exhausted and confused as to how they ended up here. The dungeon magic appears to have compelled them to act the way they did. Reassure them, help them down from the bleachers and make absolutely sure you leave no one behind.

Soon, the carnival gates open. The show is over and it’s time for everyone to go home.


FIVE ♙
Once you step out of the gates, there’s a flash of light and a final pop of confetti. The next time you blink, you’ll find yourself in a campsite. It seems like Ryder kept his word and set up a rest stop for everyone exiting the dungeon. You’re back in one piece and the area seems to be back to normal as well. Relieved murmurs spring up from the rescued Petrosians who are quick to thank the Heroes profusely before they are whisked away by Blanc’s medics for a check-up.

Verdoni Good work, Heroes. What you do with the dungeon cores is your business alone, but all efforts to assist us in assessing them will be appreciated. That includes providing us with said dungeon cores, of course. I will report our findings as soon as we can. Thank you.

As he leaves, he catches the sight of Ryder and clicks his tongue. That Gammonian is making good use of his human footrest again. Some things never change.

Now that Heroes have left the dungeon, they are free to do whatever they want to. Rest in the tents? Fill your rumbling tummies? Treat injuries? It’s up to them!

Comments

[ahogay]

[Despite Hinata's aching muscles and the wet, slippery surface of the boat's roof that he is now contributing to, he manages to pull Takumi up as well and tries his best to keep himself steady as Sakura does her thing. Now that he's (sort of) on land again and at a higher vantage point, he notices the water level steadily decreasing. He's not sure if that's supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing. Well, they'll find out soon enough.

A small sense of relief washes over him as the remaining enemies are fried, thankful to have even a brief break. He looks over the other two as well and is about to answer Sakura's question on his own behalf, but the sudden heave of the boat knocks the words out of him as well as the remaining strength in his legs, gravity taking over from there and causing him to fall forward. His body is sore all over and feels like lead, so he doesn't even attempt to stand back up right now; he merely glances at the water down below to see what the cause of the heave was before he looks back towards his other party members. Hopefully gravity didn't claim Takumi as a victim too.]

I'm definitely running low on mana... How are you guys holding up?

[kyusei]

I'm kind of low, too.

[ Takumi is well aware that he hasn't exerted that much mana in the first place, but in retrospect... He is a pawn, so it's reasonable to be tired out just from a couple of skills. He needs to work harder next time.

Luckily, he lands into the shallow water without falling onto his butt and helps Sakura down. ]

We need to hold hands or something, right?

[ looks at sakura

you can't be kissing boys right now ]

[passtave]

[ That sudden crash aside, they don't appear to have any injuries, which relieves her. Still, she glances a little uncertainly at the ride's floor before letting Takumi help her down—there's no use staying on the boat anymore, after all. She splashes down into the water, but her shoes were already soaked before, so what does it matter?

Low on mana, though... Sakura is in a similar situation, and she wishes they didn't have to be. Unlike physical injuries, there isn't anything she can really do about it except... well, the things Takumi is accusing her of doing with his stare right now. And since she's as open as a book, her gaze flickers towards Hinata guiltily before it snaps back to Takumi. Not that she's thinking about... that or anything. ]

R-Right. [ If anybody is going to say anything about hugging or kissing, it's not going to be her. Not in front of her brother, at least. ]

W-We can... [ hold hands or something ] while we k-keep going.

[ahogay]

[There's no way Hinata is bringing up hugging or kissing in front of the protective older brother, either. His gaze meets Sakura's during that brief moment; was she thinking about that, too...? Oops.

He takes a deep breath as he forces himself back onto his feet and jumps off the boat, wincing as he lands on aching legs. The water doesn't bother him at all since literally every single part of his body is already thoroughly drenched; even his ahoge is dripping water. God, he really hopes he doesn't get a cold from this.]

Alright, sounds good.

[He walks up to them and takes Sakura's hand into his wet one. Sorry... Once Takumi has joined the chain as well, he'll start heading off down the tunnel to see what wonders await them next.]

[kyusei]

[ Don't think he doesn't notice when their eyes meet. It makes his own narrow as he takes hold of his sister's hand. There are no complaints nor does he threaten Hinata or anything, but there is this unnerving stare every once in a while.

It's fine. They're fine.

As they walk down the pathway, drenching their shoes in the water, it splits. Takumi's nose wrinkles as there's a very strong smell of roses coming from a specific pathway. ]

Someone went overboard on their perfume.

[passtave]

[ Walking down a romantic tunnel hand in hand with Hinata on one end and her brother on the other definitely isn't how she expected this to go. It's a little awkward, but it is working, especially since she's in the middle. She can feel her mana growing stronger again, slowly but steadily.

When they reach the split, she glances between the two paths—one dark and dingy looking, the other... slightly less dark and dingy looking, but with a strong scent of roses. Suddenly, she feels very nervous about this. ]

D-Do you think we should go that way?

[ Since she doesn't have free hands to gesture with, she nods towards the path that smells like roses. Knowing what she does about these dungeons, that way is either the correct path or a terrible trap. It's a tossup, really. ]

[ahogay]

[Hinata is pretending not to notice those stares, but he does... Look, he's pure and innocent just like Sakura, okay...

He looks down each of the tunnels, but it's impossible to tell where they lead from here. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.]

We might as well. They must be drawing attention to that path for a reason.

[Even if it's because it's a trap... perhaps that line of thinking is the trap itself. Either way, they won't know the answer if they don't try, so they might as well go for it.]

[kyusei]

Sounds like we're taking risks today...

[ And down the right tunnel they go! Except they're blocked by what seems to be a platform, decorated nicely for a sweet couple, and the beaming words just... Spell it out for them.

Except Takumi isn't particularly sure what that's supposed to mean? He has some guesses but there's no way

in hell

that they're going to be kissing each other. Yes, his expression darkens. ]

[passtave]

[ It's... a dead end. Which isn't really what she expected, but probably shouldn't be surprised by. Almost immediately, her attention is drawn to the heart-shaped platform and the words written out above it in red paint: NOW DO IT! ❤ ]

"Do it"?

[ What does that mean...? Do what? There's nothing really around for them to do, unless they're supposed to get on the platform? For very important dungeon instructions, they're awfully vague. When she glances over at Takumi, though, she can see that his expression is almost... murderous, which means he doesn't like whatever conclusion he's come to. At all. She's almost afraid to ask him, which is why she turns her head to look at Hinata next. ]

D-Do you know what it means?

[ahogay]

[Do it? It couldn't possibly be..... "it", right? To do "it," especially in the middle of a dungeon would be....! Maybe a lesser form of "it"? Considering the obvious romantic theme of this area, he can't think of any other possibility.

Takumi isn't going to want to hear this, but..... well, Hinata might as well just come out and say it. Like ripping off a bandaid.]

I... I'm guessing that two of us have to stand on that platform and kiss.

[He's hoping that's all they have to do.]

[kyusei]

[ Goddamnit.

Goddamnit.

There's no way in hell-- ]

Let's go, Hinata.

[ There is no way in hell is he going to let Sakura kiss yet another man. Of course Hinata seems to be a reliable man, but he barely knows him. He can't trust him with his sister--plus, his sister should be kissing someone that she loves.

A kiss means nothing to him though! Especially one from a man? It's NO BIG DEAL.

Goddamnit. He hasn't even taken a step up there yet because he's letting his own idea sink in. ]

[passtave]

[ Oh.

Oh. Yeah, that definitely makes sense. Sakura can feel her face growing hot at just the thought of—but it's a thought that doesn't get very far before Takumi interrupts it, taking her by surprise. Maybe she shouldn't be, considering that they only have two options here, and Hinata is always going to be the unfortunate middle spoke in this weird third wheel situation.

It's just that Takumi volunteered to do it awfully quick, even though she can read in his body language that he's reluctant. He must really want to protect her... kiss virtue. She almost doesn't want to break it to him that she doesn't have much of it left, especially where Hinata is concerned. ]

U-Um... B-Big Brother, you don't have to... [ She'll take this one for the team?? Not that kissing Hinata is a bad thing—but not that she wants to kiss him either?? It's just that Takumi is obviously uncomfortable—everything about this situation is uncomfortable... just let her die. ]

H-Hinata and I... um... [ Nope, she can't admit it. ] w-we can... [ And she just trails off, mumbling unintelligibly. ]

[ahogay]

[Hinata's eyes widen at Takumi's abrupt offer-- he wouldn't be the first guy he's kissed, but in front of his little sister?! But kissing Sakura in front of Takumi would be just as awkward, really.... There's really no winning here.

He was actually prepared to just accept and step up on the platform, but Sakura chimes in before Hinata can do anything. Well now this has gotten even more uncomfortable. He doesn't have anything helpful to say here, so he opts to just silently shift his gaze downward, face turning a little red in embarrassment. Unless they specifically request his input, he'll just let the two of them reach a consensus themselves.]

[kyusei]

Sakura, you should only be kissing someone you like.

[ Romantically like--love, even. He can't form it into expressive words and the like, but she should know what he's talking about. While he would usually leave it to Hinoka or Ryoma to do this, he's the older sibling here. He has to look after her in these kinds of times.

So he'll let go of her hand and now drag Hinata up the platform by the collar. Come here. ]

Don't get any funny ideas, all right?

[passtave]

[ Well, that's... that. It's already killing her that she tried to argue as much as she did, and she definitely doesn't have it in her to put her foot down or something, especially against her big brother. Besides, both Takumi and Hinata seem to be resigned to their fates, so...

She just stays silent, wringing her hands and looking a little pained. When it becomes obvious that this is... actually happening, she squeaks in surprise, as if suddenly realizing—and she quickly turns around, putting her back to the platform to... give them some privacy? So she doesn't make things even more awkward by watching? It just seems like the discreet thing to do. She even closes her eyes for good measure.

(But it's not like she doesn't know exactly what's going on behind her. This is the worst.) ]

[ahogay]

[Well that was quick?! Completely at Takumi's mercy, Hinata is dragged up the platform by the other boy, now completely flustered.]

I won't, I won't!

[He yells as his face turns even more red. God, this really is the worst.

Once they're on the platform, he grips Takumi's shoulders and casts one more glance over towards Sakura. It does make him feel slightly better to know that she isn't watching. Just slightly. Then he gazes nervously into her brother's eyes for a moment before he closes them and leans in for the kiss...]

[kyusei]

Why are you holding onto me like that?

[ Also, stop flushing? It's making Takumi even more embarrassed to be in this unfortunate situation. He would have at least liked to get to know the man first before ever giving him something so... Okay, he would never want to kiss someone by force. Whatever. It's fine.

It isn't a big deal.

Takumi takes a deep breath but then notices Hinata's eyes on him--the fuck. This is suddenly too much. Does he lean in, too?! Wouldn't that make this a total disaster if they bump heads by accident. Of all things, he never thought it would this would be so complex and difficult.

Okay, one chaste kiss. He decides to just give him a quick peck then quickly turn towards the door with his arms crossed over his chest. The walls are rumbling, falling down as there's an applause? Can this place stop? ]

[passtave]

[ Just pretend like nothing is happening... don't look, don't listen... this is fine...

Eventually, when the walls start to rumble and fall away, Sakura finally opens her eyes again, her back still to Takumi and Hinata. She's surprised by what she finds: the inside of a giant tent, lined on all sides by stands filled with people. Hundreds of them probably, all of them clapping and cheering for... something.

The three of them are standing in the center of all this, which immediately puts her on edge. She already doesn't like being the center of attention, so to have these hundreds of eyes on her... She takes an unconscious step back, closer to the boys, her hands curling nervously in the front of her uniform skirt. ]

Wh-What's going on?