[ Filtered through their perception? What does that mean? Are they in the Matrix? Belial frowns, finally dropping Mugen before moving around to explore the room again, peering at the images on the screens and at the computer. ]
And I assume if we don't leave soon we'll - [ he sighs dramatically ] - die.
[She furrows her brow when he talks about pocket dimensions and reality filtered through their perception, but it's what he says last that she latches onto. Something she can work towards, at least.]
If you can't help us, then tell us what we'll have to do ourselves.
belial drops him, and mugen just hits the floor and lays there for a second, staring at the hologram upside down on the ground. a lot of that goes over his head, but he - really doesn't like the images of nagasaki just covered in ice. after a moment, he pulls himself up and brushes himself off. ]
Get to the point, you old bag. [ he says, vaguely annoyed. ] Sick of being jerked around, here.
The point, then. Of course. Let me explain everything, and then all your questions will be answered.
[The hologram of the old man closes his eyes for a moment, pensive, and then reopens them again. On the computer display is a computer rendering of what looks to be a solar system - two planets with a wide orbit around the sun. Both planets are ringed by ice, and appear to be covered in ice themselves. One is dark blue with white frost, and the other is covered with great green oceans and red storms.]
This story begins on my home system, where I was born many millions of years ago. Two planets, orbiting the N0-L system. For ease of our story, I'll call them N0-L-001 and N0-L-002. I was born on the first N0-L planet. A beautiful and prosperous place, where we shared merry tidings each and every day. But our enemies of N0-L 2, an icey planet, hated our joy and sought to declare war on us. The ice beings - they had their own name, but in our language, we called them "humbugs" - were ruthless. Quickly, they overwhelmed us, and turned our planet into a habitat only they could survive in.
[The red and green planet in the simulation becomes covered with ice. The hologram bows his head.]
Before our destruction, we had only just begun to harness a weapon capable of defeating them. You see, the humbugs have one weakness. The beings of our planet emitted a peculiar wavelength that countered the humbugs abilities. This wavelength is known as Yule Energy. However, without refining, the Yule Energy was only capable of staving off the humbugs in short bursts. I had finally begun to devise weapons capable of destroying them before my beloved N0-L 1 succumbed to the ice. Before my death, I uploaded my brain to this computer, and used it to emit the remaining Yule Energy of my fellow N0-Lians throughout the multiverse. Dimensional rifts allowed the Yule Particles, which are sentient beings that emit Yule Energy, into different worlds, where they lay dormant.
[The image changes again, showing particles that look like red and green stars appearing on various planets. Where they appear, people smile and give gifts to one another, decorate trees with red and green baubles, and sing carols.]
Although the Yule Particles are dormant, many cultures adapted to them, even formed celebrations around them. Why, even my memory was absorbed by some cultures as a part of these traditions.
[The image shows people smiling and looking at an image of Professor Klauseron wearing a red and white hat with a white ball at the end.]
Each of you must synchronize with your dormant Yule Particles in order to harness the refined and concentrated Yule Energy, which is known as the Yule Tide. Once you have harnessed the Yule Tide, you will be able to master the weapons I will give you, which will allow you to defeat the humbugs and return home.
Lan Xichen. . . Belial. . . Endorsi Jahad . . . Mugen. . . the fate of all universes is in your hands. Close your eyes and think merry thoughts!
[The image on the screen shows computer renderings of all four of them, smiling and holding their hands, while over their hearts renderings of a pointed tree, a red and green bell, a toy drum, and a shining white star appear. Each of the computer renderings smile and begin emitting a red and green wavelength.]
lan xichen looks at the other three with the sort of expression a man only has on his face when he's making sure he's not absolutely lost his mind and has hallucinated something insane.
the yule energy, he can sort of understand - it's sort of sounds like a variation of qi. humbugs seem like a type of demonic monster. but space travel? planets?? a holiday and cultures he's never heard of??? not to mention that final image of them all holding hands and smiling. it's all. it's a lot. it is very hard to think any sort of thoughts besides is this really happening. ]
[ were the potatoes from the cold box bad. is he high. what the fuck was that explanation. the humbugs are evil and... have guns? or swords? i mean, i guess beating up humming bugs with swords is a merry thought...
also: ]
Nah. Not gonna happen. Don't touch me or you're losing a hand. [ specifically to belial. ]
You don't have much time. . . synchronize your Yule Energy.
[The four screens turn once again to the image of four people holding hands, but it also appears now that there's a door underneath all of them. The outline of the doors (like cabinets that slide out beneath the screens) glow bright red, as though lit from within. On one door, the outline of a drum appears. On another, a star. On another, a tree. And on another, a bell. But the doors do not open, no matter what they may try.
The sound of plinks of ice begins again. There's plinking all around them, like something is closing in. And then there's a loud banging sound at the door that closed behind them. The door doesn't budge, but it begins to frost over with a layer of ice.]
There's no more time. Synchronize, and you'll be able to access the Yule Tide Weapons I have stored for each of you. I have to leave you now. . . my power. . . has run out.
Goodbye. . .
[The Professor's hologram bows his head, and flickers out. Rest in peace. You're alone, as the hammering at the door and the chill in the room grows stronger.]
[ alright, well. if their options are "do not hold hands and die" or "hold hands, get weapons, and survive", then there aren't many other options. xichen lets out a long breath, steps forward, and grabs belial's and mugen's hands. ]
We do not have other options at the moment, unless any of you are particularly interested in dying.
[ tries to think merry thoughts and not worrying about surviving thoughts i guess?! ]
[ Belial should probably make this easier for them all considering their impending deaths, but instead he continues to be gross. At least he doesn't use the sudden darkness as an excuse to grab anyone's ass.
Instead, he very pointedly grabs Endorsi's hand before taking hold of Xichen's in his other. ]
If you'd prefer death, then I can think of plenty of other fun activities to spend our last moments on.
[ he makes a spluttering sort of noise at his hand being taken, but like. he doesn't pull away or anything because he's not interested in dying. it's the door being covered in ice that convinces him. he closes his eyes.
sorry xichen, his hand's pretty grimy. also, burnt to shit.
he doesn't say anything, just thinks of... merry thoughts? which for him is like, big boobed girls serving him food, i'm sorry. ]
[ it's okay mugen, xichen's hand is also burnt to shit. they can suffer together.
but more merry thoughts, huh? he tries to remember back to when he was a kid spending time with his mom and little brother then, when things were much less complicated ]
[She shoots Belial a glare before she remembers she's supposed to be merry. Awful. Anyways, she sighs and tries to ignore him, thinking about her foster parents instead.]
[ unfortunately, mugen finds the jingly balls song funny. he snortlaughs under his breath.
he continues to think of bahongas and booze but also... fuu, and jin, and the way a campfire feels when you put your hands up against it, listening to your companions chatter about stupid shit. ]
xichen's eyes go wide at the sight of the weapons, and well, there are two he definitely knows how to use. and since two others are proficient in swords, he'll happily reach for the crossbow. ]
O Tannenbomer huh? Alright then. [ it looks a little weird, but it has a good weight to it. should be useful. ]
[ Looks like the floating head really was a friend and not a foe. And as much as Belial would enjoy continuing to torture Endorsi with hand holding, he hurries over to the open doors instead.
With the doors crackling open behind them, there isn't a lot of time to be discerning, but he's happy to pick up the rocket launcher. ]
Ooh, a big boy.
[ He runs his hands over the weapon, and as soon as the door crumbles just enough for their friends to peek on through, he gets it ready on his shoulder. And the only warning the others get is a delighted cackle before he's pulling the trigger, firing a missile toward the opening—
[She looks over the remaining two carefully, but when she hears the ice creatures begin to come closer... She grabs the weapon that's closest, smiling as her hands grip the morning star. She drops the needle for now so she can hold this new weapon with both hands. Her smile grows when Belial shoots towards the door.]
[When Xichen says 'O Tannenbomber' the title definitely appears behind him.
The door shatters, and swarms of ice bugs crawl in - all various types of insects, all enormous and rendered in glass. At the front, an enormous beetle opens its mouth to spray everyone with a thick fog of frost. But as it does so, one of the jingling missiles shoots directly into its maw and explodes. The beetle explodes as well, firing glass shards around the room - if you aren't careful, you may be cut by these shards!]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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especially with that flash of home. xichen feels panic rise up in his throat at seeing his home ruined yet again. ]
Then to get us home, what would need to happen first?
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And I assume if we don't leave soon we'll - [ he sighs dramatically ] - die.
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If you can't help us, then tell us what we'll have to do ourselves.
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belial drops him, and mugen just hits the floor and lays there for a second, staring at the hologram upside down on the ground. a lot of that goes over his head, but he - really doesn't like the images of nagasaki just covered in ice. after a moment, he pulls himself up and brushes himself off. ]
Get to the point, you old bag. [ he says, vaguely annoyed. ] Sick of being jerked around, here.
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[The hologram of the old man closes his eyes for a moment, pensive, and then reopens them again. On the computer display is a computer rendering of what looks to be a solar system - two planets with a wide orbit around the sun. Both planets are ringed by ice, and appear to be covered in ice themselves. One is dark blue with white frost, and the other is covered with great green oceans and red storms.]
This story begins on my home system, where I was born many millions of years ago. Two planets, orbiting the N0-L system. For ease of our story, I'll call them N0-L-001 and N0-L-002. I was born on the first N0-L planet. A beautiful and prosperous place, where we shared merry tidings each and every day. But our enemies of N0-L 2, an icey planet, hated our joy and sought to declare war on us. The ice beings - they had their own name, but in our language, we called them "humbugs" - were ruthless. Quickly, they overwhelmed us, and turned our planet into a habitat only they could survive in.
[The red and green planet in the simulation becomes covered with ice. The hologram bows his head.]
Before our destruction, we had only just begun to harness a weapon capable of defeating them. You see, the humbugs have one weakness. The beings of our planet emitted a peculiar wavelength that countered the humbugs abilities. This wavelength is known as Yule Energy. However, without refining, the Yule Energy was only capable of staving off the humbugs in short bursts. I had finally begun to devise weapons capable of destroying them before my beloved N0-L 1 succumbed to the ice. Before my death, I uploaded my brain to this computer, and used it to emit the remaining Yule Energy of my fellow N0-Lians throughout the multiverse. Dimensional rifts allowed the Yule Particles, which are sentient beings that emit Yule Energy, into different worlds, where they lay dormant.
[The image changes again, showing particles that look like red and green stars appearing on various planets. Where they appear, people smile and give gifts to one another, decorate trees with red and green baubles, and sing carols.]
Although the Yule Particles are dormant, many cultures adapted to them, even formed celebrations around them. Why, even my memory was absorbed by some cultures as a part of these traditions.
[The image shows people smiling and looking at an image of Professor Klauseron wearing a red and white hat with a white ball at the end.]
Each of you must synchronize with your dormant Yule Particles in order to harness the refined and concentrated Yule Energy, which is known as the Yule Tide. Once you have harnessed the Yule Tide, you will be able to master the weapons I will give you, which will allow you to defeat the humbugs and return home.
Lan Xichen. . . Belial. . . Endorsi Jahad . . . Mugen. . . the fate of all universes is in your hands. Close your eyes and think merry thoughts!
[The image on the screen shows computer renderings of all four of them, smiling and holding their hands, while over their hearts renderings of a pointed tree, a red and green bell, a toy drum, and a shining white star appear. Each of the computer renderings smile and begin emitting a red and green wavelength.]
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[ no he doesn't.
lan xichen looks at the other three with the sort of expression a man only has on his face when he's making sure he's not absolutely lost his mind and has hallucinated something insane.
the yule energy, he can sort of understand - it's sort of sounds like a variation of qi. humbugs seem like a type of demonic monster. but space travel? planets?? a holiday and cultures he's never heard of??? not to mention that final image of them all holding hands and smiling. it's all. it's a lot. it is very hard to think any sort of thoughts besides is this really happening. ]
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. . .
[ For once Belial is so taken aback he's not even sure how to make this sexual. ]
... Shall we hold hands?
[ He's ready. ]
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So we have to... be merry and enjoy each other's company?
[She's going to die.]
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[ were the potatoes from the cold box bad. is he high. what the fuck was that explanation. the humbugs are evil and... have guns? or swords? i mean, i guess beating up humming bugs with swords is a merry thought...
also: ]
Nah. Not gonna happen. Don't touch me or you're losing a hand. [ specifically to belial. ]
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[The four screens turn once again to the image of four people holding hands, but it also appears now that there's a door underneath all of them. The outline of the doors (like cabinets that slide out beneath the screens) glow bright red, as though lit from within. On one door, the outline of a drum appears. On another, a star. On another, a tree. And on another, a bell. But the doors do not open, no matter what they may try.
The sound of plinks of ice begins again. There's plinking all around them, like something is closing in. And then there's a loud banging sound at the door that closed behind them. The door doesn't budge, but it begins to frost over with a layer of ice.]
There's no more time. Synchronize, and you'll be able to access the Yule Tide Weapons I have stored for each of you. I have to leave you now. . . my power. . . has run out.
Goodbye. . .
[The Professor's hologram bows his head, and flickers out. Rest in peace. You're alone, as the hammering at the door and the chill in the room grows stronger.]
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We do not have other options at the moment, unless any of you are particularly interested in dying.
[ tries to think merry thoughts and not worrying about surviving thoughts i guess?! ]
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[ Belial should probably make this easier for them all considering their impending deaths, but instead he continues to be gross. At least he doesn't use the sudden darkness as an excuse to grab anyone's ass.
Instead, he very pointedly grabs Endorsi's hand before taking hold of Xichen's in his other. ]
If you'd prefer death, then I can think of plenty of other fun activities to spend our last moments on.
[ wink ]
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Now we’re... supposed to think of things that make us happy?
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sorry xichen, his hand's pretty grimy. also, burnt to shit.
he doesn't say anything, just thinks of... merry thoughts? which for him is like, big boobed girls serving him food, i'm sorry. ]
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Merry Output at 50%!
[Get merrier!]
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but more merry thoughts, huh? he tries to remember back to when he was a kid spending time with his mom and little brother then, when things were much less complicated ]
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But also, he thinks of the movies that had been playing back at the lodge, the ones that resembled the images on the monitors. ]
You know, it's usually better for me when I can hear my partners' voices.
[ He starts off by humming, thinking of his dear Lucilius dressed up in red and white, dancing along to: ] Jingly balls, jingly balls...
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he continues to think of bahongas and booze but also... fuu, and jin, and the way a campfire feels when you put your hands up against it, listening to your companions chatter about stupid shit. ]
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Merry Output at 100%. . . Synchronization Achieved.
[The doors slide open, revealing the weapons within. At each door's opening, a voice reads a description of the item.
The first door, the door with the star, reveals a blinding white morning star. A voice speaks: ]
This powerful morning star can convert into a wide ranging flail.
Special Move: God and Sinners Reconcile
[The second door, the door with the tree, reveals a cross bow, decked with pine boughs and holy, with bauble tipped arrows.]
This crossbow shoots rounds of explosive ornaments.
Special Move: Tidings of Discomfort and Pain
[The third door, the one with the drum, opens to reveal a large golden two handed sword.]
This sword emits a powerful sonic blast with every strike.
Special Move: Finishing PaRumPaPumPum
[The fourth door, the one with the bell, opens to reveal a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.]
This weapon fires cold-seeking jingle bell missiles at foes.
Special Move: Feliz Navidead.
[The door, now covered in ice, begins to crackle and crumble. The plink of many, many ice creatures grows closer.
Choose your weapons, friends.]
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xichen's eyes go wide at the sight of the weapons, and well, there are two he definitely knows how to use. and since two others are proficient in swords, he'll happily reach for the crossbow. ]
O Tannenbomer huh? Alright then. [ it looks a little weird, but it has a good weight to it. should be useful. ]
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With the doors crackling open behind them, there isn't a lot of time to be discerning, but he's happy to pick up the rocket launcher. ]
Ooh, a big boy.
[ He runs his hands over the weapon, and as soon as the door crumbles just enough for their friends to peek on through, he gets it ready on his shoulder. And the only warning the others get is a delighted cackle before he's pulling the trigger, firing a missile toward the opening—
Felix Navidead assholes!! ]
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Everybody ready, then?
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Oh hell yeah. Let's do this.
[ he shifts the sword in his hand, and does a stupid flashy twirl with it. also, belial shoots the door and mugen like, whoops. ]
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The door shatters, and swarms of ice bugs crawl in - all various types of insects, all enormous and rendered in glass. At the front, an enormous beetle opens its mouth to spray everyone with a thick fog of frost. But as it does so, one of the jingling missiles shoots directly into its maw and explodes. The beetle explodes as well, firing glass shards around the room - if you aren't careful, you may be cut by these shards!]
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