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[formidable]

MUSELIST This a post where I'll RP anything with you! Got a scenario in mind? I'LL DO IT. If you wanna chat IDEAS.GIF, contact me at maiscribbles or my Discord (Maiscribbles#6780). Have at it! ➢ Cool Mood Music No. 1 ➤ Cool Mood Music No. 2

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[emotive]

[She holds up a palm to object.]

Nuh. Nuh-uh. We keep going. We're doing good.

[Ai gives him a thumbs-up gesture while balancing the lantern pole on her shoulder.]

Teamwork! Good job!

[supersoldier]

[The sidelong glance he gives her is both assessing and dubious. Though they’ve not run into anything dangerous in this maze, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, and Ai in a state like this? He isn’t sure if how much of her own weight she’d be able to pull.

Not that all this drinking is much of her own fault, this maze requiring a system of progression obviously... unflattering to someone who can’t hold their alcohol.]

Let me take the next few drinks. I don’t want to have to carry you through the rest of this.

[emotive]

If you say so.

[Rubbing her nose with one hand, Ai nods in agreement. Even in her inebriated state, she's not going to be so foolish as to prolong her stubbornness.]

Uh, if you don't mind telling me... How red do I look?

[Answer: Very.]

[supersoldier]

You look like a tomato.

[She asked.]

[emotive]

[There is silence. And then there is a drunken accusatory pointing at his face.]

You... you look like...

A cherry tomato!

[Not Even Close.]

[supersoldier]

[Wow. He closes his eyes briefly, shaking his head.]

...You really are a lost cause right now. I hope this doesn’t last long, for your sake.

[One more cask ahead.]

Your insults could use work.

[emotive]

[She's sulking like a child and mutters darkly under her breath.]

Your hair could use work.

[supersoldier]

[Excuse u

Sephiroth is not vain, not really, but his hair is the one thing about his appearance that he actively takes care of, keeps well-tended. He looks at her from over his shoulder.]

I heard that too.

[emotive]

[She innocently glances to the side as she pokes her fingers together.]

I mean, it's not that bad. Not a lot of men can full off long hair.

[Apparently when Ai gets drunk she has extra lip, who knew. They're finally at the last wine cask and it's blocking a room which can only be described as a boss level. There are no other branches to explore from that point and it's also where the alcoholic fumes are the thickest. The fog is so thick, Ai is fanning herself with one hand as sweat drips down the sides of her face.]

It's so humid! Just like home, but probably worse.

[supersoldier]

[Well, seems to be the last cask they will have to deal with, if the way forward means anything -- a large room with no more winding corridors, which is honestly suspicious in its own right.

But Sephiroth steps forward without any sort of hesitation. By now, the routine is simple enough; grab the ladle, remove the top, skim some off from the top of the liquid's surface, and take a drink.

He does so, not allowing her a chance to join. It burns on the way down.]

Last one. [He says, frowning, ignoring the humid air that surrounds them. He assumes they'll find out why that is soon enough.]

[emotive]

[The second Sephiroth finishes the wine the sound of drums begin to fill the room and the alcoholic fog begins to thicken in the room to the point where they can't see in front of them and Ai can barely make out her maze companion.]

Ah!

[Ai realizes that they're being separated and in her less-than-sober state, that only spells danger. The drumming beat reverberates throughout the room and a low sound between a moan and a growl penetrates the fog which signals the further danger they're both going to be in.]

[supersoldier]

[Immediately, Sephiroth is brandishing his sword, falling into a defensive stance with his weight pushed to the balls of his boots. His eyes narrow, trying to pierce through the haze, but even his vision is obscured with the endless humidity, this opaque thickness.]

Ai?

[He’s lost track of her, too, but for all he knows, she could still be near.]

[emotive]

[Ai audibly gulps and grips the handle of her lantern tightly. Her head is spinning and her vision is hazy, multiplied by the fog. She squeezes her eyes shut trying to think, trying to focus. They're not alone in this room, they haven't faced any monsters up until now... Where was that moaning coming from?

Her physical senses may be dulled, but her innate sixth sense... She's hearing and sensing something...]

Sephiroth! Above you!

[In the ceiling there's the sound of feet and hands crawling its way quickly over to where the SOLDIER is. Ai on her part tries to hone in on where he is and to the best of her ability, judge where she should stand so he can get the monster before it can get them.]

[supersoldier]

[Ai’s warning is all he needs.

It centers his focus above, sharp and direct, and the SOLDIER becomes cognizant of the scuttling noises overhead. He, too, can judge the generalized area of where the threat might be, and far be it for him to hesitate.

So he doesn’t. He leaps up — high, too high for a normal human — and takes action, slicing Masamune in a wide horizontal sweep to catch any monster above in its silver arc.]

[emotive]

[Whatever is up in the ceiling drops to the floor in front of Sephiroth. It had dodged, but not completely. This was a courtesan doll wearing slightly different robes from its other counterparts and instead of weapons, it holds several sake dishes in each of its hands that slosh with the liquid.

The haze noticeably thins around them after Sephiroth damages the doll, but it quickly gets back up and with its spider-like movements it consumes more sake rice wine and jerking its neck to screech at the man. From its mouth is smoke; well, we know where the fog was coming from now.

Ai was thankfully able to catch a glimpse of the sake wielding doll and its drinking vessels before both it and Sephiroth disappear from her sight. She calls over to him after coughing from the newly revived fog.]

I-I'll disarm it from here! You can take it on, right?

[supersoldier]

[The miss is disappointing, but Sephiroth is quick to realign himself on his feet, landing back on the ground and utterly unfazed by the new doll’s appearance. Smoke emanates from its mouth after a drink, all of which he notes with cold precision.

His reply to her is short and curt, readying Masamune and falling into stance again. His eyes narrow.]

Do it.

[emotive]

[Ai takes a few steps back before harnessing her energy and concentrating on the monster's drinking vessels and forcing them out of its hands. They fly and hover around the esper girl to shield her as the doll turns its attention on her. The doll has its head twist at a 180 turn and subjecting Ai to its predatory gaze and letting out a shriek that shakes the entire chamber.

The limbs of the doll stretch out in an attempt to grab Ai who can only direct the sake dishes to knock a few away before ducking to the floor and rolling out of the way.]

NOW!

[supersoldier]

[The screech is enough to rattle even his eardrums, but Sephiroth is trained, ever ready, hardly shaken. He’s prepared for a distraction, and Ai gives it well — and so, with an opening presented to him, he slashes at the monster—

Once, twice, three times. More, faster than the eye can track, for a grand total of eight cuts across its form.]

[emotive]

[The doll never saw it coming. It stops midway in front of Ai and within seconds, cuts and cracks appear on its visage. Consequently, it crumbles and falls into pieces scattering everywhere on the floor.

Around them, the alcoholic fog finally fades leaving the air around them clear enough to breathe. Ai, still red from all the drinking takes a deep breath before shakily standing up.]

O-Okay. Guess we know where all the fog was coming from then... I think that means we can exit now at least?

[supersoldier]

[He's silent at first, watching the doll to pieces, watching it scatter across the ground -- thrown by the momentum, clattered like a discarded toy. Frowning, Sephiroth straightens, pulling Masamune behind his shoulder again at a resting position.

The threat, for now, is vanquished.

The fog dissipates.]

Do you think that's the last of them?

[And he nears Ai.] You're uninjured?

[emotive]

I'm-... Hiccup!

... Not hurt. [She nervously chuckles as if she can't believe her luck.] Good thing my powers still work even after all that drinking.

[Now that the fog has cleared up, her face is lightening up and Ai is starting to feel more clearheaded.]

The fog's gone too! That's progress... I hope that means the next door is available to us.