Work Text:
“My cool “YOUR TURN!!!” Craft Skill!!!”
“I’m not saying that.”
And that's fine. This is the tutorial. Nothing weird needs to happen yet. Nobody should slip out of character yet. You're just doing this to make sure that Mira's not upset.
You give your turn to her. She just used a Craft Skill, so giving the turn to her is the best choice. Odile's cooldown is about to end, so it would kinda suck to give it to her now. Sif's the fastest, so unless he just attacked or you need a speed boost, there's no need to give him your turn. You're simply optimizing your time and skills.
You watch her attack the Sadness in front of you. You get ready.
Third jackpot sign, which means that the Sadness is about to attack Odile…
The Sadness' eyes are fixed on her. You watch it ready an attack. Yeah, yeah you're on it.
“Okay, so next, let's–”
“WUH OH!!! MADAME ODILE!!!”
“Ah–”
You'll get in front of her every time. You'll protect them every time. You'll get hurt for them every time.
What should it hit this time? The first couple of times, it hit your shoulder. Once you made it hit your gut, which sucked majorly. If you let it hit your head, would it actually knock you out?
Well, Isabeau, you should have thought about this earlier. You already got in front of Odile.
The Sadness hits your shoulder and chest. A solid paper attack that you've grown numb to.
Would it be smarter to lie supine or prone? If you let the wound breathe, is that better than laying down? The floor is cold, isn't that good for a cut?
Ah well, you have a tutorial to finish.
“ISABEAU!!!”
She always seems so worried when you get hit… Maybe you could push Odile away next time and avoid the attack too? That way nobody would get hurt. Oh, but you have to remind her that jackpot attacks can heal people so she doesn't use her healing skill too much and you don't run out of crafted waters at the worst time.
You kneel down on the floor. Prone it is! Your hands make contact with the cold floor. Ahh… Cold floor. Back to greet you. Yep. Getting hurt is worth it. Floor time.
“Owie… I'll see you all… in a minute…”
Floor time!!!
thud
You're glad you're hiding your face against the floor. They would be so confused at the fact that you're smiling.
It's nice, being on the floor. Yeah, the pressure is making the cut on your shoulder and chest sting a little, but that's good, right? Besides, your good good friends and family are gonna do a combo soon and you'll be back up in no time.
…
Better make the most of floor time, then.
…
Oh, Crab, you're still meant to talk.
“I'm all good, just doing my job in the tutorial! You need someone to be K.O. anyways, right?”
You give Mira a thumbs up. She's always so worried about all of this, but she seems to smile a little.
Success. You turn your face back down to the wonderful cold floor.
Heh. This tutorial really is a refresher. You should say that out loud later. Maybe you'll get a laugh out of Sif!
You let Odile explain HP and stuff and continue to have lovely floor time.
Nice. Cold. Wonderful. Hmm… How many synonyms for cold do you know?
Icy, refreshing, frozen, chill, cool, frosty, brisk, crisp, algid, glacial, polar, cozy, gelid, snowy, …cryonic? Was that the word?
Whatever. It's nice, is what it is. No need to use other words or adjectives when nice perfectly describes this feeling. This is nice and you could lie on the floor forever. Ha! Floor- ever!
Unfortunately, Odile just said the word ‘combo’, which means that you have to say the funny thing now.
“Yay... A combo will save me... Please do a combo…”
Actually, it's floor time that will save you, but you'd rather not say that out loud.
The fight continues above you, which means that your precious floor time is about to end.
Noooo……… The floor will leave you………
Ok. Floor time isn't over yet, Odile attacks. That's the fourth jackpot symbol. One more to go.
You concentrate on the floor. This is the best thing that has happened to you in all the loops. The House is frozen and you never take advantage of it.
Laying down on the ground and freezing are not the same thing. Freezing in time starts from your brain, it's too cold for you! It's like a brain freeze but for your entire body, which is no good.
Laying on the floor, well, that’s different. It's like if your whole body was eating ice cream. Oh, how you miss ice cream.
It's not even bitter-cold! The tears are highly concentrated Craft, whereas the House is passively cold. Just enough to where it feels like an ice pack. Plus, with your clothes, the coolness isn't too intense.
It's just nice . You could melt into the floor and be frozen back up again. There must be some health benefits to this, right? Some spas have alternating warm and cold pools, that's good for your body, right?
Yeah, sure, this is just cold with no warmth, but it’s nice, ok? You like it. Laying on the floor is great. People should do it more often. You don't have to stand or move, you've just laying down and resting your body.
Hm… Maybe a pillow would be nice? To not strain your back and neck too much? If you were the King, you would have focused on making ice cream and spas instead of freezing Vaugarde in time. It sounds a lot more lucrative!
Hmm… Maybe if you gave the King ice cream he’s gonna stop and you'll win against him? Yeah. That's a good idea! Sure, he sucks and you really wanna kill him, but maybe he can have ice cream first?
Wuh-Oh! You're being poked! On the back! Right where it tickles! No!! Not your tickle spot!!!
“Um… Isabeau? Are you ok?”
… Floor time is over :(
You put on a bright smile and turn around, now laying supine.
“Yeah! All good here!”
You look up at everyone. They look concerned.
“Uh… Guys? I’m good…? What's with that look?”
“We did a Jackpot Skill, but you weren't getting up!!! I was getting worried!!”
Crab, Isabeau!!! You had one job, and the job wasn't to lay on the floor!!!
“Ah, ouh, oops! Sorry guys!!! The floor was just too nice and refreshing.”
It's true! You'd never lie to them. Floor time is good time.
“That’s sad.”
–!
…Is it?
“It is, but you're not supposed to say that out loud, Boniface.”
…
Oh.
Well… You guess you are being a little sad. What with everything going on around you. Maybe you could tell them about the loops this time…?
Nah. They already worried about you when you laid down on the ground for too long, you don't want to tell them about the fact you're stuck in a timeloop.
You get up and clap your hands, smiling at Mira.
“The Jackpot Skill got rid of my injury, see?”
You put a hand on your shoulder and rotate your arm. You're so strong and handsome.
Mira frowns and you immediately start brainstorming ways to make her feel better, but before you can act she sighs and smiles.
You'd do anything to make her feel better.
“And that's the end of this little refresher. All good, Mirabelle?”
Aw, boo. Odile stole your joke.
“Y–Yes! Thank you very much!!!”
Siffrin smiles and takes the lead.
…
You make a mental reminder note to not spook the others next time.