You're My Friend, They're My Friends (IC Intro)

[whimsicalism]

Whatever you were doing before, wherever you were before this moment it doesn't matter. The world seems to grow dark around you: an almost inaudible giggle floats to your year before you lose consciousness completely. Other it belonging to a child there's no defining characteristics of the voice. Maybe you just imagined it? Even if you did, one thing is clear when you wake up.

You're not where you were before. The bedroom you find yourself is plush and well decorated, almost like a fancy hotel or apartment. That might be little comfort considering that it's clear that you don't recognize it. Before you rush off to explore your surroundings there's a message pinned to the door to the hall.

From the desk of the Queen:

Hello, my friends dear.

I can only hope you enjoy your new life here. For those you stirring from sleep, this is my promise that I will keep: I will let you go if that is what you desire but the price for it will be quite dire.

For my rules are quite clear that I don't wish you to leave. Yet I will, if you can take the grief.

If you wish to know my name and the reasons to my game, meet in the audience hall for tea. Tea, yes, a grand tea party for my grand guests! Cake and sweets are what we need to meet. In an hour we both will be there, no peeking before!

Signed,

Instead of a signature, there's a small feline paw print underneath as well as some strange sort of heart crest?

There seems to be others moving outside your room. Perhaps it's time to explore, to see if anyone else knows what's going on. Don't slip on the playing card (an ace of hearts, with the heart shape replaced by the strange crest). That there's a scribbled phrase of 'dormez-vous? dormez-vous?' on the card but surely one of the others slipped it under your door.

This Castle seems like a strange place ot live in... yet for now it's quiet and peaceful, even if the Audience Hall is locked.

Comments

Numbuh One | OTA

[battlestations]

1

[The bald kid in the hall is reading the sign on his door and scoffing at it loud enough for anyone to hear in his slightly-English accent.]

Friends? With a Queen? PLEASE. As if I'd want to be friends with some old lady who brought me here against my will. And there's certainly better ways than that to get a cake, as well! When I get to the bottom of this, they'll miss that and more...

[The part with killing he is glossing over because that's a level of evil he expects from the adult he is definitely assuming this queen is because queens are old and kids don't want to stay in stuffy rich castles. ....Also, he may have screwed off his shower head to take with him, and he's rhythmically tapping it against his open palm, very much like it's a club.]

one

[Later on, he's in the meadow.]

Now, let's see what we're dealing with in terms of this 'barrier'...

[He certainly doesn't see one, but if he walks out far enough, it should become readily apparent... right?]

...Wait, was she just talking about the stupid bushes?! Anyone could walk over th-

[If anyone was watching, Nigel just disappeared into thin air, as if he was never there.

And then from another direction he's charging out from the castle again, flailing his hands around and ranting.]

OhmygoshOFCOURSEITWOULDBETHISshehasthehappyheadbandIT'SALLASIMULATION!!!!!!!!!

I

[After trying every method he knows of to break out of a simulation, Nigel is forced to calm down. Well, he is not calm, but he at least collects himself. He's likely met some other people, enough to know that the 'friends' are real. He gets some more 'weapons' at the vending machines (mentos and coke, which he stores in his pockets - pockets that are clearly vast and deep as he is a cartoon character.) Now he's pacing across the portrait hall, grimacing at the creepiness of there being portraits in the first place, but reading the information they were willing to give.]

Fascinating. Not one of our number is an adult... if it weren't for all the teenagers, this might actually be a fun time.

[littlebratziska]

You saw their nightmares? What did they look like?

[she is clearly pandering to her]

[rowboats]

[ Ib hesitates. She doesn't think she remembers this guy from the gallery, he has a pretty distinct look to him. ]

...the toybox. In the gallery. Did you visit the gallery exhibit?

[strictura]

Well... most of those are things they could gather from watching us and listening in on our conversations, aren't they?

[ Granted, it's been quite a while since he's seen an earthworm, and they don't often come up in conversation... ]

I

[scratchitti]

Got something against teenagers?

[Speak of the devil. Neku is still hanging around here, trying to memorize names]

[rowboats]

There weren't any nearby me, either. [ looking down at her hands ] I...I definitely wouldn't have went to bed on the ground. I was doing something important.

[rowboats]

That makes me like it less.

[ folding her arms in front of her and frowning ]

1

[ballooncaged]

Huh, funny, you almost sounded like you were gonna say "God Save the Queen" or something.

[Mizuki has gotten out of Room 9 just a few minutes ago and grown weary of shouting for Date so now turning back she's noticed this guy at the next door.]

You're not wrong about what she deserves, though. Especially if she doesn't actually give answers.

[caligulass]

Oh, so your leaders have been doing a bad job. I think we have a bunch of Heroes from worlds like that anyway, though. Xander’s father always sounded like he was only concerned with being as pointlessly destructive as possible, even if he kept trying to explain it away.

[theawfulaccount]

I should hope he doesn't have to pay taxes at his age. I'd be worried about myself.

[ballooncaged]

Uhhhhh...

[Mizuki looks at the birfurcated tableau for a moment. What if putting a snack in his hand just snapped off his arm next? At least the prospect is calming him down. Ultimately Mizuki kneels so the eyes in his head can presumably see, as she takes out one package of crackers lining a thin slice of American cheese.]

Is this good?? [She hopes she doesn't have to open it for him... Gross...]

[theawfulaccount]

I'm... sorry?

[ Violet pulls her hair back just enough to reveal her human ears, just as unfortunate as the rest of her. ]

They're right here.

Re: one (meadow)

[seventhlittlemonster]

[He felt the need to do not just a double-take, but a triple-take as this boy was running out of the castle after walking through the bushes like a headless chicken.]

...the what? [He had been sitting there, motionless like a statue the whole time, so it might have been somehow easy to forget that there's a 9-foot-tall monster there!

And that deep, haunting voice didn't make his presence among all these kids any better. An untrustworthy adult, he seemed to be! until the gallery in which Nigel finds out he is, in fact, a kid like everyone else but shhhhh]

[rowboats]

[ Ib puts her hand up to the canvas of her own painting. ]

...it's just paint. But--it's sort of realistic.

[ a little uncanny valley for her ]

[ballooncaged]

Oh... Yeah...

[Mizuki's worry is rather pronounced, she's taking it quite literally for some reason. Rallying to focus on the situation:]

Then maybe there's a couple different roles in the "game". Like... They're watching all of us kill each other and the ransom needs to go through before time runs out!!

[battlestations]

[He was totally aware Neku was standing there when he said that too. It's not above him to try to get a rise out of potential enemies.]

Maybe I do.

[It's right in his profile actually!!]

It could have something to do with how they want to be just like adults. Or maybe it's the endless betrayal. Either way, I've got my eye out.

[He even tips the sunglasses for emphasis. Which is ironic because these are prescription sunglasses and he actually sees worse like this. THE TEENAGER DOESN'T HAVE TO KNOW.]

[theawfulaccount]

There's something in mine that's similar, though... it seems like it is less of a secret the more I learn about it.

[ Violet sighs. ]

Whoever made these knows quite a bit about us.

[caligulass]

...other realms where things went differently than in your world, I guess. Sometimes the continents are different, and sometimes they’re the same but the people are different. Things like that.

[seventhlittlemonster]

Ah, yes, that's great!! Cheese! [He snapped out of his cheese fever long enough to realize he still had a problem.] Uh... could you give me to my body? Sorry, I know I shouldn't be so needy when I meet new people but-

[He pivoted on his neck, calling out to his body.] Over here!

[But his body swerved left and crawled away.] You see, it has trouble sometimes...

[theawfulaccount]

Hm... Perhaps you repeated it?

[ It is odd, though, isn't it? The things we wonder when we are confronted by those who know what we previously considered hidden well enough. ]

Mine is something I said, but it was from a mostly private conversation.

I

[strictura]

As much as I'd like to be grateful for that, you did read the rules to see what's expected of us, didn't you?

[immaculacies]

A fake... Mm-hm, that's what I thought. I just wanted to confirm.

[ Still, when they reach his room, she steps airily past him to examine the window for herself. There's only a brief glance at the scenery outside, before her attention seems to turn toward the window itself and the sill that surrounds it. ]

Have you been out to the garden yet? Even though it's on the other side of the building, I thought that the view doesn't line up with the one from my window. So, I wondered what I would see if I checked everyone else's.

But, hm... Yours doesn't line up with what I could see from mine, either. So it must be that they all show something different. I wonder if the Queen chose them, or if they come from us...?

[ By the end, she's half thinking out loud. ]

[ballooncaged]

If they're listening to enough stuff, it could be easy enough to figure out... Actually, I talked about a lot of this stuff pretty recently. Ugh, I'd hate if they bugged the car or apartment.

[They've established this though!!]

Well, next question. Why do you think they're going through so much effort? I think it's some kind of ransom for money.

[rhododendronhoney]

Coriander Bliss, but you can just call me Cori! [She does smile back-he was calling for his mom, so he's probably not as old as he sounds there, right?] Did you also just...wake up here all of a sudden?

[byzer0]

Not even if you begged, but that'd be pretty funny.

[ Natsuo smiles, mischievous and then assured. ]

Of course we are, we're Zero.