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

[immaculacies]

Embla, hm... I haven't heard of it myself, but it must be an interesting place! Even I haven't been able to visit a parallel world anywhere but my dreams.

[rhododendronhoney]

[Cori nods, an unhappy look on her face.] I'm definitely worried how they managed to figure all that out...and what's happening with my family. [Should she be happy they're not in a death game, or worried they're in something worse?]

[rhododendronhoney]

This...this thing, with different worlds being dragged together. But even back then I didn't wake up to find everything around me completely changed1

[ballooncaged]

[Mizuki math lady memes a bit at objection to adult government but monarchy is a bad system so she'll let it go unquestioned.]

Then do you think she's planning something totally different from what the "rules" said? Like a ransom?

[battlestations]

[Nigel glances back to see the other kid whose dislikes included 'adults.' Sounds like someone he could have a real conversation with.]

Of course I did. I also think it would be far less likely for that nonsense to occur if there were only kids here. Is that so strange?

[strictura]

I don't know about that. If they've really researched me this closely, I'm not sure who they'd be expecting to collect a ransom from.

[seventhlittlemonster]

I- Hhh?? I'm a monster, yes, but I'm not a bad one! I wasn't- wasn't sent by anyone here! Or, uh, do you mean who brought me into this world? I... my momma brought me here along with One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six, but she never tells me how. And my father's never there so I can't ask him either...

[He put a hand on his chin, pondering how he came to be in the first place... perhaps he will find out when he's older.]

[xxxx_me]

Maybe.

[It's a little hazy for him, the things he did when he received those slips of paper.]

...Is it possible it knows all about us because it's a dream?

[rhododendronhoney]

...no, that name's not familiar to me. Did your world and Earth also end up merging together somehow?

[xxxx_me]

[Shaking his head.]

I haven't left the facility for months.

[Besides, well...]

Do you think this is a dream?

[xxxx_me]

[Smiling a little.]

It's okay. I'm used to everyone calling me Allen.

It's nice to meet you, Yuniko.

[immaculacies]

Eh, that— [ Her hand lifts to her mouth in an expression of girlish surprise. ] You should warn someone before you do something like that, you know!

[ And yet, she takes the head. For a second, she just looks down at Seven's face with wide, owlish eyes, and in fact, even as she turns and marches herself into his room, she continues to do so. After a few steps, however, she lifts her head, searching out the pane of glass.

What's the landscape outside? ]

[rhododendronhoney]

[Oh no...she immediately gets worried at that. Those big sister instincts activate as she reaches out to pull him into a hug.] ...I hope my family is okay too. But I bet they'll be looking for me too...and they've got lots of ways to do it.

[soverainty]

[.......... Nagisa what is your life.

Video game metaphors are all well and good but still!! To Niko all of this is perfectly regular and matter-of-fact because that's how near-future Japan works, so all she does is wait patiently for him to give his perspective!]

Well, I mean! Not everyone plays a lot of VR, but you've heard of Augmented Reality, right? That's pretty normal in Japan nowadays.

[Is. Is it. See: near-future Japan. Boy she's going to run into a lot of these, huh.]

I still don't know about whether this game is okay at all. But the idea of it isn't that far-fetched. There's also a theme, I think?

[rowboats]

[ judging by the blank look on her face, no.

(defining my headcanon this early in the game??? noooooooo)

Ib shakes her head. ]

[rhododendronhoney]

[Hm...well, if she backs up a little, does it look like the flowers are arranged to make a picture of any sort? Admittedly, there's not much she can do here to gain height and look at it better...]

[golden_king]

[ Tee hee. ]

Um...is walking around without shoes really all that smart by the way? You should definitely put something on your feet. You never know what you could step on, just a thought!

[ Just going to point that out while they're here and he's helped her to feet here, but he'll tilt his head. ]

Yeah, what with the strange rules. It's kind of creepy, isn't it?

oh u

[rowboats]

[ ................. ]

I like art, but...I need a break from it, I think.

[ she's been chased by homicidal paintings for the last 48 hours she doesn't want to look at a painting of herself.....!

is it going to come to life and take her existence from her?? is it going to pop out of the frame and do horrible things??? IS IT GOING TO MOVE ITS EYES WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING??? ]

[battlestations]

[A whole cake just for him??? Wow! No, be vigilant. That's too good to be true, especially if there's no way for this teenage girl to deliver on it. Weak attempts to gain his trust! Watch this one!!]

Nice try, but it's much more satisfying to take a bad guy's cake on my own terms.

[caligulass]

Oh, it is. I find it interesting to visit the worlds of Heroes as well, but I’m usually not there for too long since I need them for the war effort.

[golden_king]

[ Goodness... well, she had faith in him, he could say that much. ]

Hm...well, that sounds kind of amazing, actually.

Though, we'd have to be able to contact the authorities or something like that first to even get him involved, I think.

[rhododendronhoney]

["Nice try"? What's this kid's problem?]

...do you...often deal with bad guys who have cakes to steal?

[seventhlittlemonster]

[He's a very big boi. But regardless he will reciprocate the hug and close his eyes, starting to become exhausted despite his abrupt awakening.]

Hearing that makes me feel... better. Much better.

[golden_king]

Yep, it sure does!

Were you thinking about doing something about it?

[soverainty]

Um, like I said, it's still pretty exclusive technology... but it's not a secret or anything. There's just a lot of restrictions for it.

[Ah, but this seems to be wigging the other girl out, so Niko will leave it at that for now. It's probably better than trying to explain something she distinctly doesn't have expertise for...

Instead she holds up her hands placatingly and tries for another smile.]

Of course the rules probably don't mean killing, if it's a game. It's probably just... knocking people out of the game! Not that I really play games like that normally, so it's still a little... [ah, but she should try to stay reassuring] It's not of my own free will either. Sorry if that was confusing.