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

[byzer0]

[ Yup, he's enjoying this. Also Youji is probably right next to him but in an attempt for everyone in this thread's sanity we won't turn it into a 3 way thread, RIP Neku. ] </small? Haha, it's the truth y'know. I don't see or sense your fighter around.

[byzer0]

Never heard of them or their boring books.

[byzer0]

And? If they didn't want anyone to break it they shouldn't have left it lying around.

[ That gets Natsuo moving, plucking up one of the tapes to hold it in front of his eye. ]

Jeez, this stuff is pretty old too...the Queen must be an old hag to keep things like this.

[ Is that an answer? Maybe, maybe not, but Loveless is Timeless because volume three features a fat ps2 and volume eleven a sleek new PSP Vita. No need to dwell on such anachronisms in prose, especially when her attention will probably be drawn to the VHS Natsuo just smashed on the floor, f. ]

[rhododendronhoney]

...really? I guess you'd know more about that than I do...

[Cori nods a little in understanding.] I don't remember being attacked by anything like that, but the last thing I remember was being asleep...

[caligulass]

Hm. I will perhaps have to ask you where to get some of those and how to use these "mirror abilities" when we've found a way out of here, then, provided I can count on your assistance.

[rhododendronhoney]

[...] Yeah, I assumed they'd be similar like that. So you don't know who this symbol might be from?

[rhododendronhoney]

Not that many people knew about the destabilization in the first place...unless you mean you've also never heard of Pokemon at all?

[rhododendronhoney]

[She squints at the painting.] Yeah...maybe they got a good look before they brought us here. Or they were watching us for a while before that...

[soverainty]

[Seven-kun why is your head a squeaky wheel.

Seven-kun are you secretly a robot in disguise. Niko is just going to sort of blink about the noise but it's hard to decide if she actually wants to know, because that would imply that his head is going to pop off again. Let's just. Put that notion aside...!

She doesn't sit on the ground but she'll crouch and lean against the wall, making sure her bright blue cape doesn't trail on the ground; clasping her hands in front of her to listen!]

You don't really need to hurry that much. This place seems pretty big, anyway, so a little time-out isn't bad. Besides, maybe we can explore together later? [have an appealing face, please reach the top shelves for her, giant possible-robot-kun] Oh, and -kun is just what we're usually supposed to call our classmates and the people who are closer to us in age.

I think?

[She is so guesstimating here.]

[soverainty]

Is that right? Um, from the way you were asking, it sounded like something you knew about or were expecting... That's a little more than I know about where I am...

Sorry I can't help you out, though.

[She seems a little sheepish with all the sighing and grumbling on Veronica's end, but keeps a pleasant expression regardless.]

Can I ask what you're going to do now? I might not be able to answer any questions, but maybe we can find out together?

[Neighbors are totally supposed to help each other get slightly less literally kidnapped, right.]

[soverainty]

Ahaha... I don't know if that makes her old, or if it's just that this stuff was lying around because it's in a castle? It's hard to say, especially since--

[She probably was about to say something about how many different levels of technology or geography knowledge she's already run into but instead there's a small and surprised kya! when Natsuo just goes to town on one of the VHS tapes.

Well, now they've made another mess in here....... it looks like the VHS graveyard continues to spawn New Problems. After a frozen moment she crouches and reaches out and then stops before getting her hands in the jagged broken tape bits.]

Why-- Why did you do that... Ahhh, you're not the one who broke the other ones too, are you?

[It's more panicked than accusatory but still. She's a bit frazzled??]

[strictura]

R-right... It seems reasonable, at least, given how much information they already seem to have on us. Though I'm not sure if they thought they were doing us a favor by giving us something familiar -- to some extent -- or if their intention was just to show off their capabilities.

[strictura]

[ He kind of wants to protest the "like" part, except she's literally listed under his likes right there in writing, so... ]

Wasn't that obvious? I definitely wouldn't have positive feelings like that for any adult.

[ Junko-neechan is in her own special category, of course. ]

In any event, assuming it's not a matter of ransom, it seems like it could be some sort of revenge, from the adults that resent us for standing up to them.

[ Which could explain the sadistic part? ]

[seventhlittlemonster]

[TRANSFORMERS, ROBOTS IN DISGUISE nah it's just good ol' cartoon sound effects but. not that a little girl would just know that.]

Is it like how we call adults Mr., Ms., Mrs., Mx.... Oh, can't trail off right now... I like it, though! I'd be glad to explore with you too!

[He got back on the topic he brought up, his family!] So, I have six siblings! Of course they're all numbered like I am. One is the oldest, and she has wings and really likes sports... She actually taught me to play soccer!

[He almost forgot the situation he was in talking to Yuniko, that's the power of forming bonds...]

[golden_king]

[ The lovely complications of dealing with Servants and such things. Though admittedly probably having a normal chat with Gilgamesh as he was now was actually far easier than it'd be if he were older. ]

See? You get it. [ Around this time he'll take a glance around the room, looking a little thoughtful. ] I guess we should start walking around together? It'd be best to get more familiar with our surroundings, right?

[seventhlittlemonster]

It might be magic. But then again, I don't understand how magic works. Only Momma knows magic, but she only ever uses it when she brings out the Plooky. [everyone else here has some deep-ass lore and seven's over here like. "plooky"]

[strictura]

[ Just don't bring up HP restoration and items and we should be fine.

Another nod; they're definitely on the same page there, then. ]

Mm, I thought the same. A queen, a cat, cards, and tea parties... it's probably what would come to mind for anyone familiar with the story. But it remains to be seen whether there's anything to it or if they just enjoy the aesthetic.

[golden_king]

[ ... oh my god, Lena. He'll snicker a little at the pun, intentional or not.

But, he'll begin to start walking expecting her to come along. ]

Big weird symbols, kind of like the one we saw on the message, but it doesn't really have to be the same, just really noticeable and eyecatching. Also, secret doors. You know...the ones.

Stuff like that can be really easy to overlook, if you know what I mean.

[xxxx_me]

I only met him recently. ...Before that, I just thought of him as a storybook character.

[Boy, his outlook on things have changed rapidly since.]

Let's go.

[And with that, he'll begin walking to check some of the doors, almost like he expects her to follow.]

[xxxx_me]

Sometimes it's easier to find answers that way.

[He's going to start, actually, by checking the doors in this very room! He seems almost surprised that they all open on the first try.]

[xxxx_me]

...

It's dried. So that means it's old, right?

I don't think anyone's done anything yet...

[Though uhhh it doesn't bode well for what happened here before.]

[xxxx_me]

A hundred...?

[He wonders briefly what the hundred points are for, but quickly dismisses the thought to instead continue looking around the library. He's not really looking around in any way that's going to net him any discoveries other than the dried blood though, whoops.]

[xxxx_me]

[...Wait, now it sounds like she means worlds in a different way. Like... worlds worlds.]

Not just dream worlds?

[golden_king]

[ Things Gil didn't consider at the moment but when it started happen he'll realize that, too, would likely be a normal consequence... ]

Like if we were knocked out for a few days or were forced into a coma, or like you said, if our memories were messed with. Though I think things would be a little different if it was the second of those options. So, it's probably a combination of the first thing and our memories being messed with...

[ At the very least Niko was taking the teleportation thing well. Maybe. Well hard to say the same for memories but even Gil's not excited about that, actually, so. ]

Which is kind of really rude if that's the case; kidnapping us was bad enough, you know.

[imozon]

My fighter? What's that?

[Staring.]