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

[seventhlittlemonster]

The Plooky decides things for us when we're all at a standstill, and it can grant any wish! One time my brothers and sisters and I wished everything was the opposite of what it was supposed to be.

It did not end particularly well, much to our shock and horror.

<sub>[OH YEAH THAT WAS A THING AND YEAH IT WAS WEIRD ASF THERE WERE BOATS SAILING DOWN THE ROAD

IT WAS FRIKKIN' BANANAS]</sub>

[seventhlittlemonster]

[Approval! From his new big sister figure!!]

Thank you, thank you... I have a few other tricks but now's not the time to show off.

[seventhlittlemonster]

And then there is Two, he has a very big nose... As the oldest brother he and I work together a lot! His nose and my head can do so many things like reach the top shelves in our house! [thassa big house yaknow!]

_{[also fun fact! Two was voiced by Colin Mochrie so if you have ever seen Whose Line like me you will never unhear him]}

[prescience]

[After Yuniko's right-side-up, Oriko withdraws her hand, folding it with the other in front of herself.]

No, you didn't frighten me. [Her voice is incredibly even and calm: It seems she's telling the truth.]

Then you just woke up here, as well? [Glancing around:] I wonder if each of these rooms is full...?

[prescience]

[She waits for Violet to emerge, a picture of patience when she leaves her room again.

The description of a toddler with very sharp teeth gives her pause, both for its absurdity and for the worrying implications: What chance does a toddler stand in a place like this?

Arms crossed, she gives it a moment of sincere ponderance.]

Well... I thought I saw a boy wearing sunglasses. That's not what you mean though, is it?

That's about it.

[undershadow]

Mmm, that's a no. This is me, all the time. [ She pauses. ] Wait, herons?

[ what's so cool about herons...... ]

[strictura]

Hm. I was thinking that the killing was more likely to be the real goal and the threat of losing our memories was supposed to incentivize us to do it, but I suppose that doesn't have to be the case.

[ sometimes you just jump to certain conclusions when you're from the danganronpa franchise. ]

If she's sincere about considering us "friends," then... yes, it does seem like she has a skewed interpretation of the concept, at the very least.

[strictura]

H-hey, wait...!!

[ He's definitely not incapable of running or anything, but keeping up is probably a bit of a stretch, even for a short distance, especially when he's getting a late start. Amazingly, studying at a desk practically 24/7 doesn't do much for physical ability!! ]

[strictura]

[ Ah... kind of like police they could actually trust, huh? ]

It would have been nice to have something like that before we got to where we are now.

[ His voice is a little softer when he says that, and he frowns thoughtfully for a moment before shaking himself out of it. ]

Yes, it does. I won't object to joining forces for the sake of those goals as long as we're here. If it's the same for you, then our allegiance is to children as a whole rather than to any specific group, correct?

[undershadow]

Uh, no, that would be weird. [ She raises one hand to demonstratively start ticking off species. ] Let's see, we've got chickens, geese, parrots, owls, herons, swans, pigs, dogs, wolves, this one time in Paris I saw a guy I thought was a lizard but it turns out he was just a vulture who was super into tattoos... I'm gonna run out of fingers.

[undershadow]

Right. [ She doesn't miss the reaction, because how could she, but at least he's not suggesting she's a science experiment! Also, he has weird little animal ears, maybe? This one can slide for now. ] Shin... getsu? Or Nagisa?

[ anyway don't worry someone will straight up refer to her bill as "lips" in-show like a year from her canon point, ducktales is a nightmare ]

At least it's shorter than Ms. Priss over there.

[undershadow]

Annnnd it's working. Yeah, you got it--

[ Oh boy. Thankfully, this whole situation is too weird and unsettling for her to laugh! Once it's all over... ]

Yeah, no problem. This... happens to you a lot, then?

[undershadow]

[ If what's how it is...... no, she can't get snippy on her yet. Not if this other girl might have a better idea of what's going on here. ]

Mm, can't say it does. There's nothing sinister about the view, unless you count what's not here.

Like a second floor. Or an inside that matches [ pointing at a particularly ruined looking part of the castle exterior ] any of that.

[undershadow]

What kind of lame secret door isn't? [ A beat. ] A death trap. Answered my own rhetorical question.

[ She's coming along, but also she refuses to up her pace and powerwalk to keep up with him, so she does trail a bit behind! Annnnnd they're in the portrait room. ]

Well, this isn't horrifying.

[rhododendronhoney]

[She relaxes visibly at that.] Yeah...you can put them back on now.

[xxxx_me]

[It's fine. Even his own Teacher put him in the lead back in the Dream, so he's kind of used to it by now.

He heads to a door that leads to the bathrooms first, opening it up and peering inside.]

...Oh. There's more here.

[xxxx_me]

The rules might be a little different. ...Like things being able to talk that shouldn't.

[Allen has discovered More Bathrooms. That's useful to know.]

[xxxx_me]

How do you make a gate?

[seventhlittlemonster]

Once a day, I would say. [He had a feeling it was. going to be hard to get into this talking duck's good graces.]

[undershadow]

Nope. I've heard "human" more times in like thirty minutes than in the last month, though, so I'm guessing that's what you [ uhhhhhhhhhhh ] guys go by?

[strictura]

[ He nods. ]

Either is fine, though Nagisa would be more familiar.

[ So, you know, that would feel kind of weird to him, and he's not sure he wants someone that close to being an adult (if 15 in anthro-duck years is equivalent to the same in human years?) acting that familiar with him anyway, but he realizes there are... almost definitely cultural differences here, so. ]

I'm surprised they actually wrote that all out. [ Clearly no confusion which portrait that was referring to! ] Was it really necessary to include her full name again in the title?

[rhododendronhoney]

Um, well...usually a bit shorter? [She glances at Lena's arms for a bit.] And...they don't really have fingers, or wear clothes... [Man this is awkward to talk about.]

[rhododendronhoney]

[Oh...yikes. She can definitely imagine that going badly.] So...you couldn't just wish it back right away? Does it only appear at certain times, or something like that?

[rhododendronhoney]

[Well, she'll walk back and forth a few times just to get an idea of when the change happens...but that's all for now.]

[rhododendronhoney]

Well...man, this is kind of hard to describe. It's...a whole fictional TV show and video game, about this other world where there's a lot of various creatures called Pokemon? They can do all sorts of weird elemental attacks, and love fighting, and the humans there train them. I was a trainer myself for a bit, but my team went home after the worlds got separated again...