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

[theawfulaccount]

Ugh.

[ And yet, Violet thinks, it's almost refreshing to have what she assumes is an antagonistic conversation without lethal stakes. It's almost novel, a word which here means "something you are not used to, and therefore need a polite way to put forward that you neither enjoy or loathe it." ]

Regardless, the point is that wherever you come from and wherever I come from must be very different, because I've never seen anyone with ears like yours before I arrived... wherever we are.

[caligulass]

Oh, there aren't? Well, it couldn't hurt to learn about the methods at play anyway, even if they're not immediately available to me.

[strictura]

I guess that's not wrong. [ It's objectively a lot... but he still thinks Franziska's title is kind of on a level of its own. ] Though in fairness, it wouldn't be much of a game if there wasn't a memorable theme to it.

[ You know, like an RPG with different classes. ]

[theawfulaccount]

I can at least follow the concept of training animals, though the concept of training them to fight where I come from is a bit... fraught.

[ A word which here means "concerning when brought up in polite conversation, which it almost never is." ]

[ballooncaged]

Huh? Nozomi? Didn't see her in the portrait gallery.

[It'll come to her in a second if necessary]

[rhododendronhoney]

Yeah, at least in the world of Pokemon. I don't know if they still have any influence after our worlds got separated, though. If there's any in my own world, they're much more subtle.

[rhododendronhoney]

Oh yeah, that's what I thought too...but apparently in that world they really enjoy fighting. Lots of times the ones we found attacked us first. Though some of them could be won over with treats, too...

[Cori's baking power is op, plz nerf.]

[rhododendronhoney]

...oh? Why?

[Child neglect sensors...tingling...]

[theawfulaccount]

But there are still rules, if you know where to look. ... Apart from the ones on our doors, anyway.

[theawfulaccount]

I suppose not. I'm just having trouble figuring out why someone would put something like this together at all. If it was easy to take people like this, everyone terrible would be doing it.

[undershadow]

Yeah. I'm from a world that doesn't... do that, so add that to the list.

[scratchitti]

Same here. My mom doesn't have the cash to pay any kind of ransom...

[xxxx_me]

[Tilting his head in thought for a moment before nodding.]

...Yeah, I guess so.

[theawfulaccount]

[ Violet considers for a moment, putting the gears of her brain to the task. ]

To make a statement, perhaps? So that we know our kidnapper has means and has put them to the task of bringing us all together. It's a lot of work to be simple braggadocio, but it does make a person make assumptions.

[scratchitti]

Is it short for something?

[theawfulaccount]

[ Violet exhales carefully, turning over the implications in her mind. ]

I suppose if one could only take one of us, I'm the most logical choice. I just hope they're alright.

[caligulass]

Don't spend too much time thanking me until we've actually accomplished what we're going to set out to do, but yes.

[theawfulaccount]

[ A small chuckle. ]

Violet. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lena. ...Captivity aside, of course.

[seventhlittlemonster]

Poe-kay-mon...? What is a poe-kay-mon? [well the theory that he's a Pokemon has crumbled now]

[caligulass]

It seems like there are a lot of people whose worlds are like that. I guess it makes sense, though, since I'm sure there are infinite worlds out there in the first place.

[imozon]

Pretty Cure.

[This is very helpful and explains everything.]

[xxxx_me]

Oh- right. Still... if it's possible, it could save everyone.

[littlebratziska]

I'd much rather spend my time trying to convince her to let us go home.

[Perhaps unfortunately, her version of "convince" and "threaten" are often indistinguishable, which is unlikely to help their case.]

[littlebratziska]

W-what?

[LOOK THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THIS AT HOME SHE IS DOING HER BEST.]

[littlebratziska]

B-because no one could possibly have gone through all this effort only to ask us to kill each other!

[right???]

Attempting to use most people I have talked to thus far as players in such a scheme would lead to discovery and capture very quickly! And.. and criminals avoid detection, where they can.