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

[undershadow]

Scrooge--!

[ Lena sits straight up in a bed that is way nicer than what she's used to, breathing heavily. The first thing that registers outside panic is the sun on her face. The window outside shows the ruined amphitheater she lives beneath, and the sun is low in the sky, but it's very much not blocked.

And she's alone. She pats down her face and body and stares into the bathroom mirror, looking for something which she simply doesn't find.

She ventures out, gazing askance at everything she can observe, and looking extremely skeptical about all of it. This cool front lasts exactly as long as it takes for someone else to exit their room. ]

... Scrooge? Webby? Yeah, there's no way you're here. [ ... ] AuWHOA--!

[ No matter who they are, there's almost no doubt that your character is a.) like minimum two feet taller than Lena and b.) a species she has never seen before in her life. Her eyes go wide, then narrow, as she tries to read what emotion their featherless faces are giving off. ]

Okay, so I'm guessing you just woke up.

[ And they just keep on coming out of their rooms, each more imposing and more annoyed than the last. Is anyone normal around here?

Certainly the Queen isn't. Eventually, Lena stands in front of her message with her arms crossed, looking up and reading with a thousand yard stare. ]

And she rhymes. Love that for us.

outside rooms;

[golden_king]

...Maybe. [ Beat. ] Or it could still be a dream!

We should pinch ourselves to be sure, right?

[undershadow]

... knock yourself out, big guy. I'm pretty sure this isn't dream weirdness, but it's definitely weird.

[golden_king]

[ Hearing the duck call him 'big guy' gets a giggle, because considering his size he hadn't quite heard that before. Then again, seeing as she's actually really pint-sized in comparison it truly was apt, to say the least.

He'll pinch his cheek, though. Well, a talking small duck was here and so was this place. So not a fever dream. ]

Oh, it looks like you're right. How about we go looking around this strange place together?

[undershadow]

Mmhmm, so definitely abduction, then? [ She sort of ducks her head, no pun intended, to indicate that she's nodding while also indicating the door leading to the portrait gallery. ] Let's roll.

[ While Lena's a bit intrepid by nature, she's usually got someone else to drag along with her while exploring strange and possibly dangerous new territory! Why say no to a travelling companion who's over three feet tall? ]

So, what're we looking for?

[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.

[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.

room exiting

[imozon]

[Dark Dream, conversely, is perfectly fine with the giant talking duck.]

Yeah. Is this where you live?

[undershadow]

I've never seen this place before in my life.

[ So that's a no! She shoots a glance at the door she just came out of. ]

If it was, you'd be way less comfy.

Outside Rooms

[littlebratziska]

[Franziska takes a moment to see her, as initially she stoops to pick up the card from the floor as she exits her room, then looks up, and takes a step back.]

There are animals here?

[She asks the question to no one in particular at the same time as Lena speaks, takes a moment to process what she had said, then throws the card down furiously.]

Yes! And I am awake, whatever this foolish card is trying to imply. And... and whatever you are.

[undershadow]

[ Lena mutely watches the card drop, then raises her eyebrows. ]

So you've never seen a duck before, but I'm the weird one.

[littlebratziska]

Ducks don't talk!

[undershadow]

Yeah, no. Believe me, there are some ducks I wish would shut up.

[littlebratziska]

Are you... are you some new, experimental species of duck? Is this supposed to be a scientific facility?

[look she is TRYING to make sense of all this]

[undershadow]

... What? No, I'm just a duck.

[ Technically, there's also ducks, but that's incredibly normal and not horrifying, so the thought doesn't even occur to her! ]

And I'm pretty sure scientific facilities don't have this much upholstery? Not that I would know, since I've never been in one.

[littlebratziska]

But...

[DEEPLY FRUSTRATED, Franziska looks around a moment, growls in frustration, goes briefly back into her room, re-emerges with a very rough drawing of a normal duck and points at it. She is not an artist, but you can get the gist.]

This is a duck! You...

[Well, she vaguely resembles one.]

You just have a bill and feathers!

1/2

[undershadow]

[ ... ]

[undershadow]

Is that gel pen?

Outside

[rhododendronhoney]

Yeah, I did. [Cori looks down at Lena.] And I thought our worlds weren't supposed to be connected anymore as well...

Re: Outside

[undershadow]

Kinda buried the lede on that one, huh. "Our worlds?"

[rhododendronhoney]

Yeah...last summer there was this whole thing with our worlds merging together and me and my friends getting called in to stop it... [A pause]

You are a Pokemon, right?

[undershadow]

Say what now?

[rhododendronhoney]

[Whoops. Cori waves her hands, looking flustered.] Oh, no, I'm sorry I assumed! I-It's just that I've never seen a duck that looks quite like you, and Pokemon can look like all sorts of things!

[undershadow]

... Okay.

[ She pauses, blinking upward and weighing how offended she should actually be by this, considering she has no idea what a Pokemon is. By the end of this intro log, she'll definitely be falling on the end of "not really offended at all, none of these people have ever seen a duck before and it's a problem", but...! ]

So, what's a duck supposed to look like? Honest question.

[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.]