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

[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...

[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"]

[rhododendronhoney]

...Plooky? [Yeah, that's definitely distracting her from whatever else she was going to say.]

[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>

[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?

[seventhlittlemonster]

Well... we could, but we had to get home first. We wanted to stay up all night but the way we wished for things to be the opposite of what it was? Time reversed and we became younger and younger. [is he describing real events or a fever dream]

[rhododendronhoney]

[It's kind of weird, but not that weird, in Cori's opinion.] Oh dear...but it all worked out in the end?

[seventhlittlemonster]

Well... I'm still here, so yes. It always works out in some way, somehow.

You don't seem too fazed by me speaking of it, however. Have you experienced stranger things?

[rhododendronhoney]

Kind of? Not exactly the same...but I also had to deal with the city I lived in getting corrupted. It was the fault of a malicious god and the people he'd tricked into serving him, though...

[seventhlittlemonster]

...A god? Gods are real where you come from? I mean, I wouldn't know if they were real where I come from because I've never seen one but I've read about them! [Maybe those days when he was an even littler monster reading old poetry to Mr. Stripey-Pants paid off after all!]

[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.

[seventhlittlemonster]

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

[rhododendronhoney]

[Huh. She looks a bit confused at that.] They're...creatures from another world, with all sorts of different appearances and powers. And...in my world there's a bunch of games and cartoons about them, but I never watched much of those myself.

[seventhlittlemonster]

Hmm... That's interesting. [He. didn't have much to say on the subject seeing as he's!! clearly not from a world where it exists in any capacity]

[rhododendronhoney]

Yeah...I still don't know that much about them. Kenta's the one who taught me most of what I actually know.

[seventhlittlemonster]

I wish strange creatures other than my family were somewhere in my world... No matter how remote they are.