castle_whims | You're My Friend, They're My Friends (IC Intro)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

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

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

Ducks don't talk!

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

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]

... 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.

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!

Edited 2020-10-07 01:51 (UTC)