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]

[Having awoken in an unfamiliar place (later than everyone else I should add), the monster looked around for anyone he knew. Ironically, despite the big red seven on the front of his pinstripe pajamas, he was stuck in Room 4, and after having read the message, he burst out the door sobbing.]

M-Mommyyyyy... I... I'm scared...! Please!! Help meeeee!!

[This giant might be a terrifying sight to anyone who might not know him, but strangers sneaking up on him whether purposefully or not scare him even more. He fell backward, his head spinning around before popping right off and falling behind him, his body gripping at nothing...]

...oh dear, oh dear... Uh... you! [He looks up at the person closest to his head.] Could you kindly pick me up? So sorry to bother you but it takes a bit for my body to realize what it's doing.

[rhododendronhoney]

[Cori lets out a yelp when the head falls in front of her, but nods, bending to scoop it up.] Oh, oh, of course! [She wonders if this guy is a Pokemon of some sort, but she can ask that later.]

[seventhlittlemonster]

Thank you, miss, uh... May I know your name? [He chuckled, his... weird Boris Karloff voice seemed out of place in an area otherwise occupied with other literal children. But the queen probably knows what she's doing... And his body knows now as well, coming over to obtain the head and screw it back on nice and firm] That won't happen again.

[spoiler alert it kind of will tho]

[rhododendronhoney]

Coriander Bliss, but you can just call me Cori! [She does smile back-he was calling for his mom, so he's probably not as old as he sounds there, right?] Did you also just...wake up here all of a sudden?

[seventhlittlemonster]

[Immediately, his expression soured.]

Yes... Yes, I- I'm scared... [He really did seem rather immature for someone of his build and voice.] I... I hope my family is okay and that they'll find me...

[Snowball's chance in Hell... but then again, a kid can have hopes before they're horribly, irreparably crushed in front of him.]

[rhododendronhoney]

[Oh no...she immediately gets worried at that. Those big sister instincts activate as she reaches out to pull him into a hug.] ...I hope my family is okay too. But I bet they'll be looking for me too...and they've got lots of ways to do it.

[ballooncaged]

[Mizuki is heading back to her room with a laundry basket lightly loaded with jerky, fruit bars, and bottled juices. But just beyond her own room of 9 is this, uh, boy in front of room 4. Mizuki hugs her basket closer to her chest, trying to make her footsteps softer, yet maintain a clear silhouette as she approaches him. Though not kicking range yet.]

I don't have any idea where your mom is. But do you want some of this?

((I wrote this more like first half of prompt but if you want to reply with the head falling off again immediately that's ok with me.))

[seventhlittlemonster]

((yeye that's fine!))

AHH!!

[As soon as she spoke, he whipped his body around, his head twirled as a tornado and popped off, rolling towards her and stopping right before her feet.

Shockingly, his head was still alive. He looked up as his body felt at the ground trying to find him.]

...do you have any cheese? [Get ready for that 1/10th of his personality to increase by 9/10ths if there is.]

[ballooncaged]

Uhhhhh...

[Mizuki looks at the birfurcated tableau for a moment. What if putting a snack in his hand just snapped off his arm next? At least the prospect is calming him down. Ultimately Mizuki kneels so the eyes in his head can presumably see, as she takes out one package of crackers lining a thin slice of American cheese.]

Is this good?? [She hopes she doesn't have to open it for him... Gross...]

[seventhlittlemonster]

Ah, yes, that's great!! Cheese! [He snapped out of his cheese fever long enough to realize he still had a problem.] Uh... could you give me to my body? Sorry, I know I shouldn't be so needy when I meet new people but-

[He pivoted on his neck, calling out to his body.] Over here!

[But his body swerved left and crawled away.] You see, it has trouble sometimes...

[ballooncaged]

No, it's not a big deal! [Puts hand on heart.] I love—people with disabilities!!

[She hopes that doesn't sound too weird and her sincerity shines through. A detailed explanation of her reasoning would be all the more troublesome when the matter at hand is an urgent one!

His neck seems sturdy instead of bleeding all over the place, so now that he's turned around towards his body, Mizuki repositions to put both hands lightly behind his horns as she nudges the back of his skull towards the body with the front of her foot.]

Is this good?

[She's trying to get right ahead of it instead of actually lift his head up.]

[soverainty]

Kyaaa! A-An Enemy?!

[There's a small shriek way below him, considering he is Gigantic, or maybe it's above him now given that his head has gone rolling away. There's a small redheaded girl plastered against the wall with her eyes wide; she seems undecided as to whether to deal with the head or the rest of the body first so she's just. Frozen.

Her gaze darts back and forth a couple more times while she tries to absorb what the disembodied head is now telling her. F.]

Y-You're still talking? Are you okay? Am I okay?

[You'll forgive her for pinching herself now. And still not moving.]

[seventhlittlemonster]

Y-Yes, I'm fine! Sorry to give you such a fright, little missy. [He gave a somewhat dry chuckle.] Don't worry, I'm a nice monster, I promise you. Everyone on Chestnut Street can tell you that me and my siblings make life more interesting!

So, uh... pretty please bring my head to my body?

[soverainty]

Y-You really startled me... I still don't know what's going on, or where Chestnut Street is, but. You're looking for help, right?

[She dithers a little bit because this is still waaaay above what she knows how to deal with, but even if she dawdles here the monster(?) and his head are entirely blocking the hallway and there really isn't anything else to do but to take care of the traffic jam.

Like, she could run screaming in the opposite direction but they're all in this Confused Castle Crowdsourcing together, for the moment. Niko hesitantly starts moving towards the head, carefully making sure it isn't bleeding everywhere or anything gross.]

This is the first time I've seen somebody who could... throw their head away...

[seventhlittlemonster]

[He's like a doll, his neck had a nub that you just screwed the head back onto. He wasn't bleeding because that would be icky!!]

It's just the strange thing that I was born with. Momma made me and all my siblings with a strange thing we do. [His head was surprisingly light. Like an empty container. no thoughts head empty] What is your name? I can't keep calling you little missy all the time after all...

[soverainty]

[Hmmm. Well, doll-like is better than the alternative, even if she still hesitates for a little while before picking up the head. There's a momentary surprise at how airheaded light he is, which is helpful given the size; either way she probably just needs to get it over to the body, because there is absolutely no way she is tall enough to put it back on as is.]

So... it's like... a unique quirk for each of you?

[Talking and moving heads is apparently a thing she is doing now -- just going to pause and gingerly tap it against one of the body's questing arms?? Please take your head, torso-kun.]

It must be a really interesting family. And I'm Yuniko Kouzuki. [a smile now that she's sort of regaining her balance] I didn't mind being called little miss that much. You are really tall, after all.

[Just going to wait patiently for the introduction since he probably needs to get ahead first.]

[littlebratziska]

[She shrieks and dances back from the head as it falls, almost tripping.]

Y-your head! Your head fell off!!

[seventhlittlemonster]

Oh, uh, yes... That is quite normal for me. [The nub where his head used to be on his body indicated some sort of doll-like anatomy.]

Sorry if I frightened you, it is quite a shock to those who never met me. But in my defense, I am also quite frightened!

[littlebratziska]

[If she had her crop she would whip him for startling her like this, so it is fortunate for his sake that she does not. Instead she stamps a small foot, hands clenched into fists.]

If your foolish head often falls from your foolish body, then why do you not use some ribbon and tie it in place??

[seventhlittlemonster]

Well... It screws on for one. I don't think ribbon could keep a cork on a bottle of sparkling cider on, would it?

[His body seemed to subconsciously search in the direction of the angery shouting, but it still wasn't there yet.]

I'm sorry for upsetting you, ma'am...

[littlebratziska]

[After she takes a moment to calm down, she does start to feel a little bad for the big, lumbering thing with its head on separate, and eventually hesitantly steps forward and picks it up (his head is quite heavy, and she is quite smol), and edges forward to offer it to him, only mostly convinced he's not going to eat her or something.]

Have you ever tried?

[undershadow]

... Okay, so maybe this is a dream.

[seventhlittlemonster]

Uh... please? [He is seriously stuck and his body is grabbing at the air where his head used to be, he's on a road to nowhere.]

[undershadow]

[ Or maybe not a dream! Lena blinks down at him before registering the very obvious obstacle. ]

Dude, you're almost as tall as me without the rest of your body. Even if I picked your head up, how would I get it all the way [ and she jerks a finger in the direction of the ceiling ] up there?

[seventhlittlemonster]

Just hand it over to my body, when it has me it can do the rest! [He tried to shout.] Body, I'm over here!

[His body turned right... bumping right into another room's door.]

...It has trouble with the searching part, as you can see.