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

1

[ballooncaged]

Huh, funny, you almost sounded like you were gonna say "God Save the Queen" or something.

[Mizuki has gotten out of Room 9 just a few minutes ago and grown weary of shouting for Date so now turning back she's noticed this guy at the next door.]

You're not wrong about what she deserves, though. Especially if she doesn't actually give answers.

[battlestations]

Very funny. I've never been a fan of monarchy, really - it's just another way for adults to pretend they're more important than they are.

Plus, it's not as though we can trust what she has to say. Better to intercept her plans as soon as possible.

[ballooncaged]

[Mizuki math lady memes a bit at objection to adult government but monarchy is a bad system so she'll let it go unquestioned.]

Then do you think she's planning something totally different from what the "rules" said? Like a ransom?

[battlestations]

I don't know about that. What kind of supervillain just asks for a ransom?

[ballooncaged]

I don't know. Kind that doesn't gouge people's eyeballs out? Guess extortion is more like a regular villain.

[battlestations]

Eeeew, you have someone stealing eyeballs? That's disgusting!

[ballooncaged]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kind of nice to just get that acknowledged instead of either stuffed-shirts too squeamish to acknowledge it or hella creepy ABIS employees.]

Maybe even two someones. Well, with more than one potential witness here, the MO is pretty different from that. [So that's good!!]

[battlestations]

[...This is some pretty in depth knowledge about the gross eyeball thief, isn't it?]

Are you investigating this case personally?

[ballooncaged]

Not officially.

[Classic "underestimated kid" tone there in that glance away. But during a brief pause, she re-examines Nigel's appearance.]

...the Original Cyclops Serial Killer and the New Cyclops Serial Killer. I can't get away from that news cycle where I'm from, but it probably wasn't a big deal internationally.

[battlestations]

Hm...

[But the KND is a global organization...]

It's more like I would only know about it if their victims are kids. They'd never send me to deal with incidents between adults.

[and it truly is the adults' problem!!]

[ballooncaged]

Actually, yeah. The direct victims were all adults.

[Kind of weird to think of it that way.......

Oh. Something else.]

Send you in? Are you part of some investigation organization?

[battlestations]

It's a bit more complicated than that. I'm part of an organization by kids, for kids, dedicated to protecting children everywhere from evil adults and their lackeys... the sector I'm with is on-call to put a stop to the villains headquarters direct us towards with our technology, though we also uncover more than our share of nasty business on our own. But in short, you're basically correct!

[ballooncaged]

That's actually pretty cool.

[It's almost hard for Mizuki to believe that kids - elementary school students - could go toe to toe with adult criminals. But technology is pretty advanced these days, rendering a more conservative estimate like online predation prevention completely realistic, and the boy showed insight into Mizuki's own situation; he really doesn't come off like a truly delusional chuuni. If he perceives kids as comrades, then Mizuki doesn't know quite what to think about how much more comfortable she is with her mature friends... A contrast is a good place to start.]

Most kids at my school don't know the difference between a lackey and a loogie.

[battlestations]

Ha! Well, neither do most of the lackeys, I'd wager.

[he's happy she thinks it's cool, but really, most kids who find out about it do in his experience. And he certainly enjoys his work.]

[ballooncaged]

[So he doesn't even think it's weird that she doesn't fit in with all the other kids... He seems aware of it, that the technology and expertise differentiates his group from other gatherings of children. She'll throw him a bone in that direction, even.]

I'm guessing you're not still packing a communicator or anything? I try to be prepared with the supplies I can get in my backpack, but I don't even have that on me now...