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

[golden_king]

[ Tee hee. ]

Um...is walking around without shoes really all that smart by the way? You should definitely put something on your feet. You never know what you could step on, just a thought!

[ Just going to point that out while they're here and he's helped her to feet here, but he'll tilt his head. ]

Yeah, what with the strange rules. It's kind of creepy, isn't it?

[soverainty]

... Ah! I didn't mean to come out without shoes, but everything was so-- and wearing this to bed was--

[She makes as though to dash back inside immediately, checks herself somehow without skidding this time, and then bows her head instead. Shoes can keep for a little bit since they are literally just outside her room.]

Sorry, sorry. I should say thanks for the help and the concern. Today's already really confusing... [she's going to tuck the note and playing card into her belt next, but] I don't really know what to think of these rules, so I guess I panicked.

[golden_king]

[ He'll just watch. It's kind of a little funny as she went back inside like that, though that ends when she bowed her head respectfully. ]

You're forgiven and you're welcome. [ Said kind of in a self-satisfied manner of sorts. ] But really, the rules were kind of crazy, so... I think panicking is actually pretty normal. Someone's going to do it.

[ Just you know, not him. Even like this, he's far too ~kingly~ for that. ]

[soverainty]

[She looks pleased that her offerings were accepted, regardless of how smug he seems to be -- this girl seems to make a skill out of responding to and accommodating the moods of those she's speaking to, but perhaps that's just her upbringing.

There's certainly nothing kingly about her, but she seems to be doing her best to hold it together.]

Thank you for saying that, too. I'm glad... Ah, that's wrong. I'm not glad other people might be in the same situation, but I'm glad that we can work together even if it's difficult...

Did you just get here too?

[golden_king]

[ Well Gil was sure one of these kids would be a crying mess by the end of it, given the stakes of the game here.

But she seemed to be doing fine so that was kind of a little surprising. ]

I can agree with that.

But as far as I know, yeah. We could have been here far longer than it seems, though. Especially if we were teleported here.

[ Casually mentioning teleportation like it's a normal thing, it's fine. ]

[soverainty]

[Maybe she's still a little too dazed to go back to panicking properly?? Who knows. But their situation is so surreal that it's possible a number of the kids will go into denial instead. You have to have all kinds in on a mess like this, after all.

For her part, Niko blinks momentarily at his assessment, head tilting and pigtails flicking.]

For... longer than it seems? [that does seem to discomfit her a little, and she looks back in her room with a bit of trepidation and then down at her clothes again] I-I guess I can see porting, maybe, but I don't think I've really been in bed for that long...

Um, unless you're talking about memories?

[Her nervousness seems to gain a level! Her idea of teleportation seems to have gained a level too, though...?]

[golden_king]

[ Things Gil didn't consider at the moment but when it started happen he'll realize that, too, would likely be a normal consequence... ]

Like if we were knocked out for a few days or were forced into a coma, or like you said, if our memories were messed with. Though I think things would be a little different if it was the second of those options. So, it's probably a combination of the first thing and our memories being messed with...

[ At the very least Niko was taking the teleportation thing well. Maybe. Well hard to say the same for memories but even Gil's not excited about that, actually, so. ]

Which is kind of really rude if that's the case; kidnapping us was bad enough, you know.

[soverainty]

I feel like... if we were knocked out somehow for that long, it would feel like that? Not that I really know... but I just feel like I just got out of bed. Do you feel different?

[It's half-curiosity and half-not-quite-knowing-if-she-wants-to-know, but they've gone this far down this white rabbithole, so in for a penny and in for a pound at this point.]

I really don't know of any games that would require you to give up memories as part of it. That sounds like something that wouldn't be allowed.

[Clearly games are well-regulated in her world, but applying the logic here might be reflex or just naivety.]

[golden_king]

Yeah, so definitely not a coma, like I said. I don't really feel all that different, so it'd really be probably just a few days at most...unless shenanigans because of the memory thing, but let's pretend it's a more simpler solution for now.

[ Here they were brainstorming such things like it was such a casual thing. Well, they've got so much time on their hands, so... ]

Even something like that would be new to me. The people I know back home would've had a fit if they knew I was caught up in all of this.

Anyway, it's definitely unfair. I wonder if it's a lost cause to change our captor's mind at this point...mm, probably so, right? Since they went through the trouble to bring us here in the first place.

[soverainty]

Oh! I thought there might be, like, a lump on our heads or maybe we'd feel sleepier if it was drugs or something... but I really hope it isn't any of that.

[Not that the alternatives are all that much better but like. Who would like the idea of being out cold for (relative) ages while your kidnapper did whatever? She is just going to brainstorm in another direction, that seems like a plan.]

... It's probably messy back home, too. [there's something like a sigh in her voice as she says that, but it's probably more understated than whatever Gil is imagining] But a game like this isn't any good at all, you're right. The conditions are already so harsh. I don't know what to expect when we meet them.

[golden_king]

Well, if it's magic involved, there could be little to nothing of those types of things. But the reverse is true too.

[ But brainstorming in another direction is good too. ]

I was thinking when we meet them that if we're fast enough we could put a bag over their head and then throw them into a sack, then bang, make our get away!

[ ...Not really, actually. But it's a funny image, isn't it? ]