FINAL WEEK

[whimsicalism]

You have survived to the final week of this twisted tale.

Things are progressing quickly. The Storyteller has revealed some information about her machinations: she plans in keeping everyone here even if she uses the Queen's Glass Game to reset everything to the beginning. She didn't lie--since she didn't promise to return everyone back--but that means this week is likely the final week in the castle. If she's not defeated by the end of the trial there might never be another chance.

Such thoughts are likely going through your head as you wake up on Sunday. There are no new floors unlocked but the castle itself seems to changing slightly as if hurrying itself to the end of the Storyteller's Game. Even if the Audience Chamber itself is still flooded you can still yell at the Storyteller to get her attention here.

For good or for ill, things are probably coming to a close on this chapter of your life.
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

[Welcome to the final week of Castle Whimsical! It's been a fun ride but things are coming to a close. Each day of the week will be unlocked at midnight PST for some fun (for the players) final changes to the castle. Please post your final memory losses here. While there will be regains on Sunday as normal don't forget to post any threads you have left for the vending machine. Last but definitely not least, go check in at the final check in for info on the endgame.]

Comments

MONDAY

[whimsicalism]

[The beanstalk has finally overgrown the library and media room. It's now growing into the foyer.

Unfortunately, that's not the only trouble in the castle now. The cutout carnival workers from the festival stalls have all left their jobs and are now roaming around the castle and bringing whatever they can find back to the stalls to cook up. This means the dining hall's food is getting thin (luckily there are more places to get food) but also this means the workers will try to grab you as well. Don't get cornered!]

OPEN

[octopups]

a. What have you got there? "A SNAKE!" NO!

[Amdi's spent most of the time since the trial up in the treehouse area, except for his periodic visits with his mirror friend Molly.

But today, it looks like he's found a brand new friend right here in the jungle! All of Amdi are cavorting excitedly around a gigantic black python! Actually, not all of him are cavorting... some of him are snuggled all cozy in the snake's coils!]

Hey! Hey! Is this an Earth animal? It's really fun!

b. OH GOD THE CARNIES ARE HERE AND THEY ARE TRYING TO KIDNAP ALL OF AMDI AND HIS NEW SNAKE FRIEND TO COOK THEM ALIVE

[Exactly what it says on the tin.]

SAVE THE DOGS

[battlestations]

[Nigel is returning to the jungle area with some food he liberated and also a bag filled with his vending machine swag, when he hears these scared whines (and hisses?) - with the B.R.A.S.S. still wrapped around him, he charges over with an angry BWAAAAAARMMMMMM coming from the instrument.]

HANDS OFF MY FRIENDS, YOU CUT-RATE CANNIBAL CUTOUTS.

MY HERO

[octopups]

[Fortunately, the B.R.A.S.S. blast blows over the entire cardboard carnie crowd carting poor squirming Amdi away, plus the ones holding the front half of the Incredibly Deadly Viper. Unfortunately, the fact that Nigel led with the sonic attack means that Amdi totally missed his cool hero line, on account of the residual ringing in all of his ears and tympana.

Amdi's members stumble drunkenly away in several different uncoordinated directions, but he is otherwise unharmed. The snake, having no external ears, thinks this is just a fun new thing they're doing and easily slithers out of the remaining carnies' grasp to follow one of Amdi on his wobbly trajectory.]

[battlestations]

[well... maybe dazing the pups wasn't the best idea, but at least he still knows enough to get to safety. Nigel stays focused on his objective for now. Knocking them over will only work for so long, so now that they're down, he's running over to kick them into the chocolate river. Noise will still be an issue for a moment - they're screaming while they thrash angrily, but the liquified chocolate is far too heavy, and it only makes them dissolve faster. One hand grips the riverbank before the rest of it snaps off and falls into the cocoa current.]

Ugh. I always knew those carnies were trouble. You alright, Amdi? Incredibly deadly viper? We ought to give that a better name sometime.

[octopups]

[After another couple of seconds Amdi wobbles his way back toward himself, initially in two distinct groups of four. They all seem to recognize Nigel though, and trot unsteadily back toward him, re-forming as they do.]

HIIii niGEL THAT waS LOOOOOouuuddd~ [Pardon him he can't modulate lowsound well when he can barely hear himself think.]

whYY THE FUNNy papER PEople mAAAD?

[Also the snake is hunky-dory and slithering up to tongue-flick at the twitching hand of the dissolved carnie. What dis.]

snek

[imozon]

[So this is Dark Dream arriving, and this is Dark Dream freezing in place and trying not to move. (And failing. She stands still all the time, but now that she's actually trying to she's suddenly really fidgety.)]

That's a snake. It's really dangerous.

...I think.

[octopups]

Oh, it is? [Several of Amdi stare at his new friend from all angles, rather unconvinced.]

[The snake tongue-flicks one of Amdi's noses and tickles another member's neck with its tail at the same time. Amdi emits a delighted giggle.]

[imozon]

[She loosens up a little as she s t a r e s.]

I... usually? Maybe?

[octopups]

Hmm... are you sure? It seems pretty nice.

[Meanwhile the giant caution ramen is s t a r i n g at Dark Dream in turn with is lil' pupper face. Hi fren.]

[battlestations]

bedrooms

[Curse you beanstalk... After putting his stealth skills to use, Nigel nevertheless makes it past the carnies to the bedrooms, specifically Nagisa's, to pick up the bracelet he returned that has become incredibly suspicious in retrospect. While he's in there you might catch him having emotions. Awful is what all of this is. If only they could have talked more about, well, literally any of this. He thought he finally found someone he was really in sync with, but that efficiency came from such a dark place, and if he had focused even just a little less on their work, maybe he would have noticed. Then again, the place they are in now is so dark, maybe it always would have been hard to see an individual's shadow within it.

Next, he goes into his room and collects the totally lame sousaphone he owned for some reason, but has now realized its true purpose. He takes the canned air he got from July's and gets to work on his best creation, connecting the two together with a makeshift trigger, then holding it up triumphantly and with, it must be said, absolute confidence. It would one day be recorded as thus in the book of KND:

Kids Next Door: B.R.A.S.S. - Blows Rapid Air Shots Sonorously ]

anywhere

[Wherever you are in the castle, you'll likely hear Nigel before you see him, and when you see him, he'll be wearing a goddamn sousaphone and blasting carnies away with rapid-fire bursts of air, amplified by the size of the instrument to a large force bullet size because Nigel said so. They also have some kind of chaotic melody going on. Don't think too hard about it.]

BATTLESTATIONS, PEOPLE! WE NEED FOOD AND FANS TO THE LODGE! CANNONS FOR THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE! THE CARNIE HORDE WILL NOT RELENT!

[this will be a lot of work but at least Nigel can cover them...]

let's say build-a-friend

[imozon]

Right! Food and--

[Wait what the fuck.]

Fans?

[battlestations]

Fans! If we keep a strong wind blowing from the base, it'll make it harder for them to swarm. They're made of paper after all!

[imozon]

Oh!

[She turns and starts to run off... then stops and turns back around.]

Where are the fans?

[battlestations]

The electronics section at July's - [wait, he just remembered those things were manning the counters at that place too.]

It's probably not safe for one person to handle. I'll cover you!

[ballooncaged]

[A separate wave of carnies realized that food came OUT of the vending machine so now Mizuki is racing in the next most open area, the pirate playground, and she has one arm curled around a treasure chest, which contains a lot of stuff, and the OTHER arm curled around the vending machine.]

WHAT IS WITH ALL OF THESE GUYS?

[battlestations]

[If she has those, Nigel will be rolling a cannon next to her as fast as he can. The BRASS blasts are less frequent because of this, but he knows the two of them can handle themselves if the carnies catch up.]

They've always been alive and sinister! I think they must be monsters like the ones the Apple Court kids mentioned!

[ballooncaged]

Yeah, to give out snacks! Did you call them adults or something?

[Their current behavior makes perfect sense in the Apple Court journal context, but that makes their past docility (around Mizuki) all the more mysterious. Mizuki can in fact handle herself, continuing to run relatively calmly insofar as yelling can be calm.]

[xxxx_me]

[There's an alarmed yelp - one of the carnies grabbed Allen before the sound could blow them away - but he seems to have that handled well?? enough???? by taking the World Key from his pocket and stabbing frantically at it until it flies away properly, in tatters.]

Wh-what's going on?!

[battlestations]

[Uh. Okay, Allen is better with a knife than he could have ever expected, but that's fine. They had a trust circle. All is well.]

The paper dolls are revolting!

[xxxx_me]

[If by better you mean "knows that pointy bit into enemy = pain" then yes, he does know how to use a knife. But regardless:]

I-is this because we burned them?

[ballooncaged]

[Naturally taking note of the beanstalk that was the demise of her friend, Mizuki became concerned that the dining hall, their incredibly generous source of food, would be next. She also had a lot of coins, and who knew the next time she'd be able to get something useful or sentimentally valuable out of the machine. But man, since her bounty contains some snacks, the horde is interested. Mizuki is basically kicking one cardboard away between every pull. Her kicks get faster and more nervous as the balloons rapidly disperse to the ceiling.]

This is getting old... guess the bearhugga has ammo.

[Almost done, though! What's this, second to the end?]

Alright, SCORE!!

[Tossing out the tuxedo cookies has successfully distracted the horde, because each member can individually observe a piece and conclude it's perfect for oreo batter dipped bananas. With a moment's peace and quiet, she rolls out the IV drip.]

Is this Alice's from in the hospital or something???? I hope nobody actually needs this, sheesh!!

[imozon]

[Dark Dream murders a cutout with her Manaka-chopping axe and shoves its hard-won cookie in her mouth. It's the circle of life.]

Mhhzhhkhh!

[ballooncaged]

Your new skis??

[OH RIGHT THE HEADBAND. She rushes over with it draped over her hand.]

[imozon]

[With some effort, she swallows. Don't shove an entire cookie in your mouth, kids.]

Oh, that's mine! How did you know?

[BECAUSE IT MATCHES YOUR AESTHETIC EXACTLY, MAYBE?]