You've received one of the greatest honors any high school student can receive-- an invitation to the incredibly exclusive Hope's Peak Academy, an invitation given only to the most skilled of individuals in ther respective field. But what purpose might the school have for gathering such talented people? Why are students disappearing? Is there anything to the rumors of corruption running deep in the school board?
Perhaps you've made a mistake by coming here...or perhaps you can make a stand and avert a terrible fate for you and the other students.
Kurai lay on his stomach on his bed, his hand propped up under his chin, absentmindedly twirling a pen in his fingers. He stared at the notebook open in front of him, then over at the skull sitting about a foot away. He was stuck on the last couplet of the poem; that’s all he would need to complete it, but nothing he came up with fit right.
He laid the pen down with an irritated look on his face, then turned his attention back to the skull. “What possessed the English to put together this preposterous language?” He sighed and then paused, the quiet filling the room again.
“It is a lot simpler to just explain things to you instead of writing them down.” Kurai sat up, picking up the skull and looking at it. “Nothing feels like it belongs at the end of this poem, it just does not…” he hesitated, trying to think of how to word it. “It does not fit right with the rest. Everything is wrong.” Poetry was frustrating; either it was an effortless masterpiece unfolding, or it was like pulling teeth. He’d never had anyone to bounce ideas off of before now, but this wasn’t exactly like having a living, breathing person who could respond to him.
Of course, there was no reply, no suggestions to help or anything. Not that he’d necessarily listen to the suggestions at all, it would just be different. The poet propped his arm on his knee and rested his chin on his hand, just looking at the skull. Maybe he was dealing with a creative block because he was supposed to be helping research for that stupid paper… No, that couldn’t be it. He dismissed the notion as quickly as it appeared. “Alas, Yorick, if only you could speak to me!”
In all likelihood, if the skull were able to answer him, he would get aggravated and avoid it like he did most people, or it would try to avoid him (like most people did).
Then, a tentative knock sounded from the door, and annoyance quickly became obvious in his features. Kurai put down the skull gently on the foot of his bed, then stood up and went to the door. He paused before opening the door, not really wanting to deal with people, but finally opened it.
Your phone beeps obnoxiously, signaling you have an e-mail. Looks like the gentleman from your father's firm finally got back to you.
Hey Oriana! Is this for some kind of secret Hope's Peak school project or something? LOL! (My kids told me that means laughing out loud. See, I can be cool too!)
Anyway, the first one looks like some kind of robot. A really sophisticated one too-- looks like it can be remote controlled from a pretty good distance. There's a voicebox, and the locomotion system looks like it can move in an almost natural way. Well, natural for a teddy bear. Better than most of the stuff on the market, at least as far as I can tell. Why would you want to put explosives in it, though? I mean, it's a pretty cute toy but that's just weird. Also, maybe you should do something about that weird looking eye on one side? Might scare some of the kids, just a recommendation!
There's a few other blueprints for robots, they're not nearly as complex though. Any reason why you'd need a robot that does nothing but throw things? I know you're supposed to have a pretty good baseball team but that seems a little unnecessary, is there something wrong with normal pitching machines?
There's one that looks like some kind of setup for an air filtration system, and another for a generator that looks pretty state-of-the-art. Looks like they're speculating it can run on its own for a couple years, not too shabby for something that's basically a homemade project! I mean, that alone is pretty impressive, but this could probably power your entire school, assuming people were willing to conserve electricity.
Hey, if you were looking for some feedback, you could have just asked me up front though! No need to be shy. Also, since I kind of did you a favor, do you think you could get me one of those bears when you're done? I think my kids might like one."
Well, he's kind of obnoxious. At least you have some answers now, in a sense. Though this might raise just as many questions as it answers...between the nature of these blueprints, the strange room you found, and the blueprints that were very clearly for the execution chambers you found, just what is going on at the school?
You make your way across campus to the computer lab, which is on the top floor of a building that the students rarely use. Naturally, it's quite abandoned, to the point there's only one person there. That being said, your eyes almost slide right over her-- the drab browns of the default school uniform have a way of blending in with the surroundings, and her plain appearance does her no favors. Really, the amount of equipment she has piled up around her is more interesting than her. You're not entirely sure what all of it is for but they have blinky lights and look very technical and professional.
For a moment, you don't think she realizes you're there. Then, she spins around in the chair, turning to face you. She crosses her legs at the ankles and smiles broadly. There is something very predatory about her grin, and despite her nondescript girl-next-door looks you can't help but feel there's something more to her. Much more. Especially if she's the one who got you into this.
"Ahh, it's not often we get students coming up here! I'm Chisato, I'm a second-year here. Anything I can help...you..."
She trails off as the identities of the two students in front of her register.
"Hisato? And...Goichi."
The way she says Souda's name is noticeably more poisonous. If you're looking closely, you notice a little crack of irritation in her cheerful facade, but it's covered up soon enough.
"Well, this is a pleasure! What brings you two here?"
Alright, I've finished transcribing and cleaning up session four! Here it is. Also please be aware there will be plot posts going up later tonight-- first something for shslstreetmagician and shslkendostar and then one for shslitalianarchitect. This one is fairly short because, again, scheduling issues that we are currently trying to smooth out.
Oriana: Oriana stepped outside the building, shifting through the blueprints in her hands again. A frown spread across her face. She couldn't read these right... What was she going to do...? 'Someone from back home might know...' She closed the folder in her hands and walked off towards her room, not waiting for a response from the others. She mentally noted to herself to change her clothes while she's there too... Her current outfit is covered in grime and dust.
(rolling 4df+1 Contacts)
(0 - + -) +1 = 0
Yurodivy K. (GM): Tagged: Daughter of the Great Architect
Kurai: It was a relief to get out of that strange assortment of holes and rooms. Kurai still held the skull in both of his hands, letting it rest against his chest. He picked his steps carefully as he made his way to the exit- the last thing he wanted was to fall through another portal to Hades. After far too long, they were finally all outside.
He shifted the skull to rest only in his left hand and coughed into the other one. There had been entirely too much dust everywhere, and.... A quick glance down at his robes showed that the two falls had gotten them noticeably dirty. With a frown of displeasure, he shook his head, then picked a splinter of wood out of his hair. Had that been there since they first fell through?
"... That was an absurd waste of time." Not only had they not found anything to use in that paper, they had nearly killed themselves trying to. At least he'd picked up this thing... but that brought all sorts of questions. Had Souda really snatched the skull off of a human skeleton? If so, what had one been doing down there? It was more likely that Souda was just full of preposterous hot air, but that still needed to be discerned.
Yurodivy K. (GM): Oriana vaguely remembers someone in her father's firm who might be able to help with this. Always bragging about his engineering degree at dinner parties, lecturing people on how machines worked, and so on and so forth. It was pretty tiresome but hey, you'd be giving him another something to brag about *and* you'd figure out what these blueprints are on about.
You've got his phone number, so you should be able to get in touch with him fairly easily whenever you want to.
Souda: Souda squinted at the light above him, his eyes we're adjusting as he blinked them. As for the hell hole they just escaped...Damien. Souda was going to get to the bottom of that little shit sending them there, and he WAS going to find out why.
Hisato: Hisato shielded his eyes from the light outside. It was nice to finally breathe some fresh air again. He wasn't sure how long they'd been down in the...where ever they were, but it felt longer than it probably was.
He looked at his sleeves of his dress shirt and noticed that they weren't white anymore. The two falls he suffered seemed to have turned them into a distinctly gray color...with a few ripped sections that he wasn't sure he could mend. A shame, but at least he had plenty of spares.
But first thing first, just what WAS that place? The building appeared old and dilapidated, but the basement looked band new and even recently used. If that's true...then why? Did Damien know about all this? And that...client of his. Before he could work out what this place was, he needed to find out what these two knew.
Hisato: Hopefully he was still in the library, because that’s where he was heading next.
He looked to the rest of their motley group. “I don’t know what the rest of you plan to do, but I’m heading to the library. You’re free to join me if you like.”
Oriana: Within minutes, Oriana reached her room. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She placed the folder on top of her desk and turned to change into cleaner clothes. She also brushed out the dust and bits of wood from her hair as she changed.
After she was done cleaning up, the brunette moved over to her desk, picking up the phone that was placed on it. She swiped through the numbers on her phone, not exactly happy she had to talk to him, but she wanted to know what the hell the files were showing. She finally reached his number, and selected it. She placed the phone to her ear and waited for him to answer.
A few rings later, he did- sounding slightly confused on why she called. "[Look, I'm going to get right to the point. I need some help with reading these blueprints, you think you can help?]" He replied quickly, somewhat excitedly that she was asking for his help. "[I'll send pictures of it to you through email.]" Oriana stated before giving a stiff goodbye and hanging up the phone, not even waiting for a response from him. She grabbed the folder on her desk and left her room, heading towards the library.
Kurai: Kurai's frown deepened at Hisato's suggestion that they go ask questions. Yes, he had questions, but none that required accompaniment. "No. I have better things to do than fool around on fruitless errands. I am certain that we /all/ have questions requiring answers," Kurai glanced at Hisato before diverting his gaze back to the skull. He held it up again, looking at it closely under the better light. Feasibly authentic. "I will be not be coming. My interests are entirely my own and not concerned remotely with any of yours, so I have no need of your company."
Souda: Souda perked up at Hisato talking. Bunch of soft assholes would settle for asking nicely. That wouldn't get them anywhere, or at least not at a speed Souda approve off. Wrapping the chain from underground around his arm he took off at a run, making a B-line for the library.
Yurodivy K. (GM): The library hasn't changed much-- the only difference is that Damien is now listening to a different song. He still has the same book, the same uncaring look, and the same pose with his boots kicked up on the counter. He's so deep in concentration he doesn't even notice Souda come in...
It's still rather crowded, though people are focused on their work. And by work we mean playing games on the Internet and reading comic books. There might be one or two people actually studying and a handful of others who are pretending to be productive but are actually talking to their friends because Damien is not the kind of person who will impose order on anyone or anything.
Souda: Souda burst in, walking with determination past the students, eyes only for Damien. Getting close he leaned against the table, glaring at Damien. "You. Me. That study room. NOW." His voice dripping with the current anger and indignation, just more fuel for his fire.
Yurodivy K. (GM): For a second, the scholar seems rattled. But then he breaks out into a cocky smirk. "I'm flattered, but I've already got a boyfriend. And maybe a few other admirers. Heh. You'll have to make an appointment like everyone else."
Souda: Souda grinned, a feral show of teeth. He brought the chain around his arm up, lifting the robes sleeve to reveal it. "You're right, you do have one. And maybe Hideki would like to join me and my little friend in there for a...discussion. Your choice."
(rolling 4df+2 Provoke roll to threaten Damien with his boyfriend)
(- 0 0 -)+2 = 0
Yurodivy K. (GM):
(rolling 4df+2 Will defense roll)
(- 0 + 0) +2 = 2
[FATE point spent]
(rolling 4df+2 Reroll for Souda due to FATE spent)
(- 0 0 -) +2 = 0
The scholar goes from rattled to downright terrified for a second. And then he calms down. "...Right. Look, you don't know where Hideki is. And I'm sure someone just overheard you saying that. So if, hypothetically, you tried to go after Hideki, I'm sure that a few people would have been aware you had...plans for him. I don't know what you're so pissed about now but you stay away from him and you stay away from me."
Oriana: Oriana reached the library at her own pace, ignoring the noise that was coming from Souda as he vented his anger out on the male that pointed them to the run down house. She made her way to the line of computers, moving to the closest one to her. "Move." she grunted, shoving the current student that was sitting on the chair. It's not like they were studying. They were just playing a stupid game.
She closed the game, blocking out the protests from the student she had shoved to the ground, and opened up the internet. She kept it open, sending a glare to the student on the ground, to say she would be right back.
She grabbed the folder she had placed down and moved over to the scanner, having it set to scan to the computer she was using. After scanning them, she moved quickly back to the computer and sat back down. taking the scanned files and attaching them to the email to her father's acquaintance and sent it. She intertwined her hands and rested her chin on them as she waited. Hopefully he'll get back to her soon...
Hisato: By the time Hisato had caught up with the Kendoka, he could already see a scene beginning to play out. Damien seemed to be holding his own, but someone needed to intervene...or at least try to.
He pulled Souda away from the desk. "Cool it, Goichi. He probably didn't know what would happen anymore than we did."
Yurodivy K. (GM): The scholar frowns. "Know what would happen?" His eyes flick over to Hisato's dirtied clothes-- he's used to seeing Souda in less than prime condition, but the street magician is a different story.
Souda: Souda blinked, indignation and a little confusion on his face. Who in the hell as Hisato to push him around?
He snapped his jaw shut and pulled Hisato back by the shoulder "BULL. SHIT. This little prick new exactly where he sent us, and so did that client or whatever the hell he called them. And if he doesn't spill soon, they're going to be carting him and his boyfriend away in an emergency helicopter."
Hisato: Hisato recovered his balance and glared at the kendoka. "Yes. And YOU will be hauled off in the back of a police car. Anyone ever tell you it's not smart to threaten people with witnesses around?" The magician could already feel people staring at the scene they were creating.
Souda: Soudas eyebrow gave a small twitch. Putting his hand up he shouted "Sorry about that all, you may have seen us around with Kurai, we're practicing for a play as it happens! One of his, just getting a little TOO into practice, oops! I hope you'll all bare with us and get hyped for the coming feature" As he bowed to people spread around the room.
(rolling 4df+3 to see if people buy it)
(0 + - -) +3 = 2
Yurodivy K. (GM): A few people do. Or at least they're convinced enough they don't want to get involved. They've gone from watching uneasily to occassionally sneaking peeks at the group from the corners of their eyes.
Hisato: Hisato resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Well, the situation seemed to be defused at least. Not that he was worried -- he's handled worse.
Right. Well, back to business. He returned his attention to the divinities scholar and cleared his throat. "Er, to answer your question...a lot happened, actually. Though it started after we fell through the floor." Hisato rubbed his shoulder. Souda, whether purposely or not, had grabbed the one that bruised during either his first or second fall. He’ll have to tend to that later.
“The stuff we found there…" He paused, quickly deciding to go a different direction. "Do you know if anyone is currently using that building?”
Yurodivy K. (GM): "Using?" He crosses his arms. "...I thought it was abandoned." He lowers his voice. "Seriously, what the hell did you find down there? Because I'm starting to think a certain someone lied to me...again."
Hisato: Hisato frowned. So Damien didn't know either, huh? "Well...it is abandoned. At least up top. It's complete dilapidated, but the basement we fell into was completely clean of dust and had working electricity. Among other things." That chain...
He put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "...no, wait. When I unlocked the door, I do remember seeing a set of footprints. I couldn't tell you how fresh they were, but someone was definitely there before us...just who is this contact of yours?"
Yurodivy K. (GM): "The...basement?" He rubs the back of his neck. "...Look, she didn't tell me shit about the place, but school buildings usually don't have basements. Something about ordinance laws. And it was supposed to be completely abandoned.
He tenses slightly when Hisato asks for the name of his contact. Then, he scoffs. "Fuck it, I don't care if she gets screwed over. You know Anansi? Or whatever the hell she's calling herself now. Yeah. Get mad at her, not me."
Souda: Souda stood back, chewing at his thumb. In short, barely controlled words he said "And who in the ever living hell is Anansi? And where do I find her? Because if I don't find her Damien, i'm taking this out one SOMEONE." Keeping the end to a lower tone than before.
Yurodivy K. (GM): He folds his arms. "...You don't watch the news much, do you. Chisato. You're looking for Chisato Sakamoto. Super High School Level...White Collar Crimes Investigator? Whistleblower? Whatever."
Hisato: Hisato raised an eyebrow...but then he smiled. "Miss Lady of Hearts, huh? Well well, the twists just keep getting better and better. Do you know where we can find her?"
Yurodivy K. (GM): Damien gives Hisato an unimpressed look. "...Aren't you that guy she's stalking? You should know. Anyway, she's usually in the computer lab. Go...make out with her or beat the shit out of her or have her beat the shit out of you or whatever you guys are into, I'm busy." He waves his hand dismissively.
Hisato: "...she's the one who stalks ME. Not the other way around." He dips his head a little, almost hiding a growing smile. "Well, in any case, thank you for your time. I'll tell her you said hi."
Yurodivy K. (GM): "Fantastic. Tell her I said 'fuck you' too."
Picking right up where session two awkwardly left off due to scheduling issues is session three! This time they actually get out of the hole in the ground (sorry for the spoilers but it had to happen eventually.
Yurodivy K. (GM): Last time on Dodging Bullets: Souda fails to hit a stationary target! Kurai is dead! Everyone has been stuck in a hole in the ground! Will they ever get out? Find out on this episode!
Kurai: Kurai looked skeptically at the drop when Hisato addressed them. "Are you mad? Procure a ladder or something of the sort first, I am not jumping. I am neither immortal nor insane." He frowned. Was the fool expecting them to be able to float down or something?
Souda: Souda waves at Oriana, and hearing Kurai he calls up. "Do a backflip on the way down, I'll buy you lunch for a week." As he grins his grin.
Hisato: Hisato resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "The fall isn't fatal, and you survived the last one. You'll be fine. Just lower yourself first."
Ophelia: Ophelia walked closer over towards the trapdoor, eyeing the drop nervously. "I-I..." They wanted them to jump...? Sure, they /had/ survived the last fall, but... 'Lower...?' She blinked. Maybe... In any case, it was either stay up here with the melodramatic poet, or... Ophelia bit back a sigh, moving to lower herself down.
The floor creaked and she immediately changed her mind. Ophelia turned, ready to pull herself back up, but slipped. "A-Ah...!"
Oriana: Oriana watched the group as they tried to get the others down with them. She turned around, facing the unexplored hall. After a brief glance to the others, she turned and decided to see what was in the other doors Souda hadn't opened.
Yurodivy K. (GM): Oriana's explorations reveal more unsettling rooms. This place seems more like a torture chamber than anything else. You probably don't want to think too hard about what the one room that looks like one of those white padded rooms with a hospital bed (complete with restraints!) is for-- especially with all of those sinister looking machines. Another room has a *coffin* of all things, and a ton of religious symbols you may or may not be familiar with. Most people would find this unnerving, but hey, you're Oriana. You're probably just fine. Finally you seem to have passed the torture chambers (you counted sixteen of them) and have reached two new areas. You can see one that looks like a morgue, and another that seems to hold a lot of electronics, computers, and monitors. The doors for these are locked, unfortunately.
Hisato has barely enough time to react to Ophie's sudden fall, but his well-trained reflexes serve their purpose. He stumbles backwards, but he does manage to catch her.
Kurai: That suggestion about a backflip was preposterous and immedieately dismissed by Kurai. Before he could respond, Ophelia stepped forward. He blinked, surprised that she had decided to go ahead and try to get down. She was crazy too, then. As she fell, it looked like he /may/ have started to try and grab her, but everything happened so fast that it was hard to be certain. "That is precisely why I am staying up here...!" He tightened his grip on the notebook, fairly certain that they were going to try and convince him to do it next.
They hadn't allowed Ophelia to just hit the ground, though, so perhaps if something did go wrong he would be alright, but... He wasn't keen on trying that out. "Explore to your foolish hearts' content, I will find a way out the way that we came to be here."
Oriana: Oriana frowned, staring at the door in front of her. The computers might have something that could help them get out. "Hm..." she placed a hand over her mouth in thought, her gaze focused on the keyhole of the door. "Huh..." She pulled out a small hairpin that was keeping the left side of her bangs still and bent down to try and open the door.
((rolling 4df+3 Crafts))
(0 0 + +) +3 = 5
Yurodivy K. (GM): A fascination with all things construction led Oriana to study how locks worked in her spare time, and having a mind like a steel trap means she remembered every detail. She recognizes the model of the lock instantly and makes very quick work of it. It pops open with a satisfying click.
Souda: Souda was starting to loose his temper with the poet. "Whine whine, what, afraid you're gonna get your nails dirty? I swear to god Kurai, get down here before I climb back up there and show you what i'm gonna do to that Damian asshole for getting me in this mess."
((rolling 4df+2 Provoke))
(- + + -) +2 = 2
Yurodivy K. (GM): ((Kurai loses this round of the conflict and takes a two-shift hit to his mental stress track))
Ophelia: Ophelia had squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to hit the ground yet again. She did hit /something/ though. It was softer than the ground, didn't really hurt, and swayed a bit. Her eyes blinked open, and she was surprised to see that... Hisato... had caught her? She blinked a few more times, then her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "I-I... I'm... s-s... sorry...!" she all but squeaked out.
Hisato: That was a sloppier catch than Hisato would have liked, but at least he didn't drop her. ...or fall over. He smiled at her. "Not at all. I'm glad you're alright." He gently let her down.
Oriana: The corners of Oriana's mouth seemed to have turned up for a moment, but in an instant they were back down. Must've just been the lighting.
She straightened up and replaced the pin back into it's proper place. Carefully she pushed open the door, taking a look around the area. Not bothering to shut the door she moved further into the room, starting to take a look around.
((rolling 4df+2 Investigate))
(0 + - 0) +2 = 2
Yurodivy K. (GM): You infer that the monitors are connected to the cameras, but with the cameras not recording everything is staticky instead. There's a lot of electronics and the like, but nothing you're too familiar with-- you're an architect, not an electrician. It does look like there's some kind of power supply, however. Everything is neatly labeled-- lights, cameras, and so on and so forth. There's one labeled 'elevator' that's turned off. There's also a file cabinet nearby that.
Oriana: "Ah..." That could help. Oriana reached out to turn on the elevator. Since there seemed to be no stairs it would be their only way to get back up. Oriana hoped there was an entrance into the elevator somewhere down here, because they couldn't really climb back up. She quickly flipped the switch and the light flickered on.
"There." she nodded to herself and started to wa- Wait a second. There was a file cabenet she had almost missed. Oriana moved over to it and grasped the handle to open it. "Hmm..."
Yurodivy K. (GM): The file cabinet slides open. Within it are blueprints for the various devices you've seen in this hallway, and suddenly their purposes become clear. They're for killing people. These are execution chambers. Rifling through the other folders, you see student files and blueprints for other machines (including one that appears to be some kind of teddy bear shaped robot-- why?)
Kurai: Kurai frowned deeper as Souda yelled at him, but actually looked slightly visibly shaken. He slipped the notebook back into the pocket he usually kept it in, then knelt down. "Fine, if you are too pathetic to go on without me, I suppose I should pity all of you and come along..." The poet began to lower himself down slowly, but it didn't take long for his near-complete lack of upper body strength to manifest and force him to close the gap between himself and the ground, letting out a cry of distress.
Hisato: Hisato scratched the back of his head. He was tending to Ophelia so he wasn't able to make it over to the Poet in time to catch him. Whoops.
Oriana: Oriana's usually blank face turned down into confusion at the sight of the files in her hands. They were really well planned...
No- Not the time for that. She snapped herself out of her thoughts before it went too far. She examined the files more, the confusion deepening when she looked over the plans for a robotic... stuffed bear...? "What..." She heard a cry from the hall, catching her attention and releasing her from her train of thought. Her frown returned. What the hell were they doing now. She looked back at the papers in her hands before she turned back to the door, taking them with her.
The brunette started on her way back to the others, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the poet falling down.
Souda: Souda looked down at Kurai with a smirk. "Perfect landing buddy, real athletic." Before walking off a few feet before vocalizing his laughter. Just to be considerate. He went to the end of the hallway to take a look at the other new room, seeing Oriana leave the computer control room.
((rolling 4df+3 physique roll to bust the door down))
(- + + +) +3 = 5
Yurodivy K. (GM): The door splinters under Souda's blow. You can now use it for kindling. But you have no match. How sad for you.
The morgue is definitely a morgue. It's absolutely spotless. There's a pallet out in the center, presumably for dissections or embalming or whatever it is you'd want to do on a morgue. There's rows of cold chambers, and it judging by how cool they are to the touch it seems like they're activated. There couldn't be bodies in here...right...?
Oriana: Oriana jumped at the sudden loud noise behind her, quickly spinning on her heel to see what the hell just happened. Instantly she spotted Souda near the door opposite to the computer room. The door was missing now. Seriously...? Her expression turned annoyed.
After an aggrivated sigh, she turned around, heading back down the hall. Might as well see if there's anything in that room too...
Souda: Souda let out a little whoop as the door cracked at the hinges, falling free. Random acts of violence were so therapeutic. He looked around, tempted to take a few scalpels for fun later, and pockets one. He see's the lockers and hears the hum of the machinery. He hefted the chain and approached the locker slowly to open., a little superstitious but...this place WAS creepy.
Kurai: Kurai had landed pretty hard; though it wasn't /that/ much of a fall, it was still enough of one that he was winded and even more sore than he had been. His fingers were aching, too, and a bit red from where he had tried to clutch at the lip of the opening. His pride was wounded more than anything... he thought. He did a mental check of everything to make sure he was still in one piece and able to move, and hadn't broken anything. Honestly, he was offended that no one had even made an attempt to try and soften his landing. He groaned, but slowly and laboriously pushed himself up; he was starting to think that no one would pay any attention if he didn't. The only reaction at all was that jerk Souda taunting him. They couldn't care less.
"Many thanks for all of your concern." He grimaced, holding the arm he had landed on. Perhaps it was even broken, despite the fact that he could move it fine. Stranger things had happened. He had barely survived the first fall, and after this second one he knew that the Muses must have been smiling on him for him to have made it through both without a brutal and humiliating death. Kurai rose to his feet, staring at the floor.
Yurodivy K. (GM): Ophelia, you can't see Souda vandalizing the morgue, but you might be able to hear him rummaging around. However, once he touches the cold locker, you certainly FEEL the effects.
There is someone there.
Not anyone alive, either.
They feel too confused and disoriented to speak right now.
What now?
Oriana: Finally Oriana reached the morgue. She stopped in the doorway, files in one hand her other placed on her hip in an irritated fashion. "Was breaking down the door /really/ necessary?" she questioned roughly.
Souda: Souda looked over his shoulder and scowled. "Psychological warfare starts at the door. If you're gonna break in, make an impression." He opened the locker door, and slid the tray table out. Corpse. Huh. He frowned and tilted his head, trying to work out if it was anyone he knew. If it wasn't they likely were'nt that important to warrant getting worked up about them being dead.
Ophelia: Ophelia, after Hisato had put her down, reached up to tug at her scarf so that it covered the lower half of her face. Her eyes fell to the floor. "A-Ah... Th--" Kurai fell, cutting her off, and Ophelia winced when he hit the floor. She debated on whether or not to check and see if he was alright, but he got up after a few minutes.
Then, the sound of something breaking reached her ears, and she turned just in time to see Souda break down one of the doors. She blinked, watching as he disappeared into the room, then froze. 'Ah...!' "Th... There's..." Ophelia bit her lip, reaching up to grasp and her rosary. Then, slowly and nervously, she walked down the hallway, stopping beside Oriana. She didn't really seem to be paying attention to any of the others though. Ophelia peeked into the room... just as Souda jerked open a locker door. "A-Ah...!" Her eyes widened as he slid the tray table out.
Yurodivy K. (GM): Unless Souda knows any skeletons walking around, this is not anybody he knows. If you had a SHSL Forensic Anthropologist around instead of a useless kendoka, you might be able to surmise some details from this, but whoever it is they've been stripped of any flesh. You can't even figure out how the poor fucker died.
Hisato: Hisato followed Ophelia to the room where the others were gathering. By the time he arrived in the doorway, his eyes widened at the sight of a skeleton on the table.
"What the hell...?" He wasn't sure what was up with this place. The unsettling feeling was growing stronger with every discovery. He sincerely hoped that this skeleton was a fake prop.
Souda: Souda grinned, an idea forming. Screw respect for the dead, he snatched up the skull and ran from the room, wrapping an arm around Kurais shoulder to keep him close, and thrusting the skull near his face. "What do you say buddy? Alas poor Kurai, we hardly knew you! Or almost after that fall eh?"
Kurai: Wow. Everyone was still ignoring him? Kurai looked up from the floor and realized everyone else had left. His eyes widened in surprise and he winced when Souda came running up to him, throwing his arm around him. He started to try to pull away, giving him a dark look for those comments, when something was shoved into his face. He froze. Was that actually a...? "Where did you find that?" Why would the school have such a detailed prop just laying around down here, not being used by the theater department or anything? Unless this area did get used by the theater... but in that case, why was it so undisturbed...?
His interest was piqued, though he would really rather Souda let go of him and get the prop skull out of his face. He tended to be able to... appreciate things like that. Kurai grasped the skull in both hands and tried to shirk away from Souda's arm rather unsuccessfully, his fatal injuries mostly forgotten. "Stop thrusting that thing in my face, it is /quite/ irritating." He glared at Souda, then looked closer at the skull he had taken out of the kendoka's grasp. It was a very well made prop, the discoloring was believable, and he didn't even see any lines in it from the mould that it had been crafted in. Whoever made it must have sanded them down to make it more realistic. Interesting.
Yurodivy K. (GM): The feeling of fear is overwhelming to Ophelia. At first she can't hear anything from the spirit. But then... "What? Who...who are you? Can you hear me? Please, answer me!"
Everyone else suddenly feels the temperature around them drop. Enough that it makes the previously tolerable rooms quite chilly...
Souda: Souda grinned. "What's up Kurai buddy, I though we were friends? Don't you want a hug? Or would you rather hug the body that skull came fro- oh my, you think its a prop dontcha?" He burst out laughing at this, letting go of Kurai and slapping him on the shoulder. "Get your butt down to the morgue over there buddy, see for yourself if you don't believe me!" He stood in the hall way, laughing to himself before shivering, cursing under his breath. "Damn, got cold down here fast..."
Oriana: Oriana ignored Souda as he pranced out of the room with the body's skull. She stepped inside and glanced around, her calm expression turning slightly confused when she felt the temperature change in the area. She tilted her head, pondering over it for a moment or two before shrugging it off. Not important...
The brunette spotted the other Italian girl in the room as she seemed nervous about something. She wondered on why, but quickly decided she didn't care and went to snoop around the room to see if there was anything else of note.
Ophelia: Ophelia's eyes widen in horror as Souda rushes past her, skull in hand. 'No...!' She goes to turn, reaching out, but freezes again. Slowly, she turns back around, her outstretched hand lowering. She's trembling now, just slightly, as they speak. "I... I'm..." The others are still there though... but they're so... afraid.
Still shaking, Ophelia slowly begins to walk further into the room. "What... happened here...?"
Yurodivy K. (GM): Oriana picked the room pretty clean-- you've swiped the files and you can't see any way to get the other electronics working right now. There is something on the computer, but it seems to be nothing but gibberish, and you can't make heads nor tails of it.
"I...I don't know." The spirit speaks to her. "I can't remem-- you can hear me? Who are you?"
Kurai: Kurai stiffened at Souda's words, looking at him with a bit of alarm. "Body...?" He nearly dropped the skull when his surprise (and more than a little bit of discomfort- he wouldn't have grabbed it so readily had he known it was real) combined with the force of Souda slapping him on the shoulder. And morgue? What in the world was he talking about a morgue for? Schools have no need for such things. Scowling the kendoka who was walking away, Kurai resisted the strong urge to pelt the skull at the back of his head. For now. He shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the skull in his hands with an undiscernable expression. Had the temperature just dropped considerably, or was that just him?
Kurai began to walk behind Souda, assuming that he was going to this "morgue" he spoke of. He carried the skull somewhat gingerly, one hand supporting the back of the 'neck'- or where it should have connected- and the other resting under the jaw. What in the world was going on?
Yurodivy K. (GM): Part of the cold storage is open, and there's definitely part of a dead guy missing. If that skeleton is a prop, it's a convincing one. Frighteningly so.
Ophelia: Ophelia nods slowly, but pauses at the question. Her name...? She casts a nervous glance towards the others in the room, then turns her attention back towards the spirit. "I'm... O-Ophelia..." she murmurs, hoping it's quiet enough so that the spirit can hear her, and only the spirit. "W-Who..."
Souda: Souda was on his way back when he spotted light coming through a crack in the door at the end, he tilted his head and hit the button next to it. The doors to the lift slid open. He shrugged and grinned, hopping in. "Hurry up nerdlings, last stop to the top! Anyone gets left behind they can have fun with dry bones in there."
Kurai: Kurai frowned. He had thought that Souda was going to the morgue, but instead, he jumped inside of... an elevator? Well. There was the way out. Deciding it was better not to risk being left to see the rest of the skeleton, Kurai joined Souda in the elevator, leaning against one of the back corners. He contemplated speaking to Souda, but decided against it, instead looking at the skull. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to keep it, but he wasn't about to give Souda the chance- excuse, really- to leave him stranded down here.
Hisato: The growing chill of the room was making things rather uncomfortable for the Street Magician. Souda's call for everyone to gather was all he needed to hear. He was done with this creepy place.
He watched Kurai leave to join the kendoka. That left only one person besides himself.
He approached the Medium and spoke softly. She seemed to be on edge as it was. "Ophelia, we should go. Are you ready?"
Oriana: After satisfying her curiosity, Oriana left the computer room, moving to the open elevator where everyone else was gathering.
Ophelia: Ophelia turned her head at Souda's yell. She blinked, feeling a bit nervous when Hisato walked over to her. "I..." At his question, an unsure expression crossed her face. "A.. Alright." she finally murmured, following after him as he went to leave. She paused at the doorway, however, casting a glance behind her. Ophelia bit her lip, then made her way towards the elevator.
Yurodivy K. (GM): You all wait together in the elevator as it grinds its way up. You get one last good look at the room above you as you pass it thanks to the unfinished door, its purpose still unknown to your mind. But finally the elevator reaches the top floor of the school, and you're free.
One question lingers in your mind though....what in God's name have you witnessed here? It still doesn't seem real-- anything you saw in the past hour.
When you went to do research on the school's history, you certainly didn't bargain for this...
One thing is certain: there's more to this place than you'd ever anticipated.
The...extremely overdue transcripts from the second session are here! What will our group of """"""""heroes"""""""" find in the mysterious room?
Yurodivy K. (GM): As (most of) you pick yourselves up and try to recover from your fall, you have to wonder just what this place is and how you could have gotten yourself into such a situation. This seems incredibly surreal. And while there's nothing explicitly sinister about this place, you can't help but feel a terrible sense of foreboding by being here...
You can see a set of what appear to be elevator doors on the far side of the room, but the fact the buttons one would usually press to go up or down are absent with open paneling revealing wiring that looks decidedly unfinished bodes ill.
Souda's poking around the room led him to find a set of trap doors on the ground with enough space inbetween the door and floor to be pried open.
There's also the very enticing red button on top of the LED display on the throne, but does anything good ever come of pressing shiny red buttons?
Yurodivy K. (GM): Either way, it looks like you'd better do some exploring if you want to get out...
What do you do?
Souda: Souda spots the button and will roll Will for his Impulse control on pushing it or not.
((rolling 4df))
(- 0 0 - = -2)
Yurodivy K. (GM): That button is just so shiny. Who could resist it, really? Okay, someone with a semblance of impulse control might be able to, but not Souda.
Souda: Souda pushes the button and waits to see what happens!
Yurodivy K. (GM): Ping! Nothing happens for a few seconds. Then you hear what sounds like chains rattling...
One of the trapdoors flies open, and a collar shoots out, aimed at the podiums.
It clamps shut, thankfully over thin air, and the chain yanks it back into the trapdoor, which then slams shut.
Wow, good thing nobody was standing near the podiums. Who knows what could have happened then?
But look on the bright side, your terrible impulse control just found an open door! That has to count for something.
Oriana: What the hell was that? Oriana's gaze followed the chain as it flew back into the wall. This place was just getting stranger and stranger. "Hmm..." Maybe she'll look around after all...
Oriana decides to go investigate the door the chain had flown behind. Maybe it was a way out? That elevator sure didn't look like it.
Kurai: Kurai was still laying in the floor where he had fallen, but he looked up in surprise when a chain shot out of the wall noisily. What the hell was going on...? He lifted his head to look around, and sure enough, that fool Souda was over there by a button. Though it would be exceedingly cliche.... there was probably no way that anything else had caused the chain. What an idiot
Kurai let his head lay back again, not willing to get up yet.
Hisato: Hisato was walking toward the podiums when Souda had triggered that...whatever it was. If the timing had been any different, that chain could have dragged HIM off.
He took a wary glance toward the kendoka and decided that he should investigate them at a comfortable distance. Perhaps there's something unusual about the podiums.
Ophelia: Opheila had been looking around, possibly for a way out of this... place, when suddenly a chain shot out of a wall near one of the podiums. She startled at the noise, looking over with wide eyes. What... was that? She looked over towards the others, then, seeing the boy still laying on the ground, tilted her head. "Um..." Pulling at her scarf nervously, Ophelia slowly walked over towards Kurai. "Are you... alright?"
Yurodivy K. (GM): Hisato steps on one of the podiums. You can't really see it from far away, but on it seems to be some kind of panel with sixteen little buttons. Lifting up the paneling reveals the buttons have bright, colorful LEDs underneath. How odd.
Oriana: That door is definitely a door. You can surmise it's spring-loaded just going by what happened a few minutes ago, and that a human could very easily fit down there. There's just enough space for it to be pried open but given that there's springs in there somewhere it'd take quite a bit of strength, and is probably something you wouldn't be able to do on your own.
Other than that, everything happened so fast you're not really sure of much else.
Oriana: "Hmm..." Oriana crossed her arms in thought. She turned around towards the others. An irritated frown on her face. 'Ugh... I don't want to ask them...' she glanced back to the door. 'But I want to know what's in there...'
"Hey, Soda prick." she called over towards the male near the button. "You think you can give me a hand with opening this?" she pointed roughly at the door with her thumb. "It looks like it can be opened."
Souda: Souda raised an eyebrow, did that little shit just insult him? "I likely could, but what if I don't want to?" He grinned. "Ask nicely. Manners, Oriana"
Hisato: Hisato frowned and shook his head. "Ignore him. I'll help you."
Oriana: "Tch..." Oriana scowled at Souda's response. She turned her head when someone else had spoken. "Hm." she nodded somewhat roughly.
That's about as close to a 'thanks' she'll do.
Hisato: He nodded and positioned himself accordingly. "Alright, here goes."
rolling 4df+1 Athletics (0 + 0 +) +1 = 3
Yurodivy K. (GM): It takes quite a bit of elbow grease with just you, but you finally manage to pry the damned thing open.
It looks like a bit of a drop down...again.
You can see lights, though, so there's obviously a floor and it's safe to land on.
Oriana: "Tch..." Oriana frowned when she looked into the door. Down further? She wanted to get out, not go deeper into this place.
Souda: Souda saw his chance for a little petty revenge. The girl who dared insult him, and now that Hisato prick stepping in over him like that? He came up behind, and clapped them both on the back, pushing them forwards "Mind your step guys!"...."Oops, my bad!" Calling down after them. ((Compel: You Can't Trust Anyone Around Here))
Kurai: Kurai glanced up at the girl with a small frown on his face. It had taken a long time for anyone to even acknowledge him, but here she was asking if he was alright. "Alright? After that horrendous fall?" He closed his eyes, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead. "Mount, mount, my soul! thy seat is up on high; / Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to die." the poet quoted, switching to English.
Hisato: rolling 4df+1 Athletics (Souda's coming with us)
(+ 0 - - ) +1 = 0
Yurodivy K. (GM): ((Tagged: Former Street Rat))
Hisato panics briefly as he falls forward, reaching out for something, *anything.* He manages to latch onto the sleeve of Souda's gi.
Just as the kendoka calls down after the two he shoved down, he feels himself falling forward.
The three of you all land in a pile on the ground.
Hisato: Hisato swore. He was still recovering from the soreness of the last fall, only to fall again. To make matters worse, someone had landed on top of him. He couldn't breath.
Oriana: Oriana felt her heart drop when she started to fall. "<Fuck!>"
She landed with a thump on something. "<Fucking...hell.>" She groaned before rolling off the thing that she had landed on- which she later noticed was Hisato- and sent a glare to Souda.
Souda: Souda groaned, of all the indignities he had these two assholes land ontop of him. Growling he said "Get. The hell. OFF ME."
Hisato: Hisato didn't need telling twice. He's quickly pulled himself off the kendoka. He almost apologized, but remembered that he was the one who shoved them
Instead, he looked to Oriana. "Are you alright?"
Kurai: Ophelia blinked as Kurai spoke, yet again quoting something. "Um..." She... didn't completely understand what he was prattling on about, but... 'Wait, what? Death?' Before she could even try and figure out he was talking about, another loud noise rang out. She spun around, wide-eyed, just as the other three of their little group crashed down to the floor below. She could hear them cursing from where she stood. "Ah..." She glanced back over to Kurai,debating on what to do /now/. "C-Can you... stand? Or..."
Souda: "I'm fine Hisato, thanks for asking. No no please, don't trouble yourself I can pick myself up just fine...." Souda grumbled to himself, standing up and dusting down glaring at the pair. Selective memory ignoring it was his fault anyway.
Yurodivy K. (GM): The three who fell into the trapdoor now stand in a long hallway, dimly lit with many individual rooms. Whoever built this looks like they were in the process of installing doors in the rooms but never quite got around to it. All in all, this area doesn't look quite as finished.
If the area in the room above was foreboding, this is downright sinister.
What now? It's a little high to climb back up, unfortunately...
Oriana: Oriana returned Souda's glare with one of her own before looking to Hisato when he spoke to her. She nodded, standing up and dusting herself off. She bit back her urge to yell at Souda, that wouldn't help much anyway. Her words aren't tough enough to get through his thick skull.
Kurai: Kurai frowned and opened his eyes, peeking at Ophelia. She seemed rather underwhelmed... she probably didn't know English. He jumped a little when there was a sudden loud noise and a stream of shouting. He wasn't familiar with some of the phrases he made out, but they sounded like Italian
He returned his attention to Ophelia when she spoke to him. "... No. Alas, I have been weakened as we plummeted to this hell..."
Hisato: Hisato took to his feet as well and brushed off his clothes to the best of his ability. His white sleeves were now a dingy gray from the dust of the previous fall.
He looked up from where they fell. Way too high to climb back up, but perhaps the others could hear him.
...he had a pause for a moment to remember their names. "Ophelia! Kurai! Can you hear us?"
Souda: Souda waved a hand. "Can't we just meet them outside? Fall like that and captain poetry will break a nail." Soudas mood was completely ruined, in no mood for pleasantries as he poked his head into rooms at random.
Hisato: Hisato looked at him. "We don't even know how to get outside. It'd be better if we come up with a plan."
Ophelia: Ophelia blinked a couple of times at Kurai's response. "Ah... I-I see..." She glanced away awkwardly and went to reach up to tug at her scarf again, but paused when she noticed something sitting a few feet away. "Oh?" Ophelia walked over and bent down to pick up the notebook, straightening when she grasped it. She began to flip through it curiously, then turned to Kurai again. "Um, is... is this yours?"
Suddenly, someone called for them from below. Ophelia blinked, turning towards the trapdoor the other three had fallen through. "Um, y-yes!"
Yurodivy K. (GM): Souda peeks in a few of the rooms, and is likely not sure what to make of them. They seem to be completely random in setup and don't fit the rather austere look of the hallway at all. The first one he looks at has what appears to be one of those waterfalls you can buy to decorate a garden with if you have more money than sense, though it's easily the size of a human being and then some. It's not turned on either, though you can smell something rather foul pooling at the bottom that definitely isn't water. In fact, it's eaten away at some of the stone. You probably don't want to touch that.
Another has a stage, a few manacles bolted to the wooden floors. It looks like there's room for an audience, but instead there's some cardboard cutouts, a few bits and pieces of circuitry strewn around the floor, and...rocks? Very strange.
Another is a stone ledge over a pit of water, with a scythe on the far end of the ledge. There isn't much water there, there's easily enough to stand in and it's gone stagnant and musty. It's still unsettling for some reason you can't quite place.
The afforementioned room is also the only one with very poor lighting-- if it weren't for the fact there was no door, you wouldn't be able to see anything in there.
As different as they are, all the rooms have one thing in common...
There's cameras in there.
Souda: Souda scratched his head, mosty disinterested in the other two stayed there, joined them, broke their legs in the fall, whatever. He stared at the cameras and waved at one before calling over his shoulder. "Hey, just.... how far down ARE we?" He worked it out in his head, say 10 foot on the first drop, another 10 maybe on that last one? He whistled, "how far down are we going..." He checked around for something to use as a length of...anything.
((rolling 4df+1 to look for length of something useful))
(+ + + 0) +1 = 4
Kurai: The poet looked over at Ophelia, his eyes widening when he saw what was in her hands. "Give me that!" He jumped up and closed the distance between them, grasping the notebook. He snatched it out of her hands, looking at her indignantly. "Do you not know not to mess with other people's belongings?" He glanced over towards the door that was propped open- what the hell?- when Hisato called for them. Instead of responding, he walked towards the door, sending Ophelia another look over his shoulder.
He frowned as he looked around the trap door, then poked his head through with a look of absolute, nearly condescending, confusion, pressing his free hand against his his chest. "... Why did you descend further?"
Yurodivy K. (GM): Hey, what do you know, those lengths of chain apparently lead to the rooms! They're on some kind of pulley system and behind paneling (the paneling you can just rip off quite easily) but a little bit of yanking and you should be able to pull some out.
Oriana: Oriana was still peeved at Souda for pushing her down here. She heard a voice call up from where they had fallen from and turned to look up at the poet. "It's not like we wanted to." she replied before jutting her thumb in Souda's direction. "It's that asshole's fault." She crossed her arms and sent a glare at Souda just for effect.
Souda:
((rolling 4df+3 as souda pulls some paneling away and yanks at the chain))
(- - - -) +3 = -1
((rolling 4df+3 spending a fate to reroll that))
(- + + 0) +3 = 4
Yurodivy K. (GM): Way to go genius, you picked the one that was in the room with the water. Thanks to how damp it is in there, you managed to get the one that's rusting, and it takes way more effort than it should have to pull it out. But because you are nothing if not stubborn, you finally manage to pull out a length of chain with a collar attached to it. Good job, SHSL Rocket Scientist.
Kurai: Ophelia nearly shrieked in surprise when Kurai suddenly jumped up, harshly jerking the notebook from her hands. She trembled, her hands clasping around her rosary. "I-I... I..." Flinching back at the glare on his face, she dropped her gaze towards the floor. "I'm sorry..."
She heard him walk away, but didn't glance back up just yet. Only when he began to speak the others did Ophelia finally lift her gaze. Not knowing what else to do, she slowly followed after him, stopping a couple feet away to put a bit of space between her and the poet. She tried to glance past him, to see how the others were faring.
Hisato: Hisato looked back when he heard a noise from one of the rooms. He didn't know what Souda was doing, but first order of business was to regroup. He sighed and looked up to where the other two were.
"There's a hallway down here. It might lead outside. Can you make it down alright?"
Souda: Souda glares up at the camera, hefting the chain. Not what he's used to, but it'l do. He gives the camera the finger, just in case its recording, and takes a swing at it.
((rolling 4df+4 to fight the inanimate object))
(- - - -) +4 = 0
((Tagging +2 Son of the Goichi Dojo.))
Yurodivy K. (GM): You miss the inanimate object on your first swing. Great job. After a quick round of swearing at it, you successfully intimidate the camera enough that your next strike shatters the glass and circuitry with a satisfying crunch. Ahh. Needless violence. There's nothing like it.
Souda: Souda nods at his handiwork and swings the chain on his shoulder, coming back out to the hallway to watch the others.
Oriana: Oriana looked down the hallway when she heard a noise come from one of the rooms. She watched down the hall, somewhat interested in what the noise was. Her expression flattened when Souda came walking out of one of the rooms with a chain. What the hell.
Okay, despite some difficulties due to the holidays we managed to...sort of hold a second session. Please keep in mind that we are going to try and finish this sometime this week if at all before we would normally hold our third session since we were cut short. I'm still going to clean up and post the transcripts, however, but that will likely be later today! I'd just really like you guys to get out of the hole in the ground so you can interact with the GMPCs since that will help move the tumblr side of things along.
Again, thank you guys and I'm extremely sorry this has been such a rocky start to the game-- I'm going to make some minor changes that will hopefully make this a lot easier. For example, our sessions are now starting an hour earlier at 3 PM EST. In the meantime, I'm going to try and figure out some things you can do while you're down here, so sit tight!
By the time Hisato heard the creak in the floorboards, it was too late.
The next thing he knew, he was on his back, shielding his face from the raining dust and debris. Once it settled, he rolled off the loose plank he landed on and groaned. He was definitely going to feel that one in the morning.
He pushed himself up and brushed off his clothes. Nothing broken at least.
His first thought was to check on the others, but they seemed to be fine...judging by the volume of their cursing. Some had already split off to explore the throne room. He raised an eyebrow. This was not the kind of secret he was expecting to find. Just what the hell is this place?
Souda takes a look around the throne and the podiums near it to see what he can see
On the throne you can see an enticing little red button with an LED display on its base. It doesn't seem to be turned on, however.
Now that you're closer to the podiums, you can see what look like trapdoors off near another side of the wall...there's no handles, but you might be able to pry them open.
Souda let out a stream of swearing in no particular order, both mentally and spoken. “GOD. FUCKING. GERBIL. SHIT. BA-” It went on as he lay on his back. Once he was all swore out he sat up and started checking himself. Nothing too broken at least. He made a mental note to hurt that little bastard Damien for sending them here.
That’s when he got his first look around. Throne? Podiums? The hell was this, a gameshow? He got up and stretched before heading over for a closer look. Scratching his head he looked to the others. “Any idea?”
After a moment staring at them wondering what the hell they were here for, he climbed up towards the throne and lounged in it, giggling to himself slightly. “Hey! How do I look?”
Kurai had been the last of the group to go into the building, jotting down descriptive phrases as they occurred to him. He continued to write as he walked in, wrinkling his nose to hold back a sneeze at all of the dust they were stirring up just by walking. He was in the middle of a word when the floor gave out underneath him, and let out a startled cry.
As the dust started to settle, he stared up at the ceiling… of the room over them, waiting for his head to clear. Everything felt fuzzy, and it was taking a moment for him to catch his breath again. He was sore, all over, and he could tell that he’d probably have more than a couple of bruises within a few minutes.
Finally, slowly, he pushed himself a little, looking around. There were podium things standing around, and his notebook was laying open several feet away. His pen… was somewhere in the rubble.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he laid back again instead of getting up.
A look of fear crossed Ophelia’s face when the wooden boards beneath her feet began to creak and splinter, but, before she could do anything, the floor gave away. “Ah…” Her eyes widened, but she hit the ground before she could scream.
"Ah!!" Upon hitting the ground, Ophelia let out a pained noise and immediately reached for her side, curling up slightly. "I-I’m alright!" She coughed, wincing as she pressed her palm up against her left side. "<I’m alright…>" She reached up with her other hand to push back her bangs a bit, and blinked when she noticed that her glasses were missing. "Ah…" They must have slipped off when she had fallen. She didn’t really need them to see, but…
Ophelia pushed herself up, wincing again as her side throbbed in pain from the sudden movement. She slowly went to stand, and glanced around. The others seemed alright… that was good, but where… “Ah!” Her glasses lay a few feet away, and, for the most part, seemed undamaged. She sighed, relieved, and reached for them.
After slipping the glasses back onto her face, Ophelia finally took in her surroundings. It was brighter in here, and… what… were those… podiums? 'They're gold…' Was that a throne? Ophelia blinked, furrowing her brow in confusion. “Wh… Where…”
This Building Doesn't Meet Quality Control Standards
"<Augh!>" Oriana grunted upon contact with the floor, "<God damnit! Fucking shit!>” The brunette cursed in her native language as she recovered from the fall. She pulled herself up, still muttering profanities under her breath. Once she stood up, she angerly kicked at the pile of broken boards on the ground, effectively kicking up a dust cloud into her face. A stream of coughs followed shortly after.
Oriana turned over towards the others, her expression dark. “Great. We’re fucking stuck down here.” she huffed angerly and turned away from the group, continuing to vent her anger through curses in her native tounge and kicking the walls of the golden room. Not that she noticed it was gold or anything.
