Did you like Dream/Memoryquest? Do you wanna do something like that again?
Let me introduce you to HotLineQuest :)
The Basics
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
The Rules
Be as funny, cruel, or sweet as you want, but know that nothing that happens in the room is canon
This is a conversation, so yeah. Dialogue.
Use the tag #HotLineQuest for anything related to it
If you have other questions about it, lmk!!! And have fun!!!
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
Bastet wakes up alone in a room with nothing but a hunk of metal on a table and a chair. She reads the instructions, typed professionally on a sheet of paper lying next to the phone. It's been a while since she's used one of these, and something faintly tells her that this model is ancient by phone standards.
The faint bleed of ink on the paper catches her eye, and she turns it over. On the back is a short list of numbers and names, scrawled in her own hand. Her gaze flicks down the page...most of these names mean nothing to her. The final entry, however, does elicit a reaction.
"The reason you're here - XXX/XXX/XXXX"
Her hand hovers over the phone. She has no idea how to input a number, but she picks up the receiver anyways. It starts ringing, and she knows exactly which number it called.
“Um- hello?”
Shuffling noises can be heard in the background. The voice is both completely foreign and painfully familiar.
“H-hey! Uhhh-“
“Who…is this?”
“Um…I don’t think…I don’t think you’d know the name I use now.”
“Oh…wait, what? I’m sorry- I don’t believe-“
“I’m just calling to say I’m sorry.”
The line goes silent, and Bastet bites her tongue. She’s never met this person in her life, but the words tear themselves from her teeth regardless of her understanding.
“I-I just- I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I hurt you, I’m s-sorry whatever happened to you did- where are you? Are you even alive anymore?? We thought- w-we all thought you-“
“Miss? Are you alright? I…you may have called the wrong number, um…I’m alive, I’m…I’m okay. But I don’t think you’d have anything to apologize to me over, I have no idea who you are.”
Bastet chokes on her words, holding back a flood of pain she’d rather keep pushing down. She sinks to the floor, back against the table.
“I…I know…it’s probably for the best, i-isn’t it…I hope you’re happier now, as far away from me and the rest of us as possible, heh…”
“I’m not…I’m…I think you have the wrong number, Miss…Adieu.”
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
*Lyn cleared her throat, putting on a professional voice to greet the caller*
“Hello, this is Llewellyn speaking”
“… Llewellyn? I’m sorry, I must have the wrong number”
*she felt a pain in her chest, all she could do was listen in silence*
“.. I’m looking for uhm, Miriam? Miriam Lamont?”
“.. speaking”
“… Really? Dear, are you alright? It’s been so long since we’ve talked! Have you been smoking again? Your voice is all raspy.. Oh not that I mind, I’m just happy to hear your voice—”
“… J—“
“That’s… that’s you?”
“Oh, of course silly! Miri did you really forget me? Aheheh. You’re so funny, love”
“…”
“I’m making dinner if you want to come home, Miri”
“… please come home”
“I.. J—Jules I can’t, I’m— I’m s-sorry I—“
“Love?”
“I messed everything up it should’ve been me, n-not you— I— I’m sorry— please f-forgive me, I love you I do, I—“
“Miriam.”
“…”
”Take a breath for me, love”
“Whatever you’re going through, we can work it out t o-ge t-h-er—“
“I— y-you’re breaking up— no, please, please just a little longer please, please I’m sorry, just— stay— please—“
“Se-e y-you a-t h-o—m e— Mi-r-i—!”
“…”
“…”
*her grip on the phone tightened*
*she tried to dial Julia’s number. But there was no response*
*she tried to dial 911. No response*
*Lyn lifted the phone above her head and threw it to the ground. She stepped on it over and over*
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
....
*Husam angrily paces around the phone, growling and glaring daggers. One call. Just one call. That's so 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓅂𓂧 up. How can he call just one person? And how the 𓉔𓅂𓃭𓃭 does he choose?*
*Eventually, he sighs and sits down in front of the phone. What would they even say to him? After what happened? His parents would probably start berating him about his decision, might even start yelling. He doesn’t want what could be his last memory of them to be an argument. Nadeem would scold him too. It wouldn’t be as bad, he doesn’t think, but it still would make him feel awful. She won’t though. Tentatively, he picks up the phone. He hesitates and then dials…*
*It rings… one ring, two rings, three rings, four…*
Hello, Sabah Sharaf here, what can I help you with?
*Tears prick his eyes. It’s her, gods, it really is her. He never thought he’d hear her voice again. He wants to say something, but it feels like there’s a lump in his throat that he can’t get words past.*
Hello? Anyone there?
*He swallows, closes his eyes, and whispers.*
Hi Sab.
*There’s a loud clatter through the phone, like she dropped hers. It takes a while before it’s picked up again.*
No, this isn’t possible. He can’t be calling. Whoever you are, you’re a sick fu-
It’s me, I swear, it’s me. Gods, is there anything I can do ta prove it’s me, Sab?
…what was the last thing you said to me?
*Husam slumps back in the chair as he tries to remember. Just like always it’s impossible for him to grasp such a specific memory, it slips through his fingers like sand, leaving them dusty with just the vaguest feelings. He tries to figure it out from those tiny fragments. Sadness, nostalgia, longing.*
That… that I miss you… that I couldn’t wait to come back home…
*Playful protectiveness. He smiles a little.*
…that you should tell your new boyfriend if he breaks your heart I’ll kill him.
*Silence for a long while, before he hears a shaky intake of breath.*
Oh my god, Kam, it really is you. How is this possible? If you’d finally woken up, it woulda been Mum or Dad that rung, not you.
I couldn’t tell ya, Sab. Things’re real 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓇋𓈖𓎼 weird where I am.
What the hell language was that?
I dunno, think it’s probably some Ancient Egyptian or some’in. I get 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓇋𓈖𓎼 censored where I am. Not when I curse in Arabic though. This game’s racist 'parently.
*She laughs, and Husam smiles. He never wants to forget that laugh.*
That must be absolute torture for you! …The headset works, then? You’re calling from inside the game?
Y-yeah… You know about all that?
Course I know about it, I was the one that first thought it might work! Mum and Dad didn’t believe it, though, not until Nadee convinced 'em. Course they’d believe him over me, huh?
Sab… where am I? Not the game, but out there?
In hospital… you… Kam, you’re in a coma. They said there'd been an explosion, that it was a miracle you were still alive when they found you. They didn’t think you’d survive the journey home. But ya did. Couldn't expect anything less from you! You’d never go down without a damn fight. Bet you punched the reaper in the face and told him to get bent.
*That draws an actual laugh from him.*
𓉔𓅂𓃭𓃭 yeah, I would've!
*The laughter fades.*
So I’m… I’m home?
Mhm! Well, not home home. Like I said, you’re in hospital. But you’re in London. Mum visits you almost every day, changed her work schedule so she could. And Dad's there the days he gets off work early.
And you and Nadee?
I try at least every other weekend, sometimes more. Nadee’s a bit further afield, and he doesn’t often get time off to come down. But whenever he can, he comes to see you. And when he can't, he’s asking how you’re doing …not that anything ever really changes…
...I’m so sorry, ta all of ya. I should never’ve 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓇋𓈖𓎼 left. Ain’t a day goes by where I don’t miss ya.
We both know you’re not the one who should be apologizing.
Don’t… they ain’t worth my 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓇋𓈖𓎼 time, and I’d rather just forget ‘em.
You and me both, Kam.
*Husam cocks his head a little, confused.*
What d’ya mean?
I haven’t talked with any of our family out in Egypt since… maybe a month after you were back home. I… might have cursed some of them out over video call… in Arabic…
No 𓆑𓅲𓎢𓈎𓇋𓈖𓎼 way! Wish I’d been there ta see it!
Yeah, well, Mum and Dad aren’t happy about it, they keep trying to pressure me into making amends. But I’m done. Far as I’m concerned, they aren’t real family. Family sticks together and protects each other, and they’ve never done that. Not for us.
…Nadee’s been thinking about doing the same. He’s worried they’ll try and pressure his kids the same way they pressured us.
Wait… has… has Nadee got kids now?!
Oh! Of course, you don’t know! I’m gonna have to catch you up to speed! So remember that girl that Nadee had a crush o-
*Husam flinches as Sabah’s voice suddenly cuts out, replaced by a droning dial tone. He looks down at the phone and tries to dial again. Nothing seems to work. An angry snarl rumbles in his chest, the receiver starts to crack, the buttons punctured. It’s impossible to work the phone with his claws, and with a roar he throws the entire phone. It shatters against the floor.*
*It's not enough to quench his rage. He picks it up and does it again. Then he punches the broken pieces into the floor. Over, and over, and over. He only stops when he feels something crack in his hand. He sits back, looking down at his bloody knuckles, splintered claws, and the bruise that's starting to form.*
*Then, with a quiet whimper, he cradles his broken hand to his chest and starts to cry.*
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
Rubio tilts his head as he stares at the contraption. Despite never seeing anything like it before in his life, his memory tells him it's a sort of phone.
He turns to leave, having no use for the device before suddenly, the phone goes off. Rubio pauses and looks over his shoulder as the ringing continues.
And continues.
And continues.
Rubio watches it for about 10 seconds, waiting for the ringing to stop. And when it doesn't, a small sigh leaves his mouth while he walks over to the phone.
It takes a moment for him to properly hold it, the smooth material slipping from the diamond of his fingers. But finally, he gets a proper hold on the phone and brings it up to where his ear would be, waiting to hear a voice like he expects.
There's no human voice, not immediately. Something small seems to brush against the transmitter, followed by gentle clattering, a sort of staticky shck and fsh mix of sounds. Rubio wonders if the phone is bring brushed against the ground.
"Who is this?" He asks. No response.
More shwip and clck sounds continue after the briefest of pauses. Rubio tries to ignore the simmering annoyance; whoever's on the other end clearly doesn't know how to use one of these, or perhaps they don't have good motor control.
"Hello?"
Once again, no response-
Wait... no, there was something else. It sounded slightly more human, but wet and disoriented... almost like a gurgle?
By now Rubio already is low on patience, and mixed with the odd disturbed sense from such random and unorganized noises, he's not inclined to stay on the line much longer.
"I'm ending the call," he states firmly, starting to pull the receiver away from his ear. Do these things normally happen? Would Razzie know? He wonders what she might say in response to this odd experience when-
"Baba?"
Rubio's eyes shoot wider open than ever before as he feels his body freeze. Not more than a second passes before he opens his mouth...
... only for the phone to slip from his fingers as he watches it drop to the ground, an unwelcome cracking sound piercing through the clatter on the ground.
Rubio's never so quickly lunged towards anything before, fingertips scraping the phone as he desperately holds it up to his ear again.
"Hello?!"
Only a dead, droning, endless tone can be heard from the other end.
No clacks.
No gurgles.
No tiny little voice asking for Baba.
For the second time, the phone slips from Rubio's hand. He doesn't bother to pick it up this time, a colossal band of grief seeming to constrict his limbs and hold him down in place.
Even without tears, his vision goes blurry as heaving, sick sobs without any hope of holding them back jerk his body. Rubio's never so badly needed Razzie here. Could he even muster to tell her what he heard?
He doesn't know.
All he knows is that it was his own fault he lost the chance to hear more of that little voice.
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
…
..
.
“‘Ello! Calcifer speakin’.”
For a moment the line is silent; soft, droning buzzing being the only thing to indicate someone else was on the other end.
It sounds like him…but….with more energy. More life in his voice….
“‘Ello?”
“Ah-! Um! My apologies. I’m looking for- um….Christopher…? Christopher Corbyn? Do you happen to know who he is.”
There’s another long pause, this time from the other side
“…I’m terribly sorry maam but I think you have the wrong number. I haven’t come across anyone named ‘Christopher’ before.”
“Ah…I see…thank you so much. My apologies.”
“Of course, darlin’. Hopefully you’ll be able to find him soon!”
“Mmm….mmhm. Well- thank you. Bye.”
“Bye!”
What a waste of a phone call.
.
..
…
“Well! That was….some’in’, huh?”
The man made of crystals gets no response from the spirit, whose eyes have started to redden as he tried to hide himself in his hoodie
“….what’s got you a mess?”
“…n…nothin’”
Calcifer rolled his eyes as he continued to clean — he wanted answers, sure, but he knew he wasn’t going to get it from the other while he was like that
Each of your characters will wake up in a small room with a rotary phone. They’ll pick up the phone, and be able to have a conversation with ONE person, dead or alive, in or out of the circus.
"... Huh.."
(They stare at the rotary phone in front of them. Mentally battling on who to call. Anyone, anyone, dead or alive? What a thought.)
"(... I could call... she wouldn't.... I, I don't think my mom would be happy to hear me... it's better that.. that they don't know. ... I...)"
(After a long moment of hesitation, they slowly reach to pick up the phone. Before they can do any sort of dialing, they notice the call already going. It's the circus, a lot of crazy shit happens, what did you expect?)
"..... I-I... Hhey...."
(Silence on the other end. Not even a shift of movement.)
"B... Brian...? ... U-Um... I don't.. I don't know if you can hear me, um.. ..but it's me! Your uh.. big bubba, remember?"
(The bug felt their nerves wracking.)
"...... I.. I know it's been a while, and- And I know you've been gone for a while..! I... just... if you're there... let's.. catch up on things...?"
(More silence. They figured thats all they're going to get for now. They wipe away their forming tears, steadying their voice.)
"So... um.. how have.. that's a stupid question- um. My bad. What's going on with me that I can share... um.. I.. I broke up with Ana...! ...Technically..- I know you said you liked her, but.. a-anyhow. And I.. ended up in this odd circus place... I-it's pretty nice! I have a flower garden, I'm this.. bug now..? I know I hate bugs but.. it's not that bad...!"
(....)
"... I-I made some friends...! They're pretty nice! I need to visit every place here too, theres.... so many places-. B-But hey, at least I don't have to deal with.. dad..."
(....)
"... Um... I'm sorry, I cant keep doing this.. Are you... still around? A-As in... are you.. still in the real world...? If... If you are, I'm so sorry if you've... seen anything... ... If.... please don't be..."
( . . . . )
"I'll find you. Okay? I am gonna.. I'm going search every land here.. I promise... I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, okay..? Brian..?"
( . . . . )
"... O-.. Okay... ... I... I'm glad to know that.. that I could at least talk to you again... ....I'll see you later, alright...?"
(They set the phone down on the table, forgetting the place it back on the rotary part itself. It's less of forgetting and more or less trying to wipe away their tears as they face the other direction and leave.)
(The room drops dead in silence. However, a
v o ï ç ə
c̵̢͒̏r̸̳͂͝ã̵̰̮c̶͔͎̈́̄k̷̡͋͌li̵͓͗̇n̶g through a certain telephone is heard.)
{Woo boy let's see if I can write like I used too!}
HotlineQuest thing idk
Thanatos' eyes drowsily opened, quickly widening to attempt to look around at his new unfamiliar surroundings.
He tried to stand up and get a better view of everything around him but ended up hitting his head against the ceiling, if there even was one, the room was so dark it seemed like he was in the void, being vaguely lit up by his screen-like face.
Soon, he saw the table, and then the phone. He hesitantly picked it up, and read the note, 'Dial a number, any number' or something like that, he just sorta skimmed it.
Breath hitching, as he realized what, or well, WHO to call.
He began to put in the numbers, the soft but abrupt clacking of the rotary phone's plastic top layer snapping back into its original spot with each number being entered into the sequence.
He paused, the phone beginning to ring, slow and nerve-wracking.
The quick click noise of the phone on the other end bumping against the plastic holder was loud enough to be audible to Thanatos, knowing that he had picked up the phone.
"..Hello?"
Thanatos paused again, and tried to speak, his breathing became heavy and uneven as he spoke with a bit of a stutter.
"Is this- no, no way- it can't be- is that.. is that really you? Dolus..?" His words mushing into each other slightly as he began to talk quickly, as if he knew he had to rush this conversation.
"Who is this? You don't sound familiar.. do I know you?" Dolus responded, in the same old voice Thanatos remembered. Thanatos grit his teeth in discomfort.
"Where are you? Are you still in the circus..?" Do you hate me? Would you ever be friends with me again? Thoughts ran through his head of what to ask next, making sure to not say anything stupid, as this was a once in a circustime opportunity.
"Oh.. it's you. What was your name? Thanos? Thannie? Was that what that one strange robot,, thing called you? I don't remember anymore... Well it's.. odd good to hear from you again! How's life been? How's.. everyon..e be e n?" The call was breaking up, and his voice was glitching out, as if the phone was dying at the second. Thanatos panicked, and checked to see if the phone was plugged in, soon realizing it didn't even have a cord. He bit his lip, and tightened his grip on the phone in a stressed manner.
"DOLUS.." He shouted into the phone, visibly and audibly frustrated, "Are you still there? Are you in the circus? Please.. I need to know, I need to find you, I need to know you're okay.." His breath hitched in the way someone's breathing starts messing up when they're about to cry.
"Y y ee a h,,- I a m, I'm near th e e...-" His voice cut off at the worst time, vowels mixing with static, and the call clicking to notify that the other end hung up.
Thanatos sat there. Staring into the void, eyes wide, trying to recollect himself. Slamming the phone back into its original spot in its holder aggressively. He covered his face and screamed into his hands, muffling the noise but not by much. Spitting out a few cuss words and other mumbled things..
