The clock strikes twelve. The gong of the grandfather clock in the foyer tolls out the time in slightly unnecessarily obnoxious loud noises. The ambiance of this old mansion demands respect, care, awe --
Okay, no, wait, why are you even in this stupid dusty house?
No reasons are forthcoming, because everyone knows that people just end up in places like this sometimes. That's just how the narrative device works. The hows and the whys don't matter -- all that matters is that you're all here, so you'd better get cracking and start exploring, because it's not like you can leave yet.
Or ever, maybe.
 Good day, sirs and madams. Might I interest you in a nice glass of blood...y mary?
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PHASE I [ 02 15 ] All you see is white. The crash of thunder hits your ears next, punctuated by the piercing pitch of white noise in the background. After a few blinks, your vision comes back to you. Oh good, glad that you’ve joined us in the land of the living. Unlike the nondescript corpse at your feet – it looks like… a butler? Oh dear. You’ve already killed Murder Suspect Number One in most situations. How terribly ironic.
After all, who could’ve killed him but you? You might not remember, but there is definitely a murder weapon in your hand. It’s probably a knife or a poisoned glass of wine or-
Wait, is that a toaster? A full on toaster? Or maybe it’s a taser. Maybe you bludgeoned this poor guy with an entire encyclopedia. Either way, it looks like your murder weapon is a little unconventional, whether it’s a stranger’s pair of underwear or a hair curler. Are you really supposed to believe you committed a murder with these? (Yes.)
That said in the next second the double doors will be opening up. It’s pretty clear you’re not alone. Think quick!
PHASE II [ 0600 ] Exploring more around the compound, you’ll find plenty of those tall, oil portraits of people hung around the walls. When you start walking, they’re all strangers. However by the time that you feel like you’re wandering around for an hour, two hours, they might start looking a little bit more… familiar? Mom? Is that you?
You don’t have time to think about that, though. You were clearly framed! You don't’ have a motive for killing some random NPC –
“Or do you?” a portrait will ask.
Oh. Holy shit. Well it’d just be rude to leave, right? Whether you stick around for conversation or not, you’ll find that was just the beginning. The portraits are going to start grilling you. Welcome to CERES Central’s Roast of You. What was your motive? Don’t you know you should respect the servants? How would you feel if you were caught like that? Careful turning your back on them though, because if you ignore them for too long, the subjects in the portraits may just reach out and snatch you to join them in their portrait world.
At that point, the only way to get out is to swap places with some other poor, unsuspecting soul wandering around.
PHASE III [ 1045 ] You know what makes me hungry? Murder.
What’s the point of making a mansion this big anyway? Who’s even here? Either way, whether you’re looking for the kitchen to make a fine post-homicide sandwich or just trying to escape, you’ll eventually make it to a stairwell. The most finicky stairwell ever. Is that a trail of bloody footprints leading up the steps? What? No. Stop it, just climb.
Or well – don’t climb too quickly now. The staircases apparently have a mind of their own, swapping from one doorway to another. You definitely haven’t seen this before. It would seem that these stairs might even be interested in keeping you in a circle forever, no concern for whether or not you’re hungry or, god forbid, need to use the restroom.
However the portraits in the stairwell will provide a little tip: “The stairs are gossips, you know. Why don’t you tell us a little something about yourself? Make it good!”
Weirdly enough, sound advice – that is, if you’re interested in shouting out your most embarrassing secrets into the void so a mansion can keep talking shit about you. Oh well. Your alternative is just being a stair golem. There are worse fates.
PHASE IV [ 1430 ] This hall is oddly quiet.
Well, until you hear it – the soft sniffles coming from down the hall, the broken sobs. It sounds like someone’s crying. For one reason or another, your footsteps take you forward – there’s really no point in going back now after all, right? Yet as you continue to walk… walk… walk… the crying becomes louder and louder. More desperate, more despaired. In time, it’s clear that this person is wailing, screaming, “How could this happen?!”
Within the span of a breath, all the lights in the hallway go out, leaving you in pitch black.
It occurs to you then that you hear a second set of steps. When did you stop walking? A cold chill runs down your spine and you find yourself running then, despite the fact that it feels like this pitch black hallway goes on forever. The other footsteps pick up, remind you that you’re not alone. No, certainly not.
Best hope that you find some assistance soon – otherwise it looks like the Butler Association is going to ignite some righteous vigilante justice on your ass.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] You’re in the grand ballroom now, ready to present your case. Armed with a cob pipe (don’t smoke inside, it’s rude), a detective hat, and a single spotlight aimed right at you, you now have to explain how you came to the conclusion about the True Killer that is Obviously Not You. Rather, it’ll just be the character of whoever tags into this prompt – yes, you are suddenly so very sure that they’re the ones who are the ultimate mastermind of this entire game and… you’re just going to have to bullshit the reason why even if you know virtually nothing about them. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, you know?
Sorry about that.
Should you actually provide enough of a compelling case or they take pity on you, having a villainous breakdown for the sake of the plot, you’ll be awarded with a coupon that’ll give you three free scoops at your local ice cream parlor! (Note: you must buy the first two scoops in order to qualify.) Of course, if you’re not able to nail them down as the killer, you are obviously the killer yourself (citation needed).
From there, you’ll be dragged off to face your punishment: for six grueling hours you will be tickled mercilessly.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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ASANO KEIGO | BLEACH
🌟PHASE II
🌟PHASE IV
🌟WILDCARD
II
The dry comment came from around the corner, as a tall figure drifted out of the shadows. He probably looked normal enough, aside from the big fuzzy hat and the bandages around his right arm peeping from under the short sleeve - the sort of guy who wouldn't really cause trouble. Then again, bandages might imply that he already had.
He strode up and gave the portraits an unimpressed look, not recognizing any of the faces nor why they should have any kind of problem with this kid. Then he turned the same look on Keigo, peering down at him. But before he could even toss out a question, one of the other faces morphed into...a polar bear. Yep. A polar bear who blinked and then plaintively asked Captain...why? Law stared at it for all of two seconds before turning his attention back to Keigo. "Talking paintings. Are you really going to take direction from them?"
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"...eh? It's the paintings??" ...really, really stupid. Keigo deflated almost instantly, shoulders slumped and back slouched. He released a pent-up sigh, skimming his hand up the side of his neck. "So... I'm not just hearing things... It's a prank, then, yeah?"
Or ghosts, but Keigo wasn't in the market of flaunting that hunch just yet.
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Folding his arms over his chest, he looked up and down the length of the corridor. Law had seen people come and go, but every time he walked away from one and turned a corner, he was alone again. So it appeared again: he and Keigo were the only ones there. "If it's a prank, it's a shitty one. They're trying to mess with your head. It's up to you if you want to let them."
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"...that one looks a lot like my mother," he admitted almost sheepishly, running his hand up through his hair. He rubbed at his scalp before looking around himself, maybe in the hopes that someone else would show up and confirm the situation for him. As firm as this guy was, Keigo was too cautious to really take the word of one man alone...
Still, he had a point. Keigo pursed his lips and stepped away from the painting, closer to Law. Close enough where he could really gauge just how impressively intimidating the man was. He sort of regretted it. "But I... uh. I don't intend to let that happen! If it's not a prank, then it's gotta be something else, right?"
Once again, he was leading the conversation, hoping that he wouldn't have to be the first person to suggest something crazy, like ghosts or demons or... something.
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That gave him an idea, though. He brought up his left hand, murmuring, "Room," and then gestured as if to form a targeting scope with his fingers, adding, "Scan." To Keigo, the hallway might have a bit of a blueish tinge to the light, now, as the Room encompassed both of them as well as the walls and nearest portraits. It only took a moment, and then Law frowned to himself and dropped his hand - as he did, the Room vanished and the hall returned to normal. "The paintings are real enough but I can't find any video den-den mushi or other technology behind them."
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But no matter what appearances might have suggested, the man was surprisingly rife with insight... granted, insight that Keigo had no idea what to do with. Some of the things he'd said were hard to parse, given that he had no clue what a "Devil Fruit" was. It certainly didn't sound pleasant.
When the room flickered that bluish tint, Keigo immediately jumped, taken by surprise. But it wasn't the strangest thing he'd ever seen, at least. That prevented him from screaming or otherwise making too much of a scene. "What... was that?" When it was all said and done, Keigo whipped his head around, searching for any hint of revelation that might have made itself visible to him. "I don't get what you just did or what a 'den-den mushi' is, either... but..." he wrung his hands together nervously, squinting at the paintings warily. "Maybe it's spirits."
He hadn't wanted to breech that topic, but his own anxiety had gotten the better of him. He looked at Law cautiously, searching for any hint of disdain in his expression for having suggested it.
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But if this kid didn't know den-den mushi or Devil Fruit, then the mingling of different worlds had to be true. In that case, Law had to show him what he meant. "Do you really want to believe in ghosts," he sniffed, "when you're around people who can do things like this?"
With a flick of his wrist another Room turned the hall faintly bluish, again, and this time he followed it up with a quick flick of his finger and "Takt." Objects all around the hall began to float up into the air - vases of flowers, decorative tables, the loose rugs on the floor - and the portrait frames on the walls rattled. He touched nothing of Keigo's, but with objects slowly whirling around him at Law's direction, there was ever the threat that he could do something much, much worse with just a twist of his fingers. The smirk starting to grow on his lips suggested as much.
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He watched as the objects floated around, much like a poltergeist had entered the room and begun to shift things about. He regarded Law's expression with a guarded one of his own, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I don't want to believe in that stuff, no."
Keigo never wanted to believe in ghosts. Even for as much entertainment as he derived out of the occult, he never wanted to experience it for himself. But that was too late. He was already exposed to that realm and going back was impossible. And if this guy didn't take his suggestion seriously...
"But I have no choice. And if you can't figure it out, even with all that power you have," he made a gesture to the glowing room, the floating objects, "then maybe spirits are the reason."
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Whether or not that was the source of the strange happenings inside this weird house, there was still more research to be done. Talking paintings which could appear as familiar faces could still be due to some sort of technology or ability that neither of them had experienced before. Law was intent on digging out any and all options and then testing them, experimentally, to determine which was the right one. He folded his arms again and studied Keigo carefully.
"...if this place is neither in my world nor yours, then the traditional rules of what can and cannot be real are suspended. It opens the doors to more possible explanations for the phenomena."
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He offered Law a shallow nod, then looked to one side. He didn't really want to talk about it so candidly, as in doing so, it would further solidify just how little control he had over his life and destiny. Instead, he focused on the more pertinent aspects of their conversation, shifting onto the heels of his feet to turn around and gaze at the remaining stretch of hallway.
"I guess you're right. But what can be done about it? Are we just... stuck here until we figure it out or something?" Saying that made him feel like he was in a video game... again.
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iv
Not that Yusuke minded spooky-- after all, once you've been a ghost and hung around demons a lot, this stuff sort of lost it's mystery-- but given this place's track record with angry spirits and apparently screwing around with the supernatural, he didn't want to stick around this level to see where this was going. He had to get out of here, and fast.
... or he would, until a hand made a sudden grab at him. Instincts kicking in, he whirls around, aiming an elbow to this unknown person's face.]
Back OFF!
[SORRY KEIGO.......]
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—ggkk!!
[ keigo's reaction times had been getting better as of late, but he'd only managed to half block the hit, resulting in his nose getting half-smacked. luckily, he didn't fall back onto his ass, though he ended up bumping back into a wall, rustling one of the many paintings hanging there. ]
Shit, what the fuck!
[ keigo clutched at his face, staving off the warm trickle of blood that started to seep from his nose. not the first time... probably not the last, either. ]
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Don't just grab a guy out of nowhere like that, okay?! You nearly scared the crap out of me!
[Yes, Yusuke, blame the person you hit in the face for your actions???]
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I didn't grab anything!
[ he spat, turning to one side to mess with his nose in an attempt to stave off the bleeding. ]
Who just hits someone like that?! Are you some kind of street punk??
[ given keigo's track record with street punks, he felt it was a safe bet to make... ]
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Yeah, and what of it? I'm not about to mug you for your loose change or anything like that!
[He gives another once-over to the damage, brow creasing just a bit. Okay, so maybe he did feel a little bad for hitting this guy. It's pretty likely he's just trying to get out of this stupid place like he was.]
... look, sorry I accidentally busted your nose, okay? I've had enough crappy experiences here that it's kinda hard not to be on your guard.
Maybe YOU didn't grab me, but something sure as hell did. You just got unlucky.
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he gave the other a critical stare, eyeing him up cautiously as he offered up that apology. keigo was stubborn; he didn't feel that it was a significant enough apology, for his tastes. on the other hand, he also couldn't afford to be making enemies, either. ]
Whatever, it's fine, I guess. I just have piss-poor luck.
[ that was an established fact... ]
But, I bet you it was one of those paintings! They're possessed, I think...
I
Yeah. That was a thing.
People had told him he was lucky, which was hard to believe at the time. But what he'd already experienced thanks to the local Big Brother, he was beginning to believe it. So the fact that this level of ViVid was already starting out so cheery wasn't too much of a surprise. Unfortunate, but not a surprise.
He couldn't just sit on his ass and wait for someone else, though. So those doors that were opening? They're
Yuri Lowenthalbecause of this guy. Who looked relieved for a second to see that someone else was around."Oh, hey--"
That is, until he saw the prone body of the hired help laying so totally dead on the floor.
Yeah, that wasn't suspicious or anything.
yes good
And upon hearing that voice ring out from behind him, Keigo spun around and dropped the blade from the fan, the metal hitting the smooth floor with a deafening clatter. He looked wide-eyed, like a deer in headlights, and for good reason. This guy appeared from nowhere (or so Keigo would tell himself) and was now staring at him... or something. Keigo followed his gaze and realized rather quickly that he was taking notice of the little ... problem on the floor behind him. That dead body. Keigo went white.
"N-n-n-n-no, it's n-n-not what you think!!" Keigo immediately started waving his hands back and forth, frantic and nervous, and he even took a step back, as if to illustrate just how harmless he really was. That, and he didn't want to approach on the off-chance that the guy was going to deck him or worse.
He didn't like this, that much was stupidly obvious, but he knew better than to hope and pray that it would go away without a hitch. Swallowing roughly, Keigo tried to catch his breath, to calm the erratic pounding of his heart. "I-I woke up like this!!" ...that seemed pretty lame, but it was the truth.
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Yosuke winces as the fan blade hits the ground, eyes shifting back and forth between the blade--yeah, definitely a blade and definitely coated with evidence. The sound echoes in the room, the only real noise until the other guy starts stammering frantically. He takes a moment to scan the room as his hands drop from the door. He's not completely trusting, but...
"I'm thinking a lot of things, if we're being honest..." He crosses his arms as he takes a couple of steps closer, trying to get a better look at the victim aaaand cringes again. The help was hacked at pretty brutally. "...Seriously? This is one messed up level..."
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The guy didn't seem too convinced, either, and really... Keigo couldn't blame him, deep down. Outwardly, however, he was frantic and quickly growing desperate for any scrap of reassurance that didn't come from his own circular thoughts.
"I'm serious!! I don't have that kind of personality!!" ...despite his temper being horrendously short, anyway. Who's to say he didn't just snap and... wait. Level? What level? All of the panicked breathing tapered off when he tried to process what had been said. "Wait, what? What're you talking about?"
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Yosuke kneels down next to the "victim" to get a closer look. Yuck. Reminds him a bit of the robot dogs they had to mutilate and take apart. Still makes him feel sick to his stomach.
"No one told you yet?" He raises his head to look up at the other boy. "Okay, well get ready for some good news and some bad news." He pauses as he stands back up, pushing against his thighs for support. "The good news is that this guy isn't real--he's probably some game-generated NPC." Probably. "So if it was you, you didn't actually kill someone. If it wasn't, then...well, you're off the hook either way."
Go, Keigo?
"The bad news is...this is ViViD. It's an unnecessarily realistic video game that you kinda get sucked into whether you signed up for it or not."
IV
And also, he's no more fond of being alone in shitty situations like this than Keigo is. Leon's not scared of the dark or anything, and especially not in a friggin' ViViD level of all things, but . . . he has to admit he's getting unnerved here himself. He's not completely dead to the creepiness of the shit CERES pulls during these little nonconsensual joyrides. This is almost too stereotypically freaky, and he doesn't trust it. What's going to happen next, yet another trip to traumatizing memory land? Hallucinations?
The point is, even though he's never seen this dude in his life, Leon's actually grateful to be rudely approached by him. He'd been starting to think he was alone other than the creepy voices, but turn a corner in this shitty B-movie hallway and there's someone in the same situation as you—as generally is how things work here. He's fine with that. And this guy definitely doesn't look like the kind of NPC CERES would stick into this level, not in his fashion and not in that look on his face.
Leon lifts his hands a little—back off, it's cool—and even though his lips twitch into a frown, he's still miles less tense than he was a few seconds ago when he was by himself.]
Dude, calm down, I'm not gonna do anything. I'm in the same boat as you!
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when he sought out the other guy, keigo had to temper himself. his immediate instinct was to get as close as possible, possibly even grip at the sleeve of his shirt, but luckily for him, his hand gesture stopped keigo before anything too forward could occur. just hearing his voice, a normal, not crying voice, was enough to calm keigo considerably. but "considerable" was relative. even if he wasn't as panicked as he was before, he was still very much animated about the situation. ]
Good! I'm glad! I can't stand this crap anymore!
[ keigo's hands balled into fists, his expression rife with anxiety. ]
I don't know what's going on down there and I don't wanna know, so let's find a way out of here, yeah?!
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[This is far from Leon's first forced venture into these things. It happens all the time, seriously; it's gotten to the point where only recently, he was advising people to just wait it out, because you always get booted out eventually. And that's true. Everyone does. There's no need to do anything to escape from these stupid, creepy-ass situations in the end, and sometimes whatever you do try just isn't going to work.
But—this guy's intense desire to get the fuck out of here is contagious. Leon can't help but get pumped when he's faced with that kind of desperation. What else is he supposed to do, anyway? Just wander this freaky place for the next few hours? Hell no!
It's just a matter of how. He edges closer, though not close enough to touch, and glances back the way he came.]
Which way'd you come from? . . . It probably ain't gonna matter, though. They can change this place around all they want, y'know? So the way we came might be the way out. Or it might be the way out for like the next two minutes, and then it ain't anymore. It sucks!