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?
|
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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no subject
Of course I know what a video game is!
[He should probably try to chill; this is his only guide and source of information. Last thing he wants to do is antagonize her.
But still! Video games!]
What the heck... I don't remember anything about that at all. Do you know how we got here? Does this have anything to do with the Digital World?
no subject
CERES brought us here. Our planets were supposedly "destroyed" [ air quotes included ] by this group called the Flamines and we were restored through the Nexus Code, basically. It doesn't have anything to do with this Digital World that you were probably in earlier, although the concept might be similar in the fact that we are, in a sense, digital.
Or, at the very least, we're made of "code"... if that makes sense to you.
no subject
De- Destroyed?! No... No, that can't be...!
He's the leader of the junior Chosen. This never should have happened under his watch. This... It's all his fault.
The combination of grief and rage makes him sick to his stomach. The people he cares about, wiped out by those guys...
No. Wait a minute.
His voice sounds choked, barely like himself, but he forces it out of his closing throat.]
You said our planets were destroyed... right? So did they destroy the Digital World... or Earth?
no subject
We don't have any proof that the planets were destroyed, but it's very likely. But CERES did say that they would be attempting to restore them.
[ ... ]
And I don't know. I'm probably not from the same world that you're from anyway, but I'd assume both.
no subject
His mind flashes back to a few hours ago - or what used to be a few hours ago? - and how he'd talked so badly about Aneki's phone, which is still in his shorts pockets. And now it's stuck in there, where it'll remind him of her.
Anger finally wins out over the grief, burning hot in his heart.]
The guys who destroyed the world... Those Flamines... Where are they? How do I find them?
["Trying" to bring back the planet isn't good enough. Daisuke has to fight them, make them pay. ]
no subject
[ She just shakes her head, rather quiet. It's clear that there's a part of her that's gotten rather complacent in regards to this world... but when it comes to the Flamines.]
Sometimes we're able to contact them, but we don't know their exact location. Sorry. We've been trying to figure it out, though.
no subject
My friends... My family... Even if this is a game, I won't let anyone get away with hurting the people that I care about.
[He doesn't know how much he can do. Maybe nothing at all, but...
If the part where his home has been destroyed is reality, whoever is responsible for it will pay.]
no subject
[ She crosses her arms over her chest, serious. ]
But sure. I can share the information I have, too. Do you want to see it? It's on my CEREVice.
no subject
[Figures he'd have to jump through a few hoops first, but he'll deal with it. However long it takes, whatever he has to do... Daisuke will find a way.
He's one of the Chosen. That's just what they do.]
I want to see what you have about them, but... What's a CEREVice supposed to be? Some kind of computer program?
no subject
[ She takes out the device from her pocket -- the CEREVice, as he might have assumed isn't the program itself, but rather a device, rather similar to a smartphone or tablet. ]
Just give me a second to pull it up, and-- [ She immediately reveals a document. ] There. Feel free to read through all of that. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
no subject
The fury cools down into a slower burning anger as he learns more. If people are able to come and go between their home worlds, then both of his worlds must be safe. But he's still upset that someone would do this in the first place. Where do these people get off, feeling like it's okay to just toy around with others like that?]
This... changes a lot. Don't get me wrong, I still want to beat those guys up, but... It's different now. Even if my home worlds are safe, something weird is still going on, and I kinda want to get to the bottom of this.
[He wishes he had Ken's brain to figure this out, because there's a lot here and honestly he can't make sense of it all. Or Koushirou's, that might be even better.
Mostly, he just really, really wishes that Ken were here. Figuring this out by himself really sucks...
But he's not completely by himself, is he? This girl has been helping him in the ways she can, and she's offering more help even now.]
I guess... I should've done this sooner, and I'm sorry, but before I ask you anything... What's your name? And how'd you get here?
no subject
[ She smiles, but it's a rather strained one as she finds her arms folded over her chest. At the very least, Inaba can take a breath out in relief, glad that he understands. As someone who's went back to her own world and back, there's a part of her that's conflicted.
There's just... plenty of doubt that carries over, and it shows in her expression, a hazel gaze dropping towards the floor. ]
It's fine. It's Inaba -- Inaba Himeko. I work part time as a teacher at the CERES Academy and a waitress at the cosplay cafe. [ Might as well be courteous. ] I've been here for a while, as you can probably already tell. As for how I got here, to this level? In the colony, there's an arcade where you can go into the ViVID levels.
no subject
Ah... Wish we'd met under better circumstances, Inaba-san, but I'm glad you're here. I'm Motomiya Daisuke, by the way.
Then... The Flamines still need to be stopped, huh? I'm kinda bad at remembering a lot of stuff at once, so sorry if the document you gave me already answered this, but... Do you guys have a plan for finding them? I think I read something about needing some kind of mask to be able to see them.
no subject
There isn't... [ A beat. ] Not a plan, exactly. At least, in regards to the Flamines.