Welcome.

[trustharder]

You last remember feeling safe.

You don't know what caused that response, now that you think about it; you can't remember what you were doing before the warm, comfortable feeling came over you, a sensation somewhere between relief and the light contentment that comes with the knowledge that you're safe enough to sleep and god, are you ready to. It feels like you may have been sleeping for a while before this, even; your limbs are heavy in the memory, and you recall how difficult it was to open your eyes.

Turning your head is likewise difficult, it feels kind of like it's full of sand. Weighted-down by sleep. It's so much easier to remain still, and so you do, and before you haze out again you can vaguely hear a voice.

It's no one you recognize, and it sounds strange and vaguely distorted as you start to drift off again.

"Everything'll be fine."

There isn't an answer that you can hear; the voice speaks once more.

"...you ready?"

You don't remember what you wanted to say to that. Always, maybe. Or Ready for what? Or perhaps What's happened to me?

But none of it matters, because consciousness slips away from you too quickly for you to respond.

---

You wake up some time later; the comfortable, safe feeling from earlier certainly isn't dampened any by the bed you wake up in. Whether you like it soft as a cloud or firm enough to support the most finicky of spines, the bed you're in is nice, and it's pretty much exactly what you've been looking for in a mattress.

Shame the rest of the room is probably going to be a bit jarring when you wake up properly.

The room you're in is completely unfamiliar, all concrete and steel and almost nothing that makes it yours - but there's a trunk near the bed and there's what looks like a smartphone sitting on the trunk, and you might want to grab that before you leave the room. Trying to text or call out won't do anything for the time being, unfortunately, but it's something. A lifeline, maybe.

If you're looking to see if anyone is here with you, maybe you can find someone as you wander through the main corridor; after all, there are a few places to explore here, even if the bulk of the place is pretty much a straight shot down the center. If you're looking to gather, the dining hall is probably the best place for it, as it's large enough to accommodate all of you.

Wherever you choose to go, however, there are a set of rules posted in every room; the far wall of the dining hall, across from the entrances, also has a bulletin board with twenty-seven pictures, along with some...interesting information, posted on it. The board is large enough for all of you to look at it, but you might not want to try to get at anything posted there; just like the rules, there's glass in front of it, and it's looking to be extremely shatterproof.

Sorry about that.

There's one more thing you'll notice on your wanderings through the corridor – there are no windows, and there are no doors that can possibly lead outside.

Looks like you're trapped. Might as well get to know those that are here with you.

Comments

hallway

[lackinginfaith]

Your delivery could have fooled me. Do you always sound so excited?

[pokexplorer]

[That gets a slight chuckle out of him.]

Well, I don't often get to say that I find myself in circumstances completely out of my control. It's quite overwhelming!

[That...doesn't answer the question, Colress.]

[lackinginfaith]

Most people would have the opposite reaction to that.

[pokexplorer]

They wouldn't find something like this overwhelming? Are you sure?

[... Alright, he'll stop being facetious.]

My apologies, I'm merely trying to keep calm. There is no sense in allowing myself to lose my composure- it will only make finding answers more difficult.

[lackinginfaith]

[sigh] What kind of place is this supposed to be, anyway?

[pokexplorer]

I haven't explored the entire location yet, but at a glance I believe this may be an underground location.

[He makes a general sweeping motion.]

I've yet to see a window!

[lackinginfaith]

I'd say either underground or somewhere that the pressure would hurt it. Unless they just don't want us to see the outside.

[pokexplorer]

Somewhere that the pressure would hurt it? That would be an interestingly specific locale to build a structure, wouldn't it?

Either way, you're likely right about them not wanting us to see the outside. That's odd.

[lackinginfaith]

I don't know. If we can't see, it could be anywhere. Which is probably what they're trying to get at. We won't know where to get out to or how to get back to where we were.

[pokexplorer]

That certainly wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility...

[Actually, wait.]

Ah- Are you saying no one has even found an exit as of yet?

[lackinginfaith]

Nothing but an elevator door that won't open.

[pokexplorer]

Lovely.

[Not.]

I wonder if it is out of order, or simply shut off?

[lackinginfaith]

Either way, it's keeping us all in and whoever brought us here out.

[pokexplorer]

Oh? Is there confirmation that our captor is outside the facility?

[It wouldn't be unexpected of course, but still.]

[lackinginfaith]

As long as everyone's telling the truth about having no idea where we are or why, anyway.

[pokexplorer]

I suppose for the time being, it would be the simplest option to operate under that assumption.

[He won't rule it out though. Not until they actually hear from their captor, at least.]

[lackinginfaith]

Who would take so many unrelated people, anyway?

[pokexplorer]

A fine question. I'm afraid I can't make a solid guess from the little information I currently have. Have you met many of the others?

[lackinginfaith]

Nobody has any idea. Not even the bird or the sea witch-- oh, the shrimp.

[pokexplorer]

The...bird? Witch?

[Yes, the shrimp is the least surprising out of that trio, simply because Colress has already run into him.]

[lackinginfaith]

Wouldn't you think a shrimp man was something out of the ordinary? So I thought he was a sea witch -- you know, just something you'd call a youkai like that. He says he isn't one, though. As for the bird, he's called the King.

[pokexplorer]

I do indeed find his existence to be out of the ordinary, but my train of thought did not veer to that topic, unfortunately. I'm also unfamiliar with the term 'youkai', I'm afraid.

[The King, huh? Could it be a Pokemon?]

What does this King look like?

[lackinginfaith]

He's a large bird. A little unnatural-looking, but it wouldn't be the first -- he talks and he wears a crown.

[pokexplorer]

He...talks.

[Well now, this certainly is something. Talking Pokemon are extremely rare, so maybe he isn't one...]

I'm certainly going to have to see him for myself.

[lackinginfaith]

It's hard to avoid anyone in such close quarters, anyway.