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

Dining Hall

[cherryblooded]

Isn't it? Most people don't know my exact age, so I'm surprised they didn't leave it up to an estimate like some of the others.

[What does 20 + 5 mean, actually...? Oh well. He'll ask the King about it later.]

They've done plenty of research, looks like.

[clubleader]

They sure did. Although it wouldn't take a whole lot of research to find out all that about me. Some of the profiles look a little more personal, though.

[cherryblooded]

Wonder who they asked. And how they phrased it. "Excuse me, I'm conducting a kidnapping, could you answer a few questions?"

[clubleader]

Oh, what a polite kidnapper.. they charmed our friends into telling them everything while hiding the truth of what they were up to.

[cherryblooded]

Think they might've been a bit more subtle than that. Stalking, maybe?

[clubleader]

That's a possibility... but I would've noticed stalking. My village isn't exactly big. Anyone new would've stuck out.

[cherryblooded]

Same with my town, especially if they were human.

[clubleader]

Right. Where are you from anyway...?

[ She wants to guess the ocean, but really you never know in these kind of circumstances. ]

[cherryblooded]

It's called the Sea Kingdom - you may not have heard of it. Most of the people here haven't.

[Wonder why.]

[clubleader]

Add me to that list too, because I haven't. What's it like?

[ She's really curious. All these people here seem like they're straight out of a comic book but... they're actually real. ]

[cherryblooded]

It's a quiet, peaceful place. Underwater, though there are some islands in our territory. If you like the ocean, it's beautiful.

[...Ah, now he's missing it.]

[clubleader]

It sounds like it. You know... I've never really been to the ocean.

[cherryblooded]

You should visit. It's an experience you can't really get through photographs.

[clubleader]

I'd really like to. I really want to see a coral reef.

[cherryblooded]

Put it on your to-do list for when you get home.

[clubleader]

I plan on it! I'll make it a club field trip.

[cherryblooded]

What kind of club is it?

[clubleader]

A game club. We're the best in all of Hinamizawa.

[cherryblooded]

That's a pretty bold claim.

[He has no idea how big Hinamizawa is, or whether it's a city or country or what.]

[clubleader]

[ She acts like it's a big city, but really it's just a tiny village. ]

It is, but I've got a lot of confidence in my club members.

[cherryblooded]

And yourself? If I find a chess set around here, maybe I'd like to try your skills.

[clubleader]

I'd be no leader if I wasn't good myself. I'm sure there's something around here. If not, we can always come up with our own game.

[cherryblooded]

Sounds like an entertaining way to pass the time. Why not?

[clubleader]

I'll start coming up with ideas. If worst comes to worst, we could always play a game of hide and seek.

[cherryblooded]

Are there that many places to hide here? It's a bit cramped for that game.

[Not that he has anything against playing it.]