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

B

[blastiarm]

[Zagi stands in the doorway. Staring. A lot. Oh my god he's never seen anything like this before, what is he supposed to do with this--]

Um.

[Yep, off to a great start there, Zagi.]

Why? I guess I've got all the time in the world since we're locked in here, but... why.

[He doesn't even sound surprised, he's just so baffled by what he's looking at.]

[ratingspoint]

Well, why not? It's like you said, we might as well make the best of the situation, right?

[And he seems...surprisingly patient with all the questioning and just as much if not moreso with the staring; at the very least, he doesn't seem troubled.]

[blastiarm]

I... guess?

[Well, staring clearly isn't accomplishing anything, so Zagi approaches. He's wary and he's sort of bouncing a bit like he's not sure if he should get ready for a battle or not.]

So what do you want to ask?

[ratingspoint]

There's no need to be shy! You don't have to give me any answers that you don't want, it's not like you're going to offend me if you choose to not play along.

What's the last thing you remember, darling? Before waking up here, that is.

[blastiarm]

...Darling?

[UHHH]

The last thing I remember... Oh, I was fighting this guy in the castle. I was there on a job.

[All technically true. The job just involved killing said guy. Who kept claiming he wasn't Flynn???]

[ratingspoint]

[...Uh.]

And what castle would this be...? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I definitely would have met you before - you would have gone through me, after all.

[And it would have worked out well! For him. And nobody else.]

[blastiarm]

N...o...? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have. Unless you're some kind of knight?

[Do the knights have sentient blastia. Is this a thing no one told him about. Because that might legit be a thing.]

It's the only castle, the one in Zaphias.

[ratingspoint]

Never heard of it. I'm going to assume that you're nowhere near Tosatsu, either?

[...He...thinks that's the place Cherryblod mentioned?]

[blastiarm]

Tosa-what now? Nope. I've never heard of that place.

[ratingspoint]

Neither have I - I just heard it from the other person who seems like someone I should have met by now.

[...One of them, anyway.]

I'm not a knight by any means, though, to answer your earlier question! I've never been interested in the Royal Guard.

What is it that you...do, exactly? I'd ask if you're a knight yourself, but that sort of job doesn't seem like it'd suit you.

[blastiarm]

It's definitely not. The Empire's such a pain, I wouldn't want to deal with the Knights on a regular basis. I'm a member of Leviathan's Claw - a guild. I mostly just do whatever I'm assigned to do. Bodyguard work and other boring stuff. I was in the castle on a job. It's not the sort of place I'd want to go in my spare time.

[Though breaking into places to assassinate political figures is very fun and he would do that in his spare time!]

[ratingspoint]

Really - that's fascinating, darling! Though I'd say that if bodyguard work is boring, you're guarding the wrong people.

[blastiarm]

Look, the last people I was stuck guarding were some stuck-up nobles who did nothing but talk about how awful poor people are and I thought I was gonna die of boredom. They didn't even need someone as good as me. They would've been fine with any of the other guild members but no, apparently I had to deal with them because my boss is a total asshole.

[...you deserve everything you get, zagi]

[ratingspoint]

...You remind me of one of my own employees when you talk like that, actually. The resemblance is downright uncanny.

[ALTERNATE UNIVERSE BURGERPANTS, IS THIS YOU.]

[blastiarm]

If you're half as much of a hardass as my boss is then you deserve it.

[seems legit tbh]

[ratingspoint]

It's a matter of standards, baby! Nothing personal in the least.

[blastiarm]

...Why are you calling me by weird pet names?

[ratingspoint]

That's also nothing personal! I call everyone things like that.

[blastiarm]

Why? You're gonna give someone the wrong idea.

[THIS IS SO BAFFLING]

[ratingspoint]

Does it fluster you?

[blastiarm]

Not me. It's just weird to hear that.

[no one would ever give zagi a pet name]

[ratingspoint]

If it doesn't bother you, then there's no problem.

[blastiarm]

...You're weird. But whatever, if you want to keep doing it, I don't care.

[ratingspoint]

Well, there's no point in being like everyone else, is there? Of course not!

[...Thanks, Mettaton.]

Let me know if you find anything useful around here? Since it's not like we have anything better to do.

[blastiarm]

Yeah, I doubt that's going to happen. If someone went to all the trouble of trapping us in here, there's no way we're going to find anything useful.