idolpro | avante en garde

[ You spill out of the elevator onto a balcony—the elevator is gone when you look back.

The balcony is expansive. A pool drained dry suffocates in the night air; an engine that's meant to be circulating the water instead heaves and sputters but refuses to die. Dim lights meant for an ambient glow outline the crags of an artificial waterfall, now just jagged rocks. Lounge chairs and patio furniture circle the pool, cushioned to extend an invitation—stay.

The stone morphs to rougher terrain, cragged with moss and splattered with old blood, and then wavers back to normal when you look again. Dread builds in your gut—what was that? A premonition? A memory? Your hand is curled loosely as if holding something thin, narrow, and you are vaguely surprised to notice you are outside, not looking through a window, not seated at a desk, not writing your own fate and sealing your betrayal with your own hand. Your hand convulses momentarily, clenching like it might around a sword—a challenge on grounds you know you can win, and take your blade to their throat and slash it so the blood this time won't be yours— But no, the night air clears your head. Now it's a dull feeling, vague; like something you crammed for on a test and aren't positive of it, it's tentative—you need to reach for it. In other words, easy to ignore while you have your wits about you, but an almost-uncomfortable presence that threatens to overwhelm you if you lose your sanity, or if you acquire enough damage.

Besides the empty pool sits a spear, pulsing with power.

A readout on your phone tells you the rules and displays the sanity goal (explore rooms) and your traitor goal (kill those who fail a test of your own devising) as well as the item that you've been given (spear). It looks like nothing is stopping you from committing the traitor goal even while you're sane, if you wish to.

There is one exit: North. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Oh great... another round. ]

Gold. Fill me in, what's happened?

[Cardigan looks... mostly unscathed. Except for a wet stain on their side.]

-Cardigan?

Ah- it's the house game again. I've only been in one round, what about you?

Just one. Griffin's nuts, so are Harpy and Shishiou. Shrike was fine last time I saw her, and so was Nitro, but I got separated...

[ Glancing at the wet stain. ]

... You sure you're okay?

[They swallow.]

... Cobalt's crazy, too. I managed to get away.

Griffin looks like he's been here a while so... I'd bet that a lot of people are possessed by now.

[Hm. Griffin is sure covered in a lot of blood. He's looking around... seems pretty concerned.]

So... How many've you are real this time?

Edited 2019-09-20 01:01 (UTC)

[ Oh... Gold is familiar with this in bad ways. ]

Griffin?

[Mmmm. Hmm mm mm. Casually:]

That's me. Still kickin'.

... Is there something you need to do?

I'm worried 'bout Shrike. She was cryin' pretty bad.

... I think she's getting a break for this round. It's probably just us.

... Griffin, is there somewhere we can find weapons here? It'd probably be best to arm ourselves so we can protect ourselves.

That'd be the arsenal. It's kinda near here, but getting through the junk room's kinda a pain.

We better move fast before it gets crowded.

Okay.

Can you give me directions? You can go ahead to make sure it's safe.

North, west, then south. You gotta have some muscle to push open the door, though.

Got it. I'll carry the spear with me too.

... Thanks, Griffin. And ah, I'll do my best to stay alive for you guys.

Re: Session 10 Discussion

gigadevilbreaker - 2019-09-20 01:19 (UTC) - Expand

softlyfalling - 2019-09-20 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

calmthefoxdown - 2019-09-20 01:22 (UTC) - Expand

Griffin, what happened after I left the arsesnal?

That's a safe bet. I'll go first when we leave.

Did you see Maki show up? I think I teleported her outta there, but Harpy went after her. A buncha Heart Heroes went through, too.

I tested the new one. He got half marks for saving Eclipse.

Half marks... Is that pass or fail?

Pass, even if he wasn't strong enough t'survive.

Heart Soldier's usually tougher...

You'd think, right? He was an adult an' everything.

How's he expect to protect his kids, bein' that weak?