![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Beginning
One moment you were elsewhere, surely speaking to your friends, fighting in a battle of your life, dying, or even in a state of non-existence in its entirety. It doesn't matter now, since when you open your eyes it’s become clear that not only is everything around you foreign and unfamiliar, so is everyone. And there seems to be a fair lot of you, at that.
It's easy to discern a few things upon a cursory glance, once you pick yourself up from the field of grass you're resting on. The place you've awoken in seems to be fairly tranquil, for the first few moments at least, and the view of a newly budded sakura tree is among the first that will greet you. In the distance, is a towering castle that manages to look all at once both imposing and welcoming at the same time. There's also an odd pendant around your neck, which you'll find won't come off despite your best attempts. In your pocket you'll find a room key, engraved with a number.
The weather is currently cool, with the sun brightly shining in the sky, though there are a few too many clouds to make it a completely clear day. While most of them appear rather normal, every so often you might spot one that looks just a bit off— like a storm cloud that's completely lost it's way. Lucky for you, it doesn't seem like you're going to have to worry about any inclement weather anytime soon, as they'll vanish from your vision as quickly as they came.
A large stone wall surrounds the entirety of the castle, though it's anyone guess why that is— maybe it's for your safety, maybe it's to keep you trapped, or maybe it's for another reason entirely. The only breach in the wall is a single gate that looks like it certainly led to the outside at one point, but that too has been cordoned off by solid stone.
Fortunately, there's nothing to stop you from entering the castle itself, where you'll find it's pretty grand all things considered. The lighting inside is provided not by electricity, but by magical flame that adjusts to the time of day or night. Actually, if you're looking for anything electronic anywhere, or even a simple power outlet, you'll be sorely out of luck.
For now, it might be best to explore and make some sense of where you are and why you're here— maybe one of your fellow travelers might know something? There are some plaques in the Great Hall that might catch your interest given their focus, in addition to one ridiculously large golden one that seems to bear rules.
Welcome, fellow warriors, to your very long stay.
It's easy to discern a few things upon a cursory glance, once you pick yourself up from the field of grass you're resting on. The place you've awoken in seems to be fairly tranquil, for the first few moments at least, and the view of a newly budded sakura tree is among the first that will greet you. In the distance, is a towering castle that manages to look all at once both imposing and welcoming at the same time. There's also an odd pendant around your neck, which you'll find won't come off despite your best attempts. In your pocket you'll find a room key, engraved with a number.
The weather is currently cool, with the sun brightly shining in the sky, though there are a few too many clouds to make it a completely clear day. While most of them appear rather normal, every so often you might spot one that looks just a bit off— like a storm cloud that's completely lost it's way. Lucky for you, it doesn't seem like you're going to have to worry about any inclement weather anytime soon, as they'll vanish from your vision as quickly as they came.
A large stone wall surrounds the entirety of the castle, though it's anyone guess why that is— maybe it's for your safety, maybe it's to keep you trapped, or maybe it's for another reason entirely. The only breach in the wall is a single gate that looks like it certainly led to the outside at one point, but that too has been cordoned off by solid stone.
Fortunately, there's nothing to stop you from entering the castle itself, where you'll find it's pretty grand all things considered. The lighting inside is provided not by electricity, but by magical flame that adjusts to the time of day or night. Actually, if you're looking for anything electronic anywhere, or even a simple power outlet, you'll be sorely out of luck.
For now, it might be best to explore and make some sense of where you are and why you're here— maybe one of your fellow travelers might know something? There are some plaques in the Great Hall that might catch your interest given their focus, in addition to one ridiculously large golden one that seems to bear rules.
Welcome, fellow warriors, to your very long stay.
no subject
None that I can think of. I wonder if there's symbolism attributed to these gems that were felt to be apt... but unfortunately I'm even less familiar with what gemstones are meant to symbolize than I am with hanakotoba.
[A fact that's frankly beginning to annoy her.]
no subject
It's peculiar enough they offered us these kinds of presents to begin with? If you can call something you are entirely unable to refuse a present, that is.
[ Given it won't come off... this will surely be uncomfortable when sleeping, but at least Rhoda is used to napping in uniform. ]
no subject
[A pause as Misora carefully examines her own malachite pendant.]
The first thing that would occur to me is that these are tracking devices or recording devices.
no subject
Could you really put such intricate technology into a gemstone? Those are semi-transparent...
no subject
[Misora contemplates quietly for a moment, then crosses her arms.]
But given the ... facilities here, I guess it's hard to imagine how they would have acquired that kind of modern technology in the first place.
[Not that anything really seems to be obeying any logical order.]
But then again, I'd be lying if I said that I'd taken more than a cursory look around the courtyard and the main hall thus far.
no subject
It feels a bit like a theme park, that way.
no subject
[Somehow not at all what Misora expected to hear.]
...Was there food in the fridge?
[Oh actually screw it; she's going to start walking towards the kitchen herself. She signals that Rhoda should follow if she so pleases.]
no subject
Yes, it was well-stocked. As was the rest of the kitchen, this truly is a castle.
no subject
A well stocked kitchen would mean they were well prepared in advance for our arrival. We could have inferred that from the plaques as well as the pendants, but...
As far as I could make out, there's no way to enter or leave the castle grounds.
[She'll leave that hanging to see if Rhoda cottons on to where this is going.]
no subject
For all the hospitality we are shown inside here, this fails to be a good hosting performance if we're locked in.
[ .... so uh, yeah, that's where this is going for Rhoda. ]
no subject
[They arrive at the kitchen and just as Rhoda said, a refrigerator and an icebox stand out like two sore thumbs amidst the larders and outdated equipment. Misora abandons her train of thought to stare.]
What even....
[She heads straight to the fridge to look at what's inside.]
no subject
I'm not sure how it's even running. Earlier, I met a man who didn't seem to know what electricity is...
no subject
It's odd. I haven't seen a single electrical outlet so far. Why does this anachronism exist?
[She tries to look behind the fridge to see if any electrical cables exist after all. She emerges with a frown.]
In a way, it's as if our hosts are telling us that in this place, the usual rules don't apply. Perhaps it's meant to be deliberately disorienting so that we're forced to turn to them for explanations. They want to be the sole source of information which gives them a lot of control over us psychologically.
[A beat.]
But more practically speaking... we may need to start rationing the food. As you pointed out, there's no way in or out of this place. Presumably that also means there's no way for the food supply to get refreshed.
no subject
Do you think we'll be stuck here for so long that we'll use up all of this? There is an immense amount of reserves...
no subject
[Misora breathes out.]
But they do say to expect and plan for the worst while hoping for the best.