these_balls: (I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST)
Route 29: mods ([personal profile] these_balls) wrote in [community profile] route_10652013-10-25 12:32 am

NIGHTMARE PLOT: DAY ONE — DAYTIME

Who: Nightmare Plot participants!
Where: ???
When: Friday, October 25 — DAYTIME
Summary: A whole lot of people collectively wake up and rapidly come to the conclusion that their lives are objectively terrible. Also, a castle.
Rating: PG in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:



YOU ARE HERE. UNFORTUNATELY.


KEY:
RED areas are inaccessible regions of the castle! How they're inaccessible will vary from place to place (and from person to person), so players are encouraged to be creative in making up reasons why their characters can't get in to those areas if they try. For example, they might find the door to be locked or jammed; they might find a section of wall has collapsed and blocked off the corridor; they might just run into an invisible wall or a lingering patch of obscuring fog that ultimately deters them. They might even discover a rather unpleasant-looking monster hanging around and decide they'd rather not take the chance; the sky's the limit here, but the reasons for the same door being blocked can vary from person to person, and we encourage you to use this to add to the IC confusion if you so desire!

BROWN areas are secret passages! It won't be immediately obvious that these areas exist (naturally, being secret), but with some diligence and careful inspection, characters can find the opening and get inside. Whether it's from lifting a secret latch or just figuring out the wall is hollow and bashing the thing down, of course, is up to player discretion!

AREA A — the Spooky Garden. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
The obvious object of note here is the pretty fountain bubbling merrily away in the center of this odd little patch of indoor flora; it's made of white marble and is your standard three-tier affair, surrounded by a modest "courtyard" of grass and wildflowers. The animal sculptures are probably Pokemon you recognize...though on second glance they look more like something you're pretty sure you saw back home...and come to think of it, on third glance they're starting to get a little unsettling somehow. Strange! However, if you can stand the spooky company, it's a fairly quiet place to sit and unwind. Maybe you'll be generous and throw P10 into the waters? Or maybe you'll dig in there and retrieve other people's contributions for your own benefit. Either way, be careful when you look into the water; who knows what faces you might see reflected!

AREA B — the Grand Hall. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
This is where you and your fellow inmates visitors have woken up; everyone will originate here upon the start of the plot, but there's absolutely no restriction on how long you have to stay there, so feel free to take off running as soon as you like. If you decide to stay, though, you'll notice it's a fairly big room, generally rectangular, with walls of gray stone and a healthy coating of dust and cobwebs over most every surface. All things considered, there's not a lot actually in here: some scattered rubble, scraps of wood, tattered cloth, empty sconces on the wall. Poke around a bit and you might find a candle or some other helpful odds and ends, but by and large this seems to be a token Big Empty Room — not particularly helpful for anything but holding people, all things considered.

AREA C — the Overgrown Tower.
Watch your head as you enter this room; contrary to what you might expect from a tower room, the ceiling is surprisingly low, and the dangling vines might give you a fright if you walk into one without paying attention! There isn't much of note in this room, outside of the plants seeping through the cracks in the cold gray stone and the delicate scent of flowers lingering in the air; not much, that is, save for the wooden rocking horse standing stationary in the center of the room — what could that be doing there?

AREA D — the Wine Cellar.
Pretty self-explanatory, this one; this room is stocked full of creaky old wine casks and dusty bottles of what is presumably ridiculously well-aged alcohol, along with assorted bottling tools and the other odds and ends you might find in an old-school winery. Alas, no free shot at hitting the bottle for you, minors; characters who would not ordinarily be eligible to drink in Route will find that even if they crack one of these bottles open, the liquid inside turns to old water — or refuses to come out at all.

AREA E — the Kitchen. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
Like the Wine Cellar, this is also pretty self-explanatory; search the cupboards and you might find food. Whether or not you're willing to try eating it is entirely up to you — who knows what might be in it, or how long it's been there, after all — but no one's likely to starve; when characters aren't in the Kitchen, they won't find themselves to be particularly hungry, regardless of how long it's been since they've last eaten. When they go inside, hunger will set in, but if they'd rather not eat to remedy the problem, then alleviating it is as simple as just leaving the room.

AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
A nice, long, intimidating hallway with a high arched ceiling and faded tapestries lining the walls. Visitors with a healthy sense of paranoia might notice that this room is a classic example of a "kill box"; there's only one exit on either end and nowhere to hide in the middle. But certainly there's no reason to be frightened while walking alone down this long, empty, echoing corridor — though depending on your nerves, it might be a reason to pick up your pace.

AREA G — the Decaying Library.
Though it doesn't seem to have seen a caretaker in quite some time, the library comes fully stocked with enough books to keep the literary-inclined busy for a while. There's at least some valid information to be found, most of it detailing a region that doesn't seem to be Johto or Kanto. Descriptions of Mount Coronet and the ruins of Celestic Town, as well as details about what appear to be the creation of the world can be found here, among other things — including the demented ramblings of a man who seems determined to destroy the world and remake it in his image, and the surely coincidental story of a tragedy that occurred in a large manor not entirely unlike the one you've awakened in...

AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon.
Hopefully you'll never have reason to visit here, but if you've taken up residence in a set of our finest wall manacles, well...enjoy your stay, we suppose. This room is only accessible through the secret passage designated in brown; in the event that your character suffers a critical injury during the course of this plot, after whiting out they will end up in this room, presumably in chains. Hopefully they've got a friend who can pick locks, or who'll otherwise come to spring them from their confinement! If not, it might be a loooooong wait until someone happens by.

AREA I — the Haunted Terrace.
This area is also accessible by secret passage, and if you happened to find it in the daytime, you might be a bit disappointed to discover that it's pretty much just a big empty patio that looks as though it ought to be outdoors (and the occasional breeze passing through would seem to support that conclusion), but it's so heavily ringed by thick fog that you can't see more than a foot or two past the boundaries of the edges.


~

☆ NOTES ☆


• Remember, all arrivals to the castle originate in AREA B — the Grand Hall, but you're free to move away from there as quickly or as slowly as you like! Feel free to handwave the arrival as you see fit.

• This log is for DAYTIME INTERACTIONS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 only! The Night One log is here, and other interactions throughout the course of the plot should be made in characters' own journals.

• If you have any questions, you can always ask us here at the INQUIRIES HOTLINE!

~

☆ QUICK LINKS ☆


AREA A — the Spooky Garden | AREA B — the Grand Hall | AREA C — the Overgrown Tower | AREA D — the Wine Cellar | AREA E — the Kitchen

AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries | AREA G — the Decaying Library | AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon | AREA I — the Haunted Terrace

GENERAL — Other Castle Locations
strongestoftheturks: (Normal)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-25 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[This place...it's very unsettling, but Rude can't exactly figure out why. There's an odd feeling that lingers in the garden, despite the peaceful atmosphere. And those statues...he could've sworn he saw a Chocobo out of the corner of his eyes, exactly where that Doduo had been standing, but a fourth look yielded him the four unblinking stone eyes.

He frowned and tried his best to shake off the uneasiness; this is no time to chicken out. He's here to find answers and he's not leaving without any.

Crouching down near the flowers, he carefully touched a petal; no monster reared its head out of the ground, so encouraged by that he continued to investigate the flower patch. He might move to the fountain once he's satisfied that there's nothing the flowers can give him...if they really are as innocent as they're looking at the moment.
]

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-25 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even the most unassuming of places could be dangerous, Hope knew that by experience. The garden was beautiful, all kept plants and intact statues, unlike the rest of the castle that seemed soon run-down, but he knew that was no reason to let his guard down. In fact, it was reason enough to not do so.

And he's just a bit intimited by the man by the flowers. Resident or fellow prisoner? Only one way to find out.]


They're beautiful, aren't they? Much like the rest of the garden.

[He's not drawing closer to the flowers though, preferring to be in open space, because that statue closest to the flowers? It looks eeriely like the fal'Cie Eden.]
strongestoftheturks: (Stand my ground)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-25 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Rude looks at the newcomer, his shades partially hiding the wary gleam in his eyes. The young man seems unassuming enough but one shouldn't take any chances in a mysterious mansion that traps people inside it.]

...yeah.

[He doesn't actually have much of an opinion on the flowers but an agreement, as insincere as it might be, would be a better reply than his customary silence. Rude straightens up and stands upright, folding his hands behind him and maintaining the distance between the two of them.]

...you just got here?

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-26 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
[The question doesn't take him aback, because he'd been expecting it.]

Yes.

I'd have said alone... but there had been others as well. I'm missing a few key companions though.

[More like forty of them are missing him, considering he's in the middle of nowhere and he just hopes they're where he'd left them.]
strongestoftheturks: (Normal)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-26 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
...your Pokemon.

[Just like Rude. So perhaps he isn't an enemy and just another trapped trainer in this mansion.[]

You found any clues?

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-26 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, that's been settled. They're in the same situation.]

Of our missing Pokémon? No.

But there seems to be a lot for other kinds of Pokémon instead. Extremely vague, I'm afraid, but so far it's all I have.
strongestoftheturks: (Stand my ground)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-26 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
[So nowhere near any answers just yet. Rude's not too bothered; things were still early.]

Guess we'll have to look more.

[Anyway the flowers hadn't yielded him anything but flower pollen, so maybe he should rededicate his attention somewhere else. Those statues are still given a wide berth but maybe the fountain would have something else for him. He approaches the fountain, running a hand across the stone surface and checking for any clues.]

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-26 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[Or wait, he doesn't say. There is something around, he can tell, because there are extremely blatant warnings everywhere.]

There are secret passageways, as far as I can tell. I've only discovered one so far, but it's far from the only one, I'm sure.
strongestoftheturks: (Oh crap)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-26 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
I se..-!!

[Abruptly, Rude stumbles backwards from the fountain; something had smiled at him from the water!]

Shit. There's something in there...

[Whoever it is looked...feminine, but he can't be sure. All he caught was a flash of white and that eerie smile.

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-26 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
What?

[Hope moves forward, leaning over the shallow water himself. Though he's seeing nothing but the bottom of the fountain, all stone and a few coins here and there.]

There's nothing here. ... Hmm.

[He's loathe to touch the water, but he's pretty sure it's no trick of the light, if the man had indeed seen something. He doesn't think the natural light in this place is enough to produce such an effect.

So Hope scrounges around on the ground for a stone to toss into the water.]
strongestoftheturks: (Default)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-26 10:43 am (UTC)(link)
[Figures. Of course the creepy stuff would have to disappear the moment someone else walks over to check it out. Rude keeps his senses alert for any other sudden movements or sounds; whatever it was that had smiled at him at the fountain had left a feeling of foreboding. He lets Hope take over the investigation for the time being; if anything bad happened, better the kid than him.]

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-26 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[Hope drops the little stone into the water, watching its surface carefully. Nothing appeared on it, but for some reason, the bottom of the fountain began to clear with every ripple, until he could see a lump of white stone that seemed like a very child-like face he's only seen once in his entire life, living in a pool of water as well--

And he jerks back because well, there's indeed something in the water.

It's just not the same for everyone.

Breathing hard, he nods at the other man, before moving well away from the fountain. He'd rather give the thing a wide berth from now on.]
strongestoftheturks: (Come at me)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-26 02:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well, it's good to figure out the safe areas from the not so safe ones. Now that he's got the confirmation that it isn't just him, he'll be glad to cross off this area as a potential resting spot.

Rude beckons towards the entrance; maybe they should discuss any further theories about this place away from whatever there is inside the fountain. It may still be contained within the water but Rude's not taking any chances.
]

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-27 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, Hope's honestly happy to have an opportunity to get away from an open area. Even if it means going back inside.

He opens up one of the packs at his belt, slipping fingers into it and pulling out his switchblade. The blade itself isn't out, but that's a big yet. Honestly, Hope's not one to fight, but he's glad the bout of paranoia last week pushed him to make it.]


Would you rather I check if it's safe first?
strongestoftheturks: (Looking over)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-27 10:35 am (UTC)(link)
[He's welcome to it. Rude steps aside and lets Hope pass through first. He'll stand and fight by Hope's side if the situation warrants for it, but his first priority is getting back his missing Pokemon. If things get too tough he won't have any qualms with leaving Hope to deal with it while he makes a quick escape.

Rude casts a backward glance at the outdoor garden as they leave. A breeze happens to blow through the place, causing the leaves to bob with the wind...almost as if they were waving the two of them goodbye. He feels a chill down his spine and quickly exits, quite glad to get out of there while he still can.
]

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-28 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
[It's been a while since he'd taken point, but he remembers how it's done. Hope pulls on the circle on the handle with a finger, making the blade of his small homemade weapon flip up and click into place.

He opens the door slowly, taking care to stay behind it and not the widening crack, just to make sure he won't be visible to anyone inside. At the same time though, he's the one keeping an eye out.

When he's sure it's okay, he straightens back up and steps in confidently, waving the other man in.]
strongestoftheturks: (Serious convo)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-28 01:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[With both the front and the back covered, Rude's able to let out a slight sigh of relief once the two of them are back inside. He's not so foolish to believe the two of them are completely safe but for the time being, the coast is clear.]

...the hell was that?

[personal profile] eagletalons 2013-10-30 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
Something I don't have a word for yet. [Because it cant be a hallucination, not when both of them seem to be of sound mind. And who's ever heard of a hallucination that's different for every person?]

Something that changes depending on the person looking, definitely. But it's not something I know of.
strongestoftheturks: (Dangerous)

[personal profile] strongestoftheturks 2013-10-30 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
["Changes"? Rude raises an eyebrow and shoots a questioning look Hope's way.]

...I saw someone smiling at me. A lady.

["It looked like the head of an alien being that had tried to destroy my home planet" is a bit hard to explain, so Rude will keep things simple.]

...she looked like, hmm...she looked like someone dangerous. From my world.