Welcome.

[trustfellows]

Rise and shine. There are a few things that matter right now - the fact that you're waking up in an unfamiliar but decently comfortable bed, the fact that you don't recognize the room you're in, the fact that you seem to have some sort of headache... Nothing severe, mind. Just the sort of odd, heavy fuzziness that comes with having slept far too long. You don't really remember where you were immediately before this, not upon waking. Something will come to you eventually if you think long enough, however - a couple of seconds of consideration will bring to mind a place, a memory, a recollection of where you were and what you were doing. It probably wasn't anything that would result in you being here, though. Welcome to Graceside Preparatory Academy. You may want to pick up the key to your room before you leave the room, but don't worry too much - your door won't lock automatically, so you won't be locked out if you've forgotten to pick it up. It seems you're not alone, either; the hallway outside your room is most likely full of other confused people by now, and should you turn around to look at the door of the room you just left, you'll find a nameplate with your name printed on it. There's a single word underneath it with no explanation. This is your title, but don't worry about that right now. Depending on when you left your room there may be a clock chiming in the foyer up ahead. It seems like it's seven, though it's difficult to tell if it's seven in the morning or seven at night. There aren't any windows, after all. Should you venture into the room with the clock, you'll find that the only exit is closed - there's absolutely no way to break down that steel bulkhead. It looks like you're not getting out of here anytime soon. The foyer also holds some very interesting information. There's a bulletin board with thirty-five pictures on it. Beside each picture is some very specific and very familiar information. Feel free to examine it. The bulletin board is large enough for plenty of you to gather around and gawk. Don't try to get at it though, that glass in front of it is very thick. If you try to break it, you'll find out the hard way that it's shatterproof. Sorry about that. Perhaps even more of a concern than the glass is the list beside the profiles. It looks like a set of rules. You might want to examine those, though they're not providing much of an explanation for why you're here or how you got here. So relax and get to know your fellow Participants. You might be stuck here for awhile.

Comments

[matchbreaker]

What, you're saying you don't either?

[ They are across the hall neighbors (30 and 25), and so probably step out at about the same time! She huffs a little, looking the much taller woman over and looking around her at the doors. Huh. ]

[bloodbiter]

I certainly don't. Furthermore, I should like to know exactly who took my sword and the rest of my supplies. I suppose you don't know the answer to that question, either?

[She frowns slightly, taking in a soft breath of disappointment with the situation they find themselves in.]

[matchbreaker]

... No? What're you even doing with a sword?

[ That. Threw her a bit? This girl looks too young for that- well, that and she's a girl, actually. ]

[bloodbiter]

I was looking for a...

[She pauses, before she shakes her head.]

That won't be important until I discover a way out of this place. That should be our focus now.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Well, that's shady but you know she's right. ]

Right, whatever. So you don't know anything and I don't know anything. [ UGH. ]

... Securing.

[bloodbiter]

[The word makes her curious, and her eyes follow Elda's to the word above her door. Her eyes narrowing slightly, she looks above the other woman's door.]

Indomitable. Does that have any meaning to you?

[matchbreaker]

[ She glances back to her door... ah.

It is there, isn't it? ]

... No. I mean, it's a more flattering word than others that could be there.

[ she glances at the ones near them. Rooms 24 and 29. ]

Edifying... Evaluating. Huh, they're all different, I guess?

[bloodbiter]

One has to wonder exactly what purpose they serve, and how they were selected.

[A small and thoughtful frown, as she looks towards the other titles they can see.]

[matchbreaker]

What, you've got nothing on "Securing?"

[ They do seem a little superfluous though. She's going to brush past adelina to walk back down the hall there, taking in some of the others - oh wait, that dead ends. Oh well. ]

[bloodbiter]

No. I'm not certain they could be referring to. Of course, it's not as if that's the only strange thing about what's happening here.

[A frown.]

This entire place looks... wrong.

[matchbreaker]

Honestly, other than being too bright, I think the decor's not bad. What's your issue with the looks of it?

[ She gets issues with it in general, but. ]

[bloodbiter]

I looked inside the room I awoke in, and there was some kind of strange device. I'm not certain how to describe it. I'd never seen anything like it before.

[The shower. She's talking about the shower.]

[matchbreaker]

... Really? Maybe I didn't look around enough.

[ . . . Maybe it is aliens. ]

[bloodbiter]

I could point you towards what I'm speaking about if you like. It's a strange sight.

[She gestures towards her door.]

[matchbreaker]

.. Oh, sure, why not?

[ It'll let her compare the rooms anyway, shrug. ]

[bloodbiter]

[She enters in with a sidelong glance at Elda as she goes, pushing open the door to her bathroom and gesturing to the shower.]

There.

[matchbreaker]

[ Oh. Oh wow, someone lower tech than her? She smirks, and then steps in to twist the knobs and... leaps back as the water comes out! ]

It's called a shower - people use it in place of bathing. ... Or well, before bathing, that too.

[bloodbiter]

[There's clear surprise on her face as the water comes shooting out of the shower, eyes widening slightly at the sight as she takes a step back instinctively.]

...What manner of magic causes such a thing?

[matchbreaker]

.. Honestly, I could barely tell you myself, but the gist is that there's a whole bunch of pipes in the walls which help the water get pulled in here from somewhere else.

[ SHE... KnOWS IT WORKS.

Not why, not really... ]

[bloodbiter]

I see. How fascinating...

[She stares at the water for a few more moments before she reaches out to put her hand under the stream.]

How might I turn it off?

[matchbreaker]

You pull that lever I pulled the other direction.

[ She'll wave at it, so Adelina can get a taste for doing it ] That also effects how warm the water is, red's hot and blue's cold.

[bloodbiter]

[She tugs on it experimentally, watching as the water slows and then stops coming altogether.]

How often does the water come through that way?

[matchbreaker]

As much as you want, as long as the source of it doesn't dry up or whoever runs the pipes closes them.

[ Shrugs. ]

[bloodbiter]

Someone must stay there to run the pipes? That would need to be someone at least affiliated with our kidnappers, wouldn't it?

[matchbreaker]

No, no, the pipes are automated... Err, that is, they can operate without something managing it at all times. But ultimately, yeah, there's usually someone who can cut them off if needed to fix them if they get broken. But it'd be controlled by the kidnappers, same as the rest of the building, most likely.

[ She taps on the bathroom wall as if to make that point. ]