trustfell | Welcome.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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.

[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?

.. 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... ]

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?

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.

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

How often does the water come through that way?

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

[ Shrugs. ]

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

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. ]

[She thinks it over, frowning.]

If we broke through the walls, would we be able to follow these pipes in order to find them?

... Oh, maybe! Though if we broke the walls, we might just be able to leave, right? If it were an external wall.

That's true, but it seems a bit too simple to break through an external wall. They must have gone to great lengths to bring all of us here; it must be fortified well.

Honestly, I'd go for the roof. People always forget to make that as sturdy as it could be.

[ She points up. She'll be trying that eventually. Maybe. ]

[In a curious tone:]

Do you have much experience with that, miss?

Oh, some.

[ SHE SAYS WITH A SMILE.

Which implies she won't clarify ]

[She definitely gets the picture, and so she nods.]

I see. I hope that means we'll be successful if we attempt it in this place.

Yeah. Ideally we'll find a vent or something and get a leg up.

[ Well, whatever, she steps back into the room, looking around it. Same set up as hers, more or less... hmm. ]

Man, these rooms are quiet.

What is a vent?

[She gives Elda a nod, though.]

It's strangely lacking in any kind of sound.

This metal thing with holes in it to let air through. It's important for a place with no windows or ones which are shut all the time to cycle air.

[ Or at least, that's her understanding of them. ]

...I see. So their goal isn't to kill us, or they could easily do so by making us unable to breathe?

[It's a disturbing thought, but she doesn't look too distressed.]

[ She doesn't like the idea of it, but she nods ]

Yeah, if the walls are airtight, well built, they could. Hell, even before that, you woke up here same as me, right? That means they had us sleeping or knocked out at some point. Could've slit out throats then.

Yes, I suppose that's true. I hope whatever they brought us here for, it lasts long enough that we can find some form of escape before we outlive that usefulness.

Oh, it better be.

[ Or... or well. ]

... And that being the case we should probably get to work on figuring out one or the other now.

[ . . . ]

What was your name again? I'm Elda Marker.

Yes, I certainly agree.

[A small curtsy.]

It is a pleasure to meet you, Elda. My name is Adelina.

[ So sure about that first name... but eh, she made a decent impression.

She'll curtsy back. ]

Likewise.

[ And she'll even leave her room without incident. ]

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