Angels of Death - Rest, Relaxation and Revitalisation

[Ame]

SPOILER: Click to show

{For those of you who completed Door 3}Shaking off the screams of your fallen comrades, you turn and find yourself in a small hallway snaking off into empty blackness. Wondering what horrible, terrible, overly produced tragedy awaits you in the next room. Defective's voice rings out, a bit hoarser than before.

"I believe we all deserve a small respite after that ordeal. The path ahead leads to safety, at least for the time being. Stay here if you wish, but there's no use going back for them. The Unworthy deserve their fate."

You follow the path as it slopes upwards, keeping one hand against the wall to orient yourselves, your eyes slowly getting used to the blackness. Eventually you spot a small sliver of orange light, way off into the distance. Upon reaching it, you find it to be a small set of doors. Pushing against the heavy wooden doors with a low creak, your eyes adjust to the blinding light when you find yourselves at the base of a hill. You appear to be leaving a small cellar. Scanning the area you find a hill with a house on top, and a group of 6 people across the field from you.

SPOILER: Click to show

{For those of you who completed Door 6}After leaving through the admin door, you walk through a dimly lit corridor for while. What... an experience that was. Guertena seems to be comforting Aoi, who is shaking like no tomorrow. Naix is leading seeing where they will end up, with April and Neo trying to keep as much distance from each other as possible.

Eventually, you find yourself at a large gate. There is no activation or deactivation device. April walks up to it and looks at it...

"Oh... We're here. This is it. Can I ask you all help me push open this door?"

Everyone nods, except for Neo, but they all push open the giant doors.

In between the cracks, an orange coloured light appears.

A giant smile comes over April's face as soon as the light appears

"Ah- Orange House! I knew it!"

After entering the door, you find yourself in a large field, being sent orange light everywhere. On the top of a small hill, you can spot a house, and on the other side of the field, a group of people. There appears to be six of them.

[Vaellin the Bard]

Guertena turns tentatively to April as he takes in the view. "A good sign then? What is... orange house? And are those the other survivors? The ones who went through the other door?" He shades his eyes to try and see further. Who survived? Who died?

[Ame]

[Source] Vaellin the Bard said:

Guertena turns tentatively to April as he takes in the view. "A good sign then? What is... orange house? And are those the other survivors? The ones who went through the other door?" He shades his eyes to try and see further. Who survived? Who died?

"Orange House is... this area. It's a field with a house in it, the sky is always in sunset, so it's always orange. It's my favourite place to be. We should value our time here."

April squints at the other group

"...Six. That means... two.. maybe even three of them have died, if Jupiter is over there as well."

[Vaellin the Bard]

Guertena shivers slightly. "We should go meet up. I assume what we talked about in room 6 is to be kept quiet for your sake, Neo's, and Jupiter's?" He pulls out a lollipop a looks ahead.

He will definitely take this moment to relax if allowed. And get to know the others more. He had that promise. Though, he had to admit he felt more protective of April, Naix, and especially Aoi. After what happened, especially Aoi. "So no immediate danger. Hopefully some food and a good bath."

[Sachi]

Joy waves his hands and shouts in the direction of the other group. By his count, six... Well, if the other team lost a few people too, that doesn't seem to wrong, but...

"Oi, you lot!" He shouts. "Told yous we'd see ye on the other side! Is Jupiter wae yous?!"

[Ktoasty]

Naix (rhymes with rise) gazes into the far reaches of the field. "Do you know how wide this room is? I wouldn't expect us to be outside, so there must be some boundaries."

As she waits for details on the Orange House, Naix takes out her PadLock. She opens up her player roster to see who has died since the last room, and if anyone has been added to the roster. "Both groups meeting at the hilltop would be preferable."

[Vaellin the Bard]

Sept 25, 2022 21:44:12 GMT -6 Sachi said:

Joy waves his hands and shouts in the direction of the other group. By his count, six... Well, if the other team lost a few people too, that doesn't seem to wrong, but...

"Oi, you lot!" He shouts. "Told yous we'd see ye on the other side! Is Jupiter wae yous?!"

Guertena pales slightly, considering the words he just said. "W-we thought Jupiter was with you!" he calls back, walking slowly towards Joy though not without keeping half an eye on the others with him.

His interactions with Joy were limited, but he recalled the man being incredibly helpful. Besides, the codename seemed very fitting. He opens his mouth to call out again but then hears Naix.

Sept 25, 2022 21:47:04 GMT -6 Ktoasty said:

"Both groups meeting at the hilltop would be preferable."

Nodding at her, he makes his way up to the hilltop, pointing up as he does so.

[Sachi]

Sept 25, 2022 21:49:57 GMT -6 Vaellin the Bard said:

Guertena pales slightly, considering the words he just said. "W-we thought Jupiter was with you!" he calls back.

Joy breaks into a jog to get closer to the other group. He gets within normal talking range, you know, because shouting for conversation isn't very viable for your vocal chords. He takes a quick headcount after hearing Guertena's response, just to make sure he heard right, but it's true - Jupiter isn't with Team 6, either. 

At the very least, they had the knowledge that she got to the other end of the Null door okay. She even told them about the scanners and stuff. But what exactly she found beyond that, he didn't know for sure... At the very least, she probably wasn't considered Unworthy. Joy didn't recall hearing that in the terms and conditions of the Null door. They just said that person wouldn't participate in the round, so...

"Good tae see you all," he says as he scratches the back of his head. "Bit worried aboot Jupiter, are ye, Guertena? Aye, I know how ye feel. It was my idea tae begin with that she carry all those bracelets wae her. Almost got her killed wae that alone. If she ended up dropping one... Bloody hell. Guess we should keep in mind for next time that you probably shouldnae carry that many, specially if you're... eh, clumsy."

Joy found himself smiling, something he hadn't thought he'd done since he got here. Well, maybe he'd had a wee laugh now and then - like when Sparrow tried stealing that bracelet and he got told what for - but he doesn't remember smiling while trapped within these... walls? He didn't really want to call them that anymore, considering the scale of the room he just left, but... Well, for simplicity's sake, let's just say he hasn't smiled in a while. The combination of being free himself, combined with seeing (most of) the people from the other door here as well, well, it just gives you a sense of relief, you know?

...

Joy hadn't had much conversation with Guertena, either - obviously. That stuff goes both ways, you know? That said, he did recognise the name, even if very vaguely. An artist, he believed, a decently famous one at that. He might have seen a painting here or there in the past, although he probably wouldn't recall it unless it was brought up to him directly. The man going by that name, Joy assumed, was not the artist himself. Probably a fan of some sort. His aesthetic, at least, befitted the vague memories Joy had of Guertena the artist. A good aesthetic, that is... Hard to put into words when you can hardly recall a thing, I suppose.

[Vaellin the Bard]

Sept 25, 2022 22:05:47 GMT -6 Sachi said:

"Bit worried aboot Jupiter, are ye, Guertena? Aye, I know how ye feel. It was my idea tae begin with that she carry all those bracelets wae her. Almost got her killed wae that alone. If she ended up dropping one... Bloody hell. Guess we should keep in mind for next time that you probably shouldnae carry that many, specially if you're... eh, clumsy."

Guertena turns his head to the side and nods again, the worry not hidden in the slightest. "Yes... well hopefully she'll show up safely. We ran into a fair amount of interesting things back there and it's left me a bit shaken. We saw... well a few of us saw our own corpses. It was a few murders on a train that we had to piece together. I uh... I got knocked out for a bit of it."

He forces a better smile at Joy, though it's still a little shaky. "How'd things go on your end though? What did you have to deal with?"

[Sachi]

Sept 25, 2022 22:11:07 GMT -6 Vaellin the Bard said:

Sept 25, 2022 22:05:47 GMT -6 Sachi said:

"Bit worried aboot Jupiter, are ye, Guertena? Aye, I know how ye feel. It was my idea tae begin with that she carry all those bracelets wae her. Almost got her killed wae that alone. If she ended up dropping one... Bloody hell. Guess we should keep in mind for next time that you probably shouldnae carry that many, specially if you're... eh, clumsy."

Guertena turns his head to the side and nods again, the worry not hidden in the slightest. "Yes... well hopefully she'll show up safely. We ran into a fair amount of interesting things back there and it's left me a bit shaken. We saw... well a few of us saw our own corpses. It was a few murders on a train that we had to piece together. I uh... I got knocked out for a bit of it."

He forces a better smile at Joy, though it's still a little shaky. "How'd things go on your end though? What did you have to deal with?"

Joy almost looks back in disbelief, but the reality of the situation hits him. With everything they've been through, it's not that unexpected that the masterminds behind this operation could have some actors that just happen to resemble people... That wouldn't be out of their budget, at least, considering the other marvels, both technological and otherwise, that they've shown themselves able to produce.

"Yer own bodies... I'm sorry you had to go through that. Doesnae bear thinking about..." He sighs. "And on a train, no less? I can tell you one thing, this facility's a lot bigger than it lets on. Was the same for us, though. We didnae go into just a single room, naw - it was a whole high street, lead us all the way to a full blown theatre."

He recounts the experience he'd just had. Disgusted by the situation though he is, one can tell there's a certain curiosity in Joy's voice. Like there's a mystery here that's begging to be solved, so that everyone left can run free. Crazy that you can get that from just his voice.

"We watched a performance - well, some of us took part in it, as if they were controlled like puppets. There were holograms and hundreds of... faceless people. The adrenaline must've been getting to me. Now that I'm out of there proper, it was quite freaky, thinking back on it. Course, couldnae worry about that while I was in there. My only goal was getting out, wae as much people as I could..." Joy gestures to the others behind him, and his words begin trailing off.

"Sparrow and Friend, they didnae make it out wae us..."


 

[Vaellin the Bard]

Sept 25, 2022 22:25:52 GMT -6 Sachi said:

"We watched a performance - well, some of us took part in it, as if they were controlled like puppets. There were holograms and hundreds of... faceless people. The adrenaline must've been getting to me. Now that I'm out of there proper, it was quite freaky, thinking back on it. Course, couldnae worry about that while I was in there. My only goal was getting out, wae as much people as I could..." Joy gestures to the others behind him, and his words begin trailing off.

"Sparrow and Friend, they didnae make it out wae us..."

Guertena nods in agreement. "It feels like each trial forces us to put our morals aside to solve a problem. I'll never get used to seeing a dead body, but... I feel a certain numbness coming whenever I'm confronted with the details."

Hearing of Sparrow and Friend, he closes his eyes. Sparrow was the first to talk to him. A very friendly person and one Guertena had hoped would get out with him. Friend he knew less but either way. "We lost Vampire and Werbill, unfortunately. I think the whole scenario was just too much for Werbill and Vampire... well I think he forgot the mystery itself and instead was focused on his own objectives. I barely saw him, but something about him always felt off."

"But I made a decision, too, in there. So, I'm hoping at the end of this I will come out the better man." He clenches a fist and stares hard at Joy, determination obvious, though it quickly wilts again. "I want to make sure to get to know everyone so that if we lose anyone we will at least be able to carry on their memories. Especially if we somehow end up continuing in a l--I mean, trapped here for longer than expected." He laughs slightly nervously.

"That being said, I'd love to talk with you more, Joy. You seem incredibly resourceful, and I think that's going to be very beneficial to all of us. You and Naix may be two of the best people to have at their sides." Chief too, now that he thinks about it, considering the trick with the screws.

[Ame]

As the two groups walk towards the house, the sound of of occasional thudding can be heard.

The house is less of a house, but more of a collection of cottages. The biggest cottage has two floors, and backs onto what appears to be the end of the sky... however that works out. You feel as if the the sound of birds chirping and trees swaying in the wind is the only way to make this feel more... real.

Unlike the eerie silences you've experienced, this is, peaceful. calming. It's enough to make you forget about the horrible, deeply traumatic experiences you just had.

The further in you get, the louder the banging noise can be heard, though it doesn't appear to be coming out of any house. Probably nothing to worry about. You see a pool, which appears to be mostly clean, and could be easily fully cleaned, as well as several outdoor tables, and a barbecue.

[Sachi]

Sept 25, 2022 22:37:59 GMT -6 Vaellin the Bard said:

Sept 25, 2022 22:25:52 GMT -6 Sachi said:

"We watched a performance - well, some of us took part in it, as if they were controlled like puppets. There were holograms and hundreds of... faceless people. The adrenaline must've been getting to me. Now that I'm out of there proper, it was quite freaky, thinking back on it. Course, couldnae worry about that while I was in there. My only goal was getting out, wae as much people as I could..." Joy gestures to the others behind him, and his words begin trailing off.

"Sparrow and Friend, they didnae make it out wae us..."

Guertena nods in agreement. "It feels like each trial forces us to put our morals aside to solve a problem. I'll never get used to seeing a dead body, but... I feel a certain numbness coming whenever I'm confronted with the details."

Hearing of Sparrow and Friend, he closes his eyes. Sparrow was the first to talk to him. A very friendly person and one Guertena had hoped would get out with him. Friend he knew less but either way. "We lost Vampire and Werbill, unfortunately. I think the whole scenario was just too much for Werbill and Vampire... well I think he forgot the mystery itself and instead was focused on his own objectives. I barely saw him, but something about him always felt off."

"But I made a decision, too, in there. So, I'm hoping at the end of this I will come out the better man." He clenches a fist and stares hard at Joy, determination obvious, though it quickly wilts again. "I want to make sure to get to know everyone so that if we lose anyone we will at least be able to carry on their memories. Especially if we somehow end up continuing in a l--I mean, trapped here for longer than expected." He laughs slightly nervously.

"That being said, I'd love to talk with you more, Joy. You seem incredibly resourceful, and I think that's going to be very beneficial to all of us. You and Naix may be two of the best people to have at their sides." Chief too, now that he thinks about it, considering the trick with the screws.

"I see... those two wernae the talkative type," Joy admits, "but it's a shame they had to go like that. A shame any of them had to go like that, if I'm honest wae ye. No much else we can dae but press on."

Guertena's newfound resolve sparks another smile in Joy. A smile that soon turns to a look of pride. 

"Ah, ye're flattering me too much. This sorta thing's just what I dae for a living - did for a living, I suppose, before I ended up here wae you all. Ye've got a good head on you, though. Never hurts to make some pals, specially when you're trapped in a place like this. And we cannae well let people go unremembered. They all had loved ones, even the more secretive folk. Those people deserve tae know what happened. And they deserve their justice. I promise you, son, I willnae rest till we get the answers we're looking for."

Joy realises he's been spouting some stuff for a short while now. He chuckles and apologises, hoping to lighten the mood he's set up with the past few sentences.

 "Aye, I'd like to get to know you better anaw."

He offers a handshake as a symbol of their newfound, well, I wouldn't quite call it a friendship, or a truce, or anything specific just yet, but they're certainly more acquainted than they were before. I suppose they've promoted from "acquaintances" to "people who are working together for a common cause and also share some ideals". 

..Actually, that might just be what a friend is. Anyway-

"I'd be glad tae work wae ye, if I ever get the opportunity. Cannae really pick and choose who we go wae, what wae these doors showing their mugs, but you know what I mean."

[Ame]

[Source] Ktoasty said:

Naix (rhymes with rise) gazes into the far reaches of the field. "Do you know how wide this room is? I wouldn't expect us to be outside, so there must be some boundaries."

As she waits for details on the Orange House, Naix takes out her PadLock. She opens up her player roster to see who has died since the last room, and if anyone has been added to the roster. "Both groups meeting at the hilltop would be preferable."

"The room is, pretty big, all things considered. But, there are boundaries. I don't know how long it is, it probably takes 3 minutes to walk end-to-end?"

[Vaellin the Bard]

As Guertena shakea Joy's hand, he thought about what Joy said. Did something like this for a living? "Police? Or um detective or scientist? Ah sorry, I just um... I'm just a student personally. Though," Guertena muses, rubbing the back of his head. "This may sound odd but I used to have a recurring dream of surviving a life or death situation. It wasn't dead bodies and mysteries, however. More... artwork come to life and puzzles." Which really sounded silly whenever he spoke of it.

"But it was, like I said, just a dream. Still, recalling the efforts I put into that dream helps both in how to approach what we are doing and calming my nerves."

"Also, I think trust really is going to be important in this game. Even if we can't all make it through the same doors, the more people we can work well with, the more likely we will be able to be with one of them." Still, if Joy WAS a detective or scientist, then Guertena was positive that he'd be one of the best to have alongside considering thus far they've just solved murder cases.