A Reckoning...

[strangerpeople]

[You are dead.

Where you awaken is not of your cabin on the train but rather firm earth, the skies above you being nothing but an inky blackness as for as you can see. And yet throughout the darkness, you are surrounded by soft lighting and peculiar music playing all around you. When your senses become less muddled, you will notice that the music playing is upbeat and joyful almost. But let's face it, you are probably thinking this is some sort of creepy hell that you got yourself into after biting the bullet.

It all depends if you find circuses to be such a place because that is where you find yourself. The setting feels more antique than what you may assume a circus to look like, more Victorian themed than what one can be called. First the sound picks up and then you can smell something delectable in the air, catching popped corn and fried sweets and maybe something to drink? It's more than likely here.

Going down the main way, you can see some classic carnival games such as skee ball, ring toss, balloon popping if you are inclined to try and take your mind of the fact that you didn't have a choice in coming here. But despite the joyous air of the circus, there are not many people here that can help you out...or are there?


Lost souls just like yourself who met with the same horrible fate...perhaps an accord can be struck. After all, it looks like you will be here for awhile.]


((OOC: Map for reference.))

Comments

[notthebreakman]

Akko, huh? Nice to meet you, I guess.

[Nope, totally not awkward at all there, Proto.]

Good. Let's get going, then. If it's as I remember, there shouldn't be much to worry about in terms of security.

[alwaysgonnatry]

Hmm... doesn't seem like it should be dangerous as he said so I don't think we need anything else.

[ Without missing a beat, she doesn't even seem bothered at all by Proto's awkwardness in the least. ]

Nice to meet ya too! It's good we're having you with us since you seem to know the place so that just makes everything much easier!

[icanhearscreams]

[As people get in and hold on, Jun glances back at the island.]

All right. Let's go.

[He uses one of the oars to push them off in the direction of the island they're heading to. Fortunately he's at least gotten a little more used to physical work, even if he doesn't like it.]

One of you, help me with the oars.

[notthebreakman]

I'd be in trouble if I didn't know it. That's the lab where I was built.

I'm sure Beatrice has a place she'd recognize around here, too.

[Proto silently takes up rowing duty after that.]

[alwaysgonnatry]

[ Feeling motivated to do things now more than ever, when Jun initially wanted someone to help with the other oar? She'd been fully ready to do it until Proto had grabbed the other one and started helping after that, which left her feeling almost a bit useless now but it didn't keep her mood down very long. ]

So you think maybe someone you know is at that lab, then?

[ By this point anything seems possible. ]

[icanhearscreams]

There's no good way to ask this, but... do you expect that there's anyone left alive there? Some of us come from worlds that are fucked up, so...

[He kind of has to ask. Look, Akko. He's trying to be somewhat polite...]

[notthebreakman]

I... I don't know. I hope he isn't there, but--

[Wow, Jun. Wow.]

Everything was fine up as far as I remember. I know I'm missing time, but my world had--has defenders.

[alwaysgonnatry]

[ Initially she hesitated when Jun asked that, but knew it was logical to ask that. Plus he WAS trying to be polite to an extent about this so there was that to consider as well. ]

Well... i'm hoping that maybe there's no dead people there at the least, and if we don't find who you're looking for? Maybe there'll be something or someone else there!

[ Optimism is her thing, after all. ]

[icanhearscreams]

It looks interesting, after all. And I don't really want to go to another manor.

[He's had enough problems with those already.]

We'll probably be out here a little while... do you have any questions you've thought of in the past few days?

['Days'. Like time matters here.]

[notthebreakman]

If this is an afterlife, then not finding anyone there would only be a good thing, wouldn't it? [Okay, that was a bit blunt.] But maybe there will be some other clues hidden there. [...Better.]

...There have been different games, but they've all taken place in wildly different locations. Is there any sign that the masterminds are connected at all?

[alwaysgonnatry]

Me neither. Once was enough, thanks.

[ Yeah that manor was absolutely awful. Would not recommend that to anyone. ]

Mm... Yeah not finding anyone there would probably be a good thing considering the whole... afterlife thing. Clues would definitely be good, though!

[ O h. Now that IS a good question. She had to stop to think about it, letting off a soft hum in thought. ]

Not any that I can really think of. Then again, I wasn't around very long before I ended up here.

[icanhearscreams]

I've got no idea... I was around for some time but I started losing it pretty fast. Bang didn't exactly help - I was stuck in bed for a bit.

[notthebreakman]

[Proto sighs with disappointment.]

So much for that, then. I was the first victim... and unfortunately, I doubt I'll be the last.

What I do know is that the Conductor serves an Empress, and they seemed all too happy to blame us for their actions.

[alwaysgonnatry]

Ah... right.

[ It's been a while so her memory's not exactly the greatest when she thinks back to that. ]

Doesn't really sound like that great of an Empress if you ask me.

[icanhearscreams]

She sounds like an asshole. The Stewards served their 'big sis', but I don't think she had anything to do with an Empress.

[... Rowing is tiring, ugh.]

[notthebreakman]

And we never had any indication of the Empress having siblings, either. She apparently had at least one daughter, but she didn't seem to be responsible for our plight in anyway.

...So yeah, the Empress is pretty awful, all in all.

[Row, row, row ro-bot...]

[alwaysgonnatry]

Haven't even met the lady and I don't like her. Hope everyone that's alive still on your guys' side manages to take her down or something.

[ With that said she is totally still excited to check things out on the island in the meantime... ]

[icanhearscreams]

[He's getting tired... rowing is hard. Looks like they're just about there, though.]

I'm sure they will... our group took down the stewards, so hopefully there'll be people who aren't idiots in this group, too.

[notthebreakman]

I have confidence that they'll manage to stop her, or at least make her life hell. My group is pretty good at working together.

[Oh, they're here. Proto's expression turns carefully neutral as he tightens his grip on the oars.

Time to go home.]

[alwaysgonnatry]

That's great!! Let's just hope they can keep it together and do just that.

[ Well would you look at that! She turned her gaze up to the lab, but nor had she missed the look that had crossed Proto's face beforehand. So that's why she ended up hesitating before speaking up. ]

...Okay! Whenever you're ready, we can head in. No rush or anything, alright?

[icanhearscreams]

[Jun heads up to the edge and hops out onto sand, grabbing one of the ropes to pull the raft onto shore. Lead the way, Proto.]

[notthebreakman]

[Proto just disembarks and offers Akko a hand to help her out if she needs it. No sense in dawdling now when he had been so adamant about getting out here to search as quickly as possible earlier.

Assuming no monsters leap out and attack them along the way, it's an uneventful stroll to the front door. Thomas Light had always been friendly and trusting to a fault, so security wouldn't be an issue.

The keypad at the entrance still looks the same. Proto hesitates only for a moment before punching in his old access codes. They should still work... right?]]

[strangerpeople]

[When Proto enters his access codes, the doors do indeed open for him. Upon first glance, everything seems to be the same as he remembered; just more clean.

But the group will be able to take note of any kind of noise that happens inside...no matter what kind it is, they all sync as one.]

[notthebreakman]

...Heh. He really did keep them active...

[He looks oddly wistful for a moment before turning back toward Jun and Akko.]

Well... Follow me, then.

[Proto Man steps inside and takes a look around. The cleanliness doesn't surprise him; he's learned that Roll is nothing if not fastidious when it comes to keeping her domain neat and tidy.

The lab itself manages to combine cutting edge sci-fi technology with a warm, homey atmosphere. Where there aren't computer banks lining the walls, there are framed accolades, newspaper clippings, and family photos. There's an examination table in the middle of the main lab, but all the tools and scanners have been put away.]

Doctor Light?

...Mega Man? Roll?

[icanhearscreams]

[Oddly, Jun seems to shy away from the technology, but...]

It seems... nice in here...

Like... a home, really.