Projeck Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 Calvera reads the plaque, and starts trying to work out the solution. She looks between the buttons and the puzzle a couple times, before she goes and presses all the buttons but the center one. It was her best guess, but she felt good in her answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Henderics Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share Posted April 7, 2019 Click! The door slides open, allowing passage deeper into the Ruins. The child gives Calvera a firm thumbs up. Satisfied with their observation, they walk back into the Ruins Entrance for a second, and... stand there. Having stood in the middle of the room for no good reason to their heart's content, they walk into the next room. In that room, there's another locked door, and, this time, no buttons on the floor. A plaque sits on the wall, along with three switches between the entrance and locked door. The path grows more worn here, and it looks like someone's scribbled something in yellow paint next to two of the switches. The child ignores this, and immediately runs over to the switch on the far wall, flipping the unmarked switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Projeck Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 "Oh wow, that worked! Hah, look at me go! Guess I am getting a bit better at logic..." Calvera smiles a toothy smile, ecstatic with her accomplishment, and then squeals in excitement quietly. "GAH THIS IS SO FUN!" She looks around at the ruins, just taking in the odd beauty of it, before going into the next room by the time the kid had flipped the wrong switch. She smiles, and messes with the kid's hair with her hand playfully. "Here hun, let me give it a try..." Calvera reads the plaque, as well as the yellow paint scribbles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj1225 Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 Arminius, hoping to not get confronted by the paladin, and also figuring that he can't outrun a bullet anyway, decides to just quickly and casually follow after the child and star. It's a good thing he's gotten used to acting casual when he's actually quite nervous, otherwise Rachel might realize he's scared of her. Paladins love having people fear them, and Arminius hated anything paladins loved. (He didn't but he liked to tell himself that.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chevaleresse Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 "But you were still here." She sat on the throne for a couple additional moments, wiggling about and trying to find a comfortable position. The girl sneezed at the dust this kicked up, and after her failure to locate a good spot to sit (and the throne's novelty fairly quickly fading) she slid forward off of it. "If I was the princess, I would have a comfier throne," she declared to nobody in particular before glancing back toward Nader. Lucine patted the dust off of her clothes as she spoke. "Besides, I didn't see any traps, and I can see magic." Still, she moved closer to the armored man, once again taking up a spot behind him. "So where are we going now?" Her demeanor became much as it had been previously, as the distraction faded from her mind and she remembered why they were here. "We still have to find that kid." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodofGamingRWBY Posted April 7, 2019 Share Posted April 7, 2019 Proditor ... Strange. The empty coffin, one filled only with mummy wrappings, was the one with psionic traces. Why child corpses were filling the other graves was lost to him. The reason behind making a burial place for it, with a specific amount of coffins. It was all odd. Focusing on the remnant of psionic energy, Proditor attempts to figure out what it is, at least from how much is remaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormLord Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Ignia walks over and checks in the garden, then wonders over to the box while watching the floor and walls. "Freshly watered, no dust build up or cobwebs, people have been here recently. Maybe we spooked them? Maybe we just missed them by coincidence? Maybe the paranoid fellow is right and they're waiting in the shadows to ambush us." Ignia stood turning her head and shifting in place while she examined the rest of the room from a distance, then she eyed the next doorway on from here. "If there isn't anything else you want to check I think we should move forward, there clearly aren't people here no matter their disposition." ((Assuming there isn't anything worth mentioning, move to the next room.)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Henderics Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 -The Switch Room, The Ruins The plaque reads. Meanwhile, the yellow signs say and respectively. Seems someone was kind enough to point out the solution to the puzzle, but rude enough to do so before it could be attempted. Calvera would note that the two labeled switches do seem to be on a lightly colored path through the room, while the third one isn't. -City One, New Home As the others enter the next room, they are stunned to see an entire bustling city to the north, hewn from grey stone, and filled to the brim with monstrous creatures going about their days. The magically adept of the party feel a weak and benign enchantment weave it's way around them, and, before their suspicions can be laid to rest, a hologram, or some sort of illusion appears before them, depicting two small frogs. The area dims as the holograms begin to speak, reciting a pre-recorded message. -Grave Room, New Home (1, 15) Proditor finds that it has been nearly 30 years since this coffin was filled. It's been too long to figure out anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Projeck Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 "Well that seems a little easy..." Calvera looks over the puzzle, just in case there are any other solutions, before conceding that the markings are correct, by her guesses. Calvera pulls the two labelled switches. She waves to Arminius as he finally caught up. "Hey! You missed me solving a puzzle~" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj1225 Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Arminius smiles at Calvera's enthusiasm. "Oh? Then I suppose we should just leave them all to you then?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Projeck Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 "If you wish~" Calvera giggled, seemingly having a good time. She smiled at Arminius, and then her gaze met the ground. "So, I've had something that I've been meaning to ask you-" She shoves her hands into her pockets, she looked back to Arminius, with a smile on her face, but something seems off about it. "-I've just been wondering... after that night in the woods, with the kiss, and the emotions there... I..." Her smile turns to the slightest bit of a frown, and she wipes away a rogue tear. "I know this isn't the best place, but it's been on my mind... where do we stand? I know how I feel... kinda... but I don't know how you do..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonRage Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Sister Rachel follows after Arminius, hanging back a bit as she ponders how something could be intelligent yet lack a soul. "And if Arminius speaks truly, he harvested something from that creature, but not a soul," She reasons quietly, "How odd. There's several things very different from what I had expected about this place..." She pauses to scoff at the message saying that only the fearless might come this way. Everyone is afraid of something. It is learning to overcome fear that brings about courage. But she pauses at the door to the switch room, as she hears Arminius and Calvera's current discussion. Feeling a rather lot like a third wheel, the warrior nun hangs back a bit to let them finish their conversation in relative privacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj1225 Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Arminius gave her a curious look when she said she had something to ask him, which turned to a frown at the shift in topic. He glanced at the child, feeling slightly awkward but figuring there was no harm in talking about this in front of them. "I... I'll be honest, I like you as well but I'd doing you a disservice if I said we should pursue a relationship. If only because you should get out and interact more with other people before that. I mean, you should interact with other people more since just clinging to me isn't really healthy you know? And if we did go further I'm worried you'd regret it later." Arminius didn't know if he was making much sense but hopefully Calvera would understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Henderics Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 The child simply stares Arminius down before giving a firm thumbs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Projeck Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Calvera had begun to smile a little bit as soon as she heard that he shared feelings with her, but it slowly returned to a frown the more Arminius talked on. She felt like she interacted with those around her decently... not that she had many options at the moment... and also considering Arminius was the only one that treated her the way that really made her heart tug. This was an even newer emotion for Calvera... heartbreak. She looked to the floor and didn't know what to say, nor did she know how to process this. Eventually, she spoke up, albeit a little quiet. "I... understand. I'll uhm... stop 'clinging onto you', as you put it." She sounded like her voice was a little shaky, as she continued looking to the ground. Her fists clenched, and she stormed off back the way they came from, she needed to cool her head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Miner Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Nader pondered but for a short moment before he replied to Lucine with a sigh. "Forwards, I suppose. We don't really have much of an option, especially since I suspect the others will be advancing and fanning out without us, so we'll just have to try to keep you safe through that Judgement Hall. Keep your eyes open, okay?" And so the two of them had caught up with most of the other group, to Nader's surprise finding no imminent enemy ambush in the Judgement Hall -- just in time to catch the creation of a hologram which transmitted them a message. Nader nearly had a heart attack at the sight, the armored man letting out an "Ohshitwhatthefuck," and leveling a gun at the hologram before finally catching on that it was fake but also something the others seemed to respond to. His posture relaxed --slightly-- and he lapsed into silence for a moment, before speaking in a grim tone. "Guess I was right, but not about when the ambush would happen. Looks like they want to explain why to us, for whatever reason. To taunt us? To justify to themselves? But if they talk about a human falling down injured and crying for help, and then there's a room of human graves, graves plural, I trust you all can make the connection to what happened next. I've said this already, but keep on your toes. They'll probably wait until they're done talking to attack us, but it might be a distraction too so letting your guard down would be a bad idea. Better we move forward than sit around, though." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endlessblaze Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 The union spent a few minuets looking at the cave and pacing a bit as they tried to figure out what to do. No signs of pepole withen a reasonable distance. The others had likely already gone ahead. But considering the door and the strange barriers this... 'Facility' if it could be called that, had to be connected together. If they went this way, they could likely catch up with the group and have some clues to show for it. So eventualy, they flew into the cave, careful not to get dirty from all the trash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj1225 Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Arminius stared after Calvera until she was out of view. Then he covered his face and sighed hard enough that one would worry that he was going to turn his lungs inside out. That hadn't gone to plan in any capacity that he would have hoped. He did really like Calvera, but... he was him. As much as he was loathe to admit it, Kusuke and Satomi were pretty right. He was terrible. And the only thing he really had going for him was doing what he did well, he couldn't risk losing that by getting distracted from their mission right? He was wrong of course but he didn't acknowledge that fact, or the fact that he had seen how working with someone you love improves your performance first hand. Because that would have made what he just did hurt a lot more, accident or no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chevaleresse Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Lucine glanced up at Nader with a quizzical look on their face. "But that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't they be trying to lure us into a false sense of security or something?" She started to move forward while making sure she remained near Nader. "Or, what if it's not a trap? Maybe they're worried about people seeing all that stuff and getting the wrong idea." She sounded hopeful as she spoke. As much as she enjoyed messing about with devices like the one in her hand, the prospect of actually using them on anything smart enough to set up a holographic display was less appealing, for a number of reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormLord Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Ignia looked surprised at the sudden city-scape and holograms, but she overcame the shock quickly and started staring down at the city below until she heard Nader and Lucine from behind. "No see look here." She pointed down to a monstrous beast standing as a street vendor selling food to some animal like creature. "They're clearly the pinnacle of darkness and evil, not to be trifled with." She was speaking in an almost painfully sarcastic tone with a slight backdrop of horrible mocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Henderics Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 -The Switch Room, The Ruins Click! The door opens when Calvera flips the switches. Discussion happens, and then... Wow, rude ghost. The child stares at Arminius for a long time with an inscrutable expression, before turning to Rachel. -The Garbage Dump, Waterfall. Lilly and Ador dive down, the world shifting to black and white waves around them, before returning to normal. They come down in a foul smelling garbage pit. The entire area seems flooded with random human garbage. There are a few strange creatures rooting around in the junk. A muscular seahorse and a washing-machine turtle. The waterfall pours in from above, and then, into the abyss below. An endless cycle of garbage and tainted water... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yours Truly Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Jun decided not to take the glove out of the box, reasoning that even if it would fit her, if the box's stated purpose was legitimate, it would be kinda odd for her to start off her trip by randomly taking things belonging to seemingly missing people she was looking for, especially if they had placed it here expecting to get it back later. Instead she took out a piece of paper and wrote a message in there for the person carrying the box, "Thanks for the offer but I'll have to take a raincheck on it for now, wondering where everyone is right now, nice glove by the way." She then folded her message into the shape of an easily unfolded flower, put it into the box, and wandered off to see what everyone else was gawking at. "They seem friendly enough from here, but then again it's not like they know that there are humans walking among them, who knows how they'll react." She leaned in a little closer to get a better look at the city before she said, "All of this makes me wonder just what they did that made the rest of the world seal them off though, if there even is a rest of the world to speak of by this point...." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Miner Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 "Maybe they're taunting us. Maybe they're attempting to tell us these things so that they can justify doing this to their people, or to us in some twisted way. Maybe it is some sort of distraction to prevent us approaching their city if they failed to station people in the Judgement Hall. Maybe if it's an explanation it is to lull us into a false sense of security. I couldn't tell you, I can't read minds, but what I can tell you is that I saw a sign for a room of human graves. That's pretty Allah-damned telling." Ignia's remarks only got a look from Nader, one that appeared dispassionate simply because his face was invisible behind the slightly angled mask on his head. "What, do you think that nobody who kills anybody can have any nice or normal things like food stands? I can tell you for a fact that that isn't true." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodofGamingRWBY Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Proditor With a voiceless sigh, Proditor lowered his hand, floating away from the graves. There wasn't anything else he could learn from this place, at this time. Of course, there were still questions, but he couldn't act on them without a more stable source of information. So, with his diversion finally over, Proditor turned away, floating out of the Grave Room, and back to the Judgement Hall. As expected, the group had moved on, so he had to catch up. Presumably, they wouldn't have moved too far ahead. Hopefully. However, as he moved through the hall, silently ignoring the change in scenery, something caused him to pause. A feeling that someone was near, just out of sight. Taking advantage of his own pause, Proditor expanded his senses, attempting to see if there was, in fact, anyone around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hal Henderics Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 -The City, New Home As the group walks a little further down, another pair of images emerge, depicting two small fairies. Then, a little ways further, a trio of... what look like Gelatin Blobs. The holograms state plainly. The group finally passes through an archway, into a long, desolate hallway. At the other end, there seems to be a short flight of stairs. -the judgement hall, new home (3, 5) Proditor expands his senses, feeling out the entire area. There doesn't seem to be anyone nearby... but... People have been here. And... ...They never enter from the doorways on either side of the hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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