WEEK 1: CYOA (Alex, Blanca, Shiro, Sora)

[retellers]

Comments

[retellers]

[ Wherever your character might have been walking to before this, the moment they pass through the next area, whether through a door, the bridge or even the elevator-- they'll wind up somewhere... somewhat unexpected.

It almost seems like an extension of the space station. The walls and floors around them are the same, at least, though they won't recognize this area at all. Behind them is a wall and no way back. The corridor they find themselves in is dimly lit compared to the rest(?) of the spaceship, and extends to the right and left of them. Both sides seem empty, though it's too dark to see further in. What might be more of interest is what is on the floor to each side.

While there is nothing in the middle area they have found themselves in, to the right of them is a trail of what looks to be blood, like something was dragged around. To their left, there are spots of some sort of odd purple goo that glows brightly, almost like something that was dripping down from time to time.

There is no sound around them coming from either direction to hint at what may have made such messes. They will simply have to choose. ]

[lionson]

[Welp.

Shiro looks left. Then looks right.]

Okay. Me and the big guy will go that way- [He points towards the trail of blood.] -and you two can go check out the other way.

[He is absolutely trying to direct the younger woman and the child towards what looks to be less dangerous.]

[reconnective]

[hm. don't like that. he blinks for a moment to let his vision adjust, and he seems to freeze for a moment while assessing his surroundings. there's a long pause of silence before he seems to register the other three people in the room, and there's another pause as he squints in shiro's direction.

but okay. he's pointing at the blood trail and sora glances the opposite direction and sees the goo on the floor. he can pick up the implications well enough with that and he nods.]

Got it. It should loop around, maybe, so we can meet in the middle. Sound good?

[papasha]

[Wow. Well.

He has shifted slightly to the side before he adjust to being in a completely different location with three other people--but they are familiar at least. And okay (for now).

The blood and... yeah. He is going to have to agree.]

Yes, but... please be careful. Stay on guard.

[chanteuser]

[ wow. this looks fine. glad i gave her boots and not heels before this, thanks spacelocker. ]

You too.

[ you are following the blood trail?? ]

... do we need some way to alert the other group we’re in danger?

[ she’s never seen a horror movie, a space movie or a space horror movie or she might have thought this whole “splitting the group in two” was a bad idea. ]

[lionson]

Shouting might work. It should echo down the halls, yeah? So if one side hears a shout for help, the other should go back to help them.

[They're gonna heckin die, RIP.

But if they're all good on instructions, Shiro will start heading down the bloody path.]

[reconnective]

Works for us. Good luck. [and he nods to the daddies before he turns and begins walking off with alex]

LEFT ( Sora & Alex vs The Smooze )

[retellers]

[ To the left Sora and Alex go, following that beautiful trail of shiny purple goo. The puddles on their way are inconsistent in size, and still seem fresh. Despite the seeming darkness in the corridor when they started, the lights seem to work normally as they walk on by.

They eventually reach something, however; what looks to be an industrial elevator... next to a set of stairs leading upwards. The goo trail heads to (from?) the elevator. There is only one button to push to get the elevator, so there's no telling immediately where that will lead them. ]

smooze.....

[chanteuser]

[ everything about this place is making her skin crawl, heck. alex's eyes keep flickering around the corridors, looking at the puddles of goop littering the floor and then around to make sure nothing's about to jump out at them.

absently, her arms move to wrap around her middle, tighening nervously. ]

... We... uh. Don't really have much choice but to use that elevator, do we?

[reconnective]

[he's sticking pretty close as they walk, eyes alert as he continues to observe their surroundings. he doesn't reply right away, but as they approach the elevator he looks between it and the stairs.]

Looks like that's where the trail goes. But...let me see. [he's going to stray for a moment to go peer at those stairs. he's looking to see if he can see anything leading upward or if there are any other signs of goo or the like. ] What do you think this stuff is anyway?

[retellers]

[ None goo! But the stairs seem unobstructed. They spiral a tad, but only about once, to make sure you can't see the above level. There's a window near the spiral part, but the outside is pitch black.

The elevator does not seem to have anything of interest on the outside of it. A closer look at the goo won't give you anymore info on it. It does reflect the light prettily, though. ]

[chanteuser]

I have no idea, and I'm not really sure I want to stick my hand in it and get a feel of it to find out.

[ iiiicccckkkk.

she wanders over to sora, leaning slightly around him to peer at the stairs as well. arms still folded across her middle. ]

...

Can we go up from here too? That might be a little less, um, obvious. Than taking the elevator.

[reconnective]

Hm...[she's close enough that he can hear her, at least, and he finds himself looking between the stairs and the elevator.] Well. Nothing says we have to get in the elevator once we push the button, right? Let's call it and check it out. If there doesn't seem like there's any clues or it looks like a bad idea, we can take the stairs.

[though he does put one foot on the bottom step as if to test the staircase.]

[retellers]

[ he dies instantly! Just kidding, nothing happens. They're just stairs. ]

[chanteuser]

[ alex will scuttle over and press the button for the elevator. and then immediately scuttle away from the elevator back towards the stairs, just in case something's about to ooze out of the elevator at her. ]

[reconnective]

[alex is so smart. sora watches this happen but he does move a little closer to the elevator itself to get a better look inside when the door opens. there's enough room between them and the elevator so they can bolt, but he's still curious. what do we have here...?]

RIGHT (Shiro & Blanca in "Bleed me, daddy")

[retellers]

[ No, I do not regret this title.

The walk to the right following the blood is... interesting, to say the least. The further they go, the less light there is. And while the trail of blood started off fresh, it seems to get dryer and dryer as they walk, though it's hard to tell with the light being so dim... and flickering, now.

They have chosen to keep pressing on despite the impeding darkness, but once it arrives, it does not last long. They'll only take one step into the dark before the lights flicker weakly back on... Revealing they are once again not where they expected to be.

Gone are the metal floors and walls, replaced with delapidated wood. The blood trail they were following is now an old, dirty red carpet seemingly leading them further in. A quick glance around will show that there is now a large double door behind them...and in front, what looks to be the entrance hall of a manor that has seen better days? ]

[papasha]

[Well, the blood is still worrying, but the flickering lights is additionally concerning. Terrible.

He follows after it through the dark with Shiro, straining to listen for any kind of noises while on guard. The manor is unexpected? Hello?

And yet, familiar to him in the way he's unfortunately been in expensive estates. He exchanges a glance with Shiro.]

Forward then?

[Follow the red brick-colored carpet.]

[lionson]

[Welp. So much for listening in to help the other group. Shiro was going to feel guilty if someone heckin' died there.]

It looks like we have no choice. Let's stay close.

[If nothing else, maybe he could keep Blanca safe.

He will just walk in through the front door, though. No point in sneaking, not with that kind of an invitation. He's not purposefully loud or anything. But he makes no attempt to hide his movements.

He probably shouldn't be so cocky without his trusty shotgun.]

[retellers]

[ The manor has... clearly seen better days. That's the most obvious thing to notice as they step in. There's cobwebs and dust everywhere, the floors are caked in dirt, and everything creaks as they walk. The hall itself is mostly empty, save for a chair or two covered in a sheet that probably used to be white at some point in its life nearby.

From there, going with their direct field of vision, they have three options. There are two doors immediately obvious, one to the left and one to the right. The red carpet itself goes straight through the hall and up a wide set of stairs to the second floor. Part of the banisters for the stairs is broken and lies on the ground next to them. ]

[papasha]

[Oh great. Many rooms.

He pulls a bit away from Shiro to one of the walls as their approach the left and right door, and he motions Shiro toward the other wall opposite him. Doesn't matter which.

Even as a big guy, there's a trained way in which he leans flush against the wall with his back by one of the doors, stopped for a moment. He peers up the stairs, and frowns.]

It looks like someone fell. What would you like to do, Mister Fujimoto? Check these two, or continue up?

[lionson]

[RIP whoever fell, they will be missed. Maybe.]

We might as well check these ones first.

[He'll step to the left side, letting Blanca go to the right. And then he'll open his own door to peek in.]

[retellers]

[ The right room Blanca peers into seems to have been a music room of some kind. There are numerous stringed instruments in it, and all are arranged for practice. There is a cello, a violin, a harp and a viola next to some empty music stands. The chairs for all of these are as dusty as the instrument, and covered in a sheet as well. A grand piano and its accompanying bench is situated in the center of the room.

The left room Shiro looks at, meanwhile, seems to be a lounge. A few couch and chaises are covered in a dusty sheet. A sheet covers something in the shape of a very large table as well. There is a painting of a field hanging next to a fireplace filled with old, burnt wood. A fire poker is hanging over it. ]

[papasha]

[Who put all of Zia's AC instruments in this room?

Blanca calls to Shiro,] It's a music room, [as he's, like... going inside.

He thinks he can hopefully trust Shiro to be capable of handling whatever happens.

He'll look over the stringed instruments briefly to see what he can spot from a glance. But he'll stop at the grand piano, and

gently push down one of the high notes to see if it'll play? Well, if the cover is open.]

[lionson]

Watch out for any falling pianos.

[Might as well make a joke before it all goes to hell.

Time to go into spooky lounge room. He'll leave the sheet-covered table for the moment, and instead go over to the fireplace. Grab the poker, use the poker to pull the wood out of the fireplace to inspect it. It's old, but is it 'several days ago' old, or 'several months ago'? Also, anything weird about the painting?]