WEEK 0 — ARRIVAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Arrival

When you wake up you immediately feel something’s off. You sit on the bed and find it’s not your bed, and this isn’t your room either. You seem to be in a rather normal-looking motel room. To your side there’s a trunk, if you open it you’ll find a military uniform, the key to your room, a set of rules and a debit card. Don’t lose those items! Or do lose the rules, you'll find a brand new copy the next day under your pillow. There’s also a calendar on the wall, you can see today’s date. The year is unreadable, but the month and day are very clear:

March 28^th
There it says ‘Meet the Sergeant at the Lodge, 9:00 AM’. There’s also a circle around March 31st, with the word ‘END’ scrawled there.

For now leaving your motel room would be a good choice. When you reach the lobby, you see the receptionist’s desk— no one’s manning it. There’s a rack filled with maps, marking several locations in the town.

There are also many strangers here – and you’re one more. For now it may be a good idea to take a map and explore the town.

After all, looks like you’re stuck here in the boonies for a while.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks (LOCKED currently)

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[alfin]

Room 22

[ As soon as Alfin awoke, she could tell something was wrong. Her bed wasn't comfy at all, which was strange as it had been perfectly fluffy when she went to sleep last night. It was almost as if this wasn't her bed at all... But that's just paranaoia, right?

She opened her eyes and discovered that no, that was not just paranoia. She quickly sat up, and looked around. She didn't recognize this room at all. Growing increasingly worried, she threw the covers off of herself and got out of bed. Upon doing so, she noticed the trunk right next to her feet. Before checking the trunk, however, she looked around the room and took note of the calendar. There was writing on it. She moved over to read it, and after doing so her brow furrowed. Sergeant? Had she been placed under protective custody, without her knowledge? Or worse, kidnapped by an enemy nation? Given that she had been in the castle, and asleep, neither seemed likely, but... Her being here at all was unlikely, so she had to consider every possibility.

She also needed to check out what was in that trunk. There might be an explanation inside. She walked back over to it and kneeled down in front of it. It didn't appear to be locked, or indeed have a lock at all, so it was quite easy to open. The first thing she noticed was the uniform. It certainly wasn't an Erebonian military uniform. She pulled it out of the suitcase to examine it. It wasn't from any military she recognized. Could it be a jaeger uniform? She shuddered. She didn't want to think about the implications of a jaeger uniform in the same room as her.

She refolded the uniform and took note of the gas mask and helmet that had been sitting atop it. The helmet was quickly disregarded-- helmets aren't a big protective must in Zemuria. They can't protect one from most orbment spells after all. But the gas mask... She picked that up. She had never seen one in person before, but she knew what it was. If something like that was in here... Are there toxic gasses around? She should take this with her, just in case.

The most eye-catching items in the trunk sorted through, Alfin finally noticed the paper with the rules. Picking the paper up, she quickly read through it. ]

Thirty days...?

[ That was... a long time. But she can't possibly actually stay here that long, could she? Surely her family is already looking for her.

The next rule to make her take pause was the execution rule. That was... This was...

She shuddered and quickly read on. ]

Murder?!

[ She had hoped the next rule would make things better not worse! She wasn't a murderer... What was going on here?! There must be some kind of mistake... She shoved the paper into her pocket and stood up, not noticing the debit card or room key. She was leaving to find this 'Sergeant'-- now. ]

Floor 2

[ After leaving her room, she noticed she had already been wearing shoes. More specifically, her very own boots. She shuddered. She most certainly hadn't fallen asleep wearing them. Somebody must have dressed her. She looked around, and upon seeing someone, stormed over. ]

You! Explain yourself!

[ She yelled, wrongly assuming that whoever she ran into was involved in her kidnapping. ]

Floor 1

[ After having discovered that she was not the only person kidnapped, she made her way down to the first floor. There were a lot of people milling about-- this time, she correctly assumed they were fellow kidnappees. There was one door hanging open, and a lot of people in and around it. Upon making her way over to that room, she noticed an empty desk... And a rack of maps. She ignored the desk and hurried over the maps, pulling one off of the rack to examine closer. Hmmm, they must be...

She looked to her side at the nearest person and showed them her map. ]

Do you think we're at the motel right now?

Floor 2

[odoruhinokaze]

[ Here he is, taking a good look around the premises when this angry little girl comes up to him all mad-like. He could launch into a tirade about her being rude, but he's not that type of guy.

He looks vaguely amused, so. That is what they're starting with. ]

Why?

Re: Floor 2

[alfin]

[ The man definitely looked suspicious. Nobody with that hairstyle wasn't suspicious! ]

What do you mean 'why'? Don't you think you owe me some explanation after kidnapping me?!

[odoruhinokaze]

[ Excuse his hair style was totally un-suspicious-like and awesome, tyvm. ]

Annnd what makes you think I kidnapped you?

floor 2

[clearities]

Ho~e? [Sakura cants her head, blinking rather confused as she stares at Alfin and points at herself. Are you talking to her?]

Re: floor 2

[alfin]

[ That girl... Upon closer inspection, she looked to be around Alfin's age, if not younger. Perhaps she made a mistake?

She coughed into her hand. ]

Are you... responsible for this? Or another victim?

[clearities]

[Shaking her head several times, she waves her hands a little frantically.] O-Of course not!! I wouldn't do something like this...!

Floor 2

[streetwolf]

Whoa-Hey-What!?

[He'd just been going down the stairs? But he jumps round at the girl's voice bring his gloved hands up. He's clean, see!]

Re: Floor 2

[alfin]

[ She looked the older man up and down. He immediately jumped into a non-threatening position, but it could be an act. ]

Are you the 'Sergeant'?

[ She kept her tone calm, but her expression was furious. ]

[streetwolf]

[Can a teen with a silly ponytail be threatening though? Wait, is she insulating he's part of the military?]

Fuck no! Don't lump with those bastards.

[The hands fall to clench at his sides.]

Floor 2

[semperperatus]

[wtf]

How many kids are there here?!

[Clearly Not An Explanation oh well]

[alfin]

[ That... was not the reaction she was expecting. Nor was it an explanation. But, she supposed, it could answer one question. ]

You aren't the sergeant.

[ The sergeant probably wouldn't be surprised by her age. But... ]

Do you work for him?

[ That didn't rule him out as an enemy. ]

[semperperatus]

No I do work for him! I've been taken too!

[w t f]

floor 2

[londonstar]

[ the sight of another young girl is not exactly a good sign for el melloi ii. he finds it unsettling that someone would be willing to kidnap a bunch of children for...whatever sick game this is.

so when that girl storms over, demanding an explanation, he's not surprised in the least. ]

I woke up a few hours ago in this motel, similarly to you, my Lady.

[alfin]

[ Alfin blinked. This man knew his manners, at the very least. ]

If you've been awake for a few hours... Have you found out anything? About this 'sergeant'?

[ She didn't quite trust him- not yet. But she'll accept his explanation, at least for the moment. ]

[londonstar]

[ he shakes his head. ]

Unfortunately, I have not. Whoever this Sergeant may be, they're well hidden. Nevertheless, there are many others who are in a similar situation to ours. They seem to be the other... "participants".

[ a term that makes him a little uncomfortable. none of them chose to participate in whatever this is. ]

Floor 2

[doublelammy]

[Well, this isn't who Millium was expecting to see today.]

Y-Your Highness?

[Woooah. ...well. She DID ask a question, so -]

Um, well! I dunno. I kinda just woke up here, but I don't remember Gramps sending me on any missions or anything!

[alfin]

[ Alfin stared at Millium in shock for a few moments before processing what she had just said. ]

They... They kidnapped you too?!

[ A member of the royal family and the ironblood member of Class VII. That... is quite the combination. And one she doesn't have a theory for. ]

[doublelammy]

...We've been kidnapped?!

[Apparently, this did not occur to Millium before this exact moment. Then again, she completely ignored the rules, so.]

Floor 1

[snailedit]

[Mira is also trying to make use of a map, so she's right there. A glance over reveals one very frilly younger teen... some kind of sheltered rich kid? Not that Mira particularly minds either way.]

I guess you don't exactly remember checking in either. But I don't see any other kind of lodgings on this map, so it must be.

[alfin]

There is the lodge...

[ She found the lodge on the map and sighed. ]

If we really are in the motel, it's quite a ways away. I would like to meet with the Sergeant as soon as possible.

floor 2

[theserpentsmiles]

[Okay, assumption? Fair game, since Nagisa's own clothes look military (and, in fact, pretty much are). But this is the second time he's been kidnapped this week, many things happened last night that he's had no time to process, and you are very loud.]

E-Explain- Explain what, exactly?

[alfin]

[ Alfin folded her arms. ]

Why you've taken me, of course!

[ He looked around her age, which would normally deter her from assuming he had anything to do with this. But he did look military, even if it wasn't a military she recognized. And their own military employed Millium... and now her sister, as well. ]

Floor 2

[valimar]

[ No way.

Waking up here was enough to set Rean considerably on edge. The murder part of the bargain wasn't making things much better either... But it was fine. As long as Elise, his classmates, or anyone he treasured as dear friends weren't dragged into this, he figured it'd be all right. He could handle this on his own if he had to.

How too easily the sound of a familiar voice dispels all that quiet determination, replaced with a look of alarm as a brief rush of coldness hits him as he darts back to meet the voice calling out. ]

Y-Your Highness?!

[ He'd recognize her from anywhere. The look of shock is clear on his face, even moreso when a shaky exhale escapes from him. It really was Princess Alfin, right there in front of him in the same uniform they've all been supplied with. ]

[alfin]

[ She's actually wearing her princess attire! afaik nobody has changed into the uniform.

Alfin had actually been calling out to someone else when she recognized Rean's voice. She whipped her head around, forgetting entirely about the other person, and broke into a wide grin. ]

Rean!

[ She ran up and hugged him. ]

It's really you! Oh, thank goodness!

[ If Rean was here, everything was sure to be all right. They would be out of here in no time! ]