~ Tнє Pαяα∂σχ Hσυѕє ~ now back to regularly scheduled chaos

Ononoki - beach... room...? - Ravohyr

The vast nothingness stretched out before the two blinkers, whose hair remained ruffled by the wind and humidity of the island, and whose bare feet were still dirtied from the sand and stone from which they had only just parted. But suddenly, it was a nothingness no more. Ononoki jolted suddenly as a panel appeared before her and Ravohyr. It was at eye level for him, and above it for her. This panel seemed to phase in and out of view, as if projected from elsewhere. It said, in capitalized and pixelated letters:

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE?


Just when they had read it, and might be wondering how they were supposed to respond, three poles shot up from hatches in the floor, aligned beside each other and below the hovering panel.
Ononoki stared blankly. Had she even moved her eyes enough to read the type? She stood as a statue for a long moment, allowing Ravohyr time to come to his own conclusions before voicing hers. When she returned from her stupor, she took his hand as if to stop him just in case.

Whether it was obvious or not, she said it.
"It's a trick. What we say is going to determine what happens next... I said with a posed look."

(Swear I'll try and reply tomorrow. Motivation went on vacation. )

</div>Vincent | Dungeon Room | <Raintalon>

Vincent opened his mouth to reply, though shut it with a baffled scoff as they continued. “Told by who?” He said quickly, sounding genuinely amused. He supposed that it made sense that the rumors of such a room would spread, but he hadn’t expected anyone to be so quick to gossip. 

He placed his hand on his hip as he listened to them scramble around, hanging out for a moment before turning to find the opposing wall. He pulled his hand back upon touching a grimy and deteriorated surface, though managed to feel around with a lifted lip once he was sure it was nothing more than decrepit stone. He couldn’t find anything in the few seconds of looking, so he glanced back in Hange’s direction to say something else; though his step backwards to face them sunk deeper than he’d been anticipating.

In a bright flash, he froze, expecting some kind of physical harm, though blinked serval times as he realized he could see. He turned, raising his eyebrows at Hange, then looked down at his foot. He lifted it slowly, squinting in fear that they’d loose light the moment he moved his weight away. When they didn’t, he looked around with a bemused expression, wiping his hands again as he saw their surroundings. 

Nico | Living Room Retcon | mintedstar/fur

If Nico had known, he would have told Sam not to worry. He would have reassured him that it was only the monsters that kept coming back and back and back and never could actually die. It was only the monsters who didn’t care about anyone’s lives but their own that were the problem. But he didn’t know, and there was nothing he could say. Best he could do was answer Sam’s questions and try to avoid talking about everything else in his world that was going wrong at that exact moment.
“Lord of the Underworld, technically,” Nico corrected softly, as though the distinction was important. “My father’s not like… the Grim Reaper or anything, he just makes sure everything’s organized and orderly… he doesn’t actually get a say in who dies when, though.” The thought stung, a little bit, but it was an old wound. If Hades were able to choose, Nico would already be dead and Bianca would be in his place.
“But… essentially,” he added, tone more even. “They’re Roman just in the sense that they’re the children of the Roman gods. They’re from all over the world, though. They recreated Rome in California, and everyone who lives in New Rome is technically considered Roman. Most of them aren’t direct children of the gods, usually they’re legacies… they care a lot more than the Greeks about that kind of thing. You could spend your whole life in New Rome if you tried.” He was rambling, he realized, as he followed Sam towards the hallway door.
A thin smile appeared on his lips as a thought occurred to him. “Y’know, unless you live very far in the future on Earth, you probably also have living Romans.”

Lucy Gray Baird was opening her mouth to sing.
She was wearing a bright, ruffled rainbow dress with very deep pockets. Her dark curly hair was tied up in a complicated braid, and wildflowers were caught in it, obviously placed with extreme care.
She started, looking up in obvious shock as he realized the crowd in front of her had vanished. She stood there, completely silent for a long moment, then closed her mouth and made an effort to compose herself.
What was this? Had the stress finally broken her? She didn’t know, and she didn’t like the idea at all. The very thought that her own mind was untrustworthy did not sit well with her.
She looked around, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. It was a living room, fancier than she was used to by far. There was a soft green floor that reminded her of grass, and furniture, and there were even books, so many books on shelves. Carefully, as though walking on ice, Lucy Gray stepped towards the books and slid one off the shelf, half expecting it to vanish before she could touch it.
It stayed solid. She held it reverently in her hands for a long moment, then flipped it open.
Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn’t that.
The pages were blank.
“Well, that’s unsettling.” She murmured to herself, flipping through the pages carefully, looking for anything at all. Nothing. She closed the book and slipped it back onto the shelf.
Then she turned, surveying the rest of her surroundings. There was a door she hadn’t noticed before, closed. She took a step towards it, her feet quiet against the carpet.

Kelsier | Trust Exercise Room | strider

Straightforwardness was...not one of Kelsier’s main strengths. He wasn’t exactly a liar...usually...but he was also less than forthright a good deal of the time. Maybe that came from being a thief for a living, or maybe it was just because that was how his world worked. It was hard to say.
Where Nico seemed to want to fight the part of his world that was hidden, that lied and made it look like someone else was to blame, Kelsier more went with it. He said fine. If you won’t work with me, I won’t work with you. You want to make my life harder? You go right ahead and try.
The slippery slope had not escaped him, either. He just didn’t know what it meant. Were they on the slope together, or separately? Were their fates tied, or loose?
It didn’t matter, and he knew it. But it was easier to worry about that than to acknowledge just how helpless they really were. If there was one thing Kelsier hated, it was being helpless, trapped, powerless to aid even himself. So he looked for the parts he did control. Because they were there.
They had to be there.
Like the choice to stay with each other, even if it might blow up in their faces. Like the choice to keep trying, even though this was fragile, and dangerous, and maybe very stupid. Kelsier was used to doing things that were potentially quite stupid. It was how he lived his life.
The ice slid by, and Kelsier let it, not trying to slow down even as he picked up speed. He hurtled towards the barrier and turned fast, nearly losing his footing as he did so.
He could tell Nico was keeping an eye on him, but only because he was also keeping an eye on Nico. They were like birds, soaring past each other, neither trusting the other to look away, but not attacking. Not even arguing.
They were like old enemies and new friends, all at once. And Kelsier wasn’t used to his relationships changing. What was he to make of this?
He turned, startled, as Nico stopped. The look on the boy’s face was….puzzling. He looked like Kelsier had said something terrible, but the Mistborn didn’t know what it was, or how to fix it. Was it about being a hero? Because that has been intended as a compliment, nothing else. Perhaps he’d been misunderstood.
He didn’t pursue it. There was no good in making it worse, after all. What he wanted to do was to convince Nico that he could be a hero, that he wasn’t as bad as he thought he was, but maybe that could only come with time.
Maybe it would have been smarter to step away. Maybe this was a trap, set by the House. Or maybe Kelsier was giving the damn thing too much credit. Maybe this was them, and their decisions were their own, and maybe the House wasn’t as powerful as it pretended to be. Kelsier wanted to believe that, and maybe, maybe it was true. Maybe….
Maybe they could get to know each other a little better. Maybe there was a chance at something here, something that wasn’t just mistrust and pain. If their last rooms were any indication, it was going to be the best or the worst experience he’d had in a long time. Maybe...maybe they could be friends. Was that a possibility?
He wanted to give Nico space, as much as he needed. He wanted to let things happen naturally as much as possible, and he didn’t want to rush anything. Then last thing he wanted was to ruin a friendship because he jumped to conclusions, and went too fast. And he knew Nico well enough to know he needed time, and space, and above all, he needed honesty. He needed Kelsier to be genuine.
Kelsier may have been less than forthright, at times, but I’m this case he promised himself that he would try. He would try to be honest. He would try not to keep anything from Nico, even if he knew there was always going to be another secret, something one of them knew that the other didn’t.
If there was no way to be totally honest, then Kelsier would simply have to do his best. He wouldn’t intentionally lie. He wouldn’t intentionally keep things from the boy. And he wouldn’t intentionally hurt him, not ever.
If only they knew what they were to each other. Then maybe they could move forward easier. As it was, they had to be so careful, because they didn’t know, they didn’t know. And anything could come between them. Anything could happen.
Kelsier blinked, caught off guard but the question. Where did the ash come from? It was an odd question, not just because he didn’t really know, but because it hadn’t really occurred to him to wonder much. It was just...how things were.
“I don’t know.” He admitted. “I know that things used to be different. I know that we used to have green plants and flowers, and who knows what else. But that was a very long time ago, and now the ash never stops falling. So even if it snows, it’s mixed with ash. I imagine it would be a lot prettier if it wasn’t.”
He didn’t mind questions about his world, as long as he wasn’t being forced to answer them. He probably wouldn’t have even minded talking about the things the House forced out of him, under better circumstances. But he hated being forced, he hated his will being taken away from him. And he hated the fact that the House had that power over him. So take what was his, and use it for its own purposes.
He was still smiling, even as he considered the ash, and the destruction of his world. He wasn’t about to let something like everyday life get under his skin, after all, was he? No, he wasn’t going to let that break him. Even if he never saw another flower, he knew he was lucky to have seen any at all.
He was smiling because he refused to give up, even in the face of the impossible.
The thing that Nico didn’t know was this: he was wrong about it not breaking Kelsier. Kelsier was broken. He was broken in so many ways. And the reason he still smiled? The reason he didn’t quit?
Maybe it was because he was broken.
He snorted, clearly amused. “Glad that’s settled.” He said loftily, sliding lazily back towards Nico, spreading his arms at the same time. For balance or for drama, it was unclear. “Now that you know how irritating I am, do you still want to go for hot chocolate, or is that out now?”

Lucy Gray froze in place, barely daring to breathe.
She missed Sol’s blink by a second, only noticing the other girl until she’d already blinked in. Then she whipped around, staring towards the voice, but seeing no one there.
Which meant someone was hiding. Not very well, some they’d just spoken, but still. She wasn’t alone, and that was...unsettling.
“Who’s there?” She asked, her voice low and difficult to read. There was no point in trying to hide now. It was obvious the other person knew she was there.
She opened her mouth to say something else, then froze, because right in front of her....someone had appeared out of nowhere.
And set the wall on fire.
The tribute stumbled back, her eyes going very, very wide. This was it. She must have finally cracked. If all the things she had to lose, her mind was not the one she’d expected to slip between her fingers, and yet here she was.
Nothing to do. Nothing to do but to own it.
She forced a light, delighted laugh, as though amused by the flames and turned towards the person who had set them. “Lucy Gray Baird.” She introduced herself, with a small bow. “You can call me Lucy Gray. What’s your name?”
Her eyes moved, slipping back towards the place she’d heard the second voice for an instant, but she didn’t say anything to them. If they wanted to hide, that was entirely their business.

Zuko’s brow creased as the girl laughed, immediately shifting into a more defensive stance. Was she laughing at him? He might have been banished but he was still the crown prince, and he was owed respect. Still, starting a fight in what seemed to be the spirit realm, if he was right, wasn’t a good idea. Even he knew that. And she had bowed, which didn’t quite fit with the laughter.

He followed the girl’s gaze towards the couch, immediately shifting because that meant there was something there. If either the girl in front of him or whoever her accomplice was decided to attack, he’d be ready.

“Zuko,” he replied after a long moment, gaze flickering between the girl and the couch. “Where are we?” He tried to make his voice as commanding and threatening as possible. It worked with his crew, but they knew who he was. If these were spirits, they might not be so aware, or they might even resent him. People did seem quick to resent the Fire Nation, from what Zuko had seen in his brief time away from home.

He was also keeping an eye on the flames that still seemed to be licking at the wallpaper. As long as they didn’t spread, it should be okay. Keeping track of three things at once, though, especially with one eye out of commission, was harder work than Zuko cared to let on.

“Who’s your friend behind the couch?” If he at least knew that, if he knew what the girl was looking at, he would be able to gauge exactly what he was dealing with.

Solaris | Living room | strider and ®Hawkpath® |

Sol hissed out a curse under her breath as Firebug noticed her, then narrowed her eyes, thinking, as Girl 1 attempted to cover for her. That was weird....had she mistaken her for someone she knew? Or was she just really that off the walls friendly?

Or, maybe she was afraid of Firebug and didn’t want a stranger to suffer her fate of being noticed by him.

Either way, to keep hiding would be stupid and pointless now that both people clearly knew she was there. She reached for her pistol, and stopped, realizing she was groping at nothing. Damn...when had she dropped it?

Oh, well. Not a whole lot she could do about it now.

“Okay, you got me,” she said, standing up and raising her hands above her head, her knife still held loosely in her left hand. “Hey. You. Firebug.” She pointed in Zuko’s vague direction with her knife hand. “Are you just pissed off for no reason, or are you gonna get a move on and rob us already?”

Lucy Gray | Living Room | strider and <Raintalon>

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t a nice place by his standards. Maybe he was from the Capitol. She glanced around, noting the stains on the floor for the first time, and realized that she’d probably just given away her standards.
Oops.
Oh well. She wasn’t too worried about that. He could know that she lived in 12 if he wanted to, and he might already know that, anyway. She looked back at him, determined to make the best of this situation.
“No, it’s not.” She agreed lightly, her chocolate brown eyes flicking towards the flaming wallpaper for an instant. “Sounds like as good a reason as any to put that fire out before we suffocate from the smoke, though. I don’t suppose you have any plans for after you set things on fire?” There. She thought that was a fair question. He had been the one to set this place on fire in the first place, after all.
She turned at the sound of the voice behind her, and got a good look at the girl for the first time. She didn’t look like anyone she knew, though, unfortunately. There goes my plan.
Time for plan B.
“Well, that’s certainly a relief for me.” She said, smiling at Zuko. “Since I don’t have anything on me worth stealing.”
It would be slightly suspicious to ask the name of your own sister, so Lucy Gray didn’t ask for the other girl’s name. Instead, and turned and approached to fire, inspecting the damage as though she did this all the time.
Maybe a cushion would work to put it out. Or maybe Zuko really did have some way of doing it faster. She turned her back to the flames, so she could see both strangers at the same time, and tilted her head like a bird. “Either of you going to help me with this?”

"Um...you want to watch a scary movie, Lady Reines?" Gray mumbled, her brows furrowed in confusion as she blinked in the room. She held the DVD cover in front of her, eyes narrowed at the strange image of a laughing clown. A sigh nearly left her lips. Lady Reines always had such a strange taste in films...

However, she perked up when she found herself in the familiar living room again and instantly adjusted her hood, so it would shield her face.

Gray couldn't stop herself from squeaking when Dipper approached her, dropping the DVD cover out of surprise. "I, um, I'm sorry!" Flustered, the hooded girl apologized with a quick bow before scrambling to grab the cover. Who knows what he'll think of her if he sees the object? Perhaps a weirdo? Ah, but there wasn't anything remotely normal about her anyways.

"I tend to be rather clumsy...u-um, we've met before haven't we?" She mumbled, her gaze directed at the floor.

Rue | Hunger Games Room | Lark

Rue was still walking.
After she’s killed Myrnin, things just seemed to blur together. It was like surviving didn’t matter anymore, or at least, she couldn’t bring herself to care whether she was being followed. The knife in her hand was stained dark red, but it wasn’t dripping. She supposed that had something to do with what Myrnin was.
Now she needed to find something to eat, maybe head back to camp, but she didn’t know whether she could. Myrnin had set up that camp, and gotten that food, and Myrnin had died because of her. She knew, deep down, that he’d asked her to, but it was hard to remember that detail when you were carrying the murder weapon.